A/N: I bet you were just dying for this chapter, weren't you?
To LadyComplicated: I luff T/Y fics as well!!
To diffalo-jones: Almost everyone likes the tie to ff7.
To Emrelle Elendal: YAY! I was wondering why you hadn't reviewed! Stupid review box! Ehehehe. That's okay. This chapter sort of ends in a cliff hanger (I have to keep my readers!!)
To boom boom 25702: Paine isn't as held back because this is 3 years after FFX-2. She's loosened up a bit.
Chapter Nine
Connected
"Yuna!"
She shot out of the bed and smashed her head into something hard, still screaming.
"Yuna, calm down!" Tidus said, quickly wrapping his arms around her to try and soothe her.
Sweat fell in droplets down her face as she tried to catch her breath. "It was..."
"Just a dream," Tidus whispered.
Rikku was holding her forehead. "I think it was a nightmare..."
Yuna guessed that's what she had hit. No. It was too real to be true. Looking at the bed next to her, she saw Aeris wasn't there. "Where's Aeris?"
"I'm right here," she said, walking up the cabin's stairs. "Are you okay?"
"No. Aeris... he's coming again."
"Who iz a comin?" Brother asked.
"Sephiroth."
"How?" Aeris demanded. "The spell I cast should have sent him back to the Farplane."
"I don't know," Yuna cried softly. "He just is."
"Yuna," Paine said, "Is it possible this was just a dream?"
"No."
"How can you tell?" Paine asked.
"I just know! Okay?!" Yuna shouted.
Throwing her arms up in surrender, Paine left the room.
"I just... need to think," Yuna said quietly.
Tidus ran his fingers through Yuna's hair, calming her slightly. He felt her body loosen under his touch. "It's almost sunset."
"Already?"
"I woke up in the late afternoon. And thanks for healing me," Aeris said.
Yuna nodded. "Yeah."
"Yunie," Rikku said. "What happened?"
"I woke up in a church. There was a flowerbed. And Cloud was there."
"Cloud?" Aeris asked.
"Yes. He said I had come back after five years. But it wasn't me who had come back. It was you, Aeris. And then I was on this platform. He was in front of me and looked like he was going to kill me. Then I heard Sephiroth. He told me he's going to get you Aeris, and then me. And then he killed me."
"You woke up?" Tidus asked.
"Yes."
"But why would he want to kill you?" Aeris wondered.
Yuna shrugged.
"He'll never get you, Yunie. I won't let him. I promise," Rikku said. She gave her cousin a quick embrace and left the cabin.
"I'm going to talk to Shinra," Aeris said, an idea coming to her. She walked out of the cabin as well.
Yuna leaned back into Tidus' arms, her eyes closing. "It's not fair," she whispered.
"What's not fair?" he asked, carressing her cheek.
"I'm always getting caught in the middle of things like this," Yuna said. "My pilgrimage got me in more trouble than just knowing I would die if I summoned the Final Aeon. There was Seymour, the Al Bhed, and then you left me. Two years later, we found a sphere with a man who looked just like you. Rikku, Paine, and I went on a journey. In the end, it wasn't you. And I ended up risking myself to save Spira, again." She opened her eyes, looking into the two pools of sapphire in front of her.
"And now this. You're finally back, but Sephiroth is after me and Aeris." Yuna leaned against Tidus' chest.
"I'm sorry," he said softly, resting his head on Yuna's.
"You didn't do anything to be sorry. If you weren't here," Yuna shook her head, "I wouldn't be able to go on at all."
"But this wouldn't have happened if I would have stayed in the Farplane. I had to see you. I knew the risks of trying..." Tidus looked around the room. "I just didn't think it wouldn't happen."
"You knew Sephiroth had a chance of coming after Aeris and me?"
"Not really. The Fayth warned us. They said anyone could follow us out. It wasn't very likely, but it was possible. I thought if anyone, it'd be just some people who were seperated from someone they loved and wanted to go back. It didn't cross my mind that it could be Sephiroth and Seymour."
"Seymour?" Yuna repeated, sitting up. She looked at Tidus, her eyes wide. "What do you mean 'and Seymour'?"
Tidus bit on his lower lip. "While you were asleep, we saw him here."
"What happened?!" Yuna exclaimed.
"We don't know. We didn't want you to know because we only saw him for a moment and then he was gone. Then Aeris woke up, and soon you. We might have just been seeing things," Tidus said.
Yuna stood, and began to pace around the room. "This is terrible!"
