Paper Tiger Burning

I respectfully credit all Original Creators, namely Squaresoft, which became SquareEnix,for these characters. In this way, I pay homage to my Fandom's Original Creator, and illustrate my Community's belief that Fan Fiction is "fair use". I do not claim to own these characters. I do not make money or gil from using these protected characters, nor do I wish to make money or gil from them. In other words, I am borrowing these characters to entertain the adult fanfiction community, but I am doing so with the highest degree of respect to the engineers, game designers, music makers, and voice actors.



Sephiroth dropped us into his apartment bedroom. Motioning for me to be silent, he stared at the closed door that stood between us and the living room. Someone is here, he said in my mind. It feels like Strife. Let me drop you into your own apartment.

I shook my head. I couldn’t delay this any longer. I’d been thinking about my reunion with Cloud for days. He’s got to know sometime, I thought back. It might as well be now.

Not just yet. Sephiroth’s eyes narrowed. He’s probably already been seen by fifty cameras; we’ll have a team of Turks here soon.

Then what should we do?

Instead of answering, Sephiroth grabbed me and took me below. “Let me worry about what to do,” he said. “I’ll be back for you soon.”

*************************************************************************************

I prepared myself for Strife. Standing in my bedroom once more, I reviewed what I knew about myself, the puppet and the flower girl. Strife probably wouldn’t attack me straight out. The flower girl didn’t want me to hurt the little shit. Myself, I wouldn’t mind skewering him. It never did any good to skewer him, though. I’d done it twice to small avail.

I heard him turn on my television. He turned it off quickly. A moment later he accessed my land line voice mail. He listened to the message Hojo had left a week ago, and several more messages from Eldon. When I heard him wander into the kitchen I left the bedroom and sat down on the couch, my profile to the door.

“Unless you’ve gone vegetarian, you won’t find anything useful in my kitchen,” I called out to him.

Cloud appeared in the doorway, his hand on the hilt of his sword. “Sephiroth,” he greeted warily.

“Cloud,” I said back in a neutral tone. “You realize Shin-Ra has cameras all over my apartment building? As we speak I’m sure Turks are rushing here.”

“Let ‘em.” Cloud lifted his chin. “I want to know what happened to Aerith.”

“I want a lot of things I never get,” I retorted. “Privacy, for one. While you’re here, won’t you remove your listening devices?”

Cloud narrowed his eyes at me. “You knew. That’s why you were so quiet.”

“Yes.” I leaned back, crossing my ankles. “If you insist upon waiting for the Turks, have a seat.”

“The Turks aren’t coming,” Cloud said, but he did perch upon a chair. “I knew about the cameras.”

“Good for you.” I put my fingers together in a steeple, looking at him closely. “How did you disable them?”

“I didn’t.” Cloud regarded me with his deep, sapphire eyes. “I had someone else do it. Mechanics aren’t my strong point.”

For a moment we just stared at each other. I realized Strife had grown up. His gaze stayed upon me, measuring me for the moment I would move. Quietly he waited, content to let me make the first strike.

“Of all the people that have died, why do you have to be the one who keeps returning?” he asked. “You don’t deserve it.”

“I’m sure you’re right,” I said, making his eyebrows lift in surprise. “But this last time I had no say in the matter. Neither did your flower girl.”

Cloud blinked. “Where is she?” he asked simply.

“She could be anywhere.”

He paused. “Shin-Ra thinks you’re innocent of her escape, but I know better. Aerith was a powerful fighter by the time you killed her, but she couldn’t have broken through one of Hojo’s cages by herself.”

“You don’t have much confidence in her.” I let my arms drop to my sides. “What will you give me if I find her for you?”

Strife’s jaw clenched. “You’re an evil son of a bitch,” he muttered. “What I can’t understand is why you’re interested in Aerith. You killed her. Why break her out?”

I decided to quit playing with him. The flower girl was right about me. Playing with him generally got me into trouble. It stung my pride but Strife had determination, and he tended to succeed over me because of that and my arrogance. “I owed it to her,” I said. “It was that simple.”

Cloud shook his head. Eyes disbelieving, he clenched his sword tighter. “You never do anything out of the goodness of your heart; you don’t have a heart.”

“Did I say I’d released her out of goodness?” I smirked at him. “I said I’d owed it to her.”

“Well, you owe it to me for all the misery you’ve caused to give Aerith over to her friends.” Cloud returned my smirk.

