Chapter 4
Wymond
It was as if whatever the machine required as energy wasn't enough, it sputtered and as the lights in the building flickered on and off continuously Vincent wondered if he'd missed something. Some component he'd missed, he thought the machine wasn't going to work. His thoughts were proven wrong as the building finally seemed to get its lighting back.
Everyone looked around; Vincent made eye contact with Cloud once before turning a full three-sixty to check his surroundings. Everything looked to be intact he still wondered if something might have gone wrong. Tifa broke the deafening silence.
"Vincent, here!" she yelled so loudly everyone jumped.
Vincent walked over beside Tifa and looked where she was looking. Inside one of the tubes that surrounded the room stood a face Vincent had seen recently but certainly shouldn't exist.
Her eyes were closed and she didn't appear to be aware of anything.
"It's her," Tifa said now in a whisper.
She looked different from when they last saw her however.
"People in the Lifestream sure do get their choice of clothing, I will say that," Reno said staring at Aeris.
Instead of the clothing they remembered she wore she had on a very simple black shirt that buttoned up at the front and black pants.
"Weird seein' her without that dress," Barret commented.
They all stared transfixed, except for Cloud who was looking at something else.
"Hey, uh, guys," Cloud said.
Vincent turned to Cloud, "What is it?"
"There's two of her," Cloud said cryptically but Vincent saw what he meant.
Vincent stood and stared in confusion, the second Aeris wore different clothing as well. She had on similar attire as what they remembered except it was a blue colour. Her clothing seemed to shine as if it had diamonds running through the fabric which looked to be like denim.
Completely different from the other Aeris across the room, Vincent looked back at the Aeris in black and then returned to the one in blue.
"Why are there two?" asked Vincent rhetorically.
"Wait a second, the guardians wear black right?" asked Reno.
Vincent nodded.
"So that means that the one wearing black could very well be…" Reno looked back at the black-clad Aeris…her eyes were open. Reno's words caught in his throat. As he looked into Aeris' strangely frightening black eyes he tried many times to use his voice but all his words got stuck. The black eyes were looking at him…through him.
"Spit it out, Turk," Barret growled turning to look at Reno. He also saw black Aeris' open eyes. "Man, this can't be good."
Vincent's red-tinged eyes suddenly met the pair of unsettling black eyes that now looked at him.
"Everybody get the hell away from that tube!" Vincent yelled just as the said tube exploded outward with a shockwave that knocked everyone but Vincent off their feet. The waterfall of glass shot outward and came at Vincent as if it were aimed. Vincent grabbed his crimson cloak and pulled it up over his face. The glass hit his cloak and then fell harmlessly to the ground. Vincent let his protective piece of clothing fall back down and was left standing face to face with someone he assumed was a guardian.
"Shape shifter, too, I see," Vincent commented, "I have a similar talent. Not quite as controlled as yours though."
In front of him was no longer an Aeris look-alike, in fact it wasn't even a woman anymore. In front of him stood a man with the same black shirt and pants as before. Vincent noticed that the articles of clothing seemed to fit this man better than it had their friend. This was the guardian's original form, Vincent guessed. The man's black eyes locked with Vincent's, whose red eyes were unnerving in their own right.
"I don't suppose you would allow me a moment to explain why we've brought back the Cetra," Vincent said.
The guardian drew out its large and familiar sword, the Masamune blade. The weapon had appeared out of nowhere, but such a thing was not unexpected considering what this man was.
"I didn't think so," Vincent muttered.
The guardian jabbed forward and Vincent managed to somehow step out of reach of the long sword. The dark silent man then began to into what seemed like a very routine series of attacks that Vincent really had to move fast to avoid. The guardian swiped at Vincent's feet and Vincent jumped just in time to let the sword pass under him. Then in an effortless movement the guardian spun and brought his sword in for a slash to Vincent's left side.
The guardian looked a bit shocked as a golden clawed hand suddenly brought his sword to a halt. Vincent gave the guardian a rare grin, "There are no helpless scientists here, my friend."
