(author's note= I know, Chapter 9 was sort...VERY short. I'm sorry for this...I just got back from Hawaii, and one of my best friends is moving at the end of the summer, so I'm trying to spend time with them... I have decided to take a knew twist with this story...should be interesting. I hope you guys still read this story! It will be finished by this X-MAS. Reviews are welcome! XOXOXO -Ultima Aeris)
Sephiroth sat, cleaning his blade and thinking. How had he been able to hit Aeris in the Ancient city? She had run at him, and he at her, but she ran past and before she could turn all the way around....Of course! The planet couldn't protect her unless she knew injury was coming. So if her hurt her or something by surprise...
He glanced at her sleeping form on the table,then turned sharply to the Aqui-chamber in which Jenova was also 'sleeping'. Perhaps if he...Yes! He would use the spell Mother had given him before Cloud and the others throttled her.
Spehiroth walked over to Aeris, gently raising her shirt to mid-back. He drew his dagger then savagely-and deeply- cut a number of crude symbols upon her flesh. She awoke with a cry, and Sephiroth realized that the planet could not generate a shield WHILE the damage was being done. But could it heal after?
Shera watched at Sephiroth smeared the blood from the cuts over the screaming girl's back, and fought back a cry as he advanced on her. "Stay...Stay away!" She stumbled back.
"Oh...Shut Up. I'm just releasing you." He opened the cell, blindfolded her, and marched her around until she had lost all sense of direction. Then he shoved her out of a...Door, and she heard the sound of his footfall fade as he walked away. Somebody, please help! Shera silently begged to no one, before falling asleep in sudden exhaustion, shivering in the chilly air around her.
Tifa walked ahead of everyone, climbing up the cliffside path with surprising ease, but Cloud was not far behind. She sat down and decided to rest, even though she didn't need it.
"Something wrong, Tifa?" Cloud walked up to her and sat down.
"No...Not really." Tifa scuffed her shoe in the rubble. Of course there was something wrong! Ever since Aeris had been kidnapped, Cloud had talked about nothing but her!
"Tifa..." Cloud cupped his hand under her chin and turned her head to face him. "I know you think I'm doing this because I love Aeris."
Tifa felt tears welling up in her eyes. "Well.... Yes Cloud, but..." She trailed of.
"Well, " Cloud smiled at her. " I don't think Reno would be too happy if I was. I'm going after her because I have a feeling that doing this will stop Sephiroth somehow. But I'm not sure how." He reached over, wiped the tears from her eyes, then leaned down, and kissed her.
Aeris woke with a start, her back was stinging. "Ah, you finally woke up." Sephiroth walked over to her, grinning. A wave of pain washed over her as he approached her. What was going on?
"Painful, isn't it?" He raised a hand and examined it. "I'm sure you know I used a spell to block the planet's power to protect you."
Aeris realized she wasn't tied down and she slid off the table silently. "No, but I'm sure you know the planet wasn't protecting me." She hoped this bluff would work, to fool Spehiroth to change his plans.
"Nice try, but I also cut symbols into you back...I know what you're thinking. You're afraid I'm going to kill your baby." Sephiroth looked up at her. "Go ahead, leave. I'm not stopping you."
Aeris glanced cautiously at him, and his sword on the shelf. Then she turned and began running towards what looked like the exit.
"I did say I wasn't going to stop you. Mother will." He shrugged.
She stopped in mid-run, and turned back to face him. "You're mother is dead."
"That's what you think."
Aeris turned around with a cry as a tentacle wrapped around her.
Tifa smiled inwardly as she and Cloud walked side by side up the path. Wow, she thought, what a KISS. She giggled, and Cloud looked at her.
"What are you laughing about? We have to hurry. Aeris might be-" He trailed off as they rounded a corner. "I guess it wasn't as far as we thought..." He whispered, blinking.
"I guess not." Tifa stared at the ground,biting her lip. Was it over then? The few moment of loving bliss she and Cloud had shared?
As if to answer her question, Cloud stepped over and placed his arm over her shoulders. "It's okay Tif. I'm saving Aeris becuase I'm SUPPOSED to be her bodyguard, remember? And you want to know something? I found a letter in my boots the other day after we left the city it said-"
"Said what?" Reno walked up behind them, panting slightly.
