::Chapter 08 - Procrastination::
Tifa collapsed at the sight of Aerith. The others rushed to check on her, and help her into the house. Cloud tore some of his sleeve off and soaked it in the lake water, so Tifa could have a rag for her head. Cid, Yuffie, and Barrett all surrounded Aerith, asking her for details into how she was alive. Red XIII lay on the porch, asleep, while Vincent sat and stared out into space. Cloud sat by Tifa and pondered several thoughts, while he waited for the others to learn what he had learned from Aerith. He wondered what had happened to the White Materia. He wondered if the visions of Sephiroth's specter would continue on. He had wanted to explore the house some more. knowing that below it lay the expansive crystal castle- type structure, and the place where Sephiroth had attacked Aerith.
Cloud walked around the small house, peeking over every once in a while at Aerith, who seemingly had been resurrected from her own grave. It was a rather funny feeling inside, knowing that the events of the past several months made absolutely no sense. Everything had contradicted itself, in one way or another, from Sephiroth's manipulation of himself, to his manipulation of the entire planet. Nothing made sense now that Aerith was alive again. Cloud walked to the front porch of the house, where Vincent sat, and where Nanaki lay. "I want to go to Nibelheim." Vincent asked, still looking off into the sky. "Why? Are you planning on leaving now that it's over?" Cloud asked trying to focus on whatever Vincent had his eyes on. "No, I just need to look in the laboratory in the basement. There's a book I need to find." Cloud looked down at Vincent. "Can't we just buy another one?" Vincent shook his head. "No. This isn't your standard book. This is a collection of Gast's writings, much like the Hojo book found in the tower." Cloud shook his head and sighed. "Not this again. I'm telling you right now, if that mansion goes to collapse, I'm leaving you in it." Vincent looked away from his fixed position. "You won't need to." He immediately went back to his fixed stare. "Cloud walked back in towards the others. "Vincent wants to go to Nibelheim." Cloud walked up to the others and stopped. "What? Why?" Barrett asked, while scratching his head. "He's looking for a book." Cid and Yuffie sighed. "Not this again. Why can't we just buy another?" Cloud shook his head. "He told me it's a journal, like Red found on Hojo." Aerith stopped Cloud from continuing on. "Hojo had a journal? Can I see it?" Tifa was awake now, but she still remained on the bed. "It's in the Highwind. Can we go back there? I'm getting a little creeped out from this house."
A few hours later, everyone headed out of the Ancient City, to the now deforested area where the ship sat awaiting command. Reeve had once again resumed control of Cait Sith, after being absent for so long. He greeted Aerith; shocked she was alive, and asked as everyone else had as to how it was possible. Cid ordered the trained pilot to prepare to fly toward Nibelheim, in hopes that this trip would finalize their post-Meteor adventures. Cid left the Bridge to have a cigarette, and Cloud walked with Aerith to the Deck as well. "Remember when I said that I wanted to ride on this ship?" Cloud nodded. "Of course. Now you'll finally get to." Aerith smiled gleefully and squeezed Cloud. "I'm afraid of flying - I mean, I've never flown before so - I mean - Cloud, I'm going to freak out!!"
Cloud forcibly loosened Aerith's grip and brought her arms up to hug her. "You're going to be fine. It's not that bad. Cid has an excellently trained pilot flying us, right Cid?" "Sure thing kid, he's a grade A pilot all the way." Cid took several puffs off of one cigarette before he went back in. "Oh. You probably don't want to have her out here when we take off. It's going to be rough." Cloud nodded. Cid made his way back in, noticing Yuffie sitting in her usual spot. "Getting prepared a bit early, aren't we?" Yuffie looked up at Cid. "I feel sick already." Outside Cloud and Aerith were enjoying the last few moments before takeoff. Cloud looked around while holding Aerith. Everything in his eyes seemed too surreal. "Come on, let's get back inside." Aerith nodded and led the way.
