Adult-FanFiction.org : Final Fantasy

Dream of Me (chapters 0-7)	By : ladysanzennine Category: Final Fantasy VII > Het - Male/Female > Sephiroth/Aerith Views: 2116 -:- Recommendations : 2 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: Don't own ff7. Don't many no monies.

Chapter List
- 1-Prologue
- 2-1
- 3-2
- 4-3
- 5-4
- 6-5
- 7-6
- 8-7
- 5
- 6
- 7
Dream of Me
Chapter 5
Disclaimer: Everything belongs to Squaresoft Inc.

“Oh Gods! How could we have let this happen?” Tifa exclaimed. She paced back and forth across the well kept living room of Aeris’ home in Icicle village. Her body was tense and her eyes frantic.
“Tifa, please,” Cloud tried to placate her again, though all his previous attempts had proved unfruitful. “We-”
“We should have expected something like this! We should have been prepared.” Guilt continued to gnaw away at her, as it had since she’d first awoken to find Aeris missing.
Cloud sprang to his feet and firmly placed his hands on her shoulders. He held Tifa’s eyes with his gaze and said, “We did all we could. We had no idea that anyone would try to drug us.”
In truth, he was feeling every bit as guilty as she, but he refused to dwell on what should have happened. It would be far better to think of what was yet to be and formulate a plan to rescue their friend. But first-
“They should never have been able to drug us!” The night they’d heard of the reward for Aeris’ capture, Tifa and Cloud had agreed to take turns keeping watch. It had been during Cloud’s shift that the intruders had somehow managed to sneak in. Only the next day when they’d finally regained consciousness, in the early evening, had they discovered the needle-like slivers protruding from their upper arms coated with a potent tranquilizer.
Though not surprised to find Aeris missing, it had nevertheless thrown them into a panic.
“We’re members of Avalanche,” Tifa continued, “We were prepared to save the world from Shinra! And we couldn’t even handle something as simple as-”
“Nothing is ever simple when it involves someone like Sephiroth,” Cloud interrupted. “He’s ruthless and way too powerful.” He suppressed a shiver as he remembered what had nearly transpired at Nibelheim all those years ago. He’d seen the near madness in the general’s eyes and the ill suppressed anger. It was indescribable really – what had actually happened. His childhood hero had all of a sudden virtually broken down before him. For a long and painfully heartrending moment, he’d even thought that Sephiroth would lose it completely. But it was as if, inexplicably, something had clicked into place in his mind as opposed to snapping.
More specifically a bloodthirsty plan to pursue power over the world had formed. But was that not far better than complete madness?
He continued, “Listen to me Teef, we were only delaying the inevitable. Sephiroth, for whatever reason, was pretty damn determined to find Aeris. So he would have succeeded sooner or later.”
She knew he was right. There was no way to watch over someone as high profile as Sephiroth had made Aeris. Not all the time. It would have been impossible to keep her hidden away long enough for him to lose interest in pursuing her.
But that knowledge did nothing to assure her of her friend’s questionable well-being.
“Cloud?” Tifa asked in a small voice, “What do you think he wanted her for? I mean…” she trailed off, leaving her real question unvoiced.
What do you think he’s done to her?
Cloud wrapped his arms around her trembling body and bent his head to place a light kiss on her brow. “I’m sure she’s alright. She’s always had a knack for getting into and out of trouble.”
He knew his words were just that – meaningless, empty words. If he couldn’t convince himself that Aeris was safe, how could he possible console Tifa? So he did the only thing he could. He held onto her tightly, almost as if afraid that she’d be consigned to the same fate as their friend.
Tifa closed her eyes and pressed closer to the warmth of Cloud’s body. Where words offered no comfort, at least there was the reassurance that being near him brought.
She felt his fingers beneath her chin, tilting her head up to his. Her eyes met glowing, crystal blue ones and she smiled slightly before their lips met in a chaste kiss. Inwardly she sighed, feeling temporary relief from the anxiety and guilt that had been building since her eyes had opened that morning. For just a moment longer, she wanted to stay like this, blocking out thoughts of the turmoil of the world and her failure to her friend.
