Yeah, I wrote this over a year ago, and I did post it (I think) in one of the writing contests, but I figured I'd give it a new thread seeing as some showed interest in me saying "Should I post it again?"

So here we go...

Oh, ***SPOILERS*** This entire story is written after events in Final Fantasy VII. If you have not played the game to completion, or you do not want the storyline spoilt, then DO NOT READ ON.

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PROLOGUE.</center>

The wind blew across the town of Icicle Inn as the merchant of the town stood shivering on the porch of his shop. He�d only stepped out to check the time of day by the angle of the sun and already his hands were shaking, and his eyes were getting clogged with snow. This had been the coldest winter in the merchant�s memory, having spent close to five years running the store since the last resident moved out.

The merchant shook his head and walked back into the warm. Ever since that fateful day five years ago when the Meteor was destroyed, the whole world had been in a daze. They were directionless without the Shinra Company to help point them in the right direction. Midgar had almost been levelled by the Meteor, and was run as a shantytown, with the strong preying on the weak.

It wasn�t until a mysterious benefactor appeared that life begun to slowly crawl forward once more. The figure, whose identity was still unknown, drew together the strands of power left over from Shinra and begun to form a new empire. Still using the Shinra name and the capital at their disposal, Midgar was rebuilt from the ground up, with even the slums having a face-lift.

Midgar and Shinra seemed to go hand in hand. When one prospered, the other also did so. The physical damage that Meteor had done was repaired, but the Mako reactors were still down. The figure in charge didn�t seem too bothered to get them fired up until only a few months back when Reactor number 3 became operational once more, and Mako energy begun to flow freely about the city.

There were many mutterings about the globe about this act, and there were a few who were quick to condemn the action, including the leader of AVALANCHE, Barret Wallace. There were talks of more fighting between Shinra and the people when the leaders of the groups vanished one night. Few spoke of Shinra in a bad light again.

The merchant sat in a half doze at the desk of his shop when he heard a snuffling noise coming from the foot of the entrance. Unconcerned at first, the merchant turned to a stack of paper he�d been meaning to sort out for a while. The noise at the door had stopped and the merchant thought nothing of it.

There was a loud bang outside the shop and the merchant stood in sudden shock, the hair standing on the back of his neck. Going to the wall, the merchant pulled down a stout dagger and put it in his pocket, before walking towards the door.

The wind was howling outside and the merchant had to close his ways as it took his breath away. He gasped for air before the wind suddenly stopped and he lost his footing, staggering forward. He would�ve fallen had it not been for the person stood in front of him who caught him.

A sudden chill ran through the merchant at the touch. He looked up and saw that the person�s face was covered. The chill running up and down his spine made him grateful that that was the case. The person wore a black cloak that covered him from head to feet. His hands were gloved, his feet bore heavy black boots and there was a sword around his waist. The merchant quickly backed away from him.

�Wh... What happened?� The merchant asked.
The person didn�t respond, merely turning away and beginning to walk past when the merchant stepped in front of him, though his mind screamed for him to run back through the door.
�Are you deaf? What was that crashing sound?� The merchant demanded.

The person carried on seemingly ignoring him, but stopped walking. It slowly turned its head to look upon the merchant, who fell to his knees in its gaze. Finally, the person turned his head back to face forward, lifting a gloved hand and pointing northward. The merchant turned his terror-stricken eyes reluctantly away from the person to look to what he pointed at.

�Oh Gods!� He breathed frantically.
The sky was alight with shades of orange and red, almost as if it was on fire. The further north that the merchant looked, the stronger the colours and the more ferocious it seemed to swirl in the air. He begun to almost feel the heat, sweat standing on his forehead and in the palms of his hands.

The sensation was suddenly gone, and the merchant was on his knees in the middle of the snow, chill settling into his tired limbs. He looked up to the sky and saw that it was beginning to cloud over. There was no sign of the vivid flame that had been scorching it earlier. The merchant got to his feet and looked around for the person who�d been standing in front of him. No one was in the vicinity, and the merchant was out alone.

Shaken, the merchant turned back to the entrance to his store and walked forward when something caught his attention from the corner of his eye. Looking to his left, the merchant spied a fragment of a sword blade. He picked it up, cutting his finger on the corner of the blade. Examining it closely, he took it to be from a Masamune sword. Turning the blade over, the merchant found three very clear and distinct words on the fragment before it shattered in his hands.

�They are coming.�

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CHAPTER 1 - NIBELHEIM.</center>

�Marlene! Rimika! Time for dinner!� Tifa called at the top of her lungs.
�Coming mother!� Rimika called back, climbing down from the well in the centre of the town.
�Hurry before it gets cold!� Tifa scolded her son gently.
�Come on Rimika! Let�s not annoy Auntie Tifa more than needed,� Marlene smiled, jumping down from the well.

Rimika grumbled, annoyed that his game had been disturbed. He reached the bottom of the well and then ran after Marlene back to the big mansion in the town. Rimika quickened his pace before jumping over the wall and landing smoothly on his feet in the garden, before cutting across Marlene�s path and entering the house first. He laughed as Marlene picked him up and carried him to the table.

�Where�s father?� Rimika asked Tifa after he�d finished his first plate.
�He�s out around the old reactor,� Tifa replied, �one of the town folk reported another monster nearby. You know what your father�s like when he hears about monsters.�
�Father can take on anyone,� Rimika said proudly, �after all it was him who destroyed Meteor, right?�
�In a manner of speaking,� Tifa replied with a smile.

Rimika beamed, and Tifa shook her head. They were so much alike, Cloud and his four-year-old son. Although young, Rimika had shown an abnormal level of intelligence for one his age and he idolised his father, wanting to follow in his footsteps. Already nearly three feet tall, Rimika�s hair was a sandy blonde and his eyes were full of life and mischief. He already had a good sense of right and wrong that Cloud had taught him, but also his mother�s kindness and heart.

The door to the mansion swung open and Cloud walked in. His clothes were blood drenched and there was a nasty graze running down his left arm, but otherwise he was unharmed. Tifa flew out of the chair and into her husband�s arms as he smiled, putting his arm around her waist whilst leaning on the Ultima Weapon sword he�d come into ownership of.

�You�re hurt,� Tifa said, looking at the wound.
�It�s only a scratch,� Cloud replied, letting out an explosive breath, before putting his sword to rest at the door, �those monsters seem to be getting stronger and stronger.�
�Sit down and let me look at it,� Tifa said in a tone that offered no argument.

Cloud sighed and plodded across the room and slumped into the chair. He bowed his head as Tifa fussed over the wound before bandaging it after applying a potion to take away most of the sting. Cloud rose his head to look to his son, who was obviously concerned at seeing his father wounded.

�Hello Rimika. Have you had a good day?� Cloud asked.
�Fine thank you,� Rimika replied, still looking at the blood.
�I�m okay son. I�m not going anywhere,� Cloud said.
�I know father. No one can stop you. You�re invincible!� Rimika replied.
�Well, that�s probably going a bit too far,� Cloud muttered to himself.

After dinner, Marlene and Rimika left the house again to meet up the other children. Cloud still sat in his chair and looked to his hands, worn by the constant use of his heavy battle-sword. His eyes, that had once been youthful and full of life, were now hardened by years of constant fighting in the mountains of Nibelheim. This place that had been his home before the incident with Sephiroth had once more become his home now in his adult life.

Tired and weary after the Meteor crisis had been absolved, and Midgar had been all but destroyed, the party of eight had stood on the deck of Highwind, considering the options open to them. All of their energies and emotion had been poured into stopping Sephiroth from coming to power, and now they had no-where else to go.

One by one the party had begun to split apart. The first stop was Cosmo Canyon, where Bugenhagen informed Red XIII that one of his kind had arrived at the town. Red XIII and the female met and became close friends, and as a result Red XIII had stayed behind at Cosmo Canyon to take his hereditary place back as guardian of the town.

