We climbed the walkway that ran next to the train tracks around the central structure of Midgar in almost complete silence, except for when she casually informed me that the flowers in her house were lillies. For some reason I started to wonder at the ribbon in her hair. It was the same pink one she had worn at First Plate.

"Aeris."

"Mmhmm?"

"That ribbon in your hair... Do you wear the same one all the time?"

"... Yes. Why do you ask?"

"It just occured to me that you might chose a green one instead, to match your new dress."

"... No. This one is special."

"Mind if I ask why?"

"It's alright to tell you I guess. You notice how it's not the same material as my usual pink dress?" I nodded. "The fabric is different, and a shade darker. The cloth that makes this ribbon was actually a piece of fabric from my mother's favourite dress."

"Oh... Sentimental value, then?"

She nodded solemnly, a smile creeping onto her face. "It's like I'm carrying a piece of her everywhere I go." She laughed at herself quietly. "I know that probably sounds crazy..."

"No, not at all." I know I would kill to even learn the names of my parents...

"... In fact, she gave me the greatest gift anyone could recieve with this bit of cloth." I looked at her as her eyes met mine. "Good advice," she finished with a warm smile.

"What did she say?"

Aeris focused her gaze straight ahead. "She said, 'Aeris, don't let this affect the way you live, or how you treat yourself. Live a fulfilling and good life. Then you'll have given your father and I both the greatest gift this planet could offer'."

"That's pretty good advi-" I hesitated when I noticed a tear crawl down her cheek. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said anything..."

"Oh no no, it's okay, you just wanted to know about my ribbon. I offered all the extra information." She wiped her eyes with the sleeve of her sweater. She looked up at me and grinned broadly. "'Don't worry about it'." she quoted.

I was tempted to ask her further about her parents, but I let it go. She showed far more faith in me than I posessed in her. Maybe the secret was in why her parents died.

"Elena," Tseng commanded. The blonde Turk instantly stood at attention. "This is your first assignment, is it not?"

"Yes sir, it is," she answered obediently.

"Good. I had hoped to break you into our line of work slowly. Our objective tonight is to protect a special guest. Just keep an eye on her, ensure she has a good time, and make sure she isn't approached by anyone that isn't a Turk or a Soldier. If you see anyone else try to engage her in conversation, discretely try to lead them away, unless she uses the word 'Materia'. This is her safe word to indicate that she does wish to speak with the person. She is very clever, and will disguise her use of it ingeniously, so listen carefully. Understood?"

"Absolutely, sir!" she said. So eager to please. I hate training fans of the trade.

"Excellent. Now, I'm going to give you a side objective."

"Sir?"

Tseng withdrew a long, flat box from within his suit jacket and handed it to Elena. "I want you to make sure Reno's shirt is tucked in and that he is wearing this tie the next time I see him."

She had a blank 'Are you serious?' look on her face. Tseng sighed inwardly.

"The consequences of not completing this side objective could be dire..."

"I-I'm on it, sir!" She gave a poor salute, then took off, presumably to find Reno.

Tseng stood in the empty room that was floor sixty-one as people around him set up for the dance. A couple employees were carrying tables into the small room off to the side for the refreshments. Across the room from the elevators they were setting up the sound system. Someone had the brilliant idea of including a disco ball. He pinched the bridge of his nose between his thumb and index finger as he closed his eyes. "I love my job I love my job I love my job..."

About half an hour later we made it to the base of the Shinra building. I felt a chill run up and down my spine, and involuntarily squeezed Sephiroth's hand. He looked down at me questioningly to a face I'm sure held a note of horror, then straight ahead as if considering something. Then he smiled handsomely.

"I have an idea," he said.

Before I could object, he led me far to the left of the front doors, and opened the door to the fire escape. He held it open for me and I stepped through. But I was very confused.

"Sephiroth... Why this way?" I inquired.

"The front doors automatically scan for the ID of people walking in or out of the Shinra building each day. Usually when Zack and I come back late we just take the fire escape. Saves the trouble of alerting our peers, and it drives certain higher-ups nuts when they don't know where to find me," he explained.

"You climb sixty flights of stairs with Zack on your back every night you go out?" I smiled.

"Most of the time he's conscious enough for me to drag him up, but sometimes yes."

I giggled. "You deserve your title, Great Sephiroth." I gave a little bow, and he took my hand and led me up the stairs.

We rounded the corner in the middle of the first flight of stairs. "So..." I started. "That wasn't exactly what I meant by 'why'..."

He hesitated as we started the third flight. "It's because I know you're hiding from Shinra, and even though I don't know why, I'll respect your desire to remain hidden."

"Oh... Thank you." I was incredibly flattered that he would respect me enough to help me stay hidden instead of turning me over to his bosses. We passed a door with the number five on it, the fifth floor.

"Don't worry about it. I have far less love for the Shinra company than most people realize," he scoffed. "I only stick around because I'm grossly overpaid to be their poster boy, and I end up just doing whatever I want."

"That must be nice," I said thoughtfully, envisioning the first time I met Tseng in my mind. He had offered me much the same thing. Passed floor seven.

"... What would you do?"

"I'm sorry?"

"If you were given the same deal I was, doing missions for a hundred thousand gil or more with free room and board on top of it, would you take it over the life you have now?"

"I would turn it down. I'm happy living simply, and I wouldn't want the publicity you get..."

"Ah, of course," he said in understanding. We were silent up until we passed a door marked with an eleven, then I spoke up.

"Uhm, Sephiroth?"

"Yes?"

"Thank you, again, for... Respecting my privacy."

"Don't worry about it. I've no idea how popular you are with Shinra, but it wouldn't be my first act of rebellion."

"... Do you want me to tell you why I'm 'hiding'?"

He stopped entirely mid-flight, with his eyes fixated on the stairs before him. Then, just as suddenly, squeezed my hand and we continued. "No," he said. "Are you ready to tell me why?"

"... Well, I don't know..." I hesitated.

"If you're not ready then why offer?"

"... I guess because I feel indebted to you."

"Think nothing of it." We passed a door marked thirteen. "I have no idea what the reason is or could be, so I don't know how I would react. Maybe it would enrage me, and make me your enemy, so for the moment I'd rather not know."

"... Thank you."

"I said don't worry about it." He looked over his shoulder at me and smiled.