To Love A One Winged Angel
Chapter 13: Hojo’s New
Weapon
"Vincent Valentine? I
find that very amusing, Cloud."
It was the real Vincent who had
spoken. He was sitting in an uncomfortable blue plastic chair in the waiting
room of the hospital. Cloud, Cid and Tifa were sitting across from him, each
looking glum. Vincent’s demonic red eyes glittered in amusement as he looked at
each of them.
"We aren’t lying!"Tifa exclaimed."He
thinks he’s you! We all heard him say it."
Cid and Cloud nodded hastily.
"What do you expect me to
do about it?"Vincent questioned."I
certainly hope you didn’t call me all the way out here thinking I might be able
to convince Barret that he is not me. If he does have amnesia, as you say, then
there is no possible way that he will believe me."
"But don’t you have a
^&$^ ID?!"Cid asked.
Vincent made a face."What use might an ID be to me?"
"I don’t know!"Cid roared."Maybe
you might want to go out and get some booze and have some demented coffin party
with your pals in the ^&$^ Shin-Ra basement!"
"Cid, I would not lower
myself to engaging Ying and Yang in conversation,"Vincent
said dryly."In any case, there is nothing you
can do about Barret at the present. You can only hope that he will soon start remebering who he is."
*@*@*@*@*@*@*@*@*@*@*@*@*
Aeris sat by a pool of water
near
Sephiroth had gone off
somewhere a while before. Aeris supposed he was having a bath; after all, he
had been sweating quite a bit since Conrad had been kidnapped, and he had
started smelling like a locker room after a long, hard work out.
She thought back to the day in
Nibelheim where Sephiroth had saved her from the well. She blushed and absently
touched her lips. Since that moment, sephiroth had
not made another advance on her. She supposed it was a gentlemanly thing to do,
but she would not have minded being kissed by those smooth lips again.
Sjhe sighed. Was it possible that she was
falling in love with him? He had been treating her with civility for the past
few days, and his warmer side was starting to become obvious. Of course, he
still became imaptient and angry at times, but he
listened to her suggestions and advice, occasinally
making decisions on them.
And he most certainly was a
handsome man. She found herself breatheless when he
looked into her eyes, enraptured by their Mako-green depths. Those eyes never
betrayed his emotions, but Aeris always knew how he felt. His voice and body
language indicated fatigue, anger or even the slightest hint of contentment.
She sighed again, thinking she
should go check on him. He had been gone twenty minutes already, and she was
worried that he might have drowned himself.
She stood and brushed dirt off
the seat of her pants. There was nothing more embarassing
than having dirt on your butt. At least, Aeris thought so.
She started to wander down the
path, following the stream of water through the dense trees. She hoped she
wouldn’t catch Sephiroth naked. That would be almost as embarassing
as having dirt on her butt!
Soon, the trees thinned, and
Aeris came across a small water hole similar to the one she had been occupying
earlier. Sephiroth was in it, sitting against a boulder sticking up out of the
pool, his eyes closed. Only his head and shoulders were visible.
He seemed to sense her
presence even before she was able to say a word. He opened his eyes and looked
directly at her.
"What are you doing here?"he demanded.
"I just came to see if
you were okay,"Aeris answered."You
were gone a long time."
"As you can see, I’m fine,"Sephiroth said.
Without warning, he stood up
in the water. Aeris went crimson as all his parts were bared, and she quickly
squeaked and turned away. Sephiroth only chuckled.
"What, you don’t like my
body?"
"It’s a very manly body,"Aeris said breathlessly, her gaze still averted."I have never seen such a manly body before.
In fact, I have not seen a man’s body ever, which probably explains my
embarrassment."
"Of course you’ve seen a
man’s body before,"Sephiroth said.
"I think that, as
fascinating as it is, this discussion about men’s bodies has gone quite far enough,"Aeris said in a tight voice.
"You mean to say that you
don’t remember the time we first met,"Sephiroth
said quietly."You were just a child. You saw me
in the tank. I saved you and your mother from Hojo."
