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“Aerith,” that low intimidating voice made the flower girl jolt from where she stood. Ah, she already guessed who it was. But why the sudden call? And why address her name in such a velvety voice?
“Sephiroth…” There he stood behind her; tall, big, stern. His feline-like eyes gleaming under the moonlight. He responded to his name with a smirk before approaching the girl, as opposed to his stern expression earlier.
“It seems that we have met again, and in such a dark forest as well.” Sephiroth says, and Aerith just looked away, her guards were up. Who knows what he’s up to and she’s scared, she’s terrified of what he had in store.
“Tell me, what do you want? Please just tell me the truth, so I know what your intentions are.” Aerith replied, shuddering in her voice. Oh how that made Sephiroth feel ecstatic, to see her writhe beneath him and be terrified of him.
“Little Cetra, I only came here for one thing.” Sephiroth raised his gloved hand and touched her cheek, his thumb glazed over her plump lips.
Weird, this was his enemy. Yet the sudden urge to kiss her lip filled his mind. Sephiroth thought he was getting crazy like that puppet.
“Sephi-”
“I had this conviction within myself that killing you wouldn’t be as fun as using you,” Sephiroth told her. “If you let me use you, my plans would be much easier to succeed. You are Cetra, you can lend me your powers, and then I’ll be delighted to maybe spare your life.”
Aerith’s eyes squinted at his words, no way she’ll believe any of the words he’ll say. She continues to ignore the way he kept caressing her face, as she was petrified for what he’ll do the moment she moves an inch.
Strange, the way his leathered hand touched her face was gentle. Too gentle and very un-Sephiroth like.
“You know I would never, no matter what.” Aerith replied with firmness. “Even if you try to seduce me right now, nothing will come out of this.”
Sephiroth let out a deep chuckle, he was getting even more entertained. But something deep inside him stirred, it felt hurtful and he was confused because he shouldn’t even feel something like this. Sephiroth took a deep breath and just smiled, still he did not let go of her. “Mother…” He whispered.
“What..?” Was he still listening to Jenova? Was this all Jenova’s plans?
“I do not intend nor want to listen to Mother’s desires. For now, it was I who should listen to myself. My wants, my needs, all of them shall be fulfilled. That includes…” Sephiroth looked back at Aerith, smiling deviously. “You, Cetra.”
“What do you want from me, Sephiroth?” She didn't want to keep this much longer, as much as she was afraid. Who knows? This could've been her last words before Masamune materializes and Sephiroth decides to end her life.
“Have you not been listening to my words, flower girl? I want you.” Suddenly, Sephiroth ducked down to her height and gave her a tight embrace. Aerith squirmed, trying to wriggle out of him. But it was useless, and Aerith stopped when she could feel Sephiroth’s warm body against hers. His tensed shoulders relaxed and she could feel his warm breath against her neck.
“What the hell was I saying?” She heard him speak. “No, I didn't want you. Use you, I must… yet conflict stirs within my soul, to use you as if you were just like that puppet felt wrong. I do not understand, what is it that you have over me that I cannot do such things to you, Cetra?”
“Seph…” Aerith whispered a nickname, and slowly she lifted her arms to return the embrace. “It could've been my prayers.”
“Your prayers ?” The silver haired man scoffed. “Jest me, will you not? How can you pray for me, when I am what you call a monster? I killed, Cetra. I’d kill you now if it wasn't for my doubtfulness in which I wished I didn't have— No, this is something I shouldn't have in the first place. This hinders my plans, and you sicken me. You sicken me, Cetra. How can you pray for me ?”
Aerith did not reply at first, hesitating on the words she wanted to say to him. Her hands then rubbed on his wide back, as if she was trying to soothe a lost child.
“I could've hated you, Sephiroth. Yet my heart says otherwise. I know you hurt everyone, you hurt my friends, you hurt Cloud…” She heard Sephiroth groan at the mention of Cloud’s name. “You hurt me, but I couldn't get myself to hate you. The Planet was telling me things that I couldn't understand. Do you know what they said? There, the man who seeks destruction and godhood needs you. Although you must stay far from him, he reaches for you. Make that of what you will, but it is best that you steer clear of him. ”
Sephiroth gently let go of Aerith, staring at her emerald eyes. See? Even the Planet knows they shouldn't be in the same place. Then why—
“Sephiroth, I stayed.”
