Disclaimer: Haha, perhaps I should just get sick more often. As you might now guess, I'm home sick once again. Though this time I haven't been watching any anime-I've been reading Love Hina. Hah! So... yeah. I'm sick, and this was next on my list of things I need to update since it's been so long. Sorry everyone for the wait! Please forgive me! I'm just... bad at updating :( sorry!
So...you know, if you've been dying for an update well.. here it is! Maybe I do need to be sick to update... Anyway, I don't own anything but Darius, Amabel, other random original characters, and the plot to this. If there is a plot, I mean think about it, I did start this when I was sick, I wrote the second chapter while I was sick, and am now writing the third chapter...you guessed it, while sick. So, sorry I haven't been very good at updating. You know me. Lazy as always, but I hope you enjoy this chapter nonetheless if you're still bothering to read it. Which I hope you are because I'm greedy like that even if by now if I were you I'd have forgotten this sorry piece of work. Haha.
Crystal Mountain
Chapter Three
Enter the Objective
By:
Thor (Saturn Angels)
It'd been three days since Sephiroth had moved in with Aeris and three days since she'd last seen Darius. Each morning it was the same thing, Aeris would try her best to get Sephiroth out of bed, the silver haired warrior would often flip her off or threaten to kill her and she would leave. Occasionally though Sephiroth would be out of bed already and just sitting in his room looking like he was concentrating heavily on something. The flower girl always figured he was thinking up ways to escape.
Because it just seemed like something a person like Sephiroth would spend his time doing. Aeris hummed a simple tune quietly to herself as she walked down the hallway, her slippered feet making scuffing sounds every time she took a step. "What a beautiful day it is..." she murmured softly to herself, stopping by one of the many windows to gaze lovingly outside. Her garden, as it was in Midgar, was her pride and joy. In the past few days it wasn't unusual for her to just pull up a chair and look out at her flowers for hours, until the sky darkened into night.
Today though she didn't have time to dawdle, she had a mission to accomplish. "Sephiroth!" she called, her voice much too energetic for how early in the morning it was. The sun had only risen a couple of minutes prior to her wandering about the house. "Rise and shine" she said in a sing-song voice finally stopping outside of the guest room she'd let Sephiroth say in. "You're not going to sleep the whole day away again."
She opened the door, and stopped in her tracks. Looking back and forth, the room was completely empty.
"Sephiroth?" she asked blinking in confusion, "Sephy?" she called again, knowing for a fact that he couldn't stand being called by that nickname.
That was odd, the house remained deathly quiet. It almost seemed like some sort of an omen... but of course Aeris didn't think of it that way. She walked further into the room, stopping near Sephiroth's bed. Completely empty, and it was made too... but it was impossible for him to have left in the middle of the night, and she would have heard him get up in the morning.
"You are truly pathetic, flower girl." Aeris heard the familiar, cruel voice of Sephiroth from behind her.
She spun on her heel to look Sephiroth straight in the eye, "Wha- When did you get up?" she questioned as if it were all some giant conspiracy against her, "And... why weren't you in your room? Finally turning over a new leaf I se-"
And Sephiroth did roll his eyes in disgust, "I was just across the hallway. You wandered into the wrong room again."
Again, yes it had happened more than once.
Aeris blushed in embarrassment, "But! I, you!" she paused to regain her composure, cheeks puffing out as she breathed deeply in and out, "I get confused when there's more than one guest room!" That much was true though, in her house back in Midgar they'd only had one guest room and she'd never been in a house that had more than one. Most in fact didn't even have one.
Sephiroth scoffed and shrugged his shoulders tiredly leaning against the doorframe. "It'd be too simple just to walk out and never come back. You're too naïve for your own good."
"Where've I heard that one before?" she mumbled dejectedly, but she wasn't going to let Sephiroth spoil her mood. "I wouldn't mind if you left the house! You've been pent up in here ever since you came here." The brunette really had no idea when or why she had started talking to Sephiroth as if he was anyone else, she didn't think anything of it until night fell. That was when she got most of her thinking done, after all this was the man who killed her, who ruined her future with Cloud if she was ever to have one, this is the man who wanted to rule the world. This was GENOCIDE INSANE CRAZY ALBINO MAN OF DEATH, as some had chosen to call him.
With a heavy sigh Aeris' brow furrowed and she folded her arms across her chest, then again this was the Sephiroth who went insane in the ShinRa building so long ago, she momentarily put herself in his place at that time and wondered if she would have done the same thing.
Probably not. It wasn't in her nature to do something like that, though she couldn't quite make an educated guess seeing as she hadn't been there and it hadn't really happened to her and the closest she could get to it was assuming. And most assumptions are wrong.
She wondered how old he had been when his life had crashed around his feet; he had had everything he wanted, could have had anything and anyone then suddenly one day changes everything.
"How old are you Sephiroth?" she questioned randomly, and it took even him by surprise seeing as he had been watching her in silent, severe contemplation.
