How's everyone doing? Good I hope! Thanks for all the readers and reviewers, I appreciate it. I hope you all enjoy this following chapter! Let me know what you think!

NOTE: I have not played Crisis Core and I have not watched the videos of it on websites so I do not know the entire storyline and I can only speculate on certain scenes from the past. I hope I am accurate and it is enough to let me slide by. I just didn't want to ruin the game for myself by pre-watching the cut scenes before the game's English release. Oh and a WARNING: there's some lemony type stuff in this chapter as well. Not too descriptive, but enough to get the idea. –Annubis

The Decision Between Life or Death:

A Second Chance

Chapter 31

"He's making Zack remember the day he was killed by the Shinra soldiers?" Tifa narrowed her eyes, watching the ex-SOLDIER in the distance. He was standing still as if beginning his early morning meditation.

"And you know what that means?" Cloud frowned deeply.

"What?" the woman faced the blonde, watching his emotions with concern.

"The way Confuse works; the victim can be placed in other worlds based off of memories. They can re-live the past, be confused to think people around him are not who they actually are…" Tifa swallowed thickly. She knew what that was like. "…and make him believe he's in a different location. The person can even think they are being attacked when they are not… and feel artificial pain. But that isn't the extent of the materia." Cloud hesitated.

"You mean you can do more?" Tifa bit her lower lip.

"When the materia is maxed out it pushes the spell's power to its limit. If Zack feels enough pain and loses himself completely in the illusion, the brain will shut down." The blonde slammed a fist against the barrier wall surrounding him and his comrades, losing his cool nature.

"Shut down!? You mean Zack can die if his body thinks it's real enough?"

"The brain is actually very weak. It can't tell the difference between real life and the artificial world. Because of this it thinks the body's actually being attacked and will shut down the internal organs. If Zack thinks he dies, then he's dead."

"We've gotta stop him!" Yuffie shouted.

"How the hell you 'spose we do that?" Barret folded his arms.

"I'm thinking…" Cloud pouted.

"The only way we can get out is if the barrier spell deteriorates." Vincent spoke. "This spell is the maxed level spell. Sephiroth can easily keep us contained in here as long as he wants, that is if his concentration doesn't break."

"We'd need an outside source to get us out." Shelke added.

"That means…" Cloud turned his gaze to where Aeris stood next to Sephiroth.

"Aeris." Red nodded. "Either her or Zack. And since Zack's busy at the moment…"

"Aeris has to do it." Cloud shook his head.

"Our lives rest in her hands." Vincent tapped his golden fingers against his arm.

"We can't rely on her! She'll be killed if she tries anything!" Cloud yelled. "Why can't we bust out of this thing!?" he quickly withdrew his weapon and didn't hesitate a moment longer. He sliced and cut and kicked and stabbed the barrier wall. When that didn't work he raised his hand, casting a lightning spell against the wall's surface. The bolts bounced off the sides shocking those inside the invisible fence.

"CLOUD!" they all yelled at the man.

"Stop it!" Yuffie screamed. The bolts slowly ceased. A single crackle sounded once the spell was removed. Everyone shuffled, groaning.

"It didn't work." The young man hung his head and dropped to the floor.

"Nice one, Spiky." Barret cursed, pulling up the sleeves of his jacket.

"This place is like a conductor. Any spell cast within its walls will only send it back to its caster." Shelke informed.

"So we're screwed then?" Cid scratched his head as he growled in frustration.

"It seems so." Shelke's answer was followed by a string of curse words from the country man.

"Now what?" Yuffie joined Cloud's side on the floor.

"Sit and wait I suppose." Cloud rested his forehead in his arms.

Sephiroth chuckled quietly to himself. He heard the crackle of Cloud's lightning spell. The thought of seeing the group fried was almost more entertaining than his current duty with Zack.

"What are you doing to him?" Aeris grabbed the man's arm lightly.

"Just playing a game with our little friend." Aeris was not satisfied with that answer.

"You're not hurting him are you?" she said in a low tone.

"Why would I do such a thing?" the man laughed.

Aeris bit her nails, not quite sure what to do. She stared down at Zack who stiffly stood his ground. Her green gaze dragged over the crater toward her friends in the invisible wall. They all seemed tired and frustrated.

'I wish I knew what to do to help.' Aeris bobbed impatiently on the balls of her feet. 'Why am I so stupid? Was I always this useless on the battlefield?'

"Gah!" a sound emitted from Zack's throat.

'ZACK!' the woman gasped. She stepped forward, getting a better look at the stumbling man. 'What's happening!?'

