Loveless

Not my game…belongs to Square. 8. The Final Frontier AN: This is a VERY abridged version of the events that occur when Cid first goes into outer space. Enjoy. Had it been so long ago that Cid had met up with Avalanche, and first met Aerith? It wasn’t—it’s only been a month, at most. And now, Aerith was gone. Gone, and she had left this empty, shrieking hole in everyone’s lives. Cloud wasn’t himself after he came back from Mako poisoning. Everyone understood, but they gave him his space. If he wanted to talk, he’d talk. Avalanche did its best to make right all the wrongs in the world, in addition to preparing for Sephiroth and Meteo’s advance. Avalanche also tried to collect the Huge Materias of the world. Cid still wasn’t sure what Avalanche needed with the unwieldy things, but he wasn’t going to question Cloud’s motives. Not too long after Aerith’s death, Avalanche visited Rocket Town for provisions and a good night’s rest. Cid offered his hospitality to the crew, but Cloud declined. “Go home, Captain. Spend some time with your wife.” Cid shuddered. “She ain’t my wife. Thank Gods.” Nanaki shook his shaggy mane, and snorted angrily. “Shame, Captain. She might as well be.” Cid pursed his lips angrily and pushed his way into his home. “Come on in…say hi to wifey,” he called over his shoulder; his words dripped with sarcasm. He turned back to his sun-dappled kitchen to find Palmer there. “Hey-hey-hey!” Palmer staggered, and nearly fell; he had a boatload of booze in his system. “Preshident Rufus told me to tell you that the flight is a go! Pilot Huge Materia will shteer Shin-Ra #26 into Meteo! Shmashing!” Palmer snuffled, and began sobbing into a soggy handkerchief. “My beautiful rocket!” Cid ran out of the house, and grabbed Cloud’s shoulder. “We gotta get to the rocket. They’re ready to launch!” At the top of the steel staircase, Rude and his Shin-Ra elite waited. Rude grunted at Avalanche’s arrival. “Hmph. Knew you’d come. Let’s get this over with.” O-O-O-O-O After Rude was dispatched, Cid and Cloud jumped into the rocket and raced towards the hold, where the rocket would most likely be stowed. Cid waved the other crew-members off the ship. “Everyone, get the fuck outta here! This thing’s getting launched in a minute, so get your asses off!” When the rocket was vacated, Cid ran to the control panel and flipped switches, checked gauges, and a myriad assortment of busy-work that mystified Cloud. Cid eyed Cloud fleetingly. “You might wanna sit down.” Then the world was filled with this earth shattering BOOM and then gravity sucked at the rocket and Cloud put on three hundred pounds while the rocket fought with Gaia for clearance. Cloud first grunted, then swore, and finally screamed in agony as G-force tore at his body. Cid grinned at Cloud, even though he himself was struggling with gravity. Cords stood out on his neck, and his lips pulled back in a hard, mirthless grimace. Suddenly, Shin-Ra #26 broke free of Gaia’s grasp, and they floated in the emptiness of space. Cid unbuckled his harness, and shook Cloud’s shoulder. “Come on! Let’s get the Huge materia!” O-O-O-O-O When the materia was in their grasp, Cloud and Cid rushed to the escape pod, past the oxygen tanks. When Cid ran past, #8 blew, showering Cid and Cloud with sparks and burying Cid in debris. Tifa called from the pod’s entrance. “What happened?” “Help us!” Cloud tugged frantically at the detritus covering a dazed Cid. Tifa and Shera ran to their aid, and tried to clear the debris. Cid looked up blearily at Shera. “What the hell are you all still doing here? Get the fuck off this rocket before it crashes into Meteo! Leave me be…it’ll be all right.” “No, Captain,” said Shera. “We’ll get you out of here.” “Shera. Gods, Shera, you were right…about #8. I—I’m sorry.” O-O-O-O-O Cid floated by the pod’s porthole, and sighed beatifically. “Space…it’s everything I dreamed it would be. Beautiful.” He gazed at Shera, and did a graceful somersault and held his hand out. “C’mere. Come take a look.” “Oh, Captain…I couldn’t possibly… Cid hung upside down in the pod, and lowered himself so he was eye to eye with Shera. He grinned at her. “Come and see what I’ve seen in my dreams.” She nodded, and undid her harness. She floated up to the porthole, and took Cid’s hand. He slipped his free arm around her waist, and spun her around to look. “Well, Shera—what do you think?” She could not speak. Space was indeed lovely, and a little frightening. She held Cid’s hand, and he hugged her body closer to his. Together, they watched the rocket speed towards Meteo. Cid sighed, and squeezed Shera’s hand. “See ya, Shin-Ra #26.”