Chapter 47: The City

February 15, 0010

"One thing I've never really mentioned to you," Aerith said to me, "is that, as a Cetra, I was much more sensitive to the premonitions than ordinary human beings."

"I would say that's a gift," I observed.

"Not really," she dismissed as she shook her head. "As soon as I started having them, I felt my fate."

"Your fate?" I asked, though I'm sure she meant her original death at the altar in the Forgotten Capital.

"I was in the alley when it hit me," Aerith continued. "I slowly walked out, thinking I'd done this before. I looked around, and I recognized everybody. And then, after a couple of minutes, I broke down and started crying. I had a vision of myself being stabbed by Sephiroth on the altar."

FLASHBACK….

Aerith stood in the square, clutching the lamppost next to her. She had been living the day as usual, when, without warning, and without explanation at the time, her future unfolded in her mind.

"I'm going to die," she sobbed. "I'm going to die."

All of the passers-by ignored her.

And then, Aerith felt a hard smack on her backside.

She immediately turned around to see the possible culprits.

It was Jack and Sumner Balen, sporting their gold hair.

"Excuse me!" she exclaimed. "Did you just slap me?"

"No," Sumner replied innocently, though he was obviously lying.

"You're lying!" Aerith snapped.

"It wasn't me!" Sumner pleaded. "I swear it wasn't me!"

"No, it was me!" Jack Balen announced proudly.

"What is your problem?" Aerith demanded.

"Nothing wrong with slapping a cutie on the booty!" Jack laughed.

Aerith stepped forward.

"That's disgusting!" she reprimanded.

Sumner then saw his chance and also smacked Aerith's backside.

"Now it was me!" he laughed.

….END FLASHBACK

"You're saying this was the same Jack and Sumner Balen who tried to run the Western Continent?"

"That's them," Aerith replied. "They weren't presidential material. Trust me. After that, Jack grabbed my boob. So I walked away. I don't think they wanted to get into my pants. I think they just wanted to bully me."

"And they dyed their hair gold back then?" I asked.

"Actually," Aerith said, "that's their natural hair color."

"Seriously?" I exclaimed.

Aerith nodded.

"And at that point, you knew you were going to die?" I asked.

"I didn't know," Aerith replied. "But the premonitions began right then while I was in the alley. That must have been when Bestla came back in time through the Urchin. I felt it would happen so strongly."

"What ended up helping you cope?" I asked.

"Cloud," Aerith replied. "Yeah, I had a premonition he would come into my life, too. And when he did, I can't describe how he lifted me up."

FLASHBACK….

Aerith fell to the ground. She had been knocked down from behind.

"Excuse me!" she angrily reprimanded, but the culprit was long gone.

She stood up and brushed herself, and that was when she saw him coming out of the mouth of an alley.

Her heart skipped a beat, and she began to feel butterflies.

She checked him out; she found him tall and exceptionally handsome. He was muscular, and seemed as if he could protect her if she was in trouble. She guessed his age at twenty-five or twenty-six.

She had to talk to him.

She needed some excuse.

"Excuse me," she began. "What happened?"

"Nothing," he replied.

He then noticed her basket.

"Don't see many flowers around here," he continued.

"Oh these?" she replied with hope. "Do you like them? They're only a gil!"

"I'll take one," he agreed.

"Oh, thank you!" she replied happily as she handed him one. "Here you are!"

Of course, Aerith was on the job, and had to maintain her professionalism. But she walked away with a big smile on her face.

At this point, she had forgotten her pending doom.

"I have to see that boy again!" she said aloud.

"I've seen him before," she said to herself. "But where?"

For the moment, she took little concern in that as well.

For now, she was happy that he talked to her.

….END FLASHBACK

"I did a dumb thing that night," Aerith continued. "I forgot to ask for his number."

"How come?" I asked.

"I was on cloud nine!" she admitted. "I wasn't really thinking right. Once he talked to me, it set of sparks inside me. I was all tingly. And I totally fingerpainted that night."

"Why would he make you want to fingerprint?" I asked.

Then I realized what she meant.

"Never mind," I sighed. "TMI!"

"What?" Aerith giggled. "I'm only human! There was chemistry there."

She had a point. It was not something I would understand. After all, Tobin and I had been best friends for years, and we then just agreed to get married. Much like Tifa, my mind is more logical than romantic.

