Forever Beyond "Freedom means choosing your burden." Hephzibah Menuhin ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Was it cruel morning already? She squeezed her eyes shut and curled her body into a tighter ball, wincing as her agued muscles screamed in defiance and then explosively, sighed and laid out straight on the fold out padded bench she'd used as a makeshift bed in the cell that was under-equipped for two people to share. One hand, still gloved from her exhausted state where she hadn't even had the strength to pull it off the night previous, came up to brush her fringe from her eyes. Tifa reminded herself to get a haircut for what seemed like the hundredth time since starting their flight into the ShinRa building. Her senses, fine tuned by hours of survival training, martial arts and meditation immediately logged onto something being wrong; the air in the room wasn't musty, it held a coppery tang of blood and there was a heavier breeze than what the ventilation (poor as it was) had offered. She sat up, swinging her legs around in a smooth motion just as Cloud came belting through the door at breakneck speed. She studied him thoughtfully for a brief, split second. Since they had become so heavily involved with fighting ShinRa this past week or so, he had changed. She knew it wasn't her influence at all. She'd spent weeks, months trying to coax him from that shell of lies he'd woven, the mistruths he told and she only enforced feebly because she didn't know what else to do, to help her friend. His eyes were brighter, stronger and he stood erect now, instead of slumping weakly at every word passed in his direction. There was purpose in the man that little crybaby Strife had grown up to be. It broke her heart to think that his new found confidence was misplaced on a world he remembered only half correctly. But then her sharp eyes noticed that the hand which gripped the doorframe was doused in blood, leaving ugly, congealing smears. She stood almost instantly, quickly retying her hair so it wouldn't waft about too much and into her face. "Cloud?" She frowned, "What's wrong?" "Take a look outside." She needed no second urging, realising with a pang of cold fear that their door was wedged wide open. Tifa brushed past him and ran the short distance to the end of the hall, skidding to a screeching stop so quickly her heavy duty shoes left rubber marks. The intersection of the hallway was decorated with the broken and twisted body of the guard. His head lay at a very unnatural angle and his eyes bulged with whatever it was he had seen before his unfortunate demise. She bit her lip and swallowed; she was used to seeing such things, but it still made her confused and a little upset that anything should have to pass along in such a cruel way. "I wonder what happened," she breathed, dark eyes boring intently as they flicked over the wounds sustained and the bloody puddle spread underneath the dead sprawl of the luckless guard. "He should have the key on him," Cloud said from behind her. Her skin crawled, watching him coolly lean down with a bend of his knees and rifle the pockets, entirely unmindful of the blood and where he knelt. She was glad she wasn't the one do to his washing – what a ridiculous thing to fixate on, Tifa scolded herself. "Here," He stood and wiped hands on his knees; she couldn't help but blanch slightly at that, then she reached out and took the offered key card to Aerith's cell. "You fetch her, I'll get the others." She nodded and turned away. Perhaps she should blindfold the flower girl so she wouldn't see the gory spatter of horror limning the walls in lurid detail. Aerith's cell was the closest one to the guard too and before she ran the card though the slot, Tifa hesitated, wondering what to tell the fragile beauty about what had occurred outside. "Tifa?" the quiet voice said from inside, and she jumped, fumbling the card three or four times in a juggling act. She must have heard the voices from outside, the fighter crossly reminded herself and once she had a firm grip on the slippery card, ran it though the machine. It beeped and changed the green, the door sliding open. Inside, Aerith was stood calmly in the centre of the room, holding one hand to the curious braided necklace and her face was pale. Down the smooth cheeks, tears cut tracks of salt. "Aerith...why..." she said, lowering her hands and forgetting the cushioning lies. "His spirit cried out so loudly... so... so loudly," The flower girl closed her eyes and swallowed, "There was something else, someone else rather. He came like a black shadow... and he just killed because he could." Tifa could see the girl was shaking and moved swiftly to take those hands, the braided necklace was looking a little too strained and tight around the slender neck, and squeezed them. "Aerith, I forgot completely... I'm sorry." "I..." those green eyes looked fretfully upwards, what was it she seeing so far away? "I wonder if it was... ...him..." "Him?" Tifa locked puzzled brows together, but before she could wonder further, Cloud came into the room and gestured to her. She nodded, "What news?" "Red said someone non human did it," did his eyes flicker to Aerith? She drew the