"Know me broken by my master
Teach thee on child of love hereafter
Into the flood again
Same old trip it was back then
So I made a big mistake
Try to see it once my way
Drifting body it's sole desertion
Flying not yet quite the notion"
"Would?" _Alice in Chains_
*********************************************************************** She stared lifelessly at the concrete floor which rested beneath her tired cold feet. It was over. There was no point in fighting a war that you were destined to lose from the beginning. Perhaps we should have realized that from the start, she mused. There was no way a flower girl from the Slums could make a difference in a world as large and hopeless as this desolate wasteland.
The planet had stopped talking to her. Those voices which had comforted, yet frightened her at the same time had finally been silenced. It was not that the planet was angry at her. She wished it was. The planet couldn't be angry or correspond any emotion in her anymore.
The voices were gone.
The planet was dying.
She had only herself to blame, and she cursed every beat of her guilt- ridden heart. Every breath took away a small part of her sanity, and every thought sent her twisting into sorrow. There was nothing she could do anymore but accept the cruel destiny that the Fates had lined up for her. What a waste.
He was in her chamber again, his powerful gaze piercing through her very soul. How long had he been there? Minutes? Hours? She could not tell anymore... Time had lost all meaning in this cold prison. He hadn't uttered a word the whole time, yet seemed content on examining her frail frame as her head lulled to the side. She didn't care. Let him do as he pleased.
Things always have a way of coming full circle. She knew his time was running short. But she felt no joy in this thought, because she knew he had taken the whole world down with him. The apocalypse was near. Soon the voice of every creature left standing would be silenced.
Forever.
This did not faze the General though, as Aeris was sure his thoughts were far from coherent. He probably believed he would never die. Gods did not die. Yet men bleed from open wounds as the soul escapes the broken body.
He was not a god... and he would bleed.
"I guess even the power of an Ancient could not match with my own.." His words hissed out in a harsh whisper, as he scrutinized her weak form.
Her eyes flicked slowly up to settle on his unstable stare. As thoughts of every extent cascaded around her beaten head, there was one thing that she was sure of. She was not afraid. Not of him.. her future.. or her death. She had accepted everything that had come to pass. She would be brave to the end. If that end came sooner, then the sweet release if death would be closer to her. All the better.
"But then again," Sephiroth continued oblivious to her thoughts, "We share that common bond. We are the last Ancients on the planet. With our powers combined, no one could stop us!"
Aeris felt a bitter grin cross over her delicate features. "You are not an Ancient. The vile blood of Jenova runs through your tainted veins... do not offend my people claiming to be one of them. You are nothing but a failed experiment."
It seemed like time had stopped as Aeris finished her piercing statement. The arrogance and superiority drained from Sephiroth's face as he stared disbelievingly at the weak woman seated but a few feet from him. He evoked no fear in her emerald eyes. She had openly defied him, and she was not afraid. She was.. challenging him?
"You're a lying bitch!" He shouted as he turned a nearby chair over with rage.
He traveled the short distance that separated the two and looked her squarely in the face. Her expression hadn't changed. "You," he seethed as he pointed a gloved finger at her, "I should have killed you like the rest of your pathetic team."
Aeris felt her stomach drop. So he had killed them all. Her friends... they were all dead; sent to early graves because of her mistake.
"It's too bad you had to leave so early." Sephiroth was smiling again. He had gotten the reaction he craved for and was now riding with it. "I'm sure you would have enjoyed seeing your friends being ripped to pieces."
Sadness radiated from her body as she grieved silently for her newfound losses. The courage she had felt so strongly just a moment ago had melted away. She could not even return his glare. Again she was the weak flower girl who had to be rescued.
Only there was no one left to help her.
He laughed with mirth as he took in her shattered resolve. "Oh it was a stunning sight, my dear Aeris," he stated conversationally, "Rivers of blood.. That rewarding crunch when the bone breaks.. The smell of burnt flesh in the air.. It was beautiful."
She narrowed her green eyes at his jovial form "You're a sick bastard."
Her retort only seemed to amuse him further as he chuckled to himself. "How can you say that? You haven't heard the best part yet."
Silence yet again overtook the two as he eagerly prodded her with his eyes to speak. However, Aeris only resumed her firm glare at the former general. Realizing that his prisoner would not play any of his morbid guessing games, Sephiroth continued his deranged rant.
"What pleasure it was to see that boy go down," He began, "To feel the sword cut through him so easily. So much like Tifa. It is fitting that they both died so similarly. After all, they should have both died together in Niblehiem, am I right?"
