Thank you everyone for reviewing! Onto chapter 13!
Chapter 13: The Goddess and the Devil
Aeris collapsed to the ground on all fours, panting.
Sephiroth walked around her rigidly. He still wasn't back to full strength, but he was getting there. Once the Geostigma had consumed the children's lives, he'd have his full strength again, and he'd kill those who brought him down before gaining his reward. "Get up," He snarled. "Get up, you pathetic---you call yourself a Cetra?"
"My powers are used for healing!" She screamed, "For good!"
"Good?" Sephiroth chuckled. "What has good ever gotten anybody?"
Aeris struggled to her feet.
"Show me your power!" Sephiroth yelled. "Show me the power of the Promised Land."
Aeris stared into his silver-blue eyes. What trace of sanity he had before in his previous existence was gone; he was truly a madman now. "The power of the Promised Land? Let me tell you something! This world you tried to destroy, this is the Promised Land! This is it!"
Sephiroth raised his arm, and sent her flying backwards. "Don't lie to me you pathetic being." He smirked, "It must have been fun for you to watch the puppet run off to another woman."
"Because of your doing!" Aeris screamed, and threw out her hands, sending energy that knocked Sephiroth off of his feet.
"That's more like it…" Sephiroth wheezed. "Feelings… so useless."
"What do you want with the children?" Aeris asked.
"I want them to die," Sephiroth said casually, knocking her on her back again. "Once they are dead, I will be back to my full power. Do you think it's coincidence that you were sent back now? Do you really think you'll be able to stay here, wrapped up in the puppet's arms?"
Aeris ran at him, the wood of her staff cracking against his masamune.
"Physical strength? Is that how you plan to defeat me? Is that what the Lifestream sent you back with?"
"I died for these people." She whispered, "I won't let you hurt them."
"Foolish Cetra, lover, mother…" Sephiroth said, "I have already won. It is only a matter of time." He raised his arm in the air. A young man with shoulder-length silver hair came to his side. "Yazoo, finish her. I have other pressing matters."
Before Aeris had a chance to react, he disappeared into the shadows leaving her alone with her son.
Yazoo sneered at her, pointing his weapon at her automatically.
"Yazoo?" Aeris asked, "Is that your name--- Yazoo?"
Yazoo squinted at her. "Speak your name before your death."
"My name is Aeris. I'm… well, in a way, I'm your mother."
Yazoo's eyes grew colder. "I have no mother, just a father." He bowed.
"So he's brainwashed you and your brothers." Aeris said, "he wants you to help him, and after you do, he's going to kill you. Do you understand that?"
"Father will give us our just rewards. Death is worth helping father." He bowed again.
"There are some things worth dying for, and he is not it! You don't want to hurt people, do you? Because that's what's happening. If you continue to help your… father, then all of the children on the planet will die."
"Father's bidding is to be followed."
"Don't you ever question what you're doing?" Aeris asked. "I can tell you how to help people, help me, and truly get a just reward."
Aeris had to dodge a bullet he shot at her.
"Father's orders are not to be defied!"
Aeris raised her staff. She was going to have to do things the hard way.
Cloud was surprised. Though Tifa had been badly injured, she walked almost normal, and stopped only a few times to put a hand to her stomach. Reno had a hand around her waist, helping her along, and Cloud lead the party half running, half jogging to the room with catwalks like a clock. He stopped suddenly. "Wait."
"What is it?" Yuffie said, accidentally walking into him.
"Don't you hear that?" Cloud asked.
A slow rumble echoed overhead. Dust fell down from the ceiling.
"It's going to collapse!" Yuffie cried, "We're going to be crushed to death!"
"All of you get out right now!" Cloud yelled.
"Aren't you coming?" Yuffie squealed.
"I'm going for Aeris."
"I'll go with him." Vincent said.
Cloud got a last look at them. Yuffie's frightened face, Barrett's anxious, Tifa's grim, Cid's smirk, and Reno's frown. "Follow the same path, and you'll be fine. I have to go on."
More dust fell from the ceiling.
"Go now!" Cloud yelled.
"We'll see you later, Cloud." Yuffie said before running after the rest.
"You ready for this?" Cloud asked Vincent.
Vincent nodded.
The both of them took off into the darkness.
