Shout-outs:
Leia-san: I wouldn't say they're alive and well, exactly. Only five-hundred are left(504 if you count Ifalna's children). But it's still 504 more than there were when Jenova was discovered.
Lazarus Rebound: Thanks! Sorry it interfered with your sleep, though. At least it's just one chapter this time.
Elspeth3Tirel: Life can indeed be inconvenient, especially when it takes two years to figure out how Aerith and Sephiroth were going to act the next day, as well as how many people would find out about them. I had a ton of different scenarios, and hated them all. ::facepalm:: Tifa catching them in the act, Elfé figuring it out for herself, and Sephiroth flat-out telling Angeal was my final decision. Let's hope it doesn't take another two years to figure out how Ifalna and Barnabas will find out...or Genesis, for that matter(he'll certainly have something obnoxious to say about it).
JazzQueen: Now the fun part begins as we get to find out exactly who Ifalna really is.
Llonella: You'll see soon that other characters aren't too crazy about Aerith hooking up with such an older guy either. But, Aerith has made up her mind, which is something that's nearly impossible to change(like her decision to join Cloud in the original game, and to leave everyone behind, despite the tragic consequences). I think we all have that one friend who never listens to us.
faunalind: The longer Aerith and Sephiroth have to wait, the harder it's going to be to tell Ifalna and Barnabas. But whoever said love was easy? :P
Chapter 16: Awakening
"So, how do we open up these things?" Sephiroth asked as he looked around at the rows of pods surrounding him.
"Wait a minute, Seph," Ifalna said to him, "We should wait until Elfé and the others leave. And before they leave, we should let them know what's going on. I think this trip to Modeoheim ought to be permanent. My people didn't intend to wake up after two thousand years, only for their home to be inhabited by complete strangers. The barrier, the Sleeping Forest…all that was for a reason."
Sephiroth nodded. "I understand. I'm sure the others will as well."
From what Angeal and Genesis had told him, it seemed as though the other empty town would more than be able to accommodate everyone. Also, given its military origins, Modeoheim would be much more suited to house what seemed to be turning into a new branch of Avalanche.
"Mom- do you think that the other Cetra might eventually team up with us in the fight against the Shinra?" Aerith asked, "Especially given that they're destroying this planet?"
Ifalna nodded. "I'm sure once everyone gets their bearings, and they learn what's happened, they'll do just that. And they'll also help Genesis. He should definitely stay behind when the others leave. However…"
She suddenly looked uneasy.
"What's wrong?" Aerith asked.
"Aerith…this is going to sound rather cold, but you need to leave for a while," said Ifalna, "You and Sephiroth should go up to Modeoheim with the others. I'm sure they can use your help."
"What? No!" Aerith protested, "I want to meet my people! Why do I have to leave?"
Ifalna closed her eyes, unable to look at her daughter. "There's something you don't know about me…" She took a deep breath. "…I was...or rather I still technically am…the high priestess of this city."
"Really?" Aerith looked intrigued. "So you're some kind of...VIP here?"
"What's so bad about that?" Sephiroth wanted to know.
Ifalna winced. "It's just that...well, I was a priestess…and just like in our modern religions, priests and priestesses aren't allowed to marry...much less have children."
A stricken look came across Aerith's face as she realized what this meant. "So, in other words…I wasn't supposed to have been born…?" she asked quietly.
"I'll handle it," Ifalna reassured her, "I just think this is something that they need to learn…gently, if that makes any sense. First, they need to know about my amnesia. If they find out about you before that, they'll immediately assume that it was the result of one of the 'lost ones' forcing himself on me."
"What?!" Aerith exclaimed, incredulous.
"Lost ones?" Sephiroth repeated.
"Our term for humans," Ifalna explained, "Our kin who lost their connection to the planet."
"Is that how they think humans are?" Aerith asked, upset. "Like savages?"
"No!" Ifalna insisted, "Please understand, Aerith…had I retained my memories, I would have never broken my vows…and many of my people know that. They know me. I'm afraid that's the more natural conclusion for them to jump to. The fact that I forgot about my vows…" She laughed nervously. "Even saying that out loud sounds silly. 'Oops- I forgot my vow of celibacy and got married...twice.'." She shook her head. "Ridiculous…"
"That is quite the conundrum," Sephiroth agreed.
"Before we leave, can you please tell us what happened?" Aerith asked.
Ifalna took a deep breath, and then nodded. "Let's get out of here and find Elfé and the others first. I can tell you everything then."
"What's going on?" Cid asked as he saw everyone gathered by the lake.
"Special announcement, Captain," Shera explained.
"Everyone here?" Elfé called out loudly. When no one spoke to the contrary, she turned to Ifalna and nodded.
Nervously, Ifalna stepped back to address the crowd:
"Everybody, thank you for coming. Also, I thank you for everything you've done to help my daughter get here. I understand you've been waiting a while for Aerith to discover what her next move is to be. I'm pleased to announce that we discovered that earlier this morning."
A murmur ran through the crowd before Elfé raised her hand. Everyone quieted down.
"You've heard the legends of the Cetra…the 'Ancients', as you call them. Supposedly, my family and I were the last living Cetra, but we now know for a fact that it's no longer true. In a sealed-off room at the lowest level of the city, below the cathedral, are four-hundred and ninety-nine other Cetra, all of whom are currently in suspended animation."
"Say what, now?" Cid called out, dumbfounded.
"Allow me to explain," Ifalna went on, "Two-thousand years ago, the Cetra were thriving in cities all over the globe. Our civilization was at its peak, and it really did seem that the skies were the limit.
"That was, until a visitor from the skies arrived up north. What we thought was a meteor crashed into the earth, creating what we now call the Northern Crater, was the arrival of a monster. This monster managed to assimilate into our city, pretending to be a traveler from another clan. Only two days after her arrival at our city, she revealed her true, genocidal self. She inflicted my people with an airborne plague that traveled from here all over the world, killing nearly everyone who was infected. In six short weeks, only a small percentage of us remained."
