Gasp... a few more chappies left... and no... I don't own Final Fantasy VII Square Enix does...
Cloud wondered, what was that look upon his face? A smile? A sad one? He didn't understand. This man was about to die and he was smiling! Suddenly… he felt guilty.
He brought the Ultima Weapon down. How could he allow himself to be opened to the human emotions? He knew that he was above all of that… and that he was not a mere human weakling… but of the Cetra.
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NOOOO! NEFILIM! Aeris cried silently in her mind as she watched Cloud's sword brought down.
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Gast had an odd feeling. Something bad was going to happen. He could feel it.
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Nefilim watched as the sword came inches from his nose. It came closer…
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Everyone watched the Ultima weapon was it smashed into Nefilim.
Something happened, light exploded all around them, blinding them. Tifa covered her face, hoping for the best…
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Suddenly, everything exploded into white light. Gast quickly covered his face.
"What the hell was that!" someone in the crowd yelled.
Gast began to run… he was right…
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Marlene peered around the house. She slowly crept out of her closet. She had fooled Professor Gast, Ifalna, and Lucrecia. Now no one would be able to stop her from helping daddy…
Maybe Barret's audacity and courage had rubbed off on her. Any normal five year old would have screamed bloody murder being in a closet that was so dark that you couldn't even see your hand if you waved it in front of your face. Then again… Marlene was the daughter of an AVALANCHE member… not quite so ordinary.
She took up her father's Dragon Armlet. It clinked as it was lifted up. She stared at the materia placed in all the slots. Barret no longer used this and had left it for her, because now he had the Aurora Armlet.
She ran her hands gingerly over the materia, careful not to drop the armlet. She looked at the deep red summon materia. It was Bahamut. Why her father had decided not to use this, she did not know. It was a quite useful and powerful summon. Then she looked at the Cure materia. It was nearly mastered. Then she ran her hands over the All materia… it would allow her to cast Cure on everybody in her party.
After the Cure materia there was the Bolt materia that was mastered, the Fire materia that was also mastered, and also the Ice… it was almost mastered. She then went back to her closet and rummaged around, finding the dagger that her father had given her to protect herself with. She slipped the belt around her tiny waist and tightened it to the tightest it could go. It was still a little big, but it wouldn't slip off her waist.
She ran out of the house. If anyone were watching, they would see a little girl with an oversized belt holding a dagger with a large Dragon Armlet wrapped around her arm. She had a fierce expression on her face. She was going to help daddy.
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The light suddenly faded away, and everything was returned to normal.
Yuffie blinked about a million times. She still couldn't see very well. It was a lot worse than taking a flash picture, because now every so often she could still see the flashing of the lights.
As soon as her vision corrected, she quickly checked in Sephiroth's direction.
She covered her mouth to stifle a scream. There he was, laying on the ground, blood pooling every where around him.
Oh Cetra… she thought. Gosh… he might've murdered… but he didn't do it on purpose… he didn't deserver this.
Cid couldn't tear his eyes away from the sight because he was still frozen to the ground. His mouth came wide open from the shock.
Holy shit… man… Cloud… that's wrong… that's wrong. Sephiroth man… you were alright… you were alright… you didn't deserver to die like this… no matter how many freaking people you killed… no one should die like this. He thought, closing his eyes.
Barret covered his eyes. What the hell was wrong with Cloud! If Aeris getting injured as hell and Sephiroth dying didn't stop him… what could?
There was a long dead silence. Then laughter ripped through the air. "Hahahaha! Very good my son! Very good!" Jenova clapped Cloud across the back with a tentacle, then looked at the others. "Finish them off."
Cloud didn't say anything. He stared at the body laying at his feet. The smell of blood rose to his nose…
"Sephiroth! What the hell are you doing!" he screamed as the general put his sword through another man.
The silver-haired man just laughed and turned away, the fire rising up to cover him…
… "TIFA!" he screamed as he found her on the ground.
He gently picked her up, the smell of blood rose to his nose, but he didn't turn away. How could he turn away from his best friend?
"Cloud… you're here… for me…" she muttered, her face covered in blood.
