Fandom Final Fantasy VII Refrain

[ReaperMelia]

The Junon parade was easily the worst parade Aerith had ever attended. Of course, it was the only one she had attended, but she couldn't imagine it getting much worse than a failed assassination attempt that put a massive target on her team in the middle of a crowded city full of Shinra soldiers. And to make matters worse, she managed to lose her friends in the chaos. Aerith knew Cloud was leading a diversion to try to make things easier for the rest of the party, but the droves of civilians and confused soldiers frantically running up and down the streets of Upper Junon ended up separating Aerith from the others.

She also knew the team's objective: the ship that would ferry them all far away from the madness and hopefully give them a chance to rest before they set off for their next destination. Unfortunately, it seemed that the path to the harbor was now blocked off by a wall of soldiers, and while she was still in the Midgar 7th Infantry uniform she stole prior to the parade, all of the troops were now aware that there were disguised fugitives on the loose. She knew there was no way she'd be able to pass through the blockade on her own without raising suspicion.

Aerith's mind raced as she thought over potential backup plans. If she knew her way around the city, maybe she could find a less obvious path there... Too bad she didn't get enough time to explore the upper city and figure out a good escape route. Wandering aimlessly in her uniform would probably make it obvious that she wasn't really with Shinra, but she didn't know what other options she had. Maybe if she could get somewhere quiet to have a moment to think...

Unfortunately, it seemed like she wouldn't have time to run off to do that. A soldier approached Aerith, and judging from his decorated uniform, she assumed he was a high-ranking officer. "Soldier, what are you doing here?!" He growled at Aerith, clearly frustrated to see one of his fellow troops out of formation.

Aerith took a moment to consider her response. "I... was separated from the rest of my squadron in the crowds, sir! I'm trying to find out where they went. I didn't want to give our position away over comms in case the assassins were listening, sir!" She gave the officer a salute as she finished her explanation, hoping it would sound good enough to give her a pass.

The officer sighed and muttered under his breath. "7th Infantry newbie, I bet... Damn slackers got the president's commendation, but they run around like wild Chocobos when there's real danger." He locked eyes with Aerith. "If you can't find them, go help the team securing the path to the airstrip! We can't let the Avalanche scum escape!"

"Yes, sir!" Aerith responded, still holding her salute. Once the officer departed, Aerith glanced around before making her way towards the airstrip. It wasn't the harbor, but the new order gave her an idea. Maybe she could find some sort of transportation there... She'd just need to figure out how to actually use it.

Aerith pushed her way through the crowds running about in all directions, scanning her surroundings for any sign of her comrades. Barret and Red XIII would both stand out pretty easily, but for all she knew, they had already made it to the ship. Cloud went in a completely different direction, and Aerith doubted she'd run into that very energetic ninja who initiated the assassination attempt in the first place. She did her best to observe the faces of the Shinra troops around her in case Tifa had also managed to get separated, but she was beginning to think she was on her own now.

 

[aggravatedspacedolphins]

Upper Junon was in complete disarray, chaos bursting at every corner, civilians shouting while soldiers herded them like cattle in doors, and all the while, Tifa Lockhart felt herself frozen in place. One hand grasped at the top of her head, making sure her stolen Shinra soldier helmet was still attached. The other hand clenched tightly into a fist. Her upper incisors found the soft spot of her lip as she nervously chewed at the skin.

What were her options at this point? She walked backwards slowly, finding a brick wall underneath the overhang of a nearby materia shop. She dipped her head down, letting the helmet fall over her eyes so if anyone was looking too discreetly at her face, they wouldn’t be able to put two and two together and recognize her as a renowned Avalanche terrorist. Not that she expected anybody to, but with the entire Shinra army now on high alert for someone dressed in stolen uniforms…

What a thing to be known for…

Cloud had run ahead as a distraction, and pulled most of Midgar’s Seventh Infantry after him. Cloud could take care of himself. He had his sword after all. He was…or he said he was…an Ex-Soldier. He fought like one at least. He was an adult. He’d be fine.

Red XIII was an old soul, and while she didn't quite know his entire back story, he seemed to know more about the world and how to sneak around. She hadn't been quite as worried about him. Barret, on the other hand, was her problem child. There were more times than she could count that she had cooked him a warm meal after a long night of drinking and planning, or made sure he got back to his apartment safely. He had a way with diving headfirst into things that made her nervous. If one person mentioned Avalance…As long as he was with Red, he'd probably be fine.

That just left Aerith. Aerith, who was definitely not a damsel in distress princess, was probably still in uniform, and without Cloud to parade both of them around and give them both crash courses in Shinra Army Etiquette 101, was probably feeling just as lost as Tifa felt. She had to find her, and they could at least maybe both fumble their way onto the boat out of here…and if the boys didn't make it…

*’Don’t think of the worst, Tifa. You promised yourself you'd stop thinking like that.’*

Tifa unclenched her fist and sucked in her breath. Right. Priority was finding Aerith, and then finding the boys. She pushed herself off the brick wall, and stretched her arms over her head, just in time to see a squadron of Shinra soldiers running past. She ducked her head down, pulling the helmet down low over her eyes, as she joined their march down the strip, and towards another building. Their leader stopped and listened for a moment, finger tapped to his helmet.

“Right…uh-huh. Yes. Yes sir. Right. Attention.”

The squadron leader turned around and saluted, which caused the others to snap their heels and salute too. Tifa was a step off, enough to make the man next to her elbow her by mistake with his own salute. Tifa winced at the contact but otherwise kept her composure.

“New orders. Everyone is falling back to the airstrip to secure the area, and protect the President. The suspect has apparently been spotted fleeing to the harbor. The Midgar Mobile Unit has been spotted tailing them. Move out!”

The soldiers yelled out with a thunderous “Sir!” and finished their salute, before marching out. Tifa mouthed the shout, and quickly looked around before falling steps behind the soldiers so as to not look entirely suspicious.

They must have found the little ninja, or…Cloud really was providing the ultimate distraction, and it could be even more disastrous news if they caught him. She wouldn’t put it past Rufus Shinra to broadcast a public execution of terrorists who had caused so much pain for his great city of Midgar. Tifa shook her head, the helmet that she had been trying to keep so low on her head popping up just enough for her amber red eyes to slip up, and a sliver of ebony hair to come loose from her ponytail. In that brief moment, she spotted a familiar face, looking just as nervous as she felt. Her breath finally exhaled as she paused in her running, and changed direction to run towards the woman. How long had she been holding that breath inside?

“Aer-” She stopped mid shout, as she paused in front of Aertih, her hands finding her knees for a moment before she stood up. Every part of her resisted grabbing her and hugging her, or giving her a high five. Shinra soldiers didn’t do that. They also probably didn’t use their real names, especially ones that were plastered on Wanted posters scattered around the city. Tifa shook her head.

“Hey. You’re safe. I heard we have to head to the airstrip…but maybe we can…”

“You two! Didn’t I just have a word with you?” A high commander was glaring at both of them, and Tifa snapped back to attention. He turned back to Aerith.

“I see you found your squad. Now, both of you, get your asses to the airstrip! Now!”

“Yes sir!” Tifa found herself automatically shouting and saluting, watching the commander rush off to bother another troop before she turned back to Aerith.

“Shit, do we have a choice?” Tifa mumbled, sighing and rubbing at her head. “Also, could they get maybe more comfortable helmets? My head is killing me in this.”

 

[ReaperMelia]

The sight of another troop running in her direction made Aerith tense up as she tried to decide if she should preemptively give another salute or get ready to bolt off in any other direction for cover. Thankfully, the soldier's helmet momentarily bobbed up enough mid-step to reveal a pair of familiar red eyes and some black hair. Aerith nearly shouted her friend's name, but Tifa cutting off her own exclamation made Aerith realize it was probably best to draw as little attention as possible. Still, she couldn't help but give Tifa a smile.

Once again, Aerith was about to speak up to respond to her friend, but the return of the same captain she spoke with earlier made her drop that thought and snap into a salute with Tifa. "Yes, sir!" Aerith shouted in unison with her companion. She breathed a sigh of relief once he ran off. "If I run into that guy one more time, I think I'm gonna scream," she muttered under her breath, a faint pout on her face. Tifa's questions brought her focus back to their present situation.

A quick peek around their surroundings confirmed that there wasn't really anywhere they could go hide for now. Soldiers were stationed at every building and alley along the strip, most likely to ensure that the would-be assassins didn't try laying low or escaping the city. They didn't really have time to search around for some sort of hidden route that had gone unnoticed, either. Aerith had already been yelled at by the same officer twice, and any continued dallying could draw more attention and suspicion. "I guess we play along for now and improvise from there... It's a good thing we got that marching practice with Cloud earlier, huh?" She tried to lighten the mood, but she could feel her legs tremble a bit as she stated what was surely a plan that would lead them to being captured. She took a moment to rub her own head. "I don't know if my headache's from the helmet or that officer shouting in my face. But hey, at least we won't need to wear these things for much longer, right?" On that note, she began marching towards the airstrip.

As one would expect, the airstrip was packed full of Shinra troops and other personnel. A perimeter of soldiers stood watch, ensuring no one who appeared suspicious was able to set foot anywhere near the transports. A couple helicopters prepared to take off and scan the city from above. One of these helicopters was being boarded by a trio in black suits. Seeing the Turks made Aerith double-check that her helmet was low enough to cover her eyes; she'd spent enough time around them to know that they'd easily recognize her. Luckily, they seemed too busy preparing to take off to notice any soldiers walking by.

