Cid was still clearing the last wisps of sleep from his mind as he stepped out into the sunshine, and he cursed it under his breath for being so damn bright before starting for the Candle.
"Hey, Vince," he called, seeing the man heading in his direction, towards the inn.
"Good morning, Cid," Vincent replied, slowing. "I told Aeris of your plans, and she said she has already decided. It looks as though you may be able to leave today after all."
"Really?" he asked.
"Yes. Check with her to be sure if you like."
"Yeah, I will. How's she doing?"
"She is coping well, it seems, so long as she can avoid talking too much about Sephiroth. Reno even coaxed a smile from her."
"Well, yeah. She's Aeris, after all."
Vincent studied him for a moment, and then strode silently past him. Cid watched him until he disappeared into the inn, shrugged it off, and made for the Candle.
"'morning, Aeris," he greeted, leaning against the rock platform behind the Cetra and the redhead.
She twisted around. "Good morning, Cid."
"I hear the Highwind may get to fly today."
She nodded. "That's right. As long as everyone else is ready."
"Well, if they aren't," he said gruffly, "I ain't waitin' around for their sorry asses."
Aeris shook her head at him. "Really, Cid, what would Shera say?"
The pilot ran a hand through his hair and grinned sheepishly. "Come on, you know I don't mean it."
"I know."
"Anyway." He straightened and turned to Reno. "Hey, kid, you're still young--you wanna run and tell everyone that I'm headin' out in a couple hours?"
Reno grinned and hopped down from the platform. "Sure thing, old man," he replied before heading off.
"I ain't old!" Cid called after him. He turned back to Aeris, shaking his head. "Ah, hell... How'd we ever pick him up?"
"Well, he is Reeve's friend, and mine," she pointed out. "He's only teasing anyway."
He grunted. "So where're you headed?"
She made a vague gesture. "I wanted to visit Midgar first."
"And then?"
"You don't have to worry about anything after that, Cid. We can travel by chocobo."
"'We'?" he asked, a little relieved to know that someone was going with her.
Aeris hesitated. "Reno and Minerva are coming with me. And Sephiroth, of course."
"You're gonna lug his body around?"
She lowered her gaze, and he immediately regretted asking the question. Goddamn insensitive fool. "I... I can't just leave him here. I don't know when he'll come back, and I want to be there when he wakes."
"If Lady Luck's feelin' kind, that'll be sooner rather than later. And I really hope she's in a generous mood."
"Thank you, Cid."
He scratched his head. "Eh... 'welcome. Anyway, I'd better see to the Highwind, make sure she's ready to go."
"Anxious to get home?" she asked.
He grinned. "You guessed it."
Aeris waved a hand, smiling faintly. It was good to see her smile. "All right, go on."
Cid nodded. "Yeah, and you get packing. I'll see ya later."
"I will. Bye."
He turned and headed for the gate. Finally, he was going home! Not that he didn't like being with all his old friends, but he missed Shera. Absently, he fingered the tiny box in his pocket. He was lucky Tifa had wanted to help him pick it out; Cid didn't have much taste in jewelry, and certainly not rings.
He wondered briefly if Shera would even accept. After all, he'd treated her like dirt for longer than he cared to remember. Of course she hadn't forgotten. Was it presumptuous to think that she'd forgive him for all that, even though she'd stuck with him in spite of it and never questioned him?
Cid shrugged it off. If she rejected him, she rejected him; it'd just be her revenge for him being a goddamned asshole all the time. He already owed her a million times over.
Spotting the Highwind in the distance, he quickened his pace. Hell, he'd rather ask her sooner and get it over with.
"Come back to me soon," Aeris whispered, brushing Sephiroth's hair from his face. She straightened, surveying her work: she had bandaged his visible wounds and mended the worst tears in his clothing. She refused to simply leave him as a corpse, as the others seemed content to do. Too, she refused to wear the black garb of mourning; instead she wore bright greens and earthy browns.
Retrieving her bag, Aeris turned from the room and took a deep breath to smooth her expression. She did not want to look as though she could die of grief. She did not want to worry her friends. She had to be strong. But she could only do so much, and so she kept her gaze lowered to the ground before her feet, not wanting anyone to read the sadness in it.
