A/N: Hey, guys! Sorry this took forever. Hopefully this chapter is okay at least. Also, the next two chapters for this story have yet to be written because I decided to add some things to the story, so I might not be updating for a while. But, rest assured that I will finish this story and anything else that I've started working on. Anyway, enjoy the chapter!
Disclaimer: I only own my original characters.
Cloud, Tifa, and I stood in the parking lot at the back of the restaurant. The clouds overhead had parted, allowing the sunlight to shine down in short bursts, but they shifted constantly, as if they were restless. The wind took shallow breaths, as if the sky itself was trembling with anxiety. Glad I wasn't the only one.
However, my uneasiness was replaced with temporary excitement as I stared in awe at the large, black, motorcycle in front of me. It had two wheels in the front and one in the back, and storage compartments on either side. My mom would probably ground me for life if she saw me on this thing. Hopefully Akaela didn't tell her right away.
"Is this what we're riding to the North Crater?" I asked, butterflies attacking each other in my stomach.
Cloud walked around to the other side of the bike and nodded. "Your weapons can go in here," he said, motioning to one of the motorcycle's compartments.
I stowed my sword and wand in the right-side compartment, my hands shaking.
"First time riding?" Tifa asked, noticing my anxiety.
I nodded.
"Don't worry!" she reassured, placing a gloved hand on my shoulder. "You'll be fine. Denzel and Marline love riding the motorcycle. There's nothing to be nervous about."
"Thanks," I said, smiling gratefully. I wasn't scared to ride the motorcycle, well, not completely, anyway. In fact, I was pretty thrilled. It was our objective that really scared me. Last time Cloud and I fought Sephiroth, we barely made it out alive. I shuddered to think how much harder stopping him would be now that he had access to powers from other worlds. Worse, still, was the possibility that he would learn how to use them.
Tifa secured the bag she and Cloud had packed on the back of the motorcycle, then turned to me. "What about those?" she asked, pointing to the Fire Crystals I had summoned from my room only a minute ago.
"I'll hang on to them," I answered, fingering the two glowing, reddish gems. The slightest jolt could ignite them, and I didn't want to accidentally set our transportation on fire.
Once the supplies were secured on Fenrir, Tifa walked up to Cloud. They stared at each other for a moment, then Tifa wrapped her arms around him. "You'd better make sure you come back safely, Cloud Strife," she ordered, no doubt trying to mask her fear.
The soldier stiffened, but then returned the embrace. "I will, Tifa," he whispered soothingly, and offered her a small, reassuring smile, one of the few I'd seen from him. I couldn't help imagining that this was what my parents experienced when my dad left for the military.
Then, I remembered something. I pulled out my phone and punched out a message to my mom. 'Can't come home. Something's come up.' I would have liked to call her, but time was pretty short, and a message was better than nothing. I pressed send and put my phone away, feeling empty inside.
Cloud and Tifa held each other close for a second or two, then Tifa acknowledged my presence. "That goes for you, too, Junior," she said authoritatively, the traces of a smile now playing at her mouth. "You'd better come back in one piece as well."
"Yes, ma'am!" I sputtered, embarrassed that she had seen me staring.
The soldier and his wife embraced for another moment, then they reluctantly broke apart. Tifa looked from me to Cloud one last time and walked back inside the restaurant. She would have definitely come with us to offer her assistance if it weren't for the kids, who were her first priority.
Cloud watched her go, then faced me, the fire returning to his eyes. There was no more stalling or waiting around. We had to do this now. I just hoped I was ready for the journey we were about to take.
"Come on." Cloud motioned for me to get on the bike, then climbed on himself.
"Wait," I said, my eyes wide with confusion. "Aren't we going to tele-?"
"Not yet," Cloud interrupted, eyes darting from the handful of pedestrians on the sidewalk to the line of cars zooming along the street. "Too many onlookers…"
"Oh. Good call," I agreed, recalling the incident with the stranger in the restaurant. It seemed Cloud was still concerned about that, too. Trying to calm my racing heart, I gingerly stepped onto one of the pegs and hoisted myself onto the bike behind him.
"Grab on," Cloud instructed, leaning forward and gripping the handlebars.
