Adult-FanFiction.org : Final Fantasy

Premonitions: Uncut	By : Hippo_and_Friends_with_Benefits Category: Final Fantasy VII > General Views: 3901 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy VII, and I am not making any money of of this writing.

Chapter List
- 29
- 30
- 31
Chapter 30: Aerith
Tseng knocked on the apartment door. He was dressed in a polo shirt and khakis. He felt somewhat guilty about not bringing flowers, but he had remembered she was allergic. He was somewhat nervous. They had never seen each other except outside work.
And then, she answered the door. Elena was wearing a pink baby shirt and a pair of skinny jeans. She was wearing earrings and a necklace. And lipstick.
Tseng almost blushed. He was so used to seeing her in the blue suit she was required to wear. But here she seemed so…feminine.
"Hey!" she greeted. "Come on in!"
Tseng entered Elena's apartment. It was a small but cozy place, with a living room, dining room, kitchen, and what was presumably a bedroom in the back.
"You've got a nice place," Tseng complimented.
"Thanks," replied Elena. "Have a seat!"
"No prob," Tseng agreed as he sat down on her couch. Elena quickly joined him.
"So where do you want me to take you?" asked Tseng.
"I ordered takeout," Elena replied happily.
"You did?"
Elena laughed. "Why can't the girl cover the guy for once?
Tseng laughed back. "You got me by surprise!" He paused. "You look good."
"Thanks," said Elena. "Now that I can finally dress like a girl."
"I'm just glad to be away from work," Tseng said.
"Tell me about it," Elena agreed. "I'm only still here because of the pay." She smiled. "And of course you."
Tseng smiled back. "What I hate the most is when we have to confront Cloud and company. They're really not bad people."
"I totally agree," said Elena. "They did save my butt from that sleazebag. Honestly, if we weren't Turks, I think we'd all be friends."
"It's possible," Tseng said.
"I wonder if they feel the same about us?" Elena wondered.
SOMEWHERE ELSE…
At the north end of the village, there was a pathway with a sign. The sign was pretty self-explanatory: ENTER AT YOUR OWN RISK.
"Welcome to Bone Village," greeted an excavator to the visitors at the south end. "A town for nature lovers."
Cloud nodded.
The excavator's smile faded, realizing Cloud was here for business. "What do you want?"
"Where is the City of the Ancients?" asked Cloud. Right now, his mind was only on one thing: finding the woman he loved before it was too late.
"The City of the Ancients?" replied the excavator. "Oh, you must mean the Forgotten City. It's barely even mentioned in legend. But even here is further north than where most people live. If it exists, it's beyond the Sleeping Forest."
Cloud sighed, realizing he had asked the wrong question. "Do you know where Aerith is?"
"Are you talking about that girl?" asked the excavator. "I warned her, but she went into the Sleeping Forest anyway."
"She WAS here, Cloud," said Tifa enthusiastically. "We're on the right track! Let's go!"
"Hold your horses!" warned the excavator. "They call it the Sleeping Forest for a reason! The trees in there produce some off kind of pollen. If you inhale it, you fall asleep. And asleep you remain until you starve to death!"
"What 'bout a mask?" asked Barret. "You have any masks?"
"You mean for your nose?" replied the excavator. "The pollen can penetrate that. The only way to safely pass through the Sleeping Forest is to awaken it."
"Awaken it?" asked Cait Sith.
"You can awaken the Sleeping Forest if you have the Lunar Harp," replied the excavator. "Once awake, they say the forest will open a road for you. The girl in pink that just went in also used a Lunar Harp to get through."
"She's way ahead of us," Red XIII said.
"Cloud, we need to catch up to her before it's too late!" Tifa warned. "Remember what Sephiroth said! She he catches her interfering, he'll kill her!"
Cloud immediately turned to the excavator. "I want a Lunar Harp," he said.
