Disclaimer- I do not own FF7 or anything or anyone that has to do with it, Squaresoft does.

Ch6: Betrayal

Seeing Aeris in pain, Cloud jumped up the pillars as fast as he could, rushing to be by her side. "What did you do to her," Cloud screamed as Sephiroth stood up slowly. "I did nothing," Sephiroth stated, stepping forward towards the now Jenova-posessed Aeris. "You're not taking her away from me," Cloud screamed.

Cloud jumped in front of Aeris, pushing her aside, and with one labored swing, brought Buster Sword down just in front of Sephiroth's feet. Sephiroth laughed nervously. "You know, you have it figured wrong Strife, I was..." Sephiroth started, but was cut short as Cloud thrust his sword curved up, effectively decapitating the silver haired man.

If he had still been alive, Sephiroth would have heard the mad cackles of Jenova, fully enjoying her puppet show. She let Cloud loose from his phychological strings, the clone had never proved her wrong before.

Upon the sight of what he had just done and as the realization set in, Cloud dropped his sword and threw up. From across the pedestal, Aeris watched as Tifa ran to Cloud's side, and Cid started jumping around like he had dinomite under his feet. "Mortals," Jenova cooed into Aeris's ears. "Stupid animals."

Aeris slowly stood and sauntered over to where Cloud had collapsed to his knees, fully anticipating what she was about to do. "If HE couldn't do it," the words passed as she glanced over to where Sephiroth's headless body lay.

"Ooh Cloudy, how could you," a voice not so unlike Aeris's hissed. "I... I didn't mean to," Cloud said meekly. "I only wanted to protect..." "Don't say another word," Aeris softly hissed, "You know I would have done the same in due time." Cloud lifted his head up to look Aeris in the eyes, confused and pleading for forgiveness, and was startled by the calmness in her face as she quickly snached his small dagger from it's holster and plunged it his heart.

"You are nothing," Aeris hissed, staring the blonde in the eyes. "You're right," Cloud agreed, and Aeris smirked, slightly amused. "I am nothing. I have no father, no mother. No family or friends. I cry myself to sleep at night because I am alone. I thought I had you. I thought you loved me, but I know now that I was wrong." With that, Cloud closed his soft blue eyes, never to open them again.

As Cloud exhaled his last breath, Jenova let up her control over Aeris, her purpose now served. Aeris fell to the floor in a heap of pink silk as Jenova's astral body rejected her, rising well above them all, clapping and screeching happily. As Sephiroth's spirit vanquished, so did Jenova's, both finally free of a life bounded to misery.

As Aeris regained conciecness and she looked around, she slowly realized what had just occured. Even while the two men lay dead, she somehow knew it was all going to be okay. She had Holy, and now no one would ever hold Ultimate Destruct. Now, the world could finally be at peace again.