Chapter 25 - Missions
A/N: I will fite you on my LOVELESS origin headcannon!"
"Our objective is simple," said the 2nd Class SOLDIER leading the mission, a helmeted man named Cody, "With the Wutai War ending, negotiations have determined that us helping in monster cleanup would be a show of good faith to them."
Aerith nodded thoughtfully along with the five other 3rds, all people she didn't know as more than a last name.
One of the other SOLDIERs scoffed. "Not that they weren't the ones trying to breed monsters and sending them after us."
That got a grumpy grumble from the others.
Aerith frowned. "But surely not all of them? There's natural populations of monsters on every continent, with Wutai's extreme casualties from the war they could use the help."
One of the other's lips peeled back into a sneer. "Spoken like fresh meat that never had to spend a day on the front lines fighting against these slant-eyed savages."
Aerith opens her mouth to retort before noticing everyone here is regarding her with a chilly look. She snaps her mouth closed and goes quiet.
"You will each split into pairs once we touch down, the leftover with me," ordered Cody, "Three pairs of SOLDIERs ought to be able to clear out the patch of forest we are assigned in a few days. The Wutai have warned that they haven't had time to take down any of their traps, so we should be careful."
He wrinkled his nose in distaste. "Not that they seemed overly eager to do so."
Why would they? When they had an army of super soldiers who had slaughtered so many of their people to be worried about? She wisely doesn't comment.
"In that regard, I probably ought to take the newbie," commented Cody, "Who likely wouldn't be able to spot the difference between a bush trap, or a trap made to look obvious that has a trip wire out of the way that'll kill you after you've cleared the bait. If she could spot a trap at all."
Aerith flushes a little, but doesn't answer. The briefing continues, all with parting shots sent her way as it goes. It... hurts a bit, was that one comment really worth all of this as retaliation?
It gets worse when she realizes it wasn't because of the comment.
When Cody pulls her aside after they land, holding a warning finger up to her face. "Let me make myself clear Gainsborough, none of your up-tight solo shit is going to fly here."
Aerith startled, baffled. "My what?"
"No one's seen you interact with any SOLDIER that isn't Zack Fair for more than a minute, and he interacts with everyone, even the assholes. I don't care if you think you're tough shit above the rest of us just because you managed to bypass the Cadet Program," said Cody flatly, angrily even, "I've heard about your flippant attitude towards superior officers, not to mention that time you got assigned shit duty for apparently back-talking Sephiroth himself. That is unacceptable, and won't be tolerated out here on the field. I don't care if you're the only woman in SOLDIER, it doesn't get you shit in my book, if I give you an order, you are expected to obey it, is that clear?"
She... she hadn't meant to alienate anyone. Had they... had they all really thought she was like that? She goes through her memories, and she really hadn't, had she? She'd barely interacted with her peers outside of some training, or her specific roommates. Those she was going to potentially face against the end of the world alongside...
She closed her eyes for a long moment before quietly saying. "Yes sir."
"One more thing."
He is uncomfortably in her personal space now, eyes narrowed. "I don't know the specifics on why you were seeing a shrink, that ain't my business, but SOLDIER has specific policy towards those who can't hack it and snap on the field. If you become a threat to my men, I will do what I have to do to protect them, is that clear?"
"I'm not insane," she snapped back, eyes narrowed back.
"I didn't ask if you were, Gainsborough," he answered flatly, "I asked you if I had made myself clear. Have I?"
"Yes sir," she gritted out.
"Good, now follow, I'm going to give you a crash course in Wutian traps, if you want to live through this assignment you better fucking listen."
A fire burns deep in Aerith's gut as she follows behind him. So angry, and so embarrassed, that people had seen her go into Redman's office and started spreading rumors. That wasn't fair! But... there's nothing to be done about it here and now except prove that she's not. As for his first point... she faintly remembers Sephiroth warning her to connect with her fellow SOLDIERs... she's been in SOLDIER for almost 2 years now, she really failed to, and she doesn't know how to fix it if its really become this bad...
Well... she supposed she could just ask.
She waits until he's done his lesson, and shown her a few traps they found, including plucking a barely visible trip-wire and having a razor thin sickle swing down that certainly would have taken her head clean off if they hadn't triggered it early. They've barely found any monsters so far, just a roaming few Edgeheads and Razor Weeds, not even a Thunderbird. Its quiet... so...
"Sir?"
"What is it," he glances back briefly, eyes encompassing the area looking for whatever made her speak.
"How do I fix this?"
"Fix what Gainsborough?"
"I didn't... I didn't mean to make people feel that way, I don't think I'm better than anyone," she says quietly.
Cody gave an exasperated sigh. "Out in the middle of a mission is not a place to ask that Gainsborough, priorities. Most of us ain't Zack Fair who is making it an art form to both goof off and complete a mission at the same time."
Aerith resists the urge to laugh, he'd probably not appreciate it.
"Ask again after I've gotten all my SOLDIERs home after the mission and I'll give it some thought, but truthfully Gainsborough, opinions and stigmas stick," he said sharply, "There's plenty of arrogant lone wolfs already, they have their uses and their place, I was under the impression that's where you were going before you were stuck in with us. Everyone else thought that too, and it takes effort to change someone's mind after you haven't bothered before. If you're not prepared to do so, don't bother."
"I... I understand sir," she said quietly.
"Good, now mind on the mission, we want out of here in three days," he said, "There ain't a SOLDIER alive who fought in the war who wants to stay in this hellhole longer than necessary."
Its uncomfortable, to be paired with someone who obviously doesn't like her. Its nothing like traveling and fighting alongside AVALANCHE. But like so many parts of her life she powers through it. The first day passes somewhat smoothly, but the second...
A boom followed by an awful scream sounds in the distance; Cody swears, grabbing for his PHS. "Report!"
"Fuck fuck fuck," someone is heard screaming through the phone before another SOLDIER answers, "Freddie stepped on a damn land mine, his leg is shredded, sir."
Cody snarls. "Dammit, trigger your PHS's locator beacon and wait, treat him as best you can. No materia till I can judge if we can save the leg or not."
It's triggered, and they book it at a speed that's definitely not cautious enough for the danger in the forest. But Aerith trusts the mission leader's instincts and he leads them through it. Aerith winces when they arrive. The wounded SOLDIER is laid on the ground, another SOLDIER's powerful hands squeezing tightly around his thigh to constrict blood-flow as best they can. The leg in question is ripped to pieces, stripes of flesh hanging this way and that, bone is shattered in multiple places, and most of his foot is missing, or rather, all over the place in pieces. A lot more of him would be gone most likely if he hadn't been enhanced.
"Knock him out, then tear or cut it off, and cauterize it," said Cody, grimacing, "Nothing we can do, I'll call for a chopper to get him back to HQ to be looked at."
"Wait, wait wait!" said Aerith instantly, horrified, "I... I can heal this!"
Or at least she hopes she can... oh she hopes she didn't just put her foot in her mouth.
Cody gives her an incredulous look. "You. Can heal. That mess? Even if one on us had a Full Cure, it would close that into a misshapen monstrosity, and then it'll hurt him even more to have it removed for a prosthetic."
