Chapter 9:

Time's Up. Goodbye.

I stumbled through the woods fairly quickly for someone with only one good leg. As far as I knew, Cloud didn't follow me. It took me hours, but I finally made it out and gazed at Kauko. It was the largest city on the planet, the lights glittering and blinding me. Frantically, I looked around for the portal. I saw nothing, so I hurried to get to the other side of town. I had barely cleared two hundred yards when I turned around to find Cloud stumbling out of the woods. My pulse quickened and adrenaline rushed as I watched him go the opposite direction. He would get to them first; my leg was injured while both his were well. I made haste, praying they were only just around the next turn. I was almost right. I turned to hear voices in the woods a short way off. I hurried through the trees once more, wincing as plants dug into my injured leg.

"Sephiroth, the portal will not last much longer. We need to leave soon if we are to get through and leave Cloud," I heard Vincent saying.

"Yeah," Sephiroth replied. He sighed. "I just don't feel right about leaving without saying goodbye."

"We'll find her and say goodbye for you," Anima promised.

"Good luck," Luben wished. I knew I had little time. I was barely out of the trees when I yelled out.

"Sephiroth, wait!" I cried as loud as I could. I leaned against a tree and moaned in pain. He was inches from the portal when he turned. "I love you."

"Michiko!" Anima called out. My strength had given out and I was fainting on the spot. As I slipped into darkness, I heard quick, thudding footsteps and felt arms wrapping around me. I thought I heard a whisper as I slipped under.

"I love you, too, Michiko."

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"Michiko, can you hear me?"

"Yeah," I moaned. I slowly opened my eyes to find Sephiroth's cloak around me while he sat nearby and held my hand.

"I bandaged your leg."

"Thanks. How's my face?"

"Pretty torn up," Sephiroth told me. "It's still beautiful, though."

"Sephiroth, we have to leave soon," Vincent said, staring down at us.

"I know," Sephiroth muttered. Regret was clearly audible in his voice. I squeezed his hand.

"Go. You belong on your world and I belong here. I want you to go," I sighed. He unwrapped his cloak and slipped it on. Standing slowly, I realized that dawn was just beginning to break.

"I can't leave you," he whispered as he touched my face.

"The night we slept together, you made me a promise," I replied, tears filling my eyes. "You said that you had your own role to play on your world, as I have a role here. You promised that if you missed the portal because of me, you would keep looking for a way home. You said if you missed it for any other reason, you would stay. You've made it to the only way home. You said that if you go through, you'll find a way back here. I want you to fill that promise. I want you to see your home again."

"Michiko," Sephiroth began. Laughing in the woods distracted his thoughts.

"I guess he's missing the portal," Cloud chuckled as he came out of the trees near Anima and Luben. Vincent aimed his pistol.

"Don't come any closer," he hissed. Sephiroth wrapped his arms around me tightly.

"You really want to do it?" Cloud smiled. He stretched his arms out. I could see the dark stains of blood on his hands and chest. His eye was still bleeding. "Take your best shot."

"Don't make me do it," Vincent held the gun ready, but he only stood there.

"You don't have the guts," Cloud smirked. He let his arms fall to his sides with a slap. "I gave you the life you have now. If I hadn't gone after Sephiroth four years ago and taken you out of Nibelheim, you would still be locked down there, all alone in that coffin. You owe me, Vincent."

"I don't owe you a damn thing," Vincent said slowly. Cloud only continued to smile.

"Well, then, I guess this is the end of our friendship. Good bye, Vincent," he grinned. With that, he reached into his pocket, pulled out and struck a match, and threw it to the ground in front of Vincent. As it grew, Cloud taunted us. "Pull that trigger, and the fire will make the powder explode. Guess who will be in the blast?"

Vincent returned the gun to its holster as he backed away. Before I could stop him, Sephiroth was tearing away from me, leaping over the flames, and preparing to fight Cloud.

"Sephiroth, no!" I called, but he didn't reply. He only challenged Cloud. The look on Sephiroth's face reminded me of when he burned Nibelheim.

"I killed you once. Do you honestly think you can beat me this time?" Cloud asked. He drew his sword, wincing at the pain from where my arrow had hit. "I'll be waiting on the other side."

