I hope you all enjoy the 4 chapter and continue to read and REVIEW... ENJOY!

Seriphron and the rest of Avalanche including Rufus Shinra and his two Turks, Reno and Rude, had begun traveling to Nibelheim. Tifa had to get over her sad memories of her past in the town if they were to stop these seven individuals. She didn't want to have to deal with Sephiroth again… that had caused too much grief in the past and she didn't want Cloud to go through such pain again. Red XIII had noticed her sadness and stepped closer to her as they moved on foot.

"Tifa… I understand if you are having emotional problems with returning here… it's completely natural. After hearing the story of these future villains I must say that having to deal with them and return to a place of such pain shows how strong mentally you really are." He said to Tifa who smiled and sighed wistfully. Rufus turned to her and joined her at her side as Red XIII retreated to the back of the group.

"Tifa, are you alright?" Rufus asked as he grasped her hand. At first Tifa looked at his hand strangely before realizing that she had accepted to allowing him into her heart and even had kissed him intimately. Tifa reddened from her thoughts and she shook her head to clear her mind.

"I'll be fine… thank you Rufus for caring…" Tifa trailed off. She smiled to him and turned to where Cloud was and caught his gaze. He looked away ashamed and closed his eyes. Tifa turned back ahead to face the front. She knew that she was hurting him and it killed her.

Meanwhile in the front of the group, Seriphron knew that their voyage should have been much more deadly but only a few monsters had attacked the group since departing from Midgard. He knew that the seven individuals would soon be making their move. They had traveled a good distance and were nearing Nibelheim soon… he hoped that Jenova's Essence was still in the location Dr. Lacrosse had recorded finding it.

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Avius, Lexa, Neo and Cain had all searched throughout Nibelheim for Jenova's essence but they found nothing. The black haired youth, along with Archia and Axel searched near the old mako reactor ruins only to find nothing also. The seven met back up in the abandoned town square to report.

"We have yet to find anything… and they draw closer each second." Neo said in frustration as Avius held his hand up to silence him.

"It is best that we just kill Cloud now… forget about the essence…" Axel turned to Avius and his brother and waited for an answer. The two thought for a moment and Axel continued. "We can't let them get to the essence… cut the fuse before it can blow." Axel reasoned as Cain and Neo agreed with him. The black haired young man shook his head and sighed.

"Without the Essence of Jenova, our trip here would have been wasted." He said as Lexa and Archia appeared before the group of males.

"They are coming…" Lexa said as Avius frowned.

"Seriphron will be here soon… we can't hope to find the essence now… Seriphron is a strong opponent and once he finds the essence we have wasted this trip... we must rid ourselves of Seriphron… he'll most likely tell Cloud and the others the location of Jenova's Essence… lure him away from the others and while Avalanche are searching for the essence get rid of him... let's go." The black haired man vanished into a black dome and soon the remaining six did so as well.

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Seriphron stopped the group as they came to the border of the city of Nibelheim. As Seriphron gazed around the area a shot hit the ground before him. The group all turned to the direction the shot was fired and beheld Archia and Axel with their hoods down from their heads revealing their red hair.

"Well it took you fools long enough." Axel grinned as he grasped his weapons in both hands and spun them around. Archia aimed at Seriphron and shot again. He dodged the shot and materialized the double bladed masamune. Just before he prepared to attack four more figures appeared and surrounded the group.

"It seems we meet at last." Neo pulled his hood back to reveal his crown-like blue and white hair and bright blue eyes to the group before him. Cain ran a hand through his brown hair as he then materialized his two large axes.

Lexa stood behind the group allowing the wind to swirl her blonde locks around her, while the final individual simply crossed his arms over his chest and kept his hood over his head. Yuffie looked at the six surrounding them and raised a brow.

"They're like all my age!" Yuffie said amazed. Barret and the others readied themselves as Seriphron decided who to attack.

Lexa held both her hands up and immediately a rain storm began. Cloud and the others looked in her direction and waited an attack from her but she simply stood still waiting after she created the storm.

Neo raised one of his hands and in it a sparkling ball of energy began to swirl. He smirked slightly and instantly the sphere grew in size. The last figure finally pulled his hood from his head, stepped forward and lifted his hands to his sides. Instantly, on each of his hands appeared metallic fighting gauntlets that shined through the pouring rain and on his feet metallic boots that had a blade placed above both feet.

