Hello all

Hello all! Sorry for taking so long to post the new chapter, man I've been busy! Hopefully I can make this one as long as I want it to be. Not much time today. Anyways, thanks to those who are reviewing, and for those of you who are reading it and aren't reviewing, DO IT! Haha.. I'm just kidding! You don't have to, but I do like to see what people think. Well let's get this new one up!

Disclaimer: I do not own final fantasy VII, Squaresoft does.

Chapter 10

Zack woke up, feeling even more tired than before he fell asleep. He felt awful and was lacking the motivation to get out of bed. Only one word described the dark haired man, miserable.

"Ohhhh…I guess I should get going, if I want to see Sephiroth." He yawned and slid over the side of the mattress, slumping to the floor in a pile. He sat up slowly and grabbed his shoes. While he was tying them in tight knots, his eyes began to tear up.

"Just stop crying, you wuss! It's not the end of the world. You'll get your chance. If not, then move on with your life, like everyone else." He sat up and walked out of his room. He followed the red carpet down the hall and towards the lower level, heading for the ropeway that will take him back to Corel.

"Hey, it looks like the train is fixed!" Yuffie skipped over to the rail, tightening her headband.

"Looks like were going to the Temple of the Ancients then." Cloud followed the ninja girl. The rest of the group grabbed their things. Aeris looked at Cloud. He was acting strange.

'Kind of like nothing ever happened.' Aeris thought of last night and how she slipped quietly from Cloud's room while he slept. She remembered he was smiling in his sleep. 'He's such a little boy.' She smiled.

"I smell something strange." Red XIII looked around. He turned his head towards Aeris who was now tilting her head. He could tell that she sensed it too.

'Is that!?' She turned and looked behind her. A man was leaning against the wall of the Golden Saucer, hidden by the shadows that were cast. He had dark hair and shielded his eyes behind sunglasses. 'Is that the evil presence I keep feeling? Is that the man that Sephiroth is looking for?' Aeris' eyes widened as she saw the man lower his glasses and look at her with icy blue eyes, his blank expression never faltering.

"Hey, you okay?" A hand softly rested on Aeris' shoulder. She turned to see the blonde haired warrior staring at her, a big grin across his face.

"O-Oh…I-I'm fine!" Aeris played a fake smile. She did not want to cause any trouble or confusion.

"Alright. Well, the train is leaving now so we better get on." Cloud grabbed her hand. He leaned in and whispered in her ear. "Don't worry about a thing. We'll stop Sephiroth and then everyone can relax. I'll take you back here, first thing!" He turned and walked towards the cab. Aeris followed, looking back once more. The man was gone.

'He looked very familiar…'Aeris frowned as chills were sent up her spine. 'It kind of looked like him…but it can't be.' She boarded the ropeway and sat with her friends.

Zack was on the other side of the entrance booth, hiding himself from Aeris' sight. He was shaking.

"Damn nerves. I thought I was supposed to be like the Great Sephiroth! Why the hell am I shaking and feel sick to my stomach?" He heard the propellers of the cab start up and looked around the corner. Aeris was gone. He would have to catch up with her later. Zack walked towards the tunnel, waiting for the next ride.

"Hey! Didn't you ever catch up with your friends? I think they just left. I almost said something but decided not too." The employee from last night was staring at Zack.

"Huh? Oh, yeah. I saw them. I know they left. I told them that I would catch up with them later. I have some other things to do first." Zack did not look at the man.

"Oh, I see. I just figured that you might not have caught up with them or they weren't the ones you were looking for." The employee shrugged his shoulders. "The next train will be here any minute. You alright? You don't look so good." He turned on his radio and started giving commands to the girl on the other end. Zack stood by the tunnel, a blank stare on his face.

'She looked at me. She saw me. Did she not recognize me? Or did she not care?' Zack rubbed his temples. 'Should I continue following her? Or should I give up? I can go home, back to Gongaga. I can live there and farm for my parents, maybe even work as a mercenary for some people. Then I can get my mind on different things. Maybe find another girl.' The whirring sound of the nearing train interrupted his thoughts.

"Ah, here it is! Well, good luck with whatever it is you're planning on doing! Just be careful and next time, wait for the train to be fixed before sliding down the cables, you were really lucky!" The employee opened the door for Zack. He smiled and patted him on the shoulder.

"Thanks…" Zack muttered and sat on the leather seats. He leaned back, resting his head against the cool metal. The train started back up, flying backwards into the darkness.