She bumped into Rude as she stepped outside and stumbled backwards. "Sorry!" she exclaimed softly, looking up.
Rude shook his head. "It's all right." He hesitated. "You wanted to take Sephiroth with you?"
"Yes," she answered uncertainly before she understood. "Oh. Are you going to carry him for me?"
He nodded silently.
She managed a slight smile. It was getting easier to fake such an expression; her outward appearance was slowly becoming separate from how she felt inside. Had Sephiroth gone through the same thing? "Thank you."
Rude looked away. "It's the least I can do."
"No one has to do anything for me. I'll be all right."
"But everyone wants to help you, Aeris." The mere use of her name sounded deeply personal coming from him, and she realized that she had never heard him refer to her as anything but 'the Ancient.' "You don't deserve this."
She shook her head, looking down at her feet. "He'll come back, so don't worry about it."
Rude nodded slightly and carefully stepped around her to go on up the observatory. She remained there for a moment before continuing down the steps.
She found Katrina leaning against the gatepost, looking out across the canyon, but no one else had arrived yet. Aeris was surprised; her time in the observatory had seemed like an eternity.
She joined the girl, shifting the weight of her bag. "Hey."
"Hi, Aeris," Katrina replied, turning. "How are you doing?"
"I'm all right... But, you aren't leaving, are you?"
She shook her head. "No, no, I'm not. I'm just waiting here to see people off."
Aeris nodded. "I thought you would stay; you seem quite at home here. Have you found work yet?"
"Actually, yeah. Elder Hargo said he'd been looking for an assistant--he's not very organized, you see--and I told him I'd be happy to take the job. I get room and board and not much else, but it's a start. Besides, I get to sort through all his notes and old manuscripts. How cool is that?"
The Cetra smiled faintly. "It sounds like you'll enjoy yourself."
"I'll write you if I find anything interesting, okay?" Katrina offered.
She nodded. "Sure. Though I guess you'll have to send it to someone in Bone Village. I doubt anyone wants to deliver mail in the City."
"You really don't want anyone around, huh?" the girl asked sadly.
"I won't be alone," she said. "Reno and Minerva are coming with me."
"Oh, okay."
Aeris pulled the girl into a light embrace. "Take care and be sure to visit every now and then."
"You, too," Katrina replied, surprised by the hug but returning it wholeheartedly.
The Cetra withdrew, turning her gaze to Yuffie as the girl shuffled up, a bag slung over one shoulder and Nanaki at her heels. Both of them looked miserable.
"What's wrong, you two?" Aeris wondered.
The ninja looked up. "Oh, nothing. It's just that..."
Nanaki took over. "She belongs in Wutai, and I belong here. The distance between us is too great for our liking."
"I'm sure you'll be able to keep in touch," Aeris told them, not certain she understood. "And you can spare a few days every now and then to visit each other, can't you?"
"Well, yeah," Yuffie conceded. "But... Oh, never mind." She turned to Nanaki. "Look, I'll call you every day, all right?"
He rubbed his face against her leg. "All right. And if you forget, I will call you."
"I won't forget," she told him indignantly. She knelt down to give him a quick hug, then straightened and turned to the other two by the gate, looking a little embarrassed.
Aeris smiled to set her at ease. "I hope Cosmo Canyon and Wutai will become such good friends as you two."
Yuffie grinned. "Yeah..."
The four shifted their attention at the sound of an approaching argument.
"...don't see why you're going off with Aeris," Elena was saying.
"Hey, it's not like I help pay the rent or anything," Reno pointed out. "You can live without me."
"That's not the point."
"Then what is the point?" asked the redhead, stopping as they had reached the gate by now.
"You--you'll be isolating yourself from everyone and everything!"
"I'll have Min and Aeris, and it's not like we're against visitors. Hell, you could probably come along if you wanted."
Elena threw up her hands in exasperation. "You still don't get it, do you?"
"No, I don't," Reno stated flatly.
"It's not that hard to understand, Reno," Yuffie interrupted. "Elena's just saying that she'll miss you."
