27

Midgar: The End of Shinra

Cid's crew was already onboard, preparing the ship, when the pilot rushed into the bridge, jumping up the ladder.

"Guys, get it going, now!" He climbed as fast as he could, and reached his station.

The engines hummed, charging before the big burst.

Sleepy eyed at first, the crew may have been startled awake by Weapon's appearance, bright-eyed and trembling fingers working across control panels.

The airship lifted, and Cid steered it towards Midgar.

I pressed against the glass to squint down into the dark world.

Walking slowly under us, Weapon aimed straight for the glowing green city, nothing stopping it. Its footsteps crushed into dark, rocky hills and barren lands, leaving behind small craters. The giant hybrid carried bright lights under its enormous bulge of shoulders, like thick, white armor plates that forged into its body. Its bright white eyes and red mouth kept focus on its target, not noticing when Cid hovered us overhead to get a sight at what we were up against.

Cloud peered down with me, the bridge's dim lighting unable to display his emotions clearly, but the Mako illuminated his eyes.

"When do we stop it?" He asked anyone.

Barret frowned deeply at everything under the airship, displeased to be torn away from Marlene so soon, and his metal hand trembled under his chin.

Midgar came into view, glowing bright as a dark green blemish in the middle of a wasteland. Searchlights pierced into the smoggy sky, reactors casting green lanterns around the city as pillars of energy, Mako leaking up into the sky to spread its toxicity. But something was different about the city this time. When we grew closer, my hands smacked the glass, and then I gasped, fogging it up.

Midgar had a new addition to its structure, pointing North.

"Is that Junon's Cannon?" Cloud gasped, his eyes widening at the length of it. The cannon overlapped the outer walls until the large barrel extended a mile over the outside freeways, held up by pillars of metal grids and lights.

Reeve walked up slowly to take a look at the view, his eyebrows up.

"Yes. The Sister Ray," he muttered. His hand holding Cloud's phone shook.

"Rufus was able to move it? Well, I'll be damn, that's impressive," Barret shared. Cloud's jaw tensed, his eyes brightening.

I knew of Rufus's plan, though I didn't think he actually had the manpower to do it. He must've flown in the cannon piece by piece, having to break it down and reassemble it, using his city as a new weapon.

"That's how he's going to break the barrier to the North Crater," I whispered, awing over the new structure.

Cloud threw his eyes at Reeve sharply.

"Reeve, any luck getting a hold of someone?"

Reeve inhaled through his teeth, shoulders up, and then he breathed out, shoulders dropping lower than before.

"I've learned I have fewer friends than I thought. But Shinra already knows, I can guarantee that. Maybe we can leer Weapon towards the cannon, and Shinra may be able to destroy both that and the barrier," he mentioned.

"Can the cannon reach that far?" I asked, amazed to see Midgar under us easily after we've been away for a long time.

I never knew how massive it really was until now, seeing as it glowed bright during the darkest of hours, but what I realized more than anything else, is that over half its population was invisible. The people living under the plate, how could I tell? They were hidden, non-existent for all of Shinra and the residents of the upper plate. How frightening to actually see that Barret's and Tifa's old home was under the glowing city, cast away in its shadow. What kind of sadistic bastard of a leader would've let that kind of segregation develop in his city? My hands curled until fists pushed against the glass. If only I could reach through the window, take a firm grip on Midgar's upper city, and lift, setting it aside to let the people below get a chance to look up at the sky.

Uncomfortable cramps broke my thoughts. There was a twist of pain in my lower stomach, causing me to double over and grunt.

"Aqua, what's wrong?" Cloud noticed, but I brushed his hand away, shaking my head before I dipped under the rail.

"I'm fine. I just need to sit down," I breathed, lips quivering. Was it anxiety? My occupied uterus shifting things around? If it wasn't nausea, then other symptoms of pregnancy put me to torture, such as the hard cramps and cravings.

I laid down on a bean bag chair with a sigh, suddenly sweating. My legs extended over the floor, and I rested a hand on my forehead as I laid back, eyes stuck to the high ceiling. I noticed Cid standing at his station, his forehead wrinkling when he took a good look over my poor state.

"Cid, I'm fine," I forced, closing my eyes to block out his worried expression.

"What do we do? Fight Weapon near the cannon, then?" Barret asked aloud.

Reeve gulped. "That's the idea," he murmured.

"But what if we fail?" Barret added, his tone strained.

There was silence for a time, the gang sharing looks or pondering the worst-case scenario.

Cloud stepped away from the view.

"We don't," he instructed, breaking the discomfort.

Reeve groaned behind his lips, not matching with Cloud's confidence.

"I don't know. I have family up in Sector 2, and they aren't answering my call. I'm worried about them. Maybe, while you guys keep Weapon distracted, I can go into Midgar and take them somewhere safe."

"You know how to get into the city fast enough?" Cloud asked Reeve.

Reeve dwelled in a painful silence until he uttered, "No."

I wiped the sweat off my face and sat up with more difficulty than it should've been, but I fought through it. I didn't desire Cloud to worry, not at a time like this. Everything's fine.

"Reeve, I may be able to help you with that," I sighed, trying to keep it together.

Cloud crossed his arms, fuming silently as Barret asked me, "You mean with your flying?"

"You can fly?!" Reeve gawked.

I attempted to stand, nodding, and forced a smile.

