Promises and Smiles

by Ruff Collie

Chapter Three: Frigus

Snow was everywhere, a blinding white field that seemingly had no end. Even the sky seemed as if it had been doused in bleach, for Aeris could not tell the earth from the heavens. She knew what situation she was in and how dangerous it could be. Usually, if you were caught in a white-out, you never came out of it. Not that it mattered to the Cetra, though; at this point, she could care less about herself. Overhearing Cloud's cold remarks about her practically being insane had made her hide her face in shame, but him attacking Tifa over the issue made her realize she would only cause dischord for the party. After casting a manipulate spell on them after they tried to follow, there had only been one solution clear in her mind: she had to leave. Where she went did not matter. However, in the back of her mind, she secretly hoped she would somehow find Sephiroth, or that he would find her -- that is, if monsters did not find her first and rip her to bits.

Aeris shivered a bit, pulling the blanket she had grabbed before leaving the inn tighter around her body. The Cetra knew that she had to keep moving, otherwise her body temperature would plummet, and consequently, she would freeze to death. A small smirk twitched at the corners of her mouth. Dying like that was a bit depressing; no one would ever find her body, and she would be alone when the final hours came.

"Oh...so sleepy," the girl yawned, her head drooping slightly. "Just...I just want to sleep..."

With a violent shiver, Aeris shook herself out of her drowsy thoughts. If she fell asleep now, her demise would certainly come find her. Movement meant life, and she'd gladly choose that over death. Joining the Lifestream was not something she wanted to do yet.

"Sephiroth...," his name left her lips as a sigh, as she looked up at what she thought was the sky in silent prayer. Snowflakes stung and blinded her eyes. "I wish you c-could hear me. Please come f-find me. It's really cold out h-here, you know."

Shaking her head, the girl smiled sadly at her foolishness. The only one who could save her now was herself, not her lover. As much as Aeris hated to admit it, she was totally alone.

"Haha, what am I saying? I just need to keep going..."

ooooooo

Eyes snapped open frantically. Ice, cold. Pain. Gasping breaths that throbbed deep within his chest, and now he was on the verge of blacking out again. Pain, pain, pain. A voice? Her voice. She was speaking to him, telling him to come, come, come. No, not telling him, pleading him. She will die out there, alone in a deep, unyielding sleep. Fingers flexed slowly as he gathered up his strength, choking for the frigid air. Lungs, long starved, unwillingly ballooned. A few tentative first steps for balance. Shivering spasms coursed down his spine. Even dressing became a terrible gauntlet to run.

Countless minutes pass. Finally! Ready? Ready. Strength was back, the hilt of his wonderful, terrible sword grasped lovingly in his palm. Steeled against the tendrils of arctic wind that wrestled with his damp, silver strands of hair. A whisper, breathed more than spoken.

"I'm...coming."

ooooooo

Aeris squinted against the oncoming wind, steadying herself uncertainly. Her muscles were screaming at her to let them rest, and this time, she would listen. There was absolutely no way the Cetra would be getting out of this one alive; she had resigned to her fate. White was painted in every direction, and she could no longer tell which direction she had come from.

A dizzy rush sped through Aeris' head, and with a tiny sigh she dropped to the earth. Her eyelids were heavy with the enticing promise of eternal sleep. This time, the Ancient would gladly take it. Curling up under her blanket, she smiled hazily as she saw a dark form on the horizon. The girl knew who that was but also realized she was probably hallucinating. With one last look to the shape, she started to close her eyes. For some reason, she did not feel sad at all.

"Goodnight, Sephiroth," she giggled in an almost inebriated fashion. "Thanks for keeping me company, even if the only place you exist is in my mind..."

Just as Sephiroth's shadow reached her, Aeris slipped into the blissful nothingness of sleep.

ooooooo

"Damnit!"

Cloud kicked the wooden door of the shop closed violently then stormed off to his anxious party. Tifa looked as if she wanted to comfort her childhood friend, but refrained due to his current furious state. The group had searched the entire village for clues to Aeris' whereabouts, but it seemed as if the Cetra had simply vanished into the thin mountain air.

"Any news?" Tifa questioned softly, nervously wringing her fingers.