“Okay kids. You’d better tell me what the fuck is going on right fucking now, ‘cuz I am more than pissed off at being dragged outta bed at fucking midnight!”
Cloud and Tifa hastily broke apart. Tifa blushed slightly while Cloud glared at Cid who stood before them with his arms crossed, a cigarette firmly clamped between his teeth and perpetual scowl etched on his face. Vincent, Barret, Yuffie, Nanaki were behind him bearing various expressions of worry, stoicism and irritation.
“I’d remind you that it’s common to knock before entering someone’s house, but now that you’re here, we shouldn’t waste any time.” Cloud said to him, annoyed at having been interrupted but much more grateful that they could finally discuss a course of action.
“Well maybe if you didn’t leave the goddamned door open,” Cid grumbled and added under his breath, “Stupid blonde kid.”
“De hell’s goin’ on?” Barret demanded. The moment Cid had appeared at his house in Kalm and told him that there was urgent business, he’d asked for answers but received none. “You’d better start talking damn fast, yo pokey haired punk.”
Before he could reply, Nanaki spoke up, “She’s been taken, hasn’t she?”
Cloud just sighed and motioned for everyone to come in. They spread themselves among the couches in the living room, Yuffie and Nanaki opting for the floor. For a long time there was only tense silence, each staring at the other, no one knowing what to say.
Finally Tifa sighed. “I’m sure you’ve all heard of Sephiroth’s two million gil offer for the capture of an unnamed flower girl?” At their nods, she continued, “Well, whether or not he was looking for Aeris or just someone who happens to look like her, she’s gone. We were drugged while trying to watch over her. She was passed out from a fainting spell.”
“So Sephiroth has her now?” Nanaki asked.
“We assume,” Cloud nodded. “At the very least she must have been delivered to the palace along with a hundred other girls with the same coloring.”
“Den what the fuck we waitin’ for?” Barret exclaimed, jumping to his feet. “We gotta go rescue her.”
Nanaki leapt up to bar Barret’s way. “Hold on. Cloud called us together for a reason. We aren’t dealing with some slipshod tower run by Shinra’s lazy employees anymore. If she’s in the palace, we can’t simply rush in head first or else we will get killed. Sephiroth commands his people well and he’s nowhere near foolish.”
“But we have to do something! Who knows what he could be doing to Aeris right now! We can’t just sit around like this.” Yuffie bounded to her feet and drew her giant shuriken. There was no way she was going to sit still while her friend could be suffering who knows what.
“Hate ta say it, but I’m wit the kid. Let’s go kick some ass.”
“It’s suicide. Listen to me, do you think Sephiroth overthrew Shinra by being weak or stupid?”
“If you guys don’t care enough about Aeris to start moving, then you just suck as friends!”
“I think we need to find out why-”
“She could be hurt! We-”
“We’re useless to her dead!”
“We strong ‘nuf to save her!”
“If you’re going to be that ignorant-”
“Who you callin’ i’norant, punk ass?”
“Everyone shut the fuck up and sit your asses down in your goddamn chairs!” Cid yelled, waving his spear wildly. He deliberately slapped both Barret and Cloud with the pole of his weapon, effectively knocking both of them back into their seats. Calmly he turned to the beast that lay quietly upon the floor, amusement glinting in his good eye. “Red?”
“Thank you Cid,” Nanaki smiled, baring sharp fangs in doing so. “We cannot just rush into this because Aeris will probably get hurt in the process and we will get killed. First, Cloud, Tifa, do we know why Sephiroth wanted Aeris? For that matter, do we know for sure that it was Aeris and not some other girl?”
“We’re fairly certain that Aeris was who he wanted brought to him,” Tifa replied. “When we asked her about it, she reacted kinda strangely.”
“Oh?”
Tifa chewed on her lower lip thoughtfully as she tried to recall. “Well, she looked worried and scared. And she…she seemed to be hiding something from us. Like she was embarrassed or ashamed to tell us. And then she closed her eyes and the next moment, she passed out.”
The room lapsed into silence as everyone considered the information.
