Disclaimer: Guess what: Squaresoft still owns Sephiroth and Aeris, nothing has changed for the past month! Unbelievable, isn't it? (A little bit of sarcasm makes my life brighter…)

Author's Notes: I'm terribly sorry for making you wait so long for Chapter 10, but my duties at school effectively kept me from continuing this fic. However, I'm back and - hopefully - I won't disappear again. Anybody still remembers "No choice left"?

Thanks for all your reviews so far! Have fun reading this chapter!

* * *

A poorly visible rainbow started to appear on the sky as Sephiroth was sitting on the edge of an old well, situated in the middle of a backyard that was surrounded by a high wall made of roughly cut stones.

At least it's not raining anymore, he thought absently.

A short, passing, and yet violent thunderstorm descended upon Sétif last night, but now it was only a memory. Mists were starting to rise. The air, very hot and humid, smelled of moisture, spruce and jasmine. Somewhere in the distance, the bells started to ring, tirelessly announcing the world that it was already ten o'clock in the morning.

Sephiroth sighed. Eating a tart green apple, he was carelessly looking round, with a sign of boredom written all over his face. However, his perfect self-composure was deceitful and had nothing to do with his true feelings. A familiar nervousness was raising inside his chest and it made him almost sick, feeling that way. Nevertheless, he managed to keep his expression calm, while he was slowly chewing his apple. He was alone. Waiting.

He didn't have to wait long, though. The expected visitor appeared as quickly and unnoticeably as ever. When Sephiroth looked up he was just squatting on the high wall, looking down at him with those purple, intelligent eyes that were able to see much more than they should.

Sephiroth was slightly unnerved with the Räelans' ability to move so stealthy, but he didn't let it show. He slowly finished the sour apple and tossed the core at the mossy wall. Then he stood up and brushed the nonexistent speck of dust from his black pants. The alien waited calmly, without betraying and hints of impatience, still crouching, with his head gently tilted to the side and his eyes narrowed, watching Sephiroth with a concealed curiosity…

of a predator

He brushed his uneasiness aside, as well as a few strands of silvery-white hair, and turned to the alien, cold and composed as ever.

"Aren't you coming?" he asked without using his lips.

With an incredible speed the Räelan leaped of the wall, and rushed towards the ground, landing on his feet. Sephiroth watched him in silence. Irrespective of how much alien blood there was in his veins, he had been brought up on the basis of human standards of beauty, so he could only find the creature disgusting. Fascinating, perhaps, but revolting, nonetheless.

"Are they aware of my visit?" the alien asked, not moving from the place he had landed, as if waiting for Sephiroth to invite him to come any closer.

"Yes." the man answered slowly, clearly hesitating. No matter how much it annoyed him, he knew that trying to hide his feelings from the alien was pointless, so he didn't even bother to conceal his distrust. "Do you imagine how this meeting would look like?"

The alien was silent for a while, as if reconsidering his strategy. "Tell them what needs to be told." he asked. It sounded rather like an order than a plea.

"It would make me appear siding with you." Sephiroth frowned briefly. The idea of becoming the Räelans' spokesman didn't surprise him at all - he was clever enough to expect it - but he was loathe to become one.

"Don't you?" the emotion contained in this telepathic message was the equivalent of a wink. "You feel somehow… obliged to help me, don't you? Am I correct?"

"Stop reading my thoughts when I'm not paying attention and be quiet, or I won't help you at all." he turned around and started to walk in the building's direction, gesturing at the Räelan to follow. "I just want to get it over with. You know it's quite an unpleasant situation for everyone." the alien snorted in response. "What's so funny?" Sephiroth smiled maliciously, though not with his lips. "You're alone and outnumbered. One false move and they'll kill you."

"I'm not that easy to kill, child."

Sephiroth winced and scowled, this time also physically. "Child!?"

The mixture of memories and emotions that crossed Sephiroth's head at once ostensibly perplexed the alien. "What's wrong?" he asked in concern.

"Don't call me that." the man gave him a dirty look.

