A 32-year-old man with a cigarette in his mouth and a bad attitude walked into the area, looking around. Red waged his tail as he looked at the man.

"Nope, it's not here either," The Man said.

Red got up and walked over to the man. The man took a drag from his cigarette and then flicked it

"And what is it you are looking for?" Red asked him, wagging his tail.

"Are you a wolf or something?" The Man replied.

"I am what you see"

"Oh well, the worlds not perfect"

"Oh, hi" Aeris greeted... looking away from the mako poisoned Cloud.

"I’m looking for my ship the highwind" The man told them.

"The Highwind?" Aeris asked, her eyes widening, "That's your ship?"

"It was stolen from me and I’ve been going from town to town looking for it"

"Stolen?"

"Yea"

Aeris rolled her eyes. "I think I have to have a nice talk with ShinRa management about that"

"ShinRa, hmm, I was heading there next. Oh yea, my name is Cid, Cid highwind"

"Well, we've been riding around in the Highwind for the over a week now. My name is Aeris, Aeris Gainsborough"

"They call me Red XIII" Red told them.

"Nice to meat ya," Cid grinned. "Oh yea, who's the stiff over there"

"Cloud Strife" Aeris sighed.

"Oh, what's with him, he dead?"

"No... but the last time I saw him he wished he was"

"oh, hmm, oh yea, I’m looking for some guy named Rufus Shinra, I never meat him, but I think he might know where my ship is"

Aeris closed her eyes, her face flushing with pain. "he's .... not here ....."

"rats, I’ll never find that jackass"

Aeris growled. "Don't call him that!"

Cid pulled out another cig and lit it up. "sorry" he took a drag.

Red coughed at the smoke

"oh, sorry about that" Cid said, getting rid of the cig. "so, you guys know this Rufus guy right? and just maybe he knows where my ship is"

Red looked down at the ground, folding his ears.

"something wrong?" Cid asked.

Aeris stood up. "I know where your ship is"

"YOU DO?" Cid exclaimed, "WHERE!?!?!?!"

"It's parked right outside of town"

"oh my. excuse me for a sec" Cid ran out, but stopped a second as Aeris called to him. "you what?"

"We need it"

"how can you fly it without a pilot?"

"well, we have pilots"

"I’m the damn best pilot in the world! you got nothing but a bunch of flunkeys"

"hmmm" Aeris looked at Cloud.

"what you need is a real pilot"

"well, I suppose we can leave him for a little while"

"and that IS my ship"

The three of them headed off to the airship and climbed aboard. Cid jumped up on deck and ran down bellow. Aeris headed off for the bridge. Cid followed her.

"Cid?" Scarlett exclaimed. "What are you doing here??"

"Scarlett!" Cid yelled "why is my ship here!"

"President Rufus was using it to go to the Icicle Area ... he then went on foot and his friends came and told us to bring the ship else where"

"DAMN IT! YOU COULD HAVE TOLD Me. I WOULD HAVE HELPED BUT YOU HAD TO STEAL IT"

"we were too busy"

"humph"

"Rufus had us leave after the execution"

"at least I got my ship back, and as suck of a nice guy, I think I’ll help you out... execution?"

"Kyaa haaa haaa, yeah, of two Turks, what, didn't you watch?"

"you mean that Reno and Rude guy? I was to busy looking for my ship you stole!"

"yes, those two" She grinned.

"I don't work cheap you know"

"aww, you missed my master piece?"

"it was my genus that made this ship"

"I tested my new execution device out on those two"

"it was your money that built it"

"Exactly, ShinRa money"

Cid walked to the wheel. Aeris looked at Cid

"after my dreams of going into space where crashed," Cid told them "this was my only life left"

"oh .." Aeris Replied.

"this highwind is my life"

"you wanted to go into space?"

"I was going to be in space"

"what happened?"

"it was all going great until Shera messed it all up"

"oh?"

"that dumbass was working in the engine room checking on the oxygen tanks when I was getting ready to blast off. I hit the kill button and saved her worthless life. then the assholes at ShinRa cut the budget"

"Saving life is good"

"the rocket is still there, just leaning"

"we had no choice..." Scarlett told him "Old Man ShinRa found something worth more money"

"yea, that damn mako shit"

"Well," Aeris asked "no one ever used it?"

