Chapter 20
They had been off the ship little more than an hour before they were back on it again, headed for Junon now. After Fort Condor, they were all a little anxious that this, too, might end up being a wasted trip, but no one brought it up. Aeris was sure they were glad for another day or so of something familiar. In the back of everyone's mind was the knowledge that after this, there was nothing left but facing Sephiroth, and she doubted the others were any more prepared for it than she was.
Soon after they were in the air, Aeris retreated to the ship's quarters, where she didn't expect to run into anyone. She'd wanted more time at Fort Condor, to be alone and speak with the Planet. It was difficult to hear it in the air. She guessed she was alone with her thoughts now.
Aeris?
It was faint, barely even a whisper, but unmistakably the Planet's voice. Could it really reach out to her, even here?
Planet, she answered after a moment's surprise. It's good to hear your voice.
We have not talked in too long. I have been distracted.
I know. Their whispered conversation was carried out beneath the din of the Planet's terrified screams which even now did not lessen.
You are wavering still, the Planet observed. Is there a way I can help?
Aeris took a breath as though preparing to speak. Can you tell me... anything about Sephiroth?
Sephiroth?
Where is he? What is he doing? What is he thinking?
He is deep inside me. The wound you saw goes deeper than you know. He has come deep within and bound Holy so it cannot move. But I am sure that you will be able to stop him. You will make him understand.
You think I could still change his mind? Ask him to stop and get a response? Aeris doubted he would give up so easily. He was as stubborn as she was.
Not easily. But you will. Somehow. The Planet didn't sound desperate, but certain, even if it didn't seem to know how this would come to be. She wished it did, but its certainty alone was reassuring.
Does he still care? she asked before she could stop herself.
He does. The more he cares, the harder he tries to prove otherwise. You know this.
Aeris drew her legs up onto the bunk where she sat, wrapping her arms around her knees. I know. It's just hard to understand, sometimes. It would be easier to hate him if it weren't like that.
Why do you want to hate him?
Because I don't want to feel anything when he dies.
What if he doesn't die?
Aeris shook her head. I don't have your high hopes, Planet. I don't expect him to suddenly understand and give the whole thing up. Killing him seems like it might be the only way.
It isn't the only way, the Planet insisted, but it didn't sound so sure this time.
"There you are."
The door had opened without her noticing, and Reno stood there, his hand still on the knob.
"You were looking for me?" she asked.
"I'm worried you're spending too much time alone," he said, stepping into the room and closing the door behind him. It was a casual, natural motion, but it made her uneasy. "Thought I'd come check up on you."
"I just wanted to think."
"Well, you do a heck of a lot of thinking."
"I was talking to the Planet," she elaborated. Even though her abilities had never been a secret between them, it still felt strange to admit it so easily.
"I didn't interrupt anything, did I?"
"Not really."
At that, Reno took a seat on the bunk opposite her. "That's a relief."
Aeris looked back at him uncertainly. Everything about him was relaxed, and here she was tensing up because he'd shut the door. She'd been fine sharing a bed with this man for goodness' sake! But the others had been right there in the same room, and still... "You're being awfully nice," she remarked, "coming to check up on me."
"Just thought you might appreciate it," he said. "And anyway, it seemed like a good way to start a friendship."
"Start...?"
"You didn't consider us friends a couple days ago. You change your mind?"
"I don't know," Aeris sighed. "I could probably use a friend. You were right that the others don't know me so well. I didn't really let them see... me."
"So now that you're not being the cheerful flower girl anymore, they don't know how to react."
"Something like that."
Reno studied her, his expression sobering a little. "This's different, though. It's not about being alone 'cause you're an Ancient. You've never let that get to you this much. Now, I wasn't around when it happened, but if I had to guess, I'd say this had something to do with Sephiroth."
She didn't reply. She had the sinking feeling that he'd figure things out, whether she said anything or not.
