Hey everyone! I am so sorry i did not get the new chapter posted until now! I was totally planning on it while i was on vacation but i was a lot busier than i thought...i knew better. Besides, i forgot the jump drive, my Internet card on the laptop doesn't work and neither does the battery...so i was screwed anyways. Well i had a lovely time at the wedding, it went by so fast and it took so long to plan! And Florida was a lot of fun, yay Disney World! Lol. They should have a kingdom hearts theme there, at least i didn't see anything if they do already! Well ill quit my yapping! Thanks for stickin with me. I hope none of you gave up on me. There will no longer be any vacations or anything to keep me from posting now. Enjoy this new chapter! -annubis
Chapter 5
"Say that again?" Cloud stammered. He felt his legs give out from under him.
"...I need you to kill me..." Aeris whispered. She tore her eyes away from him.
"What are you talking about!?" Tifa stood from her chair. Vincent remained silent. He rested on his elbows on the table clasping his hands in front of his chin.
"K, kill...you..." Cloud took in deep breaths.
"I'm sorry, but it's the only way." Aeris turned toward the man. "I'll come back!" She pasted a fake smile on her face.
"Come back?" Cloud shivered. "You don't even know for sure how you got here... how can you be sure you'll be able to do it again?"
"...If it doesn't work again, I'll just think of another way out." Aeris stared at the floor.
"No! Aeris, you can't do this!" Tifa grabbed her friend's shoulders and shook them.
"...Please...Tifa..." Aeris sniffled. "I have to go back. I have to tell him..."
"You can't do this to Cloud!" Tifa stared into her green eyes.
"..." the Cetra's lip quivered.
"He still hasn't gotten over what happened last time, and he didn't even kill you! Sephiroth did!" Tifa's voice raised in pitch.
"Tifa..." Vincent interrupted.
"No, Vincent! I won't keep quiet! There's no way we can do this!" She threw her arms in the air. Her eyes were sharp on Vincent's. He returned the cold stare. The woman quickly turned back to Aeris. "Aeris, we lost you once, we can't lose you again. We all were so torn apart, we can't take the chance that you won't return to us." Tifa's voice shook.
"It'll work. I'm sure." Aeris said quickly.
"So you're ready to die again? Already?" Vincent questioned.
"Yes! Anytime! Next week, tomorrow...tonight. As long as I can tell Zack. He would hate me forever if I didn't let him know." Aeris hung her head.
"No! Aeris, you can't!" the woman friend cried out frantically.
"I'm sorry...I don't know what else to do." tears stung Aeris' eyes.
"I can't, please don't make me..." Cloud's voice cracked. He was leaning against the wall, hiding his face from everyone.
"..." Silence filled the room. No one made eye contact, but everyone's mind was winding, trying to think of another solution. They stayed that way for a long time, it seemed the clock itself had stopped to make time to find another way.
"I'll do it." Vincent's cool voice broke the silence.
"What!?" Tifa turned to him. "You can't!"
"I can...and I can do it right now, if you please." Vincent reached into his jacket and pulled out the deadly Cerberus. Aeris stared at him uneasily. "It won't hurt..." He pulled back the hammer and aimed it at the woman who was now taking a few steps back.
"Vincent?" Tifa cowered to the corner of the room, her eyes were wide in fear.
"You are mad." Cloud muttered. He took a step towards Aeris, his gaze never leaving the man. Vincent's stare never strayed from his target.
"I, I can't..." Aeris shook her head slowly. She stared down the barrel of the weapon.
"Why can't you?" Vincent stepped forward. "You just told Cloud to, why can't I?"
"Stop it!" Tifa screamed.
"I...because I'm..." tears fell down the brunette's cheeks.
"It'll be quick...It'll be all over in a minute, I promise." Vincent ran to the woman. In a flash he was against her, pressing her against the wall. The barrel of the weapon pressed into her gut. Cloud and Tifa had no time to move.
Aeris' green eyes stared at the opposite before her. Vincent's blood red stare was calling out for her own blood. Aeris felt her heart skip numerous beats. Her body went cold. She never expected this. It'll all be over soon and she'll be back in the Lifestream.