"Yuna, please," Tidus said, following her. "Shinra thinks it was just something with the Time-Porter. We were looking through it and when we turned around, he was there. Everyone turned to grab a weapon but when we looked up, he was gone."
The High Summoner stopped pacing and looked at Tidus. Tears welled in her eyes. "Promise me, you won't leave me again."
The young blitz star walked up to her, locking his arms around her waist. "I promise."
Yuna wrapped her arms around his neck, all of her worries floating away. When she was with him, she felt so free, like there was nothing to do but just be with him. For at least a few minutes, they sat there, cradling each other in their arms. Then there was a knock on the wall. Looking up, Yuna saw Aeris.
Now changed out of the torn, bloody outfit and cleaned up, Aeris looked a bit more cheery. "Sorry to interrupt," she said with a teasing grin, "but I need to talk to you Yuna." The grin disappeared to a look of worry. "Alone."
Yuna looked at Tidus and nodded. "Okay. We can go back to the island. It's nicer outside anyways." The two brunettes walked off of the Celsius and walked through the falls area. Both were armed, Yuna with a pair of daggers Rikku had taught her to use, and Aeris with a machina-style staff. "So what is it?"
"Not here," Aeris said, shaking her head. "Over there is a ledge above the water."
"Why do we have to go there?" Yuna asked.
"I have to show you something."
Yuna followed Aeris to the area where Wakka had once pushed Tidus into the water below. She could see the stars reflected in the water. "What is it?"
"I know you found out about Seymour," Aeris started, "but you don't know the half of it yet. No one does."
"Aeris, what are you talking about?"
"Yuna, that dream you had. It was my past. That was how I died. I woke up in tears because of the dream I had. I saw your wedding to Seymour, the end of your journey, Tidus' disappearance, Shuyin and Lenne. I felt your pain," Aeris looked into the water.
"Maybe it was just an after effect of the healing," Yuna suggested. What else could it be?
"Yuna, just look at yourself in the water. Tell me you see it too."
The tone in Aeris' voice was beginning to frighten Yuna. She looked down, into the water. "I see me," she said.
"Keep looking."
Standing behind Yuna was the tall silver haired man. Quickly, Yuna spun around, throwing her fist in front of her. But there was nothing there. Just the air. "Aeris, what's going on?" she asked worriedly.
Aeris pointed to her own reflection in the water. "That's Seymour, isn't it?"
Yuna gasped at the sight. Behind Aeris' reflection was the man who had manipulated so many, and forced her to marrying him. A growing smirk was on his face as he rested his hand on Aeris' shoulder.
"I can feel him there," Aeris said quietly.
Looking at her own reflection again, Yuna noticed Sephiroth reaching towards her. Don't touch me! she screamed in her mind. She felt her entire body shudder as he ran his hands across her neck. "How is this possible?"
"Shh. Shut your eyes and listen to them."
Yuna closed her eyes, concentrating on any voice she might be able to hear.
"Enjoying yourself, Lady Yuna?" Seymour said, smiling wickedly.
Yuna still had her eyes closed, but in front of her stood Seymour and Sephiroth. Next to her was Aeris. "What's going on?" she spoke in her mind.
"Well thanks to the Ancient and your dream-friend, we were able to escape the clutches of the Farplane," Sephiroth said.
"Ancient?" Yuna asked.
"That's me," Aeris said softly. "You followed us then?"
"Of course. We knew you'd lead us right to Yuna. Then we'd be able to destroy you both," Seymour laughed.
"Why?" Yuna demanded. "What's your purpose?"
Seymour's laughter filled Yuna's mind, sending shivers down her spine. "All of this began because of the Ancient. You two are connected."
Aeris and Yuna glanced at each other. "How can we be connected? We're from different worlds," Aeris said plainly.
"You'll learn soon," Sephiroth said, touching Yuna's cheek.
Yuna threw a punch at him, but it was useless. She went through him. "Get the hell away from me," she growled. She opened her eyes, and found herself glaring at the reflection again.
Aeris sat down. "It doesn't make sense."
Yuna looked up into the sky. Connected.
A/N: Sorry to stop on such a climatic point. I'm falling in a writers block. AHHH! Oh well, maybe it'll be better tomorrow. I'm so glad you guys keep reading and reviewing this!! huggles
I have writers block, yes. But I'm still planning ahead (this story is gonna get long... maybe I'll make a sequel!) and I want to know if you guys would get mad if I had to raise the rating to PG-13 because I might end up making this a tragic angsty (is that a word...?) fic in the end. Well I dunno, just an idea. I'd like to know if there's anything you'd like to see. (And yes I know you all want to see this be a Cloud/Aeris fic!!!)
