Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ Learning Curve Continuum ❯ Heart of Darkness ( Chapter 21 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

Disclaimer: Definitely not mine; always returned to Square Enix in fairly good condition.  The key word there is ‘fairly’.

A/N: Dialogue lifted from the Original Game, Pokemon, Star Trek 09 and Advent Children.  Fudging the acquisition of Cloud’s ultimate weapon and playing fast and loose with the four battles against Iron Man, The Pinecone-Butted-Wormy-Wattled Harpy (Jenova SYNTHESIS), The Baroque Beer Mug Handle (Bizarro Sephiroth), and The Winged Wonder (Safer Sephiroth); definitely not the way any of them happen in-game!

Bouquets to my wonderful betas, Kitsune13/TamLin and Ranuel, who are first-rate plot!bunny wranglers!

Learning Curve Continuum
Chapter Twenty-One: Heart of Darkness
Ô Ô Ô Ô Ô Ô Ô Ô Ô Ô Ô Ô Ô Ô Ô Ô Ô Ô Ô Ô Ô Ô Ô Ô Ô Ô Ô Ô Ô Ô

Waking up with your best friend in your arms the morning after you’ve become lovers is the best way to start your day.

Unfortunately, it was all downhill from there, dammit.

I wasn’t exactly sure what time it was; my subconscious may have picked up movement from outside the Stable.  Probably close to reveille, but I wasn’t going anywhere yet.  It was warm and cozy in our nest, and I wanted to hold onto both Tifa and this moment for as long as possible.

She was tucked against my chest, her head on my shoulder, her arm draped around my waist and her long legs twined with mine.  We’d fallen asleep in the identical position, and it appeared that neither of us had moved; I admired the intricate patterns made by her long hair as it scrolled across the bedding and off onto the hay.

Supremely content, I listened to her breathing while twirling dark strands around my fingers.  Last night had felt... so right, that thinking about it made a giddy little sensation bubble through my heart.  Instead of an end-of-the-world desperation move, it was more like the next logical step in our relationship – a relationship that was meant to last, not be shortened by disaster.

A small square of outside light was visible, high up by the ceiling on the other side of the Stable; probably courtesy of an air vent.  Judging by the pearly grey colour, it was almost dawn and someone would be along very soon to roust us out of our haven.  My bets were on Cid – armed with one of Cait’s megaphones.   

Nuzzling Tifa’s forehead, I watched her lashes flutter before she rubbed her cheek against my chest.  “Mmmph?”

“Good morning, love.”  I felt incredibly privileged to call her that.

Her drowsy smile was soft and intimate, and just for me.  “G’morning, Cloud.”

“I hate to say it, but dawn’s approaching....”

Stretching up, she kissed my cheek.  “Not yet... just a little bit longer...?”

“All right.”  

“We’ll never this moment again,” she sighed, settling back into place.  “I want to hold onto it... as long as possible....”

Since this dovetailed nicely with my own inclinations, I cuddled her close and we dozed for a little while – until Tifa began kissing my throat and her hands started wandering.  Turning onto my side, I pulled her snugly against me, my knee slipping between her thighs.  She giggled lightly when my morning wood nudged her belly, and then made me blush by reaching down to give it a gentle caress.  Then she kissed me, and things got very intense, very fast.

I was just trying to remember where the rest of the condoms had been stashed last night when the Stable door slid open.  Instead of a raucous chorus courtesy of our profane pilot, a polite cough announced that we had company. Making sure a fiery-red Tifa was completely covered up, I rolled onto my back to glare at the intruder.

“I deeply regret intruding on your privacy, but it is time.”

“Thanks; give us a few minutes to organize ourselves.”  Nanaki bobbed his head and withdrew, but Tifa seemed determined to avoid being winkled out of bed before she was good and ready.  The door had barely closed before she slid on top of me and fastened her mouth over mine in a deep, wet kiss that made my head spin.  

“We’ll continue this tonight,” she purred, and my libido surged, making it abundantly clear that it wasn’t interested in any delayed gratification.  However, she shook her head when I urgently rocked my hips against her.  “I don’t want to risk Marlene coming in.”

“Now that’s a boner-killer.  I’d rather have Sephiroth after my ass than Barret because his little girl’s been traumatized.”

Tifa chuckled as she reluctantly moved away.  “She was raised in the Slums; I know she’s more aware than Barret would like.”

“He’s a protective father... I’ll be the same, some day.”  Her surprise turned into a brilliant smile, and I was kissed rather thoroughly.

“You’ll be worse,” she predicted, giggling.  “It’ll take an especially brave boy to ask out Cloud Strife’s daughter.”

“I hope she has your eyes,” I said quietly, bumping my nose against hers and enjoying her blush.

After another lingering kiss, we turned our attentions to dressing.  Tifa pulled her slacks out of the knapsack and put them on instead of her skirt.  I lightly pouted, but the garment was definitely more suited to the climate of the Northern Crater than her short skirt… and less distracting for me.  I caught her wincing when she sat down to pull on her socks.  “So… Aerith was right?” I asked, seating myself beside her.

Tifa blinked, then grinned wryly as she shifted onto one hip.  “Uh-huh – ‘tender in delicate places’ definitely sums things up!”  

She was helping buckle my gauntlet when the pink ribbon still tied around her wrist caught my eye.  Impulsively, I caught hold of her hand and unpicked the knot; Tifa opened her mouth, but then shut it again when I slid the loop of pink silk up her arm and knotted it above her bicep.  “I have Zack’s sword, you have Aerith’s ribbon – a piece of each of them will be with us today.”  

Tifa touched the ribbon, then moved into my embrace.  “We’re not alone,” she sniffled, hugging hard.

I held her just as tight, then tilted up her face for a kiss.  “Definitely not alone,” I murmured against her lips.

