An Untitled Aeris/Sephiroth fic

(angst/death)
by Trakal

He watched and waited from the shadows, shame and pain filling his whole being.

"Damn my cowardice." he whispered. "I should've taken the blade in your stead, but I was too much of a miserable little coward. Aeris, forgive me."

He hoped that Cloud and the others would leave the body there and pursue her killer. But they did not. Part of him was touched at the love they were showing this girl. But another part of him was thinking of how annoying it would be to have to retrieve her.

"I need you, Aeris." He whispered, as he stripped off his cloak, armor and weapons, until he stood in a long black bodysuit, then dove into the water where Cloud had placed Aeris' body.

********

In the depths of the water, ignoring the ever present sea monsters, and an annoying sub that buzzed him twice, Sephiroth swam down and clasped Aeris' body to his own. He wondered what Shinra would think if they knew the truth. That it was one of the clones, and not the real Sephiroth, who was currently threatening all life as they knew it. The switch had been made years ago, in Hojo's lab. The real Sephiroth had awakened when no one had been present, and sensing the deception, learned his true history from a diary he'd found that had borne the initials V.V. on the cover. He had replaced himself with a clone who had killed himself during a total mental breakdown.

He pulled Aeris' body to the surface with him, concentrating all of his healing and life-giving energy into her.

"You have to live, Aeris," he begged. "Please, live!"

But there was no response. Tears fell from his shining eyes as he cast aside the materia he needed for underwater breathing. Then, still holding Aeris to him, he stopped moving and allowed himself to sink below the waves with him.

His leaned forward, ignoring the pain in his lungs as the water filled them, and pressed his lips to hers.

They descended in a spiral to the ocean floor, both standing upright, hair flowing in the undersea currents, entwined about each other in an eternal kiss.

-30-