A/N Oh I have so been looking forward to writing this. I originally came up with the idea while I was lying in bed. HA you should have seen the page I tried to write it on…
Writing in the dark isn't good folks: you can't see the lines on the page and that makes it OH SO hard to read in the morning. Trust me it isn't fun. I'm not entirely sure where this one will end up yet. I know it's going to have a lot of scenes in it from the movie ha, ha, and I really don't want that to be all it was. So I guess we'll just play it by ear. Oh I hope it turns out good as this is my FIRST EVER FF fan-fiction. I loved the movie Final fantasy VII Advent Children. No I haven't played the game, but I was well informed on everything I didn't understand.
Kadaj is my favourite character and it kills me every time to watch him die. It really does…I get all teary and everything. It's such a funny sight. Ok, I hope my OC, Raven, isn't a Mary Sue. I was just recently informed on what one of those was… so I truly hope to god she isn't one of those.
Anyway, I think I'm writing more A/N than I am story. I know I don't really know what the big dragon thing's name is, and since Raven is really based on myself, and I call it a…well actually I call it a cross between Exodia, obelisk the tormenter and the winged dragon of Ra. But otherwise I call it a dragon thing, so she can too…
Not that hard now is it…well I hope you enjoy reading it because writing is tiring work.
I know the story probably has a totally out of context title. I will never be a memory sounded good at the time.
So anyway I suppose you would like to get on with the story now if I'm not mistaken. If you've taken the time to read my whole rant…I thank you muchly. Oh and one more thing…I know that Cid's ship may not have a balcony thingy but in my story it does…it's a fan-fic so I can change it however I want. Plus…it adds to the effect
Disclaimer-ness: I don't own FFAC…Imagine what I could do if I did (mwahahaha) ok back to reality now. I think that's just about the only thing I need to cover. Once again, please enjoy.
XOXO
Danii
I Will Never Be a Memory
That smile. I'll remember it for as long as I live. The way it rarely reached her eyes. The smile she was giving me right now. She hid all her sadness behind it. I think she knew this was going to happen all along. Why didn't she tell me then?
Three motorcycles approached the ruins of the Shinra Electric Power Company. The rider in the middle kicked down the sword that was placed in the ground two years previously.
"Hey Kadaj, is that where big brother lives?" Yazoo asked his younger brother.
"Yeah." Kadaj replied.
"Do you think he'll be happy to see us?" Yazoo questioned.
"Not a chance." Kadaj replied with a laugh.
"Don't cry Yazoo." The third, and the eldest, Loz interjected.
"But he has mother with him." Yazoo said in his daydreamy voice.
"Hmm, maybe not." Kadaj said.
There was a sniff on Loz' side.
"Don't cry Loz." Yazoo said, making a slight pouting face at his older brother.
Then the sound of a fourth motorcycle could be heard.
"Hold on, he's coming." Kadaj said, noticing it was Cloud astride the motorcycle.
Yazoo and Loz looked at each other with a smirk on each of their faces.
They revved their bikes and took off down the hill to chase after their 'big brother'.
Cloud looked around as monsters sprang up out of the earth. He grabbed part of his buster sword and slashed at the creatures, turning them to black dust and returning them to the earth from whence they came. Next came Yazoo and Loz, they swerved around Cloud whilst trying to attack him.
"Where's mother?" Loz asked from one side of Cloud.
"We know you hid her brother." Yazoo said from the other side, Velvet Nightmare raised to take a shot. Cloud managed to shake them off, but more of the monsters came at him and encircled him, preparing to pounce. They all jumped up at once and Cloud covered his head.
All of a sudden they disappeared in a cloud of black dust. Cloud looked up to the ledge and saw, who he would later learn to be Kadaj, leaning against his bike with raised hand. So, he had summoned the monsters, and had got rid of them as well, leaving Cloud free to drive off toward Healin to get to Reno.
No one had noticed it, but watching all of this was a girl of about seventeen. As some of the monsters made their way toward Cloud, she was hit by one of them and knocked unconscious. She was flung out from behind one of the rocks, and lay in the road.
As Kadaj and his gang were about to drive off to pay some people a visit, they noticed the girl lying in the road. They sat and watched her for a while, but she didn't move.
"Who do you think she is?" Yazoo asked as they watched her.
