Aeris opened her eyes, awakening from a dreamless sleep. Darkness. Her first impression was that it was still night. But there were no windows to let any light in anyway. She sat up, slowly put on her boots and stood, smoothing her pleated skirt. She adjusted the dull green top on her shoulders, slung her bag across one, and looked around apprehensively. Darkness...
Before her mind could get around to thinking, she moved to the door and opened it a crack, looking down the hallway towards the open doorway. Darkness there as well. She smiled and ducked back into the room. Good, she thought. It's still night time.
The Cetra walked back over to Elena, hesitating slightly. "Elena," she said quietly. "Elena, wake up." The Turk mumbled something and rolled over. Aeris sighed and shook her companion by the shoulders. "Wake up." It took a moment before more mutterings were heard, this time, though incoherent, seemingly protests.
"I'm up, I'm up," Elena finally managed. She rolled onto her back and looked up at Aeris rather blearily. "Wha's wrong?"
"I... I have a favor to ask of you," Aeris said, keeping her voice low.
Elena sat up. "Why're you being so formal all of a sudden?"
"Because it could be dangerous."
"That's all right," Elena assured her. "So what is it?"
Aeris hesitated. "I want to revive Lucrecia."
"Um... wait, wasn't she one of the scientists that worked on the Jenova Project?"
The Cetra nodded. "Yes... she is... was... also Vincent's love."
"But I thought she went with Hojo," Elena said tiredly. "And Sephiroth was their son. I read it in our files..."
"That's right... Or at least, right according to everyone I've talked to." Aeris frowned at the darkness to her left. "But I have reason to believe otherwise. That's one reason I want to revive Lucrecia... to get her take on the matter." She smiled, looked back towards where Elena was. She could make out nothing but the blond's faintly glowing eyes. Turks must recieve Mako treatments, too, she noted.
"So... you want to do it for information?"
"Not just that," Aeris corrected quickly. "I want to do it for Vincent. And for Sephiroth."
"All right..." Elena said, slowly coming awake. "What does this have to do with me?"
Aeris hesitated again. "I want you to come with me. I don't want to take one of the others because they'll be disappointed if it doesn't work..."
"What about, uh... Nanaki?"
The Cetra paused. "I hadn't thought about him... But I doubt he'll be willing to leave the canyon. He's very protective of it, and I doubt he'll leave knowing Sephiroth is here."
"So I'm your bodyguard by default, huh?" Elena asked bluntly.
"Well... basically... yeah."
There was a short silence. "...where would we be going?"
"You know the mountains to the north-northeast of here?" Elena nodded-Aeris saw the eyes move up and down slightly. "There's a lake in the midst of them. And a waterfall cave... That's where Lucrecia's body is."
"That's not exactly close by..." Elena commented doubtfully.
"I know," Aeris admitted, "but I don't think we're going to get any closer. We don't have any reason to go to Nibelheim, do we?"
"Guess not," Elena conceded.
Aeris shifted anxiously. "So will you come?"
Elena swung her legs to the side of the bed, thought for a moment. "...all right."
The Cetra sighed in relief, then smiled. "Thank you." Elena did not respond. Or at least, not verbally. Aeris heard her shuffling around for a minute or so before she stood up. "Ready?" she asked.
"Let's go," Elena answered. Aeris nodded and walked to the door, opening it quietly. As she peered down the hall to make sure the coast was clear, she suddenly remembered that she had forgotten to buy herself a staff earlier. She sighed inwardly and decided she would have to make do with Vincent's Quicksilver. Aeris moved down the hall to the partly-curtained doorway. She checked around the cloth to see if Sephiroth was still there, and smiled in relief to see he had left some time ago. No one else was there either. The village was asleep.
Aeris and Elena crept quietly towards the gate, keeping to the shadows. Even the gatekeeper appeared to be asleep. The two moved past slowly so as not to wake him and on down the steps. There was a chocobo laying there that lifted its head to look at them as they walked by. Aeris paused to look at it. The feathered crest on its head glimmered golden in the faint starlight, and its blue eyes were intelligent, inquiring.
The Cetra walked over to the chocobo, and it climbed to its feet, tilting its head. Aeris reached out, patted its neck, and murmured softly, "Have you been fed recently, hmm?" The bird warked softly and shook its head a little. She shuffled around in her bag and flourished a handful of Gyshal greens, offering them to the gold chocobo. It warked happily, but still quietly, and ate from her hand. Once it had finished, Aeris brushed off her hand and grasped the bird's reigns, glancing behind her at Elena. "It looks like we can get a ride," she said in a near-whisper.
Elena shifted slightly and glanced towards the gate. "Are you sure...? Who does the chocobo belong to?"
"I'm pretty sure it's one of Cloud's," Aeris answered as she climbed up onto the bird's back. "So he won't mind." Elena hesitated, then climbed up behind her. Aeris gently spurred the chocobo forward and they headed off through the canyon, speed increasing once they got past the cliffs and onto more level ground. The chocobo sped northward with its two riders clinging tightly to it, fearful of falling off. Soon, the circular mountain range came into sight, and the bird started up it at an easy trot.
It did not slow even when the terrain became too rough, and, apparently as some sort of curtesy to chocobos, the group was not attacked. The rushing of falling water began to reach their ears long before they actually caught sight of the waterfall. Aeris brought the chocobo to a halt just outside the waterfall cave, and waited for Elena to dismount before following suit. She murmured to the bird, gave it a quick scratch under its crest feathers, and smiled before turning to step carefully behind the waterfall.
The cave was just as she remembered it being, from watching Vincent enter it. Once inside, it was amazingly quiet, and the floor beneath her feet was patched with crystal. She glanced at Elena, then made her way down the hall and further into the cave, where the deep recesses of it were only hinted at, and the place seemed like some kind of shrine. Here, the floor was completely crystalline, and Aeris could look down and see herself reflected in it. On the far edge was the dimly glowing altar that had long since ceased its rythmic pulsing.
Lucrecia's supine figure lay motionless before the altar, where Vincent had placed it. Surprisingly, nothing about it seemed to have changed. Aeris walked slowly to it, while Elena hung back. The Cetra glanced at her, then knelt down by the still form. Lucrecia's beautiful face might well have been made of porcelain for all the color it retained, but besides that, it was flawless.
Aeris sighed, wondering exactly how to go about reviving the woman. What had Sephiroth done...? Ah, yes... Aeris hesitated, then took one of Lucrecia's hands and held it in her own. She closed her eyes and searched...
Thousands, no, millions of souls roamed the Lifestream. It was a matter of finding the right one, of calling it back... but doing so could take forever. Aeris had roamed these paths before, though. She knew what it was like. She focused deeper, almost surprised by how close she felt to all of them. And of course, behind it all, through it all, was laced the presense of the Planet, only faintly discernable. But the Cetra was not interested in speaking to it.
Jenova, she thought. Lucrecia would carry Jenova with her... She remembered how Sephiroth's soul had felt as it joined the Lifestream, and searched for that. The difference, the mark, the feel that set Lucrecia apart from the others... It only took a few minutes to find her soul, but it seemed like forever. Lucrecia, she called through the Lifestream.
There was the tangible sense of hesitating, and the answer came back, I know what you are trying to do... Return to your world, I... I will speak to you there.
Aeris did not question the voice, but did as she was told... only, she felt something come away with her, instead of staying in the Lifestream. She opened her eyes, glanced down at Lucrecia's body. It remained lifeless. She looked around her, and the faintest music seemed to reach her ears, but faded away as soon as it reached her ears.
She frowned, but her eye caught sight of a faint shimmer, a shift in the air. Aeris blinked as Lucrecia's spirit took a visible form, the faintest blue-green outlining her figure. The ghost smiled. Elena let out a soft yelp of surprise from somewhere behind Aeris.
...I wanted to speak with you outside the Lifestream... came Lucrecia's voice, not really heard, but felt the same as a memory or a thought in one's mind. ...so that none of them could here. It's more private this way...
"I understand," Aeris said aloud. "But... how did you...?"
I think it's the Jenova. This is something I've been practicing every now and then, perfecting it. I am just barely human enough to remain in the Lifestream, but different enough to materialize like this.
"I see..." Aeris murmured, letting go of Lucrecia's hand and sitting down beside the body. "What did you want to speak to me about...?"
I... There are things I can do in this form that I cannot do as a living being. I was waiting for the opportunity to speak to someone who could bring Vincent to me. You see, I can only materialize in places where there is enough spirit energy... And those places aren't well-travelled. I haven't been able to get the word to him...
"So you want to speak to Vincent as you are now?" The spirit nodded. "You have something to show him," Aeris concluded. "Or something you want to look for in him."
You're a smart one... Yes, I want to do both... I want to understand him better, and have him understand me... I want to explain it all to him. I've been keeping an eye on him as much as I can. Sometimes the Lifestream pulls me away, on its regular course... He's struggling with himself. I'm worried.
"I am, too," the Cetra said, smiling minutely. "That's why I came to try and bring you back. I couldn't manage to convince him of anything, so I thought you'd be the only one who could help. And you could do something for Sephiroth, too. He's almost as bad as Vincent."
I noticed. It's surprising they're not related...
Aeris nodded in agreement. "I'm beginning to doubt that, even if everyone tells me it's true. But... after you speak with him, you will allow me to try, won't you?"
...yes. He'd like that very much, wouldn't he?
"Yes, he would. And it would do him a world of good to have you back."
Lucrecia seemed to falter slightly, to hesitate. ...he considers your words more than you think, I believe. He holds you in high regards... He... he cares about you. That's why he's been doing as you ask.
Aeris blinked. "What exactly do you mean?"
I'm not sure myself... That's one reason why I want to speak to him. So... you'll... you will bring him here, won't you?
Aeris nodded and stood up, glancing down at Lucrecia's body, then back at her ghost. "I'll go get him now. It shouldn't take long."
Lucrecia hesitated. Are you certain about this? It is the middle of the night still...
"We came here without any trouble," Aeris reasoned, gesturing back towards the entrance. "We have a gold chocobo."
The ghost nodded slowly and turned her attention to Elena. You... you're Elena, yes? The former Turk jumped a little and nodded dumbly. I believe I've seen Tseng. He was very resistant to the Lifestream. Wanted to be going somewhere, to meet someone... but like all souls, but for myself and the Cetra, he had to diffuse his will into the Lifestream...
