Chapter 39: "You Wish To Fight Me?"

Sephiroth turned away from Rufus’s bloody and beaten form, disappearing into the reactor’s shadows. The President was too weak to properly understand what had happened, so he stayed still, waiting for the brutality to continue. When it didn’t he dragged himself into a sitting position. Celes had stopped choking Locke but was still hovering over him, her manner tense and alert. An expression much like fear shone in her face. Lucca was crouched by the reactor core, squinting at the darkness and listening for some movement. They waited in the silence.

Like a wave of dawn Holy swept over the horizon, giving false day to wherever it touched. It licked anxiously at the rocky terrain, ripping up the tracks created by the passing of the great beast. Lavos felt its coming, and left the reactor for this new threat. Its spines bristled and began to hum as a wall of magic surrounded its massive body.

Nadia walked to the window, finger crossed and breath held. At last, Holy had come. They’d done enough, hadn’t they? Lavos was about to be history.

But then something entered her view; the silver glowing apparition that was Sephiroth rose in front of the glass, wings beating. His eyes flashed.

Edgar stumbled around the desks of computers just as the window began to shatter. He snatched Nadia’s hand and dragged her back, ducking beneath the tables where Scarlet had already taken shelter. The glass splintered into a spider-web of delicate cracks before Sephiroth’s wind blasted it completely apart, allowing the howling, raging torrents form outside to invade and stir papers and chairs with its force. The king pulled both women close to him, protecting them from the shrieking wind with his own body as the room’s furniture was spun crazily about.

Sephiroth, pleased with his work, continued to his goal: Lavos, which was waiting patiently for his arrival. He swooped in low, climbing into the hole in Lavos’s husk created by the cannon. By bracing his hands and feet into the shell and arranging his wings just right he was able to form a perfect seal.

When finally Holy arrived it swarmed over the spined monster with raging ferocity, searching every inch of its hide for some penetrable weakness and finding none. As a last resort it set upon Sephiroth himself, but that proved worthless. Sephiroth held fast, his seals flawlessly in place. He could not die.

For his life was buried somewhere else.

Cloud was falling; that was the only sensation that reached him. He was slipping inexplicably into a dark abyss, such and expanse of soulless voice as he had never known. It was both comforting and frightening, because he knew he was dying. He felt as if his body lay in pieces about him, and there was nothing left save the warm fires of Hell to give him light and strength. He didn’t care so long as it ended.

But he wasn’t given that chance. His fall ended, and he found himself in a cold, barren place where light was a stranger. It was an oddly familiar scene, like something out of a dream or vision he’d long since forgotten.

"Aeris?" Cloud strained his already drained senses for the source of the voice, but like a breath of wind it had come and was gone. It had been replaced, however, by a pair of eyes—emerald in their color, and very cold. They were eyes he knew far too well, and brought him to the sickening realization that this battle had far from ended for him.

Celes shrieked, her body shaking in pain-wracked convulsions as Holy’s light penetrated her skin. She twisted and cried like an insane specter, until Locke imagined that he would be pulled apart simply by witnessing the effects on her. Despite the spell comforting assurance he was filled with dread—Celes was dying. He couldn’t bear the thought of her life ending this way, her body and mind slave to a devil. Without thinking he wrapped his arms around hers, pinning them to calm her thrashing. "Don’t kill her," he whispered hoarsely, closing his eyes tightly against the glare. "Don’t kill her…don’t kill her…"

Lucca stumbled over, entwining her own arms about the neck of her friend. She followed the example of Locke’s prayers, and silently begged that Rufus would do the same. He stared at them, his sight washed with his own blood, uncomprehending. Finally he pulled his body closer, and aided them in suppressing the general’s shuddering. For he knew this wasn’t her fault, and not even he could deny these people what little strength he had left.

Locke held on most desperately of all. He listened to the heartbeat of the suffering woman, and willed it to become strong once more. He fought Aeris’s prayer with his own.

