A/N: A really fast update, I know, but I'm so inspired, lol.
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Last chapter…
"Please leave…I don't know how long I can hold on…"
'Dear planet…' Aerith trembled, holding her breath.
Then, as the teen finally raised her head to look directly at her, her figure a chilling mask promising murder, the brunette felt her breath caught in her throat. Immediately rising to her feet, she finally heard her brain; screaming at her to run, and fast.
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Without loosing another second, Aerith took a few steps back, febrile emeralds scanning the cavern in search of an exit. Soon enough, she noticed a passage; carved in the wall farthest form her current position as the teen slowly rose to her full height, staring at her with an inhuman, unfaltering gaze. Swallowing hard, Aerith made a run for it, her heart skipping a beat at the girl's sudden movement, caught in the corner of her eye.
Forcing her legs to go faster; but not fast enough, the flower girl let out a sharp gasp as her unwilling enemy lunged at her in feral rage and tackled her harshly, sending them both to the slick, wet ground. Falling on her back with a noisy thud, Aerith barely had time to notice the putrid, warm wetness soaking her pants and backpack before a violent blow connected with her left cheek, but not hard enough to stop her struggles.
Stubbornly refusing to stay still and let the teen do whatever she wanted to accomplish, Aerith squirmed under her grasp, letting out a strangled scream as the wild girl's fist readied itself to strike again. Acting on instinct, the brunette rolled on her side and tried to crawl away from her enemy's clutches, limbs gliding frustratingly on the foreign substance covering the ground. A moment later, mere inches away from her horrified face, the teen's attack hit the ground, sending a few yellow droplets towards Aerith's strained figure. Shivering in revulsion, the brunette felt bile rise in her throat, striving with all her might to get away from the possessed girl.
With a series of panicked, adrenaline driven twists and turns, Aerith finally rolled on her stomach and flailed her legs, efficiently kicking the teen's folded knees. Taking advantage of her enemy's loss of balance, the brunette grovelled herself free and quickly rose to her feet, discarding her now drenched, foul-smelling and useless backpack before sprinting towards the coveted passage, leading to another long, gloomy tunnel.
'The exit has to be on the other side…' the flower girl silently hoped as she ran breathlessly, adrenaline pumping wildly through her veins.
Nearing her goal, the brunette's feet slipped, haltering her rush. Doing her best to regain her balance, Aerith failed to notice a swift shadow moving towards her in inhuman speed and found herself tackled to the ground once again. As she fell ungracefully on her stomach, her ribcage hit the hard floor with a loud thud, tearing a sharp gasp from the back of her throat as the wind was knocked right out of her burning lungs.
Before Aerith had any time to catch her breath, the teen's strong fingers curled around her shoulders, forcing her to roll onto her back, gritting her teeth as sharp nails clawed at her tender skin. Unable to overcome her enemy's abnormal strength, the brunette found herself face to face with the previously human teen, terrorised emeralds mixing with an unfeeling shade of dull, pupil-less yellow.
Beyond glazed irises, an abyss of naught was the only thing Aerith could distinguish. No matter how lucid the girl was before her sudden outburst, she was now driven by nothing else than instinct. An instinct to kill, or…
Trembling in fear, Aerith swallowed hard, eyes rolling upwards to glance at the bulbous cocoons nesting hideously at the top of the cavern.
It was then that she felt it. A tickling, unnatural sensation, subtly brushing her skin.
Submerged by cold shivers, Aerith's emeralds shifted towards her arms, which were pinned to the ground by the teen's strong hands as tendrils of yellow silk curled slyly around her wrists. The teen wasn't attacking anymore. She simply watched, holding her prey down by sitting on Aerith's legs to keep her from freeing herself.
Green eyes widened in pure terror.
Something, anything had to be done, or her body would soon nourish one of those horrid masses squirming above her, and the idea really didn't entice her.
Inhaling a shaky breath, the brunette prayed to whatever gods might watch over this insane world, gathering her strength and courage. She would free herself, no matter what.
Driven by the will to live and renewed determination, Aerith resumed her struggles, deploying a level of strength she wasn't aware of possessing. Taken aback by her prey's sudden movement, the teen stumbled slightly, unconsciously slackening her grasp for a fleeting moment; long enough for Aerith to regain control of her right hand. Tearing her limb away from the silky strands encircling her, the brunette reached for her hips and took hold of something she never thought could be comforting; a sword's hilt. Before her enemy had time to register what was happening, Aerith unsheathed the deadly weapon and impaled her through the chest, the silver blade sliding inside her body with disturbing ease.
Shocked, the possessed teen went perfectly still, whimpering softly as her unholy irises slowly reverted back to their normal color; a warm shade of light brown. Below her, Aerith's chest rose and fell unsteadily under heavy breaths as she held the hilt of the sword with a shaking hand.
"I…I'm sorry…" the black haired girl murmured between raged, pain filled breaths, brown eyes recovering their usual humanity.
