Hey guys! I'm here again. Hahaha! Lakers slaughter the Jazz (Stupid Clips lost to PHX again). Man I can't wait for LALvsBOS! This is a very big game for my team and probably the one thing that can basically get us into elite status again (or at least get us close to being elite). You're absolutely right about Grant Hill. He's still a good player but you gotta wonder what could have been if it hadn't been for all those injuries. Yes I know it sucks killing off Aeris and at some point I actually tried to find some loopholes where in she didn't have to die without having to mess up my fics plot. But then again the ending would have been pretty weak and a bit TOO cheesy for me (and this is coming from a guy who just loves cheesy fics). Anyway here's Chapter 29.


CHAPTER 29

Emptiness… a vast stretch of nothing as far as the eye could see. And within this eerie void where nothing seemed to exist, a young boy with light brown hair and deep blue eyes could be seen floating about inconspicuously.

The boy neither saw, heard, nor felt anything. It was as if his whole existence was nothing more than an after thought. He remembered nothing of his past, he didn't know where he came from, he couldn't even remember his own name.

As the young boy floated serenely within the vast space of emptiness, he heard the sweet and soft voice of a woman calling out to someone.

Sora

Sora..? Was that his name? Was the voice calling out to him?

Sora… I'm here now. You don't have to worry anymore.

The voice seemed so familiar, like a dream long passed after one awakes yet not fully forgotten.

'Who… Who are you? Who am I? Do you know who I am?'

Green sparks of light began to materialize around the young boy. They glimmered like little pieces of emerald. The sparks gathered near him until it formed the image of a woman with long chestnut brown hair and emerald green eyes.

The woman smiled at the boy.

Let's just say I'm someone who loves and cares about you very much.

She slowly embraced him, her warmth radiating to the numb body of the young boy.

And you… You're someone very special…

In that very instance, a great number of images began to flash inside the boy's mind. He saw the image a happy couple, a man with spiky blonde hair and deep mako blue eyes and a woman with chestnut brown hair and emerald green eyes, as they lovingly held a boy with light brown hair and deep azure blue eyes in their arms.

He saw the image of a red haired young girl with indigo colored eyes. She was accompanied by a group of other young boys and girls whose faces seemed so familiar to him.

And then he saw a young man and woman standing in front of a bar together with a small band of other men and women. They were all smiling at him.

'M-Mom..?' he whispered as his memories started to return to him like sand in an hourglass that had been turned on its head.

'Mom… where are we? I-I'm scared…

I'm here now… You don't have to be scared anymore…

The woman's embrace grew tighter.

You'll be home soon… Your father's waiting for you…

Her body started to shine brightly like an emerald sun. The vast emptiness that surrounded them slowly started to disappear and was replaced by a sudden green flash of light.

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"…Aeris" Cloud whispered as he held his beloved wife's body in his arms.

"I'll take care of Sora… I'm going to make sure that your sacrifice wasn't in vain… I promise."

He suddenly felt Cid's hand on his shoulder.

'Kid… I-I'm sorry about… about Aeris.'

Cloud slowly started to stand as he carried Aeris body in his arms. He glanced at her face… it was as if she was only sleeping.

"This battle isn't over yet."

He raised his head towards Gilgamesh.

"Everything rest on Aeris now, I know she'll come through."

Gilgamesh floated serenely in midair, his body remained incased within the sphere of energy. Suddenly, he felt a surging pain in his heart. He quickly opened his eyes; the pain was now spreading through his body like wild fire. He could feel his control over the young boy's body slowly slipping away.

N-NO! T-THIS IS IMPOSSIBLE!

The blood red pentagram slowly disappeared as the sphere of energy that incased Gilgamesh started to fade away.

He clutched at his heart, his senses going numb. Dark energy began to escape from his body as parts of the lifestream quickly gushed out from within him.

CURSE YOU… CETRA WITCH!!! he shouted as the last of the dark energy finally separated from the young boy's body.

Sora slowly fell but was quickly caught by Vincent.

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'Di℮ Hum∆ⁿ!' the humanoid creature held Reno by the neck.