Ifalna looked at the ground, wincing at the memory, which now seemed like it had just happened days ago. She took a deep breath, and continued speaking:
"Jenova, as you call her, was finally sealed away by a powerful spell, and buried in the same spot where she crashed into our planet. As the Lifestream converged to heal the crater, we'd hoped that it would purge her from the planet. In the meantime, out of all the survivors we gathered a group of our smartest, strongest young adults from all over the world, and decided to put ourselves into suspended animation. We knew that our people stood a good chance of going extinct with the planet being in the state it was in. We live in sync with the planet. Even after the plague ended, there were problems. Our birth rates plummeted over the next two years, and it was because the planet was using the Lifestream itself to heal its wound. We hoped that two thousand years would be enough to heal the planet. Sadly…that wasn't the case."
"Wait a minute…" Freyra interrupted, "If this is the case, why didn't you come back to the city sooner? Wouldn't this be a huge priority?"
"Had I remembered any of this before today, I would absolutely have come here to wake up the rest of my brethren," Ifalna answered, "Some of you here know that I was unable to remember my life before the past nineteen years. Nothing could jog my memory, no matter what. Not hypnosis, not therapy, not medicine…" Not torture…she thought. "In any case, I'm here now, and it's time for the Cetra to return. But…"
"But you want the rest of us to get lost, right?" Genesis guessed.
Ifalna couldn't help but laugh. "Actually, Genesis, you need to stay right here. I have confidence that our actual healers might be able to take care of you, and very soon at that."
"What do you mean by actual healers?" Angeal asked, "Aren't you yourself a healer by profession?"
Ifalna laughed again. "What I can do are parlor tricks compared to the League of Healers. If one of those healers were to settle in Cosmo Canyon, both myself and Dr. Triton would be out of a job."
"Then how is it that you became the High Priestess?" Aerith asked.
Ifalna sighed. "That is a very complicated story. I can't claim that title anymore, so maybe it doesn't matter."
She took our her white materia, rolling it through her fingers. "I suppose I'll have to relinquish this as well. I never felt that I was meant to summon 'Holy', if it ever even comes to that."
Aerith's eyes widened. "You mean that's a summoning materia?"
Ifalna nodded. "One of the three most powerful summoning materia ever to exist. The second one is hidden, but I believe we might have to retrieve it eventually, if only to keep it out of the wrong hands. The third one is lost to history, and for everyone's sake, I hope it stays that way."
"So our trip to Modeoheim is to be a permanent one," Elfé concluded, "But really, nothing's changed." She turned to face the others. "Let's get going, people! The sooner we fix the supercomputer and settle into the city, the sooner we can start planning our next move!"
"Good luck, Elfé," Ifalna said as she grabbed the younger woman's hand and squeezed it briefly.
"You too," Elfé replied, "Call if anything happens. Maybe your people can do something about the terrible reception here."
Ifalna laughed before turning to her daughter. "I'll call you as soon as everything's settled."
"Wait a second- you're not staying here?" Elfé asked Aerith.
"Mom didn't think it was a good idea for everyone to wake up and see that I exist," Aerith sighed, "When I mentioned her being the High Priestess, there's a little problem with that. She wasn't supposed to get married, much less have four kids."
"It's true…" Ifalna admitted uneasily.
Elfé winced. "Wow. I'm sorry."
"She thinks it'll be fine once she explains," Aerith added, "but they don't need to be confronted with it right after waking up. Coming back to life is hard enough, I imagine. Now they'll need a new High Priestess."
"Maybe they'll pick you," Elfé kidded.
Aerith glared briefly at Elfé. I don't see that happening…she thought.
Ifalna laughed. "No chance. I want at least a dozen grandchildren in the future, and I expect all my kids to do their part in granting my wish!"
Aerith felt herself turning red. Too soon...she thought uncomfortably.
Elfé smirked at her. "But that's years from now, of course..."
Aerith continued to glare at the swordswoman, but there was a slight look of panic in her eyes. Stop it, Elfé...she thought frantically.
"It's a tradition that needs to die," said Ifalna, "But one thing at a time, I suppose. Elfé, again, I ask you to please look after her."
Elfé smiled. "No problem. Although…"
Aerith hoisted her duffel bag over her shoulder and peered at her friend. "Although…?"
"Why hike all the way to Modeoheim? Wouldn't it make more sense for you to hang out in Bone Village for the time being?" Elfé then looked at Ifalna. "I mean, how long is it going to take for you to smooth things over regarding your having a family? Aerith should just stay at the inn over there."
Aerith smiled. "That's a great idea!"
"That makes a lot of sense," Ifalna agreed.
"I could use a day or so by myself," said Aerith, "Clear my mind, work on my drawings...I'll check into the inn, and once you're all set, you can come find me there, Mom."
Ifalna nodded. "Makes perfect sense to me."
"Then I'll be going," Elfé announced. "Good luck to you both."
"You as well, Elfé," Ifalna said as the swordswoman walked away.
She turned to look at Aerith, whose smile had faded as she half-heartedly waved goodbye. She had noticed her daughter looking somewhat preoccupied since she had arrived in Ajit.
"Are you all right?" Ifalna asked, concerned. "We haven't had the chance to really sit down and talk. It just looks like you have a lot on your mind. Is everything okay?"
Aerith tried not to grimace. Now was not the time to bring it up. "It's not a big deal, Mom," she reassured her mother, "We can talk about things when everything settles down. Believe me- it's nothing compared to the return of the Cetra."
Ifalna regarded her daughter uncertainly. "All right."
"When are we going to call home and let them know what's happening?" Aerith asked, "Maybe I should call them, since I don't have anything better to do."
Ifalna nodded. "As soon as you get situated. We need to give your father time to figure out what to do. It's worth discussing whether or not to bring the rest of the family up here."
Aerith smiled. "I think the kids would get a kick out of this place. We never did have a real family vacation abroad. It'll be a first for us."
"Maybe we should have tried…" Ifalna said with a sigh. "I know we'd once talked about visiting Sephiroth in Mideel, but then I remembered what happened to Kimu and Shuroya when they tried to take a vacation…"
"I understand," Aerith said, "You and Daddy just wanted us to be safe. And we've been safe. Cosmo Canyon is a great place to live, and I know the kids would agree. Life's been good there. I wouldn't change it at all. You and Daddy have been great. I'm sure the kids would agree."
