Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ Where the lost ones go ❯ Epiphany ( Chapter 9 )
[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]
By: Sulphurya 
You may be a great warrior, boy, but you're still an idiot!
Non Anime: Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Suspense / Romance / Hentai | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 05.17.2005 | Pages: 2 | Words: 5.6K | Visits: 269 | Status: Completed
You may be a great warrior, boy, but you're still an idiot!
Non Anime: Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Suspense / Romance / Hentai | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 05.17.2005 | Pages: 2 | Words: 5.6K | Visits: 269 | Status: Completed
9. Epiphany
Sephiroth slowly became aware of words being spoken, but it seemed to come from so far away. His mind was only reluctantly returning to consciousness, rather liking the calm darkness. The former general drowsily tried to remember what had happened, and pieces were falling into place.
"Ah, looks like he's going to make it!" The voice said, a vaguely familiar voice, now very much closer.
The last thing Sephiroth remembered was falling asleep by the fire he'd made in the ice cave, after the fight against the two monsters. Only, now he was warm and comfortable, clearly not in some desolate cave anymore. Right, his consciousness declared, it seems safe enough to wake up now.
Just the task of opening his eyes were a difficult one, and Sephiroth groaned softly, feeling waves of pain along his left side. His body was happy to remind him that the fight had not left him unharmed.
"And he's waking up!" The voice declared curiously, comming even closer.
"What...?" Sephiroth finally managed to open his eyes, ready to ask this person what had happened, when he found himself facing a beard. Lot's of beard! A pair of sunglasses between said beard and bushy eyebrows barely visible under a huge hat. Reptilian eyes opened wide, and Sephiroth exclaimed in startled surprise.
The cry had it's effect, and the Chocobo Sage straightened abruptly from where he was leaning down into Sephiroth's face, "My! What's with the screaming?"
Scrambling to sit up, Sephiroth froze half-way and placed a hand to his aching ribs, "What... what the HELL is going on?!" To wake up to such a sight! He was going to have nightmares about this for years to come!
"Nownow, you really should keep still, lad," the Sage advised, waving his cane slightly to underline his words.
Sephiroth eyed the cane and flinched, a year ago he had arrived wounded at the Sage's doorstep along with Aeris and that cane had been prodded against that wound several times. "What happened? How did I get here?"
The Chocobo Sage chuckled and turned to tend to the flames in the fireplace, "You got injured in that fight of yours. Must have broken several of your ribs, but that is nothing to a strong boy like you, right?"
Sephiroth carefully eased into a sitting position, breathing strained through the pain, "And how did I get here, old man?"
Finishing up on throwing logs into the fire, the Chocobo Sage turned to look at him again, "You don't know?"
"I was unconscious, how the heck am I supposed to know?!" Sephiroth fought the urge to scream, knowing it was no use.
The Sage hummed thoughtfully, scratching his temple with the top of his cane, then lit up, "You want some tea? It would be good for you to get some nutrition!"
Sephiroth started violently, remembering the last time the Sage had served the toxic waste he called tea, "No! Er, I mean, no thanks. I'm good. I just want to know how I got here, that's all!"
"A fine chocobo that," The Sage declared merrily, scrambling with a tea pot. "Now... where did I put that sugar...?"
Lifting a hand to his head, Sephiroth tried to fight off the growing head ache, "Trigger...? She got me here? How?"
"Ah! There the sugar is!" The Sage declared, then smiled encouragingly to the silver haired man, "The tea will be ready in not too long! Don't worry!"
Sephiroth let his hand sink, and glanced around in the room, "I had a small bag with me. Where is it? It's VERY important I find that bag again! You hear me?!"
The Sage shook his head as he put the kettle over the fire, "You young people! Everything is always life of death to you."
"Dammit, old man!" The former general tried to jump to his feet, but didn't even manage to get his feet gathered beneath him before crumbling with a hiss of pain. Damn, had he a single unshattered rib in his chest?! "I... I have to get... that materia... to..."
Whistling cheerfully, the Sage peered into the kettle to stare at the water. He'd heard that if you watch water over fire, it never boils. Interesting! "Now, you just rest, young man. Your chocobo will be back by morning, and you have a long journey back. Gather your strength."
Sephiroth shook his head sadly, "I can't go back... Not without completing my mission... I have to find that materia again..."
The Sage glanced over at him, "In your state, and I mean your mental state, you should stay away from Jenova, Sephiroth. Trigger will place the materia in Jenova's lair, as you planned. But it's wisest that you stay away. Jenova would have no problem taking control over you again. Especially with your plans to get rid of Cloud Strife, you're easy prey when you counted on Jenova's help."
Sephiroth stared, unblinking. A shiver went down his spine. How was it possible that the old man knew?
Then a sound caught the Sage's attention and the old man jumped around to see the water boiling in the kettle. "Ah! I just looked away for a moment! Foiled again! Darn it!" He lifted the kettle off the fire and glanced expectantly at Sephiroth, "Tea?"
The first time she saw him, he'd barely turned 18 and was still a child. A child with ice blue eyes that spoke of possibilities and ambition. She recognized one of her own breed, but knew the time wasn't right for him to unfold his wings just yet. Two years passed, and she saw him again at his 20th birthday. He'd become a grown man during those years, and manipulated people as easily as he breathed. Yes, he were skilled in so many ways. She'd just been assigned to Midgar in time to be allowed to the party, and she had her first dance with him. She still remembered that dance. She remembered the thrill of meeting someone who wasn't afraid of her, who didn't judge her because she was a woman and smarter than most men. And was even willing to forgive her impudence for being two years older than him. He was unlike any other man she'd ever met. He was the fire and she was the moth.
And now she was burning and falling to the ground.
He was the only one she could talk with, the only one who recognized the skills lurking beneath a glossy surface. He was the fire and she wanted to be the fuel. But he would not bend to her will, and she would never submit to his ruling. They circled each other like wary predators, waiting for the other to show a sign of weakness. Sometimes it was even hard to breathe, and she found herself swaying in her determination. But she would not, could not, fall. He would only accept her if she managed to defeat him, and she had waited for that moment. Playing with the burning ice in his eyes until her soul was bleeding, but her heart refused to give up.
Besides, everybody knows that love hurts.
Then, she had lost him. Not to the war against Sephiroth, she knew he was stronger than that, but when she found him again... He was different. She could tell the second she laid eyes on him, how his soul was changed. A flicker of warmth, of humanity, was awakened in his eyes and the deadly dance stopped.
Hope?
Yes, she had hoped. She had, after all, waited patiently for a long time now, so she figured she could wait a little longer.
But now, it was too late. She could feel it in the marrow of her bones and the emptiness inside her. She'd lost him.
