Journey Twenty – Influx
Jehovah cockpit
"Cloud, what the hell are you doing here?" Sephiroth asked in a livid manner as the blonde-spiky haired person's portrait was shown on the One Winged Angel's holographic screen.
"I was asking the same question to you!" Cloud's acid-tone reply came in just seconds after his question "Where were you before you disappear from Olympus Coliseum two years ago?"
"Let's just say that fate brought me into this mess!"
"Fate? Then why on Hollow Bastion is Aerith with you? Has she got something in common? Or did you lure you her, so you get can yourself a girlfriend for once, you fool!"
"Look, I didn't lure Aerith myself, you chocobo-boy! She came with me through her own free will, as do Yuffie and Leon!"
"Feh! But what about our fight two years ago? Did you forget something we need to settle our scores?"
"Look! I don't have time for this! We can do our little business later and right now, you're in my way! There's this 'person' I want to eliminate!"
"Tch! Fine with that!"
Space
With seconds of weapon deadlock being loose, Cloud's MA pulled out from battle and with Jehovah, they surrounded the Giant MA Jennifer with incredible speed, but they were no match for Jennifer's ability to sneak behind and cause greater damage to both at double the speed at the same time.
However, they regained their energy sooner as Jehovah pulled out Masamune and clashed 'blade-to-blade' to Jennifer as it, too pulled out its two-handed blade axe from its back and started attacking the both MAs. First, Cloud's MA was striking behind Jennifer, gaining the advantage, while Jehovah was the decoy of distracting Jennifer. But Jennifer was no fool as it already sensed the enemy's presence and counterattacked by swinging the blade towards the target, forcing Cloud's MA to block the guard.
As for Jehovah, it had no choice, but to pull back from the close-combat range and fired long range 'feathers' missiles, while avoiding Jennifer's unexpected dark missiles in a Chinese Crane dance formation.
Overall, it seems that Jennifer was a fiercer opponent than any other that Jehovah face and even though it had teamed up with Cloud's MA to double the chance of defeating the enemy, the 'Giant MA' was never going to give up and continued fighting both the MAs.
Inside Cloud's MA, cockpit
Cloud was struggling every time on defeating this 'Giant MA', even though this was first time on experiencing the pilot position, with all of his limbs in function.
Dammit! Even though I'm inexperienced on piloting this MA or whatever it is, I still have to settle scores with Sephiroth! And before I knew it, this bloody 'Giant' came and attacked his MA! I'll better do this quick!
"Cloud…" spoke Sephiroth's struggled voice, since even the One Winged Angel had problems on turning on the holographic, though more experienced.
"What now!" The chocobo-boy exclaimed as he too, found difficult to control and talk at the same time "Can't you see, I'm in a bloody tight spot?"
"Cloud, just listen for Hollow Bastion's sake! It's no use on attacking Jennifer together all at once, so we need to devise a plan!"
"So, got any ideas, so called One Winged Angel?"
"Does your MA have special abilities, like Jehovah's 'Archangel's Blade attack?"
"Yes, but I haven't even tried out, due to inexperience on piloting one, unlike you."
"Listen; use that ability, while I distract the 'Giant' using Jehovah's ability. When Masamune is about to contact to Jennifer's Blade Axe, just use that! Do you understand?"
"…Yeah, I get it."
"You better be or I'll never forgive you!"
"Heh, same goes for you. I don't want you to get killed by it!"
With seconds of communication temporarily broke, Cloud could see Jehovah striking at Jennifer, with Masamune's blade shining brightly even more for the 'Archangel Blade' attack and he was ready.
There! Here's my Debut!
"ARCHANGEL'S BLADE!" Both Aerith and Sephiroth shouted in unison via communicator.
"OMNI-HEX-SLASH!" Cloud barked.
Space
After Jehovah made its way, even though when striking to Jennifer's barrier, the giant had no problem on blocking in full effect, for some reason, the 'One Winged' MA pulled out, as well as the light and now, was at the centre of six different giant swords surrounded it and in a blur, the first sword was taken and batter directly to the giant MA.
SLASH!
In a quick instant, the second sword was occupied in addition to another quick and powerful blow.
SLASH!
The third sword disappeared quickly as the blur 'punched' Jennifer.
SLASH!
