Disclaimer: I am not Squeenix, I do not own. Also, thanks to Catslock for the review that I loved but couldn't reply to. Finally, a warning: given the nature of this adventure back in time, it will be taken with the approach of change!everything and let's see what happens. While pieces of Crisis Core and Before Crisis will appear, please don't expect it to look the same. Thank you, and enjoy.

Brevity

Chapter 34: Just keep swimming

If it hadn't been for the fact that Mara kept nuzzling up against the nearest heat-source, Angeal might have been alarmed by the young woman's nigh-comatose slumber. As it was, he was quite content to sit back and watch in silent amusement while Genesis struggled vainly to extricate his arm from the girl's python-grip. Finally, the other First slipped free and stumbled from the tent to join him beside the fire, a fiercely indignant glare answering his friend's teasing smirk. "What is it, Angeal?" the red-head growled, voice low to avoid waking the others.

The raven-haired SOLDIER grew instantly serious, and when he spoke, he kept his voice in the same low tone any without their level of enhancement wouldn't easily hear. "I want to know what she said to you."

Genesis blinked, silent as he quickly ran through his list of potential answers. Given that there was only one "she" among them, he couldn't very well ask who the other man was talking about without sounding stupid, but he wasn't about to admit the disturbing level of emotion her words had hit him with. So he let a challenging smile flit across his face, and went with option C. "And how do you know she said anything to me?" Unfortunately, he'd underestimated the ability of a childhood friend to see through bullshit, and the scowl Angeal shot him was almost enough to make lesser men wet themselves.

"I know she did because less than an hour after I see you ready to go on rampage, you're saving the people sent to bring you in and acting protective of a child you summoned from a crystal, who as far as I can see, is capable of handling herself."

Of course Angeal would notice, and he wouldn't be surprised if the Turk had guessed as well, but if Zack said anything, Genesis would feed the puppy his boots. "I would hardly call my actions protective," he scoffed, subtly avoiding his friend's eyes.

"Genesis…" Angeal prompted, a note of impatience entering his voice. He was answered by an exasperated sigh and silence, but there was a pensiveness in the man's eyes.

Finally, he told his friend the truth. "She said she talks to angels."

Mara and mornings had never gotten on very well, thanks in large part to the complicated, love/hate relationship she had with sleep. As it was, she was more than a little weirded out upon awakening, well-rested and alert and cheerful. She silently vowed to hit herself in the face with a Hell Firaga if she started humming. Honestly, it was bad enough that she couldn't seem to stop skipping when she walked. Especially so when she seemed to be the only one with any energy. The quietly tinkling weight in her pocket gave her an idea, though, and she quickly decided to go with it. She could always write it off as a business expense later. Hopefully…

"Hey, why don't we get breakfast in town?" she suggested cheerfully. A few groggy stares turned her way. "My treat," she added, watching in silent amusement as hunger and apathy warred with the idea of a lady paying for their meal in the others' eyes. She also noticed Angeal and Genesis locked in their own silent conversation, and was surprised when it ended with the red-head volunteering his wallet for an afternoon on the town. Mara was far too excited to argue.

And so it was that the odd little group found themselves seated rather snuggly around a table in Mideel's only diner, cups of coffee steaming on the table before them as they perused the menus. Mara was mildly alarmed to note the "spiral special" and made a mental note to avoid the insectoid delicacy. Besides, even if they did have enough legs to be considered her least favorite type of animal, she'd always thought the purple creatures were kinda cute, in an armadillo-like sort of way. She was also pretty sure the omelet—no matter how familiar—was made with hippogriff eggs, and with the name Buckbeak lodged in her brain, she decided not to order that either. A deep-rooted longing for a bowl of grits and gravy with sausage ripped at her heart while she asked the waitress for toast and some fruit, and some small part of her was strangely grateful the dining hall at school had prepared her for an almost-vegetarian diet. Cafeterias had made her wary of unidentified meat a long time ago. She was interested to note that Tseng ordered the same breakfast, and unsurprised when the three SOLDIERS ordered enough for four normal men. Each.

