A/N: I'm on a one-shot kick! This came to me after listening to Loreena McKennitt's song "The Old Ways". Also, I had wanted to post this up on March 3, my birthday, as my gift to all of you, but of course I didn't…so think of this as an extremely belated present to those who continue to read and review my stories. It's AU and pretty unrealistic, but I couldn't help myself. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Final Fantasy VII and all related characters are property of Square-Enix. The song "The Old Ways" is property of Loreena McKennit.

The Pounding Sea

Aeris drew her short jacket closer to her body and shivered. Any sane person would be asleep right now, snug and warm in a sleeping bag, not sneaking around in the darkness. She sighed and spared a glance back at the circle of tents where the rest of the group slumbered. They hadn't understood her excitement at arriving at Costa del Sol and she was too embarrassed to explain it. Even Cloud, who always took the time to listen to her, hadn't caught on. Tifa tried to ask her later, but Aeris faked a giggle and waved it off. It had occurred to her, and rightly so, that her group of friends already viewed her as a bit of an enigma, a not quite human being, and the tumultuous feelings caused by this place would only broaden the gap between them.

So here she was, stealing away from them quietly in the dead of night. A pang of guilt stabbed at her for being dishonest and sneaky; Aeris ruthlessly quashed it. Feeling guilty would be ridiculous. She wasn't doing anything wrong, she just had a dream to fulfill here. A dream that the others wouldn't understand, because their lives had allowed them something she never tasted: freedom. Aeris wanted to see the ocean.

All of her life, she'd lived in Midgar—either in the laboratories of the Shinra building or in the house in Sector 7 with Elmyra. The time spent in the former was decidedly terrifying and against her will, and in the latter comfortable but stifling and meager. Aeris could sense that she wasn't made to stay in one place her entire life. It would be like forcing a flower to grow without sunlight—the flower could never reach its full potential.

But when her friends had looked at her questioningly, she felt her voice die in her throat.

Barrett, Tifa, Cloud—they all forgot that she had never seen the ocean. How was she supposed to explain the aching desire she had to see it, the strange thrill that erupted in her heart when she smelled salt and brine, and most of all, the soft music that drew her to the shore?

She loved her friends, she truly did. But there were some things about her that they could never understand, and this need to finally see the ocean was one of them. She herself didn't entirely understand the lure it held over her.

Tonight, she was determined to find out.

The ocean breeze cut easily through her flimsy clothes and she shivered again. Above her, the night sky glowed with the luster of a thousand stars. They hung there like jewels against midnight blue velvet, and she couldn't help but be entranced by them. If the call of the sea hadn't been so inexorable, she might have simply stood there all night and stared up at the sky framed by palm trees.

But she couldn't stop now. She could almost hear the waves crashing onto the sand, a sound that made her pulse quicken and her blood sing.

Aeris quickened her pace and almost tripped over a rock in the path. Chiding herself for being careless, the Cetra tried to quell her mounting excitement and instead focused on walking calmly.

Finally, the lines of the palm trees on both sides of her ended. A particularly large sand dune was in front of her. She took off her boots and put them beside the path before climbing the dune. The sand was fine and cool under her bare feet; it felt like nothing she'd ever experienced, and she paused a moment to scoop up a handful and let it sift through her fingers.

Come, come, sang the sea. Come home to me. She raced up the rest of the dune, taking shallow little breaths that had nothing to do with physical exertion.

And there it was. There was no way she could have possibly prepared herself for something so infinite and so exquisite.

Stretching out into the ends of the world, the ocean ebbed and flowed before her. The moon cast a delicate light onto the tops of the inky-black waves, making them look like quicksilver. White foam decorated the crests as the waves curled in on themselves and the gentle, rhythmic sounds of them breaking on the shore echoed comfortingly in her ears.

You will be happy here, it spoke in a lullaby.

Aeris's breath caught in her throat. A tear tracked down one cheek. The Planet hummed joyfully in her mind, glad that its last child was happy, and perhaps even a little proud that she was so awed by one of its creations.

