Thanks to my reviewers and keep it coming!
Seriphron had went through years of the planet's history through books forbidden by Cloud and Tifa before they were destroyed… He had found out about Sephiroth and what Jenova really was.
"A Goddess, from the heavens… These creatures harmed you didn't they… you're body was complete but this planet devoured you while you tried to save it… Cloud… he hurt you and your 'favorite'… I will make them pay, Jenova… I will retrieve a body for you… then we shall return to find and destroy those fools… the one who killed your servants in this realm… the Exiled leader… I will get him as you watch, oh great goddess." Seriphron smiled to the container as he left the large castle dungeon to find Dr. Lacrosse.
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Cloud and Zack finally ended their training session six or more hours after it began. The skies had darkened signaling night time and both warriors were lying in the flower bed looking out into the sky from the church.
"I say you have every one of my moves accounted for… it's like you had a certain counter for each action I took… but then again, you were training to stop me." Cloud sighed as he looked at the stars above him. Zack turned to him and then back to the stars with a sigh.
"You know… I always thought that you were evil… Denzel and Marlene sometimes tried to tell us about the real you, how you are now, but I never believed them… I guess I didn't want to think that maybe if things had been different… we all could have been a happy family… I just couldn't face that… until now." Zack turned to face Cloud and thought for a moment, "Cloud I know, that you must deal with your demons and I know that there will always be some things that you'll never forgive yourself for… but… despite all of that… I think you're a good father. I know that you have no children now, but to me…" He paused and sighed changing his mind, "I guess seeing the real you has made me kind of wish that I could have experienced that sought of life just once if only for a moment." Zack sat up and then stood to his feet as Cloud sat up and looked up at him, "Denzel always said, I had all of your qualities," Zack turned to look down at Cloud and grinned, "you know… though I can never have that happy family… I think I'll settle for moments like this." Zack stated as he separated the enormous sword into his normal Buster Swords.
"I hope you can work your problems out before we face Seriphron… I'd like to pretend to have a real family… just for one more night." Zack disappeared in a dome of darkness before Cloud could speak.
"A real family," Cloud trailed off as he looked to the stars and thought for a moment about everything. Tifa… Sherman's words to him in the bar… Aeris… all of his friends… and finally his two sons.
"Avius and Zack" Cloud started as he then looked down and closed his eyes. He looked to the area where he and Zack had begun their sparring and then thought back to Zack's words just now and earlier.
"I'd like to pretend to have a real family… just for one more night." Then Zack's words to him in Tifa's bar, "life was meant to be lived… if not for yourself then for the ones that love you and for those that 'loved' you… it inspired me… so I thought it would help you." Cloud sighed as he remembered forgetting to give Zack something before he left. Cloud reached into his pocket and retrieved the small picture locket Zack had dropped from his coat during their training session. Cloud opened it and froze. He stood up after closing the locket and smiled genuinely.
"It's time I stopped living in the past… and start living for the future." Cloud thought aloud as he left the church to head back to Seventh Heaven.
As Cloud disappeared from the church, Aeris and Zac materialized and smiled.
'He'll do just fine right Zac?' Aeris asked as she turned to him.
'Of course, he promised me he'd live out both our lives. You know how Cloud loves to keep his promises.' Zac smiled as the two vanished with the wind,
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Avius and Tifa had been talking and actually getting along perfectly the entire evening. She had even told the other Avalanche members not to disturb them as they talked. For nearly seven or more hours Tifa had begun to connect with her futuristic son and learned hundreds of things about him and Zack, from tiny insignificant details to their most devastating secrets.
"I never thought in my entire life that I'd have such a conversation with you." Avius smiled as Tifa shook her head and then got up to get a drink from her bar. Avius followed and sat at the bar and pointed to one of the alcoholic beverages on the wall and it began to come to him. Tifa gasped in shock. She snatched the bottle from the air and narrowed her eyes at Avius before grabbing his ear and tugging it hard.
"I just remembered," Tifa leaned forward with a hard stare set on Avius, "which one of you ordered Axel to attack me?" Tifa asked as Avius paled.
"Mom… seriously the conditions were different we had no understanding of who's side you were on at the time." Avius begged in fear as Tifa only heard the first word of his sentence: 'Mom'. She let go of his ear and smiled as she thought of her two sons she could possibly give birth to one day. She then shook out of her day-dream and frowned again.
"You don't look old enough to drink." She scolded him as she shook a finger in his face. Avius grinned sheepishly and aimed his powers at another bottle before Tifa slapped his hand causing him to lost concentration causing the glass to explode on the floor. Tifa frowned for a moment before she turned to Avius embarrassed.