"Why? I didn't mean to offend you, but you're simply much younger than I am, still a child, according to the standards of our race. What's wrong with calling you-"

"Don't!" Sephiroth interrupted him. "It just… doesn't sound right…"

"Jenova? Who's Jenova?" the Räelan became interested.

Sephiroth stopped dead in his tracks and abruptly turned to the alien. With some effort he resisted the urge to shout the words loud. "I told you not to read my mind!"

* * *

When they entered the crowded chamber, silence welcomed them. It was plainly visible that everyone felt uneasy in the alien's presence. Perhaps due to the fact that the creature was two meters tall and therefore taller than any human being, or perhaps due to its repulsive looks.

Valagar's face was blank, devoid of any emotion, Kyro, however, didn't bother to mask his aversion. Aeris was silent. Being easily the most frightened person in the room, due to her past experiences with Jenova, she managed to stay composed. Other people were visibly afraid and sickly interested at the same time, apprehensive about meeting the beast. Sephiroth could see how they were craning their necks to see the 'monster' better. To his own surprise it made him feel angry as well.

"I don't like the way that this beast is looking at me." Ongi whispered to a man who stood next to him.

"Why are they so afraid and hateful?" the alien asked, appearing really surprised.

Sephiroth's answer was painfully sarcastic. "Make a guess."

The alien walked up to the throne, coming to a halt only a few meters in front of it. Sephiroth stopped there as well and then backed a little, not particularly thrilled with the thought of being in the center of attention. No, he wasn't exceptionally shy, but right now he didn't like the position he found himself in. Everyone was staring at the alien in open-mouthed wonder.

"What do you want?" Ongi asked, gripping the arm of his throne so hard that his knuckles became white. Try as he might, he couldn't remain indifferent to the fact that a large, deadly dangerous beast stood only a few meters away. Sephiroth frowned.

"He won't kill you." he spoke in a low voice.

"Let us hope so." one of the noblemen said. "Please, speak."

Sephiroth took a deep breath, wondering how much time he had left, before everyone would start to yell in protest. "They wish to settle here…"

"It's not a plea. We demand it." the Räelan corrected, but Sephiroth ignored the remark.

"…starting a new colony." he finished, disregarding the audible gasps of the people as well. "Their world is overcrowded and badly polluted, so they set out to find an suitable planet that could become their new home. After many decades of travelling, they found Sandalya and…"

"But why do they have to stay right here?" the duke interrupted. "Don't they see the planet is inhabited?"

"And its ecosystem already established?" Valagar added thoughtfully. "Every new species may cause a mayor disturbance…"

They don't see it's already inhabited, for they perceive humans as mere animals, Sephiroth thought, but he kept the thought to himself.

"They don't have a choice. Their ships need fuel, their holds have a limited capacity and their lives, though long, are not eternal. They need to find a new home very fast, which means they're staying here regardless of what you'd say, not asking about your opinion. And from now on they'll claim Sandalya as their own…"

"What!?" Ongi exclaimed, raising from his chair. "You're not serious, are you!?" the question was directed at Sephiroth, who slowly shook his head, folding his arms across his chest.

"I'm merely a translator here."

"I'll never agree to that! Tell him to get the hell out of here!!!" the duke exclaimed.

The Räelan made a combination of slurry noises that didn't sound very nice.

"Watch out, my lord." Sephiroth said dispassionately, at the same time warningly narrowing his eyes. "He understands your every single word. He might take your comments amiss."

The prince paled slightly.

"Hey, whose side you're on!?" Kyro suddenly started.

"Yours, if that interests you." Sephiroth answered equally fast, managing to hide his anger.

"Forget your personal affairs." the Räelan demanded impatiently. "Keep talking."

Sephiroth looked back at Ongi. "Either you will comply with those demands or you'll bring a war upon this world; a war that you will certainly lose, since you're devoid of both strength and technology, which make the Räelans so powerful. Surrender… or many of you will die, that's exactly what he says."

"Is this your last word?" Valagar spoke, stepping in front of the throne. The alien didn't answer and Sephiroth was silent as well. "Is it?" Valagar repeated.

"How do I say 'yes'?" the Räelan inquired.

Sephiroth sighed openly and looked straight into Valagar's eyes, wordlessly telling him he had nothing to do with the final outcome. "Move your head forward." he told the Räelan.