There were a few other unmanned helicopters and some smaller transports being boarded by non-military personnel looking to evacuate, and at the center of the airfield was Shinra's greatest airship, the Highwind. A group of soldiers entered it, but more notable was the man they were escorting: Rufus Shinra, the newly inaugurated president of the Shinra Company. Aerith couldn't see his face, but she could imagine he probably still had a smug grin plastered on it even after he had almost been killed. She had only run into him a couple times now, but he seemed like the type to never lose his confidence. And why would he? He survived the assassination attempt and had troops covering every inch of the city. Now he had an excuse to show off his military might and convince the world that Shinra's brutish ways were necessary to crush violent dissenters like Avalanche or the Wutaians under his heel, even if it also meant stomping out any civilians who happened to be in the way. Barret was probably furious about what was surely a victory for the young president, but Aerith was too busy trying to figure out a way out of her mess without panicking to share his frustration. The closer she came to the busy airstrip, the more it seemed like she was walking into a dire situation with no way out.

 

[aggravatedspacedolphins]

Tifa gave Aerith a soft smile. She was always one to try and make things more positive than they seemed. Tifa should really try and embody that attitude. There was a bitter twinge in the back of her mind. Was she jealous of her female companion? No, that wasn't what this was. It surely couldn't be. She looked back to where the aggravated and angry officer was yelling at two new soldiers for going down a dark alley that was already occupied by two different soldiers, saying something about expanding their resources, and if they were blind. Tifa half expected the higher ranking officer to slap the others, and she quickly turned her head back to Aerith.

"Right. The quicker we get out of this city, the faster we don't have to remember the good old Shinra Two-Step." Tifa winked. She started after Aerith, following her in line as they marched. Every so often, she glanced over her shoulder, maybe on the off chance that she'd spot the familiar Buster Sword swinging off the back of one of the other soldiers, or an overly large man in a too tight sailor outfit, or their red canine with his tail giving off just the faintest glow in a dark alley. "They're probably fine." Tifa mumbled again, looking back at Aerith, matching her arm movements to her own. Even if it wasn't exactly like that of a well-trained Shinra soldier, it was better that they both looked in sync rather than swaying and wobbling all over.

She had thought that the airstrip would be pure chaos, that maybe there would be even the slightest chance for them to sneak down a docking elevator to a lower level, but everything was organized and pristine. No one wanted to seem the slightest bit unprofessional. She took note of the Turks, boarding their own helicopter. Tifa placed a hand on top of her helmet as she stopped, pressing down on it securely and biting at her lip. The Turks had opt'd to leave them alone for the most part, except for a few moments where they had to show off their power, remind them to keep their place, and let them know that they had a common goal. The men in the black robes...They were probably leaving the assassination attempt up to the army. They couldn't risk losing a lead...or...maybe they had already found their target. Tifa braced herself as the helicopter blades started up, her stance broken as she raised a hand up to block the strong wind from the blades.

After a few moments, Tifa paused and looked over her arm, spotting the familiar white coat flapping in the breeze as Rufus Shrina prepared to board the Highwind. If Rufus left, perhaps the military presence would die down in the city, just enough for them to maybe get down to the docks just in time...

"You two! Seventh Infantry?"

A soldier with a clipboard approached them. Tifa twisted her arm up into a salute and brought it down, "Yes, sir." She mumbled, although a little shakey. It didn't seem like this man was as cutthroat as the one who was barking orders at her and Aerith earlier.

"You need to board now. There's no time. The winners of the president's commendation can't even be bothered to show up for their escort. Ridiculous. I know, I know. It's a terrible situation, but you need to board, and you need to board now. You'll get your orders on the ship because I'm sure you will be reassigned."

Tifa felt the bubble in her throat grow. Board...the...the what? The Highwind? No, there had to be another like smaller little helicopter or something, and even then...maybe Tifa could knock out the pilot before take off and they could hide out inside until everyone left. That sounded reasonable too right? Tifa frowned, watching the clipboard snap to the soldier's side and he saltued before pointing at the Highwind and taking off. Tifa looked back at Aerith,

"Maybe it's a first class trip, like luxury rooms? Maybe we can make the boys jealous, yeah?" Tifa tried to smile, although it was obvious her lips were shaking a little. Barret would have jumped at this chance, and would have charged head first in. She wasn't like him. She looked around again. Every exit was blocked. There was no escape, not without making a huge scene, and she wouldn't put it past Shinra to shoot them both on spot...well...shoot her on the spot. Aerith would be taken back to Hojo....

Tifa looked back at Aerith, and reached her hand down, grabbing it quickly. "It'll be fine...right? We will be fine?" She rubbed at the soft spot on the girl's hand, right between her thumb and fore finger before letting go quickly, so as to not look too suspicious. "Think of it like, we are...Turks but not Turks. Tinks? Trunks? Tarks?" Tifa tested out name's as she tried to focus on anything that wasn't walking slowly towards the Highwind.

 

[ReaperMelia]

Aerith did her best to contain her relief as the Turks took off; while they were still right in the middle of enemy territory, the Turks were the ones who worried her the most here... Well, aside from President Rufus, but it looked like he was busy boarding the Highwind and wouldn't be bothering them any time soon. The two were still completely surrounded by Shinra soldiers and employees, but it seemed that they were at least doing a passable job of pretending to be real troops. They'd just need to find somewhere to lay low...

Or not. Aerith sharply inhaled as another soldier approached. Thankfully, it wasn't her new least favorite Shinra officer coming back to yell at the pair again. She gave a quick salute along with Tifa, doing her best to stay in sync. "Yes, sir!" She listened to his order, initially wondering if he was reminding them of their upcoming vacation. She felt her heart sink as the soldier pointed at the Highwind. So much for finding a place to hide or some sort of escape vehicle. They weren't riding in just any Shinra transport; they were taking the Highwind, an airship that would be full of soldiers... and that was carrying the president. If he got a good look at their faces, it would all be over. Even if they weren't on wanted posters slapped on every notice board between here and Midgar, they had a run-in with Rufus just before their daring escape from Shinra HQ. There was no way he wouldn't recognize the fugitives.

Aerith checked her helmet again once the man departed, doing her best to make sure it was secure. She also took a moment to gaze around for anything they could use to get out of this situation, but Tifa's voice drew her attention away before she could waste too much time looking totally lost. She returned Tifa's smile, hoping her quivering lips wouldn't betray her own fear. The two were in this mess together, and they had to do whatever they could to focus on staying safe.

"Yeah, Shinra's just really spoiling us for that awesome performance! It's gonna be way nicer than that ship the guys are taking." She let out a soft chuckle, just as focused on calming herself down as she was on helping Tifa relax. If anything, Rufus clearly led a lavish lifestyle, so he probably figured it wasn't a big deal to give his best soldiers a fancy ride to ensure he kept their loyalty... He certainly wouldn't do it out of kindness, but Aerith was sure that he could spin it as a nice thing even when he had his own ulterior motives.

Aerith was pulled out of her thoughts once again by Tifa after she took the Cetra's hand. Before Aerith could think to grip Tifa's hand back, her friend let go. Probably a smart move given where they were, but Aerith could tell Tifa was still feeling anxious and needed more reassurance. Instead of risking drawing more attention by slowing down, Aerith nodded before walking up to the Highwind alongside her companion. "We're here together, so we'll definitely be fine!" She smiled and took a moment to consider a name. "I like Tinks." She looked back at the ship now looming right in front of them. "Ok, time for the Tinks' first mission: enjoying a first-class ride to Costa Del Sol!"

The interior of the ship wasn't quite as sleek and majestic as its exterior, but it was still a technical marvel... Not that Aerith necessarily understood how any of it worked, but it looked very complicated. Pipes and metal boxes lined the walls, and she could see a large set of stairs leading up to a higher level. A few signs throughout the ship directed its passengers to different rooms: the cockpit, an operations room, and even a chocobo stable. Aerith paused for a moment to gaze around the ship before turning to face Tifa. "So... where do you think the luxury suites are?" She asked, a bright smile on her face... A bright smile that was still hiding a sense of fear and confusion in a completely new environment for her, but she had to keep their spirits up somehow.

Before she could take more time to talk to her companion, a woman in a red suit and cap approached the two. Aerith quickly recognized her as the commander of the Seventh Infantry. "I was told my troops finally arrived... Was it really just you two?"

"Yes, ma'am." Aerith snapped into a salute.

The commander pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed. "Why did I get put in charge of such slackers...?" She shook her head and redirected her attention towards Tifa and Aerith. "Well, you two are going to have to do. As a reward for actually showing up instead of dilly dallying in town, you two are being given the most important job on the Highwind: guarding the president's room. Don't leave your posts unless I personally come to relieve you of your duty. We still have no clue if there are any more terrorists hiding in our ranks, so President Shinra must be protected at all times. Understood?"

Whatever false bravado Aerith had managed to build up began to shatter as she received her order. Could they get any more unlucky than they had so far today? They weren't just on the same ship as Rufus... they'd be stationed right outside his door. If he left and tried talking to them, they'd be in serious trouble. It took all of Aerith's strength to continue standing at attention and salute the commander. Yes, ma'am!" She managed to squeak the words out.

"Good. Follow me." The commander began walking towards the room, heading down a somewhat isolated hall tucked away in a corner of the ship. Aerith began marching, keeping an even stride and just thinking about how they'd at least get a nice, relaxing break at Costa Del Sol once they were finally out of this nightmare. She took a quick glance at Tifa to make sure her friend was managing to stay at least a little calm, too.

 

[aggravatedspacedolphins]

Aerith was such a positive light in the darkness. That familiar tinge of jealousy bit at her inner heart as she watched Aerith bounce just slightly ahead of her, a spring in her refined and newly acquired Shinra march. Tifa felt her lips tug up in a smile. She hoped that Aerith would never change, no matter what happened. It was as if a wave of peace was waving over her as she marched behind her, following onto the ramp of the Highwind and up into the silver metallic, and hopefully not a, death trap. Costa Del Sol better have hot tubs hidden away, or personal massages for everyone who stepped onto their shores. She resisted the urge to crack her back as they walked up the ramp together.

Tifa was a little surprise at the lack of color among the interior. For a high priority first class airship, she would have thought they would have spent a little more money on plush carpets or couches. Maybe that was all hidden away inside of the rooms. It was always advertised as a battleship, but it was the President's...and the President had to have guests from time to time, right? Important guests who would like to be treated to some form of wine and probably A Thousand Needle Cactaur cotton sheets?

