. R O A D . T O . D A M A S C U S .
. S A G A . F O U R : A D V E N T . C H I L D R E N .
Chapter Twelve: New Beginning
And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athrist of the fountain of the water of life freely.
Revelation 21:6, The Holy Bible
"Cloud, love… we've gone though so much, please don't leave me."
She shook her head. "I won't… I promise. I'm so tired." Her eyes closed and a smile on her lips. "I just need to sleep. Stay with me…" She whispered faintly.
He nodded, shaking as he held her close to his chest. The golden gown was warm with blood but the wound seemed to close slowly, the bleeding had stopped. "Always."
Zack knelt beside him, soon, the rest had gathered around. "Seph? Is she?"
Sephiroth looked up to his best friend and shakily nodded. "She's alive…" A half smile flittered across his lips, yet he looked very distraught. "Kadaj is finally at peace."
Aeris fell beside Zack to her knees and placed her hand out to Cloud's chest where the wound was. "She's healing herself. Luckily, I have no power left to heal or cure for now, I am sucked dry."
Sephiroth frowned and looked about to the other member of Avalanche and Turks. Some of them held out Materia and showed that they were dull and powerless. "No more?" Several, most shook their heads. The Materia had lost their powers and none left were useable.
He turned to the Summonses, looking with slight of hope only to find them staring back. "All of our powers are gone. We all had used the last of it. This is it." Phoenix explained as she gestured to the rest of the Summonses.
Hades hugged his long time wife around the waist. "That's right. We're like you all now, mortals. Ah, things for a god to deal with, our time has finally come to end."
"Mortals?" Barret asked as he glanced around, noticing the other Summons that usually had different form are now in human forms.
Hades looked as he could pass off as Madoshi's brother with pale skin and deep black eyes, yet he was older. Phoenix was no longer glimmering and shimmering as she usually was, now simpler with spun orange, red and gold gown and her hair cascading down her back in long orange red, streaked with graying. She looked about in her mid-forties, yet still beautiful. Everyone realized they were Madoshi's parents, seeing where the Meteor God had gotten his features from.
The beasts, Typhoon, Kjata and Titans now stood as strong broad torso men. Everyone else was attired in ancient gown and robes. Ramuh looked more of a wise old man, gripping on his staff, standing tall and proud. Odin was a shocker; he was no longer a ferocious god but a young boy about five years old and holding onto the rein to a though bred horse next to him.
Leviathan stepped though the crowd to join Ramuh, her gown was billowy pale blue and teal, her gray hair tied up in braided coiffure and her eyes were watery blue and mysterious. Soon, everyone noticed that the rest of the Summonses were actually in mortal forms.
"Wow… so, that's it?" Reno asked as he shouldered his broken electro-rod that he couldn't let go of, glancing around and his dark blue eyes went wide as he found twelve men in knight attire standing outside the crowd and realized they were the Knight of Round.
Elena stared with amazement as she took it all in. She held up bunch of colorful Materias in her hand, they all weren't glowing but sat dull and cold, devoid of its usual energies. She then turned to Yuffie. "Well, here you go, I don't need them anymore."
Yuffie let out a whimper and stomped her foot. "Not fair! Now I get them all and they're useless!"
"Yes, this is it, my children. It had come to end to start anew." Everyone turned to find Gaia walking toward them. She smiled, looking tired and ancient. She stopped and looked down to Sephiroth who still sat with Cloud in his arms. "Everything had come to end to start a new beginning. Anger fades into forgiveness and love prevails in the end."
Everyone gasped as a man appeared next to Gaia. The goddess turned to the man and smiled. He was tall and regal, his hair white like snow flowing down his back and his eyes eternally black and he wore a robe that was celestial, like the cosmos printed onto the fabric, shimmering every time he moved. The sun flared and the comets shot across the surface. Gaia smiled at him, taking his hands, "Ouranos…"
"I see that you've finally forgiven, seeing that Cloud and Sephiroth are the incarnation of Megamiki and Madoshi." He gestured to the two and went over to their side, touching his hand to Cloud's forehead. "Mm, she's healed now." He stood up and watched as Cloud flutter her eyes open. Sephiroth helped her up and they stood together, holding each other.
