Disclaimer: I don't like repeating myself....it belongs to Squaresoft......
He awoke seconds later on the floor of the altar, though in his mind full of recollections, it had seemed a lot longer. Sephiroth stood behind Aeris and brought out his sword. Cloud's eyes became wide. He saw Aeris smile. It was no ordinary smile. It was a smile for him, only him. He yelled her name, unaware that his voice now worked. He cried her name again as Sephiroth's sword became visible through Aeris small stomach. She fell forward as Sephiroth withdrew his sword, and blood gushed from her wound. Cloud's eyes revealed sadness, but Aeris' eyes showed no fear, and her smile never faltered. The Materia in her hair flew from her, bouncing from one stone stair to the next. It finally strayed from its course and fell into the water.
No one took any notice of this Materia, however. Tifa's eyes began to tear openly, as did Barret's though more surreptitiously. Cloud moved to go to Aeris but Sephiroth stopped him.
"You don't think she can live, do you?" he asked laughingly. Cloud shook with anger and lowered his head. "You feel no emotion, Failure. Stop trying." Cloud heard nothing. Stop it. his mind said. Cloud raised his head and stared at Sephiroth with eyes filled of hatred and loathing.
"GET OUT OF MY WAY!" Cloud yelled at Sephiroth. Cloud brought out his sword and slashed at Sephiroth. He merely disappeared, leaving no blood or marks whatsoever. Cloud took no notice of this, however, and rushed to Aeris.
"Aeris." he whispered, daring to hope for life as he held his breath. A gasp for air came from Aeris.
"Ohmigod," Tifa whispered seeing movement from Aeris. "How.?"
"Cloud." Aeris whispered.
"Shh."
"You didn't swing it..you. couldn't."
"Aeris." She put her hand to his face and silenced him.
"I'll be alright. just let me cast.." She reached for her staff that lay near the edge of the altar. It lay just beyond her reach. Cloud reached it for her and brought it to her outstretched hand. She pulled it to her. "Healing.Wind."
Winds entwined themselves with Aeris' body and soothed her wound slightly. She let out a soft sigh and closed her eyes. ~~~~~~~~~~ Cloud really awoke now, finding that he had been seeing all of this in a vision. Now he was in reality, and found Aeris had fallen. When Cloud had pulled his blade back, it had unexpectedly knocked the blade above her back. The blade had still knocked her over, but only by being banged into her side.
"Aeris?" Cloud whispered. She made no movement. Cloud waited for a moment, again holding his breath. Her chest raised and fell, and Cloud exhaled. She's alright. He gently lifted her and her staff up and carried her carefully from the altar. Tifa and Barret were both happy, and showed it in entirely different ways.
They got outside from the altar to the lake just outside when Sephiroth once again appeared floating in mid air. "You didn't think I'd be beaten that easily, did you?" Sephiroth laughed. "I can't allow this Ancient to live. I must kill her. I will kill her."
"Like hell you will!" Barret yelled at Sephiroth. He pulled his gun arm up and shot. Sephiroth took the hits dead on and disintegrated in mid air.
"Did you really think to challenge me?" he asked from behind them. Cloud, Barret, and Tifa all spun around in surprise. Barret began to speak but Cloud stepped forward.
"Don't involve them."
"Hey." Tifa started.
"No, Tifa.."
"You want to face me by yourself? Remember, you are weak. You are nothing. You are the failure." Cloud began to draw his sword, but a force stopped him. The world seemed to fade around him and he was back on the altar just as minutes before. Sephiroth once again came down to Aeris. Once again pushed his sword through her delicate little stomach. Cloud wasn't worried. He had lived this, and only moments before, so he was confident he already knew the outcome. But as Aeris fell, something seemed different. Something was altered and Cloud felt it as he rushed to catch Aeris. No gasp came from her, no breath escaped her body. How.how can.. this be.
"This can't be.this isn't real." Cloud said as he stared at Aeris. A smile still lingered on her face.
"Don't worry," Sephiroth assured Cloud. "Soon this girl will be part of the Planet's energy. All that is left for me to do is to travel north. The 'Promised Land' awaits there for me. There, I will become a new being."
