Captain Of My Soul

by AstraAster

Summary:

“I always leave it too late, but I should have told you sooner.” He muttered, pressing her hand closer to his face.
“Told me what?” Aerith's voice was barely a whisper, as though afraid that she would break the spell that had settled over them.
“How much you mean to me.” Cloud looked up at her now. “That I love you.”
Her breath left her at his words, her verdant eyes wide as she met his gaze.
“I'll do it earlier next time.”
“Next time?”
“Yeah,” he offered her a grim smile. “Next time.”

Notes:

“It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.”
― William Ernest Henley, Echoes of Life and Death

Chapter 1: Beginning Again

“Do you believe in fate?”

She was startled by the question. Small talk was not something her companion often indulged in, and such philosophical subjects were definitely out of the norm.

“Fate?” She pondered the question for a moment before shrugging. “Maybe. I mean after everything that we went through with the Whispers I think it would be wrong to dismiss the idea entirely.”

Cloud didn't seem particularly surprised at her answer. “Right. So maybe everything we do is pointless.”

“I wouldn’t say that.” Aerith mused. “When it comes to fate, I don't want to believe in it.” They were sat in the Syldra Inn at Cosmo Canyon. Night had fallen and the desert air had cooled, but the atmosphere inside was pleasantly lively. She and Cloud were sat in a cosy nook as their group took a moment to enjoy a brief respite. Turning back to the man beside her she shrugged. “I know that after everything we’ve seen it’s probably silly to think, but I don't want to believe in the sort of fate that means we can't change where our paths are headed. That’s just a really sad thought.”

The expression on Cloud's face was troubling her. “Do you believe in it, fate I mean?”

He sighed heavily and turned away, reaching for his drink. “I believe that there are powers out there that want things to happen in a certain way.”

“The Whispers?”

Cloud stared into the amber liquid in his glass and frowned. “When we fought the Whisper Harbinger, you weren’t shown anything, were you?”

Aerith eyed Cloud warily. “No, I mean I saw what the rest of you were shown, but nothing just for me. What did you see, Cloud?”

“Plenty of things I wish I hadn’t seen.” He looked up at her and Aerith almost shied away from the intensity in his gaze. “I don’t believe in fate.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah. I refuse to believe that there is some power in this world that I can't fight against. I’m not a puppet.”

Aerith reached for him without thinking, but Cloud didn't pull away. Her fingertips brushed his forehead and then down to his cheek. “What's wrong, Cloud?”

His larger, gloved hand came up and took hers, holding it in place. “Nothing. Everything is perfect right now.”

—

There were plenty of perfect moments on their journey. Dates on the skywheel at the Gold Saucer. Taking a quiet moment in the flower meadow outside of Kalm. Holding Aerith's hand like he was now. 

The perfect moments never lasted though. They were fleeting, and they always led to the Forgotten City and the most imperfect of moments. 

Cloud had lived that moment more times than he cared to count.

Sometimes he was much too late, her body limp on the dias by the time he arrived, surrounded by blood and black feathers. 

The times that he arrived before Sephiroth appeared usually followed the same pattern: he fought against the force pulling at him like the strings on a marionette before breaking free and rushing forward to block the sword that bore down on Aerith. Sometimes he was a second too late, at other times he could not overpower Masamune. The cruellest times were when he did manage to push the wicked blade aside and Aerith was saved. Because those times never lasted.

He had experienced multiple realities at once countless times over by now. She was alive, she was dead, they won, they lost. 

It never mattered.

The moments of victory always fizzled out for Cloud and he would find himself clutching Aerith's still form as Sephiroth gloated.

The alternate realities that Sephiroth had told him about - Cloud had seen so many by this point. He didn't know if they persisted or snuffed out the moment he returned back to the nightmare on the altar. He assumed that somewhere out there in the universes where he was both quick enough and strong enough to save Aerith, that Cloud was living happily.

It didn't matter.

It didn't matter because the Cloud that he was seemed to be stuck in a world where Aerith died. This Cloud found himself unable to save the girl that had worked her way into his heart. The rules always changed against his favour and even when he did everything right, something snapped him right back to his own personal hell.

 

When he lived these moments the first time he had been damaged, confused. Aerith was alive, but only to him. He had not accepted that she was gone, because to him, she wasn't. Always looking out for him, Aerith had guided him from the Lifestream. In an effort to protect his fragile mind, she had remained with him as best she could. They had talked, laughed, but in retrospect they had never touched again after they had battled Sephiroth in that empty dimension and he had bade her to wake up. The person he was back then had said goodbye to Aerith as he boarded the Tiny Bronco, understanding that she needed to stay in the Forgotten City in order to pray for Holy. 

He hadn't understood at all.

His mind, so fractured and easily manipulated by Sephiroth, had been his greatest foe. After falling into the Lifestream with Tifa, and coming through the other side with his memories finally healed, he had been able to understand that Aerith had given her life at the altar that day. He had understood, but he had never accepted it.

He had lived with his guilt an ever present weight in his gut.

In the end Aerith had saved them all, harnessing the power of the Lifestream when it seemed that Holy would fail against Meteor. But Cloud had never accepted that her death had been the only way to save the world. Though he may not have accepted it he had had to live with it.

He had lived with it for over a year after Sephiroth had been defeated, trying to get through one day at a time. He had assisted in the efforts to rebuild the world after all the dust had settled, he helped friends and strangers alike and he had carried on.

But the guilt never left, and the perfect moments never returned.

 

It had been a day like so many others when the time came that his world was turned upside down once more. He had spent a busy day helping Tifa and Barrett deal with various errands around Edge, and eradicating nests of troublesome monsters at the city borders. 

The moon had long since risen in the sky by the time Cloud headed into the ruins of Midgar. His feet had traced a familiar route to Sector 5 and the bones of the church that stood there. He had settled at the sparse camp that he had set up, collapsing on to his bed roll and turning to face the patch of flowers that still persisted in the ruins. He had stared at the sunny blooms, hoping that sleep would find him quickly. It had, and his dreams had been blessedly without the images that had haunted him for the past year. He had felt her comforting presence however and had heard her soft voice as she told him that everything would be okay.

He had come back to consciousness slowly, his senses feeling dull and sluggish. When he eventually prised his eyelids apart he had assumed that he was still dreaming. 

The crumbling stone and stained glass of the church had been replaced by the comfortable furnishings of the Inn at Kalm. He had shot from his bed in confusion. The noises drifting in from the open window, the smell of polished wooden furniture, the creak of floorboards beneath his boots; they were overwhelmingly real . He had never been one to dream so vividly and he found himself caught in fearful confusion.

Pinches, punches and eventually a swipe of his finger across the blade of his sword had finally been enough to make Cloud doubt that he was asleep.

His first thought had been that he had been kidnapped - but why would his captors leave him unguarded in a comfortable bed, and with his weapon and materia nearby?

His next thought had been that he had blacked out and made his own way to Kalm. When he had settled his confused panic, he had taken note of the presence of Barrett's pack near one of the other beds in the room. The sight was familiar and tinged with slight nostalgia.

Cloud had left the room, feet carrying him across the landing and down the stairs. The foyer was largely empty and he was not stopped as he made his way to the front door and out into the main square. He had squinted at the glare of the sun, staring out at the busy town in confusion.

The soft touch of a hand on his upper arm, and the still-familiar voice almost made his heart stop. “Morning, Sleepy Head!”

Cloud had whipped around, eyes wide and jaw hanging loose. “Aerith?”

The girl had giggled, looking down at herself. “That's me, the last I checked.” Looking back at Cloud she had frowned. “Are you okay?”

He had found himself on the verge of hyperventilating, eyes screwed shut as he shook his head. It must have been a dream after all. A cruel dream.

Aerith had taken hold of him, guiding him to a nearby bench. “Here, sit down.” She had taken a seat beside him, fingers rubbing against the back of his hand, almost imperceptible through his gloves. “What's wrong?”

His eyes had burned with threatening tears when he finally forced them open to look at her. She was just as he remembered her, all sweetness and gentle smiles. He had not seen her like this since he had come to terms with his fractured psyche. No matter how many times he sensed her in his dreams, pressed against his back and offering soothing words that were never quite enough to assuage his guilt, he had been too scared, too ashamed, to turn and face her.

But right now she seemed so real, so here .

He raised his hand and brushed along one of the curls hanging next to her face. “Is this the Lifestream?”

Aerith had blushed prettily at his gentle touch before blinking in confusion. “No, just Kalm. Did you have a bad dream or something, Cloud?”

“I guess so.” Cloud had answered before crushing her to him in a desperate hug.

—

For days, weeks even, Cloud had expected to wake up in Edge, still full of guilt and sadness. But that never happened. He started to believe that he had in fact been returned to the past. To change how things happened? He had no idea, but that was his plan.

He lived his days in a state of deja vu as he re-lived his journey with the group, from Kalm to Junon and beyond. He was optimistic: he knew what was coming, he knew how to best their enemies. His mind had also remained healed, the headaches from his split memories no longer plaguing him, though he still felt the echo of Sephiroth's pull in his mind; it seemed that that particular blood bond was hard to break.

It was strange, not knowing how much he could, if indeed he should, change. Afraid of sending everything spiralling out of control, he had followed his previous path through events as closely as he could. He also refrained from telling the others what was happening to him. Not only due to the fear that they would think that Cloud had gone completely insane, but also because there was a sizeable part of him that didn’t quite believe it himself.

There were of course some changes. Without Sephiroth’s poisoned words trickling in to his ear, Cloud did not attack Tifa at the Gongaga reactor this time around. The earth had rippled with an angry tremor however, and the woman had fallen into the reactor’s flooded centre nonetheless, swallowed by one of the Weapons. She had been rescued safely as before, none the worse for wear, but moments like this put Cloud on edge - what if he could not change the event that he was most desperate to?

 

In the end that is what had happened.

 

It had been cruel indeed that Cloud had lived through the events of the Eastern and Western continents all over again, armed with his knowledge and full of hope that they would all be leaving the City of Ancients together this time. He had spent the weeks since waking in his own past daring to wish for a better future.

Being able to see Aerith again, being able to have more time with her, had left Cloud lighter than ever before. He was not sure what Aerith had thought of the sudden change in him but she had been happy and receptive to him instigating touches. Holding her hand, sitting close to her when they camped. In fact, he barely let her out of his sight. His hope that things would be different had led him to open his heart more readily to Aerith, all the realisations and feelings that had come to him in that final day with her in the past (the future?) were already present in him now. He had kissed her on their Skywheel date this time round, making the move he had not been brave enough to previously. Their journey from that point had been punctuated with kisses in the moments of private they could find, quiet conversations and lingering touches while the others slept.

 

Perhaps it had been foolish of him to indulge in those feelings, because it pierced his heart even more when events seemed determined to unravel as they had the first time round.

 

Cloud had easily fought against Sephiroth's power this time, no longer a puppet to the crazed man. He did not stalk Aerith across the ancient vines and tree limbs in search of the Black Materia, but Sephiroth’s Whispers had still herded the girl in that direction, buffeting against her as she tried to escape them. 

Aerith had run, urged forward by Sephiroth’s Whispers, and so he had followed her. As before, they had been knocked from their precarious perch by the Whispers and they had plummeted into the crater left by the missing temple. Cloud had wrapped Aerith’s form in his arms to protect her and they had fallen into another world once more.

There had been another date in Sector 5 with the Aerith that wasn't quite his. He had tried to question her about events but she had been evasive as before, seemingly content to spend time with him before she handed over the White Materia. He had been prepared for her to shove him into the portal of rainbow tinged light this time, and had resisted, catching the edge of the floorboards and holding on desperately. Aerith had looked down at him, her expression a mixture of surprise and sadness as Cloud fought against the forces pulling him down.

He watched the doors of the church open, and Sephiroth’s form approach her from behind and shook his head. “Not again. It can't always be like this.”

“Maybe not always.” Aerith said gently. “But for now, I'm afraid it is.”

And then he fell, hand still reaching for her in futile desperation.

When his unconscious self spoke to Aerith in the forest, he begged her not to go, tried to keep the White Materia from her, but in the end she left as before. She was already gone when he came out of his stupor. He had raced towards the Forgotten City, made it through the Whispers blocking his path, and found Aerith praying, a familiar and chilling sight.

 

How cruel that he couldn't save her this time round either. He had been ready to intercept Sephiroth, and had pushed Masamune away, but once again multiple outcomes played out for him, before he was left cradling Aerith's injured form.

“I don't understand.” He had whispered. “Why did I come back if nothing changed?”

The Aerith in his arms smiled gently at him. “It will all be okay, you'll see.”

He had kissed her this time, and felt her last breath on his lips.

Cloud had fought like a man possessed against Jenova Lifeclinger and Sephiroth, his mind reeling from not being able to save Aerith. When Zack had fallen back into the rift, his plea of “Save her” had almost seemed like a reprimand.

She had turned up to help him  defeat Sephiroth this time too, but now he knew she was part of the Lifestream at this point. They succeeded in their battle and Aerith took his hand as they stood back to back.

“Are you ready? Everyone's waiting.”

“Wait.” He had said desperately. “I came back to save you. Why does this outcome have to be the one?”

Aerith had squeezed his hand a little tighter. “Do you believe in fate, Cloud? Because I don't.”

The world had faded to brilliant white then, and he was back on the dias with Aerith prone on the floor. Perhaps it was because he had already accepted what world he found himself in, but this time there was no Aerith that opened his eyes at his command, but just a lifeless girl surrounded by her grieving friends.

Cloud had grieved this time too. Losing her a second time felt worse, though he had not thought such a thing to be possible.

He had sat by the water and cried, openly and unashamed. He had failed. Whatever second chance had been given to him and he had squandered it.

The others had left him this time, Barrett had prompted them to leave him in peace for a while instead of suggesting they all make tracks onwards.

Cloud had remained where he was, the ethereal silence of the Forgotten City oppressive against him. There was no Aerith in spirit form with him either, though he was not sure what that meant, if anything.

Please he had thought, to whatever deity might be listening. Please don't take her again .

He sat there until the emotional toll of the day overcame him and he curled in on himself and allowed sleep to take him. 

When he had awoken, he did not find himself in the Forgotten City or in the Tiny Bronco. Instead he was back in the inn at Kalm, heart still broken and memories of Aerith's second loss stabbing at his dreams.

He had not hesitated this time, down the stairs and outside into the sun before spotting Aerith a little ways down the road. He had sprinted to her, gathering her up and holding on to her like she was the only thing keeping him tethered to the planet.

---

And so had begun a cycle of Cloud living his life from the first day in Kalm up to the moment he lost Aerith. Usually it ended with him cradling her body in the Forgotten City, but on one occasion there had been a change to the normal chain of events.

It had been early on in their adventure. The group had been making their way through the Mythril Mines when Aerith’s footing had slipped on one of the narrow pathways. She had slipped, Cloud’s fingers barely being able to brush the ribbon on her hair as she fell from sight. Red XIII had scrambled down after her, his sure footing allowing him to reach her before any of the others. By the time Cloud had been able to get to her, she was gone. Red’s head bowed sadly, the glow of his healing materia fading.

It had been the third cycle of events for Cloud and he had grown complacent, assuming that they would always make it to the City of Ancients. Losing her before they even stepped foot into Junon had ripped even that small amount of faith away from him.

He had carried her through the rest of the mines, Barrett, Tifa and Red clearing the way for them. They had encountered the Turks deep in the mine, but this time there had been no battle. The reproachful glare and angry words that Tseng had spat out upon seeing Aerith's broken form would have pierced Cloud's heart, had it not already been broken.

He had refused to let her go, to take a reprieve, the entire way to the Chocobo ranch. There they had been able to rest, Aerith still clutched to Cloud’s chest as he sat and stared vacantly towards the ocean. He was so used to the otherworldly glow of the Forgotten City that holding her to him in the bright light of day was hard to comprehend. The blissful emptiness of sleep came for him long after the daylight had dwindled, his face buried in Aerith’s chestnut locks.

His eyes had opened to Kalm, just like the previous times. It had been this cycle that had left him sure that it was possible to save Aerith.

It did not seem to matter if it happened in the Forgotten City or elsewhere, but if she died, Cloud found himself right back where he started. He did not know how to achieve it, but he was sure that he had to find a way to save the woman who had so clearly taken his heart. 

The next time they walked through the Mythril Mines, Cloud made sure that Aerith stayed closest to the wall, holding his hand at all times.

---

Each attempt he made at not screwing things up was built upon the last. He tried new things: sometimes they were disastrous, sometimes they worked, but none of the changes kept Aerith alive in the end.

And so he found himself here in Cosmo Canyon (again), sat next to the person he was so desperate to save. This would be attempt number seven, and each turn was getting harder and harder to face. A small part of his brain whispered that maybe this was his penance for letting her die, this pure spirit. Was he destined to watch over and over as she perished in his arms?

“I always leave it too late, but I should have told you sooner.” He muttered, pressing her hand closer to his face.

“Told me what?” Aerith's voice was barely a whisper, as though afraid that she would break the spell that had settled over them.

“How much you mean to me.” Cloud looked up at her now. “That I love you.”

Her breath left her at his words, her verdant eyes wide as she met his gaze.

“I'll do it earlier next time.”

“Next time?”

“Yeah,” he offered her a grim smile. “Next time.”

—

She was dying again.

Her hand was tracing Cloud's face, trying to reassure him that everything would be fine. She always lied to him at this moment.

“What do I do, Aerith?” He didn't know how much more his heart could take. “I fail every time. How do I save you?”

Her eyes were gentle as she looked at him, and he felt that this time he had gotten the Aerith that had one foot in the Lifestream, and all the knowledge that came with it. “You're too hard on yourself, Cloud. Why do you always think it's something that you haven't done?”

He looked down at her smiling face, trying to ignore the warm wetness that was seeping into his knees.

“We need to make the most of the time we have — to live our lives the way we wanna live.”

She had said those words to them before, in a dream that wasn’t a dream. 

“I don't-” Cloud shook his head, not following her words.

“You can't change the past, Cloud. But you can change the future, right?”

“I don't want a future without you.”

She smiled, her teeth stained pink. “But when you wake up tomorrow, what will be the past, and what will be the future?”

He wiped red from the corner of her mouth. So this Aerith understood what was happening.

“So everything can be changed?”

Her breaths were shallow now, laborious, and yet her smile persisted. “Some things. But are you trying to change the right things?”

“Aerith,” his tears were flowing now, knowing this was another goodbye. “Can't you tell me what I need to do?”

“I wish I could, Cloud.” The hand at his face dropped as her strength waned. “There is clarity that comes with entering the Lifesteam. But you pay for it with time.” Her eyes softened as they drifted shut. “I'm sorry, Cloud. Just remember, ‘Every minute, every moment, matters’, and remember that I already love you.”

And then she was gone. Again.

—

When he next woke up in Kalm, Cloud waited a beat before rising from his bed. The last words that Aerith had imparted to him played in his mind. Every minute, every moment, matters.

She had said those words to him before too, the dream her in her flower garden back in Midgar. She had warned him not to fall in love with her in that same conversation. He had promised to come for her then, and he had. He always would.

Why do you always think it's something you haven't done? He didn't understand. It obviously was something that he wasn’t doing. So many tries and Aerith continued to perish.

I already love you. Did she mean the Aerith that he would meet outside these doors?

He had told her his feelings on most of his forays to the past, though usually not until much later into their journey. On a few occasions he’d tried to ignore the feelings, both in an attempt to see if that changed matters, but also to try and save his own heart. It made little difference; he found it nigh on impossible to stay away from her, and ignoring his feelings didn’t make them go away.

He'd told her back in Cosmo Canyon less than a week ago (or was it several weeks into the future?) that he'd left it too long to tell her what he felt. Told her that he'd do it sooner. Well what could be sooner than the beginning?

His dawdling meant that she wasn't outside the inn when he emerged. Craning his head to the left he spotted her ascending the steps towards the weapon store. He was off at a jog, weaving through the citizens of Kalm, ignoring their huffs as he jostled them.

She was peering at a window display of potions when he caught up with her, grasping her elbow and tugging her towards him.

She gasped, reaching for the materia on her bangle before she saw who had a hold of her.

“Cloud? Wha-”

Any further questions were halted as the man before her raised his free hand to cradle the back of her neck. “Every moment matters, right?”

And then he was kissing her, gently but purposely, his right hand slipping from her elbow to wrap around her waist.

Aerith sighed, partly from surprise and partly from pleasure, her form relaxing into Cloud's body, her arms winding around the neck of the man before her.

His kisses eventually subsided, slowing to pecks as he pulled back slightly. “Can we talk?”

Aerith blinked at him, trying to clear her mind. “Sure.”

Notes:

The urge to write a multi-chapter fic hit me as soon as I finished Rebirth. I've been thinking about the ending of the game to a probably unhealthy extent!

So yeah, if you like time loop shenanigans (and lots of Clerith love) then I hope you'll stick around and enjoy this story.

Chapter 2: Pure and Simple

Summary:

"The beginning is always today."
- Mary Shelley

Cloud led the way back to the inn, his hand clasped around Aerith's. Somewhere private would be best for this conversation.

Aerith remained quiet the whole way up to Cloud's bedroom. He released her hand once he had closed the door behind them and turned to face her.

There was always a moment of disbelief when he looked at her, the memory of holding her still form was still burned fresh on his mind. There was a pink flush lingering across her cheeks. She looked so wonderfully alive.

“So that was different.” Aerith’s voice was light, an attempt at breaking the silence that had settled over them. Her hands were clasped behind her back and she rocked back and forth on the balls of her feet slightly. Cloud knew it was a telltale sign that she was feeling nervous.

Cloud offered her a faint smile. “Sorry.”

She shook her head vigorously. “I don't mind,” and then she blushed a deeper shade of pink. “It was just surprising.”

“There's a lot I need to talk to you about. It might sound strange, crazy even, but-” Cloud trailed off here, unsure how to even start.

Aerith took his hand this time, manoeuvring them to sit on his bed. “We've seen a lot of crazy things since we met, Cloud. You can tell me anything.”

He raked a hand through his hair and nodded, deciding there was no good place to start other than to just be honest. “This isn’t the first time I’ve been here, Aerith. I’m stuck in a waking nightmare. I wake up here, in this very room and I live the next month of our journey right up until the Forgotten City.”