It did make her wonder what their metabolism was like, and if the enhancements made larger caloric intake necessary. It was also possible, she supposed, that SOLDIERS could function on far less sustenance than normal persons, and they were just hungry. She pulled herself from her random musings when she realized Zack was asking her a question. "So what do you think we should do first?" he asked, sounding no less cheerful than normal, but perhaps not quite as awake. Suddenly he paused, frowning slightly. "What exactly is there to do in Mideel, anyway?"

Mara grinned excitedly. "Buy weapons and visit hot springs!" she chirped, sipping her coffee. "But I vote shopping first. I'd like to be away from shiny things with sharp edges before the caffeine kicks in." The sudden look of horror on the four men's' faces was absolutely priceless.

"Maybe we should skip the weapon store…" Tseng suggested, but there was a quiet hint of amusement as he said it.

Mara laughed. "Nah, don't worry. I can't afford any of them, anyway. I just like looking at shiny things," she assured him. She took another sip of coffee before adding thoughtfully. "Though it probably wouldn't hurt to start saving up… I can't go borrowing Angeal's sword forever…" She shrugged, already planning on doing some monster hunting later. "How long do you think we'll be in town?" she asked, and thinking that she might ask around some of the shops about a little extra work if they'd have the time.

"We had enough time to send out a distress call," Tseng said, making the mental calculations, "so we won't have to wait long before they send someone. Since this mission was originally assigned to Sephiroth, it will take priority, and it's possible the rescue team is already on their way. It may take them a few days, no more than a week." He noticed her look of mild disappointment, and guessed at the reason for it. "If you're in need of a job, have you considered working for Shinra?" he asked smoothly, and mostly to gauge her reaction. It was less telling than he'd hoped for, but still more than expected. She wasn't quite able to hide something akin to disapproval in her eyes, though it was quickly replaced with a pensiveness as she genuinely considered the suggestion.

"I dunno… not really, I guess," she replied, and as much as the idea made her skin crawl, she did have to admit that it might be a pretty decent cover. Not to mention the fact that it would be much easier to ignite change from the inside. Well, maybe… "Anybody need an office assistant?"

"Do you have any experience?" the Turk asked, actually curious. Most people, when given the recruiting lines, instantly thought of SOLDIER, secretaries, executives, or even on rare occasion, the Turks. Most didn't like the idea of running messages around and making copies.

"A bit," Mara admitted, a small smile on her face.

Intrigued despite himself, Tseng nodded. "I'll see what's available once we return to Midgar."

He turned away then, and didn't see the smallest of blushes color the girl's cheeks. It was small, maybe, and might have even been mere accident, but the little two letter word was the beginning of acceptance, and to Mara, it meant more than the Turk knew. Thankfully, their breakfast arrived then, and the ensuing chaos prevented her from saying anything truly embarrassing and mushy. She had a feeling this shopping adventure was more than enough girliness for her companions as it was.

In the end, however, she was so nervous around such expensive equipment that the whole shopping adventure took less than an hour, and all she bought was a Hyper. This seemed to unnerve her companions as much as the purchase of a weapon might, and they only relaxed slightly when she carefully stashed it away.

When it seemed like they'd exhausted all the possible things to do in Mideel save the last on their list, the group returned to their camp with carry-out lunches. As they ate, it was decided that Zack and Angeal would go with Mara to hunt a few insects, and Tseng and Genesis would remain at the camp. Tseng was a little relieved when Genesis disappeared into his tent with his copy of Loveless, and the Turk settled down by the fire pit with his handset, determined to find a signal and some news from the company.

At sunset, the others returned, and still Tseng knew nothing, save for the fact that his handset was a piece of crap. He tucked it away with an irritated sigh, and instead turned his attention to the returning party. Angeal looked exhausted, he noted, and wasn't really surprised, given that the First Class had his own student to mentor, and also a summon who'd ingested enough caffeine to kill a bandersnatch to keep out of trouble. Zack himself looked a little tired, but pleased, as he suspected the Second reveled in the excursion and exercise. Mara sat somewhere between the two SOLDIERS, obviously worn out, but still excited enough by the effort she'd given to be as cheerful and bubbly as she'd been that morning. He'd also bet the rather substantial amount of gil she'd earned had something to do with her smile, and the collection of ethers she added to their supplies was admittedly impressive.

