Chapter 9: Angels will Rise

"What the hell-!" Cid shouted.

"Aerith!" Red and Yuffie cried out.

"Cloud, don't!" Barrett hollered, wincing as he stepped forward, his shoulder throbbing angrily while reaching out toward his young, blond friend. The warrior took no notice of anyone else, his red eyes fixed on the pale woman standing across from him. Growling in frustration, Barrett ignored his protesting body and raised his gun arm. With a burst of brass, he sprayed the ground at Cloud's feet, attempting to hinder the demon soldier.

Barrett was struck across the chest, the power behind the blow smashing his battered body into the wall behind him. He thought he heard his name shouted around the ring. Through dazed eyes, he looked up at the grinning figure of Vincent, his eyes shinning brightly.

"Now, now," the possessed man reprimanded, "don't interfere."

"What?"

Vincent only laughed and raised his clawed hand, flexing it in anticipation. "Let's play." With demonic speed, he leapt forward and grabbed Barrett by the throat, squeezing hard enough to dig his sharp digits into the rebel's neck to draw blood. Barrett grabbed the arm that held him and squeezed, attempting to break the grip. He was lifted off the ground, watching through the black spots in his vision as Cloud continued his slow stalk towards Aerith.

"Stop him!" he choked out. Vincent turned and watched Cid and Yuffie run to intercept. Nanaki sprinted to stand before Aerith, his tailing flicking wildly around him. Yuffie drew her arm back to throw her shuriken and Cid reared back with his lance for a deadly thrust.

Vincent threw Barrett, sending the large man right into the two unsuspecting warriors. The three crashed into the ground in a graceless heap of limbs and weapons. Barrett groaned loudly as he landed on his damaged ribs, making him see flashes of white pulsing with the fire in his side. In the dirt before him, Barrett made out a heavy black boat stained with dried blood. A shadow fell across him and continued onward. Barrett watched, struggling to breathe, as Cloud moved around them, his steps never faltering. A fierce growl drew his attention away from Strife and upon the tattooed beast who guarded Aerith. Red crouched and charged; his head low as he made to ram the fallen leader of AVALANCHE.

The bandaged buster sword swung out, the broadside of the large weapon connecting solidly along Nanaki's body and knocking him sideways across the arena. He landed hard, rolling in the dirt several times before sliding to a stop. He recovered quickly and charged once more, leaping high into the air to come spinning down upon his opponent. Cloud sidestepped at the moment of impact, Nanaki passing close enough to make his cape ripple. With a blank expression, Cloud turned as Nanaki landed, his booted foot snapping out just as the young beast spun. The kick caught him across the back of his jaw, wrenching his head to the side and throwing Nanaki back into the air. He howled as he landed and tumbled.

Panting, Nanaki looked up at Cloud through narrowed eyes. He shook his head, spitting a glob of blood into the dirt at his feet. Standing on shaky legs, he growled again and crouched low. The blond turned away, uninterested, and resumed stalking his prey.

"Cloud!" Nanaki roared and charged. To his left, he caught a flash of green and the sound of metal moving in front of him. It appeared for a second then vanished. Nanaki tried to stop but his momentum carried him headfirst into the Wall cast behind Cloud. His head crashed hard enough to make him see stars. He staggered back then collapsed into the dirt.

"Red!" Barrett yelled. He lifted himself to his knees, his eyes darting between his fallen friend and the flower girl slowly backing away from Cloud. Beside him, Yuffie and Cid groaned, slowly lifting themselves up. Moving to stand, he was blocked by the swirling dark clothes of Vincent, who smiled down at him with blazing gold eyes.

"Round two?" he asked sweetly. He grabbed Barrett's tattered shirt and pulled his face within inches of his. "Fight."


The smell of blood was sharp in the air. His ears rang with the wild cries of the crowd, and his heart pumped with the adrenaline of the darkness coursing through his veins. He fought, desperately, against the darkness, against the forward movement of his legs and the gentle swing of the sword in his hand. He screamed and clawed to control the body that wouldn't listen. Helpless, he'd watched his friends stand against him. He heard their cries, felt his body react to their charges, and yet he proceeded onward, toward the end game that had been planned all along.

Cloud felt his heart race in fear as he approached Aerith. She was taking careful steps away from him, her eyes never leaving his, her staff held out as if to ward him off. In her eyes, he could see the confusion and uncertainty battling with the stubbornness that could drive him crazy. A shudder ran through him as his eyes moved down to the staff in her hands, and he slowed in his advance.

Something about the staff made him shiver. His hand tightened around the bandaged buster sword in reflex to the strange aura reaching out to him, its pulsating energy making him more sluggish the closer he came. His body twitched in agitation and confusion, his approach hesitant.

"Do you like it?"

"Cloud, it's incredible."

"It's called the Staff of the Magi… it's as much of an amulet as a weapon, and it should keep you safe."