Vincent had remained with the party until they�d reached Nibelheim, where he left late one night, claiming that he was going to try and find Lucrecia to inform her of the truth. To Yuffie, Cloud handed the least important materia he could spare, and bade the ninja goodbye as she returned to Wutai. Cait Sith had ceased functioning after the destruction of Midgar, which hinted to Cloud that whoever was behind the controls had perished among the rest of the citizens.

Finally, Cid had come to Cloud and told him that he was heading back to Rocket Town. Cloud received a letter a couple of months later inviting him and Tifa to the wedding. Already four months pregnant, Tifa, Barret and Cloud had made the journey through the Nibelheim Mountains to Rocket Town. There, the party of eight who�d so valiantly fought to save the world met each other for the last time in five years, on the day when Cid and Shera became man and wife.

After the wedding, Cloud, Tifa and Barret had cleared out the old Shinra mansion and converted it to their new home. Marlene joined them in the house, and five months later Rimika was born. The five co-existed fairly peacefully, receiving letters from their friends, promising visits and reunions that never occurred as their paths begun to slowly part.

The residents of Nibelheim had changed considerably since Cloud had returned. They were now openly acknowledging that they weren�t the original occupants of the town, and that Shinra had been paying them to live as the town. Cloud and Tifa were relieved that their memories were correct, after all the worrying before hand.

It was a year previous that news finally arrived in Nibelheim that the Shinra Corporation had been reformed and that Midgar was being rebuilt. Barret was furious for the first couple of days, before Tifa pointed out that as long as the Mako reactors weren�t in use, the person in charge might use the power wisely and help bring the world back together.

�We�re all petrified at the moment. We suffered a near death experience with Meteor, and everyone is walking around depressed and unable to think clearly. Maybe this person in charge of Shinra can bring us together and motivate the people to go on with their lives,� Tifa had said.

At first her words had rung true, as Midgar became a prosperous business centre and the world begun to live once again. Then the person in charge of Shinra had done the one thing Barret couldn�t forgive. He powered up one of the Mako reactors. Outraged, Barret had stormed out of Nibelheim to gather together as many armed men as he could to reform AVALANCHE and take down Shinra. He was last seen in Junon, where he went missing and wasn�t seen again.

That was just two months ago, and Marlene had been distraught at her father�s disappearance. Now eleven, she was beginning to grow up into a sensible and sensitive individual. She adored Rimika and the two were literally inseparable, people often believing that they were real life brother and sister. Cloud and Tifa had stepped in to fill the void created by Barret�s disappearance, but there was nothing they could do to calm the girl.

�Is your arm okay Cloud?� Tifa asked, sitting beside him and disturbing his thoughts.
�What? Yes, I�m fine thank you,� Cloud replied, bending the arm up and down.
�You stupid idiot!� Tifa cried suddenly, �you shouldn�t go into the mountains alone!�

Cloud smiled and put his hands over Tifa�s.
�I was fine,� Cloud said, �it caught me by surprise. Once the initial shock had gone, I was able to deal with it with ease. Stop worrying so much.�
�It�s just that... If you go as well, I�ll have no one else to turn to,� Tifa replied.
�Nonsense,� Cloud replied, �you�ll always have friends here, and around the world, willing to help you when you turn to them.�

Tifa sniffed, and Cloud reached into his pocket, where the Tissue that he�d been carrying around for ages suddenly came of use. Tifa thanked him and dabbed her eyes.
�I know we�ve spoken about it before,� Tifa said, �but what are we going to do about Barret?�
�I don�t know Tifa,� Cloud replied, �I thought about going to try and find him, but that would mean leaving you and the kids here. Everyone else is busy at the moment.�

There was a knock on the door and Tifa stood to answer it. Cloud stretched his tired limbs as he listened to his wife�s sweet voice talking to the person at the door.
�Cloud,� A strong, mysterious voice spoke from the hall.
Cloud immediately sprang to his feet and looked to the source of the voice. Standing in the shadow, his face still covered by the red mask and his eyes still shrouded in mystery, Vincent stepped forward.

�Vincent! What are you doing here?� Cloud asked.
�A man can�t drop in to say hello to an old friend?� Vincent replied.
�Well, we haven�t seen or heard from you since Cid�s wedding,� Cloud said.
�Yes. I know. And I apologise for that,� Vincent replied, �I have been busy on my quest.�
�How is it going?� Tifa asked.
�Not very good,� Vincent replied sadly, �I checked the cave where we first found her, and found nothing. I can still sense her presence somewhere on this planet. I fear she is searching for her son.�

Cloud started and Vincent rose his hand.
�I know we told her Sephiroth was dead Cloud, but it seems that she adores that child who she never knew,� Vincent said, �and it�s consumed her. She needs to find him in some shape or form.�
�What a poor woman!� Tifa exclaimed.
�What do you propose to do?� Cloud asked.
�I do not know Cloud,� Vincent replied.

The door to the mansion opened again and Rimika re-entered with Marlene. Vincent turned sharply, his hand reaching for the pistol in his belt, before relaxing slightly.
�This your son, Cloud?� He asked.
�Yep. Rimika, say hi to Vincent. He�s a friend of mine,� Cloud replied.
�Hello,� Rimika said shyly.

Vincent looked at the boy with a frown, before his arm suddenly whirled around. Cloud didn�t blink, but he still didn�t see his son�s arm shoot out and grasp the object that Vincent had cast at him. Rimika looked at the apple in his hand with a frown as Vincent�s eyes widened. He walked to the boy and looked to him before laughing softly and ruffling the boy�s hair.
�What a wonderful child!� He said.

�There�s some people outside father,� Rimika said finally, still looking at Vincent.
�Who?� Cloud asked, looking over Rimika�s shoulder to Marlene.
�Shinra,� Marlene replied.
Cloud looked accusingly at Vincent, whose calm eyes looked back with the same puzzlement. Finally, Cloud walked across the room and picked up the Ultima Weapon, before leading his family outside.

The villagers had taken cover inside their houses as a troop of Shinra soldiers stood by the fountain, a man dressed in a suit leaning idly against the corner of the house directly in front of the mansion entrance. Cloud approached cautiously, the wound on his arm still flaring slightly in pain. The man in the suit spread his hands to show that he wasn�t armed.

�Cloud Strife? Former Shinra soldier?� He asked.
�I am,� Cloud replied calmly.
�My name is Rikijan. I am one of the directors of the Shinra Company,� The man in the suit said, looking behind Cloud to the rest of the group, �hello Vincent. Didn�t realise you were still alive.�
�Rikijan,� Vincent replied coldly.

Rikijan chuckled and then looked back to Cloud.
�We are not here to cause any trouble. We heard that someone had occupied our mansion, and were investigating who it was,� Rikijan said, looking around the town, �seems that you are a hero here Cloud. Protecting the people from monsters. After the work you did at the northern crater as well, slaying Sephiroth and releasing that spell which countered Meteor. Shinra are in your debt.�

Rikijan stood up straight and walked forward. Cloud rose Ultima Weapon, out of habit more than anything. Rikijan continued to advance, seemingly unafraid of Cloud�s threat.
�Shinra would like in some way to thank you for your troubles,� He said finally, �all charges of terrorism against you and your friends are dropped. Furthermore, the mansion behind you is now legally yours.�

Cloud lowered the point of his sword and Rikijan looked at him. The man had short black hair and pale blue eyes. There was a sparkle in the eyes which hinted Mako energy infusion.
�Does Shinra know what happened to Barret Wallace?� Cloud finally asked.
�Barret? No. Shinra heard that he was slightly annoyed with the Mako reactor coming back online. Since then, we�ve lost all track of him,� Rikijan replied.

