Shards of Memory

Chapter 21

Confrontation

"Power is not a means, it is an end… The object of persecution is persecution. The object of torture is torture. The object of power is power."– George Orwell

The sun was low on the horizon, sending ribbons of orange and pink weaving in and out of the clouds overhead. The day had been a longer one than usual, but Cloud hadn't covered as much ground as he could have. After Terra had vanished, he had returned to the Forgotten City to see if she had returned. After a time searching the city for any sign of her, Cloud had been forced to decide between looking for her when he had no idea where she could be, or continue on to the shadow of the tower he could see in his mind. He had eventually chosen the tower.

"If I'm lucky, she'll reappear before I get there…should be some time tomorrow," Cloud thought, swinging the Buster Sword. The blade cleaved through the tree in front of him on a slight diagonal, leaving the trunk to slide apart and fall to the ground. Cloud swung the sword again to cut the trunk into a shorter log, then kicked out a boot to roll the log away from the leafy upper section lying on the ground. Sitting on the stump, Cloud reached to the pouch on his waist. His fingertips tingled slightly as he touched the Materia orbs there, the vague crackle of power coming from them identifying them. It was subtle, usually requiring training, but different Materia gave off different kinds of energy that gave away their powers, that was how people most often distinguished Materia types from each other, that and color.

Cloud frowned slightly, not feeling something he should have. He withdrew the two orbs from the pouch and held them in his palm as he examined them in the dying light. The left one hummed slightly and had a quick pulse of energy, Thunder. The other one had a slower pulse and had a soothing heat coming from it, Cure.

"Where's the third one?" Cloud asked aloud, passing the Materia to the other hand and reaching back into the pouch to make sure he hadn't missed his Fire Materia. His fingers probed and found nothing. "Damn." He had lost it, somehow. Cloud thought back. He hadn't used it in a while, it could have fallen out of his pocket at almost any time, and hence could be anywhere now.

"Well," Cloud decided, slipping the Cure Materia into his pocket and palming the Thunder orb, "I guess I'm lucky it isn't Blizzard." Cloud reached out and cracked off a few smaller branches from the top of the tree lying a few feet away, tossing them onto the log in front of him. He held out his hand and focused. With a sharp spike of energy, the Thunder spell erupted from the dull green orb and struck the log and branches. The wood superheated and exploded, the force knocking Cloud backwards off the stump. He pushed himself back up, glaring at the flaming half of the log in front of him, glowing amidst burning bits of wood littering the ground.

"Worked…sort of," Cloud muttered, leaning forward. As he observed the light of the fire in the low light of the setting sun, he noted he was talking to himself a lot more than he should have been. But he had become used to the idea of traveling with someone, he hadn't been on his own in what he imagined was months.

"Has it been that long?" Cloud's eyes widened at the thought. He mentally counted the days. He had been with Terra for what had to be at least three weeks, maybe more. And he had been with Cecil and Firion for at least as long as he had been with Terra, Tidus joining their band later. Before that…

"It has been months," Cloud realized, a bit stunned. The days were flying past it seemed, though it didn't help some of the "days" were only a few hours long. When Cloud had first come here, the days had been more or less normal, but then slowly became erratic as he traveled. His memories, Terra's powers, the days, the Crystals…it was all winding down, whatever system was holding the fragments of the worlds together wasn't holding them together as well anymore. It was unravelling at the seams.

"All the more reason to hold together while we can." Cloud lifted his head to look up at the stars becoming visible as the sun dipped below the horizon in the distance. "Terra…where are you?"

Terra had her eyes closed, her focus on trying to revert back to her human form. She had panicked when she had failed before, for good reason. She had taken flight and fled without direction for some time, the landscape blurring underneath her. Eventually she had stopped and realized she was effectively lost. Terra had then stopped at the next building she had found and gone inside to collect her thoughts. That place had been a castle, twin turrets rising into the air on either side. Maybe it was from the world she knew, maybe not. Terra didn't care, she just needed a place to stop and try to get herself under control.