She heard the others milling behind her, talking in happy voices, but she was merely staring out the window. Looking out at the great town of Midgar without seeing anything at all. Her entire being was numb, yet she could sense him the second he was standing behind her.
"Aren't you going to congratulate me?" His deep, smooth voice asked, his words brushing over her like a caress.
Scarlet forced herself to turn around and face Rufus with a smile, "Of course. She's a very lucky woman." She never could lie to him, and was careful to choose her words. How she wished she could enter a second slapping-contest with Tifa Lockhart!
Rufus watched her for a few seconds, then smiled slightly, "So I keep telling her." He could see the pain in the blonde woman's eyes, but knew she would never admit to it. Would never allow any kindness from him. She would kill him first.
Scarlet kept the smile on her face, knowing that he knew, but her pride refused her to acknowledge it. Her pride was all that she had left now.
Reeve stepped up beside Rufus, an eager expression on his face, "We should announce it to the public! Arrange a festival in celebration or something!"
The fiery haired brat prince cut a face, "Is that really neccessary? And I'm not sure Tifa would like that..."
Pulling out a note pad, Reeve began making notes, "I'll talk to her! The people could really use something to celebrate and forget the hardships of the average day, and this is just perfect!"
Sighing slightly resigned, Rufus watched as Reeve wandered off with his nose in his note pad, "And off he goes..." He returned his attention to the woman in front of him, and hesitated. Scarlet had been his ally and closest to a friend he had for years. Many a dark night had been spent in front of the fire place and discussing everything from business to books. He was going to miss that, knowing Scarlet, those evenings would not be happening anymore. He hoped he could still keep her friendship, but wouldn't blame her if she decided to leave. Rufus gave a sad smile, reaching out to stroke an affectionate hand over Scarlet's pale cheek, then left silently.
Scarlet closed her eyes and slowly raised her hand to touch her cheek while forcing the tears away. It was common knowledge; Scarlet did not cry.
How could she? Scarlet had no feelings, after all!
Yuffie was loud and reckless at times, but Vincent knew she was the heir of a great ninja as he could barely see her where she was hiding. Even Yuffie knew when it was time to shut up and keep quiet, and such a time was over them now.
Vincent's crimson eyes narrowed slightly as he watched the group of soldiers in unfamiliar uniforms slowly make progress through the forrest, the leader of them following some small radar screen he was carrying.
The former Turk knew every colour combination in the ShinRa army, new and old, and these were nothing he'd ever seen before, This odd mixture of white and red. There were always small groups of anti-ShinRa vigilantees, but these men were too organized to fit into that category. Their weapons too high-tech for a small, underground group. No, these men were something else. And they were serious about it too.
The soldier carrying the radar-device halted, as did the group following him, and he gazed at the thing for a little while before glancing back at the faces watching him. "It appears that Number 45 and Number 88 has travelled north. Quite a long way north."
One of the other soldiers lifted a hand to the device by his ear, extending a small microphone from it to reach the corner of his mouth. "Base? This is scouting team Alpha." A short pause, then he continued. "Highwind has left this area and headed north, base. Retreat or continue?" A second short pause. "Roger that. Alpha out."
Vincent frowned slightly as he heard orders being given about them traveling north as well, wondering if Cid and the others really had left the safety of Midgar. And why would they travel north?
Another soldier appeared to join the group. "Team Omega followed the runaway's track until it appears that she met up with someone driving a two-wheeled vehicle of some kind. Team Omega will pursue and report at 21.00 hours."
Glancing over as the soldiers started to make their way out of the forrest, the former Turk met Yuffie's quizzical look and shook his head slowly. There was no need for them to attack such a large, and dangerously armed, group when there was a chance for them to escape unnoticed. Luckily Yuffie seemed to reluctantly agree to his decision. And information was always best when your enemy did not know you possessed it!
15 minutes later, Vincent and Yuffie were once again traveling towards Midgar in quite a hurry.
"So those were the jokers after Cid? What do they want with that lemon-face? And what was that with the numbers?" Yuffie felt like she'd walked into the middle of a joke, missing the beginning and loosing the meaning of the point.
Vincent didn't reply for a little while, an absent look on his face. "Those men were definitely after Cid, yes. The reason is still a mystery, but I am certain that the numbers refers to monsters of the kind that has already tried to attack Cid." He had an uneasy feeling. Why north? What was up north? No, there was no way Cid and the others would travel north with an unknown enemy on their tail. It made no sense. It was obviously a decoy, but something told Vincent that the monsters wouldn't care if they killed Cid Highwind or someone else as long as the infected materia was there.
But there was a second thing that bothered Vincent. These soldiers, with their strange uniforms and high-tech weapons, resembled nothing to the men that had attacked Rufus and shot Tifa.
The men who'd attacked in Midgar were dressed in black, using ninja stealth and old shooting weapons. They had left no escape route open, almost like they didn't expect to leave. Even their attack had been half-hearted, seeing the shot had hit Tifa, and not Rufus as they obviously had intended. The soldiers in the strange uniforms would not miss their target, Vincent could sense it.
"I bet the others have really missed me, huh?" Yuffie rambled on merrily, running beside Vincent at neck-breaking speed without any problems. "I can understand that. I am the life of the party, after all!" She glared over at the former Turk at his lack of response and hearty agreement. "And there's probably new materia too for me to, er, admire."
Vincent might have smiled, it was hard to tell. "I think we've all learned to watch our materia around you, Yuffie. And I suspect Rufus ShinRa will be pretty fast to lock up any other valuables he might have."
Yuffie gawped, "and just WHAT are you implying?" She then huffed offended, "Like his crappy security can keep a ninja from her target anyway!"
"Speaking of security," Vincent interrupted her, "when we arrive at Midgar... I would like to test that security. Those soldiers will soon realise that Cid is not traveling north and start searching elsewhere. It shouldn't take them too long to find out he's in Midgar, and then the security will be vital against attacks."
Yuffie grinned widely, "You saying we're sneaking in?" With her skills, the ShinRa had no chance!
The former Turk increased their pace, "I'm saying we're going to try. And hope that we fail."
Cloud entered the under-ground airship docking area, glancing up at the Highwind as he heard the familiar curses from a certain pilot echo through the halls. Smiling slightly, Cloud quickly climbed up the ladder and entered the airship. He was more than a little surprised to see a familiar figure standing by some wires poking out from the wall after a plate had been removed. "Jessie?"
The woman started slightly before turning and smiling brightly, "Hi there, Cloud!"
Walking over, Cloud gesticulated faintly, "What are you doing here?"
Jessie shrugged, her smile turning slightly embarrassed, "I got bored. Met Shera, and we talked a bit. She's an engineer too, you know! So, she offered that I could help out on the ship to keep my hands busy and my head sane."
