Hello again! I hope you all enjoyed the last chapter. Thanks to all of those who read and reviewed. I love hearing from you! Well, no news here. Enjoy this new chapter! -Annubis

The Decision Between Life or Death:

A Second Chance

Chapter 6

"How did you know?" Aeris asked. She held her hands behind her back.

"What do you mean how did I know? You were missing! People don't just disappear from the Lifestream." Zack scratched his chin. Beads of water dripped from his dark bangs and plopped onto the floor.

"No...that's not what I meant. How did you figure out how to come back?" Aeris shook her head.

"Oh. Well I simply used my brains!" the man grinned. The room was silent. He pulled the hood down from over his head.

"You figured it all out on your own?" Cloud raised an eyebrow. Zack was an excellent soldier, but sometimes he was lacking in the problem solving department.

"Yeah..." He laughed sheepishly.

"Bull!" Yuffie leaned back in her chair.

"Ugh...fine! I got some help from that little orb named Lila."

"Lila?" the others looked at each other.

"Lila was once an Ancient. She died a long time ago." Aeris explained. "She was a little girl. Likes to play games with us."

"Anyways, Lila must've seen me at the pool. I was real worried ya' know." Zack leaned on one of the nearby tables. "She danced around that pool and showed me the visions from when you left. I listened closely to you and the only thing I could catch was the word 'Lifestream'. So Lila and I started thinking, trying to figure out what that meant." Zack stared at the ceiling as he rambled.

"Lila beat me to it. She was playing back to me the memories from when Aeris and I had died. It showed us sinking into the Lifestream. I came to the conclusion that it had to have been because of the Lifestream that you were able to be revived. So I dove into that pool, held my breath and tried to do what I saw you do in the pool. Lila suggested that I think of the location I died and..." Zack slapped his hands together. "it was a miracle! I came sputtering and gagging from the awful green ooze within the Northern Crater. I was afraid I was gonna drown before I hit the surface."

"So you came from the Northern Crater?" Red interrupted. "Then it is now obvious that when a body is submerged into the Lifestream upon death, they are perfectly capable of regeneration."

"Yeah...regeneration..." Zack cocked an eyebrow. "Is that all there is to it? Cause if so...then why doesn't everyone whose died in the Lifestream come back?"

"We think there's more to it. Maybe the reason for the death, the situation upon which it happened." Tifa began.

"Maybe cause you're Ancients!" Yuffie added her piece.

"But I'm not necessarily a full-blooded Ancient." Zack rubbed the back of his head, messing up the spikes in the back.

"But maybe you're Ancient enough." Cid took a long drag on his cigarette.

"Right now, were not going to except that piece of information as fact. We still know too little to come to conclusions. Even though Sephiroth isn't an actual Ancient, he is still full of Jenova's cells. Because you've gone through, that's possibility enough that he may be able to come through as well, since the planet did not recognize the cells as an endangerment." Aeris walked towards the man. It felt like she hadn't seen him in years.

"Man...this is so weird." the dark haired man yawned.

"How'd you get here so damn quick?" Barret questioned.

"...I ran." he simply stated.

"You ran!?" Zack shivered under everyone's stare.

"I guess it didn't take long before Jenova's cells began to recuperate." Vincent mumbled. "Your eyes hold the same glow they did all those years ago."

"You can use my room to get some rest." Cloud patted Zack on the shoulder. "I bet you're still exhausted. Jenova's cells are a benefit but only to an extent. It allows you to overwork yourself for a few days but once you stop, you're in for a nasty shut down."

"Are you hungry!? Damn! I bet you haven't eaten yet!" Tifa scurried from her chair and rushed into the kitchen.

"No worries!" Zack held up his hand. "I just need some rest for now. I can eat in the morning."

"Um...ok." Tifa set down the pan she was gripping.

"I think we all could use a little rest." Aeris suggested. There were no complaints to that.

"But...before I get to bed I need to talk to you." Zack pointed a finger at the green eyed woman.

"Me?" She laughed nervously.

"You're not off the hook yet." Zack grinned at the groan Aeris gave. It was finally his turn to give her a lecture.

