Chapter 5
~ Old Friends, Unborn Allies ~
Cloud felt himself floating in water. No, wait. It wasn't water. He could feel air, flowing around him, with a soft, stable ground behind him. He dared open his eyes, fearful of what he would see.
When he opened his eyes, he had to blink quickly. The bright sun blinded him, as large white clouds blew over on a late Spring day. He sat up, looking over the field, and seeing Nibleheim in the distance, across the plains.
The tall grass swayed with the strong winds, and the smell of the ocean was strong in the air.
Cloud stood up and looked over his shoulder, noticing, for the first time, a very familiar dark haired woman walking toward him. She smiled, as she walked confidently towards him in her tight black mini-skirt and white top. The wind blew her hair around her and in her face.
"Tifa?" Cloud asked, a smile across his lips. "Are we home?"
Suddenly, she vanished.
Cloud looked up and around, trying to see if anyone else was around. As he turned, everything around him suddenly changed in the blink of an eye. Enormous crystal structures surrounded him, and a clear, glass stairway wound its way back to the top of the deep canyon.
The soldier turned and ran up the stairs. Kneeling before him was the beautiful friend he lost so long ago. He had seen this before. He knew what was next.
"Not again," Cloud whispered. He pulled his sword out and charged forward, leaping to the air.
The white-haired man fell from the heavens as before, but this time, Cloud met him in mid-air. Cloud screamed and let a mighty swing go. The sword passed right through Sephiroth, though, and Cloud, himself fell over the edge of the platform. Behind him, Sephiroth's sword sliced through Aeris yet again, as it had so many times in Cloud's dreams.
Cloud closed his eyes as he was about to land in the water below, but instead of splashing gently, he landed with a thud on metal grating.
The soldier looked up and realized where he was. The top of the pillar was about to collapse, bringing down the top section of Sector 7 down into the slums. Tifa, Barret, and another Cloud battled Reno ahead, while Jessie, Biggs, and Wedge lay dying on the stairs behind.
Cloud stood up and walked over to where Jessie lay as the life swelled out of her. A loud explosion sounded out above and the helicopter flew off, as Barret, Tifa, and the other Cloud swung off to the middle of the city, barely escaping the collapsing section.
"I'm so sorry, Jessie," Cloud whispered. "I wish we could have at least grabbed you."
The section fell through them, and Cloud found himself surrounded by blackness.
"Why the sorrow?" a voice came out from behind. "We're not sorry."
Cloud turned to see the three smiling faces behind him.
"Biggs, Wedge, Jessie?" Cloud smiled. "Are you really here, or am I imagining you?"
"Nopeunfortunately, we're here," Biggs said.
"It's so good to see you!" Jessie smiled, running up and hugging Cloud. "We heard about all you guys did on the Planet! It was amazing! Especially when you took on Sephiroth on your own!"
"Yeah!" Wedge laughed. "If we'd known back in Midgar that you were gonna do that, I never would have been able to speak to you!"
"What?" Cloud asked.
"N–Nothing. I'm sorry, I'm just confused, or something."
"Yuck. It's so bland, here, Cloud," Biggs said. "I think I liked your other place, better. The one with the field. Bring it back."
"H–how do I do that?" Cloud asked.
"Simple," Jessie laughed. "Think about it."
Cloud closed his eyes for a second, and suddenly felt a wind blow across his face. He opened his eyes, and the group was surrounded by crops again.
"Niblehiem, right?" Wedge asked, smelling the air. "Tifa used to tell me all about it. Never thought I would see it, though."
Cloud looked up. "H–how did you guys get here?"
"It's pretty complicated," Jessie said, taking Cloud's hand in her own and rubbing his palm. "Basically, you let us, and we wanted to, so we ended up here. We tried to help you last time you were in the Lifestream, but you wouldn't let us in."
"What do you mean?" Cloud asked. "If I had known, I would have–"
"Your subconscious controls most everything here. It knows who to let in and out. Don't worry, though, we're not offended or anything," Wedge laughed.
"H–How do I findher?" Cloud asked, quietly.
"Who?" Jessie asked, trying to look Cloud in the eyes.
"A–Aeris," Cloud answered.
"The ancient?" Biggs asked. "Good luck. She's on the other side of battle lines."
"Battle lines?" Cloud asked.
"Again, it's pretty complicated," Jessie answered. "We'll let your guide show you that when he gets here, but, what I can tell you, is we're at war with the Cetra on this side."
"An' Aerisher being an ancient an' allYou may want to forget about her. Rumor has it Eiren wants her to himself," Wedge said.
"Eiren? You mean that guy who attacked us?" Cloud asked.
