Chapter 17

Aeris gave out a long sigh, and then she tiled her head down, looking at the floor, and then closed her eyes. Vincent, standing still next to her and being a loyal listener, spoke nothing when Aeris told her long story. Even now that Aeris had finished, Vincent still remained silent.

“Did I bore you?”

Aeris asked Vincent but Vincent just kept quiet. Aeris knew that he was still listening and continued talking.

“I can’t believe that such things can happen to me. I though everything was over when I was, you know…stabbed at the alter.”

Vincent continued listening.

“That man whom I loved so much…I didn’t even know his name. Probably it’s faith. Probably it’s faith that I didn’t find out that he is Cloud’s father.”

“Can I interrupt?”

Vincent sudden asked and Aeris looked at him. Aeris just nodded slowly. She was wondering. Normally Vincent will only listen but never give advice or anything. This time Vincent talked, it must be something that is bothering him.

“From what I heard, it seemed that you loved the man so much. I don’t know, but when I love something that much, I couldn’t anyone else after that. What makes you have a relationship with Cloud, and even marry him?”

Vincent asked out of curiosity. Aeris looked at Vincent and giggled, with a wan smile on her face. Vincent looked at her and felt even more curious. Aeris just lean back against the wall and answered.

“It’s so funny, you know. I can’t believe it, but my feelings for Cloud is there all the time, even when I am with that man. But it wasn’t that much, not that much that I would want to break his and Tifa’s marriage, or stop me from loving another person. It was until that night…”

Vincent didn’t interrupt and listened carefully. He believe it was something important.

“That night when I ran away from Cloud, to the City of the Ancients, about to sacrifice my life for Cloud. My early intention is to let Cloud and Tifa get together again and end my miserable life, since I am already dead after all. But when Cloud showed up, I started to have very, very strong feelings for him. It was he that was there when I needed someone when I needed most, and he was the one that stood up and defend me from death itself. Those days were short, but they are, and probably will be the happiest days of my life.”

Vincent finally understood what that was hiding inside Aeris’s heart for so long. Aeris was mysterious from the moment he knew her, but she is even more mysterious now.

“I wonder, whether I will once again be with Cloud again? My feelings for that man fade the moment I was married to Cloud in the City of the Ancients. I never thought that I would bump into him again, thinking that he was already dead. I won’t be with him, even though he appeared in my life again.”

Vincent just looked at Aeris, but Aeris could see from his eyes that he was assuring her that everything will turn fine. But Aeris also saw that something was bothering him. Something else…

“I am wondering…”

Vincent said as if he read through Aeris’s mind and knew that she is curious about his thought.

“Remembered you said that there are two person that attack you and Cloud at Costa de Sol one night?”

Aeris suddenly realised that these two person existed. The two haven’t turned up for some time and things had been too peaceful. Something tells her that they are going to reappear soon.

“These two person pursuit after you two but I haven’t seen anything suspicious lately. I expect them to show up but nothing happened. I wonder what keeping them so long?”

Aeris was also wondering about this and she got into deep thought too. She then pushed herself away from the wall, and then she walked towards the window, and looked at the stars in the sky.

Vincent was right. The two person looked like they are on a mission to pursuit them. What is keeping them so long?

Somewhere deep beneath the mountains at the south of Midgar, there is a man with a backpack, climbing down the mountains as swift as a monkey. Within a few minutes, he was already at the foot of the mountain and then he face against the solid, hard rocks.

The man slightly pushed a slab in front of him and the slab move, opening an entrance to a cave. The man quickly entered the cave, and then closed behind him.

Inside the cave, there is a large cavern, as large as a football field. The surface was smooth, and the air wasn’t stale, but fresh instead. This cave looked like it didn’t exist naturally, but create, possibly using magic.

At the centre of the cavern, there is another man laying half-consciously on an old mattress, wearing a rag, looked very weak but looked quite clean instead.

The man that just made his entrance approach the another man, and opened his backpack. He took out a short weed-like plant and then pluck it’s leaves. He then reached for a bowl and then place them into it, and then pound the leaves, making it into a liquid like substance.

“Took me hours to find this herb. I bet it will do you better.”

The healthy man said and continued pounding the leaves. The sick man laying on the mattress grunted but the healthy man nodded as if he understood what the sick man said. The sick man is thanking him.

“Here, let me apply this for you.”

The healthy man walked towards the sick man with the bowl containing herbal medicine in his hand, turned the sick man around and then lifted his shirt. The sick man’s back is black and bluish is colour, and part of the flesh looked deformed. The healthy man slowly applied the medicine for the sick man, and the sick man slowly grunted.

“Damn those humans. Having such weak and difficult to repair bodies, and still they have such weak medicines.”

The healthy man grumbled. He applied more medicine for the sick man and the he stopped, and wait for it to dry.

“If it wasn’t because of that Protector, we would have accomplished our mission and we are now back at home.”

