Okay, so here it is, an account of the events at the Capital. Up
until now, things have been fairly tame, a little light. Not so, here.
And remember: This is the way things COULD have happened. It is not
supposed to be about how they did happen.
Minor note: It would appear that italics do not transfer over to the online version. There are parts in here where certain characters (*cough*) interact telepathically. I'm afraid it's up to you to figure out just when this is and who's speaking. Shouldn't be too difficult, if I've done this right. I apologize for this.
And now for the obligatory disclaimer. I am not worthy of the characters and places contained herein, because, dammit, someone else thought them up first! Squaresoft, to be precise. Thank them for introducing these fine characters and Aeris to us, shall we? All together, now! THANK-YOU, SQUARESOFT! Now, that said, on with the admittedly very cheeseball show. . .
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Aeris and Ifalna
by Master Telanis and Ree-chan the Great
Captain? Listen to me, Captain. . . It's time. Come, join your friends, please. They need you.
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Yuffie was in the centermost building of the Capital. It was different from the others, in that it was surrounded by trees on all sides, and sat on the edge of a small, artificial-seeming pool. It was a truly beauteous place, during the day, but during the night, the young ninja found it creepy. However, her neverending search for materia had drawn her here.
Luckily, the search had been fruitful in this place. She'd found an Enemy Skill materia earlier, and was just now pocketing something called Comet. Currently, though, her attention was held by an opening in the center of the building, apparently leading downward. It gave her the willies, but she thought it very likely that there was more materia down there. Materia, above all else, was her goal, here.
So she entered the tunnel, and was dumbfounded by what lay beyond.
She was on a crystalline stairway, which spiralled around and down into an equally-crystalline temple. Or city. Or something. It was breathtaking. She simply stood at the top of the stairs and gazed upon it for a long time. After awhile, she saw something down below which made her heart jump up into her throat. Aeris. The girl's head was bowed, and she appeared to be deep in prayer, but it was undeniably her.
Yuffie was ecstatic. She'd found Cloud's friend, and now they could get out of this creepy place for good. She began down the stairs, but then she saw something that made her blood run cold. There was someone else down there. She knew immediately who it was, and tried to call out to Aeris, to warn her, but no sound was able to emerge. Terror had taken her voice. Even so, the man's head snapped to look at her.
His grey hair hung loosely over his shoulders, and he had a long sword in one hand. His green eyes studied her for a moment, and then, grinning, he began to ascend the stairs toward her.
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Cloud was totally silent as he donned his SOLDIER uniform. He did it mechanically and efficiently, without a thought to the process, having done it hundreds of times before. A feeling of expectant nervousness buzzed in his head and tried to push him to hurry. He did so with as much silence as haste would allow.
He could still hear her voice. Aeris was calling to him. She was still alive. Sephiroth hadn't gotten her yet.
As a mad assortment of thoughts whirled in his head, he fastened the Buster to his back.
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Reeve was in his office, poring blankly over some paperwork. They were some forms he had to fill out for Tseng's impending execution. He hated Rufus Shinra for making him do this. He scrubbed tiredly at one side of his head and sighed. He didn't want to fill these out. All of the execs had to agree on this point, so, if he didn't, Shinra couldn't execute the mutinous Turk. However, it would also mean becoming the subject of President Shinra's ire.
He wished he could put the Cait Sith body in his own position. He loved his alter-ego. It let him do what he felt was right, without immediate physical consequences. When he was Cait, he was totally fearless. However, as plain old Head of Urban Development Reeve, he was weak and powerless. Sighing again, he began to put pen to paper.
It was then that he received an alert through his neural connection. Cait's motion-sensors were picking something up. Quickly, he flipped a switch on his neural connection to take a look.
To his surprise, it was not an enemy whom he saw, but Cloud. The SOLDIER was headed for the door. Reeve considered shutting Cait Sith back down, but something in the way Cloud was moving made him stop and reconsider. The blond-haired man slipped through the house's exit. After a moment's thought, Reeve followed.
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Despite Cloud's uncharacteristically quiet movements, Vincent was quickly awake and alert, watching the former SOLDIER leave. He thought seriously about going back to sleep, but when Cait Sith followed after, he decided he couldn't just let him wander off. Grudgingly, noiselessly, he rose from his bed, putting on his holster and securing his cape.
He peered about him, and found that Yuffie was gone. Tifa, on the other hand, was still in her bed. On closer inspection, he realized that her eyes were open. Had she even gone to sleep. . .? He gave a perfunctory scowl as he realized that he could no more leave her here alone than leave Cloud and Cait Sith on their own. He knelt beside her bed.
"Tifa. Are you going to come along?"
Her eyes appeared unfocussed, and he wondered for a moment if she were sleeping with them open. Then, they found his own. His heavily- altered heart went out to her just then. Her gaze betrayed a pain he knew quite well: the knowledge that one has irretrievably lost that whom love the most. She lifted her head from the somewhat musty pillow, and her eyes hardened with determination. Without saying a single word, she had just revealed volumes about herself. He would have smiled, but, as Yuffie would have said, his smiler was broken.
Tifa slid her legs onto the floor, and Vincent averted his eyes while she slipped on her clothes. Broken his smiler might have been, but his blusher was working like a charm.
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Nanaki's sixth-sense, not-unlike the type Vincent had, picked up the movement almost immediately. He snapped awake as Cloud stalked by, along the path. He turned toward the center of town, and continued walking. Something about it made Nanaki nervous. Something was happening.
As if to underline this fact, he saw Cait Sith following along behind the man. He had to get Cid. He rose as if to do so, and saw two more shadowy figures head by. One was Vincent, and the other could only be Tifa. She was slightly unsteady on her feet, but her silhouette was unmistakable. He rose to his feet, and bounded through the sand to where Barret and Cid had made camp, a few metres away.
He found Barret easily. The man snored like a motorboat, and Nanaki had been able to hear him a ways off. He shoved his nose against Barret's arm, rocking the large man. He groaned, but didn't wake. Nanaki growled in annoyance and bit Barret's arm. That did the trick.
Barret was awake quickly, and climbing to his feet, swinging blindly around him with enormous fists. Then, he opened his eyes and looked down at Nanaki. "Shi', boy. . . Don' y'sleep?"
Ignoring the question, Nanaki sprang to the other bundle of canvas, only to find it unoccupied. Cid was gone. Nanaki growled his frustration, and said, "Where's the Captain?"
"Cid? Damn, I dunno. . . Prolly off havin' a smoke, somewhere." Barret scratched the back of his head with his gun-arm. "Why?"
Nanaki shook his head, and said, "No time. Come on!" He sprayed a large cloud of sand as he turned to follow Tifa and Vincent as fast as his feet could carry him. Barret couldn't run nearly as fast, and certainly not as gracefully, but he managed to tail Nanaki.
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Cloud had now broken into an almost-run in his haste to find Aeris. He was certain that she lay within the heart of the Capital. He just followed her voice.
It led him to an unusual building, which looked both primitive and beautiful to his eyes. He thought it a fitting place for Aeris to be. He ran inside, totally oblivious to the train of followers he had amassed. He was focussed solely on finding Aeris.
He ran inside the strange structure, allowing Aeris's voice to draw him like a fish on a hook. He followed it directly into the tunnel in the center. There, he saw Cid.
The Highwind's Captain was crouching on two of the steps of the incredible staircase, hunched over something and concentrating, his spear laying beside him. Cloud didn't know just what it was, and didn't care. He pelted down the stairs toward where he knew Aeris to be, even before he saw her there, knelt in prayer. When he did see her, he lost all sense of himself.
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Yuffie was in bad shape and she knew it. She shouldn't have tried to fight Sephiroth and she knew that, too. Most of all, she knew that Aeris was probably going to die. As well as herself.
Which is why she was surprised when a familiar face appeared above her, smoking a cigarette. "C-cid?" she whispered.
"Jesus, Yuff. Th'hell y'doin' down here?"
"Th. . . thought there m-might be muh. . . muh. . . mmmuh. . ." her lips felt far too thick
"Materia. &#^@*$ materia. 'Course, why th'&#^@ not?" he grumped, feeling around inside his jacket for something. He sighed shakily when he couldn't find it.
"Suh. . . Seph. . . iroth came. I c-couldn't fight 'im, Cid. . . T- too strong. Uh. . . unreal. He. . . he. . ." she couldn't get the words out.
"Shh, shh. . . It's okay, kiddo. Ol' Cid'll 'ave yer fixed up in no time! &#^@*$-A I will!" He was now holding something in his hands, but Yuffie's vision was too blurry to make it out. It took a moment before she realized it was her own hand.
She was so tired. Even the pain in her chest was starting to fade, sleep overtaking her. When she realized she was hearing a smile in the gruff pilot's voice, she wanted to smile, herself. Something hit her cheek. Something wet. Was Cid. . .?
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Cid fought to keep his voice from quivering as he reassured her of the impossible. How the hell was he going to help, now that he'd lost their only Restore materia somewhere?
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At the bottom of the pool, just outside the center building, something twinkled greenly in the night. . .
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Yuffie heard Cid urging everyone to keep on, save Aeris, stop Sephiroth. All the while, he never lost his gentle grip on her hand. Strange, now, to think about what she'd been planning. . . She felt clumsily for the materia she held in her pouch. Finally finding it, she pulled her almost-numb hand from the Captain's grip, replacing it with the other, shoving four little spheres into his palm. Comet, Enemy Skill, Morph, and something which caused Cid to gasp in surprise. He didn't comment otherwise.
Yuffie couldn't see at all, now, and it was an effort to speak. She whispered, "Cid. . . Do me a f-favour?"
"Sure thing, kiddo. . ." the Captain answered, and it sounded to her as though his voice was coming from the other end of a tunnel.
"Kick. . ." she grunted with the strain of making her voice work. "Kick 'is butt, C-cap. . ." The sound began to fade out completely. . .
