Destroyed
~
Chapter 19: In The End
(short chapter alert!)
~
~
"Turn it inside out so I can see,
The part of you that's drifting over me..
When I wake you're not there,
When I sleep you're everywhere.."
Michelle Branch
~
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Leon straightened from the girl who breathed evenly in and out and looked across at the shadowy man.
Cloud, come running back in at the nick of time.. who's nick though?
The man was locked in some kind of strange state, staring at the figure of Aeris who stood with her back to the brilliant green blaze, her eyes tilted upwards and half shut in some kind of ecstacy. The roar of the flames and the silence that slowly grew inside him wanted to explode. He wanted to shout or scream or anything.
~ Aeris! Can't you see the damage you're doing?! Can't you see the pain, god damn you..~
His hand tightened over the gunblade handle, with the faint creak of leather. The bandages about his chest seemed an affront and the pain of his pent up anger was actually hurting him so much he was gritting his teeth.
He wondered if he could go over there and shake some sense into her.
~ You've killed Cid! You've wounded Yuffie twice! Wake up, take control! ~
But as the girl lowered her eyes, glowing and glittering he knew that his Aeris wasn't in there, wasn't in control and the smile painted over pastel pink lips wasn't hers but something wholly sinister and evil.
The very image of someone he loved, so sweet and pure was chilling him to the bone.. coloured evil in the glare of life.
"Sephiroth," Cloud began in his shaking voice, and Leon made slow steps over to where the man in the cloak was stood, never once taking his hand off the gunblade and never once looking away from Aeris.. from Sephiroth. "It's nice to speak again.."
Aeris barked a laugh and the voice emerging from deep within her voicebox was twisted and chordal, with disgusting jarring notes instead of a beautiful symphony he had grown used to.
"Nice, Strife? Maybe for you, basking in my presence again."
"Yeah, breasts were always a good look for you," the blond man bravely taunted and the effect was visible, a faint twitching of the muscles about the mouth and a strange and almost feral look entering Aeris' eyes.. but it was quickly swallowed up.
"Don't be jealous if I happen to be *inside* the one you wanted, Strife. You too Leonheart.." the smile became wicked and Leon noted Cloud didn't even flicker an eyelid at that statement.
~ Good GOD the man is like ice. Sephiroth just admitted.. that I.. wanted his.. love.. ~
Still choking on it, he didn't manage to miss the next words.
"Explanations would be good right about now Seph.. we can't harm you and you know it. Why Aeris? Why all this?"
Slim hands came down from the necklace and smoothed themselves down Aeris' chest, flattening the material over her slim breasts and then down over the lower and much more gentle curves of her slim hips, moulding the pink material to her legs and groinal area with almost arousing accuracy. "Why not.."
Clearing his throat slightly, Cloud moved a step closer in an attempt to look threatening. "Sephiroth!"
"Tut tut, tut.. anger management would do you some good, puppet.." But the hands stopped and Aeris' expression took on that of a teacher talking to a pupil, a particularly dense pupil. "Here is where the world was wounded, and scarred. Here is where the great powers of Jenova scored deep down into the planets core and opened up the rift of creation. On his world," a small finger pointed at Leon, much to the swordsman's surprise, "it was much the same with the Lunar Cry, the creatures falling down and creating chaos, havoc and eventually destruction. It opened the way for the timestream. The two streams met across time and space and created this, a rift where shadows came and were born."
"Shadows...?"
"Heartless."
Leon froze, almost guiltily. The heartless. Born from deep within planets and set free to eat the world, were born because of two events that had struck in tandem on two worlds of pure magic, of legends and strange powers.. It was all, their fault? As his guilt spread over him life a fire, his expression darkened quickly.
A hand of metal was placed coolly over his, and lifting his own smoky blue eyes he met the quizzical blue eyes of Cloud.
"No, it's alright."
"But, we..."
"We couldn't have helped it. It was an accident, alright? A long time ago, who would have known the repurcussions.."
His words made sense, and letting go of the tight grip he had on the blade, he nodded. "Of course."
"Boys?" cackled the soft tones of Sephiroth, and they looked over at the grinning face of Aeris. "You're forgetting one minor thing."
"We are..?" said Cloud slowly.
"Here," she waved an arm at the green blaze, "is the nexus of those two powers. All I would have to do is cast myself into their reborn fury and I, shall become a God, above all others.. with this body."
Cloud looked back at Leon, and lowered his voice. "What do we do?"
"I don't know. I would suggest.. wounding Aeris."
"She's a magic user, it would be too hard to-"
"Cloud, what else do we have left to rely on? What else? Magic isn't everything!"