Aeris shook her head."You didn’t manage to save my mother…"
"She died?"Sephiroth
said."I’m sorry. I tried to save her…"
Aeris held up a hand to
silence Sephiroth, afraid that if she opened her mouth she might break down. The
memories of Ifalna and her early childhood were just
too much to bear. The death of her father; the death of her mother; and the
departure of a boy she hardly knew but already loved.
The tears burst free, and she
could not stop them. She was sure the tears would drown her and the sobs would
choke her. The dark, buried memories overwhelmed her, until Sephiroth took her
in his arms. His naked body pressed against hers, comforting and strangely
unsettling. His presence made her feel safe, but certain parts of his anatomy
stirred in her a desire for him. She buried her face in his neck. Warmth
radiated from his skin, making her feel alive again.
"Don’t cry, Aeris,"he whispered."I
saved you, didn’t I? You are still alive, and there are people here who need you.
Crying will not save the chocobo."
Aeris nodded.
"Hojo will not wait long
for us. We have to hurry to Midgar."
"Sephiroth…?"
"Yes?"
"You’re naked."
"I am aware of that,"Sephiroth growled."I
can see my clothes lying three feet away. Why, do you have a problem with
touching my naked body? Does it repulse you?"
"No,"Aeris
said shyly."I find it quite attractive."
"Is that so?"Sephiroth said, cocking an eyebrow."Well,
I wouldn’t mind if you’d pass me my clothes. I’m gettign
a bit chilly."
Aeris gave him his clothes and
he dressed quickly. As he was tying his boots, Aeris took the chance to eat one
of the apples they had gotten in Nibelheim. She only noticed that Sephiroth was
shaking his head and smiling after she had taken several bites.
"Wha tho fuhhy?"she demanded, mouth full of apple.
"You look like a chupmunk."
"Shanks,"Aeris
pouted.
Sephiroth cupped her face in
his hands, turning her head to head to look at him.
"A beautiful chipmunk,"he said.
He kissd
her gently, then more forcefully, until his tongue was seeking out the apple
chunks in her mouth. Aeris threw the half-eaten apple over her shoulder,
melting into Sephiroth’s arduous embrace. She ran her hands through his damp,
silver hair, trying to draw him closer for a deeper kiss.
Aeris found herself wondering
why he was doing this to her. Could he possibly be interested in her? She
desperately hoped he was; his pounding heart beat against her own chest, almost
melding with her won heartbeat, bringing them so close they were almost one.
His lips left her suddenly,
but his hands remained on her waist. He drew her close and held her for several
moments.
"We should get going,"Aeris whispered.
"I know,"said
Sephiroth.
He released her and started
off into the woods. Aeris hurried after him, not wanting to get lost.
*@*@*@*@*@*@*@*@*@*@*@*
"What’s your new
specimen, professor?"
"You mean this?"
Hojo patted a glass tank full of
a gooey blue liquid in which the body of a brown-haired woman floated.
"Is she dead?"
"Yes, and she has been
for at least fifteen years,"Hojo said.
"But how?"
"Indeed,"Hojo
agreed."That is because she has been preserved.
She is Ifalna, mother of Aeris Gainsborough, and she
died outside the train station in Sector 7."
"But if she died there,
then how was she preserved?"
"An excellent question,"said Hojo."She
came from Icicle Inn. I assume that Aeris and her adoptive mother shipped her
across the ocean to be buried there, since the body was found entombed deep in
the snow."
"What do you intend to do
with her?"
"She has been dead for
many years,"Hojo murmured."If
her memory has deteriorated sufficiently over that long period of time, I hope
to use her as a weapon against Sephiroth."
"You intend to kill him?!"
"Yes, of course. He will
be of no use after he brings the Ancient,"Hojo
said dismissively."In any case, I have lots of
work to get done, so make yourself scarce."
"How dare
you speak to me that way?!"
"Easily,"Hojo
snarled."I am your elder, and you will respect
me. You don’t have the brains to run this country."
