Disclaimers: I don't own Final Fantasy VII nor any of its cast or locations, no matter how badly I want to. ;.;
---
"I...I gave him the Black Materia...?"
Cloud was stunned, absolutely blank. After all they'd gone through; the entire trial of the Temple of the Ancients, losing Cait Sith to gain the Black Materia itself, all so they could keep it from the hands of the one who could destroy the Planet with its power...
...And he had just handed it to him. He had given Sephiroth the Black Materia.
A wave of nausea overcame him and he sat down on the rough stone of the chasm created by the Temple's disappearance, and, feeling dizzy then, he leaned back. Coincidentally, Aeris had been silently kneeling just behind him, and as Cloud leaned back into her, she gently placed her hands on his arms.
"Cloud..." she said quietly, "It's all right..."
He seemed as though he was miles away; his azure eyes were distant and dark. "Aeris," he said with a sort of desperation in his voice, "What did I do? Tell me, Aeris."
"You didn't do anything," she whispered, shaking her head, "No...it wasn't your fault. It wasn't...you..." Feeling a terrible pain in her heart for him, she wrapped her arms more fully around his shoulders, holding him closer to her as tears brimmed in her emerald eyes. "It wasn't you..."
Above them, Barret and Tifa came running to the ledge, having seen Sephiroth fly away from the crater left by the Temple.
"Yo! You guys awright!?" Barret called down, his deep concern carried on his voice - little as he wanted to admit it, he really had come to care about Spike's well being. And to Aeris, he owed his whole world - she had saved Marlene from the unthinkable.
Aeris, hearing Barret's voice, turned her face upward to him, forcing her tears back. "Yes," she responded, loudly enough for him to hear her, "Yes, we're fine...for now..."
"We'll get you outta there, just give us a minute," Barret said, relieved that both were okay. He turned to Tifa, cocking his head back in the direction they had come from, "Come on, we gotta get some rope or somethin'."
For a moment, Tifa said nothing, her crimson gaze still locked on Cloud being cradled so gently in Aeris' arms. Hearing Barret, however, she forced the slight scowl from her face, and she looked to him with a nod. "Yeah, let's hurry...who knows when Sephiroth will come back."
Aeris watched as the two walked away from the ledge, and soon, she and Cloud were alone once again. She looked back down to him and brushed a stray lock of his golden hair from his eyes. "Cloud," she whispered to him, "Please...be strong."
Something seemed to change then. It was hard to tell exactly what it was, but she felt as though the energy around them had suddenly become dark. Had Sephiroth returned? No...it was within her arms. Cloud.
"What have I done?" he said, sounding even more distant than before, almost like an entirely different person.
Becoming uneasy from his sudden change, she carefully withdrew her arms from him. "Cloud...you haven't done anything," she said slowly, watching him cautiously as he rolled away from her, standing up. "It's not your fault."
Aeris didn't have the time to realize that this was no longer Cloud standing in front of her, before he suddenly spun around and struck her across the face hard enough to throw her backwards.
She let out a cry of pain as she landed on her back against the rough stone, her cheek throbbing. Before she could defend herself, Cloud was on top of her, landing blow after blow, pressing her harder into the rock below her. Despite his wildly frantic actions, however, his eyes remained empty and dim.
"Cloud!" she shrieked, "Stop it! Cloud!!" Tears flowed freely from her eyes, and she kept crying out his name, trying somehow to break through the violent haze that had been pulled over him.
After what seemed like an eternity, Cloud suddenly shuddered deeply, recoiling slightly from Aeris as he covered his face, shaking his head rapidly. "God," he said softly, still not quite aware.
"Cloud?" Aeris murmured shakily, trying to contain her tears, at least for his sake. She didn't have the strength then to sit up any further than the stone beneath her propped her. "Cloud..."
He pulled his hands away from his face to look at her, and his eyes widened in horror when he saw the damage he'd done - she was bleeding from her lips, from a cut on her left cheek, and from another just above her right eyebrow. The bruise from his initial strike on her right cheek was already becoming a deep, ugly violet, standing out all too starkly against her fair complexion.
Yet again something in him seemed to change...but this time, it was as though all veils and walls around him had instantly evaporated. Eyes still wide, and his breath uneven, he came close to her again. Fighting the instinctive urge to flinch from his advance, she watched him through emerald eyes still glittering with unshed tears.
