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A Past Long Forgotten Chapter 12: Memories
Before Sandra could begin, she began pulling several books out of a satchel she carried over her shoulder. Holding a pen between her teeth, she pulled out a notebook and some papers. "I'll just be minute...!" She promised.
"I'll be right back..." Aeris started, "I think I'll make myself some tea." The thought of tea suddenly struck Aeris as familiar, she suddenly have a flashback to an older blonde man, and an airship she never got to ride... but the image vanished as quickly as it came to her. Sandra nodded, and Sephiroth discreetly followed her to the kitchen.
Sephiroth waited as Aeris put the kettle on the stove. "Aeris..." He began, uneasily.
Aeris turned to him, giving him a concerned look, "What's wrong? Are you alright?"
"I have a terrible feeling about this..." He began, looking down at his boots. "I have a feeling she's going to say something... I don't know, I'm just, nervous, I guess."
Aeris approached him, taking both of her hands in his. "I'm nervous too, Ms. Lamont says she can tell us everything..."
"Vincent won't tell us..." Sephiroth began, "Perhaps there is a reason?"
"I'm not sure, Seph... but I need to know who I am." Aeris' shoulders drooped a bit, she was obviously distressed, "There are so many memories, teasing me, it's almost unbearable."
Sephiroth let go of her hands and pulled her to him in a warm embrace. "I understand. Then we shall learn together."
Aeris looked up at him and smiled. He leaned down and kissed her gently. The teapot whistled and they pulled apart. Aeris kissed his cheek before giving him another smile, and wordlessly prepared a tray for the kettle, sugar, spoons and cups.
Their past was waiting in the other room. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Aeris sat down with a cup of tea in her hands, waiting patiently for Sandra to begin her story. Sephiroth sat beside her. Sandra eyed the two curiously, but said nothing more. She refused a cup of tea, nodding a thanks. "Well, to begin..." Sandra looked to Aeris, "How about we start with you?" Sandra smiled; she pressed record on a small tape recorder and the session began. "This house belonged to your mother, Aeris." Aeris blinked and looked around, "...I guess that makes sense, it did seem familiar." "It belonged to your foster mother, Elmyra Gainsborough." Sandra continued. "Foster mother?" Aeris questioned. "Yes, your real mother was Infalna Gast, the wife of a ShinRA employee, a scientist." "What happened to her?" Aeris asked. "ShinRA pursued her because she was a Cetra, one of the very last." Suddenly it clicked, "I'm Cetra." Aeris began, "I can hear the planet..." Sandra beamed, "Right! Your mother was running away with you, after your father was killed for his betrayal of ShinRA, she was dying when she left you in Elmyra's care." Aeris nodded, "I... remember that." Her face was filled with wonder. Sephiroth smiled, pleased that Aeris could finally remember at least something, even something small.
"My mom... is she...?" Aeris began, nervous.
"She left to live in rocket town with a friend of yours and his wife. Cid and Shera Highwind... Midgar was too dangerous-" Sanra was cut off.
"Cid!!! He married Shera! Oh that's wonderful." Aeris beamed, and suddenly chuckled to herself at the cup of tea in her hands. Not unlike the first cup she had at the pilot's home.
"Oh, I'll have to visit them soon... Mother always was one to worry..." Aeris smiled.
"Aeris, do you remember any of your other friends?" Sandra questioned. She was beginning to wonder when Aeris would remember the journey to save the planet, and of course, her untimely death.
"I remember two other girls, brunettes... but I can't remember their names... and a big man with a machine gun arm, and I remember Vincent-" Aeris stopped talking for a moment, and then began to continue.
"Vincent... a troubled soul, with a tormented past, we met him in the basement of the ShinRA mansion."
"That's him alright." Sandy nodded, "Tifa, Yuffie, and Barret... ring a bell?"
"Those were their names!" Aeris smiled; suddenly they came into focus, "And Cait Sith!" She chuckled, "When we first met him, he told us our fortunes at the gold saucer."
"Right, and your leader-" Sandra began.
Aeris face softened, "Cloud." She said in almost a whisper, "Cloud Strife... one of the most interesting people I'd met."
"He struggled so hard to find himself, is he finally with Tifa?" Aeris wondered, her eyes twinling.
Sandra smiled, "Yes. They're quite the celebrities."
Aeris smiled brightly, "How wonderful. Celebrities, of course..." Aeris chuckled, "You would be too if you saved the planet."
