By Junj

Disclaimer: The characters, items, places, etc. of Final Fantasy VII are property of Squaresoft, Inc. No infringement is intended.

The light pulsed silently, bathing the crystalline cave with the iridescent glow of materia. The crystal walls caught the light, reflecting and refracting, banishing the darkness from the corners of a cave for a moment, shimmering brightly before the light disappeared altogether. Darkness returned.

She cupped her hands over the small globe of light, the pulse lighting up her high cheekbones and angular face. This was her light. The illumination disappeared and shadows covered her. This was her darkness, summoned here by her. It was not trespassing. It was welcomed. It was her power, her right to wield both light and dark as she pleased. They were her escape and her keys to the world. She would have the world. It would be hers as this small globe of power was hers. The light pulsed.

She breathed in the air which crackled with energy, the light beating with her heart. She was alive. She would get to her paradise once more. She could find the Promised Land as she had before. It was all so simple. Staring into her globe of power, she could see what she needed to save her Planet from destruction. The humans would destroy it. Shinra would continue steal the power of Mako from her Planet, sucking its life away as they had before her birth. It was only a matter of time before they started to leech her Planet of its life. The screams were already starting. And walking through the watery light of her sphere was the key. She could own him as she did the light and rule him as she did the dark. It was all so simple.

He would be hers. He loved her once; he could learn to love her again. He could save her Planet from destruction by destroying those who sought to kill it. They could not kill her Planet. They would die first and by her hand. By his hand. He would be her lover and Destroyer, her Giver of Life. And she could not fail with him by her side. The light grew brighter, shining into the depths of her eyes. He would be hers as he had been Sephiroth’s.

The light dimmed as the name grew stronger in her mind. Sephiroth. He had been a fool seeking the Promised Land when it had been underfoot. He had not seen the potential. Destroy those on her Planet and she could have her paradise. Her Planet, without the murdering humans, was her Promised Land. And with her Destroyer she could live in bountiful happiness. She watched her Destroyer, a wicked smile twisting her features.

It is time, the Planet whispered, the screams gone as the small breeze wafted through the cave. Time to take back what was once ours.

Theirs. It was once the Ancients’ and would be again.

"Yes," she whispered, watching the globe of light in her hands, a warm tingling of power at her fingertips. "It will be ours. The murderers will pay for their crimes."

She stood, clenching the globe in one hand as she walked from the cave, her long, brown hair blowing away from her features. The salty air bit at her as she emerged onto the beach, greeted by her servant. Constructed of light and dark, its scales shimmered in the night. It stretched its wings wide and far as she emerged from the materia cave, snorting softly into the crisp night air.

"It is time," she declared.

The creature roared in response, its shrill cry breaking the silence as though it were glass, shattering whatever shards of the past remained. This was for the future of her Planet. Her wild laughed joined the beast’s, her body breathless with the power that swirled around her.

"Tonight the end begins."

Cloud Strife stared morosely at the amber glass of beer in front of him, not a drop having been touched. He had spent almost three hours trying to decide how he felt. Well, he knew how he felt, but hadn’t a clue about how to tell Tifa. He needed some advice. He glanced at the blonde-haired bachelor beside him, pursing his lips. No, he didn’t need advice that much.

Cid Highwind caught the look, a grin coming to his face. Cloud couldn’t help but groan. "What you need is some advice, bud," Cid stated, snuffing his cigarette into the ashtray in front of him.

Cloud shook his head. "I don’t think I need any advice from you. I’ve seen your love life."

The grin disappeared. "You don’t mean Shera, do ya? She ain’t exactly my love."

Cloud shrugged. "She seems to like you. A lot."

The older man frowned and cursed. "I think I need another cigarette," he declared, pulling one from the pack. He placed it in his mouth, but didn’t light it. "Don’t even say it."

"In fact, I think I’d go as far as saying she loves you."

Cid had been expecting the comment, but it stung him nonetheless. The cigarette dropped from his mouth, and he caught it before it fell into his lap. He turned on Cloud, his face reddening. Cloud grinned.

