(Hmmm...
Akumi: Lemme guess. You found such great inspiration, your going to add on two more chapters.
^_^ Quite right Akumi!
Akumi: ...Figures.
Well, anyway, I am going to add on two extra chapters after this one, 'cause I was suddenly hit by this idea...but, please enjoy this!)
...t o d e v o u r t h e L i g h t
_______________________________________________________________________
~An Angel's Cry~
It had felt this way...when he had been controlled by Sephiroth...no, Jenova. He shook his head, trying to chase the feeling away. He felt his senses slipping away; he couldn't hear anything...see anything...
And he sank deep within his soul, for it was all he could think of now, to protect the others. To protect Aerith...
'I'm sorry...'
"What happened?" Yuffie breathed.
"He's retreated within his soul," Aerith replied, placing a hand on Cloud's forehead. It was cold. "To protect us..."
"Your voice must have returned him to his senses just long enough..." Ansem shook his head.
Aerith took one of Cloud's hands in both of her own, pressing it against her cheek.
"It's almost like he's dead..." Yuffie said, "but he's not, right?"
"No," the Light Hunter replied. "He's alright..."
"Umm...this may not seem the time or place," the young shinobi continued, "but how come you're, y'know..."
"Alive?"
"Yeah."
Aerith sighed, looking up at the moon. Night already...
"I'm not really sure," she said after a moment.
"It is because a Hunter cannot truly die, until their mission is complete," Ansem said.
"So we're immortal?" Yuffie asked with surprise.
The Guide nodded. "In a way, yes."
"Would we just die after everything was over?" Leon spoke up, reminding everyone of his presence.
"No," the silver haired man replied, "You would choose. Either to remain immortal, or to live normal, human lives."
Aerith frowned, her gaze returning to Cloud's docile form, her hands tightening about his. How would she make such a decision? Though, whatever Cloud decided...
She would go along with as well.
"Aerith?"
She looked over at Yuffie, who looked a bit worried.
"Are you okay?"
"Yes, I'm fine. Just...a bit tired."
"We should all go in and rest," the Spirit Hunter said managing to get to his feet. He turned, walking towards Hollow Bastion's gates.
"Hey wait!" Yuffie called, running after him. "I think I have a Restore materia for your arm, Squall!"
"My name is Leon."
He was being suffocated by his own Darkness.
How long had he been here? A few minutes? Hours? Days? Months? Years? He could not say for certain, as Time seemed to hold no relevance here, within his own soul. He could feel the bloodlust lessening a bit... Despite this, he still felt a desire for blood, though he could not act upon such desires, anyway, so what did it matter? He couldn't move...hear...see...breath....
*Come...come to me, Hunter of Shadows. I hold the salvation you seek.*
'D-Demon...?'
*No. It is not with you anymore. Give your heart to me...end your suffering...*
Aerith burst into Cloud's room, where she and the others had previously deposited him. Her face paled. It was just as she had feared.
She did not think about it at all before plunging into that same shroud of Darkness that surrounded the Shadow Hunter...
*Do you not wish to be at peace? Is that not what you had always hoped for?*
'I...I don't know...'
*Give me your heart, and you will be saved from your pain. Do you not want this?*
'I...'
She found herself surrounded by Cloud's Attribute, though it gave off more of a comforting feeling than anything else. As though it were welcoming her home. She just wanted to rest there, just for a little while...
*NO! Do not give yourself to the Darkness, Light Hunter! It will devour your heart and soul if you let it!*
'Wh-who are you?'
*I have no name. I am known only as the Demon. And I will guide you through this. For you are his reason for living.*
'Who?'
*...Cloud.*
The Darkness that had seemed to stretch eternally in every direction dissolved into an open plain. Aerith glanced about her in confusion.
This place...it...looks like...
She turned around to find herself staring at a small village resting beneath a mountain.
Nibelheim.
'What am I doing here? Why Nibelheim?'
*It is an illusion,* the Demon muttered. *An illusion of Cloud's mind. It seems real, but do not be fooled.*
She nodded, then began to walk forward.
"Halt!"
"Do not move forward another step!"
"Mother would be most displeased if we allowed you into the Village of Dreams!"
Aerith turned once again to find herself face to face with what appeared to be three young girls. She heard the Demon growl with rage.
*They are Heartless!* It hissed.
"The Demon is quite right," said the one that appeared to be the oldest, with blood red hair, pale skin and empty, colorless eyes. "But we are not just Heartless. We are--"
"--the Three," another continued for her, she with black hair and red eyes. "We are the--"
"--Heartless counterparts of the Spirits of Fate," the last one went on, this one with silver hair and glowing green eyes. The last of the three Heartless girls reminded Aerith a great deal of Sephiroth. Almost disturbingly so.
"Death,--"
"--Torment,--"
"--and Apocolypse."
"And we will destroy your soul if you attempt to progress any further!" they finished together.
Aerith bit her lip, swallowing her fears. She would defeat them, somehow.
And save Cloud.
(Ansem: *shakes his head* You did it again. Another cliffhanger.
Don't you have a life? Why must you torment me?
Akumi: Yeah! That's my job!
... -_-; Argh...
Aerith: Di, you ought to relax a little.
O_O; Where did you come from?
Aerith: *shrugs*
Cloud: What is this place?
Leon: Who knows?
Yuffie: I wonder if there's any materia...?
... ... ... ... *passes out*
All: ...Yeah...)