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Yuffie took one last shuddering breathe, her chest hitching, almost turning the breath into a cough, and lay still. Tears were now coursing freely down Cid's face, as he quietly laid her arms across her midsection, and closed her eyes. This wasn't the way anything was supposed to happen. He wasn't supposed to lose friends needlessly. He had no way of knowing that she wouldn't be the last.
His face tried to crumple, but he fought mightily against it, and won. He had a job to do. He wiped his eyes on the back of his sleeve, and bent to pick up his spear. With a last glance at the young ninja's unmoving form, he turned and began to sprint down the crystalline stairway.
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Barret saw Cloud run toward where Aeris knelt, then pause for a moment, as he found the place where the solid path ended. The rest was obviously a stepping-stone path made out of pillars spaced a couple feet apart. It was only a moment's pause, though, and he hopped along this path as though there weren't evidently miles of free-fall between steps.
Barret jogged forward, past Cait Sith, Red XIII, Vincent and Tifa, and began to hop across the pillars, one by one. On the last one, he missed the jump, catching the edge of Aeris's perch with his hand. He grunted, hauling himself up until he was high enough to throw his other arm up onto the surface. He growled as he pulled himself the rest of the way up onto the platform.
Once up, he saw something that sent shivers down his spine. Cloud was shaking, his eyes rolling. He was reaching jerkily for the handle of his Buster. Barret watched in slack-jawed incredulity as Cloud drew his sword, and the blade clanked down on the ground for a moment. Then, still shuddering crazily, he raised it above his head, and began to move waveringly toward Aeris.
"Cloud! Hell ya doin'?! Damn, boy!" Barret pulled himself to his feet, and threw himself into a run. He came up behind Cloud, and put him into a full-nelson, hauling back with all his weight. Even controlled by outside forces, Cloud was nowhere near a match for the former leader of AVALANCHE. The sheer force of Barret's pull sent them both sprawling back.
Cloud immediately stopped fighting, dropping the Buster Sword to the side, lying back on top of Barret, who was now very winded. He cried, "SEPHIROTH! You son of a bitch! You're gonna pay for that! Miserable bastard! Can't even do your own dirty work, eh?"
Barret, pushing him off, whispered, "Cloud, I don' think y'should egg'm on like that. . ."
Too late. From above, there was a flash of light, beaming directly down on Aeris. Whatever she had in her hands was now blazing brightly.
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Sephiroth watched from high above as a now greatly-angered Cloud Strife - why did that man think he knew him? - got up off of his companion, reaching for that ridiculously large blade of his (such a familiar blade, though the face still eluded him). Cloud looked up at him, and Sephiroth grinned. Now.
He currently held his Masamune out in front of him, aimed downward, both hands wrapped tightly around the hilt. When he descended, it was at such a high speed that the only effort necessary was that involved in keeping the blade straight when he rammed it into the Ancient's back. Some distant part of him cried out in protest and horror, even as he grunted in satisfaction. It crossed his mind that, once upon a time, he might have felt guilt at this. . . Then the thought was gone with the wet sound of the Masamune sheathing itself in the girl, right up to where his hands met. He withdrew the blade.
Cloud shrieked in fury as the girl shuddered once, something falling from her hands. It was that white materia of hers, and it was glowing brightly. Sephiroth wondered briefly if he was too late, if she'd been able to thwart him. It disappeared over the side of the platform, even as he lifted off again, watching as the enraged young man came at him with that sword. He was far out of reach by the time Cloud swung at him. He smiled. Two down.
Mother was proud. She would finish the remaining triflers herself.
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Cloud was still watching in a frustrated rage as Sephiroth disappeared from view when he suddenly found himself unable to breathe. He was choking, and no air was making it into his lungs.
Once, as a boy, he'd been swimming in a pond on the outskirts of Nibelheim with Tifa. To make a long story short, he'd been trying to show off and had accidentally taken a huge breath while underwater. He would have drowned, had Tifa not rescued him, dragged him to shore and performed mouth-to-mouth. The feeling he had now was very much akin to when he'd taken that double-lungful of pond-water, and he passed out, hitting the stone surface of Aeris's former praying platform hard.
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This incarnation of Sephiroth's "mother" looked, for all intents and purposes, very similar to the first one they'd fought. She was a lot darker in colouring than before, but that hardly seemed worth mention. Spreading her massive winglike protrusions wide, she unfolded her arms and raised her featureless head from her chest to look down on those facing her.
From Sephiroth's appearance to that of Jenova, Tifa had been watching apathetically, alongside Vincent. However, when Cloud suddenly went blue and collapsed for no reason she could see, something yawned open inside of her. It was something she'd begun to think was dead. She clenched her teeth and sprang forward, at the same time as Vincent.
She sprinted across the pillars as obliviously as Cloud himself had, almost causing Cait Sith to tumble from his place, and joined Nanaki and Barret up there in front of Jenova. Instead of staying, though, she maneuvered herself around to where Cloud lay. Draping the unconscious man over her shoulder, she headed back to the foot of the stairs, a little more clumsily than before.
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Jenova raised her head, looking down at the five strange challengers who stood before her. Two of them, a small cat riding on a rather irritating thing to look at, bounced up and down expectantly. The thing was rather rotund, and had two huge fists raised before it. It was pink.
Another, a human with a dark red cloak and one arm which shined in a way she was unfamiliar with, at least when it came to human limbs, was crouched in a spider-like position, the shiny arm held out before it and the other placed lightly against it's hip.
The other human was a huge man with one arm that seemed to end abruptly in a rather clumsy-looking mechanism. He was growling noisily, like some kind of animal. Had Jenova the ability to think - at least, in a manner which a human would understand - she would have thought: Dork.
The last was a rather fearsome creature with a vague resemblance to a feline. Fearsome to mortals, perhaps, but not to Jenova.
She used the same ability on them that she had on the weakling with the spikey head. What she called it is unimportant, but, when Vincent's Enemy Skill materia picked it up, it translated to Aqualung. Both the large man and the feline creature went down immediately, but the cloaked human and the two strange creatures both kept their feet. Jenova was impressed, but not worried. The human obviously had both incredible self- possession and control, while she'd been picking up something strange from the other, telling her that it wasn't precisely alive.
The cloaked one bent and began to vomit. The other, however, bounded forward and tried to tackle her. She heard a single cry of dismay from it as it was pulled in, which amused her to no end.
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Upon recovering, Vincent was not sure what to do when he saw Cait Sith disappear into Jenova, causing little splashes of water-like substance to land on the floor, and on him. Touching it with his real hand, he found, to his complete surprise, that it was indeed water. An idea formed in his head. It wasn't much, but it beat just letting that thing knock them around.
He drew the Quicksilver, taking aim at the monstrosity before him. He concentrated, and prepared to fire the Flamethrower. . .
His concentration was destroyed when he heard someone howling something. He couldn't make it out. He turned to look at the path of pillars. . .
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Cid was partway down when he saw Aeris killed. He froze. Too late. They were too late. Then, the woman spoke again. The Princess Guard. The Princess Guard? What the hell was that? Then he remembered what Aeris had said about the Princess Guard and her mother, back at the Temple, and it finally clicked into place. She'd been talking about that damned staff she'd found!
He cast about for it. Where was it? Surely she wouldn't have had it with her while she was praying. . .? Then he saw it, leaning against a small archway. Desperately, he ran the rest of the way down, almost falling, and grabbed it. Now what?
I can save Aeris and your friend. I can also stop Jenova.
Who are you?
No time! Go! Cid went. Screaming, he ran along the stepping-stone pathway, up to the platform where Vincent was trying to bring down the creature on his own. "Mother-&#^@&#!" he yelled, running right up and throwing the Princess Guard like a javelin. It hit Jenova square in the chest, sticking there. Despite the drops of water which sprayed out upon impact, it was as solidly stuck as if it had been thrown into flesh.
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Ifalna lashed out from the winged head of the Princess Guard, attacking Jenova from within her corporeal form. Under ordinary circumstances, Ifalna's consciousness alone would not have been enough to defeat Jenova herself, but maintaining a solid form alone that was non- organic took immense strength. Jenova buckled easily, and the water quickly reverted to mostly harmless puddles.
However, as Ifalna returned to the weapon, she failed to notice a single droplet, carrying the consciousness of Jenova's most recent incarnation, as it slid silently across the floor.
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The Cait Sith body landed heavily on the floor as Reeve watched both Barret and Nanaki vomit large amounts of water, just as Vincent had. They were very weak, but strong enough to stand, swaying. Reeve turned to look at where Tifa had carried Cloud, and saw her hugging him as he tried to get up. His face was almost totally slack, but for the eyes. They were roving aimlessly, tears standing in them.
He said, "Cid. . . What did you do?"
"I only did wha'that stick wan'ned me t'do." The Captain seemed as dumbfounded as he felt. He looked at him for another moment before he saw the look on Cid's face change, just a little, as his gaze fell on Aeris, lying in a spreading pool of blood. The man was puffing madly at a cigarette as he picked up that strange staff of Aeris's, and, with a little grimace, placed it in the Ancient's hands, pressing the fingers about it. Then, he stood back and watched.
"Cid? What do you mean by that? What aren't you telling us?"
Cid just shushed him, and pointed at Aeris's still form. Reeve turned to look, and was amazed to see a white glow begin to surround the girl. He was equally amazed when the glow suddenly disappeared, and the staff was flung away, whirling through the air. It would have gone right over the edge, if not for Vincent's superhuman reflexes. The ex-Turk caught it deftly, and asked, "Cid, what just happened?"
Cid's face screwed up, and he spat out the cigarette. He stepped quickly toward the body, and began yelling, "What the &#^@'s wrong now!?!? I did what y'&#^@*$ told me t'do!" Then, he paused, his face going pale, but no less angry. "Jenova, you &#^@*$ BITCH! Let'er go! &#^@!" Another pause. "Yeah, okay. . ."