"Not sure," Kadaj replied "but she appeared when Cloud did, so maybe she's with him."
At that point a plan was formulating in his head.
'If we take her with us' he thought 'we can get Cloud to come to us.'
"Wait here." Kadaj told Yazoo and Loz. He may have been the youngest, but it was obvious who was in charge.
Kadaj rode down the hill and looked more closely at the girl. She had waist length black hair that moved slightly with the wind. She was wearing a simple outfit of black pants and a black top that resembled a corset that came to just above her navel. She was also wearing knee-high lace up heeled boots over her pants. She had a sword strapped to her waist and two daggers latched to one side of each boot. The black trench coat she was wearing was unbuttoned and falling off one of her shoulders. In the exposed space left by her coat, Kadaj could see a silver necklace with a large blood red gem in it.
'She's quite pretty,' Kadaj thought on closer inspection of the girl. 'I can see why Strife would want her on his side.'
Kadaj stepped off his bike and picked the girl up. She was lighter than he expected her to be. He got back on his bike, placing the girl in front of him and holding his arm tightly around her waist to keep her from falling.
Kadaj rode back up to meet the others.
"She could prove to be a useful bargaining chip." Kadaj said. The other two looked at the girl.
"She seems like big brother's type." Yazoo said, also on closer inspection of the girl. Loz didn't say anything. He just stared at her.
"Let's go." Kadaj said. "I have to see President Shinra. Loz, go to the church and see if mother is there, Yazoo, go round up the kids." Each went off in their own direction. Kadaj headed to Healin with the girl, Loz headed to the church and Yazoo headed off toward Midgar.
Kadaj took the still unconscious girl to see Shinra with him. Her long hair flowing over his shoulder in the wind. If he couldn't feel her heartbeat he would have sworn she was dead. Not long after this thought had occurred to Kadaj, the girl's eyelids fluttered open to reveal stunningly purple eyes. She jumped as she realised she was moving.
"Wh…where am I?" She asked her eyes now half closed. Kadaj contemplated answering her. "You're on the way to Healin Lodge." He replied finally.
She jumped again. "Who are you?" She asked.
"You'll know soon enough." He replied. "But, who are you?"
"You'll know soon enough." She replied using Kadaj's words.
The rest of the trip to Healin Lodge was spent in silence. They got to the Lodge and went up to find President Shinra.
"Wait here." Kadaj said outside the door to Shinra's room.
"No, I don't think I will." She replied. "I want to go with you."
Kadaj sighed. This girl sure was stubborn. She held the collar of her coat close to her neck and walked in behind Kadaj. Kadaj easily took care of Reno and Rude and was able to talk to President Shinra.
"Boy, do I hate liars." He said
"I apologise. You'll get the truth this time. The object you seek fell from the helicopter while we were running from you. We were careless." Shinra replied.
"Is that right?"
"I swear it."
"Fine, then swear on these." Kadaj held out two bloodied ID cards and threw them to the ground.
The girl, whose name was Raven, kept staring over at president Shinra as Kadaj was talking. He was hiding the object and she knew it.
"But Sir, surely you would have noticed." Kadaj said as he bowed down in front of President Shinra. Kadaj slowly lifted his head and the president winced in pain as his Geostigma burned his skin. It was only milliseconds before Raven's hand flew to her neck. She doubled over in pain. Kadaj looked at her with a mixture of curiosity and triumph.
"So, you have the stigma." Kadaj said as they left. Raven nodded and pulled down her collar to show the blackened skin on her neck.
Meanwhile, Loz was in the church, taking care of Tifa, kidnapping Marlene and the materia Cloud had, and Yazoo was rounding up all the children.
Cloud entered Aerith's church hand in hand with a girl. She was about 20 and she had had long brown hair with blonde highlights that reached her lower back. Her eyes were a deep shade of emerald green. Her name was Gemma and she was Yuffie's older sister.
"Cloud, look." Gemma said pointing to Tifa, who was lying unconscious in the small flower patch.
"Tifa?" Cloud called. There was no response. The two ran over to where Tifa was laying.
"Tifa!" Gemma called. Still no response. Cloud lifted Tifa's head.
"You're late." Tifa said.
"Who did this?" Gemma asked concerned.
"He didn't say." Tifa replied. Then she sat bolt upright. "Marlene!" Tifa said somewhat louder this time before she feinted again.
