Final Fantasy 7: The Hojo Clone
By Co V Schuler
Part 3: The Lifestream's Fate
Chapter 29 (Continued right after the end of Chapter 28)
The panicked crowd screamed and ran, the thick rain now clouding what was happening only less than a mile away.
The reporter had regained control and was filming everything that was happening.
Jenova was defeating the summons and had just bonded with her other leg. She was now one.
Vincent was casting as much magic as he could, but weariness was setting in on him.
Cloud was climbing up Jenova.
Barret and Yuffie had just parachuted out of their plane and were planning a full-scale attack on Jenova.
Chaos would be the only word to describe it. "Cloud, I'm getting dizzy," Vincent yelled up into the darkened skies. Cloud didn't look down, but answered, "Keep going till you can't Vincent. Be strong."
Be strong…yeah right. He must think I'm stupid and weak. But it did help him. Vincent continued casting Ultima and Comet and attacking Jenova with lighting upon lighting.
"Alright," Barret said, out of breath from getting through the screaming crowds. He could see the twenty-story tall Jenova in the distance. "How the hell are we goin' to defeat that son of a bitch?"
Yuffie shrugged. "I dunno know."
Barret nodded. "That's what I thought. Alrighty then…lets just improvise, okay? If you get a better idea, do it yourself becuz I'm probably goin' to be screamin' and yellin'."
"Right," Yuffie said, then they both started running towards determination. "FOR CID," cried Yuffie. "FOR CID," Barret echoed. Barret reached Jenova first, pounding on her with his gun-arm. Yuffie was casting fire, hoping to melt Jenova; it didn't work, but it did leave a bruise.
"Fire hurts it," she yelled. "Use fire when you use magic." She saw Barret nod and she started running around Jenova, to see if anybody was behind her-
BOOM! Trees crashed and something huge landed in front of her. It was Shiva. The breathing-ice creature's head tilted to the right, revealing a sickening wound. Yuffie grimaced as Shiva slowly disappeared. She had died, but could be summoned again. That was how summoning worked; they fight until they die, or their opponent dies.
Yuffie kept running and then stopped…it was as if the darkened skies were brightened for a few seconds and the world was at peace. There was Vincent, casting magic spell upon spell, tiredness obviously slowing him. But he kept going.
Yuffie nearly fainted in happiness when she saw him, but suddenly Jenova's fist crashed into the ground in front of her, bringing her back to reality. "Whoa," Yuffie yelled, taking a few steps back as the fist lifted out of the ground.
Yuffie threw her Twin Viper up at Jenova's head…it didn't come back. Probably got stuck in Jenova, Yuffie thought with a frown.
Yuffie ran to Vincent and threw her arms around him. Vincent was so focused on hurting Jenova that he was surprised. "Ah!"
He fell to the ground, Yuffie on top of him. Yuffie laughed and kissed him. Vincent realized who it was and kissed back…but a roar filled their ears and they stopped. "Some other time," Vincent said, smiling.
Yuffie gave him a mischievous grin and they both turned and faced Jenova. "Fire hurts it more than lightning," Yuffie said.
Vincent nodded and they started attacking Jenova.
*
Sssstttoooopppp!!!!!!!!!
Jenova mentally screamed. The humans had much more strength and determination that she thought…but that's okay. Jenova focused on nearby energy…feeling for it…it was…beneath her! Yes, it was there! Right beneath her! A river of Mako!
Jenova roared in happiness. The Planet's death waits.
She focused on magic and it began to swirl around her…giving her strength and power! Then she made a single motion with her right arm and it happened.
*
"AAAHHHHH," Yuffie screamed as the ground beneath her opened up, threatening to swallow her. "Vincent," she yelled.
Vincent turned, saw her and dove for her. "Yuffie, no!" He reached out just as she started to fall……….their hands clasped. "Hold on Yuffie," Vincent yelled, trying to grab onto something so they would both live.
The earthquake continued but instead of fire trying to burn them from below… a green glow floated up, making the trees seem like bushes. It was the Lifestream.
Vincent marveled for a second then kept trying to pull Yuffie up. A thought occurred to him. Oh boy. "Hold on Yuffie," he yelled. He looked behind him, seeing if the tree was that close-
It fell down, its roots cracking. "NO," Vincent cried out. He had to grab onto that tree and pull them both away from the quake. The ground shook again, throwing Vincent off the ground and into the Lifestream. Yuffie screamed and fell with him and the green glow and liquid surrounded them……….
*
Cloud struggled to hold on. He was halfway there, halfway to her head. "Argh," he grunted as he pulled himself up. His muscles screamed in protest as he pulled himself higher. Then a thought occurred to him.
Climb up from the inside.
It sickened him, but it would probably work; not to mention do a lot of damage on the way to Jenova's head. Dammit, he thought as another quake happened. His right arm slipped away, his left arm his only hope.