“Forgotten City?” Aerith eyed him curiously. “Like the Cetra legend?”

“Yes.” A heavy sigh escaped him; he felt so tired. “You go there to pray, to try and stop Sephiroth destroying everything.” He sucked in a deep breath and kept his eyes locked to hers. “You die, Aerith. Sephiroth kills you, and even when I stop his blade, it doesn’t seem to matter. You always end up dead.”

To Aerith’s credit she didn’t flinch away at his words. It was as though she was told of her demise every day. “A bad dream?”

“No. I wish it was. You die, I eventually fall asleep and then I wake up in Kalm again. It’s like a cycle that I can’t get out of. I always fail to save you Aerith, no matter how many chances I’m given.” Cloud dropped his head into his hands. His fingers wound through his hair and the slight ache as he pulled at the strands was welcome. It made him feel grounded. “I’ve lived this over so many times now. I get to spend time with you, but I always have to say goodbye at the end.”

Aerith remained quiet, watching the myriad of emotions within Cloud battle for dominance. He lifted his head slightly, catching her gaze and she was struck by how raw his expression was.

“I’m sick of goodbyes, Aerith. I don’t blame you if you don’t believe what I’m saying. It’s all crazy and wrong, but I’m telling you what I know. I held you yesterday as you died, and you told me that every minute and every moment matters. I think you were trying to tell me to share this with you. That in all my other attempts, I’ve been waiting too long to tell you things.”

Aerith was quiet for a while, and Cloud let her digest what he’d said. Eventually she slid her hand from the spot on the blanket between them and reached up to remove a hand from his head. Entwining his fingers with her own, she offered him a small smile. “I believe you. But I still don’t think I understand, can you start from the beginning… the very beginning?”

So he had. He’d explained what had happened the first time they’d lived, and died, in order to stop Sephiroth and Meteorfall. He’d given her a run down of the year he’d lived through afterwards, without her, all the way up until the moment he’d woken in Kalm again. 

He had explained that he had woken up in Kalm eight times at this point, and that there were months upon months worth of details to go in to. It was too much to delve in to then and there, so he had tried to stick to the main points.

Trying to explain the alternate universes had taken a while. He had reached behind her to untie the ribbon holding her braid, catching the empty materia that she kept within the fabric. 

“Your memories and the white materia have faded since we fought the Whisper Harbinger. You get a new white materia from another world, and you don’t even hesitate in laying your life down to use it. Even when I’ve told you that I know you’re walking to your own end, I haven’t been able to stop you from going.”

He looked at her as she sat, brunette tresses tumbling over her shoulders, and couldn’t help but to reach for her. His finger played with the strands of hair framing her face and he smiled bitterly. 

“You’re so brave and selfless, Aerith. And that makes me so angry, because I am selfish. I don’t care if it puts the world in danger, I need to find a way to keep you safe. Whatever force has sent me back here obviously wants me to keep you with me, and I will do that. No matter what.” His fingertips traced her face and he felt the flex of her jawbone as she swallowed; a reaction, he supposed, caused by his unabashed touch. 

 

“I fell in love with you that very first time, and then you were gone. I’ve had so many second chances with you and I’ve loved you every time. So I’m listening to what you said - I am making every moment count.”

Aerith didn’t resist as his hand moved to the back of her neck and he pulled her in to kiss him. If she had followed what he was saying, he had spent roughly a year living through the same sequences of events. It had obviously changed him. From her perspective it seemed strange, it was like he had changed over night, but she could still see the Cloud that she had fallen for right in front of her. He was more forthcoming, but the heart was the same.

He pulled back, resting his forehead against her own. His eyes stared deeply into her how, beseeching her. “I love you, Aerith. Please, I need your help. Don’t leave me again.”

She lifted her own hands to his face, trying to smooth the lines of tension away. “I’m here, Cloud. We’ll figure this out together.”

Cloud’s shoulders sagged slightly, just the act of telling her the small amount that he had so far felt cathartic and freeing. Oh he had shared a lot of things in the past, things he thought might keep her safe and stop her from heading in to danger, but telling her absolutely everything was new to him.

He’d always held back a little, always afraid that the others would think him insane when he told them that he was falling through time over and over again. He’d found that the group would follow his lead on most things, even without a full explanation of his reasoning, and so he had tended to keep quiet about some details. All of the minutiae, all the gory details had never really seemed important to share - he didn’t see how they were going to help keep Aerith safe.

Telling her what he had, and so soon, did have an obvious and immediate benefit; Cloud felt the weight of the burden ease as he shared it with her.

His mako-infused eyes raked over her again, drinking her in.

She was pensive, no doubt trying to process everything that he’d told her. He felt a stab of guilt that while he had eased the strain on himself, she now had to live with the knowledge that there was a target painted on her back. There was still so much more he would have to lay at her feet, but for now he couldn’t bring himself to do so, to add to her troubles.

“You know,” her voice was quiet. “You didn’t listen to me.”

“Hm?”

She looked up at Cloud and smiled gently. “I told you not to fall in love with me, didn’t I?”

Cloud was past any awkward posturing or blushing and he met her gaze with ease. “I think it was already too late by that point honestly.” He reached up to tuck a stray lock of hair behind her ear. “You know I asked you, well a different you, why you had told me not to fall in love.”

“What did she say?” If Aerith found it strange to refer to herself as a separate entity she didn’t show it.

“You tell me.” Cloud’s fingers brushed her cheek and she sighed.

“Because I had an idea that things weren’t going to end well for me.” She smiled sadly at him. “I’d seen visions, had dreams, ever since I was a child. I couldn’t really make sense of them to start with, but I worked out enough to get the general idea of what the planet had in store for me.” She gripped Cloud’s hand in hers. “At least I think that’s right. I think my memories about those visions are gone now. It’s like there’s something on the tip of my tongue but I can’t quite bring it out.”

Cloud nodded, he had had this discussion with a different her. “The Whispers took your memories, well I suppose knowledge of future events would be a better way to put it.”

“Do I get them back?” Her voice was curious and Cloud sighed heavily.

“You did in the end, even that first time around. I think that’s why I could never stop you running off to pray for Holy, because you saw what you thought was supposed to happen.”

Aerith worried her bottom lip between her teeth. “Guess I’ve gotten that knowledge back earlier this time, even if it’s not directly.”

Cloud’s stomach gave an unpleasant twist. “It doesn’t matter what that knowledge is, because that’s not what is going to happen. Not this time.”

Cloud supposed that it wasn’t hard for Aerith to see that he didn’t enjoy the topic of conversation and she slid closer to him, pressing herself in to his side tightly. “Sorry.”

Bringing an arm up to lay across her shoulders, Cloud shook his head. “There’s a lot more to explain, but I think it can wait for a little while.”

“Okay.”

The room was quiet for a while as they both grappled with their own thoughts. Cloud glanced down at Aerith. They often sat like this in past lives, her tucked under his arm, head resting on his chest, though never in Kalm. Never so early.

“Do I seem a lot different to you? Strange?”

Aerith hummed lightly and Cloud could see the apples of her cheeks rise as she smiled. “It’s like you woke up in a very, very affectionate mood. But I’ve seen small moments of you like this. I knew that this Cloud was in there somewhere.” She glanced up at him through her lashes. “I’m afraid you have me at a disadvantage, you must know a lot about me by now.”

Cloud huffed out a soft laugh. “A fair amount. To make it fair I’ll let you ask as many questions as you like this time.”

Snuggling her cheek back against his chest, Aerith sighed softly. “Deal. But for now, this is nice.”

Cloud tightened his grip and nodded. It was.

He supposed it was because he was so focused on Aerith, the feel of her warm and soft against him, that Cloud didn’t notice the sound of footsteps outside until the bedroom door swung open. He looked up to see Barrett in the doorway, a look of surprise on the older man’s face.

“Hey,” he said lowly as he entered the room fully. “Hope I’m not interrupting anything?”

“Not at all!” Aerith’s voice was cheerful and she made no effort to move from her position.

Cloud watched in quiet amusement as Barrett nodded and moved over to his pack next to his bed. He rifled through the contents for a moment before pulling out a wad of paper and straighted back up, heading towards the exit again while casting furtive glances towards the pair. He left the room, closing the door quietly behind him. Cloud silently counted to three and schooled his expression as the door swung open again and Barrett narrowed his eyes towards them.

“I’m sorry, but when did this happen?” He gestured towards them.

“Today.” Cloud said simply.

Barret observed them for a moment longer before shrugging and turning to leave the room once more. “Well alright.”

Cloud felt Aerith shake with suppressed laughter at Barret’s reaction and he was glad that the knowledge of what had been, and what still loomed ahead of them, had not been enough to dim her naturally cheerful disposition. Perhaps sharing the truth of what he had experienced was not such a bad approach after all.

“I think,” he began, staring at the door that had close behind Barret. “I owe the others an explanation too.”

Chapter 3: Past, Present, Future

Summary:

“The truth is like a lion; you don’t have to defend it. Let it loose; it will defend itself.”
― Augustine of Hippo

“Finally.” Red met Cloud and Aerith as they stepped out of the Inn. “Rough day yesterday huh?”

 

It took Cloud just a moment to situate himself in the familiar conversation. It was always such an odd feeling for Cloud, knowing the great adventure ahead of them and knowing the bonds that he and Red, and indeed the rest of the team, would make. But for Red it was merely the day after Cloud and the others had liberated him from Hojo's lab.

 

“Hey, Red.” Cloud’s gaze swept the sky above the town square. He and Aerith had been talking for a while and Cloud knew that the Shinra forces couldn't be too far away. “Look, there's no need to thank me for yesterday and there's no debt to repay. I'm just glad you're part of the team now.”

 

Red paused, blinking at the blonde haired man for a moment before he looked at Aerith quizzically.

 

Aerith smiled at him and shrugged. “It's a long story.”

 

“Speaking of which, we need to find the others. Red do you think you could find Tifa and Barret and bring them back to the inn? There's not much time.”

 

“Of course.” Red bowed his head before turning to leave, throwing one more curious glance over his shoulder as he went.

 

“So is Red going to think you're a mind reader or something now?”

 

Cloud looked down at Aerith, the corner of his mouth lifting slightly. “Maybe. Until I explain everything, at which point he'll probably just think I'm crazy.”

He reached out and took Aerith’s hand in his, loathe to allow any distance between them. The blush that unfurled across her cheeks was both endearing and worrying to him. “Would you rather I not do this?” He lifted their hands slightly. “I know this is a lot, and very sudden in your eyes.”

 

Aerith hummed softly and shook her head. “I don’t mind.”

 

Cloud took her at her word and nodded. “Come on, there’s someone else I need to speak to.”

---

 

Cloud had talked to Broden, inquiring about the man’s ill health and offering to help Mildred with her windmill repairs. As expected, Broden had given Cloud safe passage out of Kalm by way of the secret route beneath the inn.

 

Ushering Aerith through the doorway and down the ladder, Cloud had paused and turned back to observe Broden. “My friends-”

 

“I will make sure they follow you.” The dark-haired man smiled. The sound of aircraft thrummed from outside. “But that is your cue to get moving.”

 

Cloud’s eyes drifted to Broden’s upper arm, where he knew the number tattoo would be present. He wished that there was something he could do to help the man, but curing him of the Jenova cells that infected his body was beyond anything that Cloud could hope to do.

 

“Broden. Thank you.”

 

The gaunt man paused, surprised by Cloud’s sincerity. “Think nothing of it. I just hope you succeed in what you aim to achieve.”

 

Cloud’s grip found the metal rungs of the ladder and he looked up, holding Broden’s gaze until the door to the inn swung shut. Descending the ladder in to the air raid shelter, Cloud quickly spotted Aerith leaning against the wall as short distance away.

 

“Everything okay?”

 

“Yeah.” Cloud moved to stand next to her. “Broden will send the others our way. We just have to wait.”

 

Aerith nodded, looking around their sparse surroundings. “So what is the rush with leaving Kalm?”

 

“Hear that?” Cloud pointed towards the ceiling and he and Aerith fell silent. The could just make out the rumbling of propellors above. “Shinra are already on our tail.”

 

“Of course.” Aerith shook her head. She moved over to a wooden crate further down the room and sat down. “Guess even outside of Midgar we’re not really free.”

 

Cloud followed her to the crate, nudging her leg with his own as he sat down. “They can try to find us. Not gonna happen though.”

 

Aerith grinned up at him. “Is that Mr.Bodyguard talking?”

 

“Nah, it’s Mr. Everything.”

 

Aerith’s delighted laughter filled the shelter, and made Cloud’s chest swell. He draped an arm over her shoulders and leaned his head back against the brick wall behind them, content to wait for the others in relative peace.

 

It was perhaps another half an hour before the door at the top of the ladder squeaked open again. Cloud and Aerith tensed, gaze fixed on the ladder, before relaxing as they spotted Barret’s combat boots and fatigues descending into the hideout.

 

When the man was on two feet, he gave the room a cursory glance before nodding at Cloud and Aerith. “Damn Shinra. Can’t get a break from them.”

“At least we got away without being spotted.” Tifa dropped the last few rungs of the ladder, eyes also scanning the room. When she spotted Cloud and Aerith, and their close proximity to one another, she was unable to stop an involuntary frown before she averted her eyes completely.

 

Aerith patted Cloud’s leg and stood up, aware of her female friend’s reaction.

 

Cloud moved from his seated position too, just as Red cleared the ladder. The door at the top of the ladder swung shut once more and the five companions stared at one another.

 

“So where to now?” Barret inquired.

 

Red inclined his head towards an opening at the end of the room. “There’s a breeze coming from direction.”

“Sounds like a plan to me.” Aerith pointed in the direction Red was looking. “Let’s go!”

 

The group made their way through the passageways, ducking under pipes here and there, until they came to a pair of large metal doors. Moving past the others, Cloud braced his palms against the metal, and the doors swung outwards with a groan.

 

Squinting against the bright sunlight, the party stepped out of the tunnel and took in the sight before them.

 

“Wow.” Aerith gasped, wide eyes drinking in the vista before them. “Just look at it all. It’s so green! A living, breathing planet. Even after everything we’ve done to it, it’s still going strong.”

 

“It may look that way,” Red spoke, approaching Aerith from behind. “But in reality, it’s barely hanging on.”

 

Aerith looked momentarily crestfallen. “Guess I still have a lot to learn.”

 

“Whaddya wanna know?” Barret asked, voice gentle.

 

Stepping forward, Cloud interrupted the moment. “I really think we should make tracks.” As he finished his sentence, two gargantuan airships crested the walls of Kalm behind them.

 

“Good idea.” Tifa nodded. “Guess we won’t be coming back here anytime soon.”

 

“So where to?” Barret shielded his eyes with his hand as he gazed out across the grasslands.

 

“I know somewhere.” Cloud moved forward. “And when we get there, I really need to tell you guys something important.”

 

---

 

Cloud ushered the others in to the single room of the shack, his eyes scanning the terrain outside before closing the door behind him. Their accommodation for the night was perched close to the cliff edge, not too far from Mildred’s windmill. Before they headed any further in to the grasslands, Cloud wanted to try and explain his situation to the others.

 

“So what’s this big news you have to tell us? After last night’s storytime I thought you’d be done with talking for a while.” Barret took a seat on the floor of the hut they had taken refuge in, his back against the weather-worn wood.

 

Last night for the others had been his tale of Nibelheim’s destruction and Sephiroth’s descent in to madness, even if the story had a somewhat unreliable narrator. He glanced at Tifa, knowing she had fretted over his tremulous grasp on reality and the events of their past. He would have to talk to her alone, after he got through the immediate hurdle ahead of him.

 

“Right.” He stood in the middle of the small room and eyed the others. Barret’s expression was fairly neutral, if not for the annoyed narrowing of his eyes.

Red sat in the far corner of the room, his tail casting guttering shadows around them as it swayed slightly. His gaze was sharp - he had already noticed Cloud’s cryptic mood and the curiosity had built in him.

Tifa had balanced herself on a precariously built stool, the only bit of furniture in the shack. The concern in her expression was easy to see. The last time they had talked, in her lifetime of course, had been on the roof terrace of the inn, when Sephiroth’s voice had whispered words of paranoia and bout into Cloud’s mind. Cloud could see that guard that Tifa still had up, and he allowed himself a heavy sigh.

 

His eyes alighted on the last member of their team. Aerith remained standing, rocking slightly on the balls of her feet. She offered Cloud an encouraging smile and he nodded to her.

 

“There’s no real easy way to sat this, and you’re going to think I’ve gone nuts.”

 

“Already do.” Barret muttered.

 

Cloud ignored him. “The short version is that I’ve come back in time somehow. I’ve travelled back about a year and now I’m stuck in some kind of time loop where I’ve ended up on this day in Kalm eight times now.”

 

The silence was deafening.

 

Barret’s eyes were wide, Red’s tail had frozen mid-sway, and Tifa was looking at him as though he had two heads.

 

The slight creak of the floorboards under Aerith’s feet broke the spell that had settled over the others.

 

“What the f-”

 

“Cloud?” Tifa cut off Barret’s stupefied exclamation. “Are you feeling okay?”

 

Cloud let out a breath. “I’m fine. I know it’s a lot to take in, but it’s the truth.”

 

“Time travel? You expect us to believe in some hokey-ass story like that?” Barret spluttered.

 

“I believe him.” Aerith spoke for the first time since they’d made it to the building. The others looked at her and she continued. “Is Cloud the sort of person who would make up stories like this? He knew the Shinra troops were going to storm Kalm and he made sure we got out of there before they turned up, didn’t he?”

 

“Lucky guess.” Barret groused.

 

Red moved forwards, closer to the group. “If what you say is true, then you must know how our journey unfolds."

 

“That’s a long story.” Cloud eyed the sky beyond the peeling paint of the window frames. The moon was approaching the midpoint of the sky. They had some time. He turned his attention back to the others. “I can tell you what happened the first time around, and what has happened since I travelled back. Best get comfortable.”

 

“Now hang on a minute.” Barret waved his hand about in frustration. “I’m not sitting here and listening to some bullshit story when-”

 

“Dyne.”

 

Barret fell silent as the name left Cloud’s lips.

 

“Corel. The mako reactor and the Shinra massacre. Myrna.” Cloud watched the older man flinch slightly. “I know all about it. I went there with you, and you shared what happened in your past.”

 

He looked at Red. “Nanaki. You may not think it yet, but your father was a hero, he protected Cosmo Canyon from the Gi.”

 

Red lowered his head, his unscarred eye full of emotion. When Cloud turned to Tifa she shied away slightly.

 

“Tifa, you know that most of my story from last night didn’t make sense. I was never the SOLDIER that were to Nibelheim with Sephiroth. That was Zack Fair.” He was aware of Aerith shifting in the corner of his eye and he fought the urge to turn to her. “I eventually figured out which of my memories were real and which wasn’t, and that was thanks to you.”

 

Tifa pressed her lips together tightly and stared at Cloud.

 

Red cleared his throat. “What about Aerith?”

“Hm, me?” Aerith pointed at herself.

 

“What information about Aerith do you have to share to prove you have lived through future events?”

 

While Red’s question was fair, Cloud felt his stomach twist unpleasantly. Thinking of the times he had lost her in the past were already a painful exercise, but having to tell the others added a new level of bitterness ot the act.

 

“It’s okay, Cloud.” Aerith smiled at him gently. “Just tell them what you told me.”

 

He took strength from her delicate face, still riding the high that she was alive and well before him, and he took a deep breath.

 

“So, from the beginning…”

 

The others remained quiet as Cloud gave them a brief run through of how life had panned out for them the first time round. Barret shifted uncomfortably when Cloud summarised their trip to Corel and the reunion with Dyne, but he held his tongue for the most part and allowed Cloud to continue.

Red remained in contemplative silence as he listened to Cloud talk of Cosmo Canyon, Bugenhagen, and the Cave of the Gi.

He briefly explained who else they would recruit to their cause and the journey they would take to defeat Sephiroth. When his story reached the Temple of the Ancients, he paused.

 

“The Cloud that I was, that I have been so far in your eyes, well that wasn’t completely me.” He looked at Tifa who was wringing her hands together in slight agitation. “You know that something has been going on with me Tifa, ever since you found me in Midgar. You’ve been keeping an eye on me and worrying because you knew something was wrong.”

 

“You’re saying you’re someone different now or somethin’?” Barret piped up.

 

“No, just the real me. The one you were trying to find.” He glanced at Aerith. Those words had not been said by her yet, at least not in this lifetime, but her eyes glimmered with understanding. She had been probing at the very core of his being since she had met him, trying to draw out the part of him not guarded behind a wall, and not damaged by the events of his past.

 

“Me back then, well I was still stuck under Sephiroth’s pull. I made some bad decisions, and I allowed myself to be used like a puppet.” He shook his head, still annoyed with his past actions. “I gave Sephiroth the Black Materia.”

 

“Which he would use to destroy the world?” Red prompted, trying to make sure he was following along.

 

“That was his plan. To use the Black Materia to summon Meteor and tear a wound in the planet so he could absorb the Lifestream and become a god. He planned to do this across multiple realities, absorbing the Lifestream from each world.”

 

“Man this multiple world crap gives me a headache.” Barret muttered. “How does it even work?”

 

Cloud shrugged. “Sephiroth said that when you defy fate, you create new worlds. Like when we fought the Whisper Harbingers, we changed the course of things. Some worlds blink out of existence quickly while others endure.”

Barret squinted, as though a headache was building. “You’re saying that there’s more than just this me running around out there?”

 

“Seems that way.” Cloud didn’t want to get into a full explanation of his trip to the alternate Sector 5 slums. At least not yet. It was something for him and Aerith to discuss first, and he had so far merely glossed over it in his explanation of things to her.

 

“So what happened when Sephiroth got the Black Materia?” Tifa spoke up for the first time. “We did beat him, right?”

 

“We did. Eventually.” Cloud felt so very tired all of a sudden and he moved to mirror Barret’s seated position against the opposite wall. Averting his eyes away from the others, he continued with his story.

 

“Aerith got her White Materia restored and she went to the City of the Ancients to pray for Holy. It was the only thing that could stop Meteor.”

 

“And?” Barret prompted when Cloud fell silent.

