Surprise! Another extra-large update a second day in a row! Unfortunately, the web site is still on the fritz, and I'm having to use the RULER designation again. Make sure you read up until the end...this chapter has a massive plot twist at the end. No looking ahead! :P
Well, so long as I'm here, I'm going to get on my soapbox for a brief rant...
Is it just me, or does modern American society not believe in the concept of Platonic love? I can easily see two guys hugging and smiling at one another, even saying they love each other, without loving each other. But it seems that no one else thinks that anymore. Case in point...the Kingdom Hearts fanfictions. They might as well create a separate section for Kingdom Hearts YAOI. Sora and Riku... Axel and Xemnas... Sora and Axel... Roxas and Riku... Xemnas and Roxas... Sora and Roxas (which is wrong on at least two levels)... And every member of Organization XIII with every other member of Organization XIII...except Larxene, 'cause she's the girl. Of course, this is one of the worst, but it's extended over all the genres. I don't think Square Enix's trend toward making their characters more and more androgynous is helping...
To me, Sora and Riku are best friends. They'd do anything for each other. They'd die for each other. But that doesn't mean they want to have a physical relationship with one another. They're just as tight as friends can be. The same, in my particular story, that I'm trying to establish between Cloud and Ragnar. I'm very glad that my story isn't that popular...otherwise I'm afraid someone might do a spinoff which was a Cloud/Ragnar. (Which would make my eyes melt, BTW.)
Of course, the other end of the spectrum is just as bad. There's all sorts of things that a guy can't be expected to do to another guy now, because of all the homophobia. You either have to have two guy characters be in a YAOI, or have them be as separate as oil and water. That can be frustrating too. Not so much as in fanfictions as in society.
But oh well, I'm done ranting for the moment. Read my chapter already.
RULER
Damnit…we weren't fast enough.
Ragnar cursed to himself. In the end, it hadn't mattered. They had tried so hard to get Aerith back. In addition to what they had done to revive her, there had been only more hell since Cid freed them from their closet prison. Tailing after the ladies on Fenrir had only taken them so far. However, it provided them with a lot of information. Blood stains, wrecked buildings, and lots of reported gunshots told the story that something else was chasing after the ladies besides them. They tailed them for a few hours afterward, but only until they realized they were headed for the Mythril Mines. Once there…Ragnar had got an idea. He realized the only way they could truly get away from them was by going to Junon, and trying to get a boat off of the continent. Luckily, the Planet Protector Army had a barge that had its company located there. It was a small matter of quickly gathering a force of soldiers and deploying them there. Well...perhaps small wasn't the best word. It was a rapid affair, but it did mean taking more help from Midgar.
On arrival in Junon, Ragnar had sat around and played the waiting game. But while doing so, it didn't take long for his quick thinking to pick up on a lot of things "wrong with the picture". He already knew that there were operatives in Junon for New Shinra, but now they were coming out of the woodwork in full force. Based on that, and putting everything else together, Ragnar began to slowly realize that whatever the one Turk who broke off from the others with Aerith was doing wasn't serving New Shinra interests. They were out to capture them, not merely meet them.
Sure enough, a bit of reconnaissance revealed that suspicious looking characters, who Ragnar quickly deduced and confirmed belonged to three companies that had no history or stake in Junon, were covering every ship that was headed off the Eastern Continent. With that in mind, Ragnar got an idea. He contacted the port authority and secretly explained the situation in Midgar, but while doing so exaggerated the extent of the potential damage to the point where only a single ship would be headed back to Kalm. The youth gambled a lot on it…but he was hoping that whoever had defected, assuming they had indeed defected, would turn to Ragnar for help. She would have no choice, because all other boats besides Ragnar's would be being watched. At any rate, he hoped that she would try to hide and lurk around his, seeing as it was the only one without guards.
They had finally shown up, and his plan had worked for the most part.
Except, of course, for this one final detail…
The group was silent in the face of Aerith's grim prophecy. Cloud himself bowed his head and exhaled slowly, expressing his anger in his own cold way. Vincent did the same for the most part, although he showed less emotion. The Turks were still grasping the situation. However, in the end, Reno gave a shrug.
"Well, big deal. The place was going to go belly up eventually. It was already a wreck that would have taken decades to rebuild."
Zola turned his head up at that. He glared darkly at Reno, furious at his callousness. "And what about the innocent people there? Are they, too, wrecks to go 'belly up'?"
Reno formed an indignant look in response. "Hey…if you guys haven't been smart enough to be getting people out of there since you heard about this, then you should be angry at yourselves for your own stupidity, not me."
"We have been evacuating people." Ragnar interjected, cutting the two off before they could argue anymore. "But we could only do so much. We got the far majority out, yes…but there's a lot of invalids and people living in abandoned areas we couldn't reach. Based on the demographic, anywhere from ten to twenty thousand people are still scattered throughout the city, and even if they realized what was going on they still probably can't get out."
Reno merely snorted, and began to reach into his pocket for a cigarette.
"You shouldn't be too miffed, kid." He simply answered to the young general. "After all…your buddy over here," He indicated to Cloud at this point. "Offed over 20,000 between the two reactors he blew up."
Cloud stiffened for a moment…but he ended up not reacting. After all…he wasn't going to try and become angry about what was the sad truth. He had been a much harder, less caring person back then, who didn't place any value on life but only on whatever money he could get to make his way in the world. And in the great scheme of things…many would say that he had paid double for his crimes.
Ragnar, however, flushed red at that. He wasn't going to take that stab at his friend so easily. His hands balled into fists, and in another moment he would have lashed out at Reno verbally if not physically. Yet before he could do anything, or anyone else could react to stop the fight that they saw was brewing, a small sound once again stopped them.
It was Aerith letting out a small sigh.
Soft as that was…it seemed to also have great meaning in it. And because it did, because it had more significance than just a small exhale of air, the people stopped. They turned their bodies around and looked to the woman, seeing what this meant. Aerith, however, didn't answer. She simply unfolded her hands and began to slowly raise back to her feet. She was much stronger now, and her movements were far more firm. She looked steadier now than she had since she had come back from the dead. Her face was somber and her eyes turned low, continuing to make her look dark and melancholy. Her form even seemed to exude the darkness and grimness for a moment.
But then…she suddenly raised her head. Her eyes opened, and filled with the same soft light they used to have. Her face lit up, and once more the aura of happiness and contentment came out from her, just as it had in the old days. Continuing to smile, she slowly turned and looked back to Cloud and Ragnar. The youth saw her…and saw that she seemed to have some strange, content look in her eyes…some sign of peace and readiness…
Cloud saw that look…and it turned him white.
"Cloud…Ragnar…thanks for all you've done for me. I won't forget it…no matter what happens."
After saying this, Aerith turned her head around again, and matched it up with Krystea. Dirty, similarly clothed, and rugged as they both were…they looked more like twins now than ever. Yet Krystea's face was full of confusion, while Aerith's was knowing and calm.
"Krystea… I wish I could have gotten to know you better."
Ragnar's eyes widened. It hit him now. He didn't know what she was doing…but he automatically knew what she intended. He opened his mouth to speak. But Cloud was already ahead of him. His own face was filling with panic and terror, and he stepped forward and reached out.
