Disclaimer: You'd better know the drill nine chapters later lol!
A/N: Thank you to all of my reviewers! This story is finally finished and about bloody time! I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. See you when I see ya!
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Chapter Nine
Shera
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Shera found Cid in his den, stacks of Chocobo Breeding books on the floor. One was in his hands and his nose was shoved into it when she knocked.
"Ya?" he called out, not bothering to look away from his book.
"I made you some tea," she said, walking in with a saucer. She looked over his shoulder to see the title of the book. "Captain…why on earth are you reading a Chocobo Breeding book?"
"Huh?" He lowered the book to take the tea cup from her. "Oh, I was thinking 'bout maybe clearing out the back and making it into a pen, ya know? Raising Chocobos might not be that bad…"
She stared at him. "Cid…This is quite…sudden…"
"Let's just say it was one of those experiences I'm takin' seriously."
He took a sip from his tea and looked back to the book. Note to self: demand Cocoa from Cloud or else make realistic threats.
\/\/\/
Cid was unpleasantly awoken the next morning to vicious beatings on his front door. He groggily pulled himself out of bed and shouted for Shera. When the rapping continued and Shera didn't respond, he lined his tongue with a few strings of curses and slowly padded down the stairs and to the front door.
"What?" he mumbled as the door swung open.
Bradley Richton was staring at him. Cid saw why.
"Son of a…!" the pilot jumped behind the door, looking desperately for anything to clothe himself besides his boxers. "Just a second!"
"Well, I won't be long," Bradley explained, sticking his head in the doorway. "I want you to head to the back of town in a moment. There's something I want to show you."
"Fine, fine!" Cid scowled. "I'll be out there in ten minutes! Just get the hell out of my doorway!"
He heard the rich man chuckle.
"Whatever you say, Captain."
\/\/\/
As promised, the Captain met Bradley out behind the town in ten minutes, grumbling and scoffing all the while. He was dusting himself off when he looked up to see at least a hundred people all assembling parts and pieces.
"Woah…" he gaped, staring up at the start of an outline to an airship.
"Beautiful, isn't it?" Cid refocused his attention on Shera's cousin. "I handpicked and hired them all myself." There was something in Bradley's hand. "Still, I'm afraid that I don't know a thing about airships, so I don't want to screw it up." The rich man took Cid's hand and plopped a rolled up poster in it. "That's why I'm putting you in charge of all of this."
The pilot sputtered, looking at the blueprints in his hand to the smug grin on Bradley's face. "You…you what?"
"Seriously, Captain. All of these men are under your command now. Do with them as you wish."
"Bradley, I can't accept…"
"Man, stop yer apologizin' and stuff awready!" Cid looked to Barret, who was standing amongst the group that contained his friends. "This is what they wanted to give ta ya in da first place, Cid."
The pilot chuckled, turning his attention to Cloud and the others. Shera stepped up beside him.
"I hope it's all right," she told him, taking his arm.
He inattentively held her hand. "It's more than all right," he replied, turning back to the construction of his new airship.
"Captain," Bradley was speaking again.
"Yeah?"
"There's someone I know who's starting a rather intricate organization. He's looking for someone to command the airship fleet."
Cid blinked and then looked around himself. "Wait, you dun mean…"
"It's good to see you say 'yes,'" the rich man said, patting him on the shoulder. "I'll send you the reports when they come in. WRO is counting on you."
"WRO?" he asked.
"The World Restoration Organization," Reeve stepped in. The pilot turned to him. "The world is in bad shape after all of this. We'll need someone like you to help lead them."
"We?" Cid blinked.
"Reeve's in charge of WRO," Bradley confessed. "…Which was another reason I had to travel to Gold Saucer. I had to speak with him, after all. He had some very promising things to say about you."
"You…" The Captain blinked. "Spybot?"
"At your service," Reeve bowed, chuckling all the while.
"I can't believe you knew each other and didn't tell me!" Cid barked.
"I'm sorry," the former Shinra executive said, "It was all confidential."
"Son of a…" Exhaling, Cid looked to Shera, who only nodded, eyes sparkling. She was obviously proud of her Captain.