Several long, sweet minutes later, we finally let go of each other long enough to put on our boots.  Before sliding them onto her feet, Tifa pulled out her socks and the tattered blue ribbon, then rummaged in her pack.  Making a face, she quickly gave up.  “Forgot my brush, darn it.”

“No problem.”  Moving behind her, I ran my fingers through her tangled locks, feeling extremely smug about the reason why her hair was messed up as I smoothed the thick strands.  “Better?”

Using the ribbon to secure the length, Tifa gave her distinctive ‘tail’ an experimental swish.  “Yes.”

Taking our bed apart, we folded the sheets and blankets, the colourful quilt on top.  “Does this belong to Elmyra?”

Tifa blushed and nodded.  “She made it years ago, for her wedding.”

“Wow... it was awfully sweet of her to loan it to us,” I said, admiring the intricate stitching; my mom would have been impressed.

Shuffling her feet, Tifa said, “Since neither of us have families to pass things like this down to us, Elmyra decided to adopt us.”

Smiling, I leaned in to kiss her cheek. “Good.  Our kids are gonna need a grandma to spoil them, right?  Would that make Barret their ‘grandpa’?”

“He’s the ‘favourite uncle’, remember?” she said, then sighed.  “I wish there was time for a shower.”

I grunted a non-committal noise.  For one, there was no damn way I was going to subject myself to that claustrophobic shower stall ever again, if I could help it, and for another – I rather liked the way I smelled, since Tifa’s scent was all over me.  “Considering what we’re getting into today, a shower would be a waste of time.”

“True – but there better be time for one before the victory party!”



Outside the Stable, we found Nanaki waiting for us.  “Breakfast is served,” he gravely declared, then directed us into the Operations Room where Elmyra was already presiding over a steaming kettle of oatmeal large enough to feed a battalion and even better, a large carafe of a hot beverage that Cid had nothing to do with.  

“Good morning!” she carolled, directing us to stash our gear in a corner while she filled bowls and poured coffee for us.  We joined Barret and Shera at the other end of the table; Cid and Nanaki arrived soon after, plus about half of the crew.

“Where’s Marlene?” Tifa asked.

“Still sleepin’.  No point in her bein’ up an’ about ‘til we reach th’ Crater,” Barret replied, emptying his bowl with enviable appetite.

“We need to assess our equipment,” I said, stirring an extra spoonful of sugar into my oatmeal.  “After breakfast, bring everything you have here to the Operations Room and we’ll sort it.”

“An’ then I’ll show ya the Highwind’s new trick!” Cid gloated.  I could tell he was dying to tease us, but whenever he opened his mouth, Shera promptly dug him in the ribs with her elbow.  After the third or fourth time this happened, he protested, “Aw, c’mon, woman!  Why can’t we have a little fun with ‘em?”

Daintily sipping from her mug, she paused for a moment before saying, “Because I, for one, don’t want to have to worry about anyone seeking revenge for what they might have put with now, when we want to enjoy our wedding night.”  It was highly gratifying to watch Cid first go white, then turn an interesting shade of red as all the potential ramifications sank in.  Then Tifa, of all people, delivered the final blow.

“It would be really, really awful if Bahamut was ‘accidentally’ Summoned during an occasion like that… wouldn’t you agree, Cid?” she asked, the very picture of innocence.  I squeezed her hand under the table, smirked at the discomfited pilot and ate my oatmeal with the air of a man who wouldn’t dream of doing such a nefarious thing.

Barret let out a hearty guffaw.  “Yer hoist on yer own lance, Cid.  Leave ‘em be.”

The plain cereal was good for my stomach, in terms of giving it something to do instead of tie itself in knots.  The coffee was delicious, but I limited myself to one cup because the adrenaline was already starting to course through my system and I really didn’t need to be twitching.  At my side, Tifa was a steadying presence, her fingers twined with mine as she finished off her breakfast.  Nanaki sprawled on the deck beside my chair, his muzzle buried in a punch-bowl-sized serving; his gently waving tail-flare betrayed his enjoyment.

“Daddy?” Marlene stood in the doorway, blinking owlishly, hand-in-paw with Cait Sith.

Barret immediately pushed back his chair.  “C’mere, princess.”  She stumbled into his arms, where she cuddled into the crook of his gun-arm and finished waking up.  Cait was scooped onto Shera’s lap, where he pretended to be a real cat and curled up as best he could with those ridiculous boots in the way.

Elmyra offered more coffee, but I shook my head.  “Thanks for the meal.  It’s much appreciated.”

“Should I pack lunches for you?”

“We’ll be back before noon,” I replied, trying to sound confident; Elmyra smiled and squeezed my shoulder before refilling Cid’s mug.

“If my heart wasn’t already taken, Miz Elmyra, I’d be composin’ odes to your cookin’!” the pilot proclaimed.

She rolled her eyes.  “Pish-tosh.  How do you keep this silver-tongued rascal in line, Miss Shera?”

“By threatening to hide the tea canister.”

“No wonder our packs have felt heavy lately,” Tifa commented, surveying the tumbled piles of materia, armour and assorted gear covering the table’s surface, along with the array of weapons stacked around the walls.  “Lucky we have the Highwind to haul it for us.”

“Can’t ‘member how we got half this shi-, er, stuff,” Barret agreed, casting a nervous glance in Marlene’s direction; the little girl was busy sorting the materia by colour.  Nanaki patiently identified each of them for her while Cait made sure the glowing balls didn’t roll off the tabletop.

It was my job to ask the difficult questions.  “Cid – you in?”