"…is there something I need protection from?"

Cloud's mind buzzed with the memory, and with the bittersweet pain of its irony. But he did not regret it, and he did not fear the pain his demonic body would experience from the staff's power. It was imbued with Holy elements, and he being a creature of darkness would have no chance. Aerith would kill him, and Chaos would lose… even if he didn't keep his end of the bargain. The suffering would end, for everyone.

You think it'll be that easy?

Cloud flinched at the dark voice in his head.

You think I'll let it be that easy?

His body began to move again, stepping backwards and raising his sword high in the air. Power surged through him as he felt the limit break solidifying. No, stop!

Foolish boy. The suffering is just beginning.

The sword swung down and a blue bolt of energy shot towards Aerith with lightning fast speed.


The Blade Beam crashed into the arena wall, sending spectators flying as debris rained down on Aerith where she lay in the dirt. She scrambled to her feet from her less than graceful dodge, her battle instincts kicking in and putting her on defense. Rubbing her thumb over the yellow support materia locked into her staff, she cast Big Guard on herself and felt the surge of energy wrap around her. Her breathing quickened as the barriers formed and vanished. She twirled her staff and set her feet, ready to do whatever was necessary to win back the man she loved.

Whatever was necessary… right?

She blinked and Cloud was gone, only the flash of his red cape alerting her to his presence behind her. She spun and brought her staff up to block the downward slash of his sword. Clashing metal rang out over the crowd, hiding her gasp. The force of the blow sent trembles through her arms and she felt her feet slip backwards under the power, even with the extra protection from the barrier. He moved and swung again, and again, and again, driving her back with each hit she barely managed to block. Only haste enabled her to move fast enough to stop the sword before it ran her through.

The heaviness in her arms alerted her to her much weaker state, and sweat began to form on her brow as she was slowly being pushed to her physical limits. She knew Cloud was much stronger than she, but maybe she had overestimated her own abilities. Or maybe she wasn't acknowledging her abilities enough…

She was never a great fighter, playing defense for her friends in most battles. And for her the best defense meant getting distance. At his next swing, she ducked under the blade and sprinted to the right, pulling her energy into forming a level 3 ice spell she threw at him the moment she turned around. It hit him dead center and dropped him to his knees. She stopped and assessed, her mind rapidly running through her options.

Defeating him weapon to weapon was out the question, but he was susceptible to spells. At least, so far. Her materia consisted of several mastered attack spells, two summons, and cure. As Cloud looked up at her and regained his feet, she wondered if that would be enough.

The staff hummed in her hand and Cloud flinched when he stepped closer. It pulsed again and Cloud's face became a mask of irritation. She looked down at it. When he gave it to her, Cloud said it had powers like Holy. But Holy was a massive conjuring spell, and it only worked after hours of prayer… and her death. She didn't know how to make the staff work here.

Her head jerked back up when a sharp sound cut through the air, the sound of his wing snapping open behind him. With a rush of air, he launched himself into the air. Aerith's eyes widened as he raised his sword and charged down at her, ready to impale her clean into the ground. She raised her staff in a feeble attempt to block.

Silver flashed and Cloud's sword was knocked from his hand by the spinning shiruken. Aerith had only a moment to see Yuffie catch her four point weapon before she was knocked off her feet, blood bursting from her shoulder as the gunshot echoed around the arena. In that same moment, the breath was knocked from Aerith's chest as Cloud slammed into her, pushing her shoulders into the hard ground as they skidded across.

Fire burned through her body and her eyes spun with dizziness. The weight on her body lifted, her eyes managing to make out Cloud's hazy form moving away to retrieve his sword. Unsteadily, she sat up, trying to hurry before his next attack, her body begging to differ. A whoosh of air alerted her to his oncoming attack, but she was still too stunned to move away, to try and avoid his sword aiming for her heart. She stared up at him, hovering overhead like an angel of death, and her breath caught.

Gods, of course…

So shocked by the revelation, she couldn't even make a sound as Cloud dove at her once more. A cry of rage filled the air as Cid charged, slamming his lance into the ground and vaulting himself up in between Aerith and the descending sword. He spun his lance around in a shining arc of sharp metal, the two weapons clashing in mid air as Cid sailed past. It wasn't enough to stop him, but Cloud was knocked off course long enough for Aerith to stand. Cid landed, lance poised behind him, as his eyes locked on Cloud.

"Are you ok?" he shouted roughly.

"Yes, but don't worry about me!" Her head gestured over towards Yuffie gripping her shoulder as Barrett struggled with Vincent, though the possessed man's eyes were suddenly fixated on Cid. Red was painfully making his way over toward Cid's side. "Go help them, I can handle Cloud!"

His head whipped to her. "Are you shitting me?! He's going to take your damn head off!"