With that, he got up, and said, "C'mon, Vince. . . Let's go get Yuffs."
Vincent said, "Sephiroth. . . he killed her."
"Yeah. C'mon. Needjer help wi'this'n." Reeve watched as the pair headed for the crystal stairway, and then let his eyes rest on Cloud, who was now up on the platform with them. He glanced over where Tifa had been, and there she still was, on her knees, head down, black hair hanging down around her face, obscuring it. He thought he knew what kind of expression it probably carried, just then.
Cloud walked slowly toward Aeris's still body and, upon reaching it, dropped to his knees, hanging his head in an unconscious imitation of Tifa. Then, he leaned forward, resting his face against her stomach, his wiry form wracked with sobs.
Barret was the first to turn and leave. Next, after a last glance at the two, was Nanaki. Reeve followed him, watching as Barret stopped and helped Tifa to her feet with surprising gentleness. The former leader of AVALANCHE gingerly led her up the stairway.
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Vincent was shocked at the extent of the damage Sephiroth had done to the young ninja. She was almost in pieces. He looked at Cid, who was crying again. He was loathe to make the man speak, but he had to know what Cid meant to do. He opened his mouth, but then a woman's voice said, Touch the girl with the head of the Princess Guard.
Surprised, but certainly not about to argue with the disembodied voice - I'm not disembodied - Vincent did as he was told. At first, nothing happened. Then, the same white glow which had begun to engulf Aeris's dead body began to flow over that of Yuffie Kisaragi. Vincent half- expected the same thing to happen this time as happened before, but there was no explosive rejection of the staff. Whatever was supposed to occur was going on right now.
His eyes widened slightly as first he saw bone piecing itself together, then ligaments reattaching to the muscle. The muscles flexed themselves as they were drawn seamlessly together. Organs reinserted themselves where they were supposed to be, and sealed up, fluids finding their rightful places. Finally, the skin sealed it all up. For a long moment, the body lay still. Then, Yuffie's entire body spasmed to the point where only the top of her head and her heels were touching the steps. The glow stopped, and the dead pallor which had been her complexion moments earlier was replaced with a healthy flush.
Her eyes opened.
"Incredible. . ." was all Vincent was able to say. Cid wasn't speaking at all. He tore his gaze from Yuffie and saw that the Captain was too busy smiling to say anything.
Then, he did speak. "Toldja I'd fix yer up!"
"Didja kick his butt, like I asked?" Yuffie croaked. She swallowed, her throat clicking drily.
"Sorry. Got away again. But we're gonna, believe you me. Fer now, why don't we getcha topside, eh?"
"One more question. Why aren't I dead?" She looked extremely puzzled at this one. Vincent couldn't blame her.
"Heh, I'll tell y'all 'bout it in a bit, okay?" Cid was grinning a little. "I got a few questions o' my own t'ask 'er. . ."
"'Her?' Aeris? Did you guys save. . .?" The expression on his face must have been answer enough. "Crud. Now what are we gonna do?"
That was when everyone else showed up. Cait Sith took one look at Yuffie and said, "I'll be. . . You looked like you were in a lot worse shape when I passed by before. Guess the Restore materia worked, then!"
"Not quite," said Vincent. "Where's Cloud?"
"I think he needed a little time with. . . with Aeris," the Shinra employee answered in a small voice.
Vincent nodded. Cid, helping Yuffie to her feet - she was a bit weak, but this was a vast improvement over her previous condition - said, "Let's all get topside. Got some stuff t'talk t'ya 'bout."
"That was my guess," said Vincent, turning to ascend the stairs. Cait Sith was close behind, and the rest followed, with Cid last, supporting Yuffie with one arm and carrying the Princess Guard with his other hand. His spear had been relegated to its harness for the time- being.
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Cloud stared for a long time at the body of Aeris, trying hard not to see the gaping hole where Sephiroth's sword had torn through her, and failing. Aside from that wound, though, she seemed to be merely sleeping. The healthy flush had yet to leave her face, which was turned slightly to the side so that her closed eyes were looking squarely into his. He could feel her gaze, through the lids, actually see in his mind her incredible green eyes.
Tears continued to stream down his face, even as he smiled. "You did this to stop him. I know that. You've been involved in worse things than anyone should have to be, and you've handled it like a pro. I just. . . I just hope that whatever you were doing, here, worked. It cost you your life, so it better have worked." He paused, and shook his head. "Although, I guess it doesn't change much. He's got some kind of hold on me, I can see that. Even so, I can't rest until I find him and stop him. The son of a bitch has destroyed everything that mattered to me. I've got to settle the score." Another pause. This one for thought. "Come on. The others are probably waiting for us."
Cloud leaned forward, sliding his arms under her. He stood, trying to lift her. Her clothes had begun to dry into the pool of blood she'd been lying in, and tore a little as he did so. He also heard a crackling sound. Hair. He collapsed into a crouch as grief welled up again. He managed to hang onto the willowy girl. "S-sephiroth's gonna pay," he said, his voice coming out as nothing more than a whisper. "J-jesus. . ." He wept. He slid to a sitting position, and remained that way for some time.
He had no idea how much time had passed when he came to his senses again, awakened by an inner alarm. Someone was watching.
Gasping, he looked about him. Nothing that he could see. He looked up into sunlight diffused by the water which surrounded this strange place. Daytime. He'd been down here awhile. Then, he saw what had awakened him. There was someone up on the stairway, their shadow falling on the stone before him. "Who's there?"
The silhouetted figure moved along the stairway, descending. They didn't answer.
Cloud gently lowered Aeris back to the floor, and stood, trying to see. "Who is it?" he called.
Cloud began to worry, but was also beginning to feel a certain eagerness. Surely this must be Sephiroth, returning to finish what he started. Cloud's breath hitched as a scowl bloomed on his face. He drew the Buster Sword. "Come on, Sephiroth! Come get me!" he screamed, turning to follow the progress of the shadowy figure.
The figure stopped, then, and said, a little hesitantly, "Cloud?"
He stopped dead for a moment, letting the voice register. Finally, it dawned on him. Totally surprised, he said, "Teef? That you?"
Tifa didn't answer the question directly, instead saying, "You've been down here all day. We were starting to worry." She resumed her slow but steady progress down the stairs, and Cloud simply watched, not quite sure what else to say, until she reached the bottom. As she made her way over to where he was, she said, "Cid suggested I come look for you. He's got something to say, and you know how he is when he thinks it's important." She was looking him very intently in the eyes. Was she trying to avoid looking at Aeris?
He nodded, and looked at the girl lying at his feet. "We'll be along soon." He didn't say anything else. When he looked up again, Tifa was gone.
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Tifa was just handing the Princess Guard back to Cid, who'd passed it around so that no one would think he was nuts when he told them all about the Ultimate Weapons. Cloud emerged from the building, carrying Aeris in his arms. He was drawn and pale. The young man's clothes were all bloodstained from the girl.
Aeris, said the woman who called herself Ifalna. My poor, brave Aeris.
Cid jumped a little at the possessive word, and said, Whaddaya mean by that?
She's my daughter.
Yer kid? Ifalna, yer Aeris's real mom? He was incredulous, watching the broken-hearted Cloud stop to rest the body against a tree. His eyes were still wet with tears. Y'mean yer her &#^@*$ mom'n y'let'er go off'n get'erself killed like that?! Dammit, woman!
I understand your anger, Captain. Please understand, I didn't want her to go, but even the form I am now couldn't stop her from trying to save you all - from trying to save that man, over there - from Sephiroth. Just the same as I believe Mr. Reeve and Mr. Tseng tried to save you all.
Cid took a moment to let this sink in, as Cloud picked his way over to where the rest were, sitting in a smallish circle on the path. He opted not to respond as Cloud stopped and stared at them. Finally, he said, "Cid, what just happened?"
Without a word, Cid leaned forward, and tossed the Princess Guard to Cloud, who caught it absently. His eyes widened as Ifalna spoke to him, and Cid almost smiled when he dropped the staff on the ground. Almost. "Jeez, Cloud, watch whatcher &#^@*$ doin'! We lose'at &#^@*$ thing, we're gonna &#^@*$ be flyin' blind!"
"Sorry, Cid. . ." Cloud was dead-looking. His eyes didn't seem to be able to focus, and he stumbled a little as he bent to pick up Aeris's Ultimate Weapon again, almost stepping on the end and breaking it. Cid's teeth ground a little, but he guessed that Cloud, of all the people here, had the most right to be this way. After all, the girl he'd loved was now dead. He wondered for a moment what Tifa was thinking.
As Cloud came over, gingerly handing him the Guard, Cid looked him in the eyes. "You okay, kid?" he said quietly.
The man looked at him, nodding his head unsteadily. Cid nodded. The hell he is.
He shouldn't be allowed to continue on, but I don't imagine there will be any way to dissuade him. Cid agreed completely.
Nanaki spoke up. "Well, now that we're all here, I think Cid said he has something to tell us?" He gave him a strange look. Cid couldn't read it.
"Hell no! I'm just th'mess'nger! 'Falna's th'one's got somethin' t'say!" Think ya better start with the talkin', here. Then, as Ifalna began to speak, Cid's mouth moved, conveying her words. It was neither Cid's voice nor hers, but both.
"My name is Ifalna, as I've already mentioned to each of you. Cloud, please listen, this is important. Cid is also listening. I'm afraid he doesn't have much choice in the matter." Cid, who could now see his own face, grumbled irritably to himself about being forced out of his own damned body. Cid's lips curved up into an almost smile, but the eyes remained sad. Ifalna reached a gloved hand up to remove the cigarette from his mouth, and look at it, a little disgusted. He protested as she crushed it out under his booted heel.