"I keep going in there working on it a bit" Cid told her.

"yeah," Scarlett went on "and now Rufus wants us to get off Mako and look towards a new source of energy"

"mako is out?"

"yeah .. and he pardoned the Terrorists too ... that's why they are on board"

Aeris grinned a bit at that statement.

"what the hell" Cid said "sign me up"

"Cool!" Aeris yelled "our objective is to defeat Sephiroth"

"glad to aboard numbskulls"

"I've already prayed for Holy ..... and that stopped Meteor. now all we have to do is kill Sephiroth and ...." She stopped short.

"kill this Sephiroth guy and what?"

"Where is Rufus any way?" Scarlett asked "He has not been back since you all went to the forgotten City ..."

Aeris looked a little pale

"what's with you kid?" Cid asked.

"he's .... well," Aeris thought up a lie fast "he said he'll be back soon Scarlett"

"hmm"

Aeris walked off the bridge, looking pale still

"I got a bone to pick with that Rufus guy anyway" Cid said.

"Why??" Aeris whirled on Cid, her face flushed in anger.

"see if he will reopen the space budget"

Aeris looked away then walked off.

"what's with her?" Cid asked.

"beats me..." Scarlett replied "she's been like that since Rufus left with Cloud to go find Sephiroth ..."

Aeris went off to a group of rocks, far away from people, and started crying. Cid walked up to her

"you ok?" He asked.

Aeris had her hands on her eyes. "Cid ...." she began. "I don't know you ... but..."

"allot of people do not know me"

"please .... don't say bad stuff about ...Rufus ..."

"ok, I won't talk junk"

her tears stopped and she stared off

"so, Rufus when to find this Sephiroth guy?" Cid asked.

"I just hope that holy will work for a wish" Aeris closed her eyes "no ..." she leaned into her hands

"he went looking for that new energy source then?"

"no"

"then where is he?"

She started to cry again.

"I think I’ll stop the 20 questions" Cid told her. "aww, come on kid"

Aeris looked up and wipes her tears again

"hmm, I think I heard something about that area" Cid told her, pointing out the forest. "I’m not sure about it though"

"what?" Aeris asked.

"something in those woods have been mugging people"

"oh" Aeris stared at the ground.

"it only takes materia. better not go in there"

"I guess not. Cid, do you have any siblings?"

"nope"

"I had a brother"

"only child here"

"I had to lay him to rest. I watched him die"

"oh, sorry"

"he saved my life and that of the planet"

"ohh"

"took the hit that was meant for me"

"he died a hero then"

"The problem is, only me, Cloud, Tifa, Barret, and Red 13 know. everyone else does not"

"oh, now I know it seems"

"no .. you don't. you don't know who died"

"I know he died saving your life, that's all"

"Cloud ... he died in Cloud's arms ...."

"let's just skip this, I don't want you crying up a lake again"

"don't worry. I'm threw crying for now"

"who died then?"

Aeris stayed quiet.

"wait a min!" Cid exclaimed. "oh, sorry. it was him"

"He did not know I was his sister till then ...." Aeris told him.

"I see"

"I'm hoping some how holy can bring him back"

"maybe it will, maybe it won't who knows"

"Let's head back to Cloud"

"ok"

Aeris started back to the town

"oh yea," Cid asked as he walked with her. "why is he out cold?"

"just don't tell anyone ... Cloud?"

"yea"

"He fell into the life stream .. he's got Mako poisoning"

"oh. ok, I won't tell anyone about Rufus......."

Aeris walked towered Cloud was without another word. Cid leaned against the wall in back, smoking a cigarette. Cloud still looked dazed.

"you know," Cid said "I could retire in this place. poor kid, he looks messed up big time"

"you can't blame him" Aeris replied.

"I won't"

"he looked like this before he fell into the life stream"

"the hair is odd"

"the only person he ever truly loved died in his arms" She sighed. "Cloud didn't take that very well. last I spoke to him, he only wanted to kill Sephiroth .... then hoped he died as well."

"hmm, poor kid"

Aeris nodded. Cid looked back out at that forest

"What is it?" Aeris asked him.

"I want to talk a look in there myself" Cid told her.

"why?"