Trembling, I wrapped my arms securely around his waist, imagining the looks on my Earthly friends' faces when I told them that I got to ride Cloud's motorcycle.
The blonde soldier turned the key in the ignition and Fenrir's engine roared to life. He exerted force on the throttle and in no time, we were zooming along the city streets past houses and stores and civilians, the cool wind rushing past my face.
Riding a motorcycle was like riding a roller coaster, and it was pretty clear why Denzel and Marline enjoyed it so much whenever Cloud took them for rides. The rush of exhilaration as the motorcycle picked up speed and the way we'd lean as we turned sharp corners were unforgettable.
I glanced around hurriedly at the scenery, hungry for the new adventure this world would offer me, afraid that I would miss something if I blinked. Edge seemed to be doing all right for a new city, like an undernourished plant growing from the ashes, though it wasn't quite thriving.
On one street stood a line of stores with produce carts of withering fruits and vegetables. There weren't many plants, and the only animals I saw were a few large, yellow chicken creatures and their riders. What were those things? A massive skyscraper and a couple of other buildings looked like they were still undergoing construction, but for the most part, the city wasn't doing too badly for a place that had to be rebuilt after a meteor crushed it. The people seemed pretty happy, anyway.
Most other cars merged onto the main highway, but Cloud turned the bike and we zoomed along a deserted side-road. In no time, the busy streets and bustling inhabitants were left in Fenrir's wake, and the very air seemed to change from lively and happy to miserable, and deadly quiet.
I coughed as a chlorine-like smell drifted on the wind along with what seemed like a year's worth of dust. "Where are we?" I choked out.
Cloud, however, didn't hear me over the roar of Fenrir's engine, and continued driving. I stared at the destroyed, desolate houses and the empty, deserted streets, and realized we were now traveling through the remains of what had once been the great city Midgar. The air was still, aside from the bike's engine, and there were no signs of life anywhere.
Some areas looked like they had been cleared of metal, wood, and anything else that could be salvaged. But, I glimpsed other structures as we zipped past at eighty miles an hour; a fallen sign that read 'Wall Market', a heap of colorful plastic and metal that could have once been a playground, and Aerith's sanctuary, which, now that I think about it, was surprisingly undamaged considering the circumstances. Maybe someone had rebuilt it.
It was horrifying to think how many people's lives had been affected by a space-rock. Had Meteor, or rather Sephiroth, truly done this?
Suddenly, chills ran down my spine, as if the power light in my heart were trying to warn me. Having no doubt felt the change in the air, Cloud slowed the bike to a stop and looked back at me. "Something wrong?" he wondered.
"I… don't know…" I glanced around, trying to spot any signs of danger, but everything was so still, as if we were in the middle of a bleak photograph instead of an actual place.
Cloud looked around. "Hm, this place is usually crawling with monsters. Could that be what you're sensing?"
"Hm, maybe…" If there were monsters, they were doing a pretty good job of concealing themselves within the ruined buildings and twisted piles of scrap metal. I didn't think I was sensing any of them. But, if not them, then what on Gaia was making my skin crawl? Why did it feel like someone, or something, was watching us?
"We should keep going," Cloud said, snapping me out of my thoughts. "It's not safe here."
"Uh, yeah," I agreed, and Cloud revved up Fenrir's engine, exerting more force on the throttle than was necessary, as if he were attempting to escape some malevolent force that was pursuing him.
As we continued along Midgar's deserted road, the last of the houses faded into the distance, and we found ourselves in a grim, barren wasteland. There was nothing around for miles except for dusty earth. The place was devoid of people or animals, and the hot sun broke through the clouds, looking down on a flat, empty patch of land. Everything was so vacant, like a blank slate that had any traces of life erased from it.
Cloud stopped the bike and cut the engine, and we dismounted. "What's with this place?" I wondered, perplexed by the lack of plants. I hadn't seen anything green and leafy since I arrived in Edge. Everything was so dead here, and I felt like my energy was fading away, too. It made me miss my town, where grasses and trees actually grew.
"Gaia has a lot to recover from," Cloud explained. "Meteor… Shinra… It's using up most of the Lifestream to do that."
Cloud talked as if this world were a living thing, making me feel sort of bad for the Planet. I was about to respond, when he changed the subject. "There's no one around. We can teleport now."