"It's difficult to explain, but yes. I can take you to where you need to go. I don't think..." I glanced at Cloud burning me with his Mako eyes, and then passed him to the window where Midgar's green haze lingered, a layer of filth up in the sky with us like an aurora.

"I don't think I can fight this time, that's for certain," I realized. We hardly had enough rest since Ultimate Weapon. I was sick of chowing down Powerbars when there was no knowing what will happen next, a real hearty meal always forgotten. I was craving fried pickles and yogurt, not processed calorie bars and noodles.

Reeve walked up to me, though I was uncertain if he was easily fooled by my act.

"A-Are you sure?"

I nodded. If I could still help in any way without straining too much, then I didn't hesitate to answer, "Yes, I'm sure. Let's meet on the deck."

Reeve looked to Cloud, as though he had the real say, but he said nothing, keeping his frustrations to himself. He jerked his eyes away when I looked at him, and he sighed instead of verbalizing how much he was against this.

"I'll call Barret's phone when we reach Sector 2. You guys stall Weapon while I try to evacuate the city," Reeve planned.

Barret's metal hand made a fist, and he slapped it over his buffed chest.

"Sound's like a plan," he said, grinning to Cloud to get an agreement. Cloud looked to the dark sky.

"Sure."

I knew he was upset, but it was better for me to go with Reeve than stay to fight another giant beast. He couldn't fuss about that.

We all scattered to get ready.

Minutes later, I headed for the deck, where Reeve waited. Before opening the door, I took a deep breath and rubbed my stomach, its cramps thankfully gone. It was going to be okay. Just fly in, help Reeve evacuate the city, and we'll all meet back at the airship.

Simple.

I checked my belt pouch, stocked with four small bottles of Ether, two potions, some Gil, and... The ring reflected the hangar's ceiling lamp, stopping me from my mental list. I sucked in a breath, remembering the ring that belonged to Aerith's real mother. Wearing it, I felt connected to them both, wondering if they were together in the Promise Land. I'm still not confident what the Promise Land is, but it sounds like where people go when they die, a place for their consciousness, perhaps. Or maybe it's a place where only Ancients go?

"I don't like this," I heard. I whipped my head around, finding Cloud walk down the metal steps slowly. Like his eyes, the blade of his magical sword glowed from his back as though he had magical wings tucked behind him. He crossed his arms as he stepped closer, and I went back a step until the door stopped me from going any further. I overlapped my hands over my heart to feel it pound hard, dodging his furious stare.

"It's better than fighting Weapon, isn't it?" I argued, looking to the button to open the door.

Cloud brought his hands up to let them settle, my head between them with his arms acting like a barrier. He leaned in intensely, and with no where for me to go, I held my breath as I felt his sigh brush my lips.

"Just use my phone to call Barret as soon as you land. Got it?"

I swallowed, warming when he got this close to me. Waves of desire traveled up my spine, tingling my cheeks until they burned.

"Of course," I whispered, not brave enough to meet Cloud's eyes, even though he was itching for a connection. He couldn't stand it, and whispered, "Look at me."

Slowly, I twisted my head back, and finally, lifted my eyes to meet his. I got lost in them, desperate to reach inside and discover more of Cloud's buried emotions. I knew he hated the idea of us separating like this. Feelings of it surfaced the first time when we shared that prison cell together at Shinra Headquarters, the challenge it was to be pulled apart after a short reunion.

"Don't do anything too crazy?" I squeaked, swallowing down the urge to kiss him.

Cloud licked his lips and turned his head to spot the button.

"I'll be fine." He smacked it, and the door whooshed open. Traces of Mako, filth and old rain poured inside, the winds ruffling his hair.

One arm gone, I was given permission to go, stepping out into the gust. Reeve was ready, secured at the rail, and through the drizzle, nervously smiled at me.

"Ready?"

I cleared my throat as my hair smacked me in the eyes, fluttering into a loose, tangled mess.

"Yes," I answered assertively.

I clasped my hands over my chest, ready to charge with energy. But then I gasped, a strong hand taking hold of my shoulder to twist me around. Cloud pushed his forehead against mine, one hand holding my cheek, and he closed his eyes.

"It keeps doing this," he sighed.

Rain speckled in, coating his face.

"Keeps doing what?" I asked, leaning into his warm, gloved hand.

"Life throwing more obstacles, taking up our time when..." he pressed his lips together, taking a second to gain confidence for his next set of words. But he couldn't say them, grunting instead as though painful to keep them locked inside. I think I knew what he wanted to say, so I bravely did it for him.

"I want us to go away, spend time together, do things that makes me feel like we're a couple," I demanded gently.

Cloud seemed pleased to have me say it because he smirked, and took my face into his hands.

"I know," he quivered.

We kissed hard. My hands took hold of his wet cheeks, more cold rain slipping into the deck. In the chill, his mouth felt on fire, coaxing me to take more to keep warm.

Reeve's cheeks burned and looked away, probably feeling intrusive to watch.

"Be careful," Cloud whispered, his words tickling my lips.

I did one last squeeze of his hand on my cheek, trying to smile when I was deeply afraid.

"We got this," I declared, giving him a strong look.

It wasn't like Cloud to mirror my expression, so I wasn't hurt when he frowned before letting me go.

"Cid, Barret and I will take care of Weapon. Good luck in the city, you two," he encouraged, giving Reeve a thumbs up.

Reeve smiled, showing his coffee stained teeth, and chuckled uneasily.

