One Degree
They say everyone in the world is connected through six degrees of separation.
For AVALANCHE and the Turks, it's one.
Cid and Yuffie
Snack Time
Lighting up a cigarette, he inhaled that sweet nicotine before turning to the task before him. He grimaced – it was depressing, this was. An airship, not overly large but quite nice on the inside, was sitting before him. He had to admire it though; the airship was deep red in color, making Cid think and long for red velvet cake. Even more like the cake his mouth was starting to water for, white designs adorned the red, smaller Wutain symbols making a border around the deck. But the most evident design was a large dragon-snake whose tail started on the deck and then spilled over to the side to open its mouth wide and threatening as its deep blue-green eyes glittered at the water. There was one of these dragons on each side, the tips of their tails coiling together. Cid had to admire it, for the eyes were made out of some jewel, shining at you as the scales glittered at you with barely-there gold borders.
The beauty had landed only earlier today, though landed was glorifying the descent. It had skidded to the ground in almost a flop, sliding and kicking up mud and tearing up grass. Rocket Town had rushed out to the field surrounding their town to watch in awe. Cid had been no different.
The shrill whistle had pierced the air, and the townspeople looked around. No one was sure who did it first, but finally someone looked up and shouted. Above, a large red dot in the sky – an airship – was whistling in the sky, and most discomforting, a plume of dark smoke stretching behind it. Screams pierced the air as it came closer, and closer, and the townspeople scuttled back. Cid stared at it. That thing was going to crash and burn.But to his surprise, there was still some control over the ship as it turned sharply and skidded to the ground before sliding to a stop a little past awed townspeople. Behind it was a long stretch of mud and dirt where the airship had torn up grass.
As the people rushed over, a section of the side of the airship lowered as a boarding ramp. Stares came as figures descended off it – and soon it was apparent not just any people. Off the ramp descended a dark haired man in a blue suit, accompanied by three other people who were dressed just the same, down to the shiny shoes and stoic look. Turks. Then, as they parted, a blonde haired teenager came down, smiling disarmingly and wearing a white suit that made him look three years older. Yes, descending the ramp was the already-Vice-President of ShinRa, and the President's son, Rufus ShinRa. He wasn't alone.
The next to come down was equally prestigious, and not too happy looking about ShinRa or the airship. But Godo Kisaragi, the leader of Wutai smiled pleasantly and smoothed his kimono. A small figure trailed after him, clutching his hand as she tried to wipe off the tears that had stained her cheeks. A small girl of the same Wutain origin, wearing an inner kimono of a pale pink and an outer one of gray that had pink embroidery and a pink obi. He hair was down and pushed back with a pink headband, though a few strands stuck to her cheeks, held with tears. The people stared at the two, and hastily gave nervous and clumsy bows to the king and princess of Wutai.
Rufus ShinRa whispered to his dark-haired Turk, the leader, who responded, "Actually, I don't think that will be necessary. The pilot of the Space Program is here, and we should see if he can do it before we wait for your father to send mechanics."
Rufus nodded. "His name?" he muttered out of the corner of his mouth.
"Cid Highwind."
"Cid Highwind!" Rufus called loudly.
Cid frowned and came forward, throwing down his cigarette and smothering it with his heel. "Yea?"
But before Rufus could say another word, the little girl broke away from her father and marched forward. She stood and placed her hands on her hips, and gray eyes stared up at Cid. "Can you fix my daddy's airship?" she demanded.
Cid stared at her. "What?"
She seemed to be about to roll her eyes. "Can you fix airships?"
"Yea."
"Fix my daddy's."
"I'm not going to take order from a &…" he looked nervously at Godo. "Four year old." He finished.
The princess glared at him. "I'm six." She held up fingers in demonstration.
Rufus ShinRa peered down at the little girl, between laughter and disapproval. "Mr. HIghwind, will you fix this airship?"
Reluctantly, Cid nodded. "Sure."
