Lost in the Shadows
Chapter 16 - Cautious
Disclaimer: I do not own FF7 and its characters, settings or the like. These words, however, are mine.
Sephiroth had carried Aerith to her room and managed to calm her down enough to get her to talk. The Turks were in trouble, that much was clear. All Aerith could tell Sephiroth without getting upset again was that someone was after all of them. Avalanche, herself and Sephiroth and the Turks were targets. It seemed their focus was the Turks at the moment. They were on their own.
"Aerith. How are you feeling?" Tifa pushed the door open completely, revealing herself and Yuffie. Aerith watched them through troubled eyes, Yuffie hanging back for only a second to shut the door before running and jumping on Aerith's bed.
"I'm feeling a lot better, actually." Aerith answered honestly. She did. After her long sleep and after she had calmed down from her delirium, she felt calm and strangely relieved. "I'm so sorry." Aerith said quietly, looking down. "I've been such a burden lately. I think that is over for now, though."
"Nobody blames you, Aeri." Yuffie scolded her mockingly, bringing her famous Avalanche nicknames into the setting. "Minor setback, that's all."
Aerith smiled. "What happened to you and Vincent? I heard you all had a meeting without me!" Aerith giggled.
Yuffie grinned. "Oh, without you? You were resting your lazy self on this very bed."
Tifa watched them, smiling. She was glad the three of them were so close.
"Nonetheless..." Aerith said, glancing at both of them in turn, "I believe we should get going, ne? The others must be waiting by now." Aerith said.
Tifa and Yuffie exchanged uncertain glances, but nodded and followed her out the door.
All the men were in the meeting room; a deafening silence stretching between them. Concern for Aerith and lack of ideas regarding their next move was the main source of the silence. Most, if not all, of the Avalanche members were surprised with the way Sephiroth had acted towards the flower girl earlier. They'd looked like... long lost lovers, or something along those lines.
Minds were racing as to what it could mean; while others were contemplating how they'd gotten themselves into such a mess.
"This is screwed up, man." Barret stated, moving from his spot in the corner.
Few looked towards the black skinned man before continuing on with their train of thought. Until the girls walked into the room, nobody looked up from the floor.
Sephiroth immediately narrowed his eyes. "No."
Aerith's eyes found their way to his, somehow knowing that what he's said was directed at her. "I didn't even say anything! It doesn't matter what you say anyway, I can go if I want." Stubborn and determined, Aerith forced a glare onto her face.
Such a turn of events caused everyone to sweat drop.
"While you are free to believe what you wish, I am supposed to be guarding you, am I not? It would be poor judgement on my part to let you off of this ship." Sephiroth snapped. His patience was wearing thin. All they ever seemed to do was stand around on the airship, discussing possibilities that were only thrown out of existence the next second.
"Guardian or no--"
"No."
"Sephi--"
"No."
Aerith glared and looked to everyone else.
"I believe Aerith has her own reasons for wanting to come. It is ultimately her decision." Vincent said, ignoring the glare he recieved from the silver haired warrior.
Aerith sent Sephiroth a smug smile before dragging Tifa across the airship over to where Cloud stood.
"Cloud, we need to go. Now." Aerith's voice broke through Cloud's reverie, bringing him back to Gaia. Being the leader of the only resistence group capable of doing anything was tiring, he realized, he was depended upon and decisions were ultimately left up to him. He wouldn't trade it for the world, he knew, but a break would definitely be in order.
"I know, Aerith." Cloud sighed, dragging a hand through his chocobo-yellow mane.
Aerith watched him for a second before looking to Tifa. Tifa gave her a questioning, almost pleading look, but Aerith pushed her forward slightly and nodded, smiling.
"Um... Cloud?" Tifa started.
Cloud's eyes snapped up to her face. "Yea? What is it Tif?"
"I uh... Kind of um..." Tifa stuttered, not totally sure she should be doing this.
"Tifa has a strategy of sorts. She thinks you might want to hear it. As do I, of course." Aerith cut in.
Cloud looked surprised for a second before quickly replacing it with a serious look. "Do you, Tif?"
Tifa nodded, uncomfortable.