"Attacked you?" Jessie asked, holding her hand over her mouth and looking to the other two. "Good gracious, he did it! He was able to cut the line to the other side!"
"We better get back and tell the Captains," Wedge replied.
"What? What's going on!" Cloud asked.
"I'm sorry, Cloud, but we could only stay a short while on leave. We have to get back, now. Don't worry, your guide will be along again soon."
"Wait! I want to come with you!" Cloud yelled. It was too late, though. They had already disappeared.
"Typical," a voice laughed from atop a hill behind Cloud. "They always leave you hanging!"
***
Aeris felt herself being dragged by her arms across carpeting. She was barely conscious. Her hair stuck to her face, and hung low, dripping with sweat. Her clothes were soaked, and she felt completely spent.
"Man, this lady, she really smells something bad!" one of the guards said to the other. "What has she been in?"
"The deep darks of the Lifestream. The place of Nightmares, mate. She's sweating from the torture it caused her. Don't ever screw up, or Eiren will throw you down there, too."
"Bloody hell."
The guards dragged her body into the main throne room and threw her down on the floor. Aeris breathed heavily, letting the cool air dry her sweaty skin. She could hear mumbling all around her, as it seemed people were crowding around, but keeping their distance.
"Arise," a deep voice that sounded now familiar spoke out. "My fair Aeris, I grant you a brief clemency. Please, wake up."
Aeris summoned all her strength to her arms and pulled herself up to her knees. She then sat back, and let her arms hang at her sides. Before her, the man who visited her in the Slums sat, draped in purple robes and gold, guards standing all around, ready to attack, if the need arised.
"Yes, yes, gather around, all. Come see the mighty Ancient that helped to kill Sephiroth, destroy the Meteor, and will soon be my wife," Eiren said, holding his hand out to the lady. "Please, gentlemen, why don't you find our lovely lady a moreproper dress."
The guards ran in and took Aeris's dress off, leaving her in her undergarments, and quickly put more elaborate robes over her. They were pink and red, adorned with gems and gold.
"This will suit you until we can properly clean you up," Eiren said.
Tears formed at the edges of Aeris's eyes. She felt what little dignity she had left was now gone.
"Tell me, my dear Princess, how do you like our grand castle? It is a complete duplicate of the one that existed on the planet during my reign, over three-hundred years ago. When I ruled over the world, this castle was the very symbol of Power. Now, I will use it to rule over all beings, alive and dead!"
"You don't even know what real power is," Aeris muttered defiantly.
"I beg your pardon?" Eiren asked.
"I said, you don't even know what real power is!" Aeris yelled.
"And you do?" Eiren chuckled.
"Of course," Aeris giggled, weariness beginning to overtake her. "Cloud has more power than you'll ever have!"
"Strife?" Eiren laughed. "I destroyed him. He is now lost in the Lifestream, unable to help you, his friends, or even himself."
Aeris laughed. "He has more friends than you know of. Even as you speak, they are searching him out, and trying to find him to aide them in their battle against you."
"And I will destroy his soul, as I did his body," Eiren yelled, anger showing in his eyes. "He has no power! He will never have more than me!"
"Of course he does, silly," Aeris laughed. "He has the one thing you'll never have, yet want so desperately: My heart."
"Perhaps one day in the darkest parts of the Lifestream wasn't enough for you. Guards! Take her again. Do not bring her out until I say so!"
As Aeris was dragged away, she could hear the crowd began to mumble to each other again. "Such insolence!"
"How dare she?"
"see he loves her? Doesn'tknow honor of it?"
A smile spread across her lips again. One voice in particular stood out in her mind. She remembered it quite clearly later on: "She must really love this Strife fellow."
***
"That's the way this army works, of course! They always run off this way or that!" the young girl yelled from the hill. Her hair was bright and shiny in the sunlight, and it was incredibly long. She wore a blue dress that flowed in the wind, but she also had on a little armor, and carried a small, but long, sword from her belt.
From the distance, she sort of looked like "Aeris?" Cloud asked himself.
The young woman laughed as she moved in closer. "No, not hardly, Soldier. The name's Ifalna."
"Ifalna?" Cloud asked.
"Yeah, well, I was named after my grandmother," the girl smiled.
Her bright green eyes were wide and shined with the energy that Aeris's did. It was so easy to see why Cloud thought she was Aeris. She moved much like her, and had so much energy. She smiled the same, and had dark green eyes.
"Nice place ya got here, Cloud," Ifalna said. "Nibleheim, right?"
"Do I know you?" Cloud asked. "Are you my guide?"
