*Thanks to all my fans!*

Chapter 6: Ingus

"So…" Zack raised an eyebrow at Cissnei. "You bet your friend that we'd hijack the airship?"

They sat alone in the stable. Elfé had asked Zack to find out any useful information, banking on his prior friendship with the Turk. Meanwhile, the swordswoman was conducting her own less-than-friendly interrogation of Freyra in the meeting room.

"You were in town, you were counting on meeting with Cid, and the president decided to confiscate the Highwind," Cissnei pointed out, "It just seemed like the stars were aligned, so to speak. Maybe not hijack it per se, but I figured you'd do something crazy."

"Am I really that predictable?" Zack asked with a grin.

Cissnei raised her hands, which were no longer restrained, thanks to the SOLDIER. "In a word: yes."

Zack shook his head and smiled.

"But…" Cissnei hesitated before continuing, "…I'm glad we're in this mess together. I have to admit, things do get a little more exciting when you're around."

"So why do you look like we're going to a funeral?" Zack indicated the grim expression on her face.

Because I've broken the unofficial credo of the Turk, to not ask questions, she thought. But I have to know why they declared you dead, and even sent me to your parents with fake ashes. I've also elected not to complete my mission to get the Highwind back to Midgar, thus breaking the official credo. I'm letting down the only people who gave a damn about me, and hoping they believe me when I lie about being captured. I still don't know what's happened to the women in Project T…

"You know me," she said, managing a weak smile, "I'm used to playing by the rules. I'm not good at this kind of thing."

"Well, good thing you have me around," Zack stated confidently as he put his arm around her shoulder. "I'll show you how it's done."

Cissnei stiffened involuntarily at the gesture, yet couldn't help but feel somewhat happy. She looked up at her old friend, and as she saw him grinning at her, she suddenly burst out laughing.

"I suppose I won't be bored, will I?" she remarked.

"In a word: no," Zack said, gently mocking her earlier words.

"How is it that you know Genesis?" Elfé asked curtly as she sat at the long table in the meeting room. "He mentioned having met you before."

Freyra, sitting across from her, sighed, looking slightly embarrassed. "I met him once. We were kids. My parents are…well off, let's say. They go around in the same social circles as the Rhapsodos family does…" She then winced and looked away. "Or rather…did."

"So you weren't actually friends?" Elfé pressed.

"No," Freyra answered, "We only met once at some stuffy outdoor gathering. I helped him play a prank. I was on the lookout, while he made some…creative alterations to an ice sculpture. When he unleashed his creation, a bunch of guests left in an outrage. That included my parents; they grabbed me and we left. I never saw him again. I didn't even learn his name until recently…nor did he learn mine."

"Did the Shinra purposely tamper with the oxygen tanks so that the launch would be sabotaged?" Elfé asked pointedly.

Freyra tilted her head and stared suspiciously at Elfé. "Funny, I was wondering the same exact thing about Avalanche," she shot back.

Elfé glared at the Turk.

"Oh, lighten up," Freyra said, leaning back in her chair. She then put her manacled hands in her lap. "We're stuck with one another, so shouldn't we at least try to get along? I find it rather offensive that you trust those three SOLDIER boys, while I'm sitting here wearing restraints."

"They've proved themselves to be trustworthy so far," Elfé retorted, "That was after Genesis and Aerith vouched for them. Plus, they didn't beat up and imprison two innocent people."

"I already told you, that wasn't us!" Freyra argued.

"Yet you won't mention who did do it," Elfé argued back.

"Would you rat out your people?" Freyra countered, "No? Didn't think so."

"They wouldn't be the bald fellow and the man with the red pony-tail, would they?" Genesis asked as he sauntered into the room. He pulled up a chair and sat down at the table. "They were rather amusing when they tried to stop me from destroying my dear cousin's fancy ride. But the best part was destroying that gun your leader has attached to his arm before I knocked him and everyone else out cold. Not so tough without that thing, is he?"

"Well, now that you're here, you can corroborate our history," Freyra suggested, "I can tell that your friend doesn't seem to believe anything I say."

"You're in no position to give orders," Elfé snapped.

