Si puer cum puellula
Moraretur in cellula,
Felix coniunctio.
Amore suscrescente
Pariter e medio
Avulso procul tedio,
Fit ludus ineffabilis
Membris, lacertis, labii
--Carl Orff
The sky flashed brilliant white and pale purple, yet the forest around them remained dark and distant. It loomed over her, the trees seeming to spread their branches over her like veils of intricate lace dyed a deep and unknowable black. Whether they were sheltering her or reaching for her, she couldn't guess nor did she want to. Her only thought was to continue to move forward through the seemingly endless dark. She could barely see what was in front of her, and the only reason she could keep putting one foot in front of the other without hesitation was due to the occasional illumination from the lightening.
The rain pelted her so hard and so fast that she had to keep her eyes half closed. She'd given up on trying to shield them or wiping the rain away because it didn't work. There was a part of her that thought to run to get out of the storm that much faster, though she realized immediately thereafter the futility in that idea. It wouldn't matter if she ran or if she walked, there was no stopping this rain. So, she walked as calmly as she could.
Aeris had never been afraid of lightening. Never been afraid of storms of any kind. She'd actually always found comfort from the rain and had especially enjoyed really good thunderstorms the few occasions she had in Midgar to experience them. In fact, the only thing that kept her from really enjoying this storm properly was the man walking behind her. She very much wanted to stop and simply dance in the rain. She wanted to gaze up at the clouds in wonder and let them pelt her until she was over-soaked. She wanted to laugh at the lightening and to out-roar the thunder. But she didn't do any of these things because his very presence seemed to suffocate all joy it came in contact with.
It wasn't that she cared what he thought...and it wasn't because she'd feel a bit foolish if he saw her--
Oh, hell. She didn't do it because she knew she'd look the fool if she did. He'd probably make some smart comment or worse, just look at her with one of those looks that he did that she just hated. And anyway, they didn't really have time for something as simple as enjoying a nice early summer rain.
Her feet slid over the pavement washed clean by the driving rain. Something about all this seemed dangerously familiar. It felt like she had been here before, walking this very path in the dead of night...rain pouring down on her. Only then, she was running but not because she wanted to beat the rain...She was running. He was pursuing. She had come here to stop...something. Her mind worked. It tried to remember.
Images brushed the surface, but all she could see were the echoes of emotions they left behind. Sudden and overwhelming panic rose from deep within. She gasped harshly, sucking in rain water with the air. Coughing, her heart jumpstarted and for reasons beyond knowing she began to pick up her steps until she was running blindly.
It was like a dream. A horrible dream turned nightmare turned inescapable vision. A part of her knew it was the wandering spirit speaking to her from her connection to the planet. It was trying to tell her something, trying to warn her but all it sent was the searing feeling in her chest and a fear she couldn't escape. If only it spoke in words and not in visions, then she could understand more clearly. Instead, it screamed from its empty heart and poured out all its unused emotion into image after image of unending pain and suffering...and she couldn't stand it. She ran because the dream her ran. She cried because the dream her willed it to be so. She feared because she who once was feared and wanted to fear no more.
And so, Aeris ran.
There was a terrible sense of foreboding within every movement, and she wanted to stop running as if ceasing that action would somehow break fate's ever spinning wheel. As if she had dislodged a cog and stopped time itself from ever pushing forward. The rain hissed as it hit the pavement; it was all she could hear beyond her own thumping footfalls. Her feet crashing into the ground mimicked the thunder or perhaps she was running in time with it. Each time she stepped, it rumbled and water exploded around her. Easing its way into her shoes until her toes became gummy and wet. Dimly, she wondered when she might fall. Running like this on rain wetted pavement was a nasty tumble just waiting to happen but her panic was too deeply ingrained.
She couldn't stop.
She had to go faster. Had to get there before he did. If she didn't stop them...it'd be the end of everything. She had to get there. She had to...
The dream her and the real her ran towards a temple backlit by constantly striking lightening. Darkness seemed to yawn around her, swallowing her whole. The only hope she could see lay before her, a faint, flickering light that beckoned her forward, and so she ran through this dream vision so ethereal gone solid, this almost reality that abruptly collided with itself. Her foot descended, caught on the pavement and slipped. She'd set it down just the wrong way so that it tipped her balance. Her ankle gave way and she fell to the ground, hard. She barely had time to let out a cry as she tumbled to the ground, legs and arms bucking and spinning as she hit the earth, skidding to a muddy stop in a breathless heap.
Aeris struggled to sit up, her hands pushing against slick mud and finding no traction; she was unable...and fell once more... face first into the mud. Spitting and cursing, she struggled on the ground becoming dirtier with every movement. It wasn't until she'd managed to roll herself on her back that she found sufficient purchase to sit up. Holding out her muddied arms, she almost wanted to cry. Turning her face to the sky, she watched the rain slowly fall onto her skin, washing away the sticky earth. Again, an image flashed and she was reminded of something else...
Her mind was split in two and yet oddly of one mind.
