Journey Six – Lucrecia
Lukia City Square Akagi.
Oh great! Thought Aerith to herself as she wandered across the brick-layered buildings and the square. I'm lost. And worse, I can't contact them, 'cause Adrian, Vincent, Bach, Zack and Rufus are having a 'stag' party over at some tavern, Eliza and Alda are heading to the nearest library for some references to make more notes on Seraphiel's Compass, YESHUA's in his 'bed' or something and for once, I can't even find Sephiroth!
Aerith was hopeless on stepping on a new world she didn't know and although the shops and the surroundings are similar to Traverse Town, everything is but. She tried using a map, but it complicated matters and tried talking to people, but the strolling inhabitants seem to be more interested in buying luxuries than giving her directions.
Then, unexpectedly, some strange folk came to her, looking rather shady.
"Say, missy." One of the shady folk spoke in a rough accent. "Say you're lost in Lukia City, eh?"
"Uh, yes I am, since I'm from another world." She replied suspicion. "What do you want?"
"We're just here to give to you some help into the wonderful city of Lukia! So, where are you heading to?"
"You know Hue Port, right? I want to get on that beautiful gondola and see the sights of the surroundings!"
"Heh, heh. Well then, I'll show you the way."
Earlier at the Akagi Space Port
"Ugh, the mechanics over at the port say it will take three days to fix the back of the Vatican." Complained Bach as he sat down on the bench, crying like a little girl, as he put his hands on his head.
"Oh cheer up Bach!" happily exclaimed Rufus as he patted Bach's back "At least Eliza solved and activated Seraphiel's Compass, plus we can celebrate by having a wild time!"
"Yeah, but still..."
"Would you please stop complaining like a dope and just appreciate you've been given a time off from space journey, Bach?" Adrian asked with a little frustration and tiredness.
"Speaking of which, where the heck is Sephiroth?" Alda asked as she looked around the space port.
"Well, I know he's not in the Vatican." Eliza replied as she also looked around the space port.
"And I know he's with us when we're entered the port." Aerith also replied and crossed her arms, thinking where did that One Winged Angel went.
"Forget it." Vincent and Zack both said.
"This isn't the time for searching for him, if you're worried about that." Remarked the red cloaked person.
"Besides, I think he'll be all right by himself." The spiky bloke confidently said.
"Okay, here's what we do!" Bach exclaimed as he stood up quickly, though Adrian had a what-the-he's-already-got-over-with-his-loss-so-quickly expression. "Eliza, Alda! Head over to Lukia National Library and see what you can get about more info on Seraphiel's Compass. The rest of us, including our 'new' member Vincent, let's get drunk on the way!"
"Wait!" Aerith exclaimed that Bach didn't take notice "What about me? What am I supposed to do?"
"I don't know! Tour the City of Lukia and take a ride on the Hue River or something like that!" And then, the crew was gone from the space port and left Aerith all by herself, confused around her new surroundings.
"Great. This is just great!" she sighed as she bend over, feeling completely hopeless.
Back alley
"Urm, isn't the alley a bit too dark?" Aerith asked with some confusion that she wasn't in a sunny street.
"Oh, no." replied slyly from one of the shady folk. "This is a shortcut on the way."
"Yeah, that's it." Replied for another shady stranger with a deep rough accent. "But first, we need to pay for our service."
"Wait, I thought you say you'll be helping me for free on the way."
"Oh I forgot. When I say I'll help you, it's free for taking you for the first thirty seconds."
"So, we'll be taking your purse, miss."
"As if, you dirty cheap liars!" And Aerith punched one of the thugs and ran as fast as she could from them. Not bad for a weakling that had some training with Alda. She could footsteps that would be following her after that incident.
Where's Sephiroth when you need him in a time like this?(!) She thought, while running into a labyrinth of dark alleys. Un-fortunately for her, she tripped and landed on the ground face down painfully as well as the thugs that grabbed her cardigan covered arms and her body.
"Argh!" She screamed, while struggling to be free on the ground. "Let me go!"
"Ha ha! Didn't think you'll be escaping, huh bitch?" angered one of the thugs. "Now, let me take your purse and…" Ignored from behind, something hit him very hard and dropped temporarily unconscious, thus freeing Aerith from his clutches and see what the heck's going on.
