AN: There it is as promised and on time:) Hope you enjoy! And thanks to all those who took time to review the last chapter!

Despair, it was taking hold of him. After all Cloud had done it was all going to happen again! Arieth would die and he would have to watch her slip beneath the waters' surface knowing it was his fault that he could not save her.

An abrupt hand on his shoulder made Cloud start and look over. Sephiroth's gaze was still focused on Jenova, but for a brief second his eyes glanced to Cloud and the fingers on Cloud's shoulder tightened.

Sephiroth spoke no words, but the message was clear. I'm here and I'm on your side this time.

That snapped Cloud out of his stupor. Things had changed and the biggest one was standing by his side. That was enough to change everything.

In that instant the ground beneath Arieth and Jenova's feet began to glow.

As Jenova glanced down, the creature's hold on Arieth was ripped apart as the ground began to shake and the Summon Ifrit appeared in all his fiery glory between the two.

Arieth however did not intend to fight. She was already moving, diving head first into the water and disappearing beneath its depths.

Jenova with one sweep of her blade cast Ifrit back into the Lifestream, but by then Cloud and Sephiroth had already moved. With Arieth out of the way, they pushed Jenova back from the water's edge simply by advancing their presence.

Jenova retreated in one jump to the top of the shell shaped building. The cat like eyes glared down at them hatefully.

"It is time this planet and its vermin are purged, starting with you. Neither of you are worthy of my cells. You are both a disgrace to your mother."

That was all the warning they got before three shots filled the air. Sephiroth and Cloud lunged away from each other in order to dodge the bullets that lodged into the ground where they had just stood.

Cloud had just found his footing, when he was once again moving as another hail of bullets tore after him.

What in Gaia's name?

Jenova meanwhile had jumped down and had locked blades with Sephiroth. However Jenova was attacking Sephiroth with one hand! The other hand held a long double barrel revolver. Incredibly even though her gaze was locked on Sephiroth, the creature was also pointing the weapon in Cloud's direction and continuously firing with a deadly accuracy.

Cloud immediately saw the creature's intention. She was trying to split them up by implying both long and short attacks… at the same time.

A combination Cloud had never seen Rain use before. He was so used to Rain's fighting style being identical to his own that he sometimes forgot who else had trained Rain. The way she would pause only for a slit second for reloading, bullets thrown into the air before falling perfectly into the chamber, was a classic Vincent move.

No, this unusual style and skill was all Rain, however this insane strength that allowed her to fight Sephiroth at full strength and keep Cloud at bay was all Jenova.

Cloud could barely make any ground, despite pauses for reloading before he was pushed back again. Jenova's strength must have increased significantly since she took in both Angeal's and Genesis's cells. Cloud could not remember Sephiroth even being this strong. Yet that was not what concerned him at the moment.

It was Sephiroth.

The creature was talking to him and his movements were becoming more and more… rash. He was angry! Cloud remembered the many conversations during his own fights with Jenova. Enough to know that they could either give you strength…or break you completely.

Cloud pushed forward with a new determination.

Sephiroth immediately saw what Jenova was trying to do. Divide, isolate that had always been Cloud's weakness in a battle, it had never been his skill that failed him. It was when Cloud felt alone.

Sephiroth allowed a sneer to cross his face. Witch! That would not work on him!

Sephiroth had always been alone when it came to fighting. No one ever came to his aid, because General Sephiroth never needed aid. Sephiroth worked best alone.

However Jenova seemed to know this too, for she met his sneer of contempt with a small smile.

"All this is your fault. You realize that don't you."

For some reason that angered him, none of this was fault… this time. Sephiroth had resisted her call. This time he was standing alongside with Cloud protecting the planet, like he always should have been.

None of this was his fault!

"She never would have succumbed to me if it was not for you, Sephiroth."

Sephiroth faltered. His arms still moved his blade into the right paths for blocking and arches for attacking, but his mind was elsewhere. Desperately looking for holes to the creature's words and finding…none.

What had the Weapon said when he had entered Rain's mind… You brought her! She always comes here, always fights us.

