Authors' Note: Thank you to those who have sent reviews. You are great. Now we can get along and find out what Sephiroth is going to ask Aerith. Here is the next chapter. I warn you the chapters from here on may show slight angst.

Disclaimer: I do not own any Kingdom Hearts or Final Fantasy characters or locations. I only own two characters in this story however. Lee and Jean. Anyway here you go.

Chapter 7
Who is Ansem?

"Aerith," Sephiroth began "there is something I need to ask of you"

'What could Sephiroth want to ask me? Does he know?' Aerith thought to herself as she nodded waiting for Sephiroths' question. For two whole years she thought he was dead and almost every day she thought of him, of how things could have been if he had not become evil. She can still remember that day when their planet was destroyed by the Heartless. Sephiroth had tried to save her then. Something inside him changed like he was a different person. Just like he was now in front of her about to ask something of her that she could not think of what Sephiroth could need from her. Aerith felt a slight fondness of Sephiroth for his brave act then. For that she felt grateful to him and now Sephiroth is the one who needs helping but what could she possibly do? She had not expected the great and proud General Sephiroth to come to her for help.

"I know I have killed many Innocents," said Sephiroth "but that was because Jenova controlled me. She had me wrapped around her little finger if she ever had one and I was her slave. But in the end I get the blame. You and your friends tried to stop me and you all hated me but it seems you still hate me now judging by the reaction of the little ninja up there. The reason I have come to you is because In order to forgive myself for what I have done I need your forgiveness and your friends too." Sephiroth then got down on one knee and held both of Aeriths' small hands in his larger and stronger hands and looked up at her beautiful green eyes.

"This is the second time I have kneeled today asking for mercy and forgiveness." He continued "I am willing to repent for my sins and join the boy against the Heartless but I first need your help for me to forgive myself for all I have done. I have burned and destroyed an innocent village, killed many men, women and children, threatened the world with Meteor and most of all I nearly killed you. For that I am sorry." Sephiroth then lowered his head and Aerith soon noticed small, sparkled drops coming from his face and hitting the ground.

'He is crying' Aerith thought to himself 'he actually does feel guilty for what he's done'. Aerith then knelt down to Sephiroth and with one hand one his chin lifted his head to face hers. They were so close Sephiroth could fell her breath on his face. Aerith leaned in, held his head with both of her hands and kissed his forehead.

"You do not need me to forgive you so you can forgive yourself," said Aerith "but I do forgive you anyway." Sephiroth just stayed where he was, his mind contemplating what she had just said. Aerith then rose up and let go of Sephiroths' head.

"Aerith!" yelled Sora "watch out behind you!" Aerith turned and saw a creature she recognised immediately. It was one the heartless, a shadow. Sephiroth looked up and stood frozen in recognition.

'This was like that nightmare,' Sephiroth thought and watched as the shadow went forward towards Aerith. "I won't let that happen this Time!" Sephiroth got up and drew Masamune and dashed past Aerith with incredible speed and quickly brought down Masamune on the shadow and the shadow then disappeared. Everyone but Sephiroth was too surprised with what had just happened to see the rest of the Heartless appearing and Sephiroth then grabbed Aerith around her waist with his left arm and the two then disappeared in a flash of light.

"Where'd they go?" asked Goofy. As the group above pondered over that question, some thoughts darker than others, a light was seen behind them and Sephiroth and Aerith appeared. Sephiroth still had his arm around Aeriths' waist while the two were staring into each other's eyes both mesmerised by thought and beauty. Before anyone noticed this Sephiroth looked away to the group and decided to surprise them by placing the point of his sword into the feathery hide of the short duck named Donald and Donald then flew up high holding onto where the Masamune had jabbed him and landed on his webbed feet. The group then turned to see Sephiroth and Aerith side by side.

"Don't do that again you big idiot!" yelled the little duck. Aerith giggled behind her hand and Sephiroth only gave a small smirk from satisfaction he had Aerith entertained.

"Well Sora," said Sephiroth "Shall we?" he then walked down to where the Heartless were trying to look for him.

"Yeah, we shall" came Soras' reply as he, Donald and Goofy ran to catch up to Sephiroth.

"We better get back into the house" said Leon.

"Yeah I think we better" agreed Yuffie and the two along with Aerith went inside to take cover from the Heartless as the battle took place outside.

When the three went inside they were greeted by a small voice.

"Hey guys!" said the small girl with red hair "where's Sora?" she then asked worriedly.

"He's outside dealing with the Heartless. They seem to keep coming stronger now." Said Leon

"And what's worse is they have Sephiroth out there?" mumbled Yuffie but she didn't quite expect anyone to hear that.