'I don't wanna work on a farm. That's why I left in the first place. I wanted adventure and excitement. So much for that, look where it got me.' Zack sighed. He was glad that there were no other passengers on the train. He did not want to worry about answering any questions. He hated it when people constantly asked him if he was feeling alright. 'I'll head for the Temple of the Ancients. If I don't talk to her soon, I think I'll never see her again.' Zack leaned forward. He felt like he was going to throw up. The train seemed a lot rougher compared to the first time he rode it.

"Oh…I gotta get my chocobo. Man, I really should name that thing." Zack smiled as he found a subject to get his mind off of things. A long list of names went through his head.

"Goldie? Nah…too original. Besides, that's a girl's name. Bob? No, that's my grandpa's name. Aurelius? Hmmm…Latin for gold. Nah…doesn't fit the personality for the bird. Hector! Yeah…it sounds goofy but I think it fits. Or should I go with Ed?" Zack continued debating. The train slowed to a stop. Zack stood up, still running names through his head. He headed towards Corel to get his bird.

"Oh, hello!" The old woman walked out towards Zack. "You back for your chocobo?" She smiled.

"Yes. Thank you so much for watching him while I was gone." Zack rubbed the back of his head.

"Oh, it was no problem. Such a good bird too! He loves his nuts!" The lady smiled.

"What!?" Zack turned and looked stared at her. "Oh…Yeah. I don't think I've ever fed him before." Zack's face reddened.

"How could you never have fed him!?" The lady put her hands on her hips.

"No! He's been fed; just other people have done it. I haven't personally." Zack looked at his bird who was hopping with joy in its cage.

"I see. Well take these. I have no use for them. You make sure you feed him well! He's a growing boy, kind of clumsy too. Give him a handful every few hours of the nuts and greens. But not too much cause then he'll get fat. He likes to eat and doesn't know his limits!" The lady shook her finger at the bird. It squawked and turned its back to her.

"Well I'm glad you figured him out. I've never had a chocobo before." Zack undid the lock on the fence and patted the bird on its side. "What's this?" Zack pulled on the reigns around its face.

"That's so you can hold on and control him easier. He's been getting used to it, but still causes a fuss when you put it on. You can have it." The lady smiled. "I used to breed chocobos. I have a few things that survived the fire. Fortunately all the chocobos escaped and ran out into the wild. I was never able to get back into the business." The lady stretched and yawned.

"Thanks again. I better get going." Zack hopped on top of the bird.

"You never told me his name. I've been calling him bird the whole time. I think he is beginning to understand what that means." The lady laughed.

"Oh, I actually was thinking of a name a few minutes ago. I thought of Ed…or Hector." Zack shook his head. "But I don't know which one is more fitting."

"Oh…Hector. That's a strong name, but like it sounds is also very goofy. I think that suits the bird just fine." She patted the side of the bird. "We shall call you Hector!" The bird warked and kicked its feet.

"I think he likes it…" Zack smiled as the bird did a little jig.

"He does. You two take care of yourself. Now get going, before I decide to keep the bird!" The lady said her goodbyes and headed back inside her tent. Zack and the chocobo darted towards the Temple of the Ancients. He wasn't sure where it was exactly and decided to ask for directions.

Zack and Hector made their way to a small business East of Gongaga. Zack almost decided to head home and see his parents but knew that he would be there for weeks before they let him leave again.

"What can I do for ya'?" The weapon seller stomped down the stairs towards the register.

"Um…I was wondering if you could give me some information about the Temple of the Ancients. Have you heard of it?" Zack looked at the swords hanging on the wall.

"Yeah! Sure do! Had a group of people come in the other day and ask about it. Is there some kind of party going on there?" The man laughed to himself. He tapped the glass above the weapons. "Let's see. It is South of here and to the East. Pretty sure about that. I don't think it's real though, but you can look for it. Oh, you'll need a keystone. I sold it to a man at the Gold Saucer. That's what the last group did. They headed for the Gold Saucer. Maybe you can catch up with them and go together. I'd recommend that. The monsters in that area are brutal. That's probably why no one has discovered the temple, if it's even there." The man laughed and pulled out a sword. He pointed at Zack's Shinra sword and smiled. "You gonna need something a lot more powerful than that! I recommend you get a new sword. Maybe one like this!" The man swung around a light sword that had a long blade. It was decorated and had a bright shine to it. Gold decorated the handle and sheath.

"I don't think I can afford that. It sure does look nice though." Zack looked down at his sword.

"Well…sell me that one you got and I'll knock down the price! How much you got?" The man raised an eyebrow.

"Well…I have about two-hundred gil and some materia that I picked up." Zack laid everything on the counter.

