Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ Shattered Dreams ❯ Goodnight, not Goodbye ( Chapter 63 )

Chapter 63: Goodnight, not Goodbye

Cloud sat in the empty conference, perfectly content with the silence for the moment. The sick feeling of dread wouldn’t leave his belly, no matter how much he tried to assure himself of the safety of the others. His mind shifted from one worry to the other. Reeve and his team in Icicle. Sephiroth’s crew and the Lost Grounds. His own measly collection of fighters trying to evacuate a dying city.

Currently, Sion was leading the exodus, though honestly, there wasn’t much left of Midgar to save. Rude was monitoring the transmissions just down the hall from the women, who were taking care of the children upstairs, excluding Shera. She was still feeling unwell and was resting in another one of the rooms. Barret was keeping watch on the roof, too restless to do any sitting around.

And Cloud was merely brooding. His dream kept replaying in his mind, the swirling darkness, the blind tentacles, and the mocking laughter. Like some cruel prelude to what he should have expected but didn’t. Balaam had a plan that they weren’t aware of, and he feared that they were being led about like lambs to the slaughter, fighting a battle but completely unprepared for the massacre to come.

Any moment now, he half expected to hear terrible news. The Highwind had gone down in a sea of flames. Icicle lost to the invading demons or whatever the hell was out there. The survivors of Cosmo Canyon attacked once more.

(An army led by Balaam heading towards Midgar), added in Iblion helpfully.

Cloud scowled, putting his head in his hands and leaning on the table as he tried to quell the rising headache. “That’s not funny,” he muttered under his breath.

The demi-deity was silent for a moment, a quiet that immediately unnerved the blond.

“Iblion?”

(It’s no joke, Spike. I couldn’t sense him until now, but I expect any moment Barret’s going to come storming down here talking about black shapes on the horizon. I don’t know what his plan is, but a good portion of his army is heading here.) Iblion sighed in his mind. (He has at least eleven other deities with him, though thankfully, none of the lesser monsters.)

Cloud jerked to his feet, his heart pounding wildly in the chest. “What?” he demanded, fingers curling against the table as he struggled to regain his control. “How long?”

The anima made a thoughtful sound. “It may already be too late.”

“Fuck!”

The blond swordsman cursed as he leapt over the table, heading straight for the door before his feet even touched the ground. He had to get them out of Midgar. There was no way he could take them on by himself. Barret and Rude were the only others capable of fighting since Aeris was too weary to support Hephaestion. The three of them were not enough to take on twelve demi-deities. It simply wasn’t possible.

He skidded into the hallway, boots nearly losing friction at the speed he was going, and he barreled down the entry, bursting through the door to the stairs and taking them three at a time as he climbed to the next level. Seconds later he was shoving through the door to the transmissions room, Rude looking up at his entrance.

“We have to get everyone out of here! And fast!” Cloud ordered, quickly scanning the room for any others. There were none. Rude shot to his feet. “What?”

The blond shook his head. “Sephiroth was right. Balaam is on his way here! We have no time to waste.”

The former Turk sucked in a sharp breath. “God,” he muttered, immediately moving towards Cloud and away from the computer, completely abandoning his work. “Icicle must have been a ruse.”

Cloud stopped cold then, Rude’s words ringing inside of him with the chime of truth. He had sent them to the slaughter, Reeve and the others; he was sure of it. It didn’t matter that they had volunteered. He could have stopped them. He should have stopped them. And now, he shuddered to think what would happen to them. Their forces were stretched thin, too thin for any of them to survive entirely unscathed. He breathed a brief prayer to Kami-sama, a god he didn’t believe in, that they would return safely. Still, he doubted there would be a Midgar left for them to return to.

“And what about Sion?” Rude questioned, his voice cutting through Cloud’s thoughts.

The look on the blond’s face was grim. “We can only hope that he has gotten out alive. He knew that the rendezvous for us was in Fort Condor if things got out of hand.”

Just then, the sound of heavy footsteps snapped his attention to the doorway where Barret was running down the corridor, boots slapping loudly on the tiled floor. He nearly skidded into the door, chest heaving as he caught sight of Cloud and Rude. His eyes were wide with both fear and concern, one hand already worrying at the clasp for his gun.

“Somethin’ headin’ this way, Cloud,” he gasped out. “And it’s fuckin’ huge. Gotta be that Balaam motherfucker ‘cause it’s a lot more than we can fight.” As if on cue, the building shuddered then, windows rattling, and the three were nearly sent to the floor. The low sound of an explosion sounded from outside.