"You caused the bottle to break… didn't you?" Tifa asked as Avius looked down and sighed.
"After finding out that you and dad… Cloud, I mean… aren't evil tyrants… it makes me wonder what my life could have been like… to have my actual caring, loving parents… Denzel and Marlene always defended you two but I never believed them when they said you two had changed… now though…" Avius trailed off and then shook his head in anger, "I won't let you and Rufus be together!" Avius declared passionately and Tifa was taken back by his abruptness.
"Avius, I know…"
"No! Mom, don't give up on Cloud… even if it takes a hundred years don't give up…" Avius said and then sighed in defeat, "Tifa, do you have any idea how hard it is to be the one who is always optimistic? Traveling with my brother has taken a toll on me… with his negative view of everything it's sometimes hard to keep trying to be uplifting… I see know where he gets it." Avius added with a small smile and then looked to Tifa, "I also see where I get my determination and confidence from… you. Tifa I know you are hurting but I can't ever know how bad you hurt… all I know is that you can't give up on him… just like I can't give up on my brother… we are the ones who supply Cloud and Zack with a balance… sure Lexa is taking my place but I'm still his brother no matter what… and Tifa you'll always be Cloud's number one no matter what… just… please don't give up on him." Avius reached out to hold his mothers hand and looked into her eyes. Tifa held her breath for a moment as tears broke from her eyes and she laid her head onto the bar counter.
"It just hurts so much! I don't want to hurt but he won't stop…" Tifa started as Avius patted her head softly.
"Still, mom, don't give up, if not for his sake then do it for me and Zack… give us a chance to have the two of you as parents whom we can love… I know I'm being selfish but stick with Cloud so that one day when we're born into this world we can open our eyes to see your wonderful smile and gaze into your loving eyes and get the chance to call you 'mom'." Avius slipped his hand from Tifa's and began to leave. Tifa's head snapped up as she heard his boots hitting the floor further and further away from her.
"Avius wait!" Tifa exclaimed as her child opened a portal to leave through. He turned and smiled.
"Mom, I can't give you the answer to making Cloud come around because I'm just like you… I don't understand him either… he and Zack are so cryptic at times and at others so simple…" Avius sighed and then took a breath, "Tifa all I can tell you is to not give up on the old man just yet, if he and Zack are so much alike… I'm sure that if you just stick with him, he'll come around. It works on Zack and maybe it'll work on Cloud." Avius stepped into the portal allowing it to close behind him leaving a red-eyed Tifa to mull over his words.
"I'll continue to try with all my heart Avius… so that one day, you, me, Denzel, Marlene, Zack and Cloud can all be a real family… even if it is a hundreds years from now." Tifa whispered to no one as she made her way to her room upstairs.
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"High Guard Seriphron! What brings you here… have the exiled been defeated yet, have you avenged the deaths of our great leaders!?" A guardian questioned as Seriphron huffed and then grinned deviously.
"I am in the process as we speak… I will not only avenge our leaders' deaths but I shall bring the One whom both bowed themselves to back into living!" Seriphron grinned as he pulled out Jenova's Essence. The guardian gasped at the flowing light in the container and bowed to it, "You see with this I can make everything right! I can bring our utopia to hundreds of worlds… no… the whole of the cosmos will know of perfection!" Seriphron grinned madly as he looked ahead of him.
"I just need to give this container to the doctor and he will recreate our savior!" Seriphron grinned as he made his way to continue. The large doors were thrust open as Seriphron stepped inside of the laboratory. He peered around the area and frowned in displeasure as the doctor was no where to be seen.
He walked deeper into the facility and look at each incubation chamber holding others just like him. Though the glass barriers Seriphron could see the lifeless dolls reacting to the container he held. Seriphron grinned as he made his way to one of the empty chambers. It had been were he had hatched. He knew his role in life and he had already failed. Now, though he had the opportunity to erase his mistake with the revival of the Holy One…
"Seriphron, what business do you have here?" A male voice called as Seriphron snapped back to reality and focused on the doctor. Dr. Lacrosse had been another of Hojo's experiments that failed. Unknown to the professor, Lacrosse continued to learn from the scientist up until his demise.
Four officers entered with two black body bags and set them on the tables. Seriphron knew what lied in the bags and frowned as the memory of his failure came back.
"This Seriphron is the cause of your procrastination… you have been ordered to find the murders and slay them and yet from reports you have retreated here." Dr. Lacrosse growled as Seriphron snapped his head up and met the glare of the doctor with his own.
