Chapter 1
Holy seemed so great, so distant, so utterly unfathomable... and yet here she knelt, calling out to it, to this magic so complex that it seemed almost to possess a consciousness of its own. And it was responding to her call, as if her tiny prayer held the strength to move it, as if one lonely Cetra had the power to save an entire planet.
...a wisp of air, the cold kiss of steel so close to her face... astonished, anxious shouts...
And she did. Holy promised to answer her prayer.
She opened her eyes to find Cloud looking back at her. His gaze was steady, but his mouth, slightly open, betrayed his uncertainty. His sword was lowered to the floor, seeming to drag him into a slump with its weight.
He had nearly killed her. She knew this. And she smiled. It was meant to reassure him, and to apologize for the inevitable.
But then his gaze leapt upwards, and she knew that the moment of her death had come. She had thought she was ready; it was her fate to die once she'd completed her duty, and she thought that she had accepted that. Face to face with it, suddenly she couldn't bear to let death sever her strengthening bonds to her newfound friends.
In that instant of selfishness, Aeris twisted quickly sideways to look up above her, and the blade of the Masamune grazed her leg, clanging into the floor. Its owner landed in a crouch beside her, fixing her with an emerald glare.
Sephiroth straightened, lifting his blade in the same fluid motion, intent on killing her with a second blow.
The Masamune arced downward, Cloud moved to block it, and Aeris cried out, "What does it matter? You're too late! You know it!"
Sephiroth's blade stopped a hair's breadth from meeting Cloud's, and he stared at her. Slowly, he backed away into the railing and began laughing softly to himself, almost as though he had forgotten anyone else was there.
Aeris's eyes, wide and anxious, remained fixed on him. She paid no attention to the long, narrow cut across her thigh or the matching rip in her dress that her blood slowly stained crimson.
He didn't kill me, she thought in astonishment, and she couldn't seem to get past that one realization. The moment she'd awaited and dreaded for so long, averted, just like that. She was in an afterwards she'd thought would only ever be imagined. Just like that.
Cloud crouched down beside her, whispering urgently, "Are you all right?"
Aeris nodded dumbly without looking at him.
He stood, holding out his hand to help her up, and finally she took notice of him and grasped the hand, letting him pull her to her feet. The others had made it up the steps by now, and they crowded onto the altar platform, trying to show bravery without stepping into range of the Masamune.
Abruptly, Sephiroth's laughter ceased. He turned to fix Aeris with his emerald eyes once more. "Perhaps I failed to prevent it, but I can still stop it," he said, his voice more than anything else helping her to snap back to the present. This was the man duty bid her stop.
"What do you mean?" Cloud asked sharply, blind to his meaning but still sensing the danger in it.
Aeris held up a hand, urging him to be silent. "How do you expect to stop it? Or do you think it will respond to your call? You're no Cetra."
A smirk spread across Sephiroth's face. "Do you think that really matters? I will do what I please, and there is no one to stop me." The Masamune sliced through the air mere centimeters in front of their faces.
Only Cloud refused to step back. He raised his blade and took a step forward. "Really?" he asked, that edge still in his voice. "Stay and fight, Sephiroth. We'll end this here."
His anger wasn't enough, and everyone else knew it.
The tall swordsman laughed. "You are only a puppet. But, perhaps, a useful puppet. One that I cannot afford to kill--yet." In a flash he was beside her, before Aeris had time even to jump in startlement, one arm quickly encircling her waist. He leapt back from the group with a speed slowed only enough that they could perceive it. "I will, however, be taking this Cetra nuisance."
By the time she realized just what had happened, Sephiroth had already leapt off from the ground, and they were flying through the air, passing the curving crystalline staircase and alighting at its top step. Only then did she think to struggle, but his grip only tightened, and he scoffed. "Foolish girl. Save your strength for something less futile."
Aeris refused to comply, pounding her fists uselessly against his chest. "Let me go!" she shrieked.
"Why?" he asked simply.
"You don't have any use for me! What's the point of taking me away from them? I'm not a threat to you anymore!"
"So very naïve," Sephiroth remarked. "You do not seem to understand. I do have uses for you. Did you ever consider that I might desire a woman's company?"