The healthy man said.

“You wouldn’t also get blasted off by that teleport magic into here and damage yourself.”

These…these are the two person that attacked Cloud and Aeris at Costa de Sol! One of them got injured and the another nurtured his partner back to health. That explains why they haven’t make any move recently.

“Guard…ian…”

The sick man groaned and the healthy man listened. He then realised that they have another mission to accomplish. Elimination of a traitor.

“But I wonder…can we defeat him?”

The healthy man said and lay down, looking at the ceiling of the cavern. He repeat after himself again and again, and then got deep into thought.

He remembered around a year ago, he was locked in a very dark capsule, half consciously, he felt strong movements and a very loud roar surrounding him constantly. After that, the capsule shook very violently, and made him regained consciousness. Soon, the roar died down and then everything went quiet. He moved around a little, trying to work out his muscles that felt like they haven’t been moved for years. The, he used all his strength to kick whatever that is in front of him, and then light is all he saw. He never saw light this bright before. He rubbed his eyes and forced himself to look around. He found himself in a vast green area, filled with grass and trees. This place looked…so beautiful.

In a little while, he heard a voice next to him. He turned around and saw another capsule next to his and it was opening. After that, out came a man with a with an saw edge sword in his hand, and he was too looking around, and spotted him too. The man stood on the spot he was, and then he spoke.

“We really need time to get use to this bodies. I felt something weird in my heart.”

The man with the saw-edged sword said and the another man just nodded. To him everything here is very new to him. He looked at his body and felt something different in his heart too. He wasn’t sure what it was. But whatever it was, they are leaving very soon. After they finished their job.

“What took you two so long to reach here?”

A voice was heard not far away and the two new comers turned towards the direction of that voice. All they saw was a man sitting on the hill slope, with his back against the two. The two aren’t shock with what they say, but what they heard.

“The language of the Jenovians! Identify yourself!”

One of the man said and he looked nervous. The man with the saw-edged sword calmed him down, and then asked the man that is sitting again.

“Guardian, I presume. The lords of the league presumed that you are already perished after not returning for a thousand years.”

The saw-edged swordsman said but the man that was called the guardian didn’t bother to look at the two. He just continue sitting there, cold as usual.

“Can’t believe that after a thousand years Jenovians still know me. I didn’t know I was that famous.”

The saw-edged swordsman nodded.

“As scout chief of the Jenovian army, I ask for your assistance in accomplishing our mission. We are locating the long lost Jenova. I ask for any information concerning Jenova.”

The guardian just sat down, and now he was looking at the sky.

“I do have information on Jenova. The information is simple. She’s dead. Your mission is accomplished. Report back to the lords that there are nothing valuable here.”

The guardian replied. The two new comers looked at each other, wondering whether to believe him.

“I have this strange feel in my heart the moment I came here. I wonder what it is. A power source, maybe?”

The man with the saw-edged sword said and the guardian just kept quiet. After a while, the guardian stood up, and faced the two new comers.

“Since you know about that already, I believe I have to destroy you both.”

The guardian said and then he immediately flipped two streaks of light towards the two new comers. The two new comers were caught by surprise but they managed to avoid it. They turned around and found out that the two streaks of light are two thin blades, being fired like bullets. The man with the saw-edged sword quickly got ready his sword, and then put himself in a defensive position. The other man had a fireball glowing in his hand, ready to cast a fire spell anytime.

The guardian now pulled out two short blades, and rushed towards the man with the saw-edged sword. Immediately, a very intense battle started. The man with the fireball magic fired a few fireballs at the guardian and the other one launched quick attacks against the guardian. The two attacked at very good timings but the guardian managed to evade them all. The guardian looked like he is too skilled to be defeated in a short time by the two. He managed to counterattack a few times, and succeeded. But amazingly, the wounds on them healed instantly. Looks like all the guardian’s attack are ineffective against them.

The clashing of swords and the burst of fireballs suddenly stopped and the man jumped backwards, landing on the grass with his two blades still in his hands. He slowly put them in his clothing, and look at the two.

“Hm… looks like no ordinary weapon can harm you both. But…observe.”

The guardian suddenly lifted his arms into the sky, and then he mumbled some words in his mouth quietly. The two new comers looked at him, not knowing what he was doing.

Suddenly, the sky turned dark and then the wind started to blow strong. Lightning struck onto the ground and the entire place looked different. The guardian concentrated even more, and then slowly, a black mass formed above him.

“That…that can’t be! That spell had been forbidden for hundred of years! All three of us will not live!”

The man that attack with fireballs said. The other man dashed towards the guardian, hoping to stop him, but was forced back by an invisible shield. The man with the fireball attack attacked with a few fireballs but they were all reflected. The two looked at the guardian with awe, not knowing what to do.

“The ultimate destruction spell. We will all be dead if he managed to cast this spell. Including himself.”

