Final Fantasy VII: The Story 2nd Instalment

Emerald Princess of Vernea

Chapter Thirty-Three

The path through the Sleeping Forest proved to be a straightforward one. Once the Lunar Harp had awakened the forest it had opened up a path for them, heading away from Bone Village and deeper into the depths of the forest. They stumbled across the path almost immediately, when the harp's harsh, wakening tones had faded from the air. How the path appeared was a mystery to them: one second it was not there, and then in a blink of an eye it was, ready to guide their way.

The route itself was simple in its course. A clear, rocky path cut right through the centre of the forest, making it impossible for them to wander and lose their way. Strange bushes and trees grew like markers around it, so if they did happen to wander off they could easily find their way back again. The trees that grew around the path were stunted and had wide trunks, their upper canopies as flat as a tabletop. Growths of red coral sprung up here and there, releasing a spicy scent into the air that was both uplifting and invigorating. Unfortunately it made Red XIII sneeze, so he steered well clear of the red coral when it appeared.

In the sunset the Sleeping Forest had a very magical feel to it. The leaves on the flat-topped trees were lined with a thin later of moisture and when the orange sun shone down on them they shimmered like stars in the twilight. The shades of red on the coral growths grew deeper into a dark shade of red, their thick branches creaking in the wind. Even in the fading light the forest was warm.

At one point during their hike the path came to a stop, ending at the base of a steep, rocky cliff. Just when the companions thought they had to turn around and go back, the forest opened up another path for them that again had not been there before. A short, rocky outcrop had appeared just a few metres back, leading to the top of the short cliff. The group climbed the outcropping and crossed the gap inside a large, fallen tree trunk that had mysteriously fallen across it.

After crossing the cliff, the group decided to stop for a quick rest. They could not stop for long—the sun was settling rapidly and they had to escape the Sleeping Forest before darkness descended on them completely. But it had been a long time since they last ate, their last meal having been interrupted by the Vlakorados. They gathered together in the cooling air and shared small chunks of bread, dried fruit, and some smoked meats.

The forest provided its own addition into their meal in the form of tiny red cherries that strangely appeared on one of the trees. Although they were sure that cherries could not grow in this part of the Planet, they ate them anyway. The cherries were plump and juicy and left a warm feeling in their stomachs, pushing aside the cold air.

Their stomachs full, the companions set off once again through the forest, moving quickly to escape the rising darkness. The forest also seemed to sense their haste and hurried with them—opening paths that would guide them as quickly as possible to their destination.

Not long after the rocky path began to break up and disappear, replaced by a path of bony scales leading out of the forest. The companions scarcely realised the change of scenery until the trees and coral suddenly came to an end and they were confronted by a long, winding trail leading down into the depths of a deep canyon. That and the fact that Cid unknowingly caught his spear in the gap between two of the scaly slabs and was jerked almost off his feet.

The sun was starting to set faster now and dark shadows were beginning to fall over the canyon. From their position they could see the trail winding safely at a steady pace into the canyon, never at any point too steep to walk down. The flat-topped trees reappeared at irregular intervals down the path. Or at least they appeared to be trees—they couldn't be sure. Most of them converged at what appeared to be the end of the trail, leaving only a shadowed opening.

From their position at the top of the canyon, the companions looked down upon the landscape. There was no sign of the City of the Ancients, but the companions knew that they were close. Whether it was the charge of power in the air or the impression of isolation and loneliness they could not be sure. As everyone looked around, their eyes were drawn to the same point—the shadowy doorway at the foot of the canyon. At the same time everybody knew: the City of the Ancients lay beyond the shadows.

"If I were a City-of-the-Whatever, that's where I'd be," said Barret, pointing.

"The Forgotten City…" Cloud breathed, not really listening.

He scanned the path. He could not see Aeris anywhere on the path. Nor could he see Sephiroth. Again he wondered if they had maybe passed them somewhere in the forest. No, he thought, shaking his head. The forest path was fixed—there would have been no way they could have passed Aeris without seeing her first. Yet there was no sign of her. Perhaps she had already reached the city. Even if she had… could he protect her?