To LadyComplicated: I luff T/Y fics as well!!
To diffalo-jones: Almost everyone likes the tie to ff7.
To Emrelle Elendal: YAY! I was wondering why you hadn't reviewed! Stupid review box! Ehehehe. That's okay. This chapter sort of ends in a cliff hanger (I have to keep my readers!!)
To boom boom 25702: Paine isn't as held back because this is 3 years after FFX-2. She's loosened up a bit.
Chapter Nine
Connected
"Yuna!"
She shot out of the bed and smashed her head into something hard, still screaming.
"Yuna, calm down!" Tidus said, quickly wrapping his arms around her to try and soothe her.
Sweat fell in droplets down her face as she tried to catch her breath. "It was..."
"Just a dream," Tidus whispered.
Rikku was holding her forehead. "I think it was a nightmare..."
Yuna guessed that's what she had hit. No. It was too real to be true. Looking at the bed next to her, she saw Aeris wasn't there. "Where's Aeris?"
"I'm right here," she said, walking up the cabin's stairs. "Are you okay?"
"No. Aeris... he's coming again."
"Who iz a comin?" Brother asked.
"Sephiroth."
"How?" Aeris demanded. "The spell I cast should have sent him back to the Farplane."
"I don't know," Yuna cried softly. "He just is."
"Yuna," Paine said, "Is it possible this was just a dream?"
"No."
"How can you tell?" Paine asked.
"I just know! Okay?!" Yuna shouted.
Throwing her arms up in surrender, Paine left the room.
"I just... need to think," Yuna said quietly.
Tidus ran his fingers through Yuna's hair, calming her slightly. He felt her body loosen under his touch. "It's almost sunset."
"Already?"
"I woke up in the late afternoon. And thanks for healing me," Aeris said.
Yuna nodded. "Yeah."
"Yunie," Rikku said. "What happened?"
"I woke up in a church. There was a flowerbed. And Cloud was there."
"Cloud?" Aeris asked.
"Yes. He said I had come back after five years. But it wasn't me who had come back. It was you, Aeris. And then I was on this platform. He was in front of me and looked like he was going to kill me. Then I heard Sephiroth. He told me he's going to get you Aeris, and then me. And then he killed me."
"You woke up?" Tidus asked.
"Yes."
"But why would he want to kill you?" Aeris wondered.
Yuna shrugged.
"He'll never get you, Yunie. I won't let him. I promise," Rikku said. She gave her cousin a quick embrace and left the cabin.
"I'm going to talk to Shinra," Aeris said, an idea coming to her. She walked out of the cabin as well.
Yuna leaned back into Tidus' arms, her eyes closing. "It's not fair," she whispered.
"What's not fair?" he asked, carressing her cheek.
"I'm always getting caught in the middle of things like this," Yuna said. "My pilgrimage got me in more trouble than just knowing I would die if I summoned the Final Aeon. There was Seymour, the Al Bhed, and then you left me. Two years later, we found a sphere with a man who looked just like you. Rikku, Paine, and I went on a journey. In the end, it wasn't you. And I ended up risking myself to save Spira, again." She opened her eyes, looking into the two pools of sapphire in front of her.
"And now this. You're finally back, but Sephiroth is after me and Aeris." Yuna leaned against Tidus' chest.
"I'm sorry," he said softly, resting his head on Yuna's.
"You didn't do anything to be sorry. If you weren't here," Yuna shook her head, "I wouldn't be able to go on at all."
"But this wouldn't have happened if I would have stayed in the Farplane. I had to see you. I knew the risks of trying..." Tidus looked around the room. "I just didn't think it wouldn't happen."
"You knew Sephiroth had a chance of coming after Aeris and me?"
"Not really. The Fayth warned us. They said anyone could follow us out. It wasn't very likely, but it was possible. I thought if anyone, it'd be just some people who were seperated from someone they loved and wanted to go back. It didn't cross my mind that it could be Sephiroth and Seymour."
"Seymour?" Yuna repeated, sitting up. She looked at Tidus, her eyes wide. "What do you mean 'and Seymour'?"
Tidus bit on his lower lip. "While you were asleep, we saw him here."
"What happened?!" Yuna exclaimed.
"We don't know. We didn't want you to know because we only saw him for a moment and then he was gone. Then Aeris woke up, and soon you. We might have just been seeing things," Tidus said.
Yuna stood, and began to pace around the room. "This is terrible!"
"Yuna, please," Tidus said, following her. "Shinra thinks it was just something with the Time-Porter. We were looking through it and when we turned around, he was there. Everyone turned to grab a weapon but when we looked up, he was gone."
