Journey Three – Direction
"Mummy, why do I have a black wing on my back?"
"Sephiroth, dear. I wish I like to tell you about it, but I don't want to see your sad face."
"Why?"
"Because…"
"Sephiroth!" Aerith shouted as she had a hard time getting used to the new technology and waking him up. "Did you just daydream about something?"
"…Uh, no. I was thinking about something." He replied with a sad tone. He kept thinking about why he did bothered to be with Aerith for company, but his mind told him to protect her, even they are bound together in a MA for a while.
It felt like the journey on the planet was on for days, maybe weeks, but thanks to the technology that were alien to Aerith and Sephiroth, the journey felt more like minutes as the MAs Dominion, Anima, Lakia and Jehovah walked on the most horrendous landscapes, where only the most foul creature could ever survive and no human would ever come back alive from the surface, well YESHUA could survive, but still even he could not make it outside the atmosphere.
And after crossing over sad tones of river, forests and rocky surfaces, they have finally found the artefact's location – in that cave. Great, to Sephiroth himself that finding key items in the caves are just nothing but clichés.
"Great and of all places, we find the artefact somewhere in this dark cave," moaned Bach, via the communicator from Anima.
"Oh shut up, Bach!" exclaimed Rufus in Dominion. "At least we can bag the reward and let Eliza and I do the work. Isn't that right?"
"Yeah, Rufus." Replied Eliza in Lakia. "The artefact shouldn't be that far. All we've got to do is to get our reward and get back to the Vatican ASAP."
"Still, I'm feeling that there's something wrong in this quiet environment." Aerith warned to everyone in Jehovah. "I don't know how to put my finger on it, but I'm getting strange disturbances from the Jehovah's sensors."
"Bach, Rufus." Ordered Sephiroth for the first time since he knew that there was something wrong about the situation. "Stay here and guard the entrance. YESHUA and I are going to the cave."
"WHAT!" Both of the pilots of the Dominion and Anima exclaimed to Sephiroth
"Now, Sephiroth's giving orders to the captain of the Vatican?" Bach surprisingly asked.
"Bach, you're sometimes so naïve giving out orders from Sephiroth." Mockingly remarked Adrian as he was putting his hand on his head inside the cockpit. "Besides, you're an idiot in being a leader."
"Hey! Who told you to be so sarcastic to me?"
"Nearly everyone of us." Everyone, except for YESHUA who said nothing, replied, which made Bach's esteem lowered.
"Sigh. Fine, just this time, let's followed Sephiroth's order, before I argue myself."
It has been only half an hour, since Jehovah and Lakia have entered into the dark cave, to which the artefact was located deep within the area and Dominion and Anima were left outside guarding like dogs, only Bach was complaining more than Adrian's sarcasm.
However, meanwhile, Jehovah and Lakia were getting closer to obtain the artefact. Aerith, inside the Jehovah cockpit felt a disturbance was nearby where the artefact's location is.
"Sephiroth, I don't know if you can sense it, but there's something strange. Something we shouldn't go there."
"I know."
Silence then followed for the rest of the journey and finally, their treasure path have reached the end. The artefact looked small, but as the MAs walked further, it looked magnificent. A gold hollow globe with rings attached to each and there in the centre of the globe, was a gold arrow loosely pointing downwards, but it was standing still as if nothing was being activated. Only then they have found out they were two holes at the bottom that were needed to activate its true potential.
The cockpit inside MA Lakia
"Ah, I'm on it." Explained Eliza quickly, without giving both Aerith and Sephiroth a second to order, as she typed the recordings of the discovery. "Hmm, that's interesting. According to my computer, there are two holes that are required to activate the artefact. YESHUA, can you analyze it, please?"
"Affirmative." He replied without a second to hesitate. "I will proceed to analyze the data found on the MA Lakia's sensors." Then his eyes turned pearl blue and was in a trance. However, when Eliza proceeded to type some more data, she saw a warning screen that says 'Enemies approach – Type – Unknown alien'.
"What!"
