5. Pain gives me the right to be unkind...
Aeris watched with horror as the man she'd been travelling along with morph into a man she'd once seen inside a tunnel, even tried to help.
The man was now dead.
She gazed around, shivering as she realised she was trapped inside the room. Most of the ceiling had collapsed and fallen, but nothing had even gone near her. She knew it was Sephiroths doing.
Aeris got up on her feet, walking forward towards the huge Materia crystal that was now located on the ground in the center of the room. The crystal with the sleeping Sephiroth inside.
She reached out and placed a hand on the surface where she saw his face, "are you even alive in there...?"
Then a sound caught her attention, and Aeris glanced over to gasp in surprise as she saw the blonde man sitting by the wall.
His legs draw up so his knees touched his chest and his arms wrapped around them, Cloud had a distant look in his eyes.
"Cloud...?" Aeris whispered, almost afraid of believing what she was real. She hesitatingly walked over, kneeling down in front of him, "are you ok...?"
The blonde man turned his face away, whimpering softly.
Aeris reached out and touched his shoulder, "Cloud...? It's me... Aeris... Look at me... Please..."
But the man merely whimpered again, shivering with barely withheld tears. She realised he probably knew what he was and what he had done, and was unable to live with it. "No, Cloud," Aeris whispered softly, "it's not your fault! Please, listen to me, you have to make it through this! The planet still needs you! You're the only one who can save us!"
Dear Planet, she'd never seen anyone in this much pain!
Aeris glanced nervously back at the Materia crystal and knew when Sephiroth awoke then he would kill Cloud in a heartbeat.
Quickly gazing back at Cloud, Aeris knew she had no choice. She took a hold and pried his arms loose, managing somehow to pull him up his feet and supporting him as they stumbled over to the crack in the ground.
Aeris closed her eyes as she saw the green liquid, praying to the planet that it would use the Lifestream to bring Cloud to a safe distance.
He's our last hope, she pleaded, dreading to sending the blonde man into the dangerous waters.
Aeris turned to look at Clouds absent face, feeling her heart ache. "I'm sorry, but..."
Tears ran silently as she watched him fall, "please be safe..." Then she turned and walked back to the crystal to wait...
It was stupid how the tears simply wouldn't stop, and she sank down to rest her cheek against the cool surface of the crystal. Would Cloud hate her now? It didn't really matter as long as he survived...
She drew a sobbing breath, letting her hands drop to the ground. Frowning at the wetness they met, Aeris glanced down as she wondered if she'd cried an entire ocean or if just felt like it. No... it wasn't tears... She slowly lifted her hand up to look at it, and then at the crystal again.
The crystal was melting...!
Aeris blinked hard as she saw the severed end of Sephiroth glow, realising the Black Materia was in fact regenerating his very flesh.
Sephiroth was indeed returning from the dead!
But it would take an entire day before the first inch of damp skin was laid bare to the cold air, and a second day before the entire crystal was gone and Sephiroth was free. Aeris sat watching the silent form, mentally noting how he wasn't even breathing, but was more amazed to see how his body was now restored completely.
Sephiroth was nothing less than beauty there he was lying on his side, his wet hair fanned out in the pool of melted Materia. Aeris couldn't help but to notice that with those slender, long legs he had to be even taller now than before.
That's when she realised she was sitting there and openly ogling a very undressed Sephiroth. Turning beet-red, she scrambled over to her back-pack and pulled out a blanket to place over his silent body.
"No good in returning to life just to die from pneumonia, huh?" Aeris joked meekly, still feeling her face burn.
The first thing Sephiroth noticed was that his head was aching, like he had a terrible hang-over, secondly that he was freezing and wet, third and final thing; he was alive! He fought air down into his lungs, and tried to move his fingers.
"Sephiroth...?" A gentle voice called out nervously, and he struggled to remember. Ah, yes, Aeris.
Something was crackling near by, and Sephiroth understood she had a small fire close by. Oh, how he longed to be warm!
It was a real fight to manage to open his eyes, and Sephiroth cringed at the light that met his sore eyes.