Cloud knew the owner of those eyes long before he revealed himself: Sephiroth. The man strode forward slowly, enveloped in a cocoon of brilliant light. He was smiling. "Hello, Cloud," he said in a non-threatening tone. "You did a good job. Everything will be all right now."

Cloud stared up at him, only a bit wary. "What do you mean? I released Holy."

"But still, you held it long enough. Holy cannot penetrate Lavos’s shell now that he has absorbed enough energy. And with me in place, it has no other way of defeating it." He knelt down in front of the younger. "I don’t mind telling you, because you’re one of us. You’re an Angel."

Cloud glanced about, expecting to see Aeris’s familiar figure. He was met only by darkness. "She can’t help you," Sephiroth said ominously. "Don’t worry—I won’t let you die. I’m depending on you, after all. Stay here. Rest. Lavos and I will take care of everything."

Tseng pulled off his jacket, twisting it around Glenn’s bleeding abdomen. "Hold still," he instructed. And then to Tifa, "Don’t you have a healing materia?"

"Too late…for that," Glenn hissed weakly, as his hands were already shaking and cold. "Cloud…is he…?"

Sabin shook his head, taking Elena’s offered jacket and rolling it under Glenn’s head as a pillow. "No, but Holy’s been released. You did it, Glenn."

He closed his eyes, licking blood from his lips. "No. The Earth is still crying. Lavos isn’t dead."

"What can we do?"

"I…do not know."

Tifa turned her gaze toward Cloud, as she didn’t want to see her savior’s pained face. Watching Glenn die like this reminded her of Crono and Aeris; both of which had suffered terribly, overcoming the worst of fate’s cruel jokes, in the end granted nothing but failure by the Earth they had so bravely fought to defend. She wanted to cry because of the unfairness in it all. Her eyes landed on Cloud, and she felt worse. He was still suffering. The emerald body which had once shone with frightening splendor had grown pale and hollow, like a cloth skin that had been torn. His eyes, dull and blind, slithered over the ground as if searching. She noted that when they rested, they were on Nu.

The little bird was squatting on the ground, head bowed in a pleasant sleep as it leaned against his body for warmth. Cloud reached his hand to touch it, and his fingers carefully patted its tiny head.

"Nu…" Cloud watched it. He watched it breathe, and listened to the contented chirping noises it made it its sleep. He admired the peaceful face and the bright gold feathers. He knew this bird. It was his.

And suddenly another image entered his mind: Aeris. He remembered the flowers she’d given him, and how their fragrance reminded him of her. He had carried her across the plains to Junon, and her body was warm and delicate, her breath sweet against his cheek. She’d believed in him, taken care of him when the visions became too strong and he had nowhere else to go. Her innocent laughter and beautiful smile had reached into his soul on the gondola in Gold Saucer, and brought him back from Sephiroth’s grasp in Temple. She was his light, his hope, and his joy, and he the object of her happiness. She had given her life for him, even as he threatened to take it. Her prayers were his alone to cherish.

Cloud returned to the black hole that was his mind, and there again met Sephiroth. He refused to follow the fate that had taken that perfect pure being from him. The memories rose in front of him, surrounded him, causing him to realize Sephiroth’s part in it all—he hated him. The silver-haired man before him had taken from him all he deemed sacred, since the moment they met all those years ago in Nibelheim when he was a child. It was going to end.

"You want to fight me, Cloud?" Sephiroth asked disdainfully, his voice echoing throughout the surreal landscape. "Are you strong enough to win? I won’t surrender my life so easily, you know."

Aeris’s voice—Aeris’s presence—strengthened him. "Your life is mine," he said quietly. "You don’t own me anymore."

Dark laughter. "We shall see."

The battle began before either realized. They were at each other’s throats, grappling like beast, as magic and skill no longer meant anything. There was only the will of their minds and the strength of their hearts to compete with, formalized into fists and feet and angry cries. Cloud felt himself being beaten back, but he refused to submit. He slashed and tore with rage, gathering more and more energy from the presence in his mind that guided him. An eternity passed in moments. Hand to hand and forehead to forehead they pushed, struggling and snorting, unable to bleed or sweat but still suffering.

