Chapter XVIII

The Song and Reunion

"When should we leave?" Anselm asked.

"Well, Bergljot still needs two or three days to rest. She'll need longer since she gave birth to twins instead of one baby," Gwandoya replied thoughtfully.

Three days had passed since Gemini and Genesis were born. The three men were seated around the breakfast table, trying to decide when the best time would be to return to Ogden. They all jumped when they heard a voice behind them.

"We leave tomorrow."

"Bergljot, what are you doing?" Anselm snapped. He rushed over to her and grabbed her arm to guide her back to the room. "You should still be resting!"

"I feel fine. I know I should rest, but we're on a mission. Now, let's get ready," she said coolly as she pulled her arm out of his grasp. "As I said, we leave tomorrow. I'm already packed."

"Are you sure you feel okay?" Sephiroth asked. He laid a hand on her shoulder.

"Positive."

"Then I see no problem with leaving," Sephiroth shrugged. He turned to the others. "I'm ready to go anytime. I am rather interested in riding this Gummi ship."
"Well, I don't think-" Gwandoya began. He was cut off by a cry coming through the baby monitor that Bergljot had in her hand.

"I better go check on them," Bergljot sighed.

"Allow me," Sephiroth offered. He walked past her and was heading upstairs before anyone could object.

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"What's wrong, little ones?" Sephiroth muttered as he entered the room. He drew Masamune for a moment, thinking of shutting them up that way, but stopped. She'd kill me. He thought. Putting his sword away, Sephiroth peered into the basinet. Gemini was grinning, but Genesis was bawling.

"What happened? Did your big brother hit you? He's turning into an evil little rascal already," Sephiroth laughed. He picked up the little girl and held her for a few minutes. She still refused to quiet. "Please don't need a change."

A few minutes passed. Sephiroth began to think that his ears would burst. Gemini finally began to cry, too.

"What now?" Sephiroth muttered hopelessly as he picked up the other child. As he sat in the rocker, an idea hit him.

"Come stop your crying, it will be all right," Sephiroth sang quietly. He stopped in shock at the sound of his voice. I can sing? He thought. The children stopped, too, but began when he silenced. He muttered under his breath. "Great."

"WAH!" the babies screeched.

Here goes… Sephiroth thought. He began to sing again.

"Come stop your crying, it will be all right. Just take my hand; hold it tight. I will protect you from all around you. I will be here, don't you cry," he sang. The kids quieted slightly. "For one so small, you seem so strong. My arms will hold you, keep you safe and warm. This bond between us can't be broken. I will be here, don't you cry. 'Cause you'll be in my heart. Yes, you'll be in my heart from this day on, now and forever more. You'll be in my heart, no matter what they say. You'll be here in my heart, always," he glanced down at the bundles to see that they were quietly waiting for him to continue.

"Why can't they understand the way we feel? They just don't trust what they can't explain. I know we're different, but deep inside us, we're not that different at all. And you'll be in my heart. Yes, you'll be in my heart from this day on, now and forever more. Don't listen to them, 'cause what do they know? We need each other, to have, to hold. They'll see in time. I know. When destiny calls you, you must be strong. I may not be with you, but you've got to hold on. They'll see in time. I know. We'll show them together 'cause you'll be in my heart. Yes, you'll be in my heart from this day on, now and forever more. Oh, you'll be in my heart, no matter what they say. You'll be here in my heart, always," he sang softly as he placed the now dozing children in the basinet. "Always. I'll be with you. I'll be there for you always. Always and all ways. Just look over your shoulder. Just look over your shoulder. Just look over your shoulder. I'll be there. Always."

The babies were cuddled close together. Sephiroth almost wanted to curl up with them. He gazed at them for several minutes. He finally leaned in and gave each of them a peck on the cheek.

"Good night young ones," he whispered as he walked out.

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"What?" Sephiroth was taken aback. The three adults were staring at him as he came downstairs.

"You sang to them," Anselm gasped.

"You heard me?" Sephiroth began blushing.

"I guess you've never heard of a baby monitor," Gwandoya smiled, holding the object out.

"For what it's worth, you have a great voice," Bergljot complimented.

"I actually never tried to sing before," Sephiroth confessed, rubbing the back of his head nervously.

"What were you singing?" Bergljot asked.

"I don't know. It just sort of came to me."

"I like it. You don't mind if I use it if I begin singing again, do you?"

