A/N: I seem to have a sudden spike in readers from Kenya. Interesting.

So we're finally at the City of the Ancients. I'm really excited to be writing this. I feel that the tragedy of Aerith's death in the original game pretty much shut the door on exploring what was after all a capital. There was probably a lot more to this city, and I'm going to tear down all the layers. Enjoy.


Chapter 9: Arrival

"I didn't see any barrier," Cid said to Aerith, "And we landed without any trouble. You think it might have disappeared over the years?"

The Highwind had landed in the valley, as close to the deserted village as possible, and the group was now climbing down the rope ladder. Tifa, still wearing her leather skirt, had insisted on climbing down first, having caught Luxiere looking up the last time. Up ahead, a dilapidated limestone bridge stretched across a small river that ran parallel to the city's entrance.

"Hey, kid!" Cid barked, "Are you even listening?"

Aerith seemed to be in a daze as she quickened her pace, walking past everybody else until she now stood at the beginning of the crumbling road that led into the city.

"Leave her be, Cid," Sephiroth told the pilot, "The planet could be speaking to Aerith right now, for all we know. It did tell her to come here, after all."

Cid shook his head skeptically. Last night, Aerith had told everybody that she was one of the last living Ancients, and that the planet itself had guided her to the city. Here he was, likely a wanted fugitive for refusing to turn over his prized creation to the Shinra. Now, here he was, following a teenaged girl who heard voices in her head, into a ghost town? What the hell was he getting into, anyway?

"You okay, Aerith?" Elfé asked as everybody slowly caught up to the demi-Cetra. "Is the planet saying anything to you right now?"

Aerith shook her head. "The planet isn't saying anything at all. It's the spirits of Cetra that passed long ago. They're the ones welcoming me." She turned around and addressed everybody: "When I sleep at night…when my mother sleeps…my brothers and my sister…our ancestors reach out to us from the Promised Land. It's where all the Cetra go after they pass away…the land of supreme happiness. This city…it's like a link between this world and the next. All the lines of communication are all open…though whether they can hear me remains to be determined. For me, it's like they're standing right next to me."

"So what are they saying, then?" Zangan asked good-naturedly.

Aerith giggled and flung her arms wide open, indicating the crumbling buildings surrounding them. "Welcome to Ajit!" she announced.

Tifa scowled. "Welcome to what?"

"Ajit," Aerith repeated, "It's a strange name for what was said to be our capital centuries ago. It literally means 'hideaway'."

"A capital is also a hideaway?" Cissnei said with a frown, "Is it possible then, that this place might have been some sort of disaster shelter in the past?"

A sad smile appeared on Aerith's face. "I guess it wasn't a very effective one, then…" she said, thinking about what the population had dwindled down to. All of a sudden, she became all-too-aware of how much she missed her family.

"We should all stay together," Elfé said, "We don't know what this place might hold, plus look at how shabby the buildings around us are. They look ready to collapse at any moment."

"Hey, what if there's treasure here?" Luxiere piped up.

"I'd imagine those excavators probably have their own Lunar Harps," said Cissnei, "They probably looted the place a long time ago."

"But if I recall correctly," Sephiroth interjected, "When the archaeologists found Aerith's mother, they forgot about their mission and focused on her instead. It wouldn't hurt to investigate further…especially since there was an area that could only let her in, and not the archaeologists…"

Everybody's ears perked up at that last statement.

"That's right," Aerith said, nodding enthusiastically, "She told me about it the morning before I left, hoping it might help. You see, she kept quiet when they tried to get in, even though she had gone through the gate just fine the night before. Our ancestors told her to keep it a secret. She said it was in a building that resembled a cross between a shell, and the skeleton of a horned monster. There's a pond over there as well."

Kunsel took out his tablet and began to fiddle with it. "Damn! I was hoping there might be some kind of map available on the Network, but there's no reception here at all! It was perfect in Bone Village."

"The barrier or curse…whatever it is," Shera theorized, "has to involve some kind of electromagnetic interference. If that kind of interference caused planes to crash, then it's probably no surprise that we don't have any reception here."

"This means we might have to go back and forth a few times," Angeal concluded, "I suppose that would happen anyway, depending on how long we stay here. We might need to restock on food."