"If I had to guess, I would say..." Tifa walked up to her companion, finger on the edge of her chin tapping away as she pointed down a nearby hallway, "the most interior section of the ship, in case of any kind of attacks. "If we just keep following this..." Her hand jutted out from her chin to point down a hallway, just in time to see a woman in red approaching. The finger pointing quickly came up to her helmet, holding a salute to the Commander as she approached. They wouldn't get so lucky it would seem. Tifa had hoped that Cloud was still distracting most of the Seventh Infantry but she had honestly completely forgotten about the Commander.

"Yes Ma'am." Tifa repeated at the same time as Aerith, matching her salute as best as possible.

If a few months ago, someone would have told Tifa that she would be guarding Rufus Shinra onboard his high class airship, she would have told them to have another Cosmo Canyon and shut up because they clearly didn't have any idea what they were talking about. Now, she wish she had her own shot to wash out this terrible taste in her mouth.

"Ma'am." Tifa mumbled, although a bit shakey as she walked behind her, looking over at Aerith occasionally as she tried to hide the fear in the bottom of her stomach. It sat there, like a weight that couldn't be lifted by even the world's heaviest heavyweights. Her movements were slightly sluggish as the Commander turned down the hallway that Tifa had just pointed down momemts earlier, and was already approaching two other Shinra soldiers. Both were stationed on either side of the door, their rifles crossed across their chest, their helmets and chins held high, and their posture absolutely perfect. Tifa hoped that the Commander wasn't planning on leaving them alone for two long. Tifa didn't have a problem with staying in what looked like a typical military position for hours on end, but Aerith...

The soldiers saluted as the Commander stepped in front of them, saluting them back and waving them away. The two soldiers shoulders slumped with relief and they were already running down the hallway, relieved of their duty. The Commander gave a wave for them to take their position.

"The President is checking things are alright, but will retire here shortly before takeoff. He may or may not have General Heidegger with him, but you will still treat him with the upmost respect. You will screen anyone who comes into the room, other than the President or General Heidegger. Obviously, it was not him who commandered this coup, but he gets rather angry if he's pestered with too many stupid questions. You will keep the position as long as possible, until I return, understand?"

Tifa nodded and saluted the woman, looking over at Aerith, out of the corner of her eye before she arched her back and put her chin into the air. The woman gave a nod of approval, saluted them both, and then began to march down the hallway. As soon as she rounded the corner, Tifa found herself already slouching, the gun sliding down to the floor as she looked at Aerith.

"So...maybe it's not the most luxurious...but...we might get a nice edge of a broom closet if we are lucky." Tifa smiled a little. "Costa Del Sol better have a hot tub suite tucked away somewhere? My back might never recover after this." Tifa reached her hands over her head, letting the muscles and bones crack and pop as she twisted and stretched a little.

"What do you want to do when we get to Costa Del Sol? I heard there's..."

Footsteps were rounding the corner already, and Tifa grabbed her gun, assuming back the position and looking over at Aerith. She hoped that her helmet would tip down low enough to cover her eyes, that Rufus Shinra wouldn't be able to recongize them...or even bother with them. They were just lowly guards, nothing more and nothing less....just that they had his life in their hands...

'Barret would have a hay day with this...'

 

[ReaperMelia]

Aerith's glance confirmed that Tifa was just as stressed as she was... if not even more. She gave her friend a brief yet warm smile before facing ahead and marching along, doing her best to keep her pace equal with the commander's. If at least one of them was managing to keep up, maybe it would be less noticeable that the other was lagging behind a tiny bit.

The flower girl silently took note of the positions of the two soldiers guarding the door. While she had done plenty of marching, guard duty was new to her, and she'd need to make sure she looked as official as possible. Luckily, it didn't seem too tough. She'd just need to stand up straight and hold her gun a certain way, right? Of course, having to keep her head held high would make it much easier for someone to get a glimpse of her face and recognize her... She silently hoped that Rufus had decided to retire to his room early and sleep after the parade and assassination attempt.

Unfortunately for her, the commander immediately tore that hope into shreds by stating he would be returning shortly. Aerith fought hard to keep her breath steady, not wanting the commander to see even the slightest sign that she was worried. She'd just need to do everything she could to make sure the president wouldn't see her face. Aerith nodded and saluted with Tifa to verify that she understood her new orders, and the moment the commander left, she also shifted to a more casual posture. "I'll take a broom closet at this point as long as there's space to sit... My feet are killing me. These boots are about as comfortable as the helmets." She let out a sigh as she joined Tifa in her stretches. "I think we deserve the best suite in Costa Del Sol after this mission!"

Aerith began to think over her response to Tifa's question, but the sound of approaching footsteps made her snap back into her guard position, rifle held across her chest. She'd have to save that thought for later... Assuming they managed to get out of this next encounter safely, anyway. Rufus Shinra swiftly rounded the corner, his brows slightly furrowed as he began to stride down the hall. Like an obedient dog on a leash, Director Heidegger followed closely behind the president, a faint smile on his face as he looked wistfully off ahead at nothing in particular. Was Rufus even just a tiny bit rattled by his near-death experience? Or was he just plotting out his next move? Aerith figured it was probably the latter, though she didn't quite understand why he'd still be mulling over a plan before a vacation. Either way, the Cetra chose to not dwell on it too much. After all, taking too much time to study his face might draw more attention than she wanted.

Heidegger's confidence, on the other hand, seemed obvious to figure out. He and the president had escaped the assassination scene unharmed, the parade had been a huge success up until Yuffie interfered, and Shinra now had even more reason to rally its people against groups like Avalanche or the Wutaians. If there was anything Heidegger liked, it was a big show to prove why Shinra's iron fist was necessary to protect civilians... And he got to be right at the center of this one. Aerith could only imagine what Barret would do if he was in their position, but thankfully, Aerith and Tifa had much better self control. As mad as Aerith was at the two, she knew when to bite her tongue and let them be. She'd just need to keep herself composed and hope Tifa could as well.

Rufus seemed to practically glide across the floor as he approached the door, barely even glancing at the two. Aerith wasn't sure if she should do anything to acknowledge his presence. Perhaps there was some sort of gesture she should make? She ultimately figured it would be best to just stay perfectly still. After all, he didn't seem particularly interested in talking, so it was best to not do anything that could lead into any sort of conversation. That being said, Heidegger seemed a bit more interested.

"Seventh Infantry, eh? Well, at least a couple of you have proven yourselves to be capable of more than putting on a good show." He said with a chuckle.

Rufus' hand stopped just a moment before touching the door. Aerith felt her heart sink back into her stomach as she kept her eyes focused straight ahead, not daring to glance at either of the men before her. Rufus retracted his hand a bit and nodded. "Yes, it is a shame that your comrades didn't seem to make it. In fact, I heard one of them was causing a lot of trouble near the harbor." He glanced at the two, giving them the same fake smile he loved to flash around. "But you two are clearly dutiful soldiers. Perhaps a reassignment to a more hard-working team would suit you well."

Aerith hadn't prepared for a conversation with Rufus, especially not with Heidegger also present. Would they recognize her voice? She wasn't sure, and she also wasn't sure if she wanted to find out. She gave a sharp nod to show she was listening, but she chose to not speak. The two probably wouldn't care about any sort of response she'd give anyway... right?

 

[aggravatedspacedolphins]

Every muscle in her body tensed, not willing to let go for a fraction, as she heard the two sets of boots walk around the corner. Heidegger looked as if he was ready to cackle and laugh at any moment, probably reveling in the fear of the Upper Junon people and the chaos of what was taking place. Rufus looked as stoic as ever, her eyes straight and narrow, not even showing a glimpse of emotion. Tifa sucked her lips in, and straightened her back, attempting to make herself look taller than she actually was. She hoped Aerith would do the same, or something similar. She couldn’t expect them to greet them at the door, right? They were just simple infantry men, now personal body guards to the president. They couldn’t both be expected to know what to say to him, right?


There was a small bit of hope that they would slide right past, and they would be left alone, but the Director had other plans entirely. He turned to look at the patch on Aerith’s shoulder. Tifa tried not to look as if she was sweating buckets underneath the tightly fitted awkward helmet. Her lip curled under her teeth as she straightened her back even more and gave a curt nod to the Director. If Cloud was here, he might be able to direct them to say something that would be more courteous than a nod and a salute.

Cloud.

They had been so close. Rufus’s fingers gripped the door handle before he looked between them. Shame they didn’t make it? Surely, he just met they didn’t make it onto the Highwind, not that they had been killed, right?

The harbor? Did any of them make it onto the ship?

She couldn’t let her anxiety drive at her now. Not as Heidegger was turning towards her with an awkward grin on his face, prepared to laugh. Rufus was leaning closer to Aerith, smirking. They were doomed if he even stepped any closer. Think.

Tifa snapped her heels together and saluted both of them, clearing her throat in the proces.

“Whatever you think best, Director sir and President sir.” She deepened her voice, knocking her helmet with her fist and lowering it slightly over her eyes in the process. A loosened strand of black hair fell from the tangle she had thrown it up into when she had placed the helmet on and she quickly froze. Heidegger laughed a little, raising his hand and clapping Aerith on the shoulder and then Tifa. She buckled under the weight of his grasp just for a second before she pushed up with enough force to keep her footing. Rufus raised an eyebrow, the slight smirk on his face fading before he turned back the door, his wrist turning as he opened it.

“Perhaps something in Weapons Development, or maybe we can talk Midgar Security detail when we land back in-“ Rufus motioned for Heidegger to follow, and the Director moved ahead, mumbling more to himself, a third expecting the Infantry men to be listening, a third talking to himself, and a third laughing at the idea that he had just barely escaped an assassination attempt. The door shut behind them, twisting in response but not before Tifa heard the words.

“The new headquarters was lovely, but I’m excited to see the reconstruction when we return. Sure, it’s only been a few days but the slums people are eager to get their metal sky back.”