Toying with the Princess Guard, closely examining the winged head, the woman wearing Cid's body said, "I apologize if I seem rather cold. Being dead, no matter the joy of the Lifestream, can change a person's perspective. You're lucky I haven't turned out like Jessie, the poor girl, going on and on about Cloud and how. . . Sorry." Barret twitched a little at this, but said nothing. "Anyway, I've been sent up here to talk to you about something, but something has changed, too. You'll know about it, soon enough. For now, let's stick to the most important part."
Her voice took on the tone of a school-teacher as she began, holding the Princess Guard up so that everyone could see it clearly. "This is the Princess Guard. It is my physical form, in the corporeal world. You will best understand it as an Ultimate Weapon. Specifically, Aeris. . ." The gruff voice shook a little, and Ifalna paused to take a deep breath. "Aeris's Ultimate Weapon. I am the Princess Guard. I am also an emissary of the Lifestream. One of many."
Reeve spoke up. "If the Lifestream sent you, shouldn't you have the power to stop this all yourself?"
Cid's mouth gave a smile. "You speak as though the Lifestream Itself has sentience of It's own, Mr Reeve." This received a strange grunt from Barret, and a look from Vincent. "I can assure you that It is not one intelligent being, but many. However, this is beside the point. I was sent here in the form of the Princess Guard in order to be a guiding force for Aeris, and in order to aid her in her quest. By lending her my spiritual strength, I was meant to strengthen her magic usage, like that Inverse Barrier you witnessed, earlier. Magic was to be the key to the Planet's salvation. Now, though. . . Things have changed. This wasn't supposed to happen. I don't know how this can be. . ."
Cloud suggested, "Maybe someone has been screwing around with your plans?"
"We haven't planned anything. The timeline itself has been affected, somehow." Cid let out a gusty sigh, which quickly led into a coughing fit. "Cid, I think you should quit smoking. This is doing terrible damage to your lungs."
'S'my body, woman. 'Least, it will be when y'give't back!
Ignoring this, Ifalna went on. "I was meant to be a guide and aid to Aeris, but not to any of you. I cannot be of any help, beyond this. After this, I shall rest, along with my daughter, and you will be left to find your own Ultimate Weapons, and the rest of those chosen by the Planet. Only after that can any of you hope to defeat Jenova."
"We're going to have to kill Sephiroth," said Cloud. It obviously wasn't a question, but Ifalna nodded.
"Yes. He carries Jenova, but Jenova did not choose him, as he seems to think. She was placed there."
Vincent asked, more to himself than anyone else, "Who would place such a thing inside of him?"
Nanaki looked at Cait Sith, and said, "When I was in the Shinra tower, one of your doctors had Jenova in some kind of containment dome. . ."
Reeve said, "Professor Hojo. Damn. I knew Hojo was insane, but I never suspected he'd do a thing like this. . ."
"Hojo. . ." said Vincent, "He's the one who did this to me. Is he behind all of this?"
Unnecessarily, Ifalna answered, "Yes."
Reeve said quietly, "It's all our fault. He works for Shinra. We allowed this."
There was no response. Instead, Ifalna said, "There's something else. The good Captain, whose body I am borrowing, is not the same as you all."
The &#^@ y'talkin' 'bout, "not like'em"!? How'm I different?
She answered the question, addressing everyone. "Cid was never meant to be a part of this, and yet he has become one. However, this does not change the fact that he has not been chosen by the Planet. Instead, he has been selected to be the Lifestream's liason. He will be the man to count on in troubled times, and, upon acquiring his Ultimate Weapon, will become a destructive force unlike anything Jenova can offer."
Cid was speechless.
"What do you mean?" asked Nanaki.
"I mean exactly what I say. He will be like a god, with his Ultimate Weapon, the culmination of all Weapons. The Lifestream has granted this man an unheard-of amount of power."
Yuffie said, "Up until just awhile ago, I'da thought the Lifestream'd try to LIMIT that guy's power. . ."
Another smile. "Not at all, Ms Kisaragi. It is as I say, because it is as the Lifestream says. Trust in his strength, and you can win."
"Can?" sputtered Cloud. "Seems to me that we're certain to win, if what you say is true!"
"Nothing is certain, now, young Mr Strife."
With that, Ifalna/Cid rose to their feet, and said, "Time grows short. Once your Captain has retaken his body, please lay me to rest with my daughter. Then, follow Sephiroth and Jenova to the Great Northern Crater. Good luck, chosen."
Cid hadn't the slightest idea what to say, so he said nothing as he felt himself drawn back to his body. While he was certainly grateful to be able to feel his legs again, the feeling of return was much akin to being reeled in on a hook, he noted uncomfortably. Once back in his body, though, he looked around him at Cloud, Barret, Tifa, Nanaki, Yuffie, Vincent, and the Cait Sith body, now publicly revealed to be piloted by Reeve, Head of Urban Development for Shinra. Now known to be associated with Hojo, the man behind everything that had happened, however indirectly. With everything that had just been heaped on their shoulders, it was no wonder that they were now silent.
Vincent sat there, apparently pondering the less-than-happy reunion that undoubtedly awaited him - if and when they stopped Meteor from destroying the Planet, Hojo was going to have a lot to answer for. Yuffie kept switching her gaze from Cid to Cloud, who stood and stared at Aeris's body, next to the pool of water. Barret and Tifa both seemed lost in their own respective thoughts, Barret staring at Cait Sith, and Tifa staring at Cloud. Nanaki and Reeve both looked at him expectantly.
He looked at Cloud, and said, "Kid. What's the plan?"
"The plan. . ." The young man sniggered in a way that made the hairs on the back of Cid's neck rise to attention. "The Lifestream doesn't even know what's going to happen, and you're asking me what the plan is. . . Well, the plan is we're going to lay Aeris and her mother to rest, and then we're going to do as Ifalna said. We're going to go after Sephiroth, and we're going to kill him. That's the plan." After a moment, he added, "I really shouldn't be doing this at all, after the way he managed to gain control of my actions, down in that temple or whatever it was, but if the Planet thinks I should, who am I to argue?"
Cloud then turned to face him, and said, "Give me the Princess Guard." Cid thought, Later, 'Falna. He got no response. He flipped the weapon to Cloud, and watched as the young man turned and strode toward where he'd laid Aeris. The Captain, lighting another cigarette absently, turned to stare off into the bush. He wouldn't have admitted it to anyone, least of all himself, but Cid was incredibly worried.
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Cloud stood out in the pool, on the edge of a drop-off, as the others looked on in silence. Draped in his arms like a rag-doll was Aeris. He now stood, looking down at Aeris's face. Her eyes had been closed and her blood had begun to coagulate, so now she looked as though she was merely sleeping, except for a terrible pallor in her skin. To Cloud, she was totally beautiful.
He half-expected the tears to come again, but there weren't any tears left. They'd all been shed already. Now, there was only a slack-jawed and dismayed depression inside of him. And anger. He knew anger had no place in Aeris's makeshift funeral service, but there it was. He pushed it down inside. It would get its dues later.
He leaned forward, aware that he could topple into the deep water rather easily, and not entirely sure if he wouldn't just hang onto Aeris, all the way down. He didn't care. He leaned closer to her face, and pressed his lips against hers. He'd never been able to kiss her in life, so he did it now. Then, he lifted his head again, looking down at her sadly. His voice seemed to have gone to the bathroom, so he mouthed the words I love you, Aeris. Goodbye.
He placed the Princess Guard in her grasp, wrapping her rapidly stiffening fingers around the shaft, and made sure she'd hang onto it. When he was as certain as he could be. He removed his arms from beneath her, allowing the water to take on her weight, and spread apart beneath it. She floated on the surface for a moment, and then began to sink. Cloud watched as she sank deeper and deeper. He did not shift his gaze until she was obscured from view.
When she was, he looked up at the others. They were all looking at him. Barret's eyes were red-rimmed, as were Cid's. He didn't say a word as he waded back to dry land. He took a moment to shake some of the water out of his clothes. Then, he said, "Sephiroth's going down."
Everyone began to disperse, turning and filing back out into the city proper. Cid, however, remained behind. "Something wrong, Captain?" asked Cloud, somewhat mockingly.
"Naw. Just think y'should keep'n mind this ain't a matter o' revenge. We got more on our plates'n that." Cid wasn't sure what else to say, so he just closed his mouth and waited for Cloud's response.
Cloud looked at him for a moment, then his face twisted into a snarl. He stepped forward, and grabbed the front of Cid's jacket in both fists. Then, he looked the Captain right in the eye and said, "He killed the only girl I've ever loved, destroyed my home, wrecked my life. What would you do if you were me?"
Cid saw something in the boy's eyes that he hadn't seen at all until now. Resolve burned there like flames in a hearth. "'Bout damn time, kid. Sh'we kick'is ass, then?"
"Let's." Cloud let go of Cid, and walked out. Cid straightened his jacket, and followed.
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Reeve looked at the papers in front of him, and again raised a pen to sign them. Then, he stopped. He shook his head, grabbing the form from his desk, and crumpling it into a ball. He threw it into his wastebasket, in the corner. Three-pointer. For now, he could pretend he hadn't received the forms at all.
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Yes, the Yuffie thing was totally accidental. It just happened, and I agonized for at least a couple days on how I could remedy the situation. I think it worked out okay, as does my creative consultant, FF expert, and slave-driver, Ree-chan. Oh, uh. . . Ignore that last one, lol.
Also, if Luky is reading this, I APOLOGIZE PROFUSELY. Yes, Aeris is very, very dead. If you want Aeris alive, play the Japanese version. It's what the third disc was meant for, rather than those lame-ass Ruby and Emerald Weapons. Cheap bastards. The Weapons, not the Japanese, lol.
And here's the part where I tell you how to get ahold of us with praise, complaints, flames, viruses (me fail English? that's unpossible!), and spam:
-Ree-chan: - email at chaos_vincent21@hotmail.com; also, she's got a guestbook accessible from ree-chan.diaryland.com.
