Through Her Eyes
By Quistis Trepe
She looked all around her. She was home. A city so full of character yet know one knew about it. She walked up the middle path until she came to a white wrinkled building.
Something was guiding her. She didn’t know what.
She stepped pass the pool of water and quietly into the decrypted building. The room was like a seashell as the hall slowly curved up to a sparkling stone.
She passed the gold fish statue, surrounded by what looked to be seed weed and processed up the stairs. There she found a fascinating stone, more brilliantly lit then any other stone in the room. It was so bright that she couldn’t see the actual stone, just the rays of light it gave off.
“Touch it…”
She did. And suddenly a whole body of emotion swept over her, covering her like a blanket. She saw it. A Massacre. Hundreds of Certa running for their lives. A strange, none human figure, walked the streets. As it passed people it slapped them with one of its many limbs and the victim fell to the ground dead. More screams but this time she heard cries, voices saying, “She is the evil” and others humming ancient chants of protection. The creature had no mercy. She jabbed at Certa after Certa till none lay in her path. Soon she reached the same building in which this dazzling rock lay. She was too big to fit in the door so she shrunk herself down and jumped into the water. She found a crack in the side of the pond wall and slipped in. When she rose to the top of the water again she was at an alter. There she let out a screech that could be heard miles around. Any Certa that remained parished at the sound of the creature.
She watched in horror. With out thinking she sang a song her mother had taught her out loud.
“…by the time you come, I have waited all my life…”
With these words a rock smashing upon rock sound came from below her. When she heard this the rock that she had placed her hand on jolted her back. A pain ran up her side. She grabbed for her Cure materia but found it gone. She remembered it was beside Cloud, were she had set it. She walked down the stairs and found the gold fish had moved and in its place a path.
She had traveled a long way so she decided to find shelter and come back in the morning.
She walked down the path as though it were a known route. Instantly she found she had walked herself to a door of a house. She saw smoke coming from the chimney, so she knocked. No answer. She walked inside and found a warm cozy house, beds made and fire burning in the hearth. She looked in the cupboards, and found no food. She looked in the closets and found no clothes. When she was just about to leave in fears that the inhabits would come back, she saw another gleaming rock on a small table by the door.
“Touch it…”
She didn’t want to touch it in fears she would find another bad memory. Just like before, a cover of emotion ran over her, this one more familiar then before. She saw a women with long brown hair open the door of the same house she was in now. Snow rushed in with the wind and the women swiftly moved her shawl closer to her body.
“Come in sir. It is freezing why have you come?”
“I came to check on you.”
The women let him past and slowly helped him with his jacket. He was wearing a white jacket, a lab coat no doubt and carrying a notebook. She lead him to the living room were he sat down in a big, over stuffed easy chair.
“Actually Hojo sent me.”
“How do you do, I’m Ifalna. And you?”
“I’m Professor Gast of Shiria’s Science Department.”
“So will you be doing the check-up this time professor.”
“Check up?” His face suddenly became pale. “Hojo hasn’t told you, that …” He trailed off.
“What hasn’t he told me,” she said, a shocked look on her face.
“He told me you knew these were experiments were to test the true power of a Ancient.”
“Certa…”
“Excuse me?”
“I prefer to be called a Certa, ancient is such a stereotype name.”
“Well then this will not do.”
“What won’t?”
“You being tested but that crazy partner of mine. You must go into hiding.”
“Were? I don’t want to leave my only home.”
“Please I care for your safety…” and as thou it had always been planned that way, they looked into each other’s eyes for a moment. Then as if they had known each other their whole lives, they kissed.
This scene left the watcher in tears. It was her mother. And her father. This was the house were they met. She removed her hands from the rock, this time not being jolted back. She placed her hands over her eyes and cried happy tears. She had never known her father till this moment. Where was he now? She was not sure. Wherever he is he will have to wait until she is finished here.
Slowly she moved her way towards the over stuffed chair and sat there in front of the fire. She thought she could still smell the hint of a men’s cologne. Slowly she drifted off, remembering her life as thou it had always been. Quite pleasant.
***
She awoke full of energy. She went into the kitchen and drank from the sink using her hands. She straitened her hair and clothing and walked toward the door. She left her staff behind and walked out of the house and into the sunshine. She walked along the same path as before and found herself at the building she had been at only hours ago.
She stepped inside and saw the goldfish was still gone. She walked down the stairs, it had been hiding, and found herself in the most beautiful place she had ever seen before. Rainbows streak across the ceiling and the water was a beautiful turquoise. She stepped down the winding stairs admiring the place as she went. All of the light, in the room, hit the alter at the center. Stepping stones jolted up from the water. All around her, sheets of glass stretched to the ceiling causing light to reflect into the water. The stairs went through a pink walled cathedral and more steps lead toward the alter.
All though there were no flowers, she felt strangely at home.
“Go to the alter…”
She hoped up the tiny pedestals until she had made it to the alter. There, as though not being about to move her body freely, she dropped to her knees and started to cry.
