A/n: Yeah, I haven't been abducted by aliens, Istill here. Sorry it took so long to update, I haven't been able to use my pc much lately. Anyway, I hope you like it!

Thank yous to: shoutenryu, Kiome-Yasha, gothic heart, and SwordsofChaos0-o.

Chapter 15 – Better Best Forgotten

Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy

Cloud Strife stood quietly at the entrance to a room that was filled with images…images of his past, his…pain. The picture Tifa's unconscious form made as she lay crumpled on the floor after Sephiroth attacked her, of Aeris' final moments… "This is…my…? No way…" he whispered, his clear blue eyes staring ahead, seemingly transfixed by the images playing in front of him.

The others stared on as well, but the images they were seeing were the images of their own past – their own pain. Tifa saw the memory of a murderously insane Sephiroth killing her father; Vincent, of losing Lucrecia…it went on and on in a seemingly endless loop, binding each of them in the spell of despair.

Tifa's tears fell unnoticed down her cheeks, a searing pain tearing through her. She had never before witnessed the death of her father, and to see it all so vividly displayed before her was beyond painful. "What is this…? I don't…I don't want to see this…" she mumbled incoherently, closing her eyes and wrapping her arms around herself in an attempt to shield herself from the wave of pain that washed over her.

Vincent glanced at Tifa, seemingly unperturbed by the scenes that were replaying themselves in front of him. "Get a hold of yourself." he muttered, his dark eyes directed at his raven-haired friend.

Tifa looked up at him. "…But that's…Sephiroth is…he's…killing…my father…"

"That's in the past; the past that Sephiroth wants us to see." Vincent said quietly, fully turning his attention to Tifa and away from the gruesome scene Sephiroth was showing him.

"But…why would he want us to see this? He has to know it will only make us want to get after him more." Tifa answered, regaining some of her composure.

"I don't think any of this is really meant for us."

"What do you mean?" Tifa asked.

Vincent gestured to Cloud as he replied, "It's meant for him."

Tifa's eyes shifted to Cloud, and a frown soon marred her features. "For him …but that means…" she trailed off.

"It means his memory of Aeris' death." Vincent finished for her.

Without another word, Tifa walked to Cloud's side and quietly asked, "Are you okay?"

Cloud closed his eyes before he replied, "Yeah."

Tifa frowned and turned away from him. "Really."

Cloud turned around and smiled at her. "Really," he answered, knowing very well it hadn't been meant as a question.

Without another word, Tifa turned fully towards him, closed her eyes and leaned into him, resting her cheek against his chest, all the while holding on to his left hand with both of hers as he wrapped his free arm around her shoulders, drawing her closer to him and resting his forehead against her hair.

They stood that way for a while, for one precious moment oblivious to everything but each other's warmth and the steady beating of their hearts.

"Aw, how sweet, the puppet's found a friend," a mocking voice said from out of nowhere.

Cloud recognized that voice. "Sephiroth!"

"So glad you remembered, Cloud," Sephiroth replied, finally appearing before them.

Cloud stared angrily up at the floating figure, his fists clenched at his sides.

Sephiroth smiled. "Did you enjoy my little show? It was prepared with you in mind, you know."

"No." Cloud replied coldly.

"I didn't like it, either." Tifa said, glaring scornfully at her father's killer.

"That's too bad…and to think I worked so hard to make it for you," the silver-haired man replied, laughing, as he once again slipped away into the darkness of the cave beyond, leaving a pale green portal in his wake.

"What a jerk." Yuffie muttered.

"He's the bad guy. Of course he's a jerk," Zack said as he appeared just behind Vincent.

"Zack," Cloud said, "you okay?"

"Yeah, kind of." the raven-haired man answered with a grin.

"You don't look good to me," Yuffie said.

"Uh…well, I am injured…" Zack replied a bit awkwardly.

"Oh, right, I forgot. Sorry." Yuffie said.

"It's okay," Zack answered, his voice carrying a hint of amusement.

"So Zack, where have you been?" Barret asked.

The raven-haired man smiled cryptically, offering nothing more than a casual shrug as his answer before turning to Cloud and saying, "So, are we just gonna stand here doing nothing or are we gonna go after Sephiroth?"

