CHAPTER 14.

Aeris had curled up on an old worn armchair in the far end corner of Avalanche's current hideout. They were indeed an odd looking bunch, and they were all giving Aeris nasty looks – she could barely stand the open hostility aimed at her. They seemed to loathe her concern for Sephiroth, as if they thought that anyone who could worry about him had to be pure evil as well.

The group had arrived at the rather rundown looking, abandoned and boarded up building in the lower level slums of Junon about an hour ago and since then none of them had particularly acknowledged her except to silently fume that she was there.

The horrible things she'd heard from Cloud and a companion of his called Tifa about Sephiroth during their escape stunned and saddened her, but she had not been entirely surprised either. She'd seen enough examples of his temper and the violence he was capable of committing that she didn't think they were lying to her about him. Aeris bit her lip deep in thought.

While such acts were anathema to her and truly horrific, she just couldn't see Sephiroth in the black and white terms the others did. During her travels with him she had seen a side of him that blurred the lines into shades of grey. Now she didn't know what to think or even if she'd ever see him again. How would she react if she did?

She closed her eyes and clasped her hands together in prayer. Maybe the Planet would have some advice for her, or comfort at least. She still didn't know exactly what Sephiroth's plans for the future were and she wished she had asked him more insistently about them.

She had a foreboding feeling they intimately involved her somehow. After all, he had kidnapped her to join him on his journey; it had to be for a reason. If he had somekind of a kamikaze mission in mind and it was imperitive she be a part of, then she ought know about it. Foolishly she even hoped she might be able to talk him out of it. Unlikely, seeing as how stubborn and fatalistic he was.

The Planet hummed it's familiar soothing song – Aeris was so focused on it she almost didn't hear Cloud's angry voice directed at her.

"I sincerely hope you're not praying for that bastard." He told her in no uncertain terms how much he disapproved.

Aeris opened her eyes and wished the cushions of her chair would swallow her as she met his deep blue eyes. They too, had the Mako glow of a SOLDIER though not as intense as Sephiroth's. He was more normal looking, of average height though well built as she supposed a rebel leader should be.

"N-no I was just meditating." Aeris stammered.

Cloud scoffed and turned away in disgust. "Yeah, right.."

The dark-haired girl next to him, who Aeris now knew as Tifa placed a gentle hand on his arm. "It's not worth it, she doesn't know him like we do. Who knows what lies and manipulations he's been feeding her for however long they've been together."

Cloud looked at her for a moment then sighed. "I just don't understand how anyone could stand to be his girl. Even before Niebelheim, he was always so cold, aloof and off-putting. To think someone could stand to touch that freak let alone have any other feeling for him but revulsion is beyond me."

Aeris looked down at her hands, feeling her face flush slightly. They thought she was Sephiroth's girlfriend? The thought felt strange, they were just friends after all and barely even that.

Avalanche continued discussing their plans for bringing down ShinRa – something about the President coming for a visit in Junon and them attempting to assasinate him. Aeris listened with half an ear, feeling depressed about the way they talked of Sephiroth although she could entirely understand why they felt such intense hatred for him. She felt like she was being pulled in multiple directions, stuck between worlds.

As the last Cetra (that she knew of, anyway) the Planet's needs came first of course, but at the same time she couldn't help but have a desperate wish she could rescue Sephiroth from the clutches of Hojo. Nothing good could come out of having him imprisoned there. Who knew what kind of experiments Hojo was performing and he hadn't kept it a secret he wanted to 'replicate' him, by way of cloning or otherwise. And then there was the fact she wanted to confront him about his past – to see once and for all how deep his madness truly ran.

She recalled an incident from the early days of their travels, shouting and raving about how worthless she was because she couldn't match his abilities. He had seemed repentant afterwards but Aeris couldn't help but wonder just how much he really was his fathers son?

Victims of abuse often become abusers themselves, after all. Aeris felt she needed to know the answers to these questions before she could make up her mind about him. She had to know the truth.

Before she could do what the Planet had asked of her.

Aeris shook her head to dislodge the thought, bangs swaying gently. No, she couldn't, it went against everything she believed in. But if the Planet was right about him and not just reacting to him being part Jenova, how else could she stop him? Could she trap him, somewhere, in imprisonment?

The thought seemed cruel to her, especially since Sephiroth had grown up in captivity. So then, perhaps death would be an act of kindness.. If only Aeris could bear the though of his dying. There had to be a third option, just had to be. She just hadn't found it yet. At least she hoped so..

And to think just a short while ago she'd been plotting her escape from him..

Cringing Aeris had to admit her so called attempts had been pretty half-hearted though. A part of her had wanted to stay with him, probably because even through his coldness and anger she'd sensed how damaged and broken he was.

It was in her nature to heal, but in Sephiroth's case she wondered if he was beyond her ability to aid. He had at least seemed to be improving. Aeris tilted her head thoughtfully. It couldn't have all been an act as the others seemed to believe.. could it?

So now the problem became how could she ever see him face to face again without risking capture by ShinRa? Avalanche would be no help, they were going to let him rot where he lay. At least she was safe with them, for now. Who knew how long they would allow her to stay.

Aeris felt disheartened and leant her face in her palm, troubled like the weight of the world was on her shoulders. And in a way, it was.