Sleeping Cetra
Chapter 7:
The Curse Fulfilled
Cloud was dressed in a navy zip up turtleneck with a single black sleeve and a shoulder guard. He placed on black pants with pockets near the knees, black boots and black gloves. Slipping two belts around his chest, he attached them to a long piece of leather. It made it look as if his left side was wearing a trench coat. The family crest rested on his shoulder guard, a beast with a ring his mouth. It was an awkward crest to say the least.
After dressing Cloud looking in the mirror and took a deep breath. He should have been dressed for the return of the Princess of the Cetra. The outfit he was supposed to wear was laid out for him on his bed. It was much more befitting for a Prince. Yet, the young prince was not going to meet her. No, he had decided last night he would not follow his mother's wishes and marry some woman he never met. No, he wanted to be Aerith more.
Cloud exited his room. He expected Vincent to be guarding the door but he was nowhere to be seen. Perhaps his mother expected her son to be more obedient. The young prince began to walk down the hall, excited.
"CLOUD," Zack called out to his brother. "Where do you think you're going?"
Cloud groaned and turned to face his older brother. Zack was dressed in his royal garb, a gold crown on his head. He looked regal in every aspect as well as handsome. Despite the fact his hair was unruly as ever.
"What do you want?" Cloud asked.
"Mother told me to come get you," Zack said. "Why aren't you dressed yet? You're meeting the Princess of the Cetra."
"No I'm not." Cloud stated, simply.
"WHAT?"
"I'm not marrying her and I'm not going to rule the Kingdom of the Cetra. I'm tired of being told what to do."
Zack grabbed his brother's arm only to have Cloud break free easy. The younger brother glared coldly at his sibling. Zack stared back.
"And where are you going?" Zack asked.
"To meet the girl I want to marry."
Without warning Cloud reached into one of his pockets and pulled out a materia. He knew that someone would try to stop him. Sadly, it had to be his brother. He used it so fast that Zack found himself paralyzed. His legs fell from beneath him and he was now lying on the ground unable to move. He could not even talk. In his head, Zack was cursing, not because of what Cloud had done, but for being stupid and unprepared. When they had been little, the two often were scolded for using materia on each other.
"Sorry brother, but I am going to live my life." With that, Cloud left, leaving his brother in a bind.
X, X, X,
"Are you positive?" Sephiroth asked sitting in his throne. His eyes traveled between the three kneeling men before him. Behind them was their pack of fiends.
"We are certain," Kadaj spoke. "It was her leaving the Ancient Forest. Even more interesting was her pleas to see a man she is in love with."
Sephiroth's eyes narrowed. He knew of the curse he put on the princess. However, he knew the three meddling good for nothings changed his killing curse into nothing more than a sleeping curse. The counter spell for it was a single kiss and Sephiroth would not have it.
"We will deal with princess first." Sephiroth grinned wickedly.
X, X, X,
Heartbreaking as it was, Tifa, Yuffie and Barret had taken Aerith back to her palace in secret. She begged and pleaded to stay in the small cottage and wait for the man she was in love with but it fell on deaf ears.
They snuck inside under the night sky to the tower where they found her room where she only once slept in as a baby. The room was now furnished with a large bed with spectacular beddings, several pillows, and large canopy with a see through curtain. There was a large plush carpet the color of roses and several dressers, a vanity, a closet, a bathroom, and large tapestries all over the walls.
They sat Aerith at the vanity, and Tifa brushes out her long locks before placing the crown on her head. Aerith looked beautiful in her long white dress. She belonged in this world and not in some cottage in the forest.
"Aerith you look so pretty." Yuffie said, but the girl remained silent.
Her eyes began to water and soon she burst into tears. Yuffie took a step to comfort the girl when Tifa stopped her. Yuffie looked at her and shook her head. However, Tifa took both Barret and Yuffie from the room.
