Hi everyone! I've brought you the newest chapter on the "War for the future". Now like I said the last time this chapter is a little short than the other one. Enjoy!

It was dark. Cloud couldn't see a thing. He could not move either.

"Is he dead?" asked a male voice

"Of course not, you idiot!" said another. "I can't believe this guy beat me. Hell, I can't believe that he beat us all. When he sleeps he looks so...so..."

"Innocent?"

"Weak."

"Do you think he'll be okay Yuna?" asked another male voice

"I've healed all his wounds, I think he'll be fine. He just needs some rest." said a female voice. Cloud realized that this voice was 'Yuna'. He tried to open his eyes but it was a little hard. He focused but he was blinded by light. "Oh, look he's waking up." When the light faded he look at his surroundings. He was in a bed and in the same room with the people he beat up before. He tried to stand up but his body told him it's a bad idea.

"Whoa, slow down chef." said Zidane.

"Where am I?" Cloud asked

"Etro's temple." Squall told him.

"Will he be alright?" asked Noctis as he entered the room.

"Yes, don't worry." Yuna said

"Can you guys leave us a minute?" asked the young prince.

When everyone else was out Cloud said. "Hey, Noct. What's up?" he said in a casual tone.

"What's up?!" Noctis almost yelled. "Oh, I'll tell you 'what's up'! You were going straight to Sephiroth! That's what's up!"

"So?"

"So?! Have you lost it, Cloud?"

"Okay, first of I didn't have a choice and second because...of this." Cloud said and showed his friend his left arm.

Noctis gasped in shock. "You...you have geostigma." he said and Cloud nodded. "So what?" he said trying to regain himself. "That's no reason for you to go to him. You found the cure."

"It was Aerith who found it and give it to the world and the cure came out as a healing rain after Sephiroth died. As long as he is alive there's no cure."

"I see." said Noctis thoughtfully. "You said you didn't have a choice. What do you mean?"

"Sephiroth said that he will kill you all if I don't come to him." Cloud said bitterly.

"Cloud I know where are you getting at but you don't have to worry we can take care of ourselves."

A moment of silence and when Noctis was about to leave the room Cloud's voice stopped him. "Noctis?"

"Yeah?"

"Thank you."

Noctis nodded. "You should go and meet the others and more importantly you really should go and talk to her." he told Cloud and he nodded. "Hey, Cloud?"

"Yes?"

"All you said to me back then were lies, right?"

Cloud smiled and said. "Yeah, there were only lies. I wanted you to think that I was crazy."

"Well you sure did." laughed Noctis as he exited the room.

As Cloud lay in the bed he couldn't stop thinking about what Noctis said. Maybe he shouldn't be so worried that the past will repeat itself, maybe he should stop worrying so much, maybe he should be...a little more...social? Okay, maybe not. While Cloud sat in the bed he couldn't help but wonder how Sephiroth's face looks right now, knowing that he would never come to him. A smile appeared on Cloud's face.

In the Void Beyond:

"NOOOOOO!"

To say that Sephiroth was angry would be a poorly choice of words. He was beyond that. So close! So damn close! If not for that pink-haired bitch Cloud would be here right now, kneeling before him. As he was trashing the place and mumbling curses a chuckle was heard. Sephiroth turned to see Jecht resting against a wall with his arms crossed.

"Having a rough day?" he asked with a smile.

"What do you want?" he spat at him.

"Just want to let you know that we are having a meeting and to stop you from destroying the goddamned base!" he said and Sephiroth stopped. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"No."

"You know sitting here alone is making you popular."

"I'm not interested in making friends."

"You know I just got the most brilliant idea!"

"What?"

"Let's have a spar!"

"Not interested." Sephiroth said and began to walk away when he heard the question.

"Are you scared?" Jecht asked him with a grim.

Sephiroth froze. No one has said that to him for a long time. A very long time. He turned and sent the blitzball star with a look that could kill. "Do you have a death wish or something?"

"Oh, come on. It would be a duel between legendary heroes. We wouldn't have to hold back."

"Fine, seems I don't have to hold back. Dodge this." he said and sent a shockwave at him

"Hey, look I just did." Jecht said victoriously

"You're sure?" asked Sephiroth from behind, making Jecht gasped. When he looked behind him he saw a kick coming for him, but it was to late to do anything.

"Playing dirty, are we?" Jecht asked as he raised himself. Jecht lunged at him and tried to punch him in the face but Sephiroth blocked it, then followed by a roundkick which was easily dodged. Jecht tried to chop off Sephiroth's head but he dodged by leaping back.