"Shut up,"
".by uniting with the planet. As will this girl."
"SHUT UP!" Cloud stood up quickly. "I don't care about the 'Promised Land', or the Planet, for that matter. I care about the people around me." Cloud paused and looked to Aeris with a look of longing in his eyes. "And right now, you are trying to kill her." Cloud stopped with that and pulled his sword out.
"Are you going to try to attack me?" Sephiroth questioned with laughter in his eyes. Cloud said nothing in reply. He saw Aeris, in the corner of his eye, move. He saw something in her eyes, a decision. He too, made a decision. He rushed toward Sephiroth with his sword wielded and got ready to slash. Sephiroth lifted his hand and made Cloud stop.
Cloud again saw movement in the corner of his eyes as Aeris raised her arms. Even at a glance, Cloud could see how much that small movement pained Aeris, and how it caused her to glow with her remaining power. He could feel his body tingling as he regained control. A look of horror registered on Sephiroth's face and Cloud brought his blade down. Sephiroth couldn't trick this one, and it resulted in a slash across his shoulder. Sephiroth moved, and the damage reduced, but it resulted in a large gash going from his shoulder down his chest, getting smaller as it went down.
He was shocked, and stumbled backwards slightly before flying off. Cloud went to Aeris and lifted her gently. "That was.your power." he started, "that let me hit him.wasn't it?" Aeris said nothing but she smiled. Her breaths were quick and rigid, and Cloud didn't think she would live the trip to get help.
"Can you make it Aeris? Till we can get help?"
"I. don't kn." Aeris stopped as she coughed up blood. Tifa and Barret kept their distance. "Is she gonna be okay, Barret?" Tifa asked.
"Hell do I know? I ain't no mind reader." he said it same as always, but there was no attitude that usually came with it. Instead, it was said with sadness. Tifa walked back a few paces.
"Hey Barret..."
"Yeah?"
"What. is that.?" A shadow came down over all four of them and a shout came from above.
~~~~~~~~~~ TBC
He awoke seconds later on the floor of the altar, though in his mind full of recollections, it had seemed a lot longer. Sephiroth stood behind Aeris and brought out his sword. Cloud's eyes became wide. He saw Aeris smile. It was no ordinary smile. It was a smile for him, only him. He yelled her name, unaware that his voice now worked. He cried her name again as Sephiroth's sword became visible through Aeris small stomach. She fell forward as Sephiroth withdrew his sword, and blood gushed from her wound. Cloud's eyes revealed sadness, but Aeris' eyes showed no fear, and her smile never faltered. The Materia in her hair flew from her, bouncing from one stone stair to the next. It finally strayed from its course and fell into the water.
No one took any notice of this Materia, however. Tifa's eyes began to tear openly, as did Barret's though more surreptitiously. Cloud moved to go to Aeris but Sephiroth stopped him.
"You don't think she can live, do you?" he asked laughingly. Cloud shook with anger and lowered his head. "You feel no emotion, Failure. Stop trying." Cloud heard nothing. Stop it. his mind said. Cloud raised his head and stared at Sephiroth with eyes filled of hatred and loathing.
"GET OUT OF MY WAY!" Cloud yelled at Sephiroth. Cloud brought out his sword and slashed at Sephiroth. He merely disappeared, leaving no blood or marks whatsoever. Cloud took no notice of this, however, and rushed to Aeris.
"Aeris." he whispered, daring to hope for life as he held his breath. A gasp for air came from Aeris.
"Ohmigod," Tifa whispered seeing movement from Aeris. "How.?"
"Cloud." Aeris whispered.
"Shh."
"You didn't swing it..you. couldn't."
"Aeris." She put her hand to his face and silenced him.
"I'll be alright. just let me cast.." She reached for her staff that lay near the edge of the altar. It lay just beyond her reach. Cloud reached it for her and brought it to her outstretched hand. She pulled it to her. "Healing.Wind."