"Oh, thanks,"he said grumpily."I was in the middle of dreaming about
dancing carob nuts! It’s more amusing than it sounds, you know."
"I could really use some
carob nuts right now…"
Chapter 14: A Change of
Heart
"Professor Hojo!"boomed a deep voice
over the loudspeaker."Pick up on line two! I
repeat, pick up on line two!"
Hojo growled and slammed his
pen down on the desk. Who could be calling at such a late hour? It was nearly
one o’ clock in the morning. He picked up the phone nevertheless, muttering
under his breath.
"Who is it?"he demanded.
"It’s me."
"Sephiroth?"Hojo hissed, sitting upright in his chair."Where are you? What is taking so long for you
to get the girl here?"
"Well, if you hadn’t
kidnapped our transportation, we’d be there right now,"Sephiroth
snapped."Anyway, Aeris and I are at the Gold
Saucer."
"So you’re on first-name
basis now, are you?"Hojo said coolly."I hope you’re not having too much fun at the
Saucer. If I don’t see you here within three days…"
"Yes, I know, you’ll kill
Conrad,"Sephiroth said in a tone of voice that
suggested to Hojo that his son was rolling his eyes."Aeris
is sleeping right now, so we’ll be leaving for
"Alright,"said
Hojo."Don’t take too long."
"I won’t!"Sephroth
snapped.
There was a click on the other
end of the line. Hojo closed his eyes and slowly dropped the receiver back into
the cradle. He could not believe that his son and the Ancient were still so far
away. He had been expecting them to be much closer.
He glanced over at the cage
which contained a sleeping Conrad. The chocobo was
snoring softly; Hojo couldn’t help but smile. Despite the fact that the beast
was a talkative nuisance, he was becoming rather fond of it.
The tank on his left hissed.
Hojo looked at it sharply. The blue goo was bubbling
up around the motionless Ifalna. Her re-animation was
going rather slowly; she was only at thirty-seven percent currently. Hojo
sighed; he simply couldn’t wait to use his new weapon on his son. He knew
Sephiroth was strong, but he also knew that Ifalna
would be powerful once he infused her with Mako.
Rain started to patter gently
against the windows of his laboratory; a streak of lightning flashed across the
sky; thunder rumbled in the distance; and in the corner, Conrad continued to
snore.
*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*
Sephiroth slammed the PHS
closed once he had hung up on Hojo. A low groan came from the bed behind him;
Sephiroth glanced back and saw Aeris stir slightly, then lie still again. Her
pink shirt was stretched tightly across her chest. His cheeks reddened
slightly, but he didn’t take his eyes away. In his eyes, she was a goddess. The
way her green eyes sparkled when she laughed; the way her pink lips puckered
when she was upset; the way her coiled brown hair bounced as she walked; her
smooth white legs, and her perfect breasts surely made
her deserving of the title "goddess". Of course, he could never tell
her he felt this way.
But perhaps his actions had
showed her how he felt.
Sephiroth went to her and lay
down next to her prone form on the bed. He shifted slightly so that he was
facing her fully, trying not to wake her, and reached out to tuck a stray
tendril of hair behind her ear. She smiled in her sleep when his fingertips
made contact with her skin; this in turn made him smile.
"I love you,"he whispered.
Of course, she didn’t answer.
If she had, he would never have been able to show her his face again.
"But I hate you, too,"he continued, his voice soft."For a stupid reason. For
making me feel this way. Once I get you back to Shin-Ra headquarters, I can’t
see you anymore. …Okay?"
Aeris still didn’t answer.
Sephiroth sighed and pulled her tight against him. He cursed himself for this.
The closer her got, the harder it would be to get
away. But he couldn’t help it. The smell of her skin, her hair, enticed him.
He sighed again and buried his
face in the crook of her neck. And the next morning, Aeris would awaken and
find him in that exact same position.
*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*
"Alright, we have to find
Marlene."
It was Cloud who had spoken.
He opened the door to the hospital and charged out into the dark streets of Midgar.
