Disclaimer: Final Fantasy VII and Final Fantasy X are copyrighted to Square Enix.
Word Count: 1,275
Pages: 3
AN: This chapter is quite short, but its action charged, and something important happens in the chapter, so I felt like it was a good place to end it. Thanks to everyone who reviewed, added the story to their alerts or their favourites.

Aerith cast Sense immediately, sizing up the semi-sentient battle machine. Barret and Gippal pelted the large, spiked wheels trying to incapacitate its movement, but to no success.

The immense machine rolled towards them, threatening to crush them all. Lulu concentrated her will into unleashing the power of her Ice materia. Icicles blossomed around the right front tire of the advancing war machine, halting its movement momentarily. Following up with a Bolt, Lulu's attack struck the machine in the torso, stopping the wheels entirely.

Barret and Gippal continued to fire at the machine, along with Cid, who had borrowed the shotgun dropped by Rufus Shinra. The three sword wielders rushed the machine with their respectful blades and marked Motor Ball's metallic body with lacerations, exposing the circuitry of the robot.

Red XIII charged at the tank, belching fireballs during his sprint. The lion-wolf jumped at the enemy's head, with his razor sharp fangs bared in a snarl, prepared to part the machine with its cerebral computer, when the machine violently spun its torso and the blades on its arms swiped Red XIII out of the air. The flame-tailed beast landed behind the machine; where he stood up, ready to attack again. Twin exhaust pipes were turned on the lion-wolf, and malicious gas spewed from the cylinders. Red XIII's one good eye fluttered shut as the beast teetered on all fours before collapsing to the ground.

Motor Ball began to roll backwards, threatening to flatten Red XIII. Cloud ran, sword in hand, slicing at tires, trying to rescue Red. The spikes on the large wheel were almost piercing the lion-wolf's flesh before Cloud slashed the protruding barbs off.

Tidus and Paine followed Cloud's example and began cutting at the tires all the while dodging the swinging arms of the robot, yet the machine was still backing up. Ramming his sword into the ground before him, Cloud slammed his shoulder against the broad side of his blade as the large wheel collided with the Buster Sword. Mako raced through his system, giving him the strength to hold off the war machine.

Tidus and Paine stood stunned for a second, amazed at Cloud's power, before jumping into action again.

Motor Ball prepared for another attack as Wakka lobbed a grenade at its head. The explosion lodged shrapnel into the CPU, yet the enemy's attack did not falter. Reaching its arms out at the group of warriors, Tidus dodged one mechanical limb and sliced at it with his sword. Paine rolled under the attacking arm and severed it with a jumping uppercut.

The dismembered hand started to crawl towards the unarmed members of the group when a metal rod was smashed into the steel palm, halting its motion.

Kimahri ripped his makeshift spear out of the ground and leaped onto the hulking machine. The rod was used to beat Motor Ball in the head before it was slammed into the metal shoulder of the robot, cutting off the circuitry leading to the left arm and ceasing its movement.

Tifa joined the fray and began pummelling the front of the robot with her Metal Knuckle as Paine and Tidus continued their assault. They started to hack at the axle of the rear wheel. Tidus launched himself in the air, springing off the machine's torso, and brought his Hardedge down on the axle with a massive amount of strength and velocity, disuniting the left back tire from the rest of the robot.

Cloud was given the opportunity to remove himself from before the enormous wheel, as Motor Ball stopped trying to crush the lion-wolf and reverted his attention on the rest of the group. Leaning forward, it aimed its twin exhaust pipes at the rest of them.

Expecting more harmful gases, everyone covered their noses, but instead they were greeted by Motor Ball's Twin Burner attack. Jets of fire burst out at them, scorching Barret, Tidus, Gippal and Paine, while the others were far enough to avoid the worst of the attack.

Paine dodged the continuous flames as Tidus rolled away from the stream of inferno. They both attack simultaneously, aiming to hack of the pipes when the robot rolled forward and knocked them with its front wheels, sending them flying.

Cloud attacked Motor Ball's torso form behind, Cross-Slashing an opening in the metal. The blond warrior stabbed the robot's circuitry straight through, ending the machine's fiery assault. His sword pierced the front of the robot, exposing the innards of the war machine. He hopped off Motor Ball, giving Lulu the opportunity to end the battle.

With a well placed Bolt to the uncovered wiring, the robot short circuited. Small explosions occurred all around Motor Ball's construction.

Aerith tossed Yuna a bangle with a Restore materia equipped. The High Summoner walked over to her fallen friend and healed Paine. Checking to make sure the others were okay or already being seen to by Aerith, she walked over to the edge of the unfinished highway and looked around for a way down.

The flower girl stood over Tidus and cast a Restore spell on him. The deep gauge wounds he received from the machine's front tires closed up and his singed skin faded away, giving way to new skin cells as the spell took its effect. The blond raised his head and smiled at the flower girl, who returned the gesture.

The groan of metal sounded behind them. Motor Ball was straightening its body, righting itself. It accelerated at the group full power as a one last attempt to eliminate its targets.

Cloud and Red XIII were safe, being behind the machine, but most of the group had to roll to the side to dodge the attack…except for Tidus and Aerith, one lying in the middle of the highway, and the other helping him up, on the verge of being killed by the charging machine.

Acting out of instinct, Tidus pulled the stunned Aerith into him, hugging her to his body. Rolling on top of the flower girl, he positioned them so they were directly in front of the charging machine…and beneath the robot's underside within inches of Tidus' back as it passed them over.

Yuna was peeking over the edge of the incomplete highway, when Motor Ball headed towards her in its last attempt.

Tidus got off of Aerith, and shouted at his wife.

"Yuna, watch out!"

The High Summoner turned with 3 metres between her and the speeding machine. She took a step back out of surprise, but hit only air. Her footing lost, Yuna fell off the edge of the highway without a sound, disappearing from view, and a second before Motor Ball flew off the end of the concrete.

A memory was triggered in Tidus' mind, from a time with similar circumstances.

A wedding, an intricately decorated altar, and Yuna in a bridal dress jumping into plain air.

"Yuna! No!" Tidus yelled in agony. "Why!?"

Close by the clouds rolled, darkened and opened up with a strike of lightning.

From below, an explosion could be heard, signalling the termination of Motor Ball.

Thunder boomed overhead and rain began to pour onto Tidus' head, flattening his hair against his skull. Droplets of water mingled with the salty tears sliding from the corners of his eyes.

Sinking to his knees, he leaned forward to overlook the edge, still sobbing. He let out a grief-stricken yell into the darkness beneath him, unable to make out much except for the burning wreckage of the robot they had battled.

Tidus straightened his back, still on his knees, as Aerith hugged him from behind; tears that have merged with rain ran down everyone's cheeks.

AN: Don't flame me please! You'll get an explanation next chapter, which I plan on uploading by next week. (I have it written, just not typed yet...and it's way longer then this chapter. This was 7 pages handwritten, the next part is 24 pages handwritten. So you got a long chapter to look forward too...if you review!)

Oops, I may have killed Yuna. (It was by accident, honest. I wasn't going to put the end part in, but this random burst of inspiration kicked in, and the entire way the story will unfold is changed 'cause of it... the plot is still the same, just the division of characters will be more balanced.)

Sorry for disappearing for a month or so...my social life kicked in during the summer and so did my football/soccer training/games. OH! It was really cool. I heard Slipknot in concert...not by choice though; my soccer game was behind their concert platform thing, though some distance away...so music was going while we played, it was a nice adrenaline boost.. (I don't particularly listen to them..just throwing that out there in case it interested anybody)

Review please, and thank you! Hopefully I gave you something controversial to comment on.