Final Fantasy 7's: Intertwined Destinies

Ch. 4: Truth and Lies

            It was so confusing how friends break up wonderful relationships over futile things.  The mere thought of ending a friendship on a misunderstanding would make anyone laugh.  It was silly; surely, something that childish could, or would, never happen.  Surely....

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            Aeris stood on the deck of the Highwind, the wind ripping through her hair.  Her pale brow creased in thought.  Beads of light sweat formed in her small hands.  Aeris was torn.  Torn between the love of her life, and her friend that was like a sister to her.  This was not fair to any of them.  First the love triangle, where no one knew who they loved or liked.  That evil triangle where feelings where really unknown until that one day.  She could clearly remember that day in the Temple, when she asked Cait Sith for his prediction.  Her heart leapt for joy when her love was confirmed, the happiness she felt was so unreal.  She had never felt so wonderful in her life, but she was pulled back into the reality of the situation when she saw Tifa's face.  That face, beautiful in everyway, that beautiful face, contorted with anguish and despair.

            Aeris closed her eyes and put her hands on her face.  This was her life.  Here she was, alive, living in the past, not living in the present, not living at all.  Her body shook violently as the Highwind started picking up speed.  She stared at her hands, the hands that brought about salvation to their world.  These same hands that made a heart-wrenching promise to her friend, to Tifa.  She jerked her head into the wind suddenly and the ribbon in her hair tore, leaving her red locks free to fly.  She cried and cried.  A promise, this was what all her pain and torture was over, a promise.

This whole war started with a simple promise!  METEOR, Jenova, everything!! Started with a-a, PROMISE!  And now, new danger is around the corner and i am helpless!

            Aeris' knees gave way and she fell onto the deck.  There was so much that was going on, it was right under their noses and there was nothing she could do about it until the right time came.  But, when was it?

"Will there ever really be a right time Tif?"

            She whispered a lone question to the world.  Two eyes glistened with tears from the biting wind.

"Well, after all this time I thought you knew."

            She didn't need to turn around to know who it was.  Vincent.  He made his way to her and picked her up to carry her in his arms.  He carried her down the stairs and at the foot, set her down on her feet.  They stared at each other for a moment and nodded.  They made their way towards the conference room. 

Maybe its time I told someone, after all, I'm the reason she left.

            When the room doors were closed and locked behind them, Aeris faced him. 

"You know that there is something off, don't you?"

            Her eyes flashed a look of undoubted seriousness.  Vincent let his eyes flash back at her.

"Yes.  We were fools to think fate was finished with us.  But tell me, where is Tifa?"

            There was a long maddening pause.  Aeris' chest was moving outward and inward rapidly.  Her breathing grew faster with every second.  Vincent laid a hand on her shoulder and let her calm herself down.  When Aeris finally lifted her face to his, her eyes were blood shot. 

"Living her life without us.  We are in more trouble than you know."

            Vincent shook his head.  He knew this.  There was no way Tifa was dead.  He knew that a new danger was itching closer.  So close he could feel its venomous breath on his neck.  His blood red eyes flared with intense anger and suspicion. 

"That is not an answer Aeris!  Where_is_she?"

            Aeris narrowed her eyes.

"What is with you all?  What should it matter if she were here or not?  She's alive and happy, that's all that matters!"

            Aeris' bottom lip quivered like a child's.  In truth it did matter, to all of them.  Vincent pulled out his gun and aimed it at her forehead.  The barrel pressed a small impression in her head.

"Yes, it does matter.  Now tell me!"

            Fury was raging like a fire in his eyes, his finger squeezed at the trigger, close to firing.  Aeris closed her eyes.  He knew...but how?  She opened her eyes.

"You know just as much as I do, you just don't know WHERE."

            He pulled the gun away and put it back into its hold.  The suspense was driving him insane.

"My question is, how?"

            Vincent turned back to her and grunted.  He pulled out a chair for her to sit in and she did so.

"It all started five months before she vanished.  She had looked like she hadn't been sleeping well so I asked her to have lunch with me one afternoon."

            Vincent paused his story to see if Aeris remembered this time before and acknowledged it with a 'go on'.

"I asked her if anything was the matter and she instantly burst out in tears.  She told me about her confusing dreams at night.  She had wanted to tell someone, but she was told not to because her fate was intertwined within these dreams.."