"I.."
"Trust me," he said with a slow smile, mouth unused to it. His hand was firm on the other man's shoulder and then the mercenary nodded too.
Now he understood it. Everything else was just training, in how to resist magic and the sorceress, everything else was just childs play. Lifting his sword with no amount of bitterness, he looked up and took in what he assumed would be the last sight of Aeris. The green flames and the brightness of her eyes.
This was his choice.
Behind him a shade of a girl in blue smiled gently, and whispered, "Well done.. Knight.."
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
It was so small that she hadn't noticed at first.
A tiny sliver of light that she could barely pass her smallest finger through, but with the expulsion of light into the dark the cries of the shades became excited and suddenly hope filled and rushing forwards they began to eagerly help beat against the blackness. Their fists were solid and their passions exulted them to levels of new hope, and bit by slow bit the crack widened.
It brought with it smells of sulphur and burning, the taste of sweat on licked lips and the feeling of being cold over her arms. Ice, was a trademark of Sephiroth's magic casting, and with fear she knew he had been using her magic even more.
As her ghosts worked their magic on the crack, and began to prepare herself.
She knew the banishing spell, it had been a while since she had been forced to use it on anyone, not since the temple. It drew a lot out of her to be sure, but it was effective and ensured that she would have control of her own body again, once it was done.
Her mind was blank but she held her hands close to her chest as she whispered, nodding thoughtfully now and then at regular intervals.
This was her chance, this was her only way.. and slowly sound returned to her ears..
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
"...And so," Aeris lifted her hand, her eyes glittering with green malice, "this is how it ends, puppet.. and how fitting.. how fitting indeed."
Cloud stared wordlessly as ice began to form over the delicate fingers, shards spiking round Aeris' face and frosting down her perfect cheekbones, Leon at his side shaking his head.
Now or never, now or-
"No."
The hand faltered, ice receeding as another hand was placed atop it.
Cloud forced himself to hold in a cry, as loving ruby red eyes locked firmly with his for a second, then turned their wild kindness down into the green ones.. and with a slight smile the shade whispered again, "In the end, Sephiroth.. no.."
(( I know it's short, but.. we're onto the last 3 chaps now!!! Love you all for r'n'ring and please keep it up. I love hearing what you all think. Thanks from me to you! Bhrynny xx ))
~
Chapter 19: In The End
(short chapter alert!)
~
~
"Turn it inside out so I can see,
The part of you that's drifting over me..
When I wake you're not there,
When I sleep you're everywhere.."
Michelle Branch
~
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Leon straightened from the girl who breathed evenly in and out and looked across at the shadowy man.
Cloud, come running back in at the nick of time.. who's nick though?
The man was locked in some kind of strange state, staring at the figure of Aeris who stood with her back to the brilliant green blaze, her eyes tilted upwards and half shut in some kind of ecstacy. The roar of the flames and the silence that slowly grew inside him wanted to explode. He wanted to shout or scream or anything.
~ Aeris! Can't you see the damage you're doing?! Can't you see the pain, god damn you..~
His hand tightened over the gunblade handle, with the faint creak of leather. The bandages about his chest seemed an affront and the pain of his pent up anger was actually hurting him so much he was gritting his teeth.
He wondered if he could go over there and shake some sense into her.
~ You've killed Cid! You've wounded Yuffie twice! Wake up, take control! ~
But as the girl lowered her eyes, glowing and glittering he knew that his Aeris wasn't in there, wasn't in control and the smile painted over pastel pink lips wasn't hers but something wholly sinister and evil.
The very image of someone he loved, so sweet and pure was chilling him to the bone.. coloured evil in the glare of life.
"Sephiroth," Cloud began in his shaking voice, and Leon made slow steps over to where the man in the cloak was stood, never once taking his hand off the gunblade and never once looking away from Aeris.. from Sephiroth. "It's nice to speak again.."
Aeris barked a laugh and the voice emerging from deep within her voicebox was twisted and chordal, with disgusting jarring notes instead of a beautiful symphony he had grown used to.
"Nice, Strife? Maybe for you, basking in my presence again."
"Yeah, breasts were always a good look for you," the blond man bravely taunted and the effect was visible, a faint twitching of the muscles about the mouth and a strange and almost feral look entering Aeris' eyes.. but it was quickly swallowed up.
"Don't be jealous if I happen to be *inside* the one you wanted, Strife. You too Leonheart.." the smile became wicked and Leon noted Cloud didn't even flicker an eyelid at that statement.
~ Good GOD the man is like ice. Sephiroth just admitted.. that I.. wanted his.. love.. ~
Still choking on it, he didn't manage to miss the next words.
