Howdy y'all! How the hell are ya? Well I'm great! We just had our first baseball game today! Boy was it fun! We lost 10-1 lol. But these guys are nuts about baseball, we live in new jersey ok, we've been having snow and rain that cancels practices and shit. The team we played today goes down to Florida for two weeks. They don't have two hour practices either. They practice in the morning then have a game in the afternoon then have another practice at night. Hello! this is high school ball not MLB. (Damn rich people) So I think we did pretty well considered we only have had about seven practices out on the fields, since all the snow and rain screws us over.

Well anyway! it's now 9:05 P.M. if I start the chapter now I might have it down tonight and be able to post it. If I don't it will be up tomorrow which is Sunday. (I promised a chapter for Sunday even though I got one up sooner) Aren't I the greatest! Anyway I'm not going to even tell ya what's happening in this chapter you'll just have to read and find out. Well then let's get started shall we?

Chapter 18-Fairwell To Friends And The Promise

The group walked onto the Highwind with heavy hearts. Although they've managed to defeat they're enemy it was at a great cost. Cid and Barret, they were great friends and great warriors. Each had always fought in what they've believed in. Each were brave, strong, dependable, and each were usually the badmouths of the group. Never again will the group smell the nicotine from the pilot's cigarettes. Never again will they hear the cussing of Barret and the love he showed for his adoptive daughter Marlene.

The group placed the bodies of their dear friends in the sickbay, covering them with blankets. Then they walked towards the bridge in silent mourning. Cloud walked onto the bridge where the three 'flunkies' as Cid called them waited for orders from their captain. Cloud looked up to the pilot, "Get us out of here." Cloud ordered.

"Where Cap-" The pilot asked only to have Cloud cut him off with a raised hand. Cloud hung his head, that's all that's needed for the pilot to understand. He turned around silently and started the Highwind. His 'instructor' is no longer with them. Cloud turned around and headed out of the bridge to go to the deck.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Zack placed the wounded Tifa down on a bed in the sickbay. She's had become unconscious from the blood lose she has suffered. Yuffie a cover over Tifa and gave one last glance at her before leaving the room. Zack kneeled down on the side of Tifa's bed and held one of her hands with his. He brushed the strands of hair off of her face and gazed at her relaxed face.

Zack sighed and gave Tifa's hand one last squeezed before standing up and heading out of the sickbay. He placed the Buster Sword against the wall before heading out. He needed time to himself after what has happened, and he's sure that everyone else needed the same.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Vincent stands in his usual spot in the bridge. His crimson eyes more sorrow looking then usual. Vincent closes his eyes in thought, 'Lucrecia, I'm sorry. I failed them just as I have failed you.'

Vincent felt Chaos shift in his mind as he listens to Vincent's thoughts, 'You need to move on human, your constant mourning is becoming irritating.' Chaos commented in annoyance

'I thank-you for protecting my comrades Chaos.' Vincent said.

Chaos snorted at the assumption that 'he' Chaos, the ruthless demon, was protecting the humans, 'I was merely settling the score.' Chaos informed him.

The faintest of a smile spread across Vincent's face. Chaos will be Chaos. The smile disappeared as quickly as it appeared, 'Perhaps now they can live their lives in peace.' Vincent commented more to himself rather than Chaos. 'Then again, Sephiroth is still out there.' Vincent reminded himself. Chaos remained silent.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~Back at the Battlefield~

The ruble in the crater Cloud had created from his blast from the Ultimate Sword began to shake and move. Suddenly, a bloody hand burst from beneath the ground. It gripped at the air a few times before the whole person burst from the ground. Vain came out of the ground with dirt and blood covering him. Vain grips his chest as he breathes heavily.

(A/N- You didn't think I'd kill off someone who can make zombies now did you?)

Vain clenched his shirt with his fist, "Damn you Strife." Actually Cloud really isn't the person he's angry with. It's Chaos he despises more. If Chaos hadn't worn him out he would of been able to block that attack Cloud and his body inflicted on him.

Vain stood up as the Highwind took off into the sky. Vain narrowed his coal black eyes, "I will get every last one of them." Vain turned around and started walking over to his own means of transportation he had hidden. "But first, I shall need to get some help."

Vain chuckled inwardly as he thought of the upcoming events he has planned. He knew exactly WHO he's going to bring back, one of them he really doesn't want to but AVALANCHE really hadn't left him with much choice.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~Cosmos Canyon- Three Days Later~

The group decided to bury their friends at Cosmos Canyon. Cosmos Canyon is the only place they could think of where to bury them to honor them. Cosmos Canyon is the place where the planet is most respected. The place is always guarded by it's guardians. It seemed the perfect spot for the planets saviors to be buried.

Everyone AVALANCHE knows showed up to Cid and Barret's funeral. Aerith's mother and Marlene, the people of Corel, Shera and the rest of Rocket Town, and even the Turks came to pay their respects to the fallen warriors. The ceremony only lasted about an hour, everyone gave a tearful farewell to their loved ones. Everyone left the gravesite and headed to the Eternal Candle, in the middle of Cosmos Canyon, to watch the canyon's guardians perform a ritual for the departed.

Cloud stayed in the back gazing into the dancing flames of the Eternal Candle. The fire gives off a soft orange glow to the surrounding area as the guardians do their ritual. Cloud glanced across the crowd at Zack and Tifa. Tifa, had been healed up and became strong again. The grief inside of her for her fallen friends really changed her a bit. She remains so silent now, probably still in shock.