Winds entwined themselves with Aeris' body and soothed her wound slightly. She let out a soft sigh and closed her eyes. ~~~~~~~~~~ Cloud really awoke now, finding that he had been seeing all of this in a vision. Now he was in reality, and found Aeris had fallen. When Cloud had pulled his blade back, it had unexpectedly knocked the blade above her back. The blade had still knocked her over, but only by being banged into her side.
"Aeris?" Cloud whispered. She made no movement. Cloud waited for a moment, again holding his breath. Her chest raised and fell, and Cloud exhaled. She's alright. He gently lifted her and her staff up and carried her carefully from the altar. Tifa and Barret were both happy, and showed it in entirely different ways.
They got outside from the altar to the lake just outside when Sephiroth once again appeared floating in mid air. "You didn't think I'd be beaten that easily, did you?" Sephiroth laughed. "I can't allow this Ancient to live. I must kill her. I will kill her."
"Like hell you will!" Barret yelled at Sephiroth. He pulled his gun arm up and shot. Sephiroth took the hits dead on and disintegrated in mid air.
"Did you really think to challenge me?" he asked from behind them. Cloud, Barret, and Tifa all spun around in surprise. Barret began to speak but Cloud stepped forward.
"Don't involve them."
"Hey." Tifa started.
"No, Tifa.."
"You want to face me by yourself? Remember, you are weak. You are nothing. You are the failure." Cloud began to draw his sword, but a force stopped him. The world seemed to fade around him and he was back on the altar just as minutes before. Sephiroth once again came down to Aeris. Once again pushed his sword through her delicate little stomach. Cloud wasn't worried. He had lived this, and only moments before, so he was confident he already knew the outcome. But as Aeris fell, something seemed different. Something was altered and Cloud felt it as he rushed to catch Aeris. No gasp came from her, no breath escaped her body. How.how can.. this be.
"This can't be.this isn't real." Cloud said as he stared at Aeris. A smile still lingered on her face.
"Don't worry," Sephiroth assured Cloud. "Soon this girl will be part of the Planet's energy. All that is left for me to do is to travel north. The 'Promised Land' awaits there for me. There, I will become a new being."
"Shut up,"
".by uniting with the planet. As will this girl."
"SHUT UP!" Cloud stood up quickly. "I don't care about the 'Promised Land', or the Planet, for that matter. I care about the people around me." Cloud paused and looked to Aeris with a look of longing in his eyes. "And right now, you are trying to kill her." Cloud stopped with that and pulled his sword out.
"Are you going to try to attack me?" Sephiroth questioned with laughter in his eyes. Cloud said nothing in reply. He saw Aeris, in the corner of his eye, move. He saw something in her eyes, a decision. He too, made a decision. He rushed toward Sephiroth with his sword wielded and got ready to slash. Sephiroth lifted his hand and made Cloud stop.
Cloud again saw movement in the corner of his eyes as Aeris raised her arms. Even at a glance, Cloud could see how much that small movement pained Aeris, and how it caused her to glow with her remaining power. He could feel his body tingling as he regained control. A look of horror registered on Sephiroth's face and Cloud brought his blade down. Sephiroth couldn't trick this one, and it resulted in a slash across his shoulder. Sephiroth moved, and the damage reduced, but it resulted in a large gash going from his shoulder down his chest, getting smaller as it went down.
He was shocked, and stumbled backwards slightly before flying off. Cloud went to Aeris and lifted her gently. "That was.your power." he started, "that let me hit him.wasn't it?" Aeris said nothing but she smiled. Her breaths were quick and rigid, and Cloud didn't think she would live the trip to get help.
"Can you make it Aeris? Till we can get help?"
"I. don't kn." Aeris stopped as she coughed up blood. Tifa and Barret kept their distance. "Is she gonna be okay, Barret?" Tifa asked.
"Hell do I know? I ain't no mind reader." he said it same as always, but there was no attitude that usually came with it. Instead, it was said with sadness. Tifa walked back a few paces.
"Hey Barret..."
"Yeah?"
"What. is that.?" A shadow came down over all four of them and a shout came from above.
~~~~~~~~~~ TBC