Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ In the Eye of the Storm ❯ Dark Blue ( Chapter 3 )

Unlike you I had it easy

You're dark blue

Stained from previous days

And you're so sad

It's too bad

I wish you could have had what I had

And it's too bad you're so sad

Maybe I can make you feel better

          &nb sp;                  ---G. Stefani/T. Dumont

He was running at a swift but desperate pace from those that pursued him. Behind him were a dozen or so SOLDIERs on motorcycles following fast on his heels. Of course, he had whacked the proverbial beehive, so he wasn't surprised by the furious desperation in their bid to catch up with him. Killing the president of an international corporation with their own army was perhaps not the wisest course of action, however Sephiroth had no regrets. Shinra was a parasite, like all humans were. He'd died like the animal he was, they all would. This bit of mental detritus did nothing for his current situation. Sephiroth knew that there was no way for him to keep this pace up, his wounds and the poison in his blood were weakening him, not to mention his mangled feet. And running as fast as he was, every step was sheer agony. The sporadic bouts of gunfire did him no good either.

So far he'd been lucky, the SOLDIERs were not as good as Tseng. Most of their shots had gone wild, hitting pavement rather than their target. With a last burst of energy, Sephiroth formulated a loose plan. He fought his growing lethargy and gripping his sword, he summoned a fira spell from his attached materia. With careful precision, he directed the flames behind him at the pursuing motorcycles. Those unlucky enough to be in the front were instantly incinerated, their bikes spinning out of control as their outer casings burned. The flames soon reached their gas tanks, exploding the careening machines into molten shrapnel. The projectiles twirled and twisted in the air, raining down on the SOLDIERs behind him, either killing the riders outright or damaging the vehicles themselves. Sending man and bike into uncontrollable spins that ended in more than one messy wipe out.

Sephiroth allowed himself a small smile as he glanced behind at the carnage. Turning his attention back to where it belonged, he concentrated and gathering what strength he had left, he launched himself into the air just as he came to the end of the freeway. It was still under construction, so the road ended abruptly near the very edge of the city. His feet pushed off the pavement and he soared skyward, holding himself there for a moment as he hovered silently above the city so far below him. He wasn't able to fly in the strictest sense of the word. That kind of sustained activity was currently beyond even his considerable power. He was only able to glide for short periods, touching down occasionally to propel himself back into the air. His form was silhouetted against the moon as he hopped from building to building, nearing the city's limit. He'd hoped that if he traveled like this it'd make his trail harder to find. With the blood loss, he was concerned that he'd be far too easy to track. More than likely the Turks were already on the job, and he had to put as much space between himself and Midgar as possible.

Sephiroth soared through the night sky, his platinum hair wafting softly on the breeze. Everything tinted blue by the moonlight's soft caress. The wind was cold as he flew and though it chilled him in his vulnerable state, it mattered not. He was free from this moment forward. No sensation, however uncomfortable would bother him now. He allowed himself to enjoy the moment, however small. Joy ebbed away as reality seeped in. The poison had begun to work its way further into his system; he could feel its progress as it traveled throughout his body. Sickly sweet death that killed all it touched. By turns he felt weaker and weaker as his health was sapped from him. Whatever freedom he felt, was not likely to last long.

How long he traveled in this manner he did not know, the world had become a rather blurred canvas. His awareness had become fuzzy and the world seemed to be slowly swallowed in mute anguish, his vision was blurred and his mind dulled. Pain thumped sharply throughout his body, his temples in particular seemed vulnerable. He could feel his veins as they pulsed, straining against his skin as if looking for their own escape. His faculties had become significantly compromised and there was a worry within him that he might not make it. Whatever goal that lay on the horizon might be too far for him to travel in such a state. Even if it wasn't, he began to doubt he'd be able to find it.

The only thing he knew for certain was that he'd left Midgar far behind him. He could barely see the lights of that accursed city, fading to nothing but a faint glow on the horizon. Someday, he'd see all those lights put out. Sephiroth smirked as the thought of that much destruction pleased him; his enjoyment was short lived as he felt life slipping from him. He stopped mid-air, his eyes opening and closing languorously, head lolling back and forth. His mind screamed in alarm, but could do nothing about the fall that inevitably came.