The little girl marched past her father to a figure who'd come down the ramp in a hurried, unimportant way, barely noticed. The woman put a finger to her lips when the girl stretched her arms at the woman, and the woman shook her head. The girl pouted before she found herself swept up by, not her father, but the Vice President, looking bored. "Well, if you'll excuse us, we'll find a room at the inn. The Princess has been quite upset by the whole ordeal."
He wasn't even holding her right, having slung her over his hip almost, only using one arm as he carried her off. "I am not." She protested.
"Hush, little Princess."
So the celebrities walked off to find a room at the humble inn, and now Cid was standing in front of it with his small team of mechanics to tackle the problem. "Open her up, boys." Cid ordered, lighting a cigarette.
The group got to work on the ship, quickly identifying the problem and working to rectify it. Soon they were covered in grease and all had goggles snapped over their eyes. Suddenly, a voice sounded from behind him, and he whirled around to find Godo Kisaragi standing in front of him, his little brat by his side. "What?" Cid blurted out.
"I was wondering when you would have this complete."
Cid surveyed the airship. "Well, right now…at best, a week. It's a beautiful airship, but whoever fixed it last or sold you your last parts really screwed you over."
Godo nodded glumly. "I suppose we could leave by other modes of transportation and come back for it," he murmured to himself.
"Mmmhmmm," Cid nodded, not really listening anymore.
"Thank you, Mr. Highwind." Godo bowed and walked back to town, flanked with two solemn bodyguards. However, they were missing something.
"Mr. Highair," a voice chirped.
Startled, Cid looked down to see the little Wutain girl staring up at him. "Highwind."
She rolled gray eyes. "Anyways," she tugged on a pigtail, "Can I helps?"
Cid blinked at her. "No." he said shortly.
She put her hands on her hips and looked her nose down at him – or rather, up at him. "Mister Highairwind, I order you to let me help you."
Cid chuckled and squatted so he was on level with the girl. His eyes locked with hers in a mini staring contest, and he reached out and yanked a pigtail. "That won't work with me, little brat."
She glared at him.
"I'm not Wutain, girl." He said.
She huffed and crossed her arms over her chest. "Fine." She pouted and sulked off.
Cid shook his head and continued with the task. He would need to send some of his guys over to a town to get parts, and they couldn't do anything further without them. He sighed and fiddled with a cigarette, tucking it behind his ear. Plopping onto the grass, he told the guys they could go home. Relieved, they left the airship and Cid allowed himself to admire it.
One side was facing him, revealing the painted dragon. The green-blue eye seemed to pierce through his very soul, spilling his secrets all over the grass. You couldn't hide from that gaze, condemning and forgiving, anger and kindness. Cid shook his head and stood up. He wanted to see the inside, and strode over to the ramp and walked up. He was admiring the room he had walked into, even if it wasn't all that special, when suddenly-
"I'll show ya 'round, kay?" A voice chirped behind him.
He jumped – he hadn't heard a sound! – and turned to see the little Wutain girl. But she wasn't in a kimono anymore. Now she wore sneakers that were a blinding orange, with black cotton shorts (that were entirely too short to be proper) and a matching orange tank top. Her headband was also the same orange color, but instead of the neat fashion it had been, it pushed back her hair and bangs, and then she'd sloppily clipped her bangs back (a few were still sticking up).
Cid snorted. "I'm fine, kid."
He didn't realize (though he should have by now) that she didn't give up so easily. "Listen, Mister, I'm the Princess of one of the only remaining monarchies in the world, and you will do what I say."
Cid grinned, amused. "I will, will I?"
"Yes. You will."
"Alright brat. Lead the way."
With that, she launched into full tour guide mode. Cid chuckled as the short girl bounced around and blabbered about the airship, and attempted to use fancy terms she'd heard the adults saying, but usually replacing it with 'thingie-ma-bobber' and 'that thing' when she couldn't pronounce it. When they came to the kitchen, she grinned and slid to the fridge.
"Snack time!"