"The Lunar Harp is somewhere in the ground here," replied the excavator. "We could excavate it for you if you want us to."
"It's been re-buried?" asked Tifa.
"The girl in pink insisted we do," the excavator said. "She said she didn't want anyone following her. A few hours later, a man in a black cape came along. I warned him myself, but he had his own version of the Lunar Harp. Not to mention he was probably on drugs."
"Sephiroth!" exclaimed Tifa. "He's gaining on her. We need to hurry!"
"We use the newest system to find buried treasure," the excavator explained. "We simulate earthquakes by using bombs, and then check the sound waves given off by the tremors."
"Start digging!" Cloud ordered.
The excavators set of the bombs and did as they were told.
Cloud spent the whole time pacing around the site, stopping to look at the entrance to the Sleeping Forest every ten seconds. He began to sweat, and even tremble slightly. Would they make it in time to save her? Or would they be too late?
It took less than an hour to find the Lunar Harp, and the grateful Cloud entered the Sleeping Forest.
SOMEWHERE ELSE…
Two empty food containers lay on Elena's coffee table.
"Tseng?" asked Elena. "There's been something I've been meaning to ask you."
"Go ahead," Tseng said.
"Back at the Temple, I know you wanted to kiss me," Elena said. "Why didn't you?"
"We were on the job," Tseng replied. "We couldn't have had Reno or Rude see us. How did you know I wanted to kiss you?"
"I could tell," said Elena. "By the look on your eyes. And the way you pointed your feet."
Tseng sighed. This girl could almost read minds. "So," he began, "can I kiss you now?"
"You're a smart guy," Elena replied. "You can figure that out."
Tseng decided to take his chances. He leaned in and pressed his lips against Elena's. And he immediately felt her kissing back.
Elena placed her hands on Tseng's shoulders and started to caress them. She then felt his hand on the small of her back. It sent chills up her spine. She began to kiss him more deeply as she felt their tongues meet.
Tseng broke the kiss and began to kiss her chin, then her neck. He continued to run his hands over her back, then her hips.
And then, Elena set herself loose and moved to a neutral distance.
And then, Elena got somewhat of an embarrassed look on her face.
"What is it?" asked Tseng.
"Sorry," Elena apologized. "I'm not used to making out on the couch. A tad confining, you know."
"Where would you rather be?" asked Tseng.
"Um..the bedroom?" Elena suggested.
Without responding verbally, Tseng got up off of the sofa. He then turned to face Elena. He placed his hands under her knees as she placed hers around his neck. With the greatest of ease, he picked Elena up off of the couch and carried her to the bedroom.
Their lips were locked the whole time.
ELSEWHERE…
It took Cloud to venture but a few feet into the Forest to realize this is where his dream was. He recognized the spot where he saw Aerith, and the spot where he had seen Sephiroth.
And of course, he had also felt that he had ventured through this forest before. Not from his dream, of course. But from sometime prior to that. It seemed like years before, but, somehow, Cloud had felt he had previously been to the forest.
A few more yards, and the group perceived a brief flash of green.
"The Sleeping Forest awoke," said Vincent.
The group continued for many miles. It was a lush and green forest, with trees that seemed as old as time itself. There was no animal life, just trees as far as the eyes could see. Everyone, especially Cloud, kept their eyes peeled for both Aerith and Sephiroth, but saw neither.
Tifa suddenly felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned around to see Barret signaling for her to come aside.
"What's up?" she whispered.
"You're cookin' your own goose here," Barret whispered.
"What do you mean?" Tifa asked.
"If we help Aerith, that strangles any hope you have of you two ending up together."
Tifa sighed and placed her head in her hands. "If I really did love him," she whispered, "and that's not an admission, I'd be putting his needs before my own. And right now, his needs are Aerith. He's in love with her, and I respect that. That's what a true friend does."
"Suit yourself," sighed Barret. "And what'll you do when we find her?"