"Please sir, let me at least try."
"Gainsborough," he said sharply, "If this is about what you asked me, fucking around with his life like this to prove yourself is not how you do it."
Aerith takes in a deep breath, lets it out, half closes her eyes, and reaches for her power. Not for a cure materia, but with what she's always had in her. She'd always been able to heal small cuts, and sometimes, when she hit her limit break, she'd been able to heal so much more with her rain. As an enhanced Ancient SOLDIER surely she could be capable of more?
She glows with a soft turquoise light, and Cody startles. "The hell?"
He narrows his eyes, but doesn't argue anymore. "Do what you can then. Afterwords, I have questions."
Aerith kneels next to the wounded SOLDIER and puts a hand on his ruined leg, and pushes. Like miniature threads of Lifestream, strips of turquoise energy spiral out from her, touching wounded flesh and mending it. Threads reach out over the area, dissolving the scattered bits a pieces of his leg and foot into energy that flows back into the wounded SOLIDER. Bones are knitted back together, muscles grow back, flesh is pulled closed, and in less than three minutes his foot and leg are as good as new. Aerith stops glowing and sits on the ground, feeling drained, and oddly like she had been exercising, strained and sore but feeling good. She stares down at her hands, a little awed. She had offered as a desperate thing, but to see it actually work...
She looks up, and everyone is staring at her, jaws dropped, except for one person.
Instead of looking pleased or shocked, Cody looked pissed. "Gainsborough, are you going to tell me you've been able to heal like that, without a goddamn materia, better than a materia even, since joining SOLDIER, and not once have you volunteered at the infirmary or offered yourself as a emergency responder?"
Aerith's happiness at having helped flees her, and it feels like someone just gut punched her, she wilts in shock at the accusation, then in shame when she recognizes its true. "I..."
"Do you have any idea how many people you could have...," he cut himself off, scowling, "Before you joined SOLDIER were you known in any way for this healing ability?"
"I... I've volunteered in slum clinics before," she said shakily, eyes glued to the ground, shoulders slumped, "I've been able to heal little things before without Materia, bigger injuries if I hit a limit break."
"Mako amps everything," the man said flatly before demanding again, "Was this known?"
"I'm pretty sure its in my profile," she said, swallowing.
"Congratulations, you're not the only one I'm chewing out then," he said flatly, "You sure as hell never offered before, but its also on your superior officers to best know how to use their personnel, and you have not been used properly. Fucking shit, you should have been put through the damn Cadet Program and this would have been spotted and marked without question by more than whoever the hell dealt with your hushed enhancement process."
Aerith says nothing. There is nothing to say.
"You wanna know how you can 'fix this'?" he asked angrily, "Make some damn use of yourself for once."
She wants to defensively lash out that she had. But she knows she hadn't in a really public way that she'd be known for. She had helped the trio, and shared information that could help so many people, was working to become strong enough to stop Jenova... but it was nothing public. Nothing that had ever obviously publicly directly helped SOLDIER... all they saw was a loner who had never bothered to care before, who had held back her gifts that could have helped them...
"Okay," she said quietly, "Okay..."
When the mission is all said in done, from then on there is barely a day that goes by without Aerith volunteering to help in any way at the infirmary, or doesn't put her name forward as an emergency SOLDIER responder once she's received basic training on it. While she's still not exactly liked, especially with her not having openly helped before, it doesn't take more than a month before people know to immediately call or go to her for medical help.
Its a start.
"Infinite in mystery is the gift of the Goddess," reads Genesis, flipping through his book on LOVELESS as he and Aerith were flown out on a mission.
Aerith merely pursed her lips. "Don't you have any other hobbies?"
He quirks an eyebrow. "Hello pot, my name is kettle."
"I garden!" she answers defensively, "And volunteer in medical. Well... I do nowadays."
His smile turns into a grimace. "Yes, yes, we were remiss in that. That was the first time I've ever seen Sephiroth dressed down like that, and so politely too. Not that I didn't get my fair share. Its part of the reason we're out on this mission."
"And why is that?" she asked warily.
"Because, my dear," he said gleefully, "I'm going to put you through the wringer and see just what an Ancient SOLDIER is capable of."
"Something tells me I'm not going to enjoy this."
He laughs, but merely goes back to his reading. She stares at the book with a slight frown on her face, toying with a few memories, a conversation about Genesis she once had with Minerva. The man's worship of the Goddess is nothing new to Minerva, a little quaint pleasure, especially in having stolen one of the Calamity's children with devotion to her rather than his 'Mother'. However, the combination of what humanity called LOVELESS mixed in with that worship had been a source of displeasure to the Goddess. She considered if she should say anything, that the Goddess of 'LOVELESS' wasn't Minerva. But... she didn't think she should shatter faith like that, better to let him live happily with the lie.
She is, after all, not sure how he would react to the Goddess in 'LOVELESS' being Jenova, and all the horrific subtleties the lines in that ode imply.
"You know," said Genesis in a half-teasing half-mocking tone, "I overheard Lazard considering a special position for you."
A pinched expression crossed Aerith's face. "I really don't think singling me out for something 'special' is a good idea. I've only just realized not long ago how shit my reputation is in SOLDIER."
Genesis gave her a scandalized look. "Miss Gainsborough! Was that a swear out of you? What would your mother think?"
She scowled and kicked his leg.
He chuckled. "And its not special as in 'special', but special with a purpose. Tell me, Gainsborough, how many still question your healing ability this last month? Whether in SOLDIER, out on the field, or even when you volunteer at the hospitals? Hmm?"
"Plenty," murmured Aerith.
"Generally, SOLDIERs are just 1st, 2nd, or 3rd, simple and straightforward if but ignoring one's strengths and weaknesses for any specific designation," explained Genesis, "Both Lazard and Sephiroth have discussed changing that with a new classification system. The current system is pretty shit for dolling out missions. For example, if a SOLDIER has to deal with the public, if no one volunteers for the mission, then a SOLDIER at random could be selected who is utter garbage at public relations. Or, on a fighting standpoint, if a mission has to deal with flying monsters, and a SOLDIER who is terrible with materia is chosen, the mission can get... dicey. Do you follow where I am going with this?"
Aerith nods. "Everyone will have a... portfolio?"
He nods back. "Everyone already does, but its not really incorporated into our systems. For example, most of my 'quirks' wouldn't really change my classification as a SOLDIER, though I am good with the public, however, my magic ability outstrips most people, even Sephiroth, by an absurd degree that a 1st Class SOLDIER-Mage classification would be appropriate for myself."
"So anyone with a high affinity for materia would be considered a SOLDIER-Mage then?"
"Correct, that's the line of thought we are going for," agreed Genesis.
"I would be a SOLDIER-Healer then?"
"SOLDIER-Medic," he corrected, "Though, you would need more training than you have at the moment. Being able to just throw magic at a wound and heal it is all well and good, but what if you're tired? What if your mana is spent? Do you know how to preform field-surgery by yourself or to guide helpers?"