girl closer, protectively, "So he went on ahead. We'll follow and catch up." "What about Barrett?" "He's gonna clean the mess up." "Alright," Tifa nodded and turned to Aerith, "I want you to close your eyes; it's a pretty horrible mess." "Tifa," the smile was warm and just for her, her heart glowed, "I don't mind seeing it, but I think you mind more than I do." "Well... of course, it's just..." Cloud coughed and both girls looked towards him. Aerith moved away first, drifting and fading from Tifa's hand as she gravitated towards Cloud and she looked down, tucking her arms about herself. ...what was I thinking? She joined the pair, that feeling of being part of something greater settling over her again strangely; she could see the same look in their eyes, the wonder of it. No, she wouldn't question what it was Fate had in store for her... instead she would simply go along with it all as best as she could. Together they wandered cautiously down the corridor, their weapons hidden in a locker by the guard that Barrett had discovered the key for. Aerith held her staff defensively, sometimes using it to gently prod at things. Cloud seemed to hang back as a type of rear guard, leaving her to press on ahead of them. The silence was deafening, before this level had been a bustle of industrious, scientific activity. Now... They came across several bodies along the way, all at strange angles with either limbs or neck positions. Aerith never once cried out, her face was entirely blank and smooth but her hands turned white knuckled on the staff she carried. Once or twice she even tried to hide the body before they got close enough, but her sheer physical strength for inert bodies was lacking. They eventually came to the grates and chipped paint signs that signalled the underbelly of the lab above. There was a vast bloody smear along the floor and they followed it, much like a yellow brick road, but this one led directly to the furry fiery creature called Red. His single yellow eye glowed with some dark humour and his grizzled demeanour was less than impressed. Tifa came close to him, eyes flitting over the elaborate headdress that Red wore, dangling with beads and threading, but stiffened so it was a sharp pronged instrument to aid him in battle. He swung his triangular head around and his muzzle split with a grim, long toothed grimace. "Jenova Specimen." Tifa stared at the container; it had housed the body of Jenova, the head long since severed. Now the thick iron and steel has been ruptured, leaving nothing, not even fluid or scraps of skin inside. Her skin tried to goose-bump. "Looks like it went to the upper floor, using that elevator for specimens," he nodded to it, and then bounded off towards it. Tifa glanced at Cloud, seeing the horror reflected in his face that she knew was painting her own. His blue eyes met hers and she swallowed, looking away as sweat beaded her brow. Aerith, not grasping this exchange fully yet, had started after Red, so they followed. The experiments Hojo had performed on creatures, they had all been turned loose upon them and they fought their way bitterly to the next floor, amidst slippery blood patches and strange scratching marks on the floor, as if something were dragged to leave a long groove behind it. Tifa stopped trying to figure it out, huddling in the elevator. Jenova was loose, Jenova was free. The nightmare was real again. Suddenly Aerith, who was beside her reached over and took her hand, holding it gently but firmly. In the light of the elevator shaft whizzing along, she could see the faint smile she gave. "When I was little," she said softly, "This particular area was my home." "...not a very pleasant home, is it?" Tifa tried vainly, tried to smile, tried to find something cheerful inside the well of black despair eating away at her confidence. "Not really," the flower girl sighed. The doors opened and Red was already by another smear stain, shaking his head and with a cry he bounded off, yelling: "It leads up!" "Up?" Tifa frowned, "Again?" "...the President," Cloud murmured. They followed, Tifa having to stop and help Aerith from slipping through the streaky blood and Cloud rummaging through the stock for potions and ether to strengthen their bond to the precious magical orbs in times of need. The smears curved around a corridor, drawing up towards the pinnacle of the building. Like previous times, the door was wedge open with deep mars and together they ventured in and up the stairs. The ‘penthouse' of ShinRa Inc was spacious, with a few desks and drinks machines, a vast lounge and rest area and what looked to be offices for management, like Scarlet and Heidegger. The smears went on past these and towards the stairs that spiralled up, one either side of the end of the lounge room, towards what would be the presidential offices. Tifa remembered this from their previous ‘visit' to the old man who ran ShinRa with an iron fist and a greedy heart. Slowly they wandered along, Barrett rejoining them and wiping his hand down on his slacks as he did. Tifa smiled in relief upon seeing him, but tightened her hand on Aerith's. The suite was as she remembered it; vast open plan with a simple wide desk in the same cool