"There, Cloud… Good boy."

Memories of the events in the Temple of the Ancients caused self-doubt to stir in his mind once more. He could almost hear Sephiroth's voice inside his head, taunting and mocking. It was as though Sephiroth was taking great pleasure in trying to manipulate him. Cloud frowned and squeezed his eyes shut to blot out the growing headache. No more. He wouldn't let Sephiroth try to confuse him anymore. Everything Sephiroth said was a lie. All lies.

Lies…

City of the Ancients—The Forgotten City

They entered the City of the Ancients just as the sun disappeared behind the western mountains. The warmth it had provided until then disappeared and left the companions feeling cold and shivering a little. Now out of the shelter of the forest a chill wind began to blow and they had to rub their shoulders briskly to circulate their blood and gain some warmth. Their breath came out in short puffs of white steam.

Known as the Forgotten City by the rest of the Planet, the City of the Ancients was no longer a city, but a ruin. It was easy to see why it was nicknamed the Forgotten City, though the title suited the city more as an epitaph now more than a name. At some point during the city's over 2000-year-old past, it had been abandoned by its inhabitants and forgotten by the rest of the world.

Over the passage of time many buildings had fallen apart, but there were still some that were left standing. These remaining few buildings were worn and weathered—the creamy-grey stone was cracked and in disrepair, with some missing vital parts of their construction. There was no building left unscathed. The companions were surprised any of the buildings were standing at all. Whoever built them those thousands of years ago had built them to last.

There were three main paths leading into the city. The centre path led up to the grove of stone-like trees they had seen from the top of the canyon. The left-hand path led to a small cluster of houses, while the right-hand path wound its way through the city toward the other side of the canyon. The group presumed that path led out of the city as well, heading into the mountains.

The group spent a short time exploring the city. A short time it was, since the city was not all that big and night was descending quicker than ever. They gained nothing from their walk other than that the city was completely deserted. There was no sign of anything living in the entire city except for a small family of mice that Red XIII stumbled across while sniffing around inside one of the abandoned homes. There had been no sign of Aeris.

When they returned to the centre of the city the sky was almost completely dark. The shadows, which had only touched the top of the canyon before, now slid over the top of the rocky grove of trees. They stretched across the length of the cavern, reaching out for the city floor.

After watching the shadows begin to snake across the trees, Cloud turned to his companions. Their faces were dark and shadowed with exhaustion. Red XIII's head hung low and his tail was limp on the floor—even the fiery spark on the tip of his tail seemed to dim in the receding light. Cloud sighed. He couldn't ask them to continue searching in the dark. "We might as well find somewhere to rest," he said.

Thankful, the companions headed toward one of the nearby houses on the right-hand path. It was the only house that was almost completely standing, though telltale cracks in the stone framework suggested that in another decade or so that would not be the case.

There was no door—that had rotted away a long time ago. Whatever had passed for furniture two thousand years ago had also disintegrated into dust and returned to the Planet. Yet to their utmost amazement, however, there were beds in the upstairs rooms. The flimsy remains of blankets broke apart in their hands, but the wooden beds still seemed sturdy and firm.

"Look, there's a bed here," said Red XIII, putting his nose close to the bed and sniffing. Dust flew up his nose and he sneezed, sending clouds of dust into the air.

"How COOL!" exclaimed Yuffie, running her hand across the mattress. "I can't believe we found such a soft bed in a dive like this." Before anyone could stop her, she jumped up onto the bed. Everyone held their breaths as she strutted across it, hearing the wood creak and bend. It held.

Tifa sighed heavily and turned to Cloud. "Shall we take a break here?" she asked.

Cloud nodded. Almost at once Red XIII flopped down onto the floor, his tired legs no longer wanting to support his weight. Yuffie sat on the bed and fell sideways, her head hitting the mattress with a soft thump. The others took up various positions in the room. Tifa helped herself to the other empty bed while the men tried to make themselves as comfortable as possible on the dusty floor.