"Hai, I've done wrong in the past. I understand why you won't heal me for so long." Gaia said softly as she clutched her once wounded shoulder. "I was blind to love and now, my own daughter taught me so much in the last several eons. Forgiveness comes with healing." She turned to Cloud and Sephiroth, "They deserve each other." She nodded to them and then turned to the Summonses, "They have choices to remain or go on to the Beyond as they were intended to long time ago." She held her hands out and eyed the former Summonses.
"I chose to go." Ramuh was the first to step forward.
"Me too. I am tired and I do need my rest now." Leviathan soon joined Ramuh's side again.
"Not me. I want to stay." Odin quipped, causing surprise on everyone with his youthful voice. He laughed, his brown eyes dancing as he stroked his horse's muzzle. "What do you think, Sleipnir?" The sleek chestnut beast gave a loud agreeing snort.
"Very well." Gaia smiled motherly toward the young boy. "I am sure someone here will take you in. Any one else?"
"You know I enjoy being in this body. I'm staying." Shiva spoke up and looked up at Ifrit lovingly. "It's up to you, love."
He shook his head. "No. Where you go, I go."
"Aww, that's so romantic." Phoenix trilled softly. "I'm going. I am tired, enough death and rebirth for me. Hades?" She looked over to the dark haired and pale man who nodded in return.
"Yes, love. Our son will live the life he wanted." He held up his hand and she took it and glanced to Sephiroth and Cloud as they both joined Ramuh and Leviathan's side.
"They're together?" Elena whispered to Yuffie who was gawking.
"Now you think of it, it makes senses… balances. They're Madoshi's parents."
"You may be right."
Kjata and Titan stepped forward and said no word, yet their actions showed clearly that they were going to go to the Beyond as well. Typhoon shook his head and remained where he stood, grinning madly.
Everyone turned their head to the loud "Wark!" and saw Choco-Mog, beautiful golden plump chocobo pawing the ground. The Mog hopped off and joined Gaia's side and soon, the golden chocobo darted off and disappeared over the edge of the crater into the wilderness.
"He'll be coming to the Beyond soon. He wanted to live the remaining life he has now." Gaia explained. "And that will be it?"
Everyone turned to the twelve knights and one more joined them, it was Alexander. The main one, in deep red cloak stepped forward, drawing his sword out of his sheath and knelt before Cloud and Sephiroth with the sword standing tip end into the ground, "I am going to the beyond to join my sister, Jenova the Valkyrie. They have decided to stay and serve you. Milord, Milady." Then, all of the knights knelt and bowed their heads.
"I guess…" Zack looked confused and shrugged.
"Okay…" Sephiroth pursed his lips and wonder what he was going to do with thirteen knights as he glanced to the men.
"What about the Bahamuts?" Vincent asked as he noticed the three dragons weren't present.
Gaia turned to Zack. "You have the Materia." He soon gave them to her and she held them out. "Bahamuts come out and choose."
The stone glowed bright and shimmered as the three dragons appeared, white, red and black, hovering high above them in their true dragon forms, their wings beating loud against the air. They all bowed their head together and lifted up to soar higher and high in the sky until they disappeared.
"They regarded their servitude to the King and the Queen." Gaia smiled as the red stones disappeared from her hands.
"Uh, that's it; they're the King and Queen now?" Tifa turned to the ethereal woman.
"Why, Sephiroth and Cloud will have to receive coronations, if the people accepts them, dears." She laughed softly and stepped backward once. "I wanted my own children to roam the earth, to care for each other and nourish though years to come. My dream had finally come true after thousands of years, now I can rest and watch. The Calamities of the Sky is no more, but in the end with the Geosigma, the children all over the world now are the people of the Valkyries, including you all." She lifted her arms, dragging her long heavy robe with them and with elegant swirls, she disappeared on the spot. Ramuh, Leviathan, Phoenix, Hades, Titan and little Mog waved as they disappeared then.
