DISCLAIMER: The FF7 characters and their universe still belong to Squaresoft.. *sigh* I'm getting a little tired of this disclaimer business. Anyway, lyrics to the song "Shine" belong to Kemopetrol. The first time I heard that song, my mind screamed: Sephiroth!! Just had to use it, so bear with me.
AUTHOR'S NOTES: This is my first intermission!! I'm so excited!! The actual story will continue in the fifth chapter, but don't you just love dream sequences? As I mentioned before, this is the dream Aeris has while sleeping out, on the plains of Midgar. It's written in the same style as the prologue, a bit at least. (I can't believe how quickly I've been updating!! Am I fast or what!!)
INTERMISSION 1.
It's all around
people blocking their own ways
You said you're tired of delays
It's plain to see maturity
would never be your destiny
A young girl, with curly chestnut-coloured hair, was running up a long hallway. Her movements seemed somehow slowed down, as if in replay. The echo of her breathing and footsteps faded quickly, as though the darkness of the hallway was swallowing them. Suddenly she stopped running, staring at the endless hallway. The walls seemed to be made of the same kind of concrete as the floor and the ceiling, creating an illusion that she was running within a circular tube. The girl reached out her hand, touching the rugged surface of the wall.
Her hand slid through it, her fingers sending out ripples on the concretes surface, as if it was water. After a moments consideration, she stepped through the wall fearlessly. At first, all she was able to see was darkness. Shadows mingled with the sheer black void that surrounded her. When she turned around, she was able to see a brightly glowing lamp in the distance, swaying from side to side like a pendulum. It lit up a tall, heavy looking door.
"Aeris.." A woman's voice whispered her.
"Yeah mum?" The little girl asked, walking calmly towards the door. The closer she came, the more clearly she heard the screeching noises the lamp made as it moved.
So tell me now
what has happened to your face
You've been down the last few days
Seems sad to me how reality
can drill a hole into a fantasy
"Come here.." The voice continued.
The little girl stopped at the door, and stood up on her toes. She leaned against the door, trying to see a glimpse of what was inside. Suddenly she found herself standing in a room filled with grandfather clocks, all ticking. Even though they seemed to be working, the hands never moved from their position. The time was eight o'clock, but the little girl shook her head in disagreement and walked to the nearest clock, trying to turn back the time.
"Come here.." The woman repeated, her voice blending with the deafening sound of dozens of clocks ticking.
"I don't want to. The time's all wrong." The little girl pouted, and sat down on the floor, folding her legs beneath her. "Why do we have to leave him behind, anyway?" The girl asked, from the voice who's source could not be seen even though it came from somewhere closeby.
Cos you're the one
You're the only one
You outshine the sun
You're the only one
You've only just begun
and I'm already done
You're the only one
"How could you be friends with your greatest enemy?" The voice replied. "Now come.. Quickly, for they are looking for you.." The voice said. The little girl stood up, and hid behind one of the clocks. Suddenly the ticking seemed to shift into her own nervous heartbeat, as she saw a man clad in a white laboratory coat walk past her.
"It's medication time, Aeris.. This won't hurt a bit.." A strange male voice announced.
"No, no, I don't want it! It makes me sleepy!" Aeris ran away from the man. She heard his footsteps run after her, and no matter how fast she ran, he always appered to be just a step behind her.
"Don't play games with me, Ancient, you know it's best for everyone.." A man with eye-glasses, who had greasy looking black hair tied unto a messy ponytail, grabbed Aeris. She screamed, but her voice was suppressed by the man's hand covering her mouth.
Bursting out
everything you ever think
What did they pore into your drink
You telling lies would mean goodbyes
to me believing my own eyes
"Guess what this is!" Zack waved a white piece of paper in front of Aeris' face.
"A letter?" Aeris blinked.
"No, silly, it's a job assignment!" Zack said, slightly annoyed with Aeris. "What's with you anyway?" He said, and folded the paper, putting it back into an envelope.
