Once upon a time, there was a Godly valley with mountains that could touch the sky and trees that cast long shadows. The people who live in the small mountain town are hardworking and happy, so long as they never stray into the forest where the wolves lurk in the darkness. Adults brave the trees in groups to hunt the vicious pack as they have for decades, the conflict is deep with no sign of victory for either side. But wolves are not the only threat, nor the village's only secret - and the link connecting them is a simple cloak of Red ...
Every night, from the highest peak of the uninhabited mountains, a single Wolf howls to the good folk of the valley – as a warning, as a message, and as a reminder of what they did:
"Beware, beware, the Path where the Witch once stood. Beware, beware, of the Wolf in the Wood."
"Father?" Aerith knocked on his door as she peered inside. His office was bare of papers, explosions and strange smells like one might expect from a scientist, but it was carpeted in books to the point that the polished floorboards were invisible. He slumped at his desk sleeping soundly over yet more books and pencils too. With an exasperated smile, Aerith tiptoed through the sea of volumes to his bed and picked up the blanket to drape across his shoulders. Maybe you could have saved some money buying a bed since you always sleep in your chair, how does your poor back stand it?
Murmuring for him to take better care of himself, Aerith left him to sleep, taking only the cups and plates with her. She worried her lip "You didn't finish dinner again …" she sighed, he was starting to get thin, he had already lost a noticeable degree of weight.
She glanced back at his door with a heavy heart. He had lost the love of his life and was hurting, and she had no idea how to help him, she could only try to smile and offer him light as his days got darker. He said it was enough, but Aerith couldn't help but feel more helpless with each reassurance, she kept sensing that he was slipping away from her …
Aerith shook off her anxious thoughts and moved downstairs to wash the plates, it was late, the sun had set, and the moon was rising, and she needed to sleep, but her mind was active, and her nerves were high. Elmyra had been out gossiping with the other women, probably expecting that Aerith's arranged date would have lasted longer than the mere two hours that it did. She dreaded speaking with her about the date, she dreaded facing Tseng again and hearing him apologise for all the wrong reasons, and she was overly excited for tomorrow.
Tomorrow, at long last, she'd see Zack again, and Edea was inviting her to a family lunch. Zack had said something about a special guest attending, and Edea mentioned that her two children who lived out of town were coming to visit too. Aerith's feet shook in her boots at the thought of all those new people, but she positively skipped at the idea of spending the day with Selphie, Zack and Edea, those fun people, and even Irvine was friendly though she had spent far less time with him.
Choosing to imagine tomorrow rather than remember the horrible yesterday, she encouraged herself to smile, and she did.
She put the plates away and ran upstairs to bed, determined to force herself to sleep so morning would come swiftly. She read a book without acknowledging a single sentence and tidied her room before she realised sleep was hours away.
Aerith lay down with a sigh, her hair undone and falling across her shoulders and down her back and making her neck tickle. It was up so often that having it free and long made her shiver. Twisting a finger through the kinks and waves she recalled the days where she used to wear it down much more often, but Elmyra insisted that she looked better with her hair up, that it made her look mature and respectable, and Aerith had loved the feeling of her Mother braiding her hair …
She was just about to try and sleep again when the regular nighttime song of the lone wolf began. The mournful and beautiful cry made Aerith's heart beat fast and her eyes wide, so sad …
The moon was full and bright and as she looked out the tiny window in the hallway of her house as she imagined the wolf calling out, over and over to the sky, stars, and the moon. Just like the first night, Aerith's awe over the beautiful howling faded into a pained sadness when she thought of him calling futilely for someone who was long gone.
"Poor Cloud," she whispered. What happened to you? What happened to him?
She went to bed once his nightly song had finished, the endless silence made her think of the reserved sadness of her Father; the bawling was done, now it was time to gather the grief and carry it through another day.
She sank into the mattress with Cloud's wolf-song echoing through her thoughts, but the wolf in her dreams was definitely Zack.
Pulling on her favourite pink dress and trying a matching ribbon into her hair, Aerith looked at her reflection nervously and hoped she looked appropriate for the meeting today. The red cloak was draped over her shoulders, and she anxiously looked at the basket she had made, filled with the apples from yesterday, worrying yet again that she was looking and acting all wrong for them.