Cloud's expression immediately darkened at the mention of Sephiroth's name, and he quickly turned his eyes to the direction the silver-haired man had gone. "It's time we settled this thing, once and for all."

Turning, Cloud stared at the portal Sephiroth had left behind and stopped for a moment before he finally began to walk towards it. He disappeared into it a moment later, the rest of his friends following closely behind.

Later

Cloud stepped out of the portal and walked forward a few feet to find Sephiroth waiting for him, a smile on his face. "So glad you could make it, Cloud," the silver-haired man said.

Cloud didn't answer.

Sephiroth smirked. "What, aren't you glad to see me?"

"No," Cloud replied coldly.

"Too bad," he answered, clapping his hands together and making a wall of fire appear around each of Cloud's friends before making them disappear for a moment only to reappear in another location.

Cloud turned around, a worried look on his face. He looked around him, frantically thinking of ways to free them when a soft voice reached his ears. The voice belonged to Tifa. "Cloud…"

He looked up, and his eyes met hers. "Tifa! I'll get you out of there."

She shook her head.

He frowned. "But -"

"I'll stay here and wait for you."

"I can't just leave you there! I'll get you out!"

Again she shook her head. "I'll wait for you," she repeated, a look of quiet resolve in her dark eyes.

"Tifa…"

"Beat him for all of us, Spiky!" Yuffie shouted.

A chorus of voices joined Yuffie's, and Cloud's eyes once again met Tifa's. "I believe in you. We all do. Go save the world," she said, her smile barely visible behind the flames that danced around her.

"…Okay."

"Be careful."

"I will."

Turning, Cloud came face to face with a grinning Sephiroth. His blue eyes wide with surprise, Cloud only barely managed to dodge the attack that followed.

"Sephiroth!"

"Cloud," the silver-haired man replied, smirking.

Quickly pulling his Ultima Weapon out, Cloud held it in front of him as he and Sephiroth circled each other, each one daring the other to deliver the first strike.

With a low growl, Cloud ran towards his enemy at full speed before swinging his sword downward, only to have Sephiroth block it with his own blade. Their swords clashed time and again, each time with more force than the last.

The battle continued for a good thirty minutes, neither fighter showing any signs of fatigue. Cloud stared at Sephiroth, a look of pure hatred in his blue eyes. "Why did you come back?"

"To fulfill my own and Mother's destiny," the silver-haired man replied, a self-satisfied look on his face.

"Destiny? Your destiny is to fall by my blade!" Cloud shouted, once again charging towards the other man, disassembling his weapon and attacking with the twin blades that resulted from its separation.

Sephiroth dodged the initial attack easily, but Cloud flipped one of his swords over in his hand and thrusting it back towards Sephiroth, this time piercing his flesh all the way through.

Drops of blood fell to the floor, and Sephiroth staggered away, a surprised look in his eyes. "You've gotten stronger…" with that, he vanished in a cloud of smoke, the flames that had surrounded Cloud's friends disappearing with him.

"Cloud!"

He turned. "Tifa!"

She ran right up to him and threw her arms around him, relief flooding her features. "I'm so glad you're okay!"

He sighed softly. "Me too. What do you say we get out of here? This place is depressing."

She nodded. "Let's go,"

As the group began to move back towards the portal that remained in the room, Cloud lagged behind, his eyes scanning the room as if he were trying to make sure he remembered it. "Yo kid, let's go! This place is probably going to go soon!" Cid yelled.

"The old geezer's right, Spiky! This place gives me the creeps, too!" Yuffie chimed in.

"Who're you calling an old geezer, half-pint?" Cid shouted angrily.

Yuffie sweatdropped. "You."

Everyone laughed.

"Let's go, Cloud. It's over," Tifa said.

He nodded.

Just then, Cloud felt a gust of wind from behind him, and before he could turn around, he felt cold steel pierce his back, going all the way through him and making him wince in acute pain. He knew exactly whose blade this was. "Se…phiroth…"

With that, he dropped to the floor, unconscious, landing in a pool of his own blood.

"Oh my god! Cloud!"

A/n: That's chapter 15. The story's almost finished; maybe just another chapter or two is left. I'm really sorry about the delay. So, tell me what you guys think, okay? Thank you!