-Master Telanis: - email at deschain5@hotmail.com; also, my guestbook is accessible from guns1inger.diaryland.com (I suggest this one, as my inbox is set to exclusive.
Minor note: It would appear that italics do not transfer over to the online version. There are parts in here where certain characters (*cough*) interact telepathically. I'm afraid it's up to you to figure out just when this is and who's speaking. Shouldn't be too difficult, if I've done this right. I apologize for this.
And now for the obligatory disclaimer. I am not worthy of the characters and places contained herein, because, dammit, someone else thought them up first! Squaresoft, to be precise. Thank them for introducing these fine characters and Aeris to us, shall we? All together, now! THANK-YOU, SQUARESOFT! Now, that said, on with the admittedly very cheeseball show. . .
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Aeris and Ifalna
by Master Telanis and Ree-chan the Great
Captain? Listen to me, Captain. . . It's time. Come, join your friends, please. They need you.
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Yuffie was in the centermost building of the Capital. It was different from the others, in that it was surrounded by trees on all sides, and sat on the edge of a small, artificial-seeming pool. It was a truly beauteous place, during the day, but during the night, the young ninja found it creepy. However, her neverending search for materia had drawn her here.
Luckily, the search had been fruitful in this place. She'd found an Enemy Skill materia earlier, and was just now pocketing something called Comet. Currently, though, her attention was held by an opening in the center of the building, apparently leading downward. It gave her the willies, but she thought it very likely that there was more materia down there. Materia, above all else, was her goal, here.
So she entered the tunnel, and was dumbfounded by what lay beyond.
She was on a crystalline stairway, which spiralled around and down into an equally-crystalline temple. Or city. Or something. It was breathtaking. She simply stood at the top of the stairs and gazed upon it for a long time. After awhile, she saw something down below which made her heart jump up into her throat. Aeris. The girl's head was bowed, and she appeared to be deep in prayer, but it was undeniably her.
Yuffie was ecstatic. She'd found Cloud's friend, and now they could get out of this creepy place for good. She began down the stairs, but then she saw something that made her blood run cold. There was someone else down there. She knew immediately who it was, and tried to call out to Aeris, to warn her, but no sound was able to emerge. Terror had taken her voice. Even so, the man's head snapped to look at her.
His grey hair hung loosely over his shoulders, and he had a long sword in one hand. His green eyes studied her for a moment, and then, grinning, he began to ascend the stairs toward her.
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Cloud was totally silent as he donned his SOLDIER uniform. He did it mechanically and efficiently, without a thought to the process, having done it hundreds of times before. A feeling of expectant nervousness buzzed in his head and tried to push him to hurry. He did so with as much silence as haste would allow.
He could still hear her voice. Aeris was calling to him. She was still alive. Sephiroth hadn't gotten her yet.
As a mad assortment of thoughts whirled in his head, he fastened the Buster to his back.
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Reeve was in his office, poring blankly over some paperwork. They were some forms he had to fill out for Tseng's impending execution. He hated Rufus Shinra for making him do this. He scrubbed tiredly at one side of his head and sighed. He didn't want to fill these out. All of the execs had to agree on this point, so, if he didn't, Shinra couldn't execute the mutinous Turk. However, it would also mean becoming the subject of President Shinra's ire.
He wished he could put the Cait Sith body in his own position. He loved his alter-ego. It let him do what he felt was right, without immediate physical consequences. When he was Cait, he was totally fearless. However, as plain old Head of Urban Development Reeve, he was weak and powerless. Sighing again, he began to put pen to paper.
It was then that he received an alert through his neural connection. Cait's motion-sensors were picking something up. Quickly, he flipped a switch on his neural connection to take a look.
To his surprise, it was not an enemy whom he saw, but Cloud. The SOLDIER was headed for the door. Reeve considered shutting Cait Sith back down, but something in the way Cloud was moving made him stop and reconsider. The blond-haired man slipped through the house's exit. After a moment's thought, Reeve followed.
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Despite Cloud's uncharacteristically quiet movements, Vincent was quickly awake and alert, watching the former SOLDIER leave. He thought seriously about going back to sleep, but when Cait Sith followed after, he decided he couldn't just let him wander off. Grudgingly, noiselessly, he rose from his bed, putting on his holster and securing his cape.
He peered about him, and found that Yuffie was gone. Tifa, on the other hand, was still in her bed. On closer inspection, he realized that her eyes were open. Had she even gone to sleep. . .? He gave a perfunctory scowl as he realized that he could no more leave her here alone than leave Cloud and Cait Sith on their own. He knelt beside her bed.
"Tifa. Are you going to come along?"
Her eyes appeared unfocussed, and he wondered for a moment if she were sleeping with them open. Then, they found his own. His heavily- altered heart went out to her just then. Her gaze betrayed a pain he knew quite well: the knowledge that one has irretrievably lost that whom love the most. She lifted her head from the somewhat musty pillow, and her eyes hardened with determination. Without saying a single word, she had just revealed volumes about herself. He would have smiled, but, as Yuffie would have said, his smiler was broken.
Tifa slid her legs onto the floor, and Vincent averted his eyes while she slipped on her clothes. Broken his smiler might have been, but his blusher was working like a charm.
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Nanaki's sixth-sense, not-unlike the type Vincent had, picked up the movement almost immediately. He snapped awake as Cloud stalked by, along the path. He turned toward the center of town, and continued walking. Something about it made Nanaki nervous. Something was happening.
As if to underline this fact, he saw Cait Sith following along behind the man. He had to get Cid. He rose as if to do so, and saw two more shadowy figures head by. One was Vincent, and the other could only be Tifa. She was slightly unsteady on her feet, but her silhouette was unmistakable. He rose to his feet, and bounded through the sand to where Barret and Cid had made camp, a few metres away.
He found Barret easily. The man snored like a motorboat, and Nanaki had been able to hear him a ways off. He shoved his nose against Barret's arm, rocking the large man. He groaned, but didn't wake. Nanaki growled in annoyance and bit Barret's arm. That did the trick.
Barret was awake quickly, and climbing to his feet, swinging blindly around him with enormous fists. Then, he opened his eyes and looked down at Nanaki. "Shi', boy. . . Don' y'sleep?"
Ignoring the question, Nanaki sprang to the other bundle of canvas, only to find it unoccupied. Cid was gone. Nanaki growled his frustration, and said, "Where's the Captain?"
"Cid? Damn, I dunno. . . Prolly off havin' a smoke, somewhere." Barret scratched the back of his head with his gun-arm. "Why?"
Nanaki shook his head, and said, "No time. Come on!" He sprayed a large cloud of sand as he turned to follow Tifa and Vincent as fast as his feet could carry him. Barret couldn't run nearly as fast, and certainly not as gracefully, but he managed to tail Nanaki.
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Cloud had now broken into an almost-run in his haste to find Aeris. He was certain that she lay within the heart of the Capital. He just followed her voice.
It led him to an unusual building, which looked both primitive and beautiful to his eyes. He thought it a fitting place for Aeris to be. He ran inside, totally oblivious to the train of followers he had amassed. He was focussed solely on finding Aeris.
He ran inside the strange structure, allowing Aeris's voice to draw him like a fish on a hook. He followed it directly into the tunnel in the center. There, he saw Cid.
The Highwind's Captain was crouching on two of the steps of the incredible staircase, hunched over something and concentrating, his spear laying beside him. Cloud didn't know just what it was, and didn't care. He pelted down the stairs toward where he knew Aeris to be, even before he saw her there, knelt in prayer. When he did see her, he lost all sense of himself.
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Yuffie was in bad shape and she knew it. She shouldn't have tried to fight Sephiroth and she knew that, too. Most of all, she knew that Aeris was probably going to die. As well as herself.
Which is why she was surprised when a familiar face appeared above her, smoking a cigarette. "C-cid?" she whispered.
"Jesus, Yuff. Th'hell y'doin' down here?"
"Th. . . thought there m-might be muh. . . muh. . . mmmuh. . ." her lips felt far too thick
"Materia. &#^@*$ materia. 'Course, why th'&#^@ not?" he grumped, feeling around inside his jacket for something. He sighed shakily when he couldn't find it.
"Suh. . . Seph. . . iroth came. I c-couldn't fight 'im, Cid. . . T- too strong. Uh. . . unreal. He. . . he. . ." she couldn't get the words out.
"Shh, shh. . . It's okay, kiddo. Ol' Cid'll 'ave yer fixed up in no time! &#^@*$-A I will!" He was now holding something in his hands, but Yuffie's vision was too blurry to make it out. It took a moment before she realized it was her own hand.
She was so tired. Even the pain in her chest was starting to fade, sleep overtaking her. When she realized she was hearing a smile in the gruff pilot's voice, she wanted to smile, herself. Something hit her cheek. Something wet. Was Cid. . .?
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Cid fought to keep his voice from quivering as he reassured her of the impossible. How the hell was he going to help, now that he'd lost their only Restore materia somewhere?
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At the bottom of the pool, just outside the center building, something twinkled greenly in the night. . .
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Yuffie heard Cid urging everyone to keep on, save Aeris, stop Sephiroth. All the while, he never lost his gentle grip on her hand. Strange, now, to think about what she'd been planning. . . She felt clumsily for the materia she held in her pouch. Finally finding it, she pulled her almost-numb hand from the Captain's grip, replacing it with the other, shoving four little spheres into his palm. Comet, Enemy Skill, Morph, and something which caused Cid to gasp in surprise. He didn't comment otherwise.
Yuffie couldn't see at all, now, and it was an effort to speak. She whispered, "Cid. . . Do me a f-favour?"
"Sure thing, kiddo. . ." the Captain answered, and it sounded to her as though his voice was coming from the other end of a tunnel.
"Kick. . ." she grunted with the strain of making her voice work. "Kick 'is butt, C-cap. . ." The sound began to fade out completely. . .
