Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ Final Fantasy VII ❯ Chapter 18: Aeris' Lost Soul; Cloud Faces His Past ( Chapter 18 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Yuffie looked up blushing as she fell onto Vincent's chest. He held her there for a moment not moving, his orange eyes looking down at her. She quickly pulled away from him, embrassed. Vincent didn't say anything as she moved away from him, nor did he try and stop her. The moment had already been akward enough.
"S-Sorry about that....I fell," Yuffie said facing away from Vincent.
"You almost did," Vincent corrected moving away from the side of the building. "Why did you follow me?"
Yuffie blinked surprised by his words. He hadn't accused her of falling onto him. What did that mean? In fact, what did that mean to her? She blinked the thoughts away as she thought about his question. "Because I wanna know," she said her voice changing to that you-deserve-me-an-explaination tone.
"You want to know what?" he asked.
"Why were you jealous Vincent? Don't say you weren't...I can read your eyes," she said in the same tone.
Vincent half turned to her. His eyes were glowing brightly under his headband. Then he moved towards her. Her grabbed her by the upper arms and got close enough to her face that she could feel his breath. He had his head bowed a little so his eyes matched her's perfectly.
"Really? Tell me then....what do they tell you?" he asked in a deep voice.
Yuffie was baffled for a moment by his closeness. When he had said the words she had felt his breath on her face. It wasn't any surprise to her that she was blushing again. With someone this close, who wouldn't. She blinked and came back into focus, staring Vincent stragiht into those lovely deep orange eyes.
"I see....loneliness....and regret...and longing," she breathed words onto Vincent as he had done to her perviously.
His eyes seemed to withdraw a little, but his physical closeness did not. He was impressed by her knowledge and he let that show in his eyes, knowing that she'd be able to read it. No one had ever been able to successfully read Vincent's eyes, until now. After a long moment of silence and closeness he released her and withdrew, going to the edge of the building.
"My jealously....lies within a place that is not fully ready to show itself," he said over his shoulder and then jumped off the building.



Sephiroth had a triumphant stare as he watched Jenova interact. Then the tank flashed grey, as if the lights were going out. He looked around puzzled by it. Then looked back up at Jenova, everytime the tank would flash grey, Jenova stopped moving. Sephiroth looked around again, annoyed by the interruption of Jenova's birth. He climbed the metal stairs and went to the machine where he had left Aeris.
Her eyes were empty but flickering an unsteady teal. Her head was moving weakly up as if she was trying to pull somthing heavy up with her head. Aeris' soul had been drained to revive Jenova. That was what the "key" was, her soul. Without it, Jenova would die. It was either Aeris lived or Jenova lived. Sephiroth chose Jenova. He watched her and then watched Jenova. He deceided in order for Jenova to exist, Aeris' soul would have to be freed from her body forever.
Sephiroth drew out his long silver sword and held it in his hand tightly. Raised a two handed movement to drive the blade through Aeris when there was a loud clang that interrupted his thurst. Cloud's large buster sword had blocked his attempt. Sephiroth broke the lock and jumped back glaring at Cloud.
Cloud had found where Sephiroth was hiding and he wasn't expecting that. After leaving the dance club, Cloud had overheard people talking about an old undergound lab. He suspected Sephiroth might have gone there to revive Jenova and "convinced" the people to give him the infomation about it. The door had been locked so he busted through the roof, and happend to land in front of Aeris just in time to save her life.
"Why do you insist on coming where you're not wanted?" Sephiroth hissed angrily. The drop in had been unexpected.
"You're wrong Sephiroth, it's you who's not wanted," Cloud said in a dark tone.
Sephiroth's eyes lightened with amusment to that comment. He tilted his back a little and laughed a mocking laugh at Cloud. Then he settled his eyes back on him, it was a look of pure hate. "How very thoughtful of you to say that Cloud, but it is I who run things," he said.
Cloud gripped his sword tighter. "What are you talking about?" he asked perparing to attack.
"You forget who I am. I am the Great Sephiroth, I am master of all puzzles and illusions..." he said tilting his head back and spreading out his arms, "...and I control you." After the last part he lowered his arms and slowly looked back at Cloud.