"Don’t say that, kid. You don’t know nothing. Always tryin’ to redeem herself," he muttered, subconsciously twisting the cigarette in his hands as he spoke. "Friggin’ annoyance." He pointed at Cloud with the twisted cigarette, another frown furnishing his face. "Think you got it easy? Jus’ you wait." He gazed landed on the cigarette. "Now, look at whatcha made me do ta my smoke."

Cloud’s grin widened, lighting his eyes as Cid dropped the cigarette onto the table. "Let’s get out of here," he said, standing. Cid shook his head, stuffing his pack of cigarettes into his leather jacket and dropping some gil onto the bar counter. He pulled the Venus Gospel from where it was leaning against the wall, quickly glancing to see that all the slots still contained their materia. No one seemed very interested in stealing materia anymore. He shrugged and followed Cloud out of the door.

What was left of the Wall Market seemed dead.

The slums of Midgar were always quieter at night. Streets were dark, offering solace for any beasts that might live in the city and warding off any wary travelers. Thieves and muggers ruled the nights in the Midgar slums, attacking those who were unarmed and alone, slinking in the shadows like wraiths and waiting for the right opportunity. As the two battle weary warriors walked by, the local criminals slunk deeper into the shadows. The glinting edge of the Ultima Weapon was the only persuasion they needed to keep away. They would wait for different fatigued travelers.

Cloud stretched his arms out in front of him and yawned. Moonlight filtered down on them through a break in the clouds, and the thoughts from the tavern came crashing back to him. He still hadn’t figured out what to do about his "situation" with Tifa. Cid had been little help, but, then again, Cloud hadn’t really asked him for any advice, directly. He had to know how to do this right. Cloud bit his lower lip. He’d have to do this before he lost the nerve. Clearing his throat, he said, "Cid, can I ask you a question?"

The older man glanced at him, the haft of the Venus Gospel clicking against the pavement with the rise and fall of his feet. "Shoot, kid."

Cloud cleared his throat again, running a hand through his hair. "Uh, speaking hypothetically here, I was wondering how you would, uh – you would, um…"

"Out with it. I ain’t got all damn day."

"Well, if you wanted to, how would you ask Shera to marry you?" Cloud grimaced at the look the pilot gave him. If given the chance, Cid looked as though he would strangle him. "If you wanted," he added quickly. "Or any girl."

"Why would I wanna do that?!" he demanded. He stopped, staring at Cloud. The younger man halted with him. "The hell you talking ’bout?"

Cloud groaned. "How would you ask someone to marry you? How would I – oh, never mind."

Surprising Cloud, Cid started laughing. "You wanna know-" The end of what he was going to say disappeared in a round of roaring laughter. "Oh, God! That is rich. Here I thought you were talking ’bout me." He literally had to use the Venus Gospel to keep from falling over with his laughter. He gasped for breath. Cloud clenched his teeth in an effort to keep from hitting his friend.

"Stop laughing. It isn’t funny," he ordained in a futile attempt to regain his dignity. He attempted a malevolent frown, but failed miserably and grinned sheepishly.

"It’s damn funny," he wheezed, trying to catch his breath. "You asking me how to get hitched. You oughtta be askin’ Barret. He’s got experience."

"I ask Barret, and he’s liable to (a) beat me up or (b) tell Tifa."

Cid shrugged, straightening. "At least then it won’t come as a surprise. I mean, she loves you then she won’t care whether you screw up the question or not."

Cloud frowned. "No, that’s not really what I meant. It’s supposed to be special, right? I don’t want to spend the rest of my life wondering what would’ve happened if Barret hadn’t told her first. You know, her reaction?"

The pilot tugged his leather jacket down, holding his spear in the crook of his arm. "I dunno, Cloud. You’ll have to figure it out on your own." He grinned, holding the spear horizontal to the ground as he started walking again. "I hear getting on your knees is traditional."