"What does she mean?" Rude asked, turning back to Cloud and Sephiroth.
Aeris smiled as she answered. "The cure for the Geosigma changed everyone, altering all of our genes to become the true children of Gaia, Sephiroth and Cloud is to be our King and Queen, to open a new door to the future. All of us," She gestured to herself, Zack and everyone, "We are the subject of the new future."
"Wow, that's intense." Reeve murmured. Then, as if something clicked in his mind. "Hey, I guess we all better get started!"
Zack's eyes went wide with horror as he spun toward to his best friend. "Already! Don't you think we had enough?"
Sephiroth bobbed his head slightly. "I had enough for today." He laughed as he looked to Cloud resting on his arm. "There is one more thing." He said as he knelt before Cloud, taking her hand. He touched the ring on her finger and slipped it off and held it up. Everyone went silent as they watched the two. "Cloud, before Maleficius Sephirt took you from my arms, even before the Nibelheim Crisis, I was going to ask," He sighed as he looked into her blue eyes, smiling, "Will you marry me?"
Cloud nodded, grabbing hold around him and said, "Yes, yes! I will marry you!" He drew back and placed the ring back on her finger, "I'm sorry that you had to wear this for so long, never knowing the ring's intention. I've never asked before, I just slipped it on your finger the night before Nibelheim Crisis and everything fell apart after that."
"Better late than never." She laughed and they kissed and the room erupted in cheers.
"Whew, almost five years later, he finally asks her." Zack murmured.
"Five years?!" Reno asked as he stared at the couple kissing. "That's way too long. Think they will wait longer for the actual wedding?"
"Nah." Zack laughed. "Ah, hopefully it would be soon this time around… I guess we all are tired of waiting." He sighed, tiredness registered on his face.
Aeris took his arm and patted it with assurance. "It's all right. We all need to rest after a long day." He then looked a bit better as he sighed in relief.
"So, you're the entire new race. Children of Gaia sound long…" Yuffie pursed as she thought about it. "Yeah, Neo-Cetra!"
Sephiroth and Aeris shook their head.
"Why not?"
"Forget it kid." The silver-haired general patted Yuffie on the head after standing up. "It's better if you just think about my father." He pushed her slightly into Vincent's arms. "Let's go."
Zack held his hand out to Aeris who took it and they both started to follow Sephiroth toward the Sierra airship that had came around and landed nearby.
Yuffie glared after them as she stood up from Vincent's hold and turned to him, "He didn't just do that!"
He laughed at her and trailed a finger down her face, "Yes, he just did." He took her chin and leaned down, kissing her soundly, shocking her. He took the advantage of her shock and slipped a tongue in her mouth, kissing her thoroughly. When he finally broke free, he smirked at her dazed expression, "Yuffie, to your question earlier. I loved Lucrecia, but not anymore. You are the one I love now."
She blinked at him and then smiled brilliantly, looking every bit a beautiful woman, not the immature teenager everyone knows. It made Vincent's heart melt, "Vincent! I love you too!" She grabbed around his neck and he held her as she hugged him. Then she finally stepped back, looking up at him with curiously, "What are we going to do with Wutai?" She asked.
"We will deal with that when we comes to it. After all, there is one thing your father does not know; I am the Lord of South Wutai." Vincent said as he slipped his ever present bandanna off and on his forehead was a red mark in the center, signifying him of the South Wutai.
She gasped at him, "Oh! But, Father has all the power of Wutai."
Vincent smirked, "Not really." He walked back to the airship, his arm wrapped around her tiny waist, "As your Father may believe that, but many warriors doubts his leadership and is starting to revolt. They've gone and came to me, asking me for commandership. In short, I have the power of all South Wutai now."
He paused before they entered the door, "Princess Yufi, seeing you are the Princess of North Wutai, where do you stand?" He asked, bowing to her slightly.
She stood back, her back rigid and she placed her hands together in front of her, standing formally before him. "I, Princess Yufi, disown my own house, the house of Kisaragi to stand by the house of Lord Vin'Tine." She bowed and he smiled at her.
