15

The Launch

Many residents packed their belongings. Out on the street, there were piles of luggage, people muscling them into the back of pickup trucks or Chocobo wagons. I watched, apprehensive, as the earth vibrated, the Rocket slowly waking up.

It was only an hour before launch, and many of Rocket Town's folks were preparing to flee, expecting their homes to sway and fall to the ground, a sacrifice for their stubborn efforts.

A light blue sky laid overhead, a bright but cold sun still making its way over the hills and mountain range of Mt. Nibel. Meteor sat high up there in waiting, spreading its red light until it appeared like a faded, thick halo around it. The trees had only a few red leaves left, most of their long branches bare. From old rain and time, fallen leaves had melded into the stone roads, planting their shapes like shadows until they will eventually wash away with more rain or snow.

Vincent stood along beside me, Tifa at my other shoulder, and the three of us grew tense as we watched the whole town prepare to evacuate.

"Is it safe to watch the launch?" I asked, handing Vincent his cloak.

"Not from here, of course. The villagers must be taking precautions, driving their things far away from town before their homes collapse under the rocket's force. It's a safe strategy. Come back after and rebuild? What could they lose?" He implied, taking his cloak and fixing it around his tall body.

Being back in red, Vincent looked more himself, hiding his frown behind his red collar, and his dim red eyes lifted at the rocket.

It got cleaned up, shining under the early sun without a vine nor smudge. The rocket's finished metal reflected the sunlight like a like a new toy.

Tifa furrowed her brow as she hid inside a thick grey hoodie. She still shivered, her short skirt and knee-high compression stockings not exactly warm.

"I want to watch, but how close can we get without getting caught in the blast?" She asked, watching how Shinra troops and mechanics climbed up and down the ladders, adding gear last-minute inside the monstrous ship.

The entire field seemed to be a tripping hazard zone. Across it, thick wires buzzed. Mako pipes hummed, hissing a few green puffs from loosened screws, transmitting more energy towards the launch pad.

To Tifa's question, I shrugged, warm in a creamy turtleneck dress I borrowed from Shera.

"We can watch, as long as we're doing so from a safe distance. In my world, there's usually safe barriers, high fences, and a parameter no one is supposed to enter. It's something to watch from far away from all the heat, noise, and exhaust that's released from a rocket," I explained.

"Well, I feel bad for these people. Didn't they know what would happen if they built houses around the rocket?" Tifa asked, her distressed amber eyes flickering to all the cute cottages with pipes.

"We knew what we were signing up for," Shera replied, ease dropping. We turned around, finding her dressed in a thick layer of white leather liner that went all the way up to her neck and down her ankles. With her hair up in a tight bun, she smiled at us behind her glasses.

"It may topple our homes, but not our pride. This is for the Planet," she assured, beaming like a whole new woman.

"Shera, you look awesome!" I gushed, smiling at how she held herself. Shera's smile widened.

"Thanks. If you all want to watch with the rest of the town, just do it two miles that way," she pointed to the far green fields East of town, Mt. Nibel a hazy dark blue mass in the distance.

"The blast may be at least a mile if everything words correctly," she added, pushing her glasses up.

"Shera, I've been meaning to ask, how will plummeting a rocket into Meteor just be enough? Are there explosives on the rocket?" I asked.

Her smile tilted.

"That's all Scarlet's department. Though, since she's no longer alive, I guess the project fell on Rufus. From what I've heard, it has something to do with Huge Materia, but that's all I know," she answered.

I lifted a dark brow.

"Huge Materia?"

I've never heard of it before, not even locked away in Junon. Scarlet mentioned something about a Materia lab, but that was all that was leaked in front of me.

Shera shrugged, puzzled as well.

"I don't know how it works, but it's what will help the rocket blast when it makes impact at Meteor. That and the Mako storage, of course."

Hearing about a Materia capable of giving enough energy to turn the rocket in to a weapon twisted my insides. Feelin the warming up of the rocket vibrate the grass under my feet didn't help, giving me the impression that I was on a boat.

"Oh no," Tifa gulped.