The fourth sword was drawn rapidly and another cut blown.
SLASH!
The fifth sword went straight ahead to it and with it, heavy damage.
SLASH!
The sixth and final sword was taken away; teaming up with Jehovah at the opposite, they ran in ungodly lightening speed and dealt very heavy damage to Jennifer and finish it at crossing each other's path.
SLASH!
They stood still and turned around to see Jennifer nearly broken down, but in a sudden twist, the Giant MA disappeared into the portal; leaving the two MAs floating into space, until the vessel, Vatican arrived in the scene, ready to pick them up after a good fight.
Several hours later in Meeting room, Vatican
"…I don't know what even happen to Leon and Yuffie, after Adrian, Alda, Rufus and I were knocked unconscious by the XIII Order members." Bach finished explaining on his interpretation of the last event he remembered "However, since I'm up-to-date with the business that you guys, as well as Sephiroth and Cloud's fillers, I guess it's down to look for the path to Lost Eden."
Silence. There was moments of them when the whole crew, including Sephiroth, Aerith, Yuffie, Leon and Cloud, when they attempted to consider the best course of action. However, this tick of peace was marginalised by the growing threat of Sephiroth and Cloud, exchanging glares at each other, ironically opposite to each other as well. Nevertheless, Aerith put her gentle soft hand on the One Winged Angel's warm palm, as a gesture to stop this nonsense.
"How did you know you found the whole gang, Cloud?" Yuffie asked quickly as she spoke for the first time.
"Do you really want to know?" Cloud's reply came rather bitterly "I'm not in a chatterbox mood to talk, especially when Sephiroth's around."
"Well excuser moi for having my presence deepen worse to you." Sephiroth smirked acrimoniously, as his emerald green eyes narrowed at the blonde spiky haired swordsman.
"Do you wanna fight here, right now? I'll be glad to take you down!"
"Guys, this is not the Olympus Coliseum!" Aerith exclaimed softly as she was disapproved to this action.
"Fine!" He sighed greatly, but sat up straight to start the explanation "The reason I'm here with you…" he glared at the One Winged Angel furiously "…especially with Sephiroth, is this: Over two years ago, I was about to participate the tournament in the Olympus Coliseum, though the traffic has been overwhelmed, so I was literally stuck, until the incident happened. I ran, but I was distracted by these crimson monsters from nowhere and I had no choice, but to fight through my way and at the end of it, not only there was a bloody mess in the arena, from that time, Aerith and Sephiroth disappeared without a trace.
"Shattered that you two were missing for the last two years, I searched for you on every world I can manage to find, only to find out that I haven't you on every single world! And then, just when I thought my luck has worsened, I heard news that Yuffie and Leon disappeared from Hollow Bastion immediately. I dashed as fast as possible only to discover only Cid and some moogles were there…"
Two years ago in Hollow Bastion
"I've told ya," Cid remarked angrily "Leon and Yuffie are going to save Aerith and Sephiroth with help from these strange folks in some faraway planet that I've never heard of."
"But you know where they're going, right?" Cloud asked to Cid, in a more worried state.
"Look, Spiky! I'm not some intellect that knows everything! I don't know what these kids were going, as they left without a word to me and now, you want to go there as well?"
"I just want to know where they're going…as well as settling the scores with Sephiroth."
"Well, if you want to know where the kids were gone, you're too late for the train. Even I don't know where the coordinates to some world!"
"What? Then how am I going to find a way to catch to them?"
All hope for Cloud seem very lost indeed, but Cid was just standing there, chewing his toothpick, until he jolted his head, giving a shed of light to the spiky haired swordsman.
"However, I'm not sure this'll help you or not, but those Yeager folks from the planet that I've never even heard, er, what is it called again? Ah, yes. Second Eden…"
"Second Eden…?"
"Yeah, those folks gave us some new technology I can mess with my Gummi ship. I'm not sure of how they work, but they'll take you to that place."
"Are you really sure about this?"
"'Really sure about this'? The hell I am! However, this'll take me some time to build the Gummi ship with that new technology from scratch; so you'll have no choice, but to wait for a while."
"And a while it did. Because of the new technology that made Cid hard to handle, it took him no less than two years to finish the job and as soon I went on board to the Gummi Ship, I went to the place, called 'Second Eden' and search for the clues."