Glaring, he shifted the toothpick he’d taken to chewing in lieu of a cigarette to the other side of his mouth. “Ya think I’m gonna miss this?”  I shot a significant glance at Shera, who was helping Marlene count the materia.  He followed my look and smiled fondly.  “Got me an even better reason to stick it to Sephiroth.”

“Cait?”

“Cait̵ 7;s also staying on board,” Reeve replied.  “He’ll keep an open comm link between you and the ship, using your PHS.”

“Plus I really wanted him to stay, since Daddy has to go fight,” Marlene whispered, and the cat immediately wrapped both his paws around her hand.  Shera put her arm around Marlene’s shoulders while Nanaki nudged his head into her lap and began that purr-like rumble, and her smile almost instantly returned.

I tried to casually slip the Ziedrich onto Tifa’s arm while she was rummaging through the selection of armour for something that Barret would find useful, but she shook her head.  “You’ll make better use of it,” she murmured, clipping the piece of armour around my wrist, then held up the Minerva Armlet.  “I’m the only one who can wear this, and I’ll fill it with Aerith’s materia... except this one.”  Isolating a familiar, troublesome Transform materia, she tossed it to Barret.

He wrinkled his nose.  “If’n I turned Sephiroth into a gal with this, ‘e wouldn’t look much diff’rent than ‘e does now!”

While Cid cackled, Tifa briskly replied, “Aerith reset it while I was in the Lifestream with Cloud.”

“Wouldn’t mind seein’ Sephiroth as a hoppin’ toad,” the gunman snickered.  “Better give it to someone wi’ more magic than me... yo, Cid – here, make yer Wizard Bracelet all purty.”

“Cloud, would you stop it?” Tifa sighed, removing one of the materia I’d snuck into her array while Barret and Cid genially heckled each other for Shera and Marlene’s benefit.  “You’re obviously not thinking straight, if you’re trying to give me the Added Cut!”

“No chance that I could convince you to wait here?”

“Would you stay behind if our roles were reversed?” she replied, snapping the All materia into an open slot.

“Oi, boss – almost forgot t’give you somethin’.”  Cid disappeared, returning several minutes later with two crewmen lugging what appeared to be a sword made from crystal.  “Souvenir from our fight with the Weapon that popped outta Mideel harbour.”  

The sweating crewmen carefully propped the weapon upright; before I grasped the hilt, I inspected the deeply faceted cutting edges and almost wing-like guard.  The power emanating from the sword made the hair on the back of my neck prickle, and I knew before touching it that I had acquired another level of attack.

“Well, ain’t that fancy,” Barret snorted, when the gleaming blade turned from blue-purple to almost blinding blue-white when I hefted it.  “Don’ need no flashlights where we’re goin’.”

“Pretty!” Marlene enthused, coming over to have a better look.

“Careful, squirt – it’s sharp.”  She instantly clasped her hands behind her back, but continued admiring herself in the highly reflective surface while I loaded materia into the linked slots.

“What about the Buster?” Tifa quietly asked, her fingers brushing over the pink ribbon tied around her arm.

“It’s coming, too.  Works as a defensive weapon – prevented Hojo from strangling me yesterday.”  Choosing two more materia to plug into the Buster, I slapped it on my back and immediately calmed due to its familiar presence.  None of the other swords I’d used during our quest had the same effect, as if Zack literally ‘had my back’ – even when I didn’t remember him.

“Any inspirational words, Cloud-san?”

I took a deep breath and looked at each of my friends in turn.  “There is no second chance; this will be the Final Battle.  The end of the line is the Northern Crater, and our target – Sephiroth!”

“That ‘bout sums things up,” Cid laconically agreed, giving his weapon a final, loving polish.  “Get ready for launch.”

“Launch?”

Cid tapped the side of his nose.  “The Highwind has a coupla tricks up her fuselage; all I’m gonna say is that you might wanna find something to hold onta.”

“I can’t decide if Cid’s a genius... or just plain crazy!” I shouted into Tifa’s ear, holding tightly onto the deck railing while Tifa held onto me.  Overhead, massive jet engines roared, catapulting us through the atmosphere at an almost terrifying rate.  The Highwind had always been fast, but this was almost unbelievable.  

As the rising sun tipped the distant mountain tops a deeper shade of pink, Cid had flipped a pair of levers and the airship started shedding pieces of her superstructure while previously-hidden turbines emerged from the airframe.  We barely had time to grab onto various supports when the Highwind practically leapt forward, like a hunting dog released from its leash.

Within moments, we’d left the coast of the Northern Continent behind and were over the snow-capped mountains, traversing the distance with incredible speed.  We’d hit a minor barrier shortly thereafter, but with the rest of the crew’s support – literally - Cid had taken a death-grip on the wheel and guided the ship through the turbulence. Tifa and I had gone topside immediately afterwards despite the danger, wanting a few more minutes together. The fresh air also helped stave off motion sickness – or maybe that was nervous tension?

The craggy ramparts of the Crater loomed and the main engines shut down as we glided toward our target.  “I wonder if Mr. Holzoff managed to escape,” Tifa murmured, releasing her hold on me to lean over the railing and scan the terrain below.  “I never thought to ask Reeve.”

“Holzoff’s a tough old goat,” I answered, my attention consumed by how different the interior of the Crater looked from the last time I’d seen it.  “The Maze is gone!”  The immense basin was now empty, nothing more than a great gaping hole... and it was one helluva long way down.

“Is th’ bastard still here?” Barret demanded hoarsely as he arrived next to us at the railing; Marlene’s lip-prints were still visible on his cheek, and his eyes were suspiciously damp.

“Can’t tell.  My Sephi-radar appears to be permanently off-line.”

“Wouldn’t that be a pisser?” Cid muttered, adjusting his goggles as crewmen unrolled ropes and readied Nanaki’s bosun’s chair. “We come all this way to rumble ‘im, an’ he doesn’t have the fucking decency to be here.” Lighting a cigarette, he took a deep drag and blew a series of smoke rings.  “Ready, kids?”  