Fine then, you want to play rough…then-he pushed himself away from Jenova with his legs, grabbing the Ragnarok with his right arm while still holding onto the dagger with his left arm-lets play ROUGH!
His sword was aimed straight into her and he cut into her, making a hole big enough to go through. Mako spilled out, coming in such rations it was as if it was her blood. It poured out like a river and Cloud held on tight to the dagger that was stuck in Jenova.
It kept coming and Cloud realized it really was her blood. OH SHIT! Her blood is pure energy!
*
Jenova felt more and more energy come into her as she stepped into the Lifestream but there was a sudden pain and-
She roared. What was this? She looked down at her side and saw a pathetic human somehow holding onto her and her blood pouring out of her.
Jenova screamed in pure anger.
*
The Mako kept pouring from Jenova.
Man, Cloud thought, I must have hit an artery or something. He gave up on that spot and started climbing up her side. When he was about twenty feet up, Jenova swung her hand at him. He saw it coming (its huge!) and pulled himself up two-inches above the top of her fist. Her own fist crashed into her side and she roared in pain.
"Hehe," Cloud couldn't help but laugh. Then he cut a hole in her and dove in before she could try again. "Argh!"
He landed and then slid down muscles and nothing that seemed familiar. Everything was glowing green and purple. For Aeris and Tifa, he thought again. And stuck his sword in… something, stopping his fall.
He realized he left his dagger on the outside of Jenova and cursed. Oh well, he thought. Might as well start chopping. Then he realized it stunk. "Good GAWD," he yelled. "WHAT THE HELL is that SMELL!?"
Shit.
He climbed onto was seemed like a purple muscle and started stabbing everything around him.
*
Jenova felt little bursts of pain inside her, near her stomach area. She rumbled for some reason and then felt a sudden rush of joy. Her legs began roots and started spreading through the Lifestream. She was taking control of the Planet.
Only a few more minutes and the world is mine.
*
Vincent had been holding his breath, trying to share it with Yuffie. Then a sudden darkness spread all around him, turning the green Lifestream into a dark, gooey liquid. We've failed, he thought.
Then it hit him. He could still hurt her, and the magic was all around him. The Lifestream. He shook his head slowly in the water. He was almost out of air, but he would die doing his duty. Nothing, no one, would stop him.
He focused on the last spell he would ever do again; hoping the Lifestream would use it as he did.
He then cast Ultima on the blackness around him and a faint green returned. Then, slowly the darkness began to retreat, Jenova's roots melting away. The Lifestream's green returned and Vincent smiled, his last thought before he died was, the Promised Land with Yuffie.
Yuffie had watched him give his last breath to save the Planet and she smiled and felt herself begin to drift toward what looked like… a white light. She frowned and then died.
*
Jenova roared in pain and anguish.
She had failed. It was over. She felt the Lifestream fight back the darkness, as if it was a chemical reaction to whatever magic was cast down there. NO! But she knew it was over. Her life, her mission…her freedom…
But she wouldn't let them forget. No way. Slowly, she used her fist and began to dig into herself. She then felt the power, only a few feet below her hand…she grabbed the Materia. No one knew that Sharon Hatch had stolen the Black Materia and returned it to Hojo…
And only Jenova had the power to use it.
May Meteor drive its will into this Planet, and DESTROY it with one, quick, swift, blow. I summon thee.
The Materia floated out of here and flew into the vast darkness of space.
Jenova looked down at her legs. The Lifestream was attacking them, the Lifestream slowly disintegrating them. I have failed…yet I haven't. She would melt into the Lifestream and her cells would give the Planet more Mako than it would ever have had at one time…. Jenova had completely failed.
*
Cloud gladly watched Jenova's hand leave her own body, but didn't gladly watch the river of green blood pour down on him and force him out of her body. He flew through the air and hit the ground, rolling in the dense mud. The quake had ended and he opened his eyes just in time to see Jenova melting into the Lifestream… then he lost consciousness.
*
Barret watched in weariness as Jenova melted into the Lifestream. It was finally over. He sighed and laid down on the ground. His whole body hurt, his heart hurt…for Marlene, for Cid, for Aeris… but it was over…finally…over…. Barret fell asleep, right there. In the mud and pouring rain.
*
Aeris was about two miles away, thinking about everything that had happened. She was trying to figure out why she had been evil, why she had done those things….it didn't make her happy. It didn't satisfy her. Aeris wiped away the tears that she had been shedding for the past few hours and stood up. Hopefully Cloud would forgive her. Hopefully Cloud would tell her all about the original Aeris and what she could to do to be just like her……
*
The Lifestream gushed out of the ground again, throwing Vincent Valentine and Yuffie Kisaragi's dead bodies out of the ground. They were dead, but revivable since they didn't lose any of their limbs.
Authors Note
Hope you enjoyed the series. Thanx for reading and PLZ review. I would appreciate it very much. Don't forget the epilogue!
Personal Thanx to: Cloud's Angel, a guy named 'Frank', and Mallow64.