First off, sorry for taking so long with this. Between writers block, work, Thankgiving, playing FFVIII (but mostly writers block) I've been busy/distracted. It's a good thing than that this post ended up so long, the longest so far I believe. Immeditanly below is just me doing a little ranting. Read, don't read, don't mind.
Oh, and welcome all new readers. : D
Why oh why did they have to give Cait Sith an Irish(?) accent? And he has like, what, three maybe four lines in the movie? That's not enough to figure out his speech pattern. Grr, and I hardly used him in the game anyways so I don't remember what he talks like. Double grr. So, yeah, I'm making how he talks all up. Oh, and my computer so did not like Cait Sith speaking, red underlines everywhere.
Also, everyone in this chapter just wouldn't agree on the pre-proposed script (which is why it's so long, not that anyone should complain about that) and Seph kept trying to sneak off to skewer things in some dark alley so I basically had to give Aeris a shovel and tell her to hit him over the head for me so he'd stay put. Which she did. Such a nice girl. (Pats her on the head.) So grateful to have her around even if I do have problems trying to figure her out. I need a little more to go on than 'wants to save the Planet because she's an Ancient.' Oh, and I think Reeve must be a genius since he apparently created Cait Sith with it's own AI system, something that never showed up anywhere else in FFVII. 'Kay, I'll stop rambling before I give everything away.
On with the show!
Despite the fact that Aerith grew up in Midgar and considered it home, after having traveled with Avalanche, the city now seemed loud and… stained. Too many people, too many voices, all packed in a space never meant to hold that many. She had grown used to it over the years but the reprieve of traveling the Planet had loosened her mental barriers and it had taken her a few minutes upon entering the city to rebuild them. She was fine now, the walk through the Slums to Barret's bar more than enough time to filter out the amplified voices. For her, it was all the same old, same old.
She was more worried about the flash of distracted pain that had crossed the General's face when they had entered. Surprised recognition was there too, like he had simply forgotten about something but once remembered knew full well what it was.
The young Cetra kept a close eye on the silver haired man but no other indication that anything was wrong showed on his calm features. Aeris wasn't sure if that was more worrisome or not.
They had split up upon entering the city, Vincent and Yuffie going off to re-supply and check the progress of Godo and his marching army. Barret had grumbled something about visiting his daughter and headed off to Aeris' mother's house, Nanaki trailing behind. The red wolf-lion had taken to Elmyra ever since the woman had spent so much time caring for him and the others during their mission of trying to stop the war with Wutai. That left Cid, Tifa, and her to wait at the bar. And of course, Sephiroth. One mustn't forget about him.
Currently, the tall man and her were sitting at one of the bar's round tables while Cid was up at the bar badgering Tifa for a drink. The tavern had been cleared out and staff sent home by the long haired martial artist before Sephiroth was herded in with a spare cloak over his head. The man had been indignant about the treatment but stayed from saying anything, simply taking a seat with stiff arms resting on the table top.
"You're really worried about them, aren't you?"
Bright green eyes blinked at her and her question that really was more a statement. Broad shoulders shrugged once before the man took to staring at the wall once again.
"Ya might as well admit to it, Stretch." Cid's voice broke into the silence. Aeris glanced at him to see he had successfully weaseled a glass of something cold and brown from the other woman. He continued from his spot at the bar. "Aeris has a knack for pickin' up on things ya otherwise want 'idden." Aeris rolled her eyes at the pilot causing Cid to snort before taking a sip.
"Oh?"
Great, now she had the man's attention. She shrugged. "I just read people better than most." It wasn't a lie, it just wasn't in a way most people would assume. Jade eyes regarded her a several long minutes and Aeris stared calmly back. Then something happened that she wouldn't have expected in a million years and had no way of explaining. Something quiet but slightly rough, as if it was rarely, if ever, used passed over the healer. She blinked numerous times as it settled around her giving her goose bumps but leaving a tingling that she always associated with her real mother; it was a feeling both familiar… yet not… and she really didn't know how to describe it.
But that was all secondary as something clicked in her mind.
