Hey guys, new chapter here.

Enjoy.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Battle for Fate

The man in front of them was dressed entirely in black, his long silver hair flying behind him. He held in his hand one of the longest blade that Éclair had ever seen before almost as tall as he was. His catlike green eyes were observing her with underlying amusement.

"Barthandelus was right," he said, his smooth voice carrying over to them, "You do not remember much of the past."

Éclair still hold her position in defense.

"Barthandelus?" she repeated.

The man chuckled.

"You know him as Gylenth Dysley," the man said, walking slowly to the side, his eyes never leaving Éclair's.

"Dysley send you."

"Exactly," he said, "With your deaths, Cocoon will stay afloat in the sky. Your Focus is to bring down the world isn't it Éclair? To fight against the kind you spend your life to protect…the life you were chosen for."

Éclair looked at him, feeling confusion.

"I don't know of what you speak of," she said.

The silver haired man smirked.

"Then, maybe before I kill you" he said, "I can refresh your memory, after all, this is the least I can do for you."

The silver haired man stayed silent for a few moments.

"You and I, Éclair are of the same race," he said, "We were both born and raised on a place called Zanarkand."

Éclair feel something change within her at the name.

Zanarkand?

"The Fal'Cie, our benefactors had given us much. They were our gods, our deities and in return we give them the best of our people to serve them, to become what you are now, an l'Cie. It was an honor among our people to be chosen to become an l'Cie. We were respected and revered by them, treated as kings for we were more than man, we were gods ourselves."

He sighed.

"But not everything stayed as such when a fell creature known as Sin was sent upon us. It was more powerful than anything the Fal'Cie had ever known nor faced before. This battle's cost was high and our Maker couldn't watch anymore as his children Fal'Cie get killed off one by one…so he created one for us, one to fight fire with fire."

The silver haired man looked at her.

"It was known as Ragnarok, The Salvation Fal'Cie."

Éclair had a flash of seeing gold figure with long gold hair…

W…What was that?

"But even with Sin's defeat, the people of Zanarkand turned their back against the Fal'Cie. They turned their back against us, who we had protected them…and even so, Ragnarok killed everyone in Zanarkand…leaving it a mere shadow of what it once was."

Éclair can see the destruction, the flash of the burning buildings.

"How do I fit in all of this?" she asked.

The silver haired man raised his sword, pointing it straight at her.

"You are a Protector, the same as me," he said, "You were tasked to guard a Fal'Cie with your life, and yet, you go against everything you have learned by attempting to complete this Focus that had been given to you. You have shamed all the people of Zanarkand and the dead Fal'Cie. For this you and Lightning will pay for your crimes in blood."

He gave the air a swig of his sword.

"And I, Sephiroth, will be your killer," he said.

"Like hell you will," Vaan yelled, charging forward.

But a hand took hold of his clothes.

"Think you imbecile," Paine said, "This guy can use magic…how are you going to fight him?"

Éclair tensed.

"You guys get out of here," she said, "Zack, Tifa take care of them. I don't want anyone to be caught in this fight."

"Éclair…," Vaan said.

"Listen to me for this one Vaan," the woman said, glancing back at him.

The young man seemed to have an internal battle within him but he answered.

"You better come back alive," he said.

Éclair smirked.

"Count on it," she said.

The group started to run back, leaving both her and Lightning standing there.

"Their fate is as well as sealed," Sephiroth said.

"You'll have to get through both of us first," Lightning said, her gunblade turning into its blade form.

A dark grin crossed Sephiroth's face.

"I will," he said.

With that he charged forward and with such incredible speed that both women's were taken aback for a few seconds. Then, Éclair took hold of herself as the extremely long blade swung in a horizontal slash, forcing both of her and Lighting to step back. But the attack didn't stop there as Sephiroth continued to attack which she blocked with her own blade.

Damn how strong is he? She thought.

With what look like a casual push from him, Éclair was send flying backward from the force behind the push. The woman slid upon the ground before she did a back flip using her own momentum from the push so that she could get back on her feet again.

Clash…Swash…Clash…

She looked up seeing Lightning fighting against the man in a battle of swordplay but Lightning was on the defensive as Sephiroth continued to attack relentlessly pushing her back. With a swing of his sword, Lightning was also thrown back and she yelled out before she landed down on the ground, rolling away.

Éclair charged forward, her blade sparking with her Thunder magic, she launched herself forward with a swing and Sephiroth did the same with his own blade. The two collided in the air creating sparks, as the two looked at each other.

"You've lost your strength Éclair," he said, "Without the power of a Fal'Cie, you are greatly weakened."

"I'm not weak," Éclair yelled.

Sephiroth pushed her back, and Éclair did a spin in the air, landing on the ground with a crouch. From his right hand, Sephiroth launched Fire spell at her, which she dodged by going sideways, and then she charged straight toward him.

"And I will defeat you," she said attacking with a slash.

Sephiroth blocked it.

"Really? You couldn't even defeat me back then…why would this time be any different," he said.

He pushed her back, and launched himself forward attacking with a swing forcing the girl to block.

"You don't have what it takes to defeat me," he said.

Then out of nowhere, Lightning come flying in sending ice spell after him causing the man to fall back, creating a barred wall of ice between him and them.