"Be my guest," Sephiroth muttered. He was still terribly red. "By the way, I notice you cut your hair."

"Yeah, it was beginning to be a bother," Bergljot grinned as she ran her fingers through her now shoulder length hair. She stood and turned serious. "I think you guys should pack as soon as possible. I want to leave tomorrow. I'm going upstairs to feed my children. I hope you'll at least start packing by the time I'm done."

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"Okay, you two," Bergljot said Gemini and Genesis in a baby voice as she took them out of the basinet. "We're going to go for a ride on a Gummi ship. You'll get to meet your mommy and daddy's friends. You'll see Renatus, Yuffeth, Strifer, Ken'ichi, and Leilani."

"Just take them into the ship, huh?" Anselm begged. He picked up the basinet to put it in the ship. He was beginning to get annoyed by the voices.

"This is a Gummi ship?" Sephiroth asked as Anselm came out.

"Yeah," Gwandoya said. He was using his hands to feel around for the door. Ever since the babies were born, his vision was pretty much gone. His vision had stayed decent until the day after the births, almost as if he was meant to see them one time.

"Here," Sephiroth offered. He pulled on the door and helped Gwandoya in as Bergljot brought the children in. He and Anselm placed the basinet in the bedroom before settling in for take-off.

"You sure you can handle piloting?" Gwandoya asked as Anselm took the controls.

"Sure thing. Everyone ready?"

Everyone nodded, so Anselm turned the ship to outer space.

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"Are you okay?" Bergljot asked Sephiroth near the end of the flight. He was staring out at the expanse of stars.

"It's just…" he sighed. "I haven't seen Aeris in over one thousand years. I want to see her. At the same time, I never want to see her again."

"You killed her, but you also loved her. Don't be ashamed," Bergljot whispered soothingly as she hugged him.

"I'm going to kill her again. No matter how old she is, she can never be strong enough to defeat me."

"You'll be fine."

"Bergljot, get Gemini and Genesis," Anselm called through the P.A. "I think we're in for a bumpy ride in a minute."

"Sephiroth, would you help me get them?" Bergljot asked as they hurried to the basinet.

They were in the cockpit within seconds. Heartless ships were spread before them, but none had noticed the large, green-blue ship. The ships seemed to be distracted. The group sat while Anselm prepared to shoot lasers at the monsters.

"Get ready," Anselm muttered. Lasers shot one by one at the ships. All of them exploded without warning. When the smoke cleared, the distraction made itself known.

"It's the asteroid we saw before," Bergljot muttered.

"That's not an asteroid," Sephiroth gasped. "That's Meteor."

"What?" Gwandoya asked.

"It floats through space, waiting for its master to summon it. The power Meteor holds can destroy the world. Not even the Summoner would survive."

"Who's the master?" Anselm whispered as it passed them by.

"I don't know," Sephiroth replied quickly. "How much longer?"

"Only a couple of hours," Anselm answered.

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"Yuffeth, you've been out there for hours! Get in here!" Strifer called from the manor. Yuffeth was sitting atop the manor, gazing at the stars. For the past week, She had been patiently waiting for Bergljot's return. She had sent a message to Renatus five days ago. She was huge. Apparently, Anselm had confined her to the upper levels until she gave birth. Yuffeth refused to come down for anything other than sleep and food. The others tried everything to get her down.

"Yuffeth," Renatus hollered. "I just called them, but nobody was there. Just come back in, please!"

"I won't come in until I see them."

"Whatever," Strifer shook his head as he and Renatus reentered the house.

"I know they're coming," Yuffeth sighed. She stretched out on the rooftop and gazed at the stars. "It's so peaceful here. I never realized how many stars there are. Huh?"

A light was moving through the stars. A few seconds later, it entered the atmosphere in a blaze. As it got closer, Yuffeth realized what it was and leapt to the ground.

"They're back! The light bringer has returned! Come out and see!" Yuffeth cried happily as she ran through the streets. She was at the field as the ship landed.

"Yuffeth!" Anselm smiled as he jumped out. Gwandoya followed him, and Bergljot brought the twins after. Sephiroth climbed out slowly, but Yuffeth was too absorbed with the babies to notice.

"Twins! Oh, my god, that is so cool!" Yuffeth giggled as she took a baby from Bergljot and spun it around. "What did you name them?"

"The girl is Genesis. The little one you're making sick is Gemini."