"It's beautiful," she whispered, and even her whisper sounded loud against the accompanying crashes of the waves. The breeze here was warm, and teased her hair. She slipped out of her jacket, let it fall to the sand.

The call of the sea still was unstated. Aeris closed her eyes and imagined being in the water itself, letting her body be immersed in the refreshing, undulating liquid, slowly spiraling down further and further as it welcomed her into eternity…

She let out a little gasp when the Planet sent a piercing cry ripping through her reflections. Aeris's eyes shot open in alarm, darting around before alighting on an unnatural shape not 30 feet away.

She realized she was not alone, and berated herself for leaving her staff back at camp. Her heart pounded painfully in her chest as the figure, seeming to sense her presence, drew itself up from the sand.

The person's head snapped to the left and penetrated her with narrow, iridescent blue-green eyes that shone brightly even in the darkness. They glowed with a sheen of Mako.

Aeris could almost mistake him for Cloud, but her friend's eyes lacked that cold, calculating look. She made out the moonlight highlighting every strand of silver hair, the long lines of a sword at his side.

"Sephiroth…" Her voice escaped in a frightened whisper, almost lost in the breaking of the waves. The Planet fled her mind, leaving her feeling strangely alone and helpless. It wasn't even like all the times she had been in battles with the others; she knew they would always guard her and give her time to cast her spells. Not here. She was truly on her own.

"Cetra." He replied neutrally, one silvery eyebrow raised. He didn't move.

Aeris took a shaky step backwards, intending to run as fast as she could towards camp, possibly screaming her lungs out if he gave chase. In her fear, she stumbled and ended up landing flat on her rear in the cool sand. Despair flooded through her veins.

He can't kill me! She thought in panic. I haven't…I haven't carried out my mission yet!

Aeris squeezed her emerald eyes shut, breathing hard. If he killed her now, all would be lost. He would have no obstacle should he decide to summon Meteor. She waited in agony for the blow that would unmake her.

I'm sorry Planet…I've failed.

Nothing happened.

She waited a minute more, then opened one eye. Sephiroth still hadn't moved, though he had stopped looking at her and now cast his gaze out to the sea.

Feeling silly and a bit ashamed, Aeris stood up and brushed the sand off of her nightgown, blushing a little as she realized how little it actually covered. Crossing her arms over her chest self-consciously, Aeris tried calling for the Planet; it either could not or would not reply.

I'd wanted guidance on how to proceed, she thought wryly. Guess I'm on my own.

It seemed as though she could leave without being harmed. He didn't look the least bit blood-thirsty or insane—in fact, he looked, quite frankly, handsome. Aeris knew that physical beauty had absolutely no indication of character—take the fashionable and suave Rufus, for example. He looked good in a white suit but also headed the strongest, most oppressive regime ever known on the Planet.

Aeris, however, wasn't one to leave well enough alone. Characteristically, she was an outgoing and helpful person—sometimes unflatteringly called "nosy"—and if she didn't know better, she'd say that Sephiroth had a faraway look on his face.

Additionally emboldened by the fact that he hadn't attacked her yet, Aeris gathered the left-over scraps of her courage and asked, "What are you doing here?"

He didn't even spare her a glance.

Aeris leaned forward and clasped her hands behind her back; a nervous gesture. Silence hung heavy between them, pressed hard onto Aeris's chest, forcing the words from her mouth.

"Well, if you won't tell me why you're here, than I'll tell you why I am!" She tried very hard to sound nonchalant, even as the rational part of her mind screamed at her to flee and not attempt to strike up conversation with the vessel of her people's enemy.

"I've never seen the ocean before. I've had dreams about it, felt it calling to me…but I've never seen it. No one understood why I had to see it, so I snuck out alone." Aeris felt very silly now; she hadn't meant to say all of that. A blush highlighted her cheeks and she looked away in embarrassment.

"So. No one knows you are gone," Sephiroth remarked. Aeris's heart leapt into her throat. He was going to kill her, he just wanted to make sure she didn't have her friends to help her!

He smirked at the frozen look of terror on her face.