"Explanations would be good right about now Seph.. we can't harm you and you know it. Why Aeris? Why all this?"
Slim hands came down from the necklace and smoothed themselves down Aeris' chest, flattening the material over her slim breasts and then down over the lower and much more gentle curves of her slim hips, moulding the pink material to her legs and groinal area with almost arousing accuracy. "Why not.."
Clearing his throat slightly, Cloud moved a step closer in an attempt to look threatening. "Sephiroth!"
"Tut tut, tut.. anger management would do you some good, puppet.." But the hands stopped and Aeris' expression took on that of a teacher talking to a pupil, a particularly dense pupil. "Here is where the world was wounded, and scarred. Here is where the great powers of Jenova scored deep down into the planets core and opened up the rift of creation. On his world," a small finger pointed at Leon, much to the swordsman's surprise, "it was much the same with the Lunar Cry, the creatures falling down and creating chaos, havoc and eventually destruction. It opened the way for the timestream. The two streams met across time and space and created this, a rift where shadows came and were born."
"Shadows...?"
"Heartless."
Leon froze, almost guiltily. The heartless. Born from deep within planets and set free to eat the world, were born because of two events that had struck in tandem on two worlds of pure magic, of legends and strange powers.. It was all, their fault? As his guilt spread over him life a fire, his expression darkened quickly.
A hand of metal was placed coolly over his, and lifting his own smoky blue eyes he met the quizzical blue eyes of Cloud.
"No, it's alright."
"But, we..."
"We couldn't have helped it. It was an accident, alright? A long time ago, who would have known the repurcussions.."
His words made sense, and letting go of the tight grip he had on the blade, he nodded. "Of course."
"Boys?" cackled the soft tones of Sephiroth, and they looked over at the grinning face of Aeris. "You're forgetting one minor thing."
"We are..?" said Cloud slowly.
"Here," she waved an arm at the green blaze, "is the nexus of those two powers. All I would have to do is cast myself into their reborn fury and I, shall become a God, above all others.. with this body."
Cloud looked back at Leon, and lowered his voice. "What do we do?"
"I don't know. I would suggest.. wounding Aeris."
"She's a magic user, it would be too hard to-"
"Cloud, what else do we have left to rely on? What else? Magic isn't everything!"
"I.."
"Trust me," he said with a slow smile, mouth unused to it. His hand was firm on the other man's shoulder and then the mercenary nodded too.
Now he understood it. Everything else was just training, in how to resist magic and the sorceress, everything else was just childs play. Lifting his sword with no amount of bitterness, he looked up and took in what he assumed would be the last sight of Aeris. The green flames and the brightness of her eyes.
This was his choice.
Behind him a shade of a girl in blue smiled gently, and whispered, "Well done.. Knight.."
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
It was so small that she hadn't noticed at first.
A tiny sliver of light that she could barely pass her smallest finger through, but with the expulsion of light into the dark the cries of the shades became excited and suddenly hope filled and rushing forwards they began to eagerly help beat against the blackness. Their fists were solid and their passions exulted them to levels of new hope, and bit by slow bit the crack widened.
It brought with it smells of sulphur and burning, the taste of sweat on licked lips and the feeling of being cold over her arms. Ice, was a trademark of Sephiroth's magic casting, and with fear she knew he had been using her magic even more.
As her ghosts worked their magic on the crack, and began to prepare herself.
She knew the banishing spell, it had been a while since she had been forced to use it on anyone, not since the temple. It drew a lot out of her to be sure, but it was effective and ensured that she would have control of her own body again, once it was done.
Her mind was blank but she held her hands close to her chest as she whispered, nodding thoughtfully now and then at regular intervals.
This was her chance, this was her only way.. and slowly sound returned to her ears..
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
"...And so," Aeris lifted her hand, her eyes glittering with green malice, "this is how it ends, puppet.. and how fitting.. how fitting indeed."
Cloud stared wordlessly as ice began to form over the delicate fingers, shards spiking round Aeris' face and frosting down her perfect cheekbones, Leon at his side shaking his head.
Now or never, now or-
"No."
The hand faltered, ice receeding as another hand was placed atop it.
Cloud forced himself to hold in a cry, as loving ruby red eyes locked firmly with his for a second, then turned their wild kindness down into the green ones.. and with a slight smile the shade whispered again, "In the end, Sephiroth.. no.."
(( I know it's short, but.. we're onto the last 3 chaps now!!! Love you all for r'n'ring and please keep it up. I love hearing what you all think. Thanks from me to you! Bhrynny xx ))