The swordsman said and then he dashed towards the guardian and attack a few more times. All attacks failed. The magician started to panic but there is nothing he can do. None of his magic work. He attacked again and again but they all failed. The guardian’s black mass became bigger and bigger. It looked like it can explode at any moment.

“There must be someway to stop this spell!” The magician said and then he murmured to himself, planning to cast spell that will probably save himself.

“Illusion…”

Suddenly a voice was heard. There was a little girl running toward the guardian and she was shouting with joy. She looked like she was just around 10 years old and she looked so sweet. The guardian saw the girl and suddenly he was shocked. He never expected a child to be here at this time. If he cast that spell, he will kill everybody here, including the girl. He thought that it may be an illusion, but what if it isn’t? He would have killed an innocent girl!

The guardian’s mind was distorted. He was losing concentration. The black mass on top of him started to flicker as he gets more thoughts and doubts. He started not knowing what to do. The magician looked at the man and knew that his trick had worked. He immediately charged up a fireball and threw towards the guardian. The fireball went through the shield and it was a direct hit. The guardian was knocked off his feet, and flew backwards. The black mass disappeared and the surroundings calmed down. The guardian lost.

“You are too much human. That leads to your defeat.”

The swordsman walked towards the guardian and then he pointed his sword toward him. At any moment the swordsman is going to give a killing blow that will kill the guardian once and for all. The swordsman’s sword was lifted up and it went all the way down.

The sword went down and then there was a very bright glow. Suddenly, the guardian turned into stone and the sword smashed onto it, but not damaging it. The swordsman tried to destroy the stoned guardian but he couldn’t. His sword just could penetrate it.

The magician walked towards the swordsman and saw the stone statue. He was shock that the guardian will cast such a spell to defend himself. He turned himself into stone, making himself invulnerable for some time. That was one desperate trick to use.

“He turned himself to stone. Not even my magic can destroy this.”

The magician said. The swordsman just held his sword in his hands and then he turned away. He slowly walked towards the horizon and the magician catch up with him.

“Where are we going?”

The magician asked from behind the swordsman. The swordsman kept quiet for a while, then he explained.

“There are normally a pair of local dwellers that are created by the planet to protect itself. The power of those two dwellers normally reflect the amount of energy that can be extracted.”

The swordsman said and the magician understood what the swordsman wants to do. He wanted to look for the two dwellers. But this is out of their mission boundary.

“What about guardian?”

The magician asked. The swordsman just continued walking, and then he said.

“He is too human to fight us. He won’t poise a threat.”

The swordsman said simply. The magician understood and continued following the swordsman. That is how their journey to seek and destroy Cloud and Aeris started, and what that lead to the swordsman’s defeat.

Hours had past since the healthy man applied medicine for the sick man. The healthy man kept thinking about how he and his partner landed here. They underestimated the protector – Aeris. Never did they thought that this planet have such powerful fighters. Even though they have the amazing ability to heal themselves, the sick man’s case was a really bad one. He was not only teleported to this place, but he was also be hit by a piece of the meteor they summoned before they were teleported. The sick man’s internal organ are all damaged and his back was burnt badly. It is a miracle that he survive, even for a self-healing organism.

Although after around two monthly, the sick man had healed a lot, but there is a problem they faced. They sick man was infected with a sickness the two never encountered before. It tremendously slowed down the sick man’s healing process and is slowing killing him. A few days ago, the sick man’s condition was better. But now, he was half-conscious and groaning all the time. It was a matter of time.

“Hack!!”

The sick man suddenly cough and blood spurted out from his mouth. The healthy man rushed to the sick man’s side and he quickly diagnosed the sick man to see what happened. The sick man coughed and coughed and more blood was spurted out. After a while, the sick man became very weak. Then, his head just tiled to the side and then that’s it. No movements or reactions anymore. The healthy man pushed the sick man for a while but no response. The sick man was already gone.

“Why?! After all you have been through?!”

The healthy man shouted with all his might and recalled the time when he nursed the sick man. They have been through so much, and they achieve a lot. But now, all that was nothing. The sick man was gone and there was nothing he could do.

“If we are back home. You surely have survived.”

The healthy man mumbled and tears flowed out from his eyes and dripped onto the sick man’s dead body. He felt very depressed that his only friend had gone away. He never felt anything like this before. Not for five hundred years.

“Rest in peace, my friend.”

The healthy man said and he closed the sick man’s eyes. He got up and stared at the sick man for a while. Then, he walked towards a corner of the cave and pulled out something from beneath the rocks. It was the saw-edged sword of the sick man. The healthy man slowly examine the sword. It was in perfect shape, as usual.

“I will avenge you. I promise.”

The healthy man said and walked towards the exit of the cave. He pushed the slab of rock and then he walked out, and then closed it behind him. This place will be the tomb of one of the greatest fighters among the Jenovians.