Cloud’s heart dropped further into his belly. He scrubbed a hand over his face in frustration before quickly jumping into leader mode, recognizing the need for escape.

“Rude, get Shera and head for the helicopter pad. Barret, you and I will get the others.”

The bald man was out the door before Cloud even finished speaking, already hurrying down the hall; Shera was resting well out of earshot of the playing children so that she wouldn’t be wakened with Reis keeping watch over her just in case she needed something.

In the meantime, Cloud and Barret exchanged glances before they left the computer room in the opposite direction, nearly crashing against the wall when another violent shudder rocked the building. Balaam, it seemed, was aiming for destruction this time. No more games.

At the end of the hall, Barret and Cloud burst into the room where most of the others were located, startling the women and children. Aeris immediately looked up at their entrance.

“Hephaestion says it’s Balaam,” she said, her face pale as she urged Marlene awake. The girl had been curled up on the couch beneath a blanket, seemingly dead to the world.

Barret’s eyes scanned the room. “Where’s Elmyra?” he quickly asked, noticing that she was missing. Denzel was as well; something he noted after another sweep.

“She took Denzel to the bathroom,” Aeris answered, letting out a soft cry as the building shuddered again, her pregnant body making it difficult to keep her balance.

Cloud rushed to her side as Barret disappeared. The blond picked up Marlene, who seemed somewhat out of it.

“We can’t fight this,” he informed his wife, locking eyes with her. “We have no choice but to run.”

She sighed as she rubbed her belly. “I know. The helicopters are our only chance. Thank goodness Rude can pilot one.” She pursed her lips then, eyes darkening with concern as she took her husband’s hand and the two swiftly left from the small room. “I hope that the others are all right.”

“Me, too.”

Out in the hall, they joined up with Elmyra and Barret, who were hurrying Denzel along despite his protests. He was muttering something, but they weren’t paying him much attention, more concerned with getting the boy out safely. They could dimly hear the sound of explosions outside the building, and Aeris began to pray silently, concern for all of their lives high on her priority list.

Cloud handed Marlene to her father, trusting the more burly man to carry the little girl far better than he could. With age came greater weight, and Marlene wasn’t getting any lighter. She made soft sound of protest but just cuddled closer to Barret, seemingly oblivious to what was going around her. If it wasn’t for the urgency of the situation, he might have found time to think it cute.

“Don’t trust the elevator. Take the stairs,” he warned them as they headed for the emergency stairs, prepared to climb the five levels to the helicopter pad. He only hoped that Aeris would be able to handle the exertion. She was already pale and exhausted.

They ascended quickly, despite the shuddering and shaking around them and burst out onto the rooftop. Cloud was the first to exit, sword immediately drawn as he scanned for enemies. Above him, dark shapes flew about, and many released streams of magic into the buildings around him. Fire and explosions erupted, sending clouds of ash and debris into the air. However, the roof itself was relatively clear.

The others piled out behind him, and Cloud immediately grabbed Aeris’ hand as they quickly rounded the exit. They dashed to the other side where the helicopter pads were located…

Only to stop and stare in horror. Every single one had been destroyed. The helicopters were nothing more than burnt piles of twisted metal and seared plastic.

“No,” Aeris gasped, blood draining from her face.

“Wha’ the fuck!” demanded Barret. “They didn’t look like that when I left!”

The sound of the roof door opening and closing announced the arrival of Rude, Shera, and Reis behind them. Cloud heard the engineer’s swift intake of breath, and his hand clenched into a fist at his side, eyes narrowing in anger.

“They knew we would go up to the copters.”

“How are we going to get out of here?” Elmyra questioned, her voice coming out shaky. She was wringing her hands together, eyes locked on the shapes flitting around above as Marlene clung to her side.

Cackling echoed then, deep and filled with contempt. All eyes turned upwards to see two winged foes circling above, moving to land just opposite where they stood. Cloud’s eyes narrowed when he recognized them, one had to be Balaam; he would know that face anywhere. The other was Ifrit; he was certain of it.

The swordsman worked his way to the front of the group, putting himself between them and the others as he gripped his blade.

“Like rats on a sinking ship,” Balaam guffawed, wings spreading out behind him as he grinned maliciously. Yet, he didn’t appear completely whole. His right leg and one part of his wing seemed to be nothing but smoke, a hazy representation of what should have been there but wasn’t.