"I'll let them be," Tifa said. "And continue to support Cloud whenever he needs me."
"And you?" he asked.
"What about me?" replied Tifa. "You mean where am I going to find someone?"
"You got it," Barret replied."
"I'm not worried about that," Tifa replied. "I'm only twenty. Are you asking me out or something?"
"Nah," Barret replied. "I just see you as a good friend."
"Exactly how I feed about Cloud," said Tifa.
SOMEWHERE ELSE…
Tseng and Elena were both on their knees, smothering each other with kisses on Elena's bed. Both would occasionally have to gasp for breath, as, due to the unexpected, excessive chemistry, neither one could control themselves.
Elena kept running her hands over Tseng, pressing hard against his clothes. Tseng did the same, pressing against her shirt. He then moved his right hand to her leg, sending a chill up her spine, as it reminded her that it was bare. Elena had taken her pants off, leaving her in a tee shirt and white panties, and every reminder set sparks off inside.
"That feels good," she whispered through their passionate kisses.
In response, Tseng began to massage the leg. He then moved his left hand down to her other leg and did the same with it.
"Tseng…" Elena whispered.
"What's up?"
"Nothing," she insisted. "It's not every day a girl gets her legs massaged!"
"You like?" he asked.
"I like," she replied as she kissed him again.
Tseng continued to massage her legs as they kept kissing. He spoiled her claves, her lower thighs, and behind her knees. Gradually, he made his way to her upper thighs, and settle his hands at the rim of her panties.
"Tseng!" gasped Elena. "You're massaging my butt!"
"Do you want me to stop?" he asked.
"Hell no!" Elena replied as she pressed her lips against his.
Tseng began to run his hands over Elena's panties, causing her to gasp again.
ELSEWHERE….
The trees continued as Cloud, Tifa, Barret, Red XIII, Cait Sith, Yuffie, Cid, and Vincent continued along their way. They had lost track of the time, but it did not matter. They all knew the clock they were racing against.
"How are you holding up?" Tifa asked her friend.
"I'm okay," Cloud said. "I'm just hoping we can get there on time. If this is really a second chance to help Aerith."
"I'm sure we will," Tifa assured him. "This forest won't go on forever."
Gradually, the trees began to lose their leaves, and brown wood appeared to become gray coral. The dirt path they were on also became coral, and, as it descended downhill, it seemed to evolve into a stairwell. At the bottom of the stairwell, Cloud could see many houses. But these were not ordinary houses. They seemed to be made of shells, though almost all of them were broken and dilapidated.
"This is it," Cloud said. "The City of the Ancients."
"But there's still no sign of Sephiroth," said Tifa.
"That is good," said Vincent
"Nor Aerith," Barret added.
"That is bad," said Vincent.
"Let's keep looking," said Cloud.
They combed every inch of the Forgotten City. The only exit to the north was a path blocked by weak coral branches that had not been disturbed in centuries.
"Where could she be?" asked Cloud to himself. Aloud, but to himself.
"She has to be here," Tifa insisted.
"What if she took another path?" suggested Yuffie.
"There are no other paths," Red XIII dismissed.
"Did she turn 'round?" Barret asked.
"If she did," replied Cait Sith, "we would have seen her."
Finally, they found one house that seemed to be in pristine condition. Inside, Cloud found a device that seemed to be some sort of glow-globe. It glowed, of course, and emitted words that Cloud could not understand.
"Words of the Ancients?" he muttered.
"What?" asked Tifa.
"No good," Cloud continued. "I can't understand. This stream of consciousness...could this be the words of the Ancients...?"
He then staggered back against the wall.
"Cloud!" exclaimed Tifa. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," he replied.
Meanwhile, Yuffie had wandered upstairs. "How cool!" she exclaimed. "I can't believe we found such a soft bed in a dive like this!"
"Maybe we should take a short nap?" Vincent suggested.
"I agree," said Tifa. "Cloud, you need some rest. After all that's happened."