He was going to pass out and there was nothing he could do to stop it. Feeling his mind's hold fading, Sephiroth tried his best to make the proper adjustments for his descent. To little avail, he plummeted to the earth like a stone. The wind whistled in his ears and he opened his eyes long enough to spot a small speck of light on the ground below. His hair whipped around him in long tendrils and he groggily stared at the ground as it rushed to meet him. Unconsciousness claimed him, and he momentarily receded into darkness. His body crashing through the canopy of a small copse of trees, snapping branches as he fell. With a thud, he landed on the ground below and he lay there for quite some time, limp and unconscious. Shortly thereafter, the nothingness began to fade before the pain of his poisoning, and he hovered between worlds.

The toxin in his blood had permeated his tissues, attacking his nervous system and preventing his blood from clotting. His nerves were alive and on fire, and he writhed on the forest floor, his mouth opening and closing in mute agony. Numbly, he realized that he could not stay, that he had to get up, but his body was unable to obey. There was a small part of him that didn't really mind. What good had come by living? His life had been nothing but pain, and it'd end in pain. At least if he died now, he'd be assured that he'd die free. The other part of him screamed at his disobedient body to get up, that he couldn't die until those that hurt him suffered. They needed to pay. He wasn't strong enough yet, that much was obvious but someday he would be. And when he returned, he'd be an avenging angel who'd purge the earth of the filth of humanity.

By the sheer force of his terrifying will, he forced himself to wakefulness. Sephiroth blinked slowly, finding it hard to see as his vision had become completely blurred. Grimacing, he pushed himself up with one well-muscled arm. Though he was mindful of his pain, he cared very little. Grabbing on to the masamune, he dragged it upwards and thrust it into the ground. Leaning on it, Sephiroth used it to push himself up until he was standing. Wavering slightly as he stood, he turned in the direction of the light he spied from the sky. Things had become so blurry and indistinct that he couldn't be sure he was really walking or merely dreaming that he was. All that mattered was the pinprick of light before him, his tired eyes focused on it as the only destination he could reach.

He hadn't thought of what he'd do once he got there. That didn't matter. Light meant people, and people, no matter how much he loathed them, meant help. The light was so far away and there was a period where he was convinced that it was moving away from him on purpose. At some point he had vague remembrances of actually reaching that light. He dared to think he actually had, but his natural pessimism suggested that he hadn't and this was a rather awful dream to taunt him before he died. By this point, Sephiroth didn't really care which it was. He was tired and all he wanted was to close his eyes. Staggering out of the darkness, dragging his sword behind him, he looked up to regard the only member of the camp awake. Squinting his eyes, he thought it might be a girl but it was hard to see. His eyesight had degraded so much that all he could see was moving blobs of color.

"Fuck me." he breathlessly exclaimed, rather surprised he made it to anything resembling civilization before collapsing on the spot.

This time the darkness took him firmly within its grasp and he was lost in a world of dreams. He dreamt that he saw an angel overshadowed in dark blue. She had leaned over him and wreathed in light, took all his pain away. Her kindness left him in awe; never had he met someone so pure and selfless. His mind was quite unable to understand why such a creature would bless a monster like him with mercy. His life had been nothing but relentless pain and he knew that if it ever did stop, it wouldn't be because it cared. It would wait until he was happy and comforted, only to snatch it away to leave him in misery once more. No one had ever cared for him. Because comfort was apparently something he didn't deserve.

Yet the angel stayed at his side, lending him the lightness of her presence. Her arm would occasionally stretch out, and he'd feel a subsuming warmth wash over him. He felt at peace, and though he was glad of it, he still struggled against it. That ingrained pessimism informing him that the comfort he felt now would only lead to redoubled pain. Had he been in full health, he would have been able to fight it but he was so very tired. He had no choice but to accept the angel's gift, surrendering to dark blue.

The sun had already peeked above the horizon, steadily rising higher with each moment. It tinted the sky as it rose, from amber hued midnight to rose tinged lavender. With the sun came the intermingling songs of the birds as they greeted the morning. Their voices were strong and clear, and rather cacophonous as more of them awoke. It was a sound one never heard in Midgar, and it was enough to awaken Aeris with a start. She drew in a deep gasp of cool air, immediately resulting in a coughing fit. Squinting her eyes and grunting: Aeris forced her mind into something that resembled wakefulness. Her eyes opened to a world in soft focus and she rubbed them to clear it. After a few moments of opening and closing her eyes several times, she was able to take in her surroundings. Her eyes lighted on --A MAN! Alarms rang off in her head and with a yelp, Aeris flailed until she came to a sitting position, her heart jack hammering. Realization quickly dawned thereafter and she remembered what happened earlier that morning.  Hanging her head, she laughed at her own ridiculous forgetfulness. Aeris reigned herself in and with a stretch, moved over to check up on the injured stranger.