She had so long to go and so little time.
He's here...
And the strange song she'd heard before came back to her. The lightening flashed and she could see him standing over her. Pale hair whipping wetly in the wind, he gazed down at her...emerald eyes blazing...his hand on the hilt of his sword. He looked at her strangely. And the dream her and the real her remembered when that sword turned on them, when that sword drew their blood. Her eyes filled with it. Looking down, what she'd taken for mud had turned to blood. Her blood. She could see it, all over. It was everywhere. He'd be the death of her.
Hands shaking, she turned wide, frightened eyes to his face that was and was not a face she recognized. He moved then. Towards her. Petrified, she screamed and made an effort to crawl away from him, back-pedaling away as if she could escape. She twisted in the mud, clawing and crying...her mind full of blankly inescapable terror. By a hair, she managed to stand, slipping and sliding on the mud beneath her, but she stood all the same and she tried to run again. Falling, her forward momentum was brutally halted. Someone had grabbed her wrist and wrenched her backwards. They held her and she struggled. She slapped and kicked and bucked, trying to get away. It wasn't time yet...not yet. She had to finish...she had to...
And without thinking she screamed harsh, foreign words and though they came from her throat, in her voice, she had no understanding of what she'd said. They were garbled...unintelligible as if she was speaking nonsense or some child's made up language. But it felt real and right.
The arms that held her grappled for a better hold. His hands caught her wrists and pressed them to her chest, holding her closer to the one that had captured her. She could feel his warmth behind her and a part of her soared and then fell screaming to the ground just thinking about it. It was like finding love and losing it all in one hideously fragile moment. Crying tears that weren't her own, she let herself be held.
She couldn't die. Not yet. Not yet.
There was so much she had to do...she had to...if only she could turn him, if she could burn away those comforting lies, then maybe, maybe...
With a choking sob, she whispered, "... tu verras la vie sera belle..."
For a very long time she was lost within herself. The dark vision that had swallowed her gradually lifted and she came back to herself. Sore. She was sore and wet. It was still raining. She didn't know why she had been so afraid, but she could still feel its lingering effects, the weariness in her limbs, the lightheadedness and her heart that still beat so fast, fast enough for it to leap from her chest if she thought such a thing possible. Everything slowed to a more normal rhythm. She opened her eyes to gaze at the darkness that surrounded but no longer permeated her and she was Aeris again.
It was then that she became acutely aware of the arms that held her, the hands that encircled her wrists, entrapping her in an embrace. She turned her head and faced...
Sephiroth.
His eyes met hers. They held lighted curiosity and just a bit of confusion. Her cheeks burnt as she felt herself blush. She'd been such a fool. Falling into a dream like that in front of him of all people. His eyes asked a question that she knew he'd never voice, not until he was ready anyway. They sat in the rain like that for what seemed like an eternity. His hands left her wrists, and she was surprised when he didn't let go entirely. He still held her and what was more amazing than that was how gentle he was. Her own hands fell limply as she turned and leaned into him. Not enough to really touch him, but enough to bask in his warmth for a moment. Long enough to take a little of his strength and make it her own.
"What happened?"
How to answer that? There was no real way. She looked up at him, and he gazed back. Lightening flashed above. The storm raged and he was as oblivious to it as she was. She wondered then if maybe he was like her. Maybe he wasn't afraid of storms. Maybe he wanted to dance in the rain. Maybe he'd dance with her...
But that was just ridiculous and she giggled a little, feeling more like herself as time passed.
"What happened?" He repeated, the slight inflection in his tone vocalizing his aggravation with her.
Her eyes dimmed, and she watched his hair as it plastered itself to his face. He looked less intimidating when soaking wet. He looked miserable. And she was vaguely reminded of a wet cat. With his piercing eyes and slitted pupils, he did sort of resemble a very large cat given human form. And she laughed again.
"You're wet."
"And so are you. What. Happened?"
"I don't know."
She tried to tug away and he held on to her. Fear struggled loose, and though she managed to push in down somewhat, it was still there.
"A vision...they happen sometimes..."
"You're a seer?"
"Of sorts."
"Ah." He said, and she could tell that he didn't entirely believe her.
He let her go and she tried to ignore the little voice inside that was disappointed by that. Embarrassed, she stepped away to gain some distance from him. With distance came clarity. She began to straighten her dress, an absurd reaction that though it was calming was entirely futile. Turning, Aeris composed herself and tried to gather the tattered remains of her dignity.
"What did you see?"
"What?"
"In your...vision," he said, the sarcasm in his voice just barely hidden, "What did you see?"
"You don't believe me."
"That's not the point."
"Yes...it is," she stated, turning to regard him.
Through the driving rain they stared at each other, one waiting for the other to give in. It was another battle. A test of wills and Aeris found herself tired of it all. She was wet, tired and sore. Any urge to enjoy the storm was gone, and the only thing that remained was a burning desire to be inside and dry. She shivered, dimly noting the temperature as it dropped slightly. It was late...
