Reno: Gah! Rude! My former drinking companion! How could you??
Reeve: What?
Reno: He... he told Tifa about his past!
Reeve: Yeah. And I'm sure it was all romantic, too. What's your point?
Reno: .. But... he never told me about his past!
Reeve: So? You're not giving him sex.
Reno: ... But I could!
Reeve: ... I'm not even touching that one. Tyramir doesn't own the rights to Final Fantasy or any of its characters.
Chapter Twenty
Terms
While everyone else was somewhere having fun, Cloud was forced to stay in Kalm. Not because he objected to fun, but because someone had to stay and hold the fort in case anyone came back early or if an emergency came up. And it wasn't like he wasn't enjoying himself. Oh no. He was most definitely entertained by his company with Aeris, especially after their conversation about their relationship and the direction it would take.
Admitting their love for each other had been easy enough. It had been there waiting to be said for some time, it was only an inevitability. Actually talking about their relationship had proven more difficult. Cloud, his brave front rapidly deteriorating in the face of potential happiness, had been reduced to stuttering and embarrassed looks where he couldn't quite meet Aeris' gaze. In the end, the Cetra girl had to take the brave and mighty Soldier in hand and lead him through it.
Their first attempts at kissing were awkward and not very well done. Cloud had missed the awkward part of his teenage years where he would have explored this territory, and now had to start from absolutely no knowledge at all. He was a complete rookie when it came to any aspects of a physical relationship.
At first, Cloud's awkwardness appeared cute, slightly attractive. It turned out to be slightly less so as they moved along through various stages of the physical aspect of their togetherness, and it took great patience and understanding on Aeris' part to see them through. Luckily, patience and understanding were both things the Cetra excelled in.
It was on the third day after the group had parted ways that the first of them returned. And the last one that either Cloud or Aeris expected. The erupt banging on the door to the room they were using at the inn broke them both away from the series of kisses they had been sharing, and Cloud shot the door an evil glare. Aeris just smiled and shrugged, and sighing, the Soldier washout stood up and crossed the room to answer the door.
When he did, he found Yuffie outside the door wearing a blue suit. A Turk suit.
"Yuffie--" he started.
"Jeez!" she yelled. "What took you so long to answer the damn door? It's not like it's brain surgery! No finesse involved! A lot like how you swing that sword of yours. If it takes you that long to..." The ninja stopped in mid-rant, noticing Aeris behind Cloud who was adjusting her clothes. "Oh. Ooooooh. Sorry. I... uh... I can wait."
"Hold on," he said. "What are you doing back so early? And in a Turk suit, no less?"
"I... uh... about that. That can be explained, see. I was busy infiltrating the Junon office of Shinra headquarters, right? And, I...uh..."
"You stole a Turk uniform to hide yourself? You know what Turks do to people they find have been impersonating them, right? Even if we are on good terms with them right now, I don't think they're appreciate it."
"Not exactly, heh. Uh... I..."
"What did you do?" Cloud said, his eyes narrowing.
Yuffie looked away, actually having the decency to look embarrassed. "I kind of got captured. But it's cool. Sort of. Rufus offered me a job."
"He offered you a job? As a member of the Turks?"
"Yeah. Apparently, he's kind of short-handed. And because of that treaty you sent him, and the fact that I'm my dad's daughter, he figured he couldn't actually hurt me. So he... kind of blackmailed me into working for him."
"He blackmailed you? With what? Telling the world you're a thief?" Cloud asked, an amused grin coming on his face. Despite the situation, Cloud was beginning to think that working for Rufus might actually give Yuffie a lesson in humility, something she definitely needed. "I don't think we need to hold the presses on that one."
"He has my Leviathan Materia."
"Oh." It was all Cloud could say. Yuffie valued Materia over almost everything else, but the Leviathan Materia was special. It was sacred not only to her, but to her entire people. Leviathan was almost a god in the eyes of the Wutaian population.
"He said he'd send it to processing if I didn't work for him for a year to 'pay off my debt' to him. He's such a bully sometimes. I would've joined the Turks just for the cool suit and the chance to do Turk stuff! And the money's nice. Even if I am only on quarter pay. I'm making ten thousand gil just for delivering you a message for crying out loud!"
"Wait. Why don't you just steal the Materia back from Rufus? I thought there wasn't a safe you couldn't crack."
She rolled her eyes, as if the very suggestion was blatantly stupid. "I tried that already. I broke into his office right after they gave me the uniform, and looted the safe in there. You know what I found? My first paycheck, and a note saying not to try that again. He expected me to do it."
Cloud couldn't help but laugh. Yuffie's loyalties had always been conflicted. She worked more for herself than anyone else, so he didn't have to worry about her betraying him to Shinra. No more so than usual, anyway. But the whole situation was just hilarious. Yuffie, captured and forced into a form of servitude! It was all so poetic in its justice.
"Hey! Stop that!" she protested.
"What's so funny?" Aeris asked as she came to the door.