�Who�s in charge of Shinra now?� Tifa asked then.
Rikijan looked to her and then shrugged.
�I wish I knew. I get paid, that�s all I care about,� He replied, before looking to Cloud, �just a word of warning. Don�t get in Shinra�s way.�

Before Cloud could reply, Rikijan turned his back to him, whistled to the soldiers and led them out of Nibelheim. Cloud sheathed his sword and whistled.
�That was weird,� Cloud said, looking to Vincent, �how�d you know him?�
�I used to be in Shinra, remember?� Vincent replied, �he was the first Turk, before taking a back seat to the other members as they joined. He was always behind the scenes at Shinra. We called him The Shadow, as no one knew what position he was, or his job description.�

�It seems strange that you should arrive just before he does,� Tifa said.
�I am your friend, Tifa Strife. I do not wish any harm of any of you,� Vincent replied harshly.
�What was he doing here then Vincent?� Cloud asked.
�I assume he just wanted to meet you Cloud,� Vincent replied simply, �it was rumoured that you were dead. Shinra must know that you are a thorn in their side.�

�But enough on that. I come here bearing news graver than that of Shinra,� Vincent said, �about a week ago, in the Icicle Inn, a merchant went insane. Through his mutterings to the townsfolk, he spoke of fire in the sky and a black cloaked figure.�
�Black cloaked figure?� Cloud asked.
�Yes. Much like that of the clones that followed Sephiroth to the north crater before falling to their doom,� Vincent replied.

Cloud blinked and then shook his head.
�What does it mean?� He asked.
�I do not know, but I have a bad feeling in my bones about this,� Vincent replied, �it�s almost as if you can hear the planet crying out in pain again.�

Vincent sighed and looked down to the smiling Rimika.
�Yet there is always hope in this planet. Even after all it has endured,� Vincent said, �Cloud, I need your help. We need to visit Bugenhagen in Cosmo Canyon.�
�I�ll go Vincent,� Cloud replied, �although I�ll be damned if I know what the hell is going on.�
�All will become clear in time,� Vincent replied...

Well, I'm not too big a fan of FFVII, but you keep writing, and I'll keep reading, Adam.

OMG...As a huge fan of FFVII I say that's stupendous! Ingenius! I mean...wow.

That was well worth my time Adam, don't you dare stop writing this, I have to read the rest!!

Another great chapter. I am really impressed with the way you have chosen to go about this story. It's really as if it were meant to be.

Oh my...some intensifying stuff there! Especially the fight scene. Great work BZ, keep it up! Cuz this is fantastic!

Wow!!!! What a twist!!


There was an awful period of silence before all of the cloaked figures begun to approach at a slow, deliberate pace. The hair on the back of Cloud�s neck was standing on end. His palms were clammy from sweat, and his eyes were watering. A cold sense of dread flushed through Cloud�s spine as the figures reached within five feet of him.

This my friend, reminds me of the Weathertop scene in Fellowship Of The Ring. Which is a good thing. ;)

I can't describe how much I'm enjoying this, I must read more!!!!!

I can't believe that you could write this! It's stupendous! Magnificent! Ravising! I would go on, but I don't have many more words. This is an amazing script. Hey, BZ, send me an email of this! Heck, this is just plain awesome!

I thank you all for your encouraging comments on what I have written. I only hope the rest of the story lives up to your expectations. Anyways...

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CHAPTER 5 - CITY OF THE ANCIENTS.</center>

Everything was dark, and existence was bleak. Pain was the central thing, and pain was in the heart. Everything had gone wrong since that day five years ago. Everything had collapsed. Even defeating Sephiroth and saving the planet had been a fluke. A lucky shot. Anger uncontrolled. And now it was back, haunting him again. His weakness. The inability to refuse an influence on his person.

Then in the darkness, there was a single light. A comfort. Something to reach to. The light grows. The light heals. The pain goes away. The bleakness seems less bad. The fluke seems less so, more assured. Sephiroth died at the hands of a skilled warrior. The event five years ago seems painful still, but less so. The light embraced him and he begun to breathe once more...

... Cloud opened his eyes and felt his shoulder, which was fully healed. He saw Red XIII with a green restore materia in his mouth and smiled his thanks, before looking across the room to the now empty pedestal. The smile dropped from his face as Tifa knelt down beside him and took his hand.

�I did it again,� Cloud murmured, �I did it again.�
�It wasn�t your fault Cloud,� Tifa replied calmly.
�Not my fault?� Cloud asked with a bitter laugh, �I blatantly handed the materia to them and now you�re saying it�s not my fault?�

Rufus rose his hand and Cloud suddenly felt the need to keep quiet.
�What�s done is done,� Rufus said, �they were too strong for us anyway. We would�ve lost the materia here anyway. What we need to concentrate on now is how best to go about stopping them.�
�You�re right,� Cloud said finally, �we have to stop whoever they are.�

Cloud climbed to his feet, and looked around the party.
�We need to go to the City of the Ancients Cloud,� Vincent said, �that was the last known location of the White materia. Rufus, could you send your men to chase the cloaked men?�
�Already done,� Rufus replied, �Rikijan�s on their trail. There is no one better. I�ll send a couple of units of SOLDIER to go after them as well.�

Eldrik saluted the Shinra President.
�Sir, with your permission I would like to accompany Cloud and assist him with his quest,� Eldrik said.
�Is that okay with you Cloud?� Rufus asked.
�Sure. Eldrik would be a great asset,� Cloud replied, �I need someone to stop me from attempting to destroy the world.�

Rufus looked to Cloud, his good eye narrowing and his eyebrow arching over.
�Come with me Cloud,� He said.
Cloud frowned and quickly ran over to join the president as they marched up to the lift. Rufus swiped the key card and they went down.
�Where are we going?� Cloud asked.
�Under the tower,� Rufus replied.

Cloud�s body begun to tingle apprehensively and he loosened the Ultima Weapon behind him. Rufus stood there patiently, lifting his mechanical arm to scratch his head. Cloud could hear the motors working inside the arm, and wondered if Rufus was in any pain. Finally the lift stopped and the doors opened. Rufus led Cloud out into what looked to be another laboratory.

�I remember standing at the top of my tower,� Rufus started to say, �there was a very powerful shield around the northern crater, and no one could get through. I made the decision to move the Mako cannon from Junon to Midgar. We fired it at the crater to destroy the shield, using the Lifestream�s energy. The planet countered and Weapon attacked Midgar, firing all it had at the tower.�

Rufus closed his real eye, the cybernetic one still looking at Cloud, boring a hole into him.
�I was still alive. But I was in pain. A lot of pain. I spent years with half of my limbs dangling off. I spent years not able to speak, not able to move. I wanted the pain to end. I wanted death to embrace me. I thought it would, as Meteor was still bright in our skies. Then a hero came and saved us. An angel through the darkness. You Cloud. You saved us. You rid us of Sephiroth. Of Shinra�s legacy,� Rufus said, �and now you doubt your ability?�

Cloud nodded solemnly, the president still locked in his melancholy stance.
�You look at me now, and you see a monster,� Rufus said, �that is why I haven�t revealed myself. It is best that no one knows who I am. Shinra needs to live for the planet, and not abuse the planet. At the same time, we need you to be strong to get us through this!�

Rufus looked up again and his eye was glinting.
�What are you afraid of Cloud?� Rufus asked.
�I am afraid... Afraid that I�ll become like him,� Cloud replied, �I have the cells of Jenova in my body. I was built in a similar way to Sephiroth. I am worried that those cells will consume me.�
�If that were the case, it would�ve happened by now,� Rufus said with a slight smile.

Cloud looked around where he was, and then to the Shinra president.
�Why are we down here for?� Cloud asked.
�I haven�t been entirely truthful with you Cloud,� Rufus replied, �I do know what happened to Barret.�
Another chill ran down Cloud�s spine and his response was to draw the Ultima Weapon. Rufus quickly spread his hands to try and alleviate the tension.