"This has never happened before," she thought, tightening her grip on the armrests of the throne. "It makes no sense for it to happen. Is this my retribution? My powers got tired of my indecisiveness about them and decided to remove the choice?" The sensation of her powers threatening to overwhelm her senses and consume her hadn't left her, the urges were still there pressing against her. Terra was still holding them back, but she couldn't completely suppress them. Why, she didn't know, and the knowledge that she didn't know why she couldn't was just as distressing as the inability to shift back itself.

Terra felt a spike of energy, and cracked her eyes open. A moment later, there was a crackle of lightning as a portal opened behind her. Terra recognized the power pulsing from the being behind her and relaxed.

"Misfortune seems to shadow you wherever you go," Golbez said, stepping up beside the throne.

"I suppose that means you can have some company," Terra replied. Golbez chuckled slightly. "Why are you here?"

"My plans are nearing their fruition. The last few pieces move into position for the last few turns of the game. When a pawn goes astray, the wise player must coax it back onto its path."

"Is that all I am? One of your pawns to be guided?"

"That is not necessarily a bad thing, depending on who is doing the guiding, and to where. But no, you are not just another pawn. I have come to think of you as a friend, and there are so very few people I have known to which I could assign such a title."

"You still haven't answered my question. Why are you here?" Terra said a bit more firmly, turning her head to look at Golbez. Golbez returned her gaze.

"You seem a bit more irritable then normal."

"You would too if you were repressing the urge to burn down everything in a two-mile radius," Terra said bitterly, her claws flexing.

"I would ask what troubles you, but that answer is obvious."

"Unlike your answer, which you've yet to give."

"So I do…I came to ask how it was that you became trapped in this form."

"I don't know." Terra shook her head, slumping to the side of the throne. "I just…before when the Esper came, it would vanish as soon as the fight ended. This time, I called it up, and controlled it. And now…"

"But before when the Esper came, it overwhelmed you rather than be commanded to rise up. The difference is there, then."

"That makes no sense!" Terra cried, standing up. She clutched her head and stumbled back. "No…I…you're confusing me." The power was testing her senses, she couldn't focus with her magic bearing down on her. Golbez's words might have made sense if she was more coherent, but as she was now they only confounded her. What, exactly, was different this time?

"Do you think I come to council you every time you are distressed because I find it enjoyable?" Golbez asked, crossing his arms. "You need help. I am able and willing to grant it. You're wasting time here. Kefka and Sephiroth await you both, and Cloud continues to them alone. Against their combined powers, even he will be destroyed."

"Then go stop him, you have the power."

"It is not my place."

"Why is it mine?" Terra shrieked, the Esper side growling slightly.

"Because you are a Warrior of Light. You were chosen to defend your world from the forces of chaos."

"I can't defend anything like this." Terra turned, clutching her arms. Golbez let out a long breath and stepped towards her.

"Hold still," he instructed.

"Why?"

"I wish to try something."

"Will it help?"

"Perhaps," Golbez nodded. "Turn around." Terra obeyed and turned from Golbez. Behind her, Golbez let out another breath and lifted a hand, reaching and pulling off his gauntlet. His bare hand flexed in the air for a moment, and he stepped up behind Terra. "My apologies," he said. Golbez drew back his bare hand and swung it forward, connecting soundly with the back of Terra's head. Terra let out a screech and stumbled to her knees, her claws clutching her scalp.

"That hurt!" she snapped, looking over her shoulder.

"Be thankful I took my glove off, then," Golbez replied, sliding the gauntlet back into place.

"Why did you even do it?" Terra asked, turning forward.

"Nothing else has seemed to work with you. After all the trials and revelations you have experienced, you still reduce yourself to a flighty coward at the first signs of danger. You can control the Esper now, you can remain transformed with the full usage of your abilities, and Kefka is waiting for you. I fail to see the conflict between the three."

"But I can't change back!"

"If you only focus on the problem you will never see the answer. What does it matter if you cannot turn back yet, once Kefka is destroyed you can reclaim your Crystal and regain full control over the transformation. Do not let panic and fear cloud your thoughts, you know what I say is true."

