Sorry it was so late, guys! See bottom notes for details. Please enjoy the chapter, short as it is!

Three

She stared at the woman working so busily across from her, not sure what the lady was in relation to her. Almost two hours ago, she'd been asleep, dreaming of the future and what it might be like. Now she was awake and in that future, and it was nothing like what she'd imagined it to be. She'd awoken to find herself surrounded by people who looked at her as though she was nothing more than a prized possession, and then minutes after that, she'd been kidnaped by completely different people- they didn't seem to think of her as a thing, just someone to keep an eye on, which, she decided, she could live with for now.

She had no idea what to think, although from what information she'd been able to absorb from the old man (before she had incinerated him), this place was a dark and dangerous world. She had no idea how she was to survive amidst people who were used to dealing with violence everyday, and no idea how they would be able to accept her into their midst.

However, as she continued to watch the woman "Teef" go about the small room, she began to feel slightly more at ease. After pushing her into the loud machine, the woman had smiled at her and tried to comfort her- she didn't know what exactly the woman had said, because she had not completely absorbed all of their language with the two small spells she'd cast before- but she had sensed a feeling of reassurance and calm, and she trusted that feeling. The younger girl had run off after taking her materia orb, looking excited and elated to have it in her possession. She'd felt a slight pang of fear when the girl had taken it from her, but the older woman's smile had calmed her nerves, and convinced her to relinquish the item. If things went well, perhaps it would be returned at a later time, when she explained to these people what her mission was.

'Teef' finished making the small bed, tucking a stray bang behind an ear as she turned to look at her new 'guest'. The green-eyed girl stared back at her, and for an instant, Tifa felt as though the girl was silently questioning her as to what they planned to do with her. She had no idea herself, planning to take the matter up with Cloud when he'd returned from his own part of the mission. Their mission hadn't had anything to do with hostages, just infiltrating the place and looking for those new weapons, maybe trying to talk some sense into Shinra if they found him. They came up empty on both accounts, except for the girl.

So what would they do with her? Cloud hadn't said anything about taking prisoners, but he wasn't the type who would tell them to kill her off to clean up loose ends. Until then, she'd treat the girl like a guest, and they'd take it as it went. She offered the girl a smile, then noticed the state of the other's attire- or lack thereof, unless wearing only grungy trench coats was the latest fashion. Shaking her head, Tifa walked over to the girl.

"The bed is ready, but I think before you rest, you might want to get clean. You're, um, a little dirty, and I know that if I had stuff all down my front, I'd want a bath. Follow me, and I'll get you to where you can clean yourself up, ok?" The girl frowned for a moment, shaking her head and sighing, then gave a slight shrug of her shoulders.

"I sorry, but not finish speak learning. You help me rest find?" Tifa looked down at the girl, not completely understanding what she meant. Her accent was odd, her soft voice making it even harder to understand. But she tried to repeat what the girl had said, seeing if she'd gotten the gist of it.

"You want me to help you learn the rest of common tongue? I'll do what I can, ah... I don't know your name! I'm sorry for being so rude, we were, ah, a little too caught up in the moment to deal with formalities. I'm Tifa Lockhart, and you are...?" The girl's face brightened, and she stood to speak.

"Aerith! You are Tifa; I, Aerith. Yes?" Tifa nodded, a smile of her own reappearing as she watched "Aerith's" obvious excitement of understanding. Though the girl must have been at least eighteen, Tifa noticed she had a somewhat childlike manner; she made a mental note to report such to Cloud whenever he decided to make his appearance. In the meantime, it was time to bond with the girl.

"Right then, Aerith. I'll do what I can to help you learn our tongue, but in the meantime, I need you to try to tell me how you got into Shinra like... that." She motioned to the outfit once again, although Aerith's face had sobered remarkably quickly.

"Shinra was dirty man. I fired him. You do not worry of him any longer, now you help me, yes?" Tifa wondered what one earth she meant by 'firing' him, but did not have time to ask, as Aerith had put a palm on her forehead. Tifa watched the girl in confusion; although Aerith was obviously concentrating on something, Tifa had no idea what it had to do with her head. She was about to ask when Aerith took a deep breath and stepped back, hand falling to her side as another smile came to her face.