A loud crash was heard behind the MA Jehovah and suddenly, a huge spear tried to pierce the Wing, though thankfully thanks to Sephiroth's ability to detect enemies from behind a second even better than Sora, jumped into the air as his thoughts were controlled, grabbed its version of Masamune from its back, via a few buttons pressed by Aerith and slashed on the oncoming enemy.
However, it missed Jehovah's Masamune as it came from behind Lakia's position and thankfully, Jehovah managed to use its black wing to fire as many small missiles and damaged some to the unknown enemy. But the unknown enemy disappeared.
Meanwhile, back at the outside of the cave. Inside the Anima cockpit
"Oh, I'm bored!" complained Bach, as he looked nothing to the dull sky. "When are those guys coming back!"
"If you are complaining one time, I am resigning from your position to be your co-pilot!" Adrian exclaimed, as his cool expression was beginning to show some cracks.
"Oh, Adrian! That's not a good way to say to your friend!"
"Well, the longest time you complain about being bored is when we're got from Second Eden's moon for around three hours!"
"Yeah, but still."
"Will you stop with the 'yeah, but still' part?"
Then their argument was interrupted when Rufus was on-screen looking concern.
"Bach! Adrian! Bad news! Unknown enemy's at twelve o'clock!"
"WHAT!" both exclaimed.
Suddenly a huge blue-toned samurai-like mecha was slashing between the two MAs, but luckily they managed to intercept and used beams and rocket missiles, only to let the mecha dodged. And then the dark, smooth voice was heard through the communicators.
He chuckled at the start. "So this is where you are, Bach."
"What do you want, you gatecrasher?" shouted Bach, as he try to maintain his Anima in position with the laser guitar-like shield, while Dominion managed to stagger as it is positioning with those double guns attached from its back.
"Just wondering what are you going to do, when retrieving that ridiculous prize of yours?"
"SHUT UP! I DON'T NEED SOME OF THAT CRAP FROM YOU!"
"Really? I hope that my friend is enjoying inside there."
"What!"
Jehovah cockpit
"I'm trying to trace the source the enemy's track, but it seem it has scrambled its signal." Explained Eliza as she was on screen with Aerith. "Sorry, Aerith."
"That's okay, Eliza. Just keep analyzing, while Sephiroth and I are trying to sort the problem out." She smiled, but was cut short by an unknown young female as she laughed.
"So, you must be the guys from the Heart Star System, eh?" Appearing out of nowhere, tiny green missiles shot toward at Aerith and Sephiroth's position.
"Dammit! Aerith, you're not paying attention!" shouted Sephiroth with bitterness as he managed to dodge the missiles at the last minute. As the sensors picked the target, it looked a cross between a green-toned cute Japanese-school girl with double beam blades on each 'hand'.
"Ah, so you've found me." Slyly said the mysterious green mecha. "Wow, no wonder the One Winged Angel can handle the Jehovah's powers."
"All right, just who the hell are you?" Sephiroth angered as he positioned Jehovah to his defensive stance.
"And if I don't and attack at that MA?"
"…"
Unfortunately for that green mecha, rays of light appear from below its feet and raised the ground, sending damage, though only partially as Jehovah appear floating behind it, ready for Masamune to strike.
"…you won't attack Lakia, but unless you give me your name, I'll guess I have to use force."
Jehovah cockpit
"Aerith, get ready for the Angel counterattack."
"What!" Aerith exclaimed as she laid her hands on the holographic keyboard.
"Aerith, I know this is our first battle against a mecha, but you've got to trust me. I don't know what are the capabilities Jehovah are, but if I use my techniques from the Olympus Coliseum, maybe I could use the same to her."
Aerith was worried about Sephiroth's risky strategy, but nodded to him, feeling that he saved her once and smiled. "All right, but don't let me see you rescuing me on your arms!"
Come on Eliza! Hurry up with YESHUA's data! That was all Aerith could thought.