Zack's breathing was no longer calm. There was too much to worry about. Cloud was beside him, trembling and whimpering. Midgar was right behind the man, he was so close to reaching Aeris, to getting home, to lying in her arms. The man licked his lips, waiting impatiently. He didn't know what to do. He could make the first move and be shot down by hundreds of bullets. Or he could stand there, and still receive the same fate. Zack looked over his shoulder at the beams of light cast through the dark clouds shining on his salvation, the plate of the city of Midgar. Zack looked back, the guns were loaded and ready to fire. He could see the tiny black holes in each and every single barrel.

The man held his sword firmly against his chest. He took a deep breath, ready for his final battle.

'All…all I want is my freedom!' the man screamed.

LINE

"It's starting!" Cloud jumped to his feet.

"Already!?"

"ZACK! Get outta there! Leave me there!" Cloud banged against the wall. He froze when he heard familiar words.

"CLOUD! RUN!" the words erupted into the cavern.

Zack stumbled backward.



BANG!

The first shot fired.

It pierced him in the shoulder.

BANG!

The second flew through his side.

BANG!

The third went through his thigh.

BANG, BANG, BANG, BANG, BANG, BANG!

Zack gasped as each penetrating piece of lead exploded in his body. He tried his best to continue moving, to continue his attack, but nothing was responding anymore.

'No…not like this…please.' Blue eyes rolled upward to face the thundering sky. At least he thought it was thunder, perhaps it was only the roar of gunfire.

Dozens of clips emptied into the man.

CRACK! It was the sound of his shoulder armor giving out, a bullet shattering the guard. The man gasped, choking on the rising thick liquid in his throat. He felt the ligaments and muscle tear as he stumbled backwards, the sickly sound of his bones popping as they were cracked by the projectiles. His arms dropped, unable to operate anymore.

"GAH!" he coughed, blood spurting from his lips, the familiar metal taste in his mouth.

He no longer felt the pain. He could only listen as he slowly fell. He could see his splatters of blood spray against the rocks and grass of the cliff he stood upon. His skin slid open as bullets sprayed over him, wounding his face and arms and legs, cutting him to pieces just as much as they blew holes into him. He heard the soft whizz and buzz as a few nearly missed him.

'Cloud…help…' Zack grunted.

Thud.

His heavy body hit the ground, shaking the planet like a giant. He lay still, unable to move. The black haired man's hand twitched. For the first time he noticed he no longer had his weapon. It lay in the dirt at his side. He coughed quietly, unable to control the drowning sensation.

"It may be better to lie on your stomach. I don't know the answer myself but I could only assume death would be easier that way, you wouldn't want to drown in your own blood." Angeals' depressing lecture rambled in the back of Zack's mind.

'Can't move.' Zack's vision began to blur.

"Z…Z…Zack." It was like a whisper. That voice was so familiar but so forgotten at the same time.

'Cloud… RUN!' Zack narrowed his eyes, trying to think the words loud enough for the man to hear. 'Just…run…'

He noticed it was getting harder to breath. He was cold and wet. His hands and feet tingled, he only assumed due to the amount of blood he just lost.

'Midgar…So close…' The black haired man trembled, his body losing control. 'I…I was so close. I tried…so hard…so hard to see her…Almost. Damn…almost there…'

Blue eyes stared at the churning clouds overhead.

'What a…waste…' Zack closed his eyes.

'Aeris.' A faint smile threatened to turn up the corner of his lip.

"Zack!" the young woman's voice called out to him. She turned to face him rather quickly. Her brown braid twirled about her.

"Hey!" the man waved at her. "How was your day?"

"Oh it was alright… My wagon broke again." She pointed a dainty finger toward the sad looking barrel lying in the center of her church.

"Broke again, eh?" the man rubbed the back of his neck.

"Em hm." She nodded. Her black lashes batted at him.

"What a troublesome thing." The man looked down at the cart wheel, his hands on his hips. He frowned. The barrow was in perfect shape, it just looked like the wheel was crooked and splintered as if someone tried to smash it. He smiled. "Well, looks like I'll just have to continue checking up on you. Wouldn't want you to have to drag a broken wheelbarrow around, right?" he looked over his shoulder.

"Em em." She shook her head. She was quite shy at times with the man.

Zack kneeled down to work on the wheelbarrow. He teased her and made her blush all the while. She seemed awkward at times, unsure as to what to do with herself. When he was finished, he stood, wiping his hands on his pants. "Then it's a date. I'll come in to surprise you every once and a while, to make sure you're staying out of trouble." He pointed a finger at her.