Plus you know, it wasn't the best thing in the world to be killed by Cloud, twice, someone who was supposed to be by far inferior. But of course Cloud was different, he had untapped abilities that no one ever took notice of. Cloud could do anything.
"I don't see how it's relevant." He answered, pushing his weight from the doorframe to his own two feet.
Aeris snorted, seeing him like that. Never in her life would she believe that one day she would share a home with ShinRa's first class SOLDIER. Every girl had dreamed about it at one point before he went insane, but this... it was just unreal.
He was standing there barefoot without a shirt in pajama bottoms. It had to be one of the most amusing things she'd ever seen. And so she burst out into a violent fit of giggles leaving Sephiroth bewildered and just a little annoyed.
He had the weird gleam in his eye again, that look that said all too clearly 'Remember girl, you're not above death.' But no one could die in the Promised Land so Aeris paid not heed to it and continued laughing until her stomach ached and she was practically in tears.
Ache.
Pain.
That was one thing she surely hadn't forgotten though. Pain most certainly could be felt... so was there a way for 'death to die' so to speak? Her laughter was slowly silenced but rather than fall into yet another thinking bought as she first wanted to she realized she still had a guest no matter how unhappy that guest was.
"Do you want to go out with me?" she asked curiously. Then upon seeing his look of disgust and utter repulsion she realized what it sounded like she was asking. "No! I mean! Agh! You're so difficult! I meant out, literally, like you come with me to help me get groceries."
"There aren't any grocery stores in the Promised Land, Flower Girl."
"I know that!" She'd been there a full week longer than him and he was acting like he knew more than she did. Granted, she hadn't known about the absence of grocery stores..
"There was something else I wanted to show you though!" she said, hands on her hips as a plan formulated itself in her mind. She wanted to see what the color of Sephiroth's rose was.
Because... unless it was black than he couldn't be all bad. Then she'd have sufficient proof to prove to Darius that he wasn't as bad as everyone seemed to think of him as. Though they had proof as well. He did want to kill everyone after all. Had killed Aeris.
Why did she want to help him then?
She couldn't just stand aside seeing that perhaps something ended up the way it did because of choices. And he was here in the Promised Land now because it was destiny that Aeris clear his name.
It seemed like she was the only one that could.
"I'm not going anywhere. I'm going back to bed, I just came out here to tell you that you were shouting into the wrong room, which I have." And with that he did exactly what he said he was going to. He even shut and locked the door behind him.
"The nerve." Aeris mumbled to herself, though now that the idea had entered her head she was exceedingly curious. What color is Sephiroth's rose? Everyone has one. "Hey! I'm leaving I'll be back around-"
"I don't care. The sooner you leave the later you come back, the better."
"Meanie!" Aeris called out before grabbing her coat and heading to the front door, just as she exited she yelled, "Don't do anything stupid!"
There wasn't a reply, but she hadn't been expecting one anyway.
Five minutes later she found her way to the huge rose garden that Darius had shown her. "Now... which one is it?" she pondered to herself looking at the near one hundred roses,
"Looking for Sephiroth's rose aren't you?"
Aeris jumped seeing as she had thought she was alone. "Darius...you frightened me." She said, her hand on her chest as she tried to calm her racing heart. 'How embarrassing!' she thought to herself her cheeks tinged slightly pink as she tried to imagine what she must've looked like. Being so jumpy and all...
"His rose shouldn't be that difficult to spot." He added, not even bothering to apologize for nearly giving the brunette a heart attack.
"Why's that?"
"Well, it's the darkest one yet." He pointed it out, and it was true... it did contrast the others greatly.
"It's... red."
"Dark red."
"But not black." Aeris said with a broad grin, "That's all I came here for."
"Wait a moment Aeris. Please sit down, I want to talk with you... I haven't seen you for almost a week now. I want to apologize if I did anything that upset you, I didn't mean to... I guess it's just been a long time since I've spoken with someone new... all the people here have been here for lifetimes and here you come along and... I just... I get nervous, you know?"
Aeris nodded slowly, "I suppose I see what you mean. I'm sorry too, for not being more understanding. I know what it must be like, Sephiroth seeming like such an obvious danger to this place but I assure you Darius, he really isn't that bad. I've been living with him for... a few days and from what I've seen he seems more reclusive and cranky than violent... I think a lot of what he did had to do with circumstance."
"You're the most naïve person I know." Darius said, shaking his head almost as if in disbelief. "It's utterly charming, fascinating even." He sat down on the grass and Aeris followed suit since it seemed like he was silently beckoning her to do so.
There was a heavy and awkward silence between them, neither wanting to speak because they were afraid they'd begin speaking at the same time.
"Aeris." "Darius"
Their names came in unison and both of them laughed, and ushered the other to continue.
"Aeris, I know I haven't known you for that long, but I just want you to know that I really admire you."