"So what happened with him?" he went on, Mako eyes still regarding her carefully. "Did you think you could change his mind or something? He can't be reasoned with, a guy like that, but you were always optimistic about people."
He really did know her better than she thought. She broke his gaze, hanging her head.
"He must've done something pretty terrible to disillusion you. But you're not going to tell me what."
"No, I'm not," she said quietly.
Reno leaned forward to peer up into her face, his voice softening for just a moment. "If you ever need to talk, 'ris, I'll listen, and I won't say a godsdamned thing."
"I know." Aeris closed her eyes. "Why are you being so nice?"
"Because I like you, and after all this time, I figure I oughtta try showing it like an adult."
"This isn't going to win you anything."
"That's what you think."
She met his gaze and smiled slightly. "Look who's being naïve now."
"You'll come around eventually," he insisted, grinning.
"I guess we'll see," she conceded, however doubtfully. There was a very important difference between Reno and Sephiroth, she thought: Reno did not lie to himself. Both men were murderers; they had killed hundreds, and were capable of killing without a second thought.
But Reno was at least honest with himself, and he believed he could change. That was why he was with them now, wasn't it? Sephiroth was the one who stubbornly maintained he no longer had that choice. In his mind, there was no room for change. There was only one set and inevitable path before his feet, and he had to walk it. What was most infuriating, what frustrated her the most, was that he knew he was wrong, but he didn't care enough to stop himself.
Aeris let out a breath and got to her feet. She couldn't waste any more time getting tangled up in these thoughts. She wasn't ready to talk to Reno, and she was just hiding from everyone, coming here. "How much longer till we reach Junon, do you think?"
Reno stood, joining her as she stepped out into the corridor. "Less than an hour," he guessed. "You gonna grace us with your presence on the bridge?"
"Yes. You're right, I have been spending too much time alone."
"Well, I'll be glad for the company. And the view. Strife glares if I stare at Tifa too much."
Aeris raised an eyebrow at him, some honest amusement entering her voice in spite of herself. "You don't think he'll have a problem with you staring at me?"
"I'm sure he will, but at least then it's legitimate. Tifa's easy on the eyes, but I'm not looking to date her."
"Well, if there is someone you're looking to date, you might want to work on not staring at other girls."
"Oh, come on, how can you not look? How many girls have those kind of curves?"
She couldn't help sighing at that. "You miss talking to Rude, don't you?"
"Your whole gang is really stiff, you know that?"
Aeris gave him a light shove to get him walking ahead of her. "Eyes out the windows when we're on the bridge. You can take in the actual scenery."
They assembled in Lower Junon, not far from the steps that led up to Priscilla's house. Cloud was thankful she didn't seem to have heard their arrival, or he might have had to deal with the girl. He looked around at his companions, wondering who was best suited for infiltrating Junon. Yuffie and Vincent had been here most recently, but he wasn't sure if that worked for or against them.
"Who's coming this time?" he asked, deciding to leave it up to everyone.
"Like it or not, I'm with you for sure, Strife," Reno said.
No, he didn't like it, but they needed the ex-Turk's help on this one.
"I will go also," Vincent announced quietly. Cloud could never figure out what made Vincent decide one way or another. Why did he want to go with them this time? Why had he chosen to go with them back in the Northern Crater? It didn't make any sense.
"I'm going, too," Aeris said.
"Why?" Cloud asked in his surprise. She was the last person he had expected to volunteer.
She met his gaze, and though her expression wasn't as hard as it sometimes was these days, he still couldn't figure out what she was thinking. "You could probably use a healer, couldn't you?"
"Yeah, I guess..." He wondered why she was really coming.
"That should do it," Reno decided. "We can't have too many of us sneaking around. The rest of you guys wait for us here, all right?" The redhead started for the elevator, and Cloud glared after him. Since when could Reno play leader? Even if he was used to it from his Turk days, that was no excuse.
Cloud caught up to him, and Aeris and Vincent trailed after.
