Okay, I know, this was supposed to have a different title. But hey, This one fits more I think.
Anyway, here's a cute Cloud/Aerith thing that happened when I was a kid:
My brother bought Final Fantasy 7. I always watched him play video games, because I really couldn't understand how it all worked. I watched the beginning scene (The one with midgar, Cloud, and Aerith) and spoke to my brother. Our conversation went like this:
Me: (seeing Aerith's face) WooooW. She's pretty.
My brother: (laughs) Yeah.
Me: Who is she?
My brother: A main Character I guess. Probably a good one.
Me: Oh, she's good alright.
My brother: If you say so.
Me: (Seeing Cloud) Oh! Who's that?
My brother: Another main character.
Me: Ooooh. He and the girl are gonna get together, huh?
(Sigh) Some things are obvious, even to a five year old...
Anyway, enjoy!
Chapter Five
Terror and Secrets
My name is Tifa Lockhart.
And at that moment I was surrounded in darkness, suffocating in the terrible fear and sadness that thrived in the air. Blood and chemical smells filled my nose as I tossed and turned on the floor. I knew that I would never get to sleep; how could I when all I had was the hard floor and a threadbare blanket? I couldn't imagine ever being able to.
I allowed myself to enter a half-conscious state, brooding on my situation. Mere hours before, we (we being me, my best friend, my future husband, and the leaders of an underground resistance) had been stationed around a bonfire, among the starving and suffering people of the Shinra Readjustment Facility (SRF for short). For a while we had seen truly what they were fighting for, the people and the hope that they needed. But all too soon, we had returned to our reality-and it was hard to remember the light and heat of the fire.
When the day returned it would be time for us to fully experience the lives of the people here; for we would be one of them.
I have worked hard before- I'm a trained martial artist. But they do nothing short of slavery here.
Turning over, I found my eyes settling on the still form of Aerith, leaning up against the wall. Her breathing was deep and even, eyes closed gently. Almost unwillingly, my eyes flickered between her and Cloud, and I felt myself filled with grief. I wasn't naive or stupid- it didn't take much to interpret the way they looked at each other. It was as though they didn't even need to think about it…they just cared.
I almost cried aloud. Cloud was MY husband…or he would be…when we got home…if we got home…
With the force of a wrecking ball I realized- we very well could never get home. We could be stuck in this horrible world forever…
A small cry escaped my lips at that as I struggled to keep the tears out of my eyes. What if we never got home…?
What if…we died here?
I had never been so scared in my entire life. Why did this have to happen to me, to US!?! Why did we have to suffer, yet be strong?
Glowing blue eyes staring in my direction cut off my thoughts.
I knew it wasn't Cloud. It was funny- but I could so easily tell the difference. Like how you would know a woman wasn't your mother even if she wore the same sunglasses and blouse.
It was Reno.
I could see, even in the darkness, that his eyebrows were furrowed, looking confused. And possibly concerned.
"Hey- why you cryin' chick?"
The insulting term brought me to my scattered senses.
"Like you care!" I flared, whispering furiously. "Like you care about a woman who you won't even call by name! Like you care about her friends that might die after being forced upon evil and danger! Like you care about the ones helping you, when you don't even want their help!"
I was hysterical and I knew it. I also didn't care.
Reno narrowed his eyes, beside me faster than I would have thought possible. "Be quiet!" He whispered fiercely, grabbing my arm tightly. "'Rith's not exactly a rock when she sleeps, and I doubt you friend and husband are either!"
I found myself breathing harshly, eyes wide and threatening to overflow with tears. Reno's hand tightened on my arm- and before I could react, he dragged me to my feet, and silently through the door.
"We'll continue this out here."
Shutting the door firmly, but lightly, behind him, Reno began dragging me behind the 'house'. "Okay," he said, dropping my arm. He stepped back, raising an eyebrow in a way that suggested that he found me unimpressive.
"You…" I snarled, clenching my fists. "You don't give a DAMN about us!"
