No Choice Left

Chapter 13

Disclaimer: Sephiroth and Aeris are the only things in this story that belong to Squaresoft. (Argh. A dull and boring disclaimer this time… am I lacking creativity or something…?)

Just in case Rose Flame is reading this: the term Räelans is my own idea; Squaresoft has nothing to do with it. I put the a-umlaut there because I learn German a lot. Jawolh! Deutsch ist doch die beste Sprache der Welt, stimmt's? Apart from English. Which is even better. ^_^;

Author's Notes: Dear Readers, you're wonderful. *gasp* I made it… 100 reviews!? Yeah! I still can't believe it and I'm sooo happy! You're great, people! Great, I tell you! *sings: You're simply the best! Better than all the rest…!* I want to hug all of you! *grins broadly like an idiot*

Yeah. And now on with the 13th chapter of my story! Read it till the very end, or else you'll miss (or misunderstand) the most significant information …(which is of course: have I killed Sephy yet? Will I ever?)

Sorry, I was too lazy to write a better chapter. Nevertheless… enjoy!

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He forcefully hit the wall with his back, probably breaking a few ribs or even his spine, at least judging from the agonizing pain that immediately shot through his entire body. He let out a small, inaudible gasp, desperately struggling to breathe and instantly discovering that it was next to impossible. The pain filled his lungs with liquid fire. However, the tormenting sensation ended very quickly, almost before it had even started.

Sephiroth's eyelids fell down, allowing the darkness to fill his field of vision at once. He felt the twangs of panic piercing his heart, but he quickly composed himself.

<Funny… I was always sure I would enjoy dying…>

The fear disappeared, leaving him nothing but the sense of bitter emptiness.

(I was sure I would, for my life was never a very happy one and I never cared much about it. Actually, there were times I hardly desired anything more than death. And I never feared it… I was a soldier… death treaded hard on my heels everywhere I went.

There were times I hated myself for being alive.

When I was still a child I had all the attention I could get… not the kind of attention I desired, though. All they did was talk about me, not with me. …And I was very lonely. So lonely I was sure life was impossible to endure… I tried a suicide when I was eight… but I failed to get free back then. Since then, I kept trying… like when I turned sixteen and ShinRa, that son of a bitch, named me a general. I thought I wouldn't be able to bear such responsibility… and I guess I just wanted somebody to notice me… the real me, not the perfect killing machine everybody saw.

A scolding from my farther was all I got.

When I finally grew up… some things got better. Some got worse. For example, I hated being famous - when I first saw my face on the cover of some popular magazine, I thought I'd freak out. But I also had my share of fun. I knew a few people, both male and female, that considered themselves as my friends - even though I never trusted them, it was nice to have somebody to talk to, to rely upon, or to spend holidays with. It felt good to be cared about, if only a little… But I always felt different. I was, I still am and I will always remain an outcast.)

Some life, he mentally shrugged. (And now… after all those events in Nibelheim… after all I have done in the past year… I carry a burden that is hard to leave behind.)

Sephiroth would have sighed, if he still had had a body to control.

(Life… Why do people care so much about it? Generally speaking, it's utterly pointless. First, we are born. Then, from that point, we blindly struggle into death's direction, experiencing different emotions, overcoming obstacles, trying to deal with the merciless blows of reality. And we all eventually fade and xxx cast? into oblivion. Sooner or later, it's only a matter of time… Are we even able to shape our fate ourselves? What about the choices we make? Are they entirely ours? Or is it merely a coincidence how our life turns? …For other people and different circumstances constantly influence us, don't they?

Do I believe in fate?

Not anymore… but I used to… When I was a child I used to think it was some cruel destiny that made me the son of Hojo… And much later, when I've learned that my life had been carefully planed from the very beginning… Back then… I felt so empty inside…

Phew… Get it over with, Sephiroth. What does it matter now? the future is more important… What comes next? What shall I live for…?)

