.:: Chapter 1: The Beginning ::.
"I will always watch over you Cloud...." I shuddered, the cold grip of death spread through my body like a rapid disease. I opened my mouth to scream for help, for anyone to come and hold me, tell me it was ok, that'd I'd be fine. I guess they were too shocked for words as well. I glanced upwards, weakly as I felt Cloud lower me onto the cold hard cement of the alter. I saw Sephiroth swing his Masamune Blade ominously over my head. I heard yelling..
"SHUT UP! Aeris will no longer laugh.. Cry... Get angry.... What about my plan?! My feelings?!"
"Don't act like your sad... Or angry Cloud.. Because you are..." I dimly made out Sephiroth fly above me, and disappear.
"Cloud! Watch out! Jenova!" I could hear Tifa yell, Yuffie ran up, looked down on me with tears in her eyes, then pulled out her Twin Viper and began to fight the massive creature looming above the four of us.
I knew they knew there was no hope for me.. I knew I wasn't going to live for very much longer... I knew. I closed my eyes. "Please.." I uttered, beginning to slip away from life, "Please finish... What I could not." Darkness surrounded me, swallowed me whole. I was scared, and yet, I knew I shouldn't be. I knew I would always see Cloud, I was going to be with him all the way, but part of me wanted to be able to hold him, talk to him, help him through the hard times he'd have to face alone, without my comfort.. 'Heh, we never did get to ride more rides at the Golden Saucer' I thought as a green glow neared me. 'The Lifestream...' I suddenly was swept in warmth, happiness. But yet, I was not happy. My body, it felt like I was flying, like I wasn't really there. I opened my eyes, yes, I was not where I really thought.
"What.. Where??" I sat up. How could this be? All around me were tables, cold, metal tables. "Tseng?!" My eyes widened as Tseng stood in front of me, smiling smugly.
"Your awake. Good. That experiment worked well this time Aeris, we were able to get a DNA sample, and send it through Shinra Labs while you were napping." My hands were covered in sweat, my mouth was dry. What was going on? All this happened months ago! Not now, not today..
"Tseng? What's going on?" I asked weakly. I looked at my stomach. No blood. No cut. No scar. How? "Tseng, I was hurt.. Hurt bad, Cloud couldn't save me. Sephiroth did it. His Masamune Blade was shoved right through me."
"Cloud?" He asked with a puzzled look, the smug one fading. "Aeris, do you hallucinate? No... Sephiroth? Masamune Blade?! I need to get Hojo right away." He ran out of the room, swiftly, not cocky and tough like normal.
"Tseng.. No, don't leave me." I shivered. "What is going on..?" Laughter came from behind me, dark, cold laughter. I slowly turned, by fingers began to go numb.
"Tsk, tsk Aeris. I couldn't just let you die." Sephiroth was behind me, glaring down on me. "Your powers exceed mine. Cloud and the others have no idea how powerful you really are. I had to get you away from them, keep you away. What better way than to throw you into the past?!" He laughed again, holding his gut and knee, laughing like a complete fool.
"Shut up! Shut up shut up!" I covered my ears, No, he can't do this! My eyes began to burn, my head began to ache. I jumped off the metal table I had been placed upon and ran out of the Shinra Lab. I had to find Cloud, he'd be in Midgar. I just knew it.
As I ran, I heard Sephiroth laughing, harder than before. "Creep.." I huffed, as I ran down the stairs, down the elevators, and into the lobby. I pushed on the glass door to the entrance. It was locked. "Damn..." I uttered as two Shinra guards caught sight of me, and figured I was a lab experiment, and mustn't be freed.
"Gosh! What fun.." I reached into my pocket, and filtered around. Success! I yanked out a glowing green ball. "Bolt!" I yelled throwing it into the air, then bringing it close to my chest. I looked up as green light shot up from the ground around me, then large bolts of lightning struck the guards. One yelled in pain, the other just keeled over and fainted. "No way my Materia is strong enough to kill," I scowled, "Weaklings!" I ran up, kicked the guard on his knees in the side and reached into his pocket. I yanked out a silver key and flung myself into the glass doors once more.
"C'mon..." I muttered, "Dammit! Open!" I yelled frantically pushing the key into the lock, finally it unlocked and the doors wooshed open. I ran outside the building and down the huge staircase. I fumbled to the train station, stealing some flowers from an old woman and shoving them into a basket. Pushing a lock of almond hair out of my eyes, I stood on the curb and waited. And waited.... And waited.