He shuddered deeply again, and he collapsed fully next to her, burying his face into her shoulder. "Aeris," he croaked, his voice made thick by emotion, "I...I...what am I doing? Wh-what's wrong with me? I...it wasn't..."
"It wasn't you..." she finished his sentence in a whisper, closing her eyes again to hold in her tears, "It wasn't...Cloud..."
"Cloud..." he murmured, as though the name was foreign to him, "I'm...Cloud..."
Aeris didn't need to say anymore. At this moment, perhaps for the first time, Cloud was there in full, and that was all that mattered. As he began to weep bitterly, nuzzling his face closer to hers and resting in the crook between her shoulder and neck, she wrapped her arms around him and released her emotions as well. He returned the embrace, pulling her slightly away from the cold stone and holding her close to him.
"I'm afraid," he managed to get out, "Aeris...why can he do this to me? I would never hurt you..." He turned his face slightly into her neck, whispering against her skin to mark his point, "Never..."
She wanted to tell him she knew, that it was all right, that it wasn't his fault, but somehow she couldn't find the words. She only held him closer, running a hand through his spiky blonde hair as they both wept. It wasn't long before Cloud fell asleep, too emotionally exerted to stay attached to the world any longer.
Aeris slowly composed herself, but becoming more somber as a plan began to form in her mind. She couldn't let this go on...Sephiroth had the Black Materia, and with it, he could cause unfathomable destruction upon the Planet and all its inhabitants...
What should I do? she asked the Planet, shaking her head, Tell me...there must be something I can do.
"Aeris! Aeris, what happened?! Are you two all right!?" came Tifa's voice from above her. A bit startled, Aeris wiped the now-drying blood from her lips.
"It...it's okay, Tifa," she called back up, though not turning her face upward, "We're fine..."
---
The closest city to the now-missing Temple was Gongaga, and the group had come here to rest for a little while - long enough, at least, to shake the uncertainty and fear from the recent events.
Cloud had not yet awoken, and it didn't seem as though he was going to anytime soon. He had been put to rest in the small inn, and though his sleep was deep, he seemed restless.
Aeris had easily healed the wounds she had taken, though for the rest of the day, she seemed distant, and fairly sad. Several had asked her what was wrong, but she only smiled and said it was nothing, that they should get some rest.
Nighttime fell, and everyone reluctantly retreated to the rooms they had managed to find - Red XIII and Barret stayed at the inn with Cloud; Tifa, Aeris, and Yuffie were allowed to stay in the home of Zack's parents; Cid made friends with the weapons salesman and stayed there; Cait Sith, being a stuffed toy, only stood outside, shut off from his source at Shin-Ra; and Vincent was nowhere to be found, as he often was in the nighttime hours. Sleep came slowly, but when it did, they all slept soundly.
All, that is, except for Aeris. She had pretended to fall asleep first, but she carefully watched Tifa and Yuffie through a barely-open eye. Once she was absolutely certain they were asleep, she silently stood from her bed.
Sadly, she looked at the two girls she considered dear friends, and whispered, "I'm sorry...but I have to go now...I...I can't tell you why. Thank you...for being my friends..." Quietly, she fled the room, opening and closing the front door behind her. She turned as though to walk from the town, but she paused...no, she couldn't leave just yet. One thing still plagued her mind, and she wouldn't be able to tolerate it if she didn't acknowledge it. Nodding slightly to herself, she turned back and walked to the inn.
As quietly as she could, she let herself in and walked into the bedroom. In the moonlight, she saw Red XIII curled up in the corner of the room, and Barret laying on the bed beside Cloud's, both sound asleep. Her attention focused on Cloud, and she slowly knelt down beside his bed, finding it suddenly difficult to stop her eyes from filling with tears.
"Cloud," she whispered, under her breath as not to be heard by the other two occupants of the room, "I know...I know you're afraid. I am too...I wish there was something more I could do for you than this..." She sniffled very quietly, and wiped her eyes softly before continuing, "There's something I have to do...something that will stop Sephiroth's plans if he ever is able to use the Black Materia, and something that only I can do, as a Cetra...it's dangerous. He's going to know I'm going where I am...he's going to follow me."