"I am honored, my love." He held his hand out and she took it, smiling back as they stepped onto the airship.
Rude and Reno watched as they followed behind the ninja and snipers, "Geez, how many more royalty we have among our group?" Reno asked.
Rude shrugged and inspected his sunglasses and cursed, "Not another one!" He held it up for his friend to see.
Reno cracked up as he saw a crack down the lenses. "Aw man! How many glasses was that?"
"This week alone? I believe this is the ninth one." Rude said as he tossed it behind him.
Reno paused, causing Rude to roll his eyes and look back to the red-head. Reno asked, "Hey, if Vincent has the red dot, does that mean Tseng is…" He was interrupted.
Rude nodded, "You're an idiot to not notice, all Wutaianese who has the mark is of the south Wutai, and, yes, many of them are in ShinRa because of Lord Godo."
"Ohhh, no wonder." Reno murmured as he followed his bald friend onto the airship.
Shiva giggled as she walked with Ifrit behind the Turks and turned to Ifrit, "This is going to be fun!"
Ifrit nodded. "I'm curious, how could Maleficius Sephirt absorb Madoshi, knowing they are not of the same soul."
Shiva shrugged, "Maleficius Sephirt was powerful. I think it was after Maleficius Sephirt absorbed Jenova, removing Cloud's gene from Kadaj, turning him into a cloned version of Sephiroth."
"Ah, I see now. Maleficius Sephirt was in every essence like Sephiroth except the soul and he was able to absorb Madoshi. Good thing Sephiroth took it all back."
"Yeah, I wonder how strong Sephiroth is now…" Shiva idly wondered as she rested her head on Ifrit's shoulder as they stepped onto the airship.
As everyone boarded the airship, Sierra rose in the air and made a turn and circled the Northern Crater. Everyone was on the deck, watching from the bay window, taking in the sight below them. The Northern Crater looked battered, scars of the battle was evidence across the ground but then, green and white tendrils rose from the center and swirled around the crater, covering the ground and then faded, leaving a white immaculate ground, as if it never was touched.
Sephiroth smiled at Cloud as she drew her hands back. "Why?" He asked.
"Couldn't leave behind the scar of the battle, it's not right." Cloud said, smiling up at him. "I have the power of Holy now."
"Mm." Sephiroth laughed and rose his hand and as if he were pulling something down, everyone gasped at the spectacle of the sky filling with meteor showers, falling down to the earth with brilliant dazzling show. "And I have Madoshi's. This is fun."
They stood together, watching the dazzling meteor show falling to the ocean as they flew across, heading back to Junon Harbor.
Tifa smiled as she rested her head on Barret's chest, overlooking the sunset that settled on the ocean as the meteor shower finished. "What's going to happen now?" she asked.
"I don't know. I think I'm gonna stay in Neo-Midgar in case anything comes up." Tifa giggled softly and he looked down to her, frowning, "Now, what you laughing about?"
Tifa withdrew from his arms, looking up at him, "You owe Cloud two thousands gils."
"What!? That's for Marlene's schoolin'!"
Tifa laughed hard, "Oh, you forget! We are so rich; we can afford schooling for all children in the orphanage!"
Barret became silent and then started to laugh, "You're right… you're right… we can." He chuckled and fished out the two thousands gil bills from his pocket. "I guess this belong to Cloud." He looked up and saw Sephiroth and Cloud. "Yo' Cloud!"
Cloud looked up to Barret and they came to their sides. "What's up?" She asked. Barret handed her the bills. Tifa was snickering behind her hands. "What's this?"
"I owe you two thousands gils. Payment for blowing up reactor five."
Cloud frowned and then it hit her, "What!? That was two years ago! You owe me some with interests!"
Barret laughed, "No, deal's a deal!" And Tifa burst laughing again.
Cloud rolled her eyes, "Not like I need it anymore…" She looked up to Sephiroth and smiled, "I own the world." She let the money go, flying in the air as the wind took it to the sea. They all turned and watched the money disappear from the deck.