Kei's Bookstore, Second Eden
"You wanted to search for Sephiroth and the others?" The Afro-Edian person asked in surprise "I'm afraid you're a bit late to tell me. They've gone somewhere on some investigation about Lost Eden or something. If you want to find them, then ask my younger sister. She's an acquaintance to Sephiroth, so she could help you. And please buy the books. We've having a half-price sale on the Jane Austen novels!"
Project Y check-up room, Yeager Enterprises Research and Development Department Building, Second Eden
"Eh?" Eliza exclaimed surprisingly, while Yazoo was sleeping on the job "Why are asking me that question? Of course, Sephiroth and the others are gone, with the exception of Yazoo and me of course, to investigate the Lost Eden incident, but I don't know what they're going to do with it."
"Then, tell me," Cloud remarked politely to her "I've heard that Sephiroth is riding on this, MA you've built to make."
"Sephiroth's MA? But that wasn't our…"
"I don't really care! You're got more advanced technology than Cid does way back, so please. Make the MA very same to Sephiroth's."
"Er…I don't think that's possible to create an MA that is on-par with Sephiroth's MA power and strength. But I can try making one. Though I need to get permission from the director, get the designs sorted out, get the standard seal of approval, before construction be…"
"But how long does that MA is completed?"
"Hmm...Maybe three to six months, though that could take longer if it was an experimental one!"
Present
"And after a few months before I saved you from that giant, the MA was completed, though that Eliza woman christened Fernier for no absolute reason, and the rest you could say, is history."
"Pfft!" Sephiroth sulked with disgust "Did that happen in the Heart Star System two years ago? I found it quite boring when you say it!" And afterwards, he stood up and left the meeting room quietly and quickly, follow by Aerith who soon went after him, subsequent to Cloud's story.
"Aerith, why is she with Sephiroth?" Cloud tensed to the people that knew the couple a lot.
"…I don't really know." Yuffie answered in an unusually morbid behaviour, not her natural self "…But what Leon and I know is that Sephiroth is very close to Aerith for some time now. He needs her when the self-proclaimed One Winged Angel cannot fly without its wing and…" Her cheeks were blushing very red as she nearly lost her speech "…she needs him when her courage gets lost in many worlds…"
"…" Cloud could not believe on what the kunoichi had said to him. Sephiroth needs Aerith? That's…just shit! Sephiroth's not just some person who would need someone…he's my darkness that won't just come out!
Meanwhile in the recreational area, Sephiroth was slamming his fist directly at the table hard, gotten angry after meeting with Cloud after a while. However, the anger tense that surrounded the room eventually faded into serene comfort as Aerith entered the room and sat next to the One Winged Angel.
"Is there something wrong with you, Sephiroth?" She asked first tremblingly as she thought that he would not reply the answer, but thankfully he did.
"…No, just an acquaintance I met some years back."
"I see…then I wonder why is this Cloud is so angry to see you."
"…You wouldn't understand as I'm going to explain to you of why that chocobo-boy and I were not meant to be friends."
"But I understand that! You protected me from these unfortunate accidents over the past two years and I protected you when your sword cannot penetrate in the field where you're helpless! And you've with me ever since, so I've been so close to you now; even when you kissed me! Not to mention you told me on the promise made in Akagi!"
Sephiroth was reluctant to give Aerith the bad new, but she wanted to know what the relationship between Cloud and him, so he gave a big sigh and had no choice, but to say it. After all, he was very close to her for the past two years.
"…Fine, if you really must know. Before you entered the scene in the Olympus Coliseum two years prior, Cloud and I were not the best of friends. You see, I don't know if the fake myths that One Winged Angels carry bad luck, but several years back…"
Several years ago in Olympus Coliseum
"So, you came…Cloud."
"And so did you…Sephiroth."
"Hmm…now why would you be here? Have you got any explanation to as you're here?"
"…Were you the responsible for making my home world come to the darkness?"
"…What do you mean?"
"Don't ask with that look! Ever since we were young, I saw the whole thing swallowed up by the darkness and the myths are true…One Winged Angels are considered to bring bad luck and destruction."
"…So why are you telling me that? That's just nonsense, like what my mother told me ages ago."
"THEN DON'T BELIEVE YOUR MOTHER! Because of that, I felt something horrible inside and then I realize that my darkness…was you."