His eyes widened.
“You arrived here, and I should've ran away.” Aerith continued. “You frighten me, Sephiroth. I wanted to run away from you earlier, I was afraid of you and your sword. I could've resisted and left you here, and why is that?”
Aerith wasn’t expecting an answer on that one as she looked back at Sephiroth’s face, he looked different from earlier. It was as if he was just like any other human with emotions, not that ruthless, sociopathic SOLDIER everyone knew.
“Earlier… I was praying, praying for hope, for salvation. Yes, at first I was praying for the Planet. I was praying for Holy, to stop you, and Meteor. But when it comes to you… Gaia… I can’t get you out of my head, so I prayed for you. I prayed and hoped that there was still something deep inside of your heart, even if I knew you didn't. Maybe it was that prayer that stopped you from doing whatever you wanted to do to me earlier.”
She placed her palm on where his heart lies. “I guess my heart and mind wants me to forgive you. I can’t hate you completely, Sephiroth. I don’t know why. My heart is too forgiving, too kind… towards you.”
“Then your heart is the worst kind of weapon.” Sephiroth finally spoke, causing Aerith to stumble in her words and look at him in surprise. He finally let go of her, she moved inches away from him. “Your heart is the reason why this is all happening, and the Planet is telling you all of those things? You’re too vulnerable, Cetra. I don’t need you, I never wanted to reach for you. You think I would? The only thing I wanted from you is for me to be able to use that puppet-”
All of a sudden, his vision blurred and pain coursed through his head. Sephiroth winced, putting his hand above and gripping on the strands of his silver locks. Groaning, he looked at Aerith and saw visions of her. She was still standing there, yet there were instances of her images that didn’t seem right, yet at the same time it was as if it was supposed to be.
“Sephiroth?”
His eyes widened when the vision he was seeing was her still standing in front of him, albeit with blood pooling from her mouth and chest. Sephiroth felt panic in which he hadn’t felt in a long time, his shoulders heaved as he gasped for air. He looked at his hand, there was Masamune for a split second covered in blood along with his palm. Then as he looked again, it was gone.
That vision was gone, yet that dreaded feeling was still there.
“Are you okay-” Aerith tried to approach and touch him yet he turned and avoided her touch.
“Go away, Cetra.”
“But you-”
“I said go away!”
Aerith looked down, letting out a sigh and then glancing back at the tall man. “You saw it, didn’t you?”
Sephiroth clenched his jaw, not wanting to answer despite the fact that he was surprised that she knew. Gods, what the hell is she?
“This is what we’re meant to be, Sephiroth. Even if I pray until my last breath, you will bathe in my blood. You will stain yourself.” She said, “You will use me, destroy me. But I still forgive you, I still pray for what is left within your heart.”
“Then what the hell did the Planet mean that I reached for you? I used you, yes. I used you… to break him, as emotions are the most vulnerable thing for that puppet. The moment he loses himself, it would be much… easier to gain control of him.” Sephiroth explained, yet every time he does he slowly falters and Aerith notices. “What… Why would I reach for you? For your power? You’re dead, you should be at that point. There’s no other- what am I supposed to reach here then, Cetra?!”
Aerith did not respond however, she just watched him.
“You? Do I reach for you?” He was the one who was slowly losing himself, and he wanted to blame himself because he intended to not listen to Jenova at this point. Maybe she was telling him to stop, to kill the Ancient already, but he couldn’t hear Jenova. He was now trying to heed his Mother ’s voice yet he couldn’t hear a thing; did Aerith do this? In frustration, he hit the bark of a tree, denting it slightly. Aerith flinched. “Tell me! Tell me, Cetra! What should I reach for you when I’ve already killed you?! Is it because of those prayers of yours, does that mean I’ll reach and seek for salvation?! You disgust me! What have you done to me!?”
“I’ve done nothing…” Aerith replied, “What I only did was to pray, as that’s what my heart desired.”
