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Chapter Eleven When the party scattered out through Costa Del Sol, Kit wasn't sure what to do. She still felt woozy from the boat ride, and the heat made it harder to shake. Tifa tried to get her to go to the beach with her, but she just wasn't in the mood. After some looking around, she decided to just sit in the shade near Red, whose nose was drying out from the heat, he said. Some kids were kicking a ball around in the street, and once it accidentally headed for Red, but his tail batted it back to them. The children laughed, and kicked it his direction again. His tail waved and the ball went rolling back to the kids.
Kit smiled. "Having fun?" she asked him quietly. She liked Red. His body may have appeared to be a fierce beast, but his quiet, thoughtful nature made that seem unimportant.
Red yawned and opened his good eye. "What was that?" he asked drowsily. "Is it time to go?"
"What, you were asleep? Your tail was rolling the ball back to the kids."
"It moves independantly," Red explained, as it happened again. The kids giggled, and he turned his head to look at them curiously.
"Oh... sorry to wake you," Kit said.
"No, It's okay. I don't need the sleep, but the heat makes me drowsy."
"Me too, and I don't have fur," she said, smiling. "It almost makes me wish for the air conditioned Shinra building back in Midgar. Almost, but not quite."
Red frowned. "I don't think I ever want to see that building again. Or any Shinra. But I suppose we will."
Cloud came running up then. He'd been talking to a couple tanned women in bikinis who were heading for the beach, and Kit smirked. "Enjoying your day off?"
"I was trying to see if they'd seen a man in a black cape," he retorted. "They just wanted to flirt, though."
"Well, this is Costa Del Sol," Kit pointed out. "Everyone's just here to relax. Why don't you relax too? I heard Tifa say she was going to go to the beach and go swimming, why don't you try and catch up with her? You might even get to see her in a bikini."
Cloud blushed. "Uhm... maybe later." Red's tail batted the ball back to the laughing kids yet again, and Cloud looked at him curiously.
"I'm not doing it on purpose, my tail moves independantly," Red explained again.
Cloud nodded, and turned to walk away just as the kids kicked the ball towards Red again. It went right in front of Cloud's foot as he was taking a step, and he accidentally kicked it straight into Red's face. "Oops..." Cloud said, trying to keep from laughing, and Red growled. "I think maybe I will go find Tifa," Cloud continued as he turned away quickly.
"You do that," Red muttered, settling back down.
Kit turned her face away from the sun and closed her eyes, making herself more comfortable. The next thing she knew, Aeris was bent over her, looking concerned. "Oh, good, you're awake," the girl said, relief evident on her face.
Kit blinked and rubbed her eyes. "Did I miss something?" she asked. "I must have fallen asleep..."
As her vision cleared, she saw Red sitting beside her bed - wait. Her bed? "You fainted," the beast said, "so I went to find Aeris."
"I don't faint," Kit muttered, indignant. She glanced around, and saw she was in what looked like an inn. "Did I?"
Red nodded, and Kit frowned in annoyance. "How are you feeling now?" asked Aeris, sitting down on the bed next to the one Kit was lying on.
"Fine... embarrassed," said Kit under her breath. "Must have been the sun. This stupid uniform is great for blending into shadows and keeping the rain off and everything, but it traps heat in like a furnace."
Aeris smiled. "Well, at least it's a little cooler in here. They have air conditioning. Want a drink? There's a bar just across the way that makes the greatest lemonade - I bought a pitcher for all of us to share."
Red scratched his nose uncomfortably. "I'm going to have to go back outside," he said. "The air conditioning feels good, but it's drying out my nose even more than the heat. Glad you feel better, Kit." As he passed Aeris, she patted him on the nose, and he smiled. That was a surprise to Kit. Even if he did sort of look like a big dog, she would have thought he'd hate being treated like a pet.
Kit sat up gingerly, and Aeris poured a glass of lemonade. "Try some," she said, offering Kit the glass. "If you did get overheated, you should drink something nice and cool, and this is wonderful." Kit accepted the glass, and took a sip. It was very good. "I know you think you should be embarrassed about this," Aeris continued as she poured herself a glass, "but really, don't worry about it. You're only human, even if you have been through the SOLDIER program. It seems like everyone who goes through it ends up thinking they don't need anyone else..." To Kit, it looked like Aeris's bright eyes grew sad for just a second, but she covered it by drinking her lemonade. "Ummm, this is yummy."
