Number VII

"I told you, bitch", Jenova said cruelly. "You." She turned the sword in Celes' stomach. "Cannot." Another turn which made Celes moan. "Destroy me." Blood streamed through Celes' closed lips as she stared at Jenova's only eye, and the truth hit her mind as Jenova smiled and started to turn the steel again...

Suddenly the sword wasn't in her stomach anymore. Amused, Celes found herself in Elena's arms, and as she raised her head she saw Cloud standing in front of Jenova with his sword released. Blood tripped from her mouth as she opened it to speak, but Elena placed her hand on her mouth: "Shh. Let them fight her for you. I'll heal your wound the best I can." Elena's voice was shaking as she spoke to Celes and cuddled her tightly. Celes blinked and realized that besides Cloud were Rufus and the rest of the Turks, all with their weapons in their hands.

"Should have known this would happen", Rufus snorted sarcastically, blue eyes shining with joy. Cloud glared at him and then frowned at Jenova.

"Oh, so this is another of my children", Jenova chirped. "Trying to destroy me, too?" Cloud answered nothing, just glared, gripping his sword. Jenova laughed. "Children shouldn't go against their parents!" she shrieked and waved her hand. A wave of her power struck the men, and they raised their arms to cover their faces as some pieces of ice flew towards their faces.

Cloud shook his head. "We are not your children", he said. "We are humans, and we have your cells only because of the human experiments of Shinra."

"Even Sephiroth had a human mother", Rufus added.

"Who carried the Jenova cells", Tseng continued.

"You are nothing but an alien that landed on this Planet hundreds of years ago", Reno said teasingly. "All alone with us humans."

Jenova screamed in anger and waved her arm in the air again. This caused a little blizzard in the room, and when it was fading Rufus raised his shotgun and aimed at Jenova's head. Jenova tilted her head, avoiding the bullet, and laughed. But it had been a mark for the Turks, who started to shoot all at once. Jenova screamed again and a light blue barrier appeared in front of her, protecting her from the shots. Cloud moved quickly and slashed his sword, trying to cut her half from the waist. He managed to create a scratch, but then Jenova threw him aside.

Celes tried to stand up; she realized that her blood wasn't gathering back to the wound like it had done before, and a sad smile crossed her face. I am not a chosen one anymore. Elena held her back and asked her to stay down. "Please Celes, don't move-"

"They can't fight her like that", Celes moaned. "I-" Suddenly she remembered something. When she had touched the flowers in the church of sector 5 her fingers had glowed in green, with Mako energy- "Elena!" She grabbed the shoulders of the other woman, her breath heavy as excitement struck her. "Elena! We need Aeris' water", she whispered.

"Aeris' water...?"

"The water..." Celes stumbled up on her knees and held her stomach without even knowing she was doing so. "...that cleaned the stigma..."

Elena gasped as she realized what Celes was talking about. That water! "How are we going to get some?" she squeaked quietly.

Celes closed her eyes. From the bottom of the Cavern streamed Mako energy and Holy energy... Holy... "Somewhere close", she whispered. "Somewhere really close!" She managed to stand up, and hushed Elena's arm away, saying she was able to stand on her own.

"Elena!" Tseng yelled as he turned his head to look at the two women. He continued shooting while he yelled: "What the hell are you doing?"

"What's going on there?" Rufus asked coldly as he kept shooting Jenova's body as well. His mouth was turned into a frown and his eyes shone with cold determination.

"No idea", the leader of the Turks answered, biting his teeth together. His dark eyes were angry as he followed how Celes walked slowly next to the wall, Elena right behind her, ready to help at any minute.