"He is strong," she said, "Sorry for taking so long; I was a bit dazed after that hit."

"I don't blame you," Éclair said.

The former Colonel looked at her.

"He is more powerful than both of us," she said, "and more skilled with this blade... if we fight him alone we wouldn't have a chance."

Éclair knew that too. Sephiroth was just too fast and too strong.

"Maybe not alone," she said.

The wall of ice in front of them exploded outward sending both women flying backward from the blast. Sephiroth was walking calmly toward them.

"You may fight me as you wish," he said, "You may come at me with whatever strength you have, but the results will always be the same."

He put his sword up, his green eyes seemingly glowing.

"Both of you will die."

Lightning and Éclair hold their swords at the ready.

"Want to bet?" Lightning smirked.

"You two are more alike than I thought," Sephiroth said softly, "This shall be interesting."

He charged forward with his blade and the two women met him halfway. Then the fight begin again as both Lightning and Éclair double teamed Sephiroth but even so, the man was keeping his stance, as he fought them evenly, matching them.

I cannot land even one hit. Is he really that powerful? Éclair thought.

She summoned her magic, as thunder sparks started to appear around her blade.

"Lightning, get out of the way," she yelled.

The woman dodged an attack from Sephiroth and blocked the next with her blade.

"Why?"

"Just do it," Éclair yelled.

Lightning pushed Sephiroth's sword back before jumping in the air giving way for Éclair's attack. The armored woman didn't waste another second as she launched herself forward, with her blade crackling with power.

"Thundara,"

The thunder strike aimed straight toward Sephiroth pushing him back. With a grunt the silver haired man was on the block until the thunder spell finished.

"Pathetic," he said, "Your strongest spell will not work against me."

"I don't need spell to defeat you," Éclair yelled.

She launched forward, her strike coming straight at the man who was blocking all of them like it was nothing to him.

"How does it feel Éclair? To betray all of the sacrifice made by the Fal'Cie for the Human race," she said, "Cocoon is the epitome of what Fal'Cie had done for the human race. Now you want to destroy it?"

Éclair struck out against him which he blocked before pushing her back.

"You are a disgrace to all of the l'Cie chosen to guard Fal'Cie."

Enraged, Éclair launched out an attack of lightning bolts at him which Sephiroth dodged by jumping upward landing upon a building not too high away. He smirked down at the two women that stood below him as his right hand started to shine with power and on the back of his gloved hand his brand was shining through.

"Embrace my power," he said, "Meteor Strike."

A large seal appeared upon the sky similar to earlier as balls of flames started to rain down upon the two women.

"Éclair, we've got to move," Lightning yelled as the ground trembled underneath their feet.

But the armored woman didn't hear her, as she launched herself in the air, flying toward where Sephiroth was standing. The silver haired man had a smile on his lips when Éclair come flying toward him her sword raised high above her head.

Then quick as a flash his sword came flying upward.

Lightning had taken cover as the spell caused more destruction around her. The Colonel was breathing heavily waiting for the spell to end. She glanced around her, looking for the Pulsian woman but Éclair was not in her line of sight.

Where did she go? She thought.

Lightning stood out of her hiding place, looking around at the flames and started to run toward the last place where she had seen Éclair. But there were nothing in sight. So she looked up toward where Sephiroth had jumped toward to…

And she felt her heart freeze in her chest.

Éclair was hanging on the long sword which seemed to have pierced through her body. The woman was still alive since one of her hand was holding the blade, as blood slide down upon the gleaming metal.

"Éclair," she yelled.

"It seems I have missed your heart," Sephiroth said, looking up at the handing woman, "A pity, but not a total lost."

His other hand started to shine with power.

" and so end the great Éclair Farron," he said smirking.

"ODIN," Éclair yelled.

The burst of magic caused Sephiroth to shield his eyes and jumped backward, pulling his sword out of the woman's body. Éclair started to fall back toward the ground but was caught by the appearing Eidolon who landed right besides Lightning.

"Thanks," Éclair said, holding her wound with her hand.

"Éclair, you're alright?" Lightning asked her.

Odin casted a healing spell upon her healing her instantly.

"Now I am," she stands standing back up.

Sephiroth landed right across them, holding on his long sword which now had blood upon it.

"I hadn't anticipated you summoning Odin," he said, "That is the only thing that saved your life before, but now I will end this. Taking on an Eidolon will prove to be a challenge, even for me."

His body started to glow and the two women can feel the magic that was pouring through him as his brand started to burn through his glove. Then out of his back, a raven black wing had grown out, his green eyes glowing with power.

"Is…is he really this powerful?" Lightning asked not able to keep the shock out of her voice.

"Your damned Focus had started this battle," Sephiroth said, "With your defeat, Cocoon will stay afloat in the sky, and the menace that you have become will vanish like dust in the wind. Éclair Farron, we were once comrades fighting for the same goal in the past, I will set you free."

Sephiroth had a ball of magic appeared within his hand and he threw it toward them.

A large explosion, pushing back the old buildings with its pressure as filled the area as the light grew into the sky.

Yeah, i put Sephiroth in this story. I debated with myself whether or not to bring him on...but in the end, i have brought him aboard, as Barthandaleus Protector.

Next time, the fight agaisnt Sephiroth escalate on the next chapter: The last staw

Jacques0 out

R&R.