By a Fraction of a Degree
A FFVII Fanfiction work by findthetiger129
Rated T for Violence and Language.
I do not own Final Fantasy VII, or any of the characters, trademarks or likenesses from Final Fantasy VII or its spinoffs. That honor goes to Square-Enix.
Part II: Reunion
Chapter 20, The Unfulfilled Dream
December 20th [ ν ] – εуλ 0007
Freya watched the mountains roll by underneath her as she piloted the helicopter towards Rocket Town. The view was incredible, with the snow-capped peaks dipping into valleys, occasionally revealing a small village or town, but otherwise providing a barrier that prohibited most regular travel along the north end of the continent. After passing over the Corel mountain range and near the Northern Wastes, the tall peaks soon gave way to foothills and then to the gently cresting waves of grassland surrounding a small collection of houses near a rocket on a launch pad. It listed to the side, a forlorn reminder of another failure Shinra refused to admit. It had been over four years since she'd come here for the launch and still, no one had bothered to correct its positioning on the pad. She hoped Cid remembered her, though she certainly didn't want to reopen old wounds.
It was noon as she brought the helicopter into a descent some hundred yards out from the first buildings. Even from this distance, as the helicopter sank below the tree line, the rocket cut a dramatic visage as it rose overhead through the windows of the cockpit. That was before the aircraft sank low enough that the giant towering hulk seemed to line itself up with the sun, making it hard to look at and the lady Turk averted her eyes to the ground. Some of the townsfolk were watching, but no one had stepped forward to meet them.
Cissnei sat next to her in the copilot's seat, also observing the outside environs but her expression was more curious than anything else. She'd never been to Rocket Town before. Without a word, Freya brought the helicopter down near a small stand of trees and cut the engine. Once the propellers slowed to a stop, she pulled off her headset and headed back into the passenger compartment. The door had already been thrown open and Cloud and Yuffie were the first out, though Cloud seemed significantly better off than the young ninja. At least he was still capable of walking in spite of being somewhat uncomfortable. Yuffie just went and sat down by a tree, determined she wasn't going to move for a while.
Zack and Kunsel fell in step behind her as she walked towards the village. There was little notice from the villagers as they passed between the first two shops that marked the edge until the lady Turk paused to talk to someone.
"Excuse me," she said politely.
"Yes?" The man replied.
"I was wondering if Cid's still in charge around here?"
"Oh, the captain? Yeah, you should be able to find him by the rocket."
The Turk nodded in acknowledgement, thanked him, and continued onward. As they approached the rocket, Zack asked "Who's Cid?"
"He was the pilot for Shinra's space program before it went defunct… He's a bit rough around the edges, but he's all right."
"Wait a minute." Kunsel paused, recollection dawning on his face. "Back in Junon there was that airship you and Aerith wouldn't stop looking at. When you say Cid… You know Cid Highwind? The astronaut?"
"I helped him out a little a few years ago."
Kunsel grinned. "Damn Freya, who don't you know?"
"Maybe a few minor celebrities," Freya quipped, "Just the ones that don't matter… Are you a fan by any chance?"
Kunsel shrugged. "The space program was just getting big around the time Zack and I joined SOLDIER, and I was definitely paying attention. It could have opened up a lot of interesting possibilities."
Zack looked thoughtful. "That is pretty neat that they were planning to send someone into space."
"Cid wanted to make it all the way to the moon if he could." The wistful expression was back on Freya's face as they approached the launch site.
"All the way to the moon huh? I wonder what it's like up there."
Freya shrugged. "It's hard to say. As things stand we haven't found out yet." They walked across a couple of bridges crisscrossing over the wiring and tubes splayed out over the ground around the rocket before stopping at a long set of stairs leading up to a ladder. Freya turned to face the others. "It might be best if you guys waited here, it's kind of cramped up there."
"That's fine," Zack agreed.
With that decided, the lady Turk continued up the stairs and started climbing the ladder. The climb was pretty long but eventually she reached the top to come to rest on a catwalk leading to the entrance to the rocket. Careful not to look down, she walked purposefully to the entrance and looked inside, finding herself facing aged access panels, wiring, and rusting metal. Memories of walking in and seeing technicians hard at work flooded through her thoughts, as the painted steel had glistened under their hands and the equipment hummed with life and energy. Now there only stood a single man before the airlock leading to the command deck. He stood with his back to her, polishing away some rust that had collected on a bulkhead.
