Chapter 26: Disturbance Within Dreams
Slowly, Aeris twitched her hand, feeling it to be holding something while being surrounded by a thick substance that kept her from moving her hand anywhere else quickly. Her body seemed to fly within it because she couldn't feel the ground, nor could she feel anything rushing passed her as if she was falling.
Carefully, she began to open her eyes to see nothing but blackness, but she could still feel the thing she was holding on to.
She opened her mouth to speak but nothing came out. Gradually though, screams began to fill her head. Desperate cries of help and pain filled screams surrounded her body, filling her to the point where she could scream herself. She tried to move her hands to her ears to block it out but the liquid she was in was to heavy to move under.
"Help us!"
"The WEAPON is coming for us!" They all screamed. Suddenly she felt something grip her arms but she couldn't feel as if she was being moved. Aeris once again opened her mouth to speak, but she couldn't release anything but small bubbles that floated gently above her.
"Don't be afraid." A soft voice told her, as the others started to vanish from her mind.
"Why?" Aeris finally was able to say and suddenly her body became free from the weight above her. As she closed her eyes again to focus on what was going on around her.
She felt herself drop below but softly on her knees, with her arms wrapped around the seeming to be person now. She took in a deep sigh of relief as she slowly opened her eyes looking to see the familiar clothes in front of her eyes. Smiling, she looked up to find Zack's face but her happiness turned to confusion as she met eyes with the man from before that she had confused for Zack the first time she met him.
"Cloud." She whispered to him and he smiled as he nodded his head at her.
"Don't be afraid. everything's going to be alright." He told her in comfort and she quickly shook her head and stood up on the dark wooden floor below her.
"W- Where am I?" She quickly asked as she scanned the area for any sign of familiarity.
"You're home." He told her as he got up as well, still looking to her lovingly.
"You've been missing for quite sometime, but we found you." He told her as he reached out to hold her.
Too much in shock she aloud him to come near her and wrap his arms tightly around her in comfort but it wasn't helping her at all.
"We?" She asked as she stood there with her head lying softly on his chest, listening to his heart beat steadily.
"Zack? Did Zack help you? Where is he?" She quickly asked as she let go of him and looked around.
"Zack?" He asked, his expression changing from confusion to worry as he watched her desperately look around.
"Aeris are you alright? We need to get you to bed now before you get worse." He told her quickly as he walked over and attempted to pick her up but she quickly pushed herself away from him.
"Where's Zack?!" She demanded to know as she pushed herself back further from him in fear.
"Zack. Aeris you really need to lie down, did you drink any of the water over in the Forgotten City before we found you?" He asked her looking really concerned now.
"The Forgotten City?" She asked, confusion high within her voice as she spoke and his concern grew greater as he rushed at her and quickly scooped her up and ran into the next room.
"You really need to rest!" He told her as he gently laid her back against the beds fluffed up white pillow.
"Where's Zack!?" She screamed now, getting irritated that he wasn't listening to her.
"We'll talk later, right now, rest." He told her as he lifted up a sheet from the front part of the bed and drew it over her softly.
"Where's Shera and Cid!? Where's Zack?! Did they get away from the weapon?" She kept asking, not feeling even the slightest bit tired.
"Cid? Shera? They're at their home, in Rocket Town, you know that. But what are you talking about a weapon for? They've all been destroyed. Don't you remember?" He asked her gently as he kneeled down on the side of the bed and placed his arms up on the side looking at her calmly.
"Destroyed?! No, that's not right, I just saw one! Zack and I fell right passed it, and into that life stream. It only had one of its hands off because Zack sliced it off. It's still alive, nothing could destroy it!" She screamed as she pushed herself up only to have herself pushed back down by his strong muscular arm.
"Aeris. I told you this before. Zack. he died. five years ago by Sephiroth's hand." He told her gently as he stroked to side of her face with the back of his hand to calm her.
"Sephiroth? Who's he? And Zack can't be dead! I was with him a few minutes ago! Or. at least I think it was a few minute ago." She quickly informed him and he took in a deep breath and then shook his head at her.
"Sephiroth. killed you too." He told her as he lifted himself and then sat himself next to her.