There was a twinge of guilt in her work as she was ashamed for falling asleep and so easily forgetting he was there. Even if had only been for two hours, something could have happened in that time. Aeris certainly didn't want someone's death on her hands. The young man was in critical condition and it had been quite a struggle to keep him alive. There were a million things that could have gone wrong and there she lay, sleeping like a babe. Though he did appear at first glance to be doing much better. When she had found him last night he'd had a terrible fever, it was so severe his skin had been soaked in sweat. The bright flush was also gone from his cheeks, now dulled to a light blush in the cheeks. She watched him, his chest rising and falling softly in deep slumber. If she'd been smart enough to bring a thermometer she'd be able to better gauge his recovery. As it was, all she could do was touch her hand to his forehead and guess how high the fever might be. Aeris smiled as she laid her hand on his skin, pleased that it was quite a bit cooler than it had been last night.

She looked down at him with utmost empathy, because she knew despite this improvement, he wasn't out of the woods. His complexion was still quite pale, dark circles standing out underneath his eyes like bruises. And at no point had he regained consciousness. This meant that he was still fighting whatever had poisoned him. She had tried to think of what might have done it, but was at a loss. Never in her life had she seen anything like this. Then again, her life was somewhat sheltered. Still, she'd made a habit of reading up on things like this, as the healing arts had always interested her. The closest she could reckon was that it was a variant of malboro poison. Though how he got poisoned by a malboro in this area was beyond her.

Malboro were nasty creatures, and from everything she'd read they only lived in one place, Gaea's Cliff. It was a conundrum, but one that would have to wait. It would be awhile before he'd get better, and more than likely he'd get worse before that. She'd had to change his poultice five times that night, that was her strongest mixture and it barely made a dent in the toxin's progress. This seemed to be the variety of poison that was hard to remove once introduced into a system. He moaned in his sleep, his face contorting in pain and his body shifting to try and relieve it. Her brow knit and gently she pushed away hair that had been plastered to his face. Lingering at his temples, her fingers lightly brushed stray strands of sliver back into place. He looked like an angel, his silver hair catching the glints of summer sun as it filtered through the tent's thin walls. Aeris shook her head suddenly, blushing at the thoughts that ran through her head. This was not the time for girlish whimsy.

With a sigh she set about cleaning and redressing his wounds. It was a mindless, repetitive task that she could have done in her sleep and she found herself zoning out. There was nothing in particular that she thought about, mostly because she was incredibly tired. She started with his feet, which were doing much better than the night before. Luckily, cure spells had been just the thing and there was really little for her to do but clean up. She sterilized the wounds and wrapped them in gauze to keep them clean. Cracking her neck, Aeris prepared to have a go at his back. Grabbing her mortar and pestle, she carefully selected herbs to set in it. Satisfied with the mix, she added a little water and began to grind them slowly. The tent was quiet except for the constant sound of the rubbing of ceramic against ceramic as she mixed the herbs.

"Mornin'. How's the patient?"

Aeris jumped at the sound of another voice. Annoyed at herself for being so nervous, she answered him tersely, "He's fine."

The driver didn't seem to notice her discomfort, taking it in stride, "Looks on the pale side if'n you ask me. Any idea who he is?" Aeris shook her head, and before she could voice her own suspicions, the drive interrupted her. "Hey. He looks like that General there over in Midgar. I mean, I ain't seen no pictures but he sure looks like how them papers describe him." Once again, she made as if to answer but he cut off any chance of that happening, "Kids and their fads. This ain't the first time some fool kid dragged hisself into my camp half dead. All them pretty city boys; they come out here thinkin' they're hot shit--like that General. With their hair all bleached up like some god damned Gold Saucer queen. Take on summat they can't handle and end up like this one here. A mess. Well, we'll load him up. No problem. Need any help?" Aeris shook her head, still annoyed at him for his rudeness. The driver still didn't seem to notice, shrugging before leaving the tent, "Suit yourself."

