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So…did Cloud succeed in purifying the white materia or not?

Good question. Chapter 19 should tell us…

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I flew though the dark tunnel, and suddenly it stopped. In the center of the darkness, illuminated by a single light from unknown origin, stood Sephiroth. With lightning speed I landed upon the dark marble flooring of the room. I recognized this room too. I had been here when Sephiroth and I had squared off for the last and final battle. And there he was again. He was exactly the way I remember him last: no shirt, black pants, and his mighty Masamune sword at the ready. With lightning speed I stood up and drew my Ultima sword.

We stared at each other with our glowing eyes, swords at the ready, but neither of us made any movement. It was like an old fashioned show down.

Seconds past by like hours, and it seemed an eternity before either of us spoke. It was Sephiroth who finally broke the silent stalemate. "Congratulations," he said slowly and precisely. He had always spoken that way. I blood boiled with each and every syllable that came from his mouth. "Your strength continues to grow. I seems that Hojo's clone is not such a failure after all."

"Why?" I yelled. "Because I managed to kill Jenova again and ruin your plans again?" He laughed slowly…methodically. "No…you've only delayed my grand design. But it will not stop me. I have returned stronger then ever. You cannot even harm me any more."

I smirked. He was always arrogant. "Heh. That's funny, Sephiroth. Funny because if you remember correctly, I ripped you to shreds last time we met. There was nothing left of you. Speaking of which, how did you ever manage to pull yourself together?" He looked at me almost mockingly. "I have you to thank for that Cloud." "WHAT?!" I screamed. My hands were gripping my sword so tight that they were actually turning white. He explained, "You may have killed me before, but you failed to completely kill Jenova last time. It didn't take her long to regenerate her body, and begin to corrupt the white materia in order to bring me back." I laughed. "I never realized you could be a comedian, Sephiroth. Jenova is dead, and I myself purified the white materia, destroying every last bit of your body with you." "This is not new news to me," he said, narrowing his eyes. "But although you destroyed my body, you did not destroy my spirit, which you see before you. And it will be through this body that after I kill you, I will re-corrupt the white materia with my own hand, and re-forge my body, stronger then Jenova ever could have made it. Congratulations on failing, Cloud."

My fingers twitched in fury. I had not suffered so much only to fail now. I had too many hopes for my life to let him kill me. I screamed at the top of my lungs, "I WON'T LET THAT HAPPEN! I WILL NOT FAIL YOU, AERIETH!!" I closed my eyes and once again let my anger consume me. Red light danced around my body, and I knew that I had reached my limit once again. Without a word I lunged at Sephiroth and unleashed my Omnislash. I saw his face as I slashed and slashed. He was smiling. It was then that I noticed that instead of my sword sinking into flesh, I was hitting something hard. It sounded like I was hitting metal. I swung and slashed until my body stopped, completely exhausted.

There stood Sephiroth, his Masamune held high, completely unhurt. He had blocked every single one of my attacks.

My mouth gapped open. How is that possible? No one can just block my Omnislash. It's too fast!

He looked up and raised his arms and his sword to the heavens. "Now you know Cloud, that I am completely invincible now. Not even you're most powerful attack can even touch me."

Suddenly, with speed I had never known, he jumped towards me and slashed. I felt my chest split open. He slashed again. I felt my arm dangling…it was severed all but a few inches of flesh. My blood was spewing forth in all directions. This was my end. I knew it. He then moved forward, and kicked me in the head. I fell flat on my back. The pain from my multiple wounds was excruciating. But it got worse. "Now I think I will finish you like I did that one girl…" I then felt his sword piece my stomach. He forced it through my stomach, vertebrae, through my skin…pinning me to the floor.

I screamed.

And screamed.

I was dying, with no one to help me. Oh somebody…anybody…please help me. I don't want to die. I don't want to die!

I screamed and screamed until I couldn't breathe anymore. It was then that he finally removed his sword from my stomach, and placed it on my neck. "Know this Cloud: when my body if finally complete, I will enjoy doing to all of your friends exactly what I am doing to you. One by one, their bodies will fall to pieces before me, and their blood will spew into the earth, and their efforts will have been for nothing." He raised his sword high in the air, execution style.

"Now DIE!"

He let his sword swing down.

And then, his sword suddenly flew from his hands. He looked up surprised. Then a massive staff with a golden head hit him in the chest like a baseball bat. He flew across the room until I could no longer see him.

"Aerieth…" I mumbled. I winced in pain. My arm dangled loosely from the rest of my body, and my chest and stomach were bleeding profusely. I wanted to reach up and touch her face, but I knew that I couldn't. Even if I had tried with my good arm, I did not have the strength to even lift it an inch. I couldn't even see her face clearly. Everything was becoming hazy quickly. But saw her I did. There she was, leaning over, with her long golden brown hair, her beautiful jade eyes, and that same spotless pink dress.

"Cloud…" I heard her say. The sound of her voice stopped me from sinking into darkness. "Cloud, I've missed you…" I opened my mouth to speak, but no words came out. Not that it would have mattered anyway, because just at that moment, Sephiroth reappeared a few yards away. He was holding his sword with one arm, his chest with another. His chest had a massive bruise on it, and it was already turning black. Through clenched teeth he said, "You cannot stop me this time, little girl! It's too late to save him, and with him out of my way there is nothing on the entire planet that can stop me from re-claiming it as my own, and then purging every last being on it!" Aerieth looked at me in my pool of blood, and then at him. She stood up, her Princess Guard at the ready, and then said, "You're right on one thing, Sephiroth. Cloud is the only one who can stop you. But if you think that you've killed him, then you're wrong. We're not beaten yet." He laughed again. "And what makes you think you can save him? There are no materia in this realm. This dimension does not allow them. And without materia, he is doomed to die in his own blood." Aerieth smiled and said, "We'll see."