"Yuffeth, can you take us to the manor?" Sephiroth asked quietly. Yuffeth jumped at the sight of him. "I want to see Leilani."

"You…" she trailed off. She pretended that she didn't know the answer to the next question. "Why do you want to see her?"

"I want to see if she's really…" he sighed and left the sentence unfinished.

"Well, then, let's go!" Yuffeth grinned with joy.

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"Twins," Renatus sighed as she held Genesis. "That must have been painful."

"It was," Bergljot confessed. "But I would do it again in a heartbeat."

"Where's Sephiroth?" Leilani asked. He had gotten cold feet when they reached the doors and refused to come in.

"I'll get him," Anselm said. He was back not a minute later with the one-winged angel. Sephiroth and Leilani gazed at each other for a long time. Ken'ichi was watching, too, but with a look of vengeance instead of disbelief or love.

"My god," Leilani muttered. "Sephiroth."

"Aeris?" Sephiroth whispered. He laid a hand on her shoulder, almost as if making sure she was real and not a ghost.

"Don't touch her," Ken'ichi snapped. He slashed at Sephiroth swiftly, but Sephiroth was quicker. Their blades connected with an ear-shattering clang, and resulted in the two of them glaring at each other for what seemed like hours. The babies started crying out of fear. Sephiroth backed down at the sound of the children.

"I'm not going to fight you," he whispered. He walked back over to Leilani. "May we talk outside, please?"

"Of course," Leilani nodded. Sephiroth knew by the sound of her voice that this was indeed the woman he killed long ago. They walked out of the manor together.

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Bergljot walked outside to find Sephiroth and Leilani two hours later so they could leave. She heard them talking on the rooftop and did the lowest thing she had ever done, yet had done a lot lately: she eavesdropped.

"I was worried when they went to get you," Leilani whispered. "I thought for sure you were going to kill them."

"Well, I didn't. I was scared when I heard you were still alive," Sephiroth replied. They were quiet for a moment, but Leilani finally let out a low sigh. "I hope you understand now why I killed you."

"Yes," Leilani said sadly.

"My feelings still exist, Aeris. Although," Sephiroth chuckled. "I guess you've figured that out by now, huh?"

"My name is no longer Aeris," she muttered suddenly. "I am no longer that woman. My name is Leilani. I would like you to call me by that."

"Well, then, Leilani," Sephiroth said. He laid back on the roof.

"I feel the same for you," Leilani confessed. She began to mimic Sephiroth. "Although I guess you've figured that out by now, huh?"

"Shut up," he laughed. They laughed for several minutes before quieting as they had before. Bergljot began putting two and two together. She decided to leave before she had to listen to more.

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"Thank you, Renatus," Bergljot bowed. The group followed her lead. "We probably will not return until the sealing, so keep training."

"Definitely. Take care, all of you," Renatus replied as she climbed to the roof. Her people were gathering in the square.

"What's all this?" Sephiroth asked.

"Good luck," she called. "Our prayers are with you all."

Renatus lead the people in what was possible the greatest bow in the history of the world. The group was silent, not knowing what to do. Renatus straightened and began singing slowly. The people silenced, for no one had heard the song in over one thousand years with the exception of the royal family.

"Leyui, nobomenu, Renmiri, yojuyoga. Hasatekanae kutamae."

She repeated the verse several times. The entire city eventually joined in. Pyreflies even rose from the ground and Farplane to dance among the people, even the visitors. Even Sephiroth got tears in his eyes.

The group reluctantly left the land of the Guado to the sound of the hymn and sight of both pyreflies. Each of them wished that they didn't have to go. Renatus watched the ship rise into the sky a few minutes later. She never turned away until the lights were completely out of sight. She bowed once more.

"Kuut milg mekrd pnehkanc…"

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Chapter 18 out of about… 60! Whoop!

Ahem. Anyway, thank you all for reading. Keep sending reviews! Three disclaimers:

1. The Sephiroth song is You'll be in my Heart by Phil Collins off of the Disney's Tarzan soundtrack

2. The song the people sing is the Hymn of the Fayth from Final Fantasy X (yes, there are only 6 words)

3. Kuut milg mekrd pnehkanc is Al Bhed (Final Fantasy X language, if anybody doesn't know) for 'Good luck light bringers.'

Thanks again, everybody! And thanks to those that are also reading my FF7 fic, too!