A/N: There will be an epilogue...thingy...just to remind you...maybe more...i.e. sequel...but that's very much up in the air right now.

Chapter 35

Cloud roars down on us, and I realize for a fleeting second, I just know, by how Genesis emits his evil, that he is moving towards me, and I am caught...I am caught between two racing SOLDIERs, and whether or not I live will be determined upon who reaches me first.

Cloud has speed, but Genesis has less distance to travel...

As Cloud closes on me, he turns Fenrir sharply, squealing towards me sideways. I stare at him, looking into his eyes, but they are focused on Genesis behind me...

And they are a torrent of green and blue...a tornado, swirling in his irises, and neither Cloud, nor the SOLDIER that lives inside of him can take control. He is straddling the line precariously.

Cloud catches me up in his left arm, his right hand wielding his massive blade, somehow maintaining control of Fenrir with his knees. It all seems like its in slow motion. The force with which Cloud hits me knocks the breath from me, and I know I have bruised ribs, if not broken ones. I hear the clang of the two swords clashing together over my head, and I'm pretty sure, though I have no idea how in the world I manage to catch it, but I'm pretty sure I see a significant lock of hair go sailing past me in the wind.

That bastard.

But those are all the thoughts I can spare before we spin around at least three times. I keep waiting for Genesis's blade to pin us together before we roughly jerk to a stop.

Instead Cloud roughly shoves me to the ground behind him, still straddling Fenrir. My arm screams in protest, but I can't complain. Cloud is currently locking blades with Genesis. I try to find my feet, try to do something useful other than just laying there and gaping like a fish.

TIFA! Oh thank goodness–

No Aeris, not yet...

I shove her from my mind roughly...just a little longer I think.

My knees feel like jelly and I focus on staying up straight, trying with increasing difficulty to ignore the clanging metal behind me. Cloud is grunting, and swinging hard and heavy, but Genesis continues to laugh cynically, as if this is all just a big game to him, which I'm sure it is. Cloud kicks out, and Genesis stumbles backwards, and then...I can barely believe it...a wing...a black wing sprouts from his back, and he soars into the air. I'm momentarily stunned, and all I can do is watch as this one winged figure rise higher into the sky.

But luckily Cloud is here.

Somehow, Cloud is here.

Cloud turns quickly, spinning me roughly with his free hand and starts rushing me away from Fenrir, sheltered beneath his arm.

"Tifa! You have to get out of here!"

But there's no where to go...

But one place...

And Cloud sees the refuge too, because Genesis is just a back silhouette now, outlined by the sunlight streaming through the gaping hole in the plate.

"The church!" Cloud yells. "Tifa, get to the church! You can wait for me there! Or get Aeris to send someone!"

"No, Cloud!" I can't leave you!

He pulls me through an alley way, and for a moment, Genesis is blocked from view. The nausea isn't growing, though. He's staying where he is.

"Yes! You have too!"

He's yelling...he only yells when it's bad...when something bad is about to happen.

This is a pointless thought...of course something bad is about to happen, I know this–

"Cloud! I have to tell you something, please!" Tears are streaming down my cheeks.

The sun hits his head as we emerge from the cover of the alley, setting his hair afire, and making his eyes stand out bright, and lucid against his pale skin. He pauses, just long enough to look at me, and kiss me. It feels like there's a fire in my stomach, and my heart leaps to my throat. He breaks the kiss roughly, conscious of what's going on, when all I want to do is cling to him, and keep kissing him.

But he doesn't know–

"Now isn't the best time, but it's ok...if I die here, I'll die knowing I got you away safe."

I notice something red, out of the corner of my eye, up near the hole...the sun is getting brighter... or maybe I'm just going crazy.

"Cloud please! I–

But Cloud has noticed the growing intensity of the sunlight as well, but it isn't the sun–

"Tifa! You have to go! Now!" He yells, and roughly shoves me forward.

I run...because I realize something.

I can do nothing to change this...all the fighting I know, all the strength I may possess is nothing compared to what is about to happen between these two men...these two SOLDIERs.

Is this what war is like with SOLDIERs?