SLASH!
"Ha! Such twaddle! Why can't you come inside the darkness? I've experienced it once!"
SLASH!
"I don't want to be in your darkness! You've caused so much misery for me! Therefore, in order to be in the light, I must destroy you!
SLASH!
"But you must know, that light…shares the same quality as darkness. It's like Yin and Yang…"
SLASH!
"SHUT UP! I'M NOT HERE TO LISTEN YOUR PHILOSOPHY CRAP!"
SLASH!
"Fine…suit yourself, should you want to fight me. But to tell you the truth…"
SLASH!
"SHUT UP! I DON'T WANT TO HEAR YOUR BLASPHEMOUS LIES!"
Present
"…After the fight and somehow, I won, Cloud disappeared suddenly soon afterwards and never to be seen again. I don't know what happened to him and I don't want to care about it."
"I see. Even though it wasn't you that engulfed the darkness, Cloud was still blind from the actual truth that you're trying to tell him."
"Yeah, coupled with a few taunts at the side. So listen, should Cloud wants me to be alone somewhere, please don't follow me."
"Eh? But…"
"Aerith, there are things that you should not interfere with Cloud and my business. I think it is best to for you to stay away, so that you won't get hurt."
Sephiroth saw Aerith's sad face, knowing that his burden would be too much for her to handle. He knew that if he would told her further on, then this would crush her heart, as her well as her health and when silence took over the area, she stood up and returned to her room. But before she did that, Aerith turned around and spoke to Sephiroth.
"Sephiroth, can you do something, before facing danger further on?"
"Yes."
"Please don't hurt Cloud. I know that he's such a stubborn boy, but…he understands the situation of what's going on anyway."
"Why's that? I don't know if I can hurt Cloud or vice versa."
"After Hollow Bastion was swallowed up, Leon, Yuffie, Cid and I fled and settled to Traverse Town, where Cid went into the Accessories business. Then, a few months later, our younger selves found this poor unconscious boy, who later became Cloud and nursed back into health, until he took off suddenly."
"…"
And then stillness took over the area once more, pending that Sephiroth's mobile phone vibrated in his pocket, took it out and flipped the cover over to see a test message. It read:
To: Sephiroth
From: Cloud Strife
I saw you talking to Aerith. Are you trying to lure her, so that the depth of darkness is greater, bastard?
He replied with touches of pads.
To: Cloud Strife
From: Sephiroth
Luring Aerith into the depth of darkness? I think you just misunderstood chocobo-boy.
He pressed the button that sent the message, only to get a reply seconds later.
To: Sephiroth
From: Cloud Strife
Don't lie to me! Why are you still alive and still got bad luck with you? Shouldn't you be best left alone without Aerith and die in agony?
Another reply Sephiroth made.
To: Cloud Strife
From: Sephiroth
I would like to die, but I can't. You still misunderstood, even today. I need Aerith and she needs me, because if we were to split up without survival, then either one of us will die. It's a fact of life.
Pressing the 'send' button and getting a reply quickly later.
To: Sephiroth
From: Cloud Strife
Fact of life? I think you're the misunderstood one! You always want something that's selfish to you! Enough with the words, I challenge you to the duel!
He sighed greatly that he had enough of crossing swords with the chocobo-boy, but with his reply:
To: Cloud Strife
From: Sephiroth
Fine, bring it on. Just reply me with the location and I'll be there.
KNOCK! KNOCK!
"Come in!" Aerith shouted, as she was sitting on the bed, while the door opened and surprisingly, Sephiroth came in and sat down beside her.
A few seconds later, his arms surrounded her gentle body and forced both of their bodies to fall onto the pillows, as he touched her slender chestnut brown hair and the same went to Aerith, touching his strands of long platinum hair. Unexpectedly, what happened next was the two kissing each other and fall into embrace, in addition to the mood into the area, as the only lighting in the room was the black blanket of shining stars outside.
"Whatever you do Aerith, please don't leave me."
"I will. And please Sephiroth, don't leave me too. I'll be lonely if I'm in there."
"Don't worry, if we wound up into the darkness, there's even a small glint of hope and light beyond the darkness."
However, all this bliss was a short moment, as the 'next day', Aerith woke up to find out that Sephiroth had disappeared without a message to say otherwise.