"It isn't that simple," Terra said.

"Only because you make it complicated. You seem to enjoy worrying about and running from your problems more than you do confronting them," Golbez lectured. "If my past meetings with you have not been an indicator, I shall state outright that I have no patience for such people."

"No one is forcing you to help me," Terra snapped. "We both know the only reason you're here is because you need me to kill Kefka so your plan will succeed."

"That is one reason…" Golbez nodded.

"What else then? Stop playing mysterious and give me a straight answer," Terra ordered. Golbez took a breath.

"You struggle to contain your powers. An unquenchable thirst for destruction sleeps in your heart, and it distances you from those who are meant to be your friends. You feel isolated because you alone shoulder the burden of power that no one else knows or could understand. But you harbor the hope to struggle onward with such burdens, to find your place in the world, to find peace with yourself." Golbez reached out a hand to Terra's chin, tilting her head up to look at him, violet eyes catching the light inside Golbez's helmet.

"Though they run separate, your path lies parallel to mine, and they lead to the same place. I have sought to help you because it is this kinship I feel that draws me to do so. You are still young and in need of guidance, but there are none in this world, good or evil, who can guide me." Golbez withdrew his hand. "I help you because it helps me help myself. If you can find those who accept you, and become at peace with your past and your powers…then perhaps, someday, the darkness sleeping in my own heart…" Golbez trailed off, turning his back to Terra.

"That's it…isn't it?" Terra asked. "That's why Chaos was able to summon you. You wanted to be able to find forgiveness, but you never got the chance in life."

"A single, lingering desire born of selfish pride," Golbez whispered. "As long as my heart torments itself with such things, the darkness staining me cannot be cleansed…yes, that is it. Chaos was able to call me to his aid because I was too weak to forgive myself and refuse his offer. Had things been different, had your life taken a different course after that dark day your world was ripped, it could be you shackled to the god of discord, instead of me. You have been fortunate to not fall victim to your own heart. I beg of you, do not start now."

Golbez and Terra were both silent. Golbez stood with his back turned, letting his words sink in. There was a sound, and he turned his head to see Terra pushing open the large double-doors of the throne room.

"Do tell me you are going where I believe you are," he said. Terra stopped but didn't turn.

"You're the mind reader," she replied with a small smile. "You tell me."

The sun was high in the sky as Cloud lifted a hand to grab another rock outcropping and pull himself up. Stopping to cast his breath, he looked up to see the top of the cliff almost in reach. After a moment he grunted and reached for another rock emerging from the cliff, pulling himself up to it. He reached for another, and with a loud grunt pulled himself to the top of the cliff and over. Cloud swung his feet up onto the barren stone top, panting. It had been, to his surprise, almost a sheer climb up, but he had managed to do it. Cloud's head rolled to the side, and he blinked. Rising into a sitting position, Cloud looked over the landscape on the other side and let his jaw slowly drop. He had been almost everywhere in his world, and to a lot of places in other ones. But he had never seen anything quite like what he saw now.

The ground was barren, save for a handful of half-dead trees and plants. Most of them had lost their leaves and looked like skeletal hands reaching for the clouds. Sun-bleached bones poked out of the dirt, and Cloud recognized a few human skeletons lying half-buried among the bones of animals and monsters. The dirt was orange and brown, the few plants that clung to life sickly brown and black. A single small lake was stagnant with black and green water, a handful of unknown objects floating on the surface – Cloud didn't care to guess what they were. The plains were a sprawling expanse full of death and decay. Some distance away, rising from the center of the area, was a tower.

It wasn't a typical structure constructed out of steel or brick. It was as if someone had grabbed the earth and pulled it into the sky to form a long spire stretching to the heavens, the ground curving up around the structure's base. But it wasn't as clean or simple at that, either. At seemingly random intervals, the tower of dirt and rubble would reveal a sheer face of steel, or a curved brick wall. There was no true pattern that he could see, just a random jumble of dirt and steel and stone that by all accounts should have crumbled. At the top of the tower rose a series of jagged spikes of dirt, stabbing into the air. Dark red smoke belched from some unseen piping system within them, blotting out the blue of the sky and casting a blood-red tint on the ground as the sun shone through it.