"Oh, right," I said halfheartedly. Pushing away all of my other thoughts, I focused on my task at hand.
This next part was completely up to me. I took a deep breath, concentrating on the city in my dream, focusing on it as if it were a photograph or painting in my head.
"Ready?" I asked once I had created a clear image in my mind.
"Hm," Cloud nodded.
Closing my eyes, I tapped into my power. Energy filled my whole body, like electricity, and a second or two later, I vanished along with Cloud and the bike, destined for the Forgotten Capital.
Before I knew it, my feet touched down hard on solid ground and my power started to diminish. A shudder ran through me as a blast of chilly wind brushed against my arms and face. The temperature was at least thirty degrees colder, and it hadn't been windy in Midgar's wasteland. I just hoped we arrived at the right destination.
I opened my eyes and looked around. Cloud and Fenrir had appeared next to me, which was a good sign. At least I hadn't lost them during the transport. Not like that time when… You know what? I'm not even going to go there.
We had landed in a clearing of soft earth. There were a few random patches of greenish shrubbery around, nicer than the withering ones in Midgar's wasteland. Snow-white mountains stood in the distance, as ancient and majestic as the Egyptian pyramids. Overhead, the sky was a thin layer of flat, silver clouds, like a sheet of metal.
My heart pounded in my chest, and a tingly energy pushed against my ribcage as if trying to break free. Sure, I had powers from other universes, but I had to be careful of how much I used. The more powerful or complex the magic, the easier it was for the light containing my powers to get dislodged from my heart, or to stop working entirely, and teleporting multiple times in a single day qualified as complex.
"That's where we're heading," Cloud said, pointing to the white peaks that loomed in the distance. However, my attention was drawn to the wonder in the opposite direction; the City of the Ancients.
Maybe it was because I had dreamed about the place, or maybe it was some alluring force of the city itself, but I just had to venture through this ancient settlement. It was as if something was inviting me closer, like a gentle, familiar song.
"What is it?" Cloud asked, noticing my transfixed gaze.
"I… don't know… I feel like… there's something we need to do here…"
Cloud lowered his head and stepped backwards. "I don't..." But his voice trailed off. His eyes seemed slightly pained again, and I wondered just what happened here that made him reluctant to return.
"Maybe there's something here that can help us out," I pressed. Something was calling me in, and I couldn't just ignore it, could I?
After a long silence, Cloud exhaled. "Let's just be quick," he cautioned, and after he assembled his Fusion Blade, we set out towards the city.
Dreams, no matter how vivid, did not do this place justice. The moment we entered, new energy sprang up inside of me, as if the city were waking up all around us, opening its eyes after a two-thousand-year sleep. Our feet thudded on cobblestone streets as we walked past seashell shaped buildings. I ran my fingers along one of the smooth walls that gleamed even brighter in the light of glowing crystals. There was a peaceful silence that calmed my mind, and the salty smell of the ocean was carried on the breeze, though the sea was nowhere near us.
"It's best to stay on the upper level," Cloud said, gripping his sword. He seemed tenser than usual, as if the crystals and cobblestones would rise up and attack at any moment.
"Okay! I'll let you know if I find anything," I said, and we parted ways.
"Be careful," Cloud called after me. I nodded, and he resumed scouring the area. But there didn't seem to be anything to be afraid of. What sort of enemies could be lurking in a city that hadn't been inhabited for thousands of years? I didn't realize how soon I'd get my answer.
As I walked the old streets, whispers, ancient and mystical, rose up all around me, as if carried on an ocean wave, or traversing the wind. I took a moment to listen, but it sounded like they were in another language, probably Cetran. Whoever it was, whether spirits from the Lifestream or some other force, seemed pretty excited and anxious, as if they were waiting for something.
I rounded the corner past one of the larger buildings, when something, or rather someone, made me stop short. "It's you!" I exclaimed, my breath catching in my throat.
Standing a few feet away was a woman with emerald eyes. Her chocolate brown hair was done up in a braid like Marline's. I recognized her pink and white dress and red jacket, but most of all, her gentle smile and her honey-sweet voice. Aerith!