What if wearing red wasn't appropriate? What if they already had too many apples? What if she upset or offended one of Edea's visiting children? She might not have another chance to get to know then, and she so wanted to be friends with all who were close to the lovely old lady.
She hugged her basket close to her chest and scolded herself for acting so worried. Edea's warm smiles and Zack's warm hugs were waiting for her, why was she so hesitant? They could not possibly like or be related to bad people.
With that thought in mind, she nearly skipped downstairs and almost knocked Elmyra over while swinging her basket.
"Goodness! Good morning, Aerith, what a fine mood you're in," the older woman stepped aside as Aerith picked up her boots and pulled the eagerly on, watching her with a startled expression and fast blinking eyes.
"I'm having dinner with Edea today, her whole family with be there," she sent her maid a broad smile "I've been looking forwards to it all week!"
The older woman looked perplexed "This is what has you excited?"
Aerith nodded, pausing to explain "I couldn't decide what to wear, and I hope they all enjoy the apples, I have so many of them. But Edea invited me especially," she linked her hands over her chest in an imaginary hug. "She told me that I'd be the guest of honour, and everyone was looking forwards to being my friend, I couldn't say no, and now I'm so glad I did, this is going to be the best day of the week," she gushed.
Elmyra nodded at every other word, the confused expression never leaving her face, she looked like a doctor trying to analyse a sickened patient to recommend a cure. "Even over your date yesterday?"
Aerith rolled her eyes as she slipped on her other boot "Tseng probably enjoyed it more than I did."
Elmyra chuckled "Now, don't put yourself down just because you're shy of a handsome young man," she sat before Aerith with a slight tightness to her eyes as Aerith rolled her eyes and scoffed. "Where did you go? Was he a gentleman? Come now, don't leave out a thing."
The girl had to think for a moment "He … he took me on an old trail, and I spotted some apples to pick … oh, Elmyra, it was a horrible day!" she admitted, at last, needing to speak to someone before her thoughts could manifest into other, more horrible thoughts of the young man. She didn't want to think bad of him, she really didn't because he was polite and had helped her in the past, but now all she could think of was how badly he had reacted to everything that made her smile and his face when Angelo found them. "I tried to speak of my homeland, and he acted like I had slapped an elder, and he beat a poor dog that had followed us from the village, the poor girl …"
Angelo would be alright, but Aerith had not recovered from hearing the poor girl yelping for mercy.
"Oh dear!" Elmyra gasped, clearly not expecting that. Her eyes went sympathetic for a moment before they turned plotting, she tapped the table uncertainly "Was the dog an angry one?"
Aerith shook her head, aware that she had left out a few details in her rush to get if off her chest. "She was old and almost deaf and blind, it's the butcher's dog, remember?" she continued before she got a response "I don't want to speak of it, or him. If he comes today to apologise can you send him away? I'd rather keep to myself for a bit, I'm still cross," she requested.
"I'm sure he means well," the woman sighed, Aerith stood up and dusted off the basket of apples. "Don't stay long in that wood, Aerith, I'd much prefer that you made up with one of our townsfolk than attend a silly dinner."
Shocked, Aerith gaped at her "That's so rude, Elmyra!"
"And so is brushing off a young lad's affections over a misunderstanding or two," the woman countered, her eyes tight and her hand shaking sternly. "He worked so hard to appease you and to protect you from something he thought was dangerous, he even put up with your unusual cultures, she such a selfless boy, I cannot understand why you would brush off such an honest- Aerith!"
Aerith shut the door behind her with almost a slam, holding the handle for an extra second to keep it closed. It rattled ominously as Elmyra tried to follow her but she held firm, and cowering, behind the inches of wood.
"Not today," she sighed to herself, not ready to get into another fight. First with Elmyra, then with Tseng, and now with her maid again, frankly it was exhausting and brought her spirits down every time she spotted them. She hoisted her basket up and quickly walked away, hoping against hope that Elmyra wouldn't cause a scene.
But the moment her maid realised she had let go of the door she was leaning out, one shoe on and one shoe off, shouting, "Come back here, young lady! Where are your manners?"