"What do you mean?" Aeris asked, smiling at her boyfriend.
"I just don't get you. You're here, but your thoughts seem to be somewhere else entirely." Zack muttered, raising his hazel-coloured eyes to Aeris'. The glow of Mako in his eyes hypnoticed Aeris, and she stared at him for the longest time. "Usually, anyway.." Zack mused, breaking the tension in the air.
"I'm sorry." Aeris apologized him. "I guess I've been a little preoccupied.." She said, smiling at Zack.
"You can say that again! Anyway, why are you wearing pink again! I thought you liked the violet dress I bought you." Zack measured her with his eyes, a disapproving frown on his face.
"I did.. I just didn't want it to get all dirty out here in the slums." Aeris lied, trying her best not to tell Zack the true reason for her not wearing the violet gown. She didn't feel comfortable in it, and it was more to Zack's taste than hers.
"Anyway.. I'm going to join Sephiroth's team for the next mission." Zack announced proudly.
"Sephiroth.. what a pretty name.." Aeris smiled light-heartedly.
"A pretty name? That's all you have to say about him?" Zack looked at Aeris, baffled by her ignorance.
"Why? Who is he?" Aeris blinked, wondering why this was such a big deal to Zack. In Aeris' opinion, it didn't really matter in who's team Zack was.. They all killed people the same way.
"He's THE Sephiroth! SOLDIER General, you know? I can't believe you haven't heard of him!" Zack raised his voice a little. "He's like the most powerful soldier on the face of the earth! Everybody admires his skills." Zack finished his speach, glancing at Aeris oddly.
"I wish people wouldn't admire killing and war so much.. There's nothing glorious about it." Aeris bowed her head, a little ashamed by her opinion.
"Oh, that's just the sort of thing you'd say!" Zack laughed, wrapping his arm around Aeris' waist. "You'll soon realize, that Shin-Ra knows what's best. With their lead, the world will change for the better." Zack sounded very confident. "I promise you," he said, placing a kiss on Aeris' forehead.
So tell me now
your eyes don't even seem to blink
when your ship's about to sink
wheres and whys and alibis
don't go with your will to surprise
Aeris opened the door, stepping inside a dimly lit laboratory. In the middle of the room, there was a stone altar. A young boy was lying on top of it, seemingly lifeless. Aeris ran towards him, hearing a sound that reminded Aeris of drops of water exploding against the ground. The volume of the sound was so loud, each drop made Aeris twitch unnerved. She watched the boy, as he turned his eyes over to Aeris. He stared at Aeris blankly, his Mako eyes shimmering in the darkness.
"Sephiroth?" Aeris asked, and the boy smiled weakly at her.
"You shouldn't have come. He'll punish you." The boy answered calmly, wincing in pain. His silvery hair fell down the sides of the stone altar, swaying gently as Sephiroth turned his eyes to the ceiling.
"I missed you." Aeris said, feeling the adrenaline gather into her veins.
Finally reaching the altar, she raised her hand to her mouth in horror. The little boy was practically bathed in blood, and it continued to flow freely from a deep cut in his thigh. He looked like a qrotesque offering to some evil god. Aeris stared at the puddle of blood on the laboratory floor, nearly tasting the sultry flavour at the back of her throat. "I think I'm gonna throw up." Aeris turned her back at Sephiroth, placing her hands on her ears, as the horrible sound of blood dripping to the floor continued even more loudly.
"Please stop, stop, stop!!" Aeris shook her head hysterically, turning around just in time to watch the altar transform into the familiar examination table from Hojo's laboratory. "He's killing you.." Aeris felt something twist her heart, and she fell on her knees, unable to cope with the pain.
"He's coming.. You should go before he finds you." Sephiroth said with a quiet voice.
"No! I'm not leaving you here! He's insane!" Aeris felt tears burning her eyes. She noticed she was a little child again, and her hands were shaking furiously as she tried to open the black leather belts holding Sephiroth down. It was no use, she didn't have enough strength to open them.
