~Ch. 05 - Inspiration~

In a second's worth they arrived at Rocket Town.

Rocket Town wasn't as big as Wutai or as complicated as Midgar - in fact, if anything, it was one of the simplest towns on the face of Gaea. And it was the simplicity of it all that charmed Aerith the most. She liked the fact that the sky could be seen, and small grocery stores were just a few feet away. She wanted to show Zack that the town was one of the charming places she had ever been too, although some considered it run-down. Zack, on the other hand, liked the fact that it was peaceful and quiet.

In the stillness of the night they roamed through the streets, and Aerith peeked through windows again looking for a particular home she wanted to show Zack.

"Are you looking for something?"

"Someone, actually!" Aerith smiled as she whispered. "I think you should meet him."

"GODDAMMIT, SHERA! I TOLD YOU TO KEEP THE KETTLE HOT! *#&$! JUST 'CAUSE I ASK YOU TO DO SOMETHIN' ELSE DOESN'T MEAN YOUR ATTENTION HAS TO BE RETARDED!"

The two were wide-eyed as the yelling ensued in one of the houses. Zack looked around; apparently everyone wasn't so baffled about it. It seemed… normal.

Aerith sighed. "He's always like that."

Zack blinked. "Who?"

"Mr. Cid Highwind." The Cetra nodded. "He's… got a bit of a temper. He can be very scary sometimes."

"Oh, Cid! Yeah, Yuffie mentioned him earlier…" Zack watched as Aerith walked to a window to peek inside, and he followed right behind her to make sure she was okay. "And he IS scary…"

"..I forgot…"

"You forgot! AGAIN! How many times do I have'ta tell you, TEA IS MEANT T'BE HOT. Is it so frickin' hard to memorize?"

Inside, a woman wearing a ponytail and glasses quietly rubbed her nape as she talked to a man seated at the table

"…Poor Shera… And I thought Cid had changed already…"

Zack blinked and shook his head, not believing what he was seeing. "That's kinda rude. No lady should be treated like that!"

"How about I just buy you some hot oolong tea from the tea house next door," Shera said with a sigh. "That way you wouldn't have to raise your voice and lose it too."

Cid just scowled at Shera, but this time he couldn't really yell at her again. It was times like these when Cid knew Shera was right that he felt a tad bit guilty about his manners with her. He only shook his head and continued looking at the blueprint maps on the table. "Well thanks. That's nice of you," Cid said, not looking at her.

Shera smiled at him nonetheless. "I'll buy you some rice cakes too. Be right back." And with that, she left the house, and Aerith peeked 'round the corner watching her walk away.

As the Cetra peeked into the window again, she began to wonder - had Cid lost some sort of motivation in life? In the few years she had been roaming Gaea, she noticed Cid's morale begin to diminish. But then, there was the Highwind, wasn't there? He was able to travel, and have good friends with him too: Barret, Tifa, Yuffie, Vincent, Cloud, Red XIII, and the two kids and Cait Sith. They were able to have vacations very often. But there were days, Aerith remembered, that Cid wanted to be alone and he had to battle with his temper. Especially if he had to come back to Rocket Town because in his terms, Shera was a threat to his house.

Aerith sighed, leaning against Zack. "I'm worried about Cid."

"Hm?" Zack looked down at her, pulling her close. He watched as the blonde pilot began to grab his compass and mechanical pencil, and started sketching on a separate sheet of paper. Zack frowned. "…He seems lonely, if you ask me. Have you tried to talk to him, though?" He smiled.

"Oh, you know me. I try to do my job…" Aerith's voice began to soften. "…I've been around, as you know… Honestly, I think he's losing the will to be who he is."

"What do you mean?"

"I think he misses having that dream of going to space… you know, something to achieve. I guess some people are like that. They try to hide it, but really, all they want is some sense of accomplishment, or something to do." Aerith smiled up at him. "…Shin-Ra ditched him somehow, after all."

"Again." Zack scowled. "Aerith, I'm getting tired of that company. Even if it's not very active right now…" Shin-Ra again, Zack thought. Zack always thought Shin-Ra was to blame, but then again sometimes it's people's choices that really matter, right? And definitely some people made bad choices.

It was always Shin-Ra this, Shin-Ra that. And although it naturally wasn't his life, he didn't like it that other people's lives and dreams were put at stake by a company that thought it was higher above everyone else and could abuse nature's way of working. And with a scowl on his face, Aerith understood his momentary silence completely. She patted his cheek softly, and leaned up to kiss his jaw to comfort him. Zack only smiled.

"Yuffie told me what happened to Cid. His rocket launch failed," Zack said with a sigh. "…I wonder what Minerva had to say to the ones who sinned."

