Moonlight Naga Chapter 5

Sora stood on the road, staring down the dusky trail long after the chocobo drawn wagon had disappeared, taking Cloud with it. He couldn’t help feeling like he’d been abandoned, even if Cloud had explained it was for his own good. There was a chance the naga would come after him, so it was better he was someplace they wouldn’t look for him. In the meantime, the village would be on high alert for possible attack.

The boy understood the why it was good idea, but he couldn’t help feeling like this was punishment. If he hadn’t been so stupid, hadn’t trusted Riku, and gone out there for all these years, then none of this would have happened. Cloud wouldn’t have nearly gotten killed trying to save him, and he wouldn’t have had to go away.

So he was sent here, to Zama, a town in the foothills of Mt Zama. He’d said his goodbyes to everyone, to Aerith and to Cloud had come to drop him off, and he’d clung to them as long as possible. He was sixteen years old, he knew he shouldn’t act like such a baby, but he was leaving the only home he’d ever known, and the people who’d been the closest thing to family he’d ever known. Something about the way they said good bye made him feel like this was forever.

“Hey, Sora,” called one of the men he’d be staying with. He was a tall man, and well built, muscular. His skin was dark, and he had no hair on his head, but a goatee framed his mouth, which never seemed to smile. He was an old friend’s of Cloud who lived in this village that was so very far from his own. “Why don’t you come inside?” He asked kindly, Sora looked back at him, and forced a smile. His name was Rude, he was a silent most of the time, and was expressionless for the most part, serious. However, Sora could tell there was a warmth to him, he was a good man.

“Ok,” said Sora turning, “and thanks, for letting me stay with you.”

“Don’t mention it,” he said cooly, “Cloud would do the same for us, I’m sure.”

He walked up onto the porch, and opened the swinging screen door for Sora. He went inside, the place was very open, the windows all open to allow a cross breeze through. The room itself looked like a bazaar had thrown up, there was a completely random assortment of…everything scattered about, ranging from the decorative to the dangerous to the things that Sora couldn’t put into any category because he had no idea what they were or how they might be used.
He found an empty spot on the floor and sat down heavily, eyes downcast. Mind still brimming with his remorseful thoughts, and heart heavy with loneliness and homesickness for a place could not return.

“Jeeze, you are Cloud’s protégé’ huh, just like him, brood, brood, angst.” Reno, Rude’s redheaded partner, came in from the adjoining kitchen. He looked at Rude, “He’s almost as bad a Vincent, yo.” He said exasperated, and then knelt down beside Sora. “Now, look kid, something’s bothering you right.”

“Yeah,” admitted Sora, “but I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Good, because we don’t want to hear about it.”

“Reno?” asked Rude, uncertain about where this was going.

“What? We know something happened, Cloud filled us in a little, you can’t stay with him because it’s dangerous, now you’re here. Details don’t matter, neither does what happens. So you, Sora, need to stop worrying about it, yo.”

“I can’t,” he retorted, “because of me Cloud nearly died, and now I’m stuck here, and…”

“Whoa, stuck here. Come on, we’re not so bad, right?” He asked, with a smirk.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean, I just.” He sighed, doubting the redhead would understand, and stood up again, hoping he could slip out and go for a walk.
However, before Sora could go anywhere, Reno through an arm around his shoulder. “Look, kid, I’m going to personally make sure you enjoy your stay with us, and right now I’m going teach you something very useful, to take your mind off things.”

Rude looked at Reno, “don’t give him anything explosive.”

“No, not that, that comes later, if he’s interested. This is going to be a lesson in philosophy, yo.” Reno smiled, “and drinking.” He let go of Sora, and went to a self in the kitchen, and began looking for something. “Rude, where’s the rum?”

“We’re out of rum,” said Rude, “you drank it all last week.”

“Why is the rum always gone, yo?” he frowned, but a smile returned to his face a moment later, as he turned holding up another bottle. “Tequila, Rude, go get some salt, and lemons.”

“Reno, he’s sixteen, I don’t think ”

“He’s had a rough day, and like you didn’t drink at his age.” He said giving him a look, and then he smiled at Sora, “Besides, he’s here, this calls for a celebration, to welcome him to our village, yo.”

“Really,” said Sora backing up slightly “it’s not necessary.”

“Sit down,” said Reno, practically shoving Sora onto a hammock which hung across the width of the room against one of the walls.

Sora fell into the hammock, but didn’t fall over, and Reno poured two shots, a worm in one of them. He grinned at this and handed it to Sora.

“Ewe,” he said making a face as he eyed the worm.