Sandra watched her curiously. It was at that moment that Aeris eyes went wide, her jaw dropped for a moment and memories upon the thousand came flooding back, she pictured herself selling flowers, meeting Cloud, being captured by ShinRA... she remembered Wall Market, Tifa... everyone. She remembered everything about their quest, and she remembered the ancient city. The Cetra told her to pray, and she knew she'd meet her death. He came too fast to see...
"But I smiled once more at Cloud, I wanted him to know everything would be alright." Aeris' eyes filled with tears.
"Sephiroth..."
Sephiroth stared at her; he too had been experiencing the onslaught of memories, all too quickly. He was horrified. He remembered how easily the blade went through her small form. How clean it was, how he smirked when he was finished.
Aeris saw the look on his face, "Sephiroth, it's okay... you've changed now, you weren't able to control yourself."
He shook his head. He had killed the woman he loved; he had cheated her out of her life.
"Sephiroth, please, I forgive you." Aeris eyes were moist.
"I... I am sorry Aeris, I can't accept that."
He stood up, and Aeris jumped up and took hold of his arm, spilling her tea in the process. "Where are you going?"
"I cannot stay here."
"Don't leave me Sephiroth, not right after we've found each other; we can get through this." She begged. "I love you!"
Sandra was eating this up, her tape recorder was running full speed and her hand was just as fast, scribbling notes as quickly as she could take them.
"I must go, Aeris, I do not deserve your attention, and absolutely not your love." He pulled her small hands from his arm, and walked towards the door.
And with that, Sephiroth left the house.
As he grew farther and farther from the house, Sephiroth began to feel a comforting presence.
"Mother..." He began.
"Yes Sephiroth," A voice in his mind comforted, "I'm here, we'll be together now." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~
Vincent saw Sephiroth leaving just as the house came into view, he dashed up the path and into the house, only to find Sandra packing up her things, grinning like a fool, and Aeris, crying into her hands and asking Sandy to hurry.
"Get out of this house! See what you've done?!" Sandra stopped what she was doing and looked up at Vincent. His expression was pure rage. Sandy slowly turned to the crying Aeris.
Quickly, not wanting to confront Vincent, Sandra left without question, the door slammed behind her.
She looked down at her things and sighed. She had a lot of thinking to do, as she finally realized the severity of what she had done. They weren't subjects for her fantasy newspaper world. They were human beings.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~
Author's Note: Dun da dun dun.. DAH!
Stick around folks- comments, ideas, and criticism greatly appreciated :D!
A Past Long Forgotten Chapter 12: Memories
Before Sandra could begin, she began pulling several books out of a satchel she carried over her shoulder. Holding a pen between her teeth, she pulled out a notebook and some papers. "I'll just be minute...!" She promised.
"I'll be right back..." Aeris started, "I think I'll make myself some tea." The thought of tea suddenly struck Aeris as familiar, she suddenly have a flashback to an older blonde man, and an airship she never got to ride... but the image vanished as quickly as it came to her. Sandra nodded, and Sephiroth discreetly followed her to the kitchen.
Sephiroth waited as Aeris put the kettle on the stove. "Aeris..." He began, uneasily.
Aeris turned to him, giving him a concerned look, "What's wrong? Are you alright?"
"I have a terrible feeling about this..." He began, looking down at his boots. "I have a feeling she's going to say something... I don't know, I'm just, nervous, I guess."
Aeris approached him, taking both of her hands in his. "I'm nervous too, Ms. Lamont says she can tell us everything..."
"Vincent won't tell us..." Sephiroth began, "Perhaps there is a reason?"
"I'm not sure, Seph... but I need to know who I am." Aeris' shoulders drooped a bit, she was obviously distressed, "There are so many memories, teasing me, it's almost unbearable."
Sephiroth let go of her hands and pulled her to him in a warm embrace. "I understand. Then we shall learn together."
Aeris looked up at him and smiled. He leaned down and kissed her gently. The teapot whistled and they pulled apart. Aeris kissed his cheek before giving him another smile, and wordlessly prepared a tray for the kettle, sugar, spoons and cups.
Their past was waiting in the other room. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Aeris sat down with a cup of tea in her hands, waiting patiently for Sandra to begin her story. Sephiroth sat beside her. Sandra eyed the two curiously, but said nothing more. She refused a cup of tea, nodding a thanks. "Well, to begin..." Sandra looked to Aeris, "How about we start with you?" Sandra smiled; she pressed record on a small tape recorder and the session began. "This house belonged to your mother, Aeris." Aeris blinked and looked around, "...I guess that makes sense, it did seem familiar." "It belonged to your foster mother, Elmyra Gainsborough." Sandra continued. "Foster mother?" Aeris questioned. "Yes, your real mother was Infalna Gast, the wife of a ShinRA employee, a scientist." "What happened to her?" Aeris asked. "ShinRA pursued her because she was a Cetra, one of the very last." Suddenly it clicked, "I'm Cetra." Aeris began, "I can hear the planet..." Sandra beamed, "Right! Your mother was running away with you, after your father was killed for his betrayal of ShinRA, she was dying when she left you in Elmyra's care." Aeris nodded, "I... remember that." Her face was filled with wonder. Sephiroth smiled, pleased that Aeris could finally remember at least something, even something small.