"Thank you. I hadn't been able to finish the spell when I cast it on Shinra- I killed him before I completely learned your language, so please excuse me for any mis-spoken words on my part, and thank you for helping me complete my spell." Tifa stared at the young girl, mouth slightly open as the girl self-consciously blushed and looked down at her bare feet. Tifa tried speaking for several moments, then decided that this would be a good thing to make Cloud try to figure out, as punishment for returning so late when he'd promised to be as quick as he could. Trying to ignore the nagging feeling that this girl was going to be pulling lots of surprises that would probably make her develop heartburn in the near future, Tifa shook her head, going to the door.

"I'm going to have to ask you to give me the whole story- but later. You, I think, need a bath, and something clean to wear-" the girl's stomach suddenly made itself known, making Aerith blush even deeper. Tifa smiled, adding, "and some food in your stomach. Hopefully by then, Cloud will be back, and you can tell us all at once to save you from having to repeat it over and over. Sound ok to you?" Aerith nodded, relieved to be offered a chance to rid herself of the layers of dust and grime that had accumulated in the few hours she'd been awake.

Tifa led her down a hall, dingy but neat, past several closed doors and a few open ones. The ones that she could see into allowed Aerith to catch a glimpse of the large red dog-thing she'd seen earlier, as well as spot several men sitting about. One looked gruff and unpleasant; he was complaining loudly about his "God-damned tea" being cold, using several adjectives that made her ears burn in embarrassment. The man who sat beside him, a large, dark skinned man with some sort of metal apparatus replacing one arm, sullenly drank from a large tankard. As she ran to catch up with Tifa, she got a quick look at something that was large, puffy and white- and was that a cat on it? She didn't go back to see, however, because Tifa stopped at a closed door, opening it and standing back to let her through. She smiled up at the older woman as she stepped into the small room, finding a bath and a privy in the snug space. Tifa nodded, pointing to the tub and a rack laden with towels.

"Tub's there, towels over there. When you've drawn your bath, pull the screen there, and leave... that on the floor where I can get it. I'll put the clothes I find for you here on this peg, ok? I'll be back in a bit." Aerith turned and gave her a slight bow.

"Thank you, Miss Lockhart, I appreciate everything you've done for me." Tifa looked startled for a moment, then laughed, shaking her head as she began to close the door.

"Don't thank me, I'm doing what any civil person would do. And don't bother with the Miss Lockhart bit, call me Tifa. Miss Lockhart makes me sound like I'm sixty!" Aerith nodded, and said another soft thank you to the woman as she left. Ten minutes later ( it had taken Tifa returning with her clothes and teaching her how to use the taps before she could draw her bath), Aerith stripped from the ruined coat and sank gratefully into the steaming water. She began to scrub away the filth that coated her skin, relishing the feeling of being clean.

As she soaked in the hot bath, she wondered how she would explain her situation to these people. How she would even explain the simple tongue comprehension spell; it was so ingrained into her own culture, she thought nothing of it. It must seem bizarre to those not used to her people's ways. It would be difficult, yes, but not impossible. One way or another, she would make them understand what she had to say. And maybe, after she'd spoken with them, they'd help her in her own quest.

She stayed in the bath until she was afraid she might shrivel up into a raisin, and got out feeling much more human than she had upon entering the bath. It was not until she'd dried off and had finished dressing into the pink dress left for her by Tifa that she looked down at the black pool of fabric on the ground, and suddenly remembered the man who had given it to her.

Her hand paused from where it had fallen to turn the knob, her eyes locked on the material even though her mind was back in that brightly lit room. She hadn't really looked at him closely, caught up in the moment as she had been, but what she remembered of him made her blush. The feel of her cheek against his bare chest; his fingers gently slipping the cloth over her shoulders; his arm holding her in a vice like grip as she struggled like it was nothing at all; his brilliant green eyes locking onto hers; his quick understanding of her eyes flicking towards her materia; his agile leap as he bent to grab it. His lightning speed as he dodged the bullets launched by her kidnappers, and the anger that made his body rigidly tense and his eyes a smouldering green.