"Aerith, no…please…"
But it was too late.
Still smiling, the woman blinked once…and then vanished into thin air.
RULER
Cloud…I hope you don't blame yourself for this either… This was my decision, just like last time…
The truth was that if Krystea thought that Aerith was still weak, it was only because the Cetra was moving uneasily about herself. She felt much stronger now…almost back to how she used to feel. But with her returning strength had come that new sensation. Before, she had been unable to summon it. But now following her attack on the creatures, she felt the power continuously. Now, it was easily accessible. She couldn't really describe it. It was like talking to the Planet almost. In the Lifestream…the abilities…the words…what she needed to bring it out was constantly being channeled throughout the world and throughout her as well. Before she couldn't hear it or feel it…but now she only needed concentrate to bring it forth. The truth of the matter was…she could have killed everyone in that standoff. But she dared not act. She still wasn't sure if she could control it…
However, that hardly seemed to matter now.
She knew what she had to do to perform the technique from before. When she teleported herself and Krystea to Fort Condor, seeming to generate a directed warp technique all on her own, she had just had a desire. She felt a crushing need to go away, be away from the death she had caused. And so she went away. She just happened to go south at that time. But now…she knew of a specific place. She wanted to go right to where the center of this was happening. She wanted to be in the Baptismal Church…where this had all began in the first place…
The moment she arrived, however…she immediately felt her body strained in agony. She was again sapped of strength, and collapsed down where she was. Her world swirled to black around her…and her senses threatened to leave her. Gritting her teeth, Aerith forced herself to stay conscious. She had to…because she also had to force herself to use her power again, to surround her body with a shield. It was the only thing that would keep her from being fried alive by the mako that was boiling out from the ground. It was too much of a strain for her. She collapsed on all fours, struggling to control herself. The fact that the ground was rumbling around her, and that she could feel blasts of air and heat beating against her, didn't help. It was all she could do to withstand it and keep consciousness.
Obviously, teleportation was the most draining ability she possessed. She had passed out before when she teleported herself and Krystea. Now…even though it was only her…she felt as if half of the stamina she had gathered was now gone. She was fast eating through the rest of her reserves as she struggled to maintain a shield around her body. She wasn't even sure if she still had enough power to do anything. But she had to try…she had to withstand this. All of those people had nothing left to save them but her, just like before… And so, she clenched her teeth, and forced her power out. Slowly, her head cleared. Her vision turned to color. Her body stabilized. She managed to focus on her shield, and kept her body safe. With that done, she breathed slowly and deeply, and looked up to see where she was.
She assumed it was the church she used to gather flowers in, though for all she knew it was somewhere completely different. It had changed plenty two years ago, but she could barely remember it. She had a hazy vision of looking in through the doorway…but all of her memories from when she was…dead…were fuzzy and vague. At any rate, she assumed she was in the church. However, the columns had long since toppled here, lying at various angles. It was a miracle that what was left of the ceiling hadn't collapsed. The pews were all knocked over, smashed, and cleared out. The main thing was a rather deep fissure in the ground forming a sizable crater. Before, this had been full of life giving, fresh water.
But that was different now. It was boiling and surging, and it was frothing out its liquid all around it, splashing it on the ground. It wasn't fully erupting yet, but it would soon. For now, the foamy, boiling hot material was merely cast up about ten feet in the air before being allowed to fall back down. But it wasn't a geyser that Aerith was looking at it. It was a building mako eruption. The fluid was so concentrated and strong that in this form being splashed with it could kill you in hours…maybe minutes. The ground was trembling now…and Aerith was realizing that pieces of the edge of the crater were slowly crumbling off and falling into it, slowly widening the hole. The air around her was bathed with green mist. It was poison to anyone who wasn't properly protected. Lowering the shield for a moment would probably kill her.
The woman grit her teeth and forced herself to stand. She was dizzy and wobbly, but there was none to help her now but herself. She had to somehow stop this. She wasn't sure what she could do exactly. In the past, when thousands of Cetra lived together, they could ease the spirits within the Lifestream itself and redirect them, making them phase out and diminish back into the world, thereby stopping a mako eruption like this from happening. But she was just one…and even with her new power, she didn't know if she could make a difference. But she had to try…and she had to try now. The area was so unstable it could blow apart in an instant, and when it did…it would take her with it.
Aerith closed her eyes and began to concentrate. She didn't make any other physical gestures, but mentally she was working hard. While struggling to ignore the fact that the place was rumbling and shaking around her, that hot mist was blasting her, and that if the church collapsed the shield wouldn't save her…she reached out with invisible hands to the eruption. It was easy to focus on. There was so much life and power there…so many voices…that she immediately was able to meld with it. Once there, she quickly followed it, going out of the church and down into the surface of Gaia. Strong as it was, it was no problem to follow its course deep down into the depths of the earth. It didn't take long either, considering how close it was to the surface, to trace it to the main source of the problem.
Aerith nearly gasped as she saw it. She never imagined this much power existed. She had never tried to read the Lifestream when it was so concentrated and potent. But the mass of Lifestream here, intense and burning, was far more powerful than anything she had ever beheld before. Only the Promised Land itself rivaled it in terms of mako amount. Her mind was bombarded with millions upon millions of voices. A rush of power flooded into her psyche. She grew dizzy. She couldn't take it… She nearly passed out, and dropped the shield in the process…
Aerith…
Don't stop…
Hold on…
Aerith would have given in…had it not been that she found sudden support. Small voices in the midst of the millions came forth, and she felt them pouring into her. They somehow stabilized her, and increased her power. They held her strong while her mind attempted to process the voices. She was dizzy and confused, and couldn't fathom them for a moment. But slowly, she began to recover. Again the dizziness passed, and her thoughts grew clear once more. She was able to smooth herself out, and slowly take in the full measure of the voices. It was only because of the certain ones, however, that she was able to do this. Without them, it would be impossible, even for her power and ability.
She knew at once who it had to be. It was the voices of the other Cetra…those long past. Their souls had obviously lingered in the Lifestream as well, as she had… And now, they were helping her.
Grateful as she was, Aerith could only manage a weak thank-you before straightening herself up again. She didn't have the energy for anything else. There were millions here…of every type of life imaginable… She hadn't expected anything so powerful. But then again…she supposed she should have. If this eruption was big enough to destroy all of Midgar, then this was probably typical. She had to try something now. She inhaled once, and called on those supporting her to give her all the power they could muster. Then…she began.
It was so hard… It strained her immediately, even with the spirits of her ancestors helping her. There were just so many of them… But she struggled to make her voice heard over them all, to try and command such a vast multitude. She told them all to go back…to return to the cycling of the Lifestream throughout the world. But they wouldn't listen. There were so many of them… She continued to talk…going from ordering to asking. Still, they wouldn't listen. She strained herself further, focused all of her power into speaking louder…and begged them all to return. Unable to do anything else, she continued to call out to them, again and again, leading them back to the Lifestream. Between the chaos building around her, threatening to knock her down or kill her, the shield, the power of these voices, and her motions and yelling…it was a horrible strain. She began to feel her body…her very mind…burn…
But they began to obey. Slowly…she felt a few of them breaking off from the back of it, and return to where they had come from. Feeling this nearly insignificant change, she felt her will strengthen, and she called out and pleaded all the stronger. Slowly, the voices began to hear what she was saying. The soft, caring voice was calling them away from their rage, and leading them back into the blood of the world. And bit by bit…more began to obey. She felt the force slowly trickling out of the mass and back into the Lifestream. Much as it strained her…she forced herself to keep calling out. The reduction was so slow that she couldn't even feel herself making headway against the power. She only felt some beginning to leave, and so she continued.