"Yes," Cloud said in an oddly monotone voice, staring out into the wilderness of snow. "Apparently, she somehow managed to snowboard down the mountain and into the wilderness. The people in the store claimed she's as good as dead now, especially with the coming blizzard. Once you go out there alone, you never return. If we went after her, it would be suicide."

"D-Damnit!" choked Cid, paling considerably. Yuffie's condition was not any better, as she promptly turned around and launched herself at the closest person, which happened to be Vincent. Emotionless, the ex-Turk slowly wrapped his good arm around the younger girl who had started to weep quietly. Red lay his nose in the snow next to a drooping Cait Sith, then closed his eyes tightly. He was the youngest in mind out of all of them and was taking it extremely hard. Barret simply stared off into space, the words not quite sinking into his shocked brain yet.

"No..." uttered Tifa, burying her head in her hands for a second. Hardening her wavering resolve, the martial artist stalked after Cloud, who had stomped off after relaying the news to his team. She felt bad for leaving the others, but felt as if it was her duty to comfort their leader.

She found him sitting in the snow, his back against the logs of a cabin. Snowflakes were resting in the spiked nest of his hair, and his faithful sword lay by his side as always. He made no move to show that he had seen her.

"Hey," Tifa tried to smile but failed miserably. She sat down next to Cloud who still refused to look at her. "I'm sorry, Cloud."

"Don't be," the ex-SOLDIER whispered, staring up at the sky. Startling at the words, Tifa stared at him for awhile.

"It's not just hard on you, Cloud," the martial artist said gently, reaching over to lay a hand on his arm. "We're all suffering greatly."

His eyes flitted towards Tifa for a split second before standing up abruptly. Sword in hand, he stared at her for awhile before speaking.

"I'm going after her. Forget about me."

With a yelp, Tifa scrambled to her feet. Throwing herself forward before Cloud could leave, she grasped his forearm desperately. Years of building up her streamlined muscles were the only thing that kept him in her grip, and she hoped to the Planet that the ex-SOLDIER would not escape.

"Cloud, no!" she cried, firming her shaky stance. "You'll die! We've already lost Aeris, and I don't want to lose you too!"

"Tifa, I have to," he looked at his feet, mentally shaking himself. "It was my fault, and there's still some chance she's alive."

"Even if she is, there's a blizzard coming! You'll both be lost if you leave!" Tifa could feel the prick of tears in the corners of her eyes. All she wanted at that moment was for Cloud to stay.

"Why?" asked Cloud softly, letting his sword-arm fall limp against his side. "What reason do I have to stay? I've pretty much sent her to her grave."

Tifa shook her head, then let it fall onto Cloud's shoulder as she carefully wrapped her arms around him; the ex-SOLDIER tensed immediately, unaccustomed to this sort of contact, especially with a woman.

"You have your friends," the martial artist murmered, tears stinging her eyes. "She wasn't lying about Sephiroth, you know. I could see it in her eyes, her love for him. When someone feels like that, you can usually tell, or at least I can. I have faith that he might actually save her."

Immediately, Tifa felt Cloud's muscles tensed underneath her grip. This only prompted her to hold him closer; at the moment, her greatest fear was letting him go.

"How can you even think to say that, Tifa? He destroyed Nibelheim, our lives!"

"I know," she whispered, a dull pain throbbing in her heart as she remembered her the night of her father's death, "but he's the only way she'll have a chance of living now."

"I still have to go," Cloud shook his head as he disengaged himself from her and turned to go. "There's no use for me here. No one will miss me."

"Cloud! Wait!" Tifa gasped, running after him after he stalked away, "Please, stay! Aeris is already fresh in our minds! If you left, things will be even worse!"

"Who even cares?" Cloud hissed, whipping his form around. "There's nothing left for me here! Give me one good reason why I should stay! I've practically murdered someone who we all hold dear, and no one mourns a murderer!"

"There's me, Cloud!" the woman half screamed. Her heart thudded against her chest, and she knew she only had a single shot at making him stay. "Why shouldn't you leave? Why? Because I love you! I have for a very long time, and if you died, I wouldn't be much better off! There's your damn reason! I'm only sorry it took such a long time for me to tell you!"