"Seriphron… I'll be your opponent" He growled as he pointed his left hand in Seriphron's direction, before dashing forward extremely fast to attack. Seriphron jumped forward to meet the attack and instantly the two vanished. Lexa grinned and spoke first.

"I'm Lexa the element; you have already met Archia the accurate and Axel the swift, now I introduce you to Cain the conqueror," She pointed to Cain and then pointed to Neo, "that is Neo the energy, the one you just saw disappear was our second in command Avius." Lexa grinned as thunder crackled in the clouds.

Cloud pulled his blade and faced the girl as Tifa stepped up next to him. Rain continued to pour down onto the beings below but the individuals called the Exiled were not affected by the weather at all. Cloud shook the water from his face and spoke.

"I'll make you pay for what you've done!" He yelled over the sound of the rain and thunder. Lexa laughed as she only tilted her head and smiled. Suddenly, a seventh and final hooded figure appeared several feet in front of Cloud's drawn blade. Cloud stepped back in shock as the figure shook his hooded head.

"Tell me Cloud how will you make us pay?" He asked and instantly two Buster swords the size of Cloud's own First Tsurugi appeared in the young hooded man's hands. Cloud took another step back and the figure laughed.

"This is my fight guys… make sure my brother isn't losing." He said as each of the Exiled disappeared in a dome of darkness until the hooded male was the only one left. Cloud held his sword tightly as the rain began to affect his grip.

"Why are you looking for Jenova's Essence?" Cloud questioned as the hooded man slammed his Buster sword in his left hand into the wet concrete under him. He pulled back his hood and bore into Cloud with his reddish brown eyes. Cloud and the others stepped back in disbelief at the face in front of them.

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Avius and Seriphron were exchanging blows in mid air at inhuman speeds. Avius ducked below a swipe of Seriphron's doubled edged masamune and spun around to try and kick Seriphron with his bladed boot but missed as Seriphron jumped away in time.

Avius landed on the ground and instantly picked up the battle again. He ducked beneath one of Seriphron's attacks and leapt into the air towards the white haired male only to be swatted backwards by an invisible force of energy.

"Who are you? Your face seems familiar?" Seriphron questioned as he held his sword outward towards Avius who got to his feet quickly.

"You don't know me because I had already sliced Tifa's head clean off before you got there." Avius grinned as Seriphron frowned.

"You and your kind will not destroy the world of peace Cloud and his queen brought us… after I destroy you I shall return to make sure that your acts of spite shall not send this world into chaos!" Seriphron shouted angered by the presence of the man below.

Seriphron jumped from the building he was mounted upon and slashed downwards in Avius's direction. Avius stood his ground and once Seriphron came into range with his blade, Avius backhanded the blade with his left gauntlet and pushed forward and pulled his arm back. He put his entire force into the punch that had an energy wave following it.

Seriphron had no time to block or dodge the attack as he was hit in his chest and sent rocketing into a decaying house hundreds of yards away. Avius laughed as he cracked his neck and began to advance upon the fallen warrior.

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Cloud shook his head to hopefully clear his vision but the face of the man before him stayed the same. Tifa even stepped forward confused by the face of the young man in front of her. She squinted as she tried to make sense of what she was seeing.

"What the… he looks just like…" Reno trailed off in shock as he and Rude stood frozen to their spots. They had been told the story just as Red XIII had but they hadn't expected this.

Red XIII, Cid and Barret were both speechless as they looked at the young man in front of them in disbelief. Yuffie only stuttered as she nearly fainted from the scene. Vincent shook his amazement off and spoke…

"So… you're a clone? Not exactly a good match but a clone none the less." Vincent said as the black haired man laughed inwardly.

"I wish I was… but I'm far worse than that." He said as he picked up his left handed Buster Sword and twirled both weapons around himself expertly. He glanced at each of the members of Avalanche before looking directly at Cloud.

"You will all die… but you, Cloud, are first." He grinned as he stopped twirling the weapons and took a fighting stance. Tifa stepped beside Cloud and spoke up, despite her shock.

"Who are you and why are you doing this?" Tifa yelled through the rain as the young man laughed.

"Silence… you're cries will fall on deaf ears. I have no intention of allowing any of you to leave this place alive. My goals and my identity are of no concern to the doomed." He replied and spoke again. "Beside's Tifa… you were too busy with Shinra to notice Axel, so what should my name matter when he's still around?"

