Notes: Finally, a new chapter! I have no intention of letting this story fade away. The delay was largely because of the holidays and being caught up with other projects, but also because I no longer have access to Two-Gun Lady and I was worried I wouldn't write for Mike and Kate correctly. I hope I've done them both justice here.

Chapter Four

The warm autumn sun streaming through the window was what pulled Aerith back to the conscious world. She turned sleepily onto her back, throwing back the quilt as she cracked her eyes open to the light.

In her semi-conscious state she felt caught on the threshold of two worlds. She could almost hear the sounds of her mother bustling around the house and smell the wonders of her legendary breakfasts. At the same time, somewhere in her mind she knew that was impossible. She could not hear her mother because her mother was gone. Aerith lived alone in the old house now.

But wait. She was not even in the old house. This was not her beloved room in Boston, where she had spent so much of her short life. This was not Boston at all. It was instead somewhere completely different—Elmyra Gainsborough's house in Edge, near the borders of the Utah and Arizona Territories. She might begin a new life here, if she decided to stay.

She probably actually had heard and smelled something, but it was the doing of Elmyra Gainsborough, not Ifalna Gast. The mind could play such strange tricks when one was not fully awake.

She threw back the covers, swinging her legs over the side of the bed. Without altogether thinking she hummed a song under her breath as she crossed to the water pitcher and basin to freshen up.

Today she would meet the townspeople. That would be an interesting and hopefully fun experience. They would undoubtedly be curious, as Elmyra had already warned, but Aerith knew how to handle those types. With a little sweetness, a little mystery, and a lot of friendliness, Aerith could get acquainted while not revealing all about herself. And if she played her cards right, no one would think that she was deliberately holding anything back. They would relax and enjoy her company. She had given many such performances in the past, for stakes far higher and more dangerous than settling into a town and making new friends.

Soon she had brushed and braided her long hair and dressed for the day in a fresh frock and hat. The house seemed unusually quiet, she noted when she opened the door and headed for the stairs. Then again, she had not been here long enough to know what was normal. Still, it surprised her. Elmyra had always struck her as the kind of person who would be up and about all day. And there was the activity she thought had been going on while she had been waking up.

The puzzle was solved when she arrived on the main floor. A note had been left for her on a small table under a lamp.

Dear Aerith,

You're sleeping so soundly I don't have the heart to wake you.

I have to go into town to pick up some things. Breakfast is on

the stove. Feel free to lock up and come into town when you've

had your fill.

Love,

Elmyra

Aerith smiled to herself. She took the note and slipped it into the small satchel she planned to take into town before venturing into the kitchen.

Breakfast was just as delicious as dinner had been. Aerith quite had her fill of the hot cakes with butter and syrup. When she was done, she washed the dishes and straightened up the kitchen. Then, she determined, it was time to go to town.

Edge had been an interesting little place at night. It was even moreso in the daytime. Residents strolled through the peaceful streets, some heading to work and others just enjoying the cool autumn morning. Children on their way to school stopped and looked at Aerith with wide eyes. She smiled and greeted them and kept on going. Main Street was her intended first destination.

Of course, there were detours on the way. Most people she encountered wanted to stop and visit a moment. It was not hard to make friends, with Aerith's cheery nature. She already had quite a growing circle of them by the time she reached Main Street.

A man with dark but graying hair was outside the saloon, nailing a poster to the wall. Aerith glanced at it in idle curiosity. It advertised a theatre group that performed selections from the production Loveless. Her eyebrows rose.

"That's quite some entertainment you've got," she said. "Loveless is very popular back East."

The man jumped a mile, almost dropping his hammer. He turned, taking in Aerith in surprise. "We were lucky to get this troupe," he said. "They rarely ever play small venues." He smiled. "You're Miss Gast, I presume?"

"You presume right, Sir," Aerith smiled back.

He held out his hand. "I'm Big Mike Dougherty, the owner and proprietor of this humble establishment."

Aerith shook his hand. "I'm happy to make your acquaintance, Mr. Dougherty. I'll plan on seeing the show when it opens." She nodded at the poster.

"It will be an honor to have you in attendance, Miss Gast," Mike said.

"Are you getting friendly with the ladies again, Mike?"

Both turned at the new voice. A blonde woman in her early twenties was moseying towards them, her smile fond and mischievous. She was neat and clean, but to Aerith's surprise she was wearing trousers and a man's work shirt. This was a very unique town indeed.