            At this time Vincent poured himself a glass of water to calm himself down, he had been talking in a heated whisper.  After a few sips he started to tell his story again, this time with a more calm manner.

"She explained what the dreams were like, and what happened in them.  But, no matter how hard I tried to decipher them, I could not.  She made me promise not to tell anyone.  Then one night, I went to her house to borrow some fuel for the fire, when I went inside, I could hear her gasping for air."

            Aeris covered her mouth with her left hand as he went on.

"I went up to see what the problem was and there she was, lying in the bed, her body drenched with sweat.  I looked her over and shook her so she could wake up, but she didn't.  Her breathing went from rapid to deathly slow.  There seemed like there was nothing I could do.  Then, I touched her forehead.  A powerful wave of energy swept over my body and as my eyes closed in pain, I saw what she was dreaming.  I still can remember the immense power and fear in it.  Since then, I've been having dreams like hers, the only difference is that every morning I forget what happened."

            Vincent took this time to rub his temples.  This whole story was time consuming and painful.  Aeris put her free hand on Vincent's left to silently tell him to go on.  Vincent swallowed hard.

"What I can say is that these dreams are FAR more worse than the ones I had before I met all of you."

            Vincent gave a tired smirk.  It seemed to him that the only person he could really smile to was Yuffie.  He slid off the table and leveled his face with Aeris'.

"But Aeris there is one thing I DO remember.  The saying,'  "

            Aeris let her gaze fall to the ground.  This was it, this was her sign.  She had to tell everyone the truth, but the truth was, Aeris only knew Tifa's location, not what fate wanted with them.

            Vincent looked down at Aeris.

Are you going to tell me?  How long Aeris, how long?

            Aeris sighed heavily and stood up.

"I've made my decision.  I will tell everyone together, I'm going to go to the bridge to tell Cloud."

            Vincent nodded and followed her out of the conference room.  After they had left a leg popped out from under the table. 

            "Hey, watch it Bub!"

            "Sorry, can't help it if you have a fat face!"

            "!?"

            The sounds continued until two people stood face to face.

"Very smart of you to drop the communicator down there."

"Yeah, yeah whatever.  Look, did you hear what they said?"

"Yeah, this could mean serious trouble for us AND them.  None of 'em are ready, especially Cloud!"

            The female sighed.

"Look, I'm going to go report to Artemis, okay?  You find Yuffie and tell her what has happened."

"Yes mother.  I got this covered, and Elena, stay there and take Rude with you."

            Elena rolled her eyes.  She hated when Reno thought TOO high of himself.

"Yes daddy.  Now, make sure you don't get 'distracted' by Yuffie, Reno."

            Reno tossed some hair over his shoulder.

"Jealous, no prob.  Oh and Elena?  Its Big Daddy."

"Oh I'm SO sorry for getting that wrong."

            Elena shook her head and crept out the room, down to the chocobo stables.  Reno pulled out his cell phone and pressed speed dial. After a few rings, Yuffie's voice came up on the other end.

"Hello?  Reno, that you?"

"Yeah, babe, we've got trouble.  Aeris is gonna tell it."

            Yuffie snorted on the other end.  Aeris was SO weak.

"Yeah okay, you know what to do."

            Reno hung up the phone and disappeared.  The man from the chocobo stables walked into the room.

"I could have sworn i heard voices in here."

            He shrugged his shoulders and left the room.

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            Yuffie was standing on the deck of the Highwind.

This is not good.  Why Aeris?  And what are you hiding?!

            Yuffie's eyes narrowed as the sun suddenly began to set.  They were heading for Nebelium.  This was not good, not good at all.  Yuffie leaned back on the rail and thought for a moment. 

I have no choice, Ima have to bail.

            Yuffie checked her materia slots and spit.  She felt the Highwind land in Nebelium.  She equipped her armor for battle.  It would be a VERY long walk.  Yuffie put on her innocent/evil face when they all came up.

"Hey y'all.  What's up?"

            Aeris looked at her and smiled.

"Oh nothing, we just need everyone to meet right quick."

"Oh. Cool, ok."

            Everyone made their way passed Yuffie and went down the ladder. Her fake smile quickly vanished when she started muttering to herself as she went down the ladder.

"Showtime."

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I'm baaaaaaaaaaaaaack!  Hiya!  I hope this revision of the layout helps. Please review.  Till next chapter.