Meanwhile back outside
The blue mecha proved stronger than the pilots of Anima and Dominion has expected as it attempted to slash mainly on Bach's MA, though only shielding most of the time, and Rufus's MA trying his best to break the blue mecha's shell that surround it. Bullets fell down and reloading again, with dodging from the blue mecha's missiles.
Dominion cockpit
"Shit!" Rufus exclaimed with anger as he moved his arms to the target. "And I thought the aliens from the Hearts Star System were hard! I can't find his weak spot!"
"Well, you'd better save your ammo Rufus, before it reaches below fifteen percent!" replied Alda with the same expression.
"What! Fifteen percent? Great! Alda, switch to weapon mode. I'm going to batter his shield to pieces!"
"Aye, aye Rufus!" With a few keys pressed on the keyboard, action has changed.
From a double wielding gunner, Dominion put his guns behind from behind and grabbed its beam sword, to become a robotic swordsman as it dived into the blue mecha's shield. Luckily, it gave time for Anima to change its long range weapon to claw-like arms to intercept the blue mecha's attack.
"Oh, so your friend decided to use weapons." Chuckled the blue mecha pilot. "Well, then. Let's see if your direct offence is better than going long range!"
Back inside the cave
With the green mecha's god-like agility, it was hard for Aerith and Sephiroth to control Jehovah's defence, since the One Winged Angel was better suited to combat personally than with a woman that has no experience in the battlefield piloting a mecha and Lakia was defenceless, as YESHUA inside it was gathering information and have no time to make action and reinforced.
However, as soon as the green mecha jumped high into the air, Jehovah changed position from defence to offence as it brought Masamune down, charging like a holy light. Sephiroth knew he had trapped that pest, where he can intercept.
"AERITH, NOW!" He shouted with all his might, as he moved his arms and below, Aerith pressed the all-important button. One phrase that united their attack –
"ARCHANGEL'S BLADE!"
Jehovah swung Masamune toward the green mecha with that bright holy power that could have blinded her and caused some considerable damage. Meanwhile, back at the Lakia's position and inside the cockpit, Eliza couldn't believe that no one would ever did that technique, since MA only have limited powers on the damage ratio to their techniques based on the coordination of both the pilot and the co-pilot. Then, YESHUA spoke to Eliza, after finished being in trance for a while.
"Eliza, I have finished analyzing the artefact and now storing it. Would you like me to reinforce with Sephiroth's MA Jehovah?"
"Yes, but be in your guard. I don't know about the energy level in Jehovah, but appears to be in halfway stage."
It might seem over that the green mecha was completely destroyed by that powerful slash. Yet, despite that, out of the ashes, she was still standing, on the verge to be a scrapheap and staggering.
"I…won't…give…up…for…the…LIKES OF YOU!" she screamed as her doubled-edge blades was too quick for Jehovah to defend itself quickly, but then unexpectedly, Lakia came in just in time, using those beam tonfa-like weapons, cross-armed in front of Aerith and Sephiroth's MA. "WHAT!"
"Sephiroth, Aerith. I have retrieved the artefact and contacted the Vatican." Explained YESHUA via a communicator, as he tried to maintain to stay his arms in position. "It is likely that we shall retreat using Lakia's smokescreen mechanism and move out of the cave. The process will commence in less than thirty seconds. Is that okay?" Sephiroth couldn't agree more to get out of this hellhole and after the countdown, Lakia proceeded with the action and the two MA were gone. As for the green mecha however, she was more pissed-off that she couldn't finished them.
"COME BACK HERE!" She shouted, until a communicator from far away, came a sweet, yet deadly voice.
"Leave them alone. I've contacted Ryoujin to retreat from outside the cave, so your mission is complete Bellima."
"But I haven't even obliterated Jehovah and Lakia, Master!"
"Don't destroy them yet. We've still got time."
Seconds later outside the cave
"Finally," Bach relieved as he finally communicated with Lakia and Jehovah "where have you been?"
"Where have I been?" Sephiroth snorted. "I was being attacked by that green freak, you fool!"