"This is my fight, Cid!" All further words were lost as Cloud curled up before launching himself at her again. She stood her ground, staff at the ready. Gritting her teeth, she swung at his sword, deflecting the sharp blade for cutting her. She did not have the strength to prevent being knocked off her feet and flew several yards back through the air.

A cry of pain left her when she felt something snap inside her as she crashed to the ground. White hot pain radiated from her chest and a dull ache was building in her left wrist. Moving her hand caused pain to course through her. Broken? Sprained? It didn't matter; she wouldn't be able to fight with it. Ignoring the haze of pain in her mind, she let her mind fill with the spell of a level 3 Cure. Her body instantly relaxed with the soothing coolness of its healing touch. Opening her eyes, she had enough time to gasp and roll before the ground shook with the impact of the bandaged sword as it broke into the earth where she once laid.

On her feet and backing away, Aerith heard a shout and caught a glimpse of Cid and Red running towards her. From across the arena, the sound of materia being used preceded two black orbs flying at her friends. They were hit dead center and forced to the ground by the powerful gravity spell. Aerith watched Vincent smirk at her before he swiped his arm at Barrett, shredding his shirt with four sharp cuts across his battered chest. He turned and moved away as the ninja threw a flying punch at him. She spun and snapped a flying kick at his head, and Vincent drew his gun and shot her in the leg.

"No!" Aerith screamed, moving to run to her friend, when a leg snapped out into her stomach, the blow like that of a steel ball, dropping her to her knees as she wailed in pain. Instinctively, she crawled back, one arm wrapped protectively around her waist. Cloud bore down on her, his foot kicking out once more to knock her staff from her weakening grip. She watched it spin out of her reach. Slowly, she lifted her eyes up to the demonic replica.

He breathed evenly, his hands coming together on his sword as he raised it up over his head. Aerith forced a smile across her bloody lips and she brought her hands together in front of her, clasped in prayer. "Forgive me, Cloud," she whispered. She bowed her head and released the energy that had built to its limit inside of her, calling upon Great Gospel.


Yuffie was tearing at her clothes, making strips to staunch the flowing blood from his deadly accurate bullets. Cid and Red were still struggling to stand under his gravity spell. And Barrett was squirming at the end of Vincent's clawed hand, like a fish pulled from its life source. Chaos, ever enjoying his current possession breathed deep the delicious scent surrounding him and grinned at Barrett. He hummed in satisfaction. "Your blood smells sweet," he said with a dart of his tongue across his lips. "Do you taste as sweet?"

Barrett's eyes went wide as Vincent revealed his glistening fangs. "Get the hell away from me!" he struggled violently, kicking at the cloaked man.

Chaos laughed and slammed Barrett into the ground, pinning him and moving to the renegade's throat. "Relax, it's only a snack." He whispered in his ear, "Can't have you dying and ruining the show." He chuckled and breathed along Barrett's racing pulse, his lips ghosting over it before a flash of light made his head lift.

Aerith knelt in prayer, her head down as golden rays of light cascaded from a brilliant source above. Angels descended and Chaos recoiled in fear as their ethereal presence touched everyone, caressing each with a holy touch that made him burn inside Vincent's body. Deep down, he heard Vincent's voice reach him from the darkness of his mind, struggling to reach the surface. Screams filled his ears as he fought for control.

Vincent slipped away, Chaos maintaining control of his pliable host, but the screams continued. Opening his golden eyes, he looked over to see Cloud on his knees, his head back and his hands tearing at his hair, the angels casting their holy powers on him. His screams verged on those of the insane, and Chaos flinched at the holy fire that rained down on the blond warrior. The limit break ended, and Cloud fell forward on to his hands. Steam rose from his smoldering clothes, blood beginning to pool where the skin was seared by the heavenly touch. He panted and moaned, his head bowed close to the blood stained ground.

Chaos watched in shock as Aerith stood and retrieved her staff. Deliberate steps led her back to stand in front of her weakened opponent. Chaos felt his heart pound. A set look came over her face as she stared down at Cloud, and her hands tightened around her weapon. Light began to pulse from the staff, and the crescent moon at the end began to glow. Aerith looked down at the staff in surprise, then understanding, then resignation. Her eyes rose again, and even from so far away, Chaos could see the sorrow in her face.

He looked back at the balcony shrouded in darkness, and the flowing eyes set in the shadows made him shiver with excitement. The tension in the room was building as everything stilled, all eyes focused on the flower girl and her fallen warrior. It was only a matter of time before she struck the final blow, and his master's plan would come full circle…

A/N: Hi all! Thanks for the recent reviews and for the continued support in this story! My muse has been pulling me away to write a new story, and work has been keeping me out and about, so it's been a struggle to get back into the swing of this story. I intended to get farther with this chapter, actually, but where I want to go would make this chapter much longer than I would like, so it looks like I'll just be adding another chapter to the list!

Hope you all enjoyed this and I hope you had a blessed Easter and a fun filled April Fool's Day!