Disclaimer: Everything related to Final Fantasy were owned by Square Enix. After reading a doujinshi entitled "Rain" which features Zack, Aerith and Sephiroth. I'll be featuring most of the scenes of the doujinshi in this chapter as it will be the start of my story. It somehow inspired me to create another story although my first attempt was a failure. I will be updating this story to the best of my ability whenever I am free. I already have an idea for the story flow, it will be a crossover of my favorite FF games but will feature AeriSeph more. I'm not a good writer who can actually write in a very descriptive manner, I'm not an American either so I wish to apologize for wrong grammars and such, hope I can deliver this story to everyone the way I want it.^_^


Chapter 1- Beyond the Lifestream

Swirling liquids of green are everywhere, creating a field of green sea-like environment. In the middle of it all, a woman clad in pink was walking, hands to her sides. As she walks on the eternal plains of black skies and sea of green, which gives the place an emerald glow, a smile was brought upon her face, a satisfied sigh escaped her lips, looking around and thinking to herself, 'I was able to heal the tainted souls and now they will be free, I hope they reach their promised land.' As she said these words, she bowed her head as if in prayer and clasped her hands close to her chest. She closed her eyes and thought, 'Only one soul left, his.' She then went to the direction where a part of the planet surface in which Lifestream was not abundant, the place where he always likes to stay.

Upon reaching his place, she stopped on her tracks a few feet away, there lying on nothing was a pale man clad in black, and hair sprawled under him like silver satin. He was in slumber.

Aerith looked at him, seeing different emotions plastered on his face as he sleeps. As she watched how the man flinches in what looks like a picture of pain, her feet started to move, walking towards the man. But then she immediately stopped on her tracks as the man's eyes fluttered open, green cat-like eyes was now facing the ceiling. He closed his eyes again as he sat up slowly with his right knee flexed, right arm atop his bent knee as he hold his forehead with his right hand. With eyes closed he asked the woman standing beside him.

"What time is it?", a deep velvety voice immediately reached Aerith's ears. She thought for a minute and told him, "I think it's been a thousand years since you slept", she said pouting her lips, closing her eyes again while putting her right index finger to her temples as if in thought and said, "Hmm… I think that doesn't sound right, oh! I'm pretty sure it's been a hundred days since your slumber. My thoughts are getting messy these days."

Sephiroth breathed out a heavy sigh, positioning himself like he was going to sleep again after waking up just a few minutes. Aerith asked in a sweet and playful voice, "Going back to sleep already general?".

"Yes." He replied flatly.

"Oh! Nothing coming from this guy who usually drive me away whenever I come near and keeps saying, 'Stop bothering me' or 'go away'.?" Aerith said in a teasing manner putting both her index fingers on her eyes trying to imitate Sephiroth's when he's angry.

"I'm just tired of dealing with you." He said, sitting up again, with his right knee flexed and his right arm resting on it.

"Well if you really want to sleep, wouldn't you want to have a nice dream?" She asked smiling, voice sounding so sweet much to Sephiroth's tastes. She was rewarded with silence, she slowly approached Sephiroth, sitting behind him, and their backs turned to each other.

"When you were sleeping, a while ago, before I saw your expression of pain, you looked… peaceful and… happy part way through. What kind of dream were you having that brought a genuine smile to your sleeping face?"

"I'm not telling." He replied darkly as he bowed his head and closed his eyes as If thinking.

Aerith giggled, "I expected that reply from you, but somehow, I was expecting you would tell me though. It's always the same expression I see from you whenever you sleep. So I'm guessing it might be the same dreams every single time."

Aerith then stood up, holding Sephiroth's left hand with both of hers and said, "Hey, would you like to have some fun?" She said smiling, her emerald eyes trying to search for her murderer's icy jades. Sephiroth looked away staring into oblivion, still silent.

"Please say yes…" Aerith pleaded.