“Cloud!  Do your best!” Marlene called.  When I glanced over my shoulder, she gave me a double thumbs-up.  

Shera, Elmyra and the rest of the crew broke out into cheers as I saluted, then turned to the rest of the team.  “Move out.”

“Geronimoooo!”

Barret rolled his eyes and followed the whooping pilot after a final wave to Marlene.  While Nanaki loaded himself into the sling, I swung over the railing; before I could descend, Tifa caught hold of my harness and kissed me.  “For luck,” she whispered, briefly pressing her forehead against mine.

“Leave it to me,” I jauntily replied, returning the kiss.

As it turned out, it really was up to me.

“Pass me an Elixir, boss – ya want another one, Nanaki?”

“I am recovered, Cid-san.”

“Damn Gargoyles,” the pilot groused, gulping the restorative liquid and lighting another cigarette while inspecting our rest stop, a cave featuring a clear crystalline wall behind which the Lifestream surged and bubbled.

“Rather them than another fucking Dragon or a Behemoth,” Barret declared between mouthfuls of sandwich.  

Despite my assurances that we’d be back before lunchtime, Elmyra had insisted on packing snacks, and I was rather glad she did.  We’d been working our way down the inside wall of the crater, fighting pitched battles with various monsters along the way, for almost two hours when I called a halt, mainly to give our protesting muscles a rest.  Tifa passed me a canteen of tea and I took a long swig before stuffing my last bite into my mouth.  Dusting the crumbs off my sweater, I drank more of the tea before handing it back.  “Ready?”

Barret wiped his mouth on the back of his hand.  “How much farther d’ya reckon, Spiky?”

“No clue.  Since the entire insides of the Crater have collapsed, your guess is as good as mine.”

“We are beneath ground level,” Nanaki declared, padding back into the cave.  “The floor of the original cavern is not far below.”

“How d’ya know?” Cid asked.

“It appears to be covered by the remains of the Whirlwind Maze.”

“Any sign of more Weapons?” I wanted to know, adjusting the straps holding my shiny new sword.  Both it and the Buster together weighed almost as much as me, but I was glad to have them.

“None,” Nanaki replied, accepting a sandwich from Barret.

“Huh.  Woulda thought ol’Sephy mighta kept one of ‘em around,” Cid said.  “Doesn’t it seem kinda odd that he’s left his front door undefended?”

Tifa shouldered her pack.  “I suspect that he’s supremely confident that he can defeat any threat.”

“Arrogant fuckin’ asshole.”  

A few minutes later, we were carefully edging down the spiral grooves cut into the outer surface of a gigantic stalactite-like rock formation.  Eerie blue, green and yellow lights blinked on and off far below, dimly illuminating the jumbled landscape.  

“Looks like Sector Six after the Plate was dropped,” I commented quietly to Barret, who grimaced in agreement.  The tip of the stalactite ended several feet above the cavern floor, threatening a nasty tumble if you missed your landing on the uneven surface.

“What wonders and delights await us?” Cid muttered, hanging onto a precarious handhold in order to stretch down and jam the tip of his lance into a convenient boulder.  Testing it, he agilely slid down the shaft to the rocks below.  We followed one by one, until we were standing on the most stable-looking surface.

“Which way, Cloud-san?”

“Down,” I answered.  “He’s deep within the Planet – any closer to the surface, and ShinRa could’ve bombed him.”

“Wonder if they tried?” Barret said.  

“If they did, it just made a bigger mess for us to contend with.”  I gestured at the surrounding rock piles.

Tifa looked up at the distantly-hovering Highwind, which appeared no bigger than a toy, then down, and finally pointed at what possibly was a shadowed opening a few hundred feet away.  “It’s almost the exact centre of the Crater; perhaps that’s where the mako fountain originated?”

“Sephiroth was smack-dab underneath the fountain,” Cid agreed.

“We’d better hustle – time’s running out.”

“Sephiroth’s a fucking coward,” Barret declared an hour later, after a series of short, sharp encounters that left us all bruised and winded.  “He’s usin’ these fucking monsters to fucking grind us down before he hasta face us.”

“What were you saying about an ‘undefended front door’, Cid?” I wryly teased.

“I take it back,” the pilot grunted.

“We have reached the Lifestream,” Nanaki declared shortly after we skidded down yet another passageway and into a tall, narrow, echoing chamber.  The stone walls glimmered green from the pool of mako at the bottom; it was almost pretty - in a forbidding sort of way.

“It’s a dead end,” Barret growled.

“No it isn’t,” Tifa replied.  Biting her lip as she stared at the pool, she finally squared her shoulders and faced us.  “We have to enter the Lifestream itself.”

While the rest of us simply gaped, Nanaki was the first to respond.  “Tifa-san is more than likely correct.  However, to enter the Lifestream is to risk losing our minds in the midst of the collective anguish.”

“Not if we have Aerith’s help.  When Cloud and I went into the Lifestream at Mideel, I think... no, I’m sure of it... that she protected my mind from mako poisoning.”

“We can breathe the Lifestream – Cloud-san and Tifa-san’s survival are the proof of that,” Nanaki said hesitantly, eyeing the pool.  “If you are certain that Aerith-sama will protect us....”

“A PHS connection to the netherworld would be handy right now,” I muttered, not at all sure I was ready for another swim in the supernatural liquid.  However, the choice was taken out of my hands when the chamber shook violently, nearly knocking us off our feet.  Below, the pool of mako began bubbling.

“We have to go,” Tifa said urgently.

“There’s no turnin’ back,” Cid declared.  “We can all add ‘submariner’ to our resumes after this.”

