Chapter 22: The cost of being first class

"WHAT!"

"You can't be serious…"

"What…again your saying I'm going to die…again, you must not seem to understand something here…death hurts, a lot you two don't seem to understand this because nether of you have died before but it blows, more than the both of you seem to realize!" Sora shouted

"And what you don't seem to understand is Genesis has practically transcended what Sephiroth wanted to become, the keyblade may be able to save people from heartless but no one ever said it could stop gods hell bent on taking over the world especially one with a hero complex" Lucrecia commented stoically

"But isn't he the chosen wielder doesn't that mean even if he does manage to stop him he shouldn't lose the ability?" Tifa asked

"In…any normal case yes, this…by far isn't, if by chance you succeed the Jenova cells within Genesis's body will latch on to you. Moreover, try and take you as its host if by some chance they succeed then not only will you not be in control of the keyblade but of chaos as well. This is what I mean, Jenova would kill you from the inside out" She replied eyes seemed dull lifeless as if she'd said it a hundred times before

"But…there is a way to stop it..." She finished

"Really? How?" Sora perked up

"GOOD GOD IT BURNS MAKE IT STOP!" Sora shouted much to his dismay and pride she wasn't going to

"Jenova cells are entered from the mouth and i'm doing it in small doses so your body can adjust so even if they do latch on they won't affect you but in this case…since you haven't had mako injections before will have to do that from an easier access point. Without them your body won't be able to take the strain of fighting a human who transcended into a god" Sora looked at her with tear-covered cheeks he all too soon realized what she meant

N-No…c'mon…you can't…noo this isn't funny" Sora whined Most of the girls ether giggled or blushed Tidus couldn't help himself but laugh Cloud actually left to save Sora the embarrassment and horror and Vincent actually smirked at the humorous turn of events

"It needs to be injected into an area with the most amount of fat, so the energy will be absorbed so not all of it will gush into your blood stream. If it floods in all at once, you'll die here and now because of the cells in your body they'd all over-lap and enter your heart killing you, do you want that?"

"N-No…" Sora pouted

"Good then, hold still you'll probably pass out from the pain not to mention the Jenova cells already causing you pain, It'll probably hurt more once the mako passes through the fat,"

Before Sora so much as blinked his body was down on the ground in a limbo like state half way between conscious and unconscious still hearing still being able to see…but his vision was only stuck on one thing…the light outside of the cave his body impaired and…he honestly hated it but finally understood, he understood everything.

"Is…this how Cloud felt…being able to see and hear everything…but not being able to move…like I'm dead or even a puppet unable to move unable…to protect anyone…this must be…how he felt…when she died…"

"What do you think; do you think he'll make it?" Yuffie asked worriedly she surprised herself by not asking frantically worrying on if he was actually okay or not but, he'd always be fine even if he was staring death right in the face…he'd just smile and fight it back with his ever so cocky attitude

"I have no doubt about it, he'll be just fine." Lucrecia said without a hint of worry

-Seventh heaven

Two hours later

"GAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

"Were you always bad at your assumptions or is this just a miscalculation
!" Yuffie shouted

"I don't know what could be going wrong it should've passed through harmlessly!" Lucrecia retaliated in confusion

"You didn't mention the fact that he has multiple personalities…multiple hearts inside him, did you?" Cloud asked almost stated he knew, he knew it'd mess up but…he had his reason for this

"Cloud…what's it like being a solider?" The brunette asked

"Painful," He responded quickly

He looked into his mako infused eyes confused

"Why…painful?" Sora asked

"Because…when you have the strength to save everyone, one mistake…one death can cause your world to shatter….when I lost Aerith I realized the weight of what I truly am and it scared me, it still does, but…I realized after a lot of searching. That, I still have a reason to keep moving, and you do too, don't forget that" Cloud spoke with years of wisdom that Sora felt went way over his head

"I think I'd understand if I was more like you rather than being normal," Sora commented nonchalantly

"Being infused with mako energy…is a curse pray you never get infused with it being normal is something I wish I was everyday…maybe then Tifa-"

"If you weren't normal you wouldn't be here Tifa wouldn't be here, I definitely wouldn't be here you saved everyone me included without you no one would even be here and Tifa understands that otherwise she wouldn't be here loving you even If your about as air-headed as I am!" Sora smiled wide enough to the point his mouth twitched

"Don't give up, Zack wouldn't want to see you doubting yourself and nether would Tifa, you know?" Sora said softly

Sora's body was breaking into tiny pieces at least that's what it felt like, Vanitas was fighting for control the cells mako and chaos were all going crazy inside of him and he felt rather beside himself the pain was in short ripping him apart

"We need a proto-materia to counteract the Chaos cells that should reduce his pain significantly…but"

"No…I'll do this, I'll be the healing touch he needs!" Yuffie shouted her eyes serious but her knees shaking

"Yuff, Sorry but that sounds stupid, the pain he's in is beyond some fantasy of just being near him will magically stop the pain" Tidus snipped

"Let her try…If she believes with all of her heart that she can heal him, who are we to stop her?" Yuna asked in a childlike fashion

"Did you have to inject him with both, at the same time this is honestly too much for anyone to handle!" Rikku shouted

"I had no other choice, he needs to be the weapon the change we need, his body was pure it was bound to work chaos was first the strongest with that influence. Jenova wouldn't be able to influence him and nether could chaos they'd counteract each other, the Mako energy would make both entities stronger than they would be alone making his body so much stronger than a normal human being would. He'd be able to take down Genesis, take down Jenova and still have time to take down a meteor but…I should've given him more mako!"