 

“And I died.” Aerith supplied, saving Cloud from having to repeat the words yet again.

 

Cloud heard the collective intake of breath from the others before Barret turned the air blue with his protestations.

 

“What do you mean you died?” Tifa whispered.

 

“Sephiroth.” Cloud looked at the others now. “I blocked his sword and pushed it away but I guess we’re stuck in the world where he was successful because Aerith died at the altar that day. I saw both outcomes and got stuck with the worst one.”

 

“Well we can stop that happening this time, right? Now that we know what is going to happen?” Barret nodded resolutely.

 

Cloud let out a huff of humourless laughter. “I’ve tried seven times so far to change things, but I’ve never been able to do it.”

 

An heavy silence fell over the group and Cloud was aware of everyone’s eyes fixed on the flower girl. Aerith fiddled with the bangles on her wrist, pointedly avoiding eye contact with anyone.

 

“I still don’t understand where the time travel bit comes in.” Tifa murmured eventually.

 

Cloud continued with his story. The Northern Crater, the Weapons, and his bout of mako poisoning. His knowledge of what had happened to the others had been gained second hand and so his retelling was spotty.

“I don’t remember much until you help me work through things in the Lifestream.” He looked at Tifa. “You help me get my mind back in working order and I was able to rejoin the fight.”

 

He summarised the rest of the events as succinctly as he could. In any other situation stories of taking a rocket to space, or a submarine to an underwater reactor would have taken centre stage, but they were by far the least strange tales that Cloud had to tell.

 

“So we got back to the Northern Crater and defeated Sephiroth. It took all of us, but we did it in the end.”

 

“And Meteor was stopped?” Red asked, tail whipping the air behind him erratically.

 

“No.” Cloud shook his head. “Meteor was already bearing down on the planet, but defeating Sephiroth did allow Holy to come forth. It was a bit too late though, and Meteor was too close for Holy to stop.”

 

Barret had taken to his feet, pacing back and forth. “So after all that crap we went through, we still failed?”

 

Cloud focused on Aerith who had listened to his story quietly (for the second time in one day). “Aerith gave us a hand. The Lifestream came forth and helped Holy push meteor back.”

 

“Heh, well way to go Little Lady. Still looking out for us I guess.” Barret paused and frowned at his own words. “Scratch that, that’s some damn morbid shit to be saying.”

 

Aerith reached out and patted Barret’s arm. “Don’t worry about it.”

 

Tifa had moved to  the window, staring out at the dark horizon past the cliff edge. “So what happened next? How did you end up back here, Cloud?”

 

Cloud looked up at the others from his seated position. “A year passed. We were busy fixing the damage from Meteor, helping people rebuild their lives. Then one day I woke up and I was back in Kalm, the day after we escaped from Midgar.”

 

“Just like that?”

 

“Yeah. Like I said I’ve done this seven times already, and I think I was sent back to make sure Aerith survives.”

 

Red’s keen eye glinted in the low light of the room. “How so?”

 

“Seven times now I’ve been unable to save Aerith. When she dies I wake up back in Kalm and I start over again.”

 

“Eighth time is a charm, right?” Barret’s rare attempt to inject humour in to the situation fell a little flat but Cloud would have been lying if he said that he didn’t appreciate it.

 

“That’s the plan. Telling you all like this, right from the beginning, hasn’t been something I’ve done before. I’m hoping it makes a difference.”

 

“Well to be forewarned is to be forearmed.” Red intoned. “Perhaps we can discuss your previous attempts at some point?”

“Sure.” Cloud stood, stretching his stiff back. “So you don’t think I’m totally crazy?”

 

“Honestly kid, it’s such a crazy story that if you’ve made it up I say you hang up the sword and just write for a living.” Barret’s gaze passed over Aerith and he frowned. “Gotta say I’ve got some issues with the ending though.”

 

“Oh don’t worry about me.” Aerith smiled. “I’m sure we’ll figure something out.”

 

“Well at the end of the day,” Barret continued. “I guess it doesn’t matter if it’s real or not. Either way we need to stop Sephiroth and whatever nefarious crap Shinra has planned. So on we go.”

“Can our first stop be to bed?” Aerith yawned. “It’s been a long day.”

 

“Good idea.” Cloud spared the night sky a quick glance. “Dawn is a few hours away at least. Let’s get some rest.”

 

The group began moving about the small space, trying to make the most of the meagre surroundings. Cloud moved over to Aerith and took her hand, leading her outside of the building.

 

“What’s up?” She asked when he had led them a short distance away from the shack.

 

“I know that there’s still a lot we need to talk about. I mentioned Zack earlier and-”

 

“Hey.” She cut him off. “There’s time for that. You’ve been through so much, several times over that I don’t expect you to tell me, or anyone else everything straight away.”

She folded her hands behind her back and looked up at the starlit sky, a sad smile on her face. “I’m just glad that you have memories of him. That other people remember him.”

 

“I do. He was a good friend.” Cloud hesitated for a moment before continuing. “He turned up and helped me fight Sephiroth after you… well you know.”

 

“Oh?” Aerith looked at him.

 

“Yeah, I think he's still out there, in another world. Maybe there's a few Zacks out there.”

 

Aerith laughed. “Causing trouble no doubt.” The smile died on her lips and she sighed. “But the Zack in this world, he…”

 

“Died to save me. I'm sorry.”

 

“Don't be sorry for that.” Aerith shook her head, braid whipping across her shoulder as she did so. “I wouldn't have expected anything different from Zack. He was loyal to a fault.”

 

She took Cloud’s hand back in her own and pressed her lips together, searching his face. “The funny thing about the human heart is that it never runs out of space. Zack was my first love. He was good and kind, and it hurts to know that he didn't make it, but a part of me always knew that he was gone, I think.” She squeezed Cloud's hand tighter. “But I am so glad that I met you Cloud, that you survived, because my heart has space for you too. Its own space.”

 

She stopped short of making any grand confessions to him, but Cloud could hear her unsaid words and he felt his heart swell.

 

“I can tell you the stories I have about him, if you like.”

 

Aerith nodded, leaning her forehead against Cloud's collarbone and he felt his heart rate increase.

 

“I would like that.” The sound of creaking hinges drew their attention and they both spotted the lithe shadow disappearing around the side of the house as the door of the shack swung shut. Drawing back, Aerith gave a Cloud one more, small smile. “You need to go and talk to her.”

 

“Yeah.” Cloud agreed and he reluctantly untangled his fingers from Aerith’s.

 

“Be gentle. I'm sure that after all this time you know how she feels about you.”

 

“Don't worry,” Cloud offered over his shoulder as he headed after Tifa. “This me isn't so oblivious.”

 

—

 

“Can't sleep?”

 

Tifa was sat near the edge of the cliff, knees bent and arms wrapped around them. Cloud lowered himself to the floor next to her, slinging one arm over his propped knee and leaning back on the other.

 

“Got a lot to think about after that story.”

 

Cloud hummed in agreement and the pair sat quietly for a while, staring out at the starlit sky. The sound of the waves crashing at the bottom of the cliffs punctuated the silence between them.

 

“I need to apologise.” Cloud was the first one to break the stillness of the moment. He was aware of Tifa turning her head to look at him, but when she didn’t speak he continued. “I think our last conversation was an argument, wasn’t it?”

 

“Oh.” Tifa looked back at the dark horizon. “Yeah, last night on the roof?” Sighing, she turned her head to regard Cloud full. “But it wasn’t yesterday for you, was it?”

 

“No. More like two years ago.” The first night in Kalm, his flawed retelling of the events of Nibelheim, and his argument with Tifa on the roof - all of those instances were prior to the moments that Cloud had found himself reliving. So much had happened for him since then that he found himself digging through his memories, trying to recall the details of what had happened between himself and Tifa. Looking at Tifa now, he offered her a grim smile. “I’m sorry. I wasn’t my full self back then and I blamed the gaps in my memory on you, rather than on myself.”

Tifa met his gaze, her ruby eyes wet with tears. “So you don’t think that I’m an impostor?”

 

Cloud chuckled awkwardly. “No, I think you’ve more than proved yourself.”

 

‘And where were you again?’

 

The bite of Tifa’s accusation chimed clearly from the depths of Cloud’s memory and he ran a tired hand over his face.

 

“I was there, in Nibelheim. The Shinra grunt who accompanied Zack and Sephiroth? That was me.”

 

Tifa stared at him, mouth parted. “What-”

 

“Yeah, I was too ashamed to show my face to you as a lowly foot soldier, but I was there. I saw what Sephiroth did to Zack, and to you.”

 

Tifa squeezed her eyes shut and Cloud could only imagine she was trying to banish the memories of that horrible night. “What happened afterwards? Zangan never mentioned anyone else being in the reactor.”

 

“Now that is a long story.” Cloud offered her a small smile. “I can tell you now if you’d like?”

 

Tifa’s gaze drifted to the horizon where the slightest shade of purple was beginning to show. “Maybe another time. I think we’ve had enough long stories for one night.”

 

“Right.” Cloud huffed out a laugh and Tifa regarded him for a moment.

 

“You are different.” When Cloud merely tilted his head in question, she continued. “You’re a lot more open than I’m used to… not as guarded.”

 

Cloud nodded, leaning back on both elbows. “Yeah. I have you to thank for that too you know.” At Tifa’s inquisitive look he smiled wryly. “Another long story.”

 

“Forget I said anything then.” Tifa laughed. She lowered herself to mirror Cloud’s position. “So, can I ask you something?”

“Shoot.”

 

“You and Aerith… are you-”

 

Cloud kept his eyes on the night sky above, for both his sake, and Tifa’s. “Yeah. That first time around I felt things but I never acted on it. Guess it ate away at me afterwards.” He thought about the despondent figure he cut through Edge. “I took to sleeping in Aerith’s church in the slums once everything was done. Felt a lot of guilt about what had happened.”

 

“Were we still friends?”

 

Cloud turned his attention to Tifa then. “Of course we were. You spent most of your time trying to get me to rejoin the living.”

 

Tifa lay back fully on the scrubby grass of the cliff edge, turning her head to look at Cloud. “I wasn’t successful?”

 

“No.” Cloud shook his head. “And if you couldn’t do it then I don’t think anyone could have.”

 

The previous, heavy silence fell between then again, and Cloud and Tifa both stared at the constellations above them. The sky here was different than the one they shared in Nibelheim, but it was easy for them both to think of the night they had spent sat together on the water tower. Just two children, unaware of what life had planned for them.

 

“So about me and Aerith.” Cloud intoned eventually, breaking the peacefulness of the approaching dawn.

 

“Hey, don’t worry about it.” Tifa had closed her eyes by this point, and a small smile played about her lips. “I mean you’re travelling through time and fighting against fate to save her life. Pretty hard to fault you for that.”

 

Cloud blinked before shaking his head. “Right. It’s just I didn't want anything to come between us, or between you and Aerith. I’ve sort of sprung this on her too so I didn’t want to cause any problems for her.”

 

Tifa cracked an eye open and levelled Cloud with a chastising glare. “Oh please, Cloud. Aerith's my friend, there's no way I'd let a boy come between us.”

 

“Ouch.” Cloud deadpanned and Tifa laughed as the sun breached the horizon and heralded a new day.

Notes:

June has been a very busy month, so please forgive the delay for this chapter!

Also it's 3am where I am, so I'll come back and fix any errors when I'm more awake...

Chapter 4: First Steps

Summary:

“No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it's not the same river and he's not the same man.”
― Heraclitus

“Watch your step.” Cloud held out his hand to help Aerith across some uneven rocks.

 

“Heh, the new Cloud is a gentleman it seems.” Barret chuckled as he hopped down next to them.

 

Cloud levelled him with a flat stare. “Did you want a hand too?”

“Attitude could still be improved though, I tell ya that much.” Barret stomped ahead. “Now where is that ranch again?”

 

The group were leaving Mildred and her newly-repaired windmills behind. Cloud had battled the urge to tell Mildred exactly what was going on with Broden before deciding against it. There was nothing they could do to help the man at this point. In some cases the truth just caused pain.

 

“It’s not too far.” Cloud answered Barret’s question. Squinting against the late morning sun, he pointed at the small grouping of buildings, just visible in the distance. “We could get there by lunch. Gonna have to wrangle some chocobos when we get there though.”

 

Tifa and Aerith shared an eager glance. “Chocobos?” Tifa jogged forward to fall in to step with Cloud. “Not walking the whole way then?”

 

“Ha ha.” Cloud sighed. “We need chocobos to get through the swamp. Besides, they do come in useful later on too.”

 

“Am I the only one that finds the casual talk about the future creepy?” Barret piped up as the group continued their trek forward.

 

“It is somewhat disconcerting.” Red nodded.

 

“Hey, I’m trying not to do it too much.” Cloud muttered. It was something he was acutely aware of; the balancing act between using his knowledge for the good of their mission, and not completely screwing things up. Besides that, there were a lot of moments on their adventure that while not exactly crucial to the safety of the planet, were important to his friends. He didn’t want them to miss out on experiencing those times, and creating those memories.

 

A warm hand slipped in to his own and he glanced down at Aerith’s smiling face. “He’s just teasing.” She assured. “But if there’s any bets we should be placing, just let us know.”

 

Cloud didn’t fight the smile that turned up his lips. “I’ll keep it in mind.”

 

They made good time to the ranch. Cloud heard the muffled squeals from Aerith and Tifa as they spotted the gazing chocobos gathered outside the barn. He led the way up to building and greeted Billy, going through the usual spiel of asking to rent some chocobos, only to be told there were none available.

 

Cloud was an expert at these negotiations by this point and soon they were on their way to seek out Piko the renegade bird. Cloud had had Billy throw in some extra gysahl greens for cheap, so he could catch mounts for the others too.

 

The group eventually spotted the flock of chocobos wandering in an area of long grass. Piko was easy to pick out from the crowd, his bridle and saddle easily setting him apart from the other birds.

 

“I’ll grab Piko. You guys stay out of sight. They’ll all run if even one of them spots us.” Cloud glanced at the others who nodded.

 

Cloud was a pro at this by now. Darting between patches of long grass to keep out of sight of the chocobos milling around the area, and throwing rocks to distract them. Soon he was within range of his target. As Piko turned away, Cloud took the opportunity to emerge from his hiding spot, approaching the animal as fast as his crouched posture would allow.

 

He came just within reaching distance of the bird when Piko turned. Its feathers ruffled and its eyes widened in instinctive panic as it spotted Cloud. 

 

Cloud raised his hands, palms pointing towards the animal as he froze and stared in to Piko’s dark eyes. “It’s okay.” He soothed, lowly. “You know me.”

 

The bird’s head titled to the side, regarding the man before it. The pause was enough for Cloud to edge forward and grasp the reigns hanging from Piko’s neck. Offering the remaining gysahl greens from his pocket was enough for Cloud to keep the chocobo under control.

 

Cloud stroked Piko’s beak as the others approached.

 

“Nicely done.” Red murmured.

 

“Thanks.” Cloud stepped aside as Tifa and Aerith made a beeline for Piko, cooing over the animal and fussing the feathers at his neck. He looked at the area he had just passed through and was not surprised to see the other chocobos had scarpered.

 

“Best get this one back to the ranch then.” Barret said, moving closer to join the group.

 

Cloud nodded in agreement before pausing, eyeing up his newly acquired mount.

 

“Actually, before we head back, will you guys be okay to round up some extra chocobos? Gonna need one each.”

 

“And where are you going?” Barret narrowed his eyes. “Dipping out on the hard work?”

 

Cloud barely suppressed the urge to roll his eyes. “There’s something else I need to do. I’ll meet you back at the ranch.” He hoisted himself up on to Piko before holding a hand out to Aerith. “I’m going to need your help.”

“Oh I bet you are.” Barret muttered.

 

Tifa elbowed the man in the ribs and his breath left him in a gasping cough. “Ignore him. We’ll be fine, go do whatever it is you need to do. We’ll get an extra bird for Aerith too if we can.”

 

The flower girl smiled in thanks before turning back to Cloud. She took his proffered hand and he pulled her up to sit in front of him in a single, fluid motion. Looping his arms around Aerith’s middle, Cloud gathered Piko’s reigns in a loose grasp. He dug the bundle of chocobo greens out of his pocket and tossed it to Tifa before looking back at the woman before him.

 

“Ready?”

 

“Yep.” Aerith sent him a grin over her shoulder. “Let’s go!”

 

Urging Piko in to a quick trot, they headed northwest, back in the direction of Kalm. Cloud didn’t miss how Aerith sat rather stiffly in front of him, not yet used to chocobo riding, and he tried to keep the bird as steady as possible.

 

“So where are we going?” Aerith enquired as they turned due west. She could just make out Midgar in the far distance

“”You’ll see.” Cloud replied. “It’s not too much farther.” He guided their mount through the dry terrain to the west of Kalm before heading north, past the old mako pipelines. Piko was swift and they managed to avoid the groups of monsters stalking their route.

 

“This is it.” He pulled back on Piko’s reigns and the bird slowed to a stop. Cloud dismounted smoothly before turning to look up at Aerith. He reached up and took her by the waist, inwardly smiling as the woman let out a slight squeak of surprise. Cloud lifted Aerith from the back of the chocobo with ease and set her on her feet gently. “Ready?”

 

Tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear, Aerith glanced around the sparse surroundings. “Sure. But where are we?”

 

“It’s just up ahead a little.” Cloud gestured towards a large section of pipe that lay half-buried before them like a tunnel.

 

“You’ve got a funny idea of romance.” Aerith sighed, but Cloud spotted the smile on her lips as she took his hand and allowed him to lead the way forward.

 

They made their way through the section of disused pipe, the bright glare of the sun beckoning them from the far end. When they emerged into the light, Aerith let out an involuntary gasp.

 

“What do you think?” Cloud asked, looking around at the mass of flowers surrounding them.

 

“It’s beautiful.” She grinned at Cloud. “I take back everything I said. You do know how to be romantic.”

Cloud cleared his throat, his ears burning slightly. “Wouldn’t go that far.”

 

Aerith ignored his grumbling and set off towards the lush carpet of flowers. Cloud followed after her, watching as she stopped every now and then to crouch and observe the blooms more closely. Eventually she turned her head to give Cloud a blinding smile.

 

“Thank you for bringing me here.”

 

“Well couldn’t very well head out of the Grasslands before showing you this place.” Cloud shoved his hands in his pockets and averted his eyes to the sky. “You’ve always liked it here.”

 

Aerith was quiet for a moment while she considered his words. “Then thank you for showing me this time.”

 

Cloud smiled softly as he looked back at her. “I’ve jumped the gun a little. Back at the ranch, Billy’s sister wants some flowers to make a crown. Thought we could cut out the middle man and come straight here and get what she wants.”

 

Aerith straightened, brushing off her dress. “Of course.” She glanced around at the multitude of flowers. “I wonder which ones she would like best.”

 

“White daisies, red gerbera, and yellow calendulas.” Cloud reeled off, almost without thinking.

 

Aerith stared at Cloud. “You remembered the flower names?”

 

“I remember everything about the times we’ve spent together.” Cloud couldn’t help but turn away from her then, his words dredging up bittersweet memories. He picked his way across the meadow, stopping at a patch of white flowers. He crouched down and began plucking some of the stems from the ground, resolutely keeping his attention on the task at hand.

 

So focused was he that it almost made him jump when he felt Aerith’s warm form press against his back, and a pair of slender arms trailed over his shoulders and across his chest. He remained still as Aerith buried her face in the crook of his neck and her hair tickled against his ear.

 

“Aerith?”

 

“Thank you.” She whispered in to his shirt. “For everything.”

 

---

 

Barret, Tifa and Red were already at Bill’s ranch when Cloud and Aerith returned, and Cloud spotted four extra chocobos grazing in the paddock outside the barn. After talking to Billy and confirming their plans to head out for the swamp, Cloud led Aerith over to the counter at the back of the barn.

 

Chloe had been both surprised and confused when they had presented her with armfuls of flowers, having never shared a word with the pair previously. Luckily for them, the young girl’s excitement and gratefulness took precedence and she thanked them profusely for the gift. They spent a little while longer at the counter while Aerith showed the girl how to expertly weave a flower crown before they headed out to rejoin the others.

 

“Aw he’s so cute.” Aerith cooed over her new mount.

 

“He was the biggest pain in the ass to get.” Barret piped up as he strapped his pack securely to his bird.

 

“You’re just mad because he bit you.” Tifa hid her smile behind her hand.

 

Barret waved his hand dismissively. “Yeah and that makes it a pain in the ass in my book.” He glanced over at Cloud. “We ready to head out?”

“Yeah.” Cloud looped the reigns of his own chocobo around his hand. “Just be ready for a fight.”

 

“Always.” Barret intoned, climbing up on to the saddle of his mount.

 

Cloud glanced at the others and they nodded. He turned towards the direction of the swamplands and spurred his ride onwards. “Then let’s mosey.”

 

---

 

“Watch your step.” Tifa called over her shoulder as they and their birds waded through the murky waters of the swamp.

 

“Indeed.” Red glanced down at the muddy brown liquid in distaste. “Not exactly the scenic route.”

 

“Quickest way through.” Cloud replied, steadying his mount as they traversed some uneven footing. “We’ll try and avoid the Midgardsormr if we can. Just be careful, it hides itself in the water well.”

 

He was peering down at the watery depths, looking for signs of the serpent when Barret’s voice called out.

 

“Err, what about in the trees?”

 

“What?” Cloud’s face was twisted in confusion as he looked up before he yanked hard on Piko’s reigns to come to an abrupt stop.

 

“Whoa.” Aerith paused alongside him, staring at the gruesome sight before them.

 

“What could have done this?” Tifa whispered from Cloud’s other side as they all stared at the jagged tree in the distance, and the giant serpent impaled upon it.

 

“Sephiroth.” Cloud spat before shaking his head. “But why? This is different.”

 

“Hey, guys?” Barret cut in. “What’s that?”

 

Turning, Cloud saw a swell of water behind them fast approaching their position. Swearing, he gave Piko a sharp kick in the side and urged the bird forward. “Move!”

 

The group scrambled up on to dry land, the corpse of the Midgardsormr looming behind them. Cloud jumped down from his chocobo, drawing his sword as he went. He heard Barret yelling as the birds took off in to the swamp and he raised a hand.

