Just trying to udpate as fast as I can, but it's taken me a while for end of semester stuff and moving into my new apartment. I hope this is worth the wait D:

This chapter is quite the range of emotions. I really like my ending of it, I hope you guys do too!

Please review! I love when I get them and they seriously make this all worthwhile in the end. 3

I'd also say I'm planning on wrapping this all up in 3-4 more chapters. OMG!

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"My feet hurt," Aerith whined, plopping down onto an oversized mushroom. Iori brushed the hair form his face and sighed.

"And what's worse, this trail isn't leading us anywhere," Iori added, seating himself next to her.

Ever since the duo landed in Wonderland, neither of them had an interaction with anyone and had been walking along a checkered path for hours, leading them in no direction. The Lotus Forest was vastly different from anything they'd ever seen before as well. Flowers were the size of trees, trees were the size of toadstools, and the toadstools were spread out along the forest floor like flowers. Except, they too, were just as big.

"I wish we could just get out of this place and find a real town or something," Aerith whined more, smacking her head into Iori's shoulder, giving him a pouty look.

Aerith's playful nature was eating away at the red head's thick shell. Since their journey had begun, he had given her a hard time for her naïve personality and somewhat ditzy attributes. However, from the streets surrounding Notre Dame and the enchanted ship, Iori realized her strong will and determination had gotten them far in their journey. And though, it may have seemed somewhat short of a journey, they had been together everyday helping fight each other's battles.

"Aerith," Iori began. The young woman rolled her head so her chin rested gently on his shoulder and peered up into his dark eyes. Blushing, he quickly averted and looked the other way.

Picking her head up, she asked, "Is something wrong?"

Iori remained silent for a moment. He then turned his face to hers leaning in a bit closer. "What if we don't make it off this world? What will you do?"

Aerith gave him a stern look, "Now don't talk like that. We'll get out of here. This… It's just a short detour, that's all." She sounded confident in her answer, but it read all over her face she was just as unsure.

Iori shook his head again. "We're stuck, in this wild goose chase. And all you care about is some guy you don't even know anymore!"

Aerith stood on her feet now. "I do know him! He's not someone to forget about those he cares about!"

Iori, too, jumped to his feet. "How do you know he even cares about you?! Did he ever say he loved you?! Or are you just telling yourself this in hopes that this is some fairy tale and the prince will come rescue his princess?! Get a grip! He's not going to come and find you!"

Aerith clenched her fists tightly and held back the tears forming behind her eyes. "What do you know about love? So what if he never said it? Doesn't mean it isn't there!"

Iori averted his eyes again. "So, you think because I'm some demonic cast out that I can't understand love?"

Aerith held her breathe for a moment, choosing her words a bit more carefully. "You've never said anything about it before." Her tone began to calm down a bit more.

Iori twisted his head back to her and glared at her fiercely. "You want me to say something?! Fine, yes I know what love is like."

"Oh really?! How?!" Aerith again, rose her voice, complementing his harsh tone.

Iori clamped his hands tighter and trembled his fists. Aerith's eyes were like daggers at this point, judging his every comment. His heart was beating fast, while he felt his face to perspire. "You want to know?!" Aerith just glared, her eyes giving him the answer. "I know…I know... Damnit, I know because I love you!"

Aerith stood frozen now, her anger melting away into pure collapse of her body, the liquidating feeling in her legs seating herself back onto a large mushroom. Iori hid his face behind his hands and turned from her, attempting to shield his eyes from any awful expression she has written across her pale face.

"I-I can't h-help it…" he tried explaining. Aerith could barely hear him though, her heart pounding heavily in her ears.

She parted her lips, trying to say something but no sound came from her voice. She felt immense pain and guilt. This whole time, it must have been eating away at him to know she was looking for someone else. To know her love was only one-way and not directed at him. At the same time, it was painful not knowing any signs. Sure, Iori had been there for her, but all the same, she thought it was because he was selfishly getting back onto the right track in life, not because he genuinely felt the need to help her. And the pain of not knowing he loved her and never being able to see it. Not once. But then again, how cold she, he was so cold to her. At least Cloud, being distant and harsh sometimes, had given her reasons to fall for him in the first place. No matter what he did, he did them with her in mind, no matter how many people he had to push over to get the job done. She was so, so very lost.

"I-Iori…" she began, trying to break the silence. "When did you figure this out?"