"O-okay..." Elena stuttered, eyes still wide. She obviously wasn't used to this contact with the dead. Aeris, however, simply wasn't used to seeing them as well as speaking to them. And getting such comprehensible answers.
Aeris shook her head at Elena, smirking a little, and headed towards the entrance. "We'll be back as soon as we can."
Wait, Lucrecia said urgently. Aeris paused and turned around. The spirit seemed to be shifting back and forth rather anxiously, turning her head this way and that. I... I sense something. Someone's here, besides you...
"We won't be any safer in here than we will outside," Aeris told her, frowning. "We'll be careful."
A long pause. ...all right. Be very careful. This... this feeling worries me... Aeris nodded and turned back to the entrance, Elena a pace or two behind. She stepped out from behind the waterfall and looked around, listening. The only sound she heard was the rushing of the waterfall. It didn't feel as though anyone was there... Maybe Lucrecia had just been imagining things. Aeris looked around anxiously. On the other hand...
"Strange place for a couple of gals to be at midnight," commented a voice roughly above her. Aeris jumped, and whirled around to see a familiar figure perched on the rocky slope several meters above. It took her mind a moment to register it as Talya. The woman grinned. "Oh, I'm sorry. Did I forget to tell you I was following you?"
"But how...?"
"...did I get here so fast?" Talya finished. She shrugged and leapt down onto the ground in front of Aeris, who stumbled backwards into Elena. "Can't tell you." She grinned complacently. "Too bad for you, I guess."
"What do you want?" Aeris demanded after regaining her balance.
"I wish I could say I just wanted the company of you two ladies... but I'm afraid that's not the case." She took out a pistol, but kept it held casually at her side. "However, I do prefer a fair fight." She looked past Aeris to grin at Elena. "How 'bout it? Turk against Turk?"
Elena frowned at her in scrutiny. "...you were a Turk?"
"It was a long time ago," Talya admitted. "But, yeah. I was a Turk. Not quite the best though-I'm afraid your pal Valentine's claimed that title."
"You mean you were a Turk at the same time as Vincent?" Elena asked incredulously.
Talya shook her head shamefully. "T'm disappointed. None of you bother ta look me up, eh?" She shrugged, grinned again. "So? D'you accept, or are you gonna leave the Cetra to fight me on her own?"
Elena glanced at Aeris who, despite her lack of strength, still stood defiant, a hand on the Quicksilver tucked into her waistband. The Turk pushed Aeris back gently, but forcefully enough. "Go get one of the others," she said. "I'll fight..."
"Good, good," Talya laughed. "Now we'll see how well they taught you." Elena glowered, not bothering to mention that she hadn't gotten the chance to complete her training.
Aeris's face creased in worry. "Elena, are you sure about this...?"
"Just go," the Turk commanded. "I've run away from battles before, but I won't run tonight." The Cetra hesitated a moment longer, then nodded in understanding and moved backwards, away from the two. Moving past Talya would be a mistake.
Talya, however, moved back and around to the other side of the chocobo, a good distance away, gun still lowered. "Got to let the lady pass, right? She needs to get to her chocobo." The other two women exchanged glances, then cautiously walked to the chocobo. Elena stood in front of it, hand on her own pistol, while Aeris mounted the bird. She kneed it rather hesitantly, and the chocobo warked plaintively before trotting off up the mountainside. The two remaining watched Aeris depart, then turned to look at eachother.
"Might as well introduce ourselves before we get going. Never know when the information might come in handy, eh?" Elena blinked at her. Talya shrugged. "I always like to know who it is I'm killing, anyway." She paused and made a mock bow. "The name's Talya Keagan. Became a Turk in '14, same as Valentine."
"...Elena," the other responded. "I got promoted in '47, about a month before Meteor hit..."
"Ouch," Talya commented. "Musta felt kinda odd to be the last Turk, huh? Watch the company crumble...?"
The younger woman did not respond, and in fact, was acting far differently from her usual talkative self. "Let's just get this over with."
"I wouldn't be so eager if I were you. I was trying to extend your life a little by chatting." Talya shrugged. "Oh well. Suit yourself. Now... what should the rules be for this duel? If we both draw at the same time, we have a stand off. If one shoots the other, it's over all-too-quickly." She pondered this dilemma for a minute. "How about we toss our guns away, and then whoever manages to get one and shoot the other wins. Does that sound like a fair game?"
Elena shook her head. "If I thought you'd follow the rules. How do I know you won't just shoot me once I've disarmed myself?"
"I thought of that," Talya said, grinning, "and I'm willing to go out on a limb here. You good guys always love to be fair, especially to poor, misguided bad guys like myself. So, if I throw my gun aside like so-" Talya hurled her gun some distance up the side of the mountain, then held up her hands-"you'll do the same. Am I right, or do I get the first place Stupidity Award?"
The blond still said nothing, hesitated a fraction of a second, then followed suit and tossed her gun away.
"Now, I think it's free for all," Talya declared. She paused, then dashed off up the mountain. Elena followed a second later, running on a collision course with the older Turk. She put on an extra burst of speed, pushed off, and tackled the other, sending both crashing to the rocky ground. The steep incline and the lack of balance sent both rolling haphazardly down the slope, rocks tearing at skinand cloth alike.
Elena just barely stopped herself from screaming and pulled her hands up to cover her head as she rolled to a stop on flat ground. She lay there for a moment, letting the pains of small scrapes, scratches, bruises, and a few deeper cuts register in her mind. She started to push herself up when a heavy boot slammed down in the small of her back. A sharp yelp escaped her, and she cursed inwardly.
"Is that all you've got?" Talya sneered, foot firmly planted atop of her. Elena growled and writhed beneath it, trying to gain something. This only earned her a harsh kick from Talya's other foot while the woman's full weight was put onto Elena's back. She bit her lip to keep from screaming and tasted blood.
"Wouldn't Tseng be proud," Talya taunted, "to see you like this. Defeated in a mere minute by an old-age Turk. Surely there have been some improvements? Or is this all the new generation has to show?"
Elena let out a strangled yell of rage, pushed and twisted with all her might, managing finally to knowck Talya off of her. The former Turk hit the ground hard, but only laughed as Elena leapt to her feet and raced up the mountain again. Talya was on her feet in seconds, dashing up less than a pace behind her. Even that small gain seemed to be closing rapidly.
With a faint cry of alarm, the blond pushed herself harder, scanning the ground for some sign of the weapons. Talya broke off from behind her and dashed to the left. Elena watched her, trying to see what had led the other that way. Had she found one of the-
Her foot snagged on a jutting rock as her gaze was diverted, and she fell hard, slamming her head into the ground and badly scraping her face. She slid down several yards before coming to a stop. Luckily there weren't too many sharp rocks... but the pain that shot up her leg was intense. Elena cried out, stuggling for a moment just to get the agony under control. Slowly, wincing, she pushed herself up, gasping for air lost from her dash and the harsh impact. She twisted around to a sitting position and gingerly pulled her leg towards her to examine it.
Her knee had slammed into a sharp stone which had left a deep gash to one side of her knee cap. Blood poured forth profusely, and she quickly covered it with her hand and swallowed hard. Her foot... she swallowed again. Her foot stuck out to one side at completely the wrong angle. She wouldn't be able to walk on it, let alone run, unless she managed to cure it well enough. Desperately, trying to ignore the waves of pain, she searched her pockets for a Restore materia, or even a potion.
Suddenly she realized that she had left all her items in Cosmo Canyon, because she had equipped her gun with the Restore materia. Her heart sank.
The sharp metallic click of a gun being cocked made her jump, and more pain shot up her leg. Talya! she registered belatedly. In her pain, she had forgotten about opponent completely.
"Banged up pretty bad, huh?" Talya asked mockingly from behind her. The former Turk walked around to stand in front of Elena. She bent down and waved Elena's gun in her face. "Want it back? It's got your pretty Restore materia in it."
Elena felt herself reaching for it, and quickly dropped her hand. "I'm not finished yet," she growled. Without further warning, she kicked up with her good leg, knocking the gun from Talya's hand. In the other's suprise, she managed to grab the fallen weapon first and aim it at Talya, breathing heavily through clenched teeth as the agony doubled from the sudden movement.
Talya grinned, sitting back on the ground, and clapped a few times. She tilted her head at Elena. "Well? Aren'tcha gonna shoot me?"
Elena held the trigger a little tighter, but could not find it in her to kill the woman. In fact, she hadn't ever really killed anyone before. She had been a new Turk, not yet used to murder. Not even commiting it yet. And here in front of her, perfectly calm and amiable, was a woman who had been in the Turk mentallity for thirty-eight years. Talya could kill without a second thought... and yet, she hadn't.
"You didn't kill me when you had the chance," Elena remarked, pausing to regain her composure. If only the pain would go away... Well, of course. "Cure2," she murmured. It was the best the materia could do. The pain was noticably reduced, and the gash by her knee closed a little. But the spell did nothing for her broken ankle, or whatever she had done to it. She cast it one more time, then returned her attention to Talya. "Why didn't you?"
The older woman shrugged. "I dunno. I thought it'd be more fun to taunt you first." She leaned back on her hands. "So what are you gonna do? You shoot me, or you sit there until you pass out, and then I'll kill you."
"I... I don't wanna kill you."
"Oh ho!" Talya exclaimed, grin widening. "So we've got a Turk who doesn't want to kill people, eh? What's the world coming to?"
"No!" Elena protested. "I could kill. But not you. You let me live, I have to return the favor right? I don't care what you say, I don't think you did it just to taunt me and have fun. I think you were stalling. You could've killed me right off the bat, but you didn't. You're not all bad."
Talya shook her head. "Another common good-guy trait. Always trying to find good in the bad guys so they can turn them. Not gonna work. I'm all bad, dear. I just like to have fun while I'm being bad." Elena frowned and lowered her gun to the ground beside her, still keeping a loose grip on it. Talya shook her head. "Tsk, tsk," she said, whipping out her own gun from behind her and aiming it at Elena. "Bad move."
Elena stared blankly at the barrel for a moment before her eyes widened in surprise. "What...?"
"Didn't think that I had both of 'em, didja?" The blond shook her head dumbly, while trying to get her brain to come up with a solution. All it did was keep her eyes locked on the gun and think, I'm gonna die! I'm gonna die!