Years passed. Decades, perhaps even centuries. All Cloud knew was then, in one final moment he surrendered all his strength into the fight. Sephiroth could not withstand blow after brutal blow, and at last he lay wounded and defeated in the shadows.

"Cloud…" Sephiroth gazed into the younger man’s eyes. He spoke no more words; he offered no apologies or consents. He merely stared, a bit incredulous. Cloud returned the gaze without emotion. His hatred and injustice had vanished, leaving only content.

Sephiroth fell back into the abyss.

He was dying. Holy was ripping his body apart, and without the younger man’s life to sustain him there would be no mercy. An emotion very much like fear enveloped him in those final moments. It was his last as he slipped away, dissopating, and Cloud reveled in the feeling that his war was finally, thankfully, over.

There was no stopping it now. Holy shredded through Sephiroth’s seals one by one before devouring the man itself, and the spell eagerly cut into the wound gored by the Shin-ra cannon. The burning white spread like wildfire through the innards of the great beast, destroying every bit of matter in its path. Lavos bellowed in agony and defeat as its body was gradually eaten away by the heat. It seemed as is the entire globe was watching in its last moment of life, when Holy burst outward, consuming the shell and spines. The brilliance of its triumph outshone every star in the sky. And those that witnessed that final blaze swore they had heard the laughter of some innocent young girl, echoing throughout the pure white salvation.

Epilogue: Three Weeks Later

Celes sat up in the white-walled hospital room that had for several weeks been her home. She curled the sheets around her, glancing about, satisfied that she was alone. She was weary but content. She could have never wished for this outcome, so fortunate.

The door opened slowly, and she glanced up as Locke stepped inside carrying a bundle of flowers. He smiled at her brightly and placed them in a vase beside the bed—he never failed to keep it supplied with blossoms. "Hello," he greeted pleasantly. "How do you feel today?"

She unfolded her legs and tried to smile back. "All right, I guess. Did you talk to the doctors?"

Immediately he understood her meaning, and his mood became somber to match. "Yes. A long time ago, actually." Though Holy had cleansed her body of the Lavos spawn presence, her uterus—the creature’s resting place—had been removed. She imagined that Hojo had used those cells from Jenova’ uterus in hopes of her one day providing an offspring that was truly raised from the beginning with Lavos.

"I never thought about having children much," Celes said quietly, not meeting Locke’s gaze. "I guess all little girls dream about having a family at some time, but as a general I couldn’t focus much on that kind of thing." She let out a deep sigh. "But now, knowing that I can’t…that changes everything."

Locke sighed as well, and nodded. He sat down on the bed and embraced her as a mild consolation. "I won’t pretend to understand what that’s like. But I do have some good news for you today: the doctors think Cloud’s beginning to wake up. I thought you should be there."

"And is—"

"Still there," he said, anticipating her question. "So don’t worry. Everything’s finally going to be okay now." He kissed her cheek and then helped her out of bed. "Come on. Let’s go see him."

She smiled. Locke had to be the greatest man she’d ever known, staying with her after everything. She hoped they would be together this way forever. "All right. Let’s go."

"Shera? Is that goddamned tea ready yet?" Cid came into the kitchen, wiping his greasy hands on a nearby dishrag. A moment later Setzer entered the room as well, and lit a cigarette. Already he was growing accustomed to life among these people once more—his friends.

Shera smiled at them from the stove. "Just about."

The door burst open, and in marched Daryl. She surveyed the scene, looking dissatisfied. "How can you two make the poor girl slave all day and not lend a hand? What’s wrong with you? Aren’t you men?"

"Daryl, C’mon," Setzer replied with a grin. "You know we don’t—"

"Don’t give me that shit. Now get over here and help with the goddamned tea!"