"You have to forgive him at some point" said Aerith "I know you're still angry with him but I learned to forgive him so why can't he be forgiven by others. He is on our side this time and we have to accept that."

"But he's Sephiroth! You know, the guy who nearly blew up the planet with a f&ing meteor and became a god!" replied an angry Yuffie.

"Your becoming very much like Cloud and Cid mixed together sometimes" was all Aeriths' reply which struck a thought "where is cid?" she suddenly asked.

Sephiroth was beginning to get used to fighting alongside Sora and his friends. He could at last use his sword to help people and not hurt them. As he fought the scene with Aerith forgiving him for his sins replayed in his mind.

'Why am I still thinking about her!" Sephiroth thought in frustration. "I have her forgiveness so my conscience should be cleared but yet I still have thoughts of her. Could this be an infatuation? NO! I must not think like that. But would it ever work between us?"

Sephiroth then heard a battle cry of a man and looked around to see a man with blonde hair with greying bits armed with a spear fighting the Heartless. 'Hmmm that's cid for ya' Sephiroth thought to himself and swiped with the Masamune to dispatch another heartless. When the battle was over all the fighters except for Sephiroth and Sora were slightly out of breath.

"Ahh how I miss the good old days of kicking monster ass" said Cid "well I better get back to my shop, see ya later" with that the once famed pilot walked off to wherever his store was and the four remaining warriors placed their weapons away and walked back up to the house where Aerith and her friends awaited.

Sora was the first to walk in, followed by Goofy and Donald. Sephiroth was hesitant to walk in now that he had discovered that he had a small infatuation with Aerith. He had never been like this before and it worried him.

'What should I do?' thought Sephiroth 'should I just go in there an-'

"Aren't you coming in?" came Soras' voice. Sephiroth then realised he was still outside and lowered his head to get through the door. Sephiroth looked around and noticed someone he had not seen. A small girl about Soras' age with red hair and blue eyes. She was dressed with a white shirt with pink shorts with two pink flaps of clothing on the front and back of them. Sephiroth also noticed that like Sora, this girl also had big feet judging by the size of her shoes.

"Sephiroth this is Kairi, Kairi this is Sephiroth" said Sora as he introduced the two. Kairi then held out her hand, slightly cautious from what she heard of this man and he just simply took it gently and shook it.

"It's a pleasure to meet you" said Kairi with a slight hint of fear in her throat.

"Please" said Sephiroth "do not be afraid of me because of what you have been told of me. I was different then."

Leon was on the far side when the introduction was done. Sora walked over to him and began to explain what he had been through. Sephiroth took note of this and was interested by what he heard. He heard of how Sora went to different worlds, even inside a huge whale, he also mentioned of people named Riku and Ansem. Sephiroth remembered the name Riku but the other name was something new to him.

"Who is Ansem?" Sephiroth asked when Sora had finished his story. As soon as Sephiroth asked this, the whole group had their head hung and no one had answered until Leon lifted his head. Sephiroth could see anger in his eyes as clear as day.

"He was the one who helped the spreading of the Heartless," explained Leon "that son of a bitch is the damn reason why we are here. He is responsible for all the worlds taken by darkness. You may not believe this but we shared a world. I'm not sure how it worked exactly but we had two parts of the world. Two places that shared the same heart. When the Heartless invaded there was a connection made between both parts. But only for a moment though before we were sucked up by that black sphere."

"That'll be enough Leon." said Aerith and Leon soon became quiet. His talking of the world they lived in made her homesick. She missed the planet. She missed the remainder of her friends, especially Cloud. But she also had another thought.

'When we go back, what would Sephiroth be like? Would we have to kill him?' Aerith mentally shook the thoughts away and began to focus on what to do about the current situation.

"I guess the best thing is to try and visit other worlds and see if they have been affected as badly by the Heartless." Suggested Sora. Kairi then giggled slightly.

"Gee that's the best Idea I have heard from you yet." She stated. Sora then went slightly red as the rest of the group except for Sephiroth just simply stared at him.

"I think it is what's best for the moment," said Sephiroth and the others simply nodded in agreement.

"We should rest here for tonight then we should go tomorrow" said Sora. The others then soon prepared the small house for four extra people for the night.