The High Summoner stopped pacing and looked at Tidus. Tears welled in her eyes. "Promise me, you won't leave me again."
The young blitz star walked up to her, locking his arms around her waist. "I promise."
Yuna wrapped her arms around his neck, all of her worries floating away. When she was with him, she felt so free, like there was nothing to do but just be with him. For at least a few minutes, they sat there, cradling each other in their arms. Then there was a knock on the wall. Looking up, Yuna saw Aeris.
Now changed out of the torn, bloody outfit and cleaned up, Aeris looked a bit more cheery. "Sorry to interrupt," she said with a teasing grin, "but I need to talk to you Yuna." The grin disappeared to a look of worry. "Alone."
Yuna looked at Tidus and nodded. "Okay. We can go back to the island. It's nicer outside anyways." The two brunettes walked off of the Celsius and walked through the falls area. Both were armed, Yuna with a pair of daggers Rikku had taught her to use, and Aeris with a machina-style staff. "So what is it?"
"Not here," Aeris said, shaking her head. "Over there is a ledge above the water."
"Why do we have to go there?" Yuna asked.
"I have to show you something."
Yuna followed Aeris to the area where Wakka had once pushed Tidus into the water below. She could see the stars reflected in the water. "What is it?"
"I know you found out about Seymour," Aeris started, "but you don't know the half of it yet. No one does."
"Aeris, what are you talking about?"
"Yuna, that dream you had. It was my past. That was how I died. I woke up in tears because of the dream I had. I saw your wedding to Seymour, the end of your journey, Tidus' disappearance, Shuyin and Lenne. I felt your pain," Aeris looked into the water.
"Maybe it was just an after effect of the healing," Yuna suggested. What else could it be?
"Yuna, just look at yourself in the water. Tell me you see it too."
The tone in Aeris' voice was beginning to frighten Yuna. She looked down, into the water. "I see me," she said.
"Keep looking."
Standing behind Yuna was the tall silver haired man. Quickly, Yuna spun around, throwing her fist in front of her. But there was nothing there. Just the air. "Aeris, what's going on?" she asked worriedly.
Aeris pointed to her own reflection in the water. "That's Seymour, isn't it?"
Yuna gasped at the sight. Behind Aeris' reflection was the man who had manipulated so many, and forced her to marrying him. A growing smirk was on his face as he rested his hand on Aeris' shoulder.
"I can feel him there," Aeris said quietly.
Looking at her own reflection again, Yuna noticed Sephiroth reaching towards her. Don't touch me! she screamed in her mind. She felt her entire body shudder as he ran his hands across her neck. "How is this possible?"
"Shh. Shut your eyes and listen to them."
Yuna closed her eyes, concentrating on any voice she might be able to hear.
"Enjoying yourself, Lady Yuna?" Seymour said, smiling wickedly.
Yuna still had her eyes closed, but in front of her stood Seymour and Sephiroth. Next to her was Aeris. "What's going on?" she spoke in her mind.
"Well thanks to the Ancient and your dream-friend, we were able to escape the clutches of the Farplane," Sephiroth said.
"Ancient?" Yuna asked.
"That's me," Aeris said softly. "You followed us then?"
"Of course. We knew you'd lead us right to Yuna. Then we'd be able to destroy you both," Seymour laughed.
"Why?" Yuna demanded. "What's your purpose?"
Seymour's laughter filled Yuna's mind, sending shivers down her spine. "All of this began because of the Ancient. You two are connected."
Aeris and Yuna glanced at each other. "How can we be connected? We're from different worlds," Aeris said plainly.
"You'll learn soon," Sephiroth said, touching Yuna's cheek.
Yuna threw a punch at him, but it was useless. She went through him. "Get the hell away from me," she growled. She opened her eyes, and found herself glaring at the reflection again.
Aeris sat down. "It doesn't make sense."
Yuna looked up into the sky. Connected.
A/N: Sorry to stop on such a climatic point. I'm falling in a writers block. AHHH! Oh well, maybe it'll be better tomorrow. I'm so glad you guys keep reading and reviewing this!! huggles
I have writers block, yes. But I'm still planning ahead (this story is gonna get long... maybe I'll make a sequel!) and I want to know if you guys would get mad if I had to raise the rating to PG-13 because I might end up making this a tragic angsty (is that a word...?) fic in the end. Well I dunno, just an idea. I'd like to know if there's anything you'd like to see. (And yes I know you all want to see this be a Cloud/Aeris fic!!!)