Reno snorted. "Do YOU give a damn about me?"
His rebuttal caught me off guard. Did I care about him? I thought about his smirks, his rude names and cocky attitude. About the way he so kindly helped children and old people when they were in distress…
I hadn't known him very long. But friendship, unlike some things, didn't always need a lot of time…
"Yes…" I turned away from him, seizing upon my temporarily buried anger before he could respond.
"We're just supposed to do it without question. Without thought…" Why wasn't I shouting? I was angry, so why wasn't I screaming my anger at him?
"I come from a world very different from this one. Yet I have seen familiar faces, familiar words…I can't sit and do nothing, not after knowing what is going on here. But…I could die. We could all die…so easily…we could be trapped here…we could never see our families again…or what's left of them. But worst of all…" I closed my eyes against the onslaught of tears that threatened to spill from me.
"…We could fail…"
Silence. Then- "Huh."
I turned around at the surprise and wonder in Reno's voice. He smirked at me, a look that was completely at home on his face. I noticed at that moment, how very different his eyes were from Cloud's. They were rebellious, smart-alec, cocky. And I liked it. He continued:
"Looks like first assumptions aren't always right. I think that maybe I won't mind your help after all…"
(Narrator's POV)
Within the depth of the condemned cabin, a girl with ancient powers and bright green eyes listened to the exchange, wide awake.
And in the dark where no one could see her, she let the tears slide down her face. For what they would go through, for the price they would pay, she wept. And she resolved, as she sat there in silence, her heart crumbling in pain, that she would help lift that price- no matter what she paid in return.
No matter what price she paid- she would pay it gladly.
Deep breathing filled the room, punctured by soft snores. Or loud snores, in the case of a sprawling ninja. As if on a silent queue, a woman leaning against the wall opened her bright green eyes, flicking them about the room, studying the sleeping occupants. As she looked, Tifa rolled over, muttering sleepily. A smile came to Aerith's face as she watched them sleep so peacefully. After being around so many that held sadness on their face, it was good to see her new friends so untroubled- but her grin faded as she thought of the fact that the peace would not last. There was much ahead of them. But Aerith knew that they could handle it, that her friends would be okay. They had to be- for Aerith could not think of a life without them.
BANG!
All occupants of the room jumped up, immediately on their feet, traces of tiredness hidden. Sephiroth's eyes swept the room, doing a quick head count as thundering footsteps sounded outside. Meeting Aerith's gaze, he nodded.
"A gunshot…"
Everyone turned to stare at Cloud, who was gazing at the door with a far-off look on his face. At the sight of everyone's eyes on him, he muttered: "My mother was…shot in the head when I was five. That kind of thing sticks with you for a while."
"A warning shot…?" Tifa breathed, staring too, at the door.
"No…" Sephiroth murmured.
"They want us outside don't they?" Yuffie's voice was low. At Aerith's nod, her eyes narrowed, jutting her chin out in defiance.
"Wait," Tifa said suddenly, glancing around the room in worry. "Where's Reno? He's not here."
Despite that claim, everyone glanced around anyway. Aerith's brow creased in worry. "I don't know…I…" Her eyes widened. Her hand lifted to her mouth, horror drawing over her expression. "…No…"
A collective gasp passed through them before they ran pell-mell to the door.
The whole of their 'community' had gathered outside their houses, forming a ring around the center. People stood on the railings of steps trying to see over the numerous heads, pushing and whispering in fright. Cloud shoved his way through the crowd, following behind Sephiroth, Tifa, and Aerith. Yuffie was struggling too keep up, the people looking over her head, not realizing that she was there until she kicked them violently in the shins. Oddly enough, no one moved in front of her after that.
Cloud could feel his heart pounding as he followed his friends. He couldn't explain the horror he felt at seeing such terror in Aerith's bright eyes. A part of him worried for Tifa, whose face was screwed up in the effort to keep from crying out. But a larger part of him focused on Aerith- and the hope that she would never feel such fright again. And yet, a very small part in his subconscious, wondered and worried over the fact that he was not thinking solely of his future wife.