"You're worried for Strife." Green eyes hardened. Aeris frowned as she sorted through the new information she had just received. She knew she was speaking aloud something that she probably should keep to herself but she wanted the others to know this and to see the reaction, if any, on the face of the man before her. "The other one too, but mostly it's Strife. He's… familiar. You know him." She blinked and looked up at Sephiroth. "You knew him."
The man was still cold and calm, giving only the barest twitch of his lips to let her know that she was right. But even if his face was made from un-giving stone Aeris would have known because fear – and panic? – bubbled out of the man and into the ether that surrounded everyone to everything before it was promptly shut off. Aeris squared her shoulders.
"Why are you so afraid if we find out?"
Sephiroth straightened in his chair, rigid and staring daggers at the small woman. The staring contest probably would have continued, if it didn't degrade into a one-sided swordfight, if a hand didn't land on Aeris' shoulder causing the Cetra to look up to see Tifa's worried face.
"Aeris," The woman bit her lower lip as her eyes darted to glowering man. "Vincent already told us that Sephiroth knew Strife. Remember?"
"I know, but," She turned back to the man. "I think he knows why Strife doesn't remember anything."
"I don't."
Three sets of eyes rotated to look at the silver haired man.
"At least, I'm not positive."
"But you have an idea?" Aeris ventured. The man hesitated, sighed then nodded. Anger and sadness swirled around him.
Any further questioning was halted as Barret and Nanaki entered, the big man stomping into the building as the feline-like being padded softly behind. Barret loudly made his way to behind the bar and pulled out a bottle, offering to refill Cid's glass before filling one of his own, a pleased grin on his face. Nanaki seat down on the floor between Aeris and Sephiroth, his chin resting briefly on her lap as he looked up at her.
"Is everything alright?" He asked in that gentle lilt of his. Aeris nodded and scratched behind red ears.
The next few minutes passed as Barret regaled everyone with an update of all the achievements that Marlene had done, stating several times that she was the pretties, smartest little girl anyone would ever meet. Aeris giggled softly at the man's outspoken affections.
A thud, a muffled curse and suddenly everyone was watching Yuffie as she kicked and dragged something black and white with a small yellow crown on it's head in through the front door. Vincent shadowed after, his gun out and glittering by his side.
"Vincent?" Tifa asked in one word what everyone wanted to know. Yuffie was the one that answered.
"Barret, you dumb-ass, didn't you learn anything about sneaking and stealth when I was teaching Strife?"
"What the hell 're ya talkin' about, ya thief?" The big man protested, his good humor vanishing with the appearance of the female ninja.
The Wutainese un-ceremonially dumped her cargo on to the middle of a bar table. "I'm saying you and Red were followed. Do you understand that, ammo for brains?"
"Yuffie, Barret." Tifa reprimanded hands up to stop the next round of insults from the dark skinned man. When none were forthcoming, she waved at the newcomer. "What is this?"
Everyone crowded around the table. Even Sephiroth, who stood in the back, one hand lying on his sword hilt.
"We saw it following Barret and Nanaki as they entered the area." Vincent supplied. Aeris was uneasy to see the gunman had yet to put his weapon away. "It stopped outside the bar."
"I'm pretty sure it was looking for a way in." Yuffie added. "Probably gonna kill you all." The girl beamed. "So I saved everyone's lives an' now I'm a hero, right?"
Cid smacked the back of the ninja's head. "Igit."
"Hey!"
"Children, please." Aeris interrupted, a small smile on her face. Ignoring everyone hushed protests, she leaned in closer to the cat-like thing. "Hello. Can you talk? We wouldn't hurt you."
"Pshh, speak for your self." Smack. "Stop that!"
The cat thing, which reminded Aeris of a large plushy doll, turned yellow eyes to look at her. "Certainly Ah can talk, lassie. An' Ah don't mind none if ya're a little rough." He stood to his full two feet of height. Everyone but Aeris backed away and a few weapons were unsheathed. Unfazed, the creature gave a deep bow. "Cait Sith is me name. Ah've been sent to deliver a message."
"Oh?"
"Well, it's more of hope of negations wit' me as the middle man."
"With who?" Vincent toned.
"Eh… well, ya gotta see that Ah don't mean ya any harm or…"
"Who." He repeated darkly.
"It wouldn't be with ya all."
