Return of the Sinned; Part 2
"Ya know, the runt's been out there for almost three days now. When you gonna go out there and smack some sense into him?"
Barret leaned against the house lightly and peered at the lone figure standing in the middle of the yard. Kalm was so peaceful now, even Barret had settled down here with Marlene. The small house was set against the endless meadows of the area around old Midgar and was so serene. Tifa brushed some strands from her face as a slight breeze teased her hair and she stared out at the figure also. She took a deep breath and clasped her hands in front of her, watching every move that Cloud made. She didn't answer Barret's question.
For the time being, Cloud only stood and stared at the rock that was set in the middle of the yard. Slices, chunks and bullet holes adorned the granite slab and was a main piece of training equipment for the big man with the gun arm. Cloud's chest heaved up and down slightly as he grasped the Ultima Weapon in his hand tightly and his Mako-green eyes stared at it, as if it were Sephiroth himself.
Why had she gone with him? Didn't she want to be with him? What was she thinking?
The questions eroded his mind and he slowly seethed at the rock. That was when Tifa spoke, "Cloud? Don't you think you should get some rest now? She'll be back soon. You should got some sleep."
Cloud gripped his weapon with the other hand now also and raised it above his head. With an angst-filled yell, he sent the blade into the stone and split it in half, embedding the blade into the rock. Tifa winced at his action and Barret smirked lightly, leaning off of the building. Tifa stepped forward and held a single hand out, towards the person she fought so hard to keep with her.
"I'll rest when she is safe......when he is gone." Cloud sounded almost dark as he walked off towards the endless plains. Tifa lowered her hand back down and sighed, watching him walk away yet another time. After he had gotten pretty far away she started after him to see if he was okay when Barret grabbed her arm. She whipped around and stared at him, he had a melancholy look on his face.
"Let him go, Tifa. Someone needs to take him upside that spiky head of his, walking away from you like that." She slid her arm from his and stared back into his eyes, pleading with him. After a moment he tossed his hands up and rolls his eyes, "I give up, ya know? You're as hopeless as he is." His huge bulk turned from her and he stomped back to the front of the house, tired of how she was being treated. He may have saved the planet but Tifa saved him. She turned back and saw Cloud's silhouette in the distance. She sighed and looked up into the bright sun then headed after Barret, leaving only the Ultima Weapon reflecting some odd rays onto the side of the house.
Aerith let out a shaky breath and held her Princess Guard in front of her, still trying to defend herself from the dragon. It had long since been defeated at the edge of Masasume and only lie there like a piece of the scenery. Sephiroth calmly checked his arms for damage, but finding none he just held Masasume back along his arm again, those Mako-saturated eyes moving to her figure. She winced a bit and looks at her left arm, a long gash running the length of her forearm. She sucked some air between her teeth and examined it, as if looking at it would make it better.
"Looks like it could be life-threatening."
Aerith blinked and looked up, seeing Sephiroth standing over her and peering at her wound. He had a wry smile on his face and she smirked at him, looking back to the cut, "Very funny. I guess I'm not as tough as big old Sephiroth." He let out a little miff and raised his hand up, casting a Cure3 spell on her. The wound slowly faded away and she looked up at him, surprised at his concern, "T-t-thank you." She stuttered a bit as she spoke and kept looking at him in shock. He simply nodded to her and returned to his cold glare, walking back to the place where he set down their supplies. They had traveled for three weeks now in search of Jenova and this was the first time he had shown such attention to her. Sure, she had been saved a couple times by his sword and she, in return, had healed him a few times he needed it but the joke? The smile? He was starting to accept her. She smiled to herself and looked after the black caped man, feeling a small tingle in the base of her gut. She shook off the feeling and walked up to him.
"There's something I always wanted to ask you. From the lifestream, I watched when Cloud found you at the Northern Crater. In the case of Mako, it was you, not Jenova, the Cloud gave the black Materia, right?"