She froze, her eyes widening in shock. Revulsion followed soon after, and she began struggling anew, pushing and twisting.
He only laughed, and she knew suddenly that he had been joking.
"You... you bastard," she growled angrily, striking him as hard as she could. She couldn't recall ever using the word before, but now it was the worst insult she could think of.
"You may be more amusing than I had thought." He released her roughly, throwing her off-balance. "Now, come. I have places to be."
Aeris regained her footing and instinctively darted for the stairs again. He caught her by the arm and jerked her backwards so hard he nearly dislocated her shoulder.
"Again you misunderstand. You must realize that you cannot escape from me. If you do not cooperate, I can simply carry you. It is your choice."
She straightened, whirling to face him. "Release me," she ordered, striving to keep any fear from her voice. It would not do to let her fear show. Certainly, he knew she was afraid of him--after he tried to kill her, how could she not be?--but she did not want to appear weak in front of her enemy. It was bad enough that her friends saw her that way.
Sephiroth studied her for a moment, as though actually considering her request. "Fine," he said finally, flatly. "Carrying you will prove faster in the end." Hesitating no longer, he threw her over his shoulder, ignored her startled and indignant yelp, and started off at an easy lope.
Looking up, she could see Cloud reach the top of the stairs, long paces ahead of the others. His eyes widened, and his gait quickened as he gave chase.
But more than his long legs, Sephiroth was inhumanly fast, and Cloud fell farther and farther behind. Aeris's face fell as she lost sight of him within minutes of leaving the hidden stair.
For a moment, she was silent, the severity of her predicament just beginning to sink in. Captive to Sephiroth. What did that even mean? He was a man who either killed or manipulated, and she couldn't understand what use he could have for her. He certainly didn't need a hostage to entice Cloud to follow, and he should have known nothing would make her call off Holy. Why then? Did he even know himself?
Whatever his reasons, she was on her own to deal with his decision. So far he'd at least shown himself willing to converse with her, maybe even consider her words. She wasn't simply baggage to him.
"Must you carry me like this?" she asked of her captor, trying to twist and get her head up to peer around him. Baggage or no, she was certainly being carried like it, and it wasn't exactly pleasant to be flung across his shoulder, staring at his backside.
"Stop squirming," he said.
"I would if you'd carry me like a woman instead of a sack of potatoes," she retorted.
In an instant, he'd drawn her back down from his shoulder, holding her against his chest with her legs draped over one arm. His grip now was actually gentle.
She blinked rapidly, staring at him for a long moment. His eyes seemed more blue than she remembered, with a slight tilt that made them seem vaguely Wutain, and they held none of their earlier harshness, just calm impenetrability. She realized with a start just how close this new position brought her face to his, but she could not seem to tear her eyes away from his.
"This position gives you a better view, doesn't it, Cetra," Sephiroth stated dryly, breaking her trance.
Aeris looked away quickly, frowning and flushing in embarrassment. In retrospect, she might have worded that request better. She'd forgotten how handsome he was, when stripped of all that murderous intent. She had made a fool of herself, staring at him like that. At least, she thought humorlessly, his personality is bad enough to more than make up for it. If he weren't so contemptible, I'd be in a lot of trouble.
He picked up his pace again, making her realize that he'd slowed for those few moments. He made it all seem so effortless, so smooth and seamless, but the icy scenery flew past so quickly that she knew the speed with which he moved had to be incredible. And yet he hardly breathed any heavier than before. The Forgotten Capital was already far behind them.
I'm in a lot of trouble anyway, she concluded, stealing another glance at his face. What had she gotten herself into?
"What does he want with her?" Cloud demanded of no one in particular. He was pacing back and forth within the narrow confines of the shell house while his companions watched him anxiously. Most of them sat tensely on the beds, while Vincent leaned against the wall, and Cait Sith sat on the floor.
"He can't mean to kill her," said Tifa. "If he wanted her dead, he'd have killed her already, or at least tried harder at it."
Cloud glanced at her, his blue eyes smoldering. His anger was not directed at her, but she flinched anyway. "Then why did he take her?" he persisted.
"I don't know..."
