~Chapter 3
Aerith slowly opened her eyes, her eyes adjusting well this time to the light. The place she was in looked very small, the wooden walls and floors looking about ready to crumble. She was on the only bed in the place, and Sephiroth was nowhere to be found. She looked over at the hole that she supposed was one a door, and saw only bright light. Curiously, she got up out of the bed and headed for the door.
Aerith gasped. The place was beautiful. It seemed as if there was a crystal city beneath her. She stood on what looked like a floating crystal step. There were more that made a spiraling staircase to the city below.
"The City of the Ancients..." She breathed, stunned.
"Go look at it if that is your wish..." Sephiroth's calm voice sounded from behind her, "You're friends aren't here yet, so it is no use to kill you this instant."
Aerith frowned, "I doubt you were really planning to kill me from the beginning..."
Sephiroth growled and was at her throat in an instant, "Know this... I am only keeping you alive so I can kill you in front of your friends... I don't NEED you here. As far as I'm concerned, you are a hindrance, nothing but unnecessary luggage I could toss whenever I see fit." His cold mako eyes narrowed before he released her, Aerith collapsing to her knees, holding her throat, her breath coming in short gasps.
Sephiroth turned away from her, his voice curt and cold, "Go down and take a look at the city. It will be the last thing you ever see."
Without looking back, Aerith fled down the crystal steps, clasping her hurt throat.
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Aerith knelt by the water, closing her eyes. She could hear it... the planet... It was telling her she was close. Close to a place that could change the fate of the world.
She followed the planet's voice, going higher and higher up along the tiered city. The she saw what the planet was screaming about to her... It was an alter, looking over all the city. A beam of light struck the center of the alter.
Aerith struggled to listen, "I... I don't understand... What am I supposed to do...? Ancients... planet... I do not understand..."
Then one word came, clear as crystal... pray...
Aerith looked up into the light in confusion, "Pray? Pray for what...?" She looked down, "I don't understand..."
"Don't understand what?"
Aerith turned to face the owner of the cold, domineering voice, "I don't understand why you brought me here..."
Sephiroth looked out across the city, "Look at it. It's beautiful, isn't it...? I thought this was the perfect place to be your resting place. Don't you agree...?"
Aerith nodded, avoiding the subject of death, "It is beautiful... Hard to believe that a monster like you could appreciate beauty, though."
Sephiroth swung around to look at her, his eyes radiating anger and the promise of death, but then he smirked, "I appreciate many beautiful things..." He gave her a pointed look before going back up to the house they had begun in.
That pointed glance did not escape Aerith's vision, and she blushed scarlet. Was he talking about her? Aerith rolled her eyes and then looked back up into the light bathing the alter. What should she pray for? Maybe after more sleep, she'd come back for the answer...
Well, I know it is short, but I hope you liked it! R&R!!