�Cloud. If I wanted to capture you, I wouldn�t have led you down here,� He said, �when Barret went missing, he�d actually gone to Wutai to see that ninja friend of yours. They came down here with a small army of sorts. I gave Barret and Yuffie an open invitation to meet me. They came up to my office with a small escort, and I explained my reasoning behind the Mako reactor being powered up. When I was explaining it to them, we were jumped by a cloaked figure much as those who we�ve just seen. He carved pieces out of Barret and Yuffie,� Rufus said.

Cloud continued to hold the sword as Rufus pointed behind him. Turning slowly Cloud turned to see Barret�s battered body suspended within a cylindrical tube filled with a viscous transparent fluid. His eyes were shut, and his wounds were clean but obvious. There was one in the side, one in the chest and one in the throat. Yuffie was suspended in an identical chamber next to Barret. Her throat, chest and side were also punctured.

�What have you done to them?� Cloud asked.
�They were dying Cloud,� Rufus replied sadly, �I had them frozen cryogenically until Shinra has the technology to revive them, or until you saw them. I didn�t want them to die, and have it on my conscience. It would�ve been bad, after the bad blood between us.�

Cloud walked forward and placed his hand against the chamber. His eyes were filled with tears as he remembered the big man and his huge heart to do what was right with the planet. He then turned his attention to the ninja, Yuffie. Although she�d led them on a merry chase for their materia, Cloud still thought of her as a friend, and her heart had made her stick throughout their journey into peril.

�Why are you showing this to me?� Cloud whispered.
�There�s a good chance that by the time Shinra has the technology to heal them, we would�ve all passed on,� Rufus replied, �I don�t want to be the one to pull the plug.�
�Dammit! You want ME to make the decision?� Cloud asked.
�I�m sorry Cloud,� Rufus replied through tears, �I couldn�t stop it from destroying them.�

Cloud closed his eyes and then looked back to his friends.
�I can�t choose Rufus,� Cloud said, �it is not my place to choose.�
�Very well. They shall stay here indefinitely,� Rufus replied, �come, you need rest before you leave on your journey...�

... Cloud didn�t sleep too well that night. His dreams were haunted. The cloaked men were moving closer and closer to the north crater. The Black materia was guiding them, but there was a greater mind there as well. The collective mind was working together, for a reason.

Cloud woke up before dawn and found himself walking around the top floors of the tower. His mind drifted through his memories, focusing onto someone who he had been trying to forget.
�Aeris,� He murmured softly to himself.
�So you do still remember her,� Vincent�s voice said from behind him, causing him to jump.
�I swear you don�t sleep,� Cloud complained bitterly.

Vincent moved forward to join Cloud at the balcony, his eyebrows raised.
�You blame yourself for her death,� Vincent said.
�How did you know?� Cloud whispered.
�You were distant afterwards,� Vincent replied, �and then we lost you, and then found you in the Lifestream. You seemed to latch emotionally onto Tifa. Yet a part of you still seemed hidden from me. As if you were masking it.�

Cloud looked to Vincent and shook his head.
�I love Tifa,� He said simply, �I wouldn�t have married her if I didn�t.�
�Did you love Aeris?� Vincent asked.
�If I did or I didn�t, it doesn�t matter. Aeris is dead,� Cloud replied evasively.
�One day you�re going to have to make a decision,� Vincent said, �you�re split in two Cloud, and that could cause your demise.�

Vincent turned and walked back into the night. Cloud waited a couple of minutes before walking into the room where Rimika was asleep, curled in a ball with his thumb in his mouth. Cloud smiled and walked over to the bed and gently moved the thumb out, before sitting by the side of the bed and watching the peaceful, innocent doze of a young child...

... Dawn crept over the horizon, and Cloud gently roused Rimika. The boy didn�t complain as he sat up and rubbed his eyes. The rest had gathered in Rufus� office where they ate breakfast. The president was silent as they took food, watching each of them, the cybernetic eye piercing as everyone wilted under his gaze. Finally he looked to the children.

�If you would like Cloud, I can keep the children here safe,� Rufus said.
�Thanks Rufus, but I can take care of my kids,� Tifa replied before Cloud could speak.
�As you wish,� Rufus said and bowed his head, �will all of you go?�
�We will,� Cloud replied, looking across the table.
�Then I wish you the best of luck,� Rufus said, �and I hope you can find the White materia...�

... The Highwind was again boarded, as the party left to go across sea. Cid and Vincent, Red XIII and Lalenia, Tifa, Rimika and Marlene, Eldrik and Cloud. Cloud was silent most of the way, the wind blowing through his hair. He thought of the place where Aeris now rested, and how she had smiled at him moments before her death. A smile that told him that she had done it. She had not known that her life was to be taken away from her soon after. The Highwind landed on the outskirts of the city. The party followed the path from Bone Village down into the valley, before finally setting foot within the City of the Ancients.

Rimika had begun to feel abstract as he had walked at his mother�s side through the valley. He had begun to hear whispers, faint giggles in the air. The air around him seemed alive and fresh. Now in the city, he could feel something else. The voices still spoke, murmuring softly, but there was another voice, wailing, crying out for help. Desperate for someone to hear.

�This place hasn�t changed,� Cloud said.
�You really expect to see drastic changes in a deserted city?� Cid asked.
Rimika moved forward to walk beside his father, feeling reassured by his presence. His hand was clasped to his chest over the materia he had found, holding it against his heart.

They walked down the main path deeper into the city, through the strange shaped flowers and then past a lake. Rimika moved up against his father, reaching out with his hand. Cloud gently clasped it, and Rimika looked up, to see his father looking straight forward, avoiding the view of the lake. Rimika looked at it and saw that a bright light was shining on it from above. A light that wasn�t the sun.

They reached a set of stairs that spiralled upwards, Cloud�s pace quickening to a pace so that Rimika had to sprint to keep up with him. Rimika stopped at the centre and saw that Cloud was standing in front of a fish that was stood on a pillar in the centre of the stairway. He was shaking his head.

�It was here! The stairs were here!� Cloud demanded.
�We can�t get down,� Vincent replied, �we can�t get to where the White materia is.�
�This was pointless!� Cloud yelled, drawing his sword and slashing at the fish.
�Cloud! Stop!� Tifa cried.

Rimika balked. He had never seen his father like this before and it scared him. He walked up to him slowly and Cloud turned, his eyes burning. Rimika cried out, for he didn�t see his father at that moment, but a tall, thin, stranger with cold, powerful eyes, long silver hair and an overpowering aura of undeniable power that stank of evil. He turned his face away and started to cry.

At that noise Cloud suddenly froze. He looked to the floor and saw a defeated child, afraid of his own father. Cloud�s eyes welled up with tears and he turned and fled down the stairs. Tifa started after him, when Vincent blocked her with an arm.
�Tend to Rimika. I shall see to Cloud,� He said.

Tifa nodded and knelt down beside Rimika as Vincent ran down the stairs and out to the lake. He saw Cloud floating in the middle, the light shining on him and looking down into the darkness.
�Cloud,� Vincent called.
�What am I Vincent?� Cloud asked, �what are those cells making me?�

Vincent waded out into the lake before he was a few feet away from Cloud.
�You are not a monster Cloud,� He said softly.
�I scared my own child Vincent,� Cloud replied, looking up with haunted eyes, �I can feel Jenova... Growing inside me. It wants to engulf me, to make me like Sephiroth.�
�Cloud, you are not the only person to be bearing Jenova�s cells,� Vincent replied.