Letting out a sigh, he stood up. Feeling triumphant, Aerith giggled then let her left hand dropped to her side as her right hand still held Sephiroth's left hand. As both of them stared in the same direction which is the dark ceiling above, she said, "This place you're always in… is always barren isn't it?" as those words flee her lips, she closed her eyes and a strong gust of wind blew, the place was then transformed, the ceiling were no longer black but sky blue, the field they were standing on was no longer a field of black sea but a field of white and yellow lilies. Then Aerith looked at Sephiroth who is still gazing at a horizon as a gentle breeze blows in their direction, blowing strands of silver bangs as his silver mane swayed with the wind.

"Do you… mind it this way?" Aerith asked not expecting any reply from her silver haired companion. Her eyes then lay on Sephiroth's gloved right hand, the one she still held in hers. "Your gloves, why don't we take them off?", when she said those words, Sephiroth's gloved left hand bared his flesh, as Aerith held it gently, clasping it with her right hand.

"This way, I can feel your spirit flowing into me. Can you… feel my spirit too?"

"…"

"Maybe… things would have been better if we'd done this a lot sooner. We've taken the long way around haven't we?" She said smiling looking on the horizon far ahead. Sephiroth lowered his gaze and closed his eyes, gentle breeze still blowing in their direction.

As their hands held each other, a picture of peace can be seen. The man who brings out a dark aura whenever he goes surrendered to the light emitted by the woman beside him. Maybe, Cloud is right; he will only be a mere memory, a story of a hero, who lived long enough to die as a villain. Just like how the story of a fallen angel who got one of his wings ripped apart by god after his rebellion, he too was like the fallen angel. He was once a well-respected hero, fallen from grace, engulf with his own hatred and despair as he rebel against the planet and its entity. Though he hates to admit it, he was now weak, he's spirit was now too weak to fend off the planet's purification. Sooner or later, he will be engulfed and become one of the streams of green liquid flowing with the planet, becoming its energy. He used up most of his own consciousness when he made his remnants, Kadaj, Yazoo and Loz. In order to fulfill his revenge, he gave up most of his being, the part of him who was all in the past, his happiness, and the fond memories with his friends in SOLDIER, Zack, Angeal and Genesis. He gave it all to the lifestream making sure he won't be holding back since that part of him will be subdued by the Planet consuming all of his being and he won't allow it just yet, he needs to get his revenge to the blonde guy who stopped his plans. With that part of him gone, all that's left was his hatred and despair which fueled his revenge.

But now he failed again, for the third time, Cloud has sent him back to the lifestream, the woman beside him helped Cloud in defeating him on this third and futile attempt. She may be physically weak, but her heart, her spirit; her will was strong enough to defy darkness. Unlike him who was easily succumbed by it. He was not oblivious to the fact that Aerith and his fate were quite tied to each other. They might grow up from different places, experienced different kinds of life, but their struggles were somehow the same. The struggles of living a special kind of existence, her being the last of her kind, and him being Jenova's remnant, He somehow knew that it was their fate to deal with each other when the situation calls for it. Aerith's light will always drive his darkness away and just how she did it now as both of them were standing on a field of flowers and a blue sky above them, he knew, it was now time to resign to the void.


Aerith was sitting on the field of flowers she mentally created using her consciousness, she was making a flower wreath as she stopped and looked at Sephiroth, her lips curled up into a soft smile.

'I don't sense the same amount of malice in him anymore, maybe I'm getting through him.' She mentally thought.

Sephiroth was sitting both his knees flexed this time as both of his arms rests on top of them. He was now holding a white lily on his left hand as he was twirling it while in deep thought. He looks at the flower he held in his hand, then to the field of flowers laid out before his eyes.

'This place you're always in… is always barren isn't it?'

Her words repeated on his mind as he thought, 'Was it just this part of the lifestream that was barren? Or was it not his entire life was also considered a desolate and barren land? Void of wonderful experiences and emotions, dreams and honor as Angeal would always put it. Does he have them? No, of course he didn't.'

A memory of his past suddenly played right through his mind, the time he crossed swords with a person who can actually withstand and block his every blow. The former leader of AVALANCHE, a woman named Elfe.

'What is your reason for fighting?' she asked during their fight.