Cloud's Geostigma began to act up.
"Cloud, are you ok?" Gemma asked.
Cloud didn't reply, he only shook his head before passing out next to Tifa.
"Oh great." Gemma muttered in an undertone, grabbing her cell phone and calling for some assistance in the form of Reno and Rude.
They helped her take Cloud and Tifa back to 7th Heaven and put them in one of the rooms. Gemma watched over Cloud while he rested. Cloud woke up and went to check on Tifa who was lying in the bed beside Cloud's.
"Y'know, you're pretty heavy." Reno said.
"Weren't there some kids living with you?" Rude asked.
" 'Cause they're not here." Reno finished.
Cloud looked to Tifa.
"You don't care?" Rude questioned.
"I just …" Cloud replied.
"Geez, he just had attack of the Geostigma! Cut the guy a break!" Gemma said annoyed.
Cloud looked at Gemma gratefully. Where would he be without that girl?
Kadaj met up with his other two brothers at their base in the Forgotten City.
"Look at what brother was hiding." Kadaj said, eyeing the open chest of materia on the ground in front of him.
"Powers forged in the Life-stream." He said as he picked up one of the small glowing orbs.
"With this materia, those powers will be ours."
Kadaj pushed the small blue orb into his wrist. Raven watched on, she was being held to a tree by some rope tied around her waist.
"Is this really necessary?" Raven asked in exasperation.
Kadaj rolled his eyes.
"He should be here soon." Kadaj muttered, walking over to the edge of the small lake. All the kids were on the opposite bank. You have to hand it to Yazoo Kadaj thought he gets the job done.
Kadaj turned and addressed the children.
"Mother has given me a gift. She has given me the power to fight back against a planet that torments humanity." Kadaj said showing off a little.
"Oh here we go." Raven sighed.
Kadaj shot her a look that told her to shut up. She just poked her tongue out at him.
Kadaj continued his rant to the children.
"Now, I will heal you." He said.
Raven watched in amazement as Kadaj glowed an odd blue from the materia. Yazoo and Loz just looked on with small smirks on their faces, like they saw things like this happen every day.
"Do as I do." Kadaj said stepping into the water. As he entered, the water around him went from blue to black. He took some water in his cupped hands and drank it; all the kids did the same.
Then the sound of Cloud's motorcycle could be heard and the three brothers went to stop him. Kadaj summoned the kids out of the trees to stand in front of them as Yazoo and Loz shot at him. Cloud stacked his bike trying to avoid hitting the kids.
Kadaj walked over to Cloud. "Glad you could make it." He said.
"I'm only here for the kids." Cloud said. "And the girl." He added as an afterthought practically confirming Kadaj's suspicions she was with him.
"See this man?" Kadaj told the children. "He's our big brother. But alas, in our happy flock, he's what you'd call a black sheep." Cloud just looked at Kadaj with a death glare.
Kadaj raised his weapon to strike.
"Cloud!" Marlene called, providing an adequate distraction. It stalled Kadaj long enough for Cloud to get his sword and begin fighting with the three brothers.
"Hey! Watch it!" Raven yelled as the four of them began to fight dangerously close to the tree she was tied to.
She heard the crack as Loz knocked down a tree with the help of Dual Hound. The tree was headed straight for the one she was tied to.
"Oh, not good, not good." She said as she prepared for the worst.
She soon found herself being cut free by Cloud. "Get out of the way!" he said. Raven didn't hesitate for a second.
"Thank-you." She said and ran to where she could be safe.
Cloud was later knocked out and Kadaj prepared to strike when a red streak swept past him and knocked him off his feet.
"What the…?" Raven whispered as the red streak began to circle around Cloud, protecting him, and then taking off into the tree. Raven looked up, and saw that the red streak was now, in fact, a person. Kadaj knew he couldn't get at Cloud now, and he walked off. Raven followed the red cloaked man and Cloud.
"So when Kadaj says he's looking for mother…" Cloud said.
"Heaven's dark harbinger, the calamity, Jenova" Vincent finished.
Raven put a hand to her mouth. So that's what Kadaj wanted from Shinra. Raven knew exactly what would happen if Kadaj ever got his hands on Jenova. She didn't know how she knew it, but she did.