Aeris blushed, "I don't see why... there's nothing particularly special about me..." After all, this was the person who was so lonely in the Promised Land that she watched her friends on television. Cloud was incredibly cute when he slept though, well she used to watch them on TV. But since Sephiroth moved in she had felt embarrassed about it.
Darius chuckled softly and shrugged, "That's another thing. Always so humble..."
"Nice weather we're having lately, isn't it? But I suppose it's always nice weather here..." Aeris mumbled, beginning to grow uncomfortable with the subject Darius had chosen.
"I love you, Aeris."
"What!?" she couldn't help but yell, and had she been standing she was sure she would have lost her balance. "I hardly even know you Darius!"
"Get to know me, marry me, we have all the time in the world Aeris. All the time in the world and more." Darius said, grabbing hold of Aeris's hand.
She shuddered inwardly, this didn't feel right at all. "It's too sudden! I haven't even been here two weeks, I haven't spoken to you in the last three days! Darius I hardly even know you!" she repeated.
Darius shrugged, "That doesn't matter Aeris. I love you, it was love at first sight. Don't you feel the same way? I've already spoken to your mother about this, about us."
"Wh-what? Darius there is no us and I'm sorry if I made you think there was!" Aeris said, trying to pry her hand from his grasp but to no avail, this was turning out to be more like a soap opera than a paradise.
Darius's grip tightened on her hand, "Aeris, hear me out. If you say no now, the opportunity might not arrive again. Seize the moment...Ilfalna thinks it's a great idea."
"Listen Darius, I don't care what my mother thinks because..." Why was she turning him down? Hadn't she really liked him when they first met? Why was she so reluctant to even be near him now? It's not like there was someone else...
Just when it seemed Darius was going to try and pull something again Amabel came to Aeris's rescue. Though perhaps, circumstances weren't as they should have been.
"Darius! Darius! Aeris!" she cried sobbing, her face flushed from the run from the city to the Rose Field. "Aeris!" she catapulted herself into the flower girl's arms, "You have to help! Sephiroth-Sephiroth's gone insane!" she began to sob, "He he he-" she began hiccoughing and it was hard to understand her, "Vathan's dead!"
"Dead?" Darius asked in disbelief, "What do you mean dead?"
"He's not moving, his his ... he," she sobbed once more, breaking down completely.
Aeris looked to Darius in confusion and helplessness though he was little help since the expression he wore on his face seemed only to say: 'I told you so, didn't I?'
"He can't be dead, calm down sweety. Are you sure it wasn't just a dream?" Aeris asked, rubbing the girl's back consolingly.
"I know! Because because," sob, "Galen and Galen told me to come and get you, and they were bloody and." Her words were cut off as yet another bout of tears occurred.
"Where is Sephiroth?" Aeris asked, and the girl sniffled, "The head council building."
"Stay here and take care of Amabel!" Aeris commanded, prying the girl from her body and handing her over to the unwilling Darius. She really didn't know how helpful she would be, she was no match for the great Sephiroth.
How had he killed Vathan? No one could die in the Promised Land.
It was impossible. Utterly impossible, even for someone like Sephiroth.
She ran into the Head Council building without thinking twice about it, she had no plan of action, wasn't even prepared for what she was going to do. The sight that greeted her wasn't a completely unfamiliar one-she'd seen gory things while roaming the streets of Midgar, she'd seen gory things that Sephiroth had caused as well.
"Sephiroth!" she called out, in a reprimanding tone as if it would someone bring him back to his senses, but the thing she feared was that his senses had never left him. Somehow he'd been planning it all, while alone in his room he'd somehow found a way to make the impossible, possible. But why would he do it? There was no point! Why would someone want pain and suffering when they could have paradise, no when they DID have it.
He turned to her and there was an evil malicious gleam in his eye, one that wasn't alien to her. After all, he always had that look in his eyes. Whenever he was awake at least. But the thing that made her stop and look again was what he held in his hands.
"Masamune..." she murmured breathlessly. The Sword of the Gods. It wasn't completely impossible then that Vathan had been killed by it. Everyone was in danger this way. But how had Sephiroth managed to find it? Hadn't it been destroyed?
Had this not been a completely serious moment Aeris would have laughed, Sephiroth was still in his night-ware. But this wasn't the time to be amused, in fact she didn't even notice his attire.
"Why are you doing this!?" she yelled at him, "You were given a second chance! Why didn't you use it? You had the opportunity of a lifetime-"
"You think I care about that, Cetra?" he asked angrily, "I'm not the type to just sit around and spend eternity in a perfect place, it doesn't suit me. I'd go insane."
"You're already insane Sephiroth!" Aeris said angrily, and was immediately regretting her choice of words. Sephiroth didn't seem to care in the least though.
"There's only one thing on my mind right now."
"What's that? To kill everyone? Everyone on the planet and in the Promised Land? Well listen! I've been waiting to be here since the moment I was born and you're not going to take it away from me so easily! You'll have to kill me first you heartless butcher!" she yelled, her eyes shut tightly in fear that she would be killed, but she was determined not to back down. She would put up a fight even without a weapon. She wouldn't let someone like Sephiroth desecrate this place.
