Disclaimer: Same as usual.

Chap. 24

SRRAANNNGGGGGGG!!!!!!!

SHRRREEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!

Sephiroth and Cloud fought with each other, seeming to defy gravity as they swooped through the air in their fight. Cloud landed on the ground and shot forward in a blade of energy, but Sephiroth vanished. Cloud repeated the action and Sephiroth disappeared again.

"Is that all?"

Cloud frowned and struck out a third time. Sephiroth disappeared and Cloud suddenly jumped high into the air. When Sephiroth reappeared, he was hurled back by Cloud enhanced Braver technique. Sephiroth suddenly levitated off the ground and Cloud came at him again.

"Avalon!"

A pillar of fire exploded around Sephiroth and blasted Cloud away. Cloud slid on the ground and Sephiroth leaped up in the air. Landing next to the fallen Cloud, Sephiroth slashed out. Cloud barely managed to block the attack and rolled before Sephiroth could strike out again. Cloud stood up and readied himself and saw Sephiroth raise his sword and summon energy. The area turned dark (Darker than before) and Sephiroth posed himself

That form. I've seen it before

"Meet your fate!"

Sephiroth suddenly came at Cloud, swinging his sword at blurring speed. Cloud suddenly recognized the technique.

That's...Omnislash!

Cloud desperately tried to defend against it, but the force of power was overwhelming him. Sephiroth then leaped high into the air, sword emblazed with white energy. Cloud rolled back as Sephiroth struck down with tremendous force. A dark shockwave emitted out and floored Cloud with powerful energy. Cloud was hurled back against the wall. Sephiroth began to wave his arm around.

"Sin Harvest."

But before he could complete the technique, Cloud's wing suddenly shot up and Cloud flew straight at Sephiroth, sword arched. Sephiroth had to stop the move and teleport away before the Buster Sword came down on him. Cloud swooped to the next area as Sephiroth appeared and Sephiroth had to block the next strike. Sephiroth struck back and Cloud defended against it as well. Cloud landed on the ground and Cloud saw him summon the Omnislash again.

Not again.

Quickly, Cloud raised his own blade and set it forward. It glowed in light energy and Cloud rushed forward. At the same time, Sephiroth set his weapon and lunged at Cloud. Their weapons clashed and suddenly began to move rapidly. Both warriors used the Omnislash technique on each other, their strikes clashing with intense speed and power. Finally, they both leaped up into the air, posed to strike the final blow.

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!

The final blows exploded with enormous power and the whole area filled with bright light. Slowly the light faded away and both warriors stood there with their backs toward each other. A moment of silence passed and Sephiroth stumbled on to the ground. Cloud turned toward his fallen opponent, sword still in hand and raised it. The sword came down and suddenly...stopped a mere inches away from Sephiroth's face.

"Why...did you stop?"

"I...can't bring myself to kill my own brother."

Cloud backed away and Sephiroth looked up at him. Suddenly without warning, he disappeared.

Meanwhile, the rest of the group was battling off the fully mutated Hojo. Hojo waved and activated a Wall enemy skill.

"Not this again!" Barret grumbled.

Hojo let loose a Lightning3 spell and it struck the entire area. Luckily, the four rolled out of the way as it came down. Cait Sith pulled out an Ice materia and summoned it. The Ice2 spell hit, but Hojo was unharmed.

"Imbeciles!"

Hojo then summoned Reflect magic around himself just as Yuffie called Fire2 magic. The magic reflected and exploded around her instead.

"Ahhhhhhh!!!!"

Yuffie fell back and growled. Her eyes sudden glowed and she began transforming. Her teeth grew long and sharp and fur began to sprout. On impulse, she back flipped and changed completely into her wolfish form. Hojo looked at her curiously.

"Well, this is an interesting concept. I would take the time to study you, but you're not important."

Yuffie howled and spun at him in attack, but the Wall skill blocked the attack and Yuffie slid back.

"Disappear."

Hojo raised a tentacle and fired a blast of energy at her. Yuffie was about to be hit, but Tifa swiftly dashed in and pulled her away. But both girls were hit by the aftershock and knocked down.

"All right. Let see you block this!"

Barret's gun-arm began to smoke and he shot up into the air.

"Catastrophe!"

Barret fired an intense blast of energy, engulfing Hojo in an orange stream of power. But Hojo's defenses cut the damage down, and the blast was straying off so that the entire beam didn't hit him with full power. Barret fell down, exhausted.

"Hmph. Stop."

Hojo summoned another magic and Barret sudden froze still. Hojo then readied another energy blast from his tentacle when...

"Gunge Lance!"

Looking to the side, he saw Cid surrounded by orbs of energy and disappear. Rain began to fall and a black portal opened. Out of it, a massive six-legged horse came out and on top of it, an equally massive knight holding a gigantic, red-glowing lance. Odin looked at Hojo briefly before aiming his lance upward and tossing it up. A bright light formed and Hojo was blinded before the descending weapon struck him. Hojo reeled back and Odin disappears, with which Cid returned. Needless to say, Hojo was pissed

"How dare you!"