As the creature was about to strike the Turk with his sword, the giant black orb that floated above Kalimdor suddenly started to crack as green energy began to escape from within it.

The creature quickly turned his attention towards the black orb. Bit by bit more cracks began to appear and as the green energy continued to gush out from within the orb it finally shattered and disappeared together with the giant vortex in the sky.

The creature was stunned as he stood frozen on the deck. Without warning, one of the battleship's main cannons fired at the monster and sent it flying overboard.

As the red haired Turk lay on the deck he saw the image of a middle aged gentleman with light black hair and had a rough beard, at the corner of his eyes.

'…Reeve.' Reno softly uttered.

'Are all of you all right?' asked Reeve.

'Yeah…' the red haired Turk smirked at the man. 'I-I guess… I owe you one huh… J-Just put it on my tab, yo…'

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The dark energy that was released from Sora's body started to gather at one specific point until it formed a sphere no larger than Cloud.

The blonde haired soldier looked at both Cid and Vincent as he handed Aeris body to the pilot while the Ex-Turk carried Sora who was still unconscious.

"Take care of both of them for me…"

He then turned towards the black sphere of energy.

"All of you should try and find a way out. I don't want you guys to get involved in this."

'What the fuck are you talking about?!' Cid yelled at him. 'We came in here together and we're gonna leave here together!'

'Cloud… we won't let you do this alone.' Nanaki quickly responded.

"I'm sorry… but this is something that I have to do alone…"

Cloud glared at the black sphere that floated in the air.

"I'm the one who started all of this… so I'll be the one to end it."

'But Cloud…' Yuffie tried to protest but she was quickly stopped by Barret.

'Ya sure bout this?' he asked.

Cloud gave him a small nod.

'I understand…' Barret quickly signaled the others to leave. 'Make sure ya don't get yourself killed… Cloud.' he spoke as he turned his back at the blonde and left together with the rest.

The black sphere slowly began to morph. A pair of gigantic arms started to sprout from within it. The arms were eight feet long, its skin was as black as coal while claws that were 6 inches long could be seen on each of the arms hands.

The sphere began to grow at an alarming rate as contours and outlines began to shape its form. The sphere finally shaped itself and took the form of an atrocious being. Like its arms, the skin of its body was also very dark. Its entire skeleton protruded from its body while a large and prominent hump that was covered with countless spikes could be seen on its back.

It had no legs, only a ghostly tail that resembled smoke from a furnace. A large skull slowly rose to the surface of the body. Sharp fangs could be found on both sides of its mouth as the skull itself was engulfed in dark flames.

In the center of its chest, a figure of a man with long dark hair and blood red eyes could be seen hanging out from the surface. Small sparks of darkness slowly began to separate from the creature who was clearly starting to dissolve.

Anger and rage were evident in the man's face as he glared at Cloud.

YOU FOOL!!! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!!! he shouted at him.

YOU'RE ACTIONS ARE UNFORGIVABLE!!! I WILL MAKE ALL OF YOU INSECTS PAY!!!

The creature slowly raised both his hands to the sky as dark energy began to swirl around the center like a whirlpool.

IF I AM TO DISAPPEAR INTO OBLIVION! THEN I SHALL TAKE THIS WORLD WITH ME!!!

Cloud quickly gripped his Buster sword tightly. His body was surrounded by a whirlwind of light as the tip of his sword shone bright gold. He readied himself to deliver his most powerful attack on the beast.

He jumped high into the air, sword in hand and ready to strike. But as he neared his target, the creature's skull like head opened its massive jaws and a powerful dark beam was shot out from it. The dark wave passed through Cloud as it shredded and bruised the warrior's body.

He quickly crashed to the ground. His body lay motionless as every part of him ached.

After a few moments he gingerly stood up and grabbed his right shoulder that seemed to have been injured by the monster's attack.

As he stood, he closed his eyes.

"Aeris…" he started to whisper. "I know your there… I know you can hear me… Please… I need you."

Cloud

Immediately, the lifestream quickly flowed out from every part of the planet. And within a matter of moments, it started to gather around Cloud.