"I can't believe you just left." Zack whispered. The building was silent. Rain pelted softly against the window panes. It thumped on the roof overhead.

"I had no idea it would work, Zack." Aeris glanced out the window at the glowing moon.

"No idea! How could you have no idea it would work? You had figured something out, decided to give it a try without even mentioning a single thing to me." He sat on the couch in front of the large, flat TV. He glared at his reflection in the screen as lightning flashed.

"But I wanted to make sure it worked before I told you anything." the woman ignored the man's snort.

"And how did you plan on letting me know how it worked?" Zack eyed the woman suspiciously.

"Well...you missed that conversation." Aeris met the glowing stare momentarily. 'Thank god...'

"That conversation?" Zack stood up. "Aeris how did you plan on telling me it worked?"

"I...well you see...I was just thinking that since I had died and fallen into the Lifestream I would..." Aeris wrung her hands. She backed against the wall. Thunder grumbled outside.

"You were gonna have him kill you, weren't you?" Zack leaned forward. Aeris could feel his breath on her face.

"It was only a possibility."

"A possibility. What else would you have done?" He pressed his hand against the wall, supporting himself. Aeris was cornered.

"I hadn't thought of anything else."

"You were going to make Cloud kill you? And you had no clue what would have happened. You would have been killed and the possibility of you returning was on a 50/50 chance!"

"I thought it would work. I didn't want you to be upset. I needed to tell you before this happened!"

"Aeris you can't just ask him to do that! Jesus!" Zack spun around. His wet bangs fell into his eyes.

"I knew you'd be upset. I shouldn't have done it. I shouldn't have tried to run away." Aeris sniffled.

"Run away?" He turned to face her, his face held astonishment. "You did run away from me..."

"I was upset." the woman's lip quivered.

"Upset!? With what?" He stared at her. His eyes seemed more intense in the flashing light from the storm.

"You ignored me, constantly." She tore her gaze away from his. "All we ever did was fight. You would hide in your own little world, training..."

"Training for in case something like THIS happened!" Zack clenched his fist. "You don't understand!"

"What?" She glared at him. "You were the one who couldn't stand up to the fact that you were dead! You wished you were alive this entire time, showing off your skills because you felt bad! You're no better than Cloud!" She hissed.

"No better?" Zack pressed her against the wall again. "You never know what will happen. If you weren't so selfish, you would've understood that I was training even in death to keep you safe!"

"..." She stared at his magnificent blue eyes. They were so much more entrancing than his dull purple-gray after death.

"Look what's happened! We're alive again. And theres no guaranty that if we die, that we'd be able to come back again! We may never be able to go back to the Lifestream for all we know!" He slapped his hand against the wall. Aeris shivered. "Sephiroth may even be alive. He may even be near..." Zack got silent. His eyes fell to the floor as a grin crossed his face.

"...Zack?" Aeris swallowed hard. She felt a shiver run down her spine. She just realized something.

"He may even be here in the same building." His eyes slowly raised. "He may even be me."

Aeris felt her body freeze. It was certainly a possibility, she had no doubts about it. Sephiroth could've easily gotten hold of more materia. Confuse was one of his favorites. The woman pressed herself closer to the wall, her nails dug into the white painted surface. Her breathing had quickened. She had to run, she had to get out of here. The woman pushed herself from the wall and darted to the side to get away. Zack's arm snatched hers.

"AH!" She yelped as his hand quickly covered her mouth. She struggled, slapping at his arms and stomping her feet.

"Shhh." His hot breath crossed her ear. "Wouldn't want to wake anyone up, would we?" His voice sang. Tears stung Aeris' eyes.

"Where are you going? Who are you going to run to? Cloud?" his voice was the only sound in the entire building. "Who do you want to save you?" He let go of Aeris. She ran backwards and fell hard onto the couch. She looked around frantically.

"Z, Zack?" She whimpered. Zack stopped abruptly.

"Me?" He whispered.

"You?" Aeris tilted her head. She quint her eyes. "ZzzAAACK!" She leapt upwards.

