A/N: Well my good readers, here is chapter nineteen. In order to make it longer I fused chapter nineteen and twenty together. Originally this story was going to have twenty-one chapters, but now it will only have twenty. Yes, the next chapter is the last installment of choice.

CHOICE

"I'm not listening to you anymore." –Sephiroth-

Chapter 019

The doors slammed open with a loud echoing bang, dust falling from the high ceiling like glittering rain, a shadow cast upon the entrance way. Sephiroth entered, determination in his stride as he slammed the doors shut behind him and began making his way towards the large and dust-covered stairs. Small clouds of dust rose about his feet and coat as he moved, creating a trail of clean floor. His steps were brisk and he almost trotted up the stairs, quickly turning down the west corridor, his coat sweeping behind him, his hair swaying back and forth in gentle, almost seductive and yet dangerous arches, catching the rays of the setting sun through the broken and dirty windows. Now he remembered, he remembered everything. How could he have forgotten? He snarled at himself as he slammed open the door that would lead him down to the research library beneath the Shinra Manor. He remembered everything that he had learned that fateful day, that he was a monster to this world, a being born to a woman betrayed by humanity. He felt rage grow within him, radiating from his core like flames licking at his insides. How could he have forgotten the betrayal the planet had done? Not only to his mother but to him? He entered the library and snarled slamming his fists against the nearest bookshelf in a fit of uncontrollable rage sending the books flying in every direction and causing the shelf to shatter into thousands of splintered pieces. His chest heaved as he eyed the mess, his lips parted, Mako glowing in the depths of his jade eyes. He was not just angry at the world, he was angry at himself.

"HOW COULD I HAVE FORGOTTEN!?" he screamed, spinning on the spot and releasing his rage upon the opposite bookshelf. He did not need to read these books filled with half truths, lies and his history. He knew everything he needed. He huffed and crossed to the desk and chair and took a seat. No, he needed time to plan. Plan his every move. He would not go into this blindly; he would not be stopped this time. He would conquer this planet. And no one could stop him.

*

Zack exited the Inn, standing just outside the door scratching the back of his neck as he looked around. He was half tempted to return to the Mako reactor, just to do something. He was agitated, he could not just wait around and do nothing could he?

"Zack?"

Said man blinked at being addressed and let his blue eyes fall upon a certain spiky-haired blond who approached him. His eyes widened and a huge grin plastered itself on his face.

"Spike!" he said, trotting forward and pulling the other into a hug. "It's great to see you!" he cheered happily. He had not seen the blond for months and was glad to see him, now more than ever. "Hey, Cloud, have you seen Sephiroth?"

The blond blinked.

"Uh, no not since yesterday. I was actually coming to find you and ask you if you had seen him, guess not."

"Not for a couple of hours."

"Didn't you guys go to the Mako reactor?"

Zack nodded.

"Yeah and we ran into an old friend."

Cloud's eyebrows shifted forward.

"Old friend?"

"Genesis."

Cloud's eyes widened.

"Here? He's here?"

Zack shook his head.

"I don't know if he still is. He attacked me and Sephiroth, he was telling the most horrible lies! Lies about Seph!"

Cloud glared. He did not know Genesis personally, but he had been told good and bad stories, good stories from Seph and bad stories from Zack.

"And then him and Sephiroth ran off! Sephiroth looked really angry, I mean he looked like he was ready to murder someone."

Cloud shivered. The thought frightened him because he knew Sephiroth was more than capable of doing just that.

"I'm really worried about him, Cloud."

"I'll help you look for him," Cloud stated, his own worries beginning to bubble in his stomach. Zack grinned and squeezed his shoulder.

"I knew you would, Cloud. Come on, we got a family member to find," he stated, heading off towards the canyon that would lead them to the base of Mt. Nibel. Cloud blinked and did not follow. Family? Zack paused for a moment, glanced over his shoulder and with a grin said, "Congratulations, Cloud, do I get to be the best man?" before continuing on his way. Cloud blushed. So, Sephiroth had managed to tell Zack before being assaulted by Genesis. Cloud shook himself from his thoughts and trotted to catch up with his friend.