He glanced at her, not willing to talk about his past. She pressed the subject as he cleaned up their things and he finally stood straight, turning to her, "Yes, it was my body that was in the Mako. Yes, Jenova needed me to be the center of the Reunion. No, I didn't take the Black Materia and try to destroy the planet. Satisfied? Although it was a very good plan."
Relapse. Just as she was starting to feel accepted, he snapped at her and brought them back to square one. He glared at her a bit more then finished packing, handing her a bag. She took it and looked down, feeling a bit bad for bringing it up, "I'm sorry, Sephiroth. I didn't mean to bring up the past."
He looked at her for a moment, then secured Masasume at his side and held the bag, "The past is gone, only the present and the future matter." She looked up at him and he was actually warm, in a stoic sort of way. He started towards the town they were walking towards when the dragon had attacked and she quickly followed. She walked up next to him and watched his eyes for a while, trying to look into them. Suddenly, he stopped and stared forward, leaving her to come to a halt. She followed his gaze to a group of people from the village, all wielding tools and weapons, recognizing and despising the man in the black cape for all that he was blamed for doing. She took a deep breath and peered back at Sephiroth, afraid he might just deal with this town as he did with Cloud's hometown.
"Cloud? Are you okay?"
Tifa's voice didn't even seem to budge him as the skinny man sat in the grasses of the meadow as they danced around him in the breeze. Her footsteps made soft dents in the ground as she walked up to him. He faced away from her slightly and she could just barely see his Mako-stained eyes, staring out over the plains in thought. His refusal to answer shot a hole in her heart. She lowered her head and sat down next to him, hugging her knees a bit and leaning her head onto them. They both sat for a while, not saying anything, just the sounds of the grass around them filling the air.
"I'm sorry, Tifa."
His words made her blink and slowly look at him. He was glancing at her out of the corner of his eyes and had a small smile on his face, a first that Tifa had seen. He had a look that made her melt, she couldn't help but feel for this person more than anything else.
"For what?" She was almost speaking on impulse now, being swept away in his eyes like the pollen in the wind around them.
"For being kinda distant. I guess it was Aerith. Just seeing her leave with Sephiroth made me feel so......angry. It was like she chose him over me."
She stared at him a bit and shook her head, "No, she was just doing what she said. Maybe he could answer some questions she had. She'll come back and you two will.....go back to the way you were." Her voice shook a bit and she smiled weakly, trying to hide the indescribable pain in her chest. He shrugged a bit and looked out over the meadows again.
"The last few weeks I've been thinking about the way things were. I don't really know, if things between Aerith and me were even, ours. I know her and Zack were kinda serious and, maybe some of that flowed over into me. Maybe she only saw Zack in me."
She couldn't believe her ears and blinked, staring at him. She opened her mouth to speak but found a lack of words. So she just stared at him until he looked at her and actually started to laugh lightly. A tinge of embarrassment ran across her face and she looked down, fearful he was laughing at her.
"Tifa, you can always make me laugh. Just the way you act always cheers me up. You're such a good friend to me."
Friend? She didn't want to be only a friend. Why was it so hard to just tell him that? He just seemed to be happy with it that way and she couldn't force anything on him. She let out a sigh and nodded, "Because I care about you, Cloud." Her face went beet red and she looked up at him in utter horror. Did she really say what she thought she did? He blinked and tilted his head, wondering why she was going so red but she took it the wrong way. "I....I'm sorry, Cloud. I didn't mean to say that. I mean......what I meant to say is.....I care about you as a friend. I'm worried about you."
He scratched his head between those blonde spikes on his head and blinked at her, "Uh huh. Are you okay, Tifa? You look a bit pale now."
Indeed her face had drained and she nodded weakly, knowing he was just going to laugh at her. She looked at the ground over her knees and dimmed, "Sorry, Cloud."
He watched her a bit more, then leaned back, flopping onto the ground and laying his arms out away from him. They stayed like this for a little while, Cloud just oblivious and Tifa hurt. After a while, he looked at her figure and tilted his head a bit on the ground.
"Tifa? Have you ever loved somebody? I mean, not like a brother or a father, I mean like, 'loved' somebody."