"His lair he built out of the ruins of the world when he burned the planet…his monument to non-existence."

"That's it…" Cloud whispered, recognizing the area more from Terra's description than the vision in his head. Even without her to tell him so, without having seen it with his own eyes, there was no mistaking it as anything other than Kefka's Tower.

Cloud looked down. Behind the cliff he had just climbed had been a lush forest. Now on the other side, the decent consisted of a fairly gentle slope down. A bit further than halfway down, the lush grass of the area behind him faded into cracked orange dirt. Cloud stood up and started down the slope. Grass and dirt were dislodged and fell in the wake of his feet as he walked. Cloud's foot crossed the barrier where green grass met orange dirt, and the air changed. Cloud wrinkled his nose. The air around the tower was filled with the scent of death. Cloud picked up the pace, trying not to pay attention to the smell. After a moment he reached the bottom of the slope, leaving only flat plain between him and the tower.

The journey across the field provided Cloud with a dark glimpse into the havoc that Kefka had wreaked on Terra's world. Everywhere else they had been was from before Kefka had burned the planet. If these plains were an indicator of how bad the devastation had been, it was a miracle that civilization had managed to endure and struggle on afterward. Just walking across the land was a nightmare – the sun was hot, the air was thick, and the few gusts of wind that provided a breeze also brought the smell of death back to Cloud's nose. How anyone could live in such a world, he had no idea. It was just as bad as the wastelands around Midgar, if not worse.

As Cloud neared the tower, he noticed several orbs of bright color circling the base. Crystelles patrolling the tower. Cloud reached over his shoulder and swung the Buster Sword forward as he continued on. The crystalline automatons were simple and unintelligent, but they would notice him soon. Cloud just hoped there weren't too many of them, a handful he could deal with. He came closer, and one of the Crystelles turned their head towards him. With a raised fist and a gurgled shout from the first, the other Crystelles around the tower turned their heads. Cloud quickly counted. Four that he could see on this side, but the tower was wide and there could easily be more around the side he couldn't see.

One of the Crystelles charged towards him, unarmed. Cloud ducked a clumsy tackle, turning and swinging the Buster Sword to cleave apart the creature as it hit the ground behind him. The Crystelle shattered in a flash of bright yellow crystal and glowing white orbs of energy. Two more, both blue, rushed towards him. Cloud jumped as a large crystal sword swung forward, hitting the ground in front of him. The second leapt up, a large club held overhead. Cloud let out a cry as he was struck, sprawling backwards on the ground. The Buster Sword skidded a few feet away.

"They're getting smarter," he thought, pushing himself to his feet. The second Crystelle was coming towards him, sweeping the club through the air. Cloud was flung backwards as it caught him in the chest, landing on his stomach.

"Cloud!"

There was a flash of light, and Cloud lifted his head. Above him, Terra flew down, her arm held back over her chest. With a cry, Terra flung out her arm, a crescent-shaped band of energy fly forward. The two Crystelles and a third behind them simply disintegrated as the energy blade flew through their bodies, particles of light dispersing into the air. Cloud pushed himself up as Terra stopped in front of him, floating upright a few inches above the ground. A few more Crystelles were coming into view from the other side of the tower. Terra's claws crackled with blue energy, and she swung her hand into the ground. Four plumes of white power flashed up from the ground and raced towards the three, slicing them apart.

"Came back, huh?" Cloud asked, looking over at the Buster Sword and walking to retrieve it.

"I'm sorry," Terra whispered, closing her eyes. "I just…needed to think."

"You don't have to explain yourself, I get it…well, as much as I can get it, at least," Cloud replied, swinging the Buster Sword onto its holder. "I'm just glad you came back."

"I had to. I couldn't abandon you, especially not if you were going to keep going against both of them," Terra said, turning to him.

"Are you going to be…alright, fighting like that?" Cloud asked, walking up to her. Terra nodded.