Everyone agreed on the sleeping arrangements. Aerith and Yuffie would take the double bed (don't think dirty now). Kairi was to take the couch on the opposite side to the bed while Sora was on the floor beside the couch. Leon then decided to sleep on the floor by the bed. Sephiroth said he would sleep near the door but decided to sleep sitting up against the wall on the left side of the door since it swings to the right when opened. Donald and Goofy decided to just sleep in the Gummi ship due to lack of room in the house. As everyone got comfortable in their spots Sephiroth was watching Aerith unable to keep his eyes away from her sleeping form. She looked so peaceful in her sleep. Like an angel who's green eyes Sephiroth could not see. Sephiroth also noticed how her lips looked so soft and her skin was so tempting to touch. Sephiroth was able to restrain himself though from the training he used to have when he was a SOLDIER. Sephiroth soon felt the weight of his fatigue catch up with him and he welcomed the calm sleep that followed, hoping that no more dreams would happen.

Sephiroth was alone in the darkness. He was completely still as if frozen in fear. He could not feel the smooth yet strong handle of his sword the Masamune. Sephiroth soon felt that he was able to move and walked forward blind to what was around him. Sephiroth then soon noticed a light ahead and Sephiroth then ran to it. It slowly became bigger and bigger and he then stopped when he could see where he was now. He stood still as memories of this place flashed in his mind. This was the laboratory room that he was kept in for his tests. Sephiroth then remembered him. The man who gave him the life he hated the most. The man who claimed to be his father. The man that helped in turning him into a monster. Hojo.

'damn you Hojo' Sephiroth thought to himself then he turned to try and go back the way he came only to find it was the back wall of his former home. He then turned back and found that it had changed. There was a window in front of him that was pitch black. Sephiroths' curiosity grew then the window seemed to light up instantly and all Sephiroth saw was Aerith. 'Aerith!' Sephiroth thought to himself as he walked up to the window to see if it is truly her. What Sephiroth saw next had hurt him greatly. Aerith turned around and a man had walked up to her. It was Cloud Strife. 'what's strife doing here?' Sephiroth thought and he tried to look away but couldn't as he saw the two embrace. Cloud then leaned in and kissed her and she returned the kiss. This had somehow enraged Sephiroth and with his fists curled in he started to hit against the glass trying to break in but to no avail.

Sephiroth was continuing to try and break the glass when he saw the two and the two had hugged once again only this time Sephiroth noticed that Cloud strife was looking directly at him over Aeriths' shoulder. Sephiroth soon stopped his assault and was disturbed by this. Cloud then started to look different. His eyes turned from his bright mako blue to a violent red and his skin started to grow dark and he then revealed a big black bat wing that protruded from his left shoulder. Cloud then started to laugh and laugh non-stop. Aerith was completely frightened by this and got herself out of his grip and ran to the window where Sephiroth was peering through. She started to bang he tiny fists against the window calling out to Sephiroth and Sephiroth tried to answer the call but couldn't break the window. Aerith turned to look at Cloud and found that he soon became even more different and then started to transform. What were long blonde spikes had turned into long strands of silver hair, Red eyes became darker and more intense. There was a completely different person standing where the monstrous form of Cloud had once been and Aerith turned to face Sephiroth. She was trying to tell him something but couldn't. Sephiroth could not understand what she was saying and then Aerith soon had a look of pure agony as blood spilled put from where a hole in her chest is. The man had stabbed her. Sephiroth then became extremely enraged and then he heard a voice.

"how does it feel?" Sephiroth turned to see Cloud Strife in front of him armed with the Buster Sword. Sephiroth reached for Masamune but remembered that he did not have it. "tell me, how does it feel to lose someone close to you Sephiroth" demanded Cloud as he slowly took his steps towards Sephiroth. Sephiroth was then backed against the blood stained window. With her blood. "Stop this Strife!" Sephiroth commanded.

"so the great general is afraid if you take his metal toothpick away from him. He is weak. You do not deserve her at all. If I can't have her then no one will!" snarled Cloud as he leaped towards Sephiroth but Sephiroth then moved out of the way but he was too slow as the Buster Sword dug it's way into Sephiroths' left shoulder. Sephiroth groaned in both frustration and pain. How did Strife get so fast? Sephiroth was then snapped to attention as he took another blow only to his right leg and he was forced to kneel down. Sephiroth looked up at Cloud with disgust and Cloud then raised the Buster Sword and lowered it onto Sephiroths head, splitting it in half like an axe to a watermelon.

Sephiroth suddenly woke up with sweat beading his forehead. He was panting heavily as if he had lost air and suddenly had it back. He then realised it that he was having another nightmare.

'What is with these nightmares?' Sephiroth asked himself mentally. 'They always seemed to revolve around Aerith, strife and darkness. Could these be premonitions?' Sephiroth was soon out of his thoughts to see everyone in the room, including Aerith, staring at him as if he had grown a second head. They were very surprised to see Sephiroth like this. The great former general of SOLDIER was suffering from mere dreams.