Aeris eyes swelled up with unshed tears as she realized right away who he was speaking of. Her sweet angel had not deserved to die on this madman's cruel blade. None of her friends did for that matter. But the loss of the love of her life left an unsettled mass of agitation in the pit of her stomach. She would never be able to tell Cloud how she felt, and they would never be together.
"Poor, weak little Cloud," he shook his head in mock sympathy, "He didn't stand a chance."
Her vision blurred as a single tear rolled down her porcelain cheek. Cloud was gone. It was her fault... If only she had died...
"But what can you expect from a clone?" Sephiroth continued, taking pleasure in causing her pain, "He was the failed experiment, Aeris. Not me."
She snapped her head up to look the murderer in the eyes. They were cold, unfeeling eyes..yet the grips of madness burned brightly behind that detached exterior, fueling his rage. It was not her fault that the planet had suffered... It was not her fault that her friends had died. Many people contributed to the end result, but one stood out to her more than the rest...
"You can't blame them for trying, I guess," he resumed his conversation, oblivious to her contemplation, "But they should have known from the beginning that the were no match for--"
"It's you're fault!" Aeris screamed, as she jumped out of her chair.
He stopped short, and cocked his head to the side in confusion.
"The planet, the people, my friends! You've destroyed everything!" She cried passionately staring him down with her own dose of unimaginable fury.
"I'm pleased that you've recognized my handiwork." he stated calmly, that ever present smirk returning to his face.
"You don't understand! Everything will die! Everything! That includes you as well!"
He scoffed at the very idea. "I cannot die. I am a god."
Aeris gave a frustrated cry as she pushed him roughly, "You're not a god!!"
He stumbled back, more out of surprise than anything else. She had attacked him. His tone darkened as the lines of anger returned to visage. "For an Ancient, you are not very smart."
Sephiroth reached out and savagely grabbed Aeris' shoulders, which resulted in a startled cry from the woman. He brought his face inches away from her's, so close that she could feel his hot breath emanating from his cold features. "I was going to let you live." his tone was icy, yet thoughtful, "But it seems like you are going to be more trouble than you're worth."
She met his gaze once again and laughed bitterly in his face. "I hope you have a nice stay in hell."
His grip tightened on her shoulders before he ruthlessly shoved Aeris with ten times the strength that she had used on him. The force being so strong sent her gliding through the stale air until she met harshly with the stone wall.
She winced as she tightened her eyes in a feeble attempt to bar down on the pain shooting anew over her body. He was too powerful... she could not hope to escape with her life with what she had started. She forced her eyelids to unlock as she heard his approaching footsteps. He was smiling.. He was going to kill her. Panic erupted from her rapidly beating heart as she witnessed the bloodlust crossing his features.
No! She didn't want to die! Not yet!
Still, he kept coming, and none of her thoughts willed him away. He was coming in for the kill.
'Please,' she concentrated deeply as she desperately tried to connect with the planet, 'I need help! Don't let me die! Help me please!!'
"This is the end of the road, Aeris. Too bad you disobeyed the rules. You would have made a fine queen." He said from above her.
He had reached her already! On instinct, she connected her hands together in prayer and began silently mumbling forgotten words.
Sephiroth chuckled slightly at her desperate gesture. "They wont help you now Aeris."
Suddenly, a light erupted from her being. Faint at first, but growing rapidly brighter with each passing second, until it consumed her whole body. She stayed locked in her position, praying to the planet, clinging to her last hope.
Sephiroth stepped back in total disbelief and confusion. "What are you doing?!" he cried with a hint of anxiety.
The blue light was expanding, growing larger to conform to the shape of the room. "No! You wont defeat me!" he pulled out his legendary sword in mere seconds and began to advance on her knelt form.
She opened her emerald eyes and locked on his frightened body. Now was the moment. She had to act now. The light flashed as it escaped from her grasp, flying outwards from its circular form around the Ancient. In a second the damage had been done, and Aeris had been left with a slight ringing in her ears. She surveyed the room to see what destruction she had caused.
The building had been emulsified.
Sephiroth lay still on the concrete floor, pieces of material burning slightly in the new breeze.
One thought crossed her mind: Escape!
***********************************************************************
A/N: Whoo! long chapter! Hope you appriciate it! I'm not sure how bad my action writing is. Hopefully it didn't suck too much! lol.. well sorry for the long wait on this, but I was working on a different piece about Hojo. you can check that out if you want to *shamless plug*. okay, sorry about that! Thanks to all the reviewers, especially my loyal ones: DarkAngel666, Skurvey Kat, Lord Belgarion, Kya Lorne, ect! please review! that would help me get out the next chapter sooner! *hint* So, tell next time, keep cool everyone! I should be back soon!
