Chapter 29: Don't Forget Me When I'm Gone
"How's Cloud doing?" Aeris whispered as she leaned against the sleeping WEAPON.
"The doctors and Reidmar both agree," Medea answered sadly, "His leg will most likely have to be amputated. Even Cetra healing can't save it,"
"Poor guy…" Aeris wheezed as she began to readjust the blanket wrapped around her.
Medea noticed something, and gently grabbed Aeris' left arm to take a better look. She gasped as she saw several small black scale-like patches covering the girl's forearm.
"Did Reidmar see this?" Medea asked sharply.
"Oh, wow…" Aeris giggled, "I didn't notice that before…wow…that's pretty gross, huh?"
She began to cough violently.
"Reidmar!" Medea waved her husband over as she saw him getting off the Highwind.
The blond Cetra approached Medea and Aeris.
"She's gotten worse," Medea said quietly to Reidmar, "She's starting to mutate…if even she manages to survive that long. She's coughing a lot more…I don't know what else we can do for her,"
Reidmar looked grim. "She never should have been moved at all. The only thing we can do now is hope this all ends soon…"
She eyed the old outfit she now wore. It was amazing that she had managed to find it where she'd left it. Even after over two-thousand years, it was still in perfect condition, and still fit her nicely.
She had managed, with the will of her own mind, to alter the bottom of it to fit the legs she had acquired since arriving on this world. They suited her well, the legs. And looked rather nice as well, she noted with satisfaction.
The clothes consisted of a dark blue tunic with black leggings. Her feet were bare, yet impervious to the sharp rocks they stood on.
He was coming, she noted. Her…what was he? Her son? Yes, that was right. Her son…
My son…no…that man…
He was familiar…but she had not borne him. What then…?
He was the one who would take out the Cetra. But…why hadn't he? Since the altar, she had had no affect on Sephiroth whatsoever.
No matter. Every time she fought a Cetra, they ultimately died or mutated. If he couldn't finish her off the way she'd wanted him to, she would simply end things herself.
Still, something wasn't right. Recently, she had begun to remember certain things. Places, people…so unexpectedly, something would pop up.
He'd told her he'd wait for her…how long ago had that been? The mission was only supposed to be for two weeks…what had happened?
The Cetra…they had treated her kindly at first. But when the first one had died, she'd panicked. Then more followed. Until every last one of them was against her.
She remembered the one who had dealt the final blow and sealed her. The bright green eyes…the long, chestnut brown hair…she looked so much like that woman…it had to be her!
She smiled. He would be arriving soon…her…son…?
I've been so lonely…won't you come back to me…?
"Sephiroth's coming!" Jessie announced.
Vincent, Zack and Reno all looked up and saw Sephiroth making his way toward them.
"What happened to the others?" Vincent asked as his son approached the group.
"Cloud was maimed in an encounter with another one of Jenova's offshoots," Sephiroth informed them, "Medea took Cloud back to the Highwind, and Tifa insisted on coming with them,"
"How bad is he?" Zack asked.
"His right leg was completely covered in blood," Sephiroth answered, "I honestly can't say,"
Zack looked away, visibly troubled by the news.
"I'm sure that runt is fine," Reno scoffed, "With a hot chick like Tifa fussing over him, who wouldn't be? 'Sides- aren't those Avalanche's finest doctors you got in that airship?"
Zack smiled slightly. Thanks, Reno.
Sephiroth's eyes widened as he finally saw the light coming from below. Curiously, he made his way toward it.
"Holy," he said simply, stopping before the light.
"Way to go, Aeris," Jessie whispered.
A familiar laughter reached Sephiroth's ears.
"She's waiting inside," he announced.
This is it…Vincent thought as he braced himself, this will make the years of preparation all worth it. I feel as if I'm still frozen in time. But now, I also feel as though my time is finally about to begin. Sephiroth…Aeris…so that you may finally lead happy, safe lives. Elmyra…would you settle down with this cranky old man when he returns…?
Rufus…Jessie thought, we've got so much to figure out. Wait for me…
Shit, Reno thought, I'm only eighteen! I still got an ass-load of stuff to do! I'm not letting some psycho bitch from outer space stop me from doing whatever the hell I want!
Mom…Dad…Zack thought, Cloud…and all my new friends…this is for all of us…my ultimate mission as a member of SOLDIER!
Sephiroth stood before the light, sensing Jenova several feet away.
Aeris…I will avenge you…Not hesitating, the silver-haired swordsman dashed into the light.