"Me?" She swayed her hips, her hands behind her back.

"That's what I said." The man smiled. "You're trouble you know that?" He approached the woman.

'Her kiss…' Zack sighed, remembering what it was like to kiss her.

He gently took her hand.

The woman's face was a brilliant red. She lifted her hand to her chest, fiddling with the black ribbon around her neck.

Zack placed a hand on the small of her back, gently pulling her against him. As he did so, he gave her no room to push away. He lowered his head and slowly brushed his lips against hers. It was a soft kiss, almost like a butterfly's. He only parted slightly, looking down at her to see if she disapproved. When she didn't say anything he returned to her.

'So much trouble…' The man smirked. He made a mental note to check up on her every single day of the rest of his life.

'I'm so sorry, Aeris.' Zack felt his body quake again. He bit his lip, feeling a new burn in his chest. He couldn't hold back the quick jolt of as he suppressed a cry. 'I…promised you…I'd come back. That I'd be okay.'

Blue eyes opened. Zack was reminded of his terrible reality. He was lying in the mud, feeling the droplet's of rain splash onto his face. A stinging tear rolled over his iris, dripping solemnly down his blood stained cheek. He looked from side to side, almost panicking. Everything was darkening. The sight of the clouds were fading, the tingle in his body leaving with his sight. Something large blocked his dying view. Zack knew that silhouette, it was Cloud. Cloud was looking down at him, but Zack didn't care. He was too busy thinking about Aeris' soft skin, the smell of her hair, the feeling of her nails digging through his hair as her pink lips were pressed against his.

'I can…get my own set of wings…'

Thump, thump, thump.

The sound of his heart was unbearable.

Thump…thump…

It throbbed, it ached.

Thump…

All was dark now. There was no more sound, no more visions, and no more memories.

…thump…

"…Aeris…" a soft whisper on his lips. "…take care…of…her…"

Zack was no more.



"ZA--CK!!" Cloud slammed against the wall. "#damnit, NO!"

Tifa held a hand to her mouth, covering up her worried cries. Zack was lying on the floor now, unmoving. There was no more sound, no more twitching, no more gasps.

"Help him! Help him you idiot! HELP HIM!!" Cloud grabbed the side of his head, slumping to the floor. It was something he tried to block out of his memory, Zack's death outside Midgar.

Fate was fortunate enough to bring the man back not only once but twice. Now Zack was going to meet the same death from so long ago, the one that should have taken him, that should have kept him from breathing ever again.

"Cloud!" Tifa crouched, her hands on his shoulders.

"Help him…you idiot…" Cloud mumbled to himself.

Tifa shuddered, knowing that Cloud was going through a mental battle, regretting his loss of actions that day. A flash of Zack's dead body beneath his hovering one stabbed Cloud's mind.

"Don't just sit there and stare at him! He's dying!" Cloud shook.

"Stop it, Cloud! You're not helping the situation!" Tifa pulled her head downward to look the blonde in the eyes. They were squeezed shut.

'Dying!?' Aeris tensed at Cloud's words.

"Indeed…" Sephiroth nodded, chuckling.

"Dying!?" Aeris hollered. She stomped her foot, looking up at the silver haired man.

"Quiet…"

"NO!" she shoved him. The man shook his head, his concentration fading only a second. "I'm not going to stand here and be quiet as you're killing my friends!"

"Cloud!" Tifa lifted the man's head. "Aeris!" she pointed, her arm in front of his face.

Cloud followed Tifa's finger.

"She's breaking his concentration!" Yuffie cheered.

"Aeris! Stop!" Sephiroth screamed through grit teeth.

"You stop! Stop this! You don't have to do this!" the woman punched his arm.

"Wench!" Sephiroth threw an arm up, knocking Aeris' arms out of the way and hitting her torso. The girl dropped to the floor like a meteor into the planet. Her head smacked against a rather large rock lying at her feet.

"Aeris!" Tifa stood. "No!"

The others watched in horror as a trickle of blood poured from Aeris' temple. Sephiroth paid no mind to the injured woman on the floor.

"Impossible." Vincent covered his forehead.

"What are the odds?!" Cid threw his arms into the air.

"What are we gonna do now?" Yuffie pressed herself against the wall. It was still as strong as ever.

"Die…" Sephiroth muttered. "Just die!"

'Where am I? What's going on? What happened?' Aeris lay in darkness.

'Planet…what's going on?' the woman felt herself shiver. It was cold.