Cloud looked up and Vincent nodded.
�When Hojo experimented on me, he injected me with Jenova�s cells. My power is because of my heritage to Jenova,� Vincent said, �I don�t see myself as a monster. I see myself as being blessed with a gift. A gift that can be used to change the world for the better. You have to believe the same thing. You are here for good things. Otherwise you will become that which you paint yourself to be.�

The others begun to emerge from the stairway as Vincent led Cloud back to the shore. Rimika�s ears were suddenly filled with a cry, a word that was crystal clear. A name.
�Father! Someone�s calling for you!� He yelled.
�What?� Cloud asked, looking up to his son.
�There�s someone here who wants your attention!� Rimika called back.

The voice stopped calling for a moment and Rimika strained, trying to hear above the silence. Vincent and Cloud still floated in the middle of the lake, looking at the boy in a mix of confusion and wonder.
�In the lake! The person is in the lake!� Rimika called then as the voice came back to him.

Cloud and Vincent shared the same look before diving. Rimika closed his eyes as the voice continued to murmur encouragingly. The moments were agonisingly long, and it seemed as if the two were underwater for a long period of time. Finally Vincent emerged and took in a deep breath.
�It goes on forever! We can�t see that far down!� He called.
�What are you doing? Where�s Cloud!� Tifa cried.

Vincent shook his head.
�He must still be down there,� He called, �I�ll go and see if I can find him.�
Vincent dove under again, and the moments begun to creep forward once more. Rimika felt his heart hammer against his chest, wondering exactly what it was his father was doing. Everyone seemed to be holding his or her breath, the whole city was silent for the first time Rimika had entered it.

After what seemed like an eternity, Cloud finally re-emerged. Vincent had hold of him, half dragging him out of the lake, and in turn Cloud held another person. The voices in Rimika�s ears suddenly begin to sing, a pleasant sounding song of enchantment, as Vincent pulled them to the shore...

... Cloud collapsed to the floor, panting as Vincent pressed down on his back.
�Breathe Cloud! Breathe!� He ordered.
Finally Cloud breathed and water gushed out of his mouth onto the floor. He coughed and hacked as Vincent helped him to his feet.
�You okay? No heavy feeling against your lungs?� Vincent asked.
�No,� Cloud replied.

Vincent looked into Cloud�s eyes and shook his head.
�You are a brave man Cloud Strife,� Was all he said finally.
Cloud nodded and looked down to Aeris� still form. She was dead, that much was plain, yet her skin was intact, and her complexion was the same as it had been when she was alive. It was as if the water had preserved her, and the planet hadn�t wanted to accept her yet.

Rimika looked down at the lady on the floor and he knew exactly what he had to do. Moving to her side, he knelt down and placed his hand on her head.
�Rimika, come away,� Tifa choked, her face pale and blanching as she looked to Cloud, �we shouldn�t have moved her Cloud!�
�Can I have quiet, please mother?� Rimika enquired politely, before looking back to Aeris.

Moving slowly, Rimika reached to the materia by his chest. He lifted it out, and he heard a collective gasp. The materia was glowing white. He moved it down slowly and placed it against Aeris� forehead. The glow begun to increase and Rimika kept his hand to it, closing his eyes and focusing his thoughts. He could hear many voices around the city. Voices of the Lifestream. There was one stronger than the other, one that Rimika could easily identify from what he had heard from others about Aeris. He locked onto it and begun to drag it to the White materia.

The glow increased, becoming more fevered. The White materia flared like a newborn star, and everyone had to shield his or her eyes from the sudden light. Then it faded again, and everyone blinked, before looking down to the ground. Rimika was slumped against Aeris� chest, his eyes bleary and glazing over. Cloud watched and noted that Rimika�s head was rising and falling slightly at a constant rate. His own heart beat jumped.

�Aeris!� Cloud called.
There was a moment�s silence before there was a slight groan. Cloud took Rimika into his arms and handed him and the White materia to Tifa before looking at Aeris. Finally, her eyes opened and a smile spread across her face.

�Cloud!� She said weakly, placing her arms around his neck, �you came back for me. You remembered me after all this time.�
�I could never forget you Aeris,� Cloud whispered in reply...

*is totally gobsmacked*

I never ever...ever expected that one!! Oh deary deary me.

Fantastic!!

What can I say? That was just totally unexpected. Now Cloud is going to have to choose between Tifa and Aeris, isn't he? Unless, of course, one of them dies, again...

=/ I only hope the ending doesn't disappoint you two now that I've got your hopes up so high.... Aah well, onward and onward...

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CHAPTER 6 - REUNION.</center>

There were a lot of tears and a lot of hugs and kisses, as Aeris looked around at the group, her eyes full of life and her smile big and enlightening. She greeted Eldrik with courtesy, congratulated Red XIII and Lalenia on finding each other, and then looked to the dozing Rimika.

�I owe you so much,� Aeris said softly to the boy, closing her eyes, �I am tired. There will be time for us to talk later.�
Cloud waited until Aeris was asleep before lifting her up and carrying her to one of the beds in the huts. He then sat by her side and waited...

... �This is a little weird,� Eldrik said, standing outside the hut sharpening his sword.
�I�m not used to people being bought back to life either,� Cid admitted, �least of all a four year old boy being able to bring someone back.�
�I�ve had my suspicions about the boy for a while,� Vincent replied, �I need to talk it over with Aeris.�

Rimika awoke about an hour later, and he was as lively as he had been before. He still bore the White materia in his hand as he came out of the hut. Vincent nodded to the boy and knelt down beside him.
�Is Aeris still asleep?� He asked.
�She is,� Rimika replied, �it took a lot of her energy away to come back to our world.�
�I guess we�ll have to wait,� Vincent said.

Rimika sat down next to Cid and closed his eyes, once again in a doze. He was experiencing a strange feeling, almost an awakening. Before he had felt complete, whole. Now there seemed to be something else moving inside him. The consciousness seemed to swirl around Rimika�s body, embracing him slowly but surely, altering him to its design.

�Where�s Tifa?� Red XIII asked as he walked around the corner.
Rimika stirred at the sound of his mother�s name and looked around with a frown, not knowing where she was. Vincent too was stirred from his revelry, looking across the courtyard.
�I don�t know,� He said finally, �I guess she went for a walk. Is it important?�

Red XIII shook his head.
�No. I just thought it would be a good idea to keep together when Aeris comes to,� He said.
�I�ll go look for her,� Cid said, �I need to stretch my legs anyway.�
Rimika watched Cid leave before looking up to Vincent.

�What�s wrong with mother?� He asked.
�Nothing�s wrong with your mother,� Vincent replied a little too quickly, �she�s just tired.�
Rimika didn�t say anything else, as Cloud walked out of the door with a huge smile on his face.
�She�s awake, and she wants to talk to us all,� He said...

... Everyone gathered in the hut around the bed where Aeris now sat upright. Cloud fussed over her like an overprotected parent over a child with a grazed knee. Aeris took it all with a smile, neither of the two noting the fiery glances bestowed upon them by Tifa.

�A lot has happened since I departed this planet,� Aeris said, closing her eyes, �Meteor was destroyed by the planet and by Holy. Sephiroth has died, and Shinra has become a respectful organisation, all for protecting the planet at all costs. And yet we face a peril greater than any that have been thrown at us before. A peril that has been Sephiroth�s plan from the start.�

Aeris opened her eyes and looked to each of the people in front of her.
�You have all seen the black cloaked men. The Seven who travel completely shielded from your vision. The Seven who inspire fear from their look alone. I can tell you that these Seven are Sephiroth,� She said, �when Cloud defeated Sephiroth, he dissolved into the Lifestream. We, the Cetra, tried to find his life source within the Lifestream, but it�s connected in some way to the Black materia. The Seven parts that were created were lost to us.�

�When Meteor was countered, the Black materia that we had valiantly held onto fell into the ruins of Midgar. Dismayed, we decided that it was for the best that the White materia would fall near by, hoping that someone would be able to piece the puzzle together. The materia lay undisturbed until Midgar was rebuilt. Then Rimika found the White materia, just like Shinra found the Black materia,� Aeris said.