They still had time, provided they survive this event.

“It was amusing that you fell so easily for my trap,” the demi-deity continued, casually inspecting his claws. “I suspect that by this time tomorrow night, Gaia will belong to me.”

Cloud snarled. “Not if I stop you first.”

“You can try, mortal.” Crimson eyes flashed seconds before two large balls of flame came shooting towards Cloud and the others, courtesy of Ifrit.

The blond managed to block one, sending it careening back over the edge of the building to drop into obscurity somewhere below, but the other slipped past him, heading directly for the group. He turned in shock but breathed a sigh of relief when the flame hit nothing but a shield, hastily cast by the sudden appearance of Ishvara. The attack fizzled and hissed, but it did little damage.

As Balaam cackled, Cloud clenched his teeth in fury, barely able to resist the urge to charge across the roof and take on both enemies on his own. He recognized their strength, however, knowing it would be suicide.

Within him, Iblion suddenly stirred. (Spike, Hephaestion may be able to teleport the others out of here. But I do not know for certain. I do not think so many have ever been done before,) the demi-deity informed him, his voice quite grim.

“Then, he will have to take them in little groups. I am not letting my wife and child die up here,” he growled in response, keeping one eye on their enemies, who were watching them with faint amusement as he turned back towards the others. “Tell Hephaestion to get us out of here.”

Aeris’ jade eyes caught his, swimming with fear and uncertainty, and she swallowed thickly. “Denzel’s missing, Cloud. We can’t find him. I don’t know how, but he slipped away from us when we were running.”

Inwardly, Cloud cursed quite, fluently enough that Barret would be proud. His heart thudded painfully in his chest at the thought of the little boy lying hurt and alone somewhere. He had promised Sephiroth he would look after Denzel.

“I’ll find him,” he assured her.

The roof shook then, several more forms landing on it at the edge of his vision. The enemies were beginning to surround them, expecting nothing but a bloodbath.

“Just get the others out of here. I’ll catch up.”

“Do not worry,” Ishvara said as Hephaestion sparkled into existence beside her, his face grim with the task set before him. “I will make sure that they are unharmed. Just find the boy.” Her voice was musical and faintly comforting, managing to ease the turmoil inside Cloud as he realized his daunting task.

He nodded in understanding, nevertheless, and was gone before they realized it, slipping around the group and ducking back through the door before the second round of fire balls that Ifrit threw at them could strike. The deities were only playing with them, trying to frighten and torture the humans with the possibility of escape before slaughtering them all.

“Will he be able to find Denzel?” Marlene asked in a tiny voice, clenching tightly onto her father’s hands. Her eyes were already red-rimmed, tears of fear for her friend staining her cheeks. She trembled as well, unable to find her courage in the face of certain death.

Barret laid his hand on his daughter’s head. “He will. I know it. Cloud’d die before he’d let any harm come to us.”

Within Ishvara’s shield, the Ice Lady turned towards Hephaestion, sweat already beginning to dot her blue-tinged brow. While Balaam did not continuously attack, it was quite taxing to keep the barrier up. She needed Hephaestion to get them out of there and quickly before her strength failed her. Demi-deity did not equal limitless vigor.

“How many can you take at a time?” she questioned, panting slightly from the exertion.

The Holy deity chewed his lip, his gaze traveling over the crowd. “I can take three adults and the one child for certain. Anyone more than that… and it is a risk,” he replied honestly, wincing when a barrage of magical attacks struck the shield above them, Balaam’s cackle easily filtering through the sphere of protection.

“Hide behind your shield, ‘faithful’,” Balaam sneered, contempt evident in his tone. “And when it fails, you can watch in horror as I destroy the special mortals that you fight so diligently for!”

Aeris’ hand clenched at her side as she turned towards her anima. “Take Shera, Reis, Marlene, and Elmyra first. I am not leaving until Cloud returns,” she asserted, leaving no room for argument. She rubbed her stomach anxiously, trying to quell the sudden movement within her womb. It was as if their daughter sensed the danger they were in and was becoming scared as well.

Hephaestion nodded and gestured that those she named get close. “Grab hands,” he explained. “You must be touching. I warn you that the magic might make you feel queasy, but it is normal. Trust me.”

Swallowing thickly in nervousness, the three women and one child linked hands. Hephaestion laid his palm on Marlene’s shoulder, offering her an assuring smile before he cast the spell.

“Migro!”