Hojo clasped both his hands and tentacles together and point them toward Cid. A black ball of energy formed and Hojo flung it at the pilot. Cid dodged just barely as the ball exploded. Cid fell down and was knocked unconscious.

Meanwhile, Aeris was watching the battle and saw that everyone was losing. Cid was out cold. Barret was frozen by the Time magic. Zack, Red XIII, and Vincent were wounded and needed healing. That only left Cait Sith, Yuffie, and Tifa.

I may have to use Heavenly Gospel. But...if I do, I might use up all of my power.

"Ugghhh."

Aeris turned to see Zack sitting up. Aeris put her hand on him.

"Stay still. You need to rest."

Zack looked over and saw the others fighting.

"I...have to..."

"You are in no condition to fight with them."

Zack was about to protest when a surge of pain ran though his. He gasped and Aeris held him up. Zack then began to calm back again and the pain ceased. He looked down.

"Aeris. I'm...not going to last long, am I?"

Aeris looked down, giving Zack his answer.

"Then I have to do what I can...while I still can."

Aeris nodded solemnly and looked up, "Hojo is using a Wall skill and a Reflect shield. And without Red XIII, we can't use a Destruct magic strong enough to break it."

Zack stood up sluggishly and grinned, "Well then, we'll have to hit him with something hard."

Zack suddenly rushed at Hojo, grasping a green materia in his fist.

"Let's see you reflect this!"

Zack shimmered with energy and summoned Ultima. A green light encircled Hojo and exploded in a brilliant flash of light.

RAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!

Hojo was engulfed by the magic blast, but Zack was caught in it as well.

"Zack!"

Zack was blasted back and he slid on the ground. The light grew briefly and then faded away. Tifa and Cait Sith bent down to pick him up.

"Zack? Zack!"

Zack remained still for a while and then blinked lightly.

"Uggghhh. Not...such...a...good...idea."

They were just helping Zack to his feet when suddenly Sephiroth swooped down before them. He was apparently exhausted and battered from his previous fight, but still threatening.

"You...will not...go any further."

Sephiroth raised his blade. Tifa began to worry. Cloud, what happened to you?

"You will never...hurt my mother."

"Sephiroth please listen to me. I am you mother!"

Lucrecia had just moved away from Aeris and boldly stepped up to Sephiroth.

"Please listen. Jenova is not your true mother. I was the one who gave birth to you."

"Lies."

"Your power comes from the Jenova cells that were implanted in me while you were in my womb. But biological, you are my son."

"Stop it! I don't want to hear anymore!"

"Please. You must shut out her voice. You can do it."

"Silence!"

Sephiroth suddenly vanished and dashed at her, his Murasame sword impaling straight through her. Lucrecia gasped, but she didn't scream.

"Lucrecia!" Vincent cried.

Lucrecia open her eyes slightly and looked at Sephiroth, who was still holding her. Shivering a little, she began to sing softly.

Estuans interius

ira vehementi

Estuans interius

ira vehementi

Sephiroth

Sephiroth

Sephiroth's eyes widened, I know this song. I remembered it...before I was born. It means: Burning inside with violent anger. Wait? When I was…born? I was born?

"I made up that song while you were inside of me. You...could never...keep still...heh."

Lucrecia began to slump to the ground. Sephiroth instantly removed his saber and held her. His hand moved to her back. The second he touched her, he felt...a connection?

Lucrecia looked up at her son and raised her hand to his cheek. Sephiroth let it stay there for a moment before covering it with his own hand. A single tear came out of his eye. Why...do I...cry?

Lucrecia gave a small smile, "Sephi...roth...I'm sorry...for everything." Her other hand moved around his waist. "At least...I...get to hold...you...now...my...son." She closed her eyes and her hand fell away from Sephiroth's face. Sephiroth looked at her for a while before moving his hand from her back. He was shocked by what he saw. His hand was covered with her blood...and a single black feather.

"Failure."

Hojo suddenly came out and stood behind Sephiroth. "Yet another failed experiment. I don't understand how she lived as long as she did. At least she served her purpose."

Vincent managed to stand up, "You...you...how could you say that?"

"It's true. Her only purpose was for her to conceive Sephiroth. Once that was done, her use in the experiment was finished."

Vincent growled and began to transform. Black wings started to sprout and his eyes glowed red.

"What kind of monster are you?"

Hojo smirked, "Look who's talk...hukkkkkkk!"

Hojo's eyes widened when he saw a blade had stabbed him straight through his heart. It was the Murasame.

"Sephiroth?"

The one-winged angel stood over Hojo and pressed the blade further into him.

"But...I...am...your father."

Sephiroth didn't respond as black energy began to course its way through the sword. The dark energy struck Hojo and he screamed.

"RRAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Hojo was totally incinerated by the energy and exploded. Sephiroth stood in that place for a minute before moving back to Lucrecia.

"M...m...mother."

Suddenly, a massive explosion erupted behind them, knocking everyone off their feet. A giant feminine shaped creature arose and tentacles sprouted out from behind.

"Jenova."

(AN: This took awhile, but it is here.)