Cloud knocked on Aeris's door at precisely 6 a.m., but she was already up.
"Come in."
"Hi Aeris."
She didn't turn around. She kept looking at the window, afraid what might happen if she turned around. There was an awkward silence.
"Um...I just came in here to wake you, but you're already up."
"Yeah, I didn't sleep well."
"And it looks like you're ready to leave."
Aeris had been bored so she had gone for a jog at 3 then showered and ate breakfast.
"Yeah, I want to get a move on."
"Good call. We'll be ready in about an 1/2 hour."
"Bye."
Weird, Cloud thought to himself. She didn't even seem to be listening. I wish she would open up to me.
But he could expect too much after what happened.
They left at quarter to 7. Aeris seemed to be in command. A way no one had ever seen her. She was confident, calm and in control. Not that she was usually a mess, but she seemed resolved, yet distant. Like she knew what was happening yet didn't open up like she usually does. This was probably the way she looked when she went off to the City of the Ancients.
Cid flew the Highwind swiftly and quickly to where Aeris directed. He was surprised at the young girl. She was usually so naïve, but since her resurrection she changed.
They soon arrived at the Northern continent. She led them to Bone Village and then through the Sleeping Forest. They encountered few monsters. It seemed odd to Cloud, but he thought it had something to do with Aeris and her Cetra abilities. With her harmony with nature it would be easy for her to deter wildlife to protect them.
They arrived at the City of Ancients before dark. The place had a weird aura about it. Everyone remember the last time they were there and what happened. Aeris never fully explained why she came here, some thought it was a pilgrimage, and some just thought she was a bit crazy. But she didn't even notice. Aeris just keep on walking, never slowing or thinking about her path, just knowing where to go. No one questioned her authority. They soon came to realize why she came. She had walked into the big shell house and down the crystalline stairs, into the real City of the Ancients, when they notice a being on the altar. They stopped, trying to decipher who or what it was. Aeris just continued down the stairs, till she came to the stepping-stones. No one even notice she had continued until she was in their site. She had almost reached the altar. They rushed down towards her, but they knew it was futile. They couldn't reach her before she confronted the person knelling on the altar.
Aeris rushed forward, she was almost there. She was glad that the others didn't follow her, that they were too mesmerized by the site. She would need the time to commit to her plan.
She finally arrived.
The man looked up with semi-recognition. It took him a couple seconds to finally realize who she was.
"I killed you."
"Yes, you did."
"But how are you here?"
"You were killed, too."
Sephiroth looked up to see Cloud and his gang jumping up the steps, closing in.
"Cloud," he hissed. His eyes narrowed.
As soon as Cloud arrived at the altar, Sephiroth quickly grabbed Aeris, and held her in front of him.
"Let her go!" Cloud shouted.
"As you wish." Sephiroth sneered. He threw Aeris out of his way, sending her flying. She would have fallen off if Vincent hadn't grabbed her.
Vincent thought he heard her mutter a curse, but quickly threw that out. This was Aeris we're talking about.
She quickly got up and prepared herself for what's to come.
"Bring it on!" shouted Cloud.
Sephiroth swung first. He aimed for his stomach but Cloud blocked it easily.
"Gotten weaker, eh?"
Sephiroth only growled in return.
Once again there was the clang of metal against metal. The others looked on, hopeful that Cloud would defeat his adversary easily, but Aeris looked on with deep interest. She waited for her chance. And it soon came.
Cloud and Sephiroth had their swords together, close to their face. Cloud took this opportunity to kick his opponent in the chest. Sephiroth tumbled backwards. Cloud rushed in for a finishing blow.
He was too late to stop his momentum.
Aeris had run in the middle and threw herself on top Sephiroth, taking some of the blow.
The sword had been intercepted in her abdomen and Sephiroth in the chest. Both wounds were mortal.
As she went into the Great Beyond for a second time, she once again had a calm smile across her face.
Everyone's eyes widened in shock, especially Cloud's.
The only sound was the clang of his sword dropping onto the ground.
Then finally Reno broke the silence.
"Holy shit."
Yuffie jabbed him in the ribs.
He looked down on her angrily, but only met tearful eyes. He held her tightly. Tifa ran into Cloud's arm, but he didn't hug back. He was too surprised.
"I...I...I..."
"It's ok."
Everyone turned around to the owner of the voice.
"What Red? Tifa asked confusedly.
"It's ok I said."
"I don't understand," came from Barret.
"It's the way she wanted it to be."
They all had a confused look on their face.
"What the fuck?!?" Cid said.
"Aeris has a plan. I have no doubt in that. She just told me that it'll all work out."
"But, why didn't she tell us?" asked Tifa.
Red was about to answer but Cloud interrupted.
"Because she knew I would stop her, just like we would have stopped from coming here before."
"So what do we do now?" asked Barret.
"We study on Hojo."
"What?!?" They all exclaimed.
"Or at least Hojo's clone." Rude stated calmly.