The people parted more or less for Aerith as she scrambled to get to the center of the circle of staring people. It took less than two stuttering heartbeats, but to her it felt like a torturous forever. But soon she stood, staring at a new addition to the dirt and slime, the others staring in horrific wonder beside her.
A metal platform, circular and massive sat before them. SSOC's armed with guns stood around the circumference. Facing the gaping group was another raised platform, connected to stairs leading down to the ground, where the crowd had parted near a faraway door. They could not see who stood in that path, leading from the door, but one of them was standing on the raised platform, a smoking gun in one hand, a weakly struggling man in the other. The SSOC grinned, eyes hidden by a visor on his helmet. He tightened his hold on the wrist of the man, pushing his forward and holding him over the edge of the platform.
"Biggs!" A wail of despair met Aerith's ears, she and the others turning to gaze at a woman about ten feet away struggling against the hold of another man that was speaking softly to her. The SSOC's raised their guns threateningly, aiming at the struggling woman. The man at her side pulled her to the ground, saying harshly, "Stop it! He doesn't want you to get shot! There's nothing you can do for him now!" Tears leaked from the man's own eyes as he dragged her back, the woman now reduced to hacking sobs.
Yuffie gasped, tugging on Tifa's arm. "Tifa…it's…its Jessie!" Tifa turned to her friend, eyes tearing up. "So she's here too…" Turning to stare at the man now gazing fixedly at the wailing Jessie as he hung over the platform, Tifa murmured:
"Didn't she mention a relationship with someone named 'Biggs'?"
At Yuffie's horrified nod, Tifa moaned, putting her hands up to her face. "Oh Jessie, oh no…"
Their attention was drawn to the SSOC holding on to Biggs' writs as his gun gave a small clicking sound that seemed magnified in the now horrified silence, though Jessie's sobs still shattered the air. The SSOC turned very slightly so that he was facing the sobbing Jessie and the tearing man. A grin came upon his features as he aimed directly at Biggs' head.
His finger inched toward the trigger.
"No…" Aerith murmured, reaching futile fingers out to the doomed man. The SSOC nearby pointed their guns at her and the others, reading them warningly. She drew back only after seeing that her friends were in danger. Tears collected in the corners of her eyes. Sephiroth pulled her back, trying to draw her further into the crowd, put she stayed put, closing her eyes as the moment drew nearer.
"Cover your ears," A deep voice called softly to her, warm hands falling on her shaking shoulders.
Cloud… she realized, following through with his request, though se opened her eyes to gaze at him, and then the face of the man for the last time.
The SSOC pulled the trigger.
The boom of the gun seemed to pierce their hearts as Biggs abruptly stopped moving, the back of his head gone and bloody- a hole in his forehead. His listless eyes stared endlessly at the screaming Jessie. With another grin, the SSOC dropped the dead man. He fell so slowly it seemed, before he crashed, head thunking on the metal, one arm outstretched on the ground toward Jessie and the man now using all of his strength to hold her back. Two SSOC's came around and picked up Biggs with ease, carrying him around the platform, toward the door.
"NO! NO! DAMNIT WEDGE, LET GO OF ME!!" Jessie struggled harder than ever against the hands holding her down. "NO! COME BACK! GIVE HIM BACK TO ME! PLEASE!" She sank to her knees as the SSOC's went out of sight. "Please…" She sobbed, hands covering her face. "Please…"
The man holding her, Wedge, pulled her back into the horror-filled crowd. Terrified, many tried to draw back, only to have the SSOC's level their guns at them. The crowd froze, hardly daring to draw breath.
The quiet was shattered as a SSOC ran up the steps to the raised platform, the sound of boots hitting metal shaking all out of their daze. "Sir," The SSOC panted. "This is the one that was giving us so much trouble. What should we do? You will miss if only you hold him…"
The superior SSOC frowned in thought; then smiled wickedly. "Two of you hold him then, I shall shoot from behind." The lesser officer nodded, running back down the steps.