It came down to a simple, overriding instinct-fight or flight. Elena got her good leg under her and sprang off down the mountain again, her brain forgetting that she couldn't possibly run, and that trying to do so would only get her shot. Indeed, she felt the bullet through her good leg-now equally as bad as the other one-and it sent her tumbling head-over-heals down the rocky slope. She managed to shield her head with her arms, and eventually felt the ground begin to level out.
However, she had gained too much momentum to stop just there. Instead, she plunged into the lake and found herself floundering there. Pain shot through both legs as she tried to move them to keep her head above the water. In her sudden agony, she gasped in water, swallowing it in huge gulps before finally making swimming motions with her arms and pushing her head above water. She took a deep breath, spluttering, and looked around to try and find the land before she fell under again. A long battle with the water finally landed her at the rocky shore, where she grasped on for dear life, panting heavily.
Talya came over, looking down at her and shaking her head. "What a pitiful sight. Well... I guess you put up a pretty good fight for only being a Turk for a month. Maybe less even. But that's not gonna save you." She bent down and pushed the weak Elena back into the lake, forcefully submerging her head beneath the water. The younger struggled for a while, but gave up eventually, and Talya decided to let her be. "If you survive this, it might raise my opinion of you a bit," Elena managed to hear as her head bobbed up above the water for a moment.
Sephiroth walked down the decaying wooden staircase, carefully, so as not to make a sound, but stopped once he reached the stone landing. The young girl sat huddled against the stone wall, silent sobs racking her body. Every now and then, a sniffle or a soft kitten's mew escaped from her. The boy hesitated. His instincts told him to comfort her, to talk to her, but... how? He had never been around anyone remotely close to his age before.
Hesitantly, he walked over to her and knelt down in front of her. "...are you all right?" he asked softly.
The girl looked up, sniffling. "Who're -sniff- you?"
"Sephiroth," he answered. "Your name is Aeris, right?"
She nodded dumbly, wiped at her eyes with her little hands. "How -sniff- d'you know?"
"Talya told me," he answered.
"You know 'er, too?"
"Yes." Sephiroth paused, then repeated, "Are you all right?"
Aeris nodded again, glanced to her left. "My mommy..." she began. Stopped. She looked back at Sephiroth. He blinked, noticing something strange about her. Her eyes were just a little too bright, the green just a little too deep. And there was something behind them.
"...go on," the boy urged.
"She's in the room," Aeris continued hesitantly. "And she's all......" She fumbled for the word. "...not happy when she comes out. I dunno what's wrong."
"She'll be all right," Sephiroth assured her. "The Professor is just... studying her. That's all. She doesn't like it, but it doesn't hurt her."
The girl nodded. "Why do you have grey hair?" she asked suddenly. "And why do your eyes change?"
He fingered a few strands of silver hair. "...I'm just a little different from most people," he answered. "An experiment..."
"You dun sound diff'rent," Aeris ammended, apparently feeling she had said something wrong. Could she be......? He shook his head. No, that was something only in books. Wasn't it? He shrugged in response, said nothing. "You're just diff'rent on th' outside," she continued, almost desperately.
"Do you really think so?" he asked.
She nodded emphatically. "Yeah. You're really nice."
He smiled. "Thank you." Maybe... maybe she is...
Aeris glanced towards the laboratory door, looked back at Sephiroth. "...why're we here, Seph?"
"Because we're different somehow," he said. "You... you're special. You're different in a good way."
"...what 'bout you?"
"I'm..." He looked away, didn't finish his thought.
"...the same as me," she finished for him, smiling in a way that seemed beyond her four years.
Sephiroth stared at her silently for a moment, then smiled back, very slightly. Then he glanced at the laboratory door, and stood up. "I should go before the Professor notices I'm not where I'm supposed to be... Normally, he calls for me around now, but..."
Aeris hesitated. "...bye, Seph."
"Bye..." he echoed as he started back up the steps. He paused on the fifth, glancing back at her. ...an empath. Sephiroth turned and walked back upstairs.
Aeris spurred the chocobo faster, speeding south to Cosmo Canyon. She had to get help before Elena... She knew the Turk hadn't gotten the full training. She knew that Talya would be more experienced, would be able to beat her. Oh, Gods, she had to hurry! Why hadn't she just listened to Sephiroth and taken him with her instead of Elena? Then she wouldn't be worried like this. Sephiroth could defeat Talya, easily... couldn't he? Or had he forgotten some abilities as well?
But no one had told her Talya was there! ...or did they think she already knew? And no one bothered to mention her? Well, it doesn't matter now, she told herself. You've gone and made a big mistake... and this time it might not be you who dies. Why did you have to go and drag Elena into this? But she consented, didn't she? No matter... she's still in danger, and you have got to hurry.
"WARK!" cried the chocobo as it slammed into-what? It staggered around, then collapsed on the ground in a daze. Aeris nearly fell off of it, but stayed on until the bird fell. She climbed off carefully, shakily, and squinted into the darkness. There was nothing there. She took a few slow steps forward, and felt something hard in the air in front of her. She reached out a hand to touch the air, to find it smooth and hard, like a... a Wall. Aeris stiffened, and-
Jerked backwards, cold steel to her throat. She didn't even have time to scream. A strong, yet slender arm around her waist kept her arms pinned to her sides, and her body against her captor's. She strained to see anything without moving her head into the blade, but all she could make out was the hand that held the knife.
"It wouldn't be wise to struggle," murmured a woman's voice in an icy tone. She felt her captor pull the gun from her waistband. "I don't want to have to hurt you, but that won't stop me from doing so."
"Who-?" Aeris whispered.
"You don't need to know," the voice responded. "Now, come." The knife withdrew from her neck, and the arm holding her roughly grabbed her arm instead, pulling her back to the chocobo, which had regained its senses by now and was standing some distance from the Wall, warking anxiously. Her captor, whom she could now see, took hold of the chocobo's reigns. With the back of her other hand, which still held the knife, she stroked the bird's neck to sooth it. Aeris's breath caught in her throat. The woman seemed very young, actually, maybe not even twenty yet, and her silver hair caught the faint starlight. She was almost a head taller than Aeris. When she turned back to her captive, her blue-green eyes glinted coldly. Aeris shuddered.
"Up," the girl ordered, letting go of Aeris's arm and pushing her towards the chocobo, bending to shove the Quicksilver into one boot. Aeris climbed up slowly, not taking her eyes off this girl who looked so much like Sephiroth. "What?" she asked cooly as she climbed up behind the Cetra, again putting her arm around Aeris.
"You look like-"
"I know," the girl cut in. "That surprises you?"
"Yes..." Aeris said uneasily. "At least tell me your name...?" she pleaded.
There was a pause. "...Minerva. Your... your name is Aeris, is it not?" The Cetra nodded. Minerva hesitated. "Well. An awkward beginning, but a beginning all the same." Aeris frowned, but did not comment as the girl spurred the chocobo to a trot, and turned it back the way she had come.
Aeris, Sephiroth thought upon waking. He blinked, and sat up in the bed, peering around at the darkness. Katrina was fast asleep in her bed. She was a deep sleeper. The door was closed. There was no one else in the room. Why, then, did he feel so uneasy? He slid off the bed, put his boots back on, and walked out into the hallway, closing the door softly behind him. He walked up to the counter where the innkeeper normally stood. No one was there at the moment, not in the middle of the night.
Sephiroth looked around, found the sheet where the names of the rooms' occupants were kept. He scanned it, found Elena's name, and set the paper back on the counter. Moving off down the hall, he slowly opened the door to Elena's room, only to find it empty. One bed was only slightly unkempt, while the other had clearly been slept in. He was fairly certain that both Aeris and Elena had been here... but where had they gone?
He closed the door, frowning, and walked out of the inn, looking around. Seeing Vincent near the bonfire, he strode over. The former Turk glanced up at him questioningly. "...have you seen Aeris?" Sephiroth queried.
Vincent shook his head. "...why?"
The swordsman's frown deepened, and he looked around again. "It feels like something is wrong. And she's not in her room..." A thought occured to him. "What about Talya? Where is she?"
Vincent slowly climbed to his feet, expressionless face creased slightly with worry. "...I don't know. I haven't seen either of them since evening, before you went to sleep."
"I'm really worried..." Sephiroth murmured, almost confusedly, as though he had never felt that way before. "If Aeris and Elena went off on their own..."
"Elena is gone also?"
Sephiroth nodded. "Where do you think they could have gone?"
"The closest towns are Gongaga and Nibelheim..." He paused, blinked. "She... she asked me once how I would react if she revived Lucrecia..."
The swordsman looked sharply to Vincent, surprise, hope, and the worry still on his face. "So you think...?"
"Maybe..." The response was a near-whisper.
Sephiroth eyed him a moment longer, then leapt down off the platform, heading towards the entrance. "Come on, then. If Talya's already caught up to them, they're in trouble." Vincent nodded silently and followed. The swordsman stopped at the bottom of the steps. "...they took the chocobo," he said simply, then looked northward. "We'll have to walk." He glanced at Vincent, whose silence seemed almost tangible. Sephiroth said nothing of the winged creature, knowing quite well that Vincent had difficulty controlling it.
The two started westward at a brisk enough pace, having to go around the steep cliffs of the canyon, rather than over them as they could with a chocobo. Heading northeast upon reaching open plains, they intercepted faint chocobo tracks. They continued to see traces of them every now and then that assured them they were on the right path.
At one point, however, they found a scuffle of tracks, and ones coming back that stopped there. Two sets of tracks led onwards now, with the one conflicting... The two could only speculate about what had happened there. Sephiroth steeled his expression, but his anxiety grew. Maybe they had been on the way back when Talya found them... but... three-or four?-riders was too many for one chocobo to carry. And the only footprints were at the site of the scuffle.
Time seemed to stretch out on a blade, and yet at the same time, Sephiroth hardly paid it any attention. It was a strange sensation, and his thoughts wandered so that he could remember little of what he thought. Whenever he came back to the present, back to the continuous motion of his feet, and the presense of Vincent somewhere in front or behind, all he knew was that Aeris and Elena were in danger, and again the anxiety filled him. This, too, was new to him. Had he ever really cared about anyone else before...? Probably not. And why would he have? No one ever cared about him either... except...