"Hey. Let's not worry about that, Minerva can deal with them, as you know." Aerith laughed. "Come on. I'll introduce you to Cid."

Zack nodded and followed suit as Aerith entered the house, passing right through the front door. She peeked around the corner and watched Cid as he worked on his blueprints, and Zack stayed right behind her, knowing what she was doing.

He raised a brow, however, and smiled - Aerith wasn't this polite around Zack. In fact oftentimes she'd pop up out of nowhere and surprise him. But everyday she never ceased to amaze him and she made him smile, though it was in fact, creepy that she always knew wherever he was. Zack shook his head and laughed softly all of a sudden.

Aerith turned to him and blinked. "Is something wrong?" she whispered.

"No… nothing." He said with a wide smile, and put his arms around her waist. "I just remembered something. Is Cid alright? Maybe he's busy for a visit."

"Nah, he always has time. He's just grumpy, that's all." Aerith smiled. "I was just about to get in and say hi. Wanna join me?"

"No problem."

The Cetra peeked again and even if she was ethereal, she bothered to knock on the wooden doorway. Cid raised his head and looked around, definitely hearing the knocking, but he saw no one. The pilot cleared his throat and shook his head, thinking it was just a rat-

"….Ciiiiiiiiiddd…"

Cid's eyes were wide open. He darted looks here and there, feeling his palms start to sweat and get cold. That was his body's way of sending signals that he was getting nervous or excited. He hurriedly started to roll up the blueprints and pushed away the sketch pad and other materials.

"Ciiiiiiiiiiiiidddd…!"

The pilot's voice rose, almost coarse. "WHAT THE HELL, I'M NOT AFRAID OF YA! BUT WHATEVER YOU ARE GET OUTTA MY FRIGGIN' HOUSE!"

Aerith laughed. She didn't mind that he suddenly yelled - he was evidently scared. The Cetra could even see beads of sweat start to form around his forehead and she was quite amused. "It's me, Aerith! I can't believe you're not used to me yet and I talk to you sometimes!"

Zack tried to stifle a laugh, not wanting to freak the pilot out any longer.

Cid was actually about to enter the bathroom to go and hide, but he stopped and looked around. "Wha… the hell, DON'T SCARE ME LIKE THAT! Where are ya? Show yourself!"

"I'm right heeere. Turn around!"

And Cid did. Right there, Aerith was peeking around the doorway and she waved, a bright smile on her face. The pilot sighed and shook his head. "Goddammit. You keep doin' that and I swear I'll die! Send a memo next time!"

"I'm sorry. But you know my current state," the Cetra laughed. "Anyway… is it okay I'm around? You seem busy."

"Yeah, yeah… sure. Hang around." Cid took a deep breath and went to sit back down at the table. "Shera just went off to buy me some tea."

"I saw," Aerith replied quite sweetly.

"Okay, NOW you're scarin' me. You have to watch EVERYTIME? Creepy."

Aerith shook her head and laughed again. "Well, not everyday. But you get the picture."

Zack laced his fingers with Aerith's, suddenly not wanting to interrupt. But Aerith gave him an assuring smile and tugged him forward, telling him it'd be okay. The Cetra made sure that if she showed herself with Zack, Cid wouldn't run away screaming through Rocket Town's streets. As the pilot rubbed his face and blinked as he shook his head, wanting to make sure he wasn't hallucinating, Aerith calmly walked to the table.

"…I'm with someone today, actually…. if it's okay. I want to introduce him to you~" she said with a slight, happy melody. "You never got to meet him before…"

Zack cleared his throat. Man. This was just Cid, but suddenly it felt like meeting her parents.

Cid looked up and blinked as he eyed Aerith, and since he also had a third eye, he saw a pair of boots tailing right behind her, and a gloved hand interlaced with hers. Spikey hair was also evident right behind her, and a tinge of blue here and there…

"This is Zack Fair, Cid," the Cetra introduced. "…My first love. He never came back, but as you can see, we met again!" She couldn't help but giggle. And as for Zack, who gave a slight wave and stood right next to her, he grinned and definitely had an ego boost.

Cid blinked as he saw the SOLDIER uniform. "First class, yeah? Like someone I know. 'Course I think you both know him, so let's skip that part." He waved it off. "Nice to meet 'cha, kid."

The couple only smiled at the remark. Aerith watched the two as she decided to safely and carefully sit on the cabinet nearby, for fear that Shera was going to wonder why the other chairs on the table were pulled out for visitors and yet no one was around, only Cid. She didn't want to scare Shera. Zack on the other hand, only stayed right next to her.

"Nice to meet you too!" Zack smiled. "Yeah, First Class. Still proud of it though I'm dead!" He grinned.