"No, and no," she answered, walking past him to look out at the ocean. "But I know you, and that's all that's important. Your guide will be here soon. The sooner, the better, because if we wait too long, the Cetra will find you."
"Is that so bad?" Cloud asked.
"Yes. They fear you. They want you destroyed."
The woman smiled, turned, and held up a couple of apples. "Are you hungry? You're still in a body, so I imagine that you must be."
Cloud looked down at his body. "I thought I was–"
"Dead?" Ifalna finished. "Not hardly. The Cetra, specifically Eiren, threw you into the lifestream, hoping another dose would permanently scramble your brains. Then, they could come in and destroy you, body and soul."
"Why not just kill me there?" Cloud asked.
"Because, then you would be able to travel freely through the Lifestream. You could fight with the human army and possibly shift the war to our side. However, they didn't know that you had mastered your own mind last time you were here. With you alive and in the lifestream, they could simply hunt you down and kill you, then destroy your soul before it could fully integrate with the lifestream."
"What is this war? I don't understand," Cloud asked, biting the apple.
Ifalna smiled. "It's all pretty complicated. Basically, Eiren wants it all. The living side, the Lifestream, everything. He has once again convinced the Ancients to destroy the humans, and, now that he found a way back to the world of the living, he has decided to take his war there, at the right time."
"Who is this Eiren, exactly? I've never heard of him."
Ifalna laughed.
"Did I say something funny?"
"No, noIt's just thatwhen I grow up, all we will study in school is Sephiroth, Meteor, and Eiren. It's so funny that you don't know who he is."
"When you grow up?"
"Oh, yeahI'm a joined' soul. I haven't been born, yet."
"Wow," Cloud said, taken aback.
"Anyway, Eiren once ruled over the Planet. He was noble, at first. He ruled well. Then, he became corrupted, and began the great Purges. He wiped out all that stood in his way. A noble warrior and a few followers were able to fight their way through it all, destroying Eiren, and returning peace to the world.
"Eiren's daughter and the soldier married, eventually, and ruled over certain kingdoms. Even in death, though, Eiren could communicate with the soldier, warning him that humans would be destroyed by him and the Cetra, one day.
"Ever since, Eiren has searched for a way to come back to the Planet and rule over it all again."
"What about the soldier? Why doesn't he destroy Eiren again?"
"Well, the soldier re-integrated back into the living world as another soul, not realizing Eiren would find his way back to power. That soul joined with other souls to createwell, you."
"Me?"
"Uh-huh. Oh, and I almost forgot. That soldier's name: Strife.
"Weird as it is, part of you is your own ancestor from hundreds and hundreds of years ago."
"Whoa," Cloud whispered to himself.
"So, anyway, best we can figure, Eiren's looking to take you out, defeat the human souls on this side, then, when the time is right, attack the Planet from the lifestream."
"So, how do I take him out, then?" Cloud asked.
"You can't. Not here, anyway. We have to get you back to the Planet. You and someone else."
"Who?"
"A certain girl who's destined to destroy Eiren once and for all. Someone who is already calling for you."
"Aeris," Cloud said, tightening his fist. "I'm coming for you."
"We have to hurry, though. If Eiren tires of her, or if he decides it's too risky holding on to her, he may try to destroy her soul."
"Am I late?" a familiar voice asked.
Ifalna turned and ran to the man, giving him a hug. "Nope! Right on time, Zack!"
***
"My lord, the war has begun," the messenger said, head low, fist on the floor. He was in the main chamber hall of the Ancient's Castle in the Lifestream. "Wutai has occupied Rocket Town. We believe they are headed for Nibleheim, next."
"Excellent," Eiren smiled. "We let the fools destroy themselves, then we move in for the kill. The planet will belong to the Cetra again!"
"And what of the Lifestream, sire?" one of the Cetra warriors asked. "We are fighting hard, but we haven't made any great advances on the Human Front, here. They are fighting bravely."
"Nothing to worry about. There is only one way they can win. We all know this."
"Then why do you not destroy her?" the man said, more harshly.
"I should watch my tone, were I you, Aaron," Eiren said. "As it is, I do not destroy Aeris because I do not believe in destroying our own kind. But, if she doesn't come around, I may be forced to do so."
"And what of Strife?" Aaron asked. "We're searching, but he isto find."
"Do not concern yourself over Strife. He is not strong enough anymore to defeat me. And I willhim find his way here. When I destroy him in front of her, Aeris will have no choice but to fall in love with me."
"Why do you care for such aninsignificant woman?" Aaron asked.
Eiren let out a sigh. "I just don't know, honestlyMaybe I'm getting soft in my old age," Eiren laughed.