'Am I dead?' the young woman felt a horrible headache surfacing. 'No…I wouldn't feel pain if I was.'

"Stop it!" a scream sounded.

'Stop it? But I'm not doing anything.' The woman furrowed her brow.

"You're killing him!"

'I'm doing what!?'

"Stop it!"

'Stop what!?'

"Sephiorth!"

'…Sephiroth?'

Aeris slowly sat up from the cold, rigid ground. She held onto the side of her head feeling the warm blood that seeped from her new wound. With her eyes blurred, she tried her best to figure out what was going on. She closed her eyes tightly as a flood of memories resurfaced.

She could remember his scent, one of the outdoors mixed with his sweet cologne, the type that gave any woman goose bumps no matter who wore it. She would sigh happily as his arms wrapped around her tightly. Zack was always able to keep her warm no matter where they were. She felt she could be anywhere in the world and as long as she had Zack there holding onto her, she would be warm and safe. His soft whispers in her ear were no longer a fading memory but real life as she saw him lying before her like a ghost. He certainly had been gone a long time in the past.

She cried herself to sleep numerous nights, just wishing for him to be there holding her, whispering sweet words to her. She would cry just at the memory of the man standing in her kitchen in the morning singing off key to one of his favorite songs. It was a happy thought but it pained her so to think of his boyish smile and all the corny yet sweet things he would do for her. Whether it was squishing a spider with his new shoes or lending her his jacket when it was cold, Zack did it all without a complaint. The one thing he always told her though was 'I can't wait to get my promotion. Then I can spend all the time in the world with you. Well not all the time, but plenty more than what I do now. I can take you outside; we'll go to Costa Del Sol, just you an' me. But you gotta wait for me. I'll be finished with all this soon. Then you and I will never have any worries.'

She desperately wished for him to return. She lied to herself, saying she never cared that much. She made him out to be a bad guy. He flirted too much, he probably found another girl and moved on. He went back to his parents. Any excuse at all. She would get angry with him while she sat silently, alone and cold in her room. She would yell into her pillow calling him names trying her best to soothe her anger and sadness. Other days, she would cave in, waiting in her church day and night for him to come in to see her in her pink clothing. She had a closet full of pink, anything to make him happy the next time he saw her, not caring that he was only joking about wanting to see her in that color. She would sit by her windowsill, waiting for a small pebble to fly up and hit the pane next to her face. She cried silently to herself every time she heard the front door of both her home and her church open, any noise that sounded caused by the wind or an animal and saw that it wasn't Zack, that he really wasn't coming back. She had dreams about him, the way they kissed and held each other. She dreamed of their future lives together, those were both the best and the worst. She wanted to stay asleep forever in that artificial world. Once she had awoken and found it nothing more than a dream, she would brood the rest of the day, her eyes red and damp from the tears she shed. No matter how much she tried to blame him, he never would leave her thoughts.

He would sit in her garden and chew on the stem of one of her flowers. Whenever he had time off, he was with her. She would cook for him and they would eat together in her church. He had helped her make a wagon to sell her flowers in the city. He always had to come back because of it always breaking when she used it. The man just gave up and decided to just stay with her all day long until he was called upon. She never would admit it, but that was exactly what she wanted. After he decided to spend all his free days with her, she finally stopped finding excuses as to why the wagon kept breaking.

She remembered the soft sound reverberating off the walls of her church as she spoke to the man and the sound of his quiet sobs as he rocked back and forth on the wooden floor, trying to comfort himself. It took all the strength she could muster to hold back her own tears. Seeing a man like him, so strong, so confident and happy break down was always a reminder to Aeris how depressing this world really was. She remembered the soft shaking as she held onto him, kissing his cheek. He would sniff and wipe at his eyes, giving an agitated groan for showing his weakness. Aeris would give him reassuring whispers. Her breath was like feathers on his neck. His trembling would stop after a moment. She would hold onto him, running her fingers through his hair. In minutes he'd fall asleep in her arms.

The look in his eyes when he had to leave for his last mission was another reminder of how cruel this world was. His blue gaze tried desperately to hold back the pain he felt for leaving her another day. If Aeris had known it would be the last time they'd see each other, she would have tried desperately to keep him with her. She would have locked him in her room all day, making him kiss her and love her without even mention of SOLDIER, Sephiroth, or Nibelheim. 'I'll be back soon, I promise.' He gave her a promise. She took that promise and held it close to her heart everyday as she wrote and called him. But, eventually the man stopped responding. There was a time, it went by so fast to her but really was years later, that she felt her heart break, realizing that he wasn't coming back.