She shivered at the memory, hoping she'd never again be the object of his anger even as she bent to pick up the coat gently. A soft scent of spice and sweat flitted through her senses for a moment, although the scent of the lavender soap she'd used quickly overpowered the smell. Shaking her head to try to rid herself of the cold feeling she'd developed, she left the small room to see Tifa waiting for her. The woman looked surprised to see her carrying the cloth, but did nothing more than raise an eyebrow in question. Aerith smiled- slightly sheepish of her actions- holding the cloth to her chest.

"I'd like to clean it as best as I can- I don't think the owner would be very happy if I returned it dirty, or if I threw it away." Tifa frowned for a moment, knowing full well whose coat Aerith held in her hands. The younger girl seemed so set on it though, she could only nod, and hope that the girl would give up on it after she'd heard AVALANCHE's view of the general.

"Ok, if that's what you want, will do. In the meantime, let's get you some food and something to drink. How's that sound?" Aerith smiled agreeably, and Tifa led her back to the small room with the bed, leaving her with a steaming tray of food and a tall drink. Telling the girl to eat what she would and then get some rest, Tifa closed and locked the door, heading out to talk to the others.

"It is imperative that we reclaim the girl. My father was a fool to have assumed she was harmless, and he paid for it with his life. I suppose it all works out in the end, however; we all saw a demonstration of how powerful these materia orbs are, and how, when properly used, they can effectively destroy a target with a single blow. I also hope that her little show made it clear how important it is to get her out of AVALANCHE's hands. Since they were able to get their hands on two of our crates of these things, we must get both the girl and the boxes back before she shows the rebels how to unlock the power sealed within the crystals."

Rufus Shinra looked up at the group, the whole party grim and silent. The Turks nodded solemnly as he spoke, and Sephiroth waited patiently for instructions. For all that he disliked Rufus, he would be the first to admit that the boy was not only much more charismatic than his father had been, he was also smarter- he would listen to someone's suggestion, and if he thought it was an action worth taking, he would order it done. Rufus put aside petty quarrels, and for that, Sephiroth respected him. They still hated each other, but they knew that only by working together would anything get accomplished. Sephiroth waited for what Rufus to tell him what to do, hoping he'd dismiss them soon so that they could go about their tasks. Sure enough, the president turned to him, giving him a steady look.

"I don't want to waste you on recovering the boxes- you won't be able to haul two crates of their size without any help, so forget them. Tseng and the others can go after them, but I want you to go after the girl. I know that I can give you that mission and you won't fuck it up like some of the lackeys I could send instead. Don't disappoint me." Turning back to the papers on the table, he pointed to three spots on the map.

"These are three of the areas believed to be hideouts for the rebels- they won't risk keeping anything or anyone in the slums here too long, because I've got soldiers combing through the city. Tseng, you and your men should take this route here- it's the most likely route they'll take to smuggle the boxes to Junon, where there have been reports of suspicious activity from the underground connections. If you don't find them there, go to the Gold Saucer, see if they've tried anything there." He looked to Sephiroth, pointing to the South West.

"Head to Junon too, but take a ship Costa Del Sol - if they're going to try to smuggle the girl as far as they can from us, they'll probably be heading there, since it's an easy place to get lost. Plus, if they think that she could get them more materia from the temple, they'll probably try to work their way down south that way since it's farther from Midgar. I'll send some of your units down to Gongaga to guard that area- Tseng, you're responsible for this continent's southern border." He sighed, sitting back in his chair with a sarcastic smirk on his face as he ran a hand through his hair irritably.

"Hell, who am I kidding? I've no idea where they'll try to go. I just want the girl and the cases complete with their cargo back as soon as possible. Before you leave, I want all of you to spread out, and give the city a once over- just in case the men missed something. You of all people are best at finding dirt that's been swept under the rug and into corners everyone forgets to check. If you get leads that suggest locations other than where I've suggested you look as possible targets, send me word of where you're going, but don't wait for my response to move. Get your targets as quickly as possible and in any way you must. I want this done before the fools can get the upper hand. Worry about time first and cost second. Send me reports when you can, but other than that, get what you need and leave now. It's possible they're still in the city, and it would save us a lot of trouble if we could stop them before they started. Questions? No? Good. Now leave."