"Not fully," she admits, "Mostly my lessons so far are on when to and when not to use healing materia and items."
He holds up a finger. "Field surgery is an example of the training you'd need for that classification."
"I do know first aid though! It was part of my training."
"So do I," he mocked back, "Basic first aid is nothing special."
She scowled and crossed her arms.
He gave her a smug look in return before sighing, "But really, this system should have been in place years ago. Shinra is... careless in the use of its men. The phrase 'just throw SOLDIERs and infantry at the problem' is aptly put with their strategy."
"The higher ups don't care about the lives of those beneath them," muttered Aerith.
He hummed in agreement. "High profile missions were carefully planned out, but regular ones... whats a few losses to them?"
He shook his head. "I digress. We will be landing soon in a wide open patch of grass outside of Junon where I am are free to torture-I mean train and test you to our hearts content."
She gives him an unimpressed look.
He is completely unrepentant. "Speaking of which, do you have a gravity materia by chance?"
"No?"
"Pilot, how far out are we?"
"ETA one minutes, sir!" called back the pilot.
"Here is a spare since I mastered mine," said Genesis, pulling out a materia and tossing it to her.
Aerith catches it, rolling it between her fingers. "Why do I need a gravity materia?"
"I've been doing some experiments of my own," he said casually, "Without materia."
Aerith slow blinked, absorbing that. "Without... materia?"
She knew Genesis was good with magic, but she was of the impression he can't reach the point of materialess magic without either having delved into the powers of Calamity, received Minerva's boon, or hit a limit break. "How did...?"
"As such, I wonder if you can replicate something I did," he mused, calling to the pilot, "Hold here!"
The helicopter slowed to a stop, hovering high off the ground.
"Which is what?" asked Aerith.
"Sink or swim," he said gleefully, opening the door, grabbing her arm, and tossing her out of the damn helicopter!
Aerith gave a shrill scream. "YOU INSANE BASTARD!"
She tried to take in another breath to scream as the wind rushed past her, sufficatingly difficult. She clenched her fist around the gravity materia as the ground rapidly approached. She got the idea of what he wanted, but had no idea how the hell to go about it. So, she did the only thing she could do not that far off the ground. Cast gravity on herself. Her world warped and it felt like her insides were turned inside out, but it did stop her fall... at least until the magic exploded and threw her the rest of the way to the ground.
She landed with a groan. "I'm going to kill him."
Of course, the crazy redhead levitated to the ground from the air with ease, a soft purple and blue glow of Gravity around him, without a glow from his bracer. Aerith scrutinized him, just a tad baffled. How the hell...
"The first steps," instructed Genesis, "Is to get a feel for the materia in question you wish to replicate without said materia."
"Genesis... how?" she asked, "Are you able to do that?"
"Infinite in mystery..."
"I will punch you."
He raised an eyebrow. "Assaulting a superior office miss Gainsborough?"
She scowled.
He smiled smugly at her response. "Holy, I feel, did far more than merely heal my genetics. It changed me in ways I am still discovering."
He sat down on the grass, a sigh of contentment escaping his lips. "The chorus of the Planet is an soothing melody, isn't it? So difficult to hear up in HQ."
Aerith froze.
Did he just imply...
He could hear...
She swallowed. "Planet?"
CHILD.
"How?" she asked, pushing down an image of Genesis.
ADAPTION.
She just felt frustrated, that didn't answer anything!
ADAPTION FROM ENEMY.
...as in he was the adaption, or the planet adapted something from Jenova?
Aerith startled when it hit her. Genetic manipulation.
But how? Ignoring the baffling concept of the Planet somehow pilfering an ability of Jenova's, how could it possibly do something like that? The dead Goddess maybe, but the Planet? It dealt in big great things, small specific careful handling wasn't...
She reconsidered it.
Holy was a very specific and special materia, perhaps...
NEW CHILD. NEW SOURCE.
Sensations and images hit her. Of animals and people living, breathing, reproducing, dying. Evolution and adaption, changing to fit their environment as it itself changes. Then an illusionary image filled her mind, of Genesis, glowing with the light of the Lifestream. Then of smaller faceless children, each of them glowing, then they would grow and more faceless children would appear. It went on and on and on, and no matter how far it went, that light of the Lifestream never diminished.
Then the images faded away, leaving Aerith bewildered. Was it implying Genesis's children should he have them would never lose the ability to touch the Lifestream? To commune with the planet? The Ancients had faded away down to her, she knew, knew, that her ability to speak to the Planet prior to becoming the Fail-Safe had been limited compared to Ancients of the past, that it was genetically fading away. That's what happened. How could the Planet possibly change it like that? She projects her confusion at it, but she receives nothing back save for a flicker of impatient frustration. The Planet didn't know how to explain further that its simple answer.
Aerith lets it go, if it is, then it is, there's not much questioning it will bring her. "So... 'get a feel for the materia'?
Genesis nods. "Reach for it as if you are going to cast, but don't. Merely hold the power in your grasp. Savor it like a fine wine until you can recognize the taste with but a drop."
"I was never much for alcohol."
"You poor, poor, woman."
She makes a face at him, earning a laugh.
"Well, as a SOLDIER, you can drink what you want when you want," he stated, "Though the mako generally makes it impossible to get drunk anymore. The humanity of it all, such a tragic, tragic loss..."
Aerith tunes him out and considers the gravity materia in her hand. She activates it, but pauses at the reflexive desire to pick a target or a spot to cast it. She holds it in her mind, considering the feeling of 'weight' to it, the sense of 'pulling', warping and ripping anything towards its center. She sits down and rolls the materia between her finger thoughtfully. She sets the materia down after a few minutes and slowly turns, searching...
There, a good cluster of rocks.
She aims her hand towards the space above them and pulls...
She barely gets a puff of purple energy before it fades.
Aerith scowls.
Genesis huffs. "Gainsborough you are never satisfied. That is more than I got in my first attempt, let alone my first few hours trying, so chin up my dear, chin up."
"We're on a timer Genesis," muttered Aerith.
"The fact that you constantly strive as if only your own potential matters is irksome even if it is not what you mean," he snapped at her, "Do not forget that in the event that your fears comes to pass and the Calamity wakes up, you are not alone. You have me, you have Angeal, you have Sephiroth, all of SOLDIER, and the Turks at your side."
She flushes and goes silent for a moment before sighing and trying again, getting another puff of purple energy. "I know."
"Besides, aside from when Sephiroth would have first went off the deep end, don't we have a few years still from when everything really started going to shit anyway?" he said, "Even beyond that, there is no guarantee the Crisis will become active again."
"That was with Hojo here and content, working his way steadily towards his goals," said Aerith, "We don't know where he is or what he is doing. If I'm being honest, I am truly baffled that Hojo hasn't caused anything yet, or even awoken Jenova on accident messing around with it for some project. Its..."
She licks her lips. "Something should have happened by now, too much is going our way."
"And I thought I was pessimistic," he drawled, "Gainsborough, did you or did you not bring a future's worth of knowledge with you meant to stack the odds in our favor?"
"I did, but... its still to quiet," she says softly, "It be less afraid of something were going wrong right now."
