Updated with a corrected version, the beta is Bjanik.
3. Open Doors
As the materia started to work, Aerith regained her normal breath and she was able to sit up by herself and smile faintly at Sephiroth. The man lowered himself down beside her on the narrow bed with a relieved sigh.
"The guards won't be found before morning unless they regain consciousness sooner, which I don't think will happen. You have an hour to rest, then you must depart."
"Thank you." The girl gratefully squeezed his hand. They sat this way for a while, until at last Aerith broke the silence. "Will you come with me?"
Sephiroth didn't answer. At this moment he couldn't yet account for his actions. It was clear he wanted to help the girl escape, but he didn't have the faintest idea what he would do afterwards. Instead of answering, he diverted the topic to something safer.
"What did they expect to learn from you?"
"I wasn't exactly willing to tell them how my abilities work and whether I can heal without materia." Aerith wearily shook her head. "Maybe it would have been better to answer, but I was stubborn and didn't expect it to be so bad. Anyway, I cannot heal, at least not so easily. Sometimes I can heal others, but it needs concentration, lots of it, and that I couldn't do. I tried once, to try and ease the pain, but I fainted before anything happened. Well, at least they don't get any information if I faint."
Sephiroth wondered at the way the girl could preserve her sense of humor even in this situation. He thought her brave, remembering it took years for him to be able to wait silently until the poison wore away. From some sudden impulse he reached out, and lightly caressed her hand, still interwoven with his. She smiled warmly, and returned the touch.
"What are you going to do now?" He asked.
"I'm not sure. The Lifestream is troubled; soon it will revolt if the extraction continues. I must do something, prevent it somehow, or many will die!"
"You claim the operation of the Shin-Ra directly endangers the planet?"
"Yes, it does! They drain the Lifestream as if it were any other substance, not the souls of all living things, a conscious being. They should know better! Even the knowledge of the Cetras isn't wholly forgotten, but they don't want to pay attention," she stated fervently. She looked up to Sephiroth questioningly. "You are a Shin-Ra SOLDIER; don't you want to stop me?"
He shook his head. He still wasn't ready to decide his course, but doubts had shaken his loyalty to the company long ago. Doubts born of missions where he had to clean up after the failures of the Shin-Ra, especially the end of Angeal and Genesis, but even the fact that Hojo carried the acknowledgement and trust of the President with his experiments reflected poorly on the company.
"There is something wrong with us SOLDIERs" he said carefully, "I don't know what, but I must find it."
Before I end up like Genesis, he added the thought that had haunted him for months.
"No one would be like you from the mako alone," Aerith agreed and asked again: "Will you come with me?"
When Sephiroth nodded such honest joy lighted up the girl's eyes that his throat and stomach tightened with a burning sensation.
"I'll try to ask the Lifestream where we should start."
Sephiroth only saw her sitting with clasped hands, head bowed and eyes closed, for a short time. When she lifted her head, she asked, a little confused, "Nibelheim, we should go to Nibelheim. There is something there that will give answers for the both of us. Do you have any idea?"
"Hojo's other laboratory, under the old Shin-Ra manor," replied the man without a hint of hesitation. Whatever he sought, it was linked to Hojo, and he knew this laboratory inside and out. There was nothing here that could tell him more about himself.
"Okay, and I have my friends there, who I was growing up with before I came to Midgar with the rebels. Some of them are also part of the rebellion" she added.
Sephiroth nodded. He didn't necessarily understand why Aerith trusted him so readily, but for his part now he was sure that after knocking out two guards, abducting one of Hojo's favorite test subjects, and now preparing to break into his private laboratory he no longer counted himself as a Shin-Ra employee. He wouldn't have started if this resolve hadn't already been nursed inside him. He somewhat wondered why he hadn't questioned the system earlier. Although he had questioned it, at the death of his friends. Only he hadn't questioned whether he could change anything.
Suddenly the pieces fell together. Hojo's design of his education now clear in his mind, how he intended for Sephiroth not to realize his own power so as not to turn against him, to stay his obedient son, test subject and tool, the ultimate weapon. Now a new-found sense of freedom filled him, as if wings sprouted from his side, allowing him to do anything. He could even introduce Hojo to his sword. He found it exceedingly difficult to contain the urge to do that right away, but the safety of the girl was his first priority and more answers awaited them at Nibelheim that would definitely add to Hojo's debt. He had time. He had done nothing for so long that a little time more would make no difference. Hojo would wait for him, although Hojo had better be running for his life. He arose so abruptly from the bed that Aerith looked up, surprised from the sudden movement. Seeing his expression, she involuntarily flinched.
"What are you thinking about?" She asked, startled.
"Just planning the future," he replied with a wide smile, and then noticed Aerith's reaction. He hadn't intended to frighten her. "I was just thinking about how it is time for Hojo to give account of his deeds."
Aerith relaxed. Indeed Sephiroth's predatory look had scared her, but with Hojo, it was understandable.
"Yes, it would be good if he wasn't allowed to experiment anymore."
"He won't," Sephiroth promised. "Now rest."
Refreshed from reaching a decision he started to pack. If he got his hands on a bike they could arrive at Nibelheim the next evening. They departed as soon as they were ready, stepping cautiously into corridors, deserted at those early hours. Aerith could already walk without help, but she was exhausted and stopped to rest so often that Sephiroth thought it best to pick her up and carry her instead. As they left the tower, Aerith saw for the first time why people spoke of SOLDIER with awe when Sephiroth assaulted four guards while carrying her on his arm, with such speed the unfortunate guards couldn't have seen anything of him but a black blur. She briefly wondered, did her one SOLDIER friend have the same speed, same strength? It was hard to imagine.
Aerith couldn't remember much of the journey afterwards. During the first day she was too exhausted to be awake but sitting across the bike in front of Sephiroth wasn't really a comfortable position to sleep, so she stayed in a half-conscious daze. At least she could sleep the whole night through, and woke up feeling rested. When they started the next day, she found the need to clarify something.
"Sephiroth, why did you come with me?"
He didn't know what to say. He didn't thoroughly understand what had happened, or how he should describe the diffuse sensations whirling inside of him, the warmth he felt in her presence, or the thirst, the concern, the joy. He never felt anything even remotely similar, and he didn't often encounter situations where he needed to describe emotions, so he couldn't find the appropriate words.
"I wanted to be with you," he simply answered, looking somewhere toward the horizon.
Aerith smiled, held his waist more tightly and leaned her head against him.
"I also want to be with you," she said.
Heat flooded Sephiroth. He accelerated, hoping the cold wind would cool him down.
Writer rants:
Hello dear readers, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I changed the canon setting at a few points (just to make it work, sorry sorry!), hope it isn't confusing... or simply lame. Anyway, I try to update regurarly, so stay tuned :)
(Reviews are always appreciated, not as I want to suggest anything...;)