Vincent brought his revolver up and smashed the guardian under the chin with it sending him flying up head over heels and landing against another of the tubes which shattered under his weight.
§
Across the room Cloud had gotten back to his feet and was ignoring Vincent's battle as he attempted to open the tube with who he assumed was the real Aeris inside.
"How do you open these things," Cloud muttered.
"Cloud stand back," Yuffie ordered he turned to see her throw her boomerang. The weapon spun end over end and hit the tube shattering the glass downward so none of it was near Aeris or Cloud. The boomerang then shot past Cloud and landed back in Yuffie's hands.
Aeris, who was not conscious it seemed, began to fall forward but Cloud was there quickly to catch her. He turned her around so he could look at her face.
"She's breathing," Cloud muttered. Though it may have been a statement of the obvious to him it was nothing short of a miracle.
§
Vincent walked over to the guardian that lay in a pile of glass; the dark-clad man looked defeated. Vincent knew better. This was a man that was created with only one purpose: to protect his charge, a Cetra, in this case their Aeris. Vincent knew well enough that he was no match for such a being, something else was going on.
The guardian sat up and looked at him.
"Your eyes," the guardian said Vincent was a bit surprised the man talked.
"Yes?" Vincent asked pointing his gun at the guardian.
"They are like mine…not human," the guardian replied.
"I may not be considered very normal, but I am human," Vincent said, "just a complicated one."
"I can see things in those eyes," the guardian continued. "I see a monster lurking behind the façade of a man."
"There, I suppose, you do have a point," Vincent said.
"Any other man I could have killed, but not you," the guardian said. "I think if I tried I would unleash something even I could not protect the Cetra from."
"You don't know exactly who I am," Vincent said holstering his gun, "Vincent Valentine, a man who would kill himself before he killed your charge, I guarantee you that."
"Someone who values an Ancient more than her guardian?" asked the guardian.
"Hey, you think maybe we could get back to saving the world here?" asked Reno.
Vincent stuck out his hand to the guardian, "If you don't allow your charge to co-operate then this entire planet will die."
The guardian grabbed Vincent's hand and allowed him to help him to his feet.
"Very well, explain yourselves," the guardian said.
Vincent explained their situation as quickly as possible including the appearance of the black creatures and the odd foot steps.
"A time paradox is a serious matter as I'm sure you're aware," Vincent said.
"And you are aware it is against every law set by the Cetra for me to allow her to help you," the guardian replied.
"Then we just gotta blow your head off and it's all good," Barret growled walking up to Vincent and the guardian, "look, I understand all your laws, but if you ain't gonna help us, then we'll get you the hell outta our way."
"True as that is we would much rather have your help," Vincent added.
The guardian had the look of a man who was trying to justify breaking a very strict set of rules. "Very well, but if she is to die the punishment to me is unimaginable."
Barret smiled, "You don't know a whole lot about us I guess."
The guardian looked at him curiously.
"'Cause if you had you'd know damn well we don't make the same mistakes twice," Barret said ominously.
"What's your name guardian?" asked Vincent seeing the guardian understood what Barret said.
"I go by the name Wymond, but guardians like me rarely have use for a name," he replied.
Vincent nodded and turned to check on the situation with Aeris.
"How is she?" Vincent asked walking over and kneeling beside Cloud who still held Aeris.
"Unconscious," Cloud said not looking away from her, "alive."
"The energy that is taken during a trip such as one to come back from the dead is quite taxing," the guardian said walking toward them sheathing his sword. "That is why they are sent with guardians, because they cannot defend themselves when they first arrive."
"How did…" Cloud paused when he looked up at Wymond and stared at him curiously.
"I know you," the guardian said suddenly.
"Yeah," Cloud replied, his dream flashed back into his head. "In a dream, you were in my dream."
Vincent looked between the two of them, "Wymond was the unknown man in your dream?"
"Yeah," Cloud said, "I guess you wouldn't know why you'd be appearing in a dream would you?"