Cloud glanced in the front of the crowd where the fiery lioness Red XII sat watching the guardians of the Canyon. He had provided a few respectable words for the funeral and gave a few words of wisdom to their loved ones. The sorrow in Red XII's eyes is as clear as day.

Cloud turned his head a bit to the left to look at the ninja girl. Unlike the others, Yuffie's misty gray eyes held deep fiery anger in them. Yuffie remained strong throughout the whole incident. Cloud admired that in Yuffie. She can be annoying and bratty at times but underneath it all is a strong caring woman.

Yuffie has certainly changed over the last two years, Cloud realized while watching her. She has become stronger and more mature. She still confused the hell out of Cloud though. He didn't know what to think of her, one minute he would think she's the most amazing woman, and then a moment later he'll just be annoyed with her.

Cloud doesn't see Vincent anywhere, although he didn't really expect to. Vincent has always been uncomfortable in large crowds because of the looks he would receive from the people. Cloud figured Vincent is off in the shadows somewhere watching the ceremony.

"WE'RE IN TROUBLE!!" The ritual stopped as everyone turned around at the sound of the voice. Cloud turned around to see the pilot of the Highwind running right towards him. His face mixed with shock and fear.

Cloud ran to meet up with the pilot, "What the matter?" Cloud asked the frightened pilot as the rest of the remaining group met up. The crowd of people remained silent listening to the conversation.

"We were just flying the Highwind around sir." The pilot started. Cloud nodded his head telling him to go on. The pilot continued as his body shakes with fear, "And something showed up on the radar."

"What showed up?" Yuffie asked her nervousness clear in her voice.

"A large zombie army! An estimated two-hundred." The pilot exclaimed farsightedly. The people around began to comment amongst themselves.

"How's that possible? Didn't we take care of Vain?" Tifa asked surprised.

"He survived." Vincent replied calmly. The group cursed to themselves. They should of made sure that Vain was finished off.

"What are we going to do?" Red XII asked Cloud. The group turned to Cloud to await his orders, "We cannot face an army of that size ourselves." Red XII informed him.

Cloud racked up any possible solution to this problem. He only has limited time to come up with an answer before Vain and his army arrive and battle them. Cloud looked around at the crowd of people that had come to the funeral. Cloud walked past his comrades towards the crowd.

Cloud held up his arms silencing the murmuring and chattering people, "Listen to me." Cloud started, "A large army is headed this way to attack" The crowd gasped, "Unfortunately, my comrades and I cannot fight them alone, we need all of your help."

"Are you insane!" One person yelled out.

"I've never fought in my life!" A man yelled out.

"We have no weapons!" Someone else yelled out.

Red XII stepped forward, "The guardians of this canyon can provide weapons for all of you." He said as he eyed Cloud wondering if this is a good idea or not. After all, none of the people have any battle experience.

Cloud nodded once at Red XII then turned back to the crowd of people, "Please, this is our only chance if we want to win." The crowd remained silent in thought for a moment everyone weighing down their options, fight to finish this, or run and go into hiding.

"Hell I'm in! I'll kill those bastards!" A man yelled out.

"Yea! We can take them!"

"Give me a weapon and I'll fight"

"It may be suicide but what the hell."

Many others from the crowd gave their words of agreement. Red XII started walking away, he stopped and looked over his shoulder, "Follow me to get weapons and armor." He announced then started walking again. The crowd quickly followed anxious to get their weapons and fight.

Cloud let out the breath he didn't even notice he was holding in. "You think this is a good idea?" Zack asked suddenly.

Cloud turned around and shrugged his shoulders, "There's no other choice we have. We can't beat them alone but we might be able to if we have their help."

Tifa frowned, "Might?" she repeated. Cloud just gave her an apologetic look as he walked over to the edge of the canyon.

The pilot of the Highwind walked up to Cloud and handed him a pair of binoculars. Cloud looked out into the distance at the advancing army. Yuffie walked over and stood by his side, "What do you see?" She asked less nervous then before.

Cloud frowned at what he saw, "Zombies, lots of them. Each carrying a weapon." Cloud looked to the back of the army and his frown grew, "Vain is there and it looks like he brought back Dregon and.." Cloud cursed.

Yuffie glanced over to him, "And who?"

"Hojo" He uttered. A ruffle of clothing is heard and Cloud and Yuffie turn around. Vincent is walking away form them his cape flowing behind him. The man he hates most is back and he will have to kill him again.

Yuffie turned back towards Cloud, "Promise me something?" Yuffie ordered more then asked. Cloud glanced back at Yuffie and gave her a confused look. Yuffie lowered her gaze to the ground and started fiddling her thumbs. Yuffie continued what she wants to say, "No matter what happens, don't die out there. I already had to see that once before."

Yuffie looked up and locked her eyes with Cloud. Cloud stood there entranced in her misty gray eyes, then on pure impulse he wrapped Yuffie in his arms and rest his head on top of hers, "I'll only promise if you do the same." Cloud said. Yuffie hugged him tightly and nodded her head against his chest. Cloud closed his eyes, "Then I promise." Cloud said.

A promise made between the two as the army of the dead marches forth. Each knowing full well that they may not be able to keep the promise they made to each other. Another battle soon to emerge and maybe their last one for them both.

Alright then! I think that's a good spot to stop now! Aren't I the greatest! =0) I know exactly the right spots to stop! Well then it looks like Vain survived and this time brought some friends. What will Dregon do now that he's back? And what of Hojo? Why did Vain bring him back? Will the group be able to stop this army or will they lose the final battle against this army? Tune in next time to find out. TTNC!

P.S.- I have lots of baseball games next week so it may be a while for an update.

REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!