The meeting adjourned, Tseng turned to his people to begin telling them places to check, and what route they would take while fanning out in the city. Sephiroth simply nodded to Rufus before walking out of the door, already knowing where he would check. Or rather, with whom he would speak. Mentally nodding, he briefly stopped to pick up some gil he kept locked in his desk drawer, as well as grab an extra coat from his closet. He didn't want to wander around the plate half-naked, even clothed he would stick out enough. As for the gil, well, even under the plate, drinks could get expensive.

Waking to a soft knocking on the door to the room she'd been sleeping in, Aerith sta up languidly, rubbing her eyes to clear them. The door was opening, and she wondered if it was Tifa come to collect her. If their leader Cloud was back, then he must want to speak with her. She stood and stretched, although she paused when she found it was not Tifa who stood there, but a little girl with the red dog. The young girl smiled brightly, and Aerith could not help but return the smile, confused as she was. The young child bounded into the room, clambering on the bed so she could jump on it as she greeted Aerith.

"Hiya! Who are you, pretty lady? I'm Marlene! Are you staying with Aunt Tifa for a while? Aunt Tifa is really nice! She makes good cookies and sometimes she lets me help her when she's washing dishes and stuff, or when she's making other things, or if she has stuff to do, or-"

"Marlene." The low, almost growling voice, made Aerith jump in fright, looking behind her wildly. However, she saw no one besides the big red dog... thing. Seeing her confusion, the creature's lip curled in what must have been a smile, although it showed too many teeth for her to be comfortable. She edged towards the bed, putting herself between the child and the animal. Before she finished sliding her first foot, however, he spoke again, this time more gently.

"Marlene, come down from there, you know you're not allowed to jump on the bed." Obediently, the little girl stopped her wild hopping and jumped down to the floor to run over to the animal. Aerith watched in amazement as he nuzzled the girl slightly before turning to look back up at her.

"Your name is Aerith, correct?" Dumbly, she nodded. He continued, still speaking civilly, although the low growl in his voice never left. Aerith briefly wondered if it was just how he spoke, but decided it would be best to do what he said, regardless of this, just in case.

"My name is Nanaki, however, you may call me Red, if you wish. I am here to escort you to the meeting. If you will follow me..." With this, he turned and padded out the door, silent as any cat, the little girl Marlene close at his heels. Aerith straightened her dress before following, closing the door behind her.

"I'm please to meet you, Red. Please, lead the way." They walked down the small hallway again, the young girl blithely chattering away, 'Red' silent although Aerith knew he was paying attention to everything going on. She doubted anything would get past those keen eyes of his, and was slightly cheered by the fact that she had no intention of running away, and thus chancing his anger. He seemed nice, but until she knew more about him, caution seemed the best course of action.

They walked into the room where she had spotted the motley group earlier, but found it vacant and still. She looked questioningly down at her guide, who nudged the young girl to a corner of the room. To her surprise, the child flipped the switch on the wall, and the floor began to sink into the floor. Gasping in shock, Aerith clung to the table that was descending with them, and closed her eyes tightly. She didn't care for this experience at all- she'd never felt anything like it, and hoped she never would have to again. When the floor came to a gratifying halt, she peeked out at her new surroundings, and then opened her eyes completely.

The room was sparsely furnished with only a table and about ten chairs around it. A large map was on one wall, and there were a few other papers scattered about both on wall and table, but the rest of the space was remarkably bare. It was also somewhat cramped, as there were several people already sitting around the table, obviously waiting for the three of them to arrive. She recognized Tifa and the other girl, Yuffie, almost at once, and she got a better look at the two gruff men she'd seen before. However, there was also a young man with spiked blonde hair sitting at the head of the table, and Aerith decided he must be Cloud. He didn't seem intimidating or even very commanding, but he was obviously in charge, because everyone seemed to be waiting for him to make a move.

Red and Marlene left her, going over to sit at the table- Red by Tifa's side, and Marlene on the large man's lap. She bit her lip, nervous, and tried to still her nerves as she stood there watching them. She was acutely aware of all of their gazes upon her, but the one she felt the most was his. It wasn't intrusive or lewd, but he was definitely trying to determine her abilities and try to figure out how to proceed by studying her very closely. She felt a blush creep into her cheeks, but she stared right back at the group-specifically at him. They held each other's gaze for a moment, and just when she thought she might have to tear her eyes away from the blazing blue eyes, they softened. He smiled, and motioned her to the seat beside him. Tentatively, she walked over and sat beside him, although her instincts told her that it would be alright. As if to confirm these feelings, he spoke in a friendly tone, putting her at ease.

