Apotheosis

By Memoriam Victus

Chapter 6 – Bitter Tears

home home home

love you Aeris is home Aeris is home

She giggled helplessly, spinning around to take in the view. The walls and columns around them were purest mako, dark, crystalline, and beautiful, branching out into numberless twisting bridges and passageways, cut through with streams and pools of liquid pulsing softly purple with the energy that pervaded them. Her skin tingled, electrified by power, and the voice of the Planet sang loudly and joyously in her ears.

The City of the Ancients.

Cloud approached from behind her, scuffing his boots. She turned and clasped his hands, smiling beatifically. "We've made it," she gushed. "Even I doubted sometimes, but we're here, we're here, and everything will be fine now!"

fine safe never hurt never harm

He ducked his head, blonde hair obscuring his eyes. "This place is something," he agreed finally. "But the Turks beat us here… Tseng couldn't get in, and someone got him… whoever did that could be in here… maybe the rest of the Turks found a back way in…"

"Silly," she soothed him, only an Ancient can use the key, and I'm the only one--"

truth truth truth

"--a-and we'll be safe now, the Black Materia will be safe," she finished lamely. She was the only Cetra… that S.OL.D.I.E.R, that strange, curious man, had no business being up here… no knowledge of how to find the City.

truth love you truth

A story above them, Sephiroth sat cross-legged in a great, arching hall, Masamune unsheathed across his lap. He regarded the intricate murals before him: the Cetra dancing, the Lifestream flowing throughout the land… a meteor striking the planet. It all made so much sense now.

Distant, Cloud dropped her hands, continuing to stare at his feet. Even his melancholy couldn't dampen her enthusiasm. Hearing the others catching up she skipped through the great carved doorway before them, knowing what awaited them there.

Tears streaked his thin face. It was all true. It was all there before him.

Silently her friends crowded closer, awed and uncertain. Finally, Barrett snorted. "Girl, you drug us all this way to look at a freakin' doll house?"

She smiled in spite of herself. Resting on the slab of solidified mako before them was a perfect, tiny replica of the temple they now stood in. Nanaki pushed past her to give it an experimental sniff, accidentally nudging the miniature temple.

The ground rumbled beneath them.

"What was that?" Tifa gasped, bouncing to her feet. Cloud drew his sword and stepped back warily.

protected here safe here trapped here

Aeris clapped her hands delightedly. "Oh, I should have guessed! The Ancients knew better than to leave something like Black Materia just lying around--this is the materia!"

Cait Sith leaned forward and regarded it dubiously. "Doesn't look like any I've ever seen, that's for sure."

"No, no, not the model--although it's the key. Look at the edges; they're seamed. It's a puzzle." She looked up at them, eyes twinkling. "The Temple itself is the Materia!"

protected here trapped here

"If you solve the puzzle, it will fold in on itself until it's small enough to be carried--and so will the Temple."

Tifa gave a low whistle. "So whoever tried to work the puzzle would be crushed." She shook her head wonderingly. "Your ancestors weren't as nice as they're made out to be, hon."

"It was the only way," Aeris responded softly. She looked up. "But there's one thing I can do to make sure it never happens.

COME HOME.

He barely registered the quake; his thoughts were too focused inward. He bowed his head and covered his eyes.

Nibelheim.

Below, Aeris also bowed her head. Kneeling at the small shrine perched atop a natural staircase, she gazed into the calm, crystalline pool beneath her. The Planet, for once, was silent, perhaps understanding her need for this time of contemplation.

So much had happened; she had lived more in these past few years than all of her life before her--escape? rescue?--from the Shinra lab. She had miraculously stumbled into Cloud again the next night, and he had taken her to his friends. They had been standoffish at first, but soon she had learned of AVALANCHE, their dreams for the future, their goals, and loved them for it. They were only humans, but their connection to the planet was as deep and truly felt as her own; she respected their mission, and soon joined them on it.

They had grown desperate… the reactor had been a horrible mistake, a plan she had argued against and refused to aid. But the discoveries that had come afterward--Shinra's plans for the mako energy they brutally wrested from the earth, the experiments, the deaths… they had fled desperately, sometimes only minutes ahead of the Turks, seeking a way to avert the upcoming disaster.

Aeris had always known a way. It was why she had led them here.

And you will suicide to join with this voice--the Lifestream?

"Not suicide," she whispered. She had always known this day would come… but was it so wrong to wish she had had more time?

He had tracked the route they had taken from Midgar painstakingly, following in their very footsteps. Until Nibelheim.

The almost-familiar thrumming had been present there, oh yes; had twisted so deep into his bones it made him ill. There was an abandoned Shinra mansion in the small town he had opted to take his rest in. Nauseous and weak, he had short-circuited the lock and stumbled inside, ready to collapse.

And something had spoken to him.

Welcome home, my son.

Why had that question, spoken so long ago and in such strange circumstances, ring in her ears now? Aeris almost wished she had the chance to speak to her odd savior again; she had a better idea of what he was now. Not a simple S.O.L.D.I.E.R. showered with mako enhancements, but he had undoubtedly come from one of Shinra's labs.

His poor mother. What did they do to her?

The basement… the books. Sweating profusely, barely able to stand, he had nonetheless read, and read, and read. Gast; Hojo; Lucrecia; the uncovered corpse… the manipulation of its cells. The result.

His true mother.