"Kefka's control over me only extends to causing my powers to well up and force me to transform. As long as I can stay in control of my magic, he has no sway over me anymore."

"And you're in control?"

"For now," Terra said, looking up at the tower. "I can feel the urges there. The urge to destroy something, the need to fight. I have so much energy inside me and it wants an outlet."

"So what's the plan?" Cloud asked. Terra reached out and grabbed Cloud's hand, slender purple claws gripping the back of his hand.

"I'm going to give it what it wants," Terra answered. Her eyes flashed, and a glowing blue aura appeared over her skin. The aura extended over Cloud, and Terra closed her eyes. With a sudden rush of air around them, the two levitated into the air and floated towards the tower. Cloud looked down to see a pale, transparent blue field under his feet, holding them up.

"The tower has no normal entrance. We have to enter from the air," Terra said, opening her eyes and scanning the tower's side as it loomed closer. "There." She nodded towards an opening in the side, a crane arm stretching out into the sky from a passage. A set of mine car tracks ended in the middle of the air as they emerged from under the crane. Cloud and Terra floated up to the entrance and set down inside, the blue field of energy around them vanishing when their feet touched the ground. The hall was formed of steel, lit by overhead lights glowing a dull yellow.

"Come on." Terra let go of Cloud's hand and stepped down the corridor. Cloud nodded and followed her. Before long, the corridor and the mine tracks ended in a hallway formed of rubble, random bits of bent metal girders and splintered wood emerging from the walls. Small red lights on the walls pulsed brighter and darker in a slow, steady rhythm.

"Any idea where we'll find Kefka?" Cloud asked. Terra walked down the passage and turned her head to a conveyor belt running down a hole in the right wall.

"He's close. He'll find us," she answered, continuing down the hall. A large pair of metal doors stood at the end. Terra held out her hand as she approached, a ripple of magic energy flying from her palm and swinging the doors open in a gust of wind. Beyond the doors stretched a catwalk over a factory. Terra stopped just inside and looked down. Several glass capsules dotted the floor below, a crane arm stretching over a pit leading further down. Around the capsules and on the underside of the catwalk were white spotlights, the deflections of the light on the glass capsules and the metal railings casting strange shadows on the walls.

"Kefka!" she called, her voice echoing off the steel walls. Cloud emerged from the doors behind her and looked past her at the other end of the catwalk. Another set of metal doors at the end. Terra let out a slight growl and gripped the side of the catwalk. "Stay here," she ordered, glancing at Cloud. With a single smooth motion, Terra jumped and swung her legs over the side, falling into the factory below. Landing in a crouch, Terra's eyes widened at the sound of laughter echoing through the room. Terra spun around and held out a hand, her palm glowing blue. The hallway behind her was shadowed, and she couldn't see anything.

"Cloud!" she yelled, looking up. "Can you see anything over the left side?" Cloud turned his head to the left and looked over.

"No." he answered. Terra lowered her head and slumped her shoulders, turning around. Her breath hitched in her throat as she turned to find a pair of bright green eyes staring into her own blue ones, lips curled into a wide grin.

"Hi honey," Kefka whispered, batting his eyes. Terra gasped and leapt back, landing in a fighting position. "Miss me?" Kefka asked, winking.

"Kefka!" Terra hissed.

"That's my name, don't wear it out," Kefka shot back. "I'm so glad you came, it's kinda boring here. I've been trying to play but the Crystelles die way too easily, and Sephiroth isn't exactly the life of the party." Kefka cocked an eyebrow. "Speaking of Sephy, that reminds me." Kefka looked up and waved at Cloud. "Sorry pal, this is a private show, no audience participation. Scram!" Cloud let out a cry as a dark void appeared under his feet. With a sudden burst of deep violet energy, Cloud vanished. Terra looked up at him.

"Cloud! What did you do to him!" she demanded, looking back at Kefka.

"Cloud and Sephy need some alone time to work out their issues," Kefka yawned, cracking his knuckles. "And by the way, so do we. Let's chat, huh?"