Cloud knew he wouldn't be able to fight the majority opinion. He sighed. "Fine," he reluctantly agreed. "But we resume our search the first thing tomorrow."
"We have no problem with that," Red XIII said.
Defeated, Cloud sat down on the bed.
Tifa immediately sat down next to him. "We need to rest, Cloud," she insisted. "We can't save her when we're not focused."
"I know," replied Cloud. "I…"
He couldn't finish. He fell asleep sitting up. He had been so worried about Aerith that he couldn't rest his mind.
Tifa gently laid him down in the bed. "Rest easy, Cloud," she said. "Rest easy."
SOMEWHERE ELSE….
"Are you ready?" asked Tseng.
"As much as I'm enjoying the view, yes," Elena replied.
Tseng turned around. There was Elena, sitting on her bed, smiling at him. Her shirt remained on, but she had taken her panties off, leaving Tseng, who wore nothing at the moment, to find the side view of her bare rear extremely sexy. Wasting no time, he made his way over to her, turned her, and laid her down so her head was on her pillow.
"Just promise me one thing," Elena pleaded as her sincere eyes met his.
"What's that?" he asked.
"Please don't hurt me," she requested. "I've been hurt in the past. It's taken me a while to…try again."
"I'll never hurt you," Tseng assured her.
"You mean it?" asked Elena.
"I promise," he replied.
"Oh, Tseng!" she sobbed as she pulled him in for another kiss.
A wave of passion raged through their bodies as they kissed.
Elena felt like her body was on fire. Ever since she had met Tseng during internship, she had a crush on him. She knew he was ahead of her in his career, and that he was twenty years her senior. But to him, that didn't mean a thing.
Now he was hers. She passionately ran her hands over his bare back as their lips remained pressed together. She had been fantasizing about this moment for some time, but, now that it was happening, she was too caught up in the passion to relish it.
Finally, they broke the kiss, returning to the kind, loving, sincere gaze they shared before.
"I promise I'll be a good girlfriend," Elena assured him.
"And I promise to be good to you," Tseng replied.
They kissed again. Tseng slowly made his way to the left and began to kiss her cheek, then her neck.
The emotional rush caused tears to well up in Elena's eyes.
"Okay," she said. "I'm ready."
AN HOUR LATER….
Bestla stared out the window of the Urchin at the endless field of ocean. She had lost track of how long they had been overseas. She had one thing on her mind: getting to the North Pole.
The real Sephiroth was there. It would be there where she would be able to finish him off. There would be no phony copies of Jenova cells. This would be the real thing.
It would be easy; she would impale him in his sleep. And then, he would be too dead to manipulate the Jenova cells. They would scatter, and then shrivel up and die. And nothing would stand in her way.
And then, she would become a goddess.
"And then what?" asked Nara, after Beslta had voiced it aloud.
"I'll rule the world, of course," Bestla replied. "I'll build my capital at the North Pole. I'll live forever, imposing law and order."
"Wow," said Nara, with less enthusiasm than usual.
"There will be a statue of me in every square," Bestla continued. "A picture of me in every classroom. The streets will be renamed after me."
"Exciting," Nara said, in the same tone of voice as before.
"And I will have a palace at the center of my capital," Bestla announced. "Complete with every luxury imaginable." She paused. "And all my servants will be naked body builders."
"And me?"
"What do you mean?" asked Bestla.
"What happens to me? What do I get?"
"I paid you already," Bestla replied. "And because of inflation, it's more now than it was in our time."
"That's it?" asked Nara.
"That's it," Bestla replied.
"I see."
Nara quickly left the bridge. Dejected, she immediately sat down.
Was this really worth it? she thought to herself.
SOMEWHERE ELSE…
Heidegger answered the door to find Scarlett standing with somewhat of a frantic look on her face.
"It's late," he said. "And I thought we agreed to never speak again outside of business circles unless it was about her."
