Duo Maxwell rubbed his temple wearily. He was alone in the safehouse...no one at all was there. The normally-loud braided teen was quiet...

//Damn, my head hurts. Wish I had an aspirin right now.// he thought.

A girl carrying a crystal staff and a basket of flowers walked on the streets of the colony. Aeris Gainsborough bit her lip in concentration, weaving a sensing web with her Ancient powers. A pulse caught her attention. Sephiroth. He was here, in this colony. Following the pulse, Aeris headed for her first-and hopefully not last-showdown with the former SOLDIER-who was as of yet unaware of the power he held within him...

Duo heard a knock at the door. //What the hell...// he thought. //Who could have possibly found me? No one's supposed to know about the safehouse.//

Aeris stood there, waiting. Duo Maxwell was a crafty person...he wouldn't simply let her in.

" Who's there?" Duo's voice came through the door.

" My name is Aeris Gainsborough. I need to talk to you, Duo Maxwell." Aeris called out.

" Not likely."

" I'm not an OZ soldier. I'm a flower girl from this colony." Aeris called back.

" A flower girl?" Duo snorted. " Why do you want to talk to me?"

" Please, Duo. I need to talk to you." Aeris yelled back up.

" Fine, but if you tricked me, I'll make sure you have a date with your Maker." Duo yelled down. //It's not the first time you've made me have a date with my Maker, Duo.// Aeris thought. Aeris stepped into the safehouse. But before she could say a word, Duo's violet eyes narrowed.

" So you ARE a flower girl. But what's the staff for?" he asked.

" Protection. Let's see...there are robbers who want to steal the money I earn, then there are more than likely rapists around here, then gangs and bullies..." Aeris counted on her fingers.

" I get the idea, girl!" Duo protested. //That's odd...I've seen her before...// he thought. Suddenly, a gleaming long sword landed on the table with a ringing of metal.

" What the hell?" Duo gasped. " Where did THAT come from?"

//Masamune. Sephiroth's sword. I was right.// Aeris thought. Duo picked it up, feeling somehow that it was RIGHT to have it in his hand.

< Use the sword, Sephiroth.> a woman's voice called to him.

" Nani? Who are you?" Duo squeaked.

//Jenova...// Aeris thought sadly.

" History repeats itself." Her green eyes were sad.

" Huh?" Duo said.

< Sephiroth...look at her. She stopped you years ago, stopped your destiny. Now she's back...the Ancient bitch. Are you going to let her do so again? Well, are you? I'm your mother: Mother knows best, remember? Now do what I say and destroy her. Are you going to let her meddling interfere again?>

" No." Duo whispered, clenching Masamune...as he did so, long waist-length copper hair turned silver and violet eyes turned pale sea-green, glowing with Mako energy.

" I won't."

Aeris bowed her head. " So history does repeat itself." A single tear crept from her intense green eyes and fell to the floor. Her head straightened up, and she faced her destroyer, defiance written on her face.

" Destroy me then, Sephiroth. If you feel you must."

Gently, she set the Princess Guard onto the floor and the flowers as well. D-no, Sephiroth, raised the blade high, the metal shimmering in the light. He brought it over his head, swinging it at Aeris's pale throat, to slit it with a single stroke...

Suddenly, Aeris wasn't the one standing there. Superimposed over her was Quatre's image. Emerald and aquamarine pleaded with him. Don't repeat history, Sephiroth. Don't listen to her. A sudden vision came to him: the sword came slashing down, cutting open Aeris's throat, but instead of her, Quatre fell to the floor, dead from the wound, his lifeblood flowing all over the floor. //NO!// The vision faded and he saw the image of Aeris, and that of Quatre superimposed over her, pleading with him silently. Then both pairs of eyes closed, waiting for the final blow, and only Aeris was there.

Sephiroth stopped the blade a scant inch from Aeris's throat, and dropped it. " No. I can't do it. I WON'T LISTEN TO YOU AGAIN!"

Jenova's voice faded.

Duo was standing there again, in full control of himself once more.

" Aeris? Aeris, are you OK?" he gasped.

" Yeah, I'm OK." The flower girl said. " You were the reason I came, Duo Maxwell...or Sephiroth. "

Then, she told him of what she had found out and what she had come back to do. But she didn't say who she really was.

" Goodbye, Duo...and Sephiroth."

Aeris picked up her flowers and the Princess Guard, and was gone... A sudden memory came to him. Somewhere...by a lake of water, he faced Aeris, who was praying. He swung his sword...and stabbed her through, then withdrew the blade. A pale white materia dropped from her hair as she crumpled to the ground, dead. //I killed her...I was the one to send her to her doom.// he thought. //I almost did so again...// Duo put his head in his hands and wept...

Aeris boarded a shuttle to go to the L-1 colony. There, Vincent Valentine was waiting...

End ChapterPreview Next Chapter

Chapter Two: Mysterious One

Aeris goes to the L-1 colony to find Vincent Valentine, also unaware of his powers. Of course, the person she is trying to locate threatens to destroy her...and Jenova tries to eliminate both of them, showing herself for the first time...