Cloud took a girl called Marlene to go and see someone called Tifa and Raven walked back over to the lake. A sword soon came in contact with her throat, forcing her to her knees.
"What are you still doing here?" Kadaj asked quite unkindly.
"I could ask you the same question." Raven replied.
"I thought big brother would have taken you with him." Kadaj said, more to himself than to her.
"Who, Cloud? You've got to be kidding me right." Raven replied with a small laugh. "I haven't spoken to him for years."
Kadaj finally lowered his sword from her throat.
"Thanks." She said rubbing her neck and getting to her feet.
"Don't mention it."
Kadaj went to walk away.
"Wait! Kadaj, can I ask you something?" Raven said.
"You just did, but go ahead." Kadaj said slightly impatiently.
"Can I go with you, to help you find mother?" The last part was a lie. She wanted to stay with them to prevent Kadaj from bonding with Jenova.
"I don't know." He said. "How can I trust a girl whose name I don't even know?"
"It's Raven." She replied less harshly than she had spoken to Kadaj previously.
"Well, we could use an extra person I suppose." Kadaj admitted.
"Again, thanks." Raven replied.
The silver haired men and Raven stayed in the Forgotten City that night. Raven sat mostly by herself and tried to be secluded. She didn't want to spill the beans on 'mother'.
"Are you alright?" Kadaj asked, having noticed that the girl had spent most of the night in seclusion.
"Yes, I'm fine." Raven replied. She added a smile for extra effect. Kadaj noticed that the smile didn't quite reach her eyes, but he didn't press the matter further. He sat with her, neither of them talking for a while.
"You should get some rest." He said. "We have to travel early."
Raven nodded wearily. "I suppose I should."
She briefly rested her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes, taking in his scent. For some unknown reason, he smelled like fruity hair gel. Raven loved it nonetheless. She slowly fell asleep in Kadaj's arms; her head fell from his shoulder and on to his lap. Kadaj started slightly as she fell, but smiled down at her as she snuggled against the leather outfit Kadaj was wearing.
Kadaj lifted her head from his lap and rested them on the arms she had crossed in front of her. The glow from the trees illuminated her skin giving her a supernatural look. Kadaj looked at her a moment longer before getting up and crossing over to where Yazoo and Loz were talking.
"Welcome back." Loz said cheerfully.
Kadaj just laughed at him and sat down beside Yazoo.
"Is she coming with us?" Yazoo asked tilting his head to look at Kadaj.
"Yeah, I guess she is." Kadaj replied. "I think she knows where mother is, even if she doesn't want to tell us."
There was a thud to the right of Yazoo. Kadaj leaned back to see that Loz had just fallen from the trunk of the tree that fell in their fight earlier. He was sleeping. Yazoo shook his head in disbelief.
"Say, Kadaj, you love her don't you?" Yazoo asked.
"Of course I love mother." Kadaj asked, feigning innocence. "That was a dumb question."
"You know full well I wasn't referring to mother." Yazoo replied with a yawn, giving Kadaj the perfect opportunity to change the subject.
"I'm going to get some sleep." He said. "We have an early start tomorrow."
Yazoo shook his head and went to find a comfortable place to sleep.
The sun had barely risen and Kadaj and his gang were preparing to move on again. They ran through the plan.
"Yazoo, Loz, go to the monument Shinra built. Mother could well be there. I'll go and talk to Shinra myself." Kadaj said.
"What about me?" Raven asked. "Like hell I'm staying here."
Kadaj looked at her. "Can I talk to you for a minute?" He asked.
Raven nodded and allowed herself to be led away.
"What do you want to say?" She asked curiously.
"I know you know where she is." Kadaj said.
"Where who is Kadaj?" Raven asked. She knew exactly who he was talking about.
"Mother" Kadaj said. "I know you know where she is." He repeated.
"Kadaj, I swear I don't." Raven replied, worried slightly by the anger showing in his galaxy eyes. Raven backed away slightly.
"You can come with me, ok?" He said, his voice softening a little.
Raven nodded at that and stopped backing away.
"We should go and rejoin the others." Kadaj said.
Raven nodded and walked forward, tripping over a tree branch. She fell forward and Kadaj caught her, they were quite close together. Kadaj let her rest her forehead on his.
"Whoa! Sorry…leaving……now." Loz said.