Swallowing harshly through her dried throat, Aerith felt her heart sink as crystal tears brimmed at the corner of those sorrowful chocolate orbs. Then, heavy eyelids slid down, hiding the girl's dieing expression from the one who held the sword, her fingers drenched in warm, thick crimson life as blood rolled down the weapon's hilt accusingly.
Chocking back a sob, the brunette clenched her eyes shut and removed the blade from its victim's body, doing her best to make it quick. Her ears picking up the horrible sound of steel sliding through flesh, Aerith dropped the bloodied weapon to the side as a wave of blinding guilt overwhelmed her. Freed from the blade, the girl's body went limp and fell forwards, landing against her murderer's chest.
Her whole body quivering relentlessly, shaken by a wicked mixture of pain, terror and culpability, Aerith forced her eyes open, breathing heavily. Acting through survival instincts, the brunette grabbed the corpse's shoulders and pushed her aside, efficiently removing the cold, bleeding carcass from atop her. Finally freed, chest and arms covered in another's blood, Aerith rolled on her side and recovered her weapon, putting it back in its sheath before rising to her feet with some difficulty, staggering uncontrollably.
'This is a nightmare…please let it be a dream…' the half-cetra cried inwardly, barely feeling the warmth of her own tears, rolling down her dirty, bruised cheeks.
However, no matter how hard she wanted to wake up and find herself floating in Gaia's comforting Lifestream, the pain racking her exhausted body harshly reminded her of how real this whole ordeal was. The corpse lying at her feet, bathing in its own spilled life was no illusion, and Aerith's stained hands and clothes only deepened her own feelings of guilt. For the first time, someone's life was lost at her own hands, and the idea of self-defence did very little to relieve her growing remorse. Already, her nostrils could pick up the scent of death, adding nausea to top it all.
In spite of that, everything was painfully real, and therefore, now was not the time to let grief overpower her. She had to flee from this cursed place, now. Danger could still be lurking around, and death did not care to wait until she felt better.
"I won't…die here" the young woman breathed, forcing her eyes away from the corpse to turn her attention towards the tunnel, hoping it lead to the exit, and to Sephiroth.
As Aerith wandered down the path leading to the next part of the underground trap, Luna and her two soldiers made their way through the lair's exit, trying to keep their senses alert, but something was on their mind.
"There's something…wrong with this man" the tallest of the three declared in a whisper as they ventured through the first tunnel.
"I know…his name is Sephiroth, right? I'm certain I heard that somewhere before…" her companion approved.
"You're right…let's just hope his girl is okay" Luna replied, even if she silently wished her comrades would just stay focused and stop babbling.
"I wonder if she is safe with him…" one of them pondered, a moment before a shrill scream offended their eardrums, immediately scattering any thoughts about analysing Sephiroth.
Taking hold of her bow, Luna ran towards the source of the noise, soon reaching a small cavern in which a young woman drenched in sticky, putrid liquid and blood stumbled towards them, a green scaled beast trailing after her in hot pursuit.
"Get down!" Luna ordered sharply, tightening the hard cord of her wooden bow.
Not even taking the time to notice who exactly had spoken to her, the frightened brunette did exactly as she was told and crouched, a moment before an arrow flew above her head. Picking up the whistling sound of a projectile cutting through the air at top speed, Aerith swallowed hard and stayed perfectly still, except for the slight movement of her eyes, shifting to the three women standing a few feet in front of her. Thank heavens, they seemed normal enough.
Landing right in the middle of the humanoid beast behind her, the first arrow was soon followed by three others, tearing sharp growls of pain from their mark.
"Come over here, now!" the redhead commanded, relieved to see that Aerith's sense of logic still hadn't been completely overpowered by terror.
Standing up, the brunette ran to them, breathless. In the back of the room, the humanoid fell to the floor with a loud thud, unmoving. For a moment longer, Luna kept her bow ready to strike, dark blue eyes staring holes through the mutated woman's corpse, assuring herself of its death.
After a moment, the leader's expression softened slightly as she allowed herself to breathe a sigh of relief, lowering her weapon. Next to her, Aerith tried her best to stop shaking; vainly.
"If you value your life, get out of here now, and get this shit off of you, quickly" Luna ordered, her eyes taking on the pitiful sight of the half-cetra, covered in broken cocoon tendrils, parasite's fluids and lifeblood.
Turning to the tallest of her companions, she added:
"Kanny, escort her"
"Yes"
On that note, Aerith bowed slightly to the woman who most likely just saved her life and followed the one named Kanny towards the exit.
"Come, we still have to burn this damned nest" Luna declared to her remaining soldier, who nodded firmly, holding a red can filled with kerosene.
Finally reaching the green plains spreading on the outside, Aerith inhaled deeply, revelling in the sweet scent of grass and flowers as fresh air blessed her aching lungs. Even so, her nerves still refused to calm down, sending irrepressible quivers along her tired limbs as she walked painfully. High up in the sky, the moon shed its silver veil over the dark evening. Slightly surprised, Aerith wondered if her captivity really had been this long, but soon discarded the thought. The only thing that mattered now was the fact that she was still alive, and free.