He was speechless… what could he say to her to comfort her? She was going to die… there was so much blood…
… "Aeris…" he reached out towards her body…
Suddenly, something dropped out of the sky.
A sword ripped through her body and through her dress like a knife on butter.
He cried out. The smile that she had remained on her face. Her once bright emerald eyes dulled and she sank to the ground, limp…
Aeris…
Tifa…
Sephiroth…
"What are you waiting for boy!" Jenova shouted. "Kill them!"
"The Reunion…" the cloaked man moaned, and fell to the floor, his empty eyes staring into nothing… he was dead.
Cloud checked the man. He was tattooed with a number, and looked back up. He knew that he and Sephiroth would meet very soon…
… Their swords clashed… sparks went flying…
… A sword went through Aeris…
… She was so bloody… the smell of blood was just overpowering…
… The overpowering pain as Sephiroth stabbed him. But somehow… that power went through him… and he picked up the Masamune and lifted the silver-haired man in the process… and threw him off the edge…
…Blood…
…Dead Aeris…
…Tifa…
…Hand the Black Materia to me!… that commanding voice shouted in his head… bending him to its will…
"Son?"
"SHUT UP!" he screamed, and fell to the ground, his hands clamped on his ears, not caring that he landed in Nefilim's blood.
Then he felt something warm, wet, and sticky on his ears. He looked down at his hands… they were covered in blood. He opened his mouth in horror and looked back at Jenova. "Mother…"
"Yes son…" she cooed.
He shook his head. Images of a blonde haired lady entered his mind, asking him if the girls were all over him.
That's mom… he thought.
"You're not my mother…" he muttered.
"Yes Cloud!" Tifa yelled.
He looked back at Tifa. "Tifa?"
Tifa looked as if she were about to cry. "Yes, Cloud. I'm Tifa."
"I… I choked you…"
"I forgive you, Cloud!"
Jenova grabbed his head. "I'm your mother boy!"
Cloud saw that her eyes were beginning to glow like before. He quickly turned his head away. "That's not going to work on me again, bitch!"
"Yes it will! Look what you did!" Jenova shoved his face towards the body of Sephiroth.
The blonde man's eyes widened. He remembered every moment of it. His sad smile… and he didn't even try to stop him. He looked down at his bloody hands and cursed in his thoughts.
Oh shit… why did I kill him? Cloud wondered. What the hell is wrong with me!
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Gast ran into the tunnel and froze. He saw Cloud kneeling down in a puddle of blood… that ran from Sephiroth. Jenova floated near Cloud, her tentacles grabbing his head. Many yards away were Zack, Cid, and Vincent were frozen on the ground for some reasons. Tifa sat next to a trembling Aeris who had a large cut across just above her heart.
"Sephiroth… my poor baby…" Lucrecia whispered, her voice extremely high.
Everyone turned to look at them, all but Sephiroth.
Aeris just stared at them, then turned back toward Jenova, still trembling.
Gast looked at Lucrecia. The poor woman's eyes were filling up with tears. They threatened to fall, but she blinked quickly, trying to keep them in.
"Ahh… I see… the boy's mother… and look… another batch of Cetra for me to have fun with! I'm delighted!" Jenova licked her lips evilly, and turned back toward Cloud, her tentacles went around his neck.
Tifa's back tensed and she stood up. "Let him go!"
"Trying to be the little heroine after your little boyfriend?" Jenova snickered, Tifa's expression turned into pure hate.
The brown haired girl pursed her lips.
How the hell did she…? She wondered. Outwardly, she said, "He's my best friend… nothing more." Maybe her voice trembled because Jenova's lips spread into a wide grin.
"I hear denniiiaaaalllll…" Jenova yelled in a sing-song voice.
"Holy shit… first she screams and gets us paralyzed… and now she has to sing!" Cid shouted incredulously.
Everyone ignored the blonde pilot (again…that poor guy).
Tifa did a very un-lady like thing. She spat at Jenova and gave a "you're dead" look.
The monster laughed again. "You may be best friends… but I think you want it to be more than that!"
