Disclaimer: Do I really have to put this here in every chapter....?
Squaresoft, Squaresoft, Squaresoft....
Aeris was carried onto Highwind and Cloud lay her down in the corner of the meeting room. He had some crew member find a blanket and pillow and Cloud placed her head on his lap until the pillow arrived. Aeris fought to stay awake, and cherish the moment. A moment with Cloud she would likely never have again. But as soon as the pillow came, she was out cold. Cloud gently placed her head down on it and the blanket over her.
Aeris later awoke to the sun streaming into the room that she occupied. She was lying in an unfamiliar bed and Cloud was asleep with his arms on the edge of her bed. His head lay on his arms, and his sleep was deep and looked troubled. She tried to sit up, but had trouble, and gave up, thinking her strength would return quickly.
After a few moments, Cloud, too, awoke. He saw her awake, and his eyes registered happiness, but he refused to smile. "How did you overcome Sephiroth's power?" He asked her after a few moments of silence.
"I used the power that I could have used to summon Holy."
"So you saved me, instead of the planet?"
"I also saved me, you know. But I also did it because if Sephiroth dies."
"Then it's over." Cloud finished for her. "But I failed, and didn't kill him..now he's gonna summon Meteor, all because I wasn't strong enough to kill Sephiroth."
Aeris moved her hand to his arm. It took every once of her strength, but it reassured her, and gave her strength to go on speaking. "He needs the Black Materia to summon Holy.and you still have it." Cloud pulled the Black Materia out and looked at it.
"I hope you're right," he said.
"Where is this anyway.?"
"Oh yeah.you're a little outta things. We are at Bone Village. They let me keep you in this inn for free when they saw how injured you were. Everyone else went north to try to cut Sephiroth off. I had Tifa go to Nibliehem. She found a bunch of people. or things. in black cloaks that talked about a reunion in the Northern Crater, so that's where everyone else went."
"Did you stay here the whole time I was asleep..how long was I asleep anyway."
"I lost track of time.. couple weeks I think." He avoided the first question, but Aeris figured he had and smiled. Why else would he be here and everyone else be in the Northern Crater?
"Thanks Cloud."
"I didn't even tell you accurately how long you've been here..so what are you thanking me for?" Aeris shook her head.
"Nothing." Cloud looked at her quizzically. He was always fairly clueless. he'd likely never know how Aeris really felt.
~~~~~~~~~~
Tifa walked cautiously through the Northern Crater. Behind her were Yuffie and Red XIII. They had gone ahead of Barret, CaitSith, Cid, and Vincent. Tifa cringed as she stepped on a black cloak. These cloaks had once harbored some form of a person. That was probably before Sephiroth had gotten to them. But now they were merely black cloaks of nothing.
Tifa continued on, however, despite the feeling in her gut. She felt something wrong. They had done right in leaving the Black Materia behind with Cloud and Aeris hadn't they? If anything happened to Cloud, Aeris would be there to help him. Though Tifa didn't know if Aeris was alright or not, she felt sure that she could be relied on. Tifa carefully proceeded past the winds raging across sections of the crater. She looked behind every once in a while to see if she could see the others. She never could.
Maybe Tifa thought that she'd be able to see Cloud behind her, instead of Barret and the others, but she wasn't sure. Of course Tifa was happy that Aeris was alive.but she couldn't help but think that Aeris had come between her and Cloud. Or maybe Cloud never really felt for her. Tifa shook her head. She had more important things to think about. She pressed on and finally came to what she thought was the center of the crater.
Materia was forming naturally all around Tifa and you couldn't tell what was Materia or a simple crystal. Tifa walked into the center of the center and looked up. She sucked in her breath at her sight.
Sephiroth was encased in a crystal, or perhaps Materia, above them. "Sephiroth's here?" Tifa asked no one in particular. "But how." "There must be two Sephiroth's." A calm voice came from behind Tifa.