"Relax, Cetra. I won't do you any harm. Not tonight, anyway." His voice was smooth but undeniably sharp, like the edge of a blade.

"That wasn't very funny," gasped Aeris as her heart resumed its normal beating. But she didn't doubt that he was telling the truth—oddly, she could sense no madness or anger about him. Normally, Aeris could almost see Jenova's image overlapping that of Sephiroth's, so powerful was her reach and her will. Now, though…it was as if Jenova had completely fallen away, and only Sephiroth the man stood before her.

Again, silence reigned. The waves continued to roll and swell, and in their rhythm was a new message: you are home.

Aeris furrowed her brow in thought; what was that supposed to mean? Before she could ponder more seriously, Sephiroth's movements caught her eye.

His long trenchcoat dropped off of his shoulders and she quickly averted her gaze. Not quickly enough—her mind had already meticulously commented on how finely-muscled Sephiroth's back was, with not one scar marring its perfection.

She kept her eyes focused on the ocean as she squeaked out, "What are you doing?"

"Going for a midnight swim, flower girl."

Aeris could almost hear his wintry smile in his answer, and it made her cheeks redden even more. Amazing that the mere tone of his voice could make her feel small and insignificant. She only turned back when she heard the tell-tale splashing of water. For the second time that night, her breath hitched a little.

Sephiroth looked like he was completely one with the sea; his long, silvery hair moved in synch with the flowing of the waves, putting even their moonshine to shame. The slick shine of the water on his chest and shoulders gave him the appearance of being forged from polished stone. He was perfection, a god of the sea risen.

What hit her deeper than anything was the set of his face. Too often she had seen those classic features twisted in bloodlust or rage, and yet…as the sea moved around him, pulsing with life, he looked oddly at peace. He looked…almost human.

Was Sephiroth still human? The Planet had told her no, he was a monster that must be avoided at all costs—he carried Her cells and thus was anathema to the Planet. The Planet had told her to give up any hope of redemption for him. Shinra's great General was too far gone to ever be saved.

And yet…

When she was younger, Aeris had had a penchant for bringing home stray animals. Starved dogs, half-feral cats, even birds with broken wings. Elmyra would fuss over the possibility of disease or the cuts her foster daughter got from the frightened creatures, too scarred to tell help from harm. Aeris didn't listen to Elmyra. She never gave up on one of them. Some lived and some died but she never stopped trying, and that gave her a sense of purpose in an otherwise dreary and stifling city.

Aeris smothered a laugh. There was no sense in comparing Sephiroth to some poor one-winged sparrow!

The look in their flat eyes, though; after being tended to her for a long while, sometimes she would be gifted with a gaze of recognition, a gentle nudge or a purr. Those little signals were rewards in themselves.

There was no invitation in his eyes, but no hostility either. Merely one being regarding another; human to human, beast to beast.

Clearly, she was at a crossroads. She could turn around now and forget this ever happened; curl up in her sleeping bag and not risk anything. That was the safe route, the one Elmyra would have sternly insisted upon had been here.

Or. She could walk into the water herself and join him.

Did she dare?

Aeris mentally giggled.

Besides being nosy and chatty, she had quite an impulsive streak as well. Maybe, just maybe, she could do something to keep that human look on his face.

She slowly approached the water's edge, letting the waves lap over her toes. The water was surprising warm, and felt good as it stirred particles of sand against her feet.

Sephiroth was no longer watching her. He was actively ignoring her, his back turned as he swam out further. Aeris stepped in a little more, trying to get used to the odd but not unpleasant feeling of the water pushing her backwards and forwards. Foam swirled around her calves, tickling her. As soon as the water touched the hem of her knee-length blue cotton nightgown, it leached upwards, soaking her up to her hips.

A light blush highlighted her cheeks but she kept going. It was only when she was in up to her waist, she hesitated.

"Do you even know how to swim, flower girl?" Though his back was turned, Sephiroth could obviously sense her. The obvious condescension in his voice pricked at her, raised her hackles.

"The name is Aeris, and for your information, I do!" She shot back before biting her tongue. Lying was one of the only things she disliked in the world, other than people hurting the Planet and threatening her friends. She knew Sephiroth knew she was lying, and would most likely call her on it.