"Hmmm…I see. What kind of materia?" The man picked up the green orb and looked at it. "A level three eh? That's worth a pretty penny. What else?" He shuffled through the two other orbs.

'Come to think of it, I never really needed to use it. I just took it off of the fallen soldiers for just in case.' Zack smiled. He needed to get a better sword. He always hated the swords used by Shinra.

"Why, they're all level three! It's a deal! I can easily sell these!" The man laughed and handed Zack the new sword and pulled the contents across the counter into a box. "Good luck, son! I hope you find that temple! You'll have to come in and report on what you see!" The man shuffled up the stairs, leaving Zack.

"Thanks!" Zack ran out the door and jumped onto his golden bird. "Let's go Hector! We have a long ride ahead of us!" Zack pulled out some nuts and fed them to the bird.

"This is…the Temple of the Ancients. I…I know…I feel it!" Aeris ran up the path and laid her head on the ground. She closed her eyes, her hair flowing around her. "The knowledge of the Ancients! Floating…you can become one with the planet, but you're stopping it with the strength of will for the future? For us?" She shook her head in confusion.

"What are you saying? Do you understand?" Cloud took a few steps closer to her. Aeris lunged up a few stairs towards the entrance of the stone temple. It in itself was a marvel to see. It reached immeasurable heights, its stone immaculate and perfect. The exterior seemed almost flawless.

"You're uneasy…but happy? Because I'm here? I'm sorry…I don't understand." Aeris turned and ran back to Cloud. She grabbed his arm and tugged. "I wanna go inside!" the group ran up the stairs but stopped when a cloaked figure fell out of the entrance and flopped down a few stairs. It sat up and moaned quietly.

"Black…Materia…" It disappeared, its body melting into its cloak.

"Look…" Aeris took a few steps forward.

"He has a tattoo too! Ummm, I think it's a number nine." Yuffie looked at the figure's melting arm.

"Hey! It's Tseng!!" Aeris ran into the temple.

"Tseng! Of the Turks!" Cloud's eyes widened as he saw the leaning man covered in blood.

"Uh…I've been had." He sat slowly onto the ground. "It's not the Promised Land…Sephiroth's searching for…" Tseng gasped.

"Sephiroth! He's inside!?" Cloud unsheathed his sword.

"Look for yourself…" Tseng moved his arm from his side exposing a deep wound. Blood gushed, leaking onto the ground around him. "Damn…" Tseng fell over, Aeris catching him.

"Letting Aeris go was the start…of my bad luck…the president…was wrong…" Tseng's eyes began to get very heavy. His breathes were quickening.

"You're wrong. The promised land isn't like what you imagined." Aeris' eyes began to tear up. She turned her head away. "And I'm not going to help. Either way, there was no way Shinra could have won." Hiding her face, Aeris got up and ran behind a pillar.

"…Pretty harsh. Sounds like something you'd say." Tseng pulled himself up from the ground. "The Keystone…place it on the altar…" He handed the stone to Cloud and sat back down. Cloud looked at the stone and glanced at Aeris.

"You cryin'?" He walked to her.

"Tseng's with our enemy, the Turks, but I've known him since we were little. There are not a lot of people I can say that about. In fact, there are probably only a handful of people in the world who really know me." She stumbled towards the pillar.

"Let's put the keystone in…" Cloud slid the rock into the pillar. Bright green lights beamed from the cracks, the floor opening beneath them. The group fell to the lower floor that was a giant maze. Stairs and walls connected and intertwined, the whole image was breathtaking.

"Words…feelings…so many of them here…" Aeris looked in marvel.

"Geez! We got our work cut out for us. This is starting to get me dizzy!" Yuffie held a hand over her mouth.

"Cloud! I know it's going to be tough, but…don't give up…we can do it!" Aeris then spotted a purple creature in the distance. It hopped up and down and mumbled to the group.

"NYUM! NYUM!" It blabbed and ran down a flight of stairs. Aeris looked at Cloud, the two nodded to each other. The only way through this maze was to catch up with that purple creature.

Zack and his chocobo rode through the thick trees, nothing in view but green foliage. Zack was about to give up when the chocobo warked and stopped dead in its tracks.

"What's wrong with you? Whoa!" Zack stood up and slid off his sunglasses. "The-The Temple of the Ancients! Holy crap! I didn't think we'd ever find it! Let's go! Who knows how much time we have left!" Zack and his companion rode across the bridge that would lead them to the entrance of the temple.

"No! No!!" A scream sounded from the temple. Zack charged his chocobo to a full sprint. The bird reached the top of the stairs and Zack jumped off, running to see what the screaming was about.