“Sora, that means this is the good stuff, the worm’s good, slimy yet get’s you shitfaced faster than the cheap shit.” He said, “now, philosophy, repeat after me, hakuna matata, it means there are no worries, yo. Look, what happened, happened, put it behind you, and start living in the now. I promise, tonight is going to be legendary, yo.”

***

Whether or not the night was legendary Sora wasn’t quite sure, because the next afternoon he had no memory of it, and no idea how he got up in the coconut tree or where his pants and shirt were.

His head was throbbing, but he managed to climb down and return to Reno and Rude’s house. Rude was up, and gave him a ghost of a smile. “Oh there you are. Were you with Kairi?”

“Kairi?” he asked, confused for a moment, and then it all came rushing back to him. “Oh God.”

Reno laughed, “yeah, I have a lot to teach you about how to get girls, yo. Though there’s probably no way she’ll ever speak to you again, yeah it’s really that bad.”

“Yeah, well it was your idea to go, get girls, and drink,” Sora exclaimed as he practically fell into the hammock. “and my head is killing me,”

“Yeah, it’s your first time, but you’re pal Reno is taking care you.” He said, going into the kitchen and preparing some concoction, “and don’t blame me for what happened, you’re the one acted like an idiot, yo.”

“Wanna tell me what happened?” asked Rude.

Sora closed his eyes, and slumped, until Reno came and handed him a glass filled with a thick green…something, that smelled worse than it looked.
Sora took it, looking at it uneasily.

“It’ll help, don’t taste just swallow, this is a fact about lots of things in life, yo.”

“Don’t be a pervert,” said Rude

“What?” asked Sora, before it dawned on him, “oooh. Ewe!”

“Rude, quick distracting him, Sora down the hatch, unless you like feeling like your head’s in a vice, yo.”

Sora held his nose and downed it, gagged, but after belching felt slightly better. He slumped back in the hammock, closing his eyes.

“Don’t worry Sora, you’ll feel better, and next time you try to pick up a girl, you won’t end up thrown in a lake.”

“I wasn’t thrown...I fell....I think.” Sora ran a hand through his hair, pulling a piece of lake weed and a cricket, which apparently was still alive because it hopped off.

Rude, picked up the bug, and set it outside, “there you go Jiminy,” He came back, and looked at Sora. “Ok, don’t listen to Reno, I’m going to give you some advice.”

“Hey! If anyone know how to get girls, it’s me, yo!”

“I don’t know what you think you’re getting, but the last time I checked, I wasn’t a girl, and I’m the only thing you’ve had in years.” Said Rude, “but nevertheless, I’ll teach you what my mama taught me. You’ve got to appreciate the lady.”

“Appreciate,” said Sora nodding, wondering if right now was the best time for a lesson, because he’d honestly would like nothing more than to go back to sleep.

“If you like her, and you want her to like you, yo,”

“And she can like you, but you gotta let your affection lead you, and quit showing off, and starting showing up with a little natural you.”

“Just follow your heart, and clichéd shit, yo.” Said Reno, “just try being yourself, and showing her you like her, without being a moron.”

“And apologize for last night.”

“With flowers, yo,” added Reno, “and she might slap you, just fair warning. Try tomorrow, though, for now, feel free relax.”

Right, tomorrow, yeah. Sora knew that he’d have to face her; he couldn’t just leave it like it was. Forget dating her, he’d still like to have her as a friend at least, if there relation was at all salvageable. Either way, he knew he at least owed her an apology for how’d he acted.

Things were always so much easier with Riku. They were instant friend, always had been. Then, that last day together, when he’d pressed his lips to Riku’s, it was just so easy, so right. Then when Riku had returned the kiss, it was like electricity racing toward him, and then just holding each other before….before.
He’d never see Riku again, and shouldn’t want to if he knew what was good for him. They were enemies now, mortal enemies. It was best if he just forgot they’d ever been friends, or more, at all. With these thought Sora once more drifted to sleep.

By the time the next day rolled around Sora was feeling better. His hangover was gone, and the uneasiness he felt being in such an unfamiliar place had faded. When he went to find Kairi and spotted her sitting by the lake in a beam of sunshine. She was pretty, slight in frame; he couldn’t help feel that things were looking up. If he could get her to forgive him, that was.

He’d picked her wild flowers, and came with them in hand. “Kairi,”

“What do you want?” Then she noticed the flowers and softened.

“I’m sorry, please, just hear me out. I’m normally not like that, just yesterday, I…can we maybe start over?” He asked, though he was doubtful as to if this was actually going to work. Never the less, he held out the bouquet of pink daisies.

