The Altar

Started: October 8, 2000

Finished: November 6, 2000

Posted: February 25, 2001

(This fanfic is dedicated to the love of my life, Sephy-Sean J I love you always and forever!)

A figure ran through the ancient city, unarmed and heading toward one of the nautical buildings. Her pink dress was worn from days of unhindered traveling, her chestnut hair falling out of the braid it was in. Finally, she made it to the structure, walking inside to stop by what looked like a statue of a fish.

The fish slowly melted away into the air, revealing a hidden staircase; made of pure blue crystal.

Aeris started down the stairs, running so fast she wondered if she would slip. Above, a shadow loomed, its green eyes glowing with an ominous light. She looked up.

Sephiroth…

She ran faster, jumping over the last pair of steps to land on the monolithic floor. She looked around, then saw it. The altar.

Aeris nodded, more to herself than to anyone else, and climbed several pillars, leading to the altar. She jumped up and landed on it... to find herself looking into a pair of makou-green eyes.

"So... you made it after all."

Aeris glared, "You won’t win this, Sephiroth."

Sephiroth chuckled, "Oh, but I have." He raised his arms up high, staring at the Cetra, "I have obtained the Black materia, and I will become one with this Planet..."

Aeris felt the back of her head, grasping onto her ribbon. "I will stop you…"

Sephiroth pulled Masamune out, pointing it mere centimeters from her neck, "Not if I kill you first!"

Aeris’ hands dropped to her sides, her ribbon unraveling. A bright, pale-green glow emitted from where the ribbon was, and Sephiroth gasped, lowering his blade, "...the White materia..."

Aeris reached her hands up, to grasp her materia. She slowly brought her hands down; cupping the materia and letting it shine on Sephiroth’s face. "Look, Sephiroth."

Sephiroth turned his head away, but then slowly looked back towards the light. In the bead, he saw Nibelheim burning, heard people’s dying screams and heard them yelling out for help. "I remember that… it was my Mother’s will."

Aeris shook her head, and the vision disappeared, "Jenova is not your mother, Sephiroth."

Sephiroth glared, bringing his sword up again to point between Aeris’ eyes, "She is... and She is the only one who ever cared for me, who ever called me ‘Son!’"

A slight fear sweeping through her, Aeris looked at him, her eyes serene, "Look again..."

The materia started to glow again, showing Sephiroth a vision of a woman, with long brown hair, heavy with child. In front of her was a scientist, long, oily black hair tied into a messy ponytail. Sephiroth lowered his sword again, "That’s Hojo… but who is that woman? His wife?"

Aeris nodded, "And... your mother."

Sephiroth dropped Masamune, letting it clatter on the floor, "My… my mother?"

"Sephiroth, watch, and listen..." Aeris told him. Sephiroth watched intently, eyes fixed to the materia.

**

"Dear, our baby kicked!"

Hojo turned and glared at the woman, his ‘wife,’ "Lucrecia... don’t call me that again. Now come, it’s time for the injections."

Lucrecia walked after Hojo, into a room filled with beakers, syringes, test tubes; a laboratory. Hojo motioned for her to sit on the examination table, while he readied several hypos of different substances. He then walked to her, "Hold still…"

. . . . .

**

Sephiroth collapsed to the floor, "Hojo is my… father…?"

Aeris knelt in front of him, "Yes."

He grabbed his head, shaking, "No… it can’t be possible!"

Aeris wrapped her arms around him, "It’s ok… there’s more..."

Sephiroth looked up, surprised both by her actions, and her words, "… more?"

Aeris released him, once again cupping her materia between them. Another picture took form, and Sephiroth watched.

**

Lucrecia lay on the table, screaming. Moments later, one of the assistants wrapped the new baby in a blanket, after it had been cleaned. The assistant walked to Lucrecia, holding the baby, "What is its name?"

Lucrecia smiled, "Sephiroth…"

She reached her arms to hold her child, but the assistant walked away, handing the baby to Hojo. "No… why? Let me see my son!"

The assistants ignored her, working to clean the room. "Please… let me see my baby…"

"Sephiroth…"

An hour later, Lucrecia died.

**

Sephiroth’s mouth hung open in shock. "My mother… is not Jenova?"

