Chocobo's Final Fantasy Haven
Ray Pang
Story
Story
Story |
CHAPTER IIITHE GREAT MINTON LEAF EPISODEIt
was mid afternoon two days later when they reached Wutai. The
town had grown considerably since they had last been there.
The fall of Shinra and their restrictive trade polices had
opened the continent up to free trade practices, and some
shrewd bargaining by Godo with their neighboring villages had
greatly improved the economy. Looking around the party could
see that the town had probably doubled in size. "This
place is almost as crowded as Midgar used to be," Barret
commented as they walked through the busy streets. "But
at least there's no sign of slums," Red observed. The
others had been quite pleased when he had suggested he go
along with them, and of course had agreed immediately. He knew
it would take time away from his studies, but it seemed well
worth it. The best way to learn of the world was to actually
experience it, and he knew that he had learned more than he
ever would from any books the last time he had journeyed with
his friends. They
threaded their way through the crowd until they saw Godo's
house ahead. Even as they approached they saw a diminutive
figure rushing out towards them. "I
can't believe you're here!" Yuffie exclaimed as soon as
she reached them. "What a stroke of luck. I need your
help. My father is very ill, and the only way to save him is
up on Da-Chou. C'mon!" She
took a few steps and then turned to look at them as they stood
there bewildered. This was hardly the reception they had been
expecting. "What
are you waiting for?" she cried. "It's a matter of
life and death. Hurry!" She
turned again and ran off down the road. The others had no
choice but to follow. She
ran through the town and then out along the path the led up
into the foothills of Da-Chou. They finally caught up with her
at she was laboring up the steep path. "Yuffie,
hold on," Barret said gruffly, panting slightly.
"What the hell is this all about? If this is some kind of
trick I swear I...." "No
trick, " she said, looking candidly at him, but not
slowing down. "My father is very ill. He will die soon
unless something is done. I've been told that he can only be
treated with the leaves from a Minton tree, and the only place
they grow is up on the mountain top above Da-Chou. We've got
to go get him some." They
continued up the path, slowly passing the huge stone faces
carved into the native rock so long ago that no record of it's
creators was in existence. "So
why didn't you just come up here sooner," Cloud asked.
"What do you need us for?" "The
Minton tree grows above the trail on top of the mountain.
There is no path up to it. I can't reach it," she
answered. She
kept going up, and the others fell silent and followed. No
matter how deceitful she had been in the past, she appeared
sincere this time. They
reached the top of the path. Here the trail led into a narrow
cave, but she stopped before it and looked up. "There,"
she said, pointing at the sheer cliff that rose up above them
for perhaps twenty feet until it reached the pinnacle of the
mountain. They could make out a few twisted branches covered
with gold tinted leaves on a small tree at the top.
"That's it." They
all looked at the cliff in silence for a moment. Then Barret
spoke. "What
do we look like, mountain goats?" "I
don't see any easy way up, " Cloud agreed. "This
isn't exactly our line of expertise." "You've
got to help," Yuffie said desperately. "You're my
only hope. He'll die if he doesn't get the cure soon." Tifa
looked up at the cliff, then at Cloud. "We've
got to do something," she said. Cloud
shook his head and looked carefully at the cliff face. Finally
he nodded. "It's
not completely sheer, " he said. "There are some
handholds. I guess it couldn't hurt to try." His
slipped off his sword and laid it on the ground. He ran his
hands along the rock, looking up to try and see which way
afforded the most handholds. Then he slowly started to work
his way up. Even
though it wasn't that far it was a painstakingly slow process.
He had to test every handhold and toehold carefully before he
could trust it with his weight. He almost slipped twice, but
each time caught himself just in a nick of time. In this way
he slowly inched his way within six feet of the top, but then
the rock became smooth above him, and try as he might he saw
no way to cover the final distance from this position. He
tried to move sideways along the rock face to find an
alternate route, but he couldn't go very far. "Damn,"
he muttered. He certainly didn't want to go back down and
start all over now that he was this close, but he could see no
way to reach the top. "What's
wrong?" Tifa asked from below. Suddenly
he had an idea. "There
are no more handholds. I can't reach the top, but if someone
else could come up here, I think I could boost them to the
top," he replied. Barret
and Tifa both looked at Yuffie. "What?"
she said, then took a step back. "Oh no. Sorry, but I
can't" "Even
to save your father?" Barret said pointedly. "No
really, " she said. "I can't. I'm afraid of
heights." "I'm
surprised you admit to being afraid of anything," Barret
replied. "C'mon, Yuffie." She
looked up at Cloud, and it seemed she had real fear in her
eyes. "Please
don't make me," she said softly. They
looked at her in silence for a moment. "All
right," Tifa said resignedly. "I'll go." "Tifa!"
