Author's Note:

Reno: Okay. What the hell is up with the name of this chapter?

Reeve: I don't see anything wrong with it. I kind of like it.

Reno: … Never mind. I thought I was supposed to be the stupid one.

Reeve: But you are.

Reno: Oh right. Anyway, Tyramir doesn't own the rights to Final Fantasy.

Chapter Sixty Four

The Super Amazing Flying Furball

Aeris stood at the elevator to Lower Junon waiting for Gerald to return with Reeve. She knew she had to go outside and confront Rufus, but she also knew that she couldn't allow Reeve to die if he were truly injured. Decisions like these were always the worst. But in the end, she compromised, thinking that if she managed to heal Reeve quickly enough, she could still go outside and personally deal with Rufus and Ephain.

The problem was, she wasn't sure she would be able to. Against Ephain? Possibly. Against Rufus? On the luckiest day of her life. Against both of them at the same time? Visions of a pink and red stain on the ground outside of Junon came to mind. She tried not to think of it.

Instead, she twirled Princess Guard about in her hands, focusing more on that, and working through what she would do. She'd obviously have to take care of Rufus first. Ephain was deadly, that was certain, but Rufus now carried the Mark of Blood Letting. He would still retain some defensive capabilities such as healing, and be able to cast offensive magic. And he had a shotgun and Murasame. All the cards were in Rufus' hands now. He had all the power, and worse, he had influence on both sides. His defection would crumble the morale of Shinra, and cause many to defect. And more than likely, he was now a heroic figure in the eyes of the Tali Hishna, bolstering them.

"Ma'am!"

Aeris stopped her staff twirling and looked over to see Gerald half carrying Reeve towards her. The man had somehow lost his suit jacket and his shirt was stained with blood. His face was pale, and drenched with sweat. There was a faraway look in his eyes.

She immediately rushed to them, calling up her white magic. But as she approached, something tingled at the back of her head. A feeling of apprehension. Of wrongness. Something definitely wasn't right. Once Gerald put Reeve down and turned him about, she chalked it up to the gaping bullet hole in his side. That kind of wound definitely was not right.

"Who did this to you?" she asked as she grabbed the fabric of his shirt and ripped it.

"Turks," he managed to rasp, his voice bordering on deliria.

Placing her hands on his wound, she immediately withdrew them with a hiss. This wasn't even the worst of the two, for she now knew that he had two wounds. She felt his pain as soon she touched him.

"He's wounded somewhere else. I need to find that one first," she stated.

Gerald nodded and tore Reeve's shirt off, ripping it nearly to shreds in the process. The two carefully ran their hands over him, wiping blood off his torso, but found nothing save the bullet hole, which had been hastily bandaged at some point earlier.

Gerald moved as if to take off Reeve's pants, unbuckling his belt, but Aeris shook her head. "It's not there. Any wound that low wouldn't be giving off the pain I feel.

Pointedly looking at Reeve's crotch, Gerald said, "I beg to differ."

Aeris frowned at him, then said, "It's…"

She moved her hands along Reeve's neck, and then through his hair. Her eyes widened as she felt a bloody hole behind his left ear. Had he been shot there, too?

Gerald instantly craned Reeve's head to the side and looked over it and denied her suspicions. "Too small for a gunshot. Looks like it was done with… a knife? Maybe a scalpel. Looks like something may have been pulled out?"

Reeve managed to groan. "He'll never get rid of me now…. No more chip… All mine. Mind is mine and body is mine… all mine, all mine."

Gerald gave her a questioning look, and Aeris stated, "He's delirious. Ignore him. I have to heal that wound. Stand back for a second."

Placing her hands on the wound, she made a disgusted face. There was definitely something wrong with the injury, but she wasn't sure what. A definite sense of wrongness permeated it. She pushed the thoughts from her mind and focused her power, a calm breeze coming through the air, touching at Reeve's head injury and expanding, moving to his side and mending the wound. Even as she did, she heard what sounded like a battle cry.

"Yar!" came the call, a small black and white figure complete with a red cape and gold crown leaping through the air directly at Reeve.

Even as the small bundle of fur flew at her and Reeve, claws of one hand extended, a megaphone in the other being brandished like a weapon, the healing wind caught up the robotic cat Aeris now identified as Cait Sith, its energies surrounding it and Reeve both.

Reeve gasped abruptly, jerking upright, and the robotic cat fell from mid-air and landed on the ground with a deliberate thump.

"What just happened, ma'am?" Gerald asked, obviously confused.

"I'm not sure. Reeve's healed at least."

The bloodied man groaned, and brought a hand to his face. Reeve jolted, as if just noticing something, his eyes widening. "More than you think, you lovable, pink, beautiful… lovable girl!"

Reeve wrapped his arms around Aeris and rained kisses on her, and the Cetra was too startled to push him off right away. Once she did, Reeve made a few apologetic noises, and then let out a great sigh.

"You're welcome," Aeris said, confused. "I think."

"You… you… horrible witch!" came an extremely loud call.

Aeris turned to regard the small Cait Sith doll, megaphone up and placed against his lips. He was standing imperiously, and shaking one small fist at her. "I will have my revenge against you for this indignity!"

"I'm sorry, but… what?" Aeris asked.

"Don't mind him," Reeve said. "He's just upset because he's a small, robotic cat. Speaking of which… Can I borrow that?"

Reeve pointed to Gerald's sword, and the man, looking just as confused as Aeris felt, nodded.

"Excellent! What an obliging fellow."

Reeve took the sword from Gerald and upraised it, then charged at Cait Sith, laughing maniacally. "Bahaha! My day has come! Die, you little bastard!"

Cait made what sounded like a gulp, the sound enhanced through the megaphone, and turned and ran away, Reeve following after him, swinging his borrowed sword wildly. The bearded executive looked quite the psychotic, no shirt, pants falling down from an undone buckle, covered in blood and swinging a sword with no regard to skill or finesse.

"Chop! Chop! Chop!" he yelled as he ran.

Aeris watched the spectacle, stunned, eyes wide. "Do you have any idea what just happened?"

Gerald numbly shook his head. "No, and I don't suspect I'll ever find out. This just stinks of 'need to know.'"

Aeris looked down at her hands, and noticed they were still covered in Reeve's blood. She quickly wiped them off on the rags of Reeve's old shirt, then gasped.

"What is it?" Gerald asked.

"Rufus!" she exclaimed, having completely forgotten about the man. She stood up hurriedly, straightened out her dress, picked up her staff, and ran towards the elevator.

Author's Note:

Well. That's one plot line mostly resolved. I had fun writing that one. I nearly laughed out loud as I wrote it. But I'm at work, so I had to keep that sort of stuff in. I'm a little worried that I resolved it a bit too quickly. Ah well. I like it.