"How are we doing on funds?" Cid asked.

"Don't worry," Genesis answered confidently, "This whole trip is on me. Shinra never did find my own personal savings account, and business was always good."

"I think I'm starting to like this arrogant sickly bastard!" Cid chuckled, clapping Genesis on the back.

"Let's get going," Aerith said, "Follow me, everyone…"


"So beautiful…" Tifa whispered, amazed.

The aforementioned building lay in the beginning of a thick forest, surrounded by a small pond. The trees were unlike anything any of the group had ever seen. Though they were bare, and long-dead, the bark covering them had an almost fluorescent bluish-white hue. The surface of the water shimmered brightly in the sunlight, as an opening in the trees allowed a large ray of light to pass through, illuminating the otherwise dark area, and giving the trees an almost sparkling quality.

"I've never seen anything like it…" Genesis said softly.

"Makes you glad to be alive, doesn't it?" Zangan chuckled.

"We should go swimming here if we get a chance," Zack suggested.

"Hell yeah!" Cid agreed.

"What if we need to use that water for drinking?" Sephiroth argued disapprovingly.

"What about the river back at the entrance?" Genesis reminded Sephiroth, "Use that for drinking and let the guys have a little fun here."

"Hey, that works!" Zack agreed, "The water's probably colder out there anyway."

"One could impale themselves on that building if they're not careful," Cissnei remarked, pointing to the numerous horns that poked out of the tall spiral-like structure.

"I wonder how they managed to build these?" Angeal said, impressed, "The Ancients really had some interesting secrets." He turned to Aerith. "How many secrets do you think we'll find?"

"Good question," Aerith replied, "I guess now's as good a time as any to find out. Let's go inside, everyone."

She hurried inside, walking down the circular ramp stopping short at the strange sight before her: a large red fish sculpture supported by seaweed.

"What- did some artist live here?" Luxiere asked dubiously as he reached over and poked the fish.

"I thought you said there was a gate," Genesis said to Aerith, "Are you sure it's not outside, past all those trees?"

"That would be a rather tight squeeze…" Angeal sighed, "Those trees are too packed together, and I don't see any of us getting through without having to cut through them."

"It's here!" Aerith insisted, "Ugh…why didn't I call my mother before we came here?" She looked around, trying to spot any kind of clue. "A gate that only she could open…"

"Maybe it was designed to read her fingerprints?" Sephiroth suggested.

"Why don't you rub the fish's head for good luck?" Tifa joked, trying to get Aerith to relax.

The demi-Cetra did indeed crack a smile. "Yeah, there we go," Aerith said as she placed her hand on the giant guppy. To everyone's shock, however, the sculpture suddenly disappeared, revealing a set of crystalline steps descending into another room.

"Seriously?!" Zack exclaimed, amazed.

"I just touched it a minute ago and nothing!" Luxiere protested.

"She's got the touch," Tifa said, smiling at Aerith.

"Let's keep going, everyone," Aerith said as she hurried down the steps.

When they reached the bottom, Aerith cautiously stepped through a keyhole-shaped doorway, and onto a narrow walkway surrounded by railings and large stone pillars scattered about. Mist could be seen rising from the water below, and in the distance stood a large dais. Bathed in the sunlight from a skylight that must have been built beyond the trees above, it stood in the center, surrounded by more pillars. Indeed, several of them stood in between the platform and very bottom of the steps, as if forming a path that could allow one to reach the large platform.

Sephiroth walked up behind Aerith, looking over her head at the sight before him. What was even more prominent to him than the unusual architecture, was the silence. Had it been this silent since Ifalna had made her way out of the area nineteen years ago? Furthermore…what had happened before that? Aerith had the feeling she would soon be finding out. She moved out of the way, allowing everyone else to walk into the strange area.

"Amazing…" Angeal whispered, almost afraid to disturb the place.

"What's this supposed to be?" Tifa asked, looking around. "This place just seems to be a few houses above, and then this. Yet you called it a capital, Aerith. I don't get it."

"More than meets the eye, I suppose," Zangan concluded, "What you see is only the beginning. What you look for…that's the real task."