"Rufus." she muttered under her breath. What had happened to Cid and the others.? They should have been here by now. Tifa looked Rufus in the eye. "Where is the other Sephiroth?"
"How should we know?" Rufus said. Hiedgar laughed from behind him. Rufus shot him a look, but Hiedgar took no notice and continued to laugh. "I told you to stop that stupid laugh!" Rufus yelled at Hiedgar. Now Scarlet took her chance to laugh quickly. Rufus said nothing.
"Sephiroth could be anywhere!" Yuffie exclaimed to Tifa. Red XIII nodded.
"Aeris may be in danger," Red XIII said looking both sorrowful and angered. Tifa bit her lip and looked down. If only Cloud were here.he'd know what to do.or at least Barret..He has the second PHS.he could call and check on Cloud..and Aeris....
~~~~~~~~~~
Aeris awoke again from her light sleep. Something had been bothering her, Cloud could see it. What if he comes again..? There was nothing I could do to stop myself last time. I may be the worst thing for Aeris. Sephiroth can manipulate me with the twist of a finger. But I can't risk anything happening to Aeris.I just can't.
"Are you going to get any sleep?" Aeris asked Cloud. He nodded.
"When I feel like it. Why?"
"Well I haven't seen you sleep since I was brought here." Cloud remained silent. Moments dragged by.
"Aeris.?"
"Hmm?"
"Is something wrong? With the Planet or Sephiroth. or something like that.?" Aeris looked at Cloud in surprise. He was more perceptive than she had thought. Or maybe he had a connection with Sephiroth. He was coming.but should she tell Cloud.
If Cloud knew. he would leave Aeris. Of course it would be for her own good, but Aeris didn't want to be left alone. Not anymore. She had finally found someone she could be with, and she wasn't going to lose him.
"Nothing's wrong." Aeris lied. She felt terrible.but maybe that was because she had had a fever since they had come back from the City of the Ancients and Aeris was still way too hot. Maybe that's why she was lying.
~~~~~~~~~~ TBC
Aeris was carried onto Highwind and Cloud lay her down in the corner of the meeting room. He had some crew member find a blanket and pillow and Cloud placed her head on his lap until the pillow arrived. Aeris fought to stay awake, and cherish the moment. A moment with Cloud she would likely never have again. But as soon as the pillow came, she was out cold. Cloud gently placed her head down on it and the blanket over her.
Aeris later awoke to the sun streaming into the room that she occupied. She was lying in an unfamiliar bed and Cloud was asleep with his arms on the edge of her bed. His head lay on his arms, and his sleep was deep and looked troubled. She tried to sit up, but had trouble, and gave up, thinking her strength would return quickly.
After a few moments, Cloud, too, awoke. He saw her awake, and his eyes registered happiness, but he refused to smile. "How did you overcome Sephiroth's power?" He asked her after a few moments of silence.
"I used the power that I could have used to summon Holy."
"So you saved me, instead of the planet?"
"I also saved me, you know. But I also did it because if Sephiroth dies."
"Then it's over." Cloud finished for her. "But I failed, and didn't kill him..now he's gonna summon Meteor, all because I wasn't strong enough to kill Sephiroth."
Aeris moved her hand to his arm. It took every once of her strength, but it reassured her, and gave her strength to go on speaking. "He needs the Black Materia to summon Holy.and you still have it." Cloud pulled the Black Materia out and looked at it.
"I hope you're right," he said.
"Where is this anyway.?"
"Oh yeah.you're a little outta things. We are at Bone Village. They let me keep you in this inn for free when they saw how injured you were. Everyone else went north to try to cut Sephiroth off. I had Tifa go to Nibliehem. She found a bunch of people. or things. in black cloaks that talked about a reunion in the Northern Crater, so that's where everyone else went."
"Did you stay here the whole time I was asleep..how long was I asleep anyway."
