DISCLAIMER - None of these characters belong to me, neither do any of the
items, towns, names, or virtually anything else you would see in the game.
They are property of Squaresoft. The story of Final Fantasy VII isn't mine
either. This little add on to the story that I made up is possibly the
only thing in this story that belongs to me. If you read my other stories,
this doesn't connect to them, minus some similar themes and a few little
sections I took from some my other story. Everything is as it was when the
game left off. I just don't want anyone to be confused. Please Read &
Review! I love to hear from people about what they think of my story
(please no flames). Thanks. Now, on to the reading.
"Aeris. Was it really worth it? Why did you have to give your life? I don't know if saving the planet, even the universe, is worth losing you. But you didn't give me or anyone else a choice. We could have helped you, we could have protected you, we could have done something. But that wasn't what you wanted, was it?"
Cloud Strife, a 22 year old, formerly of Shinra, formerly of Avalanche, formerly a fighter, now unemployed, looks up. He stands from a kneeling position before a glowing azure altar. He sheaths his sword, a beautiful and yet deadly sword, formed by the planet itself. Cloud felt that he had now paid his dues to his brave, kind, and beautiful friend. She had given her life that everyone could live. People everywhere now lived out their lives, not even knowing the heroes who saved them. Cloud wished he could have her back. He would have done anything. Cloud hears footsteps behind him. He whips around while drawing his sword and holds it less than an inch from the throat of the figure.
"Who are you?" Cloud asked quickly. The man held out his arm and revealed the end of a massive and powerful looking weapon. "Lucky for you, a friend." Cloud stood still. "Talk stranger." The man removed his hood. There stood a large black man. He stood about 6' 4". He had a bull-cut and a beard. He smiled a broad smile. "Hey Cloud." "Barret!" "Ya, it's me. How have you been?" "Good, and you?" "Not too bad."
"It's been awhile. hasn't it?" "A year at least." "Wow. What've you done in that time?" "Well, I became mayor of North Corel and I turned it completely around. You'll have to come and see it, it's incredible." "Sounds like it." "What about you?" "Not much really, I've been doing a lot of thinking."
"Ya? Me too. That's why I came here. To say thanks. Didn't expect to run into you though. What brings you here?" "Saying goodbye." "I'm sorry, man. I know how much she meant to you, to all of us." "Ya, but I've gotta move on now. I'll wait for you outside, ok?" "Ya, ok."
Barret walked towards the altar and Cloud out of the room. Cloud walked up the many steps to the top of the shell building. He was glad to see someone he knew. He was especially glad it was Barret. Cloud suddenly thought back to Aeris. He missed her so much, and no matter how much he convinced everyone else that he had let her go, he never would. Cloud slumped his head and stared at the floor as her walked up the last few tile steps. Cloud wasn't even looking as he walked through the portal that engulfed the last step. Cloud closed his eyes.
"I'll always love you Aeris, you know that. wherever you may be." Cloud looked up. He saw and entirely white room. There was no boundary to the room, nor was there any definition to it. He glanced around the room and his eyes caught a man sitting on a large, golden chair. "Greetings Cloud Strife."
A man, dressed in an elaborate outfit spoke. He wore shoes with rockets on the bottoms and blue pants that clearly defined his muscular legs. He wore a belt adorned with jewels of every sort. On his belt was attached a pistol and on his left hand he wore a black glove. He had a heavily decorated breast-plate. On the shoulders, rested two large diamond gemstones. In the center of the breast plate rested a massive blue jewel. Strung across his back was a sword of clear power and might.
"Who are you?" "My name is Sapphire, I am the supreme being in the universe. I answer only to the lifestream." "Sapphire? Then you're a." "Weapon? In a sense, but in the same, not. Weapons must be awakened, I am eternal and have no beginning or end." "Sapphire, Ruby, Emerald. could have come up with some more original names." mumbled Cloud. "What?" asked Sapphire. "Nothing."
"Very well. Let's get down to business. I didn't bring you for fun." "Good, because I didn't come for fun." "Let us talk about Aeris Gainsborough." Cloud's head burned. "What about her?" "You said goodbye to soon." "What do you mean by that?"
"You and Aeris. You were in love, but neither of you would admit it. You too stubborn, her too afraid. When she left, you knew you would never forget her. And you never truly gave up hope that someday, somehow, you would see her again. Even now, you hold that same hope in your heart. No matter how much or how hard you try to tell yourself that you're over her, you know you never will be. There will always be that spot in your heart, reserved only for Aeris Gainsborough." "Ya. What's your point Sapphire?"
"Well, as you hope on for all time that you would see her again, she hopes the same. She didn't return to the planet. She asked me that she would be kept apart so that someday she could see her love again. That is you." "So where is she?" Sapphire touched a gem on his belt. It was a small, round, pink gem. As he touched it, it glowed. It projected an image into the blank white space. It showed Aeris, sitting in a room, all alone. She just sat, and waited. "Aeris!" shouted Cloud. "She can't hear you." "Let her out, let her out of that little box." "It's not that simple."
