Lost in the Shadows

Chapter 28 - Deception in the Unlikely

Disclaimer: I do not own FF7, its characters, settings or the like. These words, however, are mine.

Aerith awoke from a dreamless slumber to someone pounding on the door.

"Aerith? Aerith, open up." Yuffie called from the other side and Aerith surprised herself when she couldn't repress a smile. When was the last time she'd done that?

"I'm coming." She said, standing and stretching.

'Planet, where did you go...? Why did you leave me here?'

Silence.

She sighed as she walked closer to the door. "Aerithhh." Yuffie drawled, already impatient. Aerith giggled and opened the door. She was surprised to see Reno and Tifa with her -- they hadn't said a thing. Yuffie jumped at her and gave her a rather crushing hug before slipping past her to look at Elena. "Wow, she's still asleep? Did you heal her yet?" She asked, brushing the hair in her face away softly.

"Yeah, I did. I haven't gotten any response yet, but she should come around pretty soon." Aerith said, a thought entering her mind. How were they going to tell her about her best friend's death? Especially after just waking up when the last thing she'd seen was probably Toyori's face?

Another thing that was bothering her was how they hadn't really made much progress with anything -- Toyori was still around, as were the fiends, and now there was a dangerous woman in the picture.

Sephiroth.

She raised her eyes to the sky and wondered why she didn't feel more worried about him.

'He could not have seriously fallen for that woman's tricks?' She asked the Planet, realizing too late she would get no response.

That would definitely take some getting used to.

"Did it really heal her? Are you sure?" Reno interrogated. The tone of his voice told her he was scared of losing his last friend. She turned to face him and smiled warmly.

"It worked Reno -- just give her some time. There was a lot of mako in her system."

He looked visibly relieved for a moment but he set his face in stone again, leaving with a mumbled 'thank you' in her direction.

"Aerith." Tifa said. The woman tilted her head, letting the brunette know she was listening. "I would like to talk to you... It's important." She glanced at Yuffie and Elena. "But can we go somewhere else?"

Aerith knew her eyes held questions but Tifa didn't acknowledge it.

"Heyyy! I wanna know too! Tifaaaa!" Yuffie cried.

Tifa looked uneasy but relented and walked out of the room with the younger woman. Aerith checked on Elena before stepping out after them, locking the door.

Why did she have the feeling she already knew what Tifa was going to say?

"You know, Tifa probably wants to see you." Red said, walking over to Cloud and sitting beside him. They were on the Sierra's deck and both of them were silently marvelling at how the ship had managed to get off the ground. It had taken a lot of damage, but Cid worked his magic somehow. He always did.

"I'll be fucking dead before I let my baby turn into scrap metal! I saw that you little--!" He said, raising a fist and glaring at Cloud.

Cloud stood straight and began to pace. Red lowered his head in defeat.

"Why did he go berserk like that all of a sudden?" Cloud mumbled to himself. "He was doing fi--" He noticed how Red's eyes were twinkling with mirth and he was sure he was grinning -- as well as a feline could, anyway. "Wow, hey, I don't like the guy! He brandished his oversized sword at Tif's throat!"

"I'm sure that's all it is."

"That's all it is."

Red hesitated for a moment before saying something that Cloud found extremely confusing. "Don't read too much into this. There may be more to it than we know."

I'm sure there was more contributing to why he left.

"Oh, so that's how you gonna play it? You foo'! I'm kick your ass from here to fu--"

"Barret!"

"Daddy!"

Elmyra and Marlene glared at the large man and he lowered his fist and face-vaulted. "Oh, uh, sorry 'Myra... Honey." He turned away muttering obscenities before walking out, kicking -- or trying to kick -- Cait.

"'Ey, watch where you're goin'!" The cat said, dusting himself off. Even though there was no dust.

"I'm sure he was aiming for something else." Vincent supplied, standing and walking up to Cid. "Where exactly are we going?" He asked the temperamental man, feeling Cait burning holes into his back.