<Aeris…?>

"Let's stay together when everything ends. I wish to settle down… here, on Sandalya."

Her green eyes… radiating with warmth… filled with hope. Beautiful. He knew that she really meant those words. That she really cared. Of all people, she cared the most. She was ready to give him everything, asking nothing in return. It was as simple as that.

"…I'm sure you don't want to go back, either. You wouldn't feel comfortable in the Promised Land. Sorry for being straightforward, but we both know it's true. Here, on Sandalya, we can start everything anew."

(Start everything anew…?)

"…Have you ever wondered what you would like to do next? In the future?"

(She wants to spend the rest of her life with… me? Many women had told me that before… Why did she sound so… so… sincere… so… determined…)

"You still can't believe you have a future, can you?"

(Why is her offer so special…?)

(Yes. The real me. Who I really am. And she still wants to stay. Even though she's aware of what I'm capable of, she doesn't care about the beast that lives inside of me. And she doesn't care about my past, either, for what she sees is only the future… our future.)

His rational mind was sinking in an endless ocean of confusion. Something was wrong… he could not pull his thoughts together anymore… his consciousness was fading, drifting away. He partially realized what was happening and no, he wasn't afraid. Just sorrowful.

(Aeris… How I'd love to stay with her…)

* * *

Aeris wasn't even crying; she was still too much shocked to accept the fact that the man she loved lay motionless at her feet. She didn't even felt sorrow. Just some strange sort of hollow emptiness. Shaking her head in disbelief, she slowly sank to her knees and grabbed Sephiroth's slender wrist.

<Please!>

Her hands were shaking badly as she searched for some signs of life.

In spite of some serious injuries, including a few broken ribs, Sephiroth was still alive, but his pulse was very weak and his breath shallow. His pale lips were twisted in pain.

Resting the tip of his staff on the ground, Valagar chose to break the silence with a clearing of his throat. "Leave him. He is dying," the Cetra said matter-of-factly.

(No, this can't be! He can't die! Because I… I… love him… Damn it! Sephiroth, don't leave me alone!)

Aeris' eyes filled with tears as various thoughts passed through her mind at the same time. Leaping to her feet at once, she cast a hateful glance in Valagar's direction. His expression betrayed… mild compassion? It made Aeris furious. Something inside her snapped.

"You," her usually gentle voice was dripping with poison. "It's all your fault!" cold, immense fury shone in her green eyes. "You'll pay for this!"

"Stop it, silly child," the Cetra shook his head. "I do not want to fight you…"

Aeris bit her lower lip. Very hard. Warm blood trickled down her chin, but she didn't feel any pain. (If only I had the power to defeat Valagar… but I'm just a weakling… a miserable girl… I'll probably die at his hand, too… But… He's just hurt Sephiroth! Ruined my life! I can't simply step aside and leave this son of a bitch unscratched!)

"…And I never intended to kill him," Valagar was saying. "I am sure you are aware of th-"

"Shut up! It doesn't matter who started! And it don't care whether you did it on purpose or not!!!"

Aeris clenched her hands into fists. Some strange energy stirred in the depth of her soul. The world became white in her eyes and she was not able to control her own body any further. Her conscious thoughts were not important anymore. It was merely her rage that counted.

Aeris' fingertips itched with power that burned under her skin. Her eyes had run dry long ago. She felt something like electricity running down her spine. She opened her mouth to scream, but not a single sound escaped her bleeding lips.

"No, Aeris," she heard Valagar's calm, and yet obviously worried voice coming from behind the white curtain of pain. "Stop it before you will hurt yourself…"

"Shut uuuuuup!" Aeris' high-pitched scream pierced the air as the spell exploded.

* * *

The whole cavern started to tremble. Valagar was probably dead, but Aeris couldn't care less at the moment. Not fully aware of what had just happened and feeling terribly weak, she fell to her knees next to Sephiroth's side, taking the man's head in her hands. His body was still warm, she noticed. A few seconds later her eyes widened in shock. Sephiroth was still breathing.

