THE NEW CETRA HERITAGE: IMAGO

CHAPTER 2:

PRAYING FOR A MIRACLE

Harry staggered down the vast, spiralling staircase, helped by Luna and Aerith. He was grateful for their help, especially that of Aerith, who seemed to be taking a risk helping two strangers, especially as she had a vital errand of her own. Luna explained things on the way down, and shortly before they reached the bottom, Aerith, a lovely, brown-haired young woman with a demure face, green eyes that twinkled with mischief, and a pink dress and jacket that had seen better days, frowned. "So, you two are descendants of Cetra from another world where magic is hidden. But a few of those Cetra were still infected with Jenova cells. They actually used some ritual to combine those cells and hybridise them with you, Luna, while you were still in the womb."

Luna nodded. "Yes."

"…That sounds like what may have happened to Sephiroth," Aerith said. She had explained a little about what she was doing earlier, trying to activate a special kind of magic to thwart Sephiroth. She hadn't explained why exactly.

"Who is this Sephiroth guy, anyway?" Harry rasped. His voice hadn't been used for much more than screaming and swearing for years. And his emaciated state meant that he wasn't good for much in the way of physical combat. It'd be a miracle if he could use his magic properly now.

"Once one of the most famous members of SOLDIER who ever lived. SOLDIER is the elite special forces of the Shinra Company. Anyway, he went mad when he found out he was a hybrid with Jenova, whom he thought to be a Cetra. He's trying to become a god."

"Aren't they all?" Harry groaned as they reached the bottom of the stairs, where a platform with an altar was waiting, standing in a vast underground lake.

"He may yet be able to," Aerith said. "He intends to wound the Planet using the Ultimate Black Magic: Meteor. He intends to create a wound which he will then place himself inside, and consume the Lifestream rushing to heal it, and use that very energy to become all-powerful."

"Lifestream?"

Aerith looked at him, before saying, "The lifeblood of the Planet, literally. Lifeforce that circulates within the Planet as living beings are born and die."

Harry nodded. This was all very new to him, of course, but better to accept it for the time being. He was helped across a series of platforms leading to the altar-platform in the middle of the underground lake. "Okay, so, stop Sephiroth, save the world. You said earlier that you had friends. Where are they?"

"…I had to do this alone. One of them…he is vulnerable to Sephiroth's control. He attacked me while under his influence."

"Okay, potential cuckoo in the nest, been there before too, along with the 'having to do this shit' alone shit," Harry remarked sardonically.

They made it to the altar-platform, and Aerith gently laid Harry down once they got up the stairs. He managed, barely, to sit up. Aerith peered at him in concern. "What happened to you?"

"I got sent to prison," Harry rasped. "I went on what some people call a roaring rampage of revenge."

"Harry was chosen by prophecy on our world. That, and the delusions of a deranged megalomaniac," Luna said. "After the final battle with said megalomaniac, his friends had been killed, save for me, and, well, I had to undergo a Reunion."

"That's the second time you said it like that," Harry said, frowning. "What do you mean?"

"Pulling my disparate cells and tissues back together. And considering I was virtually disintegrated, it took me a long time," Luna said. "Jenova creatures have that ability."

Aerith frowned. "So that's what Hojo meant when he asked Cloud if he felt a desire to be somewhere…and what Sephiroth meant by 'Reunion'. But that means Cloud may be infected by Jenova cells."

"That would certainly make him more vulnerable to control by Sephiroth," Luna said. "Under the right circumstances, he could probably believe he was another person entirely."

On Luna's words, Aerith stared at the silvery-haired young woman in utter shock. Harry, noticing this, asked, "What's the matter?"

"He…he acted a lot like…like an old boyfriend of mine who went missing," Aerith admitted. "I got the strangest feeling that I wasn't talking to the real Cloud. Like I saw glimpses of the real Cloud here and there, but mixed in with Zack and someone else, someone colder." She then turned her eyes back to Harry. "Sorry, we were talking about you, weren't we? You got sent to prison for revenge? How many people did you kill?"

"Too many, or not enough, depending," Harry rasped. "People who hated other people for either not being born with magic, or else being born with magic to normal parents, or else helping those people. Muggles, Mudbloods, and Blood-traitors, they called them. But for killing those people, who had slaughtered so many others and gotten away with it, I was sent to Hell on Earth. I don't even know whether I deserved it or not. So, that's what I am, Aerith. What will you do, knowing you have someone like me here?"

Aerith stared at him, before she closed her eyes briefly. When she opened them again, a glow was within them. "Great Gospel," she intoned.

