By a Fraction of a Degree

A FFVII Fanfiction work by findthetiger129

Rated T for Violence and Language.

I do not own Final Fantasy VII, or any of the characters, trademarks or likenesses from Final Fantasy VII or its spin-offs That honor goes to Square-Enix.

Matt and Alistor are original characters.

Part IV: Stigma

Chapter 90, The Final Battle for the Black Materia

April 15th [ ν ] – εуλ 0009 1:30 PM Junon Western Time

Aerith stood in the Shera's cargo bay, calling on her limit one more time as Alistor and the children stood around her and a light rain began to fall around them. It had been the best place apart from physically standing outside on the roof, which understandably would have been difficult. As she watched with relief, their infected patches of skin began to melt away, like dirt in a summer rain. She knew almost everyone was watching, even Cid, who had asked one of the other crew members to take on the job of steering for a moment. She smiled as she saw that Denzel seemed to be the first to be completely healed by her rain and he looked up at her with a smile.

She was distracted by the sound of Alistor letting out a happy sigh as he stretched luxuriously, definitely pleased with the fact that his mobility had drastically improved. "I thought I'd forgotten what it was like to feel this good."

"Me too!" Matt exclaimed.

Sasha smiled as Al pulled Matt up onto his shoulders and walked over to the Cetra. "I know it took a while, but… I don't know what we'd have done without you." He turned his attention over to Barret, "Or you."

"Shucks…" Barret muttered. "Weren't nothin'."

Al chuckled lightly before his expression became serious. "There's a big fight that's going to happen isn't there." Aerith nodded and upon confirmation the ex-SOLDIER asked, "Is there anything I can do?"

She smiled. "Actually, if you could, once we get where we're going, I want you to take the children somewhere safe. I'm sure now that you're back to one hundred percent, it should be a lot easier, right?"

He nodded. "Yeah…" he grinned after a moment. "To be honest, I'm a little relieved. That doesn't make me a coward does it?"

Zack walked up at that point. "Not at all. The front lines aren't the only place you can make a difference."

Al nodded. "In that case, you can count on me."

"I'm glad," Aerith said. At that moment, she spotted Denzel walking over to where Cloud was with a big smile on his face and was pleased to see the swordsman return it with a small one of his own. The fight was not yet over, but it would be soon. And when that happened, she was confident everyone would be able to get back to their lives. She touched her abdomen almost unconsciously. It was hard to believe, and yet it couldn't be any other way. For all the loss and sadness, there would also be new life and happiness, she was sure of it.

April 16th [ ν ] – εуλ 0009 6:00 AM West-Central Mountain Time

Sunrise dawned over the valley with Lucrecia's cave as the Shera pulled to a stop over one of the nearest plateaus and everyone prepared to fan out. "All right!" Zack said, squinting against the glare to the east of them. "Does everyone know where their sectors around the caves are located?"

"We're based at the entrance to Lucrecia's cave!" Yuffie affirmed from where she stood next to Cissnei.

"We're to the north of the Black Materia's cave," Cid confirmed. Nanaki nodded as Cait Sith climbed onto his combat mog next to him.

"Me an' Tifa are to the south," Barret thundered.

"And I'll be at the entrance to the cave with Vincent," Kunsel finished, adjusting his sword harness before replacing the gunblade in it. "Cloud will be on standby here, over the entrance to the cave, until Sephiroth appears on the field."

"That's right," Zack confirmed. "If anyone sees Sephiroth, tell Cloud immediately." He looked at his friend, "Are you sure you don't need any help."

"I'm fine Zack," Cloud confirmed.

"Okay, but if you do… just give us the signal, right?" Zack pressed.

Cloud nodded, checking the Fusion Swords to make sure they were secure, before he spun the sword in the air and placed it on his back. "Got it."

"All right people! Let's move!" With that, Yuffie and Cissnei vanished, as did most of the others, leaving Cloud waiting as the Shera pulled slightly towards the center of the valley. Cloud had a clear field of view in all directions and he squinted through the glaring red light of sunrise, searching for the one-winged figure that would be coming this way. For a short while, he stood there, occasionally turning his gaze in other directions in order to make sure he wouldn't be ambushed from a different angle as the burning sun slowly rose through the sky, its warm light searing down on the plateau.

It was about an hour or so later when at last, off in the distance, he saw the figure he had been waiting for, flanked by Loz and Yazoo as they approached. He pulled the Fusion Sword from its harness, and took his time preparing for the battle to come as the black-clad figures came closer. However, they were almost completely visible when something happened.