Aerith's heart jumped into her throat with fright, she saw that Elmyra had her hairbrush with her, and she recalled the smart it left on her shoulder with a gulp. She turned away, determined not to show that she was scared, though her heart beat in her ears so loud she was sure the entire town could hear it.
Elmyra's footsteps came shortly after her new defiance.
Aerith just walked faster, faster and faster until she was a step away from running. She felt Elmyra chasing her at a sedated pace that nightmarish monsters walked at, one that brought them ever closer no matter how fast your feet moved. Her hands gripped the basket, and she wondered if she should run, would someone stop her? Oh, they probably would, it wasn't right to run from your elders, they might even scold her too!
She felt like crying as she pushed her way through into the market, oh what to do?
But the gods must have been on her side today, Rinoa, the butcher's wife, was brushing the dust off her doorstep when she saw Aerith hurrying with her furious maid following looking ready to explode in anger. Trembling at how familiar the scene looked, an unstoppable anger after a figure in red, she intervened.
Aerith saw her wave urgently, she looked like she had seen a ghost but she pointed into the shop with a firm hand.
Without a thought, Aerith went inside with her maid not an arm's length behind her and Rinoa slammed the door in Elmyra's face. There was an outraged gasp, but Elmyra didn't even knock to demand entrance, she awkwardly waited for a few seconds. Rinoa promptly, and rudely, told her to be on her way through the crack in the door because she wasn't letting her near the girl until Aerith said so.
The older woman left, grumbling loudly, but she was gone for good.
To start with, Aerith believed that it was just a tactic to get the door open, and she stayed tense and barely breathing in the middle of the room. When a minute or two had passed Aerith sighed at last, her lowering from her throat back into her chest and she sank to the floor with it. "Thank you."
Rinoa smiled, the older woman's hair pulled back into a bun and her slightly wrinkled eyes revealing a degree of sadness as she looked at her "You, um," she glanced away "You looked in a spot of trouble …"
Aerith weakly nodded "I'm not sure what I did," she smiled when Angelo limped over on old legs to greet her, "But thank you for helping me, you didn't have to."
Rinoa helped her up with an absent whisper of "Yes I did …" before she cleared her throat and guided her through the shop. "I think it would be best if you went out this way, old women are persistent things, but we can trick her into waiting for nothing if she's still out there. Head right, and keep along that alley until you see the ditch, then find the bridge," she pointed as she opened the back door.
Aerith smiled, and offered her an apple "Thank you for your kindness, Mrs Almasy."
The housewife took the gift with another gentle, and secretly sad smile, "If there's anything you need, just say, okay … Red?" she spoke hesitantly.
Aerith glanced at the cloak and chuckled when she realised she wore this almost every day now, those who didn't know her name would certainly know her for this colour. She smiled at Rinoa for the nickname, internally accepting that she was pretty much the girl in red to these people.
With another grateful half bow to the dark haired woman she moved through the narrow alley streets to get to the forest.
Zack was waiting for her along the path, he stepped forwards in one large stride and had her in his arms and off the ground in the same moment. Aerith gasped, laughed and held him back once her feet were on the floor again the horrible morning seemed nothing more than a nightmare now she was with him. "Missed me?" she breathlessly asked, feeling lightheaded with his hands on her waist and the sudden spin he had sprung on her.
His response was met with his usual, and wonderful full smiles "Of course! A day without you is almost unbearable."
Aerith blushed, then blushed again when he bowed and offered her a red rose. "Oh!" she took it delicately and stared, amazed "How on earth did you manage to grow a blooming rose in the autumn?"
Zack shrugged "It wasn't me, Red, I found it in the forest, along with a bunch of other 'spring-like' flowers." He tutted "Strange Magic was written all over the area, but I saw the flower and thought of you so whatever did that has my thanks, your smile was amazing."
Aerith glanced away, her blush refusing to fade and now creeping down her neck "Zack …" she protested, his handsome face inches away from hers and acutely aware of what he was doing.
He grinned, "Is it wrong of me to flatter a pretty girl?"
She buried her head in her hands "Stop making me blush!"
"But you're cute when you blush," he laughed as she whined, embarrassed, and he pulled her hands away from her face gently "Don't be like that, I meant every word."
