| GCB Fanfics: The Fanfiction Project |
August 21th, 2003"Aeris vs Sonic: Elysian Fields"The slice of moon was hanging high over the stands when it finally came time for the day's match. Its dull shine offering some sort of light so the match would not be a repeat of Sam Fisher vs. Magus. However, it was still difficult to make out details at a distance, even for the fighters. Sonic had requested the night match, so that Cloud and Aeris could have more time together before the match, but he had inadvertantly given himself a huge advantage. It was difficult enough to see the Blue Blur in full daylight, at night it would be nearly impossible. Aeris stepped out onto the battle-field, closing her eyes and letting the cool night breeze wash over her. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky, and the crescent moon blazed with its powerful white up in the sky, it was a beautiful night. It was a shame she had to waste it on a battle, but she had promised Sonic, and Cloud, that she would fight here, and now, anyway. So she willed herself towards the center, trying to focus on the fastest, easiest way to fight her friend and savior. Suddenly the stadium lights flipped on as Sonic blasted into the arena, making the usual spectacle the fans had come to expect from him. He'd been thinking a lot about what Cloud had told him earlier that day...but he shook it off now, as he ran laps around the stadium to the tune of his cheering fans. These fights were supposed to be fun,not so serious and down-in-the-dumps all the time! And he was going to have some fun with this one...even if he was fighting someone he didn't really want to. Once Sonic had finished showing off, he met Aeris near the center of the field. The hedgehog zipped right up to Aeris’ knees and said, “Right, Aeris...you ready?” he asked, grinning and bouncing on his feet. She nodded, letting her warm smile add more light to the now brightened stadium. “Thank you again for postponing the match. It was a wonderful gesture,” she told him warmly. Then she crossed her arms, and put on a wry smirk. “Of course, it might've been better for the slow, flashy magician if you'd made it say...an hour earlier.” “I so wasn’t thinking about that when I requested the night match, and besides you’ll be fine. Just keep your eyes peeled for the natural camouflage,” Sonic joked, posing to show off his bright blue fur. “But Aeris, are you really ready?” Sonic asked again, with an aura of seriousness around him. Aeris smiled, with a touch of sobriety behind her smile, then she knelt down to head level with Sonic and said, “Yes, Sonic, I’m ready.” Sonic smiled knowingly, then flipped the cocky switch he had tucked away, and turned away from her and ran right up the far wall, speeding nearly halfway up the domed force barrier before landing behind her, “Cuz’ when your opponent’s got moves like these you need to be on your guard.” She turned around, startled, then shook her head and chuckled, “Pretty impressive, Sonic...but your moves might be a little more forgettable this time.” “You think so?” asked Sonic bouncing from foot to foot. “Well let's find out,” he said as Aeris drew her staff and got ready. The signal to start came a short moment later. Surprisingly, Aeris made the first move, rushing at Sonic with her staff raised. It wasn't out of bloodlust, though--she just wanted to keep him in her sights. Sonic quickly moved aside, but she pressed the attack, gauging his speed with strikes from various angles. He dodged each one just as easily as the last. Meanwhile, Sonic was tracking her as much as she was tracking him. For a human wizard, she was swift and surprisingly strong--but like most weapon-users, she wasn't too fast on her feet. Eventually, he skipped away from a lunging strike and tripped her, sending her sprawling to the floor. He crossed his arms and grinned as she got to her feet. “Thought you were a magician?” he teased. “Well I guess there’s two levels of magic, casting spells and summoning huge monsters out of thin air, and then there’s stopping the blue blur.” She smirked and started to reply, but he was already attacking. Aeris quickly lost sight of the fuzzy blue hedgehog, as he sped around her in a whirlwind of punches and kicks. She tried to block the attacks with her staff,but it was no use--even when she deflected one, he turned around and hit her with another before she could move. Already grimacing in pain, she forced herself to focus, trying to think back on how the martial artist, Ken, had handled this situation. Then she swallowed as she remembered: he'd handled it by getting hit a lot. But Ken had been unarmed, and she was not. Gritting her teeth, she stoppedblocking and started trying to counterattack, swinging her weapon wildly. Now even more strikes were getting through, and she was starting to stagger...but she pressed on, knowing she just needed one lucky shot... And then she got it, as a random swing swatted Sonic out of the air. Not waiting an instant, she raised her staff over her head, chanting the