Sephiroth looked to his left, and then Yazoo and Loz were suddenly catapulted into the air past where Cloud was and down into the valley below. It was at that moment, when another figure clad in red took flight from a mountain peak a short distance away, flying up to meet the one-winged angel with the force of a bullet. Sephiroth had only had a moment to deflect the blow from Genesis' Rapier before whirling around in midair to deflect his opponent and force him to fly past.

Even so, the attack had its intended effect, for Sephiroth was knocked towards the ground and Cloud broke into a run across the plateau. Upon drawing closer, he saw that Genesis had landed and was now approaching his quarry.

"It has been too long, old friend," the WEAPON said.

Sephiroth smirked. "Perhaps it has. Have you come to try your hand against me?"

Genesis smirked back, "You have no idea." He brought up his hand dramatically. "When the war of the beasts brings about the world's end, the goddess descends from the sky, Wings of light and dark spread afar, She guides us to bliss, her gift everlasting."

"I see you haven't changed," Sephiroth replied. "But quoting that piece of trash will neither stop me nor save you from your demise."

"Clearly, you haven't changed either," Genesis said, lifting his sword as the two prepared to attack. "Because otherwise, you would fear my true purpose far more than your own defeat."

Sephiroth scoffed. "Still the same pretender, but in the end, just a worthless distraction. Regardless of that purpose, my victory is assured. It is only a matter of whether it is sooner or later" With that, Sephiroth too, raised his blade again and the two men rushed at each other before trading a series of blows. Cloud only hesitated for a moment before running in their direction. Whatever it was Genesis was trying to do here didn't matter to him, so long as Sephiroth did not walk away from it.

Kunsel stood at the cave entrance, holding his gunblade at the ready, his eyes on the foliage around him. Vincent stood nearby, Cerberus at his hip, his cloak blowing to the side slightly in the breeze. The gunman in the crimson cloak seemed as calm as if they had come here for a morning stroll and this just happened to be a stopping point on their path. The morning sunlight cast sunbeams down through the foliage, and his eyes narrowed as he watched his surroundings. There was no point nor would it benefit them to make conversation, since that could distract them from what was coming, and he had no intention of being distracted.

The area was silent but for the occasional bird in the distance. It was hard to believe even now that somewhere in the very same valley, another creature could find the desire to sing right now, but at the same time, rationally, he understood. Life would continue. Revenge would not bring back the smile that flitted into view in his mind's eye, but regardless, he wanted it so badly. For all the wrong Jenova had brought to this world and for all the people including himself, his friends, and the woman he loved. It all came back to the monstrosity Shinra had unearthed from the Northern crater. Ending Sephiroth again would only be a preliminary step on the way to ensuring the entirety of her remains were completely and utterly obliterated. That was the reality.

That was when he felt a strange vibration through the soles of his boots. Looking up, he was surprised to see a wave of earth flying in their direction. Vincent had already folded into his cloak and was flitting along the cliff wall on an updraft and Kunsel retreated, gaining speed and running up the cliffside before stabbing his blade into the face like a piton. He hung there with his boots against the wall of the cliff as the wave of earth rushed past just below leaving a nearly opaque cloud of dust in its wake as several trees collapsed, filling the cloud with a mire of branches below.

Kicking off as he drew his blade out of the rock face, Kunsel dropped to one of the stronger branches of the nearest downed tree, taking a balanced stance before scanning the area around him through the dust. Vincent appeared on the branch of a tree that had avoided the destruction, Cerberus out, and that was when he spotted two heads of silver hair running in their direction. Vincent fired three shots and Kunsel fired two more from his gunblade before having to duck as Yazoo returned fired in his direction, diving into the cloud of swirling dust for cover as he moved in the direction of the cave entrance. He couldn't allow either of the two remnants past.

He felt rather than saw his proximity to the darkened cave before he spied Loz running in his direction and he brought up his blade to counter the remnant's gauntlet. Breaking the lock he backed off a step and fired two more shots. Loz jumped upward as the dust was beginning to settle around them, jumping off the cave wall to avoid Vincent's gunfire before backing off further to skirmish with him in the trees.