"How-" she stammered.

A small piece of rock fell down from the ceiling, cutting Aeris' back. Her vision got blurry all of the sudden and she instantly realized the danger they were both in. The cave was going to collapse. Aeris desperately tried to get back to her feet, but her legs failed her. She was completely exhausted.

<No!>

(I… must… help…… him………)

Helplessly squeezing Sephiroth's white shirt, Aeris fainted.

* * *

How much time had passed? A few minutes? Hours? She wasn't sure. Her head hurt much and all her limbs were sore… Aeris groaned. Something wet was resting on her cheek. A plant? With her eyes still closed, she tried to make a guess. Then she slowly raised her hand and gently grasped the irritating branch. It felt a little bit sticky to the touch, but it was nicely soft and warm at the same time.

Moaning, Aeris slowly opened her eyes.

"………"

A Räelan was leaning over her. And she was squeezing the tip of its purple tentacle.

"Aaah!" Aeris screamed in terror, instantly bolting into sitting position and letting go off the alien's limb. Still on the ground, she frantically tried to move away, but her back met resistance.

<Sephiroth!>

Instantly forgetting her pitiful attempts to escape, she grabbed the man's arms, pulling him closer. Sephiroth was unconscious, but his chest was still moving to Aeris' infinite relief. She cradled him protectively in her lap.

Scared to death, she looked up very slowly. The color ran away from her face as she noticed that she was actually surrounded by several aliens that stood in the distance. Valagar was nowhere to be seen.

The nearest Räelan was so close that she could feel its calm, warm breath all over her face. It tilted its had and watched Aeris curiously. It waited.

(They… They could've killed me when I was unconscious… But they didn't.)

Feeling slightly comforted at the thought, Aeris dared to speak. "W-What? What is this t-that you w-want?"

"…You w-want?" the alien repeated. The words sounded strange but they were not impossible to understand. Aeris gasped.

(Is it… reading my mind…? Maybe… But… isn't that supposed to be a painful and unpleasant experience…? I can't feel anything special at the moment, well, apart my own fear that is tearing me apart… So it didn't try to force its way into my brain, then…? Why…?)

These large, somewhat pretty eyes were so unnerving… Was the Räelan angry? Curious? Threatening? Dispassionate? Neutral? She could not read the emotion hidden behind these glassy irises. They seemed completely empty… and yet Aeris knew that the creature certainly had feelings.

Maybe it's a female Räelan, she thought. (She… if it really is a she… is much smaller than the creature we met in Haghia… And her voice sounds vaguely female, too… somewhat soft… if that's even possible…)

(Does… she understand me?)

"Don't hurt me," Aeris licked her chapped lips and tied to smile. "You see," turning the palm upwards, she slowly stuck out one of her hands. "…I'm not a treat at all. Not at all," she repeated, unsure what to say next.

"Not at all," the alien said; she imitated Aeris' intonation almost perfectly. "I'm not a threat at all."

Aeris gulped. (Does she really understand what she's just said…? Probably not… she's merely repeating my words in a mindless fashion, oblivious of their meaning. But… she… still hasn't attacked, so…)

She unconsciously dug her fingernails into Sephiroth's arm.

(What can I do, dammit!? And what are the Räelans up to…? We can't even communicate… it's helpless! Should I try to run away? Ah, no! I can't leave Sephiroth here! Besides… They'd rip me to pieces in a matter of a few seconds… Please! Somebody help me! Sephiroth…) frowning, she looked down at his pale, serene face (…why won't you wake up…?)

The female alien slowly moved one of her tentacles forward and carefully touched Sephiroth's face. Aeris winced, but she didn't even dare to draw a single breath. Paralyzed with fear, she could only watch as the creature proceeded to caress the man's cheek. A few other Räelans started to hiss.