He was immediately drenched by rain; Vincent and Tifa were sharing the
umbrella. Cid started to swear when his cigarette went out.
"Where do you think she
could be?"Tifa asked, standing closer to Vincent
to get warm.
"She could be dead,"Cloud said, shrugging."We
should first check Corel. That would be the most logical place to start. If
she’s not there, then we can start searching the surrounding areas."
"Dead…?"Tifa
repeated.
"Yes, that’s what I said!"Cloud snapped."Are
you deaf or something?"
Tifa didn’t answer. She looked
at the ground instead.
"Most of the residents of
Corel died when the bomb hit,"Vincent said."If a bunch of fully-grown men died, why would
you think that a little girl survived?"
"We should at least have
hope that she’s alright,"Tifa said in a small
voice.
Vincent shook his head. Cid
tried to light another cigarette to no avail. He swore again and threw the
package on the ground.
"Today’s a good day to quit,"he muttered.
He stomped down the street,
water splashing up at him from the puddles under his feet. Tifa sighed and
followed him. Vincent was careful to hold the umbrella over her head. Once they
got to the Highwind, they climbed the ladder. Cid and Cloud went inside, but
Tifa didn’t go with them. She instead stood by the railing of the deck and
looked down. Vincent still held the umbrella over her.
"Are you alright, Tifa?"he asked.
Tifa smiled and shook her head."No…"
"What is it?"Vincent asked, sounding genuinely concerned."Is it about your baby?"
"Kind of,"Tifa
sighed.
"Is there something wrong
with it?"
"No,"Tifa
said quietly."The problem is more with the
father of the baby…"
"Cloud?"Vincent said questioningly."Did
he hurt you? What did he do?"
"Nothing,"Tifa
said, shaking her head again."He didn’t do
anything to me. Except for the two times he snapped at me in the past
week."
"He’s just stressed,
Tifa…"
"There’s also something
wrong with me,"Tifa continued,
her voice soft."I don’t think I’m in love with
him anymore, Vincent. I want this child, but I wish that Cloud wasn’t the
father."
"You mustn’t say that,"Vincent said sternly."Cloud
loves you. You’re going to marry him and bear his child. Isn’t that what you
wanted?"
"Yes!"Tifa
wailed."Yes, it’s what I wanted. But I don’t
want it anymore. I’m sorry for telling you all of this, Vincent. I hope you
aren’t upset, and I hope you don’t think I’m shallow… but it’s the truth."
"I could never think that
of you, Tifa,"Vincent said."If
you don’t want to be with Cloud anymore, then there’s nothing he can do about
it. If you’re suffering, you must tell him so. He has a right to know."
"I guess…"
"This is very sudden, though,"Vincent told her."Perhaps
you should think things through first. When did you start feeling that you and
he shoudn’t be together?"
"For a day or two,"Tifa confessed."But
I only seriously started thinking it now. Didn’t you hear how he just spoke to
me?"
"Like I said, he’s just stressed,"Vincent said shortly.
"Do you’re siding with him?"Tifa said despairingly.
"I’m not siding with anyone,"Vincent told her."This
isn’t a battle that should be fought. These are people’s emotions you’re
dealing with. You must handle them with care."
"I know…"
"Let’s go below, where
it’s warm,"Vincent said."It
won’t do us any good if you catch a cold."
He took her arm and led her to
the door, feeling somewhat awkward. He knew Cloud had a right to know what Tifa
had just told him, but he alos knew it would break
the young man’s heart. He wanted to tell Cloud, but that was up to Tifa.
He opened the door and
escorted his friend downstairs.
*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*
Chapter 15: Weapon
Hojo drummed his fingers
against his desk, watching the rain slide down the windows of his laboratory.
It was dark outside, but he, along with the chocobo,
was unable to get to sleep. Conrad paced his cage, his claws clicking
annoyingly against the metallic floor of his prison.