Before he could say anything, Reno glanced at him knowingly and said, "Just let me handle this one, Strife. I know the place a lot better than you do."
"Fine," he conceded grudgingly, "but don't get any ideas."
"You think I'd wanna be leader of this bunch 24-7? Hell no. I'm not stupid."
"Thanks," Cloud said dryly.
Reno grinned. "No offense!" he said, but Cloud wasn't so sure about that. The redhead quickened his step a little to reach the guard first. "Hey, buddy, outta the way."
"But you're with them now," the soldier protested.
"Cute. You think you can take on an ex-Turk?"
The man's expression was hidden by his mask, but he stepped aside hurriedly at that.
"Keep your mouth shut and maybe we won't have to kill you," Reno said casually as he punched the code for the elevator and stepped inside.
They came out in the barracks, and Reno led them down the hall to the left, pulling out his nightstick and holding it ready. They encountered a few soldiers in the halls, but the redhead took them out swiftly and quietly. Cloud glanced back only once; Vincent was bringing up the rear, and he'd notice anyone behind them.
Before long they reached a door leading out into the street. Reno immediately led them away from the main street, taking a maze of narrow alleyways until finally stopping above what looked to be a sewer manhole.
"This'll take us down into the main access tunnel, past the guards at the entrance," Reno explained. "But we've still gotta get down to the lower levels, and cross into the reactor. They'll be realizing we're here and sounding the alarm pretty soon."
"You mean we're losing the element of surprise," Cloud concluded, nonplussed.
"They'll be ready for us," he agreed, "but they won't have time to bring reinforcements from the base. We'll be all right."
"Will Rude find us?" Aeris asked quietly.
Reno glanced at her. "Maybe."
Cloud wondered why she had asked that way. But then, Aeris knew Reno better than the rest of them, well enough to worry about him. Reno and Rude had seemed like friends. Cloud didn't expect that to get in the way if they had to fight Rude, but maybe Aeris knew better.
They made their way down into the access tunnel, and stole the few meters to another elevator without running into any guards. It was a long and silent ride down to the bottom. Once down, the doors opened onto a short hallway, which led to an unlit glass tunnel stretching ahead into darkness.
The alarms started blaring just as they set foot here, but Reno strode confidently on into the dark tunnel, and the others followed. It took Cloud a moment to realize that the tunnel ran along the sea bed, and above them was the pressure of the ocean.
After passing through a near complete darkness, they reached what must have been the reactor, though the layout was completely different from any reactor Cloud had been in.
Instead of taking the obvious route, Reno led them up into the air ducts. Cloud was none-too-pleased with the cramped space, but it wasn't like Avalanche had never used air ducts to sneak around. Once inside, Reno continued on with the same confidence in where he was going. Cloud had always thought the Turk well-suited to Midgar, but he seemed to know every last inch of Junon.
Finally they dropped back down out of the ducts, Reno whipping out his nightstick to attack a guard stationed beneath them. Cloud jumped down after him, drawing his sword and downing the second man. Aeris and Vincent joined them soon after and looked around. They were just inside a narrow hallway leading out onto a walkway.
Reno led them out across it, moving swiftly and keeping his nightstick at the ready. Below them, Cloud could see a machine similar to the one in the Corel reactor. Even as they passed by, a mechanical arm reached in through the smoke to pull out a chunk of red materia.
The redhead cursed.
"What is it?" Cloud asked.
"Looks like they're moving it sooner than I thought. We'd better hurry it up." That said, he broke into a run.
They tore across the walkway, around a bend, through a hall, and down a flight of metal stairs which opened into a submarine bay. Cloud could see the mechanical arm reaching the end of its track and lowering the Huge Materia into one of the submarines' cargo hold.
Directly in their path stood Rude, supervising the proceedings. He turned around at their approach.
"Hey, Rude," Reno greeted.
"Reno."