"What is that?" Elfé asked, pointing at the stone dais. She turned, looking inquisitively toward Aerith, who was now staring vacantly into space.

"It's…" Aerith then smiled happily. "It's an altar. I just saw a wedding from back when this place had thousands of people living here. My people showed me just now."

Angeal frowned. "But where would people even stand? They'd have to be some small weddings."

Aerith regarded him somewhat playfully. "Master Zangan is right- there's more to this place than meets the eye." She then glanced at the water surrounding the altar. "This place flooded over the years. The bottom was where all the guests would stand when the couple were united. Elevated by their love, although I'm sure many people would brush that off as corny."

"What you describe is very similar to your mother's wedding in Cosmo Canyon," Sephiroth remembered.

"Cosmo Canyon borrowed a lot from our people," Aerith agreed, "I'm not surprised, given the fact that our familiars wound up living there. Instead of protecting us, they protect the humans."

"They still protect your family," Sephiroth reminded her.

"That's right," Aerith said, nodding. I wonder what everyone is up to now, she thought wistfully.

"Hey!" Zack exclaimed as he pointed toward the bottom of the massive chamber, "It looks like there's a door down there under all that water."

"Good eye, Zack," Elfé said appreciatively, "I would have missed that."

"I'll take a look," Sephiroth volunteered. He immediately took his boots and socks off, followed by his coat and shirt.

"Very nice…" Freyra whispered admiringly to Cissnei.

Aerith stiffened at the Turk's off-hand compliment, suddenly feeling…angry? She then turned away, trying to keep her expression neutral as Sephiroth jumped into the water.

"Hey, maybe there's something that can drain this place," Genesis suggested to Angeal, "Let's look around as well."

As they also removed their footwear and tops, Angeal's eyes accidentally met Elfé's. The swordswoman's eyes briefly moved down to Angeal's chest before she quickly looked away, attempting to appear nonchalant.

"Here's hoping," Angeal said before he and Genesis leaped off the platform and into the water as well.

"Should we go in as well?" Luxiere asked, "I mean, we've got pretty good underwater vision."

"Nah," Zack sighed, looking somewhat discouraged. "Something tells me we'd just get in their way..."


It had taken about five minutes for the three former lab specimens to locate a very large grate, which had been blocked with what turned out to be the decaying corpse of an equally large monster. Reluctantly, they moved the grotesque body aside before heading back to the platform. Genesis' wing sprouted and he grabbed both Sephiroth and Angeal's hands, hauling both himself and his friends back up.

"Oh, hey- look!" Aerith exclaimed. She lay flat on her stomach on the edge of the platform, near the bottom of the stone steps. "There's a switch here." She reached down and activated the lever, covering her ears as a loud hissing noise reverberated throughout the room. Steam billowed out from under her as a set of stone steps, similar to the other stairs in the area, emerged, descending to the floor.

"This is so exciting!" Tifa said to Zangan, who simply chuckled and patted Tifa on the head.

"Youth is exciting," the old man said wistfully, "But I'll admit, this little adventure is making me feel quite young myself…"

"There's the door," Sephiroth said, pointing ahead. The water level had now decreased, revealing the exit.

"Let's go," Elfé said to everyone as she followed Aerith, who was already walking down the new stairs.

"Careful," Sephiroth admonished Aerith, who had slipped on the wet floor only for him to catch her. "The door isn't going anywhere. Slow down."

"Oh, shit, I can smell that dead monster now…" Luxiere gagged as they approached the corpse.

"No kidding…" Cissnei grimaced, "How many years of that thing being submerged underwater?"

"Let's burn it," Freyra suggested as she readied a high-level Fire spell.

"Not yet," Sephiroth ordered her, "We don't know if the smoke might set off any alarms or traps."

"Wait a second…" Aerith said smiling, "I think I know what to do…"

She walked over to the corpse, making sure to breathe through her mouth. Lifting her staff in the air, she closed her eyes.

Be at peace...

The dead monster was instantly enveloped by blinding red light, causing everybody to shield their eyes. When they dared to look again, the body was gone. Everyone stared at Aerith, amazed at what they had seen.

"Whoa…" Zack said, stunned.

"And the smell's gone too!" Tifa remarked.