"You came! Even though you don't have much time," she said, her eyes sparkling. "That's a good sign!" Aerith stepped forward. "But, why did you come?"
I gazed at her silver bracelets gleaming in the light of the overcast sky. "Wait, why is me coming a good thing?" I wondered, "And what do you mean I don't have much time?"
Aerith didn't answer. Instead, she turned and walked away in the opposite direction past a few glowing, blue crystals.
"Wait!" I called, running after her. It didn't take long for me to see where the flower girl was going, but she moved kind of fast, with a sense of urgency, and it was hard to keep up with her. She was headed towards the light staircase that descended into the lower level of the city, the one I really wanted to see, but that Cloud told me to avoid.
I opened my mouth to tell her I couldn't follow, but she was already halfway down the stairs. It seemed too important to ignore her, and I had to figure out what she wanted. Making up my mind, I slowly descended the glowing staircase. Each step down felt warm on my feet, as if I was walking on hardened sunlight, and as we descended lower, my curiosity skyrocketed.
Aerith led me past tall towers and more glowing crystals that seemed to whisper as we passed by. A minute later, the flower girl stopped beside a lake of water. I came to a halt when I realized what this was, and feared I was walking right into a trap.
I stood about ten feet from the spring, but Aerith beckoned me closer. I had met her before and she seemed so nice. Surely she wouldn't try to deceive me. Besides, my Geostigma was gone. It's not like Sephiroth's tainted water could be used against me.
Taking a deep breath, I walked up to the flower girl.
"Don't worry," Aerith reassured gently. "The water is clean now, thanks to the Lifestream's rain."
"It is?" I asked, doubt nagging at the back of my mind.
Aerith nodded. "The energy from the pure Lifestream neutralized the water tainted with Sephiroth's will as well as the Geostigmatic plague on the Planet."
It took me a minute to figure out what she had said. "So, the Lifestream is what cured my Geostigma?" I asked, amazed. "But, Cloud said that the people thought the Lifestream caused it!"
"That's not entirely true," Aerith said, "The Lifestream was tainted in a great battle. The Planet was only trying to defend itself, which it succeeded in, but it picked up the stigma in the process."
Great battle? What could she be talking about? Then, something occurred to me, detouring my focus. "You led me all the way down here just to tell me this?"
Aerith tilted her head to one side and giggled, though her smile was genuine. "The Planet has taken a liking to you," she answered, and with that, her form rippled and began to fade away.
"Wait!" I called. I still had so many questions for her! But, the place where Aerith stood was now empty, with only the smell of flowers lingering on the light wind.
I sighed and looked into the spring. The water was perfectly clear, sparkling in the light of the sun. Far below the surface, yellow flowers grew in full bloom. "Why are there flowers at the bottom of the lake?" I asked myself. It was possible for flowers to grow underwater, but never that deep.
Fascinated, I leaned forward to get a better look at the beautiful blooms. My face was inches above the smooth surface of the spring when a tiny glint of white light caught my attention. It was no larger than a speck, but somehow, my eyes were drawn to it over anything else in the water.
"That's weird," I whispered, squinting to see better. The white speck was now pulsating with a hypnotic, green light, as if it were calling for me, inviting me closer. But what on Earth-or Gaia-was it?
I glanced up at the light staircase. There was no sign of Cloud anywhere. Maybe he was still searching the upper level. Satisfied, I looked down at the spring again, when a sudden force jerked me towards the water. It wasn't too strong, but it got my attention, as if an excited kid was trying to show me something of interest.
That did it! I had to know what was down there! I held my hand out over the surface of the water and concentrated my energy into my fingertips, creating a tractor beam. The peculiar object should have come shooting out of the water into my open hand, but, though the surface of the water was disturbed somewhat, the tiny white thing didn't move at all.
"Hm, that usually works…" I muttered to myself. Whatever was down there wanted me to come get it. The more I stared down at the object, the stronger its beckoning became. "Well, I guess it couldn't hurt to take a quick look underwater."
Heart fluttering with anxiety and excitement, I took off my shoes and socks and set them along with my sword at the edge of the spring. Hesitating for only a second, I sucked in a deep breath of air and jumped,
Though I expected it to be freezing to begin with, I flinched as the cold liquid washed over my head, completely burying me. As I dove deeper, the water became colder. Thanks to my powers, I could breathe underwater for extended periods of time, but not forever. The lake wasn't too deep, so I could have a look around the bottom before I had to go up for air. But, with so many things to look at, I didn't want to break the surface anytime soon.
