Author's Note: I can't believe you people thought that Chapter 31 was the end…Are you kidding me? Anyone who left a story like that would be simply evil. I may love to leave cliffhangers…..but I don't go for cliffhanger endings. If you want those, go read Stephen King. *winks*

Chapter 32 – New Beginnings

During the night, Sephiroth and Cloud frequently went into seizures as their bodies desperately tried to rid themselves of the curse that had been laid upon them. Their limbs twisted in tortured agony as the Cetra cells that now flowed through their veins attempted to rip apart the Bactra traces in their DNA. Their bodies were racked with spasms, their cries of pain muffled by the thick green liquid and the panel of glass. But Aeris and Tifa heard. Unable to leave their lovers' sides, the two women had taken old mattresses from the beds upstairs and attempted to sleep in the basement to keep an eye on the condition of the two warriors. They tried to sleep as much as they could, but the seizures woke them up every time so they could re-experience the panic they felt. It was almost too much to bear.

By the end of the night, as dawn neared, the two girls had given up trying to wipe their tears away. They simply came too fast. Instead, they let them dry on their skin, leaving the flesh under their eyes dry and painful. When the sun shot small rays of light into the sky, Aeris and Tifa's eyes were run dry and red. Their tears had dried up like the stream in a drought.

But there was hope.

The seizures had stopped. They prayed that it was a good sign.

Morning came and the sound of the other AVALANCHE members' footsteps could be heard above. Every so often, one of them would come down to check up on the condition of Cloud and Sephiroth, and to see if Tifa and Aeris were okay as well. The night had a taken a toll on them. The looked absolutely exhausted. It had been a long week for all of them.

By noon, the condition of the men seemed to be improving. The injuries Cloud had sustained during the battle with Jenova had completely disappeared and neither had had a relapse of seizures. They appeared to be sleeping almost peacefully, the appearance of pain completely gone from their faces.

Cloud opened his eyes at exactly 1:34 pm.

The look of desperation on his face would remain with Tifa for the rest of her life. His eyes had popped open in an instant; the fear in his eyes bore holes into her soul.

She screamed Aeris' name, begging her to let him out of the tube.

The Mako flowed out a rush, the thick fluid flowing quickly out the tube in the back to be purified and stored. Tifa pulled open the door, catching Cloud in her arms as he fell from the glass compartment, falling to the floor from the impact. She clung to him like a life raft, her tears suddenly renewed and springing into her eyes. The blond man's eyes were sharp and aware as his mind brought him into full consciousness.

"Tifa," he said softly. "Why are you crying?"

She couldn't answer. All the pain and fear that she had kept bottled up through the whole ordeal flowed out of her in a steady stream. The threat was over, Cloud was back, and she had the time to release her pain. Her warrior sat up slowly, understanding the situation, and cradled the woman in his arms, whispered her name, and comforted her until she fell asleep in his embrace.

When Cloud was sure that Tifa was asleep, he glanced over at Aeris, who stared dutifully into Sephiroth's tube.

"Aeris?" he called softly.

The Cetra jumped, startled by the sudden, although quiet, noise. She turned to look at Cloud, her eyes bloodshot and tired. "Yes, Cloud?"

"I…I don't remember what happened. I remember when we destroyed Jenova, and I remember seeing Tifa, but my mind is blank after that." Cloud glanced around at his surroundings. "Are we in Hojo's laboratory?"

Aeris gave him a weak smile. "I completely forgot. You wouldn't know, would you?"

Cloud shook his head.

"Yes, you are correct. We are in Hojo's laboratory. You passed out just after to returned to the City of the Ancients after your battle. It was because Jenova's cells were still in your body and they were dying after the abomination they came from was destroyed. It was killing you. Sephiroth passed out in the Highwind II on the way here."

"But why here?"

"My cells have the power to fight Jenova's. We put you in that machine over there, but we used my tissue instead of Jenova's. Basically, we did Hojo's 'Sephiroth-clone' experiment, only with a different substance."

Cloud nodded, suddenly understanding. It made perfect sense. However, Sephiroth was still unconscious.

"Why hasn't Sephiroth woken up yet?"

"I assume its because the presence of Jenova's cells in his body is stronger and to a higher degree than yours was." She paused. "He might not be able to rid himself of them. He might not make it."

Cloud glanced down at the woman who slept peacefully in his arms. "Thank you," he said softly. She almost didn't hear it.

"It was the least I could do."

Cloud shook his head. "I'm so sorry, Aeris. I feel so guilty."

Aeris looked at him, confusion in her usually bright eyes. "Why?"

"I couldn't save you. I couldn't protect you. I'm sorry."

Aeris smiled warmly. "You did everything you could, Cloud. I do not blame you. What happened to me was my own doing. I knew what was going to happen to me. I don't regret a thing." She leaned forward, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. "And neither should you."

The blond warrior smiled at her in thanks. There was no more need for words.

But the silence was abruptly broken.

Aeris snapped her head around to see Sephiroth in his glass chamber. His eyes were wide open, glancing around at an outrageous pace. Bubbles erupted from his mouth suddenly. Then, he placed his palms onto the inside of the glass and pushed. Aeris was just getting to her feet to let him out when the tube shattered, showering glass on the three figures. Tifa awoke with a scream, jerked violently from her sleep.

The glowing green Mako poured from the broken tube onto the floor like water from a burst dam. Sephiroth emerged from the glass chamber unscathed. His eyes were wild with fear as he recognized his surroundings. It brought back too many horrible memories for him to handle in his fragile state.

"Sephiroth!" Aeris screamed. "Snap out of it!"

The silver-haired warrior lowered his renewed Mako gaze to meet hers, and his features instantly softened. All his horrible memories drifted back into the depths of his mind as he focused on her. The he grabbed her shoulders sharply, pulling her body to him in a desperate embrace. She had never realized how much he needed her.

"Aeris..." he whispered softly. "Thank you."

Aeris glanced up at him. "But your strength...you shouldn't have kept such strength."

"I have never been so in tune with my body," Sephiroth mused aloud. "It is amazing. I know exactly what has happened to me. It is almost as if my cells are speaking to me. It must be your influence."

"I don't understand..."

"Your cells could not rid me of my curse. They had to fuse with Jenova's in order to survive. The cursed cells give me the power to live, and your cells keep the cursed cells alive. I now have both the powers of the Cetra and the Bactra," he whispered. "You have saved me again."

He kissed her softly to indicate his thanks. "I love you."

Aeris smiled. "I love you, too."