Hojo was quite put out. It had
been two days since Sephiroths first call, and he had
not telephoned Hojo since. He had no idea where his son was at the present. He
hoped that he and the Cetra were at
A hissing sound came from the
tank next to his desk. He glanced over and saw that Ifalna’s
resurgence was complete. He giggled maniacally and started pushing buttons on
the side of the tank. The blue goo drained, leaving Ifalna naked and vulnerable, in plain sight.
"Ah, how lovely,"Hojo murmured.
The front of the tank popped
open. Ifalna looked around the room uncertainly. The
whites of her eyes had turned a sickly yellow colour, but the irises were as
green as ever. She stepped out an immediately crossed her arms over her chest.
"Where am I…?"she asked slowly.
Hojo looked her up and down,
and grinned.
"I am Hojo,"he
said, ignoring her question."Do you remember
me?"
Ifalna shook her head."I
don’t remember anything, sir. Not my name, or where I
came from. Who am I?"
"Your name is Ifalna,"Hojo told her."I
need your help with something. Come, let’s go clean you off and get you into
some clothes. I’ll explain everything later."
He led her from the room.
Conrad frowned and said:
"That was something I
hoped I would never have to see…"
@+@+@+@+@+@+@+@+@
Aeris sighed and reached
forward, trying to touch the end of her outstretched legs. Waves crashed
against the shore. Surfers were laughing and screaming, trying to catch the biggest
waves. She had no idea where Sephiroth had gone, but he had said he would be
back in a minute.
She noticed that Costa Del Sol
was particularly busy, though she supposed this was because it was getting cold
almost everywhere else on the Planet, even if it onlt
snowed in the Icicle area.
She was worried about Conrad.
It had been more than a week since he had been captured. She hoped he was okay,
and that Hojo wasn’t treating him too badly. When she saw him again, she would
give him the tightest hug she could manage.
She looked up when a long
shadow fell across the sand. Sephiroth was standing above her. He had stripped
down into swimming trunks, and was looking out into the ocean with a wide smile
on his face.
"Are you coming in too, Aeris?"he asked.
"No,"she
answered, shaking her head."I’ll just watch. You
have fun, now! And make sure you don’t drown."
Sephiroth rolled his eyes and
raced into the ocean. Aeris smiled. His actions reminded her of an excited
little boy. Then again, she figured that he hadn’t had time to relax at the
beach for quite some time.
She glanced sideways as a gust
of wind sent a scrap of newspaper flying in her direction. She picked it up,
her eyes widening as she read the headline:
"GIANT SQUID
TERRORIZES
Her eyes shot open, and she
looked at the ocean where Sephiroth was swimming innocently among a small
number of people. Was the squid there right now? If so, Sephiroth had no idea
that it was there. He, of course, did not have his materia on him, and
consequently could not fight a monster if it attacked.
She quickly got up and started
to strip her shoes and socks. She dove into the water, the waves trying to
force her back to the sand, but she struggled against them. The further out she
got, the calmer the water got, until she reached Sephiroth. She grabbed onto
his arm.
"Sephiroth, I saw this
newspaper article,"she told him."About a sea monster on the loose in
this area. It’s not safe to be in here."
"Are you sure?"he said, his brows
knitting in concern.
"Positive,"Aeris
nodded."Come on. Let’s get out of here."
"But
what about everyone else?"
Aeris stared at him in shock."Did I just hear the great Sephiroth say
that?"
"Oh, shut up."
They started back towards the
shore. Sephiroth, being stronger and more able to fight the waves, carried
Aeris until they reached the sand. He placed her there and she put on her shoes
while he scanned the water for any sign of a beast.
"I don’t see anything,"he said finally."We
should really be going. This is just a waste of time, anyway."
"Fine,"Aeris
sighed.
She stood up and walked back
up to the town with Sephiroth. She started to grow jealous when every woman
gaped at him as they passed, and though she wanted to grab onto his arm as if
to tell them he was hers, she knew she didn’t dare. He would be quite upset if
she touched him, she thought.
They went into the hotel.