"Sure it is, open the crystal. You put her in, let her out." "I can't. She is bound to the other crystals. Letting her out would release the others who are contained in crystals. And you don't want that, the people in the other crystals are the most powerful beings that ever existed. They were put in the crystals to keep them from ever escaping into the world through rebirth in the lifestream." "I don't care! Let her out."
Sapphire touched another crystal. It was gray and rugged. An image showed into space. It showed a woman, very beautiful. She was clearly very old as shown by her primitive clothing. "This is Jenova at the peak of her power. She was much more powerful then, not like the lesser versions of her that you fought," said Sapphire.
Sapphire touched another crystal. It was ebony black. An image showed on the white. A dark man stood in the center of the image. He wore a black cape, black as the night. He had silver hair like the moon on a clear night. He had glowing emerald eyes. His face was locked in an emotion less state. The man stood in a room holding a large sword. He swung it and thrust. He practiced on and on. He suddenly stopped practicing. He thrust his sword into the ground. He yelled "I'll have my revenge Cloud Strife, I'll have my revenge!" Cloud didn't speak. He simply stared. Stared at the man in the black cloak. The man with the silver hair. The man with the green eyes. The man who killed his only love.
"Sephiroth." said Cloud. "Yes, Sephiroth. He and Jenova are connected to Aeris, along with everyone on this belt. There are three more superpowers." He pointed to three gemstones. One red, one green, one white, and one blue. "These you know. Ruby, Emerald, Ultima, and the evil that I once was. All of these powers that could have once taken over the world would be released into the world again. This would be the cost for the release of Aeris. However, I am not permitted to make this decision for you. The lifestream has judged that if you so choose, you may release the gems on the belt. It trusts you to win. But I must warn you, the journey will be a long one. There are ten gems on this belt. I have shown you the most powerful of them. Eight of ten gems on the belt are evil. The evils once almost ruled the world. The other two, you already know. They were some of the greatest heroes in there own small ways. These two will be the partners that you will accompany you on your journey. The decision is yours Cloud Strife. The lifestream puts the world in your hands."
Cloud saw a bright white light slowly growing until it engulfed him. Cloud woke up in his villa in Costa Del Sol. He stood up. He grabbed at his waste. There was a belt. He felt around it and felt the gems. "The decision is mine."
Cloud knew that there were only two people in the world who he could trust this information to. He would consult his best friends. Cloud knew he had to talk to someone. He set off for North Corel. When Cloud arrived, he was awestruck. He didn't know where he was. Grass covered the ground, children ran and played. The houses were exquisitely decorated and beautiful. Cloud's jaw dropped. He wandered to the center of town. "What happened here?" Cloud remembered the way it used to be. Dirt, tents, and garbage.
A strong black man walked out of the largest house in town up on a hill and gazed at the beautiful town. He saw a man in purple clothes with a huge sword standing in the center of town looking around. The black man sprinted down the hill at full speed, straight at Cloud. "CLOUD!" he shouted excitedly as he ran straight at him. The black man lifted him into the air and hugged him tightly. Cloud thought he had been hit by a bus. When he regained his sense, he looked at the man in front of him.
"Barret! Barret, man, how are you?" "Fantastic. Just look at this place." "It's incredible. What happened here?" "A little hard work and inspiration can go a long way. Plus, once Dio up at the Gold Saucer heard what happened with Sephiroth and Meteor and all, he was more than happy to help me beautify North Corel." "Amazing." "Ya, we like it. So what's up?" "Long story. Can we go somewhere to talk?" "Ya, follow me."
Cloud and Barret walked up the hill to Barret's mansion on the top of the hill. "Nice place." "Dio was feeling generous." Cloud and Barret walked through the house until they reached a large decorated. "This is my lounge." "Impressive." "So what do you want to talk about Cloud?" "I just need some advise." "Speak."
Cloud talked for a long time, explaining to Barret how he had met Sapphire, how he had learned of Aeris and Sephiroth, and how he had come by the belt. "So what do you think I should do Barret?" "My friend, you already know what you should do. You decided when you first found that you had the belt. You had a true love. Nothing will stop that. Just as nothing will stop you in your quest to save the world once again. I wish you luck, and you know that you will always have my support. And if you ever need help, you've got PHS. Goodbye and good luck!"
With that, Cloud thanked Barret and left North Corel. He quickly moved to Nibelheim. He arrived at his old town and took a second to take in the sights and smells of home. He then walked to a house on the right side of town. He walked in. A woman stood in the kitchen, cooking, as it was near dinner time. She had long brown hair. "Tifa." "Yes?" asked the girl as she turned around. "Cloud!" She ran to him and hugged him. "How are you Cloud?" "I'm good. Look, Tifa, I need to talk to you about something serious." "Ok, what is it?" "Not right now, but later. Tonight. Just meet me at the well after dark."