"Happy, now, everyone?" Aerith giggled before walking over to the door.


"Just when I think I can't possibly be more amazed…" Angeal said appreciatively as he looked around.

"You and me both…" Elfé agreed.

The gang stood in what seemed to be the actual city center. The area appeared to be lit by some sort of artificial sunlight. However, nobody could find any specific source. Dozens of neatly aligned houses lined the cobblestone streets. Each house still had lush greenery surrounding it. Indeed, it didn't look as though a week had passed since the Cetra race had vanished, let alone two-thousand years.

"It's like the city had a fire drill or something," Zack said, "You'd think everyone would be back in a few minutes."

"Maybe we should find a place to unload all of our stuff?" Angeal suggested.

Elfé nodded. "That sounds like a good idea. But we should try and find a place that can accommodate all of us. We should all stick together. No monsters have attacked us yet, but as we all saw, at least one monster did get through. And, it was large enough to block the drain in that pillar room and flood it. I'm not so sure people should go off on their own...at least not yet."

"Should we perhaps split into groups?" Sephiroth suggested.

"Two groups are probably fine," Elfé stated, "We can discuss it further once we're settled somewhere. The sun will be setting in only a few minutes. If there are monsters, they're more likely to come out after nightfall."

"What about that building over there?" Shera asked, pointing up ahead at what looked to be a large mansion, rising above all the other houses from about a block away.

"Let's check it out," Elfé said.


They arrived in a matter of minutes. As usual, Aerith had been the one to open the door, though it hadn't been locked. Furthermore, Sephiroth had inspected the door once everybody had entered the house, and determined that there was no lock.

"For such a huge place like this?" Zack had said dubiously.

"These guys must've had one hell of an honor system," Cid had added.

After exploring the large house and reading the few documents scattered throughout the many rooms, Aerith had determined that the building had been the dormitory of the lower-ranking members of the Geomancers Guild. Furthermore, the west wing was for the males, while the east wing was for the females. Deciding that this was the perfect place to stay, the group split up accordingly. Keeping with the dorm's tradition, the men split up into two of the dorm rooms in the west wing. The six women ended up piling into one room in the east wing that held three double-decker bunk-beds; enough to accommodate each of them.

"Hey, Aerith…" Tifa said as she sat on one of the bottom beds, "What's your idea of the Promised Land? I'm guessing you grew up being taught about it, right? What do you think it's like?"

Aerith smiled, placing her candle on the windowsill. "Sometimes, I dream of this endless field, filled with nothing but flowers. The sun is out, and I can feel the wind on my face. I lie down in the grass, and it's so comfortable, that I fall asleep within my own dream…and I wake up."

"But…" Tifa spoke before trailing off. A worried look appeared on her face.

"What is it?" Aerith prodded her friend.

"If the Promised Land is for the Ancients…and you and your family are the only ones left…what happens if you were to fall in love with someone? What happens after you and your partner are both gone? Will you be separated?"

A troubled look appeared on Aerith's face. However, she didn't bother to immediately cover it up as she always did. Tifa was right, though. Her own father was gone...absorbed into the Lifestream. Would the same thing happen to Barnabas? Would her mother lose the second love of her life all over again someday?

"There has to be a way…" she whispered.

"Really?" Freyra interjected skeptically, "Fifty-odd years isn't enough for you, especially considering there isn't even a candidate? I mean, it's not like I've heard any of you girls mentioning any sweethearts…" She then turned to Cissnei and grinned. "Well, maybe one of you..."

"Ah, yes…" Tifa said, turning to Cissnei as well. She wore a smug smile. "You seem to be a little cozy with Zack, am I right?"

"Great…" Cissnei sighed, "We've finally gotten to the point on this journey where we have nothing to do but gossip?"

"Aw, it's just nice to know that Zack's efforts to find a girl have finally paid off," Tifa giggled, "Now maybe he'll leave the rest of us alone."

Aerith winced, hoping Tifa hadn't opened up a can of worms.

Cissnei stared evenly at the young striker. "So he still does that, does he?" she said easily.

Aerith let out the breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. "Wait…" she realized, "You mean you knew all along that Zack acts like a total ladies' man, and you still…?"