Ifalna smiled and reached over, patting her daughter's cheek. "It'll be good here too. There's so many things I look forward to teaching you…and a few people you'll be very interested in meeting…"
"Then go wake everyone up so I can meet them," Aerith giggled. She then looked at Genesis, who was now approaching them. "And please, help him."
"I'm positive that we'll have him on the road to recovery in a matter of days," Ifalna assured her as she laid her hand on Genesis' shoulder.
"Then, shall we get started?" Genesis asked with a smile.
"That's my cue to get lost, I suppose," Aerith said. "I'll be staying at the Bone Village Inn. Any local will be able to point out the way if you get lost."
"Which I probably will…" Ifalna sighed.
"Bye, Mom…" Aerith readjusted her bag and hugged her mother with her free arm. She then turned and walked off.
"Dear Goddess…" Genesis whispered as he looked at the hundreds of pods spread out inside the large antechamber. He then looked at Ifalna, who stood over a particular pod. "How do we do this?"
"One at a time, I'm afraid," Ifalna answered, "There's no device or switch for waking everyone up at once. I was always supposed to be the first to wake up. My pod was the one fitted with an automatic timer." She laughed. "Listen to me. I make it sound like I'm a baked potato..."
"So who should we wake up first?" Genesis asked.
Ifalna tapped on the pod in front of her. "This joker," she said, smiling fondly.
Genesis walked over to her. "Who is that?"
Ifalna ran her hand over the surface. "Cetra typically carry twins when they give birth. I myself…am a twin."
"So this person is…"
"-My brother."
"No kidding." Genesis smiled. "Aerith and the kids have an uncle? This whole trip's turning out to be a giant family reunion for her, isn't it?"
Ifalna nodded, having been told about Aerith's visit with Professor Gast's parents, and Hojo's brother.
"What's your brother's name?" Genesis asked.
"Ragnar," Ifalna said, "But I always called him 'Blaze', on account of what he can do. He can create flames without materia."
"Really?" Genesis was intrigued.
"And he in turn, called me…" Ifalna held up her hands, which emitted a loud crackle of electricity. "…'Sparks', for similar reasons. It was one of the few things I remembered- that name. But now I remember what it means."
"Aerith did say you could jumpstart any vehicle," Genesis marveled, "She didn't mention the details."
Ifalna laughed. She then looked down at the pod. "Here goes nothing…" She pulled the lever sticking out of the side, causing a loud hissing noise and emitting a plume of steam. Slowly, the top of the pod slid to the side, revealing a young man who appeared to be in a deep sleep.
Genesis leaned over and peered at the man. "How long before he-?"
Suddenly, the man's eyes shot open as he took a deep, gasping breath. He then quickly shot up into a sitting position and Genesis managed to back away before their heads could smack together.
"Hey…" Ifalna gently put her hand on her brother's shoulder. "It's me, Blaze," she said in Cetran. "It's Sparks. I'm here, okay?"
Ragnar continued to look around, until his eyes met Genesis'. He then peered curiously at the swordsman.
"And I was right to bring this…" Ifalna said as she took out a canteen and opened it. It was filled with water from the Rosetta Fountain. "Come on…drink. I know you're thirsty."
She shoved the canteen against his lips. Her brother grunted, as if in protest, but eventually calmed down and began to drink.
"Good," Ifalna said, "All right…just relax, big brother…"
"'Big' brother?" Genesis couldn't help but smirk, considering the now nineteen-year age difference between the two siblings.
"By four minutes," Ifalna replied.
Ragnar finished drinking and continued to look around. "What's going on?" he asked in stilted Common Tongue, "Where am I? Hell- what language am I speaking?"
"We were asleep, remember?" Ifalna said, suddenly worried that her brother might have memory issues as well.
Ragnar scowled, and then slowly nodded. "The plague…the Great Sleep."
Ifalna sighed with relief. "You remember."
Ragnar took a good look at his sister. "Oh, wow…Sparks, you're old!" he laughed nervously.
Ifalna glared at him and grabbed his nose uncharacteristically. "You're old!" she shot back.
Genesis burst out laughing, causing Ifalna to abruptly let go. She then turned her head to hide her burning face.
Great…she thought miserably, I get my memory back and start acting like a kid again…
Ragnar looked at Genesis a second time as he rubbed his nose. "Who are you?" he asked bluntly.
"That's Genesis," Ifalna explained, "He's a friend, and he needs our help."
"How long were you awake for, Sparks?" Ragnar asked, staring at his "younger" sister. "Your eyes glow now. Did you fall into a Pool of Life?"
"What's a pool of life?" Genesis asked.
"He means the Lifestream pools," Ifalna told him. She then turned to look at Ragnar. "I've been awake for nineteen years. Something went wrong with my pod, and it opened early. And the reason it took me so long to get back to you, and why my eyes glow is something I'll be happy to share once everyone is awake. In the meantime, can you stand?"
"Here, I'll help you…" Genesis held out his hand for Ragnar.
Ragnar stared at him. "Who are you?" he asked again.
"That's Genesis. He's a friend," Ifalna repeated patiently, "Let him help."
The younger man grabbed Genesis' hand with one hand, and grabbed Ifalna's hand with the other. Slowly, he climbed out of the pod.
"I'm flattered," Ragnar said with a smile. "You chose to wake me up before anyone else. Beautiful, Sparks!"
Ifalna burst into laughter. "Oh my…now I remember!"
"Remember what?" Genesis asked.
"Blaze always says that when he compliments me. I always remembered someone saying 'Beautiful, Sparks!', but I didn't know the context, or who it was."
"Oh, how could you forget my catchphrase?" Ragnar teased, "Next thing you'll tell me is you've forgotten our dear older brother's trite aphorisms as well."
Genesis stared. "You have another brother?"
"Our eldest brother," Ifalna explained. "He's twenty-two years older than us. We were the youngest. Originally, there were nine of us siblings. After the plague, however…" A pained look crossed her face. "…there's just us three."
Genesis regarded her sadly. "I'm sorry," he said.
