Author: I'd apologize for the lateness of this… but I fell down the remake rabbit hole that is the Crisis Core remake. And I gotta say, the graphics had me dying and going to Heaven. The voice acting for Zack is not my cup of tea though. But it definitely refreshed my brain on the storyline so I'm happy enough.

Chapter start

It was all well and good to have a change of heart. My growing need to protect this version of my Brother didn't fit into the grand plan. My vision shattered with every tear that soaked that shirt, and now I was well and truly fucked. No escape by age eighteen to some remote place where nobody would know I was a Shinra. No storing away riches so I could live this hidden life in lazy comfort.

Yet, once he was done crying, I watched him emotionally shut down. Of course, the red puffy eyes gave it away and we both knew it.

The months passed and I neglected to mention it. However, Virgil must have been relieved that instead of my usual pattern of running randomly, I merely clung to Rufus with more tenacity. It became more usual to find me in the corner of his room or curled up in his blankets. Aerith would occasionally tag along and I was gratified to see her chipper attitude thawed the usual blankness on his face. My first small difference to canon life. Although… had Rufus really even acknowledged Aerith in the game?

He'd went for the Promised Land, that was fact. But beyond the rooftop was there true interaction? Odd that he hadn't, if memory served correctly. Still, it was a victory that they interacted now maybe. Perhaps he'd recall fondly the childhood friend of his sister and not let Hojo torment her too terribly later.

There were small improvements to his involvement in her life that were noticeable. And made it more apparent that I didn't have nearly so much sway as the heir to the proverbial throne. I was spoiled, yes, but he could snap his fingers and alter a child's life.

She and her mother has been moved, and rather than the locked room. They could now wander if they so chose. Her mother rejected. Aerith however took the opportunity and brightened many a dreary Shinra employees faces. She was healthier in general too, more meat going onto her bones. No longer wearing cast off clothes of mine, and her growth was exponentially back on track for a girl our age. She would always be a little behind, of course. Nothing could change the years of neglect.

It made me worry a little of her life in the slums. The woman, whatever her name was, I knew would care for my friend well. But would they always have enough? No matter how pretty their home ended up being, would that truly mean prosperity in an area surrounded by so much desolation?

I knew though, I had to let her go. While she might encounter Zach still while here, maybe even Cloud… she needed to be free. She was like a caterpillar now, or a little seedling. Destined to become something beautiful and precious. Impossible to do under Shinra tower. The ones who thrived here all had a core of rot to them. Even me.

I was also host to the fact that our mother's death was what caused the rift between Rufus and President Shinra. Or at the very least a chunk of it. Always present had been the weighty expectations placed on Rufus. I never saw him act like a boy his age, always more matured and far too controlled. I'd seen him cry once. I probably never would again and that was more than fine. Gods knew what I'd do if I saw it again.

Now, I saw hatred in his eyes whenever he stayed in our Father's line of sight for too long. I wondered briefly if he blamed him for his mother's death. What I mainly saw was the way Rufus began questioning, and prodding. This was the birth of the Rufus who would one day try parental murder as a worthwhile hobby.

President Shinra had returned to old roots, and I knew logically it was grief and lack of understanding that aided that canyon growth. What that meant, was a string of women. He was careless enough even I'd walked in on him engaging a secretary or two in his office. Rufus had been so disgusted, he drug me behind him and actually began a fight with the President.

It made a little saved detail from my subconscious flit back into my brain.

President Shinra had been, and was, a womanizer. While Rufus and I were the only officially recognized children who bore the Shinra name, there was at least one more. And a flickering remembrance of some fan theory that Cloud was also a little Shinra seedling in disguise. That one I didn't give much credit to. Director Lizard or whatever I knew for fact.

If the director was the same age as Rufus, or younger, it meant that President Shinra loving that woman didn't curb his lust. It was disgusting, as Rufus claimed, but not all together new when it came to corrupt power houses.

Rufus didn't take kindly to the rumors flying or the fact I'd seen anything. At least I knew, if he ever found love, he'd be fiercely loyal to his vows, if not emotionally stunted in showing it.

Still, seeing the beginning of Rufus retreating into mostly interacting with the Turks, me, and now Aerith was interesting. For now, he was a hurting child seeing his father disrespect his mother's memory. Eventually, it would fester. I wasn't sure how to derail that from his future, and considering he was capable of growth the current President wasn't, it made me hesitate to maneuver that. If he bonded with our Father, it might lead to more similar behavior.

It was a rare day when Rufus was out that I began dragging Aerith around. She'd shown up in the AM, and I'd merely drug her under my blankets and tried to reclaim some sleep. Wasn't easy at all. The girl wasn't cuddly once she woke up, all giggles and whispered words. Eventually, I'd shushed her enough times that she drifted to sleep and I was able to catch a few more dreams myself.