His eyes narrowed and he gave in, "No, I don't."
"Then why does it matter what I saw, if you don't believe I saw it in the first place?"
He didn't answer and she hadn't expected him to.
"You don't like mystery much, do you?"
His long, pointed silence served as his reply.
Taking pity on him, she gave in, "I saw death. Whether it was mine or yours or someone else's...a vision from the past or the recent future...I don't know. Visions are funny like that. They don't answer much...just bring up more questions. More mystery...So you see, it doesn't really matter."
"You said something...after. Something in a different language. What did it mean?"
"I don't know," she said, her voice soft...truthful, her feelings laid bare.
She couldn't hide the fear the vision brought and if he saw it, perhaps he'd understand...if only just a little.
"What are you?"
She didn't answer. Again, she turned from him and walked away, and she wondered if he'd ever get angry enough at her for not answering that he'd resort to the violence that came second nature to him. But he didn't. He let her keep her peace and she walked forward, he followed behind and soon they reached the main temple without incident. The building loomed blackly above the unlikely pair, occasionally illuminated by sporadic bursts of lightening. The static pulsing of light pushed the shadowed statues and decorations on the building from the dark abruptly, the sight so unexpected that even Sephiroth had given a small start.
The ancients had built their temples to impress.
They were tall structures, spiraling into the skies like ocean born monoliths. Most impressive of all was how they managed to get them to blend so seamlessly with the environment, despite the fact that they looked so uniquely alien. Even Aeris, who had been here earlier in the day, had been startled by the sudden appearance of buildings in the middle of the wild. She had truthfully forgotten how well disguised it was and hadn't quite expected it to be as near their previous location as it had been.
Tired green eyes gazed up at the main pagoda through the rain. She'd never been so relieved to be in such a foreboding place as she was now. It was inexplicable really. Especially considering the state the temple was in.
When Aeris had first come upon this place earlier, she'd been surprised at the damage it had taken. She'd been led to believe the temple had been preserved and thus, she assumed it would be in a more pristine condition. In her mind, she'd imagined a building that was simply abandoned and still in some sort of working condition. Instead, she was greeted with a scene of utter devastation that had been preserved. It was a snapshot of ugly, unwatchable history--frightening for its sheer, brutal truth. This temple had been preserved. It had been frozen in time at the exact moment it had been destroyed.
It was a shame, really...it must have really been something in its heyday.
Seven smaller structures surrounded the main pagoda, which was in rather rough shape. In fact, all of the buildings seemed worse for wear. A few were nothing more than heaping piles of rubble and blackened timbers. What had happened to this place was a question that would remain unanswered. This temple had seen a great deal of violence in its final days. But the exact events of its demise as a working temple would never be known. Whatever tale that could be told was long over and all that was left was the wreckage of this temple which had been allowed quietly shrink away, forgotten.
Aeris had wondered that question throughout the day. What had happened to this place? Something terrible, for sure. Perhaps a battle had been fought and lost. This seemed like the most likely explanation. All evidenced pointed in that direction and anyway, there were few things short of a massive battle that'd render such a large temple to ruins.
Shivering, she rubbed her arms for warmth and to make the tidal wave of sorrow she felt go away. The anguish of that last stand seemed almost palpable. She could feel the desperate sorrow at the edge of her senses. The sighs of yesterday seemed to linger here. She'd noted it before. Funny little peeks into the temple's past had leaked through, and they did here but not quite as brightly as it did in other places.
She was no stranger to retro-cognition. Some would call her crazy, but she firmly believed that there was a certain feel about a place...that even something as inanimate as a house or a temple has a memory. You could even say such places were in a way...alive. They were made alive by the people who inhabited them, who imprinted their memories and emotions into that place. And once they left, those memories stayed and if one was sensitive enough you could feel them...even see them if you saw with the right eyes.
Her church at home in Midgar was a good example. That place was filled with such light and warmth that she'd felt pulled to it. Even thinking about it could brighten her most foul mood as it was a place infused with positive energy. There were other places in the same city not so fortunate. Places she'd walk by a little bit faster because of the waves of negativity flowing off them. She knew that those places had seen dark times, that terrible things had happened within them that left nothing but cold, forbidding darkness.
This temple was a conundrum...as it didn't really react so strongly. The outer part of the temple had been very much like her church, light and warm. She had felt welcome there, but the inner part of the temple wasn't so simple. It didn't feel like the dark places in Midgar, but it did feel...sad. She knew something very terrible had happened here and it had left a great yawning gap of sorrow behind. It didn't want to show its memories as the outside of the temple had. She could almost swear that the temple itself didn't really want to remember at all, as if happy about remaining inactive.
Most places infused with such energy were delighted to show themselves to one who could feel them. Even the very dark places enjoyed being alive and awake enough to frighten the pants off of her but this place was like it was dead...or asleep. No, it was more like it wanted to be asleep but wasn't. And like someone forced awake, it reluctantly shared its space with you just waiting for you to leave so it could slip back into a deep slumber.
