Note: I do not own the rights to Final Fantasy, Final Fantasy VII, any of the original characters, places, or situations of the said games. These are properties of Square Enix, a really great company. Now, I really should have put this disclaimer up a while ago.

Chapter 11: Cetrae Angelus

"The former Shinra headquarters..." Caden said solemnly. "So we've finally arrived." Caden looked at his new ally. "Loki, remember our deal."

"You think I want to stick around longer then I have to?" Loki asked hastily in response. "I'm outta here as soon as I get what I need. I suggest you follow." Although it seemed a little threatening, Loki's voice was that of slight anxiety. Caden concluded that this was probably Loki's first time in war like conditions, and that he was still anxious. Loki looked at Caden, as if sensed his analyzing. "I'm not some damn rookie. I know what I'm doing," Loki said very defensively.

"I never said you were one," Caden said trying to diffuse the situation. Caden still thought that Loki was in over his head, but said nothing more about it. Instead, Caden turned to Sephiroth. "What would be our best point of entry?"

"Since we have already been detected," Sephiroth glared accusingly at Loki, and continued, "Our best point of entry would be the fastest. The emergency escape stairway will most likely be guarded from the upper levels. Going that way would mean fighting guards with the advantage of gravity. Although it means a direct frontal assault, we have no other choice but to enter through the lobby." Sephiroth checked his materia and rubbed them down with a little ether. "Make sure you have sufficient magic to attack multiple targets."

Everyone did as suggested and checked their materia. In addition to her materia, Marlene checked her riffle's ammunition and setting. After setting the gun to three round bursts, Marlene loaded a new clip. "I'm ready."

Caden looked back over the sector they had just crossed, and hoped Bowden had finished his part of the mission and returned to the Windwalker with Swift. However, his first concern at the moment was the creature hiding in the building before them. "Alright everyone, prepare to break through on my mark. ...Mark!" Caden opened one of the shattered glass doors leading to the lobby and entered quickly taking a fighting position. Sephiroth and Loki followed closely behind, while Marlene guarded their rear position. The four went in expecting a battle, but it was not to be. The lobby was deserted. "What the hell? They did see that fight, right?"

"Did you really want a fight?" Sephiroth asked.

Caden let his guard down, but not completely. "No, but doesn't it seem odd that this area is unprotected?"

"Yeah, it does," Loki said looking around the once proud showcases and displays. The lobby was dimly lit, mostly from natural cloud filtered light. "Hopefully, they were expecting us to go up by the stairs."

"So do I, but still..." Caden trailed off. "Everyone, stay on your guard. I have a bad feeling about this."

"Alright, Swift, that was the last one," Bowden said, mounting the chocobo. "Let's get back to the plane before Caden leaves us here." Swift angrily 'warked' at Bowden's suggestion. "I'm just kidding, Swift. You know he wouldn't leave without us." Swift began to run with Bowden secured to his back. The young chocobo ran much as his name suggests, but remaining in the shadows as much as possible.

They made it only halfway to the Windwalker when they were fired upon from a distance away. Bowden quickly got off Swift and they both took cover. "Shit! Where the hell did those guys come from?" Bowden ducked down to avoid shrapnel from a blast to one of the walls around him. "Good thing I have some C4 left." Bowden took what he had left of the explosive and formed a crude time bomb. Setting the weapon, Bowden threw the explosive in the direction of the gun fire. The bomb detonated, sending three guards flying through the air. Bowden once again climbed onto Swift. "Swift! Let's book!" Swift 'warked' and began to run at full speed. "Good, Swift. Just keep running! We're almost home fre..." Bowden said before being stopped by the sting of a bullet wound. He had been shot in the back. Swift kept running, but yelled out with a loud 'wark'.

Silence permeated the air of the sixty-fifth floor as the elevator's doors opened, revealing Caden and the others. Loki was the first to exit the elevator, impatient to complete his mission. "Sorry, the elevator must not go any further," Loki said, surveying the floor.

Caden searched around as well, growing skeptical of Loki's knowledge. "You aren't telling us everything, are you Loki? You seem to know more then you are letting onto."