I clasped Tifa’s hand and pulled her close.  We shared a quick embrace, drawing strength from each other.  Kissing her forehead, I waited until she met my gaze before saying, “All right, everyone... let’s mosey.”

“That wasn’t too bad,” Cid opined, steadying himself after a successful jump.  “Not sure ‘bout the ‘lungs fulla mako’ part, but it seems t’be working.  Oi - watch that edge, Barret.”

I watched Nanaki carefully inspect the surface of the next floating boulder; he’d elected himself point guard, insisting that I conserve my energy on the assumption that the next battles would be particularly nasty since we were now within Sephiroth’s grasp.  Tifa had only smiled tightly and pointed out that we were also in Aerith and Zack’s realm, which turned out to be comforting since so far none of us had fallen victim to the insanity that swirled around us.  The haunting screams and shrieks were disconcerting, but within a few minutes, they’d receded to the edges of our awareness; we were too keyed up expecting an attack.

My biggest concern was that we were letting Sephiroth choose the battlefield, which could only go badly for us.  

And just like that, a huge mech with a sword that made both of mine look like toothpicks separated itself from the rocky platform at the bottom of the floating staircase as soon as we all set foot on it. Nanaki led the charge with a fire attack, but then we all had to duck out of the way of the giant sword, which had a disconcertingly long reach.  “It is resistant to fire,” Nanaki reported; I put away my Ifrit materia.

“Metal comes from the earth, so those type of attacks are out....”

“Lightning, Ice or Water,” I said, letting go with a Bolt that set the mech back on its heels, but didn’t otherwise discourage it from trying to swat us with that sword; at least it was as slow as it was huge.  Tifa took advantage of one of its ponderous swings to race in close and begin pummelling its knee joint; Cid skipped under the sword and joined in, hacking away at the other knee with his lance while Nanaki leapt onto its back and clawed his way upwards towards the giant’s head.

“Get that fancy sword o’ yers ready, Spiky,” Barret yelled, letting go with all barrels at the mech’s chest.  The gunman ran sideways across the rocky platform, firing steadily all the time, drawing the mech’s attention with him... and leaving me a clear line of attack.

Releasing the crystal sword from its straps, I crouched, then threw myself at the mech’s sword arm.  One strike was all it took – the razor-sharp cutting edge of the blade went through the metal joint so easily that I did a complete three-sixty from the force of my swing.  I managed to not land on my ass, but I staggered badly from the impact... fortunately out of the way of the mech’s severed hand and blade as they bounced off the ground.

“Tifa!”  

A giant hand snatched her up, but before the mech could close its fist, she had vaulted off its palm, turned a mid-air somersault and kicked the hand away so hard that the mech punched itself in the face.  Unfortunately, her attack dislodged Nanaki from his precarious perch gnawing on the back of the robot’s neck and sent him tumbling.  She had no sooner hit the ground than she was dodging between the mech’s legs to reach him, casting Cure on the fly.  Cid hopped around behind the mech when it tried to grab him, continuing to whittle chunks out of its armour, while Barret kept up a steady barrage aimed at its head and chest.  Finally, it seemed to realize that it could still use its sword, and reached for the weapon with its remaining hand.  

“Don’t jus’ stand there, boss – do somethin’!” the pilot yelled.  “Either fucking chop it up with yer shiny new toy, or kick its tin-can ass with a Summon!”

Whirling my sword overhead, I took advantage of the mech’s crouch to jump onto its arm and charge upwards.  Wary of using too much force, I planted my feet on its shoulder and sliced off its head.  As the collection of wire, glass and metal crashed to the ground, I rammed the crystal blade between its shoulder blades and ran down the mech’s back.  As I landed, it fell apart in two pieces, with a great sparking and crackling.

Cid wiped his brow and leaned on his lance.  “Think this was a Weapon?” he asked, kicking the closest chunk of metal.

“Too fucking small,” Barret answered shortly, reloading his gun-arm from the bandoliers draped around his huge frame. “If it was, it musta been th’ runt o’ the fucking litter.”

Tifa and Nanaki joined us, both looking a little the worse for wear.  “Next monster shows up, you two take a breather,” I ordered.  “Cid and Barret will cover me.”

“When do you take a breather?” Tifa wanted to know.

“When Sephiroth’s dead.”

The ground fractured beneath our feet, turning into a patchwork of broken cubes.  “Here we go again,” I muttered.  

“Dammit, not even time for a fucking smoke,” Cid grumbled, tucking the unlit cigarette into the strap securing his goggles and hefted his lance.  “Let’s see how fast we can kill this next fucker, boss.  I’m parched for a mouthful o’ tea.”

Blinding light flared briefly all around us; among the chorus of profanity, Nanaki threw back his head and sniffed deeply.  “Jenova!”

“Shit,” I growled, raising the crystal sword.  “Not another piece.”

“It’s gonna be the last one,” Barret promised, snapping shut the barrel of his gun-arm.

“There!” Tifa pointed into the swirling green, dropping into a stance.

Barret made a face as he squinted at the oncoming creature.  “Ain’t as ugly as th’ others, but still wouldn’t win no beauty contest.”

That was an understatement.  The piece of Jenova confronting us had the naked torso of a woman mounted on what appeared to be a giant grey pinecone.  Where her head should’ve been there was a large purple crystal-like structure – but what really drew our attention were the two worm-like, flailing appendages that might have been arms.

“It appears almost insect-like,” Nanaki observed.  

“Hopefully it’ll be easy to squish,” I replied, noting the creature’s sluggish movements.  “Don’t give it time to attack – hit it with every Summon we have!”  Ifrit’s flames wrapped around Jenova and scorched her black before Shiva left a thick coating of ice, but those tentacle-like arms still wriggled obscenely.  