“Leave them go. They’ll be back.”

 

As the last word left his lips, the rush of swamp water reached the edge of the land they were on, and a giant snake erupted from the depths.

 

“There’s two of them?” Tifa groaned as she adjusted her gloves.

 

“Apparently.” Cloud threw a quick glance at the others. “Just don’t get dragged in to the water. Trust me.”

 

The giant serpent reared its great head backwards for a moment before lunging forwards. The group separated, leaping to safety either side of the gaping maw of the creature. Cloud and Barret to the left, and Aerith, Tifa and Red to the right. 

 

Barret sprayed a hail of bullets at the monster, keeping its attention as the others regained their footing. “You must have fought this thing before, right?”

 

“A few times.” Cloud grunted, flipping backwards away from the fangs that snapped closed in the place he had just vacated.

 

“So what’s the plan?”

 

Cloud rolled to the side, left hand coming up to hover over the materia slotted in to his sword. “It’s weak to ice.”

 

The older man nodded and readied his own attack. “Got it.”

 

Cloud’s blizzard spell enveloped the creature’s head at the same time Barret unleashed a round of icy impulse projectiles.

 

The Midgardsormr screeched, writhing away from the attacks before twisting around and plunging back in to the murky depths of the swamp.

 

Cloud watched it disappear from sight, but his attention was brought back to the group as a barrier enveloped him. Glancing to his right he nodded his thanks at Aerith, noticing she had cast the protective spell on the entire team.

 

“Is that it?”

 

Cloud shook his head at Tifa’s question. “I doubt it. Don’t let your guard down.”

 

“Use ice attacks.” Barret supplied, reloading his weapon. “Spike said it’s weak to it.”

 

“Look there.” Red jerked his head towards the water. “The shadow.”

 

“Move!” Cloud barked just as the snake burst from the water once more. He imbued his blade with ice magic and launched himself forwards, focused on the head of the creature once more.

 

The Midgardsormr was ready for him this time however, and its tail whipped through the air, smacking Cloud firmly in the ribs and sending him careening towards the water.

 

Cloud hit the water hard, groaning from the pain in his side as he broke the surface. His sodden hair drooped in to his eyes and he blinked furiously, swearing as he saw the serpent make a beeline for him. Cloud began swimming back towards the shore, the weight of his sword slowing his progress.

 

“Come on.” He hissed at himself, keenly aware of how much of a disadvantage he was at. The water behind him surged and for a moment he was speeding towards dry land. Glancing behind he saw the sharp mouth of the the monster widening behind him. It was not a pleasant sight.

 

As the creature close in on him, Cloud was enveloped in a pool of pink and purple lights. Midgardsormr lurched towards Cloud, but before it could make contact it froze, mouth gaping open, fangs glinting in the muted daylight.

 

“Cloud!” Red called out. “Aero!”

 

The summoned wind buffeted Cloud, pushing him and a swell of water towards the shore. As he stumbled out of the shallows, Tifa caught him by the arm, keeping him on his feet.

 

“You okay?”

 

Nodding, Cloud pushed his hair back fro his face. “Yeah. Thanks.” He glanced around and spotted Aerith a short distance away, her rod still held aloft. “Thanks for the ward.”

 

She smiled back at him. “Couldn’t let you get eaten now, could I?”

 

“Save the flirting you two.” Barret yelled as the beast surfaced once. “Let’s finish this thing off.

 

Midargsormr reared back, sparks forming in his mouth a split second before it spewed an arc of fire towards the group. Red cast a quake spell, a wall of earth exploding up from the floor and shielding them from the intense heat of the snake’s breath.

 

Aerith was quick to put up a magic barrier for them all then, the spell fending off the potential damage from the fire.

 

“Barret,” Tifa shouted. “Think you can get me up to its head?”

 

“Thought you’d never ask.” Barret moved back from the makeshift shelter, sending a volley of high calibre rounds at their foe and buying them enough time for Tifa to dart towards him. Barret grasped her wrist and swung the woman round a full three hundred and sixty degrees before releasing his grip and sending her flying through the air, directly at the serpent’s head. Tifa’s fist came down hard on Mirdgardsormr’s skull, the force of her hit making the creature bellow and attempt to writhe away.

 

Not wasting the opportunity, the rest of the team took action. Aerith cast another ice spell, freezing the monster’s tail to the ground and stopping its retreat, allowing Red’s Stardust Ray to make contact. 

 

As the snake reeled from the impact of Red’s attack, Cloud leapt from the ground, his sword thrust forward. He made contact with his intended target, his blade sinking in to the unarmoured flesh of Midargsormr’s through. As Cloud fell back to the ground, he pulled his sword down through the great beast’s body.

 

Flipping backwards just before he landed, Cloud avoided the worst of the spray of blood that shot from the creature.

 

Panting slightly, Cloud watched as the giant serpent writhed and coiled in its death throes before finally coming to lay completely still.

 

“Urgh.” Tifa sighed, eyeing the massive corpse with distaste.

 

“What she said.” Aerith groaned, dropping to sit on the floor. “I think this might beat the Wall Street sewers for most disgusting battle.”

 

Red padded over to where Aerith sat and cast an appraising eye across the group. “Is everyone okay?”

 

“I think so.” Aerith took a look at the others and nodded. “Nothing that some potions and a bath won't fix.”

 

Barret heaved himself off the floor as his breathing slowed to normal. “I say we get out of here before any more of those things turn up.”

 

“Cloud?”

 

The blonde man nodded at Tifa’s call, though his eyes were once again fixed on the serpent skewered upon the tree above them. This whole encounter had been different from each of his previous journeys through the swamp. So why the change? Why now?

 

Tearing his gaze away from the bloodied coils of the Midgardsormr, he turned to face his companions.

 

“I'm ready. Let's just get through the mines.”

 

---

 

“It is pretty in here.” Aerith eyes the blue glow emanating from the stone walls. “Ethereal almost.”

 

Tifa nodded in agreement. “Yeah, I didn't expect it to be this nice.”

 

“Oh yeah, I'm thinking of getting a summer place right here. The monsters are just a bonus.”

 

Aerith laughed at Barret’s words and nudged him gently as she moved past him. “It's a popular neighbourhood. Nothing to complain about.”

 

Cloud shared a look with Red who had his usual inscrutable expression on his face.

 

The path they were on sloped downwards in a spiral along the walls of the cylindrical cavern. At the bottom a rich seam of mythril split the rock and flooded the room with light from the bottom up. It looked as though there was a spring of the bluest water waiting for them below.

 

“Nothing like this in Midgar.” Aerith continued as she drew level with Cloud. “Beats the mako smog any day.”

 

She brushed lightly against Cloud as she passed him, still happily casting her eyes around.

 

“I wonder what else we'll find in here?”

 

“Trouble.” Cloud muttered, acutely aware that the Turks were lurking deeper in the mines.

 

“Oh ye of little faith.” Aerith tutted. “I'm sure there's nothing to-”

 

Her words died in the air as the edge of the ledge she was walking on crumbled beneath her feet.

 

Everything seemed to slow as Cloud reached forward to grab her. His fingertips made the slightest contact with her braid before time rushed back in full force, and the woman plummeted out of sight.

 

“Aerith!”

 

“You okay?”

 

Cloud blinked, pulled from his unpleasant memories by Aerith’s soft touch on his arm.

 

“Yeah.” He gave his head a small shake, trying to focus on the present again. “Just stick close to the wall.”

 

Aerith eyes him carefully but nodded. “Gotcha.”

 

“I sense a story there.” Red noted from behind Aerith.

 

“The ground is unsteady here. It's dangerous so just keep away from the edge. Please.”

 

There were several moments of silence in the wake of Cloud's sharp tone. Eventually the sound of a whispered conversation from the back of the group reached Cloud’s ears.

 

“Something bad happened, right?”

 

Tifa hummed at Barret’s question. “Seems that way. Cloud seemed upset.”

 

“How can you tell the difference?”

 

“Barret, shh!”

 

“You know.” Red interjected. “We can all hear everything you're saying.”

 

Barret coughed awkwardly and Tifa murmured an apology. There were no more words shared until they reached the bottom of the cavern, the mythril ore casting their faces in to sharp relief.

 

Cloud’s eyes were drawn to a particular section of rocks at the edge of the cavern and he frowned deeply.

 

“So what did happen?” Aerith had paused alongside him, following his gaze to the innocuous looking patch of stone.

 

“The third time that I repeated things.” He said softly, and he knew the others were also listening. “We didn't make it further than the mines.”

 

“Me?”

 

He nodded at Aerith’s question, understanding her completely. “Started to think the powers that be had a pretty sick sense of humour ‘round about then.”

 

“Well,” Aerith sighed. “At least we've all made it in one piece this time.”

 

Cloud turned to her, taking in how her features were bathed in the milky-blue glow seeping from the walls around them. His hand came up to cradle her face, his glove cool against her skin. “Yeah. Still got a ways to go.”

 

Aerith’s blush was camouflaged well in the twilight of the cavern and she covered Cloud’s hand with her own. “Nothing we can’t handle.”

 

Huffing out a soft laugh, Cloud stepped closer to the woman, paying no mind to the others in the group who were making no secret of the fact they were watching.

 

“Then let’s go.”

 

Aerith smiled, nodding up at him. “Right. All the way to the end this time.”

 

Notes:

Life is still busy, and you guys are still lovely.
I've been getting waylaid writing chapters for so much later in the story... oops!

(Forgive any errors, I'll be back in the light of day to correct any typos.)

Chapter 5: Onwards and Downwards

Summary:

“Everything I was I carry with me, everything I will be lies waiting on the road ahead.”

― Ma Jian, Red Dust: A Path Through China

Cloud was a pro at navigating the tunnels and caverns of the mines by this point. He'd had plenty of chances to learn which shortcuts to take and which turns to avoid. Being able to keep the group together as they traversed the passages was a bonus, and it meant that they made quick progress towards the exit.

The group made their way through old Junon Republic tunnels and started encountering dilapidated shacks and other structures that had long since been abandoned.

"So tell me about Reno. He holding up okay?"

"He's been through worse."

The group slowed their steps as the sound of voices reached their ears. Cloud glanced over his shoulder at his companions. "Turks."

The others nodded at his whispered warning and they took cover alongside a rock formation. Cloud listened to Elena and Rude continue their conversation, and it followed the same sort of structure as all the previous times. Finding it pointless to delay the inevitable, he straightened, beckoning the others to follow him. Cloud's eyes scanned the area as he stepped in to it, taking note of the handful of robed figures meandering across the plateau behind the suited duo.

The pair of Turks spotted them immediately as they approached. "No freaking' way!" Elena pointed an accusing finger at them.

"Yeah, yeah." Cloud sighed, his expression a perfect study of boredom. "Elena, the latest and greatest, yadda yadda."

The blonde woman deflated slightly as he cut her speech sport. "How'd you-?"

"Elena." Rude intoned. "Focus."

"Where's Reno?" Aerith piped up, glancing around the space as though the redhead might suddenly appear.

"On vacation." Rude said simply.

"You should have joined him." Barret growled, eyes narrowed at the bald man. "Y'all got a lot to answer for. Lotta blood on your hands."

"You need someone to blame."

The group's attention was drawn to the metal platform above, and the third Turk that was stood there. Tseng pointed his pistol at Barret for a short moment before moving it to the side and shooting one of the black robes without another moment of hesitation. Cloud's grip on his sword tightened as Tifa and Aerith gasped behind him.

"I suggest you look in the mirror. For us however things have changed. While you're still wanted fugitives, if you stay out of our way, we'll stay out of yours."

"Bullshit!" Barret spat though Tseng was unfazed. He turned his attention to the other members of the group, eyes scanning them each in turn.

"Take care of Aerith for me." Tseng told Cloud.

The blond man narrowed his eyes and his jaw clenched. Those words always got under his skin. "I've got it covered." He bit out.

Tseng paused for a moment, face inscrutable, before he smirked and raised his gun again. "Elena!"

Anticipating the action, Cloud darted forward, sending a bolt of lightning magic towards Elena. The woman jumped back in time to dodge the attack, but her grip on the grenade she had primed slipped and the explosive clattered to the floor.

"Shit!"

Elena and Rude scrambled away, being forced off their feet as the grenade detonated. Cloud stood with his sword at the ready and glared at the long-haired man above. Tseng paid no mind to the clouds of dust and debris billowing around him, nor to the bickering of his subordinates as they clambered back to their feet.

The two men kept their narrowed gazes locked for a beat more before Tseng sneered and turned away. "Rude. Elena. Move out."

Cloud didn't relax his stance until the Turks had disappeared from sight.

"You really pissed him off." Barret noted, moving to stand next to Cloud.

The blonde shrugged, sheathing his blade. "Spoiled his plan to send us down there." He jerked his thumb towards the pit they were stood near. "Makes getting out of here a lot easier though."

"The All-Seeing Cloud comes through again." Barret chuckled before turning to look at the cliff face before them. "Now how do we get up there?"

"Perhaps I could be of assistance?" Red stepped forward. "I am rather adept at climbing. I could go up and see if there is a path for you."

"Or a ladder." Barret suggested.

"Thanks, Red." Cloud nodded. "Be careful."

The group watched as their four-legged companion scrambled along the rough rocks that made up the wall of the mine before leaping off to deftly land on the metal platform that Tseng had previously occupied. The sound of his claws on the steel faded as he moved away, leaving the others nothing to do other than wait.

"So, Aerith." Tifa began. "Seems like Tseng has a thing for you?"

Cloud rolled his eyes without thinking though none of the others seemed to notice.

"Oh I don't know." Aerith frowned slightly. "We have history I guess. It's his job to make sure I stay safe so I can lead Shinra to the Promised Land."

Tifa shook her head, a mischievous smile playing at the corner of her lips. "It's not just business for him."

Cloud was about to tell Tifa to drop it when Aerith spoke again.

"Well what about you and Rude?"

"What?"

"He's got such a crush on you it's almost pathetic."

Tifa spluttered slightly. "He does not!"

"Ladies, maybe leave the girl talk for later?" Barret interjected. When the two women fell silent, Barret nodded, satisfied. "She's right though, Tifa. That bald guy does have the hots for you."

Tifa's protests were cut short by the sound of metal grinding against metal.

"You okay up there?" Cloud called.

Red came back in to view, peering over the edge of the metal platform. "Yes, no issues here. I've found a ladder."

"Knew it." Barret muttered.

Red dutifully ignored him. "Please stand back and I will push it down to you."

The group stepped backwards as requested and watched as Red used his head to nudge a rusted metal ladder towards the edge of the platform. When it reached the point of no return, gravity took over and sent the ladder crashing to the floor.

"Got it. Thanks." Cloud stepped forward, hefting the old metal contraption off the ground and on to its end. Leaning it against the outcrop where Red waited, Cloud gave it shake to make sure it was seated firmly.

Aerith and Tifa shared a glance before looking over at Barret. "Age before beauty?"

The man rolled his eyes but approached the ladder. "I'm older and better looking."

The girls giggled at his grumbled words and Cloud fought to keep his face neutral.

Soon they all joined Red and took a moment to gain their bearings.

"Which way?" Aerith pointed her finger straight out and turned in a full circle. "There's a few paths up here."

Cloud headed for the passage to their right. "This way. We're almost out."

---

"That is a big-ass gun." Barret used his hand to shield his eyes from the sun and glared at the cannon pointing out to sea. "Trust Shinra to do things to excess."

"At least we know where we're headed I guess." Tifa mused. "And it's nice to be out in the fresh air again."

"Agreed." Aerith stretched her arms above her head. "Though I wouldn't mind a moment to rest. It feels like we've been walking forever."

"I agree with the lady. That damn snake, the Shinra suits, and who knows how long trekking through that mine. It's been a long day already."

"Let's get to the ranch down there and then we can rest." Cloud pointed at the chocobo ranch in the distance. "It's an easy enough walk."

"And them?" Red tilted his head towards the path down the hillside, and the mass of black robed figures creeping along it.

Cloud eyed them wearily. "Leave them be, they're no threat to us. And there's nothing we can do for them."

They soon left the hooded men behind, and continued along the path towards the ranch.

"Hope we can get some food there." Tifa rubbed at her stomach. "We need to start carrying more rations."

"We'll sort something." Cloud agreed, leading the way forward.

---

Gabe, the proprietor of the ranch, was a surly as ever. Their long day grew a little more wearisome as they were sent out to wrangle the man's free-roaming birds. Dirty, hungry and tired, Cloud took pleasure in watching sweet, little Aerith read the man the riot act over how he'd treated his chocobos.

"I hear ya." Gabe grumbled, scratching the back of his head. "No more rolling over for Shinra. I'm gonna run my business like I used to."

"That's the spirit!" Aerith grinned. "Now, do you have somewhere we can stay for the night?"

Gabe wasn't the most gracious host they'd come across in their travels, but he did point them in the direction of his barn and kindly offered them the use of the water pump out back.

"He's gotta have a shower in that house of his, right?" Barret frowned. "But we're stuck out here sponging down with what might as well be Shiva's tears."

"We're probably lucky he let us stay at all." Cloud sighed. "He's not the cheeriest person."
"Harsh words coming from you." Barret grit his teeth as withdrew his washcloth from the bucket of water and dragged it along his neck.

Cloud bit his tongue and waited patiently for the older man to finish up, turning the air blue as he washed. Only when Barret had tipped the water away and then sat scowling on the floor, did Cloud refill the bucket with fresh water before placing it clear of the group.

"Fire." Cloud murmured, casting his hand forward. The fireball flew forwards and enveloped the metal container for a moment before dissipating, leaving a bucket of steaming water in its wake. Cloud glanced at Barret and smirked at the sight of the man's slack jaw. "You have some fire materia, right?"

"What the-" Barret scowled. "Why didn't you say something before I froze my ass off?"

"Guess I wan't feeling very cheery." Cloud intoned flatly.

Barret's eyes narrowed dangerously but he seemed to think better of replying, instead choosing to stand up and stomp away from the blonde.

"Point for Cloud." Aerith stage whispered to Tifa and Red. "Anyone been keeping track of the scores?"

"They've both been struggling if we're being honest." Tifa snickered.

Barret turned his head to glare at them as he lay his blankets down in one of the empty stalls. "I hope you all end up sleeping in chocobo dung."

The group were up with the sun the next morning, the ocean beyond the ranch painted a brilliant orange as dawn broke. Gabe, for all his rough edges, did provide breakfast for them all. The gang perched on the crates outside the barn and took a quiet moment to enjoy the new day peeking over the horizon.

"So," Tifa broke the silence, stirring her bowl of porridge. "What's going to happen today?"

"You want to know?" Cloud lifted an eyebrow.

"Well it is helpful to know what to expect."

Cloud considered her words. He had chewed over the idea plenty over his many moments of repetition. "Always wondered if telling you guys too much would put us on a different path." He paused, frowning. "Actually, things already seem a bit different this time."

Red lifted his head from his breakfast. "I think you are wise to be cautious. Fate is a fickle thing."

"Don't believe in Fate." Cloud said gruffly. "But either way we're heading to Junon. There's some more people that I want to recruit, guess there's no point keeping that a secret."

"Can you tell us about them?" Aerith placed her empty bowl on the ground. "What are they like?"

"Different." Cloud surrendered a small smile. "I mean I can tell you about them, but would you rather get to know them like you normally would?"

The rest of the team considered his words for a moment. "Guess you've got a point." Barret conceded. "Be a bit freaky for them if we all knew everything before we even said 'hello'."

Cloud turned back to the horizon, the sun now well clear of it and his lips quirked. "Just watch your materia around the first one."

---

"You've got to be kidding me." Barret glared up at the cliff face ahead of them. "There's no way this thing can get up there."

"Have some faith." Cloud was already on his chocobo. "Just hold on tight."

Barret muttered darkly as he mounted his bird, knuckles turning white as he gripped the reins. Cloud glanced at the others and, satisfied that they were all ready, he turned his own mount towards the cliff and gave a sharp kick to get the bird moving. The chocobo's sharp talons gripped in to the rocky surface, and it began climbing the vertical surface with ease. Cloud shifted his posture to account for the strange angle, feeling his core muscles contract. He patted the bird's neck in encouragement before glancing over his shoulder to see how the others were faring.

Tifa and Aerith were coping well, their initial nervousness giving way to the joy of the new experience. Cloud caught Aerith's eye and she grinned at him, her hair falling away from her face as she allowed herself to lean back a little. He returned her smile before casting his gaze over his other shoulder, spying the other two members of the team. They weren't doing as well.

Red had the leather reins grasped firmly in his teeth, his rear legs gripping firmly in to the saddle of his mount as he tried to keep himself as low to the bird as possible.

Barret had flung his gun-arm around the neck of the chocobo and Cloud could hear frequent swear words erupt from the man with every buck and lurch the bird made.

"You guys okay?"

Red's reply was garbled by the strap in his mouth, and Barret's fierce glare was answer enough.

When they crested the lip of the cliff, Aerith patted the head of her ride, looking at the others. "That was so much fun!"

"Yeah, a riot." Barret said flatly, immediately sliding out of the saddle. "Think I'll walk from here."

Unfortunately for the man, there were a few more sheer climbs to deal with, but they eventually dismounted and continued on foot in to the ramshackle settlement overlooking the bay.

"One moment." The brunette sat at the side of the road stood, cutting off the group's progress. "Welcome to Under Junon, our sunless oasis. My name is Rhonda, I'm the mayor and sheriff round these parts."

Cloud waited patiently for her to walk towards Tifa and Barret, here eyes darting between their faces and the screen she held in her hands. No point trying to rush this and antagonise the woman.

"Avalanche huh?"

Tifa averted her face while Barret lifted his in defiance.

"That depends who's asking."

Rhonda tilted her head, turning away. "A woman who could turn you in, and be a hundred grand richer for it."

Barret huffed out a false laugh and lifted his gun-arm, the lamplight glinting off the metal. "Well you know what they say - can't take it with ya."

Rhonda shook her head, looking down at her device once more, swiping to the next wanted poster. She looked up at the green-eyed girl next to Cloud and sighed.

"And Aerith to boot huh? That's another half a million on top."

