Learning How To Breathe

By Faronon Star Wolf

Author's notes: Don't say I never write anything for you. XD;;

"Yuffie?" I jumped and turned to find Red looking at me, puzzled. "What's wrong?"

"Red—could you g-go wake the others up?" I swallowed—my voice was shaking. "We—we have a problem." Red didn't look puzzled anymore—he looked alarmed. I didn't care that Tifa had believed Cait Sith over me—I didn't care that Aeris had trusted the spy—and I didn't care that Red had thought that I would ever work with anyone from Shinra. "Aeris—Aeris is gone."

No one was happy about being woken up. I didn't blame them.

But Aeris was gone—

—and Sephiroth had said—

—must stop that girl soon, pet—

I couldn't stay angry at them. Not now. Not with that threat—even if it was just a dream—I just couldn't. Not when I knew I would need their help to do anything to stop Sephiroth.

Maybe if I were older—

But I wasn't. And I had to rely on them for help, and they weren't going to get anything done if they kept arguing.

—well, I say that now, but I think my reasoning then was something along the lines of "Aeris is my friend! They're Aeris' friends! I don't want to travel alone!"

I was inhaling—because you really can't do an appropriately ear-shattering yell without enough air—when Vincent went and removed the need to stop the argument.

He started for the door, and it was almost like he had some sort of aura thingy to spread silence as he went—the others stopped talking and stared.

Before he left, though, he turned and gave us all a Look. "Arguing," he said, "will not accomplish anything."

After that, the search was on. At least it was for most of us, because Tifa volunteered to stay behind to tell Cloud what happened when he woke up, and Barret stayed behind too—and I really didn't want to remember what probably prompted him to do that.

One thing that I hadn't known about the phone-things we'd gotten was that they could also be set so that they picked up all of what was being said on a—Cd called it a channel, but I'm still a little iffy on what actually happens—and so it wouldn't be just one-on-one communication. Which, of course, was pretty spiffy for the Search For Aeris.

Aside from the First big discovery—the Buggy-Puke-Thing was gone—and another one later, there was a big fat load of Nothing.

Cod, of course, had decided to check on the Tiny Bronco, after discovering that the Buggy was gone.

And that was the second Big Discovery.

"Goddamn it, who the hell's been messing with my plane?" That was Cid, of course, but at the time I jumped before remembering.

Tifa replied, asking what the problem was, and apparently, somehow, a bunch of snakes had gotten onto the Tiny Bronco, and Cid would appreciate some assistance, goddamnit.

Obviously Aeris didn't want us following her.

As I wandered past the little graveyard again, I saw a flash of red and craned my neck—it wasn't Vincent, though. It was just some old man who was leaning over to put something on a grave. I huffed and went back to looking.

But, well, either Aeris took off on foot and someone stole the buggy, and we were hours behind her (unlikely, says I), or Aeris took the buggy and we were way way behind her. And as much as I hoped for an Option C (Aeris went for a walk and got lost, and someone stole the buggy), I knew that it wasn't very likely.

Since our search didn't turn anything up (well, duh), we went back to the inn too find that Cloud had woken up—I actually arrived when he was having a Talk with Tifa and Barret, and decided to wait outside until they were finished.

Once they were, though, we had our destination: the City of the Ancients.

Where ever that was.

But, once Cloud mentioned the "Sleeping Forest", Cid and Vincent got looks on their faces like they knew what he was talking about.

In any case, we got shoved back onto the Tiny Bronco (which had been desnaked) and then we were off.

Again.

"So, what exactly is this place?" I asked, since everyone else was busy looking around. I mean, I was too, but I guess I was more interested in finding out what it was than I was in staring at bones.

And oh sweet Leviathan were there bones. Also, a plane of some sort.

A plane of some sort that had crashed into one of the bones—a ginormous skull, in this case.

What? Ginormous is too a word.

Besides, it's the only word that fits something that big!

I turned to our fearless leader. Cloud shrugged and turned to Cid.

Cid rubbed the back of his head and stared at the plane.

"It's Bone Village," he finally said, "and that used to be my jet."

"Used to be," I repeated. "Used to be?" Cid gave me a Dirty Look. "Did you crash it?" Dirty Look became Death Glare. I immediately shut up and edged over to hide behind Barret.

A man that I hadn't noticed stood up and walked toward us, and Cloud went over to talk to him—something about a harp.

I'm not sure—I hadn't been able to get close enough to hear what it was he was talking about.

After that was over, we all heard about how we had to wait until said harp was excavated.

Boooring.

So what else was there to do but take a look around?

"Don't go too far in," one of the men said absently, as he fiddled with the wiring on something. "It's the Sleeping Forest—it's dangerous."

I blinked and glanced at the forest. Anyway you looked at it, it was just normal trees. "Why?" I mean, how could trees be dangerous?

"It confuses the mind—the Ancients cursed it, you see, because they didn't want people to come to their city." He snorted. "Not that it matters now, anyway. They're all dead."

I blinked again. "And if I want to try going in?"

He shrugged, going back to his work. "No skin off my back," he replied, eyes on the device.

I turned and walked toward the trees, trying to see further in. Light reflected off of something, so, with a glance back toward the village, I walked into the forest.

—th!—

I shook myself. There wasn't anything here—it was only crystal trees—

—Lady Aeri—

—and cobweb thin memories that dug into my mind.

"Damn it," I whispered, leaning against a tree.

I'd only been in the forest for a short amount of time, but aleady I had the sinking feeling I was going around in circles.

And if that wasn't bad enough, Aeris' shields were faltering.

But still—

—Lady Aerith, please, you need to rest—

With that name, I would almost think—but with how weak these memories were, there was no way that it was Aeris that talking.

—I will be fine—just get the wounded out—

—You are wounded!—

Why—

—Please—I will not survive long—get them out. I will guard you for as long as I can—

—it hurt—

—as you order, Lady Aerith—

—name my children—

—tell them—

"Yuffie?"

"Huh?" I looked up. Cloud was standing in front of me. I looked around, startled.

I was back in Bone Village.

"Are you alright? One of the workers said you entered the forest."

"Oh—yeah. I did."

Cloud looked at me oddly, then gestured back toward where our tents had been set up. "Come on. I want to discuss strategies for if we have to fight Sephiroth." Apparently he had planned to discuss it earlier, but since I had went exploring it had to be delayed, and he didn't seem too pleased about that.

Despite that, I had to ask: "Hey, Cloud? Did Aeris ever mention a—a Lady Aerith?"

He thought about it for a bit before replying. "Not that I know of," he said, shaking his head. "You should ask Tifa, though. Why?"

"It's… nothing. Just something I heard."

He looked at me and shrugged. "If you say so."

With that, he turned and headed back, and I followed.

And one whisper followed me from the forest behind me:

—the Materia—