"Sephiroth! You're awake!" Aeris said, and he felt her hands on his shoulders as she tried to help him sit up. "Are you ok...?"
Sephiroth tried to speak, but had to clear his throat twice in order to croak a weak; "yeah..." How could he have become this weak?!
"Careful," Aeris lectured, supporting him as he swayed, "your body hasn't moved for 5 years. You have to give it a little time to recover!"
Sephiroth managed to open his eyes again, glancing around. Everything felt much sharper and real now. It was like returning to a new world!
Gentle hands adjusted the blanket that was around him, then added a second, and Sephiroth closed his eyes in gratitude. He was so cold...!
The former general objected weakly when Aeris held a cup to his lips, but finally obeyed and sipped the liquid suspiciously. Warm soup. He felt it spread life through his veins, thawing the coldness in his bones and Sephiroth accepted the second time she held it to his lips without a fuss.
It would take a couple of hours, but soon he was starting to feel like an image of his old self. But it was still strange to feel the cold threatening to seep into him again, only fought back by the blankets against his skin and the fire radiating heat against him. Heat and cold, he'd almost forgotten what it felt like.
Glancing over, Sephiroth noticed Aeris gazing curiously at him, and he raised an eyebrow. "What?"
Quickly staring into the flames, she shrugged. "Nothing. How are you feeling?"
"Like I've been stuck in snow-land for five years. What was that look you just gave me?" Sephiroth grumbled, rolling his shoulders to work out some tension in the aching muscles. He wouldn't be surprised if his joints would creak as he moved...
Aeris glanced over at him again, "what's it like? Being back after death?"
Snorting, Sephiroth raised an eyebrow, "well, you should know!"
He'd killed her not a week ago after all!
Blushing, Aeris giggled embarrassed and played with the tip of her braid, "oh yeah... I forgot..."
She forgot? Sephiroth blinked puzzled, then returned to stare into the flames. "It's much colder here than I remember..." He hugged his blankets tighter around himself.
"Yeah, uhm," Aeris was now staring intensely at her braid, "well, it would probably help with a little, ah, clothes..."
Sephiroth didn't answer, merely stared into the flames a little while longer, then discretely lifted an arm for him only to peer inside the blanket before returning the arm to it's previous position. "Oh." There was a short silence, then he cleared his throat, "get me my clothes in the bag, will you?"
Aeris jumped up, "right away!" She trotted over to the bag, vaguely remembering he'd given her a small bag to put in her back-pack, but hadn't really thought about it.
Returning to his side, Aeris handed him the small bag and Sephiroth sighed satisfied. "Thanks."
"You're not still wet, right?" She lectured him, stroking his hair to test, "you need to dry up properly or you'll catch a cold!"
Sephiroth gave a faint smile, "I'm fine..." He pulled out his clothes, smiling fondly as he pulled out his shoulder-pads. Finally he would feel like himself again!
Getting up, he noticed Aeris was staring at him and he raised his eyebrows. "I'm going to drop this blanket now and get dressed. If you want to watch, that's fine by me, but consider yourself warned. I wont have you drop over with a heart attack or something!"
Sephiroth saw the girl's face turn red and she quickly turned to sit with her back towards him. Smirking he let the blankets fall and began to put his clothes on.
She didn't dare to turn back even when she heard him walk, but finally peered over when it became silent. Aeris saw Sephiroth kneeling by where the crystal had melted, and held something in his hand. The Black Materia was reflecting in his eyes. Fear tingled at Aeris neck. "Sephiroth..." She knew she had no chance of taking it away from him, and cursed herself for not remembering it earlier. She'd been so occupied with the reviving Sephiroth and the agonized Cloud...
"Where is he," Sephiroth sounded distant, and suddenly set his eyes angrily in her. "The puppet! Where is he?!"
Gasping in fear, Aeris leaned away, "I let him go!" Her fear was nothing to the stubbornness pumping through her. She would NOT allow Sephiroth to kill Cloud!