"How the hell -- no, wait, why the hell do I have to know!" Cid answered and Marlene immediately ran over to him and hugged his leg.

"That's a bad word, uncle Cid." She smiled up at him and he returned the smile sheepishly. "When is the new baby coming?"

Cid cleared his throat and looked away. "He--" He caught himself. "I mean, anyday now."

"I think it'll be soon."

"Do ya?" Cid asked, the nervousness in his voice evident.

"Can you not understand English anymore?" Cait said, jumping onto Elmyra's shoulder. Cid answered him with a glare.

In a pitch black room, faint breathing could be heard. Cold and damp, the inhabitant was finding it difficult to stay asleep, and he dozed for a few minutes, finally giving up the task, before his bright green eyes snapped open. He stayed perfectly still for a moment, making sure nobody was there with him and when he was sure, he sat up slowly. His head was pounding, and he decided that it should never be hurting that badly.

Looking around, Sephiroth knew he was in a dungeon-like room. There were no shackles, no barred door, but it was definitely somewhere that his captors -- or should he say, partners? -- kept hostages often.

He could only assume Elena had been in here.

He thought of everything that had happened up to that point -- he thought of everyone he'd left behind.

His expression stayed blank as he thought about it but he let it all go when he heard voices coming closer; they had obviously realized he was awake. He listened intently to what they were saying.

"We needed to get tha--" Kayana's unusually high pitched voice cut through the air, bringing to life the entire place that seemed so... dead.

"Do not worry about that. I have it." Toyori answered irritably and Sephiroth heard the fumbling of fabric which he could only assume was a pocket.

Sephiroth didn't need to see anything to know what they had.

The White Materia.

As the two walked through the door, watching him curiously while grins tugged at their mouths, Sephiroth stood.

Let the games begin.

Aerith followed behind Tifa and Yuffie, who were silent as ever -- that didn't happen very often and Aerith wondered what could be wrong.

They eventually ended up inside the kitchen, Tifa and Yuffie's usual spot to sit and discuss different things -- boys, secrets... 'Girl problems', as Cloud so eloquently put it. Judging from Tifa's expression this was much more serious then their crazy fantasies and very much secret secrets. She titled her head to the side in an unspoken question.

Tifa sighed.

"I..."

Yuffie looked over expectantly.

"You know, nevermind that. I think there's something more important to discuss." She ignored Aerith and Yuffie's concerned looks and continued on. "What are we going to do with Rude?"

The question startled both of them.

"Is that really our decision to make?" Aerith asked quietly, thinking of Reno. The pain in his eyes... She shook the image away, desperately trying to think of happier emotions. She needed to be able to think clearly.

"I'm not so sure Reno can make that decision. I don't think he's ready or willing to decide himself." Tifa answered. Yuffie, who had stayed quiet throughtout the conversation thus far, was asked then what she thought.

"I think we should wait for Reno -- maybe he wants Elena to help him decide. She'll be awake soon right?"

"Yeah, what about Elena? How much longer do you think she'll be asleep for?"

Aerith shrugged. "It's hard to say -- she was heavily poisoned with mako. Why don't we head back? I don't want her to wake up alone."

They nodded and set off. Comfortable silence filled the air for a few minutes before Yuffie broke it.

"Aerith... What of Seph?"

Aerith flinched subconsciously. She'd been trying to keep her mind of that certain situation all day. "I'm not sure. For some reason I don't find myself too worried."

"Yeah but..." Yuffie trailed off uncertainly.

"What is it, Yuffs?" Tifa asked when they reached the door.

"Well, it's just tha--" She cut off when Aerith opened the door and they found Elena sitting up on the bed, confusion and fear expressed completely in her eyes. She gasped at seeing the three of them and stood fast; too fast, perhaps. Aerith caught her arm and steadied her when her knees gave out.

"Elena, it's alright, you're safe now." She calmed down a bit at that but immediately grasped Aerith's arms in a death grip.