At that moment, he spotted Yazoo coming at him from the right and leapt to meet him in midair, bringing up a Wall as he did so. Several of Yazoo's bullets ricocheted off the spell and into the surrounding foliage, and the swordsman retaliated with several shots of his own before meeting Yazoo in midair. Their two gunblades sung as they met, knocking them both apart and the remnant ran up one of the trees that still stood, before landing on one of its branches and letting loose another barrage. Kunsel followed in hot pursuit, dodging bullets as he followed him up, flipping into the air to land on the branch Yazoo had just vacated in a crouch, his eyes on his quarry, his blade glittering in the morning sunlight that filtered as white-hot sunbeams through the dust-filled air. Yazoo leapt along several branches, occasionally firing to try and distract his pursuer, but the ex-SOLDIER remained on his tail like a Griffin after a Sahagin, occasionally returning fire, unwilling to show any wavering in his purpose.

They neared the cliff face again, and Kunsel saw the remnant jump to the wall, running along it towards the cave but he ran along the tree branch on which he currently stood before throwing himself across the gap and using his momentum to try and pin the man to the cliff face with his blade. Yazoo barely dodged out of the way, fleeing back into the tree branches as the ex-SOLDIER dropped to the ground, wary for any sign of the remnant pressing his attack. At that moment Vincent appeared next to him as Loz made a try for the cave by attempting to leap over them from a nearby tree.

At almost the same moment, Yazoo sprang into the air slightly below him and Vincent seized his chance. Kunsel was already preparing to meet Yazoo in the air when suddenly the crimson gunman's cloak fell around him. He was already airborne when he realized he was watching his quarry fly closer until as the red cloth unfolded, he found himself whirling around in midair to see Yazoo still headed towards the cave behind him. As he dropped back to the ground, he lifted his gunblade, aimed and fired, hitting the remnant square in the back. Both of them hit the dirt, Kunsel landing in a crouch as Yazoo collapsed like a doll cut loose from his strings.

"See how you like being shot in the back," the SOLDIER muttered, before kneeling down and checking that the remnant was truly neutralized. Almost as soon as he'd confirmed the lack of a pulse, tendrils of Lifestream were swirling around the corpse, and he reflected how disturbingly easy it had been, to just pull the trigger and end this man. He gave the remnant a look of disgust. He certainly didn't feel better about it. If anything, it was just a sense of finality, and relief that one more threat to the Planet had been eliminated. There were still multiple parts of this mission to complete. Freya would have joked that maybe she was rubbing off on him, considering how Turk-like that sounded. He glared at the dissolving body. That thought was way too painful to examine closely right now.

He had just turned to search for their other opponent when Loz let out a yell of desperation and began to desperately scale the cliff above them. Vincent was already headed in that direction, and Kunsel hurried after him. Something drastic must have happened for nothing else could possibly cause Loz to break off his attack.

As Cloud rushed in, he noticed the Gainsborough off in the distance. He was certain that just sitting there was driving Zack crazy, but at the same time, it was pretty clear putting Aerith anywhere near Sephiroth was a terrible idea.

His attention at that point was diverted as Genesis slashed at Sephiroth and the runes upon his sword flashed crimson. "I remember once I asked you if we were to play the roles of the three friends which roles we would have," Genesis said, not stopping for breath as he spoke.

"And why should that matter?" Sephiroth responded, punctuating his question with a powerful blow that knocked Genesis into the air.

His wing unfurled behind him, holding him airborne as the silver-haired nightmare took to the sky after him. He responded by bringing his sword around to lock blades with the man. "Because I had always wondered would I be the hero, or would you?" he said, "Though as the first act says 'Ripples form on the waters' surface, the wandering soul knows no rest.' Perhaps someone among us does still wander long after he should have gone."

Sephiroth broke the lock and took stance to charge the red-headed swordsman. "I shall gladly bring you rest, if you wish it," he drawled.

Genesis lightly dodged out of the way and Cloud picked that moment to jump in, bringing up the Fusion Sword to come in for a downward blow, but Sephiroth whirled around at the last minute, deflecting and then returning with five more strikes of his own. Cloud parried each one before Genesis attempted to come in at their opponent from the side. Sephiroth deftly brought his sword into a block, somehow managing to catch both their blades with his own.

"Far from it," Genesis spoke, "For regardless of the outcome here, there is no hate, only joy, for the Prisoner has come to fulfill his oath." Sephiroth broke the lock and lunged, first at Cloud who deflected the blow, and then at Genesis who had crouched down to attack as Cloud parried. He brought up his blade, deflecting each strike as he danced backwards and then to the side to come in for another lunge as Cloud raced forward to try and take advantage of the distraction but he wasn't fast enough.

Sephiroth took flight at that point, rising up into the air on his single black wing and that was when Genesis finally looked Cloud in the eye. "Strife. You must end this battle. Because then, the true war can begin."