Now away from danger, the flower girl allowed herself to feel her drenched clothes sticking to her like a second skin, swallowing down a wave of nausea as her nostrils picked up her own scent. Slick chestnut hair clung to her aching back, while a few strands stayed glued to her sweaty forehead and cheeks, the feel of it sending shivers along her spine.
"Sephiroth is waiting for you at the lake. When you get better, my leader would like to meet you at our hideout. But your companion is already informed of that" Kanny explained as they increased their pace under the starlit heavens.
"Did he…ask you to come for me?"
"Yes. But we had our reasons to help" the warrior answered, her green eyes shadowed by the memory of their lost comrade.
Nodding her understanding, Aerith fell back into silence, unwilling to speak much for the moment. Right now, the aching of her body and soul were the only things on her mind, along with the need to immerge herself in clean water; a salvation that slowly appeared in front of her eyes with each step.
Just as Kanny said a moment before, Sephiroth was standing near a large tree, hiding under its dark shadow, looming over the edge of a deep lake connected to a small river. Noticing him, Aerith's eyes sparkled with something akin to relief, enlightening in time with the melting of her racing heart. Ironically, the sight of him, turning around to let his deep Mako eyes fall on her shivering silhouette convinced her that she was, indeed, safe.
Unable to help herself, the brunette quickly discarded her jacket and ran towards the welcoming water. Racing past Sephiroth, she plunged through its moonlit surface, diving as deep as her tired body allowed her. Eyes closed, she swam under the warm, liquid benediction, her mind slowly freeing itself from any thoughts. Body and mind cleared of fear and affliction, the flower maiden slid her eyes open before breaking through the surface, inhaling a sharp intake of bliss.
Still standing at the edge of the lake, Sephiroth observed her silently as she raised a pair of white, frail arms above her head to remove her shirt, baring the tender skin of her shoulders. Thankfully, the rest of her body was dressed in a blanket of dark water, hiding her nakedness from view.
"I think I'll go check on my friends now." came Kanny's soft voice, breaking the silence.
"We'll come to meet you when she is ready, as promised. I still have questions to ask of your leader"
"Alright. Please…take care of her"
On that note, the tall woman left his side, calmly walking back to the underground's abomination.
Turning his attention back to the tranquil water, Sephiroth frowned almost imperceptibly. Aerith was nowhere in sight. For a slight moment, he felt something tug at his chest; something akin to worry. Unconsciously, the silver haired swordsman took a step forwards, only to stop abruptly when a blushing chestnut haired figure emerged a few meters away from the edge, submerged from toes to neck.
"Hm…Can you…" she stammered, turning her eyes away from Sephiroth's scrutinizing gaze. "Hand me your coat, please?"
Slightly amused, the swordsman felt his lips curl in a vague smile. Somehow, he found her embarrassment to be quite endearing, and before he had time to notice it, his hands made their way to his leather coat, unfastening its buckles.
If possible, Aerith's face took on a deeper shade of red as she caught his movement in the corner of her treacherous eyes. At the moment, removing her clothes had seemed like the most beneficial course of action, considering the fact that she could no longer bear to have them sticking to her as a remembrance of her little trip in hell's underground. Undoubtedly, she would have enough nightmares as it already was.
However, as Sephiroth's last buckle came free, she wasn't so sure anymore about how intelligent such an action was. At least, she could have waited until she found something else to wear…idea that was quickly confirmed as Sephiroth's bare chest reached her line of sight.
Turning her back to him in a swift motion, the brunette felt her body begin to tremble anew, breath painfully caught in her throat as the man stepped into the water and walked towards her quivering form. Fear slowly creeping its way back into her heart, the flower maiden clenched her eyes shut, breathing deeply.
As he reached her side, the swordsman could feel the tension emanating from her whole body, thickening the midnight air with cold dread. For a moment, when her eyes first fell on him, there was the unmistakable light of relief and trust illuminating her gaze. But now, as he stood next to her naked, drenched body, it was pretty much obvious that she still harboured a great fear of him. Once again, he would have to be patient.
Forcing his own male instincts to hide somewhere in the deepest reaches of his body, Sephiroth wrapped his own coat around Aerith's glistening shoulders before turning away, reminding himself that he was one step closer to his goal.
"Thank you…" she whispered, hugging the warm fabric around herself, the musky scent of him invading each of her now calmer breaths.
Finally relaxing, she turned around to face him, a slight smile drawing itself on her rosy lips.
"Please, take me somewhere warm" she pleaded softly; closing her eyes as he took a step forwards and reached her side again.
"As you wish" he whispered, bringing her against his chest and taking her up in his strong arms.
Allowing herself to lean against him, if only slightly, she let her mind drift off, gently rocked by her protector's firm steps.
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A/N: The good stuff begins! I'm so restless!! XD