"It is about her," Scarlett insisted.
"What happened?" he asked.
"She got her belly button pierced!" she said.
"That's it?!"
Scarlett nodded.
Heidegger groaned. "You've been pounding on my door for this?!" he sighed. "Lots of girls her age do that."
"You don't care?" asked Scarlett.
Heidegger grunted. "To be perfectly frank, I really do not."
"She's your daughter, too, you know!" Scarlett protested.
"She's fifteen," Heidegger insisted. "She can take care of herself."
"She did it without my permission!" Scarlett insisted.
"So what?" taunted Heidegger.
"Well I wasted my time," Scarlett sighed.
"You bet your ass," replied Heidegger as he closed the door.
Scarlett stared at the closed door for a minute. Then, although quietly, she lost it.
"Go to fucking hell, you fucking ass!" she groaned. "I don't care how long ago we broke up. She's still you're fucking daughter. She will always be your fucking daughter. You might be my ex-supervisor and my ex-lover, but she will never be your ex-daughter."
And then, the door opened.
"What?" asked Scarlett.
"Get the fuck out of here," Heidegger demanded before closing the door again.
MEANWHILE…
Elena sat on Tseng's lap in her love seat as his arms were wrapped around her. She was naked as he was now, but had never felt as secure in her life. Still, there was the sad reminder.
"I have to go tomorrow," she said. "To the Northern Continent."
"And I have to hide," Tseng replied. "If Sephiroth discovers I'm still alive…"
"Hide here," Elena interrupted. 'He's got no interest in my place."
"That was fast," Tseng said. "I suppose, but…"
"What's wrong?" asked Elena.
"I'm out of a job," Tseng said. "I told Rufus to go fuck himself over the phone.
In response, Elena turned to Tseng and gave him the most sincere look for but a moment. Then, she turned away again and, to Tseng's surprise, began to clap her hands.
"Go Tseng!" she cheered.
"I suppose you were a cheerleader in high school?"
Elena giggled. "Fuck no! I ran track!" She then kissed him again. "How did I get so lucky?"
Tseng was silent.
How did I get so lucky? he thought.
"What's wrong?" asked Elena.
"Nothing," Tseng assured her.
But that was not the case.
I shouldn't be here, he thought. I should be either dead or in the hospital.
I shouldn't be on a date.
I shouldn't have his beautiful, naked girl in my arms.
How did I have these feelings?
And why are they gone now?
"Don't worry," Elena assured him. "I'll tell everyone you're dead."
A FEW BLOCKS AWAY….
"That's a nasty habit," said Rufus to the figure on the bench smoking a cigarette. "It's bad for your health."
"That's the least of my worries," Hojo replied. "When do we leave?"
"Soon," Rufus replied. "What's the hurry? You don't actually believe in the Promised Land, do you? I sure as shit thought you didn't."
"It's not the Promised Land I'm seeking," Hojo replied. "I've got some…family business to attend to."
"Family ruins you," Rufus said. "So do relationships and friendships. I avoid them all."
"And who taught you that?" asked Hojo as he took another puff.
"My father," Rufus replied.
"The apple doesn't fall far from the tree," Hojo said.
Rufus grunted. "You can talk to me this way because I need you. But I won't need you forever."
"I don't plan on being here forever," Hojo replied, putting the cigarette in his mouth once again.
"You won't get a severance package," Rufus.
"I'm well aware of that," Hojo said. "And you? Remember what happened to your father. Don't you ever wonder how much time you have?"
"I've got no quarrel with Sephiroth," Rufus assured him. "In fact, I ought to give him a medal for making me President."
"Who said it would be Sephiroth who would do you in?" suggested Hojo. "This world can kill you in a million ways."
"And that's why you don't believe in the Promised Land?" Rufus asked.
"Correct," Hojo replied. "When I look at this world and realize all the ways it wants to kill us, I find it all to difficult to believe in any kind of salvation."