surface they used on all the desks. It was clean, cold, and efficient. Everything, apart from the figure slumped over the desk with... She froze. Cloud froze with a strangled cry. Barrett hurried around the back and felt for the President's pulse then shook his head, "Nope, he's dead. The leader of ShinRa Inc is dead." "Then," she stammered, "T-then that sword must be..." ...Sephiroth... Soldier... ShinRa... I hate them all... ...I hate them all... Her hands trembled, eyes creasing with the effort of not breaking into wild tears and running as far away from this place as possible, dimly hearing what Cloud said. "Sephiroth's..." "He's alive?" she half pleaded, half questioned. The fire, the burning fire... The pain in her heart and in her lungs... Too much smoke... Tifa felt dizzy and gripped harder onto Aerith who reached up to support her silently. "Looks like it, only Sephiroth can use that sword." That sword. "Who cares who did it," Barrett laughed, not sensing their mood, "This means the end of ShinRa Inc!" A sudden movement caught their attention; Fat man Palmer to be precise, cowering knock kneed behind a palm plant suddenly rushed out to try and escape. Only they blocked his way and he fell back, blubbering. Up close, he wasn't a sight for sore eyes... really. His face was covered in pimples from the amount of pure sugar he must ingest every hour, his teeth looking less than desirable and his eyes, pig like and a watery blue. "P-p-please don't kill me!" he wailed. "What happened," Cloud demanded, putting his foot close to Palmer's hand. The fat man quailed and rolled his eyes from one person to the next. Tifa just stared at him, stared hard. "Se... Sephiroth came..." "Did you see him?" The Solder's voice went quiet, intent, "Did you see Sephiroth?" "Y-yeah I saw him! I saw him with my own eyes!" "You really saw him?" "Uh, would I lie to you?" he swallowed and amended, "...er ...at a time like this? And I heard his voice too... something about not letting us have the Promised Land." Tifa looked across at Aerith quickly as she gasped and covered her mouth, shaking her head. Sephiroth was after the Promised Land too? What did that mean for the fragile girl stood by her side? She frowned and looked back, confused again. She was always confused... and it only seemed to be getting worse. "So what does that mean? Does the Promised Land really exist and Sephiroth is here to save it from ShinRa?" Barrett rubbed his dogtags, "So... he's a good guy then?" "Good guy?" Cloud suddenly shouted, "Save the Promised Land? No way! It's not that simple... I know him. Sephiroth's mission is different!" He was shaking and as they all stared at him, Palmer managed to wriggle his fat self free of them and make a wheezing exit from the building to a Helicopter which had arrived without their notice, hovering just beyond. Barrett suddenly kicked the desk and cursed, cursed deeply in some very inventive ways. "Rufus! I forgot about him..." "Who's that?" She asked anyone who was bothering to listen right now. "The President's son," Barrett supplied. "...Rufus ShinRa," Aerith murmured sadly, bowing her head. Tifa stared at her. I sleep and the whole world goes mad simply to confuse me, that's it, isn't it? Why should that ShinRa trouble her so? Well... apart from being ShinRa, obviously... Cloud started after Palmer, Red and Barrett close behind but she took a moment to look at Aerith. Slowly those green eyes came up to meet hers, swimming with regret, sadness and loneliness, memories of the past reflected in those beautiful eyes. "...we should follow," Tifa said gently. "..." Tifa didn't wait for an argument, dragging the girl along with her and outside the building. This high up, the wind was strong and echoed about them with vicious harmonies and howling words, bitter dirges and she was forced to raised her hands now and them to damp her hair down. The two girls came behind Cloud and the others, she holding her wild hair down. Aerith paid her shimmering locks no attention, they whipped about her in a fey manner, her dress moulding sometimes to her legs, sometimes daring to flare up to her thigh. Before them stood a young man, about Aerith's age or so, she would have guessed, with strawberry blond hair and a handsome face. His blue eyes were cold and distant though, as cold as the white he wrapped himself in suit wise. A creature looking a cross between a panther and goodness knows what else lurked close by the helicopter. So this was the dreaded Rufus ShinRa, the man no one had seen cry. "So," he said in clipped tones, "Sephiroth was actually here. Who are you guys?" "Cloud, former Soldier first class." "I'm an Avalanche member!" "Same here," Tifa affirmed. "A research specimen." Aerith stared hard at Rufus and, Tifa realised, his blue eyes were fixed on the girl with shock suddenly illuminating them, shock and raw grief, "A flower girl, from the slums," she said. Her tone dared him to label her otherwise. "...sweet little Aer'," she could have sworn he murmured, then the distant look returned to his blue eyes. He started pacing, "My, my. What a crew! I'm Rufus, President of ShinRa Inc." "Yer only President ‘cause yer old man died," Barrett hollered. Rufus graced