"You bastard!" Cloud sprang towards the man. Tifa fell to the floor, hitting her knees hard.
'This isn't Vincent. He would never be so cold!' the bar tender wrapped her arms around herself.
"Back!" Vincent called out. He pushed the barrel of the gun further into the woman's stomach. Cloud froze instantly.
The room remained silent for what seemed like minutes. Aeris continued to stare at her soon to be killer. Vincent showed no emotion, no doubt a trait he learned from being a Turk so many years ago. He pushed his head forward, his lips rested by her ear.
"You said you wanted it. Now how do you feel?" Vincent whispered. "You shiver underneath me, what difference does it make whether I kill you, or Cloud?"
"I...just..." Aeris swallowed hard. "I'm not..."
"You're not ready." Vincent pulled back. "You have no idea whether or not you'll make it back. You have no clue how to come back if I did kill you." He pushed away from her.
"Vincent, what the hell was that!?" Tifa balled her fists.
"I was testing her." Vincent simply replied. He sat back in his chair and watched the three stare at him.
"You didn't have to go that far!" Cloud stomped towards the table Vincent sat at.
"She may have been a little more calm if you were the hand of her death, but it is true, you wouldn't have been able to handle it. What would happen if you failed to kill her? What would happen if you did kill her? She said it herself, she's not ready. You'd only beat yourself up over it for another lifetime if she could never come back. Her uneasiness proves that she's unsure whether she can come back. You never know, many things could come into play. The Lifestream, the killer, the weapon, the location of the wound, maybe it all has to be played out in the exact same way." Vincent eyed Aeris.
"But what if she wasn't uneasy, would you have killed her just then!?" Cloud slapped his hand against the table.
"Of course not." Vincent scoffed. "I'm not that much of an asshole." He stood from his chair and approached the Cetra. He rested a hand on her shoulder and gave her a gentle smile.
"I'm sorry if I scared you. I had to make sure, I had to prove to you that we...you still don't understand anything that has happened. It is best to just wait for the others to arrive and talk it over. Besides even if it had to come to killing you again, you know very well that no one would be able to do it.." Vincent glanced at Tifa. She was glaring at him. That stare was almost as scary as the demon inside himself.
"You didn't have to do that..." Tifa growled.
"No...he's right." Aeris spoke up. "I was stupid. I should have never asked for such a ridiculous thing. I would just be hurting everyone all over again. I shouldn't have rushed. I shouldn't have asked."
"Aeris. I realize what you were trying to do...but I think we should try to investigate the situation a little better." Cloud sighed.
"I suppose I didn't have to frighten you all so much." Vincent smirked.
"You nearly scared me to death..." Aeris smiled lightly. "Just...never do that again, please!" She slapped his arm.
"You're gonna get an earful in a minute, Vincent." Tifa's voice was low. She lifted one hand, pulling her finger towards herself calling Vincent to her. Her other hand rested on her hip.
"Careful, Vincent. I'm guessing today hasn't been the best day for her." Aeris bit her lip.
Vincent cleared his throat. He glanced at Cloud, who only shook his head, and then slowly made his way towards the angry woman. He was only about five feet away from her before she snagged his arm and pulled him outside the bar.
"WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING!?" Tifa's voice echoed into the night air as the door slammed shut behind the two.
Aeris and Cloud were left alone in the silence. They looked around aimlessly.
"So...this is the bar..." Aeris tilted her head.
"Yup. My office is upstairs along with the bedrooms." Cloud cleared his throat.
"Ya know. I think Tifa would like a house." Aeris turned to the man.
"...I'm sure the kids would like one too." Cloud murmured awkwardly.
"I think the kids would like a father as well." she eyed the man, smiling wryly. She approached the bar.
"I suppose." Cloud darted his eyes around.
"And Tifa would probably love a husband." she added quickly. The woman lifted a glass from the counter top and turned to him. "Drink?"
"Please." Cloud nodded.
