Here is the chapter, pushing it aren't I. sorry it's not earlier on wensday. i'm supper tired and really stressed. I've got like 8 projects I have to work on, all in various stages of completion, two tests that will determne my graduation and 3 of my teachers were just let go. on top of schook things, i've got to re-edit my Naruto fanfic and work on bujii care, pharaohs hound and...tied till the end of time with my beta. Yeah i have a lot on my plate...but hey life and all that.
Enough of my ramblings, ya'll don't really read anything I just wrote anyway,
Don't own FF7, just Loki, Kisala, Shelk and Nora.
Part two
Chapter thirty-one
The camp continued on as normal after a few seconds. Shelk went and dressed fully as did Genesis. The rest of the tents were packed and they were soon ready to go. As they stood ready to enter the forest, Nora looked at the sighing Angeal and grabbed his hand and he looked at her.
"You knew they were both in there didn't you?" he nodded and she shook her head.
"I knew it was going to end badly the moment Zack called for Kisala" he muttered and she patted his cheek before kissing it, his face turned pink.
"Next time, wake them up your-self and save Genesis from being strangled to death" she giggled before looking back at Aerith.
Aerith was standing next to Cait sith, staring at the forest in a daze. Zack stood next to her, touching her shoulder and she looked at him.
"Alright" Cloud said as he turned to Cait sith, the cat looked up at him "lead the way" he all but growled. The robot cat nodded and the moogel began to wobble into the bush.
They made their way through the dense forest, Cait sith leading the way. Several branches and vines hung in their way that had to be moved as the canopy blocked most of the sun from penetrating the forest. The sun turned most of the leaves gold through the small gaps they made. Patches of sunlight litter the forest floor creating a haunting yet beautiful lighting.
"Man, just think how creepy this place is at night" Zack muttered to a quiet Aerith as they stormed through the under brush. The girl didn't answer and he frowned at her silence. She had been acting strange since she had held the keystone back in the lobby.
"Aerith?" he asked and noticed a few of the others were looking back at them as well "is something wrong"
The girl snapped out of her trance and smile at him, though it didn't quite reach her eyes.
"I'm fine Zack, really" she said before looking back forward. Zack didn't look convinced but a look from Angeal had him dropping the subject.
There was a break in the forest line as they came to the temple. There was a rope bridge that went over what use to be a moat that was now filled with trees and bushes. They group stared at the old temple. It was made out of mud and stone so it had an earthy feel to it. There were cracks along the wall and the top was no longer smooth but broken here and there.
The actual temple towered over them and touched the blue sky. Stairs led right up to the top and the entrance. Aerith walked slowly past the group, them watching her worriedly. She dropped to her knees just at the bridge and bowed her head muttering to herself.
"This is the temple of the ancients" her voice filled with a touch of awe. "I know…I feel it…the knowledge of the ancients, floating. You could become one with the planet but your stopping it with the strength of will" she was no longer talking to the group and they watched in her awe. "For the future, for us"
"It's like" Nora whispered, not wanting to break the moment on the Cetra "she's talking to the temple it's self?"
"She most likely is" Sephiroth whispered and she turned to him surprised "the temple of the ancients holds power much like the Cetra, it's their home" he turned back to Aerith "it is connected with the planet, much like they are."
Zack moved past the group and knelt next to the muttering Aerith, she looked up at him in surprise when he touched her shoulder.
"Aerith?" he asked and she stood with a soft smile.
"I will lead the way from here" Aerith said to the robot who nodded. She then made her way across the bridge, the other following.
Just as Shelk placed a hand on the ropes, a sharp pain shot through her head and she grabbed at it. Harsh whispering sounded in her mind, two voices clashing with one another.
You're close daughter…get out, you don't belong…retrieve it my child…don't enter…intruders…come home…Shelk?
"Shelk?" a familiar deep voice said "are you alright?"
A hand on her shoulder knocked the voices from her mind and she glanced around wildly before her eyes moved in Genesis direction.
"Fine, I'm fine" she whispered before gripping the rope harder and walking after the others.
Genesis watched her go confused. He sighed and followed the rest into the temple.
As they went up the temple steps Aerith stopped and whispered
"You're uneasy but happy?" she asked the temple, voices coming together in a jumbled mess in her head. "Because I'm here, I don't understand" she shook her head.
Aerith turned back to the group to talk to Cloud when Kisala started to growl. Sephiroth looked at her and followed her line of vision. Someone was standing in the shadow off the temples entrance.
"Look alive people" Nora shouted, also seeing the figure. She reached for an arrow "we're not alone here."
The others reached for their own weapons as the looked up at the shadow cloaked figure. They gained surprised looks when it fell over on its face. Cloud pushed Aerith gently to the side as he and Sephiroth headed up first followed by the other SOLDIERS.