"C'mon, Genesis!" she called as she gathered her things. "Get your stuff! We have enough to stay at the inn tonight!"

The red-head grumbled as he began half-heartedly packing. "What's so great about an inn…?" he muttered bitterly, only to wish he hadn't as the girl grinned so brightly it was terrifying.

"They have hot springs!" she cried happily, and it did not improve the rogue SOLDIER's mood one bit. "And a restaurant. So hurry up, I'm HUNGRY!" She smacked at his shoulder as he dragged his feet, and somehow, her friendly pestering got the five of them checked into the inn and seated at a dinner table before full dark. Zack and Mara kept up a light chatter throughout the meal, but they were all aware of the handful of civilians present, and thus kept the conversations in neutral territories.

Finally, once the food was gone and they'd all staked out which bed they'd each be sleeping in, it was time to explore the hot springs. No one was surprised that Mara was the first out the door, already carrying her bathing supplies as she skipped down the hall. The women's bath was mercifully empty, and after checking that there was no staff around, she quickly shut and locked the door. Once in the warm water, she let her wings unfurl, relaxing as the heat worked out the pulls and kinks in muscles she still wasn't used to using. Slowly, and careful not to make too much of a splash, she moved them back and forth through the water, letting the resistance exercise the brand-new muscles. When the limbs were sore and shaking, she stopped, and took her time washing them as best she could.

By the time she returned to the room, only Angeal was still awake, and he was so lost in thought he didn't even notice her enter. As quietly as she could, she slipped into bed, and with a whispered "'night" out of sheer habit, she slipped into the strange, dreamless sleep of the Lifestream.

The next morning, after another wing workout in the hot springs before breakfast and some warm-ups with Angeal and Zack, Mara went off to hunt some monsters, a morose Genesis trailing after her grudgingly. He seemed to perk up slightly at the opportunity to set things on fire, at least. When they stopped for a quick lunch, he offered her a few pointers on her swordsmanship technique, and by the time they returned to the village, they were immersed in a heated debate about the importance of archetypes in classic literature.

Tseng had been able to find the necessary resources in town to repair the communication link in his handset, and shared the happy news that the rescue party should arrive the following afternoon. This, another warm meal, a hot bath, and a soft bed seemed to ease the dark cloud hanging over the SOLDIERS First, and it didn't take Zack long to convince them to join the rest of the group in a card game downstairs. The game, popular in resort towns it seemed, was remarkably similar to something Mara had played in grade school, and though she lost, she lost valiantly. Or so she'd like to think, at least. After her third loss, she excused herself and snuck off for another late-night water aerobics session. In the morning, she decided, she'd see if it was working.

"Where are you sneaking off to so early in the morning?"

Mara jumped, stifling the surprised yelp as she spun around guiltily. Tseng sat perched in a chair by the door, looking smug and curious and not at all surprised to see her horrible attempt at stealth. "Um…" She fidgeted, glancing around to see if the SOLDIERS were downstairs yet. "It's a secret…" she explained lamely. When all he did was quirk an eyebrow at her, she sighed, grabbed his arm, and dragged him off with her. "It'll probably shut you up faster to just show you," she told him quietly as they hurried through the sleepy village. "And I could use a spotter." Tseng remained silent, following her into the jungle. She spotted a decent-looking tree, and stopped, moving far enough away from the Turk that her wings didn't smack him in the face when she snapped them open.

"Flying lessons?" he asked, unable to hide the note of surprise in his voice. She nodded, looking embarrassed, and he realized that he'd never seen her actually fly before… now he wondered if that was because she, in fact, didn't know how. He frowned, and she squirmed, blushing as she explained.

"I've only had wings for a couple of days, ok? I just want to know how much stronger I need to get them before they do anything… wing-ish…"

Tseng chuckled, shaking his head. "It's a good thing there's a clinic nearby," he commented wryly, leaning back against a tree well out of range of crash-landings. "Go on, I'll spot you."