She slowly looked up a bit and turned her head, peering at the person laying in the grass. His Mako-green eyes peered up into the sky and she took a few shaky breaths. Maybe he didn't know then. Maybe he didn't understand what she had said before, "Y-yes." Her stuttering made him smile again and nod.
"Okay. Well, I have only ever loved one girl, other than my mom. This girl is smart, she's beautiful, she's the whole reason I could face Sephiroth. I guess you could say she saved the Planet."
Aerith. Tifa's face dimmed and she looked to the ground once again, letting her legs slide out along the ground and sighing, "Yeah, Aerith. That's why you should wait for....."
"No, not Aerith." She looked at him in surprise and searched for the answer in her mind. Who could it be? Was there somebody she didn't know about? The answer was so obvious, but her own doubt was blinding it to her. Those eyes finally moved to her and he smiled a bit, "This girl has given me strength when all I was was doubt. She gave me hope when all there was was fear. I care more for her than anybody else." Her eyes stared blankly into his as she looked for some sort of clue.
"I...don't know who...."
"It's you, Tifa."
She stopped moving altogether as her heart skipped a beat. Did he say just what she thought he just said? Her face went a bit flush and he smiled at her, placing one of his hands on hers, "I mean it, Tifa. These last few weeks, I was just thinking how much YOU mean to me, not Aerith. She does mean a lot to me, but not as much as you do."
Tifa couldn't breath as she felt his strong hand on hers, she could only stare at him and try and keep her heart out of her throat. Suddenly, she found herself being pulled softly towards him by her shoulder. She could see his hand on her shoulder and feel it pulling, but it all just felt like a dream. She could only bid to it and turn, laying slightly on him and gazing into those eyes. Those eyes, eyes that could melt the Great Glacier into a pool of glimmering water. He just smiled up at her and set his hands on her shoulders, gazing back up at her.
"Cloud....I..."
"It's okay, Tifa. I know what you want to say. I've heard it all before through your eyes."
She nodded dreamily at him and slowly leaned forward, kissing him softly. His lips were like heaven to her, reaching into her soul and warming it. She had waited so long, fought so hard for this. Was it really happening? She could only submit to her senses and hope it was all real. She just laid her hands across her chest and kissed him deeply, hoping all that would happen would fulfill the limits of her dreams and the heights of her fantasies.
Sephiroth brushed some of the splattered vegetables from his black cape and then wiped his hand off against his pants. His refusal to even speak to the people had touched Aerith in a way she had never felt before. With all his power and ability, he merely stood and accepted their abuse. As evidence from the past he could have easily demolished the whole town with one easy spell. A look in his eyes made Aerith almost wish to embrace him and to console him. Those Mako-saturated eyes just watched all the townspeople walk away in disgust, a sad tone to them. Even as they had threatened him with his life he had just watched them, silently repenting for all that he had done. He was even repenting for all Jenova had done in his name. That alone puzzled Aerith's young face. His image just reflected in her eyes and he slowly turned back to her, expecting a smug grin at his dishonorment. Instead, she could only smile proudly for him. The same man who had burned Nibelheim down to a smolder had now just let a town full of farmers disgrace his proud name. His Mako eyes just peered at her as she walked up to his dark figure. Her emerald eyes peered up to him and she gingerly brushed away a stale carrot from his sleeve.
"That was very good of you not to lash out at those villagers." He didn't reply at all. He just looked at this girl in front of him. This was the same girl who been killed by a physical manifestation of him, created by Jenova. True, she would have known it was not him in body, for she could see it in the lifestream, but she still must have some negative feelings towards him. She clasped her hands in front of her and smiled up at him, her nose crinkling a bit. Her childishness almost annoyed him, yet seemed so innocent at the same time. Strands of his silver mane blew to the side in a small wind and her brown strands danced along with them. The two just stood for a moment, sharing a rare moment of clarity in their lives. They were both unique beings on this planet, one a sole survivor of an Ancient race now long since gone and the other a creation by a human to try and duplicate that race. This was why she was so intrigued by him. True, he had done some terrible things in the past, but also some terrible things had been done to him. Through it all he had remained, for the most part, level in his plane of thought and had become as wise and powerful as any of the race he was created to mimic.