She still ducked her face until her cheeks stopped feeling like stoves but she didn't try to hide behind her hands again, Zack kept moving into her line of vision with a sorry pout and her lips twitched as she fought a smile at his funny expression. He grinned when she began to chuckle, and once he had deemed himself forgiven he took her hand and led her to the clearing where, already, there was lots of activity.
The house fire was lit, and there was the smell of roasting meat in the air. The room looked full of people, too many arms and elbows poked out of the door, Selphie was outside with a stranger and her voice was happy and light.
Selphie noticed her them approach first, she had been absently picking herbs while chatting with a willowy blonde woman, but the second she caught sight of the red in the corner of her vision she was jumping over the carefully plotted herbs to embrace her. "Aerith, you did come!"
Aerith hugged her back, feeling warm in her arms and her smile came easily, in the forest surrounded by happy people she felt all her stress leave her. "I wouldn't miss it. I brought apples," she offered the basket to her, Selphie looked delighted as she took it.
"Many thanks, little missy," and turned to Zack, hiding a smile behind a playful scolding. "Haven't seen you in a blue moon, mister."
Zack ducked his head "Just a coincidence, I wasn't avoiding you."
Selphie snorted and patted his cheek "You better not have been, that would make me cry," she mock wailed. The three chuckled as they moved closer to the house. The blonde woman Aerith was talking with previously was now standing, staring at Aerith with large cornflower eyes. Aerith was expecting this reaction, she often got it from people who knew the original owner of the cloak. But it never made it less intimidating. Was she upsetting them? Did they disapprove?
She bowed slightly "Pleased to meet you …"
The blonde woman seemed to gather her wits, she returned a kind smile and offered a hand to her "And to you, Aerith, Selphie has told me all about you. I'm her older sister, Quistis." Her voice was low but bright, she sounded mature and responsible, but mostly reassuring. When Aerith took the offered hand the older woman pulled her into a quick and gentle embrace, the woman was thinner than Selphie and her arms felt almost wiry around her. She held back uncertainly, and Quistis gently looked down at her, "Selphie was right, you do suit red very well," she smiled when Aerith blinked, bemused.
"Are all of your family this friendly?" she giggled, glancing at Selphie with a hint of nervousness.
Selphie and Quistis exchanged a look "Just wait til' you meet Zell."
Zack snickered.
Quistis gave Zack a look over briefly as she greeted him "You've gotten taller," she noted "How's the family? How's the search?"
Zack rubbed his cheek slightly "One's better than the other," he shrugged "Pack's doing well, thanks, we're prepping for winter so there's a lot to be done." Apparently, Aerith thought, all of Edea's family knew that Zack was a wolf. It made her relax a little that she wouldn't accidently say something to Zack that would give him away.
The blonde snorted "So you're here to slack off, I see."
The man looked outraged, gasping dramatically "Oh the audacity of you!" he waved his hands "I'll have you know I bring back a kill each time I'm here."
"That must be every day considering how close you're sticking to little red hood, here," she teased. Zack flapped his hands and squawked, blushing and stepping away from Aerith only to shift back a second later as he told her to stop making assumptions.
Aerith laughed, and Selphie tugged on her arm to lead her inside. "Zell! Aerith's here."
Another blond looked out from under a pile of shelves, sawdust in his hair and on his hands. His entire face lit up when he laid eyes on Aerith like she was someone he hadn't seen in years instead of their first meeting.
He jumped up so quickly he smacked his head on the shelves, made them wobble and staggered over to the girls all while smiling. "I can't believe I'm finally meeting the famous Aerith," he pulled her into a hug too, humming happily and bouncing on the spot when he let her breathe again, her breath had been knocked out of her with his enthusiasm. His eyes were big and blue, one side of his face had a streak of black in a tattoo, and his grin rivalled Zack's "They've been telling me all about you, I couldn't wait to see you for myself, the name's Zell."
Aerith breathlessly exchanged pleasantries, overwhelmed by the welcome. Selphie was beaming, Quistis and Zack were chuckling outside, and Edea finally put an element of calm into the room with a gentle, motherly hug of her own.
"I'm so pleased you could join us," she sighed happily. With a look at all her excitable children, adults though they were, she tutted "Don't scare the poor girl away now, or you won't get your fair share of these apples." Her eyes twinkled joyfully as her family began to complain and laugh.