Cloud whacked the pilot on the shoulder as he walked by, chuckling good-naturedly. "Next time I need advice, you can bet I won’t be coming to you," he declared, falling into step beside Cid.

Cid gave him a thankful look. "Good, ’cause I ain’t got none left."

Cloud sighed, shaking his head. He turned his gaze up into the sky as though looking for any answers it might give to him. He shook his head again as he brought himself back to the road in front of him. He looked down at his shoes as he walked, pursing his lips in thought. Getting down on his knees? Wouldn’t that shock Tifa. He smiled, his blue eyes bright with mirth. He said nothing, however, content with listening to his boots crunch the loose gravel.

A drop a rain splattered onto his forehead, prompting him to return his gaze above. Where the plate used to be above Sector 7 was only blackened sky, ominous clouds threatening to spill their contents on the slowly reforming slums. As he stepped into the graveyard, cautiously looking at the broken playground, an uneasiness settled in his stomach. His smile disappeared when his eyes wandered to the shadows formed by the debris and rubble strewn throughout the park. His teeth clenched involuntarily, the hair raising on the nape of his neck. Cid tensed beside him, shifting his grip on the Venus Gospel, lowering himself into a fighting stance. Something wasn’t right. Thunder growled in the distance.

Cloud’s gaze landed on the slide and he found himself unable to look away. He stared at the mushroom shaped slide, remembering when he and Aeris had stood atop of it and the ensuing craziness they had found themselves in shortly after that. Aeris loved this place, he thought, a frown coming to his lips. He was thinking of marrying Tifa, and, yet, she kept popping back into his mind. It was as if he couldn’t to let go of her, as if he couldn’t purge her from his thoughts. She’s dead.

And, suddenly, she wasn’t.

Cid grunted in surprise, slowly straightening as the young woman came into view. She was as he remembered her, seemingly innocent and young, but wise beyond her years. But it wasn’t possible. She had died at the City of the Ancients, murdered by Sephiroth’s blade. Her death had saved the Planet. He frowned. She couldn’t be alive.

"What?" Cloud asked, glancing at Cid in confusion. The older man only shrugged, his frown deepening.

"He killed me, Cloud," she said, her voice filled with sweetened sadness. "Don’t let him hurt me."

Cid’s frown became mirrored on Cloud’s features. "What are you talking about?" asked the latter.

"Don’t," Cid warned, slipping back into his fighting stance with the ease of years of practice. "Something ain’t right."

"Help me," Aeris pleaded, an ordering tone underlying in her voice. "Cloud, please."

Cloud glanced to Cid and back to Aeris, confusion lining his brow. "Sephiroth’s dead, Aeris."

"Don’t, Cloud," Cid ordained, a sudden realization hitting him. She wasn’t talking about Sephiroth. He glanced warily at the shadows. "Don’t talk to her. Don’t even listen to her, Cloud. She’s a liar."

"No, don’t listen to him, Cloud. He’s the one who’s lying. It’s Sephiroth. Kill him!" Her voice took on an urgent tone. Cloud looked to Aeris, studying her features before freeing his own weapon. He spun it, easily checking his grip. The balance was perfect.

"No," he said, shaking his head slowly. "You’re dead, Aeris. Nothing in this world can bring you back. Sephiroth killed you." The Ultima Weapon glowed of its own inner light, creating a silhouetted darkness. Long shadows covered every corner and hiding place.

"He killed her!"

Cid turned to the new voice, surprise written clearly on his face. A burly Shinra commando slashed at him with a long, wicked sword reminiscent of the Great Sephiroth’s. He stumbled back, barely bringing the Venus Gospel up in time to parry the slash. He twisted the long spear around, the butt facing his opponent, and lashed out in a quick succession. A blow to the hand knocked the sword from the commando’s grip, followed quickly by a jab to the solar plexus. The commando doubled over in pain while Cid brought the butt of the spear up under the man’s foot, tripping him. He spun the blade around, slicing through the commando’s throat before turning back to Aeris, the spear braced around his arm, the blade glistening wet with blood.