Aerith's strength began to ebb as she struggled to keep it coming. Calling out endlessly, she bid the spirits abandon their gathering. Almost as slowly, the rate continued to grow. She wasn't sure how many were leaving, but at first she heard each individual that left. As time went on…they slowly began to become a mass as well, becoming a stream. They slowly faded back into the Lifestream and then spread out from there, entering the Planet. She continued to cry out the whole time. She could feel the world groaning. The earth itself was bulging. The tremors around her were getting worse, and the geyser before her was frothing more violently every moment. They weren't leaving a significant effect yet. She couldn't relax until they did. Nearly crying out in pain herself, Aerith begged the spirits to leave all the more earnestly. Yet for all her crying, they only slowly did as they were told…
Until, at long last, Aerith realized the worst. Even if she could somehow last until all of the voices heeded her call and disbanded…it wouldn't matter. The pressure in the eruption was building too quickly. The world could only reabsorb this energy so quickly without causing another eruption within it. The eruption was still eminent…and it could not be canceled.
To accent this fact, the world groaned once more…and immediately engulfed a ten foot radius around the geyser. The boiling mako shot into the air. The church rumbled, and beams and supports began to rain down. Aerith cried out and fell back as the floor just in front of her collapsed. She landed roughly against the ground, which shook violently now. The pool had turned into a geyser, roaring and boiling. Now, the tremors were fully quakes, and were not stopping. The ground beneath her was beginning to break up. The church around her was being shaken violently, and coming apart. Debris began to fall down around her, and only fate kept her from being smacked or smashed by it.
Aerith's eyes widened. She didn't have time to be upset that she had lost the connection with the voices in the Lifestream. Everything around her was collapsing. The church was going to be destroyed in moments. The mako was shooting into the sky, eating away at what roof still covered it, and the tremors were sending the rest of the roof crashing down. The hole in front of her continued to widen as the foundations themselves were dissolved. A bright green light began to fill the vision in front of her.
The Cetra panted, sweating all over now. Her strength was almost gone. Even starting again wouldn't make a difference. She might reduce the eruption's effect negligibly, but it wouldn't help. All she had done was buy the surrounding area of the eruption another hundred yards at most. The eruption was unstoppable now. And as for her…she didn't even have the strength left to teleport herself away. She'd die during the process if she tried…
And even if I could…that wouldn't save the people still stuck in this city.
It can't be over…not now… There has to be something I can still do…
The Cetra hopelessly looked at the situation. The tower of mako grew to a hundred feet high, and continued to blast stronger. It slowly began to widen as the hole violently cracked and grew. And yet…there was nothing left that she could do. Her power to talk to the Planet had a limit…a mental limit. Again, she would need the help of other Cetra, just like in the old days. But even those that had arisen to aid her weren't enough. It would probably take more Cetra than there had ever been in history to ease the eruption down immediately. Slowly…it might be done, but there was nothing left. There was no force on Gaia that would hold this eruption in check long enough for her to turn the tide.
But on thinking of that…she hesitated.
Perhaps there was.
Using her new powers drained her…and the more she exercised the more she felt herself weak and helpless. And they did cause a mental strain as well as physical. But…they did not cause the same strain as talking with the Planet. It was slightly different. She felt like she could still summon her new powers even now. What more, the more she used them…the more she felt herself grow capable of. Even in the wake of that painful teleportation, she felt the ability to do far greater and stronger things. Perhaps her body wouldn't hold out, and couldn't withstand such things…but she still felt she could do them. The strength she wielded within her…it felt like it could do almost anything.
If so…then perhaps there was one final chance.
Aerith could barely stand now, between being exhausted and between the shaking of the floor. But somehow, she tried to get back to her feet. The shaking was so violent that it threw her to the ground again. She cried out at how painful the landing was, but she bit down and then forced herself to wobble to her feet. Once there, she spread out her legs and stood firm.
Aerith had no idea what the limits of her power were. However…she had a plan. The eruption was beginning to break forth, but for right now…for this moment…it was being held back. The main eruption point was here in the church. From here, the eruption would come forth and weaken the surrounding crust of the Planet to continue to expand. If this point held…then the destruction would be halted.
But it was a huge area. It was a good two mile radius. And if it was held, the pressure would build up more and blast against it stronger than ever, now that it was no longer relieved. If any of the surrounding area was weak, it would punch through that easily and the destruction of Midgar would proceed. What more…this move wasn't guaranteed. The shield Aerith put around herself was only protecting her from the effects of mako. To be able to actually affect solid matter and pressure of that amount, the shield would not only have to be a thousand fold bigger, but a thousand fold stronger. The strain might kill her instantly…might fry the brain within her skull and cause her arms to blow off from the energy she was channeling into them. And in the end…it would more than likely be insufficient. No one in history had ever managed to stop a geothermal event of this magnitude. There were no forces on Gaia known that could.
However…she realized that she was going to die anyway at this point. This had been a one way trip.
Perhaps this is why I came back from the dead… My sacrifice was needed again.
If so…then here it is.
Aerith inhaled once and twice, momentarily abandoning all focus other than on keeping the shield around her intact. She had to live long enough for this to work. She cleared her mind of all other thoughts, and calmed her spirit as much as possible. She was so tired… She was already quivering with exhaustion. But she had to do this. She had to try one last time. She focused herself as much as possible. And then, acting with deliberate power and ferocity, beginning to chant in the strange new language, attacking the mako as savagely as it was boiling…she opened her eyes and slammed down with her power.
It was like some cosmic valve had been turned off as the geyser suddenly went dry. The spurt was cut back, and it immediately bowed back down into the hole it came from. But the quakes immediately doubled in intensity. The world itself cried out in pain as the sounds of sewers and pipelines everywhere in Midgar roared. Building foundations were twisted. The street itself began to bulge, shoving huge pieces of pavement into the air. Aerith cried out in agony for a moment before she continued to chant…and then enlarged the massive shield that she had projected below the ground. Immediately…the ground stopped quaking. But it wasn't calm. It was interesting. Anyone who walked across the ground at that moment, within that two mile radius, would have felt something strange. The ground would have seemed to be…throbbing.
It was another story within Aerith. She was struggling not to be physically flung off from where she was by the sheer trauma she was experiencing. Every bit of her insides were on fire. Her brain seemed to be being ripped apart, and yet also crushed in on all sides. The weight of the pressure was forcing itself in on her, driving her into terrible pain. Her body felt like it was being broken by invisible forces. It was totally maddening…
And yet, she didn't stop. Using her agony, she screamed out in a pained cry into the Lifestream again. She let her full misery and anguish come forth as begged the voices once more to come back. And this time…her agony and pain left an effect. Her voice was finally heard above the din, and many more spirits within heard it and paused. They saw one of their friends and kindred literally killing herself, desperate to try and stop them from making a mistake. And when they did so…they began to move faster.