"Really?" Voice as smooth and sinuous as a snake, he turned to face her again. "Prove it."

Swallowing a nervous sigh, Aeris stepped forward even more, until the water lapped at her chin.

At first she was alright, but as soon as her feet could no longer touch the bottom she felt nausea froth in her stomach. A panicky light overcame her eyes and fear gripped her. A particularly-large wave crashed over her head, sending her spinning head over heels understand. Air escaped her mouth in fat bubbles as water rushed in to take its place in her lungs. She clawed and fought but the current was too strong for someone who had never swam before.

The Planet screeched in her ear, sounding like for all the world like a child banging on pots and pans. It tried to help her, it halted the current immediately for its last daughter, but it was too late, she had no air and no strength and her blurry vision was fading at the edges—

Aeris coughed up a lungful of seawater and turned her head sideways, feeling the roughness of the sand sticking to her cheek. The waves lapped at her toes; otherwise, she was on land once more. Her eyes slid open, stinging slightly from the salty water. She struggled into a half-sitting position, resting on her elbows. Her hair felt scraggly and clung to her shoulders and back.

Sephiroth was still in the water, his head turned just enough to allow him a glimpse of her. When he saw she was awake, he turned away again.

He must have…he saved me. Aeris realized belatedly. For someone as seemingly-averse to physical contact as he, and for someone who was supposed to be her bitter enemy, this was a huge extension of himself and his trust. An odd feeling came over her, something like a mixture of gratitude and embarrassment.

Aeris started to thank him, but as soon as the first word was out of her mouth he shot her a look so cold she shut up immediately, catching the message: do not speak of this again.

"We both know," he said coolly, "that it is not yet your time."

Relief seeped away into the sand beneath her body, and she felt like ice was flowing into her veins. Yes. Of course she knew it was not yet her time, the Planet had been preparing her for death for nearly as long as she could remember. But it had told her that was only one way: she only needed to die if the Black Materia was used and Meteor called…

So he's going to call it, she realized. He'll call it and meet me at the Forgotten Capital. And then…

She knew what he thought. If he struck her down there, in the fallen city of her people, her power would merge with his in the Lifestream. Not only would he have the added boost of her powers, but he would strike a devastating blow to the feelings and morale of the others, and he would be able to defeat Cloud once and for all.

The truth was far different. If he took her life there, after she had prayed for Holy, she would only become more powerful—she would, in effect, become what he desired to be, able to manipulate the Lifestream with a mere thought.

So be it, then. Aeris tightened her lips. Let him kill me. If he summons Meteor, the only way I could truly stop it would be to join the Lifestream. His plans won't work.

But for all of her bravado, her heart quavered and repeated over and over in the voice of a frightened lonely little girl, I don't want to die! The ocean breeze did not feel pleasant anymore; it bit easily through her soaked nightgown, made her shiver. She wrapped her arms around her legs, bringing them close to her chest, and laid her head down upon her knees. Her skin felt sticky from the dried saltwater. A tear blazed a path down one cheek.

Aeris could feel his eyes on her—it felt as though they were burning into her. She didn't look up, not even when she saw his shadow fall over her form.

"You're crying," Sephiroth stated. The girl at his feet remained silent. "Why aren't you begging?"

Every human he'd come across while in one of his killing sprees had begged to be spared. Men, women, children, all of them. It could be as simple as a "No!" or longer, more drawn out, filled with tears and promises and recriminations.

Except this girl. A paradox. He'd watched her in battle; physically weak, preferring to remain behind the first line of fighters, bolstering them with healing spells. Weak and yet strong. She hadn't run away when she found him here; he had to give her credit for that. If he was to meet his murderer, he was not sure if he could react with such a surprising lack of anger and bitterness.

Aeris wiped her face and brushed back the damp tendrils of hair sticking to her lips. "Would it do any good?" She asked, though it wasn't really a question. They both knew the answer.