He rolls his eyes and flaps his head. "Yes yes yes miss doom and gloom, throw yourself into training then."
"Kay."
He scoffs, crosses his arms, and watches with a critical eye, offering her more materia as time passes to try out...
"So, how have missions been miss Mage-Medic?" asks Angeal teasingly as they make for their helicopter.
"I didn't realize," admits Aerith, "How many people had difficulty using Materia. I barely have any free time with how much I get requested."
Angeal nods. "Its not so much the using, but the mastery of it. Most people can call out basic magic from materia, but most, even with mako enhancements, don't have the capacity to chain out one spell after another, to do an entire fight using nothing but high level magic. Now that the system is actually up and running, its pretty easy to see how limited the number is. There are about... oh ten or so in SOLDIER? That actually have enough raw mana and skill to get the mage classification. It wasn't a 'problem' before simply because of the 'throw SOLDIERs at the problem until it works' solution, but now that we're actually trying to send out balanced teams, I.E. one mage on every mission at least, the shortfall shows up."
"Its not like most SOLDIERs aren't overkill for a mission anyway."
Angeal pauses climbing in, glancing behind him, eyebrow raised. "Director Verdot, Mr. Valantine."
He finishes climbing, turning to offer a hand to the pair. "Now I'm legitimately curious, what is our mission that it has you two coming with?"
Veld doesn't answer until the doors are closed and their in the air. "We've finally located the Temple of the Ancients and the Keystone. Its time we retrieve the Black Materia. I decided Valantine and I should be personally involved with this."
"That what-materia?"
"Miss Gainsborough, if you would give him a rundown?" poses Veld.
She does so, watching the man's face go grim. "I'm flattered and all, but really, Sephiroth should be here for securing such a dangerous thing."
"Oh don't worry," said Aerith, "He gets to be part of the disposal mission instead."
"We're destroying it then?" posed Veld, "What about as a failsafe?"
Aerith pauses to consider what to say. "There is a better option if it comes down to it."
"Such as...?"
"Something not to be spoken of to mortal ears," Vincent rumbles, eyes briefly flashing gold from Chaos, giving Aerith a knowing look.
Zirconiade is a much, much, more guaranteed way to slash and burn the world if they fail to stop Jenova. The Black Materia might be better for a concentrated outbreak, but if it fails to actually destroy all of Jenova, then the parasite will just return and feed off the wound in the Planet the materia would have just caused.
Veld gets Vincent a flat stare. "I don't like being kept in the dark about important shit, Valantine and passenger."
"I agree with Chaos," said Vincent softly, "Some things need to be kept secret. You are infectable Veld, you know the risks of what happens if the Calamity ever sinks its claws into you."
Veld sighs. "And we can't just stick Gainsborough's cells in me why?"
"Jenova is a sentient parasite, a virus," said Aerith quietly, "Capable of directing its own evolution and mutations. I'm being put into SOLDIERs because they are already infected and something needs to be done to neutralize that. In the terrible scenario that it works around my immunity, the less people that have my cells, the better. Even worse, if that thing takes me, than anyone with my cells will be susceptible."
Veld grumbles but nods. "Fair."
"So... Temple of the Ancients," says Angeal, looking to Aerith, "Rundown of the place?"
She grins. "A maze with many floors, many staircases, and many winding pathways."
"Oh that's lovely," said Angeal dryly, "Don't suppose you have a cheat sheet?"
"I can probably point us along roughly the right path to take, but expect to hit a dead end once or twice... or ten times," she answers sheepishly.
"Any nasty traps or monsters in there?" he asks.
She has to think on that for a few minutes. "Yes to traps, puzzles too, I think something rolls at us? Not sure what exactly. As for monsters... I don't remember what it is, but I know there is something nasty at the back exit."
"I'm really going to hate this place, aren't I?"
She laughs. "It was created to safeguard the Black Materia. Speaking of that, Veld, Reeve and his robot? We need them for retrieval."
"I didn't forget. He's got a model waiting for us by the entrance with the ground team," said Veld, "I don't think its likely but they will remain there to make sure nothing comes in while we are there."
"Good."
The rest of the flight is in relatively companionable silence. At least, until they get close. Then little pinpricks start running over her flesh. She feels... she senses the Temple, the Black Materia, far far before they arrive. Its clawing at her presence, a heavy weight at the back of her mind, raw and destructive. She grows solemn, wondering how the Ancients of old could have stood being anywhere in its presence. Because that sensation was going to get even worse... but then again, it hadn't been that bad last time around, perhaps it was only like this because she was mako enhanced?
When they touch down and she stands at the steps before the Temple, she stares at it with a sense of loss. This was where everything had started to go wrong...
She shakes the thought off and ascends the steps, the others right behind her. There are a set of three Turks, several murder robots, a squad of high-ranking infantry, but no SOLDIERs, guarding the entryway along with a tiny Cait Sith. Huh, odd. Wonder when Reeve would start using the fat robot to carry it around.
"Ready to git goin lass?" the talking cat asks.
Aerith is briefly suprised how winded she feels to hear that voice. She doesn't trust herself to speak, merely nods. Angeal takes Cait, bemused by the thing. Verdot gives the ground team their standing orders, offers her the Keystone, and they descend after she puts it in. The temple smells of stale air, not a shred of wind sneaking through the stone to stir it up. It is stale, and heavy. Despite the lack of wind, she can see tufts of raw energy flowing through the air high above them. She breaths in, and feels like she's choking with all the raw power of this place. She takes in all the divergent staircase and purses her lips. Well might as well get started...
Then she notices, waaaay down at the bottom, something she had forgotten about.
She sees a ghostly spirit beckoning her, pointing to the bottom pathway.
She smiles, because here, she is not the last of her people, even if all that remains of the others are spirits made manifest. "This way! Vincent you can carry Veld."
"Carry-," Veld cuts off when Aerith runs and jumps off the edge, she falls and falls then lands hard, but rather than break all of her bones and probably die she merely grunts at the impact. Sometimes she really loves being enhanced when she can get away with ridiculous things like that leap. She turns, looks back up, and waves. Angeal gives an amused grin and leaps down after her. Vincent, Vincent she sees smirking and-
She laughs when he picks Verdot up bridal style and makes the leap himself. The poor bride gives Vincent a dark scowl, fixing his suit before motioning onward. "Well?"
They come across the first trap, massive rolling boulders with... places to crouch as they rolled? It seemed odd to her that the Ancients would give trespassers a way through this. Then again, you'd have to time it right or risk getting crushed, maybe that is the bait. She however has a much better idea. "Keep close to me."
They file in around her as she forms a barrier around them, putting her lessons with Genesis and missions practicing to good use. She shapes it like a ramp. The boulders hit her shield and rolls up and over them without a pause. She hums, satisfied as they make their way through the trapped hallway, briefly pausing for a materia near a small fountain of water, because as Veld says...
"Waste not want not," he says, considering the yellow ball in his hand, "Pretty sure this feels like a Morph. There are literally only two of these in Shinra's materia storage at the moment."
"Oh Genesis would love that," muses Angeal.
