Chapter 7

The planet isn’t like a lifeless mass as you all think it is. It has a consciousness, it can feel pain, it had feelings just like the dominant species-humans on the surface does. Aeris knows this very well, she had the ability to talk to the planet and feel the pain, sorrow or fear the planet felt.

In order to feel secure, the planet created guardians to protect itself against various treats. I believed you all knew what they are basically, since you all defeated them before. The weapons, strong, powerful, huge creatures were created to guard the planet. They have only one life purpose, to destroy anything that poses threat to the planet, including the humans that dwelled on the planet itself, thus explaining the many attacks on Shinra installations that sucks the mako out of the earth.

But the weapons are creatures that could do so much damage until it could also poise a threat to the planet itself. So, the planet sealed it in the center of the earth and only release them when necessary.

Around twenty years ago, the planet created guardians that could prove to be active and do not poise any threat to the creatures above. The planet created two ultimate human beings, that held powers so amazing that exceeds any power that a creature can possess.

The first ultimate human that possess such power is the protector. It holds many powers that could heal, protect and cure different ‘wounds’ the planet has. Not only the power to heal and restore, the powers to heal the creatures on the surface was also possessed by the protector.

The protector is the only one human that manipulates the holy element magic. Holy, the neutral element of the planet, can heal, defend and act as the shield of the planet. It’s so powerful that it could even deflect a meteor, like the time where you all witnessed how holy with the help of life stream deflected the meteor Sephiroth summoned. The power of holy was never to be underestimated.

And the second ultimate human that the planet created was called the destroyer. He was a very fearful person, possesses destructive power so fearful that virtually no living creature in this planet besides the weapons had the strength to match against it. Like what they called it, it’s purpose was the same like the weapons, to destroy, but only a huge monster in a small, human form.

The elements he could manipulate include all the elements including holy itself. He could create tidal waves, tornadoes, blizzards at will, he has strength so powerful that even the toughest metal in the planet couldn’t resist his blows, he could even shape the earth as he wished, if the planet allows.

So, for quite some time, the planet already had two powerful guardians walking on the surface without the people knowing. Like everyone, they live among the other humans without even knowing the power they possess. The two of them weren’t even aware of their capability, until a threat was coming. No one knew for real who actually are the two guardians. Until recently, I accidentally stumbled across the two, and I guess you all can figure out who they are by now.

That should clear things up a little...on Aeris’s powers.

Everybody’s eyes were fixed onto Aeris. Aeris lowered her head and hid her face from everybody. Now this starts to make senses. Ever since they met Aeris, they knew that she had some healing ability in herself. The ability to talk to the planet, the ability to cast the strongest defensive spells ever known, the capability to summon holy, all points that she is the one, the one the planet created to defend itself and all the creatures on the surface. Aeris is the protector.

“Aeris knew it right from the start when she started hearing voices from the planet. She was aware of her powers and used it to save the planet by trying to summon holy in the city of the ancients, where she was killed by Sephiroth, something that shouldn’t have happened. Later, I revived her in another body because I can’t find her body in the city, and she summoned holy and the lifestream, deflected the meteor, and then she left the city and you all know the rest.”

The stranger said all of these in one breath. The others continued to stare at Aeris. Aeris felt extremely uneasy and the others started looking away.

So, this was it? Aeris, the ultimate human being?

“Then who da hell is the destroyer? I didn’t know anyone that could summon tidal waves and tornados without the help of materia!” Cid suddenly exclaimed.

Everyone then eluded in thought for a while. Then, an idea came by.

“Sephiroth! It must be him! He’s the only one that can cause mayhem so powerful that nobody could stop him! His powers must had already seeped into Cloud when his body was suddenly switched with Cloud’s! That explained the strange powers Cloud possessed recently!”

Yuffie exclaimed. The others nodded and agreed. Yuffie had a point.

“Sephiroth might be a very powerful fighter but he was not the destroyer. He was a Jenovian cell infused human who gained his abilities from Jenova. It was someone else. The person that switched body with him and discovered that awesome power in his body. Cloud, you should thank to Sephiroth for opening up the seal that sealed your power within yourself.”

Cloud was shocked to hear this. Does that mean that he was the destroyer? The second ultimate human being? This couldn’t be true! He only knew how to fight, not casting powerful spells like tidal waves without materias!

“Yes you are, Cloud. You have to thank to Sephiroth’s eager will to live and escaped from the lifestream with you entangling him back into your body and you inside his. Sephiroth is a Jenovian and the planet doesn’t easily accept such a different life. It rejected it and you followed him, that explains why you are revived. The planet kept on ‘feeding’ you with life until the defeat of Sephiroth and your return in your own body, then the planet tried to kill you in order to stop the ‘feeding’, when Aeris suddenly gave you the lifestream generator I gave her and you lived, the planet had to ‘feed’ her instead. Now, understand why you both are still alive?”

The couple listened and stare at the stranger with astonishment. That was a hell lot of confusing, twisted, crazy explanations! Is that what happen when you revive someone? Unbalance in the lifestream? Heck! This is complicating!

The team went silent. This was a more shocking story. Now, they have not only one, but two ultimate humans under the same roof as they are? Both of them their friends?

Red XIII wasn’t thinking hardly and suddenly there was shock in his face. He interrupted the silence.

“Hold on, if Sephiroth can’t be accepted by the lifestream, isn’t he much alive, walking around?”

Red XIII expressed his concerns and the stranger could see fear in the other’s faces. He smile a little and comforted.

“Don’t worry. After Sephiroth knew what potential power Cloud possessed, he was far away, hiding away from Cloud. Now, you two have bigger concerns to worry about.”

The stranger said the couple was astonished again. Bigger concerns?