"Maybe he's usin' her as a hostage," Barret suggested.
The blond shook his head. "He hasn't asked for anything from us." He stopped pacing abruptly. "He expects us to follow him. He wants us to follow him."
"We would have anyway," Tifa said with a frown.
"Then the question becomes, why would he let us know he wanted it?" Nanaki offered quietly.
"You guys are all thinking too hard about this," Yuffie spoke up, not sitting up from where she lay sprawled across one of the beds, kicking her legs. "I bet he just did it to screw with our heads."
"I don't think it's really that simple," Cloud said in frustration.
"There is what he said..." Nanaki began slowly, glancing to Cloud, "about Cloud being a puppet."
Tifa looked at him with an expression not unlike shock, as if she hadn't expected anyone to mention that. "What are you saying?"
The feline let out a sigh, looking down as though this were too unpleasant a thing to say. "Sephiroth expects to be able to use him again," he said quietly.
"And he is making doubly certain all the pieces will arrive in time," Vincent added coolly.
"Use him..." Tifa repeated uneasily.
"Like at the Temple," Cait Sith stated, voicing what had come to all of their minds.
Cloud had stood motionless until those four words, but now he shook his head and slowly stepped backwards until he found a wall. He leaned against it wearily, all the ferocity gone out of him, replaced by uncertainty. "Am I going insane?" he wondered aloud. "Guys, do you think...? I don't know..."
"Shit, get a hold of yourself, Strife," Cid snapped at him. "Even if ya are off your rocker, we can't leave Aeris with that crazy son of a bitch."
"I don't know," Cloud repeated, shaking his head again.
Tifa got up, walking over to lay a hand on his shoulder. "Come on, Cloud. We need you with us. We'll watch out for you, all right?"
He looked up at her helplessly. "But what if I try to hurt you? Maybe... maybe I should just quit now, while I can."
"But that could be exactly what Sephiroth is waiting for. If you go off on your own... What happens if he takes control of you, and we're not around to help you snap out of it? Besides, you're our leader."
He nodded slowly. "You're right, Tifa..." He straightened, pulling himself away from the wall and back to his feet. "I can't quit now."
"Ain't no getting' offa this train we on," Barret put in.
"Sure, whatever," Yuffie said dismissively, as though bored by the discussion. "Are we done convincing each other? Can I get some sleep now?"
Cloud frowned. "Sephiroth's already got too much of a head start on us..."
Tifa turned, gesturing to the other members of the group. "We're all tired, Cloud. Maybe you aren't, but we haven't caught more than a few hours' sleep in two days. We won't get very far if we're practically dead on our feet."
He sighed. "I guess not. But we're heading out first thing in the morning."
"You know, of course," Vincent said quietly, "that if he wants us to follow him, he will allow for a confrontation."
The others looked at him silently for a moment.
"And that's when we'll save Aeris and take out Sephiroth," Cloud stated.
"Do you really think we can?" Yuffie said anxiously. "I mean... uh..."
No one took the opportunity to take a shot at her for the break in her usual overconfidence. Most were too much in agreement. The others were too tired to bother.
"Someone's got to stop him," Cloud replied. "If not us, then who? I don't know what Aeris was trying to do... She told Sephiroth he was too late, but what did she mean?"
"Maybe there's an opposite to Meteor," Cait Sith suggested. "And, of course, Aeris is an Ancient. She knew about the Black Materia, so maybe..."
"...there's a White Materia?" Yuffie finished, perking up with this particular change in topic. "Yeah, she always wears that neat-lookin' materia in her hair. Maybe that's it."
Tifa brightened. "Does that mean that whatever she did will stop Sephiroth?"
"More likely it will stop Meteor," Nanaki said. "If he summons it, that is."
"I don't get it," Barret stated.
"Aeris did something that might help us out in a big way, and Sephiroth's really pissed at her for it," Cid explained.
"Now let's all get some sleep," said Tifa. "We certainly need it for what's ahead."
There was a bit of grumbling and arguing as the group tried to figure out who would sleep where, with three beds and seven people, not counting Cait Sith. Somehow or another they worked it out, a few grudgingly sharing beds or taking the floor.
