Chapter Six
Wrath
Holding my last breath
Safe inside myself
Are all my thoughts of you
Sweet raptured light
It ends here tonight
-Evanescence, "My Last Breath"
A/N: Here we are. 2 years later and I finally got the ending of this done. Suffice to say, until I get my other fics done, I probably won't be back writing any Final Fantasy VII ones. Especially since Advent Children is due out in only a few months. Sequels seem...superfluous now. Regardless, here is the ending you all waited so long for. Thanks to those who stuck with me for so long, you have no idea how much that means to me as a writer. I feel horrid for making you all wait so long, and …I don't know how you put up with it, but I really appreciate it, and if I could give you all a present or something, I would, just because you all deserve it! This is going to be a very long chapter, because I really want to end it here, so to fit it all, it will take alot of pages, but please bear with me.
Neo-Midgar glittered beneath them like a benign city, just another diamond of civilization amongst the wilderness. But anyone who looked closely could tell otherwise. Mako reactors raised their towering forms to the heavens, giant plants that siphoned off the very life of the Planet, and if allowed to continue, the life of every being on it. And underneath slumbered a being hell-bent on destroying that world, should the mortals fail in the task themselves.
In the midst of this panorama of doom floated a single hope, though not many knew them as such. The tiny form of the Highwind hovered over the installation, those inside preparing for the long battle that lay ahead. Weapons were sharpened, bags of potions and remedies prepared, and materia configurations switched as each attempted to predict what would await them below.
Only one of the inhabitants of the airship seemed completely collected, standing near the viewport as he stared at the buildings below, hatred smoldering in his turquoise gaze. Beneath him lay the people responsible for his imprisonment, those who had shaped him from birth to be what they wanted him to be. They would receive none of his mercy. Those who fought at his side barely trusted him, though he counted that as better than nothing, and far more than he believed he deserved.
"Okay…is everyone ready? I'm taking her down. As soon as we land, we'll be swamped with ever Soldier in the installation, so…be prepared." Cid called over his shoulder, flipping the switches that started the Highwind's landing procedures. The group gathered in the center of the bridge, gazing silently at each other, at the friends who had become their family. Barret shifted uneasily, as if wanting to say something, and they all looked to him expectantly.
"You guys all know…we're like a family. Nothing will ever change that now. This is the final fight, Fate willing. So you all better make it back alive, or I'm gonna have to kick your ass."
Loud laughter echoed in the bridge, each of them laughing at the outward joke, but realizing the harsh reality that one or more of them could easily end their lives there in a second. Tifa sought out Cloud's gaze, gauging the effect on Jenova's poison on him, hoping that today would not be a day when one of the periodical attacks of intense pain beset him. An attack of that nature would be fatal not only to him, but probably to her as well, as she would never leave him behind, and would probably be killed attempting to defend him. What she glimpsed in his face troubled her, he appeared tired, his eyes slightly hazy with the exhaustion from his constant battle against the poison. But underneath that she could see the cold determination burning within him, and immediately knew he'd be okay. She wasn't sure if it was the voice of some outside force reassuring her, or just her own sense of him, but she knew he'd be fine. He noticed her looking in his direction and flashed her his trademark cocky grin before turning to talk to Vincent about something.
"Damn you and that smile, Cloud Strife. You know how to get to me every time…" she muttered to herself.
There was a slight jolt as the Highwind settled onto the soil once again, the familiar grinding of the landing ramp as it was extended. Another hush fell over the group, then as if on cue, they all ran for ramp, weapons held at the ready, expecting an ambush even before they set foot on Shinra soil. Instead they were greeted with a dead silence, the atmosphere itself seemed oppressive, the air heavy, absorbing all sound into it.
"I don't like this…" Cid muttered.
Sephiroth stepped to the front of the group, his eyes turned to the sky first, then down to the ground beneath his feet, "It has awakened. I believe our plans for Shinra may be very short-lived indeed."
Barret shot him a cold glare, "What the fuck you mean, 'It's awakened'?"
