And now the conclusion!

Chapter 11: Rebirth

Talon sat down in his command chair. He had a big day. First, he made his wish, then he was stopped, and now... It seemed as he would never get anything to go his way...

Talon snapped his fingers.

Nothing happened.

Frustrated, Talon looked around. "Hey! Someone get in here!" Talon heard the sound of the door behind him opening. "Ahh, good. Get me a drink. And turn on some more lights!"

The sound of a million deep voices roared in response. "TALLLOONNN..." The voices said...

The sound was enough to send shivers down Talon's spine. He knew something was very wrong. He silently withdrew his sword, and turned around.

There, a humanoid monster was waiting for him, perched upon the table. It's rough skin shimmered in the dim lighting, while a rainbow of colors danced wherever the lights hit it's skin. Each hand had 3 sharp claws that extended about 12 inches from what should have been it's palm. It's face was covered in razor-sharp teeth, and claws, and it's eyes glowed an even more intense red than his own.

The creature, which could only be a WEAPON, swung it's arms at Talon's neck, and during Talon's last few seconds of life, he saw what could only be his own body, shred to pieces in front of his dying eyes...

Cloud rested his head into his hands.

He had lost Aeris... again... and to the same monster that killed her the first time...

Cloud could feel the tears begin to swell up.

"Cloud!"

Cloud looked up. Did he imagine it, or did he hear Aeris call his name?

"CLOUD!"

Cloud got up, and raced to the edge of the pit.

A few feet below him, he saw Aeris holding onto an outcropping on the side of the pit.
"AERIS!" Cloud exclaimed! Cloud smiled. She was alive!

But her face was not as excited. She looked as if she was in pain. Then Cloud saw movement below her. He slid to the side a little, and saw that the Light Sephiroth was holding onto Aeris' ankle, and that the Dark Sephiroth was holding onto him, trying to not only climb up over him, but also inflict some serious wounds upon him at the same time.

The Light Sephiroth was able to keep the Dark Sephiroth from climbing up, while trying to hold on, but Cloud knew that he wouldn't be able to keep it that way for long.

"Cloud!" Aeris yelled. "I can't hold on much longer!"

Aeris suddenly slipped, and half of her hand lost their grip on the smooth outcropping. She was barely able to move, but somehow, she was able to get a better grip on the outcropping.

"I can't hold on much longer!" Aeris yelled up.

"Hold on Aeris! I'll find something to pull you up with!" Cloud yelled back.

Cloud quickly glanced around. There didn't look like there was a rope, or a vine or anything that might help him, but he had to make sure.

He quickly began to search. He was about to give up, when the room's door opened.
Cloud looked at the newcomer, and was relieved. "Tifa! Thank god you're here!"

"Why? What's wrong?" Tifa asked as Cloud grabbed her hand, and dragged her over to the edge. When she saw what the conditions where, she understood. "Ok! I'll hold your feet, and you try to reach her!"

Cloud looked at her. "But you're the lighter of us. You should go."

Tifa gave him a glare. "Yeah, but you're taller. You'll have a better chance of reaching her! Now shut up and get down there!"

Cloud quickly laid down, and Tifa grabbed his feet. Slowly, Cloud was lowered over the side of the pit.

When Tifa finished lowering Cloud, Cloud reached out his hand. He could barely reach her. "Damn!" Cloud exclaimed. "Aeris! Can you reach me?"

"I'm not sure Cloud." Aeris replied. She mustered all of her energy and tried to pull herself up. She stretched her arm to reach his, but they where still a few inches apart.
Suddenly, Aeris' grip slipped. She barely had enough time to grab the ledge with her other hand. She shook her head. "It's no good Cloud. I'm just not strong enough."

Cloud looked into her big green eyes. "Yes you are! Now come on!"

Aeris looked down at the two Sephiroths holding onto her. Her eyes met with the Light Sephiroth's, and he nodded.

The Light Sephiroth smiled. "It's been good to help you two again." And with another smile, he let go of Aeris' ankle, and the two Sephiroths fell into the pool of materia and Lifestream below them.

Aeris turned back to look at Cloud. She tried to reach up to him again.

"Come on Aeris..." Cloud said, as he stretched out to reach her.

