The days were starting to pass by faster and faster the further they got away from the facility. After at least four days since they left Zack's farm, Cloud was certain they had traveled through 20 towns or more. Either way, by the end of the day Cloud was always tired and exhausted.
They still had no proper place to stay, considering that Sephiroth kept the two of them on the move. But in the last four days, they had managed to make some improvements upon their journey. Though it wasn't entirely favorable, they ended up stealing some clothes from a local store that had a selection of clothing out on a rack in front of the store.
They even had their hair cut after they had changed into their new clothes and entered a small store three towns after the last. Cloud still wasn't entirely happy seeing Sephiroth chop off most of his hair, cutting to below his ears, but he knew he had to accept it. If they wanted any chance to try and survive without getting caught, it was another step in the right direction.
Dying their hair was another story however. They had bought some boxes of dye with what little money they had, but after reading the instructions they realized they would probably need a proper place to do it. So, for the time being, it went into their bag and would be addressed at a later time.
"Seph, I'm hungry…"
"We're almost to the next town. We'll find something there."
"Yeah, but that means we're going to steal stuff again, aren't we? I'm tired of doing that. Why can't I just go to a store and pay for some food to eat?"
Sephiroth shook his head. "We need to save this money for something else. We already spent more than I would've preferred on the scissors and hair dye."
"I know…"
Knowing it was pointless to try and argue, Cloud distracted himself by observing the world some more, taking in every inch of its beauty. He glanced up to the trees, spotting a few birds that sat on branches, tweeting to one another.
He had seen birds plenty of times as a child, long before he had his wing, but seeing them again brought about a new feeling. As a child, birds were just pretty creatures to look at and nothing more.
But now he felt different as he stared at the feathery creatures, seeing how similar they could be. Even if his wing wasn't covered in feathers like the other Winged Ones, it still functioned the same. He could fly around with ease, and it was so much like how birds would do it.
"You think birds would judge us?" he asked softly.
"I wouldn't think birds have any opinion of us."
Cloud sighed. "Guess you're right. But it would be interesting to know what they'd think if they saw our wings. We could even fly alongside them."
Surprisingly, that got a small chuckle out of Sephiroth. "Then maybe we can test it one day."
Soon, they exited the forest, reaching the edge of the newest town. Carefully, Sephiroth led the two of them through the sidestreets, keeping an eye out for anyone who could easily spot them.
"There seems to be a convenience store across the street, perhaps when it is close to closing we can make our move to try and gather some food," Sephiroth whispered.
"Hmm, I guess so. I still feel bad about it though…"
"I know, Cloud. But we need to make do with it for now."
Cloud hummed softly. "Yeah I know…"
"If you boys need some way of getting food, perhaps I can help."
Sephiroth and Cloud froze as they looked around the corner of the building they were near to, seeing that a woman was standing there. She was an older woman, with most of her hair completely white, and her eyes seemed to be grayed behind her round spectacles.
"We don't need anyone's help," Sephiroth replied defensively.
The woman only smiled. "Oh, but I think you do. Here's what you can do. Help a poor, old lady carry her groceries home and in return she'll cook you a nice meal."
"Seph?" Cloud asked hesitantly, looking to his brother for his answer.
"If we help you, you won't tell a soul that you ever saw us," Sephiroth stared harshly.
The old woman smiled again. "That's an easy request. Now come here and take these bags and follow me."
Quietly, Cloud and Sephiroth picked up one of her bags as she led them down the street. Cloud watched carefully as they headed out of the downtown area of the town and into a more residential area. There weren't too many people walking around, but there were plenty who passed by with their cars.
With each one that drove by them, Cloud held his breath, pleading none of them would stop. By this point, he was sure that Hojo must have had his men out looking for the two of them. They hadn't seen anything in the papers yet, but Sephiroth had said Hojo probably had other ways of informing people to be aware. If he hadn't done it yet, then it was only a matter of time before he did.
Trying to put his mind off of those thoughts, he realized they were slowly approaching a house at the end of the block. Much like the woman, it was old, with the paint peeling off in places, and vines growing up in others.
"This here's my place. Let me unlock the door so you boys can bring them inside," she said before slowly heading up the walkway to her front door.
"Seph, are we going to follow her?"
Sephiroth looked down at the bags in his hands before he sighed. "We might as well continue to comply. If we were to run away or steal her items, then we would definitely draw more attention to ourselves."
"Right. But we're getting a meal, so that's something good, right?"
"As long as this isn't actually a ruse, then yes. A meal does sound good."
Sephiroth moved forward after that, seeing that the woman had unlocked the door, stepping aside so he could walk in first.
Cloud followed quickly, staring cautiously at the woman as he entered her house. Immediately he was hit with a wave of nostalgia, having memories flutter back to him of his own home. There were plenty of differences, but the feeling of being in a warm and secure house was comforting to him.
"Oh, where are my manners," the old woman said as she closed the door. "My name is Abigail. Please, bring those bags to the kitchen and set them on the counter."
Sephiroth and Cloud did as they were told, all while Cloud tried to take in everything he saw. From the front door to the kitchen, the walls were lined with photos. Some were in color, and some were in black and white, each featuring various people that Abigail probably knew throughout her life.