spell she'd been waiting to use. She finished as quickly as she could, and then pointed her staff at Sonic. As he sat up and shook his head, the air around him lit up with a grayish glow. The world sped up for Sonic the Hedgehog. He looked around in confusion, trying to figure out why the crowd was rustling so much. Then he saw Aeris shifting her weapon to the side--much faster than she had before. "Wha... what did you do?" he asked, backing up a step. She couldn't help but giggle. “Just a little spell I know called 'Slow'...” she answered cheerily. Scowling, Sonic ran at her with his fist reared back...but this time Aeris saw it coming. She hopped to the side, and belted him in the ribs as he looked back at her in shock. He lurched away awkwardly--but when she closed back in, he surprised her with a quick kick to her legs, knocking her off her feet once more. He's STILL too fast, she thought in disbelief. She rolled to the side and went on the defensive, barely blocking his desperate attacks and waiting for an opening. The time came when he flew at her with one of his somersault kicks, which were almost slow even without Aeris' magic. Instinctively, she batted him out of the air, throwing him to the ground with a choking gasp. As he slowly stood and coughed, she used another spell, this time casting the air around herself in a reddish glow.... Sonic shook off the cobwebs just in time to see Aeris rushing towards him. Shemust have cast the spell again--now it was all he could do to keep up with her. She attacked from everywhere at once, her weapon blurring as it moved. Sonic wasn’t liking fighting someone just as fast as him. Desperately, he broke away from her, hoping she had to see him to use thespell. The fact that she didn't even try to follow was not a good sign. Grimacing, he stopped at the opposite wall, then curled up into his patented Sonic Spin. He revved up as fast as he could, trying to shake the curse from his bones...and then it snapped, and he felt the wind suddenly rushing faster around him. He turned back towards Aeris with a grin, ready to roll... ...and then remembered why he'd been trying to stay close in the first place. Her staff was spinning in midair in front of her, her arms out to her sides. A sphere of faint pink light was forming around her, slightly masking her from view. Sonic took off at top speed, but he was too late: the sphere closed before he got to her, and he bounced off like he'd hit a bumper. “Now this one I've heard about,” he muttered, rubbing his head. She gave him a quick smile, then started casting another spell. He spun into the shield stubbornly, wearing it down but far too slowly. He was ready to dodge the instant she attacked--but instead she looked down, planting her weapon in front of her. A flock of sparkling blue lights appeared and swarmed all around her, taking her bruises and scrapes with them as they passed. Sonic looked at her through the pink barrier. She looked down at him as the spell finished. “Oh, now that was fair,” he snorted, crossing his arms and tapping his foot. “I'm impressed, Sonic. I thought you might be able to break the spell, but not that quickly,” Aeris told him, resting a bit. “Too bad, though, it was kind of fun watching you slow down for a while....” She giggled. “I thought you were supposed to be the nice one!” he grumbled still tapping his foot. “So I can't be a little mischievous sometimes...?” Aeris asked innocently, her hands folded behind her back. Sonic shook his head and smirked. “Man... You think you know somebody,” he said shaking his head, before he slammed into the shield again. Aeris frowned a bit as she looked up at the barrier. It wasn't built to last too long, and Sonic's attacks had hurt it more than he thought. “Ah, well...I'll just have to try again,” she pouted, raising her weapon once more. “Ohhh, no you don't!” Sonic tore off for the back wall...but she didn't stop casting. He scowled, then shouted, “You may be able to hit me from there, but let's see you CATCH me!” With that he started racing around her, turning in random directions to throw her off... He zapped in random directions. As Aeris sat inside the pink sphere not even concentrating on his location. Suddenly, he saw a flash of light above him, and screeched to a halt. A bolt of lightning crashed into the ground in front of him, singeing a few hairs on his chest. “Heh, heh,” he gulped feebly. Then he saw her casting again and took off. He kept a close eye on his opponent as he dodged bolt after bolt, some of them coming dangerously close. He wondered idly how she was throwing them so fast--not knowing, of course, about the Haste spell she'd used on herself--but he was also watching her create them. Each time, she finished the spell by moving her staff...just like she had with all of her spells, he realized. If I can get that staff from her, she might be powerless...but how...? Then his question was answered for him, as her shield suddenly faded away.... Aeris felt a rush of fear as her protection vanished, but she didn't