Chapter Thirty Five: Darkness from Above

It was almost midnight when Cloud and the others entered the City of the Ancients after a long day of traveling. They walked single file, each member filled with exhaustion but determined to move ahead and find Aeris and Sephiroth. Their initial search of the deserted area, however, turned up no sign of the couple. Cloud quickly decided to continue deeper into the city and before finding a place to retire for the evening. There were some muttered complaints and groans, but no one dared to stop, not wanting to be left alone in the eerily silent city with all of the monsters roaming about.

Finally, after descending a long, winding stairway, Cloud stopped suddenly, holding up one hand for silence as he glanced over the slender railing and down into the large room below. Looking over his shoulder, Vincent first noticed the peaceful lake that filled the chamber, then the many small platforms rising out of it and leading to a much larger one at the center. When his red eyes passed over the main structure, however, his heart skipped a beat and he almost gave in to the smile that threatened to cross his lips. There, kneeling side-by-side on the platform, were Sephiroth and Aeris.

"It's them!" Yuffie exclaimed in an excited whisper, following Vincent's eyes to the sight below. "Finally!"

"Shhh!" Barret hushed her, receiving a dark glare from the teenager. For his part, Cloud was glaring down upon Sephiroth with all the hatred he could muster, his blue eyes cold and angry. Vincent frowned when he noticed, worried about how the reunion was going to play out once the team confronted the wayward couple. Somehow, he knew it wasn't going to be pleasant for anyone involved.

"They both appear unharmed," Vincent said quietly, his statement directed mostly to Cloud as he stood directly behind the younger man. "Aeris is fine, as I expected she would be..." He tried to sound more reassuring than smug about the fact that he'd been right all along, but was pretty sure he failed at least partially.

"We don't know that for sure yet," Cloud all but snapped in reply, though he didn't take his eyes away from the scene below. "What are they doing? He might be mind controlling her!"

"I somehow doubt it..." Vincent said with a weary sigh. "They appear to be praying together."

"I didn't think Sephiroth was much of the praying type," Cid said with a puzzled frown, leaning over the railing for a closer look.

"He isn't," Vincent responded with a nod. "Which is why it seems to me that Aeris has been leading them on whatever mission they have been pursuing..."

"That's ridiculous," Cloud muttered, shaking his head and finally turning to face Vincent. "Aeris would never have left us on her own!"

"Apparently, she did."

Tifa finally stepped forward, placing herself between Vincent and the fuming Cloud before any further arguing could erupt. "Aeris is right down there," she said, pointing and raising an eyebrow. "Why don't we just go ask her and see what she has to say?"

"A wise suggestion," Red agreed, nodding and slipping past the others to continue silently down the stairs. Yuffie skipped after him, eager to get to Aeris and find out what was going on, while Barret and Cid followed a moment later at a slower pace. Cloud shook his head as he watched them go, then finally followed, muttering something about making Sephiroth pay if Aeris had been hurt in any way. Vincent sighed again, offering Tifa a frustrated shrug, before the two of them brought up the rear.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Sephiroth's eyes snapped open as he heard a sound echo through the previously silent chamber, his entire body instantly tense and alert. He had no idea how much time had passed since he knelt beside Aeris and, much to his surprise, actually begun to pray for forgiveness and the cleansing of the many sins he'd committed from his blackened soul. He wasn't sure if it had any effect, and in truth he felt a bit foolish for even having tried, but he'd done it more for Aeris than for himself. He had to admit he did feel a bit more relaxed, as if his head had been cleared of some of the chaos that raged within. The time had passed quickly and peacefully, and he hadn't even been aware of the numbness in his knees or the stiffness of his body that had resulted from what he realized was several hours of kneeling. He wondered if he'd fallen asleep, or into some kind of trance, but now there was another presence in the room with them which had broken him from his thoughts and reflections. Glancing over at Aeris, he found her still deep in prayer, oblivious to the disturbance. His only thought was that he must protect her at all costs.

