Koinu: Kay, I'm back! lol. Yes, I know it's been a while, but I just haven't had the time to get on the computor and upload this. Gomen.
If, by chance, you have not read this story's predecessor, I suggest you go read it. It's actually quite short. It called 'The Amarimono' and reading it will give you a better understanding of what's happening here.
I've been doing a lot of Advent Children Roleplaying in hopes of developing Liz further, and I've gotten quiet a few ideas for the next installment. One problem... I haven't written anything. Don't get mad, please.
Okay, enough of my blabbering, on with the Fic!
The Amarimono- the Life-Stream
Within Death, within Life... Is this either? An encounter that can change fate, but is it better or for worse? Choice's will be made, and hearts broken.
"Sister? Come on, its time to wake up…"
Liz moaned and refused to open her eyes. It wasn't that she was in pain, no, there was no pain at all, it was just… she was tired, so very tired…
The voice laughed. Where had she heard it before? It was so familiar, yet she could not place where she had recognized it from.
Someone shook her shoulders, most likely the one who had spoken. "Come on Liz, waky waky…" But it was a different voice this time, deeper, older. This one was familiar as well… But still, she could not place voice.
There was another chuckle, this one too belonging to a different being. "I think she's dead…" The voice was smooth, calm and borderline emotionless.
"You fool!" It was the first voice again, but it sounded almost as if it were laughing. "We're all dead, Yazoo."
So that was it; the three speakers had been her brothers all along.
Liz's eyes snapped open and she sat up suddenly, too suddenly. She bumped heads with someone, both their foreheads connecting painfully.
"Ah!" Liz let out a startled and somewhat pained gasp and pulled back. Her eyes were tightly shut from the impact and she rubbed her head with one hand while her other one kept her propped up. "Ouch."
"You're telling me. What was that for, little sister?" Now she could place the voice easily; it was Kadaj.
Liz opened her eyes to see Kadaj sitting on the ground opposite her, also rubbing his head as if in pain. He was smiling though.
The female felt tears come to her eyes and she practically dove on Kadaj, wrapping her arms around him in a tight hug. "Oh Kadaj…" She sobbed into his chest, "I thought I lost you guys…"
Kadaj, startled by her sudden outburst, sat there in a stunned silence for a moment. Then he looked to Yazoo and Loz, both of whom were smiling slightly. Loz nodded and Kadaj slowly wrapped his arms around Liz. "We missed you too…" He said quietly, trying to sooth his sister.
Liz laughed dryly. "I bet you guys are looking at me like 'what the fuck?' right now… right?" She muttered, slowly pulling away from Kadaj. "I'm such a weak sap, can't even do anything to try and save you guys…"
Kadaj looked Liz in the eye and shook his head. "No we're not. We're just glad your okay… err…" Yazoo and Loz both burst into laughter and Kadaj joined in weakly. "I guess none of us are 'okay'…"
It was now that Liz finally looked around, taking in their surroundings. Flowers… millions of them spanned the horizon in all directions and a backdrop of stark white made up what wasn't covered in flora. "We're in the Life-Stream… aren't we…?" She voiced quietly. She didn't need an answer.
"Well, it seems you've gotten smart in your old age… But I see that you're still going around trying to get yourself killed by anyone with Jenova cells in them… I guess you technically succeeded this time…"
Liz's upper body turned around so she could see the new speaker. It wasn't any of her brothers, so she was confused on whom it might be. What she saw made her draw drop.
Seeing as they were in the Life-Stream she had expected to see Aeris, but not…
"Zack…" She breathed, not even the sight of him standing next to Aeris enough to make her believe her eyes.
Zack smiled and waved at her while the other remnants just looked from Zack to Liz blankly. "Yo, haven't seen you in a while."
"You know him…?" Yazoo asked, his voice implying that he was intrigued by this sudden revelation.
Liz nodded her head and stood. "Yeah…" She approached Zack, staring at him for a long moment before she reached up…
And poked him.
Zack raised a brow while Aeris tried in vain to stifle her laughter. "You're poking me…" He stated. "Why are you poking me?"
Liz looked up at Zack, a smirk pulling at her lips. "Cause I remember that my poking you used to drive you insane…" She laughed at this. "Is it working yet?"
Zack was silent for a moment, planning his next more. It would have to be a decisive one…
Suddenly, Zack wrapped his strong arms around Liz, pulling her towards him in a hug. "I've missed you, kid…"
Liz was startled for a moment, but she soon relaxed and returned Zack's hug. "I missed you too…" She could feel Kadaj's anger and jealousy coming at them in waves, and she smiled.
Zack pulled away but still held onto Liz, his hands on her shoulders. "You've grown… You were just a kid last time I saw you."
Liz laughed. "I may have the body of a teen, but at times I think I still have the mentality of the kid I used to be…" She smiled widely. "But Kadaj usually beats me in immaturity."
"Hey!"
"She has a point."
"That's a lot coming from you, crybaby!"
"There there Loz… don't cry, Kadaj didn't mean it."
"I am not crying!"
Liz, Zack, and Aeris laughed at the remnants' arguing. Aeris went over to Loz and patted him on the back, saying soothing words to him while Kadaj and Yazoo snickered.
"How do you live with this?" Zack asked with a grin.
Liz shrugged. "I only lived with them for what, a day?" She bit her lower lip to keep from laughing out when Loz tried to argue with Kadaj again. "If that though…"
Zack sighed. "There's just one problem with this little 'happily ever after even though they're dead' picture…"
Liz arched a brow and looked at Zack, half with curiosity, half with worry. "And what would that be…?" She almost didn't ask; she was so afraid of the answer.