show it. She nearly went on to finish her spell--but then saw Sonic dashing towards her already. Grimacing, she refocused her target and waited for an instant. Sonic jumped towards her, making a grab for the staff. Aeris smiled and finished the spell, tossing the staff at Sonic, the lightning bolt hitting it in mid air. He tried to change course, but for once he just wasn't fast enough. The charged staff, smacked straight into his chest, releasing the electrical charge into his body. He felt it course through his body, and spark out through his shoes. He cried out and fell sprawling to the ground, landing with a thud and a twitch. Aeris almost fell to her knees in relief...but she still had one more spell to cast. She cancelled the Haste with a wave of her hand, then dashed over to her opponent, and picked up the staff, muttering a new incantation. When she finished, she leveled her staff at Sonic gently, swinging it in a soft figure eight. “Sleep tight, Sonic,” she whispered, as a dark mist appeared over the recovering hedgehog. Sonic was still struggling to his knees when the spell hit him like a sledgehammer. In an instant, he was on the brink of unconsciousness. His eyes closed as he eased back to the ground; he couldn't remember what he was doing, but it wasn't important...was it? The front of his mind started to fall over the edge...but the back of it raced, trying to figure out where he was, why he had this nagging feeling.... And then he remembered. “...no!!” Sonic jumped up from the ground and out of the haze, shaking his head furiously as he landed. He looked back to see Aeris gaping at him, shocked. She turned and started another spell, but he revved up his spin and dashed towards her without a second thought. He intercepted her with ease, sending both of them crashing to the ground. His quills sliced into her back, and she let out a sharp gasp of pain. He bounced off of her and landed a few yards away, then quickly turned around. Groaning, the sorceress reached for her staff...but then it was wrenched out of her hands, as Sonic sped off to her side. Sorry, girl...not this time, he thought, reaching to snap the weapon in half... ...but then he stopped, as he felt...something coming from the staff. He looked at it closely, pausing at the gems embedded near the bottom. There was power in those gems...not nearly as much as in the Chaos Emeralds, but enough for him to notice from here. “So it's these things that power your spells,” he mumbled idly, taking one out of its slot and holding it in his palm. Aeris stared at him as she struggled to her feet. “You can sense the magic in my Materia . . . ?” She asked curiously. “Yeah...a little bit,” he answered, plucking away another gem. Just like the Chaos Emeralds, this one was a little different from its mate, but mostly the same. She smiled. “Again I'm impressed. Most people here just think they're decorations....” “Heh. Well, let's just say I've had some experience looking for powerful gems,” he quipped. Then he grinned, and stripped the rest of the Materia from the staff with a single motion. “You can have this back now,” he chuckled, tossing it to her feet. “Gee, thanks,” she answered sarcastically. She bent down to pick itup slowly. Inwardly, Sonic the Hedgehog was already celebrating victory as he hung back, anticipating Aeris making one last charge at him with her staff. The Materia was what gave her power, and he had taken every single one of the magical gems. Nice. Round of eight, here I come. My opponent’s a magic user that can’t use magic. Is there any easier opponent in the world? Well, there is the swordsman who lost both his arms. Or a hedgehog with supersonic speed that can’t run, uh, better not think about that last one. While Sonic’s train of thought had surged off in all directions, Aeris was still very focused on the match. And as Sonic’s eyes wandered over to his opponent again, he realized that his opponent wasn’t exactly down for the count. She’s muttering under her breath? Is she praying to something, or...waaaait-a-second. If it's the Materia that give her magic...then she's bound to have more than-- Even as he started running, he was swept off his feet. Aeris might have used the opportunity to hit Sonic with a Flare...but she couldn't bring herself to do it. Instead, she created a miniature whirlwind, centering it directly on top of the distracted hedgehog. It quickly grew into a full-fledged tornado, sending him high into the air. The landing would hurt him, she knew, but it was more likely to slow him down than kill him outright. For Sonic, however, that wasn't the case. Back home, the hedgehog spent a lot of his time navigating twisted mazes and leaping long distances from high hill tops. A simple tornado couldn't hurt him...and he wasn't helpless in midair, either. Keeping a tight grip on his new Materia, he let the twister whisk him along, giving him momentum...then threw himself forwards, breaking free and angling downwards in a deadly whirling sphere. Aeris didn't even know he'd escaped until