"That's Shera. Always helping others," Cloud declared gently, eternally amazed at how Shera had been able to stand all the harsh words from Cid Highwind. Cid Highwind being a man who specialized in harsh words! "But you always were a genius with electronics and stuff. I'm sure Cid will be grateful!"
Laughing softly, Jessie absently wiped her hands on a rag. "I think he muttered something about two women doing twice the damage he already has to fix after Shera's mess ups..."
"And that's Cid..." Cloud sighed with a benign smile, knowing the pilot didn't mean anything by his statements. "He's a good guy, really, somewhere far underneath the gruff surface." Though the pilot's mouth sometimes made Cloud wonder if he would only be able to find the kind sides to Cid Highwind with a shovel and exhumation order.
Jessie giggled, "I know. He even managed to choke up a few words of mumbled compliments when I managed to fix the intercom in the meeting room!" She corrected her red bandana and tightened her pony-tail. "So I'm hoping to be able to repair the failure that makes the electrical doors hitch up sometimes, and he might be forced to utter a few more!"
Cloud laughed, "Just be careful. Don't hurt him. Remember that we're actually trying to keep him alive, ok?" Suddenly he missed the evenings he and Jessie had spent under the stars. Missed the conversations between just the two of them, the only sound was from the fire he used to light while she packed out the food. He missed watching her watch the sun rise. He wondered if she missed it too.
Tilting her head, Jessie winked at him. "I'll try. Say, I'm just finishing up here. Want to grab lunch together?"
"Sure!" Cloud nodded, trying not to sound too eager. "If that's okay with Cid, that is... I wouldn't want the great Mister Highwind yelling at me for stealing his crew away from their job!"
Jessie turned to finish up tightening a bolt, giggling softly. "I think I'm entitled to a break. Been here since 6 am."
Blinking surprised, Cloud wondered if Jessie had gotten any sleep at all that night. Now that he thought about it, she looked a little tired. A stab of guilt hit him as Cloud realised he hadn't really made sure she was okay since they'd arrived in Midgar. He still didn't know anything about what she'd been through, hoping she would tell him when she felt like it, but that didn't mean he had to stop supporting her. He watched as she reached up to tighten a second bolt, and he could see the healing wounds on her inner arms. Marks after syringes. Whatever she had been put through, it was probably very close to hell. Cloud could only vaguely remember his time in Hojo's hands, but the few memories he had always involved syringes and pain.
Jessie started as Cloud suddenly stood beside her, his fingers trailing along her inner arm, careful not to touch the wounds. It was like he was trying to remove the marks with a gentle caress. Holding her breath, Jessie was suddenly so much aware of her surroundings than ever before. How her shoulder was brushing against his chest. She could feel him breathing. His fingertips were warm, leaving a tingling sensation in their wake. Slowly glancing up at him, she was lost in the mako blue eyes.
Cloud was surprised at his own action, but the vulnerable look on Jessie's face cut at his heart. Who could ever be cruel to someone like Jessie? He gave a faint smile as an apology for invading her personal space, for touching her without permission. "You should make sure those wounds doesn't get infected... I'll ask Aeris to have a look at them, ok?"
Jessie started, like he'd slapped her straight across her face, and quickly turned away. "Yeah... Thanks..."
Aeris. How could she have forgotten about her? Aeris, the love of Cloud's life. The love that had returned to him, and he would never let go again.
Suddenly Jessie wasn't hungry anymore...
Sephiroth groaned annoyed as someone was poking at him non-stop and he absently swatted away the annoying thing. He was still so sleepy and his body was still happy to remind him of his broken ribs the second he was awake.
The poking returned, along with a voice. "Time to get up, lad! You must be hungry!"
Grunting, Sephiroth yanked his sheet over his head. "Go away..." His mind was slowly piecing together his situation, and he realised the voice belonged to the Chocobo Sage. And the poking was that cursed cane! And he couldn't really remember falling asleep... The last thing he remembered was how the old man had nagged him into tasting his vile tea, only to find it wasn't bad at all! Obviously, the old man hadn't poisoned the tea with unhealthy amount of sugar this time! But after that, Sephiroth couldn't remember a thing.
The old man had put sleeping potion in the tea.
Sephiroth sighed, feeling flames of pain rising up from his broken ribs. Without the sleeping potion, he would never had gotten any sleep at all.
"Breakfast is ready, boy! Rise and shine!" The Sage insisted, the cane now tapping on Sephiroth's head hidden under the sheet.
"Alright!" Sephiroth snapped, tossing the sheet to the side. "I'm awake! Enough with the damn prodding! I'm no chocobo! Leave me the hell alone!" He glared at the small man grinning down at him. Sephiroth could kill him and no one would know...
Ten minutes later, he was sitting up and slowly eating the announced breakfast. Sephiroth realised he'd been more hungry than he'd realised, shoving a piece of bread into his mouth.
"Tea?" The Sage asked cheerfully, laughing as the silver haired man shook his head quickly. "Very well. I guess you're most anxious to leave, eh? Have someone waiting for you at home, do you? That's nice!"
Sephiroth stopped chewing, staring at the floor for some time. Someone waiting? Aeris? No, not anymore. She would only wait for Cloud now. The former general forced himself to swallow and sipped from his water, "No one is waiting for me, old man. I'm on my own."
The Sage hummed thoughtfully, "I would think that a man like you would have plenty of girls waiting!"
Clearing his throat awkwardly, Sephiroth managed a faint smile. "Not me. I just wanted one."
"So there IS one waiting for you!" The old man declared triumphantly, waving his cane dangerously close to Sephiroth's face.
Leaning back, Sephiroth sighed, "No... She's with someone else now..." Strange how that thought still hurt beyond all reason!
The Chocobo Sage placed his cane over his lap and leaned slightly forward, "She left you?"
Sephiroth shrugged.
"And you let her go?" The Sage asked incredulously, like Sephiroth had declared that he'd married a Midgar Zolom.
Sephiroth shrugged again. As long as Aeris loved Cloud, there was nothing he could do about it.
The old man jumped to his feet, not making much of a difference in height from when he was sitting, "You may be a great warrior, boy, but you're still an idiot."
"What?" Sephiroth shot him a cold stare, feeling his anger rise again.
"Either you're an idiot, or she wasn't worth the fight," the Sage declared smugly as he held his eyes in a challenge.
The silver haired man squirmed, "It was what she wanted..."
"Did she say so?" The old man pressed on, leaning forward on his cane.
Sephiroth drew a deep breath, suddenly feeling uneasy under the sunglass-stare of the Sage. "Not... per say... But..."
The Chocobo sage tilted his head, his huge hat tipping to the side. "Do you love her?"
Sephiroth glanced up at him, "yes."
Wobbling over to check on the kettle, the Sage smiled behind his beard. "Then fight for her."
