p((Welcome to the FINAL chapter of the Hearts Desire...well, I'll make a prolouge too, but this is the last one that's a real chapter. I'd like to thank all my constant reviewers, and apologize for my delay on writing and posting this. Summer work sucks. Anyways, here you are-))p"Is everyone ready?" Cloud asked, his voice cold and emotionless. Nobody spoke, but they nodded 'yes'. Their strongest armor and weapons filled with their strongest materia. This was the first time that Cloud has spoken since Tifa had died just over a week ago. His eyes didn't show it, but they were tearfilled most of the weak.

p"Remember the plan..." Cloud said. Everyone nodded again. The Highwind began its descent near Lucretia's cave. One by one the members of AVALANCHE rode out on Black and Gold chocobos. Cloud lead them over the mountains and they got off their chocobos. "We can leave them here...we have others if they run off, and we won't need them in combat." Cloud explained, leading them into the cave.

pThe place seemed to have transformed since the party was last there. The damp walls now sunk down, as did the ground. It lead to an underground, partially underwater cave. Cloud stepped down and stopped.

p"Wait here, I'll see if it's safe."

p"No! We're coming with you!" Reeve said firmly. Cloud hung his head then froze, noticing another reflection in the water. He followed the reflection with his eyes untill he saw her. Just a little ways off.

pAn older woman with stunningly bright blonde hair and eyes to match. She wore a dark mauve dress with a white apron and bonnet. A few stray locks of hair hung down from the cap and outlied her face. Reeve looked at her closely. He found her stunningly beautiful, especially at what seemed like an old age.

p"Cloud, honey..." She said quietly. Cloud stepped back, his face holding a deadpanned expression. Vincent furrowed a brow, while the others simply watched.

p"....M-Mom?" Cloud whispered, not moving forward. She smiled and held out her arms. For a moment Cloud looked like he was going to run into them, but didn't.

p"Yes, Cloud. It's me...now give your old mom a hug." She didn't look unreal at all, no transparecy like a ghost. But from the stories Cloud had told them, his mother was dead. She'd died when Sephiroth burnt down Nibelheim some 8 years ago.

p"No....you're not! You're not my mom...she's dead!" Cloud drew his sword and the woman instnatly dissappeared. Nanaki led the group forward after a few seconds.

p"Keep towards the goal. She's trying to lure Cloud away so she can get rid of him before he has the chance to fight her." he explained, heading further forwards. Cloud's expression became more determined than ever.

p"I won't let her....she's not getting away with this.....no.....I won't let her live after Tifa-" His voice broke and he stopped speaking. Everyone had the idea by now. They headed further into the cavern, which they were now examining the walls of more closely. The wouldn't put it past Jenova to put even more tricks in there, and there were more tricks.

pA rock jutted out of the side of the cavern, and on it stood a great red beast. It's fur was the same color as Nanaki's, and he was obviously the same creature. Nanaki didn't move. He wasn't even tempted.

p"You are not Seto, and you will die for betraying his honor." Nanaki growled. He ran forward and lunged towards him. This was really all that was nessecary, as the second Nanaki lunged towards him, the beast dissappeared and Nanaki was turned to stone.

p"NO!" Yuffie shouted, but it made no difference. Nanaki was now a stone statue, just as his father. Cloud stepped up to the pedistal-like platform he was on, a fierce determination in his eyes. He knew it was wrong, but he needed to do this if they wanted to win. He carefully plucked each of the materia orbs from his armor and headdress.

p"I'm sorry Nanaki. I'll give them back when we've beaten her." Cloud said quietly. He turned around and switched some peoples' materia arround to accomidate the better ones. "We need to hurry on. Nobody try to fight them, or touch them. You see what happened to Nanaki." He said, even though he had no need to. They all knew it, but would the abide by this obvious rule?

p"Yo! Barret!" There was the next illusion. Dyne stood leaning against the wall of a cavern, along with a beautiful blonde-haired woman. Barret stepped forward slightly.

p"Dyne! Eleanor!" He gasped. Yuffie reached for Barret's arm, but Vincent put a hand on her shoulder and stopped her. He wasn't going to listen to them. He ran over to the two. Suddenly, their faces weren't so kind.

p"The hell are you doing showing your face back here!?" Dyne demanded. Barret shook his head and went for Eleanor. She galred at him. He went to touch her arm and she became part of the cave. Slowly, the cave covered Barret, leaving his materia bouncing to the ground. Cloud looked down, a pained expression on his face as he grabbed Barret's materia and handed it out.

p"She'll kill us before we even get there at this-" The next illusion that showed up as Cloud was speaking interrupted him. They'd made it a little ways deeper when a vision of Shera chained against the wall appeared. Before anyone could speak, Cid ran forward. He gave up acting like Shera didn't mean anything to him, he didn't even think that it could be a trap.

p"Shera...what the fuck did she do to you!?" Shera didn't respond, and when Cid ran his hand across her face nothing changed. Cid turned and looked at Cloud. "I can't go on. I need to stay with Shera...." He said quietly. Cloud knew he did. Cid took a few of his orbs and gave them to some people. "I only need a couple...to protect her...." He said quietly. Cloud said something quietly which seemed to make Cid seem very pleased with his choice. The group headed on, into the deeper and darker corridors of the twisted natural dungeon.

pThe scenery was changing. The walls were bright and eerie in this way. They were tinted with mako, infused with the world's lifeforce. Yuffie reached to brush her hand against one, in its hypnotic beauty, but Vincent slapped it before it made contact.