Aerith sat crying on her vanity. When she was a child, she dreamt of being a princess but now it seemed like a nightmare. Everything was happening so fast. Her life had all been a sham and she did not even know why. She did not care. All she cared about was Cloud. She would never see him again and when he found the tiny cottage abandoned he would be heartbroken, like she was now.
Just then, the sound of footsteps approached her. Aerith picked up her head wondering if her aunts or uncle we are coming to tell her that it was time. However, instead she found a little boy with curly brown hair walking past her room. Yet, Aerith had not noticed the doorway before, nor that the door was open. Perhaps she had been too upset to notice or care. The boy stopped and looked at her.
"I'm scared," he spoke sadly, as if he was about to cry.
Aerith wiped her tears. She stood up, her new white dress spilled over her, covering her simple white slippers. She walked over to the boy and saw the hallway was dark one while the other way led to stairs.
"Brother is up there." The boy pointed to the stairs. "I'm scared."
Aerith's heart went out to the boy as he buried his small hands into his face. Aerith gently held out her hand and smiled at him. His brown hair dangled over his face as he rubbed his eyes.
"I'll help you find him." she insisted.
He smiled at her and stopped his crying. The boy took her hand and together they walked up the long twisted staircase. Aerith led the way but unseen to her was the smile on the boy's face began to twist into a sick sadistic smile. Just as Aerith turned the corner, the mysterious doorway vanished leaving her room the way it was when she had entered. Yet, now Loz and Yazoo stood to keep watch just in case someone attempted to interfere.
Aerith and the boy traveled up the stairs, which seemed to be endless. The young princess did not even know what her castle was like. Yet, she was curious to where this led and why someone would go this way. Aerith stopped for a moment causing the boy to stiffen. She took a moment to rest her legs. She had walked a great deal, in what seemed like an endless staircase. Not to mention she was not accustomed to wearing shoes that were not boots.
"Please help me find my brother," the boy beckoned.
Aerith smiled, "I'll try."
X, X, X,
Outside Aerith's room Barret was staring out the window knowing very well that time was almost up. Tifa was pacing back and forth while Yuffie was anxiously waiting for the sixteen years to be over. It was nerve racking. Yet, after all this time, the spell would be broken. Aerith would be safe, the one thing the three were trusted to do.
"Should we get Aerith out there?" asked Yuffie.
"Yes, but… I wonder if Aerith is all right." Tifa said sadly.
Yuffie and Barret frowned. It was heartbreaking seeing Aerith, who always seem to smile look so sad. Yet, Aerith was under their protection not their child. The King and Queen had reluctantly given her up to save her. All three of them wanted Aerith to be happy above all but Aerith was betrothed to the Prince of Nibelheim. They were in no place allowed to dictate on whom Aerith could marry, after all they did know about the betrothal beforehand.
"We can't do anything," Barret said sadly. "Aerith is not our kid but maybe we can talk to the King and Queen."
"Yeah and end the engagement."
"We can't… it is not our place to say," Tifa said. "After today Aerith is no longer our concern we have to face it. We know how much this hurts but Aerith will get over her crush on this man. After all had we not cooped her up without any contact from other people, she might not have fallen for this man.
Tifa sighed. "Come on let's get this over with."
Tifa walked over to the door and grabbed the handle but before she even turned it, Yuffie grabbed her arm. Tifa turned to look at her and noticed she was on the verge of tears.
"But Aerith is only human, how can they force her to marry someone like this. She just found out she is a princess." Yuffie was about to bawl when Barret places a hand on her shoulder. The shortest girl turned around and hugged him tightly.
"I feel the same way but…" As Tifa attempted to open the door, she found it locked. She jiggled the knob. Barret and Yuffie hearing this turned around. Tifa began pounding on the door in alarm.
"Aerith open the door." Tifa said sternly. However, when the girl did not respond Tifa began pounding as hard as she could demanding the door be opened.
"Something is wrong," Barret said.
"Stand back!" Tifa warned.
Yuffie and Barret moved and Tifa took a step back. She measured up the door and then with one swift kick the door broke open landing on the floor. The three rushed in to find no sign of Aerith.