They pass through the traps onto a puzzle room she vaguely recalls.
A toneless voice speaks as they come across a pit with clock hands for pathways. "I am the Time Guardian. Ye who seek the knowledge of the Ancients. I control the time, select your path."
"I don't suppose you being an Ancient gets us a free pass here?" murmurs Angeal.
Aerith snorts. "It never does."
"How the hell do we even make the hands move?" asked Angeal, skeptical.
"Its simple, we ask," she answered, smiling.
The next... hour or so isn't one Aerith would really want to relive, waiting for the hands of the block puzzle to slowly move. Walking dangerously over a plummet to sheer death multiple times. So many dead ends. It was a nightmare, at least it was until she realized just what kind of treasure had been hidden here that she had forgotten about. Her hands are shaking when she reaches into a gilded chest and pulls out the Princess Guard. She clutches the comfortable weight in her hand, feels its imbued magic wash over her. It empowers her magic and strengthens her endurance, but beyond that, its a special weapon, crafted to be used by Ancient warriors in dire times. She'd seen old memories in the Lifestream, of those who had wielded this before her. Often the last standing in the fight, empowered by loss, it hardens the user the more of their allies fall. A tragic weapon, but considering the enemy it had been used against, a necessary one. Back during the dark times of Jenova's original planetfall, infected allies would end up becoming enemies and one needed to balance the scales somehow.
Its odd how complete this staff makes her feel despite how short a time she had wielded it in her past life. She readily sheaths her sword and keeps her staff in-hand.
Angeal studies the way she cradles the staff. "Is that your Buster?"
She blinks at the question before recognizing what he means. Angeal and the Buster Sword. Genesis and the Rapier. Sephiroth and the Masamune. "Yeah."
He nods in understanding, giving a whistle. "I'm not even holding it and I can feel the energy coming off it."
She smiles a little. "I normally wouldn't ask for favoritism, but don't suppose I can get a pass on the 'wait till 1st class for a custom weapon' rule?"
"Show me what you can do with it and we'll see."
The first spell she casts, empowered by the mako in her body and the power from her staff, honestly makes her feel a little high. The rush of power as she flings a ball of fire at a monster in one of the side rooms is exhilarating. Its honestly hard to think straight with all the magic in the air, in her, and the presence of the Black Materia. Then they find the Ribbon, Cloud's Ribbon, and she near crumples in grief. Its the first one they had found (the only one Aerith had been alive for), and Cloud had barely taken it off until the day he died. She fastens it around her arm in homage to him and her friends long gone, as they had once done for her.
"You have the oddest reaction to things sometimes," said Angeal curiously, "I'd be happy rather than sad to find that piece of equipment. You know how rare those are, right?"
"This one has a history," is all she says.
She wonders how often this is going to happen. Finding relics of her past that gut her to locate. Will meeting Cloud again be the same kind of experience, just worse?
They finally make it to the next area. The next trap/puzzle is less... potentially lethal, but more briefly annoying. Chasing a spirit body through a cave system. One would think being enhanced would make it easier, but the damn thing speeds up to move as fast as they do, giggling all the way, forcing a brief separation to pincer it. After they catch it and take it to a door at the top to open. Her breath hitches when they enter the mural room. She'd forgotten the impact of seeing the murals with her own eyes.
Cait Sith whistles. "Damn me, whats all this?"
"Knowledge, and a warning about what rests here," said Aerith quietly.
"Eh... ya are the Ancient, this is yer place, ye mind if I take pictures with me camera?"
She frowns. "Camera?"
He points to his eyes. He had camera's in his eyes? Was that the case from before? Oh that sneaky little...
"Go for it," she says, hiding her indignation, "This place isn't going to exist for much longer. Might as well be some record of it left."
She blames it on all the magic clouding her head when she realizes she forgot about the red dragon when it tries to roast them as they approach the puzzle-trap at the end of the room. Its... odd to pull her weight in a physical confrontation with a powerful foe. Mostly she had been supporting or casting with magic in her past life, and even this one she still tends to be assigned that role, it is one of her strengths after all as much as being regulated back-line vexes her. But there's nothing quite like leaping up and smashing Princess Guard down on a dragon's head.
Inelegant.
But so satisfying.
Not that the fight lasts that long when they have Angeal, Vincent, and her to fight it. Even Veld is a crazy shot, blowing a bullet right through its eye on a moving target. The Bahamut Materia they find embedded in its head is the same as before, and she knows they'll be putting that to good use eventually, just not inside a cramped temple.
She motions to the puzzle-trap as they reach the end of the room. "This is the final puzzle, and the real secret of this place. The entire temple is the Black Materia."
"Excuse me-what?" said Angeal, "How?"
"Clever use of magic," she answers, "Each puzzle solved will shrink the temple until it returns to being its materia form. However, the puzzle can only be solved inside the temple, meaning normally, that whoever set loose the materia would have to give their life to do so. But... we have robots nowadays."
"Ooph," exclaims Cait Sith, "Brought into teh world only to die! The humanity of it all!"
She gives him a bland look. "Woe is you. If you want those pictures to get back to Shinra, hand them over now."
The cat withdraws a small chip from the back of his head and offers it to Verdot who pockets it. "Alright lass, give the word when yer out of here and I'll get us this materia in a jiffy."
The final surprise when they make to leave is one she'd really rather not have encounter when the entire bloody wall around the exit door turns into a monster.
"What in the...?!" exclaims Angeal in surprise as a face and claws stretch out, roaring at them, "Little warning would have been nice!"
"I said there was something nasty, didn't I?" Aerith defends.
"I thought you meant the dragon!"
"Its caving in the entire damn room!" snaps Veld as the place starts to shake and debris start to fall, "Do your jobs and kill it!"
Then the monster wall starts pushing forward and the doors behind them snap closed, trapping them in. Potential death to cave in, or being crushed by the wall, or the monster itself. "Oh that's grand."
"Scared Veld?" teases Vincent.
"I have a healthy sense of preservation unlike some people."
Aerith twirls her staff overhead and thrusts it forward, jets of flame exploding outward and washing over the monster, earning a roar of pain. She leaps back as it swings its claws, dodging them, but wincing when a piece of the ceiling slams into her shoulder. She hisses in pain, but is thankful that being mako enhanced made that a glancing blow rather than a dislocated or crushed shoulder. Angeal decides to not waste time, sheaths his standard sword, then draws the Buster and starts carving chunks out of it with brutal swings...
At least into its head reaches down and closes its maw over Angeal's own, teeth digging into his neck. Aerith has a brief surge of terror and disbelief, but Angeal drops the Buster and grabs its mouth in the split second before it can actually bite all the way through, fingers digging in to hold it in place. His muffled voice calls out, "GET THIS THING OFF ME!"
She rushes forward, drops the Princess Guard, picks up the Buster, leaps, and comes down, swinging and taking its neck clean off. Angeal pushes the mouth open and pulls his head out, blood streaming down his neck. "Fucking shit I'm going to have nightmares about this!"