Teach thee on child of love hereafter
Into the flood again
Same old trip it was back then
So I made a big mistake
Try to see it once my way
Drifting body it's sole desertion
Flying not yet quite the notion"
"Would?" _Alice in Chains_
*********************************************************************** She stared lifelessly at the concrete floor which rested beneath her tired cold feet. It was over. There was no point in fighting a war that you were destined to lose from the beginning. Perhaps we should have realized that from the start, she mused. There was no way a flower girl from the Slums could make a difference in a world as large and hopeless as this desolate wasteland.
The planet had stopped talking to her. Those voices which had comforted, yet frightened her at the same time had finally been silenced. It was not that the planet was angry at her. She wished it was. The planet couldn't be angry or correspond any emotion in her anymore.
The voices were gone.
The planet was dying.
She had only herself to blame, and she cursed every beat of her guilt- ridden heart. Every breath took away a small part of her sanity, and every thought sent her twisting into sorrow. There was nothing she could do anymore but accept the cruel destiny that the Fates had lined up for her. What a waste.
He was in her chamber again, his powerful gaze piercing through her very soul. How long had he been there? Minutes? Hours? She could not tell anymore... Time had lost all meaning in this cold prison. He hadn't uttered a word the whole time, yet seemed content on examining her frail frame as her head lulled to the side. She didn't care. Let him do as he pleased.
Things always have a way of coming full circle. She knew his time was running short. But she felt no joy in this thought, because she knew he had taken the whole world down with him. The apocalypse was near. Soon the voice of every creature left standing would be silenced.
Forever.
This did not faze the General though, as Aeris was sure his thoughts were far from coherent. He probably believed he would never die. Gods did not die. Yet men bleed from open wounds as the soul escapes the broken body.
He was not a god... and he would bleed.
"I guess even the power of an Ancient could not match with my own.." His words hissed out in a harsh whisper, as he scrutinized her weak form.
Her eyes flicked slowly up to settle on his unstable stare. As thoughts of every extent cascaded around her beaten head, there was one thing that she was sure of. She was not afraid. Not of him.. her future.. or her death. She had accepted everything that had come to pass. She would be brave to the end. If that end came sooner, then the sweet release if death would be closer to her. All the better.
"But then again," Sephiroth continued oblivious to her thoughts, "We share that common bond. We are the last Ancients on the planet. With our powers combined, no one could stop us!"
Aeris felt a bitter grin cross over her delicate features. "You are not an Ancient. The vile blood of Jenova runs through your tainted veins... do not offend my people claiming to be one of them. You are nothing but a failed experiment."
It seemed like time had stopped as Aeris finished her piercing statement. The arrogance and superiority drained from Sephiroth's face as he stared disbelievingly at the weak woman seated but a few feet from him. He evoked no fear in her emerald eyes. She had openly defied him, and she was not afraid. She was.. challenging him?
"You're a lying bitch!" He shouted as he turned a nearby chair over with rage.
He traveled the short distance that separated the two and looked her squarely in the face. Her expression hadn't changed. "You," he seethed as he pointed a gloved finger at her, "I should have killed you like the rest of your pathetic team."
Aeris felt her stomach drop. So he had killed them all. Her friends... they were all dead; sent to early graves because of her mistake.
"It's too bad you had to leave so early." Sephiroth was smiling again. He had gotten the reaction he craved for and was now riding with it. "I'm sure you would have enjoyed seeing your friends being ripped to pieces."
Sadness radiated from her body as she grieved silently for her newfound losses. The courage she had felt so strongly just a moment ago had melted away. She could not even return his glare. Again she was the weak flower girl who had to be rescued.
Only there was no one left to help her.
He laughed with mirth as he took in her shattered resolve. "Oh it was a stunning sight, my dear Aeris," he stated conversationally, "Rivers of blood.. That rewarding crunch when the bone breaks.. The smell of burnt flesh in the air.. It was beautiful."
She narrowed her green eyes at his jovial form "You're a sick bastard."
Her retort only seemed to amuse him further as he chuckled to himself. "How can you say that? You haven't heard the best part yet."
Silence yet again overtook the two as he eagerly prodded her with his eyes to speak. However, Aeris only resumed her firm glare at the former general. Realizing that his prisoner would not play any of his morbid guessing games, Sephiroth continued his deranged rant.
"What pleasure it was to see that boy go down," He began, "To feel the sword cut through him so easily. So much like Tifa. It is fitting that they both died so similarly. After all, they should have both died together in Niblehiem, am I right?"