"Urm, Gary?" nervously asked the other thug. Suddenly a voice was heard from above the buildings.
"Well, aren't you a poor pickpocket? Trying to grab something that doesn't belong to you from a woman? That's pathetic!"
Then he jumped down and stood up in front of the two people and a black feather was dropped.
"O...one…one…" the thug gabbled as he couldn't find the words to describe him.
"Sephiroth!" Aerith exclaimed with relief.
"What's the matter? Cat got your tongue?" The One Winged Angel smirked with confidence and eyes cold that would fear enemies.
"ARGH! THAT ONE WINGED ANGEL'S GONNA KILL ME ALIVE!" the thug cried loudly as he ran away. When that was over, Sephiroth kneel down and helped the would-be victim from the ground.
"Are you okay Aerith?" he asked with some gentle expression.
"Uh, yeah." She replied as she was busy taking off the dirt from her skirt. "Uh, thanks. Can you take me outside safe from them?"
"I suppose so, since Bach never mentions there are some shady people in Akagi."
Streets of Lukia
"Why do you want a ride on the crimson river?" Sephiroth asked in curiosity as both he and Aerith were walking down the corridor of shops that sell anything from clothes to ornaments.
"Well, Adrian told us the crimson river has the scent of perfumes and I'm not sure where the Hue Port is." She replied, while still walking and looking at the wonderful shops.
"Hue Port?"
"Uh huh. Some people say that the best port that you can travel to see some beautiful sights is there, though the only problem is, that after many maps and asking people for help, I don't know where it is."
"Then haven't you looked at the signs?"
"I've tried, but I mostly see adverts that sell potions and elixirs, plus a lot of clothes and accessories."
With a sigh, both of the characters are truly lost in a new world that was really far away from Hollow Bastion and Olympus Coliseum. However, there was a glint of hope as Aerith saw this trail of white feathers and a voice in her head. A girl's voice again.
Follow the white feathers trail and you'll find your destination.
And she did. Sephiroth, on the other hand, was puzzled on Aerith's action, though worried about where some things might lead her into danger, decided to followed her just in case. Feather after feather, she followed them and ran toward them. She didn't care if she bumped into a few people or so, made a few turns and twists, until she reach her destination.
Hue Port was not any normal sea port; it was a magnificent piece of architecture with its striking Chinese-mixed-with-Vietnamese buildings and towers, surrounded by flowing cherry blossoms and the entrance – it was covered in gold and red with birds along with the floor of brick-layer of red waves. Aerith looked at this wonderful structure with her eyes wide open and legs standing still, furthermore when Sephiroth managed to catch up he looked in astonishment that the woman was right – that Hue Port is beautiful.
"Race you to the port, Sephy!" Aerith shouted as she ran first a few seconds later.
"For the love of…Don't call me 'Sephy'!" He shouted back in disagreement about his nickname. Though he had one trick up his sleeve that would envy her and take back her statement.
Meanwhile, Aerith was 'winning' by miles as she ran near the port, until that is she can see Sephiroth floating fast and eventually got the lead, thanks to his black wing.
"Hey! That's not fair! You're using your wing!" she chuckled while she ran, though rather disillusioned she was losing.
"Well, your legs have a lot more air resistance than my wing!" He chuckled back and for the first time in his entire life, Sephiroth actually smiled to Aerith that she was a good friend to him and she never left her happiness behind with him.
By the time the two have entered the port, they saw those beautiful gondolas that were rowing down. Black on the outside only to be covered in gold scales of the dragon's head and its tails; on the inside, this is anything but! Patterns from the Orient, beautifully silk seats in many colours and Aerith wanted to get on quickly, acting like a child.
"Can we get on those gondolas, please?" She pleaded with her puppy eyes to the One Winged Angel.
"But what about the cost of getting on it? I've never rode on a gondola and neither have you!" Sephiroth exclaimed with some concern that this was his first experience riding on water and stood back a bit, felt a bit scared due to Aerith's sudden child ego appearing.
"Who cares about experiences? And besides, I have plenty of money to spend just for us."
"Save for the currency exchange stuff!"
