She would always be here. Watching, waiting, anticipating any harm to come. It was a solitary life. Afterlife, really, since she no longer possessed a body. Her soul would always remain. She had died, yet still lived, in a way.
At first, it was a honor that no one before her had received. Of course, the Planet wasn't being deceptive, but Aeris had misunderstood. She had thought that in becoming the Planet's sole guardian, the sole being that could call upon the Lifestream on a whim, that she would be able to return to the world alive.
No. She must stay inside the Lifestream in order to control it. And there It was again. Shining beautifully, barely visible from the corner of her eyes.
The Promised Land.
It did exist. For those who were allowed to stay behind, instead of going forward. All the Cetra, Professor Gast, her father, Bugenhagen, Cloud, Tifa, Barret, Vincent...
Everyone she had known dearly from AVALANCHE now resided in the Promised Land. The had been given the honor to rest eternally in the Promised Land. They did, after all, defeat the Pawn.
And Aeris would never see them again.
The familiar pang of sadness hit her heart. All of her dearest friends were in a place she could not enter. And it was all because of her honor. She had watched over her friends while they had lived, while they had loved, while they had hurt. Aeris had prayed for their safety and well-being every minute that she could.
But, years had passed. So many years had gone fleeting by. Even Nanaki, with his tribes longevity, had come to rest years ago. Too much time had past. Did the Planet not understand that there would be no more threats? She wanted to see her loved ones..
No. Her honor, her duty was to watch, wait, and anticipate.
I want to be with those I cherish. Why is that I can never see them?! It's a cruel punishment... But, I accepted. I must stand by what I said I would do.. Forever.
"Ah. The Cetra flower maiden."
Aeris opened her eyes, her face filled with sadness. "Sephiroth."
"Do you tire of your task?"
"No. I just wish to see my friends."
"You're as honest as always."
"Why would I lie to you, Sephiroth?"
Sephiroth, his brilliant emerald eyes blazing, snarled. "Petty revenge, maybe? For killing you."
The Lifestream here did not move It did not even breathe as it normally did. How many souls had been sacrificed to keep Sephiroth sealed?! What is the point? There is no more Jenova in him after all these years of cleansing..
"What would be the point?"
"Satisfaction."
Over all these years, Aeris had no one to speak to. There had been no one to talk to when she was lonely. Except Sephiroth. He had always been here if she needed to speak. Aeris had learned so much from Sephiroth. Since Jenova had been completely cleansed from his mind, she had seen the side of a man she had known, rather heard, to be a living block of ice.
Sephiroth had shown distrust towards Aeris when she had first approached him. It had taken all of her willpower to speak with him. How was she supposed to start a conversation with a mass murderer, her murderer, and a puppet of Jenova?
"I would never derive any satisfaction from acting like a child."
"..It's lonely here, all alone."
Aeris' heart went to the man that had killed her. She understood, even as she had been dying. It had not been Sephiroth, in himself, that had killed her. Jenova had not wanted the Cetra to meddle with her plans all those thousands of years ago. It had been the same when she had been killed.
Sephiroth had said this before, that it was lonely. Once before, she had asked the Planet what had happened to Sephiroth during his lifetime, since he himself would not speak of it. Aeris wanted to understand the man. What she had learned had stirred her compassionate heart
"It is lonely.." Aeris wanted to go into his prison. She wanted to comfort him. Such irony it was, that she would want to help the man that has slain her with pleasure..
"Tell me Cetra, why do you not go to your Promised Land?"
Aeris looked at Sephiroth, her eyes heavy with the light of duty. "I am the Planet's Guardian.. In order for me to guard it, I must stay in the Lifestream, in-between life and death, forever.."
"Does that make me a guardian?!" Sephiroth screamed bitterly. "I want out of this damned prison! I want to be with the others!! I can't stand this solitary life.." he finished weakly.
Tears stung the back of Aeris' lids. She knew all to well how he felt. In all truth, they only had each other. She had come to that conclusion a long time ago..
Aeris stepped forward, unsure of what she was about to do. Shaking off the doubt, she stepped towards Sephiroth, the unmoving Lifestream dissolving as she touched and reappearing once she had completely entered. Immediately she rushed over to him and touched his shoulder.
Sephiroth flinched. "What are you doing in here?!"
Aeris spoke softly. "Don't be lonely, I'm here."
What do you think? There could be a part two, who knows? Anyway, I wrote this on a spur of the moment listening to Linkin Park's 'In The End.' *shrugs*