"What are we doing?" Tifa peered ahead in the gloom. The night sky was clear and a half-moon hung overhead. Her night vision remained terrible however; as dark as Midgar often was, the city was never truly dark like out here.
Aeris had shaken her awake some ten minutes before, pressing her finger to her lips and beckoning Tifa out of the camp. Initial panic subdued rapidly. Not an attack; the rest of Avalanche slumbered on untroubled. Possibly more relaxed than they should be. Someone should be awake to tend the fire and keep an eye-out. For Shinra, for monsters, perhaps for Sephiroth. But with no monster encounters in over a day, the worries did seem overblown. Tifa held her tongue while Aeris made her way from the camp to a small wood not far away.
Tifa asked her question once she felt distant enough from the camp; for whatever reason, Aeris did not want anyone else involved in whatever this was. A pulse of heat at the thought. Some clandestine hook-up in the night? Improbable. Not so soon. And not when they could have at least the comfort of the tent – other people over-hearing them no huge deal.
Aeris slowed her pace at the treeline. "I read about the area and there's something I wanted to see."
She had picked up a number of area guides in Kalm. A lot of her life spent reading, staring at images and imagining the world outside Midgar. Everything she had left behind in Sector Five, but she made do with what she found in the Kalm bookshop. Maps of various areas, guides to flora and fauna. In her spare moments, Aeris would study the books, on occasion investigating a flowering plant or tree – and sneaking close to various non-hostile animals. An amusing sight; Aeris's gaze transfixed, guide book held open in one hand.
But how did any apply here? To this chilly night under a half-moon. The book wasn't with her. For the best, she'd ruin her eyes trying to read by moonlight, and Aeris did not seem to have factored a torch into this unscheduled trip. "Oh?" Curious, but while the ground was not the most comfortable, so far sleep seemed a better prospect than dark woods.
"I read about some flowers years ago. Not like my flowers." She grinned at Tifa. "These ones flower at night. And I kept thinking how perfect they sounded for Midgar. I got my flowers to grow, but everyone else has so many problems. So I wondered if I could find these flowers, spread them around the city, they might be okay?" She shrugged. "Not convinced that would work any better – not any more. But; I would like to see the flowers."
Images them of what could possibly bloom in the night-time. Some kind of carnivorous variety? Gaping maws and sticky traps awaiting unwary prey? There were places on the Western continent where rumours suggested similar growths grew large enough to consume dogs, perhaps something larger. She shuddered. Or perhaps they would be more like cacti; compact and different, with tiny leaves. "What did they look like?"
"The pictures in the book looked like normal flowers." A dim grin from Aeris. "I know it's not that exciting but-"
Tifa shook her head. "You don't need to justify it." She was more awake now. Ahead a gap in the trees marked a clearing in the wood. The breeze brought an unfamiliar floral scent. "Think we might be close."
Aeris stepped out into the moonlight, beside a carpet of unfamiliar flowers. Tifa followed. A myriad of colours, all rendered pale and strange under the moonlight. "It's more beautiful than I expected." Tifa could do little but agree. Aeris sought her hand and laced their fingers together. A special moment of discovery Aeris wanted to share with her alone.
The breeze came again, stronger now, the smell of the trees and flowers mixing, loose leaves spiralling through the air. Tifa shivered and pressed closer to Aeris; she let go of her hand and slid her arm around Tifa's waist. "Are you going to take any?"
"I'd love to." She made no move to let go of Tifa. "But won't do much good at present. I'll… I'll remember this place. Come back later. When I have a garden to take them back to."
"Can I come back then too?"
"Of course." Aeris smiled and rested her head against Tifa's.