It did not take them long to fall asleep, even with all the things to weigh on their minds. Soon the only audible sounds were those of slow breathing, quiet snoring, and the lone whistle of the wind outside.
Sephiroth did not stop until they reached a cave deep beneath the mountains. Aeris felt certain that with the ground he had covered in those long hours, it would take Cloud and the others days to catch up.
During the rapid trip, she had developed a certain respect for his strength. Whenever they came across one of the cavern's numerous rock faces, he had wordlessly slung her back over his shoulder and climbed with only one hand to aid him. And for all his insane pace, he had never slowed or paused to give himself rest. Not until now, and even now she felt he could have kept on had he wanted to.
For her part, Aeris was exhausted. She had scarcely rested since before they'd visited the Temple, sacrificing any opportunities to sleep afterwards in order to reach the Forgotten City ahead of Cloud and the others.
"I hope you mean to rest here," she said wearily, feeling dully grateful when Sephiroth lowered her feet to the floor and turned away from her to study the cave.
He turned back to face her, raising an eyebrow. "I fail to see why you are tired. You've done nothing."
"Right. I haven't even slept in... I can't remember how long. Days."
He shrugged, not seeing the significance of this. "Neither have I."
She sat on the floor and looked up at him. "Well, I'm sorry if I'm not as tireless as the Great Sephiroth," she said flatly.
Sephiroth scoffed. "You act so weak for a Cetra."
"How would you even know?" Aeris asked. "You're not a Cetra, and I'm the only one you could have ever known."
"Perhaps," he said. "But Mother knew Cetra, and they were far stronger than you."
"Am I disappointing you?"
He shrugged. "You are only a half-breed. I suppose I cannot expect too much of you."
"Half?" she repeated, straightening eagerly in spite of herself.
He noticed her anticipation, and raised an eyebrow. "Oh, so you do not know of your father? You should not expect me to tell you." He sat down cross-legged against a rock wall some distance in front of her, laying the Masamune down on the floor before him.
"So you are resting here?" she concluded.
"I am," he confirmed. "But I will not allow you to get any sleep."
"What... do you mean by that?" Aeris asked warily.
"Exactly that."
She relaxed, glad that he really hadn't meant his words earlier.
Sephiroth snorted at her relief. "Did you honestly think I would want a woman like you?"
"How should I know?" she retorted.
He glanced at her. "I have no intention of taking you. It would scarcely do you enough harm now."
"If you want revenge for what I did, why don't you just kill me?" she asked. "You were certainly going to before."
"That was not in revenge," Sephiroth stated. "It was to prevent your action. But now I have decided that death is not sufficient punishment for you."
"Then what are you going to do to me?"
"Break you."
Aeris blinked. "What?"
"You are strong; I will admit to that. Your strength is of a different kind from mine. It would give me a great deal of pleasure to see you far beyond tears or begging for mercy, but rather completely indifferent as to whether you lived or died."
"You couldn't," she breathed. "No one can crush hope."
"And that is why I must. A god must be omnipotent."
"And cruel?"
Sephiroth smirked. "Yes. And cruel."
"Why?" she asked softly.
"How else is he to gain loyalty?"
"Through trust."
He seemed to find this a laughable answer. "Trust is far too flimsy a basis for anything."
Aeris met his gaze with defiance. "What if you can't break me?"
His eyes were emerald arrogance. "I will."
"But what if you can't?"
"I will," he repeated.
She fell silent. Her gaze dropped to her leg, where the long, thin wound from the Masamune had begun to scab over across her thigh. It was not very deep or very painful, so she had mostly ignored it until now. She cast a tiny healing spell to close the wound.
"Come here," Sephiroth ordered abruptly.
She looked up. "Why?"
"Never mind the why, come."
"No."
He lifted the Masamune, setting its edge against her neck. "It would be better for you if you did not disobey me."
"You wouldn't kill me," she stated, trying to ignore the cold caress of metal against her sensitive throat.
"Nonfatal wounds can still be incredibly painful, and it would interest me to see how many you could sustain without losing consciousness."
Aeris paled. "Well, aren't you sadistic," she murmured. "Lower your sword, and I'll move."