When they reached the top and spread around its base they gasped to see the slowly sitting up figure was a cloaked man. He moaned and whispered
"Black Materia" his voice was harsh. Sephiroth bent over as Cloud observed the things hand. The skin was white and was clenching and unclenching on the stone.
"Number nine" Cloud whispered and looked up, just as Sephiroth reached for the hood. They watched wearily as Sephiroth yanked the hood off and they gasped. The hair was silver but only went to the things shoulders. It had a mouth that was a little crooked but it had nothing else, no nose, no eyes, nothing but a mouth.
"Zack" Sephiroth's voice almost cracked.
"Yeah I know" he remembered in Nibelheim when Cloud and Tifa had been attack by men with silver hair and no faces. He paused, that had been four years ago…he shook his head to focus on the present.
Suddenly there was a blinding light that had all of them grabbing their eyes and blinking rapidly.
The tattooed clone groaned as its body began to dissolve into green lights. As they light died down they watched fascinated as the green lights dissolved into the air. Genesis whispered what happened to Shelk and she blinked stunned.
"The life stream" Aerith said before looking at the dark entrance of the temple. She gulped and took a step into the darkness, followed by the others.
The inside of the temple was in much better condition then its outside. Torches lined the wall casting shadows on what was ever painted their. Tall stone columns held the ceiling up. There was a set of stairs on the floor and in its center was a raised platform with a stone back. On the pedestal leaning against the stone was a slouched over Tseng.
"Tseng" Aerith said and they made their way to the room's center.
Tseng groaned and looked at Cloud wearily before scanning the others. He groaned and whispered
"It's not the promised land Loki is searching for" he gritted out slowly.
"Loki" Cloud said standing "he's here" he glanced around before looking at Tseng. Tsengs arm slowly rose and pointed to the platform he was resting on, his eyes closed and the corner of his lip in a smirk.
"See for yourself." He muttered, head slumping over to where it touched his collar. "Damn" he cursed and Sephiroth raised an eyebrow "Letting Aerith go was the start of my…of my bad luck" his words slurred a bit "the president was wrong"
Aerith stepped forward and Sephiroth moved out of her way
"You're wrong" Aerith all but yelled. Tseng looked up at her surprised as did everyone else "the promise land isn't like what you imagined." She huffed and moved away crossing her arms "and I'm not going to help" she said firmly.
Angeal took her place next to Sephiroth as Zack patted the girls shoulder.
"Either way" Angeal said looking at the fallen Turk "there's no way ShinRa could have won" the others nodded in agreement.
Tseng however turned back to Aerith and whispered
"Pretty harsh" he smirked "sounds like something you would say" he nodded then stood, holding his chest as he did so. He pulled his self to his feet by using the altar as leverage. For a moment he stood hunched over on bended knees, breathing deeply, before straightening himself and facing Cloud. Cloud blinked when he noticed a bit of blood stain the blue jacket.
Before he could say anything Tseng looked at him in the face and whispered "place the key stone on the altar" a hand came out of his pocket holding the glowing orb; it was a little bloody as was his hand. He pressed it in Clouds hand firmly.
He moved away from the centers raised platform and leaned on one of the outer columns, sliding down it, giving into unconsciousness. Angeal looked at him concerned but Sephiroth shook his head
"Another Turk should be along shortly, a Turk never moves alone" the former general said.
Cloud turned to Aerith as Zack patted her shoulder worriedly. The Cetra had her hands covering her face and her shoulders were shaking.
"You crying" Zack whispered, gently pulling a hand from her face. He smiled crookedly at her.
"Tseng was our enemy, one of the Turks…but I've known him since I was little. There are not a lot of people I can say that about. In-fact there was probably only a handful of people in the world who really know me." She smiled softly at him and he wiped her face with the pad of his thumb, holding the warm flesh of her face in his hands.
Zack nodded and hugged her before the two turned to Cloud. Sephiroth looked down at the key stone in Clouds clenched hands.
"Cloud" he said and blue eyes looked up at him before looking at the altar. Cloud walked forward, raising the stone and the others watched anxiously.
He placed it in the slot and the carved path around it began to glow, Cloud backed up a bit, almost running into Sephiroth as they watched. They frowned a moment when suddenly Cloud stumbled as the floor lowered. He blinked in surprise as he looked up at the others as the floor he was standing on slowly descended below. Sephiroth looked back at the group behind him.
"Anyone with out wings, on the plat form now" they did as he commanded. Sephiroth's wing spread and he picked Kisala up bride style before jumping down the hole.
Angeal shrugged and picked up a surprised Nora and jumped in after him. She eyed the wing and muttered
"Angeal, you're an angel" he chuckled at her but didn't say anything.