The silver haired man got up, clutching the Black Materia tightly in his left hand. "Silly girl... He's going to die no matter what you do..." He flung out his right hand, and the Masamune flew from the crumbled form of the clone he'd used, to the hand of it's true master. Sephiroth slashed the air with his beloved blade and laughed silently, "you never give up, do you, Aeris?"
"Not as long as there is breath in me," Aeris whispered, locking her eyes with his. "Don't do this... please..."
Sephiroth didn't answer, merely held her eyes. She could see the turmoil inside him, and held her breath as his hand with the deadly materia sank. Aeris slowly got up on her feet, hesitating before slowly walking over with her hands reached out to land on his shoulders. "Listen to me, Sephiroth... I know you are suffering... I know about your past, and how you were created..." She felt him tense, and hurried to continue, "but remember that you weren't created from the thing called Jenova. You call it mother, but it's not true. You were born from a human mother and a father. What they did to you was beyond horrible, but it's not too late to turn back. You can still taste all the candy in the world and dance beneath the star-lit sky, Sephiroth! You are a part of this planet too, you know..."
Sephiroth closed his eyes, and she could feel the pain inside him. He was wavering in his determination.
Aeris reached up and placed a hand to his cheek, "there is still so much I want to show you..."
Leaning against her touch, Sephiroth sighed peacefully.
Then the sound of a huge explosion shook the cave and they stumbled away from each other.
Sephiroth glared up at the ceiling, and it exploded up into the sky to reveal a huge monster hovering outside a glowing barrier.
Weapon.
The monster rammed at the barrier again, this time even harder, and huge boulders fell from the crater.
"So you were the distraction while that thing came up behind me to kill me?!" Sephiroth screamed furiously at Aeris, and slashed the air with the Masamune.
Shaking her head, Aeris lost balance as Weapon rammed the barrier again. Falling to her knees, she gazed frightened up at Sephiroth, "no, I swear I didn't know!"
Why was Weapon attacking now?! Sephiroth was about to give up on his plan, Aeris was sure of it! Did... did the planet want him dead more than it wanted to save it's inhabitants?
Sephiroth levitated up in the air, "if your precious planet thinks a puny monster like that is enough to stop me and mother it is seriously underestimating us!"
"Sephiroth, no!" Aeris reached up a hand in vain, "don't do this!"
Slowly turning in the air, Sephiroth opened his hand to stare at the Black Materia with a mean look in his eyes. "The planet wants me dead, huh...? It's nothing new. Through my entire life I've been hated and feared... Now it's payback time!"
Aeris felt time stop as she watched the former general throw the Black Materia up in the air, hearing him call out the words that would be the end of everything;
"Summon Meteor!"
The black orb levitated in the air, it's shiny surface pulsating with malice and a ray shot up into the sky to disappear.
It was done.
Aeris closed her eyes and hung her head to let silent tears fall. It was over. She had failed.
Sephiroth was trembling. The ecstasy of power was still rippling through his body and he felt mother singing inside his head. He'd done it! He'd reached his goal and accomplished their mission! There was no way of stopping him now! Even Weapon screamed and fled as the Black Materia had nearly hit it.
He was slowly sinking towards the ground, eyes locked on the tiny light in the sky. Meteor was comming...
As his feet touched solid ground, Sephiroth became aware of the sound of someone crying.
Frowning, he glanced down and found Aeris kneeling beside him, her head hanging low as she sobbed heart achingly.
"Meteor is comming," Sephiroth said, not quite sure why he had to state the obvious.
"I know," Aeris replied in a shivering voice, then slowly gazed up at him with tear filled eyes. "I'm sorry."
Sephiroth started, his eyes narrowing as he took a step away. Was she apologizing to him?! What for?!
Aeris was looking at him with so much pity it made him shiver with anger, and she seemed torn with guilt.
"I was too late," she said quietly, "I hoped I could reach you in time, but I wasn't trying hard enough obviously... If only I could show you how much this world could give you, I knew you would understand. But I failed... I should have tried harder instead of wasting time..."
Wasting time? Sephiroth frowned uneasily, sheathing the Masamune. "You should have killed me when you had the chance, that's what you should have done!"