"Half a million?" Aerith gasped, looking positively delighted. Cloud fought down the amused quirk of his lips and levelled Rhonda with an inscrutable stare. The woman turned from the group, heading back towards the chair she had previously occupied.

"Down here though… we know when to turn a blind eye. Consider our lips sealed."

Barret opened his mouth to argue but Cloud held out a hand, shaking his head minutely. "Thanks. Is there somewhere we could rest up?"

Rhonda pointed across the town. "There's an inn. It's quiet and available to all who need it."

Cloud nodded and started to move past the woman but she caught his arm and held him still with a firmness that belied her stature.

"Just don't go causing trouble. Shinra are doing something big up top. Any trouble down here will gain attention that we don't want."

Cloud nodded in understanding, and Rhonda held his gaze for a moment before releasing him and returning to her post near the path.

Gesturing to the others, Cloud led the way in to town.

"You sure it's safe here?" Barret muttered, glancing back at the woman and her list of bounties.

"Yeah. For once there's nothing to worry about here."

"Help somebody please!" The shrill call of a young girl pierced the early morning.

"Except that." Cloud shrugged.

"Priscilla, what's wrong?" A townsperson rushed forward to meet the frantic child.

"A monster is attacking the boats! Please help!"

Cloud headed over to the panicked girl, looking back at the group as he went. "Get ready."

"For what?" Aerith cast him a confused glance as they ran.

"To meet the next member of the team."

Chapter 6: Hiding In Plain Sight

Summary:

“If death meant just leaving the stage long enough to change costume and come back as a new character...Would you slow down? Or speed up?”
― Chuck Palahniuk, Invisible Monsters

“On your right!”

 

Cloud dove sidewards at Barret’s shout, narrowly avoiding the jet of water that sliced across the platform. The serpentine sea monster twisted through the air above their heads before diving back into the water, out of sight. Cloud’s keen eyes took in the crimson blossoming on the surface of the water.

 

“It’s injured. Let’s finish this.”

 

The next time the Terror erupted from the depths below, the group attacked with renewed ferocity. The beast roared in pain as it caught a spray of bullets from Barret’s arm across one of its eyes.

 

“Hell yeah!” Barret crowed, pleased with his aim. His celebration was cut short when the monster refocused its attention and shot an arc of large bubbles across the battlefield, one of them enveloping Barret before he could dodge away. “Hell no!”

 

“I’ll help Barret!” Tifa yelled, darting towards the man, leaving the others to keep their foe engaged.

 

Red sped forward, dodging the flailing tail of the serpent before leaping in to the air and descending in a tumbling ball of fangs and claws.

 

“Got enough in the tank for a lightening spell?” Cloud asked Aerith and she nodded.

 

“Here.” She cast an Arcane Ward beneath their feet. “Two for one.”

 

“Good idea.” Cloud grinned as he pressed a hand against one of the materia slotted in to his sword. As soon as Red was clear of the thrashing coils of the monster, Cloud thrust his hand forward and cast the spell, Aerith’s voice joining his own as she raised her staff.

“Thundaga!”

 

Four bolts of blinding electricity crashed in to the sea beast’s form and it reared fully out of the water, its form spasming for a long moment before it crashed down on to the platform. The group stumbled, almost losing their footing.

 

“Is it dead?” Tifa approached, Barret now released from his watery prison.

 

“It certainly smells that way.” Red’s nose wrinkled in distaste.

 

The sound of cheering drew their attention back to the beach, and the crowd that had been watching the battle.

 

“That girl is still down.” Aerith pointed to the prone form visible near the waterline, surrounded by a group of worried onlookers. “We should help.”

Their arrival on the pebbled shore was accompanied by pats on the back and enthusiastic thanks from Under Junon’s residents. Cloud nodded in polite recognition of the praise and led the way over to the unconscious girl.

 

Rhonda watched their approach and she offered a small but genuine smile. Any words she may have offered were cut off by a small voice, on the verge of tears.

 

“Yuffie? Come on, can you hear me? I don't think she's breathing.” Priscilla looked around desperately.

 

The group looked to their leader but Cloud held his hands up and backed away slightly. “Don't look at me. I learned my lesson.”

 

Aerith sighed and knelt down next to the unconscious girl. “Here, let me try.”

 

Priscilla shuffled backwards slightly to give her more room, and Aerith laced the fingers of her hands together before placing them on the centre of the young ninja’s chest. She pushed down firmly and a spurt of water bubbled up from the girl’s lips and a pair of bleary brown eyes snapped open.

“Hey,” Yuffie coughed, rolling away and onto her hands and knees. “Hands off the merchandise.” Her tirade was cut short by a loud belch and she spluttered and retched as more water worked its way up her throat.

“Take it easy.” Aerith soothed, rubbing the younger girl’s back. “Get it all up.”

 

Once Yuffie had brought all the water up out of her system, she sat back on her backside heavily, finally taking a good look at the people before her.

 

Cloud, knowing full well that Yuffie had spent time with the main Avalanche group, watched the girl’s eyes widen as she recognised Tifa and Barret. He was torn between feeling amusement at just how terrible her poker face was, and weariness as he thought about how much of a pain in the ass the girl was to start with.

 

“Take it easy.” Rhonda had stepped forward now. “These people saved your life.”

 

“Ugh, nice going Yuffie!” Cloud’s lip twitched as he watched her thump her hand against the side of her head and bemoan her rudeness. She wasn’t a bad actress really, he’d give her that.

 

“Okay Yuffie, let’s get you inside. You’ve had a rough day.” Rhonda stepped forward and ushered the girl towards the steps back up to the town.

 

Yuffie paused a few steps away and turned back, raising an arm over her head and waving it in time to her cheerful call of “Thank you very much.”

 

“You’re welcome!” Barret mimicked to her retreating back.

 

“So that’s our new team member?” Aerith mused.

 

“Yep.” Cloud rubbed the bridge of his nose, already feeling a headache coming on.

 

Barret was grumbling something about ‘ kids these days ’ as they made their way back up to the town too.

 

Of course, Yuffie was waiting for them in the town square and she wasted no time in rushing towards them.

 

“Hey, you guys are that Avalanche splinter cell, right?”

 

Barret and Tifa shared a look as the girl continued, gushing about how cool they were and how much of a fan she was.

 

“Think we could sit down for a chat later? Got a teensy favour to ask.”

 

Cloud stepped forward before Barret could answer, hoping to cut the usual rigmarole short. “We have a favour of our own to ask.”

 

“Oh yeah?” Yuffie frowned, eyeing him suspiciously. “And what would that be?” 

 

“We want you to join our group.” Cloud said simply. “We could use your skills.”

 

Yuffie frowned right back at him. “My skills? Mister you haven't even seen my skills.”

 

Gesturing to the weapon on her back Cloud shrugged. “Not hard to spot a Wutainese ninja.”

 

“Oh wow, a smart guy huh? Well sorry to break your heart but I have my own important business to attend to. Now, about my favour…”

 

She turned back to Barret but Cloud cut her off again.

 

“You won't kill him you know. It won't work.”

 

The teen paused, mouth open, and looked over at Cloud. “Huh?”

 

“It's your plan right - kill Rufus Shinra? I'm just saying it won't work, and it will make our lives much harder in the long run.”

 

Yuffie mouthed silently for a moment, channelling her best impression of a trout. Catching herself she glared, pointing directly at Cloud. “What are you, some kind of spies?” She squinted fiercely at the group. “Well your tricks won't work on me. I can see what's going on here.”

 

“Glad someone can.” Barret muttered.

 

“Stay out of my way, Shinra scum.” With that she sprinted away and the gang watched her retreating back. Cloud wasn't surprised at how it had played out, but the others looked nonplussed.

 

“Are you sure that’s our new team member?” Tifa blinked.

 

“Yeah. She gets easier to deal with… sort of.” 

 

***

---

The group had gathered in a room at the inn to discuss their next steps.

 

“We just need to get across the sea to Costa del Sol and then we can go from there. The biggest issue is getting on a ship.”

 

“How did you do it before?” Tifa asked from her spot near the window.

 

Cloud shrugged. “Disguises. We technically won our places on a ship. All went out the window in the end though.”

 

“So we can’t we do that again?”

 

“We could.” Cloud sighed. “But it just puts us in the path of Shinra more than we need. It will be a lot less aggravation to just sneak aboard.” He glanced out of the window and towards the group of people crowding around the lift to the upper city. “The parade for Rufus means the whole place is crawling with Shinra guards.”

 

Aerith tapped her lower lip as she thought. “What disguises did we use before?”

 

“Infantry uniforms mainly.” He glanced at Barret and smirked slightly. “And one sailor outfit.”

 

“Bet I looked good.” Barret rolled his eyes as the girls giggled. “The disguises would be enough to get us on the ship, yeah?”

 

“The port is locked down tight. No one gets close to the ship without clearance, including the guards. Maybe if we try during the parade we might have a shot, but it still won’t be unguarded.”

 

“What about the passengers?” Aerith mused. “The people with tickets can just walk on, right?”

 

“Right.” Cloud eyed her. “Tickets will be like gold dust though. Not that we could afford them even if they weren’t sold out.”

 

Aerith bit her lip and seemed to wrestle with the next words out of her mouth. “What if we persuaded some people to let us have their tickets.”

 

“Steal them?” Red couldn’t hide the surprised tone in his voice.

 

“I didn’t say that. We could just ask first!” Aerith protested and Cloud coughed to disguise a laugh.

 

“I hadn’t considered that before. It gives us a way on to the ship and a disguise all in one. Hiding in plain sight.”

 

“Didn’t know you had such a devious mind.” Barret chuckled, looking at Aerith.

 

The girl’s cheeks were flushed in mortification as she looked at her amused friends. “Oh no, we’re really going to ruin some peoples’ days aren’t we?”

 

“Don’t worry about it.” Cloud put a comforting hand on her shoulder. “This is one cruise that they’ll be happy they missed.

 

“Okay,” Tifa clapped her hands together and stood. “So we each need to get a ticket from a registered passenger and then just board the ship?”

 

“One more thing.” Cloud eyed the clock on the wall. “I need to go find Yuffie.”

 

“The Wutai girl?” Red tilted his head.

 

“Yeah, she usually would have come to ask us to help her off Rufus Shinra, but I must have scared her off earlier.”

 

“Is it such a bad thing to just let her take out that rat?” Barret asked.

 

“She’s never been successful in any of her other attempts, so I doubt she’s make the shot this time.” Cloud shook his head. “As soon as she pulls the trigger, whether she misses or not, the city becomes an even bigger nightmare to leave undetected.”

 

“She didn’t seem willing to listen to you though.” Tifa frowned. “Would telling her the truth work do you think?”

 

Cloud had considered this already. “I’m not sure how much to tell her. She’s suspicious of us at the moment. She won’t be inclined to trust us for quite while.”

 

“Then what’s your plan?”

 

“I’ll think of something.” Cloud assured the ruby-eyed woman. “But our first job is to get topside.”

 

***

---

 

It seemed that no matter how many times passed, the most efficient way to sneak into Upper Junon would always be via dolphin. Cloud listened to the cheers of his team as he landed on the deck of the crane and fought down a smile. He made his way to the controls and put the crane into motion to allow the others to climb up to join him.

 

“Very impressive.” Aerith grinned as Cloud helped her off the ladder that lead to his platform. He accepted the playful praise from the others good-naturedly and led the way to the lift that would take them to the city.

 

“When we get up there,” Cloud instructed. “We’d be best to find some Shinra uniforms or something that will let us blend in until we get our disguises for the boat. If anyone spots us walking around the hangars as we are, they’ll raise the alarm.”

 

The lift doors opened onto a quiet stretch of airstrip, the few workers milling around the area paying them little mind. Cloud pointed towards a doorway across the way and the others followed him in silence.

 

“Right, there’s a locker room down this way. Let’s grab some clothes and-”

 

“Shh!” Barret lifted his hand and the group froze, picking up the sound of footsteps approaching from the next corridor. Cloud opened the door next to him and Tifa and Aerith slipped through. He looked back in time to see the opposite door swinging shut and the glow of Red’s tail fading from view. Cloud slipped in to the room after the girls and eased the door closed. He waited until the patrol had passed by before emerging back in to the corridor.

 

“Where’s Barret and Red?” Aerith frowned.

 

“They went that way.” Cloud pointed. “They’ll be fine, let’s just get some uniforms and get out of here. He led the way to the locker room, fortunately encountering no other guards on the way. “Here, grab a uniform and get changed. Think the small size should be over there.” He pointed to some boxes in the corner.

 

“Aww Cloud you know just what to say sometimes.” Tifa laughed, heading towards the box marked ‘Medium’.

 

“What?” Cloud looked at Aerith in confusion but she merely shook her head, fighting down her own laugh and disappearing in to a changing cubicle.

 

Cloud changed quickly, used to suiting up in the uniform, and then waited for the girls to finish, hoping that Barret and Red had made their way to the main street undetected. Cloud’s attention was drawn back to the changing booths as Aerith and Tifa emerged, clad in infantry uniforms.

 

“How do we look?” Aerith raised her hand to her forehead in a playful salute and Cloud smiled.

“You’ll do.”

 

“Gee, such enthusiasm.” Tifa deadpanned and Aerith giggled.

 

“ I heard voices, I’m sure of it. If any of my recruits are trying to shirk parade duty, there will be hell to pay! ”

 

The angry voice from the corridor caused them to freeze. Not wanting to get caught and forced in to any parade rehearsals, Cloud pointed at the changing booths. “Hide!” He hissed, pushing Tifa back in to her cubicle, and diving in to the other after Aerith.

 

The door to the booth didn’t quite go all the way to the floor so Cloud sat on the bench at the back of the space, tucking his feet up on the seat also. He pulled Aerith down to join him and held his breath as he listened to two pairs of feet enter the room.

 

“Who is hiding in here?” A furious voice barked and Cloud’s arms flexed involuntarily, squeezing Aerith closer to him.

 

“The room appears to be empty, Ma’am.” A second, more timid, voice replied.

 

“I can see that! But I know I heard voices.”

 

“Perhaps they slipped out before we got here? They may have heard us coming.”

 

The angry voice did not reply and Cloud heard the clacking of boots on the hard floor of the locker room as the commander paced towards them. He felt Aerith’s warm breath against his neck and realised the position he had put them in. He was half-reclined on the bench, knees bent and the back of his shoulders pressed against the side wall to allow his taller form to fit in the space. Aerith lay on top of him, hands pressed against his chest, her legs intertwined with his own to keep them off the floor.  He swallowed harshly, his eyes meeting wide green. He took in the light scattering of freckles across Aerith’s nose, the way her tongue darted out to wet her lips, and how her knee pressed against the inside of his thigh as she fought to remain still. Cloud’s body thrummed with energy, fueled by the temptation of what this could become, and also by vivid memories of other times he had held Aerith like this.

 

“Ma’am?” Cloud almost swore as the voice startled him back to the present. “The drill teams are due to gather in two minutes.”

 

The footfalls paused just outside the cubicles and the heavy sigh was easy to hear. “Very well. I will hope that every member of the team is present and waiting for us, or someone is in trouble.”

 

Cloud waited a moment for the room to become still and silent before releasing the breath he had been holding. “I think we’re safe.” He murmured.

 

Aerith nodded and moved to rise from the bench. Her kneed brushed higher against Cloud’s inner leg and he hissed lowly, causing Aerith to freeze.

 

“Sorry.”

 

He shook his head. “No, it’s fine.”

 

“Whatever you two are doing in there, I think it will have to wait.” Tifa called from outside the booth, amusement clear in her voice.

 

Blushing deeply, Aerith finish scrambling to her feet and stepped out in to the locker room to face Tifa. Cloud ran a heavy hand down his face and allowed himself a moment to regather his wits before standing and moving to join the others. Nothing was ever simple it seemed.

 

***

---

 

“Aww Barret, you look great!” Aerith cooed when they made it to the promenade and spied a familiar, tall form.

 

“Damn sailor outfit was the only thing I could find in my size. Shinra is manned by skinny little wimps.” The man grumbled, looking at Cloud and his uniform pointedly.

 

“Funny.” The blonde drawled. “Here,” He gestured to the kit bag he had taken from the locker room. “Stash your normal clothes in here until we make it to the ship. At least we can move around without drawing too much attention now.” He eyed Red briefly, who met his gaze easily.

 

“I’m merely a stray dog. Easily ignored.”

 

Cloud looked at the blazing tip of Red’s tail and sighed. “If you say so. Now, the parade will be starting soon so try and find your tickets before everyone leaves to go watch it.”

 

“Should we split up?” Tifa asked.

 

“Might be best.” Cloud agreed. “Let’s meet at the port entrance once we have our tickets. Oh, disguises wouldn’t go amiss either, remember.”

 

“You play dress up more than Marlene.” Barret grumbled before trudging off towards Junon’s main street. The others watched him go, amused at how much the sailor outfit diminished his angry aura.

 

“How about you and I go together, Red?” Tifa suggested. “I have an idea actually.”

 

“I have a feeling I’m not going to like this.” Red muttered, but followed after the woman obediently.

 

“You and me then?” Aerith offered Cloud a smile which he returned softly.

 

“Right. Let’s go.”

 

The main Junon shopping area was packed with soldiers and civilians alike, and no one gave Cloud and Aerith a second glance as they walked along the street.

 

“How will we know if someone has a ticket for the cruise?” Aerith asked, peering at passersby from beneath her helmet.

 

“Just be on the lookout for anyone who looks like they might be a tourist.”

 

“Like someone wearing tropical print shirts and carting around a suitcase?”

 

Cloud huffed out a laugh. “It would be nice if it was that obvious.”

 

Aerith nodded towards something over his shoulder, and he turned, spotting a man and a woman at the other end of the street decked out in bright summerwear and toting a large case each.

 

“Oh.” Cloud blinked. “That’ll do.”

 

They made their way towards the couple, pausing close to them under the guise of reading the nearby bulletin board.

 

“I can’t believe you parents are paying for us to spend two weeks in Costa del Sol.” The man gushed to his partner. “They must have saved up for so long to afford this.”

 

Cloud saw how Aerith’s shoulders dropped at the enthusiasm in the man’s voice and he was about to try and cheer her up when the man’s companion replied.

“I know, I’m quite cross at them actually. I think my mom even sold some of her jewellery to get us the tickets.”

 

“Ah crap.” Cloud muttered.

 

“Should we try somewhere else?” Aerith whispered. “They seem so happy.”

 

Cloud considered it for a moment but then sighed, shaking his head. “This is probably our best shot. We’re just using the tickets for the ship, I’m sure they’ll be able to make it to Costa del Sol and enjoy their holiday.” When Aerith continued to worry her lower lip between her teeth he continued. “And honestly, if past times are any indication, the cruise is not going to very relaxing for them.”

 

“Okay,” Aerith sighed. “So how do we do this?”

 

“My pickpocketing skills are a bit rusty. Yours?”

 

“I may have grown up in the slums, but that’s not something I ever really picked up.” Aerith wrinkled her nose at him.

 

“Figured that was the case. Guess we’ll go the official route then.” He gestured for Aerith to follow him and then turned to approach the couple.

 

“Excuse me?”

 

The floral-patterned pair looked up in surprise as they were faced with two Shinra guards. “Yes sir?” The man asked, voice unsure.

 

“Just a routine security check. With President Shinra here we have to be more careful.” 

 

“Oh yeah, of course.”

 

“Are you a resident of Junon?” He glanced at their luggage pointedly.

 

“No sir.” The woman shook her head. “Just visiting. We’re actually sailing to Costa del Sol after the parade.”

 

“May I see your tickets and paperwork?” Cloud held out his hand and waited for the pair to extract a small pile of papers from their bags. He glanced through the stack quickly, spotting the two tickets for the cruise and the entry and exit visas for the port. Just what they needed. “Where’s your supplementary travel forms?”

 

“Err… our what?”

 

Cloud levelled the man with his most unimpressed look from beneath the visor of his helmet. “All departures via water from Junon require supplementary form 22C-slash-39B. You won’t be allowed to board without them.”

 

The pair before him shared a bewildered look. “We haven’t heard of that. The person at the border check didn’t say anything we we arrived at Junon.”

 

“Did you arrive by road?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

Cloud groaned and shook his head. “Those idiots probably didn’t check your forms properly and didn’t realise that you were departing via sea.”

 

“So what do we do?” The woman before him looked panicked. “I don’t think we have time to get all the way to border control and back before our ship leaves.”

 

“Tell you what.” Cloud hoped he sounded like he was about to offer them a huge favour. “You head back to the main gate and speak to border control. Tell them you need your supplementary form and make sure they stamp it. My partner and I will head to the port with your tickets and hold luggage and explain what has happened. We’ll get them to check you in so when you get there you can priority board. Just make sure you bring the extra forms with you.”

 

“Oh man, thank you.” The flustered man reached out and shook Cloud’s hand vigorously. “You’ve really saved the day for us.”

 

Cloud fought down the heavy feeling of guilt that settled in his stomach and nodded. “Don’t mention it. Now you’d best get moving.”

 

The couple took off down the street at a jog and Cloud sighed, sharing a tired look with Aerith.

 

“Hey, wait!” Cloud turned to see the man running back towards him. “What number form did we need again?”

 

“Oh, err-”

 

“22C-slash-39B.” Aerith supplied quickly.

 

“Right.” The man smiled. “Thanks again guys!”

 

When the couple had finally disappeared from sight, Cloud and Aerith relaxed.

 

“My god, I can’t believe we just did that.” Aerith eyed Cloud appraisingly. “You ever thought about being an actor?”

 

Images of being on stage at the Gold Saucer filled Cloud’s mind and his lips quirked. “It’s crossed my mind. Now let’s see if there’s any decent clothes we can use as a disguise.”

 

They rolled the cases down and alleyway and unzipped them, searching for some civilian clothes that would allow them to pass for tourists.”

 

“Guessing Costa del Sol is very warm then?” Aerith asked, lifting a very short dress out of the case. “There’s got to be something in here I can use…”

 

She went back to digging through the contents of the bag, missing how Cloud’s ears reddened as he stared at the scrap of fabric in her hand.

 

“Any luck Cloud?”

