Final Moments

Summary: "...I'm dying." Visiting the grave of her mother, the recombinant has an epiphany- if her time is limited, she might as well change what she can. [VincentxOC. Don't worry, it's not one of the mushy, OOC ones.]

Author's Note: I've been throwing around plot lines and ideas for this story for over 2 years now, and I could never find one that worked. I think I'm happy with this one though- I've thought this one out more than I normally do. So far the hardest thing I've thought through is the opening- as to how I bring my character in. Overall, I'm still pretty happy with it. :)

Disclaimer: Sadly, I don't own Final Fantasy. ): If I did, Zack would be alive and Yazoo would be my man-slave.

"Hey mom- I mean, Ella. Sorry, I know you never wanted me to call you that. It's understandable though. Sorry, again. I know I haven't visited you in so long... I guess I don't really have an excuse." Slim, pale fingers traced the sides of the marble tombstone.

It was raining on a cool summer night, out in that field. Her silver bangs fell dripping into her mako-colored eyes, the water hiding silent tears.

"Ella...I'm dying. I... I think it's a side effect- of... of what you did to me. I don't blame you at all, please, don't get me wrong. You saved my life by doing what you did. Maybe.... maybe I was supposed to die then-like, this is my punishment or something. I've always had those fevers, though; maybe those were my warning."

"I wish... I wish you were still alive sometimes, so you could explain this stuff to me. It sounds childish, I know, but... I don't think I can really help it."

Under the willow tree, she took another swig of the warm liquid from her canteen before blinking. "Oh, I almost forgot." She reached into the leather bike-pouch she had taken off her motorcycle, pulling out a small box, also made of leather. "I brought you something. You know, those mint leaves that you used to grow. I found some of them around Cosmo Canyon on my way here."

Suddenly, there was a roar of rolling thunder off in the distance, a flash of light. "Look's like I'll have to leave soon..." Another boom, another crash. "Or now..."

Sadly, she stood up, fingers stroking the marble slab once again before walking off, the bag thrown over her shoulder.

"Goodbye, and.....

Happy Birthday, mom."

The rain felt like hail smacking on her face as her bike roared down the empty road. In the distance, the city's skyline, which still wasn't all that tall, came into view. Thank god.., she thought to herself, squinting against the rain. I know there's at least one bar there... I need a good drink.

Slowly, the rain became thinner and thinner, before finally stopping out in the middle of some sort of badlands outside the city. The wind now, instead of flinging rain in her face, made long, waist-length silver hair hip out behind her, drying quickly. Dust and dirt flew out behind her, making a long trail.

If she looked around, it was really almost a peaceful place for her. There was nothing out here but the multiple rock formations and the dirt and sand. It was quiet, save for the noises from her bike, and there was no one there to bother her. Sadly, however, it didn't really cater to her other needs- such as a strong drink, at the moment.

The dust finally becoming to much for her eyes, she used one hand to steer, the other one reaching back and pulling her riding goggles out of the leather bag and sliding them over her face. Afterwords, it was silent, smooth riding once again. Well, for a while, anyway. Suddenly a blond streak flew by her, not even a foot apart. Her eyes widened, bike wobbling dangerously from the sudden turbulence before skidding to a halt and ending at a 90 degree change in direction- sideways, that is. "OI!!" she roared after the other bike, catching sight of the mass of spiked blond hair. Suddenly, the boy pulled a skidding u-ey. Frowning as he did so, he slowly came into a rolling stop in front of her. "The fuck was all that about? Ya' coulda' made me wreck my baby!" she growled, patting the dusty bike behind her.

The blond's frown grew more. "Sorry," he stated. The boy talked softly, like there were weights on his chest.

"Mmph." The woman grunted, holding her hand out to him. "S'alright, I guess. Celvice Aimont. And yourself?"

"Cloud Strife," he replied, voice soft as before- it was almost like a murmur. Cloud shook her hand idly before getting back onto his own bike. "Sorry," he repeated.

Celvice, hands on her hips, watched as he left, swerving around a large boulder and out of sight. Sighing lightly, she flung her leg over the side of her motorcycle as she made it roar back to life. Quickly, the city's limits sped into view as road fell away under the racing rubber of her tires. As dirt turned to concrete, Celvice loosened her grip on the throttle, going at a disgustingly slow pace through the flow of pedestrians that crowded the streets. She refused to push her 'baby' as the engine sat- she thought that the purrs, lurches, and roars from the engine were too pretty. And even though she hated the slow pace, it did give her time for her head to swivel and turn to look at the various buildings, looking for a decent bar as she pulled down her riding goggles. There were multiple neon signs- all of them blown out, but signs nonetheless. One in particular caught her eye. It was small and huddled into an alley, quiet looking. Perfect.