*

Cloud had wandered for about an hour with no such luck of locating his lover, soon to be husband, when he found himself approaching the base of MT. Nibel, and the Mako reactor. He would not have given the haunted place a second glance had the door to the entrance not been kicked in. It took several seconds for this to register to the blond who frowned and approached his step just a little brisker. He trotted up the steps, passed through the doorway and eyed the metal doors. They had been completely kicked off of their hinges and had large dents adorning them. Cloud swallowed. What could have possibly done such damage? He entered farther, glancing around, taking steps up to the first landing one by one, his shoes clapping lightly against the metal steps. As he approached the top of the stairs he paused, eyes widening. The metal was slick with an unknown liquid, littered with glass and several monstrous bodies. He swallowed as his eyes fell upon the circular doors several steps ahead of him. They, too, had been knocked off of their hinges, but not by some bruit force. He approached and eyed the fallen doors. Upon the rusted, painted metal were several long slashes, sword slashes. Cloud's eyes widened. There was only one sword upon the face of the planet that could cut through metal like that, so perfectly executed. "Sephiroth."

*

Sephiroth stood on the lower platform gazing up towards the upper platform where his mother rested hidden within a Mako tube behind a large metal angel-like woman. He stood there, eyes unwavering. This was it, finally. As he was preparing to begin his short walk up to the platform his pre-cog told him he was not alone. His head turned sharply to side-glance over his shoulder. With nervous, hesitant steps he watched as the smaller blond male eased his way into the room and onto the platform. Sephiroth read the blond and could tell he was horribly anxious. He could read it in the boy's body language and smell it upon his skin.

"S-Seph," he breathed, his large slightly frightened blue eyes shooting from Sephiroth to the platform above them to the glowing pool of Mako below them. "W-what are you doing here?" he asked as his eyes rested upon the older man again. Sephiroth turned his gaze away from him, brows knitting together, lips tightening. Sephiroth did not reply and instead began making his way up to the higher platform. He could still sense the blond behind him, and steadily following, not that that mattered. The blond did not matter; he was pointless, he could not change anything. He was no match; Sephiroth would win if the blond decided to stupidly attack him.

Cloud jumped when Sephiroth grabbed onto the strange-looking woman made out of metal and ripped her away from her place, tossing her over the railing where she fell into the Mako pool with a splash. Cloud's eyes widened and his mouth opened slightly, a sudden horror rising within him at what he saw. His horror would have been doubled by at least one-hundred had he been able to see the cruel smirk that had flittered across the ex-General's lips.

Sephiroth blinked, his gaze darting down towards the blond who had inched closer to him, narrowing upon the slender fingers that had gripped onto his sleeve. He glared down at the top of the blond's head, but the blond paid him no mind, he was too transfixed by what lay before him.

The image of a woman, or a female-like creature with blue patterned skin, long silver blue-tinted hair and what appeared to be a single shriveled wing protruding from her right shoulder. "W-what" he licked his lips "What is that?"

Sephiroth continued to glare at the blond for a moment before turning his gaze to the woman floating in the tube; her crimson eyes staring blankly back at him.

"Her name is Jenova. She is my mother."

Cloud gasped, his head snapping up towards the other man.

"What? Sephiroth, you have to be kidding." Panic and fear was obvious in his voice.

"She came to this planet a long time ago to rid it of the evil vile scum that had inhabited it. Those very same people were the ones who destroyed her beautiful power."

Cloud released the other man, taking just one step back; the rage that rolled off of the other man was unbearable. Cloud could feel it rolling in waves over him, burning his skin and raising the hairs on the back of his neck. He was in danger and he knew it, he could sense it. What little Mako did remain in his system sent his pre-cog into over drive. Even with that, he knew if Sephiroth did attack him there was no way he would be able to move fast enough to escape the blows. He shivered.

"Sephiroth, this can't be true." Sephiroth's eyes snapped sidelong towards the blond. "This…thing can't be your mother, you're an average human just like me; this thing is…is a monster." Cloud yelped as he was slammed against the glass of the tank, letting out a slight whimper knowing only a very thin layer of glass separated him from the creature floating within. This creature must have been dead, Cloud assumed, but for some reason something very alive seemed to radiate from it sending chills crawling along his skin.

"How dare you." Sephiroth's nose wrinkled just slightly with a snarl, his brows furrowed, eyes narrowed, and pupils decreased to nothing but lined slits. Cloud trembled slightly. He was scared and confused. What could have caused such an insane change in Sephiroth? He seemed like a totally different person. This was not the Sephiroth he knew; no, this was someone totally different. A frightening, monstrous image of the person he loved. He lifted his gaze to look up at the other man.

"Sephiroth…please…." he breathed quietly. As Sephiroth tightened his grip around the teen's neck, watching as his eyes widened and his mouth opened wide in a desperate attempt to suck oxygen into his lungs something deep within the recesses of his mind clicked.