"Like this?" he slowly nodded his head. The prince and his people were silent.

"Why do you insist on staying here, instead of moving somewhere else?" Sephiroth asked at the same time. "I told you they're not animals… they'll fight for their home…"

"Our planet is dying, slowly, but surely. We need to leave it in order to survive."

"Unless you're deceiving me… and you just want to conquer Sandalya…"

"I'm not trying to win your compassion or to deceive you. What you've read in my mind is true. Words can deceive, but emotions cannot, and you know it."

Sephiroth looked up. The room was very noisy now, everyone was shouting; people were discussing the new situation among themselves. The Räelan made a loud noise that made everybody fell silent within a second.

"Your decision, my lord?" Sephiroth asked slowly.

"First you'll have to kill us!" Ongi shouted in his direction.

"Watch out, foolish human." the alien made a sudden step forward.

"Don't!" Sephiroth said sharply and the creature stopped, turning around to meet his intense, green eyes. "I advise you to be very careful." he addressed the prince and when he spoke, there was a threat in his voice. "He's taking your words very seriously." The silence fell once again. "Anyway." Sephiroth finished loudly and clearly. "He's just a messenger. He'll return to his ship now, leaving you some time to reconsider those words."

Without saying goodbye the Räelan spun around and noiselessly run out of the chamber. As soon as he disappeared, everyone began to curse and to argue, this time even louder than before.

"Do you realize what we have just done!? We should've stopped him!" Kyro snapped at nobody in particular.

"Why didn't you do it?" Movitriss answered coldly.

It's not my fault, Sephiroth thought. (I haven't provoked the Räelan and besides, trying to stop him is not my business…)

* * *

"Perhaps it's better for the Humans to be destroyed…"

Aeris and Kyro gaped at Valagar in pure shock. Movitriss' golden eyes widened. Sephiroth stirred as well, even though his surprise wasn't so visible. He continued to look at the garden through a large window, the only window in Valagar's chamber. Once more it was raining. Sephiroth was tired, tired of everything, but instead of drowning in this ridiculous exhaustion, he tried to concentrate on the discussion.

"What!?" Kyro exclaimed so loudly that he probably could have been heard outside the chamber as well. "The Humans were always our allies… they're our grandsons and our heritage!"

Movitriss, though equally shocked, knew better than to judge the head of the Council recklessly. "What are you talking about, Valagar…?" she asked slowly.

The old man sat down on a wooden stool. "Let's assume the Humans would keep Sandalya, then. From now on, we have two options. The first one is to persuade the Räelans to travel farther and find a different planet with appropriate conditions to settle down. Such planets still exist; finding one of them is only a matter of time. However, the nearest place that meets such requirements is the Promised Land and they may eventually end their journey there, since they're running short of patience… and fuel."

"So… telling them to leave Sandalya means a danger for the Promised Land…?" Aeris asked, walking up to the window, where Sephiroth stood.

"Yes." Valagar nodded.

"What's the second possibility, then?"

"You already know the solution, don't you?" Movitriss answered bitterly.

"We have to kill them all." Kyro voiced the unspoken thought. Quite unusually, there was no sarcasm or hatred in his voice, just a strange seriousness.

"…Which is hardly possible." Valagar completed. "Starting a war between the Cetra and the Räelans would be a folly…"

"They're dangerous." Aeris sighed.

"Which means we should kill the humans instead? Because they're relatively defenseless and weak, compared to that race of predators?" both indignation and astonishment shone in Movitriss' eyes.

Kyro shook his head. "Everything went crazy."

"There are no alternatives. We let them stay here or we'll have to get rid of them all."

"Wipe out one race or another?" Sephiroth asked, turning away from the window. "Doesn't that sound too simple…?

Valagar looked him straight in the eye. "We will do what in my opinion is the best for the Promised Land."

* * *

I have to eliminate the Cetra before it's too late, Patrick thought, squatting down on the roof, touching its rough surface with his left hand. (They think they can dictate us the rules, tell us what to do… They care nothing for Sandalya. I need to get rid of them… fast, before they'll destroy everything with their ignorance.)