Slowing completely, she rolled for a short ways before putting her foot down and cutting the engine. She then pushed it into the alley next to the bar, putting down the kickstand. Pulling the keys out of the slot, she strode casually to the front door of the bar, a small bell ringing on entry. Seeing as it was close to the middle of the day, the bar was mostly empty. Really, the only people who were there were a slightly tall -at least, on Celvice's terms; she wasn't exactly the tallest person around-, rather... well endowed... dark haired woman, along with a small brunette girl. The latter looked way too young to even be near a bar- much less inside one with her innocent looks.

Hearing the bell ring, the woman turned towards Celvice, a kind smile on her face. Celvice could tell it was forced. She had had too many experiences with people like that. Naturally, she was curious as to why the woman was in distress- even so, she kept her mouth shut. It wasn't her business. "Hello," she said. Her voice sounded smooth and serene. "Want can I do for you?"

She sighed lightly. "Do you have any Riesling? Any brand, it doesn't matter to me. Mama likes her wine," she laughed lightly.

The dark haired woman chuckled lowly. "Right." Reaching behind her, she reached down under the counter and pulled out a bottle, along with a glass for Celvice.

"Thanks," she smiled, pouring the wine into the glass. After a while of awkward silence and quiet drinking, Celvice looked back over at the woman. "... Is it usually this quiet in here?"

The woman blinked before looking back at her. Normally customers wouldn't talk to her unless it was to order, and usually the sources of those voices were drunk with slurred speech. "Oh... only during the day. We get busier during the weekend and at night."

She nodded lightly. "Right..." Slowly, the silence got to her, making her fidget. "Damn it, make conversation!" she laughed.

Tifa blinked again before laughing lightly along with the silver haired woman before looking around slightly. "Oh, where did she...?" She turned in a quick circle, looking for the little girl. "Excuse me," she said, nodding slightly to Celvice as she walked over towards the stairs. Now away from the woman, she was able to think some as she walked up the stairs. That.... that woman... her hair, and eyes... they look just like... She shook her head from side to side quickly to get the thought out of her mind, reaching the top of the steps. At the top, she turned and saw where the little brunette had disappeared to. Inside one of the doorways, Marlene was tending to Denzel again. Tifa sighed lightly, sadly. This sickness.... geostigma... how long would it last? She was worried about Denzel as well- it would be even harder for Barrett if he were here.

Shaking her head slightly, she headed towards the now ringing phone. "Hello?" She smiled lightly. "…Yeah, I remember you."

From the burst of air to the sudden stillness, the missing of the roar of the engine, the gravel not churning beneath him- everything was gone from his ears. The silence was almost deafening, standing there. Cloud had gone back to the cliff- the one where he remembered Zack laying there, dying, blood pooling around his lifeless form.

Slowly, the silence became welcomed as he stood there, seeking solace. He always came here to remind him of his sins, what he had done. To Aerith, and to Zack. The old sword here reminded him of it all too well. The Buster Sword was now rusted and cracking from its age and from the length of time it had been out here, barren to the elements. He had been out here fore more than an hour, just standing there. He stood over his motorcycle, legs on either side. Head dropping slightly, he pulled down the goggles from the top of it. Bending his knees, he let his weight fall back into the leather of the seat.

From the deafening silence, the shock of the roar from the engine was like a drum battalion in his ear. So much so that, as he roared off, he failed to notice the three other bikes slowly rolling up to where he had been seconds before. He didn't even know of the disrespect from them- the Buster Sword now being thrown on the ground from it's meaningful perch. There they sat, silent, looking over the city of Edge, and the rubble of Midgar just beyond it before the one to the far right broke the stillness.

Long, silver hair matched the other two's, however being the longest, reaching his mid back. He was skinny and toned, almost having a girlish figure to him. "Hey Kadaj … is that where big brother lives?"

"Yeah," grinned the man in the middle, looking almost... crazy. The childish set to his face helped none the more, adding to his strangeness. This one, Kadaj, had his mako-tinted eyes almost completely covered by his thin, silvery hair as it blew around him.

"Do you think... he'll be happy to see us?"

"Not a chance."

"Don't cry, Yazoo," teased the final of them, looking over to his brother. His hair was short, and by the looks of it overly-gelled, looking almost like it should have belonged to Elvis.

"But Mother's with him..," said Yazoo quietly.

"Maybe not." Kadaj rolled his neck to the side, still staring curiously out at the city before sobs were heard to their left.

"Don't cry, Loz," he stated, getting back from earlier.

Kadaj's head rolled to the side again, hearing the roar of a motor. "Hold on... he's coming!" And It was true, as the others saw. Cloud had circled around and gone back some before coming around to pass where he had been before, far below the cliff face. With that, Yazoo looked over to his brother, sharing a nod with Loz. And they were off, speeding on ahead of Kadaj and towards the blond in the distance in front of them. Jumping over a small ledge of rock, Cloud only had a brief amount of time to look back before the attack.