"So, needless to say, you wanted to see him again?" I asked.

"I went to the church and hung out there non-stop, waiting for him," she replied. "I was having premonitions that he would fall though the roof. At least I thought I did. Or it could have been memories. I also met Zack that way."

"So I heard," I said.

I had also read that in my husband's memoir.

"I put on extra perfume for when I'd see him again," Aerith continued. "And, sure enough, he crashed through the roof. He landed right on my flower bed, too. But I wasn't mad; be, you know, the sparks."

"I knew he was a keeper when he fended off Reno in the church," she continued.

"I toyed with the idea of unbuttoning my dress to show off a little cleavage," Aerith continued. "But I didn't want to seem too forward. I did hold his hand, though. I know the guy's supposed to initiate things and make the first move, but I couldn't help it. I was crazy about this man. And, sure enough, more sparks flew."

"There's no right or wrong about the woman making the first move," I assured her. "When it came to Tobin, my heart wanted what it wanted."

"Did you make a lot of first moves?" Aerith asked.

"Actually," I said, "I was the one who proposed to him. Sort of. I told him if he came back alive, we'd have to get married."

"But you didn't really mean that, did you?" Aerith asked.

"Part of me did," I admitted. "So, yeah, I guess there was some sort of spark there."

"I initiated the first kiss, too," she continued. "It was when he rescued me from the Shinra building. And the moment I did, I felt my body was on fire. If I really did have very little time left, I wanted to make the most of it with Cloud. And did I ever."

"Understandable," I said.

"You know," she continued, "in the prime timeline, we didn't even hold hands. I think, this time, it was because I had the strong feelings that I was going to die. I wanted to make the most of my relationship with Cloud."

I was silent. I realized how a change in the timeline can change a person.

"I even thought about eloping with him and popping a kid out before I went," Aerith continued. "That's one advantage of the fact that we Cetra only have a few-hour gestation period."

"I heard about that," I mentioned.

"Well, I think I've taken enough of your time for now," she said. "I'll come back once I think of more to say."

With that, she vanished.

MEANWHILE…..

"Right now?" Tseng asked.

Elena nodded.

"We need to figure out how to tell us apart from our prime selves."

"Okay," Tseng agreed. "Let me text them both."

He pulled out his cell phone and quickly texted the 0007 Reno and Rude. He then put it away and replaced his hands on Elena's bump.

"You didn't have any contractions, while I was gone, did you?" he asked.

"Just one," she replied. "Ten seconds. Not that long. Worry when it's thirty seconds or longer."

He reached in and kissed her cheek.

Just then, Tseng felt his phone vibrate. He pulled it out and checked.

"Okay," he said. "They've agreed to a meeting."

With that, Tseng walked over to the couch and opened his laptop, putting on his headset as well. He loaded his screen, and waited.

"I'm joining, too!" Elena announced as she sat at the kitchen table.

She was opening her laptop as well.

"Are you sure?" Tseng asked.

"Of course!" she insisted as she put on her headset. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"Look down," Tseng commanded.

Elena looked down.

"I'm having a baby," she said. "Not dying."

"I meant the other thing," Tseng said.

Elena looked down again, and realized that Tseng meant the fact that she was naked from the waist down.

"Oh," she said. "That other thing. I'm not worried about it."

"You sure?" he asked.

"They can only see me from the chest up," she assured him. "I mean, no vagina."

Tseng opened the virtual meeting room. At first, it was only himself and Elena, but the 0007 Reno and Rude soon showed up.

"Thanks for coming," Tseng said.

"Hey guys!" Elena greeted.

"Elena!" Reno greeted back. "You grew your hair long!"

"Well I can't get my hair cut until this is over!" she insisted.

"I think I know why we're here," Rude said. "I heard about how that mob threatened your house. I know it's because your prime selves killed that pilot. Our prime selves were spotted at the Healen Lodge, fraternizing with one of Sephiroth's spawn."

"So we need to do something," Tseng began. "That mob could have just as easily shown up at one of your houses."

"No shit," Rude agreed. "We need a way to tell us apart from our counterparts from the prime timeline. Elena's way ahead of us. She grew her hair long."

"So can the prime Elena," the 0007 Elena pointed out.