Talya. Talya had cared, he knew that. It was how much that he could not remember. From what he could remember, the stronger bonds of their friendship had only just begun... but, that was only up until a certain point. And, there was that brief meeting with Aeris... even at such a young age, she had been so... compassionate. Even though she was the one crying, she had tried to comfort him instead. Sephiroth simply could not understand what compelled her to put others so far before herself. Why did she risk her own well-being so that others would be happy, so that others could... live?
Maybe it was something that he would never be able to understand. He was, afterall, inhuman. But then, Aeris wasn't entirely human either. Was it some Cetra quality? But no, there had been humans in the past who sacrificed themselves for the sake of their companions... Perhaps that was it, then. Could friendship really have that much power? Aeris sacrificed her life to save her friends, as well as the Planet... And now, she had risked it... why? To help Vincent? Lucrecia was his love...
But... something inside the swordsman hoped that she was doing it for him, too. Lucrecia was his mother... she loved him. And, he hoped, Aeris cared, too. Was she, perhaps, one of these 'friends' people always seemed so happy to have? In that case, maybe he could understand...
Sephiroth was shaken back to reality by the soft splash of his foot in water. He had become so used to the rhythmic motion of his feet, and to the same grassy surroundings, that he hadn't even noticed they had come to the river flowing between Cosmo Canyon and Nibelheim. He took a step backwards onto dry land and surveyed the waters. By the starlight, it was difficult to tell just how swift the current or how deep the water. He glanced at Vincent, who merely shrugged. They'd just have to find out.
The swordsman went first, wading into the water and finding that although the current was fairly swift, he was strong enough to resist it for the most part. He pushed his way across, heard faint splashes indicating that Vincent was following. The water came up to his shoulders at one point, and he thought the river might very well carry him away... but he only stumbled sideways and a little bit forward, until finally he waded out on the other side, dripping wet. He waited for Vincent, and then they continued on, turning east.
The Nibel mountains were just within sight on the horizon, and Lucrecia's cave was just over the peaks whose foothills they were entering. The sky was just beginning to lighten before them as they reached the summet, the sun itself not yet appearing over the mountains opposite them. The slopes descending steeply before them were rocky and barren, and only a few crooked trees and ragged shrubs dared grow on its side.
Sephiroth peered downwards, towards the lake below, but they were too far, as yet, to make out much detail. He glanced at Vincent, then started down, trying to appear calm and cold, contrary to his anxious heart. Why should I care? he asked himself again. I don't even really know her... He thought of her face, and those strange, deep green eyes. She understands, that's why.
He shook his head to clear it of such thoughts. There was no point in emotional thinking... it accomplished nothing. In fact, was there really any purpose to it? Why bother having emotions? They only got in the way... the way of what? Making logical descisions, of course... But is that really how things are meant to be? Certainly, it would make more sense, without feelings... but the question is, would life be worth living? Sephiroth shook his head again. I am only an experiment. It doesn't matter.
As they neared the bottom of the slope, he noticed a figure dragging itself out of the lake's blue water. He looked more closely, and vaguely recognised it as Elena. He glanced behind him at Vincent, and then took off at a run. He did not bother to see if Vincent was following.
By the time Sephiroth had reached the woman, however, she had collapsed, only her torso on land, the rest of her still submerged. He tugged her out of the water and laid her unconscious form down on her back on the grass, remaining crouched beside her. She had numerous cuts and slashes, blood seeping from them now. Her left leg bled the worst, although her right foot was broken and that knee bleeding badly as well, and he inspected it more closely for a moment-a bad gunshot wound. Sephiroth looked back at Elena's face. She didn't seem to be moving at all-not even breathing...
Giving a slight start, he felt at her neck for a pulse. It was there, faint, but there. But she was not breathing. He glanced up at Vincent, uncertainly almost.
"CPR," the former Turk said simply.
"But... she..." Sephiroth frowned, took a moment to consider what it was he was trying to say. "What would she think, waking up to see my face?"
Vincent shrugged. "Is mine any better?"
The swordsman hesitated, opened his mouth to say something, shut it again and turned back to Elena. He shook his head, then leaned down to give her mouth-to-mouth. His attempts seemed without number-time seemed to stretch out once again. But eventually, Elena coughed and spluttered, and he quickly drew back, lest she open her eyes and scream. Elena sat up first, shook her head, coughed again, and then opened her brown eyes and glanced around her. Seeing Sephiroth first, she gave a start, then blinked.
"What...?" she rasped, throat raw from coughing up all the water.
"You tell us," Sephiroth said. "What are you doing out here? What happened? And where is Aeris?"
"Aeris?" Elena blinked again, and her eyes widened. "You mean she didn't go back to get you two?"
Sephiroth shook his head, glanced around, then said urgently. "What happened?"
"Talya? Talya. She followed us... I tried to fight her, but she bested me... I... Aeris took the chocobo and headed back. If she didn't make it to Cosmo Canyon..." She frowned, started to climb to her feet, and grimaced as the pain from her legs demanded her attention. "Hey, um... can you use curative magic, or have a Restore materia or..."
"Yes," the swordsman interrupted. "I... I think I can." He shifted, laid a gloved hand over her wound, concentrated for a moment, then drew back slightly as her flesh started to knit itself back together. She let out a muffled yelp, but managed not to squirm. Sephiroth gave her credit for that, and once the wound as healed-or as close as it was going to get-he moved to her foot. He glanced at her, and she nodded, squeezing her eyes shut. Sephiroth realigned it with a twist of his hands. Elena yelped in spite of herself, but he quickly cast the same healing spell. He stood, hesitated, feeling slightly drained, then held out his hand to help her up. Elena stared at it blankly before grasping it and letting him pull her to her feet.
"...what were you two doing here?" Vincent asked.
"Aeris wanted to..." Elena hesitated, as though she was telling some secret. She contemplated telling for a moment, then went on. "She wanted to revive Lucrecia."
Vincent shifted anxiously. "Did she succeed?"
Elena shook her head. "Not y-"
"Nope," Talya answered from behind the group, although some distance away. All three whirled around. "She's still in there," the former Turk continued amiably, jerking her thumb over her shoulder towards the waterfall.
Vincent took a step forward, and Elena glared at the woman from behind Sephiroth. "Where is Aeris?" Vincent demanded cooly.
"Oh, you were looking for her, were you?" Talya said, apparently enjoying herself. "Well, it just so happens that we found her..."
"We...?" Sephiroth asked warily.
Talya nodded, then tilted her head and raised her eyebrow in a strange sort of amusement. "Would you like to meet M-A05-C23?"
The swordsman stiffened. "Use their name, Talya. They're not an object, whoever they are..."
She shrugged. "Whatever. Would you like to meet her?" Sephiroth hesitated, then nodded slightly. Minerva stepped out from behind the waterfall, and the swordsman blinked. He frowned then, as her cold blue-green eyes caught his green ones. How old is she? he wondered. The girl turned behind her, and roughly pulled another figure out into the open.
Aeris stumbled slightly, her hands held behind her by some invisible bonds. She looked up at the group, dark green eyes sliding over Vincent, then Sephiroth, then Elena. They went back to Sephiroth, and then she dropped her head, staring at her feet. Minerva bent down to murmur in her ear: "You know you can speak to them if you wish..."
The Cetra figetted, looked up at Sephiroth. "I'm sorry..." she said. She shifted her eyes to Vincent. "I only wanted to..." Trailing off, she shook her head helplessly and turned to Talya. "Get on with it..."
Sephiroth blinked, not used to her being so blunt. He grimaced and stepped forward. "Talya, you let her go."
She held up her hands, grinning. "I'm not holding her, Seph."
Sephiroth's green eyes deepened in hue, flashing dangerously. "You know what I mean," he growled. "Now let her go before my blade finds your throat."
The silver-haired girl pulled a knife from her sleeve, jerked Aeris backwards, and put the blade to her neck. "Not a wise choice, Sephiroth," she said levelly, voice no louder than it had to be. "Now what do you say?" The swordsman fell silent, and turned to Vincent, indicating that he should take over. His anger was clouding his logic.
Vincent nodded in comprehension, and turned back to Talya. "What do you want from us?"
"Sephiroth," she answered simply.
"What?"
"Oh, I'm willing to make a trade," Talya said amicably. "Unless, of course, you'd rather leave Aeris with us. But I've got a feeling you'd much prefer having her back."
Vincent frowned slightly. "If Sephiroth goes with you, you'll let Aeris go?"
Talya nodded. "That's right."
He shook his head. "I don't trust you."
"Well..." Talya considered. "If you don't agree to it, I guess we can kill the girl then. Don't really have much use for her..." Minerva blinked, glanced at her, then nodded minutely and pressed the blade closer to Aeris's throat.
"I'll go," Sephiroth said quickly. "But let her go first."
Talya shook her head. "Naw, you're not fooling me. I remember how good a liar you used to be. Sure you sound sincere, but I'm not believing it. You come first. Then we'll let her go."
"And I'm supposed to trust you after you've lied to me so many times?"
"Hmm. Looks like this friendship of ours needs a little work." She shrugged. "Ah, well. If you don't come, we've got a stalemate. And if that lasts too long... we'll just have to kill her."
"You wouldn't..." Sephiroth urged.
"You're right," Talya agreed. "I wouldn't... but I'm sure Minerva would have no trouble doing so. Afterall, she doesn't know either of you." The swordsman looked at the girl. Her expression was like cold steel, completely unreadable. He hovered for a moment on the brink of indescision, then took a step forward.
"Sephiroth..." Vincent murmured meaningfully.
The swordsman turned to him. "...I have to. Look at the girl. She'd kill."
Vincent hesitated, nodded. "I will find a way to free you once more. I am sorry I didn't kill Hojo when I had the chance... when he was still mortal..."
Sephiroth shook his head. "No need to appologize. I understand." He turned back to Talya, then glanced at Aeris. She seemed deep in thought... it didn't matter. He started walking forward, and the Cetra's head shot up.
"Sephiroth, wait." He blinked, and his step faltered. "Don't do this," Aeris pleaded.
"But she'll kill you if I don't."
She shook her head firmly. "Listen. She doesn't... I don't think she would. I can feel it. Something in her soul, I guess. I'm not sure."