"That all you got?" he challenged, forcing bravado into his voice though the sinking sensation had not yet left his stomach. He grabbed his companion’s arm. "Come on, Cloud. Let’s get outta here."

"You should not have done that," Aeris declared, stopping his movements with her darkened tone. "You will pay for that. Murderer."

As she spoke, the shadows became alive with the wraiths of nightmares, all of them writhing and emitting the stench of death. Cid swallowed nervously, the time for false bravado having passed. The wraiths moved closer.

"Save the Destroyer from the Murderer!" she ordered, her voice cracking like a whip. The sweetness that Cloud remembered was gone. He grit his teeth and gripped the Ultima Weapon until his knuckles were white. The situation was looking very bad.

"Creatures of darkness… attack!"

The onslaught of monsters was almost too much to handle. Cloud lashed out with his sword, cutting off whatever appendages came too close to him. The dark mesh of beasts surrounded him, cutting him from his companion. Sweat beaded on his brow. The black sky was rumbling with thunder as he made a futile attempt to cut through the creatures. The Ultima Weapon slashed and cut, leaving a bloody wake behind it. The black bodies littered the ground.

Cid was not able to keep up with the onslaught.

He spun the Venus Gospel wildly in a futile attempt to keep the monsters at bay, but the circle surrounding him was slowly closing in. He attempted to turn to meet the rush of a hairy beast, but couldn’t make it in time. The monster rammed him, throwing him out of the circle. The air rushed from his lungs as he landed with a dull thud. He laid there, stunned, breathing hard and blinking the stars from his eyes. Using the Venus Gospel as a staff, he pushed himself to his feet. He came face to face with Aeris Gainsborough.

Cloud was beginning to get angry. Blood flowed freely from cuts and slashes inflicted on him by the nightmarish beasts. The Ultima Weapon gleamed with blood, its inner light reflecting a dark crimson over his features. When a small creature tripped him before disappearing back into the clump of aggravating monsters, he decided he had had enough. Raising the Ultima Weapon high above his head, he called upon his highest attack. Thunder rolled in the clouds in response to the bright red light that enveloped him. The red light gave way to other colors, all blinding and bright in the darkness of the playground. Lightning cracked a warning.

In a matter of seconds, the remaining creatures were reduced to bloody bodies. Consecutive blows landed hard and accurately, demolishing and hacking, killing instantly. And, almost as quickly as he had begun, it was over. Corpses littered the ground and silence reigned for what seemed like forever. Cloud slowly began to realize what was happening, shaking off the drain the limit break had put on his system. His gaze landed on Aeris and Cid.

"Cid!" he called, running to where his friend was standing. Cid glanced back at Cloud.

It was a mistake.

Out of air, Aeris formed a weapon. Blazing with an eerie blue light, she brought it downward in an attempt to slice into the pilot’s head. Cid barely had time to bring the Venus Gospel up to block the blow. The blue rod sliced through the haft of the Venus Gospel, easily cutting it into two pieces. Cid looked at the pieces in shock. One of his strongest weapons was completely destroyed. He ducked as the blue rod whistled over his head.

"Aeris, what are you doing?!" Cloud demanded, his voice rising over the gale that was picking up in the playground. "It’s Cid!"

"No!" she called back. "He’s fooled you, Cloud, muddled your brain again! It’s Sephiroth! Don’t let him kill me! Please!"

Cid brought the bladed half of the Venus Gospel to bare, slashing futilely at Aeris. The blade sliced through her flesh easily, cutting deep into her collar bone. Blood flowed dark red in the dim light.

"Don’t let him kill me, Cloud!" she pleaded, fake tears welling in her eyes as the pain from the wound cut through her, cleansing her. "Help me!"

Confusion filled Cloud’s mind. That was Cid, not Sephiroth. Aeris was dead; she was dead! This wasn’t happening. What was she talking about? "No. You’re dead, Aeris."