"Worthless humans......fortunate my redemption must start somewhere." His sharp voice broke them both out the trance and he slowly looked to the side, watching the last of the people go inside, leaving the two strangers on the street. She frowned and followed his face, still looking at him. Somewhere deep inside, she felt a surge of emotion. It was the same thing she felt when Zack would come back from a training mission when he was training to become a part of SOLDIER. It was the same feeling she had felt when her and Cloud had stood on that stage at the Golden Saucer, as his lips touched the back of her hand softly. She did not know why she felt it now.
Cloud. How could she possibly explain these feelings to Cloud? Sephiroth, no matter if it was Jenova's form or not, had been Cloud's great rival. Cloud would live his life hating Sephiroth no matter who told him otherwise. Aerith still felt those feelings for Cloud, just as he does for her. The feelings that sent him into a mad craze to find a way to revive her. She knew he cared for her and she knew she cared for him. So why did these feelings suddenly surface at the presence of his greatest rival?
Sephiroth. Could there be anyway to tell this fallen angel of her affections? Would he even be able to return those feelings? His stoic face always hid what he was thinking. Even in their short trip together, she had never been totally sure of his intentions. Even now, as he peered at the deserted streets, she was oblivious to his thoughts. He could have been planning to come back and destroy this town in his wrath and she would not even suspect it.
Suddenly she shook her head at that thought and peered at his face again. No, that was the old Sephiroth. That was Jenova's Sephiroth. He wouldn't be thinking such things, would he? She had only really known him well these last three weeks and he still seemed to loathe every human. Even her Cetra blood couldn't give her insight on this man. He was a real enigma. Which was another reason she found her affections for him blooming.
"Why do you look at me with those eyes?" She blinked wildly at his question and realized she had been staring. He was looking at her as if he could see her very soul, "Nobody has ever looked at me in such a way."
She shook her head once again and got a taint of red dashing across her cheeks, "I....uhm...I was just.....wondering what you were deciding to do next." Her lie was so obvious that it actually made Sephiroth smile slightly. The adoration of such a child made him feel almost....alive. His heart may have been beating for the past five years and his blood may have been flowing, but he was dead. Now, with this small lie from this young girl, he almost felt alive again.
"There should only be true coming from your mouth. You don't need to lie, even to me. As to your question, I plan to pursue Jenova." Sephiroth said candidly and nodded his head a bit to the West.
"Oh, so you don't mind if I tag along?" She looked at him with eyes so innocent, he almost winced. She forwardly placed her small hand on his sleeve to amplify the question and smiled warmly at him. If only for a moment, he did not move, just looked back into her emerald orbs. Then, in his cold posture, he pulled away and started to walk. His direction was to the West and he said no words, which to Aerith was as good as a yes. She took a deep breath and placed a hand to her flustered forehead, then followed him. She walked next to him and clasped her hands behind her back, smiling up at the silver-haired angel. He only looked forward as the two finally left the small town. As they walked into the setting sun, the last words of the day were spoken.
"The path ahead is lined with blood and tears. You'd be far happier returning to him, my young friend."
Aerith almost stopped in her tracks as he called her his friend. She stared at his emotionless eyes and then shook her head, "That could be true but the only path I chose right now is the one I'm on. I have seen your soul, Sephiroth. I know the turmoil and I want to help you settle this."
"Why?"
His question took her off guard, then she playfully punched him in the shoulder as they walked, "Because, silly, everyone deserves to have peace. Even the big, mean ol' Sephiroth." He looked at her and blinked with an odd expression on his face. She was the most unusual person he had ever met. So cheerful, no matter what and willing to forgive even his dreadful crimes.
His face lightened a bit into a smile and he looked back forward, "If it is what you wish. I will allow you to come but don't think I like it. The path ahead is dangerous." She actually jumped into the air and cheered, then smiled looking at him, slinging her Princess Guard onto her shoulder. He shook his head slightly at her childishness again and they walked into the coming night, ready to face the next day's challenges.