She smiled slightly, tears now falling unheeded as she gently brushed her hand through his hair. "It's funny, isn't it...we all talk about the future so much that we forget about the present...I thought about the future a lot. About our future...about us. Isn't that silly? Here we are, on a mission of the utmost importance - saving the Planet from complete destruction - and a lot of the times, all I can think about is what our future would be like together. It's...it's selfish, it's..."
She paused, then let her sentence fall away, shaking her head as her smile faded. "Besides...part of me would rather not know how you feel about me, especially now...even if you did...love me...I don't think I'd want to know now. Because that would make leaving even harder...and I don't want you to love me when I have to leave like this, I don't want you to hurt anymore..."
She leaned her head down against his chest, letting out a very quiet sob before a slight smile found her lips again. "She loves you, you know...Tifa. She really loves you...I hope you see that...I hope you can find your happiness with her. But...for right now...I don't think I could live with myself if I didn't say it just once, even if you're not awake to hear me..."
Lifting her head up again, she looked into his face, and whispered even quieter than the rest of it, "I love you..." Her last barrier was shattered to pieces by her confession, and she wept silently at his bedside for a long while after it.
Finally, she realized that time was growing short, and if she didn't leave now, she never would. She gazed at Cloud one last time as though to memorize his features, regardless that she knew them by heart anyhow. Leaning down, she closed her eyes and gently brushed her lips against his, only lingering for a moment before she felt as though her heart might just explode within her chest. Reluctantly pulling herself away from him, she covered her mouth and quietly ran from the inn.
Standing outside in the crisp midnight air, she took a few deep breaths to compose herself somewhat, and she started walking toward the exit of the town. Every step away was more painful than the last, but she kept telling herself that it would become easier soon...once she was far enough away, the pain would subside.
"Aeris?"
The voice startled her, and she spun around in shock, a hand flying to her chest. Standing only a few paces away was Tifa, who was looking at her in a confused manner.
"What are you doing out this late?" Tifa asked, head tilted to the side in curiosity.
"I...I couldn't sleep," Aeris said quietly, looking away, as she didn't like to lie to her so blatantly. "I was just going for a walk."
The raven-haired woman frowned slightly, taking a step towards Aeris. "No, you're not...tell me the truth, Aeris."
"Please go back to bed," the young Cetra pleaded, only shaking her head, "You won't understand..."
"What are you talking about? You're scaring me..."
"Tifa?" Aeris said, looking up at her through flooded emerald eyes, "I want you to watch over Cloud...take care of him. Please...promise me you will."
Tifa shook her head slightly, incredulous. "What...what are you saying?"
"He's so afraid," she cried quietly, "So afraid...of what he is, of what he's becoming...and now that Sephiroth has the Black Materia, the world is in even more grave danger than anyone knows...I have to stop him. Promise me you'll watch over Cloud..."
Crimson eyes widened in shock as Tifa suddenly understood what her friend was saying. "You...you mean to not come back..."
"I may not be able to...he'll follow me. He'll certainly kill me for what I'm going to do..." Aeris said with a sort of sad finality, as though she had just realized it herself. She shook her head, tears falling once again as she suddenly thought that what she had said to Cloud was ridiculous now. "I'm such an idiot...Tifa, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry..."
Tifa was nothing if not overwhelmed, but she managed to respond, "Sorry for what?"
"For loving him," Aeris cried miserably, burying her face in her hands, "For loving him when I knew you loved him as well...it was selfish, and I'm sorry..."
For a long moment, Tifa was completely speechless. While part of her had known this fact already, and resented her for it, she couldn't help but feel sympathy for her. But another part of her became more determined, and this was the part that thought of Aeris as one of the best friends she'd ever known. "Aeris, listen to me," she said firmly, which caused the chestnut-haired woman to lower her hands and look at her directly, "We'll go with you, all of us. There's no way I'm letting you walk off into your own death like this..."
"No," Aeris replied shakily, "This is too important...if Cloud comes, and Sephiroth is there..."
"Yeah, he'll freak out," Tifa said just as firmly as before, "But that's what we're going to be there for. We'll stop him from doing anything. And we'll protect you, too. Sephiroth won't touch you, we'll make damn sure of that. Aeris...you really have no idea how important you are to all of us, do you?" She looked off to the side, frowning slightly again. "And that's why I can't hate you for loving him...because you're a dear friend of mine. And because you're more important to him than anyone else on this team."