"Tseng!! AHHHH!! WAH AH AH AHHHH!" The blonde Turk, Elena was hunched over on the ground, holding a man in her arms. "You-you're going to be okay! You have to!" Tears streamed down the girl's face, making her mascara run.

"What happened!?" Zack ran to her side.

"Sephiroth, yo." A familiar voice sounded from the corner.

"Reno…" Zack rubbed the back of his head.

"Yup…and Rude." He pointed across the room to the bald colleague. "We came to find the Promised Land and Sephiroth met us. He didn't like how Tseng was interfering and…well…" Reno sighed and shook his head. He was wearing his sunglasses, hiding his cool blue eyes.

"Sephiroth!! It was Cloud!! IT WAS CLOUD! He did it!" Elena laid her head on Tseng's chest.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Reno threw his arms in the air.

"When I left, there was no one near the temple! Sephiroth was no where to be seen! Minutes later, AVALANCHE showed up and used the keystone to open the temple. That's when I came running and found…him!" She burst into tears again.

"She's a little bitter…" Reno whispered to Zack.

"Elena…" Rude walked up to her and lightly touched her shoulder.

"Yeah…We should get you two out of here." Reno walked next to her also.

"What? You mean…YOU WANT ME TO LEAVE!!" Elena stood up. "No way! I'm staying here! I'm going to take care of AVALANCHE once and for all!" She pulled out her gun and loaded it.

"Whoa-whoa! What are you doing!? You're not thinking straight, Elena. You should go with Tseng and be his support. You can take care of him while they take him to the hospital." Reno gave her a reassuring smile. "There's nothing else you can do. Just be with him right now, alright." Reno looked outside the temple.

"Helicopter's here…" Rude helped Elena out of the temple while the pilots rushed in and lifted Tseng into the carrier.

"She'll be fine. I don't know about Tseng though…" Reno turned to Zack. "They are somewhere inside this temple. I'm guessing you have to go through that maze down there…I sure as hell ain't." Reno pulled out a cigarette.

"Then I'm going. With or without you." Zack left him and headed down to the lower floor.

"Good luck, hero…" Reno puffed out sarcastically.

"Wait! Look! It's showing us!" Aeris pointed into the pool of water the group came across in one of the temple's rooms.

"What's going on?" Cloud put his hands on his hips. An image of the entrance to the temple came into view. Tseng walked through the door and up to the pillar, Elena following.

"Tseng, what's this? Can we find the Promised land?" Elena looked over Tseng's shoulder and at the pillar.

"I wonder…" He shrugged. "Anyway, we have to report to the president." He nodded at Elena. She turned to leave.

"Be careful, Tseng." She said quickly.

"Yeah…Hey Elena, how 'bout dinner after this job's over?" Tseng questioned not looking at her.

"Th…thank you very much." Elena stared at him in disbelief. He face turned red. "If I may be excused…" She left quickly.

"Is this the Promised Land? No, it can't be." Tseng looked around the room. A bright flash flooded the room. A dark form appeared before Tseng. "Sephiroth!!" Tseng tripped backwards.

"So you opened the door. Well done." Sephiroth stared at his prey.

"This place…what is it?" Tseng questioned.

"A lost treasure house of knowledge." Sephiroth brought his face close to Tseng's. "The wisdom of the Ancients… I am becoming one with the planet." He raised his arms into the air.

"One with the planet?" Tseng stared at the dark man, eyes wide.

"You stupid fools…" Another Sephiroth appeared in the pool's image. It turned and looked at Cloud. "You have never even thought about it. All the spirit energy of this planet, all its wisdom…knowledge…I will meld with it all. I will become one with it. It will become one with me."

"You can do that?" Tseng interrupted.

"The way…lies here. Only death awaits you all. But do not fear…" Sephiroth then ran his sword through Tseng's stomach. Tseng gasped as blood spattered across his face. The Sephiroth that was looking at Cloud began laughing. "For it is through death that a new spirit energy is born. Soon, you will live again as a part of me." Both of the Sephiroth entities began laughing and disappeared from view. The pool's movie was over.

"Did you see it!?" Aeris jumped up.

"Oh Grossness!" Yuffie hid here face.

"Where is the room with the pictures on the walls?" Cloud asked Aeris.

"Almost there." She nodded her head.

"Sephiroth is here right? No matter what he thinks, it's going to end here! I'm taking him out!" Cloud clenched his fists. The group left the room. The pool shook and waves created a new image. Sephiroth appeared. He flew from above and slowly pulled out his sword. He pointed it and flew away, laughing to himself.

Zack wandered the maze. He was advancing through it very quickly.