Midgar? They were talking about Midgar? Of course they were. That’s where Shinra HQ was. They had to be going on a little vacation though. They had to be talking about returning after Costa Del Sol. There would be no soldiers to promote once Tifa and Aerith got off the Highwind. Maybe they should be both go sneaking around now? Tifa looked over at Aerith. She cleared her throat again and went back into position, occasionally her eyes drifting down to the door handle again and then back at the girl across from her. There was a quiet rumble as the engines of the airship heated up and Tifa frowned. She looked around the hallway before she moved over to Aerith’s side of the door.

“Should we try and get off the ship now? We might make it or do you think he just meant the others aren’t on the ship? You don’t think they returned to the life stream , right? Maybe we should stay. Free trip to Costa Del Sol, right? I’m worried about the others.” She kept her voice low and closed her eyes, lifting the helmet slightly so it would stop rubbing against her forehead

“They have to be following the black robes too, right? Maybe we could sneak around. There’s got to be other Turks on board too. I’m just, I’ve got this bad feeling, Aerith. It’s like the time right before Cloud, Barret and I went to Reactor 5. Something’s not right.”

 

[ReaperMelia]

Tifa's response to the president's musing helped Aerith set aside her concerns for a moment. If Tifa could push through the mess they were in, so could she. She followed her friend's lead, saluting and deepening her voice to try to throw them off. "We'll help Shinra wherever you need us, sirs!" Was her tone professional enough for a response to the president and one of his directors? Aerith was worried it wasn't, but thankfully, the amused clap on the shoulder from Heidigger suggested their performance was enough to fool the two. Of course, it also nearly knocked Aerith off balance, but she barely managed to stand up straight and stay on her feet. The flower girl held her breath as the two men entered the room, only releasing it once the door was shut.

She didn't care much about where Rufus would reassign them. After all, they'd break away from Shinra as soon as possible after landing. It was Heidigger's comment that caught her attention. Why would he be talking about his return to Midgar when they were going on vacation? Was he just overly attached to his job? Aerith tried to convince herself that was the reason, but she couldn't shake the feeling in the back of her mind that things weren't quite adding up. They were going to Costa Del Sol, right? Why wouldn't they?

Aerith was a bit surprised to see Tifa slip closer, but with no one else in sight, it was probably safe to relax. Aerith slouched a bit as she rubbed the shoulder that Heidigger had grabbed a moment ago. The armor was uncomfortable and ineffective against giant hands, an awful combination. She released a little sigh before thinking over Tifa's words. While she felt a connection with the planet, Aerith couldn't tell if someone had returned to the Lifestream. That being said, she still shook her head before responding in a hushed tone. "If anything happened to the others, I bet Rufus and Heidigger would be gloating about taking down Avalanche. They have to be safe."

Of course, Aerith was trying to convince herself they were fine, too. As sound as the logic was, she couldn't help but worry about them. For all she knew, they were still fleeing or fighting Shinra troops right now. All Aerith could do was hope that they had made it to the ship and would get away safely. They'd see the others in Costa Del Sol soon enough.

As for Tifa's other question, Aerith smiled. She figured it was too late for them to get off the Highwind, but it did at least give them a chance to learn more about their enemy. "A little stealth mission sounds like the perfect job for the Tinks! Maybe we can figure out who the black robes are or learn Shinra's plans for tracking us. It would be good to use that against them." She glanced around the hall for a moment. "We'd need to figure out how to not get in trouble if they leave and see we aren't here, though. Snooping around would put a big target on our backs if we aren't following orders." She wondered if they could find some others to shift the job over to, but if the commander found out they left their post at all, they'd be in serious trouble...

 

[aggravatedspacedolphins]

Aerith was right. If Cloud or Barrett did end up getting captured, or worse..., Heidegger would be having a press conference atop the Junon cannon for crying out loud, and he'd be firing it more than once. The terrorists who took out an entire section of Midgar captured in Junon? He'd be a celebrated war hero, and there was no way that Rufus wouldn't be just gloating ever so slightly. There would be repercussions, but it would put the president in such favorable light that she was sure they wouldn't waste any second to put it in the news.

"Right..." Tifa mumbled. She hated this feeling of being separated from them, and not being able to do much more than play security guard. She shook her head. It was enough feeling sorry for herself. Her fists tightened. She'd get through this, and she'd get Aerith through this. Her head was starting to ache from the poorly shaped helmet, the sides digging deeply into her temples as she twisted her head back and forth. There was a roaring beneath them. The Highwind's engines were warming up. There was the unmistable sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach as she felt the floor slowly start to rise. It was like being on an elevator for an extended period of time. Tifa threw her arms out of instinct, one hand reaching out to Aerith's shoulder to steady herself. Her hand tightened and released as the ship finally leveled out and the sinking feeling was gone.

There was no turning back now. Tifa looked back at the room, lowering her voice for a moment. It was unlikely there would be any other intruders onto the ship, other then the two of them, and if there were, they had at least a dozen or two dozen Shinra Ops to burn through before they would get to the President's room. While her and Aerith might currently be the last line of defense, they certaintly wouldn't be the first. They could get in trouble for not watching the door, but also what if they just couldn't find the guards in general.

"I think we have to ditch the uniforms. We can leave the uniforms somewhere...or even just hide them in a broom closet with us. If they can't find us, how can we get in trouble, right? We'd only really get caught if they came around and saw we weren't here, and who knows how long that could be? We might even in be in Costa Del Sol before we know it, right? We aren't going to do much good if we do get caught in uniform. If we do...."

If they did get caught, Aerith would be going straight back to Hojo...and Tifa....well...she wasn't important enough to belong to anyone. She'd probably be part of a live execution streamed for every citizen of Midgar. Tifa took the helmet off her head, tucking it under her arm. "We can go relax in a broom closet for a moment. Maybe take a nap. Rufus has to have everything he could ever need in that room....right?"

 

[ReaperMelia]

The ship roaring to life and beginning to ascend caught Aerith off guard, and that combined with Tifa reaching forward and grabbing her shoulder nearly knocked the Cetra off balance. She reached a hand over to the nearby wall to steady herself, taking a deep breath once she was all settled. It wasn't her first flight; she ended up stuck in a helicopter with the Turks during the party's adventure in Midgar. That being said, she still wasn't exactly used to the feeling. She let go of the wall after Tifa let go of her shoulder, letting out a quiet sigh that was half out of relief and half out of concern for the fact that they definitely wouldn't be getting out of this situation now.

Tifa's suggestion still seemed a bit risky, but it certainly sounded better than being on the opposite side of a door from Rufus and Heidegger. Getting somewhere quiet would also give them an opportunity to discuss a plan for snooping around. She gave a quick nod in response and took her helmet off with Tifa. "A nap sounds good to me, too. A little rest before we hit the beach sounds perfect." She gave her friend a big smile, hoping it would calm both of their nerves.

"Ok, first things first... Where would we find a nice closet to hide in?" She observed their surroundings a little bit. They wouldn't be able to go back out into the main areas on the ship; they were likely swarming with Shinra soldiers and personnel. They'd be spotted immediately if they tried heading out that way. That being said, staying right by Rufus' room also wouldn't be a good idea. While she couldn't imagine he'd have much of a reason to leave his quarters, if he did leave, it would be a bad idea to try hiding right under his nose.

Thankfully, Aerith noticed that there was another narrow hall branching off of the one they were currently in. With any luck, maybe that would take them to a quiet corner of the ship where they could find somewhere to hide. She pointed in its direction and turned back to Tifa. She kept her voice lowered, but her enthusiasm still managed to seep through into her words. "Hey, let's check down there! There has to be a good hiding spot that way." She plopped her helmet back onto her head, gave it a quick adjustment to ensure it looked proper, and began taking a moving towards the other hall. Maybe it was risky and a bit naïve to walk right over, but Aerith was worried that the longer they'd stay in place, the more they'd dwell on their concerns and hesitate to do anything.

The flower girl carefully peeked around the corner just in case anyone happened to be walking down the hall. Thankfully, it was empty. She turned back and quickly motioned for Tifa to join her before slowly entering the hall. Glancing around, she noticed a few doors here and there. Luckily, each one had a well-polished placard stating the room's purpose. Most seemed to be bunks for troops or rooms for important guests, but Aerith eventually came across a small door labeled as a supply closet. She gently placed her hand on the doorknob and slowly opened it, peering through the crack between the door and the wall once it had opened a bit. It was full of cleaning supplies and maintenance tools, but thankfully, no one was inside. She turned back to make sure Tifa was behind her and raised her hand up a bit to show that she had found a good place for them to stay for now. She just hoped that any cleaning was done between flights rather than during flights.

 

[aggravatedspacedolphins]

The beach. She just had to keep thinking about the beach. Costa Del Sol was the resort of all resorts next to the Golden Saucer. There would be games, and if they beat the boys, there would be plenty of time for relaxing. Tifa never knew how Aerith did it. Aerith didn't even question her when she suggested the probably near fatal idea. She just smiled and agreed, those soft dimples dotting her cheek. Aerith trusted her so much. How? How could she trust her when Tifa barely trusted in herself? Aerith had such a calming air about her though, that Tifa forced herself to smile back and nod. "Right. Little rest and relaxation."

Tifa observed the small branching path that Aerith pointed off to, and nodded. Aerith spoke a little louder than she would have liked, and Tifa thought for a second that she heard a concerning cough coming from the Presidential suite. Tifa was quick to pop a finger to her lips, and wink playfully at Aerith, as she slowly slid her own helmet back on, adjusting it just the same. The hallway was oddly quiet, with the soft roar of the enginges ringing in the background, like an awkward humming in the back of her ear.