There is an explosion behind me, and rubble strikes my back, but I keep running, clutching my left arm with my right, trying to hold it steady. Another alley is up ahead, and I duck through it as another explosion rocks the world behind me. In the shadow of the buildings I see something. I actually don't see anything real. I just see the road torn in two by a blur, the concrete and asphalt splitting down the length of the road, and rising in jagged corners.

I burst into the sunlight, another explosion to my right. I scrabble over the newly carved ditch, water spraying from a burst pipe somewhere.

Imagine this...with SOLDIERs lining up against normal soldiers...it's hardly a fight! More than two? They would destroy an entire city in a day!

My skin begins to crawl with goose bumps, the water matting my hair to my back. I slip through the road and into another alley. The church is only a few more blocks ahead...

A part of me wants to turn the other way, and run...but as I emerge from the alley, I catch site of the familiar spires, and it does look like a refuge.

I hang a left outside of the alley, running up the street. There's a lot of people screaming, and running for cover, cars swerving onto the sidewalk as a black and red blur dances across buildings. I see the blur separate– the black shooting away from the red, and slamming into an apartment building. The hole left is the size of a car.

Cloud!

I keep moving, though; Cloud is strong. Cloud will live. I just have to keep telling myself that.

I keep running, the crowds thinning out; they seem to be running in the opposite direction as me. Maybe I should run with them, and get lost in the crowd–

No...Genesis would find me eventually...and Cloud...I can't leave him desperate in the church!

But what I'm going to...

The church suddenly appears around the corner, glowing in the sunlight.

My heart leaps in to my throat again, and I stop short. I put my palms to my eyes, and gasp. "God!"

Tifa! What's wrong?

No–Aeris–please!

I take off again towards the church, pushing back the rising panic in my chest. My heart is beating wildly, and I know it just isn't from the running. Explosions are still sounding behind me, and it helps to cut Aeris out again, and keep her out. I know Cloud is up again at least, when I hear the metal echo up the street.

I slam into the great, wooden doors as I reach them. It takes me a moment to get enough leverage to push it open, and it drags, squeaking across the floor. As I step into the sanctuary of the church, everything goes quiet. I force the door close behind me.

Tifa...

Aeris's voice is small, almost like a quiet echo, and I keep it that way, heading slowly across the sanctuary. The floor creeks beneath my feet, and I head shakily up to the front, and take a seat in the pew directly in front of the bed of flowers. I don't think my legs can hold me up any longer. My eyes roam the space for a moment before I settle on the altar, and stare at it blankly.

The last time I was here, I experienced death in those flowers...

Where do I go from here? Can I really just sit here and wait? That's what got me into this whole mess, wanting to move and not wait for Cloud. Should I let in Aeris? No...not until the end...not until it's time...and I don't even know how much to give her yet, or whether I can decide when to stop her...

There's a dull rumble in the distance, and the chandeliers above my head clink, and rattle with the vibrations.

I close my eyes, feeling the tears whisper down my cheeks. "Cloud...please..."

And like an answer to my prayers he falls from the sky.

I don't know how he doesn't die, after the shear impact of soaring through the roof of the church, and into three pillars, knocking them, and crumbling them into a pile.

I dive forward into the flower bed as the dust consumes the sanctuary. It takes a moment for the rubble to settle, and even then, there's dangerous debris hanging from the ceiling of the church over where he lays.

I struggle to my feet

–Not ready...I'm not ready–

I take a deep breath, rushing over to the shattered column, to the cobbles and stones that serve as his resting place. He's still clutching his mighty sword in his right hand, but there's dust, and pebbles in his hair, and blood on his face and arms. There's a long gash up his chest, as well, and he's bleeding openly from it.

"Cloud–

I choke back my sob, and he cracks an eye. He's bleeding from the mouth, too.

I place a hesitant hand on his sticky, wet chest, and he looks at me. He opens his mouth to talk, but starts coughing violently.

"Cloud!" I don't know what to do, what to say!

"It's okay..." he manages to choke out. "I'll be okay..." He inhales deeply, trying to lift his sword arm, but it has the opposite effect. It clanks heavily to the ground and he curses. "It's okay..." he says again.