It was perhaps the saddest place she'd ever been to that it almost hurt her heart to be there.
Sighing softly, she felt her way through the tangled passageways of the largest pagoda that led to the reliquary and eventually the main sanctuary where she'd left all her things. She'd spent the better part of the afternoon exploring the temple attempting to find a place that'd provide adequate shelter. After a bit, she'd decided that the main pagoda was in better condition than any of the other buildings and would service her needs. She'd immediately taken up residence once she'd found the reliquary.
When the temple had been open the reliquary and the sanctuary behind had not been opened to the public. In fact, if she had visited back then she wouldn't have even known it was there. Both rooms had been hidden behind an enormous wooden door that had been covered in decoration and opened with a switch disguised to look like the carvings that crawled across it.
Luckily for her, the door had been pulled violently off its hinges and left in several pieces that were scattered across the floor. She'd actually taken the time to bend down and look at the fragments of the door. From what she could tell it had been a very beautiful work of art at one time. It was really a shame it had been destroyed so thoughtlessly.
In any event, she'd been able to find the reliquary, which still held some of its relics and the sanctuary--where, if she were to guess, the temple's most sacred and secret rituals had been performed. The one ghostly image she'd seen while in the temple had been the fleeting vision of such a ritual. There was a fire pit of sorts in the center of the room. She wasn't sure, but she felt as if the fire was sacred. She'd heard of such things. Cosmo Canyon was said to have an ever-burning sacred fire and it was said to be a bad omen when the fire went out. She had a feeling the fire in this temple had served a similar purpose.
She'd seen the fire and in front of the fire was a girl dressed in traditional garb. Aeris recognized the girl. She was the same one she'd seen in her dream. The girl sat in front of the fire, gazing into it as she prayed. Her hands were tightly clasped together, only occasionally separating to throw something into the fire. Aeris wasn't sure what that something was, but when the girl did it, the fire would flare. She never got a chance to discover what it was the girl was doing because the vision had faded as quickly as it had appeared.
Aeris had felt a bit awkward after that and more than a little unsure. She didn't much like the idea of staying in a place infused with the memory of a wandering spirit. Such apparitions were obnoxious enough on their own. To stay in a place that was important to them could very make them less annoying and more dangerous, as they'd be more intent on focusing their energy on you. But she had little choice and anyway, the Sequoia had said that she had been guided here and that it had something it wanted to show her. She was uneasy, but she trusted her feelings and the intentions of the tree. This place didn't seem in any way malicious, just mournful. She was really more worried about her unpredictable companion, who could go from zero to homicidal in under a second.
Speaking of which, said companion was eerily quiet and for a moment, she wasn't even sure he'd been following her. Looking back, she found his glowing eyes in the dark and had to suppress a shriek of terror. For a moment...a very brief moment, she forgot who those eyes belonged to and had mistaken him for a monster, again. She put a hand to her heart, reluctantly admitting to herself that maybe that assessment was closer to the truth than she'd like to believe. Aeris just couldn't figure him out. One moment he was eager to help, allying himself with her without an eye blink. The next moment he was leveling a sword at her throat, threatening to kill her. These were not the actions of a rational human being.
He didn't trust people, a blatantly obvious conclusion. She turned over the little she knew of him. He was a lab specimen, more than likely that was the reason for his distrust and knowing ShinRa, they hadn't treated him like a human being should be treated. This also explained the sudden switching from ally to enemy. He probably didn't have much positive social experience. Aeris shook her head.
Why was she thinking about this anyway?
After this night, she would never see him again and she didn't really care at all why he was antisocial, bordering on sociopathic. Analyzing him like this was inconsequential, forgetting her vow to the planet that she'd help him. After having her life threatened as many times as she had today, she was no longer willing to put up with it. Vow or no vow, she'd be glad to be rid of him and was firmly looking forward to parting ways with him.
Stumbling through the darkness, she tried to summon some kind of satisfaction in her decision in hopes of distracting herself from thinking about him. A feat which proved nearly impossible, as it almost took physical effort for her to NOT think about him. She could feel his eyes on her, and though she'd abandoned analyzing him, he hadn't stopped analyzing her.
The judgment of his gaze weighed heavily on her back and she felt the hairs on her neck bristle uncomfortably in response. It didn't help that she didn't see so well in the dark and she kept stumbling. He'd stopped her from more than one nasty fall and she couldn't summon the will to be grateful to him. Perhaps it was the sure knowledge of the arrogant derision she felt behind his every action.
Aeris was nearly visibly ecstatic upon reaching the reliquary because getting warm and dry would distract her from the menace that prowled behind her, or so she thought. She walked quietly past all the ancient relics, scrolls and texts that were stacked in unstable piles all around them. If she had more time, maybe she would have been interested in digging through the untidy room in hopes of finding something really interesting. As it was, she was too tired and it was far too late for such an inquisition.