Cloud walked out of the house. Later that night, Tifa sat on the well swinging her feet gently. Cloud stepped out from around the corner. "I was worried you wouldn't come. It was getting cold." said Tifa. "I'll always come. Ok, so here's the deal." Cloud went on to explain the events that had transgressed and when he had finished, he looked over to Tifa. "You still love her, don't you?" "Yes, I do. I'm sorry."
"Don't be. Cloud, I've always been your friend, and I hope that I always will be. I'm not one to fight true love. You two belong together. Sephiroth took that away from you. You lost what may have been your one soul mate. You've been given a gift. You have another chance to win her back. Cloud, love is worth every risk in the world. You've got it. And whatever you decide, I'll be behind you all the way. Cloud. I say love is worth everything, but I don't show that in my actions. Maybe late is better than never, huh? I'll start now. Good luck." With that, Tifa went to Cloud and kissed him. "I'll always be on your side." "Tifa." said Cloud as she walked away.
The next morning, Cloud knew what he had to do. He knew that he had made his decision. The world would be in good hands. He had defeated all evil once, he could do it again. He hoped. He traveled to the North Continent, to the Forgotten Capitol. But now, he had a different reason to be there. He was going to release evil into the world. It was worth it to him, Aeris was worth more than life itself. Cloud reached the center of the Forgotten Capital and went down to the altar. Cloud removed the belt. He saw its many gemstones. He saw its beauty. He threw it to the ground. It landed on the ground with a clatter. Cloud paused to look at the belt and think about what he was about to do. Thinking time is over, he thought to himself. He saw the golden gem mounted in the center of the belt. He swung the Ultima Weapon from his back and thrust it downward into the large stone set in the center of the belt.
As Cloud struck the stone, a glow surrounded the belt. The stones detached from the belt and floated in a large circle around him. He looked around. He watched as the gems took shape. He saw them. Two he didn't recognize, then Ruby, Emerald, Ultima, Sapphire, then he saw Jenova appear. Finally, he turned to the ebony orb that flickered. Then, it took on a black glow that engulfed the light around it. Then, a man in a black cape appeared in its place. He slowly raised his head and then his eyes glared at Cloud. His emerald eyes locked on to Cloud's glowing blue eyes. Sephiroth smiled, and then, he and all the other evils disappeared. Two jewels floated nearby, a small pink circle gem and a silver triangle. The pink circle began to flicker and Cloud ran to it. It took from and a figure in a pink dress fell to the ground. Cloud picked her up. He held her in front of him. She slowly opened her eyes and looked ahead. She saw a pair of blue eyes. She snapped to attention and smiled. She embraced him happily.
"I knew you would save me." Cloud could only smile and hug her. "Softy." said a voice from behind Cloud. Cloud turned around. There stood a strong looking man with black hair. He was dressed in a similar manner as Cloud. "Za. Za. Zack!" "Cloud. How are you? Haven't seen you since. I got killed." "Ha. That was quite a shame."
"Ya, I didn't like it much. Plus I've been living in a box for the last six years." "You missed a lot. I saved the world." "Well that's good." "I took over your life for awhile too, I hope don't mind." "I don't care." "I'm glad. So I guess you'll be coming along with me to save the world then?" "Wouldn't miss it for the world." Zack looked behind Cloud. "Hi Aeris." "Hi Zack," said Aeris. "Long time no see." "No kidding." "Aeris, are we cool? I don't want you to hate me." "I got over that a long time ago Zack." "Ok, good."
"Cloud." said Aeris. "Aeris." said Cloud. "Zack." said Zack. Cloud and Aeris turned to Zack and laughed. After a little while, Cloud told Aeris and Zack all that had happened since they had been gone. He told them what had happened, and what they needed to do. "Do you understand?" asked Cloud. "I do, but I don't fight well without a weapon," said Zack. Cloud drew a long sword out of his bag. "The Buster Sword." "It's the finest sword in the world," said Zack. "But only in my hands." Zack drew two small plugs from his pocket. He had two silver plugs. He inserted them into the two holes in the sword. The sword began to glow. It took on a silver shine and sharpened. "Only in my hands." He said smiling.
"Ya, I get what you're saying Cloud. But I don't understand, why did you do this?" asked Aeris. "All for love," said Cloud, staring into Aeris eyes. "You're an idiot," said Zack. "What?" "You let out all the evil in the world for a girl." "Ya, so." said Cloud, staring into Aeris eyes. Aeris smiled at Cloud. Zack said "I oughta smack you."
"But anyways, let me know what you need equipment wise and I'll get it. Also, if you have anything else you need, let me know. We'll leave in the morning. Meet at the Villa Cloud in Costa Del Sol." "I've already got everything I need," said Aeris. Zack handed Cloud a smudged, crumpled piece of paper with some words scribbled on it. "What's this?" "My shopping list," said Zack smiling. "Ok, I'll get this stuff and meet you guys at Costa Del Sol later tonight."
