He stood there, his giant sword poised menacingly above his head. It was cold down in the depths of the long abandoned Forgotten City. He was standing on the small round alter in the center of the crystal room hidden from the rest of the world. 'What happened where am I?' Cloud thought, 'Lets see, I heard Aeris; her voice was coming from... the building near the lake. Yeah, and when he went in, Tifa and Barret in toe, we found the secret entrance.' Cloud recapped. 'Then I saw her… Aeris praying, kneeling on the icy stone floor of the alter. I knew she was in danger, so I ran to her, then…Jenova' Cloud looked through his glowing blue eyes, the only thing he could still control. 'What am I doing?!' He thought as he saw his gigantic blade above his head. Then he looked back down and saw her, 'No you wouldn't! You bitch, Jenova why are you doing this to me?' Cloud tried as hard as he could to wriggle free of the monsters control but to no avail. 'Aeris run, go away!' Cloud wanted to shout but his lips didn't move. He felt Jenova about to unleash the final blow that would end this woman's life…
"Cloud," he heard Tifa yell,
"Snap out of it!"
Instantly Jenova released her control over Cloud, he wasn't going to do the job know, only her son could.
Cloud stood there mindlessly looking at the still form in the pink dress knelling on the ground in front of him, "Thank god" he whispered under his breath. He turned to see a long-legged maiden with a short black leather skirt and a tight white tank top, and gloves that spanned half of her arms staring him back in the face.
"Cloud, what's wrong with you!" she yelled "Have you gone nuts?" she quickly walked to Aeris and lightly tapped her shoulder. Aeris quickly sat upright.
"What?" Aeris said confused, "What are you doing here?"
"Jenova!" Cloud shouted, "Jenova is here and so is-", but it was to late, the long blade, ment for Aeris plunged into Tifa's torso. Sephiroth slowly removed the blade and glanced over to Aeris.
"You got lucky" he said in a menacing voice. Then he turned to Cloud, "Failure, hmph…"
During the entire ordeal Cloud was silent, staring into Tifa's face the surprised look was still there, and Cloud would never forget it. A single tear welled up in his eye.
"Oh please don't act like you have emotions" Sephiroth said and laughed. That dark, sinister laugh had only heard once before, in Nibelheim. Cloud still stood unnerving, but then looked up. He only saw Sephiroth's cape flow in the wind as he ascended back to the world.
"All the pain and suffering, the death, the carnage…" Cloud said, and looked up to the sky "IT ALL ENDS HERE!" energy surrounded him with a fiery glow, and he shot up into the air closing in on the villain that now had destroyed everything he ever loved. The look of surprise on Sephiroth's face, when Cloud destroyed Jenova and Sephiroth with a brutal series of fatal blows, was so priceless Cloud wished he had a camera. Soon the two returned to the planet. The ultimate hell for them.
Cloud slowly returned to the alter; but his triumphant smile soon disappeared when he saw Tifa. He instantly turned serious. He then saw Aeris shivering on the steps, he signaled to Barret to come over, who had not moved since Tifa died, but he quickly was jumping to Cloud. Cloud whispered something in his ear, Barret nodded and walked to Aeris tapped her on the shoulder and walked out to the main city.
When they were gone Cloud knelt next to Tifa, his teammate, college, friend, and cried.
Half an hour later, he emerged from the crystal city. Barret and Aeris were by the lake, Barret doing his best to console her, but Aeris was still dazed. They looked over by the house and saw cloud, with bloodshot-red eyes carry Tifa, wrapped in his arms, over to them. "Lets go" he said simply not bothering to look down at them, and walked away.
"Ashes to ashes dust to dust, amen" the priest concluded.
"Amen" everyone solemnly repeated in unison.
Slowly the crowed disperses only leaving Avalanche left to mourn, everyone slowly turned to Cloud, who was just staring blankly at the tombstone:
Born: May 3, 1981
Died: July 6, 2001
"Pain is just
weakness
leaving the body"
Cloud looked once more, and slowly walked away, with the small urn in his hand. He had asked to release the ashes personally. He was going to the Nibel Mountains that she had loved do much as a child. Cloud walked the dangerous trail through the Nibel Mountains. When he got to the summit, he gasped, you could see everything here, even the Gold Saucer. He looked over the beautiful site before him; yes Tifa would have wanted it this way. He looked down at the urn he still clutched in his arm.
"Hi Teef," he said softly, "Isn't it beautiful? I thought you would like it here. Nibelheim is different, but these mountains are the same, no matter what he did, he couldn't take our mountains" a small smile appeared on his face. He gently took off the top of the urn and released Tifa over the mountains, to be free.
He stood there, he didn't know how long, but he heard a voice, "Hi Cloud", a female voice, could it be!
"Ti-" no, he turned around and saw a tall woman with long brown hair and bright green eyes walk up next to him. "Oh, hi Aeris."
"I'm so sorry" she said.
"It's ok" Cloud said apologetically "What are you doing here?"
"I came to see Tifa, is she still here?" she asked, but noticed the empty urn next to him.
"Yes" Cloud said simply, "Yes she's here, Aeris"
"Where?" she asked stupefied
"Here" Cloud said waving his hand over the landscape, "She's finally at peace."
"Cloud…" Aeris said "Cloud I'm so sorry! That sword was meant for me, Its all my fault!' Aeris fell to her knees and cried. But something wiped away her tears, she opened her eyes once more to she Clouds crouching down beside her. His hand then gently caressed her cheek.
"It'll be fine, I never blamed you"
"Hello again" Cloud said at the base of the Nibel Mountains where Tifa's head stone sat. " I haven't been here in a couple years, I'm so sorry Tifa" he sat in silence for a few minutes, " I've opened up a bar, Tifa's 7th Heaven down in Kalm, Shin-Ra is destroyed for good, and I am now a father. Can you believe it me of all people? I now have a wonderful baby girl, Tifa, we named her after you. Get this; her first word was 'uppercut', were going to need to get her a martial arts instructor soon." Cloud smiled.
"Honey! We need to get back, the baby's crying, be cause of the engine noise!" Clouds wife shouted. Behind her stood the Original Highwind, hovering above the ground. They were now mass-produced to service airports throughout the world. Highwind Enterprises, co-founded by Cid and Shera Highwind.
"Coming Aeris!" he yelled back, "I have to go Tifa; I love you. I promise to see you next year." And with that he ran back over to his wife and climbed aboard the Highwind for the flight home.