With a wink and a twinkle, the five were suddenly gone, disappearing into seemingly thin air. The resulting release of power nearly knocked those remaining behind from their feet.

Aeris turned her gaze to Barret and Rude. “When he returns, you two need to take the next group. Hephaestion is going to need to make at least three trips. You can’t teleport, right?” she questioned, directing the query towards Ishvara.

The demi-goddess shook her head. “In another five-hundred years perhaps, but for now, I cannot. I can only materialize where Rude is present. Distance severely weakens my strength.” She paused, taking a deep breath as her arms nearly buckled from the strain of keeping up the shield. “Even if I were to remain behind, and Rude leave, I would not be able to cast.”

“I ain’t leaving no pregnant woman here alone and especially not you,” Barret growled, narrowing his dark brown eyes. “Cloud would rip my head off.”

Rude shook his head, stepping between them as he tightened the gloves on his hands with a squeak of leather. “Ishvara is needed to protect her. You watch over my wife for me. I will protect Aeris until Cloud returns.”

The former leader of AVALANCHE eyed the man that had once been enemy but was now friend. Even now, they were drinking buddies. Finally, he stuck out his hand, entrusting Aeris’ safety to him.

“She will be as if my own,” Rude intoned.

Aeris sighed as they completed their male-bonding ritual, stepping forward to lay a hand on Ishvara’s shoulder. “Is there any way I can lend you my strength?” she questioned, jade gaze taking in the forms landing on the roof top all around them.

She counted eight, including Ifrit and Balaam. Of the smaller beasts flitting in the sky, not a one had landed yet. Perhaps Balaam had only allowed them to slay those in the city below. The thought sickened her, and Midori seemed to agree, kicking fiercely inside of her.

The demi-goddess shook her head, teeth clenching. “Pray for the speed of your intended. It is the only thing that will save us in the end.”

But she hadn’t even needed to ask.

Aeris was already doing so.

‘Cloud,’ she thought inwardly. ‘Please hurry.’

---

Cloud raced down the steps, taking them at least three at a time as he tried not to worry about those he had left above. He trusted that Rude and Barret could protect them, not that Aeris wasn’t strong in her own right. Stil, she was also pregnant and tired. Right now, he tried to concentrate on finding Denzel, which was going to be difficult. The boy could have been anywhere within the building, though he planned to start in the rooms where they had rested first.

He crashed through the door, nearly careening into the opposite wall as he skidded into the hallway they had just abandoned. Cloud wasted no time in throwing open every door, hurriedly scanning the room beyond before moving to the next. He yelled Denzel’s name as loudly as he could, despite the panting of his breath and the sound of his heart thudding loudly in his ears. There was not enough time, and he hands shook with the fear that he might not be quick enough.

“Denzel!” Slam! Another door struck the wall behind it with enough force to crack the plaster, but he hardly paid it any attention. It was an empty room yet again.

He cursed to himself, already backing up to race to the next one. “Denzel! Dammit! Where are you?” Cloud gritted his teeth, already considering a serious reprimand for the boy.

He threw open one more door, where the children had been playing earlier. “Den--“ His voice caught in his throat at the sight of the familiar brown head, popping up from behind a table in the corner of the room. Cloud breathed a sigh of relief, even as his eyes narrowed, and he strode quickly across the room, boots clomping angrily.
”Why did you come back here?” he demanded.

Brown eyes, already red-rimmed, began to water again as Denzel’s bottom lip trembled. “I promised,” he cried, tears dripping from his eyes. “He said he was coming back for them. If… if…” He snuffled, angrily scrubbing at his face with the back of his hands as he trailed off.

Cloud frowned, not quite understanding as he reached forward and picked up Denzel’s smaller weight easily, removing him from behind the table. Why he was there, the blond still had yet to figure out. Until his eyes caught a flash of silver dangling from the boy’s right hand.

Sephiroth’s military tags.

“I almost forgot them!” Denzel sniffled in explanation, looking up at Cloud with such devotion that it felt as if the blond were looking into a mirror from six years past, a reflection of himself. “If I had… he wouldn’t have come back.”

It was only the deduction of a child, to think that if Denzel didn’t have the tags then Sephiroth wasn’t coming either. For a moment, Cloud cursed Sephiroth for making that kind of promise with the boy, but then he realized that it wasn’t the General’s fault. He hadn’t counted on such loyalty, just like he hadn’t realized the depth of the devotion that Cloud had held for him all those years ago. He simply wasn’t learned enough to recognize these things.