One by one the group drifted off, drifting off on the hard floors and soft beds. Before long Barret's rumbling snore filled the room, prompting a swift kick from Cid and a sharp poke with the butt of his spear. The big man rolled over, not waking, and after a few minutes began to snore again. Once or twice Red XIII twitched and sneezed in his sleep, dust creeping irritably up his nose.

Only Cloud remained unable to sleep. He sensed Tifa watching him as he lay down on the floor near to the bed. He shut his eyes and tried to force his body to relax, levelling his breathing until it looked as though he was asleep. The bed creaked as Tifa turned away from him, satisfied. When he thought she was asleep he rolled onto his back and put his hands behind his head, wide awake and deep in thought.

An hour rolled by and still Cloud could not sleep. He resorted to pacing the floor, his heavy boots thudding softly on the wood. No one stirred. Cloud felt restless; his fingers itched and his muscles burned. Clenching and unclenching his fists, Cloud continued to pace until he thought he would walk a hole in the floor. Unable to stand his pacing any longer, he lay down on the floor and tried to force himself to sleep. After a while he managed it, falling into a fitful sleep.

Half an hour later Cloud awoke to the sound of a voice whispering softly in his ear. He was barely aware of his movements as he stood up, tiptoed past his sleeping companions and stepped out into the dark corridor. His eyes were glazed over as he looked up at the stone ceiling of the house, listening intently to the voice.

"I feel it…" he said to no one, his voice sounding unlike his own.

"…What's wrong?"

Cloud turned to look behind him and saw Vincent standing a few feet away. Cloud did not seem to recall the red-cloaked man at first, staring at him with empty blue eyes. After a moment, recognition replaced his glazed over look as Cloud was brought suddenly back to the present. The others, awake but still groggy with sleep, came out of the bedroom and stood behind Vincent.

"Aeris is here"—Cloud looked solidly from one to the other before adding—"…And so is Sephiroth."

That startled everyone into wakefulness. They huddled together in the chill night air, made suddenly chillier by Cloud's abrupt statement. Instinctively they glanced around the corridor, as though they expected Sephiroth to magically leap out of the walls and attack them.

"No way---!" Yuffie said loudly, her shrill voice ringing painfully in the still air of the house and making the others cringe. Red XIII looked up at her and growled menacingly, but she ignored him and continued. "Sephiroth wasn't invited!"

"But how can you tell?" asked Tifa.

Cloud bit his lip. He did not really know how he knew. He just knew. When he opened his eyes something deep inside him had told him Sephiroth was nearby. The knowledge came to him like a voice whispering in his ear, telling him what he needed to know. He could hear it still, softly, inside his mind. But whose voice was it? Was it Aeris's? Or Sephiroth's?

Cid and Barret were watching him closely. Though startled at first, they looked less than convinced by Cloud's tale now. They eyed him over suspiciously. Cloud, seeing them staring at him, shifted uncomfortably.

"…It's not an excuse," said Cloud quickly. He frowned as he tried to think of the best way to explain what it was he was feeling. Finally he nodded and put a hand on his chest, over his heart. "I feel it in my soul," he said. He looked at the two. Cid clicked his tongue behind his teeth; Barret crossed his arms and grunted his approval.

"Um," Red XIII interrupted, bringing them all back to the matter at hand. "…What should we do? We must hurry to her!"

Everybody looked at Red XIII. Cloud nodded. Enough time had been wasted already. Whether his words were true or not, they had to find Aeris before Sephiroth found her and she got hurt. "…Right. Let's hurry and find Aeris," said Cloud firmly.

Drawing their weapons, the group hurried out of the house and into the night. A bank of clouds obscured the starry sky—it looked like rain was coming in. Or it could be snow, this far north. But no one's minds were on what was above them, only on what was ahead. Without the light of the stars it was hard to see the path. They had to feel their way across the uneven scales else they would trip and break their necks.