He removed his hands from his face and let them drop to his sides. Iori leaned his body back to stare at Aerith, but only from his profile view. "What does it matter?" Was his response, returning to his original, cynical self.

Aerith peered down to her hands, unfolded, yet lying on her lap. "I don't know why it matters. I'm sorry for putting you through all this." It was her only honest answer she could give him. She still felt lost.

Iori sighed again. This was all his fault. If he only kept his mouth shut, she'd be happily following him around just like from the beginning. Now, they were ever more distant than the beginning of their journey. Iori couldn't stop his mind from beating himself up. Why couldn't he just let her be happy with whomever she chooses? It's her life. Besides, he knew from the very start she was on a journey to find her loved ones. They would have to part again.

"Aerith," Iori stared, "Let's get you home." His voice was heavy. Aerith knew it took everything in him to come to terms, especially so quickly. However, it didn't feel right. She couldn't use him anymore. Especially when he put his life at risk and to nothing back. She couldn't give what he wanted.

"I-I can't…Iori… I can't use you like this. Not anymore," Aerith stated.

"It's my duty—"

"No!" Aerith slammed her hand against the huge mushroom she sat on. "It was wrong of me to play with your feelings like this. Now, I must go alone."

Iori rolled his eyes. "I'm not letting you go by yourself."

"I grew up in the slums almost alone! I don't need you!" She yelled back.

Those words hurt deeper than meant to. She bit her bottom lip and gave a sorry look in her eyes, but the words were already said. Iori just turned his face and walked the other direction.

"I-I didn't mean it like… Wait! Please!" Aerith called out again, but Iori didn't stop for her. He was already heading the other way, into the woods, into darkness far from her. And just like that, Aerith was all alone and lost. The tears she long held back now streamed down her face and she sobbed alone in the Lotus Forest, with no one else but herself.

Iori went off the path and into the actual forest of trees, flowers and mushrooms. He didn't really go to far. Lingering for a bit he hid away from Aerith but still kept her in sight. He watched her break down on the path sobbing away. At this point, he didn't deny that she cared for him, but he wanted more than that. He wanted to sit behind the tree he was hiding behind and just watch her, waiting for someone to come along and snatch her away, so then, like in the fairy tales, he's save her and she would fall in love with the prince.

Then, he almost laughed. Such a stupid idea. This wasn't the fairy tales from books. He was a demon summoner, a castaway from Hell. A pure hearted soul as hers couldn't love something so tainted. Yet, why had she trusted him for this long? Maybe it wasn't because of his past. It couldn't have been, not with such innocent eyes.

Iori lost himself in his thoughts. He just couldn't accept the fact she cared more for someone else other than him. He sat alone behind the trees while still peering through the gap in the clearing. Aerith still cried softly, making Iori shift uncomfortably, trying to block out the sound. He turned his head away and looked down at his metal boots, slightly reflecting some of the sunlight that somehow made it's way down through the treetops.

I should just stop, he thought. There was no point in wallowing in his own self-pity. I need to just talk to her. After several painstaking moments, Aerith had gotten up from the mushroom, wiping her face and continuing onward towards some unknown pathway to an unknown city. Iori heard her footsteps as she walked away and quickly turned to she where she was headed.

Shit, I have to go now! He yelled at himself mentally. Jumping threw the forest, he chased after her. "Wait!" he cried, grabbing her attention.

Aerith turned to look at him, alarmingly. "Iori? But I thought you—"

Iori interrupted her. "I know, I know. Look, okay, I get it. And I'm sorry for putting this upon you. But, I needed to get this off my chest." He took a long breath from his panting from running out of the woods. "However, I made an oath. Not to myself or Esmeralda, but to you. To protect you from any dangers from reaching your friends again. It's my fault for letting my feeling get in the way."

Aerith clasped her hands near her chest and gave Iori a pained expression. "I didn't mean for any of this to happen."

Iori laughed slightly, "You did nothing wrong. I knew what I was getting myself into. I just let myself slip."

She looked down to her feet and held one of her arms close. "I don't know what to say. I feel like I still owe for something. "

Iori placed his hand on her face and let out one of his charming smirks. "As long as this Cloud character treats you well, I have no worries. I've learned to love again and protecting those I love is the most important thing to me. I don't expect you love me in return, but I hope none of this will be in vain in the end. Promise me that?"