"Cloud and Tifa are not well… they have rejected the essence! I was confused! I have brought Her back with me…"
"More of Jenova's Essence?" Dr. Lacrosse stopped him as Seriphron revealed the container. The doctor nearly fell backwards with glee. He hurriedly snatched the container from Seriphron and held it to the light.
"I should have never wasted it upon Avalanche in the first place." Dr. Lacrosse grinned as Seriphron remained confused. Dr. Lacrosse regarded him and then shook his head, "Seriphron our saviors were tricked into receiving the essence… a mistake by me… several years after I injected Cloud, Tifa and the rest of Avalanche, I found a special body… in a river far from here. After months of tests and observations, I discovered the body to be that of an Ancient! I used the remaining essence left over to try and see what reaction the subject would have and I was amazed! The essence began to recreate the body but it failed due to the lack of the presence of Jenova… I was simply out of the most important source!" Dr. Lacrosse grinned widely as Seriphron nodded in amazement.
"So you have a host set for the resurrection of the Holy One?" Seriphron asked as Dr. Lacrosse grinned.
"Yes… Jenova will return in the body of the Ancient…" Lacrosse grinned maliciously as he went to work.
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Tifa had readied herself for bed just as the door downstairs opened and then closed. She froze as possible explanations flooded her mind.
'It could be a burglar… but why open the door so loudly? It could be a customer who didn't understand the 'Closed' sign outside. Or it could be the only other person with a key to the bar… Cloud.' Tifa thought to herself as she dressed herself and quietly made her way to the steps only to hear a pair of feet coming up.
"Tifa!" Cloud called out and instantly Tifa appeared around the corner in front of the stairs. She had a look of shock and confusion rolled into one.
"Cloud what are you doing here?" Tifa asked as Cloud shrugged and scratched the back of his head. Tifa sighed in amusement and walked down a few steps and extended a hand.
"We need to talk." She stated plainly and Cloud nodded as he took her hand.
"Yeah…" He replied and began to follow her back to her room. Tifa sat down on her bed and released Cloud's hand in the process. He remained standing as Tifa looked at him hard for a moment. Cloud simply looked down and away as she continued to stare at him intensely. Finally, Tifa sighed heavily before lying back on her bed.
"Cloud why must you do everything by yourself? Why can't you just let others in? I'm so confused by you and I don't want to be. I just want… I just… ugh!" Tifa sighed in frustration. Cloud looked to her at that moment and then away again.
"Tifa… I just… don't know…" Cloud whispered loud enough for her to hear and that snapped her to her feet.
"Don't know about what Cloud? I've been here for you to talk to, we all have… everyone cares about you Cloud but you just keep leaving because you have to or because you have to face things on your own. I… we all hate it when you go away to try to fix your problems… its been nearly four years since the incident with Sephiroth and you still can't forget him!" Tifa said as she began to get angrier. Cloud stepped back and nodded quietly agreeing with Tifa. She slumped her shoulders with a sigh and rubbed her face with both hands as she began to pace about the room.
"Tifa… I know that I haven't been… you know… but I just don't know any other way to ease the pain… Sephiroth… Jenova… they scare me." Cloud confessed as Tifa looked at him as he continued to look off to the side. "I know that I can beat them… but each time they come… I lose someone or come close to losing someone… I just thought that… that maybe if I wasn't around… the problems would disappear… childish huh?" Cloud asked as Tifa sat on her bed.
"Cloud, I know you're afraid… I get that but you won't get to live forever… I'm just… we're just tired of waiting for you to live your life. I know you have very little memories of your past besides SOLDIER, but if you don't start moving forward, you'll never have any memories later on and then you'll be stuck ten years from now regretting what you've done now and the cycle will continue until you die… Cloud, live for now… stop looking for forgiveness from everyone and live." Cloud looked at Tifa whose eyes became glossy as she fought her tears. He nodded again and stood still as he stared into her reddish eyes.
"Tifa… I…" Cloud started but stopped as his voice caught. She too opened her mouth but no words came. Cloud sat next to her on her bed and grasped her hand and tried again, "Tifa… I … I think…I…."
'RING RING RING!' Both adults jumped form the sudden sound of the phone as Tifa looked to Cloud and then to the door before going to answer phone. Cloud got up to follow her and before he could say anything Tifa answered the phone.
She turned to Cloud and looked away ashamed, "Hello Rufus." She whispered into the phone trying to prevent Cloud from hearing but he had heard her. Cloud froze to his spot and looked down.