Bred to be perfect, to be vicious, to be the catalyst for Shinra's greatest triumph: the harnessing of the Lifestream itself. Bred like a prize dog.

The girl told me nothing but the truth.

Weak remnant of a pathetic race that she is.

Bide a moment. Listen to me, my son.

Why? Why do you speak to me now?

Listen to me, child. Listen.

Finally, the Planet again raised its voice, a quiet song in the back of her mind. The time was at hand; she would have to say goodbye.

Cloud… she bit her lip. She loved him still, with all the passion her naïve, gentle heart could muster. He was distant, conflicted, confused; but she believed fervently in his essential goodness. She had made herself as available to him as she dared over the years, but he had never noticed, never cared; still, even now, she hoped plaintively for some sign of affection from him, realizing in her heart of hearts that it would probably never come.

He had listened; listened to the virus, the disease, the destroyer of life even greater than he. Her plans, her goal, her other children… her use for him.

For the first time in his life, he had fled into the night.

But you are not beyond my reach even now, child.

"GET OUT OF MY MIND!"

Aeris's head jerked up at a sound; she turned, and saw only Cloud slowly making his way up the broad steps. Her heart leaped involuntarily; she lowered her head to hide the blush spreading across her cheeks.

He stopped a few feet away from her, sharing the view of the crystalline pool below. "All of this would almost be worth it simply to have seen the place," he said, and turned to face her. "Are you happy?" he asked abruptly.

Aeris looked up again, puzzled by the question. "Of course I'm happy," she said slowly. "All of my life has led up to my return to the Planet… I will soon be able to defend it in ways I only imagine."

Cloud looked away again. "Good," he replied. "Good."

Slowly, Sephiroth drew his palm across Masamune's slender edge, opening a thin red line; a heartbeat later, it began to bleed. That would be one way to solve things. But she was down there, the last Cetra, the Holy one… Aeris. It was all there in the murals, if one knew what to look for.

It couldn't be allowed to happen.

The radio clipped to his belt began to hiss and crackle with voices. He had dealt with Tseng--no one must be permitted to enter the Temple before her, not even Sephiroth--but left the Temple's entrance wide open; not even the Turks could fail to find it.

It was almost time.

Slowly he rose, exiting the hall and pacing to the end of the ledge, gazing down on the scene playing out below him. He watched, gauging the proper moment… then leaped.

Cloud was not inclined to speak further. Sighing softly, Aeris turned back to the shrine. There was no use delaying any longer.

yes yes join come home come home

Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath and tried to clear her mind, unsure of how to proceed… and suddenly, breathtakingly, she knew.

YES

Spreading her arms, she felt her mind expanding, soaring, rushing at the speed of sound into a deep green light. This is what it was to be one with the Planet; this is what she was meant for! Gleefully, she abandoned conscious thought and reveled in the dance of Life itself.

Cloud raised his sword.

NO

The light froze; seemed to flow backwards. Shocked by the Planet's sudden fierce denials, she snapped back to herself. She heard a shot ring out. "Dammit, she said we was safe here! Son of a bitch, we been set up!" Barrett bawled in the distance. Aeris spun to see Cloud's sword poised over her. "Cloud, what--"

As the blade descended, time seemed to telescope. More shots were fired, and whooping war cries echoed through the cavern. There was a soft them beside her. She turned to see a grinning, green-eyed demon whirl a curved sword around to block Cloud's heavy blow. A booted foot struck the blonde in the chest, knocking him down a few steps. The intruder raised his blade to strike the finishing blow--then reversed it into a sheath slung across his shoulders. "No time," he rasped. Dragging Aeris to her feet, he folded his arms tightly around her middle and flung himself backwards.

The cool shock of the water snapped her out of her fright. Choking, she sputtered, inhaling a lungful of water. The intruder shifted his grip on her and began stroking powerfully towards the other side, his hair dragging behind like silver seaweed. She coughed as her hauled her ashore, falling to her knees and retching.

"Look, there's more of 'em!"

"Wait a sec, that's Sephiroth--"

Another shot, and this time her captor hissed in pain. "Come on," he growled, dragging her from the water's edge. She stumbled after him; a few steps later he whipped them both into an alcove, crushing her back against his chest, and whipped his sodden cloak around both of them. She cried out as her ankle twisted, and a glove hand clamped over her mouth. "Materia," he panted. "Stay still, and silent, and they will see only shadows."

sorry Aeris so sorry

Helpless, she moaned, tears trickling down her cheeks; her captor jerked her roughly. The Turks swarmed over her peaceful little shrine, hunting the pair who had disappeared; they had gotten in somehow! As she watched, a lean woman approached Cloud's prone form, removed a pistol from her belt, and shot straight into his chest. She whimpered again, and the hand tightened even more. "Tranquilizers," he breathed into her ear. "They are meant to be taken alive. Now hush."

Numb and stricken, she wept silently as her friends were gathered in the shrine area, unconscious and bound. The raucous cries of the Turks and the ragged breathing of the man clutching her echoed in her ears. I can't even join them, she thought piteously. Not them, not the Lifestream--what am I good for?

sorry Aeris so sorry forgive forgive

If they're still alive to forgive me, I hope.

Aeris forgives Aeris forgives please please

A low rumbling had been building, so subtly it was unnoticeable at first; now it rose to a grinding roar. Dust sifted down as the pillars supporting the cavern began to tremble and twist.

forgive forgive forgive

She heard the startled yells of the Turks and saw them scramble to hoist their prizes and flee from the cavern.