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Yuffie took one last shuddering breathe, her chest hitching, almost turning the breath into a cough, and lay still. Tears were now coursing freely down Cid's face, as he quietly laid her arms across her midsection, and closed her eyes. This wasn't the way anything was supposed to happen. He wasn't supposed to lose friends needlessly. He had no way of knowing that she wouldn't be the last.
His face tried to crumple, but he fought mightily against it, and won. He had a job to do. He wiped his eyes on the back of his sleeve, and bent to pick up his spear. With a last glance at the young ninja's unmoving form, he turned and began to sprint down the crystalline stairway.
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Barret saw Cloud run toward where Aeris knelt, then pause for a moment, as he found the place where the solid path ended. The rest was obviously a stepping-stone path made out of pillars spaced a couple feet apart. It was only a moment's pause, though, and he hopped along this path as though there weren't evidently miles of free-fall between steps.
Barret jogged forward, past Cait Sith, Red XIII, Vincent and Tifa, and began to hop across the pillars, one by one. On the last one, he missed the jump, catching the edge of Aeris's perch with his hand. He grunted, hauling himself up until he was high enough to throw his other arm up onto the surface. He growled as he pulled himself the rest of the way up onto the platform.
Once up, he saw something that sent shivers down his spine. Cloud was shaking, his eyes rolling. He was reaching jerkily for the handle of his Buster. Barret watched in slack-jawed incredulity as Cloud drew his sword, and the blade clanked down on the ground for a moment. Then, still shuddering crazily, he raised it above his head, and began to move waveringly toward Aeris.
"Cloud! Hell ya doin'?! Damn, boy!" Barret pulled himself to his feet, and threw himself into a run. He came up behind Cloud, and put him into a full-nelson, hauling back with all his weight. Even controlled by outside forces, Cloud was nowhere near a match for the former leader of AVALANCHE. The sheer force of Barret's pull sent them both sprawling back.
Cloud immediately stopped fighting, dropping the Buster Sword to the side, lying back on top of Barret, who was now very winded. He cried, "SEPHIROTH! You son of a bitch! You're gonna pay for that! Miserable bastard! Can't even do your own dirty work, eh?"
Barret, pushing him off, whispered, "Cloud, I don' think y'should egg'm on like that. . ."
Too late. From above, there was a flash of light, beaming directly down on Aeris. Whatever she had in her hands was now blazing brightly.
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Sephiroth watched from high above as a now greatly-angered Cloud Strife - why did that man think he knew him? - got up off of his companion, reaching for that ridiculously large blade of his (such a familiar blade, though the face still eluded him). Cloud looked up at him, and Sephiroth grinned. Now.
He currently held his Masamune out in front of him, aimed downward, both hands wrapped tightly around the hilt. When he descended, it was at such a high speed that the only effort necessary was that involved in keeping the blade straight when he rammed it into the Ancient's back. Some distant part of him cried out in protest and horror, even as he grunted in satisfaction. It crossed his mind that, once upon a time, he might have felt guilt at this. . . Then the thought was gone with the wet sound of the Masamune sheathing itself in the girl, right up to where his hands met. He withdrew the blade.
Cloud shrieked in fury as the girl shuddered once, something falling from her hands. It was that white materia of hers, and it was glowing brightly. Sephiroth wondered briefly if he was too late, if she'd been able to thwart him. It disappeared over the side of the platform, even as he lifted off again, watching as the enraged young man came at him with that sword. He was far out of reach by the time Cloud swung at him. He smiled. Two down.
Mother was proud. She would finish the remaining triflers herself.
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Cloud was still watching in a frustrated rage as Sephiroth disappeared from view when he suddenly found himself unable to breathe. He was choking, and no air was making it into his lungs.
Once, as a boy, he'd been swimming in a pond on the outskirts of Nibelheim with Tifa. To make a long story short, he'd been trying to show off and had accidentally taken a huge breath while underwater. He would have drowned, had Tifa not rescued him, dragged him to shore and performed mouth-to-mouth. The feeling he had now was very much akin to when he'd taken that double-lungful of pond-water, and he passed out, hitting the stone surface of Aeris's former praying platform hard.
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This incarnation of Sephiroth's "mother" looked, for all intents and purposes, very similar to the first one they'd fought. She was a lot darker in colouring than before, but that hardly seemed worth mention. Spreading her massive winglike protrusions wide, she unfolded her arms and raised her featureless head from her chest to look down on those facing her.
From Sephiroth's appearance to that of Jenova, Tifa had been watching apathetically, alongside Vincent. However, when Cloud suddenly went blue and collapsed for no reason she could see, something yawned open inside of her. It was something she'd begun to think was dead. She clenched her teeth and sprang forward, at the same time as Vincent.
She sprinted across the pillars as obliviously as Cloud himself had, almost causing Cait Sith to tumble from his place, and joined Nanaki and Barret up there in front of Jenova. Instead of staying, though, she maneuvered herself around to where Cloud lay. Draping the unconscious man over her shoulder, she headed back to the foot of the stairs, a little more clumsily than before.
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Jenova raised her head, looking down at the five strange challengers who stood before her. Two of them, a small cat riding on a rather irritating thing to look at, bounced up and down expectantly. The thing was rather rotund, and had two huge fists raised before it. It was pink.
Another, a human with a dark red cloak and one arm which shined in a way she was unfamiliar with, at least when it came to human limbs, was crouched in a spider-like position, the shiny arm held out before it and the other placed lightly against it's hip.
The other human was a huge man with one arm that seemed to end abruptly in a rather clumsy-looking mechanism. He was growling noisily, like some kind of animal. Had Jenova the ability to think - at least, in a manner which a human would understand - she would have thought: Dork.
The last was a rather fearsome creature with a vague resemblance to a feline. Fearsome to mortals, perhaps, but not to Jenova.
She used the same ability on them that she had on the weakling with the spikey head. What she called it is unimportant, but, when Vincent's Enemy Skill materia picked it up, it translated to Aqualung. Both the large man and the feline creature went down immediately, but the cloaked human and the two strange creatures both kept their feet. Jenova was impressed, but not worried. The human obviously had both incredible self- possession and control, while she'd been picking up something strange from the other, telling her that it wasn't precisely alive.
The cloaked one bent and began to vomit. The other, however, bounded forward and tried to tackle her. She heard a single cry of dismay from it as it was pulled in, which amused her to no end.
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Upon recovering, Vincent was not sure what to do when he saw Cait Sith disappear into Jenova, causing little splashes of water-like substance to land on the floor, and on him. Touching it with his real hand, he found, to his complete surprise, that it was indeed water. An idea formed in his head. It wasn't much, but it beat just letting that thing knock them around.
He drew the Quicksilver, taking aim at the monstrosity before him. He concentrated, and prepared to fire the Flamethrower. . .
His concentration was destroyed when he heard someone howling something. He couldn't make it out. He turned to look at the path of pillars. . .
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Cid was partway down when he saw Aeris killed. He froze. Too late. They were too late. Then, the woman spoke again. The Princess Guard. The Princess Guard? What the hell was that? Then he remembered what Aeris had said about the Princess Guard and her mother, back at the Temple, and it finally clicked into place. She'd been talking about that damned staff she'd found!
He cast about for it. Where was it? Surely she wouldn't have had it with her while she was praying. . .? Then he saw it, leaning against a small archway. Desperately, he ran the rest of the way down, almost falling, and grabbed it. Now what?
I can save Aeris and your friend. I can also stop Jenova.
Who are you?
No time! Go! Cid went. Screaming, he ran along the stepping-stone pathway, up to the platform where Vincent was trying to bring down the creature on his own. "Mother-&#^@&#!" he yelled, running right up and throwing the Princess Guard like a javelin. It hit Jenova square in the chest, sticking there. Despite the drops of water which sprayed out upon impact, it was as solidly stuck as if it had been thrown into flesh.
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Ifalna lashed out from the winged head of the Princess Guard, attacking Jenova from within her corporeal form. Under ordinary circumstances, Ifalna's consciousness alone would not have been enough to defeat Jenova herself, but maintaining a solid form alone that was non- organic took immense strength. Jenova buckled easily, and the water quickly reverted to mostly harmless puddles.
However, as Ifalna returned to the weapon, she failed to notice a single droplet, carrying the consciousness of Jenova's most recent incarnation, as it slid silently across the floor.
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The Cait Sith body landed heavily on the floor as Reeve watched both Barret and Nanaki vomit large amounts of water, just as Vincent had. They were very weak, but strong enough to stand, swaying. Reeve turned to look at where Tifa had carried Cloud, and saw her hugging him as he tried to get up. His face was almost totally slack, but for the eyes. They were roving aimlessly, tears standing in them.
He said, "Cid. . . What did you do?"
"I only did wha'that stick wan'ned me t'do." The Captain seemed as dumbfounded as he felt. He looked at him for another moment before he saw the look on Cid's face change, just a little, as his gaze fell on Aeris, lying in a spreading pool of blood. The man was puffing madly at a cigarette as he picked up that strange staff of Aeris's, and, with a little grimace, placed it in the Ancient's hands, pressing the fingers about it. Then, he stood back and watched.
"Cid? What do you mean by that? What aren't you telling us?"
Cid just shushed him, and pointed at Aeris's still form. Reeve turned to look, and was amazed to see a white glow begin to surround the girl. He was equally amazed when the glow suddenly disappeared, and the staff was flung away, whirling through the air. It would have gone right over the edge, if not for Vincent's superhuman reflexes. The ex-Turk caught it deftly, and asked, "Cid, what just happened?"
Cid's face screwed up, and he spat out the cigarette. He stepped quickly toward the body, and began yelling, "What the &#^@'s wrong now!?!? I did what y'&#^@*$ told me t'do!" Then, he paused, his face going pale, but no less angry. "Jenova, you &#^@*$ BITCH! Let'er go! &#^@!" Another pause. "Yeah, okay. . ."
With that, he got up, and said, "C'mon, Vince. . . Let's go get Yuffs."