"Suit yourself," Rufus said. "We'll find out soon."
"Just remember," Hojo warned. "Your days are numbered as much as mine. We just don't know who has the higher number."
"We'll find out soon," he repeated.
LATER THAT NIGHT….
"rejnalidvjnljnlwjnefowjnefoasadvasjasdvasvdaslkjdvnaslkdjvnalksdjnfieoiewfnogewgnt"
Cloud sat up in bed. He had no idea how long he had been asleep, but he could tell by the sky that it was after midnight. It was a beautiful night. He could see stars that he couldn't even see in Nibelheim, and he heard the sound of crickets chirping for the first time in years.
That peaceful feeling, however, was soon interrupted by another feeling. It was the feeling of presence. The presence of two individuals. One welcome, the other far from welcome.
And then, he noticed Tifa was looking right at him.
"Cloud...what's wrong?" she asked.
"I can feel it," Cloud replied.
"What's wrong?" added Red XIII. "Are you sick?"
Cloud shook his head. "Aerith is here. And so is Sephiroth."
"Hey, how do you know!?" demanded the groggy Cid.
"It's not an excuse," Cloud insisted. "I feel it in my soul."
"Then, we better get up offa our lazy asses!" Barret said.
"If that's true, then we've got to hurry! We've got to get to Aerith!"
Within thirty seconds, all eight of them were outside the house. Cloud briefly searched the forgotten city until he came to a seemingly meaningless, dilapidated house.
"Aerith's voice," began Cloud. "Coming from there?"
The first thing he saw inside the house was a stairway in the floor.
"She's in the basement?" asked Tifa.
"It appears so," said Red XIII.
Without delay, the eight of them began to descend the stairs.
But there wasn't a basement below. It was another village. It was in perfect condition, as if the Ancients still lived there. The houses were perfectly intact. Even the stairway they were descending was pure crystal.
But Cloud's attention was focused on something else. In the center of the lower ruins, there was an altar. As he descended the stairs, he perceived a pink figure there. Gradually, the figure began to take shape. Finally, when he reached the bottom of the stairs, he could see the figure perfectly.
"Aerith?" he said aloud.
She was on her knees, with her hands locked and her eyes closed. She seemed to be praying.
Tifa noticed her, too. She looked around the ruins. Sephiroth was nowhere to be seen. "We made it!" Tifa whispered with a smile.
Slowly, Cloud made his way to the altar. He needed to hop on small ledges to get there. But as Aerith got closer, he felt more relieved than he had in days. She was okay. They could go home. Together.
Finally, Cloud reached the altar. He could hear her breathing. He could smell her perfume. He could feel her warmth.
And then, he suddenly realized he was no longer in control of his arms. Despite his best resistance, he drew his sword, and aimed it at his love.
"Cloud!" Tifa exclaimed.
"What are you doing!" shouted Cait Sith.
They did not notice the figure atop the ledge above the altar.
"Stop it!" Vincent demanded.
"Dumb fuck!" Cid exclaimed.
And then, suddenly, Cloud was in control. He put his sword away. He knew who was behind it. But where was he
"Ugh...what are you making me do?"
And then, Aerith opened her eyes. Seeing Aerith, she began to smile.
Cloud smiled back. And then he realized his involuntary actions were but a distraction for his friends. Looking upward, he saw Sephiroth jump from the ledge, his long sword pointing towards the woman he loved.
That's what I've been feeling! Cloud thought. Sephiroth kills Aerith!
Cloud quickly shifted forward to push Aerith out of the way. Even if it meant his death instead of hers, it would be worth it.
Too late.
The blade drove through Aerith's body in less than a second.
First, her arms fell to a vertical position. Then her upper torso fell, causing her head to bob lifelessly up and down. Her mouth opened. Blood began to trickle from it.
With a smile of satisfaction, Sephiroth withdrew his sword. Aerith's head shook more as what looked like a pearl fell from her hairband.