"Look…" Genesis said to Elfé, "We're half a mile above the ground on an aircraft that very few people know how to pilot. Luxiere is guarding the emergency parachutes. We've got an hour left before landing. Freyra's partner warned us that the Shinra were coming to town when she didn't have to do that. Why don't we…" He stood up and went over to Freyra, taking her wrists. "…just do away with these, since it's obvious neither of these two ladies are going anywhere." He pressed the button underneath the cuffs, causing them to pop open, releasing Freyra's hands.

Elfé stood up angrily. "Stop undermining me, Genesis!"

"Since when were you the leader?" Genesis objected, "Yes, you brought us to Cid, but now your part is done. Cid's the one getting us to the city, and after that, it's all up to Aerith. Everyone's doing their part. Don't get so wound up. Relax. Take a nap or something. I'll keep an eye on Miss Freyra, while Zack keeps an eye on the other one."

"And who will be keeping an eye on you?" Elfé asked bluntly.

"Have you no faith in me at all?" Genesis chided her.

"Do what you want," Elfé muttered angrily. She turned around and stalked out of the room.

"The female Sephiroth…" Genesis chuckled. He then turned to Freyra. "So, how have you been, these past ten years since I saw you at that party in Mideel?"

Freyra, still rubbing her wrists, propped her feet up on the table. "Well, I joined this organization, the department of Administrative Research, but most people refer to us by our other name…"

Genesis smirked at Freyra's flippant reply. "Oh yeah?" he kidded, "What name would that be?"

"Uh, Tactical Unison Recon Killers," Freyra answered glibly, "Otherwise known as TURKs."

"Never heard of them," Genesis quipped as he dropped the cuffs on the table and sat down, "Nice people?"

Freyra broke her facade and began to laugh.

"I feel terrible about this," Aerith said as she sat in one of the cabins with Tifa. The young pugilist was sitting up on a small bed, having woken up only half-an-hour ago. "They really did a number on you."

"I don't remember much," Tifa said, scowling as she tried to recall the details. She then looked at Aerith. "So you're really an Ancient?"

"Half," Aerith answered, "My mother's the last pure Cetra."

"So that terrible place you spent the first few years of your life…" Tifa reasoned, "It was the Shinra, wasn't it?"

Aerith nodded somberly. "We had a gorgeous apartment, a big-screen TV, books to read, and three square meals a day. But half the time, my mother and I couldn't keep our food down because of all the experimental drugs the science department forced on us."

"And that's why you're with Avalanche now?" Tifa asked, "You said Sephiroth got you out of there. Did Avalanche help?"

"They helped afterward," Aerith said, "My mother just happened to end up marrying one of their leaders. But I believe in Avalanche's ideals regardless of who my family is. Freedom, rights for all sentient beings…"

"Sentient beings?" Tifa repeated uncomprehendingly.

Aerith grinned. "It's a big world, and it's not just a million humans and five Cetra. Maybe someday, I'll introduce you to my friends Deneh and Nanaki. In their species' years, they're about the same age as us."

"What are they? Elves?" Tifa asked.

Aerith burst out laughing as she pictured her old friends as small humanoids with pointy ears.

"Or do moogles really exist?" Tifa went on.

Aerith laughed even harder and shook her head. "Sorry…I'm not laughing at you. I just keep picturing my friends as elves and moogles…no, they don't exist."

"Ah, darn," Tifa joked, "I can't marry an elven prince and have little half-elf babies?"

"Maybe in another universe," Aerith kidded, "So how are you feeling now?"

"I'm ready to get out of bed and check this place out," Tifa said as she tossed the covers back and jumped out of the bed before stumbling slightly.

"Easy!" Aerith chided her friend, before the two left the cabin together.

"There you are…" Angeal said as he spotted Elfé looking over the railing into the engine below. "I was wondering where you'd disappeared to."

"I'm right here…" Elfé said dully.

"What's wrong? Angeal asked as he leaned against the railing, next to her.

"Maybe I'm just worn out," Elfé sighed, "It's been a crazy journey. Joining up with SOLDIERs, sharing the same space as Turks, then Corel, not to mention all this is being done with the blessing of only three members of Avalanche. Then on top of everything, an innocent girl and an old man end up getting the crap beaten out of them for being seen with me. I thought I'd covered my tracks…but then…I should have known it wouldn't have been so easy."