Kit couldn't suppress a smile. This was the Ancient that Sephiroth claimed was going to try to steal his birthright? Well, since she'd been given this opportunity, she might as well get friendly with Aeris, find out what she was all about... "I suppose you mean like Cloud?" asked Kit. "He does seem like kind of a loner."
"Well, yes," Aeris said, nodding. "But I also had an old boyfriend who was in SOLDIER. He was like that too, always acting tougher than he really was... not that he was just like Cloud," she added hastily. "Cloud's... different somehow. I knew it when I first met him."
"And how did you two meet exactly?" Kit asked.
Aeris smiled, leaning back on her bed. She was obviously no child, but there was a playful quality to her that made it impossible for Kit to tell how old she really might be. "We first met when he bought a flower from me," said Aeris. "But we didn't really meet until the next day, when he..." She covered her mouth with her hand and giggled. "He fell into my lap, almost. I was tending my flowers, in a church near my house in Midgar, when someone came crashing through the stained glass skylight above me. The flowers broke his fall, the poor things."
"Crashing through the skylight?" Kit asked, incredulous. "How did that happen?"
"He was on a mission with AVALANCHE, and something went wrong in one of the reactor towers," answered Aeris, "or at least I think that's what happened. Right after that, one of the Turks showed up, and Cloud protected me."
"The Turks?" Kit exclaimed. "Shinra wanted you?"
Aeris nodded. "Because I'm an Ancient," she said. Then she frowned. "Or 'The Ancient', as that nasty Professor Hojo just called me, back on the beach. As if I was just a specimen. Hmmph!"
Kit stopped short at the mention of Hojo's name. "Hojo... just called you? On the beach? He's here?"
"He was a couple hours ago," said Aeris. "I don't know if he's still... Kit?"
It was too late, Kit was already on her feet and headed out the door. Hojo would know what had been done to her. She would make him tell her what she was... who she was. He had to know, and whatever she was, she had the power to make him tell.
Running down the stairs to the beach, she scanned the area. There were the usual beachgoing sort, women in bikinis and bodybuilders lying on towels, rich-looking people holding expensive drinks beneath colored umbrellas, but she didn't see anyone that looked like Hojo. In frustration, she turned and kicked one of the railings to the stairs she'd just come down.
"Kit?" Aeris was standing at the top of the stairs, her emerald green eyes wide. "What is it?"
"Nothing," Kit sighed. She reminded herself she was on a mission to spy on AVALANCHE, not find out about her past. After she'd reported to Sephiroth, then she could find Hojo and make him tell what he knew. "I don't suppose you know where Hojo was headed?"
"I don't want to know," said Aeris vehemently. "He's a horrible person - I hope I never see him again for the rest of my life. But there's a chance we might. He was mumbling something about going west, and that's where Cloud said we're going tomorrow."
Kit kicked the railing again. "Tomorrow," she muttered.
"Yes - I know it's sort of wasting time," said Aeris, "but Cloud thinks we could all use a day of rest. Of course... I think he needs the rest more than any of us, considering what just happened aboard the boat. Not that he'd admit it, naturally. He's just as tough as you are," she said with a fond smile. "I'm willing to wait for his sake. And it'll give us all a better chance to get to know each other. Like... listen..." Aeris came down the stairs to stand closer to Kit, and lowered her voice. "Is there anything you want to talk about?"
"Of course not," Kit said, more casually than she felt. She had a suspicion that whatever it was that was making her feel so odd for the last few days, it had something to do with what had happened to her in that capsule at Nibelheim, but she wasn't willing to discuss that with Aeris. She didn't know much about the Ancients, but she was fairly sure they couldn't read thoughts. No, Aeris couldn't know. "What makes you think that?"
"I'm not sure," said Aeris slowly. "I just don't understand why you're even with us, and I get the feeling that with you it's less about saving the planet than it is for, say, Barret. Now don't get me wrong," she added quickly, "I'm not asking what your reasons are. I just wondered if you needed someone to talk to."