The Temple was contracting.

"Good God, enough of this," her captor spat. A fist twisted into her long hair, and slammed the back of her head into the shuddering pillar beside them.

Chapter 7 – Cold Comfort

She floated timelessly, deathlessly, thoughtlessly, wrapped in bitter cold. All ways were Her ways; all ways were one.

Defeat.

No, a setback; a time of rest, of contemplation, of gathering force. All times were Her times; all times were one.

Awake.

Physical location did not matter; the molten flow of power called to Her, crying out its new existence as it seeped through the planet's wounds.

Hunger.

Things had altered during Her senseless slumber; the crawling ones littered the skin of the earth… and there were no more guardians, save the five that slept.

Anticipation.

Slowly She unfurled her consciousness, re-examining the tendrils of her power and influence, the strands She had sunk deep into the Planet. And there were extrusions; extrusions She had not made. She battened upon them.

Resistance.

Rebuffed, She withdrew for a time, examining these new parts of Herself. They were not entirely of Her; they were mixtures of Herself and the crawling ones and other weak flesh. Most were deeply flawed, offensive to Her perfect symmetry; but there was one that resonated with the same silicate power as Her own. Imperfect; bound by the constraints of mortal flesh; but her crystalline core was deep within its makeup. Deep enough to serve Her purpose.

Acceptable.

Unknowingly it already served Her purpose; it had come to the place where She could make Herself heard most clearly. She drew on its memories and desires, learning its wants and fears, and weakened it, driving it towards the place of its creation. There, once it was vulnerable, She began to soothe and speak to it comfortingly, telling it what She required of it.

Disobedience!

Appalled, She let it run; never, ever in Her ageless span had an extrusion failed to instantly obey Her, as simply as flexing a muscle. But this one, this powerful mixture, cherished notions of free will, self-direction, and… some concept, some thought or emotion, that She was unable to internalize. It had defied her; worse, it had thwarted Her.

Unacceptable.

Perturbed, She flowed down Her other tendrils, seeking and probing. None were entirely useful, none as suitable as the one who resisted and fled… but there was one in a fortunate position, one who might be used to break the disobediant one and bind it to Her will… yes. The heady rush of anticipated success began to infuse Her as she whispered softly, seductively to the extrusion who would place that tool firmly in Her grasp.

Satisfied, She withdrew back into Her dreaming doze, watching distantly as the events She had set in motion played out. She herself would act when the proper moment was at hand.

All times were Her times.

Chapter 8 – Scattered Thoughts

The bullet plopped onto the sandy floor of the cave and rolled towards the fire, staining the ground a deep crimson. Sephiroth hissed and clamped his good hand over his collarbone to staunch the bleeding as he reached for a bandage. Bad timing had sent the projectile into his shoulder; bad luck had sent it against the grain of the muscle, and he had torn the wound badly hauling the girl out of the collapsing Temple and up the mountainside. It would have been easier had she been conscious and able to run, but her panicked hesitancy would have killed them both.

That would never do.

He wound a thin strip of gauze around the injury and under his arm, once, twice, three times, then knotted the ends together and began to pack up the tiny first aid kit. That done, he pulled the damn remnant of his shirt back on, wincing as his shoulder twinged, and surveyed the equipment laid out before him. Masamune, the two halves and slender quiver of the compound bow, and a host of smaller knives; armor stacked neatly against the wall of the cave, his cloak spread out beside the fire to dry, the aid kit, lock picks, a few belt pouches of miscellaneous items--the radio had unfortunately perished during the swim… and the girl, of course, who lay unconscious beside his cloak.

He sank down against the wall closest to the fire and began unbuckling his tall leather boots. Kicking them off, he slumped back, laying his face against the cool stone. The shoulder wasn't the worst of it; his joints felt as if they were full of jagged glass, a sharp, piercing pain throbbed through his temples, and his mouth and throat were so dry they felt like leather. Had been, in fact, since he had exited the Temple; and he had the horrible suspicion he knew why.

I am in no mood for threats.

But no crystalline, slithering voice echoed back mockery at him; bad as he felt physically, the low, jangling buzz that had filled his head since Nibelheim had been replaced by a warm, soothing silence. Had, in fact, since he had begun the climb from the Temple an hour ago.

Interesting indeed. He turned his head to regard the girl's prone form.

Had it not been for the slight rise and fall of her chest he might have thought her a corpse, so still did she lay. Wet, smudged with dirt, her dress tattered, she nonetheless retained her air of delicate, fey beauty. Her lip had been split at some point during their flight, although he had found no sign of a lump on her head where he had struck her against the pillar during the cursory examination he had given her; it almost seemed the split had closed slightly in the short time it had taken him to see to his own injuries.

Also quite interesting.

As he watched, she tensed slightly, breath quickening, and an eyelid raised fractionally. Then it lowered slowly, and her breathing resumed its steady pace, but there was no doubt she had awakened.

"Your skills as an actress leave something to be desired," he rumbled, and coughed. He really did not want to spend the energy to rise and nudge her into attention. Thumping his chest, he continued, "We really must stop meeting like this."