"I can't believe I'm doing this," he said through his forced smile, a backpack strapped to his back.

I craned my head over the rail to look down at the glistering lights under a green haze. Already, I could smell Midgar's filth, saturating the air. Being pregnant, I think the city's smell was hitting me even worst because I had to vomit over the rail unexpectedly.

Reeve and Cloud shared troubled looks.

"Aqua, are you sure about this?" Reeve carefully challenged.

I coughed to clear my burning throat, hair over my eyes.

"Yes, I'm sure," I groaned. When the nausea subsided for now, I swung my legs over the rail, shaky hands helping me get a good grip before I jumped up and sat on the edge. My sneakers floated over the city when I had another look.

"Reeve, sit next to me and make sure to grab as tight as you can," I warned him.

Reeve closed his eyes as he stepped over the rail, rain smacking his back before he twirled around.

"Okay!" He wailed.

He shook uncontrollably when he sat next to me, arms vibrating against mine. His eyes remained closed. "Okay, now what?!"

Magic gathered inside my chest, building up until I glimmered with a thin shell of green. My back blazed until green sparkles discharged, forming glowing green wings. I took Reeve's wet hand, and he latched onto my waist belt as he whimpered, "I can't believe I'm trusting you!"

I rolled my eyes and gave one last glance at Cloud standing behind us, his frown deeper.

"We're off!" I shouted.

The hard part was pushing off. You just had to do it or else be stuck on the edge for too long until motivation is replaced with fear. My shoes pressed on a lower bar, and pushed me off, chest out and hair lifting off my face. I pulled Reeve with me, and he screamed, hanging there when I lifted a few feet. He wrapped his arms tight around my waist, hands glued to my belt, and buried his face into my belly.

"Tell me when it's over!"

The airship shrank away, hovering over the wastelands. Slowly, I flew Reeve towards Midgar, the city expanding.

I covered my mouth, the smell I had forgotten for so long, returned, and I let out a dry heave.

"Oh gods, not the smell," I groaned, rubbing my hands over my wet face.

It sprinkled as we came in, rain tickling us. I couldn't stop appreciating the magnitude of Midgar's size. As Barret said a long time ago, it did look like a pizza, a big, fat, dark green pizza with two rings of thick metal crust. Each slice held a large wedge of a glowing Mako reactor on its inner crust, and glowing zigzags of streets followed by the sprinkle of lit up freeways. Smacked in the center of that pizza, was the high cluster of buildings surrounded the tallest tower on the Planet, Shinra's Headquarters.

"Reeve, open your eyes and take a look," I encouraged, almost smiling at the view.

Reeve shook his head and squeezed until I had trouble breathing.

"I'm fine," he said into my dress. The vibrations of his mouth tickled my belly.

"But you have to tell me where to go," I pressed, knowing he was going to have to look eventually.

"Oh," he muffled.

Reeve turned his head, cheek resting on my stomach, and with bravery, he faced Midgar, his skin slowly turning green from the Mako exhaust licking the clouds.

His eyes squinted at first, but then they opened, wider and wider until his jaw dropped.

"Ohhhhh."

"Isn't it something?" I gushed, smiling like an adrenaline junkie, and then did another dry heave because the smell only got worst as we came closer.

It was nostalgic floating down into the city, reliving my entryway into this world for the very first time. I've grown up since then, no longer that frightened and helpless girl desperate to get back to New York. My chest tightened, remembering how I first met Cloud on the streets in rain just like this.

By the time Reeve and I made it over the wall, we were soaked. I shivered in the muggy air, thickening as we descended closer. Reeve lifted a shaky finger towards a pizza slice.

"Over there, that's Sector 2!"

I pushed more magic into my wings, and steered us in towards that area. Buildings began to tower near us, their rooftops reaching for my sneakers, until we whooshed by brick walls and skimmed over freeways. No screams of the panic coming from the streets below, and that worried me.

"Reeve, is no one aware that Diamond Weapon is heading this way?" I asked.

Reeve observed the quiet streets, still too early in the day for most of the residents to be out. Many were still tucked in their beds, oblivious to the danger was that heading this way.

"I think Shinra is keeping it quiet," he hissed, displeased with the quiet night.

Lanterns flickered. In the far distance, I could just hear the rumbling of Diamond approaching, each thump a long second to the countdown for Midgar's destruction.

"How are you doing?" Reeve asked as we flew in between two tall loft buildings.

I licked bitter rain off my lips.

"Surprisingly well. It doesn't take as much energy to descend," I huffed.

"I still can't believe you can do this. Can all full Ancients fly?"

I shrugged, not seeing it in any of the readings.

"That's a good question. I would like to think so, but many forgot how to once they settled here on this Planet," I guessed.

Reeve pointed to a wide section of identical homes all lined up like a web, the streets well lit but empty.

"My parents live down there!"

I smiled, glad to safely get inside Midgar, and let out a long, relaxed sigh.

"Oh thank-!

Something stabbed into my left arm, and suddenly, I screamed when a wave of electricity sent waves of painful heat across every muscle fiber of my being.

Reeve grunted, the shocks of lightning traveling from me to him until he went into spasms.

"What is this?!" He shrieked. His arms loosened, fingers slipping, and then he fell.

I opened one eye to find him topple ten feet before a rooftop of a power plant broke his fall.