Sephiroth found himself in another room, staring in confusion at his surroundings. It was as if Holy had acted as some kind of portal to another place. He couldn't tell if this was the land of a celestial being…or its innards. Something sacred and yet vulgar about the place. Perfectly clean, yet the ground had the texture of living tissue. Ahead of them, what looked like a tunnel of clouds spiraled into the endless bluish-purple horizon.
"What is this?" Jessie asked as she and the others appeared behind Sephiroth.
"I see something!" Zack pointed at something approaching them from the distance.
Sephiroth recognized the torso of Jenova, similar to how she looked when he'd found her in the reactor all those weeks ago. However, her skin had taken on a more human tone, rather than the bluish hue it had when he'd first encountered her. The tentacles were still there, and instead of legs, the bottom of her abdomen was attached to what looked like a sac of eggs on a queen insect.
"Holy shit…" said Reno, "She turned into a freakin' hot-air balloon or something?"
"Shut up and get ready," Sephiroth told him.
He could see the smirk on Jenova's face as she descended before the five of them.
You're a part of me, Sephiroth. But all my offshoots need to be reunited with me sometime. You've been a bad boy, so you're no exception.
"Go to hell!" Sephiroth snarled as he raised Masamune.
And I thought the other Seraph's reflexes were slow…Jenova mused as the two tentacles shot forward and pierced through Sephiroth's chest and stomach.
"Oh…sick!" Reno exclaimed.
Now…come to me…
"You've got to be joking…" Sephiroth chuckled bitterly as he sliced Masamune through the tentacles. They instantly regenerated while the old tips fell out of him.
Vincent wasted no time in casting an Ultima spell on Jenova.
Damn!! Jenova recoiled slightly, and then swiped at Vincent, who easily dodged her attack.
Zack took the opportunity to dash toward her and slash his sword at her body.
Jenova then turned to Jessie and raised her tentacle to attack, but the computer guru's whip shot out, coiling around it.
Seeing as Jenova was now partially restrained, Reno dashed in front of Jessie and set his nightstick to the highest voltage setting before jabbing it in her side.
Sephiroth flew up above the madwoman and brought Masamune down on the large sac, piercing it with little effort. He recognized the green substance that began spilling out.
He scowled. Feeding off the lifestream…just like Medea said.
"WATCH IT!!" Reno yelled angrily as some of the liquid splashed near him.
Enraged, Jenova cast a fire spell, burning cleanly through Jessie's whip.
"You bitch!!" Jessie shouted.
Following Sephiroth's lead, Zack slashed away, ignoring the liquid that splattered all over him. Vincent also began shooting his gun at the sac.
Sephiroth continued to stab at her from up top.
You…would do this to your own mother…?
A good mother wouldn't try to kill the woman her son loves, Sephiroth told her telepathically. A good mother wouldn't try to manipulate her son into doing things he doesn't want to do. I can't cure you of your madness, but even if I could, I don't really like you that much anyway.
"Are you gonna fight her or are you going to stare at her all day?" Reno asked, annoyed.
Sephiroth stabbed at the sac again, this time, having hit a vital spot. He jumped out of the way as the lifestream began shooting out of the wound. The hole grew bigger by the sheer force of the liquid coming out.
While Jenova's source of power began to deflate, Sephiroth rushed at her once more, slashing her across the chest. The Seraph woman toppled over, the sac flopping over her body. When at last it deflated completely, Sephiroth brought Masamune down again, the blade sinking into the shape of her torso from underneath.
Suddenly, the room began to shift around them, until the group of five found themselves back in the room they'd come from.
"The light's gone," Jessie remarked, "And Jenova's disappeared,"
"Holy has been freed," Sephiroth told her, "Jenova must have been keeping it at bay. Aeris' mission is finally complete,"
"Let's go back," Vincent said calmly.
The group turned to leave. Suddenly, Sephiroth doubled over, clutching his forehead.
"Sephiroth?" Vincent looked concerned.
The swordsman winced. "Go on without me!"
"Sephiroth-!"
"She's still here!" he whispered, "Go on! This is between me and her!"
Vincent hesitated, but knowing his son wasn't going to take no for an answer, slowly backed away.
"Meet us in the underground part of the Ancient city," Vincent told him, "We'll bring Aeris to the gateway. I'll see you there,"
He and the others left.
Jenova shakily got to her feet. She had underestimated him terribly. Or had her combat skills deteriorated?
A hazy memory of her sparring against an instructor came to her.