Aeris shook her head, wiping a tear away with the back of her hand, "but I didn't want to kill you! Killing doesn't solve anything! I wanted you to be happy!"
Pain shot through Sephiroth and he swayed as he placed a hand to his head. Her words didn't make sense! "Y-you knew what I was going to do! This was my destiny!" The echo of his laughter during their snowball-fight flickered inside Sephiroth, and the thrill of discovering the taste of each different candy piece along with dancing underneath the open sky brought this strange feeling in his chest. Happy? Was that feeling happiness?
"I believe we create our own destiny," Aeris whispered as she returned to stare at the ground. "And I was hoping you would give yourself a chance to do just that, and not simply be Jenova's... puppet."
Sephiroth sneered with fury, his hand landing on the Masamune, "you're calling me a puppet?! How dare you?! I'm becoming a god!"
"God over what?!" Aeris snapped angrily, staring abruptly up at him. "Meteor will kill everything besides you! Every human, every animal, every beast and every plant!"
Sephiroth staggered as the pain inside his head became almost unbearable, and he felt his mother screaming for him to kill the impudent girl.
I wanted you to be happy!
Aeris' words kept echoing through his brain and Sephiroth bit back a frustrated scream. "I don't need anyone!"
Crashing to his knees, he heaved for air. He'd been alone all his life, why should that thought scare him as much as it did?
Gentle hands went around his wrist and lowered his hands for the warm female hands to cup his face, and he slowly met Aeris' eyes as she was kneeling in front of him.
"I think you've been alone and in pain for so long you've forgotten how it feels to be in someone's heart," Aeris said softly, her eyes warm with kindness. "You've been betrayed, abandoned and used, Sephiroth, but don't give up now."
Sephiroth gave a faint, bitter smile, "after all the pain I've been through, it's only fair I pay this world back! With mother I am where I belong, and I'll never be alone again!"
"You belong in this world," Aeris declared gently, "there is so much I want to show you... So much joy that you've never been allowed to see. So many things you've never been allowed to try. Your past isn't who you are, it's never too late to change!"
Frowning, Sephiroth wanted to believe her words. Wanted to cling to the string of hope she was holding out to him, but found it hard accept. After everything he'd done, Sephiroth knew he was doomed. "What does it matter now? Everyone wants me dead, even the planet..."
"I don't want you dead," Aeris told him softly, and Sephiroth realised he was loosing the fight against the wild hope spreading inside him. He wanted to believe her so badly! "There is no need for any more lies," he sighed, turning his face away from her. "You may leave now. Mother will take care of me."
Aeris forced him to look at her again, her eyes burning more intensely than any he'd ever seen. "Tell me about 'mother', Sephiroth. She speaks to you? How does her voice sound? Like mine? Lighter, or darker?"
Frowning, Sephiroth felt a pain beginning to throb at the back of his head. "W-what do you mean...?" He remembered all the times mother had spoken told him, all the things she'd told him. Her voice... Sephiroth drew a strained breath, his eyes flickering. Mother's voice... it sounded like... All he had to do was to remember the last time she'd spoken to him... When she told him to kill Aeris... Her voice... Dark... Harsh... Familiar... So damn familiar...
That was when he suddenly scrambled away from Aeris, his heart thundering and fear seeped into his eyes as he sat stunned a mere meter from the girl. Mother's voice... sounded like... him... It was his voice telling him to kill Aeris. It was his voice telling him to go to the ice lands... His own damn voice telling him to summon Meteor...!
Sephiroth began to tremble uncontrollably, staring at the young woman kneeling in front of him, "what have you done to me?!"
Aeris saw the truth dawning in Sephiroth's snake-like eyes, and recognized the fear in his voice. "She doesn't have a voice, does she? Because she isn't real, Sephiroth! Jenova is using you!"
Once again the silver haired man was used and abused to reach someone else's goal, the story of his life. Her heart ached for him and she reached out a hand.
"Don't let this disease win! I know you're stronger than anyone on this planet, use that strength! I believe in you!" Aeris cried out, carefully inching closer.