They had a lot of work ahead of them.
"Come in."
"Hi Aeris."
She didn't turn around. She kept looking at the window, afraid what might happen if she turned around. There was an awkward silence.
"Um...I just came in here to wake you, but you're already up."
"Yeah, I didn't sleep well."
"And it looks like you're ready to leave."
Aeris had been bored so she had gone for a jog at 3 then showered and ate breakfast.
"Yeah, I want to get a move on."
"Good call. We'll be ready in about an 1/2 hour."
"Bye."
Weird, Cloud thought to himself. She didn't even seem to be listening. I wish she would open up to me.
But he could expect too much after what happened.
They left at quarter to 7. Aeris seemed to be in command. A way no one had ever seen her. She was confident, calm and in control. Not that she was usually a mess, but she seemed resolved, yet distant. Like she knew what was happening yet didn't open up like she usually does. This was probably the way she looked when she went off to the City of the Ancients.
Cid flew the Highwind swiftly and quickly to where Aeris directed. He was surprised at the young girl. She was usually so naïve, but since her resurrection she changed.
They soon arrived at the Northern continent. She led them to Bone Village and then through the Sleeping Forest. They encountered few monsters. It seemed odd to Cloud, but he thought it had something to do with Aeris and her Cetra abilities. With her harmony with nature it would be easy for her to deter wildlife to protect them.
They arrived at the City of Ancients before dark. The place had a weird aura about it. Everyone remember the last time they were there and what happened. Aeris never fully explained why she came here, some thought it was a pilgrimage, and some just thought she was a bit crazy. But she didn't even notice. Aeris just keep on walking, never slowing or thinking about her path, just knowing where to go. No one questioned her authority. They soon came to realize why she came. She had walked into the big shell house and down the crystalline stairs, into the real City of the Ancients, when they notice a being on the altar. They stopped, trying to decipher who or what it was. Aeris just continued down the stairs, till she came to the stepping-stones. No one even notice she had continued until she was in their site. She had almost reached the altar. They rushed down towards her, but they knew it was futile. They couldn't reach her before she confronted the person knelling on the altar.
Aeris rushed forward, she was almost there. She was glad that the others didn't follow her, that they were too mesmerized by the site. She would need the time to commit to her plan.
She finally arrived.
The man looked up with semi-recognition. It took him a couple seconds to finally realize who she was.
"I killed you."
"Yes, you did."
"But how are you here?"
"You were killed, too."
Sephiroth looked up to see Cloud and his gang jumping up the steps, closing in.
"Cloud," he hissed. His eyes narrowed.
As soon as Cloud arrived at the altar, Sephiroth quickly grabbed Aeris, and held her in front of him.
"Let her go!" Cloud shouted.
"As you wish." Sephiroth sneered. He threw Aeris out of his way, sending her flying. She would have fallen off if Vincent hadn't grabbed her.
Vincent thought he heard her mutter a curse, but quickly threw that out. This was Aeris we're talking about.
She quickly got up and prepared herself for what's to come.
"Bring it on!" shouted Cloud.
Sephiroth swung first. He aimed for his stomach but Cloud blocked it easily.
"Gotten weaker, eh?"
Sephiroth only growled in return.
Once again there was the clang of metal against metal. The others looked on, hopeful that Cloud would defeat his adversary easily, but Aeris looked on with deep interest. She waited for her chance. And it soon came.
Cloud and Sephiroth had their swords together, close to their face. Cloud took this opportunity to kick his opponent in the chest. Sephiroth tumbled backwards. Cloud rushed in for a finishing blow.
He was too late to stop his momentum.
Aeris had run in the middle and threw herself on top Sephiroth, taking some of the blow.
The sword had been intercepted in her abdomen and Sephiroth in the chest. Both wounds were mortal.
As she went into the Great Beyond for a second time, she once again had a calm smile across her face.
Everyone's eyes widened in shock, especially Cloud's.
The only sound was the clang of his sword dropping onto the ground.
Then finally Reno broke the silence.
"Holy shit."
Yuffie jabbed him in the ribs.
He looked down on her angrily, but only met tearful eyes. He held her tightly. Tifa ran into Cloud's arm, but he didn't hug back. He was too surprised.
"I...I...I..."
"It's ok."
Everyone turned around to the owner of the voice.
"What Red? Tifa asked confusedly.
"It's ok I said."
"I don't understand," came from Barret.
"It's the way she wanted it to be."
They all had a confused look on their face.
"What the fuck?!?" Cid said.
"Aeris has a plan. I have no doubt in that. She just told me that it'll all work out."
"But, why didn't she tell us?" asked Tifa.
Red was about to answer but Cloud interrupted.
"Because she knew I would stop her, just like we would have stopped from coming here before."
"So what do we do now?" asked Barret.
"We study on Hojo."
"What?!?" They all exclaimed.
"Or at least Hojo's clone." Rude stated calmly.
They had a lot of work ahead of them.