Authors Note:   OK OK you people convinced me! The story will go on!!!  J

In Cold Blood

Chapter: 2

Even those who are gone

Are with us as we go on

Your journey has only begun.

Tears of pain, tears of joy

One thing nothing can destroy

Is our pride, deep inside

We are one.

"We Are One" (TLK2: Simba's Pride)

-----

The wind blew ever so gently through the ex-general's silver hair as he stood upon the deck of the Highwind. He no longer felt Jenova's grasp on his will, and quite ironically, it left him with a sense of emptiness.

He was alone. And this realization gripped his heart in an iron vice. As evil as Jenova was, at least she was there. Sephiroth hated this feeling inside him. For years, ever since that fateful night in Nibelhiem, Jenova had been a constant presence within him. Even though her defeat meant he could once again think for himself… he missed having someone to talk to.

AVALANCHE, as expected, kept quite a distance from him. He was surprised that they let him on his ship. They were afraid of him, and this made Sephiroth snicker. The only person who had any sense in that group of imbeciles was the vampirish one… Vincent, he believed was his name. Sephiroth had almost a respect for the man, simply because he was once a victim of Hojo… and he resembled himself in so many withdrawn ways.

Sephiroth took a deep breath of the fresh air he had been deprived of for so long in that damp, moldy crater. He sat down on the deck floor, resting on his forearms with legs half-bent before him, and he gazed into the sky. The sky… Meteor was gone, defeated at the hands of Holy and the Lifestream, and the sky became healthy again. The stars shone for the first time in ages, with a bright full moon as the focus point.

Sephiroth admired the sky, and he thought. He thought of his sins, he remorsed for his mistakes at the hands of Jenova.

He remorsed his greatest sin. For what sin is greater than to kill the one you love, in cold, heartless blood? Defenseless against the might of his blade, and unbeknownst to her doom.

Or… had she known all along? Had the girl known her fate, and offered herself as a martyr to Jenova to summon the Planet's savior?

Sephiroth let out a heavy sigh, lying back onto the wooden deck, hands folded upon his chest. Why was he thinking of her so much? Why did his thoughts wander so much? She was dead.

Yes, she was dead. He had to accept that. Didn't he? He had no choice, did he? She was dead, therefore she did not exist.

She was dead at his hands.

Therefore, she did not exist any more.

She did not exist.

Sephiroth could have sworn he felt a hot tear escape his eyelid and travel down his slender cheeks, but he did not have time to ponder this, for he fell asleep seconds afterward.

-----

So many happy voices surrounded her in the Lifestream, so why was Aerith so melancholy?

Sitting on the soft ground of the Promised Land, amongst her flower gardens, Aerith closed her eyes and sighed a heavy sigh.

She saved the Planet; she was in the Promised Land… why was she sad?

Why did Aerith feel as if she left something undone? Or perhaps someone? She almost felt… guilty at this moment. And the part that made her crazy was the fact that she didn't know why she felt this way.

"Planet, guide me, please," Aerith pleaded. In the Promised Land, the Planet's voice was much clearer, and it made its conversations to the Cetra go much smoother. Aerith flopped on her back, sending flower petals fluttering around her. "Help me figure myself out."

Child… I cannot say. But follow your heart.

"Follow my heart?" Aerith mused, "No offense… but I'm dead… isn't it a little late for that?"

Heart does not die like body does… my child, you should know that. Look upon those that you've left behind.

"I have, Planet." Aerith smiled, "Cloud and Tifa are engaged, Barret and Marlene moved to Kalm with mom—"

No… the Planet interrupted, look upon one you haven't looked upon.

"One I haven't looked upon…" Aerith sighed, closing her eyes. "My dearest friend, you speak in riddles."

The Planet laughed, Child, you will understand in time. Follow your heart. Somebody down there needs you, guide him…

"Him? Hey, wait a minute!" Aerith called, bolting into standing position, head leaned to the bright, starry sky. But Planet did not answer. "HEY! Come back here, you! You can't just leave me hanging like this! Come on!" She giggled, "Get back here!"

Follow your heart. What did the Planet mean? Who was the man she was to help? Aerith sighed, realizing that even the dead get no rest.