Cloud instantly frowned as this imposter mocked his best friend. He narrowed his eyes towards the young man and readied himself for battle. The young man laughed as he noticed Cloud's increased anger. He then closed his eyes as a single black wing pierced through the skin of his back on his left side. The wing was bat-like and leathery looking. The spiky black haired young man calmed his breathing as the pain subsided and he opened his eyes and looked at his opponent.

"Cloud, you shouldn't be so quick to anger… it was one of the reasons I killed you in my world… now that you aren't so strong it would be even easier to slaughter you." He grinned as he readied himself for an attack.

"I won't let you harm Tifa!" Cloud shouted as the young man laughed.

"Cloud, I'm going to kill you before I kill Tifa… you're the main cause of my pain and everyone else…" The black haired youth started and then quietly added, "Without you around the world will be better" He flew forward and prepared to attack the entire group.

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Avius had been joined by the others as he searched for Seriphron's body. He threw several more parts of debris behind him and growled.

"I haven't killed him yet… so where is he?" Avius asked aloud as Seriphron exploded from below him and swung the double edged masamune upwards. Avius blocked but the force from the attack shot him hundreds of feet into the air. Lexa used her control of the elements to use the wind to help him regain his composure as Archia and Axel attacked Seriphron head on.

Avius landed on the ground after righting himself in the air. Lexa shook her head and smiled at him.

"You shouldn't be so careless." She grinned as Avius frowned.

"Seriphron is strong… we have to find Jenova's Essence immediately, my brother most likely sent you all to aid me but I don't need any help… Lexa go with the others and continue looking… check the mountains again..." Avius ordered before he trailed off. He watched as Archia and Axel were violently thrown into several abandoned buildings and cringed. Seriphron appeared as his own body was glowing with white light. "I'll hold him off just go and get the essence!"

Seriphron had unleashed his inner strength as he extended his power outwards. He knew that if he didn't defeat the six Exiled here and now, his world would face chaos and Seriphron vowed that he wouldn't allow the utopia his world has to be forgotten. He began to glow softly and suddenly a angelic light brown-featured wing shot from his right side. He sighed as he endured the pain and as he relaxed he noticed one of the Exiled coming at him with his double axes.

"DIE!" Cain yelled as he slammed his axes into the ground causing a shockwave of energy to blast forward towards the one-winged warrior. Seriphron dodged the attack and jumped into the air and Cain followed by jumping after him. Seriphron expected this and twirled in mid air and swung the double bladed Masamune down upon Cain.

Cain barely lifted his axes to shield himself. Though Cain blocked most of the attack Seriphron's blade had ripped into flesh and Cain was sent hurling down into the ground below. Seriphron nodded at his accomplishment and from his high position in the sky he turned to face Avalanche and the others. Seriphron spotted a one winged individual and immediately began to fly in that direction.

"He's trying to help Cloud and the others!" Archia shouted to Lexa who unleashed her powers and lightening poured from the clouds slamming into Seriphron. The one winged warrior slammed into the ground hurt from the electric shock and force of the bolts. Lexa sent several more lightening bolts down upon him but Seriphron dodged them before they struck. Lexa floated into the skies using the power of the winds and summoned several large tornados.

"Sorry Seriphron but Cloud dies today!" She shouted as the tornados rushed forward. Avius and the other Exiled teleported from the area as Lexa's powers of mass destruction wrecked the entire area.

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Just before the spiky black haired young man could get to Cloud and the rest of the group two large tornados appeared instantly in the city core. He turned to the scene and gasped.

"Lexa…" He turned to Cloud and then back to the large tornado storm. Vincent, from his position could see the fear in the young man's eyes as he fought with himself. Red XIII caught Vincent's stare and noticed the young man's moment of indecision.

"Something isn't right." Vincent said as he narrowed his eyes. The young man turned back to Cloud and the others and growled.

"You most likely will run… but I'll find you… I swear it." He turned in the air from them and flew towards the storm. Vincent nodded as his hunch became more and more than just a hunch.

"We have to follow him!" Vincent shouted as he and Red XIII took off without a second thought.

"Guys, this is our chance to high-tail it out of here why the heck would we want to follow him!" Reno yelled over the increasing power of the rain.

"Vincent and Red XIII wouldn't do this if they didn't have a good reason." Cloud reasoned as he followed after them. Barret, Cid and Yuffie followed shortly after. Tifa sighed and began after them but Rufus stopped her.