The explanation seemed to fit but Aeris had a kernel of doubt that had seeded itself in the back of her mind. It was ridiculous to think that someone so famous would stumble his way into their camp. And though she'd never seen any pictures of him, the thought that this was Sephiroth stuck in her craw. She'd heard enough about him from her Ex-boyfriend, Zack. How he could best a battalion of shinobi all by himself with one long stroke of the Masamune. Her eyes flickered down to the sword he'd carried when she found him. It was a little over six feet long by her estimations, and the blade was thin, the metal bent in a graceful curve. She swore they left it outside, still covered in blood. Yet here it lay, neatly in its lacquered black sheath as if it belonged there.

Her cetra eyes saw behind the simple appearance of the weapon, noticing the glimmering aura of malice that surrounded it. The cursed sword, Masamune. Yes, Aeris decided she was quite sure that sword was the legendary Masamune, which meant if the sword were genuine, that its owner was also genuine. Zack had told her there was only one person who could wield that sword. Sephiroth. Now this begged the question, if she accepted these facts, then she had to wonder why it was Sephiroth was here and half dead. From the looks of it, he was probably a fugitive and a dangerous one at that. Not wanting to alarm anyone, at least not yet, she kept this information to herself. Better they live in ignorance, thinking he's some foolish drifter, than to worry about something that might just be a half-truth. She'd simply have to wait for him to wake and pray to god he wasn't nuts. It was a gamble, but one she was willing to take. Ignorance is bliss.

The driver repeated his story to Barrett, who eagerly accepted his simple explanation. Aeris watched with passive disinterest, as she still had work to do. She pushed the stranger over onto his side after mixing yet another poultice, rubbing it on his pale skin gently. With great care she redressed the rest of his wounds, casting a quick cure spell to continue to speed the healing. The rest of camp had struck around her, until she and the stranger were all that was left. They loaded him on the cart quietly. Nothing more was said of whom he might be as the carriage left the clearing with halting progress. The ride was less bumpy than the day before, as they'd reached the flat lands between Midgar and the mountains. This time Aeris found it easier to be lulled by the pleasant rhythm of the moving wagon. Rocking back and forth, she soon dozed off into a light slumber, her head resting on Barrett's wide shoulder.

The sun had rose higher in the sky. Pastel hues that marked the morning were burned off by the bright blue of afternoon. Aeris's head was numb with sleep, her forehead sticky as the temperature inside the carriage rose. Her dreams were a wash of muddy images and there was only one that stood out with any clarity. A mountain, backed in indigo, loomed in front of her. Its rocky spires dark and intimidating, and she could see the faint glow of green sickness at the base. Aeris knew of the unspeakable terror that lay within. Her dream self tried to clarify exactly what it was the planet was trying to tell her. She rarely had dreams that weren't in some way premonitory. Unable to draw deeper meaning from the planet's scattered warnings because something was pulling her out of her dream from the outside. The world came shaking into view and her dream fell away like so much mist.

"Aeris--Something's wrong!!"

With a small grunt, Aeris stared blankly at Barrett's wide face that was cut with deep consternation. There was seriousness in his manner that inspired sudden panic on her part. Any grogginess fled her body and she was instantly awake. Her eyes immediately flickering over to the platinum haired stranger. His fever had come back with a vengeance. He was deathly pale, except for the hot flush in his cheek. Sweat soaked and trembling, Aeris was worried that he wasn't far from either total organ collapse or a seizure. The heat inside the wagon had been too much, combined with the movement--which Aeris suspected had caused the poison still left in his blood stream to spread.

She cursed, feeling guilty that she hadn't insisted on staying in the clearing for another day. At least until he recovered. Her tiredness was instantly banished in a flurry of activity. She practically jumped over Barrett to get at the compartment that held their luggage, wrenching out her small travel pack. Barely noticing that she'd woke Marlene up, who'd been sleeping on Barrett's other side. Father and daughter watched with open curiosity as their new friend dug frantically through her bag. Aeris let out a gasp of relief, pulling her staff out and clicking it open without so much as a word of warning. Her companions jumped at the unexpected movement, still entranced by Aeris's hurried activity.

Positioning herself so that she faced the pale stranger, she held the staff at arms length. Aeris closed her eyes and concentrated on her ice materia, calling up the weakest of the three spells. She targeted the stranger and with a deep breath, she began the incantation to bring the spell forth. Not caring one bit that she was demonstrating her power to strangers; she let her staff go as the spell suffused her being. Green light surrounded her and her eyes snapped open, she held out her hands over the now hovering staff. With a rush of energy she felt the spell loose itself from her body and directing its essence towards her target. Aeris frowned, pinching her face as she forced her will upon the spell, holding it back the destructive nature of the spell. Instead of a crushing wall of ice, she manipulated it into a neat snowy breeze that cooled the intended target instead of killing it. The flush died from the young man's face and Aeris smiled, oblivious to the looks of shock from Marlene and Barrett. 