As Genesis picked up Shelk he noticed she was clutching her head.
"What's wrong?" he asked as they approached the hole "and don't tell me it's nothing" he growled. Shelk sighed
"Jenova and the planet are fighting in my head" she mumbled and looked at him "it's painful."
His face softened and he kissed her as they descended
"It will all be over soon" he whispered then set her down once they touched the lower level floor. He looked up and blinked, taken aback. "My friend do you fly away now, to a world that abhors you and I?" Shelk looked at him "this is one messed up maze"
True enough they had landed in a maze that criss-crossed and zigzagged up one another and around the walls and looked as if it led to no where.
"For once" Sephiroth said looking around "I am inclined to agree with you Genesis"
"What do you mean for once?" Genesis snapped.
"Not now" Nora also snapped "we need our heads focused if we're going to get through this" she eyed the many levels with a shake of her head.
Aerith nodded looking around; the planets voices were calm but rushed and tumble in her ears. She could only pick out a few words. Something here was making the planet uneasy.
"Words…feeling…so many of them here" she said closing her eyes and bowed her head, ashamed she couldn't understand her people.
"What a strange place" Tifa said, looking around "do you think we're welcome here?" She looked at Aerith but the Cetra was looking at the floor, trying to understand the jumble in her mind.
"I hope so" Cid said being the last one to step off the plat form "cause their goes our ride" they turned and watched floor become the ceiling once again.
"I am sure" Nanaki purred "that there is a reason for this maze" Vincent nodded in agreement.
Aerith pounded a fist into her palm and turned to the others determined.
"Listen I know this is going to be tough" she smiled "but, don't give up we can do it"
Barret grinned and pumped his fist in the air.
"Yeah, that's the spirit" he and Zack bumped fists as the others nodded, now just as determined as the other three.
With everyone's spirits in high, they began to navigate their way through the maze.
Half way through Yuffie jumped in shock and pointed to something or someone running on the plat form above them. The others looked at it confused as it vanished up a stair well.
"What was that?" Zack asked
"Beats me" Barret said "looked like a blue rabbit" he looked at Cloud and grinned "maybe you should catch it Cloud"
Cloud eyed him strangely before Angeal said wisely
"If a rabbit lives down here, it should know the way out" he pointed "it could lead us out" Cloud sighed then took off after the thing, the others following.
The creature ended up leading them up a stair well and out the maze. The group looked at Angeal who shrugged. Nora kissed his check and he turned pink.
"Nice going Cloud" Zack taking a lead only to duck in surprise when a bolder with a u shaped curve in it rolled over him.
"Zack!" they shouted till he reemerged unharmed. He had managed to duck under the curve; he looked back at Cloud with a scowl.
"Nice going Cloud" Cloud just emotionlessly pointed behind Zack and he had to duck under the other ones.
After each group got past the boulders they stopped, panting. The path past the boulders had led to a doorway, reveling a circular room. They stood in a circular room surrounded by stone walls with several pillars holding up a circular roof. A pool of water took over most of the room and they stood around its circular edge looking down it. Barret went to kick a rock at the pool in the center of the room but Angeal shook his head at him and looked at Aerith. The Cetra was staring at the water in some sort of trance.
"What you suppose it's for?" Cid asked and the others shrugged before looking at Aerith.
She was holding her hands in a prayer position and close to her heart.
"It's the full knowledge of the Ancients" she whispered and Barret took a step back from the pool in shock. The pool suddenly began to glow and the rest of them took a step back except Aerith.
Genesis gripped Shelk tighter as she looked confused and whispered what was happening. Shelk looked forward, a look of shock on her face.
"No, not knowledge" Aerith correct "consciousness, a living soul" she said.
"You mean this thing alive" Barret yelled and was shushed by the others. He glared at them but stopped talking.
"It's trying to say something" Aerith said and the others looked from her to the pool. She sank to her knees and seemed to be trying not to cry. "I'm sorry" she whispered "I don't understand." The planets words were running together and mumbling in her ears. "What?" she placed her hands on the ground.
Cid looked at her and made the sign for crazy but Kisala grabbed his hand and lowered it with a growl. Cid looked away from the angry blue eyes and settled on muttering Cetra. He supposed after all the shit he's seen, he'd believe just about anything right now; even a pool of water being alive.
The group watched her anxious as her hand rubbed the stone soothingly.
"Danger…an evil consciousness" she repeated the words she heard "Show…you're going to show me?" she seemed shocked; the other group members had similar looks on their face as they stared at the clear water.
The pool glowed brighter and they looked at it as the water twirled around itself before stilling and an image appearing on its surface. The AVLANCHE stare at in shock.
"By the goddess" Genesis said and the others nodded.
yeah, so go and review, tell me what you think of this chapter, or any other don't care.