"The Weapon, Barret. It is awake. I advise we escape now, lest we be caught in the blast." Red advised. His fur was bristling like a cat's when it felt threatened.
Vincent shook his head, a lock of his ebony hair falling into his crimson eyes, "No. Even if we flee, once this beast is done with Shinra, it will turn its wrath on the rest of the Planet. If we are to stop it at all, it must be here, before it has a chance to do anymore damage."
Further conversation was cut off by a deep rumbling from the very earth itself, a rumbling that sounded part earthquake, part the cry of an angry beast. The ground began to shake violently, waves becoming apparent on the once solid land as the tectonic throes tore through the earth. Tifa stumbled as the waves reached the group; Cloud immediately ran to her side and caught her, pulling her against him as he braced himself against the hull of the Highwind. The others quickly followed suit, managing to stay more or less on their feet as the waves passed and subsided. The deathly silence returned, and for a moment they hoped the earthquake had been only the stirring of the beast in its sleep. A loud crashing sound quelled that hope, and a dark shape could be seen rising from the earth only yards to the south of the Neo-Midgar installation. Almost as soon as it appeared, the once silent Neo-Midgar came to life, lasers and missiles firing at staccato pace toward the Weapon, mirroring Junon's mad scramble to stop a marauding Weapon in the not too distant past. Soldiers poured from the barracks, machine guns blazing as they added their small fire to that of the automated defenses. In the chaos, Avalanche was ignored, and stood watching the battle with an almost morbid curiosity.
"They'll never stop that thing. It's bigger than any of the others. And it's…off somehow. Something's wrong with it." Yuffie said, her voice filling with both awe and dread.
Sephiroth stared into the distance, watching the fight with an unreadable expression as he spoke, "It is evil, twisted. Somehow it has developed a taste for destruction, and fights not at the Planet's will, but its own. It must be stopped. We should go assist…"
Yuffie scoffed, "Help Shinra? I don't think so. If that thing's gonna finish them for us, let it. Lot of good we'd do against it anyway, look at that thing."
A shadowy nimbus began to gather around the Weapon, seeming to filter from the air itself, and focus on the creature's chest. A low humming noise began to resound through the air, and only seconds later Tifa realized what was going on.
"It's preparing a blast! We have to take off or we'll be incinerated. Everyone back on the Highwind, now! Cid, we have to go!"
To her surprise, no one argued with her, but instead immediately jumped to action and ran back into the safety of the airship, where Cid began furiously flipping switches to get the Highwind airborne again.
"Dammit, Cid, hurry the hell up…it's about to fire…!" Barret yelled, his voice terse.
"Shut the fuck up, would you!? I'm going as fast as I can!" After what seemed like an eternity to those on board, the airship lifted from the ground, and Cid quickly pushed the thrusters to full speed, the airship lurching forward and out over the ocean once again. In the distance the Weapon could still be seen, the last of the nimbus focusing over the creature's chest. The group gathered at the viewport, staring out at creature as time itself seemed to slow to a standstill. Then, in an impressive burst of energy, the Weapon fired on Neo-Midgar, setting of a massive explosion that sent terrific shockwaves outward toward the Highwind. Cid muttered a curse under his breath as he held the controls in a death-grip, bracing himself against the console in preparation to hold his ship steady against the waves.
"Everyone grab on to something and for the love of Holy don't let go of it!" Barret screamed to them.
Everyone scattered, grabbing onto whatever bars or consoles they could find in the bridge and clinging to them like castaways in a stormy sea. Cloud ran for the railing that separated the upper and lower parts of the bridge, wrapping his arm through the bars and around, then he grabbed Tifa and held her as tight as he could against himself. Within seconds the shockwave hit, claxons blaring as the airship went into a sickening spin, Cid cursed loudly as he fought to keep it from diving nose-first into the ocean. As the worst of the shockwave passed, Cid finally managed to wrestle the ship into a stable position, the remaining weaker waves of the explosion doing little to upset the ship. Satisfied that they were safe for the moment, Cid turned to check the status of the others.
"Everybody alright?"
Muttered assurances filtered to him from all over the bridge, the group slowly starting to climb to their feet.