Marlene smiled, impressed and tugging on her father's shirt she lisped, "Baba, when I grow up--I wanna be just like Aeris."

The large man only nodded, entranced by the sight laid out before him and unable to tear his eyes away. "A-Aeris, that's amazing. How...How are you doing that?"

"Practice." She said, barely keeping her concentration from wavering.

"How long will you have to keep that up?"

"Don't know." She replied, looking visibly tired.

Barrett was tempted to curse, because he realized that she'd have to hold on till they stopped, which could be hours. He wondered if she'd be able to make it. "Anythin' I can do?"

She shook her head and bit her lip, her arms wavering as she struggled to maintain control. Wisely, Barrett decided not to ask any more questions. She'd obviously done things like this before and he trusted her to know what she was doing, but the strain had to be awful. Occasionally she'd stop for a short time, and he'd help by wiping her brow or getting her water or food. It was the only thing he could do, not being adept at magic in the least. By the time they stopped for the night, Aeris was exhausted. She'd spent all day kneeling on the uncomfortable floor of the wagon continually casting the blizzard spell. It had helped; she knew that because although he was still feverish, he'd stopped trembling and the slick of sweat on his forehead disappeared. Barrett had been kind enough to dig out a blanket, so that the boy wouldn't get too cold. The spell had chilled the interior of the wagon so that it was vaguely comparable to the temperature inside a meat locker.

It had taken awhile, but Aeris eventually felt a little warmer as she sat in front of the campfire. The boys had gone about setting up the tents without her and Marlene had volunteered to make dinner. She thought of objecting, but the little girl seemed so insistent. Marlene it seemed had a few hidden talents and apparently cooking was one of them. It made sense, with a single father; Marlene must have had to take on some of the domestic responsibility.  The little girl prepared a simple broth, setting the first bowl she prepared in Aeris's hands. Muttering an exhausted thank you, Aeris began to eat, barely noticing the subtle flavor as she gulped it down. Shortly thereafter, Barrett and the driver joined them. While the men talked, Aeris yawned so deeply that tears came to her eyes, her head bobbed and she shook herself, alarmed that she almost fell asleep. It would be another long night watching the strange young man who'd come into her care. With tired resignation, Aeris got up to go and check on Sephiroth, momentarily startled at her admission of his identity. Or at least who she suspected him to be. Didn't matter, she told herself and with cautious footsteps, she ambled over towards her tent.

"Where you goin'?" Barrett's deep baritone inquired.

"The stranger...I have to check up on him." Aeris replied thickly.

"Don't you worry 'bout that, Miss. Me and Barrett, we'll look after the lad tonight. You need rest."

Aeris tried to object but before she could get a word in, Marlene interrupted her thought by tugging on her arm. "I'm tired. Time to go bed!"

"But...."

"Come on, Ris. Me and you, we'll have a slumber party, okay?"  Marlene interjected, this time taking her new best friend by the hand and dragging her over to the tents.

Aeris was too tired to resist, looking back with a pout at her companion's amused faces. Less than two seconds later, she was in Barrett's tent with Marlene and as soon as her head hit the pillow, she was asleep. The next morning came and with it an argument over what to do with their sick charge. Barrett had spent the night with him and while Sephiroth's prognosis didn't improve, at least it hadn't deteriorated. His fate within the tiny group had yet to be decided. All eyes were on Aeris as the essential question was raised. Was he well enough to move? Because everyone had agreed, no matter how good Aeris was with magic, it was unthinkable to make her endure sustained casting for the next two days.

With a heavy sigh, Aeris admitted that the boy wouldn't be able to survive the trip if moved. It wasn't his wounds, but the biting sting of the poison that was the issue. He had to stay completely motionless, with liberal applications of the poultice to clear his blood of the toxin and perhaps if he woke up, a tincture to speed the process. Nevertheless, it would take at least a full week of this treatment to see any kind of forward momentum in his health. The Driver quickly reminded her they didn't have a week; he had to stay on schedule. So, it came down to one of them staying and waiting for the next caravan to pick them up once the boy was well enough to travel. This was where the argument started. Aeris had effectively ended it by volunteering. There were objections but Aeris's legendary stubbornness and dedication to sweet reason that won out in the end. Barrett had his daughter to tend to, and no one but the driver himself knew how to drive that cart. Aeris was without family and skill with chocobos, she was the natural choice. At least in her opinion. Barrett and the driver of course objected, having the protective yet slightly chauvinistic opinion that a woman couldn't take care of herself. Especially one who looked as feminine and helpless as Aeris.