Her hands are on the gaping puncture wounds, curative energy rushing out and sealing them closed in seconds. He massages his throat and offers a honest, "Thanks," before they rush out of the collapsing room and out of the temple, Veld calls into his PHS, "Cait Sith, you are a go! Ground team, evacuate the temple proper."
They watch in silence as minutes later, in a cackle of black energy, the temple begins to shrink until finally all that is left in the gaping hole it leaves is a single black stone at the bottom. Aerith goes alone to retrieve it, hands trembling as she picks it up. She stands there for a long few minutes, remembering the horror of Cloud giving the Black Materia to Sephiroth, then turning on her, driven by the One-Winged Angel's will. She reminds herself that if Cloud hadn't been resisting the effort somewhat, he would have killed her with his enhanced strength.
"I told you not to worry about it when you apologized to me for the attack," she said quietly, "But the words 'I forgive you' never actually passed through my lips. I never got the chance to work through it when I was alive, and never got to tell you myself, but... I did, in the end, forgive you for what happened, a long time before the world fell..."
When they touch down back at Shinra HQ, Sephiroth is waiting for them. His eyes lock onto her as she exits the helicopter, or more likely, the Black Materia in her pocket. She wonders if he feels it in the same maner she does? The ride back with the thing buzzing in her pocket hadn't been pleasant.
"How was the mission?" poses Sephiroth, eyes never leaving Aerith.
"A wall tried to eat me," deadpanned Angeal.
That gets Sephiroth to look away, giving the man an incredulous look, "A wall."
"Yeah, the exit turned into a monster, was fun, nearly bit my head off," Angeal said flatly, "I'm taking a shower and sleeping this mission off, have fun with the disposal op."
Sephiroth gave Angeal a brief concerned look over, eyeing the dried blood around his neck with unease, before turning back to Aerith. "Do you wish to wait until tomorrow and rest, or depart now?"
"Now," says Aerith firmly, "I'm not going to be able to sleep with this thing anywhere near me."
It went without saying she wasn't going to let it off of her person until it was time to deal with it, so sleeping was pointless.
He nods, glancing at Verdot. "Where is our destination Director?"
"That you'll have to ask her," said Veld, "And its your destination, I've had my fill for the day."
"Old man," teases Vincent before nodding at Aerith, "You two are enough for this. I only came for the last to keep an eye on Veld."
Veld huffs and makes for the exit to the helipad. Aerith is... uneasy about it, about being on a duo mission with just her and Sephiroth. Vincent doesn't immediately leave, watching her and waiting. Incase she asks him to say, understanding her fear despite it being unsaid. She swallows and nods. "Alright, I'll see you when we get back."
She has to get over this.
This Sephiroth is not the One-Winged Angeal.
She can't keep treating him as if he is.
"Where is our destination?" poses Sephiroth.
If she wanted a guaranteed solution that couldn't be fished out of a mako reactor or the various pools of mako on the surface...
"Northern Crater, all the way down," she answers.
Where Holy had been trapped.
Where Cloud and the others had fought Sephiroth in his horrifying demented angel form.
Sephiroth's eyebrows climb. "Are you sure you are up for it? That is not an easy trek. I would not take 2nd Class SOLDIERs to that place let alone 3rds, and fresh 1sts I would be wary of bringing along."
She runs a thumb up and down Princess Guard. "I'll be fine."
His eyes briefly linger on the staff, but doesn't comment. "Very well, allow me to call in a replacement pilot, the flight will not be short, and the journey down will be long. If you have an materia to swap out or items to grab, now would be the time. We will reconvene here in thirty minutes, as I am not stepping foot in that place without being well prepared."
Half an hour later they are in the air. She'd stocked up on ethers, and ditched her sword in her room.
"You've been there before?" she asks him as they buckle in.
He nods. "Both as training missions and as escorts for science teams wanting to look around. Never all the way down, but deep enough to know this place is not to be taken lightly."
"Training missions," she says flatly.
He grimaces. "There got to a point where few things could challenge me anymore, so Hojo decided to send me down until I was forced to come back up as an 'evaluation'."
"What could force you to retreat?" she asked skeptically.
"At the time? Three dragon zombies was more than I could handle, especially considering the previous black dragons, iron men, malbaros, master tonberries, especially the tonberries."
Aerith winces. "Owch."
"Quite," he agrees, "I'm far stronger now than I was a few years ago, but I'm honestly considering if this mission should be reconsidered until we have both Angeal and Genesis to come with us. I'd like my back covered down there."
She narrows her eyes. "I am capable of doing that."
He simply stares at her. "With respect Gainsborough, we have never fought alongside eachother before, and all things considered, a history that will make you hesitant to do so. You will need eyes on your surroundings and your opponents, not on me."
She winces and goes silent at the blunt statement, wanting to refute him, but unable to do so.
"Beyond this, its not a matter of doubting you, that place is lethal," he says firmly, "A single mistake will wind up with either of us dead. There is no room for hesitation, if it moves towards us, kill it. If after we begin, you give me obvious doubts that you can handle it, we will return to the surface and call for backup, am I clear Gainsborough?"
"Yes sir," she grits out.
"Now, I will give a detailed briefing on what I know of the monsters in this place, their strengths and weaknesses," he instructs, then begins.
She can admit she's a little impressed when he proceeds to do exactly as he said. He had a ridiculously impressive memory for this sort of thing. He goes on for a few hours of flight, quizzing her here and there on what he said, answering questions she had, until he's done. They'd finished crossing the ocean by then, only half an hour or so before they hit their destination. She'd been considering the task at hand, and did kind of agree in hindsight that maybe it would have been smarter to wait for Genesis to get back from his current mission and then take all three of the top 1st class. But... she has an idea.
"How would you like to be permanently hasted for the duration of the mission?" she poses.
Because really, Sephiroth on his own is ridiculously powerful, giving him haste would be beyond overkill.
Sephiroth raises a single eyebrow. "Chain casting for the duration?"
"No, I can tie the spell into my reserves and keep it going until I undo it," she explains, "No need to worry about it dropping at a poor time and throwing you off."
He tilts his head thoughtfully. "It would simplify things. I would request that I have a chance to test my movements while hasted before we venture down, as I've heard in mission reports that your magic is... potent."
"Moreso with the Princess Guard," she says, smiling at her staff, "Magic amplifier."
He hummed, his tone non-committal. "Yes, I noticed you left your sword behind and only brought that."
She shrugged and gave him an answer he'd respect. "Its my masamune."
He considers the staff for a moment. "I see. I'll allow it for high stakes missions, but otherwise you should stick to your sword for standard missions until you make 1st Class. The less accusations of favoritism, the better."
She kind of expected the answer when Angeal had never really confirmed it for her. "Alright."
He goes back to her offer. "You believe you can keep up the haste without too much drain?"
She nods. "Yeah, no problem with that. My mana reserves are stupidly high post enhancement, the staff helps too. I also brought pretty much my entire stock of ethers if need be."
She jingles a knapsack at her hip, bottle clinking against one another.
"An entire mission hasted," he mused, "That will be a new experience."