"It's been a long time Cid," she called out to him leaning against the wall that framed the airlock.
The man in the flight jacket and airman's uniform jerked up with a start at the sound of her voice before turning to face her. "Freya? What're you doin' in this neck of the woods?"
The lady Turk smiled. "Just business at the moment, but it's good to see you too. How have you been?"
The pilot's face hardened as he considered the question. "What the hell do you think? Since the space program's been cancelled I've been sitting up here, rotting my ass away. The rocket tips to the side a little more every year. To be honest, I'm wondering what'll happen first. Will it fall or will I leave?"
"Sorry I asked."
"Don't be. If it weren't for you I'd have lost more than just this old tin can." He banged around in the airlock for a little longer and then decided to change the subject. "You said you had some business?"
Freya nodded. "Yes. You see, I was wondering if I could buy some fuel for a helicopter from you guys. For a good price, of course. You still have the airfield near here, right?"
"Fuel huh? Shit. That ain't a problem. We'll see what we can arrange." He thought for a moment before remembering where he was. "This ain't the place for that kind of talk though. Meet me down at the house. I'm just about finished here."
Freya nodded. "Will do."
She turned around and walked out, carefully heading back along the catwalk. Though as she neared the center of it, she heard Cid call out behind him "And tell that #$%^& Shera to make some tea!"
She was a little surprised by the expletive in relation to the woman, but decided not to risk Cid's temper by asking. She knew from experience that it could be quite fiery. Shera… huh? The name sounded familiar, though she couldn't place it. She paused, taking in the view of the open field. A chill wind blew from the north as she reached the ladder again, and she brushed her bangs out of her eyes, watching the tall grass below bend back and forth in its wake. She could still remember the fireworks and the excitement the day before the launch. She turned to look towards the village. It hadn't been here last time, but now that her eyes landed on a certain aircraft in one of the backyards, she laughed. There was no question whose house was Cid's even if he hadn't told her.
Easing back to the present, she lowered herself over the edge and climbed down the ladder to rejoin Zack and Kunsel.
As she walked down the last few steps, Zack looked up. "How did it go?"
"He's willing to deal. We'll need to go to his house though. He wants to talk there."
"Where's that?" Kunsel asked.
Freya grinned and pointed to a cottage where the Tiny Bronco sat, almost like it was beckoning to its owner up in the rocket, daring him to go for a ride.
"That's a nice looking plane," Zack commented as the group walked towards the cottage.
"It's his pride and joy." Freya led them around the side of the house to the door and knocked.
After a few moments, the door was answered by a mousy woman in glasses and a technician's uniform. She looked at the three of them in surprise before asking uncertainly, "May I… help you?"
Freya offered her a warm smile, though she wondered at that point if it had been the best move to bring two very tall and muscular SOLDIERs with her. She didn't want to scare the poor woman. "Sorry to bother you, I'm a friend of Cid's. Are you Shera?"
The woman nodded. "I am."
"Cid asked me to wait here for him. I don't mean to impose…"
"No, that's all right. Come in." Shera pulled back the door for them, beckoning the three of them inside. As they walked in she gestured to the table with its simple wooden chairs. "I'm afraid it's not much, but make yourselves at home… um…"
"Oh, that's right. We haven't met. I'm Freya, and this is Zack and Kunsel," the lady Turk hurriedly introduced.
"It's nice to meet you." Shera walked over to the sink and started filling a kettle with water. "So, how did you meet the captain?"
"I used to work for Shinra and I had business out here around the time they were going to launch the rocket. I helped him get his plane back when AVALANCHE tried to steal it."
Her eyes lit up slightly, which was a surprisingly dramatic change considering that she looked rather downtrodden by Freya's reckoning. "Now I know who you are. He talked about you before the launch. He was impressed that you did so well flying his plane for the first time."
There was the creak of a door opening as Freya laughed. "Yeah, that was me. I was lucky though. If I'd been in the wrong spot at the wrong time, the fireworks might have scorched it."