"Shall we wake Galeas up next, then?" Ragnar suggested, trying to brighten the mood. "We'll have a little family reunion before we wake everyone else up."
"Galeas?" Genesis repeated, "Like the wizard from all those fairy-tales?"
"Oh my…" Ifalna put her hand to her mouth. "That's right- Sephiroth used to love those stories when he was a child. It's true, though. Big brother's fame precedes him even after two-thousand years."
"Exactly how many friends have you made?" Ragnar asked. "Who's Sephiroth?"
"Let's just wake everyone else up so that I don't have to tell my story twice," Ifalna suggested. "It's a pretty long story…"
Aerith lay on the dingy single bed in her room at Bone Village's inn, wondering what to do with herself.
Sephiroth had reluctantly gone on to Modeoheim without her, figuring that the others would need all the help they could get turning the deserted city into new headquarters for Avalanche. He and Aerith had also agreed that since Ifalna would be coming to Bone Village once things were settled, that it would be best not to be caught together before telling her the truth. The two of them had said their goodbyes at the northern exit to the city, and Aerith had headed back across town toward the Sleeping Forest.
When will it be a good time to tell her? Shouldn't we tell her and Daddy at the same time?
She had tried calling Barnabas, but there had been no answer. Aerith wasn't too concerned, however. He was probably doing some repair job somewhere. She knew her stepfather never picked up the phone while he was working.
Aerith rolled over and reached for her suitcase. Opening it up, she pulled out her old stuffed moogle and smiled at it. "Well, Kupo-chan…" she said fondly, "Looks like I'll have to settle for snuggling with you…just like old times…"
Hugging the moogle close to her chest, she closed her eyes and hoped she would be able to nap for a while.
It didn't work. Aerith sat up, resting against the wall as she looked up at the ceiling.
What was her mother doing right now? Was everybody awake? How would it be now that there were hundreds of Cetra still alive?
For years, Aerith had fought the heartache of knowing that she and her family were all that was left of the Cetra legacy. She should have been ecstatic to know that she was not alone; that the Cetra race still had a chance to survive. Instead, she was terrified.
Would they receive her well? Despite her mother's reassurances, Aerith worried that she might be shunned by her own people; to be an outsider. She already felt like one among humans, despite her half-human heritage. What would make things any different with the Cetra? She knew very little about their culture except for the books she had read, and the images that the planet had sent her.
Aerith stood up and put the moogle down. She knelt down and opened her suitcase again, rummaging around for her art supplies. She needed something to take her mind off of everything that was going on, and she definitely needed some air. Grabbing some pencils and the sketch pad her parents had given her, she quickly left the room.
It had taken well over an hour to wake everyone up and get them reoriented. Ifalna had ended up going back and forth to the Rosetta fountain at least a few dozen times to refill the canteen.
Now the rest of the Cetra sat in the cathedral while Ifalna stood at the altar, next to her eldest brother Galeas.
"Welcome back, everyone," Ifalna said, addressing everybody. "I'm glad to see that this long sleep was not in vain. However, you can see that things didn't go according to plan…" She smiled awkwardly before continuing: "It's clearly obvious that I'm no longer twenty years old."
Light laughter rippled through the "congregation".
"I'm not sure what exactly went wrong, but my holding pod malfunctioned," Ifalna continued, "Not only did I wake up nearly two decades early, but I also woke up with no memory of my life before I embarked on The Great Sleep. And all these years, nothing could jog my memory. I forgot about everything I was supposed to do, and it didn't help that I wound up captured and imprisoned by a large, powerful group of people."
"A clan of Lost Ones?" Galeas asked, alarmed now.
Ifalna shook her head. "Clan isn't the word…it's hard to explain. The world is very different now, and this group of people seek what appears to be world domination. On top of that, their methods continue to harm the planet, undoing the healing it managed over the past two-thousand years. Also…they found the Calamity From The Skies, and used her body to create powerful soldiers."
Ragnar's eyes widened in horror, while Galeas closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose.
"So it's even worse now!" somebody lamented.
"How did you escape, Savior?" somebody else called out.
Ifalna cringed at the title briefly, before taking a deep breath. This was it; she wouldn't be able to tell of her escape without mentioning her first and second husband.
"An individual from said group…one with a conscience, decided to help me escape. He severed ties with those people, and we hid out in a town up north for a couple of years. Now…what I'm about to tell you is going to come as a shock, but…this man and I fell in love, and we got married."
Pandemonium erupted.
"Married?! The High Priestess?!"
"Did she really 'forget'? Everyone in Ajit knew her title was forced upon her! Seems a bit convenient if you ask me…"
"SILENCE!" Galeas bellowed. The other Cetra quickly quieted down. He stepped forward. "Ifalna wouldn't have broken her vows deliberately. I think I know my youngest sister better than anyone here…"
Ragnar coughed loudly from the front row.
"You know what I meant, Ragnar," Galeas chided him, "The point is, we're not living in the same world that we left behind. I always said that we should focus less on ceremony and more on practicality. Our elders tried to discourage us from our plan when they abandoned this city, but we were able to seal ourselves in that chamber and do what needed to be done."
"Did the rest of our people die out as predicted?" someone asked.
Ifalna nodded. "I'm afraid so. I was captured because I was thought to be the last living 'Ancient', as the Lost Ones now call us. I was a scientific curiosity."
A chorus of shock and surprise arose from the congregation.
"But there are still humans who are good, honest people!" Ifalna maintained, "They've helped lead the fight against this group…the Shinra. These people fight to keep the planet safe, and to undo the damage that the Shinra have caused. It's taken years, but we're finally making headway. And now that you're back as well, we can all join in the fight."
"Hey, who's that guy?" a woman asked, finally noticing Genesis standing off to the side.
"Her husband, I'm guessing," someone else said, much to Ifalna and Genesis' chagrin.
"N-no…!" Ifalna called out above the incessant chatter that arose again, "That's not my husband!"
"Not her husband," Genesis echoed, holding his hands up.
"People, please calm down!" Galeas shouted, "Let the High- I mean, let Ifalna speak! Clearly, she's not done telling her story!"
Everyone quieted down again.