"No it's not!"

He sort of smirks. "I got him...good...I just...need a moment to rest..." He sighs. "Pick up my sword."

"You can't fight anymore!" I yell.

"Not right this second. I just...need a minute...I told you..." I do as he tells me, and lift the heavy sword with my right arm. I'm so weak it's nearly impossible.

"Just...lift it onto your right shoulder...yea, that's right. Now flick it forward, and leave your finger there, on the hilt."

He guides my thumb to a particular place on the hilt, and I do as he tells me.

I would've plunged the blade straight into the ground as I heaved it forward, but it decided to exploded and split into seven or eight pieces that lodge themselves in walls and columns, and the floor around the church. I don't know. I don't really care at this point.

"What the hell?"

He chuckles, it sounds surprisingly morbid.

"If he comes...take one of the little ones..."

"None of them are little."

He smirks, but his eyes are heavy lidded, and bleary. "I'll be ready in a second...I don't...think...he'll be here soon, but..." He closes his eyes briefly. "I can still protect you. Just...a moment..."

"Cloud...you don't have to protect me," I lay my hand on his arm. You can't. "I love you."

He looks at me. "It'll be okay," he says, placing his hand on my cheek.

"I know...but Cloud, I love you." Does he not understand?

"I love you too, Tifa." I smile, leaning into the palm of his hand, catching it with my own good one, as it starts to slump back.

He sighs as he slips into unconsciousness, his breathing normal. I place his hand delicately on the column beside of him, and lean over to brush my lips against his.

"I love you," I whisper again. I look at him, his heart beat is strong despite his wounds. I can see his pulse jump in his neck...a heartbeat, such a simple joy. I'm caught between the urge to smile and cry hysterically.

At least he'll be okay...for now...

Tifa... she whispers, trying to come up again.

I turn, heading towards the flowerbed. "Soon..." but I shove her back down, and bury her deep. One of Cloud's swords is sticking in the middle of the flowerbed, gleaming gold in the sunlight. It's a strange sword, long, but not too wide. The hilt is built into the actual blade. I move to stand beside of it in the flowers, as if it can bring me some kind of comfort. As if it can give me the kind of comfort I so desperately want from its owner.

Instead I can just press my palm into the side of the blade, and whisper "Just you and me..."

I don't have to wait long for him to descend down through the hole in the roof, to land near me, on the floorboards beside of the flowerbed. That knot, in my stomach has formed...that push pull feeling...

Genesis looks at Cloud's limp form on the column, gripping his red blade lightly in his hand. He looks worse for wear, as well. He's gouged up pretty bad on the arms, and he has a vicious gash going up the side of his face. His wing looks pretty busted; there's several feathers missing, and I can tell by the way he holds it, he's in pain...it doesn't want to sit the right way against his back.

He smiles as he meets my eyes. "Well, it's just you and me, now...as it should be. I have to kill him, though...to make sure he doesn't interrupt us."

"Wait," I say, before he can move towards Cloud.

A push...

"Yes?" He quirks an eyebrow, as if amused.

A pull...

"You'll only kill him if he comes between you and I, right?"

I'm being torn between wanting to live, and knowing that I can't.

He shrugs. "I have no issue with him." Of course. He would have no issue with the man he just fought with, and tried to kill.

"Then kill me."

He tilts his head, honestly surprised at this. I swallow. "You're giving up?"

"No. But he's not supposed to die today. I am."

"It's not as interesting if you don't fight, or run."

I stare at him blankly. As if I give a damn about whether or not it's interesting for him. "This isn't about interesting. This is about fate."

Genesis looks to the side, as if disappointed. "I thought there was something special about you...I guess ShinRa was wrong...I guess they were all wrong." He shrugs again. "Oh well...regardless, I'll be doing everything I wanted to fulfill to do today by killing you, whether you make it interesting or not. I'll also be meeting several obligations to a few people. You know, you are wanted quite dead by a few people."

"That's fine," I state flatly. It doesn't matter who does the deed, or where. Today I die. I know it better than anyone that I can't change that. Maybe that's why I don't run...maybe that's why I have been given this power, so I can face my death, and die the way I'm supposed to, no matter how gruesome it is.