Another shot hit me in the chest and something planted there, startling me again. More heat sizzled my insides until I shook so violently, I began to fall. I grit through my chattering teeth, eyes squinted open to see where I was going, but it was no use, everything hurt. Down I glided, until my wings evaporated, and I landed roughly into a roll across wet asphalt.

Arms and legs swung, wet dress sticking to my legs. My whole world spun, flashes of green and black when I tried to see where I was.

Eventually, everything stopped, leaving me on my back. My head swirled, and I groaned up at the black sky. Rain speckled over my face. When I licked my lips again, an acidic taste lingered on my tongue. It was disorienting at first, attempting to make sense of what just happened. My ears picked up many footsteps. Initially, I thought it was just Reeve and a few good samaritans rushing in to check on me. I turned my head, cheek resting on the wet street, and saw a blurry wave of boots. Many boots. Guns clicked. Mutters and radios crackling.

"We got her," someone said. I strained to look up, and noticed the blue uniforms.

Not again. Aren't we pass this point by now? What could Shinra possibly want with me?

I tried to speak, but someone muttered, "Sleep", and I started to feel heavy.

Reeve, where did you go? I mouthed his name before my eyes closed too easily.

…

Why did I feel so comfortable?

I thought I was lying on something soft and warm, the cold rain gone. Where am I?

I groaned, feeling weak when I rolled onto my side. A soft pillow squished under my cheek, its scent strangely familiar. My chest pulsed, throwing warning signals after I took an inhale. I couldn't figure it out just yet, but it made me queasy.

There was also the smell of something else, slithering in the air, and I thought of cigarettes.

Cid?

No, not Cid.

My hand reached, brushing over silk.

I opened one eye, my world a blurry mess of red and orange. The light hurt, and I cowered away from it, burying my face under a hand.

"Where..." I could hardly speak, mouth too dry, and I swallowed, the sickness getting worst.

Cloud, where are you?

I pressed my head against the silk, hands, and knees curling to help push me up.

I felt so heavy…

My body gave out, and I slumped back down to the soft world. I turned my head instead, squinting at the bright orange light. The blurry orange cleared, and I saw a tall, modern lamp behind a column of glass. My world then shrank, seeing how it was sealed by thin, white curtains, lastly, red silk sheets.

I'm in someone's room?

My head hurt. I grabbed my skull with both hands and squeezed, rolling to my other side, and squinted an eye to find someone sitting in a lushed red chair before a large window.

My eyes snapped open, and I froze.

Rufus pulled a short cigarette from his lips, just so he could give me a perfect grin. He sat with one knee over the other in white, dress pants, his black dress shirt pressed and silver necktie hanging loosely around his long neck. The grand view of Midgar glimmered behind him.

"You've never been to my Midgar home before," Rufus greeted, and his blue eyes glowed hungrily.

I tried to get up, but the Sleep magic remained glued to me like heavy dumbbells weighing me down.

"How..." I wanted to say more, but I was too groggy, almost drunk, and watched the President sit comfortably. He was enjoying this.

Rufus blew out smoke one last time before tapping his stub of a cigarette in a crystal bowl on his high-end table. How long has he been watching me?

"You've caused quite a bit of trouble at the Ancient city," he started, standing tall. He appeared to be in excellent health, strangely more so than usual. There was something different about him, but I couldn't put my finger on it. He turned his back to me when he stole a look through the window and smirked at his city.

"Thanks to Cloud, I've lost most of my army. He nearly got me, but luckily, Hojo and Heidegger brought me back. Though, I am uncertain if I am lucky anymore."

Again, I tried to sit up, using my hands to push me back, but my arms gave up, leaving me to flop. Already, Rufus had enough monologuing, and he twisted around sharply to glare at me.

"If I'm stuck here in this bloody world, then I may as well make the best of it. Diamond is heading this way. Cloud and your friends are busy keeping it occupied. They won't be looking for you here."

He knelt on the bed and pulled back the softness of a blanket away from me.

Naked, I curled into a little ball, hiding from him.

But Rufus grabbed my wrist and pulled hard, forcing me to roll on my back easier than expected. His grip felt stronger than before, hands locking my wrists until it hurt. He knelt over me, eyes glowing brighter. I looked away and opened my lips to let out a coarse cry.

"I will not lose. Not to you, not to Weapon nor to Meteor," Rufus declared quietly through his teeth. He easily pinned me down, and I cracked, "Stop!"

I grit my teeth and drew in energy, but it came in whimpering drops, too weak to manifest magic. When I swallowed, I felt it, something cold strapped to my neck like a thick chain.

Rufus saw my speculated look, and cocked his head at me, his blond bangs falling over one eye.

"Ah, yes, a new toy. Instead of two to keep you behaved, Hojo and I designed a special one. It was my idea to turn it into a collar. Do you like it?"

I said nothing, twisting my head to look away and shut my eyes. This had to be a dream.

"Get away!" I tried, my voice breaking.

Rufus ignored my cry, too busy looking over my body with desires in those eyes.

He whispered, "You look even more beautiful since the last time I saw you. How is that possible?" Firm fingers took hold of my chin, forcing me to face him as he looked down at me.

"You thought this was over, but revenge is sweet when treated with patience. Cloud will pay for what he did to my army, and laying his sword on me. Nothing better than take what he treasures most. I've always wanted to have you."

I tried to push against his hold, but his fingers dug into my cheeks too strongly, and then his cold lips returned after I thought I would never feel them again.