The two Turks stopped and stared at her, then exchanged glances. Reno suddenly burst out laughing, while Elena blushed furiously and glared at him. "It's not funny, you moron!" she cried, stamping on his foot.
His laughter cut short as he grimaced and hopped back, glaring at her. "What was that for?"
She put her hands on her hips. "Can't you be serious for one second?" she demanded.
The redhead faltered, and then he sighed and his expression sobered. "Okay, fine. What did you wanna say?"
Elena blinked at him, thrown off guard by the sudden change in demeanor. "W-well... Yuffie's right. You're m--Rude's best friend, and... I'll miss you, too, if you go with Aeris. If it was Midgar, or Costa del Sol, or someplace closer, I wouldn't mind, but the City of the Ancients is a hellova long ways away!"
"Hey, calm down," Reno said gently, putting a hand on her shoulder.
She pulled back angrily. "Calm down? You don't even know when you're coming back!"
Undaunted, he stepped closer and put his arms around her. The gesture surprised her so much that she did not try to resist. "It's not like I'm going to drop off the face of the Planet, Elena. Sure, it's far away, but it's not an impossible distance. Besides, I've got your number."
"B-but..."
"No buts," he went on, firmly but gently. His tone impressed even Aeris. "I'm going with Aeris. It's not that big a deal, so quit acting like it's the end of the world." Reno grinned, drawing back and ruffling her hair. "Anyway, aren't we supposed to be hating each other?"
"Oh, Reno," Elena said, shaking her head, "you're hopeless."
"Indeed," Minerva remarked wryly, coming up behind them. The pair started, not having noticed her approach.
"Oh, hey, Min," Reno greeted, the gentleness gone from his manner as he stuffed his hands in his pockets. "You ready to go?"
She nodded. She seemed to notice the change, but her face conveyed no disappointment. Aeris guessed that she had already witnessed that side of the Turk. "Of course."
Tifa and Cloud joined the group, exchanging tentative greetings.
"So where are you headed, Aeris?" Cloud asked carefully.
"Midgar first," she answered, "to visit Mom, and to pick up anything of mine that survived Meteor. And then I'm going north, to the City."
"Alone?" he asked, frowning.
"Me an' Min are going with her," Reno cut in, "and we'll be staying for a while. I've heard the place is in pretty bad repair. And besides," he added with a glance at Aeris, "someone's gotta carry Sephiroth."
"Is Cid going to take you there?" Tifa asked just a little too quickly, eager to carry the topic away from the dead man.
It was Aeris who answered, her voice quite steady. She could tell the others were surprised. "He's going to drop us off at Midgar. We can go by chocobo from there, so long as you don't mind us borrowing yours again..."
Cloud shook his head. "It's no problem. Take as many as you need."
"Thank you, Cloud. I know you probably don't agree with what I'm doing..."
"No, I do," he interrupted quickly, and she thought he sounded younger than usual. The hate and suspicion had left his eyes; he hadn't even raised a word of objection to Reno's accompanying her. "I'm not sure I understand it, but I've got no right to stop you. I'd go with you, but..."
"But you've got your own life to take care of," Aeris finished. "This is my own bit of foolishness. I... He promised me he'd come back. So I'm going to wait for him. I don't know how long I'll be able to do it, and I know I'll be lonely, but I can't abandon him. I can't move on with things and have him recover to find me tangled up in something else..."
"Aeris, I'm sorry..."
She shook her head quickly. "You had your reasons. I don't blame you at all. Tifa needs you; I can survive without you. It's probably better this way."
Tifa shifted uncomfortably. "Aeris..." She sighed, trying to find her words. "I know you're a lot stronger than any of us, but even you have your limits. Don't hesitate to rely on your friends if you need us."
Aeris smiled. "Thank you, Tifa. I'll try to remember that."
The last few who were leaving with them came to join those already gathered at the gate, Vincent and Lucrecia in the lead, Reeve a little ways behind with Cait Sith waddling along at his side, and Rude coming last with Sephiroth's body over his shoulder. He seemed to be having some difficulty carrying the man's weight, and Aeris wondered briefly how Reno planned to manage. Unless he had meant Minerva.
