Author's Note: As promised a longer chapter and now we're getting down and dirty! The battle everyone's been waiting for!!!! Onward!

Disclaimer: I don't own FF7, just anything outside of the game I own…Like my nice fluffy blanky that I like to cuddle! ^.^

Part 18

"Hey, Selena…"

"Yes?"

Tifa and Selena worked their way into the old demolished Shinra building. Since their battle, both of them were rather quiet, but remained on polite terms.

"In case I never said it, I'm really sorry about everything." Tifa said quietly, but Selena waved it off.

"I told you, it's not your fault. Artemia found your weakness and she exploited it. There's no need to punish yourself over something you couldn't avoid."

"You make me sound like a weakling." The brunette laughed hollowly and Selena rolled her eyes.

"I didn't mean it like that. Between you and me, everyone's got their flaws and almost everyone's flaw is their heart. It's so fickle that it makes it a perfect target for beings like Artemia to take control of." Selena explained as she helped her comrade over the broken floor. "and what the hell happened to this place? It looks like a monster came through and tore it up in here!"

"Well, you could say something like that…I'm just surprised this thing hasn't collapsed yet…Especially after Cloud and Sephiroth's battle months ago."

"SEPHIROTH?!" Selena exclaimed with fright, but Tifa waved it off.

"Yeah, but like before, Cloud took care of him."

Selena smirked and shook her head.

"And to think he wanted to be as great at that man. He once told me, just before he joined SOLDIER, that he admired that man. How ironic it is for him to kill the man he once idolized…I think it's better this way."

She glanced at Tifa, who merely nodded.

"Yeah. I couldn't imagine what Cloud would be like if he became exactly like that man. Ugh, I don't even want to think about it."

"I know, instead of golden spikes, they'd be silver!" Selena snickered. "Ya know, maybe when this is all over, I say we dye Cloud's hair as a practical joke."

"No, let's dress him up as a chocobo! I've been dying to see what he'd look like in one!" Tifa chimed and they giggled. However, a dark presence stopped them instantly.

"So…You've come. I see you're well, Selena." Said a enchanting, but cold voice. The voice echoed through the dark halls and both women glanced about for the owner.

Selena's eyes narrowed and she growled dangerously "No more games! Show yourself and face my wrath!"

"Where are the children?! Give them back!" Tifa yelled and just as she said that, small pitter-patter of feet caught their attention. Marlene had stepped forth from the shadows, her eyes darkened.

Tifa gasped and went to run towards her, but Selena caught her arm.

"Hey-"

"Wait a minute…Let me go first…" Selena warned, unsheathing one of her gargantuan swords. She cautiously approached the saddened child and leaned to look into the girl's eyes. That's when Marlene's head snapped up and she lunged in a beastly fury, snarling and lashing out. Selena danced out of the way, but not in the best of directions. By then, Denzel had sprung from the darkness, howling and tearing at Selena.

Just as Selena raised her sword ready to strike, her eyes widened at one realization: Artemia had turned the children. They were turning into monsters.

"DENZEL, MARLENE!!!!!!!!" Tifa screamed with horror and Selena was at her side instantly.

"God damn it!!!!!! The bitch turned them!" Selena shouted and pulled Tifa after her as they ran.

"Turned them?!!!!!"

"It's only the first stage and the longer they fight, the faster the serum she gave them will spread until they're nothing more than soul less beasts! We have to destroy Artemia immediately!"

Through the darkened corridors, they ran and the shrill laughter of the Moon Goddess rang in their ears. Selena glanced back and the children were gaining on them.

"Damn it…I'm gonna hate myself for this…" she muttered as she whirled around and charged back. Tifa skid to a halt and her eyes were rimmed with fear.

"SELENA, DON'T KILL THEM!!!!!!!" she screamed and cried, however, that was not Selena's intentions.

She sheathed her sword, and brutally back handed Denzel, sending him into the wall and sprawling on the ground knocked out cold.

Next came Marlene.

She bared her fangs at Selena and her blood red eyes sang with fury, but she did not lash out. She had taken note of her comrade's fall and decided to retreat into the shadows.

"MARLENE, COME BACK!!!!!"

Tifa ran forward, but Selena held out her arm.

"Let her go. We'll get her back in time, but for now, take Denzel and get him out of here." Selena instructed as she conjured a rope to hog tie the unconscious boy. Tifa, broken heartedly, obeyed.

The brunette picked him up and looked reproachfully at Selena.

"Selena…Please…Stop her and save them."

"Don't worry. I'll stop her at all costs, now get going before Marlene returns. If she does, you'll have one hell of a fight on your hands. She's much stronger with that serum drumming through her veins."

Selena turned on heel and began walking away.

Her heels clicked against the demolished flooring and echoed through the hall. Within time, she found a couple elevators and tilted her head.

"Hmmm…I suppose I could take them, saying if they work…but then again…" she thought to herself as she glanced over at the stairs. With a sigh, she trudged over to the stairs and began her long climb.

Elsewhere in the city…

"STOP SHOOTING AT US, YO!!!!!"

"Damn Turks!!!!! Take that and that!!!!!"

Bullets whizzed and Shinra employees had all they could do to escape Barret's wrath. Finally, Reno and Rude were cornered.