"Leave.." Sephiroth's breathing was shallow, and his voice seemed like a faraway whisper. Aeris stared at his eerily glowing eyes, admiring the fragile flame of life within them.
"No. I can't." Aeris voice broke, as she felt the pain in her throat grow unbearable.
"Why?" The boy asked, a look of bewilderment on his pale face. Aeris felt tears running down her cheeks.
"Sephy.."
Cos you're the one
You're the only one
You outshine the sun
You're the only one
You've only just begun
and I'm already done
You're the only one
"Sephy! You're alright!" Aeris stood up from the floor, and ran to her friend. After not seeing him for over a week, Aeris faith had been running low. She hugged Sephiroth, clinging onto the taller boy as if her life depended on it.
"Of course I'm--" Sephiroth began, blinking at Aeris' emotional welcoming.
"I thought he killed you this time for sure!" Aeris whispered frightfully, staring up into Sephiroth's eyes worried.
"Aeris--" Sephiroth began again.
"If only I could convince mum there's nothing wrong with you. She's so stubborn.." Aeris interrupted him again.
"H-hey--" Sephiroth opened his mouth, but Aeris hugged him again before he could say anything else. "I wish you could leave with us, when we escape. Then, I'd make sure Hojo never touches you again!" Aeris pouted, taking in the scent of Sephiroth's hair. He smelled like lavender and lilacs.. She rested her head against Sephiroth's shoulder, and breathed the scent in.
Usually she would have thought it was sweet, that Sephiroth didn't know how to react to Aeris' obvious affection. But after what she had witnessed in Hojo's laboratory, one of the dozens of experiments the Professor did on Sephiroth, she felt horrible. Aeris hoped desperately, that he could just wrap his arms around her and somehow convince her it would be alright. But maybe he, like Aeris, knew that it wouldn't. It would never be alright.
"Umm.. So I take it you've been OK?" Sephiroth asked, an uncomfortable tremor in his voice. Aeris felt an involuntary shiver run through her, as she felt the warmth of his breathing against her neck.
"Yeah. I guess Hojo figured it was punishment enough for me to see you in such a state." Aeris answered him, finally pulling back from him. After breaking the contact with Sephiroth's body, she felt somehow incomplete. Like always, when away from him.. "So are we going to the library today? I've missed your reading me all those stories.. Your voice.." Aeris said, sitting down on a sofa.
"Maybe." Sephiroth answered her, and sat down on the opposite side of the sofa.
"What's wrong?" Aeris asked him, a concearned look on her face.
"Uh, it's nothing. Hojo just said something." Sephiroth answered her, trying his best to smile. He failed horribly, as the best he was able to come up with was a lopsided grin.
"What?" Aeris raised her feet on top of the sofa, and faced Sephiroth. "I'm gonna leave this place within a year, they're gonna put me in SOLDIER. Everyone's real excited about it.." Sephiroth's voice seemed bitter somehow.
"But you're not? I mean, it's your way out, isn't it?" Aeris asked the older boy.
"Yeah, I know that's how it looks like.. It's just.." Sephiroth tilted his head slightly, avoiding to look into Aeris' eyes. "I don't like the way Hojo said it. It's almost as if he know's something I don't." He finished, smiling sadly at the floor, his head bowed towards it.
"Don't worry about him. He's just crazy." Aeris tried to cheer up her friend. Sephiroth turned his eyes at her, and they looked at each other for the longest time.
You are the one
Huh. This was such a difficult chapter to write, because I added a few of Aeris' forgotten childhood memories midst that confusion. I'm sure you were able to pick them out? That little scene with Zack also happened.. I love to write dream sequences, because it's easier to add memories into a dream.. Besides, it's a nice change for me. For other dream sequence fans: this won't be the only one in this story. And to those who hated this: chapter five will soon be updated! (..Can't wait for Aeris to wake up, huh?) ^_-