The two broke apart, embarrassed to see Loz walking away backwards his hand over his eyes.
"What did you come here for?" Kadaj asked impatiently.
"Yazoo says we have to go."
"Yes, I suppose we do."
Kadaj led them all out of the small clearing and then to where Yazoo was waiting.
"We have to go now." Yazoo said calmly.
"I know, I got the message." Kadaj said annoyed.
It wasn't too long before they arrived at the city. Yazoo and Loz assembled the children around the monument. The parents of the children, and many other people gathered there were shouting angrily at the two men. Yazoo looked to Loz and he nodded. Yazoo raised his hand and summoned some more of the black creatures. They began to pull on some chains around the monument.
"And what are we doing?" A voice asked. Yazoo and Loz turned to see Reno and Rude standing there. Reno was tapping his weapon on his shoulder.
"We know mother is here" Yazoo said.
"Yeah, this thing…monument…thing. Shinra made it." Loz said
"Oh you're just too clever." Reno said mockingly.
"But you're wrong." Rude said
"And wherever she is, we just don't know." Reno added
"I guess the peons aren't trusted." Yazoo said.
Reno looked to Rude for help on a good comeback, but none came to mind, so Reno just ran at them with the intention of kicking their asses.
Meanwhile, Kadaj and Raven were looking for Shinra. Kadaj had once again asked Raven to 'wait here' and she actually did this time.
Kadaj managed to find Shinra.
"Say, Kadaj, I have a question for you." The president said.
"I have an answer." Kadaj replied.
"When you said you needed Jenova's cells to become whole again, what did you mean?"
"Him, he's coming back."
"Sephiroth, the nightmare." Shinra said pensively.
"So I've heard."
"You mean…?"
"I've never known Sephiroth; I can just feel him there. It's unbearable to think that mother might want…"
"Poor little remnant."
"It doesn't matter who she chooses. You'll all meet the same end. Mother came to this planet after a long journey, to rid the cosmos of fools like you…If mother willed it, I would do anything."
"The nightmare returns. The life stream flows back and forth between the boundaries of life and death, and as such history repeats itself. So bring your Jenova's and your Sephiroth's, we'll do as life dictates and stop you every time." Shinra said.
"You know Sir, you don't seem all that sorry."
"Sorry? I've never had this much fun."
"Let's put an end to all this." Kadaj said with a smirk. He looked at the president and raised his arm, the blue materia glowing brightly. He turned to the sky and flung his arm toward it, sending a shockwave of materia energy toward the sky and summoning a huge monster. There were many shrieks from the crowd below and Kadaj smirked in satisfaction.
Raven looked up at the sky as she heard a bang. She saw the sky re-arrange and a huge monster was summoned from it. She took a few steps backward before turning around and running. Kadaj may have told her to stay there but there was no way in hell she was going to stick around if that…thing was coming at her. She hid herself around the corner, not wanting to move too far away.
Yazoo and Loz had stopped fighting Reno and Rude and now Reno and Rude were trying to move kids away from damage range of the monster. Raven then saw Tifa trying to get Denzel out of harms way.
"Is it after us?" She heard Reno yell.
"I'm not checking." Rude replied. She watched as the dragon-thing, as she had taken to calling it, shot a large ball of blue energy at the monument. Reno, Rude, Tifa and Denzel were thrown to the ground unceremoniously.
"Are we having fun yet?" Yazoo asked as he and Loz walked over to where Reno and Rude lay on the ground.
Raven didn't really catch the reply, but the fighting had started up again. She shook her head and rolled her eyes. Why did it always equal fighting? Raven was forced to draw her own sword when some of the smaller creatures attacked her.
"What the hell?" She said to herself before going out there and helping Loz and Yazoo fight.
"Oh so you're on their side now?" Reno asked.
"Should've known we couldn't trust you." Rude said.
"Oh poor Turks…can't handle fighting against a woman." Raven said, holding Reno off with her sword and swiping at Rude with a dagger she had pulled from the side of her boot.