Once that they paid the person at the stand with munny, though with a bit of luck and Aerith's charm, the strange short man pushed the 'two lovers' from the boarding platform to the stream of the crimson river that surrounds the beautiful landscapes that God created and it was a perfect picturesque sky of blue and white puffy clouds. Though there was silence between Aerith and Sephiroth, who sat opposite to each other, she decided that she might as well socialise with him, before it gets too awkward.
"Urm…you've got a nice body Sephiroth." She spoke embarrassingly as her face blushed.
"What makes you say that all of a sudden?" He asked in a puzzled look
"Well, since you're cooped up in Olympus Coliseum, I would have imagined you've been exercising so much."
"I don't really do excessive work out for most of my life, like Hercules."
"But I saw you as a very athletic person when defeating some of the opponents, including Sora."
"Him?" He shook his head at that time "I only went soft towards him, because he's just a boy. As for Bach, he was a strange person, but a challenging opponent."
"Oh."
"So, what do you want to talk about, before I'll carry on talking on this subject matter?"
Aerith fiddled with her fingers for a few moments, until she had a question. "Did you have a childhood dream, Sephiroth? A goal, that no matter how difficult it takes, to accomplish?"
"…Yes, but tell me yours first, Aerith."
"Okay, but you may laugh at this. Ever since when I was a child, I've been living in Hollow Bastion for the rest of my early days. Then one night, I looked up at the window and saw many stars; I wondered for many minutes thinking that maybe the stars are sometimes uncharted new worlds that no one has ever reached. I talked to my mother, Ilfana, once about going to the new worlds and she found it ridiculous. I was upset at that time, because no Gummi ship could ever take me there and even Leon said I was useless at piloting one, if I sneak out without permission.
"Suddenly, while I was in the library trying to find maps, I found a book that describes the myths of the creatures, including the One Winged Angel, i.e. you."
"…"
"However, as I read the description of the creatures, I accidentally saw a note that was dropped from the book. I picked it up, unfolded it and much to my astonishment that note was from my father, who I never seen or met since I was a baby."
"What did the note say?"
"I couldn't remember it, but it describes about his research on the Archangel Michael and his artefacts that locked Lost Eden for thousand of years or something. I was a bit confused and didn't know what it was, so I threw it away."
"…"
"To cut a long story short, my real childhood dream is to go to the new worlds and hopefully finding my father there, if he was and still is alive. But that ended in tragedy once, as my mother went missing when the Heartless invaded my home and Leon, Yuffie and I were forced to flee to Traverse Town with Cid. The rest was history, until now. So, what was yours?"
Sephiroth sighed as he reached something personal from his left sleeve. "I was the same as you, except I lived in a world not far from your world and I've never met my father ever since. People always stare at me as a child, because I have a black wing and they were afraid of me. Some called me a monster, others 'an One Winged Angel that always brings bad luck'. I got very upset at that instant, but there was one person very special to me that wasn't frightened of my appearance; that one special person was my mother."
"Your mother?"
"Yes, she was the only one that comforted me from some rather disturbances that kept me living from committing suicide. She cared for me through my childhood, even though she tried to cover the explanation about my wing. However, then an invasion of the Heartless swallowed my home as well as I went unconscious in one minute and in the next, I ended up awake in Olympus Coliseum for the rest of my life; leaving my mother missing.
"Year after year, instead of doing intense training of what that faun told me to do, I always looked up beyond the blue sky, always wishing my mother she would be alive here with me. But it didn't. Suddenly, one night, I had this strange dream."
"What was that strange dream?"
"I was in a field of flowers, where there is always tranquillity. I walked on and followed a path, until I saw a girl, dressed in white. She had long, dark chestnut brown hair and those light brown eyes. She looked at me and said, 'I'm closer to my destiny'."
"Your destiny?"
"I thought that was ridiculous about stuff in past, but she kept appearing in my dreams and I wish she would stop bugging me. When I was about to receive Masamune after many training six years ago, I saw her again. She always smiled at me, which I was disturbed and told me, 'to hold on Masamune for as long as I can hold and she will be awaken soon'. It didn't make sense to me, until now when I saw her as a huge robot.
"In other words, my childhood dream still lives on – once I get enough prize munny from the tournament, my plan was about to build a Gummi ship to travel many worlds, so that I can search for my mother. However, it seems to be backfired in the form of Bach in his huge ship made from different technology and you coming along."
