mako_lies

The fresh air hit Nanaki’s nose nearly before the sunlight did. He bounded ahead of the others, the ashen gates admitting him out to the wasteland surrounding. The sun hung heavy and orange, hazy with the smog of Midgar, but it was his first real glimpse of it in so very long. 

Nanaki settled on his haunches as the others followed. “So, Red XIII and Aeris, you’ll meet us in Kalm?” asked Tifa, head cocked to the side.

“Yes,” Aeris nodded, a hand on her hip, “We’ll be fine. Really. Don’t have too much fun without us…”

“It’s not us havin’ fun I'm worried about,” Barret said, grinning.

Nanaki huffed out a laugh, then nodded at Aeris. The other three went one way, and Aeris waited for a time, watching their retreating forms, then she said, “It’s good to be free, isn’t it?”

To have grown up in that cage—Nanaki bared his teeth at the thought, before he looked up at her. “I can think of many other things to do with our freedom,” he pointed out, “that do not include sitting outside of this city.”

They ran. The wind tugged at her heavy hang of hair, and she laughed at the grimy sky. What it would be like, when they escaped the dark cloud above Midgar. Nanaki panted as they came to a halt. Far ahead, he could see the curl of smoke from what he assumed must be Kalm. “Hey, Red XIII?” she asked, gaze on the stained clouds above, “Thanks.”

“No thanks needed,” he told her. 

She shook her head, eyes bright and green as the fixed on him. “I mean, for sharing this with me. This is the first time I’ve—been out of Midgar. I’m glad I get to share it with you.”

Nanaki examined her—the worn fabric of her dress, the battered boots, the new staff gleaming in the filtered light. “Yes. I—when I return to the Canyon, I believe you may find much there to enjoy.”

“…I hope so. Now come on! They’ll get bent out of shape if we’re late,” and so they moved. 

Nanaki could tell they were nearing Kalm when he saw the green ripple of grass ahead. Midgar had not yet killed everything in the vicinity. 

With the wind blowing and the sky darkening with late afternoon, they continued till the ashen cracked earth gave way to sparse grass. Aeris laughed, loosing her mirth to the wind, and she sat heavy on the ground. In seconds, her boots were pulled off and her socks soon followed. Bare-footed, she wiggled her toes in the prickly grass, her grin open and wide, and Nanaki laughed. 

Aeris stood, boots in hand, and asked Nanaki, “Ready?”

He nodded, wagging his tail. 

For the first time in a long time, Nanaki saw the stars that night. And, had the opportunity to teach the constellations to someone who’d never seen them.