The words, while quietly spoken, had power. A sudden rain shower pelted the three of them, before Harry could see what looked like sunlight and clouds (underground?!), and a trio of angelic figures wheeling overhead. Golden light suffused the area, and suddenly, Harry felt the life re-enter his limbs, the pain banished, his head clearer than it had for a long time.

"What was that?" he asked, standing, a little shakily, but now by himself. He was still badly emaciated, and would need a decent meal or a hundred, not to mention a lot of therapy sessions, but he felt better than he had for ages.

"A Limit Break," Aerith explained. "At certain times, when emotion wells up, usually within battle, you can use special abilities. And Harry, one of my compatriots was the leader of an eco-terrorist group. His desire is in the right place, but not his methods. I may not be able to condone what you did, but I will forgive you. Even so, I am pressed for time, and I may need your help anyway." From her hair, where it was tied into a ribbon, she plucked a pale green orb.

Luna boggled, her eyes wide. "Materia!"

"Materia?" Harry asked. He noticed that the orb was not unlike the ones Luna had set into her bangle, save for the colour.

"A magical focus," Luna said. "Even Muggles, providing they have some small magical potential, can use them. The ones I have used to belong to the Flamels. The Flamels were never human, you see. They were Summon beings."

Aerith blinked. "Summons? Which ones?"

"Ixion and Valefor."

"I don't get it," Harry said.

"The Flamels were magical creatures who migrated from this world to ours, Harry," Luna explained. "All you have to do is suffuse the Materia with enough magic, and they can come out and help us. Nicholas Flamel takes the form of Ixion, a massive unicorn with the power of electrical attacks, while Perenelle Flamel becomes Valefor, a winged beast that uses wind attacks and an energy blast."

Aerith nodded, before showing her own Materia. "This is the ultimate White Materia. Holy."

"It's sort of pale green," Harry observed.

"Excuse him, he's still recovering from wrackspurts," Luna said to Aerith's confusion and Harry's irritation.

"Oh, he's right," Aerith said, with a soft giggle. "I once told Cloud that it was good for nothing. But once it's activated, it will glow with holy light. Knowing Sephiroth, he may have a countermeasure for it, other than killing me. I sealed the entrance to this place in the house above in case he or the others have arrived sooner. That should buy enough time to activate Holy, especially now that I have you."

"Me?" Harry asked. "But…I haven't even used Materia!"

"It's easy," Luna said. "Far easier than learning the Patronus, anyway. It just needs a mental effort and a vocal trigger to activate, isn't that right?" This last was directed at Aerith, who nodded.

"With Holy, it's only a little harder, as we have to, effectively, pray to the Planet. All you have to do is focus on the Materia, and pray. And follow my lead."

Harry was no stranger to prayer. Even though he had been, if he but knew the term, an agnostic (what cruel god would make him to stay at the Dursleys? Oh, wait, Dumbledore, the well-meaning ineffectual puppet-master who didn't give as much a crap about happiness as he liked to show), he nonetheless prayed many a night for salvation from the Dursleys. His time at Hogwarts once led him to believe his prayers had been answered…but that turned out to be just one hell exchanged for a lesser one…and then for a greater one.

But like Hermione once told him, he had a 'saving people thing'. And so, he smiled grimly, and said, "Okay. Let's save the world."

When they had finished activating Holy, Harry stood for a moment, trying to get the feeling back into his legs from sitting for so long. And trying to clear the fog from his brain. Aerith handed him a vial. "Drink it," she said. "It's a Turbo Ether. It replenishes your magic reserves completely."

Sceptically, he drank the liquid, which tasted a bit like a sweet cup of tea. Almost instantly, the fog from his brain cleared. Aerith herself drank one, and gave one to Luna. It had been tiring for the three of them. "I still am surprised that a Jenova creature helped me," Aerith said, as she put the now-glowing Materia away. "I must say I'm still a little wary, but…you're certainly nicer."

"My parents loved me very much," Luna said simply. "And I know more about Jenova's true origins than even Sephiroth or Jenova here know. Jenova's story is quite a sad one, really." Suddenly, her eyes flickered upwards, to the top of the vast chamber. "I think your friends are here."

"And Holy is activated," Aerith said. Then, she shivered. "Luna…"

"Yes, I know. Sephiroth's here," Luna said, her eyes wider than before. "Merlin, what a power. He makes Voldemort look like a kitten."

"Will he use your friend against you again?" Harry asked.

"I wouldn't be surprised. He wants to break Cloud as much as possible. But I may need your help."