Cloud sighed as Denzel snuffled again, wiping at the boy’s face with one of his own hands. “You worried us,” he chastised, already heading for the door as the boy’s fist closed protectively around the metal. Shaking his head, he gently pried it from Denzel’s fingers with one hand and placed the chain around his neck. “You shouldn’t have run off like that.”

“I know,” Denzel mumbled miserably, a hiccup following his words. He stared at the floor as they rushed down the hallway, clinging to Cloud especially tightly when another explosion rocked the building.

Cloud’s eyes darkened with worry. He shifted Denzel so that the boy’s limbs wrapped around him, making him easier to carry as he burst into the stairwell and begin to climb. “Hold tightly,” he ordered. Cloud didn’t want to drag Denzel behind him, so it left only one option.

“Okay.” There was no argument from the boy, and it was then that Cloud felt his trembles, realizing that Denzel was indeed afraid. Yet, he had faced his own fears to return for an object that was very dear to him. In the back of his mind, Cloud fiercely ordered Sephiroth to return. He better not leave Denzel behind.

Moments later, they burst out onto the rooftop, Cloud’s eyes widening in shock as darkness surrounded the building, leaving them unable to see anything beyond. It was as if they were suspended in a black hole but still had the light of the sun above them. It strained to break through the cloud barrier, as if it were just an ordinary bad weather day.

(Cloud! Look out!)

The warning was just enough to save him as he twisted to the side and placed a steadying hand on Denzel’s back. He reflexively avoided some sort of magic attack that just missed him and slammed into the door he had emerged from, reducing it to twisted and scorched metal within an instant. He mentally sent his anima a thanks before rounding the corner, able to see Aeris and Rude waiting for him just beyond an blue bubble that was beginning to waver.

Ishvara’s strength was growing thin.

Mocking cackles echoed around him. “You think you can escape me, mortal?” taunted Balaam, his voice seeming to come from everywhere and nowhere at once.

But to Cloud’s sight, the roof appeared empty as if every enemy had suddenly decided to stop attacking. A sickening feeling settled in his belly, the uncomfortable notion that this was way too similar to his dream. He could almost taste his own blood in his mouth.

He longed to draw his blade but couldn’t so long as he carried Denzel. Instead, he stepped up the pace, drawing the strength to run even faster, despite the weariness of his body. He had let himself get too out of shape in the months following the defeat of Sephiroth. He no longer had the stamina of before.

Cloud sensed the attack seconds before it hit, giving him enough time to curl his body around Denzel before the two of them were violently tackled to the ground. He cradled Denzel’s head with his hands, protecting the boy as he heard Aeris’ screams for him to get up. Two heavy weights covered him, one cackling maliciously as claws dug into his sides, easily piercing his skin.

Cloud winced.

He didn’t matter, but Denzel had to get free.

When hot breath seared against the back of his neck, Cloud reacted without thinking, jabbing an elbow backwards. He connected with something solid, the sickening crunch of shattering bone and a howl of pain was all the escape he needed. He propped himself up, and the sound of Denzel’s sobbing gave him strength as he pulled the boy out from underneath him.

“Don’t look back,” he urged, shoving another elbow backwards as he tried to wriggle around and reach the small pocket knife he usually kept at his side. “Just run.” With that, he yanked his head back, trying to get free. Another weight settled on his back knocking the air from his lungs as a winged form approached from the corner of his vision.

More claws dug into Cloud’s back, and when he looked up, Denzel still hadn’t moved. The boy hesitated as he stared in wide-eyed horror at what had befallen his protector.

“Dammit,” Cloud growled, banging a fist on the cement of the roof. “RUN!”

The boy jumped in shock and took several steps backwards with evident reluctance, clearly torn between his own safety and worrying about Cloud. He clutched tightly with one hand to the chain around his neck.

Behind the ex-SOLDIER, an enemy laughed dryly, and swordsman instinctively knew that it had plans to attack Denzel. His own arm shot out, catching the attacker’s claw seconds before it would have struck. Mako blue met brown, and finally, nodding once, Denzel started to run. He headed directly towards Rude and Aeris, who were watching with horror.

Cloud breathed a sigh of relief, but it was short-lived when fiery pain raced through his shoulder and thigh, fangs digging deep into his flesh. He arched his back and tried to buck off his opponents, gritting his teeth against the agony. The thought that the situation was all too familiar flashed through his mind, and suddenly, he knew.