LKYASHODOALKYASHODOALKYASHODOALKYASHODOALKYASHODOA
In Midgar, where the church stood, the flowers bloomed in the crater, filling the place with its beautiful scents. Zack looked up to see Aeris coming down the aisle, a beauty among the ruins, wearing simple white summer gown and in her hands held the yellow and white flowers. He smiled at her as she approached him. He took her hand and they turned to the old man before them. Sephiroth and Cloud stood on either side of the man, standing in as the witnesses.
"Zachary Jules Donovan, say your vow to this beautiful bride." The man said.
Zack smiled as he turned to Aeris, "I promise you that I will be your loving and loyal husband from now on. I will share with you all the life's joy and sorrow, pleasure and pain, until death parts us and rejoins us forever and ever."
Aeris glowed with happiness as she heard the man say, "Aeris Gainsborough, say your vow to this man."
She spoke, tears welling up in her eyes as she met with Zack's loving gaze, "I promise you that I will be your loving and loyal wife from now on. I will share with you all the life's joy and sorrow, pleasure and pain, until death parts us and rejoin us forever and ever."
"And in the power of Gaia, you are now husband and wife." The man said as he wrapped white ribbon around their joined hands and it shimmered. "You may kiss the bride." He told Zack and watched with happiness in his old age as the two young couple kiss, forever joining their souls together as one. He wiped the tear from his eyes and stepped back, turning and leaving the couple to themselves. He wondered why they had chose to elope and in this place of the entire place in the world. He figured it was special to the two of them. He smiled as he saw the other couple, Cloud and Sephiroth stand together, arms in arms, watching the newly wedded couple and wondered when they would finally tie the knot.
LKYASHODOALKYASHODOALKYASHODOALKYASHODOALKYASHODOA
The three little boys stood together in the front of the Ancient Temple, facing the mirrored lake. They giggled together as Kadaj, standing in the middle held something in his hand, a small tiny glowing orb.
"Kadaj!" Loz started, grinning at his brother. "What are we gonna do with this?"
Kadaj looked to Loz and smiled, "I'm gonna give her my soul." He said and touched his chest and withdrew his hand, a white orb came from his chest and he brought his hands together, joining the two orbs together. It became one, slightly larger.
"Ooh! Me too!" Yazoo said, grinning. He touched his chest and brought out small white orb and brought it to the orb in Kadaj's hand. Loz grinned wide and did the same.
The orbs became one and pulsed as if it had a heartbeat. Kadaj brought the orb to the sky, "Go, little sister… make Mommy and Daddy happy." The orb rose and flew off in the sky, disappearing. The three brothers looked at each other and they faded away from the scene.
On the small tombstone, the names glowed brightly and the light faded, leaving behind white flowers growing around the stones, much like the one in the Church.
The boys' laugher filled the air.
Estuans interius ira vehementi
Burning inside with violent anger
Estuans interius ardente veritate
Burning inside with brilliant truth
Sephiroth, Sephiroth!
Seraphim, Seraphim!
Sors immanis Et inanis
Fate – monstrous and empty
Sors speciousissimus Et omnis
Fate- Beautiful and whole
Veni, veni, venias
Come, come, O come
Veni, veni, venias,
Come, come, O come
Ne me mori facias
do not let me die
Concessi me ascendi facias!
Let me rise above!
Veni, veni, venias, Gloriosa
Come, come, O come, Glorious
Veni, veni, venias, Gloriosa!
Come, come, O come, Glorious
Ne me mori facias, Generosa
do not let me die, Noble!
Concessi me ascendi facias, Generosa!
Let me rise above, Noble!
Veni, veni, venias,Gloriosa
Come, come, O come, Glorious
Veni, veni, venias, Gloriosa
Come, come, O come, Glorious
Ne me mori facias, Generosa
do not let me die, Noble!
Concessi me ascendi facias, Generosa!
Let me rise above, Noble!
Sephiroth, Sephiroth!
Seraphim, Seraphim!
The End.
w w w . y a s h o d o a . c o m / r o a d t o d a m a s c u s
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Seraph & Seraphim coming up next.