Cid issued orders to the pilot, as the Highwind slowly departed the ground. "Destination - Nibelheim. You've been there several times before, so you know the way." The pilot nodded and pressed several buttons in what appeared to be a random pattern. "Yes sir! ETA: Two hours, twenty-eight minutes. Engaging thermal thrusters, Sir." Cid walked away and sat down in one of the co-pilot chairs. "That's enough, pilot, I don't need any more status briefings." The pilot yelled a prominent "Yes sir!" And went back to work silently. The Highwind was now in the air, while Cloud and Aerith sat in one of the bed lofts.
"I'm scared, Cloud. I hate flying already." Cloud held her hand. "It's okay, I'm here. There's nothing to worry about. We've been flying this ship with absolutely no flaws." Aerith squeezed his hand harder with every shake of the cabin. "I know, I know, but I'm still so scared." Cloud hushed her and put his arms around her. "It's going to be fine. You're going to be fine. Everything is going to be fine." A turbulent bump made Cloud fall off the lofted bed. Aerith yelled. "Cloud!? Are you alright?!" Cloud laughed and reached up and pulled Aerith down on top of him. "If I'm gonna fall, you're going with me." He smiled. She fixed her hair so she could see, and looked around. "Cloud! That hurt!" She looked at him, as they lay on the floor. He was silent, looking right back at her. "Aerith, are you okay?" She nodded. "I am now." Cloud rubbed his hand softly across her back. "How so?" "Well, I'm here now, with you." Her entire relationship with Cloud flashed before her eyes as she leaned in and kissed him.
"Dammit!" Cid shouted, from the Bridge. "What do you mean, 'We lost a thruster'? His pilot gulped. "It -- died. Don't worry, we can still get where we need to from here, it just needs replaced soon. I'll just switch to the backup thrusters." Cid threw a chair. "We don't have that kind of money! Do YOU have enough money to replace it!?" The pilot appeared to be sweating bullets. "No, sir, no I don't." "Well then we better start thinking of alternatives, then shouldn't we!?" The trail of smoke coming from thruster #2 created a footstep pattern of sorts, as the Highwind headed towards it's final destination - Nibelheim.
Tifa collapsed at the sight of Aerith. The others rushed to check on her, and help her into the house. Cloud tore some of his sleeve off and soaked it in the lake water, so Tifa could have a rag for her head. Cid, Yuffie, and Barrett all surrounded Aerith, asking her for details into how she was alive. Red XIII lay on the porch, asleep, while Vincent sat and stared out into space. Cloud sat by Tifa and pondered several thoughts, while he waited for the others to learn what he had learned from Aerith. He wondered what had happened to the White Materia. He wondered if the visions of Sephiroth's specter would continue on. He had wanted to explore the house some more. knowing that below it lay the expansive crystal castle- type structure, and the place where Sephiroth had attacked Aerith.
Cloud walked around the small house, peeking over every once in a while at Aerith, who seemingly had been resurrected from her own grave. It was a rather funny feeling inside, knowing that the events of the past several months made absolutely no sense. Everything had contradicted itself, in one way or another, from Sephiroth's manipulation of himself, to his manipulation of the entire planet. Nothing made sense now that Aerith was alive again. Cloud walked to the front porch of the house, where Vincent sat, and where Nanaki lay. "I want to go to Nibelheim." Vincent asked, still looking off into the sky. "Why? Are you planning on leaving now that it's over?" Cloud asked trying to focus on whatever Vincent had his eyes on. "No, I just need to look in the laboratory in the basement. There's a book I need to find." Cloud looked down at Vincent. "Can't we just buy another one?" Vincent shook his head. "No. This isn't your standard book. This is a collection of Gast's writings, much like the Hojo book found in the tower." Cloud shook his head and sighed. "Not this again. I'm telling you right now, if that mansion goes to collapse, I'm leaving you in it." Vincent looked away from his fixed position. "You won't need to." He immediately went back to his fixed stare. "Cloud walked back in towards the others. "Vincent wants to go to Nibelheim." Cloud walked up to the others and stopped. "What? Why?" Barrett asked, while scratching his head. "He's looking for a book." Cid and Yuffie sighed. "Not this again. Why can't we just buy another?" Cloud shook his head. "He told me it's a journal, like Red found on Hojo." Aerith stopped Cloud from continuing on. "Hojo had a journal? Can I see it?" Tifa was awake now, but she still remained on the bed. "It's in the Highwind. Can we go back there? I'm getting a little creeped out from this house."