Finally, Cloud reached her. All he could do was catch her lifeless body as it landed gently in his arms.
"Aerith?" asked Cloud in a trembling voice.
No response. Her beautiful green eyes continued to gaze at him.
"Aerith?" Cloud called again, in an even shakier voice.
Her eyes continued to gaze at him.
He continued to gaze at her. He waited for her to blink. He waited for her to breathe. He waited for something to happen.
But nothing did.
With a trembling hand, Cloud softly placed his hands on Aerith's eyelids and closed them. Tears began to stream down his face.
"This can't be real!" he sobbed.
"Do not worry," assured Sephiroth as he raised his arms. "Soon the girl will become part of the Planet's energy. All that is left is to go north. The Promised Land waits for me over snowy fields. There, I will become a new being by uniting with the planet. As will this girl."
"Shut up!" snapped Cloud. "The cycle of nature and your stupid plan don't mean a thing. Aerith is gone. Aerith will no longer talk, no longer laugh, cry, or get angry." He began to shake, causing Aerith's body to do the same. "What about us? What are we supposed to do? What about my pain? My fingers are tingling. My mouth is dry. My eyes are burning!"
"What are you saying?" laughed Sephiroth. "Are you trying to tell me you have feelings too?"
"Of course!" Cloud angrily replied as he rose to his feet. "Who do you think I am!?"
"Stop acting as if you were sad!" Sephiroth cackled as he jumped into the air and out of visibility. "There's no need to act as though you're angry either. Because, Cloud, you are a puppet."
"I'm a puppet?" asked Cloud.
And then, a figure descended from the sky. But it was not Sephiroth this time. It was Jenova.
All Cloud noticed is that she seemed a little more pink than last time. But he did not draw his sword. He could not function. He barely even noticed Tifa rushing to his side and beginning to punch and kick the vile creature. He barely noticed Barret rushing to his other side, opening fire on her with his gun arm, spilling what appeared to be blood onto the altar. He barely even noticed Red XIII deal the death blow by leaping up and ripping her neck open with his powerful teeth, causing the dying monster to fall off the altar and into the waters below.
Finally, Cloud looked around. Sephiroth was nowhere to be seen. He was gone, and was, for the time being, no longer a threat to them.
But the damage was done. Aerith's body was sitting upright, still with her head down.
For twenty minutes, nobody said or did anything. Everyone was in shock.
Finally, Red XIII howled mournfully into the air.
This caused Yuffie to begin to cry, and she briefly buried herself into Cloud's chest.
Barret took a long look at the body, and briefly placed his hand on Cloud's shoulder.
Cid looked at her a sighed.
Vincent simply looked at her.
Tifa was the first to approach Aerith's body. She lovingly stroked her hair. She might have been her rival in love, but she was good to her just the same. Tifa quickly ran off quietly.
Finally, Cloud approached Aerith's remains and cautiously picked them up. She still almost seemed alive, and Cloud bore the foolish hope that she would somehow awaken.
But Aerith did not awaken. Not even as Cloud carried her all the way back up the stairs and outside the shell house, she would not awaken.
As he left the shell house, he could see a beautiful lake nearby. It would be a perfect, eternal resting place.
As he made his way into the water, her body still did not move. He realized that, in a few moments, he would never look upon her again.
Finally, he found himself paddling in the center of the lake. He would see everyone looking on. It was time.
"She's still warm," sobbed Cloud softly. "Anybody want to say anything?"
Everyone was silent. There was nothing to be said.
Before he could change his mind, he let Aerith go.
She floated briefly.
Then she began to sink.
Down, down, deep into the lake.
And then, she vanished from sight.
"Meeting," said Cloud, as he turned to his friends. "Inside. Now."
BACK IN THE SHELL HOUSE….
