OF A PURE HEART, A FALLEN KNIGHT AND THE ONE – WINGED ANGELS

----------------------------------------- Disclaimer: ------------------------------------------

To the Reader and the Lawyers:

Final Fantasy VII, and all the characters, including Aeris and Sephiroth, Cloud, Tifa, Barret, Vincent, Yuffie, Red, Cid, Cait Sith (Reeve), Ifalna, Professor Gast, Lucrecia, Professor Hojo Frankenstein, Jenova the Mad, Rufus (any anyone I may have inadvertently missed out) are property of Square Enix Co, formerly Squaresoft LLC. Tell me if my disclaimer ain't good enough. I will reward you with a few thousand Chibi - Aeriths dosed to the nines with Hypers, and they shall hug you and squeeze you and kiss you and have a lot of fun with you (you know how… challenging Chibi - Aeriths are from the humour fanfics here).

To other Fanfic Writers (This is more important!) Plagiarism Note:

There are a lot of Aeriseph fanfics around here. I've tried my best to stay as original as possible, but it's a bit hard to write this type of story without treading on someone's toes by accident along the line. Please, if you feel that I may have 'borrowed' some of your concepts or ideas by mistake, notify me immediately. Email a "cease and desist" message to me, point out where I have gone wrong, and I will act immediately to remove or modify the offending section(s).

Thank you very, very much for your understanding and tolerance.

OK, let's mosey, man!

--------------------------------------- End of Disclaimer: ---------------------------------------

TERMINATE AND STAY RESIDENT EVIL

He stared into the mirror, the full – length oracle before him, showing him who was the ugliest of them all.

There was a faint whirring of machinery, and a clawed hand came up, flexing its metal fingers slowly, hesitantly. Another buzzing sound was heard, and its counterpart could now be seen. This was no hand, but a powerful gatling gun with four long barrels each the length of a man's forearm. Apart from those robotic attachments, the rest of his arms up to the shoulders were still intact, but they were now scarred and pitted, bulging with angry red and purple keloids.

He looked down at his chest. Only a small portion of it was now made of skin and flesh. The damage that had been done to him had been so far – reaching, so absolute that almost all of his internal organs had been surgically removed and replaced by machines that hummed and beeped without ceasing. All of his daily needs were satisfied by a set of two small canisters mounted on his shoulders, one a miniature Mako reactor to power his life – support equipment, the other a container for nutrient fluid to sustain the parts of him that were still human. A third canister was mounted on the small of his back, containing his bodily wastes. A large metal plate now occupied what was once his abdomen, and a small instrument panel was mounted in the centre, having a small display screen to give readouts of his vital signs along with several push buttons that were supposed to regulate his equipment to give him 'maximum comfort'. Two 'wings', each containing a rocket pack and an antigravity device, had been installed behind his shoulders, and with a quick mental command to the systems that controlled his body functions, he could take to the air to surprise his would – be adversaries. Like a small fighter jet, several missiles had been attached to his 'wingtips', giving him the attack power of a squad of SOLDIERs.

Humanity recovered itself below the waist, and from the metal chassis that contained his 'vitals' jutted out two raw and reddened legs, one of which had been spared the brunt of his injuries, and the other terminating at the kneecap. Another prosthetic device, large and three – toed, had been mounted over the latter, and he had to wear another one over his good leg so that he could balance himself. He could walk, he could run, and he could fly, and he was now certainly faster and more mobile than the average person, but now his movements would forever be accompanied by those whining whirring and clanking sounds of machinery that he detested so much.

At last he looked straight at the mirror, forcing himself to finish his visual inspection of this tortured body. His skull had been cracked open by the attack that had ended his natural life, and now he was wearing a pneumatically sealed helmet that covered what was left of his head to protect his brain from infection. A transparent triangular faceplate set into this shell was now his window to the world. Behind it, he was completely unrecognisable. He could not see anything but a bloody, jelly – like mass of muscle and blood vessels. His eyeballs, bereft of their sockets, were now pressed firmly against the glass plate, scanning the mirror fervently. That was the only thing left of his face.

So… this monstrosity I see in the mirror was once the most handsome and desirable man on the Planet, the richest and most envied person in history… now I have nothing. I am not even a human being now.

This is how far the New Age President Rufus Shinra has fallen.

It was a miracle that he had survived the blaze of destruction caused by Diamond Weapon, whose attack had obliterated the top storeys of Shinra Headquarters. He had been in a coma for three months, and when he awakened, he had discovered that he had become a walking collection of mechanical devices. And in the meantime, his enemies had grown strong, blindly assuming that "the whipper – snapper" who'd taken over his father's company at such a young age was dead and gone, that his empire was ripe for the taking! Those insolent fools. They did not know that he had been granted control over the Planet by right of succession, and now they had callously gone ahead to steal the world from underneath his nose. This was a truly unforgivable insult… and he promised himself that he would make them bleed. They would suffer for pressing his face into the dirt and kicking him when he was down… even as he was suffering now, smarting still with this stinging affront.