"Killed me? Then why am I here?" She asked him looking around the room hoping to find something that might spark her memory even the slightest bit but nothing seemed to flow within her mind.
"You came back to us after we killed Sephiroth." He told her as he leaned over to her taking in a deep sigh.
"Came back to you? Then why didn't Zack? He has to be alive still!" She yelled and he lifted his hand to cup her cheek with it carefully.
"Aeris. Sephiroth cut him down and he was pure mortal. you. you're an ancient. with a special gift that no one on this earth possess." He told her gently and a flash came to her mind.
"You are an Ancient, the one who can help us find the promise land." A voice told her as she sat there and when it vanished she shook Cloud's hand away from her and climbed out of the bed she was in and then started out the door.
Cloud quickly got up in a panic of what she might do and chased after her, catching her at the top of the top of the stairs, holding her back.
"Aeris, calm down! You need rest! The others will be worried if you can't remember anything, you need to relax to regain your memory!" He cried out, holding her as she struggled to break free.
"I don't need to regain my memory! I'm just fine! Let me go, I have to see Zack!" She screamed as she kicked back at his knees and knocked them backwards so he lost his balance and finally let her go.
She stormed down the stairs quickly, and ran to the nearest door. She swung it open and ran through it to meet the bright cloudless morning sky.
A young woman in a white sleeveless belly shirt quickly turned to her. Her candy red eyes lit up in happiness as she ran over to her, her long flowing black hair with a tie at the bottom flowing behind her.
"Aeris!" She screamed as she hugged her tightly with her powerful arms.
In a panic Aeris pushed her away and started to back up looking around desperately as she noticed several others were coming over to the sound of the woman's voice that called her name.
"Aeris what's wrong? It's me, Tifa!" She told her as she stood there confusedly with the wind wrapping around her thin body, blowing her slightly baggy short black shorts closer to her.
"Ti-fa? I don't know you." Aeris told her slowly as she began look around noticing the others were getting closer and then she quickly noticed a familiar face on her right.
"CID! Help! Where's Zack?!" She screamed as she ran over to him, but stopped half way noticing how old he had gotten.
"No.no.no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no." She yelled as she began to back away from him, looking for a way to get away.
"Zack!" She cried and Tifa looked to her in concern as Cloud exited to house and stood next to her and looked in surprise at Cid.
"Hey! I thought you were with Shera at the house." He told him as he reached to the side of his head and pushed his hair back behind his ears and looked around at everyone else.
"I was, but I got word from Barret that Aeris was back." He told him, his voice much more harsh and deeper from what Aeris had heard before.
"Where's Zack!?" Aeris demanded to know, ignoring what Cloud had told her a little bit ago.
"Zack. Aeris, he's been dead for years." Tifa told her starting to her but Aeris through up her hands up in front of her to stop her.
"Stay back! I don't know who you people are, but Zack is not dead! He can't be! I was just with him!" She screamed as she finally spotted a place in the corner of her eye to run.
Quickly turning to face the opening she sped off towards it to escape but Cloud screamed out as she turned.
"Get her! She's not thinking straight, we need to get her to a doctor!" Cloud yelled and Tifa quickly took off from her spot and sped after Aeris as fast she could, pushing herself to her limits to catch her.
"NO! Leave me alone!" Aeris begged as she tried to out run Tifa.
"STOP!!!!!" Tifa screamed as she looked as if she was about to tackle Aeris over to get her to do as she demanded.
"LEAVE ME ALONE!!!" Aeris screamed as she clenched her fists together and placed them over her head as several screams filled her head and engulfed her entire body it seemed.
A powerful wave of heat soon then began to rush over and she closed her eyes as they started to water.
"STOP HER!" Cloud screamed again, but was quickly drown out by the constant screams for help that continued to surround her.
Tifa suddenly stopped as she started to notice that Aeris was being to glow with an eerie golden light.
Small sparkles started to emerge from around her as she ran with her hands over her ears and she gradually began to pick up speed as more of them began to fall from her body and then started to gather with the others in a tight circle around her slender form.
