Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ Final Fantasy VII : Atonement ❯ Chapter 13 - Searching for Answers ( Chapter 13 )

Disclaimer - The characters don't belong to me!

Author's Note - Gah! He?!?! I am no he! LOL sorry, but yes, there are female gamers and anime watchers in this world, and I happen to be one of them. Now you know. And Tori, this chapter has a lot of S/A in it, don't worry, everything will be explained in due time. Now, here you go! Enjoy!

Chapter 13 - Searching For Answers

"Aeris?"

~ I can't believe he doesn't remember. ~

"Aeris?"

~ Now what am I going to do? ~

"Aeris!?"

~ What if he's not the same person? Am I dreaming? Have I lost him forever? ~

"Aeris!? What's wrong!?"

Aeris looked up across the table. "What?"

Sephiroth gave her a strange look. "Are you okay?"

Aeris smiled and nodded. "Of course."

Sephiroth sighed. "You sure?"

Aeris nodded. "Mhmm," she said quietly looking back down at the table.

After Aeris had healed enough to leave the small hospital, the two of they had relocated to the single empty apartment remaining in the town. Sephiroth was reluctant at first, but Aeris convinced him that living together was the only option until she was fully healed.

"You know what," Aeris began. "I've been thinking. How exactly did we get here? You never told me."

Sephiroth swallowed hard. "You really want to know? You won't like it."

Aeris nodded. "Yes. I must know."

Sephiroth nodded, took a deep breath, and began.

"After my, shall we say, `rebirth', I arrived in Nibelheim, the closest town I could find. I quickly went to the ShinRa mansion and into the basement library, where both Professor Gast and Hojo had once done their experiments. I had been sent back to the living to stop Jenova, who had somehow escaped death and hid beyond sight to heal. This much I knew from my fragmented memories of talking to the Ancient Cetra in the lifestream. I went to the library because the books held there had the most amount of information available on Jenova and her possible whereabouts.

"Several days showed no progress, but while I was in the library one night, that man you remember as Vincent Valentine showed up.

"Apparently, he'd been following me for those few days, and had finally found the courage to approach me." Sephiroth chuckled. "I guess I can't blame him though. Anyway, I managed to convince him not to fight me and I told him what little I knew about Jenova.

"Amazing, Vincent believed me. I told him that I needed to get in touch with Cloud Strife, who had the closest connection to Jenova, other than myself."

"Why couldn't you just use yourself?" Aeris asked. "Why get Cloud involved."

"The connection I had to Jenova is gone. The Jenova cells that thrived in my body were rendered powerless by the lifestream and the power of the Ancient Cetra. I still have them, or I could never live again, but they can't be used by Jenova."

Aeris nodded in understanding before motioning for him to continue.

"Upon hearing my voice, Cloud left for Nibelheim and Vincent brought him to me." Sephiroth grinned. "His face held pure shock, and he tried to kill me, as I expected. He couldn't forgive me. Not for Nibelheim, or for you.

"Vincent held him off while I explained the situation. By admitting that he was having nightmares of Jenova, he confirmed my worst suspicions that Jenova was almost alert, and was once again calling upon her clones. However, he also had dreams that involved you and Jenova. I didn't know what they meant, but I soon found out.

"Just as we were deciding on a plan, Jenova showed up. She began to burn down Nibelheim to weaken Cloud's mental state before launching an attack through the cells in his body. She hadn't counted on Vincent and I being there, but she still had a back-up plan. She had brought someone else with her." Sephiroth paused.

"She brought you."

Aeris' eyes went wide with fear. "With me? I was there!?"

"Your eyes were blood red and you looked as if you were under a spell. You attacked us with powerful magic and were prepared to protect Jenova with your life. When Jenova was badly wounded by Vincent while you were fighting me, you screamed and fell from the sky into my arms. You were unconscious and in great pain, and Jenova kidnapped Cloud."

Aeris sat silently, unable to speak.

"I knew," Sephiroth continued, "that the others of your group would never accept me after that. They would assume that I had some part in it, and that I had manipulated you, or faked your death, or somehow twist everything to be my fault.

"But you were hurt. Without thinking, I stole Cloud's chocobo and ran away from Nibelheim with you. I didn't know where I was going or why, but I ended up here. Nothing happened until you woke up a few days ago."

Sephiroth gazed into her eyes. "You understand why I had to do that, right?"

Aeris nodded slowly. "I've already forgiven you for it." She looked up at him with sad, frightened eyes. "I will never forgive Jenova. We must defeat her and save Cloud."

~ Save me? I've already been saved. ~

Aeris' eyes widened. "Oh no!" Aeris exclaimed. "Cloud!?" The voice had been inside their heads.

~ Heh heh. So I've found you. I'm not far now. Watch out! I'm coming for you…impostor!! ~

Then the voice was gone and Aeris was shaking like a leaf. Sephiroth put his hands on Aeris' shoulders to try and calm her. "Aeris relax!"

Aeris shook uncontrollably and she fell forward into his arms. "Oh god," she murmured. "No Cloud…no…"

* * * * * *

The sound of gunshots filled the air. A few disheveled leaves fell from the oak tree above and fluttered down to land on Vincent's pounding head.

"Damn it all to hell," Barret cursed, lowering his smoking gun arm.

Vincent frowned deeply and brushed the leaves off his head with a quick claw before standing to leave Barret and his temper behind.

Vincent wound up alone again in the ShinRa basement. He sat in the dusty desk chair in the room farthest back and sighed heavily. He was completely clueless and had no idea where to look. His helplessness was eating away at him, as it had when he couldn't help his beloved Lucrecia.

Overflowing with bitterness and frustration, Vincent raised his clawed hand before slamming it down into the oak desk in from of him with a shriek of rage. He growled deep in his throat. He could feel the monster that lived inside of him stirring, and he let it take over without a second thought.

He threw his head back with a hideous cry before he pitched forward and huge black wings replaced his cape and his ears grew and pointed. His eyes glowed bright red has his skin darkened and his hands became thick fleshed claws with sharp talons. His toned muscled grew and thickened, and he stood on black clawed feet. Shrieking again around bright white fangs, he turned and proceeded to send every bookshelf in sight tumbling to the ground. In a rage, he barreled into the next room and found himself staring into an empty, human-sized tube.

~ Cloud recovered here once, ~ he thought. ~ Of course! Why didn't I think of it before! If Aeris was hurt, and Sephiroth wanted her healed, he'd take her to the best hospital on the planet! Now where was it that Cloud got his Mako poisoning healed? ~

He cocked his head to the side, pondering distant memories.

~ Mideel ~

Clapping his claws together, he ran upstairs on four legs, out the front door, and spread his wings out to full length. Within seconds, the Chaos beast had risen high in the sky and disappeared behind the mountains.