�Sephiroth planned this all along! He knew that Cloud had the power to defeat him. He knew that Holy and the Lifestream would counter Meteor. He knew that this would further weaken the planet. He still plans to use the Lifestream to become a God. All he needs is to bring the Black materia back to the northern crater and reform the Seven to one. Then he can drain the planet of its life and become invincible!� Aeris said with dreadful finality.

Cloud shook his head, tears in his eyes.
�Sephiroth was manipulating me... Even in the final battle?� He asked.
�Sephiroth has always had the power to manipulate you Cloud,� Aeris replied softly, �you are of Jenova. Your cells are linked to his, but he is stronger. He was born with Jenova�s cells as part of his DNA. Your cells came to heal injuries. They are a fraction of his.�

�Yet there is hope,� Aeris said in a strong voice, her eyes suddenly fixed on Rimika as the boy felt the consciousness once more speaking to him, �there is once more one of the Cetra walking the planet. All of the Cetra in the Lifestream are with me in spirit. We can succeed, even if Sephiroth does reform. For the key to all his power now lies within the Black materia.�

The people left the room, all except for Cloud and Tifa.
�Stay a while please,� Aeris said to the pair.
Tifa sat down, keeping her gaze away from Aeris as Cloud looked to her, almost hanging onto every word that she spoke.

�It�s about Rimika,� Aeris said.
�What about my boy?� Tifa said sharply, finally looking to Aeris.
�He�s special,� Aeris replied, �this is going to be difficult for you to except, but when Sephiroth was born, he WAS a Cetra. The cells of Jenova merged perfectly with human cells and a living Cetra was created. Sephiroth twisted it around, thinking he was literally the son of Jenova. It was those twisted thoughts that are driving him through this.�

�What�s this got to do with my boy?� Tifa demanded.
�Rimika is also a Cetra,� Aeris replied calmly, �he is the perfect merging of a being with Jenova�s cells implanted within them, and a human. He found the White materia and was able to use it. That confirms it. The White materia is now his property, and only he can use it. It has passed on.�
�My little boy is a... Cetra?� Tifa asked, tears in her eyes.

Cloud shuffled uncomfortably on his seat, before lying an awkward hand on Tifa�s shoulder.
�He�ll be okay,� Cloud assured her, before standing and pulling Tifa to his feet, �I think we need to go and talk about how much to tell him. He�s still young, and we don�t want to scare him.�
�You�re right Cloud,� Tifa said, her voice much softer now.
�Thank you for telling us Aeris,� Cloud said.
�Come back here when you�ve made a decision,� Aeris replied, �I am here to help tutor your son...�

... Aeris waited for five seconds after the couple had left before she turned her attention to the shadows.
�You can come out now Vincent,� She said in a stern, powerful voice.
There was a moment�s silence before Vincent stepped out from the shadow. His eyes locked onto Aeris, before he sat down on the chair by the bed.

�You knew that Rimika was a Cetra, didn�t you?� Aeris asked.
�I had my suspicions,� Vincent replied, �as I did with Sephiroth.�
�You knew also of the ability that Sephiroth has of manipulating people with the cells of Jenova within them?� Aeris asked.
�Yes. I know of five life forms with Jenova cells within them. Myself, Cloud, Lucrecia, Rimika and Sephiroth,� Vincent replied.

�Rimika is safe from Sephiroth�s manipulations, for he is a Cetra also,� Aeris said, �it is Cloud I am worried about. He has been manipulated before.�
�Do not worry about Cloud. His heart is strong,� Vincent replied, �it is what could happen between the two of you that I am worried about.�

Aeris suddenly felt Vincent�s eyes bore into her, and she felt afraid. This man who she had called a companion suddenly seemed very distant and very powerful.
�You know?� She asked, her face blanching.
�I know a lot more than I let on, Aeris Gainsborough,� Vincent replied, �it is good that you know too. I dread to think of the consequences if anything happens.�
�Nothing will happen,� Aeris assured Vincent, �I�ll see to it.�
�That is a good thing,� Vincent said.

The Vincent that Aeris knew returned and she felt relieved, glad that the tension in the air was gone.
�Should we go straight to the northern crater?� Vincent asked.
�We should leave with as little delay as possible,� Aeris replied, �I need to teach Rimika how to use the White materia to nullify the Black materia. I can do that on the way.�

Vincent nodded and took Aeris� hand, helping her up from the bed.
�What made you come back here Aeris? Why did you leave the Lifestream?� Vincent asked.
�I am the Cetra�s representative in this struggle,� Aeris replied, �I volunteered because I knew you all.�
�I see. Better to have someone that is already trusted than to have a complete stranger?� Vincent asked.
�That�s correct,� Aeris replied.

Vincent stopped for a while and closed his eyes. Aeris stopped too and looked to him with a frown.
�Vincent?� She asked.
�I can feel her. Lucrecia. She is coming to the crater also,� Vincent said, �Sephiroth is bringing all of his pawns together for this make or break moment.�
�What can we do?� Aeris whispered.
�Do? Nothing. She adores Sephiroth. She doesn�t believe that he could be evil,� Vincent replied, �she�d guard him to the end, unless I can reach her.�

Vincent stood silent for a moment longer, before continuing to walk on.
�Come. We should make plans for the upcoming battle,� Vincent said...

... The party made their way back to the Highwind via Bone Village. Cid was glad to give Aeris a guided tour of his pride and joy, which she accepted, with a lot of enthusiasm. Cloud and Tifa had taken Rimika aside and told him about the Cetra, who they were, what they had done on the planet and then had come crashing to a halt. Rimika had waited patiently, before replying to them.

�I know I�m a Cetra. There�s nothing wrong with that,� Rimika said, �and I know that the White materia is supposed to be mine now, and I need to use it to get rid of the Black materia. If you�ll excuse me, I need to talk to Aeris about how to do this.�
Cloud and Tifa had stood gaping as the boy left. It was a chuckle from Eldrik that caught their attention.
�You wouldn�t believe that boy was four years old from the way he acts,� He said.

The journey was spent mostly in silence. Aeris and Rimika had closed themselves within a room whilst Cloud and Eldrik discussed possible tactics with each other, settling for the wait and see option. Finally, Aeris and Rimika emerged from the room, and the boy�s eyes were set like steel. Aeris had a faint smile on her face as Tifa approached and fussed over him.

�There�s nothing else we can do,� Aeris said, �all we can do now is go to the crater.�
The Highwind travelled onward into peril...

I still say this stuff is bloody good! I don't care what the ending is! I know somehow it won't be as disappointing as you make it out to be.

Keep it up, and I shall read it up!

You better keep writing. I'm saving all of this to my computer. I'll circulate it around here, where I live. Keep it up! This stuff is awesome!

Again, thanks for your support guys. It is most appreciated.

Penultimate chaptery time.

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CHAPTER 7 - RETURN TO THE NORTHERN CRATER.

The Highwind landed just outside of the crater and everyone disembarked. Cloud had spent ten minutes checking and double-checking his equipment, not wanting to leave anything behind. Everyone was quiet as they approached the edge of the crater, Aeris in the lead with Cloud not far behind. They came to a halt near the edge, Aeris raising her arm.

�We do not need to go back down there,� She said, �they will meet here.�
Cloud crouched down and leant against the Ultima Weapon. He closed his eyes and begun to breathe in slowly, tasting the air around him and setting his mind. He tried to think back five years and the calm that had engulfed his body just before he had fought Sephiroth for the last time.