Vincent said, "Sephiroth. . . he killed her."
"Yeah. C'mon. Needjer help wi'this'n." Reeve watched as the pair headed for the crystal stairway, and then let his eyes rest on Cloud, who was now up on the platform with them. He glanced over where Tifa had been, and there she still was, on her knees, head down, black hair hanging down around her face, obscuring it. He thought he knew what kind of expression it probably carried, just then.
Cloud walked slowly toward Aeris's still body and, upon reaching it, dropped to his knees, hanging his head in an unconscious imitation of Tifa. Then, he leaned forward, resting his face against her stomach, his wiry form wracked with sobs.
Barret was the first to turn and leave. Next, after a last glance at the two, was Nanaki. Reeve followed him, watching as Barret stopped and helped Tifa to her feet with surprising gentleness. The former leader of AVALANCHE gingerly led her up the stairway.
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Vincent was shocked at the extent of the damage Sephiroth had done to the young ninja. She was almost in pieces. He looked at Cid, who was crying again. He was loathe to make the man speak, but he had to know what Cid meant to do. He opened his mouth, but then a woman's voice said, Touch the girl with the head of the Princess Guard.
Surprised, but certainly not about to argue with the disembodied voice - I'm not disembodied - Vincent did as he was told. At first, nothing happened. Then, the same white glow which had begun to engulf Aeris's dead body began to flow over that of Yuffie Kisaragi. Vincent half- expected the same thing to happen this time as happened before, but there was no explosive rejection of the staff. Whatever was supposed to occur was going on right now.
His eyes widened slightly as first he saw bone piecing itself together, then ligaments reattaching to the muscle. The muscles flexed themselves as they were drawn seamlessly together. Organs reinserted themselves where they were supposed to be, and sealed up, fluids finding their rightful places. Finally, the skin sealed it all up. For a long moment, the body lay still. Then, Yuffie's entire body spasmed to the point where only the top of her head and her heels were touching the steps. The glow stopped, and the dead pallor which had been her complexion moments earlier was replaced with a healthy flush.
Her eyes opened.
"Incredible. . ." was all Vincent was able to say. Cid wasn't speaking at all. He tore his gaze from Yuffie and saw that the Captain was too busy smiling to say anything.
Then, he did speak. "Toldja I'd fix yer up!"
"Didja kick his butt, like I asked?" Yuffie croaked. She swallowed, her throat clicking drily.
"Sorry. Got away again. But we're gonna, believe you me. Fer now, why don't we getcha topside, eh?"
"One more question. Why aren't I dead?" She looked extremely puzzled at this one. Vincent couldn't blame her.
"Heh, I'll tell y'all 'bout it in a bit, okay?" Cid was grinning a little. "I got a few questions o' my own t'ask 'er. . ."
"'Her?' Aeris? Did you guys save. . .?" The expression on his face must have been answer enough. "Crud. Now what are we gonna do?"
That was when everyone else showed up. Cait Sith took one look at Yuffie and said, "I'll be. . . You looked like you were in a lot worse shape when I passed by before. Guess the Restore materia worked, then!"
"Not quite," said Vincent. "Where's Cloud?"
"I think he needed a little time with. . . with Aeris," the Shinra employee answered in a small voice.
Vincent nodded. Cid, helping Yuffie to her feet - she was a bit weak, but this was a vast improvement over her previous condition - said, "Let's all get topside. Got some stuff t'talk t'ya 'bout."
"That was my guess," said Vincent, turning to ascend the stairs. Cait Sith was close behind, and the rest followed, with Cid last, supporting Yuffie with one arm and carrying the Princess Guard with his other hand. His spear had been relegated to its harness for the time- being.
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Cloud stared for a long time at the body of Aeris, trying hard not to see the gaping hole where Sephiroth's sword had torn through her, and failing. Aside from that wound, though, she seemed to be merely sleeping. The healthy flush had yet to leave her face, which was turned slightly to the side so that her closed eyes were looking squarely into his. He could feel her gaze, through the lids, actually see in his mind her incredible green eyes.
Tears continued to stream down his face, even as he smiled. "You did this to stop him. I know that. You've been involved in worse things than anyone should have to be, and you've handled it like a pro. I just. . . I just hope that whatever you were doing, here, worked. It cost you your life, so it better have worked." He paused, and shook his head. "Although, I guess it doesn't change much. He's got some kind of hold on me, I can see that. Even so, I can't rest until I find him and stop him. The son of a bitch has destroyed everything that mattered to me. I've got to settle the score." Another pause. This one for thought. "Come on. The others are probably waiting for us."
Cloud leaned forward, sliding his arms under her. He stood, trying to lift her. Her clothes had begun to dry into the pool of blood she'd been lying in, and tore a little as he did so. He also heard a crackling sound. Hair. He collapsed into a crouch as grief welled up again. He managed to hang onto the willowy girl. "S-sephiroth's gonna pay," he said, his voice coming out as nothing more than a whisper. "J-jesus. . ." He wept. He slid to a sitting position, and remained that way for some time.
He had no idea how much time had passed when he came to his senses again, awakened by an inner alarm. Someone was watching.
Gasping, he looked about him. Nothing that he could see. He looked up into sunlight diffused by the water which surrounded this strange place. Daytime. He'd been down here awhile. Then, he saw what had awakened him. There was someone up on the stairway, their shadow falling on the stone before him. "Who's there?"
The silhouetted figure moved along the stairway, descending. They didn't answer.
Cloud gently lowered Aeris back to the floor, and stood, trying to see. "Who is it?" he called.
Cloud began to worry, but was also beginning to feel a certain eagerness. Surely this must be Sephiroth, returning to finish what he started. Cloud's breath hitched as a scowl bloomed on his face. He drew the Buster Sword. "Come on, Sephiroth! Come get me!" he screamed, turning to follow the progress of the shadowy figure.
The figure stopped, then, and said, a little hesitantly, "Cloud?"
He stopped dead for a moment, letting the voice register. Finally, it dawned on him. Totally surprised, he said, "Teef? That you?"
Tifa didn't answer the question directly, instead saying, "You've been down here all day. We were starting to worry." She resumed her slow but steady progress down the stairs, and Cloud simply watched, not quite sure what else to say, until she reached the bottom. As she made her way over to where he was, she said, "Cid suggested I come look for you. He's got something to say, and you know how he is when he thinks it's important." She was looking him very intently in the eyes. Was she trying to avoid looking at Aeris?
He nodded, and looked at the girl lying at his feet. "We'll be along soon." He didn't say anything else. When he looked up again, Tifa was gone.
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Tifa was just handing the Princess Guard back to Cid, who'd passed it around so that no one would think he was nuts when he told them all about the Ultimate Weapons. Cloud emerged from the building, carrying Aeris in his arms. He was drawn and pale. The young man's clothes were all bloodstained from the girl.
Aeris, said the woman who called herself Ifalna. My poor, brave Aeris.
Cid jumped a little at the possessive word, and said, Whaddaya mean by that?
She's my daughter.
Yer kid? Ifalna, yer Aeris's real mom? He was incredulous, watching the broken-hearted Cloud stop to rest the body against a tree. His eyes were still wet with tears. Y'mean yer her &#^@*$ mom'n y'let'er go off'n get'erself killed like that?! Dammit, woman!
I understand your anger, Captain. Please understand, I didn't want her to go, but even the form I am now couldn't stop her from trying to save you all - from trying to save that man, over there - from Sephiroth. Just the same as I believe Mr. Reeve and Mr. Tseng tried to save you all.
Cid took a moment to let this sink in, as Cloud picked his way over to where the rest were, sitting in a smallish circle on the path. He opted not to respond as Cloud stopped and stared at them. Finally, he said, "Cid, what just happened?"
Without a word, Cid leaned forward, and tossed the Princess Guard to Cloud, who caught it absently. His eyes widened as Ifalna spoke to him, and Cid almost smiled when he dropped the staff on the ground. Almost. "Jeez, Cloud, watch whatcher &#^@*$ doin'! We lose'at &#^@*$ thing, we're gonna &#^@*$ be flyin' blind!"
"Sorry, Cid. . ." Cloud was dead-looking. His eyes didn't seem to be able to focus, and he stumbled a little as he bent to pick up Aeris's Ultimate Weapon again, almost stepping on the end and breaking it. Cid's teeth ground a little, but he guessed that Cloud, of all the people here, had the most right to be this way. After all, the girl he'd loved was now dead. He wondered for a moment what Tifa was thinking.
As Cloud came over, gingerly handing him the Guard, Cid looked him in the eyes. "You okay, kid?" he said quietly.
The man looked at him, nodding his head unsteadily. Cid nodded. The hell he is.
He shouldn't be allowed to continue on, but I don't imagine there will be any way to dissuade him. Cid agreed completely.
Nanaki spoke up. "Well, now that we're all here, I think Cid said he has something to tell us?" He gave him a strange look. Cid couldn't read it.
"Hell no! I'm just th'mess'nger! 'Falna's th'one's got somethin' t'say!" Think ya better start with the talkin', here. Then, as Ifalna began to speak, Cid's mouth moved, conveying her words. It was neither Cid's voice nor hers, but both.
"My name is Ifalna, as I've already mentioned to each of you. Cloud, please listen, this is important. Cid is also listening. I'm afraid he doesn't have much choice in the matter." Cid, who could now see his own face, grumbled irritably to himself about being forced out of his own damned body. Cid's lips curved up into an almost smile, but the eyes remained sad. Ifalna reached a gloved hand up to remove the cigarette from his mouth, and look at it, a little disgusted. He protested as she crushed it out under his booted heel.
Toying with the Princess Guard, closely examining the winged head, the woman wearing Cid's body said, "I apologize if I seem rather cold. Being dead, no matter the joy of the Lifestream, can change a person's perspective. You're lucky I haven't turned out like Jessie, the poor girl, going on and on about Cloud and how. . . Sorry." Barret twitched a little at this, but said nothing. "Anyway, I've been sent up here to talk to you about something, but something has changed, too. You'll know about it, soon enough. For now, let's stick to the most important part."