it was too late. He slammed into her upper body with full force, his quills cutting open a gash four inches from her neck. As he bounced backwards, she flew ten feet away from him, tumbling end over end before collapsing face down on the ground. For a moment, she didn't move...but then she groaned and reached for her staff, leaning on it as she got to her knees very slowly. Sonic didn't wait around this time. As she recovered, he searched for and found her remaining Materia, snatching them from her bracelets before she even looked up. “Sorry about nearly taking your head off, there,” he chuckled, juggling all eleven of the gems... then letting them clatter to the floor, as she opened her gold, glowing eyes. “Don't worry about it,” she replied as she got to her feet. The glow abruptly exploded outward, flaring around the sorceress like an aura. Cautiously, Sonic gave her a quick jab to the head, but it had no effect...aside from making his hand sting a little. He watched helplessly as she clasped her hands in prayer, spread her arms wide, and looked towards the skies. He followed her stare and gaped, as he saw her prayer being answered: a circle of clouds formed above her, and the sky inside them suddenly turned to daylight. Then an angel looked down from one of the clouds. “No way,” he murmured, almost laughing. He'd heard about this one from people, too, but he'd thought they were joking. But now it was happening, just like they said: an angel was descending from the heavens and taking residence in his opponent. The gash on her chest vanished instantly; the golden aura shrank a bit, but intensified three-fold, keeping the area around her lit brightly as the patch of daylight faded. Once again, Aeris’ health was restored. And once again, Sonic was incredulous. “Okay, there’s gotta be some rules against this. That’s the second time!” Sonic complained. Again, all the work he’d done to injure Aeris, washed away by some spell. Once again, the two were even Well, if you didn’t count the fact that Sonic had stolen the materia. And at that moment, Sonic didn’t. Sometimes, the hedgehog could have a very selective memory. Aeris simply smiled at the hedgehog. Some might call her tactics cheap, but the emotion that drove her to them, especially the second time, was desperation. Aeris was, by nature, a healer, not a fighter, and without her materia, her ability to win in a one-on-one battle was even less than before. She knew one last spell for the occasion. A spell, one of the first that she learned, that might be able to get her out of this mess. All she needed to do was to keep Sonic away from her as long as possible, to chant the spell without him stopping her. And she had an idea how to do so. Looking at Aeris, Sonic’s feeling of triumph and glee suddenly went away, and was replaced by what he had felt before the match. Sorrow. There was a sudden sadness in Aeris’ eyes, a sadness that he hadn’t seen during the match. Had she given up? Was her materia so important that she couldn’t fight without it? Aeris turned to Cloud, up in the audience, and looked straight at him. It nearly broke Sonic’s heart. With what Cloud had told him before the match, that she was dead in Cloud’s world, that she and Cloud hadn’t seen each other since the tournament last year. And knowing that with one attack, he would seal it, and force Cloud and Aeris into another year apart. Sonic couldn’t watch, as Aeris and Cloud stared into each other’s eyes, doubtlessly a stare of utmost sadness. Geez. I can’t believe this. There’s no one more competitive than me I know that. But I just can’t beat her in good conscience. I rescue her from Bowser, and then I kick her out of the tournament a few days later in battle? It’s just wrong. Sonic sighed. He’d made his decision, and he could only hope it was the right one, that she’d accept it. The arrogance and selfishness that Sonic usually held in his mind were gone instead, he only felt sorrow. He only wanted Aeris to stay with Cloud a little longer. What did it matter to him if he stayed anymore? For him, it was a mere tournament. For those two, it was a chance to be with the person they loved. A sad smile on his face, Sonic looked up from the ground, from the coliseum floor that he had been staring at in sadness. He looked up at Aeris, ready to give her the match... And what he saw in front of him was not something that he expected. Standing before him was Aeris, her staff raised, and pointed straight at him, as she muttered what was obviously the end of a spell. Their eyes met, and wizard, hedgehog and almost all the members of the audience froze, drawing in a collective breath. Sonic began to feel his body slowing down, not like last time, slowing to a stop, and for ten seconds, Sonic and Aeris stared at each other, Sonic in shock, Aeris in sorrow and guilt. But the one that was arrogant, and selfish, and had far more faults recovered first. “I was gonna forfeit,” Sonic snarled softly, in disbelief. He didn’t forfeit. In anger at the trust he had in Aeris being