"Congratulations," Bradley said.
"Geez, you numbskulls. This is too much." The pilot closed his eyes and turned his head away. "If you wanted ta make me feel worse, you've succeeded."
"The airship, old man!" Yuffie shouted in the background. "What about the airship!?"
"What about it!?" Cid called back, irate that the girl had ruined his moment.
"She wants ta know what ya plan on namin' it, Cid," Barret cut in.
Cloud finished, "We all do."
"This is an important day, Cid," Tifa stepped in behind Cloud, smirking. "You're pretty lucky."
"Shaddup," the pilot snapped. "All of ya, jus' put a cork 'n it!" He looked up at the new airship. "Still…it'd be wrong to work on it without callin' it something."
"What about the Highwind II?" Shera suggested.
Cid frowned. "I guess, but it just don't feel right…"
"That's a first!" Yuffie stuck her tongue out. "Then whaddya plan on naming it?"
"Well, I ain't namin' her after you if that's what yer thinkin'!" Cid retorted and then brushed his thumb against his nose in thought. "I think I know what I'll name her."
"What?" Shera nudged him. "What's her name?"
"The Shera, 'course!" Cid laughed and then shot the female engineer a heartfelt smile. "It's perfect!"
She stared at him like he was insane, but her eyes illuminated with such amazement that she could hardly stand up straight. "Are you…serious?"
"What? You don't like it?" He looked back to the foundation of the airship. "Well, too bad! I ain't changing the name!"
"Captain!" she threw herself at him, wrapping her arms around his waist as she buried her face into his jacket.
Laughing, he returned her hug and nuzzled his face in her hair. When she glanced up for the slightest moment, he caught her off guard with a quick kiss. Shera toppled to one side, but he held her upright with his arm and pulled his lips back just as fast. "I knew you'd like that."
"Sorry to break up this little party, but we have a problem."
All eyes were diverted from the new airship and Cid to an oncoming duo.
"The Turks," Reeve whispered.
Reno strutted down the road, waving his nightstick, as Rude adjusted the gloves on his hands. They stopped in front of Bradley.
"Mr. Richton, I thought we had an agreement yesterday to abandon all construction on the airship."
Out of the corner of his eye, Cid saw Cloud stoop forward, grunting.
"Yes, I know that," Bradley said. "But the construction is out of my hands now. Perhaps you'd like to consult Mr. Highwind and all of his friends on the matter."
Reno's attention fell to the small posse of AVALANCHE, and he clicked his tongue against his mouth. He gave Cloud more of a glance than the rest, and then turned back to Bradley. "WRO, eh? You went behind our backs."
"My obligation was never to Shinra," the rich man confessed. "I only supplied your equipment, nothing more. Whatever matter you have with my cousin's betrothed and the others stay with them. I can spend my earnings on whatever I please."
"Are we on?" Rude asked his partner.
Reno said nothing as he cast another glare in Cloud's direction.
"Reno…" Cloud began, his voice stern and threatening. "I thought we had a truce…"
"You mean after Gold Saucer?" Reno waved him away, snickering. "That truce has been over since we dropped you guys off in Rocket Town. We only agreed to bring you here, and that's all. Everything after that are strict orders from HQ."
"So that's how you guys got here," Cid said, looking to Cloud.
"We won't hesitate to fight you," the delivery boy warned. "I'm not sure whose orders you're taking, but that won't stop us from making sure you don't get in our way."
"Whose orders?" Reno blew a gust of air through his pursed lips and then turned to Rude. "Man, ya know what would happen if they got this thing up and running? It would cause us a helluva lot of trouble, eh, Rude?"
"I'd have to agree," the normally silent Turk affirmed.
"Buuuuuut…" Then the redhead glanced back to Cloud and the others, a wide smile pasted on his face. It broke into a pearly white grin. "I guess we could afford to give them a slight head start. Just for that little thing."
"Thing?" Cid questioned.
