The sudden commotion attracted everyone's attention. Barret was closest to the fight, since he was sating himself with Yuffie. He speeded up the best he could. Sephiroth had been just about to start whipping Cloud, but he removed Cloud's blindfold instead. Cloud ran for his Buster sword and called out for the guards, while Sephiroth made a gesture and his katana appeared in his hand as he stalked down the steps towards the fracas.

When Reno saw Tifa reaching for one of her boot knives, he kicked her in the head and grabbed Zack, heading towards the drawbridge controls when a jet of flame barely missed them. Barret wasn't that far behind them, and their escape was hampered by the panicked partiers trying to figure out where to go. "You head left out the nearest exit you can find, I'll go right and draw his fire." Reno ordered Zack even as he shoved him away.

"Don't let them get away!" Tifa yelled to the guards as she stood up. "Not all the Turks were killed…they want her back!" she shouted next to Sephiroth and Cloud. Sephiroth frowned…the worthless bitch had screwed up for the last time…after the Bacchanalia, he'd have Cloud kill her and marry the blind slut.

Reno dodged Barret's flames, trying to get him to ignite the furniture. He was somewhat successful, and smoked started filling the ballroom. The guards had no choice but to let the drawbridge down so people could escape. He was pissed off at having to run for his life, but Zack had fucked everything up with his innate honesty. He looked around for him, and spotted Cloud and Zack just staring at each other in front of the stage, and decided to seize the opportunity. He grabbed a wine glass and broke it, holding the jagged stem firm in his hand as he ran for the stage.

When Reno separated from him, Zack saw Yuffie still on the stage, just sitting there. He tried to reach the stage quickly, but he had to fight his way through the fleeing guests, and his one eye was quite swollen from Tifa's blows, so it was hard to see through. As soon as he finally made it there, he came face to face with Cloud, and he stared at the Buster sword Cloud was wielding. "You…you took my sword?" Zack asked him.

Cloud ran back into the ballroom once he had retrieved the Buster sword, but the guests were freaking out, and instead of reaching the drawbridge, he found himself at the stage, confronted by his past. "Zack?" Cloud asked in disbelief. He didn't know he was going into shock as a living reminder of who he had once been, before Sephiroth broke him, stood right in front of him. "You're…you're not real!" he shouted wildly at Zack. Those were the last words Cloud ever spoke, as Reno reached them and plunged the broken wineglass stem into Cloud's neck, expertly cutting open his jugular.

"Cloud!" Sephiroth screamed in anguish as he saw Cloud fall to the ground, his lifeblood pouring out of him. He stabbed and sliced everyone in his way to reach the stage, dropping his katana as he fell to the floor as well. He pulled Cloud's body to him, oblivious to everything else. This wasn't happening! Sephiroth told himself…not Cloud, not to the only person whose loyalty he could always trust!

Tifa also paused as she saw Cloud fall, unable to identify all the emotions that suddenly assailed her. When she saw Sephiroth drop his katana, they all vanished, replaced by intense hatred. She couldn't pass up this chance…she ran towards the stage and picked up his katana. "You killed him!" Tifa yelled as she swung the giant sword. Sephiroth's head was cut cleanly off his body, and it bounced onto the stage, stopping only when it collided with Yuffie, who stared at it for a few seconds before she started screaming hysterically.

When Barret ran out of fuel for his prosthetic flamethrower, the ballroom was turning into a raging inferno, so after he ordered the guards to lower the drawbridge, he joined the group gathered by the stage. He blinked as he saw Sephiroth's headless body clutching Cloud's pale body to him in a death grip. Tifa was still holding onto the katana, a chilling smile on her face as she watched the blood drip off the blade. "What are your orders, Lady Tifa?" he asked her while Zack tried to get Yuffie to calm down. He was unsuccessful, so Reno knocked the girl out and threw her over his shoulder before they headed for the drawbridge. "Lady Tifa!" Barret exclaimed as he saw the stage start to catch fire. "We have to get out of her before it's too late!"

"It's too late." Repeating the words snapped Tifa out of her reflections, and she knelt down, closing Cloud's eyes and grabbing the Buster sword before letting Barret lead her safely outside. Looking around at the frightened guests, she spotted Reno and Zack, with an unconscious Yuffie on the ground between them, her naked body wrapped in a sheet they must have grabbed on their way out. She was about to approach them and thank them for their help when she heard her name being called. It didn't make sense to her at first, then she realized it was coming from the eastern tower.

"Lady Tifa! Lady Tifa!" Aerith's voice was frantic as she called out for her. Aerith had opened the window to hear the Bacchanalia better, and had become terrified at the thought of Tifa in danger when she started smelling the smoke and hearing people screaming as they fled the castle.

"Aerith!" Zack shouted, recognizing her voice. He and Reno ran for the tower, Tifa handing the Buster sword to Barret and chasing after them.

"She's mine! She's all mine!" Tifa screamed at them with all her might, but it slowed her down enough that they had already broken open the door and Zack was running up the stairs while Reno stayed behind to stop Tifa, or at the very least slow her down.

Zack found another locked door at the top of the tower, and managed to force it open. "Aerith! What's…what's happened to you?" he asked when he saw her white eyes.

"Who…who are you?" Aerith put her hands protectively over her stomach as she backed herself against the wall by the window. "Where is the Lady Tifa?"

"It's me, Aerith. Your old friend Zack. Don't you remember me?" He stayed in the doorway, not wanting to scare her more when she was so close to an open window.

"Z…Zack? You're supposed to be dead!" she blurted out.

"I'm not. I'm here to rescue you." he told her gently as he approached her carefully.

"What?" Aerith was stunned by his statement. "I don't need to be rescued!"

Zack stared at her. Why did the women here want to remain captive? First Yuffie, now Aerith. Had everyone gone insane? "I'm going to take you where it's safe, okay?" He took hold of one of her hands and started leading her to the stairs, but Tifa came charging up as they stood at the top of them.

"Don't take her away from me!" Tifa raged as she threw herself at Zack.

"You were going to separate us?" Aerith shrieked in outrage. "You can't, I belong to her! You're not my friend!" She struggled and pushed Zack away from her.

The crack of the banister breaking echoed throughout the tower as Zack fell over the top ledge of the four-story stairwell, taking Tifa with him. Reno was stumbling up the stairs, clutching his shoulder where Tifa had stabbed him with one of her boot knives, when she and Zack fell past him, both screaming out Aerith's name. He heard the sickening sound they made when they landed, and the ensuing silence was deafening as he stopped to catch his breath. Moments later, Aerith came crawling down the stairs, crying piteously for Tifa.

Reno grabbed hold of Aerith and stood her upright. "Hey there. It's okay, you're safe now. It's me, Reno. The Turks never leave a job undone as long as one of us is still standing."