"What matters is you brought her back to me." Everyone turned to see Cid walk into the cottage, and almost immediately his gaze flitted to… was she his wife? " #$% Shera, why haven't you served them any tea yet?"
Shera winced when he raised his voice but only mumbled a soft "Sorry…" before going back to the kettle she'd place on the stove.
"Uh… that's okay, you don't have to go to any trouble…" Zack trailed off as Cid turned his attention onto him. The dark-haired SOLDIER was clearly stunned, almost to the point of mortification, and Kunsel shot Freya a worried glance.
"Shut up, sit your ass down in that chair, and drink your goddamn TEA! Or is my hospitality not good enough for you?" It was probably only his military training that kept Zack from jumping back in surprise at the ferocious tone the pilot directed at him before turning his attention back to the Turk. "Freya, when you're ready to deal, I'll be out back with the Tiny Bronco."
Freya kept her tone even as she answered him. "I'll follow you out in a few moments then."
The pilot nodded and walked to the back door. As the door shut behind him Zack let out a breath of air he'd apparently been holding. "Did we make him mad?" He asked anyone who was listening.
Shera shook her head. "No, he's always like this. By his standards, this is actually one of his good days."
"I knew he always was a little crusty, but he was almost civil with me, up at the rocket. Why the change all of a sudden?" Freya wondered aloud.
The other woman smiled sadly. "It's because I made a stupid mistake and destroyed his dream."
Freya remembered, but she remained quiet as Zack asked his next question "What happened?"
Shera realized the water was beginning to boil and she selected a pair of teabags to steep before continuing. "I was always kind of slow in my work," she began, "He used to pick on me endlessly for it, but it wasn't out of spite. He just wanted me to be more efficient."
"That's still no excuse for what we just saw," Kunsel interjected.
Shera shook her head. "He didn't use to be so bitter. He was impatient because he wanted it done. But I wanted to make sure it was done right. After all, if an oxygen tank fails up in space, how is it going to get repaired?"
"Right," Freya agreed.
The technician adjusted her glasses. "Unfortunately, it cost us the launch and the space program. The countdown had already started, but I was still working. I wasn't happy with the tests I'd run on some of the tanks, you see. But mission control got impatient. They told Cid to forget about me, but he didn't want to become a murderer if I didn't finish in time, so he aborted right as the rocket was starting to lift off, to save my life. After that, funding was cut back, and the launch was cancelled. It's my fault that his dream was destroyed."
She took the tea kettle off the stove and prepared some cups as she continued. "It's all right. I don't care what the captain says, or what he calls me. I'll live for him until my last breath."
"I remember that," Freya said sadly. "I heard the news afterward. Cid must have been heartbroken."
"We all were," Shera agreed.
"Kunsel's right though, that's still no excuse. You shouldn't let him treat you that way." Freya walked towards the door, deciding she was ready to go talk to the man they were discussing.
"Don't tell him that, it'll only make him mad," Shera said, bringing the tea tray over to the table. "Please?"
"It's not my job..." She paused as she reached the door leading to the yard. Back in the day, those words would roll off her tongue so easily, and make it okay not to care. Why wasn't it working now? She laughed at herself derisively. Could she really call herself a Turk anymore? Zack must have been rubbing off on her more than she'd thought. She was beginning to think she wasn't sure. But then again, you never left the Turks. She sighed and opened the door to find Cid adjusting the controls for one of the wing flaps.
"There you are," The pilot said, "come over here and toss me that wrench."
The lady Turk looked where he was pointing and saw the implement he desired poking out of a tool box that was sitting on the ground nearby. She picked it up and handed it to him.
"Thanks." Cid continued his adjustments, muttering to himself about what needed to happen next for a few minutes before speaking up. "I can safely say we got the fuel you need. I'm not gonna ask what you need it for, and really I don't care, just make your offer. If you want, I can even arrange it so you can come back as long as you got the gil. I know the guys at the airfield would love to have your business."
"That sounds wonderful, we'd appreciate that. Let's see… how about 4500 gil per tank to start with."