He felt his muscles tense, his claw open and close, those two eyes bulge and redden, his machines whirring into overdrive whenever he thought of those usurpers to his power, those pathetic rebels who, if not for an unlucky chance, would have been ground under his heels by now. He had underestimated those eight terrorists, believed that those bandits who had dared to destroy his Mako reactors and foil his plans to harness the Promised Land's energy could not possibly survive his wrath, and he had lost his empire, his business and his Planet, his birthright, for that one costly mistake.

What were they doing now? They were even now enjoying the fruits of the victory that he promised himself he would personally turn to ashes. That disgruntled employee of his, the man whom Scarlet and Heidegger had warned him about, had profited a lot from his downfall. Now that Midgar was destroyed, that double agent was now leader of the township of Kalm, making it become larger and more prosperous than it once was. So that pompous city planner was trying to become a ruler too, draining away the profits that were rightfully Shinra and the President's? That snake with a goatee would have to be dragged unceremoniously to a "heart – to – heart talk" with him… and he would be shown the hand of Shinra justice.

There was the man with a claw, that failed Turk, another of the mad scientist's more dangerous experiments let loose upon the world. Amazingly, the red – eyed demon was more sane and human than some of Hojo's Mako monsters, and now, even that genetic mutant was twice the man he was now. Vincent Valentine, too, had delusions of grandeur, and had taken control of that ghost town that no one had ever thought of any importance. The walking corpse would die a second time, once he'd allowed that weirdo to fully experience the agonies of a ghost in a titanium shell…

Speaking about scientific experiments, he'd heard that one more plaything of Hojo's was still at large… that strange lion creature that was dubbed "XIII" by the addlebrained professor. That research specimen had now appointed itself as the "guardian" of that hole called "Cosmo Canyon". His father had ignored that mountain colony at his own peril, for it was there that the rebel group Avalanche was formed and originally based. There was pure talent waiting there to be taken, and once that animal that pretended to be intelligent was taken out, he could blow up that little hidey – hole, stamp out the embers of resistance forever. He would make use of those eggheads silly enough to waste their time there. If they refused… they would become the exhibits being studied. The rest would surely accept his generous terms. Oh, and that exotic creature's hide would make a tasteful welcome mat.

Wutai had been one of Shinra's many vassal states, and now with his apparent "death", the people in that backwater province had decided to break fealty with him, with that doddering old man Godo in the lead, and that hyperactive, wet – behind – the – ears teenager who still had her mother's smell on her. He would teach those foolish churls that to disobey the will of Shinra was to court destruction. Godo would be easy to take care of. That senile fool would die soon, and he wouldn't even have to lift a clawed finger to make it happen. It was the little chit of a girl that was dangerous, that young fry of treachery. As long as she survived, she would be a threat to his dominance. She would be terminated cruelly, painfully and publicly.

And there was that pilot, that ingrate who had been living off his father's… no, his funds for many years for those failed projects. The Highwind, the Tiny Bronco, the Shinra No. 26 were all paid for using Shinra money, and that two – timing airman had repaid the company by stealing his airship at Junon and turning it into the rebels' base of operations. This lousy rogue would die broken and penniless. He would force the 'Captain', that self – proclaimed head of Rocket Town to watch that little settlement being torn apart, every girder and kitchen sink sold for scrap, every last resident sent into slavery to pay for all those acts of embezzlement.

The terrorist who had started it all was also still alive. Once he had scoffed at the idea that this mere cripple could lead a revolt, poking fun at the man's gun – arm, but who was really disabled now? He had seen how that anarchist had personally torn down his Mako reactors piece by piece, destroying everything Shinra had stood for, guffawing happily while at the job of destroying his business empire. Now the founder of Avalanche had renounced all subversive activities and decided to live peacefully in Kalm with a little girl and a wretched old hag who was crying herself to death over that stupid Ancient. Shinra had put food on the table and gil into the pocket of Barret Wallace, but apparently the knave had forgotten. The cutthroat was thinking that the past could be left behind now that everything was over… that would be a fatal mistake he would exploit to the fullest. He had already decided that this failed coal miner would not fall in a blaze of gunfire from his gatling gun, but beneath it, bludgeoned to death.