p"You don't know what's in the walls. Don't touch anything here...." Vincent said quietly. Yuffie wondered why Vincent cared if she touched a dangerous cave wall, if she was hurt, and decided it was because they needed as much power as they could get.

pIt was quite some time before there was any other change in the scenery. The colored walls became darker and the light was almost gone. Then they saw it. Jenova stood in the middle of a foyer-type room. There was a high celing, colored the same as the walls. The creature turned, a thin smile on its demonic lips.

p"I thought you'd never arrive, but for all the wrong reasons." Her voice was chill and icy. Cloud glared at her, gripping his sword. "I didn't kill your little girlfriend. That's on you, puppet. That's completely on you!" She hissed. Cloud cried out and ran at her, slashing her as much as he could. She easily dodged each of the attacks, Cloud being too unfocused to even notice it.

p"Fool." She threw out one of her huge tentacles, throwing Cloud against the wall. Blood trickled down his lip which he bit down on hard. Yuffie gasped, her hand over her mouth. Vincent used his Ultima materia against her, and she seemed to stop for a minute. Yuffie ran forward and slashed at her with her Conformer Shuriken, then stopped dead. One of the giant tentacles pierced through her chest. "uh." She fell backwards onto the ground, her body limp. Blood leaked slowly from her body, her open eyes rolled to the back of her head, so only the white part showed.

p"YUFFIE!" Reeve and Vincent both yelled at the same time. A barrage of bullets stormed at Jenova from both Vincent's and Reeve's guns. Cloud stood again and tried to connect a successful slash with the amphibiac body. This time he hit, but, like the bullets, did no damage. They continued to attack her, but nothing seemed to work. Then Cloud stopped. Everything made sense.

pNobody had mentioned it, not since Jenova first appeared had anyone realized it. Jenova wouldn't die untill all her cells were gone. Cloud dropped his sword and turned to Reeve.

p"Give me your gun." Cloud said quietly. Reeve frowned.

p"It wo-"

p"-Just give it to me....I know what I have to do. Take my sword...." Reeve grabbed Cloud's sword while Cloud took the gun. Jenova was conjuring up a spell that could easily take them out. Cloud knew he had to stop it.

p"You'll be able to hurt her...be ready to fight her once I shoot off the gun." Cloud rose the gun and pressed it against the side of his head. Neither Reeve nor Vincent moved to stop him. They understood what he was doing, and while they wanted to stop him, they knew they couldn't. Both of them looked away as Cloud pulled the trigger. He fell limply to the ground, his eyes wide as he fell. Blood oozed from the side of his head, and after a few pained moments his breathing ceased. Vincent and Reeve wasted no time finishing off the job.

pJenova diminished sooner than either expected. All that was left of her was a materia. It was strange, clear and empty, seemingly useless. Cloud's sword felt to the ground and Reeve dropped to his knees.

p"Did we really win? Everyone's dead..." Reeve whispered. Vincent took the materia and put it into his pocket.

p"Let's get out of here. It's over." Vincent headed out of the cave, never answering Reeve's question.

pThe two were greeted by all their friends. Everyone stood there at the mouth of the cave. Cloud, Tifa, Cid, Shera, Barret, Yuffie, Nanaki....they were all there. Reeve stared at them, not sure what to say. Cloud was standing behind Tifa, who held a baby in her arms. Vincent wondered if maybe, just maybe....He took the materia from his pocket. It was now glowing.

p"What is this?" Vincent asked.

p"It's the materia. There isn't a right name for it. It'll let you contact us whenever...." Cloud smiled. Reeve looked at them.

pSo...you're still dead?"

p"We're in the lifestream......the promised land..........it's good here." Tifa said quietly. Vincent looked at Yuffie...she was so young....why should she be dead? Why shouldn't he?

p"You're happy now, right?" Vincent asked, looking at Yuffie. She smiled and winked.

p"Totally....We'll see you then....or if you really wanna bug us, right?" Vincent actually smiled, for the first time in over thirty years. He was old, but not THAT old....only 53....not old enough to die natuaraly, but old enough to live peacefully. He'd had enough of this.

p"Yeah. see you then. I'm....giving this to Cid, I don't need it." Cid took it greatfully and examined it.

p"We need to get back....Zack and Aeris really wanted to play with Skye." She said, showing the small baby to them.

p"Then you all go back. We'll see you......../i." Shera said, smiling.

p"Yes. Later." Tifa nodded, and they were gone. Just like before, only this time, it wasn't as sad. There was definately deep emotion, and a pain that was inevitable, but they knew everyone was okay. Everyone was better this way. They were living their lives like nothing happened....but everything did. Everything changed, but everything was the same. They were happy, they were alive...maybe not alive in this world, but alive somewhere, and it was better this way.

pNo more pain, no more hurting, Only life.

pPure life, with all the joy and happiness it should have, and none of the pain. Maybe....they were the lucky ones. They all would be lucky one day, though. All of them. Just in their own time. They'd be together again and it would be right.

pThis pure life, pure joy and happiness, the same for everyone no matter who it is...this is the heart's true desire.

p((A/N: *sniffle* It was sad. I totally wish I hadn't killed so many people so I could've continued it, but it's over. :( I'll have to write another long one, kay? What do you all think? More Clotiness, Yuffentineness, and some CidxShera))