Seeing that everyone was ready to go, those who were leaving turned down the steps, and the latecomers followed without a pause. Aeris lingered there, hesitant to go.
"It's almost been an hour," Reno prompted. "Cid's probably getting impatient."
She nodded, bent down to give Nanaki a quick hug, and turned to follow the others.
Before she got very far, though, Nanaki bounded ahead of her and stood in her path. "Wait!" he hissed, wincing at the feral sound of his voice. "Give this to Yuffie?" he implored, pawing unsuccessfully at one of the feathers in his mane.
Aeris knelt down, carefully removing the ornament. "All right, I will," she said, smiling fondly. She lowered her voice confidingly. "Is my dear Nanaki falling in love with a human?"
He lowered his head, covering his muzzle with one paw in embarrassment. "Do you think she knows?" he asked anxiously.
"If she doesn't, I think she'd like to," she said, stroking his mane. "But I won't tell her."
Nanaki nodded. "That is my duty." He straightened, trying as ever to act as an adult. "Now go and catch up with the others. I've no wish to keep you too long."
"Take care of yourself, Nanaki," she said as she stood and continued down the steps.
"And you as well, Aeris."
She hurried after the others, slowing only when she caught up to Reno. He glanced at her with a raised eyebrow as she lowered her skirts.
"You all walk too fast!" she exclaimed.
He grinned in response. "I think some of us are just anxious to get home."
Aeris nodded. "I know, though I'm not sure I know the feeling."
"That's not something I expected from you. Don't you have a place you call home?"
"Not really. The City of the Ancients is the closest thing, I guess."
"Care to explain that one to me?"
"Well, it's the home of my people," she replied. "And it's isolated, away from derision and misunderstanding, away from crowded, mechanical places that drown out the Planet's song, away from the people who worry too much about me." Her gaze wandered ahead to Cloud and Tifa.
"So it's a hiding place," Reno concluded.
She shook her head. "No, it's more than that. It's... the only place I've ever felt I belonged."
He eyed her critically but only shrugged. "Whatever. Maybe I'll get it when I see you there."
They were silent for the rest of the trek to the airship. Aeris was the last to climb up the ladder to the Highwind. Reno, Minerva, Elena, and Yuffie were still on the deck when she reached it. It was clear that Yuffie intended to stay out here, but the others were only waiting for her. She waved them on in and moved to join the young ninja at the rail.
Once the others had gone, Aeris drew out the feather and held it out to Yuffie. "Nanaki wanted me to give you this."
She blinked, and her eyes widened. "But... he earned this for saving the Planet. It's too great an honor for him to..."
The Cetra did not withdraw her hand. "He said to give it to you. I think you've done plenty to deserve it."
The ninja took it uncertainly, but with a firm grip lest it blow away. "I guess I'll just have to repay him when he comes to visit Wutai," she considered. "It's really me who should be giving him things, you know. I have a lot to make up for."
"What do you mean?"
"You remember how I used to torment him when we were younger. Maybe he's forgiven me for it, but I still wish I could do something as an apology."
"I think your friendship is enough for him," Aeris said gently.
"You think?"
She nodded.
The ninja grinned. "It means a lot to me, too. Too bad I have to go back to Wutai with my lazy dad and that bratty Shake. The kid only gets worse as he gets older."
"Nn."
"Sorry. I shouldn't vent on you."
"It's all right."
"Say... Do you think there's anything I can do? You know, to help Sephiroth?"
Aeris frowned, watching as the ground recede as the Highwind lifted off. "You aren't dead, and he hasn't hurt you, really, so I think not..."
"Sure he's hurt me--my mother died defending Wutai from him. Doesn't that count?"
"I guess," she agreed doubtfully. "But I died by his hand, and it doesn't seem like I have any say in the matter."
Yuffie frowned, clinging to the railing with her free hand as the Highwind gained speed. "That's not fair. The living should have a say in it, too."
"You're right," she sighed, though she didn't see how that could work. "I'll ask the Planet when I can." She paused and looked over at her friend intently. "Would you really stand up for Sephiroth?"