Careful not to disturb Aeris or alert whatever had come into the area that he was aware of its presence, Sephiroth climbed to his feet and quietly slipped one hand to his side, taking his sword's hilt in hand. Eyes wide and ears alert, he carefully scanned the area before them, finding only the calm lake and dark shadows of the empty chamber. No one else seemed to be there, and he wondered briefly if he hadn't been hearing things, caught up in his meditation for far too long. But then he heard the sound again, and this time he was able to locate it behind him. He spun about quickly, drawing his blade as he turned to face the intruder. His mouth dropped open when he saw what the source of the sound had been. Down the long, winding stairway leading into the chamber came Red and Yuffie, followed closely by the rest of Avalanche. And no one looked particularly happy to see him.

"Oh no..." he muttered to himself, holding his weapon tightly at his side when he saw the angry, accusing glare Cloud had already focused upon him. He had no doubt what was going through his mind, and probably the minds of everyone else on the team. They surely thought he had kidnapped Aeris and done her harm, and now they'd come to extract revenge and take her away from him forever... And although they were wrong, he was not about to let them tear his new love away.

"Sephiroth!" Cloud shouted when he reached the bottom on the stairs, his blue eyes glowing brighter than usual. Soon, he was poised at one of the series of platforms over the lake, leaping from one to the next on his way to the center. His sword was already drawn, and he appeared furious enough to use it. Sephiroth backed up a step, hoping to avoid a fight but realizing that he might not have a choice in the matter.

Cloud's angry shout had a positive effect, however. As the rest of Avalanche stood watching anxiously from the shore, Aeris blinked, then slowly opened her eyes, looking up to Sephiroth, and then Cloud, confusion registering on her face. Cloud reached the center platform at that moment, coming to stand before Sephiroth and glaring up at the taller man accusingly.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" he demanded, his shouts echoing off of the walls. Back on the mainland, Sephiroth could see the anxiety and worry on Tifa's face, and the concern etched across Vincent's as they watched the confrontation. "Aeris, are you okay?" Cloud demanded, finally looking past Sephiroth to check on his friend.

Aeris slowly got to her feet, studying Cloud, and then the others, with confusion evident in her expression. She looked as if she had just awakened from a long nap to find a party going on in her bedroom. After a moment, she seemed to relax and realize what was going on, and a hesitant smile crossed her face. Sephiroth noted that she looked very surprised that they'd been found, however, and also a bit nervous about the sudden reunion.

"Hi, Cloud!" she said, trying to cover how startled she was by his sudden appearance.

"You're gone for weeks with no word at all, and all you can say is 'Hi, Cloud!?'" he exclaimed, throwing his free hand up in the air in frustration. "What's going on? What did this monster do to you?!" He glared accusingly at Sephiroth, gritting his teeth like an enraged animal.

"Do to me?" Aeris asked, honestly confused. "What do you mean? Sephiroth hasn't done anything to me at all."

Sephiroth lifted his chin defiantly, meeting Cloud's eyes and keeping his expression neutral. He knew he had not done anything wrong, and was not about to let the younger, smaller man intimidate him. He knew Cloud would certainly not approve of how close he and Aeris had become, but as far as he was concerned it was no one's business but their own. He admitted that he was nervous about the reaction of the others, however, and found himself wondering if Aeris would even admit to what had been going on between them. What if she was too embarrassed or ashamed of him, and never wanted the others to know? What if being back with the group changed everything between them? He swallowed hard, realizing that the best period of his life had most likely come to an abrupt end. He felt lost and defeated, glancing nervously at Aeris. He was suddenly unsure of where they stood, or what he should do.

"Then why did you leave like that?!" Cloud continued to demand, the others listening curiously and looking on from the shore. Sephiroth was glad that they hadn't all decided to ambush him, at least.

"I had to, Cloud," Aeris told him calmly, her green eyes pleading with him to understand and accept the explanation. "I knew that I had to come here and pray, or the entire Planet would be lost. I would have told you, but... it had to be done right away, and I had to come here on my own."

"Then what is he doing here?" Cloud asked, with another angry glare at Sephiroth. Both men still had their swords in hand, but neither made a move toward the other. Sephiroth only looked back with a blank expression, fighting his temper and resolving to let Aeris handle the situation. It had been her idea, after all.