"Or we could just end the whole thing together now," Cloud suggested. Above them, Sephiroth had angled his sword downward preparing to attack.

"I have enjoyed myself long enough," Genesis murmured. He raced forward on his own, jumping into the air, his own wing catching the air as he rose to meet his opponent, fire raging along his crimson blade, and Cloud distinctly heard him continuing to speak as he lifted himself upward. "My friend, the fates are cruel, there are no dreams, no honor remains, The arrow has left the bow of the goddess," he blocked Sephiroth's blade with Rapier as the force of the nightmare's sword knocked him back towards the ground, but he continued reciting the old familiar mantra, "My soul, corrupted by vengeance, Hath endured torment, to find the journey in my own salvation." He landed in a crouch and jumped again, ready for another attack, "…And your eternal slumber, Legend shall speak of sacrifice at world's end…"

He rose up once again to where Sephiroth waited, and the two skirmished in midair, flying back and forth, two one-winged angels in the morning sun. "The wind sails over the water's surface," Cloud looked around, trying to find a place from which to jump off and join them… "Quietly, but surely…" and then inexplicably, Genesis dropped to the ground. Sephiroth dived after him as the red-head landed in a crouch and this time, the red-head simply lifted up his blade in a thrusting movement, not even bothering to defend. Cloud raced forward, but as he watched almost in slow motion, Sephiroth's blade penetrated Genesis' chest and then went out the other side as the Rapier dropped to the ground still clutched in the WEAPON's hand.

Genesis didn't even look surprised, in fact if anything he looked serene as Sephiroth withdrew the blade and he dropped to his knees. He let out a soft laugh and finished his recitation as tendrils of Lifestream were already beginning to swirl around him. "Even if the morrow is barren of promises, Nothing shall forestall my return, To become the dew that quenches the land, To spare the sands, the seas, the skies, I offer thee this silent sacrifice…" almost as if that had been a code of some kind, his body suddenly dissolved, and the tendrils of Lifestream stopped their random movements. Sephiroth stepped back as he saw the tendrils rocketing towards him but he couldn't evade them as they entered his body and vanished.

The silver-haired former SOLDIER seemed momentarily surprised but otherwise unmoved as he turned his attention back to Cloud. He lifted his blade and flicked it deftly to remove the blood spatter from where Genesis had been stabbed. "What shall I destroy next?" Cloud watched the man take stance to charge him, though Cloud was quite certain from the tone of his voice that his opinion of Genesis' attempt to do whatever he had tried to do would mean nothing. The blond swordsman was quite confused on what exactly that was, but even so he lifted the Fusion Sword and ran forward to meet Sephiroth's blade once more. The force of his opponent's blade against his own would have knocked any lesser man over backwards as he parried the first strike, but as his boots slid over the dirt, he blocked another strike before delivering a crossing slash of his own.

Sephiroth dodged easily before retaliating with a series of high speed strikes which Cloud quickly blocked before coming around with another strike of his own, but this time, Sephiroth was ready for him. The silver nightmare retaliated with a swordstrike that would have connected with his chest if he hadn't managed to block it, but instead, he was knocked backwards across the plateau. A glance behind him told him just how close to the edge he had come before he became distantly aware that Sephiroth was charging him again. Bracing himself for the effort he was about to exert, Cloud ran to meet him channeling a limit as he ran striking at his opponent several times before leaping into the air to bring the Fusion sword down onto his opponent in an Omnislash but then he felt pain sear through his chest followed by a sensation he only vaguely remembered until now, but had hoped he would never feel again…

That gut-wrenching sensation of a piece of metal hoisting him up by his ribcage as Sephiroth skewered him on the end of his blade. He dangled on the end of it for a few moments, trying to gain purchase and not succeeding as Sephiroth leered at him, confident in his victory. "Was this how it felt before, Cloud?" he asked. "Because I never intend to let you forget." He brought his wing out and then, almost effortlessly he tossed Cloud up in the air like he was a ragdoll. As he flew upward, he sensed rather than saw Sephiroth coming up after him and it was perhaps muscle memory that allowed him to block the first few blows, but after that, he felt Sephiroth's blade connect with his body again, and then again, cutting and slicing through his flesh too fast for him to register, and too many times for him to count.

"Cloud!" he heard someone call out just before he hit the ground and as he looked up and realized the Shera had come closer in the time they'd been fighting and Zack had jumped down to the ground behind him.

