Final Fantasy VII:

Destiny of the One Winged Angel

Chapter: 25 – Ilexian Audience

He had no idea how long he had been this way, holding her form close to him, helpless towards the pain she felt. He couldn't remember when she had brought her gentle hanpnds up, their slender fingers once clutched at his shoulders, now locked behind his neck, her face now buried into his nape. More than once his throat had locked up, signalling the threat of his empathy, and more than once he pulled on this mask, knowing all too well that his compassion would have no positive effects.

"Forgive me, Sephiroth…" came her gentle whisper, startling him out of his own thoughts. He hadn't realised when she had stopped crying altogether, and simply stayed within his embrace.

"How long…have we been this way?" he asked, not wanting to break the embrace, as it meant the barriers would be put up again, and he would once again enter his cold world, where the distance between them became hundreds of miles, though only an arms length away. As he felt her shift within his hold, he regretted his question, but did not let his displeasure show through, as she pulled away and looked at him. He felt his heart tremble slightly, as she brought one of her hands down, resting it upon his chest, while wiping delicately at her face with the other, then smiled up at him.

"I'm really sorry…I don't have any idea…it's just that…" she trailed off as she sorted out her thoughts and motive, then continued as she caught the question forming in his eyes, "I guess I…" she looked away, her cheeks beginning to take a shade of pink, towards red, as she realised how they appeared. She was lost for words, but froze when she felt one of his hands cup her chin within the crook of his index finger, gently coaxing her face to turn towards his. Her brow drew close as she worked her jaw, trying to form words to an explanation that didn't exist, "I…just…" she was gently hushed to silence, as his own brow drew together in uncertainty.

He drew his face closer to hers, pausing to discern whether what he wanted to do was right…his heart felt heavy, and it seemed to be holding him back. He swallowed, and then turned his face away, as he stood up and walked towards the wardrobe, where he hoped his clothes were. He winced as he straightened his posture, and opened the wardrobe, letting out a sigh of relief as he saw his jacket teasing him from within. He turned his head, as the sudden, barely audible click of the door closing, caught his attention…marking the departure of the woman who had been here moments before, as well as the gulf that had reopened itself.

-o-

'Just what in Gaia's name is wrong with me…' she thought to herself sadly, as she closed the door behind her and leaned against it. Her heart was beating fast, just as it had done, once before at Kalm. She felt her face glowing red, her emotions a mix of shame, embarrassment and whatever else she didn't want to admit. She couldn't understand what was happening to her, over the time she had spent with the former General, her murderer…she had actually began to soften to him. Her eyes stung as she tried to sort out her feelings, she didn't know who she felt closer to, Cloud or Sephiroth…she had lost Zack, once to death, and now to the enemy, which added to her pain.

She needed time to think, but couldn't even do that since she was bonded to the one person she would have killed without a second thought. Yes, he was different, yes, he seemed to be clear of his manipulation by Jenova, yes, he seemed to be a completely different person to the tyrant she knew…but…there was always a chance that that could change. 'Didn't Zack say that the General he worked with was a great guy…and yet…' her thoughts trailed off, as she turned about facing the door to his room, and placed a hand upon it, the hand becoming a fist as the memories of his dark deeds ran through her, causing her to close her eyes against them.

"Aeris?" a concerned voice asked, startling the Cetra out of her private musings. She turned about, coming face-to-face with the questioning features of Sazan and indifferent expression of Solomon, the former being the one to catch her attention, "Aeris, what's wrong?" he asked, taking in her pained expression. Realising that she hadn't masked her state of mind, Aeris blinked and smiled, quickly remedying her features.

"Nothing's wrong…I was just-" she began to say, but was cut off as another voice spoke up, saving her from having to make up a fallible lie.

"You must be with the company of the silver-haired man…" the three turned towards the person who had addressed them. A tall Ilexian male with black hair and orange strands, stood behind them, his sharp orange eyes piercing in their gaze. He was dressed in a crisp, cream-coloured suit with gold trim, a complimenting sash wrapped about his waist. The priest-collared jacket of his suit was long, splitting from beneath the sash and reaching just past his knees. Black boots completed the outfit, reaching up to his knees and bunched the trousers around the neck.

His calm, yet piercing gaze, swept over the trio and then fixed itself on the door they stood outside, knowing that the fourth person was awake. As the door opened, two pairs of startled eyes fixed themselves upon it, accompanied by a pair of indifferent ones. A head of silver appeared, the owner clothed in the clothes they had worn throughout this journey, their weapon strapped to their back. Their hair was slightly longer now, though no strands reached past their shoulders. The man turned about, closing the door behind him and met the gazes of the three people looking at him. He opened his mouth to say something, but was interrupted as someone cleared their throat, thus catching his attention. He frowned as he took in their unfamiliar appearance.

"Who-" he began, but was cut off as the strange person, he guessed was male, raised a hand to silence him.