Aeris frowned. "Then why are you here?" The cat looked over her shoulder. Aeris followed his gaze; it led to Sephiroth.
"Me?" The tall man said, one brow raised in question.
Barret jumped back, gun arm pointed toward the ceiling. "I knew the bastard couldn't be trusted." He cried as he started to load his favorite ammo. "I just knew it. It's all a Shinra ambush and they're all waitin' outside for us. Strife was just the bait but none of ya…"
"Barret, shut the hell up!" Yuffie shouted at the man.
"We saw no one else." Vincent reassured.
"And ya don't think that he couldn't finish the job for 'em?" Barret accused, pointing toward the still silent Sephiroth. If Aeris didn't know better, she would have thought the tall man was amused by Barret's antics.
"Oh for the love of," Yuffie smacked her forehead. "If that's why he's here, why the hell would he wait until now to finish us off? Think for a second you big roast beef for brains." Barret growled at the ninja who in turn brought out her shuriken, egging the big man on. Tifa once again jumped between them trying to talk them down. Cid, who was probably just feeling left out, started yelling too though Aeris wasn't sure what side he was on. Though he didn't make any sound, Vincent stood tensely to the side, his three-barreled gun twitching at every loud noise.
A shout fought to be heard over the commotion. "Ah'm here about Zackary Fair!"
Everyone froze then dodged out of the way as a long, leather clad arm struck into the middle of the table and a gloved hand wrapped around the cat's neck. Sephiroth brought Cait Sith close to him, green laced fury dancing behind the man's eyes.
"What about him."
Though it's arms and legs swung uselessly in the air, being straggled didn't seem to hinder any on the being's speech. "Ah'm here ta tell ya that if ya agree ta help, there may be a way to get 'im out of Shinra's gasp."
Sephiroth shook the thing. "And Cloud?"
"Sorry, laddie. If ya're talkin' about that other that was with Fair, 'fraid to say he's already been taken away."
Aeris jumped as the black and white cat was hurled against the far wall. Barret and Yuffie both started to protest loudly but Aeris didn't think they were heard as the silver haired swordsman purposely made his way to the door, eating up the distance with his long stride.
"Wait!" The healer scrambled after him, a sickening chill washing over her nerves at the black fury that swirled around him edged with a foreign cold, clinging, greedy hunger. Though he didn't stop, or even pause, she somehow caught up to him. Grabbing one arm, she yanked, forcing him to stop or drag her along with him. There was a moment of panic when she thought that he wouldn't stop and just pull her with.
"Let go. I'm leaving."
Aeris knew if he left like this, now, something bad would happen. To who she didn't know but she was certain Sephiroth would be involved somehow.
"I'm not letting you leave." A silver eyebrow twitched.
"You think you can stop me?"
"And you think charging to Planet knows where is going to help things? Do you even know where Strife might be? Forget it," She pushed on when he made to protest. "We made a deal and until we can all get Strife out, you're staying here." She stomped her foot just to enforce her point.
"Ah'd listen to 'er, laddie." Cait Sith spoke up from his slumped place on the floor. "Ah don't know where this Cloudy boy is, but Ah can help ya get ta your Zackary Fair. An' Ah can tell ya that he's pretty anxious to be getting out and about, if ya be understanding me."
Sephiroth turned an icy glare toward the creature. "How are you getting this information?"
"A've seen it for me-self. Well, not personally me, but one of me brothers, if ya would, saw it. One of 'em is watching the pacing Fair right now."
"You are currently spying within the Shinra Building?"
"Aye, been goin' in an' out some months now an' still haven't gotton caught."
"Who do you report to?"
"Now, now, can't be tellin' that 'til Ah know ya be willin' ta make a deal wit' me."
"You are a spy. How can I trust you?"
"'Cause there be a rather large army 'eading this way and ya'd be the only person able to stop it and Shinra both."
Aeris frowned. "You want to stop Wutai?"
"Aye. It wouldn't go ta well for the common folks if figh'in broke out in the streets of Midgar."
"But the Shinra army will be here, they'd protect everyone." Tifa argued. Cait Sith glanced around at everyone.
"Ah wouldn't be bettin' ta much on that, lassie."