Fight for her.
The words were spoken so easily, and Sephiroth found them tumbling about inside his head. It had never been in his nature to give up quietly, and maybe that was why loosing Aeris in this way felt so incredibly bitter. He hadn't done anything because he knew Aeris was in love with Cloud, but she wasn't unfeeling towards him either. That meant there was still hope. Maybe he could make her feel more for him than the blonde?
Take up the fight?
Aeris was definitely worth it. And she hadn't thrown herself into Cloud's arms like Sephiroth had half expected, but held the blonde at an awkward distance.
Sephiroth's heart was starting to race.
Was there hope?
Of course there was! They'd spent an entire year together, that gave him something that Cloud did not share with Aeris. Sephiroth absently shoved another piece of bread into his mouth, chewing slowly. Alright, Aeris had saved Cloud from the Masamune, but she never did want to see anyone hurt. She would have done that for anyone.
Take up the fight?
Definitively! It wasn't over yet!
Sephiroth got up abruptly, eyes flaring with determination. "You're right for once, old man! I'll be damned before I let that moron take Aeris from me!"
The Chocobo Sage blinked puzzled, "Aeris? Do I know her? Can't remember for the life of me..."
Sephiroth blinked as he realised he was no longer in pain, and slowly placed a hand to his ribs. They were just fine. A little sore, but healed. The wound on his side were nowhere to be seen. He glanced down at the bread he'd been eating. Soaked in High Potion? The old man had been in possession of these healing items all along, but had deliberately let him suffer. "If it weren't for the fact that I'm in a good mood right now, I would have broken that cane over your head, old man!"
The Sage huffed, "Manners! Kids these days!"
Sephiroth picked up his shoulder pads and began fastening them, "You could have healed me yesterday, and I could have had the materia in Jenova's lair by now!"
"Ah, but the materia is placed in the lair, you are not under Jenova's control and your chocobo is rested," the Sage triumphed, waving his cane slightly.
Shaking his head confused, Sephiroth tightened a belt, "you did all this so that I wouldn't fall for Jenova's tricks again?"
"Jenova?" The Chocobo Sage pulled lightly at his beard, "do I know her? Can't remember for the life of me..."
Sephiroth rubbed his eyes in frustration, "Yeah, whatever. Just... thanks for you help, ok?"
The Sage chuckled heartily, "Anytime, young man! Come again! It would be a shame for us only to meet once in this life!"
"But we've met twice now!" Sephiroth declared angrily, feeling the old man making fun of him.
"We have?" The Sage glanced thoughtfully at the ceiling, "Can't remember for the life of me..." He didn't even flinch when the door slammed shut behind Sephiroth, and only waited a few seconds before he walked over to the window to watch the silver haired man ride away. A short silence was then interrupted as he lightly, but firmly, rapped his cane against the floor to silence the voices floating in the air. "Quiet you. He's a good boy. He'll be good for her, and she will be good for him. And what concern is she of yours? If was you who cast her out for saving his life. You shouldn't be so harsh with him. I see great potential within him..." The Chocobo Sage turned away from the window and returned to the tea kettle. "We all deserve a second chance."
Meanwhile, Sephiroth was petting Trigger's neck and reluctantly admitting to himself that he was relieved to see that the bird was alright.
"Ready to go home, feather-brain?" The former general gave a faint smile, "Aeris is waiting for us."
"Clearly there's a pattern," Reeve insisted, pointing at the names on the list lying on the table.
Rufus sighed and read through it once again. "The men who was involved in the attack on me all have been reported missing?"
Pulling out several more lists, Reeve placed them beside the one in front of Rufus. "The men all visited Cosmo Canyon and never returned home. They all vanished without a trace. There is no evidence that they knew each other, or had anything else in common." The dark haired man seemed to hesitate, then pointed out a list to Rufus. "I dug a little deeper. They're not the only ones who has disappeared in Cosmo Canyon. In fact, over the last ten years, hundreds has vanished without a trace."
Rufus frowned, feeling an ominous tension lying in the meaning of these facts. "It's dangerous to travel. Many of them can have been killed by monsters."
"Some of them, yes," Reeve relented. "But not this many. And several of them are more than skilled soldiers, who would not be killed by the monsters living in that area."
Sighing, Rufus turned away from the lists and walked over to the window. "So this probably means we can expect more of them... A lot more... Lovely." He closed his eyes and started working through all the facts. It was clear that these assailants wanted his life, and would probably try again soon. Security was upgraded and tightened, but that was no guarantee that they wouldn't break through. And that was not counting the monsters that seemed to follow in Cid Highwind's footsteps. Midgar was about to become a very dangerous place.
"Sir, you really should consider retreating somewhere safer," Reeved suggested meekly.
Rufus snorted offended and glared back at him. "Are you suggesting I run? Forget it! Rufus ShinRa does not allow such cretins to win! WEAPON failed to kill me, remember? I won't abandon Midgar, and they'll regret it if they're foolish enough to challenge me!"
Knowing his president's pride, Reeve swallowed hard as he tried to say the things weighing on his mind without upsetting the brat prince further, "I understand, President, but please consider that others might be hurt in the middle of this!" If he didn't speak for the people of Midgar, Rufus was very prone to forget about them.
Rufus got a thoughtful look, remembering too well how Tifa had been hurt the last time. But if he tried to persuade her to leave for a safer place, he was worried that he'd stand a better chance of receiving more mercy from his assailants! "I'm not that ignorant, Reeve, but no matter where I go there will be someone there who has to suffer for it. Midgar's defence is now even better than Junon's and the city walls is the best defence against the mutant monsters we've been up against. I don't like putting others in danger, but this city is our best chance of staying alive and defeating our enemy."
Nodding, Reeve realised the truth in the words. "I understand."
Rufus walked over to sink down into his chair, suddenly feeling tired. "What's our status?"
"Well, Cid and Shera are still working on the airship," Reeve reported, glancing at the control panel of Cait Sith. "The girl named Jessie joined them for some time, but she recently left with Cloud."
Rufus raised an eyebrow, "Cloud? My, the guy doesn't waste much time, does he? Still stringing Tifa along, while clinging to the ancient and flirting with this new girl. Hell, one woman is more than enough trouble for me! Mako exposure must do strange stuff to one's brain!"
Blushing, Reeve cleared his throat. "Ah, I'm sure it's not like that. Tifa is your finance, a friend to Cloud. That's all. Jessie, I believe, is some acquaintance from the early AVALANCHE days. Cloud only longs for Aeris."
Rufus huffed, eyeing the other man drily. "You're awfully quick to defend Strife. He's your hero, or something?"
"N-not as such," Reeve choked out. It was hard not to respect a man who had survived through as much as Cloud Strife had, and still managed to save the world.