They found Aeris panting, sitting on top of a rock, her staff stuck through it. That couldn't be possible…
Upon further inspection, Cloud saw that the rock wasn't a rock, it was Yazoo. "Aeris!"
"He's dead," She panted, "Just give me a minute."
"Are you alright?"
She nodded, and a brilliant white light emerged from Yazoo's body, and was absorbed into Aeris. Cloud made a move to go to her, but Vincent put a hand on his shoulder. "Wait."
As quickly as the light came, it was gone, and Aeris was getting to her feet.
"What was that?" Cloud asked.
"The Lifestream." Aeris replied. "Well, a portion of it. All three of them have those armlets. They need it for their plan, I'm assuming."
"You mean you don't know for sure?"
"The Lifestream is funny, it talks in riddles sometimes. It's hard to figure out, a lot of souls are talking at once." She continued, "But I do know where they're headed. They're going to the City of the Ancients."
Cloud reached out his hand, "Let's go."
Aeris pulled her staff from Yazoo, wiping it clean on the hem of her dress.
A loud rumble broke the silence. Dust and debris began raining down on them.
"The temple is collapsing!" Aeris yelled. She was surprised, but glad when Cloud grabbed her hand, Vincent following in their wake.
"We're not going to make it out in time, there's no way…" Vincent mumbled as they ran for their lives. There were thunderous cracks and booms as the Temple tumbled down.
"Aeris, can't you do anything?" Cloud asked.
"I'll try." Aeris stopped running, stood still, clasped her hands and closed her eyes. There were three loud booms, and debris fell from the ceiling baring their path. They were trapped, and the temple was still falling.
"Oops…" She muttered. "Let me try again!"
"Aeris," Cloud said, breaking her from her concentration. "Since we're about to die, I think I should tell you…"
"Cloud, I didn't sleep with Sephiroth. It was all Hojo's doing. He created the children through mine and Sephiroth's body, that's all."
Cloud reached out, and touched her face. He was thrilled; he could die happy knowing that…
"Let her pray," Vincent said, interrupting them.
Aeris winked at Cloud, and clasped her hands together again.
There was a loud crumbling sound, and some of the debris shifted enough so that they could get through. Cloud grinned, grabbed her hand again, and the three of them ran toward daylight.
Cid stopped the airship high above the temple, and they all waited with baited breath. To their horror, the temple collapsed to the ground, Vincent, Aeris and Cloud never emerging.
"NO!" Yuffie squealed.
"Cloud!" Tifa screamed.
They stood, and waited, hoping….
"Let's go," Barrett said softly to Cid. "I don' think… they made it…"
"We wait for Cloud." Tifa said sternly. "Dammit, he wouldn't give up on any of us, and we're not giving up on him!"
They waited ten minutes. Fifteen. Twenty.
"Tifa…" Reno said softly.
"Just wait!" Tifa cried, tears choking her voice.
Half an hour they waited, until Tifa finally let Reno lead her away. Cid started the engine.
"WAIT!" Yuffie cried. "Wait, I see something!"
It was a miracle. Down below, three figures were walking from the cloud of dust that was once the temple.
"VINCENT!" Yuffie screamed so loud, that made the three on the ground stare up at the sky.
"That's Yuffie's yell." Cloud told them.
The Highwind set down, and Yuffie ran at Vincent, nearly knocking him over.
"How many lives you all got?" Cid said, a prominent grin on his face, slapping Aeris on the back as he threw the ship into gear.
"Let's throw a party!" Yuffie squealed.
"Not just yet. We have to head to the city of the Ancients." Cloud told them. "Sephiroth is there, it's where they brought Marlene."
"What makes Marlene so special?" Tifa asked. "Why do they want her?"
"She's just bait to them," Aeris told her hollowly. "They know I'll go after her. They want me to die, because I'm the only thing standing in their way from getting the Promised Land."
Tifa didn't know what to say. She looked down at the ribbon on her arm. "Aeris, I'm sorry if I was harsh before…" She shot a glance at Cloud.
Aeris followed her gaze over to the gorgeous blonde who was busy plotting the coarse with Cid who was demanding he knew where they were headed.
"I'm happy for you two, Aeris."
"Thank you," Aeris said with a wink. And then, "I know it's not easy to give up someone you love."
"You did."
"I had too." Aeris sighed, and made her way over to Cloud.
Tifa turned back to the sky as they flew through it, finally taking her eyes off of Cloud.