They were watching how the red sword was getting out of the girl's body, stained with her blood, and Genesis threw her on the ground.

Chopper never arrived, but two of those flying mini ships got just behind them. They looked like giant transparent eggs, not inspiring faith, but it was an option for now.

Rude literally threw his partner in the first one and it automatically sealed, flying away, Rude got in the second.

Controls were literally primitive compared to the chopper and there was barely a space for a single person in it.

"Like a standalone toy, terrific."

Right now his concern was Reno, who's capsule was hopefully flown remotely by Cid. If he decided to go back, nothing would stop him.

Already on the ship, capsules reassembled, turning back to be charged.

"Reno, listen to me…"

Rufus tried to talk to him, red haired passed him by going to the most distant spot of the control room, the only room here, separated with different color segments on the floor. Reno was holding his head with both hands, reached the wall and almost broke his arm, hitting it.

"I'll kill him. I'll kill him." He was repeating.

"I want you to listen to me!" Rufus left his seat at Cid's right, where he flew the ship, getting both his shoulders, shaking him. "We are still not finished here, you still have a job to do. Do you understand me?"

He nodded, more like shaking than a sign of understanding; Rufus left him, taking back on his place.

"I need your help, all of you." President told them. "Ship could only be fled by a person, we can't leave it on its own for long. I will activate the cannons but they can strike once. I want all of you to check and confirm the positions. Understood?

Reno starts realizing where he was and that Rufus was talking to him. Suddenly the sound of the bullets hitting the corpus of this strange vessel awakened him. The bodies thrown everywhere on the ground under them, allies, enemies, choppers flying around, shooting at each other, both of Shinra and Genesis army… And her, lying there, stabbed by the man he swore in.

"Tell me what to do" he turned his back on the only window, way smaller than the previous ship had, and looked disoriented around. He realized not only Rufus and Rude were there, but also Cid and Vincent. He was looking at him distanced, even, could it be, scared? The sound of Genesis sword getting out of her flesh came back to him, Reno turned his sigh away.

"There are five cannons, and five of us here, we need to activate them at the same moment and aim them precisely. We have only one shot."

"You got it. Ship can fly itself if it's not under attack. For a minute or two I can handle it and the cannon." Cid said.

"Good. Vincent?"

He was looking at him like Rufus was his enemy, but nodded.

"Reno, I need you to…"

"I said I'll do it!"

Rude looked first at his partner, then at Rufus, but he only nodded calmly.

"Ok, we need a first, maybe a second wave to keep him busy, then I'll give you a sign. Everybody, do your worst!" he said on the radio.

"Yes, sir!" Tseng answered.

"Ok, let's do this!"

Without a time to prepare, choppers start circling around, shooting Genesis, who was answering equally and deadly, one of them fell on the ground, burning, Soldiers inside managed to escape in time. More and more waves of pure energy were sent, corrupted army shooting with stolen Shinra ammunition. Reno and Rude were behind the ship guns, shooting with not so powerful but continuous series of fire.

And then the summon appeared. Genesis sent a few circles of his magic at the sky, calling a creature that none of them could describe. It was dragon-like, huge, blood red, at the same time pure white. It was frightening and magnificent. Had wings of flames and a head with a maw that could eat them all at once. It was made like of wind, or fire, or both, leaving a blurred trail, like its body couldn't keep its spirit and it was moving slower.

"Holy mother of…" Rude's jaw dropped.

"I'm going out." Cloud called.

"Me too." Vincent reached to get his gun.

"You are doing no such thing, getting out the cannon will melt you." Rufus stopped them.

"And how are we supposed to stop this thing?" Elena almost screamed at her radio.

"We will distract it…"

The dragon blew a strike of fire that made the ship flip and its armor start burning.

"You said wha?" Cid turned on the emergency kit, hoping it would extinguish the fire.

"Just strike at Genesis, on my signal!"

"What happened with the first wave?" Reno asked, twisted between his weapon and the control device.

Cid was busy flying between Genesis shots and the dragon strikes, trying to drop explosives and not kill them all at the same time, then a partly shield activated at the ground and they got a window.

"Aim." Rufus was holding the position of the One winged. "Everybody, ready!"

Cid was holding the wheel with one hand and the control device with the other.