Aerith blushed to his touch and nodded slowly. "I-I'll do my best."

Iori closed his eyes and gave her a small kiss on her forehead, increasing her body temperature even more so. Once he released his lips from her head, he opened his eyes and smiled again. "I will do my best as well."

Once everything was settled, Aerith allowing Iori to link his arms into hers as they continued walking on their journey. After a few minutes of comfortable silence, Aerith's train of thoughts brought her to remember the tiny orb containing the creature from the lake she was resurrected from.

"Hey, Iori," she started out, making both figure stop moving.

"Hm?" he grunted turning his face to hers.

"That creature… That summon… Do you still have it?" she asked putting her arms behind her back and leaning in under his face, looking up with her large green eyes.

Iori looked down to his belts with several pouches and books strapped on. In the tiniest leather bag, Iori unbuttoned the flap and pulled out the silvery-blue orb and held it out above his head to reflect the light from the sun.

"You mean this little thing?" Iori asked back, letting the light bounce off the orb.

Nodding in approval, Aerith held out her hand like a young child and asked, "May I?" Iori said nothing while handing the small orb to Aerith.

"What do you plan on doing with it?" Iori questioned after letting the silver orb fall into her hands.

"I want to call him out. Don't you think he's lonely in there, all by himself? We haven't asked it to come out since the day we met," Aerith answer holding the spherical crystal like it was a baby bird fallen from its nest.

Iori huffed while disagreeing. "I doubt it. Demons are pathetic creatures really. Heartless predators lurking out from the depths of Hell."

With disbelief in her eyes, Aerith peered up to Iori and cried out, "That's not true! You said this one was protecting me!"

Iori sighed. "Suppose your right. What do you plan after summoning it from its crystal form? Play catch?"

Aerith just shook her head. "I've learned from many people that if you don't try something, you'll never see results. Good or bad."

A sadistic grin grew on Iori's face, "Oh really? Well, I sure have learned my lesson, now, haven't I?" Aerith gave him a pouty look.

"You're so cruel," she teased. However, the small poking fun made Iori back off and restrain himself from saying any more hurtful words.

"So," he tried changing the topic, "How do you plan retrieving our little companion?"

Letting out a small grin, Aerith held the orb to her face, her emerald eyes gazing down to the orb. Her mouth moved, yet no words came out as a mist began to spread out from the crystal and engulf the two figures.

"What's happening?!" Iori barked at Aerith, who seemed still rather unphased by the summoning call. Once the mist calmed, again, the serpent-like demon swirled around the two beings, nuzzling it's doglike head against Aerith's cheek. Aerith giggled and pet the beast back, the tail whiplashing in approval.

"I've missed you, dear," Aerith said, nuzzled the demon back on its cold wet nose.

Iori scoffed and rolled his eyes. "Done making out? I want to get the hell out of this place."

Aerith playfully stuck her tongue out from her cute pink lips and continued to pet the watery creature. Then, the beast swirled around Aerith, its body coiling and uncoiling, causing Iori's senses to heighten and listen to the unheard language of demons.

"What's going on, Iori?" She asked watching the summoner and the demon communicate between themselves.

Turning his head to her, Iori replied, "It says 'hop on'." The creature turned its large head to her and snorted out its large nostrils.

"You-you mean ride it?!" Aerith exclaimed. The sea creature coiled and uncoiled again, hovering between the two figures.

Iori sort of smiled and answered, "It just says to climb on it's back."

Aerith held out her hand as she slowly walked closer to the beast, touching its skin. It was strange to feel the skin of the beast. When she touched it, her hand moved along it like water, but solid without the frozen feeling of ice. The skin made her feel like it would allow her hand to fall right through it like sticking her hands a stream, but then stopped when she forced it harder into its body.

"Don't hurt it, Aerith," Iori spat, crossing his arms.

"It's so strange, the body in comparison to its head. I feel like if I sit on him, I'll just fall through," She replied, ignoring his snide remark.

The demon lowered itself to an attainable height for Aerith to climb up on. She hoisted herself on it's slithery back and comfortably situated herself on the creatures back. As soon as she situated herself, Iori popped up from behind her and scooted closer to Aerith's back.

"Wha-what are you doing?!" Aerith asked loudly, surprised seeing the summoner behind her.

