Chapter 12

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A/N – I know, I know. Too long since it's updated. But this is the last chapter, and I need to make it good, so with a lot of prompting, I've finally got on to doing it!

Damn formatting grrrrrrr sorry for the last chapter, Ill try and get round to fixing it, but now… the last chapter of the epic "Complicated Hearts" *takes a bow*

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I can't remember why I decided to take that road into town tonight, call it fate if you will, but I just followed where my feet took me. And they took me to the scene I see in front of me now. Two figures I know so well from my past, not so far away in my past as that I have forgotten what they would look like, it is just that they are unrecognisable. The sky is completely black and the stars have all hidden away. The moon has disappeared, as if it cannot bear to look at the ground and see the heart-wrenching scene. Two people who meant so much to each other, lying there as if there is noone above who is supposed to stop this happening, this tragedy. The ancients, the living souls of our ancestors, all should stop things like this from happening. But tragedies occur, this one happens to be one I have myself a great deal of blame for.

I step over the trickling river of blood that runs down the cold lane, staining the pure, innocent snow a deep crimson. The sword in between the couple is recognisable; it is similar to my own. The girl has many injuries from the sword, the sword that is still in the hand of her most trusted friend, her most loved person in the world. He doesn't seem to have any visible injuries, but lies face down in the snow, his breath carving a small tunnel with its warmth. I don't know what has happened, but I have a really bad feeling. A feeling I remember.

It's back. He's back. And I know that I cannot let the same thing happen to me as did to Cloud. Down the street, the soldiers are coming on a patrol. Another reason for me to leave; I would have the motivation and the means of this crime. I stand up. This is awful, but noone is gonna miss me. Nobody will notice that I've gone. And I can't allow myself to be another puppet, which I know I will succumb to soon.

I jog off into the darkened streets, becoming one with the shadows again. I realise I have to leave Aeris. There is nothing to stay for, and I believe that we will both be better alone. I love her deeply, but I can't let myself hurt her, I can't make Cloud's mistake.

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The drifting flakes of white snow fell onto Cloud's face, prompting him to slowly open his eyes. He blinked for a second. He had just seen someone running away, it felt like they had just turned him onto his back. Where was he, and who was that? Cloud stared up into the deep blue sky. It was filled with dancing snow, falling down on him like angels from heaven… (Angels…) Cloud licked his lips. The snow melted and tasted soothing to his mouth, which felt battered and bruised. Cloud frowned a bit. He was outside? Why? He tried to lift up his right hand to brush back the unruly blonde spike that was clinging to his forehead with the weight of the snow, but a weight in his hand prevented his hand from moving. Cloud turned his head to his left. (Oh, my sword…) In an instant, all the images came back to him, blinding him and making him wince.

(No!) It couldn't be real, could it? He hadn't…let Jenova take him over again… Cloud found himself on his knees in the snowy street, staring at the sword in his hands, not taking in what he was seeing. The sword was covered in deep red blood, with small flakes clinging to it from the blizzard. (My… my sword is covered in blood… Tifa's… Oh my Planet, it can't be real…) Cloud swallowed and forced himself to turn around, the Ultima Weapon cast aside and forgotten.

There wasn't anyone in the deserted street to hear the cry of pain that emerged from Cloud's lips at the sight that lay in front of him. He crawled forward and held the still body of his lover in his arms, sobbing his heart out for the first time since Nibelheim. He brushed the ebony hair back from her delicate face, the pale complexion she always wore looking even more pale in the eerie glow of the streetlights and contrasting against the deep red of the trickle of blood from a gash on her forehead. Cloud's tears mingled with the heavier snowflakes that were now pouring from the sky, as if the heavens were crying for Tifa and for Cloud. Even Tifa's normally full, deep pink lips were pale and drained of colour, as if she had been drained of her very life. Cloud buried his head in her shoulder, his sobs becoming uncontrollable. He wrapped her limp arms around his own waist and held her close as he could. He could believe this. With a scream of rage, Cloud threw his head back and cried out to the skies above. "Why? Why did this have to happen?" His voice choked in his throat, stifled by another wave of tears. Cloud lay Tifa back down onto the floor and whispered tenderly in her ear, as if she were merely asleep. "I love you Teef… there's no way I could ever tell you how much I loved you. You're my whole life…" The normally bright blue eyes looked up at the sky again, clouded with emotion making them a dull grey. Cloud had given up on life. "I have nothing left… I'm not worthy of dying on the same sword as you, Teef… but I don't have anything else Id rather do. I want to be with you…"

With that, Cloud raised a shaky hand and plunged the bloodstained sword deep into his own stomach. Those blue lagoons of eyes rolled back and he collapsed onto the floor without a gasp, his own blood mixing with Tifa's and symbolising their togetherness.

~

Much later, a doctor and two nurses stood and surveyed the scene before them. One commented that it was the worst they'd seen since the Wutian war, the others merely nodded their heads and agreed. The ambulance behind them stood unneeded. They were about to phone the morgue and give up on the couple they had been called to when a small movement alerted the eye of one of the nurses. The paramedics watched in amazement as the woman showed signs of life, and recovered on her own.

Tifa fought off the waves of sickness and pain washing over her and managed to force her eyes open.  She thought she would never have made it, and on opening her eyes almost fainted again. There was so much blood… surely she couldn't have survived all the bleeding that it had taken to create this? The doctors all looked away when she asked them this. Something was wrong. Then, she realised. Cloud… "Oh my ancients…" Tifa whispered, unable to show the emotions she was feeling. Had Jenova turned on Cloud? The weak Tifa tried in vain to get up, and the nurses tried to hold her down, until from nowhere she found a surge of strength. Staggering into the back of the ambulance, she fell against a table, completely exhausted by the effort. Tears formed in her eyes as she realised that her terrible feeling was in fact true. The pain wouldn't allow her to feel grief, or even think straight; it just left an empty shell. Or maybe that was because of Cloud… Running one finger along Cloud's perfect face, Tifa found herself wishing with all her heart and soul that the pain would swallow her up and take her away. The doctors all walked off, leaving the couple alone or rather Tifa alone to say her goodbyes. Cloud had already left.

From somewhere Tifa found her wish granted. Looking over at the sword on the table, she found the inner strength to do what her heart and soul wished for. "I'm already dead, without you… My Cloud… I…love you…" Tifa gasped out, before turning the sword upon herself and finally finding comfort in being with the man she had loved eternally.