I was readying Bahamut when Tifa shouted, “Alexander!”  The huge armoured Summon crushed Jenova to the ground; shoving the materia back into my pocket, I ran in while our opponent was flattened and carved it up into pieces.

“Phoenix-sama!”

I dove out of the way of the fiery bird and felt its healing energy washing over me even as its attack burned Jenova to ashes.  The ground was still smoking when I stomped towards my insubordinate teammates.  “You two were supposed to stay out of this battle!” I fumed.

“There wasn’t time to hand off Alexander to either Cid or Barret,” Tifa pointed out.

Nanaki peered up at me with his one eye.  “Likewise with Phoenix-sama.”

“Fine.  Back row, both of you, until the.... whoooooooa!”

We lost our footing as mako surged up between and around the cubes; then individual cubes rose into the air, becoming columns.  Assuming that the columns might be used as weapons against us, I tried to keep one eye on them and another on the unstable ground, but that went about as well as you may expect.  I was straddling two cubes when one dropped out from under my foot and I went over, but Barret grabbed my arm and swung me to safety.

Then Tifa screamed.

Nanaki’s startled roar loud in my ears, I let out a yell of my own as the girl I loved was swallowed by a wall of thick green mist.  Heedless of anything else, I threw myself across the heaving landscape, deaf to Cid’s and Barret’s warning shouts, and charged into the billowing mass.  I had enough sense to drop my sword from an attack position, in case the edge of the blade found Tifa before I did.

The mist clogged my nose and mouth, which was impossible since we were immersed in the Lifestream, but that’s what it felt like.  I tried swimming through the murk, since it didn’t seem like there were any solid surfaces, but a brilliant white glare first blinded me, then left blue-rimmed pulsating spots in my field of vision that gradually blended into one large, white-swirled light source casting a gentle glow.

It looked like Holy.

The mist abruptly cleared, and we landed, hard, on the edge of a hollowed-out blood-red rock that blocked much of the soft light.  I scrambled to grab onto a dazed-looking Tifa, but before I could reach her, we were dragged apart and suspended in the Lifestream by a powerful force.  From that vantage point, I realized what the jagged red boulder represented – Meteor, and behind it, that definitely had to be Holy.  Therefore, I wasn’t as surprised as everyone else when Sephiroth suddenly appeared in the centre of the circular red stone, not-so-subtly advertising that his will was blocking Aerith’s prayer.

“Is that him?  The real Sephiroth?” Cid demanded.

“Can’t tell – Nanaki?  Can you smell him?”

“It has no scent... but it is emanating considerable power!”

“It’s a manifestation of Sephiroth’s will - that’s Holy behind it,” I declared, flinching as Tifa struggled valiantly against her unseen bonds.

“So let’s destroy the fucking thing and be done with it!” Barret snarled, but we weren’t in a position to act on that suggestion.  The Sephiroth image gestured, and we were first yanked towards it before being flung outwards, then viciously shaken until it felt like our joints were being torn apart. “H-he’s... way... outta... our l-league!” the gunman faltered.

“W-we’ve come... too far... to give up... now!” Tifa managed to get out past her chattering teeth.

The pain level was indescribable, but I was more worried about the rest of my team.  The mako and Jenova cells in my body made me nearly indestructible on a physical level, but they didn’t have that advantage.  Focussing on the glow from behind the false Sephiroth, I stammered, “H-Holy is shining... Aerith’s prayer... is waiting... for us... to make it... happen!”

Just as quickly as the torture began, it stopped, but everything in our field of vision was still wavering before it went black.

When the lights went on again, as it were, I wished we were still in the dark, because the monster that faced us was truly one for the record books.  It looked like something Hojo might have stitched together out of a random pile of corpses that included a large bird of prey, a giant humanoid, and an insect or two.  Sephiroth’s face appeared atop the huge torso, crowned by what looked like a crested helmet featuring a pair of horns.   Below the torso was a glowing orb; attached to the rear of that was a sac-like structure.  It made me think of an egg-case and I wondered what would slither out if we sliced it open.

As soon as my boots touched a fairly level surface – although it was indistinguishable from the surrounding Lifestream, I was willing to bet that Aerith or Zack had made it possible – I cast barrier magic to protect my team.  

“Tifa!  Can ya give us all a shot of Restore?  My fucking hands are shaking too damn hard to hold my fucking lance!” Cid bellowed.  

As soon as the healing energy passed over us, I wheeled around and placed myself in front of her. “I’m counting on you to keep us all healthy.”

Tifa didn’t protest at being relegated to the back row; instead, she briefly gripped my arm and whispered, “Remember – you have us plus Zack and Aerith, and therefore the Lifestream, on your side.  You can do it!”

Nodding to indicate I’d heard when I’d rather have kissed her, I turned to the rest.  “Alternate physical attacks with Summons to take this thing down as quickly as possible.”

“It carries the scent of Sephiroth,” Nanaki said, his hackles ruffling.  “But not as much as I would expect if it were truly he.”  

“So it ain’t all of ‘im,” Barret sneered.  “You gotta save yerself, Spiky, fer when th’ bastard decides to show up.  Yo, Cid, Nanaki – let’s do this!”

“Target the wings first, then the head!  Here we go!” Cid hollered, his teeth bared in a feral grin as he charged at the monster.  While Barret laid down covering fire, he launched himself upwards, whirling his lance before slicing through the left wing, which vaporized.  Landing on the creature’s shoulder, Cid slashed at the head before grabbing hold of something that certainly looked like an insect’s antennae but was probably supposed to be Sephiroth’s hair, and swung across the massive chest to attack the other wing.  It also disappeared with disturbing ease as he took another swipe at the head and succeeded in severing it before jumping clear.  Barret cut loose with his most powerful magic-draining attack and then nailed the monster with multiple blows that destroyed the head and caused the glowing orb to briefly dim.