him with a smile, frosty as it was. "That's right... I'll let you hear my new speech... Old man tried to control the world with money. It seems to have been working. The population thought that ShinRa would protect. Work at ShinRa, get your pay. But if a terrorist attacks," he smirked at Barrett, "The ShinRa army will help you. It looks perfect on the outside, but I do things differently. I'll control the world with fear. It takes too much to do it like my old man. A little fear will control the minds of the common people, no need to waste money on them..." "He likes to make speeches," she drawled, watching him over her nails which she pretended to examine in an insulting fashion. "Just like his father." Cloud whirled suddenly; he seemed to have noticed how Rufus' gaze was lingering on Aerith, "Get out of this building with her." "What?" the burly man squawked, staring at Cloud like he finally had flipped out. "I'll explain later, but... this is the real crisis for the Planet." "The hell's that supposed to mean!" "I'll tell you later, just take my word for it." Cloud glanced to Tifa and then to Aerith, blue eyes softening briefly. "I'll come after you once I've dealt with him..." "Aw'right," Barrett turned and began ushering them along, "Later Cloud!" Tifa struggled, trying to see what was going on but she was being herded down the stairs and from the suit by Barrett. Aerith too, looked similarly distracted, her fingers seemed to be too tight on the metal pole she used as a guarding staff, her hair still messed up from the high winds of the building and her steps not as sure as they were. Soon they entered the Lounge and on the verge of going through the door, Tifa stopped stubbornly. This was wrong. She'd abandoned Cloud before, by letting him drop away into nothing. She'd always been on the sideline, waiting and taking orders. Something inside her finally snapped and she held her ground, hands clenched and eyes resolute. "Cloud," Aerith said ahead of her, seeing Tifa stop, "I just thought of something..." "...I'll wait here for him," she drew a shaky breath. "Everyone get to the elevator." "But," the flower girl said softly. "I'll be fine, go... check your equipment." Aerith looked over her materia, and then quietly pressed one of them back into Tifa's hand; the sense material she'd given her days previous in the sewers under sector six and the train graveyard. Tifa smiled and curled her fingers about the yellow orb, understanding. The Ancient nodded in turn and then with the beast and Barrett, ran through another door. Nothing will get past me, Cloud... and I'll be here for you this time. Tifa flexed her hands, hearing the sound of the experiments crawling up from the lab, skin crawling in unison with their sounds; after all, you shouldn't throw away useless things. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- It was taking everything inside of her to maintain the spells used for healing, summoning up the last dredges of her talent and skill to make the wind blow and revitalise them. A body came across her own slender one, forcing her down to the ground as the shattering explosion echoed out for the second time on the lift. The wind whistled past, the protective glass long since destroyed by the gunner machines and she looked out across the city that they were rapidly sinking down into. Red slowly got off her and shook himself free of metal shards, tongue lolling out of his mouth as a wet pink strip. "Thank you," she said softly. "Think nothing of it, Ancient." Aerith's eyes crinkled with her smile and she reached over to stroke his fur. She knew he protested vocally against it, but secretly loved the sensation of attention and companionship. Soon she straightened and stretched, arms to the sky as the lift whirred into telling them that they would soon be on the ground floor. "Just call me Aerith." "An old name," the golden eye twinkled. "I suppose. My mother chose it for me. I think its good enough. Barrett?" she called over, "What do we do after this?" "Back to Sector 7 and then, well, we plan from there." "Okay." She folded her arms about her waist and watched the ground floor open up before them, lift doors sliding back into place. Barrett hurried out first and she followed him, dress whispering quietly on her legs. She'd never seen any of ShinRa below perhaps the 67th level. It looked to be a reasonable area, spacious, comfortable, designed for the populace to come in and buy ShinRa stock and produce, even check up on the latest developments, such as car prototypes and the like. The floor was marble and led to the vast main doors with booths that security guards would stand in and watch the others pass in and out from. They ran quickly to the main doors and just as she was reaching for the knob to open a glass partition, Barrett grabbed her by the waist and hauled her back from a barrage of bullets. She yelped and covered her eyes. Their precious Ancient, they just won't ever let me go will they Mother? "We're surrounded," the burly man said, holding her back from the fire, "If I was alone, this wouldn't be a thing... but I got a reputation to protect!" "You," she said softly, drawing both gazes, "You all get out whilst you