"Are you ok?" asked Aerith who walked over to him and kneeled down to his level and looked into his eyes. Sephiroth could see her concern and also fear. What could she be afraid of? He also saw that there was something else there but he couldn't see what it was. He was so mesmerised by her beautiful green eyes. Slightly darker than his but just as noticeable.

"I'm fine" was Sephiroths' reply.

"I'll need to talk to you another time but now you must go with Sora" said Aerith as she got up and Sephiroth rose to his feet, easily towering over her.

"Where are we going to now?" Sephiroth asked Sora. Sore just simply looked up at the older man.

"I have decided to go to Agrabah first," said Sora "then to Neverland and then to Hollow bastion. I need to find Riku there." Sephiroth simply nodded and grabbed Masamune from its spot against the wall beside where he slept and attached it to his belt.

"We should get going now then," said Sephiroth "and then we'll try to look for your friend." Sora then looked up at him in surprise to what he said.

"I thought you weren't coming," said Sora "after all you did find what you were looking for. Now you don't have to come with us".

"That is true," countered Sephiroth "but however, you need all the help you can get so therefore I am coming with you". Sora nodded to this and then went over to Kairi.

"I'll find Riku. I promise." said Sora.

"Before you go," said Kairi "take this. Be sure to give it back to me ok?" Sephiroth saw Kairi hand Sora a small star with a chain attached to it.

"I will. I promise". Said Sora as he held the little charm and place it in his pocket. "We should go now" Said Sora as he walked out the door.

Just before Sephiroth walked through the door he heard someone calling behind him. He turned to see Kairi in front of him looking up at him.

"What is it?" Sephiroth asked and Kairi was staring into his eyes, amazed at the way they were but soon snapped out of it.

"I want you to do something for me," Kairi said and tugged on Sephiroths left hand in order to make him keel down so they could talk quietly without the others hearing. "I want you to look after Sora, Please keep him safe for me" Sephiroth simply looked at her and noticed something in her eyes.

"You have feelings for him. Don't you?" Sephiroth asked. Kairi was taken aback by this but nodded her head.

"I love him," said Kairi "I always have and always will. I want him to love me too but I'm not sure of the way he feels." Sephiroth nodded to this and smirked a bit.

"Actually Kairi, he does have feelings for you. I think he feels the same way too but only he can tell you the truth. Just wait for him. He'll tell you his feelings. Just give it time." Sephiroth said and Kairi was blinking back the tears that threaten to overflow and she held him in a strong embrace. Sephiroth just simply place an arm over her to comfort her as she quietly sobbed on his shoulder. When she was done she looked up at his emerald like eyes.

"I don't know exactly what you did to make people hate you so much in the past," said Kairi "but I think you have made up for your mistakes. I forgive you for what you've done. You are not the bad person you used to be." It was Sephiroths' turn to be surprised as he saw the wisdom this girl had in her words. There was more to this girl than meets the eye.

"Thank you" Sephiroth said as he got up onto his feet and he looked at the others who were watching since they noticed Kairi crying on him.

"I hope you can trust me with the boy" said Sephiroth and the others nodded. Sephiroth then turned to leave after saying his goodbye.

Sephiroth went through Traverse Town and caught up with Sora. Donald and Goofy who seemed to tolerate Sephiroth came and greeted him and soon the four went inside the ship and the ship soon slowly rose up off the ground and then went high into the sky and off into outer space. While the ship took of a pair of dark green eyes was watching it as it took of into the sky above.

The room was dark and only dimly lit by the small cauldron with the images of the four travellers inside the ship.

"So, the one winged angel decided to accompany them, how interesting." said a male voice. This man felt a presence near but did not move. "Who are you? Show yourself!" the man commanded. A woman appeared from the shadows. Her clothing black as she wore a simple black tunic along with a long pair of pants all wrapped in a dark cloak. Her face was hidden from his view bur he saw strands of raven coloured hair.

"What do you want?" asked the man. The woman simply stood still and her mouth was revealed as a simple smirk appeared on her face but did not say a thing.

'I want what you want' said a voice inside the mans head 'I too wish to seek the supreme darkness. I also want the one winged angel. He is of some use to me. Why not allow me to help you get what you want and I'll get what I want. Do we have a deal?' The man was surprised to hear the voice and soon realised that it was the woman speaking to him.

"Yes we have a deal," he said "but may I ask your name if we are to work together?"

'Yes you may know my name, or so I was called in the past. I was once known as the calamity of the skies on my world. The greatest threat to the race once known as the Cetra. But I was last known as Jenova. And you do not need to tell me your name for I already know it seeker of darkness, or shall I call you Ansem?'

Hmmmmmmm the plot thickens. How was that? Please review to let me know what you think of the way this story is going. I hope you enjoy it.