"There's only one person I want to kill, and no. Don't give me that look, wench, it's not you. It's Cloud. So long as I'm allowed to leave this Godforsaken place there won't be anymore killing." He spat on the body of Vathan whose clear blue eyes had what looked like a layer of film over them, staring at the ceiling, the life completely drained out of him. "He, however, had it coming."
"I won't let you kill Cloud!" Aeris shouted, her voice sounding almost pained.
"You act as if he was your lover."
She remained silent. True, they hadn't been anything more ... they shared a love between them that was almost holy, but they'd never done anything at all. Perhaps it was... because their love was more platonic. Funny to say that, but as she looked at it that's what it seemed to be. Like when people see paintings of two cherubs kissing one another's cheeks... they don't seem romantic in anyway... just simple, love. Care for someone who means the world to another.
And even with that definition she wouldn't stand for someone hurting Cloud. Because he meant the world to her.
"Then I'd suggest closing your eyes because this is going to hurt." He wiped the blood from the blade of the Masamune and advanced.
Aeris shut her eyes, praying that Sephiroth wouldn't find a way back to Gaia, praying that Cloud and all of her friends would remain safe.
She could hear his footsteps coming closer... closer... closer... it was almost like hearing death approach. Still the footsteps came, closer, louder... than she felt something collide with her head and that was the last thing she could clearly remember before losing consciousness.
The green-eyed young adult awoke hours later, with a pain in her head that could rival the worst headache she'd ever had. What had happened? She certainly wasn't dead-had he just knocked her unconscious?
"Glad you woke up..." Gale mumbled, "You've got to follow Sephiroth."
"What? Follow him where?"
"Amabel and her mother are both dead." Galen said solemnly.
"Sephiroth's on Gaia once again."
"You have to go get him."
"Amabel's dead?" Aeris asked numbly, "What about Darius? He was supposed to be watching her!"
How could Sephiroth kill Amabel? She was innocent...
"Aeris. Right now-you have to go and get Sephiroth back here. Bring him back before anything happens. He should be near Bone Village by now."
"Right. Aeris, will you go?"
"Amabel.." Aeris said her eyes becoming watery.
"Aeris, you need to go. Now."
And she never had the chance to say her farewells, or 'I'll see you later's before she found herself in the Sleeping Forest.
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END CHAPTER THREE
icemint: Yes ; it took a long time ::holds out arm to be pinched::
Ardwynna Morrigu: Haha, did it lose it's adorableness? It'll come back though, promise. Love your writing style by the way :D
Seraph Valentine: Ohoho! ...It fits... better now? Now that.. Sephy's... on a killing spree once more? Ah whatever, hope you're still reading, hehe :D
aer-seph4eva: Wow! I love all of your stories so much nn anyway, right. I'll e-mail you... if you haven't changed your e-mail address by now...
icemint: Thank you, again
Phoenix6e: I tried to continue in the same way, but alas! My violent writing skills got the best of me. Things will return to normal soon enough though, promise.
Lucrecia LeVrai: Thank you :D glad you liked chapter two, before that chapter I didn't even know what Big Brother was! But anyway, moving on, yes I didn't like the whipping TT .. Vathan got his in the end? Haha.
Arcander: I love AeriSephs as well. Which is why I feel almost blasphemous by trying to write my own XD haha.
Sapphira001: I know you said to update soon... but I'm terrible at that TT forgive me! If you're still reading.
J-chan: Glad you've enjoyed my story this far! I just hope you continue reading... and enjoying, because it'd break my heart if you lost interest because the somewhat shift in plot.
LadySephiroth: It makes me so happy that you liked my story so much, sorry to say you might not have enjoyed this chapter as much. Sorry again, please forgive me, I'm starting to lose touch with my writing style, it's been so long.
Lagunamoomba: Thank you :D Sorry it took so long to update. I'm glad you like the way I had Sephiroth act in chapter 2 but I figured that had to change for this chapter to get them out of the Promised Land, but I swear he'll be back like that sooner or later.
Professor Padfoot: Sorry! It's not the reviews, sure I love feedback and when I don't get enough I get all antsy-pantsy depressed (not really, I'm exaggerating) it's just I can't find the time to write as much, and then writer's block but hopefully I'll get over it.
chaotic pink chocobo: here's the update! ...you never said when to update ; hehe :D
Wot Wot Wark: Here's the update! Sorry it took so long xx
lyn: Thank you
SetsuntaMew: Yush, it's taken a turn for the more morbid but it'll get lighthearted once again. You know, once they leave the ice mountain-y place and go to Costa de Sol. Moo ha ha ha ha.
Noacat: Look look! I finally did write more :D Sorry to keep you waiting for so long! ::hands you a cookie::
Sadistic Shadow: Well! It seems you didn't have to get me sick.. because I got sick all on my own.