"So be it." He moves fast, as I expected him to, but I'm still not prepared for the blow, even though I've been steeling myself for it since last night, since I saw my visions. The blade plunges into my middle, a slow, cruel death, I suppose, for not making it more interesting.

He sighs heavily as he removes the blade with a swift jerk, as if this is some tedious job he can't wait to get done. He turns to the side to clean his blade on the end of his jacket, wincing as his wing moves the wrong way.

My hands feel numb already, and my body says 'lie down' but there's one more thing to do.

"You know, this was pointless. Your silly boyfriend will just come after me when he wakes and finds you dead. He won't stop til I'm dead, so I'll have to kill him anyway. You just bought him a little more time." He inspects the wounds on his arms, and catches the end of his wing with his hand. He tries to get a better look at it, turning his back towards me.

I am insignificant now...now that I am doomed to death. I am no longer interesting. He is already planning how he will murder Cloud. I can't even feel his presence anymore, or maybe it's just because the only thing I feel is pain. I certainly don't feel my fingers wrap around the hilt of Cloud's sword.

"It's a shame...I really expected this to be more interesting. You struck me different. You smell like that woman...almost...like mako. She works at the school, beside of the SOILDER office. She should be easy enough to kill."

I don't think he can hear me move, I don't think he cares if I move. I think he thinks I'm probably already on the ground, or maybe even already dead.

But then as I lift the sword, it hisses against the flowers, and he turns slowly...maybe expects Cloud to be awake finally, or maybe he just is so arrogant that he thinks no one can kill him.

But I do. I have to.

I have that much strength left at least.

Cloud's blade buries itself in Genesis's chest. I see him for the first time, surprised; it's gratifying as I release the hilt. I don't have the strength to pull the sword free. I collapse to my knees, and lie backwards into the flowers. To rest...this is what I want. I don't want to think anymore. I don't want to think about what's happening...what will happen...

Too much burden...for one person, this...

The light above me is hazy, and warm on my face, and I feel pedals brush my cheeks before they too, go numb.

Genesis has a moment of life, and he looks at the sword, then me. And then he smiles, and chuckles. "I knew you wouldn't disappoint me." But there is the last flash of strength, of SOILDER and mako green anger, and he runs his sword into me once more, burying it into the earth beneath me, pinning me to the ground like a butterfly pinned up on display.

He's dead before I am, slipping to the floor; another small victory for me. He lies awkwardly on his side, with Cloud's sword stuck through him.

I sigh. It's done.

"Aeris...Aeris," I mumble. I can barely feel my lips. "Aeris I know...I know you can hear me. Aerith." I can feel my blood soaking into the soil beneath me. I hate that I have tainted this place with death...

No...no no...Tifa. Tifa. Tifa–no no no... what have you done? Wait please, I'm coming.

I don't have the strength to control my eyes right now. Aeris seizes control, and it's a weird sensation, even at the threshold of death to have someone else control my eyes. Aeris focuses on the sword embedded in the earth, sticking up through my chest.

"No, Aerith. No. You have to go to Barret's..." It hurts to speak. "You have to get...Marlene...Barret...everyone...get...out."

Tifa, hang on! Please!

I shake my head, she can feel it, I know. "No. You have to get out. Cloud will go home...the bar..."

Tifa why? Tifa just wait. Just hang on. I can keep you alive, I know I can. My body can keep you alive...

"You can't afford to carry the soul of another in you...somebody is already counting on you."

Silence.

"Aerith...listen to me. I have to show you this...I need you–

I cough. The blood's coming up my throat now. Little flecks of it dot the white pedals of the flowers surrounding me.

Tifa... Her voice is so tiny. I don't know if it's because she's scared, or because I'm so close to death. Staring up at the sun light streaming through the gaping hole in the church ceiling, I try to think how I have come to this place...this place, that I thought I would never see again, that I knew to avoid. I always thought I would never see my own death.

Remember this, please, I focus my attention back to Aeris. Here are my secrets. Here is my last vision. My last gift. I give it to you, my memory, your burden...I'm sorry.