After they land in the bitter cold landscape, she casts her magic, watching the soft orange glow surround him. He shifts between walking and running around, getting a feel for himself under her magic. Its... odd to watch a Sephiroth who is unsure of himself, cautious in his examinations. He hefts his sword and preforms a few careful katas, sword moving so fast Aerith can't keep up with its despite her own enhancements. This continues for a good twenty minutes until he is satisfied.
He gives her a crisp nod. "This will work well. To confirm, have you noticed a dent in your reserves in the half hour or so you've maintained it?"
"Nope, I honestly think I'm regaining energy faster than I spend it for this."
He looks at her, eyes calculating. "What about maintaining it on yourself as well?"
She casts the spell and briefly ties it into her reserves as well. She dwells her focus inward for about a minute before she cuts the spell and answers, "That puts me a little in the negative, its a slow drain."
"A slow drain," he drawls out, "I am aware of how you throw yourself into training to fight head on, but truly Gainsborough, I do not believe you understand how potent that is that you can almost maintain a permanent boost such as this for the duration of a mission for multiple people with only 3rd Class enhancements."
She narrows her eyes at him. "I am not being pushed aside and forced to stand back and let others do my fighting for me."
"Do not underestimate the effects a supportive caster can have," he warns, "Especially on high value targets. A haste on a slow person would only make them half as slow, but a haste on a 1st Class SOLDIER for example makes them twice as fast as our ridiculous speeds already are. If you end up making and achieving 1st Class enhancements, I can envision you easily keeping Angeal, Genesis, yourself, and I permanently hasted without focus or effort. If not maintain even more effects. I am not sure you properly understand the absurd value of such a boon."
She clenches her jaw. Frustrated, but not stupid. She recognizes he is right, that he is in fact complimenting her, but, she lived one life already on the back-line, and doesn't wish to do so again. Doesn't wish to let others suffer and die for her when she can take the blows in their place. "Its not like I wont be able to do both, fight and maintain it. I've tied it into my reserves, I don't have to keep my focus on it."
"True, so long as you are aware of said reserves when you are casting other magic, or tiring yourself out in a fight," he points out, "Its something to consider for the future, and I do so hope you are not so foolish as to ignore its usefulness out of your own personal desires."
Infuriating bastard. How does he fit a compliment and an insult together so well?
He doesn't give her much of a chance to respond. "We move. Keep the chatter minimal and your movements quiet, the less attention attracted, the better."
It again, feels odd to see Sephiroth so cautious. He is confident, to be sure, but rather than the absolute arrogance she'd seen in the One-Winged Angel, this one is not so much. He sticks to the walls as they start the the initial slope down, it goes unopposed. The most they see are several roosting gargoyles that their quiet steps do not awaken. It occurs to her, that without the One-Winged Angel and Jenova being down here, without the huge shakeup the Sister Ray would have caused blowing the barrier, without Meteor hanging in the air over the planet, and without the larger group Cloud had in his own descent, they might not have as much of a rough time with the hornets nest not being kicked so to speak.
It probably also helps that he has no interest in exploring every nook and cranny of the place. His objective is down, and no shiny glimmer in the distance that might be a materia or something-or-other draws his focus, especially if there are monsters playing around with the baubles. The only time their cautious steps stop is when they find something they'd rather not fight. He holds up a hand and crouches, Aerith following suit. She hears the scraping moments later, and they peer over the edge...
Oh.
Black Dragons are even larger and more imposing in person.
It rumbles through the area, dragging a carcass of some monster with it towards another cave opening. She figures the only reason it doesn't smell them is because of the awful stench the corpse is giving off. Sephiroth watches and waits, giving it another minute after the beast has disappeared from view and the scraping fades before they move again. They finally make their way out of the entrance and into the cavern proper coming unfortunately to a two way split. She hadn't had a physical view of Cloud's descent, so really... she has no idea which way to go.
Sephiroth glances at her briefly, before he decides, his voice soft as not to echo. "I've been down both paths a ways before, but not much further. We will head left, then into a rather murky area, be careful not to step into the water. A variety of monsters dwell in them that I'd rather not encounter if I don't have to, and a splash will draw attention."
She follows him down, and its only a short way into the area that there is a Master Tonberry slowly plodding along in their direction.
The thing barely has time to look at them...
Aerith blinks and misses it...
The creature's head parts its body in a blur of motion so fast the act kicks up wind.
Sephiroth catches the head and grabs the body before it can plop over. He hefts it back the way they came and sets it back in the main room, wiping himself down with its robes to get off the blood before they return the way they came. Aerith is silent during the short-lived encounter, because really... thinking about and acknowledging it is one thing, not even being capable of witnessing it its so fast is another. She'll definitely remember to use haste on every mission and put it on whoever the fastest or strongest member of the group because...
Wow.
Its all she can think.
They slink along the watery cavern slowly, Sephiroth's movements so controlled that unless he wants to he is moving no faster than normal despite the haste. He considers a pair of flying eyeball monsters than are sweeping through the air looking for a meal, she forgets their name, and slowly plucks a materia out of his bangle. He briefly holds it out to her, she touches it, feels Ice, before he withdraws his hand and re-equips it. He kneels in the dirt and draws a spear in it, pointing at the beasts. She nods. He watches the monster's movements, then holds of three fingers.
Two fingers.
One finger.
Twin spears of ice shoot out from them and plow right through the monster's giant eyes.
They drop on the small patch of land they were on with a minor thud rather than a loud splash.
Perfect timing and positioning.
Sephiroth does a brief pass of the area with his eyes, pausing his sights on a roving pack of... orange little bouncy monsters? She thinks he called them movers, but they're on the other side of the cavern and not heading their way. There is a small pack of little goblins dragging makeshift pots around in a corner, gibbering to one another, but none the wiser to their presence. Its... quiet. Not at all as active as she potentially worried about.
Of course, his 'evaluation' by Hojo had probably seen the younger Sephiroth actively seeking out enemies rather than sneaking along. Combined with the lack of the things she considered earlier causing a ruckus, she's rather hopeful that this wont be too tragic. They steadily move through the area, watchful of the water ever flowing downward. After some time, they climb down and out of the murky area into a brightly lit cave with a shining mako pool at the center. She can see monsters mucking around it, and there is a lot of materia there if the little shines on the ground are what she thinks they are, she's honestly tempted to suggest they make a go for it. But Sephiroth is already moving around the edges of the room, the exit on the far side his goal. She lets go of the momentary desire and follows along quietly.
They move to scale down a rocky outcrop, down and down and down until they find a circular room, a gaping hole in the center with an intense green glow shining upwards. They make a leap and land safely, Sephiroth's eyes are curious as he takes in the area, evidently not having been here before. He turns to look at her then freezes, eyes going wide.
"Mo-."
She doesn't know what is behind her but she dives forward the moment she sees his eyes go wide, something swishes over her head moments later followed by an ear splitting roar filling the cave. She rolls, barely not taking herself over the edge, then her breath hitches to see the towering monstrosity lumbering towards them. A split open chest, rotting flesh, claws and sharp bones everywhere. She recognizes his description of a Dragon Zombie. Its a bloody nightmare. Sephiroth is there in an instant, blade deflecting bone as its claws slash at him. Aerith pushes herself to her feet and takes a few steps back, the glow of magic beginning around her.