Sephiroth was watching her like a wary animal, ready to flee. But his eyes were vulnerable, and she knew she had to strike at that moment if she were to have any hope of creating a miracle to save the planet despite of everything!
"Stay with me," Aeris whispered, reaching out her other hand towards him as well. "Let me show you life, Sephiroth."
She saw him shiver, saw the raw pain in his heart, felt the longing screaming inside him, and could almost hear the uncertainty raging in his blood.
As Aeris was sure he was going to withdraw from her again, hesitating fingertips met hers. She held her breath as Sephiroth let his hands trail over hers, up her arms and slowly pulled her closer into his embrace.
"What if it's too late," he whispered absently, his face hidden against her neck.
Aeris closed her eyes hard as tears of relief began to run down her cheeks, "it's never too late." She wrapped her own arms around his massive shoulders, and held him so close like she wanted to hide the powerful man from the world that hated him. "I'll help you make everything right again. It doesn't take any courage to leave everything behind, but it takes strength to try to make up for what you've done. I'll be by your side, Sephiroth. I promise."
"Everything you've told me... it's true isn't it? I've been... a puppet... even now, after swearing I would never be used again..." Sephiroth sounded calm, but so resigned it cut at Aeris' very soul.
"It doesn't matter," Aeris replied silently, "you know the truth now. You're free."
Pulling back to look at her face, Sephiroth gave her a weak smile that made her heart race as he stroke a hand over her tear-stained cheek, "free...? Strange how you have to loose everything to realise what you really want... Yes, I want to be free."
Aeris placed a hand over his, holding it to her cheek, "and now nobody is your master. Your road lies open to you, Sephiroth, but you must decide which path to take..."
The silver haired man's smile faded and he hesitated before he glanced up at the sky, "it's too late to undo the summoning..."
"Yes," Aeris nodded, knowing everything was probably lost the second Weapon had attacked and made Sephiroth use the Black Materia.
Sephiroth met her eyes again, his own flickering with guilt and regret, "is it too late...?"
Feeling hope once again, Aeris smiled, "how many times do I have to tell you? It's never too late!"
Returning her smile, Sephiroth got up and held out his hand to her, "then we have to time to loose. There must be some way to destroy Meteor or something! And I am going to find it!"
Aeris took his hand, letting him pull her up on her feet as her entire being sang with joy. "We are going to find it!"
Lifting her hand to his lips, Sephiroth nodded and placed a light kiss on it. "Yes... we will find it."
Her skin was burning from that brief touch of his lips, and Aeris felt dizzy with happiness. "Where do we start?"
"We start," Sephiroth said, releasing her to walk over and began to gather their things, "by getting out of here..."
Trotting over to help him, Aeris cast quick glances his way as she shoved the blankets into her back-pack. Sephiroth seemed to move much lighter now, like he'd been lifted of a great burden. Like his wings were finally untied and free to unfold to soar in the sky.
Sephiroth glanced over as well, meeting her eyes, and he smiled.
Aeris exhaled as he stole her heart...
"Traitor," a voice sneered, and Sephiroth's hand flew to the Masamune as he straightened abruptly to glare in the direction it had come from.
He heard Aeris gasp and tensed himself at the sight that met him. Hovering above them, a man looking just like Sephiroth.
"Stand back," Sephiroth absently ordered Aeris, and slowly pulled out the great sword. "I'll take care of him."
The fake Sephiroth landed in front of them, and the young woman nervously stepped up beside the real Sephiroth. "W-what is going on?"
Casting an annoyed glance at the disobedient girl, Sephiroth then returned to glare at the impostor. "I suspect someone isn't keen on us stopping Meteor..."
The fake Sephiroth pulled his sword, a bad copy of the Masamune. "I'll kill you both, traitor!"
"Jenova," Aeris whispered at it dawned on her, "this is another clone of you, isn't it, Sephiroth?"
Nodding, Sephiroth's eyes were locked on the clone, waiting for an opening to attack. "But even if they can take on my appearance, they cannot match my skills!"
Before anyone could react, he shot forward and the blade of Masamune glinted as it easily went through the chest of the clone, "I don't go easy on people impersonating me!"