"I don't ask you what you know about your intelligence secrets," Loki snapped back. "Besides, you seem to have your own agenda here yourse..." Loki stopped, interrupted by some unseen force. Caden looked around, trying to find what had silenced Loki. Loki glanced over at Caden. "Caden! Look out!" Loki yelled, knocking Caden to the ground. A shot was fired and impacted where Caden's head would have been.

"The hell did that come from?" Caden asked, scrambling for cover.

"I can see him," Marlene yelled, taking to a position she could fire from. "He has a sniper riffle with a laser tracker. I think I can pick him off from here." Marlene aimed her riffle and fired. The bullet ricocheted off a wall. The sniper had moved just in time to avoid being hit. "Shit! Where'd he go?"

"Five meters to the left of his last position," Sephiroth said, still holding his cover.

"I got him," Marlene said, readjusting her riffle. She was quick to aim this time, and fired in time to graze the sniper's shoulder. "Did you see who it was?"

"It's Lenox," Sephiroth said. "Field General Musevni Lenox."

"I'm glad my reputation precedes me," Lenox said from behind a wall. However, like a good sniper, Lenox did not stay in his place for long. He took to a new position and fired on Marlene's position. The shot missed, but did force Marlene to lose track of Lenox. In a new position, Lenox fired again, but with just as little success. "I am impressed though, young lady. You are the first to ever hit me."

Marlene aimed and fired upon where Lenox's voice originated from. However, her shot hit nothing but dry wall. "Shit! I keep losing him. Caden, can I get some light here?"

"Yeah," Caden replied, standing up. "Fire!!" By Caden's command, an area of broken tiles became consumed by an inferno. The bright orange and red glow lit the otherwise barely lit room. Lenox's silhouette stood out amongst the shattered crystals of a large map of Midgar. "Where is he?"

"I think he ran," Loki said, nodding at a distant stairwell. "It was like he was moving in that direction all along. I think he was holding us at bay."

Caden thought about what Loki said, and it made sense. Especially since he could hear the elevators moving now. "Everyone! Move! We have company coming!" Caden lead the charge to the stairwell on the opposite side of the floor. They had made it only half way when the doors of the elevator parted. "Shit! Keep going, I'll hold them off. Wall!" Caden became surrounded by a bright light, but it soon dissipated. From the elevator's chamber, several robotic guards exited and began to pursue Caden. "Bolt!!" Caden's command brought several bolts of lightning down on the guards, shorting most of them out. Taking the opportunity at hand, Caden ran for the stairs.

With Caden now regrouped with the others, they forced the door shut and made sure that it would not open again. "That was too close," Marlene said, wiping sweat from her forehead. Caden nodded, but did not say anything. "Well we better hurry. They'll probably find some way through."

"Agreed," Caden said, pointing up the stairs. "Might as well go up. What's on the next floor?"

"The sixty-sixth floor," Sephiroth said quietly. "The conference room is on that level. Above that are the lab levels and the roof. The top two levels were most likely sheared off by Meteor. The point is, they are no longer there."

Caden's mind began to wander back to the dream he had back in the City of the Ancients. The sight of the creature descending from the building they were now in. The building had a flat roof. The new roof of the building must have been the remnants of the sixty-ninth floor. "Everyone, be ready for what ever is up there," Caden said, trying not to focus on his dream. "Our final fight is somewhere in there."

"Sir, the intruders are on their way in here," Lenox said to a shadowy figure looking out the conference room window. "I lead them up here as you asked. Your son is with them."

The shadowy figure did not move from his view point. "Good, make sure they find their way to the roof. He knows what to do there." The shadowy figure shifted his position and quickly made his way to the stairway with Lenox following behind. "Do not fail me Lenox."

Lenox stopped and shouldered his riffle. "I will not fail you, Sir." The shadowy figure walked up the stairs silently, not even acknowledging Lenox again. Both the shadowy figure and Lenox were out of view by the time Caden and the others finished ascending the stairs to the sixty-sixth floor.