Aerith took point, and Tifa tried to keep remembering to breathe, her back straight as she awkwardly marched behind the flower girl, just in case any soldiers decided to turn the corner at the last second. They had apparently reached the crew quarters, which only made her heart tense and feel as if it was skipping a beat. Her plan had been ridiculous. It had been stupid. It shouldn't work. Tifa stopped at the end of one of the hall's, her eyes darting back and forth between two doors. She heard the occasional footsteps and mumbling of other soldiers behind the door, an awkward laugh, and then something about 'going home', and another laugh. Soldiers always dreamed of home...and while Midgar was far away, just about as far away as Nibelheim, she missed Seventh Heaven and Sector Seven. She missed Jesse...and Biggs...and Wedge. What would they be thinking if they could see her now? Tifa was caught back in her memories, and nearly missed the small wave that Aerith gave to signal that she found a supply closet. Tifa blinked, and smiled, slipping in front of her and taking a look around the small cramped room.

It was a little bigger than she originally expected. The room was already cramped full of tools, mops, brooms and other chemicals stored in bottles. Tifa was within elbow distance of Aerith as she took to one corner of the closet, immediatly moving to take her helmet off. As soon as Aerith stepped inside, Tifa moved to the door and grabbed a spare broom, shoving it under the door handle so if somebody truly wanted to burst in unexpedectly, they would have to use a ton of force. Tifa clapped her hands gently at her handiwork and sighed, tossing the helmet in a corner and sliding down, her arms coming to wrap around her knees and her chin coming to rest upon her kneecaps.

"So much for luxury trip to Costa Del Sol. What's the first thing you want to do when we get there? You...You know, what's weird? It shouldn't take that long to get there, right? If it's a day or two by cruise ship...at least, that's what I always thought. I once looked up tickets with Jesse. She wanted me to come to the Golden Saucer with her back...back before all this happened, and we were so close to booking a trip when Wedge broke his leg tripping over one of his cat's food bowls. Flight is so much faster though...and it's only for a bit. Right? I don't know what it is, Aerith...but I just have this really bad feeling."

 

[ReaperMelia]

Once Tifa started coming over, Aerith went ahead and entered the closet. She could tell at a glance it would be a bit crammed for just one person, let alone two, but it seemed like their best option. She huddled against one corner of the closet, hugging her knees to make sure Tifa had some space to get settled. After Tifa blocked the door, she took her helmet off and quietly clapped for her friend. "I think we'll be fine in here." She smiled, keeping her voice down after Tifa's previous warning. This whole spy thing wasn't exactly something she was used to, but she wanted to do her best to pull it off. On the bright side, all she had to do now was just keep her voice down and hope no one would try to get in the closet. Pretty straightforward, right?

Aerith was going to answer Tifa's question, but helping put her friend's mind at ease came first. Aerith still couldn't shake her bad feeling either, but she couldn't let herself succumb to that fear. They'd get out of this one way or another. They just had to stay positive and keep moving forward... even if it seemed like they were practically doomed right in the middle of enemy territory with no escape. She took a careful breath before responding. "Well... we haven't been up in the air for very long, right? I don't know about you, but I've never flown this route... or anywhere outside of Midgar, really... But maybe it's a little longer than you expected? Maybe we'll touch down any moment now! Or maybe there's some other reason why it's taking longer? It could be something with the ship... It doesn't seem like there's anything seriously wrong with it, but they were rushing to leave. Maybe there's some technical thing they need to check on or take care of before we can land?"

It seemed like a bit of a stretch, sure, but what other explanation could there be? They were obviously heading towards Costa Del Sol, so there had to be some sort of technical reason if they were running late. Right? Maybe there was something else... Aerith quietly clasped her hands together and smiled at Tifa before speaking up again. "Oh, what if we're not cleared to land yet? Who knows, maybe the rush meant that we left early and Costa Del Sol isn't ready to welcome Shinra yet." Again, that seemed like a big stretch... but who knows? They probably had to make sure they were ready for a big airship like the Highwind, after all. Maybe it was a lodging issue? There had to be something slowing them down, whether it was a technical issue or a logistical one. She was sure of it. "Either way, it'll all be ok. We'll be there to welcome the boys when they arrive, too!"

Deciding it would be best to shift over to Tifa's previous question, Aerith took a moment to think it over. "I'm not entirely sure what I'd want to do first... I've heard stories about it, but I don't really know a whole lot about the resort. Seeing the beach sounds like it would be nice, though! I'd love to just sit back and enjoy the sun... Maybe go for a swim... I know we got to see the Junon beach, but Costa Del Sol's is supposed to be really different, right? I've seen some pictures of the sunset there... it looks so pretty! Oh, and I've heard there are lots of really cool shops, too..." She giggled a bit before casting a curious glance at Tifa. "I can't choose what to do first! What about you?"

 

[aggravatedspacedolphins]

Tifa edged her way to her corner, trying to give Aerith as much room as she possibly could, which wasn't much more than they already had. Tifa was already grazing her companion's elbow, even as sat with her knees wrapped to her chest, and arms wrapped tightly to keep them close. Aerith had never been out of Midgar, or at least she said she hadn’t been. “I guess growing up in Nibelheim, we didn’t think much about air travel. That was mostly a Shinra exclusive right, or at least it felt like it. Boats were also somewhat expensive, so we stuck to the mountain trails or traveling by foot, or Chocobo. Cars and trucks were popular too. I just know that it was faster than boat…but I guess I’m just too anxious. We haven’t had any time to decompress at all.”

Maybe it was just something technical? The Highwind was advertisied to be the latest and greatest airship to travel all over Gaia. The President was on board as well. It would be obvious that they would need to be double checking everything, even the slightest noise, or maybe that’s what they would want. Her heart skipped a beat. If something was wrong though, she knew who’d they blame. Wutai…and then Yuffie would even more in their business. Tifa wondered if the little ninja had escaped or perhaps she was skulking along the corridors like they were…

Aerith seemed to think maybe they were planning a big celebration in Costa Del Sol, and it would make sense. A huge inauguration celebration, perhaps something like a world tour for the new President. It’d make sense. Tifa tilted her head slightly, her temple coming into contact with Aerith’s shoulder. She hesitated for a moment, her eyes drifting to the brown locks of her companion before she settled in, scooting just a tiny bit closer. She knew Aerith wouldn’t mind, considering the close quarters the two were squished into.

“Do you think Rufus Shinra takes a vacation?” Tifa questioned, her lips tilting into a smile, “Or do you think he even has a swimsuit? Do you think it has that tacky jacket coat overtop it as well? He wouldn’t be seen dead without a shirt on.” She laughed a little, “Or he’d turn into a lobster as soon as the sun would hit him.”

Her eyes closed in contemplation at Aerith’s next question. What would she do first? “I think first I’d like to just stand by the ocean, and smell the sea salt for a second. Just take a moment to really just…take a breath…for once.”

The sound of shuffled boots sounded from the hall, immediately causing Tifa to raise her head off of Aerith’s shoulder and jump to attention.

'Ugh, somebody spilled that new jet fuel all over the bridge. I've got to get something to clean it up.'

The door rattled before them, and Tifa tensed. Her hand came out to immediately grasp Aerith's, her fingers intertwining with her friends as the door rattled, shook, and shuddered as a sudden loud force came to kick it. Tifa held her breath, staring at the makeshift barrier, praying that it would hold. Her body stood up, letting go of Aerith and raising her hand into a fist, posing it in front of her body. The space was cramped.

‘It’s locked. Are you serious?’

'Give it up, dude. Let someone else handle it. We've got another, what, 8 hours till we get back to Midgar? Just let somebody else deal with it. Act like you never saw it. I heard there are some Seventh Infantry suck-ups on board. If they really want that commendation, then they can clean it up themselves.'

The rattling on the door stopped, and the boots started to fade. Tifa felt her face go pale, and her body slumped back next to Aerith, her eyes wide and stunned. Her hand reached back down to Aerith’s, her fingers finding the spaces to fit her own in and squeezing.

“He did not just say Midgar…did he?”

 

[ReaperMelia]

Aerith quietly listened as Tifa recounted the more common travel methods in Nibelheim. The flower girl had never been anywhere like Nibelheim, but judging from the descriptions Cloud and Tifa gave, it made sense that flight wouldn't be very accessible from there. After hearing the stories about Nibelheim from Cloud and Tifa, she often wondered what it would be like to live in a little mountain village like they did. No Turks, no slums. Just a quaint life surrounded by nature... Of course, that openness scared her in a way. She'd had some time to get used to it ever since escaping Midgar, but it was difficult to imagine looking up and seeing the vast sky no matter where she was.

Aerith was brought out of her thoughts as Tifa rested her head on Aerith's shoulder. As tight and cramped as it was, Aerith was at least relieved to have a close friend nearby. It was comforting, in a way. Venturing out into the unknown was a little scary, but she knew she'd be fine with Tifa around. She covered her mouth to prevent a laugh from betraying their hiding place after hearing Tifa's jokes about Rufus. "I can't imagine him ever wearing anything that's not his fancy coat. Getting it soaked would make it look bad, so he'd never set foot in the water. I'm sure he'd end up looking like a lobster if something did make him take it off at the beach, though." She let out a quiet giggle, imagining a very red, very uncomfortable Rufus Shinra sulking around Costa Del Sol.

Tifa's idea of what to do at the beach was perhaps a bit more subdued than Aerith anticipated, but it did sound nice. Everything had been moving so quickly ever since they left Midgar. They'd been chased out of Kalm; confronted by Rude and his new, very energetic partner; and then caught up in the middle of the assassination attempt that had landed them on the Highwind now... and those were just the highlights of their journey. Enjoying a little peace and quiet did sound nice now that she gave it some thought. "Hm... Maybe I'll join you for that." She gave Tifa a smile.

Unfortunately, the sudden rustling of the doorknob interrupted their brief reprieve. Of course, everything had to keep moving quickly. The flower girl hastily got back up on her feet, though she didn't have much space to take a proper combat stance given how cramped the closet was. Still, she needed to figure out some way she could fight if the need arose. Luckily, even without her usual gloves, Tifa's fists still packed a punch. Aerith had to scramble to figure out something she could use to fend off enemies... Being in a broom closet, there were at least plenty of items that were sort of like a staff. She took the nearest broomstick and gripped it tightly, preparing to channel her mana for a surprise attack. Thankfully, the soldiers seemed to lose interest... But they didn't leave without making a casual remark that felt like a punch to the gut.