"Yeah, my childhood was also backfired too when you showed up, along with Bach and the others." She chuckled slightly and soon followed the same action by Sephiroth.
"You must be the first person that I can actually see you, as a friend. Unlike you, in the past, many people just ignore talking to me, either because I look scary or they fear me as the One Winged Angel – the bringer of world destruction." He then gave her something special from his sleeves of the robe to her palm.
"What's this?" Aerith asked as she looked at this wonderful medium-sized navy blue locket, with beautiful gold drawings of the sun, the moon, the earth and many lines of constellation names in Latin.
"My compass locket my mother gave to me as a present, before she went missing. If you look closely at front, you should see my mother's name." Aerith did, looking very closely at the compass locket and found the word.
" 'Lu-cre-cia'? Is that it?" She asked and Sephiroth nodded in reply. As she opened the locket, she saw two sides. The right composed of detailed gold decoration of angels, the silver lettings of 'North', 'South', 'East' and 'West' and an arrow-shape needle that is tinted with red on one plane, the other silver. The left is a picture of Sephiroth's supposed mother, yet he inherited her beautiful face and her emerald eyes, except for the round glasses and she was carrying must be the baby Sephiroth. "Your mother, she's so beautiful. No wonder you look like her."
"I want you to keep it as a gift."
"But I can't have it. It has a photo of you as a baby and your mother and I can't take something that's personal to you!"
"I know, but once my mother told me a tale about this compass. She said to me…
"Should your heart and the heart you are protecting gets separated far away,
Pray with all your might and the needle will point to the right direction."
It was minutes, maybe hours to Sephiroth and Aerith, since the 'two lovers' have been on the gondola, talking to each other about their childhood dreams, riding gently on the crimson river that has a scent of perfume with the sights of stunning scenery. Subsequently, she went to sit next him, much to the One Winged Angel's dischargin, clearly that she's a little tired and that she told him his shoulder worked better as a pillow than the silk seat.
In spite of this quiet environment in such short time, a cruel express amusement was heard behind Sephiroth and Aerith's position.
"The One Winged Angel and his lover on a romantic trip. How nice." Maliciously smirked the voice.
"Sephiroth, what are we're going to do?" She asked nervously as she stayed in his side "We can't call anyone for help."
"Maybe we don't," He replied cautiously as he was about to unsheathe Masamune and looked at the crimson river at the same time "I can handle this by myself."
Meanwhile, the voice from the front of the gondola came from a person dressed in a black cape covered by a black mask that enclosed the top half of his pale face; floating without touching the river. The black stranger was waiting for Sephiroth's action, yet there is nothing, but silence.
He chuckled with a smile that could be called evil. "So, you wanted to play a little game, eh? Okay, then I'll give you till the count of…what!" He'd never noticed that from his view of the clear crimson river, a black dash came quickly towards him and suddenly by the time it reaches the surface, it turned into a swirling scarlet twister and hit the dark person giving some considerable damage.
"Oh very good!" sarcastically remarked the black stranger, as he shielded from the tornado with his arms crossed. "So, you are very skilful Sephiroth or should I say, 'One Winged Angel' – The Bringer of Misfortune!" As soon as the twister returned to the surface, he saw that Sephiroth was ready for battle, Masamune in position for the offensive stance and emerald green eyes fixed for the target face-to-face.
"Call me whatever you want." Sephiroth remarked coldly "However, in exchange for your taunts, I want to know your name."
"Funny you should say that." The black stranger chuckled as he revealed his hood and his mask showing the One Winged Angel the complete opposite look of himself – golden long hair and sapphire blue eyes – and the most surprising part, two wings of bones from his back, featherless. "I am Astaroth the Fallen Angel."
"Fallen Angel?"
"Indeed. Whereas the One Winged Angel brings misfortune and world destruction, the Fallen Angel takes the lives of the Angel of the white feathers as well as the raven black and that includes you!"
"Pfft. Are you here to take my life just because I have a wing on my back?"
Astaroth laughed manically to the One Winged Angel about that question.