Nadia stood on her balcony overlooking Midgar—or, what remained of it. The last three weeks since Lavos' destruction had been spent beginning a renovation of the entire city; the plate covering the slums was being dismantled. Every house now depended on electricity rather than Mako for their power. Edgar had proven himself true to his word, as every citizen still had a home to come back to. He was making the city beautiful again.

"Nadia?" Edgar strode out onto the balcony beside her, watching her with a smile. "Are you coming? We’re going to have some lunch."

Nadia glanced over her shoulder, catching sight of Lucca and Reeve. "Oh, everyone?"

"Uh-huh." He could see that he’d interrupted some deep thinking of hers. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah. Just thinking." The wind tousled her hair as she stared out over the city. "About everything."

"Crono?"

"Yeah."

Edgar’s smile became rueful. "He was a good boy."

She nodded. "Yeah. Sometimes I think it isn’t fair, but then I know it’s better this way for everyone. Crono wants us all to be happy." She turned away from the view. "So let’s go have some fun."

"Of course." The King offered her his arm with all the charm that was normal for him, though he could tell that this beautiful young madam had been aged considerably from her experience. "Shall we?"

The first thing Cloud recognized as he slowly awoke was the smell of fresh flowers. Their sweet fragrance coaxed him from the darkness, back into a realm of sound and smell and, gradually, sight. All he could see was a white ceiling above him, and soft rectangular lights. He blinked fuzz from the edges of his view.

"Cloud?" He watched as a woman’s face appeared in his line of sight, one he knew, but could not place the identity of. "It’s me. You’re in the hospital now."

He blinked slowly. The hospital? But he had been at the crater, and…

When he tried to speak he found that a tube had been shoved down his throat to help him breathe, and also that leather thongs kept his wrists strapped to the bed rails. "Those are to keep you from hurting yourself," Celes explained gently. "You’ve been unconscious for three weeks. Lavos is gone. It’s all over."

Cloud sighed deeply, but then became aware of the smell of the flowers again. He wanted to find them, and his eyes showed a question.

The general misinterpreted. "I wonder if he can even hear me," she mused. She sighed and kept going. "Tifa brought you back after the crater. Holy saved you, and everyone helped to heal you with materia. You’re going to be okay."

He didn’t care about that. The scent was stronger, and his sight groped desperately for the source. At last she understood, and signaled to Locke, who had been sitting beside her all the while. "We brought someone to see you," said Celes as Locke moved another bed in the room closer. "Take a look."

Cloud turned his head to the side, and his heart soared in a thousand emotions at once. Lying in the bed, breathing quietly, was Aeris with Nu curled on her stomach. He stared, uncomprehending. Was she a ghost? An illusion? His mind screamed dream and lie, but the proof was there beside him. He could feel himself trembling.

"Locke used the Phoenix Materia from the City of the Ancients," Celes explained. "We all decided. Because it was Aeris’s prayer that saved us, we wanted her to have another chance. We only wished that it could have worked for Crono too, but…"

She trailed off, as no more comment was necessary. Cloud wasn’t listening anymore. His entire focus was absorbed solely on the slumbering woman beside him. In their last moments together her skin had been cold and pale; now her face and lips were filled with vibrant color. The brunette hair had been untwisted and now spread about her, soft and angelic. He longed to touch her, but as his hand moved the thongs held him still, and his expression contorted in frustration. He looked to Celes.

The general smiled, undoing the straps, and finally he crossed the threshold of endless time and space. Her cheek was warm beneath his fingers. Just when he thought he might faint from all the remarkable things that were happening Aeris’s eyes slowly opened, tightening every muscle in his body and quickly drying out his throat. Fearful that his contact would force her to quiver and vanish he pulled his hand back once more.

Aeris smiled at his sweetly, and took his hand in reassurance. "Hi," was all she whispered.