Soon the light became extremely bright and the sparkles started to fly around her growing faster and thicker as they went. Suddenly struck her and exploded sending her at incredible speeds through the gap.
The group of people gaped at her as they all watched her fly from their reach out of the town.
"Wha- What. What happened?" Tifa asked as she stood more shocked then anyone since she was able to out run her.
Another young woman stood there looking to them as she opened her chocolate brown eyes and lowered her hands to her side. Her green shorts swirled to the side with the wind. Her short deep brown hair gently flowed against the current as well as she tried not to catch anyone's attention. She raised her gloved hands and straightened out her tight fitting sleeveless shirt but Cloud noticed her trying not to look at them and quickly turned his attention to her.
"Yuffie. Why'd you use haste on her." He asked gently trying to hold back his anger from her.
"I don't know what you're talking about." She quickly told as she crossed her arms in front of her.
"Yuffie. Don't piss with us." Cid told her as he started to approach but was stopped by Cloud's raised hand.
"We know what you did. You can't hide it, but why did you do it?" Cloud demanded to know as he started to approach her instead.
"Geez, let the girl have some time to herself. I'd have a nervous break down too if I was around you all day. She's just confused, let her do what she wants and come back when she's ready!" Yuffie cried out as she reached over to her side and picked up a conformer and started off slowly towards where Aeris had disappeared.
Tifa watched angrily as Yuffie passed her, seeming to be anger as well. Tifa raised her fist to strike Yuffie in the back of the head but a seemingly young man from her right quickly raised his hand from under his deep red cloak that shrouded his body revealing a gun, with it's trigger closed around his fingers. He fired it quickly and it passed inches from Tifa's fist, stopping her instantly from her attack and she swiftly turned to him while Yuffie kept going ignoring the bullet that flew back behind her neck.
"Why'd you stop me?!" Tifa quickly asked, her voice filled with fury as Yuffie continued on nearly out of sight now.
"Why else.? She's right." He told her as he quietly slipped his gun back under his cloak to the side of his black baggy pants where the sheath hung awaiting him to place it back in.
"What are you talking about Vincent?! She's not right. Aeris needs help and we're the only ones who can give it to her!" She shouted angrily at him and Cloud came to her, placing his hand gently on her shoulder.
"Leave Aeris be for now, she'll be fine, she seems to know her defenses quite well and with Yuffie's haste on her, she'll be able to escape anything." He told her as he slid his hand from her and started after Yuffie carefully.
"Or someone." Tifa mumbled as she took in a deep sigh of frustration and began to go after them as well, followed by the rest of their group.
Aeris continued to speed off not understanding what was happening. She didn't want to believe Cloud's words about Zack hoping she'd be there instead.waiting for her somewhere nearby. He had fallen into the life stream along with her and she wanted to think he was only a little ways away.
A sudden thought then struck her mind as she began to slow down. Cloud's words about finding her somewhere at a city. The Forgotten City. It was like a firecracker coming through her.
Even though she knew that she didn't know where that place was, a deep impulse sent her running again with the wind, feeling as though she was being guided towards it without regret.
Aeris knew there was only one way to go now and she would find her way there as she continued to run along the dirt road that was littered with debry in front of her as she continued. It didn't dare move as she passed each piece up but after a few seconds it shot off from the ground with the furious wind, following her as she went.
Suddenly, she stopped.
Looking around for a moment she then collapsed, her eyes rolling back in her head as she shut them, feeling as though something was piercing her body from behind her.
Aeris grasped her stomach tightly as she curled her legs to her chest, cringing in severe pain as she shook violently, trying to shake it off. Her breaths began to grow shorter, and her lungs, more desperate for air.
Slow steady walking came from behind her, slowly but determined footsteps. She gently tried with most of her energy then to turn her head to see who it could have been that was doing this to her but as she looked up she couldn't see, but she could tell it was a man. The sun's shadow around him covered his body, making it impossible to see what his face looked like, what he wore, or even what he was looking at.
"Do not worry." He told her, as he reached down and stroked her hair away from her eyes seeming at first to want to be calming.
"This will all be over soon." The man finished and with that, Aeris completely blacked out from the pain and laid helpless to the man before her.