Silvery fish darted around me as I swam along the lake bottom. My fingers brushed up against soft, smooth, yellow petals, but the flowers were warm, and only slightly moist, as if they were being protected from the full force of the water.
My eyes flicked this way and that, searching for the white speck. But the lake was huge! How was I going to find it? Maybe it had something to do with the flowers? They were only growing in one spot in the entire lake, after all. That had to be it. With a powerful kick, I swam closer to the yellow blooms, wondering just what was preserving them.
By this time, my chest tightened and my body tingled from the cold. But, I wouldn't be underwater much longer. I just had to get that thing that had called out to me.
Then, I saw it! A few feet away, nestled between patches of flowers, was a miniscule, round orb of some kind.
Propelling myself through the chilly water, I reached out towards the mysterious white thing. Warmth spread through my fingers as they closed around the small, hard object. Mine at last!
However, I had barely picked the thing up, when a familiar voice sounded in my mind. It was both calm and level, yet sinister and deadly, able to pierce my mind like a dart.
"Oh, no, it won't be that easy."
A vision of the silver-haired man swam before my mind, and I shuddered when I discovered who the voice belonged to. I hoped I wouldn't be seeing him this soon. I quickly shook my head to clear it and started swimming to the surface of the spring.
Suddenly, a sharp jolt pricked my heart and my chest constricted. I kicked harder, but the water around me seemed to become denser, as if I were swimming in Jell-O.
What was happening? I struggled and thrashed, but my arms and legs felt as heavy as lead. Every muscle in my body ached with each movement as I fought to reach the surface, and my lungs felt like they would burst!
With all my will, I called on the light in my heart for strength, or for some way to escape the water that held me bound. But, I didn't get any stronger or teleport to the surface! The light in my heart didn't even spark!
I gasped for air, unable to hold my breath any longer. Liquid ice poured into my lungs and bubbles streamed from my mouth and floated to the top of the water. The surface of the spring was still at least ten feet away. Desperately, I pushed myself upward, but my movements slowed down tremendously. Panic clouded my thoughts. My vision darkened, my head drooped forward and I drifted towards the bottom of the spring, down… down…
Had I already failed in the quest to stop Sephiroth? Would I be doomed to stay underwater with the warm, yellow flowers forever?
Then, at that moment, a powerful arm hooked around my waist, jerking me upward through the water with all the force of a torpedo.
The next thing I knew, I was lying on my back on the hard ground. My head and chest felt tight, as if pressure had been exerted on them. Something seemed to be blocking the wind, and after a moment, I managed to open my eyes.
Cloud leaned over me, his chest heaving as if he had completed a marathon. His dark clothes were soaked, and water dripped from his hair onto my face. Some of the soldier's gear was scattered, as if it had been carelessly discarded, and his gaze was fixed on me, but I couldn't tell if he was angry or worried.
"I'm s-sorry," I choked out between coughs, now shivering because of the chilly air.
Cloud gazed at me for a moment, and his expression softened. "Don't move," he ordered, catching my attempt to sit up.
The soldier crawled over to his pack, probably intent on grabbing a healing potion for me, but, I wanted to try my powers again. I barely had to concentrate before my healing energy kicked in. A warm feeling circulated through me, as if I had just eaten some of my mom's homemade potato soup, and I sat up with ease.
"Oh, so now my powers decide to work," I muttered under my breath. Had they stopped because I teleported earlier? Or did it have something to do with Sephiroth? I remembered Akaela saying that sometimes villains could use one cosmic defender's powers to override another. Had Sephiroth used Anti-Junior's powers to override my ability to breathe underwater? I shivered. That was too scary to think about, but it seemed the most likely, considering the voice I had heard.
Then, in a rush of excitement, I remembered why I had gone into the water in the first place! I opened my hand to examine my find.
The object was perfectly round, like a marble, and about the size of a golf ball, though slightly smaller. It felt glossy smooth, and sunlight shimmered on its white, reflective, surface. I held the little orb between my fingers, testing it for any magical energy, but I didn't feel anything.