The swordsman frowned, and took another step towards them. "A feeling? I can't risk the chance of you dying because of a mere feeling." Maybe, maybe she is... echoed the thought in his mind. He pushed it aside.
"I'm not finished," Aeris said. Talya shot a look at Minerva, but the girl shook her head, and even loosened her grip slightly to allow for the Cetra to speak more easily. "Think for a minute. I'm the last of the Cetra. Do you really think Hojo would want me killed? He'd want me, too, for his experiments."
"But I can't let them take you anyway," Sephiroth persisted stubbornly. He had brought her back to life, he wasn't about to let that go to waste. He wasn't about to repeat his mistake and let her die. Or endure the torture of experimentation he remembered from his childhood. "I can't let Hojo have his way with you."
"I thought you were brilliant," Aeris said quietly, "but you're letting your emotions get in the way. Your desire to protect is too strong... think about it. Really think. The girl-Minerva-wouldn't kill me, and Hojo wouldn't tolerate it anyway. If I'm captured, if I'm taken back, but you're still free, you have a better chance of rescuing me. I know there's no way to convince you of not coming after me. But if you were captured, what good would I be in helping you?"
Sephiroth firmly shook his head. "What if we failed to rescue you? What if you're wrong, and Minerva kills you?"
"Sephiroth-Please-" she begged.
"No," he answered. "I can't risk it... I can't risk losing you."
"Vincent, surely you understand?" Aeris pleaded desperately. Sephiroth twisted to follow her gaze, but the man only shook his head slowly. Although his face was blank, his eyes revealed the agony of indecision. Of course-Sephiroth was Lucrecia's son, and it had been her wish that he not be harmed. But, Aeris was angellic, purity in its truest sense. To the two of them, anyway. She seemed... selfless. Which is why they were both drawn to protect her from harm. Even if it meant Vincent had to break a promise, even if it meant Sephiroth had to give up the freedom he was only beginning to discover. Elena, now half-hiding behind Vincent, only looked frightened, like a child watching a horror film, when their favorite character was in danger of being killed. Stricken to silence.
"Touching, I'm sure," Talya remarked, sounding more than a little impatient. "Well? Are you going to trade yourself in for the Ancient? Her argument obviously isn't getting anywhere with you."
"You had better not be lying to me..." Sephiroth warned, although what he could do if she wasn't he had no idea. All these things he was said to be capable of, he could not remember how to do... Only the knowledge of the Masamune remained with him, as though it was innate. As though the sword was a part of him. He shook his head, focused on Talya.
"I'm not," she answered. "So get on with it. We're not letting her go until I've got you under control."
"'Under control'?" he echoed.
Talya shook her head, and something about her manorism changed, almost tangibly. "Please, Sephiroth," she said, softly. The tone of voice startled everyone except Sephiroth. Even Minerva blinked and looked at her uncertainly. "It's the most painless way."
"Painless my ass," Elena muttered. Everyone looked at her, and she ducked behind Vincent. It was the first thing she had said since Talya arrived. And despite Talya's sincerity, Elena was not about to forgive her for the near-death experience.
Sephiroth shook his head slightly at her, then completed the short walk to Talya, standing awkwardly a few feet in front of her. He tilted his head in question. But only a moment later, he felt invisible barriers form. Not bonds, like Aeris's, but walls, cutting him off from... from what? The Masamune? And... something else. Something he hadn't realized he had access to until it was sealed off from him. He glanced at Vincent, held his gaze for a moment, then turned expectantly towards Aeris and Minerva.
"Come on," Talya said, and turned to walk away. Her voice lacked its usual derisive tone, and instead was replaced by a flat neutrality.
Sephiroth paused. "What about-?"
"Come on," she repeated more forcefully. "Before Minerva has to make you." He nodded in submission and followed her, head down, berating himself for making such a mistake, as to trust Talya.
"But..." came Minerva's voice from behind them. Both turned to look at her. She stood, knife half-lowered, her other arm still grasping Aeris. "It was a trade."
Talya sighed in exasperation. "Min, of all the times to go on one of your 'fair' arguments, now is not one of them."
The girl shook her head slowly, faltering between passive obedience and a right that she knew would be punished. "I..." She lowered the knife and released her grip on Aeris.
The Cetra took a few steps away from her, then turned around and studied her former captor for a moment. "...thank you." She bowed her head slightly, smiled in gratitude, and walked back to Vincent. "Sorry..." she murmured to him and Elena.
"That's gonna cost you, Min," Talya scolded, shaking her head as she walked on. Sephiroth followed silently.
The girl only shrugged, trailing after them. "I know, Mother," she said when they were out of hearing range of Vincent, Aeris, and Elena. "But I had to..."
Aeris watched the three figures, especially the silver-haired girl who had set her free against orders, an action that would surely earn her a severe punishment. When they were out of sight up the mountain, Aeris sighed and leaned against Vincent. "He should have listened," she murmured, voice strained with emotion. "Whe wouldn't have killed me. She was uneasy, she..."
"It's all right," Vincent said softly.
Elena slumped to the ground. "Gods..." she muttered. "Just like that, the great Sephiroth..."
Aeris shook her head, and slipped her arms around Vincent's waist, burying her face in his chest. "I should have been the one to go... not him. Who knows what Hojo's going to do to him...?"
Vincent shifted slightly, uncertainly. "How did you know he was...?"
"Talya told me," she answered, a young Sephiroth's voice echoing in her mind. Talya told me... The Cetra sighed, and an ironic smile crossed her face. "Funny how I would trade in my life for the freedom of my killer..." She shook her head and the smile faded. "No, it wasn't his fault... it was the Jenova, and Hojo, not Sephiroth."
"We will bring him back," Vincent assured her, slowly putting his good arm around her and holding her close. Aeris held him tighter, felt a flood of worry, of shock, of some kind of betrayal. He brought me back to life, and now I've ended his freedom... things were just beginning to get better.
She sighed, and forced herself to let go of Vincent and back up a few feet. "Well," she said, wiping away tears she was unaware of shedding. She glanced at Elena, who blinked, realizing she was sitting on muddy ground. She quickly climbed to her feet and tried to brush the grime from her clothing.
Aeris shifted, looked around with a sense of forgotten purpose. Her green eyes landed on the waterfall and she gave a slight start. "Vincent," she said, turning back to him. "Lucrecia wanted to speak to you."
The former Turk blinked, startled. "...how?"
"She's... well, I might as well show you." She paused, then added, "And apologize to her about Sephiroth." Vincent nodded in understanding and agreement-he, too, felt somehow responsible for Sephiroth's capture. In fact, he was likely adding it to his list of 'sins.' He had betrayed Lucrecia, violated the promise he had made to her, by not protecting her son. And yet, he had done nothing. It had been Sephiroth's decision, and no one could have convinced him otherwise. Vincent had communicated his thoughts to the swordsman through a glance. And Sephiroth had ignored them, and ignored the Cetra's logic and feelings. The decision was his own.
Aeris led the way to the waterfall, and smiled bitterly. Lucrecia would be proud of her son. He had given up his freedom to make absolutely sure Aeris would not be harmed in any way. But, she wondered, had he done it for the right reasons? Had he simply thought himself unimportant compared to the last of the Cetra? But no, he hadn't said anything to imply that that was the case. Maybe, then, had he done it because he cared about her?
She entered the crystalline cave with a smile on her face. The smile faded slightly and she stopped in the center as her eyes fell upon Lucrecia's porcelain form. She did not see the spirit, but she knew she was probably watching. "Lucrecia?" she called uncertainly. Her voice echoed through the cavern, and faded away into its deep recesses. Lucrecia, Lucrecia... Lucrecia......
The three looked about them, and Aeris felt only lonliness here. But after a few moments, the air near the alter shimmered slightly, and the figure of Lucrecia materialized in shades of pale blue. Her eyes, however, were the same blue-green as Sephiroth's, and the smile that lit her face was warm. Her eyes slid past Aeris and on to Vincent, and she took several steps toward him, hand raising slightly as though she could touch him. Vincent... she greeted, a soft impression in the three minds.
"Lucrecia," he responded, just as softly. "I'm sorry... Hojo has Sephiroth once more."
Don't apologize. It was his decision to make. And I think I rather agree with him, if not for the same reasons. Vincent hesitated, then accepted this with a nod. Besides, I'm certain you can free him again. The ghost stepped forward once again, and bowered her head. The blue bangs fell in front of her face, and her slender hands clasped in front of her. He noticed then that she was not wearing the lab coat and slacks that he had most often seen her in. Instead, she was clothed in a pale blue gown that touched the floor, and whispered when she moved. I'm sorry to be thrusting all this upon you. But I suppose you'd do it anyway. I only wish I was able to help.
"I'll be all right on my own," Vincent told her. "I will free your son."
"All by yourself?" Aeris queried. "If you'll remember, it took all of us to defeat Sephiroth. How do you expect to fight Hojo, Talya, and Minerva without aide?"
Vincent raised an eyebrow. "Who do you think would want to help Sephiroth? Cloud certainly wouldn't. I doubt the others would either."
"Maybe not, but you can't just go on your own," Aeris declared. "I'm going with you."
Lucrecia shifted uneasily. Be sensible, Aeris. What if you were captured as Sephiroth was?
"But I-"
Hush. Now, I think perhaps you might be able to convince some of your friends into helping you. To you, yes, this is about freeing Sephiroth. To them, though, it could be about destroying Hojo once and for all...... Sephiroth back in Hojo's possession is a dangerous thing...
Aeris tilted her head. "It hurts you to speak of killing him, doesn't it?"
Lucrecia blinked and looked at Aeris. She smiled. Yes... it does. But, I know he isn't the same as he once was. He has lost himself... and it's best that he enters the Lifestream, and goes on with the normal cycle. It would cleanse him.
The Cetra nodded. "So... who do you think would help us?"
That you'll have to find out on your own. Ask your friends, and find a meeting place. You, Aeris, you shouldn't be fighting so soon after being revived. You still aren't up to your full strength. So, no matter how much you want to fight, stay somewhere safe and protected.
Aeris frowned. "I'd rather fight... but I can't really argue against that... Hojo wanted both of us, didn't he?" It was a rhetorical question. "I have to make sure I'm not captured as well..." She looked at Elena. "What will you be doing? I doubt you'd want to go after-"
"I'm going," Elena stated. "I'm gonna kick Talya's ass for what she did to me. And I gotta help Sephiroth... even though..." She shook her head, started over. "He was going to try reviving Tseng. And a lot of other people. I can't just abandon him 'cause I got beaten."