“Remember the two Jenovian Conjurers you’ve been curious about?”

The stranger asked the others closed up. They asked this question a long time ago but got no reply. Now is the time to get shocked again.

“I am not sure of their purposes, but I think they had heard something about this planet and was here as scouts and spies. They probably knew about Aeris and Cloud’s true identity and was here to test their strength.”

The others listened and finally understood what was going on for the past few months, which was in mystery. Now, things really cleared up.

“So, what will they do next? Attack us again?”

The stranger shook his head as a no. Then he spoke again.

“They will plan something bigger, something the planet feared all the time. Besides, if there wasn’t going to be a big threat, why do think the planet bothered to keep Aeris alive? She’s still ‘feeding’ on the planet’s life!”

The stranger said and sat back, lay down and rested. The others looked at Aeris again. Will she go away again? More important, what was this threat this stranger was talking about?

Only the stranger knows.

Time really flies without you knowing it. After the stranger finished his story, the members of the Avalanche went out for their daily routine or just to escape from the cramped house of Cid’s. Barret went to send Marlene to school and then went to Cid in the bar. Tifa went checking out on the 7^th Heaven that was still on construction, Red XIII disappeared along with Vincent, Yuffie went materia hunting again, Cait Sith was probably entertaining kids in the nearby childcare center, the stranger left and his location was not known, and Cloud and Aeris remained in Cid’s house.

Apparently, the two aren’t very happy with what that was going on. Every since the stranger left, they hadn’t spoke even a word to each other. Cloud is still quietly sitting in the living room, staring at the ceiling and Aeris is in her room, lying down on the bed and recalling the past. Hours past by yet the silence still continued. It was a creak of a door that broke the silence.

“Cloud.”

Aeris walked out of the room and called him. Cloud remained silent and didn’t answer Aeris. Aeris called him again but still nothing. The two seemed to be so far away again, nothing like a pair of newly wed couple. So different with what it was a few days ago.

“Are you hungry?”

Aeris asked but Cloud ignored her. Aeris started to get frustrated with Cloud but she kept it to herself. She sat next to Cloud and held his hand. She had knew him for a long time already. This is what Cloud do when he’s moody. She just have to tolerate it. Besides, what can she do? Dump him at a time like this?

“What else are you still hiding away from me?”

Cloud asked. Aeris’s eyes grew wide and there was a strange expression in her eyes. Cloud looked at her and could tell that there’s still something she didn’t tell him. Aeris is still hiding something away from him. Cloud could sense it.

“What are you talking about?...you don’t trust your wife?”

Aeris replied with a shaky tone. Aeris couldn’t lie. She just couldn’t. After all this time, there are so many things she hadn’t told Cloud about. Cloud knew about this all the time but he just don’t want to know what those are. History is history, no use mentioning about it. But now, after all that happened, after all this ‘truth’ that the stranger told him, however hard is it to believe, Cloud had to know more, he had to know everything, no matter how painful it is.

“Aeris, you hide your true identity away from me when me met again after the meteor incident. Then you lied to me that you are revived by the planet when the fact is that you are revived by that stranger. You even lied to me and ran to the city of ancients to die silently. Aeris, please, tell me. What is it this time? What else are you still hiding?”

Aeris turned away the moment Cloud asked those questions. She couldn’t look into to interrogating eyes. They are so mean, so fierce, like they are going to dig her heart contents out. The guilt inside her build. She is hiding something.

“Aeris, tell me.”

Cloud asked again. Aeris didn’t answer and continue looking away from Cloud. Cloud got up and marched towards her. He grabbed Aeris and shook her.

“What is it?!”

Cloud shouted. Aeris couldn’t bear it and tears rolled down her cheek. She broke loose from Cloud and stepped backwards. Then she grabbed her head and cried out.

“I had an affair with him before!”

Him? Which him? There are so many people that can be addressed as him. But now she could only mean someone. Cloud looked at Aeris in disbelieve. He couldn’t find the right word to say, he couldn’t figure what to think, he didn’t know what to do. He just stood there, stunned, looking at Aeris that was still sobbing.

“I had a relationship with your father before I left him. Both of us are lonely there and we...”

Aeris couldn’t continue. It was something she didn’t want to think or talk about but it finally broke loose. It was something that Cloud shouldn’t find out.

“What kind of relationship? Tell me you two are just friends.”

Cloud asked, hoping to get a ‘yes’ as an answer. Aeris looked down in shame, with tears still flowing down her cheek. Slowly, she spoke.

“A very, very close relationship...”

Cloud was like struck by lightning when he heard this. Never in his life he expected such an answer. They been through so much, they experience so many strange and virtually impossible to overcome obstacles. But now, this is something he just couldn’t bear.

“My wife...with a stranger that claimed himself as my father?”

Word flowed out from Cloud’s mouth without him realizing it. Cloud’s eyes was filled with betrayal when he looked at Aeris that was wiping her tears off. She was filled with guilt. All the innocence of her was gone. She wasn’t that innocent he thought she was.

Now, Cloud felt what Tifa felt when he dumped her. Those tears in his heart, those burning sensation, those words the couldn’t believe is true. He felt the pain too.

“Why...him?!!!”

Cloud shouted and threw his fist into the air. Aeris stepped backwards a few steps and Cloud shouted with the top of his voice. Then, a savage look formed on Cloud’s face. His anger shot up. He looked like he is going to act violently.

“That...man...I am going to get him!!!”

Cloud shouted again and shot out of the house before Aeris could stop him. He flung open the door so violently that the hinges broke. Aeris, realizing that she made a great mistake, chased after Cloud, but at the moment she stepped out of the house, she soon found out that he was no where to be seen.