“Cloud, Tifa, Barret, everyone…I’m sorry. This is what I must do…this is what I would like to do, for you. I love you all! All of you! But…I feel…an evil presents will come…and take me away! But for you, my friends…my family, I give you my world…”
She wiped away her tears, and straitened her body. She clasped her hands together and looked toward the water below. No tears came now. This was the time to be strong. As she prayed she looked back on her life. She remembered Elmyra. She was a caring person and her mother for most of her life. She hated telling her that her husband had died, but it needed to be said. She remembered the Turks. This brought her to remember Cloud.
“Cloud…”
“You wanted to get to ‘know HIM.’”
“He is a great friend. Now I realize…that he reminded me of…”
“Zack. It’s alright, Cloud would understand.”
“He was just like Zack, except…”
“You cared for him more because he was there.”
“He should love Tifa…I hope he realizes that.”
“He will, in time.”
“Tifa…She was great. I was jealous of her when I first met her…”
“She had someone to love.”
“I hope she forgives me for…”
“Loving Cloud.”
“I don’t love him the way she does…”
“What about the others.”
“I love them all. I wish I would have had a chance to get to know them better…”
“You will.”
“In the Promise Land…”
With that she went into a trance. She sat with her hands clasped and knees bent for hours. She could feel things, think and hear, but could not move. She could feel Holy whelming up inside her. And she sat like that for a night and a day and another night until finally they came.
“…Aeris?”
She heard steps. When she could feel Cloud close a sudden blood tingling air hit both Aeris and Cloud.
‘Sepiroth,’ she thought.
Through her bangs she could see Cloud coming up on her. He then suddenly took out his sword and was about to chop her in two when…
“Cloud!” Tifa screamed.
“Stop!” Yuffie yelled.
Aeris could hear other cries but those were the only two she could make out.
Under his breath Cloud spoke, ”Ugh, what are you making me do…?”
Just as he said this Aeris finally looked up. It surprised Cloud a little and he grinned. This didn’t last for long; soon they could both feel it. Sepiroth was here. Cloud looked up, but Aeris did not. She knew what was coming and was still afraid to face it. For a moment she wanted to jump up and into Cloud’s arms but it was not her place to choose her fate. She was a Certa, it was chosen for her by the planet. She knew now she would never find her father but she would find Zack and her mother in the Promise Land.
Sepiroth floated down in slow motion. His Masamune in hand, he targeted Aeris’s body. She felt the sudden prang of pain as the sword hit her back and then went through her stomach. She was surging with pain and for a brief moment saw the pain in Cloud’s eyes as well. The sword slowly soaked up her energy causing her head to become heavy and her body to fall forward a little. As Sepiroth pulled his massive sword from her body, she fell forward having no support and landed by Cloud’s feet. Sepiroth grinned at Cloud the whole while.
There was no blood, and this meant she had succeeded. She had become one with the planet. It had Holy now in her place. She knew that Sepiroth knew this as well. She could feel his fear but only before he pushed it away.
“…Aeris,” Cloud’s eyes lowered to his fallen companion. He could she her eyes still had life, but knew it was a precious few moments, “This can’t be real!”
“Do not worry. Soon the girl will become part of the planet’s energy. All that is left is to go north. The Promise Land waits for me over the snowy fields. There I will become needed energy by uniting with the planets energy as will this girl…”
“Shut up!” Cloud looked at Sepiroth with hurt eyes. Aeris felt sorry she was causing him such pain. “The cycle of nature and your stupid plan don’t mean a thing!”
He looked back down at Aeris; he was now trembling. “Aeris is gone…Aeris will no longer talk, no longer laugh, cry…or get angry…What about us…what will WE do?”
He picked Aeris up and held her closer. She could smell him and it was a smell she would miss.
“What about my pain? My fingers are tingling…my mouth is dry…my eyes are burning…”
Sepiroth looked down at Cloud and had a look of curiosity in his eyes. “What are you saying? Are you trying to tell me you have feelings to?”
In a bit of rage, Cloud let go of Aeris and was to his feet. He let Sepiroth see the hurt in his eyes and screamed, “Of course! Who do you think I am!?”
Sepiroth let out his loud crackling laugh, “Ha, ha, ha…Stop acting as if you were sad. There’s no need to act as though you’re angry either…”
Slowly Sepiroth lifted off the ground, “Because you are…”
Aeris awaited his answer as much as Cloud. She could hardly hold on much longer and wanted to know with all her heart.
Just as Sepiroth disappeared into the air Jenova came down and glared at Cloud. With an act of rage Cloud lashed out at her. Aeris lay at the stairs as Cloud fought. Soon she saw Tifa and Yuffie join him in battle. They looked at Aeris, and then raced to help Cloud. Aeris so desperately wanted to help, but her only remaining energy was wearing away.
With a mighty blow of Cloud’s sword Jenova Life fell. In the air you could hear her whisper, “Because, you are…a puppet…”
With those final thoughts in her head and Cloud’s pain stricken face burned into the back of her mind Aeris dimmed away. She would now find her Promise Land.
***
A she watched from above the pond, she carefully examined everyone’s faces. She watched as Cloud put her body in the center most part of the pool. He did not cry once, she knew he knew she was there. As she watched her body slowly drowned into the pond, she could feel the water around her, even thou her spirit was not in the water. She felt one with the planet and now she knew she was home. She could feel her mother calling her. She looked back once at Cloud and the rest of her friends, and slowly drifted away into the planet.