This was something Aeris hadn't anticipated. She had known that the rest of them cared for her...but she hadn't realized just how far they were willing to go for her. She was touched beyond words, and felt her heart swell.
Knowing that she had gotten through to her, Tifa nodded slightly and looked back at her with a smile. "Now, come on. Let's wake everyone up and get out of here...it doesn't sound like we have much time to lose."
A short time later, everyone was safely sitting aboard the Tiny Bronco. Even Cloud had managed to awaken by now, and everyone had been filled in on what would happen.
Cid sat in the cockpit, ready at the controls, and he turned to look at Aeris. "So, where are we headed, then?"
"The northern continent," she replied, voice strong with determination, "As quickly as you can take us."
"Roger that!"
---
It was nearing daybreak when they reached the Bone Village. Though Aeris could have easily made it through the Sleeping Forest by herself, the non-Cetra would need to find the Lunar Harp to pass through without getting lost. Aeris was a major help in finding it - she could feel the magical energy coming from it underneath the ground.
Once through the Forest, they arrived in the Forgotten Capitol - the City of the Ancients. Aeris seemed fully absorbed in the almost coral-like city, letting her instincts completely guide her; she was too lost in the energy to hear when Tifa had asked her if she needed to rest. She only continued forward through a narrow passageway leading to an area lit brightly from an unseen source.
As the tunnel opened up to a beautiful lake surrounded by a glowing forest, Aeris paused for a moment and smiled. "They're happy that I've come," she said, "I can understand them so much more here; it's so clear." She turned to face the group, and she nodded a bit. "We've made really good time...so we can rest here for just a little while. They're not quite ready for me yet."
The team dispersed around the area, and Aeris sat down by the edge of the lake. After a moment, Cloud sat down beside her. She smiled at him, but he seemed solemn. "What is it?" she asked gently, smile fading.
"I...never really apologized for what happened at the Temple...I'm truly sorry. I don't know why I'm so weak against his influence, but..." he trailed off, looking down slightly.
"I know...Cloud, I don't blame you. It's not your fault." she said, shaking her head.
"And...I've told everyone to use whatever force against me necessary should it happen again while you're praying...for Holy, you said?"
She nodded at this, turning her emerald gaze out to the still water. "Yes, Holy, that's right. And...even if it does happen, they won't use excessive force...I've told them not to."
They both chuckled quietly at the slight contradictions of their positions, then fell comfortably silent. After a moment, though, Cloud spoke up, "You know, I had the oddest dream after I fell asleep...I dreamt that you were crying, and telling me a lot of things I couldn't hear...you said something about the future, and how it was funny that you had forgotten the present...but I just remember wondering why you were crying, and I wanted to stop it somehow. But I couldn't move."
"That is an odd dream," she agreed, though she had looked away slightly to hide the blush in her cheeks. Perhaps he had heard everything she had said after all...
It seemed as though there was something else he was going to say, but a call from the Planet made Aeris lift her head in attention. "It's time," she said, "They want me to start now..."
She called the group back together, and they walked into the shell-like structure that had graced the far end of the lake. Upon her arrival, the magical fish-shaped barrier that covered the entrance below vanished. Steeling herself, she stepped onto the first crystal step, half-expecting it to crack and shatter underneath her feet. When it didn't, she moved to the next, then the next. She turned slightly and nodded at her friends to tell them it was all right to follow, and they all slowly made their way into the gorgeous crystalline city that spread out below them.
Upon reaching the bottom, Aeris immediately moved in the direction of a high-held altar, led to by several wide pillars jutting up out of the crystal-clear water. "Up there?" she asked seemingly no one, "Is that where I need to go? All right..."
"Aeris, wait!" Tifa called, moving to the front of the group, "One of us should go with you...you know, to keep watch for anything dangerous."
Red XIII spoke up next, nodding his head solemnly. "Yes, she's right. I'd like to be the one to go with you, Aeris...this place fascinates me."
"All right," Aeris said gently, "Red, please come with me..." She started for the altar again, but paused, and glanced behind her in slight apprehension.
"Don' worry," Barret said, having understood why she was concerned, "We'll keep our eyes on Spike."