"Take your life? That's really better! In fact, I'm going to fight you to the death with my friends. Come here Muramasa and Murasame!" He summoned his 'friends' to his hands, or in other words, two identical katanas with their names. Muramasa on his left hand, Murasame on his right and he got into his stance. The one-on-one battle of the One Winged Angel versus the Fallen Angel has begun. "Now, let's see who's the best Angel in swordplay."
Gondola
Aerith couldn't do nothing to watch the mêlée against two Angels on a gondola, she needed some course of action.
Sephiroth needs some help. He doesn't even what's he up against! I mean, Fallen Angels are a lot worse than One Winged Angels in terms of strength and agility. Wait a minute, I remember before the event that everyone left me alone in the Akagi Space Port; Eliza gave me this, in case of emergency. Oh, what do you call it? Ah, the mobile phone, that's it!
She reached the pocket from her skirt and got her mobile phone, flip the cover, dial the number and hopefully Eliza will pick that phone up.
Come on Eliza! Please pick up that phone!
Lukia National Library, Akagi
"Two hours in and still not good on finding enough info for Seraphiel's Compass!" Alda complained as she nearly gave up on the huge stack of books Eliza 'selected' and began to crash her head on it.
"Well, we've tried the encyclopaedias, history books, ancient history books, ancient mechanism books, physics journals and archaeologists journals." Eliza said it quickly in a list. "Do you want to start at religious history texts, Alda?"
"No, but do you have a book titled, 'Getting Off Stress from Library for Dummies'?
Abruptly, the two girls heard something familiar, like a polyphonic ring tone.
"Umm, Eliza?" Alda asked with some sarcastic look.
"Yes, Alda?" Eliza replied with a perplexed face.
"Is that your mobile ringtone?"
Gondola
"Umm, hello?" Aerith can her Eliza's voice!
"Eliza, it's me, Aerith!"
"Aerith? Wow! That's the first time someone from the Heart Star System using the technology from our own."
"Eliza, this isn't the time for praising me on gadgets! I'm on a gondola, somewhere in one of the Lukia canals."
"What! Sephiroth's in danger?"
"Yes, please contact the others ASAP, if you can!"
"Okay, will do."
With the mobile phone hung on, Aerith hoped the Eliza and the other crew were here as soon as possible, though she had no choice, but to watch the progress on the two Angels.
However, on the floating battlefield, despite some valiant jumps and evasion performed by the One Winged Angel, Sephiroth couldn't understand why he is losing the battle against Astaroth with such strength and agility…until he lost concentration as the Fallen Angel actually hit him very hard by Muramasa and Murasame's cross slash attack, resulting in the crimson river sharp dive. Luckily, Sephiroth does have one advantage of getting back to surface and landed on the side of the building; lengthening his Masamune.
"Where's Masamune's strength?" He asked evilly as he began to clash the One Winged Angel's blade with his two 'Muras'.
"I wish I would, but I couldn't tell you." He replied as Sephiroth counterattacked with Fire Storm and went on direct contact to the weapon.
CLASH!
"Oh, is it because you're afraid of the Fallen Angel, like me taking every last feather of yours?"
CLASH!
"No, I already shed a few ones, but you are worse than the insane version of myself back in Terra!"
CLASH!
"Really? I'll take that as a compliment!"
CLASH!
"You're welcome, you twisted monster!"
CLASH!
"I have enough of this weapon clashing with you! Why don't I finish this charade once for all?"
With a sinful laugh, Astaroth sheathed Muramasa from his back, chanted a few foreign words and a sky blue aura appeared from his left hand. Sephiroth stopped that this opponent was no ordinary one and went into defensive position.
"So, is this my punishment for bringing misery upon yourself?"
"Hahahaha! Think of it as your early birthday gift! LUCIFER'S FEATHERS!"
And suddenly, his boned wings from his back became apart, curved into many tiny pieces of sharp feather-like objects as well as making direct contact with the One Winged Angel. At first, Sephiroth twirled Masamune like a shield, but after ten or so 'bone feathers' deflected, another hit on his right shoulder, making his katana lost its self-protective twirl shield and in a vulnerable position as they directly strike on him. His limbs, his body, his wing; they were so damaged, the 'bone feathers' hit the One Winged Angel hard and landed on the building not far the gondola, where Aerith was there looked horrified seeing Sephiroth seriously injured. He felt the pain, not just the building received more damage to him, but the injuries themselves were hurting him and coughing up the blood.