"I know you'll do better with the others to help you," Aeris assured her, smiling slightly. "Now we should probably step outside so Lucrecia can say what she wants to Vincent."
No, stay, please. In case they come back for you... I'm not sure how long this will take, and I don't want you taken, too. Just... go over there perhaps? Lucrecia suggested, waving a hand towards the far side of the cave.
Aeris nodded. "We'll stay out of the way." She walked to the specified area, and sat down, Elena following. Bits of hushed, though cheerful, conversation caught Vincent's ear, but he ignored them and turned back to Lucrecia.
She smiled and glided to him, so that she was less than a foot away. Vincent almost took a step back. Lucrecia shook her head at him, and lifted a transluscent hand to touch his face. All he felt was a cool breath against his cheek. Vincent... well... I know you didn't believe me from before, about what I said. But I do love you, and I don't blame you for anything.
Vincent looked down into her eyes, trying to ignore the fact that she was merely a ghost. "Then why? Why did you go with Hojo...?"
I'm so sorry... But how was I supposed to choose between the two of you? I know now, I should have gone with you. I should have said yes... but I let my mind try to force logic into a matter that had nothing to do with logic. Why marry a Turk whom you have nothing in common with when you can marry a scientist and work along side him and have him understand everything you say?
Lucrecia shook her head. I was wrong. Will you ever forgive me, Vincent?
He blinked in astonishment. "Forgive you? You never did anything wrong..."
She laughed silently. Isn't it funny how both of us say the same thing? Let's just forgive eachother and let it be over with. Well... there are still things I want to know. But before we search for the answers, do you forgive me?
"...of course, Lucrecia. I forgive you, even though I do not see what you did..." Vincent paused. "...can you forgive me?"
Lucrecia smiled. Yes, Vincent. I forgive you, though I'm certain you did nothing at all. Now... let's start at the beginning.
"What do you mean?"
She placed her other hand on his opposite cheek and looked up into his eyes. I've spent the longest time trying to figure out how to do this...
Everything around them faded to black, and soon, even Lucrecia faded from his sight, as well as his own body. What's going on...? he wondered.
Lucrecia's voice answered him through the void. Our souls are overlapping. We can look at eachothers memories, and communicate through thought. Very useful.
...where are we starting then?
At the beginning. For me, anyway...
Lucrecia entered the cafeteria at the end of the day and looked around for a familiar face. "Hey, Lulu!" someone called. She looked over in that direction, then waved to show she had seen her friend and made her way over, plopping down in the chair across from her.
"Hey, Marcy," she greeted.
"How was your first day as a full-fledged scientist, huh?"
"Tiring," Lucrecia answered with a quick smile.
Marcy laughed. "I guess they don't go light on you your first day. Want you to work right off, don't they?" Lucrecia nodded. "Typical. This's a demanding field we're in. I'm just glad I'm not the one doing the real hard stuff. I'm not that smart. Not like you."
Lucrecia shrugged, a little embarrassed by the compliment. "You could be a 'full-fledged' scientist, too, if you worked hard enough at it."
"Oh, come on, Lulu, don't kid me like that," Marcy grinned. "You're smart and you know it. And in a company like this, I'm surprised you managed to get the promotion. You sure you're not sleepin' with any of your superiors?"
"Marcy!" Lucrecia exclaimed sharply.
"Kidding, kidding!" her friend said quickly, putting up her hands in surrender. "But, I mean, that's what it takes to get ahead in a man's company, unless you're really good at what you do."
"You're probably right," she admitted.
"But anyway... did you see him?"
Lucrecia sighed. "See who? Another one of your 'pretty-boys'?"
Marcy grinned, nodded. "He just got promoted to the Turks, and I heard he's pretty damn cute!"
"Marcy, don't swear," Lucrecia chided. She paused to process what the other had just said. "The Turks, you said?"
"Yeah. Why d'you ask?"
"I think I've met this 'pretty-boy' of yours," she answered. Marcy waited expectantly. "Oh, it was just in the elevator on the way in this morning. But his name is Vincent."
"So what do you think of him?" her friend insisted.
"Well... I didn't really get a good look at him." She blushed a little as she added, "He's got a nice voice though... very low and soft."
"Hey, Lulu, I think you like him," Marcy prodded. "You're blushing. Anyway, what did he say? Was he like the other guys, all drooling over you?"
...did you like me back then?
Lucrecia shook her head. "It didn't seem like it."
Yes, actually. I think I had a crush on you from the start, although I'd never have admitted it until later... What about you?
"What'd he say?" Marcy asked, hanging off of the scientist's every word.
It was a little different with me... People don't believe in love at first sight, but that was how it was... except that I didn't realize it.
"Well... first he said he was sorry-I don't know what for-and then he introduced himself... He didn't really say much else."
Mmm. When was the first time you realized it?
"Da-er... darn. Did you give him your name?" Lucrecia shook her head. "Why not?"
When? I'm not sure. I think I was in denial from the beginning, or confused anyway. I didn't know what I was feeling, so it took me a long time...
"I was too nervous. Don't give me that look, Marcy. I was nervous about my first day." She shrugged. "But it was all right. Hojo helped me get settled in."
For me, it was after we had gotten back to Midgar from Snow Village. I kept thinking about the kiss in the hallway...
Marcy shook her head. "I don't get what you see in him."
So did I...
"Marcy, just because he's not the most handsome man in the world doesn't mean I have to rule him out." She held up a chiding finger. "But, mind you, that doesn't mean I'm interested in him either. We're just friends."
You know... I've always wondered... Why did you apologize when you first met me?
"I sincerely hope so," Marcy said. "I swear, that guy gets mad at everyone. And when he gets angry, you don't want to be within a ten mile radius of him."
I didn't know then, and I'm still unsure... Sorry for existing? Sorry for being so cold? Sorry for everything that is going to happen to you because of me?
Lucrecia shook her head. "That's only your opinion of him. He's not really that mean."
But I'm glad I met you, Vincent.
"Enough of that. I want to talk about someone else."
...why?
"Like Vincent?" Lucrecia prodded, joking.
Because you've always loved me. Because you're always so kind to me. Because you'd give everything up just to give me what I want. Because you listen. Because you don't blame me for anything. Because you don't question my descisions or beliefs. Because I love you.
"Yeah!" Marcy said, putting her chin in her hands. "You told me what he said, but I wanna know what he looks like. I don't care how vague the description!"
...kind? I always thought I was too cold. I was too cruel. Too bloodstained. Too silent. I still am. I didn't think I would be of any interest to you.
The scientist put a hand to her forehead, rolled her eyes. "Well... he's very tall... He has dark hair, and long bangs, so I couldn't tell what color his eyes were in one glance. Satisfied?"
On the contrary, you're fascinating. Whatever happened to you to make you close up like that? What deep scar is upon your soul? Why did you open up to me and only me...?
Marcy sighed. "Not really... I'll just have to see him for myself."
I'm afraid I don't have any answers for you...
Vincent entered the cafeteria during his break, hoping to catch sight of that young scientist, but she wasn't there. Instead, some other woman, a little older than the scientist, approached him, an inquisitive look in her eye. The corners of his mouth turned downwards slightly in a frown-she didn't look like someone he wanted to speak with.
"Um, hi," she said, hesitating slightly. "Are you Vincent?" He blinked, then nodded slightly. "Okay. Well, I'm Marcy... Would you mind sitting down for a little while, to talk or something?" He shook his head and followed her over to a table, where he sat down with her, eyeing her somewhat suspiciously.
"Is there something specific you wanted to know?" he inquired.
Marcy blinked a little, then grinned. "Lulu was right, you do have a nice voice." She shook her head. "Well. Uh... you know yesterday, you were in the elevator with a scientist, right?"
"Yes......?"
"Well, she's my friend, and I wanted to know what you thought of her."
"...what I... thought of her...?" he asked, a bit confused.
"Yeah," the woman answered. "Like, if she's pretty and all."
"She's beautiful. Why do you even need to ask?"
"You're saying that like it's a fact," said Marcy. "What do you really think of her?"
"It is a fact," Vincent stated quietly. "And if you'll pardon me, I said all of eleven words to her."
"You counted?" came the incredulous remark. "You must really like her!"
Vincent stood, scraping back his chair. "If you'll pardon me, I'm not interested in idle conversation." He turned and began walking away.
"Wait a second!" she called, hurriedly getting up and catching up to him. "Do you like her or not? Tell me? Please?"
Sorry... I should have told Marcy not to bother you.
"I don't," he said. "It was none of your business anyway."
It's all right. After thirty-eight years, I really don't care anymore.
"You're just trying to get rid of me," Marcy persisted. "You like her. Admit it."
When you put it that way, it does seem rather insignificant. What's ten minutes compared to thirty-eight years...?
"Well obviously, you aren't leaving yet..." the Turk commented dryly.
Quite...
"Answer the question."
But this memory is important to you. Else we wouldn't be seeing it. Why...?
"I already did."
Because it was the first time I ever regretted lying. And it was when I realized that, for the first time in years, I cared for someone... and someone I barely even knew.
Marcy stood in front of him, blocking his path to the elevator, and put her hands on her hips. He sighed and waited for her to say her peace. "Then tell me why you don't like her."
But you said you never realized you loved me until much later...
"Why should I?" he queried. "Certainly, she's beautiful, but I don't know her at all. I didn't even get her name..." Without waiting for a response, he moved around her and into the elevator, promptly closing the doors and pressing the number.
That was love. There is a difference between simply caring, and loving...
With a sigh of relief he leaned back against the glass panel and watched the digits on the display above the door click higher. Why did it feel so wrong to say I didn't like her? I don't...... or do I? He shook his head. I haven't cared a whit about anyone since Father died... Don't think about that. It's not important. He wasn't important.
...tell me. Did you love your father? You said that he worked late so you barely knew him.
......I don't know if you could call it love. But I did care for him a great deal. We used to talk sometimes. Politics mostly...I didn't understand much. He had lived in Wutai for a few years, and he told me about that, and how he met my mother. He seemed to be so reverent when speaking of her. I couldn't understand it at the time.