But it was too much. The world seemed to start to buck against her skull, flinging itself violently again and again against her, trying to get her to let it go. It only increased in pressure with no end in sight. Aerith screamed out again, both audibly as well as in her mind, for the spirits to hurry. She felt her bones were about to snap. Her body buckled, and her brain felt on fire. She gasped once…and for a moment lost the power. In response…a forty foot tall spike of rock suddenly burst forth from the ground slightly to her left, and the ground beneath Midgar seemed to heave. Brow pouring out cups of sweat, beginning to gag, Aerith fell to the ground. She somehow maintained control, but she began to writhe soon after, as if she was an insect being crushed under some giant's foot.
She felt the spirits continuing to obey. They began to become self sustaining now, no longer needing Aerith to tell them but moving out. But still…it was too slow. They couldn't disband any faster than they were doing. Aerith flung her arms wildly, struggling with every last fiber of her being to hold the power in check. She cried out again, nearly foaming at the mouth from the strain. She smashed her body against the ground, struggling to keep the pain back as she stretched herself out. She had to hold it longer…she had to let the pressure die. But it wouldn't… I just kept building. It was slowing down on its growth, but it was still too much…it still wanted to break through.
Just until it stops…just…until…it's…done…
But it was useless. Aerith had nothing left. Her body was giving out. She had spent everything she had. She no longer had anything left to keep it held back. She wanted to keep it down…just until the pressure stopped building. After that, the damage potential would lessen by the minute. But she couldn't. The world was flinging itself up harder and harder. The ground was starting to quake again. It wanted to be free, and it wanted to be free now. The shield began to break. The pool before Aerith began to boil again. She quivered all over, soaked to the bone with sweat, stricken with agony. She felt as if parts of her body were literally burning up now…as if her brain was slowly incinerating…
Everyone…I'm so sorry…
I…have nothing…left…
Finally, she could take no more. She gave until her power totally burned out. She did not give up. She simply ran out of strength. Giving out one last gasp…her arms dropped to her sides. The shield both around her body and on the ground gave way.
Rumbling like the end of the world, surging forth in its most violent move yet…the hole burst forth larger and quickly began to grow as a burning tower of mako liquid shot into the sky to touch the heavens…and all around Aerith gave way into a mist of chaos.
RULER
The boat pulled in some five hours later, about what Ragnar had predicted. But by then, the show was long since over. And they had seen it…
Secretly, as they had all loaded up as fast as they could to weigh anchor, Ragnar had wished that Aerith would succeed…despite knowing that he might have been wishing for her death if he did so. But he had already killed many himself. He didn't want to see more die. It wasn't just because of innocent lives though. The people in that city were his responsibility. The mayor might have disagreed with that, but so long as he was based in Midgar he believed he had to defend it. And he had done little in that regard. He had been so busy going after Aerith that he had neglected the great exodus. Those ten or twenty thousand people who were still there…they might be there because he hadn't been around to get the ball rolling faster, because he had abandoned his post. But now…perhaps it would be made right. Perhaps they would still be spared.
That dream was turned to dust when they saw it. Everyone saw it for miles. A great tower of mako suddenly bursting forth, as if all of the mako in the world was gathered under Midgar, and the old upper plate had been dropped again on it in order to send it surging forth into the air once more like an artesian well. On seeing that…everyone of the PPA froze. They stared at it in abject silence and fear. They knew then that it was happening. Many of them believed it would have happened without anything to stop it, but now they knew it was taking place without a doubt. Before now, they couldn't accept it. But as that eruption went off, they were aware that thousands of people were dying, and that everything about their world was disappearing in a green plume of acidic smoke. Ragnar stared at it once…and then bowed his head. That geyser was the sign of his failure…a failure he would spend the rest of his life wondering whether or not it had been his fault, and if he could have stopped it if he would have been there.
That is…he would have spent the rest of his life wondering…
…Had not the geyser cut off five minutes later, and shown nothing else since.
Of course, they didn't know if was anything significant. For all they knew, it had still happened. But if it had…it was puzzling that the large eruption of mako would have given a single thin stream of it while the rest of it boiled the city on a much lower level. That seemed unusual in and of itself, and caused those present to form a slim ray of hope in their minds.
Then the radio calls started to come in from Kalm. Colonel Nanaki, of course, was one of the first. He proclaimed that he was standing some two miles from the edge of Midgar, and that, as far as he could tell, every skyscraper was still standing. There wasn't any signs of any external damage. Soon, other calls began to come in afterward. Over the next hour, it became obvious that Midgar was not obliterated, but had been remarkably spared, at least partially.
However, as more time went on, the crew found out even more. Teams wearing gear protective against mako waste began to roll into the city, investigating the damage. But as they worked their way in, the precautions proved meaningless. There was no mako contamination in the outer ring of the city. As they pushed their way in toward areas like Edge, they found that the residential areas seemed clean as well. Power was out in many places, and the other utilities were shot…but for the most part things were well. Over the rest of the trip, the main facilities had come back online, as soon as the mako crews cleared them and allowed the workers to come back. They ended up detecting major utility damage only within the five block area surrounding ground zero. No one had entered that yet, for the mako crews were still checking much of the city for waste, but the area still existed. Much of it had been twisted and warped, and quite a few of the buildings needed to be condemned…but aside from that…the rest of the city was fine. The final conclusion…only the area immediately in the vincinity of the geyser-like mako eruption had been affected. The rest of the area was clear.
Reeve was moving in most of the public workers when the barge docked. It would still be at least another day before they could start admitting people back in again. The area around the eruption wasn't clear yet. However…Ragnar hadn't cared. Almost immediately after docking, he dismounted from the boat and began to rush, on foot, down the rest of the way to the city to make for ground zero. Cloud had a similar fervor, only he also had the foresight to remember that Fenrir was parked at the dock, and he quickly picked up Ragnar to speed along their trip. For now, the others were left stranded back at the dock while the two men rushed ahead to see what was left.
Ragnar remembered thinking one thing.
One miracle has happened today…
Please let there be just one more…
It took no time at all to drive Fenrir to Sector Five. After all, it was still mostly clear. Once there, it took a bit more work to get down the road. The ground looked as if the biggest moles in the world had been digging tunnels in it. Cloud, without hesitation, drove them through it. He was fine, for the most part. Even if there was mako waste, people with Jenova cells and mako exposure records could tolerate elevated, even toxic, levels of the stuff. Ragnar had no such distinction, but he didn't care. There were no signs of it, at any rate.
The youth looked eagerly ahead along with Cloud as he maneuvered Fenrir down the road. It got rougher as they drew closer. Some pieces of sewer pipes were lying out on the street, blasted from the ground. Manhole tunnels were sprouting out from it. Some of the buildings were twisted…and creaked and groaned from their uneasy leaning positions. Some might indeed fall before the day was done. But he didn't care about this. He kept on driving, and all the while looking eagerly forward.
At last…Fenrir turned a corner, and emerged down the final, and most damaged street. Ahead of them, they could see the Baptismal Church.