"You've lost me," Angeal said, "Covered your tracks?"

"Palmer knows who I am," Elfé said, "That's what I found out when I was interrogating that girl Freyra. There's a sketch of me in a Shinra database, and the townspeople were able to identify me. They must have seen Tifa and Aerith with me, and that's when the Turks found Tifa."

"She's awake now," Angeal reassured her, "I just saw her and Aerith walking around together."

"Well, that's Aerith for you," Elfé said, managing to smile just a little. "Where would we be without our healer?"

"So how is it that Palmer knows your face?" Angeal asked.

Elfé closed her eyes and heaved a big sigh.

"Mission gone wrong?" Angeal guessed.

"God, you have no idea…" Elfé said, shaking her head sadly.

"If you don't want to talk about it, that's okay," Angeal told her.

"A couple of years ago," said Elfé, "I was sent to Midgar on an extended mission. When I was there, I…" She hesitated slightly before continuing: "…I met someone."

Angeal looked at the engine as it rumbled away. "Oh," he said, forcing a casual tone, "I didn't know you were involved with somebody."

"I'm not," Elfé told him, "It…didn't end well. Long story short…he died. He was the leader of a band of thieves. I spent a lot of time with him trying to recruit them all to Avalanche's cause, and we fell in love. Well…one day, one of his guys made a very stupid decision without consulting me. I found out he was going to find Palmer, who always went to the same coffee shop five days a week. I guess he wanted to 'send a message' by killing him. I got there just as he was aiming his gun at Palmer." She laughed bitterly. "That idiot couldn't use a gun to save his life! He missed, and all hell broke loose. We were able to get out, and made it back to the Sector Three hideout. I thought we'd gotten away, no harm, no foul.

"But that night, there was a raid. Several MPs burst in and shot up the place. A hundred bandits are still no match for a dozen assault rifles. I got out, along with a few other kids, including our hacker friend Jessie. My…friend…Shears…he wasn't so lucky. One moment he was there, and the next, the top half of his head was missing."

Angeal sighed. "I'm really sorry," he said gently.

"It's…" Elfé scrubbed at her eyes. "…one of the times I wish I'd still had that materia implanted in my arm. I know I could have saved them all. But…I don't have 'superpowers' anymore. I'm just a normal swordswoman. I don't even have mako enhancements."

"Sephiroth said that having that materia piece inside of you would have eventually proven fatal," Angeal pointed out, "He said that the piece of materia was draining your soul in an attempt to restore itself, and that it never would have. You would have died long before it could ever be repaired."

"When you see someone you love get their brains blown out right in front of you, you don't think about those things," Elfé explained sadly, "You simply wish you could trade your life for theirs."

"Did you ever tell Aerith about that?" Angeal asked.

Elfé shook her head no. "I told her mother, I guess because I knew she would be able to relate…having a loved one shot right in front of her."

"She's the one who got you ready for surgery, isn't she?" Angeal had recalled Sephiroth telling him the story of Elfé when the three of them were first making the drive up to Cosmo Canyon.

"She said she was lending me the power of the Lifestream to keep my body sound during such a delicate operation," Elfé recalled, "She was also there to hold my hand when they were putting me under. Let's just say that Sephiroth isn't the only one who sees her as a surrogate mother. Plenty of youngsters in Cosmo Canyon are a bit jealous of the Duran kids for having Ifalna as a mother. Hell…plenty of men are jealous of Master Barnabas…though that's mostly because he was the first guy who had the nerve to ask her out. It makes them think that if they had moved sooner, she would have said yes to them. Poor fools."

"Aerith also seems to have that same kind of magnetism to her," said Angeal.

"So it would seem…" Elfé agreed as she saw Aerith coming out of the cabin area, surrounded by Zack, Tifa, Kunsel and Shera. She was flipping through her sketch journal, showing them her drawings.

"Like I said," Angeal said to her, "Tifa's just fine, as you can see."

"All right, everyone, pay attention!" Cid's voice came on the speaker system again. "We're approaching some really nasty-looking storm clouds. In the interest of not crashing the airship, we'll have to make an emergency landing directly south of the Northern Continent. There's a village we can wait out the storm in."

"Huh?" Elfé exclaimed as she wiped her eyes one last time.

"Let's see what's going on," Angeal suggested.