Cid laughed as he reached for one of the cigarettes tucked in the headstrap of his goggles. "Low balling it, huh? I'll play. My starting offer is at 6000, of course there'll be a 500 gil docking fee for using the airfield, but that's no worse than a decent bribe…"
"I'll accept the docking fee, that's more than fair, but oil prices haven't gone up that high in the last few years, and we all know why that is. 4700." Freya climbed up to sit next to the pilot as he worked with one of the propellers.
"Yeah, I know. Gas isn't competing for the power grids any more. But there are fewer oil refineries too. 5850." Cid lit the cigarette and took a belligerent puff as he spoke.
"Even so, the demand is very limited so the supply hasn't had much need to try keeping up, unless you count Shinra, but they only use it as a backup and for some of their vehicles. 4750."
The verbal tennis match continued for quite a while as the two haggled until finally, Cid bellowed "Damnit woman, we ain't runnin' no charity here. 5220!"
"Call it 5200, and I'll say we have a deal."
Cid thought about it for a moment, and then grudgingly held out his hand. "Done! I'll explain things to the guys and they'll have your bird ready first thing in the morning."
"Great!"
"Whatever, just take care of yourself, ya hear? We expect a lot of business from you with this great deal we've hammered out." With that, he turned his attention back to his plane.
The lady Turk couldn't help but smile. There would be no helping this guy when so much had been taken from him. "Hey Cid," she said at last.
He looked up as he was adjusting another piston on a wingflap. "What?"
"I'm still looking forward to hearing those stories about outer space. Don't give up. It'll happen one day."
The pilot took a drag from another cigarette he'd just lit and grunted as she walked back into the house.
While Zack, Kunsel, and Freya were off negotiating with their contact, the others had been waiting near the edge of town. Eventually however, several of them broke off and decided to go exploring. Cloud had been charged with the task of following Yuffie to make sure she didn't steal anything and was trailing the ninja around town as she explored the various streets, along with Tifa, who seemed to think it was a good idea to get some supplies. They walked along the main road as the younger teenager ambled along in front of them, looking in shop windows and occasionally talking to herself before they approached a crossroads. As Cloud looked off in the distance, he could see the rocket, listing to the side on the launch pad.
Tifa was watching it too, curiously. "I guess that's why they call this place Rocket Town," she mused after a few moments.
"Probably," Cloud said. "But could they really get it off the ground?"
"Of course they could, sonny! They almost did too!" Their attention was drawn to an old man as he walked over to where they were standing. "Would you like to look at it with me?"
Cloud cast a wary glance at Yuffie to make sure she wasn't up to anything, and then shrugged. "I guess so." He thought the old man would take them around the back, but instead, he just stood with them where they were, looking up at it.
Finally he turned to speak with them again. "I'm glad you're willing to indulge me. It's kind of a hobby of mine."
"That's okay," Tifa answered, "We don't mind."
"I appreciate your patience," He turned his attention back to Cloud, "I know we all have our interests. As for you, young man, you look like you might prefer artistry of a different sort. Come here." He ducked back through his front door and returned with what was clearly a sword in his hand. A katana, it appeared. "It's called the Yoshiyuki. They say its owner fights best when his comrades are in danger and his back's against the wall. I don't really have much use for this ol' thing, but you seem like you'd take good care of it."
"You don't have to do that…" Cloud rubbed the back of his neck nervously.
"Naw it's all right, take it. I don't need it anyhow." The old guy pressed it into his hands before he could say anything further.
"Uh… thanks." Taking a moment to recover himself as the man went back into his house, Cloud glanced around and spotted Yuffie looking through the window of the item shop with a hungry look in her eyes. Tifa had noticed too and was already heading in that direction. Cloud shrugged, balanced the katana in the loose sheath he carried, next to his regular sword and followed her. Back to minding Yuffie's sticky fingers.
Sometime in the afternoon, on the outskirts of Costa del Sol, three figures in black suits were headed southwest, following the trail of a fourth man in black, who had come in this direction not half an hour before. Rude was checking the signs in the grass as Reno and Elena talked nearby.
"You told her where I was?" Reno asked.
"I'm really sorry. It was an accident. Though it doesn't look like you ran into her." Elena looked at her shoes, ashamed that she'd slipped up.
"Eh, don't worry about it. You're still new. Just learn to keep it quiet next time, okay?"