A moment later, the same officer along with another came up, holding a red-haired man by the arm. A number of bruises dotted his exposed arms, as he struggled to move his feet, which had been chained together with a heavy lock. The SSOC's walked carefully around their superior officer, holding the red-haired man out above the lower platform, a wrist in one of their hands as they stood on opposite ends of the raised platform. The superior officer stood behind them, aiming his gun at the head. The man raised his head.
It was Reno.
His bright blue eyes moved over each face, searching for familiar ones. He found Aerith first, and smiled, turning his gaze then to Sephiroth, Cloud, and Yuffie, the smile still in place. They were too stunned to react. Finally, his eyes met the wine-red orbs of Tifa, and his smile became sadder. She stared at him, horror seeping slowly through her- realization had not yet hit. He gave his best cocky smirk before twisting his lips in odd ways. Tifa realized belatedly that he was mouthing words to her-
'Be brave….' He mouthed, eyes conveying the silent message as well. 'Take care of them.' He jerked his head very slightly toward Aerith and the others.
His lips moved again, and Tifa swore that she felt, rather than heard, the slightest of sound escape.
'Goodbye…'
Images assaulted her mind- Reno smiling cockily- him laying a hand on her shoulder- Reno helping old men drink water- and Reno singing softly, his eyes staring into her very being from across the bonfire.
And now, Reno being held above a metal platform- gun loaded and ready, pointed at his head.
Tifa began to realize what was happening. "No…" she breathed, heart seeming to stop in her chest. Every moment seemed to have become shattered, and was moving slowly.
The SSOC smirked as he put his finger on the trigger. He pulled.
"NOOOOOO!"
Aerith was reaching out toward Reno, fingers reaching for him. Her eyes grew brighter, the iris seeming to expand until both eyes were completely green, drowning out the pupil and whites. Her hands glowed faintly, small tendrils of energy twisting in the air from her palm, moving in a clear path to Reno. He was gazing at her in shock, the bullet intended for him pushing, shaking futilely against a shimmering shield, no more than an inch away from his body that was spreading rapidly from the back of his head, to his whole body. The chains holding his feet shattered into dust. The SSOC's holding his wrists were forced to let go as the shield came up from beneath their fingers, forcing them upward. The superior SSOC let out a growl, firing at Reno once, twice, three times, the bullets stopping an inch from his body, spinning in place before falling to the ground. Aerith's body jerked as each bullet struck. Blood leaked from holes that were scraping themselves in her skin, small holes about the size of the bullets- two in her arm, one on her back at the base of her collarbone, her hands began to move toward the ground, bringing Reno with them as another hole began to make it's way into her scalp. As soon as his feet touched the ground, the glow stopped, her eyes returned to normal, the digging of a hole in her head immediately ceasing. She slumped on the ground, barely conscious.
The silence ended abruptly as Aerith's friends closed around her, shaking her, looking anxiously for something to stop the bleeding. Reno stood on the platform for another moment before rushing forward to join them. The SSOC's on the ground looked up to their superior, waiting for the signal to shoot the man. The superior SSOC merely scowled darkly, thrusting his gun backward, letting it clatter on the metal stairs before turning on his heel, motioning for the others to follow him. Slowly they did, until there were no SSOC's anywhere nearby.
"Aerith, AERITH!!"
"Quick, someone get something to stop the bleeding!"
"No! NO! Idiot! Why did you do that?"
"Stay with us Aerith, come on…"
The voices of her friends swam around her- they soon discovered that their efforts were not needed, as the holes began to heal of their own accord.
Slowly, Aerith blinked, opening her eyes. A voice that was everything and nothing, neither spoken nor silent, vibrated through her.
We heal you, our child. You gave yourself without thought to another of our small children. But we need you to stay and save us…
There is much you still must learn…soon, we shall teach you…
The voice faded to be replaced by those of her friends. Aerith smiled at them, her eyes lighting up to see Reno standing over her. He frowned angrily, bending down so that he was inches from her face.