The warriors stood ready and armed. The sky was beginning to cloud over. The air was beginning to cool. There was an eerie silence. Cloud could only hear the sound of his heart beating. Then there were seven dots in the horizon. Six walked with weapons drawn, apparently ready for the fight before it began. The seventh had only one hand, and in that hand glistened a black orb as dark as night.
�Eldrik, Vincent, Cid, go to the left. Red XIII, Lalenia, Tifa, go to the right,� Cloud said, looking to Aeris, �stay with the children. Don�t get hurt.�

Cloud approached the man with the Black materia. It looked up and suddenly Cloud felt himself paralysed. The Ultima Weapon dropped from his hands and he fell to his knees, the ground pulling him closer and closer. The reaction of his friends was the same. They were quickly disarmed and then neutralised by the power of the Seven. Cloud closed his eyes and tried to push up, but the more he resisted, the more the ground dragged him down.

Gasping, Cloud turned himself around to look on as the Seven walked to the edge of the crater. One by one they turned to the bearer of the Black materia and were slowly absorbed within it. Cloud continued to try and slide along the ground. Aeris, Rimika and Marlene stood frozen, unable to move in fear. Cloud let out a primal cry, trying to break free with all of his strength before hitting the ground with a thud as the second cloaked man was absorbed.

The sky began to glow a sooty orange. The clouds were starting to part and the crater itself begun to rumble like a volcano, gushes of Lifestream spurting out. A third figure was absorbed, leaving only three more. Cloud looked back to his weapon and reached for it, hoping he could make the scant inches needed to get hold of it. The fires in the sky begun to burn brighter, the air around Cloud warming up as he struggled, sweat standing on his forehead.

A fourth figure was absorbed and the planet responded with a renewed frenzy. A couple of cracks opened threateningly when Aeris shouted something in a language unknown to Cloud. The cracks froze as the fifth figure was absorbed, the evil presence in Cloud�s mind growing. He finally closed his fingers on the blade of the Ultima Weapon as the grip of the cloaked men was lessened. With a final cry, Cloud sprang to his feet and charged.

There was a blinding flash and Cloud was sent flying backwards. Smoke billowed out of the spot where the cloaked men had been gathering. Cloud coughed and noted that all of his friends were now on their feet. The smoke cleared and fear suddenly flowed up and down Cloud�s spine. Standing in front of them, Masamune blade in his right hand, Black materia in his left hand, was Sephiroth...

... �You did a good job Cloud,� Sephiroth said in his chilling voice, �you did exactly as I planned. Thank you for bringing me to this position.�
�I�ve killed you once Sephiroth, I�ll kill you again,� Cloud replied, holding up the blade.
�Killed me?� Sephiroth laughed, �you think if I had been trying that you�d have been able to kill me? No chance Cloud. I could�ve parried each of those sword blows, as one would swat a fly.�

Cloud�s mind reeled. He couldn�t believe what he was hearing. His confidence had been shattered in that one statement. He stepped back as Sephiroth looked around each of the individual companions, stopping one moment to look at Eldrik, whose mouth was gaping, open at the sight of the greatest warrior in Shinra history.

�You are one of SOLDIER?� Sephiroth said, stepping forward, �I can tell by your eyes. Does Shinra still exist?�
�It does,� Eldrik stuttered, �but Shinra has evolved now. We no longer work to our own gain.�
�It is of no matter,� Sephiroth said disdainfully, �the life of this puny planet will end in a matter of minutes! I will use the Black materia to draw the Lifestream here, and embrace it to become a God. Unfortunately, you shall all die, but sacrifices need to be made.�

There were padded footsteps and Sephiroth spun quickly, his blade whistling in the wind. Over one of the many rocks came a woman. Her clothes were tattered, her hair dishevelled and her face dirty. Her eyes were constantly shifting and her head twitched. Cloud remembered her from before, recognised who she was. He could feel Vincent shuffled uncomfortably.

�You bear the cells of my mother as well,� Sephiroth said to the woman, �yet I know not who you are.�
�Sephiroth. I need to find Sephiroth. I MUST see Sephiroth,� The woman replied.
�Lucrecia,� Vincent murmured.
�Silence!� Sephiroth commanded Lucrecia, and she fell to her knees and cowered, �I am Sephiroth. What will you have of me? Speak!�

Cloud could hear Aeris murmuring something to his son, as Lucrecia looked up to Sephiroth.
�You are Sephiroth? The Sephiroth? MY Sephiroth?� She asked.
�I am Sephiroth, although I do not know who you are,� Sephiroth replied.
�My baby!� Lucrecia cried, wrapping her arms around Sephiroth�s legs, �they took you away from me. Stole you from me when you were small. You are my Sephiroth! Vincent said you were evil. Vincent lied to me! You�re a good child, aren�t you, Sephiroth?�

The look on Sephiroth�s face was a mixture of amusement and disdain. He lifted Lucrecia�s face to look to this and he frowned down to her, causing her to cower once more.
�Woman, I don�t know who you are, nor what you speak of,� Sephiroth said softly.
�I am your mother Sephiroth!� Lucrecia wailed, �do you not know your own mother?�

The crater suddenly fell silent. Cloud could feel his knuckles squeezing as he held the Ultima Weapon tightly. He stole a glance over his back to see Rimika openly holding the glowing White materia. Cloud looked back to Sephiroth, who had planted his sword in the ground.
�You are not my mother,� Sephiroth said coldly, �I was born of Jenova, a being beyond your understanding. Though Jenova is dead, her son lives for her retribution. I will have my revenge.�

Like a bolt of lightening, Sephiroth�s hand snapped out and locked vice like around Lucrecia�s neck. She gasped and struggled as Sephiroth effortlessly lifted her and begun to tighten his fingers. Lucrecia kicked and struggled, frightened into sanity by the monster she had called son. Cloud went to move, but suddenly felt immobile once more, locked by his doubt of his skills.

�No!� Vincent yelled, leaping forward.
Sephiroth turned and his mind struck out and Vincent stopped in the air and collapsed to the ground. Sephiroth smiled at Vincent and took Lucrecia�s forehead in his free head. There was a sickening snap as he twisted the head one hundred eighty degrees around, before Lucrecia�s body went limp. Sephiroth cast the body down beside Vincent, who cried out and collected the broken body in his arms.
�A perfect end. A tortured soul dies knowing the folly of her ways,� Sephiroth smiled.

That did it. Cloud�s anger finally burst through and he forgot the fear in his own skill. He moved forward and challenged Sephiroth. Sephiroth�s eyes opened in shock and his face broke into a sneer. He pulled his Masamune out of the ground.
�You cannot challenge me boy! I am your superior!� Sephiroth said.
�I will not let you kill anymore,� Cloud replied.

Sephiroth frowned and then rose his hand. Cloud felt control of his limbs vanish, his body turning around against his will. His mind seemed shut down, unopened to response.
�You do not understand Cloud. Even after all this time. You are my puppet! You do as I bid! And if I want to kill your friends, I shall! Did you not learn that when I killed your precious Aeris?� Sephiroth said, �yes, I enjoyed killing her. She played her part well.�

�Don�t talk about me as being dead yet Sephiroth,� Aeris called.
Sephiroth froze, his shoulders tensing up as he turned around to see the source of the voice. He shuddered and lifted up his blade.
�So! The White materia HAS been found,� Sephiroth spat, looking to Rimika, �and you have a brat as well, Cloud? My, we�ve been busy haven�t we? Who is the harlot that sired him?�
�That would be me,� Tifa said chillingly.