"Ya know, the runt's been out there for almost three days now. When you gonna go out there and smack some sense into him?"
Barret leaned against the house lightly and peered at the lone figure standing in the middle of the yard. Kalm was so peaceful now, even Barret had settled down here with Marlene. The small house was set against the endless meadows of the area around old Midgar and was so serene. Tifa brushed some strands from her face as a slight breeze teased her hair and she stared out at the figure also. She took a deep breath and clasped her hands in front of her, watching every move that Cloud made. She didn't answer Barret's question.
For the time being, Cloud only stood and stared at the rock that was set in the middle of the yard. Slices, chunks and bullet holes adorned the granite slab and was a main piece of training equipment for the big man with the gun arm. Cloud's chest heaved up and down slightly as he grasped the Ultima Weapon in his hand tightly and his Mako-green eyes stared at it, as if it were Sephiroth himself.
Why had she gone with him? Didn't she want to be with him? What was she thinking?
The questions eroded his mind and he slowly seethed at the rock. That was when Tifa spoke, "Cloud? Don't you think you should get some rest now? She'll be back soon. You should got some sleep."
Cloud gripped his weapon with the other hand now also and raised it above his head. With an angst-filled yell, he sent the blade into the stone and split it in half, embedding the blade into the rock. Tifa winced at his action and Barret smirked lightly, leaning off of the building. Tifa stepped forward and held a single hand out, towards the person she fought so hard to keep with her.
"I'll rest when she is safe......when he is gone." Cloud sounded almost dark as he walked off towards the endless plains. Tifa lowered her hand back down and sighed, watching him walk away yet another time. After he had gotten pretty far away she started after him to see if he was okay when Barret grabbed her arm. She whipped around and stared at him, he had a melancholy look on his face.
"Let him go, Tifa. Someone needs to take him upside that spiky head of his, walking away from you like that." She slid her arm from his and stared back into his eyes, pleading with him. After a moment he tossed his hands up and rolls his eyes, "I give up, ya know? You're as hopeless as he is." His huge bulk turned from her and he stomped back to the front of the house, tired of how she was being treated. He may have saved the planet but Tifa saved him. She turned back and saw Cloud's silhouette in the distance. She sighed and looked up into the bright sun then headed after Barret, leaving only the Ultima Weapon reflecting some odd rays onto the side of the house.
Aerith let out a shaky breath and held her Princess Guard in front of her, still trying to defend herself from the dragon. It had long since been defeated at the edge of Masasume and only lie there like a piece of the scenery. Sephiroth calmly checked his arms for damage, but finding none he just held Masasume back along his arm again, those Mako-saturated eyes moving to her figure. She winced a bit and looks at her left arm, a long gash running the length of her forearm. She sucked some air between her teeth and examined it, as if looking at it would make it better.
"Looks like it could be life-threatening."
Aerith blinked and looked up, seeing Sephiroth standing over her and peering at her wound. He had a wry smile on his face and she smirked at him, looking back to the cut, "Very funny. I guess I'm not as tough as big old Sephiroth." He let out a little miff and raised his hand up, casting a Cure3 spell on her. The wound slowly faded away and she looked up at him, surprised at his concern, "T-t-thank you." She stuttered a bit as she spoke and kept looking at him in shock. He simply nodded to her and returned to his cold glare, walking back to the place where he set down their supplies. They had traveled for three weeks now in search of Jenova and this was the first time he had shown such attention to her. Sure, she had been saved a couple times by his sword and she, in return, had healed him a few times he needed it but the joke? The smile? He was starting to accept her. She smiled to herself and looked after the black caped man, feeling a small tingle in the base of her gut. She shook off the feeling and walked up to him.
"There's something I always wanted to ask you. From the lifestream, I watched when Cloud found you at the Northern Crater. In the case of Mako, it was you, not Jenova, the Cloud gave the black Materia, right?"
He glanced at her, not willing to talk about his past. She pressed the subject as he cleaned up their things and he finally stood straight, turning to her, "Yes, it was my body that was in the Mako. Yes, Jenova needed me to be the center of the Reunion. No, I didn't take the Black Materia and try to destroy the planet. Satisfied? Although it was a very good plan."