'Strange…it seems like I've been here before…' He thought to himself.

"NYUM!!" A purple creature hopped up and down in front of Zack.

"What's that!?" Zack jumped back. The creature walked close to him and sniffed him. It raised its arms in the air and squealed loudly.

"NYUM! NYUM! NYUM!" It raised a small hand in the air and shook it.

"You want me to follow you?" Zack leaned in close to its face. Two green eyes stared back. A loud screeching sounded. "Ahh!! You're an Ancient, aren't you!?" Zack grabbed the sides of his head.

"NYUM!" The creature shook its head and pulled on Zack's hand. A soft whisper called through Zack's brain.

"It's okay. All will be fine soon. The planet awaits you."

"Are you talking to me!?" Zack looked in disbelief as the creature gave him a blank stare.

"The girl is strong. She will protect the planet. You, too, will help. Follow me. We have to stop him."

"Ok…lead the way…" Zack looked around the room. The Ancient led him through the maze and tunnels of the temple. He traveled for about an hour before the Ancient left him.

"What's this?" He looked around the room he was now in. It was decorated with ancient pictures and writing. He had never seen anything like it before.

"I GOT IT!!" A loud cheer came from the other end of the room.

"Who's there!?" Zack pulled out his sword.

"What?" A giant Mog with a cat turned and spotted Zack. "What do you think you're doing!? Get out of here!!" The cat jumped up and down, his eyes were wide with fear.

"What are you talking about?" Zack looked around frantically.

"If you don't get out of her immediately, you're gonna die!! The whole building is gonna collapse and everything inside it will turn into the Black Materia. Just go!" The cat waved his arms and pointed towards the door that would take Zack to the exit. The building began to shake and fall apart.

"Al-Alright!" Zack did not feel like arguing. He knew now was not the time to ask questions. He flew through the door and down the hall, boulders smashing on either side of him. He dodged the debris. "Shit!" He reached for the exiting door just as the walls and ceiling began closing in. He pulled and jumped with all his might. A loud explosion was heard and a bright flash blinded him. All of it was over in seconds.

"Yo! You okay?" Reno pulled Zack from a nearby bush.

"What happened?" Zack sat up.

"The whole temple collapsed. But right before it did, I saw you're stupid ass fly through the exit. I've been keeping watch at the back to catch AVALANCHE. Man, you're lucky!" Reno leaned back against a tree.

"Are they okay!? Did they get out?" Zack looked down back towards where the temple used to be. It was now replaced by a tiny, black orb.

"They're fine, sheesh! Well look at that!" Reno sat up and crawled near the edge of the hill they were on. "Cloud's having one of his freak outs!" Reno stared in awe.

"What the hell does he think he's doing?" Zack watched in fear as Cloud picked up the black materia and handed it to Sephiroth. The whole group ran into the crater, trying to reach him before it occurred but failing miserably. Voices could be heard.

"I won't let you do it! The future is not only yours!" Aeris yelled at Sephiroth.

"Haha! I wonder?" Sephiroth flew into the air. "WAKE UP!" He yelled as Cloud lost complete control.

"Sh, Shut up!" Cloud stuttered.

"There Cloud…good boy…" Sephiroth laughed to himself.

"The noise…wa…aaaaa!!" Cloud slowly walked to Sephiroth. Cloud's conscience yelled at him from within.

'No!! Don't be afraid!' Cloud handed the materia over to Sephiroth.

"Well done!" Sephiroth laughed and flew higher into the air, disappearing from view.

"Cloud, are you alright!?" Aeris ran to his side.

"I gave the Black Materia to Sephiroth…?" Cloud fell to his knees. "Wha…what did I do…tell me Aeris!" Cloud spat.

"Cloud…be strong, ok?" Aeris looked at him, her expression very worried.

"URRRGHH!! What have I done!?" He began convulsing, shaking his head from side to side.

"Cloud…you haven't done anything. It's not your fault." Aeris put a hand on his shoulder.

"I…I'm!!" Cloud jumped and tackled Aeris. Straddling her, he hit her continuously. The rest of AVALANCHE had made their way down the crater and reached for Cloud.

"WHAT THE HELL-!?" Zack stood up and pulled out his sword.

"No! NO!" Reno pulled him back down. "You can't do anything right now. Trust me. Cloud is messed up, and he doesn't even realize it. It's Sephiroth. He is controlling him!" Reno fought against Zack's weight.

"But-! He's gonna kill her one of these days! There's no way to stop him! He's too weak!" Zack finally sat back once he saw that the group had pulled him off the girl. "Aeris…" Zack punched a nearby rock, sending cracks up the side.