"He asked for both of us," Iori jeered, positioning himself still on the back of the beast.

"Where are we going though? I'm afraid," Aerith asked, holding on tightly to the beast's body.

Iori let out a charming grin and slipped his hands by her waist and leaned in to grab the demon's body as well. "Not sure, but we won't know until we try." Aerith tried looking at Iori with wide eyes, but he cut her off. "Go demon!" he bellowed deeply.

Aerith let out a yelp as the water creature responded quickly to Iori's voice. The demon shot up into the air at high speeds, causing Aerith's hair to break free from her braid and fly everywhere. The wind whiplashed the two friends as the beast from the lake broke through the world's surface and sped through the stars surrounding the world.

"Iori! We're in space!" Aerith cried, fearful for her life as well as Iori's and the demons.

Iori laughed, "We're fine! He's protecting us with a shield so we can breathe, see?" He pointed around them, Aerith following his fingertips. It was hard to noticed, but there was a force around them engulfing them in some clear-like ribbon distorting their vision of the stars and worlds passing them.

"This is amazing! I've never experienced anything like this!" Aerith yelled, a wide grin spreading across her pinking cheeks.

Iori smiled as well, focusing on the path ahead the demon was following. The demon writhed a little flipping the two passengers around in a circle, causing Aerith to freak out again.

"Please don't do that!" She cried, holding onto its body tighter. Iori snorted.

"It was telling us we're almost to our destination," Iori responded.

Aerith turned her head to Iori, who seemed to be handing the ride rather smoothly, sitting more at a forty-five degree angle then nearly laying down on the sea beast like Aerith.

"Our destination?" Aerith called out to him wide eyed.

"Yes," he answered back, "Traverse Town."

The beast then began to slow it's pace, approaching another unfamiliar world, displaying some kind of marquee of lights flashing and tan colored paved roads. Aerith sat up more upright once the water demon made a stop, her loose brown curls bouncing off her shoulders, cascading down her back as well as becoming slightly disheveled in front of her. Iori released his grip and slipped his hands off her waist and rested them on his thighs.

"I suppose this is it," Iori chimed looking down into the world.

"Can you take us down there?" Aerith asked the creature, its tail coiling up.

"Hold on, it'll take us through the surface," Iori instructed, holding back onto the beast through Aerith. She followed suite, grabbing back onto the sea creature's back. The demon responded again, spiraling down into the atmosphere of the world, though much slower and steadier than leaving Wonderland.

Arriving at the world's surface, Iori jumped down, landing easily on both his feet. Aerith jumped after him, though not as graceful, Iori caught her tumble and helped her also land on two feet.

"Such a gentleman," Aerith teased brushing her canary yellow dress and fixing the straps on her sandals.

Pulling down on his vest to also fix himself up, Iori gave Aerith a sharky smile and said, "Such a job the assist damsels."

Aerith giggled and watched as the summon began to coil into itself and drop from the sky as a silvery crystal orb again. Aerith caught the orb with both hands carefully like she was carrying an egg.

"Thank you, dear one," she whispered at it, the glow still illuminating from it.

As Iori and Aerith peered into her hands at the fading light of the orb, a male's voice came from a few feet behind, sounding slightly from middle years.

"You gotta be shittin' me," the man said, his tone is disbelief.

Iori turned around and shot the man a despising look. Aerith, still holding the orb close to her, followed Iori's lead to look at the man behind her. However, her eyes grew nearly double as the orb fell between her fingertips. She covered her mouth as tears welled up in her eyes.

"Oh my gawd," she said, her voice trembling. Iori began to become defensive, still not understanding who the man was in front of them.

"Can it really be you?" the cigarette fell from his mouth as he stoked his short blond aging hair. The fit man was wearing a dirty tee shirt with black grease stains all over it and leather gloves that had seen much better days. His tan boots and navy pants as well had been worked in more than several times.

Aerith ran forward and lunged at the man, grabbing his middle tightly. Iori cocked his head in confusion while watching Aerith embrace this unfamiliar figure. The mechanic wrapped his arms back around her, resting his chin atop her wind blown locks.

Her tears began to appear on his greasy shirt as Aerith began to sob gently in his arms. "Oh Cid! It's really you. Thank goodness."

"Shit girly, I was wondering when I'd be seeing your pretty little face again," he replied, tears of joy filling the newly formed wrinkles in his maturing face.

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