"Nothing." Tifa glanced at Cloud sideways. "I think we're here."
"The other's aren't too far behind." Reno's eyes had lit up, and he was considerably more cheerful.
"The sooner, the better." Cloud sighed.
Sephiroth sat, cleaning his blade and thinking. How had he been able to hit Aeris in the Ancient city? She had run at him, and he at her, but she ran past and before she could turn all the way around....Of course! The planet couldn't protect her unless she knew injury was coming. So if her hurt her or something by surprise...
He glanced at her sleeping form on the table,then turned sharply to the Aqui-chamber in which Jenova was also 'sleeping'. Perhaps if he...Yes! He would use the spell Mother had given him before Cloud and the others throttled her.
Spehiroth walked over to Aeris, gently raising her shirt to mid-back. He drew his dagger then savagely-and deeply- cut a number of crude symbols upon her flesh. She awoke with a cry, and Sephiroth realized that the planet could not generate a shield WHILE the damage was being done. But could it heal after?
Shera watched at Sephiroth smeared the blood from the cuts over the screaming girl's back, and fought back a cry as he advanced on her. "Stay...Stay away!" She stumbled back.
"Oh...Shut Up. I'm just releasing you." He opened the cell, blindfolded her, and marched her around until she had lost all sense of direction. Then he shoved her out of a...Door, and she heard the sound of his footfall fade as he walked away. Somebody, please help! Shera silently begged to no one, before falling asleep in sudden exhaustion, shivering in the chilly air around her.
Tifa walked ahead of everyone, climbing up the cliffside path with surprising ease, but Cloud was not far behind. She sat down and decided to rest, even though she didn't need it.
"Something wrong, Tifa?" Cloud walked up to her and sat down.
"No...Not really." Tifa scuffed her shoe in the rubble. Of course there was something wrong! Ever since Aeris had been kidnapped, Cloud had talked about nothing but her!
"Tifa..." Cloud cupped his hand under her chin and turned her head to face him. "I know you think I'm doing this because I love Aeris."
Tifa felt tears welling up in her eyes. "Well.... Yes Cloud, but..." She trailed of.
"Well, " Cloud smiled at her. " I don't think Reno would be too happy if I was. I'm going after her because I have a feeling that doing this will stop Sephiroth somehow. But I'm not sure how." He reached over, wiped the tears from her eyes, then leaned down, and kissed her.
Aeris woke with a start, her back was stinging. "Ah, you finally woke up." Sephiroth walked over to her, grinning. A wave of pain washed over her as he approached her. What was going on?
"Painful, isn't it?" He raised a hand and examined it. "I'm sure you know I used a spell to block the planet's power to protect you."
Aeris realized she wasn't tied down and she slid off the table silently. "No, but I'm sure you know the planet wasn't protecting me." She hoped this bluff would work, to fool Spehiroth to change his plans.
"Nice try, but I also cut symbols into you back...I know what you're thinking. You're afraid I'm going to kill your baby." Sephiroth looked up at her. "Go ahead, leave. I'm not stopping you."
Aeris glanced cautiously at him, and his sword on the shelf. Then she turned and began running towards what looked like the exit.
"I did say I wasn't going to stop you. Mother will." He shrugged.
She stopped in mid-run, and turned back to face him. "You're mother is dead."
"That's what you think."
Aeris turned around with a cry as a tentacle wrapped around her.
Tifa smiled inwardly as she and Cloud walked side by side up the path. Wow, she thought, what a KISS. She giggled, and Cloud looked at her.
"What are you laughing about? We have to hurry. Aeris might be-" He trailed off as they rounded a corner. "I guess it wasn't as far as we thought..." He whispered, blinking.
"I guess not." Tifa stared at the ground,biting her lip. Was it over then? The few moment of loving bliss she and Cloud had shared?
As if to answer her question, Cloud stepped over and placed his arm over her shoulders. "It's okay Tif. I'm saving Aeris becuase I'm SUPPOSED to be her bodyguard, remember? And you want to know something? I found a letter in my boots the other day after we left the city it said-"
"Said what?" Reno walked up behind them, panting slightly.
"Nothing." Tifa glanced at Cloud sideways. "I think we're here."
"The other's aren't too far behind." Reno's eyes had lit up, and he was considerably more cheerful.
"The sooner, the better." Cloud sighed.