'A reason… to fight?' he repeated the words hesitantly. This question had shaken his thoughts, his whole being. He doesn't have any, it was part of his existence, all his life he was trained to be a fighter, the idea of SOLDIER was created because of his existence that's what he knows. Do we really need a reason why we need to wield our swords and fight?

"Sephiroth, are you… alright?" A female voice asked breaking his thoughts.

He looked at Aerith, then he gave out a soft sigh, he stood up with the flower still clutched on his left hand, he turned his eyes to the direction of the far horizon in front of him. He then closed his eyes, feeling the gentle breeze blowing. He turned his back to Aerith and walked a few steps away from where he sat earlier. Having thought that he was going to leave, Aerith stood up quickly and said, "Are you already going back to sleep?"

Sephiroth turned to look at her direction and replied, "Yes, I've had enough for today."

"oh…" was all the words that came out from the half-Cetra, followed by a quick question of, "Will you come with me again tomorrow? In this kind of place?", as she asked in a sweet voice.

"Maybe… not anymore."

"Why not? Didn't you have fun today?"

"That's not it…"

"Then… why?"

At that last question from Aerith, he narrowed his eyes and walked towards her, stopping just a foot away from her, closing the distance between them. Aerith looked up to meet his mako eyes as his met her emerald orbs.

"You know for a fact that I'm about to wither away, you absolutely know when a soul will perish and become the Planet's energy. Do you really think you can save my damned soul? There's nothing more you can save Cetra, my soul will no longer linger in here, nor become with the planet and most of all not part of the Promised Land! When I was 25 and died during the Nibelheim incident by jumping in the Mako pool below the Reactor, my hatred was so great that I decided to absorb the knowledge of the Ancients in the Lifestream in order to find ways to avenge my suffering. Yes, I want to destroy this world where these greedy humans had taken their actions to extreme avarice. They robbed me off my existence in order to gain, they coated their words with honey saying something about creating super humans because of my special existence, but in the end it just turned out to be out of one person's greed and another person's sickly scientific ambitions!" he said darkly, each words coated with anger. Then he continued in a flat tone turning away from Aerith and gazing at the sky, "I learned everything even the darkest secrets of this world. I learned from the Cetras, that their fellow people who were corrupted by Jenova was beyond help, thus creating a tainted lifestream same as what happened to those I affected with Geostigma. These tainted lifestream cannot be absorbed by the Planet, as an act of defense; the Planet will deliver these souls to the void. In a place the Cetra only called, 'the Sea of Chaos', a place on the surface, like a black hole. Their fellow men who failed to be freed from the corruption of the calamity Jenova were transported to these hellish depths, never to be surfaced again. Now, if too much of these corrupted souls were created, the Planet will be wounded as it cannot transport all of it that easily, it will take days, seems like an act of purification, but of course the Planet will be wounded by concentrating all of its energy in healing these tainted souls, but what happens if the number of these corrupted souls were too much for the Planet to handle? Well, the Planet will not be able to help itself, thus be destroyed, the same thing I was planning but was stopped by Cloud and of course, you." At that, he looked at Aerith, eyes narrowed into cat-like slits.

Aerith swallowed hard, hinting a feeling of fear brought about by his words, she bowed her head then looked up to him, and smiled. Sephiroth was shocked to see, that after seeing fear elicited by her eyes, she smiled, this time her eyes glittered in what seems to him as… hope? He was not sure, she surprises him in any way he cannot discern himself.

Then Aerith looked at the sky, inhaled a deep breath before saying, "I know about the void. A place where souls drowned in eternal despair, a place where they are trapped forever, with no one to save them, with no chance of being reincarnated, with no chance of another lifetime. That's why, I'm doing my best to save yours.", She turned her gaze to Sephiroth, looking into his mako depths as if looking directly inside his soul, inside his heart. Her eyes filled with sincerity, she continued, "You have suffered enough despair in your lifetime, I can clearly see that. There is sorrow hidden in your wintry eyes, your actions may hide them, but your soul cannot, for your eyes betray you."