"Green freak?" remarked Rufus. "You should have seen us having trouble with that blue samurai mecha, while you're down there with Lakia!"
"Wait, you said a blue samurai mecha?" Aerith asked. "Does that mean that one and the green mecha we've fought worked for someone? What happened?"
"Well, one minute that blue freak was acting like an insane person driving a car in road rage, the next minute, he disappeared into the sky.
"Well, that's our least of the worries. Eliza, got the artefact yet?"
"Yep, Bach and it's already been in place and YESHUA contacted the Vatican." Eliza said happily. "We can now analyze the name of the artefact, so let's get back!"
Meeting room, Vatican
Sephiroth was glad he was out of Jehovah, but still disappointed that Aerith sat next to her and yet, he was relieved that she did all right on defeating, but not necessarily destroying her enemy. In the centre was the artefact that would have sold millions of munnies, gils or whatever currency the Star System or the Solar System came from.
"Well guys. This is it, the uh- Adrian, what's it called again?" asked Bach as he forgotten what was the artefact's name.
"For the love of…" Adrian moaned, wishing he had Zack as his captain than the guitarist. "Sigh. This here, is Seraphiel's Compass and according to Rufus and Eliza, after several hours researching this, would be the most useful navigation piece of equipment to unlock Lost Eden, if we only have two objects to activate the procedure. So any suggestions of where we could find them?" Zack raised his hand for the first time, since he is third-in-command of the Vatican. "Yes, Zack what is it this time?"
Zack smiled as he knew where the answer might lie. "So when can we get back to Second Eden?"
"For the last time Zack, as soon as Bach gives out orders, whether he wants to or not." And with that, Zack sighed.
"Adrian, I found the location of where the two objects might lie." YESHUA told in most ways that robots and cyborgs do.
"So, do you know where they are?"
"Yes, as I analyzed the holes that were found under the compass, I have located on ninety-nine percent probability rate – the fourth planet from the Amano Solar System – Terra."
"Terra?" Aerith and Sephiroth asked in confusion.
"Yes, even though Terra has similar atmospheres that could be found on some planets in the Hearts Star System, there are some disturbances from the surface. As I can point out, there are humans living in there, but out of the approximately five billion people, there are only two people who carry those objects."
"Just tell me who, before Bach complains about the suspense program Eliza installed." Commented Zack with an expression that could only described as funny.
"Hey!" exclaimed Eliza with disgust.
"One is the last survivor of the ancient tribe that protected Terra ever since its birth who called themselves Cetra, though only a half-breed. Another, a human infected with alien cells that is being manipulated by his so-called mother."
"What was his so-called mother's name, YESHUA?" Sephiroth asked with some interest about these two new discoveries.
"Jenova."
Author's Notes: Firstly, I would like to thank Black Malva and majinvegeta321 for putting me for the support of continuing to do the 'epic sci-fi-action/adventure-love' fanfiction. Without you, I'll be ending up not finishing it.
These action scenes, I admitted I'm not good at making those, so once again, I'll let you, the readers and Aeriseph fans, to do that in your imagination and enjoy what my brain has come up with. And yes, there is a little bit of FF7 reference as Aerith, Sephiroth & Co. head into the next Journey to uh, the FF7 world. Hmm, I wondered what the reaction will be like when KH Sephiroth meets FF7 Sephiroth or worse, KH Aerith meets FF7 Aeris. Laughs like an idiot Two mysterious characters that were last seen in Journey Two have been named – Bellima green stranger and Ryoujin blue stranger. I haven't decided what to name their mecha or MA yet, so please be patient.
As far as I'm concerned, many readers would be about Sephiroth's Masamune of how he gets his prized katana out. Well, think of it as a car key. Insert the key, start the ignition and after a journey, take it out. Just don't ask the mechanism similar to him; I'm not really a huge fan of science fiction – just medium really.
I can't be bothered telling people to bring at least 5 reviews or so to do the next chapter, because of the Xmas holidays. So please review and any anti-Aeriseph mail will used as a nice fireplace to warm my feet.