(Author's Note: Well. Thanks for the reviews! Here's chapter 4! I hope you like it!)
Disclaimer: FF7 and Squaresoft are not mine. Any other characters are.
Chapter 4
Cosmo Canyon was a small, quiet town settled within the rock wall of the canyon. Giggles came from the benches around the Cosmo Flame. The young man who stood at the top of the stairs turned his glowing blue gaze that way. The 2 young women sat side by side with their backs to him. They were giggling and whispering.
Cloud smiled as he looked away from Tifa and Yuffie.
"Yo! Strife! Whatcha doing just standin' there, eh? Come join us!"
Cloud shook his head and walked over to where Barret and Cid sat at the nig table playing a game of cards. "Hey guys. Haven't seen you for awhile," he said sheepishly.
"Try 5 months," Cid snorted dealing the cards for a new game.
"Five months since we defeated Sephiroth and saved the planet…so what have you 2 been doing?" Cloud asked shaking his head to clear his thoughts.
"Me an' Shera have been fixing my rocket," Cid said with a shrug.
"I've been helping to rebuild North Corel. Marlene's been helping too," Barret said looking at the little girl who was running towards Tifa and Yuffie.
"Well. Look who finally showed up. Better late than never though I guess," Red XIII said as he walked up to Cloud.
"And it's good to see you too. Hey…where's Vincent?" Cloud looked around.
"He's not here yet," Yuffie said as the 3 girls walked over. Cloud noted the mischievous look was still in her eyes but overall she seemed more mature…a little.
"That's strange…you beat Vincent here," Cid said with a confused look.
"Well. I'm here now," a voice said. They all jumped and turned to the entrance.
"He's here! Can we eat now?" Marlene asked jumping up and down.
"Sure. This way," Red led the way inside to a room that had a single table with chairs around it. They each took a seat and their dinner was brought out after a few minutes.
They talked and laughed while they ate and shared stories about what they had each been doing. After awhile Yuffie turned to Red.
"Hey Red. Mind if I ask you a question?" she asked tilting her head to the side a bit. Everyone turned their attention to the 2.
"Go ahead," he said looking at her with his one good eye.
"Well…I found this materia but I don't know what it does and it won't cast any kind of spell," she stated as she pulled the orb from her pocket. It was about 2 times bigger than other marble sized materia and was an orange color that swirled with a light pink color.
"Hmm…I've never seen materia like this before. Where did you find it?" he asked looking closely at it.
"In a cave near Wutai," she said.
"I don't know what it could be…I'll look at it more after the meal is finished," he said.
She nodded and put it back in her pocket. They all went back to eating. When the meal was finished they all followed Red up to the library. He walked around looking at the books on the shelves as they sat down and made themselves comfortable. Finally he selected a book and pulled it off the shelf. He used his paw and flipped through the pages every once in awhile looking at the materia that Yuffie had sat on the floor in front of the book.
After a few minutes he looked up and around at everyone. "Well…I have found this materia. It well…put simply will raise people from the death," he said.
"It brings them back to life?" Cloud asked hopefully. Tifa looked at the floor knowing before it was said what or who he was thinking about.
"Yes Cloud but you have to been at the place of the death in order to do so," Red stated.
"Could…it bring back Aeris?"
Red nodded. "That is very possible," he said.
"What do you guys think? Should we try it?" Cloud asked looking around at everyone. They nodded. "Well. Let's go!" Cloud exclaimed heading for the door. They followed him outside.
"Hey! I brought the Highwind so we can take that to the Forgotten Capital," Cid said when they reached the entrance.
They headed for the airship.
****
"Okay Red…is there anything that needs to be done besides this?" Cloud asked.
Red shook his head. "No…all we need was the…body. Now the incantation…you better just let me do it…" Cloud nodded and stepped back form Aeris' body to let Red move forward.
He looked down at where she lay on the ground and took a deep breath. "Put the materia in her hands before I start," he said. Cloud did as he said. They others stepped back even further.
"Etodu dsuunohk yhu! Zci huxdos juwuezuj…nuepu tudzytuj…oz'd zoxu zy efevuh! Maz wyt ubuti zfy dyasd tudzytuj yhu xadz tuzath…Hyf efevuh! O daxxyh zcuu!" Red said.
The wind instantly began to blow in big gusts. White light was emitted from the materia. The light slowly began to surround her…
****
Aeris sighed and looked over at her mother. She was about to say something when white light shot down from the sky and engulfed her.
"Aeris…I guess we'll meet again some other time," her mother said sadly as she watched the light around her. It was a warm feeling that wrapped around her as everything faded to black...
****
A bright white light shot down from above him. He watched as it surrounded him like ropes. The chains that held him faded and the cold pain faded too. For once he could rest as a peaceful darkness covered his mind…
****
The light flashed and the group had to cover their eyes. They looked at Aeris when the light finally faded.
"What happened?" Cid asked looking around.
"I don't know…" Red said slowly.
"She's gone," Vincent stated softly.
It was true…Aeris wasn't where they had last seen her…before the spell had started…
****
"…where…where am I?" green eyes slowly focused as she sat up and looked around. Everything was rock and snow was being blown around by a fierce wind. 'Wait…I know this place…the Crater…but…why am I here?' Aeris thought as she stood. She tilted her head to the side a bit trying to seeing what lay a few feet from her.
It was black…and silver. She gasped as the thing groaned and opened glowing green eyes.
"…Sephiroth…" she shook her head and backed away as he looked at her with his dull eyes.
"…I…know you…but…" he groaned and leaned forward. She watched as he slumped to the side eyes closed.
****
A sharp scream shattered the night's stillness. She sat up fast her breathing hard and ragged. 'Another bout…I don't know how much more of this I can stand…what is wrong with me? Why does this happen? What is this…thing within me…?' the young woman closed her eyes against the dizziness that caused everything to spin. When the feeling passed she looked out the window at the chocobos in the field. She shook her head and laid back down. She had to get back to sleep.
****
(Author's Note: The strange words used in the spell? Well. They happen to be part of the same strange language that my friend Rueh uses in her story 'In a Different Time and Space.' To figure out what was said you can read her story because in later chapters she gives a few hints on figuring it out…just a suggestion and in case you were wondering about it…)