Hey guys, new chapter, i`m updating from library. This is probably why i haven`t updated in like a month or something...and i must say, i`m almost done writing this fic, i`m simply updating it for now.

Enjoy

Chapter Twenty-Eight

The last straw

The explosion of magic raised a lot of dust which completely annihilated the side of the ruins that where in front of Sephiroth who let a smirk cross his face. He had exhausted a good portion of his power creating this spell, but it would seem that he had done a good job in killing Éclair and the Colonel off.

The silver haired man thought it was a shame that someone like Éclair had fallen so low. He respected the girl back from when the two of them had been Protector and the woman had been chosen by Seraphelim, the Fal'Cie of Dreams.

As the smoke dissipated, Sephiroth narrowed his eyes.

What?

A shield of some kind had been put up in front of both Éclair and the Colonel, which probably protected them from the blast right now. He couldn't understand how that shield was put up in time when his eyes found Odin who was now removing the shield.

"Lilith's Shield," he said, "An impenetrable defense known only to the Eidolon Odin."

Éclair give him a glance and the woman took her stance.

"I will defeat you Sephiroth," she said, "I will not die here."

"If you where still honorable, you would have chosen death over this Focus you were tasked with," Sephiroth told her, "You leave me with no choice…both of you will pay."

He charged forward attacking with near lightning speed, his long sword giving him an advantage of reaching Éclair from afar, but the woman blocked his attack and attacked back as the two got caught in a blast of swordplay and magic.

Odin had come forth with his two headed blade toward Sephiroth who had see him coming from a mile away. The silver haired man spun around, his sword slashing at Odin who was forced to fall back to avoid getting it.

Lightning was launching spells right after the other, forcing Sephiroth to dodge by swerving out of their paths. Then he flew up, with a flap of his one wing as he looked down at Éclair who jumped after him with an attack which he blocked as their sword clashed, neither of them giving the other an advantage.

Sephiroth pushed her off, and Éclair did a back flip in the air landing on the ground in a crouch.

She is still as skilled as she was back then, he thought, It is a strange sight for her not to remember anything when her body still remember the feel for battle.

"Sephiroth," Éclair said, "I'm not going to destroy Cocoon. That much I can tell you."

"You were given the Focus," he answered her, "You have seen the dream…"

"Barthandelus told you that," Éclair said, "He knew about my Focus beforehand. Whatever is going on with him, something bigger is at play here."

Sephiroth narrowed his eyes.

"Are you telling me that Barthandelus is aware of your Focus and yet, let you live long enough to get out of Cocoon?" he asked.

"That is what I'm telling you," Éclair said, "He talked to me of a Prophecy about Cocoon's destruction. The only thing I'm trying to do is to figure out of the truth behind this Focus and Orphan."

Sephiroth frowned a little, hearing that name and Éclair noticed it.

"You know of Orphan," she said.

Sephiroth glanced back at her, his green eyes showing mirth.

"Defeat me, Éclair and I'll tell you what you want to know about Orphan," he said, "But as you must know, you have never defeated me before…not even once."

Éclair tightened her grip on her sword.

"Today that will change," she said.

She charged forward slashing with her sword which was blocked and the following strikes after that. Sephiroth read through her attacks easily as he simply pushed them off like they are nothing as he launched another strike toward her, the blade cutting through the armor causing Éclair to yell out in pain.

The woman landed on the ground holding on her bleeding side.

Sephiroth noticed Lightning arriving and he knew that the Eidolon had been dismissed and he simply snapped his fingers. All around him and Éclair, a barrier was appearing encircling the two of them, keeping them inside.

"That way, they will be no interruption," he said, "If you want to get out of here, you'll have to defeat me."

Éclair stood back up, holding her sword in her hand as the blue eyes bore toward him in anger, but Sephiroth didn't care, all he knew is that he will defeat Éclair here.

He charged forward again, slashing at the girl who was blocking his attacks as she launches some lightning spell toward him pushing him back. Éclair was skilled with her sword and her use of magic so he shouldn't expect it to have been easy.

But he was still taken aback at how much hard pressed he was against the woman. She had pushed him back, and even thought he was usually winning against her back then.

Back then we were friends, he thought, Was she holding back against me?

Sephiroth feel his anger grow at this. He was a powerful warrior and realizing that, it makes him wonder if she was even taking him seriously. In his anger, he lashed out toward his pink-haired opponent, his strength causing her to spring back to defensive.

Éclair then jumped sideway narrowly avoiding the long blade. She rolled on her shoulder and stood back up launching a furious barrage of spells toward him which his wing protected him from them.

"I have my own impenetrable defense," he said, as his wing moved back, "Your spells will not work against me."

Éclair looked at him, looking at him in anger thought her bleeding side was showing through her armor as the red substance flow down.

"With a wound like that," he said, "You won't last any longer. Why don't you just give up and turn your back against your Focus? Your honor with the Fal'Cie will not be tainted."

Éclair put her sword in guard.

"I'm not one to give up," she said, "Not until I figure out the full truth behind this Focus."

"There is no full truth," Sephiroth told her, "This is our duty as l'Cie. To carry out the Focus that was given to us by the Fal'Cie."

Éclair frowned.

"If that's your way to see it, then we are already on different sides," she said.

"You are as blind as I believe," Sephiroth said, "But this is the last straw Éclair…"

Éclair's sword started to crackle with sparks.

"Then let's finish this," she said.