Next chapter! 'Chasing Sephiroth'. Yes, that's what it's about and that's what it's called. Sorry about this chapter being different then the previous two... but things will become lighthearted again soon enough.
So...you know, if you've been dying for an update well.. here it is! Maybe I do need to be sick to update... Anyway, I don't own anything but Darius, Amabel, other random original characters, and the plot to this. If there is a plot, I mean think about it, I did start this when I was sick, I wrote the second chapter while I was sick, and am now writing the third chapter...you guessed it, while sick. So, sorry I haven't been very good at updating. You know me. Lazy as always, but I hope you enjoy this chapter nonetheless if you're still bothering to read it. Which I hope you are because I'm greedy like that even if by now if I were you I'd have forgotten this sorry piece of work. Haha.
Crystal Mountain
Chapter Three
Enter the Objective
By:
Thor (Saturn Angels)
It'd been three days since Sephiroth had moved in with Aeris and three days since she'd last seen Darius. Each morning it was the same thing, Aeris would try her best to get Sephiroth out of bed, the silver haired warrior would often flip her off or threaten to kill her and she would leave. Occasionally though Sephiroth would be out of bed already and just sitting in his room looking like he was concentrating heavily on something. The flower girl always figured he was thinking up ways to escape.
Because it just seemed like something a person like Sephiroth would spend his time doing. Aeris hummed a simple tune quietly to herself as she walked down the hallway, her slippered feet making scuffing sounds every time she took a step. "What a beautiful day it is..." she murmured softly to herself, stopping by one of the many windows to gaze lovingly outside. Her garden, as it was in Midgar, was her pride and joy. In the past few days it wasn't unusual for her to just pull up a chair and look out at her flowers for hours, until the sky darkened into night.
Today though she didn't have time to dawdle, she had a mission to accomplish. "Sephiroth!" she called, her voice much too energetic for how early in the morning it was. The sun had only risen a couple of minutes prior to her wandering about the house. "Rise and shine" she said in a sing-song voice finally stopping outside of the guest room she'd let Sephiroth say in. "You're not going to sleep the whole day away again."
She opened the door, and stopped in her tracks. Looking back and forth, the room was completely empty.
"Sephiroth?" she asked blinking in confusion, "Sephy?" she called again, knowing for a fact that he couldn't stand being called by that nickname.
That was odd, the house remained deathly quiet. It almost seemed like some sort of an omen... but of course Aeris didn't think of it that way. She walked further into the room, stopping near Sephiroth's bed. Completely empty, and it was made too... but it was impossible for him to have left in the middle of the night, and she would have heard him get up in the morning.
"You are truly pathetic, flower girl." Aeris heard the familiar, cruel voice of Sephiroth from behind her.
She spun on her heel to look Sephiroth straight in the eye, "Wha- When did you get up?" she questioned as if it were all some giant conspiracy against her, "And... why weren't you in your room? Finally turning over a new leaf I se-"
And Sephiroth did roll his eyes in disgust, "I was just across the hallway. You wandered into the wrong room again."
Again, yes it had happened more than once.
Aeris blushed in embarrassment, "But! I, you!" she paused to regain her composure, cheeks puffing out as she breathed deeply in and out, "I get confused when there's more than one guest room!" That much was true though, in her house back in Midgar they'd only had one guest room and she'd never been in a house that had more than one. Most in fact didn't even have one.
Sephiroth scoffed and shrugged his shoulders tiredly leaning against the doorframe. "It'd be too simple just to walk out and never come back. You're too naïve for your own good."
"Where've I heard that one before?" she mumbled dejectedly, but she wasn't going to let Sephiroth spoil her mood. "I wouldn't mind if you left the house! You've been pent up in here ever since you came here." The brunette really had no idea when or why she had started talking to Sephiroth as if he was anyone else, she didn't think anything of it until night fell. That was when she got most of her thinking done, after all this was the man who killed her, who ruined her future with Cloud if she was ever to have one, this is the man who wanted to rule the world. This was GENOCIDE INSANE CRAZY ALBINO MAN OF DEATH, as some had chosen to call him.
With a heavy sigh Aeris' brow furrowed and she folded her arms across her chest, then again this was the Sephiroth who went insane in the ShinRa building so long ago, she momentarily put herself in his place at that time and wondered if she would have done the same thing.
Probably not. It wasn't in her nature to do something like that, though she couldn't quite make an educated guess seeing as she hadn't been there and it hadn't really happened to her and the closest she could get to it was assuming. And most assumptions are wrong.
She wondered how old he had been when his life had crashed around his feet; he had had everything he wanted, could have had anything and anyone then suddenly one day changes everything.
"How old are you Sephiroth?" she questioned randomly, and it took even him by surprise seeing as he had been watching her in silent, severe contemplation.
Plus you know, it wasn't the best thing in the world to be killed by Cloud, twice, someone who was supposed to be by far inferior. But of course Cloud was different, he had untapped abilities that no one ever took notice of. Cloud could do anything.