Ah, that worked. Her eyes snapped open and she slowly rose to prop herself on one elbow, her lips pressed firmly together with some powerful emotion. "This morning I lost everything," she said, her voice taut with intensity. "The place I have searched for all of my life, my friends, my chance to join my people--you kidnap me--and you tell jokes--" Her voice finally broke, choked with tears.

Sephiroth watched her display dispassionately. "Yes, I suppose you would have been much better off had I allowed your dear, true friend to murder you in cold blood."

She flinched and looked away. "And why didn't you?" she asked bitterly.

"Because you're a naïve, idealistic fool with no real idea of what you almost did today," he snapped. "Did you see the murals in the Temple? Do you know why your mother's people died out? God!" He raked a hand through his hair and pushed himself to his feet. "I would kill you myself if I thought it would help--I was sent here to kill you." The girl was cringing now, blue eyes wide with fear; this wasn't productive. He sighed, allowing his shoulder to slump. "Look, let me tell you a story, Aeris, a story about my mother.

"You know why S.O.L.D.I.E.R.s are S.O.L.D.I.E.R.s, yes?" He paused, waiting to see if she would respond, but her eyes had taken on a slight glaze. "Infusions of pure mako. The program is relatively new, going back around thirty years. Shinra was just discovering this area, figuring out how to best use it. They were up further north, actually, in the Crater. They found something there."

"Jenova," the girl breathed.

Sephiroth scowled. "What did you say?" But she was no longer listening; her eyes were unfocused, and for a moment, he wondered if she was experiencing some sort of delayed concussion. But her lips began to move, forming silent words. Sephiroth's attention sharpened; she had said her voice--the Planet--didn't speak to her verbally; but he would bet anything they were having a conversation now.

"That's its name," she said finally, rubbing her hands together nervously, her voice still distant, as if she were reciting. "Jenova. It was an alien… or a virus that grew intelligent… something awful. Thousands of years ago it pierced the skin of the world with a great spell, intending to suck the life from the Planet. The Cetra fought it, and many died, but they managed to defeat it and bury it in the ice." She swallowed hard and looked up at him. "You're saying that Shinra has its remains."

His lips skinned back in a humorless grin. "Oh, better than that, they have me." He grinned wider as he watched the realization sink in. "And as I have recently come to know, they were not just remains." She stared up at him, wide-eyed. "It--she--is awake, Aeris, and she hungers. I am her chosen one, flesh of her flesh; through me, she wishes to work her dark miracle. But I won't let her. She isn't strong enough to make me. Yet." He shook his head. "But you are right; she is a disease, a virus, a cancer. She doesn't need to 'pierce the skin of the world,' as you so quaintly put it; all she needs is a weak spot, a place to seep in, to infect. The kind of weak spot created by, say, an Ancient dissolving into the earth." He laughed bitterly. "They say a man cannot serve two masters, but there are many who would have been glad had I done as I was told and run you through."

Aeris shook her head slowly, uncomprehendingly. "You're a S.O.L.D.I.E.R.," she said, "you're hers. Why do you care what she wishes to do? What do you mean to do with me?"

Sephiroth rubbed his eyes and sagged against the wall. Lances of pain shot through his skull, nearly blinding him. "I'll be damned if I know," he said dispiritedly, blinking at the dancing flames. "Will you fling yourself into the Lifestream anyway at the first opportunity, or get yourself killed in some futile gesture?" He shook his head dazedly and sank back to the ground, eyes slipping closed. "I don't know," he repeated. "I am more than a S.O.L.D.I.E.R., Aeris, I am a made thing. All of my life, my existence, my actions have been ordained for me by others. And now I find not even my thoughts, my soul are my own." He coughed weakly, struggling to keep his thoughts in order. "I'm going to kill her, and those responsible, and anyone else I can get my hands on who stands in my way." He cracked an eyelid to judge her reaction, but she had taken on her far away, listening look again. He closed it. "What does your voice say to that?"

Silence. A damp rustle of cloth. Then: "They say you're very sick."

"Quite observant."

"They say Jenova is the cause. It's turned against you."

He thought about opening his eyes, then discarded the notion; it was agony, and he was so tired. "Then perhaps she'll get me first, and you'll be able to kill yourself in peace. Won't that be nice?"

Silence again, longer this time; he may even have dozed. The next thing he was aware of was a cool cloth pressing against his brow. "It's only water," a soft voice at his left said. He licked his lips and tried to swallow. "No, be still. You're should be her reach here; this is still holy ground. I don't think she can make you worse here… b-but I may be able to make you better."

He may have nodded, but wasn't sure. Sephiroth was drifting now, almost entirely unaware… but hadn't she spoken to him not long ago, in a hall? He thought she had… the paintings there had been beautiful, but so, so sad… small hands gently pushed him down to lie flat on the ground.

Blankness again. Someone was tugging at his sleeve, rolling it up… shots? He hadn't had shots in ever so long… why had he returned to the lab, when he didn't have to any more? Fingers probed at his shoulder, sending a deep, pulsing ache through his chest. Not a test, then, they didn't hurt that way--

HOW DARE YOU LET HER INTERFERE WITH YOU?

His body spasmed, muscles contracting all at once in a brilliant flare of agony. He gasped, choking for breath, limbs scrabbling for purchase as his back arched, but it was as if a giant fist had seized his lungs and squeezed. He groaned.

SHE IS DEAD. SHE IS NOTHING. SHE WILL NOT SAVE YOU FROM ME,

FOOLISH WRETCH!