"Please follow me," the dark-haired person said, turning about and leading the company of four to where he was ordered to take them.

-o-

"Cid! Wait, it's not like that!" a distressed cry rang out from the room occupied by Cloud Strife.

"Oh it's not, eh? Then tell me what it's like?" the gruff voice of Cid Highwind growled in a threatening manner. Vincent stood by the door inside the room, letting out a sigh, while cocking his head to the side thus avoiding a vase that shattered upon impact with the doorframe. Yuki stood beside him, eyes wide in surprise and fascination as she watched a half naked Cloud dancing out of the grasp of an angry Cid. With each harsh movement the blond made, his face seem to twitch with the pain he experienced, but survival was more important to him than sensitivity to his condition.

"Cid…please," the former head of the Turks began, his tone beseeching to the pilot, "this is no way to-"

"Shut up Tseng!" the older man snarled, leaping towards the tiring blond, only to land face-first into the potted plant in the corner of the room. The young leader of the group let out a victory cheer, as he threw a blanket over his comrade, before dancing to the other side of the bed.

"There's no way you'll catch me like that, old m-" he jeered, only to let out a yelp as he saw the middle-aged man come to his feet, towering above the one-inch shorter blond. He attempted to run away, only to land hard against the polished wood floor, as a hand clamped about his ankle, eliciting a cry of surprise.

"Ha! Caught you, you little smart-ass," Cid exclaimed victoriously, as he pulled himself up and pinned the younger man, "Tseng, get over here and do your check-up," Letting out a sigh, the former head of the Turks stepped forward, kneeling beside the pinned blond and prepared to check him over, when the clearing of a throat caught his attention.

"You are aware that from my point-of-view…your position looks kind of…awkward," a feminine voice commented, causing the occupants of the room to turn their heads towards the source. Standing in the doorway was a woman, an amused expression upon her features as she took in the scene before her, "Or intimate…if that's what you were up to…" she said, stifling a giggle as the two men suddenly flushed in embarrassment, the older of the two leaping away from the other to stand against the wall and look somewhat dignified. The blond man pushed himself up into a sitting position, laughing nervously as he did so, while the dark-haired man came to his feet and helped the blond up.

"Um…excuse me miss…" came the enquiring voice of Yuki, who had come to stand before the strange looking person and inspect their appearance. The most noticeable feature they had, were their elfin-like ears, though taking into account their shoulder-length hair, it was clear that they weren't elves, for their hair was orange, streaked through with blond – a colour combination that elves did not have. "Would you mind telling me…what race you are…exactly?" the young girl asked, her words expressing just how uncomfortable she was with the idea of asking someone's race. The woman smiled kindly and opened her mouth to reply, but was cut off as the man standing beside the blond spoke up.

"Yuki, according to the book I read…they're Ilex, a race that has kept themselves hidden for many years," Tseng informed, eyes fixed upon the woman at the door.

"Oh…" the young Wutaian said, pausing as she took in the Ilexians appearance. A frown creased her brow, as another question popped out, "Are you of some high social standing or something?" she asked, "Only just that you're dressed in very formal attire," she added to clarify her reasoning. The Ilexian woman smiled, chuckling softly at the youth's inquisitiveness.

"I work for the Royal Family as one of many attendants," all the men in the room narrowed their eyes, their attention focused on the woman standing in the doorway, while Yuki continued to gaze and listen in awed silence. Understanding that the male occupants were suspicious as to why the Royal Family would send an attendant for them, she began to clarify for them, "I was sent to lead you to the Palace…our Lady requests an audience with your company…" she paused here to look upon the still half-naked Cloud, "…I'll be waiting until you're decent," The Ilexian woman flashed a wink and smiled seductively, stifling a laugh as she caught sight of the blond flushing in embarrassment, just before she turned to walk towards the banister of the floor they were on and leaned against it.

"Ahem," the sound caught the attention of four heads, which turned to meet the composed, yet slightly red, expression of Cloud, "mind giving me a little privacy," he said, raising an eyebrow. Realising what he meant, Yuki was the first to leave, joining the Ilexian at the banister, while Vincent stayed where he was and Cid stopped at the doorway, turning to face Tseng.

"You sure you don-" the dark-haired man began to say, but was cut off by a vehement glare shot his way by the blond, who had picked up on what was going to be said, "Okay, we'll see you outside," the former head of the Turks said. He turned swiftly and walked out the door, followed by the remaining two men, the last being Cid, who closed the door behind them.

-o-

The two companies were lead to the Palace, stepping out of the buildings they had thought were inns, but were in fact Palace guest rooms, located closer to the town for tourism and respite purposes. They were lead through another exit; one that they hadn't been permitted to leave through, as two guards on either side had been stationed there, preventing their departure. Neither party were able to see the other, as they were lead to the Palace; they followed a smooth, brick pathway that was set in well manicured grass. Arches lined the pathway, occurring every ten feet; these were made out of cream coloured marble, designed in the fashion of two thick vines entwined about each other, becoming thinner as they met at the top, wrapping about the base of a magnolia flower. At the centre of these flowers, were bulbs that would light up in the night, guiding people who walked these grounds to their destinations.