"She wanted to return to you Sephiroth," Jenova continued, "Rain wanted to be with you, but knew you would never accept her. Not with all the lies, everything she kept hidden, hidden so she could protect you from me."

Sephiroth took an unconscious step back.

"You pushed her straight into my arms."

With a final push and blur of speed, Jenova slipped through his block and her blade was suddenly pushing through his stomach and out the other side.

"For that I do thank you."

Sephiroth blinked shocked, at first not feeling any pain. Then as the blood trickled down the blade creating a trail to Jenova's hand on the handle, it came.

Searing pain that came not from the wound in his middle, but everywhere! It drove him to his knees. Every cell in his body seemed to come to life and felt like they were splitting in half and rushing toward the wound in his abdomen.

Her cells, she was calling them back!

Throwing back his head, Sephiroth screamed and it was not just the pain that had him in agony.

It was the realization, that Rain was truly lost to him.

Cloud felt as if his blood had turned to ice as Sephiroth fell to his knees in front of the creature.

The scream that came was worse than anything Cloud could ever remember hearing. Jenova was pulling her cells from his body and Sephiroth had more than anyone else. However it was more than that, Sephiroth screaming seemed more unnatural to Cloud then when he was taken over by Jenova.

Sephiroth did not scream, not for anything. Not even when Cloud killed him. However this was not just a scream of physical pain, but an emotional one. Mirroring the one Cloud had made over Zack's body so many years ago. Sephiroth had lost…lost her or so he thought.

Cloud refused to accept that! They could still save her!

Rushing forward Cloud ignored the bullets, some he was able to block, but not all. He felt one tear through his shoulder and side, while the other grazed his cheek, before his blade sliced the barrel of the revolver in two.

Jenova dropped the now useless weapon and pulled her blade out of Sephiroth, so she could retreat before Cloud's blade reached her.

Jenova shook her head at him, like she was scolding him, "You want to play? Alright Cloud it's your turn now."

Cloud leaped forward blade swinging in a wide sweep. He was just aware of Arieth running up behind him and dropping to Sephiroth's side.

Then Jenova jumped forcing Cloud to move with her.

Their blades crashed together midair. Neither having the advantage until Jenova angled herself so that she flew into a tree, feet first.

Cloud gritted his teeth at the sudden impact on his arms. He then grunted as Jenova with the extra leverage threw him into the ground with enough speed that the dirt caved in a few feet around him. Cloud looked up. Jenova was still hovering in the air above him, waiting. Bending his knees Cloud launched himself again into the air.

Time lost all purpose as Cloud became absorbed in the battle.

Blow after blow came, and it was not just against his body. Cloud soon realized he was being assaulted on two fronts. Cloud's limbs moving automatically against the onslaught, which was a good thing, because the attack on his mind took almost all his focus. Cloud didn't even know if this new assault was a result of Jenova or simply his own mind now, finally breaking.

Countless pervious battles assaulted him. One moment it was Rain's face in front of him, and then it was Sephiroth's. He blinked, the face turned into Kadja, then Hojo, and finally the army men that had chased him and Zack when they escaped the laboratory.

He attacked each new image with a growing ferocity and hatred. Determined to kill each one, each mistake he had made. It would not end like that again! He would not lose anyone else to this creature. It was all going to end today!

Cloud unlocked his fusion sword. The five blades detached from Tsurugi and shot out to surround the creature in the middle. Cloud felt the blue light engulf him as he started the attack, shooting out to grasp the first sword, strike with it, then move on to the next one, in an attack that's speed increased with each strike, until Cloud knew he was only a blur in the sky too fast to follow.

It was when he gasped Tsurugi and shot down to perform the final strike, which would end everything that he looked into his opponent's eyes. Rain's eyes starred back at him and Cloud faltered. He hesitated for a slit second and that was all the time the creature needed to narrowly dodge the blow. Cloud off balance from missing his target crashed to the ground with his blades.

Cloud just barely managed to turn onto his back and raise his blade in time to block the blow coming from above.

Cloud's arms trembled as he struggled to keep the locked blades above his head, but Jenova had the advantage of being on top.