"My husband and I were able to stay hidden for about two years," Ifalna continued, "During that time, we had a daughter…"
She paused, expecting more clamoring from the others, but the hall remained silent. Not sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing, she decided to press on:
"However, three weeks after our daughter was born, we were found by the Shinra. My husband was killed, and my daughter and I taken away, where we were held prisoner for five years. I'm not going to lie, it was hell. But…we managed to escape again, with a few other Shinra prisoners. We fled to Cosmo Canyon, where my daughter and I have lived for the past twelve years…with my second husband…and our three other children. Then, recently, the planet reached out to my eldest daughter, and sent her up here. She found the door to the slumber room, and sent for me so I could take care of the rest. She's standing by at a nearby village…and is looking forward to meeting all of you. I'll send for her as soon as the time is right. I hope for that to be sooner rather than later, as I hope you'll welcome her, regardless of what's happened."
She looked at Galeas and nodded. The older man stepped forward and began to address everyone:
"I suggest we disperse and get ourselves resettled. Ifalna tells me that the orchard still yields plenty of fruit if you're hungry, and that the plumbing still runs cleanly if you're thirsty..."
"But who is this man?" somebody asked, indicating Genesis.
Genesis smirked.
Ifalna sighed. "Sorry, I guess my story isn't quite done yet…"
Sephiroth never felt more uncomfortable around his own friends as he did right now.
He, Elfé and Angeal were leading the others through the frosty terrain. The three of them were still visible to the rest of the party, but were pretty much out of earshot. This now allowed the inquisition Sephiroth had been dreading for two days to occur.
"I'll get right to the point…" Elfé said, "I guess you can say I'm a little concerned. You're in love. Wonderful. Hooray for love. But she's still just seventeen years old…yet you jumped right into bed with her."
"That's a crass and inaccurate way of putting it," Sephiroth retorted defensively.
"Who else knows?" Elfé asked.
"Just Tifa," Sephiroth answered, "Once we're back in the city after the other Cetra are settled, we'll tell Ifalna."
"What about Master Barnabas?" Elfé reminded him, "Honestly, Seph…the fact that you didn't ask him and Ifalna for permission to court Aerith first is disappointing."
"It would have been the proper thing to do, given your long-standing friendship with the family," Angeal agreed.
"I…still plan to ask for their blessing," Sephiroth muttered, somewhat embarrassed.
"Good," Angeal said as he clapped a hand on Sephiroth's shoulder.
"And you're being safe, right?" Elfé asked, "The last thing anyone needs is for you to knock up a seventeen-year-old. Ifalna did say just this morning that she wants grandchildren, but I'm sure she didn't mean next year."
Sephiroth cringed. He did not feel like explaining that such an outcome wasn't a possibility, given that they hadn't technically done anything that could get her pregnant…yet.
"Is this what I have to look forward to when we do tell them?" Sephiroth sighed.
"You're twenty-five," said Elfé, "She's seventeen. Sorry, Seph, but people are going to be concerned."
"I suppose I can't argue with that," Sephiroth sighed again. "Now you understand why I was extremely hesitant with her. It's not like I didn't realize that from the moment I saw her at her house in Cosmo Canyon."
"Look, Sephiroth…" Angeal said sympathetically, "We're not trying to gang up on you or anything. It's…friendly concern."
"MONSTER!" Luxiere yelled from a distance.
Sephiroth instantly summoned Masamune and sped off to help the others.
"Are we being too hard on him?" Angeal asked doubtfully.
"Aerith's parents will be grilling her when they find out," Elfé answered, smirking. "Seph needs someone to do the same to him."
"So we're his surrogate parents now?" Angeal asked, raising an eyebrow.
Elfé shrugged. "Hey, why not?"
"Well then, 'Momma'," Angeal joked, "Should we go help the others?"
"I don't think so," Elfé answered easily, "Seph's probably already dispatched whatever attacked the others. And…I don't think he'll be catching up with the two of us anytime soon."
"Can you blame him?"
Elfé smirked at Angeal. "Well, 'Daddy', no one ever said being a parent was easy…"
"…So there you have it," Ifalna finished, "Genesis and his two friends will never know peace of mind, the Northern Crater will never heal properly, and the imbalance of the Lifestream may cause our low birth rates to remain…ending our people once and for all…unless we seek out Jenova…and find a way to destroy her permanently."
The congregation was deathly silent. Ifalna could see Ragnar sitting with his head in his hands. Everyone else looked similarly worried.
"The Planet was supposed to purge the Calamity," one woman spoke up, "That's why we went to sleep in the first place- so that there would be balance again once we woke up. We gave up friends and family so that we could do this!"
"And we still have hope!" Ifalna insisted, "The planet HAS healed somewhat, and Jenova's still weak. But she's stirring, so we have to hurry!"
"How could anyone tamper with the Calamity the way these Shinra people have?" a man asked, shaking his head disgustedly at Genesis.
A murmur of agreement rose among the other Cetra.
"Oh, are we bringing the pitchforks out already?" Genesis drawled, "Perhaps I should see myself out, then…"
He turned to leave the cathedral.
"You stay put!" Ifalna called out to him. She then turned to the others. "Yes, he has the blood of Jenova, as do his two friends. But that does not make them the same as that monster. It was his friend who helped my daughter and I escape the Shinra that second time. Not only did he help us, he also freed two Firecats…who have unfortunately also become endangered as a species."
"Even our familiars face extinction…" Galeas sighed, shaking his head.
"What happens next?" somebody called out.
Ifalna turned to Galeas, looking at her brother expectantly.
"Let us adjourn for now," Galeas spoke, "There's plenty of housing in this city. I know many of you hail from other clans…feel free to choose any empty residence you like. Members of the League of Healers, prepare to gather at the hospital tomorrow so that we can aid young Genesis. As for the other leagues, I'll leave it to your leaders to decide your next move. Peace be with you."
Ifalna watched as everybody got up and began to leave. She heaved a sigh as Ragnar walked over to her, and threw her arms around her brother.
"You did great, Sparks," he said, "Who cares what they might think? They make you happy right? Your family?"
"More than you can imagine," Ifalna told him.
"So, when do we get to meet them?" Galeas asked good-naturedly.