Her voice took on the tone of a school-teacher as she began, holding the Princess Guard up so that everyone could see it clearly. "This is the Princess Guard. It is my physical form, in the corporeal world. You will best understand it as an Ultimate Weapon. Specifically, Aeris. . ." The gruff voice shook a little, and Ifalna paused to take a deep breath. "Aeris's Ultimate Weapon. I am the Princess Guard. I am also an emissary of the Lifestream. One of many."
Reeve spoke up. "If the Lifestream sent you, shouldn't you have the power to stop this all yourself?"
Cid's mouth gave a smile. "You speak as though the Lifestream Itself has sentience of It's own, Mr Reeve." This received a strange grunt from Barret, and a look from Vincent. "I can assure you that It is not one intelligent being, but many. However, this is beside the point. I was sent here in the form of the Princess Guard in order to be a guiding force for Aeris, and in order to aid her in her quest. By lending her my spiritual strength, I was meant to strengthen her magic usage, like that Inverse Barrier you witnessed, earlier. Magic was to be the key to the Planet's salvation. Now, though. . . Things have changed. This wasn't supposed to happen. I don't know how this can be. . ."
Cloud suggested, "Maybe someone has been screwing around with your plans?"
"We haven't planned anything. The timeline itself has been affected, somehow." Cid let out a gusty sigh, which quickly led into a coughing fit. "Cid, I think you should quit smoking. This is doing terrible damage to your lungs."
'S'my body, woman. 'Least, it will be when y'give't back!
Ignoring this, Ifalna went on. "I was meant to be a guide and aid to Aeris, but not to any of you. I cannot be of any help, beyond this. After this, I shall rest, along with my daughter, and you will be left to find your own Ultimate Weapons, and the rest of those chosen by the Planet. Only after that can any of you hope to defeat Jenova."
"We're going to have to kill Sephiroth," said Cloud. It obviously wasn't a question, but Ifalna nodded.
"Yes. He carries Jenova, but Jenova did not choose him, as he seems to think. She was placed there."
Vincent asked, more to himself than anyone else, "Who would place such a thing inside of him?"
Nanaki looked at Cait Sith, and said, "When I was in the Shinra tower, one of your doctors had Jenova in some kind of containment dome. . ."
Reeve said, "Professor Hojo. Damn. I knew Hojo was insane, but I never suspected he'd do a thing like this. . ."
"Hojo. . ." said Vincent, "He's the one who did this to me. Is he behind all of this?"
Unnecessarily, Ifalna answered, "Yes."
Reeve said quietly, "It's all our fault. He works for Shinra. We allowed this."
There was no response. Instead, Ifalna said, "There's something else. The good Captain, whose body I am borrowing, is not the same as you all."
The &#^@ y'talkin' 'bout, "not like'em"!? How'm I different?
She answered the question, addressing everyone. "Cid was never meant to be a part of this, and yet he has become one. However, this does not change the fact that he has not been chosen by the Planet. Instead, he has been selected to be the Lifestream's liason. He will be the man to count on in troubled times, and, upon acquiring his Ultimate Weapon, will become a destructive force unlike anything Jenova can offer."
Cid was speechless.
"What do you mean?" asked Nanaki.
"I mean exactly what I say. He will be like a god, with his Ultimate Weapon, the culmination of all Weapons. The Lifestream has granted this man an unheard-of amount of power."
Yuffie said, "Up until just awhile ago, I'da thought the Lifestream'd try to LIMIT that guy's power. . ."
Another smile. "Not at all, Ms Kisaragi. It is as I say, because it is as the Lifestream says. Trust in his strength, and you can win."
"Can?" sputtered Cloud. "Seems to me that we're certain to win, if what you say is true!"
"Nothing is certain, now, young Mr Strife."
With that, Ifalna/Cid rose to their feet, and said, "Time grows short. Once your Captain has retaken his body, please lay me to rest with my daughter. Then, follow Sephiroth and Jenova to the Great Northern Crater. Good luck, chosen."
Cid hadn't the slightest idea what to say, so he said nothing as he felt himself drawn back to his body. While he was certainly grateful to be able to feel his legs again, the feeling of return was much akin to being reeled in on a hook, he noted uncomfortably. Once back in his body, though, he looked around him at Cloud, Barret, Tifa, Nanaki, Yuffie, Vincent, and the Cait Sith body, now publicly revealed to be piloted by Reeve, Head of Urban Development for Shinra. Now known to be associated with Hojo, the man behind everything that had happened, however indirectly. With everything that had just been heaped on their shoulders, it was no wonder that they were now silent.
Vincent sat there, apparently pondering the less-than-happy reunion that undoubtedly awaited him - if and when they stopped Meteor from destroying the Planet, Hojo was going to have a lot to answer for. Yuffie kept switching her gaze from Cid to Cloud, who stood and stared at Aeris's body, next to the pool of water. Barret and Tifa both seemed lost in their own respective thoughts, Barret staring at Cait Sith, and Tifa staring at Cloud. Nanaki and Reeve both looked at him expectantly.
He looked at Cloud, and said, "Kid. What's the plan?"
"The plan. . ." The young man sniggered in a way that made the hairs on the back of Cid's neck rise to attention. "The Lifestream doesn't even know what's going to happen, and you're asking me what the plan is. . . Well, the plan is we're going to lay Aeris and her mother to rest, and then we're going to do as Ifalna said. We're going to go after Sephiroth, and we're going to kill him. That's the plan." After a moment, he added, "I really shouldn't be doing this at all, after the way he managed to gain control of my actions, down in that temple or whatever it was, but if the Planet thinks I should, who am I to argue?"
Cloud then turned to face him, and said, "Give me the Princess Guard." Cid thought, Later, 'Falna. He got no response. He flipped the weapon to Cloud, and watched as the young man turned and strode toward where he'd laid Aeris. The Captain, lighting another cigarette absently, turned to stare off into the bush. He wouldn't have admitted it to anyone, least of all himself, but Cid was incredibly worried.
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Cloud stood out in the pool, on the edge of a drop-off, as the others looked on in silence. Draped in his arms like a rag-doll was Aeris. He now stood, looking down at Aeris's face. Her eyes had been closed and her blood had begun to coagulate, so now she looked as though she was merely sleeping, except for a terrible pallor in her skin. To Cloud, she was totally beautiful.
He half-expected the tears to come again, but there weren't any tears left. They'd all been shed already. Now, there was only a slack-jawed and dismayed depression inside of him. And anger. He knew anger had no place in Aeris's makeshift funeral service, but there it was. He pushed it down inside. It would get its dues later.
He leaned forward, aware that he could topple into the deep water rather easily, and not entirely sure if he wouldn't just hang onto Aeris, all the way down. He didn't care. He leaned closer to her face, and pressed his lips against hers. He'd never been able to kiss her in life, so he did it now. Then, he lifted his head again, looking down at her sadly. His voice seemed to have gone to the bathroom, so he mouthed the words I love you, Aeris. Goodbye.
He placed the Princess Guard in her grasp, wrapping her rapidly stiffening fingers around the shaft, and made sure she'd hang onto it. When he was as certain as he could be. He removed his arms from beneath her, allowing the water to take on her weight, and spread apart beneath it. She floated on the surface for a moment, and then began to sink. Cloud watched as she sank deeper and deeper. He did not shift his gaze until she was obscured from view.
When she was, he looked up at the others. They were all looking at him. Barret's eyes were red-rimmed, as were Cid's. He didn't say a word as he waded back to dry land. He took a moment to shake some of the water out of his clothes. Then, he said, "Sephiroth's going down."
Everyone began to disperse, turning and filing back out into the city proper. Cid, however, remained behind. "Something wrong, Captain?" asked Cloud, somewhat mockingly.
"Naw. Just think y'should keep'n mind this ain't a matter o' revenge. We got more on our plates'n that." Cid wasn't sure what else to say, so he just closed his mouth and waited for Cloud's response.
Cloud looked at him for a moment, then his face twisted into a snarl. He stepped forward, and grabbed the front of Cid's jacket in both fists. Then, he looked the Captain right in the eye and said, "He killed the only girl I've ever loved, destroyed my home, wrecked my life. What would you do if you were me?"
Cid saw something in the boy's eyes that he hadn't seen at all until now. Resolve burned there like flames in a hearth. "'Bout damn time, kid. Sh'we kick'is ass, then?"
"Let's." Cloud let go of Cid, and walked out. Cid straightened his jacket, and followed.
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Reeve looked at the papers in front of him, and again raised a pen to sign them. Then, he stopped. He shook his head, grabbing the form from his desk, and crumpling it into a ball. He threw it into his wastebasket, in the corner. Three-pointer. For now, he could pretend he hadn't received the forms at all.
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Yes, the Yuffie thing was totally accidental. It just happened, and I agonized for at least a couple days on how I could remedy the situation. I think it worked out okay, as does my creative consultant, FF expert, and slave-driver, Ree-chan. Oh, uh. . . Ignore that last one, lol.
Also, if Luky is reading this, I APOLOGIZE PROFUSELY. Yes, Aeris is very, very dead. If you want Aeris alive, play the Japanese version. It's what the third disc was meant for, rather than those lame-ass Ruby and Emerald Weapons. Cheap bastards. The Weapons, not the Japanese, lol.
And here's the part where I tell you how to get ahold of us with praise, complaints, flames, viruses (me fail English? that's unpossible!), and spam:
-Ree-chan: - email at chaos_vincent21@hotmail.com; also, she's got a guestbook accessible from ree-chan.diaryland.com.
-Master Telanis: - email at deschain5@hotmail.com; also, my guestbook is accessible from guns1inger.diaryland.com (I suggest this one, as my inbox is set to exclusive.