She stretched and yawned, formally entering the secret sanctuary and made beeline for the old fire pit. These rooms were cold, unnaturally so. She'd noticed it almost immediately the first time she entered. Psychometrically, it was a common experience when entering a psychically charged location to feel odd drops in temperature. Such changes were often in response to the spirits or spiritual power that inhabited the place. These rooms seemed to have such power, judging by the apparition she'd seen earlier. But it was more than just that. The temperature had only dropped radically that one time. Otherwise, the rooms seemed to stay consistently cool, almost as if they were regulated to stay at the same temperature at all times.
Her ancestors had been clever people and she had no doubt that these rooms were built the way they were for a purpose. No doubt to help preserve the relics and scrolls found within. An interesting thought, though it did make things slightly more complicated for her as a result. When she'd found the rooms this afternoon, the cooler temperature hadn't bothered her much. But in the dead of night and being as wet as she was, the room was now uncomfortably cold. Her immediate thought was to start a fire in the small pit. She'd gathered some wood earlier and had taken her fire materia with her, along with a few others, so she was prepared. But she'd forgotten how much energy she'd expended taking out that helicopter as well as the twenty or so Turks she'd laid flat.
She'd several times to activate it from its place on her bracelet, but nothing happened. Frustrated, she took it off and held it in her palm, closing her eyes and willing it to work. Nothing happened again, and she could almost scream. Almost. Because she was very aware of the glowing jade eyes that were trained on her, assessing her every move. Just waiting for the right moment to say something insulting.
She heard movement behind her and she squeaked at its unexpectedness. Calming herself sourly when she realized it was just him. Sephiroth didn't seem to take notice of her moods or expression, merely settling himself next to her and snatching the materia away from her without a word. He held it in one large palm and with a snap of his fingers; he lighted the dry wood in front of him. Giving her a look before handing the materia back to her, he calmly walked over to one of the sides of the room and sat down to watch her some more.
She murmured a dull thank you before going to her own side of the room. Pointedly ignoring him, she dug in her pack for a dry change of clothes as well as some other supplies. When she did deign to acknowledge him, it was to ask him to turn around. He gave her a condescending glare and told her to do the same. He'd already begun stripping some of his wet clothes off and didn't appreciate her stares any more than she'd appreciate his. Huffing to herself about arrogant men, she turned her back on him and carefully took off her wet clothing.
Now clad in nothing more than her slip and her undergarments, she carefully wrapped her old blanket around herself and turned to face her current companion. He hadn't taken off his pants but he had taken off his undershirt and the flannel he'd used to cover it. Brows furrowed, he was currently trying to squeeze the water out of the flannel. It had soaked up so much that the effort was almost hopeless but he was so concentrated on the task that he didn't seem to notice it. She couldn't help it. She laughed at him.
He looked up, clearly alarmed and annoyed that she was looking. Scowling, he turned his back on her fully, so that she got a good view of the back of his head and hair, which covered up his exposed back. She stifled another laugh, as she'd seen the slight half-embarrassed, half-aggravated flush before he'd turned. Drawing the blanket around her, she stood up and retrieved the extra sleeping bag the driver had given her.
The sleeping bag she'd brought with her was still back at the campsite along with the tent. Again, she'd sacrifice her comfort for someone else and had resolved to allow him the comfort of the only sleeping bag, while she made due with her thin little blanket. Her rationale being that he needed it more than she did, as he was still recovering from the poison.
He didn't seem to notice her approach as he casually turned his head, straining to twist the remaining water from his shirt. At that turn, Aeris finally caught sight of the injury on the back of his head. There was a medium sized blood stain just behind and far to the right of his ear that was accentuated rather gruesomely against his pale hair. It was still red, though a darkening red, which meant it was still fresh but slowly clotting.
Alarmed, Aeris dropped the sleeping bag and ran back to get her first aid supplies. Upon hearing the sound, his head snapped in her direction, giving her an unsociable glare as he finally noted her approach. She didn't pay him any mind, nor did she notice that she'd abandoned the blanket. In fact, she didn't even notice the slight widening of his eyes as he took her in, clad in only a slip as she was. He didn't say anything to her, just turned his head as if ignoring her would somehow make her go away.
"You're hurt," was her only reply to his clear discomfort with her.
He tried to respond but she cut him off with a look that brooked no argument. He supposed he could have given more resistance but for one reason or the other, he didn't. Perhaps he was just too tired to fight, which was a fact he was loathe to admit but was easily evident in his face and manner. He was bone tired. His entire body ached from the fight, the subsequent flight and the cold. His limbs felt like lead weights were attached to them and his head was throbbing in pain. Analyzing all this information, he conceded that it'd be easier and smarter just to let the girl have her way. Coughing harshly, his shoulders slumped and he surrendered all pride and allowed himself to be cared for.