Caden was the first to reach the sixty-sixth floor, followed by Loki and Sephiroth. Marlene held guard at the rear, training her gun to whatever may come after them. "I don't think we are being followed... for now," Marlene said, reaching the crest of the stairs.

"We should still keep our guard up," Caden responded stoically. "They could just be holding back for now." Caden cautiously opened the door that lead from the stairs into the adjoining halls. Peering out, Caden could see no danger, just darkened halls. "Marlene, Damien, stay here and guard our escape. Loki and I will search this floor. If we find the target, we will return here and regroup." They all nodded and split up. Marlene and Sephiroth held back while Loki and Caden walked silently through the shadows.

Loki held back, allowing Caden to take the lead. "It should be in there." Loki pointed at two large oak doors.

Caden nodded and slowly opened the door a crack, just enough to see inside. Inside, Caden could see a large wood table and a huge line of windows on the far wall of the room, but now one was inside. "Looks like your specimen isn't home."

"It may have gone up to the roof," Loki said, turning to return to the stairs. "It's the only other place with any kind of view. It may use it as an escape point."

"How do you know that?" Caden asked cautiously. Loki's tactical knowledge was beginning to sound more like Sephiroth's. Granted, Loki looked much like Caden and Sephiroth, but that did not mean he could have the same logistics as the former general of SOLDIER.

"It makes sense, doesn't it?" Loki asked in response. "It could have a helicopter waiting up their. Not to mention the obvious viewing angles."

Caden did not think long before agreeing with Loki's assumption. "Alright, but we need to be careful. We don't know what it may try." Loki agreed, and followed Caden back to the stairway. They were hasty in their return. When they had rejoined the others, Caden explained the situation. "It's not here, we're going up to the roof. Everyone, stay on your guard."

Marlene stared blankly at Caden. Moving about Caden's face was a small red mark. "Caden! Get down!" Marlene yelled, knocking Caden just in time to avoid a sniper shot. "Lenox's back." Marlene responded to the sneak attack with a volley of fire aimed towards the far end of the hall. "Go! I'll hold him off long enough for you to escape."

"Alright, but fall back when we're up to the next floor," Caden said, guiding Sephiroth and Loki up the stairs. "Once everyone is up there, we're going to block off the exit with ice. It won't hold long, but maybe it will slow them down." Caden reached the next floor quickly. Marlene fired a burst of rounds before fallowing the others up. Once everyone was together again, Caden motioned for the others to step back. Staring at the stairwell, Caden focused his thought on the extreme cold he needed to summon. "Ice!!!" In an instant, the stairwell to the lower levels was blocked off by a wall of thick ice. "Let's get out of here before they cut through."

Caden crested the long stairwell at last, and scanned the wasteland that was the peak of the tower. All around him, the ruins of long destroyed walls lay as well as the remnants of a grand stairway on the opposite side of the expanse. Finally, standing between the feet of the two great stairways was a single figure. It seemed not to move, but it did watch the motley crew assemble before it. Hastily, Loki drew his swords, but slowly approached the figure. Loki had moved several meters away from Caden, but he did not say a word. Caden watched to see what Loki would do, and kept his hand close to his sword. Loki stopped halfway between the figure and Caden, and knelt down. "Father, I have brought you Number XIV as you have requested."

Loki's words drove deep into Caden's mind. With as much speed and control as he could force, Caden took his sword into a fighting position. "Who the hell do you think you are!?" Caden asked in fury to Loki.

"I'm hurt," Loki said, standing up again. "I would have thought you would have figured it out by now," Loki slowly turned around and threw off his cloak. He raised his right arm so that all could see the number XV on his wrist. "Brother." A cold and almost sadistic smile crept across Loki's face.

Images of the destroyed mako condenser in the Mount Nibel Reactor flashed through Caden's mind. The fury that burst from it, and the plaque reading JC015. "No..." Caden faltered a little, stepping back aghast by this reunion of sorts. "...How... Why are you here? Who is that standing over there?"