Relapse. Just as she was starting to feel accepted, he snapped at her and brought them back to square one. He glared at her a bit more then finished packing, handing her a bag. She took it and looked down, feeling a bit bad for bringing it up, "I'm sorry, Sephiroth. I didn't mean to bring up the past."
He looked at her for a moment, then secured Masasume at his side and held the bag, "The past is gone, only the present and the future matter." She looked up at him and he was actually warm, in a stoic sort of way. He started towards the town they were walking towards when the dragon had attacked and she quickly followed. She walked up next to him and watched his eyes for a while, trying to look into them. Suddenly, he stopped and stared forward, leaving her to come to a halt. She followed his gaze to a group of people from the village, all wielding tools and weapons, recognizing and despising the man in the black cape for all that he was blamed for doing. She took a deep breath and peered back at Sephiroth, afraid he might just deal with this town as he did with Cloud's hometown.
"Cloud? Are you okay?"
Tifa's voice didn't even seem to budge him as the skinny man sat in the grasses of the meadow as they danced around him in the breeze. Her footsteps made soft dents in the ground as she walked up to him. He faced away from her slightly and she could just barely see his Mako-stained eyes, staring out over the plains in thought. His refusal to answer shot a hole in her heart. She lowered her head and sat down next to him, hugging her knees a bit and leaning her head onto them. They both sat for a while, not saying anything, just the sounds of the grass around them filling the air.
"I'm sorry, Tifa."
His words made her blink and slowly look at him. He was glancing at her out of the corner of his eyes and had a small smile on his face, a first that Tifa had seen. He had a look that made her melt, she couldn't help but feel for this person more than anything else.
"For what?" She was almost speaking on impulse now, being swept away in his eyes like the pollen in the wind around them.
"For being kinda distant. I guess it was Aerith. Just seeing her leave with Sephiroth made me feel so......angry. It was like she chose him over me."
She stared at him a bit and shook her head, "No, she was just doing what she said. Maybe he could answer some questions she had. She'll come back and you two will.....go back to the way you were." Her voice shook a bit and she smiled weakly, trying to hide the indescribable pain in her chest. He shrugged a bit and looked out over the meadows again.
"The last few weeks I've been thinking about the way things were. I don't really know, if things between Aerith and me were even, ours. I know her and Zack were kinda serious and, maybe some of that flowed over into me. Maybe she only saw Zack in me."
She couldn't believe her ears and blinked, staring at him. She opened her mouth to speak but found a lack of words. So she just stared at him until he looked at her and actually started to laugh lightly. A tinge of embarrassment ran across her face and she looked down, fearful he was laughing at her.
"Tifa, you can always make me laugh. Just the way you act always cheers me up. You're such a good friend to me."
Friend? She didn't want to be only a friend. Why was it so hard to just tell him that? He just seemed to be happy with it that way and she couldn't force anything on him. She let out a sigh and nodded, "Because I care about you, Cloud." Her face went beet red and she looked up at him in utter horror. Did she really say what she thought she did? He blinked and tilted his head, wondering why she was going so red but she took it the wrong way. "I....I'm sorry, Cloud. I didn't mean to say that. I mean......what I meant to say is.....I care about you as a friend. I'm worried about you."
He scratched his head between those blonde spikes on his head and blinked at her, "Uh huh. Are you okay, Tifa? You look a bit pale now."
Indeed her face had drained and she nodded weakly, knowing he was just going to laugh at her. She looked at the ground over her knees and dimmed, "Sorry, Cloud."
He watched her a bit more, then leaned back, flopping onto the ground and laying his arms out away from him. They stayed like this for a little while, Cloud just oblivious and Tifa hurt. After a while, he looked at her figure and tilted his head a bit on the ground.
"Tifa? Have you ever loved somebody? I mean, not like a brother or a father, I mean like, 'loved' somebody."