Harry nodded, as did Luna. "I'll do what I can."

Aerith smiled. "Thank you, Harry, and Luna." She gestured to the ceiling. "The door is open. And Cloud and the others are coming. Stay there," she said, indicating the edge of the platform.

Harry did as he was bidden, and watched as Aerith knelt down and made as if she was praying. He began to hear voices from above.

"…wasn't there before. Why now?" The voice was that of a young woman, about Aerith's age.

"Who cares? We can help Aerith, Tifa!" This was definitely an older man, deep and powerful. It reminded Harry a bit too much of his uncle, though he thought that it sounded a bit like Mr T.

"But what if it's a trap?" the first voice, presumably Tifa, said. Harry remembered Aerith's descriptions of the young woman, and hoped that she would be friendly.

"Then it's a trap," said the low, calm voice of a young man. "Tifa, Barrett, keep a close eye on me. Remember what happened at the Temple."

"I remember, you spiky-haired fool, Cloud. You went batshit insane and started to whale on Aerith. I'll gladly do the same again!"

So the young man was Cloud. Which presumably meant that the Mr T soundalike was Barrett.

"Good. The others are standing guard, just in case. I'm not sure what they can do against Sephiroth, but if we're lucky, they can bar his way."

"And once we find Aerith?" Tifa asked.

"We help her, and then get out of here, and stop Sephiroth."

Barrett chuckled. "Simple. I like it."

The newcomers finally arrived at the stepping stones just before the platform. He heard Cloud asking them to stay back for the moment while he went across first. Then, he climbed the steps to the platform.

He was relatively young, maybe about Harry's age, with a muscled body clad in a purple set of coveralls. His blonde hair stuck up in prodigal spikes, and his blue eyes glowed gently. His face seemed made for perpetual frowning, but was handsome enough. His eyes and Harry's met, and his narrowed. "Who are you?"

"Harry Potter," Harry said. "I'm guessing you're Cloud. This is Luna Lovegood."

Cloud suddenly convulsed, drawing the massive sword from his back, and holding it unsteadily in front of him, his eyes both anguished and murderous. However, Luna stared into his eyes. "You will not pull his strings," she hissed, her eyes glowing a bit like Cloud's. Suddenly, as if he was a puppet whose strings were cut, Cloud sagged to one knee.

He stared at Luna, before he asked, "What the hell are you?"

"Well, I just cleared Sephiroth's influence from you, so I guess I could be a friend," Luna said with a smile.

Aerith smiled, opening her eyes, and looking at Cloud. "See? You can break free, with some help. I knew you'd come, Cloud."

For a moment, Harry thought that the moment of danger had passed, and he looked up idly, wondering what the others that Cloud mentioned were doing. And then, his eyes widened.

Something was falling, blocking out the light. At first, Harry thought it was maybe the body of one of Cloud's friends, only to see the black cloak, the silver hair, and the long, thin sword. The malice rolled off the man in waves, and the posture suggested his dive, sword pointed downwards, was deliberate. He hadn't seen a picture, but he could only guess that this was the infamous Sephiroth. And he seemed set to turn Aerith into a shish-kebab.

On instinct, unwilling to let something bad happen to a friend (well, Aerith wasn't a friend yet, but her good nature had already appealed to Harry), he thrust out a hand. "ACCIO, AERITH!"

It was just in the nick of time. With an undignified yelp, Aerith flew across and smashed into Harry, sending them to the floor, Aerith on top of Harry. But a minor loss of dignity was a small price to pay for preventing a major loss of life. A split-second later, Sephiroth's sword bit into the tile of the platform.

Harry felt a chill run down his spine when Sephiroth straightened, pulling his sword out of the floor with little effort, and turning his attention to Harry. The man was tall and muscled, his exposed skin incredibly pale. His clothing was darker than the most moonless night, save for the silver pauldrons on his shoulders. His face was thin and elegant, and it could have been beautiful had it not been so cruel-looking. Long, feminine strands of silver hair framed that face. But it was the eyes, cold, pale green, and slitted of pupils, that held Harry. They were the eyes of a predator, and they had him in their grasp.

"Well," Sephiroth purred in a cultured tone, "this was unexpected…"

CHAPTER 2 ANNOTATIONS:

Once more, Harry saves Aerith's life. But this time, it is Luna who manages to help Cloud overcome Sephiroth's control.

No numbered annotations this time.

CHAPTER 2 SOUNDTRACK:

The Chamber of Holy: The Nightmare Begins (FTG).

Cloud Approaches: Trail of Blood (FTG).