Sephiroth looked to Rimika and walked up to him, holding the Black materia in his palm.
�You dare to challenge me boy? You don�t have the power to stand up to me!� Sephiroth said.
�Maybe not,� Rimika replied, �but I�ll try. Better to try and to fail than to never try at all.�
�You are afraid, aren�t you boy?� Sephiroth asked, his eyes lighting up, �you�re afraid of dying so young? You know how much power I have. You do not wish to die.�
�It won�t work Sephiroth,� Aeris replied, �he is immune to your manipulation.�

Sephiroth scowled, and looked down at Aeris. She looked back, but Cloud could tell she was straining to fight him. Cloud stood up to respond and Sephiroth rose his hand the moment he felt Cloud move.
�Stay!� He commanded.
Cloud froze once more, locked and unable to move as Aeris buckled to her knees under Sephiroth�s deadly stare, a cry escaping from her lips as Sephiroth moved closer, his eyes burning brighter.

�Stop him!� Vincent cried in sudden anger, �don�t let him get away with his crimes!�
Eldrik was the first to respond, leaping into battle fearlessly, despite knowing he was outclassed. Sephiroth turned and his sword snaked out and bit deep into Eldrik�s hip. The SOLDIER member hit the ground hard and groaned as blood gushed out on the floor.
�Anyone else who attacks, dies,� Sephiroth said.

Aeris was down to her last strength, her eyes looking angrily at Sephiroth but her body being unable to respond. Sephiroth reached her with a smile and lifted his sword.
�I enjoyed killing you the last time. This time will be just as sweet,� Sephiroth said.
�You won�t get the chance,� Aeris gasped, before using her last ember of strength to swing her staff and send the Black materia spiralling into the air.

Sephiroth cried out and reached for the materia when he was struck by glowing flames, almost as hot as a new born star. He staggered back and looked at Red XIII. The air around Sephiroth then grew as cold as the vacuum of space as he was encased by Ice, before it shattered around him. Sephiroth fell to a knee but stood back up before he was struck by lightening, summoned from the heavy storm clouds up ahead. Red XIII was straining, but stood rigid, his tail straight and his fangs bared.

Cloud could still do nothing, and he could Vincent also struggling to move free. Cloud looked to his son, who had moved to where the Black materia was and now stood a few feet from it. He was chanting in a language unknown to Cloud, the White materia�s glow changing from white to green to black and back to green and then to white. The Black materia, in response to this, was also flickering angrily from black to white to black.

Sephiroth could see the change in the Black materia and he looked to Red XIII. There was a moment�s concentration before Red XIII was struck with Ultima, the spell sending him spiralling through the air and hitting the ground with an uneasy thud. Sephiroth turned his attention to Rimika and approached him at an unrelenting pace. Rimika looked up and begun to chant faster, the words tumbling out of his mouth. Sephiroth reached him and brushed him aside with a forearm swipe. He then picked up the Black materia and begun to chant in the same language that Rimika had been using.

Aeris was quickly at Rimika�s side, helping the boy up as the Black materia begun to grow, a beam of energy firing into the sky. The planet screamed and shook as Lifestream started to crack out and hit the Black materia. Rimika was a little groggy as he came back to his feet and Aeris was behind him, whispering words of encouragement as the boy begun to chant again. The White materia pulsed once and fired out a stream of white light at the Black materia which countered the gathering of Lifestream.

The two stood locked in the battle. Sephiroth straining to bring up all of the energy of the planet that he could. Rimika straining to stop the flow of the planet into the Black materia. It was a stalemate. Neither could counter the Will of the other, but Sephiroth�s stamina was that of a thirty-year-old man. Rimika was only four years old, and his body could not withstand that amount of strain.

Cloud watched on in pain. He loved Tifa and Aeris equally. Both of these women had given him everything, and he was as perfectly split between the two as one could get. Yet his love for his son was greater. Seeing Sephiroth attacking the boy with a view to destroy him made Cloud forget his heritage, forget the part of him that made it easy for Sephiroth to manipulate him. Moving sluggishly at first, but then with a greater speed, Cloud yanked free of Sephiroth�s control and moved up behind Sephiroth.

Sephiroth turned to look at Cloud and didn�t see the reject that he had once more. He saw an Angel of Death. Cloud rose his sword and cried out. Sephiroth rose his sword arm to protect his face, but the blow was not aimed there. Cloud�s blade came down on Sephiroth�s unprotected left wrist. Sephiroth cried out as he lost his grip on the Black materia. His sword clashed to the floor as he held the wound in pain.

Renewed with extra strength, Rimika stood upright and finished the incantation with powerful words that echoed around the northern crater. The Black materia burst into flames.

Sephiroth cried out in more pain now as the link to his power disappeared. Cloud could feel any control that Sephiroth once held over him drop away. Turning to his enemy, Cloud walked up slowly, flexing the Ultima Weapon in his hands. Sephiroth took one look at Cloud and for the first time, his eyes betrayed fear. Moving quickly, Sephiroth grabbed his Masamune blade. He looked at Cloud one last time, before turning and fleeing.

Cloud went to chase after Sephiroth when Aeris called out.
�It�s okay Cloud! He cannot cause any damage to the Universe anymore,� She said, �the planet itself is safe from being destroyed for the time being. It�s only the people of the planet who are in danger now.�
�We need rest father,� Rimika replied, still clutching the White materia, �Sephiroth is hurting. He won�t do anything for a while.�

Cloud nodded and slumped to the floor and took in a deep breath.
�So it�s over for now,� He whispered...

Oh dear God!

So that's what you meant by a pleasant surprise! *shocked*
Oh my...I picture the ending already!! I for one am most pleased. Well done BZ. Well done indeed.

Greetings.

Well BZ, what can I say? I'm speechless. This is a good story, and provides a alternate turn in sequels I've seen for FFVII (I;ve read some others on a fanfic site, and well......they didn't fill me with anything but dread.). You've got talent BZ, and that's not lie. Keep up the work, I'm interested to see what other stories you can come up with, yes?

And here's the final installment. The Epilogue to the tale, so to speak. Once again, everyone, thank you for your comments. Now let's post the final bit...

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EPILOGUE.

�You were lucky with that blow,� Aeris noted critically to Eldrik as she applied the potion, �some of us aren�t so lucky with Sephiroth�s sword strokes.�
�Sorry,� Eldrik smiled weakly.
�You did well my friend,� Cloud replied.

Turning from Eldrik, Cloud walked up beside Vincent. The man had taken his mask off and revealed his face for the first time. He was stood by Lucrecia�s corpse, which was stacked upon a funeral pyre. His eyes were openly filled with tears as Cloud put his hand on the man�s shoulder.
�She didn�t deserve that Cloud,� Vincent said, �she deserved so much more. Sephiroth must die for what he did to her.�
�He will die Vincent,� Cloud replied, �I�m going to hunt him down.�

Vincent nodded and then looked to Red XIII.
�Do it my friend,� He said.
�Okay Vincent,� Red XIII replied.
The funeral pyre begun to smoke...

... �We�ll head back to Midgar and leave you there,� Cid said to Eldrik.
�There�s something else we need to do at Midgar,� Aeris replied, looking to Rimika.
�Okay. We�ll stop by and speak to Rufus again,� Cid shrugged.

The Highwind was boarded and Cloud looked back down at the scars where the battle had taken place. The sky had cleared and the fires burning in it had disappeared to leave a clear blue sky. Although tired, Cloud was satisfied in once again having diverted disaster...

... A shadow moved from behind the rocks, having seen the altercation that had taken place. Taking out his communicator, he waited patiently for his boss to respond.
�Hello Boss. Yes Sir, they were successful. Things worked out better than we could expect. The Cetra is back with us, and the specimen is still alive. Yes Sir. I will Sir. No, I wasn�t seen. No one knew I was here. I�ll be sure to give you a full report as soon as I get back. Thank you Sir. Goodbye.�

The shadow turned and melted back into the background...

*gasps*

I KNEW IT!!!!!

*ahem*

*sniff* That was just absolutely amazing, I've never ever read a fic anything like it. This is rare. A very good story indeed. *applauds*

what can I say? I'm in the process of printing a copy of this entire thing right now for distribution. I know that everybody who is a ff fan around here will love it!