"Man…you're gonna get high blood pressure with that anger!" Reno whistled. "Listen…Sephiroth is heading towards the City of the Ancients. If you want to stop him, I suggest you get there as soon as possible. At least, that's what Hojo predicts. Leave now, forget about them. You have to beat them there. If you don't then who knows what Cloud will do next if Sephiroth controls him again." Reno stood up.

"I see. But…how do I get there?" Zack stood up and zipped up his jacket.

"I'm not sure. Hojo mentioned to me something about a sleeping forest. It's supposed to be near Bone Village on the South-East side of the northern most continent. It's a long ride. Just head south, you'll get there sooner!" Reno ran through the trees. The sound of a helicopter was off in the distance.

"I see…I'm going south then. Where's Hector?" Zack looked at the crater. AVALANCHE was nowhere to be seen. "Shit!" He jumped down, landing softly in the dirt below.

"Wark!! Wark!" A chocobo called in the distance.

"KWEH! KWEH!" Zack ran in the bird's direction. The calls getting louder as it noticed its owner's calls. "There you are! Come on! We have no time to waste! We have to go!" Zack jumped on the bird. He gave it a handful of food and slapped it on the side. The bird squawked with joy and sprinted south, towards Bone Village.

AVALANCHE had to rest in Gongaga before they continued their trip. They had no idea where to go. Cloud tossed and turned in his bed.

"Aer…Aeri…I…Where?" Cloud mumbled in his sleep. Tifa raised her head from her pillow, listening to Cloud's cries.

'Why does he do that? Why does he always talk in his sleep?' She closed her eyes, trying to ignore his cries. 'Why did he attack Aeris? What is going on?' Tifa rolled into a ball and sank under her covers.

"AERIS!!" Cloud jumped from his bed. He looked around the room. "Aeris?...She's gone!" He turned on his lamp, awakening everyone in the room.

"Hey! What did you do that for!?" Yuffie rubbed her eyes."

"She left…" Vincent walked over to the bed that Aeris had been sleeping in.

"Where did she go?" Tifa sat up, her covers wrapped around her body.

"To the City of the Ancients. It's on the northern continent…" Cloud stared at the empty bed. He looked at everyone. "And Sephiroth is after her!" Cloud began putting on his boots and armor.

"How do you know!?" Tifa ran to his side.

"She…she told me. Somehow…in my dreams…" Cloud stood up and grabbed his sword. "We have to leave now!" The group ran out of the inn.

Zack found his way to Bone Village with much ease. He found that he could follow Sephiroth's energy. He was getting better at sensing his power. Zack walked up the path, the whole village was asleep. He climbed the ladder of the old dig site that would take him to the forest.

"You stay here, okay?" Zack pet his bird.

"Waaarrrkkk…" Hector gave a tired call. The chocobo had worked hard crossing the ocean in so little time.

"Oh! You poor thing! I worked you too hard! Here…" Zack handed the bird some nuts, which it ate ferociously. "I guess I don't feed you enough." Zack frowned. He laid another handful on the ground.

"Wark!" The bird gratefully ate the rest.

"You be good while I am gone. I will be back, I promise!" Zack hugged the bird. "I'm getting too attached to you!" He laughed and ran into the forest, the bird wailing with sadness as he was left alone once again. A pang of guilt hit Zack hard in his heart.

"Damn, bird. Make me feel so bad!" He walked further into the forest. Zack yawned loudly. "Why am I so sleepy all of a sudden?" Zack trudged through the forest.

"You'll never make it…" Sephiroth walked across the branches of a nearby tree.

"And what makes you so sure?" Aeris asked, not looking at the man.

"You're too weak. You have too much human inside of you…" He chuckled to himself. He jumped onto another tree branch, following the girl as she made her way through the forest.

"I'm not weak!" She stopped. "Besides, you're not a real Ancient!" She put her hands on her hips, still not looking at Sephiroth.

"What did you just say!?" The dark man floated down behind her. He reached for her and slid his hands onto the back of her shoulders.

"You aren't a real Ancient. All you are is a human, injected with Jenova's cells!" She winced as his grip tightened.

"You say bold things for such a little girl!" Sephiroth growled. He spun her around and pulled her close to him. "You shall pay dearly for those words…" His green eyes had thin slits for pupils.

"Say what you want. It just eats up at you that you can't figure out what I'm going to do." Aeris smiled to herself. "How does it feel to have a weakness?" She stared at his glowing eyes.

"Weakness? What are you talking about?" Sephiroth smirked.