Aeris eyes swelled up with unshed tears as she realized right away who he was speaking of. Her sweet angel had not deserved to die on this madman's cruel blade. None of her friends did for that matter. But the loss of the love of her life left an unsettled mass of agitation in the pit of her stomach. She would never be able to tell Cloud how she felt, and they would never be together.
"Poor, weak little Cloud," he shook his head in mock sympathy, "He didn't stand a chance."
Her vision blurred as a single tear rolled down her porcelain cheek. Cloud was gone. It was her fault... If only she had died...
"But what can you expect from a clone?" Sephiroth continued, taking pleasure in causing her pain, "He was the failed experiment, Aeris. Not me."
She snapped her head up to look the murderer in the eyes. They were cold, unfeeling eyes..yet the grips of madness burned brightly behind that detached exterior, fueling his rage. It was not her fault that the planet had suffered... It was not her fault that her friends had died. Many people contributed to the end result, but one stood out to her more than the rest...
"You can't blame them for trying, I guess," he resumed his conversation, oblivious to her contemplation, "But they should have known from the beginning that the were no match for--"
"It's you're fault!" Aeris screamed, as she jumped out of her chair.
He stopped short, and cocked his head to the side in confusion.
"The planet, the people, my friends! You've destroyed everything!" She cried passionately staring him down with her own dose of unimaginable fury.
"I'm pleased that you've recognized my handiwork." he stated calmly, that ever present smirk returning to his face.
"You don't understand! Everything will die! Everything! That includes you as well!"
He scoffed at the very idea. "I cannot die. I am a god."
Aeris gave a frustrated cry as she pushed him roughly, "You're not a god!!"
He stumbled back, more out of surprise than anything else. She had attacked him. His tone darkened as the lines of anger returned to visage. "For an Ancient, you are not very smart."
Sephiroth reached out and savagely grabbed Aeris' shoulders, which resulted in a startled cry from the woman. He brought his face inches away from her's, so close that she could feel his hot breath emanating from his cold features. "I was going to let you live." his tone was icy, yet thoughtful, "But it seems like you are going to be more trouble than you're worth."
She met his gaze once again and laughed bitterly in his face. "I hope you have a nice stay in hell."
His grip tightened on her shoulders before he ruthlessly shoved Aeris with ten times the strength that she had used on him. The force being so strong sent her gliding through the stale air until she met harshly with the stone wall.
She winced as she tightened her eyes in a feeble attempt to bar down on the pain shooting anew over her body. He was too powerful... she could not hope to escape with her life with what she had started. She forced her eyelids to unlock as she heard his approaching footsteps. He was smiling.. He was going to kill her. Panic erupted from her rapidly beating heart as she witnessed the bloodlust crossing his features.
No! She didn't want to die! Not yet!
Still, he kept coming, and none of her thoughts willed him away. He was coming in for the kill.
'Please,' she concentrated deeply as she desperately tried to connect with the planet, 'I need help! Don't let me die! Help me please!!'
"This is the end of the road, Aeris. Too bad you disobeyed the rules. You would have made a fine queen." He said from above her.
He had reached her already! On instinct, she connected her hands together in prayer and began silently mumbling forgotten words.
Sephiroth chuckled slightly at her desperate gesture. "They wont help you now Aeris."
Suddenly, a light erupted from her being. Faint at first, but growing rapidly brighter with each passing second, until it consumed her whole body. She stayed locked in her position, praying to the planet, clinging to her last hope.
Sephiroth stepped back in total disbelief and confusion. "What are you doing?!" he cried with a hint of anxiety.
The blue light was expanding, growing larger to conform to the shape of the room. "No! You wont defeat me!" he pulled out his legendary sword in mere seconds and began to advance on her knelt form.
She opened her emerald eyes and locked on his frightened body. Now was the moment. She had to act now. The light flashed as it escaped from her grasp, flying outwards from its circular form around the Ancient. In a second the damage had been done, and Aeris had been left with a slight ringing in her ears. She surveyed the room to see what destruction she had caused.
The building had been emulsified.
Sephiroth lay still on the concrete floor, pieces of material burning slightly in the new breeze.
One thought crossed her mind: Escape!
***********************************************************************
A/N: Whoo! long chapter! Hope you appriciate it! I'm not sure how bad my action writing is. Hopefully it didn't suck too much! lol.. well sorry for the long wait on this, but I was working on a different piece about Hojo. you can check that out if you want to *shamless plug*. okay, sorry about that! Thanks to all the reviewers, especially my loyal ones: DarkAngel666, Skurvey Kat, Lord Belgarion, Kya Lorne, ect! please review! that would help me get out the next chapter sooner! *hint* So, tell next time, keep cool everyone! I should be back soon!