Barret's narrowed eyes beat down on both of them as he growled "any last words?"

"Barret! Barret, there you are! C'mon! We gotta help Selena!"

Barret turned around to see Yuffie running towards him, waving her arms around wildly.

"I'm busy righ' now. Go get some other foo' to take care of it!"

"But Barret, if we don't help her, we can't get the kids back!"

His eyes widened and he took off running.

"WHY DIDN'T YOU SAY SO?!!!!! HURRY YO' SCRAWNY ASS UP!!!!!!!"

Once they had gone, Reno and Rude got to their feet.

"So…what now?" Rude asked bluntly and Reno looked at him incredulously.

"Well, we gotta go help the babe, of course, yo! C'mon! We can't let those guys hog all the glory!"

Just as the group dashed toward the old Shinra building, a massive explosion sent them scurrying back.

Just outside of Midgar…

"Damn it…Should'a known somethin' was wrong with the gal!" Cid swore as he popped another cigarette in and lit it. Cloud stared ahead and sighed. Though his composure seemed calm and collected, his heart beat spoke his true feelings at that moment.

The kids…

Tifa…

Selena…

Everyone was in grave danger.

He had to get there and make sure everything was alright…No…He had to make sure everything was going to be alright.

"Relax Cloud. The others won't die so easily."

Cloud glanced down to see a red wolfish being taking a seat next to him. His yellow eyes narrowed and his ears laid flat.

"…I know…But, that doesn't mean that they can't." he mumbled as he ran a hand through his hair. Red XIII nodded solemnly and sighed.

"Yes, I suppose…But you're also worried about something else. Perhaps the goddess?" he mused as he fixated his healthy eye on Cloud. A small tinge of pink graced Cloud's cheeks and he glared at Red XIII.

"Stop right there! Whatever you're thinking, drop it-"

"Uh-oh, I think Spiky found himself a nice filly!" Cid laughed, devilish glint in his eyes. "Now that I think about it, I think I might have some greens left over from our last trip to the Chocobo Farm! If ya need 'em, just give me a holler!"

Cloud's eyes widened and he yelled "OI! Let's stay focused!"

Red XIII shook his head and chuckled.

"Alright, Alright, we'll drop it. But be honest Cloud…What is the Goddess to you?"

Cloud turned his gaze back to the nearing city and his thoughts began to wander away with him.

"…I thought I had lost you 4 years ago back in the Mako reactor of Nibelheim. The day I thought you had died, part of me longed to die with you and I would have if it weren't for my responsibilities at hand. So in the end, I opted for forgetting my life here amongst mortals. However, now that I know you are alive, I'd like to keep you that way."

'What is Selena to me…'He wondered to himself as he absent mindedly brushed his glove clad fingers against his lips. Something about that whole ordeal seemed…familiar. It felt right even if he couldn't remember why.

"…I love you, regardless as to whether you feel the same or not."

'She…loves me? Why? What happened back…'

Before he could finish his thought, a distant explosion caught the group's attention and his eyes widened. It came from the old Shinra building.

"Selena…SELENA!!!!!!"

Time prior to the explosion…

"Gods, curse these stairs to oblivion! What idiot makes a building this big?!!!!" Selena fumed as she leapt up the railings. Within time, she had reached the last flight and sighed.

She climbed down from the railing and cautiously worked her way into the ruined rooms. How she loathed this place at the moment.

Her aquamarine eyes scanned the area: no sight of the enemy target yet.

Suddenly, she saw a silver flash and blocked with her sword in the nick of time, but was sent flying by the strength of the impact. Her feet collided with the wall and she sprung back at her enemy. She wildly whipped her black ribbon sword and the energy blast cleared everything in its path. The massive explosion caused the floor to come crashing down and Selena dashed through the falling rubble.

In those same seconds of pandemonium, more flashes came at her, but she blocked and dodged them to the best of her abilities, occasionally getting minor cuts along the way. Infuriated, the goddess lashed out, sending more energy blasts blindly about her.

'DAMN IT!!!!! I'M GETTING NO WHERE!!!!!' she mentally snarled, running as swiftly as her lithe legs could carry her until she reached the last floor and the rest was more like an open arena.

Panting and filthy, Selena stood her ground. Her grip tightened on her swords and she bared her teeth.

"Artemia come out! You can't hide from me forever!"

A small giggle caught her attention and finally, the Moon Goddess stepped forth from behind a demolished slab of wall. Her fingers were delicately placed before her crimson lips as her giggles continued, but her dark eyes held no humor. They were cold and dead to the world.

"Awww, does little Selena not like 'hide and seek'?"

"SHUT UP!!!!!! SHUT UP, SHUT UP, SHUT UP!!!!!!! I'm not here for your stupid games! This ends here and now!" she roared, her aquamarine eyes glowing dangerously but the Moon Goddess merely tutted.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. Honestly, you were always such a rude child! Of course, you're mother was always a rude one, so it's only natural you inherit her unruly nature." She said in distain, waving Selena off as if she were nothing more than a petty servant.

A very strong wind whipped through as Selena's anger escalated and soon, it was released in a dangerous, uncontrollable explosion of life energy.

Author Note #2: Poor Marlene and Denzel! Until next time folks!