"Well done, Miss Delrayo!"
Delrayo…? That annoying man with the mustache kept calling me Jenova…but I…
Her broken thoughts were interrupted by the sight of a large sphere of spirit energy bearing down towards her. As it continued to approach her, she could make out the form of Sephiroth in the center of the sphere.
She smiled. This was it. Somehow, she knew this would be over soon. She was tired. After this battle, she would finally get some rest.
Why did I come here…?
The others had died on the mission. Their madness had led to recklessness, which had killed them. She had been the last one to succumb to…
Her mind briefly blanked out. Then she looked up to see Sephiroth standing in front of her, his long nodachi poised to attack.
"Can your heart regenerate after I've torn it out of your body?" Sephiroth hissed.
Jenova didn't respond. Nor did she respond when the man drove the blade into her chest, twisting the hilt in the process. When he withdrew the blade and stabbed her again, only this time in the stomach, she barely flinched.
Once he removed the blade again, she collapsed to her knees. Blood trickled from the corner of her lip.
Sephiroth watched her warily. Just then, he could hear Medea's voice in his head.
Can you hear me, Sephiroth?
I hear you.
You must be close, else I wouldn't be able to contact you. I hope I haven't caught you at a bad time.
Jenova fell over on her side, coughing up even more blood.
It's over, Sephiroth told her. Jenova is done for.
I need you to bring her back with you, Sephiroth. She may still be able to feed off the spirit energy and revive herself. We can't take any chances.
I understand. Sephiroth went over to the mortally wounded Jenova and gathered her in his arms.
Jenova gazed up at him with hazy eyes. Have…we met?
"Just shut up," Sephiroth said wearily.
He looked up, and began to fly through the lifestream once again.
"Meteor's bearing down!" Cid exclaimed as he landed the Highwind outside of the ghost city.
Tifa looked at the large screen off to the side of the room, containing what looked like a satellite map of the Planet. Suddenly, she gasped in horror as she pointed at the large red blotch on the screen.
"It's heading straight toward Nibelheim!!" she panicked, "We have to warn everyone! Papa! My friends!"
"I think they got the warning when they saw it right above them, kid," Cid told her.
"All we can do is wait for Holy to do its thing," Reidmar said.
"Wait?!" Tifa shrieked, "This is my hometown!!"
Cid turned to a young man with shaggy dark hair wearing a green bandana.
"Shears!" he barked, "Get me some freaking coverage on that thing! How close is it?"
Shears ran over to the screen and messed around with the controls until an image of Meteor hovering only a couple-hundred feet over Nibelheim could be seen. Underneath, what looked like several thin red pillars could be seen razing the outskirts of the city.
Just then, a bright wave of light surged underneath Meteor, blinding the screen momentarily.
"Holy," Vincent stated simply.
Everyone gasped in horror as Meteor continued to plunge through the light.
"It's not enough!!" Tifa protested, "Aeris- can't you pray again or something?!'
From the cot she rested on in the corner of the room, Aeris simply stared vacantly at Tifa.
"Aeris has been through enough," Reidmar told her, "It's a relief that WEAPON finally let her go once we knew Jenova had been finished off,"
"Then can't you do something?!" Tifa pleaded, "Aeris is only half-Cetra! You're the real thing!"
"The Planet doesn't know or trust me as it does Aeris," Reidmar told her, "I don't have half the power here that she does!"
Tifa turned away and looked helplessly at the screen. Just then, a chunk of Meteor came off, crashing down below. Seconds later, flames could be seen coming from where it had landed.
That's my neighborhood…Tifa realized.
With that, she fainted on the spot.
"Get her back to her room!" Cid yelled at anyone.
A young woman with short, messy brown hair wearing a green shirt went over to Tifa, gently picked her up, and carried her away.
"Thanks, Elfé," Cid called after her.
No one noticed Aeris tossing back her blanket and slowly standing up. Seeing Reidmar's staff discarded nearby, she quietly went over and picked up the weapon.
Feels nice…big, but easier to maneuver than my old kodachi…I hope Sephy doesn't mind after all he's taught me…
"Aeris?!" Reidmar exclaimed in horror, "Get back to bed!"
"God, do you have some kind of death wish?!" Jessie exclaimed.
Reidmar immediately winced as he heard a voice in his head: Do not interfere.
When he looked up, Aeris was standing upright, her green eyes glowing, and a look of absolute determination on her face.
"So the Planet is lending you its power, is it?" Reidmar said softly. And it's giving you permission to steal my staff, huh? Planet…I hope you know what you're doing…I don't like sacrifices.