Aeris scowled and crossed her arms, she shouted, with her voice full of irrevocability on the argument, "I CAN TAKE CARE OF MYSELF! I'M STAYING AND THAT'S FINAL!"

Both men blanched at her admonition, as they saw a side to their female companion they hadn't known was there. Her eyes flashed like an angry tiger that brooked no trespass. Barrett had seen that look on his late wife's face and knew it was better to just shut up and agree. The driver didn't quite catch on right away, but with a gentle nudge from Barrett, his mouth snapped shut. With that decided, the camp was struck once again, only this time Aeris's tent stood still. A lone little shelter, with her still sleeping charge inside. The driver gave her plenty of provisions and basic instructions on how to live in the wild. Where to forage for berries and mushrooms, to supplement the meager rations she was given. How to make a snare to catch small squirrels and rabbits. The importance of keeping food and trash off the ground so as to not attract unwanted attention from the more dangerous forms of wildlife. Aeris absorbed all that she didn't know already quickly. Before everyone left for good, the driver gave her an Enemy Away materia, which he hoped would keep anything unwanted from her camp. He also gave her a PHS device in case she got into any real trouble, and with a smile, he placed a hand on her small shoulder.

"Yer a brave lass. May the planet bless and keep you."

Aeris nodded with a small smile, "Thanks. Same to you."

Barrett came and gave her a big hug, though he uttered not a word, his eyes spoke volumes. He was going to miss her. In the small time he knew the girl, she'd grown on him. She was a pure soul and in his life he'd only met a few. He released her and went to wait by the wagon while Marlene said goodbye. The little girl came running up to Aeris at top speed, wrapping her small arms around Aeris's knees. It nearly knocked Aeris over but she caught herself in time and hugged the child back.

"Aerith...Baba sayz that you gonna stay here wif that man. Tell him you wanna come wif us, okay?"

Aeris gave the girl a brittle smile, "No, I'm sorry sweetie. You're Daddy's right. I have to stay here."

"BUT! WHYYYYYYYY!!" the little girl cried, "Iss'nat fair! I don't want to leave! IF YOU CAN'T COME WIF I WANNA STAY WIF YOOOOOU!"

"Marlene.... honey." the flower girl said, her tone gentle and she wiped Marlene's tears away, "You can't stay here. Your Papa will be lonely without you and it's dangerous."

The girl interjected, "But if it's dangerous, why are you staying?"

"Because...that stranger we found needs my help right now. I'm a healer, and he's very sick. So sick he can't be moved. I have to try and help him get well, you see?" 

"Aren't you scared?"

"Yes, yes I am. But I have my staff and my magic, so I'll be just fine and I promise, once this is all over. I'll come and find you and your Daddy."

"Really?" Marlene asked, her high child's voice full of doubt. She paused and waited; smiling once Aeris gave her a nod, "Alright. Can we have a party?"

Aeris laughed, "Of course! Now get going, and be safe!"

The little girl hugged Aeris tightly before skipping off to join her father, "Gaia be with you, Aerith!!"

"Blessings to you too! Be careful!!"

Aeris watched as Barrett hauled Marlene up and put her in the back of the wagon, climbing up after her. Final preparations were made and the wagon lurched forward. Barrett and Marlene looked back, waving at Aeris as the carriage pulled out of the clearing. She watched the wagon as it left, watched it until it became a tiny little dot in the horizon. Once again she was alone, nothing but the sound of the wind and the sometime song of the birds. It was better than the clamor of the city but no less lonely. There was the stranger, so she wasn't technically alone. Aeris sighed, feeling suddenly afraid for herself. A young woman, alone in the wilderness with any number of wild things that could kill her, with a man she barely knew, who's in a coma and for all she knew could be a raging psycho. Sephiroth had a legendary temper. Hadn't she heard that somewhere? The flower girl shook herself, realizing it was futile to dwell on what couldn't be changed.

"What the hell have I gotten myself into?" She questioned herself, a soft summer breeze being the only answering voice.