Don't Play with Fire (Turks FF7)

19) Young

"Reeve, open the friggin' door!" I yell at his office. I can hear him shuffling around in there, mumbling to his strange being. The click of a lock turning leads to me jerking the door open and stomping in, knocking poor Reeve into the door frame. "I've been knocking for ten minutes!"

"I apologize, Miss Mcgrail..."

"Kat."

"... Is that short for Katherine?"

"No."

"Such an odd name for a child... Nevermind. Did you need something?"

"I need to check on Marlene and Elmyra's camera thing," I plop down in his spinning desk chair and turn the camera TV thing on. "Good, they're still there. How's stuff with Avalanche?"

"They still don't trust me..."

"You're a spy."

"But we were almost to Aerith, which is why it took me a while to get the door."

"Right. Can I watch you then? I'm bored outta my mind."

"Don't young people have something to do on Fridays?"

"I'm not a party person of that's what you're asking. I'm hanging out with Reno and Rude later."

"That's good. I think they're good for you," he says while adjusting an assortment of knobs and switches. Then he turns the screen on.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I think they genuinely care about you, and if we're honest, Kat, not very many people like you at all."

"I know."

"Everyone needs someone like that. At least then you have someone there for you when you need it."

"How about you?" I cross my arms. "Do you have anyone that cares about you?" He sighs.

"Unfortunately, I seem to be the doormat of this company." He turns a dial and holds up a finger. "Good. We're finally ready."

The screen lights up and I can see that we're surrounded by the clutter of people that's ruining Shinra. Highwind kneels in front of Cait, scowling and fiddling with some stuff. When he notices that the cat's been powered on, he steps back in annoyance, cigarette at the corner of his lips.

"There, Brat. Stupid cat's fixed."

"Shut up, Old Fart!"

"Well don't they get along perfectly," I huff. Reeve shakes his head and makes Cait Sith follow the rest of the group down a large, spiralling set of translucent stairs, the set floating impossibly sturdily. There she is. Way down at the bottom, an altar surrounded by water stands, Aerith on her knees with her hands clasped before her, eyes shut. Praying. To who? And for what?

"Aerith!" Cloud calls, running forward and hopping onto the altar platform. Suddenly, he stops running, instead pulling his huge sword off his back and raising it over his head. An inner struggle can be seen though his glowing mako eyes.

"No!" Tifa cries, a smaller girl grabbing her arm tightly. "Cloud!"

The blonde pauses and blinks out of his strange trance, frowning and lowering his sword. "What was I..?"

I'm sure Reeve tried to move the controls fast enough. I'm sure the human (and that one animal thing) members moved to help. I'm pretty sure I squeaked loudly too. But none of that made any difference, because now, Aerith is dangling from the end of Sephiroth's blade, eyes sliding shut and blood soaking through her light pink dress. All the man next to me does is stare at the screen in disbelief. I stand quickly and stomp over to the camera chair tugging at the roots of my hair.