"I let him take me on a breakfast date," Cissnei clarified, "One date. It's not like he proposed marriage."

"Lots of guys act like that when they're 'casting their net', so to speak," Freyra explained, "I had that guy pegged from the start, you know. Once it gets serious between him and somebody, he'll probably never even look at another girl."

"Thank the gods for small miracles," Elfé droned as she lay sprawled on a bed. She then looked at Aerith. "What's next, Aerith? Did the planet say anything else?"

Aerith frowned. "Yes…but it didn't make much sense."

"Your mom always said the same thing," Elfé reminded her, "How is it 'not making sense' this time?"

"It said to rest…the both of us," Aerith answered.

Elfé sat up. "You and your mom?"

Aerith shook her head. "No…I think it was implying someone here. I'll bet it was talking about Genesis."

"So what are we supposed to do in the meantime?" Freyra wanted to know.

"We rest too, I suppose," Elfé said, yawning as if to prove her point.

"Well, then," Freyra said, "Maybe another trip back to Bone Village is in order."

"What for?" Elfé asked.

"Swimsuits," Freyra explained, "Am I supposed to go swimming wearing this?" She fingered the collar of her new green button-down shirt. "And I sure as hell am not skinny-dipping with all these guys around. I'll bet that pilot and his buddies are a bunch of pervs..." A faint look of amusement and conceit crossed her face before she continued: "And I'm not holding myself responsible for any nosebleeds that Zack's two buddies get."

"Tomorrow afternoon, if nothing else happens first," Elfé said, "I'm tired. It's been a long day, and I'm not letting you run off by yourself. Sephiroth and Angeal will be standing guard at both exits tonight, so don't think of trying anything."

Freya sat on a bed, flopping on her back as she let out an exaggerated groan. "Damn, Cissnei- how are we supposed to slit everyone's throats in their sleep and run off if Sephiroth and that other guy are all the way at the exits?"

"Keep talking like that," Elfé goaded her acidly, "I'm sure eventually we'll find a nice dungeon or jail cell to throw you into. You'd be all alone too, since your partner seems to be much more cooperative…"

Cissnei, not wanting to get involved, rolled over on the bed she was laying on.

Elfé yawned and then stood up. "I'm going to go change," she announced before leaving the room.

Aerith, who had already changed into a camisole and shorts, climbed up the ladder to the top bunk, while Tifa lay on the bottom bunk. Shera lay in the next bunk on the bottom level, reading a book, a flashlight ready for when the lights went out. Freyra and Cissnei walked over to the last bunk on the other end of the room as they talked amongst themselves.

"Hey, Aerith?" Tifa spoke.

"Yeah?"

"How many of those candles do you have?"

"A few, why?"

"I was just thinking…" Tifa then hesitated. "Oh wait," she said, sounding discouraged, "He'd have to have a candle burning for me at home, wouldn't he?"

"Oh…" Aerith realized, "Are you thinking about your dad?"

"Yeah." Tifa's voice sounded rather subdued.

"Know what?" Aerith climbed down again and opened her travel pack. "Let's light a candle for him anyway. Even if he doesn't have one burning for you, he has to know you're thinking about him. You mailed that letter you were writing him when we were in Ingus, right?"

Tifa nodded as she sat up. "I took your advice about not putting my name on it. My father would recognize my handwriting anyway. Anyway, I explained everything."

Aerith placed a new candle on the windowsill, just barely able to fit it into the protective glass with the original candle. She then sparked another match, using it to light the second candle.

"I'm sorry…"

Both Aerith and Tifa turned around to see Elfé walking over to them, dressed in a simple tank top and shorts. She leaned against the wall, only a few feet from Tifa.

"It's my fault your training journey got derailed," Elfé sighed, "No parent should have to worry about their kid…" She trailed off, not knowing what else to say.

The three young women remained where they were, staring out the window as each of them took the time to think about their respective parents/caretakers, each of them offering up a silent prayer for those left behind...


A/N: I know it's not REALLY called Ajit, and that some fanboy/girl initially just made bad subtitles for Advent Children prior to its North American release, but I decided to adopt some more "fanon". The name has been used in a few decent stories I've read, so I figured, why not?