The two hurried over to the cockpit.

It turned out everyone else had the same idea. While Shera and the two trainees took over the controls, Cid was trying in vain to field questions from twelve people at once.

"All right, everyone just shut up for a minute!" he yelled, finally getting everyone to stop clamoring for answers. "Thank you! Now, you can't see it now, because we've already turned around, but we had some very dark cumulonimbus storm clouds up where Bone Village would be. Considering how we left the Shinra, I'd rather not take the risk of crashing the Highwind. I can build another airship, but not from a prison in Midgar. So instead, we'll be landing on a large island south of the continent."

Genesis took out a map and opened it up. "The three islands between Costa Del Sol and the peninsula south of Bone Village?"

"Yup. The largest of the islands."

"You're saying you plan to land near the town of Ingus?" Genesis questioned him further.

Cid nodded. "Exactly. You know your geography."

"Angeal usually drives, I usually navigate," Genesis explained, "Sephiroth usually takes a nap in the back of the truck."

"How long until the storm passes?" Sephiroth asked, ignoring Genesis.

"The sun'll be down by the time that happens," Cid answered, "Personally, I think we should just spend the night."

Sephiroth nodded. "That's probably a good idea."

Everyone murmured in agreement.

"We got five minutes before we make out descent," Cid announced, "That said, some of you have probably seen that there's seat-belts on the chairs in the meeting room. Head on over there, sit down, and buckle up. If you thought takeoff was bumpy…" He then trailed off, chuckling.

Ingus was a village that was considered to have been largely ignored by most of the modern world. While the residents had hydroelectricity courtesy of a large waterfall, modern conveniences such as broadcast television, radio and network access were almost nonexistent. TV sets attached to VCR's, record and tape players, and older models of offline computers were the best that one could hope to see in the town that time had forgotten.

Due to the surrounding seas, drilling for mako was nearly impossible. This guaranteed the residents a Shinra-free existence. The air was clean, and the ecosystem was largely intact. The fertile lands made Ingus a thriving farming village, especially since it was situated between both Bone Village and Costa Del Sol, who frequently bought their produce and livestock.

Cid docked the Highwind on the south beach, as far away from the waves as he could. Wanting to keep his airship safe from the rising tides, he dropped several heavy anchors onto the sand, with the help of all the mako-enhanced men on board. Zangan had offered to help as well, until Zack had asked him pointedly about his "bad back". Abruptly, the striking master had a sudden "spasm attack", electing to lie down on the soft sand, much to Tifa's embarrassment.

It was only a mile to town, which the gang was able to reach in good time.

A large church stood in the middle of the village square, with a town hall to the right, and a police/fire station to the left. Across the street stood a small row of shops, consisting of a large general store, a bakery, an old-fashioned "Soda Shoppe" that thrived in the summer, and a blacksmith. Off to the side, a busy farmer's market was in full swing, with dozens of villagers milling about and examining the many fruits and vegetables available. Four roads on all sides led off into the residential areas.

"So this is Ingus…" Angeal mused, "Well, it means we're almost at our destination. And, no Shinra."

"Let's find an inn," Elfé suggested, "We should also head over to that general store and find some new clothes for our new 'hostages'."

Cissnei and Freyra, no longer wearing their jackets or ties, glanced at one another. Freyra shrugged.

"It's been a while since I had the chance to do some shopping," she said. She then turned to Cissnei and grinned as everyone walked ahead of them. "Don't worry, Shuriken- I'll help you."

"I'm pretty sure I can outfit myself just fine, Shotgun," Cissnei maintained.

"Not very original with nicknames, are you?" Genesis kidded as he and Sephiroth walked past them.

"It must be a Shinra thing," Sephiroth surmised, remembering the uninspired "code names" Hojo had given to Shuroya and Kimu ages ago.

"Why settle for 'fine'?" Freyra asked, ignoring the men as she threw an arm around her friend's shoulder, "Let's live a little! We've crossed over to the other side…at least for now."

"For now?" Cissnei protested, "Whatever's going on with Zack and his friends, not to mention our 'sisters'…we can't deny that things have been getting seriously out of hand. On top of it all, I feel very vulnerable without my weapon."

Freyra's expression sobered slightly. "I know, Ciss. I do too…but what's the one of our unofficial credos?"