Aeris hugged him, "No, Lucrecia is your mother. And Hojo is your father.

He hugged back, unaware; "My mother is dead?"

Aeris nodded. Sephiroth pulled away and looked her in the eyes, "Jenova is not my mother…"

"No. She’s not, no matter what she says, Lucrecia is your real mother."

Sephiroth reached into his pocket to pull out the Black materia. He stared at it for a moment, "But she wishes for me to summon Meteor. She controls me. I must do as she says."

Aeris shook her head, "Don’t listen to her! If you summon Meteor, everything will be destroyed…"

Sephiroth looked up again, a touch of madness in his eyes, "And I will become a god!"

"Yes, but you will rule a dead Planet! There will be nothing left, you will have sealed your own fate!"

Sephiroth jumped up, dropping his materia and grabbing her around the collar. He lifted her up to look her in the eyes, "I will become one with this Planet. And I will begin by destroying you!" His sword flew to his hand like a magnet, and he held it up, "Say goodbye!"

Aeris looked him straight in the eye, not bothering to make any move of defense, "You’re just lonely... aren’t you?"

Sephiroth wavered for a moment, but brought Masamune up to her neck, "Nonsense! I am the strongest being on this pitiful Planet, why would I be lonely?"

Aeris smiled at him, "You are... aren’t you? You were neglected as a child, never having the love of a real mother and father, never having any friends…"

Sephiroth’s grip tightened, his sword not moving, "I’ve had enough of your games, Cetra… prepare to die!"

"And if the Planet is pitiful, why do you want to become its ruler?"

Sephiroth finally dropped his sword, still clutching Aeris’ collar, "Because… then…"

"You wouldn’t be lonely…"

Sephiroth nodded. Aeris continued, "But, if you destroy it, no one will survive, and you will still be as alone as you were!"

Sephiroth looked at her, puzzled, setting her on the ground. "…‘were?’"

Aeris smiled, "We are so much alike… both used as guinea pigs for Shin-Ra, both fighters, both having troubled pasts… and both so lonely, and misunderstood."

Sephiroth looked down at her still, his eyes filled with emotion, "But… you... why would no one understand you? I am evil, I’ve killed thousands… you’re not…"

Aeris reached up, brushing hair from his face, "It’s not you that’s evil… it’s Jenova. And I know you can’t break your ties with her… I understand."

Sephiroth brought her in for a tight embrace, a tear dripping down his cheek, "She wants you dead…"

Aeris held him in her arms, stroking his silver hair, "I know… but… that’s all right."

Sephiroth released her, and looked down at her again, "You don’t care if you die?"

She shook her head, "No. But I want you to know something... I always saw something in you, Sephiroth, and I can see that it is not you that’s evil, it’s Jenova. And I know that the Planet will stop her, but that means you will die..."

Sephiroth remained silent, and Aeris continued, "I will wait for you in the Promised Land."

"… you are a Cetra, you will go there, but not me. I’m not Cetra, I’m just…" His gaze fell to the floor, "An experiment…"

"Sephiroth… no, you will go to the Promised Land… just… trust me on this one. But… promise me one thing..."

Sephiroth gently stroked the side of her face with his knuckles, "Anything."

Aeris looked up at him, brushing a silver bang away from his face, "Fight her… please, even though it might be all in vain… just, try."

Sephiroth nodded down at her quietly, their faces mere inches apart. After a moment, he spoke, "I… I will. And… I’m so sorry… Jenova… will make me… …kill you…"

"I... know. But, I know it’s not you. It’s Jenova. And, I want to tell you something before…"

Aeris was interrupted when Sephiroth jerked his body backwards, his muscles spasming. "Sephiroth?!"

Jenova had returned.

Sephiroth flew up into the air, his sword and Black materia following. Aeris stood still, staring up into the abyss. And she knew what she had to do, to save his soul. She knelt down, gathering her White materia and ribbon, tying both into her hair again. Clasping her palms together silently, Aeris whispered her unspoken sentence quietly to her love.

Minutes turned into hours, hours into days. And Aeris didn’t move an inch, motivated by the thought of living with her angel after their death. But she needed to pray… …and she was running out of time.

She heard footsteps from below, and voices… familiar voices… Cloud and Tifa…

…and Barret.

Why were they here? …oh, no… they came to stop her.