Cloud walked out with Aeris close behind. Zack followed close behind and muttered "That Cloud is one lucky S.O.B. ." Cloud traveled to a shop in Costa Del Sol while Zack and Aeris went to the beach. Cloud began looking for all the things on Zack's list. "All Materia. Well, knowing Zack, that's probably not talking about the specific." Cloud walked up to the counter. "I need all Materia." "Ok, one all Materia coming up." "No, all of your Materia, one of each type." "Wow. sales." "Thanks, just hold it at the desk till I'm done, ok?" "Sure." "Ok, now we need. 'One of those shiny metal arm things.' Ok, I guess that would be an armlet. I'll just get the Platinum Armlet. Next. Tetra- Elemental. Hey, shopkeeper, do you have any Tetra-Elementals?" "Yes. Oh yes, but only one. It's very valuable."
"Figures. Put that and this Armlet with the Materia. Ok, now I need 'a few bottles of green stuff.' What on earth Zack! Shopkeeper! I need green stuff." "Oh, you mean Megalixers." Cloud smacked his forehead. "Yes, probably." "He he." The shopkeeper ran to the back and smiled widely. He came back out with an armful of pink bottles. "Your total comes to 7 million gil."
"Ah. Hold on, there's still one more thing. Oh, you must be joking. Sir, do you by any chance have a full size, collectable, gold replica of Sephiroth's sword? I don't know if you remember them, they only made 100 of them, and that was 10 years ago. I need one."
The shopkeeper stood still. Then he smiled a huge smile. His eyes sparkled. He hopped up and down and clapped his hands. Then he lifted his head to the sky and let out the most disgustingly evil laugh that Cloud had ever heard a 60 year old shopkeeper let out. Then he said, "They only made 100. But they made one special. It was engraved with a signature of the master SOLDIER himself. I was a huge Sephiroth fan. It was anyone's dream to get that sword. I knew that I would be lucky to get one of the normal swords. And I did. When I opened the box, I took the sword out of it's sheath. There, near the bottom, above the handle, was a signature. It read 'Sephiroth.' I was overjoyed. They made 100 swords back then. There is only one left." With that, the shopkeeper reached under the desk and pressed a small red button. The doors and windows slammed closed with three foot thick mythril plates. The racks of items slid into the floor. The desk dropped as well. Then, out of the ground rose a small pillar. It let off a little smoke as it had been in a bomb-proof, fire-proof, freeze- proof, acid-proof, and weather-proof box for the last eight years.
The sword rose slowly. A blue light shown up from the bottom of the pillar and showed the sword. It gleamed a golden hue. Cloud's jaw dropped. He saw the engraving, 'Sephiroth.' The shopkeeper laughed. He pulled a remote from his pocket, removing the glass from around the sword. He pressed another button, and the laser grid deactivated. A final button push turned off the motion detectors linked to cannons in each corner of the room. Cloud was afraid to move anymore. The shopkeeper walked up to the chamber and lifted the sword from its resting place.
"It's my prize, has been since I got it. It would be hard to part with. But for the right price. What do you say?" "What's the right price?" "Oh, I'd usually charge at least ten billion gil for a piece like this, but for you, I'll throw in a deal. Eleven billion." "Eleven billion!" "For the whole store."
"Wow. um. why are you selling me your whole store?" "After a sale like this, I'm retiring!" "I would too." "Well?" "I'll take it, give me everything." "He he he! Money!" shouted the shopkeeper. Cloud handed him 11 billion gil notes. "Bye bye! Have fun!" yelled the shopkeeper as he ran from the store skipping and singing.
"Zack better appreciate this." He decided to leave the stuff in the store and come back for it with Zack and Aeris. Cloud began walking back to his Villa. He arrived and found Zack and Aeris sitting on opposite sides of the room. "Zack, your stuff's at the store. I got all of it, even that Replica of Sephiroth's Sword." Zack's jaw dropped. "You got that?" "Ya, it was on the list, and I asked." "I was just joking about that, I was just seeing if you could find one, I didn't want you to actually buy one." Cloud's eyes locked in a stone cold glare at Zack and he looked like he would explode any second. Aeris turned around. "Doesn't it hurt your face to hold it like that?"
"Let's go. to my store." The three set off for Cloud Market. The trio arrived at the store and entered it. "Take what you need from the store, I own it all. Zack, your stuff's on the desk." "Thanks man, I owe ya one." "You owe me 11 billion," muttered Cloud. Zack went to the counter and equipped all of the items on it. Aeris went and found several things she liked. She took a Reflect Ring, some Sprint Shoes, a Ribbon, and one of each type of Master Materia. She equipped herself and turned to Cloud, who stood at the door.
"Am I really worth risking the world over?" she asked Cloud. "The world and more," he replied. "Do you think we can win?" "Would I have released all that evil if I didn't?"
"That's what I'm wondering." "Hey, I've got you back, and as an added bonus, I got him," said Cloud, pointing to Zack. Zack turned around with a half-eaten doughnut hanging out of his mouth. "Huh?" he asked. Cloud and Aeris started laughing. "What?" "Nothing Zack," said Cloud. "Alright. I'm done here, so when you're ready."