He was taken aback by her words; it was filled with unfaltering truth, does she genuinely cares for him? Would there be really someone who can care for him like how her words were telling him? He averts his eyes from hers, as if trying to hide the despair in his heart. True, he may be filled by hatred, but what fueled his plot the most was his despair, he thought life was so unfair to him, he always thought that after what he has given, his whole life of servitude to get his price of freedom turned out to be a point of being the villain who will try to destroy this world. His despair, the one he decided to keep and did not surrender to the lifestream turned out to be the most human side of him. His self-pity has betrayed his emotions, his whole being, it showed his weakness, his jealousy over Cloud was because Cloud had people who supported him. Who made the foundation of his personality, Cloud may be weaker than him, but what fueled his strength was the feeling of having to cherish anything. This was what he doesn't have, thus he will always fail, no matter how much he attempts to destroy everything, he will always fail. Because, he doesn't know the feeling of having to cherish something, he may always think of doing his sins for his mother, but was it a feeling of cherishing something or someone? It is not; perhaps he was obsessing himself over Jenova, since that name was what pulled him through his miserable life. His mother was what kept him holding on, the voice he heard when he was lonely, when he was scared, when he feels all alone. The voice that comforted him all throughout those miserable times through his dreams, a soothing voice that makes him feels at peace. That's right, his mother's voice was what he cherished, he was all doing it for he knows he was made to be god, he was more than a tool of war, a specimen of science. Jenova's existence was enough proof of his birthright. As he was in deep thought, he felt a light touch on his left arm.

"Sephiroth?", came a soft voice.

He returned his gaze towards her, as he looked at her he saw her eyes filled with worry. How she feels sympathy towards her own nemesis can actually surprise him, was she forgetting something? He killed her, but why is she helping him? She could've just waited for the day his soul would wither and be deposited to the void, eternal suffering, and eternal… despair. Yes, maybe that's what his whole life means anyway, sorrowful and tragic, to experience despair forever even in death.

"You may not trust me, but at least I want to know that I reach you. I want you to have another chance at life, a reincarnation. I want to save your soul so that you may experience a new life. And I wish that life will be good to you on your second chance." She said with a smile.

With that, he laughed, a sarcastic one. He then looked at Aerith, his lips curling up in a malicious smirk, "looks like you're forgetting something here cetra. Have you forgotten what I did to you? Masamune still feels the softness of your flesh and the stain of your blood in its majestic blade. Wouldn't it be a sweet revenge if you just let the void claim me? That way, you can finally rest in the Promised Land and never worry about your friends' safety for I will be imprisoned in eternal nothingness."

"I'm not the kind of person who rejoices in someone else's suffering Sephiroth. Forgiveness is something I give easily despite the gravity of one's sins against me. Even if you have stabbed me, somehow I knew it's going to happen. It is something that must be done. My death is something not oblivious to me, I know what's going to happen. I can actually escape my death if I would want to, but, I believe it's a prophecy that must be fulfilled at any cost. So, really, forgiving you is not a big deal, it's something that I would really want to do. I want to save you, I want to see your smile the one I saw while you sleep, a smile that I know was from the bottom of your heart. I want to see it on your next life." She chirped.

"That is impossible…" His tone was now stained by sadness, Aerith swear it was sadness she felt.

"It will be alright, just trust me! I can even be your friend if you want to!" Aerith cheerfully offered, as she laid out her right hand for him to shake.

He was shocked, he really can't understand her but somehow he felt like he could actually trust her. His weakened soul could no longer defy her, and then slowly his right hand reaches out her hand. Aerith beamed at him, a sweet smile which he finds attractive. In that moment he felt like he could actually trust her. His lip curled upward in a smile as he closed his eyes. After a few minutes, hands still held with each other, he opened his eyes and looked at Aerith, she saw in his eyes, despite the sorrow heavily imprinted on it, was a tiny spark of hope.

"I hope, you keep your promise, of being my friend… But, our souls will perish soon and we won't have the time to even start the friendship you offered." He said quite sadly.

"Don't worry, it may not be now but… how about another lifetime?" She said happily as she removed Sephiroth's hands and arranging his fingers to form a pinky promise with her. She put her pinky on his and shakes it 3 times. "There, a symbol I would keep my promise to you."