"Still doing Shinra's dirty work, huh?"
Rude didn't answer.
"You could join us, y'know," the redhead went on. "Strife here won't like it, but who gives a damn?"
Cloud frowned at that. Even if Reno hadn't once been his enemy, he doubted he could have ever liked the man.
Rude only shrugged and shook his head.
"Yeah, I know Shinra's trying to save the world, too, right now, but it's not gonna work," Reno said, somehow managing to interpret the gestures. He waited a moment. "Fine. We'll do this the hard way then." He raised his nightstick.
"I don't have time for this, Reno," Rude said, turning to sprint off towards the submarine.
"Godsdamnit!" the redhead cursed, starting after him, but he had to jump back when the arm of a machine swung towards him. The rest of the robot lumbered out to block their path entirely.
"That went well," Cloud commented, readying his sword.
"Shut up, Strife."
A bolt spell struck the machine as its long arm swung towards Reno again, briefly halting its motion. Cloud glanced back at Aeris before charging the thing. He dodged the machine's arms and managed to get behind it, eyes scanning for weaknesses. The joints looked vulnerable, and so he swung his heavy blade for one of the arms, feeling it connect. There was some give, as of wires snapping, and then the robot spun. Cloud jumped back out of the way.
The machine spasmed briefly as Reno struck it with his charged nightstick. Its arms jerked convulsively until it managed to swing again and knock the redhead away. Panels opened in its torso and bullets sprayed both ahead and behind it.
Cloud dropped to the floor and rolled towards the robot until he was too close to target. He crouched there, wincing; one had managed to hit him in his sword arm. He switched the blade to his left hand and waited for an opportunity to get away.
He was surprised when Aeris, protected by a shield spell and ducking the machine's clumsy arms, made her way over to him. She touched his arm to cast a healing spell on him, at the same time altering her shield spell to surround both of them. "Come on, get up," she said. "We can't use magic when you're so close to it."
"Sorry," he muttered, jumping to his feet and moving with her out of the range of the robot's arms. The spray of bullets ceased as the machine realized how useless Aeris's magic rendered it.
"You guys try to snag a sub," Reno instructed from the other side of the robot. "I'll finish this thing off."
Vincent vaulted over the thing to join Aeris and Cloud, striking the one weakened joint with his claw as he did so. The arm shuddered and fell limp. "Let's go," he said.
"You think Reno can handle it on his own?" Aeris asked, glancing back over her shoulder.
"I'll be fine!" he called after them.
"I wasn't asking you!" she yelled back.
"Where do you two know each other from?" Cloud had to ask as they made their way towards the one submarine still docked.
"The Turks were after me for years, you know."
Cloud couldn't understand how she could get to know an enemy that well, but he got the feeling she wouldn't elaborate, and dropped it. This wasn't the time anyway.
He sprinted ahead and up the gangway to the submarine. Some soldiers were there, but he overpowered them easily, and the others joined them at the sub's hatch.
Aeris paused to look back, and Cloud followed her gaze to watch Reno hop over the downed robot and run their way.
"Come on," Cloud said.
Aeris nodded and started down into the submarine. Cloud followed, and Vincent brought up the rear. The three went down a short, cramped hallway to the control room and paused there. Vincent looked around as if to familiarize himself with the controls and settled himself in one of the two seats. Reno joined them moments later and made straight for the remaining chair without a word.
"Are you all right?" Aeris asked.
"Yeah, I'm okay."
"So what exactly are we doing now?" Cloud wondered as he felt the thrum of engines and the sub began to move.
"Going after Rude, of course," the redhead answered.
Cloud shook his head and leaned back against the wall, watching the incomprehensible readouts and trying not to let his motion sickness get the best of him. He'd grown used to the airship, but the sub was a new sensation, and it was hard to tell just what was going on, without any windows. Every now and then a warning noise would sound, sometimes followed by a violent shudder. The others remained silent, Vincent and Reno at the controls and Aeris peering over the redhead's shoulder at the displays, until finally Reno let out a triumphant whoop.