Then Nanaki unleashed a massive plasma-cannon-like attack that had all of us ducking, before Cid gleefully yelled, “Not bad – my turn!  Eat this, asshole! Highwind!”  Multiple bombs exploded, filling the area with smoke; when it cleared, the monster was looking positively scorched... until the orb glowed brighter.  The head regenerated, and we were hit with something that drained us of our energy – the blade of the crystal sword went from white to a disturbing shade of purple.

I cast another barrier, and then Tifa used the Restore materia; the sword turned white again and I realized it broadcast my health at any given time, which could be a problem if anyone else noticed.  More importantly, the battle was taking too long, and we were on a deadline.  

“Fall back! Bahamut!”  The dragon Summon messily removed the monster’s head and pounded the main body into pulp before it dissipated.  Only the glowing orb and egg-sac remained.

“Dammit, Spiky!”  All barrels blazing, Barret drilled the orb with bullets, then Cid walloped it with a Summon I hadn’t seen before.

As the tsunami subsided, the armoured sea creature disappeared and the bizarre version of Sephiroth finally vanished, I dodged Barret’s ire by asking Cid, “What was that?”

“One o’ Yuffie’s materia – Leviathan.  Did a good job, hey?”

“Should’ve tried it on that Iron Man – he would’ve rusted solid.”

“I was savin’ it for a special occasion.”  

“Do you have any other ‘special occasion’ Summons that we should know about?”

“As a matter o’ fact, I do.”  Plucking a glowing red orb out of his Wizard Bracelet, Cid tossed it to me.  “The kid found it in the Whirlwind Maze the first time we were here, but I suspect you could make best use of it.”

“Neo Bahamut?  That’ll definitely come in handy!”  Puzzled, I turned to Tifa.  “I thought Yuffie gave all her materia to you...?”

“Just the ones belonging to Aerith.  Her personal ones must have been included in the pile on board the Highwind this morning.”  She paused, thinking, then added, “The Kjata was there, too.”

Adding the materia to my array with a silent thanks to our absent ninja, I teasingly commented, “It seems a few things have slipped your memory, Cid – first, this sword, and now the materia.  You losin’ your mind?”

He smirked toothily.  “That’s your department, boss.”

“Does the Lifestream appear... brighter to you?” Tifa asked.

We all inspected the pervasive green liquid.  “I believe it does,” Nanaki cautiously agreed.

“Then we’re weakening Sephiroth’s will!” she declared.  

“We still haven’t killed him,” I muttered.

“Incoming!”

“Aw, shit,” Cid grumbled, shading his eyes.  “What I wouldn’t do for a fucking cuppa tea.”

Barret squinted at the oncoming creature.  “What the fucking hell...?  How many fucking wings does this asshole have?”

“He is no angel,” Nanaki rumbled, prowling across the front of our piece of ‘firm ground’.

Tifa murmured, “He gave himself wings instead of legs.”

“What do you mean?”

“The last time we saw Sephiroth, in the Northern Crater, he had only regenerated himself to the waist.”  She gestured at her own slim body.  “I guess he thinks wings are more god-like.”

“Tentacles would be more fucking appropriate,” Barret tersely commented, the barrels of his gun-arm spinning.  “He even brought his own fucking halo!”

“It smells more strongly of Sephiroth,” Nanaki said, “but it is still not entirely him.”

The otherworldly creature hovered just above us, its multiple white wings moving gracefully, sending currents of the Lifestream flowing over us.  It was definitely the most god-like of Sephiroth’s forms; I noted that its right arm was also a wing, this one purplish-black and wondered if it had any significance.  His torso was bare, but what really caught my attention was the way his hair moved as if it was a single, broad, pure white strand – and it was undulating like a snake.

A poisonous snake that intended to strike us down.

As Tifa cast a barrier, I quietly ordered, “Barret... Cid... Nanaki – get ready.”

“You can count on us, boss.”  Throwing away his cigarette, Cid raised his lance.  “Let’s get ‘im before he can fuck with us.” On cue, a massive flare erupted out of Sephiroth and struck me full on, but the barrier mercifully held.  “Looks like the fucker has a gripe or two with you,” the pilot cheekily jibed.

“Goin’ in.”  Whirling the crystal sword, I raced in and unloaded a Blade Beam, then barely dodged a smack-down delivered by two of the wings.  Nanaki blasted a fireball and managed to singe an entire snow-white pinion.  When the wing drooped, Cid attempted to slice it off, but was sent tumbling by a well-timed swipe of the purple-black wing which contained a chaser of dark magic that did not bode well.  The pilot staggered, shook his head as if trying to clear it, then suddenly aimed his lance at us.

“Cid-san!”

“I’ve got this!  Cover me!”  Before I could grab her, Tifa bolted out from behind me and dove straight at the pilot.  A shout tore out of my throat when he slashed at her; the deadly edges of the Venus Gospel passed far too close to her for my heart-rate, but she ducked under the weapon and punched him fairly gently in the gut.  Following up with a hard smack to the side of the head, she and Nanaki caught hold of his arms and dragged him back to our lines.  Safe behind Barret, she healed the pilot and brought him back to consciousness.

“What the fucking fuck happened?”  

“Sephiroth used Confuse – it was really effective,” Tifa replied, helping him up.

Rubbing his head, Cid muttered a string of profanity that turned the Lifestream surrounding him a rather intense shade of blue.  Tifa returned to her position behind me, but probably aware of my ire, stayed just out of my reach.  

“Don’t do that again,” I growled, shooting her a fiery look.

She refused to be cowed.  “Doing my job,” she said, casting another barrier.