A few hours later, everyone headed out of the Ancient City, to the now deforested area where the ship sat awaiting command. Reeve had once again resumed control of Cait Sith, after being absent for so long. He greeted Aerith; shocked she was alive, and asked as everyone else had as to how it was possible. Cid ordered the trained pilot to prepare to fly toward Nibelheim, in hopes that this trip would finalize their post-Meteor adventures. Cid left the Bridge to have a cigarette, and Cloud walked with Aerith to the Deck as well. "Remember when I said that I wanted to ride on this ship?" Cloud nodded. "Of course. Now you'll finally get to." Aerith smiled gleefully and squeezed Cloud. "I'm afraid of flying - I mean, I've never flown before so - I mean - Cloud, I'm going to freak out!!"
Cloud forcibly loosened Aerith's grip and brought her arms up to hug her. "You're going to be fine. It's not that bad. Cid has an excellently trained pilot flying us, right Cid?" "Sure thing kid, he's a grade A pilot all the way." Cid took several puffs off of one cigarette before he went back in. "Oh. You probably don't want to have her out here when we take off. It's going to be rough." Cloud nodded. Cid made his way back in, noticing Yuffie sitting in her usual spot. "Getting prepared a bit early, aren't we?" Yuffie looked up at Cid. "I feel sick already." Outside Cloud and Aerith were enjoying the last few moments before takeoff. Cloud looked around while holding Aerith. Everything in his eyes seemed too surreal. "Come on, let's get back inside." Aerith nodded and led the way.
Cid issued orders to the pilot, as the Highwind slowly departed the ground. "Destination - Nibelheim. You've been there several times before, so you know the way." The pilot nodded and pressed several buttons in what appeared to be a random pattern. "Yes sir! ETA: Two hours, twenty-eight minutes. Engaging thermal thrusters, Sir." Cid walked away and sat down in one of the co-pilot chairs. "That's enough, pilot, I don't need any more status briefings." The pilot yelled a prominent "Yes sir!" And went back to work silently. The Highwind was now in the air, while Cloud and Aerith sat in one of the bed lofts.
"I'm scared, Cloud. I hate flying already." Cloud held her hand. "It's okay, I'm here. There's nothing to worry about. We've been flying this ship with absolutely no flaws." Aerith squeezed his hand harder with every shake of the cabin. "I know, I know, but I'm still so scared." Cloud hushed her and put his arms around her. "It's going to be fine. You're going to be fine. Everything is going to be fine." A turbulent bump made Cloud fall off the lofted bed. Aerith yelled. "Cloud!? Are you alright?!" Cloud laughed and reached up and pulled Aerith down on top of him. "If I'm gonna fall, you're going with me." He smiled. She fixed her hair so she could see, and looked around. "Cloud! That hurt!" She looked at him, as they lay on the floor. He was silent, looking right back at her. "Aerith, are you okay?" She nodded. "I am now." Cloud rubbed his hand softly across her back. "How so?" "Well, I'm here now, with you." Her entire relationship with Cloud flashed before her eyes as she leaned in and kissed him.
"Dammit!" Cid shouted, from the Bridge. "What do you mean, 'We lost a thruster'? His pilot gulped. "It -- died. Don't worry, we can still get where we need to from here, it just needs replaced soon. I'll just switch to the backup thrusters." Cid threw a chair. "We don't have that kind of money! Do YOU have enough money to replace it!?" The pilot appeared to be sweating bullets. "No, sir, no I don't." "Well then we better start thinking of alternatives, then shouldn't we!?" The trail of smoke coming from thruster #2 created a footstep pattern of sorts, as the Highwind headed towards it's final destination - Nibelheim.