FINAL FANTASY VII-VIII

TWO WORLDS

AN:Hello everyone! This is a rewrite of my first ever fanfic, which some of you might remember. I decided a few days ago that I wanted to take my first written work, and see just how much I could do with it now that my writing skills have improved to the extent they have. I would be immesenly grateful for any feedback. It is my sincerest hope that if you read the first version of this fic that you will enjoy this version even more. And for those who did not read the original version before I took it down, I hope you enjoy this fic as well. That said, lets get underway.

DISCLAIMER:I do not own FFVII or FFVIII or any related materials.

Prologue

Cloud felt the exhaustion spreading from his mind to his limbs. His arms and legs felt almost like lead, and various injuries across his body burned with pain. A gash on his left arm, a burn across his back, at least two broken ribs, maybe more, and any number of scrapes and bruises. He ignored it all as he regarded his companions. All of them were in roughly the same shape he was. Despite there injuries, they had a certain sense of satisfaction to them. They had done it. They had beaten Sephiroth. Even if Meteor destroyed the planet, at least they would die knowing they had done everything it was possible for them to do, and Sephiroth would not be able to carry out his plans.

Cloud cast a glance towards the pit leading into the heart of the planet as he spoke. "We've done everything we can. Now lets all go home." The others did not verbally respond. They exchanged looks of comradiere. They were all of them glad to have fought along side one another. Cloud allowed himself a rare smile, and started after them.

His mind was filled with a sudden flash of pain, and he stopped dead in his tracks as he heard laughter. It was a mocking laugh filled with malice. His knees buckled and he barely put his arms out to stop from falling all the way to the ground.

Tifa heard his grunt and turned around. "Cloud!" She exclaimed.

"He's still here!" Cloud hissed, struggling to his feet. A horrible pain filled his skull. He couldn't see, he couldn't think, he could only focus on a laugh which seemed to grow increasingly powerful in his skull.

Tifa's face twisted in horror. She heard it too. Cloud's eyes widened as he realized the laugh wasn't just in his skull. It was in the air around him. Something shot out from the depths of the crater, a blur of movement dressed in black leather wielding a sword which was almost absurd in its length.

The figure landed not far from them, gazing at Cloud hatefully as the blond swordsmen whirled to face him, hand reaching for his sword.

"Sephiroth!" Cloud snarled as he sank into a defensive stance. The evil man was hunched over,as if it were difficult for him to stand. His face was paler than normal, and the mako glow in his eyes seemed to have faded. It was clear that even though he had survived the destruction of his more angelic form, he had not emerged unscathed.

"Did you really think you could destroy me?" Sephiroth demanded. "No mere human can stand against me!" He declared. The others had noticed what was happening. They tried to go to Cloud. But a sudden shockwave ripped through the ground beneath them. Massive boulders the size of houses fell from above, and a blue glow began to build within the planet. Holy was moving.

Sephiroth advanced with a blindingly fast slash of his seven foot long katana while Cloud struggled to keep his balance. Cloud was just a split second to slow in blocking the strike, and the masamune bit into his chest and sent him toppling back into the depths of the crater. His fall stopped when he smashed with brutal force into one of the many rocks floating amidst the currents of lifestream energy. Tifa lunged at Sephiroth only to be sent flying over heels by a dismissive swing of the Masamune, then the One-Winged Angel leapt after Cloud, who struggled back to his feet using his sword as a crutch. He looked up as Sephiroth landed lightly in front of him.

Above them the crater was sealed by an avalanche of falling rock. Cloud knew his friends would not be able to help him. He also knew he could not stop Sephiroth alone. Despair filled him. All their hard work, all their struggles and sacrifices were for nothing.

Sephiroth slowly stalked towards his wounded prey, letting the tip of his sword cut a furrow in the ground leaving a trail of fire. Despite his certainty that victory was not possible on his own, Cloud raised his blade anyway as he drew what little strength he had left into his muscles. Maybe he could last long enough for his friends to get to him. Some of the rubble above was already shifting, and he though he heard the engines of the Highwind on the other side.

Sephiroth noticed Cloud's gaze, and smiled coldly. "They cannot help you Cloud." Cloud lunged with all his strength, but Sephiroth was to fast. Their swords clashed and Sephiroth shoved his nemesis back with a contemptious lack of effort. Cloud would not surrender so easily however. He charged right back in with a mixture of ferocity, desperation, and a resolve more intense than anything Sephiroth had seen before. Pure unrefined power swirled around Cloud as he almost seemed to fly, and his blade moved so quickly it might have existed in three seperate places simaltaneuosly.

Sephiroth was stunned, unable to comprehend the sheer speed of it. Even as he struggled to block the attacks, he tried and failed to wrap his mind around it. Perhaps if he were at full strength he would have had a chance, but in his present condition all he could do was whatch as Cloud snatched his victory away from him.. One blow after another bit into him, and blood sprayed everywhere. Sephiroth, knowing he could not block these attacks, launched a slash of his own, but Cloud sprang back just out of range, then leapt into the air above Sephiroth to deal the finishing blow.

Sephiroth then experienced something he had never felt before. He felt powerless. He was going to die, and he could do nothing about it. He didn't have the time to gather the energy for a spell or other special ability, and he lacked the strength to raise his sword. All he could do was whatch.

Less than a second before the attack would have connected a massive surge of energy erupted from the very core of the planet, sending shockwaves ahead of it so intense that both Cloud and Sephiroth were hurtled off the platform that had served as their battleground, and into the midst of displaced Lifestream.

Cloud lost sight of Sephiroth as the blue light of Holy filled the area, seeming to consume everything. Cloud was thrown about so voilently that he could feel bones shatter from the centrifugal force, and intense energy burned at him, threatening to peel the flesh from his bones. He screamed, but the noise was drowned out by the roar of energy around him.

He began to spin voilently as he was caught in a vortex, and then there was a feeling of intense speed, and then he knew no more.