Cloud walked over to a display and drank about 12 each of all types of Source boosters. Cloud then grabbed the three Master Materias, a pair of Sprint Shoes, a Ribbon, a Tetra-Elemental, and a few tents. "Ok, lets go," said Cloud. With that, the three walked out of the store and began their dangerous journey.
"Aeris. Was it really worth it? Why did you have to give your life? I don't know if saving the planet, even the universe, is worth losing you. But you didn't give me or anyone else a choice. We could have helped you, we could have protected you, we could have done something. But that wasn't what you wanted, was it?"
Cloud Strife, a 22 year old, formerly of Shinra, formerly of Avalanche, formerly a fighter, now unemployed, looks up. He stands from a kneeling position before a glowing azure altar. He sheaths his sword, a beautiful and yet deadly sword, formed by the planet itself. Cloud felt that he had now paid his dues to his brave, kind, and beautiful friend. She had given her life that everyone could live. People everywhere now lived out their lives, not even knowing the heroes who saved them. Cloud wished he could have her back. He would have done anything. Cloud hears footsteps behind him. He whips around while drawing his sword and holds it less than an inch from the throat of the figure.
"Who are you?" Cloud asked quickly. The man held out his arm and revealed the end of a massive and powerful looking weapon. "Lucky for you, a friend." Cloud stood still. "Talk stranger." The man removed his hood. There stood a large black man. He stood about 6' 4". He had a bull-cut and a beard. He smiled a broad smile. "Hey Cloud." "Barret!" "Ya, it's me. How have you been?" "Good, and you?" "Not too bad."
"It's been awhile. hasn't it?" "A year at least." "Wow. What've you done in that time?" "Well, I became mayor of North Corel and I turned it completely around. You'll have to come and see it, it's incredible." "Sounds like it." "What about you?" "Not much really, I've been doing a lot of thinking."
"Ya? Me too. That's why I came here. To say thanks. Didn't expect to run into you though. What brings you here?" "Saying goodbye." "I'm sorry, man. I know how much she meant to you, to all of us." "Ya, but I've gotta move on now. I'll wait for you outside, ok?" "Ya, ok."
Barret walked towards the altar and Cloud out of the room. Cloud walked up the many steps to the top of the shell building. He was glad to see someone he knew. He was especially glad it was Barret. Cloud suddenly thought back to Aeris. He missed her so much, and no matter how much he convinced everyone else that he had let her go, he never would. Cloud slumped his head and stared at the floor as her walked up the last few tile steps. Cloud wasn't even looking as he walked through the portal that engulfed the last step. Cloud closed his eyes.
"I'll always love you Aeris, you know that. wherever you may be." Cloud looked up. He saw and entirely white room. There was no boundary to the room, nor was there any definition to it. He glanced around the room and his eyes caught a man sitting on a large, golden chair. "Greetings Cloud Strife."
A man, dressed in an elaborate outfit spoke. He wore shoes with rockets on the bottoms and blue pants that clearly defined his muscular legs. He wore a belt adorned with jewels of every sort. On his belt was attached a pistol and on his left hand he wore a black glove. He had a heavily decorated breast-plate. On the shoulders, rested two large diamond gemstones. In the center of the breast plate rested a massive blue jewel. Strung across his back was a sword of clear power and might.
"Who are you?" "My name is Sapphire, I am the supreme being in the universe. I answer only to the lifestream." "Sapphire? Then you're a." "Weapon? In a sense, but in the same, not. Weapons must be awakened, I am eternal and have no beginning or end." "Sapphire, Ruby, Emerald. could have come up with some more original names." mumbled Cloud. "What?" asked Sapphire. "Nothing."
"Very well. Let's get down to business. I didn't bring you for fun." "Good, because I didn't come for fun." "Let us talk about Aeris Gainsborough." Cloud's head burned. "What about her?" "You said goodbye to soon." "What do you mean by that?"
"You and Aeris. You were in love, but neither of you would admit it. You too stubborn, her too afraid. When she left, you knew you would never forget her. And you never truly gave up hope that someday, somehow, you would see her again. Even now, you hold that same hope in your heart. No matter how much or how hard you try to tell yourself that you're over her, you know you never will be. There will always be that spot in your heart, reserved only for Aeris Gainsborough." "Ya. What's your point Sapphire?"
"Well, as you hope on for all time that you would see her again, she hopes the same. She didn't return to the planet. She asked me that she would be kept apart so that someday she could see her love again. That is you." "So where is she?" Sapphire touched a gem on his belt. It was a small, round, pink gem. As he touched it, it glowed. It projected an image into the blank white space. It showed Aeris, sitting in a room, all alone. She just sat, and waited. "Aeris!" shouted Cloud. "She can't hear you." "Let her out, let her out of that little box." "It's not that simple."
"Sure it is, open the crystal. You put her in, let her out." "I can't. She is bound to the other crystals. Letting her out would release the others who are contained in crystals. And you don't want that, the people in the other crystals are the most powerful beings that ever existed. They were put in the crystals to keep them from ever escaping into the world through rebirth in the lifestream." "I don't care! Let her out."
