Crossing Times

Watching the writhing vortex gape before her was like taking a bullet to the heart. A doorway to another time, a doorway she was forbidden to cross.

Painfully withdrawing from Cloud's arms, she forced her face to stay calm and smooth for just a little longer. She knew what she had to do. Cloud knew what he had to do. It was finally the time for their paths to separate.

"What's wrong, Aeris?" Cloud asked, his bright eyes searching for an explanation.

"I'm sorry," she replied, the strength in her voice startling her. "I can't come with you this time. Don't ask questions; it won't change anything. I can't time travel, because I already exist in that time. As an Ancient, I've been around since the time my race was first born, but when I take a form of flesh I lose my memories temporarily." Aeris shook her head slowly. There was no reason to be saying all of this. She should just tell them that she couldn't go and leave it at that. Still, she found herself trying to justify what she felt as a betrayal. "Two of me can't exist in the same time at once; it would lead to disaster. So, just don't make this harder than it has to be."

Aeris closed her eyes and waited for the argument that was inevitable.

"Alright," Cloud's cool voice took her completely by surprise, but the determined look in his eyes as she raised her face to meet them told her he would respect her wishes. "You know what you have to do, and none of us can change that. I just hope we won't need you."

Several nods accompanied Cloud's decision as the party prepared to leave everything they knew behind.

Aeris turned her back towards the gateway as her dear friends, the friends she had thrown away everything for, disappeared one by one. She had given up everything for them, and now chances where she would never see any of them again.

Holding back her tears took more effort than she had left to give. When they had been there with her, her sacrifices had seemed worth it, but now the choices she had made didn't seem so beautiful. Did they even realize that she had branded herself a renegade by refusing to rejoin her ancestors and coming back to them? The act had been forbidden and only because of the severity of the situation did her people even acknowledge her now. As it was, the goal of her people, returning to the Promised Land, was beyond her grasp forever. With the departure of the last person and the closing of the portal, she had lost everything.

"Trust him."

The familiar voice, barely reaching through the sound of her owns shaking sobs, brought a new bit of comfort to the girl. She had almost forgotten; well, at least she did have one thing left.

"He's a good kid, even if he never made it into SOLDIER. He killed Sephiroth twice, he can do it again," the firm words were spoken with confidence, but then again, Zack had never been unsteady. "I never thought the little squirt could do it in the first place, but he's proven a lot of things to a lot of people. We just have to trust the boy."

Aeris let her first close friend embrace her. He was all she had now, now that all of her other friends were gone and she'd never be able to return to her people. In a way, she was all Zack had left too. It was kind of ironic, she thought, that her first friend would be her last, that they would both end up suffering the same fate, the fate of those infected with Jenova's cells.

At least they still had each other for as long as their pained existences dragged on.

*~*~*~*

Brushing long strands of violet hair from his eyes, the teen was bewildered at how his hand shook. Since when had he become so jumpy? His father would definitely not approve.

Anger skimmed across the boy's emotions for a moment. Why should he care what his father thought? Where was his father now? Deep, gripping pain rushed in to fill him in the wake of his short-lived anger. How had he let himself lose his father again? It had been bad enough back home in his own time, but now that he'd finally gotten to meet his father he'd sworn he would never lose the man again, and the first chance he'd gotten he had done just that. What a fool he'd been! He should have stopped his father from going to fight that demon!

No. His father never would have stayed no matter what had happened. This useless whining was foolish; he needed to remember the lessons his father had taught him now more than ever. Time was wasting, and there were more important things to be thinking about, but somehow, Trunks couldn't bring himself to concentrate. He'd thought he'd been done with this time; he really had. After the viscous Cell had been defeated he had been ready to go home, but fate wouldn't have it. All of this had started only days after that monster had gotten what it had deserved and wasn't likely to be over any time soon.

That one nagging question pulled Trunks' thoughts to itself again. Why had he been spared?

Memories washed over Trunks in a gripping tide.

Shortly after Gohan had mysteriously disappeared a huge energy had exploded across Earth. If not physically, it was enough of a blow to those who could sense energy to be considered an explosion. Curiosity had gotten the better of Goku and Piccolo. Everyone had only seen two possibilities at the time; either Gohan had discovered a new level of power, or there was some new foe that they didn't want Gohan to find by himself. In any case, the two had bolted off almost immediately to go investigate. Vegeta hadn't been far behind.

The part that pained Trunks was what had happened next. Of the three warriors that had gone, only Goku and Piccolo had returned and just barely at that. Goku's body had come back to them, but his mind was somewhere else. Insanity had completely overcome him.