She looked sceptical at first, “are you really sorry? Also, I was drunk, isn’t a great excuse.”

“I know, it was Reno’s idea, and he really wouldn’t take no for an answer, then I was trying to...I shouldn’t have drank, and I should have just been myself. Because I think that if I had, we could have been really great friends.” He sighed, laying the flowers down. “But I understand if you think I’m huge jerk, and never want to see me again, but I really am sorry.”

She could see the truth in his eyes, and stepped, forward, bending to pick up the flowers. “Everyone does stupid things sometimes.”

“Yeah, me more than most lately.” He actually smiled.

She returned the smile, and smelled the flowers, before sneezing and dropping them. Sora moved to catch them, and managed, but he sneezed as well.

“Guess I didn’t pick the best flowers,” he said, “Aerith would be disappointed.”

“It’s fine,” she giggled, “and who’s Aerith, you’re sister?”

“No, well, kind of like a big sister, she raised me since I was a baby. She’s the herbalist in Moirae, the town I come from.”

“Moirae? That’s pretty far from here.” She noted, “so why’d you come here, are you visiting family. Don’t tell me you and Reno are related.”

“Reno? No, I don’t really have family, I guess you could say Aerith adopted me, and Cloud too, he’s been like a brother. Reno and Rude are his friends, and they agreed to let me stay with them for a while, because it’s not safe to stay there now.”

“Not safe? What happened?”

“Long story,” said Sora, “I’d rather not talk about, let’s just say there are naga near there, and one of them might be after me.”

Her eyes widened, “Naga, really? That’s really scary.”

Sora opened his mouth to say something, to tell her that not all naga were really so bad, but he couldn’t exactly defend Riku now.

“Oh, sorry, you said you didn’t want to talk about, um, we could do something to get your mind off it. Since you’re new and all, I could show around.” She offered sweetly.

Sora smiled, “that’d be great, thanks, Kairi.” It was good to have someone his own age to hang out with. Besides, he’d come to the conclusion that spending too much time with Reno might not be very good for his health.

So Kairi showed him around the village, and both found themselves enjoying each others company much more than they would have expected. The next day, he and Kairi left the village to venture into the forest. It was safer to do here, because no naga lived with miles of this place, and monsters stayed higher up the mountain. Kairi wanted to show Sora her secret spot, a cave hidden behind a water fall that you could get too if you waded through the water a little ways. They made there way down the trail side by side, their steps in stride with one another. Sora smiled as they chatted completely unaware of the danger that lurked very close at hand.

***

“Look! There he is! There he—mmm” he mumbled as a hand was shoved over his mouth, as Saix grabbed him from behind, pulling him back behind a tree. He let him go once they were safely out of sight, and it was clear they hadn’t been over heard.

The human they were seeking, and the female, continued on their way. Saix sighed, then glared at Demyx. “Be quiet, you understand our mission, don’t you.”
Demyx nodded, taking out a piece of parchment, “Ascertain the location of the human, Sora, and report his location back to the village. Do not let not anyone see you.”

“Or hear you, we’re spying, which means keep your mouth shut!” Saix ordered in a whispered hiss.

Demyx nodded quickly, before asking, “but Saix, he’s right there, why not, you know, grab him?” He made a snatching motion with his hands. “then we bring him back to Sephiroth to finish off, and I have the girl one for a snack.”

“No!”

“But I’m hungry.”

“If we take him now, we might incur an attack from the humans which we are not prepared for, yet. Sephiroth has not yet recovered, and most of our able bodied nagas are out looking for Sora. We want,” he waited to see if Demyx was following.

Demyx nodded for him to continue.

“to have a battle with the humans, including the one who killed Zack who we could not catch before, on our own terms. We,” he gestured to them, “will send someone to capture the human when we are ready to meet the others in battle, and destroy them once and for all. It’s what Sephiroth wants, and Xemnas agrees. Then once the human’s warriors are out of the way, it’ll be easy to take their village, and you can eat all the humans you want without having fight any where they’d have the advantage.”

“That’s good plan,” said Demyx.

“Yes, which is the only reason we’re not killing them right now. That and they are young. It’s like hunting cubs, if you try to take them where their parents can interfere then things get complicated. They’re in screaming distance of the village, if we attacked now; we’d end up fighting adult humans, while vastly outnumbered.” A vicious smirked graced his lips, “too bad we have our orders, that could actually be fun.”

“Yeah...heh...I don’t want to fight, anyone” said Demyx, at which Saix rolled his eyes. “but...I’m still hungry!”

Saix gritted his teeth and raised his hand as if to smack the other who, winced. He sighed, “come on, we need to get back home, and tell the others.”