"So many questions, but then again, it is your nature," Loki said, purposely avoiding the question. "Don't worry, you have plenty of time to have them answered."

"There is no reason to keep him in the dark, Loki," the figure said without moving. "I would not want him to be denied such answers."

The voice struck a chord within Sephiroth, and so was left in shock. It was a voice Sephiroth knew, but it seemed more like a ghost's voice then anything. Marlene could see the shock in Sephiroth's face, despite his best efforts to conceal it. "Sephiroth? Do you know who that is?" Marlene asked Sephiroth.

Sephiroth's eyes narrowed, and he tried to determine the best way to explain it. However, there was only one way to say it. "My father..."

"That's impossible!" Caden said in surprise. "He was killed twenty years ago."

"Defeat does not necessarily mean death, boy," the figure said, stepping into the light. "I assure you, I am Professor Dimitri Hojo." The man before them now stood with the stature of the former head of Shinra's science department. His long black hair and thick glasses also defined him as Gast's successor. However, his clothing more closely resembled that of ancient Wutai. "I am glad you came here. There is no need to fight. Please, put down your arms." No one listened to Hojo's reasoning. "If you wish to fight, Loki will be more then a match for any of you. No doubt you have already seen what power he possesses. It is not too late to surrender. I suggest you do so."

Caden, Marlene and Sephiroth did not comply with Hojo's request at all. Loki laughed to see them resist, as if they had signed their death warrant. "Fine then, I needed the exercise anyway." Loki charged towards Caden with his right sword, but Caden blocked immediately. The attack was a stalemate, but it left Sephiroth with enough time to sneak behind Loki and strike. Unfortunately, Masamune glided through Loki with no resistance. "Fool! Masamune can't harm those with Cetra blood! I'm disappointed in you all. Caden is my twin brother!"

"Damn it!" Caden said, preparing to strike at first chance. "Sephiroth! Stay back and support us with magic. It looks like Masamune is useless right now." Caden charged Loki and struck. Loki blocked with his right sword and tried to slash Caden with his left sword, but Caden was able to jump out of the way just in time.

"Caden, how are you holding up?" Marlene asked, training her gun on Loki. She fired, but Loki dodged all the bullets as if they were stones.

"Yeah, just peachy," Caden said, circling to Loki's side. Unfortunately, this did not reward him any tactical advantage, as Loki turned immediately to counter Caden's strike.

"Cure!!" Sephiroth said. Caden could instantly feel the effects of the magic relieving much of the fatigue and a few of the cuts he had on him.

Caden took this new found energy to strike at Loki again. This time, Caden's blade connected with the left side of Loki's face, causing a gash to form from just above his eye down to near his mouth. Loki looked horrified at Caden. Blood rushed from the wound and down his face, dripping to the floor below. "You bastard! I will get you for..."

"Loki! Enough!" Hojo interrupted. "You cannot fight in your condition. Leave them to me."

"Yes Father," Loki said before leaving the floor.

Caden, still able to fight, slowly approached Hojo with his sword trained on the former scientist. "Alright, where is it? Where is Jenova?"

Hojo stepped forward with his hands behind his back. "Do you mean the creature I found sixty-three years ago?"

"No!" Caden said forcefully. "I want to know where the real Jenova is."

Hojo ignored Caden's clarification. "Let me tell you of the creature. It stood about one point six meters tall, and carried a chisel. Young one as I remember, but then again, I stole his mind."

Caden was confused. "What do you mean?"

Hojo turned to Sephiroth and looked at him straight in the eyes. "I would like to apologize to you Sephiroth. For telling you Jenova was your mother, but it was not all that far from the truth. Jenova is not your mother, Jenova is your father." No one could believe what Hojo said. "The creature I found was the real Dimitri Hojo. I killed him sixty-three years ago and stole his form. The creature the world knew as Jenova was his body." Now that the truth was known, Hojo bent down and allowed for four violet and crimson wings to sprout from his back. His skin paled and became almost blue, and his hair grew just as icy. His fingers grew into claws, and his beard faded. Finally, a long sword in it's scabbard appeared on his back. Once again, he stood tall and took hold of his sword. The sword was as long as Masamune but it held the image of a three headed dragon along it's blade. "Now you see me for who I am. The true Jenova." Jenova fluttered his wings, stretching them out, and began to approach Caden and Sephiroth. "Join with me. It is what I always wanted for you both. To have power over this world and Terra. Together, we can rule over the fools that banished me from our world, and take their lives like they took mine."