"Yeah, I've got a teenaged niece all of a sudden," Ragnar said as he stepped back.
"You're not angry that I broke my vows?" Ifalna asked worriedly.
"This is a new era for us," Galeas replied, "Maybe we should focus less on ceremony, and more on repopulating this city."
"Which you've already gotten a head start on," Ragnar interjected. He then smirked at his sister. "But only four? Mother already had seven by the time she was your age."
Ifalna winced. "I think the experiments forced on me…might have done something. It took seven years after my second pregnancy before I finally had my youngest, and I only carried twins once."
Ragnar immediately looked away. "Sorry…" he said, "I didn't mean to…"
"Let's not dwell on that," Ifalna said as she placed one hand on each of her brothers' shoulders. "We're together again, and I'm perfectly happy with my husband and the four children we have. And you're right- we should reunite the family. Aerith is waiting in the next village. Why don't we go get her?"
"After we eat," Ragnar said, holding his hand up.
"That's right," Galeas agreed, "We haven't eaten in two thousand years. Should we see if the others haven't already picked the orchard bare?"
"I have a better idea," Ifalna suggested. "Why don't we go eat over in Bone Village once we find Aerith? She told me their barbecue is amazing. Come on, I'll treat you…"
"One, two, three, four…I declare a thumb war!" Cassius said.
He and Carlie sat on a bench on a fenced-in platform that overlooked the desert. The twins' hands were locked together as their thumbs danced around one another, each trying to overpower the other. Meanwhile, several other children were running and playing around them.
"Hey, when's your mom coming back?" one of the kids asked as she watched the two staring intently at their thumbs.
"Dunno," Cassius said.
"Don't distract us!" Carlie admonished.
"Please," a girl scoffed, "Carlie's got longer fingers. She's gonna win, hands down…or should I say, 'thumbs down'?"
"That's so lame," Cassius said as he shook his head.
"Hey- what's that?" one of the other children asked as he pointed ahead, toward the horizon.
"Nice try," Cassius said as he and Carlie continued their thumb war.
"No- I'm serious! There's something weird going on out there!"
"He's right!" another girl said as she leaned over the railing on the edge of the cliff. "Something's up!"
Cassius, Carlie, and the other kids hurried toward the railing, looking ahead into the distance. About a mile ahead, they could see what looked to be a helicopter descending only about half a mile away from the canyon…
Aerith sat on the shore of the Northern Continent, having hiked down there only minutes before. Cid, Shera, and his two crew members stood underneath the Highwind talking amongst themselves. The four of them had, like Aerith, decided not to make the journey to Modeoheim. Over the past few days, Cid had begun talking about adding a few gun turrets and a cannon to the enormous aircraft. Though they lacked the materials and the means to do so, Cid had figured that a brainstorming session on the matter wouldn't hurt.
Shortly after the group had first arrived on the continent several days ago, Aerith had occasionally taken to walking to the beach and working on her latest project: drawing the Highwind. Since the drama and resolution with Sephiroth, Aerith hadn't been to the beach in the last few days. Today, however, seemed like the perfect time to continue her drawing. If anything, it would distract her from all the turmoil inside her head. Drawing and gardening were the two things that usually allowed her to shut out the rest of the world, and any problems she was dealing with.
"Make sure you get its good side!" Cid called out to her as he stood underneath the airship.
Aerith smiled at him and gave him a thumbs-up sign. Cid grinned back at her and returned the gesture.
She had a general outline of the airship, and had just finished the tail-fins the last time she had worked on the drawing. Now she planned to work her way down to the two propellers located in the middle. Grasping a pencil in each hand, she began to work on each set of propellers simultaneously.
"How in the hell does she do that?" Lenny marveled as he looked at her.
"Hey, pay the fuck attention to what I'm saying!" Cid snapped.
Aerith soon finished the outline of the propellers and had begun working on shading them, when she stopped suddenly. A heavy feeling in the pit of her stomach began to set in, and she could feel goosebumps appearing on her arms. She sat there, frozen for a moment, before she finally snapped out of it.
She stood up. Something was seriously wrong. Though she couldn't put her finger on it, she could sense something bad was going on. But what was it? Where was it? Who was involved? She couldn't figure that out.
Grabbing her phone, she immediately dialed.
"Seph? Is everyone okay…? …Well…I just have this feeling. I thought maybe something might have happened to you guys. Everyone's fine, then? …Okay. I'm glad, then. But I can't shake this feeling. Look, I have to go. Maybe something happened down in the city. I know Mom told me to keep away while she helps everyone get their bearings, but I'm really worried right now. Cid and his crew are fine; they're on the beach where I can see them. …No, I'm not going to call my dad yet. I don't want to worry him or the kids needlessly. …Okay, I'll let you know. I love you."
She hung up her phone, pocketed it, and began to gather her art supplies.
"Leaving so soon?" Shera called out.
"I have a bad feeling…" Aerith called back as she stuffed her last few pencils into her backpack. "I don't know…just…"
Shera walked over to her. "What's wrong?" she asked, "Are you having some kind of…premonition?"
"I don't know…" Aerith admitted, "Usually, it's my mother who gets premonitions while awake. One of the times she had one…was the night before my biological father was killed."
Shera said nothing, but her expression was clearly one of concern.
"I have to go find my mother!" Aerith said before running off toward the woods.
"What's the matter?" Ragnar asked, noticing Ifalna's distracted expression.
Ifalna had led her brothers through the Sleeping Forest, only just arriving at Bone Village. However, no sooner had they stepped out of the forest, than she had stopped, looking troubled.
"I…" she shook her head. "No…something's wrong. The last time I felt this was when a friend of the family had a massive heart attack. I also had these feelings constantly when I was held captive. Any time they hurt Aerith…oh god, are the Shinra here on this continent? Did they find out that Avalanche is taking over their old base up north? Or did someone get hurt?"
"You had that same premonition when the rest of our family were attacked by the Calamity as well," Galeas recalled.
"I have to find Aerith!" Ifalna exclaimed as she ran down the dirt road toward the inn.
"But it's just a hunch, right?" Angeal asked after Sephiroth caught up to him and Elfé, having told them about Aerith's phone call.