The two charged at each other, and Sephiroth had put his sword ready to slash Éclair into two pieces but miraculously, the woman had dodged the attack causing the man widen his eyes.

How was she…he thought.

But Sephiroth hardly had the time to move before a spell hit him straight in the chest, a very powerful one, which sends him flying back. It had hurt him enough to break the shield that he had set around them and he fall down on the ground, his sword flying out of his hand.

Grunting slightly, the man tried to seat up but found Éclair in front of him, with her sword aiming at him.

"Now, tell me what you know of Orphan," she said.

Sephiroth looked at her, a smirk growing on his lips.

"What do you want to know," he said.

"Everything," Éclair said.

"Orphan is an Unborn Fal'Cie," Sephiroth told her, "His own purpose is to sleep while his power hold Cocoon's afloat in the sky. The Father Fal'Cie, when he put Cocoon in the sky he created Orphan to hold it afloat, for he alone couldn't do it. Without Orphan, Cocoon will fall and the millions of people that live upon it will die. Do you wish to be responsible for the extinction of the Human race?"

Éclair stayed silent.

Sephiroth stood back up.

"You have seen the dream," Sephiroth told her, "You know what Cocoon's fate is, and your involvement upon the destruction. Why do you still want to accomplish it?"

"Because I know there is a way to save Cocoon without its destruction," Éclair said.

Before Sephiroth could say anything, his brand suddenly surged and the man let out a yell causing Éclair to step forward.

"Sephiroth," she said.

Then a bright light covered the surroundings forcing Éclair to shield her eyes. When the light dissipated, Éclair glanced back toward him and widen his eyes. The man had turned into crystal exactly where he was.

She couldn't see how Sephiroth had just turned to crystal.

"W…What happened?" Lightning said as she approached, "Why did he turn to crystal?"

"L'Cie who fulfilled their Focus, turn to crystal and gain eternal life," Éclair said.

Lightning give her a glance.

"So his Focus was to lose a fight against you?" she said.

"He was a Protector," Éclair said, "His only Focus was to protect the Fal'Cie he was assigned to, that Fal'Cie being Barthandelus."

"Why would he turn to crystal now?" Lightning said.

Éclair was stumped about that as well.

"I don't know," she said.

Then a cure spell was casted upon her, causing her to glance toward Lightning.

"Your wound was still bleeding," she said.

Éclair give the woman a smile.

"Thanks,"

She turned her gaze back toward the crystallized Sephiroth which was now turning into dust until all that was left was crystal powder upon the ground.

"I hope that doesn't happen to me when I turn to crystal," Lightning said.

Éclair give the soldier who was walking away from her a glance.

"Let's find the others," Lightning told her.

Meanwhile

Vaan had glanced back seeing the sudden brilliant light that had suddenly lighten the sky. The entire group had stopped, looking back toward the light with shock and wonder upon their faces, thought he knew that Lightning and Éclair was alright.

"I hope they are okay," Zack said, his voice carrying a hint of worry within it.

"They will be fine," Vaan told him, "They have to be."

"That guy was strong enough to summon meteors from the sky," Tifa told him.

"Well, I believe Éclair and Lightning will make it through," Vaan told her, "That's what I think."

Paine who was a little way ahead turned toward him, frowning. She always hated Vaan seemingly devotion to the Pulsian woman. Tifa noticed the glare and shook her head slightly. These two need to speak about this.

"Anything in your ancestor's journal about anything Vaan?" he asked.

The silver haired young man glanced back down at the book that he was consulting. He had tried to find something about his grandfather's book. He can see the drawing that was being done upon the book like a lot of plants.

"I can't think of where this place is," he said.

"What about the city he went to?" Paine asked.

Vaan looked up at her.

"What?"

"Where the Crystalis was found," Paine told him, "I mean, it was found on here on Pulse right so they must be the place to look for."

Vaan looked at the book again, thinking. This would also be the place where the Tablets that his grandfather had deciphered will be.

"That will be great if we only knew where to…" he stopped when his eyes fall upon something in the distance.

He feels his eyes widen.

"What is it Vaan?" Zack asked, glancing at where he was looking, "What do you see?"

"Those plants," Vaan said, pointing toward "They have a similar match to the one my grandfather drew in his journal."

Tifa took hold of the book and then looked toward where they were looking at.

"You're right," she said, "It is a close match."

"What do you know?" Paine said, "We found where to go."

Vaan looked at the book again and back at where all the strange looking plants were. This was one of the places that his grandfather stopped at in his days on Pulse. If they can follow it, they can follow his grandfather's expedition route.

"The same road that my great grandfather went to," he said, "This is the road we will follow."

Then they can hear footsteps causing the group to turn around and Zack quickly pulled out the gunblade aiming toward…

Éclair and Lightning,

"Hey easy there with that," Lightning said, quickly coming to a stop.

"Éclair, Lightning," Tifa said quickly running up to them, "Are you guys alright?"

"We're still alive," Lightning answered her.

"What happened to…?" Paine asked.

"He turned to crystal," Éclair said.

Vaan frowned a little.

"How? Did he complete his Focus?" he asked.

Éclair shook her head.

"No, I don't know what happened back there," she said, "But it's useless to linger around here anymore."

"We found out where we should head next," Tifa told her with a smile, "That direction."

Éclair glanced at it, frowning a little.

"Why?"

Vaan looked at her.

"Because it might lead us where my great grandfather had been and possibly where your crystal form was found," he told her.

The group now have a new destination...but what will they found.

Next time: Memories

Jacques0 out.

R&R