Then he was given the miraculous second chance. He was brought back by Hojo. He was granted another chance at life to find her and make her his once again. So much time had gone by; Aeris regretted never continuing her letters to the man, even if he was dead. She wanted so desperately to never let go of him, to hold onto him forever. Knowing that he was back, killed her a little bit. She felt lousy, like she had let him down. No matter how much she tried to forget the pain she never could. And now she realized. She went to Cloud because he was the last reminder in her life of the man who used to be hers.

Now Zack was back once again, another miracle granted by the heavens. She had watched his second horrible death herself. She never saw him like that, wounded, and covered in his own blood. Even then, he smiled at her. He tried his best to keep her safe, protect her of the horrible things in this world. He ignored the pain and the terrible sensation of death overcoming him and smiled at her. It only hurt her more to think that the first time he had been wiped off the planet he was cold and all alone, without her there to hold him.

She felt her heart explode. Tears stung her eyes. Now Sephiroth was making him relive that horrible death. This time she would get to see what happened to him so many years ago when he was shot down by Shinra soldiers.

"Sephiroth! Stop it!" Aeris clenched her fists. She slowly rose to her feet. She felt the rush of blood go to her head and stumbled at the dizziness. She saw menacing green eyes glare at her from behind silver bangs.

She remembered everything, her entire life before she was killed at the hands of Sephiroth. She remembered that night in Nibelheim all too well, and Zack never even laid a hand on her that entire night. Sephiroth had been toying with her and now it was her turn to get revenge.

"What was that?" the man growled. He stared at her in disbelief. She hit her head hard. How was it possible for her to be standing right now?

"Please, stop it!" the woman begged, her tone different. She wrapped her arms around the man. He flinched at the contact. "I don't like seeing you like this! Please don't hurt them anymore! You and I can runaway. We can leave this place, forget about them all!"

The man stared at her wide eyed. He couldn't believe it, she still believed him to be the good guy he played to be. "How's this possible?"

"Please!" Aeris tugged on his arm. She almost strangled him she hugged him so tight around the neck. "I love you!" she whispered. Then she did the thing she was best at, let the waterworks begin.

"What!?" Sephiroth looked down at her.

"I love you." She repeated the words again. Needless to say the audience was shocked by these words just as much as he was. It was perfect. She stole his concentration. The hold on Zack was fading away. She'd have him freed in no time. That is, if it wasn't already too late.

'I love you…' the words repeated over and over in Sephiroth's mind through the next second. He shrugged the words away. 'I'm hearing things.' He turned to face Zack once again, holding the yellow orb into the air.

"I love you!" Aeris grabbed his shoulder, spinning him around. Her hands went straight to cup his face. She rose to her toes and pulled him downward.

Sephiroth stood, his body twisted toward the woman. His hand held out in the air almost behind him, the glow of the materia flickering as he tried to keep his hold on Zack. He hesitantly placed his free hand on her lower back. Aeris pushed into him, her arms wrapping around his neck. The man still held out the orb. The woman moaned softly against his lips, slipping her leg between his.

The sound of the materia dropping to the floor was like a signal of victory.

Sephiroth's other hand slid to her waist, gripping her hip. He stood over her pulling her to him possessively.

'Ok…he dropped it…' Aeris felt her heart pounding. 'Now…what?'

Sephiroth took control, deepening the kiss. Aeris gasped into him, scared by his actions.

'What's this power she has over me?' Sephiroth thought to himself. 'Since when was I so weak?' the man contemplated the question.

'Nibelheim.' he shivered. 'Since the night in Nibelheim…' He reflected on the night.

He enjoyed the way she looked on the sheets. The way she gripped them, her nails digging into the mattress. Sephiroth trailed a hand up and down the woman's back as he remembered the sound of her 

moans, the sound of his name escaping her lips in the darkness. He could have easily had his way with her and left but he stayed with her longer, dangerously too long. But he wanted to hear her scream. He remembered her calls, her gasps, her warm body, and how he had to ruin his goal by placing a hand over her mouth to muffle her; afraid she'd wake the others, the sleep spell he cast on them surely depleted by then. The man had been frozen with fear, finally aware of what he had done in the final moments as Aeris had wrapped her arms around his neck. Sephiroth nearly panicked, casting a sleep spell on the confused woman. He re-tied her bathrobe and slipped the covers over her. Then he dressed himself and readied to leave. Sephiroth remembered the strange shiver he had as he made his way to her window. Something was overwhelming inside him. Then, the evil thoughts came yet once again. He tugged on his black gloves and set them on the pillow beside her head. He couldn't help the excitement running through his veins at the thought of Aeris discovering them in the morning.

