Final Fantasy VII Walkthrough

1.43: The Black Materia

After Cait Sith is done, you see the temple turn black, then very small, landing at the bottom of a hole where the temple was. Cloud and Aeris go down to fetch it, but then Sephiroth shows up. He ends up with the black materia, and there's nothing you can do to stop it.

At this point, Cait Sith II shows up and Cloud tries to figure out what happened. He ends up having a vision of Aeris talking to him, in a beautiful, sun-dappled forest which she calls the Sleeping Forest.

You wake up in Gongaga, at the Inn. Head down and out, and talk to your friends. You can do whatever you want at this point, but you need to find Aeris. When you're ready, get back to the Tiny Bronco (it should be just south of you) and head north from the eastern side of the continent (near the Golden Saucer). Take the river that cuts through the middle to the west, then head north, then east.

The land masses will be partially snow-covered; look for a beach to land at. There should be a spot just on the other side of a mountain peak, near a forest.