Selphie took Aerith's hand again "Irvine will be here soon, he lost his hat and can't be seen without it," she rolled her eyes "I'd happily make him another one but the man's so stubborn. Zell and Quistis arrived late last night."
Quistis nodded "My husband is spending the day with his Father, I'll be a guest in his home for a while, though we're both anxious to get back to our duties."
Zell put a seat out for Aerith and sat on the floor himself, feet tapping every other second, Quistis got comfortable as he explained: "Quistis is a healer for one of the Prince's regiments, she married the Captain, he's here with her but with his Dad."
Aerith blinked, thoroughly impressed by the older woman's accomplishment, understanding where her slightly stricter and reserved habits were coming from. "That's quite an achievement, isn't it hard caring for all those troops?"
Quistis, unexpectedly, snorted "All? Oh, my dear girl, there's only around four or five at a time. They're a little unit that serves as the Prince's bodyguards, occasionally I'm needed to help with some larger regiments, but even in wartime those four and my husband are rarely careless enough for injury." She brushed a hair behind her ear when she finished.
Aerith thought she looked very mature and confident, and to have such a responsible and important job as an army healer made her even more impressive and in her eyes. Curious, she asked a little more, "So, you're not busy a lot?"
Quistis shook her head absently "Not exactly. I don't have duties that keep me busy, no, but I like to keep myself active. I'm always gathering herbs and making ointments, it keeps my mind and hands working and my days full. Plus," she added with a small smile "When a sick servant needs help I've always got something to spare for them."
Selphie chuckled "Oh, don't let the Prince know you're giving high-quality medicine to the servants! You'll get in trouble," she sang, making Quistis playfully scoff again.
"What I do with my things is my business, not the Prince's," she accepted the apple Zell tossed her. "And what about you, Zell? Any luck in the city? You seem to have a new job every time I speak with you."
The other blond rubbed at the tattoo on his face, chuckling in a way that told Aerith this was a long time joke. He admitted, in the end, "I've actually got a job working in a tavern, the family that owns it likes to keep me around when I'm working part time because I'm good at throwing out the rowdy drunks," he flexed an arm and Aerith noticed that he was very strong. "But, yeah, I'm still doing a bit of everything, last month I tried to work as a cleaner in a manor and-"
Everyone burst out laughing.
Zack shoved him "No way, Inkface! What did you break?"
Zell shoved him back "Apart from my pride? Just a window." He glanced at Edea "Um … is the middle brother coming?"
Edea shook her head sadly "No."
Everyone sighed, Quistis crossed her arms and muttered angrily "As usual."
Aerith wondered aloud "Are you talking about Mr Almasy?" Edea's smile turned down just slightly, and she explained.
"I went to speak with him, but he didn't want to upset his wife." Selphie muttered something unladylike, and Edea paused a moment to give her a stern look "With our special guest coming it's probably best that those two stay away today," she turned back to preparing a delicious smelling roasted rabbit and her children and Zack quickly took Aerith's attention away from the matter.
When Irvine arrived, with a bottle of mead in hand, Aerith had relaxed enough to joke and interact with the entire family like she had known them for years. Irvine tipped his hand to her and took a seat beside his wife, who promptly tugged on his sleeve until he put an arm around her. It was an enjoyable family gathering, Aerith noted, even Zack was treated like family.
Selphie told Aerith that Edea spoke of him a lot, so even if they didn't meet in person very often, they knew of each other. Aerith thought, with personalities like Selphie and Zell in this family group it would have been impossible for Zack to not be roped in like a long distance cousin or rarely seen brother. She had never met two of them and only known the others for two months as summer ended and already every one of the siblings was smiling at her like she was the favourite sister.
Edea touched her shoulder "How's home, dear? How's your Father?"
Aerith's mood dipped a little, and this family must have had sixth senses or a similar ability because everyone shifted themselves just slightly to offer comfort, Zell put a hand on her upper arm, and Selphie tried to copy from her much further away point, her hand fell a foot short.
Surprised, and touched, Aerith said: "Home is a little tense, I'm not getting along with my maid and dear friend at the moment, and yesterday I fell out with someone on a stupid date I never wanted to go on."