"Aren't you also supposed to be knocked up?" Reno added.

"I won't be forever!" Elena laughed. "Tseng and I discussed this already."

"We could get tattoos," Reno suggested.

"So could they," Tseng dismissed. "We need a way that's less visible."

For a few moments, the four of them were silent. They really were at a loss.

Then, someone got an idea.

"What about a chip?" Reno suggested.

"A chip?" Elena asked skeptically. "Like one that you'd implant in your body?"

"It would monitor all our health details," Reno explained. "And our age. Our prime counterparts are almost ten years older than us anyway."

"Damn, Reno," Elena complimented. "That's an incredible idea. Can you program a chip like that?"

"Nope," Reno dismissed. "But Shera can. Mind if I invite her to the meet?"

"Go right ahead," Tseng permitted.

Reno sent out the invite, and Shera answered in moments.

"Hey guys!" Shera greeted.

She then noticed Elena.

"Hey girl!" Shera greeted.

"Shera, we need to ask a favor," Reno asked.

"Go ahead," Shera permitted.

"How long would it take you to program four chips that and be implanted in us and monitor all our health details?"

"A couple of hours, maybe?" she replied. "Need to tell yourselves apart from your prime counterparts."

"How'd you guess?" Rude asked.

"Well, how else would you be able to?" Shera deduced. "I'll get right on it."

"Thanks!" Elena said with a smile.

That smile suddenly faded as Elena's face suddenly grimaced. She put her head down on the table and groaned for about fifteen seconds before sitting up again.

Reno, Rude, and Shera were stunned.

"You're in labor?" Reno inquired.

"I'm not in labor; I'm having contractions," Elena replied.

"What's the difference?" Reno asked.

"Why don't you get married and knock her up?" Elena playfully replied. "Then you'll find out."

"We'll see," sighed Reno.

"I'll be back," Elena declared. "I'm getting a glass of water."

With that, she shut off her camera.

"Is she going to see a doctor about this?" Reno asked.

"Probably not," Tseng dismissed.

"She's going to have the kid on her own?" Rude inquired. "Isn't that kind of dangerous? Kind of life-threatening?"

"So is seeing a doctor in the middle of a pandemic," Tseng pointed out.

"Good point," said Reno.

At this point, Elena turned her camera back on.

"Sorry, everyone," she said as she turned her camera back on and took a sip.

"You had to turn your camera off to get water?" Rude asked skeptically.

"And to hide the nudity," Elena admitted.

"But you're not naked," Reno observed, noticing her red tank top.

"I'm half-naked," she clarified.

"Well, now that you mention it," Shera said, "I'm thinking about having my bachelorette party on the nude side of Eros Nova. But that's a discussion for another time. I'll get to work on those chips. They should be ready in a couple of hours."

"Thanks, Shera," Tseng said. "We all owe you big."

"Don't mention it," she assured them.

So there they had it.

And, yes, Shera did end up having her naked bachelorette party. I know because I was there, though I left early once I found out the truth I was seeking. I heard it got pretty MA-rated after I left.

No, that scene will not appear in this book, because, as you might have guessed, it's another story.

One I'm not describing, by the way.

Besides, we all know the unexpected twists that whole trip had, anyway.

And, as I was sitting at that wedding two days later, I was still processing everything.

MEANWHILE…

Zack pulled his motorcycle to a stop. Before him was a small, brick cubical building the was two yards on each wall.

He opened the only door, and saw a flight of stairs leading downward. He descended the flight of stairs until he reached the door at the bottom.

He raised his fist and knocked three times.

"What's the password?" called a female voice from behind the door.

"Totum diem sexus amo," he replied unenthusiastically.

The door opened.

"Romina Ronkin?!" Zack asked in surprise.

"This is my side-gig," she laughed. "You do know that this his the Healing Lodge, not the Healen Lodge, right?"

"You got it," Zack replied.

"Come on in," she offered.

Zack entered what appeared to be a waiting room.

"How long will this prolong my life?" he asked.

"If you keep doing this?" Romina answered. "Indefinitely. So have a seat."

"Have a seat?" he asked.

"Average wait time is two hours," Romina informed him.

"Two hours?!" Zack inquired.

"I have a bigger waitlist then it seems," she insisted.