"His body is shutting down; he can't take the strain not like this if he can overcome this he'd be a force to be reckoned with, but…at this rate"

Yuffie was laying next to the screaming brunette the pain so unbearable blood could be seen filling his eyes his veins full to the point of bursting and all the ninja could do was hold him and keep herself from crying, like Sora had somehow managed to keep himself from doing even in his sate of pain.

"What…class do you think he'd be if he came out of this?" Tifa asked softly

"Second at least, if he could control chaos completely he'd be first no doubt, but I've never seen him fight so-"

"He's, already a first class, he's been one ever since he showed up here, he's strong, in a way, I wish I was…more like him" Cloud whispered

"Cloud…"

"It's alright Sora…I'm here for you, it's…its okay to cry if it hurts this bad don't worry I'll wipe away the tears I…I won't let you break yet!" Yuffie whispered in between her mental anguish she was close to tears and she knew it, seeing him in this much pain was unbearable even for Vincent who couldn't help but sit at the far end of the room.

"Ether way…Two days from now we go after him, we go after him and finish this no matter what the outcome of tonight is" Vincent said his tone light but his eyes held a dark glare

"We couldn't possibly-"

"He's right, we don't have a choice Tifa, all we have to do is wait if he doesn't make it we keep moving,"

"So easy for you to say that isn't it!" Tifa shouted he knew they all knew what she was getting at, save for three

"You didn't let her go so easily but you can do it so casually for him biased aren't we!" Her voice was thick with grief

"This is different Sora accepted the possibility of death, he knew the risks and still went through with it, he knew what becoming a solider would mean and he still did it!" Cloud retaliated

"That's exactly what she did, and she died because of it and you never got over it, this time is different he's dying right before your eyes, you have a way to stop it. You know you do this is not a split second decision you know how much he reminds you of her. Don't you and you think it'll turn out the same way! She knows that too, why do you think she loves him so much, why do you think it kills her to see him dying in the exact same scenario as Aerith!" Tifa had tears falling painlessly on the floor,

He knew she was right, he knew it he never wanted to admit that they were similar he finally moved on letting Sora move on would be another step that he was willing to take…to love his best friend.

"We can't interfere with this process, anything we say can alter his mindset, will have to leave and let Yuffie stay with him, the closer the person is to him the more of a positive effect it'll have…will have to wait till morning to see if he can make it through this…burden"

Tifa smiled brightly "That's the Cloud I know…" She said it softly enough to catch his ears

"You'd better come back you idiot, you can't leave things unfinished like this, don't forget what I told you!" Cloud shouted Sora had finally after awhile calmed down but it could flare up at any second Yuffie never let go she couldn't it was calming him, not like she really wanted to let go at all really,

"You…really changed me you know that, before all of this I never would've thought a guy like you would be the person I'd fall in love with, I thought…I'd end up with…-" She stopped herself when she saw his body tense and his brows frown

"B-But I'm glad I did I found someone I love even if I didn't expect it I'm happy, you returned not just once but twice and made me happy, happier than I would be at home with papa and everyone else, you…still need to meet them, and you still need to keep your promise…" She looked into his closed eyes, his body unmoving like he was listening intently to her every word

"You still…need to marry me, love me, just a little bit longer…who am I kidding…I couldn't go just a little bit I'm too selfish. I'd want to be with you, forever…I'd want to raise kids with you, love you and be loved by you, annoy Cloud with you." At this point, she was giggling to herself as a single tear slid down her cheek

"But the one thing I want more than anything…is to hear you call my name with the love in your voice that you always have…to have you tell me you love me with so much love in your voice that I can't help but want to kiss you right there on the spot. Or the way you hold me in your arms that makes me feel that even Sephiroth couldn't tear us apart. Don't let that all go to waste, don't let my dream end…so soon, don't let the light fade, not yet I'm…I'm not ready for it to end yet!" She sobbed into his chest after a while she finally, fell asleep hours later Sora finally awoke his body felt like glass his mind weary.

"It…won't end, not yet, I won't let it," Sora whispered

"I'll kill him if I have to, just to preserve the happiness you're feeling…" His eyes glowed with the same urethral glow as Clouds but it soon changed to a sickly yellow which only added to the eerie effect of the glow in his eyes.

"I'll protect our family…" Sora whispered before finally falling asleep again

"I'll put everything on the line just like you Cloud, I'll protect everyone just as you both did…"