"Yeah, of course. He's sorta depressing, but he seems like a nice guy. Kinda like Vinny, I guess. He's cute, too," she added with a wink at the Cetra. "I can see why you like him."
Aeris laughed a little in spite of herself. "Thanks, Yuffie. He is cute."
They spoke little for the rest of the trip, and by the time the airship reached Costa del Sol, Yuffie had carefully tucked Nanaki's feather away in her journal to make sure she didn't lose it. Cloud and Tifa came out onto the deck, stopping just before the ladder.
"Bye, Aeris," Tifa said, giving her friend a quick hug.
"Goodbye, Tifa," she replied. "Thanks for everything."
The brunette smiled falteringly and disappeared down the ladder.
Cloud hesitated, running a hand through his shock of blond hair. "See you, Aeris..."
She nodded, stepping up to him and kissing him lightly on the cheek. "Goodbye, Cloud."
"You make that sound so final," he said regretfully. He really did seem younger.
Aeris smiled apologetically. "I'm sorry; I don't mean it to be. Visit as often as you like. I'm sure I'll appreciate the company."
"We'll be sure to do that," he said firmly, then followed Tifa down the ladder.
The next stop was Junon, where Elena, Reeve, and Rude were getting off. Reno came out with them to bid them farewell. Elena seemed eager to be off, or maybe she was just embarrassed by the scene she had made at the gate and didn't want to make another with some sappy goodbye. Rude and Reno exchanged only nods before Rude climbed down the ladder after her.
Reeve tossed Cait Sith unceremoniously over the railing, then turned to Aeris. "I'll see you later, Aeris. You still owe me a date, don't forget."
She managed a smile. "I won't. Come by sometime, and I'll oblige you."
He grinned and turned to Reno. "See you, Reno. Take care of her."
"'later, Reeve. Look after Elena for me."
"Sure thing." Then Reeve turned and went down to join his two friends. Reno came to stand with the two women at the railing. None of them spoke.
The Highwind stopped next at the ruins of Midgar, just outside Sector 5. Minerva came out onto the deck, Sephiroth's body impossibly over one shoulder. Certainly she didn't look as though she could bear his weight so easily. But she only walked past them silently and started down the ladder, going slowly and carefully.
Aeris turned to Yuffie, giving her a hug. "Tell me all about Wutai," she said. "I want to hear what a good leader you are."
The ninja grinned. "I will. You keep in touch, too. If Reno's acting up too much, just tell me and I'll come kick his ass."
The Cetra looked pointedly at the Turk. "You hear that, Reno? You'd better watch yourself."
"Hey, I've got Minerva," he said, holding up his hands. "I wouldn't dream of bothering you."
Yuffie rolled her eyes. "Riiight. Just get going."
"Yes, ma'am," he said, swiftly moving to follow Minerva.
"Wow, obedience," the ninja remarked.
"You do have authority," Aeris told her. "Not that Reno usually respects that..."
"Anyway, you just tell me if there's anything I can do for Seph."
"I will. I'll see you later, Yuffie."
"Bye, Aeris!" the ninja called after her as she started down the ladder.
She joined Reno and Minerva on the ground below, finding the former wearing a stupid grin and the latter looking none-too-pleased.
"What?" Aeris asked.
"You've got nice underwear," the redhead told her as Minerva sighed.
The Cetra placed her hands on her hips. "What was it you just said about not bothering me?" she demanded darkly.
"Hey, it's a compliment!" he protested.
She turned him around and gave him a light shove. "Get moving, and no more comments about my underwear."
"Ow, hey..." Reno glanced at her over his shoulder, but started towards Midgar. "Would you give Sephiroth this much of a hard time for saying something like that?"
"Sephiroth is too much of a gentleman to make lewd comments," Aeris told him, a few paces behind him but not far enough back that she could see Minerva who trailed after, silently bearing her burden.
"Oh, yeah, that 'gentleman' thing again. Guess I should look into that, huh?"
"Yes, maybe you should. Minerva might appreciate it."