"Back!" she yells.
He obeys instantly.
She thrusts her hands in a sweeping motion.
Purple gravity magic erupts in the air next to the monster, earning a surprised screech from it before its pulled off the ledge by the spell and falls, its roaring form disappearing from sight.
"That is one way to deal with it," murmurs Sephiroth, tense, eyes glancing upward as an answering echo of roars and cries sound in the distance, "I suppose stealth couldn't last forever."
Aerith glances downward, seeing large clumps of earth suspended in the air by wafting currents of mako. The magic in the air is getting heavier, slowly closing in on feeling it had in the Temple of the Ancients. She points down towards the closest, and he gives a skeptical look in response. "How good are you at judging jump distance?"
"Well...," she hesitates.
She yelps as he grabs her and leaps towards the first. He sets her down as he judges the distance to the next not as dire. They move in quick jumps until...
A massive shadow falls over them, she glances up, eyes going wide, to see a huge metallic monster land plummeting down, stabbing its massive blade into the ground to stop its momentum, rattling and causing the chunk of floating land their on to shake and nearly tip before it corrects itself. An Iron Man, it bellows a challenge and swings its blade horizontal, there is no room to dodge on the spot they're on. Sephiroth snarls and swings his own blade, clashing with the Iron Man's and actually stopping it in its tracks, its massive muscles not enough to budge Sephiroth's enhanced strength.
"I will hold it, kill it," he snaps.
She considers briefly before understanding there is no maneuverability here, a single misstep and Sephiroth's enhanced and hasted speed might accidentally send him plummeting to his death. She doesn't think she will be able to gravity this thing off the edge. What did he say about it on the way here? Resistant to most elements, neutral to lightning, weak to... water. She doesn't have an enemy skill materia, nor the Leviathan summon, but she's pretty sure she can focus her will along with fire and ice magic...
She twirls her staff and points it at the monster. Ice that quickly melts into water erupts in a tide, blasting the creature's face and down its throat without stop. It coughs and hacks, taking a step back, heaving and raising its hands to stop the watery tide. Which was very, very foolish to take its focus off Sephiroth. The moment its blade is moving away, the man surges forward and slashes a deep gouge in the monster. It roars and swings a hand, Sephiroth drops to the ground to dodge, Aerith thrusts a hand and launches a burst of lightning that cackles along the wet Iron Man, sending it staggering back and off the edge, roaring to its death far far below.
They keep moving down and down, a few of the floating eyeball monsters screeching downwards at them. Aerith hits them with a burst of wind and lightning, sending them spiraling, nerves jumbled and unable to flap their wings. Its at the end of the winding floating islands that they come to realize Aerith didn't actually manage to kill the Dragon Zombie from earlier. Its dead center in a small impact crater on a larger marble landmass with mako glow shooting upward along the edges. Sephiroth initiates the fight, leaping down and swinging his blade in and overhead attack, cleaving off one of its bone wings.
It screeches and swings its head, a rush of toxic fumes in its breath. She feels the heat of the ribbon on her arm canceling out the status effects, and Sephiroth appears unaffected, merely swinging rapid attacks that chunk the monster. Then...
Then the air turns black and white.
"Shadow Flare!" Sephiroth yells in warning, bracing himself.
Aerith's bangle shins and a reflect springs up. The explosion pings against them and bounces back, blowing the monster away in a near blinding burst.
There is silence for a moment as they both blink away spots.
"That spell is reflectable?" Sephiroth poses, incredulous.
"Yep."
"Useful to know," he mutters, sounding rather sour about it in all honesty.
She doesn't dig into why. She hears the sound of monsters above and moves to the edge, staring far, far below. They are deep enough into the planet that she can actually see and sense currents of Lifestream below them. She withdraws the Black Materia from her pocket and without any hesitation, throws it. She watches its descent until its out of sight, then she cocks her head and waits until...
RECLAIMED.
She twitches at how loud and clear the Planet is here, but acknowledges. "Its done."
She glances back the way they came and swallows. "This is going to get messy."
Ho boy... she sees multiple Black Dragons flying down... she swallows nervously, flexing her grip on Princess Guard.
"Fortunately," mused Sephiroth, holding out a hand to her, "I thought to bring an exit materia."
Aerith slow blinks, and then groans, grateful, but annoyed with herself. "I should have thought of that too."
He has a self-satisfied little smirk on his face that makes her kind of want to punch him. Instead she grabs his hand, and in a flash of green energy, disappear just as the first of the dragons touch down and give a bellowing roar. They reappear at the entrance to the Northern Cave, their helicopter waiting off in the distance. She cuts the haste spell and watches as Sephiroth flexes a hand in consideration.
"Near flawless until the end, the objective completed, along with escaping before it could turn truly dire," he muses, "Acceptable."
Acceptable? That went a lot better than she could have hoped for until the surprise dragon zombie ruined it all. She doesn't comment on it though, and they move together back to the helicopter, giving it a brief check over with the pilot before they are up in the air. She gives a sigh of relief, the tingle of the Black Materia so close to her a relief to be rid of. They both let the silence reign until they touch back down at HQ.
"You handled yourself well," he admits as they walk across the helipad, "Your successful missions and volunteer work as of the last few months have earned you an assortment of praise despite certain... attitude here and there. Overall... consider this last mission a successful evaluation of your readiness for 2nd Class. You'll be scheduled in for the enhancements next week."
She blinks at him, startled, but doesn't have much of a chance to say anything before he sweeps away. She scratches her head bashfully before shrugging and making her way inside and towards her room. Hopefully this set of enhancements wont leave her as... trippy as the first did...
Review Responses:
DJcountry473: Miss it no more, :D.
G: Still haven't played the remake. :D.
Korst: Final Fantasy 7 timeline is annoying to wrap yer head around. As of chapter 18, its early 2000, right around cannon timeline when Shelke is taken. You also assume that the Turks are aware of where their abductees are all going rather than handing them off upon arrival. Wiki says that the only ones who were not in Deepground who knew about it were Heidegger, Scarlet, Hojo, and President Shinra himself. The Wutai War is currently in a ceasefire, which was mentioned in the therapy section you dislike :P.
Anne Camp aka Obi-quiet: Thank you, I'm glad you like the sessions. I rather enjoy your Force of Many Sights series as well, I'm a sucker for good time travel stories. Aerith will definitely be suspicious, but how will she actually prove anything? She might honestly be a bit more panicky over it than suspicious over it. After all, Cloud will have Sephiroth's attention and Aerith generally equates that to a bad thing even if she's trying to get better about that.
WanderingStarmaster: Her weapon will be the Princess Guard that she retrieved this chapter. Haven't really decided on clothing for 1st class yet, anyone can feel free to make suggestions as fashion is not really my thing. Haven't given it much of a thought for a fan club yet. She'd probably be more bewildered by the fan club's existence more than anything.
Hennepin: I'm not really taking requests at the moment, and I've never actually played Fire Emblem.