"curious. I want to know if it's true"

"oh, well, you shouldn't go alone"

Cid flipped out his spear. "yea, your right"

Aeris flipped out her staff

"let’s go" Cid said.

"ok" Aeris followed him to the forest entrance.

"keep a close eye on your materia" Cid warned.

"I am"

Cid started to walk in. Aeris walked with him, looking around

"wow," Aeris said "dark"

"nothing so far"

Aeris smiled at the forest. "it's so alive in here"

"yea, you can hear the animals"

They heard the bushes rattle

"what was that?" Cid asked.

Aeris walks to a patch of flowers. "I don't know" She told him, sniffing the flowers.

Cid turned around to the bushes and poked his spear into them "hmm," He said "nothing. must have been the wind"

Aeris picked a flower. "must have" She put the flower in her hair.

Cid walked around a bit and leaned against a tree. "hmm, not a thing"

Suddenly a rope got rapped around Cid and a 16-year-old ninja girl stepped out of the bushes. She tied him to the tree.

"damn it" Cid shouted.

Aeris blinks. "what the ..."

"AERIS WATCH OUT!"

"ok," The ninja demanded, "hand over the Materia!"

"it's a kid?!" Cid shouted.

"Kid? What are you talking about pops??"

Aeris giggled as Cid tried to reach for his spear. She turned her eyes on the ninja.

"who you calling pops?" Cid demanded as the ninja kicked the spear away.

"you old guy" The ninja replied.

"I’m not that old"

"then why you calling me a kid?"

"because you are a kid"

Aeris giggled some more.

"and you can't tie ropes either" Cid told the ninja.

Cid got his arm free. "yea"

Aeris grinned. "Go Cid!"

Cid pulled off the ropes and grabbed his spear.

"I knew I should have paid closer attention to my rope courses" The ninja mumbled as she grabbed her conformer off her back.

"sorry kid," Cid grinned "this materia is staying put"

"stop calling me a kid pops!"

"ok KID!"

"POPS!"

"KID!"

"POPS!"

"KID!"

the ninja bopped him over the head with her conformer

"I’m fighting a teenager" Cid shrieked. "that's it" He poked her with his spear.

"ouch!!!" The ninja countered with a fire blast at him.

Cid rolled out of the way of the fire. He threw a stick of dynamite at her

She ran away from it. "You dirty old man!!" She yelled at him. Then she whacked him upside the head with her weapon

"ouch!" Cid yelped.

"Myhaa haa haa" she grabbed his time materia.

Cid swung the other side of his spear at her legs. She stuck her tongue out at him again before getting knocked to the ground. "ooofff"

Cid rolled over and grabbed his time materia back. Then he jumped back up.

"You two are funny" Said Aeris, who had been giggling for quite some time.

"ha!" Cid replied as he grabbed some rope.

The ninja grabbed his legs and pounced him to the ground. She pinned him there. Cid pushed her off then tackled her.

"ACK"

Cid held her down. The ninja struggled.

"ha" Cid cheered.

the ninja stuck her tongue out at him again. "let go of me" she demanded.

"I may be old, but I can still beat wild kids like you"

the ninja lifted her knee up into his gut. Cid let out a cry and rolled off.

"heh heh " the ninja laughed. She pinned him back down.

"cheap shot" Cid retorted.

"no no pops, I can beat you!!"

"grrrr"

Aeris smiled. "aww, how cute" She remarked,

"why don't you do something Aeris?" Cid demanded.

"you look like you're having a good time" She stood up and grinned.

"good time my foot" Cid tried to get up as Aeris began to walk off. "Aeris!"

Aeris looked back at the two

"do something!" Cid hollered.

"yes?" Aeris asked, a smile playing across her lips.

"get this kid off me"

Aeris went over and got a few flowers. She handed them to Cid, "Here." She told him.

"how embarrassing, beaten by a teenager"

"I beat you fair and square pops!" The ninja told him. She got up after she had swiped his materia. She ran off laughing.

"I’ll get that kid!" Cid yelled.

Aeris grinned. "you like her ...." She turned around and headed off, giggling as Cid yelled. "are you coming?"

"I think me and my pride are going to sit right here"

"ok .. then I will not be able to do anything if she comes back for the rest of you"

"rest of me? hehehe, I though of something… trap…. hehehe"

"What do you mean?"