He silently watched the courtyard, waiting for a few servants to disappear inside the palace.

(True, it was Evorinth, who gave me this order, but he's a mere fool who doesn't even realize half of this order's importance. Evorinth…) Patrick smirked. (What an idiot. He thinks he controls everything, while in fact I've been in charge of Haghia for the last four years. He's blissfully unaware of so many things. He doesn't even know I'm a magician…)

The three men entered the building, leaving the yard empty and unguarded. Patrick whispered something and stood up, squinting at the ground. Then he jumped.

I have my own motives, he thought, landing noiselessly and agilely on his feet. (…Which actually makes everything much easier.)

* * *

He found his first victim in a broad hallway, armed, but alone. Lost in his thoughts, Kyro intended to pass the stranger, but Patrick stepped into his path. This strategy wasn't actually the smartest one - the assassin should've attacked from the shadows, killing the unexpecting enemy at once - but Patrick was a proud and arrogant man, and he decided to show off his power instead.

"You'll be the first one to die." he said, at the same time realizing it sounded somewhat stupid.

"Excuse me?" the blonde frowned. "Who are you?"

Patrick didn't smile. "Does it even matter?"

"No…" Kyro admitted, sensing that the other man wasn't joking. He laid a hand on the sword's handle. "…It doesn't really matter."

"A sword? Not even magical?" Patrick shrugged. "Killing you will be easier than I thought."

"A sword is often more powerful than magic." Kyro riposted, narrowing his brown eyes.

"Nonsense!" the magician laughed, jumping a few steps back to cast a spell as soon as possible, before the enemy would get any closer.

Kyro threw himself at Patrick, but the sorcerer was faster. Crossing his fingers, he waved his hand in the air with an eye-escaping speed, sending several ice bolts in Kyro's direction. The young warrior leaped to the left, hurriedly drawing his sword. With a furious scream he crossed the remaining distance, aiming a blow at Patrick's chest. The magician parried the blow with his iron staff. Iron meet silver with a loud clash; sparks flew. Patrick managed not to lose his footing, even though he held the staff with his right hand only. With the other, he started to draw a complicated pattern in the air. His lips moved, but not a single word was uttered. He kept his eyes fixed on Kyro's brown, determined ones. Realizing he had not much time left, the younger fighter pushed harder, making the sorcerer take a step back.

"Flame arrow" Patrick shouted.

Kyro succeeded in parrying the spell with his sword, but its impetus made him loose his balance. With a muffled gasp, he stumbled backward, and yet he momentarily leaped up, jumping in the air just in time to avoid another fire arrow that engraved a deep trace in the stone floor, hitting the base of a column and blowing into hundreds of miniscule flames. Another bolt barely missed his side as the young warrior did a stunningly quick twist in the air. Patrick cursed under his breath.

"Enough of these games." he frowned.

Suddenly a thunder appeared just under the gothic vault and a second later it hit Kyro with such force that the young man screamed, falling to his knees in a stupor. This time Patrick didn't waste any precious moments. Taking a nice, long swung with his staff, he hit the blonde warrior hard on his head, sending him unconscious to the floor. Then he straightened himself up. He wasn't even breathing faster. His thin lips curled up into a nasty, triumphant smile. "So…" he said, looking comtempitvely at the half-dead man. "The magic won, after all." he raised his staff above the man's head, ready to deliver the final blow.

* * *

"Not so fast."

Patrick looked up to see a tall, silver-haired man standing in the doorway.

"You were there all the time, weren't you!?" the assassin angrily hissed.

Sephiroth straightened up, smiling disparagingly. Yes, he had been watching the entire fight, all the time wondering whether he cared enough for Kyro's life to meddle in the struggle. He glanced at the unconscious form, lying in the middle of the hallway.

(What purpose do I have saving this his life? Actually, I dislike him much…)

"A fool." Patrick snorted. "He thought a sword would be more powerful than a spell."

Sephiroth shrugged. "Maybe he was right."

Slowly, leisurely, he walked up to the weapon lying next to the warrior's side. With one swift movement of his leg he kicked Kyro's sword, sending in flying up into the air. And when the weapon was just about to fall, he caught it, using his left palm.