"Stupid girl- you shouldn't have done that! Aerith, you could have died! I'm not worth that!"
Aerith laughed weakly. "And here I am saving your life. I expected a little gratitude. Don't get used to it, with that attitude it won't happen again."
His eyes went softer for a moment. Sephiroth cut across him, snarling. "It shouldn't have happened at all Aerith! We could have found another way!"
Aerith glared up at him. "What other way exactly? I saved his life- and don't you dare say you're sorry for that!" She stood, shakily at first, and then stronger. She felt a warm hand still on her shoulder and saw Cloud staring at her, worry deep in his eyes. Aerith found herself calming, not telling him to remove his hand.
"Aerith…I…we're glad that you're…okay…" He stumbled around his words, blushing and looking at his feet. Aerith had to fight down a giggle- he was just too adorable. Tifa had good tastes- Aerith felt her smile fade as that thought came to her mind. She felt rather cold all of a sudden. Still, she stuck the smile back up, murmuring, "Thank you all for this concern. I am okay now though." She made to step forward, only to be caught as her feet wobbled beneath her. Sephiroth had one arm, his eyes no longer dark with his anger and worry, though he still looked concerned.
A flash of red caught their attention, Vincent making his way rapidly toward them. He bent so that he was level with Aerith. He touched her forehead lightly, staring intently into her eyes. He gave a small smile. "You are a rare person, Aerith. And thank the planet that I have known you, and know you still. I hope that I will always know you…" He kissed the top of her head in a fatherly way before grabbing her, and lifting her gently into his arms. Vincent turned, cloak billowing around him, his eyes meeting Yuffie's for just a moment before walking through the thinning crowd, the others in tow.
"So. Why did they do that?"
They all sat in Aerith's 'room'. Yuffie and Tifa were beside her, while Vincent stood in a corner, Sephiroth sat with his back up against a wall, Cloud slouched near the door, eyes riveted on the three girls. Reno sat on the piled blankets, fist under his chin, staring at the floor in thought. At Aerith's question, he looked up. "They told us some crap about there being too many people here, and that they needed to control the population. But I don't but that." His eyes flicked to each person in the room. "Anyone got any ideas?"
"A warning?" Tifa suggested, drawing her knees up to her chest. "Did you or Biggs do anything specific to taunt them?" Reno shook his head.
"Maybe…" Yuffie murmured. "Maybe they were just doing it to get to you, Aerith." She looked up, meeting Aerith's eyes before moving them to gaze into crimson orbs. "Don't you think, seeing as you keep defying em', that they might go to others knowing that they can't hurt you physically enough to make you stop?"
Vincent frowned, though he held her gaze. "That is a distinct possibility…" he muttered, seeming slightly surprised. Yuffie laughed, saying: "I have been known to be smart every once in a while." She felt a swooping sensation in her stomach as Vincent's lips twitched into what could have been a smile.
"Maybe they were just doing it for the heck of it?" They both turned in surprise toward Sephiroth, whose eyes seemed strangely darker than usual. "These guys don't give a damn about us- who says that they need a reason?" His arm seeped to be moving spastically. Somehow, it put Yuffie in mind of a nervous tick she saw in Tifa whenever she tried to lie…
Aerith was staring hard at the ground. Finally she said, "I don't think I need these bandages anymore. My wounds have healed; they are no more than scratches now." She turned to Yuffie and Tifa, smiling slightly. "Could you two help me get out of these, and clean them? I'd rather not get infected."
When the girls nodded, she turned to glare playfully at the boys. "Go on, out! This is girl business, no boys allowed!"
"Huh?" They stared at her, rather thrown off by the subject change. Aerith waved her hand toward the door. "Go on! The work day will be starting soon anyway, Reno, could you show Cloud where to go? Sephiroth, you and Vincent should help. Tifa, Yuffie, and I will catch up later." Sephiroth blinked and began to protest. "Aerith, you just used up a ton of energy, you can't work today! Stay here and play sick or you'll hurt yourself more!"