"What!?" the man jumped out of the way as Aeris' hands reached for his neck. He held onto her, chuckling softly.

"You ass!" She slugged him in the arm.

"I was just messing with you!" He laughed.

"It's not funny! It was not funny at all!" She screeched, her hands pounding against his chest. Zack frowned.

"I didn't mean to make you so upset. I was just mentioning the fact that he could just as easily be here as me." He held onto her shoulders.

"You didn't have to keep playing along!" Aeris growled. Tears fell down her cheeks. She was still breathing hard.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that. It's just...I haven't picked on you for a while." He smirked. He rested his thumbs on her cheeks, wiping her tears away.

"You can pick on me about everything else, but that." She grumbled.

"You hate me?" Zack looked down at her. His blue eyes were gentle. He rested his hands on her hips.

"Yes." She grumped. Her green orbs met his gaze. She stared at his dark, wet hair. It was wild and sticking in all directions. He did have a boyish charm. She felt butterflies in her stomach.

"Really?" His eyes bugged out. Aeris sighed. How could she hate him, especially when he looked at her like that?

"Maybe..." She lifted the corner of her lips. Zack raised his head slightly. He rubbed his chin as he thought. Aeris gaze went from his hand to the sharp line up the side of his jaw.

"I guess I'll just have to turn that maybe into a 'no'. I wouldn't make it if you really did hate me." the man brought his face down close to hers, his lips pressing against hers.

Aeris stood still a moment. She was so distracted by the way he looked she didn't hear the last thing he said. She brought her hands up, running them through his hair. He pulled her against him. His body was cold from his soaked clothing. He could catch a cold or worse, pneumonia. Aeris' hands instinctively fell to the hem of his shirt. She lifted it quickly. They parted only a moment as the wet cloth was pulled over his head. Zack helped her discard the garment without complaint. Her hands ran down his chest and softly over his stomach. She felt him shake under her touch. Slowly her fingers fell to the zipper on his pants. He involuntarily moaned into her lips. He lifted her slightly off the ground as he fell back onto the couch behind him. Aeris squealed softly as her chest plopped onto his.

"Already trying to get in my pants?" He whispered.

"Shut it!" Aeris hissed as she kissed him softly.

"So...where are we going?" Zack yawned.

"To the Northern Crater. Didn't you listen?" Yuffie answered.

"Yeah...but I just don't get why we're going there." Zack groaned. His head was pounding.

"We're going to see if there's anything in that area that can give us clues." Cloud rubbed the back of his head.

"Yeah...I get all that...but I guess what I'm getting at is...why the hell I'm going back there. I already told ya guys, that there was nothing, absolutely nothing from what I could see that was out of the ordinary at the Northern Crater. I mean...I did just come from there after all." Zack sighed.

"Sounds like someones grumpy." Yuffie rolled her eyes.

"Probably din't get much sleep las' night." Barret added his part. Zack growled at the man. Cloud rested his forehead in his hand.

"Less than what you got, that's for sure." Zack muttered under his breath.

"W, what da hell did ya' jes' say!?" Barret held onto the top of his robotic arm as if preparing to fire at any minute.

"Nothin'..." Zack rolled his eyes.

"Stop." Vincent's cool voice interrupted the bickering men.

"Yeah, right...nuthin'..." Barret leaned on the bar in front of him. He tilted his head towards the pilot. "What da hell you laughin' at!?"

"Ah, not a damn thang!" Cid chuckled. "But really...I do wonder, Barret. When was the last time?"

"Shut yer damn mouth!" Barret growled.

"Boys! Knock it off!" Tifa hollered. She looked over her shoulder at Aeris. "Like old times, huh?"

"The things I missed most." Aeris giggled.

"Everyone get yer asses in gear! We'll be landing in a few!" Cid called out on the intercom.

"I think...I'm gonna blow!" Yuffie covered her mouth. She squeezed the cat in her arms.

"Ai! Lassie, don't you dare blow chunks on me!" Cait Sith scrambled from her arms.