"Left-handed?" Patrick smiled. "That might be interesting…" he touched his staff with the other hand, deciding he was already bored with stupid games. Besides, he still had his assignments to take care of…

A beam of light appeared out of nowhere and hit Sephiroth on the back. It was so unexpected and so painful, that he fell flat on his face, crying out in anger rather than in anguish. He cursed loudly as the sword slipped from his burned fingers. At first he was too surprised to defend himself, but he jumped to his feet just in time to see more hissing bolts rushing in his direction. Some hit the marble columns, exploding into tiny, blinding shards. Soon the entire hallway was filled with a white mist that bathed everything in a strange, eerie glow.

"So…" Patrick said with a nasty smirk of superiority. "How did you enjoyed that?"

"Guess what." a low voice whispered behind his back. "You missed."

Before Patrick could move he felt something cold and sharp touching the back of his neck. "Impossible…" he choked up.

Grabbing the man's right shoulder with his free hand, Sephiroth moved the sword. The move was quick, almost unnoticeable; it might have even seemed gentle, and yet it contained such strength that Patrick's spine had been cut in two. He died instantly, before he could even feel the pain or realize what was happening. Supported by the killer's hand, the body fell to the floor. Sephiroth stood motionless for a few seconds, dispassionately watching the blood dripping from the blade. It was beginning to form a small red pool around his feet.

He hoped that maybe he would feel some kind of guilt, pangs of conscience, remorse… anything. But he didn't. Not that it surprised him much.

With a loud clang Kyro's blade hit the ground.

* * *

"Chaos broke out on Sandalya." Valagar stated seriously, as soon as the five of them met once again in his chamber. "A war may be inevitable."

Kyro nodded. But he wasn't even listening to Valagar's words. His eyes were intently fixed on Sephiroth.

The young Cetra already felt better, cured by Movitriss' spell. She had found him in the same place where he had fell unconscious, not later than a few minutes after Patrick' death. Sephiroth had been already gone, but several guards had seen him leave the hallway. It hadn't been very difficult for Kyro to realize to whom he owed his life.

Saying he was confused was an understatement.

"However…" Valagar continued. "The hope still remains… if only we could talk to their leader…"

"Yeah, right…" Aeris whispered, too quietly to be heard. "Few more weeks and even I'll turn into a pessimist…"

"Tomorrow we're out of this city." Valagar decided. "We don't have much time to find their ship…"

* * *

"You don't really want to fight them, do you?"

He blinked twice before answering her with a question. "Do you?"

"No." Movitriss sat down beside him. "I don't. But what if that's a necessity…?"

Sephiroth said nothing.

"Tired, aren't you?" the woman finally asked. He nodded. He wasn't even looking at her.

They sat on a broad, stone stairway leading down to the garden. There was a fountain to their right, but it wasn't working anymore. It was already getting dark and the air was beginning to cool down. Distant stars were hidden by heavy clouds, which hung firmly at the sky.

Movitriss licked her lips in anticipation, wondering if she was brave enough to do what she subconsciously lusted for since the very first day they met. "I can see you're worried. I can only imagine what you've been through and I admire your strength… to carry on." she paused. "Everyone else would give up. Don't get me wrong, but it's almost unbelievable that you still keep trying to lead a normal life…"

"In vain, I suppose." he muttered in response.

Movitriss took a deep breath. "You know what… I'm also worried… and afraid… Afraid that I won't have the courage to…"

She didn't finish the sentence, which made him lift his head and look at her questioningly. Movitriss' heart was beating faster now. So he was listening, she thought in a sudden surge of joy. So he cares, after all…

She placed her left hand on this arm and touched his cheek with the right one. He didn't look away to avoid her eyes, but his delicate face was almost expressionless. Almost. Nearly drowning in his calm blue irises, she slowly leaned closer and touched his lips with her own ones. When she started to kiss him, she expected him to become angry any second… but he didn't move, nor did he tell her to stop what she was doing.

