(Author's Note: Yeah…this chapter is not good if you are an Aeris fan…trust me…anyone else can get the idea of what happens in this story by this note…oh well…here is chapter 22!)
Disclaimer: FF7 and Squaresoft are not mine. Rueh belongs to Rueh. Dete and Ezra are mine.
Chapter 22
'Don't you worry…let me take care of Sephiroth…' Her words echoed through his head as he watched the ground below them as the Highwind sped onward.
'Why Aeris? Why did you not wait for us?' Cloud shook his head to clear it.
Nearby Ezra was sitting against the wall. She never took off her cloak so no one knew what she looked like. She hardly ever said anything unless her opinion was asked. She was as puzzling to him as Vincent was. But…he laughed to himself at this…Rueh and Dete seemed to understand their silence perfectly.
'Strange how 2 six year olds can understand the feelings of adults that I can't,' he thought with a smirk.
"Bone Village in 5 minutes," Cid said breaking Cloud out of his thoughts.
Tifa walked over to stand next to him. "She'll be fine," she said.
"I hope so Tifa," Cloud said. She hugged him briefly then walked over to wake Rueh up.
-5 minutes later-
"We need to go into the Sleeping Forest," Cloud said.
"How do we do that?" Yuffie asked.
"There is a harp called the lunar harp…it will wake the forest when played," Red said.
"Where is this harp?" Dete asked.
"You'll have to dig for it," a man said as he walked up to the group.
"You're kidding…right?" Rueh said.
"Nope. We don't know where it is," he said.
"Oh well…let's start digging!" Rueh said. She ran off followed closely by Dete to start digging.
"Let's get to work," Barret said.
****
"I FOUND IT!!!"
"Hey…I think Rueh found it you guys," Cid said.
"Really? I couldn't tell," Cait Sith said dully.
They walked over to where Rueh was sitting beside a big pile of dirt. "Here ya go," she said handing it to Cloud.
"Good job. Now let's go after Aeris," he said turning to face the forest entrance.
****
'…oh planet…it is time now…' Slowly she opened her dark green eyes and met the glowing blue eyes in front of her. She smiled at him and looked past him. The others were gathered around the bottom of the staircase that led them to this crystal place. She looked back at Cloud feeling the dark shadow above her. It suddenly moved. She looked deep into Cloud's eyes…
His eyes widened and he stared at the 2 on the alter. Slowly very slowly glowing bright green eyes in a face framed by long silver hair met Cloud's eyes. A wicked grin slowly spread across his face.
"No more interference," he said in a soft deadly tone.
"No!" Cloud ran forward and caught Aeris as she slumped forward. Her eyes were already closed but the soft gentle smile was still on her face. Cloud looked up and glared at Sephiroth. "I'll kill you…I'll kill you…I'LL KILL YOU!" he yelled.
Sephiroth merely smirked and disappeared. Almost unnoticed a white/green orb fell into the lake below the alter. Cloud slowly stood with Aeris in his arms and turned to the others who were just staring at what had happened. Slowly they began the climb back up the stairs. Ezra stood still until they were almost at the top.
She walked to the edge of the lake and looked into the water. She looked back at the top of the stairs. Rueh and Dete looked back at her. She turned her back on them and dove into the water…after the materia. Rueh and Dete looked at each other and nodded.
****
The group sat silently on the deck of the Highwind. No one felt like talking. Tifa was hugging Cloud. Cait Sith was patting Yuffie's shoulder. Vincent sat beside Rueh and Dete. Red was next to the cloaked Ezra. Cid and Barret were standing with their heads bowed.
"Why?" Yuffie finally broke the thick silence with one word.
"I don't know…was it because she was an ancient?" Cid said looking up.
"That could be but what was she doing on the alter?" Tifa asked.
"She was praying," Red said.
"What?" Barret asked looking up.
"She was praying to Holy. Perhaps her pray can stop meteor," Red said looking up at the object in the sky.
"I don't really care what she was doing…Sephiroth killed her!" Cloud said.
"Yes Cloud he did…but…" Vincent started quietly.
"He had no right to do this!"
"No he didn't…but he's not in his right mind," Ezra spoke up for the first time that day.
"What?" Cloud asked narrowing his eyes at her.
"The thoughts in his head…they are not his own. He is being used like a puppet just like his has used you," she said quietly.
"You don't know what you're talking about…or are you siding with him?"
"I'm not siding with him…I'm just saying…"
"Your opinion was not asked for."
She sat up straighter. "Ver…very well," she said.
"Cid. Let's go," Cloud said.
"Where too?" Cid asked.
"…the Northern Crater."
****
