Thrusting his sword outward Sephiroth ran his massive sword through the body of a creature. He ripped it out of the body just in time to do the same to two more. Glancing behind him he cast fire 3 on four that were aproaching him. He stumbled back when he felt a strong pain hit his chest. Not watching a creature had attacked his chect leaveing a large gash in it. Blood dripped down his chest as he strugled to set up. It was only a matter of seconds before Cloud had sliced the creture in half and the rest had been destroyed. He ran his hand down his chest as it glowed a light colour of green and the skin reformed it's self.
"You ok?" Aries called out to him. She still had her staff floting infront of her and it still glowed lightly green from her 'healing wind' limite break.
"I'm fine." He replied calmly. Thats one thing everyone knew about Sephiroth, he could be faceing death and still wouldn't flinch.
"Come on guys." Cloud said "We still have a long way to go, I'm not exacilay eager to spend more then one night out here."

Flowers, they some how always relaxed her. Maybe it was because they were always so pretty and fragrent, or maybe it was because all they wanted was peace. Aeris sighed as she plucked one from the ground and put it in the base of her hair. It was nearing sunset and the group had set up camp for the night. Sephiroth had previously woundered off muttering something about finding a hot spring to was up in.
"Hey Aeris." Aeris smiled at the sound of her friends voice. It had been a while since she had really gotten to talk to Tifa. Tifa walked over and sat down next to Aeris on the log she was setting on and passad her a cup of tea she some how had managed to steal from Cid.
"Why are you over hear all by yourself?"
"I'm just thinking."
"About what? How unlucky you are to get stuck with Sephiroth, or maybe you are lucky...." Aeris slightly blushed but quickly hid it by takeing a sip of her tea.
"Sephiroth has really changed." Tifa contuned "It's like he's a completly different person. Their's something diferent about him, you can really see it when he lookes at your Aeris."
"What do you mean?" Aeris asked a little shocked.
"I don't know, it's just like he really mean to portect you and isn't just trying to pass some test, or use us, or something like that."
"Tifa, Sephiroth is true to his word he really is on our side!"
"I know it seems like that Aeris, but come on he did kill you after all. Hes the reason that so many people got killed, that so much suffering happened."
"It wasn't him! Jenova was countrolling him! Why can't you guys see that!" Aeris stood up running towards the woods not really sure what else to do.
"Aeris! Stop I didn't mean to affend you! Don't go it's dangerious in the woods by yourself! Aeris!" Tifa sighed. Deep down she knew what Aeris said was true but she couldn't bring herself to admit. It was because of Sephiroth that her home town had gotten destroyed and she had lost her father, but if what Aeris said was true it wasn't him. It was Jenova.
Aeris sighed it wasn't fair, they never even gave him a chance. It was true in his past life that he had caused thousands of people pain, but that wasn't him. She clenched her fist
"Oh... there so struben sometimes I just want to screm!" she dropped down setting on a rock holding her head in her hand.
"This all makes no sence. I not even sure why I'm so strongly defending him. Maybe it's because he's gone through so much pain." She closed her eyes picturing his strong body and long silver hair falling down his back. She remembered how gently he held her when they were being sent to earth.
"What am I thinking! I don't like him! I don't! I don't I don't! I....do." She shook her head
"No, don't get messed up into things like that Aeris!" She comanded herself "Your just confused, thats all."
Quickly jumping from the rock she was setting on Aeris scremed. Something had just slashed her acrost her back and it was bleeding heavely. She quickly turned around comeing face to face with a poisoned wolf. It bared it's fangs, foom dropping from it's mouth.
"My Staff, Shoot I left it at the camp!" She cursed and grabbed the nearest stick. Jumping backwards she doged the wolf's next attact.She dogged the next attack by no more then a few cememters. The gash running down her back was growing worse and more blood seeped out by the minute. She swung her stick outward striking the creature acrost the head. The wolf took no notice of the attack and grabbed the stick from Aeris's hands with it's fangs, breaking it in two.
"No, bad dog!" She yelled as a faint attempt to startle the creature "Not good! Not good! I need help! Cloud, Tifa, SEPHIROTH!!!"