"He asked to come along, and I said yes," Aeris answered matter-of-factly, surprising Sephiroth by reaching over and taking his hand firmly in hers. "He's been protecting me and keeping me company," she added with an affectionate grin.

Cloud's eyes appeared ready to fall out of his head, and a smirk dared to turn up the corners of Sephiroth's mouth. It was hard not to enjoy the shocked expression on Cloud's face when he realized Sephiroth had not done anything wrong, and that Aeris had actually decided to leave on her own wanted him there with her. And at the same time, a small wave of relief coursed through him at her willingness to take his hand and admit to what had really happened. He dared not become too hopeful, though, for fear that she would only wish to be friends when the others were around. Or maybe not even that, a part of his mind chided him.

As Cloud was about to say something more in protest, still furious and shocked at the realization of what had happened, Sephiroth suddenly felt as if he was being watched. He couldn't describe the feeling, but it was almost like a tingling inside his mind... a presence he could not put his finger on, but could sense nonetheless. It was eerily familiar, and sent an unpleasant chill down his spine. As Aeris turned to look at him, sensing his sudden tension, his eyes widened in alarm. There, in the white Materia tied neatly into her long braid, was a reflection... A reflection of a long, silver sword, growing closer by the second.

Before he knew exactly what was going on, Sephiroth dropped his weapon to the ground with a clatter and leaped at Aeris, forcefully tackling her to the ground. Cloud saw only Sephiroth's sudden movement, and assumed he was attacking her. He lifted his own blade swung at him. Aeris and someone on the shore screamed simultaneously as Cloud's blow sliced his former idol deep across the shoulder. Sephiroth barely felt the pain as he and Aeris hit the ground, rolling with the force of the impact. His blood was already spilling onto the center platform and covering both of them, his wound throbbing with each beat of his heart.

Cloud had shouted Aeris' name in alarm, Sephiroth was aware of that much when he was able to focus again. The young blond now stood over him menacingly, his blood-streaked blade firmly in hand. He was about to use it again, Sephiroth realized, hearing Aeris' sobs as she staggered to her feet and looked about in confusion. Cloud was about to take another swing at Sephiroth, most of Avalanche already halfway across the raised platforms to reach the conflict, when a man suddenly dropped from the sky, his long sword slamming neatly into the ground beneath him. Sephiroth instantly recognized him as Zack, and immediately knew what had almost happened.

Cloud realized it, too, looking down at the bleeding Sephiroth and listening to Aeris' sobs with regret in his eyes. He swallowed hard as he turned to face the dark-haired man before them, holding his sword at the ready. Zack grinned, yanking the sword that had been meant for Aeris from the ground and towering over the defenseless Sephiroth. He let out a brief, chilling laugh, then lifted one hand into the air almost casually. At that moment, both Sephiroth and Cloud were hit with crippling bolts of pain, gripping their heads in agony with both hands. Sephiroth rolled to the side, and Cloud fell instantly to his knees, dropping his sword and gritting his teeth, clawing at his temples and groaning in pain. A moment later, both men had curled into fetal positions on the ground, Sephiroth still bleeding out from his shoulder wound as they lost consciousness.

Zack lowered his hand and laughed again, looking at Aeris with supreme amusement in his dark eyes. "It's been a long time since we had any time alone," he said coldly, though the smirk remained on his face. Slowly, he began to lift his sword again, towering over the helpless Aeris as the rest of Avalanche raced to her aid as fast as they could. Glancing past her former boyfriend, unable to meet his eyes and face the hatred and insanity that now resided there, Aeris realized her friends were too far away to help her in time... Biting off another sob, Aeris bravely looked Zack in the eye, trying to forget about Cloud and Sephiroth and do her best to defend them, herself, and the Planet.

"Wh-what do you want?" she asked, cursing the tearfulness in her voice as she stood before him, trembling in fear.

"Why, that's simple!" Zack exclaimed, his eyes wild. "I want you by my side, to rule the Planet as my queen!"