What was left of it, at any rate. It was a ruin now. The roof had completely caved in, and the walls had partially crumbled. The steeple was gone. Mostly, it looked like some deep rift was in it, from where it had collapsed in on itself. It was a miracle that the walls were still standing at all. The surrounding buildings were all destroyed, having been put to waste in the wake of the destruction. But even now, there was no mist…no green lights…no signs of Lifestream or mako of any kind.
But even if the aftermath of Mideel was there and boiling over like the center of Gaia, it wouldn't have stopped Cloud from somewhat recklessly gunning Fenrir up. The ride was far more rough and bumpy, and Ragnar felt himself nearly thrown off more than once. But he didn't care either. He wanted to get there too. It seemed to still take forever before they could grind the motorcycle to a halt in front of the church. Once there, Cloud immediately dismounted without enabling security or even putting the kickstand down. He ran forward for the destroyed entrance. Ragnar, hot on his heels, leapt off and pursued him. Again, crossing the small patio seemed to take far too long, and their running seemed to be like tip toeing to the entrance.
They finally reached it. And once there…they found themselves forced to stop, and to look inside. Despite their urgency and fear…wonder seized them and paralyzed them.
It was like the Garden of Eden.
In just the span of five short hours, the church had come to life. The previous spring that had been tainted by mako was now larger and filled with more clear, beautiful water than ever. A great rock spire had erupted next to it…and now cold, pure water rushed forth from a break in the top, a natural spring, and gushed down to fill the pool with the sound of rushing water. Lilies had burst forth on top of it. Around it…the rubble and stone was breaking down. The mako that had washed it had crumbled it back into soil and charged it with life, so that now grass and flowers were already growing. Soft, strong, perfect…they covered the ground with their beautiful colors. That wasn't all. Ivy seemed to already be growing up the sides of the walls. Saplings…actually trees…had burst forth from the ground in the rich mako soil, and already looked ten years old. They were full of leaves, and brushing with the new breeze that had come through the newly opened church. The sun was beating down more strongly than ever, now that the church was more open to the sky.
Ragnar couldn't believe it…but he was captivated by its beauty. This world around him was fresh and new. Even the few birds that had returned to Midgar since its cessation of mako reactors had found their way here, and were already singing in the branches of the new trees and planning their nests. A heavenly smell rolled off of the flowers, filling his nostrils with a pleasant, clean fragrance. This area felt so warm…so inviting. He looked down to his feet, and saw that the cobblestone of the old church terminated just a foot ahead, and the soil and grass began. He paused, but then he took a step forward, and placed his foot down on it. The aerated, fresh soil gave way underneath his foot. Marveling…the youth bent down to the ground, and reached his hands through the soft flowers and fresh grass and to the dirt beneath. He stretched his fingers out and scooped at it, gathering a great handful of soil in his fist. It felt moist and fresh. He raised it up to his mouth and nose and smelled it. He could sense how new and great it felt. This was amazing. Ragnar was already a lover of the Planet…but until now he had never been in a place so alive and vibrant. He never dreamed that such a place would exist right here in Midgar, a land long since thought dead. But it was…
This place…it was literally dripping with life. He…could almost feel it swarming around him, penetrating him too with the life of the new genesis. He could feel it coming in and out of his lungs.
He could almost…hear it…
Something distracted him from his thoughts, however. A small brown object darted in front of him. He opened his eyes wider, and looked to it. A small mouse, normally used to infesting the old buildings of Midgar, and having just had its previous home destroyed, had come into this new paradise, and was finding it already to his liking. But on seeing that a human was watching him, he turned to the larger mammal, sniffed the air around him a moment, and then turned and ran. However…he did serve to make Ragnar raise his eyes. And when he did, he saw something else.
Sitting near the new fountain…or lake, whichever was more appropriate, was a familiar looking stuffed robot. Cloud noticed him too when Ragnar did, and as the youth stood they both put their eyes on him. There was no mistaking it. Cait Sith, complete with moogle, was sitting on the ground just ahead of them. His head was up, and he was smiling as he looked at the two of them.
Obviously, Reeve had dispatched him. Not needing any special equipment or survival gear, he could wander right into ground zero without fear of mako poisoning. Of course, that barely looked like a factor now. On seeing him, Ragnar immediately called out.
"Hey Cait Sith. Did you find-"
Still smiling, and seeming to be calm and controlled for a moment, Cait Sith pursed his lips and held one of his gloved hands to them silently. He was shushing them. Ragnar was puzzled, but he did as he was indicated. Once he had gone quiet, Cait Sith smiled wider, and beckoned them forward.
The two men hesitated, but then did as they were told. Ragnar, on his part, walked forward a bit nervously. He didn't want to step on any flowers…or any more small critters that were moving in to this new paradise. As such, he somewhat uneasily weaved his way forward across the flowers and the ground. He kept looking up as he did, trying to see what Cait Sith was happy about. He could see little. Most of the flowers and grass were obscuring the ground area. But he and Cloud pressed on, making their way through this. Cloud himself frowned a bit, blushed, and then sighed as he stepped around the flowers too. Ragnar didn't know the whole story, but apparently enough had happened to Cloud to make him a bit superstitious as well.
Luckily, the two men didn't need to go much further. They only worked their way forward a bit before they were able to look down and see a valley of sorts where Cait Sith was sitting. When they did, they both stopped…and both saw what he was smiling about…and why they had been told to be quiet.
Sleeping like an angel in her own heaven…Aerith's head rested against Cait Sith's body as she dozed, breathing slowly and softly.
RULER
So tired…
That was the only thing Aerith could think of in the wake of what had happened. Her mind was too jumbled, too exhausted. She felt like she was caught in a half dream. She couldn't think of anything else, and as such couldn't even realize that she was still alive. After all, dead people didn't get tired. Every muscle of her body felt strained and pulled. To move anything was a supreme effort. She felt as if her body was burned or scarred both physically, mentally, and spiritually…like she had been in a fire so great that it had penetrated every part of her. She couldn't make sense of anything. Her whole body was too wiped out…too exhausted…
She hardly even noticed when her eyes opened. Her mind was a mess, and so was her vision. Either way, all she saw was a swirling black and colorful world. She didn't know where she was, what position she was in, or what had happened. If she was awake, she couldn't tell the difference between it and sleep.
Some sensation finally did manage to garner her awareness.
She felt someone's arms encircle her and give her a warm embrace.
Aerith wasn't sure if she was able to make any noise. She definitely didn't speak… However, she got the sensation that someone was actually lifting her up to hug her. And she began to feel tears against the side of her face. She wasn't sure what happened…but more of her senses began to come back, and as she did she started to smell and feel again. She felt a touch and a feeling of hair, and smelled a familiar scent. Her vision was still muddled, and she could barely make anything out.
And yet she began to realize something. Somehow…she was still alive. She was weak all over again…but she was still here. She had all of these senses, and that harsh quality of what physical life was. She remembered what she had been doing…and yet somehow she had lived through it. She didn't know how… She must have somehow held it just long enough for the spirits to reach their threshold. It was the only thing that could have saved Midgar and herself. She also began to recognize who was holding her…
Aerith managed a weak smile. "…And I always thought…you were mad at me…because of Cloud…"
"Oh, shut up you crazy, wonderful Cetra…" The voice of Tifa sarcastically scolded back. However…tears were on her voice. She was sobbing now as she embraced her. Aerith kept smiling. She was glad. She did feel that Tifa had been angry at her all those years ago. Ever since the incident at Sector Six… After all, she spent years trying to get Cloud's attention and get through to him. Aerith knew him only a little more than a month, and he actually went on a date with her…something he had never done with Tifa. That made Aerith sad… She had occasional friends growing up, but she never had a female friend about her age…one she felt she could just talk to and have fun with. Tifa had been that, however briefly, to her…and yet she feared that what she had done had pushed her away.