She leaned down by my cheek and kissed me gently. I felt a little better…a little stronger, but the pain was still unbearable. "Just hold on a little longer," she said.

And then the impossible happened.

She kneeled down on her knees next to my body. With her staff in her hands, she muttered something like "Great Gospel…"

I saw the world around me spin. A blue sky with beautiful white clouds appeared above me, and angels with halos were calling my name. The white light that shined from their angelic bodies pierced my body and soul, and I was filled with joy, love, and a sense of healing. The wounds in my body suddenly closed. My arm shifted back into position, and then reattached itself magically to the rest of my chest. I felt the blood that I had lost restored to my dying organs, and my mind felt reinvigorated and energized. But it was not over. Just before the angels left, and brilliant white and yellow beam struck Aerieth and I. With this beam of light came an indescribable sense of power. My muscles vibrated with energy. My heart pumped with ease, grace and power. I felt strong and invincible. I stood up from my marble death-bed and picked up my sword. Sephiroth was speechless. I looked at my hands and saw that they were giving off a golden hue. My body was filled with light. I was light.

"This…is impossible!" I heard Sephiroth mutter. I turned to Aerieth, who looked up to me from her kneeling position. She was smiling. I smiled back at her, and then turned to focus on Sephiroth.

"What have you done? You should be dead!" He screamed.

I prepared my sword.

Sephiroth took a step back.

"Running away, Sephiroth? I can't allow you to do that. I can't allow you to go on with your plans to destroy the planet. This ends now, Sephiroth."

He took another step back. His eyes told of his fear and confusion.

And then I attacked.

Summoning the new strength within me, I unleashed my Omnislash.

SLASH! Sephiroth blocked my first attack.

SLASH! His teeth were clenched and the veins in his neck began to bulge.

SLASH! My sword was drawing ever closer to his body.

SLASH! He was struggling to keep up with my movements.

SLASH! He barely blocked that one.

SLASH! His sword was vibrating.

SLASH! I could feel his arms weakening.

SLASH! I could feel that he couldn't keep this up.

SLASH! The tremendous force of my attacks was forcing him to his knees.

SLASH! I saw his mighty Masamune sword begin to crack

SLASH! The crack became larger and more outstanding.

SLASH! I saw his Masamune begin to chip.

SLASH! He blocked this attack within inches of his neck.

SLASH! His sword, unable to handle the mighty power of my Omnislash combined with the holy power that was now coursing through my veins, splintered into a thousand pieces.

I jumped up into the air, and sent all my energy, all my will, all my hatred, all my love, and all my vengeance into this last attack.

Sephiroth screamed.

In slow motion I released my fury, and cut down with all my strength. My sword exploded though Sephiroth's body, cutting him into two pieces, and then like a grenade, the ground exploded around Sephiroth's severed bodies, and completely annihilated his spirit.

All that was left was the handle of his once powerful blade, Masamune. There was nothing else left. Nothing.

My golden, heaven sent strength left my body, and I stared coldly at the devastation around me.

Sephiroth had ceased to exist. He was dead. He was finally dead. And with Jenova gone for good this time, there was no way he was coming back.

I turned to see Aerieth. She stood up. I threw down my sword. She threw down her staff. We ran towards each other and embraced.

"Aerieth…" "Cloud…" "I've missed you…" "I've missed you too…"

I looked at her face and her eyes. Her eyes met mine. She leaned forward. I leaned forward. We kissed.

And I felt nothing.

We unlocked and she looked up at me. But it was not the expression that I had expected. Instead of the look of love and amazement that Tifa had given me after our one kiss, Aerieth looked at me now with a look of sadness and understanding.

"What?" I asked her.

"I'm sorry Cloud, but I can't go back."

"What?!" I said. "What do you mean? We can use the white materia to…"

"No, Cloud." She interrupted. "As much as I would like to return, I can't. There was a reason why I died when I did." "But," I said, "What could possibly keep you from coming back with us? From coming back with…" "You?" she said. I nodded. She smiled. "Cloud, I wish I could explain it to you. But I have a purpose here. I know it's difficult for you to understand, but when you die and your soul returns to the planet you will understand better. I'm needed here, Cloud. And besides…you don't love me."

That last statement struck me hard. And yet, it was true. When I had kissed Tifa a few nights ago, I had felt nervous, excited, and warm. I had just kissed Aerieth, and I had felt absolutely nothing.

She smiled again. "I'm glad I got to see you one last time," she said. "But I must go back, and you must go back to. Tifa is waiting for you."

Suddenly Aerieth closed her eyes and put her hand to her forehead. "No…" she said. "What?" I asked. "No…Tifa…why did you...?" she said.

I grabbed her shoulders and with more concern in my voice then I had intended I asked, "What is happening to Tifa?" Aerieth looked up at me. "Hurry Cloud. She is dying. I will watch over you. Always. Good-bye."

"What? Don't go!" I screamed, but it was too late. Aerieth fell upon the ground and instantly the background around me changed. I was standing next to the white materia, right where I had been just a few minutes ago. And right where I had last seen Aerieth fall over…

…was Tifa, unconscious on the ground.

"TIFA!!!"