Cid slashed again, cutting deep in her thigh, the pink cloth of her dress turning red with the new blood. "Kill her, Cloud! Damn it! Stop screwin’ around!"

"No, Cloud!" His gaze went back to Aeris. "Can’t you see? He’s lying!"

She knocked the shortened spear from Cid’s hands. He lunged at her with his fists. A square punch rammed into her jaw, hitting her down. His gloved hand caught on the small globe around her neck, ripping it from her.

"Cloud!" she called, the tears real this time. The pain which had cleansed her now sought to control her. She stared into the blue eyes of the pilot, seeing the anger which ruled them. The Murderer. He was going to kill her. She would not die. Not again. Never again. "Cloud!"

The young man stared at Aeris as Cid grabbed the long, slender blade from the dead Shinra commando’s body. Cloud turned his gaze on him. No, it wasn’t Cid. His vision split and refocused. It was Sephiroth. He was going to kill Aeris. Not again.

"No!"

The word sprang from his locked jaws, anger filling every pore of his body. He had taken so much; he would not take Aeris. Raising the Ultima Weapon high over his head, he stabbed it through Sephiroth, through his long time enemy, the cause of his strife. Sephiroth lowered the sword, falling to his knees, eyes on the blade sticking from the center of his chest. Cloud wretched the blade free.

Cid opened his mouth in shock, looking at the blood pouring from his chest. Funny that there was no pain. He turned his gaze onto Cloud, meeting his eyes. "Cloud…" he murmured, finding there was not enough breath left in his chest to speak. The Masamune fell from his numbed hand and he collapsed in the street, the blood already pooling around him as his own heart pumped his very life from him.

Cloud’s eyes widened, his sword lowering in shock. What had he done? This wasn’t Sephiroth; this was Cid. He had killed Cid. His friend was gone, murdered by his hand, his blade. Tears welled up in his eyes. What had he done?! He turned on Aeris, but she only had a smile to give him.

"Well done, Destroyer," she declared, her smile widening at his helpless expression. She stood, wiping the blood from a split lip. Kneeling next to Cid Highwind, she watched as he slowly bled to death. She began to pry open the gloved hand that held her globe of power. Cloud watched in horror.

Cid clenched his fist tighter as his life drained away, trying to hold his consciousness, gripping onto life by his teeth. The clouds rumbled above him, cackling with energy. A plume of lightning began to form by his sheer will. Aeris glanced up at the clouds, eyes widening in alarm.

As the lightning came crashing down, she stood abruptly, using the very power of planet. White light swirled around her, blanketing the entire playground, destroying the shadows. The lightning was absorbed into the illumination, adding a burst of energy. When the blinding light dimmed, there was only bloody body of the dead Shinra commando and the dying body of Cid Highwind.

The clouds released their fury in a down pour.

Lucrecia.

The name was a summon and a vanished hope for love and life, a constant reminder of his pain. The name could not be forgotten, but the events that often times connected with the name were too painful to remember.

Lucrecia.

Why he should hang onto that name was beyond him. Someone like him had no right to feelings, no right to love. Anything he touched often moldered and vanished like she had. He had no right for trust and found he had trouble even trusting those close to him. She had betrayed him, and he had not acted fast enough. He couldn’t have saved her. His sins. He didn’t deserve to love or to trust. He didn’t deserve much of anything.

Vincent Valentine sat quietly brooding inside the cave he often visited, listening to the rumble of the water as it tumbled over the cliffs. Her body had tumbled over the cliffs when she had thrown herself from the falls after Sephiroth’s death. Lucrecia’s Falls. The spray of the water, cooling and refreshing, reminded him of her, of what they had had. And then came Hojo. It was gone in a moment. She was gone. His sins.

For once, he found he could not sleep off his sins in the darkened world of his nightmares. He could not force himself to face those dreams that plagued him when he closed his eyes. It was the first time he feared what he might see. It was something in the air that made him uneasy. A tingling at the back of his mind that made him fearful of himself. He sought solace, a solace no one could give him. He sought a solace from himself. What had these past months done to him? He could not say. He sat quietly.