"I don't have many regrets, but…there's so much I haven't done," Aeris said in a sigh. She would pay the price, gladly, to save the Planet. Deep in her soul, hadn't she always known it would come to this? Telling herself it was only one of the possible paths fate could weave was a veil of denial draped over her eyes, although she couldn't blame herself really—the biggest problems of most teenage girls were boys and clothes, not their eventual sacrificial murder to save the world from being drained of life.

To her surprise, Sephiroth sat next to her, his aqua eyes fixed on the blurry horizon.

"Such as?"

Aeris nearly swallowed her tongue. He was actually making conversation with her? After basically telling her he was going to kill her in a matter of weeks? Maybe…just maybe, there is hope for him after all, she thought. And what harm is there in telling him the dreams of a silly girl?

"Well, I want to ride on the Highwind for starters," she said. "And I want to see the world! I've already seen lots of places, but I still need to see the cities of my people."

She glanced at him nervously. Sephiroth inclined his head slightly, indicating for her to go on. Aeris licked her lips, the tang of salt water prickling her tongue; she didn't notice Sephiroth watching her like a hawk.

"Um…I want to ride a gold chocobo because I heard it feels like you're flying. I want to buy my mother a nice house outside of Midgar." Aeris's cheeks flamed from embarrassment but she couldn't stop, words kept pouring unbidden, things she had never told another living soul. She had almost told Cloud everything; he was different like her, she thought. But not different enough—he was still human. He was not surprised or excited by the world anymore. He viewed it through too-mortal eyes.

"I want to buy a huge field and just cover it in flowers, big yellow and white flowers. And I want to raise children, and see Shinra crumble, and dance under the moon all night!" Her heart pounded, her chest heaved. She felt dizzy and more clear-headed than ever before.

"And…I want to be loved." She ended in a whisper. It's not fair…I'll be missing so much. But who could love someone who is not human? Could I even return love, if I felt it—emotions are human, and I am Cetra…Energy leaving her, she closed her eyes.

Only to have them snap wide open when she felt a faint warm touch, light as a feather, on her lips. Sephiroth moved back an inch or so, only enough for their gazes to meet.

"I apologize for not having the Highwind, a gold chocobo, or a huge field," he said lowly. "I can, however, fulfill one request."

Aeris gaped at him, still stunned. He closed the distance between them, or would have, had Aeris not jumped to her feet.

"What do you think you're doing!" She raged, pointing an accusatory finger at the man. It shook slightly, betraying her nervousness. "You…you…you're my enemy!" Her voice shook also; it told him, and her, that he had struck something.

"And yet you have been here talking to me for a while now, without fleeing or alerting your friends to my presence," he reasoned simply.

She was frightened, but not of him. She was frightened because his kiss hadn't felt wrong, because she didn't want to run away, because she wanted another one.

"Well, yes, but…" Aeris floundered, before hardening her resolve. "That doesn't give you a right to k-kiss me!"

"No. That in itself does not." Sephiroth agreed, his eyes not leaving hers. He was all sharp lines and angles in the moonlight, solemn, serious. A shiver ran down her spine. How can he look and act so sane? Is this a façade, or is this the real Sephiroth? Planet, I'm so confused…

"Why?" She whispered, another shiver taking her body. "Why?"

Sephiroth was silent for so long, she feared he would never answer her.

"You're not like the others," he said simply, without accusation or admiration. A statement of fact.

"I'm the last Cetra. Of course I'm not…not like them." Aeris said, loudly. It sounded harsh even to her ears, and her face burned. This same knowledge had been a constant source of worry and pain to the Cetra ever since she was a girl, lessening over the years but still smarting when remarked it upon by others.

"No. That isn't it." Sephiroth turned from her and stared out at the sea. Its constant, easy motion seemed to relax him. "No," he said without looking at her. "You…are special."

Special? She repeated. To all others, even her friends, she was different. Not special. The frightened, awkward expression on her face slowly fell away.

"And you of all people deserve to have your dreams come true." It was said so quietly Aeris almost thought she imagined it.

Silence, except for the waves.

