A/N: In this chapter, things begin to get cleared up. There wasn't much people who reviewed last chapter, I'm disappointed . But anyway, I hope you'll like this one!
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Last chapter…
Thinking that this was better than nothing, Aerith smiled sweetly as she grabbed her shirt, ready to head back home and take a warm, long shower before putting some clean clothes on. As for Sephiroth, he resumed his previous actions, hiding himself inside his own mind as Aerith's footsteps slowly faded away.
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Once he finally finished eating and extinguished the remaining fire, Sephiroth went deeper in the wood, soon reaching the tree against which he had laid when he first entered this world, the exact same place where Aerith had found him. As he ventured around almost everyday now, he knew it's location by heart.
'There's not even a trace left of this holy portal from which I came…But, it is here, somewhere' the silver haired man thought in the back of his mind, letting his glowing eyes trail around the green world.
Even if he, somehow, felt compelled to reach this place, Sephiroth knew there was no way for him to unlock the secrets hidden deep in it's shadows. No matter how his heart desired to be reunited once again with the world he willingly left, there was no way for him to go back... unless…
'A Cetra could send me back to where I belong' Sephiroth reflected, sitting against the tree trunk.
Analysing the idea in his mind, Sephiroth closed his eyes and leaned his head against the trunk, letting images of the past flow through his mind. Images of Nibelheim, memories of Soldiers kneeling and begging under his murderous glare, sights of glowing Lifestream flowing around his spirit as he peered through the very core of a thousand souls…
Unconsciously, as those illusions soothed his mind, a satisfied smile curled at the corner of his lips, a feel of never-ending power warming his soul like a poisoned mist. Every night, he saw glimpses of his past, a taste of blood and steel.
Nightmares, it was how Aerith had called those nocturnal enchantments. Yes, he was never able to sleep much because of it, as a part of him was disturbed by those visions of death, but at the same time, they made him feel stronger, made him remember who he truly was.
His hands were stained with blood that would never be cleaned, tainting his skin and sliding through every pore, mingling with his own flesh, a sweet taste of poison ivy. The more he remembered, the more he realised how impossible it was for him to live this life any longer. He needed to immerge himself in blissful fights, feeling the harsh yet rejuvenating burn of adrenaline blazing through his veins, aware of nothing else than his own swift movements and the sounds of his enemies' defeats.
'Yes…this is what I long for…' he thought, letting his body relax.
Then, images of a young woman kneeling at an alter, her frail body savagely perforated by his own steel invaded his mind, and in a split second, Sephiroth's disturbed, glowing green eyes shot open, tainted by something close to horror. Letting out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding, the silver haired man placed a hand on his chest to calm his racing heart, his twisted mind slowly coming back to reality.
Of all the things he could remember from his previous life, this was one memory he would never be able to bear. Because of it, he never found sleep. Because of it, he felt like working in a useless shop was something better than to crush the world's sickening foundations between his insatiable fingers. She was the only sin he would no longer be able to find pleasure in.
'Aerith…'
Her name flowing from his lips in a quiet whisper, Sephiroth lowered his eyes to the ground, swallowing the lump in his throat as he knew that no matter the destruction and self-satisfaction he could muster if he left this world, he would never forget her, never be able to accept her being away from him.
'…I could bring her with me' he thought, already knowing how foolish of an idea this was.
He did not even know if he would be able to ever reach his home planet again, it was utterly pointless to even think about involving someone else. But, life as it was now would never be enough for him. Somehow, he needed to make a choice.
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Later…
Standing in front of her bedroom window, Aerith stared at the dark, star filled sky, smiling contentedly as she felt Sephiroth's chest against her back, his arms encircling her in a tender embrace. Just as he had promised, he was there, willing to stay by her side, even if he did not find sleep at all.
"The stars are nice tonight" she declared in a whisper.
"Hm…Have you ever wondered if we are viewing the same sky as the inhabitants of our former land?" the silver haired man demanded, as an idea began to form in the back of his mind.
"Well, yes. I…wonder all the time." The brunette answered, turning to face him, wishing to catch a glimpse of his expression, anything that could help her find the real meaning of his words.
"…You miss your friends, do you not?"
"Of course. I'll never forget them. But…it's all in the past. I'm over it now"
"Are you sure about that?" Sephiroth questioned, arching a sceptical, silver eyebrow.