Sephiroth was still in the air and he heard the man speak again. "Tell me Cloud, what do you value most?"

Cloud felt a full Cure spell envelope him as Zack offered him a hand and he stood up, relieved that the worst of his cuts had healed. "What about Aerith?" he breathed out.

"She's fine," Zack whispered. "You need a hand?"

Cloud shook his head. "It's all right." He glanced sideways at his friend and gave him a wry smile, though his tone was serious as the energy of a final limit break channeled through his body. "Thanks… I know what I'm going to do."

"All right, but if you need me," Zack said.

Cloud nodded. "I know…" With that he ran to a nearby boulder and jumped off of it to meet Sephiroth as he had started a dive down to deliver a finishing strike. The two blades connected, and Cloud was knocked towards another boulder. He pushed off of it to once again meet his opponent. "I feel sorry for you," he whispered. "You'll never understand!" His voice was growing louder as the energy within him was growing more and more powerful and he readied his blade. "There's nothing I don't value! And you're not taking anything else!"

With that he slashed at the one-winged angel and as Sephiroth blocked, energy flowed through the Fusion Swords disconnecting each of the peripheral blades and causing them to disperse into a ring around them. Propelled by the limit itself, Cloud flew to the first notched blade and used it to deliver his initial attack, and then did the same with each of the others in turn. Over and over again, faster and faster. So fast that when the last blade struck he found himself looking at an after image of himself where each blade hung in the air. Six more times he struck at the one-winged angel, until at last he delivered the final blow with the First Sword, dropping back to the ground as his other five blades dropped around him into the dirt.

Above him, he saw Sephiroth floating in the air and he glared up at him. "Stay where you belong, in our memories," he said firmly.

Sephiroth gave him a look of pure disdain. "I will never be a memory." His black wing enveloped him as the corrupted Lifestream began to erode him away, leaving Kadaj to drop to the ground.

The remnant stayed on his knees for a few moments as Cloud noticed Zack was coming closer. But when his friend was almost behind him Kadaj stumbled forward, brandishing his double-bladed katana wildly before collapsing into his arms. "Brother…" the remnant whispered softly. Cloud looked down at him, not sure what to do.

"So you're one of Jenova's are you?" Genesis's voice echoed out of nowhere.

Cloud looked around unsure of where it was coming from, but it paid him no heed. "How pitiful. I'll take you to your mother, if you so wish."

Kadaj looked confused, but then, slowly, he nodded and held out his hand to someone Cloud couldn't see and then, to his complete surprise Kadaj dissolved into the Lifestream. He stood up, watching the green tendrils disappear over the valley. "Is it over?" he asked.

"I hope so…" Zack began.

Cloud took a step forward, closing his eyes for a moment and letting the cool mountain breeze play over his face. He wasn't sure how he felt. On the one hand, this war had cost them so much, but at the same time, he couldn't help but feel an immense sense of relief that it was over. He opened his eyes as he spotted the Shera coming closer and he spotted Aerith watching them from the bridge. She gave them a wave. "We should probably make sure the other remnants aren't still around though…" Zack was thinking aloud when suddenly he stopped. "Cloud! Look out…!"

At that moment, something painful shot through Cloud's chest. He was more surprised than anything, but as he collapsed to the ground, he spotted Loz at the edge of the cliff, holding his gun and whispering something he couldn't make out through his fading senses. Then darkness took him and he thought no more…

Two shots rang out over the plateau. One from Kunsel's gunblade, and the other from Loz's. "Cloud!" Zack ran towards his friend as the man dropped, only just hearing Loz whisper "We'll go together…" before collapsing in front of the ex-SOLDIER who had just scaled the cliff after him. Zack didn't care. He felt rain falling from the sky and looked up to see that Aerith had come out onto the Shera's side deck to channel her limit. He quickly checked for any signs of breathing and then felt a moment of terror when he couldn't find a pulse either. Quickly he gave Cloud two rescue breaths and started CPR compressions one-handed. His right arm might be useless for this, but he'd be damned if he let that stop him!

Kunsel hurried over and Zack looked up, seeing Vincent arrive behind him as he worked. "Kunsel, Phoenix!" His friend nodded and started casting. It wasn't long before he felt steam emanated from the firebird's feathers and vaguely noticed the light from its fiery inferno illuminating the falling water in a torrent of tiny prisms before he went for two more rescue breaths. "Hang on Cloud!" he gritted out as he continued with the chest compressions, "After everything we've been through, we're not losing you!"

See ya next week!