Weird. I was sure it had been pulsating with light a few minutes ago, but there was nothing mystical about it now. I concentrated harder, trying to feel the slightest signs of magic from within the orb, but I didn't detect anything. Had I put two lives in danger for an ordinary, white marble? Maybe some Cetra child had thrown it into the lake or something.
It took a few moments before it sank in. Thinking about my mistake made my stomach hurt. What would Cloud think of what I had done? I had come along to help him, but instead, my dive in the spring had delayed our quest to the North Crater.
Disappointed and a little angry at myself, I raised my clenched fist to throw the white object back into the spring when I felt a slight tug on my arm, as if some force was pleading for me not to let go. Puzzled, I lowered my arm and stared at the marble in my hand. I guess it couldn't hurt to hang onto it, but it would serve as a reminder of the ancient city and my near-doom experience in the spring.
Having retrieved what he was looking for, Cloud turned to face me. I closed my hand around the marble, hiding it from him. I feared the soldier would be angry. But, instead, he gazed at me with soft eyes.
"Are you all right?" Cloud asked, holding a little bottle of blue potion out to me.
I took the bottle, but didn't drink. "Yeah." I answered, putting on my socks and shoes and standing up.
"Why did you come here?" the soldier asked seriously.
I lowered my head and kept my mouth shut, not wanting to tell him about what I had found. But then, thinking I should say something, I blurted the first thing that came to my mind. "I saw someone."
Cloud, who had already proceeded to retrieve his gear, stopped what he was doing and faced me. "Who?" he asked, eyes darting back and forth.
"Aerith," I answered quietly. "She led me to the spring, but… I think it was all a trap."
Cloud balled his hands into fists, suddenly angry. "She wouldn't do that!" he declared defensively.
My eyes grew wide with shock at Cloud's outburst. I thought of my last statement and realized how it could have been taken the wrong way. "I know she wouldn't," I amended calmly, "but, Sephiroth would."
Silence hung over us like a void, then Cloud gathered up the rest of his gear. "Let's go. Sephiroth is still waiting."
I grabbed my sword from the edge of the water, put the white marble in my pocket, and followed the blonde warrior. What had made Cloud go off like that? Had he known Aerith from somewhere? Based on how quick he was to defend her, they must have been good friends. But, had something happened to her? Was this why Cloud was so upset? Because she was… in the Lifestream?
We had made it halfway up the light staircase, when suddenly, a warm feeling enveloped me and I heard a strange voice. It was a gentle whisper, like the wind, and cool, like water. Yet, there was power buried within its softness, like a sleeping volcano.
"You've come,"
I stopped short and looked around, puzzled. The entire city was deserted except for Cloud and me, but the voice was so potent that I was sure I'd heard it. "Where… are you?" I whispered, thinking that whoever spoke was around somewhere.
I wasn't expecting to get a response, however, so I was pretty flustered when the voice spoke again.
"Here."
My heart beat faster in my chest. "Where?" I asked, a little louder. There was a pause, as if the entity was thinking, then I got a strange response.
"Just… here."
This thought rolled around in my head for a few moments when I looked up. Cloud was already at the top of the stairs, gazing back at me. I hurried to catch up with him.
"What kept you?" he asked patiently.
"Sorry," I said, trying to catch my breath. "I just… thought I heard a voice."
Cloud nodded. "Yeah, that happens here..."
"It does?"
"Some kind of ancient Cetra magic."
"Hm, maybe." But, I had heard the Cetra whispers, and this voice didn't sound like that. It sounded older, more powerful. What was it? And why had it decided to wait until now to talk to me? What did it want from me?
We continued walking past the glowing crystals and seashell buildings, headed for the outskirts of the city.
"Oh, thanks for the save back there," I said. "If it weren't for you, Sephiroth would have overpowered me."
"Sephiroth?" The blonde warrior turned back to the city of the ancients. His blue eyes were overcome with pain and fury, but his voice betrayed neither of those emotions. "Not the first time he was here…"
Cloud continued onward, and we left the city with its underwater, yellow flowers behind.
A/N: Thanks for reading! Don't know when this will be updating next. But, other stories will be updating soon.