Stunned, the ex-SOLDIER melted out of his tense stance and stared at his childhood friend. She had ceased being angry and was only looking at him with a sad smile and something that appeared to be a yearning gleam in her wide brown eyes. Cloud opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out; he just didn't know what to say. Did he really want to destroy Tifa with his own selfishness? Did he actually want to hurt Tifa, one of his greatest friends? At the same time, did he really consider her only a friend? It was too much at the moment, just too much.

"I...need some time, Teef," Cloud muttered, shaking his head as she started towards him again. "I'm...I'm not going, okay? I just need to think."

And so Tifa was left there in the cold and snow, her heart nearly breaking as she watched the only man she had ever loved walk away.

ooooooo

She was so cold in his arms; it was as if her spirit had already long left her body. Sephiroth had watched her dazed fall on the snowy field and had immediately rushed forward to claim her from the Planet's grasp. It was not to have its protecter return to the Lifestream just yet. Only years of military training and practice had kept the ex-General calm as he vigorously rubbed Aeris' chilled flesh. Wrapped in his coat, she looked like a tiny china doll who would break if he moved her in the wrong way. The man knew what his options were, and the most rational one would be to take her into a cave within the glacier where a warm fire and supplies were present.

"You'll be okay, Aer," Sephiroth murmered, much like he had many years ago as a young boy. How fleeting those lost decades seemed on his mind! His own precious memories were like the leaves lost to a tree in late autumn; winter may have taken them, but they had returned by spring in a burst of new color. It was like the ex-General reverted back into a nearly childlike state whenever Aeris was nearby. She was safety to him, safety from his own desolute mind.

Hours passed uninhibited as the Planet flowed through the cycle of day it had been practicing since the beginning of time. Finally, a miniscule cave entrance became visible to Sephiroth, and he quickened his pace. Aeris was thankfully alive, kept warm by his body heat, his coat, and her blanket. Only his superhuman strength had allowed Sephiroth to reach the sanctuary as quickly as he had; without this aide, he knew that Aeris might not have survived. Jenova cells were good for one thing, at least.

ooooooo

Warmth rose through Aeris' body like a tidal wave; immediately her bright eyes snapped open. Certain parts of her body were throbbing painfully, but she was no longer freezing. Was she alive? Yes, she had to be. If she was dead, she wouldn't be in any kind of pain. Who had saved her? Glancing at her surroundings, she noticed that she seemed to be in some sort of icy cave. A tiny gasp emerged from her lips as she noisily sat up, yelping when she realized she was completely unclothed. Blushing vibrantly, the Cetra pulled the blanket around her tightly. A merry little fire crackled a few feet away from her, the obvious cause of her warmth.

"Why am I undressed? What sicko decided to do this?" she muttered angrily, failing to sense the prescence that loomed behind her.

"It's nothing I haven't seen before, darling," rumbled a deep, velvety voice. Aeris froze, her knuckles turning white as she fisted the blanket in her hands. She recognized those lovely tones. Eyes were trained forward as she twisted herself around and locked eyes with Sephiroth.

"You...came," Aeris whispered, raising a hand slowly to touch him. Was this just another foolish apparition of her delirious mind, or was it really him?

Catching her hand in his own, Sephiroth rapidly pulled her against his chest, inhaling her light, earthy scent. His arms were wrapped around her so tightly; he needed to feel that she was real and not just a figment of his imagination. For once in his life, the Great General Sephiroth had felt fear, fear at the notion that this beautiful beacon in his life might lose to death.

"Mmph! Gff uff mef!"

Sephiroth slowly relaxed his grip. Emerald eyes sparkled up at him, exhibiting heavy admiration.

"I missed you, Seph," she smiled brightly as she crawled behind him, reaching up to touch his long locks of hair. For some reason, when she was with him it felt completely natural to be clothed in only a blanket.

"As did-OW! AERIS!"

Giggling, Aeris continued to tug and twist Sephiroth's hair, ignoring his howls of anguish. Soon her deft fingers had worked his silver mane into a thick braid which coursed down his back, much to his annoyance. After sighing in defeat, he sent a withering glare her way which only caused her chime-like laughter to increase. Placing a hand on his pleated locks, the ex-General observed the jovial Cetra warmly.

"I suppose this is a punishment of some sort?" he asked dryly, fiddling with a strand of hair. "Oh, right. You used to do this when I did something I wasn't supposed to."