Barret interjected. "It's
all right," Tifa replied. "She's too scared to go. I
don't think it would be right to try to force her. I wouldn't
feel very good to see her fall." "Then
I'll go," Barret said. "Don't
be an idiot," she answered. "You're no climber, and
it would take all three of us to boost you up there. Besides,
I watched how Cloud got up, and it didn't look too
difficult." Barret
had no answer to that. He looked at Red. "I'm
afraid she's right," he gave his opinion without being
asked. "I'd go myself, of course, but I am afraid that
climbing it not one of my better skills." "All
right then," Tifa said, and walked over to the cliff
face. She tested some handholds and then started up. She went
more swiftly than Cloud, for she really did remember basically
what path he had taken. It wasn't long before she was directly
below him. It
was a bit difficult to get up next to him, but eventually she
succeeded. Holding onto an outcrop of rock that he knew to be
secure firmly with one hand, he let her climb up onto his
shoulders, supporting her with the other hand. She reached up
and pulled herself over the top. "Good
going," Yuffie cried from below. "Now get a branch
with a couple of leaves on it." Tifa
stopped for a moment to catch her breath. She looked out at
the expanse below and for the first time noticed what a
gorgeous view they had. She could see the entire town of Wutai
and far into the hills beyond. Then she turned and walked over
to the small tree, only a sapling really, and broke off a
branch with half a dozen leaves on it. "Throw
it down," Yuffie called. "I'll take it right back to
my father. There's no time to lose. Then I'll meet you in my
basement. We can talk then." Tifa
dropped the branch and Yuffie caught it as it came down, then
she took off like a shot. "Yuffie,
wait for us," Cloud called. "I wanted to see your
father." "No
time," she called back. "I've got to get this to
him. He's much too sick to see anyone anyway. I'll give him
your regards," Then
she was off down the hill as fast as she could go. Tifa
swung around and slid down to where she hoped Cloud could
reach her. "She
took off awfully quickly," he commented from below her. "Well,
she wanted to get the plant back to her father as quickly as
possible," Tifa replied. "That's
understandable." She
held onto an outcropping of rock and swung her legs lower.
Suddenly she felt Clouds powerful grip. "No,
something isn't right," he said, his suspicions aroused.
"It all seems too much of a coincidence with us arriving
here just in a nick of time." He
swung her down beside him and held her until she got a grip of
her own. "I'm
going after her," he said. He
worked his way down as quickly as possible until he was less
than ten feet above the path, then let go and dropped to the
ground. In a moment he was after her. Tifa
tried to hurry as well but she found that going down was much
more difficult than up had been. It was harder to find
toeholds below her than it had been to find handholds above. "I'm
following Cloud," she heard Barret comment below.
"If this was some kind of trick I swear I'll strangle
that girl." Tifa
inched her way down a little lower, then glanced down to see
Barret swiftly disappearing down the trail. After a moment she
saw Red following him. "Uh,
Guys?" she said loudly, but they weren't paying any
attention. They had just vanished out of sight when her foot
slipped off it's narrow toehold. With a cry she slid down the
last few feet of cliff face and landed hard on her rear end. She
sat there for a moment until the shock of it had warn off. "Thanks
a lot guys!" she yelled after them, even though she was
sure they were too far away to hear. Then she stood up and
dusted herself off. "Hey,
wait for me," she called and, limply slightly, trotted
off after them.
Cloud
caught sight of Yuffie again just as he reached the village,
but the streets were still crowded and he soon lost her. She
seemed to be headed straight for her home, however, which
would make sense if she was bringing the leaf to Godo. So that
was where he headed. The
front doors were wide open when he arrived. He stood there for
a moment looking in, but no one was in the room. He heard
voices coming from the hallway to the right, and one of them
was a deep voice he recognized from his earlier visits. He
went over to the hallway and walked down it. The voices were
coming from a room off to the right, and they were plainly the
voices of Godo and Yuffie. "I
am very proud of you for passing this next phase,:" he
heard Godo say, and then he stepped into the entrance to the
room. Yuffie and an extremely healthy looking Godo both stood
in front of a window opposite the door. Godo was holding the
branch in his hand. They both looked at Cloud. "Well,
thanks a lot, Dad," Yuffie said immediately, strolling
over to Cloud. "But I've really got to get going. Cloud
and I have some things to discuss that really can't
wait." She came up beside him and practically dragged him
along as she went by. "We can talk some more later, I'm
sure," she continued. "It's just that this is real,
real important." They
were out in the hallway now, Yuffie still dragging him along.
Suddenly he pulled up short. "What
the hell..." he began. "Not
here," Yuffie said as loudly as she dared. "I'll
explain everything outside. I promise." Cloud
looked at her skeptically, but then followed her as she walked
back out of the building. As soon as they stepped over the
threshold, however, he stopped and looked at her expectantly. "I
don't suppose you would believe me if I said that the Minton
leaf worked really fast," she suggested. "You
can do better than that." "All
right," she said with a sigh. "My father's not sick.
