Sephiroth swung the door open. A thick line of SOLDIERS surrounded the door, their black rifles shimmering in the pale light as they focused on the dark angel in the doorway. Yuna shivered at his side. She could see, just beyond the shining armored men, that the bland walls of the hallway were decorated with smears of blood and the floor with crumpled, bleeding bodies. And all around in the air danced the glowing pyreflies, small orbs of light with trails of rainbow.

She was thrust back into reality when, in one deft maneuver, Sephiroth had grabbed Yuna and pinned her against his cold leather cloak. She felt the now familiar, icy blade of the Masamune touch her throat. "If you shoot," he snarled. "The Summoner will pay."

"Don't shoot!" called someone from the behind the SOLDIERS. The man pushed himself to the front of the line, sporting a long white coat and wide, beady black eyes. Professor Hojo. Yuna had seen him many, many times since she had been brought to this place, to that small room. "You can't just kidnap her!"

Yuna could feel Sephiroth's hard chest heave against her back as he laughed. It was a triumphant and sadistic laugh, almost as a cat would laugh when it knows the mouse is cornered. "Come and take her from me."

Nobody moved, only breathed a little deeper. The pyreflies began to twirl a little faster in the silent air.

Suddenly, Spehiroth's iron grip was released and she watched him throw himself at the numerous SOLDIERS.

"Quick, grab the Summoner!" she heard Hojo shout over the turmoil.

Four SOLDIERS, lost to the whirlwind of black leather and steel, ran to Yuna, intent on seizing her and carrying her away while Sephiroth was holding his own at the other side of the hallway.

She looked into their helmeted eyes with fear. I can't fight them!

But I'm not going to let them drag me back into that room again.

Yuna touched her staff to her forehead and shut her eyes tight. "Shiva.... aide me!" The Summoner kneeled just as massive ice crystals flew from the walls and structured themselves behind her in a rush of freezing air.

All the activity in the hallway ceased as everyone turned to stare at the Summoner and the graceful figure materializing inside the shimmering crystals. Yuna couldn't help but smirk as the spirit behind her waved an icy blue arm, shattering the ice.

The Aeon stepped around the Summoner while tossing a few stray, shining azure locks over her shoulder. "You called? Looks like a couple of pitiful mercenaries."

"Never mind! Diamond Dust!"

"Very well, anything for darling Yuna."

The Aeon smiled mischievously, placing an icy clawed finger to her bluish lips as though considering. Then her pale indigo eyes blazed and she spun on her toes, casting a blast of penetrating, solid arctic ice over the entire hallway.

Shiva surveyed the occupants encased in the glittering ice. She outstretched a single, bejeweled hand and snapped her frosted fingers. At this command, the ice exploded into a thousand, diamond-like shards that melted into the air.

Every SOLDIER in the hallway crumpled to the floor, frozen to death.

All except Sephiroth, who pulled himself to his feet, eyes burning with emerald flame.

Yuna backed up against the towering Aeon who placed a protective hand over her shoulder. "I-I'm sorry... I didn't mean to hurt you... I didn't think the Limit Break would cover the whole place..."

Sephiroth glanced at her, but did not dare make a false move in front of the ice goddess. Instead, he looked down and began to brush some stray ice shards of his cloak. "That could not cause me any serious damage."

Shiva's eyes turned to fiery aqua slits, but she did not make a move without Yuna's command.

The Summoner turned to the boreal spirit, who leaned forward on her knees to she could hear the whisper, "Thank you. You are dismissed."

"Yuna, I do not wish to leave you here with this man. I do not trust him."

"There is no one else to trust. Besides, he's helping me to escape."

The Aeon stood up to her full height, raising her silky voice as she did so. "Very well, Yuna. I just don't want to see you get hurt. Three thousand years is a long time to sleep."

Yuna did not stop to ponder the retreating spirit's words. She shivered, looking over the bleeding and frozen bodies, but focused on the task at hand. She turned to Sephiroth, clutching her staff, and placed a hand on the powerful man's arm.

"Let me heal you."

"I don't need it. Let's go."

"At least - ....... at least let me send them."

"Send them? Who?"

Yuna wistfully regarded the pyreflies, whirling and spinning in the bleached florescent light. "Their spirits."

"What do you mean? Send them where?"

"To the Farplane."

"The Farplane? What? There's no time. We're going," he stated bluntly, grabbed her thin wrist to drag her along behind him.

She struggled, fruitlessly, against his grip. "No, I must! Otherwise they will be bound to Spira forever as monsters! I must give them peace!"

Sephiroth sighed, almost a growl. Without a second thought, he forcefully hoisted the small woman onto his shoulder as though she weighed no more than a small child, the metal shoulder guard pressed painfully into her stomach.

"Go back!" she cried, pounding against his back with her fist and staff as he passed through the double doors at the end of the hall. "I must send them!"

Sephiroth calmly ignored her.

Author's Note: whew i'm glad I got all that out of the way. now we can get down to the good stuff. next chapter: yuna and sephy escape and yuna discovers that it's been three thousand years since she defeated sin.