"Gods…I think I'm gonna be sick…" Yuffie moaned, standing doubled over in a corner. She had never quite gotten used to air travel, and the mad spin of the ship had only worsened her condition.
Cid struggled to suppress his amusement with a growl of anger, "Well go be sick off the side. Get your ass up to the deck. I'm not having you making anymore messes in my ship, kid."
Yuffie shot him a wilting glare before running out of the bridge, a hand clamped to her mouth. A ripple of tired laughter followed her as the rest of the group found their bearings and regrouped in the center, except Sephiroth, who seemed uncomfortable in the group, and had instead ironically taken up Cloud's old position of staring out the viewport.
"So Shinra's gone at last. Turks and all, no way they wormed their way out this time. Hell, they didn't have time…if they even saw it coming."
Reeve nodded, speaking for the first time since the group had left Cosmo Canyon. "Indeed, Barret. It does appear that way. All that remains now is the Weapon itself. Should we defeat it…"
Cloud glanced to Tifa, recalling her words earlier, "Then we'll find peace." Tifa smiled at him as he echoed what she'd told him before they'd left.
Sephiroth spoke up suddenly, drawing the attention of the group to him, "If we are to defeat it, I suggest we do it soon. It will be drained from that attack and will not be able to fire another for the better part of the day at least. It will move on soon if we do not distract it."
"He is right." Red agreed, "Alex's vision left no mistake about this creature's intentions. Let us land now and finish it."
"Finish what?" Yuffie's voice called as she ran back into the bridge, looking much improved over earlier.
"Onyx Weapon." Sephiroth answered, then stopped, his eyes narrowed as if he were listening intently to faint voices. The group watched him warily, an oppressive hush settling over them. Their fears-of him at least-proved unfounded when he spoke again, "It knows we are here. It can sense us. I believe…it is challenging us to fight it."
"Then we fight it." Barret answered simply, "You said we have to do it now anyway, so let's get it over with."
Heaving a sigh, Cid turned back to the controls of his ship, flying directly toward the towering dark form of the Weapon. As they approached it turned to them as if watching them, but it made no move to attack, allowing them to land a safe distance from it. There was no further need for words, the group made their way silently to the ramp once again, and finally stepped onto the now-scorched land that made up the island of Neo-Midgar.
"It is weakened, remember that. In this state, it is not much more than Emerald Weapon. If we concentrate our efforts, we should be able to take it down with minimal trouble." Sephiroth said, his voice taking on the tone of the General he had once been, commanding and reassuring at the same time.
"Then let's take it down!" Yuffie cried, running ahead of the group toward the creature, her Conformer already lifted into throwing position. The group followed hard after her, while Tifa managed to call down a Wall spell on the run. As they reached striking distance, the Weapon fired an intense beam at them, but a well-timed warning by Yuffie allowed them all to jump clear before it connected.
"Take out those laser-things on the shoulders first!" Cid called, lifting Highwind to his shoulder, "Vincent, Yuffie, can you two handle that?"
"'Course we can! Let's go, Vincey!" Yuffie cried, hurling Conformer with all the strength in her lithe form at the right shoulder of the Weapon, and screaming in victory as the Weapon let out a deep roar of pain. It reached up with a massive hand and yanked the over-sized throwing star from its shoulder and hurled it back at its owner, who jumped lightly over it as it dug deep into the charred earth. Vincent scored a similar victory, his deadly aim with Death Penalty quickly snuffing out the second laser. However, now the Weapon was in pain, its arms swung wildly toward the group as it attempted to bat them away. As the remainder of the group closed in, it fired a second beam, this time from its mouth.
"Attack, now!" Sephiroth called, pushing the offensive as the beam faded away. He leapt into the air as he reached the Weapon's feet, landing lightly on the creature's arm. It immediately began trying to shake him off, but Sephiroth was no longer there. He now stood perched on the beast's shoulders, Masamune held like a glittering finger of Death over his head. With an almost feral grin he drove the entire length of the blade into the Weapon's neck. An ear-splitting roar of pain echoed across the scorched plains, causing the group to pause and cover their ears in agony. Wincing at the volume of the cry, Sephiroth withdrew Masamune and leapt to the ground below, falling in with the group as they regained their senses. His attack had achieved the desired effect, however. The Weapon was now substantially weakened, the pain of the wound distracting its full attention from the battle.