“Then what is this feeling?!” Sephiroth clutched the fabric of his clothes in the direction of his heart. “Every time I think of your doom, your demise, something in me churns as if I abhor what you are about to become. It should’ve been what I wanted, it’s my plan after all! And yet you- with my hands, you- Cetra-”
And in a surprise that both Aerith and Sephiroth did not expect, is the one where he suddenly pulled her close to him and brought her to a deep kiss. Aerith didn’t have the time to react to it and just let him kiss her, she closed her eyes, at first it was out of fear but the way he kissed her felt so warm and gentle, and… desperate?
She finally returned the kiss, she gasped for air and tried to push him away, realizing how wrong this was. This was wrong yet it felt so right .
Sephiroth pushed her against the tree and kissed her once again, this time he was caressing her body all over as if she was fragile. No, she was not a fragile girl and he knows that. She’s strong, she can definitely somewhat beat him should he give her a chance. Her willpower, everything about her was so strong that he underestimated her. He hated her for that and he grumbled at the thought, he should hate her so much that he should kill her.
“I hate you,” he murmured in between their kisses. “I should really kill you, right now.”
“Do it…” She replied, moaning when Sephiroth continued to kiss her. “Take my life, or whatever… if it pleases you…”
“You revolt me.” Sephiroth stopped and let her go, Aerith was catching her breath and she looked back at him. Sephiroth stared at her bruised lips; his eyes narrowing. “Whatever you did to me, you made me hesitate on the thought of killing you. You should not pray for me, never. Pray for your ludicrous friends, for that puppet, but never for me.”
“I’ll still do it, because-”
“Because what? You think I seek salvation? What I seek is to be a God, not to be saved. I’ll remake this world into what I see fit, with my own hands. You would not stop me.” He said, “I’ll take your life- I’ll… Damn it, you… I can’t… What have you really done to me? I should feel great pleasure in your demise, not this… damning… distressing sensation. You changed it, didn’t you?”
“I did not change what you feel about my death, Sephiroth.” Aerith told him, “I did not ask that you feel such ways about me, unless you actually feel-”
“I don’t!” Sephiroth yelled, “Regret isn’t something I should feel, Cetra. Regret hinders everything that I want, it stops me!”
He looked back at her, and he finally saw an exact vision of her death; her kneeling in the City of the Ancients, him jumping from above and Masamune impaled her, her dying, him laughing at the sight of everyone’s shock and despair.
Sephiroth couldn’t bear to see it any longer, a sinking feeling finally caused him to shed a single tear. Even Aerith was shocked, she reached for his face and wiped it away. He was confused, both because of the sinking feeling and the way she held him gently. Why? He’s a monster, he doesn’t deserve this gentleness. But of course, Aerith was too kind like she said. He was an atrocious being, she was altruistic. It seemed that she didn’t care at this point that he was dangerous, in her eyes she just sees a lost man. He was right, her heart is the worst kind of weapon. Her heart tells her that he needed this warmth, and she listens. It was a weapon that he cannot destroy, he wasn’t capable of defeating. She uses her heart to defeat him, and he felt so weak against it. She’s strong, too strong. He wondered why such a being exists, and why is she so kind to him?
“You shouldn’t be like this…” He whispered, his voice trembling. “Not to a monster, not to me.”
Aerith shook her head, she found him touching her hand that was on his cheek and watched as he kissed the palm. She found him contradicting, for him to tell her that he doesn’t want this gentleness, yet she could see and feel that he was desperate for that touch. That was what he needed, he didn’t need anything else; just warmth.
“Seph…”
“This should stop, Aerith.” He said her name once again as if her name was a mantra; sacred. Carefully. “Aerith… Sooner or later, I’ll kill you with my own hands. What we are right now is something I did not want to experience, not ever. Listen to the Planet, steer clear of me. I will end your life the moment you come to the City, and I will regret it because of what we are doing at this hour. It is much better that you stay away. Gods, I wanted to use you. Yet you’re the one using me.”
Aerith pouted, “I didn’t use you.”
“Silly girl,” Sephiroth couldn’t help but smile slightly before letting go of her and turning his back on her. “I should go, and when I come back, know that it will be our last meeting… In the City of the Ancients.”
“I know,” She replied and nodded. Aerith watched as Sephiroth walked away, and she clasped her hands once again in a prayer. ‘Planet, please… watch over him. Let him know that whatever he will do to me again, it is because that’s what you intended to do. Let him know that I forgive him, and I always will.’