broken, Sonic curled up into a ball. Eyes widening, Aeris responded to this development by beginning to start chanting the last line of her spell of paralysis, with which she hoped to immobilize Sonic. The hedgehog didn’t wait long enough for her to do so. Still curled up in a ball, Sonic blasted forward, straight at Aeris. As soon as he connected with her, she flew backwards ten feet, and fell to the ground, unconscious. Sonic had won. Suddenly, the hedgehog’s mind began to clear. As the cheers of the crowd started to die down, Sonic realized that things had gone horribly wrong. What did I do? She was supposed to stay with Cloud, be happy. What happened? He looked over to Cloud, as the audience began to roar, celebrating the victory, but he was already gone. Sonic had won, but at the same time he’d lost, he’d lost big. Aftermath: Passing into Shadow Every day since the start of the tournament, their ranks had dwindled. It was part of the nature of the place. For the second year in a row, it brought together disparate and unique fighters from across the multiverse... some of whom had been brought back from beyond the reach of death. But the proper order of the universe can only be cheated for so long. Once per day, another fighter was eliminated, and sent back to where they belonged. For some of them, it was a relief to get back to a less stressful life. For some of them, it meant returning to an even less stable mode of existence. And for some of them, they would have to return to a world where they no longer existed in any physical form. Sonic the Hedgehog was supposed to be a hero. Heroes were people who saved the day, defied impossible odds, and did The Right Thing. But being a hero was a lot easier when you were fighting against something you knew was evil. For this whole tournament, Sonic realized, he was just fighting for himself. Aeris didn't deserve her fate, to be kept away from Cloud for twelve days, only to be forced out by himself right after being saved. But he had beaten her anyway. Although, to her credit, for a while he wasn't sure that he would. Cloud had walked down to the bottom of the arena without a word. The grim mercenary didn't turn his head to either side, or acknowledge the shouts in the stands. He had simply picked Aeris up like she was a feather, and nodded briefly to Sonic. The hedgehog had tried protesting, letting Cloud know he was sorry... but the words wouldn't come out. Cloud was already gone before he could think of what to say. The mercenary had just muttered a couple words to him. "Thank you." As if he was genuinely grateful for what little help Sonic had offered... or for the fact that the hedgehog had managed to avoid killing his friend. Being too competitive had nearly cost the lives of half the audience before when Sonic had changed himself into Mecha-Sonic. This time, he had defeated a friend in combat who didn't deserve to leave. Sonic couldn't help it. It was who he was. He was always pushing to win, trying to be the best. He couldn't deny that he enjoyed it. He just wished he was fighting for something bigger than himself, this time. The answer was waiting for him back in his room. Five chaos emeralds were piled under his bed. One of them he had taken from Ryu, in a fair fight. Another one Knuckles had won from Yuna, and Knuckles had found another himself. Shadow had found one, and passed it on... and the one sitting at the top was Bowser's. The Koopa King had "given" it to him, hoping that Sonic would give Cloud his comeuppance. But Sonic knew that there were still two more emeralds out there. In the hands of MegaMan, and of Sephiroth. The rest of the fighters still didn't seem to realize how important all the emeralds were. But Sonic could vouch for their power firsthand. And what Sephiroth and Zelda had been able to do with a single emerald was downright scary. Knuckles had said that the emeralds weren't supposed to release their power by themselves... that only united, could their power be stable, and brought to its complete fulfillment. The hedgehog nodded to himself before he plopped into bed. That was as much of a purpose as he had left then. Even if his new friends stood in the way, he had to get the last of the emeralds. They were too dangerous, any other way. --- "We've done this before, you know." Aeris nodded, softly. Her hair wisped slowly from side to side in the cool night air. "I know, Cloud." They were both standing on a hilltop, looking down on the swirling vortex of the portal which would lead back to Cloud's and Aeris's world. It was oddly beautiful in a way. If at it in the right way, you could almost see through to all the dimensions it bridged. A whole multiverse of possibilities laid out, and an infinite number of paths to explore. But for one of the two friends looking down on it, there was only one path left. "It doesn't make it any easier, though." Aeris shook her head and smiled. "No, it doesn't." The two were holding hands. Neither of them knew how long they had both been standing there, waiting for the time