Cloud had made it up to the altar now, and Aeris felt his gaze upon her. But she also felt a cold chill sweep through. Her time was up, but the prayer was finished. She looked up at Cloud, smiling like the friend she was. Then she looked up.

A black shadow was closing in fast. And time slowed to a near-stop.

He landed, sword sliding cleanly through Aeris’ back, piercing spine, nerve, skin… sending blood across the pure altar floor, staining her dress a deep crimson.

Inside himself, Sephiroth wanted to scream. But Jenova made him laugh sadistically.

Her blood flowing down her body, Aeris slumped over, the blade holding her up. She stared down at the floor, watching her life drain away, her eyes fading.

Sephiroth wanted to help her, and Jenova wanted to make the pain last longer.

Cloud gawked in horror, his limbs frozen.

Sephiroth moved his blade out of her, twisting it slowly, and bringing Aeris up.

It was over.

Aeris blinked once, and closed her eyes, falling forward. Her ribbon unraveled and caught onto her hair, and the White materia rolled out unnoticed.

Cloud snapped and caught Aeris. He muttered inaudible curses and sorrows. But Sephiroth was ripping himself up inside, going mad from an even deeper sorrow. He had killed the one he…

Jenova made him fly back into the abyss, before giving him control of himself again. Sephiroth fell to his knees on the gritty sandstone ground.

"Why… why her…?"

He slowly stood up again, taking notice of her friends, slowly walking out of the city. Once he was certain they were gone, he proceeded back to the secret city, running down the staircase, hopping across the pillars, hoping against all hope that she would be alive.

But, a pool of crimson greeted him.

Sephiroth knelt by her side, silent, tears running down his face. He took her into his arms gently, cradling her like he never could while she was alive. Her dress was torn, stained with her own blood, along with his hands. Her skin was pale and cold, but still felt like soft threads of silk. He kissed her gently, a part of him believing she would awaken. But her eyes remained closed, her heart silent, her breath gone.

Sephiroth threw his head back, and screamed; a blood-curdling and heart broken cry; a beckoning for a lost love to awaken.

He thought about ending it right then and there, to die beside her, to send that same sword through his broken heart, the same sword used to kill her.

Sephiroth dropped his sword, "I… I will." He held tightly onto his beloved, and stood up, cradling her body to himself.

He would fight for her.

Careful not to dare damage his precious burden, Sephiroth jumped down, across the pillars, and climbed the crystal staircase. Stepping outside, he immediately saw a crystal-clear lake, free from all the impurities of the world… as pure as her.

"This is the spot."

Treading into the water, he immediately sunk to his waist, but an unseen force kept him up. He pushed this wonder aside for the moment; his attention focused on his most cherished. Reaching the center, he stopped, and brushed a few chestnut strands from her face.

"Aeris… I will fight in your memory. I promise. And... I love you." He kissed her forehead softly, and hesitated for a moment. Heaving a heavy sigh, he let go of her.

Sephiroth’s eyes didn’t leave her form until she had long disappeared into the deep. He lingered for a few minutes… or were they hours? He didn’t care. But… he had to fight for her. He promised.

Just before he turned around, he saw something floating in the water.

Her ribbon…

He gently scooped it up, a last tear dripping from his eye.

He held her ribbon to his heart, and after a moment, walked back to shore. He was dry when he emerged from the water.

Sephiroth smiled, and fell to his knees again, Jenova coming back to take control. Before she could, he hid his beloved’s ribbon in his cloak, so he would always have it.

And it was done. He fought as hard as he could, against Jenova. And, even though it was in vain, he did it for Aeris. Once Jenova was defeated, after using her form, his mutant forms, and his spirit form, Sephiroth was free from her ties.

After his death, Sephiroth was taken before the gates of the Promised Land…Heaven. And much to his surprise, they opened. Many looked at him, not with fear, or contempt, but with a sense of love and welcoming. And he saw a field of flowers in the distance.

He ran. Was she there?

He came upon a figure in a long pink dress, hunched over her flowers, humming softly.

"…Aeris?"

She turned around, and jumped up upon seeing him.

"Sephiroth!!"

He drew her into his tight embrace, she threw her arms around his neck, and they kissed.

And at the same time, they said…

"I love you."