"Vanish." the one winged angel said as he swung his sword he knocked Jecht away. Jecht charged at the Nightmare landing some powerful hits and threw him into the sky then he followed him, grabbed him by the leg slammed him down on the ground. From above he attacked Sephiroth and slammed him on the ground again and threw him into a wall. The blitzball star charged again but when his fist was suppose to came in contact with Sephiroth's face it actually hit some sort of barrier. "Fear not." he said and swung his sword and hit Jecht multiple times, followed by a horizontal slash knocking him away. Then he attack his opponent with three sword swings that hit multiple times and sent him away. This time it was Sephiroth's turn to charge. He hit Jecht with the handle of his sword in the head, dodged one of his attacks, hit him with the handle again, this time in the back of his head making the blitzball star fell on one knee. As irritation shot through Jecht he stood up and attacked the silver-haired elite but something happened: Jecht's attack just cut Sephiroth in half! As Jecht's eyes widen in horror something else happened, something more shocking. Sephiroth's body began to dissolve into black feathers! As the feathers started to block Jecht's view Sephiroth's evil chuckle was heard. Then it all stopped, like time froze. Jecht stood there motionless.

"No way!" he said before he coughed some blood and fell on the ground. The Masumame disappeared from Sephiroth's hands and he started to heal Jecht's wounds. "Thanks. So are you feeling better?"

"No. But I found out a way to make others feel miserable."

"That's the spirit! You know when you're having a bad day you just got to let yourself go."

Upon hearing this Sephiroth felt, what's the word? Nostalgic? As he first heard that expression long ago.

Flashback:

A much younger Sephiroth, wearing a SOLDIER second class uniform stood in the middle on the training room with a standard SOLDIER sword in his hands feeling very frustrated. And in front of him was the last standing dummy in the room.

"Damn it!" he cursed and kicked the dummy in the face, making it's head fly across the room.

Angeal Hewley entered the room and observed it. He approached his friend and greet him. "Hey, Seph. What are you doing?"

"I am trying to perfect a combat move but I can't get it right." the future hero replied.

"You know, you should take a break. Come with me and Genesis to get some ice cream."

"Sorry, but I can't. Tomorrow I have an important mission."

"Oh, come! You really should go out and have some fun once in a while, you know? Plus we might have a special guest..."

"You don't mean..."

"That's right, Abby will be there too, now come on!"

"I don't know..."

"Seph, when you're having a bad day you just got to let yourself go, you know. Now let's go!" his friend said and dragged him out of the room.

"Hey, wait... wait a second..."

End of flashback.
A small sad smile appeared on the ex-SOLDIER's face as he remember this.

"Is that a smile I see on you're face?" Jecht asked teasingly

"No." he said and returned to his usual expression. Why was he smiling at some false memory? At a memory of the time he consider himself human.

"Whatever." Jecht said and walk past him. Just before he made his leave he turned and said. "You know what Seph?"

"What?"

"I realized that deep down you have a good heart." he told him making him gasped and wide his eyes in shock. "That you're not just some big bad scary guy." Jecht said and left behind a very confused and disturbed Sephiroth.

Back on Valhalla:

Cloud decided that he sat in bed for too long. He wasn't one that would stay lazy in the bed, only if he was sick. So he exited the room and followed the noise from down on the hall. He then entered into another room where everyone except Lightning was there.

"Oh, hey Cloud." said Noctis when he saw him. "These are: Squall, Zidane, Tidus and Yuna."

"So Squall, you haven't told us how you are still alive."

"Well, there was this girl. She said that it was not my time yet and then my wounds just disappeared."

"A girl? How did she looked like?" asked Yuna.

"I haven't looked at her well but she had a long brown hair and she was wearing a pink dress."

Cloud said nothing. He only smiled as he recognized her. He was grateful to her, for everything.

After the introductions were made Zidane asked. "Hey, where's Light? I thought that she would be excited to meet you."

"She's on the veranda." Squall said.

"I'll go get her." said Cloud.

Cloud found her watching all of Valhalla. When she sensed his presence she asked. "Why? Why, Cloud? Why did you want to go to Sephiroth?"
Cloud didn't say a word and lowered his head in shame. "Have you lost your freaking mind, Cloud?! Open your eyes and face reality! " she yelled "Why the hell would you do such a think?!"

"I...I just..."

"You just what?! Spill it out already for Etro's sake! Be a man!"

"I only did that to protect you."

"So you would be a puppet for this reason. Cloud I understand what you mean but I can take care of myself. You don't have to worry about me, okay?"

"Okay."

"Now come here." she said and pulled him into a deep passionate kiss. After they parted they she put him into a tight hug. "I missed you." Cloud wanted to hold her like this forever. He returned the hug just as tight. Suddenly there was a light in the room. "It can't be!" said Lightning and Cloud looked at her confused. "Cloud, they are here!"