Zack was tense at the news. Irvine frowned "If you didn't want to go then …"
Aerith twisted her hands together "Elmyra arranged it for me, and she said if I didn't go I'd really upset him." It sounded like a pathetic excuse, and she didn't have the words to explain how guilty she had somehow been made to feel despite knowing that what she was saying was well within her right. "I know it sounds silly," she began, well aware of how unhappy Zack was looking, "Elmyra said it in such a way that I felt awful no matter what I did, so I just went along with it."
"Bullshit!" Irvine muttered, Edea quickly scolded him on his manners "Next time she tries to do that come talk to me and I'll set her straight."
Aerith smiled "She nearly made it today's date, but I insisted that I had to come see you," she reached across and squeezed Zack's hand to try and erase the gloom in his eyes "It was a horrible date anyway, I've had many fun times just walking through the forest. I'd choose that any day."
Zack brightened and held her hand back "Good to know because I found this really cool place-"
The conversation was cut short when a howl echoed alarmingly close to the house. A wolf. In broad daylight, sounding not one hundred meters from their little gathering.
Zack stood up, Edea close behind with her hands clasped before her heart. The siblings each clung to themselves to each other, Selphie's nails had to be hurting Irvine's arm, but there wasn't a noise of complaint from him as he held her back. Aerith was torn between trembling with excitement or fear, Zack's wolf was one thing but it was Zack, how could she fear him? This wolf was new and strange, and unexpected.
Aerith felt Zack gently tug at her hand, she turned her nervous green eyes to him, hoping he wouldn't have to leave, and he smiled: "He's here."
"Who?" she tried to ask as he led her outside, nearly pulling her from her seat like the wind picked leaves from trees. Edea appeared to be holding her breath as she joined them in the clearing. They waited, Zack facing the right direction and all those with him copied, peering into the trees for the slightest hint of an approach.
There wasn't a rustle in the trees, nor a crunch from the ground to betray his arrival, he just melted out of the trees as if he had always been there, a man with blond hair, dressed as Zack was, and with the bluest and saddest eyes Aerith had ever seen.
A hand rose to her mouth, and she knew, well before anyone thought to break the silence with introductions, she knew who this was.
He came to a stop a metre from them, his eyes fixed on her. Aerith could hardly believe she was seeing him, it was like a myth made real, her hands shook, and she was speechless.
Zack brushed a thumb over her knuckles, his hand taking hers away from her mouth gently. In introduced them with a small wave, "Aerith, this is Cloud. Cloud, meet Aerith."
Cloud was a quiet individual, he didn't move with any noise, when he came to a stop before Aerith not even the grass had whispered to tell he had stepped on their blades for those two short strides. His face was smooth, younger than his sad eyes, and sent into a neutral frown without laugh lines or blemishes. He was slightly taller than Aerith, but a head shorter than Zack. She noticed him looking at her from under his blond bangs, eyes intense and curious before he spoke: "Hello, I've heard a lot about you."
Aerith's heart clenched in her chest, though human and speaking softly she recognised the voice she heard every night calling to the stars. She fought the urge to sweep him up into her arms and cry. "I've heard a lot about you too," she returned, raising a hand for him to take.
He did so with an attempt at a smile, just for politeness sake, and she quietly wondered if all wolves were simply unusually warm, his hand radiated heat. His grip was tentative but sincere, he nodded at her and then at Zack and let her go.
Edea moved forwards and brought the blond into a motherly hug. Her old arms raised slowly as if to give him time to escape, when he didn't she had him in her arms, her hand running over his hair and her eyes closed tight to hold back some strong emotion. Cloud looked shocked. He returned the hug after a doubtful moment, his arms suddenly clinging like he'd break if she let him go.
Silently, Aerith wondered what on earth could have happened to make Edea reaction so gentle, so caring and so intense.
Edea smiled warmly "I was so worried about you, I'm glad you're here," she kissed the crown of his head and tilted his face up so she could look into it.
Cloud's eyes were closed as she brushed his bangs out of his eyes, Aerith looked away to Zack when she saw him silently trembling. Zack's face was empathetic, and Aerith gasped softly when she recalled the ability that the wolves shared linked minds. He knew exactly what Cloud, a fellow wolf, was feeling. She watched Zack flinch, and he held her hand in both of his, he looked torn between going to support Cloud too and running as far away from him as he could get.