He was in shock, but smiles at her. A struggled smile as it did not reach his eyes, Aerith had thought. But she was glad she could somehow heal his soul. Suddenly, Sephiroth felt his hatred was now crushing, and he feels his time on the surface is almost up. Only the major proportion of his being was left, his sorrow. Maybe that was why he was easily moved by her actions, because the part of him filled with hatred was gone.

"I'm… running out of time Aerith… there is no other chance for me. The void, I feel it claiming my very soul." As he said this weakly, he dropped to his knees, he was on all fours, his silver hair falling around him like silver curtain. Aerith went to his side immediately.

"I will save you." She said as she put an arm on his shoulder. As she look around, Aerith can feel the cold as a strong gust of wind blew, the field she created with her mind slowly vanishing, darkness was closing in on them.

"Just go… I thank you for your efforts, the void is not for you, your kindness has somehow touched me. Even before the void claims my soul, I get to feel someone's acceptance and warmth as you held out your hand and offered me your forgiveness and your friendship. What you did is enough." He looked at her, his face void of all malice, but only sorrow remained in his eyes.

"I won't leave you, friends always stick together through thick and thin, I will stay, I won't allow the void to take you. I'll keep my promise no matter what." She firmly told him

"Why are you so stubborn?"

"Because I am always stubborn", she replied with a mischievous grin.

"You can't help but surprise me Cetra.", he said in surrender.

As darkness was closing in on them, they can hear voices, creepy for Aerith's tastes, 'this…' she thought, 'was the sound of the voices of the dead who were not able to free themselves from corruption' it sends shiver down her spine, her goosebumps visible. Sephiroth can't help but notice her fear, he put his left hand on hers, the one that was on his right shoulder. Aerith turned her gaze to him, Sephiroth stood up, closed his eyes then opened them as he said.

"My soul is filled with darkness like the twilight… that I am sure." His tone firm, unfaltering. Aerith stood up beside him, looking at him.

A voice was emitted from the darkness, something creepy, dark and monstrous. But the owner was nowhere to be found, it's as if it was from the darkness itself.

"Was the darkness in your soul the twilight that leads to nightfall?"

Sephiroth's hands turned into fists, and said, "Before, it is. But now, my darkness was the twilight that leads… to dawn." Emphasizing on the word dawn. The voice let out a laugh. Then an even strong wind swirled around them, a swirl of black lifestream started to rise, enveloping Sephiroth, drowning him, he tried to resist, as darkness slowly claimed him. Aerith screamed his name in horror. Before he was consumed he looked at Aerith, smiled and whispered,

'Thank you…'

Aerith was shocked, "Nooooooooo! She ran towards the darkness where Sephiroth was consumed.


Meanwhile…

Sephiroth's sleeping form was floating in a sea of black. 'Maybe this is it… there would be no chance for me, none at all. But… somehow, it didn't felt that bad, at least I know I can trust her. She gave me hope in the brink of my eternal slumber. That will be one of my precious memories… thank you, Aerith. I hoped, my gratitude has reached you.'

'Sephiroth! Sephiroth…!'

He could not make out who it was or where was it coming from, he slowly opened his eyes and saw coming towards him a pink figure, shocked, his eyes widened as he saw Aerith coming towards him, her right arm outstretched, implying that he hold it. Out of instinct he stretched his right arm and reached for hers. Once their hands reached each other, she pulled him up, he come towards her and embraced her small form. He closed his eyes as he rests his head on top of her hed, clutching to her tightly. Aerith hugged him too in a tight embrace. Then he slowly pulled away from her, as he asked her softly, in his thought, as if their minds were connected.

'Why..?'

Aerith smiled and replied in his mind, 'because… we're friends remember? Friends, don't leave each other no matter what happens. Just like I said, I'll keep my promise, I'll stay true to my words.'

'What if… we can't return anymore, I mean, we're trapped in here the void…'

'We won't be… Our friendship and trust, will create a miracle, you'll see, everything will be alright, I promise.' She smiled reassuringly.

With that said, Sephiroth returned her smile and believed the impossible, hoping for a miracle that will pull them out of this oblivion.