"Yup!" Aeris replied, resting her head on his shoulder with a content smirk. Wrapping her arms around him, she squeezed him tightly. He was so solid, so strong, and completely real. "And you can't take it out until I say so, mister!"

"Oh, really?" Sephiroth smirked as he suddenly disengaged her arms then whipped around and tackled her to the rocky floor of the cave. Ignoring her protesting shriek, he leaned forward and gently kissed her cheek. "Now who's in charge?"

"Ugh!" the Cetra groaned, trying her best to disguise the mirth in her eyes so that she could glare at him. "You weigh too much, Seph."

Frowning, Sephiroth stood up and crossed his arms over his chest with a loud 'hmph!'.

"Are you saying I'm fat, woman?"

"What if I am?" replied Aeris, picking herself up and readjusting the blanket around her shoulders.

"You'll pay for that!" the ex-SOLDIER growled, his lips twitching as he desperately tried to hold down a smile. Launching himself towards Aeris, he managed to trap her again in his unyielding arms. As much as she stuggled and yelped, the Cetra just could not free herself this time. With a sigh of defeat, she went limp against him.

"Oh, Aeris," Sephiroth sighed as he shook his head, eyeing her in amusement. The Cetra must of been tired, because she never gave up a fight with Sephiroth so quickly. "I'd advise that you rest more. Your body has been pushed to its limit during the past few days, and you really shouldn't overdo it."

"I know," Aeris smiled, her eyelids drooping a bit, "I just missed you a lot. It's been a long time since we've played like that."

With a slight smile, Sephiroth carefully wrapped the blanket around the Cetra a bit tighter and then picked her up off the ground to carry her back to her original place of rest. As the ex-General gently set her down again and turned to leave, he noticed he was rather stuck. Pale fingers were wrapped around his forearm stubbornly, absolutely refusing to loosen their grip.

"Fine, I'll stay," the man muttered. Noting his acceptance, Aeris shot him a smug look; he glared back as he sat down next to her prostate form. Mock-angry looks soon melted away into loving glances as Sephiroth began to stroke her tangled hair.

This silent exchange of feelings was what Aeris had longed for the most. After nights filled with dreams of fleeting joy and reunion, this moment seemed all too real and so much more better than any conjuration of a grief-torn conscience. Being reunited with Sephiroth was something that had seemed so absurd that the Cetra had long ago outwardly given up hope. However, in the back of her mind, she always knew that there was something missing.

"Goodnight," she whispered, falling deep into sleep's dark embrace. Sephiroth smiled.

"Sleep well, my dear."

ooooooo

You are...

"...who?"

Daughter...

"My mother...she's dead!"

He is a traitor...

"Who? What?"

They've all lied...

"...about what?"

...your friends. Him...

"What do you mean?"

I'd never hurt this Planet...

"Then you're...!"

Don't be alarmed, daughter...

"Calamity..."

All lies. I only came to help...

"It can't be the truth..."

...heal. I can heal the Planet.

"But its cries..."

...confusion.

"The Cetra, my ancestors..."

...tried to help...

"How can I trust you? You drove Sephiroth insane!"

...his own unsettled mind, he could not handle it...

"Then..."

Come to me, my beloved daughter...

"Jenova..."

I only want to help. You want to heal the Planet, don't you?

"...yes..."

...I am on the Ancients' side...

"Tell me where I need to go..."

I'll lead you there, daughter...

ooooooo

Sweat covered Sephiroth's body as he propelled himself forward with an explosive gasp. Something was wrong, and the first thing that popped into his drowsy mind was Aeris. Sitting up fully, he frantically settled his gaze towards the space next to him.

"Aeris!"

She was gone.

oooooo

A/N: The plot thickens, and Jenova joins the fun! I decided to make her sentient. :P Sorry if anything sounds weird; I'm exhausted from homecoming. Here's a spoiler: one other member of AVALANCHE is going to join Jenova! You can have fun guessing who. Poor Aeris. Things just keep getting worse for her. By the way, I guess I should tell you what the names of the chapters are in english.

Chapter One: In Memoriâ - In Memory
Chapter Two: Calamitas et Sua Rosa - The Calamity and His Rose
Chapter Three: Frigus - The Cold of Winter