Chapter 6: First Final

Cloud stood in a field of black glass spikes, jutting from the ground like glass. Sephiroth was kneeling before him, his raven's wing tattered and bloody. Cloud's demon wings opened, however, both were on his right side. Cloud raised the First Tsurugi, ready to end his nightmares forever.

Cloud woke up before he could deliver the blow. He looked over to Tifa, who was still asleep. Cloud put on his shoes and headed downstairs. He continued to go down, to the basement. He flicked the switch on as he passed it, illuminating the twenty swords Cloud had collected. He walked to the first rack, searching for the Ultima Weapon. Cloud went on to the second rack, and nodded as he found and drew Ultima from its sheathe.

"You think we got one more fight in us?" he asked the sword. The sword responded to his question by flashing brighter for a single moment. "Me neither." He slid the sword back into the sheathe, then took it and Ragnorok and headed back upstairs, outside, and transferred the swords to Fenrir, And Finished the First Tsurugi. He headed back inside, Just as Tifa came down the stairs.

"Cloud?" Cloud stopped dead in his tracks.

"I have to end it, Tifa. It's just the way it is." He started back into the basement, then returned with Murasame and (I know I'm using a Final fantasy X sword here, but I was desperate.) Alistor. He stored them in Fenrir's sword racks, closed them, and headed back inside. "He's my final enemy. The next battle will be my last. I shouldn't have been able to even lift the First Tsurugi a few months ago, but I can still feel my strength failing. Sephiroth will push me to my ultimate limit."

"What about Omnislash?"

"I can't perform it anymore. Omnislash is a critical technique. Once you've mastered it, and use it, your body begins to deteriorate. The Human body can only take so much, and I never even mastered it. I knew from the minute I first used it I only had a few decades to live. Might as well make the most of what I have left."

"But you're unbeatable, I mean…you defeated Sephiroth twice!"

"By using a technique I learned on instinct."

Tifa sat down on the second step and wrapped her arms around herself. Cloud went to sit down beside her.

"Why is always us?" Tifa asked him. Cloud regarded her sadly.

"My fate, I guess. I wanted to save people, be a big hero like Sephiroth was."

"You are."

"The cost wasn't worth it." Cloud said. "My father, my mother. My entire family. Yours. Zack. Aerith."

"But we have so much now." Tifa said. Cloud looked back to the floor.

"He won't stop. Not until I'm dead, and he'll push me to the brink of insanity to bring me down. At this point he's become obsessed with defeating me and destroying everything I love, like I once did to him." He paused. "I stopped his reunion. I stabbed him right through the chest with the Buster Sword, but he still kept coming."

"Cloud, promise me something."

"What?"

"Just promise!"

"Okay, I promise." He waited. "What did I just promise?"

"That you'll come back and marry me." Cloud looked back to Tifa, and smiled. He wrapped an arm around Tifa.

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Vincent's crimson eyes opened up to Yuffie's muddy-brown ones, then widened. Yuffie smiled.

"Hi, Vinnie." She purred.

"Curse the booze." Vincent muttered.

"Gee, does that mean you want to get married?"

"…WHAT!!!!???" Vincent jumped away and ran out of the room, into the bathroom, and locked the door, propped a chair under the doorknob, and pressed his back against it.

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Auron set his Masamune sword on his shoulder and jumped away. He landed a few feet away from WRAITH Omega, who was cloaked in black, a gold and black mask on his face, akin to a helmet.

"Status?" Auron asked.

"You'd think he'd just screwed a fat woman, how he ran out of there."

"The ninja is a hyperactive twenty-one year old who never shuts up, how would you react?" Auron asked.

"Hmmm…when you put it like that, I don't blame him!"

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Genesis stepped into the inside of the Sister Ray barrel. He sneezed from the gunpowder still left. No wonder changing barrels was a bitch! He pulled goggles from his belt and put them on. He began walking forward, until he caught sight of the body.

"Ah…this is where they hid you." He said to the silver-haired body. He reached into his coat and pulled out a materia, one with a dark blue, almost black, glow.

Wiess's features began to morph into Sephiroth's.

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"Tifa? I have to go." Cloud said. "I have to go get someone."

Tifa let go of Cloud, her eyes shiny. "'kay."

"I'll come back. I promised I would." Cloud said, dressed again in his Fenrir armor. Tifa looked up at him and smiled. Cloud couldn't resist the urge to lean over and kiss her again, so he did. Then he walked out of the door.

Genesis began to form behind her.

"Pity." He said, startling Tifa. "Now he can't defend you." Slowly, a smile spread across his face.

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Cloud stopped dead.

"How the hell are you here?" he asked the woman before him.

"I was released." Lucreicia said. "I tried to find you, eventually I had to buy a phone book. Why?"

"I was going to break you out?" Cloud shouted back. He groaned and reopened the door. Lucreicia walked inside, and Cloud followed closely.

"Why…hello." Cloud turned.

Genesis had one arm around Tifa's throat, and the other was holding Exitus to her throat. Tifa was actually crying.

"Drop her, Genesis."

"Ha! Now that Sephiroth is awake, We'll see what he says." A shadow passed behind Cloud. A shadow with silver hair. Cloud turned and opened his left wing, sweeping it. Sephiroth ducked the wing, and grabbed for Cloud's throat, taking it in a pale hand.

"Sephiroth!" Lucreicia cried. "Stop it!"

"Who is this?" Sephiroth asked with a smile.

"Your mother." Cloud snarled.

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Cliff hanger, yay! Ahh! Mob! Bad! Eat Rocket launcher. Oh, nevermind, I'm already workin on Chapter seven.