She pulled out food and, without bothering to ask Cid, made them both a peanut-butter and jelly sandwich. Not bothering to disagree, he hopped up on the counter where she had settled. She bit into the sandwich and smiled happily, chewing the jelly and bread and turning to Cid with a wicked grin on her face. "Do you like seafood?" she asked.
He quirked an eyebrow. "No way, kid. Ain't falling for that."
She pouted after swallowing, and stuck her tongue out at him. "I wish I could stay here."
Cid's eyebrows furrowed. "You've been on this airship for a while, 'ccording to your dad."
She rolled her eyes. "I mean here. Rocket Town. You don't hafta be all Princessy all the time. I wanna go home…" she said sadly. "I don't' hafta be a Princess there either. And everyone knows me and gives me candy and treats and yells at me like I was their own kid."
She sadly bit into the sandwich.
"Well whatta you doing away from Wutai?"
"Gotta see the world, Godo says." She said through a mouthful of sandwich.
"Mm. You like your old man?" he asked, ripping off a piece of sandwich.
She was quiet. "I liked him a lot better before…well…he changed. He doesn' like looking at me a lot. Shake said it's cause I look a lot like my Mama."
Cid raised his eyebrows. "What's wrong with that?"
"Mama's dead." She said in the blunt way of children.
They sat on the counter, legs dangling off, pilot and Princess eating a PB&J sandwich. Gruff and the gentle. One's skin was smeared with grease, sticking onto stubble and coating him like a second skin, the second clean but for a spot. A smear on her right hand, where she'd so informally tugged the older man by his hand as she tugged him through 'her' airship. They sat, her blinding neon sneakers in sharp contrast to his simple brown boots.
Cid looked over, and saw her jaw shivered. It was clenched tight, and her eyes were watery, but her chin quivered and then set in determination, her lips a stubborn line. She lifted her chin, the picture of a proud Wutian as she refused to let tears spill out of her storm-gray eyes. Her sandwich was gone, the only signs of it the crusts that lay forlornly on the counter, peeled off and left alone.
Awkwardly, Cid placed a hand on her head.
Her chin quivered and a tear did spill out. He pulled her closer to him by her head, and tears started spilling out of her eyes as she latched onto the pilot. Cid Highwind, famously gruff and foul mouthed, allowed the little Wutian to cling to his dirty jacket and shirt and he let tears spill out of her eyes. He hugged the girl around her head with one arm, vaguely remembering his own father who never did such a thing.
Cid didn't bother to tell her it was alright. He didn't bother to mutter soothings to her, because he didn't know how. He simply let the little girl cry for reasons he barely knew, because he knew that was what she needed. This airship he was fixing was fairly new, but had numerous problems, one of which was too little oil. This little girl was fairly young, but had numerous problems, one of which she had too many tears. It wasn't right. It wasn't right. So Cid let her cry, and looked around for something to wipe her tears. When all he found was grease-streaked, he frowned and turned to the girl.
She wasn't crying anymore.
Hopping off the counter, she beamed up at him. "C'mon Highairwind. I gotta go back."
Shaking his head, he followed the little Wutain girl out of the airship and watched her run off, breeze ruffling her hair and the grass that she ran through. She turned and waved, and ran into the inn they were staying at. He gave a little half wave.
A week later, they flew away. She waved.
He wouldn't see her again for ten years.
--
The ninja girl who was part of AVALANCHE (Yuffie, was it?) had decided to make some food while they took a break, having just arrived in Wutai. The group was easy and tended to their weapons, materia and other equipment while she tended to the food. Lining up bread on plates, she proceeded to smear peanut butter over the bread and lop on jelly. She added apple slices and dished out the food. She came to Cid, who was washing grease off his hands - he had been working on the Tiny Bronco before they left - and she gave him the peanut butter and jelly. Grey eyes met him, and something flickered in his memory. She grinned.
"Snack Time."
--
A/N: Some of you are probably like 'ummm, what the heck?'
But can't have Cid getting to sentimental now. He is Cid. I have no clue where this came from, or if I even like it, but I'm posting it.
New: I updated this. Changed it, so the ending may be awkward, but I never liked the other ending.