"I can't help it, Kate," Mike said. "There's so many beautiful ladies passing through." He paused and blinked, guilt flickering across his features. "Oh I'm sorry. I should have said Karen." He looked to Aerith. "This is Karen Corbin, Miss Gast. Karen, Miss Aerith Gast."

Karen or Kate smiled, holding out her hand to Aerith. "Don't worry about names, Miss Gast. Or you either, Mike. I'll answer to either Karen or Kate. I was Kate for so long I'm not sure which name fits me better these days."

Aerith shook her hand. "You must have a very interesting story to tell," she declared. "I don't meet a lot of people who answer to two names!"

Kate's eyes clouded just slightly. "It's a very long story," she said. "I don't want to bore you with all the details." She put on a smile. "Anyway, a lot of good came out of it. I wouldn't have met Dan if it hadn't happened. Or Jenny, either."

"I caught your last name," Aerith said. "Are you the marshal's wife?"

Kate's smile became fully genuine. "Yes, I am," she said. "We live on the old Marshall family spread at the edge of town. Jenny is our adopted daughter. She's away at boarding school right now."

She checked herself. "Well, I'm sure you have better things to do than stand around gabbing with a stranger," she said. "And I have some work to get done up at the house. We're trying to get it in perfect shape before Jenny comes back. Will you be coming to the social on Thursday?"

"I wouldn't miss it," Aerith said. "Anyway, half the town has already invited me by now! It would be awfully rude not to go." She smiled with that mischievous twinkle in her eye.

Kate laughed. "It would be at that. Okay, Miss Gast, I'll see you Thursday, if not earlier. Goodbye, Mike."

"Take care," Mike called after her as she strolled up the street.

Aerith watched her go. "You seem to know Mrs. Corbin well, Mr. Dougherty," she remarked.

"I do," Mike said. "I was her first friend when she got into town. She and Dan are the ones who almost single-handedly cleaned up this town when it was run by the Ivers clan."

Aerith's eyebrows rose. "Well, that's certainly not the kind of story that would bore me," she declared.

Mike chuckled. "I'm sure it wouldn't." He sobered. "There's a reason Kate didn't want to talk about it. You'll hear it soon enough in a town like this, so I guess it might as well be from me as well as anyone else.

"It was Ivers and his sons who took over the Marshall spread and turned it into part of their own property. The father lured Mr. Marshall into a gunfight, which Marshall lost. The youngest son shot down Mrs. Marshall in cold blood and tried to kill their daughter, too."

Aerith gaped. "That's horrible! But what does it have to do with Mrs. Corbin?"

"Her real name is Karen Marshall," Mike said.

Aerith stiffened, a cold chill shooting up her spine. "The daughter?" she realized in alarm.

Mike nodded. "She barely escaped with her life. She was taken in by a couple who ran a traveling medicine show and started going by the name Kate Masters."

Aerith stared in the direction Kate had gone. "No wonder she didn't want to talk about it," she said quietly. "She's been through so much. But she seems so strong."

"She is," Mike said. "She's an amazing woman. Dan found himself a perfect match."

"There's kind of an age difference between them, isn't there?" Aerith mused, turning her parasol on her shoulder. "I had the feeling that Marshal Corbin is around the same age as Captain Harper."

"He's not too much younger than Harper, it's true," Mike said. "But he and Kate ended up becoming very close. Some of the townspeople gossip about them, but for the most part they're excited and happy for them."

Aerith smiled. "That's good. It's nice to live in a town that's accepting."

Mike nodded. "We're all pretty grateful to the Corbins around here," he said. "Edge lived in fear for years because of the Ivers. Now we no longer have that."

He started, as if suddenly realizing that he had been occupied with this for far longer than he should have been. "Oh, I'm sorry," he said. "I should get back to my business. I have to finish putting up these posters. The theatre troupe will be arriving in Edge within a few days."

"Go right ahead," Aerith encouraged. "Although if word travels so fast here, everyone probably already knows they're coming!" Her eyes twinkled.

Mike grinned. "I can't argue with that. Well, good morning, Miss Gast. I hope I'll be seeing you around again. I heard that you haven't decided whether you're moving in permanently or not."

"I haven't," Aerith agreed. "Oh, Mr. Dougherty, have you seen Elmyra Gainsborough today? She left me a note saying she was coming to town."