Aerith's attempts at bravado faltered as she sank back down to the floor with Tifa, squeezing her friend's hand back. Her other hand rose to cover her mouth as she took shallow breaths. "I think he did, Tifa..." It all made sense now. Rufus and Heidegger going off to talk business instead of relaxing. The long time it was taking them to arrive at their destination. The strange feeling they had both felt ever since stepping on board the airship. They were going right back to the place they barely managed to escape! And the city was likely covered with wanted posters with their faces front and center... How would they even manage to get out? They were doomed.

"What do we do...?" Her voice was quiet. "We can hide in here for now, but once the ship lands, they'll find us. They all know what we look like..." She squeezed Tifa's hand a little tighter as her mind raced. She couldn't give into this fear. Even if it meant faking it, she had to try to keep a level head and be optimistic. There had to be some way out of this. She slowly, shakily moved her hand away from her mouth and looked at Tifa. Aerith had to do something to help keep both of them calm. "Maybe there's something we can use to sneak off the Highwind...? There was a sign for a Chocobo stable, right? I've heard some Chocobo can fly... sort of. Maybe they'll have some we can use to escape?" Of course, it was far from the best plan. They'd need to find the stable, hope they had the right Chocobo, figure out a way to get off the ship, and hope the Chocobo could carry them back down to solid ground from this high up... "Or maybe there's something else we could use to get down safely... There has to be..." Her voice was much more shaky now, and the flower girl wasn't exactly confident in either plan. She just had to say something to give them at least a tiny spark of hope. It was all she could think to do.

 

[aggravatedspacedolphins]

Midgar.

It always had a damn way to keep pulling her back in, no matter how many times she thought to escape its grips.

Tifa kept squeezing her friend's fingers, keeping the intertwining spaces close as she tried to come to terms with their future destination. She had thought that they were two steps ahead when in reality, they were taking three steps back. She felt as if she was in a trance, staring at their makeshift barricade as it had come loosely apart in poor troopers' attempt to pry himself into the supply closet. It would last maybe another good bashing, but the gig felt like it was up.

Tifa wasn’t one to give up hope, but things truly did feel lost. She brought her knees up close to her chest, trying to wrap her arms around her knees and keep them close, only releasing Aerith’s fingers for a brief moment so she could squeeze up against her in that tight enclosed space. Her head found her shoulder, and her fingers went right back to where they felt at home, in Aerith’s hand. The tears were harder to keep at bay, and Tifa was quick to start blaming herself. If only she turned around, if only she found Aerith and ran in the opposite direction, if only she could have been braver and stood up in front of the troopers and defied orders…She closed her eyes. She wasn’t going to cry. Not now. Not in front of Aerith. She buried her head into her companion’s shoulder, finding a soft spot buried in the uniform’s hard shoulder blade plate and sighed.

“I don’t know, Aerith.” She mumbled. They were lambs, captured and held and being marched back to the slaughter house. Would being captured at this point be the worst thing? “The boys will have to have figured something is up when we both are in Costa Del Sol, right?” What way was there to signal them? They couldn’t exactly hijack the Highwind and turn it around. There were too many soldiers to count on board. All it would take would be one bullet…

The chocobos sounded nice in theory, but who knew how many miles in the air they would, and she had never heard of any kind of aerial forces or jump troopers diving onto Wutai territory with chocobos? That’d be a tale that would spread throughout the land. Not to mention it might just kill the poor thing upon impact…

“They might have escape hatches but I bet they are heavily guarded unless needed for an emergency…” Both of them marching down the hallway might seem like an emergency, but it was only the two of them. It wasn’t as if they had Cloud or Barrett…not that Aerith couldn’t handle herself but…

“I don’t know. I think our goose is cooked, Aerith.” She mumbled into the shoulder plate, lifting her head to rest her chin and look at Aerith’s profile from just briefly below. “Maybe…maybe it wouldn’t be so bad. Maybe we’d even get jail cells next to one another. We might get to see Marlene again…and there’s everybody in Wall Market and Sector 7.”

That was the best she could do with a positive outlook, and that was if they somehow both escaped the Highwind without anybody noticing. The other future looked like Aerith would be experimented on…and Tifa would be made a public spectacle. Her eyes felt tired. She was exhausted as she curled up into Aerith’s side, her head resting on her shoulder.

“And the boys…you know, they’ll find a way…They’ll figure it out. Red will sniff out that we never made it…and…they’ll come looking. I’m sure.”

Or Cloud would go in a rage about the men in black or Sephiroth…and there would be no stopping him this time…

Tifa sighed, “Yeah, they can’t continue without us. They’d be absolute jerks if they did.” She suppressed a yawn, snuggling up close to Aerith. “They’d…never….leave the two of us…behind…”

 

[ReaperMelia]

Aerith's mind continued to race as Tifa shifted her position. The brief moment when their hands separated felt oddly lonely to Aerith, though the warmth from Tifa's hand returned shortly after. Something about being huddled together in the closet made things feel a tiny bit better. She wasn't in this alone. They were together, and Aerith would make sure they stayed together. She didn't know how, but they had to find a way out of this. Maybe she was delusional. Maybe there wasn't a way to escape together. Maybe this was their fate. Fate had never seemed to be on her side, after all. But this wasn't just about her; Tifa's safety depended on what happened here, too. And Aerith couldn't let anything bad happen to her friend, nor could she leave Tifa alone. Not now.

Her friend was right about one thing at least: the boys would notice they were gone. And luckily, Aerith knew that they would charge straight back into Shinra HQ if that was what it took to bring the group back together. But could they afford to wait for the boys to figure out where Aerith and Tifa ended up and travel all the way over to save them? They'd need a way to buy time...

Before the flower girl could think up a plan, she focused her attention on helping Tifa calm down. "Hey, our goose isn't cooked yet. We've got these uniforms, and Rufus didn't recognize us earlier... Maybe we just need to keep up the act until we get an opportunity to escape. Maybe we'll get deployed to Costa Del Sol? We could find a chance to break off from the other soldiers and find the others."

She was delusional. Keep the act up? How long could they manage to do that? Sure, they managed to pull it off in all the panic at Junon. Midgar's security would be far tighter, though. Did they have IDs? They couldn't use their own names. They didn't know how to get around the HQ or do any soldier things outside of marching, really. There was no way they could pull it off. But Aerith was desperate. She needed some sort of hope, even if it was a seemingly stupid plan like the one she had just come up with. And hey, if they managed to fool Rufus of all people, there had to be some hope, right?

She nodded in response to Tifa's next statement. "They'll figure out something went wrong and find us. There's no way they'd give up on us. We'll see them soon enough. They'll probably try to pretend they were never really worried, though." Aerith chuckled a bit. She needed some sort of levity right now just as much as Tifa did.

Aerith lifted her free hand back up to her mouth, this time to cover a yawn. She would have expected the shock from learning they were returning to Midgar to make her feel too stressed to be sleepy, but her energy seemed to have finally drained. All the excitement had finally taken its toll. Tifa was clearly just as exhausted. The cluttered closet was far from the most comfortable place to take a nap, but it would have to do. Snuggling with her friend helped her feel a bit more comfortable, too. "Maybe we should... take that nap. We'll... figure out what to do when we've had some rest." She fought her urge to pass out long enough to force those last two sentences out before falling asleep. She just hoped that she'd still be peacefully nestled in the corner of the broom closet with Tifa when she woke back up.

 

[aggravatedspacedolphins]

A nap truly didn’t sound like a bad idea. What else were Aerith and her supposed to do huddled together inside a broom closet? Even when the low tidings of the engine of the Highwind petered out every now again, saving fuel for the long trip back to Midgar, their whispers and talking had the potential of being picked up by unwanted ears. They could wander around the Highwind, but that would feel even more suspicious. Two uniformed officers were no particular duties getting constantly lost and asking all the wrong questions? The broom closet might still be better than a jail cell or a brig on board. She didn’t exactly want to see the sick satisfaction of Rufus Shinra smiling as he slid off her helmet and slid her and Aerith into handcuffs.





Tifa nodded though, wordlessly nuzzling her head down into Aerith’s shoulder blade. Running had never felt so exhausting. They’d been running for so long now. It felt like they had been on the road for months when it was probably just mere days, maybe a week even? Tifa had lost track of time after the first night in Kalm. She didn’t want to rest, but her eyes and body were telling her if she didn’t she would regret it. Her tired eyes kept watch at the door, even as she felt Aerith start to drift off into her own dreamstate. Just a minute more, just to be sure. Her makeshift barricade already felt like it had been put through the ringer…how could she be sure it would last until they were safely back on land?

Her eyes closed, her body slumped and her head nestled deep into Aerith’s side, her arms coming to wrap around the girl tenderly in an attempt to keep her safe no matter what.





That didn’t seem to stop the nightmares. Constant thoughts and quick dreams of waking up in the broom closet with guns pointed in her and Aerith’s face, watching Aerith get dragged away, or worse…There was always the nightmare of the reactor…and getting stabbed…or Sephiroth arriving in the broom closet…and there was no way to run away then.





Her nap was constantly restless, whether it be the ship jerking her awake or her own dark nightmares, but everytime, Tifa nestled down into Aerith, her hand finding the twists of her brunette curls, fingers entwining in the nest as she resisted the urge to break down. She found the small of her back and hugged her close.

She wasn’t going to let anything bad happen to the girl. Not on her life.





The cycle of fidgeting with Aerith’s hair, falling asleep for minutes at a time, and being awoken continued until finally a gigantic jolt sent Tifa forward, her arms flailing away from Aerith to keep herself from slamming into the wall. Their makeshift barricade fell in a clatter, leaving them completely exposed if someone decided they needed to suddenly clean up a mess. The roar of the engines started to die down.