Seeing their opening, the group rushed in, Tifa pounding at the beast's legs with her most powerful limit breaks, while Barret stood back, firing at the chest like a human gatling gun. Vincent and Yuffie worked in concert to take out the blood red crystal on the Weapon's chest, the crystal that had concentrated the blast that had destroyed Neo-Midgar. Cid, Reeve, and Red alternated between assisting Tifa and casting spells on the creature. Suddenly the Weapon stood perfectly still, and the group halted, thinking that it had been defeated. Tifa backed away slowly, not wanting to be caught beneath it as it fell to the earth. Her movement caught the Weapon's eye, however, and it immediately turned to face her full on. She saw Cloud turn and run toward her just as the Weapon turned and lashed out with its tail, sending her flying across the charred battlefield.
"Tifa!" Cloud screamed, ignoring the Weapon as he ran to her side. She lay in a heap, blood seeping from a deep gash in her scalp. In seconds the group was behind him, forming a living barrier between them and the creature.
"If she's hurt, you giant bastard, you better believe I'm going to rip your heart out myself!" Yuffie screamed, tears rimming her eyes.
The others said nothing, their eyes burning with a fury that would have convinced any lesser being to back away if it valued its life.
"I..I'm okay…" Tifa muttered, struggling to push herself from her rather inglorious spot on the ground. Cloud put an arm around her waist, helping her to her feet.
"Tif, you sure?" he whispered, his arm still around her as she regained her footing.
She nodded, then caught sight of Sephiroth as he glanced back at her. There was a hellish anger burning in his eyes, intense enough that she instinctively clutched Cloud's arm in fear. After a second she realized the folly of her action, realized that the anger was directed at the Weapon and not her, though the intensity of it still confused her.
You were the first to forgive me, Lockheart. The first to understand. If I am even capable of having friends, then that is what I call you.
Her eyes widened as Sephiroth's words echoed in her mind, she was shocked both at the telepathic communication as well as the realization that he had been worried about her. He considered her a close friend and seeing her hurt had frightened him.
Thank you… She thought, hoping he'd pick up on it. When he nodded imperceptibly, she knew he had.
"Let us finish this, Cloud." Sephiroth said, turning his gaze to the younger man.
Cloud nodded, leaving Tifa's side, and lifting Ultima Weapon to his shoulder. Without another word, the two rushed at the Weapon, unleashing an attack that resembled a dual version of Omnislash. They moved in an almost perfect tandem, blades inflicting blow after blow on the beast before it even had time to react. When they finally stepped back, breathing heavily, the Weapon let out a faint growl that sounded for all the world like surprise before it disintegrated into a mist of dark particles. With a sigh of relief, the entire group slumped to the ground in exhaustion, finally able to take a moment to breathe. Cloud made his way back to Tifa's side, driving Ultima into the ground before he sat down heavily beside her. Tifa shot him an amused glance as she leaned against him.
"Sephiroth…" Tifa said, climbing to her feet and walking over to where he stood.
The former general turned to her, "Yes?"
She smiled widely at him, "Thanks."
He merely nodded again, but she could see in his eyes that he was touched by her words.
"Yeah, man…what Tif said. I don't know if we could have done this without you." Barret added, "If it's worth anything coming from me, I think I can finally forgive you."
The group nodded in agreement, all except Cloud, who merely stared at the man who had been his nemesis for so long. A tense silence formed, finally broken when Cloud climbed to his feet and went to stand beside Tifa.
"The three of us are the only ones who ever knew Jenova's control. I don't blame her for what she did…she doesn't blame me for what I did. And in the end, we can't blame you. This is the end of it all. The end of Shinra, the end of the hatred that we all clung to. If it is to end, we have to let go. Aeris would have wanted this…my mother, Tifa's father, all of them. Thanks."