What is he playing at? Aeris thought faintly. I don't understand him. A discomforting thought for one who prided herself on reading the feelings of others. Sephiroth was like a book with a blank cover, a book that had flipped open for just a moment, but what she saw in that moment was perhaps the most beautiful and complex poetry ever composed.

"Who are you?" She murmured, staring at him through the darkness. "You're supposed to be insane, and irrational, and unspeakably evil. And you're sitting here with me, listening to me talk about dreams that will never happen, and you saved me from drowning before, and I just don't know why you would pick this moment to start being human."

Sephiroth resumed his spot next to her, eyes once again regarding the ocean before them.

"You asked me before, why I was here," he began slowly and confidently. "There are two reasons. The first is that the sea has always soothed me. The sound of the waves, the current, the smell of salt…is all a great comfort to me."

Aeris nodded; she could understand how someone, even Sephiroth, would enjoy the ocean. It had had the same effect on her, after all.

"The second reason is both selfish and selfless. I came here tonight because, simply, I knew you would come as well."

Aeris bit back a gasp. "How could you know that? I didn't tell anyone where I was going…unless…"

Sephiroth sensed what she was thinking, and confirmed it: "Yes. I was listening when your group first arrived at Costa del Sol. I saw your joy, and I guessed as to why. I share this appreciation and so I knew that you would venture to the ocean sooner or later. You and I both chose sooner."

Aeris shook her head, eyebrows furrowed. "But how is meeting me here being selfless? I don't understand that." She crossed her arms across her chest and waited.

He hesitated. It appeared there were some things even the great Sephiroth could not admit to.

"You have to tell me," Aeris said firmly. Her heart was hammering in her chest for some unknown reason. "You owe me." He owes me because he is my murderer. What a sick way of controlling someone…

"Don't believe me if you must—if it makes it easier," Sephiroth finally said lowly. "But I am truly sorry that I am to kill you."

This time, there was no holding back her gasp. Her words from before seemed to be echoed by the pounding sea: I just don't know why you would pick this moment to start being human…this moment…start being human…

"You wanted to…make amends." Aeris realized aloud, the familiar ache that started whenever she was reminded of her death echoing in her bones. She watched, unseeing, a swirl of foam burst into existence and then fade away.

"Well then," said Aeris faintly. "Thank you. I appreciate the thought." With that, she stood and brushed the cool sand from her legs and nightgown. His reason for meeting her here was almost a kind one, and yet she thought she had seen something in his eyes, a deeper understanding, a motivation not born of guilt or regret but something purer.

The sea cried out for her to stay. Aeris felt its need and tried to brush it off, but the waves only called more loudly and sweetly. She only managed to turn her back to it and stare up at the tops of the palm trees swaying in the slight breeze. A tear tracked silently down one cheek.

Start being human, the sea whispered again, and she realized that it wasn't just echoing her. It was instructing her. Aeris whirled back around, saw the ocean and Sephiroth still sitting there admiring it. It played music for them and only them, a robust and seductive lullaby.

For once, she thought furiously, frantically, I just want to feel.

Sephiroth stood fluidly and faced her. She was reminded once more of how fragile she was compared to him, how weak. Loathing washed over her before she could stop it.

"That wasn't my reason," with the grace inherent in his movements, Sephiroth put both hands on her shoulders. "This was my reason."

He kissed her again, and she had seen it coming and made no attempt to move.

Do I…?

His mouth slanted over hers possessively, deepening the kiss. She felt his tongue insistently move against hers and finally she responded.

I…feel…yes. I feel…human.

They pressed close together, dripping wet from the sea, sand clinging to their legs and arms. He was not gentle: his hand fisted tightly in her hair and pulled her mouth away from his, baring her white throat. He attacked it viciously, with teeth and tongue and lips, and Aeris moaned. His every touch sent her body singing, as though electrical pulses escaped through his fingertips to jolt her skin.

They collapsed slowly to the sand, a tangle of limbs. Her blue nightgown removed irreverently, torn. Aeris imagined she could feel each individual grain of sand digging into her back, a delightful agony. She ran her hands over all the skin she could reach, marveling at its flawlessness. Sephiroth's hair slid forward, over his shoulders, to curtain both of them behind a sheet of silver. His aquamarine eyes glowed in that temporary darkness with what she thought she had seen before, some emotion too beautiful to simplify with a label.