I awoke to the sound a of a huge explosion coming from a nearby reactor. I smiled, "He's coming!" I jumped up brushing the wrinkles from my dress. "Ok, don't say his name... Don't say his name..." I breathed. If I said his name, Cloud'd think I was someone out to get him, working from Shinra. Someone like Scarlet. "Blah!" Thinking of Scarlet made me gag, her revolting dress, and unbearable perfume. "I'd rather be with Yuffie." Quietly laughing, I saw Barret streak by and duck into a dark, abandoned building. I saw Ward tumble into a pool of water from the drainage. Again, I snickered.
"Are you ok? You shouldn't be out here, it's going to get dangerous." I turned, Cloud was standing before me. What should I say?
"Oh really? Well, should I go?" 'Grrr, what a dumb thing of me to say!' I secretly scolded myself.
"Are those flowers? You don't see many of those around Midgar." He smiled, reaching out and touching one's petal.
I blushed, "They grow in my church, the only place in Midgar I can find where flowers will grow healthy." It was true, they used to, but his big butt squished them. I laughed out loud, holding my stomach. What a mean thing of me to think of, Cloud saved me that night, but it was still very funny.
"What's so funny?"
"No.. Hehe.. Nothing." I breathed in, trying to end the laughter, no good. He still persisted I tell him. "Please, no... Hehe.... It's nothing... Haha!" Cloud was getting aggravated.
"It's something... You'll tell me.. Someday." He then reached out for a flower, "May I buy one?" He smiled, and stood the same, cocky way he always did.
"Yup! One Gil please, but then you must promise me something." Now I was getting somewhere. His face filled with puzzlement, and question. I smiled happily. "After you save me, we must go to the Forgotten City."
"Save you? From what?"
"Just, when you do. Trust me, you will." I handed him the flower and walked off, back to my house. It wouldn't be long now. He'll crash into my Church soon enough.
"Wait!" Cloud came running after me. "What's your name?" Should I tell him now..? If I did, I'd have to come with him. Would I hurt the present by changing the past?? I wondered, my heart beginning to pound. "My name?" I squeaked, clearing my throat immediately after. "My name is Aeris." He smiled.
"I will always watch over you Cloud...." I shuddered, the cold grip of death spread through my body like a rapid disease. I opened my mouth to scream for help, for anyone to come and hold me, tell me it was ok, that'd I'd be fine. I guess they were too shocked for words as well. I glanced upwards, weakly as I felt Cloud lower me onto the cold hard cement of the alter. I saw Sephiroth swing his Masamune Blade ominously over my head. I heard yelling..
"SHUT UP! Aeris will no longer laugh.. Cry... Get angry.... What about my plan?! My feelings?!"
"Don't act like your sad... Or angry Cloud.. Because you are..." I dimly made out Sephiroth fly above me, and disappear.
"Cloud! Watch out! Jenova!" I could hear Tifa yell, Yuffie ran up, looked down on me with tears in her eyes, then pulled out her Twin Viper and began to fight the massive creature looming above the four of us.
I knew they knew there was no hope for me.. I knew I wasn't going to live for very much longer... I knew. I closed my eyes. "Please.." I uttered, beginning to slip away from life, "Please finish... What I could not." Darkness surrounded me, swallowed me whole. I was scared, and yet, I knew I shouldn't be. I knew I would always see Cloud, I was going to be with him all the way, but part of me wanted to be able to hold him, talk to him, help him through the hard times he'd have to face alone, without my comfort.. 'Heh, we never did get to ride more rides at the Golden Saucer' I thought as a green glow neared me. 'The Lifestream...' I suddenly was swept in warmth, happiness. But yet, I was not happy. My body, it felt like I was flying, like I wasn't really there. I opened my eyes, yes, I was not where I really thought.
"What.. Where??" I sat up. How could this be? All around me were tables, cold, metal tables. "Tseng?!" My eyes widened as Tseng stood in front of me, smiling smugly.
"Your awake. Good. That experiment worked well this time Aeris, we were able to get a DNA sample, and send it through Shinra Labs while you were napping." My hands were covered in sweat, my mouth was dry. What was going on? All this happened months ago! Not now, not today..
"Tseng? What's going on?" I asked weakly. I looked at my stomach. No blood. No cut. No scar. How? "Tseng, I was hurt.. Hurt bad, Cloud couldn't save me. Sephiroth did it. His Masamune Blade was shoved right through me."