Finally… there was the leader of that little party, the most dangerous one of them all… yet another of Hojo's little experiments gone wrong. If he had been President instead of that fat old man he never wanted to call his father, he would have shot the bumbling scientist long ago. Not only was this Cloud as strong and powerful as the great Sephiroth, but that SOLDIER – reject was charismatic and strong – willed, a natural leader and an obvious person to head a revolt against his rule. His first priority had been to track that man down, but it had been very hard indeed, as the former rank – and – file Shinra guard had become a wandering swordsman, along with that buxom female terrorist his silly guards still fantasised about. He knew that he could never have peace until Cloud Strife was removed permanently. There would be no other cocks in the yard except him.

At last he was finally able to take the first step to right the terrible wrongs that had been done unto him. They would all die, as they were the ones that had most tenaciously resisted his rise to power. Only with them safely out of the way would he be able to become the undisputed ruler of the Planet again, owner of the largest company in the world, controller of the lives and deaths of every single human being and animal.

As soon as Avalanche was crushed, the rest of his opponents would fall swiftly like dominoes. The people who populated this Planet, like the lowlifes of the Midgar slums, were all cowardly and weak – willed, and once their leaders were dead, when all voices of dissent were silenced, they would be wholly his to rule. They would not even complain.

Once he was in power again, he would begin anew his New Age leadership with a vengeance. Any nation that had refused to embrace Shinra and Mako power would be destroyed without another thought. He would put to the torch every city, every town, every village that had chosen to abandon his regime, and he would give their women to his guards, and send their children to work in the reactors and power stations. Every last person who dared do as little as hesitate to follow his orders would be put to the sword. He would hunt down and kill every rebel one by one, and he would televise their dying agonies and their bloody faces worldwide, letting everyone on the Planet understand that whoever opposed him would die a slow and tortuous death, a death worthy of a traitor. He would use fear to rule the hearts and minds of the people. He wanted posters, newspapers, magazines, radio dramas, web sites, television programmes and films about the greatness of his rule and the complete and utter futility of any form of opposition. He would make the silent and dim – witted masses follow him, cower before him and revere him. The world had spurned him – and now he would let everybody feel his wrath anew.

Rufus turned, and picked up a sheet of paper that had been left on his table only minutes before by a pitiful guard with a wet stain on his pants. They were frightened of him, scared stiff at the sight of his deformities, afraid that they would suffer a fate worse than death if they failed him. That was a good sign, and better things would come.

When he had finished reading the contents of the missive, he laughed for the first time since his wounding at the hands of Weapon, his voice synthesisers emitting a cold, hollow, monotone boom sanitised of all emotion. It seemed that Avalanche had decided to organise a little reunion in Kalm, and every member was already en route to attend that gathering. He had been prepared for a grueling and painstaking process to eliminate those rebels, but they had willingly set a trap for themselves. This time, he would give them no quarter. There would be no prisoners taken.

He clenched his fist, watching with grim and morbid fascination as the paper was slowly crushed and compressed under his iron fist, like the people of this world that had risen up against him, its rightful ruler. Slowly and deliberately he increased the pressure, just as he would make the entire Planet's worth of cheaters pay him back, in full and with compounded interest. And when he finally relented, when he finally relinquished his grip, the A4 – sized paper dropped to the floor as quickly as a stone, no bigger than a pinhead.

His thoughts suddenly fell apart in a blaze of searing pain. His vision blurred, and bright yellow stars appeared before him, fading in and out. Fortunately, the agony was brief, disappearing as quickly as it had started. He had suffered permanent brain damage as a result of his injuries, and now he was forced to suffer from those 'attacks' every now and then, and there was no way to prevent them. Another reason for him to seek revenge on the world.

But this time the pain had jolted his ailing mind, providing him with a brainwave, an even more cunning plan. No. He was going about it the wrong way. It was better to capture all of them alive. They would serve a better purpose as part of his plans. He could keep them in his power forever, under his foot for all time. Those little insects were special indeed, useful in their own little way…

He pressed a small communications button on his chest plate.

"Send Reno and the Turks to me."

"Y…Y… Yes S – Sir!" the blubbering voice complied even before Rufus had finished giving his command.

They would know fear.

A/N: This is but a short "interlude" chapter before the next stage of the story, but it serves its little purpose well as a plot advancer. Ever liked the cartoon "Exosquad"? I got the idea of a cyborg Rufus from seeing Phaeton in a robotic suit. I hope my characterisation of Rufus comes out all right here, he always seems to be the arrogant sort, yet secretly burning with cold and calculated fury. Rufus fans, If you have tips on how I can improve Mr. Shin - Ra, I'll be willing to listen. I admit I've been lazy, and I haven't really done an in - depth character study on him.