Suddenly a bright light emanate from the sky, tearing the darkness apart. Both of them looked at the sky, the light was pulling them upwards. Aerith looked at him and held his hand tighter as she flashed him a big smile. They allowed the light to pull them upwards, as they come closer to it, it became brighter and brighter and then everything went white.


A sound of train was heard, Sephiroth stirred and he slowly opened his eyes. When he woke up, he saw a man clad in hunter's clothes in front of him smiling. He felt something heavy on his left shoulder and saw Aerith snoozing, with her head leaning on his shoulder. He turned to look at the window beside him, he looked confused. Then the man spoke, "Good morning!"

Sephiroth greeted him, "Good morning, but, do you know where we are?"

The man nodded and said, "This is the train that carries the purified souls to the realm of the dead under the god's grace. This whole place is the invisible world of Valhalla, the realm of the gods. The place we're heading to is called Luxerian, the city of souls that worships the Maker and his children, the gods that created our world."

Sephiroth was quite confused, he was not sure what kind of place they were heading, this is the first time he heard those. He thought that the souls of the dead only travel on the Planet surface. How will he know about this, maybe the souls that reached this place never really go back to the lifestream. Indeed, his knowledge was limited. Then he felt Aerith stirred, as her eyes fluttered revealing her sweet emerald orbs, she rubbed the sleepiness of her eyes and stretched as she give out a big yawn.

"Good morning." A deep velvety voice greeted her. She turned her eyes and saw that it was Sephiroth. She smiled and asked, "Where are we? And… why are we on a… train?" Her eyes showed signs of confusion.

"Indeed we are, this man said we are in the train of purified souls about to head to a place called Luxerian, a city where the purified souls worship the Maker and his children, the gods that created our world."

"I haven't heard of that before!" Aerith exclaimed in disbelief.

"Neither do I. even if I achieved the knowledge of the Ancients, this was not something I grasped from them. Maybe because they weren't able to return to the lifestream once they reach this place." Sephiroth explained. Aerith just nodded.

"Here we are!", The man happily exclaimed.

The train stopped and all the passengers slowly went out. As Aerith and Sephiroth emerged from the station, what awaited them was a big city, with marble floors; everything was made out of marble tiles. It seems like a medieval era type of City and a big clock tower stands on the Center of the city square. Big enough for the whole city to see.

"Wow…" Aerith exclaimed in awe as she put both her hands covering her mouth in astonishment. Sephiroth looked around and was astonished himself; the city was like a marvelous capital of the dead.

"Welcome to Luxerian! City of the Purified Souls from the Planet Surface! This is the city Built by the Maker himself Bhunivelze, to give your everlasting worship, thanksgiving and praise for the chance of rebirth and eternal peace after death!" A man clad in a white cloak with feathered hat spoke welcoming the newly arrived souls.

Sephiroth and Aerith went to his direction, as everyone gathered around, the man spoke again, "You may now look around and stroll the city as you all please!" The people hurriedly went out and about leaving Aerith and Sephiroth glued to their position. The Man noticed them and asked, "Can I help you two with something?".

"Well…" Aerith trailed off.

"Can you explain more about this place?" Sephiroth asked directly.

The man was pleased to explain more to them as he bowed before them and raised his arms in the air as if giving praise.

"Allow me to introduce myself first, I am called Lucian, a herald of the god Lindzel. This place was created as a resting place for the souls purified in the LIfestream, To the people of centuries ago this was called as Luxerian, for the people of the new generation this is called, The Promised Land. This place was built by the Maker for the souls of the mortals created by his daughter Etro, the goddess of death. Mortals were created through Etro's blood, in which then the realm of the void the gate of chaos opened and claimed her. This is the invisible world, the world only visible to the gods and to the souls of humanity who died.