 

Coughing sheepishly, Cloud returned his attention to the task at hand. “Yeah, I think I can pass as a normal guy if I try.” He pulled out a pair of light grey shorts and a navy polo shirt before grabbing a pair of trainers from the bottom of the case. “I’ll just go change.” He moved further down the alleyway, deeper in to the shadows and swapped his guard uniform for his second stolen outfit of the day. He returned to Aerith and found her waiting for him, bundle of clothes in her arm. “Go change, I’ll keep a lookout.”

 

While he waited, Cloud stuffed the guard uniform into the kit bag containing everyone’s actual clothes - it could come in useful again. His metal pauldron and wrist guard took up a fair amount of space and he just about managed to get the bag zipped back up.

 

“Okay, all set.”

 

He straightened at Aerith’s voice and couldn’t help but smile when he saw her. She’d found a knee-length dress, white with small pink flowers embroidered across it, and Cloud could easily imagine her in another time, one more carefree than any of the ones he had know her in.

 

“Perfect.”

 

Aerith smiled at his words, seemingly pleased. “I think we understood the assignment. Oh, and look.” She moved over to the case again, pulling out a large-brimmed sun hat. She placed the item on her head and finished her outfit up with a pair of large sunglasses. “Hiding in plain sight, right?”

 

Cloud smiled right back at her. He thought she looked adorable, from the top of her head right down to her sandaled feet. “Right.” Lifting the kit bag over his shoulder he offered her his other hand. “Come on, let’s go find the others.”

***

---

 

“There you are, we were getting worried.”

 

Cloud and Aerith were not the first to make it to the port, finding the Tifa and Red keeping out of sight in the shadow of a large building.

 

“Whoa, Tifa.” Aerith laughed as she took in her friend’s changed appearance. “Dare I ask?”

 

“Whatever do you mean, Dahhhhling.” Tifa drawled, flipping her hair over one shoulder. She also wore a pair of sunglasses, fared dramatically into cats eyes at the edges, while her form was enveloped in an ostentatious fur coat.

 

“You must be sweltering.” Aerith frowned. “Who dresses like that at this time of year?”

 

“Rich old ladies, that’s who.” Tifa sighed. “I guess that only poor people get heatstroke.”

 

“What did you do to Red?” Cloud was eyeing the particularly grumpy looking quadruped who was sporting a bejewelled collar and leash.

 

“He’s my very rare, and therefore very expensive purebred dog who can’t possibly be placed in the hold with the other animals. Oh sorry, Red.” Tifa amended when he growled. “Just a bit caught up in the character.”

 

“Dare we ask how you got the ticket and clothes from said rich old lady?”

 

“Found her propping up a bar.” Tifa said simply.

 

“Ah, was she drunk?”

 

“She knocked the woman out.” Red supplied and ignored Tifa’s glare.

 

“Tifa!”

 

“It wasn’t like that!” Tifa protested. “She was drunk. I tried tailing her to the bathroom and she fell.”

 

“Into your fist.”

 

“Shut up, Red!”

 

 “Where’s Barret?” Cloud cut in, ending the looming argument.

 

“Right here.”

 

The group turned, spotting their last member approaching. The older man was wearing a crisp white shirt along with a black waistcoat and trousers. He was also pushing a large cart which seemed to contain piles of linens.

 

“What’s all this?” Tifa raised an eyebrow.

 

“Figured I’d work smarter not harder and got myself a place on the waitstaff for the cruise. No ticket needed.”

 

“They hired you just like that?” Red questioned.

 

“Heh, I persuaded one of the bartenders to give me his gig.” Barret shrugged, looking at the rest of the group. “You can’t tell me the rest of you got your tickets on the up and up?”

 

“Tifa beat up an old lady and Cloud and I stole ours off a young couple.” Aerith chipped in.

 

“Err, well all for the greater good I guess?” Barret rubbed the back of his neck before shaking his head and pointing at the cart next to him. “And I figured we could hide your sword and the rest of our gear in here, Blondie. I can stash it on the ship until we’re underway.”

“Good thinking.” Cloud conceded, depositing his sword and bag in to the pile of linens and covering them over. The faint sound of cheering drifted from the city and Cloud took the pair of tickets he held out of his pocket and handed them to Aerith. “The parade is starting. I have to go and find Yuffie. You guys wait here, I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

 

“Without your sword?” Aerith frowned. “Will you be okay alone?”

 

“Yeah, I know where to find here. Besides, if I don’t get caught then I won’t need my sword.”

 

Barret leaned against a nearby crate and rolled his eyes. “How can we argue with logic like that?”

 

***

---

 

Cloud found Yuffie where he expected, perched on a rooftop overlooking the end of the parade route. Rufus had yet to make it to the podium and the young ninja was making some last minute adjustments to the scope of her rifle. He approached quietly, the lightweight shoes he was wearing actually coming in useful, and came to a stop just behind the girl. He made a mental note to remind Yuffie to be more aware of her surroundings in the future.

 

“This is a bad idea.”

 

The girl squealed as he spoke, flipping on to her back and swinging the rifle to point at him. “You!” Yuffie glared. “What the heck do you think you’re doing!? Sneaking up on me like that!”

 

Cloud remained where he stood, ignoring the gun pointing directly at his chest. “I just came to tell you that this is a mistake.”

 

“Oho I bet it is. You wouldn’t want me to hurt your precious boss, would you?”

 

“Rufus means nothing to me.” Cloud shrugged. “But if you pull that trigger, whether you kill him or not, it makes it a lot harder for the rest of us to get out of here. Got some business of our own to deal with and we need to get to the Western Continent.”

 

“What business?” Yuffie pried, still aiming up at Cloud.

“That’s privileged information.” Cloud quirked an eyebrow. “I’ll tell you if you join the team.”

 

A fanfare erupted in the square below as Rufus finally made his way up to the stage and began his speech. Yuffie growled in frustration and repositioned herself to take aim at the target below. “Buzz off.” She snapped over her shoulder. “You’re just getting in my way.” 

 

“I know that you have no reason to trust me right now.” Cloud’s eyes bore into the back of Yuffie’s head. “But you will one day, and I will tell you everything soon.” Yuffie answered by blowing a raspberry, eye still fixed down her scope, and Cloud chuckled. “If I can’t get you to trust me, then maybe I can pay you. You like materia, right?”

 

The ninja paused at that, turning her head to observe him. “What of it?”

 

“Plenty of chances to find some powerful materia where we’re going. But for now, here.” He prized one of the materia on his armlet free and held it out to the girl.

 

Yuffie got to her feet cautiously and took the red orb from Cloud’s outstretched palm. “This is a summon materia?”

 

“Ifrit.” Cloud nodded. “Powerful stuff.”

 

“Then why are you giving it to me?”

 

“I’m loaning it to you.” Cloud corrected. “To show you that I trust you enough to return it me. If you won’t come with us now then come find us in the West. Just do me a favour and don’t fire that gun.”

 

Yuffie looked between the materia in her hand, the cryptic man before her, and the Shinra president open and vulnerable below and she swore fiercely. “You expect me to give up a huge payday just for a little bit of materia?”

 

“Yep.” Cloud shrugged. “It’s an investment.”

 

There was a long moment of tense silence, broken by the sound of applause as Rufus finished his speech and moved away from the podium. Yuffie groaned loudly and kicked the rifle off its tripod angrily. “This doesn’t mean I’m going to join you. I’ve just missed my window of opportunity is all.”

 

“Right.” Cloud nodded and headed towards the fire escape at the back of the roof. “See you later. Maybe.”

 

“Urgh, forget Rufus, I should have shot you when I had the chance!”

 

***

---

 

“Where’s the little punk?” Barret queried when Cloud rejoined them.

 

“Who knows. But she didn’t take the shot and so we should be able to get out of here quietly.”

 

“Don’t say the ‘Q’ word.” Tifa chided. “You’ll jinx us.”

 

“Some people have already boarded.” Red informed Cloud. “It should be safe for us to go.”

 

“Right.” Cloud nodded. “Let’s go separately, we have no reason to know each other right now.”

 

Barret stood, guiding his cart of tablecloths and concealed weapons towards the waiting ship. “I’ll be taking the crew entrance. Meet you guys inside.”

 

“Red and I will head in first.” Tifa picked up the sparkling lead attached to Red’s collar. “Please don’t bite me for this.”

“We never talk of it again.” Red grumbled, but trotted alongside Tifa as they made their way to the ticket check.

 

Cloud and Aerith remained where they were, watching with baited breath as Tifa and Red cleared the checkpoint without any issues. Once the pair had made their way up the ramp and disappeared inside the cruise liner, Cloud turned to his companion. “Our turn.”

 

The smiling employee that greeted them as they approached was a stark contrast to the pair of stony-faced guards positioned at the bottom of the ramp. “Good afternoon Sir, good afternoon Madam. May I please see your tickets?”

 

Aerith returned the smile easily and handed over the bundle of papers she had been keeping safe.

 

The staff member examined the tickets before gasping, eyes wide. “Oh yes, we’ve been expecting you. On behalf of the entire crew of the Shinra-8, thank you for choosing to sail with us. And may I also be the first to wish you both a very happy honeymoon.”

 

Cloud and Aerith shared a split second look of bewilderment as they processed the words. Well damn.

Chapter 7: A Crossing

Summary:

“All water has a perfect memory and is forever trying to get back to where it was.”
― Toni Morrison, The Site of Memory

“A toast to the happy couple.” Barret grinned as he pushed two glasses across the bar.

 

Cloud sighed and picked up the drink, tiny umbrella and all. “Thanks.”

 

“Oh I feel awful.” Aerith shook her head, looking between the two men. “Ruining a holiday is one thing, but a honeymoon …”

 

Cloud had to admit that the guilt was niggling at the back of his brain too, but he pushed it aside and tried to alieve the worries of the woman next to him. “Try not to worry, I’m sure they’ll get to Costa Del Sol another way.”

 

“The kid’s right.” Barret intoned. “It will all just be a funny story for them eventually.”

 

“I hope so.” Aerith sighed, stirring her straw around her glass. She glanced around the room, expression still glum. “Where did Tifa get to?”

 

“Think I saw her and Red out on the deck earlier” Barret wiped down the already pristine counter in an effort to look busy. “So what is the plan between here and Costa Del Sol by the way?”

 

“Just to get through the trip honestly.” Cloud lowered his voice, pretending to be focused on the drinks menu before him. “I haven’t seen any, but I guarantee that there are some of the black robe figures on board.”

 

“They a problem?”

 

“No.” Cloud looked up at Barret. “But they attract the interest of both Sephiroth and Shinra. Never actually managed this trip without a fight breaking out.”

 

The older man nodded thoughtfully. “So keep our heads down until we can’t. Hey, at least you know what we’re up against, right?”

 

Cloud pictured the mutated forms that the robed men would take and frowned. “Unfortunately. If we're lucky then maybe this will be a quiet trip.”

 

“Wouldn't bet on it.” Barret huffed.

 

“Excuse me, barman?” An irate voice beckoned from down the bar. “Could I get some service here, or do you need a hand doing your job?”

 

Barret turned to the annoyed man, revealing his missing forearm. “Why, you offering?”

 

Cloud hid his amusement behind his glass as the anger in the patron's face morphed into mortification as he realised his poor choice of words.

 

Barret offered his friends a brief nod and stomped off towards his customer.

 

Cloud turned his attention back to Aerith, noting how quiet she had been. “Still feeling bad?”

 

“Yeah.” She shrugged. “Could you imagine being newly married and that high is ruined because someone actually stole your honeymoon?”

 

“Yeah that would suck.” He was pleased when Aerith shot him an annoyed look - he preferred that to seeing her upset. “But I meant it when I said that this cruise always ends in disaster. So they have to get a ride on a different ship? At least there won't be any monsters on that one.”

 

Aerith gave him a small smile. “Thank you for trying to cheer me up.” She plucked the turquoise cocktail umbrella from her drink and leaned forward to tuck it behind Cloud's ear. “Matches your eyes.”

 

Before she could withdraw back to her own seat, Cloud caught Aerith’s hand in his own. He could count her eyelashes this close, and spy the light flush of pink that bloomed in her cheeks. Times like this, when it was as calm and as peaceful as their adventure got, were his favourite moments. It was almost possible for him to ignore the black cloak of the future hovering over them, to look at Aerith in the sundress she wore and imagine that they were living a life where this wasn’t just a disguise.

 

“Cloud?” Aerith’s voice was full of curiosity, but zero reproach, and Cloud leaned forward to close the last centimeters between them.

 

Playing the part of newlyweds had its perks, he had to admit, as no one batted an eye at the couple sharing kisses at the bar.

 

“There’s our favourite lovebirds!” The chipper voice caused Cloud and Aerith to pull apart. A beaming member of the ship’s crew was stood before them, clipboard in hand. “We’re just about to start a couple’s yoga class out on deck. Care to join?”

 

“Oh I don’t know-” Aerith began, apparently somewhat startled by the sudden interruption.

 

The smiling woman was not deterred. “Oh come on, there will be plenty of time for kissing later.” She turned her clipboard around, showing them a sheet filled with various ticks and crosses. “Yoga was one of the activities you pre-registered for when you booked your trip after all.”

 

Cloud and Aerith shared a brief look before the blonde man sighed. “Well I guess we must have really wanted to do it.”

“That’s the spirit!” The crew member sang. “Head out on to the deck, you’ll see the mats all set up ready. I’m just going to round up a few other stragglers.”

 

“I wonder what else we signed up for?” Aerith mused, standing from her seat as they were left alone once more.

 

“I dread to think.”

 

Cloud took Aerith’s hand and led them through the maze of tables and sofas in the bar, and out onto the sunlit deck. There were more tables set up out here, filled with people enjoying a drink in the warm sunshine. Further towards the prow of the ship, Cloud spotted a dozen or so purple yoga mats spread out, and a few couples milling around.

 

As they made their way towards the lesson, Aerith tugged on Cloud’s hand lightly and nodded over his shoulder when she had his attention. Turning, Cloud spotted Tifa reclining on a sunbed, tropical drink in hand. She had thankfully shrugged off the fur coat in the heat of the day, but the long, black dress that had been underneath didn’t seem much cooler. Red was sprawled out on the floor next to her, bejewelled collar sparkling in the sun.

 

Cloud saw the woman’s lips curl into a smirk as she spotted them, and she shifted her oversized sunglasses down the bridge of her nose slightly.

 

“Hello, Darlings.” She called to them, and Cloud and Aerith moved to close the distance. “You must be the newlyweds I’ve heard so much about. Where are you off to?”

 

Aerith giggled at Tifa’s terrible accent but played along. “We signed up for a yoga class, apparently. Care to join?”

 

Tifa slipped her sunglasses back into place and lifted her glass. “No, I’m far too rich for something like that. I’m just going to relax and drink.”

 

“Lucky.” Cloud muttered, though he couldn’t hide the amused quirk of his lips.

 

“Don’t worry.” Tifa dropped her voice. “I am actually keeping an eye and ear out for anything unusual. So is Red.” A tail swished in agreement. “Now,” her voice switched back to that of her haughty, wealthy persona. “I believe your yoga class is waiting for you.”

 

Indeed, when Cloud and Aerith looked around, they saw the yoga instructor waving them over, and the other couples stood ready by their mats.

 

Aerith took Cloud’s hand and smiled brightly. “Come on then, husband of mine. Let’s get this over with.”

 

---

 

“It’s been a nice day, really.” Aerith mused as she and Cloud stood at the rear of the deck, watching the sea bubble and churn in the wake of the ship. “Weird, but nice.”

 

“It has.” Cloud nodded. After their yoga lesson (where he had pointedly ignored the fact that both Tifa and Barret were taking every opportunity to watch them), the crew had served dinner outside on the deck. Everyone had enjoyed a beach-style barbecue, complete with flower leis and a band playing steel drums. The sun had begun to set, the sky and the water along the horizon morphing into a deep orange, although the party was continuing. Cloud had slipped away from the festivities once the words ‘limbo competition’ were mentioned, and he and Aerith were taking a quiet moment before turning in for the night.

 

“Guess it will be back to running and fighting soon though.”

 

Cloud hummed thoughtfully. “Yeah, always ends up that way. But we seem to find moments like this to break up the moments of peril.”

 

Aerith turned to smile at him, her hair painted golden where it faced the waning sun. “Well we’ll have to make all those moments count then, right?”

 

“Right.” Cloud tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. “Especially this time.” Aerith shot him a puzzled look and he continued. “I’ve been on this ship a lot of times now, been to Costa del Sol just as many. But this time it’s gonna be the last time… it has to be.”

 

Aerith’s eye softened and she leaned into him, shoulder pressing against his own as she looked back at the sky, now shot through with hints of purple. “This will be the last time. I’m sure of it. You’re still getting first times too though, huh?”

 

“What to do you mean?”

 

“Well,” Aerith’s lips quirked. “Isn’t this your first honeymoon?”

 

Cloud chuckled at that, thankful that Aerith always knew how to lift the gloom that settled like a weight around his neck. “Definitely a first.”

 

---

 

Unlike his other crossings on the Shinra 8, this time Cloud would be staying in one of the luxury cabins. The difference between the private staterooms, and the economy bunks was stark.

 

“Okay, this is fancy.” Aerith flopped down on the bed, bouncing a little against the veritable mountain of pillows.

 

“Yeah,” Cloud agreed, eyeing up the generously sized sitting area in the adjoining room. He could see that their (stolen) luggage had been delivered to the room ahead of them. In fact after boarding they had been whisked away for welcome drinks and had not had a chance to even see their accommodation up until this point. “Seems a waste for a one night trip though.”

 

Aerith nodded. “I guess when you’re rich you have a different view on what is wasteful.”

 

“We should probably try and get some sleep.” Cloud kicked off his shoes. “While we can.”

 

“Still anticipating trouble?”

 

“Definitely.” Cloud glanced at Aerith and suspected that she was already on the verge of drifting off to sleep. “I’ll take the sofa.”

 

“Why?” Aerith rolled over to look at him. “This bed is almost indecently comfortable. You can’t waste it by sleeping on a sofa!”

 

“But-”

 

“Hush you.” Aerith sat up and pointed at him. “I don’t mind sharing the bed, Cloud. We’re adults.”

 

Unsure whether that was meant to deter or entice him, Cloud shrugged, silently agreeing with her. He moved towards the closed door opposite the bed, intent on finding the bathroom. Pushing the glossy, wooden door open Cloud froze and then let out a breath of disbelief.

 

“What is it?” Aerith appeared at his elbow and saw what had caught his attention. “Oh.”

 

The honeymoon suite apparently came with a bath large enough for two, which had been thoughtfully filled with with fragrant, bubbly water, with a dusting of rose petals added for good measure. Candles in glass holders illuminated the room, the soft yellow glow glinting off the champagne bottle and cut-glass flutes placed next to the bath.

 

Cloud glanced over at Aerith, unsure of what to say. The woman next to him blinked twice before she turned to Cloud and offered him a coy smile.

 

“Not tonight dear, I’m tired.”

 

---

 

With the bath drained, the candles extinguished, and the champagne untouched, Cloud slipped into the bed next to Aerith. His companion was already asleep, soft huffs of air escaping her nose and Cloud took a moment to just stare at her. The bed was indeed the most comfortable thing he’d had the pleasure of lying on, but it was the woman next to him that really put him at ease. In quiet moments, especially when the others were asleep, Cloud had to fight against letting his mind wander to the what-lay-aheads and the what-ifs. His mind was rarely a quiet refuge. But with Aerith this close, so warm and alive and real next to him, Cloud found it so much easier to just be at peace and live in the moment.

 

He permitted himself to sink further in to the pillows and, after hesitating for just a moment, he lifted his arm and brought it to settle across Aerith’s waist. The woman sighed in her sleep, body snuggling backwards in search of the extra warmth, and Cloud lay still, scared of waking her. When she settled against him, and her breathing evened out once more, Cloud let out his own sigh and allowed his eyes to close and his muscles to relax.

 

Cloud soon found himself drifting off, at total peace wrapped around Aerith. Before he could fully submit to the lull of sleep however, a heavy banging on the stateroom door had him on his feet and out of bed.

 

“Hey, you pair in there?”

 

“Barret?” Cloud rushed to the door, opening and allowing the man to step into the room.

 

Barret was dressed in his normal clothes and his gun was affixed to his wrist. In his other hand he was toting Cloud’s buster sword. “Here.” He slipped a heavy canvas kit bag off his shoulder and handed the sword over. “Get your gear together.”

 

“What’s going on?” Aerith was fully awake now, pulling her dress and materia out of the bag. She moved behind the dressing screen in the corner of the room, giving both herself and Cloud the chance to change while Barret explained.

 

“Heard some talk down in the crew quarters. There’s an intruder on the ship. Not much of a description to go on, but someone did mention a big-ass sword.”

 

Cloud met the other man’s eyes as he fastened his gauntlet to his left wrist. “Any monsters?”

 

“Didn’t see anything out the ordinary on my way up here. I woke Tifa and Red up and then came for you. I assume it’s not good news.”

 

“Never is.” Cloud flipped his sword on to his back and made sure his materia was slotted to his liking as Aerith emerged, back to her normal self. “Let’s go.”

 

Tifa and Red emerged from a suite a few doors down, both outfitted for whatever faced them next. The group flew back past the first class cabins, emerging back in to the main corridor of the ship and straight in to a mass of panicking passengers.

 

“What’s going on?” Barret caught hold of one of the uniformed crew.

 

“Monsters, man! Didn’t you see them?” He shrugged Barret’s hand off his arm and sprinted towards the doors that led out to the deck.

 

As if on queue, the captain’s voice blared from the public address system overhead. ‘ Attention all passengers. We have an emergency on board. Return to your cabins and remain there for the duration. ’

 

“Back on track.” Cloud sighed, pushing forward through the flow of escaping passengers. They took the stairs down towards the economy deck and found that the people here were also ignoring the captain’s call to shelter in place. It was mayhem. Halfway down the hallway, one of the heavy, metal doors exploded off its hinges, hitting the opposite wall with tremendous force. 

 

A figure in a black robe stumbled out in to the hallway, a monster oozing with a purple, miasmic aura wrapped around its torso. Cloud narrowed his eyes as the robed figure began to mutate into a hideous being, while the rest of the group voiced their horror.

 

“Aw man, that’s nasty.” Barret levelled his arm at the monster as another two slithered in to view.