The other men nodded, Aerith's fists clenching. "I am going. Do you think the Shinra will stand for it if I do not labor, and you all protect me? Do-"
"Please, Aerith." The voice was so quiet, Aerith wasn't sure if Cloud had really spoken or not. She tried to look away before his gaze met hers, but it was too late. She stared into his eyes for a long moment before looking away. "Fine. But tomorrow I am going." She chanced a look back up a Cloud who gave her a small, though heart-melting, smile. "Thank you. I…we…could not stand it if you died Aerith, or if you hurt yourself."
Her eyes softened as she smiled. "Go on, the other two will meet you in a few minutes."
When none of the boys moved, her glare became deadly.
Sullenly, though rather hurriedly, the males scampered out the door.
Shaking her head slightly, Aerith stood up, going to a far corner of the room. Reaching her hand to pull up a loose floorboard, Tifa and Yuffie gasped as she pulled out small black canteens of water. She tossed one to each, grabbing a third for herself.
"They give each of us about ten or so of these every three months. At the end of each week, we fill them up with water. We have to use it for drinking and cleaning." Aerith plopped down on the floor.
Together, they peeled off Aerith's shirt, picking at the bandages covering her undershirt. For a while they sat in silence. As the bandages were completely removed form the shirt, and they began to work on the skin, Aerith spoke.
"The Shinra did this deliberately. They were trying to show you- and us- something. But what? This was not population control, or something to do just because they could. We are all a part of a dangerous game. They have options and parts that they have to play, pieces of a puzzle to build. We have to connect it before it all comes together for them."
Yuffie dabbed a bit of cloth ripped from her shirt in water from the canteen. Gently, she placed it on Aerith's back and began to wash at the dirt. "Do you think that maybe they were testing your powers?"
Tifa answered before Aerith did. "No," she said, gently adding her own damp cloth to Aerith's wounds. "They were too angry, too surprised. I think they were giving us a message. Like a code, almost."
"But what could that message be? What do they know?"
As for that however, none of them could answer.
Sephiroth stood, looking oddly like a sentinel as he gazed around himself. Footsteps approached and he spoke without turning around.
"What do you want Vincent?"
The red-caped man slid near-silently up beside him. For a moment they both stood there, watching Cloud being led around by Reno, the look on his face suggesting that he did not like being ordered by him one bit.
Finally, Vincent spoke. "You were late last night in coming back with those weapons. You have not offered an explanation."
"I don't need to tell you every detail of my life."
"No, but you have been to closed on it. And today, you lied to Aerith's face- to all of our faces. You are hiding something. What is it…?"
The silence stretched on. Sephiroth murmured, his voice low, "It is all my fault Vincent. I can't tell her, or any of them. I let them down."
"How…?"
Sephiroth turned, and there was long-held suffering in his eyes.
"Vincent, I was seen. They know about us, about the resistance. The President it coming."
oooooooooh! (Laughs evilly) If your think that's a cliffhanger, wait till you see the end of the next chapter!
There is a poll about a new fic of mine on my profile, please go vote!
And now the reviews:
kez92p9: Thanks! or should I say Thanktaculous?
roxas-kh: Thanks! A lot of people are saying that this is very origional, so I'm glad! I like the couples too...)
0XoSakuraoX0: Thank you! I've glad you like this story!
kyos-girl101: Though I did not update soon, I did update! Promise to be faster next time. I had major writers block.
SimpleNClean92: Yeah, the last one was sort of 'feel-good' huh? Well, I hope this one keeps you interested!
That's it! Reviews make me happy inside!
Next Chapter Preview: Work and Fear: Cloud, Tifa and Yuffie realize just what hard work is as they struggle to survive the harsh Shinra Facility. But as Sephiroth reveals more to Vincent, and Tifa remembers a conversation she had with Reno, the day is not a total loss- though it is frought with doubts and fear. But that is not over, they return to Aerith's room to find a horrific suprise...