In the Void Beyond:

"Sephiroth, so good to have you join us." Caius said and Sephiroth just nodded. He was too deep in thoughts to actually care about Caius was talking about. What Jecht said disturbed him. Is it possible that he could have a heart that's still beating? No, 'course not. He just healed Jecht so that the others would not suspect anything and he told Serah how to save Noel because it was part of his plan. "And now that the pawns are in place the time is almost there." Caius said and behind him appeared showing Serah and Noel. Sephiroth looked at it and recognized them. He stared at the pink-haired girl, the one that asked him why he was doing this. She thought that he has a good heart too? Well, just in case he was going to prove her wrong. As he was leaving Caius asked him "Where are you going?"

Sephiroth turned and smirked at him. "To greet them."

New Bodhum 700 AF:
Serah and Noel ended up in a time where all life was gone.

"Is this...is this my village?" Serah said as she watched the view. It looked just like her village but it missed one thing: life.

"Hm. It looks a lot like my era." said Noel

"I wonder if anyone is still here."

"Let's look."

Serah and Noel found a light in the middle of nowhere. When the younger Farron touched it in front of them appeared non other than Lightning Farron, Serah's older sister.

"Lightning? What are you doing here?" her little sister asked, surprised to see her.

"This is a future I could not save." the older Farron said to her

"Is that you, Lightning?"

"Do you doubt me?" the ex-soldier asked, making Serah feel ashamed.

"It's good to doubt, it shows that you're growing up." said Cloud's voice from behind Lightning as he stepped out of the light.

"Cloud!" said Serah and gave him a hug.

Cloud let out a small laugh as he returned the hug. "Good to see you too, kiddo."

"Stop calling me that."

Noel moved towards Cloud and extended his hand. "I'm Noel Kreiss."

"Cloud Strife." he said as he shook his hand.

"So you're the Cloud."

"I didn't know I was famous."

"Lightning what happened to you? I've been looking everywhere for you! Where have you been?" Serah said.

"Serah, do you remember when Sephiroth first appeared in our timeline. I made a deal with Etro. She would grand me my l'Cie powers back in order to stop him. In exchange I will become his guardian and protect her. You see, if the goddess dies then the world would be thrown into chaos."

Cloud listened to Light's story. If not for Sephiroth Lightning would never be here, would be home with her family and the future wouldn't look like this and he too would be home with Tifa and the others. It was Sephiroth. It was always Sephiroth.

"What a tearful reunion." said a voice that Cloud hated so much.

"Sephiroth!" he said

Everyone drew their weapons but Cloud stopped them before charging at Sephiroth, knowing that the one winged angel was not going to fight them today. He knew everything about the SOLDIER monster.

"I hope everyone is in good condition." he said. "Especially you, Cloud."

As if on cue pain shot through Cloud's arm. The pain was so great that Cloud wanted to hold his arm so tightly, but he had to be strong so that the others wouldn't freak and he bit his lip and clench his fist so thigh that almost drew blood.

"Impressive. You can handle such much pain. I guess pain is the only thing that you can feel. For those that did not know Cloud got a disease that's eating his body. He will die a slow and painful death."

Cloud could feel all eyes on him so he changed the subject. "Sephiroth, what do you really want?"

"Well, aside from making you my puppet, I'm organizing a welcoming party for a certain someone. Can you guess who it is?"

'A welcoming party for a certain someone? Who could it be?' Cloud though. Then it hit it! His eyes widened in shock and he could fear a shiver down his spine and felt a felling that he hadn't felt for a long time: fear. "You...You're going to..."

Sephiroth's smirk only grew. "Sharp as always Cloud. Yes, I'm going to revive my mother, Jenova and together we will destroy the human race. And soon we will use this planet as a vessel to sail the darkness of the cosmos. We are going to resume what my mother started long ago and will shall control the universe."

"Like hell that's going to happen!" Lightning said and was ready to shoot Sephiroth but Serah stepped in front of him, shocking everyone.

"Sephiroth. You remember what you told me when I asked you why are doing this? Well, I got a new question for you." she said.

Sephiroth looked at her at the moment before he spoke. "Very well, let's here it."

"You're doing this on your own free will?"

Sephiroth looked...confused. "What?"

"You're doing this because you want to or do you feel obligated to do this?"

Cloud looked at his archrival. He never thought that he could see Sephiroth like this. He didn't know how but the young Farron could get past anyone's defense, even Sephiroth's.

When Sephiroth regained himself he smiled at her, his usual evil smile. "Of course. It is all according to my plan. I came here only to tell you that my allies are attacking Etro's temple as we speak. Now if you'll excuse me, I have pressing matters at hand." he said and disappeared.

"So, what do we do now?" asked Noel.

"You continue down this path you have chosen and me and Light will take care of Sephiroth and his friends." said Cloud and a light appeared behind them.

"Lightning, when this is over we will be together again, right?" asked her younger sister.

"Of course, that's a promise." she replied and returned with Cloud to Valhalla.

And with this chapter we are approaching the end of this story. I think five chapters more left. Sorry for any mistakes. Please read and leave a comment.