(Author's Note: Well now…I'll leave it to you…the readers…to decide if I should do a sequel or anything…I think I can get another chapter or 2 but I'll just have to wait and see…enjoy! Please r&r this chapter!)
Disclaimer: FF7 and Squaresoft are not mine. Dete and Cassandra are mine. Rueh belongs to Rueh…and the stuff in italics is the song called My Last Breath by Evanescence so that's not mine either.
Chapter 24
"We have to get out of here!" Red said.
"But Cloud…" Tifa said as they all watched him descend to where they could see Sephiroth standing with his sword in hand.
"We have just enough time to watch them…if they make it quick," Vincent said softly.
Rueh and Dete gazed silently at the 2 below.
They bowed their heads and closed their eyes as Ezra moved away from where she had stood behind them.
She moved silently to get a better view…closer to the edge of the rock cliff that they were standing on.
Sephiroth and Cloud raised their swords into position.
'Hold on to me love
You know I can't stay long
All I wanted to say was I love you and I'm not afraid
Can you hear me?
Can you feel me in your arms?
Holding my last breath
Safe inside myself
Are all my thoughts of you
Sweet raptured light
It ends here tonight…'
"I'll get my revenge for what you've done to hurt me and those I know," Cloud hissed.
Sephiroth merely smirked and cocked his head slightly to the side.
"Then come and get me."
Cloud snarled and stepped forward.
"Omnislash!"
Sephiroth stepped back as his blade fell to the ground.
'I'll miss the winter
A world of fragile things
Look for me in the white forest
Hiding in a hollow tree (come find me)
I know you hear me
I can taste it in your tears
Holding my last breath
Safe inside myself
Are all my thoughts of you
Sweet raptured light
It ends here tonight…'
"Ezra stop!" Barret said.
His voice went unheard as she dove over the edge of the cliff as if diving into water.
'I won't let this happen!' the thought raced through her head as she fell towards the 2 fighters.
White light gathered around her underneath her cloak.
The others could see the light as she dropped.
She landed silently between the 2 fighters with her back to Cloud facing Sephiroth.
She bit her tongue as the attack called Omnislash slammed into her.
Too late Cloud realized it wasn't Sephiroth who was being hurt.
As the last blow ended Ezra collapsed into Sephiroth.
Sephiroth looked at Cloud with a glare like it was his fault that someone had interfered.
Something fell out from under the cloak as Cloud stepped back.
It floated to the ground and landed at his feet.
He bent down and picked it up.
It was a single soft pure white feather.
Sephiroth looked down at Ezra.
"Sephiroth…" her voice…
His breath caught.
"…Cassandra?" he asked.
She looked up at him as the cloak fell away.
Two white feather wings had grown from her back.
They were torn and the feathers were bent or broken.
Some were missing completely.
He caught her right hand as she raised it to touch his face.
He looked at the back of it to find the white marking…a snowflake marking.
He looked back at her only to see her eyes beginning to close.
"Hold on Cassandra," he said softly.
A strange feeling passed through his right shoulder blade.
A glance behind him revealed a single black wing in the same condition as hers.
"…Sephiroth…"
"You'll be all right," he said turning back to her.
"…tired…"
"Sh-h-h-h-h…its okay," he said.
A sudden pain lanced through his head as a small tendril of life stream came up through the ground at their feet.
He staggered.
Her wings wrapped around him protectively.
"Hush…" she whispered to him.
The life stream tendril grew bigger and a pool of the liquid began to form at their feet.
Cassandra looked up and saw Aeris.
"You did it," Aeris said with a smile.
Cassandra returned the smile and looked at Sephiroth.
"Yes…I did…I've saved an angel…and so have you…"
"Cloud let's go!" Tifa yelled to him.
"Hey you two! Hurry up!" he said spinning around and headed towards the others.
'Closing your eyes to disappear
You pray your dreams will leave you here
But still you wake and know the truth
No one's there
Say goodnight
Don't be afraid
Calling me calling me as you fade to black…'
Sephiroth and Cassandra buried their faces against each other as they collapsed into the pool of life stream at their feet.
****
Tifa helped Cloud up the last few feet.
"Let's get out of here!" she said.
"Right!" he said.
They all ran for the Highwind.
They launched in time for the life stream to erupt.
They watched Holy and the life stream push meteor back.
They watched it be destroyed.
Midgar also was destroyed as they watched.
"It's over. We're safe now," Red said.
Vincent nodded and looked at Rueh and Dete.
Red followed his gaze.
Rueh and Dete were watching the crater while standing silently beside the railing of the airship.
Vincent and Red looked at each other then turned away.
"Wait…Sephiroth and Cassandra…they didn't get out," Tifa said.
"Ezra really was Cassandra…but there's nothing we can do…" Cloud said hugging her.
The others remained quiet.
****