Sapphire touched another crystal. It was gray and rugged. An image showed into space. It showed a woman, very beautiful. She was clearly very old as shown by her primitive clothing. "This is Jenova at the peak of her power. She was much more powerful then, not like the lesser versions of her that you fought," said Sapphire.
Sapphire touched another crystal. It was ebony black. An image showed on the white. A dark man stood in the center of the image. He wore a black cape, black as the night. He had silver hair like the moon on a clear night. He had glowing emerald eyes. His face was locked in an emotion less state. The man stood in a room holding a large sword. He swung it and thrust. He practiced on and on. He suddenly stopped practicing. He thrust his sword into the ground. He yelled "I'll have my revenge Cloud Strife, I'll have my revenge!" Cloud didn't speak. He simply stared. Stared at the man in the black cloak. The man with the silver hair. The man with the green eyes. The man who killed his only love.
"Sephiroth." said Cloud. "Yes, Sephiroth. He and Jenova are connected to Aeris, along with everyone on this belt. There are three more superpowers." He pointed to three gemstones. One red, one green, one white, and one blue. "These you know. Ruby, Emerald, Ultima, and the evil that I once was. All of these powers that could have once taken over the world would be released into the world again. This would be the cost for the release of Aeris. However, I am not permitted to make this decision for you. The lifestream has judged that if you so choose, you may release the gems on the belt. It trusts you to win. But I must warn you, the journey will be a long one. There are ten gems on this belt. I have shown you the most powerful of them. Eight of ten gems on the belt are evil. The evils once almost ruled the world. The other two, you already know. They were some of the greatest heroes in there own small ways. These two will be the partners that you will accompany you on your journey. The decision is yours Cloud Strife. The lifestream puts the world in your hands."
Cloud saw a bright white light slowly growing until it engulfed him. Cloud woke up in his villa in Costa Del Sol. He stood up. He grabbed at his waste. There was a belt. He felt around it and felt the gems. "The decision is mine."
Cloud knew that there were only two people in the world who he could trust this information to. He would consult his best friends. Cloud knew he had to talk to someone. He set off for North Corel. When Cloud arrived, he was awestruck. He didn't know where he was. Grass covered the ground, children ran and played. The houses were exquisitely decorated and beautiful. Cloud's jaw dropped. He wandered to the center of town. "What happened here?" Cloud remembered the way it used to be. Dirt, tents, and garbage.
A strong black man walked out of the largest house in town up on a hill and gazed at the beautiful town. He saw a man in purple clothes with a huge sword standing in the center of town looking around. The black man sprinted down the hill at full speed, straight at Cloud. "CLOUD!" he shouted excitedly as he ran straight at him. The black man lifted him into the air and hugged him tightly. Cloud thought he had been hit by a bus. When he regained his sense, he looked at the man in front of him.
"Barret! Barret, man, how are you?" "Fantastic. Just look at this place." "It's incredible. What happened here?" "A little hard work and inspiration can go a long way. Plus, once Dio up at the Gold Saucer heard what happened with Sephiroth and Meteor and all, he was more than happy to help me beautify North Corel." "Amazing." "Ya, we like it. So what's up?" "Long story. Can we go somewhere to talk?" "Ya, follow me."
Cloud and Barret walked up the hill to Barret's mansion on the top of the hill. "Nice place." "Dio was feeling generous." Cloud and Barret walked through the house until they reached a large decorated. "This is my lounge." "Impressive." "So what do you want to talk about Cloud?" "I just need some advise." "Speak."
Cloud talked for a long time, explaining to Barret how he had met Sapphire, how he had learned of Aeris and Sephiroth, and how he had come by the belt. "So what do you think I should do Barret?" "My friend, you already know what you should do. You decided when you first found that you had the belt. You had a true love. Nothing will stop that. Just as nothing will stop you in your quest to save the world once again. I wish you luck, and you know that you will always have my support. And if you ever need help, you've got PHS. Goodbye and good luck!"
With that, Cloud thanked Barret and left North Corel. He quickly moved to Nibelheim. He arrived at his old town and took a second to take in the sights and smells of home. He then walked to a house on the right side of town. He walked in. A woman stood in the kitchen, cooking, as it was near dinner time. She had long brown hair. "Tifa." "Yes?" asked the girl as she turned around. "Cloud!" She ran to him and hugged him. "How are you Cloud?" "I'm good. Look, Tifa, I need to talk to you about something serious." "Ok, what is it?" "Not right now, but later. Tonight. Just meet me at the well after dark."
Cloud walked out of the house. Later that night, Tifa sat on the well swinging her feet gently. Cloud stepped out from around the corner. "I was worried you wouldn't come. It was getting cold." said Tifa. "I'll always come. Ok, so here's the deal." Cloud went on to explain the events that had transgressed and when he had finished, he looked over to Tifa. "You still love her, don't you?" "Yes, I do. I'm sorry."