"Tifa this is insane… we would be walking right into danger…" Rufus reasoned logically as Tifa looked at her friends' backs as they headed deeper into the city. She turned to Rufus and smiled before she gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.

"Rufus… this is my life." She smiled before she broke away from him and followed Cloud and the others.

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Seriphron had dodged the winds and several items the winds of the tornados had picked up. He currently was attacking Lexa and though her elemental powers were great she was having a hard time dodging the large double bladed masamune. Seriphron had given her several slight cuts along her arms, legs and torso, but nothing too serious.

Though the cuts were small, Lexa's energy was being sapped as she lost blood and tried to maintain a mega powerful storm at the same time. Seriphron blasted towards her and slammed his fist into her face and kicked her from the sky into the ground.

Hundreds of yards away Avius and the others were trying to find a way into the storm as their black haired leader arrived.

"You got rid of them that fast?" Axel questioned as he scowled at him.

"No! Lexa is in trouble, I can't forget about her as if she's nothing. Cloud can be killed another time… I have to get in there now!" He shouted as Axel shrank away from him and his brother appeared.

"It's near impossible… Lexa made sure we can't teleport in and I'm sure that Seriphron can't leave unless he wants to be shredded by those winds or… until she's dead… she's doing this for you…" Avius said as he turned to see Avalanche arrive. "She's sacrificing her life to make sure our future doesn't take place here! Don't let her sacrifice be in vain…" Avius began sadly as he watched the storm begin to weaken.

"I am the leader and I decide who dies… Lexa will not be sacrificed." He growled as he lifted into the air. Archia was in tears as she watched the scene having not noticing their leader's arrival. She looked up to him teary eyed as she spoke.

"Are you gonna save Lexa?" Archia asked as her eyes watered even further. He looked down to her and without warning yelled loudly as he flew head on into the razor fast winds.

Avius gasped as he watched his brother enter the winds. He shook his head in disbelief as he hoped he hadn't died from his actions.

Neo was aiding Cain stand when he noticed the Avalanche group behind them. Neo turned to Avius who was only watching the scene ahead of them.

"Avius what should we do? Attack?" Neo asked as Avius shook his head.

"They're not the immediate problem anymore." He said as he watched the storm ahead of him.

Vincent and Red XIII had heard most of the words and when the others came they turned back to the storm and waited.

"Red XIII, Vincent… what are you doing?" Cloud asked as he looked up and several buildings away were the other Exiled. "What's going on? Why aren't they attacking?" Cloud questioned as Vincent turned to him and the others and started but stopped when Tifa appeared.

"Guys what's happening? This is insane! Is it one of them doing this… and where is Seriphron?" Tifa asked as Vincent began again.

"Yes, one of them is doing this, Lexa. I believe that Seriphron may be winning." Vincent said as Tifa looked to the storm and narrowed her eyes.

"What makes you say that?" She asked. Vincent pointed to the black coated figures known as the Exiled and spoke.

"They're worried." He said simply as Tifa looked at them and noticed how each of them were focusing on the storm. "They believe that the girl is losing and they're all worried for her safety… at least that's what I heard. One of them spotted us and the second in command said we weren't the problem now." Vincent explained as Tifa looked up at the dark blonde who took a moment to look down at them before turning back to the storm.

"Vincent's right… they aren't even paying us any attention." Tifa said as she turned to the storm. She tried to spot the leader with the one wing but couldn't see him. "Vincent, where is…"

"He flew into the storm to save the girl." Vincent answered already knowing Tifa's question and continued. "Let's add what we do know… Cloud and Tifa create an utopia in the future… certain people don't like it so they send fighters back in time to change that and once they have the chance to finish their mission they stop to worry about one of their own. Seriphron has told us that they are evil and will stop at nothing to destroy peace… if that were true why would they abandon their goal? It doesn't add up… and then you throw in what we're all here in Nibelheim searching for, which happens to be Jenova's Essence." Vincent said as Avius turned to them suddenly and frowned. Vincent looked at him and then back to Cloud and Tifa as he finally began to add the events together.

"I think I have an idea of what's going on now…" Vincent then turned to Avius again. "Why they've done what they have is still a mystery to me but one thing is certain… after looking at him up there and then thinking back to his brother and his words after I called him a clone," Vincent stopped and turned back to Cloud and then to Tifa, "It's not hard to see that those two are your children."

CLIFF HANGER! Review and I may update faster and thanks to all that have reviewed so far!