"You can't kill me, idiots!" Jenova shrieked, and suddenly some slippery, black tentacles burst out from the ground right beneath the men. All of them suddenly realized Jenova's body parts had rooted deep within the ground, thus she was a lot bigger than she had first seemed. Jenova's laughter was more than just mad by now, and she waved her hand again, causing another blizzard. Rufus and the Turks hid their faces behind their arms while they continued shooting at her, but Cloud jumped to the air and attacked Jenova with rage. One tentacle hit him and tried to push him away, but he just cut it with his blade. Jenova screamed in anger, and as revenge captured the remaining Shinra members with her tentacles. Clangs and bangs were heard as their guns dropped to the ground. Cloud shuddered and turned his head to look at them, but then yet another tentacle hit him, throwing him against the wall. His sword dropped somewhere, and a moan slipped through his lips as his back hit the wall, air escaping from his lungs. The same tentacle pressed him against the wall hardly. "Now", Jenova laughed. "What are you going to do next?"

"Celes!" Elena whispered in a horrified tone. "She's got them!"

"I know", Celes whispered back. Closing her eyes, she gathered her remaining strength, reached for her second sword - the bigger and longer one - and released it. "Elena, step back, please." Elena shook her head, sobbing, but did as she had been told. Celes gasped and concentrated. It's close... If I hit the wall here it should be released... Please help me, Father... She raised her sword above her head, screamed - and her blade touched with the familiar cutting noise.

Jenova turned her head, and Cloud - who had a straight sight to Celes and Elena from the wall he was trapped on - raised his head just in time to see how Celes' sword cut the mainly blue-coloured wall cleanly. Celes fell on her knees and the sword dropped from her hands. Elena reached for her, and then Jenova screamed. More tentacles burst out from the ground, and they were aimed for the women. Elena turned her head and her brown eyes got larger as she saw the tentacles coming for them.

Celes smiled and looked up. "Show yourself... Bahamut."

Jenova's scream almost deafened them all as Bahamut appeared and grabbed her tentacles with one grasp. Bahamut flew to the exit and placed himself right in front of it, preventing any tries of leaving the cave by standing there with his arms crossed against his chest, still holding the tentacles in his hands.

Celes bowed her head down and let Elena cuddle her tightly. "Be ready, Elena", she whispered, and fainted. Elena gasped in horror, believing the other woman has just passed away. But then she raised her face to the huge hole Celes had made; there was this flooding sound...

And everything was covered in light blue water that was so cold and pure Elena couldn't really understand nor describe it to herself. The tidal washed over the men, and Jenova's scream was even more deafening as the Holy touched her body parts, and she let go of the men of Shinra, dropping them underwater. Cloud struggled, inhaled deeply and struggled some more until Jenova finally dropped him as well. There was a splash as he fell to the water, and he immediately opened his eyes. Jenova's tentacles were looking like as if the water was eating them, and she twisted herself desperately as she tried to avoid the water's touch, but it was unavoidable. Cloud looked around and saw his sword, and grabbed it. He started to hit Jenova again, fastening the process the Holy had started. Jenova was too weak to fight against both him and the water anymore, so she gathered her last powers together and created a shockwave as for her final attack. Cloud opened his mouth in a moan as the electric waves reached him, letting the important air get away.

Right before everything went black, he saw the Turks and Rufus floating in the water somewhere opposite of himself, and somewhere far was Elena holding Celes who was still on her knees. He also saw Bahamut moving towards the women, and as the last tentacles of Jenova disappeared, Cloud closed his eyes.

It's not over, a familiar voice said to him. Cloud opened his eyes again, and saw a woman with blackish hair and sad face. She smiled at him.

"Lucrecia", Cloud tried to say, but only bubbles got out from his mouth.

Do not speak, warrior. She touched his face gently. I don't have much time left here before I have to move on... Now that Jenova has been destroyed, this Planet should be free from her evilness. But do not think this was the end of all the evil; no, more of it will come, but not during your time. He woman smiled again, sadly and longingly.

Why is she here? Cloud amused in his mind, totally surprised of her presence.

I came here to tell you something... Now when Jenova is gone, the Jenova cells are supposed to wither and die within you. This, of course, will cause a new disease on every one carrying the cells. But there is a cure...

This water, Cloud suggested.

Lucrecia just nodded, smiling. Well then... Farewell, Cloud.

There was a flash of light, and then everything was black again. Cloud relaxed and floated in the water, knowing he and the others we safe - for now.