Please, don't hurt him, Aeris repeated the mantra in her head. (Please, don't, please…)

In spite of her instincts screaming at her to do anything, the young woman didn't move, since she knew that any resistance would be pointless. Though she had defeated Valagar with a single limit break only a few hours ago, she was certain that she wouldn't be able to repeat such an achievement very soon. Therefore, she waited in silence, painfully aware of the fact that she was completely dependent on the Räelans' will.

* * *

"Wake up, child."

<Hm…? What…?>

Sephiroth's eyes opened slowly. All could see was the infinite darkness spreading in front of him.

(Strange… I thought I heard someone calling… or was it… merely a dream…?)

<…Am I dead?>

"Not yet," the voice in the back of his head spoke again.

Sephiroth shivered. The message didn't consist of words, so he instantly reckognized the 'speaker'. It was a Räelan… a female one, well, at least judging from the distant and vague stream of her thoughts; thoughts that he could easily sense but hardly comprehend.

"Where am I?" he carefully formed the words in his mind.

"Right now? In the middle of nowhere, I'm afraid. And it's up to you to wake up. Would you? Please?"

She was… asking him to wake up?

"Our envoy told me about you," the nameless voice continued. "I didn't believe him at first, though," she paused. Sephiroth could effortlessly feel her curiosity and amusement. "…One of our kind, and yet a human. Or least that is what you believe…"

"Because that is what I am," he wearily opposed. The comment left him truly irritated, but he was too weak to argue with the alien. "…Could you please tell me what's going on?"

"I could ask you the same question… Why did you all came here? And what happened? Why is one of the Cetra dead?"

<AERIS!>

The female Räelan mentally winced at Sephiroth's shock. His strong, negative emotions were obviously hurting her as well.

"Aeris?" she slowly repeated the unfamiliar term; it was actually the first word used in their whole silent conversation. "Is that how you called the male?"

It took him a few long seconds to finally comprehend what she had meant. "No… What about the woman?" the Räelan was pleased with his relief.

"She is safe… for now. Honestly… we don't know what to do with her. She's one of the Cetra, but… I can't sense any hatred in her, even though I haven't tried to read her mind yet… I can only guess her feelings from the way she's breathing or watching me… and… I don't really know… I would've killed her if she had been hostile, but… she's quite different… and killing a weaker creature that seems friendly doesn't sound very good, right…?"

"Don't hurt her!" with lots of effort, Sephiroth somehow managed to repress his anger and distrust. "…Please."

"I can't promise you that. Anyway, let's not speculate about the future right now. …It's really time for you to wake up."

End of Chapter 13

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Author's Notes: Aeris saving Sephiroth's life…? Isn't it always the other way around? Precisely. And that's exactly why I had to write this chapter… it was fun to toy with the cliché, if only a little bit.

So, Sephiroth shall live… for now… *smiles maliciously* …but what happens next? Is Valagar dead? What about the long awaited and inevitable Aeriseph love confession? Will there ever be one? Or some cliché kissing stuff? What about Movitriss? (She's still alive, may I kindly remind you… *breaks into evil laughter*)

This story will have quite an abrupt ending, believe me, but you still have to wait a little bit. Anyway, I want to finish it as soon as possible, even though I consider writing as my serious hobby. The only problem is, I can't really decide what shall I write next… A fic (yaoi?) involving Rufus? Cloti romance? A psychological/action story concerning the Turks? (Argh, Tseng-sama and Reno-san are so hot!) An FF8 story, for a change? Or… an Angel Sanctuary fic…? (My beloved Kira-sempai! *drools* Rosiel-sama! I can't get these manga bishies out of my head…)

Please, review this chapter! Pretty please? I really need to know whether somebody is still interested in continuation. Oh, and please, if you have time, read To escape the suffering, a pathetic Sephy-centric story I wrote about three weeks ago. It was supposed to be the mayor part of this chapter anyway, but I turned it into a separate fic instead.

Thanks for all your support! See ya next chapter! (And it would be better than this miserable one, I promise!)

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