"I don't see how it's relevant." He answered, pushing his weight from the doorframe to his own two feet.
Aeris snorted, seeing him like that. Never in her life would she believe that one day she would share a home with ShinRa's first class SOLDIER. Every girl had dreamed about it at one point before he went insane, but this... it was just unreal.
He was standing there barefoot without a shirt in pajama bottoms. It had to be one of the most amusing things she'd ever seen. And so she burst out into a violent fit of giggles leaving Sephiroth bewildered and just a little annoyed.
He had the weird gleam in his eye again, that look that said all too clearly 'Remember girl, you're not above death.' But no one could die in the Promised Land so Aeris paid not heed to it and continued laughing until her stomach ached and she was practically in tears.
Ache.
Pain.
That was one thing she surely hadn't forgotten though. Pain most certainly could be felt... so was there a way for 'death to die' so to speak? Her laughter was slowly silenced but rather than fall into yet another thinking bought as she first wanted to she realized she still had a guest no matter how unhappy that guest was.
"Do you want to go out with me?" she asked curiously. Then upon seeing his look of disgust and utter repulsion she realized what it sounded like she was asking. "No! I mean! Agh! You're so difficult! I meant out, literally, like you come with me to help me get groceries."
"There aren't any grocery stores in the Promised Land, Flower Girl."
"I know that!" She'd been there a full week longer than him and he was acting like he knew more than she did. Granted, she hadn't known about the absence of grocery stores..
"There was something else I wanted to show you though!" she said, hands on her hips as a plan formulated itself in her mind. She wanted to see what the color of Sephiroth's rose was.
Because... unless it was black than he couldn't be all bad. Then she'd have sufficient proof to prove to Darius that he wasn't as bad as everyone seemed to think of him as. Though they had proof as well. He did want to kill everyone after all. Had killed Aeris.
Why did she want to help him then?
She couldn't just stand aside seeing that perhaps something ended up the way it did because of choices. And he was here in the Promised Land now because it was destiny that Aeris clear his name.
It seemed like she was the only one that could.
"I'm not going anywhere. I'm going back to bed, I just came out here to tell you that you were shouting into the wrong room, which I have." And with that he did exactly what he said he was going to. He even shut and locked the door behind him.
"The nerve." Aeris mumbled to herself, though now that the idea had entered her head she was exceedingly curious. What color is Sephiroth's rose? Everyone has one. "Hey! I'm leaving I'll be back around-"
"I don't care. The sooner you leave the later you come back, the better."
"Meanie!" Aeris called out before grabbing her coat and heading to the front door, just as she exited she yelled, "Don't do anything stupid!"
There wasn't a reply, but she hadn't been expecting one anyway.
Five minutes later she found her way to the huge rose garden that Darius had shown her. "Now... which one is it?" she pondered to herself looking at the near one hundred roses,
"Looking for Sephiroth's rose aren't you?"
Aeris jumped seeing as she had thought she was alone. "Darius...you frightened me." She said, her hand on her chest as she tried to calm her racing heart. 'How embarrassing!' she thought to herself her cheeks tinged slightly pink as she tried to imagine what she must've looked like. Being so jumpy and all...
"His rose shouldn't be that difficult to spot." He added, not even bothering to apologize for nearly giving the brunette a heart attack.
"Why's that?"
"Well, it's the darkest one yet." He pointed it out, and it was true... it did contrast the others greatly.
"It's... red."
"Dark red."
"But not black." Aeris said with a broad grin, "That's all I came here for."
"Wait a moment Aeris. Please sit down, I want to talk with you... I haven't seen you for almost a week now. I want to apologize if I did anything that upset you, I didn't mean to... I guess it's just been a long time since I've spoken with someone new... all the people here have been here for lifetimes and here you come along and... I just... I get nervous, you know?"
Aeris nodded slowly, "I suppose I see what you mean. I'm sorry too, for not being more understanding. I know what it must be like, Sephiroth seeming like such an obvious danger to this place but I assure you Darius, he really isn't that bad. I've been living with him for... a few days and from what I've seen he seems more reclusive and cranky than violent... I think a lot of what he did had to do with circumstance."
"You're the most naïve person I know." Darius said, shaking his head almost as if in disbelief. "It's utterly charming, fascinating even." He sat down on the grass and Aeris followed suit since it seemed like he was silently beckoning her to do so.
There was a heavy and awkward silence between them, neither wanting to speak because they were afraid they'd begin speaking at the same time.
"Aeris." "Darius"
Their names came in unison and both of them laughed, and ushered the other to continue.
"Aeris, I know I haven't known you for that long, but I just want you to know that I really admire you."
Aeris blushed, "I don't see why... there's nothing particularly special about me..." After all, this was the person who was so lonely in the Promised Land that she watched her friends on television. Cloud was incredibly cute when he slept though, well she used to watch them on TV. But since Sephiroth moved in she had felt embarrassed about it.