"She's probably at the general store," Mike determined. "It's just up the street. You can't miss it."

"Thank you," Aerith smiled.

She walked past, occupied with her thoughts. What a fascinating place Edge was turning out to be. She wanted to have more of a chance to talk with Kate at some point. Maybe she could even help with fixing up the Marshall place, if extra hands were needed. She was not adverse to using tools.

She was so caught up in her musings that she plowed into a man coming from the opposite direction. Both parties stiffened, seeming equally stunned by the encounter.

"Excuse me!" Aerith exclaimed in dismay. She looked up, into the stern face that was looking back down at her. Piercing green eyes seemed to bore right through her own.

"It was my fault," the imposing man said at last. His voice was deep and rich. "You're not hurt?" He sounded a bit awkward as he asked. This was likely not something he had to deal with often.

"I'm fine, Sir," Aerith smiled. She peered at him, undeniably curious. What was his role in this town? He was so strong and fierce that he could easily be a military man.

. . . In fact, she was certain he was exactly that. There was something about him, a certain military air that she recognized very easily after her long association with the soldiers of Boston. And that was not all; something else about him was so familiar. She had seen him somewhere back East; she must have.

"Pardon me, but have you ever been to Boston?" she queried. "I'm from there. And I have the oddest feeling that we've met before."

He quirked an eyebrow. "We've never met," he asserted. "But I have been in Boston."

Aerith smiled. "Then I must have just seen you on the street," she said.

"That's possible," he replied. Now he sounded a bit curt. He wanted to leave.

Aerith stepped aside. "Don't let me keep you, Sir," she said. "I hope you like it here. I've been here less than a day and I'm more than happy with the town. The people are so nice."

He nodded and moved to walk by. But instead he paused. "You're Aerith Gast." It was more of a statement than a question, albeit it seemed to be intended as both at once.

Now Aerith's hands went to her hips. Her lips pursed as she examined this stranger. "How did you guess?" she wondered. "I didn't know I had a sign on me that announced my name."

"I just put the facts together," was the response. "I'd heard you were in town from Boston."

"Well!" Aerith started to circle him. "Don't you think it's rude to declare you know a woman's identity and then not even introduce yourself to her?"

A grunt. "That would all depend. But if you want my name, it's Sephiroth."

Aerith froze. The color drained from her face as she raised her eyes to meet his once more. Sephiroth! The great general whom Zack had so highly praised in his letters. She had seen him once, from a distance on the streets of Boston. She had never thought, she had never imagined in her wildest dreams, that her past would catch up with her in such a way as this. Why here? Why now, when she was trying to move past her old life and start anew? She was not prepared for this meeting.

"I . . ." She swallowed her stammering voice. "I'm sorry, General Sephiroth. I have to go now." She tore past, her heart beating faster in her chest. Unshed tears pricked at her eyes.

Why, Zack? Why?

xxxx

Sephiroth stared after the shaken girl, his eyebrows knit in his deep frown. What on earth was wrong with her? She had been so full of spunk until she had learned his identity. Was she afraid of him? Or was there some other problem?

Just what had Zack written about him, anyway?

Sephiroth sighed, massaging the bridge of his nose. It was no matter, really; she did not have anything to do with why he was here. He would try to stay out of her way—although if their paths crossed again, he would certainly demand to know the reason for her sudden and bizarre flight.

It was his turn to stop short when he came upon the saloon. The poster in front gave him serious pause.

"Loveless," he whispered.

He had many memories of that production, most of them so painful now that he would rather forget. Loveless had been the favorite book of the missing General Genesis Rhapsodos. He had always been quoting from it and comparing real-life scenarios to those in the book's pages. It had been said, sometimes in wry sarcasm, that Loveless was the General's Bible. And that had often seemed like the truth and not just sacrilegious commentary.

"The tale concerns three friends," he had remarked once. "It details their friendship, their exploits, and the eventual tragedy of their collapsing relationship."

"What happened?" General Angeal Hewley had asked. Whether out of curiosity or just to make conversation, Sephiroth did not know.

"Their ideals and goals were too varied, too different," General Rhapsodos had said.

Sephiroth had grunted in annoyance. "That shouldn't keep people from being on friendly terms with each other."

"And yet it does," General Hewley had nodded. "Differences of opinion have started countless wars."

Sephiroth knew that all too well now. He had been so foolish, so naïve, to think anything otherwise.