The alarm clock buzzed loudly in Tifa's ear. She quickly flopped onto her side, slamming her hand onto the large button sitting atop the noisy contraption. Her head was spinning. She was exhausted.
'Funny...I don't remember drinking anything...' Tifa squeezed her eyes shut as the sunlight flooded into the room. She could smell and hear the sounds of breakfast.
"Ah, what time is it!?" Tifa jumped out of bed. She stared at her clock closely. "Oh! The kids!" She darted out of the room and down the stairs.
'How many times did I hit that sleep button!?' She turned the corner and paused.
"Tifa!" Denzel called out. He had a plate full of pancakes and bacon.
"You're already dressed..." Tifa mumbled. She looked over the bar. Marlene was finishing her breakfast, sitting next to Cloud. Vincent stood by the bar, sipping from his cup of coffee and Aeris stood in the kitchen, grilling up some eggs.
"Hey Tifa! Whew, I've been cooking all morning! How do you like your eggs?" Aeris smiled.
"Uh...scrambled." Tifa sat on the stool by the bar. "Why didn't anyone get me up?"
"Well, we decided you've been a little too stressed out lately and would need some rest. I forgot to check to see if you had your alarm set. If I had known I would've let you sleep in longer." Aeris flipped a pancake in one of the skillets.
"Oh...I think I've slept enough, thanks." She grinned at the sight around her. It had been so long since she had so much company. Her eyes stopped on Cloud. She blushed when she noticed he was already staring at her.
"No orders today." He smiled softly.
"Really?" Tifa gasped. Cloud nodded.
"I'll take the kids to school." Vincent murmured. He headed for the door.
"Come on Denzel!" Marlene tugged on the boy's arm as he shoved his last piece of bacon into his mouth.
"Hold on, Marlene! Gah!" He rolled his eyes. He grabbed his backpack and waved to everyone. "Bye Tifa!"
"You kids be good for Vincent." Tifa giggled.
"As long as he doesn't scare my friends!" Denzel grumped. This caused a laugh from the adults in the room. Vincent turned his eyes to the boy, whom shut his mouth very quickly. They left the bar.
"So...what do you do during the day before you open the bar?" Aeris leaned on the counter top. She picked up a small piece of bacon.
"Well...usually I get the kids ready. I may get groceries or run some errands, and then I clean up the place and finish whatever dishes I have to do still." Tifa stabbed her pancake with a fork.
"Sounds...exciting!" Aeris giggled.
"You have no idea." Tifa rolled her eyes sarcastically.
"Why don't you two go shopping and I'll clean up here?" Cloud interrupted.
"Leave you here with my bar?" Tifa turned on her stool.
"Yeah...is that a problem?" Cloud crossed his arms.
"Nope! Guess not!" Tifa glanced at Aeris. "Wanna go shopping? We can get some food for a nice dinner tonight. We'll also get you some new clothes for you to wear."
"Sounds fun!" Aeris beamed. She placed the dishes in the sink and eyed Cloud. "Better hurry or you'll have a tough time getting those eggs and pancakes off the pans!"
"Oh, and don't forget to sweep and mop the floors, and to wash all the glasses, set up the tables and chairs, open up the shop on time, set out the snacks, annnddd..." She rubbed her chin, trying to make up more work for Cloud. "Wash the windows and fix the fan in the corner."
"Anything else?" Cloud sighed.
"And always smile!" Aeris grinned widely and poked her cheeks. The two women giggled.
"Yes ma'am!" Cloud stood from his chair. He headed towards the sink and bumped into Aeris purposefully, pushing her out of the way. "Erm...excuse me." He ignored her glare and began to fill the sink with water.
"Jerk!" She slapped his arm.
"Better get going Tifa, I wouldn't want you to miss any sales at the mall." Cloud scoffed.
"Hey! This was your idea ya know!" Tifa sneered. Cloud grinned and shoved his hands into the sink, scrubbing a pan.
"Yeah, remind me never to offer again." He stared at the bubbles.
"Oh, admit it, you love being bossed around!" Aeris grinned.
"Damn right he does." Tifa headed up the stairs. "Come on, Aeris. I'll give you some clothes to change into for today."