Sephiroth soaked in the warm heat of a natural hot spring. the warmth of the water mad his mucles feel better and put his mind at ease. Though no matter what he though of his mind always drifted back to one thing, Aeris. He never knew any one that care about him, never. Sure he had thousands of people that looked up to him, people who wanted to be just like him. This was different though, Aeris cared about him, not his strength. Not once did she accuse of his past, or juge his blood stained hands.
*SEPHIRTOH!* He quickly opne his eyes, he defently had herd Aeris's voice. Although it wasn't like he normally would, it almost seemed to come with inside his mind *Sephiroth help me!* He jumpped out of the warm water and pulled on his pair of pants. *Please Sephiroth.* He quickly grabbed his sword and tryied to talk to Aeris like she had talked to him.
*I'll be right there, hold on!*
*Sephiroth? Is that you?*
*No it's the lockness monster, of course it's me!*
*But how? What- Ahhhhhhhggggggg! Sephiroth help!*
*Hang on!*
"What on earth is going on!" This time speaking to himself and not thinking to Aeris. He ran through the woods untill he reached the battle. He slickly jumpped up into a tree and scouted the battle. Aeris was down on her knees, she was bleeding heavly and crying. A big strong creature called a poisoned wolf was about to strike her again.
"Not if I can help it!" Jumping down from the tree limb Sephitoth swung his massimum outward striking the wolf acrost the back. The wolf turned from Aeris and lunged towards Sephiroth. Not giveing it a chance to strike him Sephiroth cast a ice3 spell on it freezing it in it's spot. He looked over at Aeris and softly spoke.
"Close your eyes, I don't want you to see me smash this, frozen goar can be upsetting." With tears streaming down her face Aeris nodded and sheled her face behind her hands. With one swift punch Sephiroth shattered the creature, scattering forzen blood in the souround area. He walked over infront of Aeris and looked down on her. He closed his eyes running the inchantation over in his head, then realeasing it. The cure 3 spell sparkled over Aeris' skin, the damaged skin fitting back together.
*Aeris, can you hear me?* With out unshealding her hands from her face she thought back to him.
*Sephiroth? What's going on? How come I can hear you, when your not even talking?*
*I'm not sure, it seems like we can talk through our minds.* Aeris stured, still not removing her hands from her face.
*Sephiroth, thank you. If you didn't show up I would have failed my quest. I'm not exacially eager to die again.*
*I'll always be here for you, it's my duty, remember?
*Is, is that your only reason?* The tone in her thought changed slightly. Though Aeris still had her hands covering her face she could almost sense Sephiroth Blushing. He smiled and reached his arms out to her, offering to carry her back. He spoke, his voice quite and calming.
"Come on Aeris, I'm sure your friends are starting to worry about you. I don't want then coming to any brutal conclusions." She took her hands off her face and reached up to him, her eyes still closed. He picked her up in his arms, holding her close to him. She snuggled closer to him, for the first time realizing he was shirt-less. A small blush crept acost her face as she spoke softly.
"Sephiroth?"
"Hm?"
"You're not wearing a shirt." He chuckled.
"Yes, I've realised this. I didn't have time to put it on when I heard you calling me." She opened her eyes and looked up at him.
"It's ok, I don't mind." She yawned and closed her eyes "Your much more comfortable this way."

It was another twenty minutes before Sephiroth made it back to there camp. Aeris had fallen asleep in Sephiroth's arms and was dreaming peacefully. Gentile he laid her down close to the fire and covered her up with a blanked he had found close to the fire. For a few seconds he found himself admiring her beautiful features. How her hair gentally fell out of the poney tail she had it pulled up in.
"Sephiroth." The voice was emotionless, not treating, but not welcoming. With out turning around he knew who it belonged to.
"What do you want Vincent?" He replied back in the same tone.
"I need to ask you a few things." Attempting not to wake the sleeping girl Sephiroth stood up and followed Vincent to another side of the fire.
"What is it that you wanted Vincent?" Sephiroth asked emotionless.
"I want to know who Aeris' other guardians are."
"Why don't you just ask her?"
"She chooses not to tell anyone."
"So you go behind her back?" Sephiroth smirked "There's more you want to ask me, isn't there?" Vincent's eyes narrowed.
"You swore to protect Aeris-"
"Yes I did." Sephiroth cut him off.
"But I was thinking about it. If you didn't protect Aeris the Centra would put you back into your own personal hell, correct?"
"Yes, that's right."
"If you fail this mission that's where you will also go, right?"
"Yes, what are you getting at?"
"You said it yourself earlier. No matter what you do you'll never be able to make up for what you've done, so even when your done this mission you'll go back to you hell." Sephiroth glared at him dangerously.
"Sephiroth, what I'm trying to ask you is why are you even doing this? Never before have you ever worried about the planet, or someone's life. Through out the last two day I've seen a whole different side of you. You almost seem to care." Vincent smiled, almost a smiled two old friends would exchange.
"I heard some where that only ones with true emotions can enter the promise lands, true emotions, not ones that are false. As I seen, you seem to be passing the test wonderfully."
"You want to know what I feel for her, correct?" Sephiroth said back, in an almost friendly tone.
"Exically." Vincent replied. Sephiroth turned away from him
"That's none of your concern." Vincent smirked as her watched the younger man walk over towards Aeris and . He sat down close to her, propping himself up against a rock and temporally closing his eyes. Barely speaking load enough for even himself to hear Vincent spoke.
"General Sephiroth, The one winged Angel, if only your real mother could see you know."