We all followed her troubled eyes, and there at the edge of town, walking with a group of Shinra troops, was Palmer. He was chuckling at something, the guards less impressed. The sickly looking man laid his wrinkled hands over his thick belly under a grey suit.

"See ya at Cid's house," Tifa whispered, and she slipped away.

Vincent sighed, crossing his arms.

"I don't know why she just doesn't kick his ass," he muttered.

I cringed at the way Palmer displayed himself, a heavy-set man with a limp, a gold cane to aid in his walk as it stabbed the grass.

"I think Tifa just has a few regrets," I rang, remembering seeing her drunk in her sailor outfit, getting too friendly with a drunken Palmer.

Shera shifted uncomfortably, her nervous eyes from Palmer to the rocket.

"Well, I better go check those oxygen tanks before we launch. Wish me luck," she chirped.

I hugged her, smelling the leather of her suit.

"You will do fantastic up there," I told her.

Shera squeezed her arms around my shoulders.

"I'm excited to come back already," she sighed, and we relaxed, exchanging warm smiles.

Vincent gave Shera his left human hand, shaking hers lightly, and she walked towards the rocket, head held high with courageous effort. Coincidentally, she left at the perfect time, slipping through the young saplings before disappearing around the launch pad before anyone else would notice.

My smile faded when I spotted someone else in the Shinra group, hiding behind a few gunmen.

When I recognized it to be Reno, I gawked.

As Palmer neared, Reno finally caught on, stepping forward, and spotted me and Vincent. As soon as he and I locked eyes, he stopped short and pointed with a finger the same time that I did.

"You!" We both exclaimed at once.

Reno hissed behind his clenched teeth, "What are you doing here?"

"To see the launch that might save the world. What about you?" I asked dryly, crossing my arms.

Reno smirked, his red hair even more vibrant under a cool sun. Its low rays began to sink into the streets through the alleyways and over the rooftops. His hair appeared close to orange under the light, turquoise eyes cold.

"To make sure the launch runs smoothly, of course. Don't want you and your friends getting in the way," the Turk sneered. He still exposed his young chest smoothly under his loose shirt and blue blazer, his skin pale.

I tried to get a glimpse of his hand, but it was hidden under a black glove. I couldn't tell if it was just a fake hand or something else, unable to track his fingers.

"How's your hand?" I suddenly asked, softening.

This seemed to catch Reno off guard, for his eyes grew until he blinked down at his once missing hand with a grunt.

Under a long, black glove, his fingers curled stiffly, arm shaking.

"Uh, it's fine," he muttered, eyes narrowed as he hid his hand behind his thigh.

"Your friends aren't here with you?" Vincent asked, stepping closer until his cloak tickled my ankle.

Reno spat, "None of your business."

"Reno, that's no way to treat Rufus's special friend," Palmer joined, his cheeks round and red like a jolly Santa when he came up to us.

"Aqua, it's so nice to see you. It's a shame for what happened in Junon," he tried, as if we were even friends.

I stood uncomfortably, ready to retreat. With Palmer and Reno here, I worried who else would show up to watch the show.

"Yes, well, Rufus let me go," I reminded the head of Shinra's Space program.

Palmer grinned his tea stained teeth.

"Yes, indeed you were," he mused, nodding to that as though not believing me but falsely agreeing just to make me feel better. I fell into a cold sweat, collecting at the back of my neck.

"But as long as you and your friends won't interfere with our plans, then Rufus will let you all be. No need to fight each other when there's another enemy to worry about, see?"

He pointed a fat finger up to Meteor.

"If it all goes well, we'll blow up Meteor a little after seven this evening. Do you have a place to watch the show?"

I nodded. "Yep," I lied, my heart quickening.

Palmer averted his eyes around the busy town, everyone quickly tranporting their bags and moving vehicles off their properties.

Turning back to me, the chubby man fretted, "Well, you better leave soon. I'd hate to tell Rufus you were caught in the launch."

"He should just give up on Aqua already, geez," Reno barged in rudely, rolling his eyes up at Meteor. Palmer cleared his throat as he threw his puny eyes at Reno with distaste.