Astaroth was coming to him, amusing himself with vile personality and once he sheathed Murasame on his back, grabbed Sephiroth's neck on his left hand.
"So what do you think of my gift, huh One Winged Angel?" He cackled with such cruel delight as he magically used his right hand to 'dive' into the One Winged Angel's chest and grabbed the bones that is connected to his back, though that would make Sephiroth gasping for breath as his emerald green iris and pupils were getting smaller, his eye lids were opened widely and dropped Masamune into the crimson river.
"Oh, you can't speak and wish to die? Very well…"
"STOP IT!" Aerith's voice shouted with courage as Astaroth and Sephiroth, though with a pale face, both looked at the gondola, where the girl was standing, holding to the dragon's head and her was a mixture of anger and tearful.
"What's this? A pathetic young woman defending for you?" The Fallen Angel laughed with such evil in himself.
"IF YOU DON'T LET GO OF SEPHIROTH, I'LL GIVE YOU A SPANKING IN YOUR ENTIRE LIFE!"
"Hahahahaha! You would save your boyfriend with no weapon from me?"
"He's not my boyfriend! Just a best friend to him, you evil monster!"
"Best friend? That's even better than a boyfriend!"
"Aerith…" Sephiroth gasped as he struggled to speak with her. "…please…get…out of…here. Astaroth…will…kill…you…next…if…you…don't…" and he painfully screamed as Astaroth gave him more.
As for Aerith, however, she didn't move an inch as she shook head and hold the compass locket tightly in her right hand. "You saved me in Olympus Coliseum, then in Terra and in Akagi Sephiroth. It's time that I should repay your debt of saving you instead."
"Aaaawww!" Astaroth mockingly exclaimed with happiness. "What a brave thing to say. Sayonara One Winged Angel – Bringer of Misfortune and World Destruction!"
And then Sephiroth, in his eyes, saw a bright light.
Am I going to die? Did I fail to protect Aerith?
'No, you are not. You are still protecting her.'
Jehovah?
'Yes, I am here. Do not give up.'
But I've lost the battle against Astaroth.
'But you have not lost the war against him. Do not lose hope.'
Hope…what do I have?
'Your mother's will and that girl's courage. You must not lose them, not just Masamune.'
Not lose them…? Wait…I remember that promise I gave to Aerith, before that battle with Astaroth…
Author's Notes: First things first, I'm not actually good at love scenes as well as action stuff, so I'll let your head do your imagination on those. Second, Lukia City was the inspiration that I based this in the mixture of Venice and that conceptual art from the original Crimson Sea. And yes, another mysterious character has entered in and I did not ripped if off from Shadow Hearts II! I mean, would you see Astaroth from I described in this version looked more human than SHII or the Soul Calibur series? And yes, Lucrecia gets mentioned in here, but in a different context, as I want to keep the plot a little secret.
So, why did I make an Aeriseph fanfiction that is pretty much different from any other Aeriseph ones, like aer-seph-4-ever's huge 'epic' To Love an Ancient and Jenesis-X's 'Irony of Fate' series (please read this first. It's brilliant)? Well, originally this was supposed to set in the FF7 world, but then I found out maybe I should go into the Kingdom Hearts version and dig deeper into the two main characters, as I found it hard to put Aeris (note the different spelling at the end) and the insane version of Sephiroth into the Nimbus Galaxy (you can read in Journeys Four and Five). Unlike those fanfictions, I wanted Aerith and Sephiroth to be best friends for the time being, then at later chapters, developed into a love story. And why put it in the sci-fi genre? I guess I'm a fan of science fiction RPGs, like Xenosaga and Crimson Sea and my head went crazy as I combined an Aeriseph story into the sci-fi genre and voila! Nimbus Exploration, the 'first' sci-fi Aeriseph fanfiction, is created!
Well I hope you enjoyed the latest chapter of my first 'sci-fi-action/adventure-love' fanfiction and thanks again to the Aeriseph fans and Black Malva who supported me to carry one doing this. Without you, there will be no Aeriseph fanfiction like any other. Reviews are welcome, but flames and anti-Aeriseph ones will be used for Satan's latest bubble-baths creations.