“Interesting that Sephiroth should out of thin air want to find a ‘brown haired, green eyed, flower girl’ without even knowing her name,” Nanaki mused aloud.
“Any theories?”
He thought for a moment before responding, “I think it’s fairly obvious that they’ve met before at some time. As for what happened – I have no idea, unfortunately. But I don’t think that matters too much. If his intent was to harm her, then it’s already too late. If he planned something else, well…”
Cloud frowned in frustration. “What we need is some answers. All we know is that it’s too dangerous to charge in without a plan. We don’t know anything about Sephiroth’s motives, Aeris’ condition or the inner workings of the palace. If we could find out something like the times for guard rotation, locations of back entrances, then we’d have something to work with.”
“We need help,” Tifa stated, looking pointedly at Barret and Yuffie in turn. “None of us like thinking that we’re incapable of doing this ourselves, but better safe then sorry.”
“The question is, where do we go to find this assistance?” Nanaki asked.
Barret merely hmphed in reply while Yuffie stared moodily at her shuriken that lay before her on the floor. Cid puffed on his cigarette thoughtfully and Cloud and Tifa offered nothing.
After a while, a soft voice broke the silence.
“We can seek out the leaders of the rebellion against Sephiroth. They’d be able to give us the information we need. They have informants everywhere.”
All eyes turned towards Vincent who’d sat silently since they’d arrived at the Icicle Village house.
“There’s a rebellion?” Yuffie asked. Until that moment she’d never heard of any such movement or organization.
“How do you know this Vincent?” questioned Tifa curiously.
A faint smile touched his lips, unseen behind the high collar of his crimson cape. “I was once a Turk. It was our job to know everything. And old habits die hard. At the moment their focus is on information and careful, unnoticed planning.”
“Do you know who the leaders are?” Cloud’s brow furrowed as he contemplated the possibility. “And what exactly do you think they could do for us? And at what price?”
Vincent responded quietly, “No, I don’t know who they are. That kind of information is too well guarded, otherwise Sephiroth would have found and destroyed them already. But I can find a way to let them know we’d like their assistance. As for what they can do, well, perhaps find a way for us to sneak into the palace unnoticed. Maybe cause some sort of distraction to let us rescue her.
“And in return, I would assume we’d have to help them fight Sephiroth.”
“Well then what are we waiting for?” Yuffie exclaimed jumping up again. “Let’s go!”
The team nodded at one another and quickly left the house to board the waiting Highwind in the darkness of the night. They remained silent for the most part, no one willing to voice the question that plagued them all.
What would they do after retrieving Aeris, if indeed she still lived? What if Sephiroth pursued?
And what of the consequences of siding with a small rebellious force against one of the most powerful men to ever walk the planet?
* * *
Sunlight streamed through the open blinds and bathed the room in warmth. Rays reflected off the red satin sheets, making them glow like fire and dance each time the woman beneath shifted in her sleep.
During the restless night, Aeris had determined that the worst feeling in the entire world could be experienced by hopelessly contemplating your own fate. She’d done her best to distract herself from those negative thoughts by trying to carry on light conversation with the Planet about happier topics. It hadn’t worked all that well.
And it didn’t help that the Planet refused to say anything regarding her worries. Normally She would be comforting, reassuring Her only surviving daughter that all would be well in the end. But this time – nothing. Not one word about her predicament. Not one word about Sephiroth’s intentions or her fate.
That was what bothered Aeris the most.
Dear friend, what are keeping from me?
A soft sound came from the door, causing Aeris to sit up abruptly, pulling the sheets up to her chin. She held her breath and her eyes went wide, anticipating the worst.
When the door opened and a plain woman dressed in servant attire entered, Aeris exhaled a sigh of relief. It wasn’t him.
“Ah, I see that you’re awake. Good.” The woman stated.
“Um, pardon me, but, who are you?” Aeris asked. What she really wanted to know was why the servant had come into her rooms without asking first. Then again, that could very well be the norm from now on – people coming and going as they pleased through her chamber – seeing as she might have no rights anymore.