"All right, that's it!" A couple minutes later he got to his feet and headed out of the control room. "I'll be back in a few. Don't touch anything."
"So... what just happened?" Cloud asked of Vincent.
It was Aeris who answered. "We caught up with Rude's sub and disabled it. I think Reno's boarding it now."
"Alone?" Cloud asked, glancing off down the hallway.
Vincent met his gaze briefly, then got to his feet and disappeared after Reno.
"He should be all right with Vincent with him," Aeris decided.
"Two ex-Turks versus one Turk. I guess so."
"Reno and Rude are pretty evenly matched," the Cetra added.
Cloud looked back at her. "How do you know that?"
"They fought when we were escaping the Shinra building."
"Oh."
There followed a short silence.
"When we get back to Junon, we need to talk," Aeris said quietly.
Cloud wasn't sure what to make of that. "About what?"
"I'll tell you then. Now's not the time."
"All right..."
She didn't elaborate, and he didn't press her. They waited in silence until Reno and Vincent returned with Rude in tow. All three of them looked a little battered, but Rude was worse off than the other two.
"It's for your own good," Reno was telling him. "You'll thank me later."
"Did you get the Huge Materia?" Cloud asked.
Vincent handed him the rough chunk of red stone, the same color as summon materia. Holding it in his hands, Cloud felt that this could be far more powerful than the materia they had obtained from Corel, if entrusted to the right person.
"So we have a prisoner now?" Aeris wondered, peering up into Rude's face.
"That's right," Reno answered.
"What do you plan to do with him?" Cloud asked, eyeing the Turk skeptically. They had never taken prisoners before, and he didn't see a good reason for them to start. He didn't like the idea of having to keep guard on another Turk.
"Shinra loses a real asset this way," the redhead explained, "though I'm hoping he'll come to his senses and give us a hand."
"Doubtful," Rude commented.
"What can I say? I'm an optimist."
Aeris shook her head, smiling slightly as though he had said something funny.
"Watch him, Strife, will you?" Reno said, handing the Turk over to him and returning to the controls.
"Wasn't there anyone else on the sub?" Aeris asked.
"Nobody important," the redhead replied. "They can wait for Shinra to send a rescue crew or something."
The trip back was uneventful. Reno brought the submarine up outside of Junon, and they walked the half-mile or so back to the lower city where their companions were waiting.
"Don't tell me we've picked up another fucking Turk," Cid said when they arrived.
"Apparently he's our prisoner now," Cloud told him with a glance at Reno. He doubted they'd get anything useful out of Rude.
"Huh," Yuffie remarked. "That's weird."
Reeve looked amused. "Well, Rude, if you can't beat 'em, join 'em. I think that applies here."
Barret snorted. "He ain't joinin' us."
"He just needs a little convincing," Reno insisted.
"So now what?" Tifa asked. "If we've got all the Huge Materia now..."
"...then all that's left is finding a way to destroy Sephiroth's barrier," Aeris finished.
"Easier said than done," Cloud stated.
"Has Rufus thought anything up yet?" Reno asked of Rude.
"You're askin' him?" Cid said, incredulous.
But after a moment, Rude did speak up. "He's planning to use the Sister Ray."
"They're moving it from Junon? But what about Weapon?"
"They killed it," Aeris stated, and there was a faint accusation in her voice. "Today."
"Oh."
"They're moving it," Rude confirmed. "Probably today."
"So all we have to do is wait," Reno concluded.
Nanaki spoke up, his tone skeptical. "Do you think that it will work?"
The redhead shrugged and glanced at Aeris.
"I can't be sure," she admitted, "but I think it has a chance. Anyway, I haven't thought of a way we could do it on our own yet."
"Well, if it doesn't work, then we'll really have to wrack our brains," Reno said.