"I lost track of time.. couple weeks I think." He avoided the first question, but Aeris figured he had and smiled. Why else would he be here and everyone else be in the Northern Crater?
"Thanks Cloud."
"I didn't even tell you accurately how long you've been here..so what are you thanking me for?" Aeris shook her head.
"Nothing." Cloud looked at her quizzically. He was always fairly clueless. he'd likely never know how Aeris really felt.
~~~~~~~~~~
Tifa walked cautiously through the Northern Crater. Behind her were Yuffie and Red XIII. They had gone ahead of Barret, CaitSith, Cid, and Vincent. Tifa cringed as she stepped on a black cloak. These cloaks had once harbored some form of a person. That was probably before Sephiroth had gotten to them. But now they were merely black cloaks of nothing.
Tifa continued on, however, despite the feeling in her gut. She felt something wrong. They had done right in leaving the Black Materia behind with Cloud and Aeris hadn't they? If anything happened to Cloud, Aeris would be there to help him. Though Tifa didn't know if Aeris was alright or not, she felt sure that she could be relied on. Tifa carefully proceeded past the winds raging across sections of the crater. She looked behind every once in a while to see if she could see the others. She never could.
Maybe Tifa thought that she'd be able to see Cloud behind her, instead of Barret and the others, but she wasn't sure. Of course Tifa was happy that Aeris was alive.but she couldn't help but think that Aeris had come between her and Cloud. Or maybe Cloud never really felt for her. Tifa shook her head. She had more important things to think about. She pressed on and finally came to what she thought was the center of the crater.
Materia was forming naturally all around Tifa and you couldn't tell what was Materia or a simple crystal. Tifa walked into the center of the center and looked up. She sucked in her breath at her sight.
Sephiroth was encased in a crystal, or perhaps Materia, above them. "Sephiroth's here?" Tifa asked no one in particular. "But how." "There must be two Sephiroth's." A calm voice came from behind Tifa.
"Rufus." she muttered under her breath. What had happened to Cid and the others.? They should have been here by now. Tifa looked Rufus in the eye. "Where is the other Sephiroth?"
"How should we know?" Rufus said. Hiedgar laughed from behind him. Rufus shot him a look, but Hiedgar took no notice and continued to laugh. "I told you to stop that stupid laugh!" Rufus yelled at Hiedgar. Now Scarlet took her chance to laugh quickly. Rufus said nothing.
"Sephiroth could be anywhere!" Yuffie exclaimed to Tifa. Red XIII nodded.
"Aeris may be in danger," Red XIII said looking both sorrowful and angered. Tifa bit her lip and looked down. If only Cloud were here.he'd know what to do.or at least Barret..He has the second PHS.he could call and check on Cloud..and Aeris....
~~~~~~~~~~
Aeris awoke again from her light sleep. Something had been bothering her, Cloud could see it. What if he comes again..? There was nothing I could do to stop myself last time. I may be the worst thing for Aeris. Sephiroth can manipulate me with the twist of a finger. But I can't risk anything happening to Aeris.I just can't.
"Are you going to get any sleep?" Aeris asked Cloud. He nodded.
"When I feel like it. Why?"
"Well I haven't seen you sleep since I was brought here." Cloud remained silent. Moments dragged by.
"Aeris.?"
"Hmm?"
"Is something wrong? With the Planet or Sephiroth. or something like that.?" Aeris looked at Cloud in surprise. He was more perceptive than she had thought. Or maybe he had a connection with Sephiroth. He was coming.but should she tell Cloud.
If Cloud knew. he would leave Aeris. Of course it would be for her own good, but Aeris didn't want to be left alone. Not anymore. She had finally found someone she could be with, and she wasn't going to lose him.
"Nothing's wrong." Aeris lied. She felt terrible.but maybe that was because she had had a fever since they had come back from the City of the Ancients and Aeris was still way too hot. Maybe that's why she was lying.
~~~~~~~~~~ TBC