Cloud gasped slightly as the fingers crushing his larynx loosed just a fraction, and the little wrinkles that had decorated the taller man's nose faded just slightly. His gaze remained hard and frightening but not as murderous. Cloud gasped for what little air he could get. "S-seph, p-please," he choked out.

Sephiroth's eyes softened slightly, his pupils dilating enough to allow them to be discerned from the jade of his irises. 'This shouldn't be this hard,' he thought bitterly as he glared down at the teenager who gazed back at him through large blue eyes. 'It shouldn't be this hard to kill him.'

"You can do it my son, kill him. Rip him to pieces; rip his heart right out of his chest. He is just like the others, all of them worthless traitors who kept you from me."

'Why is this so hard? Why can't I kill him, why can't I kill him?'

"Just do it!"

"Sephiroth."

He was pulled from his conflicting thoughts, his attention drawn to the boy held firm in his grasp. The boy had bowed his head, his hair hiding his eyes. His voice was quivering slightly and it sounded weak, no doubt with fear. "I don't know what they told you…Genesis, and Hojo and everyone else…but…but they are wrong."

Sephiroth tilted his head slightly, brows furrowing as he listened to the boy's words. "They may have told you… that you were a monster…that you were only meant to kill and destroy…."

Sephiroth flinched back slightly, his nose wrinkling as he repressed a snarl as several drops of salty tears fell and beaded upon his gloved hand. The teen sniffed. "But they were wrong…you weren't just a mindless killer, a vessel of destruction…you were a human, just like them…you had feelings, and you could feel pain and you could judge what was right and wrong, even if they told you that you couldn't…it must have made you very sad, Sephiroth…being alone…even when you were in the company of others…."

"Stop talking," Sephiroth snapped. His eyes had widened slightly, brows almost knitting together, nose wrinkled in anger. His heart had doubled its pace and he could feel himself growing just a little out of breath.

"But you proved you were human, Seph…that you could think for yourself. You are just like everybody else, you want food, water; you want attention, you want love…" The teen lifted his head as to gaze up at the other. "You showed that you could love, Seph, you loved me…and I loved you back."

"Shut up! Stop talking!"

"Prove them wrong again, Sephiroth…"

"DAMN YOU! SHUT THE FUCK UP!" Sephiroth snapped tossing his sword aside and wrapping his other hand around the boy's throat, pressing him a little harder against the glass but not tight enough to cut off all air flow to his lungs. A pained squeak escaped the blond and several more tears rolled down his cheeks.

"…prove to them that you're not a monster, Seph."

Sephiroth could feel his hands trembling slightly, and several silver strands of hair trembled before his eyes, drawing his focus several times with the motion as he glared at the blond

"You will have all of your memories. Of all of the actions you did. All of the people you killed, all in the name of revenge for your mother."

"What are you doing? Kill him!"

Sephiroth stood up a little straighter, his eyes softening, as did the rest of his facial features and he slowly loosened his hands and drew them away from the blond.

"C-Cloud," he breathed quietly. Cloud gripped at his throat, rubbing at the soreness as he gulped for air. "C-Cloud, I'm…."

"SEPHIROTH! DON'T FORGET HE'S THE ONE WHO DESTORYED YOU!"

The back of Sephiroth's eyes began to burn as tears began to form.

'No. You were.'

"Cloud, I'm sorry," Sephiroth breathed, wincing just slightly at the rage that washed over him, rage that was not his own. He leaned forward and pressed the blond against the glass, pressing himself full body against the blond, holding him in an embrace, bearing his face in the blond's neck. "Forgive me if I hurt you."

"S-Seph?" Cloud gasped slightly, the feeling of full body contact more than a little erotic.

Sephiroth held the blond close; afraid that if he let him go the sense of rage would over take him, afraid he may do something he would regret with all his heart.

"Cloud, forgive me…just let me have this…." The sense of rage continued to pound against him, his head beginning to throb painfully. He gently took the blond's jaw and captured his lips, sliding his tongue into the other's mouth and gently, lovingly kissed him deeply. Several moments later he broke the kiss, grabbing the side of his head, a hiss of pain escaping him.

"Seph? Seph, what's wrong?"

"You…you need to go, Cloud…"

"What?"

"Go, you need to get back to the town."

"No, I won't leave you, Seph; tell me what's wrong!"

Sephiroth stepped back from the blond and turned away, gritting his teeth and closing his eyes against the pain that was nearly blinding him.

"Cloud, please just GO!"

"I'm not going anywhere!" Cloud snapped taking a step forward before yelping.