Just as the world of the living was once called Gran Pulse and now called Gaia, and the Planet just outside Gaia which was formerly known as Bhunivelze and was now called Terra is the visible world. Luxerian, Memoria and the Void was part of the invisible world Valhalla, the world beyond the Lifestream. The Void is where corrupted souls rest and where the god of darkness resides, Chaos. Memoria is the place where all paradoxes washed away, humanity's dreams, wishes and the what-ifs of their lives are washed ashore, the collection of the memories and thrown away destinies which affects the history of the visible world are collected there. That is also the place where the goddess Etro resides, her throne stands tall atop all the washed away memories of humanity. That place is also drowned by the Sea of Chaos below, and this, Luxerian, the place where the dead can live at peace forever."

"Wait, if this place is where souls are deposited, what is now left of the Planet? What comprises the lifestream then?", Sephiroth asked confused evident on his face.

"Ah! Good question, those are the souls of the dead still being purified, their consciousness still lingers in there giving the Planet the energy it deserves. Also, not all souls will reach this place, only chosen people can enter this place. Those only chosen by the goddess Etro can enter this Holy place. The people who are left in the lifestream will still continue the cycle of rebirth." Answered Lucian grinning.

"I see… so not all people can enter this place…" Sephiroth said while thinking to himself.

"So you mean the reason we're here is because we are chosen by the goddess?" Aerith asked.

"Absolutely! Legends say that when the goddess Etro welcomes the soul of the dead to Valhalla, she opens the gate of Chaos, some people and even souls can see a blinding light, the eyes of the goddess. Some cannot see those, the goddess only shows her light to the people destined for something." Lucian answered confidently.

"Why are we chosen then?" Aerith asked.

"Well, it is said that Etro chooses capable warriors who will fight for her cause. To fend of the tide of darkness, I'm not really sure, but everyone was heading to the goddess coliseum placed near Memoria, the goddess throne. You have to ride the airship to reach the place. See what awaits you there adventurers!"

"A coliseum, sounds like a battle.", Sephiroth said smirking, feeling his blood spiking at the sound of battle.

"I don't know about this…" Aerith said putting a finger on her temples.

"We might as well check it out, if the goddess is fighting off the tides of darkness, then, this might call for an atonement of past sins.", he said calmly.

"You're right, you might find a new purpose in this world!" Aerith happily exclaimed.

Sephiroth nodded, and said, "Shall we?"

Aerith gave him a nod and they set foot towards the airship launch area on the farthest north of the city.


When they arrived, people already lined up, all of them looked like adventurers, capable of fighting. Aerith was in awe, she always dreamed of riding the airship and now, she can't believe she was going to ride one, ironically she's already dead but anyway she still gets to ride one.

Sephiroth can't help but notice the smile on Aerith's face and asked, "You seem so happy?"

"Yeah… it was my dream to ride Cid's Shera, but… I didn't live up to the point that I can ride it though." She said as she looked down, her eyes on the ground. Sephiroth felt a knot in his stomach, a pang of guilt hit him. Aerith noticed this, panicking she held his hands in hers and said, "It's alright! At least now, we're going to ride one aren't we?" giving him a reassuring smile. Sephiroth just gave her a nod, and gave her a slight smile.

When it's their time to enter the airship, Sephiroth held out his hand for Aerith to reach and assisted her on going inside, Aerith happily hold his hand and climbed the bridge. She feels excited as this airship was far bigger than Cid's and quite majestic too.

The airship was ready as it launches to the sky Aerith beamed with happiness as she looked over the window in their cabin. Sephiroth was standing behind her, thinking what could lie in this world and in the goddess coliseum that they were about to go.


A/N: Phew done with the first chapter, my desktop is busted so it took me 3 days to finish this with only a couple of hours to work on this. Well if you're familiar with FF13 I took some ideas there but I'm planning this to be in my AU, all are property of square except for the flow of the story. I'm trying to mix in my favorite FF games. Btw, the part where Sephiroth was drowning in the sea of chaos was inspired while I'm at work listening to Ryan Cabrera Song, "On the way down" acoustic version. How I missed that guy singing. Anyway, I can't wait on pairing Lightning and Genesis, come to think of it, genesis is obsessed with the goddess and Lightning is actually a warrior goddess! Haha! The idea came to me after I saw a final fantasy memes with lightning on it and saying she's a warrior goddess. Please R & R, thank you! Till next update! Xoxo! ^_^