They’d landed…and Tifa still had no idea what they were going to do. Her hand immediately found Aerith’s, and squeezed at it. There were the sounds of shuffling outside, orders already being put into use, and someone clearly asking where the hell someone was?

Was it for them? Was it for someone else?

“Aerith…Aerith…are you awake?” Tifa whispered, looking down at the girl, “Do you think we should wait? Or…Do we risk it all?”

 

[ReaperMelia]

Tifa's silent response made Aerith feel a weak sense of relief as the flower girl realized she was struggling to keep her eyes open at this point. Any pangs of guilt for leaving her friend alone while she napped faded as Tifa cuddled up closer. Aerith felt her own arms wrap back around Tifa, and she slowly dozed off in her companion's embrace. For a brief moment, the stress of being discovered and the roar of the engine seemed to fade away. She felt safe. It was as though nothing could hurt her, and she wouldn't let anything hurt her friend. As long as they were together, she knew they'd find a way out of this. Somehow.

The peace only lasted a moment, but Aerith cherished every second she felt it.

Once she drifted off to sleep, her dreams seemed to shift in tone violently. Sometimes, she found herself back in the Sector 5 slums, tending to the gardens around her home or the flowerbed in the church. She showed Tifa, Red XIII, and the others her flowers and tended to them with her friends. Then the setting would suddenly morph into the Shinra labs she was locked away in as a young child. Next, she'd find herself back in the slums as she watched her mother slowly pass away. Then she'd feel Tifa's embrace again and see herself surrounded by her friends. In the end, she found herself alone in a strange yet familiar city. The environment was empty and motionless aside from a feather gliding down before her...

The ship lurched as it touched back down on solid ground, sending Aerith hurtling forward towards the wall. She couldn't help but let out a quiet yelp as she had to catch herself before she hit the wall, though once she was able to remember where she was and what was going on, she immediately regretted making the noise in the first place. She used one hand to cover her mouth while the other hand felt the familiar firm yet tender grip of Tifa's palm squeezing her own. It was a small comfort in their nightmarish situation, but the mobilizing soldiers just on the other side of the closet door made the Cetra scramble to think up a plan. Luckily, her friend helped jog her thoughts by providing two options... Neither desirable, but she at least had choices to work with.

"I'm awake..." She sheepishly uncovered her mouth as she thought over their options. Staying put would delay the inevitable, but it could perhaps make the situation worse. It would be incredibly obvious that they were slacking off, and disobeying orders would certainly get them reprimanded. And that would only lead to even more unwanted attention that could allow someone to catch a closer look at their faces and connect the dots...

Meanwhile, if they left, they'd be surrounded by enemies. While that would obviously not be desirable, maybe they'd be able to simply blend in with the other troops and go unnoticed that way? If they were recognized as the soldiers who were in charge of protecting the president's room, they'd definitely still catch some flak for shirking those orders, but she felt like they'd be in even more trouble if they were caught alone rather than in the midst of all the other soldiers scrambling to leave the ship. Maybe the scolding would be over more quickly. The officers wouldn't want to hold up operations, after all.

Aerith used her free hand to grab one of the helmets that had been launched near her as the ship landed. "I think we should risk it. We'd definitely get caught if we wait here, but if we're lucky, maybe we can mix in with the crowd and go unnoticed. And if we are noticed, it might be easier to get away with an excuse for leaving our post than if we were found hiding out here."

 

[aggravatedspacedolphins]

The general clanks and creaks of the ship settling back into the hangar was enough to rattle Tifa’s teeth, even with the general hubbub outside of the small supply closet somewhat dulling the noise. Aerith was awake, fine and somewhat rattled, but she was awake.They had gone a few hours of being undetected, and she had gotten at least an hour or two of sleep if she combined the fifteen minute increments. Her fists came up to rub at her eyes, as Aerith suggested that their best bet would be to get back into uniform, and try and blend in and get out as quickly as possible.

“Yeah, It’d be better than if we wait and get caught, or if they lock the ship down after they’ve cleaned and cleared it, and we are stuck in here until they decide to use it again.”

The Highwind wasn’t a war ship, at least, it wasn’t one yet, but it also had the public notoriety of being the President’s personal craft. The previous president was one to be waving his face in the public eye, but Rufus seemed like he’d have other plans. Still, it was risky to stay in such a tight space.


They’d have to go. Tifa reached down to grab one of the helmets as well, and slid it down on her head. She grabbed the remnants of ebony hair, and stuffed it up in her helmet. She turned back to Aerith, gently reaching behind her own head to tuck a stray hair back inside. She placed both hand’s on Aerith’s helmet, and gently wriggled it back and forth, almost in a teasing gesture. SHe smiled, rocking her back and forth for a moment before she leaned down, pressing her own helmet against hers.

“We’ll figure it out.” She promised gently.

She turned towards the remnants of their makeshift barricade and stepped around it, pressing her ear to the door and listening. There was the sound of boots marching off in time, as well as the occasional footstep running back and forth. When the sound began to die down, Tifa shakily put her hand to the door knob and twisted.

The last little bit of mops and brooms fell out into the aisle as she slid out, looking behind her at Aerith nervously before looking back and forth.

Here was the other problem.

Where was the exit?

Tifa looked back and forth, pointing with her finger back and forth before finally setting on the right path. She started to calmly walk. Running would look odd, wouldn’t it? She kept looking back to see if Aerith was following, as she kept picking random directions to walk in. Back and forth. She was calmly complaining in her head that whoever designed airships should at least add some colors to the walls instead of drab black and grey metal, or at least some indication that you weren’t in the same hallway step after step.

Finally, they approached what appeared to be a big open central room. More soldiers were scrambling to finish their final flight tasks, and other military men and women were reviewing reports. Tifa ducked her head down and started to turn down another aisle when she heard a loud booming voice.

“You two! Where the hell do you think you are going?”

Heidegger.

 

[ReaperMelia]

The flower girl nodded in response to Tifa's affirmation of their plan; she hadn't considered the possibility of getting locked up in the Highwind if they somehow weren't found, but she certainly didn't want to be put in that situation now that it was on her mind. She quickly slid her own helmet down onto her head, the thought of being stranded in the massive airship making her a bit more anxious to get moving. Thankfully, Tifa was there to help fix the strand of hair that didn't make it in the helmet. After a helmet adjustment, a bit of rocking back and forth, and some gentle reassurance, Aerith felt that bit of anxiety calm down. Tifa was right. They'd be fine. Her lips curled up into a soft smile as their helmets met.

"We will. And we'll have plenty of stories to tell the boys when we see them again."

Aerith stood close as Tifa carefully opened the door and looked around to decide where they should go. She certainly didn't remember how to navigate all the maze-like halls they'd traversed to reach this closet, and it seemed like Tifa was in the same boat. Once her friend chose a direction and started moving, Aerith stuck closely behind, trying to maintain a calm, official-looking stride. Maybe it would be easier to slip out without drawing any extra attention as long as it looked like they were busy with some sort of important task.

Or maybe not. But Aerith had to have some faith that her stealth plan would work, right?

She breathed a silent sigh of relief once they finally reached the big room she thought she recognized from when they first entered. Just a little further and they'd be out of here. Sure, they'd be back in Midgar, but maybe they could switch into some new uniforms there and not need to worry about getting caught for shirking their duties on the Highwind. They'd be a little safer that way. Believing in the plan was all she could do right now.

Of course, the sound of a familiar gravelly voice made their odds seem a lot lower now.

Aerith's arms snapped to her side as she held her head up high to meet Heidegger's gaze. She felt her heart sink into her stomach when she saw the scowl on his face. They were so close, but this jerk just had to show up and ruin their escape at the last second.

But it wasn't over yet, was it? There had to be some way out of this. They broke out of Shinra HQ, after all. How hard could it be to worm their way out of trouble with just one man? A very powerful man, sure, but they'd just need to figure out how to outsmart him. Tifa had been the one to lead their way to this room, so it was only fair for Aerith to tag in and come up with a plan. She just needed to calm down and not let the pressure get to her. Any sign that she was panicking could get them in even more trouble. She racked her brain to come up with some sort of excuse before opening her mouth.

"We were ordered to hurry over to HQ and prepare to set off for a patrol in the Sector 5 slums, sir!" She quickly brought a hand up to her helmet in a salute. "I hope our replacement guards ensured you and the president rested well on the way back to Midgar, sir!"

Aerith knew there was a good chance that he'd recognize there were no official orders for them to switch out with a new pair of guards, but in the best-case scenario, he wouldn't question it for now and give them a little more time to figure out what to do. If he did know there was no such order, it would be easier to feign surprise and claim that she was informed by some other soldiers that they were relieved of their guard duties. Or maybe she could say they went to investigate a suspicious crew member and asked some other nearby soldiers to fill in for them while they looked around the Highwind. They'd likely get lectured, sure, but maybe it would draw attention away from them to search for the nonexistent troops who filled in for their position and ran off... Or maybe he'd be able to tell it was a lie and they were in trouble. Either way, she couldn't think of a better excuse, and they needed to come up with something if they wanted any chance of getting out of this mess.

 

[aggravatedspacedolphins]

Her mouth was dry as she followed Aerith’s motions and snapped to attention. . She had no answers for the aggravated and easily irritated general marching towards them, the bulging vein on his forehead an easy distraction from her having to look directly into his eyes. She licked at her lips, trying to come up for some kind of excuse, but her brain felt empty. She was exhausted, and tired of running. Her eyes drifted behind Heidegger. The doors of the Highwind were finally opening, an exit ramp slowly lowering to the ground as several troops started to bring a cart up, wheeling some kind cart up the ramp, while others waved them on.


The city escape behind them showed a place recovering from a disaster. A dull smog was settling in overhead. The morning light was filtering it. It must just be daybreak, but the pollution was already starting to rise. Had they done nothing? Had they really changed nothing?