Yuffie groaned, then sighed, then retold the story to Aeris. The Cetra had the decency to only smile and not to laugh in Yuffie's face. Instead, she asked, "What's the message that Rufus asked you to deliver?"
"Oh right. That's what I'm getting paid to do now, after all." She reached into the breast pocket of her suit, and produced a letter that was slightly crinkled, bent, and warped in a few places.
Cloud took it, and looked it over. "This has been opened."
"Yeah. I did that. I figured since you guys don't tell me anything, I've gotta read your mail instead. You never told me we had a truce with Shinra."
Aeris made a noise, and gave Cloud a questioning look. He answered, "I was going to mention that the next time the group was together. The Planet spoke to me a few days back and told me that a new danger was coming. It told me to put aside any animosity with Shinra and try to take on all the allies I could get. So I sent the beginnings of a treaty to Shinra."
Aeris nodded, and Yuffie grunted. Cloud ignored her and took the letter out of its envelope.
Cloud Strife and Avalanche,
Your proposal for an alliance is intriguing, and unexpected. This supposed threat to the Planet, if there truly is one, must be dealt with. Normally, I would ignore such references to such a threat without proof, but I have had several signs of one shown to me. As such, I have agreed to your terms, provided you agree to mine.
1) Neither I nor my company nor any who work for Shinra Incorporated will harm or interfere with any member of Avalanche for the duration of this truce. In turn, no member of Avalanche will harm or interfere with anyone in the employ of Shinra Incorporated. Furthermore, Avalanche is to cease any and all acts that could be construed as terrorism against Shinra.This includes any form of attack, sabotage, or propaganda against Shinra.
As a gesture of good faith on my part, after Yuffie Kisaragi unlawfully broke into the Junon branch of Shinra, destroying property in her wake, I not only brought no harm to her person, but I offered her a job as well. No doubt she has already told you the details.
2) I request the services of Shera Cole. She alone has any knowledge of the Highwind and the Gelnika model airships. I seek to rebuild them and use them as a possible form of weaponry against the upcoming threat. I will be blunt. Afterwards, it is entirely possible these airships will be used against Avalanche after this truce is concluded. However, I still maintain that Ms. Cole be asked for her participation in the modeling of these vessels. Ms. Kisaragi will observe the request to ensure that it has taken place. Whether or not Ms. Cole accepts does not alter the terms.
3) As a further token of good faith on both mine Avalanche's part, I invite the Cetra, Aeris Gainsborough, to observe any details of Shinra's activities to ensure that this company will bring no harm to Avalanche. She will be given access to any file in Shinra's database that she wishes, and will be treated with the utmost respect. Her personal needs will be overseen by Reeve, who I believe you trust in some measure. He will ensure that no unnecessary harm will be brought to her. Make no mistake, however. Aeris will be something of a hostage in this situation. She will be given whatever she wants or needs, and be treated with respect due to one of her kind. No experiments will be made on her, as have been done in the past. She will not be harmed as long as you keep to your word. This point is non-negotiable.
Know this. I could have easily brought lawyers into this and added terms to their liking, involving reparations for previous attacks. But I am feeling merciful, and will accept a truce with Avalanche with as few conditions as possible. I expect Ms. Kisaragi's return, with Aeris and your agreement in writing, that you have accepted my terms.
As enemies, we shook the ground with our separate might. As allies, no force can stand against us. Remember this.
Rufus Shinra
President of Shinra Incorporated
Cloud had to resist the urge to crumple the piece of paper and throw it into the nearest thing that produced fire. Before he could, though, Yuffie pulled it out of his hands and gave it to Aeris. Cloud tried to protest, but the young ninja stepped between him and the Cetra, preventing him from interrupting her as she read.
"She has a right to decide herself," Yuffie said. The look she gave Cloud was far more grown up than she usually let on.
When Aeris was finished, she smiled wistfully, and said, "Things always seem to be interrupting us, don't they?"
His heart lurched, and he protested, "You're not going to go along with this, are you? It's Shinra. You know what they've done in the past! They've hurt so many people, and you most of all. I can't ask you to do this."
"I know you can't. And you aren't. But Rufus is. And I think we need this truce. Shinra's powerful, and with the resources they can give us, we'll be able to put up a better fight against whatever's coming up against the Planet."
He could hear his own teeth grinding with the resistance against saying any demands that she not go, or delivering ultimatums. He softly pushed Yuffie out of the way and moved closer to her, putting his arms around her and holding her tightly.
"It's okay," she said. "Reeve will be there to look after me, and Yuffie. Even if Reeve doesn't fully remember us like Rufus claimed, he's still an honourable man."
He responded, "I'm leaving you with Yuffie and Cait Sith, both of who have proven ... unreliable in the past."
"Hey!" Yuffie said. "I'm right here, you know!"
"It'll be okay. We should probably go talk to Shera and ask her if she wants to come, too."
Cloud felt a pang of sadness as he let Aeris go, feeling that on some level, that as soon as they separated, they would never be together again.