She was incredibly warm and her skin was so smooth in touch… The intense, sweet scent of vanilla, which always surrounded her, was overwhelming… Already filling the rising excitement, Sephiroth returned the kiss, letting himself be pulled into a tight embrace. He had almost forgotten the feeling of being that close to anybody. The feeling of safety…

It's only that I…

He slowly pulled away.

"Don't you like it?" she whispered. Her warm breath was tickling his skin. "Like this?" she kissed him again and this time it was longer, more daring, more passionate. Then she paused, waiting for him to answer.

"Please, don't understand me wrong, 'Triss." he finally said. "It's just that… I…"

(It's what?) he thought to himself. (What am I trying to say? That after those five years I'm unsure if I'm even capable of loving anybody?

Or is it… her… that I constantly think about.)

Aeris…

(But she'll never be mine! I can't even picture us like this… or making love… She's not the kind of woman to…)

He looked into Movitriss' golden eyes and found there nothing but passion, love and understanding. She had destroyed the distance between them without caring about his disapproval… or so it seemed. He liked that sort of independence. (Yes, I like her… much, I may even want her, but I don't think I would love her. I hope she realizes that…)

"Look…" he started.

"Shhh…" she put a finger on his lips. A hint of worry shone in her eyes. "Don't ruin it, before we even started. Don't say anything that might be painful to both of us… Forget it tonight…"

And he said nothing, letting himself submerge in another kiss.

* * *

The night started to get darker as Aeris watched Sephiroth and Movitriss through her window.

She wasn't sure if they were kissing or not, since they were both hidden in the shadow of the building, but the image of them sitting so close to each other was enough to break her vulnerable, sensitive heart. She tried to suppress those feelings of pain and jealousy, and kept repeating herself that she wasn't in love with Sephiroth… for she couldn't have been! He was so different, so distant…

There's really nothing that binds us, she thought angrily, trying to tear her gaze away from the window… and falling miserably.

Apart from the image of the two sitting together, she could see her own reflection in the glass. The infinite joy in her sparkling, green eyes… Where was it now…?

He'll be happy with her, she suddenly realized. (I talked to her yesterday; she seems to care about him much, besides I've noticed she's actually a gentle and compassionate person, no matter how tough she sometimes seems. She's beautiful, courageous, intelligent…)

just like him

Oh, stop it already, she scolded herself in her thoughts. He's not yours, he never was… and he never will be, because there's another woman who was faster than you…

(I wish I had listened to my feelings earlier, instead of letting my anger and my mind lead me…)

She touched the icy pane with her burning forehead, slowly closing her eyes.

(I've already lost the two most important men in my life. Zack left me one day and he never came back again… and Cloud… well… I couldn't just break his relationship with Tifa…) She bit her lower lip, promising herself she wouldn't cry over her miserable life. (But the problem is, I was never actually in love… like this… before.)

I'm in love

There was no point in denying it. She had fallen in love with the man who she once almost hated. Now, when she there seemed to be someone more significant than her in Sephiroth's life, she realized how much she actually cared for him… but now it was too late.

Great, she thought.

what does it matter?

(If only I had known it earlier… I wouldn't have let him go like that…)

Burying her head in her hands, Aeris started to cry. But as she the first hot tears streamed down her cheeks, the strange feeling of determination was rising in her heart.

(Why should I always be the one scarifying for somebody else…? Why is it so, that only I have to suffer…?)

She reopened her eyes, meeting her own gaze reflected in the window.

never again

(That's right. I'm not a silly child anymore, I'm a woman. And I am going to fight for my happiness. I won't let Sephiroth disappear from my life just like that.)

End of Chapter 10

* * *

Author's Notes: I know what the most of you are thinking: "Sephy and what's-her-name [it's Movitriss, dammit!] kissing!? I hate this fic and I will never look at it again!" Well, it's your choice and your loss, then. A jealous (and determined) Aeris can be really dangerous! Besides, keep in mind that Sephiroth thinks about her…

Believe it or not, the sudden ending is drawing closer. Stay tuned. Oh, and please don't forget to leave your comments on this chapter! (…Uh, I was wondering… Would anybody like to correct the most terrible grammatical mistakes I made…? No one? Oh… well…)

Anyway, thanks for reading! I congratulate you on your persistence!