@+@+@+@+@+@+@+@+@+@
Hojo stood in front of Ifalna, eyeing her new armor. She blinked innocently at
him, not entirely sure where she was or what was going on. Her arms ached from
a number of strange needles he had put in her arms, but she now felt incredibly
strong. She had even crushed a pencil into dust without effort only twenty
minutes before. Hojo was extremely pleased by this. He kept giggling weirdly
from time to time, which disturbed Ifalna to no end.
She could not remember hearing any man giggle in such a way; but then again,
she did not remember much.
Her armour
felt very heavy. The helmet weighed her head down, and she could hardly see
since it was soo big. It fell down in front of her
eyes occasionally, and she had to push it back up, but she still managed to
wield a sword easily.
"Well, now to tell you of
your mission,"said Hojo."There
is a man called Sephiroth who will be arriving here shortly with a young woman.
I want you to kill him."
Ifalna frowned."Yes, sir."
"I don’t care how you do
it, but do it quickly,"Hojo continued."And now to test your magical abilites. I know you are physically quite strong,
since I saw you crush that pencil with ease. Please cast Fire on that
tank."
He pointed at the tank where Ifalna had been reborn. She concentrated on it for a moment
before firing. It exploded, sending shards of glass flyign
in every direction. Iflana did not flinch as it
showed down on top of her.
"Excellent!"Hojo
shrilled."Excellent indeed, but you’ll have to
do better than that. Follow me."
He ran down the hall and got
into an elevator. Ifalna folowed him, clanking all the way.
Once downtairs, Hojo led her to an empty garage. He
pointed at a stack of unused fuel canisters.
"Cast Fie after I leave
the room,"he ordered.
Ifalan was a bit uncertain, but she did as
she was told. The room exploded in flame, but she was not harmed though the
fire singed her skin. She went back outside to where Hojo was waiting, and he
burst into applause when she appeared.
"Magnificent,"he
hissed."You are the perfect weapon, my dear.
Sephiroth will not stand a chance…"
Chapter 16: Under the
Stars
"Sephiroth, wait,"
Aeris said, stopping to catch her breath. "It’s getting late. Can’t we
rest here for the night?"
Sephiroth glanced quickly at
their surroundings (rolling green hills and odd trees which looked like they
would make great homes for the monkeys) before giving Aeris an incredulous
look.
"Yes, and get ambushed by
wild beasts?" he said.
"Why do you always think
the worst is going to happen?" Aeris demanded. "Not everybody and/or
thing is out to get you, you know. Relax, okay?"
She plopped down on the ground
and smiled sweetly at the ex-SOLDIER. He glared down at her for several moments
before sighing and sitting down next to her. Aeris seemed satisfied, and lay
down, closing her eyes.
"You don’t need to keep
watch, by the way," she said.
"Oh, thank you,"
Sephiroth said, though his tone was light. "Are you going to sleep
now?"
Aeris opened her eyes and
glanced at him, another smile lighting up her face.
"Of course not," she
answered. "I want to see the stars when they come out."
Sephiroth wrinkled his nose. "Stars?"
"Yes!" Aeris said,
nodding. "Don’t tell me you’ve never watched the stars before."
"I have never heard of a
bigger waste of time."
Aeris shifted over closer to
him. "They’re so beautiful, Sephiroth. They may seem dull at first,
but they shine so bright, like little lamps or candles. Zack and I watched the
stars on our first date…"
Sephiroth stiffened at the
mention of Zack. Why was she still thinking about him? He had been dead for
years – could it be she really had loved him?
"Forget about Zack,"
Sephiroth said, his voice colder than he had intended. "Nothing is going
to bring him back, you know. So don’t bother crying over him, and don’t bother
remembering him, and definitely don’t bring his name up when you talk to me."
Aeris stared at him
incredulously, her mouth ajar. The disbelieving look quickly turned to a sly
smile, however, and Sephiroth wondered momentarily whether he had gone too far.
"Is the Great Sephiroth
jealous?"
Sephiroth’s mouth tightened
into a thin line. "So what if I am?"