She slowly looked up a bit and turned her head, peering at the person laying in the grass. His Mako-green eyes peered up into the sky and she took a few shaky breaths. Maybe he didn't know then. Maybe he didn't understand what she had said before, "Y-yes." Her stuttering made him smile again and nod.
"Okay. Well, I have only ever loved one girl, other than my mom. This girl is smart, she's beautiful, she's the whole reason I could face Sephiroth. I guess you could say she saved the Planet."
Aerith. Tifa's face dimmed and she looked to the ground once again, letting her legs slide out along the ground and sighing, "Yeah, Aerith. That's why you should wait for....."
"No, not Aerith." She looked at him in surprise and searched for the answer in her mind. Who could it be? Was there somebody she didn't know about? The answer was so obvious, but her own doubt was blinding it to her. Those eyes finally moved to her and he smiled a bit, "This girl has given me strength when all I was was doubt. She gave me hope when all there was was fear. I care more for her than anybody else." Her eyes stared blankly into his as she looked for some sort of clue.
"I...don't know who...."
"It's you, Tifa."
She stopped moving altogether as her heart skipped a beat. Did he say just what she thought he just said? Her face went a bit flush and he smiled at her, placing one of his hands on hers, "I mean it, Tifa. These last few weeks, I was just thinking how much YOU mean to me, not Aerith. She does mean a lot to me, but not as much as you do."
Tifa couldn't breath as she felt his strong hand on hers, she could only stare at him and try and keep her heart out of her throat. Suddenly, she found herself being pulled softly towards him by her shoulder. She could see his hand on her shoulder and feel it pulling, but it all just felt like a dream. She could only bid to it and turn, laying slightly on him and gazing into those eyes. Those eyes, eyes that could melt the Great Glacier into a pool of glimmering water. He just smiled up at her and set his hands on her shoulders, gazing back up at her.
"Cloud....I..."
"It's okay, Tifa. I know what you want to say. I've heard it all before through your eyes."
She nodded dreamily at him and slowly leaned forward, kissing him softly. His lips were like heaven to her, reaching into her soul and warming it. She had waited so long, fought so hard for this. Was it really happening? She could only submit to her senses and hope it was all real. She just laid her hands across her chest and kissed him deeply, hoping all that would happen would fulfill the limits of her dreams and the heights of her fantasies.
Sephiroth brushed some of the splattered vegetables from his black cape and then wiped his hand off against his pants. His refusal to even speak to the people had touched Aerith in a way she had never felt before. With all his power and ability, he merely stood and accepted their abuse. As evidence from the past he could have easily demolished the whole town with one easy spell. A look in his eyes made Aerith almost wish to embrace him and to console him. Those Mako-saturated eyes just watched all the townspeople walk away in disgust, a sad tone to them. Even as they had threatened him with his life he had just watched them, silently repenting for all that he had done. He was even repenting for all Jenova had done in his name. That alone puzzled Aerith's young face. His image just reflected in her eyes and he slowly turned back to her, expecting a smug grin at his dishonorment. Instead, she could only smile proudly for him. The same man who had burned Nibelheim down to a smolder had now just let a town full of farmers disgrace his proud name. His Mako eyes just peered at her as she walked up to his dark figure. Her emerald eyes peered up to him and she gingerly brushed away a stale carrot from his sleeve.
"That was very good of you not to lash out at those villagers." He didn't reply at all. He just looked at this girl in front of him. This was the same girl who been killed by a physical manifestation of him, created by Jenova. True, she would have known it was not him in body, for she could see it in the lifestream, but she still must have some negative feelings towards him. She clasped her hands in front of her and smiled up at him, her nose crinkling a bit. Her childishness almost annoyed him, yet seemed so innocent at the same time. Strands of his silver mane blew to the side in a small wind and her brown strands danced along with them. The two just stood for a moment, sharing a rare moment of clarity in their lives. They were both unique beings on this planet, one a sole survivor of an Ancient race now long since gone and the other a creation by a human to try and duplicate that race. This was why she was so intrigued by him. True, he had done some terrible things in the past, but also some terrible things had been done to him. Through it all he had remained, for the most part, level in his plane of thought and had become as wise and powerful as any of the race he was created to mimic.