Cloud came to a stop in the middle of the path. A gentle voice was drifting on the wind, the sound of a pure heart singing a midnight prayer. He looked up toward the heart of the city, toward the only part they had left unexplored as twilight fell upon them. The silvery voice came from there, slipping out of the darkness of the opening.

"Aeris's voice… …coming from there?"

The others watched Cloud as he walked past them and headed down the central path. The grove of stone-like trees loomed ahead of him. Their rough, flat tops tipped precariously around the doorway. Merging into the foot of the cavern, they formed a tunnel that cut briefly through the canyon and to the other side. Cloud did not hesitate before walking into the shadows. Aeris's voice was louder now.

On the other side of the tunnel there was another path that led to an unusually shaped building. The building was shaped rather like a large shell that had been placed on its side, its curved opening at its base. Sharp spikes jutted out here and there across its gravely frame. In front of the building was a large pool of clear water, shallow enough to wade through except for one spot where the ground opened up and delved into deep shadows. How deep it went was anybody's guess. But Cloud ignored the pool. Aeris's voice whispered out of the doorway.

Paying no heed to the others behind him, Cloud walked around the pool toward the building. Aeris's voice was getting louder now—he could almost make out words amidst the devout whispers. He entered the building.

The interior of this building was unlike any of the other homes. There were no rooms or furniture—or the remains of them. This house was one big room, with a single path that spiralled around the wall of the 'shell' until it neared the top. The centre of the shell contained no floor. Instead there was a hole leading deep underneath the earth. Leading into that hole was a radiant blue staircase made of pure energy.

Tifa and the others all crowded around the balustrade, leaning over to see where the staircase led. They gasped and gawped, pointing and chattering loudly. Cloud paid no attention to them or the staircase. The mystery of this strange room did not interest him. It was as if he had been here before, or seen it through another's eyes. Aeris's voice came from the hole.

Before he realised what he was doing, Cloud found himself heading down the spiral staircase leading into the hole. He heard Tifa's voice calling for him to wait up, but he took no notice. Even when the others fell into step behind him, still muttering and chattering, he took no notice.

All chattering ceased as they entered the inner sanctum of the city. They found suddenly that the narrow hole opened up into a great chasm so vast and so deep that they could not see the bottom.

Yet it was what lay in this huge cavern that made them go silent with awe. Another city had been built underneath the other one, and this one was far from ruined. Great towers and buildings made from an unknown substance rose from the ground Walls of shimmering crystal rose up from the perimeter at uneven levels, acting as a shield. Those walls had been level at some point, joining together at a single point to form a protective barrier in the shape of a sparkling flame.

The spiral staircase led down toward one of the towers. Cloud and his companions followed it in total silence. No one dared speak; no one wanted to disturb the tranquil peace that filled this city, the true Forgotten City.

They reached the bottom of the stairs and came out of the tower. They looked around in awe. Though this city had been abandoned for more than a thousand years also, nothing was in ruin. Some magic kept this city alive. The group walked carefully down a set of stairs that led toward the centre of this small but still magnificent city.

They came to a stop at the end of the boulevard. A large pool lay before them, filled with crystal clear water that glistened and iridescent blue, reflecting the light of the towering walls of crystal overhead. This pool formed the centre of the city. A number of rising stone pillars rose from the waters, heading up toward a large platform in the heart of the city.

Without waiting for the others, Cloud jumped off the edge of the boulevard and landed firmly on the first and lowest pillar. When he steadied himself he looked up at the platform, which was a little more in view. There was someone there. Cloud could just about see the head of a person on the pillar. Cloud strained to see better in the faint blue light, and stretched up on his toes to see who it was. Finally her face came into view and Cloud's heart almost stopped.

"Aeris?"

It was Aeris on the platform. The young Ancient knelt in the middle of the podium, her eyes closed and lost in prayer. Her head was lowered; she could not see Cloud or the others, nor hear Cloud say her name. Her staff stood at the edge of the podium. Her brown hair was ruffled and her clothes were slightly dirty from days of travelling, but she looked unharmed. Cloud breathed a sigh of relief. She was all right! Still, something in Cloud told him to be cautious.