Akumi: Lemme guess. You found such great inspiration, your going to add on two more chapters.
^_^ Quite right Akumi!
Akumi: ...Figures.
Well, anyway, I am going to add on two extra chapters after this one, 'cause I was suddenly hit by this idea...but, please enjoy this!)
...t o d e v o u r t h e L i g h t
_______________________________________________________________________
~An Angel's Cry~
It had felt this way...when he had been controlled by Sephiroth...no, Jenova. He shook his head, trying to chase the feeling away. He felt his senses slipping away; he couldn't hear anything...see anything...
And he sank deep within his soul, for it was all he could think of now, to protect the others. To protect Aerith...
'I'm sorry...'
"What happened?" Yuffie breathed.
"He's retreated within his soul," Aerith replied, placing a hand on Cloud's forehead. It was cold. "To protect us..."
"Your voice must have returned him to his senses just long enough..." Ansem shook his head.
Aerith took one of Cloud's hands in both of her own, pressing it against her cheek.
"It's almost like he's dead..." Yuffie said, "but he's not, right?"
"No," the Light Hunter replied. "He's alright..."
"Umm...this may not seem the time or place," the young shinobi continued, "but how come you're, y'know..."
"Alive?"
"Yeah."
Aerith sighed, looking up at the moon. Night already...
"I'm not really sure," she said after a moment.
"It is because a Hunter cannot truly die, until their mission is complete," Ansem said.
"So we're immortal?" Yuffie asked with surprise.
The Guide nodded. "In a way, yes."
"Would we just die after everything was over?" Leon spoke up, reminding everyone of his presence.
"No," the silver haired man replied, "You would choose. Either to remain immortal, or to live normal, human lives."
Aerith frowned, her gaze returning to Cloud's docile form, her hands tightening about his. How would she make such a decision? Though, whatever Cloud decided...
She would go along with as well.
"Aerith?"
She looked over at Yuffie, who looked a bit worried.
"Are you okay?"
"Yes, I'm fine. Just...a bit tired."
"We should all go in and rest," the Spirit Hunter said managing to get to his feet. He turned, walking towards Hollow Bastion's gates.
"Hey wait!" Yuffie called, running after him. "I think I have a Restore materia for your arm, Squall!"
"My name is Leon."
He was being suffocated by his own Darkness.
How long had he been here? A few minutes? Hours? Days? Months? Years? He could not say for certain, as Time seemed to hold no relevance here, within his own soul. He could feel the bloodlust lessening a bit... Despite this, he still felt a desire for blood, though he could not act upon such desires, anyway, so what did it matter? He couldn't move...hear...see...breath....
*Come...come to me, Hunter of Shadows. I hold the salvation you seek.*
'D-Demon...?'
*No. It is not with you anymore. Give your heart to me...end your suffering...*
Aerith burst into Cloud's room, where she and the others had previously deposited him. Her face paled. It was just as she had feared.
She did not think about it at all before plunging into that same shroud of Darkness that surrounded the Shadow Hunter...
*Do you not wish to be at peace? Is that not what you had always hoped for?*
'I...I don't know...'
*Give me your heart, and you will be saved from your pain. Do you not want this?*
'I...'
She found herself surrounded by Cloud's Attribute, though it gave off more of a comforting feeling than anything else. As though it were welcoming her home. She just wanted to rest there, just for a little while...
*NO! Do not give yourself to the Darkness, Light Hunter! It will devour your heart and soul if you let it!*
'Wh-who are you?'
*I have no name. I am known only as the Demon. And I will guide you through this. For you are his reason for living.*
'Who?'
*...Cloud.*
The Darkness that had seemed to stretch eternally in every direction dissolved into an open plain. Aerith glanced about her in confusion.
This place...it...looks like...
She turned around to find herself staring at a small village resting beneath a mountain.
Nibelheim.
'What am I doing here? Why Nibelheim?'
*It is an illusion,* the Demon muttered. *An illusion of Cloud's mind. It seems real, but do not be fooled.*
She nodded, then began to walk forward.
"Halt!"
"Do not move forward another step!"
"Mother would be most displeased if we allowed you into the Village of Dreams!"
Aerith turned once again to find herself face to face with what appeared to be three young girls. She heard the Demon growl with rage.
*They are Heartless!* It hissed.
"The Demon is quite right," said the one that appeared to be the oldest, with blood red hair, pale skin and empty, colorless eyes. "But we are not just Heartless. We are--"
"--the Three," another continued for her, she with black hair and red eyes. "We are the--"
"--Heartless counterparts of the Spirits of Fate," the last one went on, this one with silver hair and glowing green eyes. The last of the three Heartless girls reminded Aerith a great deal of Sephiroth. Almost disturbingly so.
"Death,--"
"--Torment,--"
"--and Apocolypse."
"And we will destroy your soul if you attempt to progress any further!" they finished together.
Aerith bit her lip, swallowing her fears. She would defeat them, somehow.
And save Cloud.
(Ansem: *shakes his head* You did it again. Another cliffhanger.
Don't you have a life? Why must you torment me?
Akumi: Yeah! That's my job!
... -_-; Argh...
Aerith: Di, you ought to relax a little.
O_O; Where did you come from?
Aerith: *shrugs*
Cloud: What is this place?
Leon: Who knows?
Yuffie: I wonder if there's any materia...?
... ... ... ... *passes out*
All: ...Yeah...)