Someone cried out; gray waves began to roll across his vision; he tasted salt as blood flowed from his bitten tongue.

YOU WILL DO MY WILL, OR DO NOTHING.

He struggled feebly; if he could only sit up, get his legs under him, move this crushing weight from his chest--

--shock. Hands yanked open the front of his shirt and pressed against his bare chest, radiating a wintry cold that whirled through his cells, refreshing and enervating--he drew a breath, deep and clean and unrestricted.

SHE CAN NOT, WILL NOT--

He groaned again, shuddering and writhing as his muscles unclenched. He seized the hands pressed against him, reached up, pulled their owner down against him, pulled their owner down and wrapped his arms tightly around them, craving more of the frozen, purifying wind that blew through him--

--silence. A high, buzzing whine echoed in his ears, accompanied by licking tongues of pain, but that shriek, that awful, devastating shriek was gone… and soon even the echoes had faded, leaving only the harsh sound of ragged breathing. He opened his eyes, blinking at the girl he held crushed against his chest. She smiled weakly, brushing a lock of sweat-drenched hair from his brow. "You really have to tell me your name soon," she said, laying two fingers between his eyes.

Sephiroth slept.

Chapter 9 – Confusing Tales

           Aeris shivered, pulling her thin red jacket around her shoulders and edging closer to the fire. Though it was spring, the cave was at an elevation high enough to be chill, and the fire did little to dispel the bite of the wind or the damp from her plunge into the pool. It had guttered low; she wished she could coax it higher with a materia, but the afternoon had left her utterly drained. Tired, weary to her bones, she hugged her knees to her chest and leaned back against the rough stone wall. An errant gust chilled her; her dress was in tatters from the knee down, but she was too exhausted to rearrange it.

sorry Aeris needed to use Aeris couldn't touch

            A warm, ticklish feeling began to flow from the base of her skull and spread slowly through her weary form; the Planet's way of apologizing for its abrupt seizure of her talents. She frowned slightly, reaching up to massage her neck. Never before during the many healings she had performed had the Planet responded so, its power crashing through her like a tidal wave, spilling its icy flow into the seizuring man.

But then, I've never had to do something like that.

She watched him as he lay, utterly still. He had changed little since he shut the gate on her that night long ago; hair a little longer, features a little leaner, he looked haggard and drawn… but he slept peacefully.

Did I really almost… did what he say really almost happen?

so sorry Aeris Jenova slept and slept

But how? she cried. How could it enter through me?

The Planet responded not in words, but images. The familiar green glow, girdling the earth; a smaller, brighter shoot of green darting into it--and another grayish brown dart plummeting from the sky, entering the same spot. Soon it began to spread, and shortly the entire flow was the same sickly color.

Tears stung the backs of her eyes. Can he really kill it?

Yes no maybe

More images; the Lifestream up close, rushing and roaring like a great river; a small, feminine figure splashing into it; the Lifestream boiling furiously, breaking the figure up, carrying the pieces far apart, dissolving as they went.

A sharp inhalation startled her out of the reverie; glowing green eyes gazed at her unblinkingly. "Was that… was that your voice? Those pictures--the green river?" came hoarsely out of the darkness.

She swallowed hard. "That was the Lifestream itself," she replied. And I don't know how you saw it.

He stood up slowly and came to the fire, sinking down across from her. Shadows played across his features, giving him and otherworldly look. Finally he blinked, lowering his chin to rest in his palm. "I suppose this makes us even." She gave him a puzzled look. "I have saved you from your folly twice now," he continued. "But you silenced her--you pulled me back." The light in his eyes flickered out. "…Thank you."

Aeris chafed her hands, looking away. "That wasn't me," she responded. "The Planet itself came to your aid."

"I think you sell yourself short," he said, but did not pursue the subject. He pushed his hair behind his shoulders, reflecting golden in the firelight. "So. I throw her physical form into the Lifestream, and your ancestors will eat her. Very kind of them."

Aeris flushed. "You make it sound so cheap--so tawdry!" she cried, suddenly angry. This vile, self-centered man was the one to bring down Jenova and its keepers? "Doesn't any of this mean anything to you? We are speaking of something that wishes to end all life, and you, you--"

"And I tell jokes," he intoned dramatically, rolling his eyes. The corners of his lips twitched.

Aeris froze; then helplessly, she began to giggle. The ridiculousness of the situation struck her; here she was, in an isolated cave overlooking the ruins of her ancestors' home with a crazed warrior she knew nothing about, her friends captured or dead, having just learned of a threat to her world's very existence--and she complained of his sense of humor! Her giggles escalated into outright laughter.

He watched her quietly, a neutral, carefully pleasant expression on his face. When her laughter subsided, he continued, "In all seriousness, however, will the Lifestream truly do that to her? Her great wish is to enter it herself… this would seem only to expedite that.

Before Aeris could gather herself to respond, more images washed over her--no, them. A human hand; then the view plunged down, diving through pores and skin and muscles. The inside of a vein; but the reddish-blue flow was dotted with sickly yellow obstructions. Soon a flood of smaller white particles swarmed through the passage, surrounding and obstructing their view of the yellow particles; then as quickly as it had come the white cloud departed, leaving no trace of their meal behind.

"So," he said speculatively. "So. That solves that question. I think it will work." His gaze resettled on her. "I am still unsure of a proper place for you, however."