They both reached for each other...

Finally, their fingers touched. Cloud began to grip her fingers, but suddenly, Aeris lost her grip.

She lashed out to grab the ledge, but she missed, and fell down into the pit beneath them.

"CLLLOOOouuddd..." She yelled as her voice slowly died out.

"NOOO!" Cloud yelled after her.

Tifa quickly pulled Cloud out.

Cloud just shook his head. With a lost look in his eyes, he just continued to shake his head. "No..."

Far beneath them, the two Sephiroths continued to battle, neither one gaining the upper hand.

Lights passed them, as they continued to fight as they fell deeper into the pit.

They both knew that this would be how it ends.

"So..." The Dark Sephiroth said. "We're finally going to end this!" He smiled. "And it looks like we're going to take her with us."

The Light Sephiroth forced himself to look up. His anger grew as he saw Aeris falling down to meet the same fate as them.
The Dark Sephiroth began to laugh.

The Light Sephiroth saw that they where quickly approaching the pool beneath them. And with a fit of pure rage, he punched the Dark Sephiroth. It took him a second, but the Dark Sephiroth finally stopped laughing, and looked at the Light Sephiroth. "Oh... you call that a punch?"

Suddenly, the Light Sephiroth grabbed the Dark Sephiroth's head, and twisted it almost all the way around.

The Dark Sephiroth didn't move a muscle, but screamed out in pain.

The Light Sephiroth delivered one last punch to the Dark Sephiroth, and he fell silent.

The Light Sephiroth smiled. "Finally! And now... We can rest!"

At that instant, the Sephiroths hit the pool. Massive waves of energy exploded from their impact, and the Lifestream/Mako pool began to ripple and convulse, eagerly awaiting the arrival of it's next guest...

Light from the pit filled the room, showering everything in pure light.

Cloud didn't care. He just winced at the light. When it faded, he continued to stare into space.

Tifa continued to hold him. "The Sephiroths must have hit the bottom." She said softly. She looked at him. "Come on. Let's go before..." Tifa stopped. She decided it wouldn't be right to say anything else. They where about to loose one of their dearest friends...

Slowly, Cloud and Tifa made their way to the door.

But Cloud stopped before they got there. "Wait." He turned to face the pit. "She should of hit by now."

"So?" Tifa asked.

"So... why isn't there a flash of light? What's happened?" Cloud asked. He took a few steps near the pit.

Suddenly, a body in a dark suit began to rise from out of the pit. In his arms, was Aeris, safe and sound. Her eyes where flooded with worry, and fear.

Cloud had his sword out in a flash.
Sephiroth landed, and put Aeris down. She ran over to Tifa., and got into a battle position with her and Cloud.

"Ok Sephiroth!" Cloud yelled. "Where's the other Sephiroth!"

Sephiroth smiled. "Cloud... an amazing thing has happened. Somehow... the pool below has merged the two of us together. We, err... I exist."

Cloud found this a little hard to believe. "What do you mean 'merged'?"

Sephiroth smiled again. "Somehow, both the Dark Sephiroth, and myself are now of one body. We both exist, but in the same body. I'm the one who is in control. Probably because I was able to make him go into unconsciousness at the last second..."

Tifa looked at him. "Then can you tell us what he wanted to do?"

Sephiroth thought about it, then shook his head. "No... It seems that even though I'm in control, I don't know what he thinks, or wants. I guess it's like having two different people in the same body... Hopefully, I will be able to make sure that he will never be able to gain control again."

Cloud carefully eyed him. "Ok... If you really are the Sephiroth I trusted, then you'll be able to tell me the password we developed after the Dark Sephiroth took Aeris away."

Sephiroth thought some more, then looked at Cloud confused. "Cloud... we never developed a password.."

Cloud smiled, and sheathed his sword. "Good. It really is you!"

Aeris, Tifa, Cloud and Sephiroth looked at each other, and smiled.

"So... Now what?" Sephiroth asked.

"Well..." Tifa started. "The others should be landing here soon. I think we should go an tell them what they missed."

Aeris smiled. "Yeah, let's."

And with that, all four of them left the City of the Ancients, to go meet up with their friends and tell them about the end of their adventure.