"Fire!" Rufus yelled.

All the five cannons aimed from the ground, uncovering from the piles of stones they were hidden. Their green beams reached Genesis at once. The strike they made sent him on the ground in a smoking stack, not far from the body of his copy.

.

Genesis didn't expect that. He knew about the one at the hill and was ready to avoid its attack. But this… When the rays of the cannons hit his body, it felt like his soul left it. Not just being aparted of the flesh, like it was torn, ripped out from it. He collapsed on the ground not being able even to take a breath. Sword was creating a ringing sound in his shaking hand on the ground.

"Damn you, Shinra!"

For a moment he hoped for help, but the only one willing to help him lay dead, killed by his sword a few meters away from him.

Cannons died after this strike, a useless pile of high technology, insane money and science. And the power of lifestream, that made the One winged fight for his life now.

"No." Genesis managed to support himself on his elbow and hold his sword in a firm grip. "No, I can't finish like this. I'll be damned!"

He spread his wing again and despite the pain, striking his body, despite the fact most of his army was destroyed, and now his summon was fading, Genesis kept his proud face and raised his head.

.

My soul, corrupted by vengeance

Hath endured torment, to find the end of the journey

.

He called the beast out, it was wasting too much of his strength, he prepared to attack the main ship.

"Damn." Rufus was watching with a very bad feeling. "Take us out of here. Now!" he forgot Cid wasn't his employee and literally shouts an order at him.

"You know, this is a technology, not a mojo!" Cid was spinning the wheel. "It can't teleport!"

At the next moment the jaws of Cid, Rufus and Rude dropped, Vincent kept his straight face.

"What… What?" Reno turned around, and his reaction was the same. A black wing was covering the entire front window.

"That's impossible." Rufus' eyes were opened in honest shock.

Reno's hand got back on the trigger, Rude rushed to stop him.

"No! Look! It's her."

Both Reno and Rude took a few steps to reach the only window of the ship. And yes, Rude was right, it was her, it was Akane.

Her wing was flapping and she was standing in front of them with obvious threat to Genesis.

"You hurt him for the last time!"

Still trying to realize she was alive and turned into her mutant form again, Turks, Vincent, Cid and the president were watching how the girl sent a strike against her creator. And then another. And one more. And fourth. The angel raised his hands in front of him, the next strike would surely kill him.

"Akane, stop!"

He was hurt enough by the cannons and the chopper fire by now. This couldn't happen to him, not her.

"You were right about me." She stopped the attacks, deceasing, looking Genesis in the eye. "Yes, I loved you and yes, I chose him. And would do it again. And after all, I am a Turk!"

His body was already smoking, his face had cracks, like he was made of porcelain, he wouldn't beg, he had his pride. But with or without asking his copy for mercy, One winged already knew what his end would be. Genesis closed his eyes and spread his hands.

.

My friend, the fates are cruel

There are no dreams, no honor remains

.

Legend shall speak

Of sacrifice at world's end

The wind sails over the water's surface

Quietly, but surely

.

To become the dew that quenches the land

To spare the sands, the seas, the skies

I offer thee this silent sacrifice

.

"Forgive me."

Her hands start trembling, collecting another portion of energy.

Then she shot.

The entire valley turned black, and then bright white, shaking like the planet itself cracked to its very core. Machines stayed in the air, but there was something holding them, something beyond.

It was one light in the sky at first, Genesis's spirit seeking the lifestream. He was still there, like if you wanted, you could reach him. Then another couple of unknown souls came along, joining.

"The One winged…They are reunited!" Vincent realized the thing they were watching.

Fright came into Rufus' eyes.

"Are we going to fight all of them?" Cid wasn't sure what to do.

"No." Vincent was standing at front; his body language was speaking of calmness. "They were friends, back then. The only friends Sephiroth has."

"He refused to pursue them when Shinra sent him." Rude remembered. "That's why they sent Zack."

"I can't believe it." Reno finally spoke, watching the pale shadows of Sephiroth Angeal and Genesis slowly coming closer to each other. It was scary, yet somehow peaceful.

And more than obvious now, watching from the flying vessels, all of them, they felt it. The other two came to pick their old friend for one last journey.

.

Three friends go into battle.

One is captured

One flies away

The one that is left becomes a hero