"Ahh, good." Cid smirked and chuckled as he lit up a cigarette. "Nothin' like wearin' your medals… feels like you did something great in life." He looked away and grabbed an ashtray that sat on the table. Busy with his cigarette, he kept quiet for a moment.

But the two could see the sadness in his eyes. They also saw that he had lost the flame that propelled him to be what he was renowned for. Like Aerith said - and Zack took note of it - the pilot actually wanted to be an astronaut. But due to circumstances, Zack reckoned, the pilot could only reach the sky and not space. Being the eternal optimist, the cadet took some little joy knowing that at least Cid was able to do what he really wanted to do - fly.

"So how've you been, Cid?" Aerith tilted her head slightly. "I hope you're okay."

"You need to ask that?" Cid snorted, but laughed afterwards. He set his cigarette aside for a minute and looked at the Cetra. "…Well. I'm okay, I guess. The usual. I'm thinkin' of making another ship, though." He pointed at the sketchpad nearby that he set aside, but then stared at it. "….Nah, you don't wanna see it. It's crap-"

"We'd love to see it!" Zack noted, encouraging him. He understood why Cid was feeling like this, but he also wanted to help Aerith out. "We don't mind. And if you need any help or ideas, we'd love to help out."

Aerith admired the fact that Zack was who he was. In fact she was more than happy he came along with her. She liked the fact that Zack was a natural in terms of encouragement, and she could sense he was trying to help her out. As she watched the two, she noticed Cid's mood begin to lighten - as he picked up the sketchpad and opened it, she noticed a soft smile begin to form.

Cid turned to the page he last stopped drawing on and stood it upright on his lap, showing the two. "This one right 'ere," he said, "Tiny Bronco the second."

The couple brightly wowed at the sight of it. Zack bent over and stared at his drawings with a smile. Cid even colored his sketches that they looked like they were from an art book, and he used a navy blue-colored pencil to sketch the body. But what Zack was really amazed at was his attention to detail, but he was sure amazement with the sort wasn't unusual anymore for Cid - after all, he was a pilot, and wanted to become an astronaut.

Nevertheless, Zack wanted to make Cid feel better. "Wow… you've really GOT a hand for sketching, Cid! This is awesome! Are you building it right now?"

"Yeah, actually… heh. Though I'm kinda havin' a hard time gatherin' resources. Eh, you know the deal. Life nowadays is hard." He laid the sketchpad on his lap and looked at it, even tilted his head for a bit to see if his sketches were right. "Still gotta measure the wings correctly, though…"

"In any case…" Aerith clapped her hands once and chuckled. "This is great, Cid. You're doing something you're really good at. I'm glad you're going to build a new plane!"

"Yeah, I've had the best propellers delivered all the way from Junon. Shera helped me out. We just gotta get enough steel for the body and the frame for it, then the wings…"

…As Cid rambled on about planes and how he was going to make sure this was going to be better than the first Tiny Bronco, and maybe even better than the Highwind, and that he wanted this new plane to be a little bigger, Zack and Aerith listened on. The Cetra felt like she had accomplished something extraordinary for the day - even if it was just a smile that she put on someone's face, or that they felt better talking about what they were passionate about. Zack felt like he had done something he wasn't able to do much when he was still alive, and felt the same thing Aerith did - that his optimism paid off. Cid didn't know him as much as Aerith did, but Zack was glad that even in a little way, he was able to help someone feel better.

"…It's in the backyard. C'mon, I'll show ya!" Cid smirked as he crushed the butt of the cigarette into the ashtray's floor, and stood. The couple followed him right out, and the pilot put his hands on his hips as he stared at the apparatus he had on the grass. "Heh-heh… I'm kinda excited for this one, y'know? Been a while since I built somethin'."

"I know, Ciddy…" Aerith calmly noted, "and I'm glad you're doing this one. I really am."

Cid half-smiled to himself, trying to hide the fact that he knew why she was being like this, or why even Zack was having the same aura as hers. But true to himself, especially when he was alone, he couldn't mask it all up. Just like everyone else, he had problems too, and though it seemed weird to some, he was glad that a ghost had bothered to care about him. He considered himself lucky; most would have run away.

The pilot shook his head and looked off - the rocket he once tried to fly, now inclined due to the accident before - made him smile. The creases on his skin began to show, and the Cetra knew how he was feeling.

"…I know it's kinda weird hearing this from me…" Zack began, looking at the rocket too, "…since we just met and all. But… it's not over yet, you know?" He looked at Cid, and nodded as he smiled. He looked up. "You may not have been able to go to space, but you still have your friends and you get to fly. You've got Shera too! They want what's best for you. I'm sure they don't talk much about how much they're concerned for you, but they want you to be happy. Whether it's flying, or building… go do it! Like I always say, embrace your dreams." Zack nodded. "Always keep the dream - and the faith - with you. It doesn't matter whether it happens or not - what matters is you don't lose or let go of the fire."

