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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.