Aeris smiled a real smile, and kissed him sweetly.

And then he began to move inside her and she sobbed from the exquisite mix of pleasure and regret that he gave her. They moved together, with the rhythm of the sea whispering for them. Her tears mingled with the salt on her face, and he tasted them reverentially.

The Planet was silent. Perhaps it had allowed Aeris a last chance to be loved; perhaps it knew she wouldn't stop even if it did want her to.

Riding on the warm afterglow more than an hour later, Aeris nestled her head under Sephiroth's chin comfortably. The waves lapped languorously at their feet.

"Promise me," she whispered sleepily, eyes half-closed, "that you'll take care of me forever."

"…" He felt something strange then, an almost-physical pain in the cavity of his chest.

"I promise," he answered thickly, after several minutes of silence. But her slow, regular breathing told him that Aeris had gone without hearing his answer.

Sephiroth drew her tighter to himself, and stared up at the stars. His mind was surprisingly clear, with only his own voice inhabiting it, yet his confusion was not lessened.

He was special. So was she. She had let him in, bathed him in the warmth of her love. Would he have the strength to carry out all the promises he had made, unspoken as well as those said aloud?

Sephiroth stared up at the stars until they fairly burned into his mind. Even if he had been tired, even if he had needed sleep like humans did, he never would have been able to drift off that night.

Aeris's thoughts the next morning were excessively morbid. He sensed the moment when she awoke, from the little hitch in her breath, and slid his hand down to her chin, to tilt her face up. But she didn't move.

"When I die," she murmured without turning to look at him, "I want to be put in the sea. I'll sleep underwater forever and become the foam on the tops of the waves. That way, I'll never really be dead. As long as the water flows, I'll live."

"Aeris…" Sephiroth murmured, his voice a low rumble. She finally looked up at him, and smiled without a trace of sadness.

"Forget I said anything." She said, tracing a lazy pattern on his jaw line, before dipping down for a kiss. Cold water rushed over both of them suddenly. Spluttering, Sephiroth stood quickly, bringing a laughing Aeris with him.

The tide had come in during the sunrise, and the waves were now considerably higher up on the beach. The sun beamed down on them from a cloudless sky. Soaking wet, barely clothed and sandy, Aeris had never felt better or more alive. Sephiroth's eyes roved over her before resting on her face. With sunlight streaming through his hair and a tender look in his eyes, Sephiroth kissed her, gently this time.

"I love you," Aeris blurted out against his lips. The blood drained from her face, but she mustered her courage and said it again, and again and again until he was pressing feverish kisses all over her face, running his hands down the curve of her back, and they were down in the sand once more.

Aeris dreamt.

She heard the thundering of hooves, and the beating of wings before Sephiroth came to her. He had two magnificent wings, glossy and raven-feathered. A glow surrounded him, almost blinding her.

"My world is not yours," he said. "Not yet." She wanted to argue, tried to, but her traitorous tongue stuck in her mouth.

"I'm sorry, Aeris." His feathers whispered against her face and she closed her eyes.

"Please…" She said. Her sentence hung unfinished. The light grew to a painful intensity.

When she awoke, he was gone.

Gathering the remains of her nightgown about her, Aeris cast a final look at the sea before heading back towards camp. A tiny spark of that glow stayed with her, inside her, and she smiled. It gave her strength, and hope, and the feeling that she wouldn't be alone anymore.

Weeks later, tragedy stained the City of the Ancients. The Planet wailed and moaned, but ultimately it welcomed its last living daughter into the Lifestream, giving her the powers of a god—enough power to do in death what she could not do in life: save the Planet and all on it.

It was a beautiful death, Sephiroth made sure of that. Aeris deserved no less. There was no blood to mar the perfection of her ivory-white skin, no messy exit wounds—a quick and clean thrust of the Masamune ensured minimal tear of her skin and clothes—not even enough time for her to feel pain or register that she had been stabbed. It was the greatest mercy Sephiroth had ever shown to one of his victims.