Aeris dropped her eyes back to the fire, nervous again. He wasn't going to kill her, but would he… harm her? She had glimpsed his thoughts briefly during the healing, as she always did; wild, brilliant and strong, yet she had never encountered a personality so closed and focused. Who knew what he might do?

For now, he seemed content to remain silent. Reaching out, he grabbed hold of the sheathed sword and one of the pouches. Unsheathing the katana and laying it across his lap, he removed a whetstone and a bundle of rice paper. He began to carefully hone the blade's edge, buffing it afterwards with the paper. "Your friends are still alive," he said suddenly. "Or at least, some of them are."

Her heart leapt. "Did you see them? Were they alright?" A horrible thought occurred to her. "Did you… talk to them?"

His lips twitched again. "I am missing and likely presumed dead, just as you are." The soft scrape of the stone punctuated his words. "I saw the Turks leaving with them--no, I don't know who, or how many; even I cannot pick out such details at such a height." He licked a thumb and ran it across the fresh edge. "Our orders were to take you all back to headquarters."

She bit her lip, worrying at the question. Ugly as the thought was, why take them anywhere? AVALANCE was Shinra's most visible enemy, why not just… put them out of the way? Questioning? Torture?

Worse?

"Why?"

His mouth hardened. "It wasn't my concern."

Settled back, Aeris continued to be unhappy. He probably was telling her what he knew; he didn't seem to think she was worth lying to. Thinking the way through Shinra's layered schemes was probably just as difficult for him… and Aeris didn't have to fight for control of her faculties. She shuddered; she had lived with the voice of the Planet all of her life, but it was a gentle, friendly presence, always comforting, never intruding; to have it grow cold and alien, invading her thoughts, attempting to dominate her actions…

But her friends were alive, they all were, they had to be, Barrett, Tifa, Nanaki, Cait Sith… Cloud. They were brave and resourceful, but even she realized that without help, they were doomed. She blinked back tears. She was a Cetra, the last of an ancient, powerful race… but she was so weak, so useless. What could she do for them--pray?

Aeris is clever Aeris is useful

I thank you for that, she thought with only a twinge of bitterness. Was this how the man sitting across the fire felt--confused and overwhelmed by events? Was there anything behind the cold, mocking exterior?

Of course there was; she had felt the hot, trembling rush of his power years ago, and it had still been there this morning; weak and flickering, but definitely in evidence. Knowing now what he was, it seemed even stranger--how could someone born of decay itself feel so vibrantly alive? Why did it call to her so? "You never did tell me your name, you know," she said gently.

He arched an eyebrow. "And why is that so important to you?"

"I'd like to know who you are," she responded simply, a little puzzled; he seemed unduly disturbed by the question. "Everyone had a name." She smiled shyly, struck by an inspiration. "Even kidnappers."

His brows knitted together fiercely; then he snorted out a guffaw. "I begin to understand your lack of appreciation for jokes," he said wryly, sheathing the sword and laying it beside him. He nodded his head formally. "I am Sephiroth."

"I am very pleased to make your acquaintance," she replied primly, straightening her knees and folding her hands, for all the world as if she were at a tea party. No laughter this time, but his eyes had softened a bit. Aeris bit her lip, judging the man before her as carefully as she could with what little she knew of him. It was a wild hope, but it was the only path she could see to her goal, faint as it was. He seemed as if he meant to do all that he said--that he could do it--and he had never harmed her out of spite… She gathered her courage, then barreled on. "Look, I know you don't need me, but I want to help you stop it. I hate Shinra too--I've spent years fighting them--and they have my friends. I want to help my friends," she finished lamely, dropping her gaze and blushing furiously--she couldn't bear to see the disdain in his eyes. "I won't get in the way--I, I mean, I can heal you, if you get hurt, um, fighting, or if Jeno--your moth--that thing makes you sick again… a-and I speak to the Planet!" she continued with a sudden burst of inspiration. "They won't help you if I'm not with you!"

AERIS

Please, I don't know what else to do, please don't be angry! she thought desperately, looking up to see what effect her last invention had had.

Sephiroth's expression had returned to its normal careful pleasantness. "Really? Are you sure of that?" He leaned forward to rest his chin on his fists. "Tell me, do you remember your parents?"

"What?" Aeris blinked, startled by the strange question. "My parents? Of course I do; my mother is still alive, and--"

"Your real parents."

"Oh." Why was he so curious? Had he ever had a family? Did he want stories of a normal childhood to placate him? "I remember my mother, Ifalna, very clearly," she said slowly, wondering how to choose her words. "She was taken from me when I was very small, though. My father--"

"--was Professor Gast, a scientist very highly placed in the Shinra corporation. Progenitor of the Jenova Project, actually." His eyes danced with vicious humor. "I really gave you only a short version of my genesis, this morning. Jenova's favored child I may be, but I'm quite the mutt, genetically speaking--bits of Jenova, humans… and Cetra. Where did that come from, I wonder?"

"No," Aeris murmured, eyes widening in shock. "He wouldn't have--"

"He did indeed. Conceptually, one could say he is my father--it was he who started the whole mess, at any rate. And there is none other my Cetra heritage could have come from than dear, lost Ifalna." He leaned close enough to reach out and touch her, the dancing flames making his wicked grin look positively satanic. "You and I are practically family. Do you really think your Lifestream would turn away the prodigal son, returned to the fold to do a good deed?"

