"Anyway, pleased to meet you..." He giggled. "I'm Caen Rainfall...and you
are...?" Midnight laughed at the embarrassed face Caen was pulling, and
relaxed, despite the alarm bells ringing in her head at the question he had
asked. (You're getting paranoid already...) "I'm Midnight", she smiled.
"Just Midnight?" Caen questioned with an amused look on his face, which
faded as he saw Midnight blush and look to the floor... (Better leave that
one alone, Caen... she's hiding something...) "Well anyway, what were you
staring at for so long? I'm not that good looking am I?" he joked.
"Erm... are you related to anyone named Zack?" Midnight blurted out, rebuking herself inside. She was a Strife, she shouldn't give anyone any clue to that fact because it seemed that her life would be in danger if she was found out. She knew from the news that Sephiroth himself had ordered a search for any Avalanche descendants, maybe because he was scared of an uprising. Either way, she must be careful. She was brought back into reality from her thoughts by the voice of her new acquaintance. Caen had gone pale, and he was no longer laughing. In fact, it looked like he was petrified.
"How... how do you know that?" he stuttered. "I've never told anyone who my father was, how do you know who he is?..."
(His father is Zack? Hmm. Who is Zack again... Zack Zack Zack Zack... Oh! The Nibelheim SOLDIER! Yeah!)
Midnight took a deep breath. "I know who he is because I saw his face in my head, as soon as talking to you, so I made the connection. My father was a Shinra" [Caen shuddered at the mention of the name] "guard once, and he accompanied Zack to a place called Nibelheim. Then...my dad was injured, and experimented upon...but I've said too much." She glanced up from her lap where she had balanced the Heaven's Cloud and was running her finger along the ornate carved decorations in the handle.
The boy's face changed to a look of puzzlement. "You...you know...about Dad...my father was experimented on too! I... I thought the only other subject who survived had died on an airship when I was tiny. Dad was devastated, because he said that man was the only person who could save us from Sephiroth... he said nothing of a child, that was just before he was taken away...that's what Mom said, and now she's gone too..." Caen bowed his head and tried in vain to hold back the tears.
(Can I trust him? Planet, I don't know what it is, but I feel so close to him...) On a mad thought, Midnight closed her eyes and asked the question in her head, but...nothing. Thinking back to that time, she realised that Caen had his hand on her shoulder when the voice came to her. (Just maybe...that's the bond I feel with him...) Suddenly, Midnight got up, sat next to Caen and put her arms around him. Caen tensed up, but then relaxed into her as Midnight comforted him. (Now...can I trust Caen? And who are you?) As the voice came to her, she gasped and huddled into Caen; the sound seemed to be penetrating her head.
You can trust Caen, Midnight; by the Planet, he is the same as you, yet very different. As for me... call me your guardian angel. You bear my name...
"Ae...Aeris..."
Caen pulled away from Midnight, causing her to jump violently as he broke the bond between their minds. "Oh, sorry..."he whispered as she yelled out at the shock. As Midnight turned around to face him, she thought she saw a vision of a young woman with green eyes, long light brown braided hair and a ribbon in it which matched her pink dress; but when she blinked she saw Caen again. Caen, whose beautiful eyes were red from crying, but who held a wondering look on his face. She watched him as he whispered, "Midnight, what's going on? Who are you?...and, who's Aeris? How come I can hear her?"
Bowing her head again, Midnight cursed inside at herself for not trusting Caen sooner. He heard Aeris' message as well, meaning he must be conveying it through to Midnight... "Ok, well its something like this, Caen..."
"Erm... are you related to anyone named Zack?" Midnight blurted out, rebuking herself inside. She was a Strife, she shouldn't give anyone any clue to that fact because it seemed that her life would be in danger if she was found out. She knew from the news that Sephiroth himself had ordered a search for any Avalanche descendants, maybe because he was scared of an uprising. Either way, she must be careful. She was brought back into reality from her thoughts by the voice of her new acquaintance. Caen had gone pale, and he was no longer laughing. In fact, it looked like he was petrified.
"How... how do you know that?" he stuttered. "I've never told anyone who my father was, how do you know who he is?..."
(His father is Zack? Hmm. Who is Zack again... Zack Zack Zack Zack... Oh! The Nibelheim SOLDIER! Yeah!)
Midnight took a deep breath. "I know who he is because I saw his face in my head, as soon as talking to you, so I made the connection. My father was a Shinra" [Caen shuddered at the mention of the name] "guard once, and he accompanied Zack to a place called Nibelheim. Then...my dad was injured, and experimented upon...but I've said too much." She glanced up from her lap where she had balanced the Heaven's Cloud and was running her finger along the ornate carved decorations in the handle.
The boy's face changed to a look of puzzlement. "You...you know...about Dad...my father was experimented on too! I... I thought the only other subject who survived had died on an airship when I was tiny. Dad was devastated, because he said that man was the only person who could save us from Sephiroth... he said nothing of a child, that was just before he was taken away...that's what Mom said, and now she's gone too..." Caen bowed his head and tried in vain to hold back the tears.
(Can I trust him? Planet, I don't know what it is, but I feel so close to him...) On a mad thought, Midnight closed her eyes and asked the question in her head, but...nothing. Thinking back to that time, she realised that Caen had his hand on her shoulder when the voice came to her. (Just maybe...that's the bond I feel with him...) Suddenly, Midnight got up, sat next to Caen and put her arms around him. Caen tensed up, but then relaxed into her as Midnight comforted him. (Now...can I trust Caen? And who are you?) As the voice came to her, she gasped and huddled into Caen; the sound seemed to be penetrating her head.
You can trust Caen, Midnight; by the Planet, he is the same as you, yet very different. As for me... call me your guardian angel. You bear my name...
"Ae...Aeris..."
Caen pulled away from Midnight, causing her to jump violently as he broke the bond between their minds. "Oh, sorry..."he whispered as she yelled out at the shock. As Midnight turned around to face him, she thought she saw a vision of a young woman with green eyes, long light brown braided hair and a ribbon in it which matched her pink dress; but when she blinked she saw Caen again. Caen, whose beautiful eyes were red from crying, but who held a wondering look on his face. She watched him as he whispered, "Midnight, what's going on? Who are you?...and, who's Aeris? How come I can hear her?"
Bowing her head again, Midnight cursed inside at herself for not trusting Caen sooner. He heard Aeris' message as well, meaning he must be conveying it through to Midnight... "Ok, well its something like this, Caen..."