With a crackle of electricity, Cloud emerged from the other end of the dark portal and fell through the air. He hit the ground with a thud, letting out a long groan. Cloud put out a hand and pushed himself up onto his hands and knees. He lifted his head and blinked at the area around him. A line of floating platforms of white rock formed a spiralling staircase up to the peak of the area, bordered in by a tall column of glowing green energy. Below, above and on all sides, walls of spiritual energy fell and rose and spun.

"The Lifestream…this place," Cloud whispered, climbing to his feet. A low chuckle filled Cloud's ears, and his eyes went wide. He heard a sound and turned to one of the stone platforms floating in the air behind him. Another dark portal appeared, closing to reveal Sephiroth standing above him. Sephiroth looked down at Cloud, a small smile on his face.

"Good to see you, Cloud," Sephiroth said. "I've been wondering how long it would take you to get here."

"Soooo…how are things?" Kefka asked, folding his hands under his chin. "Gotta say I'm digging the new look. Cute but deadly, totally you." He giggled after the last word.

"I would have thought spending a few years dead would change you, Kefka…I guess when the mind is as rotten as yours nothing really sinks in," Terra muttered.

"Yeowch!" Kefka screeched, grabbing his chest. "I'm wooooounded, Terra! What the hell happened to make you so bitchy? I preferred you when you were demure and quiet…it was a lot more fun to watch you lose it." Terra was silent. "What, no comeback for that? Cat got your tongue? Come on!" Terra still didn't reply, and Kefka got a sour look on his face. "COME ON! You've got something to say to me, a lot of things, we both know it! So out with it, spout your stupid hope and love speech so we can get on with the good part already! Spit it out, 'I fight for my friends and I love them, blah blah blah'."

"That's just it," Terra said at last. "I do love them, even if they're gone. And I'm fighting to save them, and all the worlds."

"Here we go, keep going, good start," Kefka nodded, kicking back and reclining in the air, resting his head on his hands. "I've heard most of it before but it still makes me laugh."

"Then the joke is on you. I'm done," Terra said.

"Beg pardon?" Kefka muttered, raising his head and blinking.

"None of that matters to you, so why bother? You don't care about any of it, because you just don't get it," Terra explained. "I've learned a lot travelling through this world. I learned who I really am, what I really want. I learned to come to terms with what I am, both halves of me. But you don't care, and you shouldn't. Because you've done everything you can to make me doubt myself, question my path and my identity. And I know why."

"Enlighten me," Kefka muttered, rolling his eyes.

"You did it because you're afraid of me. Until you had the power of the Warring Triad at your disposal, you were still just a human. But my father was an Esper, and not just any Esper, he was the guardian of their world. By my understanding, that would make me a lot stronger than you. No wonder you have to play your games with me. Because in a straight fight, you know what I'm really capable of, what could happen if my full potential was used."

"This isn't funny anymore," Kefka growled, narrowing his eyes. "Like I said, I preferred you sweet and demure. Change back."

"After all this, I'm done with being your little puppet you can play with," Terra said, feeling stronger with every word. "For so long I held back the Esper because I was afraid of what it could do if I couldn't control it. I held back and rejected my powers, because if they got out of control someone could die. I can't change back, even if I wanted to. But I don't. I'm feeling more powerful than ever before, and I plan to use that power." Terra's body floated into the air, her hair fluttering behind her. "I'm going to kill you a second time, Kefka. And this time, you're going to stay that way."

"So you finally got that killer instinct, good for you!" Kefka snapped, rising into the air opposite her. "It's about time the wimpy little bitch got a spine and stood up straight, only took two fuckin' decades! So…" Kefka held up his hands, a blood-red aura appearing over his arms. "Now that you got a backbone, let's see how long it takes for me to break it, along with a few other choice bones."

"Alright then, Kefka," Terra nodded. Blue energy lit up over her body. "You weren't at Vector so you never saw the true fury of an enraged Esper. I'll give you a first-hand demonstration now."

"Looking forward to it. Now, enough with the boring banter of the opening act." Kefka's face twisted into a cruel sneer, his lips curling up. "Iiiiiiit's showtime!"