Tifa smiled proudly at Cloud, taking his hand and squeezing it tightly, "So…where will you go now, Sephiroth?"
He took a deep breath, turning his turquoise gaze to the heavens, "I don't know…I may…seek out my mother. I am not sure if she yet lives, if what Shinra told me of her was a lie, but I wish to see her. I never knew her."
"I know where you may find her." Vincent said, re-holstering Death Penalty as he made his way to his feet, "I could show you if you wish."
Sephiroth nodded, "I would appreciate that."
"Well then, enough of all this stuff, let's get back to Cosmo Canyon and par-tay!" Yuffie said, jumping to her feet and rushing off toward the Highwind.
Cid cocked an eyebrow at the others, "You heard the girl, let's go!"
Tifa pushed open the door to the upper deck, her eyes scanning for Cloud. She caught sight of him leaning against the railing, his eyes closed. Smiling to herself, she crept up behind him, then at the last minute poked his shoulder and yelled, "Boo!"
Cloud turned to her, a dubious look on his face, "Tif…aren't you a bit old for that? Besides, I heard you coming. You forget I was in training for Soldier…"
She frowned at him, but she knew he was only kidding, "Yeah, yeah…fine. What're you doing out here, anyway?"
He shrugged elaborately, "Nothing. I'm just…really tired, I guess."
Tifa's eyes narrowed, "Is it…?"
He nodded, "I think so. I don't know if I'll…"
"Well, come back inside then, you need to rest." She said, gently pulling on his arm.
He smiled down at her, "No..I think I'd rather stay out here with you." Taking her hand, he led her back to the wall of the deck and sat down, pulling her down with him. She snuggled close to him, invoking memories of the night before they'd gone to the North Crater long ago. Resting her head on his shoulder, she let her eyes fall closed, drifting off into a pseudo-sleep. Cloud smiled down at her, wrapping his arm around her and holding her close.
We'll find peace now, Tif…
"Hey, come on, you two, we're back! Tif, Spike, wakey, wakey!" Yuffie called.
Tifa groaned, forcing her eyes to open. Yuffie stood over them, a huge grin spreading across her face.
"We're back! It's par-tay time! C'mon!" Yuffie's grin faded suddenly, though, her eyes narrowing as she glanced at Cloud, "Tif, he doesn't…look right…"
Tifa suddenly sprung into full consciousness, turning to Cloud with a frightened look on her face. Yuffie was right, he did look bad. He was pale, his face seemed sunken and his breathing was irregular. Feeling a sense of dread, Tifa shook him, "Cloud…wake up, we're back."
There was no response from him, his eyes didn't even move beneath their eyelids.
"Cloud! Wake up, dammit! Don't you do this to me!" she cried, tears starting to form in her eyes, "Yuffie, go get the others, hurry!"
"..sure!…I..I'll be right back." The young ninja scampered off at full speed back into the airship.
"Cloud, come on…wake up…"
The sound of multiple footfalls reached her ears as the group rushed out onto the deck.
"What is it, Tifa?"
She glanced back at them, "He…I think he…he won't wake up."
Red shook his head, "He is succumbing. We must get him to the Elders. Come, hurry now."
Red rushed ahead of the group, making his way up the winding stairs to the hut that served as the Elder's meeting place. The Elders village had noted the group's return, and had been waiting at the gates, though Alex was curiously missing. After being informed of Cloud's condition they called for a stretched to be brought, and were now following behind Red, carrying him to the hut. Once inside, they lay him on a large area of cushions near the back, and Tifa immediately went to his side, taking his hand while the others talked in low voices.
"Where is Alex?" Red demanded, "We must resume the research immediately. Cloud will die soon without that cure."
"Actually, Nanaki…" one of the Elders began, "Alex should be returning very soon with the cure."
Tifa looked up at them suddenly, her eyes hopeful, "What do you mean?"