"Get back here!" Sephiroth yelled. Cloud ran around him, out of range of Masamune. By the time Sephiroth caught up, Cloud was standing in front of the portal.

"Well," he smiled as he looked at us. "I guess this is good bye."

"No! Cloud, stop!" Vincent yelled. Cloud stepped backwards into the portal. He stood for a moment in the black hole before it faded with him in it. Sephiroth stared at the place where he had disappeared. We waited several minutes. The portal didn't come back.

"Son. Of. A. BITCH!" He screamed. He jammed Masamune deep into the ground before he sank to his knees. Sephiroth shook angrily. "I was so close to being rid of him."

"Hon," I whispered. I walked over and wrapped my arms around his shoulders. I don't know how long we sat there, but I know it felt like forever. I watched Anima pull out her water flask and douse the flames.

"Let's go home," Sephiroth said to me. We stood and the five of us began to leave when Luben cried out.

"Hey, look at that!" he said excitedly. We turned to find a spiral of color swirling right next to where the portal had been. The color faded to black.

"Let's not lose this one," Vincent said. He began walking towards it, but stopped halfway. "Sephiroth, are you coming?"

"Yeah," he replied quietly after a moment's hesitation. He had laid his hand on my shoulder, but now he let go. Without turning to me, he whispered, "Thank you for everything, Michiko." He shut his eyes tightly, and said in a shuddering voice, "Good bye."

"Sephiroth," I whispered as he began walking quickly to the portal. I followed only a couple of steps when he stopped and snapped at me.

"Don't follow me."

I watched him approach Vincent. They walked to the portal and I turned away. At what I thought was the last minute, I turned back around and called again.

"Sephiroth!" I ran to him. At the same moment, he called my name and ran to me.

We met halfway across the field. We wrapped our arms around each other and I sobbed into his leather cloak, his tears falling onto my head. Sephiroth laid a hand on my cheek and we kissed once more. We stood like that for minutes. It was the most memorable kiss I've ever been given. We slowly parted and stared at each other. He held me close to his heart for the last time, his hand gently stroking the back of my head.

"I love you, Michiko."

"And I love you, Sephiroth."

With that, he pulled away and grasped my hand. He walked slowly towards the portal, and didn't let go until he was too far away to hold on to me. When only our fingers were touching, he began walking even slower. He turned away and stopped when he reached Vincent.

"You ready?" Vincent asked.

"Yeah," Sephiroth nodded with regret. He did the last thing Anima, Luben, or I (or Vincent, for that matter) expected him to do. He grasped Vincent's normal hand. "Don't let go."

Vincent was taken aback, but he nodded before they both took deep, calming breaths and stepped through the portal. I struggled to hold back tears as they turned back around. Sephiroth's eyes met mine and we stared. He reached up with his free hand to wave and realized that a film had formed on the portal. He laid his hand against it. Sephiroth smiled softly as the portal began to close. The last things to disappear were Sephiroth's eyes. I'll never forget the single, silent tear that fell as I looked at them for the last time. With that last show of emotion, Vincent and Sephiroth were gone.

"Good bye," I whispered. The next moment, I was on my knees and sobbing uncontrollably. I didn't know right then that Sephiroth and Vincent had been released almost the minute they left. Right then, Sephiroth, too, was on his knees in tears.

But this is not the end of our story.

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Me: That's right! He's gone, but the story ain't over yet! Another two chapters, maybe.

Soul Vagabond: Read KH to get Seymour. No, I'm not gonna have a chapter about Cloud going mad. Although… never mind. You'll find out in the last chapter if I didn't tell you already.

Mediciner: How true. Actually, I went on the EB Games website today to see if COM was coming out this month, and they said it ships out to stores on December 7. Who spelled his name wrong?

Kizna1200: Sorry, Cloud's not gonna get smited. Smote. Whatever. But he is scarred for life! Literally!

Anothersephirothfan: Thank you for reading. I'm sorry you didn't start until now- it's pretty much over. Or is this just the first time you've chosen to review? Anyway, thanks a bunch.

NINJA MAGE