Was that all?
"Vincent?" Lucrecia asked, setting down her coffee mug, and resting her chin on her hands.
...when I was very young, on nights when he came home earlier, he used to read to me. I liked that. I liked thinking there could be better places than Midgar. When he died... I suppose it was a bit of a shock. As if the Gods were trying to...I don't know... But any hope of getting out of Midgar... any hope of joy died with him. Which was all well and good. It was time I stopped being so childish...
"Yes...?"
Hope keeps you from being monotonous. It makes life more interesting, adds flavor to it. It... it keeps your soul from dying. Keeps your heart from freezing over. Hope is a good thing...
"This may seem kind of... well... strange... but I was just curious. Have you ever thought about marriage?"
Is it? ...perhaps the lack of it is what made me what I am...
He blinked at her, then shook his head slowly. "Never have..."
"Oh......"
"Why do you ask?" Vincent inquired. "Are you thinking of getting married?"
...I remember I was so worried. I thought you'd catch on when I started getting embarrassed...
She sat back and looked down. "Well... sort of..."
At first, I didn't think it would even be a possibility. As I said, I hadn't thought about marriage at all...
"Who's the lucky man?"
But then...?
Lucrecia blushed, but smiled slightly in spite of herself. So he was completely oblivious... or maybe he just didn't think he was lucky enough. Afterall, she hadn't told him yet, and he hadn't said anything yet either... Although she could tell he loved her, and probably just couldn't bring up the courage to say so. "...no one," she answered carefully.
I was nervous at the time, Vincent admitted. I didn't think it could be me. A kiss on the cheek doesn't really mean anything... and you had mentioned Hojo often enough... I thought you probably meant him. But I had hopes... I guess I shouldn't have, but I did. Deep down I knew I loved you. I wanted to know if my feelings were returned. You hadn't said anything though... so when you didn't answer me... I assumed we were just friends. You must have been interested in Hojo, but didn't want to say so...
The Turk blinked again. "No one? Are you afraid I'll be jealous or something?"
Oh, is that what you were thinking? I thought you just didn't know... it was too early. I should have known you'd suspect Hojo. I'm sorry.
"No, no," she replied. "I just... don't want to say yet. I don't want anyone thinking we'll get married and then have it turn out that we won't..." Good, she thought. That makes sense.
Don't be. But... why did you bring it up anyway?
"Oh. All right..."
I guess I wanted to know what your views on the subject were. I wanted to know if they matched mine at all... but I couldn't just come out and say that I was thinking about marrying you... I didn't want to give you any false hopes...
Lucrecia shrugged, then smiled at him. "But anyway... if you were going to get married, who do you think would be your wife?"
I think you may have. Afterwards, I kept thinking about what it would be like if we were married, for a few weeks anyway...
Vincent colored faintly and ran a hand through his hair. "I don't know..."
You did?
She leaned forward again. "Don't be shy now... who would it be?"
Yes...
He frowned at the table for a moment before looking up at her. "Well..." he looked away. "You're already interested in someone else, it seems. And there's really no one else I'm aquainted with..."
What did you think it would be like?
"Oh?" she asked. "You don't have any other lady friends?" He shook his head. "I'll have to introduce you to some of mine," Lucrecia said, winking.
I don't know...
"No, that's all right," Vincent said quickly.
Tell me? Please?
She laughed, then took a sip of her coffee. "...I don't suppose you've thought about children, then, if you haven't thought about marriage......?"
...I always thought, that we would move out of Midgar. To Kalm maybe... I always disliked the city, but I'd never been out of it. Just seen maps, pictures, read books... I used to like to read when I was younger, even after my father stopped reading aloud.
"Not really," he answered. "But I doubt I'd make a very good father, so it doesn't matter much, does it?"
Why did you stop? Because of his death?
"Nonsense," Lucrecia declared. "You'd be all right."
...I'm not sure. I think, after he died, I didn't have much opportunity to read. It was more important to live... And when I signed up with Shinra, well... I didn't see any point in reading. No point in reading about how people could be happy and sociable and...
Vincent scoffed a little. "I'm no good with adults, let alone children."
...and what?
"...you could learn to be," the scientist offered.
Loved.
"I don't think so."
.........go on. What would we do after leaving Midgar?
"Why not?"
...we'd buy ourselves a house. I would get a job as a gunsmith perhaps... You would continue with your studies at home. You'd always be nearby, I'd see you every day... That was enough for me. I had trouble imagining us with children. But I could see you trying to introduce me to your friends, and not having much luck getting me to talk.
"I'm a Turk," Vincent answered. "I'm hard, not kind. Children need kindness."
I can imagine that, too... it sounds nice...
Lucrecia frowned and reached over to take one of his hands. "And you couldn't learn to open up? To be kind?"
It was a silly fantasy...
He blinked, and stared at her hand for a moment. He shook his head slowly. "I don't know..."
No, it's not. Maybe we could move to Kalm together... maybe we could start a family... neither of us would have to work now. You have enough gil from being with Avalanche... So we could be together all the time. I could teach you how to be nicer to the children...
The scientist smiled minutely, a trace of sorrow in her eyes. If only he would open up... She finished off her coffee and got to her feet. "Well. We're leaving for Nibelheim tomorrow... I had better go pack." Vincent nodded silently. She paused. "...Gast said they were sending a Turk with for security purposes... I hope it's you."
...if only we could.
"So do I," he agreed with a tiny smile. "Chen hasn't decided who to send yet."
Well why couldn't we? If what Aeris intends succeeds... It doesn't matter what we are on the outside. It's fun to think about it, anyway. It amuses me greatly to imagine you as the father of six...
"I'll see you later, I hope," Lucrecia said.
Six!?
"Goodbye," he said as she left.
Why not? And Sephiroth could visit every now and then...
...don't be silly.
Oh, hush. Don't tell a ghost what she can and can't do. If I want to be silly, I'll go right ahead. There's naught else for me to do.
"Hey, Valentine!" Talya called from behind him as he was about to get on the elevator. "Wait up." Vincent held the doors for her until she caught up to him. "Thanks..."
You could try haunting the Shinra Mansion, Vincent suggested with a smirk. It must be rather empty now that I've left. The children might get curious...
"No problem."
Why Vincent, I never knew you had a sense of humor!
"Listen," she said, sounding serious for once instead of teasing. "I know you're probably on your way home now, but have you got a minute?"
...doesn't everyone?
Normally, he would have said no, but something in the tone of her voice stopped him. "...of course."
I suppose. Yours just doesn't show through as much......
Talya glanced up at the number display. They still had a minute or so before they reached the first floor. "Chen wants to send me on the mission to Nibelheim... Or, rather, he said Hojo had requested me personally to go... Have you ever met the guy?"
...I wonder why Hojo requested her specifically?
"Hojo? I don't believe so..."
He needed you for his experiment. One of the others, including myself, might ruin his plans.
"Well, he's one of them scientists working with, what's it called? Geneva?"
I see... She was the only woman. He didn't want any competition. No wonder he was so angry about Chen sending you...
"Jenova."
Oh? I thought he was just angry about sending any Turk at all...
"Whatever. But I don't like the thought of being specially requested by some scientist... If you'd met the man, you'd know what I'm talking about."
Well, that too.
"So why are you telling me this?"
"Chen said if I could persuade one of you guys to go instead, he'd disregard Hojo's request. I know Liam wouldn't want to-s'too boring for him. Nibelheim being a quiet, small town and all. But I thought you might want to go-that girlfriend of yours is a scientist right?"
Vincent blinked. "...she's not my 'girlfriend,' Talya. She's interested in someone else. But she is going."
"Interested in someone else?" she asked as the two stepped out of the elevator and continued on their way out of the Shinra building. "Bullshit, Valentine."
Glad she was there to set you straight. Hee hee...
He frowned at her as he held the door open for her. "How would you know?"
Is there something amusing?
"I've heard complaints from a lot of the guys," Talya said, waiting a moment for Vincent before they started walking again. "They say she casts them all off and just attaches herself to you. You're not exactly their favorite, if you know what I mean." She shoved him playfully and grinned. "You sure know how to pick 'em, lover-boy. I've seen her-she's damn beautiful."
I just think it's funny how she adressed you... Has she always called you "Valentine"?
"Yes," Vincent agreed. "She is."
Most of the time, yes.
"What's her name?"
...and on other occasions she calls you "lover-boy"?
"...Lucrecia."
Yes. Why does it matter?
"Ah," Talya said. "Pretty name, too. But anyway... will ya go?"
Trying to get to know her better, I suppose. She must have meant something to you, at least... and yet... Has she ever called you Vincent?
"Yes," he answered, eyeing her thoughtfully.
I don't believe so... and why do you say that?
"Great!" she exclaimed, grinning. "Well now. You gotta take a different train from me. I'll see you when I see you... which I guess may not be for a while." She turned to go.
I don't know... It's a feeling I have, from seeing this.
Vincent paused uncertainly, then called after her. "Talya?"
You feel what I felt then?
She turned around. "Yeah?"
Yes, just as you can feel what I felt in my memories, and hear what I thought.
He hesitated. "...can I ask you something?"
I suppose you can evaluate my own opinions and emotions better than I can. You always could.
Talya ambled back over to him. "Sure."
...and I think she cared about you, too. Otherwise, she wouldn't be so interested in your life. And she sounded a bit regretful when she said goodbye.
"......do you really think she likes me?"
Did she?
The other Turk almost laughed, but managed to stop herself, which surprised him greatly. "I dunno... I haven't seen her much."
Yes. ...and you must have trusted her, or you wouldn't have asked that of her.
"Oh," Vincent said, a hint of dissapointment in his expression.
Lucrecia, I think you know me better than I know myself.
"I could go and ask her straight out if she's still in the building. Tell you tomorrow morning or something..."
I would think so. You spent all those years blaming yourself and focusing on your actions. But you never stopped to think about yourself or study your emotions and reactions.
"Would you really?" She nodded. "I didn't think you would care..."
And you did?
Talya shrugged it off. "Us Turks gotta stick together, right? If we don't care about eachother, who will, 'sides that friend of yours?"
Yes, I did. It kept me occupied while I was still sane... And when I started raving... well... then my thoughts were focused on Sephiroth. I could feel him. Especially once he came back to life. Oh, it was terrible feeling him tug the Jenova in me northward... and me not being able to comply.
