Aeris sat down on the ground fingering the dirt between her fingers, checking to see if the soil was good for gardening. She smiled and picked up the make do watering can she had and watered her little garden, full of vegetables, greens for the Chocobos she liked to feed and herbs to make potions out of. All necessary but Aeris' real pride and joy were her flowers. She grew roses, crocuses, harebells and many others. Unlike the medicines they seemed to grow out of their own accord and needed almost no maintenance. However Kitty said they were a waste of space.

 Aeris had lived in Malkut all her life and saw Sephiroth, Maht and Kitty as her family. Malkut was a small collection of ramshackle huts on the island of Mideel where her and the others lived a life of sanctuary from the rest of the Planet. Rania kept a barrier up that shielded them from the villagers and insured perfect solitude. While she maintained the barrier Rania herself never recovered and stayed in a comatose state though still protected them She alone stayed in one of the huts, being taken care of by Maht, Kitty and Sephiroth. Aeris herself never ventured near there, she just couldn't intrude.

  Maybe we're not like a family after all, she thought to herself as she saw Kitty laughing with Sephiroth while she sat on her log in the dirt. Sephiroth was always nice to her, almost like an older brother the other two weren't as affectionate. Maht was distant, civil but distant. He avoided talking to her and when he did assumed a faraway look in his eyes like he was only just listening to her and really had better things to do. Kitty wasn't much better. For all her smiles and laughs when she talked to Aeris her smile was too bright and conversation patronising. She put her down frequently and never included her in anything.

 Aeris smiled bitterly as she twisted the flower round her fingers. If she treats me so badly than what am I doing here gardening amongst the dirt for her while she flirts with my only friend? Aeris sighed and continued watching them; watching the way Kitty played with his hair and talked about the latest hunting escapade. While Aeris grew the vegetables for them to eat, Sephiroth and Kitty hunted the monsters in the nearby forests and leaving her to deal with Maht and Rania. She knew the answer; it was because it was the only place she belonged. Underneath all her anger and resentment she knew she loved Kitty like a sister and beyond the awkwardness bonds held her and Maht. Sephiroth would always be her guardian and Rania? Well Rania protected them all, what more could she do in that state?

 "Aeris!" Kitty was walking over briskly, almost demanding that she get up to greet her. Aeris stayed where she was.

 " Yes Kitty." Aeris tried to look around her but she couldn't see Sephiroth. Kitty at this age was tall and slim, plenty of exercise kept her healthy and her short blond hair shone in the afternoon sun. Blue eyes twinkled cheerfully after a lengthy flirt.

 " Aeris, could you do me a favour." She leaned forward and touched Aeris' knee who tried not to wriggle away. Kitty looked down at her hands. " What are you doing?"

 Aeris looked down and saw that the flower she was twisting was digging into her flesh and turning the tip of her finger purple. Hastily she stopped and rubbed her finger. " You were saying…?"

 Kitty stopped staring at her finger and jumped a little. "Oh yeah! Could you grow some sedative herbs for me, we need them for hunting."

 Aeris paused. " Well first you're going to have to get me some cuttings or seeds." Aeris got up and was about to leave when Kitty confronted her.

 "But you grow all those roses without having to buy any seeds." Kitty pointed to the beautiful rows of immaculate flowers angrily. Aeris shrugged.

 " They just seem to grow there naturally." She patted Kitty on the shoulder and left feeling awkward, not liking the way Kitty talked about the hunting.

 Maht sat inside the dark wooden hut, remembering the day it was built. Kitty and Sephiroth had done all the work, him being too weak and Aeris too young to help. Inside there was a jug of water, some herbs, some bread and a single bed and chair. The heat was unbearable but he had to resist the urge to take the shining jug of water to his lips and aid his dry throat. The water was reserved for Rania only as it was from a spring near Mideel. The rest of them would have to make do with murky rainwater that took days to filter.

 Rania started muttering again so Maht took the herbs and ground them in the little mortar he had that let off a pungent smell that wafted round the hut and made him feel nauseous. Still these soothed Rania so he'd have to put up with them.

 "Maht?" A loud croak from Rania startled him and he dropped the mixture he was making. He looked at her puzzled; it was the first time Rania had actually tried talking to any of them. Ignoring the green sludge on the floorboards he walked over to the bed where she lay.

 " Rania?" Maht looked to her but she just turned away, silent tears streaming down her bluish cheeks. Maht sat back on the wooden chair and started again to prepare the medicine without thought. It was too much to hope for, they all doubted that Rania would ever return back to normal, that they would ever see the kind sister that had looked after them all those years in Hojo's labs.

 "Maht?" Sudden light streamed through the dark misty hut, as Kitty stood in the doorway looking flustered and angry. Maht stopped squinting and tried to cover up the spilt medicine.

 "What is it?" Kitty ignored him and walked straight to the sludge. She bent down and sniffed it than got up angrily and turned to face him; her blue eyes alive with anger.

 "This medicine is a sedative." Maht nodded anxiously. The way she said it, it sounded like that was something wrong.

 "…Yes." He eyed her warily; Kitty was prone to having a quick temper.

 " Aeris told me it was a medicine." Kitty picked up the broken mortar and circled the edge with her finger, aware that the sharp edge brought up little beads of blood shining like red jewels or her pale skin, blood on snow.

 " Well she needs it." Maht shook his head in disbelief. Kitty knew nothing about how to take care of Rania yet she intruded anyway.

 " Our sister does not need to be…. to be…. put to sleep like that." Her cheeks flared at the thought. Maht sighed.

 " Kitty, sometimes she gets a fever and madness follows. She…" Before Maht could continue Kitty had already picked up the rest of the sludge and was hurrying out the door. Maht sighed and once again watched Rania.

 Kitty sucked her throbbing finger and rushed out of the damp, humid hut. She held in her hands the sedatives she and Sephiroth needed. Why didn't Aeris tell me about these? She cursed the girl's idiocy as she ran to where Sephiroth was standing near the carcasses of the monsters they had killed today. Each had been hung out along a tree like hanged bodies and had been skinned. Sephiroth rested on the make do sword he had to use. It had been stolen from the Mideel weapon shop and was no where near the quality of the Katanas he had used back at Shinra but a was a small price to pay for freedom.

 As she approached though she saw a figure in the distance. It wasn't a stranger approaching, Was it?