Rufus paid no mercy, even when I set out to scream, his head tilted to let his mouth cover mine to muffle my pleas. The cigarette and liquor taste filled me with disgust, fighting against his hold. He withdrew, but only to kiss down my neck, and I began to sob.

"Stop it, Rufus! There's no point!"

He sucked on my shoulder.

"I don't care if you are with child. It makes no difference to me anymore," he muttered, a man slowly losing his mind from the madness outside. His hands roamed wherever they wanted, and I found myself back into Junon, that horrible experience happening all over again. I felt trapped and alone, sobbing quietly under Rufus as he carefully took off his pants.

I tried for the choker, fingers scraping over what little I could grip, but it didn't budge, feeling too constrictive to even swallow without enduring sharp pain at my throat. My right arm still held Cloud's bracer, looking orange under the lamp. When Rufus neared, I tried to wack his cheek with it, but his reflexes improved somehow, and he pinned my arm down.

"Nice try, but you won't smack me again," he whispered, climbing over me once more in nothing but his loose shirt.

He quivered a sigh, kissing up my ear.

"How many times has he had you," he shushed, his kisses making me flinch.

I was saved by a ringtone. Its simple melody halted Rufus, his breath held. He blinked away the surprise in his eyes, and hissed, "I told them not to call me unless absolutely necessary."

Thank Gods, he crawled off and went to snatch his phone from his pants somewhere on the floor. I sat up, covering myself in a blanket, and gathered enough strength to slip off the bed.

I tried to open the only door, but it was locked, a passcode required to leave.

"What?! They couldn't defeat Diamond? It's aligned perfectly, you say? Well, what's the status on the Sister Ray?"

I glanced at Rufus over my bare shoulder, watching him glare out the window, one arm resting on the glass over his head.

"I don't care if it shuts down the whole city. It's better to have no lights than to have no city at all, am I right? Yes, begin the charge, and I will be at my station in two minutes. Weapon will not touch Midgar."

As he finished his call, he looked across the room at me, eyes bright strangely like Cloud's, and then it finally occurred to me what was so different about him.

Rufus had been injected with Mako.

—

"You will watch how I run this show," Rufus grilled, forcing me to walk with him with a stronghold of my upper arm. He will surely leave a terrible bruise, his fingers too strong with Mako pulsing in his blood, the furious man unaware of his new strength. The whereabouts of my linen dress and underwear remained unknown, replaced with one of Rufus's white, collar shirts. It hid my thighs, making me feel filthy as he dragged me through the marble hall like his slave.

"Rufus, why do you have Mako in you?" I asked, constantly yanked to keep up with him. He put a new cigarette to his lips, tie gone, and collar shirt half opened, looking disordered for the first time. He never smoked in front of me before. His hair hasn't even been smoothed back, more like he rolled out of bed and didn't bother combing. Very unlike Rufus. I wondered if he was slowly cracking.

He chuckled to himself after my question, taking me up familiar red steps, and into the double doors guarded by only two officers. They didn't even bat an eye at how I must've looked to them.

Rufus pulled me into the hall of his father's old office. Everything had come in full circle, the beginning of my journey also at my end. I imagined the bodies that laid on these floors, the fallen from Sephiroth's sword.

"Cloud got me pretty good. It was either the Mako or death. A wise man would've chosen death, but I have lost my wits as of late," Rufus admitted dryly.

There was no one up here at his office. How many employees had fled?

"Even if I do destroy the barrier, I have no army to take down Sephiroth. This Mako body will help me do it myself, and then you will learn, I'm the better man," Rufus grumbled, and he shoved me at his large desk. He sat in his father's old chair and got to work, fingers typing aggressively without a glance at the keys, and screens appeared in front of his eyes.

"I will not lose," he muttered to himself, glaring at the numbers. It was strange to see him work, something he never showed me before as I watched translucent screens without making much sense of what the graphs meant, and then a cry exploded across the sky. The room slightly shook.

"I'm here," Rufus announced, and speakers crackled.

A scuffled voice chimed in, "Sir, Diamond is approaching. The Sister Ray is ready as she'll ever be. Your orders?" It sounded like Heidegger.

I thought it intrusive to be here listening to all of this, and looked over at the tall glass windows behind us. Vaguely, I could just make out the white dots of Diamond Weapon's eyes floating over the outer wall.

I neared the window, three thirds of the office surrounded by nothing but glass, and pressed my hands to it while watching a giant monster light up. Cloud and the others failed to keep it at bay. I hoped they were all right. Did Reeve make it out safely? Did he get a chance to see his parents and evacuate some citizens? Did he call Cloud to tell him what happened?

I was Rufus's prisoner once more, but he seemed less in control, a man desperate to keep the order when the ground was breaking under his feet.

He could pump as much Mako as he wanted into his veins, destroy all the Planet's Weapons with his powerful influence, and even go against Sephiroth himself if he really wanted to, but he wasn't Cloud. He never will be.

My eyes stung.

Cloud. He's probably enraged. Is he coming for me as I watch hell about to break loose in Midgar?

More yellow lights glared behind the city's walls. I thought maybe it was the sun rising, but that didn't make sense because the light came from the North. And then I saw it, Diamond Weapon opened its massive shoulders. It was getting ready to fire.

"What of the security above the 60th floor?" Rufus asked through the intercom.