"I'll gladly tell him you said that," he hissed.

The two Shinra men then became tense, and unexpectedly, I felt a firm hand rest on my shoulder, almost making me jump.

"I agree. Tell him," Cloud warned, getting in on the last bit of this conversation. I could only imagine how threatening his eyes must've looked, because Palmer began to untuck his collar so quickly, exposing his thick neck to the cold air.

"Of course. Of course. Uh, excuse me, I need to be in the ground control room," and he skittered off with his cane, followed by his herd of quiet Shinra guards.

Reno didn't seem as intimidated by Cloud's stare, but he took a step back, glaring over my head at him.

"Like I said, don't interfere with our plans, and we won't mess with you," Reno spat, giving us the bird before walking off with his hands in his pockets.

We watched Reno join Palmer and his troops, disappearing to an underground passage just outside the rocket's launch pad. When the tension left, Vincent turned to Cloud and chuckled, "That went well."

"I suppose it could be worst," Cloud grunted.

"Hey you three!" Red cried.

We turned our gaze to the intelligent animal galloping towards us. He skidded to a stop, his feathers, and charms chiming against his ears. When he got our attention, he lifted his yellow eyes and told us, "It's time to say our farewell to Cid. He's almost ready."

We followed him to Cid's house in a rush.

Everyone else was already there, crowding in the living room. Cid wore a one piece white leather suit similar to Shera's, appearing more fit in its tight hold. He was smoking on a cigarette, anything to calm his nerves.

"Palmer is already here," Vincent reported.

Cid scoffed, "Like I gave a shit if he's here."

"Cid, how are you feeling?" Yuffie asked, never seeing the pilot so worked up before. He was puffing on his cigarette faster than usual, half the house covered in smoke. I surveyed the barren yellow walls. Frame pictures must've already been put away, along with a few other small details, like the French press and a few books from the shelves.

"Fucking nervous, that's how I'm feeling," Cid grumbled.

"Where is your packed things?" I asked.

Cid sat in a dining room chair, one arm braced over its backrest, while his other hand took the cigarette from his lips.

"It's all in the truck, ready to go. Tifa will drive it to the airship near the safe zone," he answered. He considered me, his eyes suddenly soft, and he sighed out a stream of cigarette smoke, smearing across his look with a thin haze.

"Okay, okay. I guess I should make a little speech for ya'll before I go save the world."

He stretched out his arms, puffing up his chest under his suit.

"Cid, you don't have to make a speech," Vincent groaned.

"Shut up! I'm gonna!" Cid spat at him, and he shoved his cigarette back to his mouth to inhale its sweet release.

Reeve took a chair at the table, along with Yuffie and Tifa. Red curled on a round rug in the middle of the living room. Barret sat on the couch beside me, while Cloud leaned against a wall next Vincent.

We were all quiet, knowing Cid was sorting his words through his anxieties before putting them out there. He blew a few puffs, and then took a deep breath.

"I've been waiting for this day for almost ten years. At first, It was meant to just reach the stars, to see a part of space that no one's ever seen before. Now this mission is meant to blow up Meteor."

He took another cigarette break, giving enough time for Tifa to ask, "But, won't that mean just throwing your life work away?"

Cid rubbed a hand over his trimmed chin.

"At first, yeah, it felt like that. But then, I learn I still get to fly it, even after opposing Shinra with you freaks. As long as I get to fly it, then it doesn't really bother me. Besides, it just proves that it ain't magic that will save the world, but some fucking science!" He made a fist and shook it.

"I'll prove to the world what the Space Program is capable of. I get to use my skills to save this Planet. I mean, damn, talk about a privilege."

Cid then smiled at all of us, standing up tall from his chair and walking into the kitchen to get a good view of his friends.

"I'm grateful you are all here on this important day of mine. I never thought I would have so many friends. It means a lot to me," Cid finished, dropping his head a little while rubbing the back of his neck.

"Cid, that's beautiful," Tifa gasped.

Cid lifted his grin to all of us.

"Yeah yeah."