His dream had been anything but.

Suddenly, a claw wrapped around his neck. It jerked him to his feet as he was pulled from under the pile of what he could only assume were other demi-deities. His body was shaken, rattling his brains, and he stared directly into amber eyes, vaguely reminiscent of Reeve. He didn’t recognize this foe but considered that a moot point as they had made a grievous error.

He now had an arm free.

He kicked out with his foot, connecting with something solid, in the same moment that he reached behind him for Ultima Weapon. As the demi-deity reeled in front of him, grip slackening around the blond’s neck, he wasted no time in swinging his sword. He hacked off the arm quickly, ignoring the blood spraying around him. He whirled, slashing out with the blade once more, watching with narrowed eyes as the three behind him eased back to avoid the blow. He instantly regretted his choice in equipping only Fire and Comet as both materia refused to respond to his call. He couldn’t use magic, even if he wanted to.

“Cloud! Come on!” he heard Aeris say, her voice strained. He knew just from the sound that she was worried, but he couldn’t even see her beyond the three forms that surrounded him, just vague glimpses of concerned vivid green eyes. Yet, he didn’t think he could get to them.

“Our prey fights back, Hyperion,” lisped one of them, a large and horned male that he belatedly realized was Ifrit. They circled around him, and he struggled to keep an eye on every enemy at once, heart thudding loudly in his chest.

Next to the deity of Flame, another snickered. He was big and brawny, and once again, Cloud tardily recognized Titan. Someone else who should have been on their side.

“It will be amusing to watch him fall,” Hyperion rasped, cackling loudly.

“Cloud!”

“Just go!” he yelled back, fixing his glare on the demi-deity directly in front of him, this one looking very much like a human with eyes that appeared dull and lifeless. He shivered at the dead gaze, not certain if he would like to face this foe or not. The notion that they were all stronger than him fluttered around in his mind, and he swallowed thickly, heart thudding painfully in his chest as he tightened his grip on Ultima Weapon.

Across the roof, Aeris wrung her hands in fear, shaking her head as she watched five forms surround her husband. All were certainly more powerful than him, especially since his anima was not allowed to materialize.

And still, he wanted her to leave?

She couldn’t do that! She could not just leave him behind.

“No!” she denied, ignoring everything else as she slashed her hand through the air. “I won’t leave you!” She briefly caught a glimpse of blond spikes as Denzel clung to her clothes, and she wanted to dart forward, to do something rather than sit back and watch. Cloud was hurt, and she couldn’t do anything from this distance; already, she could see the blood dripping to the rooftop.

She took an unconscious step forward, and at that moment, the deities tired of playing games. They attacked him as a group, the flash of Ultima Weapon her only hint that Cloud was still alive.

“Cloud!”

But a hand lay on her shoulder, preventing her from moving forward. Her gaze darted to the side briefly, noting Rude standing stoic. He refused to release her, and green eyes welled up with tears as she returned her attention to Cloud.

Aeris barely caught the rise and fall of the Ultima Weapon as one of the demi-deities staggered back from the battle, grunting and clutching his belly as he tried to stop the blood gushing from the wound Cloud had inflicted.

“Hephaestion! Get her out of here!”

“Cloud! No!”

Hephaestion appeared in a whirlwind beside her as the shield that covered them finally flickered and died, Ishvara slumping visibly to one knee. Her breath came in short pants, blood dripping from her lip from where she had bitten it in an effort to keep the barrier up. Her bond with Rude was simply too new to provide her with the strength she needed.

And it wasn’t long before the enemy realized that they were essentially defenseless.

“Aeris,” Hephaestion intoned softly, laying a gentle hand on his animus’ shoulder as he carefully watched around them. “He wants you to go.”

The flower-girl stubbornly shook her head, unable to stop watching her husband literally fight for his life. There was so much blood, and she could scarcely see him beyond the wall of enemies. He wasn’t going to make it; feared filled her heart, one hand idly rubbing her belly as she swallowed down a sob.

She couldn’t just leave him; she couldn’t!

“And so the faithful have fallen!” Balaam cackled, drawing their attention upwards as he centered his crimson gaze on the small group of mortal and immortal below him, death in his eyes.

On either side of him, there were two other demi-deities, both in human form with equally empty expressions. The three landed at the same moment that Cloud managed to break free, limping but driven by the fear for his wife and his unborn child.

If she wasn’t so stubborn! Couldn’t she understand?