"I’m going to trap that girl"

"and then what?"

"and turn her in to the proper authorities"

"ShinRa?"

"no, I’ll just throw her in the middel jail"

Aeris walked back to where Cloud was and looked at him. She wondered if he was going to snap out of it. "Cloud ..."She said. "Cloud, can you hear me?"

Cloud blinked

"Cloud?" Aeris brightened a bit as she saw him blink.

"Ano?" Cloud asked.

"Cloud!!!" Aeris hugged him. "Cloud?"

"... I’m alive... Wow...."

Aeris smiled. "I'm happy!" She hugged him. "what happened?"

"Rufus...." Cloud looked down at the ground. "He isn’t gone... Well... he is and he isn’t"

"what do you mean?"

"He used up all his spirit energy to stay. He said to keep hoping"

Aeris smiled slightly. "what else?"

"He said he could have lived" Cloud frowned. "That he could have let Jenova bring him back. He was part of the Jenova project..... "

Aeris put her hand on Cloud's shoulder. "what else did he say?"

Cloud looked at his hands. "How did I get here?"

"You washed up here from the life stream"

"Where is here?"

"a small village. Cloud, what did he say?"

"He said I had to hope....."

"whoa," Cid said as he walked in "the kid woke up"

"yes .." Aeris confirmed. "oh Cloud, this is Cid Highwind"

"hiya Cloud"

"did he say anything else Cloud?"

"I don’t remember all the way" Cloud replied.

"he just told you to hope?"

"He was dying again.. because of what I was doing to myself....." Cloud brushed Aeris's hand off of his shoulder

Aeris put it down at her side

"what a hell of a story" Cid remarked.

"Dying again?" Aeris asked.

"It’s hard to explain" Cloud told her.

"Try, please"

Cloud sighed. "I have to go after Sephiroth"

"I know"

"Sooner... the better"

"go back to the inner earth?" Cid asked.

"He's in the core...."

"how did you know Cloud?" Aeris questioned.

"Rufus told me...."

"I heard that there is a barrier over that place now" Cid told them.

Aeris looked at Cid. "really?" She asked.

"yea. a huge fucking dome. nothing can get threw it"

"well, I stopped meteor with Holy"

"We'll have to find a way" Cloud told them.

"Cloud..." Aeris asked "do you feel hope?.

"maybe Scarlett might know something" Cid suggested,

"As much hope as possible" Cloud replied. "Which isn’t much"

"well," Aeris said "any hope is good. I saw you lose all hope ..."

"I’m only doing this Cuz there is a slim chance I can get Rufus back. Don’t get any ideas... that I’m all noble and stuff..... I’m in this for me alone"

"I know"

"this shit sounds serious," Cid told them "I think me and the highwind will help y’all out"

"that's cool Cid. Cloud, what did you mean when you said he's gone, but he isn't?"

"He's gone but he isn’t" Cloud replied.

"what do you mean?"

"hmm" Cid mussed "he might have gone back to that city yall spoke about earlier"

"oh, that reminds me ...." Aeris smiled a little "We laid Rufus to rest in the water ..."

"I want to be with him... " Cloud told her

"it might be worth a look" Cid said.

"We couldn't just leave his body laying there" Aeris explained "I know you do Cloud"

"I don’t want to be alive...." Cloud said "it hurts so much"

"hmm" Cid asked "who else is in your happy little group?"

"You have Tifa....." Cloud went on "You can’t ever know the pain of my loss...."

"I have nobody, but hell I still live my life"

Cloud shook his head. Aeris knelt next to him. Cloud sighed.

"Cloud," Aeris spoke "why don't you explain it to Cid then?"

"Cid.. " Cloud began.

"hmm" Cid interrupted "sounds to complicated"

"You have never been with anyone... as loving.... "

"I’ll talk to you about it later"

Cloud fell silent

"Cloud?" Aeris asked.

"Leave me be....." He replied.

"Please"

"What I miss?" Tifa asked as she walked in.

Aeris looked up "Tifa!" She shouted.

"Great..." Cloud mumbled.

"who is that?" Cid asked.

"Tifa," Aeris said "meet Cid, Cid meet Tifa"

"howdy"

"Uh hi Cid" Tifa replied.