"Keep our noses clean, which we completely disregarded," Cissnei said pointedly.

"We keep things as upbeat as possible," Freyra reminded her, "Once we get to the inn, we'll join up with your SOLDIER friends and start contacting whoever we need to contact. For now…let's go shopping."

"Hey, stay where we can see you!" Elfé yelled from up ahead.

"Yessir!" Freyra called out jokingly. She and Cissnei then hurried over to the general store where Elfé, Aerith and Tifa were waiting.

Sephiroth, Angeal and Genesis found a small bed & breakfast that was normally empty due to a lack of regular travelers. The building was owned by an elderly couple who once raised six children in the massive house. Now, they lived off of an adequate retirement fund, and the little money they earned when the occasional group of excavators from Bone Village passed through. Usually the workers would travel from island to island by boat, on their way to a few hard-earned weeks in Costa Del Sol.

The three swordsmen were now sitting comfortably in the living room/lobby with the couple, listening to the old man telling them all about life in Ingus.

"Excuse me, but does that radio actually work?" Genesis interrupted as he pointed to a large old-fashioned radio sitting in the corner. It was made entirely of wood, with enormous built-in speakers making up roughly 80% of the body. On the top was a phonograph with a record already in place.

The old man smiled proudly. "Only two other residences have one," he told them, "All of them were enhanced and customized by our three resident boy geniuses. That was thirty years ago, but they still work beautifully, and can pick up signals from hundreds of miles away. These radios are our link to the outside world, even though the news is rarely pretty."

"Junior, Jiro and Hiro..." the woman said nostalgically, with a hint of sadness in her voice, "Those boys were never long for a place like Ingus. They always talked about making it big in Midgar. Even back then, Midgar was the place where the streets were paved with gold."

"I wouldn't blame them for leaving," Genesis said bluntly, "Small villages probably aren't the best environments for brilliant minds. Despite the circumstances, I'm still glad I left Banora."

"Don't be rude," Angeal automatically chided him.

The old woman's expression went from nostalgic to downright melancholy. "The grass isn't necessarily greener on the other side," she said quietly.

Sephiroth was about to ask her what she meant when the door opened. In walked Zack, Kunsel and Luxiere conversing happily amongst themselves. Despite still being worried about their respective families, their good humor had at least returned somewhat since learning about their false KIA status.

"Everything's all set," Angeal told the three SOLDIERs, "They have just enough room for those of us who are staying in town."

Cid and his two assistants had decided early on to sleep in the cabins on the Highwind, wanting to make sure the large vessel would be safe from more than just the weather and the tides. Cid had been worried about potential vandals, vowing to break the arms and legs of anyone who dared to mess with his "baby".

"Cool," Zack said as he sat down on a sofa.

"That church sure is beautiful," Kunsel said to the elderly couple, "Reminds me of the church in Sector Five, except it actually gets used."

"Is Midgar your home?" Angeal asked him.

Kunsel shook his head. "Not exactly. I just pass it every time I visit this one family I'm friends with for Sunday dinner."

"Oh, right," Zack said, "The ex-army man with the missing leg?"

"It's just his foot," Kunsel corrected him, "The rest of his leg's fine. He's just got a prosthetic foot. You'd never even notice anything's wrong except he uses a cane."

Sephiroth froze as his blood suddenly ran cold.

"Kunsel gets free meals at the house of a disabled vet," Zack explained to Angeal, "Lucky son-of-a…" He then glanced at the elderly couple and looked at the floor self-consciously. "…gun."

Sephiroth wished the room wasn't so crowded. He wanted to privately ask Kunsel the name of the veteran. He hoped to hell it was Wolff…that he was alive and well with the wife he always talked about, in spite of what Sephiroth had done to him.

"Hey, does this thing work?" Zack asked as he walked over to the radio and began fiddling with the dial.

"Sorry," Angeal said apologetically to the couple, "Sometimes he's like a puppy. Has to sniff around everything."

"Nothing wrong with a young fellow's curiosity," the old man chuckled.

"You all make me sound like a little kid," Zack grumbled self-consciously.

"And here's Mendez Pollendina with your five-o' clock news!" a voice announced from the radio as fast-paced "news music" jittered from the speakers. "Straight to you from Costa Del Sol!"