Zack sighed again as Yazoo was forced to restrain Kadaj and Aeris tried to hold Loz back. "You can't stay…"
"And why's that?" She asked, acting as if she were deeply hurt. "I've died, why can't I stay?"
Zack ran a hand through his spiky mass of dark blue hair. "You made me a promise, remember?"
Liz's eyes narrowed. "I was a child."
"A promise is a promise." Zack continued, not letting Liz gain any ground against him.
Liz looked at Zack, confusion and sadness in her eyes. "I'm not going anywhere without them."
Zack frowned and shook his head. "You don't have a choice."
"I'll commit suicide. It doesn't matter how many times you let me live, I'll keep coming back."
"Why do you have to be so stubborn?" Zack scowled.
Liz crossed her arms over her chest. "I told you I wanted to grow up to be just like you."
"You're saying I'm stubborn?" Zack asked, his disbelief evident.
"Yes." Liz replied easily, not even pausing to think about her response.
Zack sighed and ran a hand over his face. "Why Liz, why must you bring them back? They're happy here."
"They'll have plenty of time to be happy once they die of other causes. And I did make a promise, remember?"
"You promised to protect innocents." Zack argued.
"In my eyes they are innocent. They were being controlled by Jenova, or Sephiroth, or maybe both at once." Liz said in a quiet monotone. She had family now, and she didn't want to leave them
"Liz…" Zack uttered her name in a low, almost sad tone.
"Zack please… I won't be able to stand it if I have to lose them as well…" Liz's voice trembled and she looked away as her eyes filled with unwanted tears. "I didn't know Zack… And I would have rather found out some other way…" She paused for a moment to take a deep breath. "I didn't know you were dead…"
Zack sighed, his own eyes becoming softer. "You still have Cloud… We just got rid of him."
Liz laughed, but it was forced. "You're changing the subject…" She averted her gaze again to look at the ground. "Please Zack, they're my brothers…"
"You know the guys for less than a day and already they're your family?"
Liz's eyes widened slightly. Zack knew what had been happening to her… "So I do have a guardian angle… ghost… thing…" She sighed, shaking her head. "A guardian Zack, that's what I have."
"Yeah, and you're making my job really hard." Zack chuckled.
"Life's rough, what can I say? And how hard can being dead be?" The halfling smiled slyly. "You do have Aeris with you."
She could have sworn Zack blushed. "Yeah well…" He waved it off. "Fine. They can go. But their lives will be in your hands. I'm not sending them back again if you somehow manage to get them killed."
Liz smiled triumphantly. "Thanks Zack… I won't forget this."
"You better not…" Zack muttered. He walked over to Aeris and whispered in her ear while Liz went and stood with her no longer feuding brothers.
"Oh…" Aeris voiced her surprise and looked over at Liz for a second before she smiled and nodded. "Okay."
Kadaj stepped to Liz's side. "What's going on…?" He asked her, glancing down for a second so he could judge her reply better.
Liz smiled. "You'll see…"
With a dramatic turn-around Zack faced the siblings. "Okay boys-"
"Ahem…"
"And girl…" Zack continued, avoiding the mock glare Liz was sending at him. "We have discussed the matter thoroughly and we have come to our conclusion…"
"What are you talking about?" Loz complained.
Zack held up a finger to show that he would be done in a moment. "You guys are going back!" He exclaimed. Liz sighed and shook her head while holding it in one hand.
"What do you mean 'going back'…?" Yazoo questioned raising an elegant brow and tilting his head to one side.
Zack sighed dramatically. "Going back, as in we're kicking you out." He stated bluntly, slight, yet fake, annoyance tinting his voice.
"What Zack means to say is that we're sending you back to earth, giving you another chance to live." Aeris put in. Zack grumbled in fake dejection.
"To…live?" Kadaj questioned. "Why…?"
Zack sighed again, this time more dramatic than the last. "Your little sister here-"
"I'm not that little!"
Zack continued as if Liz hadn't even said anything. "Your little sister here has talked me into letting the four of you live again. She says you all promised to be good little boys and not blow anything up."
"I said no such thing." Liz protested. "You're changing the rules after the game has started, cheater."
Zack rolled his eyes. "Whatever, just don't go and try to take out Cloud again, okay?"
There were silent nods of agreement; no one wanted to fight Cloud after what had happened last time.
Aeris smiled and nodded. "Well… are you all ready then?" She asked.
Once again there were silent nods. But then, the unexpected happened. Kadaj stepped forward and flung his arms around Aeris, embracing her tightly.
"Thank you," He said quietly, "for everything."
Once again Aeris smiled and nodded. "You're welcome, Kadaj." She laughed as he pulled away. "It was nice meeting all of you in person… But I'm afraid its time for you to go…" Both she and Zack waved farewell.
Liz smiled and mouthed 'thank you' to Zack as Kadaj stepped back to her side. Then, there was a flash of white light…
And they could feel pain once again.
Koinu: I wrote this all in one sitting. Yep, I was up all night. If I fail any of my classes, then I'm blaming you guys. lol.
Well, this was only a one-shot that someone wanted me to write. There will eventually be another whole story that will be the official sequel to 'The Amarimono', but I hope this will keep you guys sated for a while. And Its great to read all the reviews I've gotten. Thanks!