Sephiroth smirked. He hadn't kissed a woman in a lifetime it seemed. The man couldn't help but admit the feeling was great, something he had both forgotten and missed. But there was still a bit of unease about it. This was Aeris. This wasn't just some woman off the streets.

"What is she doing!?" Yuffie jumped up and down, pulling her hair.

"…She's…kissing him." Tifa watched, dumbfounded.

"She's…in love with him?" Cloud felt his heart stop. 'How can this be!?'

"No!" Tifa smirked. "Cloud, you have very little faith in her, don't you?"

"What!? She's kissing him!" Cloud faced the brown eyed woman. His mouth dropped when he saw Tifa was holding back a laugh.

"She's so wicked…" she bit her lip.

"You mean?" Cloud turned back to watch the spectacle.

"Distraction." Tifa shrugged.

"Damn that woman's got a cold heart!" Cid whooped.

"Ew. But it won't stop!" Yuffie shivered. "When's she planning on pushing away?"

"When he lets all his guard down." A corner of Vincent's lip curled upward.

Sephiroth raised his hands, not caring that there were staring eyes. Aeris moved her hands away from him, gripping his tightly to prevent him from further venturing into fondling her. Sephiroth opened his eyes, giving her a confused look. She realized her mistake and guided his hands back down her sides, giving him another raw kiss. She opened her eye a second to gaze at the man who was still lying on the ground, unconscious.

"Look!" Shelke pointed. "It's working!" She beamed.

"The wall!?" Cait Sith scratched at the surface, he felt a strange film under his claw.

"It's deteriorating!" Kadaj placed his gloved fingers over the wall. He pushed forward, digging into the invisible field. Then he pulled downward, ripping the force. It sent tickles through his hand.

"Hurry!" Tifa ordered happily.

"We can still win this!" Cloud sliced through the jelly like wall.

The two continued their kissing scene. Sephiroth ignored everything, not realizing the group's escape. He ignored their chatter, a call out to Zack and the sound of rushing feet. He ignored the clatter of clones, the silent battle from behind him. He did notice, however, the tremble Aeris had.

"Aeris?" Sephiroth opened his eyes, suddenly feeling a tad frightened. He noticed her eyes were open, looking behind him, her mouth dropped open. Sephiroth didn't need to move to know what was happening.

"SsssSSSEPHIROOOTH!" a menacing hiss sounded.

Aeris pushed away from the silver haired man, gasping.

Zack stood in the corner, his sword raised. The clones surrounded the man, watching with edge. Their claws dripped with evil venom. Zack paid them no attention though. He kept his glowing death stare at the man on the pillar. Sephiroth frowned, turning to face the furious man.

It was a stare down. Cloud and the others watched with their weapons ready. The battle was about to start and right now, for the first time, Cloud felt he and his friends had the upper hand.

Zack's glare switched momentarily from the man to the worried woman at his side.

"Aeris?" Zack cocked his head to the side, his emotions maniacal.

"Z, Zack…?" Aeris gave him a faint smile. She wasn't expecting him to be so hostile.

"So is this the way you mourn for somebody's death?" the man chuckled, his eyes glowing with all the more intensity.

"What's happening?" Cloud frowned.

"I…I don't know…what you mean-."

"Not enough you go to my best friend as soon as I'm dead, but now you go straight to the source of my pain!" he raised his head in anger and screamed. "To SEPHIROTH!"

"N, no…that…" Aeris gasped. She held her hands to her chest protectively and stepped behind Sephiroth.

"Oh…shit…" Cloud's mouth went dry. He knew Shelke had noticed the same thing he had.

"Look!" She pointed at Zack's arm. "Kadaj! The blood!"

"Crap!" Kadaj squeezed his hands shut. His face creased into one of anger. "You idiot, clones!"

Stabbed into Zack's arm were two syringes. They no longer held the green liquid of Jenova's blood, the plungers pushed to the base of the tubes. Zack's veins bulged and twitched as his body began to make room for the alien cells. Beside the man, two cloaked figures hopped and skipped in delight, clapping their hands.

"They injected him with the last of Jenova's blood!"

-Okay! End of this chapter! I hope I got you all on the edge of your seats by now! Whew. What a cycle of emotional turmoil. Anyways, please review and let me know what you think! Thanks for reading and reviewing! -Annubis