But the truth was, just because Tifa didn't let her death cripple her the way that Cloud had done, she had been as broken up as the others about her death, and she had missed her just the same. If anything…she felt guilty. Guilty that perhaps somewhere, in her heart of hearts, she had wished this. Then there wouldn't have been anything standing between her and Cloud… Tifa had never dared voice that fear, but it lingered within her. Yet now that she was alive again…she had a chance to atone for it.
"I can't believe you're here…that I'm actually hugging you…" Tifa finally managed to say between sniffing and sobs. "I…I might have come along… But I didn't believe it… I'll admit that, that I didn't believe it was possible… I thought Cloud was just grasping at a straw… But you're here. You're alive again…"
Aerith said nothing. She just smiled, and wished she could hug her friend back, or even look at her.
"…How do you feel?"
"I'm so tired…" Aerith answered. "I want to fall asleep and not get up for a week… I feel like I drained every cell in my body…"
A brief pause, and then a small chuckle.
"Just promise you'll get up after that week's over again."
Aerith gave out a small laugh herself. "…I promise."
At last, the embrace broke. Aerith was so disorientated, she didn't know how long it had been. It might have been for a few minutes, or maybe they held for an hour. But her body was gently laid back down…somewhere soft and warm. She guessed it was a bed, but as for where she didn't know. She closed her eyes again, and breathed deeply and slowly once more. However, she didn't fall asleep again right away.
Because of that, she overheard it.
"Cloud…let's let her sleep. She looks so worn out…"
"…I'd like to…but the others…"
A sigh. "…I know. Let's just make it quick then. But I understand them. Seeing her like this…I keep thinking she could be gone again at any moment…"
"…I keep telling myself that's not true. We'll all be seeing a lot more of her this time around…"
RULER
Ragnar couldn't help but smile. And why not? For a change, they did have something to smile about. Aerith was alive, and it looked like it would be for quite a while to come. The city of Midgar was saved. And he was back with everyone in the third place he had called home.
It looked like Tifa and Cloud wouldn't have to be worrying about rebuilding again. The Seventh Heaven was standing just as they had left it, and was looking more beautiful than ever. This was where Cloud, Ragnar, and Cait Sith had brought Aerith's body. They were afraid at first for her. Her breathing was slow and gentle, and even her heartbeats seemed weak. But she stayed stable, and very slowly began to strengthen. Midgar was still, for the most part, shut down. There were no open hospitals or medical centers, and the army itself was just realizing that the danger had passed, and wouldn't think about moving in until tomorrow, late as it was getting. In the end, Cloud and Ragnar took Aerith to the only place they could, the Seventh Heaven.
They found company when they arrived. Apparently, Tifa and the others had been eager to talk with Cloud and Ragnar as soon as possible. The moment they heard that the danger had passed and that they had returned to the city, they rushed to the Seventh Heaven to intercept them. When Cloud and Ragnar had arrived, they found some earnest-looking friends awaiting them, namely Tifa, Barret, and Red XIII. Ragnar had no idea if what they had to say was knowledge they were already aware of, what with the extra parties that had been jumping around Midgar lately, or if it was something else that was serious. Whatever it was…it was instantly forgotten. On seeing the sleeping body in Cloud's arms, the three gathered were soon totally focused on who they saw alive. They realized in shock that Cloud and Ragnar had succeeded. And despite their earlier chagrin to the idea…they each found themselves overwhelmed and overjoyed to see her alive.
Tifa had immediately volunteered her bed without hesitation. She was resting in it right now. Ragnar wasn't there at the moment. He was standing outside the shut door, letting the two people who were within get what they had to say out of the way before anything else happened. Yet a few hours had passed since lying Aerith down to rest. The word quickly spread to Cid, Reeve, and Yuffie as well, and they were there in ten minutes flat. Cid actually piloted the Sierra there and landed in the middle of the street. Other soldiers and personnel had began to arrive since then, beginning to secure and reestablish themselves in the area. Quite a few had checked in on the group, among them a few of the field doctors. On examining Aerith, they found nothing wrong evidently other than extreme fatigue. Whatever Aerith had done to save Midgar…it had totally burned out her reserves. It appeared she would be bedridden a bit longer.
Ragnar knew that there were still a lot of unanswered questions. There were many problems that had arisen over the past few days, and he was still confused as to what was going on and what was happening. He didn't know how all of these different branches came to figure into this, or how so many people had so quickly become aware of Aerith's existence in Junon. Yet for now…he could let them slide for a few hours. He wanted an explanation, but the fact that Aerith was alive and well, and that the city was saved, was more than enough to give him contentment for a while. He realized now that he had another reason to admire the Cetra…and now he had the last of them in his ranks. The next few days would be very happy ones for him, and for his friends.
Ragnar wished the kids were back. For now, the place still seemed like some sort of cold meeting place, rather than the warm environment that he had grown to love. However, they were still en route to the Seventh Heaven. It wasn't until relatively late that the word got out to bring them there. Tifa had initially entrusted them to a PPA guardian until she said whatever had been forgotten to Cloud. It was strange. Based on the nature of the act, it seemed like Tifa was actually eager to get away from the kids for once. That didn't make sense. It wasn't anything like her…
The man didn't try to worry about it right now. She'd tell them eventually, and he had enough on his mind as it was. He turned his attention back in front of him, to see the group crowded at the top of the stairs. They were all understandably nervous, and excited. Despite the anger that had been between them only four days ago…four days that seemed like eternity…one could hardly deny their earnest looks and anticipation now. Reeve himself had joined Cait Sith. The robot himself had already seen Aerith again, but its own artificial intelligence was dumbfounded. Now…Reeve looked like he was going to have to redefine life and death for the robot again. But for now, he tried to stay calm and not pace. Red XIII, who had been so annoyed and angry at the two men earlier, seemed to be much calmer now, and had forgotten his anger as he patiently waited. He sat the most calmly of all. Cid was puffing away at a cigarette as he leaned against the wall. He tapped his finger nervously…as he waited obviously to begin his own celebration by cracking open a six pack of beer that was at his feet. Yuffie herself was sitting crosslegged on the floor, looking somewhat apoplectic and nervous, not seeming to be able to realize whether she should be happy or fearful.
As it turned out…one of the main reasons she had been so broken up when Aerith died was because, after she left, she had pilfered the Princess Guard from her, leaving her only with her old staff. It looked like it would fetch a high price at the time…and she didn't know that she would never get the chance to give it back to her. Now that the time had come…she nervously trembled and balanced the very same staff, untouched for four years since the day Aerith died, across her legs. For a rare time in history…Yuffie was going to give something back to someone else…and for once she hoped that she was forgiven for stealing it in the first place.
Finally, the door cracked behind Ragnar. He and the others immediately snapped around and stared at it. Very slowly, and trying to be quiet, Tifa slipped out through the crack. Cloud came in behind her.