"Don't be. Cloud, I've always been your friend, and I hope that I always will be. I'm not one to fight true love. You two belong together. Sephiroth took that away from you. You lost what may have been your one soul mate. You've been given a gift. You have another chance to win her back. Cloud, love is worth every risk in the world. You've got it. And whatever you decide, I'll be behind you all the way. Cloud. I say love is worth everything, but I don't show that in my actions. Maybe late is better than never, huh? I'll start now. Good luck." With that, Tifa went to Cloud and kissed him. "I'll always be on your side." "Tifa." said Cloud as she walked away.
The next morning, Cloud knew what he had to do. He knew that he had made his decision. The world would be in good hands. He had defeated all evil once, he could do it again. He hoped. He traveled to the North Continent, to the Forgotten Capitol. But now, he had a different reason to be there. He was going to release evil into the world. It was worth it to him, Aeris was worth more than life itself. Cloud reached the center of the Forgotten Capital and went down to the altar. Cloud removed the belt. He saw its many gemstones. He saw its beauty. He threw it to the ground. It landed on the ground with a clatter. Cloud paused to look at the belt and think about what he was about to do. Thinking time is over, he thought to himself. He saw the golden gem mounted in the center of the belt. He swung the Ultima Weapon from his back and thrust it downward into the large stone set in the center of the belt.
As Cloud struck the stone, a glow surrounded the belt. The stones detached from the belt and floated in a large circle around him. He looked around. He watched as the gems took shape. He saw them. Two he didn't recognize, then Ruby, Emerald, Ultima, Sapphire, then he saw Jenova appear. Finally, he turned to the ebony orb that flickered. Then, it took on a black glow that engulfed the light around it. Then, a man in a black cape appeared in its place. He slowly raised his head and then his eyes glared at Cloud. His emerald eyes locked on to Cloud's glowing blue eyes. Sephiroth smiled, and then, he and all the other evils disappeared. Two jewels floated nearby, a small pink circle gem and a silver triangle. The pink circle began to flicker and Cloud ran to it. It took from and a figure in a pink dress fell to the ground. Cloud picked her up. He held her in front of him. She slowly opened her eyes and looked ahead. She saw a pair of blue eyes. She snapped to attention and smiled. She embraced him happily.
"I knew you would save me." Cloud could only smile and hug her. "Softy." said a voice from behind Cloud. Cloud turned around. There stood a strong looking man with black hair. He was dressed in a similar manner as Cloud. "Za. Za. Zack!" "Cloud. How are you? Haven't seen you since. I got killed." "Ha. That was quite a shame."
"Ya, I didn't like it much. Plus I've been living in a box for the last six years." "You missed a lot. I saved the world." "Well that's good." "I took over your life for awhile too, I hope don't mind." "I don't care." "I'm glad. So I guess you'll be coming along with me to save the world then?" "Wouldn't miss it for the world." Zack looked behind Cloud. "Hi Aeris." "Hi Zack," said Aeris. "Long time no see." "No kidding." "Aeris, are we cool? I don't want you to hate me." "I got over that a long time ago Zack." "Ok, good."
"Cloud." said Aeris. "Aeris." said Cloud. "Zack." said Zack. Cloud and Aeris turned to Zack and laughed. After a little while, Cloud told Aeris and Zack all that had happened since they had been gone. He told them what had happened, and what they needed to do. "Do you understand?" asked Cloud. "I do, but I don't fight well without a weapon," said Zack. Cloud drew a long sword out of his bag. "The Buster Sword." "It's the finest sword in the world," said Zack. "But only in my hands." Zack drew two small plugs from his pocket. He had two silver plugs. He inserted them into the two holes in the sword. The sword began to glow. It took on a silver shine and sharpened. "Only in my hands." He said smiling.
"Ya, I get what you're saying Cloud. But I don't understand, why did you do this?" asked Aeris. "All for love," said Cloud, staring into Aeris eyes. "You're an idiot," said Zack. "What?" "You let out all the evil in the world for a girl." "Ya, so." said Cloud, staring into Aeris eyes. Aeris smiled at Cloud. Zack said "I oughta smack you."
"But anyways, let me know what you need equipment wise and I'll get it. Also, if you have anything else you need, let me know. We'll leave in the morning. Meet at the Villa Cloud in Costa Del Sol." "I've already got everything I need," said Aeris. Zack handed Cloud a smudged, crumpled piece of paper with some words scribbled on it. "What's this?" "My shopping list," said Zack smiling. "Ok, I'll get this stuff and meet you guys at Costa Del Sol later tonight."
Cloud walked out with Aeris close behind. Zack followed close behind and muttered "That Cloud is one lucky S.O.B. ." Cloud traveled to a shop in Costa Del Sol while Zack and Aeris went to the beach. Cloud began looking for all the things on Zack's list. "All Materia. Well, knowing Zack, that's probably not talking about the specific." Cloud walked up to the counter. "I need all Materia." "Ok, one all Materia coming up." "No, all of your Materia, one of each type." "Wow. sales." "Thanks, just hold it at the desk till I'm done, ok?" "Sure." "Ok, now we need. 'One of those shiny metal arm things.' Ok, I guess that would be an armlet. I'll just get the Platinum Armlet. Next. Tetra- Elemental. Hey, shopkeeper, do you have any Tetra-Elementals?" "Yes. Oh yes, but only one. It's very valuable."