"Such a shame, they broke the Princess' door," Said Yazoo.
"Now she won't get privacy." Loz commented.
Tifa, Yuffie, and Barret stared in disbelief at the two men. The resemblance to Sephiroth was uncanny. The silver hair, the pale skin, and the tendency to wear all black made them look like Sephiroth lackeys.
"Where is the Princess?" Tifa demanded.
Yazoo gave a cold chuckle, his head tilting to the side. Loz merely grinned not at all intimidated by them.
"About to meet her end," Yazoo finally said.
Without warning, Tifa lunged into the air and aimed a kick strait into Yazoo's face. Before she could make contact, the longhaired lackey moved swiftly out of the way and gracefully stood next to her.
"BASTARD!" Tifa went to punch him only to find Loz was there and caught her fist. He swung her around like a rag doll and sending her flying into Barret and Yuffie. The three landed in a heap on the floor. Loz laughed.
"WHERE IS SHE?" Tifa demanded launching herself up followed closely by Barret and Yuffie. Tifa and Loz went into a head-to-head fight ducking and punching one another. Yazoo on the other hand merely danced between both Yuffie and Barret's attacks with ease.
"Brother has been waiting for a really long time to see her!" Loz said dodging one of Tifa's attacks.
"Yes, brother was quite upset that you eluded him for so long but now he will finish what he started sixteen years ago." Yazoo explained. "Sephiroth will kill her."
X, X, X,
Finally reaching the top of the stairs Aerith found herself in front of a closed door with a key in the door. She turned to the boy who was hiding behind her, frightened.
"Is he in there?" Aerith asked.
The boy nodded. Aerith reached over and unlocked the door. Pushing it open, she walked inside a small circular room with a single window over looking the castle wall. Sitting in the center of the room was a single figure huddled under a black cloak. Aerith took a step forward wondering what he was doing locked in this room.
"Excuse me?" she said softly.
"I've waited for a long time to see you, Princess" The figure spoke. "In fact I have waited for you for sixteen years."
His voice was deep and emotionless. Aerith watched as he slowly stood up. When he turned around his silver hair fell in long cascades down his back. The thing Aerith mistook for a cloak was actually a single wing with countless black feathers. Several of them floated to the floor. Aerith stared at the feathers and suddenly fear washed over her.
She took a step back and turned to leave when she crashed strait into someone. Aerith spun around and saw no sign of the little boy but now a shoulder length silver haired man. He looked like the man standing behind her only with shorter hair. Aerith gasped and took a step back from him. What was going on? Why had these men led her up here? Confusion and fear filled her.
Sephiroth unsheathed his sword and stared at the girl from the back. Without hesitation, he brought his sword strait through her back and out the other side. Aerith felt the sword pierce instantly. Instead of screaming or crying out for someone to help her, the young princess felt her body grow heavy, her eyes droopy. Aerith fell limp with the sword the only thing supporting her as she fell to her knees.
X, X, X,
Down in the bedroom, Loz and Yazoo found themselves back against the wall. Tifa had her fists gripped tightly, Barret had his gun aiming at them, and Yuffie was ready to throw her shurikan. Suddenly a smirk appeared on both men's faces.
"You are too late." Yazoo said tonelessly. "Brother has her."
Without warning Tifa leapt into the air and kicked both Yazoo and Loz through the wall. Yazoo and Loz quickly recovered and ran up long stone staircase, their voices echoing taunts.
"HURRY!" Tifa said running after them, Barret and Yuffie at her heels.
Once they reached the top of the stairs the burst through the door to find Sephiroth standing before them. Kadaj, Loz, and Yazoo were standing behind him each looking sadistic. Sephiroth's long black wing hung in front of him obscuring his lower body.
"You thought you could hide her from me," he voice was low. "Now you're too late!"
His wing moved away and there was Aerith, face down on the floor. Her body was rigid and her long brown hair in a mass covering her. No blood contaminated her white gown, which reduced the already horrific look. The only thing was a cut in the dress from the sword. Sephiroth let out a sadistic laugh as he and his accomplices disappeared.