Slowly, Aeris twitched her hand, feeling it to be holding something while being surrounded by a thick substance that kept her from moving her hand anywhere else quickly. Her body seemed to fly within it because she couldn't feel the ground, nor could she feel anything rushing passed her as if she was falling.
Carefully, she began to open her eyes to see nothing but blackness, but she could still feel the thing she was holding on to.
She opened her mouth to speak but nothing came out. Gradually though, screams began to fill her head. Desperate cries of help and pain filled screams surrounded her body, filling her to the point where she could scream herself. She tried to move her hands to her ears to block it out but the liquid she was in was to heavy to move under.
"Help us!"
"The WEAPON is coming for us!" They all screamed. Suddenly she felt something grip her arms but she couldn't feel as if she was being moved. Aeris once again opened her mouth to speak, but she couldn't release anything but small bubbles that floated gently above her.
"Don't be afraid." A soft voice told her, as the others started to vanish from her mind.
"Why?" Aeris finally was able to say and suddenly her body became free from the weight above her. As she closed her eyes again to focus on what was going on around her.
She felt herself drop below but softly on her knees, with her arms wrapped around the seeming to be person now. She took in a deep sigh of relief as she slowly opened her eyes looking to see the familiar clothes in front of her eyes. Smiling, she looked up to find Zack's face but her happiness turned to confusion as she met eyes with the man from before that she had confused for Zack the first time she met him.
"Cloud." She whispered to him and he smiled as he nodded his head at her.
"Don't be afraid. everything's going to be alright." He told her in comfort and she quickly shook her head and stood up on the dark wooden floor below her.
"W- Where am I?" She quickly asked as she scanned the area for any sign of familiarity.
"You're home." He told her as he got up as well, still looking to her lovingly.
"You've been missing for quite sometime, but we found you." He told her as he reached out to hold her.
Too much in shock she aloud him to come near her and wrap his arms tightly around her in comfort but it wasn't helping her at all.
"We?" She asked as she stood there with her head lying softly on his chest, listening to his heart beat steadily.
"Zack? Did Zack help you? Where is he?" She quickly asked as she let go of him and looked around.
"Zack?" He asked, his expression changing from confusion to worry as he watched her desperately look around.
"Aeris are you alright? We need to get you to bed now before you get worse." He told her quickly as he walked over and attempted to pick her up but she quickly pushed herself away from him.
"Where's Zack?!" She demanded to know as she pushed herself back further from him in fear.
"Zack. Aeris you really need to lie down, did you drink any of the water over in the Forgotten City before we found you?" He asked her looking really concerned now.
"The Forgotten City?" She asked, confusion high within her voice as she spoke and his concern grew greater as he rushed at her and quickly scooped her up and ran into the next room.
"You really need to rest!" He told her as he gently laid her back against the beds fluffed up white pillow.
"Where's Zack!?" She screamed now, getting irritated that he wasn't listening to her.
"We'll talk later, right now, rest." He told her as he lifted up a sheet from the front part of the bed and drew it over her softly.
"Where's Shera and Cid!? Where's Zack?! Did they get away from the weapon?" She kept asking, not feeling even the slightest bit tired.
"Cid? Shera? They're at their home, in Rocket Town, you know that. But what are you talking about a weapon for? They've all been destroyed. Don't you remember?" He asked her gently as he kneeled down on the side of the bed and placed his arms up on the side looking at her calmly.
"Destroyed?! No, that's not right, I just saw one! Zack and I fell right passed it, and into that life stream. It only had one of its hands off because Zack sliced it off. It's still alive, nothing could destroy it!" She screamed as she pushed herself up only to have herself pushed back down by his strong muscular arm.
"Aeris. I told you this before. Zack. he died. five years ago by Sephiroth's hand." He told her gently as he stroked to side of her face with the back of his hand to calm her.
"Sephiroth? Who's he? And Zack can't be dead! I was with him a few minutes ago! Or. at least I think it was a few minute ago." She quickly informed him and he took in a deep breath and then shook his head at her.
"Sephiroth. killed you too." He told her as he lifted himself and then sat himself next to her.