"I have no idea," Wymond replied.
"Didn't think it was gonna be that easy to figure out," Cloud said shaking his head.
"Cloud and I had similar dreams," Vincent explained to the guardian, "except where I saw Aeris, he saw you."
"That doesn't make any sense," Wymond said, "something like that only happens when…"
Everyone had eyes on the guardian.
"When what?" asked Cloud.
"The Ancient Black," Wymond said.
"The who?" asked Reno.
"She chose you two, she must have," Wymond said.
Reno shook his head, "Tell me I'm not the only one here who's got no idea what he's talking about."
"I believe this would be an excellent time to be quiet and listen," Red XIII said.
"The Cetra and I are linked," the guardian explained, "which is a condition of her having a guardian. As you know, when the Cetra die they return to the Lifestream."
"This is starting to sound more like Tseng's kind of thing, he knew more about the whole Ancients and the Lifestream stuff," Reno muttered.
"Before, you remember, when I suggested you be quiet," Red XIII said, "the suggestion stands."
Reno stared at him indignantly.
"Unlike others, when a Cetra returns to the Lifestream they continue to take part in the living world. They can appear in dreams and visions, affect certain people and things," Wymond explained.
Cloud nodded, he remembered the field of flowers he'd stood in back to back with her. Talking like she wasn't dead and he wasn't torn apart by the fact.
"To appear in a dream like yours, to show you a place like this, it is a warning," Wymond said.
"Warning of what?" asked Vincent.
"As I said, we are connected, that would explain why you both got the same dream, but saw both myself and her. She chose you two, she thought for some reason you two would be the best choices to combat the Cetra's greatest enemy," Wymond said. "The Ancient Black, a creature spawned of evil itself."
Everyone went silent, it was impossible to think of something to say after the guardian had said something like that: "a creature spawned of evil itself."
"Well," Reno said, "that's not good for us, is it?"
"What exactly is the Ancient Black?" asked Red XIII.
"It is the Planet's double-edged sword," Wymond said, "it is both the blessing that allows the Lifestream to remain free of darkness and the force that wishes to destroy everything the Lifestream creates."
"The only thing we had going for us is that this thing couldn't find a way to get to our plane of existence, right?" asked Cloud.
"Exactly," Wymond said.
"Now it found a way," Vincent said, "and Aeris knew it was on its way here."
"She must have had much respect for all of you to assume you would be able to discover all of this so quickly," Wymond commented.
"There are none more trustworthy," said the weak reply somewhere out of Cloud's line of sight, but he knew well enough who it was. Wymond immediately dropped to a knee and bowed his head. Vincent looked at Aeris.
"Welcome back," Vincent said looking at her.
Aeris looked like she was going to try and say something but coughed instead.
"Don't speak yet, I believe we are doing quite a good job of figuring it all out on our own at this point," Red XIII said walking up to her.
"Must say it's nice to see you again," Cait Sith said to her.
"Wymond, stand up, you look like…" Aeris coughed but regained her voice, "…a fool…kneeling like that."
Wymond immediately jumped to his feet, "Are you alright?"
"Tired," she replied.
"So this Ancient Black thing, how strong is it?" asked Cid.
"Stronger than Sephiroth," Aeris said, her voice showing more strength.
"Emerald Weapon was stronger than Sephiroth," Cid said dismissively.
Aeris smiled at Cid, "Well, I wasn't really around for that, but I'm sure it's stronger than Emerald Weapon."
"You see, it is literally created by pure evil," Wymond explained, "you are used to explaining your enemies in terms of them all being created by solid explainable things. Constructed of skin tissue, rock, metal, scales…the Ancient Black wasn't created in the sense of being born. Sephiroth and this Emerald Weapon were both created, Sephiroth born, Emerald Weapon built, but the Ancient Black simply came into existence."
"It is the product of all things considered evil after they left the Lifestream," Aeris continued, "every sin, every thing they'd done wrong. Everything a person carried with them after they died that could be considered evil separated from the Lifestream and slowly merged and over time became the Ancient Black."