Part of my ninja training was to climb up on Da-Chou. I was
supposed to bring my father the leaf as proof that I had
succeeded." Cloud
shook his head. I should have know, he thought, I really
should have known. "So
all that about him being on the verge of death was just a ploy
to get us to help you cheat on a test?" "Not
cheat," she answered defensively. "He never said I
had to get it all by myself." "If
that were true," Cloud countered, "then why didn't
you just tell us the truth?" Yuffie
shrugged. "Because
it wouldn't have been as much fun?" she suggested
innocently. It
was at this moment that Barret and Red came up beside them. Cloud
turned toward them. "Yuffie
has something to tell you all," he announced. When
Yuffie told them the truth Barret was livid with rage. He
lunged at her as if he really were going to carry out his
earlier threat to strangle her, but she dodged nimbly out of
the way. "I
think you've lost a step or two," she taunted, dancing
away from him. "Perhaps it's time you stared thinking
seriously about retirement." "Why
you little wretch," he growled. "If I catch you I
swear I'll make you regret every lie you ever told in your
entire life." "That's
a big if," she shot back. It
was at this point that Tifa finally caught up with them. "Enough!"
Cloud commanded. "Now that your little charade is over we
have important things to discuss. We came here because we need
our materia.". "Charade,
what charade?" Tifa asked. "My
materia?" Yuffie questioned. "Our
materia," Barret said firmly. "Remember, we only
gave it to you because you needed it more than we did at the
time. And you agreed that we could come and get it if we
needed it in the future." "What
charade?" Tifa repeated. "That
particular conversation seems to have slipped my mind,"
Yuffie said innocently. "Quit
playing around..." Barret started, but Cloud held up his
hand. "Perhaps
if we go back inside and discuss your recent adventure with
your father it will help to refresh your memory," he
stated. "All
right, I remember," she gave in. "It's in the
basement. C'mon, I'll take you down there, and I promise, no
tricks." "There
better not be any," Barret said menacingly, but Yuffie
just gave him a smile in return. "So,
why do you need all this materia all of a sudden,
anyway," she asked as she led them off. Cloud, Barret and
Red followed close behind her, with Tifa in the rear, a
puzzled look on her face. "What
charade?" she said again, to no one in particular.
The
group rose early the next morning and gathered in front of
Yuffie's house about two hours past dawn. Even this early
there were still quite a few people in the streets. "Well,
are we all set to go?" Yuffie commented. "What
do you mean, we?" Barret growled, looking at her darkly.
No one had made any mention of her joining the party before
this. He would have noticed, because he had been listening for
just such a suggestion with the express purpose of squashing
it immediately. "Of
course I'm going with you," she exclaimed, as if shocked
that anyone might have thought otherwise. "I have to keep
an eye on my materia. Besides, you guys need me. Let's face
it, none of you are getting any younger. If anything, your
skills have gone down in the year since our last adventure.
But I'm still young, and I'm only getting better. You won't
make it halfway through the outskirts of Midgar without
me." "It's
our materia, you conceited little thief!" Barret
snarled. "And it'll be a cold day in hell before we
invite you along after all the trouble you put us
through." Yuffie
looked at him with a pained expression. "C'mon,
I was just having a little fun," she said plaintively.
"Can't you take a joke?" "No,"
he replied forcibly. "Well,
what does everybody else think?" she asked, suddenly
appealing to the others, since it was obvious she was getting
nowhere with him. "I
don't care what everybody else thinks," Barret said
sullenly. "So
who made you the boss?" she said pointedly. He
just growled at that. Then he said, "Well, my vote is no,
and I won't change it unless everybody else is against
me." "That's
not fair," she said. "I
don't care," he answered angrily. "It was bad enough
I had to put up with you for this long." "Barret,
you really need to lighten up a little bit," she
commented. Then she turned to the others. "Cloud?" He
didn't answer for a while, but just looked at her intently
while she gave him the most innocent look she could muster. In
spite of all the trouble she caused, she really was excellent
in a fight and had helped them a great deal in their previous
adventures. Finally he broke into a grin. "Yuffie,
I have to say that you are the biggest pain in the ass I have
ever met. You stepped way over the line yesterday, but I have
to admit it was pretty clever. It's all right with me if you
come along." Yuffie
gave Barret an 'I told you so' look, but he just shook his
head. "Red?"
she said sweetly. "You
have the exuberance and arrogance of youth, " he said
unhesitantly. "I can think of no better teachers for you
than the people here in front of you. It would be in your own
best interests to join us." Yuffie's
eyes turned pleadingly to Tifa, who did not speak for a long
time. Barret
suddenly seemed to realize what she was going to say. "C'mon,
Tifa," he blurted out. "Don't let me down now."
"You
let me down pretty rudely yesterday," she snapped back.
Although she was no longer limping, she still felt a little
sore. "I
know I'm going to regret this, but it's all right with
me," she said. "Yes,"
Yuffie exclaimed gleefully. "I promise I won't let you
all down." "You
better not," Barret said sharply. "Come along if you
must, but stay out of my way. Now, if we're all done with the
negotiating, what say we get this circus on the road?" He
turned and started down the street without waiting for a
reply. Cloud looked at the others, shrugged and then followed.
They fell in line behind, Yuffie last, as if to keep as much
distance between herself and Barret as possible. Though there
were quite a few people in the streets, everyone they noticed
seemed concerned with their own business and didn't pay much
attention to them. It would have come as quite a surprise to
them to know that at least one set of eyes had been watching
them carefully since they had stepped out of the house that
morning. |
Contact
Music (FF7) |
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Author: Frank Verderosa, all rights reserved. |