to slip away. Moments seemed to stretch into eternities. Hours of time flitted away, leaving only vague memories of happier times than those that would follow. Cloud brought his arms around Aeris's waist, and hugged her again on impulse. What a sight he was. A mercenary, decked out in battle gear, holding onto a girl with a deceptively frail appearance, but power that was unsurpassable spiritually. And yet it hadn't been enough, this time, or before. But Cloud had known it would end like this from the start. Even if Sonic had thrown the match, and he had done the same... it would have only bought her a handful of days. Link would not be so merciful. Cloud shuddered involuntarily at the thought of what the Hylian had become. Aeris turned her head to look at him with a concerned frown. "What is it?" "It's nothing... sorry." Aeris smiled mischievously and began tickling him under his arms. Cloud tried to avoid smiling and failed miserably. He let go of Aeris, and held the giggling girl back from him at an arm's length. "Please, Aeris. It's all right. I've just got a lot on my mind." "Like what?" Aeris still held on to his hand, smiling at him. Cloud sighed, wishing he had more time. Wishing he had used his time better. "Link. Sephiroth. The Triforce. For some reason, I'm the one left at the center of all this. I knew what I was doing looking for you. But know, I just don't know any more. There's a lot going on here that I don't understand." "I trust you Cloud, I always have. You'll get through it all right." "How do you know that?" Cloud's voice was cracking. "I nearly failed to get you out. Sephiroth's used me before, he thinks he can do so again. I thought I knew Link, he was a hero. I thought I could count on him... and he turned into some kind of monster in that arena. We're all kept busy fighting each other while Sephiroth plans his own schemes. I don't know what will happen from here. I just don't know." This time Aeris was the one to lean in to hug Cloud. "Whatever it is, you've made it this far. Everyone saw how you fought yesterday. I think Sephiroth has more of a right to be scared. Cloud, I believe in you. I know you can do it. You saved me, you saved yourself. If your heart is in it, you can win this tournament." Cloud waited a minute before speaking, dreading what he was about to say. "And the rest of it... I don't know. I don't know what's going to happen to you either. You died, Aeris. I couldn't stop it before... and there's nothing I can do now. What will it be like? Will you go back to the lifestream? Will you even be yourself?" Aeris just shook her head, smiling reassuringly. "I can't explain it to you... you have nothing to compare it to. I'll be all right. You have to trust me too. I haven't spent all this time dreading going back. I know much better now what I'm getting into. Cloud... I know what I have to do. You'll understand someday." "I hope so." Cloud squeezed Aeris's hand tightly, and gazed off into the night fog. Time was creeping up on them all too quickly. Cloud caught sight of a small light on his right palm, and the emblem of the Triforce embedded in it. A gift, that by all rights, wasn't even his. "Who am I, Aeris?" Aeris wrapped her arms around him to hug him again. "You're Cloud Strife. You're the man who beat Sephiroth. You are the strongest fighter I know, and you've proven yourself to be the best leader too. You are... my hero, Cloud." The portal began to twinkle urgently at the base of the hill. Aeris sighed softly, and whispered in Cloud's ear. "It's time for me to go." The two of them walked together down the base of the hill. Cloud trudged each step, dreading the end of his walk. Aeris walked with her head up high though... smiling all the while, and leaning into Cloud, trying to make him cheer up. When they reached the bottom, they both stood still, waiting for the end. Cloud looked at Aeris and felt his heart skip for the millionth time. He never had enough time anymore. Never enough time to say the only thing his heart had been telling him for the last thirteen days... "I love you, Aeris." Aeris smiled back at him, and kissed him on the cheek. "I love you, Cloud Strife." Their fingers intertwined, and then hers began to slowly slip away as she began to back into the swirling portal... her dress floating in the air, unaffected by gravity. "I'll see you, Cloud. Believe in yourself." Cloud began to step away, cautious of getting too close to the portal... but he stepped forward again on impulse, and drew her in for one last kiss. Their lips met, and Cloud closed his eyes, losing himself in a moment that he wished would never end. When it was over, Aeris's smile was as sad and sweet as ever. Tears were running down her cheeks. Cloud could feel a few on his own face as well. Neither of them turned away. Aeris gave him one last wave, and a smile that seemed to last forever. Cloud knew that it was the most beautiful sight he would ever see. And then, Aeris stepped backwards into the portal, and faded away into nothingness. Next Entry Back |