"The double-edged sword," Vincent said, "it removed evil from the Lifestream to keep it pure, but in turn created a monster."
"This thing makes Sephiroth and Jenova seem pretty small-time," Reno muttered.
"It may well be considered the greatest enemy any living creature would have to face," Wymond said, "and she chose you two."
Vincent looked at Cloud and then to Aeris, "What does he mean?"
"I knew to warn you I'd have to send you a message through a dream, sending a warning to all of you at once isn't a possibility. I could only use myself and Wymond to project my warning. So I knew I had to send it to the two people I thought most capable of destroying the Ancient Black," Aeris explained.
"Well, there's one hell of an ego boost," Cid muttered.
Aeris smiled, "Though I'm not suggesting that they are the only two, it will take all of us to defeat it."
"Do we really have to fight this thing?" asked Yuffie.
"Yeah, right, can't we just like, block it…or something?" asked Reno.
"This construct is the connection between this plane and the one the Ancient Black resides in," Aeris explained, "if we send this building away the Ancient Black goes with it, even if it does succeed in coming through it only exists as long as this building does. That's why I specifically chose you two; we have two fronts to fight. One is to hold off the Ancient Black and the second is to use this place's time travel abilities to return it to the place it originally existed in."
"Aeris exists in all planes of existence so she can travel there to discover a way to return it without causing a paradox," Wymond said. "I will of course accompany her and…"
Aeris waved a hand at him and he stopped talking, "That's not quite the plan, Wymond."
"You're not traveling to this place's original plane of existence?" asked Wymond.
"Oh, yes, of course," Aeris replied, "it's just you're not coming with me."
Everyone including Wymond looked a bit shocked.
"That's not possible," Wymond said, "it is my…"
"I know what your duty is, I don't plan on going alone still, I'll have my bodyguard," Aeris said looking at Cloud.
"Him?" asked Wymond.
"Me," Cloud muttered.
"Yeah, him," Aeris said, "I need you to stay here with the rest and help them hold off the Ancient Black. Cloud's coming with me."
"Wait, won't that cause one of those…time paradox…things?" asked Cloud.
"What," Aeris said smiling, "trying to get rid of me already? I just got resurrected and already you wanna send me away with the guardian?"
Cloud looked a bit surprised, "Well…no, I mean…"
Aeris laughed, "You haven't changed much."
Cloud sat in silence trying to figure out if that was a bad thing.
"Anyways on to why I picked Vincent now," Aeris said.
"Uh, if I may, I must again express…" Wymond began.
Aeris cut him off again, "Hey, we're done with Cloud; he's coming with me you're staying here. He'll protect me fine, they need you here."
Cloud felt a bit like he had a rock in his throat when he heard how much it sounded like she trusted him to protect her even after what had happened.
"With all respect if the last demonstration of his ability to protect you is what you're using as reference then I must disagree," Wymond said.
Just about everyone's eyes widened at the blatant remark to the incident they all knew he was talking about. Cloud stood up.
"Wymond, that was uncalled for," Aeris said angrily.
Even Vincent registered a bit of shock at how the guardian so heartlessly played on something that he knew must hurt Cloud greatly.
"I believe it must be said that past experience hasn't shown for his ability to protect you very well," Wymond continued.
Cid shook his head, "Man, you are askin' for it."
Cid was right, faster than anyone could register Cloud landed a punch square on the guardian's nose. The impact both sent the guardian flying off his feet along with the audible sickening crack of his nose breaking. Cloud followed up by moving over to the fallen guardian and grabbing him by the collar of his black shirt and giving him a final head butt that sent all of the guardian's senses into cartwheels.
"Say something like that again and I don't care what kind of Cetra guardian you are, I'll kill you," Cloud growled and walked away from the guardian, his Mako infused eyes seemed to glow in an unsettling manner.
"Well, one big happy family, eh?" said Reno.
As usual, everyone ignored him.