"Cloud?" He asked with a puzzled look, the smug one fading. "Aeris, do you hallucinate? No... Sephiroth? Masamune Blade?! I need to get Hojo right away." He ran out of the room, swiftly, not cocky and tough like normal.
"Tseng.. No, don't leave me." I shivered. "What is going on..?" Laughter came from behind me, dark, cold laughter. I slowly turned, by fingers began to go numb.
"Tsk, tsk Aeris. I couldn't just let you die." Sephiroth was behind me, glaring down on me. "Your powers exceed mine. Cloud and the others have no idea how powerful you really are. I had to get you away from them, keep you away. What better way than to throw you into the past?!" He laughed again, holding his gut and knee, laughing like a complete fool.
"Shut up! Shut up shut up!" I covered my ears, No, he can't do this! My eyes began to burn, my head began to ache. I jumped off the metal table I had been placed upon and ran out of the Shinra Lab. I had to find Cloud, he'd be in Midgar. I just knew it.
As I ran, I heard Sephiroth laughing, harder than before. "Creep.." I huffed, as I ran down the stairs, down the elevators, and into the lobby. I pushed on the glass door to the entrance. It was locked. "Damn..." I uttered as two Shinra guards caught sight of me, and figured I was a lab experiment, and mustn't be freed.
"Gosh! What fun.." I reached into my pocket, and filtered around. Success! I yanked out a glowing green ball. "Bolt!" I yelled throwing it into the air, then bringing it close to my chest. I looked up as green light shot up from the ground around me, then large bolts of lightning struck the guards. One yelled in pain, the other just keeled over and fainted. "No way my Materia is strong enough to kill," I scowled, "Weaklings!" I ran up, kicked the guard on his knees in the side and reached into his pocket. I yanked out a silver key and flung myself into the glass doors once more.
"C'mon..." I muttered, "Dammit! Open!" I yelled frantically pushing the key into the lock, finally it unlocked and the doors wooshed open. I ran outside the building and down the huge staircase. I fumbled to the train station, stealing some flowers from an old woman and shoving them into a basket. Pushing a lock of almond hair out of my eyes, I stood on the curb and waited. And waited.... And waited.
I awoke to the sound a of a huge explosion coming from a nearby reactor. I smiled, "He's coming!" I jumped up brushing the wrinkles from my dress. "Ok, don't say his name... Don't say his name..." I breathed. If I said his name, Cloud'd think I was someone out to get him, working from Shinra. Someone like Scarlet. "Blah!" Thinking of Scarlet made me gag, her revolting dress, and unbearable perfume. "I'd rather be with Yuffie." Quietly laughing, I saw Barret streak by and duck into a dark, abandoned building. I saw Ward tumble into a pool of water from the drainage. Again, I snickered.
"Are you ok? You shouldn't be out here, it's going to get dangerous." I turned, Cloud was standing before me. What should I say?
"Oh really? Well, should I go?" 'Grrr, what a dumb thing of me to say!' I secretly scolded myself.
"Are those flowers? You don't see many of those around Midgar." He smiled, reaching out and touching one's petal.
I blushed, "They grow in my church, the only place in Midgar I can find where flowers will grow healthy." It was true, they used to, but his big butt squished them. I laughed out loud, holding my stomach. What a mean thing of me to think of, Cloud saved me that night, but it was still very funny.
"What's so funny?"
"No.. Hehe.. Nothing." I breathed in, trying to end the laughter, no good. He still persisted I tell him. "Please, no... Hehe.... It's nothing... Haha!" Cloud was getting aggravated.
"It's something... You'll tell me.. Someday." He then reached out for a flower, "May I buy one?" He smiled, and stood the same, cocky way he always did.
"Yup! One Gil please, but then you must promise me something." Now I was getting somewhere. His face filled with puzzlement, and question. I smiled happily. "After you save me, we must go to the Forgotten City."
"Save you? From what?"
"Just, when you do. Trust me, you will." I handed him the flower and walked off, back to my house. It wouldn't be long now. He'll crash into my Church soon enough.
"Wait!" Cloud came running after me. "What's your name?" Should I tell him now..? If I did, I'd have to come with him. Would I hurt the present by changing the past?? I wondered, my heart beginning to pound. "My name?" I squeaked, clearing my throat immediately after. "My name is Aeris." He smiled.