"Costa Del Sol?!" Kunsel exclaimed, "How are you able to get a broadcast all the way from there?"

"Shh!" Angeal shushed everyone, waving his hand, "We should be paying attention to this."

"It looks like Cid Highwind, grandson of airplane inventor Fenix Highwind, and heir to the Highwind legacy, has been abducted by members of the terrorist group Avalanche early this afternoon," announced a voice with a heavy Costan accent, "Several members of the army including SOLDIER, and also the Department of Administrative Affairs, have been called to the scene of the kidnapping. A female scientist and two protégés of Highwind's were reportedly taken as well. This happened after this morning's launching of the Shinra 26 rocket failed. It is unknown if…"

"Shinra nonsense," the old woman groaned as she stood up and walked over to the back door. "I'll be outside if anyone needs me."

"I'll come with you, Momma," the old man said as he got up and hurried after her.

The news announcer was now speaking Costan.

"He's just repeating the story for the native audiences," Sephiroth announced as he went over to the radio and shut it off.

"You speak Costan?" Kunsel asked, impressed.

"And Wutain," Sephiroth answered.

"You're like a video game cheat code," Luxiere said enviously, "All your stats are maxed out."

"I have no idea what that means," Sephiroth said flatly.

"So they're dressing it up as a kidnapping," Genesis said, directing the conversation back to what they had just heard. "Well, there you have it. I wonder what Shinra's angle is this time?"

"Perhaps they're covering for you so nobody finds out that their big 'ray of hope' turned on them?" Angeal suggested sardonically.

"I covered my tracks just fine, thank you," Genesis shot back.

"For someone who's so seriously ill, you still know how to stir things up," Sephiroth remarked.

"They didn't mention the Turks we took with us," Angeal pointed out, "Probably because the public hates them so much."

Just then, Genesis' PHS began to ring. He pulled it out of his pocket and checked the number.

"Who's that?" Angeal asked suspiciously.

"Nobody," Genesis said casually as he silenced his phone and stuffed it back into his pocket, "Wrong number."

"You idiot!" Hollander yelled into his phone after Genesis' voicemail greeting ended, "Showing up in broad daylight like that?! You're making it very hard for me to cover for you all the time! You'd better hope that those three Turks you took out don't come out of their comas, and if they do, you'd better hope they don't remember anything! You're lucky that Rufus was knocked out cold before he could see your face! And you're lucky that my spy bribed the MP that was the only witness to your antics! Otherwise I'd be hearing about this from the president! How could I possibly look out for you if he were to find out?! You were dangerously close to blowing everybody's cover! All of our asses are on the line! Next time, think before you act up like that!"

He hung up, seething.

Aerith couldn't help but cover her ears the next morning, trying to block out the extremely long string of profanity coming out of Cid's mouth. She watched as the pilot kicked bottom of the hull, and then let out a howl that was more out of physical pain than frustration. Everybody else stood around awkwardly watching him, not knowing what to do.

Cid may have been a pilot, mechanic, and an engineer, but one thing he wasn't, was a meteorologist. The storm that he had been so certain would move east, moved south while the group slept peacefully at the bed & breakfast. Only Shera had noticed what was going on, and had braved the storm to see if Cid and his trainees needed any help. However, she arrived just in time to see a bolt of lightning strike the side, damaging one of the propellers. Fortunately, neither Cid, Brick nor Lenny had been injured.

"What do we need to do to fix the problem?" Sephiroth asked Cid.

"See if that blacksmith has enough metal to melt down so we can fix the fucking propeller!" Cid growled as he hopped around on one leg, "And find some ice for my goddamned foot!"

"I'll take care of your foot," Aerith sighed as she went over to Cid, "Sit down."

"No, no…" Cid sighed, still clearly frustrated, "Don't waste any of that good materia on my account."

"I'm not using materia," Aerith told him as she took his foot and removed his boot. His sock had come off as well, and she instantly recoiled at both the sight and smell.

"Heh- sorry," Cid chuckled, "Guess I shoulda warned you. Had that fungus for years."

"No…" Aerith lied, shuddering, "It's fine. I can take care of that too…I guess."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Cid asked as Aerith moved her hands up and down on either side of Cid's foot, careful not to touch the crusty skin. The pilot then stared in shock as the crust began to dissipate, and his white toenails were restored to a more natural color and healthy condition.