Darius chuckled softly and shrugged, "That's another thing. Always so humble..."
"Nice weather we're having lately, isn't it? But I suppose it's always nice weather here..." Aeris mumbled, beginning to grow uncomfortable with the subject Darius had chosen.
"I love you, Aeris."
"What!?" she couldn't help but yell, and had she been standing she was sure she would have lost her balance. "I hardly even know you Darius!"
"Get to know me, marry me, we have all the time in the world Aeris. All the time in the world and more." Darius said, grabbing hold of Aeris's hand.
She shuddered inwardly, this didn't feel right at all. "It's too sudden! I haven't even been here two weeks, I haven't spoken to you in the last three days! Darius I hardly even know you!" she repeated.
Darius shrugged, "That doesn't matter Aeris. I love you, it was love at first sight. Don't you feel the same way? I've already spoken to your mother about this, about us."
"Wh-what? Darius there is no us and I'm sorry if I made you think there was!" Aeris said, trying to pry her hand from his grasp but to no avail, this was turning out to be more like a soap opera than a paradise.
Darius's grip tightened on her hand, "Aeris, hear me out. If you say no now, the opportunity might not arrive again. Seize the moment...Ilfalna thinks it's a great idea."
"Listen Darius, I don't care what my mother thinks because..." Why was she turning him down? Hadn't she really liked him when they first met? Why was she so reluctant to even be near him now? It's not like there was someone else...
Just when it seemed Darius was going to try and pull something again Amabel came to Aeris's rescue. Though perhaps, circumstances weren't as they should have been.
"Darius! Darius! Aeris!" she cried sobbing, her face flushed from the run from the city to the Rose Field. "Aeris!" she catapulted herself into the flower girl's arms, "You have to help! Sephiroth-Sephiroth's gone insane!" she began to sob, "He he he-" she began hiccoughing and it was hard to understand her, "Vathan's dead!"
"Dead?" Darius asked in disbelief, "What do you mean dead?"
"He's not moving, his his ... he," she sobbed once more, breaking down completely.
Aeris looked to Darius in confusion and helplessness though he was little help since the expression he wore on his face seemed only to say: 'I told you so, didn't I?'
"He can't be dead, calm down sweety. Are you sure it wasn't just a dream?" Aeris asked, rubbing the girl's back consolingly.
"I know! Because because," sob, "Galen and Galen told me to come and get you, and they were bloody and." Her words were cut off as yet another bout of tears occurred.
"Where is Sephiroth?" Aeris asked, and the girl sniffled, "The head council building."
"Stay here and take care of Amabel!" Aeris commanded, prying the girl from her body and handing her over to the unwilling Darius. She really didn't know how helpful she would be, she was no match for the great Sephiroth.
How had he killed Vathan? No one could die in the Promised Land.
It was impossible. Utterly impossible, even for someone like Sephiroth.
She ran into the Head Council building without thinking twice about it, she had no plan of action, wasn't even prepared for what she was going to do. The sight that greeted her wasn't a completely unfamiliar one-she'd seen gory things while roaming the streets of Midgar, she'd seen gory things that Sephiroth had caused as well.
"Sephiroth!" she called out, in a reprimanding tone as if it would someone bring him back to his senses, but the thing she feared was that his senses had never left him. Somehow he'd been planning it all, while alone in his room he'd somehow found a way to make the impossible, possible. But why would he do it? There was no point! Why would someone want pain and suffering when they could have paradise, no when they DID have it.
He turned to her and there was an evil malicious gleam in his eye, one that wasn't alien to her. After all, he always had that look in his eyes. Whenever he was awake at least. But the thing that made her stop and look again was what he held in his hands.
"Masamune..." she murmured breathlessly. The Sword of the Gods. It wasn't completely impossible then that Vathan had been killed by it. Everyone was in danger this way. But how had Sephiroth managed to find it? Hadn't it been destroyed?
Had this not been a completely serious moment Aeris would have laughed, Sephiroth was still in his night-ware. But this wasn't the time to be amused, in fact she didn't even notice his attire.
"Why are you doing this!?" she yelled at him, "You were given a second chance! Why didn't you use it? You had the opportunity of a lifetime-"
"You think I care about that, Cetra?" he asked angrily, "I'm not the type to just sit around and spend eternity in a perfect place, it doesn't suit me. I'd go insane."
"You're already insane Sephiroth!" Aeris said angrily, and was immediately regretting her choice of words. Sephiroth didn't seem to care in the least though.
"There's only one thing on my mind right now."
"What's that? To kill everyone? Everyone on the planet and in the Promised Land? Well listen! I've been waiting to be here since the moment I was born and you're not going to take it away from me so easily! You'll have to kill me first you heartless butcher!" she yelled, her eyes shut tightly in fear that she would be killed, but she was determined not to back down. She would put up a fight even without a weapon. She wouldn't let someone like Sephiroth desecrate this place.