"Thanks…" she muttered with only small amounts of sarcasm, then turned to stare up at the tree before her, judging the distance to the branches and picking one that seemed like a reasonable goal. She bent her knees, spread her wings, and leapt… and missed by a good ten feet. Swearing, she landed in a crouch, and glared upward again, wondering if she'd miscalculated.

"Bend your knees a little more, and spread your feet apart," Tseng offered. She followed his advice, and made it several feet further upward, but she still fell back toward the earth long before she reached her branch. She tried again, and again, and again, and only managed to travel a few inches higher each time. Finally, irritated, sweaty, and a little disheartened, she snapped her wings down as she jumped out of sheer frustrated instinct.

And almost collided with the branch, nearly falling out of the air as she clambered onto it and held on for dear life. It took her a moment of steady footing to realize where she was, and she let out a delighted whoop. "That was AWESOME! Now… um… how do I get down…?" A bit more shuffling on her branch, and she managed a controlled drop back to solid ground. Perhaps a bit less graceful that she'd have liked, but without any broken bones, for once. Tseng found himself smiling gently as they walked back to the inn, Mara chattering on delightedly about chocobos, or something.

She ate her breakfast quickly, then raced upstairs to pack her things before a dip in the hot springs. She wasn't sure how quickly they'd be leaving once the rescue team arrived, and she wanted to get in one last workout, at the very least.

She'd just put her bathing things away and was on her way down to lunch when her day became decidedly less pleasant. Standing by the front desk, between her and the dining room, stood their previously-absent pilot, flanked by a Turk she vaguely recognized, and speaking excitedly to Tseng and Angeal. Swearing silently, Mara ducked into the lounge, out of sight, and strained her ears to hear the conversation.

"No, listen," the pilot was arguing, and she noticed curiously that his voice, though urgent, lacked the anger she'd heard there before. If she had to guess, she might say it had been replaced with awe. "I think I might have been wrong…" It took all her self control to remain still and silent at that, and she leaned a little closer, listening desperately. "I went back to the wreckage, trying to find something that would prove my point, but I found this, instead… It's the recorder from the cockpit. I played it back, and, well… hear for yourself…" There was a moment of silence as he set up the device, and then a static hiss, a distant alarm audible in the background.

And then, as clear as day and so achingly familiar it brought tears to her eyes, she heard it. "Watch over her…" Blinking rapidly and only half-aware of the other voices calling her name, asking where she'd gone, she fled. Mara was not about to stand around and answer awkward questions regarding the waterworks she couldn't seem to stem, and quietly slipped out the back door, unaware that someone had spotted her hasty retreat, and silently followed.

It didn't take her long to find her tree, and with a practiced leap, she found a perch on a nice, leafy branch. With a shaky breath, she leaned back against the trunk, resting her hands against the bark and letting the roughness beneath her palms quiet her racing heartbeat. She was being ridiculous, she knew, but she really hadn't expected that, and hearing Azriel's voice had made her feel both safe and terribly alone. She closed her eyes, taking deep breaths and reminding herself that she had a mission, a goal, and maybe even friends, or something close to it. This was no time to flip her shit.

"You should be careful…" a deep voice, eerily familiar, called quietly from below. The moment of shock was just enough to startle Mara from her perch, and she slipped off the branch with a strangled squeak.

The landing was jarring, to say the least, and it took her a long, painful moment to see anything but dancing spots. When her vision finally cleared, she lay sprawled gracelessly on the ground once more, sore, breathless, and blinking up at the last possible person she wanted to be seen falling out of a tree by. "Oh…" she breathed, sighing in resignation. So much for first impressions… "You look a lot taller from down here…"

Sephiroth sighed as the young woman passed out at his feet, and shook his head as he gently lifted her. He'd need to get her to the clinic for that nasty concussion she'd just given herself, and preferably before she got any blood on his coat…

A/N: Most useful lesson learned in college: how emergency rooms work.