From there, the fight was on. Smirking, black auras emitted from the front of their bikes and darted in front of them across the ground before suddenly popping up and turning into some type of monster- they almost looked like wolves. Even so, they were nothing even remotely closely to that in looks, albeit the structure. They looked like skeletons running across the ground, the black auras that had flown across the ground now making up their innards. The things seemed to form a team, a pack, as they grouped around Cloud, easily keeping up with the bike, of who's engine almost seemed to beg for release from the intense riding.

At almost the last second, as one of the creatures began to lunge, his bike opened up. From the sides, racks of swords sprouted outwards, allowing him to grab one half of his gunblade, using the other hand to steer. Using tricky maneuvering, his wheels squealed as he twisted the bike, facing the way he had come and slicing through the monster with an easy, clean stroke before skidding around again, slowly getting a lead on the pack.

Accompanying him, Loz sped up his own bike, swerving in next to him. "Where's mother?" he yelled over the wind blowing in their ears. Not even giving him tome to answer, Loz sent an electrified punch, thanks to the gauntlet he was wearing over all of the leather of his suit, Cloud could barely skid away fast enough to dodge the attack, doing a quick skidding circle as he did so.

Quickly sliding up on the other side to trap him, Yazoo fired his gun at him. "We know you hid her, brother." He fired again, point-blank range, only to have them ricochet back at him as Cloud blocked them with his gunblade.

Having to fight all of the wolves and the brothers at once was beginning to be a hassle. Swerving to avoid them, another of the wolves lunged for him, only to be another victim as it was sliced in two. Yazoo didn't let up, firing whenever he could as the two of them constantly circled Cloud, not giving him a chance to escape.

Watching over the scene play out, Kadaj leaned against his bike on the top of the cliff. "Don't tell me... you're leading me on!" he said into the phone, scowling. "Because I do think you have mother there. … No need to shout!" he laughed, his voice carefree for a moment before returning to it's deadliness. "I don't want to talk to you anymore... put the President on."

Cloud simply couldn't escape it- from his left lunged another monster, only for it to dissolve at the slice of his blade as the brother shot at him again. Scowling, Loz darted on ahead before abruptly skidding to a stop, blocking the ex-SOLDIER's path. Cloud, with his bike skills, ramped up the other piece of machinery, making a tight u-turn and brandishing his sword at Loz, the electric gauntlet staring right back at him. The two clashed, and, suddenly, a shock ran through Cloud's body, paralyzing him for a moment. Coming back from it, it was his sword arm that was useless- as could quickly be told by Loz's ability to easily knock it out of his hand and send it flying, leaving Cloud defenseless.

Yazoo had circled around again, darting at Cloud for a head on collision before springing into the air. Smirking, Yazoo held up his gun and fired, hitting right above the blond's eye- only blocked by the goggles he was wearing. Even then, as the two brothers fell behind slightly, at least five more the monsters reappeared for each one he had gotten rid of. The two nodding at each other, the wolves all leaped into the air at once, pouncing onto Cloud- before disintegrating in mid air at the raise of a hand.

Back on the cliff, now catching Cloud's attention, it was Kadaj's hand that had been raised, ending it. With a smirk, the brothers slowed and circled around speeding back off in the direction of their brother and leaving Cloud in the dust. Looking back, his tires squealed to a stop, ending him horizontally on the path, gazing back up at where the apparent leader of the three sat on his perch. The silver haired main smirked down at him before turning and slowly rolling off and out of sight.

"So I'm trusting it went well?" The woman's smooth voice drifted over to the three brothers. Bright red bangs fell into her eyes, along with short, cropped hair that hardly reached her shoulders, set around bright, defiant eyes.

"If all goes well, then yes," Kadaj smirked.

"Solaria, he was-"

"Was I addressing you, Loz?" Solaria snapped, her head not turning to look at him.

"No..."

"Then quiet. Kadaj, I'm sure you know as to how you're going to go about the next part of the plan?"

"Yes," he grinned evilly.

"Good. Now, head out."

As they turned away from her, heading for the city, she couldn't help but laugh to herself. Everything was working out as she had planned, and everything was turning out perfectly. Soon... soon you'll be back... my Sephiroth...

Rrrrr. I was aiming for this to be about 4 pages longer than it was, but I like it ending where it did. And I KNOW I should be working on my other stories, but, like I said, this bit me in the but and I couldn't resist. I promise I'll get back to work on the others soon as well, but I couldn't really get around my little writer's block before I got done with this.

Also. No, this won't turn into one of those Mary Sue freaking 'OMG SEPHY, MARRY ME' 'LOLHOKAI' things. Those just tick me off. -_- No, it'll be a little bit more sadistic than that. *evil laughter*

Also Also. Sorry Exi, but I didn't change much from before you beta'd. -_- You seemed to almost change the style of writing I was going for with this. Plus, I had one of my friends who's an English Honors teacher look over it, and said it was perfectly fine for the style, albeit with a few mistakes that I did fix.

Also Also Also.

GUESS WHAT I'VE BEEN LISTENING TOO WHILE WRITING THIS?

I'M ON A BOAT, MUTHAFUCKAAAAA.

So... review please? c: