"Oh...My..." Tifa glanced to where Aeris was pointing. "Where?"
"He's right over..." Aeris glanced back at the place she had seen him, but no one was there. "I saw him..."
"I bet. I can feel him. Someone stand guard while the rest of us go get some rest in a random house." Cloud double-checked all his materia, just in case.
"I'll do it." Reno half raised his hand. "Besides, I'm used to having little to no sleep. It's my job."
"Yeh... still is ain't it?" Barret mumbled under his breath.
"You say something Barret?" Tifa glowered at Barret, a plain gesture to tell him to shut up.
"Oh, no, nuthin' at all..." He dug his boot into the dirt.
"Alright then!" Aeris gave a weak smile, and picked up her stuff. "You guys see the two houses across from eachother? Tifa and I will stay in the one to the right, and you guys, Cloud, Cid, and Barret, and Reno," she smiled," when he's ont on duty, will sleep in the one to the left."
"Okay then!" Tifa cheerily picked up her stuff as she and Aeris headed towards there house.


"Aeris, how do you like more, Reno or Cloud?" Tifa sat on her bed, watching Aeris swing her legs back and forth sitting opposite her.
"Um..." Aeris looked up at Tifa. "Can you keep a secret?"
"Sure, I guess..." Tifa was taken aback with Aeris's behavior.
"Well, you know when we were in Costa Del Sol?" Aeris it her lip.
"Yeah, a few days ago..." Tifa inched forward on her bed.
"Well, the night we got there I-" Aeris was cut off suddenly by a shout.
"What's going on?" Tifa jumped up, already pulling on her gloves.
"Let's go see." Aeris picked up her Prism Staff and ran out the door. Tifa followed.


Cloud slashed at Sephiroth, giving a shout as he pushed his sword against the Musamune. "I won't give up..."
"You won't have to. There is on way you will win this battle." Sephiroth laughed as he threw Cloud back, turning around quickly to catch a bullet that had been fired by Reno. RedXIII was lunging at him, clawing and biting , but it didn't bother him in the least, his armor did that.
"Cloud, guys?!" Tifa began casting an ice spell on Sephiroth as he battled Cloud, Reno, and RedXIII. "What's going on?" She looked around. "And where's Barret?"
"He went for a walk shortly before Sephiroth attacked. Reno caught him sneaking towards your house..." Cloud trailed off as he parried with Sephiroth. Suddenly, the battle stopped. Everone stood still, as Aeris appraoched Sephiroth, her glowing hand raised.
"Sephiroth...LEAVE." Aeris's gaze was calm and steady. She was definatly preparing for something.
"Aeris please don't-" Reno tried to step forward, but found he couldn't. Sephiroth had cast stop on everyone except Aeris. But why?
"Aeris! No! Stop! He's too powerfull to face alone!" Cloud struggled with the spell, trying desperatly to cast the counterspell.
"Aeris, ignore him!" Tifa was also struggling. She did not like the scene. She forced her eyes and head to move towards the left, and saw Barret calmly walking towards them. "Barret! Help!"
Barret walked up to Sephiroth, and the talked in low voices. Aeris was standing still, her hair was floating around her, as it wasn't tied up as usual. A glowing aura surrounded her, and then suddenly disappeared as Barret grabbed her wrist and jerked her towards Sephiroth.
"Aeris!" RedXII could barly talk at all.
"Sephiroth! Don't kill-" Cloud was cut off as Sephiroth lunged at Cloud, knocking him to the ground.
"Who said anything about killing?" Sephiroth snarled, rasing his sword above Cloud.
"Sephiroth NO!" Aeris yanked her hand free of Barret, and began running towards him.
"Heh. Stupid fool. Like I was going to kill him? I said I wasn't going to kill anyone. It was you I'm after!" Sephiroth turned around and flaoted up , flying towards her at full speed.
The next thing happened so quickly, Cloud had trouble seeing it clearly. Sephiroth whirled around as soon as Aeris had passed him and was turning around, and had raised his sword. Aeris's eyes had gone wide, and Cloud had yelled. Everything seemed in slow motion. Sephiroth brought his blade down slowly, so ever slowly, and at the last second turned it sideways so the flat side hit her in the side of the head.
"No! Not again!" Reno found he could move again, and he began running towards Aeris's fallen form on the dirt path, in Sephiroth's shadow.
"Not so fast." Sephiroth drove his blade into the ground, just infront of Reno, motioning him to go no further. "Barret and I shall be leaving. Barret, you know where to find me?"
"Yeah, jus' be there." Barret grinned.
"Barret, how could you?" RedXIII began stalking towards the man, teeth barred.
"I wouldn't go no further, beast." Barret glanced over at Sephiroth, who was picking up Aeris, slowly floating up. He smiled again, and slowly backed into the shadows.
"Cloud, do something!" Tifa yelled helplessly as she watched as Sephiroth flew off with Aeris.
"I'm...I'm sorry..." Cloud dropped his sword into the dust, then fell to his knees. "I was just...frozen...I tried to move...but the spell was too strong...I couldn't..."
"It's okay. I know we BOTH could've save her if we could....he intentionally made the spell stronger on us." Reno looked up to the stars, quietly.
"Poor guys." Tifa leaned down to murmer to RedXIII. "They both love Aeris very much..." She straightened up and sighed. "Unfortunatly for me..." She then turned and headed werily to her house, too tired to think about the events of that evening.
"Tifa?" Cloud ran after her and stopped her, loking intently into her eyes. "We have to find her, FAST. We're leaving first thing in the morning."
"Okay...but what about-" Tifa could feel tears welling up in her eyes. Oh how she wished Cloud would be like this for her.
"We'll worry about Barret after we get Aeris back." He turned to leave. "Oh, and Tifa?" He turned slightly and smiled at her. "Sweet dreams."