Waving him away, Rufus turned his chair to gaze out the window again. "Whatever. Just make sure that you don't loose sight of Cid. It's still not safe. And I have a bad feeling."
That was when the security alarm started blaring and there was an explosion that shook the very building they stood in.
Rufus jumped up, "They're here already?"
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Sephiroth slowly became aware of words being spoken, but it seemed to come from so far away. His mind was only reluctantly returning to consciousness, rather liking the calm darkness. The former general drowsily tried to remember what had happened, and pieces were falling into place.
"Ah, looks like he's going to make it!" The voice said, a vaguely familiar voice, now very much closer.
The last thing Sephiroth remembered was falling asleep by the fire he'd made in the ice cave, after the fight against the two monsters. Only, now he was warm and comfortable, clearly not in some desolate cave anymore. Right, his consciousness declared, it seems safe enough to wake up now.
Just the task of opening his eyes were a difficult one, and Sephiroth groaned softly, feeling waves of pain along his left side. His body was happy to remind him that the fight had not left him unharmed.
"And he's waking up!" The voice declared curiously, comming even closer.
"What...?" Sephiroth finally managed to open his eyes, ready to ask this person what had happened, when he found himself facing a beard. Lot's of beard! A pair of sunglasses between said beard and bushy eyebrows barely visible under a huge hat. Reptilian eyes opened wide, and Sephiroth exclaimed in startled surprise.
The cry had it's effect, and the Chocobo Sage straightened abruptly from where he was leaning down into Sephiroth's face, "My! What's with the screaming?"
Scrambling to sit up, Sephiroth froze half-way and placed a hand to his aching ribs, "What... what the HELL is going on?!" To wake up to such a sight! He was going to have nightmares about this for years to come!
"Nownow, you really should keep still, lad," the Sage advised, waving his cane slightly to underline his words.
Sephiroth eyed the cane and flinched, a year ago he had arrived wounded at the Sage's doorstep along with Aeris and that cane had been prodded against that wound several times. "What happened? How did I get here?"
The Chocobo Sage chuckled and turned to tend to the flames in the fireplace, "You got injured in that fight of yours. Must have broken several of your ribs, but that is nothing to a strong boy like you, right?"
Sephiroth carefully eased into a sitting position, breathing strained through the pain, "And how did I get here, old man?"
Finishing up on throwing logs into the fire, the Chocobo Sage turned to look at him again, "You don't know?"
"I was unconscious, how the heck am I supposed to know?!" Sephiroth fought the urge to scream, knowing it was no use.
The Sage hummed thoughtfully, scratching his temple with the top of his cane, then lit up, "You want some tea? It would be good for you to get some nutrition!"
Sephiroth started violently, remembering the last time the Sage had served the toxic waste he called tea, "No! Er, I mean, no thanks. I'm good. I just want to know how I got here, that's all!"
"A fine chocobo that," The Sage declared merrily, scrambling with a tea pot. "Now... where did I put that sugar...?"
Lifting a hand to his head, Sephiroth tried to fight off the growing head ache, "Trigger...? She got me here? How?"
"Ah! There the sugar is!" The Sage declared, then smiled encouragingly to the silver haired man, "The tea will be ready in not too long! Don't worry!"
Sephiroth let his hand sink, and glanced around in the room, "I had a small bag with me. Where is it? It's VERY important I find that bag again! You hear me?!"
The Sage shook his head as he put the kettle over the fire, "You young people! Everything is always life of death to you."
"Dammit, old man!" The former general tried to jump to his feet, but didn't even manage to get his feet gathered beneath him before crumbling with a hiss of pain. Damn, had he a single unshattered rib in his chest?! "I... I have to get... that materia... to..."
Whistling cheerfully, the Sage peered into the kettle to stare at the water. He'd heard that if you watch water over fire, it never boils. Interesting! "Now, you just rest, young man. Your chocobo will be back by morning, and you have a long journey back. Gather your strength."
Sephiroth shook his head sadly, "I can't go back... Not without completing my mission... I have to find that materia again..."
The Sage glanced over at him, "In your state, and I mean your mental state, you should stay away from Jenova, Sephiroth. Trigger will place the materia in Jenova's lair, as you planned. But it's wisest that you stay away. Jenova would have no problem taking control over you again. Especially with your plans to get rid of Cloud Strife, you're easy prey when you counted on Jenova's help."
Sephiroth stared, unblinking. A shiver went down his spine. How was it possible that the old man knew?
Then a sound caught the Sage's attention and the old man jumped around to see the water boiling in the kettle. "Ah! I just looked away for a moment! Foiled again! Darn it!" He lifted the kettle off the fire and glanced expectantly at Sephiroth, "Tea?"
The first time she saw him, he'd barely turned 18 and was still a child. A child with ice blue eyes that spoke of possibilities and ambition. She recognized one of her own breed, but knew the time wasn't right for him to unfold his wings just yet. Two years passed, and she saw him again at his 20th birthday. He'd become a grown man during those years, and manipulated people as easily as he breathed. Yes, he were skilled in so many ways. She'd just been assigned to Midgar in time to be allowed to the party, and she had her first dance with him. She still remembered that dance. She remembered the thrill of meeting someone who wasn't afraid of her, who didn't judge her because she was a woman and smarter than most men. And was even willing to forgive her impudence for being two years older than him. He was unlike any other man she'd ever met. He was the fire and she was the moth.
And now she was burning and falling to the ground.
He was the only one she could talk with, the only one who recognized the skills lurking beneath a glossy surface. He was the fire and she wanted to be the fuel. But he would not bend to her will, and she would never submit to his ruling. They circled each other like wary predators, waiting for the other to show a sign of weakness. Sometimes it was even hard to breathe, and she found herself swaying in her determination. But she would not, could not, fall. He would only accept her if she managed to defeat him, and she had waited for that moment. Playing with the burning ice in his eyes until her soul was bleeding, but her heart refused to give up.
Besides, everybody knows that love hurts.
Then, she had lost him. Not to the war against Sephiroth, she knew he was stronger than that, but when she found him again... He was different. She could tell the second she laid eyes on him, how his soul was changed. A flicker of warmth, of humanity, was awakened in his eyes and the deadly dance stopped.
Hope?
Yes, she had hoped. She had, after all, waited patiently for a long time now, so she figured she could wait a little longer.
But now, it was too late. She could feel it in the marrow of her bones and the emptiness inside her. She'd lost him.
She heard the others milling behind her, talking in happy voices, but she was merely staring out the window. Looking out at the great town of Midgar without seeing anything at all. Her entire being was numb, yet she could sense him the second he was standing behind her.
"Aren't you going to congratulate me?" His deep, smooth voice asked, his words brushing over her like a caress.