“Ah, but you aren’t a pretty little flower girl,” I pointed out, smirking.

“I hope you haven’t touched her,” Cloud said, standing up. “I hope to heaven you haven’t laid a finger on her.” He brought his sword out, leveling it at me. “Where is she?” He bristled with anger, even to making his pointy hair stick out in stronger points. “I won’t ask again.”

“Every time I see you, you’re more aggressive,” I remarked. “Enjoying the darkness, are you, Cloud?”

“You bring it out,” Cloud growled. The point of his large sword slid under my chin. “And I’m not afraid of you or willing to listen to your bullshit anymore. Either bring Aerith to me or tell me where she is.”

I smiled. “She’s so close, Cloud, can’t you sense her?”

“Goddamn you, Sephiroth-.”

“I’m serious.” I prodded him with an expression of contempt. “Close your eyes and look for her.”

Cloud sneered. “Oh yes, close my eyes, what a great suggestion.”

“I vow I won’t move from the spot until you look,” I said. “I promise it.”

For a long, long moment he measured me. Finally, he lowered his sword and closed his eyes. I marveled at his daring. I wouldn’t have closed my eyes on an enemy no matter what they promised. But, this was Cloud. Cloud had a streak of hero, of valiant and noble ideals. He shared this with Aerith.

Cloud’s eyes snapped open. “She’s below us?”

“The apartment underneath this one,” I confirmed. “I suppose I can bring her back up here now that the listening devices are all out in the open.” I got up and crushed his microphones while he stood motionless in the living room. “For the record, you did manage to irritate me with these,” I told him, punning slightly. “I didn’t know who had installed them at first. The flower girl and I took to staying in the kitchen quite a bit.”

“I knew it,” he muttered.

“But I moved her for her own protection,” I went on, returning to him. “I’m being watched by many different eyes. Your friend wasn’t safe with me.”

“The understatement of the year.” Cloud backed toward the door, his eyes never leaving me.

“I’d prefer it if you dropped down from here,” I said. “The fewer eyes that see traffic to the lower apartment the better.” As I spoke I held out my hand. “You can go down there with me or I can bring her here, your choice.”

“So I get to pick between letting you escape and surrendering myself?” Cloud laughed. “I don’t think so, Sephiroth.”

“Why would I be wasting time talking to you, Cloud, if I didn’t have higher motives than that? Don’t be stupid.” I dropped through the floor before he could react. Aerith stood up from the couch and I took her in my arms. “No time to explain,” I murmured, bringing us both back up. Cloud had already grabbed the doorknob to follow me when he sensed our return. Slowly, he pivoted to face us.

“Aerith?” Cloud took a step forward. I lowered the flower girl, letting her gain her feet.

“Hi, Cloud,” she said, sounding almost but not quite shy. Despite her mysterious tone, she went toward him with her arms out. He stood still, seeming frozen with shock as she wrapped her arms around him for a hug. “It’s good to see you,” she greeted. “How are you?”

“Fine,” Cloud mumbled, his blue eyes tracking her while she stepped back. “When we were in Cosmo Canyon, where did we meet up?”

“At Cosmo Candle,” she replied. “Your favorite color is red and you can’t carry a tune in a bucket.” She giggled.

Cloud strode forward and returned her hug, but his eyes met mine from over her shoulder. Disbelief that he held his friend, amazement that I’d had anything to do with it, and frank confusion showed plainly in his cerulean gaze. “Aerith, has he hurt you?” he asked, drawing back to look at her.

“No, Sephiroth hasn’t hurt me,” Aerith answered softly. “And I know he won’t, either.”

Suddenly, my stomach growled. Everyone heard it. I inclined my head toward the kitchen. “I’ll let you catch up,” I offered. “Right now I have to eat.” I didn’t think I could bear this happy reunion. I hated seeing Cloud’s hands all over my flower girl.

I felt both sets of eyes upon me as I entered the kitchen and shut the door.

*******************************************************************************

“Aerith,” Cloud said. “Come on. You need to get away from this maniac.” He took me by the hand and tugged me toward the door. I dug my heels in, aided in thwarting him by my Hojo-augmented strength.

“I’m not leaving,” I told him firmly but gently. “I know this is going to be hard for you to believe, but I’m safe here, Cloud. Sephiroth has promised my safety and he means to honor his promise.” I twisted my hand, breaking the grip he had on me.