“Th’ bastard’s powerful,” Barret snarled.  “An’ he’s workin’ up to sumthin’ huge.”

Glancing around at my team, I decided desperate measures were required to end this sooner rather than later.  “Summon everything!”

Ifrit’s flames made hypnotizing patterns along those languidly waving wings, then Leviathan’s towering wave engulfed Sephiroth before Shiva sealed him inside an icy tomb.  Despite suffering massive damage, his winged arm smashed the glittering crystal into razor-edged shards and flung them back at us.  Barret fired a covering barrage that disintegrated most of the projectiles; Nanaki employed his Fire magic to melt the rest, showering us in fat water droplets, and Tifa quickly passed around Elixirs.

Sephiroth rose higher above us and cast a protective barrier on himself.  Immense energy began coalescing around him, but retreat wasn’t an option – and I knew that Tifa’s barriers weren’t strong enough to handle whatever he was about to throw at us.

Sweet Shiva, it was a monster... and I don’t mean the type with claws, fangs, and acidic drool.

The moment I regained consciousness due to Nanaki’s summoned-at-the-last-possible-moment Phoenix, I knew we wouldn’t survive another SuperNova.  That knowledge alone would’ve been enough to make me furious, but it was the frightened expression on Tifa’s face as she distributed Megalixirs that pushed me over the edge.  Sephiroth remained out of range of my sword... but not of our Summons.

“Neo Bahamut!”  

“Highwind!”

The combination of the dragon’s massive flare attack and Cid’s multiple warheads forced Sephiroth back down, and the rest of the team took full advantage of his change in altitude.

“Cosmo Memory!”  

“Satellite Beam!”

Nanaki and Barret’s paired beam attacks burned away two pairs of Sephiroth’s wings when he attempted to use them as shields, leaving him dangerously lop-sided and unable to rise upward.

“Hit him before he can regenerate anything!”

“My turn,” Tifa murmured, and then I understood why she was careful to keep her distance from me – so I could stop her from being so damn foolish.  That is, until I saw her incredible attack and realized she’d created the perfect opening.  I doubt that’s what she intended when she sprinted for the listing monster, but I took full advantage.  We were definitely going to have a chat about her recklessness afterwards.

“Final Heaven!”  

I was right behind Tifa when her pile-driver of a glowing punch knocked Sephiroth off-balance, but as he spun away, that damned darkened wing snapped outward, and I felt my energy draining away.  Furious that I was so close and might yet be denied, I let out a roar and swung the sword up over my head, then brought it down in a powerful two-handed blow that carved right through the monster from shoulder to hip.  As I landed, Tifa grabbed hold of my harness strap and hustled me backwards, casting Restore as we went.  Twisting free of her grip, I took a stance and raised my sword.

“Final Touch!”

The tornado struck what remained of Sephiroth and tore away everything until he was reduced to a blood-smeared head.  The halo flipped forward, encircling the monster’s skull like a crown, as feathery remnants of his wings fluttered around us like snow.  A blistering white light blinded us, and when we could see again, we were... back in the chamber with the mako pool?

“W-we did it?” I asked.

“Seems so,” Barret answered, but he didn’t sound convinced.

Nanaki sniffed all the way around the pool, as if trying to track something.  “I cannot detect if Holy is working or not.”

“Well, boss?” Cid demanded.  “The asshole’s dead, right?”

“I-I don’t know,” I said helplessly.  

“Aerith said he had to be removed....” Tifa bit her lip.  “Unless... those things we fought were only expressions of Sephiroth’s will!”

“Dummies, ya mean – he was distractin’ us?” Barret snarled.  “We were the dummies!”

“Come to think of it, he didn’t heckle us once,” I slowly said.  “None of his usual ‘you are mere insects to be crushed’ crap – oh, hell.” I couldn’t believe it – had Sephiroth screwed me over again?  A piercing pain lanced through my head, complete with mocking laugh. Tifa’s hands were on my shoulders, then her scent filled my nose and I could think around the agony.  I was on my knees, my face pressed against the crook of her neck, her fingers massaging the nape of my neck as she called my name.

“M’here,” I slurred.

She cupped my face in her hands.  “What happened?”

“Can feel ‘im – e’s still ‘ere....”

“Cloud!”

Feeling like I was moving underwater, I shuffled around to look in the direction of the voice, and clearly saw Zack rising out of the mako pool.  Great.  Now I was hallucinating; at least it was someone I actually wanted to see.

My long-dead friend held out his hand, urgency creasing his handsome face as he stood on the water’s surface.  “Come on, buddy – we gotta move!”

“Zack...?  What’s going on?” Tifa asked nervously.

She could see him, too?  Then I wasn’t completely out of my mind – not yet, anyways.  

He spared her a tense smile that still managed to showcase his dimples.  “Cloud has one more battle with Sephiroth.  I promise I’ll bring him back, but we gotta go, or it’ll be too late!”

Forcing myself upright, I pulled Tifa with me.  Kissing her as tenderly as I could under the circumstances, I tried to not crush her with a final hug.  Pressing the PHS into her hand, I quietly ordered, “Take the others and start for the surface.”

“Not without you!” she fiercely protested.

“Please, Tifa – I can do this if I know there’s a chance you’ll survive.”

“But...!”

Kissing her again, I pried Tifa’s fingers loose from my belt and squeezed them, then turned towards Zack.

“Tifa?  Who’re ya talkin’ to... Spiky?  What the hell ya doin’, fool?”

I trusted Tifa to explain; a huge lump rose in my throat.  Saluting my team for the last time, I managed to croak out, “It’s been a pleasure serving with all of you.”  Leaping into the pool, the last thing I heard before the Lifestream closed over my head was Tifa’s frantic cry.