The woman smiled at her. It was a sweet smile that did much to brighten the otherwise bland features of her petite face. “I’m Jamie. Just regular palace staff. I’ll basically be the one waiting on you.” Aeris opened her mouth to object at that, but she continued, “Now, let’s see. There’s a few outfits for you in these boxes,” she gestured to the packages in her arms with a nod of her head.
“Oh, thank you,” Aeris said gratefully. “I had wondered what I was supposed to do about my little clothing problem.”
Jamie giggled as she set her burden down on the embroidered couch nearest the bed. “Yes, the whole palace was talking about the way his Lordship brought you in last night.” At Aeris’ deep crimson blush she quickly added, “But don’t worry about it. They’re just a bunch of silly gossips who’re mainly doing it cuz they’re jealous.”
“Jealous? I don’t see why.” Well, that wasn’t entirely true, but she wasn’t about to admit that.
“Come now, don’t pretend.” Jamie sat down on the arm of the couch and began to open the pristine, white parcels. “Whatever our Lord is not, he is definitely eligible.”
“He’s crazy.”
Jamie lost her smile and shot Aeris a sharp, warning look. When Aeris looked down, chastised, she regained her jovial attitude. “Don’t tell me you don’t find Lord Sephiroth attractive. I won’t believe you if you say that.”
Aeris inwardly seethed. Each time she heard him referred to as lord now, which was all the time, is made her want to grind her teethe. It was utterly ridiculous. When Shinra had been around, people didn’t speak of him that way. President, yes. But Lord? What was with his medieval mindset anyway?
Then again, it did suit him in a way. Especially considering the way he seemed to treat women.
Her anger towards him was fully renewed now after it had cooled down somewhat during the night.
“Does it matter what I think?” she asked. Her voice was filled with bitterness and tinted with resentment. She turned to gaze out the window, allowing the sight of the beautiful summer morning to soothe her.
Sunlight. In Midgar…I never thought I’d see the day.
She refused to think about how the only reason the sun shone now upon the capital was because of the changes Sephiroth had instated. Far better for her state of mind to concentrate on her anger towards him.
Jamie merely shook her head, amused that this girl wasn’t falling all over herself to get out of bed and try to catch Sephiroth’s attention for the day. It’s what most would have done in her position. Especially since Sandria was still around and spent some of her nights sleeping in the rooms directly across the flower girl’s but most in the master bedroom.
She stood up, a silky red garment held delicately in her hands. “What do you think of this one?” She asked as she held the dress out for Aeris’ inspection.
Shock, horror, and even a bit of wonder played across Aeris’ face.
You can keep from falling out of that dress? She wondered as she took note of the daring décolletage and the alarmingly high side slit.
“You don’t like it?” Jamie asked, having a difficult time reading the girl’s expression. She put the dress down and produced another from the boxes on the couch. “Okay, how about this one?”
It was green. And very, very brief.
Aeris made a small, muted choking sound from the back of her throat.
Jamie bit down on her lip and tried again. The next was a two-piece outfit. A floor-length skirt this time…double slit along the sides to the hips…with only a strap to hold the halter top against the body.
Aeris coughed. “Who’s clothes are these?”
“They’re yours, mistress,” Jamie told her. She looked extremely confused.
“They can’t be mine. I just got here.”
Jamie shook her head, “They are yours. They were ordered and delivered for you during the night.”
Aeris stared at her, speechless. For a long moment her lips seemed to try to form words while her mind remained in stunned silence. Eventually she choked out, “And who ordered them?”
Gods, if this is Sephiroth’s fault, I think I’m going to kill him. How dare he?
Jamie hesitated before replying, “The palace staff. You did need clothes…”
“I’m sorry Jamie, but there’s no way I can wear those.” Aeris said. She carefully kept herself from going entirely ballistic. There was no reason to accidentally hurt her when all she’d been was nice and attempted to be helpful.
“Is there something wrong with the dresses?” Jamie asked in alarm. She held them up again, this time to study them herself, but could find no flaw. “They are made from the finest silk and by the best seamstresses.”
Groaning, Aeris leaned back against the headboard of the bed and looked up at the ceiling. “It’s not that, Jamie. There’s nothing wrong at all with their quality except that maybe it’s too good for me.” She was, after all, a slum born and raised girl. Spoiled and used to pampering she was not. “It’s just that…Do you have anything, um, less revealing?”