"That was so disgusting…!" Aerith whimpered as she stood up and ran away.

"Hey- what about my other foot?" Cid called out after her, "Now I got one foot with fungus, and the other looks like it belongs to a goddamned woman! Hey, kid...!"

"Forget it," Sephiroth said to the pilot, "Let's go see what can be done for your propeller."

"There's nothing I can really do," the blacksmith said to Cid and Sephiroth as they stood inside his shop, "All of the metal you see here has been promised to customers. I can't disrupt my business like that. It's a small town and we all depend on each other. Not just us, but the other farms scattered around the island. Very delicate balance.

"However, there's a guy on the edge of town who buys and sells all kinds of junk. He doesn't just deal with the townspeople and farmers, but with the excavators up in Bone Village as well. I know he's always got plenty of scrap metal. He's a metallurgist himself, so he could even help you with smelting if you paid him enough."

"Let's hope we have enough to cover the cost," Sephiroth mused.

"We'd need a pretty big sheet," Cid told the blacksmith, "We'd probably need to take the propeller over to him if he's got the means to heat up the metal. Anyone around here got a wagon to carry it with?"

The blacksmith nodded. "There's a farmer about a mile away who has plenty of those, not to mention chocobos. I'm sure he'll lend you both…for a price."

"Always a price," Cid sighed, "Ah well. I suppose I'd charge too if it were me. Where's his house?"

"He's probably at church now," the blacksmith answered, "He's a very devout man. Myself, I'm a Gaian, so I keep my store open, even on Sundays. He'll probably be out in about an hour. Ask for Fred."

"Great…" muttered Cid.

"As for the junk man," the blacksmith continued, "his name's Jiro. Walk down the western road and just keep going until it ends. It'll be the house on your right. You really can't miss it."

Sephiroth scowled, remembering the name Jiro being mentioned before. Was it the same Jiro who had helped enhance the radio from the bed & breakfast? Didn't the couple imply that he and the other two people had left for greener pastures?

"All right, then," Cid said as he turned to go, "Thanks, Mister."

"Thank you for your help," Sephiroth said sincerely. He turned and began following Cid.

"My pleasure, gentlemen!" the blacksmith called as they left.

"I guess now's as good a time as any to go eat some breakfast," Cid sighed, "Then I'd better find my tools so we can start taking the propeller off. Maybe by the time we're done, that farmer'll be done with church."

"I'll go find this Jiro fellow," Sephiroth offered.

"Good luck," Cid told him as he walked away.

Sephiroth nodded as he spotted the sun, still hanging slightly in the eastern sky. He then turned his head, spotting a dirt road in the opposite direction and began to follow it.

"There you are."

Sephiroth spun around, startled. He spotted Aerith approaching him, smiling as always.

"Wow, I actually spooked you?" she giggled, "That's happened maybe…twice?"

Indeed, Sephiroth was slightly alarmed that he hadn't even noticed her approaching him. Aerith may have been an adequate fighter, but she was hardly what one would call stealthy.

"Where are you going?" she asked.

"There's a man who might be able to sell us scrap metal," Sephiroth explained, "I'm going to ask him if he has enough to help fix Cid's propeller."

"Mind if I walk with you?" Aerith asked innocently.

"Not at all. Follow me, it's right up the road."

They began walking together at a leisurely pace.

"That was nice of you to heal Cid's foot," Sephiroth couldn't help but tease her slightly.

Aerith grimaced. "Sometimes I think I'm too nice…" she muttered.

"You're going to fix the other foot eventually…aren't you?" Sephiroth prodded while looking away, smirking.

"…Yes," she admitted miserably.

Sephiroth glanced at her, sensing it was more than Cid's foot fungus that was bothering her.

As if reading his thoughts, Aerith caught his glance. "We'll be there soon. Then it's my turn to take over."

There. The City of Ancients. The place where her mother had been found wandering the streets like a lost lamb, remembering nothing except for her own name.

"The planet will guide you," Sephiroth reminded her, "won't it?"

Aerith nodded. "I hope its message is clear. Sometimes things just come out so muddy when it speaks to me. And, well…you've seen me before when I hear its voice. I hope I don't come off looking crazy to everyone else."