"Aerith... It's an illusion, it's only an illusion." She whispered, eyes darting.

Tifa came up beside Aerith and pushed her lightly onto the bed, sitting beside her. "Elena, it's alright -- this is real, you're safe." She tried to soothe, but the blond woman only shook her head.

"No, no, not this -- the mako pool. It's an illusion!"

Aerith's eyes widened. "What? Where does it lead?"

'Please, please, please, say it can lead me to Sephiroth.'

"It leads to their hideout. You can get there, you can!" She confirmed, tears pooling in her eyes. "Where's Reno, Rude? Where are they?"

Aerith forced herself to calm down. She held her hand out for Elena. "Come on, we'll take you to hi--" She caught herself. "We'll take you to them."

Yuffie shot her a questioning look but Aerith gave her a warning stare over the blond's head. The ninja took to holding the door open for them and Tifa moved to help Elena.

Their hearts were racing as they carried her out to the main room. Yuffie ran forward to the deck to get Nanaki and Cloud while Tifa and Aerith sat Elena down on one of the many chairs in the room.

Reno gasped and moved right over to Elena. "Elena, oh my god."

"Reno, where's Rude?" She asked quietly, wanting to have both of them with her.

Reno's eyes darkened and he looked down at the floor. Elena took hold of his arm. "Reno?"

"He... He's gone, Elena."

"What do you mean gone?" Elena cried out. The entire group was in the room now, watching the scene unfold before them, each of their hearts breaking a little.

"...He died." Reno choked out.

Elena breathed in sharply. "What?" She shook her head. "Reno, that's not funny, don't joke around like tha--"

"Elena!" Reno said, bringing her back down to Earth. The sincerity in his voice was overpowering everything else and she knew deep down that it was true.

"No. No, no, no..." He moaned and collapsed into Reno's arms.

Aerith spoke up then. "Everyone." She said, getting their attention, with the exception of Elena and Reno. "I need to be taken to Lucrecia's Cave." She watched as Vincent's eyes glowed brighter then usual.

Memories.

"None of you have to come with me." Vincent shifted, knowing her comment was directed toward him.

"Why do you have to--" Cloud started, but stopped when a PHS began to ring.

Cid swore as he clicked the talk button on his phone. "Cid fucking Highwind, if this ain't an emergency, then I'm going to fucking--"

A scream came from the other end of the phone.

"I told you, uncle Cid." Marlene said. Everyone turned to her quickly and blinked. They'd forgotten or either didn't know she was in the room, along with Elmyra. They'd both been listening quietly.

Cid paled. "Oh fuck..."

He fainted then.

"Cid?" He heard and felt himself being poked and prodded. "Cid? I think you should get up. You realize what's happening right?" More pokes. More prods.

"Cid?" Came another voice. Poke. Prod.

"Would you SHUT THE HELL UP AND STOP POKING MY FUCKING SHOULDER!"

Marlene gasped, but Cid paid her no attention. Elmyra, aided by Barret and Cait, was talking hurriedly on the phone, assuring the doctors they were on their way and apologizing for Cid's behaviour.

"We're goin to Rocket Town, now!" Cid yelled, standing and turning the ship in the other direction.

"Cid, I can't -- I have to go!" Aerith insisted. "Please, drop me off at Lucrecia's Cave!" She begged, her eyes imploring.

"Why do you need to go there?" Cloud asked inquisitively.

Aerith turned to face the group. "You need to trust me on this, alright? I just need to go there. Some of you can come with me if you want and the rest can go to Rocket Town." She turned to face Cid again. "I'm sorry -- I want to be there to see the baby, but this is really important."

Cid relented in the end. "Oh, alright, but you better come back to see the damn kid! It's gotta know all of it's family members, now!" He said and Aerith smiled at his mixed nervousness and happiness.

The others watched her carefully, save for Elena, Tifa and Yuffie. She didn't think she could tell them just yet what she was going to do. Especially not Vincent. She lowered her eyes to the floor.

'I'm coming, Sephiroth.'