"I've been looking forward to finding you," Cloud said, drawing the Buster Sword over his shoulder. "I've been searching a long time."

"For me? Or for the answers you desire?" Sephiroth replied, turning his head to the side. "Is that not why you abandoned your friends to go alone?"

"I left them to discover the truth. And I found it."

"Hmph. Chasing after phantoms and shadows, searching for a false truth. That is what you've found, Cloud. As I suspected, you're just the same as always."

"I'm not going to fall for your head games!" Cloud snapped. "I may have forgotten a lot, but I remember now! I know it was your doing, but its over now. I found Terra, I remember who she is! I looked for my answers and I found them!"

"Every word out of your mouth only serves to prove what a delusional fool you really are," Sephiroth said coldly, turning back to him. "What you've found is nothing but more delusions. Why do you think you insist on fighting alone in the end? Why do you keep looking for answers to questions no one else seems to need to ask? It is because within your heart you already have the answers, and need a reason to bring them to light. The answers, the truths you search for, are nothing more than the attempts of a weak, brittle mind wrapping itself in a cocoon of lies to protect itself from the cruel truth. Your memories of Terra are nothing more than another layer to your shell, and are just as false as the others before it."

"You think I'm going to listen! I know what you're trying to do, and it won't work!"

"Do you? Then allow me to extend an invitation to you." Sephiroth held out his hand. With a small flash of bright green light, a glowing green Materia orb appeared, levitating just an inch above his palm.

"That…that's," Cloud whispered.

"It is the Crystal of our world," Sephiroth finished, lifting his hand to claim the orb from the air. "But to you and I Cloud, it is so much more than that. Do you recognize it? Can you tell me what it means, or do you want me to remind you?" Cloud stared at the Crystal and thought.

"I…" he didn't finish. He did recognize it, yes. He had seen it before…but from where?

"You see, this Crystal was hers," Sephiroth said, looking down at it. "And it was with the power of the spell contained within it that she thwarted me before…but the price she paid to stop me was the greatest price of all. You stood by as she died, helpless to save her, just as you've always been helpless to save anything. You remember that, don't you Cloud?"

"I…I don't know!" Cloud cried, taking a step back. "Stop!"

"I see. Then," Sephiroth said, holding his hand out to the side and turning his arm to hold the Materia aloft. "Allow me to refresh your memory. And pull back the curtain of fantasy to awaken you to the reality you refuse to see." With that, Sephiroth's fingers loosened their hold, and the Crystal fell through the air. Bright blue eyes followed its path down, light gleaming off its surface, as it hit the stone near Sephiroth's feet, letting out a small sound on impact. The small "ting" of the Crystal's impact resonated slightly. Cloud's eyes went wide, his heart beating loudly in his ears.

"Sorry for what happened."

"Don't worry about it."

"Do you remember, Cloud?" Sephiroth asked, narrowing his eyes. In the air beside him, the Crystal turned in the air. "Can you hear her voice beyond the illusion you crafted?" The Crystal fell on the next stone platform below Sephiroth, bouncing back into the air again. Cloud's heart pounded in his ear as he heard the Crystal fall.

"I'm the only Cetra left alive…I'm alone."

"Hey, that's not true."

Cloud fell to his hands and knees, his eyes clenched. Flashes of memories and dreams and dreams of memories flitted through his mind. Terra…no, this wasn't…

"The girl you remember as Terra was naught but a lie your own mind made up," Sephiroth said above him. "Made up to replace the true memories you had forgotten." Sephiroth closed his eyes. "Your own mind made my task of breaking you much easier. You deluded yourself better than I ever could have." The Crystal bounced to the next platform, the echo of its impact reverberating in Cloud's ears. Again, and again, even as the Crystal turned in the air, the sound of its landing deafened him. Cloud ducked his head between his arms, letting out a strangled cry.

"Cloud…"

Cloud opened his eyes, gasping at what he saw. Sun streamed down from the hole in the rafters above, bathing the flowerbed below in light. The young woman tending to the flowers stilled, and stood up.

