Part Two: Call Of Destiny
I have to do it now. I have to leave. I'll wait
until he's asleep though. Otherwise he'll just follow me or tie me up or
something. I thought.
I waited about thirty minutes. Then I silently packed a few things and said my goodbyes. I touched each and every one of my friend's minds, gently entering their dreams and altering them. I entered Cloud's dream last.
I set the background as a clue, the Sleeping Forest. I floated here and there, telling Cloud different facts and so forth. Then both of us appeared and floated to the ground.
"Where are we?" Cloud asked confused at the fact he was dreaming about me.
"The Sleeping Forest." I answered trying not to show my tears. "Time does not exist here. It is a place where the Ancients used to come to seek knowledge."
"Why am I here… with you?"
"I brought you here to tell you that…" I froze. My mouth went dry and tears threatened to fall.
Cloud stepped closer and put one hand on my shoulder and gently lifted my face to meet his eyes with the other. I gazed at his eyes and found they were open and not shielded. Perhaps in his dreams he was himself. He didn't need to hide and pretend to be so strong when he was alone. He is so different, and it made my heart flutter.
"You can tell me. Please, what's wrong? You look sad. Please don't be sad." He said and I melted. Perhaps he did care about me. I fought back tears and managed to keep up a strong and sure face.
"Cloud, Sephiroth is going to destroy the planet and I have to stop him. I have to help him."
"Help him? Aerith what are you talking about?"
I stepped back from him and I realized that I would be saving his life. This made all my fear drift away and my face showed a true strength and sureness.
"I have to save the planet, I'm the only one who can." I said with a confidence in my voice I had never known before. "You'll understand soon. I'm going to the Forgotten City." I turned to go and turned back with my hands behind my back. "Oh and Cloud, don't follow me"
I turned to go, but Cloud grabbed my arm and spun me around. As my eyes met his I found that they seemed sad now and his face was confused. He stared for a few heartbeats and his eyes glittered with tears.
"This is real isn't it? This is no dream." He said with a grim realization on his face.
I nodded. "I must go now. Don't be sad." I whispered, using his words.
I turned to go again and only got a few steps before Cloud spun me around again. This time he only gazed for a second as if deciding what to do. Then, suddenly, he kissed me with a desperation and passion I had only read about in fairy tales.
"Please don't leave me. Sephiroth will kill you. You can't die. I…" Cloud hesitated and took a deep breath, and then he spouted, "I love you! I can't believe I just said that. I love you!"
"I love you too, Cloud, and that is why this must be done."
"What must be done?"
"I don't know, but whatever it is I must do it alone." I kissed him gently on the cheek and cast a spell on him. "Don't cry, dear love. I'll see you again. I promise."
With one last look at Cloud I turned and jogged off into the distance. Cloud grabbed at me desperately but caught nothing. The spell I cast held him in one spot until he woke up from his dream. He began running as if in slow motion, another effect of my spell.
He ran faster and faster and I got further and further away. He went nowhere while I went towards the call of destiny. As he saw me disappear into a light up ahead he tried so desperately to catch me and fell to his knees in exhaustion. I only kept running, never looking back for fear I might see him holding his head in his hands, crying.
I left his dream and quickly cast a teleportation spell just as Cloud jumped up shouting my name.
I appeared in the Forgotten City, the holy place of the Ancients. I looked around and heard a voice, the voice of the planet.
HURRY AERITH, HURRY. SAVE ME BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE! SEPHIROTH IS NEAR. HURRY!
"Where do I go?" I shouted looking around the city. It had threes routes which I could take, one to the right, one to the left, and one straight ahead.
HURRY TO THE ALTAR, AERITH. HURRY!
I set out down the center path. For some reason I knew the Altar was there. I was running full speed and entered a tunnel. I was startled when I heard voices all around me the moment I entered the tunnel. I stopped in amazement.
Save us, Aerith!
We need you.
Help us!
Do not fail us.
We are with you, young one!
Be strong
Don't stop!
Keep going, Aerith.
We have little time.
I set out at a run. I realized these voices were my ancestors, guiding me and begging me to help them. I had heard them before, but not this clearly or this many at once. They continued to guide me, leading me to a giant shell about forty feet tall in a large clearing in the cave. I continued up into the shell and stopped again as I recognized a voice that spoke to me.
Yes, Aerith, help me. Come to
me and set me free. I will not be a monster any longer.
This voice belonged to Sephiroth, the real Sephiroth. He beckoned me to him. Then I began running again to the top of the shell. Once I got there I heard faint shouts at the edges of the city. My friends are here. They must have teleported. They must be here to stop me. I can't let them.
I ran faster, and my chest heaved from lack of breath. I ran faster down a spiral of floating crystal stairs that seemed to go forever. I didn't have time to run down them so I jumped. I jumped off a staircase three hundred feet in the air. My heart was pounding at my impulsive actions. Luckily, I cast a spell that allowed me to float to the bottom unharmed.
The moment I landed I set out running again, the voices still leading me on. I ran around a circular balcony and looked down at the altar, it was empty. I continued to run and came to a set of pillars that led to the altar. I jumped them with relative ease and with one last jump I landed on the altar.
I looked up to find a dark figure with long white hair and glowing green mako eyes staring at me, Sephiroth. I almost stopped breathing. He was so overpowering and intimidating that I wanted to run away and just be held in Cloud's arms once again. But I stood my ground and took a deep breath.
Sephiroth drew his sword and looked at me as I slowly approached him. I heard the dreadful sound of his long sword slowly being drawn form it's scabbard. His gaze was deep and unyielding and burning with fury. It made me tremble. How could I ever have thought I may be in love with him? I can't even look at him without shaking.
"So, you actually came." His voice was deep and sounded controlled.
"What else was I to do? You said you needed me." I said covering my fear fairly well.
"I need no one. I need only power."
"I don't think so."
"Oh really?" And he chuckled slightly. "Then, dear little Ancient, what do you think?"
"I think you are afraid. And I think you need love… very badly."
"Is this some fantasy of yours? For the great Sephiroth to fall in love with you?"
"NO, I speak the truth about you, not me."
"What truth? There is no truth in this life, only lies and betrayals."
"That is what you have known all you life. You grew up with no one to love you, no father or mother."
"I have a mother and she is going to make me a god."
"She is not your mother. Search my mind and you will find the truth."
"You would willing welcome me into your mind? Knowing I could destroy you?" He spoke with a confused look on his face. With every word his eyes glowed less and less and his voice seemed to loose it's evil tone. It became gentle.
With these slight changes in his appearance, all fear that I had of him was now gone. I kneeled on the floor in front of him and stretched my arms out, palms forward. I was completely in his mercy.
His green eyes glowed no longer and they did not burn with fury, but asked a single question, why. He was free from Jenova's control for the moment. I stared back at him, welcoming him to my mind. He set his sword down and knelt down and stretched his arms out like mine.
Suddenly I heard voices shouted and saw figures starting to run down the crystal stairs. I turned my head to look at them. "No," I whispered, "Not now." Then they slowed down and eventually froze in place. I looked back to Sephiroth. He had done it. He had stopped time to connect with me. Now I remembered why I felt I was in love with him.
I reached up my hands to about shoulder height, and Sephiroth did the same. We clasped our hands together and stared directly into each other's eyes. A few seconds passed and then white beams came from my eyes and black from his. Our beams connected in the center with each other, and he entered my mind.