She was incredibly strong! Stronger, then all Cloud's previous experience facing the creature!

Slowly, inch by inch the blades lowered toward his head. This was it. Cloud had no more additional strength to draw upon. He had failed, just like before. Cloud had saved no one.

"Rain," he whispered, "I'm so sorry."

Suddenly Cloud glimpses something coming over Jenova's head. White hair flying in a halo around his head, Masamune pointing down, both hands on the top of the handle in an eerily familiar pose that make Cloud's eyes widen in horror.

"NO DON'T!"

The intended yell came out as a desperate scream. Jenova looked over her should sharply.

The next second was a blur for Cloud. Masamune came down, however Sephiroth had not aimed for a vital blow. Instead it went straight through Jenova's shoulder and into his own.

Cloud did not even feel it or Jenova's blade that nicked his neck as it thumped into the tree by his head. All Cloud could see was the end of his own blade sticking through Jenova's back.

How? His mind was in disarray.

Part of Cloud he knew was in shock, while another part knew exactly what had happened. The added force of Masamune through Jenova's body had slid her blade up Cloud's to disengage and stop in the tree by his head. While Cloud's own blade suddenly free of resistance had slid right through Jenova's chest.

Jenova face had turned from triumph to rage. The creature starred at Cloud with hateful eyes and screamed.

"NO! NO, YOU CANNOT DEFEAT ME! YOU CANNOT!"

However Cloud could see as the creature ranted that she was losing control. The last time Cloud had witnessed this kind of transformation was when Sephiroth lost control over Kadja's body.

The wings on her back were disappearing, feathers slowing rising up around her body and with one final scream and burst of feathers, the creature was gone. In its place was Rain's limp body.

Her eyes were closed.

Sephiroth quickly removed his blade from both of their bodies. Cloud and Sephiroth's hands quickly caught Rain before she slumped to the side. Gently they turned her over to lie on her back.

Cloud quickly swung himself up to one knee bending over her. His blade was still sticking from her middle, but to remove it now would cut her in half.

"Rain? Rain! Oh Gaia no!"

Rain's eyes suddenly snapped open. However Cloud imminently knew it was not Rain he was looking at.

"Citadel," Sephiroth's voice is soft.

Citadel's eyes however did not leave Cloud and a weak hand reached out to him. Cloud took it and gasped.

There is a sudden pulling sensation through his entire body. The Jenova cells in his body seem to wither in agony as they were forced to the source in his hand and out of his body. It left him gasping for breath at the new sensation. It had been so long since he had felt like this that he hardly remembered it.

Pure, no contamination!

"It is over now hero." Citadel's unnatural voice seemed to echo. The eyes softened, "Well done, both of you."

Soft white light started to pulse from her skin and the eyes grew distant, "It is time Rain. Go now or you will be trapped with us forever."

The green light of the Lifestream slowly began to drift up from Rain's body. Numbly Cloud watched in silence, while Sephiroth lifted a hand through the light, as if he could catch it. They both knew it was useless.

Rain's body still glowing white, suddenly flashed with an intense light causing both Cloud and Sephiroth to cover their eyes. When the light disappeared and they could finally lower their hand, Cloud knew it was over.

Rain's body seemed to have turned to pure glass. The only markings were inky black lines which ran through the statue like veins. This was not longer Rain they were looking at. This was Citadel and Jenova forever trapped where no human hands could ever reach them again and far from the Lifestream, where Rain had managed to escape too.

Rain was gone, she was really gone.

Cloud shook his head, blinking back the wetness in his eyes. Instead he grasped hold of the anger that had slowly been burning in his core since Jenova had first taken hold of Rain.

This was the planet's plan!

To send him back, to give him someone else to love and then lose? How was this better? The planet might be safe, but Cloud had still failed. He had failed to protect those closest to him.

The scream that left Cloud's lips did not even sound human.

AN: I hope that was satisfying and I don't get too much hate mail. Because we are reaching the climax and I'm leaving you with a terrible cliffhanger, I'll update in a week. Please review and let know your thoughts!