We were interrupted by Cloud’s PHS ringing. Cloud dug it out of his pants pocket and looked at it. “Tifa,” he murmured. “She’s probably worried now that the microphones are destroyed.” He flicked the unit open and answered. “Hey, Tif,” he said. “I’m fine. Yeah, she’s here. No, she’s fine from what I can see.” His eyes flicked to the kitchen door. “He’s here but not in the room; he did have her.” A pause. “I have no idea. I’ll call you back in a few minutes.” He closed the phone. “Aerith, why stay here? You know what he’s like as well as any of us.”

I smiled. “He has a few more dimensions than what you’ve seen,” I answered, thinking for just a moment of the way Sephiroth’s lips felt, about how those same lips looked while smiling. “Truly, Cloud, I’m safe with him. He won’t let Hojo or Shin-Ra take me again.”

“What’s his motivation?” Cloud’s eyes went back to the door. “I don’t buy his excuse that he owed you your freedom; he’s not moved by his own debts.”

“You don’t know him as well as you think,” I replied. “Who can say what his motivations are? But I do believe I’m safe here, with him.”

“He implied he had designs on you,” Cloud growled. “Has he…?”

“Sephiroth isn’t a rapist, of all the things he’s done,” I said, shaking my head. “Cloud, I know how this is going to sound and I’m sorry because I know he’s caused you a terrible amount of pain, but I like him.”

Cloud closed his eyes. “Aerith,” he sighed. “He’s a charismatic kind of beast, I know that. Please, please tell me he’s not got some sort of control over you. He’s not blackmailing you, threatening you or coercing you?”

“No.” I put my hand on Cloud’s shoulder. “It’s all because of him that I’m not languishing in Hojo’s clutches right now. He’s fed me, clothed me, and sheltered me at risk to himself.”

“So you’re just going to stay with him forever while he works for the enemy?” Cloud shook his head.

“No, I’m not going to stay here forever,” I assured him. “But I want to stay here with him awhile longer. He’s teaching me how to protect and defend myself, among other things. And since the entire city is looking for me, here is where I’ll reside, for now. Aside from all of that I’m enjoying getting to know him.” And this was true, very true.

“He’s a murderer and an animal,” Cloud answered, his voice frustrated and low.

“It could just as easily have been you,” I reminded him. “I wouldn’t turn my back on you either, or on anyone else.”

“You’re too good, Aerith,” Cloud said, grabbing a fistful of his hair and tugging on it. “Your kindness blinds you to the reality of life. In his case it’s deadly.”

“I can take care of myself, Cloud,” I said. “Remember when you found me? I’d been dodging Turks and Shin-Ra on my own since I was seven. Since then I’ve gained power and confidence. And I have enough confidence in Sephiroth to assure you I’m fine in his care. If you don’t believe me you can call me.” I grabbed up a scrap sheet of paper from the closest end table and wrote my phone number down on it with a leaky pen. “This is where I am most of the time, now,” I said, handing him the paper. “You already know the number here. Call either one any time you like.”

Cloud tucked the paper in his pocket. “I don’t like this,” he announced. “It goes against everything in my soul to leave you here with Sephiroth.”

I took a deep breath. “You can try to take me out of here against my will, but you won’t like the result,” I told him. “I’ll fight to stay here.”

“But why?” Cloud’s face crumpled in disappointment and hurt. “I’m your friend, Aerith, and I care about you. I’m so happy you’re alive, so willing to do anything to protect you. Why let him be your bodyguard?”

My heart sank. “Oh Cloud,” I sighed, taking him in my arms to hug him. “This isn’t a contest. I’m not a prize to be won or a helpless female to defend. I’m a grown woman with my own ideas about how my life should run.”

Cloud took me by the hands. “If you won’t leave for me, leave for the rest of AVALANCHE,” he urged. “The resistance against Shin-Ra is growing and we need a healer. We need you.”

“I fully intend to thwart Shin-Ra all I can,” I assured him. “I still hear the cries of the Planet.” I smiled at him gently. “But Cloud, I can help no one until I’m a stronger fighter, until I’ve got my head on straight about what I want. You have to give me time.”

Cloud heaved a weighted sigh. Slowly, he released me. “I want to talk to your…guardian alone for a moment,” he said, his voice tinged in bitterness.

“Of course.” I sat down on the couch. “I’ll be right here when you’re finished.”

I watched him enter the kitchen. So I wouldn’t hear their conversation, I slid the desk fountain closer to me. This had gone much better than I had imagined it would, but I’d still hurt Cloud. I hadn’t wanted that.