"Sephiroth…?" She gasped in surprise.
Author's Notes: Another chapter done, another suspense ending to top it all off. I like giving out surprises to you, readers. Unlike some AeriSeph fanfictions that had Cloud and Sephiroth completely misunderstood each other, I think I'm going to make Cloud misunderstands everything, because I didn't want to add him right away, until later chapters, where the plot goes darker.
Now, as for the dialogue part in the bit where Cloud and Sephiroth met each other the last time several years ago, there's no action descriptions (can't be arsed to describe those), so if you want some action to go along, do that in your head and let the imagination take its course. I always wanted to do different with the way people write their fanfictions, so I went experimental with this one. And then, there's my new obsession with World Embryo…dammit! When on Earth Daisuke Moriyama's going to finish chapter 14? I can't wait that long! And then, there are my top three favourite characters in that category so far (Neene is in third, 'cause she's just so cute! Followed by Takao, because he wields a katana and he such a great, but mysterious character to have and the overall top place is obviously Riku (No, don't confuse with the Kingdom Hearts bloke), due to his physical 'weirdly cute appearances' and his somewhat flawed anti-hero reluctant personality. I love main characters with flawed talents), but I'm talking too much World Embryo now, so I'll just stop there.
Big thanks to many AeriSeph fans, including Lily Silver, Tish, turtlerad17, Foi and many wondering people who are reading my fanfiction! Keep sending some reviews and comments in (as long as none of them have FLAMERS) and more extra goodness, in the form of…NIMBUS DETOUR! And for disclaimer's sake, a few of the AeriSeph fanfictions aren't mine, they belong to its respective AeriSeph fan-authors.
Nimbus Detour – Bypass Seven – Fanfiction
"ARGH!"
Everyone murmured on who screamed in the first place, but as Aerith, Leon, Yuffie and Cloud came into the room, they soon find out it was Sephiroth staring at the computer, his emerald green eyes widen madly.
"Eh?" Yuffie smirked with curiosity "Sephiroth, have gone madly again?"
"No!" He replied angrily "But look! I was about to go to the internet to look for information about Second Eden, until I went into this fanfiction website."
"Huh?" Everyone gasped in exasperation.
"Oh let it me look!" Yuffie exclaimed as she snatched the mouse from the One Winged Angel and clicked to this somewhat 'exotic' fanfiction, where the content inside there was more embarrassing than gossip "Whoa! I never knew I'm reading a 'yaoi' or 'slash' fanfiction! And let's see, 'then Sephiroth's hand touch Clou…'"
"FOR GOD'S SAKE, DON'T CONTINUE READING THIS RUBBISH YUFFIE!" Sephiroth and Cloud unusually both scolded to the kunoichi, after realizing she was a slash fanfiction that involves both of them.
"Okay, okay! I won't continue reading, so where next? I know! I'm going to filter the search for some Cloud and Aerith pairing fanfictions!"
"Huh?" Chocobo-boy gasped, while Aerith was perplexed about the moment.
"Let's see, how many 'Clerith' or 'Aerud' or 'Cleris' or whatever pairing fanfictions are there?" She scrolled down on the two characters search, and a few seconds later…"OH MY GOD! THERE ARE ABOUT TWENTY-SIX PAGES OF THESE TITLES INVOLVING THEM?"
"What? Let me see! I want to read a selection of them!"
"Oh no you don't!" Sephiroth exclaimed as he snatched the mouse from the spiky-haired swordsman and went on to filter the search "There's too many of them, so I'll search on these characters!" He scrolled down on the two characters that he chose, funnily enough it was Aerith and Sephiroth himself and when the page finished loading, he found some amazingly titles.
"Huh, 'Unspoken'?" Aerith asked in a curious manner "Can I have a look?"
"Oh sure."
She clicked at the title and after reading a few chapters, her face blushed, and for some reason Yuffie too, as she read the last words of the chapter so far "I never expected to see Sephiroth not talking in the entire chapters."
"Really? That'll shut him up for a while." Cloud sarcastically remarked.
"Shut up, you idiot!" Sephiroth snapped as he pressed a few 'Back' buttons and look for another title. "Let's see here, what should we look for next? What's this, 'Lost In The Shadows'?"
