%Total %Received%Xferd AverageSpeed Time Time Time Current
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100 366k 0 4778 100 361k 2752 208k 0:00:01 0:00:01--:--:-- 211k
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TosaythatAerithwasoverwhelmedwouldbeputtingitmildly.Thelastfewhourshadbeen
completeinsanity,eversincetheirvisitwiththePresidenthadgonehorrificallywrong.
Everythinghadhappenedsoquickly,andonceVincenthadgonedown,theonlythoughtinher
mindhadbeenthatshehadtosavehim.Onceshe wokenupintheglassprison,she
immediatelyquestionedthatdecision.
Hojohadmadeitpainfullyclearexactlywhatherfuturehadinstoreforher.Thingshadgone
frombadtoworsewhenhe draggedoutherfathertoexplainwhatwouldhappenifshedidn
cooperate.Aswonderfulasitwastofinallygetthechancetoseehimagainafterfiveyears,
Aerithcouldn helpbutdespair.Shedidn blameZackforwhathadhappened,butshealso
knewtherewasnothinghe beabletodoonhisowntohelpher.
Sowhenhe'dshownupwithCloudofallpeople,herjawhadnearlyhitthefloor.
Whileshe recognizedherchildhoodfriendimmediately,thechangeshe undergonesincethe
lasttimeshe'dseenhimweredramatic.Gonewastheundernourishedboyfromhermemories,
replacedinsteadbyafit,clearlywell-fedman.Shewouldhavebeenlyingifshesaidherheart
hadn skippedabeatwhenhiseyeshadbrieflymethers.
Forhispart,Cloudhadbeenstrangelydistant,avertinghisgazeoncethey managedtogether
fromthathorriblecontainerandseemingalltoohappytoleaveherwithZack.Shedidn
tooverthinkit,butithadhurt.AerithknewCloudwasn oneforoutwarddisplaysof
,butaftereverythingshe beenthrough,waswantingmaybejustatinyhugreallyso
muchtoaskfor?Orevenasmile.Shewouldhavesettledforasmile.
Inanycase,thecrazinesshadn endedthere,unfortunately.SheandZackhadmanagedtomake
itoutofthelabanddowntothegroundfloorwithoutissue,onlytofindthemselvessteppinginto
aminiaturebattlefieldraginginthelobby.Fivepeopleshe neverseenbeforewerefightinga
smallarmyofShinrasoldiers,butwhathadreallydrawnherattentionwasthattheywere
protectingapale,butverymuchaliveVincent.
Zackhadrushedovertojointhefighting,whileAerithhadmovedtoVincent sidetocheckon
him.ThankstoHojo gas ashe calledit,hermagichadstillbeenfrustratinglyoutof
reach herfromhelpingwiththefightorfromhealingVincentanymore.Waiting
theredoingnothinghadmadeherfeelhorriblyuseless,butthankfullyithadn goneonfortoo
Jongbeforeablack-hairedwomanhadrunbacktojointhemandsaythatapathouthadbeen
cleared.Fromthere,ithadbeenamaddashthroughthestreetsofthecityuntilthey managed
tolosethelastremainingsoldiers.
Now,Aerithwasseatedatabar,tryingtorememberifitwasBiggsorWedgetoherleft,while
themembersofAvalanche theywereapparentlyknown herandVincentwith
afterquestion.Shewasdoingherbesttoanswer,butthecontinuedabsenceofCloud
andherfatherwasmakingithardforhertofocus.