It made Cloud curious to know the stories behind the photos, wanting to learn about these other people that actually got to live normal lives.
When the bags were finally set down, Abigail nodded her head in approval. "That should do it. Now, if you boys would like to start with a snack, you can head over into the living room and take a seat. I'm sure I can find something that could satisfy you."
The promise of something to eat was becoming more and more real by the minute, and Cloud's stomach rumbling in reply for him.
"Ah, I better hurry up then if that's how hungry you are," Abigail chuckled.
"What are you planning on giving us? Did you even consider if we may or may not have allergies?" Sephiroth replied quickly.
"Oh, don't worry sweetie, I was gonna ask that as soon as I figured out what it was that I had to offer. But might as well start with that. Is there anything I should be aware of?"
Sephiroth exhaled slowly before he shook his head. "No… There's nothing that we are allergic to."
"Good to hear it! Then would you like it if i can chop up some fruit for you two. Go sit down on the couch and make yourselves at home."
Cloud moved towards the living room first, eyeing the rather comfy looking couch. Before he sat down, Sephiroth grabbed him by the shoulder, giving another one of his stern looks.
"Don't let your guard down so easily," he whispered. "We can't say for sure that this isn't a trap."
"But Seph…"
"No, we still need to keep playing it safe. No matter how nice she may seem."
Cloud pouted. "We trusted Zack, and he was nice."
Sephiroth shook his head. "That was already risky enough. We can't trust anyone else from here on out. No one but each other."
From behind Sephiroth, Abigail cleared her voice. "Now I may be old, but that doesn't mean I've lost my hearing. My old ears are still as sharp as a fox."
Sephiroth turned around quickly, standing in front of Cloud defensively. "If there's anything you think about trying, I'll stop you."
Abigail, unphased by Sephiroth's threat, shook her head. "There's nothing of the sort. But, there's no need to hide who you are. I'll keep your secrets."
Sephiroth gritted his teeth. "What secrets are you trying to imply?"
"That you two are Winged Ones."
Cloud gasped, opening his mouth, letting the words slip out before he even realized. "How did you even know?"
"Cloud!" Sephiroth hissed.
"Please boys, hear an old woman before you make any judgments."
"I'll listen, but I already am holding my judgment towards you," Sephiroth replied.
Abigail moved further into the room, heading over to the wall to pull off one of the photos. When she had it in her hands, she walked over to a rocking chair that was next to the couch, and sat down. It only took a few seconds before she began rocking back and forth at a steady pace.
With one hand she reached up to adjust her glasses, pushing them higher up on her nose as she stared down at the photo.
"I had a best friend who ended up being a Winged One. I remember the day they came and took her away…" she explained. "I never could forget… and I never could understand how people could be so cruel, taking away people just for being different."
Cloud stepped her chair, peering over her shoulder. It was one of the black and white photos, featuring what Cloud assumed had to be a young Abigail, looking no older than six or maybe almost seven. Next to her stood a girl around the same age as her. Both of them smiled happily at the camera, looking as happy as could be.
"How long ago was it? When was she taken?" Cloud asked curiously, knowing he hadn't seen anyone as old as Abigail at the facility.
"Oh by now? Must be over 80 years… I fear I've lost track of the year that Winged Ones are supposed to show up."
"We just had the seven new ones come in some time ago," Cloud answered.
"Hmm then it must be 87 years by now since I last saw Maira," Abigail stated.
By now, Sephiroth slowly was making his way over so he could also look at the photo. "I've never seen someone that old at the facility… no doubt Hojo takes care of the elderly after some point."
Abigail sighed as she placed the photo into her lap. "That's unfortunate to hear… and even more so that they're still taking all of you. But.. you two escaped. So maybe there's hope"
"We were lucky, nothing more," Sephiroth replied.
"Still, I promise that I will keep you boys safe. I'd hate to see them take you back to that dreadful place they keep all of you."
Sephiroth turned away, having his back face Abigail. Even when facing away, Cloud could tell that he was contemplating the situation.
"I still can't believe you. It's far too easy for you to claim that your friend was a Winged One like us."
"And if that's the case, then maybe this could help."
Abigail fiddled with the back of the picture frame, opening the back and pulling it off. Inside the small space that the photo sat in, there was a second, smaller photo on top of it. She pulled that one out and flipped it over, holding it out while Sephiroth turned around to see it.
The photo was a little blurry, but the subject in the center was clearly the same girl as before. Only this time, she sported a wing from her left side.
"I took this photo myself only a couple days after her wing showed up. We thought it was the most amazing thing ever. All of the adults didn't seem to think so however… and it wasn't long before they came and took Maria away."
Finally, that photo was what helped Sephiroth lighten up. The tension being held in his shoulders relaxed, and he let his arms rest loosely at his side.
"See, Seph? We can trust her. And we can stay in an actual bed for once!"
"Hm… I suppose this is rather persuasive."
"Then it's settled! We'll have a delicious dinner tonight," Abigail said as she put the photo back in place. "I'll make sure that you boys are well fed while you are here."
"Thank you! That's really kind of you," Cloud replied, grinning happily.
"Yes…" Sephiroth added softly. "Thank you."