I wanted to scream, "Who cares about the security! We're going to get blown up!" But my voice stuck, eyes glued to Weapon as its core brightened with yellow energy.

Destroy the city.

I stepped away, shaking my head in disbelief. Was I going to die here?

I twirled to Rufus.

"Sir, many of our men have gone. Security may be thin. Why do you ask?" Heidegger questioned.

I knew why, but it may be too late now. Weapon will fire, and this building will be destroyed. If Cloud ever got in, he may get caught in Weapon's fire. A chill passed through me, and I stepped into Rufus's space.

"Rufus, Weapon is getting ready to fire!" I cried.

Rufus looked over his shoulder, his eyes glazing over me to take a look out, and saw the yellow light growing, like Weapon was holding half a dozen stars in its grasp. No reaction, his face a blank state. Was he panicking inside, or did this man really not feel anything?

Quietly, he turned around to analyze his station, keys clicking. I marched up to him furiously, and roared, "Tell them to fire now or else we will get blown up!" I screeched.

Rufus put a hand up, but I swatted it away.

"No! You dragged me into this! I will not die because of your cowardly errors. Wake up, Rufus! Your security is gone! Your company sucked dry! Let me go or fire," I screamed.

Rufus grabbed me by the collar of his shirt, and shoved me over his desk, slipping through the digital screens, and he glowered over me.

"I will not let him breach my office and take you away," he hissed, hands pressing my shoulders down powerfully with his Mako strength. Veins on his arms glimmered visibly in blue under pale skin, and his eyes overly saturated in a blue glow until the whites of them grew pink with irritation. Rufus pushed in between my legs and leaned in. An unstable smile cracked across his face.

"I swear to my mother's God, I will be the angel she always wanted me to be, saving these pathetic people and be the better man than father ever was!"

More of the real Rufus leaked out in a twisted face of rage and spit, frightening me.

The unstable President began to crack more, unless it was the Mako eating at him from the inside, dissolving at his once clear mind. I couldn't tell, but either way, I squirmed under his hold, afraid to be blown up at any second. My feet kicked at his hips, his stomach, groin, anything, but Rufus was as sturdy as Mythril, unaffected, thanks to his enhanced body.

He pushed me down even further until I winced from his fingernails digging into my skin.

"I lost you once. I won't lose you again," Rufus whispered, admiring me even though I fought him. Didn't he care that his city was about to be under attack? Was Rufus stalling, hoping to have us die together?

"Rufus, wake up!" I screamed, hoping to unlock some kind of hidden, true version of him inside this mad man's body.

"What's the matter, my Love? Don't you trust-"

And like a burst of red flames exploding from his cold heart, blood squirted from Rufus's chest.

His mouth stayed open, stuck in place with a release of a crackling breath. My eyes grew. With a sharp inhale, I tasted his blood when it sprayed over my face and shirt.

Everything froze. My heart drummed quickly, afraid to move as I tried to register what had just happened. A glowing white blade with a blue center pushed further through Rufus's chest, covered by a thin film of his blood. He smelt of metal and Mako, more of it gushing around the blade. His voice choked in his throat as his hands let go of me, left to shake in the stale air.

Well, what do you know, the ice prince did bleed.

"That's enough," Cloud stormed, his voice rocking my insides with pleasure.

His sword pulled back, and Rufus let out a gurgle. More blood, ruining his clothes, his skin, and spilled on his desk. Some of it squirted out of his mouth, and his shaky hands came up to the fresh and long, vertical wound in the middle of his chest. Layers of skin, fat, muscle, and bone clearly cut clean, his aorta most likely torn and releasing him into shock.

An unsettled silence flourished in the office, Rufus gaping over the blood on his hands. He sank to his knees, revealing Cloud standing right behind him darkly.

Urgently, I pushed off the desk.

"Cloud, oh, thank gods," I gasped, rushing towards him the same time he darted in with open arms. We crashed into each other. It felt so good to smell his scent again, to feel his arms and hear his voice. Tears leaked until I wept silently, shaking in his hold.

"You're safe now," Cloud whispered.

"Sir, we're waiting on your orders. Sir?!" Heidegger's voice vibrated off the desk.

All of us held our breath, uncertain what to do. Rufus's bloody hand reached towards a button on his desk, but Cloud stopped him, his bright blade glowing under his chin to cast his face entirely white.

Rufus glared up at Cloud, and spat blood onto his sword.

"Go ahead, but not until I fire," he gasped.

Cloud and Rufus had a stare down, their hate towards each other sizzling them both until their bodies lit lightly in blue.

Cloud then decided to drop his sword with a grunt.

"Even if you did live through all of this, the Mako will destroy you. I can already see it in your eyes," he explained.

Rufus said nothing, not until he finally pressed a button, and gurgled a cry of "Fire!"

Thereafter, he collapsed in his chair with a cough, hands pressed over his wound.

"Brace for it," he croaked, gasping.

The whole building rocked gently.

I stole a glance out the window, and stepped towards it to get the best view of what the Sister Ray was capable of. One at a time, each reactor flared, Mako flames bursting high in the sky until they were all lit. The entire world outside the office glared brightly in a sick green. Goosebumps coated my arms. From the eight reactors, massive tubes flushed them, sapping energy towards the center of the city, spilling into the cannon's body with incredible speed like a direct network.

"Unbelievable," I breathed.