Barret sputtered. "Shinra's not even gonna protect his own people?! I knew he was a bastard but even that's bloody, fuckin' low." The creature nodded gravely.
"Which is why Ah'm 'ere. Look, Ah see ya are in a pickle, so Ah'll lay all the cards out. Ya stop the marchin' Wutai army and in the process be protecting the common folks, and Ah'll get Fair out. If ya decide quickly, he can be out in time ta help wit' stoppin' the troops."
"No!" Yuffie cried, slamming her hands on the table top. "You can't do that! You'll kill everyone." Cait Sith turned to look at Yuffie, the girl wearing a fearful look.
"An' who would ya be, lassie, that ya so worried about a few dead Wutainese ninja?"
Yuffie stood to her full height, shuriken in hand. "I'm Yuffie Kisaragi, daughter of Godo, princess of Wutai and the greatest ninja ever."
Cid slapped his face. "And the biggest igit, ever. Yuffie, ya just told a spy, who the hell ya are. Within an hour, half the city will know."
Yuffie huffed. "I don't care. I'm not gonna let anyone hurt my father or his men. You have to go through me first."
"Which ain't that hard."
The ninja crouched into her fighting stance. "You want some of this old man? Huh? I'm not afraid of some old man that probably can't even get it up."
"Yuffie!" Aeris exclaimed over Cid's choked snort and anger, widening eyes. The two looked they were going to start in on another row when a deep, amused laugh filled the room. Cid and Yuffie both paused and along with everyone else, turned to stare at the source of the rumbling guffaw – Cait Sith.
"Well, well, this is most unexpected." A voice issued from the black and white creature, one that was distinctly different from the cat's drawing accent and speaking through what sounded like a tiny speaker. "The daughter of Godo fighting along side Avalanche, with even the renowned General lending a hand. I do think Fate has smiled upon me."
"What the…?"
"I know that voice." Aeris glanced up at the tall man who was still standing by the front door. He furled his brows for a moment before his face cleared. "Reeve Tuesti."
"Correct as usual, General."
"Who?"
"He is one of the department heads at Shinra."
"Please, please," The independent voice objected when everyone started to protest again. "My loyalty is to the people of Midgar, not Shinra. With that in mind, I'm asking for your help."
"Why should we trust you?"
Cait Sith turned it's head toward Tifa. "Because I am placing my trust in you by telling you who I am. If the President found out about my actions, I would be a dead man. The President is not one to care for evidence if he thinks there is a threat to himself or his plans. Any one of you could walk right up to the Shinra front desk and tell them what you know now and I would never be heard from again, if I still even breathed. So, you see, I would not wish to betray you." A low chuckle. "I like living as much as the next man."
"But you want to kill my father's army. Nope, sorry, not buying it."
"I said I wish to stop them. If no one, on any side, were to die it would be even better."
"But you were telling Sephiroth…"
"The General's usual means of stopping someone is killing, yes, but now that shouldn't be a problem."
"Huh? Why not?"
"Because my dear princess you can do it."
"What!? I'm not gonna tell my father to stop. Shinra needs to be kicked in the ass and hard."
"Hmm, yes but that's where the General comes in." Cait Sith swiveled to said man. "If you were to… restrain Shinra, and in the process keep the Shinra troops from leaving the city, while the young princess here persuades her father to halt, I'm sure we could find some agreeable terms that wouldn't lead to city wide blood shed."
Sephiroth gazed at the cat coolly. "I highly doubt Shinra will be agreeable to any type of terms, not as long as he has control of SOLDIER."
"Perhaps, but if it became widely known that the President's intentions all along were to evacuate the city while leaving the general populace behind, how long do you think his support would hold? Especially given that a majority of the officers and a good portion of the troops herald from Midgar itself? One would think they would be… unhappy with the idea of receiving orders to leave their homes and families unguarded.
There have also been some misgivings in the lower ranks since your… disappearance. If you were to say a few words on how you were merely on an undercover mission to disclose any corruption and misconduct in the ranks, your position against the President would be enforced."
A silver brow rose in new-found admiration. "Well said."
Aeris could hear the hopeful smile over the line. "So, is it a deal?"