The trio stared at the body lying before them. Tifa approached her and rolled her over a small gasp escaping her lips. Aerith's skin was pale and cold. Yuffie fell to her knees and began sobbing controllably. Barret felt his legs begin to grow weak causing him to grip the wall. He turned to face it and began crying into his arm while his gun arm banged hard on the wall. Tifa hugged the young princess in her arms a few tears splatter on her face.
"We failed…" Barret bawled, "SON OF A BITCH!"
Yuffie was sobbing so hard she could not even talk but Tifa on the other hand lifted Aerith in her arms. She turned around and looked at Barret and Yuffie, her dark eyes hiding back her tears.
"Barret!" Tifa snapped. "Take Aerith, Yuffie stop crying!"
The two stood up unsure what to think of but they did what they were told. Barret carefully carried Aerith in his arms. Yuffie stood up wiping her tears with the back of her hand.
The two followed Aerith back down to the bedroom. Tifa looked outside the bedroom door and waved them all to follow. Barret and Yuffie followed the raven-haired girl down the deserted corridor until the came to another stone staircase. The climbed it until the found a small room at the top of the tower. In the room was a simple bed covered in yellow blankets and puffy white pillows.
"Hey this is the room where I stayed," Yuffie noted, remembering the night she spent in this high tower as a guest.
"Why are we here?" Barret asked.
Tifa was staring out the window. Everyone was outside waiting the arrival of Aerith. All of them were ready to reunite with their beloved Princess. Her hand was trembling as she watched the sun almost disappearing behind the horizon.
Barret gently laid Aerith down on the bed. Her hair spilled across the pillow and her white dress spread across the bed. He sadly stroked the girl's cheek, feeling how cold it was. Even in her sleep, she looked like an angel. Yuffie placed the crown on her head, which she gathered up from the ground.
"They're waiting for her," Tifa spoke sadly. "We can't let them see Aerith. We have to… stall them!"
"But how," Yuffie asked. "We can't just make an excuse."
Tifa racked her brain for an answer. It was late and she wished people would just go away. It would have been easier had it just been the king and queen waiting. No everyone in the castle was waiting for her return. Looking back at Aerith Tifa then pulled out one of her materia.
"We'll put them all to sleep!" Tifa said. "Yuffie you make sure no one but Barret and I come back into this room. We'll put the entire castle to sleep with this materia."
"But Tifa the longest the sleeping materia would last is maybe until morning!" Yuffie said.
"It'll buy us time!" she said firmly.
Barret and Yuffie looked at each other. They really had no other idea.
X, X, X,
Deep in the forest, Cloud was riding Choco directly to the cottage where Aerith had instructed him to go. He was nervous on meeting Aerith's family, since after all she avoided him meeting them for a long time. Not to mention that after his departure from the castle, he was sure, Vincent would be searching for him. Upon arriving at the cottage, he slipped off Choco and tied to a tree branch. He pulled out a beautiful red rose that he would give Aerith for her birthday. He decided on a rose because of what it symbolized and it was true. He did love her very much and not some Princess he never met.
Looking over at the house, he admitted it looked cozy and inviting. However, it seemed very quiet. He almost was worried no one was home if not for the light coming from the window. The young Prince approached the door and knocked gently. He heard nothing from inside. He knocked again and a moment later, the door opened. Cloud turned to Choco and smiled as he walked into the cottage.
Not to far from the cottage Cait Sith and Nanaki were sitting both quite sad of seeing Aerith leaving the forest. Sitting outside the window and hearing the news was depressing. The two had grown quite fond of the girl and the thought of never seeing her again dampened their mood.
"Too bad when Cloud comes back he'll be heartbroken," Cait Sith said sadly.
"Indeed, Cloud is probably their knocking on the door as we…"
Just then, Nanaki growled and spun around to see a man cloaked in red with long black hair and red eyes looking at him. He was sitting on a black Chocobo, his golden claw holding onto the reins.
