Back on Earth By: Fragraham Lincon Chapter one Memorium Warning: This fanfic is kind of depressing. By kind of I mean very. And by depressing I mean that I am not to be held responsible for any suicides that occur as a result of reading this fic. Authors note: This fanfic is not directly based on FF7 but is rather a spin off. You may find that many character's roles change. Minor characters may become major characters and major characters may only have bit parts and some are entirely out of character. But don't take it from me. Read on and enjoy this fun filled suicidaly depressing bloodbath. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- People once believed that a crow carries the soul to the land of the dead. But sometimes a terrible sadness is carried with that soul. And sometimes just sometimes the crow can bring the soul back to set the wrong things right. Because sometimes love is stronger than death. In the city of Midgar sadness is the norm. But two people find happiness in their love. In sector six standing out of makeshift housing is one beautifully kept house. Leaning against an inside wall by the door is a large sword rust from disuse. The house is empty for the moment. A girl enters. She is wearing pink and is in her early twenties. She is carrying a flower basket. There are no flowers in it. It is however filled with one gill bills. The girl sets the basket down and begins to tidy up the house. (A young man with spiky blond hair enters.) Cloud: Aeris I'm home. Aeris: Oh, Cloud how was work? You're a bit late. Cloud: Yeah, I put in some overtime today. Man I'm tired. If only I had made soldier I wouldn't have to worry about money. Then I could buy you that ring. Aeris: I don't care about that. If you joined soldier you would have to travel and then we couldn't be together. The mako reactor is a good enough job. It's honest work. And I don't care about the ring either. So long as we get married I'll be happy. Cloud: Well it's too late to argue because I should have enough gill by the time I get my next paycheck. And I won't let you talk me out of it. You deserve that much. Aeris: Cloud you're too good to me. I'm going to get spoiled. Cloud: It's the least I can do to repay you for falling in love with a nobody like me. You deserve the world and I know I can't give that to you but I'll do all I can to make you happy. Aeris: Cloud you're what makes me happy. (There is a knock at the door. Aeris opens the door. A man in black with long white hair is there.) Aeris: Oh, Sephiroth nice to see you. Please come in. (Sephiroth enters and sits down.) Cloud: Hey, Sephiroth what brings you here? Sephiroth: I just wanted to visit my best friend and his bride to be. Aeris: How kind of you. Even after you made first class Soldier you still take time out to see your old friends. Can I offer you some coffee? Sephiroth: Yes please. You know many of the third classes wanted me to go drinking with them. But I would rather spend time here. They only pretend to like me because I'm an elite fighter. We grew up together. Cloud: Man, how do you stay so modest? If I were half as good as you I'd be rubbing everyone's noses in it. Sephiroth: Shinra politicians do all the bragging. But I don't want to talk about work. How about you? Have you been all right? And how's Aeris? Cloud: She doesn't want me to spend too much money on her but I always insist. And Guess what. I have enough for the ring. Now I don't have to put the wedding off any longer. And I expect to see you there. As my best man obviously. Sephiroth: I...I'm honored. Why me. Cloud: (sarcastically) Hmmm. Well is it that you're my best friend in the world or that the other choice was Biggs who would get arrested as soon as he showed up. Sephiroth: But I didn't here that last part. Besides, I don't want to waste my time looking for Avalanche members. They're harmless. (Aeris enters the room with three cups of coffee) Sephiroth: Ah, thank you. So do you intend to keep working once you're married? I mean the streets are so dangerous. Aeris: I'm used to the slums. I've lived here all my life. I couldn't bear to be shut up in the house all day. Cloud: Some day Aeris I'm going to get us out of the city. Just wait. You'll love Nibbleheim. Aeris: I'm looking forward to it. (Sephiroth finnishes off his coffee) Sephiroth: Well, I have to be going. I'll see you at the wedding. (Sephiroth steps out. He walks slowly at first then begins running and stops some distance from the house) Sephiroth: I don't care what President Shinra says I just can't do it. (Back at the house) Aeris: My he left in quite a hurry. Cloud: He seemed worried about something. But then again