Aerith stepped back to stay on the sidelines, watching Zack work his magic.

Cid turned to face the cadet, who had an assuring smile on his face. As he looked up, he felt a sense of safety underneath all the stars. The pilot realized… what was there to lose? He was very lucky to have a group of friends who traveled with him all around the world, and supported him no matter what happened. They were a crazy group of friends, and their personalities were very different from one another, but he realized… that despite differences they seemed to have a compromise all the time and no one had a problem with it; he had a support group, and the fact that he was doing what he loved at the same time… that was happiness, wasn't it?

"…Y'know, kid… Aerith's really lucky to have ya." Cid chuckled and grinned. "I'd hug you right now, but obviously I can't."

Zack laughed and nodded. "It's alright. Naturally we both understand!" The cadet snickered. "…Well. Thanks, Cid. I appreciate it. You'll be okay in the end. Aerith and I, and your friends too, know it."

"Thanks, kid. I appreciate the effort." Cid looked at Aerith, who remained quiet as she stayed right next to the back door and watched them. "You okay there, Aer?"

"Hm? Yeah, I'm fine!" Aerith brightly smiled and nodded at him, giving a slight wave of her hand.

"Well… been a long day," the pilot said with a heavy sigh as he stretched. Aerith approached him and Zack. "You guys don't mind that I rest for the night? And Shera's gonna come back soon enough, I'm sure. She might flip if she saw ya."

The couple laughed. "I suppose we better get going," Aerith said, looking up at Zack. "Have to visit some other peo-… ah!" And again, Aerith clapped her hands once, but this time because she remembered something - well, someone, rather. "Hey Cid, how's Barret?"

"Big Bear? He's okay." Cid shrugged. "Last I heard he was off to Junon deliverin' oil. Rufus gave him a nice chopper to fly, but it's Reno drivin' for Barret." Cid cackled. "Deserves the Turkey right! Bein' the president's henchman and all."

Zack blinked. "Reno… met that guy in Sector 8 before… red hair, always had goggles on his head. But who's Barret?…"

"Barret! One of our friends too. He's currently busy with delivering oil rigs, and if you must know, he has a machine gun for a right arm."

The cadet's eyes became wide again. "…You've got an artillery of friends!"

Cid and Aerith laughed. "I'll introduce you to him," Aerith reminded. "Actually, he's next in our list!" She nodded, and turned to face Cid. "…It was nice seeing you again, Cid. And take care of Shera. Be nice to her, okay?"

"Yeah, yeah…" the pilot replied, smirking. But when he looked at the Cetra, he just couldn't have the guts to say one thing, and then do another. "…Okay. I'll be nice to her."

"Promiiiiiise?"

"Promise."

"Be nice to her forever!" Aerith grinned. "She's a really hard worker, you know… she does what she asks you to and cares about you, Cid." She nodded.

"And remember, you should NEVER be rude to a lady!" Zack said with a wink, smiling smugly after. "A lady like her deserves all the love in the world."

"Yeah, yeah, I'm sleepy now!" Cid cackled. "Well… again, thanks, both of ya. I really appreciate the visit. When I'm done with this plane… you'll come and join us, right?" He asked with a smile.

"Of course! But for now, we all better get some rest."

Just then, the three heard the front door open. Shera came through, a holding a plastic bag in her right hand as she fumbled for the keys to slip them back into her pocket.

"I'm home!"

Zack grinned when he heard it, and nodded off to Cid. "Go get that tea, tiger!"

Cid rolled his eyes and chuckled as he went back in, and the couple watched through the window again.

"…Oh, you were working outside?"

Cid shook his head and closed the back door. "Nah. Just checked on the plane. Makin' sure it's as accurate as my sketch."

"Ah. Well…I brought your tea, and the rice cakes too…" Shera set the bag on the table and unpacked the food, making sure they were complete and she didn't miss out on anything. "So many people in the tea house!" She giggled.

"…Well… thanks for rememberin'." Cid rubbed his nape and sat at the table. "Are ya gonna sleep soon?"

"Not really." Shera sat at the table and began distributing. "…Was hoping we could have this snack together and talk about the plane."

Cid blinked. Abruptly, he looked behind his shoulder - the backyard was faintly but beautifully illuminated by the moon outside. When he looked through the window, Aerith and Zack had gone, leaving him to smile to himself. And the pilot, for the first time in a long while, felt like he could take on the world.