"Killed me? Then why am I here?" She asked him looking around the room hoping to find something that might spark her memory even the slightest bit but nothing seemed to flow within her mind.
"You came back to us after we killed Sephiroth." He told her as he leaned over to her taking in a deep sigh.
"Came back to you? Then why didn't Zack? He has to be alive still!" She yelled and he lifted his hand to cup her cheek with it carefully.
"Aeris. Sephiroth cut him down and he was pure mortal. you. you're an ancient. with a special gift that no one on this earth possess." He told her gently and a flash came to her mind.
"You are an Ancient, the one who can help us find the promise land." A voice told her as she sat there and when it vanished she shook Cloud's hand away from her and climbed out of the bed she was in and then started out the door.
Cloud quickly got up in a panic of what she might do and chased after her, catching her at the top of the top of the stairs, holding her back.
"Aeris, calm down! You need rest! The others will be worried if you can't remember anything, you need to relax to regain your memory!" He cried out, holding her as she struggled to break free.
"I don't need to regain my memory! I'm just fine! Let me go, I have to see Zack!" She screamed as she kicked back at his knees and knocked them backwards so he lost his balance and finally let her go.
She stormed down the stairs quickly, and ran to the nearest door. She swung it open and ran through it to meet the bright cloudless morning sky.
A young woman in a white sleeveless belly shirt quickly turned to her. Her candy red eyes lit up in happiness as she ran over to her, her long flowing black hair with a tie at the bottom flowing behind her.
"Aeris!" She screamed as she hugged her tightly with her powerful arms.
In a panic Aeris pushed her away and started to back up looking around desperately as she noticed several others were coming over to the sound of the woman's voice that called her name.
"Aeris what's wrong? It's me, Tifa!" She told her as she stood there confusedly with the wind wrapping around her thin body, blowing her slightly baggy short black shorts closer to her.
"Ti-fa? I don't know you." Aeris told her slowly as she began look around noticing the others were getting closer and then she quickly noticed a familiar face on her right.
"CID! Help! Where's Zack?!" She screamed as she ran over to him, but stopped half way noticing how old he had gotten.
"No.no.no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no." She yelled as she began to back away from him, looking for a way to get away.
"Zack!" She cried and Tifa looked to her in concern as Cloud exited to house and stood next to her and looked in surprise at Cid.
"Hey! I thought you were with Shera at the house." He told him as he reached to the side of his head and pushed his hair back behind his ears and looked around at everyone else.
"I was, but I got word from Barret that Aeris was back." He told him, his voice much more harsh and deeper from what Aeris had heard before.
"Where's Zack!?" Aeris demanded to know, ignoring what Cloud had told her a little bit ago.
"Zack. Aeris, he's been dead for years." Tifa told her starting to her but Aeris through up her hands up in front of her to stop her.
"Stay back! I don't know who you people are, but Zack is not dead! He can't be! I was just with him!" She screamed as she finally spotted a place in the corner of her eye to run.
Quickly turning to face the opening she sped off towards it to escape but Cloud screamed out as she turned.
"Get her! She's not thinking straight, we need to get her to a doctor!" Cloud yelled and Tifa quickly took off from her spot and sped after Aeris as fast she could, pushing herself to her limits to catch her.
"NO! Leave me alone!" Aeris begged as she tried to out run Tifa.
"STOP!!!!!" Tifa screamed as she looked as if she was about to tackle Aeris over to get her to do as she demanded.
"LEAVE ME ALONE!!!" Aeris screamed as she clenched her fists together and placed them over her head as several screams filled her head and engulfed her entire body it seemed.
A powerful wave of heat soon then began to rush over and she closed her eyes as they started to water.
"STOP HER!" Cloud screamed again, but was quickly drown out by the constant screams for help that continued to surround her.
Tifa suddenly stopped as she started to notice that Aeris was being to glow with an eerie golden light.
Small sparkles started to emerge from around her as she ran with her hands over her ears and she gradually began to pick up speed as more of them began to fall from her body and then started to gather with the others in a tight circle around her slender form.
