"It's so nice to see you again Kida!...What a delightful day this has been" Elmyra exclaimed

"And you maam...I never expected to live to see Icicle Inn again"

"Live? But your still young?...My God! What did they put you through at that school? The gentleman promised me he would take good care of you!" she stuttered in grief

"Oh of course he did!" She emphasised "I was well looked after maam, the training was tough, but i had a good teacher and some really good friends...but...well nothing seems to last long for me..."

The mood had become damp, uncomfortable. Elmyra had regretted allowing Leader Ren take Kida at such a young age. Robbing her of her youth and her innocence, Kida could see the sadness in her eyes.

"Please Elmyra, do not be so sad, i do not resent going to the academy, i know that for what ever reason you allowed me to go, it must have been a good one... Besides i would not be the person i am if it weren't for The academy."
"That is why i am sad...Kida please, do not take this the wrong way, i mean no disrespect when i say this but...there is just something about you, that is different-"

"YOU NOTICED THAT TOO MA! SO DID I!" Aerith quickly interrupted.

Kida was not impressed; she didn't know whether to feel insulted or worried, however she knew exactly what they were talking about. She knew she had changed, her heart was made out of stone and her mind- desensitised to all acts of violence, she was an assassin, it was in her blood now to kill, all previous innocence had been beaten out of her when in training.

"we were told that to have emotion, was to have the grandest weakness of all" Kida murmured, her eyes sank to the floor as she carried on recalling her past, "We would watch our team mates, being drowned, their heads beaten and sliced whilst dunked into the sea, it was to teach us not to panic in a drowning situation, in a day of war...We would be separated into groups and forced to hunt the other one down, using whatever means necessary. We would be strung up and whipped, giant whips with sharp bones that would tear our flesh, all in order to dull our senses of pain. We would be tortured week after week to teach us what would happen if we ever got captured. It was better to take your own life then to shame yourself by living in defeat. We learnt multiple fighting styles, depending on our talents. Most of us had a special something that we would get private tutorials in training with Leader Ren... I was lucky enough to be his favourite, but that didn't mean i got it easy, on the contrary, i got it the worst. He would always tell me that when i was ready to face my Everest, he would let me go. I would still be there now...training...if..." she stopped, noticing that everyone had paused their conversations in order to hear hers with Aerith and Elmyra.

"What! What!" Tifa shouted

"Yeah c'mon girl don't leave us guessing" Barrett shouted

Aerith looked at Kida horrified that her dearest 'sister' was put through so much

"Listen you don't have to say anymore if this is too painful" Aerith groaned



"You see, the students, we were all so young when we arrived at the academy, we grew into a close family, calling ourselves brothers and sisters...it was nice, i never really had a family growing up other then...you and another too Aerith. But one day, a plague struck our camp, an incurable sickness, it seemed to devour the weakest first, but then it got Shen, the most talented weapons artist, my closest brother and then Kimikara, Duroshi, peiniko, zahara... i lose count after that, so many deaths even before we were ready to face the world. The earth had taken them from us, my brothers, my sisters, gone by a illness unbefitting for a warrior! I grew angrey at the world. EVERYONE! EVERYONE I SEEM TO HAVE EVEN FOR A SPLIT SECOND!...something awful happens, i am simply cursed. The list of my dead loved ones, it goes on for eternity!" Kida snapped out of the trance she was in whilst telling her story, shaking her head she then stated "that is why i cannot stay Aerith... If anything were to happen to you i..."

"WHAT! WHAT! You have to be kidding me Kida!" tears welled in her eyes, she grasped out her hands to capture Kida "Kida no! No please don't go, you have only just returned to me! You cant go now, nothing will happen to me, nutta! I can look after myself, and so can my friends; Cloud, Tifa, Barrett, Yuffie and Red now! And most importantly, i have you! C'mon! Kida this is fate bringing us together again! Think about it! 11 years! And it is only now when we are both in need of saving. Do we find each other once more."