"You…"

The woman turned her head, sad green eyes meeting Cloud's. The image flickered as the woman smiled, and vanished.

"Hello…Cloud."

Cloud's eyes snapped open at the sound of the Crystal's final impact, landing on the stone in front of him. With a flash the Crystal vanished, reappearing in Sephiroth's palm above him. Cloud gasped for breath and licked his lips. That woman…

"A…Ae…"

"Say it, Cloud," Sephiroth commanded coldly, the Crystal disappearing.

"…Aerith," Cloud gasped out, the name falling like a lead weight from his lips. Sephiroth let out a low chuckle, and Cloud lifted his head to look up at him.

"So how does it feel?" Sephiroth asked, a cruel smile on his face. "I warned you, didn't I? You sought answers to who she was, and all you found was someone else. You created a fantasy world built on lies, and leave it to those around you to show you the truth you cannot accept. That is why you will always seek me out, and the real reason why you hate me, Cloud. Because only I can pull back that curtain and show you who you really are."

"That's not true!" Cloud protested, climbing to his feet. "I sought you out to stop you, to kill you and save my world!"

"What if I hadn't revealed the truth to you now, and let you continue believing the illusion?" Sephiroth asked. "I see past that and more. Deep down you're the same scared child you've always been ever since you left that little village of yours. You seek to be alone because you can't handle being around others. You distance yourself from them and forget about them to create a fantasy world where only you exist. You're too weak to resist your own impulses and desires. That's why you've always needed me to show you the way, because on your own you'd collapse."

"The only reason…" Cloud whispered, reaching down to pick up the Buster Sword, "I've ever forgotten…is because of you!" Cloud held out the Buster Sword, glaring angrily. "My life has been fine, everything I've ever suffered through, everything that tried to ruin that life, has been caused by you! Because you can't rest! Because you have to keep coming back!"

"Because you call me back," Sephiroth said coolly. "You're so eager and willing to pursue me at a moment's notice. Without me, you have no course to pursue. As long as I exist, you have a reason to keep going. It's that simple. You can't help yourself any more than you can help those you care about." Sephiroth closed his eyes and chuckled. "Don't despair, Cloud. When our world is rebuilt in my image, I shall allow you to endure. You will take your place in the same position you always have – the position of my obedient puppet, existing only to serve my whims. And in return I'll give you what you really want, and will erase the memories of those wretched friends and family you always seem to forget. You shall exist alone in a world of my creation, a world of endless illusion. The kind of world you've always wanted."

"Enough!" Cloud roared. "Go ahead! Erase my memories, make me forget! That won't stop me!" Cloud's eyes turned to the side. "Even if I can't remember them…I'll still fight for them. I may have forgotten Aerith's name, but she was still there! You can erase her, Tifa, Zack, everyone, but in the end the shards of what I remember will always be there!" Cloud looked back up at Sephiroth, his eyes narrow. "And as long as I have that, I don't need anything else! I'll keep fighting you until the end, because even if I forget my own name, I'll never forget yours, and what you are! You're right about one thing - as long as you exist, I will keep going!"

"Sephiroth!" Cloud swung the Buster Sword out with one hand, pointing the tip up at the man above him. "I swear, for the sake of everyone! I'm putting you to rest here once and for all!"

"Hmph. Is that so? Are you so sure you can?" Sephiroth replied. He lifted his right arm to his chest. "In that case…let's begin." Sephiroth flung his arm out to the side, his wing snapping out from his shoulder in a burst of violet particles of light and black feathers. Whisps of green energy collected in his left palm, the Masamune appearing in a flash. "Fighting, clinging desperately to fantasy and dreams…pathetic." Sephiroth adjusted his footing, drawing the Masamune back over his shoulder. His wing ruffled, drawing back to cover his shoulder and arm. Cloud drew the Buster Sword back, his hands tightening their grip on the handle.

"Come, Cloud," Sephiroth said, looking down at him with a smile, "Your delusions of victory will be shattered, and the shards of memory crumbling around you shall be the only fragments left of your final fantasy."