"I hope when I come back, there will be more partying, and perhaps other good news to share," he hinted, tossing his bright blue eyes straight to mine. I reeled back on the couch, hiding behind Barret's large arm.

"What other good news?" Yuffie rang, lost. Cloud sighed, rubbing his armored fingers across his forehead.

Cid didn't answer, only throwing a wink across the room at Cloud, and then he lifted a leather pack over his shoulder.

"Well, time for me to go. Ya'll take the truck far away from here. It's gonna get messy," Cid chirped.

We followed him out.

Through the streets, residents congregated and clapped for Cid. Confetti was thrown. Whistles and cheers traveled through the air as he waved at all the people he got close with since joining the rocket project.

Children ran up to him for hugs, as though he was a celebrity. Cloud seemed especially captivated by the scene, watching how Cid suddenly wasn't just Cid anymore, but something more, something that represented the entire community of this town, perhaps even humanity. There were many heroes to look up to, not just ones with Mako in their blood. They didn't need swords nor incredible battle strength. I think that is what Cloud was thinking as I observed how engrossed he was at Cid's departure. So many smiles surrounded the pilot, pats on his shoulders, hands reaching to touch him as though he was a next Messiah.

My chest rattled by the moving scene, never seeing Cid so excited before. His rough smile grew to the ends of his face, teeth straight and cigarette absent, left by his feet, forgotten.

Rays of sun blurred between Cid and the residents, exchanging hugs, last-minute words, tears, and prayers. There was this remarkable force that vibrated across the town, built for years and years, the reason these residents built their houses so close to an old rocket. The reason they protected it. Why Cid kept shoving demands for more funding from Shinra. And now it was the reason everyone cheered and wished the most important man on earth, good luck.

Hope.

That's what it did to these people. It was a heart-warming experience to watch it all unfold from such a small town, the strength these people brought.

Cid and his men were ready to take the ladder, making one last wave. He threw his quirky, big smile at us, urging me to run towards him with my arms out wide.

I gave Cid one last hug, feeling the roughness of his suit rub against my sweater.

He seemed surprised, tilted back a bit, eyes wide and mouth fallen for just a breath. However, he smiled again and wrapped his thick-coated arms around my shoulders.

Inhaling cigarettes, leather, and hints of aftershave, I whispered to Cid, "Godspeed with you."

Cid chuckled, shaking his head.

"Is that what they say in your world?" He grunted.

I nodded.

Cid sighed, giving me one last squeeze.

"When I come back, you better tell everyone you got a baby on the way, okay kid?"

I pulled back, releasing him, and smiled shyly as the rocket's winds threw my hair in all directions.

"Okay, deal," I promised, pointing my red cheeks to Cid's grey boots.

He laid a large hand on my shoulder.

"I'll be back soon," he settled.

Cid's smile disappeared when he turned away, the last to take the ladder.

I clasped my hands, looking up to watch Cid ascend slowly, his figure shrinking as he climbed. Cloud appeared by my shoulder, looking up with me.

"What did he say?" he asked.

Cid climbed to the top and maneuvered through the railing, taking in the view of his home for a minute. I watched how captivated he was at what he saw. If only I could see it through his eyes, standing hundreds of feet up there, like a professional diver ready to take the plunge.

Cid's face became washed by the sun, given a warm bath before departure, smiling to it as though he was ready to touch Heaven. His smile brightened, sparkles squinted out of his eyes until I realized they were tears.

What was it like to be up there like that? To see everyone looking up at you, throwing you their last shred of hope? My body tingled by the thought, imagining Cid standing on the shoulders of the Planet, and whispering in its ear that he will take care of this.

I blushed, turning to Cloud with that same shy smile I just had for Cid.

"He said, when he comes back, I better tell everybody that we're expecting a child," I revealed nervously.

Before the pilot entered the rocket, he pumped out a fist, hitting through the glare of the sun. The crowd cheered, all mingling in the grass with their hands raised with him.

In response to what I said, Cloud smiled at me, eyes sparkling. He brushed my cheek with his gloved fingers, cupping it.

