Chapter 3

I woke up late in the morning. When I sat up in my bed, Aeris was already gone from the room. I stood up, putting on a housecoat and slippers, and walked out into the kitchen. There, I found Aeris wearing a big t-shirt of mine that I had leant to her to wear to bed, that looked so cute on her. She was brewing some coffee and frying bacon.

"Good morning!" she said cheerfully, "You like to sleep in, huh?"

"Yeah, sorry," I answered groggily, "Whatcha up to?"

"Oh I'm just making some breakfast. It'll be ready soon."

"You know, you just got resurrected from the dead. I'm not gonna make you prepare all my meals and clean my house, you know!"

She laughed her always genuine laugh, "That's quite alright, Cloud. I should be earning my rent anyway."

Geez, was she ever sweet! I was afraid she might have seen me staring starry-eyed at her beauty and grace. because there WAS so much of it!

"Oh, and do you suppose I might be able to do some shopping today? I really need some clothes." she said indicating to the big Save the Rain Forest! t-shirt she was wearing, "Where do you get this stuff anyway?"

I shook my head. "You'd never believe me if I told you!" I said with a laugh. She laughed too and the whole room lit up.

"Whoops!" she said looking back to the stove, "The bacon's almost burnt! Breakfast is ready!"

~~~~~**********~~~~~

The day passed by very well. We were both happy, and we sort of resembled a tourist couple on vacation, investigating all the native shops of the town. The beautiful grand stone steps leading down from the villa were alone a source of admiration and interest to Aeris, as she gazed at them with the strangest expression, as I if they had some significance. But I truly wished that we could be called a "tourist couple" at the very least, but I was much too shy to even propose such a thing with Aeris. She was just. way beyond me. I'd just let things come to me as they did.

We had a great day, as we looked around all the little shops and sipped coffee in the small cafés. But one experience of the day sticks out in my mind more than the others. It was right after Aeris and I had left a boutique of scented candles and other feminine things that I have no interest in that I came across the next store.

"Wow!" said Aeris with a giggle as I helped her carry the numerous bags full of chocolate, cinnamon, cinnamon bun and vanilla scented candles, "I never knew there were so many different scents in the world. I mean, who's ever heard of bumble berry?"

"I have no clue!" I answered brightly, "You sure know how to empty your pockets though!"

"It's a vice of mine."

We walked to the biggest store in town: the ritzy department store, where Aeris needed to buy some clothes and stuff from. Inside, clerks and clothes racks alike greeted us as we looked around in awe. The store was world famous. Even Midgar, the world's largest city, didn't have such a big department store as this.

Aeris scurried over, leading the way, to the women's section to pick out some, er, lingerie. stuff.

"Do you think this is more of my color, or would the pale yellow one suit me better?" she asked seriously, as she held up a pink bra. I wondered who would be looking anyway but then I just hoped that she was trying to hint at something.

"Uh, I, uh," I faltered as I scratched the back of my head, "Iunno. I gotta go buy some socks and stuff like that."

"No, wait!" Aeris persisted, as she put down the bra and picked up a slinky, silky, sexy nightgown, that I would have really liked to see her in, "Do you think this would look good on me?"

I did my best to keep my jaw from dropping, but my best just wasn't good enough. "Uh-huh." If I was already so interested in the nightgown alone, imagine how I'd be seeing Aeris IN it!!

"You better try it on first though," I told her very matter-of-factly, getting my hopes up that maybe she would listen to my advice.

"Nah," she unfortunately disagreed, "I gotta get through all this shopping quick. It's my size anyway; it should fit!"

Too bad, I thought. Oh, well! It's always good to save the best for last anyway!

~~~~~**********~~~~~

After a long day of doing pure girl stuff, Aeris and I retired to my villa, shopping bags in hand. She had spent a few hundred dollars on clothes alone, using the excuse that she had lost weight when she died and none of her old clothes would've fit her. I think that she had just gotten really excited when she saw how much money she had left in her bank account (which apparently doesn't close when you die) and gone mad with the shopping. Either way, the outcome was good for me.

As we settled in for bed, she did exactly what I had hoped she'd do and asked me what I thought of her new pink negligee. When I looked up to see, I wasn't really, um, giving her full eye contact.

"Uh-huh." was all I said.

"You don't think it kinda makes me look fat around the waist and hips?" she asked, totally oblivious to my true concern.

"Uh-uh," I answered, still not looking her at all in the eye.

She sighed. "Well, I guess I can take your judgment for it. I mean, you know what's fat and what's not. right?"

The rest I didn't hear, though it was plentiful. My thoughts, and vision, were, ahem, elsewhere. Finally, to my discontent, she quit asking me strange questions about her weight which I only half-answered, and got into her bed to start reading a Cosmopolitan magazine and the amusing negligee was out of view. I, on the other hand, went over to the washroom to brush my teeth and get ready for bed.

While I stood brushing my teeth and thinking of Aeris and some stuff about her, I felt the oddest sensation. The thin hairs on the back of my neck started to stand on end and a cold, chilling breeze seemed to sweep across the washroom from nowhere, rustling through my spiky hair. Fear was the next emotion to course its way through my blood stream as I dreaded what was to come next.

No, no! I thought, This can't be happening. Not now.

But it was happening and it was too late. I had spent the few precious seconds I had had to gain control of myself thinking stupid thoughts about Aeris, and things she would never do. I could already feel that black cloud descend over my mind and envelope it into its control. Now it was too late, and things were about to get bad.

"Oh, Aeris!" called the strange, deep voice that I recognize from my dream that came jutting from my throat and out through my lips, sopping with poisonous tone, "Won't you come here please?"

"Yeah?" she called from the bedroom, as I frantically prayed I wouldn't hurt her, "What is it?"

"I need some help getting a knot out of my shoelace. you have long nails, right?" What a lie; and a bad one at that.

"Well, alright. I'll try," she agreed as I heard her get up out of the bed she should have never left and walk my way.

I felt a malicious smile curl its way onto my lips as that poor, innocent creature stood in front of me. Her cute little nightgown highlighted her nice points, but even that I hardly noticed at that time.

"Mm-hmm," spoke my mouth in some sort of agreement, "I think I understand now."

"Understand what?" asked Aeris, without even suspecting that something was wrong.

"Understand why he chose you, my dear," I said as my hand touched her chin and neck so perversely.

She was quiet for a minute before she backed away cautiously. "What are you doing, Cloud?"

"Something wrong?" I asked in such an aggravating, know-it-all, bastard tone.

But Aeris just merely lowered her head and spoke quietly. "No, it's fine. Now, uh. where's that shoelace?"

"STUPID GIRL!" I suddenly yelled unexpectedly, "Let's see how strong your bond will be after this!" At that, I gave Aeris, who had done nothing, a hard hit to the collarbone, which sent her flying to the other side of the room. She hit her head against the bed frame and lay motionless. My inside was panicking, but my outside seemed so detestably cool and collected. I walked over to where she lay and stood above her, as if I were so superior to her.

"That ought to show you, bitch!" came the horrible uncontained yell from my throat, just before I spat on her to show dispect.

She stirred slightly and opened her eyes to look up at me; and I could tell that she looked at the real ME and not just at the body that was not at that moment mine. "You'll never break the bond, Sephiroth," came her voice, quietly but with strength, "You haven't defeated Cloud yet and you won't!"

"Shut up!" I yelled again as I gave her a hard blow to the cheek, which after she didn't move. Then, as things must have done for her, they went black for me and I saw nothing more.