"No!" she gasped again in denial of what he had told her, scurrying backwards.

YES

A biting gale howled through the cave, momentarily deafening her with the force of its screech. The flames leapt and darted, and Sephiroth jerked back to avoid the sudden shower of embers that flared over him. As quickly as it had come, the wind ceased; a heartbeat later the fire popped out of existence, the wood that had fed it as dry and gray as if it had been out for hours. Aeris hugged her knees to her chest and huddled against the wall of the cave, numb with shock.

Sephiroth seemed galvanized. "'Yes,'" he snarled, springing to his feet and raking a hand through his hair. "Your madness is catching, girl. 'Yes,' it would turn me away, hmm? Good God, even the bloody Planet will have nothing to do with me!" He laughed, a dangerous note of hysteria in his voice, and whirled to glare at her. His hands clenched into fists and seemed to struggle for words as his gaze burned into her. Finally his shoulders sagged and, sighing, he raised both hands in a gesture of defeat. "Fine. Fine. Since I have set myself this insane mission, I may as well see it done 'properly.' Go to sleep," he said dully. "We leave at dawn. She's in Nibelheim." Shaking his head dazedly, he turned and strolled towards the mouth of the cave.

Aeris rested her forehead against her knees, tears pricking the backs of her eyes. Well, I've gotten what I wanted, she thought tiredly, the Planet lied for me. Now what on earth can I do with what I have?

necessary needed must

She choked on a laugh. Of course. What else? Sitting up and rubbing her aching neck, she looked towards the mouth of the cave, but could see no sign of her new companion, save the tracks of his bare feet in the light dusting of the snow falling outside. He wouldn't abandon me without taking his boots. I hope. Sighing, she began to settle down to snatch what sleep she could from the remainder of the night, but her eyes continually crept to the footprints, slowly filling with snow.

God, she thought, as sleep stole over her, my evil twin!

Chapter 10 – Moonlit Meeting

Mei leaned forward carefully, craning his neck in an attempt to catch sight of the travelers foolish enough to stray from the road without rattling the bushes he was hidden in and betraying his presence. They couldn't be too far off now.

The band had been following them for most of the afternoon and deep into the night, skulking through the forest, watching, assessing, and trying to determine whether the pair was worth the effort. The little woman looked easy enough; it was her companion, the tall, hooded fellow, who looked like trouble. But times were hard, and they were starving; and neither of the travelers seemed to notice the 'escort' they had acquired; a positive sign.

He hoped it would at least be quick. In the short run, fear and hunger far outweighed one's conscience; the robberies didn't bother him anymore, after spending a few weeks with the band. The killings, though… he suppressed an involuntary shudder. He hated the killings; hated the small part he played in them. His father would have been disgusted, had he been alive to see what Mei had come to.

He had said as much to Jacqui, the first time he had done it. Jacqui, who had been all consolation and welcoming warmth when she and her men had come upon him, a lost young boy, wandering in the forest between North Corel and Nibelheim. She had listen to him as he explained himself, how he had left Wutai in search of work in one of the cities, how he needed to care for his ailing mother, how fruitless the search had so far been. She had nodded understandingly, offering a hot meal, a place by the fire, and a lift to North Corel if Mei would perform a small, simple favor for her.

None of that understanding had been present later that night. "Aye, and the bastard who sired you is dead, along with all the other foolish shinobis. Can't expect much from the spawn of a man stupid enough to fight Shinra--you're lucky I fed you. In fact, I don't think you're worth wasting meals on--not until you've proven your worth. Get out of my sight--and don't dare think of running." Her fingers had slipped down to caress the maul that hung at her hip as she smiled odiously. "Crippled children are so endearing."

Mei had stood before her, openmouthed with shock. "But you said--"

Her leather-gauntleted hand caught him a brutal backhand, splitting his lip and knocking him to the ground. He had wailed in pain, clutching his ruined mouth. "Not another sound!" she snarled, kicking him in the ribs. Choking, he had done his best to swallow the sobs.

"Here, lad, best do as she says," a rough, alcohol-thickened voice had rumbled as a massive paw descended on his shoulder and yanked him upright. The hand's owner grinned down at him, exposing a mouthful of rotten teeth. "Welcome to our lit'le fambly."

The sharp crack of a branch snapped Mei out of his reverie. Quickly orienting his gaze, he saw the two travelers approach. The young woman scurried along the narrow track almost as nimbly as the deer who had created it, but it must have been she who made the noise; the man following her seemed almost to glide along the trail.

Carefully, he watched their progress, mouth dry with anxiety and fear. When he judged the distance sufficient, he dated out onto the trail.

"Ma'am! Sir!" he gasped, feigning exertion, "help, please help! My parents, my--"

The woman hurried to him and dropped to one knee, grasping his shoulders. "What's wrong with your parents? Where are they?" she asked urgently.

"They--help--there were thieves," he panted, scanning the treetops for Jacqui's men. He caught sight of Marco, moonlight glinting off his belt buckle. That meant Delilah and Jared weren't far behind, and--

The man had noticed his gaze, and followed its direction. "Why, you little wretch," he hissed, reaching over his shoulder and whirling around.

"What--?" The woman turned to look at her companion. Mei took the opportunity to wrench himself from her hands and dart back into the bushes as the night erupted in screams.