Vincent smiled minutely. "Thank you." He turned to board the train, glanced at her over his shoulder. "...I'll see you tomorrow then."
I'm sorry. I should have brought you with us to see him.
"Bye, Valentine." Talya waved, grinning, then turned and dashed back into the Shinra building. Vincent watched her leave, then went inside the train and took a seat near the window, listening as the doors closed and the train pulled out of its station.
No, that wouldn't have been right. And at that point, I think I was contagious... the virus could sense I was dying and wanted to latch onto a new host.
Is that why you ordered us all to stay back?
I suppose... I don't quite remember.
Lucrecia slung the the bag over her shoulder and turned off the light to her office. She closed the door behind her, jumping when she turned around to find a woman standing near her. Right, she was a Turk... Talya? She wasn't sure of the woman's name, but whoever she was, she seemed like she had just run a few miles.
The woman straightened, grinned. "Sorry if I caught you off-guard. I was in a hurry. I'm Talya."
Lucrecia blinked, nodded slightly. "I'm Lucrecia... did you want to speak with me?"
"Yeah," Talya answered, glancing behind her down the hall. "Well, I guess there's no one here, sooo... Look, you know Vincent Valentine?"
"What about him?" she asked, trying to seem casual. What was this all about?
"Well... I was just wonderin' if you liked him and all... you know...?"
Lucrecia nervously tucked a strand of hair behind one ear. She shrugged. "I don't know... Why are you asking?"
Talya leaned against the wall. "Well, Valentine's doing me a favor, so I thought I'd ask you about him... so I could, you know, tell him whether you liked him or not."
"Why would he want to know?" Lucrecia queried, then added hopefully, "Does he like me?"
"Yep. Likes you a lot. I can tell. He never pays anyone else much attention, unless one, they're giving him orders, or, two, he's gonna kill 'em."
The Turk seemed casual about it, but Lucrecia had to suppress a slight shudder. She paused. "Why would he need you to ask...? Can't he tell?"
...she did tell you, right?
Talya shrugged. "Dunno. He seemed kinda confused about it... I was teasing him, and he said you were interested in some other guy."
Yes... just as she said she would.
Lucrecia frowned for a moment. "...oh..." She smiled. "Tell him I like him, too, and that I'm sorry about earlier this evening."
Then why did you think that I didn't like you later on?
"Awright." Talya grinned. "I'll tell him."
These things aren't set in stone. I thought perhaps it hadn't lasted, that you simply hadn't wanted to tell me.
"Thank you." She moved past the Turk. "Good night then."
Oh, Vincent... my dear, you've suffered too much for too long over this. Especially because you named yourself the betrayer as well as actually being a victim. I wish I could heal you of all that pain...
"G'night."
...Lucrecia?
Yes?
If Aeris does manage to revive you... what would you do?
Why, say yes of course!
Would you really?
Yes, you silly. Now... there's something I want to see, but I'm not sure where to look. Sometime during your childhood, perhaps?Did you ever go to school, or did your father teach you?
My father taught me for the most part... although he did try sending me to school once...
Tried? What happened?
I didn't find it very helpful.
...oh?
The other children were distracting.
......you didn't make any friends, I take it. Can you show me something...? The first day perhaps?
All right...
Vincent sat at his desk during the free period, head bowed, intent on the book he was reading. Another boy walked over to him, but he ignored him. The boy waved his hand in front of Vincent's face. "Hey." Vincent looked up as the boy sat on top of his desk. "You the new kid?" Vincent nodded. "Where'd you get your name?"
How old were you...?
"Ask any other boy and he'll give you the same answer," Vincent said flatly.
...twelve, I believe.
"So your name really is Vincent Valentine?" He nodded, growing a bit annoyed, but saying nothing. "What kinda name is that?"
You were cute. Hee hee.
"My name," he answered. "Do you have one?"
"'course I do," the boy answered.
Vincent sighed and glanced at the page number of his book before closing it. "Are you going to tell me or just sit there like an idiot?"
The boy shrugged. "You're the idiot, not knowing my name."
"It's my first day. Go bother someone else."
"I'm bothering you?"
"Yes."
"Can't a kid have a friendly conversation with the new boy to the class?"
"I wouldn't describe it as 'friendly,' per say," Vincent deadpanned.
"Well now, what would ya call it? Annoying?"
"Marty, leave him alone," a girl called as she strode over to them, tapping Marty on the shoulder.
"Can't you see we're trying to talk?" he asked, glaring at her.
The girl put her hands on her hips. "Uh huh. Look, if he wants you to leave, then leave. It's his first day, give him a break!"
"I just wanna ask him a few questions!" Marty protested.
"One more," Vincent conceded. "Then go."
"Aight," the boy said, turning back to him. "Are you from Wutai?"
Vincent paused slightly before answering, "My mother was. Why does it matter?"
"My dad says that Wutains are idiots because they won't buy anything from the Shinra." Vincent nodded minutely.
When Marty did not leave, the girl shook her head at him. "All right, go on," she sighed, pushing him towards a knot of other children. She wandered back over to Vincent. "Sorry," she apologized. "That's my brother."
She seems nice...
"Twins?"
Seems, yes. She must only have been trying to get on my good side. She barely spoke to me again. None of them did. They just stayed with their own cliques.
"Yeah. But we're nothing alike!" she declared. She paused, then smiled a little. "He shouldn't have said that about your mom. But I think that Wutains must be pretty smart. I mean, look what the new Mako reactor is doing to the Planet."
Children are so cruel...
Vincent frowned in confusion. "What do you mean?"
I didn't mind. It was probably my fault anyway, for being so... uninviting. But I learned better at home. That's why I only stayed in school for about a year.
"I guess you haven't been there," the girl continued. "But the trees are all bare and twisted, and there's nothing new springing up. Everything's dying..." She shook her head. "I hear they plan on building them all over Midgar. I really hope they don't."
Oh, Vincent, there you go again, blaming yourself. It wasn't your fault, but you should have minded. I can't imagine what it was like growing up without any friends, without anyone to confide in or to comfort you when you were down...
He nodded slightly, not sure whether or not he agreed with her. "...what's your name?"
...I didn't understand what it was like, or why it was necessary, until I met you. I thought that consulting myself was enough.
"Marta," she answered, grinning sheepishly. "My parents were real creative, huh? They were only expecting one." He nodded, smiled faintly. "Well, I'll let you get back to your book now," Marta said, wandering over to a group of girls. Vincent went back to his book. No one else bothered him for the duration of the day.
And no one cared?
I suppose not... My father was always a bit distant. And I kept myself isolated.
Why?
...I don't know. It was the world I lived in. I grew up in isolation, so naturally, I adopted it as my own.
Like a habit?
Perhaps...
...wait. You said that...... Could it be, that you felt somehow... less than other people? Inferior?
What are you getting at?
Well... if you felt inferior, you would be abliged to leave them alone. You said you gave up reading because you didn't like seeing how people could love and be loved. Was that because you didn't think it could ever be an experience of your own?
...you may have something.
So... when you met me, you found that you could experience love. And that's what made you reach out to me. Afterall, it was you who spoke first. But... with the others maybe, you were uncertain how to approach them, because you had separated yourself from them for all this time...?
You do understand me better than I do myself.
...so I'm right?
I think so.
Then we've accomplished a good deal here... perhaps we should stop for a while. I wouldn't want to keep your friends from returning to Cosmo Canyon...
What about reviving you? You could come back with us...
Do I detect hope there, Vincent?
Yes.
Well... let's talk it over with Aeris. It would be her energy, as well as mine, that would be drained.
Right.
The cave reappeared suddenly, sight returning to Vincent's eyes in a flash of azure. He nearly staggered backwards from the abruptness of it. Lucrecia's ghost stood in front of him, but about a foot away. She smiled sheepishly. Sorry... I didn't mean to jar you like that.
"It's all right," he answered, looking over at Aeris, who was watching him now.
"...are you finished?" she asked.
Yes... Lucrecia answered. She glanced uncertainly at Vincent, then turned back to the Cetra. We wanted to know how you feel about reviving me. Now that Sephiroth is gone... and... well, it would sap your strength, which you haven't even fully regained yet.
"I don't mind," Aeris replied, smiling. "I want to revive you."
But... I wouldn't be a burden? Vincent frowned at her in confusion, but said nothing.
"No, of course not." Aeris climbed to her feet, and Elena followed suit, looking back and forth between her and the ghost.
Lucrecia floated over to stand near her body, looking down. A bit strange seeing myself dead, she laughed. Well... I had best return my full attention to the Lifestream. You can't call a spirit to its body when she's in between worlds, now can you?
The Cetra shook her head as she walked to the altar. "No, you can't." Vincent exchanged mildly confused looks with Elena, then stepped forward a few paces to watch the ressurection.
Aeris knelt down by Lucrecia's body, glancing up at her ghost. "...hopefully the next time I see you, you'll be alive and well," she said, grinning in slight amusement. Lucrecia's ghost laughed, the sound like chimes in her mind, then disappeared. Aeris sobered herself, the smile fading, and took up Lucrecia's cold hand into her own.
She closed her eyes and concentrated, searching the Lifestream as she had done before. But this time Lucrecia did not stop her. Aeris embraced the other's soul with her own mind, with her own soul, and with it, embraced the memories...
Flash.
Lucrecia was lying limp in the bed, her eyes fixed on the door. ...Vincent, why aren't you coming back? The eyes closed, the breathing stopped.
Flash.
Hojo's sharp question. What is it?
Flash.
Lucrecia... she's dying...! You have to help her!!
Flash.
Too much hope is the opposite of despair. An overpowering love may consume you in the end...
Flash.
Lucrecia...
Flash.
Don't... worry about me... I... I was already dying...
Flash.
Bring Sephiroth. I want... want to hold him...
Flash.
Please, Vincent, tell me...
Flash.
Vincent, tell me...
Flash.
Vincent...
Flash.
......I'm searching for you......
...I want to meet you...
Aeris opened her eyes and looked expectantly down at Lucrecia.
Author's Note: I hope all the italics wasn't too confusing for anyone... Doesn't seem like I can do colors, ne? Anyway... had lots of fun with this chapter, too. The little battle part with Elena and Talya sucks, but oh well...