Caden stood defiant against Jenova's speech, but was non the less curious. "What the hell do you mean 'our world'?"

Jenova laughed at Caden's query. "I am from the fourth planet in this star system. A planet known as Terra. I was once a warrior who fought in a great war, but I was killed in battle. My enemy took this mangled form and turned me into this living death. The only way I can survive is off the life of others, much as the vampires of ancient lore. Both sides found peace, but only to imprison me and launch me towards the sun. They did not realize this planet had life, nor that it would be in my path. The did not care. All they wanted was my demise." Jenova had almost a sad appearance on his face. "So I spent the last two thousand years waiting for a time when your species would be evolved enough to let me return to Terra satiated of my thirst." Jenova continued to approach Caden. "This planet will die. Join with me and live eternally. This is what you were born for. Come boy. It is the only way for you to survive."

Sephiroth's near always stoic demeanor shattered listening to Jenova speak. The fury and pain that he had felt for so many years at the hand of the alien creature before him began to surface as pure anger. "This world is only in pain because of you! You brought it death, and you still have the nerve to be so cold. You are a monstrosity, not a being that deserves sympathy!" Sephiroth's pain and hatred drove him forward with Masamune, striking at Jenova. Jenova met this attack by strongly raising his sword against Masamune, blocking the attack effortlessly.

"Foolish child. You cannot defeat me with a mere sword," Jenova said tauntingly, pushing Sephiroth back. "Especially not Murasame's twin." The name of the sword struck deep in Caden. While in Wutai, he had long seen swords that carried the name Murasame, but none were as old as the blade Jenova held. "By the look on your faces, I assume you never knew my old rival made two swords. Well, he did not mean to make this one." Jenova stroked the length of the blade from one of the dragon's wing tips to the other. "This world has a tendency to seek balance, so it will never allows itself an advantage. Murasame formed in the stone Ifalanoe trapped me in, to balance out the might of Masamune. You see Sephiroth, your miraculous blade is equally matched."

"You talk too much, Jenova!" Sephiroth said, bringing Masamune to strike Jenova. However, Jenova brought his blade to meet Sephiroth's.

"You never did learn quickly, did you, Sephiroth?" Jenova asked mockingly. Sephiroth did not relent. "Very well then. Make it hard for yourself." Jenova forced Sephiroth back. Sephiroth stumbled and fell back. Even he began to realize the true power of Jenova.

Caden readied himself to attack, but Sephiroth motioned for him to stop while standing up again. "Jenova is too strong. You and Marlene get out of here!"

"No," Caden objected. "I don't know what you were taught in SOLDIER, but we were taught not to leave our people behind!" Sephiroth ignored Caden's objection and continued his attack. Jenova responded to each attack by parrying with ease. Furious swipes were traded with trailing sparks were metals touched. All Caden could do was watch, unable to charge in himself. Despite his best efforts, Sephiroth was over powered in each strike of the blades. Jenova did not break stride, but rather relished in the battle. Sephiroth was beginning to weaken and falter, but did not hold back in his attack. "Sephiroth! Pull back!" Caden yelled, but he was again ignored by Sephiroth. "I'm still in command here! Sephiroth, retreat! That's an order!" Caden was beginning to become frantic. He knew all to well that Sephiroth could not hold out much longer.

"If I stop, we all are doomed," Sephiroth said, still fighting. "Now go!" Sephiroth never flinched, continuing to strike and dodge. Jenova continued as well, effortlessly swinging his blade.