They followed Rude a bit further as he followed the other man's trail. As they walked, Reno played with his EMR rod, tossing it in the air and catching it every now and then. As the silence became uncomfortable, Elena fidgeted with the sleeve of her blazer before she spoke again. "Is it true what Freya said? About Sephiroth?"
Reno balanced the rod on his shoulder. "She saw him burn down a whole village, I think she'd know. We only saw the aftermath, but it looked pretty bad."
"He sounds pretty tough."
"Oh he was tough, even for a SOLDIER. But we oughta be able to take him." The redheaded Turk flicked out the rod in a lazy swipe at an invisible enemy, before lifting it in an upward swing. Somehow as he continued his antics, he still managed to keep the conversation casual. "We're Turks after all. And then we're going to make him tell us how the hell he made it out of that reactor."
"If you're sure." Elena still looked worried as Reno balance the rod on one finger in front of him, trying to see how long it would stay up as he walked.
"Don't worry about it," he said.
Even so, Elena was worried about it. Tseng had given her the files on everyone Freya was traveling with, including Zack. It had taken no fewer than six Turks, including Reno and Rude, slowly wearing him down before he could be recaptured, and even then, there had been injuries. She'd seen him fight too. Even with that heavy sword, he was fast. If Sephiroth was quicker and hit harder than Zack, then she privately wondered if they wouldn't have some problems if it came down to a fight. It gave her plenty of food for thought as they continued to follow the trail south.
Barret was waiting near the helicopter when Freya, Zack, and Kunsel returned from negotiations. "Good news!" Freya called out cheerfully. "We've got fuel!"
Cissnei looked out from the door of the passenger compartment. She'd been running equipment checks while everyone else was gone. "Great!" She called back.
"I can't believe that guy though." Kunsel shook his head as he set his sword against a nearby tree and pulled out some rations. "I know he's a friend of yours Freya, but how is it okay for him to treat Shera like that?"
"It's not. But she didn't want us to do anything, so we shouldn't meddle in it. It's simple as that. Doesn't mean I have to like it."
"What happened?" Barret asked.
"The guy was a total asshole to his wife, pretty much right in front of us. I don't get how she puts up with him," Zack explained.
"You want me to go teach the #$%^& a lesson?"
"Please don't," Freya said quickly, "I only just got done negotiating for our fuel, we don't need damage costs too." She turned her attention to Cissnei. "We'll need to fly the helicopter over to the airfield once Cid let's us know he's cleared it with the staff there."
"Got it…" Cissnei voiced her acknowledgement but it was quickly cut off as she was distracted by a noise, which Zack soon realized was coming from her PHS. "Legend?..." There was quiet for a little while as she listened to whatever the other Turk was telling her before she finally said "Okay, I'll let them know." He heard rustling as she placed the device back in her pocket and then she climbed out onto the grass.
"What's the story?" Kunsel asked.
"Sephiroth was spotted in Costa del Sol and he is now headed south. Reno, Rude, and Elena are following him. Rufus and Heidegger seem content to watch from a distance for now."
Zack's expression hardened. "Do you really think he's headed for Nibelheim?"
"Where else would he go?" Freya asked.
"I don't know… something just doesn't feel right about this." He ran a hand through his dark spikes.
"I understand, but if we can get the information we're looking for and can head him off, we've killed two birds with one stone right?" the lady Turk offered placatingly.
Zack sighed. "I'm not changing the plan. We're still going to Nibelheim. I just have a bad feeling." It was at that moment when Aerith returned with Nanaki, and just after her, Cloud and Tifa were dragging Yuffie, who seemed to be very put out over something.
"What's got you all bent out of shape?" He asked the ninja as Cloud and Tifa let go of her in the middle of the clearing.
"They wouldn't let me stay in the shop by myself," Yuffie grumbled.
"Maybe we'd be more willing if you gave us a reason to trust you around other people's materia." Cloud suggested calmly.
Yuffie scowled at him before going over to sit next to Nanaki, putting an arm around him as though he would shield her from the blonde swordsman, but didn't say anything else. Nanaki simply ignored the gesture and pretended to be asleep.