The roar of the waterfall whispered to him, soothing him as it echoed through the cave, the misty spray slowly permeating through his body. The rock of the walls bit into his flesh but seemed to be the most comfortable chair in the world. He suddenly wished he could sink back into the wall and disappear, fading away from the cruelty this life had to give him. His eyelids dropped, and he shook his head. No, the time for sleeping off his sins had passed. It was time for him to face them.

Lucrecia.

The wind whispered the name over the roar of the waterfall. He opened his eyes.

Lucrecia.

He stood up, staring at the watery mist at the entrance to the cave. The mist swirled slowly, taking shapes. Her form was ethereal, light and vaporous, celestial and divine, yet fleeting. Gone almost as soon as he saw her.

"Lucrecia," he whispered, as though he needed confirmation of what he had seen. Was he dreaming? No. He had been awake for days, fearful of dreams, an incorrigible insomniac. The wind whispered through the cave again.

Lucrecia.

He stared at the starlight sifting through the cave for a long time, casting shadows on the cave and shimmering in the spray of water. He needed to see her again. She would not appear to him but beckoned him to remember her and forgive.

Set me free. Lucrecia.

The breeze wafted through the cooling waters and caressed his hair and skin as she had. She was forgiving him, offering that solace from himself. But she was gone. He hadn’t helped her when she had needed him the most. He could not forgive himself as easily as she had forgiven him. His red cape slapped his heels as he began walking, slipping under the onslaught of water as he exited the cave.

He would not find solace in solitude.

Set me free.

She beckoned him to forgive himself and let go of the demons that littered his dreams. He was not ready. He couldn’t, not yet. He needed time to heal, though he knew the time to heal had come and gone long ago.

"Soon, Lucrecia," he whispered, as he started walking in the starlit night. He would find her soon and forgive himself. He could continue to repent his actions for longer. As the dark of the night enveloped him, he began the long trek to solace. And for the first time in a long time, he was afraid.

Tifa Lockhart stared morosely at the water running down the window pane. She frowned. This storm would set them back days. With the help of Reeve, they had begun rebuilding Sector 7, and most of the rest of Midgar, almost immediately after Sephiroth had been destroyed. It was still a skeleton of what it had been, a few buildings almost complete and even more in need of serious construction. Seventh Heaven was completely rebuilt, offering a drink and a warm place to sit to anyone who cared to share their story.

"Don’t worry," Barret Wallace said, placing his oversized hand on her shoulder. "Spike’s a big boy. He an’ Cid can take care a themselves."

Tifa smiled up at him, though it did not carry to her eyes. There was something happening; she could feel it. Something wasn’t right. It was unsettling. Thunder rolled in the distance and lightning flashed, the bolt landing dangerously close.

"I wish I could share your optimism," she declared, looking back out the window, wishing that Cloud would just suddenly appear and return to Seventh Heaven. He had left hours ago in need of solitude. She had sent Cid after him. Either of them had yet to return.

Barret growled a curse. "It’s jes’ the weather, Tifa. Getta grip. They’s probably gettin’ plastered knowing Cid."

Tifa shrugged, her stomach twisting with an unshakable feeling of malcontent. Her frown returned. She couldn’t stop worrying about them. It was uncharacteristic of either Cid or Cloud to get drunk at a bar, regardless of what Barett said. They left the heavy drinking to Yuffie.

"Maybe they went ta see that play he’s always jabbering ’bout," Barret suggested. Tifa shook her head.

"Cid hated that play; he said so himself. I think we oughtta go looking for them."

Barret groaned and then cursed again. "Jes’ stay here, Tifa. Me an’ Red’ll go lookin’." He shook his head and mumbled another curse.

The large man continued to mutter obscenities to himself as he walked away, motioning Red XIII to come with him. Tifa watched him go, relief finally replacing the worry that had plagued her these last few hours. Barret would find them… if they were to be found. Her frowned deepened to her brow.