Suddenly, the lights went out. I gasped, the office dark, in fact, the entire city turned into nothing but darkness, a massive blackout. Uneasy in the dark, I hugged myself, seeing nothing lit out there in the pitch-black world. It was chilling, a whole city just gone like that, shut down. There was a flickering of the only light source, speckles of light emitting off the end of the cannon as it charged. The light grew, the cannon collecting more energy. The rocking of the room increased. A few glass items fell, cracking easily against the marble floor.

Rufus swerved in his chair to watch, trembling as he became cold from shock.

From the dark, Cloud pulled me away from the window, anticipating what was going to happen next.

"Step back!"

He held me to keep steady, and together, we watched as the dreadful darkness lingered. The Sister Ray adjusted, its metal arms twitching in place, and then I rammed my face into Cloud's chest, bracing for it.

A bright light shot through the darkness, turning everything white for a half second, and then it flashed across the night, leaving Midgar in the dark. The whole building shook violently back and forth. The windows shattered. Cloud fell to his knees, covering me with his body as glass traveled through the air, scattering across the floor.

The marble cracked, sculptures, chandeliers, and vases falling.

As the chaos erupted around us, Rufus lit his last cigarette with his bloody hands, and gladly took it into his mouth, sucking it calmly.

The quake decreased until it finally stopped, and then the lights flickered back on.

"Emergency Mako reserves are online," a radio cracked.

"Sir, we hit Weapon! The barrier has been destroyed" Heidegger cheered.

Rufus blew smoke over his desk, his fading eyes stuck to the ceiling with anything but victory.

"You can kill me now, it doesn't matter anymore, anyway. What is one more minute?" He wheezed.

Cloud lifted his sword, ready to cut into the President's neck just for his own satisfaction.

I couldn't watch, looking out to the city through the now glassless windows, and heard the screams. Yellow beams of energy were heading straight towards us.

I cried, "Cloud, we have to go!" Though, how to get off this building in time? I tried to pull at the neck brace, too secure to even grip it.

"Sir, a mass of high density energy is heading towards Midgar!" Heidegger screamed through the speakers.

Cloud smirked, dropped his sword and muttered to Rufus, "One more minute."

He then ran. With one hand, he pulled me into his arms and lifted me up over his right shoulder, his boots cracking over the glass. He was heading towards one of the windows, air whooshing into the broken office.

"Wait, I can't fly!" I gasped.

"Just trust me!" Cloud cried, and before I could argue, he jumped.

I was gifted one last look at Rufus before falling to escape. His eyes were on mine, not even a tear to bid his farewell. Despite his condition, his blue eyes glared, hating to have finally lost, and blew out smoke as his departing gift to us.

It was when I felt the fall, I screamed, and Rufus in his office shrank.

Tightly, I gripped around Cloud's neck as wind whooshed up, blowing into my only garment to let it balloon, mooning the city. Cloud grunted, struggling to hold his sword in one hand while the other fidgeted with the straps across his chest.

"Hang on!"

He pulled a strap.

I felt yanked, letting go for a moment until one of his arms took hold around my waist and pressed me into him. Soon, we were floating down. I gripped as hard as I could, elbows locked in, and looked up to see a parachute over our heads.

Smart.

Cloud strapped his sword on a hook at his hip and muttered, "We're not out of the woods yet."

I pressed my bloody cheek into his shirt and sucked in a breath when I spotted the rapid firing of yellow missiles swooping through Midgar.

We were floating right in the middle of it!

Cloud took a hold of the steering handles, and we banked West to dodge a few shots. Massive heat passed us and hit into a building. A spread of multiple explosions erupted around the city, screams heard from below. I looked over Cloud's shoulder.

Behind us, Shinra's tall building stood out in the open. A few shots whizzed past it, and I held my breath, clenching tighter to Cloud.

One blast hit the bottom of the building, and then another, and another, blasting the top floors into smoke and flames. Shinra's Headquarters stood in the middle of Midgar like a mighty candle.

I gasped, shaking with a feeling of release, like invisible chains between me and Rufus finally broke apart.

Rufus Shinra is dead.

No more of his cold hands grabbing too tight, nor his lips touching any of my skin. No more of the fear that he will take me away, again and again, until I would be his. No more of his nightmare haunting me in sleep, nor when I'm naked with Cloud. I hated to admit this, but the anxiety of the trauma Rufus buried inside me just melted away. I was ashamed to feel that way, uncertain why tears were coming out of my wide eyes when I couldn't look away at the destruction of Rufus's company.

"He's gone," I whispered. I wasn't sure if Cloud heard me through the background of buildings exploding, bits of Midgar falling apart with echos of screams.

However, he replied, "I fucking hope so," and said no more. We were gliding down towards a war zone.

I closed my eyes, more tears spreading and smearing Rufus's blood across my cheeks until I could taste it. I rubbed my face into Cloud's shirt, anything to get rid of Rufus's filth, and hid from the destruction, shivering from the winds and rain.

What a blessing it was to be protected by Cloud, and I wept, thanking the Gods with a silent prayer.

"Hold on. We're landing," Cloud warned. I tensed, and he grunted when he landed a few steps forward, the parachute dragging him back, sword scraping over cement until it fell over, café tables knocked down.

We stopped. The rain turned into fat drops, and the city echoed around us in a fit of destruction. I wondered if the lower plate sectors got hit. There was some disadvantage being in the upper plate, vulnerable to any weapon of fire, while the poorer folk remained safe under it all.