"We really have got to think of a way to keep you from getting sick." Red XIII scooted away from the woman.

"Eh?" Cid looked behind him. "Get yer sick ass out of the cabin if yer plannin' on sharin' your breakfast with all of us!"

"She still gets air sick?" Aeris played with the black ribbon around her neck. Her fingers ran over her collar bone. She was wearing a pink long sleeved shirt that rested on her shoulders. Her pants were a dark brown and the shoes she wore were comfortable. She bought it the other day with Tifa.

'You have great shoulders! You should show them off, especially your collar bone as well! It'll drive the boys wild.' Tifa's advice ran through Aeris' mind. One of the things Aeris didn't know was that Tifa chose these comfortable clothes, not just for looks but they'd also be reliable during battle. Her pants had many pockets, enough to carry multiple potions and materia.

"So...what happens if we run into any monsters?" Aeris leaned against the wall. She felt like someone was staring at her.

"We kill 'em." Barret muttered.

"Oh...but..." Aeris turned her head. Zack was gaping at her behind. Aeris turned quickly, her hands resting behind her. "I don't have my weapon." She eyed the grinning man.

"Oh! I forgot!" Tifa grabbed the woman's hand. "We've got it! Cid has it hanging on the wall in the weapon room."

"Really!? I can't believe you guys kept it." Aeris smiled.

"First of all, Cloud wouldn't dare leave it behind. And Secondly, Cid had known you always loved his ship and hung it here so you could always share a part of the sky with him." Tifa laughed.

"Cid? Really? I can't believe that." Aeris shook her head.

"Aww...Cid's not that bad. He does have a kind heart." Tifa opened the door to the weapon room.

"Alright ya pains in the asses! We're approaching the damn crater! Hold on tight, cause if ya' fall offa my plane, I ain't comin' back to pick yer sorry ass up!" Cid's voice echoed within the plane's walls.

"When he wants to show it..." Tifa shook her head.

The group ventured out into the cold winds of the Northern Crater. They shivered simultaneously. Cloud made his way to the edge of the cliff. A few snowflakes pelted his face.

" damn, it's cold!" Yuffie sputtered.

"Should've worn something a little more appropriate for the weather." Vincent lectured. Everyone eyed the girl's poor choice in clothing. A pair of tan shorts, a green long sleeved shirt, and her boots. The tails of her headband flowed wildly behind her.

"Shut it, Vinnie! If I would have known we'd be coming here, I wouldn't have come at all!" Yuffie growled in frustration.

"Aw...that woulda been just too bad." Cid spat sarcastically.

"Hey Cid!" Yuffie called the smoker's attention.

"What, brat?" Cid looked over his shoulder. His teeth clenched over his cigarette as he stared at the one fingered salute the young woman gave him. Barret laughed at the spectacle. "Damn ." Cid folded his arms.

"Aw yes...the things I miss most." Aeris chimed in.

"Can we stop with the feuding? We do have something important to accomplish." Vincent started. With that the man leapt over the edge of the cliff. He slid down the rocks. In seconds he was out of sight.

" damn it! I hate it when he does that shit!" Cid muttered.

Vincent held his claw out, balancing himself. Sand and rock flew down after him as he seemed to surf down the side of the crater. Dust hid his location. He jumped over a nearing boulder as he withdrew his weapon, preparing for the worst case scenario.

"Well... this is what I live for." Zack nodded his head to Cloud.

The two men leapt after the clawed man. Their black boots dug deep into the surface. They slid down, rapidly gaining speed on the almost vertical side.

"I suppose we should follow." Tifa muttered. Aeris swallowed hard. She felt Tifa grab her hand. "Here we go-o-o-o-o-o!" Her voice echoed over the canyon.

The group dodged each other's dust and debris. If any of the men in the lead messed up, they could take down the entire group.

"I'm too old for this shit!" Barret blasted a boulder in his line of sight.

"Hey watch it! Ya almost shot me!" came Cid's angry voice.

"Damn, I missed!?" Barret cursed.

"Damn right ya missed... You'd be walking yer ass home if you had!" Cid sputtered.