Scarlet forced herself to turn around and face Rufus with a smile, "Of course. She's a very lucky woman." She never could lie to him, and was careful to choose her words. How she wished she could enter a second slapping-contest with Tifa Lockhart!
Rufus watched her for a few seconds, then smiled slightly, "So I keep telling her." He could see the pain in the blonde woman's eyes, but knew she would never admit to it. Would never allow any kindness from him. She would kill him first.
Scarlet kept the smile on her face, knowing that he knew, but her pride refused her to acknowledge it. Her pride was all that she had left now.
Reeve stepped up beside Rufus, an eager expression on his face, "We should announce it to the public! Arrange a festival in celebration or something!"
The fiery haired brat prince cut a face, "Is that really neccessary? And I'm not sure Tifa would like that..."
Pulling out a note pad, Reeve began making notes, "I'll talk to her! The people could really use something to celebrate and forget the hardships of the average day, and this is just perfect!"
Sighing slightly resigned, Rufus watched as Reeve wandered off with his nose in his note pad, "And off he goes..." He returned his attention to the woman in front of him, and hesitated. Scarlet had been his ally and closest to a friend he had for years. Many a dark night had been spent in front of the fire place and discussing everything from business to books. He was going to miss that, knowing Scarlet, those evenings would not be happening anymore. He hoped he could still keep her friendship, but wouldn't blame her if she decided to leave. Rufus gave a sad smile, reaching out to stroke an affectionate hand over Scarlet's pale cheek, then left silently.
Scarlet closed her eyes and slowly raised her hand to touch her cheek while forcing the tears away. It was common knowledge; Scarlet did not cry.
How could she? Scarlet had no feelings, after all!
Yuffie was loud and reckless at times, but Vincent knew she was the heir of a great ninja as he could barely see her where she was hiding. Even Yuffie knew when it was time to shut up and keep quiet, and such a time was over them now.
Vincent's crimson eyes narrowed slightly as he watched the group of soldiers in unfamiliar uniforms slowly make progress through the forrest, the leader of them following some small radar screen he was carrying.
The former Turk knew every colour combination in the ShinRa army, new and old, and these were nothing he'd ever seen before, This odd mixture of white and red. There were always small groups of anti-ShinRa vigilantees, but these men were too organized to fit into that category. Their weapons too high-tech for a small, underground group. No, these men were something else. And they were serious about it too.
The soldier carrying the radar-device halted, as did the group following him, and he gazed at the thing for a little while before glancing back at the faces watching him. "It appears that Number 45 and Number 88 has travelled north. Quite a long way north."
One of the other soldiers lifted a hand to the device by his ear, extending a small microphone from it to reach the corner of his mouth. "Base? This is scouting team Alpha." A short pause, then he continued. "Highwind has left this area and headed north, base. Retreat or continue?" A second short pause. "Roger that. Alpha out."
Vincent frowned slightly as he heard orders being given about them traveling north as well, wondering if Cid and the others really had left the safety of Midgar. And why would they travel north?
Another soldier appeared to join the group. "Team Omega followed the runaway's track until it appears that she met up with someone driving a two-wheeled vehicle of some kind. Team Omega will pursue and report at 21.00 hours."
Glancing over as the soldiers started to make their way out of the forrest, the former Turk met Yuffie's quizzical look and shook his head slowly. There was no need for them to attack such a large, and dangerously armed, group when there was a chance for them to escape unnoticed. Luckily Yuffie seemed to reluctantly agree to his decision. And information was always best when your enemy did not know you possessed it!
15 minutes later, Vincent and Yuffie were once again traveling towards Midgar in quite a hurry.
"So those were the jokers after Cid? What do they want with that lemon-face? And what was that with the numbers?" Yuffie felt like she'd walked into the middle of a joke, missing the beginning and loosing the meaning of the point.
Vincent didn't reply for a little while, an absent look on his face. "Those men were definitely after Cid, yes. The reason is still a mystery, but I am certain that the numbers refers to monsters of the kind that has already tried to attack Cid." He had an uneasy feeling. Why north? What was up north? No, there was no way Cid and the others would travel north with an unknown enemy on their tail. It made no sense. It was obviously a decoy, but something told Vincent that the monsters wouldn't care if they killed Cid Highwind or someone else as long as the infected materia was there.
But there was a second thing that bothered Vincent. These soldiers, with their strange uniforms and high-tech weapons, resembled nothing to the men that had attacked Rufus and shot Tifa.
The men who'd attacked in Midgar were dressed in black, using ninja stealth and old shooting weapons. They had left no escape route open, almost like they didn't expect to leave. Even their attack had been half-hearted, seeing the shot had hit Tifa, and not Rufus as they obviously had intended. The soldiers in the strange uniforms would not miss their target, Vincent could sense it.
"I bet the others have really missed me, huh?" Yuffie rambled on merrily, running beside Vincent at neck-breaking speed without any problems. "I can understand that. I am the life of the party, after all!" She glared over at the former Turk at his lack of response and hearty agreement. "And there's probably new materia too for me to, er, admire."
Vincent might have smiled, it was hard to tell. "I think we've all learned to watch our materia around you, Yuffie. And I suspect Rufus ShinRa will be pretty fast to lock up any other valuables he might have."
Yuffie gawped, "and just WHAT are you implying?" She then huffed offended, "Like his crappy security can keep a ninja from her target anyway!"
"Speaking of security," Vincent interrupted her, "when we arrive at Midgar... I would like to test that security. Those soldiers will soon realise that Cid is not traveling north and start searching elsewhere. It shouldn't take them too long to find out he's in Midgar, and then the security will be vital against attacks."
Yuffie grinned widely, "You saying we're sneaking in?" With her skills, the ShinRa had no chance!
The former Turk increased their pace, "I'm saying we're going to try. And hope that we fail."
Cloud entered the under-ground airship docking area, glancing up at the Highwind as he heard the familiar curses from a certain pilot echo through the halls. Smiling slightly, Cloud quickly climbed up the ladder and entered the airship. He was more than a little surprised to see a familiar figure standing by some wires poking out from the wall after a plate had been removed. "Jessie?"
The woman started slightly before turning and smiling brightly, "Hi there, Cloud!"
Walking over, Cloud gesticulated faintly, "What are you doing here?"
Jessie shrugged, her smile turning slightly embarrassed, "I got bored. Met Shera, and we talked a bit. She's an engineer too, you know! So, she offered that I could help out on the ship to keep my hands busy and my head sane."
"That's Shera. Always helping others," Cloud declared gently, eternally amazed at how Shera had been able to stand all the harsh words from Cid Highwind. Cid Highwind being a man who specialized in harsh words! "But you always were a genius with electronics and stuff. I'm sure Cid will be grateful!"