She didn’t know why she worried so much about Cloud; he was a grown man and had proven time and again that he could take care of himself. She shook her head. She knew why she worried. She worried because she cared for him, more than she’d ever openly admit. It was times like these that she realized just how much she cared now and even back when they were both children growing up in Nibelheim.

She loved him.

She could never tell him that; neither of them were good with explaining their feelings to one another, but they both knew what the other felt. She had known that Cloud hadn’t truly wanted to be alone tonight and that he needed someone to talk to. Maybe sending Cid after him had been foolish of her. Maybe not.

She knew Cloud went for walks in Midgar. Sometimes she followed him, sometimes not, but he was always back in less than two hours. This particular trip had begun almost six hours ago, starting with the small disagreement they had had over Seventh Heaven. He didn’t want her to stay in Midgar; she could not give the city up. The argument had ended with him walking out of the door, silently angry at her stubbornness. She had sent Cid to look after him.

She sighed. Where could they be? She continued to stare out the window as if the droplets of rain held the answers for her. Lightning flashed not far away, and she blinked the after image from her eyes. A dark shape was running to Seventh Heaven. She closed her eyes and opened them again, cursing the lightning. But the shape didn’t disappear.

She turned to the door as Barret charged into the room, soaking wet, startling the few patrons. His face was stricken, fear etched in his normally hot eyes. When she saw why he was so distressed, Tifa whitened visibly. Hanging limp in his arms was Cid Highwind.

Red XIII bounded in behind Barret, pushing the large man into the bar room. "Somebody call the doctor!" he ordered, concern lining his voice. Cure hadn’t worked, though both he and Barret had cast it many times. Their efforts were not all for nothing; by all rights, the pilot should be dead.

Barret knocked the glasses from one of the many tables around the room, setting Cid down onto the hard surface. Tifa knocked the onlookers from her way, rushing to the table. She pulled Cid’s leather jacket open, her fingers coming away stained red with blood.

"Oh, God," she cried, tears forming in her eyes. She had sent him after Cloud. It was her fault. Tifa placed her hands over the wound in his chest in a futile attempt to stop the bleeding. Her efforts were wasting, the crimson liquid flowing through her fingers. She could no longer hold back her tears. "God, no."

Cid stared up at the ceiling of the room, his breathing coming in short rasps. He knew he was dying. No matter how hard and long any of his friends used the Restore Materia or potions of any kind, he wasn’t going to live. His gaze landed on the woman crying over him. The face was familiar, but he couldn’t put a name to it. He blinked away the oblivion in his vision, forcing himself to focus on her. It couldn’t be.

"Aeris?" His own voice sounded alien to his ears. No, she was dead. It came back to him in a rush. "No, get away from me!" His hands tightened into fists, the globe he had pulled from her digging into his hand, but he could not find the strength to fight. "God, Cloud. Kill her! No. Cloud…" He felt the tears leaking out of the corners of his eyes, mingling with the rain water still wetting his face. His heart beat pounded in his ears, quick and weak, but loud. Much too loud. It was all he could hear. His life was slipping away. What was happening? His worries and fears drifted away as the forever darkness closed around his vision.

And then there was the pain.

It ripped him from his peace, pulling him back to life. He felt as though his entire body was on fire, searing agony burning his core. His mouth opened in a silent scream, the burning agony almost too much to bear. He could feel the warmth of his blood against hid back and on his chest, the pain of the wound the Ultima Weapon had left when Cloud had run him through, and the cold glances of the onlookers as they watched him die.

Why couldn’t he die? He longed for death, the pain driving him towards madness. With each beat of his heart, the fire increased. There was no end to his suffering. What cruel trick had been played on him that he could not go peacefully into the eternal night? His left hand tightened further onto that globe, the cold crystalline sphere suddenly hot to touch. The pain washed away in a wave of cool. He felt his grip lessen on the globe as the pain lessened in his body, leaving him numb, the darkness coming to claim him.