"To hell with what they think," Sephiroth told her right away, "In any case- you've been there to heal their wounds, and they've been grateful every step of the way. Why would they think poorly of you now?"

Aerith smiled sheepishly. "You're right. I'm just being silly." She took his hand and gave it a quick squeeze. "Thanks for always being my 'common sense'."

Sephiroth nodded as she then let go and turned around. He sighed inwardly as he watched Aerith picking up a stick and idly dragging the tip through the dirt while she continued to walk. As they continued to walk down the now deserted road, he found himself wrestling with his thoughts once again.

Would he feel better if he waited, perhaps? Would the guilt be less if he let her turn eighteen, graduate from school, and start living her adult life before he made a move on her?

To let this visually pleasing, sweet-smelling fruit before me ripen…he thought. He then cringed. God, I should have known better than to borrow Genesis' poetry books when I was bored. I'm beginning to sound as trite and melodramatic as he does…

Could she ever love him like that? To her, he had been an older brother for the first five years of her life. But was it possible that the twelve years spent apart might undo whatever reverse-imprinting might have occurred back then? God, but he hoped so. For her to be open to the idea…to let him have her the way he couldn't deny wanting her…he had wondered many times now what that would be like. He had experienced a few dreams now where she had looked up at him trustingly as he laid her down on the ground, bed…wherever.

He shut his mind off again, deciding that an involuntary physical reaction to those thoughts was the last thing Aerith needed to see while he was supposed to be protecting her on their journey. He glanced downwards, seeing nothing shifting in his pants…for now. This was going to be very difficult. Would he even make a good bodyguard with this conflict inside his head(both of them)?

But what was the other option? To have let her go alone, having rarely been outside the safety of Cosmo Canyon since she was only five years old? Even if Elfé had been the only one to escort her, he worried about the swordswoman too, albeit as a friend. He would never forgive himself if anything happened to either of the girls. Plus, his presence meant Angeal would be there too, and Aerith needed all the help she could get. And now, he had the comfort of knowing that the large group of oddballs they'd amassed would make sure she reached her destination.

And after that? What would happen to the group? Would any of the Shinra refugees try to leave? Start over in an isolated village much like Ingus? Plea for clemency with the Shinra? He knew for sure that Avalanche would not want them despite the valuable inside information they provided. Should they declare themselves an independent resistance group? Give themselves a silly name and continue to fight the good fight, as Luxiere had suggested?

Sephiroth then snapped out of his thoughts, seeing that they had arrived at their destination. He and Aerith stood at the end of the street, which led off into a large field. On either side of them stood two old houses, facing across from each other. He then realized to his chagrin, that Aerith had been talking to him, and was now looking expectantly at him, as if waiting for a response.

"Sorry, what were you saying?" he asked apologetically.

"I said it looks like there isn't much to do around here but walk around," Aerith said, looking up at the sky, "I never knew a town could be so quiet. I guess it's a nice place to hide away from the world. If my father had picked this town to hide in, I wonder if Hojo might have even found us?" She looked up at the sky, squinting at the morning sunlight before sliding her father's sunglasses down from her forehead to her eyes. "I suppose he'd still be alive, and I'd have a whole different set of brothers and sisters. They'd probably be a little closer to my age, but…"

Aerith's eyes had traveled over to the mailbox right in front of her. She immediately gasped as she read the name on the side:

Gast, Faremis Sr. & Moira

"Seph…" Aerith spoke, finally finding her voice, "You need to see this…"

No answer.

"Sephiroth!" Aerith turned around and looked at Sephiroth, who was standing in front of the mailbox across the street.

"No…" he said quietly, "You need to see this…"

"No, Seph, really, there's something-!" Aerith began to say as she marched over to him. As she approached, he moved aside, revealing the name on the other mailbox:

Hojo, Jiro

A/N: Yeah, so no Shears. Sorry, Before Crisis fans. That's the problem with these ripples…sometimes bad things happen as well.

I'm not the first one to use that acronym for "TURK". It's a somewhat popular FF7 fanfiction element, just like Tseng and Rufus being dead, or Lucrecia's last name being LeVrai, before Dirge gave her the surname "Crescent".