The Elder smiled at her, "Well, not soon after you left, we found an old tome written by one of the ancient Cetra that detailed the virus that befell their kind when the Calamity…Jenova…came. It sounded eerily similar to Cloud's poisoning, so we read further and discovered that a materia had been created to combat the virus, but soon after its creation, Jenova had discovered it and hidden it somewhere in the North. Alex left with many of the young men to investigate and he called in just yesterday to say they had indeed found the cavern where Jenova had kept the materia. It had been sealed with incantations as well as rock, but with Jenova dead, the spells held very little effect and they were able to clear the entrance easily. Alex should be back very soon. I would expect within a few hours from now."
Tifa breathed a sigh of relief, "Thank you…"
The Elders bowed to her, "You are welcome. For now, we should just let him rest. I believe he will be fine until Alex returns."
"Tif, Alex is back…" Yuffie said, nudging her. She had fallen asleep at Cloud's side, and had been there since the Elders had left.
She sat up slowly, her eyes bleary from sleeping, "Oh? …Where is he!?"
"Right here, Tifa." A quiet voice replied. He was smiling widely down at her, a small silver materia held out in his hand.
Tifa jumped to her feet, her eyes wide, "Is that..?"
"Yes." Alex held it out to her, "Take it…you can do the honors."
Tentatively she took the materia in her hands, cradling it as if it would break. Kneeling at Cloud's side, she held the crystal in both hands just over his body and closed her eyes, reaching into the depths of her soul to channel the energy of the Planet. She drew on her love for him to push her powers to their limits; the materia was clearly meant for someone more in tune with the Planet to use, but without a Cetra, there was no choice but for her to try. She could feel the power flickering as she reached out to it, but it was elusive, evading her grasp every time. A hint of despair began to filter into her mind, and her attempts to harness the energy became more desperate.
"I can't…it's not meant for Humans. We aren't strong enough…" she muttered through clenched teeth.
Tifa…it's okay. I'm here. I'll help you. Let me add my power to yours.
Aeris?
Yes…I'm here. It will be fine, I promise. Reach for me, let our power blend and we can harness the spell.
…Okay…
Tifa stretched out her senses, reaching for the familiar presence of her friend. She soon found her hovering nearby, and immediately felt Aeris's presence react to her own. The materia began to emanate a faint warmth, a low humming noise filling the hut.
Do you feel the energy within you, Tifa?
Yes.
Now focus it outward, to Cloud. The spell knows what it must do, all you have to do is transfer the energy.
Okay…
Taking a deep breath, Tifa gathered the energy that now flowed within her into her hands and gently placed them on his chest. She immediately felt the energy jump from her body into his, and just as she opened her eyes, it began to take effect. The materia grew cold once again, its work complete.
He will be fine now.
I know…Thank you, Aeris. I couldn't have done this alone…
You're welcome. Take care of yourself, Tifa. And take care of Cloud. I know you two will be happy. And I am glad. You two were my dearest friends. I will always be watching over you all.
The sense of Aeris's presence faded away, just as color began to return to Cloud's face. His sapphire eyes fluttered open and immediately came to rest on Tifa.
"You did it…"
Tifa shook her head, "Not alone. Aeris was here, too. She said…"
Cloud smiled, "I heard her, too. She's right…we will be happy now…our peace has finally come."
…..El Fin, La Fini, The End, Dra Aht (Al Bhed)
A/N: At last, we come to the end of this fic. Thanks to everyone who reviewed, I love you all! I mean it! You're the best reviewers a writer could have!
CloTi-4ever: You deserve one of the biggest thanks for sticking with this fic though the years it took me to finish. Weren't you the one who emailed me asking if I'd finish? That was the wake-up call I think I needed to realize I better finish this thing! Made me realize that people actually cared about the fic, and I thought, "Well, I can't let my fans down!" So here it is, hope the end was worth the wait.
Tainted-Dreamz: You are such a sweetie! Thanks for the great reviews on all my fics, and I hope if you haven't read this one yet, then you will soon! At least you didn't have to endure the wait the others did. I love your fic, and I hope you finish it soon! You know I'm following it all the way to the end, and I hope to see your reviews again on whatever else I get up to. If you want, feel free to email me anytime! Keep in touch, and keep up your great work!