I poked my head over Cloud's arm, finding ourselves to have landed on top of a deserted roof garden. The plants were artificial: stone blocks held up bushes displaying perfect flowers blooming with white plastic petals. There were fake green trees with pink blossoms standing right from the cement floor, spread out with café tables and chairs. A large, plastic canopy loomed over cushioned couches to keep them dry for weather like this, rain tapping in a soft river dance.

Cloud sighed, letting me go just so he could peel the parachute pack off him. I tripped over the parachute, string lights caught in its slump, and fumbled under the canopy to get out of the rain. After that, I just stood in place like I was lost, Rufus's shirt and his blood still on me.

Recent events flashed, the explosion of the Shinra Building burning a permanent image in my head. I didn't even notice Cloud standing there, his hair and uniform wet. He seemed hesitant to step near me, rooted near a tree of fake flowers along the edge of the canopy. One branch of blossoms shook when his hair brushed against it, his eyes studying how I must've looked. Did I look like a wreck, someone who's been through hell? Did I have marks?

I lifted my hands and saw the dark bruises around my wrists. My mouth opened, hands shaking.

He's gone now.

Tears streamed down my cheeks.

"Aqua, did he…." Cloud pulled me from my trance with his hesitating words. He sighed, brushing his hands across his wet hair to remove loose drops before more dripped from his spiky bangs.

"…rape you?"

My jaw trembled, tears blocking my vision. Something new rocked my insides, creating tingles up my cheeks until they burned. My throat swelled, that stupid collar still strapped to it.

"No," I cracked, finding it difficult to stabilize.

Cloud took a cautious step forward. The hellish world outside seemed to dissolve. I could no longer hear the screams, but it could just be because I was lost inside myself, laying witness to the shadows spilling out, shadows I didn't know I even had. Rufus planted them inside me, and finally, they were floating away. The ice clogging my heart's blood vessels began to melt.

"Shinra is finished," I gasped, scarcely believing it. I've been running from them since the beginning.

Cloud nodded, his eyebrows up. I think he was still too busy seeing how I've stood before him, a frail woman shaking with such relief, she didn't know how to process it.

I rubbed my cheeks with wet hands, smearing away the rest of Rufus's blood, and grappled fingers to the choker.

"I can't get this off," I whimpered.

"Here, let me see." Cloud came closer to inspect. It tickled to have his fingers tap my neck, his close presence prickling my skin with excitement. I held my breath at how his dark blue eyes analyzed the choker carefully, and he tapped it with a tink sound.

"Its covering is Mythril. What's it for?" He asked me, eyes lifting to snatch mine with innocence. I swallowed, and the choker hurt.

"To suppress my magic," I whispered, licking my lips.

Cloud's eyes dropped. "Oh."

He straightened, lifting a glare to the canopy as he pulled out his sword.

"Close your eyes, and hold your breath," he warned, Mako coating his body.

I choked, shaking my head, afraid of the idea that planted inside Cloud.

"No. There has to be another way," I squeaked.

"Do you want it off or not?" The way he asked made me press my lips together and freeze. He pulled his sword back with one hand, blade almost too blinding to look at.

"Close your eyes."

I obeyed.

Cloud moved too quietly to tell me when he was going to strike. It could be any second. I remembered to hold my breath, and waited.

Without warning, heat glazed in a crooked horizontal line over my neck, and I yelped, falling back a step. Something clanked on the floor.

I grabbed my neck, feeling it bare and inflamed. Lying there on a rug like an open bracelet, laid a thick metal ring with sparks spitting out from its ends. Cloud kicked the device, and it clanked under a couch until it disappeared somewhere in the rain.

No more devices to make me feel like a prisoner.

"There," Cloud breathed, looking back at me with a serious expression.

"That's it, we're not separating again-What?"

He stopped short, missing what I muttered, or maybe just caught off guard because what I said sounded so absurd, I couldn't believe I actually said it.

The ice inside me shrank, my chest quaking with increased heat, and I suddenly felt the urge to reach and pull Cloud to me. I looked into his eyes with a burning intensity. His shifted back to dark blue, his face still wet from rain, and a pause of apprehension settled between us with a powerful pull. For once, we were in sync.

I gulped, and said it again.

"I want to use my wi-!"

Cloud didn't even let me finish, already letting the pull bring me to him, and he gripped my face to kiss me. An eagerness emerged, causing our hands and lips to handle each other roughly. His kiss deepened while hands unclipped armor and belts quickly. I slid his shirt up and over his head, old rain water spraying us. I pushed him onto a couch, and he yanked me with him, letting me sit on his lap. Rufus's shirt ripped open, buttons tumbling on the floor, and I gasped, feeling hot lips suck a nipple.

My hands ran through Cloud's damp hair, steering my face up to the canopy to let his kisses rise along my neck and into my ear.

"I didn't imagine it this way," Cloud whispered, and he sucked the side of my neck to give me waves of pleasure. "But I'm relieved."

Our eyes aligned, catching a flash of hunger dart back and forth between us before I dropped in for another greedy kiss, hands exploring his chest. His pants slid down to his knees, and I held my breath as he slipped between my legs.

When Cloud slid inside, he moaned into my neck, his arms curled around my waist. I kissed his bare shoulder, gasping from each thrust while clawing his back. His warmth plunged my insides, and all the ice melted.

50