Tifa stepped up to the edge of the boulevard, preparing to jump and join Cloud on the pillar. Suddenly Cloud shot his hand back at her, acknowledging the others for the first time since entering the city. He waved his hand at Tifa, who nodded and stepped back from the edge.

Turning back to the podium, Cloud looked up at Aeris once more. She was so close now—he could protect her from Sephiroth now. He took his eyes away from the podium and began to jump across the remaining pillars. He finally landed at the edge of the podium, the sound of his landing echoing slightly in the empty city. Still Aeris did not stir from her prayer. It was as though she was asleep or lost in a trance.

Cloud took a step forward until Aeris was so close he could reach out and touch her silky brown hair. He could hear her speak softly to herself, murmuring words he could not understand. He could hear her soft breath. He took a step closer to her.

What happened next would haunt Cloud until years later. As he stepped closer, a gentle throbbing in his head made him stop. His body stiffened. Cloud tried to shake his head, but he could not move it. Then, completely of its own will, his hand reached up and drew the Buster Sword from its place upon his back. Cloud tried to twist his arm away as he lowered the blade, its tip pointing straight at Aeris's heart. Then Cloud grasped the sword with both hands and lifted it high above his head. He started to bring it down.

"What are you doing!"

"Sto----p!"

Startled by Red XIII and Yuffie's cries, Cloud staggered backward and lowered his sword, the blade clanking loudly against the floor. A loud whistle was ringing in the back of his head, making it throb painfully. Cloud shook his head briskly, appalled at what he had very nearly done.

"Ugh… what are you making me do?" he asked aloud.

Cloud looked at Aeris, who remained tranquil in her kneeling stance in the middle of the podium, her hands folded together in prayer. Suddenly she opened her eyes and lifted her head, seeing Cloud for the very first time. Her green eyes met his blue ones. It was as though she had just come out of a trance. She did not seem very surprised to see him. Cloud stared back at her, still holding his sword in his hands.

As he watched, Aeris became bathed in a shower of green light from the unknown depths above, enveloping her in its warmth and power. It was as though some unknown entity was answering her prayer.

Upon seeing Cloud, a smile spread across Aeris's face. It was a smile that would forever burn in Cloud's memory. A smile of joy and of hope. It would be a personal memory. A last memory. As the green light swept over Aeris, that smile deepened.

Nobody saw the dark shadow that flittered across the light, nor the figure that appeared at its heart. The green light flashed as a leather-clad figure dropped from the skies, his long sword drawn and pointing to the earth. His long silver hair whipped in the wind as Sephiroth flew down from the light, his eyes transfixed on the Ancient as she knelt smiling at her beloved friend, unaware. Nobody saw… until it was too late.

The blade pierced Aeris's waist, slipping straight through her skin and clothes. Her hands dropped to her sides. Her upper half tipped forward and bobbed, nearly impaling her head on the blade. Aeris opened her eyes to see the glittering metal of the masamune coming cleanly out of her front, devoid of blood but fatal nonetheless. Her eyes widened. She gasped.

Sephiroth stood behind her, holding the sword's hilt firmly in both hands, looking down at the Ancient as she knelt dying before him. His cold green-blue eyes raised from her to Cloud, and a menacing smile touched his lips. Then he slowly withdrew the blade, pulling Aeris upright as it was pulled out of her body. Aeris did not even gasp, for she no longer felt any pain.

Aeris began to fall, her head tilting forward suddenly as her eyes closed and her last breaths left her body. The sudden movement caused the ribbon in her hair to come loose and fall away, releasing her long hair and the materia that held it in place. The white ball of materia fell through the air, its cloudy surface glittering with a soft green light as both materia and Ancient fell to the earth.

Emerald: And that's it for that chapter! Aren't I mean? The next chapter will be a song-fic chapter. I'll be using the lyrics to Rikki's Pure Heart.