He narrowly ducked the swing of a weapon, almost falling over from the loss of blood. He leapt at Balaam, the Ultima Weapon slicing through one of the deity’s webbed wings. His opponent staggered backwards, flexing and whirling to face his attacker as Cloud’s eyes met Aeris’.

He silently begged her to leave. He couldn’t live with himself if he failed to protect them.

The two accompanying Balaam exchanged glances, realizing there was nothing to stop them since Cloud was occupied and darted forward, immediately drawing their weapons. Fear filled mako eyes quickly as he stumbled, trying to maintain a grip already slickened with blood and sweat. He simply couldn’t get to them in time.

“HEPHAESTION!” he shouted in the same moment that he gathered his strength and charged at Balaam. His sword raised high, only to meet with the deity’s own weapon, a double-bladed pole. Balaam retracted, his greater strength easily overcoming the weakening human’s as he pushed Cloud back.
The blond staggered, boots slipping on a pool of blood, and he lurched forward, the weight of the Ultima Weapon throwing him off balance. Blinding pain raced through his abdomen, more agony on top of the wounds he already suffered.

Across the roof, Hephaestion nodded, recognizing the desperation in Cloud’s tone. Ignoring Aeris’ protests, he whispered the words to teleport them away.

“No!” the flower-girl screamed, but it was too late. As Balaam dealt another blow to the exhausted ex-SOLDIER, they disappeared in a morbidly cheery twinkle, far away from the reaches of Balaam’s army.

The tingle of magic in the air filled Cloud with a sigh of relief, despite the pain. He struggled to keep consciousness, coughing blood out onto the rooftop. The Ultima Sword slammed into the concrete, his fingers tightly gripping the hilt. It was his only means for staying upright as the deities cackled around him, not attacking any more but seeming content to taunt him. They knew he could not last any longer; he was only mortal.

In front of him, on the edge of his dim vision, Balaam stepped forward, flexing his claws. “The so-called hero,” he sneered, darting forward and slashing out at the blond, who only barely managed to avoid the blow. “If we kill you, then the others will crumble,” he gloated as his comrades laughed.

“They’re… stronger than that,” Cloud growled, looking up through the one eye that was not sealed shut with the blood from the wound on his forehead. “If I’m going down, then at least one of you is coming with me.”

Something whipped across his back then, and he arched, gritting his teeth against a cry of pain. His attacker snickered, lashing at him again, but Cloud was prepared that time, twisting to avoid the blow. Only the movement landed him in direct range of Balaam once more.

The Chaos deity’s claw snapped out, grabbing Cloud immediately by the neck and lifting him off the ground. He squeezed the frail flesh as the others whooped and cheered for blood around him.

“No one ever said the believed ‘good’ guys have to win,” Balaam jeered, his laughter a harsh grating chuckle deep in his throat.

The nauseating odor of his sulfurous breath caused Cloud to gag as he struggled for air, scratching in vain at Balaam’s wrist. Stars were beginning to dance in his eyes, strength draining from him, but suddenly, dark storms gathered above them, cutting off all but the barest hints of light. They crackled and thundered, and lightning struck in jagged arcs on the roof, actually hitting quite a few of the deities.

“What is this!” Balaam snarled, tossing Cloud to the ground without any ceremony. His eyes turned upwards as the blond bounced on the roof, coughing and struggling to rise.

A chill swept across the roof as one of the deities sucked in a sharp exhale.

“Iblion!” the unnamed one screeched. “It’s Iblion!”

Crimson eyes narrowed as Balaam growled, whirling around to face the one who had spoken. “He’s in confinement!”

“Was,” corrected a voice, suddenly booming from above them. A sharp stab of lightning suddenly struck the rooftop in front of Cloud, and as the blond blinked away the bright spots in his eyes, he saw his anima standing before him, looking a lot younger than he had suspected. Then again, considering Iblion’s tendency to tease him and call him by nicknames, he should have known better.

“You’re late,” Cloud rasped, wobbling as he rose to his feet and managed to lock his grip on the Ultima Weapon once more. He felt strengthened simply by the arrival of both Iblion and by the familiar feel of his blade. He limped towards his anima, managing to stand back to back with the incredibly tall deity, who had assumed human form.

The Iblion turned to look over at his shoulders at his animus, regret and sorrow darkening his pale green eyes. “I am sorry, Cloud. It took much longer to break out of confinement than I had anticipated.” He swept his gaze over the blood-streaked body, managing a slight smirk. “Had a rough time I take it?”