"I don't believe in fate Aerith, only consequence... i am cursed, never to find peace in this world, only sadness and death, that is my punishment for...for surviving the plaque...i wasn't supposed to live, i was supposed to die like the rest of them, only...only Leader Ren took me, Kiyoshi and Hitomi out before we caught it. Not a single soul from the academy survived pass the age of 17 apart from us... when we first arrived there were 60 special young children, none of us would have guessed that only three of us would reach our 21st birthday. And well...Kiyoshi has just died..." Kidasama felt this awful sensation overcome her, a deep agonising feeling made her heart beat increase, her eyes began to sting as she sat there completely chocked, she controlled herself so as not to panic but everyone could see that something was wrong. Cloud stood up and went to her, concern hit his face

"What is wrong Kidasama?"

"I...I..I don't know, my heart its heavy and my eyes...I think i may be having what you call a heart attack..Im not sure!"

"No...you are not having a heart attack Kida" Aerith softly whispered "Your feeling an emotion...its called sadness, you are crying...your finally grieving their deaths"

Kidasama touched her eyes, she could feel the moisture running down her cheeks, amazed! She had always been one to cause someone else to cry but had never been able to do so herself.

"There she is!" Aerith gently smiled "theres the old kida right there, i found her, she was hiding all along but i found her" Aerith placed her arms around Kida, hugging her tightly, but she was uncomfortable and began to tense her body. Finally realising this Aerith released her as cloud interrupted

"You should really get some rest, c'mon i'll escort you..."



A sudden feeling of exhaustion hit her, "I guess your right" she whispered as she yawned. "goodnight everyone"

"NIGHT KIDA!!" they all shouted in unison.

Both walking to the Inn, cloud and Kida remained silent, until they got to the living room area were they met Marlene.

"Hey kid fix up a room for Kidasama to sleep in tonight!" he commanded lightly

"Oh...Ok!" she staggered off

"You may call me Kida if you like?" she said

"Sit..." he pointed to a chair

"I don't need a babysitter to help me look after myself" she bluntly stated in her sleepy state. Cloud grew embarrassed

"I...er wasn't trying to...er.." he scratched his head

"Ha ha...im just messing with ya...look, i just wanna say thank you"

"huh? What for?"

"For looking after Aerith, she meant, i mean, MEANS alot to me...and it scares me to death, that something awful could happen to her especially when the Shinra are after her for god knows why"

"You don't know why?"

A light suddenly clicked in her head "A girl with special talents has been captured by the Shinra" she recalled Leader Ren once saying...

"Special talents?..." she muttered to herself

"What did you say?"

"she is special isn't she?...Aerith, thats why the Shinra wanted her, thats why they captured her isn't it!"

"Yes... she is a decent of what we call an ancient... one of the most divine, original settlers of this earth, they have powerful ties with it and some sort of connection to the earths lifestream"

"Lifestream?...arghhh! cloud! I'm so confused"

"Im sorry, this can wait, lets get you up to your room"



Cloud now placed his arm around her waist as Kida could no longer support herself, she had done too much too soon, before her body had completely recovered from the shocking amount of energy she had used.

"Kidasama, i am sorry about your awful childhood, i know what it is like also to lose everyone and everything you have ever known, and then to live your life like a heartless soldier. Its hard...moving on that is, when your past haunts you day and night, and you constantly fear the worst in every situation..." he looked over to Kida who weakly gazed at Cloud, smiling with her eyes

"Im am sorry too, no one should have to live the life you or i have, i dream that one day nobody will, i realise now that...that AVALANCHE aspire to change the world for the better, you are good people...if only my comrades could have met you, we all could have done so much..." she paused as they arrived to her room, Marlene walked out

"There! Its all ready for ya!" she smiled and walked off

Kida exhaled "Hmmmm!...Thank you for walking me..." she stared at his arms that were still situated around her waist. He quickly removed them and placed them back to his sides.

"Errr sorry...goodnight"

"night!", she walked into her room slowly closing the door behind her, watching cloud walk away, she smiled at his embarrassment, then eased herself under the covers, everything became a blur by the time her head hit the pillow...