Piccolo's tale of an adversary who's mere presence forced Goku into Super Saijin had been enough to put everyone on edge. A fight with that very enemy was what had stolen Goku's mind. It had taken a full three months for Piccolo to find a free moment and go out alone to face the monster. It had surprised Trunks in truth; Piccolo never was the anxious type to run off half cocked, but when Gohan's life had been at stake, the Namek couldn't hold himself back. He'd never returned.

That was why Trunks was here now. After Piccolo's assumed death, he had been the only one that could restrain Goku in his fits. For the time being though, Goku was fine. No one knew how that had happened in the first place, much less how long it would last, so he shouldn't be wasting time now. He could be called back to the Kame House at any time if Goku slipped once more into his deteriorated state, which seemed very likely.

Even with time as precious as it was, Trunks couldn't rid his mind of the thoughts that tumbled over and over plaguing his every waking moment. It had been two more months after Piccolo had gone before Goku had had another sane moment allowing Trunks to pursue information himself.

He'd found more than he had wanted to. The monster Piccolo had talked of was hideous, with unrecognizable appendages branching from a hollow, ball-like body all in reds, tans, and purples. Realizing in utter surprise that the monster wasn't the source of the massive energy, Trunks was suddenly confronted with the true perpetrator, and that brought him back to the question that would not leave him in peace.

Why had that silver haired man spared him?

Sudden warmth on Trunks' arm brought his mind back to the present as blood slowly trickled across his skin from his clenched fist.

The intensity of his own anger scared him, but he couldn't force himself to calm down. He had been spared when Goku, Piccolo, and Vegeta had been destroyed one by one. Why?!

"Because an image so closely resembling my own is flattering."

The sound of a voice, that voice, did for Trunks what he had been trying to do for the past hour; it reminded him of the way things were and brought an unconscious readiness crashing over him.

Trunks didn't even notice his hand bolting to his sword hilt until it was drawn steadily in front of him. Who was this man? "Who are you?!" Trunks shouted angrily, his voice cracking with the effort of restraining his wild emotions. It was like trying to stop a stampede.

"The rightful heir to this planet, of course." The man's voice was like thick ice, cold, deep, and impenetrable.

"No one rules this planet but the people who live here!!" Trunks forced back another fiery string of words that threatened to make him lose his head. He needed to stay calm above all else. But, why didn't this man do anything but float there?

"Those weaklings?" Silver hair flailed about the black-clad man in a breath-taking aura as a gust of wind swept around the two enemies. "I see that in this time I am too late as well."

Trunks froze. Time?

"I shall have to travel farther back if I want to hail the coming of this planet's true leaders. I had thought you, at least, would remember, but it appears I have been mistaken."

Remember? Remember what? True leaders? ...Fear gripped Trunks' heart as memories of the androids washed over him, but it was better than his previous anger. Fear could be more easily controlled.

"I will not allow them to be lost this time. When I have secured their rightful places, then mine in the future shall be secured as well," the man's burning eyes narrowed as he studied Trunks. "It is a shame that you do not remember your heritage child. If you did you would worship me as the god I am and not be wasting your life so foolishly."

Heritage? Androids? How where they connected? Confusion rippled through Trunks' mind. Nothing made sense!

"In any case, I do not care if this planet's chosen protectors return now, for I this time is of no significance to me anymore."

What? Trunks watched as the man began turning around and the air itself seemed to tear apart to make a twisting portal. No. He was going to be spared again! Why was he denied the fate that had befallen his proud father?!

"Mark my words traitor. I have one last task for this worthless place."

Maybe Trunks would yet get what he was after. Victory or death.

"I have need of a training ground for one who will come after me," paused before the violent rift that had opened at his command the long haired enemy hovered with a rigidly proud posture, one that told of fierce training and skill. If only Trunks could engage him in battle, but running to your death and dying with honor were two different things. If only this man would attack first! "This time shall work fine, for if I destroy this world and then restore the Cetra to their place of honor in the past, all will be made well."

Cetra? What was that? A new type of android? Trunks didn't think about it. He had better things to be concentrating on, like the fact that the man was moving towards the gaping hole in the air.

Before he could follow the man into the threatening vortex though, Trunks was hit with something that brought a black curtain over his eyes and numbed the pain of his head against the rocks on the ground.

Note: Where are all those people who wanted Mirai no Trunks? Well, just relax, say, "at last," and be patient for Vegeta; he's coming soon too. Then after Vegeta, you'll get your Goku as well.