He knew this. He had never killed anyone so delicately before, as odd as that sounded even to him. But it didn't ease the hollow feeling that had settled in his chest and lingered there. Almost as if it was he that had been stabbed through the heart, instead of the delicate young woman on the altar.

And right after she died—after he, the bastard! had killed her—an idea not-totally Cloud's surfaced in his mind.

Bury her…bury her in the sea, the voice instructed. Cloud nodded as the inspiration struck, wiping tears from where they burned down his face.

He gathered the limp form of Aeris in his arms, savoring her fast-fading warmth. Wordlessly, he left the pedestal and made his way outside; the rest of the party followed, in varying states of shock, anger and sorrow. He stopped at the edge of the crystal-clear lake.

"I think…I think she would have liked it here," Cloud said tightly, trying very hard not to break down completely. He waded into the water and looked at her beautiful face one last time, feeling his heart break, before releasing her.

Aeris fell, down, down, in the gentle embrace of the lakewater, hair streaming around her like sea fronds as she was welcomed into eternity.

Not exactly the sea, but it's as close as it could get, thought Sephiroth. On his perch atop one of the shell-houses, he watched as the last sign of her, a glimmer of pink amongst the shimmering blues and greens, vanished forever.

Thank you…for remembering…

Sephiroth started at the sound and shook his head quickly, dispelling any notion of having heard Aeris speak inside his mind. She would never thank him, not after what he did.

The promise he had made her echoed hollowly in his ears and he closed his eyes in shame. He had nothing left now, he had betrayed the one person that had cared for him. His throat closed; his eyes burned. And Strife thought he had no understanding of agony? Strife thought only he suffered the pain of losing her?

Strife.

Slowly, Sephiroth opened his eyes. The realization of his final option swept over him like the pounding sea.

Strife and his company would fight possessed now, after losing one of their own. Yes, and…perhaps, if he was granted an iota of mercy, he would be able to see Aeris again.

All he had to do was keep playing the part; let Jenova have full reign over him and his abilities. She was strong but would not wield him well; he knew he would die.

And then…

Well, if she would let him…he would finally be able to fulfill his promise to Aeris.

Smiling a genuine smile, he leaned back and dropped all of his mental shields. Jenova immediately leapt at the opportunity and settled firmly inside of his mind, anchoring herself with tentacles dripping malice.

With a flap of black leather, he shot up into the sky, all traces of humanity in his eyes completely gone.

The lake was quiet and still, with barely a ripple on its mirror-like surface. And yet, the tiny waves that lapped demurely at the shore were adorned with ribbons of foam that had no right to be there.

The echo of a smile, the crashing of waves, the smell of salt.

I'll see you…soon…my love…

Here are the lyrics to the song, in case any of you were curious. It's really quite beautiful.

The thundering waves are calling me home, home to you
The pounding sea is calling me home, home to you.

On a dark new year's night
On the west coast of Clare
I hear your voice singing
Your eyes danced the song
Your hands played the tune
T'was a vision before me.

We left the music behind and the dance carried on
As we stole away to the seashore
We smelt the brine, felt the wind in our hair

With sadness you paused.

Suddenly I knew that you'd have to go
Your world was not mine, your eyes told me so
Yet it was there I felt the crossroads of time

And I wondered why.

As we cast our gaze on the tumbling sea
A vision came o'er me
Of thundering hooves and beating wings

In clouds above.

As you turned to go I heard you call my name.
You were like a bird in a cage, spreading its
Wings to fly
"The old ways are lost" you sang as you flew

And I wondered why.

The thundering waves are calling me home, home to you
The pounding sea is calling me home, home to you.
The thundering waves are calling me home, home to you
The pounding sea is calling me home, home to you.
The thundering waves are calling me home, home to you
The pounding sea is calling me home, home to you.

Time: At least six months, sporadically.

Music: Obviously the above…but also "Marco Polo" and "The Serenissima" by Loreena McKennitt, "Helena" by My Chemical Romance, and "Cold Water" by Damien Rice.