It was quick. Jacqui's men dropped from the trees, howling their war cries, while Jacqui herself erupted from the underbrush and took a vicious swing at the man. He produced a glimmering sword seemingly from thin air, blocked it easily, then neatly spitted her. Jared battered at the woman with his cudgel; somehow she snatched it from his hands, smashed the end into his nose, and, spinning the staff, turned to face her next assailant. The next few moments were a confusion of violence; Mei cowered down as far as he could. Finally the man turned towards the woman, expecting another attacker; she faced him, the two she had felled collapsed around her feet.

His hood had fallen back during the struggle; Mei could see the look of mild amazement on his features. "I am most pleasantly surprised," he said.

The woman spun the staff again, planted it into the ground, and leaned against it. "I told you I wouldn't get in the way," she panted, smiling. "I know how to deal with monsters."

"Indeed." The man walked over to survey the bodies at her feet; Mei could see that at least one--it looked like Marco--was still breathing. The man nudged him with a boot, and was rewarded with a groan. Almost casually he hefted the sword.

"What are you doing?" the woman gasped. "You're not going to just kill him!"

"I'm not?" The blade flashed down, a spatter of gore blackly visible in the moonlight. The woman uttered a small shriek. "Not this one, either?" Another flash, another gout. Mei couldn’t restrain a whimper.

The woman seized the staff and uprooted it, holding it before her as she backed away from her companion. "You murdered them! They were unconscious--there was no need--and you--you--"

The man bent down, tore a strip from Marco's shirt, and began wiping off his sword. "A band of robbers set upon us in the woods, intending to do God knows what, and I murdered them. I see."

"They were unconscious! They couldn't hurt us any more!"  The woman put an arm out to brace herself against a nearby tree, the hand that held the staff rising to cover her mouth.  She retched.

The man rounded on her, flinging the bloody rag at her feet. "No, they couldn’t hurt us any more," he snapped. "You bragged about having dealt with monsters a moment ago--these are worse. These are men, humans, who choose to do this. Would you have them free, to fall upon the next travelers who get lost? Travelers who don't 'know how to deal with monsters'?" He snorted. "Never mind if they realized who I am and decided to share that information." The woman, head bowed, clutched the staff even tighter, but made no reply. The man sheathed his sword and turned away. "At any rate, their bait is still running around loose."

Mei swallowed with difficulty. It was far too late to run now; he'd never get away. His only hope was to stay very still, and pray he had inherited some of his father's abilities. I am a shinobi, I can do this, I can escape--

"Aha." Mei howled as the hand clamped around the scruff of his neck and yanked him out of the bushes to dangle a foot above the ground.  He was shaken roughly, and writhed desperately to free himself.  The hand merely squeezed tighter.  “Although perhaps I give your sort too much credit.  You are no man, but I fail to see how a human child could consent to an act such as this.”

“I DIDN’T WANT TO!” Mei shrieked, thrashing again.  “I WANT MY MOTHER!  I want to help her, I came here to, and they found me, and they made me—“ he sputtered, gasping as the man’s fingers dug into his windpipe.  He grabbed at the hand holding him, clawing frantically for release. 

“You will not hurt this boy,” said the woman, barely audible.  Gray spots began to dance across his vision.

“This is the same story we heard a moment ago—“

The woman lunged across the clearing, and there was a sharp crack as her staff glanced off the man’s skull.  He danced back, dragging Mei with him, and was suddenly holding the end of the staff away from himself at arm’s length.  The movement caused his grip to loosen slightly and Mei heaved in great whoops of air, wheezing.  The woman was trembling with the effort of keeping a grip on her weapon.

“You will not hurt this boy,” she said again, her voice ragged with strain.  “He is a child.  I don’t care what you think about it; he is not evil, no matter what he’s done.  You let him go.”

“And you think you can stop me?  Stop me from doing your precious Planet a favor by removing this filth from it?”  He hauled on the end of the staff, nearly wrenching it from her grip.

“I don’t know if I can.  But we’ll find out.”  Her voice quivered on the last words, but she held firm, meeting her companion stare for stare, the silence stretching long between them.  Mei was dazed, still struggling for breath, and oddly disconnected from the situation; he was hearing his life and death discussed, but he was too tired and hurt and frightened to feel its immediacy; it almost seemed as if they were arguing about something else…

He hit the ground with a thud, branches scraping him cruelly as he slid into the underbrush.  “Go, then,” the man spat, breaking his gaze with the woman to glare at Mei.  “Go fast, and go far.”

The lady nodded slightly, then stepped over to Mei and once again knelt before him.  She fumbled at her belt, and then pressed a few coins into his limp hands.  “If you really have a mother, and you really want to help her, head back to the Corel Road,” she said tiredly, and tried to smile.  “We passed a trader caravan yesterday morning.  Catch up with them; they will at least take you out of the wilderness.”

Mei licked his dry lips, trying to form words, but his throat was too sore for speech after the crushing grip it had been held in.  He swallowed a few times, and was finally able to wheeze, “Thank you.”  Tears finally began to trickle down his cheeks.

She reached out and brushed one away with her thumb, her smile more firm this time.  “I think you had better do as he says, now.”

He nodded, levering himself to his feet, and began to head back the way he had come down the trail as quickly as he could.  He stole a last glance over his shoulder; the silhouette of the lady, kneeling on the path as if in prayer, and the dark, fearsome shape looming behind her, all limned in moonlight.

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