Authors Note:    This story assumes that through Hojo's experiments on Sephiroth with Jenova cells and Cetra genes, upon his birth Sephiroth was indeed born part Cetra, and Lucrecia had gained some of the traits as well, which led to her acceptance into the Promised Land.

And yes I know I write a lot of AeriSeph… it's my favorite pairing =P So get used to it.

Eternity The Story of Aerith and Sephiroth

--*--*--

My wishes will come true, my wishes come true, 
Even though tears may fall, it's ok.
Though rain is falling, violently falling
All of it is seeping into the ground.
Though going on is painful, that same sadness is wonderful.
Passing by today, passing by here
To see your smile again…
 
"Sky Blue" (Fruits Basket)

--*--*--

Quiet, all around her was quiet… silence… serenity. Green. Green swirls of life cradling its beloved daughter in its comforting wisps, carrying her away on a current of life to her heaven. She was deserving of it; that was certain. Planet knew of the sacrifice its last daughter had made to save it, and for that, it was happy, and vowed to give her eternal happiness and love in return. Yes, there would be no more pain; Aerith had already done her share of suffering, and now the time has come for her to be rewarded.

--*--*--

When Aerith awoke, she found herself in the middle of a beautiful field, filled to the brim with life. Grass, trees, flowers, sun… all the things that she had scarcely had time to enjoy in her short life. Her face beamed with the excitement of a child on Christmas, and at this the Planet chuckled.

Aerith flopped back spread-eagle in the flowers and the grass; never before had she felt so at peace. This truly was heaven. The Planet was safe and had no need to cry any longer… and she was home, at long last. She knew her fellow Cetra were here also… as well as her parents. She would see them in short time. But for right now…

For right now, Aerith desired only to rest and enjoy her first moments of pure, untainted heaven.

--*--*--

Pain. Searing, white-hot pain, coursing through his blood, wracking every muscle and nerve in his body. What was happening to him? It felt as if he were being torn apart, limb from limb, meat from bone.

Sephiroth was indeed floating in the Lifestream, but it refused to accept him into itself, repelled by the essence of Jenova. Instead of bringing him peace and calm as it had to Aerith, it gave Sephiroth nothing but rending pain and agony as it desperately tried to shoo him away.

Such was the torment of Hell; to be revolted and shunned by your own creator. Sephiroth found sick, sad irony in this as well; he had been born of the Planet, a part of the Planet, a son of the Planet itself, but he had been born into evil. He was born into a ring of evil, thanks to whom he was later infested by Jenova.

Yes, the bleeding irony of it all, to be damned by your own mother.

What greater disgrace to a Cetra than to suffer through your Planet's hell?

--*--*--

Days passed, and though Aerith was very much relieved and at peace… she felt very lonesome at times. Her beloved parents were here, and for that she was happy… but her human friends, they would never see the Promised Land. Her father, Gast, had merely made it in because of his contributions to her race, and because her mother, Ifalna, had wished it so. Very few humans could ever make it into the Promised Land; this meant that Aerith would never see her friends again… Elmyra, Cloud, Tifa, Barret… Nanaki, Reeve… Reno… Vincent, Yuffie, Cid… Tseng… everyone who had ever had an impact on her life would live on without her, and be reborn into their new lives.

What had become of her friends? After first entering the Promised Land, Aerith had given into curiosity and found the way to look upon the living. Cloud and Tifa were engaged, as was to be expected. Barret had been spending time with Elmyra, at first to comfort her own death, but that obviously had turned into something more.

Aerith was elated at this; after all, her adoptive mother deserved a chance at living a normal life, and she did take to Marlene very well…

Nanaki had embarked on a journey to find more of his own kind, determined that he was not the last of an extinct race, as she had been in her living days. Reeve, Reno and the other Turks had banded together to form a bodyguard service after the fall of ShinRa. Yuffie had been pestering Vincent for some time now, and this brought a smile to Aerith's face; they made an odd couple, but Aerith somehow felt that it was meant to be. Lucrecia felt this as well; in fact, she was quite happy for them. Vincent had spent too much of his life in guilt and repent, it was about time he started to live once again.

Cid formed his own air travel service with Shera, who was expecting their child… naturally, the odd couple had gotten married at the Gold Saucer by someone who looked mysteriously like Cait Sith. Speaking of whom, Reeve had built a corporation from the ruins of ShinRa, one that provided energy by natural means; air, water, and solar powered electric plants had turned out to be even more efficient than Makou had ever been.

And Tseng… he had died, and was reborn. Aerith knew that this life would be more fruitful and complete than his previous life had been.

She smiled. The lives of her beloved friends were coming together at last, and so was her afterlife. But, on occasion… she wondered what had become of Sephiroth. He hadn't been reborn… which meant that he would be floating somewhere in the Lifestream still. She thought about going to find him, just out of pure curiosity (and to have someone to talk to,) but she never did.

But maybe…

"Planet?" Aerith asked her dearest friend.

Yes, my child?

"Whatever became of Sephiroth?"

He is in the Lifestream with the other souls, neither human nor Cetra enough to be absorbed and reborn. Why do you ask?

Aerith cringed. "I… would like to speak with him, would you permit me to?"

A sigh. I do not approve… The Planet sensed the disappointment in its daughter's eyes, and continued, …but you have made great sacrifices for me. I will allow him to come here.

Aerith smiled, "Thank you my friend."

But… he must pass judgment before he can stay. I shall leave that to you.

"Of course," she beamed with joy. "Who knows, maybe he's a different person now?"

I will leave that for you to decide. I trust your judgment my daughter; do not disappoint me.

Aerith was beyond happy. After all, many questions had invaded her mind regarding Sephiroth; maybe it was about time those questions were answered.