The clone gasped and shook, blood slowly running down the Masamune, and it was over. Sephiroth yanked his sword back and watched the limp form fall to the ground, withering back to it's previous appearance of a young, dark haired man.
"We'd better get out of here fast," Sephiroth muttered, his eyes flickering uneasily over the dark walls. "That was too easy..."
"Surely the great general Sephiroth recognizes a diversion when exposed to one?" A voice mocked, and he tensed as several more clones came out of the shadows.
Sephiroth felt chills running down his spine as he cautiously gazed from one mirrored image of him to another, "like I said, we'd better hurry. Removing these excuses for an obstacle shouldn't take long."
Aeris nodded, picking up her back-pack to clutch it close anxiously. "I'm ready."
"Stay close," Sephiroth whispered to her, his mind already calculating their escape. The clones looked like him, but they all lacked his strength and skill. Their only advantage was them outnumbering him, and that could be dangerous enough when surrounded by creatures with no will of their own or the ability to feel fear.
He could feel Aeris' worried eyes on him as he slowly walked towards the clones. "Be careful," she pleaded softly, and Sephiroth smiled wryly.
It was the first time he'd ever heard anyone hope for his safe return.
"I wont be defeated by her again," Sephiroth declared, swirling the Masamune absently as he calculated which clone to strike first.
They were about 20, and he suspected at least 10 of them had military training. It shouldn't be a problem, as long as Aeris kept back and they focused on attacking him.
"Well, what are you waiting for?" Sephiroth taunted, raising the Masamune into his fighting position. "Are you afraid, 'mother'?"
A clone shook his head and lifted his sword in a simular position, "waiting for the signal..."
Sephiroth felt a chill of nervousness in his veins, "signal...?"
Then his world exploded in pain, and he nearly dropped Masamune as he stumbled. His head was aching so bad Sephiroth had to fight for air, and a burning pain grew worse by the seconds in his blood. Gripping the Masamune franticly with his right hand, he pressed his left hand to his head and the silver haired man tried to will it away so he could focus on the fight.
A clone came running towards him with his sword raised, and years of practice made Sephiroth able to dodge the attack and cut his own sword through the attacker's side. Stumbling to regain his balance, the former general felt he was about to loose consciousness if the pain raging his body wouldn't let up soon, but knew the other clones wouldn't hesitate to follow their comrade into attacking him now that he was weakened.
Despite everything, he managed to fight them off a while by relying on his instincts and deadly skills, but then Sephiroth crashed to his knees with a scream as he felt something tear it's way out from his back. Jenova was using the cells inside his body against him.
He lashed out the Masamune blindly and hit a clone he'd felt approach, and fought his way up on his feet again.
Swaying, Sephiroth tried to focus his blurry sight and sneered furiously, "I won't... let you defeat me...!"
Aeris was pressing against the wall, staring in disbelief as Sephiroth got up on his feet again.
The lone, white wing still stained by his blood as it had torn free from his back.
She could only watch as the clones attack, flinching as Sephiroth was slowly driven back despite avoiding being hit by their swords. Jenova was torturing his mind, yet he was still able to keep sane. And a white wing...
She flinched as two clones screamed in agony as Sephiroth used his Fire materia, but still kept her eyes on him.
There were about 5 or 6 clones left when they got their hit in. Aeris bit back a frightened scream as she saw the sword slice Sephiroth's left leg and he crashed down on one knee.
There was no time to think, Aeris merely ran forward and barely ducked under a sword swung in her direction before she was kneeling by Sephiroth's side.
"W-what do you think you're doing...?!" Sephiroth groaned strained, clutching the bleeding gash with his left hand.
Aeris placed her hands over his as well, "what does it look like? I'm helping you!" She flinched as Sephiroth raised the Masamune quickly and she heard the clang of metal as he prevented a clone from hitting her with his own sword, but she focused on the bleeding wound as she placed her second hand over it as well.
There was a short confusion as rain gently trickled down on them, and the clones gazed up at the sunny sky.