"There's only one person I want to kill, and no. Don't give me that look, wench, it's not you. It's Cloud. So long as I'm allowed to leave this Godforsaken place there won't be anymore killing." He spat on the body of Vathan whose clear blue eyes had what looked like a layer of film over them, staring at the ceiling, the life completely drained out of him. "He, however, had it coming."
"I won't let you kill Cloud!" Aeris shouted, her voice sounding almost pained.
"You act as if he was your lover."
She remained silent. True, they hadn't been anything more ... they shared a love between them that was almost holy, but they'd never done anything at all. Perhaps it was... because their love was more platonic. Funny to say that, but as she looked at it that's what it seemed to be. Like when people see paintings of two cherubs kissing one another's cheeks... they don't seem romantic in anyway... just simple, love. Care for someone who means the world to another.
And even with that definition she wouldn't stand for someone hurting Cloud. Because he meant the world to her.
"Then I'd suggest closing your eyes because this is going to hurt." He wiped the blood from the blade of the Masamune and advanced.
Aeris shut her eyes, praying that Sephiroth wouldn't find a way back to Gaia, praying that Cloud and all of her friends would remain safe.
She could hear his footsteps coming closer... closer... closer... it was almost like hearing death approach. Still the footsteps came, closer, louder... than she felt something collide with her head and that was the last thing she could clearly remember before losing consciousness.
The green-eyed young adult awoke hours later, with a pain in her head that could rival the worst headache she'd ever had. What had happened? She certainly wasn't dead-had he just knocked her unconscious?
"Glad you woke up..." Gale mumbled, "You've got to follow Sephiroth."
"What? Follow him where?"
"Amabel and her mother are both dead." Galen said solemnly.
"Sephiroth's on Gaia once again."
"You have to go get him."
"Amabel's dead?" Aeris asked numbly, "What about Darius? He was supposed to be watching her!"
How could Sephiroth kill Amabel? She was innocent...
"Aeris. Right now-you have to go and get Sephiroth back here. Bring him back before anything happens. He should be near Bone Village by now."
"Right. Aeris, will you go?"
"Amabel.." Aeris said her eyes becoming watery.
"Aeris, you need to go. Now."
And she never had the chance to say her farewells, or 'I'll see you later's before she found herself in the Sleeping Forest.
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END CHAPTER THREE
icemint: Yes ; it took a long time ::holds out arm to be pinched::
Ardwynna Morrigu: Haha, did it lose it's adorableness? It'll come back though, promise. Love your writing style by the way :D
Seraph Valentine: Ohoho! ...It fits... better now? Now that.. Sephy's... on a killing spree once more? Ah whatever, hope you're still reading, hehe :D
aer-seph4eva: Wow! I love all of your stories so much nn anyway, right. I'll e-mail you... if you haven't changed your e-mail address by now...
icemint: Thank you, again
Phoenix6e: I tried to continue in the same way, but alas! My violent writing skills got the best of me. Things will return to normal soon enough though, promise.
Lucrecia LeVrai: Thank you :D glad you liked chapter two, before that chapter I didn't even know what Big Brother was! But anyway, moving on, yes I didn't like the whipping TT .. Vathan got his in the end? Haha.
Arcander: I love AeriSephs as well. Which is why I feel almost blasphemous by trying to write my own XD haha.
Sapphira001: I know you said to update soon... but I'm terrible at that TT forgive me! If you're still reading.
J-chan: Glad you've enjoyed my story this far! I just hope you continue reading... and enjoying, because it'd break my heart if you lost interest because the somewhat shift in plot.
LadySephiroth: It makes me so happy that you liked my story so much, sorry to say you might not have enjoyed this chapter as much. Sorry again, please forgive me, I'm starting to lose touch with my writing style, it's been so long.
Lagunamoomba: Thank you :D Sorry it took so long to update. I'm glad you like the way I had Sephiroth act in chapter 2 but I figured that had to change for this chapter to get them out of the Promised Land, but I swear he'll be back like that sooner or later.
Professor Padfoot: Sorry! It's not the reviews, sure I love feedback and when I don't get enough I get all antsy-pantsy depressed (not really, I'm exaggerating) it's just I can't find the time to write as much, and then writer's block but hopefully I'll get over it.
chaotic pink chocobo: here's the update! ...you never said when to update ; hehe :D
Wot Wot Wark: Here's the update! Sorry it took so long xx
lyn: Thank you
SetsuntaMew: Yush, it's taken a turn for the more morbid but it'll get lighthearted once again. You know, once they leave the ice mountain-y place and go to Costa de Sol. Moo ha ha ha ha.
Noacat: Look look! I finally did write more :D Sorry to keep you waiting for so long! ::hands you a cookie::
Sadistic Shadow: Well! It seems you didn't have to get me sick.. because I got sick all on my own.
Next chapter! 'Chasing Sephiroth'. Yes, that's what it's about and that's what it's called. Sorry about this chapter being different then the previous two... but things will become lighthearted again soon enough.