Tifa felt her hand clench into a fist, even as Aerith started to come up with a fake story again.

No. She was tired of running. She was tired of stories. She was tired of it all, if nothing had changed.

“Replacement guards? There were no guards this morning, you daft litt-”

The air went out of Heidegger, as Tifa raised her knee, coming into contact with an uncomfortable area for him. She quickly twisted, finishing it up with a roundhouse kick to the stomach that sent the man flat on his back.

The commotion quickly caught the attention of every guard in the area, as Tifa balled her fists. There was the voice of Barrett in the back of her head.

‘That’s my girl.’

“Oops. Sorry. Didn’t quite catch that last little part. Come on, Aerith.”

She was tired of running. She was tired of hiding. Especially if they were back in Midgar of all places, and Shinra still held this much power…and acted like nothing had changed. It aggravated her. Heidegger coughed and curled up on the ground, gagging on his own saliva as he grabbed at his chest, and pointing at both of them. Tifa grabbed Aerith’s hand and started to sprint away.

“W-What are yo..you doing? STOP THEM. A-A-Ava-lanche!” He coughed and sputtered at them both, shakily pointing and motioning towards several guards. Some of them were still confused. Two of their own had finally put a boot to Heidegger? Literally? Good for them. Others were fumbling with their weapons, dropping whatever they were doing. How many of them had actually had to fire?

Tifa turned her head as she ran down the open ramp down to the landing area in Midgar. They were near the Shinra building, but they’d have to find a way down to the slums, if the slums were still there? Would Aerith make it that far? Tifa turned back to the girl.

“Sorry. I got too annoyed back there. I have no idea where we are at, but…where can we go? Do…Are you feeling okay enough to keep running?”

Tifa had half a mind to bridal carry the girl all the way back to the slums if she had to…

At the top of the ramp, Rufus Shinra watched, a slow smirk on his face as Heidegger coughed and sputtered behind him still.

 

[ReaperMelia]

As expected, Heidegger began yelling at Aerith over her little lie. It seemed like the man switched between an overly cocky attitude and pure anger with nothing else in-between. How did anyone manage to put up with him? She prepared herself to feign ignorance over the situation, but it seemed that Tifa chose to take things into her own hand. Or foot.

A surprised gasp passed through Aerith's lips, though it was quickly followed by a stifled giggle. She didn't expect Tifa to blow their cover like that, but she couldn't deny that she enjoyed seeing Heidegger get his comeuppance. The sight of his face contorting into a twisted grimace made this whole accidental stealth mission totally worth it.

Tifa dropping her name certainly put a bigger target on them-- not that there wasn't already a big one after Tifa's little stunt. That being said, Aerith was a little too caught up in the excitement to care. They were finally getting off this stupid ship, and she got to watch her friend embarrass one of Shinra's highest-ranking officials in the process. How could she not feel energized? She nodded to Tifa and gripped her hand. Before taking off, she turned to look at Heidegger again and gave him a little wave. "See ya later!" She took off with Tifa, heading down the ramp towards freedom.

But was it really freedom if they were back in Midgar?

As rough as life in the city of mako had always been, it was still home. Even from where they were standing now, Aerith could see a path of destruction carved through the city as the smog seemed to weigh even heavier than in the past. Seeing it in such disarray twisted Aerith's stomach into knots. If the area around Shinra HQ looked this rough, she could only imagine how bad things were in the slums. Were mom and Marlene ok? Was the destruction they saw in Sector 7 just a prelude to what happened during their escape? She gave a silent prayer for their safety before vowing that she'd go check in on them as soon as possible.

Tifa's questions managed to lead her mind away from that dark path, even if just for a moment. Aerith faced her friend and nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine. I'm just glad we managed to get out safely." She gave Tifa a smile, though her quivering lower lip betrayed her sorrow and concern. "Our first priority should probably be to get somewhere we'd be able to lay low and find some new disguises, right?"

She didn't have a lot of time to think it over; the dazed soldiers would likely follow after them any moment now, and while they'd probably be careful to avoid causing too much damage now that they knew the last Cetra was one of the two escapees, she didn't want to take any risks.

Back home would be too obvious. As desperate as she was to ensure that everyone was safe and sound, the Sector 5 slums would probably be crawling with Shinra troops long before they could get there. There had to be somewhere else...

"Hey, what about Wall Market? I don't know how we'd get there from here, but it's always pretty crowded, right? And we know people there who might be able to help us lay low and find a way out of the city."

If Wall Market was still standing and they were all alive, that is.

No. She had to believe they were all safe. The people who lived in the slums were resilient. She had seen it time and time again, especially after the destruction of Sector 7. They'd rally together to find a way. They always did.

She forced another smile and glanced at her friend. "At the very least, we should probably get off the airstrip and into the city. We can decide on a plan when we aren't being chased by troops trying to avenge Heidegger."

 

[aggravatedspacedolphins]

Regret was a fickle mistress. So was Fate.

Tifa kept looking back behind her, slowing her pace slightly to make sure that she didn’t tire out the flower girl too easily, or that wasn’t just imagining Rufus Shinra still just standing there, watching. She turned her back around as she pulled the girl into an alley, and then into another alley, and then she was back to being effectively as lost as she had been back on the Highwind. Upper Midgar was looking as disfigured as the slums had looked on a normal day. The sun was rising, the smog wasn’t settling, and there was a clear path of destruction. Their destruction. No, it hadn’t just been them…right? It had been Sephiroth too…and…





Tifa looked down at their uniforms as she finally tugged her into another alleyway, away from the sound of padding foot and shouting orders. They'd be looking for Shinra soldiers.





“Yeah, I’ll be more than glad to get rid of this and burn it in a dumpster fire.” She tugged at the bottom of the soldier uniform before pulling it up and over her head, revealing the tank top underneath. She did the same with the pants, glad that they had decided that this would be good to just throw them over top in need of a quick get-away. She tucked the helmet under her arms.





Wall-Market. It was a good enough place to hide from anyone. Anyone who didn't want to be found could hide amongst the crowds and it wasn't like it wasn't swimming in good hearted people. If Don Corneo was still around, they might have just as bad of a run in with him as they did with Shinra but they had friends down there, someone who could easily smuggle them out of the city.





That gave Tifa an idea.





“Aerith, you are a genius. Chocobo Sam still runs down there, he might know a way back to Kalm or hell, even Costa Del Sol. The boys might not even know we've been gone.” she gave her friend a quick hug, squeezing her tight to her and a small peck on her forehead. She had to have a little optimism, if they hadn't squandered their losses already. Her face burned at the gesture and she pulled away, looking back at where they came from and then to another set of alleys.





The problem with getting to Wall Market was finding a safe way underground. The trains were off limits. They'd never make it far enough, and they could try the tunnels but who knows how structurally sound they were after what had happened to Sector 7. There were escape ladders but could they handle climbing that far down?





Her mind was racing as she finally came to the end of an alley that opened into a huge drop down below, to where she could barely see the bottom, miles and miles below the top layer. She thought for a second before she grabbed the helmet under her arms and tossed it over the ledge, watching it fly through the air below…but she didn't hear a crash. Tifa sighed.





“But how do we get down?”

 

[ReaperMelia]

The flower girl kept an even pace with Tifa as they dashed through the ruined alleys of Midgar. Every new alley they entered only made Aerith more worried about what shape the slums must be in after Sephiroth's attack. Given the devastation on the upper levels, debris must have fallen down to the lower levels, if not entire chunks of the city. Just like what happened to Sector 7, only the damage shot out across the whole city. She felt her optimism slowly fade away the deeper they made it into the alleys. What would they even do if the slums were buried in rubble?

She had to shake herself out of it when Tifa stopped and let go of her hand. Her friend was right; keeping the uniforms would only be a liability at this point. Of course, their faces were known to Shinra as well, but they might as well ditch the same garments they were wearing during their little act of deception. She pulled her own uniform off, feeling relieved to be in her usual dress rather than the stiff clothes ground troops wore. She tugged her helmet off and took a relieved breath. "No more headaches, at least."

Tifa's affirmation of the Wall Market plan made Aerith feel a bit calmer, though one brief wave of respite wasn't enough to totally block out all of the fear she felt from being right back in Shinra's turf. That being said, if anyone could help them, it just had to be Chocobo Sam. Being smuggled out in a chocobo cart wasn't exactly the grand exit she had hoped for, but she'd take what she could get at this point.

They just had to hope he was still at Wall Market... And that Wall Market was still standing.

Another wave of respite crashed against Aerith as she felt Tifa's arms pull her into a warm hug. She wasn't alone. They were in this together. They'd find a way out. She had to keep repeating those sentences to herself to keep her mind calm. The peck on her forehead was another unexpected yet appreciated gesture, and the flower girl lowered her head a bit to hide the faint blush that colored her cheeks in response.

Once Tifa let go, Aerith gazed around their location and followed her friend to the end of the alley. She slowly crept up to the edge of the massive drop down to the lower level. Between the height and the smog, she had to strain her eyes just to barely make out the cityscape below, but it wasn't the most comforting sight. She followed Tifa's direction and dropped her helmet off the edge. It was a good way to dispose of the evidence, at least.

Aerith crossed her arms as she took a moment to ponder Tifa's question. Most of the main methods of transportation were off the table while the two were on the run, and that didn't leave any appealing options left. If only they had one of those cool grappling guns she heard Cloud and the others used to reach the upper level of the city on their rescue mission...

After taking some time to think it over, she turned to Tifa. "Well, it's not the safest option, but maybe the destruction damaged the security systems in the tunnels? It would be our safest option for avoiding Shinra, I think. We'd just have to be really careful... But I kinda prefer our odds in there over trying to sneak past the soldiers." Once they got to the lower levels, she imagined they wouldn't have to be on guard quite as much. It would be easier to blend in with the crowds down there, and they knew plenty of people who would be willing to help them out. They'd just need to hope the tunnels would hold... but it wasn't like two people would be able to cause too much damage down there, right?