"Figures. Put that and this Armlet with the Materia. Ok, now I need 'a few bottles of green stuff.' What on earth Zack! Shopkeeper! I need green stuff." "Oh, you mean Megalixers." Cloud smacked his forehead. "Yes, probably." "He he." The shopkeeper ran to the back and smiled widely. He came back out with an armful of pink bottles. "Your total comes to 7 million gil."
"Ah. Hold on, there's still one more thing. Oh, you must be joking. Sir, do you by any chance have a full size, collectable, gold replica of Sephiroth's sword? I don't know if you remember them, they only made 100 of them, and that was 10 years ago. I need one."
The shopkeeper stood still. Then he smiled a huge smile. His eyes sparkled. He hopped up and down and clapped his hands. Then he lifted his head to the sky and let out the most disgustingly evil laugh that Cloud had ever heard a 60 year old shopkeeper let out. Then he said, "They only made 100. But they made one special. It was engraved with a signature of the master SOLDIER himself. I was a huge Sephiroth fan. It was anyone's dream to get that sword. I knew that I would be lucky to get one of the normal swords. And I did. When I opened the box, I took the sword out of it's sheath. There, near the bottom, above the handle, was a signature. It read 'Sephiroth.' I was overjoyed. They made 100 swords back then. There is only one left." With that, the shopkeeper reached under the desk and pressed a small red button. The doors and windows slammed closed with three foot thick mythril plates. The racks of items slid into the floor. The desk dropped as well. Then, out of the ground rose a small pillar. It let off a little smoke as it had been in a bomb-proof, fire-proof, freeze- proof, acid-proof, and weather-proof box for the last eight years.
The sword rose slowly. A blue light shown up from the bottom of the pillar and showed the sword. It gleamed a golden hue. Cloud's jaw dropped. He saw the engraving, 'Sephiroth.' The shopkeeper laughed. He pulled a remote from his pocket, removing the glass from around the sword. He pressed another button, and the laser grid deactivated. A final button push turned off the motion detectors linked to cannons in each corner of the room. Cloud was afraid to move anymore. The shopkeeper walked up to the chamber and lifted the sword from its resting place.
"It's my prize, has been since I got it. It would be hard to part with. But for the right price. What do you say?" "What's the right price?" "Oh, I'd usually charge at least ten billion gil for a piece like this, but for you, I'll throw in a deal. Eleven billion." "Eleven billion!" "For the whole store."
"Wow. um. why are you selling me your whole store?" "After a sale like this, I'm retiring!" "I would too." "Well?" "I'll take it, give me everything." "He he he! Money!" shouted the shopkeeper. Cloud handed him 11 billion gil notes. "Bye bye! Have fun!" yelled the shopkeeper as he ran from the store skipping and singing.
"Zack better appreciate this." He decided to leave the stuff in the store and come back for it with Zack and Aeris. Cloud began walking back to his Villa. He arrived and found Zack and Aeris sitting on opposite sides of the room. "Zack, your stuff's at the store. I got all of it, even that Replica of Sephiroth's Sword." Zack's jaw dropped. "You got that?" "Ya, it was on the list, and I asked." "I was just joking about that, I was just seeing if you could find one, I didn't want you to actually buy one." Cloud's eyes locked in a stone cold glare at Zack and he looked like he would explode any second. Aeris turned around. "Doesn't it hurt your face to hold it like that?"
"Let's go. to my store." The three set off for Cloud Market. The trio arrived at the store and entered it. "Take what you need from the store, I own it all. Zack, your stuff's on the desk." "Thanks man, I owe ya one." "You owe me 11 billion," muttered Cloud. Zack went to the counter and equipped all of the items on it. Aeris went and found several things she liked. She took a Reflect Ring, some Sprint Shoes, a Ribbon, and one of each type of Master Materia. She equipped herself and turned to Cloud, who stood at the door.
"Am I really worth risking the world over?" she asked Cloud. "The world and more," he replied. "Do you think we can win?" "Would I have released all that evil if I didn't?"
"That's what I'm wondering." "Hey, I've got you back, and as an added bonus, I got him," said Cloud, pointing to Zack. Zack turned around with a half-eaten doughnut hanging out of his mouth. "Huh?" he asked. Cloud and Aeris started laughing. "What?" "Nothing Zack," said Cloud. "Alright. I'm done here, so when you're ready."
Cloud walked over to a display and drank about 12 each of all types of Source boosters. Cloud then grabbed the three Master Materias, a pair of Sprint Shoes, a Ribbon, a Tetra-Elemental, and a few tents. "Ok, lets go," said Cloud. With that, the three walked out of the store and began their dangerous journey.