still can. It's me they're after, not you." "Yeah well, that ain't happening." She stared at him, seeing what Tifa did in this large man and often foul language – the softness of his heart and the goodness in his soul. She smiled waveringly, tears threatening to spring up in her eyes. "You got caught up in this over Marlene. Now it's my turn to watch out for you." "..." she breathed. He turned away and grinned like a madman, hoisting his gun arm recklessly, "Ok, playtime's over for you jackasses!" "Thank you, Mr Barrett..." She bent her head respectfully, hair covering her face and the tears she wasn't as good at controlling; emotional as ever and swayed by the simplest of things to compassionate tears. "Who you callin' Mr Barrett? That jus' don't sound right!" "Well then, if you're both through talking, might I suggest we try and find a way out of here?" The creature swayed his fiery tail, looking at them both reprovingly. To her credit, she felt her cheeks heating and grinned in spite of it. "So what are we gonna do?" Barrett demanded. "Barrett!" Aerith whirled, it was Tifa, waving from by one of the car stands, trying to get them to come closer. "She's alright!" she laughed happily, wiping her cheeks and began to run across to her, her two companions stood in surprise staring. "Tifa, where's Cloud!" "Everyone, over here," she said, pointing to a truck. "Huh? But... what about Cloud?" Tifa's mouth tightened slightly and she looked upwards with an aggravated sigh that made Aerith want to giggle. "I'll tell you later, but hurry! Hurry! That means moving your legs at a faster rate, you two." "Tifa, you're so mean to him sometimes," Aerith laughed, getting into the passenger side of the three wheeler truck indicated, with the flat open back. She was given that warm grin in return, lighting up the fighters normally sullen and sulk inclined features, chasing away any inclination to brood sadly, "Yeah well, I know he doesn't mind and he knows how much I care for him." Barrett huffed and wheezed, making to try and get in to drive. Tifa frowned and slapped his hand off the door, "Huh, Tif'?" "Oh you don't... Get in the back, both you and Red." "But," his eyes trammelled to the back, "...but..." "Just do it. If it gets scary, hug Red. Red, if it gets scary, lookout for Barrett hugging you." The answer from the burly man was a deep throated grumble and Red lolled his tongue out in amusement. Tifa clambered in beside Aerith, looking for the keys. Aerith watched her hands move about and then leaned over and touched the ignition with her finger, murmuring. A small jolt of electricity tingled in her fingertip, then leapt out, starting the engine with a vroom sound. "I'm not bad with electronics either," she offered quietly, smiling. "They're just not as pretty as plants or flowers." "Is there anything you're not good at?" Tifa laughed. Aerith looked away, putting a hand to her cheek to feel the raging blush but smiled, the truck hurrying on and crashing through a small glass panel with a shattering sound. Was that a compliment Tifa had just thrown her way? She sounded so natural, so at ease. Just as she was starting to wonder where Cloud was, he burst out ahead of them on a fascinating specimen of motorbike, all heavy exhaust and tyres, screeching along the stairs and through a window. "Hold on!" Tifa yelled. "Hold on?" She said in puzzlement, and then shrieked partly with fear, partly with adrenaline as the truck made a madcap dash for freedom through the same window, landing on the motorway and skidding off, with curses from a tumbled about Barrett streaking after them... ---------------------------------------------------------------------- She saw to their wounds with deft hands, touching their skin and healing the cuts over with what could only be described as admirable skill. She knew she was a talented healer as well as botanist, but seeing the relieved smiles on their faces after the fight with a monster of metal that had rolled down the highway after them in a furious roar of fire and blood. She felt much better knowing she could take care of them, eyes glancing now and then to the slag heap of molten metal, all that was left of it. Once they were patched together, the five of them stood looking at one another, taking in their faces. Barrett looked tired but still in good spirits, his dark skin not showing any dirt but the rip in his trousers would need to be sewn as it was at an amusing place (the seam on his backside) and a makeshift half cloak had dealt with any uneasiness concerning who might see his underwear. Red too, seemed okay, if bewildered about his surroundings. She can't say she didn't blame him. She had no memory of anything outside the slums and the ShinRa labs, so this was all wildly new and exciting to her too. But his body was badly scarred; she wanted to desperately ask him how he'd received such wounds and why they were left so untreated. Cloud was taciturn as usual, his blue eyes distant and a hand placed under his chin in thought. His clothing had come out largely unscathed, but the scabbard straps for his enormous sword had been sliced clean through and would need a good leather-smith to put them back together. Tifa stood