Jamie’s brow furrowed at that. “But why would you want clothing like that?”
Aeris lowered her gaze from the ceiling to stare at her in disbelief. “You’re joking, right?” A few seconds passed as they exchanged confused expressions. “Why would I want clothing like that?” She gestured towards the boxes and the dressed that lay draped over Jamie’s arm.
“Why, to attract his Lordship’s attention, of course.”
Aeris laughed. “I am not about to invite rape.”
“Rape!” Jamie exclaimed. “What are you talking about?”
Sighing, Aeris wondered when life had suddenly become so weird. “Look, Jamie, it was really kind of you to bring me clothes because I do need them. But I’m not trying to catch Sephiroth’s attention. Frankly, I don’t know why I’m here, but it’s definitely not to be his plaything.”
She paused as she realized that could be untrue. If that was indeed the reason he’d brought her here…Gods was there anything she could do to stop him?
“So, do you think it’s possible that I could borrow clothes like the ones you’re wearing just for a little while so I can find Sephiroth?” And rail at him, she silently added. The only person who I’ve ever seen dress in clothes like these is Scarlet.
“But mistress, these are servant clothes!”
Servant is a lot better than whore, Aeris thought. “Jamie, please. My name is Aeris. You don’t have to call me ‘mistress.’ And the clothes are only temporary until I either get back home or have the ones at home brought here.”
Wait. When did I start thinking about this as a non-temporary situation? She thought in horror. She took a deep breath to calm herself. No. There’s no ‘either.’ I’m going to get home and forget this whole thing ever happened. I can’t stay here!
“But – but his Lordship might be displeased.” Jamie was beginning to look frantic. The morning was not supposed to unfold like this. She was supposed to dress and prepare the girl, make her look breathtaking and present her to Lord Sephiroth. Then he’d look pleased and everyone in the palace would reap the benefits of his lighter mood.
There had been such hope among them all when they’d learned about Sephiroth’s obsession with the flower girl and his eventual decision to track her down. And they’d all assumed that after the finding would come the claiming. And perhaps then, this girl who so intrigued a man as cold and outwardly heartless as Sephiroth would bring them a sort of peace – if only for a moment.
Even the devil can love. Indeed it was often the devil who craved it the most.
Was it really too much to hope for?
Aeris interrupted her wayward thoughts. “He’s always displeased. Especially with me. But the fact of the matter is that I can’t wear those clothes. I’m sorry Jamie.” After all, how was she supposed to search for an escape route or even attempt to run away if the slightest wrong move caused certain parts of the female anatomy to fall out from the confines of those ‘clothes.’
Not that running had done much good before. But hope sprang eternal and was often the most cruel and sarcastic of comedians.
She made up her mind on a course of action then. First she’d search through the boxes herself. Who knew? Perhaps there was something semi-decent among its questionable contents. And if there was nothing there for her, then she’d just have to convince Jamie to find her something among the servants’ clothes. And once she was actually dressed she’d try to find a way out of this godforsaken, medieval palace.
Aeris pushed the covers from her body and stood, clad only in her brief undergarments. She padded over to the couch while running her fingers through her sleep tousled hair. Methodically, she rifled through the contents of the parcels, through item after item of lacy, silky or velvety garments only fit to be seen in a harem. She was amazed that the human mind could conceive of such…provocative attire and even more astonished that they could think of ways of keeping them covering what they were supposed to. Then again, perhaps the whole point was for them to constantly fall off. She certainly didn’t know.
“Jamie, who designs these things?” she asked. It would be interesting to meet the person who could create such a wide assortment of obscenely revealing clothing. “Or rather, who would wear them?”
Silence.
Puzzled, Aeris turned around, thinking that perhaps she’s slipped out without notice the way she’d come in.
She found herself staring into endless green eyes the hue of the lifestream that were busy devouring her with unrestrained hunger.
“If those don’t suit you, perhaps you’d like to stay in the clothing you have on now.”
- 5
- 6
- 7
You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.
Report Story

Dream of Me (chapters 0-7)