"Go on, tell him. I'm going to go see Yuffie and Vincent." Aerith said quickly, snickering at her friend's obvious discomfort. A part of her felt bad, but another part decided that they needed some sort of a 'push' in the right direction. The both of them either still hadn't realized they were made for each other or they were both unsure of the others feelings. Aerith decided the latter was the better option and skipped over to the side of the ship, where Yuffie and Vincent were having an intense conversation.
Sephiroth watched the now back to normal Cetra skip across the airship. He had figured that she was keeping something from not only Avalanche, but himself. Conflicting emotions were flipping through his head, rationality overpowering all else.
Aerith was staying here. He'd make sure of it. Something told him that she needed to stay, that if she didn't, something bad would happen. To her; to everyone. Of course, she, being the stubborn woman that she was, would fight to the end.
Avalanche was also no help. The man, Valentine, had only managed to fuel her already determined self.
'Stupid friends she has. She could be killed.'
Sephiroth relayed different emotions and thoughts in his mind, trying to find the best way to deal with such a situation. He knew she was feeling much better and, naturally, after being out of commission for so long, missing meetings and the like, she would want to do something productive with herself.
Sephiroth didn't really want to deprive his energetic, pink clad companion of such... well, whatever they were, but her welfare was top priority on his list.
'I wonder why?' Sephiroth thought. He was so confused; confused about his emotions, his thoughts, everything. He didn't know why, but there was just this thing about Aerith; he knew, deep down, that she understood his pain. She could relate to him when nobody else could.
The emotions were so unfamiliar to him and he was determined not to let them show, but Aerith always managed to break through it and he slipped. Whenever she was close, talking to him... He felt at peace.
Something he hadn't felt for a long time.
Shera...
The swearing blonde man actually missed the woman he had treated so badly but ended up falling for. Her light little laugh and her constant babbling to him about some of the stupidest things he'd ever talked about...
He wondered how she was doing? Was she feeling okay? What about the baby? Baby? What did he know about children? Sure, he treated Yuffie as his own daughter for the fact that she'd never really had much of a father and he was more or less an uncle to Marlene but he'd never had to take care of them.
They cried alot didn't they... Stinky diapers, bottles strewn about and he'd have no time for his plane. His ship! His rocket.
'But she wanted it...'
Yes, she had wanted the child. He supposed that on some level, he had too. A little 'Cid and Shera' as Yuffie so eloquently put it, was something he would have wanted for a long time, had he actually pulled his thoughts and concerns away from his beloved machinery.
'And if you don't come back...?'
Cid grimaced at the thought. Leave Shera and his child alone in this big world? No way in hell. He knew that Avalanche would always, always, always be there for her if something happened to him. Always.
"Nope, I'm coming back alive!" Cid said aloud, cigarette dropping from his mouth. "$&$!"
"We're going to be fine, dammit!" Yuffie whisper-screamed at Vincent. Vincent showed no sign or relenting to whatever it was that he and Yuffie were talking about.
"Yuffie, this could be..."
"Dangerous? Are you joking me? The Mako Pools can't really be that horrific." Yuffie argued, undeterred.
Vincent fixed her with 'the look' which only angered Yuffie further.
"Unbelievable!" Yuffie screamed, stalking off to her room.
Aerith watched Yuffie retreat to her room. Whatever she and Vincent had been fighting over, it was sure to have been important. Or at least something she wanted badly. Yuffie never stalked off to her room.
"Vincent?" Aerith asked.
Vincent turned to Aerith, nodding at her.
"What was that about?" Aerith asked, not wanting or meaning to pry.
Vincent sighed and shook his head. "Yuffie is simply refusing to see my side of the argument."
"About what?" Aerith pried further, green eyes peering into Vincent's intently. She saw so many mixed emotions there; sadness, grief, anger... happiness?
"I do not wish her to come with us. Great danger is upon us." Vincent gave her a sideways glance. "Surely you'd know?"
Aerith felt the heat rise into her face before sputtering. "I, uh... Well, um..."
Vincent chuckled slightly. "It is of no consequence. We trust you. I know -- we know -- you would never put us in harm intentionally. I'm sure you have your reasons and you will tell us soon enough."
Aerith went to reason with the dark man, but a loud and booming voice managed to shout over the intercom:
"Alright you bunch a $&$ $$ get your #$&$ asses off the & ship. I found the $&$ Turks."