"Worthless humans......fortunate my redemption must start somewhere." His sharp voice broke them both out the trance and he slowly looked to the side, watching the last of the people go inside, leaving the two strangers on the street. She frowned and followed his face, still looking at him. Somewhere deep inside, she felt a surge of emotion. It was the same thing she felt when Zack would come back from a training mission when he was training to become a part of SOLDIER. It was the same feeling she had felt when her and Cloud had stood on that stage at the Golden Saucer, as his lips touched the back of her hand softly. She did not know why she felt it now.
Cloud. How could she possibly explain these feelings to Cloud? Sephiroth, no matter if it was Jenova's form or not, had been Cloud's great rival. Cloud would live his life hating Sephiroth no matter who told him otherwise. Aerith still felt those feelings for Cloud, just as he does for her. The feelings that sent him into a mad craze to find a way to revive her. She knew he cared for her and she knew she cared for him. So why did these feelings suddenly surface at the presence of his greatest rival?
Sephiroth. Could there be anyway to tell this fallen angel of her affections? Would he even be able to return those feelings? His stoic face always hid what he was thinking. Even in their short trip together, she had never been totally sure of his intentions. Even now, as he peered at the deserted streets, she was oblivious to his thoughts. He could have been planning to come back and destroy this town in his wrath and she would not even suspect it.
Suddenly she shook her head at that thought and peered at his face again. No, that was the old Sephiroth. That was Jenova's Sephiroth. He wouldn't be thinking such things, would he? She had only really known him well these last three weeks and he still seemed to loathe every human. Even her Cetra blood couldn't give her insight on this man. He was a real enigma. Which was another reason she found her affections for him blooming.
"Why do you look at me with those eyes?" She blinked wildly at his question and realized she had been staring. He was looking at her as if he could see her very soul, "Nobody has ever looked at me in such a way."
She shook her head once again and got a taint of red dashing across her cheeks, "I....uhm...I was just.....wondering what you were deciding to do next." Her lie was so obvious that it actually made Sephiroth smile slightly. The adoration of such a child made him feel almost....alive. His heart may have been beating for the past five years and his blood may have been flowing, but he was dead. Now, with this small lie from this young girl, he almost felt alive again.
"There should only be true coming from your mouth. You don't need to lie, even to me. As to your question, I plan to pursue Jenova." Sephiroth said candidly and nodded his head a bit to the West.
"Oh, so you don't mind if I tag along?" She looked at him with eyes so innocent, he almost winced. She forwardly placed her small hand on his sleeve to amplify the question and smiled warmly at him. If only for a moment, he did not move, just looked back into her emerald orbs. Then, in his cold posture, he pulled away and started to walk. His direction was to the West and he said no words, which to Aerith was as good as a yes. She took a deep breath and placed a hand to her flustered forehead, then followed him. She walked next to him and clasped her hands behind her back, smiling up at the silver-haired angel. He only looked forward as the two finally left the small town. As they walked into the setting sun, the last words of the day were spoken.
"The path ahead is lined with blood and tears. You'd be far happier returning to him, my young friend."
Aerith almost stopped in her tracks as he called her his friend. She stared at his emotionless eyes and then shook her head, "That could be true but the only path I chose right now is the one I'm on. I have seen your soul, Sephiroth. I know the turmoil and I want to help you settle this."
"Why?"
His question took her off guard, then she playfully punched him in the shoulder as they walked, "Because, silly, everyone deserves to have peace. Even the big, mean ol' Sephiroth." He looked at her and blinked with an odd expression on his face. She was the most unusual person he had ever met. So cheerful, no matter what and willing to forgive even his dreadful crimes.
His face lightened a bit into a smile and he looked back forward, "If it is what you wish. I will allow you to come but don't think I like it. The path ahead is dangerous." She actually jumped into the air and cheered, then smiled looking at him, slinging her Princess Guard onto her shoulder. He shook his head slightly at her childishness again and they walked into the coming night, ready to face the next day's challenges.
