THANK U, THANK U AND THANK U! I really appreciate and love the reviews! I am so happy that you actually enjoy the story.This chapter is basically to put Sephiroth into the story so sorry if it seems too long!I am going to make the Planet a she so don't be surprised if I refer to it as her.

Aeris stirred slightly as a giant tongue abruptly licked the side of her face. Her eyes shot wide open at the unusual attack and was relieved to meet Earl's amused stare.

"Wark?" said the green bird twisting his head sideways.

"Not funny," she whined. "Next time just nudge me with your paw or something." The chocobo ignored her jest, instead he stared intently at a specific spot somewhere behind her as if telling her to look. Aeris slowly turned her head a little apprehensively to see what had gotten his attention.

To her horror, there stood the almighty Sephiroth, his back towards her with the renowned katana firmly extended in his right hand. The Cetra bit her lower lip in order to keep any sound from escaping. She didn't want him noticing her.

Minutes passed painfully slow with nothing happening. Aeris hadn't moved an inch but kept her green eyes focused on his broad back. Her fear began to disappear given that Sephiroth hadn't lunged at her with Masamune, bloodlust and murderous rage oozing out of his every pore. Despite herself, Aeris's natural curiosity got the better of her in the end.

She started examining his still figure letting her green eyes linger a while longer than necessary on his long silver hair swaying in the wind. He almost looked angelic from behind, well if he didn't have the long sword and black clothes. Aeris silently wondered what he would look like in white. She scoffed at the idea; him wearing white would go against his whole evil persona.

At that instant Sephiroth turned his head and fixed his fluorescent green eyes into her earthly ones.

Aeris started screaming all the while struggling to get up. She ran towards a shocked Earl and practically ripped her staff out of the chocobo's saddle. She was well aware that her chances of winning in a battle with Sephiroth weren't just slim, they were far into the negative, probably somewhere near –1,097,936 but she wasn't too concerned with the math just at the moment. All she knew is that she wasn't going down without a fight, again.

She expertly held the metallic staff in front of her in an offensive posture, probably a useless gesture, but it made her feel better. She cursed herself for not having the foresight to buy a few materia orbs while she had been in Junon.

Sephiroth simply continued to observe Aeris react and almost laughed when she roughly dragged her staff out of its pouch. However, he was momentarily taken aback when she prepared herself for battle… with him! How interesting, he thought. Sephiroth had not expected her to put up a fight.

Aeris's heart stopped when the silver man slowly started lifting his katana. She watched transfixed as Sephiroth raised it and put the deadly weapon into his back sheath. What twisted game was he playing at? Aeris stared intently at his face trying to figure out what he was thinking, but his expression remained neutral.

She was broken out of her trance when Sephiroth advanced towards her, his long steps bringing him closer and closer.

"Stop right there!" yelled Aeris trying to sound authoritative.

"Or you'll do what?" he responded smoothly. "Whack me with your stick?"

He stopped just a few feet in front of her, leaving enough space between them to make the girl feel very uncomfortable.

Sephiroth put his hands behind his back and waited for her to make the next move. It was entertaining for him to see the many emotions cross her face.

It felt like he was playing cat and mouse with her, just waiting for the right time to pounce. Aeris began backing away from him putting as much distance between them as she could.

A slight smirk crossed Sephiroth's refined face as he saw her retreating.

"Running away so soon? And just when I thought we were going to get to know each other."

Inhaling sharply, Aeris replied shrilly, "Stay away from me!"

The General's smirk increased as he began casually following her. Aeris quickened her backwards pace in return until she was almost running, not paying attention to where she was going. Suddenly Sephiroth's eyes shifted to the ground, but the young woman ignored it.

At that instant, her foot slipped on a puddle of mud and she went violently flying onto her back. She quickly sat up looking down pitifully at her now filthy clothes. A sob escaped her lips as the little Cetra finally reached her breaking point.