 

“Are they those robed guys?” Tifa asked, eyes fixed on the humanoid face possessed by the monster.

 

“They were.” Cloud jumped back to avoid the slice of a clawed hand. “Now they’re something else.”

 

Red somersaulted in to the mutant, causing it to stagger back towards the other beasts. “This has Hojo written all over it.”

 

The entity that Red had struck reared back and let out a piercing shriek. The group had to fight the urge to cover their ears as the other two monsters lunged forward on the attack. Shaking his head to try and clear the ringing in his ears, Cloud slashed at the creatures with his sword, a bolt of lightning following the arc of his blade.

 

“They may be tough, but we can handle it. Just focus on taking them down before any others turn up.”

 

Fighting in close quarters was difficult, especially when their foes had a multitude of dangerous appendages at their disposal. They worked as a group, playing to their strengths and baiting the monsters around the narrow space, allowing each other some breathing room when needed. The mutants were strong, but the team were smarter and they kept their focus as they whittled down the enemies one by one.

 

“These things are annoying!” Tifa panted as the last mutant collapsed to the floor and stopped moving.

 

The sound of snarling drifted along the corridor to their left. “Yeah, there’s more to come too.” Cloud levelled his sword in the direction of the noise, but fresh screams from the direction of the deck diverted their attention.

 

“Ah crap, they’re outside too?”

 

“We’ll have to split up.” Cloud directed. “Three to the deck and two-”

 

Pain lanced through Cloud’s head, an invisible fish hook yanking at his brain. He stumbled slightly, caught off guard.

 

“Cloud?” Aerith grasped his elbow, holding him steady.

 

“He’s here.” Blue eyes drifted towards the door leading to the engine room.

 

“Sephiroth?” Red growled.

 

“Yeah.” Cloud straightened himself and looked at his friends. “You guys split up and take care of the monsters, I’ll go see to Sephiroth.”

 

“By yourself?” Tifa frowned while Aerith shook her head in protest.

 

“I’ll be fine, we can regroup once the monsters are dealt with.”

 

Barret frowned deeply, but renewed screams from the direction of the deck stopped any of his arguments. “You sure you got this?" Cloud nodded and Barret turned to the others. “Tifa, we'll take the deck. Aerith and Red can handle things down here.”

 

Aerith hesitated, hand still gripping Cloud's elbow, her eyes flitting across his face worriedly. 

 

Taking Aerith's free hand in his own, Cloud offered her a small smile. “It will be fine. Just watch each other's backs.”

 

“And who will watch yours?”

 

Huffing out a low laugh, Cloud squeezed her fingers. “I will. Until you come back and watch it for me.”

 

“Right.” Aerith smiled back. “See you soon then?”

 

Releasing his grip, Cloud watched his four companions head back towards the sounds of panic, splitting off into separate hallways, his eyes catching green for a brief moment before Aerith turned the corner. He expelled a heavy breath as he turned back to the bulkhead door, the dagger in his skull still probing deeply.

 

Into the depths he went.

 

---

 

The passageways to the boiler room were narrow and noisy, the emergency lighting casting everything into an unsettling blood-red relief. The ship creaked and the pipes leaked pressure with low, intermittent hisses. Cloud pressed forward, his grip tight on his sword. He passed no other soul, the engine crew all absent - whether they had escaped towards the deck, or been trapped below, Cloud was not sure.

 

Coming to the end of the corridor, he pushed his shoulder against the door barring his way, and the thick metal eked open with a low groan. The tight hallways were replaced with an expansive room, with Cloud looking at it from a walkway above. The engine, the heart of the ship, took up a great chunk of the space in the room, and stood before the whirring machinery was a familiar, if unwelcome, figure.

 

“Sephiroth!”

 

“Cloud.” Sephiroth stood in the chamber below, eyes fixed on the younger man as Cloud reached the top of the stairs. “Finally, a chance to talk.”

 

Cloud gripped the walkway railing, fighting the urge to strike at the figure before him. As much as he loathed Sephiroth, and as much as he wanted to annhilate the person resonsible for taking Aerith from him so many times over, blindly attacking would not work in his favour.

 

“You’ve become a bit of a mystery, Cloud.” Sephiroth eyed him speculatively. “They say Mother can peer inside your soul and see all that you are. We see a change in you, Cloud. A very sudden change. Something that did not exist in Midgar. Are you interfering in things that don’t concern you?”

 

Cloud narrowed his eyes but kept his face neutral. “What are you talking about?”

 

“I think you know. Though I’m not sure how that would be possible.” Serpentine eyes raked over Cloud. “There’s no stopping the wheels of Fate. At least not for simple humans.”

 

Cloud’s stomach turned, and his fingers tightened around his sword. He knew that Sephiroth had knowledge of the alternate worlds, but the man usually refrained from speaking so plainly to Cloud until he had taken hold of the black materia. Yet another change of events this time round. Had things been altered so much just because he had shared his knowledge with the others? Cloud couldn’t help but feel on edge.

 

“How peculiar.” Sephiroth mused, turning his eyes to the ceiling. Faint screams could be heard from the floors above. “But of no consequence.” His sharp gaze flicked back to the younger man. “You will still heed my call. Come, Cloud.”

 

The familiar lance of pain shot through Cloud’s head again as he felt Sephiroth - or rather the Jenova clone before him - probe at the tainted cells within his body. Gritting his teeth, Cloud pushed back at the intrusion. Resisting the call of the Jenova cells within his body had become second nature by this point, but it still hurt him to do so.

 

Cloud watched as Sephiroth frowned, seeing that his onslaught was rendered ineffective.

 

“Very peculiar. This won’t do, Cloud.”

 

“You can go to hell.” Cloud spat.

 

Sephiroth laughed at that, gloved hand covering his eyes. “So ferocious, yet so helpless. Just like a puppy.” He lowered his hand, casting an appraising eye over Cloud one more. “I will see you soon, Cloud. We have work to do.”

 

Cloud settled in to his fighting stance, his mind running through the previous times he had bested Jenova on this ship. He watched as Sephiroth’s facade shimmered and then split, an alien skull emerging in its place.

 

Sephiroth’s form held like that for a moment then, not changing further, and the voice used by the monster was the one so familiar yet detested by Cloud. “Why do you not cower before Mother, Cloud? Were you expecting this?” The grotesque face of Jenova rippled again, this time settling back into Sephiroth’s fine features. “Then perhaps a different approach will be needed? I should hate to bore you, after all.”

 

Cloud remained silent, body still poised for an attack, but Sephiroth merely continued to stare.

 

“A mystery indeed, Cloud.” the older man said eventually. “Until next time, then. Be ready.”

 

A single, ebony wind unfurled from behind Sephiroth and enveloped the man’s form. Cloud gritted his teeth and rushed forward, no plan other than trying to do some damage to his foe, even if he knew that the real Sephiroth was currently sequestered in the Northern Crater.

 

Sephiroth was gone before Cloud could reach him however, a flash of purple light signalling his departure. Cloud skidded to a stop, though the edge of his sword cleaved in to the mess of pipework long the wall. He swore as a plume of steam erupted from the pipes, the skin on his right arm taking the brunt of the blast. 

 

Moving away from the hissing, spitting cavity, Cloud cast his eyes around the room. No Sephiroth. No Jenova. This was new, and he didn’t like it at all.

 

‘ Good evening everyone, this is your Captain speaking. The earlier disturbance has been resolved and you are free to move about the ship as you please. I would like to apologise for the unplanned disruption and hope that the remainer of the journey is to your liking. ’

 

Assuming that meant that the rest of the monsters on the ship had been dealt with, Cloud sheathed his sword and turned to leave the engine room. He had almost reached the bottom of the steps when he heard rushed footfalls approaching from the passageway above. Barret and Tifa emerged on to the walkway, quickly followed by Aerith and Red.

 

“Cloud!” Tifa bounded down the stairs. “Are you okay?”

 

“I’m fine.” Cloud’s eyes swept over his friends. “Anyone hurt?”

 

“Nah we’re good. Better than you anyway.” Barret nodded at the welts along Cloud’s arm.

 

“It’s nothing.” Cloud moved to cast a healing spell, but Aerith beat him to it, coming to stand next to him. Sighing in relief as the scalded skin was repaired, Cloud looked at the others. “The monsters?”

 

“All dealt with.” Red informed. “Sephiroth?”

 

“He was here.” The others became still, staring at Cloud. “Spouted his usual cryptic shit and then left.”

 

“Oh. Well that’s good?” Tifa ventured hesitantly.

 

“It’s different.” Cloud rotated his arm, letting the skin flex as Aerith finished healing him. “And he definitely seems to know that something is going on with me.”

 

“That’s bad.” Barret nudged Tifa who shoved him away.

 

Cloud looked back at the spot where Sephiroth had stood and shrugged. “I don’t think he knows exactly what or why, but he can tell I’m different now.”

 

“I imagine he doesn’t like not knowing everything that is going on.” Aerith mused, fiddling with the bracelets at her wrist.”You know, considering his god complex and all.”

 

“Right. But for some reason he didn’t attack me. Every other time we’ve been on this ship we’ve had to to fight a Jenova life form. This time he didn’t and just said to be ready for next time.”

 

“I understand less and less about what’s going on with each passing moment.” Barret sighed. “It’s like being back in school again.”

 

Tifa and Aerith laughed, and even Cloud found himself relaxing at the joke.

 

They made their way back up, out of the innards of the ship, and in to the guest areas. There were signs of the battle left along the metal walls, gouges and scorch marks, but most of the guests seemed to be taking the recent events in their stride.

 

“Complimentary drinks in the bar for the rest of the journey.” A crew member called out as he walked along the corridor. “And we have first aid available should anyone require it.”

 

“I haven’t seen Yuffie.” Tifa noted as they joined the flow of people heading up to the bar.

 

“Good point.” Aerith craned her neck left and right, as though expecting the young ninja to pop up next to them. “Do you think she got on the ship?”

 

Cloud shrugged. “Not a clue. But we’ll see her again sooner or later.”

 

Or at least, Cloud thought, he hoped so. With how things were progressing, he was becoming less sure of what was coming next.

---

 

Chapter 8: Days in the Sun

Summary:

“By having good memories on every place you just visit, you are building paradise in your own heart and your life.”
― Toba Beta, Master of Stupidity

“You’ll be in Costa del Sol soon, right?”

 

Aerith frowned. Was someone speaking to her?

 

“Ah I love it there. Make sure you take a moment to soak it all in, OK?”

 

She couldn’t see anything, not even her own body. There was nothing but blinding light all around her.

 

“And definitely make time to have a date with Cloud.”

Who was talking? Aerith tried to speak, to get some answers, but no sound came out. In fact, she wasn’t even sure that she was really here… wherever here was. It was like she was just floating in nothingness; strange but peaceful nothingness.

 

“Don’t worry about all those questions you have.” The voice was amused. “You’ll understand soon enough. Just enjoy everything for now.”

 

‘Do I know you?’ Aerith wondered, wordlessly.

 

“You will.” The voice assured her. “I’m sure we’ll speak again soon. Take care.”

 

---

 

“Aerith?”

 

She woke with a start, blinking as Cloud’s face came in to focus.

 

“Sorry, but we’re almost ready to dock.”

 

Aerith nodded, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. She had dozed off on one of the sofas in the bar, the busy night of fighting having caught up with her. She was aware of Cloud watching her as she stretched, trying to shake the heaviness of sleep from her limbs.

 

“You OK? You were mumbling a little. Bad dream?”

 

She paused, trying to recall what her dream had been about. It was like trying to hold water between her fingers however, and she was only left with a vague feeling of confusion.

 

“I don’t think so.” She answered Cloud, finally. “Can’t remember what it was about.”

 

Cloud held a hand out to her, and she took it with a thankful smile. “That’s dreams for you, I guess. Come on, the others are out on the deck.”

He led her outside and the warmth hit Aerith like a physical blow. “Phew!” She gasped. “I don’t think I’ve ever felt heat like this.”

 

Cloud relaxed his grip on her hand and turned to face her, hands slipping up to her shoulders. He helped her shrug her red jacket off and then placed it over the crook of his arm. “Yeah, welcome to Costa del Sol. We’ll have to get some cooler clothes if we hang around.”

 

They continued towards the side of the ship, where the others were peering over the railing, watching the golden coast grow larger.

“Are we staying here for a while then?” Aerith asked, and Cloud paused.

 

“Won’t hurt to decide on our next steps.” He squinted up at the bright sun overhead. “Besides, everyone pretty much loves it here, so I wouldn’t take that away from them.”

 

‘Ah I love it there…’ Aerith frowned, the words seemed both familiar and yet completely new to her. Her dream?

 

“There you two are!”

 

Tifa’s voice pulled Aerith back to the present and she affixed her usual smile in to place. “Sorry, I drifted off for a while there.”

 

Tifa slung an arm around Aerith’s shoulders and pulled her towards the railings . “Well you’re up just in time. Look at that view!”

 

Aerith took a proper look at Costa del Sol, growing ever larger by the second. The expanse of golden beach off to the right of the town was already filling up despite the day being early. The white buildings shone in the sun and the colourful clothing worn by the swarms of tourists wandering around provided splashes of brightness wherever she looked.

 

Aerith felt excitement take hold of her and she bounced on the balls of her feet. “It looks beautiful!” Turning back to look at Cloud she grinned. “Come look!”

 

The blonde smiled softly, wandering forward to join the others. “I’ve seen it before.”

 

“Not with me you haven’t.” Aerith nudged him and he sighed but didn’t argue.

 

The ship eased into port and the crew on the ship, and on shore, were instantly busy, getting ready for disembarkment. Looking back at her friends, Aerith blinked in confusion. “Hey, where did Barret go?”

 

Tifa, Cloud and Red all turned to where she was looking. “That’s weird,” Tifa frowned. “He was just here.”

 

“Well we can’t leave without him.” Aerith worried her lower lip between her teeth. “Do you think he got in trouble for impersonating a barman?” After the midnight battle, the group had abandoned any pretenses of their disguises, but no one had confronted them about it.

 

Cloud laughed a little at that. “Is there such a law?”

 

“I don’t know!” Aerith protested, but she grinned along with him. “But still…”

 

“I see him.” Red nodded towards the doors that led from the deck from the bar. The others turned to look and easily spotted Barret’s form heading towards them.

 

“Where did you get to?” Tifa asked as the man reached them.

 

Barret smirked, slipping his sunglasses over his eyes. “Had to see the Chief Purser.” He reached in to a pocket on his vest and pulled out a small envelope. “Got my wages for the trip.”

 

“They paid you?” Cloud raised an eyebrow. “Even though they know who you are now?”

 

“Damn straight.” Barret tucked the money away again. “They were just happy I did my shift. Still think they should have put some extra in there considering we saved all their asses last night.”

 

‘We are now arriving in Costa del Sol. Please ensure you have all of your belongings with you before leaving the ship. We would like to thank you all for sailing with us, and we hope to see you again in the future.’

 

Aerith clapped her hands together happily. “In that case, let’s go! And Barret can treat us all to an early lunch.”

 

Barret huffed, but reached over and ruffled Aerith’s hair. “You’re lucky I’m a generous guy.”

 

---

 

“So what’s our plan?” Tifa asked, pushing her plate away and leaning back in her seat.

 

They were sat on the terrace of a beachside restaurant and had enjoyed a light lunch of fresh-caught seafood. The breeze from the ocean drifted pleasantly over their warm skin, and they were in no to rush to leave.

 

“Well,” began Cloud. “We’re on the same continent as the other members of the team now at least and I think we should get them as soon as possible.”

 

“You mixing things up this time?” Barret reached for his drink and eyed Cloud curiously.

 

“It’s already different this time.” Cloud tapped his fingers against the table top distractedly. “We need the others, and the sooner we have everyone the more flexible we can be with what plans we make.”

 

Aerith hummed thoughtfully. “So who are we getting first, and where are they?”

 

Cloud looked thoughtful for a moment. “May as well tell you at least their names now I guess. Cid would be good to find soon, because he has a plane.” Aerith noticed that the others perked up at that. “But to get to where Cid usually sets up shop, we need our own transportation first.” He met Aerith’s eyes and nodded. “The Gold Saucer should be our first stop.”

 

“Is there a team member there?”

 

“Yeah,” Cloud sighed. “Cait Sith. He’s… different.”

“How so?” Red perked his head up from his position trying to keep a low profile beneath the table.

 

“I’ll explain later.” Cloud rubbed the bridge of his nose. “I don’t think this is the best place to get in to that.”

 

“Okay,” Tifa nodded. “Cid and Cait Sith. Is that everyone?”

 

“No. There’s still Vincent, but it will be easier to get to him once we have Cid’s plane.”

 

“Where is Vincent?” Aerith asked and she immediately noticed how Cloud’s form stiffened, his eyes boring in to the table.

 

“Nibelheim.”

 

Casting her eyes across to the other woman, Aerith saw that Tifa looked stricken.

 

“Nibelheim?”

“Yeah.” Cloud met his friend’s gaze. “But it’s not the place you remember. If we didn’t need Vincent then I would avoid it entirely.”

 

The group lapsed in to silence for a moment and Aerith fiddled with the straw in her glass. “Is there anything that we need to be aware of while we’re in town?”

 

Cloud nodded, looking up at her. “Shinra might be around, but who knows what’s going to happen this time. Either way we should be on alert.”

 

“But we’re not heading out right away are we?” Barret prompted and the blonde man rolled his eyes.

 

“Wouldn’t dare suggest it. We can take a day at the very least and make sure we’re all stocked up. There’s going to a lot of travelling from here on out.”

 

“You say that like it’s a new thing.” Aerith teased and the others laughed in agreement. “So if we’re sticking around then we’ll need a hotel, right?” Aerith looked across the street to where she had spotted a plush looking hotel. “Not sure that one is in our budget.”

 

“Don’t worry about it.” Cloud gestured towards a passing waiter for the bill. “I know the best place in town.”

 

---

Aerith let out a deep sigh as she lay back on the bed. Johnny’s Seaside Inn wasn’t a five star resort, but she wasn’t complaining. The slightest breeze teased the gossamer drapes covering the windows, and the sound of the nearby ocean threatened to lull her to sleep. The knot of her hair bow pressed in to her head where she lay on it, and she reached up to untie the fabric. As her hair loosened, she gathered the orb of her mother’s materia in her hand and held it up in front of her eyes. She could see the distorted image of the room through the clear glass and she frowned. Cloud had explained that the materia’s power had faded when the fight with Whisper Harbinger had taken her memories, and she wondered if that was why it felt like a part of her was missing along with the white glow of the materia.

 

She knew what she was destined to use the materia for, and even though it had resulted in her death numerous times already, Aerith didn’t feel happy that the magic had been lost to her. Cloud had told her that she would get another white materia eventually, whole and functional, but that brought its own problems. She knew that she was supposed to use that magic for the good of the world, and she wanted her mother’s materia back to its pearlescent state, she really did. But she was scared of what would await her when she did get it back. Saving both the world and herself still seemed like a steep request.

 

“It will be okay.” She murmured to herself, lowering her hand and placing the empty orb on the bed next to her. “Cloud will figure it out.”

 

She turned on her side, gently rolling the vacant crystal back and forth across the downy fabric of the bed. It occurred to her that the knowledge she had wasn’t her own. It had been provided to her from Cloud, and she believed him, but it still felt a little surreal; like a fairytale. She thought of the other Aeriths, the ones who had not been aware of the whys and whats that were to come and she pitied them. They must have felt even more confused and lost than she did.

 

---

 

“So I’m going to go out on a limb and assume we’re not just going to get to relax on this little pit stop?” Barret sipped at the drink he had ordered from the beachside bar, the hollowed out coconut looking comically small in his hand.

 

Aerith kept an ear on the conversation behind her as she reclined on the sunlounger that she was occupying. Tifa was stretched out on the seat next to her, forearm draped over her eyes against the brightness of the sky. They had taken Cloud’s advice and grabbed some more suitable beachwear and Aerith found the heat a lot more bearable.

 

“Usually there’s trouble.” Cloud conceded.

 

“That’s why you were insistent on us bringing our weapons down here?”

 

“Yeah.” Cloud sighed. “I’ve fought using a beach umbrella one time too many.”

Aerith smiled at the mental image.

 

“What sort of trouble are we talking about?”

 

“Shinra. More of Hojo’s experiments.”

 

Red growled from his position between the sunbeds. “Hojo?”

 

“Yeah, he’s meddling in things as usual. Although,” Cloud paused and Aerith turned her head to see him a little better. He was peering along the length of the beach and back again, eyes shielded from the glare of the sun by a hand. “I haven’t seen any of the black robes since we’ve been here.”

 

“That different?” Barret questioned.

“Yeah, usually Shinra are keeping tabs on them, and they’re Hojo’s current guinea pigs.”

 

Aerith frowned, recalling how the robed men on the ship had been mutated by the strange monsters that had swarmed them. Hojo’s depravity really knew no limits. She sat up on her lounger, swinging her legs to the side and standing up. The sudden movement caught the men’s attention and they looked at her.

 

“You okay?” Barret raised an eyebrow.

 

“Yeah.” Aerith fixed a bright smile to her face, eyes hidden by the pink-framed sunglasses she had purchased to match her bikini. “Just thought I’d go get a drink. Want anything?”

 

Barret waved his empty coconut in answer and Aerith nodded. “Okey dokey. Back in a sec.” She started towards the stairs that led up to the bar area, picking her way across the loose sand carefully.

 

“What’s up?”

 

She jumped at the voice, not having realised Cloud had caught up with her. “What do you mean?”

 

“You seem like something is bothering you.” Cloud raised an eyebrow in her direction and she shrugged.

 

“I’m okay. Just the talk about Hojo setting me on edge.”

 

Cloud reached over to take her hand as they began to climb the steps from the beach. “Can’t blame you there. I don’t think his own mother could say his name without shuddering.”

 

They reached the bar and waited under the shade of the canopy roof while the bartender dealt with those ahead of them.

 

“I just… I never thought it was in my nature to hate someone. I mean truly hate. But with Hojo, I think I do.” She looked down at where her hands rested on the bartop. “I start thinking such dark and ugly thoughts, it’s like there’s something screaming inside my chest, wanting to erupt.”