She woke me up again at a much better time, at the least when Vergil banged the door open, going on about lazy Princesses making more work for him. If he was shocked to see her, he didn't comment. Merely presented two plates of breakfast, which meant he'd been aware of her whereabouts in proximity to his charge. Shouldn't have been surprising. Turk profession at its finest.

Once we were at the table he crossed his arms and leaned his weight back. "Be grateful I brought you breakfast Princess."

I paused and set my glass of orange juice down. "Why did you?"

As much as I loved and adored my guard, he wasn't subservient in the least. Bringing me breakfast wasn't a priority, and if he noticed me not eating, he usually just tossed me a piece of his cured beef. Safe for on-the-go field missions, but damn was it gross. I missed beef jerky.

"To let you know. I've been temporarily reassigned."

"For what," I demanded. My voice had grown sharper, but I didn't care. Vergil had been with me the longest and I wasn't keen on a new Turk.

He ruffled my hair, chuckling. "Well. At the least I know you like me. Like I said, temporary."

My expectant face didn't alter and he sighed. "Classified, Princess. I'll be back before you know it."

"You better," I muttered.

His PHS dinged and I knew that meant it was time. As he gave a crooked grin I smiled back. This was part of life here too. Death around every corner, and no real guarantee. All I could do was sit and wait. Have faith. How utterly annoying.

He left and I picked up my fork. Ate some scrambled eggs. Dipped my fork into the fried potatoes before I retracted and took a sip of juice instead. Aerith reached out and pat my shoulder.

"He'll be back. He said so!"

I smiled blandly. "I believe him. Besides… you'll tell me, if something unplanned stops him. Right?"

"Right!" Aerith downed her juice and I pushed mine more to the middle of the table. She drank a lot more than I did.

We had come to an understanding about her Ancient abilities, and the fact she felt random unease or hope around me. Probably the lifestream letting her know I didn't really belong or something equally annoying. She never questioned me, and I never directly referenced the abilities she showed around me. That was a peaceful way of coexistence.

Once breakfast had been finished I decided no way was I going to hang back in my room. When Guard replacements happened I was supposed to be a good little girl and wait until the new guard arrived. Boring. Besides, it had been far too long since I'd stirred up trouble.

"I wanna go on an adventure." My voice had taken on a mischievous tone, as I dug through my closet, tugging out two dresses and tossing one to Aerith.

"What?" Her head cocked as she caught the fabric, looking for all the world like an inquisitive puppy.

"An adventure. You know, I'm officially without a Turk guard for a little bit. I want to see how far we can get."

"You're going to get yourself in trouble, you know." Even though she said it, she had a small smile, and was already unbuttoning her original dress. "And to think you've been so quiet lately."

I was in the process of undoing my golden hair from its nightly braid. "Well, what better way to remind Father I exist then?"

"If only you actually wanted him to notice you."

"Fair enough. You can't tell me you aren't curious too, though?"

"Hard to be curious when you haven't said where you plan to go." She placed her hands on her hips, brows cocked as she surveyed me.

"Just to go. Somewhere. Rufus is too busy today, and Reeve will be in boring meetings with that blonde hussy. And now they've taken Vergil. I'll simply wither without stimulation!"

"Alright, alright. We wouldn't want that."

I smiled, elated and perplexed at the wonder that was the Ancient. She was truly the best friend many would die for. Here I was, suggesting we do God's only knew what, and she grasped my hand to run. No plan, no brain power at all in such an illogical decision. I wasn't sure if it was her being so much younger. She was daring in the games, too. And her cheeky tone was coming out more and more as the time together passed. I truly would miss her when she was gone.

"I wonder if we could get out of the building?" I murmured it, half in jest and half seriously.

Truth was, I never left the Shinra building we called home either. Not unless through a car or plane, to go to some rich persons expensive loft or Mansion. I had yet to ever set eyes on the so-called wonders of Midgar, and my view of the slums was a mixture of the game world I'd played and depressing views on the television. Not the most accurate portrayal. Aerith was more stifled in that she'd never even been out in a car.

I had decided though to change things. At least enough to save Rufus. And I'd noticed that even with Aerith I thought of schemes to alter her fate. I didn't want this girl to die anymore than I wanted my brother to suffer.

I forced myself to derail those thoughts when they happened. If she didn't pass, could the world be spared? I didn't know. The plans to save her involved absolute mind jumping acrobatics on a good day.

… There was one tentative thing I thought about. Some way. But I wasn't any kind of confident about it. It involved trying to alter too much, trying to derail so much. If I messed this up, then none of the events could unfold properly, and I would most likely doom the planet. It wasn't easy for me to think a handful of lives was worth millions.

Yet there she was. Corrupting all of my better judgements.

"Maybe. It would be kind of hard to get outside though."

"You're probably right… in that case… let's go see if they have any cute cuddly things in the Science labs."

And like the idiots we were, we did just that. And I ignored the way my brain screamed that I really, really, really… didn't want to do this at all. Self preservation at its finest. With stubborn human over ruling of common sense, at its greatest. I was going to die early, surely.

End chapter