"...Yeah..." Barret chuckled.

The group descended another minute before they ran into trouble. Vincent cursed as the ground below began to open up. He had forgotten that the battle that took place many years ago had weaken the surface around the crater. The damage sustained then had only worsened over time. The rocks and walls had eroded drastically since the last time the group had been at the crater.

"Watch out!" Vincent called over his shoulder.

"FOR WHAT!?" Zack shouted.

"Damn!" Cloud's eyes widened. "JUMP!!" He called out.

"Jump?" Zack saw the opening ground. There was no way to stop in time. Everyone was going to fall in. "PREPARE YOURSELVES! WE'ER GONNA FREE FALL!"

"Free fall!?" Tifa held onto Aeris' hand tighter.

"Oh no!" Aeris squeezed back.

"Those damn boys! They should've waited for us!" Yuffie growled. "Leave us girls back here to fall on our asses!" She snatched up Tifa's other hand.

"They're gonna get a lecture for this one!" Tifa grit her teeth.

"Oh stop your complaining!" Cait Sith started. He bounced on the back of Red.

"Like you care, Cait! If you don't make it safely you can easily be replaced!" Yuffie snapped.

"I...realize that." Cait Sith held onto Red's mane.

"We should've scanned the area better before diving in." Red added.

"It's all Vincent's damn fault!" Yuffie watched as the hole below got wider.

'Damn it...I was irresponsible.' Vincent clenched his teeth. He prepared for the drop. As he fell through the crust he shoved his clawed arm out in hopes of snagging a ledge, hole, sturdy rock, anything. Sparks flew as he dug into the rock. He stopped abruptly, grabbing onto a depression in the surface. He pulled himself up, listening to the yells of the others as they fell through the massive hole. He leaned forward on his knees in hopes of getting the other's attention.

"Cloud! Zack!" Vincent shouted to the screaming men.

"AHHH!!" Zack reached out around him.

"Zack!" Cloud grabbed the man's arm.

"AHH- What!?" Zack looked down to see Vincent reaching out.

"Hold on!" Cloud shouted as he grabbed a hold of Vincent's hand. The three men groaned as they struggled to save themselves.

'Got to hurry, everyone else won't make it.' Vincent growled. He pulled with all his might, lifting Cloud above the ledge. The blond lifted as well, as Zack pushed off the side with his feet. The two fell onto the small ledge.

"Ya think this will hold us?" Zack groaned as he picked himself up off of Cloud.

"Doubtful..." Vincent mumbled. He watched as Cid and Barret fell on the opposite side of them.

"&!" Cid shoved the blade of his spear into the rock, slowing him down.

"Watch out, foo!" Barret shouted from above.

"Here! Grab my hand!" Cid thrust his gloved hand out for the man to grab hold of. Barret quickly complied. The added weight thrust the spear from the wall. The two men spouted a battle of curses as Cid began to stab the wall furiously. The spear caught hold again, slowing the two. A loud 'crack' sounded as the weapon gave in. Barret watched below for a safe ledge.

"Found one! 'bout twenty feet down, five feet over!" The large man pointed.

"Ok! When I say jump!" Cid pressed his feet against the wall. Barret followed his actions. Cid pulled out the spear as the two men jumped from their location. They fell heavily onto the small rock ledge. They sat momentarily, catching their breath. Barret lunged forward, staring upwards, trying to catch glimpse of the others.

Red jumped skillfully from rock to rock all the way down. His animal instincts were much more advanced than the other's skills. He landed softly onto the ledge next to Barret. Red glanced upwards.

"The girls are coming!" Red snarled. His fur puffed out.

"They better make it through this!" Barret held out his hand. He saw the three men on the other side do the same.

"They're falling through on Vincent's side!" Cid pointed as the shrill scream of the three women sounded in the deep crater.

"VINCENT!" Barret shouted.

Vincent, Zack, and Cloud all had their hands out, yelling for the girl's attention. They fell hand in hand. Tifa in the center, Aeris to the left and Yuffie on the right. It was going to be a difficult catch with all the added weight and with the speed they were approaching. The three women fell, they were too far out.