"She might doze off at any second." She whispered. "So be quiet and let her sleep if she does. But I think she wants to see you all too before she goes out again."
The others didn't need to be told twice. They immediately snapped to their feet. They gave Tifa and Cloud just enough time to pass back out into the hallway, and then they quickly pushed by her in single file for the room. Yuffie brought up the rear, still cringing a bit and clinging Princess Guard to her chest. Once they all had entered, Yuffie closed the door behind them, leaving only Cloud, Tifa, and Ragnar behind.
The three turned and looked to one another. Ragnar was surprised. Cloud was still smiling. He didn't think he had ever seen the man smile this long before. And it wasn't his cocky look either…but something showing genuine contentment and peace. It had been a long trip…but now it was done. And in the end, they had all received a great gift. In the end…after the agony, the depression, and everything that had happened since…she was back.
They were silent for a while longer. In the end, Tifa let out a small chuckle, and ran her hand through her hair. "…I still can't really believe it. I still think I'm going to wake up at any moment…"
"There's still so much she has to catch up on…" Cloud went on. "Four years…not to mention everything that happened for the rest of our first mission…"
"There's still a lot we have to catch up on too." Ragnar added. "Once everyone's finished, I'm getting everyone together who we picked up in Junon and trying to sort out this mess. I still don't know how everyone came to fig-"
Ragnar was cut off by a sound from downstairs. It sounded like the door was opening. On hearing it, the three turned and looked down the stairwell. Perhaps it was the kids. There were guards outside for now, seeing as the generals were there and there was an injured person present, and he soon heard some commotion from them. And yet, that didn't seem to stop whoever was opening the door from entering, as they soon came in the rest of the way and worked their way to the back of the building, and to the stairwell. A few moments later, and Ragnar saw two more people coming up.
Cloud crossed his arms. "…About time you showed up."
Vincent stayed perfectly calm and stoic as he finished walking up the stairway. "…I already had met her again back in Junon, however briefly. I didn't see much need to bother her again this late."
"I'm not talking about Aerith." Cloud responded. "It's about time that you threw your hat into our little ring called the PPA."
"I'm not much for splendid little wars." Vincent simply answered, as he came to a stop at the top of the stairway. "However…that is why I initially came here. But as to why I came here again tonight, it was not merely to submit an application for admittance directly to the general himself. It was to escort someone through security."
With this, Vincent stepped to one side. Until now, Ragnar had mostly been focused on the man behind him already. After all…he was just meeting Vincent for the first time. To be honest, Vincent made him a bit uneasy. He felt a bit cold and uncomfortable just looking at him. Apparently, his dark aura that had been spoken of so grandly by his friends had been justified in its explanation. At any rate, his face turned to confusion as he fully focused on the one behind him.
"Private Zola?"
Zola grinned a bit sheepishly as he made his way to the top of the stairs as well. He scratched the back of his head somewhat, and sweat a little bit. "Heh…hi, general."
"What are you doing here?" Ragnar immediately asked.
"Shouldn't you be back in your cell?" Tifa somewhat darkly challenged. Her arms crossed as she gave Zola a cold glare. And yet…it was a strange sort of look, for she didn't look at him anywhere near his face. Tifa made it a point to not look anywhere near Zola's eyes ever again after that one incident. And she still hadn't quite forgiven him for that either…
Zola swallowed a bit and gave a shrug. He nervously shifted, seeing himself in the midst of the person who hated him the most as well as the one who thought he was still behaving himself in prison. "Well…I had just spent two days tailing after this woman… I wanted to actually have time to say hi and find out what the big deal was about. I'll just…poke in, and see myself out…"
With that, the basilisk turned and bolted for the door. Moving as quickly and quietly as he could, he opened it up, ducked inside, and then nearly slammed it again behind him. Tifa, however, fumed. She turned and glared at him as he ran in, and after doing so she immediately began to march to the door to go in after him. She, for one, still didn't trust him anywhere near Aerith. If it wasn't for the fact that she wanted her to relax, she would have yelled at him now to chase him out. As it was, she was soon on the door and vanishing through it as well.
Cloud crossed his own arms and glared at the doorway. He wasn't exactly a big fan of Zola either. But the fact that he never knew what exactly he had done to Tifa, and the fact that he had saved Ragnar's life back in the forest, gave him a bit more leeway. As he stared, however, a dark voice went out, for once being reassuring…
"…You can relax." He reassured the two men. "He's been duty bound since I met him. And I doubt he has anything planned that's sinister. I wouldn't have taken him here if I had suspected that."
Ragnar turned and looked at the doorway too. He sighed slowly. He supposed he should be more at ease. Zola hadn't acted up in months…and he had struggled to atone for his crimes. Yet Ragnar still wanted to know what he was doing running around with Vincent after escaping from prison. But that could wait for the grand explanation tomorrow. Still…he wondered a bit at one facet…
At any rate, he turned back to Vincent. He managed a small smile…despite the fact that Vincent's presence alone froze any desire to pretend cheerfulness out of him. He held out a hand. "Sorry I haven't introduced myself yet. I'm General Ragnar Vice of the Planet Protector Army."
"...Vincent Valentine." The dark man answered, not even looking to the hand. He stared at Ragnar with his blood-red eyes, totally unblinking. Seeing this, the youth didn't feel too well. His smile faltered, and his hand lowered. However, the gaze of the man continued to rest on him. Feeling uncomfortable under it, he slowly turned back to the doorway again. He decided to change the subject, and gestured to it.
"I'm surprised the guards let him through."
"…They did have to deal with me." Vincent answered. "People tend to have a hard time finding the will to keep me from anywhere. Besides…they have other people to deal with."
Ragnar turned his head to Vincent at that, about to ask him what he meant. But even as he did, he heard an even larger commotion downstairs. This time, some of the guards were practically shouting. However, a woman was pleading with them as well from down there. On hearing all of this, Ragnar ran over to the stairs himself and looked down. He was just in time to see a group of soldiers block the stairway, keeping a woman who had pushed her way this far from moving forward anymore. She now looked up to him.
Ragnar felt himself stiffen slightly. It wasn't his favorite person in the world. Krystea, still clothed in her scrubs, and now handcuffed and captive, had managed to get this all this way. Perhaps she had requested to see the General, and given the situation the soldiers had allowed her to come at least this far. However…much of her previous coldness had faded. She seemed far more innocent now. Of course…Ragnar would never think of a Turk being truly innocent. The guards at the bottom were trying to push her back, but she was pushing forward and looking up imploringly to the general.
"General, general!" She called up, as the guards began to place their rifles against her and push her back. "Please! Let me talk to Aerith again! I've wanted to see her since the moment I heard she was awake! I'm unarmed…I'll keep handcuffs on…just please let me see her!"
Ragnar paused. He turned his head back to Cloud. The ex-mercenary wasn't that forgiving, and he had a cold expression on his face, not that eager to comply. Ragnar turned and looked back to the woman soon after. This was odd. Before, she had been as cold and businesslike as the rest of the Turks. But now, she was far more frantic and emotional. Her face had softened. Her eyes were begging him. He could see how genuine she was, and how she truly desired this. This was odd… Ragnar was beginning to get an idea of what had happened at this point. Apparently…Krystea had gone AWOL with Aerith. Why she had done that was still a mystery, as was why she seemed to suddenly care about Aerith almost as much as Cloud. But she seemed very genuine…and in the end, Aerith had seemed to trust her. That was obvious from what she said, however enigmatic.