They were all distracted from the current discussion as a man in a now familiar flight jacket walked into the clearing. "Here ya are." Cid puffed at his cigarette. "I talked to the guys at the airfield for you. They say to come on over."
"Thanks," Freya answered him.
"You can tell them we'll have our helicopter there in a few minutes," Cissnei added.
Cid nodded and then turned to head back towards the rocket. Freya sighed. "I guess we should go. Why don't you guys see if you can find rooms at the inn? We'll join you in a little bit."
As the afternoon wore on near Nibelheim, a dark-haired man with glasses and plain brown clothes walked along the road, carrying a ruck sack. He was nothing more than a traveler by all appearances, except for the katana at his hip, and the scar marking the side of his face. Mao looked out over the rolling foothills and the rooftops of the small hamlet off in the distance and felt himself tense. Years of being a Turk had trained him to notice when things were off, and while he knew very well that Shinra had rebuilt the village after Sephiroth destroyed it, there was something else disquieting about the place now that set him completely on edge.
It had been nearly two months since he'd left Cissnei and Freya with Zack and his friends and since then, he'd been traveling on his own, enjoying the peaceful adventure of simply taking in the world. While there had been that one time in Cosmo Canyon, where his presence had attracted Jade WEAPON's attention and he'd contacted Veld after it had fled the area, for the most part, he'd been completely out of contact with the other Turks.
Now however… he rushed through the trees and brush towards the village, silent save for the occasional swish of a branch as he passed. A few minutes later, he was looking out over the village from a bluff, watching the goings on with curiosity. Yes, the place had been rebuilt, but now that he looked around, he didn't see many villagers. Instead, wandering around the place were a number of strange-looking figures in black cloaks. He listened intently as they shuffled listlessly around the village, alert for any sign of a threat, or an answer to the absolute wrongness he felt about these… were they people? He wasn't entirely sure.
He crept closer as the wind began to pick up. There was a storm rolling in from the west. He could tell from the way the air pressure was changing. He'd probably want to get his tent up soon, preferably somewhere a ways away so as not to attract attention. First however, he decided to get a closer look at these strange beings.
He neared the outermost buildings of the town as the first edges of a dark thunderhead began rolling over the mountains in the distance. As he positioned himself at a vantage point where he was within earshot of the nearest cloaked figure, he started to hear it muttering. Most of it was unintelligible, but there were a few words that stood out. "Must… get… for… Sephiroth…become one… Reunion…"
The low and distant roar of thunder off in the distance alerted him once again to the fact that he needed to get to shelter and so he retreated, going back to a small, ravine with a spot flat enough to pitch a tent. It didn't take him long to put up his shelter, and he quickly put up the rainfly before crawling in. He considered his next move as the thunder grew louder, before reaching into his rucksack and pulling out a PHS. He had no idea what was going on here or even whether or not there was a way to proceed. But where he knew nothing about this, maybe Veld or one of the others might have a better understanding of this disquieting phenomenon. If nothing else, it was worth reporting to the former director. One never knew when such information might prove useful to someone.
A couple of hours had passed, and Zack had reserved a couple of rooms. Most of the group dispersed since they had plenty of time before the helicopter would be ready. Zack, Cloud, and Kunsel were passing the time training in a nearby field though they'd probably be coming in shortly to eat. Aerith had been watching them along with Tifa for a while. Yuffie was there too, but had decided to prove her prowess by sparring with the guys and had quickly worn herself out. After a bit, Aerith wandered off on her own, as inspiration struck. She walked away to a stand of trees, her staff in hand, and once she was out of sight, she assumed a forward stance. She brought the rod up in a block before bringing her weapon down in a hard swing. She then whirled around to bring it into a forward thrust, before pulling back and swiping it across.
"You really shouldn't just run off like that. There might be Nibel Wolves running around." She looked up to see Zack leaning against a tree watching her.
"I'll try not to next time." Aerith smiled sheepishly.
"No worries. So, are you practicing?"
Aerith held the staff upright in her hand, the tip contacting the ground as she nodded. "I thought we might be doing some more fighting and if that's the case, I want to be ready."
Zack regarded her for a moment before walking over. "I could help, if you want."
"Really?"
"Of course I would! Anything for my favorite flower girl." Zack put on his most infectious grin as he rubbed his hands together; ready to get down to work. "Why don't you show me your fighting stance first?"