"They aren't gonna make it!" Zack flew forward. "Grab me!"

Cloud and Vincent fell to the side, holding onto Zack's ankles. The ex-SOLDIER reached out as he fell forward. The girls on the end, Yuffie and Aeris reached out with their free hands as Tifa hung on for her life. Zack groaned. He prayed that the girls could keep hold of Tifa. The tug was going to be hard on everyone. He also prayed that Vincent and Cloud could take all the weight.

'Damn it!' he squeezed their hands. Yuffie and Aeris held on tight. All was going well so far. And then came the tug. Yuffie and Aeris' bodies came to an abrupt halt. A second later Tifa did too. The jolt tugged on the women's arms. Tifa's hands slipped from Aeris.

"TIFA!" Aeris shrieked.

Tifa fell in slow motion from Aeris hands. Yuffie screamed, Tifa's body tugged on her arm. Her hand slipped from the other woman's. Everyone, all at once, felt their heart skip a beat.

"No!" Zack shouted.

"TIFA!" Cloud watched the spectacle.

"PULL!" Vincent yelled, snapping Cloud out of his shock.

The two men pulled on Zack's legs. He was pulled upwards unto the rock, the dirt and pebbles scraped against his clothes, lifting his shirt. He felt the hard surface scrape his skin. All pain was ignored, however, his thoughts were on the girl's safety. At once Cloud reached down and grabbed Aeris' wrist, allowing Zack to securely grab Yuffie's. Vincent didn't wait a single moment. He leapt over the side. He soared downwards towards the falling woman.

'This is my fault. This is my fault!' Vincent growled. He felt a bubbling from within. He feared he wouldn't make it in time. 'No I can't...I can't allow it...' Vincent fought with himself.

'I have to find a way to the side! I have to!' Tifa waved her arms, panicking.

"Tifa!" A voice sounded from above her. It was Vincent and he was falling towards her.

"Vincent!!" Tifa yelped. She could see the jagged rocks inside the Lifestream approaching.

'Maybe if I die...I can come back.' Tifa choked on that thought. 'Don't want to bet on it.'

Vincent fell head first towards the woman. He reached for a protruding rock on the side of the wall. His hand quickly gripped it and he pushed off with all his might. Energy burst from his hand as a monstrous strength exploded. Vincent gasped for air as he fought to suppress the demon inside.

"Grab my hand!" Vincent reached out for the woman as he tore down for her.

Tifa followed orders, reaching up without looking. Their fingers touched. Vincent wriggled his fingers downward until they reached her wrist. In a flash he tugged her upwards, pulling her against him as he flipped in the air. He turned his body to face the wall as his claw dug into the side. He felt the metal heat up from the friction. Repairs would no doubt be needed after this fiasco.

"We're not gonna make it!" Tifa held tightly onto the man, shielding her eyes.

"We're gonna make it!" Vincent howled. He pushed his clawed fingers into the surface and shoved his fist into the wall. The two abruptly came to a halt. Vincent felt the metal in his arm bend. He clenched his teeth.

"Vincent?" Tifa opened her eyes. She stared at the dust and sparks flying from the wall. She looked down to see her feet inches from the rocks and gushing Lifestream below. Her gaze met his. "I'm sorry Vincent. I shouldn't have lost my grip. I should have held on tighter. Look at your hand!"

"Don't touch!" Vincent gasped. "It's alright. I can fix it. Besides this whole mess was my fault. I should've surveyed the area more before jumping down here."

"It's alright...you just found us a shortcut." Tifa laughed nervously.

"One hell of a shortcut." Vincent hissed as he pulled his hand from the wall. They lifted their heads, looking for their comrades. Cheering and yelling could be heard.

"Now...how are the others going to get down?" Tifa asked.

"They can do it themselves. I'm through." Vincent sighed.

Sorry got to end here. It took longer than expected today. I had a sort of writers block I suppose. I had originally planned on making it a lot longer of a chapter. Oh well I'll just have to update soon! Thanks for reading and please let me know what you think! -annubis