Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Final Fantasy characters or the storylines.

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(Back in Gongaga)

Jacques, Tifa and I stayed with him as he lay in the bed. Aerith waited outside room. She wanted to be there with him but knew that only she could stop the meteor. Aerith walked in the room. She looked at us, then to Cloud and leaned to kiss him for what seemed to be the last.

"Aerith..." I looked at her face, she didn't want to leave, but had to. He reached out for her as she disappeared from sight. Wanted to follow, but I froze in position. Jacques and Tifa held me down.

I fainted in disbelief that she left. The two shook me to and fro to wake me but no luck. Jacques lifted me up and cradled me in his arms. Even though my eyes were shut, my mind wandered. From a distance I saw visions. One of them included the one Aerith sent to Cloud. Telepathically Aerith had said goodbye to her loved one.

It was sad to see him that way, she ran through the Sleeping Forest with Sephiroth on her tail. He tried to follow, but his feet ran on the spot. I wanted so much to warn him but something pulled me back. I awoke in the arms of my best friend. He must've been really worried to have used the prince charming trick on me. Tifa clasped her arms on her mouth, trying to hold back herself from hugging me. He had really good timing as, Cloud awakened as soon as I got up. Tifa pounced on him saying that Aerith had left.

He shivered, and lost all confidence in himself. Barret barged in the room and tried to knock some sense into him.

I called to him, "Don't be hard on him, dad. He's had it rough." Barret grumbled but understood.

We left the room, so he could think; Jacques carried me out like a groom carrying a bride. Didn't think I was able to walk after the little incident. It took Cloud a while as he didn't know what to do. But he knew if he just sat there, doing nothing, he would never see his beloved again.

Out side, we waited and he emerged from the hut. For some reason he seemed distant and gloomy.

"I'm sorry to have worried all of you, but please would you help me save Aerith?" He asked sincerely.

I patted his shoulder and answered sympathetically, "You don't have to ask, we've been here with you all the way," He looked at us sadly.

"She's right you know, we're your comrades through thick and thin." Vincent broke the silence. Jacques, Cid and Barret gave him a thumb up, while the others grinned at him.

"Let's go save her, lover boy," I teased him. The others laughed and he chinned up.

On board the Tiny Bronco, he was like a ghost as he didn't speak with any of us. Naz and Yuffie were chatting away, Cid was piloting the plane with Cait Sith, Tifa was with Vincent, Jacques kept a bird's eye view and I sat with Red XIII. Couldn't help thinking about how Cloud feels for Aerith and that her end may be near. Red placed his furry head on my lap, asking me to stroke it.

He knew I was drowned in thought and wanted me to get over it. That was why I liked him so much; he's very bright and understanding. No matter what happened or where we were, he and Aerith were always there for me. But Aerith was on the edge of a cliff right now and I myself am wondering what we should do. Red lifted his head and rubbed it against me. He may be a beast, but amongst friends he's as harmless as a puppy *giggle*.

The Forgotten City was across the sea and situated beyond the Bone Village, an excavation site. The head of the search said we needed the Lunar Harp to get through the Sleeping Forest. If it awakens a path will appear before us leading us out on the other side. Naz, the expert at locating items, he lead the excavation and show the assigned workers where to dig.

By the next morning, we had the Lunar Harp in our possession. The trail to the Forgotten City was magical like it had once been under water. Corals, shells and clams where everywhere. Even some of the monsters resembled sea horses. The uniqueness and beauty of the city was breath taking. Being an amateur scuba diver, I fell in love with the place immediately. It was said it used to belong to the Cetra. Before we hit the sack, we investigated the city for survivors and knowledge. The homes we stayed in were shells and were quite cozy. It was then I decided to stay up while the others slept. Cloud was going to wake in the middle of the night and I'm going to find out why.

As I expected, even though I had Jacques snoozing on my lap, I could see him wake from his slumber.

"You can hear her calling you, can't you?" I called quietly. He jumped and the others woke.

"Her voice rang loud and clear; I'm going to follow it." He announced.

"You're not going... not alone," Jacques murmured.

"We won't let you." Yuffie continued.

He looked at us again and led us to a big shell surrounded by a lake. In the shell, the fish which had been in the middle had vanished and a crystal stair took its place. It was a spiral stair and led to a meeting place. It had an altar and in the middle was Aerith! She was serene and beautiful. Tifa, Red and I wanted to get her but Cloud stopped us. He himself went to meet her. I wasn't letting him stop me, I followed him and the others watched. He was intrigued by her serenity.

But something was wrong; something inside him was forcing him to kill her, "Cloud, stop." Everyone shouted.

He snapped out of his trance and looked at his love. From above, Sephiroth swooped down with his murasame. He was about to murder her! I pushed Cloud aside and stood before the blade. "NO!!!" Jacques, Naz and Yuffie shouted at once.

"Heh, heh, heh, you missed her," I grinned at him.

But he laughed pointing behind me. The tip of the blade managed to slice through her back. "NO...!" I shouted tugging the blade with him holding it and swung him from side to side.

Surprised that I wasn't dead, he gawked at me and tried his best to hold on. As I did so, Cloud removed the blade from Aerith's back and cradled her gently.