Cloud looked down slightly, suddenly feeling himself a burden. Though, while part of him wished that they'd left him behind in Gongaga, he knew he wouldn't have been able to stay there. Concern for Aeris' well being would drive him even as far as the northern continent; to the other end of the world. For a moment, he pondered what that meant, but only shook it off as he watched Aeris climb to the altar.
She and Red XIII had carefully hopped from one pillar to the next, before making the final leap to the smooth, pearly surface of the altar. Aeris bit her lip slightly, looking down to her companion. "Nanaki," she whispered, somehow feeling as though the use of his Shin-Ra given name was inappropriate at this moment, "I feel uneasy..."
"There is a warning in my heart as well," he murmured lowly, turning his good eye up to her, "But I swear I will stay alert, and protect you. Do here what you must; I will stay by your side."
She knelt in the center of the altar, wrapping her arms around Red XIII in a brief embrace, before righting herself and clasping her hands together. Her eyes slipped closed as she began to whisper words to the Planet, so under her breath that not even Red XIII could hear them. He sat back on his haunches beside her, giving a nod to the group below them that everything was okay.
For a long while, nothing happened. Aeris continued to pray, Red XIII kept vigil over her, and the rest of the group uneasily rested at the foot of the staircase. Even being creatures that couldn't hear the Planet's words, they felt the power of this place, and they weren't certain what was appropriate. No words passed between them.
All of a sudden, Cloud's head snapped up in attention, though he still said nothing. Tifa, raising an eyebrow at this, crouched down next to him and whispered, as though afraid to break the silence of the city, "Cloud, what is it?"
"He's here," Cloud muttered quietly, his crystal blue eyes seeming to haze over slightly.
Tifa gasped, and stood up quickly, looking around in apprehension for the black-caped man who had surely followed with the intent of halting Aeris' prayer for Holy. Red XIII, watching the group for any changes, noticed Tifa's sudden alarm, and nodded slightly to himself as he sat taller, ready for any action he might have to take.
She's going to ruin everything, Cloud.
Cloud frowned, shaking his head slightly as if to will the familiar voice out of his head. 'No!' he shouted back in his own mind, 'Get the hell away from here!'
Such hostility. Do you really think you have the power to stop me?
'No, I don't,' Cloud thought defiantly, the beginnings of a smirk on his lips, 'But Aeris does.'
Oh, but she won't. You're not going to let her, are you?
'I won't let you use me.'
You act as though you had a choice in the matter. Wake up!!
Cloud suddenly jerked violently, his hands grabbing hold of his head as he began to shake. "No!" he said out loud, getting the attention of the group.
"Cloud? Cloud!" Tifa called, crouching down and shaking him, "Snap out of it!"
"Stop me...stop me..." he groaned as a sort of last-ditch effort before he was gone. The shell moved with all the speed Cloud's body had to offer - he shoved Tifa out of the way, withdrew his sword, and began to dash towards the altar, all as if in one fluid motion. Red XIII sprung to his feet in alarm, and leapt down one pillar to stand as a block between Cloud and Aeris.
Fortunately, however, Barret managed to tackle Cloud as he ran by, having expected the advance. The rest of the group then came to help subdue him, taking his sword and moving it a safe distance away while Yuffie busied herself with binding Cloud's arms behind his back, and his ankles tightly together. Barret looked up to Red XIII and nodded solemnly, silently telling him that the current danger had passed. The fiery beast eased slightly, nodding back before turning to Aeris. She hadn't been disturbed in the least by the scuffle, she was too deep into her mantra now.
Tifa, slightly shaken by the rough shove she had received, stood up and brushed herself off. She frowned then; something seemed wrong. Everyone's attention was on Cloud, and Aeris was...
The thought didn't finish itself. Her crimson eyes were drawn to a thin flash of light above Aeris, one that began to descend rapidly. Light as though reflected off a blade...
"Red!!" Tifa screamed, pointing frantically, "Get her out of there!!"
Startled, Red XIII turned his head skyward, and saw in the quickly brightening light, Sephiroth falling like a shadow over the young Cetra, the Masamune aimed to strike her completely through. Pure instinct made him dive at Aeris as though he were attacking her himself.