Aeris, for her part, was rather amused by the little dramatic display of defeat. A gradually widening smile crossed her face and she found it very hard not to laugh. This would not do. Shaking her hands out and taking a deep calming breath, she summoned a more professional demeanor and began to work. Carefully, she pushed his hair back to examine the wound. What she found underneath was a single, jagged one inch long gash that was still sticky with congealed blood and dirt. And though the clotting process had begun, she would have to risk reopening it to clean it. But she'd have to, not only to stave off possible infection but to also see how deep it was so she could determine whether or not it'd require stitches.
As she worked, she quietly asked him questions to make sure he hadn't given himself a concussion or any other kind of brain trauma. He seemed as coherent and she knew this because he was irritated and sarcastic with her. In anyone else, this might be a worrisome sign, but with him, she guessed, that it was the norm. Anyhow, if his injury had been serious, he wouldn't be sitting here right now.
She quietly warned her patient before pouring a small amount of hydrogen peroxide on the wound while holding a small compress near the wound to catch the excess. Repeating this process until the area was clean enough for her to assess it. And now looking at it, she was less worried than she had been before. It wasn't too deep, which deserved a thank god and a hallelujah, because she was really, really not looking forward to stitching him up. Not that she thought he'd take it badly, as he hadn't complained once during the entire treatment. In fact, he remained eerily silent, which made her want to scoff at him or make some other derisive comment, just to dig at his incredible ego. Acting all stony and cold like the perfect warrior, he didn't show a single hint of emotion...as if hurting and showing pain from an injury was above him.
"My goodness, but boys are stupid," she thought haughtily, congratulating herself on having two X chromosomes.
The wound was still very much open and she abandoned her mental back patting to pay attention to her patient. Grabbing another cotton ball, she liberally doused it with peroxide and daubed the gash gently but firmly. Frowning, she realized there was no way for her to permanently bandage the wound and the damned thing was still bleeding. Not badly but it wasn't stopping, and that was a definite problem.
Wounds like this to the head were nothing but annoying, as they were slow to heal and even slower to clot. Annoyed, she pulled out another compress and doused it with rubbing alcohol rather than peroxide. With a light sigh, she pressed against the wound in hopes of staunching the bleeding. The minute the compress touched the wound, he let out a nearly noiseless hiss. It was so quiet she just barely heard it. Unlucky for him, the room conducted sound quite well.
Concerned, she asked, "Are you okay?"
"I don't need your help," he snapped back, though he didn't move from his spot.
The statement and his reaction were quite laughable. He was in rough shape right now. Just recovering from a near fatal poisoning, only to incur a rather nasty head injury, he wasn't the picture of perfect health at the moment and he did indeed need her help. Not only for the wound she was treating...the antidote she'd given him for the malboro poison had worked wonders, but the funny thing about poisons was they had a tendency to stay in the body. There was no real way to expel them entirely once they enter. For the rest of his life, he'd probably suffer the side-effects of the poison.
Nodding her head sagely, she replied with a bemused, "Mmmhmm."
She almost added, a 'Suuuuuuuuuuuuuuuure you don't', just for effect but held her tongue at the last minute.
Obviously irritated, he shot back, "I'll heal fine on my own. You've done enough already."
Pressing a bit harder on the back on his head at his rude allegation, she smiled sweetly, "Is that as close as I'm going to get to a 'thank you' from you?"
"Why should I thank you for help I don't need, much less want?" He said, smacking her hands away and moving several inches away from her.
"Oh and I suppose I should have just left you to die?" She queried, with a blithe tilt of her head and she scooted right back next to him.
"We'd both be better off..." he muttered darkly, glaring daggers at her for daring to approach him.
She supposed it was intended to scare her off. Too bad for him that he didn't quite scare her as much as he had before, especially considering how haggard and tired he looked at the moment. There were a terse couple of seconds where neither moved. They sat stiff as boards, staring straight ahead in yet another battle of wills.
Scoffing exasperatedly, Aeris decided then and there that her will would be done. She sat behind him again, digging her fingernails in his shoulder when he attempted to scoot away from her. Turning his head, she forcefully placed it where she wanted it and began to work on it again, not bothering to be gentle anymore.
"You bit--"
"Finish that sentence and you'll regret it for the rest of your life," She threatened smoothly, twisting the compress in her hand to tweak the wound in just the wrong way. He tried to object, but she'd have none of it, cutting him off without an eye blink, "Put up or shut up, mister. Those are your choices."
His jaw clicked close and he glowered at the wall, reluctantly allowing her to continue to do what she was doing. He sighed heavily, as if he was burdened by a great weight. If she were more easily irritated, she might have considered smacking him. Instead, she found it endlessly amusing. And inwardly, she cackled at him for being such a stubborn jackass. The tension in the room slowly drifted away after several more seconds and soon a long silence reigned. Much to her consternation, his wound showed no signs of clotting and pretty soon drastic measures would have to be taken. It was either that or her fingers would go numb trying.
"How do you know Tseng?"
The question was so strange and out of the blue that Aeris found herself immobilized. Blinking in shock, she answered the bluntly unexpected question, "That...is such a complicated question to answer."
It was his turn to scoff, and he turned slightly to give her a withering glare.