*Sob...* I heard it from behind me as I spun Sephiroth. "Cloud...?" I whispered.

He was sobbing with Aerith wiping away the tears. I slid of the blade bearing the pain and threw Sephiroth and his blade like I hit a home run. All gathered around them. Yuffie and Tifa themselves couldn't stand the sight of their friend's near death and hid their faces in their hands. In a flash, he was back for more. He just wouldn't give up.

Still holding Aerith, Cloud spoke, "This can't be real, Aerith," gently rocking her.

Sephiroth started bellowing and said that she'll soon be one with the Life Stream and all that was left was to go to the Promised Land in the north.

Cloud yelled, "SHUT UP... the cycle of nature and your stupid plan don't mean a thing."

Red XIII whispered in despair, "Cloud...?"

"Aerith is gone. Aerith will no longer talk, no longer laugh, cry...or get angry... What about US... What are WE supposed to do?" lowered his head to her chest.

"What is this pain?" lowered her gently to the ground

"My fingers are tingling. My mouth is dry. My eyes are burning!" He trembles continuously.

Sephiroth looks confusingly at him, "What are you saying? Are you telling me you have feelings now?"

Furiously Cloud shouts at him, "Of Course! What do you think I am!?"

Sephiroth guffaws, "Ha...ha...ha...Stop acting as if you're sad. And there's no need to act as if you're angry either."

He floats in the air, with us staring in awe, "Because Cloud, you are ..." BAM!!! Jenova appears taking us by surprise and Sephiroth floats away.

Naz, Yuffie, Jacques and Vincent drew up their arms and lead the attack. I brought Aerith below and joined them. Everyone pitched in the fight, like the time In, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship if the Ring, when Frodo and his friends were attacked by Orcs, nobody left the battle ground.

She was at the edge of defeat when she continued Sephiroth's words, "Because, you're...a puppet." Then she shattered to a million pieces and vanished.

"I'm... a puppet?" Cloud repeated confused.

Our attention returned to Aerith. She was still breathing but was standing on the edge of a cliff. Cloud cradled her fragile body while we watched the two lover's last moments.

The last words she said to him were, "I love you," and in tears Cloud kissed her their last kiss.

All of us grieved at the sight. It was too much to see a faithful friend fall before our eyes. Tifa tried her hardest to hide her tears, Yuffie cried on Naz's shoulder while he patted her on the back, Cid and Vincent looked away, Barret hung his head low, Cait Sith and Red XIII howled sadly while I had tears streaming from my eyes with my right hand clenched.

Out of the blue, an idea hit my head like a ton of bricks. It was risky, but like dad always said, 'you'll never know till you try,'

"Cloud ... I have an idea to save her, but I'm not certain whether it would work." He looked at me solemnly with tears trickling like rain from his eyes.

"Well what is it?" Barret asked impatiently.

"Naz ... remember the time Jean Grey from the X-men died and the phoenix helped by reviving her with a small portion of the other X-men's lives?" I asked with my heart beating as fast as a dynamo.

"Yes... why?" he answered.

We telepathically exchanged thoughts and he nodded.

"But how are we going to do it? We don't have the phoenix materia, yet?" he asked.

"Didn't I say we'll use a similar method, and that it would be risky?" I answered, showing my finger at him.

Naz followed what I said and asked everyone to gather in a circle around Aerith's lifeless body. I placed a life materia which was at level 3, the master level, beside her. Holding hands, I chanted something in Arabic over and over (actually the words I chanted was just revive.).

Everyone had to concentrate and sealed their eyes. As I chanted, the materia floated in the air and a blue flame burned deep inside it. The flame grew bigger and brighter with every chant. Soon it was humongous and sprouted like a fountain. Many fire tentacles stabbed us through taking a portion of each of our own lives and patching it together as one. The pain was unbearable and shocking but it wasn't for long. The flame now, brilliant amber, floated down to Aerith and she glowed like a gem.

The light surrounding her was blinding and we struggled to keep our grasp. When it ended, we saw her body float back to the ground. Before it fell, Cloud let go of my brother's and Vincent's hand and cradled her. She didn't move. The thought of my idea was unsuccessful was painful and I broke down and cried. Barret shielded me from the crowd and looked at Cloud. Cloud didn't know what to say or do. Subconsciously, he tilted his head and kissed her passionately with a single tear falling from his face to hers.

To Red XIII's and Yuffie's surprise (they were facing them at the time) her hand moved towards Cloud's face. He noticed too as her lips moved as he kissed her. He parted and her emerald eyes gleamed at him. Tifa jumped for joy at her recovery, Vincent smiled warmly and carried Tifa into the air, and Cid lifted his head and grinned while Yuffie jumped on Naz. She even kissed him as she was so glad and hyper (luckily none saw him blush). Everyone was overjoyed to see her. Barret patted me on the shoulder lightly and pointed to Cloud's direction. I was still in tears when I walked up to her. She gave me a hug and said thank you.

"Glad to have you back, Kak Aerith," I replied. She didn't understand what "Kakak" meant but she liked the sound of it anyway. Even though the materia helped most of the time, prince charming had awakened the sleeping beauty.

(End of chapter one)

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