Aerith complied holding her staff at the ready.
Zack walked around her, evaluating. "Okay, first thing I'm noticing is that you need to widen your stance just a little bit. He tapped the ground a few inches out from her shoe with his own booted foot.
"All right." She adjusted slightly so that her foot was positioned where he'd indicated.
"Try also adjusting the hold you have on your weapon." He stepped out of her sight, gently putting his arms around her so that he could move her hands to the positions he'd indicated before moving back to her front so that she was facing him. "Now, take a swing at me."
"Won't I hurt you?" She asked, a little nervously.
"Don't worry about it. I can take it." He assumed a defensive stance. "You ready?"
"I guess so."
"Go ahead."
She nodded and then brought it forward in a downward motion. Zack easily caught the weapon in his hand, but as he did so, he offered an encouraging smile. "Did you feel the extra power there?"
"Yeah, I did."
"Okay, why don't you try it again?" He relinquished his hold on her weapon and readied himself. Again she swung at him, and this time he dodged. They worked at it for a few minutes, going back and forth. Aerith swung one last time as Zack caught the weapon in his hand, listening for sounds she couldn't hear. "I think that's enough for now. Kunsel and Cloud are probably getting tired of sparring. I don't hear them anymore," he said at last.
"Okay." She stepped forward and gave him a small hug. "Thanks," she whispered.
"Anytime." He upped the ante with a short kiss to her forehead. "Do you feel good about it?"
The mischief in her smile mirrored his own. "Those Nibel Wolves won't stand a chance." They started back towards the field where Cloud and Kunsel were training. As they walked, Aerith felt Zack encircle her hand with one of his own. It was strong but gentle through the worn leather of his gloves. "When we were in Junon" She began, "Freya pointed out an airship that she said Cid built. He's really talented."
"He'd have to be if they wanted to send him into space," Zack agreed.
"I think I'd like to fly in that airship once. Just to see what it's like." She continued.
Zack shrugged. "Maybe I'll take you on it someday."
"That would be really nice," Aerith agreed. They continued back towards the clearing where the sound of clashing swords had quieted. As they approached, she saw that the two of them were sitting under the shade of a nearby tree, drinking water from their canteens in silence. They both looked up as they heard them return and Cloud stood, bringing the sword Zack had given him around in a wide circle before sliding into his sword harness.
Aerith giggled as she saw it. "He's picking up some of your bad habits," she teased.
"Who says they're bad habits?" Zack returned.
As though sensing they were talking about him, Cloud promptly looked down at the ground, sheepishly. Zack let go of Aerith and walked over to where the Buster Sword rested against another tree, also twirling it in the air playfully before setting it against his own back. It was at that point when he noticed the extra hilt peeking out of Cloud's sword harness. "Where'd you find the extra sword?"
Cloud pulled it out and showed it to his friend. "Some guy in town just gave it to me. I told him he didn't have to but he wouldn't take no for an answer."
"This is a nice katana." Zack held the blade up to the light appreciatively before swishing it lightly through the air. Done with his inspection, he handed it back to Cloud. "I could show you a couple of things with that later, if you want?"
"Sure." Cloud returned the sword to his harness.
It looked like they were about to come back inside, and Aerith saw that Tifa looked like she was about to walk back to the inn. She hurried over to join the martial artist, and they had just walked behind one of the trees when she heard Zack speak again behind her. "Are you okay with this?"
Aerith paused as she heard Cloud answer, "With what?"
"Nibelheim. The fact that we're going back." Tifa had also stopped, and they looked at each other, guilt written on their faces over their eavesdropping, but neither of them had moved.
"Are you?" Kunsel spoke up.
"Not really. I told you what happened there. If circumstances were different, we wouldn't go anywhere near the place." Zack paused. "Sorry Cloud, I know it used to be your home."
"Don't worry about it. I can't say I'm looking forward to going back either, but if it'll give us some answers, we should, right?"
"You're right, but…" Aerith could almost imagine her boyfriend rubbing the back of his neck. "A lot of terrible stuff happened there. Sephiroth was bad enough, but… you don't have to go into the mansion if you don't want to… That was where Hojo…" He paused, collecting his thoughts before going on, "But if you do… you won't face it alone, okay?"