"I see you've learned how to fight too. That time in SOLDIER did you some good." Reno mocked
"Shut it." Raven said angrily and narrowly missing Reno's arm with the dagger but sweeping his legs out from under him with a well placed kick. Throughout that time, more of Tifa and Cloud's old friends arrived. Raven was surprised to see them, as she knew them too. They all began a series of attacks on the dragon-thing. None of their attacks were really effective, but Raven had to admit, they looked good. She was almost longing to be a part of that action again. As the dragon flew higher Cloud jumped in the air to attack it. It caught his sword by its teeth and as he fell Barret caught him and threw him up in the air, then Cloud attacked again and as he came down, Cid raced to meet him and swung his spear out. Cloud landed on it and propelled himself up again. Cait Sith and Red XIII threw him up higher as he passed them. Then he was helped by Yuffie, Vincent, and finally Tifa. Raven watched in awe as Cloud soared through the air and gained a blue glow around him. She saw him stab the dragon-thing with his sword and he ran along the length of the dragon, engulfing it in blue energy. She watched as the dragon fell and was forced to move her position, all the while fighting off Reno and Rude. It wasn't easy and she had sustained a few injuries.
"Oh this is too fun sir!" Kadaj said happily "Any requests for the next act?"
At that point Shinra stood up and threw off the white cloak that was covering him. He held a black box in his hand.
"Mother." Kadaj said in shock, he wasn't expecting that.
"A good son would have known." Shinra teased and threw the box carelessly over the edge of the building. Kadaj yelled and threw a materia energy ball at the President, knocking off his bandages and causing him to fall from the building.
Reno and Rude stopped fighting Raven, Yazoo and Loz and watched as their boss fell from the building.
"Sir, no!" They said in unison as Shinra fell.
"Mother!" Raven heard Kadaj say from high up. She watched as he threw himself off the building and after mother. Shinra had started shooting at the box and hit it just before Kadaj grabbed it.
Tseng and Elena shot nets out of guns to catch President Shinra as he fell.
Kadaj landed cat-like on the ground next to Raven. He heard Cloud approaching and went to get on his bike. It seemed he had only just taken notice of Raven who was standing beside him.
"Raven, I want you to get somewhere safe. No, listen to me." He said as Raven started to protest. "I couldn't bear to see you get hurt!"
Raven looked into his eyes and him into hers for a moment before she nodded and began to run away. Kadaj grabbed a hold of her wrist and spun her around, closing the gap between their bodies, pressing his lips to hers. Raven was shocked at first but then she relaxed in to the kiss and kissed him back. Raven smiled as they broke apart and, as Kadaj noticed, this time it was a true smile.
"Be careful Kadaj, for the love of Jenova, please be careful." Raven begged, the tears starting to form in her eyes and the smile vanishing.
"I will be, don't worry." He said with a smile. "But just in case I don't make it I want you to know I love you." He said turning suddenly serious. Kadaj swung his leg over his bike and kicked it into action.
"I love you too Kadaj!" Raven said. With that Kadaj sped off, Loz and Yazoo not far behind. Raven ran off in the opposite direction, hoping to find a safe place where she could still see what was going on, even though she already knew what would happen. Cloud sped past her on his motorbike, fast catching up to Yazoo, Loz and Kadaj. Raven wanted to scream "Don't hurt him!" But instead she chose to let Cloud pass.
"Hey, Raven!" A deep voice called. Raven looked up to see Barret. She waved up at him. He was hanging out of the door of Cid's latest ship.
"Long time no see." Said a calm voice from behind her that made her jump. She turned around. "Damn it Vincent! Don't do that!" She yelled over the noise of the ship's engines. He grabbed Raven from behind and jumped, taking her aboard the ship with them. "Thank-you Vincent." She said, just happy to be on her feet again.
She looked around at the people on the ship. Yuffie, Cid, Barret, Vincent, Red XIII, Tifa and Cait Sith. There was also another girl there she didn't recognise. The girl walked up to her. "I'm Gemma. Yuffie's older sister." She said extending her hand.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Raven." Raven replied shaking Gemma's hand.
Raven walked up to the glass windshield of the ship. If any of them found out she was in love with Kadaj, heavens knows what they would do to her. So she decided to keep herself isolated from everyone else.
Raven's attention was sparked further when they reached Cloud and Kadaj's fight. Raven almost looked away but her eyes were glued to the horrible scene playing out in front of her.
"Cloud! I brought you materia!" Yuffie said as if she expected him to hear her.
"Cid, park this junk heap!" Barrett called.
"If you want off then jump, get offa my back!" Cid replied waving his arm at Barret.