"Coming!" Aeris followed her. She poked her head around the corner. "Oh, and Cloud? I wanna see my face shining in those dishes, you hear me?" She quickly ran up the stairs as a handful of soapy water flew towards her.
Cloud focused on the dishes as the girls got ready. His mind churned trying to think of what outfit Tifa would find suitable for Aeris. Nothing seemed modest enough. Maybe Aeris would prefer something from Cloud's closet. The thought took him back to Wall Market so many years ago and the outfit he had to wear that certainly impressed Don Corneo. He shivered at the thought of the blue dress and horrible blond pigtailed wig. He grinned at the memory of the girl's faces when he was chosen over them. Tifa never looked anymore pissed and he had never seen Aeris so red in the face.
'I'm such a sexy bitch...' Cloud smirked.
"It's fine! Don't worry about it!" Tifa's voice called out.
"But...I don't know Tifa. I haven't worn a skirt this short since...ever!" Aeris' voice followed.
"But your legs look great in those heels!" Tifa giggled.
"Ok...you're just making fun now!" Aeris huffed. Cloud tilted his head, trying to hear the conversation better. "My feet already hurt!"
"Oh stop complaining! The boys won't know that your feet hurt." the dark haired woman giggled.
"Boys!? But, but I... Oh, Tifa!" Cloud could imagine the shade of red that had crossed Aeris' face.
"Don't worry about it! For now, you're alive, you've gotta live! Besides it's not like you're gonna be alone! I'll be right there beside ya'!." There were footsteps approaching the stairway. They paused momentarily. "Well, aren't you coming?"
"But...what if Cloud sees?" Aeris whispered.
"Even better!" Tifa giggled."Now, Come on!"
"You don't think this top isn't the least bit revealing?" the green eyed woman was stalling.
"Get down here!" Tifa hollered.
Cloud heard a yelp that was followed by quick footsteps down the stairs. He was very curious to see what all the commotion was about. Once again his mind ticked as to what the girls would be wearing. Aeris seemed a little upset. Cloud imagined her adorned in the outfit Tifa used to wear in their earliest journey. He had to suppress a laugh. That was a big difference to Aeris' long pink dress and red jacket.
"Okay! What do you think?" Tifa's voice called out. Cloud was torn from his thoughts. His head turned quickly to the side of the bar where the two women sat. His jaw dropped.
The two women's hair was down, flowing around their shoulders. Tifa had her typical earrings and Aeris wore gold rings in her ears, matching the bracelets on her wrist. His eyes followed the trail down their short skirts, to the thigh high stockings, ending at the tall heels they wore. Tifa's shirt was cut low, showing a generous amount of cleavage. Aeris' too was low cut, revealing much more cleavage than Cloud ever thought she would have. His eyes paused on the spectacle.
"Let her borrow one of my bras as well." Tifa grinned.
"W, what?" Cloud stammered. Aeris turned bright red.
"Don't stare!" Aeris yelled. She turned away from the man quickly, but as she twisted the short blue skirt she wore lifted slightly, showing off her panties. Cloud about had a heart attack.
"See, I told you the men would love it!" Tifa smirked. She turned away quickly heading for the closet where the jackets were kept. She opened the door quickly and reached for her coat. It was tangled with another and as she tugged on it the other fell to the floor. Without a thought she bent forward to pick it up off the ground.
"Tifa!" Aeris gasped. Tifa froze. She dropped the coat quickly and turned towards the other two in the room with her. Her hands tugged on the tan skirt at her hips. Her mouth gaped open as Cloud quickly turned to his dishes, his face redder than anything she'd ever seen before.
"Come on, Aeris! We should go!" Tifa laughed nervously as she tugged on the woman's arm.
"See you later, Cloud!" Aeris waved.
In a flash the two women were gone, out of the bar. Cloud stood still a moment before falling against the counter next to him. He let out his breath slowly and then breathed in again quickly. He pulled himself up and stared at the dishes in the sink. He could see his face in them, surprisingly he could see the shade of red that had overrun his features.