"This is not how it's supposed to be!" she yelled.

"The mud puddle?" he asked.

"You!" she screamed pointing her mud-covered finger at him. "You're supposed to be dead. But I have barely been alive a few months and already an assassin is trying to kill me but you stop him! And my new clothes are ruined and ripped and I barely have enough gil left to buy anything."

A moment of silence ensued as she tried to catch her breath. Aeris put her pounding head into her dirty hands not caring if she dirtied her face or if he took this opportunity to finish her off.

"I just want to know what is going on," she said quietly into her hands.

"It's very complicated," Sephiroth answered grimly.

"How would you know?" Aeris vehemently shot back.

Abruptly his pupils narrowed to a slit as the azure of his mako eyes began to swirl. He stormed towards Aeris until he towered over her, his silver hair cascading down around them. The sitting girl craned her neck at a painful angle in order to look at him. Even though his eyes were angry she couldn't help but be hypnotized as she stared into them with awe combined with fear.

"I know," he articulated forcefully, " because your little Planet has kept me on itsmiserable surface for the past century, not allowing me my death!"

"I don't understand," she blurted out without thinking. "How could the Planet refusefor you to do?"Her mind couldnt even begin toimagine the Planet ever holding back a soul, not even that of its greatest enemy.

Sephiroth all but snarled at her ignorance.

"Let me make it very simple for you Cetra, YOUR precious Planet has kept me alive so that one day I would find you, it's protector, to once again save it's undeserving hide."

Aeris felt as if someone had slapped her. He was to be her guide? The Planet had planned this? She felt oddly betrayedand she refusedto know more. Glancingto her right, she saw her staff on the ground. Perhaps if she grabbed it and swung it hard enough she could maybe break his leg, or two. She hoped two.

Sephiroth noticing where she was looking so heput his heavy boot on the metal rod preventing Aeris from taking it.

Unexpectedly Aeris threw herself to the left and got to her feet. She heard Sephiroth growl at her escape but she didn't pay attention as she continued her run towards Earl.

Sephiroth had at first been surprised and then a little impressedby Aeris's response but it didnt matter because his faster speed allowed him to catch her without difficulty.

He grabbed her slender waist from behind with one hand and the other to cover her mouth before she could scream. Aeris instantly began fighting his hold but it was like fighting iron shackles. The leather glove on her mouth momentarily reminded her how he had used to wear them a hundred years ago.

Sephiroth lifted the small woman effortlessly off of her feet so that her struggling would cease. Horrible scenarios were going through Aeris's mind as she imagined different types of deaths. She hadn't felt this helpless in a long time and it made her feel angry once again at her weakness. Her resistance began to weaken though as her tired muscles gave out.

Finally, the tall man set Aeris safely back down onto the grass and held her there, waiting to see if she would try anything again. They stood silently that way until Sephiroth leaned down, his soft platinum hair touching her cheek sendingshivers up her spine.

Aeris held her breath as the General whispered into her ear,

"Remember girl, just because you can't see me doesn't mean that I'm not near you."

With that, Aeris felt his hands slide off of her body. She remained still, her instincts taking over ashis words echoing threateningly in her mind. The young woman finally dared to look behind heronly to seeSephiroth's absence. Aeris looked around many times and she was grateful that he wasn't anywhere.

Without wasting time, the young woman ran quickly to pick up her staff and then she ran to Earl hoisting herself onto his saddle. She was more than ready to go home.

Darkness began covering the sky as the sun set quickly on the horizon, the stars beginning their shine. Aeris meanwhile pondered his last words as the chocobo galloped towardsKalm and she couldn't help butrepeat one question: had he meant it as a threat or some kind of promise?

Wow it's 2AM and I can't sleep so I decided to finish this chapter. If the ending seems too blah it's cause my back hurts and my eyes burn and I just gave up.

So any gentle comments, gentle reviews, GENTLE suggestions? I am so sensitive :)