"Great Gospel," Aeris prayed intensely, her hands growing warm as Sephiroth's injury healed beneath them.
Sephiroth was staring at her, and as she glanced up at him Aeris almost forgot to breathe.
A radiant aura was surrounding him, his eyes bright and intense, and the white wing cleansed of blood now pure as snow.
"Jenova can't touch you now," Aeris whispered, and released him while trying to take her eyes off him.
Sephiroth slowly got up on his feet again, carefully testing his leg, and returned to the clones with a slash with the Masamune. "Right... payback time!"
No matter how close the clones got with their attacks, their swords merely grazed off the aura, and Sephiroth remained unharmed. Even the pain inside his head seemed to have been reduced as his movements were smooth and deadly like before. Aeris was just beginning to relax, when she saw one of the clones suddenly rush towards her.
Glancing around, she wished desperately for her staff, but had no weapon to defend herself with at all. Aeris closed her eyes hard as the fake Sephiroth raised his sword, and she waited for the pain she'd felt once before to strike her again. It never came.
Slowly opening one eye, Aeris started at the sight that met her.
The clone had dropped his sword, and was now sinking to his knees with a deep cut across his stomach. Sephiroth was still holding Masamune in place from it's attack, and was breathing hard as he stared at the dying clone. His eyes were burning with hatred.
Then he slowly gazed over at Aeris, letting the Masamune sink. "Are you ok...?"
Aeris managed to nod, noticing that even now that the aura was disappearing he still looked divine with his mere presence. "Thank you..."
That was when a spray of blood shot from Sephiroths chest, and a sword appeared as the last clone had come up behind him.
Aeris screamed.
The crimson liquid sailed through the air almost like in slow motion, and sun glittered on it's surface before it hit the ice-covered wall to run down like tears.
Time stood still.
She reached out, heaving for air through sobs, and Aeris saw Sephiroth frown almost confused as he raised a numb hand to the sword impaling him, while the Masamune clattered to the ground.
"Traitor," the clone growled, yanking out his sword and the silver haired man fell to his knees, still numbed by shock and pain.
Aeris froze as Sephiroth's eyes met hers, and she shivered at all the emotion she saw in them.
The sword fell again, and this time Sephiroth screamed as the sharp blade separated the wing from his body and the clone kicked it away, "you're not worthy of mother's powers!"
Aeris scrambled over as Sephiroth fell, catching him in her arms as she whispered his name.
His eyes were closed, and his breathing was shallow, but Aeris felt he could hear her. "Don't you leave me now, Sephiroth! I promised to show you so much, and you can't make me break a promise, can you?"
She could have sworn she saw a faint smile, and his hand twitched like he wanted to reach up and touch her, but didn't have the strength. Aeris bent her head and let her tears fall freely. "Please, Sephiroth... Don't leave me..."
A hand locked around her neck, and she screamed as she was yanked away and tossed against the wall.
The clone chuckled viciously as he lifted his still blood-stained sword, "don't waste your tears, girlie, you're going to follow him soon enough!"
Aeris didn't bother to run, nor fight or plead. She lifted her chin slightly, "yes, I know I'll meet him again in a place where you can never reach us, Jenova. His soul was free, and he was loved. That was all he wanted, and everything you couldn't give him... I'm not afraid. I can't wait to see him again."
Aeris closed her eyes.
She heard the sword cut through the air, and drew a deep breath.
A strange sound caught her attention, and Aeris slowly opened her eyes. It sounded like like someone drowning...?
She gasped as she saw her attacker staring hazy-eyed at her with his sword hanging uselessly in his limp hand by his side and was choking on his own blood as the Masamune protruded from his chest.
The clone sank to the ground, and Aeris shivered as she saw Sephiroth on his feet by the sheer power of his will, and his eyes burned defiantly.
Then she caught him as he fell, holding him close as his blood soaked her as well.
"It's alright now, Sephiroth. It's over."
AN
Phew, that was a long one.
Sorry to create another cliff hanger, but had to end the chapter or it would have gotten too long. . .
As always, huge thanks to my reviewers! Your words are my inspiration! Keep them comming!