Soon the light became extremely bright and the sparkles started to fly around her growing faster and thicker as they went. Suddenly struck her and exploded sending her at incredible speeds through the gap.
The group of people gaped at her as they all watched her fly from their reach out of the town.
"Wha- What. What happened?" Tifa asked as she stood more shocked then anyone since she was able to out run her.
Another young woman stood there looking to them as she opened her chocolate brown eyes and lowered her hands to her side. Her green shorts swirled to the side with the wind. Her short deep brown hair gently flowed against the current as well as she tried not to catch anyone's attention. She raised her gloved hands and straightened out her tight fitting sleeveless shirt but Cloud noticed her trying not to look at them and quickly turned his attention to her.
"Yuffie. Why'd you use haste on her." He asked gently trying to hold back his anger from her.
"I don't know what you're talking about." She quickly told as she crossed her arms in front of her.
"Yuffie. Don't piss with us." Cid told her as he started to approach but was stopped by Cloud's raised hand.
"We know what you did. You can't hide it, but why did you do it?" Cloud demanded to know as he started to approach her instead.
"Geez, let the girl have some time to herself. I'd have a nervous break down too if I was around you all day. She's just confused, let her do what she wants and come back when she's ready!" Yuffie cried out as she reached over to her side and picked up a conformer and started off slowly towards where Aeris had disappeared.
Tifa watched angrily as Yuffie passed her, seeming to be anger as well. Tifa raised her fist to strike Yuffie in the back of the head but a seemingly young man from her right quickly raised his hand from under his deep red cloak that shrouded his body revealing a gun, with it's trigger closed around his fingers. He fired it quickly and it passed inches from Tifa's fist, stopping her instantly from her attack and she swiftly turned to him while Yuffie kept going ignoring the bullet that flew back behind her neck.
"Why'd you stop me?!" Tifa quickly asked, her voice filled with fury as Yuffie continued on nearly out of sight now.
"Why else.? She's right." He told her as he quietly slipped his gun back under his cloak to the side of his black baggy pants where the sheath hung awaiting him to place it back in.
"What are you talking about Vincent?! She's not right. Aeris needs help and we're the only ones who can give it to her!" She shouted angrily at him and Cloud came to her, placing his hand gently on her shoulder.
"Leave Aeris be for now, she'll be fine, she seems to know her defenses quite well and with Yuffie's haste on her, she'll be able to escape anything." He told her as he slid his hand from her and started after Yuffie carefully.
"Or someone." Tifa mumbled as she took in a deep sigh of frustration and began to go after them as well, followed by the rest of their group.
Aeris continued to speed off not understanding what was happening. She didn't want to believe Cloud's words about Zack hoping she'd be there instead.waiting for her somewhere nearby. He had fallen into the life stream along with her and she wanted to think he was only a little ways away.
A sudden thought then struck her mind as she began to slow down. Cloud's words about finding her somewhere at a city. The Forgotten City. It was like a firecracker coming through her.
Even though she knew that she didn't know where that place was, a deep impulse sent her running again with the wind, feeling as though she was being guided towards it without regret.
Aeris knew there was only one way to go now and she would find her way there as she continued to run along the dirt road that was littered with debry in front of her as she continued. It didn't dare move as she passed each piece up but after a few seconds it shot off from the ground with the furious wind, following her as she went.
Suddenly, she stopped.
Looking around for a moment she then collapsed, her eyes rolling back in her head as she shut them, feeling as though something was piercing her body from behind her.
Aeris grasped her stomach tightly as she curled her legs to her chest, cringing in severe pain as she shook violently, trying to shake it off. Her breaths began to grow shorter, and her lungs, more desperate for air.
Slow steady walking came from behind her, slowly but determined footsteps. She gently tried with most of her energy then to turn her head to see who it could have been that was doing this to her but as she looked up she couldn't see, but she could tell it was a man. The sun's shadow around him covered his body, making it impossible to see what his face looked like, what he wore, or even what he was looking at.
"Do not worry." He told her, as he reached down and stroked her hair away from her eyes seeming at first to want to be calming.
"This will all be over soon." The man finished and with that, Aeris completely blacked out from the pain and laid helpless to the man before her.