Laughing softly, Jessie absently wiped her hands on a rag. "I think he muttered something about two women doing twice the damage he already has to fix after Shera's mess ups..."
"And that's Cid..." Cloud sighed with a benign smile, knowing the pilot didn't mean anything by his statements. "He's a good guy, really, somewhere far underneath the gruff surface." Though the pilot's mouth sometimes made Cloud wonder if he would only be able to find the kind sides to Cid Highwind with a shovel and exhumation order.
Jessie giggled, "I know. He even managed to choke up a few words of mumbled compliments when I managed to fix the intercom in the meeting room!" She corrected her red bandana and tightened her pony-tail. "So I'm hoping to be able to repair the failure that makes the electrical doors hitch up sometimes, and he might be forced to utter a few more!"
Cloud laughed, "Just be careful. Don't hurt him. Remember that we're actually trying to keep him alive, ok?" Suddenly he missed the evenings he and Jessie had spent under the stars. Missed the conversations between just the two of them, the only sound was from the fire he used to light while she packed out the food. He missed watching her watch the sun rise. He wondered if she missed it too.
Tilting her head, Jessie winked at him. "I'll try. Say, I'm just finishing up here. Want to grab lunch together?"
"Sure!" Cloud nodded, trying not to sound too eager. "If that's okay with Cid, that is... I wouldn't want the great Mister Highwind yelling at me for stealing his crew away from their job!"
Jessie turned to finish up tightening a bolt, giggling softly. "I think I'm entitled to a break. Been here since 6 am."
Blinking surprised, Cloud wondered if Jessie had gotten any sleep at all that night. Now that he thought about it, she looked a little tired. A stab of guilt hit him as Cloud realised he hadn't really made sure she was okay since they'd arrived in Midgar. He still didn't know anything about what she'd been through, hoping she would tell him when she felt like it, but that didn't mean he had to stop supporting her. He watched as she reached up to tighten a second bolt, and he could see the healing wounds on her inner arms. Marks after syringes. Whatever she had been put through, it was probably very close to hell. Cloud could only vaguely remember his time in Hojo's hands, but the few memories he had always involved syringes and pain.
Jessie started as Cloud suddenly stood beside her, his fingers trailing along her inner arm, careful not to touch the wounds. It was like he was trying to remove the marks with a gentle caress. Holding her breath, Jessie was suddenly so much aware of her surroundings than ever before. How her shoulder was brushing against his chest. She could feel him breathing. His fingertips were warm, leaving a tingling sensation in their wake. Slowly glancing up at him, she was lost in the mako blue eyes.
Cloud was surprised at his own action, but the vulnerable look on Jessie's face cut at his heart. Who could ever be cruel to someone like Jessie? He gave a faint smile as an apology for invading her personal space, for touching her without permission. "You should make sure those wounds doesn't get infected... I'll ask Aeris to have a look at them, ok?"
Jessie started, like he'd slapped her straight across her face, and quickly turned away. "Yeah... Thanks..."
Aeris. How could she have forgotten about her? Aeris, the love of Cloud's life. The love that had returned to him, and he would never let go again.
Suddenly Jessie wasn't hungry anymore...
Sephiroth groaned annoyed as someone was poking at him non-stop and he absently swatted away the annoying thing. He was still so sleepy and his body was still happy to remind him of his broken ribs the second he was awake.
The poking returned, along with a voice. "Time to get up, lad! You must be hungry!"
Grunting, Sephiroth yanked his sheet over his head. "Go away..." His mind was slowly piecing together his situation, and he realised the voice belonged to the Chocobo Sage. And the poking was that cursed cane! And he couldn't really remember falling asleep... The last thing he remembered was how the old man had nagged him into tasting his vile tea, only to find it wasn't bad at all! Obviously, the old man hadn't poisoned the tea with unhealthy amount of sugar this time! But after that, Sephiroth couldn't remember a thing.
The old man had put sleeping potion in the tea.
Sephiroth sighed, feeling flames of pain rising up from his broken ribs. Without the sleeping potion, he would never had gotten any sleep at all.
"Breakfast is ready, boy! Rise and shine!" The Sage insisted, the cane now tapping on Sephiroth's head hidden under the sheet.
"Alright!" Sephiroth snapped, tossing the sheet to the side. "I'm awake! Enough with the damn prodding! I'm no chocobo! Leave me the hell alone!" He glared at the small man grinning down at him. Sephiroth could kill him and no one would know...
Ten minutes later, he was sitting up and slowly eating the announced breakfast. Sephiroth realised he'd been more hungry than he'd realised, shoving a piece of bread into his mouth.
"Tea?" The Sage asked cheerfully, laughing as the silver haired man shook his head quickly. "Very well. I guess you're most anxious to leave, eh? Have someone waiting for you at home, do you? That's nice!"
Sephiroth stopped chewing, staring at the floor for some time. Someone waiting? Aeris? No, not anymore. She would only wait for Cloud now. The former general forced himself to swallow and sipped from his water, "No one is waiting for me, old man. I'm on my own."
The Sage hummed thoughtfully, "I would think that a man like you would have plenty of girls waiting!"
Clearing his throat awkwardly, Sephiroth managed a faint smile. "Not me. I just wanted one."
"So there IS one waiting for you!" The old man declared triumphantly, waving his cane dangerously close to Sephiroth's face.
Leaning back, Sephiroth sighed, "No... She's with someone else now..." Strange how that thought still hurt beyond all reason!
The Chocobo Sage placed his cane over his lap and leaned slightly forward, "She left you?"
Sephiroth shrugged.
"And you let her go?" The Sage asked incredulously, like Sephiroth had declared that he'd married a Midgar Zolom.
Sephiroth shrugged again. As long as Aeris loved Cloud, there was nothing he could do about it.
The old man jumped to his feet, not making much of a difference in height from when he was sitting, "You may be a great warrior, boy, but you're still an idiot."
"What?" Sephiroth shot him a cold stare, feeling his anger rise again.
"Either you're an idiot, or she wasn't worth the fight," the Sage declared smugly as he held his eyes in a challenge.
The silver haired man squirmed, "It was what she wanted..."
"Did she say so?" The old man pressed on, leaning forward on his cane.
Sephiroth drew a deep breath, suddenly feeling uneasy under the sunglass-stare of the Sage. "Not... per say... But..."
The Chocobo sage tilted his head, his huge hat tipping to the side. "Do you love her?"
Sephiroth glanced up at him, "yes."
Wobbling over to check on the kettle, the Sage smiled behind his beard. "Then fight for her."
Fight for her.
The words were spoken so easily, and Sephiroth found them tumbling about inside his head. It had never been in his nature to give up quietly, and maybe that was why loosing Aeris in this way felt so incredibly bitter. He hadn't done anything because he knew Aeris was in love with Cloud, but she wasn't unfeeling towards him either. That meant there was still hope. Maybe he could make her feel more for him than the blonde?
