Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction / Fan Fiction ❯ Akirame Norwen ❯ A Filler Chapter (But you still have to read it!) ( Chapter 12 )

Disclaimer: I don't own…um….I don't own John Travolta….or Kingdom Hearts….I bought a copy of the game at Wal-mart, which I also do not own…but one day…I'LL RULE THE WORLD!!!!

CHAPTER 12: A Filler Chapter

Cloud and Sora turned from each other to look at Riku's find. "Told you so." Cloud said, puffing himself up.

"…we already have half the answer to the riddle." Riku said.

"Now what do we do?" Erik asked, looking up at Cloud.

"Well, according to the legend, we obviously have to find your match, someone with the same symbols as yours." Cloud summed up.

"But…wait, why did you bring up two entirely different legends?" Sora stabbed.

"Because I found the man marked, and I know who Jenova is. They have to be connected somehow. Besides, the man marked is destined to save, and Jenova did nothing but destroy." Cloud defended.

Riku had begun to flip through the book, scouring the pages until he came upon an old photo. "Look, the same symbols are in the other legend." He quietly announced.

"Let me see…woah, that's in Cosmo Canyon, where Nanaki lives." Cloud said, studying the picture.

"Who? I've heard of Cosmo Canyon before, but…" Jerdania started to say.

"Nanaki, otherwise known as Red XIII was a friend of mine, who helped me to stop Sephiroth. He retired afterward to his place of origin to study the wisdom of the Ancients."

"How weird, he has the same name as you, Red-no-number." Kairi teased the hybrid.

"I highly doubt we're related." He said with his faint Scottish accent.

So far Akirame was the only one who had remained silent. She glanced from the book up to Riku's face. His gaze was inward, and he almost seemed to be listening to something other than all the voices around him. Suddenly his attention averted from the book up to Akira's gaze. "The voice?" Akira mouthed, pointing to her head.

Riku silently nodded. Akira looked away, unnerved by all that was happening. Was her best friend destined to save the world? She glanced back at him for a moment, and, for that one moment, she realized just how little she knew the boy she had grown up with. "So, what do we do now?" Riku asked.

Cloud picked up the book and looked at them gravely. "You're going to Cosmo Canyon to consult Nanaki on the symbols."

"You're not coming with us?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"This is your legend, I have fulfilled mine. I am but an informer to get you on your way."

Riku did not object to Cloud's reasoning, despite the group's evident discomfort. "So, when should we leave?"

"As soon as possible. First, let me see your weapons."

As instructed, the group obediently laid out their weapons on the table for him to see. Cloud grimaced at the sight, although he approved of Erik's top-notch whip. "You got something against our weapons?" Sora challenged.

"Sora, shut up." Riku said.

"You'll never survive the way to Cosmo Canyon with pitiful weapons like that. I guess I'll take you to the weapons shop and get these…things remodeled." Cloud sighed, walking towards the stairs.

Sora defiantly shouldered his shield and followed the others down the stairs.

The walk to the local weapon store was full of much talk and planning. Irvine and Erik went ballistic when they entered the large store, quickly looking at all the various weapons available. Cloud walked over to a counter and talked to the man behind it who was polishing an impressive sword. "Huh? Sure, I can remodel anything. Lemme see what you got."

Cloud nodded his head at the others, who came forward and began to lay their weapons on the glass display counter. The man raised his eyebrows and surveyed the ensemble, lifting and examining each one. "We got your basic battle gloves, a crossbow, a sword, daggers, a shotgun, a shield, a very impressive whip, and…hey buddy, don't you have anything for me to remodel?"

Red looked up at the man and his eyes flashed. "Dragons don't need weapons."

"Okay, sure thing buddy. While I remodel your weapons, maybe you'd like to look in the armor section over there."

The group listened to his suggestion and began to look through the various racks of equipment. Erik instantly led Akira towards a rack of… "Jewelry? What am I going to do with jewelry?"

"Hey…this ain't ordinary jewelry. Let's see…if I remember correctly, crossbows correspond with…here we go. Necklaces. Now…what would work best for you…"

Erik looked through the various display cases holding various chokers, some of them delicate, others vicious-looking. At last Erik came upon the "perfect choker", a 1

Erik had Akira turn around and hold her hair up while he wrapped the ribbon-like choker around her neck and laced up the back for her. "There ya go."

Akira let her hair back down and turned to look at him. "What do you think?" She asked, trying to get used to the feel of it.

Erik looked at her for a moment and smiled. There was something about this girl, something incredibly familiar, bringing out feelings in him he didn't understand. This feeling, like, like he wanted to protect her. That was it, he felt incredibly protective of the girl. And at the same time, he wanted to her to be able to rely on him, to turn to him for advice, to be her closest friend…was it love? He snapped back to reality and noticed that she now had her head tilted to the side, an adorable smile on her face. He adored her. "You look adorable."

"Thank you." She quickly hugged him and ran to see what Riku was looking at.

Erik watched as she happily joined Riku, who was checking out various sashes. Erik could easily see from the way Riku acted, and the way the older boy's cerulean eyes lit up that the group's leader had deep affections for the girl. Erik chewed on his lip for a moment, just like Akira would, confronting feelings within himself. He felt like grabbing Akira and keeping her all to himself. He laughed, "So this must be what jealousy feels like."

Once the group had shelled out a good deal of money on equipment and picked up their improved weapons, Cloud led them toward a store to buy supplies for their upcoming trip to Cosmo Canyon, which, much to the group's delight, would involve a good deal of camping and walking on foot. "Finally, a real adventure." Irvine said, carrying out a satchel of newly bought supplies.

"No kidding. We've done nothing but get lectured and wait so far." Jerdania agreed.

"So, um…why exactly did you buy those groceries anyway?"

"Just wait until we're out there in the wild, sleeping under the stars. I'll show you what a real cook-out is."

"All right! Jerdania's cooking!" Kairi excitedly said, swinging an arm around her now closest friend.

"You cook? You never told me that." Irvine said, looking down at her with a raised eyebrow.

"That's the only reason why we agreed that she could come along. She's the only one in the group I trust to not poison us," Riku said, now walking out of the store followed by Erik and Akira.

"Oh…really. Jerdania said she was invited for other reasons."

Jerdania gave a nervous smile.
"Well…uh…hehe…tonight I'm making dinner!"

"Works for me." Sora said, quickly walking up beside Kairi.

"You guys done now?" Cloud asked, turning from a conversation with Red.

"Yep. Just tell us what to do and we'll do it."

"Good. Now, after you guys are done at the motel, you'll take a four-day Chocobo ride to Winhill, where you'll meet up with a man named Laguna Loire. If you can't find him, just ask around for Ellone. Tell them Cloud Strife in Transverse Town sent you. Give them this." He handed a manila envelope to Riku, who carefully put it in his backpack.

"And then?" Riku inquired, aware that everyone was getting impatient to go.

"Just leave it to Laguna."

"All right then. Let's go."