"I own the highwind yall stole"

"I didn’t steal anything" Told him.

"you could have asked ,e"

"I’m the one whose had my life and love stolen....."

"INSTED OF STEALING IT"

Aeris got up and walked over to Tifa. She rapped her arms around her

"you don't get it" Cid told him.

"get what Cid?" Aeris asked.

that ship is my life. you can't take other people's life with out them kicking your ass first. just like you have to do right now. you have to get your spiky ass back in the earth and beat this Sephiroth person"

"Yes...." Cloud mumbled.

"Cloud's still at it I guess?" Tifa asked.

"and quit thinking about dying" Cid demanded.

"yes he is Tifa" Aeris replied.

and the highwind is going to get us there" Cid went on. "but first we are going to stop at this damn ancient city"

"Rufus is there..." Cloud said "dead... I don’t want to go there...."

"you can't bring yourself to face him?" Aeris asked.

"don't you at least want to look at his final resting place one last time?" Cid asked as well.

"I'll crack again" Cloud told them.

"some lover you are. if you do I’ll be there to smack you upside your head"

"I loved him more than I care about any of you"

"then see him one last time"

"You want to know the pain I know.... I can offer it to Aeris... or Tifa.. but not you Cid...."

"Cloud ... don't" Aeris pleaded.

"if you fuck with the ship" Cid warned "then you’re going to pay"

Cloud laughed coldly "My only hope at being normal again is his return....."

"you can’t face him dead?" Aeris asked.

"I'll crack Seeing him dead...."

"you can't bear it?"

"No..."

"what can't you bear?"

"Seeing him dead. Knowing he is gone and there is probably no hope of getting him back. Knowing he isn’t gonna get up and hug me. He was so warm... and loving. I can’t look at him cold.. dead....."

"hmm" Cid mumbled "oh well. hmm, I wonder if that girl is back"

"I’m not going there....." Cloud told them.

"ok ..." Aeris told him. "Cloud .. I'm sorry"

"Sorry about what?"

"what happened"

"It happened...."

"still, it should have been me"

"He died because he felt it was right....."

"to save the world"

"What about me....."

"you are part of the world"

"I would have preferred to die with him...."

"But, he needed you to live"

"Why so I can suffer on without him?"

"Did you ask him in your dream?"

"If holy doesn’t work... I’m gonna kill.. Tifa.... then you.... then myself....."

"why???"

"Tifa goes first... so you can know the pain of losing a loved one..... then you go for giving me false hope... then I die because I won’t be able to live with myself"

"he's... uh.... lost it" Tifa pointed out.

"I know" Aeris agreed.

"Aeris…." Tifa whispered "you got any Tranqs? we may have to take him down....."

"no ..." She whispered back "you'd really do that Cloud?"

"Yes....."

"Cid…" Cloud went on "well I'll just fuck with your airship...."

"I’ll beat the living hell out of you" Cid Threatened.

"he wouldn't care Cid" Aeris told him.

Cid leaned over and whispered "Aeris, there is a tranqs in the ship"

"thanks Cid, go get them"

Cid dashed off to the ship. He came back to the room with it behind his back and walked up to Aeris, putting it in her hand. She took it.

Cid whispered "Tifa, distract him"

"Cloud ....." Aeris asked.

".... what?" He replied.

"why would you kill us?"

"For lying. I’m tired of being lied to"

"but I'm not lying"

Cid walked up behind Cloud. He grabbed him and held him back. "AERIS NOW!" He shouted.

Aeris used the tranq on him

"Erk!!" Cloud squeaked as Cid let him go "That’s it you’re all dead!" He struggled to his feet. He drew his sword but faltered due to the tranq

"Mebbe we shouldn’t have done that" Tifa said.

"Cid, that's your fault!" Aeris shouted.

"YOU THOUGH OF IT" Cid yelled back.

"NO I DIDN'T"

"IT WAS YOUR IDEA!"

"NO"

"YES!"

Cloud dropped to his knees "You’re all gonna be dead when I wake up....." Cloud told them.

"Cloud ... please ..." Aeris pleaded.

"better strap him down" Cid warned.

Cloud passed out

"Think we shoulda done that?" Tifa asked.