"He can do this himself." Vincent said. Everyone turned to look at him, including Raven.
"Kadaj is a remnant of Sephiroth, think of him as like a larval form." Vincent continued.
"Larva! You mean he's an insect!" Yuffie practically squealed. Cait said something that Raven didn't catch before Tifa spoke up.
"Does Cloud know?" She asked.
"One would think." Vincent replied.
"Then you're right. This is his fight now." Tifa said.
"I don't get it!" Yuffie squealed again.
"This is man talk!" Cid said in response.
"Sexist, SEXIST!" Raven had to hand it to Yuffie, she had one high pitched voice.
"Ay, lass, shut your mouth!" Cait Sith said, flattening Red XIII's ears in the process.
"Men don't get it either." Barret said.
"Oh that Cloud is a pain in the ass!" Yuffie said.
Tifa smiled. "Cloud is Cloud."
Raven's eyes were now glued back to the scene in front of her. She winced as she saw Kadaj hanging from a ledge; Souba had fallen to the ground. He still had Jenova in his hand, tucked safely underneath his arm.
Raven flung herself out on to the balcony of Cid's ship as Kadaj sliced the box open on Cloud's sword.
"My reunion…" Kadaj said. "Bet you're dying to watch."
"Kadaj, NO!" Raven screamed, hoping he would hear her, but it seemed she was too late. She sank to her knees, knowing it was too late now. She watched on as Kadaj stood on the metal of the building, his sword raised as Cloud flew down at him. At the very instant their swords touched, Kadaj had transformed into Sephiroth.
"No, no, no, no." Raven repeated over again. "This isn't happening!"
She watched as they fought together. Sephiroth was easily stronger than Cloud.
Gemma joined Raven out on the balcony. She was as white as a ghost and she looked worried beyond all reason.
Raven knew at that point that Gemma was Cloud's girlfriend.
Gemma seemed to notice that Raven was on her knees on the ground. She looked down at Raven, there was tears pouring from her eyes. "You love Kadaj, don't you?" She asked. Raven nodded weakly. Gemma bent down to put her arm around Raven.
"It'll be ok." Gemma said in an attempt to cheer her up.
"No, it won't, I know that Cloud is going to kill him." Raven replied sadly. "Unless…there could be a way I could save him." Raven mused.
They watched as Sephiroth stabbed Cloud in the right shoulder. She felt Gemma wince beside her.
"He's going to be ok." Raven said to reassure her. They watched the rest of the fight clinging to each other in fear. Then it came. She barely heard Cloud say "There's not a thing I don't cherish" before she saw his buster sword break up into six different pieces and saw Cloud attack Sephiroth many times over.
"NO!" Raven screamed again, though it had no effect.
"Stay where you belong, in my memories."
"I will never be a memory."
The voices were only soft from this distance but Raven still saw and heard everything like it was running in slow motion. She saw the single black wing sprout from Sephiroth's back and it encircled him. The wing disappeared, scattering black feathers everywhere and lowering Kadaj back to the ground.
Raven got up suddenly and ran back into the ship
"CID! You have to get me down there NOW!" Raven yelled to him. There was a hint of desperation in her voice, mixed with sadness and a very commanding tone.
Cid looked at her strangely, as did everyone else for that matter, but Cid did as Raven had requested, or more accurately, ordered.
The ship landed near Cloud, who was holding Kadaj in his arms. Raven decided the quickest way to get to him was to jump the railing of the balcony. She stood on it and back flipped off, landing quite gracefully. Something, as she remembered with much pain, that Kadaj had helped her perfect.
She ran over to him, the tears flowing freely from her face. Cloud handed Kadaj to Raven and got up to go to Gemma. Everyone else gathered around her and Kadaj, watching on with curiosity.
"What do I do?" Raven asked helplessly to the sky.
She bent down again and kissed Kadaj on the forehead.
"R…Raven?" Kadaj asked.
"I'm here Kadaj." Raven said as more tears spilled down her already tear stained cheeks.
He reached up and touched her face. She put a hand over his and held it to her face a bit longer. He dropped his hand and a look of happiness came over his face, as a voice only he could hear spoke to him.
"Kadaj?" Aerith said. "You don't have to hold on anymore…"
"Mother…is that you?" Kadaj asked.