"Then let's tell everyone when he gets back," Cloud suggested warmly. Our eyes locked, sharing nervous excitement between them.

Together, we turned our focus back to the rocket, catching a glimpse of Cid before he entered, the last to embark.

Was this how Cid pictured his departure, or was this a lot more than he expected?

I think because this was to save the world, it felt more than Cid has ever hoped for.

Now the world seemed to be watching him.

News cameras and reporters captured the rocket for the rest of the audience to see while still secure in their homes elsewhere.

For the moment, Meteor seemed to be nothing more than a nuisance in the sky, watching all the hope unfold around the world with little interest. The mighty red mass seemed unaffected, growing and catching more wandering rocks and smaller planets with its outstretched electrical arms, like a tiny black hole taking up any debris it could find. I glared up at it, still visible just behind the Rocket's body. It seemed like everyone else forgot about it, hoping that it may no longer occupy their minds very soon.

Wind leaked from the rocket's tail, blowing hot air into the crowd, through the forest, and into the streets like a coming storm.

It was time to evacuate.

I froze, taking one last snapshot of the rocket up close. Mako fumes leaked from its six engines, spreading a blue fog through the grass.

Cloud took my hand.

"It's time to go," he clarified, and dragged me with him to escape the fumes.

"Thirty minutes to get away," Reeve warned, his red tie flapping over his shoulder violently, black hair blown over his face.

Tifa hurridly climbed into the front seat of Cid's old, brown pick-up truck.

"Come on, to the airship," she announced.

Red joined the luggage on the back of the truck. Barret and Vincent crammed their way in, followed by Cloud on the rear, sitting on a suitcase. Yuffie took the passenger seat, Reeve snugged between her and Tifa with his face all red.

"Ever been accompanied by two beautiful women before?" Yuffie purred jokingly as she leaned in closer to the nervous man. In response, Reeve swallowed.

I stepped on the truck's rear bumper, taking Cloud's hand, and he pulled me up, only to have me stumble into his arms.

He chuckled as he caught me, making my face turn red.

"Hold on!" Tifa warned, and the truck yanked us along, merging with the rest of the traffic. I sat on a box between Cloud and Barret, watching Rocket Town get devoured by a green fog coming from plumes of the rocket's exhaust.

Homes, taverns, and Shanghai Inn shrank away, the grey and green fog swirling around each building like a toxic cloud spreading its limbs out into all the streets and alleyways. Houses with doors left open, sucked in the toxic breath, all homes now empty.

The rocket itself stayed upright, plumes of more exhaust bubbling along its wings, covering the young forest around its close parameter.

Chocobos pulled wagons, squawking over the fuss as more Mako infused vehicles passed them. Vincent ducked his head, as though his eyes offended the giant birds, the blast of cold air tossing his long hair towards my shoulder. Red left his mouth open, hanging his head out to feel the breeze, like a happy dog excited to be riding in the back of a truck. Tifa played country music, which none of us dared groan over again. Yuffie was having too much fun with Reeve, "accidentally" bumping into him whenever the truck rolled over a stone or bumped into a small hole in the field. Each time she pressed against him, he let out a reaction of fear, cowering away as though touching another female was still quite foreign to him.

"Yuffie, I know you're doing it on purpose!"

She giggled in reply. Tifa rolled her eyes at the two, looking up in the rearview mirror to catch a glimpse of the distant rocket heating up behind us. I cradled my stomach, nauseous over the bumpy ride, and took deep breaths to relax.

"You get car sick, too?" Barret asked, easily noticing when I buried my head over my knees.

I groaned, nodding.

Red studied me, keeping quiet. He tried to catch Vincent's eyes, but the brooding man looked away, avoiding his calculating yellow gaze.

Wait until Cid gets back, and then I will tell everyone. No more hiding or lying. Let Cid have his moment, and then we shall celebrate after his return.

Cloud's hand rubbed my back, more for support than to help ease the sickness. I leaned into it anyway and sat up to rest my face into his thigh, eyes closed. Everything appeared dark behind his dark jean fabric, giving me a sense that I wasn't rocking as much, and the nausea faded. Fingers played with my hair and down my neck, Cloud muttering, "Deep breaths," as though he's been through the same thing.