And he also knew how eerily Loveless paralleled what had actually happened to him, Hewley, and Rhapsodos. Their friendships had splintered into pieces from their views spiraling into opposite directions. Genesis had fallen the deepest. At least, Sephiroth thought he had. Without knowing what had really happened on that battlefield, how could he say for sure? What if Sephiroth had been the one to lose the most control?

He turned away from the poster with a scowl. The last place he would want to be was at the saloon when the theatre troupe arrived.

"You're not a patron of the arts, General?"

He started and looked up. Captain Harper was approaching, astride his horse. Sephiroth was further displeased. This was not what he needed right now.

"Rarely," he said. "And never of Loveless. Not that it's any of your concern, Captain."

Harper was undaunted. "As you yourself pointed out, General, my unit has been instructed to keep watch over you during your stay. With all due respect, I consider that your habits are indeed my concern."

Suddenly Sephiroth had an idea. He walked closer to the other man and his mount, looking into Harper's questioning eyes. "And what about General Rhapsodos's habits?"

Harper stared at him. "Excuse me, General?"

Sephiroth nodded back at the poster. "The production the theatre troupe is going to put on. It was the very lifeblood of General Rhapsodos." His eyes narrowed. "Could the Army have information that he might be coming here to witness the performance? Could that also be why I'm here—to intercept the wayward General?" Maybe they had been setting this possible meeting in motion all the time, and had not wanted to say anything because they wanted to see how Sephiroth would react to seeing General Rhapsodos again. Maybe they hoped that finally then they would know whether or not General Sephiroth was out of his mind.

"I honestly don't know, Sir," Harper said. "I wasn't informed of anything concerning General Rhapsodos." He frowned. "If the Army really believed their most wanted traitor would be coming here, they wouldn't have handled it this way. Every military man in the area would have been warned and told to be on high alert!"

"You're likely right, Captain," Sephiroth conceded. "But I would still feel better if the troupe was watched carefully. If General Rhapsodos is possibly in the area, I can't believe he would pass up a chance to see Loveless."

"And risk being caught?" Harper returned. "Even if no one suspected he would come, every fort in the country has his picture. It would be his undoing if he were seen."

"I know the man better than you," Sephiroth said, his voice gaining an edge. "If he thought he could possibly get away with it, he would come. Maybe he would even have something planned for the Army should they get wind of his arrival."

"Something disastrous, you mean," Harper said.

"Yes. Maybe even something that would result in the loss of many lives." Sephiroth's eyes narrowed. "General Rhapsodos no longer cares who is harmed by his plans."

Captain Harper was silent as he considered the General's words. He gripped his horse's reins, his eyes grimly narrowed. Sephiroth, good at reading people, gathered that he was heavily weighing the pros and cons of taking stock in Sephiroth's warning.

At last he looked up. "Whether or not there's any validity in your words, General, I feel it's my right to ask for any and all detailed information you have concerning General Rhapsodos. I will not have my men endangered by that madman. You likely know him better than anyone else in the Cavalry."

Sephiroth nodded. "Except for General Angeal Hewley, who went missing in action long before General Rhapsodos. They grew up together."

"It's a pity we don't still have both of those men on our side," Harper said. "They were very valuable. And very deadly to our enemies," he added.

"They were indeed.

"Captain, I'm quite willing to give you the information you seek. But not out here." Sephiroth gestured at the street with disdain. "Either come to my room or I will accompany you to the fort."

Again Harper measured the options. "I'm already in town," he said. "I'll come to your room, General."

Sephiroth turned to head for the hotel. "I'll meet you in five minutes." He left no room for argument.

Captain Harper snapped the reins, sending his horse trotting in the proper direction. He might be taking the word of a madman himself. The General's level of sanity was not known. However, he did not feel that he was in any danger. It was clear that the General truly believed all that he had said about his former comrade-in-arms. He would not do anything to injure Captain Harper, at least certainly not if he felt that the fort commander was on his side.

Right now Harper did not know whose side to take—Sephiroth's or the Army's. But it was his full determination to get to the bottom of this case—as well as to find out just how much the Army really knew about what was going on. The General's talk of a secret faction still highly disturbed him. Harper intended to do all he could to learn whether it existed, without being discovered by the Army or its rumored covert branch.

After all, he also intended to stay both alive and in the Army for years to come.