"Kadaj, don't listen! She isn't your mother! It's Aerith!" Everyone looked at her more strangely at the mention of Aerith's name.
"We're all waiting for you, if you're ready."
"But…I want to…I want to stay here." Kadaj said to the bodiless voice.
"If that's what you really want…" The voice said, with what sounded like a smile.
"Aerith, what do I do to save him?" Raven whispered. She wouldn't have asked Aerith normally, but she was in desperate need of her help.
"It will come to you Raven, just think…" Aerith replied.
Then it hit her…now Raven knew what she had to do.
//Flashback//
A woman in her late twenties sat with a girl who looked to be about seven.
"Take good care of this necklace." The former said to the latter. "It can give some of your life to another person."
"But why would I want to give my life away?" The child asked.
"You'll understand one day." The woman said with a laugh.
She stood up and ruffled the child's hair, much to the child's discontent.
//End Flashback//
Raven took off her coat, a red ribbon was tied around her arm, like that of each of the others standing around her, watching in awe. Raven raised her hands so they were close to the necklace, but far enough away so they weren't touching it. She concentrated all of her energy into the necklace. Her hands glowed with energy the same colour as the Life-stream that flowed through her body. She opened her eyes, which had turned the same colour as Kadaj's normally were. She placed her hands on the blood red pendant hanging from the silver chain. The energy seemed to be sucked inside the pendant, making it a deep purple. She took it off, snapping out of her trance. Raven lifted Kadaj's head and placed the necklace around his neck. As soon as the purple jewel hit his skin the energy inside it flowed into his body.
"Come on, work." Raven whispered.
She looked at Kadaj "You're only seventeen damn it! Your life has barely even begun!"
Nothing happened for a while and she was beginning to lose hope.
"Like you can talk." Kadaj said his eyes still closed as his head lay in Raven's lap.
"Thank god it worked." Raven said weakly before passing out from the loss of energy in her body.
Kadaj saw her fall and pushed himself up.
"Raven?" he asked. "Raven!"
She didn't respond to him either of the times. He placed his hand on her neck to feel her pulse. It was very weak.
"No, you can't die Raven! You can't!"
"What's happened to her?" Gemma asked from Cloud's arms.
"She must have transferred some of her life into the pendant, and then into Kadaj." Vincent replied, as both Kadaj and Raven were in no state to do it themselves.
"Is she going to be alright?" Yuffie asked.
"I don't know." Tifa replied.
Kadaj held Raven's delicate frame close to his body and placed his head on hers.
"Please wake up!" Kadaj begged. "You can't leave me! I need you!"
The girls were all crying as the saw the raw emotion of the scene. Kadaj had begun to let the tears from his eyes, which caught Cloud by surprise. Someone as cruel, manipulative and strong as Kadaj was crying?
The small girl stirred in Kadaj's arms. Kadaj looked down at her as her eyes opened, returning to their normal shade of purple.
"K-Kadaj, are you alright?" Raven asked with some difficulty.
Kadaj smiled sadly. "Never mind me, what about you?"
"I'll be fine." Raven replied with a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.
That smile. Kadaj remembered it clearly. The way it rarely reached her eyes. The smile she was giving him right now. She hid all her sadness behind it. Kadaj thought she knew this was going to happen all along. Why didn't she tell him then?
The rain began to fall, landing on everyone and healing Raven's Geostigma. She reached up to touch her neck, noticing it was no longer there. Her whole body glowed as the rain healed all her wounds.
She pushed herself up, she was still weak, and she slipped in the rainy weather. Kadaj, like before caught her and embraced her, holding her safe and tight in his arms. They leaned in closer to each other, not caring that everyone was still watching, and closing the gap between each other's bodies completely, shared a passionate kiss.
parties down
A/N WHOA DUDE I loved it…so just wow…I had no idea it was going to be that good…and I typed most of those lines from memory. I dedicate the character gemma, to my younger sister Gemma, she would love to marry Cloud…now to copy, paste and write the tragic ending…though I don't know if I can…I like this one too much! sniffle TT [ this was great fun though…and I think it turned out well for my first FFAC fic.
WOOT!!!! I did it in a DAY so I'm proud…and not even a whole day at that…go me go me uh huh uh huh!!
Ok so the date is…for future reference…Sunday October 7th. Sweet.
XOXO
Danii