The redhead had sobered by the time they reached Sector 5, finding much of the place still in tact, including Aeris's church. If she had not had such a heavy grief on her heart, she might have expressed real elation at finding her church standing and gone to see her flowers. As it was she walked past it, her steps not slowing until she reached her old house. The flowers here were no less vibrant than when she had last seen them, but now they brought her little joy.
She approached the door hesitantly, turned the knob, and stepped inside. Reno followed her to the door, but Minerva hung back, looking around with an empty curiosity.
"Mom, I'm home...!" Aeris called, no cheer in her voice.
"A-aeris?" Elmyra gasped, coming from around the corner to see her.
"Yes, Mom, it's me. I--"
She could not get out a word of explanation before her foster mother had her in a tight embrace. "Oh, my dear Aeris! Barret was kind enough to tell me that you were alive again by some miracle, but I could scarcely believe it! How are you doing? Are you all right? And what of Sephiroth, who revived you?"
"Slow down and let me answer," Aeris said breathlessly as Elmyra drew back. "Yes, I'm all right--more or less. It's a long story. You see, Professor Hojo captured Sephiroth, and we had to free him, and then kill Hojo. And then we had to defeat Jenova--the Crisis from the Sky--because she was a danger to the Planet. And..." Her voice faltered. "And..."
Elmyra blinked rapidly, trying to take this in, and Reno was left more or less ignored by the open door. "What is it, dear?"
The Cetra lowered her gaze. "...Sephiroth died in the battle."
Her foster mother frowned in confusion. "Well, that's not so bad, is it? He revived you, certainly, but he was the one who..."
Aeris was shaking her head. "You don't understand. He's different. The Sephiroth who killed all those people--that wasn't the real him! Sephiroth is kind and understanding and... He was the one who freed us from the lab, he was the one who brought me back, he was the one who traded himself in to Hojo so that I wouldn't have to suffer, he was the one who died because he tried too hard to protect me from Jenova..."
"What are you saying?" Elmyra asked, sensing that there was more.
"I love him," she answered simply.
"You love him?" her mother repeated skeptically. "You love Sephiroth?"
Aeris nodded. "Yes, I love him. I know it sounds crazy, but you haven't met him. You don't know him like I do. He's a wonderful, wonderful person..."
"Was," Elmyra corrected softly.
She shook her head emphatically. "The Planet says that it's letting his victims judge him. If they let him, he'll come back. He promised me he would."
"I... see."
The Cetra frowned. "Please, Mom. You know what it's like, don't you?"
Elmyra nodded. "Yes, I suppose I do. You're going to wait for him then?"
"Yes," she answered, glad that this, at least, was something her mother could understand.
"Are you going to stay here?" Her gaze went past her to finally notice Reno. "With your... friend?"
Aeris shook her head. "I'm sorry, Mom. I don't think I could bear it. I mean... I don't want you worrying about me constantly. I don't want anyone worrying about me. I just thought that it would be cruel not to even visit you..."
"What about your friend?"
"I'm going along for comic relief, ma'am," Reno said with a winning grin.
Elmyra frowned in disapproval.
"This is Reno," Aeris cut in quickly. "He's coming along to keep me company and cheer me up. Minerva, too..."
"Minerva?"
"Yes. I think she's outside. She's, well... Sephiroth's sister and Reno's girlfriend."
"I didn't know Sephiroth had a sister," Elmyra said.
"There's a lot nobody knew about Sephiroth," Aeris replied.
Her mother nodded. "I suppose so," she agreed. "So will you be staying here long?"
"I guess we'll spend the night," the Cetra considered. "We've only got a couple hours of daylight left; it's really too late to be moving on."
"That's quite all right with me. Where are you headed anyway?"
"The City of the Ancients," Aeris answered. "It's just north of Bone Village."
"I don't presume anyone lives there," Elmyra said dubiously.
"No, not really, but there are no monsters either. You don't have to worry."
"All right," her mother sighed, and Aeris knew she would worry. "Well, why don't you all come in, and I'll fix some dinner for you."