Aeris and Tifa made their way to the edge of the street. They waited for Vincent to return with the vehicle. Tifa felt herself blush again. She forgot that Vincent would see the two of them dressed like this. The thought made her curious.
"It's kinda cold out here." Aeris shivered, pulling the jacket closer to her body. The sky was a dark gray. No doubt rain would soon follow the chilly winds. "Maybe some pants would've been a better idea."
"Pants, aren't fun, Aeris." Tifa giggled. "Today were gonna have some fun."
"You're a heart breaker, aren't you?" Aeris sighed.
The car pulled up to the curb slowly. Vincent squint his eyes, trying to get a better look at the two women standing by the street.
'I didn't think there were any prostitutes in the area...' Vincent's eyes widened.
"Oh, damn..." He smirked. He parked the car and got out quickly. "I suppose you need this vehicle?"
"Yes sir!" Tifa smiled. She walked up to him, staring in his eyes as he dropped the keys into her hands.
"It's all yours, ladies." Vincent simply stated and walked past the two. The two women watched him open the door to the bar, walk in slowly, and shut the door quickly behind him.
"Well...that was no fun." Aeris put her hands on her hips. She couldn't help but be a little flustered at the lack of attention they just received. Tifa smiled.
"He loved it." She opened the driver side door. "Come on, Aeris! We've got lots of cash to spend!"
The two women sped off towards the center of the city. It had been years since Tifa had been able to spoil herself. Vincent watched through the window as the car disappeared in the distance. He made his way to the bar, shaking his head slowly.
"...Dangerous." Vincent muttered.
"No idea..." Cloud chuckled.
"Okay, okay...so let me get this straight! You were in the Lifestream watching all of us through this weird pool of water. And then you just decided you wanted to come back and it happened!?" Yuffie scratched her head. Thunder rolled in the distance.
"Sort of..." Aeris sighed. She lifted a glass of fruity alcohol to her lips.
"We're trying to figure out how she was able to come back." Cloud stated. He leaned against the bar.
"But what if that # psycho, comes back before we figure this all out?" Cid sputtered.
"We'll just have to keep an eye out." Tifa shrugged.
"Oh yeah! Keep an eye out. While were at it, why don't we just #& post some #damn posters that has a mug shot of the # saying, if you see this man call this number!" Cid slammed his tea onto the table.
"That actually might work." Yuffie lifted a finger.
"Maybe we should hide Aeris..." Vincent eyed the brown haired woman.
"Hide me?" Aeris tilted her head.
"In case Sephiroth does come back. No doubt you'll be the first on his list to visit." Vincent rested his chin on his hand. The sky roared in anger once again as the room brightened from a flash of lightning.
"IF he comes back." Aeris corrected.
"It's very possible that the freak may be alive already." Barret's voice called from the stairway. "Kids are asleep." he quickly added.
"I don't want to think about that." Aeris shivered.
"Is there some way you could tell if he was back?" Cloud glanced at the Cetra.
"Well...I haven't tried. I haven't felt his presence, but then again, I've never been very good at detecting him. I can't really do it unless he's close. Zack usually is better at that kind of stuff." Aeris sighed. The sound of rain pelting heavily on the outside invaded the room.
"I'm glad you were the first one back and not him. You at least have us prepared...somewhat." Yuffie yawned.
"He could come back at anytime and anywhere, so that leaves us at a disadvantage." Reeve said.
"He could strike at anytime, whether it was hours, days, or years from now." Cait Sith added.
"You think he'd take the time to prepare for so long?" Barret questioned.
"Well last time he took five years to prepare." Cloud clenched his fists.
"I hope he doesn't take that long, I'm already falling to shit...damn joints." Cid grumbled.
"Have you got anything new, Red?" Tifa turned her attention to the animal in the corner of the room. He had his nose buried in a rather large book.
"Just a little. Grandpa's notes are a little hard to read at times." The animal padded across the room and sat next to Aeris. She scratched him behind the ear as he explained.
"It seems Aeris' theory about the Lifestream was correct. However, if she does die again, whether killed by the sword or by anyone on the planet, it will not have the same effect as before." Red leaned into Aeris' fingers.