There was nothing.

The globe fell from his fingers as his fist unclenched completely. It fell silently to the floor, dark where it had once been only light. As it struck the wooden planks of the floor, it shattered, its pieces scattering, the scorched shards smashing against the hard surface. The silence was complete.

Dr. Nygel Huiji slowly spun the small vial, watching the tiny bubbles floating through the blue liquid trapped inside. This was the key to the Promised Land, an insignificant amount of seemingly nothing, but the strongest power in the world, stronger than even the power of Mako. This was Nygel’s element. This was genetics.

He set the vial back down into its rack, leaning back into his chair, a grin of triumph on his face. He had succeeded where Hojo had failed. Hojo had been a near-sighted fool and his failure to see that his mistake had been his greatest triumph had been his undoing. He had not seen the potential of his failure. Hojo paid for his heedlessness. Nygel did not mourn his loss.

Nygel was seeking to correct Hojo’s numerous mistakes, starting with the cause of his demise. Cloud Strife was not a failure; his very being made him a success. He was the only one of the original Jenova Project that had survived the chaos of the last few years. He would lead the way to the Promised Land, finding the eternal happiness Hojo had finally deemed a legend and unlocking the door to Shinra’s Neo-Midgar and all the power the Planet had to give. The Shinra would strive on the power, and Nygel would be the ultimate ruler of all his creations. He would have power to give life and to destroy. He would be the almighty creator, the chief regent of the world. No one could stop him. Not now. He smiled at his thoughts, his eyes landed on his one success so far, his one functioning clone. She would be the first of many and lead him to the Promised Land with Strife at her side. Then she would die.

Aeris Gainsborough sat across from him, legs crossed, her well-manicured nails thrumming against the metal desk. Her petite stature emitted an overall feeling of boredom, but her eyes were tight with anger as she thought through her untimely predicament. A small line creased her forehead. Her gaze snapped to his.

"I need him," she growled, her hand moving to where her globe of power used to sit, a subconscious motion. "Now, our plans are all for naught without him. We need him."

"He is dead," Nygel declared, leaning back in his chair in triumph. She was foolish in her quest for the Promised Land, unable to see something so close to her that it almost touched her, blind in her hate.

Her eyes narrowed and her fist came crashing down on the desk with enough force to make the vials and test tubes rattle in their racks, startling him. "No! Cid Highwind is alive! He has it."

"Damn it, Aeris!" Nygel stood, his own anger taking control of him. "He was run through with the bloody Ultima Weapon! Even Sephiroth couldn’t survive that!"

She laughed, shaking her head slowly, a twisted, ironic smile playing her lips. "You are a fool. My power has given him life." Her smile twisted to a frown. How cruel life could be to her, her own power insisting on betraying her. "The power of Holy and Black, the Giver of Life and Death, has presented him with life… which is why we must kill him."

She stood, turning away from him and to the door of his lab, her frown deepening. The simplicity of her plan was beginning to get complicated. Curse the pilot for getting in her way. He would pay dearly for his crimes against her. They all would.

"Whether you like it or not, Professor," she began, turning back to him, sweetly, "he is now a crucial part of our plan. We need him, and I suggest you start looking for him now. Get your Shinra fools on him. I want him, dead or alive." Her eyes narrowed, her hand clenching into a fist. "Preferably alive so I can personally see him suffer."

Nygel’s face tightened in anger, mirroring Aeris’ expression. "You seem to forget who is in charge here," he declared, his voice cold with his anger.

She met his hard gaze squarely. "I am." Her tone was thick with enough menace to make going against her a suicidal mission. He watched as she turned, her thick hair moving gracefully with her body. He glowered at her back.

"You’re plans are nothing without me," he said. She turned her attention back to him, looking at him from the door. "You are nothing without me. Nothing!"

Aeris face darkened. "You seem to underestimate my abilities," she growled. She disappeared out the door, leaving Nygel alone in his lab.

© Junj, 1998

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