A fountain was erected at the centre of the grounds, displaying the figure of an Ilexian woman clad in long, sweeping robes. A kind smile was etched upon her features, her head lowered in a humble manner, as her arms were spread to her sides in a welcoming fashion. Water sprang about her and away from her form, reaching to her waist and falling back into the pool at her feet. All the pathways met at this point; some people could be seen lounging by the fountain, seated upon the benches or leaning against the ornament itself.

The two parties continued on, walking past the fountain and towards the Palace, which could be seen becoming gradually larger as they neared it. Various trees were planted about the area, grouped in small groves where people could sit in the shade, or admire the beauty from a bench. Some of these groves were part of water gardens, or had ponds where wildlife could dwell – adding to the beauty of the Palace grounds.

They came to a stop outside the Palace, where the guides allowed them time to take in the building. It was a magnificent sight of sheer white walls, spreading out to either side and rising for total of three floors at each end. From a distance, they had been able to admire the rectangular shape of the building; a single floor at the front, with the back becoming a dome. Windows dotted each of the floors at regular intervals, not a single one was dark, as lights remained on to allow people to go about their business within the walls. Lining the rooftop of the Palace, were statues of various Ilexian men and women, each one different in their clothing – an indicator that each had been erected within a different era.

The onlookers' attention was grasped, as their guide opened the door, motioning for them to enter the grand building. They filed in and were completely awe-struck at the amount of white marble used to decorate the interior. The floor had a checkerboard pattern of white marble and cream brick, complimenting the four pairs of marble columns, which lined up from the entrance to the exit on the opposite side. Silently, they followed their guides to the exit, coming into the open air once more, as they had entered a garden. This outdoor space was surrounded by the three-floor high Palace walls, which were also dotted with windows. There were no defining features to this simple garden – an indicator that it was a place of relaxation, and a haven for those who wished to relieve themselves and escape their daily routines.

They continued on, walking towards the entrance to the dome, which was obviously the main reception point when one had an audience with the Royal Family. Guards on either side swung open the doors, permitting their entry and they were led into the large space, the guides heading the groups. The room continued the pattern of the checkerboard flooring, though the white-marble columns lined the perimeter, every five feet. Cream coloured cloth cascaded down from the plastered ceiling, occupying the space between each column. At the far end of the room, six thrones carved out of oak, sat regally upon a dais. Each one was the same size and each one were the same cream colour, complete with padding.

The parties were lead to the base of the dais, and it was here that each became aware of the other. Primarily, surprise came upon them, and then they settled as familiarity came about them. However, for Cloud, he merely glared at the silver-haired Sephiroth, and upon sighting Aeris beside him, his blood boiled. Neither one met his eye, though the brown-haired woman seemed to be a little uncomfortable, to which he felt himself soften – after all it wasn't her fault that fate had decreed that she should travel with the man that had killed her. Before anymore subliminal reactions could be made, their guides had fallen to a knee and bowed their heads, in order to formally greet the Lady. The parties followed suit, and a door could be heard opening. A moment later, gentle, evenly-paced footsteps, along with the soft rustling of material could be heard making its way to stop before them. Another pair of footsteps could be heard, this time sharper, each step echoing within the large space, coming to an end once they had reached the dais. The rustling of material could be heard, as both seated themselves on two of the six thrones.

"You may Rise," the gentle voice echoed, as the invitation was given – the Lady was ready for their audience.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

A/N: W00T! Eight months later and a chapter mysteriously appears! At any rate this story is so not dead, just that the muse designated this one had a huge bout of writers block, and it wasn't until competition came along that it kicked back into work. At any rate, since I don't think I'll be able to thank everyone in the last chapter of this part, since who knows when I'll be able to post again, I'll thank everyone who reviewed for this part now, and personally

Divine Star: Thanks a lot for reviewing all this time, and thanks for your views, I appreciate them, hehe…As for Zack's odd behaviour, all will be revealed in due time, and the same for Lumira and Tifa, though I think I've covered that already…not sure…oh well, it's gonna come up again later, lol

Rueh: Thanks for reviewing all this time, I hope you've managed to keep up, and I owe you and everyone else a lot, for not letting this story die in its early days.

Chere: Hehe, thanks, hopefully you've been keeping up, despite the long wait, but thank you again :)

AngelPaw: Thank you, hehe ;; I won't let this story die, even though it'll take a while for the updates to come, hehe…I'm far in too deep to just leave it where it's at and never look at it again, lol

Anyways, until the next time I update, ciao and thanks so much