Caden could barely watch, but knew he had to wait for an opening to attack. "Sephiroth, pull back!" Sephiroth ignored him. "Sephiroth!" Caden could only watch as one of Jenova's strikes connected. Sephiroth drew labored breaths, turning to throw Masamune to Caden's feet. "SEPHIROTH!" Sephiroth fell, breathing his last.

"Pathetic," Jenova callously said, forcing Sephiroth's body over the edge of the building. "To think I had such high hopes for him. Now, boy, do you see? Do you really wish to die?"

Caden fell to his knees, nearly breaking into tears. It was as if he had lost all will. "I'm going to be busy raising Aeris… I want you to take…" a strange yet familiar voice spoke to Caden. "The Masamune."

"Take the Masamune," another voice said to Caden. "The Materia glows." Caden looked forward to see the Masamune laying before him, waiting for their destinies to be one. Caden then looked to his own sword, where the White Materia glowed in it's slot. Caden stood again, grasping the legendary sword before him.

Standing tall again, Caden's eyes began to glow. "I wish to live." Caden in one swift move, removed the White Materia from its perch and equipped it on Masamune. The materia reacted to Masamune, giving the whole sword a blue aura. Caden raised the ancient weapon to a striking position. A blue mist began to envelop Caden till only the burning glow of his eyes could be seen. "I will be your angel of death!" Caden brought Masamune to his side, forcing the blue mist behind him. As the mist blew back, it formed into six white wings originating from Caden's back. Standing tall, Caden's eyes burned with a fire Marlene had never seen in him before, unfurling his new wings with great power and grace. Cetrae Angelus was born.

Jenova stood in what seemed like fear. Before him was the legend of a people he slaughtered. Panic stricken, Jenova charged and struck. Caden, without so much as blinking, raised the Masamune to meet Jenova's strike. The two blades meet with a flash of blue light Although it was a simple block, Jenova was forced back several meters. Taking the opportunity, Caden grasped the sword with both his hands and charged with blinding speed towards his downed foe, and struck with such power that it shattered nearby walls. However, Caden had only struck floor tile, as Jenova had rolled to the side at the last minute. Never the less, Jenova seemed weakened by the wake of Caden's attack. Jenova stood again and stared at Caden. "Wha... What have you become!?"

"The Avatar of this world," Caden said, but with many voices acting as one. "Of both Lifestream and the stars. I am what I was destined to be. Your demise!" Caden again took on the offensive, unhindered by his wings. Each movement he made left blue mist in his wake, trailing him with each footstep. Caden struck, but was blocked by Jenova. However, the block left Jenova unsteady and desperate. Searching for some opportunity to escape, Jenova looked straight at Marlene. Jenova moved passed Caden, catching him off guard. Caden tried to strike Jenova, but missed. Marlene raised her weapon and fired, but it did not slow Jenova. The creature took hold of Marlene and began to move towards the edge of the building. "Release her, Creature! Your fight is with me."

"She seems to have taken up your battle," Jenova said, continuing toward the edge.

"Don't I get a say in the matter!?" Marlene said, struggling against Jenova's grasp. Jenova tightened his grasp, and raised Murasame to Marlene's throat.

"You have a simple choice here," Jenova said coldly. "My life, or your friend's." Jenova reached the edge of the building, and looked over the edge. "Choose wisely." Jenova did not so much as waste a breath before throwing Marlene over the edge.

"MARLENE!" Caden yelled, running to the edge of the building. In mid stride, Caden secured Masamune to his back the best he could. Upon reaching the edge of the building, Caden dove off the high rise and tucked his wings behind him. Caden continued his straight arrow like dive until he had reached Marlene. By then, they had already fallen thirty stories. "Marlene! Grab on!" Marlene did so, grappling onto Caden. Caden responded in kind, then spread his wings. The two glided to the ground below. Safely on the ground, Caden's wings reverted to the blue mist, and his blue aura dissipated. "Marlene... are you alright?"

"Yeah... relatively," Marlene said, reeling with the near death experience.