"On the contrary, it's ridiculously simple. How do you know him?" he repeated, his voice tight and insistent, "You promised me answers."
With a huff, she took a deep breath and began slowly, "Well, obviously, I know him because he works for ShinRa, and I'm an escaped research specimen. He was assigned to capture me...or he tried to..."
"Tried to?"
"Yeah, tried to. They captured me once or twice, but I'd always manage to get away."
"How did you escape?"
"Either the door lock on my cell was faulty or it was left open. Not sure which, though I'm inclined to believe it was left open."
"Why?"
"Tseng and I knew each other...you know, before..." she said, indulging him when he made a motion for her to go on, "He was my only friend...like an older brother or a bodyguard...He looked out for me...as much as he could, anyway...even when he became a Turk, he tried to look out for me."
A shadow of sorrow passed over her face as she thought about the past and how quickly things change. Her companion noticed the change and the emotions in her face, though he said nothing and she didn't notice. He saw all the same. Despite some of his more inhuman qualities, he was a keen observer of the human condition and quite perceptive when it came to reading people. And she was an open book. Several things clicked into place then and he gave her a measuring look.
"You think he let you go?"
"Mmmhmm."
She completely missed the slight and hostile narrowing of his eyes, and the controlled flicker of pique that rippled through their jade depths. He didn't like her answer. Not at all. Speaking quietly, he asked her in a tone that resembled politeness without actually being polite, "Why does ShinRa want you?"
She laughed with not a small amount of bitterness, "They think I can show them somewhere."
"Well, you are a seer, aren't you?" He said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world and she was just a dullard for not getting it, "Why don't you just show them where they want to go? It'd be far simpler in the long run..."
"Yeah, well...it's not that simple. Where they want to go, I can't find for them."
"Where?"
"Hmm, wha?"
"Where do they want to go?" He repeated, doing his best to control whatever exasperation he felt.
She became very quiet then. He was far too close to asking questions she would not answer. It was bad enough that ShinRa knew what her heritage was. And she had to consider that the arrogant general wouldn't believe her. Frustrated, she scowled at the back of his head, pretending to be annoyed with his lightly bleeding wound. So, instead of directly answering him, she decided to dodge the question in favor of speeding up the healing process. She'd wasted enough time already.
The materia based spells had taken their toll on her, but she wasn't too spent to use some of the planet's own strength. She was cetra, after all, and healing came more naturally than the artificial offensive or defensive spells found in materia. Laying a finger on his wound, she summoned and directed it over the cut. The air around them briefly stirred and changed, going from cold and oppressive to fresh and warm in an instant. And when it stopped, the cut was healed and with a soft smile, she leaned on him for a moment to regain her breath.
He noticed all of this and was, himself, breathless from shock. Turning abruptly, he looked her right in the eye and repeated his question.
To which she answered with a weary smile, "The Promised Land."
Of all his reactions, she hadn't expected him to laugh but he did. It was as harsh and bitter as her own, and in his eyes she could see the incredulity and disbelief.
"Fools, chasing after legends and fairytales." He said, more to himself than to her. Sephiroth looked up at her, his gaze piercing, "What are you?"
"Just a flower girl who happens to see things."
"Bullshit. They wouldn't want you just for that. There's more..."
He didn't have to say what he was thinking. She'd demonstrated quite a bit of power in the last few hours, power that was something to reckon with, power that ShinRa wanted badly enough to sic the Turks on her.
"Ah, so you think I have a secret to hide?" She asked, smiling at him genially when he gave her an arrogant smirk, "I'll tell you mine, if you tell me yours."
"I have nothing to hide..."
And from her pocket, she produced a single, solitary bullet. Holding it out, she smiled just a bit wider. He didn't take it and so she threw it at him. Predictably, he caught it and unwillingly examined it, his burning gaze returning to her as he wondered what game she was playing at now.
"I pulled that from your back. Funny thing, it has the ShinRa logo stamped all over it," she said, glaring at him as fiercely as he was glaring at her, "I might just be a flower girl, but I'm not stupid. They were after you. They tried to kill you. So, I'll answer your question, when you tell me what they want you for."
Sephiroth gazed at her blankly, rolling the bullet between two fingers. Blinking languidly, he tilted his head and said simply, "I escaped."
"They don't pump you full of poison laced bullets for just escaping," she helpfully pointed out.
His eyes went deathly cold then and there was a ghostly sneer in his voice as he spoke, "Sadly, the locks on my doors were quite functional and my cell woefully well guarded...unlike other, more fortunate 'guests' of ShinRa..."
Aeris couldn't help the mortified blush that rose to her cheek. She was insulted, but at the same time, she felt guilty. She didn't like the implications in his statement, much less the intent behind them. It wasn't her fault she was lucky. It wasn't her fault she knew someone on the inside who made things easier for her. And a very quiet voice in the back of her head wondered what exactly he had to do in order to escape. Most likely, she didn't want to know. Tension was worse than palpable. It was a sticky, clingy presence that lingered over the room like a bad smell.