He did get car sick after all.

From the plains, everyone gathered just outside the Airship.

Hundreds of Rocket Town's residents spread out, sitting in the grass like it was supposed to be a public morning picnic. Shinra News settled in with their cameras, reporters muttering in front of them. From two miles away, the rocket seemed like a miniature model. And yet, I could feel the ground shake, even from all the way out here.

I tried to imagine how Cid was feeling, sitting there in his seat, breathing hard, sweat on his brow while he pressed all the buttons he's been trained to press. His mechanics there with him, Shera taking the journey along beside him not as his love interest, but as his partner.

Were they sitting close together, sharing a look as the rocket's engines grew more and more heat? The once, bright blue sky, carried along the rocket's clouds of waste, everything appearing murky behind a massive fog.

Reeve looked down at his watch. "Any minute now!"

"Woohoo!" Yuffie jumped excitedly with her arms out, kicking her legs back.

I gasped, seeing a bright light appear from behind the town.

Voices rose, chattering heightened. Those who sat, quickly stood up, until everyone on the field was on their feet.

More vibrations, until a mighty crack vibrated across the sky like thunder. I jumped, startled by the booming engines when they released flames. An explosion blossomed into smoke, covering the entire town in only a few seconds. The engines growled louder, using their mighty push to lift the heavy rocket into the air slowly, as though struggling against its weight. I took site of the winds coming towards us, a wave across the tall grass until it flurried over my head, a mighty gust, and I fell back a few steps.

Support legs that once held the rocket in place, fell back, some crashing into the streets with a loud bang, toppling over. Houses shattered, fences crumbled, trees pulled from their roots by the force of the blast.

A bright light blasted into the sky, followed by a long tail of grey smoke.

Shinra No. 26 finally launched.

For a few seconds, the world held their breath, watching through their screens.

I imagined the people in the slums of Midgar gathering along Sector 5 square, gawking up at the large digital screen. Priscilla with her father and grandmother sitting on their couch back in Junon. Bugenhagen might've been listening in his own private study, the newscaster's voice rising through the radio speakers. All beach goers, sun bathers, surfers, everyone at Costa Del Sol huddled to the closet television set inside the bars, eyes wide behind their tans.

Chocobo Billy might've been chewing his nails, rocking in his chair as he watched something as incredible as a rocket flying into space right from his old-school television set. What about Marlene and Elmyra? Were they watching this, too? What about the fun seekers at Gold Saucer? Was this launch displayed at the Tram's station in the main square? Or how about the people in Kalm? Mideel? Everywhere?

Adrenaline rushed through my chest, startling my heart awake. I rested a hand to it, my head going up more and more to keep the rocket in sight as it made its way up into the sky with its mighty sun on its tail. Its massive light spilled across the plains like bright rays, blazing into our eyes until we either had to look away or squint.

It brightened like a giant fire arrow, aiming up towards Meteor.

Someone took my hand. I turned my head, finding Cloud smiling down at me with the rocket's light hitting his face. I marveled at how he glowed, almost completely white, and his hand tightened around mine. Was he seeing the same thing happening to me? Did I look as if I stepped off the sun, or sunbathed in white gold to him?

We shared a look, proud of Cid, and our eyes returned to the Rocket going farther and farther away. A trail of grey smoke followed, though becoming thinner and thinner, until only a small light glimmered, like a star fading into the far edge of the sky.

A swell of claps traveled across the field.

Tifa and Yuffie cheered. Red howled. Reeve clapped politely. Barret raised his fists and screamed, "Yeah! Go Cid, go!"

It was like watching a firework show, one that mattered to the entire Planet.

Cloud pulled me closer to him and I wrapped my arms under his, resting my head in his chest. He continued to look up, his Mako eyes holding on to the speckle of light that is the tail end of the rocket.

"I hope this works," he mentioned.

I squeezed him just a little tighter, feeling his chin rest on my head.

"Me too," I whispered. I really do.

Come back soon, Cid.

28