"You feel helpless because you can't control me." Aeris pulled herself away from his reach and took a few steps back. "You never will." He stood straight lifting one hand to his lips, resting it on the other that was pulled across his chest.

"What are you planning?" He said quietly.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" She smiled and turned away from him, walking down the path once again. The man continued following her.

"You're so interesting…" He stared at her in awe.

"What?" She looked over her shoulder.

"You don't make any sense…why protect the humans? You know what they did. Don't you realize that I'm doing it for the Ancients!? …For our race!" He teleported in front of Aeris. "For us!" He reached out to her and pulled her close to him.

"Wha-?" Aeris looked around. "Us!? There is no us!" She tried to retreat but was only pulled closer.

"You're feisty…" Sephiroth purred. "You know, you can always join me. You and I can create the Promised Land. We can rule this planet! I wouldn't have to destroy it." He tilted his head, his silver bangs falling over his shoulders.

"Destroy the planet!?" Aeris gasped. "You're a monster!" She ripped away from him.

"You disappoint me!" He shoved her onto the ground. He walked over her and straddled her, his face nose to nose with hers.

"What… are you doing?" Aeris' eyes were wide with fear.

"Don't play games with me!" He grabbed her wrists and held them in one hand. With the other he touched her face. "You are so innocent and…useless." He slapped her across the face. She yelped with pain. She immediately began kicking her legs and wrenching her arms, trying to free herself from his grasp.

"Get off of me!!" She got enough strength to pull one leg out and kick him in the nearest available spot, his crotch. He gasped and let her go. Aeris pulled herself up and sprinted away from the man, towards the City of the Ancients.

"You…" Sephiroth stood up and watched her run through the trees. "I'll get you later. There will be no second chances…" Sephiroth followed her slowly down the path. He was going to meet her again in the center of the city and then wait for Cloud. Sephiroth smiled to himself.

'He is so good at doing my dirty work!' Sephiroth laughed out loud, the sound echoing through the deathly silent forest.

"Man…I wonder if anyone will be able to get to this thing!" Zack walked through the trees of the sleeping forest. "It's so creepy and so…quiet." He looked over his shoulder.

"I really hope that they show up." Zack just made a realization. "Wait! What if this was a trick to get me away from them!? Damn! Reno could've lied to me!" Zack walked further down the trail. He decided it was too late to give up and go back. This was the only lead he had so it was best just to get to the city. He made his way through the final trees and found the long path weaving through large boulders.

"Oh yeah!" Zack ran along the path, getting closer to the City of the Ancients. "Wow!" He stopped and looked at the city off in the distance. His mouth gaped open. He felt an adrenaline rush and ran as fast as he could down the path and into the city.

"This is amazing! I can't believe I'm here!" Zack put his hands behind his head. "Now…where is he?" Zack looked at the giant shells that were once houses for the Ancient race. The sound of murmuring was heard down the trail ahead of him.

"Is that?" Zack darted to the center of the city.

'Look at her…mumbling to herself as if she was a true Ancient. She's nothing but a traitor.' Sephiroth mused to himself.

'We need to get rid of her! You underestimate your enemies too much!' Jenova called to her son.

'Mother! Look at her! She poses no threat!' Sephiroth rested his head on the rail in front of him.

'Of course, you've been too busy teasing her that you haven't noticed that the stronger presence is here!' She hissed.

'The man is here, isn't he? What should I do?' Sephiroth looked around the room.

'Kill him! What else!?' Jenova squeezed Sephiroth's brain.

'Is he really that important? He's not even as strong as me!' Sephiroth rolled his eyes. He did not want to bother with the other force.

'He will be! How long do you plan on procrastinating!?' Jenova clawed through his senses.

'Ow! Mother! Maybe he is here to join me! He has been following me and has had plenty of chances to attack. Maybe he'll join me and then we can easily continue Reunion!' Sephiroth stood up.

'You never know! At least put him to sleep! I don't want him interfering with the girl!'Jenova faded from Sephiroth's mind.

"So he wants to play?" Sephiroth threw his arm in the direction that he sensed the presence and launched his sleep spell. A loud burst exploded as his power blew through the wall that was in front of his target.

"That was fun." He chuckled and looked below. Aeris stirred from her prayer and looked around. She didn't move though, she had too much to accomplish.

"Stubborn…" Sephiroth glared at the girl below him.

'There she is! She is right over there!' Zack hid in one of the small cottages next to the platform Aeris was sitting on. 'Why is she here by herself? Isn't Sephiroth around?' Zack became frightened as he sensed Sephiroth's evil inside the city. A loud crashing sound interrupted his thoughts. The wall next to him crashed down. He felt a pound against his skull.