'It's been a while… Cloud.' said a young man who had appeared from within the haze of the lifestream. He had spiky black hair and mako blue eyes that resembled that of Cloud's.

"Zack…"

'I hope you're not having too much fun without us.' said a young woman who had autumn brown hair and hazel colored eyes. She was accompanied by two men.

"Jessie… Biggs? Wedge?"

'Ho Ho Hoooo. I hope you and Nanaki are well… Cloud.' spoke an old man who wore a pair of dark glasses.

"Bugenhagen…"

'Hey…' a young man who had pale blonde hair and emerald green eyes called out to him.

"You…"

'It was Ea, he stood together with two other people. A young man with wheat colored hair and a young woman with hair that resembled cherry blossoms, both of them also had emerald green eyes.

'I'm sorry about causing trouble for you and your family… and also… I wanted to thank you for freeing me from that monster's influence.'

Cloud nodded.

Cloud… a familiar voice called out to him.

He quickly turned to the owner of the voice and saw Aeris gazing at him with her beautiful green eyes.

It's time.

She slowly opened her hand and reached out to him.

"…Aeris." he softly spoke as he reached for her and held onto her hand.

Suddenly, the lifestream began to gather within him. He could feel it flowing through him like a great river. He felt his powers grow with every passing second; in such a short span of time his strength had increased by a thousand fold. He felt as if he was one with the planet and that all the thoughts of those who had departed were gathered in his mind.

All of there thoughts echoed through his head in unison, all of them asking for one thing…

'PROTECT THE PLANET'S FUTURE!!! MAKE SURE THAT THERE IS A TOMMORROW TO LOOK FORWARD TO!!!'

Let's go… Cloud.

A pair of white, seraphic wings appeared on his back. It lifted him from the ground and to the level of the atrocious being that hovered in the sky.

I WILL NOT LET YOU INTERFERE ANYMORE!!!

From its fiery skull, it shot a dark flaming ball right at Cloud.

Cloud raised his Buster sword high into the air and with one swing he severed the flaming ball into two.

NO!!! BUT HOW!!!

Cloud positioned his sword, his eyes taking aim at the man at the center of the monster's chest.

NO..! STAY BACK!

For the first time in his life, the man felt fear spreading through his body.

"I'll protect it…"

Emerald green energy started to gather at the tip of Cloud's Buster sword.

I SAID STAY AWAY!

"…my son's future."

His Buster sword now shone like the morning sun.

"I'm going to protect…"

STAY AWAY FROM ME!!!

"…my son's future!!!"

Cloud charged at Gilgamesh with godlike speed and with one thrust he embedded his sword through the man's heart.

Small cracks of light slowly started to appear in the monster's body as it began to fade.

The man stared at Cloud and smirked.

YOU… YOU MORTALS T-TRULY ARE… UNPREDICTABLE CREATURES.

Y-YOU HAVE EARNED… YOUR R-RIGHT TO EXIST… FOR NOW…

The man slowly started to dissolve into thin air until nothing of him was left.

Cloud softly landed to the ground. His angelic wings slowly faded as the lifestream began to rush out from within him.

He quickly felt the soft touch of a woman caressing his cheek as the figure of his beloved appeared before him.

He touched Aeris hand and smiled.

"I miss you already…" he whispered.

Don't worry dear… I'll always be here. I'll never leave you.

And as her body faded she kissed him and, for what seemed to be the millionth time, she told him:

I love you… Cloud.


Wow… I hope you guys enjoyed that chapter. NCPrezmike gets a point for his right prediction while Sky gets half a point for being close (Damn. That's the last time I ever give out clues to any of my fanfics). Anyway last chapter will be posted either tomorrow or the next day. To everyone who was able to make it up to this chapter. Please, please, please, please, please, please, please leave a review so that I can thank you all properly…

Author's Note: I always wondered how strong Sephiroth would have become if he did succeed. So basically, not only did Cloud screw his dream of being a god but the guy also became a god himself although just for a moment (Oh the irony, the sweet unadulterated PG13 irony!) And also I introduce to you Cloud Strife's new limit break… haven't decided on a name yet so I'll let you guys name it.