"So what now?" Cid asked.
"Whatever Aeris does, we'll go with," Vincent announced.
"What the hell is she doing?" Reno asked impatiently as he and the others watched Aeris making her way back to the water altar.
"Just wait," Vincent said.
"Aeris?!"
The others looked behind to see Sephiroth coming out of the building nearby, drenched in the lifestream, his hair and shirt stained with blood.
"Look who managed to beat us here again," Zack observed.
"What is she doing there?" Sephiroth asked Medea sharply, "You told me you would all meet me at the gateway. I've been waiting there for ten minutes now,"
"The Planet has intervened once again," Medea said, "What about Jenova?"
"Still hanging in there, but thankfully, she's not long for this world," Sephiroth told them, "She's inside next to the gateway,"
"I'm going to go activate the portal," Reidmar announced as he stepped inside the building.
Sephiroth hurried over to the altar, standing next to Aeris, similar to the last time. He watched as she raised Reidmar's staff into the air, and began chanting loudly in a foreign tongue. Sephiroth recognized it from the lessons Ifalna had given Aeris when she was little. It was the old language of the Cetra.
"What's the news on Nibelheim?" Zack asked Jessie.
The techie looked at the small portable TV Cid had loaned her. "The fire seems to be contained to just one part of the town. Whatever Aeris is gonna do, she's gonna have to do now,"
On the alter, Aeris straightened up, and took a deep breath before shouting:"LIFESTREAM, I SUMMON THEE!!!!"
She raised the staff high in the air with her left hand, and pointing up with her right.
"Oh my god!" Jessie exclaimed as she looked at the screen. Everyone crowded around her to watch.
The news cameras had focused on a small hole opening up nearby. A familiar green spiral spewed forth, rising into the air and making its way toward Nibelheim. The POV then switched to two more holes opening up, the same thing happening.
"The whole lifestream…" Vincent said in awe.
"Even the dead don't want us to lose," Zack mused, "Kinda the ultimate compliment, don't you think?"
Everyone watched silently as the Lifestream gathered together, merging with Holy and pushing against Meteor. They began to glow brighter and brighter, until the screen suddenly went dark.
"Turn up the volume!!" Zack shouted.
Jessie obeyed.
"The light has damaged our cameras!" an announcer yelled, "We're getting a reading from the radar equipment, back at Shinra Headquarters! According to their calculations, Meteor is disintegrating! Whatever is out there is actually destroying Meteor, without harming the town!"
There was silence for a moment.
"What the hell?!" Jessie exclaimed as she fiddled with the device.
A minute later, an image came up again.
"The light has disappeared, and there's nothing left of Meteor!" the announcer howled, "It's a miracle!"
"Hmph," Sephiroth scoffed as he approached them, carrying Aeris in his arms, her eyes closed. "Attributing an act like that to a miracle is an insult to everything Aeris has done for us. Let's go catch up with Reidmar,"
"I've almost got it up and running," the older Cetra told them as they entered a room with a large contraption set up in the corner. "Stupid thing takes so long to set up,"
"Just hang in there, Aeris," Sephiroth told her.
"Papa…?" Aeris whispered.
"You'll see him soon," Sephiroth reassured her as he gently put her down on a sofa nearby, "Just rest for now,"
The others stood nearby, still riveted to the small TV screen.
"Firefighters are now moving in to take over from here," the announcer said, "We just don't know what to expect anymore…"
Jessie handed the screen over to Reno and headed over to the couch.
"That was amazing, Aeris," she commented with a grin as she gently nudged her friend.
Aeris' head simply flopped forward. Immediately, Jessie grabbed her limp wrist and felt for a pulse. Her eyes widened in horror.
"Oh, god, no!!" she screamed.
Sephiroth rushed over and began shaking Aeris, trying desperately to rouse her.
"Aeris, wake up!!" he shouted.
"She doesn't have a pulse!!" Jessie panicked.
Reidmar sprinted over and tried to double-check for a heartbeat while Sephiroth was still shaking her.
"Sephiroth, stop that!" he ordered, "Shaking her won't do any good!"
"You cannot die on me, you hear?!" Sephiroth shouted desperately, "I swear, I'll follow you and drag you out of the Promised Land myself!!! What about Mom?! What about the professor?! You were so close to seeing them again- do you want to put them through this?! Goddammit, Aeris, YOU CANNOT DO THIS TO ME!!!! I WILL NOT LET YOU BECOME JUST A MEMORY!!!!!!"