"Not the same effect? You mean it won't work again?" Tifa asked.
"Correct. It seems there was something about the way Aeris died that made it possible for her to be revived. I'm just not sure what the reason is." Red shook his head. "But it seems that the fact she died and fell into the Lifestream is one of the main reasons she came back."
"I sank through the mud at the bottom and the Lifestream flowed beneath it..." Aeris thought loudly. "That's why I thought it would work, but I didn't think it had to do with anything else."
"Wait...Zack died in the Northern Crater. It's very possible that he had fallen into the Lifestream below as well." Cloud added. Thunder roared once again. The windows shook from the intensity.
"Do you think it had anything to do with me being an Ancient?" Aeris asked.
"That is very possible." Red nodded.
"But wasn't Zack turned into an Ancient cause of all them experiments?" Cid questioned. He leaned back in his chair, resting his boots on a nearby table.
"That's what he said. I believe it happened as well. He knew the Ancient language and he can talk to all the orbs within the Lifestream that were once Ancients as well." Aeris confirmed.
"But Sephiroth wasn't an Ancient! He was an alien!" Yuffie grinned. "So he can't come back! He's screwed!"
"It's not set in stone that it's only Ancients who can come back." Vincent stared at the young woman. She stuck her tongue out at him.
"Besides if it was a capability of the Ancients, then why aren't there more Ancients who have revived themselves?" Cloud sighed.
"Maybe they didn't know about it."
"Maybe they didn't know how."
"Maybe it isn't because they are Ancients."
"Maybe it was just a freak accident..." everyone suggested.
"I'll have to read more into it, but so far all I've confirmed is that because Aeris had fallen into the Lifestream it made it possible for her body to regenerate itself. The stream is full of life after all, so it plays a big part, but it isn't the entire solution, there has to be another part to it. I'll get back to my book. While I do this, you try to devise a plan for in case Sephiroth does come back." Red XIII walked back to his book in the corner. He circled a few times before resting next to the item. Thunder crackled and the lights flickered.
"What a storm..." Tifa muttered. "Maybe I should get some flashlights and candles, just in case." She stood quickly.
A loud pounding came from the door. The group jumped. Tifa stared at the door. Everyone glanced at each other. Tifa felt a shiver run down her spine. It was already long past the time the bar was regularly supposed to be closed. It was impossible that anyone would be in the neighborhood for a drink at this time and during such a storm. Tifa looked over the group. Everyone was there who was supposed to be. She swallowed hard and slowly made her way to the door. The stories that had been passed around of Sephiroth all night had haunted her thoughts, and apparently everyone else's.
"Tifa..." Cloud whispered. He headed towards her.
"No...Cloud it's fine!" Tifa smiled. "We're all just scaring ourselves. I'm sure it's just someone who needs some shelter...or a drink." She turned back to the door. Loud pounding threatened the door's hinges. Tifa jumped at the sound. Slowly she lifted a hand to the knob. She turned it quickly and pulled the door open.
"Oh!" Tifa covered her mouth.
Standing outside the door was a tall man. He was drenched from head to toe. His long, black, hooded cloak covered his body and head. The only thing Tifa could make out were his brilliant, glowing eyes and the cocked grin on his face.
"It, it's you!" Tifa stepped away from the door.
"Did I miss the party?" His low voice called out into the silent room. He stepped into the room and glanced around at all the gaping faces. His gaze froze on Aeris. A frown crossed his features.
"Oh no!" Aeris stood from her chair. She knew she was in trouble now.
"Oh no?" The man chuckled. "What kind of greeting is that? I thought you'd be happy to see me!" The man shrugged. The man's eyes fell onto Cloud's matching gaze.
"Long time, no see... Cloud." The man grinned.
"How's it going..." Cloud smirked. "Zack?"
Well that's it for this chapter! I hope you all enjoyed it. YAY! Zack's finally back! Expect a lot more of you're fav guy in the future chapters! Well I've gotta go...marinate some chicken. I'll post soon! Thanks for reading and reviewing! -Annubis.