Despite its brevity, I still had some technical difficulties cranking out this one. The word "he" at all times refers to Rufus, and I had to try to be a little creative with names and descriptions of the Avalanche characters in order to avoid confusion with that "he" word, otherwise there would be quite a bit of confusion as to which character is being referred to I guess.

Now, my reviewers, thankfully you did not have to wait so long (or read so much) this time to reach this section… I have counted 32 reviews so far, thank you everyone!

To Crow T R0bot:

Hmmm… I guess I was being unintentionally ironic here. The Professor is referring to his past life on the Planet, of course, but even in heaven, he can't forget about the mistakes he committed. He tried to sweep them under the carpet too, but he couldn't run away from it at any rate. Who are the actors here? Sephiroth is obviously a screwed up guy behind that arrogant and confident façade of his, what about Aeris?

I think I'll stick with Hojo as Sephy's dad, as per what I said earlier. Well… it's so darned unfortunate that you were affected by the mammoth blackout too. Is the power up already? Thankfully, I do not live in this area. I hate it when my air conditioning fails to function and when my fridge stops chilling my lard. I live outside the US (here's a hint: This country was once called "a little red dot").

Thanks for the hint about unblocking the review restrictions, I guess they wanted to protect users against anonymous flames, but (at least to me) I would consider the number of reviews received for a story a pretty good indicator of its popularity, so let's hope I see a hike in kudos soon!

Palmer… he probably retired after the rocket launch to refill his stores of lard (no doubt the impact of the truck must have caused some traumatic liposuction to occur).

To Arcander:

Wow… you actually love mush! Then keep on reading! I like writing mush! Well, I guess that since Aeris is as sweet and forgiving as a goddess, it would be a given that she'd forgive him for his crimes, but I wouldn't let Sephy have it so easy in this story, eh? Aeris just does a better job of keeping it under the surface. She knows that he's innocent, and she certainly tries to cut him some slack, but she can't help but blame him just a bit for, erm, killing her.

To Talon Dragonfriend:

Mmm… Sephiroth the psycho… I would say that he's too confused and he doesn't know what's right and what's wrong already, and he strives to find something to stand on, and he won't budge until he's really really sure that it's all right to take a leap of faith. Shows how truly warped my state of mind is=)

Oh, and thanks for the kudos… I am an Aeris fanboy, after all, and I always wanted to write something nifty about her… Yay!

To Starling94:

Relax, read the story, and why don't you let me take care of the criticism, hmm? This is part and parcel of writing, and a little negative criticism is always healthy.

I love FFVIII too… you could place Cloud and Aeris in the lead characters' place and they wouldn't be OOC at all! "I'll be there… waiting for you…" is something Aeris would probably say, if only she'd said that to Cloud at the end, it would have made a real difference.

Man, I can't believe that you are referring me! bows This is too great an honour! I see some new faces already, hope I don't disappoint them!

To the Constructicons:

"CONSTRUCTICONS! Merge to form DEVASTATOR!"

The Transformers was one of my fave cartoons, along with Exosquad and Robotech. Devastator was darned cool, I say.

It's nice to receive praise from even the bad guys! Good luck in your creative endeavours! And when all else fails, kill, crush and destroy!

Oh… I will do my best not to disappoint you, of course, but I would not advise you to destroy my place of residence… or else I shall use this nifty device called the Robo - Smasher and turn you all back into goody - goody paragons of Autobot virtue!

To Starfall4790:

Here is another update for you! Now you shall see more of the plot! It's all right to be obsessive, just try not to be compulsive as well!

To DClick, Sekani, Aikaya, Epsilon, Avida et al:

Don't you think Sephiroth in Kingdom Hearts rocks? He looks way better than Cloud. The black - feathered wing suits him, but I think the bat wing is just as good, just make it a lot bigger that's all.

It was so nice of Square to have Cloud and Aerith get together at the end of KH, giving them the chance they never had… I had this sick feeling that the flower girl would get killed somewhere along the way. See, it is "a love that can be" after all. But why would Square choose to call her Aerith instead of Aeris even in the English version? Is this to differentiate the Aerith of Hollow Bastion from the Aeris who died saving the Planet? In that case, why not call Sephiroth as, erm, (I'm not sure of his Japanese translation, sorry, but you get my point). Too bad that this is an AU, and that Aeris still remains dead in the original story, hence the need for all the heroes and heroines who champion the Aeris Resurrection cause!

Don't worry if you aren't too fond of your stories, the more you improve, the more you will feel proud of your work. I felt a bit like that when I placed the first few chapters on the site, now I'm trying to act shameless already. "Be strong".

Too bad I'm already occupied with this fic… "Save Aeris from the Shin - Ra Electric Power Company" is really too good an idea to turn down…

Take care, everybody! Don't fight for the beds!