"My mom... is she...?" Aeris began, nervous.
"She left to live in rocket town with a friend of yours and his wife. Cid and Shera Highwind... Midgar was too dangerous-" Sanra was cut off.
"Cid!!! He married Shera! Oh that's wonderful." Aeris beamed, and suddenly chuckled to herself at the cup of tea in her hands. Not unlike the first cup she had at the pilot's home.
"Oh, I'll have to visit them soon... Mother always was one to worry..." Aeris smiled.
"Aeris, do you remember any of your other friends?" Sandra questioned. She was beginning to wonder when Aeris would remember the journey to save the planet, and of course, her untimely death.
"I remember two other girls, brunettes... but I can't remember their names... and a big man with a machine gun arm, and I remember Vincent-" Aeris stopped talking for a moment, and then began to continue.
"Vincent... a troubled soul, with a tormented past, we met him in the basement of the ShinRA mansion."
"That's him alright." Sandy nodded, "Tifa, Yuffie, and Barret... ring a bell?"
"Those were their names!" Aeris smiled; suddenly they came into focus, "And Cait Sith!" She chuckled, "When we first met him, he told us our fortunes at the gold saucer."
"Right, and your leader-" Sandra began.
Aeris face softened, "Cloud." She said in almost a whisper, "Cloud Strife... one of the most interesting people I'd met."
"He struggled so hard to find himself, is he finally with Tifa?" Aeris wondered, her eyes twinling.
Sandra smiled, "Yes. They're quite the celebrities."
Aeris smiled brightly, "How wonderful. Celebrities, of course..." Aeris chuckled, "You would be too if you saved the planet."
Sandra watched her curiously. It was at that moment that Aeris eyes went wide, her jaw dropped for a moment and memories upon the thousand came flooding back, she pictured herself selling flowers, meeting Cloud, being captured by ShinRA... she remembered Wall Market, Tifa... everyone. She remembered everything about their quest, and she remembered the ancient city. The Cetra told her to pray, and she knew she'd meet her death. He came too fast to see...
"But I smiled once more at Cloud, I wanted him to know everything would be alright." Aeris' eyes filled with tears.
"Sephiroth..."
Sephiroth stared at her; he too had been experiencing the onslaught of memories, all too quickly. He was horrified. He remembered how easily the blade went through her small form. How clean it was, how he smirked when he was finished.
Aeris saw the look on his face, "Sephiroth, it's okay... you've changed now, you weren't able to control yourself."
He shook his head. He had killed the woman he loved; he had cheated her out of her life.
"Sephiroth, please, I forgive you." Aeris eyes were moist.
"I... I am sorry Aeris, I can't accept that."
He stood up, and Aeris jumped up and took hold of his arm, spilling her tea in the process. "Where are you going?"
"I cannot stay here."
"Don't leave me Sephiroth, not right after we've found each other; we can get through this." She begged. "I love you!"
Sandra was eating this up, her tape recorder was running full speed and her hand was just as fast, scribbling notes as quickly as she could take them.
"I must go, Aeris, I do not deserve your attention, and absolutely not your love." He pulled her small hands from his arm, and walked towards the door.
And with that, Sephiroth left the house.
As he grew farther and farther from the house, Sephiroth began to feel a comforting presence.
"Mother..." He began.
"Yes Sephiroth," A voice in his mind comforted, "I'm here, we'll be together now." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~
Vincent saw Sephiroth leaving just as the house came into view, he dashed up the path and into the house, only to find Sandra packing up her things, grinning like a fool, and Aeris, crying into her hands and asking Sandy to hurry.
"Get out of this house! See what you've done?!" Sandra stopped what she was doing and looked up at Vincent. His expression was pure rage. Sandy slowly turned to the crying Aeris.
Quickly, not wanting to confront Vincent, Sandra left without question, the door slammed behind her.
She looked down at her things and sighed. She had a lot of thinking to do, as she finally realized the severity of what she had done. They weren't subjects for her fantasy newspaper world. They were human beings.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~
Author's Note: Dun da dun dun.. DAH!
Stick around folks- comments, ideas, and criticism greatly appreciated :D!