"In the meantime, we should find somewhere to stay," Vincent suggested.
"Where?" Cid wondered.
"We could probably get a couple rooms in a hotel in the upper city," Reno reasoned.
"With the Shinra so close by?" Yuffie asked.
"Yeah, sure. With everything else they've got on their hands, they're not gonna waste time looking for us, especially somewhere they don't expect us to be."
"I guess."
"Well, let's go then," Cloud decided, heading for the elevator in the lead this time. It looked like they might actually get a decent break before the final battle. It was well-deserved, he just hoped waiting for Shinra wouldn't cost them anything.
After securing a place to stay, most of the others decided to go out into the city in search of dinner. Vincent and Cait Sith remained to guard Rude, and Cloud hung back with Aeris on the understanding that she needed to talk to him. The others were in the adjoining room, assuring them privacy if they spoke low, but providing Aeris some sense of safety, after what had happened in North Corel.
"What was it you wanted to talk about?" Cloud asked her, taking up a spot near the door as though anxious to leave himself.
"It's about Tifa," she said. "You've... noticed how she's acting, right?"
Cloud looked briefly sheepish. "So it's not just me. You know what she's mad about?"
Aeris sat down on the edge of one of the beds. "She saw."
"She saw? When Sephiroth made me...?"
"Yes."
Cloud frowned. "And she's upset about it?"
Was he really so dense that he couldn't figure it out? "Tifa," she said slowly, for emphasis, "saw us kiss. Of course she's upset."
"If she thinks we're... together," he said carefully, "then she's probably mad we didn't tell her."
"I don't think that's all," Aeris pushed, hoping she wouldn't have to spell it out for him.
Cloud looked at her, and then shook his head. "No way. Tifa would never... I'm not good enough for her."
At that Aeris smiled a little. "Well, you're pretty slow, all right. But I think she disagrees."
With his slow acceptance of this, she could see panic rising in him. "Wait a second. If she really... does, and she saw us kiss, then... I can't just let her go on thinking that."
"So go to her. Talk to her."
"How can I explain without telling her what really happened?"
Aeris's smile faded and she pressed her lips together. "Tell her the truth if that's what she needs to hear," she said finally. "I don't mind. Just so long as you make her happy."
"I thought you didn't want anyone to know."
"I don't," she said. "But not if it means hurting you two. I just couldn't manage to tell her myself."
Cloud nodded. "All right. Then, I'll clear things up."
"And you'll tell her, right?"
"Huh?"
"About how you feel."
He actually paled at the thought and shook his head again. "I can't."
"And why not?"
"She'd kill me," he said with conviction. "She'd say, 'Cloud Strife, you're such a jerk.' And then she'd kill me."
Aeris was surprised at having to bite back a laugh. "She won't kill you, Cloud. You may get a black eye, but I think you'll live."
"But..."
"You need to tell her," she insisted. "It'll be good for you both, to have that."
Cloud hesitated, but finally gave a shaky nod. "I'll try. Thanks, Aeris."
She smiled, walked to the door, and pulled it open. "Why don't you see if you can find her? She can't have gone far."
"What, now?" he asked, blanching.
"Yes, now. Before you wind up thinking about it too much and talk yourself out of it."
"But--"
"No buts," Aeris interrupted, pushing him towards the door. "You've got to go set everything straight."
At last he gave in and stepped out into the hall of his own accord. "Wish me luck?"
"Good luck!" she called with all the cheerfulness she could muster, and watched him hurry down the hallway.
It was too bad, Aeris thought, that he was Tifa's. She could almost love him. Almost. And she was sure that something like that would have given her strength enough to get through this, without so many of the doubts she had now.
She lingered in the doorway, letting several minutes pass to ensure she wouldn't run into him when she left. Then she slipped out of the hotel on her own. She wasn't hungry, and the city reminded her too much of Midgar, but anything was better than waiting alone in a hotel room with nothing to do but think.