There was silence for a few moments and then she heard Cloud answer "You won't either."
"I think we've heard enough." Aerith whispered. Tifa nodded and the two of them continued walking.
As they neared the edge of town, Tifa seemed to be deep in thought. "I'm not sure I want to go back to Nibelheim either, to be honest."
"That's right, you were there too, weren't you." Aerith noted.
The martial artist nodded. "Cloud was right next to me the whole time, and I didn't know it."
Aerith smiled. "Do you like him?"
"Um… well, we grew up together," Tifa said.
"That must have been nice."
"He used to get into fights all the time."
She stared at Tifa in disbelief. "Really?"
Tifa nodded. "I don't know why though. The reasons always seemed silly."
"I guess he grew up a little before I met him." They walked a little further as Aerith continued. "In some ways, Zack hasn't changed a bit. He's still as sweet and nice as he always was, but in other ways… Whatever happened in that mansion really hurt both of them, and they're still trying to get through it. But I don't intend to let them face it alone either."
"You aren't the only one." Aerith looked up to see Freya and Cissnei behind them as they neared the inn. It was Cissnei who had spoken. "Freya was there, and while I wasn't, Zack's my friend too. We'll all be there."
Tifa smiled. "So will I."
They were about to walk into the inn when they heard Yuffie give out an undignified squawk. "Hey! Let go of me!"
"Then keep your hands off of my materia, you little scamp." The four of them looked up to see Kunsel holding onto Yuffie at arm's length, keeping her away from the bangle on his opposite arm.
The little ninja tried futilely to get him to release her from his grip and finally relented. "Okay, I give up, you can let me go now." The second his hand released her arm, she took a combative stance. "Come on and fight! I'll teach you to mess with the White Rose of Wutai!" She dived forward with a punch to his gut, which the SOLDIER didn't even bother to dodge. Instead Yuffie pulled back, holding her hand in pain. "Ow!"
Kunsel shook his head in pity for the girl before walking past her, this time, keeping the bangle with his materia well out of reach. "Next time, don't try to take on enemies that are out of your league. I won't try to kill you. Someone else might." He said over his shoulder.
Yuffie scowled and folded her arms in a huff.
As the other four women walked into the inn, Aerith beckoned that Yuffie join them, hopefully to keep her out of further trouble. They were almost to the stairs when Cissnei's PHS buzzed again. When she pulled it out of her pocket and saw who it was she answered quickly and her tone was one of complete surprise. "Mao?"
That night, a small figure crept through the shadows at the airfield. From a distance, most people probably wouldn't have noticed the little cat, though if one were a little closer, they might have realized that it was hardly a normal feline. If anything, it looked like a stuffed toy with its gaudy red cape, tiny crown, and little boots. Cait Sith had been flown in early that morning. His mission: To stay out of sight and observe Zack and Freya's group as best he could. He couldn't join them directly. The two renegade Turks would have recognized him and his connection to Reeve a mile away. So instead, the little robot crept across the airfield with admittedly catlike grace, towards the helicopter, staying in the shadows where he could, avoiding the warm glow of the lights around the fueling station. When he was as close as he could get, he darted under the helicopter and stealthily began searching for a way inside.
The little robot froze as he heard the sound of one of the airfield security guards yawning nearby. The guard walked along the tarmac, checking for any sign of movement but saw nothing. Cait Sith remained crouched in the shadow of the helicopter until he was a good distance away, and then crawled up the fuselage to work the lock on the main hatch. Soon, he had it open and had slipped inside, pulling it closed after him. It wasn't long before he had settled into one of the more out of the way storage compartments and curled up like the cats his creator had decided to emulate when building him.
No limit breaks this time, but I can guarantee there will be a few next time. As well as some more mystery, and angsting... I'll leave it there for now. ^^
Also, a quick note: By my calculations, had this been the original timeline, the party would be still retroactively regrouping in Costa Del Sol right now, in stead of um... not recruiting Cid... Don't get me wrong, he's one of my favorite characters, but no one's here to steal the Tiny Bronco... again... at least for the time being... Make of that what you will. Until next time! ^^