A Little More Knowlege

"He was just trying to save my life," Aerith was saying later.

The Ancient and the others were all seated at the table in the bar area of the Icicle Inn building.

"And that psycho Sephiroth ran him through without even a moment's hesitation?" Barret asked, staring at her.

"I don't think he did it on purpose," Aerith replied. "Remember, he was trying to kill me. Cloud saved my life the same instant Sephiroth would have killed me."

Tifa blew her nose on a tissue. The moment she had heard that Cloud had died she'd broken down crying and buried her face in Barret's shoulder. "And Sephiroth actually said those things about Cloud?" she asked now.

Vincent nodded. "He said Cloud is not capable of loving or having those kinds of feelings," he replied. "He said 'He doesn't understand the meaning of love'. I think he's just lying so we get preoccupied with other things."

"That might be it," Nanaki agreed. "but he still could be telling the truth."

"I hope not," Aerith said. "I hope he's lying. Lying about everything."

"We'll ask him about it when we catch up with him," Vincent promised, getting out of his chair. "Until then we have to keep looking."

He headed out of the inn.

"Wait for me, Vinnie!" Yuffie called, running after him.

When the two were gone Aerith slammed her fists against the table. "We can't fool around any longer!" she exclaimed, her face full of determination. "We have to get busy! Now!"

"Aerith," Nanaki began. "Can't you wait-"

"No, I can't wait!" she shouted. "The longer we wait the closer the end of the world is. We must find him as soon as possible and kill him!"

Barret cursed. "Aerith, listen-"

"No, you listen!" she hollared. "Sephiroth killed the most important person to me in the whole world, twice! He's going to destroy the planet! I can't stand by and let him! If Cloud were here instead of me you wouldn't argue with him. You'd just do what he asked! I'd like the same understanding. If you can't give me that you're all not really my friends."

With that she stomped out of the inn.

Once she was outside she looked around the small town. We have to do something, she thought, folding her arms and leaning against the building. I can't have him destroying this planet.

She noticed a house next to the Weapon Shop, a house that looked like it hadn't been lived in the the past few years.

Her curiosity was aroused and she pushed herself away from the inn and slowly headed toward the building. I wonder who lived there. The front door hung loosely on rusty hinges. It swayed back and forth in the wind.

Once she reached the house she opened the door, stepped inside, and... found Vincent and Yuffie leaning over a television screen.

"Guys?" she said.

The two looked up. Guilty expressions showed on their faces.

Don't tell me they found some porn!

"What are you watching?" she asked, folding her arms and giving them a look that said 'You've got soem explaining to do'..

"Nothing," Yuffie said, as she and Vincent stood in front of the screen.

"It must be something if you're hiding it." she stepped forward. "Let me see."

Yuffie put up her hands and tried to keep the Ancient from coming any closer. "You won't like it," she said as a last resort. "It's just a dumb movie."

Aerith had the sneeking suspicion that they were hiding something from her. What could it be? "I want to see it," she said, politely, pushing them out of the way.

"Aeri-" Yuffie began, but a shaking of Vincent's head silenced her, she moved out of the way.

Aerith stood in front of what looked like an old television set. The power was off but she could see that the VCR was playing. Now to find out what they were watching.

Aerith pushed the power button. The screen came to life. From what she could see on the screen it looked like an old home movie.

She saw a man dressed as a scientist and a woman in a long dress talking to each other. What is this?!

The woman was saying something about something called Weapon. Aerith watched it totally shocked.

A few seconds later the tape ended. Aerith ejected the tape and spotted three more on top of the VCR. She grabbed randomly. She picked up a tape called Twenty Days After Birth, shoved it in, and pressed the PLAY button.

She stood back and watched as the two people once again came onto the screen.

It wasn't long before she discovered something she didn't know about herself. Professor Gast (The scientist on the tape) was married to Ifalna, Aerith's mother. Professor Gast was her father.

She learned a few other things too. That Hojo had killed her father and had taken her and her mother away from their home and back to Midgar where they were treated as experiments.

By the time the tape was over she was nearly crying.

"Aerith," Vincent said, when the screen went blank. "Are you all right?"

The Ancient kept on staring at the screen for a few minutes unable to say anything. When she finally spoke her voice cracked. "My parents.. Professor Gast was my father? Hojo killed him?"

Vincent put a hand on her shoulder. "I'm sorry," he said. "maybe you shouldn't have seen it."

"Why didn't you show this to me?" she asked, looking up at him.

"We didn't want you to be hurt," Yuffie put in, looking at Aerith. "That's why we tried not to let you see it."

Vincent nodded. "Yuffie's right," he confirmed. "We didn't want you to be hurt."

"It's okay," she cut them off. "I needed to see that... It was good that I found out..."

"Aerith..." Yuffie said.

The Ancient turned away from the VCR and TV. "I have more important things to worry about," she said.

Then she walked out of the house.

Vincent and Yuffie looked at each other. "Is she mad at us?" the ninja asked.

Vincent had no answer.

Aertih felt the chill as soon as she stepped out of the house. She not only felt the cold outside but also inside. It was the worst feeling she'd ever felt. She glanced up at the mountains. They were beautiful but she could see past their beauty. This would all be gone if she didn't do anything about it.

As she thought about what she had to do now, the things she had seen on those videos disappeared. She'd worry about them later. She had other things to worry about. One thing actually.

That thing came in the image of a silver haired swordsman with a black cape, haunting eyes, and a seven foot long sword.

Sephiroth, she thought, starting for the forest. I have a score to settle with you.

"Hey! There they are!" a voice behind them shouted.

Aerith turned around. She saw the female Turk named Elena running toward her.

What are the Turks doing here? she thought. She'd better not be here to start something. I don't have time for this!

"Hey, you!" Elene said, when she and two Shinra soilders caught up to the Ancient. "You can't go there."

"Where?" the Ancient asked, looking over her shoulder towards the mountains. "There? Why not? What's down there?"

"I can't tell you."

"Why not?"

"It's a S.E.C.R.E.T."

For a minute Aerith said nothing. Finally she said, folding her arms and giving the Turk a Look. "I know there is something else you wanted to say to me. So what is it?"

Eleen glared at her. "As if you didn't know," she growled.

"Huh?" Aerith said surprised.

"Don't act so innocent," she snarled. "You know very well what you did."

"What?"

"You killed Tseng!"

"What!? I did not!" Aerith protested. "Sephiroth killed him!"

"Don't lie to me!"

"I'm not!'

"Yes, you are! You are going to pay for what you did!"

The female Turk swung at her. Aerith got out of the way just in time.

"Whoa!" Elena exclaimed, as she fell over onto the snow and slid down the road, past the man at the edge of town, and into the forest.

"Ms. Elena!" the two Shinra solders yelled, running after her.

Aerith watched them go. What was that all about?

"Aerith!' called another voice.

The Anceitn turned her head.

Vincent and Yuffie were running up to her. They looked worried. When the two reached her, Vincent asked. "Aerith, are you all right? That was Elena. What did she want?"

"She thought we killed Tseng," she replied, shrugging.

"What?" Yuffie exclaimed. "That's bullshi-"

"Yuffie!" Vincent scolded her. She gave him an apoligetic. To Aerith he asked. "What else did she say?"

"She said something about the mountain."

"What?"

"I don't know," Aerith said, shrugging again and looking toward the mountains. "But it's up to us to find out what."