Aeris turned to step outside, Reno just ahead of her, and spotted Minerva sitting on the little bridge over the stream, Sephiroth's body on the ground beside her. She noticed them immediately and got to her feet, waiting for some sign as to whether they were going or staying. Aeris motioned her over, but the girl hesitated over her brother's body.
Elmyra had come out behind them, and she watched uncertainly. "Is that... Minerva?" she asked.
The Cetra nodded. "Yes, that's her."
"...she looks young."
"Seventeen."
"How old is Reno?"
Not knowing, Aeris looked to the Turk.
"Huh? Oh, twenty-seven."
Elmyra did not seem to acknowledge his presence, only his answer. "He's too old for--"
"Mom," Aeris interrupted in admonishment, "age doesn't matter that much, especially with these two. Reno's immature and Minerva's very precocious. They're perfect for each other."
By now Minerva had joined them, having left Sephiroth where he lay, and at this she actually blushed a little, though the color did not affect her blank expression. "We are leaving in the morning then?" she asked.
Aeris nodded. "That's right. I figured we'd head to the chocobo farm tomorrow and go north from there."
"I could fetch these chocobos tonight if I were given directions."
"You're sure you feel up to it?"
Minerva regarded her with icy eyes that did not appreciate the question. "Of course."
"Well," the Cetra said, breaking that gaze on the pretense of remembering the way, "you'll need to head east past the mountains, and then south once you've left the valley. It's just east of the marshes."
With a silent nod, the girl turned to go back the way they had come, not seeking any sort of goodbyes from her friends.
"What a strange girl," Elmyra remarked.
"I'd take weird over normal any day," Reno said, earning him another look of appraisal.
"Come on, Reno," Aeris said, taking him by the arm. "Why don't I show you around while Mom makes dinner? You've never been to my house before, have you?"
"Nope. Not inside it anyway."
This caught Elmyra's attention. "How long have you known him, Aeris?"
She exchanged glances with Reno, and he answered, "Must be almost ten years now, 'cause I remember it was my second year with Shinra that I met her."
"...Shinra?"
"He was a Turk, Mom--the one who always let me get away."
Reno made a little bow as Elmyra studied him with a frown. When she said nothing, Aeris tugged Reno towards the stairs, letting go his arm when they reached the second floor. She entered her bedroom with a rueful smile, finding that all was as she had left it; her floral comforter still looked hurriedly smoothed, as though she had slept there only the night before and left in a hurry.
"So this is your room, huh?" Reno remarked from the doorway.
"Yeah," she replied, sitting down slowly on her bed. "It's so strange, being back here. It's almost like nothing's changed, like I was here with Cloud just yesterday."
"Cloud's been here?"
"You remember, don't you? The day he was there to protect me from you? He took me home."
"Ah, so that's how your mom learned to perfect those disapproving looks."
Aeris shook her head. "No, he's only been here the one time as far as I know."
There was a short silence between them, and then Reno asked, "So I guess I'm staying in the other room, huh?"
She nodded. "That's right."
He came over to sit down beside her. "You know, Aeris, I'd almost say you're better at this than Min. And that's kinda scaring me."
"Grief isn't something I really learned to deal with," she said. "When Mom died, I... Well, I could still hear her voice, so it didn't feel like she was gone. When I lost Zack, I told myself it was because we'd never been very serious, and that he'd probably just moved on without remembering to say goodbye. When it was me who died... It's strange, being dead. I could watch you as much as I wanted, and it was almost like being a part of your lives, but you could never notice me or understand what I was going through--and that wasn't much different from when I was alive.
"But this time... I don't know. I just keep telling myself, he'll be coming back, because I don't know what to do if he doesn't."
Reno put an arm around her. "He's a tough guy, Sephiroth. If they don't let him come back, he'll find a way to do it anyway."
Aeris closed her eyes and leaned against him. Just for this moment, she could accept someone else's comfort.
Author's Notes
Originally, they only stopped by Elmyra's house so Aeris could pick up some things, and then they continued on. It took an insanely short amount of time to get anywhere in LFA. . So, I decided I'd have them spend the night, which gave me a nice excuse to split the scene. Aeris's exchange with Reno there at the end is also entirely new, and I'm glad I added it.