Caden sighed. "I know..." Sadly, their moment of peace was interrupted by the clicks of hundreds of guns being trained on them. Caden and Marlene turned around to find an army of roboguards and motorcycle mounted sentries. "Shit!" Caden removed Masamune and raised it to his ready position. Marlene as well raise her weapon. Luckily, it had remained strapped to her during the fall. One of the sentries got off his motorcycle, and began to walk towards Caden and Marlene. His walk was slow and slightly menacing. His face was expressionless, and almost not human. The sentry continued to march forward until he was within a few meters of Caden, but stopped and fell. There was a bullet hole in his helmet. "What the hell?" The sentries and roboguards shifted their focus over to the left side of the tower with the greatest of haste just in time to watch a cluster of missiles strike them.

From around the corner of the high rise, the Windwalker seemingly glided into position and opened its canopy. "Caden, Mar! Get in!" Bowden yelled from the open cockpit. The aircraft was now low enough that Caden and Marlene could enter. Without a second thought, Caden and Marlene entered into the plane.

"Bow! Go!" Caden ordered, securing himself into one of the back seats.

"What about Sephiroth?" Bowden asked, not yet knowing the truth.

Caden looked down, unable to admit to it himself. "...Sephiroth is dead..." Bowden did not say anything. Caden expected as much, but tried to focus on the issue at hand. "We'll deal with it later. Now let's get out of here!"

"Alright..." Bowden said, guiding the plane up again, but not before firing the last missile cluster. The missiles struck the regrouping army of roboguards below, effectively destroying their unit. "You ready for the real fireworks?"

"Blow the reactors," Caden said stoically. Bowden nodded, and pressed a button on a remote he carried around his neck. All around the ruins of Midgar, the reactors all began to erupt into fiery pillars, illuminating the city in an eerie orange glow. By that time, the Windwalker had risen to the top of the building, where Jenova still watched. His yellow glowing eyes penetrating even the glowing inferno around him. Caden stared straight at the creature knowing that this was only the first time they would meet. The next time would decide the fate of the planet.

"...So now we commit his soul to the planet," Caden said standing before a pile of rocks with a piece of wood that had a name scratched into it. He laid his hand on the pile. "May Damien find his peace in the Promise Land..." Caden removed his hand and looked down on the make shift grave. The name on the wood was Damien Capulet. Although Sephiroth may have never said it, Damian was the name he preferred, and Caden knew that. He still did not understand, but Caden felt as if he knew Sephiroth better now then when he was alive.

"You alright, Caden?" Marlene asked, placing her hand on Caden's shoulder.

Caden placed his hand on Marlene's and took in a breath. "Yeah... just shaken. Bow, how's your shoulder?"

"Really painful," Bowden said, trying not to move his left arm. His arm lay in a sling, and was bandaged at his shoulder. "Now I see why you taught Swift first aid. And to think, I laughed at you." Bowden scratched Swift's head. "I owe him my life." A silence befell the group as grief overcame them. "So what now?" Bowden asked after some time.

Caden looked out over the cliff they all stood on, and watched the fires still burning in Midgar. "Jenova's still alive, but he's afraid now. I saw it in his eyes." Caden turned around to face his friends again, with a sense of fear on his face. "He's going to come after me by any means he can... He may come after you to try and get to me."

Marlene knew where Caden was heading, and began to feel a little angry. "Caden! We're not leaving you!" Caden was taken back by Marlene's out burst. "We've already gone too far together to just leave you to fight that thing alone."

"She's right, Caden. We've been through too much already," Bowden said, backing Marlene. "Besides, we'll be a hell of a lot safer if we all stick together."

"Well, I guess I'm stuck with you guys," Caden said sarcastically. "Mar, Bow, thanks. Now let's get back to Junon. We have someone to visit." Caden lead the others back to the Windwalker in silence.

Author's notes: I would like to apologize to my loyal readers. It has been too long since I began this chapter. Last semester of school was very difficult for me, as I watched my mother die. Ironically, I was up to the point where Sephiroth is killed when my mother did pass. I am not dedicating this chapter in the memory of my mother, however. I will be writing a short story in her honor based on Final Fantasy X, though. Again thank you all. -Aquila