"Ah! Uhhh…Wha-?" Zack tried to stand but slumped over in a deep sleep.

'Please…I need your help.' Aeris prayed for the planet. 'I pray for Holy. Stop the disaster and pain. Please stop meteor…' A loud crashing interrupted her thoughts.

"Damn…Sephiroth most likely. Trying to distract me."

'Must continue…' Aeris prayed and ignored her surroundings. She did not want Sephiroth to get the best of her and ruin her plan. All was quiet for what seemed like hours but was actually only minutes. Then the sound of footsteps neared. All was quiet but a loud scream broke her thoughts, just in time for the end of her prayer.

"CLOUD!!"

"What the HELL do you think you're doing!?"

"Uh…what happened?" Zack slowly stood up. He rubbed his eyes and looked about him. Crumbled rock was at his feet. He quickly lifted his gaze to the platform that Aeris was on. AVALANCHE was crowding the stairway. Cloud was on top of the platform, next to Aeris. He was raising something into the air.

'His…SWORD!?' Zack didn't have time to think. His instincts pulled him from where he currently was and lifted him across the waters. Zack leaped and pulled out his sword.

"CLOUD!!" Tifa yelled out loud.

"CLOUD!!" The rest of the group tried to stop his trance. He slowly raised it higher and higher. His name was like a trigger, pulling the sword down towards Aeris' small frame. Zack flew above them all. At the speed of light, Zack came crashing down on top of Cloud, hitting his sword away.

"What the HELL do you think you're doing!?" Zack shoved Cloud and ran his sword through his side.

"GAH!!" Cloud's eyes unglazed and stared at Zack. His pupils thinned and his eyes began to fold back into his head.

"Wha-!?" Aeris fell back in shock. "CLOUD!" She reached for him.

'This…this is the mighty presence that has been following us!' Aeris' eyes widened. Everything moved in slow motion. Tifa was gliding over the stairs, the rest of the group close behind.

"Zzzz…ACK!?" Cloud sputtered as Zack removed his sword from Cloud's stomach.

"WHAT!?" Tifa stopped, falling to her knees. She stared in awe at the dark haired man. "NO! It can't be!!" She cried out. He turned his head and looked at Tifa. He gave her a crooked smile and then turned to look behind him. Aeris was shaking, pushing herself backwards across the floor.

"ZACK!!" Aeris immediately burst into tears. A shadow hung over her, getting larger by the second.

"NO!" Cloud reached up in the air, blood pouring out from underneath him. Sephiroth fell from the sky, like in Zack's nightmares. He pulled out his sword lifting it up, preparing to run it through Aeris'.

"SEPHIROTH!" Zack swung his sword. A loud clang sounded from colliding metal. Sephiroth landed, blood sliding down his blade.

"Ugh…" Aeris fell forward. Blood gushed from her new wound.

"Aeris!?" Zack fell to his knees and held onto her. Sephiroth stood above them both, a frown on his face.

"So…Zack, SOLDIER First-Class…" Sephiroth pulled his sword out of Aeris' body and sheathed it. He glided into the air. "I see…Looks like my plans will have to change considerably." He levitated out of the city. Zack pulled his view back down towards Aeris.

"Zack…" She stared at his face. "Why?" She pulled his sunglasses off of his face.

"Shhh…rest. You'll be fine, you just lost a lot of blood." Zack put pressure on the wound by Aeris' shoulder. He had knocked Sephiroth's sword out of place and he had impaled Aeris just under her left collarbone.

"It…is you." She looked into his eyes. "I missed…you so much!" She began to cry.

"I don't understand…" Tifa shook her head. She was holding Cloud, Vincent's coat was wrapped around his mid section to keep the wound from bleeding too badly.

"WHAT THE HELL IS GOIN ON!?" Barret shook his fists.

"I'll explain…" Tifa began using her cure materia on Cloud. "Besides…I should have done this a long time ago. Cloud has been confused ever since the day Nibelheim burned down…" Tifa's eyes began to well up with tears. She feared for Cloud's health.

"Zzz…ACK! Zzzz…ACK!" Cloud's eyes were glazed over again, looking at the bright light that shown above them all.

"I'll help…" Zack lowered his head and kissed Aeris on the forehead. He sighed. He knew it was going to be a long story.

Okay! Finally got this chapter done! This was the first chapter that I didn't write in one sitting! Well I hope you enjoyed this chapter, I couldn't wait to get to this part of my story! Now it will take a big turn, thank god! Okay…please review! I'd like to know what you think!

-Annubis