Attempting to shake it off, she quickly scuttled back to her side of the room and wrapped herself in her blanket, doing her very best to ignore Sephiroth. He didn't make it easy for her, as she could feel him watching her. Like the pinpointing light of a sharpshooter's target, his gaze burned holes in her back. Concentrating, she pushed him out of her mind and focused on herself. She tended to her own wounds, brushed her hair, and when all that was done, she got herself something to eat, munching idly on a cereal bar, she half-thought about asking Sephiroth if he wanted one but then thought better of it. If he wanted something to eat, he could ask like a polite person would...assuming he knew what it was to be polite.
A fact which was in much doubt.
He hadn't touched the sleeping bag she'd given him, which irritated her for more than one reason. First, it was an outright refusal of her kindness. But it was the second part that was really important. After finishing the cereal bar, she'd snuggled into her blanket and gazed at the fire for awhile. Very soon, she began to feel sleepy. Yes, this was the second part. She was very, very tired, but she didn't want to be the first one to fall asleep.
If he didn't trust her, then she didn't trust him and if he didn't sleep, than neither would she. There was no way she'd lower her guard around him. Not until there was some kind of trust between them. So she'd waited and waited and waited for him to make a sign that he was about to retire. She waited until her lids were so very heavy and her body screamed at her to give up the ghost.
Frustrated and exhausted, she gave up any pretense of ignoring him and snapped, "Aren't you going to sleep!"
He didn't even look at her as he pretended to be more interested in the bullet she'd thrown at him. A habit which was quickly becoming irritating.
"No."
"Why not?" She asked, rather more petulantly than she'd liked.
"I don't tire as easily as some," he replied, condescendingly, "Why do you ask?"
"No reason."
"Hmm. So, I assume you're not tired either?"
"No."
He laughed sharply and shook his head as if deciding something within himself. After a few minutes, it became clear to her that he wasn't going to elaborate to her what he thought was so funny and it irked her.
Brows furrowing, she barked at him, "What's so funny."
"You." He said, looking at her with a small, but noticeable smile, "You are, without a doubt, the worst liar I've ever seen. You're exhausted. Go to sleep."
"Am not."
She winced as the words left her mouth. Why couldn't she think before she said stupid stuff!
"Yes, you are."
"No..." she insisted, "I am NOT. Don't tell me what to do."
"Suit yourself," he said, laughing as he stood, stretching his arms out before striding for the door.
"Where are you going?" she asked from her sort of comfortable nest on the floor.
"To patrol."
She looked at him with a mixture of confusion and alarm, "To patrol? Patrol what...and where?"
He sighed then, annoyed that he had to explain something so fundamental to her, "Ruins like these are dangerous at night."
Aeris raised an eyebrow, giving him the same look he just gave her, "We're perfectly safe here. I told you that before. You really, REALLY have to work on this trust issue thing you have..."
"You honestly expect me to believe you?"
"Yeah. You saw for yourself...The Sequoia will protect us...it said..."
"Yes, far be it from me to doubt the words of a sentient tree."
She ignored the not so veiled insult, and replied dryly, "Fine. Go. But you're just wasting your time."
"I'll be the judge of that."
She shrugged and stood up, padding over to her abandoned sleeping bag.
"Suit yourself," she echoed his previous sentiment, shaking out the sleeping bag without looking at him.
Rolling it out fully, she slipped inside and unwrapped the blanket from around herself. All the while, she carefully ignored the man who watched her with unveiled amusement. Annoyed, she finally looked up at him, her hands folding her blanket into a makeshift pillow. If he wasn't going to sleep, than she would and she'd do it in her own damn sleeping bag. He could sleep on the cold, hard ground for all she cared. Their gazes met and for a single moment they could barely move or breathe. And just like that, it drifted away as he turned his back on her, breaking her gaze with something close to reluctance as he melded into darkness.
And from the empty black, his voice carried back to her softly as he whispered, "Sleep well."
It startled her enough for her to put a hand to her chest. Breathing heavily, she called back, "Goodnight..." Mumbling lowly to herself once she was sure he was gone, "Big, stupid jerk. Hope you get eaten..."
Snuggling down into the blanket, she gazed at the flickering firelight. At first, sleep didn't come as easily as she'd hoped. There were strange sounds all around and it was kind of chilly. It was dark and she was very alone and feeling so small and scared. Closing her eyes, she reached for the planet's song. It was her security blanket of sorts and as it surrounded her, she found herself falling into a deep, comfortable sleep.
She belonged here.
And with thatorphaned thought, she let the last bit of her consciousness go. Aeris was at that moment, dead to the world. She didn't notice the creaking timbers of the temple. Or the pattering rain on the roof. She didn't even notice it when someone else slipped into the two person sleeping bag with her to share her warmth after two cold, fruitless hours of patrolling.
Author's notes and lyrics translations for this chapter can be found at my writing journal, Yume Jinju livejournal. A link to this journal can be found in my profile.