Aeris sighs as she looks on, deep and sorrowful, the images flooding into her mind...and for a moment, I allow myself to slip into the memory I did not want to relive...couldn't have, because if I had stopped to think about it, I would've told Cloud to take us from the city before he went to talk to the Director...and I know, he would've done it without question... I could've died with him, perhaps in his arms...but by the time he wakes...

By that time...

There's something in his eyes, a desire there that I've seen before, but for some reason is more accented tonight.

His eyes blaze, icy fire, and then he kisses me.

It takes my breath away, and my mind explodes.

–Cloud is bruised...lying against a shattered pillar in the church beneath a plate. Unconscious at first...he wakes slowly, confused; I see him look around as if lost... He stands as if there is such a weight on his shoulders...and then...a sight, something in the flowers– a body.

It's me. It can't be me, but it is me...but it isn't me. It is my body, my earthly shell, but my soul, my spirit has already left it. It is not me anymore, and that is why I can see it in this vision...

He goes to the bar, to Barret and Aeris...he's leading them all out of the city, all those in danger of ShinRa's rath...he will kill him...he will kill ShinRa...he will destroy Midgar. Sephiroth–a factory, joining Cloud...Angeal beside of him. Rushing towards ShinRa tower, all those that I love– Reno, Cid, Rude, Vincent– all rushing at this great beast.

And then...Rufus.

Cloud stops...Rufus stops...both just staring at each other with the eery noise of battle rising through the floor.

"I'll kill you..." Cloud...so thick and hoarse, voice cracking on his oath.

Rufus chuckles, leaning against the desk behind him...so nonchalant. A war beneath his feet? Business for the poor. "What have I ever done to you that's so worse than what happened to the others? All SOLDIERs are destined to die and suffer."

"My best friend. My only happiness. You took those from me."

Rufus narrows his eyes. "I didn't take anything from you."

"Don't deny it! Not now...not after everything. Tifa is dead because of you, and no one else. I know you wanted her, and you couldn't stand anyone else having her but she wasn't yours to have. She was mine. I loved her and you had her killed!"

Cloud springs forward, bringing that massive blade up, Rufus shifting quicker than Cloud thought he was capable of. A raised hand. A gun. A single shot.

The bullet sinks into Cloud's chest, wedging between two ribs...the mako, the strength of your bones is greater. He should've died then, and Rufus thinks Cloud's done for. He lowers the gun.

Rufus should've known his employees better. Three steps, stumbling forward, lunge again. Rufus's face contorts, a blade through his gut. The pain coming off of Cloud is radiating, fighting for breath, blood running down his chest...just wants to die.

"How could you? I always knew you were a selfish prick but that had nothing to do with–

Rufus laughs, blood flecking his pristine white suit.

"I didn't order it... though if I had known what was going on between the two of you, I would've."

Cloud growls, narrowing his eyes. "What are you talking about? Genesis said ShinRa–

"Genesis meant my wife... she hated Tifa. She saw danger there...Tifa was going to be the example she set for me. No more women on the side."

"An-an example? She was a human being! With a life! And dreams! And you took that from her! It wasn't her fault, it was yours! Even if Scarlet did order it you were the one that pursued it. You could've stopped it."

Rufus shrugs, indifferent to Cloud's protests...and the blade in his body. "Everyone has their faults... you and her included. Hojo asked Genesis to bring her back. He knew there was something off about her, something...of an otherworldly quality to her. And Tseng wanted her dead; he knew Genesis would complete the job. She knew about Zack. She could expose the company, drive it into ruin even farther. He had to protect his family. And even if Genesis had listened to Hojo, and brought her back alive Hojo would've just experimented on her and tortured her until she died or killed herself... they all knew Genesis would kill her. And Tifa herself...well, there would always be another Tifa for me."

And he squeezes the trigger, straight to Cloud's heart...the ribs don't stop it this time–

Tifa...Tifa no...why didn't you...?

Take care of him for me...

I sigh, and for the first time since meeting him, the push pull feeling is completely gone... I feel peace...light... as if I'm floating away...

And I can finally think of the one thing I want to without it being tainted by death...

Blue Eyes.

Cloud... Cloud... Clo...