Chapter 6

Aeris woke up covered in a huge bundle of blankets. She sat up to comb her fingers through her hair but stopped short when the room around her told her that she had escaped Hojo's lab. Her clothes were pilled neatly beside her, making her blush in extreme embarrassment. The befuddled, confused and frightened girl slowly pulled away the blankets to see what she was wearing now. She had on a black shirt, that was more a dress on her then anything because it was so huge. The side of the shirt fell to the middle at the top part of her arm, to reveal a bare shoulder. Who changed my clothes...? Why do I ache so badly... what happened last night? Aeris bit her bottom lip in bewilderment, rising to her feet as she solemnly decided to explore the room in front of her. I wonder what Rufus- RUFUS!!! Oh... yeah... I wonder if he's okay... Where am I? Huhm... Where am I, Aeris thought calmly to herself, making an effort not to panic. Where is that man who saved me? Huh…Aeris reached for the kitchen door handle, but withdrew suddenly on seeing her hand covered completely in bandages, MY WRIST! Oh yes... I cut it … on that man's claw. She fingered her cast as she tried to find an opening so that she could see her wrist, which started throbbing terribly.

Aeris opened the kitchen door cautiously, making sure not to disturb anyone. When she found the coast clear, she thought it best to enter, and make her self acquainted with this part of the of the house. I'm so hungry... but I don't feel like eating.

Aeris looked down at a little dining table before her which had a glass cup full of water, and a little plate with a simple made sandwich on it. A little piece of paper was propped up against the plate which had her name scribbled delicately on it. Slowly she picked up the glass of water, and subconsciously brought it to her quivering lips.

Aeris's pulled her scraggly hair back with her free hand, while wondered who had made this meal for her. She picked up the top piece of bread from off the top of the sandwich, not knowing how one was suppose to each such a thing only because of the one fact of not ever having one before. Keeping wide eyes open to any movements possible, the frightened Cetra began to halfheartedly nibble at the scrawny piece of bread that had, had mustard shushed all over it. This is disgusting... Why would anybody want to eat such a thing as this... Oh! Ewe. As she looked around herself at all the kitchen appliances, her eyes cut short on a some items in front of her. There were three guns, sitting on a towel, that were completely dissembled. Guns? Zack always had those... Why-

Unexpectedly the door flashed opened and Vincent came in, holding a couple of unknown objects, that Aeris thought must have something to do with the guns dissembled in front of her. Vincent sat down at the counter, picking up three of the pieces of the guns, and began a rough cleansing process. The slight russet froze completely in alarm, not able to do a single thing, but just stare at the large dark figure in front of her. Vincent gave no heed to her actions, but kept to his guns. What is he going to do with those... Aeris heart began to pound violently at the combination of having a complete stranger with guns in the same room as her.

The mysterious bold man paused from his work and looked up at her, examining her beautiful features. "How are you feeling?" Vincent inquired, observing her fatigued body quietly.

"…Tired."

... Tired or not, I need answers... "Who's Sephira?"

What?... "Are questions necessary."

She doesn't trust me... "If you want me to help you."

Aeris paused, thinking over her options, then continued, "Sephira. Professor Hojo's science enterprise."

"Enterprise?"

"She is a project that Hojo is working on. I found out the day I left. I heard Zack telling ..." Aeris looked down shyly, feeling uncomfortable with Vincent's eyes staring into hers so tensely.

"How did you figure out a way to escape from Hojo's lab."

"Uhm… Kilik. He gave us the keys, Rufus and-"

"Rufus ShinRa?" Vincent asked, interrupting her sentence. Must be a clone.

"Yes." How did he know that? He must have known him or something...

"How is that possible?"

"...What? I don't understand..."

"He died."

"…No." Aeris whispered, a bit baffled at his answer. Maybe he just knew his name...

Vincent squinted at Aeris in confusion, "Explain."

"Hojo dragged him out of the office, he was barely alive, then Hojo stored Rufus away." Vincent's brows began to knit, confused at Aeris's story of Rufus's "real" fate.

"Why?"

"I don't know."

"Where did he put the body?"

"In water, because water is life."

"Hojo died."

"I heard Sephira and Kilik talking about how he fed on living forms for a year, about sixteen to twenty feet under ground in some lab."

"Lab?"

"...I've been to the lab a couple of times. He would bring me to it once in a while."

"Why did Kilik help you?"

"Kilik? -Oh-uhm... Sephira is his wife. Hojo has her in complete control. He threatens to kill her if Kilik will not do what Hojo says-"

"What is that exactly?"

"He's a doctor," Aeris said softly, blanking out at the mention of his name, "He was always so gentle... with us... He also was an engineer, and that was what Hojo needed."

"Who is Zack?'"

I don't understand why he'd need to know... "Zack was a soldier of some sort that died a long time ago. He used Zack as a pet project before using things on us."

"What does Hojo want with you?"

"I don't know. He just…did experiments on me." She looked down to the side, as deep sorrow filled in her eyes. "…Rufus…" I wish I knew where you are... or if you are safe... just some comforting knowledge would calm me...

"What does Rufus have to do with you?"

"Hojo had him for four years before I came in. Rufus was very protective of me because he had gone through so much torture for so long and knew what lay ahead of me…"

Vincent nodded his head in understanding, and then spoke again on a different subject. "The soul he gave you?"

"Yes?" I wish he'd stop...

"Why didn't he just bring you to life with your own soul?"

"If it was my own soul, Hojo would have no power over me... but using another soul that he has twisted into his pet, he has complete control over my life energy."

"Is your soul in you."

"Yes, but Hojo is suppressing it with the materia in my heart so that I don't take over."

"The materia in your heart?"

"That's where the soul lives, keeping me alive. It is also a homing device."

"How do you know that?"

"I read something that Hojo had on his desk that was all about my soul and the materia... before I escaped…"

"What is the project that Hojo is doing on Sephira?"

"He grabbed some girl off the street, which happened to be Kilik's wife, Sephira, and tested on her to see if all the science things would work when he went to use them on me."

"What's keeping Sephira from leaving?"

"Hojo has complete control over her. He can kill her within a heartbeat, just like me."

"Why can't Kilik disconnect Hojo's mind power from Sephira?"

"He is trying to figure out a way. She was such a sweet lady before she was mutated. I met her."

"Why can't you remember me?"

I wish he'd leave me alone... Why won't he stop staring at me...? "Hojo may be keeping this knowledge from me, using the soul to suppress my memories."

Vincent fell silent at the lost of questions and thoughts, almost as if he read her thoughts. He picked up the brown box and left Aeris alone in silence, knowing that she needed time by herself for a few minutes. Aeris immediately relaxed and began breathing easily again, happy to be rid of the worries of how to act in front of strangers.