"Yes" was the flower girl's firm and absolute answer.
"I see. So, you've decided to cast aside our home planet's existence, forever" the silver haired man wondered.
Knowing where he was going with all those questions, Aerith placed a hand on his chest, raising a pair of determined, yet sad emeralds to meet his piercing glance, formulating her reply without any hesitation.
"It's true that my old friends live on that planet. It's true that I was born there and died to protect this world I loved. But now, I no longer live for the same purposes, life on Gaia was never a pleasant experience, all I ever saw there was death, loneliness and suffering. In here, I can finally be at peace…I can finally live my life as I want it, with you. No matter the cost, I would never return there. Now, I belong here. My time on Gaia has expired."
Nodding his understanding, Sephiroth brought her closer to himself, placing his chin on top of her head just in time to see a bright, shining wishing star cross the night sky.
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The next morning…
Groaning as the ringing of her alarm clock detonated between the walls of her tiny bedroom, Kitakaze slowly got out of bed, happy that she could wake up later than usual, since Aerith was taking her place as the shop, just like they had planned.
'But I still need to do something about Sephiroth' she reminded herself as her raging headache tried to convince her to stay hidden in the fluffy depths of her bed.
Getting to her feet, she immediately felt dizzy, putting a hand on her forehead and closing her eyes as she did her best to regain her balance.
She could no longer deny it; her sickness was still present, and it was even more virulent than before.
'I can't let it have the best of me…My sister needs me' the girl told herself, reaching her drawers and grabbing some clothes, deliberately avoiding to make eye contact with her disgustingly bruised arms.
Fortunately, it was rather chilly outside, so no one would ask questions if she wore long sleeved shirts.
So, once she was properly dressed, Kitakaze swiftly left home before her mother could notice her and immediately headed for the forest, knowing this was where she would find Sephiroth.
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Meanwhile, Sephiroth was practicing his Katas, standing next to the huge trees gracing the forest, trying to ignore the fascinated glare of a little girl playing nearby. As soon as Aerith went out to work, the silver haired man had left the house after spending the whole night thinking about the words she told him. He knew now that he would never be able to leave this place with her by his side. But, even if she had wanted to go back, he knew that she would have never approved with his twisted plans of massive destruction, and would have stood against him once again. In those circumstances, he would have no choice but to slay her, just as he did back then.
'But I won't ever be able to do that again.' He admitted to himself, now fully aware of his weaknesses towards her and willing to accept it.
He loved her, and this was undeniable.
"Now, I belong here. My time on Gaia has expired."
Listening to the sharp sounds of Masamune slicing through thin air, Sephiroth remembered this single sentence, knowing perfectly what she meant by those words.
'For everyone on our Planet, we are legends that are long dead, and buried away forever. Of course, our actions back then will never allow us to become mere memories…Both she and I, in our own way, left permanent scars on that world…But our time there is past'
Clenching his jaw at those thoughts, Sephiroth slashed more intently at some invisible enemy, frustrated at what he knew was reality.
'If I have to stay here, then…I'll try to shape this land into the world I desire' the swordsman decided, his face suddenly lit by a twisted, slight smile.
Then, he was taken right out of his thoughts as a cheerful, familiar voice rang clearly from behind him, informing him of Kitakaze's presence. Wondering what she could possibly want from him, the silver haired man sheathed his weapon, turning around to face her.
"What do you want? He spat, not liking to get disturbed while practicing.
"Hello, Sephiroth. I'm bored, so I thought maybe you would accompany me to the mountains. I want to train" the girl declared, deciding to ignore his irritated tone.
"Train? Can't you see this is exactly what I was doing a moment ago?" Sephiroth groaned, knowing he should not be so rube, but unable to help it.
"Oh no, you got me wrong! I was talking about real fights, against disgusting monsters" the girl giggled, perfectly hiding the electrifying pain running through her whole body.
Looking at her somewhat suspiciously, Sephiroth let a glimpse of interest find its way through his mind.
"…I thought there was almost no monsters on this holy land" he replied.
"Oh, you're wrong. The mountains nearby are full of it, and when they, somehow, reach the city, things become really messy, so when people go there to have some training, no one complains…and I know you hunger for some…action"
"Hm…I guess I'll go with you, then. I hope your preys are enough of a challenge" the swordsman finally decided, approaching her to indicate he was ready to depart.