Aeris rolled over onto her
side to stare at him fully. He glanced at the curve of her hip, then quickly looked away, blood rushing to his face. God, was she beautiful. His whole body ached for her; his
lips itched to kiss her. He stared into her beautiful emerald eyes, almost too
afraid to wonder whether she wanted him too.
What was he thinking? What was
he feeling? Everything was so new to him. The world was suddenly full of
marvelous and beautiful things – how had he not noticed them before? The grass
was so green and lush under his fingers, the sky a rich, inky colour above his
head – and before him was a woman almost too perfect to be real.
"Is there something you
want to tell me…?" she asked. The playful tone in her voice stung him.
"Hmmm…?"
Sephiroth’s heart jumped into
his throat. She had tried to hide her fears, but when his eyes met hers, he saw
the pain she had masked so well. Was the cause of her pain his fault? Without a
doubt, it had to be. He had led her on, but had shown no sign of emotion – what
else was she supposed to think but that she was a plaything?
"I love you," he
said, his voice ragged. "I’m sorry for whatever bad things I’ve done to
you. I don’t deserve to have you by my side, but it doesn’t change the way I
feel."
Aeris stared at him. "Say
that again."
"I don’t deserve –"
"No,
the other thing!"
"I love you!" he
repeated. "Is that what you want? I’ll tell you a thousand more times if
you only tell me you feel the same way. Are you surprised that a monster like me
could love another? Well, now you –"
"Shut up!" Aeris
cried.
She leaped on him, smothering
him with hugs and kisses. Sephiroth took her face in his hands, kissing her
back with every ounce of passion contained within him, feeling a bit weak with
relief. So she felt the same way, or so he gathered from her reaction to his
words.
"Why didn’t you say so
before?" Aeris asked, pulling back. She was currently sitting atop him,
and he couldn’t help but feel somewhat aroused. "You had to go and make me
worry, didn’t you? I’m going to get wrinkles and be ugly now."
"That’s impossible,"
Sephiroth said breathlessly.
"Why didn’t you tell
me?" she demanded.
"To tell the truth, I
didn’t want to love you," he answered. "I thought if I did, I would
get soft. I vowed to say goodbye and never return once I brought you to Hojo,
but now I’m not so sure I even want to take you to Hojo."
"Loving someone doesn’t
make you weak," Aeris said, pouting. "It just gives you something to
fight for."
Sephiroth gazed up at her. Her
hair fell like a shroud around her shoulders, casting her face in darkness.
Never had she looked lovelier to him.
"The stars have come
up," he said softly.
Aeris looked up at the
brilliant white specks that had appeared in the sky. Her pink lips curved into
a smile as she looked back at Sephiroth.
"I told you they’re
beautiful!" she exclaimed. "And you didn’t believe me."
"I couldn’t help
it," Sephiroth said. "I didn’t think anything could possibly be more
beautiful than you. I’m sorry, it was my mistake."
"Don’t be mean."
Sephiroth started to laugh,
and Aeris, after trying in vain to look put out, joined in. After a few moments
they were silent again, and Aeris glanced at her silver-haired companion.
"We will have to go to
Midgar, though, won’t we?" she sighed. "We have to save Conrad…"
Sephiroth nodded.
"Promise you won’t leave
me there!" Aeris cried.
"Why would I leave
you?"
"Just promise."
Sephiroth nodded, rolling his
eyes. "I, Sephiroth, vow to deliver Aeris Gainsborough from evil at the
Shin-Ra Headquarters. There, happy?"
"I’m being serious."
"So am I. I would never
leave you behind. I would die before doing such a thing."
Aeris sighed and rested her
head on his chest. His slow, steady heartbeat thudded in her ear.
"We should probably get
some sleep…" Sephiroth said tentatively.
Aeris nodded and rolled off of
him. She snuggled up next to him, burying her face in his strong shoulder. She
sighed again in contentment and closed her eyes. Sephiroth sighed too, and
absently stroked her hair with one hand.
The next day would find them
in Midgar, and oh, how he dreaded it.
<p