Sephiroth's eyes opened and he took a step back, bumping into the shocked blond slightly. Beneath their feet the platform began to melt and ooze and seemingly shift beneath them only sending them off balance slightly. The iron gray mixed with the rusted red of the walls around them and the glowing green of the Mako and began to swirl beneath their feet. "Seph, what's happening?"

"I…" he shook his head.

"Times up."

Sephiroth blinked, the voice of the flower girl ringing in his ears; his eyes widened. Had he made the wrong choice?

"No, wait, please!"

In a flash of white light, the two figures standing upon the platform in the Nibelheim reactor vanished.

*

"Hey, Cloud, did you see what happened to the doors," Zack trotted up the steps to the lower platform and paused. He frowned and glanced behind him before looking around the room, the glow of the Mako pool beneath him casting a sickly green glow to his skin. "Hey, Spike?" he called, but received no reply. He lifted his hands and let them fall back to his sides with a slight smacking sound. "Could have sworn I heard him in here." He shook his head, turning back the way he had come. "Guess I'll go see if Kunsel's found anything," he muttered, exiting the chamber.

*

The world was nothing but blackness with streams of flowing blue and green light, the souls and memories of those who had died from the beginning of time to just seconds before. Sephiroth looked around, despair encasing himself. He glanced down at himself, with his concentration and will not to meld with the lifestream no longer so surefire within his heart his physical form was beginning to steadily vanish. "S-Seph…"

He spun on the spot and froze. Cloud was kneeling on the only white patch in this never ending see of memories, but he was different. His hair was slightly longer and the spikes atop his head more pronounced, his form had filled out slightly.

"Oops…"

Sephiroth glanced over his shoulder as three other forms began to take shape. The form of Aerith, his…his mother and a man he did not know. "I really didn't mean to grab him to." The flower girl sighed. "I'll have to send him back now…again," she mumbled with a slight giggle. Sephiroth spun around towards her.

"Why did you bring me back? I THOUGHT IT WAS MY CHOICE!" he cried miserably. Aerith nodded.

"It was, and Sephiroth you were making the right choice…but Jenova's hold upon your heart was far to great, the rage that was building up inside of you would have destroyed you and everything you cared about and the vicious cycle would have repeated itself. Over and over and over. I had to prevent that from happening, the horrors happening once is one thing, but happening over and over is another."

Sephiroth could feel the back of his eye sting. So it really was not his choice, it did not matter what he would have chosen, he would have lost in the end anyway. Sephiroth turned back to Cloud, who yet again had changed. Now his hair had reverted to a shorter look, much like the look he had had while a Shinra Cadet, but now his appearance was that of an adult.

"Sephiroth, what's going on?"

"You had the courage to love him, but can you lie to him to?"

Sephiroth ignored the question and knelt down next to the blond and tried to grab his shoulder, but his gloved hand merely went through him. He gasped and looked at his hand.

"You can't touch him, Sephiroth," Lucrecia whispered quietly. "He's living."

"Then am I dead?" Sephiroth breathed.

"Yes. And no. You have died many times my son, but your sheer will to remain in Cloud's memories kept you from truly releasing into the lifestream."

Sephiroth felt tears spill from his eyes, the pearl-like tears falling from the corners of his eyes and floating away from his face before vanishing entirely.

"Cloud, I am so sorry. I'm sorry for everything. I, I didn't want this to happen."

"Seph, what's going on?"

"It was me," Sephiroth sobbed. "I was the one who caused you so much pain in life Cloud, I was the one who destroyed your home and killed your friend and family."

Cloud's eyes widened in slight horror, the memories of said actions slowly filling his memory as time and space around them began to reline to where it was before Sephiroth had been sent back. "I was the one who caused you all that pain. And, Cloud, you will never know how sorry I am." Sephiroth looked down as small little green glowing fragments began to form about his body. Cloud's eyes widened again and he scooted closer.

"Sephiroth!"

Sephiroth smiled bitterly and looked at the blond.

"But I am happy that I could have loved you, even for just a little while Cloud. And I am happy to know, even if you hate me, that I will never be a memory," he said as his physical form faded entirely and the green glowing fragments melted into the lifestream.

"SEPHIROTH!"

*

A/N: Forgive the lack of lemons in the chapter, originally Cloud and Sephiroth fucked atop the platform after Sephiroth stated that Jenova was the one to destroy him, but that just didn't go according to plan so it was cut out. I may write a oneshot of that just cause I find it a bit erotic, or if you request it, but if so it will be written and posted AFTER the completion of Choice. Thank you please review.