Jessie was on her knees sobbing. Zack angrily wiped away his own tears. Reno stood still, rooted in shock at what was happening before him.
Vincent looked distant, as he stood in his own private hell, watching his utterly distraught son holding the lifeless body of the closest thing he'd ever had to a daughter.
Reidmar shook his head sadly. So the Planet's power couldn't save her in the end…
Medea looked around, her mind a complete blank for once. Just then, her eyes fell on the still-breathing Jenova. She hadn't noticed that dying Seraph was now fully clothed.
She went deathly pale as she recognized the outfit.
"Medea?" Reidmar noticed the look on his wife's face.
"Look at that tunic," Medea said quietly.
"It looks like the stuff your people's first space explorers wore," Reidmar observed, still shell-shocked over Aeris' death.
"It's the outfit that the Seraphim's most prominent space pioneer wore in nearly all the pictures ever taken of her," Medea explained, "My god…I saw all the evidence, but never put two and two together…she disappeared on a mission over two-thousand years ago…I would have never thought…never mind- just open up the portal,"
She went over to the dying Seraph woman and knelt down next to her. "Resara Delrayo?"
Jenova looked up at her with hazy eyes. Yes…yes, that's right…that's my name…isn't it? What happened…? I feel as if I've been having one long nightmare…I've finally woken up…but I don't feel too well…
Medea stood up and looked over at Sephiroth, who was still cradling Aeris' body.
"Take Jenova through the portal as well," Medea ordered him.
Sephiroth glared at Medea. "What for?" he asked bitterly.
"The least we can do for her…" Medea said sadly, "Is let her die in the place she was born in,"
"After she killed Aeris?!" Sephiroth exploded.
"Take her through the portal!!" Medea snapped suddenly, "And stop getting melodramatic on me! Aeris still has a chance, no matter how small!"
"She's dead!!" Sephiroth yelled at her.
"The Cetran galactic capital has the technology to revive the dead provided that not too much time has passed!" Medea argued, "Now get both of those women through the portal before Aeris' soul begins its migration, and stop with the self-pity! I'll explain about Jenova later!"
"It's ready," Reidmar announced as he stood next to a strange purple light in the shape of a doorway.
"Go!" Medea urged.
Sephiroth hesitated, then murmuring a brief apology, tossed Aeris over his shoulder. He went over to Jenova, cringed, and then scooped her up, hoisting her over his other shoulder.
He looked over at Vincent and took a deep breath. "I'll be back," he told his father, "Tell Mrs. G not to fret over me while I'm gone. She always panics like the mad mother hen she is whenever something happens to one of her little chicks,"
Vincent nodded silently. With that, Sephiroth stepped into the gateway.
"Now what…?" Zack asked sullenly.
"We'll wait for a broadcast from Beud A'evori," Medea answered.
"You…really think there's a chance to save Aeris?" Jessie asked as she wiped her eyes.
Medea sighed. "I won't lie to you. There's only about a five percent chance of her surviving. At least…if the worst happens, Sephiroth will have his surrogate parents there for him. Perhaps seeing them again will ease the pain,"
"If anything, he'll feel worse for not being able to save her," Vincent remarked.
Suddenly, the ground began to tremble violently.
"Here we go again!" Reno yelled above the sudden noise.
"The lifestream is returning, as well as WEAPON!" Reidmar answered loudly, "Guess their departure is just as theatrical, if not more so!"
Everyone found themselves dodging the cracks that were opening up in the ground. The openings continued to widen, making their way to the gateway. As the ground opened up underneath the giant machine, the middle part of the structure collapsed, emitting sparks in the process. The portal quickly dissolved into nothingness.
"NO!!!" Reidmar screamed in horror.
Not thirty seconds later, the earthquake stopped.
"Is everyone all right?" Medea asked.
Everyone nodded. They then looked around, not quite knowing what to do.
"How are we ever gonna get in touch with him now?" Jessie moaned.
Shit…Reno thought, I think there really is a god…of irony, anyway…
Vincent looked at everyone, and then spoke:
"There's nothing more we can do now. Let's just go back to the Highwind. I'm sure everyone is worried about us,"
Jessie couldn't help but notice the utter exhaustion in Vincent's voice. God, the poor man…
She then snapped out of it. Vincent wouldn't want her or anyone else pitying him, no matter what happened to him.
"Right," she said briskly, "We're finally done. Let's go back home,"
Everyone left the building quietly.