Worried, Aerith looked at Cloud again. He looked so calm on the outside, so silently sad, what on earth was going on inside his head to make Zack react so strongly?
Edea let Cloud go when he was composed again and gently gestured towards her humble home, "Please, come inside, we were just about to eat." The blond nodded just the once and thanked her for the invitation.
Zack put an arm around Cloud "You sure you're ready for this?"
Cloud nodded, looking at the ground. "Yes. I'm here, aren't I?"
"Ah, that's true."
Aerith smiled slightly and walked by them as they entered the house, she noticed Cloud's hand reach for the cape of the red cloak as it caught the breeze. He saw her look and pulled his hand back to his side with an apology. Aerith took it off, unbuttoning the hold and held it out for him to take, "I think you have more right to it than I do," she confessed.
Cloud took it with a nod of thanks, but conflict in every muscle in his body, Aerith knew he couldn't possibly keep it though he hadn't passed the chance to hold it once again. He ran a hand over the sturdy red and sighed "Smells like you."
Aerith gulped, remembering the sensitive noses of the wolves, "I'm sorry."
Cloud shook his head, and handed it back with soft reassurance, "It wouldn't after all this time."
The siblings welcomed the special guest with degrees of curiosity and a distant familiarity. Quistis gave him a quick hug, as did Zell and Selphie, but Irvine was distant, preferring to nod respectfully from his seat. As the meal was served and drinks were poured, Cloud sat quietly while people talked, Zack on his feet still moving between Cloud's side and the furthest corner of the hut, his expressions ranging from pained, to calm, to sympathetic.
Aerith was worried for him and gently tugged on his arm until he sat next to her, he apologised with an uncomfortable shift in his shoulders "It's just … intense," he admitted.
After Edea had served them their lunch, Cloud picking at his food like Aerith had seen her Father do and lost in thought. The cooking must have been good, but Aerith couldn't remember what she had been eating, her eyes kept going back to Cloud filled with curiosity, trying to decode him with observation alone.
Finally, once everyone had finished eating Cloud spoke to Aerith "Zack told me that you were curious about what happened to Squall and me."
Aerith jumped at his sudden statement, lowering her head like she had been caught "Sorry!"
Cloud snorted slightly "You have a right to know … you're going down the same path we were," he glanced at Zack with an unreadable expression "If you knew what happened then … maybe it'll be different this time."
Aerith looked at Zack, his face was ashamed, and when she looked at Cloud, she got the feeling that this was going to be something that changed her. Her curiosity burned and yet she swallowed just enough of it to whisper "If it hurts you to talk about it then you don't have to."
Cloud settled his eyes on the two of them, looking at their linked fingers with something like longing "Yes I do. It's best coming from me, I know the story from start to end, to now. Things are different now, even though there's still some people out there who will try to turn you into another Squall, Aerith," he glared at Zack "But this time you'll have the help and support that we didn't."
Next to her, Zack flinched and put his head in his hands.
Aerith hesitated, torn between comforting him or to prompt Cloud to keep talking.
In the end, she didn't have to make a choice. Cloud looked around at everyone gathered and addressed them all in his sonorous and level voice, "You all probably know parts that I don't, add them if you feel like it." the siblings nodded silently, and Cloud faced Aerith again. "Where to start?" he ran a thumb over his lips.
His eyes settled on their linked hands again "What you should know right now is that wolves mate for life, and it's not just a matter of consciously being loyal afterwards, our inner wolves won't let us stray, we need our other half with us once we've chosen. No one else exists for you. It's … unbearable to be without them," his eyes closed and a flash of agony crossed his face, his brow creased, his teeth clenched and his eyelids pressed shut with strength.
Aerith reached out to touch him, to try and help him, but no words came when she rested a hand on his shoulder.
He leaned into her touch for a moment "This is what you've been waiting to hear, and that is probably the best place to start," he sighed at last "When Squall and I took the step to become a mated pair … towards the end of the summer."
Story is also available on Ao3 for those who prefer it there.
There's going to be a small change in chapters for a while: We're going 100% Strifehart!