"Do not be alarmed," he spoke. "I am Vincent Valentine head of the royal guard. I heard you speaking of his highness Prince Cloud."
"Prince Cloud?" Nanaki said in confusion. "Cloud is no prince."
"I assure you his royal highness is this Cloud you speak of. He has a rather sour point with his title. I have been sent to retrieve him."
"Wait a minute… so you're saying…" Cait Sith began.
Before he could finish his thought there was a loud explosion. The three all turned to see smoke coming from not to far. Then there was a loud squawking, like that of a Chocobo. The direction was coming from the cottage. The three looked back at each other and as if they knew what they were thinking, all three ran to the cottage.
At the cottage, Cloud was lying on the ground, his arms and legs bound tightly while he lay unconscious. Sephiroth, Kadaj, Loz, and Yazoo had ambushed him upon entry. Before Cloud could even react, Kadaj had shot him with a fireball sending him flying into the wall and catching the cottage on fire. Loz, on Sephiroth's command, carried Cloud over his shoulder, taking him as their prisoner. Sephiroth was surprised to find the person the Princess was in love with, was in fact the man she was supposed to marry.
Once outside, the four met with Nanaki, Cait Sith, and Vincent. Vincent had dismounted his black Chocobo and was now aiming his gun at Sephiroth. Nanaki was growling, his stance in a fierce position, while Cait Sith put his tiny hands into tight fists.
"Well if it isn't the captain if guard," Sephiroth mused. Kadaj and Loz snickered.
"Let go of Prince Cloud or I will kill you." Vincent growled.
"I don't think so." Sephiroth replied. "We can't have his highness ruining my plan. So instead I think you'll have to kill me."
Vincent pulled his trigger but as he did, Yazoo had pulled out his gun and shot at Vincent, hitting him in the shoulder. The next thing the captain of the guard new he was sent flying into the cabin by Loz who was still holding onto Cloud. Kadaj used his creepers to dispatch of Nanaki and Cait Sith, who were easily being overcome by the massive amount of monsters.
Sephiroth laughed as Nanaki wailed in pain as the creeper's jaws wrapped around his neck. He then turned around at the cottage that was still on fire and with a sudden flash of light the ground trembled and the cottage collapsed. Still inside was Vincent, now buried beneath the rubble.
X, X, X,
Back at the castle, both Tifa and Barret had run across the rooftops and hallways of the castle putting everyone to sleep using the materia. When they returned to the tower, they noticed the room was decorated with flowers.
"Yuffie," Tifa scolded, "Why did you leave the room?"
Yuffie placed a large bouquet of yellow and white lilies on the dressers. She had sprinkled flower petals all around the bed and even laid them around Aerith. All the flowers the three had brought from their tiny cottage were now in this room.
"It just seemed appropriate." Yuffie said sadly. Barret and Tifa looked around and silently agreed. Aerith looked like an angel sleeping silently amongst the petals. Tifa approached the bed and took Aerith's hand in her own. The cold feeling in her hand made her sad, the feeling that she failed her.
"Isn't there anyway we can save her?" Barret asked.
"Only if the guy Aerith loves kisses her…" Tifa frowned.
"So let's get Prince Cloud up here and kiss her." Yuffie said excitedly.
"But Aerith is BETROTHED to him." Tifa corrected. "She does not love him. She loves the guy she met in… the woods… we have to get to the woods!"
"What why?" Barret asked.
"Aerith said that guy she met in the woods would be there for her dinner!" Tifa said.
The three looked excitedly at one another. They could drag the young man here and rectify their mistake and no one would be the wiser. Carefully Tifa folded the young girls' hands together over her chest as if she were praying. Taking one last look at the sleeping princess, they exited the tower closing the door behind them.
X, X, X,
Author Note- After watching Sleeping Beauty again I needed to write this part. I am going to guess that there will be about three more chapters left in the story. I rather did (yet again) a bad job at proofreading. Between this and school, time is definitely not on my side. Anyway, enjoy and please leave a review.