to the side, looking at the city with a pensive expression on her beautiful face. A thousand worried seemed to cloud about her strong features, from her strong straight nose to the pointed chin and dark eyes that hid more mysteries than Aerith could readily guess at. These were her friends. This was a destiny that had chosen her, that had chosen them. Was it her destiny to gather these people and take them along with her, to see the world? To see more than the world: to see underneath it and then, underneath that? "Well," Barrett broke the silence, "What do we do now?" "Sephiroth is alive, I have to..." the Soldier tightened his jaw, "I have to settle the score." "And that'll save the Planet?" "...seems like it." Aerith moved and smiled as Barrett held up his arm, "Awright, I'm going." She moved to the edge of the highway. It had been left off during construction so bits of it hung jagged out into the forever beyond them, into the world. She folded her arms and said in her quiet voice that seemed to always grab anyone's attention, "I'll go too. I have things I want to find out." "About the Ancients?" His voice warred between curious and worried. She knew why. "...many things," was all she could say. "I guess, this is goodbye Midgar," Tifa said, looking away from the sprawling city of inequity to them, eyes bright. Aerith said nothing; she knew Tifa would be happy to be away from this place. In her own heart of hearts, she could hardly credit that she too was leaving finally, after years of dreaming that she would. The world, so vast, so new to her, it opened up with possibilities and dreams. She shivered and drew her red jacket closer to her shoulders. They started for the wire leading down to the outskirts of the Midgar. The going down was less than easy for her; she had to blushingly admonish them to not look up, or even peek, something which made Tifa laugh helplessly – so much so, she lost her grip and fell four feet to land on her ass, still laughing. Eventually, after many pauses to try and grip her skirt down, Aerith made it alongside everyone else, staring out into the countryside. She then realised, she didn't have a damn clue about the geography of this place. ...No chance there's signposts? "Then, let's go!" Cloud announced, stepping ahead of them with a gesture at the horizon. Aerith held her hands together awkwardly, hoping someone actually knew where they were going, or better yet, how to get there. "We need a group leader for our journey," The burly terrorist advised and then preened his short trimmed beard and grinned rakishly. "Of course, only me could be the leader." "Oh," Tifa folded her arms beneath her chest, "You think so?" "No," Aeris said quietly, "It would have to be Cloud." Barrett muttered, "Damn you all then. Go northeast to a town called Kalm. If something happens, we'll meet up there. ‘Sides, be dangerous having five people jus' strolling around the countryside. Split us into two parties." "Okay... well I choose..." "Tifa and I will be fine together, you boys have fun," Aerith interjected. "...er...well..." Cloud stared at her and she felt her cheeks blushing, "I wanted to... you..." Tifa looked angry, "Are you trying to say I can't protect her!" "No! I mean... it's just..." "We'll be fine Cloud. Trust me," she turned her smile on him, so energetic and open that he almost smiled back. She could feel Tifa give a start in shock, but she didn't take her eyes from Cloud, who finally and reluctantly nodded. "Thanks." "Alright... let's go." The boys all started off and Tifa turned to her. She twisted her hands together and looked up shyly at the taller girl. "What," Tifa questioned, "Was that?" "I just wanted to spend some time with you. Don't be mad." "I'm not, just a little taken aback. Cloud..." Those dark eyes filled with seven emotions, all warring for supremacy until Tifa looked away with a half smile, "It's been ages since I've seen him smile. Thanks for that." "..." Together they started walking, feeling the grass tickle and the sun shining down once they moved far enough away from Midgar. They talked, about flowers, about their likes and dislikes, about favourites in colour, music, clothes, books and even food. They talked about practically everything together, enjoying the companionship and soon, without either of them realising, sunset came. Tifa, trained in the ways of the wilderness, set up a camp for them with a makeshift tent, saying that they'd buy some proper supplies from Kalm. Aerith made a supper from plants and roots she knew were safe to eat. Then with their stomachs full, they fell asleep. Or Tifa did. Aerith stayed awake and watched the stars overhead. She'd always wondered if stars looked like this, beautiful and distant. Her eyes moved to take in the profile of Tifa, eyes closed and her cheek resting on a hand, a childhood habit that was difficult to break, the other hand outstretched and lax, fingers splayed slightly. She moved her own hand to take that, curling her fingers together with Tifa's and smiled as the other girl tightened her gip. Then she finally slept. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ...my... best friend...
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