"Not really." Kit shrugged. "As far as not understanding goes, I don't really understand how you all think killing Sephiroth will save the planet. Cloud said he thinks Sephiroth is an Ancient, but then, so are you. He also said Sephiroth is searching for the Promised Land, and that he wants to go there with Jenova, but how is that a bad thing? Aren't you doing the same?"
Aeris frowned. "The Promised Land isn't what it might sound like," she said softly. "Searching for it is all well and good, but... if someone were to find it, they could misuse it, and cause disaster..." Aeris bowed her head. "Sometimes I can hear the planet speaking to me, and... right now it's deathly afraid of Sephiroth. I don't understand why, or how, but it is."
She looked frightened too. Kit had come to this assignment thinking that this other Ancient must be selfish and proud, seeking personal gain. But now it was obvious Aeris was only doing what she thought best for the planet, and she would be the last to selfishly hurt anyone. What did that say about Sephiroth, though, she wondered. He had to be paranoid... well of course he was. Before Kit had ever laid eyes on him, she knew he was mad. "Hey, I understand if you don't want to talk about it," she said to Aeris.
"No, it's okay," Aeris insisted. "I want you to know what we're doing, and why we're doing it. You should know how important it is, that the planet really is at stake."
"That seems hard to believe," Kit said, dubious. "He's only one man... even if he is Sephiroth."
"I know. The planet doesn't tell me everything," Aeris explained in a low voice. "Sometimes I can't even hear it speaking, and sometimes I can hear but I can't understand. I just have to go by what I do hear clearly. I don't... I don't want to think I'm like Sephiroth. I wonder, if he's really an Ancient, a Cetra, can he hear the planet's cries too? It's the most horrifying noise... If he does hear it, how can he go on frightening it this way?" Aeris asked, her voice desperate, her eyes shimmering with tears.
Kit drew back, unconsciously. Aeris can't know, she reminded herself.
Sniffling a little, Aeris looked back up at Kit, as if she'd forgotten she was not alone. "Oh... I'm sorry," she said quickly, with a tight little smile. "It's not as if you could answer my questions, or even... truly understand what I'm saying. Even I don't understand all the time..." She giggled a little, letting go of the tension. "Oh, now I'm just going in circles."
"It's okay, Aeris," Kit said gently. "I don't mind, and..." It was the truth, it couldn't hurt her to say it. Aeris inspired an unusual kindness in her somehow. "And it's really nice to have someone to talk to. I had friends in SOLDIER, but when I quit, I knew I'd never see them again." That was true too, though she hadn't thought much about it until just now.
"Well then, we'll be your friends," Aeris said, regaining some of her cheerful manner. "Me and Cloud and Tifa, and Red and Yuffie and... even Barret's not so bad once you get to know him. We'll be your friends, if you'll let us."
"I... uh..." Kit had no idea what to say.
Aeris cocked her head to one side to look at Kit. "You and Cloud will get along wonderfully," she remarked with a grin. "You don't have to admit you like us, if you don't want to, and if you like, we won't embarrass you by admitting it."
Kit couldn't help smiling at Aeris's infectious giggle. "Deal," she said, offering her hand.
"And thanks for listening to me babble," Aeris said, accepting it. "I think I'm going to go back to the inn, to lie down and think about it."
"Going to bed already?" Cloud asked, walking up behind her.
Aeris turned to see him, and it was obvious from the way she clasped her hands behind her back that she was overjoyed to see him. "Maybe, maybe not," she replied. "Wanna go swimming?"
"Huh?" Cloud said, surprised at her suggestion. "I mean, no... I don't even have a suit."
"Oh?" asked Aeris with a wink. "I guess that means we'd have to wait till after it gets dark then, wouldn't we?"
"What?" Cloud exclaimed. As Aeris started to giggle, he scratched his head. "Oh, you were joking." Aeris kept on giggling at the look on his face, and Cloud blushed and grinned nervously. "You were joking, right, Aeris? Umm... She was, right, Kit?"
With a knowing smile, Kit went back up the stairs to town, leaving the two of them alone.
To Chapter Twelve. To the intro. That means it's mine, not yours! |
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