The area around the Ancient City was warmer than Jet expected. It felt like a spring day. A cooler day, but still fairly warm.

This was suprising because the Ancient City was located on the northern continent. And being up north, Jet had expected it to be cold.

But the temperature wasn't foremost on the boy's mind. It was the city that lay before them. It looked like something out of a fairy tale.

The buildings looked as if they belonged to a giant sea creature at one point in time. It was almost as if these giant shells still had the creatures living inside of them.

Considering how old this city must have been, the 'buildings' didn't show signs of ageing. Apart from the sparse vegetation, the place looked like it was inhabited.

Of course it wasn't. And Jet couldn't help but laugh at himself for thinking something so strange. But giving it another thought, he realised that it wasn't so strange.

Sure, nobody but a few monsters lived here. But once, one of the most powerful races on the planet inhabited these dwellings.

They could talk with the planet, and were said to have mysterious powers so that they could protect the planet on which they lived.

~But the alien, Jenova, came down and killed all that lived here. Well, not all. But almost all. And because of that, the ancients never began to thrive again.

Even the last Ancient, Aeris, she died within one of these buildings. And with that, all the Ancients were killed within this city. ~

Although many dreadful things had happened in this city, Jet was still astounded by its beauty. And he wished that there was time to explore everything.

But there wasn't. They came to this place on business. They needed to protect the planet now, just as their parents had done before them.

"Which one are we looking for?" Jet asked Nanaki.

"That one," Nanaki said as he spied a particularly large shell near a crystaline lake. "That's the one where Aeris died."

"Alright," Ash said. "If that's the one, then why don't we get going?"

Jet just looked at his friend. "You really are impatient aren't you?"

"Yes. Yes I am. And I am because I don't like to waste my time. Time is money. And I don't know anybody that likes to waste money."

"Fine, but I'm sure that we can spare a few seconds. After all, it is a beautiful view."

"Whatever," Ash said rolling his eyes. He waited for only a second more. "OK. You guys can stay here if you want. But I'm going on ahead."

Jet sighed. He looked around at the others. They were feeling the same way. Not wanting to leave Ash alone one second longer than was necessary, they hurried their chocobo's and caught up with him.

Victor looked up at the shell-like building that was now in front of the group. It was a bit smaller them it looked form a distance, but it was still fair in size. Entering what Nanaki said was a door; they walked into a room. It was empty, yet comfortably warm. Yet, Victor couldn't spot a heating source, or figure how one could still be working after all those years.

Putting these thought's away; he proceeded to explore the room. Because of what looked like a large stairway, he couldn't see around to the other side of the shell.

Reaching the far side, Victor noticed that there was what looked like a garden, growing in the centre of the room. But upon further examination, he realised that there was more there.

The strange grasses parted to what looked like a glass staircase. As Victor gazed down into the hole, he realised that it looked almost bottomless.

But knowing that nothing was bottomless, he proceeded to descend into the depths of the hole. Looking back, he noticed that the others were following him into the hole.

"How long does this staircase go on for?" Ash asked.

"Not as far as you think," Nanaki said. Ash made an unconvinced sound. "Take another look."

And Ash did. As did the rest. What they say, suprised them. It was what looked like tall crystalline towers reaching out from the darkness.

They were quite tall, and grew visibly longer with each step. Eventually, buildings began to appear. As they appeared, Victor noticed that the walls were sloping upward. Forming a bit of a cone shape as if it would protect the buildings. But what Victor noticed the most was that the walls appeared to be giving off some sort of light. A soft yet intense light. A light that bathed the gothic like city that was emerging from the darkness beneath them. "Wow," Ash breathed as they reached the bottom of the stairs. "You were right. That was quick."

Taking one final gaze upward, Victor noted that the only light shining from above, was the light that was shining through the entrance they used.

"Where do we go now?" Aeris asked. Her eyes were wide with wonder at the awesome site of the Ancient City they were now in.

Nanaki didn't answer though. He was gazing off into the blackness. The look on his face suggested that of pain. Not physical pain, but emotional pain.

"Nanaki? Are you alright?" Aeris voice was filled with concern. That awoke Nanaki out of his trance, and he gazed at her.

"I'm fine. It's just that this is the city where Sephiroth killed Aeris. I guess that being back here brought back memories." Nanaki's voice was sad.

"And that's what were fighting for," Alan said. "We're going to find a way to stop the evil that Sephiroth caused. We'll fight to honour the memories of those who he has killed. Even in death, his evil must be stopped." And the group left a moment of silence that was meant to honour the memory of the last Ancient.

Suddenly Nanaki found his voice again. "To answer your question, we should go to the pedestal in the centre of the city."

Victor looked, and saw what Nanaki was talking about. It was what looked like a large platform, and had smaller pedestals jutting out of the water to serve as stairs. There was a small overhang, and the circular area was enclosed with a small fence.

"Do we have to jump?" Ash asked.

"Yes. But it is easier than it appears," Nanaki calmed. "I know that they may seem small and thin, but they are very stable. Follow me."

And with that, Nanaki proceeded to leap across the small pedestals. Even with all four legs landing on each pedestal, he retained all his balance. When he finally reached the platform, he gave a quick look back indicating that the group should follow.

Aeris went first and was followed by Alan. Jet and Ash went next, and Rathena and Victor brought up the rear. When they all reached their destination, all eyes went to Rathena.

"Is it here that your friend died?" she asked.

"That is correct," Nanaki said.

Rathena nodded and took the Chaos materia out of a pouch she was carrying. As she slowly held the materia out in front of herself, Ash spoke up.

"Hey. Let me do it!" Ash cried excitedly. He grabbed the materia from Rathena and smiled to himself.

Rathena, though, looked decidedly alarmed. "Give me my materia back! You don't know how to use it!"

Victor felt something come over himself. As Rathena almost panicked, he found himself responding in a protective manner. He felt the need to respond to Rathena's wishes and get the materia back.

"Don't be absurd," Ash said. "I know how to use materia." But as he spoke, Victor was silently moving up next to him.

Ash stared at the materia, and eventually began to frown. "By the way, what's the command for using this?" Turning the materia over in his hands he examined it.

Rathena eyes narrowed and a small growl escaped her throat. "Give me back the materia," she said. And Victor's urge to do, as Rathena wanted, increased.

After Rathena had spoken, his hand shot out and grabbed the materia from Ash. Glaring at Ash, he backed up to where Rathena was, and handed her the materia.

"God!" Ash said. "What's wrong with you?"

Rathena sighed with relief, and Victor's feeling began to fade rapidly. After a few moments, his head was clear. "I'm not sure," he said, sounding a bit confused.

Rathena looked at the boy in front of her, and a faint smile showed on her lips. But nobody saw, because everybody was staring at Victor.

Suddenly Victor regained his composer. "Let's finish this business."

"Very well," Nanaki said. Brushing off Victor's behaviour for a moment. "Can you work the materia?" Nanaki asked Rathena.

She nodded, and began lifting the materia to her face. When it reached her eye level, she began transforming into Chaos. As the transformation took place, the materia began to glow within her hands.

The glow began to envelop Rathena like a flame. And above that crimson glow, a brighter, more brilliant while light began to form. It bathed everyone in a warm glow.

And from that glow, Victor saw a form begin to emerge. It was a woman. A woman with deep green emerald eyes, and long brown hair. She gently floated to the ground and smiled at him.

Suddenly the light ceased. And the Chaos materia faded from existence. The only remaining proof that it had ever existed was the Ancient that was now standing in front of them.

"It worked," Victor said.

Chapter 15