Cloud was the first to enter. The house was empty, and he knew why. Everyone still wanted to give him time. He looked at his bed, and sighed. He was hoping to be cuddled up with Aerith that night. But instead it was empty, except for…
Cloud noticed it. It was an envelope.
It read: "To Cloud."
The handwriting was indeed Aerith's.
Slowly, Cloud began to put it together. She had placed it in his pocket while he was unconscious. And it had fallen from his pocket when he got up earlier that night.
For a moment, he felt as if he had blacked out. Then, before he had realized it, he had opened the envelope, and was reading the letter.
Dear Cloud,
If you are reading this, that means I have died. I don't know exactly how, but I felt it coming, and now it is time for me to say goodbye.
I was having premonitions as much as you were. In fact, mine might have been stronger. I knew I was doomed since shortly before we met. It wasn't easy, but meeting you gave me hope. Not hope that I would live, but hope that I would spend my final days feeling like the happiest girl alive.
And I did. Cloud, our time together might have been short, but you were the most meaningful person ever to enter to my life. Even the premonitions couldn't warn me about that.
Cloud, I might be gone now, but you still have a job to do. I'm not asking you not to cry for me. Please, save the Planet. You can honor my memory that way.
Your friends are important to you, too. They are here to comfort you. Please let them. And don't forget, from beyond, I'm smiling at you.
Love, Aerith
XOXO Forever
Cloud looked up to see all of his friends surrounding him. He decided it was time.
"Everyone, listen to me," he commanded. "I'm Cloud, ex-SOLDIER, born in Nibelheim.
I came to settle up with Sephiroth. I came here by my own free will, or so I thought.
However, to tell the truth, I'm afraid of myself. There is a part of me that I don't understand. That part that made me give the Black Materia to Sephiroth.
If you hadn't stopped me, Aerith might have been..." He paused, realizing that no longer mattered. "There's something inside of me. A person who is not really me.
That's why I should quit this journey. Before I do something terrible."
Everyone was silent.
"But I am going," Cloud continued. "He destroyed my hometown five years ago, killed my girlfriend, and is now trying to destroy the planet. I'll never forgive...Sephiroth. I...I must go on. And now, I have a favor to ask of you. Will you all come with me? To save me from doing something terrible?"
Everyone was silent. And then, everyone nodded. He had them with him.
"I don't know how Aerith tried to save the planet from the Meteor," Cloud continued. "And I guess now, we'll never know. But we still have a chance. We must get that Black Materia back before Sephiroth uses it. Let's go."
AN HOUR LATER…
Tifa felt her phone buzz. She quickly rolled over in her bed and checked it, already knowing who it was.
"Can't sleep," Cloud texted.
"I know," Tifa replied. "Need to talk?"
"Yeah," texted Cloud. "Something's been on my mind. We didn't save Aerith. But I'm still feeling like I've been given a second chance."
"I feel it, too," answered Tifa.
"What could it be?" asked Cloud.
"I don't know," Tifa replied. "We'll find out."
"I think I can sleep now," Cloud texted.
"Good," Tifa texted back. "Sleep well. Aerith is watching over you."
"Everything okay?" asked Barret.
"Cloud's going to sleep," Tifa replied.
"Is he okay?" asked Red XIII.
"He seems okay," Tifa replied. "But I know he's not. He couldn't save Aerith like we hoped."
ON THE NORTHERN CONTINENT'S SOUTHERN SHORES…
The Urchin hovered above the shores of the Northern Continent.
Bestla stood on the beach. She knew exactly where her destination was. She would make her way north. Far to the north. Bone Village was less than a mile away. A few days march north would bring her to the North Pole. There, she would kill the sleeping Sephiroth without interference. Then she would become a goddess.
And with that, Bestla began her descent north.
SOMEWHERE ELSE….
Meanwhile, two eyes were closed. Two eyes that were thought to have been closed forever. And then, the eyes suddenly opened….
END OF PART I
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Premonitions: Uncut