He lowered the Masamune to the floor and watched as she stood and walked over to him, trying to keep her steps steady. She stopped before him.
"Sit," he ordered.
She sat. She was uncomfortably aware of how close she was to him, of the blade that lay between them, and of the look of careful appraisal in his blue-green eyes.
Sephiroth reached out, grasped her by the shoulders, and turned her around as he pulled her back against him. She let out a little gasp, finding herself in his lap with her feet lying awkwardly just in front of the Masamune, and struggled vainly against his grasp. He only held her more firmly, one arm across her shoulders and the other at her waist. Realizing how pointless it was to resist, she lay still, waiting tensely.
The swordsman did not move, just held her. He did not even speak for several minutes. Finally he whispered contemptuously in her ear, "If you can sleep in my arms, you are more trusting than I thought."
Aeris twisted to meet his gaze angrily, but quickly looked away when she found his face inches from her own. "Is this how you're going to keep me awake?" she asked.
"Yes. And it is also quite effective at keeping you from making any foolish attempt at escape."
"And how exactly are you going to sleep like this?"
Sephiroth snorted. "I am quite comfortable. And though my grip may loosen when I am asleep, I assure you that the slightest move from you will wake me. I can also assure that every person who has accidentally woken me and been too close has suffered some unfortunate injuries. I would advise against it."
She shifted nervously, but something made her frown in confusion. "Why?"
"Do you want me to break your neck?" he asked.
"No, I mean... why would you?"
"I dislike being disturbed."
That was an obvious lie, and she wondered why he bothered. If it was instinct that made him lash out, why wouldn't he say so? She left the thought for later though, and instead queried, "Where are we anyway?"
"Corral Valley Cave," he answered curtly.
She did not recognize the name, but she hesitated to inquire further. He intended to keep her up this night, did he? What truly galled her was the fact that she was tired enough she might actually be able to fall asleep in his arms.
He probably knew that, too. He probably expected to find her asleep when he woke. And he knew how she would feel if she succumbed to sleep, and that if she did not, she would grow even more tired than before. There was no real way to win this little game he'd set before her. The only thing she could manage was to delay his sleep in turn.
"Where are we going?" she asked.
"North."
"North to where?"
"The crater."
Aeris's eyes widened. "Northern Crater... The Planet's wound. With all the energy there..."
"It is good that you understand, Cetra."
"My name is Aeris," she told him.
"I know."
"Then why do you keep calling me 'Cetra'?"
Sephiroth spoke in her ear again. "Would you rather I called you by your name, Aeris?"
She shuddered. Damn him for being able to control his voice like that. Damn him for making her name sound so sensuous. "You will address me as Miss Gainsborough," she said as firmly as she could, unable to keep a slight waver from her voice.
He chuckled. "Miss Gainsborough, is it? That hardly suits you."
"What do you mean, Mister Sephiroth?" she asked. "Or do you have some surname I don't know about?"
"No. I have no surname." His voice had suddenly become very quiet and very calm, but with a dangerous undertone. Had she actually managed to hit a sore spot?
"Oh," she said simply. She fell silent for a moment, then opened her mouth to speak again.
Sephiroth's right hand moved to clamp across her mouth, silencing her. "I know what you are trying to do. Shut up."
Aeris mumbled halfheartedly into his hand, then complied. After some time, he removed the hand, again placing his arm across her shoulders. She said nothing; his voice had held a warning, and she was not brave enough to push him any further.
She wanted to close her eyes. She wanted to fall asleep. Why did he have to be so warm? He was asleep now, she knew, and his embrace felt almost gentle. Damn him, she thought vehemently. Why couldn't he be repulsive? Why couldn't he have tied her up painfully, or thrown her into some corner and simply blocked her path, or... anything but this kind of torture.
No, she would not fall asleep in his arms. Aeris tried to turn her thoughts to the Temple, where she had watched him kill Tseng. She tried to think of the madness in his eyes as the Masamune had sought her blood. That was the man who held her close now.
But somehow, all she saw was that moment in the room with the murals when he had sat slumped and forlorn against a wall, his eyes downcast and his voice uncertain.
She closed her eyes.