"Miss Aerith, correct? I am Cloud Strife, leader of the AVALANCHE group. Please excuse me for having your sleep disturbed, I'm just afraid that time is not on our side, and things are slightly... complicated. Tifa has already told us about how you came to be with us, but I could you please explain to us how you came to be in Shinra's office in such... Odd attire?" She flushed again at the memory, but paused, wondering how it might be best to start. All thoughts of explaining herself faded, however, when she caught sight of a clutter of objects in the center of the table.

"Those jewels! How did you come by them? I thought they were safe!" Cloud looked at her oddly, then glanced to the materia the sat innocently enough less than a foot away from him. He turned his gaze back on her.

"You recognize these gems?" She nodded enthusiastically, reaching out to pick up a red sphere. She held it in her fingers, and smiled when she recognized the signature spell that identified the summon creature within.

"I grew up using these to protect my home. This one is Choco/mog, one of my childhood favorites." Her smile grew as she felt the warmth within the small gem seem to swirl, recognition from within perhaps, remembering the times they had fought together. She looked up with a slight laugh.

"I always seemed to summon the fat chocobo, although occasionally I did get the chocobo and mog team. It is a wonder they have survived so long..." Seeing their blank expressions, she sighed, and replaced the ball carefully with the others. She'd never liked talking in front of groups, but she couldn't just succinctly answer their questions and expect them to leave it at that. If she was to get them to trust her, and maybe even help her fulfil her duty as guardian and keeper of the temple, they would have to know everything about where she'd come from, and what she needed to do. Taking a deep breath, she looked out at them all again, and began her story.

*I know, I leave it as a cliffhanger... but it's 4 am, and I'm tired... . Plus, this is the best stopping point I've got until the end of next chapter- which I think you will all enjoy. Please excuse the lack of Sephiroth, there will be more of him next chapter, promise! It will be fun to write, I think, so I should have it done fairly soon. However, I'm writing a couple of other stories too, so it might not be as quick as I'd like... . Flu, Finals and Holidays kept this chapter from coming out on schedule, but hopefully my three writing classes won't bog me down too much. If they do, I might have to alternate story updates...

Also, anyone interested in being my beta reader? I'm afraid of making awful mistakes that will completely ruin the story... (I reread this chapter, only to find out I had Rufus calling the AVALANCHE group SOLDIER... .) Anyone with time to kill?

And to the three of you who've reviewed my story... (I don't usually do a person by person review response, but I love you guys for reviewing, so feel special ^_^) :

Chocobo Goddess- I like Aerith and Sephiroth stories too! I went to your site, and spent waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too much time there. I'm getting fanart urges, so maybe I'll send some your way soon ^_^ Glad you like Aerith's personality- I figure, yeah, she's sweet, but to last that long on the road (getting impaled doesn't count, that wasn't her fault) you have to be stubborn. And I like my heroines to have somewhat of a backbone, although Aerith will not be overly obnoxious. I'm not looking for OOCness, so let me know if I overdo it at any point!

Ledophole- ...Does a month and 18 days count as quickly? No? Crap. I'll try to write faster and longer (8 pages is dinky, especially for me, but I had to chop this chapter in half so people wouldn't fall asleep halfway through... and it's 4:12 now. Bedtime!) Again, I'm glad you like Aerith, but keep me in line if I get out of hand- I don't mind flames, I'm review deprived! *makes pitifully review-hungry-authoress face*

Aurea- Glad you're liking it so far! Aerith can now speak common (yay for her!), and it's not so much that she disliked Shinra... well, incinerating the old lech doesn't count, she was caught up in the moment and acted rashly, going on gut instinct to run from the scary people who were ... being scary. And here's Cloud! There'll be more of him next chapter, and then we'll see how it goes from there ^_- As for the prologue people... hehe, you'll just have to wait and see! (You'll find out... Oh, last chapter or so. However far away THAT is)

Hope you liked this new chapter! (And don't worry about prattling- I do it too, see? I LIKE long reviews...)

I'm going to bed now, honest. 4:30, and I'm getting up in a few hours . Remind me not to do this when I'm in school!