 

She watched Cloud’s hand reach over to cover her own. “You’re allowed to have thoughts like that. And even though you are most definitely the most purehearted person on this planet, you’re still human.”

 

Aerith glanced over at him and smiled ruefully. “Doesn’t feel like it sometimes.”

 

Cloud’s eyes softened. “You’re a very special human, granted.”

 

She opened her mouth to reply when her attention was caught by two figures arriving at the other side of the bar. Aerith gasped, grabbing Cloud’s arm and pulling him down to crouch out of sight alongside the bar.

 

“Aerith what-?”

 

“Shinra.” She pointed vaguely in the direction she had seen them. “A guard and someone in a suit.”

 

“Okay.” Cloud’s lips twitched. “But why are we hiding?”

 

Aerith felt her cheeks warm slightly. “Instinct? Besides, I want to go sunbathe for a bit longer, I don’t want to get in to a fight right now.”

 

“Fair enough.” Cloud smiled. “We could sneak back down to the beach?”

 

Aerith was about to agree when an annoyed voice came from close by.

 

“What does it take to get served around here? You think they’d show Shinra employees a bit of respect.”

 

Their unexpected guests had moved along the bar and were now just a stones throw away from where they were crouched. 

 

“They seem busy, Sir.” The Shinra grunt observed mildly. Mr Suit did not appear to be satisfied with such a simple explanation.

 

“If I have to be the one to go and tell Professor Hojo the bad news, I deserve a drink beforehand.”

 

Aerith sat with her back to the wall of the beach bar listening to the conversation, her grip on Cloud’s arm tightening at the mention of Hojo’s name. She glanced over at Cloud and he raised a curious eyebrow.

 

‘Bad news?’ He mouthed and Aerith shrugged. Bad news for Hojo could be good news for them.

 

“Oh forget it!” Mr Suit spat. “I don’t have time for this, I’ll see if the vending machine down the street has any beer in it.”

 

Aerith listened to the two pairs of footsteps fade before she turned to Cloud, tilting her head curiously. “What was all that about?”

 

“Not sure.” The man shook his head. “I know where Hojo usually holes up when he’s here. We could go see if we can eavesdrop?”

 

“Like a super secret spy mission?” Aerith wiggled her eyebrows and Cloud huffed out a low laugh.

 

“If you like.”

 

“Erm, can I get you guys anything?”

 

Aerith looked up and saw the barman was leaving over the countertop, staring down at them in confusion. “Oh,” she grinned sheepishly. “No, we’re fine thank you.”

 

“Okay…” The man straightened, apparently not having the energy to question them further, and disappeared from sight.

 

“Come on,” Cloud grabbed Aerith’s hand and pulled them both upright. “Let’s get the others and see if we can find out what Shinra are up to.”

 

When they arrived back at their spot on the beach, Barret looked up curiously. “You two in a hurry for something?” He glanced at their empty hands. “No drink?”

 

“Ah sorry,” Aerith bowed her head slightly. “We spotted some Shinra people.”

“You get in to any trouble?” Red asked.

 

“They didn’t see us.” Cloud assured. “But they have some news for Hojo so I think we should go and find out what it is.”

 

Aerith looked over at the occupied lounger. “Is Tifa asleep?”

 

“Indeed.” Red said mildly. “I have been rather concerned that she may burn if she stays like that much longer.”

 

Approaching the slumbering woman, Aerith crouched down beside her and shook her shoulder gently. “Tifa?”

 

“Mm, five more minutes.” Tifa swatted sleepily at the interruption and Aerith rolled her eyes affectionately.

 

“Come on, Sleepyhead. We’ve got a mission.”

 

Tifa’s ruby eyes blinked open and she looked at her friend in confusion. “A mission?”

 

“Yep.” Aerith chirped, moving to stand. “An undercover spy mission.”

 

Tifa sat up on her lounger and looked over at the others, apparently hoping someone else would clarify matters.

 

“Come on.” Cloud took pity on her. “We’ll fill you in on the way.”

 

---

 

Aerith and the others followed Cloud a little ways along the beach, finding Hojo in a large, private cabana. The Shinra guard and employee had already arrived, with the suited man apparently finding the words he needed rather elusive.

 

“Well, what is it?”

 

Hojo’s sneering voice carried clearly to where the group crouched behind a pair of large, potted palms at the bottom of the stairs leading up to where Hojo was.

 

“Professor,” Aerith heard Mr Suit begin. “The subjects have been seen heading north, towards the mountains.”

 

“All of them?”

 

“Yes sir.”

 

Hojo stood  and frowned deeply. “And nobody thought to intervene?”

 

“We tried, but they seemed very focused on their path. The guards stepped down rather than injure them.”

 

“As if that is the largest concern.” Hojo scoffed. “Is someone following them at least?”

 

“Yes sir. We have a team trailing them and keeping us updated.”

 

“Well that’s something. Damn it all to hell, I was hoping to stay here for a few more days.”

 

“Shall we pack up, Sir?” That was a voice that Aerith did not recognise - a different guard perhaps.

 

“Yes.” Hojo snapped. “I had hoped to continue the next phase of my experiment here, but if all my subjects have wandered off then there’s little I can do.”

 

She heard the heavy, booted footfalls of several guards leaving the area and shared a look with the others.

 

“They’re leaving?” She whispered.

 

Cloud nodded. “Sounds like it.”

 

“Then should we just head back?” Tifa asked.

 

“Too late.”

Aerith looked up, seeing the ends of four standard-issue Shinra rifles pointing down at them from the marble platform above. Barret swore under his breath and moved to raise his arm, but Cloud shook his head.

 

“Don’t.”

 

Aerith watched the blonde man stand and head up the stairs, ignoring the weapons trained on him the whole time. She stood and followed after him, Tifa, Barret and Red close behind her.

 

She spotted Hojo easily, laying back on a plush sun bed, as though he didn’t have a care in the world, and her hands tightened in to fists.

 

“Did you know that sound carries easier in warmer air?” Hojo sneered over at them. “Or is even that simple scientific concept beyond your grasp?” He eyeballed Cloud. “Not followed after your brothers?”

 

Aerith glanced at Cloud who stared back at the older man coolly. “I think your data is a little out of date, Professor.”

 

Hojo ‘s eyes narrowed, apparently confused by the response but he declined to continue the conversation, his gaze scanning over the group instead. “I see two of my experiments are adapting to the outside world.” Aerith fought to keep her expression neutral as Red growled next to her. “Enjoy your field trip while you can, though it will be harder for you to readjust to the lab once you are back in Midgar.”

 

Cloud stepped sideways, breaking the line of sight between Aerith and Hojo, and drew his sword. “You never learn when to shut up, do you?”

 

The Shinra guards raised their rifles as one, but Hojo raised a hand. “Insolent boy” He eyed Cloud in distaste. “How fortunate for you that I don’t have time to spend on a failure like yourself today. I’m afraid my break has been cut short.” He clicked his fingers and the guards relaxed their positions, moving to flank him as they headed towards the exit of the cabana.

 

“Enjoy that luck while you can. It will run out soon, I’m sure.” Hojo offered a twisted grin as he passed them.

 

Cloud turned, keeping Aerith the other side of him, and she could see the anger behind his blue eyes. “Not until a long time after yours is gone, Hojo.”

 

The kept their attention on the twisted scientist and his guards until they had faded from sight, heading in towards the busy streets of Costa del Sol.

 

Aerith placed a hand between Cloud’s shoulders and felt his tense form loosen.

 

“So,” Tifa broke the silence. “I’m guessing that he doesn’t usually just leave peacefully?”

 

“No.” Cloud sighed. “Guess following ‘his subjects’ is more important.”

 

Aerith hummed thoughtfully. “They’re heading north?”

 

“They’re heading to where Jenova is. The cells they’ve been been infected with are pulling them back to her.”

 

Barret rubbed at his forehead, his expression pained. “Remind me again, the cell thing is the same reason you were being all weird and puppet like too, right?”

 

Aerith nodded at Barret’s question. When Cloud had explained the gist of what was going on, in that cabin on the outskirts of Kalm, he had briefly touched on the connection he had with Sephiroth, and how he had eventually made his mind his own.

 

“Yeah.” Cloud said shortly. “I turned out a bit different, but the pull was there for me too. The short story is that it’s not anymore.”

 

Barret clapped a forceful hand on Cloud’s shoulder. “Good enough for me. I don’t think I can deal with the long story at the moment.”

 

“Well what do we do now?” Red asked, tail whipping through the air. He was evidently still agitated at being so close to Hojo.

 

“If Shinra has shipped out then there’s no threat to us for now. I say we carry on with the plan to rest up, restock, and then head out when we’re ready.”

 

“I like the sound of that.” Aerith smiled at her friends. “How about we go freshen up and get some dinner?”

 

“Now you’re talking.” Barret grinned. “But just so you know, the Bank of Barret only funds one meal a day.”

 

---

 

Dinner had been a pleasant affair. After showering their day at the beach from their bodies, they had dressed in fresh clothes and headed back in to town. They had found a street-side restaurant and dined under the rising stars, the patio heaters keeping the slight chill of the evening air off their bare arms.

 

“We should come back here, after everything is over.” Tifa sighed, reaching for her glass of wine. “Have a proper holiday.”

 

Barret held his glass aloft. “I’ll drink to that.”

 

Aerith smiled and nodded, but her chest twisted a little at the sentiment. She was finding it hard to think about after … everything that stood between now and then seemed rather impossible to comprehend. She jumped slightly when a warm hand came to rest on her knee beneath the table. Cloud was looking at her, his eyes telling her that he knew what she was thinking, and that he didn’t approve.

 

“To after.” He raised his own drink in her direction and she had to bite her lip against the rush of emotions that hit her.

 

Picking up her drink, Aerith clinked her glass against his and Tifa and Barret leaned over to do the same. Red placed a paw up on the table in a sign of solidarity.

 

“To after.” Aerith whispered, smiling softly at her friends.

 

They finished their meal, and after Cloud paid the bill they started a leisurely walk back toward Johnny’s Seaside Inn.

 

“I’m beat.” Tifa yawned, stretching her arms above her head. “Amazing how much a day in the sun can relax you.”

 

“I’d have thought you got enough rest earlier, when you were snoring away on that sun lounger.” Barret smirked, and Tifa looked affronted.

 

“I do not snore!” She protested.

 

Aerith watched in amusement as the pair bickered, but her attention was drawn by Cloud taking her hand and tugging her gently to a stop.

“Hm? Everything okay, Cloud?”

 

He looked almost sheepish. “Yeah. I just wondered if you wanted to go for a walk?”

 

Aerith peered up at him, delighted by the question. “Just us?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

“I’d love to.” She looped her arm with his as she looked over her shoulder at the others. “We’ll see you guys later.”

 

“Where are you off to?” Barret raised an eyebrow.”

Aerith grinned back cheekily. “Hot date. Don’t wait up.”

 

Cloud sighed heavily but she could see the tilt of his lips as he led the way down the street, towards the beach.

 

The moon was hanging high in the sky when Aerith and Cloud stepped onto the cool sand of the beach. They wandered close to the water’s edge and Aerith paused to slip off her sandals, letting the gentle lapping of the waves wash across her feet as they walked.

 

There were a handful of people, mainly couples, also enjoying a moonlight stroll but the beach was peaceful compared to the daylight hours. Aerith glanced over at Cloud’s profile, noting that he seemed deep in thought.

 

“I bet you’ve done this a lot huh?” She kept her voice low, reluctant to break the peaceful aura that had settled over the beach.

 

Cloud looked over at her questioningly. “What?”

 

“Walk along this beach? Knowing me I was probably always asking you to go along with stuff like this.”

 

Cloud hummed in agreement. “Yeah pretty much. I don’t mind it though. Never have.”

 

Aerith looped her arms around his bicep and smiled up at him. “So what number beach date is this for us - eight? Or nine I suppose, counting the original time for you?”

Cloud opened his mouth, to agree it seemed, but then the relaxed expression on his face seemed to fade. He slowed to a stop and stood, looking out at the dark horizon. “No. It’s seven times.”

 

“Oh?”

“There was the time that… well the time when we didn’t get farther than the Mythril Mines.” He mumbled.

 

Aerith nodded, familiar with that story already. “So then what’s the other time?”

 

“The attempt after the Mines. Number four.”

 

“What happened?” Aerith followed his gaze and the pair watched the gentle waves as they talked. “Did I-?”

 

“No.” Cloud cut her off. “Not until the Forgotten City.” He raked a hand through his unruly hair. “I tried a different approach that time.”

 

Aerith remained quiet and allowed Cloud to continue at his own pace.

 

“After losing you in the Mines, before we’d even really made any progress on that attempt, I was feeling desperate. It hurt every time obviously, but that was the point everything started feeling hopeless. Like I was in some sick punishment and there was never gonna be a way to stop it. So on try number four I tried to keep my distance from you. Thought maybe it would hurt a bit less if I didn’t spend so much time with you.”

 

“Did it work?” Aerith’s voice was quiet yet curious.

 

A bitter laugh slipped past Cloud’s lips. “No. Not at all. It made me miserable, and it still hurt like hell when I didn’t save you. And it was worse for you. I could tell that giving you the cold shoulder hurt you too. You suffered the same fate as all the other times, but this time there was loneliness added on top. I never tried that way again.”

 

Aerith leaned closer to him, resting her cheek against his upper arm. “I’m glad. I would really miss moments like this.”

 

“I’m sorry.”

 

She shook her head, her skin nuzzling against his. “You did what you thought best. I can’t imagine how hard this has all been for you.”

 

“You need to stop worrying about me.” Cloud sighed. “This is about you.”

 

Aerith frowned at that, the urge to refute his statement surging up inside her, and she was confused by her own reaction. She paused and pushed the rebuttal down. “Is it?” She asked instead, keeping her voice neutral.

 

Cloud looked down at her, frowning. “Of course it is. Saving you is the most important thing.”

 

Aerith sighed and moved away from Cloud slightly, continuing her slow stroll along the beach. “I don’t think I can agree with that.” Cloud fell in to step with her again. “To me you are the most important thing.” She smiled softly, eyes fixed to her bare feet. “And even then Tifa and the others, and the Planet as a whole are things I want to protect. Seems selfish to put myself before everything else.”

 

Cloud came to a stop, catching her wrist and turning her to face him. “That’s why I’m here, because you aren’t selfish enough.” He pulled her closer, and made sure she met his eyes. “You’ve sacrificed yourself enough times already, I think you can put yourself first this time.”

 

Aerith sagged in to him slightly, resting her cheek against his chest and staring out at the black waters. “Guess this is just one of those areas we’ll have to disagree on.”

 

“I guess so.” Cloud stroked the length of her hair with a gentle hand. “I’ll just have to make sure you aren’t too selfless.”

Aerith smiled, eyes drifting shut. “Ditto.”

 

“I love you, Aerith.” His barely-whispered words caused her breath the catch. She had heard them before, but it still took her by surprise. “I am going to protect you against everything this time.”

 

The words were almost like a promise to himself, and Aerith stayed quiet, but pressing herself closer to him in response. She stayed cradled in Cloud’s arms for a while, the beat of his heart loud in her left ear, and the rushing of the waves lulling her from the right. So at peace was she, that she did not notice the change in the very air around them until Cloud shifted, stepping back and casting a critical eye around the beach.

 

Aerith shivered slightly, her skin erupting into goosebumps. The air around her felt strange, the pressure almost suffocating, and the sound of the waves and the seabirds seemed muted to her ears. “Cloud?”

 

Her companion reached for her. “Stay close.”

 

Aerith moved to close the small gap between them when a slight movement in her peripheral made her pause and turn her head.

 

A large, black feather was drifting down, slowly towards the cooling sand.

 

Aerith swallowed, an ill feeling settling in her stomach. “Cloud?”

 

The man turned at her whispered call, his blue eyes narrowing when he spotted the feather. He reached a hand up to his shoulder, swearing as he remembered that they did not have their weapons on them. With Shinra having vacated the town, they had assumed that they would face no further trouble, but evidently they had been wrong.

 

The feather drifted lower, and when it touched the beach a bright flash of purple light erupted. Aerith covered her eyes, stumbling back slightly before Cloud wrapped his arms around her, steadying her. The fading of the light was accompanied by the screams of the other people on the beach. Aerith blinked, clearing the spots of colour from her vision and then saw what the cause of the panic was.

 

“Is that…?”

 

“Jenova.” Cloud spat.

 

The monster stood on four colossal legs, its elongated body twisting above them and its serpentine neck terminating in a nightmarish skull. Aerith’s nose wrinkled in distaste as she took in the wing-like appendages on the creature’s back, comprised of what appeared to be clawed arms, and its skin that bubbled as though it was made up of pustules.

 

“Stay close.” Cloud commanded, his eyes not straying from the beast. “Do you have any materia?”

 

Glancing down at her bangle, Aerith nodded. “Just Aero and Barrier. Everything else is on my staff.”

 

“I’m not much better.” Cloud moved backwards, herding Aerith away from the Jenova form. “I want you to run. Go get the others.”

 

“What about you?” Aerith frowned.

 

“I’ll distract it. I don’t want to lead it towards the town.”

 

“I’m not leaving you.”

 

“Aerith-”

 

“No!” She glared fiercely. “We’re in this together. This is me not letting you be too selfish, okay?”

 

Cloud gaped at her for a moment before a purple spear of light arced through the air between them. They leapt apart, Aerith barely managing to stay on her feet and the hem of her flowing skirt singed.

 

“Fira!” Cloud yelled, thrusting an arm out towards the monster. It paused it’s advance momentarily but the hit didn’t seem to do much damage.

 

The Jenova abomination crouched low and before Aerith could react, a cloud of purple smoke had spread out to surround them. She instantly felt her eyes burn and her bare skin felt like it was alight.

 

“A-aerora!” She coughed out, and the jet of wind that pulsed from her hand dissipated the gas around her. She kept up the attack, using it to reach Cloud’s side and clear the area around them both.

“Thanks.” He wheezed, blinking to clear his eyes. “This isn’t good.”

 

“Have you fought it before?”

“Yeah.” Cloud yanked Aerith backwards with him, away from the next beam of light that shot their way. “On the ship though, and never without my sword.”

 

Throwing another wind attack towards the creature, Aerith followed up by casting a barrier around herself and Cloud, in an attempt to ease some of the damage coming their way. “Weak spots?”

 

“Its head, but we’re not best equipped for attacking at range at the moment.”

 

“We can do this.” Aerith grabbed his hand, her barrier deflecting a physical blow from the beast’s arms.

 

Cloud tightened his grip on her fingers. “Right. Let’s do this.”

 

Jenova encroached upon them, its bulk causing the ground to shake slightly beneath their feet. Cloud led Aerith around the creature, attempting to flank it. Their feet splashed into the surf, the cool water sloshing around their ankles.

 

“Think you could use a wind attack and push some water over it?”

 

Aerith nodded, not sure where Cloud was going, but she stepped backwards further into the ocean, conjuring a powerful gust of wind that pushed against the water in front of her and caused it to surge towards Jenova, which was still lumbering towards them. As the wave reached the fiend, Cloud followed up with a Firaga barrage, the heat from the fire turning the sea water to steam.

 

Aerith wasn’t sure if the attack hurt or merely annoyed the monster, but Jenova paused momentarily, a screeching roar erupting from its skeletal mouth.

 

“Cloud! Aerith!” Aerith turned, heart leaping to her throat at the voice, and spotted the rest of their group rushing down the beach towards them. Aerith deftly caught her staff, launched towards her by Tifa, while Barret lugged Cloud’s heavy sword over his shoulder.

 

“Thanks!” Aerith twirled the metal rod, instantly casting a ward under the group’s feet.

 

Barret handed the sword off to Cloud. “Some hero you are, wandering off without your weapon.”

 

“Well I wasn’t expecting this !” Cloud protested, gesturing towards the grotesque monster before them.

 

“Not part of the usual schedule then?” Red questioned as he raced forward to engage Jenova.

 

Cloud followed, triggering the lightning materia embedded in his sword. “Definitely not.”

 

The fight was fairer now that they had their team, and their weapons, but it was still a slog and Aerith panted as she dodged yet another attack, shooting her own burst of magic back at their enemy.

 

“What is with this thing?” Barret growled, aiming his gun at the monster. “It’s like a damn tank.”

 

“We’ll still win.” Aerith encouraged as she sent a wave of healing magic out to engulf the group. “Let’s finish this.”

 

“You heard the lady.” Barret fired off a barrage of rounds, keeping on the move to avoid the orbs of gas that the monster was sending out in waves.

“Watch it!” Cloud called just a moment too late. A long, thick tendril unfurled from the creature’s side and whipped across the beach towards them. Aerith and Red reacted in tandem, casting hasty barrier spells around the team. The whip crashed into the translucent walls, which took the worst of the attack, but it ultimately breached the defenses and collided with the group. 

 

The heavy blow sent them all flying like discarded ragdolls. Aerith hit the ground hard, rolling along the sand several times before coming to a stop with a pained groan. She pushed herself to her knees, her uncovered limbs stinging from scraping across the floor. The others were clambering to their feet, readying themselves for Jenova’s next attack. Aerith’s staff had landed several feet away from her and she scrambled to her feet, stumbling towards it through the slipping sand. Scooping up her weapon, she focused her attention back on their enemy. The dangerous tendril was pulling back, ready for another strike, while the grotesque mouth of the creature was opening wide and filling with purple energy.

 

“We need to finish this.” Tifa groaned, wiping sand from her face. “We’re all getting tired.”

 

“Then let’s go,” Cloud readied his sword. “As one.”

 

A pillar of fire erupted from beneath the monster as the words left Cloud’s mouth, interrupting its attack and causing it to stagger backwards.

 

“What the-?”

 

Aerith narrowed her eyes against the brightness of the flames and managed to make out a familiar figure, recognising what it was as Cloud spoke the name.

 

“Ifrit?”

 

“Need a hand?”

 

Cloud sighed, and Aerith watched as his lips tilted upwards slightly as he turned to face the newcomer. “Yuffie. Took you long enough.”

Notes:

The first chapter that is from Aerith's POV. These will crop up every now and then.

Whew, this one ended up longer than I realised! Hope you enjoyed it :)