He kept his gaze on Sephiroth, his grip tightening on his sword with each moment. Now it was his turn for the look of hate. His eyes burned with a deep anger. He still held all the grudges for Sephiroth and he forced them all into his eyes. Sephiroth must have noticed the look of hatred in Cloud's eyes because he gave him an evil grin in response. Cloud's look only deepend on Sephiroth, he truely, honestly hated Sephiroth. Everything about him, down to the last silver hair on his head. Sephiroth could see that and it only made his grin wider.
"What have you done to Aeris?" Cloud asked breaking the silence.
"I have taken her soul and used it to bring Mother back," he replied and then nodded towards Aeris' body, "but she seems to be resisting the translation from her body to Jenova's."
"You leave her alone," Cloud demanded tone dark and harsh.
Sephiroth laughed a rich amused, evil, laugh. "You're right Cloud, why prey on Aeris when she is already dead?" he said grinning even more.
"What do you mean?" he questioned voice still harsh and angry.
"Do you really have any proof that this woman, this silver haired woman is truely Aeris?" he asked.
"Of course it is," Cloud replied heistating a moment. "It has to be."
"But you don't know for sure. Her soul could be an imitation, her memories could be all fake and her emotions could be empty. She could've been created to think that way. I could've created her to believe she was Aeris, to imitate Aeris," Sephiroth said smiling cunningly.
Cloud straightened, looking down now. He didn't seem so sure of himself suddenly. Confusion was clear on his face. He seemed lost and out of place. Cloud looked over his shoulder at the still struggling Aeris and when he turned back his face was blank in puzzlement. Sephiroth smiled even more and then laughed. He was enjoying Cloud's confusion and enjoying the emptyness that had filled his eyes.
"What's wrong Cloud? You seemed so sure of yourself. I thought Aeris walked the earth again. Not fully as herself of course but as apart of me," he said mocking him.
Cloud shook his head with uncertainity. "No...she has to be real...she can't be fake.....she has too much emotion..." he muttered holding his head with one hand.
"Maybe I made her that way, maybe I planned all this from the beginning," Sephiroth said watching with pure amusment.
He dropped his sword and it made a loud clang noise at it hit the metal floor. Then he raised both hands to his head. He fell to his knees shaking his head in denial. Cloud was muttering to himself, although the words were too quiet to hear. Sephiroth just stood and smiled, watching him only made him even more amused.
"Let's face it Cloud, you're as unstable as you were three years ago," he said walking towards him slowly.
"No...no....no..." Cloud kept muttering over and over.
Sephiroth stopped standing over Cloud. He reached out a hand to him and touched Cloud's head ever so softly. Cloud jerked and winced but didn't move away from Sephiroth. Sephiroth began to probe Cloud's memories. He pulled back the incident three years ago. Again, Cloud had to watch Aeris die in his mind, again. Sephiroth finally removed his hand and bent down so he was level with Cloud's face.
"She's not real....destroy her," he whispered in Cloud's ear and then straightened.
Cloud stood with a blank look on his face. Sephiroth offered him his sword. He took it and gripped the long thin silver blade tightly. Cloud slowly apporached Aeris' struggling body, perpared to kill what he was led to believe was a imitation of something he'd loved so much. Just as Cloud was entering striking range, a voice rang through his head. Aeris' body stopped moving and her head flickered and uneasy tealish color, looking right at Cloud.
"Wait....Cloud I'm real, really," Aeris' voice said.
"No....." Cloud muttered out loud.
"I wouldn't care so much if I wasn't Cloud. Go ahead, ask me any thing," the voice insisted.
"What....did you mean? You said....you wanted to meet the real Cloud?" he said half believeing the voice.
"Kill her Cloud, she's just messing with you," Sephiroth said from behind him.
"I knew Cloud....the man who went to Nibelheim that day.....wasn't you. It was my first love....it was Zack," her voice replied.
"I was there," Cloud said plainly.
"Not as a part of SOILDER you were a shinra soilder," Aeris said.
"Yes....." he whispered.
"Destroy her Cloud, kill her. End her life!" Sephiroth's voice interrupted.
Cloud raised the sword in two hands in front of Aeris' body. Sephiroth grinned at the familiar postion. Aeris' body jerked a little but the sould remained half way between Jenova and her body. Sephiroth laughed now, the sight amused him. He could feel the fear of Aeris' soul in the room and it made him tilt back his head and laugh.
"Cloud!" Aeris' voice called as he thrust the sword forward.
To be continued.....