Aeris gave a cry as she was forcibly thrown back from Red's pounce, snapping back to reality with the sound of something metal striking the polished altar floor beneath her. Her emerald eyes opened with a start, just in enough time to see the Masamune flying down at her in a second strike. With a short shriek, she leapt to the side to avoid the fatal hit, and watched in horror as Red XIII attempted to attack the silver-haired man, only to be caught across his flank by the tip of the fearsome blade.
When her friend collapsed, all Aeris' sense was thrown aside and she flew across the altar floor to kneel by his side. The light of the city grew brighter still, almost blinding, and the Cetra screamed triumphantly at the tall black figure before her, "You've failed! You're too late!" She reached a hand behind her head and seized the White Materia from her hair, tearing the ribbon away as well, and she held it out at him. The pale green glow coming from it made the man take a step back with a growl. "Don't you see? It's too late! The Planet has answered my prayers! You're not welcome here, Calamity from the Skies!!"
An inhuman screech came from no particular direction at that, and Sephiroth keeled over slightly, as though injured. A moment later, he righted himself, and took another step back. "Don't be so naive as to think you're no longer in danger, Ancient," he seethed before being lifted into the air by an unseen force, "Mother will have her revenge!"
He continued to rise until he could no longer be seen. Gradually, the powerful light of the city began to ebb until it only faintly glowed as it had when they had first arrived.
Aeris let out a heavy sob, though no one could be certain whether it was from happiness or not. Too exhausted to do anything more, she fell across Red XIII, and detached from the world as unconsciousness engulfed her.
---
"Aeris?"
There was such a gentle concern in the voice, Aeris couldn't help but smile slightly when she heard it. 'Planet...' she thought, 'Did I do well? Did I make you happy?'
She received no response, but the voice called her name again. It had changed slightly this time; though it was still gentle, it was a much more familiar tone to her. Slowly realizing that the voice was coming from the waking world, she began to pull herself out of her slumber.
Her emerald eyes slowly opened to meet a pair of slightly glowing azure eyes gazing back down at her. The concern in them faded as her eyes opened, and a light smile found his lips.
"I was afraid we'd lost you," Cloud said quietly. He was sitting on the edge of her bed(in the room she recognized as the inn at Bone Village), his hand resting gently on hers that were folded across her abdomen.
She looked curiously around the room for a moment, noting it was lit only by candlelight as it was nighttime, then back to Cloud with a quizzical expression. "How long have I been asleep?" she asked.
"Almost three days," he replied, lightly scratching the back of his head with his free hand. "We were starting to think he'd casted a spell on you or something."
She smiled at this, then shifted her hands behind her, pushing herself up into a sitting position. "I'm sorry I worried you," she said gently, "It took a lot out of me..." Her emerald eyes looked him over more closely, and she tilted her head slightly in confusion. "Cloud, you look exhausted...have you slept?"
He grimaced slightly, as though hoping she wouldn't catch that, but he grinned a bit in spite of himself. "Does it show that much?"
It was obvious enough that he hadn't slept in some time - the dark circles of weariness were beginning to make themselves noticed under his eyes. However, Aeris only smiled and shook her head slightly, deciding to spare him the embarrassment. "No, not that badly. It was just a guess, really. But still, you should sleep..."
"I couldn't," he admitted, not looking at her as though he was sheepish, "I was too worried about you. I had to make sure you were okay first...you know, I'm still your bodyguard, right?"
"You stayed here with me the whole time?" she asked softly, suddenly blushing. "Cloud..." After a moment, she felt her heart swelling, and she acted on it by wrapping her arms around his shoulders. He was surprised by this, but only for a moment; he returned the embrace as earnestly as it was being given. "Thank you, Cloud..." she whispered, smiling.
"Don't mention it..." he murmured back, smiling as well. He leaned back slightly, and Aeris did the same, so they were looking into each other's eyes once again. Cloud didn't need any more persuasion than that - he loved this woman, he knew that now. Without another word, he closed the distance between them and caught her lips with his own in a gentle but passionate kiss. She responded warmly, her only thought being how natural this felt, how right. She loved him; he loved her.
And for that moment, even if just that one moment in the tiny bedroom of the inn of Bone Village, all was right with the world.
---
Author's Notes: OKAY, I know that was corny as all hell XD;;; But when inspiration strikes me, it strikes HARD. Be gentle with flames, if you must flame. XD; But try to take it with a grain of salt, it's just a bit of fluff. I hope at least a few people enjoy it! ;;