In the end, Ragnar sighed. He indicated down to them. "…Pat her down one more time. Make sure her bindings are secure. Then let her up with two escorts."
The soldiers downstairs paused, seeming confused at this order. Krystea smiled. She was too proud of a woman to say "thank you", but the sudden change in her mood for the better gave the nonverbal message loud and clear. The soldiers finally frowned, and then two of them stepped forward and began to carry out their jobs.
While they did this, Ragnar hazarded a look behind him to Cloud. He thought he would be giving him some sign of disapproval. However, to his surprise, he didn't. He was as calm as him, looking downstairs at the woman. Ragnar raised an eyebrow.
"…I thought for sure you'd object."
"True enough…I don't forgive people like her easily." Cloud responded. "But I remember what Aerith said back at Junon. I consider her to be the ultimate crucible to determine whether or not there's some good in someone. If she looked to her with that kind of affection, then I'm thinking there must be something worthwhile in her. Keep in mind…" The ex-mercenary looked up and turned to Ragnar at that. "She shot us with darts…not the grenade-sized bullets that thing normally carries."
Ragnar paused, but then gave a shrug. He did have a point.
Krystea was finally cleared. Growing eager, she immediately began to rush up the stairs. This made her guards uncomfortable, and they quickly dashed after her. However, Krystea was only halfway to the top when she got a better view of the upstairs. On doing so…her eyes rested on Vincent. This made her slow in her step for a moment as she focused totally on him. Ragnar and Cloud both noticed this, as well as a wide-eyed awe that had entered her vision. Vincent noticed too, but showed no emotion positive or negative. He just stared at her. At last, another smile burst across Krystea's face.
To the surprise of Ragnar and Cloud…Krystea dashed up the rest of the stairs, rushed over to Vincent, and then buried her head against his chest, the best she could do with her arms pinned with the cuffs.
"I meant to do this before…" She told him as she smiled and rested against him. "…I thought you were dead too. It seems like my whole family's coming back over the past few days. It's great to see you again, big brother."
Ragnar and Cloud's eyes both widened. Ragnar's jaw nearly fell.
Did she just call him…big brother?
Vincent looked down on her and blinked, but showed nothing else. He said nothing to her, and showed no change in emotional state. Krystea continued to lean against him for a moment, but then turned her head up and looked into his blood red eyes. She saw them without fear or intimidation, and continued to smile at him.
"Look at you… All this time, and you're still as strong and silent as you were back when you left for the military academy. Some things never change, huh?"
Ragnar and Cloud were still dumbfounded. Ragnar turned to Cloud. However, the ex-mercenary could only shrug. He had never heard of this before. Vincent had told him precious little about his past, and had bottled up the rest within his cold shell. This was as much as surprise and shock to him as to Ragnar. The soldiers finished reaching the top step, and immediately fell in next to Krystea. They frowned at her for leaving them in her dust, but they didn't stop her. Krystea let out a small laugh, and turned her head back down and closed her eyes. She rested against the silent man like he was a great pillow.
"…You came for me in the end again, Vincent." She slowly and softly continued. "You always have. Whenever I was in trouble…whenever I couldn't defend myself…you came in and took the pain for me. And look at me… You're still doing it now, even after I finally followed in your footsteps." She let out a small chuckle. However…it was wistful, and perhaps a bit melancholy. "…Almost makes me feel like a little girl again…"
Vincent said nothing. He still hadn't moved or changed expression. His eyes weren't hard, and he blinked again. He was actually acting human in that regard. He watched the woman rest against him, seeming to enjoy his touch and presence. She moved with the rising and falling of his chest, and just smiled. The ex-Turk was still quiet when he finally reacted. Slowly…he raised his flesh and blood hand up. He let it slowly come down to a rest on Krystea's shoulder.
The woman opened her eyes a crack at this and looked at it. She smiled wider, and then leaned her head over to feel his hand, to actually relish the touch that was cold to all other people. They both stood silently for a few moments longer. But in the end, Krystea's eyes opened. She was still smiling, but her voice was still melancholy.
"…I don't know how long it's going to be before we're apart again…and then if we'll see each other again." She spoke out loud. "…But just the same, it's good to see you again, Vincent." She snickered a bit after this. "It's good to feel one of your 'macho' hugs, trying not to show off your soft side." She paused again, and ran her face along his hand one more time.
"…And it's good to know I still have a guardian angel."
Vincent said nothing. He still stayed straight and tall, and did not move. Krystea rested against him a moment longer. But in the end, she pulled back off of him. When she did, he obediently released his hand, and returned it to his side. Krystea, softer and slower now, stepped back and looked up into his eyes again. She smiled one more time, but then finally turned to the soldiers. She gave them a nod, and then turned away and began to walk toward the room. Vincent watched her as she left, turning his head and following her with his eyes as she went to the door. He continued to stare at her, even as she opened the doorway again and passed through with the guards before shutting it behind her. His gaze was frozen where she had been.
After a moment of silence, Cloud and Ragnar looked to each other. Both of them were overwhelmed. They couldn't believe it. Although Ragnar only knew Vincent through reputation, he had heard enough about him to be surprised. Cloud turned around and looked to Vincent soon after, who was still staring at the door silently.
"Of all the things you've kept secret from us Vincent…this is the biggest one so far." Cloud spoke up. "You actually had a sister this whole time. I thought for sure you would have tried to visit her back before we went after Sephiroth…"
"Adoptive sister, right?" Ragnar threw in. "I mean…no offense, but she doesn't look a thing like you."
"I'm a bit amazed." Cloud continued. "Once upon a time…it sounds like you had a softer side. You must have made a real impression on your sister when she was younger. The way she approached you without fear… I've never seen anyone do that before with you."
Ragnar grimaced a bit at that, turning to Cloud and giving him a look. After that, he turned back to Vincent and gave an uneasy exhale. "…I'm sure that wasn't intended as badly as it sounded, Vincent. But I'm still surprised you didn't tell him about it. Obviously, your sister hasn't lost any love for you, so I'm-"
"…Why do you both keep calling her that?"
Both Ragnar and Cloud were cut off by Vincent's sudden cold, sharp question. It was so unexpected, and so strong, that it seemed to kill the sound in midair. At once, the area upstairs was totally silent. However, the two men were confused. They turned to each other a moment, and then turned and looked back to Vincent. He was still staring at the doorway, having not moved.
"…Calling her what?" Cloud asked.
"My sister."
Ragnar formed a look of puzzlement at that. He reached up and scratched his head. "…Well, isn't she?"
Vincent's head turned back around. It wasn't a snap…but the sudden look in his eye was cold and powerful. It was so strong that it immediately sent a shiver down the spines of both men.
"…I was an only child. Period. No foster children, no adoptees, and no other family members besides my mother, my father, and me. I don't know what that woman was thinking a moment ago…but I never had a sister. Until this morning, I had never seen that woman before in my life."
RULER
To be continued...