Cloud bit into the plastic breathing tube as his body began to shake, and salty tears ran freely from his eyes. He couldn’t stop crying as she gently explored his face with her soft fingertips. "Don’t cry, Cloud," she told him, carefully moving Nu from her stomach to his as she pulled herself closer, making their two small beds into one large one. She laid her head against his shoulder. "You did it. You save us all. I’m so very proud of you."

Cloud didn’t care about that. The salvation of the planet meant nothing in comparison to the return of this beautiful angel. He closed his eyes and reveled in her sweet scent. He wanted to say something then, something that would comfort her and explain all the things that tore at his heart. With a strained effort he whispered, "Aeris."

She smiled at him. "Yes?"

"You are my Promised Land."

Locke and Celes stood back and smiled as the pair cried together joyously. But they weren’t the only audience. Tifa stood at the glass viewing window, having watched the entire scene. She could not hear what was being said, but their tears were enough. She knew very well what was happening.

A man same walking down the white tiled hallway, and paused beside her to see the room’s interior. "So, he is awake," Sabin said, a bit detached. "I guess that was the last missing piece."

Tifa nodded just barely. "Yeah, I guess it was." She smiled, but it was a lonely gestured when matched with her eyes. "He looks happy, doesn’t he? I’ve been thinking." She wrapped herself in her arms and forced the words through. "I shouldn’t get in the way of that. Cloud needs someone like her to take care of him, and I don’t think I could do it the way she does. The doctors say it may be weeks before he can stand and walk properly, and he’ll never be back to normal. But I guess…it’s not my place. He loves Aeris."

Sabin let out a deep sigh, not knowing what to say, as he wasn’t very good in awkward situations like this one. "You have a new life to start over," he said after a considerable silence. "Maybe…do you think you could forget all that happened between us? I think…it’ll be easier that way."

Tifa turned to stare at him. It had taken a lot of courage for him to say that—she knew. His eyes were shifty and distracted. Again he was sacrificing himself for her sake. "No." Her voice was quiet but firm. "No, Sabin, I can’t forget. I don’t want to forget. But maybe we can remember it and start over." She smiled, the first time in weeks that her expression was genuine. "Would you like to get some coffee?"

Sabin blinked rapidly in surprise, but his face soon softened. "Uh, sure, I guess." He scratched the back of his head. "As friends, right?"

She nodded a bit. "Of course. Let’s just worry about lunch now, okay? Anything more will come to us." She led the way from the window. "Come one. It’s my treat."

Nanaki found Mog sitting on the highest terrace of Cosmo Canyon, enjoying the breeze of late morning. "I wanted to talk to you," he said, setting down beside the furry creature. "You haven’t been around later."

The moogle smiled secretively. "Cloud woke up today," he declared. "He and Aeris are together. Locke and Celes are working at being together. Sabin and Tifa are eating lunch together. Cid and his friends are back to working on the space project—together. Rufus is still the President of Shin-ra Electric—real electricity—and Edgar is making Midar the most prosperous it has ever been. He’s also got Nadia and Lucca with him. Your grandfather has recovered. Sephiroth and Lavos are gone. The world is safe." He turned to the red beast. "Not bad, huh?"

"I only wish the boy Crono, and Glenn, didn’t have to die," he replied. "They were good souls—as far as humans go."

"Yes, but their deaths insured the safety of the planet. They would have wanted it that way."

Nanaki considered this for a moment. "You knew everything would end up this way, didn’t you?" he asked. "You didn’t interfere because you knew it would all be settled."

Mog chuckled. "No, not really. But when you live as long as I do, and you’ve seen so many world threats as I have, you learn to anticipate things." He winked. "They did rather well for themselves, I should think."

"They did," he agreed, ears twitching. "So what happens now?"

"I’m not sure," Mog admitted, smiling secretively as he cast his gaze into the pure blue canopy of heaven. "I guess we’ll just have to wait and see."

*End

(Ah ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha !!!!!!!! It’s over!!! Finally over!!!!)

Get me the hell out of here!

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