"I'm late again." He said and found his legs and turned to leave. Tifa saw his movement and prayed silently that he wouldn't leave. She wanted to speak, to scream to cry out but her voice failed her as she watched wordlessly as Cloud stepped down the steps.
'Tifa? Tifa?' Rufus's voice laced with concern filled her ears as she was redirected to the man on the other line. Tifa felt horrible for two reasons: she was leading Rufus into a relationship she didn't want and Cloud was upset because of the whole situation.
"I…I… I'll call you back…" Tifa stuttered out and quickly slammed the phone onto the receiver. She darted down the steps and ran Cloud over in the process. He had been holding a small locket in his hands which went flying and landed on the floor. Tifa gasped as she realized that Cloud hadn't left the bar and that she was laying on his back while his face was pressed into the floor.
"Tifa… you mind?" Cloud asked as Tifa shot to her feet and tended to Cloud.
"Are you okay… I didn't mean to… I thought you were leaving again… I tried to stop you… Cloud I'm so sorry… don't be mad…" Tifa was about to continue on but Cloud raised a hand and sighed as he looked around the floor. Tifa looked at him remorsefully and then looked to the floor and spotted a locket, much like the one she had when she was little. Cloud stepped away from her and continued to look around on the floor as Tifa bent down and picked the familiar locket up. She turned it over and gasped when the same inscriptions of her old missing locket turned out to be the same ones on the one she held.
"Cloud… how did you find this? I've been searching for it forever!" Tifa stated in complete relief as Cloud turned and came towards her.
"It's not yours." Cloud said as Tifa looked at him skeptically.
"No this is my locket… it has me and my mom's initials right here on the back." Tifa stated as she showed Cloud the small inscriptions. Tifa shook her head and laughed, "It was the only picture I had of my mom and I promised to keep it forever but I lost it… and now you've found it… thanks Cloud." Tifa opened the small locket and gasped as she saw the two pictures inside. Cloud gently placed his hand over Tifa's hiding the locket from her view and took it from her.
"I told you… it's not yours." Cloud said quietly as Tifa reached for his hand and pried it open to look at the picture again. Her eyes began to water as she turned from Cloud and clutched the small object close to her heart. Cloud placed a hand on Tifa's shoulder in comfort but remained silent.
"Cloud, she told me to give it to one of my children one day…" Tifa started as her breath came out jagged, "he looks just like you Cloud… and Avius… his eyes are just like yours…" Tifa broke down crying as Cloud hugged her from behind.
"Tifa…" Cloud started but allowed her to cry uninterrupted. As her cries died down Cloud turned Tifa around and gazed into her eyes. She sniffled and looked up at him for the first time with vulnerability, "Cloud I want you to live… and I want to be there with you by your side." Tifa whispered as Cloud nodded. She looked down into her hand at the locket and the picture of the two toddler versions of Zack and Avius and smiled to herself. She looked back to Cloud, "I want to live with you and our family… I want to give these two the family they should have had." Tifa whispered again as she closed the distance between them with a kiss.
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The following day just after the rising of the sun, Axel, Archia and Cain were still scouting several areas for signs of Seriphron. The three had searched Northern Crater, Nibelheim, Junon and several other major cities around the globe.
Lexa was keeping watch over the members of Avalanche with the aid of Neo who stayed within the city of Edge just outside of Midgard to watch the group.
Zack and Avius were sitting in the small church that once belonged to Aeris the flower girl. Zack sat on one of the pews and looked to the sky which was a mix between night and day. He continued to peer at the new sun who's light had yet fought back the darkness. Zack thought the scene was symbolic of the events now. The light was together ready to shine but the darkness hasn't been pushed back.
Avius had leapt onto one of the raptures and pressed his back against the wall and lifted a leg onto the beam where he sat as he let his left leg dangle lazily off to the side. He crossed his arms over his chest and stared down at his brother who remained silent the entire time.
"Hey, you awake?" Avius called down to him as Zack merely turned his head in his brother's direction. Zack titled his head back and then shrugged.
"Avius, what do you think is going to happen when we face him…" Zack stated in a mere whisper. Avius looked down to his brother and shook his head slightly.
"Zack whatever happens we'll be together through it all… that's what brothers do for each other… right?" Avius asked as Zack sighed.
"Seriphron has the essence and is nowhere to be found… I can't relax while he's out there planning." Zack stated as he stood up and left the church. Avius shook his head again and sighed also.
"I guess it unmistakable… the apple doesn't fall far from the tree." Avius stood up and jumped from the beam and fell through one of his dark portals.
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The time to strike was now. Seriphron bowed down to the female god before him… Jenova had been reborn in the body of Aeris.