The martial artist's eyes widened. She was reminded of the day that they had off…
Cloud had seemed too nice that day… it was so… different…
She had been so happy when he allowed her to lean her head on his shoulder…
"How… how could I…?" Cloud muttered to himself, yet loud enough for everyone else to hear him. "I… I just… killed him… and he… he… didn't even deserve it…"
Tifa couldn't bear to look at him. It was pitiful… seeing her best friend kneeling on the ground looking at his worst enemy that way.
Behind his back, Jenova gave a humongous smile that was just disgusting. Barret turned his head away in disgust and Yuffie made a noise that made her sound half animal.
"That bitch…" Barret cursed under his breath.
Cloud was still on the trembling. He didn't understand and looked at his own hands. All he saw was the hands of a killer.
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Wake up, Nefilim.
Nefilim? That's not my name. That's the name that Aeris gave to me because I forgot my own.
What is my real name again?
…………………………
…………………………
I can't seem to remember. Why the hell is it so fucking black out here?
Hehe… I'm starting to sound like Cid.
What happened to me?…
Strife…
Strife! That bastard! He killed me!
It wasn't his fault. It was Jenova's. She was controlling him.
Damn… how do I get back?…
Cloud jumped high above his head… and he smiled a sad smile. He was glad that this was the end. He would lose again…
Then… came this blackness…
What is my name!
Blackness…
RGH! Name!
Cloud slashed again… and again… the stinging pains of the blows…
"You cannot be weak! You are my son! I will not allow you to be weak! keep on running dammit! Get back up you sonuvabitch!"
What the hell is my name dammit!…
" what's wrong?" his mother asked…
"Being a perfect gentlemen aren't you?" Aeris.
The closeness between them. She had gently touched him… and he didn't understand why… but that feeling of warmth had washed over him… the desire…
He didn't even understand why he had gently squeezed her hand back. He remembered as a child… no attachments… no feelings…
…No love…
…Only hate…
But Aeris was so different. She had changed him. She was the first one that had made him smile in a long time. She was so like her father… gentle and kind…
…And yet…
…She was so different from her father…
She made him feel. It was one of those feelings he didn't understand.
Was that warmth that he felt with her called love?
…Haha… that's impossible…
…Back to the subject of my name…
But he didn't care about his name anymore. He only saw Aeris' face. He knew that he had to wake up again. Just for her. He wasn't going to let Jenova win all this. He wasn't going allow Aeris to… die…
…Again…
He had killed her the first time. Now it was time to pay her back for all her kindness… care… friendliness… and…
…love…
I love her… that's what it is…
…love…
And the warm feeling flooded back to him. And the darkness was expelled… and there came the bright white light.
He had to turn his face away from the light. He smiled inwardly… the more warmth he felt… the brighter the light became…
(You finally understand…)
He felt tears flowing out of his eyes. He knew who he was… and he was free…
He walked toward the light. He was finally whole man. He knew his identity once more.
My name is Sephiroth… he thought as tears flowed down his cheeks.
Thank you, Aeris… for letting me understand…
He opened his arms and ran, engulfed in the brightness of the light.
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"I can simply snap your neck…" Jenova purred into Cloud's ear.
He shuddered, chills running down his back from his neck to his tailbone. He looked back at Tifa with his sea blue eyes. She had a pleading look upon her face that told him she didn't want him to get injured. That moment… he thought she looked beautiful, no matter how distraught she was. Her chestnut brown hair was in disarray, but the rest of her was perfection to him.
He quickly looked away. He never felt this way about Tifa for… nine years. When he was fourteen, he had a huge crush on her. She had been the only one who actually cared about him other than his mother… and she had died. She was his only friend then.
"As much as I hate Cloud and I would just love to see his head popped off… I'm sure everyone else wants to see his head attached to his neck… without it broken," said a familiar voice.
Everyone froze at the sound. All of them slowly turned their heads in the direction of the voice. Aeris wanted to scream when she realized who it was.
"It… can't be… it's… impossible…" Cloud murmured as he saw who it was.
Awww... I luv the part about Sephy... he realizes he's in love wit Aeris! How cute! Anyways! Thanks to Yuka-san and DemonSurfer for reviewing!