Take up the fight?
Aeris was definitely worth it. And she hadn't thrown herself into Cloud's arms like Sephiroth had half expected, but held the blonde at an awkward distance.
Sephiroth's heart was starting to race.
Was there hope?
Of course there was! They'd spent an entire year together, that gave him something that Cloud did not share with Aeris. Sephiroth absently shoved another piece of bread into his mouth, chewing slowly. Alright, Aeris had saved Cloud from the Masamune, but she never did want to see anyone hurt. She would have done that for anyone.
Take up the fight?
Definitively! It wasn't over yet!
Sephiroth got up abruptly, eyes flaring with determination. "You're right for once, old man! I'll be damned before I let that moron take Aeris from me!"
The Chocobo Sage blinked puzzled, "Aeris? Do I know her? Can't remember for the life of me..."
Sephiroth blinked as he realised he was no longer in pain, and slowly placed a hand to his ribs. They were just fine. A little sore, but healed. The wound on his side were nowhere to be seen. He glanced down at the bread he'd been eating. Soaked in High Potion? The old man had been in possession of these healing items all along, but had deliberately let him suffer. "If it weren't for the fact that I'm in a good mood right now, I would have broken that cane over your head, old man!"
The Sage huffed, "Manners! Kids these days!"
Sephiroth picked up his shoulder pads and began fastening them, "You could have healed me yesterday, and I could have had the materia in Jenova's lair by now!"
"Ah, but the materia is placed in the lair, you are not under Jenova's control and your chocobo is rested," the Sage triumphed, waving his cane slightly.
Shaking his head confused, Sephiroth tightened a belt, "you did all this so that I wouldn't fall for Jenova's tricks again?"
"Jenova?" The Chocobo Sage pulled lightly at his beard, "do I know her? Can't remember for the life of me..."
Sephiroth rubbed his eyes in frustration, "Yeah, whatever. Just... thanks for you help, ok?"
The Sage chuckled heartily, "Anytime, young man! Come again! It would be a shame for us only to meet once in this life!"
"But we've met twice now!" Sephiroth declared angrily, feeling the old man making fun of him.
"We have?" The Sage glanced thoughtfully at the ceiling, "Can't remember for the life of me..." He didn't even flinch when the door slammed shut behind Sephiroth, and only waited a few seconds before he walked over to the window to watch the silver haired man ride away. A short silence was then interrupted as he lightly, but firmly, rapped his cane against the floor to silence the voices floating in the air. "Quiet you. He's a good boy. He'll be good for her, and she will be good for him. And what concern is she of yours? If was you who cast her out for saving his life. You shouldn't be so harsh with him. I see great potential within him..." The Chocobo Sage turned away from the window and returned to the tea kettle. "We all deserve a second chance."
Meanwhile, Sephiroth was petting Trigger's neck and reluctantly admitting to himself that he was relieved to see that the bird was alright.
"Ready to go home, feather-brain?" The former general gave a faint smile, "Aeris is waiting for us."
"Clearly there's a pattern," Reeve insisted, pointing at the names on the list lying on the table.
Rufus sighed and read through it once again. "The men who was involved in the attack on me all have been reported missing?"
Pulling out several more lists, Reeve placed them beside the one in front of Rufus. "The men all visited Cosmo Canyon and never returned home. They all vanished without a trace. There is no evidence that they knew each other, or had anything else in common." The dark haired man seemed to hesitate, then pointed out a list to Rufus. "I dug a little deeper. They're not the only ones who has disappeared in Cosmo Canyon. In fact, over the last ten years, hundreds has vanished without a trace."
Rufus frowned, feeling an ominous tension lying in the meaning of these facts. "It's dangerous to travel. Many of them can have been killed by monsters."
"Some of them, yes," Reeve relented. "But not this many. And several of them are more than skilled soldiers, who would not be killed by the monsters living in that area."
Sighing, Rufus turned away from the lists and walked over to the window. "So this probably means we can expect more of them... A lot more... Lovely." He closed his eyes and started working through all the facts. It was clear that these assailants wanted his life, and would probably try again soon. Security was upgraded and tightened, but that was no guarantee that they wouldn't break through. And that was not counting the monsters that seemed to follow in Cid Highwind's footsteps. Midgar was about to become a very dangerous place.
"Sir, you really should consider retreating somewhere safer," Reeved suggested meekly.
Rufus snorted offended and glared back at him. "Are you suggesting I run? Forget it! Rufus ShinRa does not allow such cretins to win! WEAPON failed to kill me, remember? I won't abandon Midgar, and they'll regret it if they're foolish enough to challenge me!"
Knowing his president's pride, Reeve swallowed hard as he tried to say the things weighing on his mind without upsetting the brat prince further, "I understand, President, but please consider that others might be hurt in the middle of this!" If he didn't speak for the people of Midgar, Rufus was very prone to forget about them.
Rufus got a thoughtful look, remembering too well how Tifa had been hurt the last time. But if he tried to persuade her to leave for a safer place, he was worried that he'd stand a better chance of receiving more mercy from his assailants! "I'm not that ignorant, Reeve, but no matter where I go there will be someone there who has to suffer for it. Midgar's defence is now even better than Junon's and the city walls is the best defence against the mutant monsters we've been up against. I don't like putting others in danger, but this city is our best chance of staying alive and defeating our enemy."
Nodding, Reeve realised the truth in the words. "I understand."
Rufus walked over to sink down into his chair, suddenly feeling tired. "What's our status?"
"Well, Cid and Shera are still working on the airship," Reeve reported, glancing at the control panel of Cait Sith. "The girl named Jessie joined them for some time, but she recently left with Cloud."
Rufus raised an eyebrow, "Cloud? My, the guy doesn't waste much time, does he? Still stringing Tifa along, while clinging to the ancient and flirting with this new girl. Hell, one woman is more than enough trouble for me! Mako exposure must do strange stuff to one's brain!"
Blushing, Reeve cleared his throat. "Ah, I'm sure it's not like that. Tifa is your finance, a friend to Cloud. That's all. Jessie, I believe, is some acquaintance from the early AVALANCHE days. Cloud only longs for Aeris."
Rufus huffed, eyeing the other man drily. "You're awfully quick to defend Strife. He's your hero, or something?"
"N-not as such," Reeve choked out. It was hard not to respect a man who had survived through as much as Cloud Strife had, and still managed to save the world.
Waving him away, Rufus turned his chair to gaze out the window again. "Whatever. Just make sure that you don't loose sight of Cid. It's still not safe. And I have a bad feeling."
That was when the security alarm started blaring and there was an explosion that shook the very building they stood in.
Rufus jumped up, "They're here already?"
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