he's always been a little high strung. I wonder if it had anything to do with the recent explosion at reactor number two. (Later at Shinra tower) Tseng: Sephiroth how could you be such a coward. (slaps sephiroth) Sephiroth: Can't you pick someone else? Cloud is a loyal employee and a good friend. He's done nothing wrong. Tseng: I'm starting to think that your loyalties are misplaced. Sephiroth: No, I just... Tseng: You're too soft Sephiroth. If I were ordered to kill one of my own men I wouldn't hesitate for a minute. Sephiroth: But why cloud? Why can't it be someone else. Tseng: How should I know? I'm just following orders myself. (Enter Rufus) Rufus: I'll tell you why. Because the Shinra can't admit that our security was lax enough to let some avalanche members waltz in and plant a bomb in one of our reactors. It has to be someone who knows everything there is to know about the reactors and Cloud fits the description. We Need to send a message to the public. Mistrust is rising. The people's need for justice has to be satisfied whether it's the right man or not. Sephiroth: I am sorry sir. Rufus: Well, don't let it happen again. Sephiroth: Yes sir. (Begins to leave) Rufus: Oh, and to make sure you don't mess up this time I'm sending Tseng with you. Later a few floors down. Elaina: Tseng you're not going through with this are you? Turks are not assassins. Tseng: A good Turk does what he's told. Elaina: That isn't what you told me. Tseng: Well, it is now. The next night. Sephiroth enters Cloud's house followed by Tseng and Rude. Cloud: Sephiroth why did you bring them? I know you work with them and all but you know good and well that Aeris doesn't like having Tseng around. Sephiroth: I...I'm sorry. Please forgive me. Cloud: Okay don't get all teary eyed over it. Sephiroth: Cloud... (takes out his sword) ...Forgive me (Sephiroth strikes a perfect blow to Cloud's heart.) Cloud: (choking on blood) Why.... (Cloud reaches for Sephiroth. He falls dead his hand leaving a streak of blood as it passes Sephiroth's chest and down to the floor.) Sephiroth: N..Now let's go before Aeris wakes up. (Unfortunately it is too late as Aeris comes down the stairs to see Sephiroth standing over Cloud's body) Rude: Sephiroth you know we can't have any witnesses. Sephiroth: (Turns on Rude) No that wasn't the deal. Tseng: Well if we don't She'll tell someone. Aeris: CLOUD!!! Sephiroth you.... (Aeris takes up Cloud's rusty old sword and runs toward Sephiroth. Sephiroth acting out of reflex stabs Aeris.) Sephiroth: NO, AERIS!!! Tseng: Good work. Let's go home. (Tseng and Rude leave. Sephiroth Holds Aeris in his arms.) Sphiroth: Aeris please don't die. (Voice begins to crack) Hold on I won't let it end this way. Aeris: Why Sephiroth? (Sephiroth Carries Aeris to a hospital. The medics are giving her the best treatment possible but she is still fading. Sephiroth holds her hand.) Sephiroth: Please... (Aeris Does not respond. Her heart monitor flat lines. The medics try several times to revive her but are unsuccesful.) Wedge(as medic): I'm sorry. There was nothing we could do. If She had gotten here sooner or if we had more of her blood type on hand it might have been different. Jessie(as medic): Whoever did that must have been a cold blooded professional. She was hit right in a major artery. An inch one way or the other and she could have survived. Sephiroth: I'll tell you who that was. It was me. And this can never leave this room. (Sephiroth quickly mows down Wedge. Jessie tries to run but is caught as well.) Sephiroth: Surely I am damned now. (Falls to his knees) OH, GOD WHAT HAVE I DONE? (Later Sephiroth returns to the house where he had just committed his unspeakable crime and burns it to the ground.) Sephiroth: Flames consume and purify. My sins cannot be forgiven. It matters not what I do from here. I am but grim Death's pawn. (One year later.) Rain is pouring down but the lower parts of Midgar are dry except for where leaks in the plate allow some water to slip through. Some water trickles down into a cemetery. It flows over two graves marked Aeris Gainsborough and Cloud Stryfe. The soil moistens. From the mud of Aeris's grave a hand tears through. Soaked and dirty Aeris crawls to the surface. Her face pale and marked with black lines. She's confused but seems to have a purpose. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [End of Part One.] Aeris is Back on Earth. But why? Find out in part two: "Hell to Pay" ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- If you want to tell me what you think of this fic my Email is on the front page. (it is my site after all) or just sign my guestbook. (Go ahead I actualy read it)