"Aerith has some pretty good 'hunches' from time to time," Elfé pointed out. "When she was ten, a bunch of us wanted to go on a hike about a mile away from Cosmo Canyon. She warned us that a thunderstorm would be coming. Well, storms rarely happen in Cosmo Canyon, so we went anyway. After one kid nearly got struck by lightning and half of us got sick from the downpour, we started taking her a lot more seriously."
"She gets it from her mother," Sephiroth added, "Ifalna could always sense when Hojo or anyone from Shinra was hurting Aerith."
"She also sensed when Master Terrato had his heart attack," Elfé recalled, "Ifalna's premonitions saved his life."
"I should probably go," Sephiroth announced.
"…Surprising no one…" Elfé kidded.
"Call us, all right?" Angeal said.
Sephiroth nodded before phasing out of sight.
"Mom?!" Aerith exclaimed as she saw Ifalna standing in the lobby of Bone Village's inn.
"Aerith!" Ifalna rushed over to her daughter, taking Aerith's face in her hands. "Are you all right? I suddenly had this feeling…!"
"I had it too, Mom!" Aerith said, "That's why I was going to try and find you! You're all right?"
Ragnar, who was still standing by the check-in desk with Galeas, cleared his throat loudly.
"I'm sorry…" Ifalna took Aerith by the hand and led her over to the desk. "Aerith…this is your uncle Ragnar…and your uncle Galeas."
Aerith's eyes widened in shock.
Ragnar smiled. "Ecstatic to meet you, Aeris. You're the spitting image of your mother."
He then hugged her.
"Um, it's Aerith…" she corrected him absently.
"Don't mind Blaze," Ifalna said, "He's not quite used to speaking Common yet."
"Who's Blaze?" Aerith asked.
"Me," Ragnar answered as he stepped back, "That's what Sparks calls me."
"Who's Sparks?" Aerith asked, looking at Ifalna.
"Me," her mother replied, "That's what Blaze calls me."
"So this is my niece," Galeas said, smiling. He put a hand on each of Aerith's shoulders. "Perhaps our family will thrive once again."
"What do you mean?" Aerith asked. Then she shook her head. "Wait a minute…we still need to figure out what's wrong. Maybe we should call Daddy."
"I tried calling him just a minute ago, but it went straight to voicemail," Ifalna said.
"You said your family lived in Cosmo Canyon, right?" Galeas said, "Perhaps we can ask the Technicians' Union to work on the portals now, rather than wait until tomorrow?"
Aerith scowled. "Portals?"
"Of course!" Ifalna exclaimed, "We could be back there in just a couple hours. Let's go right now!"
She and her brothers walked out of the lobby, leaving Aerith standing there, very confused.
"…I feel like my life is in fast-forward!" she griped to the receptionist.
"Mine's in slow-motion," the old woman replied dryly, "Wanna trade?"
Aerith groaned and hurried out of the inn.
They had only just reached the entrance to the Sleeping Forest when Sephiroth suddenly phased in front of them.
"By the planet, what was that?!" Galeas exclaimed, while Ragnar stared at the newcomer with his mouth open.
Sephiroth immediately stepped back and held his hands up to show no ill will. He took a good look at the two men, noting their chestnut-brown hair and bright green eyes...identical to Ifalna and Aerith's.
"Seph!" Aerith exclaimed, fighting the urge to throw her arms around him.
"What are you doing here?" Ifalna asked.
"Aerith called me to check if the rest of us were alright," Sephiroth explained, "She told me she had a premonition."
Ifalna nodded. "We both did."
"You two know this man, then?" Galeas asked.
"This is Sephiroth," Ifalna explained as she placed her hand on the swordsman's shoulder. "He was the one who helped Aerith and I escape captivity twelve years ago."
"The man with the Calamity's blood…" Galeas said warily, "More than the one who's sick, or the other man you mentioned."
"He saved our sister, Galeas," Ragnar reminded him, having found his voice again. He then bowed deeply. "It's an honor to meet you, then. Thank you, friend, for taking care of her."
"He's been like a son to me," Ifalna maintained, "and like an older brother to Aerith."
She didn't notice Sephiroth cringing slightly at the last part, nor the sour look that immediately appeared on Aerith's face.
"I thought I might be able to help," Sephiroth explained.
"Thank you," said Ifalna. She turned to her brothers. "Sephiroth…I'd like to formally introduce the rest of my family. This is my twin brother Ragnar, or as I call him, 'Blaze'…and this…" She smiled. "…is my eldest brother Galeas- head of the Order of Mages, and our unofficial leader."
"Galeas?" Sephiroth repeated, "As in…?"
Ifalna nodded. "Your fairy-tales as a boy were actually based on true stories…well, some of them. Galeas never actually wrestled a serpent."
Sephiroth looked slightly disappointed. "Pity. That was my favorite story."
Galeas looked slightly embarrassed. "Don't we have more pressing matters to deal with?"
Just then, Ifalna's new PHS went off. Galeas and Ragnar both jumped, startled at the strange noise.
"Relax, you two," Ifalna said as she pulled the small device from the inner pocket of her cloak, "This is what people use to talk to one another."
"Imagine that…" Galeas marveled, while Ragnar nodded in agreement.
Ifalna opened the phone. "Hello…? Harriet, what's wrong…?"
Aerith scowled. "Aunt Harriet?"
All of the color suddenly seemed to drain from Ifalna's face as she slowly slid to the ground.
"Mom?!" Aerith ran over to her, "Mom, what happened?!"
Ifalna remained where she was, appearing to be in a state of shock. Aerith quickly grabbed the PHS out of her mother's hand. "Hello?" she spoke.
"Aerith?!" Dr. Triton's frantic voice came from the other end.
"Aunt Harriet! What happened? Mom practically turned white! I'm gonna put you on speakerphone, all right?" She pressed a button on the phone, allowing everyone to hear.
"The Shinra…!" Dr. Triton broke down sobbing. "They found your house, and three Turks stormed in and they shot your father!"
A horrified gasp escaped Aerith as her hand flew to her mouth.
"He's recovering in the hospital…Dr. Palidor said he's going to make it, but…Aerith, they took the twins!"