"Gold Saucer," the other Turk answered. "Naturally, we could've saved our selves within due time…"
"But time was something we didn't have enough of. A drunken stupor and Don Corneo ain't a combination you want in the crossfire." Reno gave a laugh, which prompted a chuckle from Rude, "Isn't that right…Cloud?"
"Gah!" The blonde dropped to his knees, holding his head in his hands.
"What?" Cid blinked. "Did I miss somethin'?"
"A whole lotta somethings, Cid!" Barret lowered his head, shaking it. "Man, if you ever bring dat up again, Turk, I'll bust you up!"
Then Reeve and Tifa began to laugh, and the two Turks were pointing fingers at them.
"What?" the pilot repeated, pulling himself away from Shera to join in on the commotion. "What the hell is so funny!?"
"Cloud, I hope you've burned that disturbing garment," Vincent mumbled, giving a sigh afterwards.
"Man, that thing was nasty!" Barret shot a glance to Cloud, who looked up with a start.
"Shut up!" the former mercenary shouted. "All of you, shut up! You didn't look any better than me!"
"But at least we had clothes on, Cloud," Tifa joined in on the argument, as though it were too good of an opportunity to pass up. "You were…I should say…vulgar."
"What!? Take that back!"
"Would someone please explain what's goin' on 'ere!" Cid spun in a circle, eyeing all of his friends.
"What happened to 'im, anyway?" Barret turned his attention to the Turks.
"We locked him in the back of the helicopter," Reno jerked a thumb back towards the entrance of the town. "He'll be getting some pretty hefty charges if I can help it."
"Helicopter…" Bradley held a hand up to shield his eyes as he stared at a rising piece of Shinra technology. It hovered there for a moment and then the helicopter briefly began to fly away. "You mean that one?"
"Huh?" All laughter ceased and everyone turned to gaze at what had caught Bradley's eye. "Hey!" Reno shouted. "What the hell!?"
"How did he…!?"
"Man…I gotta give dat Don Corneo more credit," Barret harrumphed. "He just made off with yer chopper."
"Son of a…!" Both Turks were off in an instant, shouting vulgarities and swinging their arms. Rude was requesting backup on his phone.
"Boy, they got their work cut out for them," Yuffie giggled.
Red XIII wagged his tail. "I almost feel sorry for them."
"All right, spill it," Cid began once the Turks had disappeared over the horizon and everyone was silent, still looking after the helicopter. "What's this about?"
"Well…you know that whole time in Gold Saucer when you couldn't find us?" Cloud asked.
Reeve hastily added, "And when I couldn't go on the Gondola with you?"
Cid awkwardly stared at them.
"Well, the majority of us had been taken hostage against Don Corneo," the former mercenary cut in again. "It was terrible, really."
"That the guy we saw up on Da Chao?" Cid quirked an eyebrow. "That loser with the red coat and frilly collar?"
"Careful what you say," Barret warned. "Else the Don will get you."
"Psh," Cid tilted his head heavenwards, skeptically.
"Oh my…" Shera held a hand to her mouth and turned to Bradley.
"Now what?" the pilot was losing patience with being the outcast of the entire conversation. Bradley and the female engineer didn't seem to notice as they continued to talk with each other.
"That man at Gold Saucer," she told him and Bradley's eyes widened.
"Wait…do you mean that short man with the blonde Mohawk and 'love' tattooed on the side of his head?"
"That's him," Tifa said.
"Why?" Cid questioned, looking directly at Shera. "How do you know him?"
Bradley was rubbing the back of his neck and his cousin was adjusting her glasses, sheepishly. "Well…we saw him when we were leaving Gold Saucer…" The pilot's eyes squinted. He didn't like where this was going. "…He slapped my butt."
"That's it!" Cid turned in an instant, marching back to his house.
"Wait, Captain!" Bradley started after him. "Where are you going!?"
"To get my Venus Gospel and plane. When I find the son of a bitch, I'm gonna break him into pieces and send him to every corner of the world!"
Behind the pilot, Shera smiled.
Despite how hardheaded her Captain was, he did love her—would protect her.
And, despite his harsh attitude, that was something that would always be true.
No matter what.
FIN