Cloud growled, clearly not amused. “If I had, you would have been shit out of luck!”

“They are only going to confine you again, Iblion,” Balaam sneered, interrupting their conversation as he twirled his weapon in one clawed hand. “The fools will keep you locked up for even longer than before.”

Iblion merely nodded, hands twitching at his side as a pair of half-axes appeared in each with a small flare of flame. “If it is the price I must pay to fight alongside my animus, then so shall it be.” His eyes narrowed to angry slits then as a wind whipped through the area, both a mixture of frost and flame. “If it means I have the opportunity to fight against you, then I will consider it worth it all.”

“If I’m going down, I’m taking someone down with me,” Cloud snarled, tightening his grip on the Ultima Sword as he gathered up all of his remaining strength.

Iblion could not teleport; there was literally no escape. He had no illusions. They could not defeat so many, but he’d be damned if he went down without a fight.

Balaam growled. “You can try!” He leapt forward, letting out a cry of battle as the other deities around them joined in as well.

Iblion and Cloud exchanged glances of agreement, determination and fury shining in their eyes. The two opposing forces met with fierce clangs, an aura of power literally rising up between them as the sky crackled and thundered.

Blood splattered. Howls of pain echoed. Weapons cracked into pieces.

And the world shattered.

---

A burst of magic flexed before it popped, suddenly depositing them just outside of Fort Condor… where the others waited with held breaths. Aeris’ knees buckled beneath her, and it was only Hephaestion’s quick reaction that saved her from stumbling to the ground. Not but a moment more, she jerked her arm from his grip and whirled around on him, tears shining her eyes.

“Why did you make me leave?” she shouted, her frustration and anger evident in her tone. Her hand slashed through the air, the other wrapped protectively around her womb. “We could have done something! We could have helped!”

She turned on Rude then, the former Turk already making his way to his wife’s side. “We could have saved him, but you held me back!” she yelled, the sickening feeling that something was terribly wrong curling in her gut. She knew that she shouldn’t be blaming them for trying to help, that she shouldn’t turn her frustration onto her friends. Not when she really blamed herself.

Those gathered outside Fort Condor watched the distraught female with a mixture of sadness and regret, Elmyra clinging onto Barret as Marlene clutched her dress. Rude and Shera were in each other’s arms. Reis’ face was pinched with sympathy. Only Denzel stayed by Aeris’ side, trying to comfort her as tears of his own streaked down his face.

All the signs, the restlessness, the uneasy fear… she should have known! They could have prepared; she could have done something. And Cloud--

Dammit! He must have known something ahead of time. Otherwise, he would have never said those things. A sob curled up in Aeris’ throat, and she held a hand to her mouth, turning away from the others and ceasing in her accusations.

Her child fidgeted within her womb, as if suddenly aware of something she was not. Aeris moved to soothe her with a few rubs when suddenly she felt it too, something shattering deep inside of her. Despair crawled in so quickly that it nearly consumed her, along with the sudden feeling of being inexplicably alone. And she knew, she knew, that something had happened in Midgar.

“Oh, god,” she whispered, her body going completely still, more hot tears streaking down her cheeks. “No….”

To either side of her, Hephaestion and Ishvara exchanged sudden knowing glances, eyes widening with their realization. “We have lost Iblion,” the Ice goddess murmured, lowering her gaze to the ground in sudden sorrow.

Hephaestion nodded. “And Cadoc and Tonberry have fallen as well.”

Aeris whirled on them, reddened eyes instantly narrowed with angry. “Who cares about the enemy,” she cried, shaking her head quickly. “Who cares at all…”

Her words trailed off, losing their intensity as her entire body began to tremble. Her hands automatically went to her belly, trying to calm the restless movement of the infant, who had unfortunately inherited far too much of her mother’s sensitivity and was aware that something horrible had happened. Her knees buckled beneath her as sorrow swept through her body so quickly that she lost all her strength, but Hephaestion was there just as hastily, putting an arm around her as she lowered to the rocky ground, unable to remain standing.

Denzel looked confused, uncertain as to what was going on. No one was explaining something and his new mother was crying.

“Where is Cloud?” he asked, looking up with baffled eyes at the older demi-deity.

But it was Aeris who answered, voice barely distinguishable above the choking sobs.

“He’s gone,” she responded in a broken whisper. “He’s gone.”

---

A/N: ... please, don’t kill me.