Final Fantasy VII No Greater Loss By Sephiroth Disclaimer: Don't own 'em. Ain't gettin' paid. ------------------------ -Chapter 1- -The Path of Salvation- Aeris woke and looked up at the night sky. Tomorrow, she told herself, they would enter Nibelheim. Walk through the gates of a city that had burned down five years ago. Had Cloud exaggerated? Or had Shinra or some other person or persons rebuilt it? Both were possibilities. As much as she liked Cloud, she had the distinct impression that he wasn't being completely honest... not even with himself. The stars were bright and beautiful, each awakening in her a sense of hope and purpose. She stood up and fixed her clothes. She was too restless to sleep. But she did not wish to wake the others. She felt it would be terribly rude of her. Instead, she walked into the city by herself and made her way to the mansion where the nightmare they now fought to stop had begun five years ago. Exploring the mansion, she tried to find the basement. She was about to give up when she remembered Cloud saying how the basement door was on the second floor. Ascending the stairs and opening the bedroom door, she found something unexpected. Sephiroth was lying in the bed, sound asleep. His sword was leaning against a chair by the far wall and his armor was hung over it. Normally he didn't need sleep, but his body was still recovering from the ordeal of five years before and the long journey from the Northern Cavern to this place had exhausted him. Seeing Sephiroth like that stirred something in Aeris. Without fear or hesitation, she stepped up to the sleeping man and placed a kiss upon his lips. Had he not been so fatigued, Sephiroth might have attacked or even killed her. But as it was, he lie there and let her kiss him. He resisted responding at first, but soon gave in. His body had seemed to be more intent on ignoring his mind than her body. "I could've killed you," he whispered, sleepily. "I know," Aeris admitted. "But I just couldn't help myself. You looked so cute sleeping there." "I looked cute?" Sephiroth was somewhat taken aback by this. "I... the Great Sephiroth... looked *cute*?" Aeris nodded. "Extremely." Aeris took a mirror from her pocket and held it so Sephiroth could see his own reflection. "See? See how cute you are?" Sephiroth sighed. "What are you talking about? I look just as I thought I did. Firm and military, like any ex-general of SOLDIER would." "Oh, come now. Look at those eyes. Those beautiful shimmering eyes," Aeris praised. "And that sexy mouth. I bet the girls just love kissing those sensuous lips of yours... or maybe the boys?" "Until you came along, nobody ever kissed me," Sephiroth remarked pointed. "What is the point of all this nonsense anyhow?" "I would hardly call praising your good looks and sexy voice nonsense." Sephiroth sighed. This woman, whoever she was, wasn't going to let up. "Do you have any idea who I am?" "You're a man whose made many mistakes in the past," Aeris replied. "But you can change. Anyone can if they're given the chance." "My sins are too numerous to be redeemed," Sephiroth pointed out. "Those sins were committed because you believed in a lie," Aeris told him. "Sephiroth, listen to me. Jenova is not your mother. She can't be. My mother told me about Jenova when I was little. She said Jenova was a living virus, a sickness, incapable of reproduction. Her cells could be injected into a child who already existed, but she couldn't bear or deliver a child of her own, not even if she were alive. She doesn't love you, Sephiroth. She's just using you. She wants the world to end, so she's using you as her tool to destroy it." "Don't listen to her," Jenova was suddenly in the room, baleful eyes focused on Aeris. "I am your mother, Sephiroth. Your mother who wishes to protect and guide you. I only want what's in your best interest, and this is for you to become ruler of this planet." Aeris turned to her, her eyes querisome, and asked "Why?" "Because it is his destiny, you meddling fool," Jenova snarled. "It is my son's destiny to rule this planet in my name as it's god." Aeris did not flinch. Instead, she smiled in quiet triumph. "That's not what a mother's answer would've been." Jenova's long tentacles continued to stroke Sephiroth's face in an obscene parody of maternal concern. "Pay her no mind, my beloved son," she went on coaxing. She had no intention of letting this Cetra take her plaything from her. "He belongs with us, with other human beings like himself," Aeris insisted. "No matter how enhanced he is, he is still human. Still mortal. Your act of kindness is just that, an act. You know that what you want him to do will kill him along with the rest of us. I won't let you kill him, Jenova." "Even after he killed all those people?" "He did so only because of the lies you and Hojo fed him all his life," Aeris countered. "There is still hope for him and I won't let you destroy his last chance." "Neither will I," another voice spoke nearby. "Because I love him." Aeris looked up and could see the reflection of a dark haired woman in the mirror. She was so beautiful that Aeris felt overwhelmed to look upon her. Sephiroth also saw the woman's reflection. He turned to speak to her, but the room was empty, save for himself, Aeris, and Jenova. He looked back at the mirror, and she was there. "I wish I could save you, my son," the woman-reflection told Sephiroth. "But I cannot. All I can do is remove the shackles that prevent you from saving yourself. I forgive your past, for you were never truly given the right to choose. Your future, however, does belong to you now. Not to Jenova, or myself, or even Aer..." Whatever Lucrecia had to say beyond that point was lost in a spray of glass and silver as Jenova shattered the mirror in a violent rage. At that moment, any lingering doubts Sephiroth might have had vanished completely. Sephiroth charged forward, determined to destroy the creature who had almost sent him hurtling down a into an abyss of self-destruction. The world must be rid of this thing, and then of him. He would kill it... kill Jenova. Then... But Jenova was gone, only her laughter remaining behind as the sword struck the air where she once had been. Sephiroth returned his sword to its place at his side. "You'd better get back to your friends," he told Aeris. "They will be worried about you." Aeris nodded then planted a kiss on his cheek. "What about you?" "Go..." Sephiroth pointed to the door. If he had an answer for her, he wasn't ready to give it. Not yet. Aeris turned and left the mansion. She returned, quietly, to the campsite where the others still slept. Slipping into her sleeping bag, she closed her eyes and dreamt, for what was left of the night, of the man she was falling in love with. -End of Part 1-