It took a moment for Aerith to actually process what the doctor had said. So many years, they had lived in complete security. It truly had been an idyllic childhood from the age of five onwards, and Aerith's younger siblings had never known the horrors that she had…until now.
"Oh god…" Aerith whimpered as her hand immediately traveled down to her stomach, clutching the spot where her scar was. "No…no, this can't be…!"
"It happened just an hour ago. I'd lost my phone in the commotion, and I didn't know the password to your father's phone. I'm outside of Avalanche headquarters right now, and they're having an emergency meeting!"
"Dr. Triton!" Sephiroth spoke up, "You said the twins had been captured. What about Gabe?"
"He was at a play-date with little Sherman at the hospital," Dr. Triton explained, "We came back just in time to see the helicopter taking off, and your father lying outside. Apparently, he managed to injure one of the Turks pretty badly, so they left in a hurry. The twins weren't even home when the squad had arrived, but they'd seen the helicopter with their friends and ran back to warn Barnabas…they should have just stayed put…!"
"Then we can still catch up to them!" Aerith said, "Come on- we need to go back to the beach and tell Cid what's happened! We can still make it to Midgar before Hojo has any time to do anything horrible to them!"
She turned and began to walk toward the Sleeping Forest, but Sephiroth grabbed her arm, stopping her.
"Aerith, wait," he said.
"Wait for what?!" Aerith exclaimed, "We don't have any time to lose!"
Ifalna slowly got up off of the ground with Ragnar's help.
"We can't just rush into Midgar half-cocked," Sephiroth argued, "Clearly the Shinra found out about your family and where they were. Who knows what else they know? They may very well be expecting a rescue effort by someone…you, me, your parents…even Avalanche. I guarantee you that they're anticipating some kind of retaliation. We're going to need a strategy. Yes, we'll tell Cid what's happened, but we need a plan, and that could take some time. I'm sure Elfé and I can figure something out."
"These are the same people who kept you three imprisoned?" Ragnar asked.
Sephiroth nodded. "Ifalna told you everything?"
"Enough to know how serious this is," Galeas said gravely. "We'll go back to the city and call a meeting immediately. There has to be something we can do to help."
"We need to move Barnabas to Ajit," Ifalna said, having recovered slightly, "He'll heal faster with mages attending to him, and we need to stay there from here on out, now that the Shinra know where we live."
"So just like that, Cosmo Canyon's not safe for us anymore," Aerith said bitterly, "We can't go back home…"
"Once we tell the technicians what happened, they'll start working on the portals," Ragnar reminded them, "Where is this Midgar?"
"On the Eastern Continent, near the northeast coast," Ifalna told him, "It was built about a hundred years ago. Like Ajit, it's mostly subterranean."
"Where Myrkheim used to be?" Galeas asked.
Ifalna nodded. "I don't think anyone ever found the ruins to that city, but around that general vicinity, yes. Probably about ten miles away from Kalm...another town that you don't know about."
"Then it should be easy for them to send you there," Galeas reassured his sister.
Sephiroth nodded. "Indeed. This may prove advantageous to us if there's ruins that nobody knows about. You're right that the Shinra might anticipate a rescue, but not so soon. It'll take a day or so to get to Midgar from there, but it'll also take a day for the helicopter to get to Midgar."
"That's still enough time for Hojo to do who-knows-what to the twins!" Aerith panicked, "Mom told me once before that he didn't waste any time before experimenting on me the first day we were imprisoned, and I was only a newborn! This wasn't supposed to happen…!" She burst into tears. "They were supposed to have the normal childhood…! They're just kids...!"
"I know…" Ifalna spoke, her voice shaky, "…and it kills me that we're helpless right now. But…we're going to figure something out. We'll get them back."
"I didn't think I'd be going back to Midgar so soon," Sephiroth sighed.
"Neither did I…" Aerith sniffed as she wiped her eyes.
Ifalna stared at her daughter. "Aerith, you don't mean…!"
"I can help, Mom!" Aerith argued, "Besides- Carlie and Cass would be less scared if I was with the people rescuing them. And…" She took a deep breath. "…it's about time I confronted Hojo after all these years. It's one thing what he did to us…what he did to Papa. But now he's trying to wreck our new life as well. You know he's got to be behind this. Now the twins are gone, and Daddy was shot. Thank the planet he's still alive…"
Ifalna nodded. She then looked at Galeas. "I should go to Cosmo Canyon as soon as possible."
"Let's go talk to the others right now," Galeas said gently. He took his sister by the hand, and together they walked into the forest.
"Let's go find the others and tell them what's happened," Sephiroth said to Aerith, "I guarantee you that Elfé and Angeal will drop everything and come right back. Maybe we can get some of the ex-Shinra personnel to help us."
"That'd be a huge risk for them," Aerith pointed out worriedly, "Although…I suppose it wouldn't hurt to ask."
"Let's go, then," Ragnar urged her, "If nothing else, then the five of us will pull it off."
Sephiroth stared at the young man. "I beg your pardon?"
"I'm not going to let these people keep me from meeting the rest of my family," Ragnar declared, "And you can always use another seasoned fighter."
"You can fight?" Aerith asked hopefully.
Ragnar nodded. "I'm a member of the Peacekeeper Squad. We're all trained to fight when necessary."
Aerith stared at her uncle. "You were a cop?"
Ragnar stared back. "What is a…kopp?" he asked.
"Let's get going," Sephiroth suggested.
"Right," said Aerith. Together, they went back to the center of town.
A/N: And thus ends Part 3. Aerith succeeded in her mission, Ifalna's memories returned, the Cetra are back, and Genesis is in good hands. But now Hojo has messed with Aerith's AU family, and Aerith and Seph aren't going to take this lying down. The shit has officially hit the fan.
What will happen now? Will the technicians be able to restart the transports so that the rescue team has their "golden shiny portal of hope"? Will Barnabas and Gabe make it safely to Ajit? What more will Aerith discover about the Cetra? Will she even fit in with them, being half-human? Why do people keep calling Ifalna their "savior", and why does she seem to hate that?
All in good time. Read and review, folks!