"Great! Follow me" Kitakaze beamed, suddenly flinching as she took the first step, hoping she would be able to even reach the mountains…
'But…if my body breaks down…I know he'll help me…At least, I hope so' she thought, going on ahead as he followed her, eyeing her with unhidden suspicion.
As they walked out of the city and trailed along a small river, Sephiroth didn't fail to notice that the girl's pace was getting slower as she occasionally flinched, looking as if she was about to collapse. Obviously, something was dangerously wrong with her.
"Are you sure you're in shape enough to go there?" the silver haired man asked, stopping on his tracks, unwilling to go any further.
"I…I'm sorry" Kitakaze breathed before suddenly falling to her knees, unable to resist any more.
Getting seriously worried, Sephiroth reached her side in a split second, eyes widening as he saw how sickly pale her face was.
"You're still infected. Why did you hide it?" the silver haired man exclaimed, catching her in his arms as she fell backwards.
"I wanted to…live my last moments among…the people I care about…I'm sorry, I guess…I won't be able to…accompany you…to the mountains…" Kitakaze managed to whimper, raising a pair of pain filled eyes to meet concerned Mako pools.
Cursing under his breath, Sephiroth tried to stay calm as Kitakaze's shirt was slowly dampened by a warm, crimson substance he knew all too well.
"You should have told someone" he thundered, wondering why he was getting so frustrated over it.
"You can't understand…I wanted to be useful, to aid you…but…I guess I can't help anyone now…" she struggled to say, a lone tear rolling from the corner of her eye.
"Stop talking" Sephiroth commended, immediately removing her sweat-shirt, glad that she was wearing a T-shirt underneath.
Then, as he laid her to the ground and placed his eyes on her now profusely bleeding, bruised skin, Sephiroth felt a wave of panic invading his whole being. Somehow, he had the sickening yet bewitching impression that even the air around them smelled like fresh blood.
Trying to collect his thoughts as Kitakaze slowly closed her chocolate eyes, Sephiroth noticed the trail of blood flowing from her body and right to the small river, infecting it with poisoned crimson.
'This water could infect the whole waterway…' the swordsman thought, suddenly forgetting about the girl's presence as a new idea formed in his mind.
Maybe, if the townspeople got infected…he could find a way to take advantage of the situation…
Then, as he reflected about it, looking at the bloody water, Kitakaze flinched as a convulsion ran through her broken body, bringing him right back to reality.
'Shit…what am I doing?' he reprimanded himself, immediately taking her in his arms and rising to his feet, making his way back to Radiant Garden, unsure of which feeling, horror or wonder, was the strongest inside him now.
But, for the first time, he was afraid. Afraid…of himself.
Trying to chase any kind of feelings and thoughts away from his mind, Sephiroth ran through the city under the horrified stares of the townspeople, holding Kitakaze's bleeding body. Completely ignoring them, he made his way through the crowded streets, bumping into a few persons who were not fast enough to clear the way in time. As he ran, he could almost hear the disturbing sound of Kitakaze's blood falling to the marble ground in uncountable droplets, resonating through his mind as he blindly made his way to the hospital.
As soon as he entered the establishment, a nurse let out a surprised gasp, running to their side while her co-workers ran to find the doctor, or anyone able to handle such a case. Only a few seconds went by before Adoria and her superior came running, both wearing terrified looks upon their faces as they saw Kitakaze's body, covered with bloody gore.
"What happened?" Adoria screamed, panic written all over her figure.
"She's infected, and it seems she hid it quite well" Sephiroth explained, his tone back to it's usual neutrality.
"Take her to the operation rooms!" the doctor exclaimed, immediately leading the silver haired man to the rooms in question.
Once they reached their destination, Sephiroth laid Kitakaze's body on the white bed, which was immediately covered with crimson life.
"She will need a transfusion, or she'll die in less than an hour! Sephiroth, your blood type is universal, I will ask you to help her" Adoria declared, urgency tainting her voice.
"…All right" the silver haired man approved, following her to another room, readying himself for yet another series of annoying syringe pokes.
Meanwhile, a nurse left the hospital in a hurry, running to Tenzen's shop, knowing that now could be the last time Kitakaze's family would be able to see her.
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A/N: I'm sorry to end the chapter like this, but I had to, if not this would have been one hell of a long chapter. So, read and review!