"And what the hell is 'CloTi'? Some person who has two uppercase letters in their name?"
"You dummy, the 'Ti' part might be…hmm, 'Tifa'?"
"'Tifa'?"
"Oh shut up and read the damn thing!"
Several minutes of reading chapters later, to which Aerith, Leon and Yuffie left the room, leaving Sephiroth and Cloud, though not in a sexual relationship.
"Who the hell is 'Toyori'?"
"Are you sure your brain is left in space?"
"No! I don't want to imagine of what he looks like and what's the deal with his 'girlfriend'? Are they the monsters?"
"Cloud, do you want to continue looking and reading as some fanfictions or heaven forbid, force you to reading the 'Sephiroth-slash-Cloud' yaoi fanfictions?"
"Argh! Not that! I don't want to vomit over those!"
"Good, now what's next here." Sephiroth scrolled down on some titles, but the one title that caught him the most surprising and somewhat disturbing was this title he clicked on.
"'Helium Insanity'? Eurgh!"
"What? Let me read!" Cloud read a few paragraphs from the chapter, only to find out that he was laughing unusually "Oh my God! You're being tortured by Aerith herself! That's so funny!"
"Funny my arse! Can't we go to another title, where the disturb bits are less wild than they are?"
And after looking at some more titles, the two found this suspicious title.
"'Nimbus Exploration'?"
"And it's written by a person who loves someone called 'Sho'? "
"What the? Who would have the right mind to read this sort of crap, which is written by someone who loves this Sho? I mean, that's wrong!"
"Cloud, I think you've gone a little overboard on this issue. Shall we read on?"
And after some deliberations, chapters that seems to be going on forever and bonus chapters that can very non-canon to the fanfiction, Cloud and Sephiroth came to read the final sentence of this bonus side chapter that they were reading now.
"What the hell! That doesn't make sense to me!"
"Yeah, so do I. I mean, if the paragraph says that these people are reading on the final sentence, doesn't that make more confusing as we talking now?"
"…Sephiroth, for once, I wholeheartedly agree with you. Now, let's make get a review, before anyone else does."
Meanwhile, somewhere around the globe on somewhere called England…
There was a female Vietnamese teenager, whose name shall be remain anonymous, who woke up from an unexpected hangover, possibly too much alcohol, and sat down to turn on the computer and opened her draft for her next fanfiction chapter. However, as she was about to write the next sentence for the third paragraph, she went into the internet to check any reviews for her latest fanfiction. Aside from the usual replies from her friends and fans, she stumbled across two anonymous reviews – one from a person named 'Chocobo Bloke' and the other 'One Silver Angel'. Bemused on what they thought of her latest chapter, she went to look for the reviews and found somewhat shocking.
One from 'Chocobo Bloke' that says: Why on Earth is your name Sho Lover? I mean, shouldn't you at least make a fanfiction about this Sho you love, instead of this crap you've written? Anyway, the plot is wonderful to begin with, only let down by some absurdness of surrealism you've put in and for God's sake, I want to see more of the Cloud/Aerith interaction!
What the…? She thought showing genuine confusion Who the hell is 'Chocobo Bloke' and why does he think my username should have been the focus of fanfictions? That idiot must have a brain to know, that there are other characters and pairings that I love! Not just him!
And then she read from this 'One Silver Angel': I must thank you for bringing such wonderful plot you bring in, especially the interaction between Aerith and Sephiroth, but also the characterising Hojo as a father figure in Journeys sixteen and seventeen. However, I must point out the cricitsm that you made for the bonus chapter shown in Journey twenty – the plot is so not funny, I can just imagine John Cleese laughing at you for trying that and this makes no sense at all. Please, nest time on writing the next bonus chapter, make the plot funnier and on the rails!
Eh…? That doesn't seem right. I felt that I'm living in a world, where everyone's a critic, including myself!
Quick Note: I apologise to yaoi pairing fangirls for offending, if my joke seems a little off the scale. But hey, at least, please appreciate that there are heterosexual pairing fangirls (including me) and even bisexual pairing fangirls that you should respect to, not bashing them in with your childish comments. And I have no idea why I made this Detour very weird. Maybe I've got a sense of surreal humour. (Laughs like a true idiot) and anyone that finds a reference to British rock band, The Automatic's song 'Monster', gets a virtual cookie.