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The Final Chapter - The City of the Ancients
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The Highwind flew as low as possible and the crew took over flying while Cloud and his friends departed for the city. Cloud sprinted flat out through the cold and dreary city. The others were trying to keep up but Cloud was running on fury, it was time for Zak to die. Vincent streaked ahead of Cloud with in-human endurance, his red cape fluttered in the wind. Their footsteps echoed for miles as nothing but them moved in the dead city. Cloud and Vincent sped past the lake that was Aeris' tomb. They ran into the building that held the staircase down to the hidden area, where Sephiroth had killed Aeris. Cloud and Vincent descended the stairs and stopped when they ran into Zak's barrier, both of them stumbled backwards and fell over the bottom step of the staircase.
Zak was knelt in the centre of the platform, the five dead people in a pentagram around him, their blood linking each of them. Zak seemed to be chanting under his breath, Cloud and Vincent could tell as his breath was crystallising it was so cold. The lake around him had frozen completely. Blood dripped off the platform and hit the frozen pond. The room was dark except from the mystical energy orbs that floated beneath the water, the ones that had been put there by the Ancients thousands of years ago.
"What do we do?" asked Vincent placing his hand against the barrier. Cloud looked around; there was nothing that they could use the barrier kept them from Zak. Suddenly something glittering at the top of the stairs caught Cloud's eye. It was some sort of basin that seemed to contain the Ancients thoughts and feelings, Cloud had encountered it the first time he had come to the City of the Ancients but he couldn't decipher it. Cloud ran flat out up the stairs and over to the basin. Cloud stood over the basin and plunged his hands into it. The rush of voices almost knocked him off his feet but he gritted his teeth searching for a single voice in the crowd. He was knocked back by the power of the Ancients. He gasped and sat up again.
"I don't recommend you trying that again" said Vincent who had walked up the stairs to se what Cloud was up to. Cloud sat up and plunged his hands back into it. Again he was knocked back, this time he connected with the wall and almost fell down the stairs.
"Cloud!" said Vincent grabbing him by the shoulders as he went for the basin again "The Ancients will keep doing this, soon you'll get hurt probably mentally"
"I have to" gasped Cloud
"Please don't" pleaded Vincent. Cloud raised an eyebrow, Vincent pleading? Cloud thought
"I have to, you understand" said Cloud. This time Cloud knelt over the basing looking deep into its unknown depths and, after a second of doubts, plunged his face into it. Vincent went to grab him but the world stood still.
Clouds thoughts and feelings joined those of the Ancients, he could decipher the words but they were unimportant. Suddenly, through the voices, a soft voice sung out to him. Mentally Cloud swam towards her
"We're locked out" he said to Aeris' memories.
"Use what lies in your hands" she said and knocked Cloud back. Cloud leant against the basin gasping for breath, his head was pounding and he had to grip the basin to keep himself upright.
The basin! he thought "This is probably an act of ultimate sacrilege" he told himself picking up the basin. With a hard throw the basin arched through the air and hit the barrier. The basin exploded as did the barrier. Cracks scurried up the walls of the building and Zak was knocked forwards by the blast.
Cloud slid down the wall groaning, the blast had shaken Vincent and himself and they were suffering the effects. Vincent was knelt down holding his head, his rifle lay a few meters away. Zak groaned getting back to his feet
"What the hell was that?" he asked looking around
Ancient power said Sephiroth.
"Cloud!" said Zak walking towards him
Don't! warned Sephiroth Finish the spell
When Cloud sat up Zak was back to chanting.
Tifa and the others came running in
"Hot in here" said Cid. Cloud and Vincent looked back at each other
"It was freezing when we came in" said Vincent. They both looked back at Zak. The blood of the dead bodies was bubbling, the heat in the room was increasing by the second. Cloud and Vincent ran forwards along the smaller platforms. Cloud jumped, Buster Sword in hand. He arched through the air towards Zak who was crouched preying. A roaring noise was getting louder and louder as though something was coming towards them.
Tifa and the others watched from the top of the stairs as Cloud arched through the air towards Zak.
Clouds sword was inches from Zak's back when the roar got to its peak and the bodies caught fire.
"It's done" Cloud heard Zak whisper. The platform exploded in a ball of flames. The icy pool defrosted instantly. Zak and Cloud were thrown from the platform and crashed into the pool of water. Chunks of building came crashing down into the pool. Earthquakes rippled outwards shaking the entire planet. At the Gold Saucer entire platforms came crashing down killing hundreds. Light and dark elements ricochets around the underground cavern knocking Vincent off his feet and sending him crashing into the wall, most likely killed. Tifa had shielded her eyes and now she looked back at the platform engulfed in white flames. Screaming echoed off the walls, Zak had done more than bring back Sephiroth, he had opened the gates of hell in order to let his idol free. Tifa looked down into the pool and saw Cloud floating there.
"Cloud!" she cried and ran down the stairs past Vincent and dived into the pool. Zak awoke and swam upwards. He broke the surface and climbed out. Tifa swam upwards pulling Clouds body, not knowing if he was alive or not. When she broke the surface he opened his eyes taking deep breaths. Both of them swam along and climbed out. Zak was knelt there smiling. Cloud looked in the direction of the platform fearfully. His eyes were downcast and slowly he looked upwards.
Boots, black trousers, black shirt, that pale skin, those green eyes, that long silver hair.
Sephiroth was back.