<html>  <head> <title>The Ending</title> </head> <BODY bgcolor="#000000" text="#808080" link="#0000ff" alink="#ff0000" vlink="#800080"> <Basefont size="3">  <h1 align="center">The Ending</h1>  Condidering what had just happened the mood was tranquil,albeit a bit of anxiety filled the air. The party members waited tensly for their leader to decide they had had enough rest and that is was time to move on.Cid puffing away at his ever present cigarette, Yuffie sprawled across the ground (semi-aware of her surroundings because of the beating she took at the hands of Bizzaro-Sephiroth),Tifa chatting quietly with Cloud, Cait Sith perfecting his fortune telling skills (that could take awhile), Vincent standing aloof from the rest of them battling the inner demons he had recieved from his part in defeating Lucreacia's son, Barret sitting against the stone wall idely tapping his gun-arm against the ground, Red XIII laying beside Barret silently pondering the situation they now found themselves in. Cloud looked around the room,"Does anybody have any idea of what we are going to do now?" Red picked his head up to answer, "As to our immediate problem I suggest we leave as soon as possible before Holy starts moving and we are all caught up in it." "Well put,"Cloud agreed,"All right everybody up. Lets Mosey." "GODDAMMIT!"came the scream from Cid as he threw his cigarette to the ground."Would ya quit saying it lika a damn sissie! God, the next time ya say it like that I'm gonna smack ya upside the head with my spear!" Cloud smiled ruefully,"Okey Cid would a 'lets go' be good enough for you?" "Fine, but the next time you say 'lets mosey' I'm goin' to run you through!" By now Cloud is forcefully trying to hold his laughter in,"All right then Cid, lets go everybody." As they walked off Cloud heard Yuffie go up to Red"Hey Red What are you going to do with your materia?" "Shut up brat." Barret growled. "Hey I'm just askin'" she said defensivly. "Tifa" Cloud said after everyone was out of earshot,"could you just wait for a minute?" "Sure Cloud." "Tifa"Cloud said hestiantly,"I just wanted to say thank you for everything you've done for me." "There is no need to thank me Cloud."she said slowly. "Yes it is. Tifa there is something I've always wanted to say to you since the day I meet you."Cloud said softly. "Tifa I...I...ARRGGHH!!" he screamed in agony as he grabbed his head. "NOT NOW! NOT AGAIN!IT'S OVER! HE IS STILL HERE!" "Who is still here Cloud?" Tifa asked worried,"Who?" "HE IS LAUGHING AT US! NO...YOU BASTARD!" "SEPHIROTH!!" Abrutly Cloud was flung towards the far wall. Just as he reached the wall a hole appeared and Cloud was sucked through it. When Cloud opened his eyes he instanly regretted it. As he flew through the first turn in the wind tunnel his stomach heaved and he almost lost what little he had eaten in the last few days. Cloud closed his eyes and tried vainly not to throw up. When Cloud felt himself slow down he relectantly opened his eyes and felt a surge of anger rise up. Sephiroth stood there glaring at Cloud icily lifting his sword in preperation for the battle to come. Readying his sword Cloud charged at Sephiroth, his anger building with every step he took.When he finally reached Sephiroth his anger reached it's limit and he finally snapped.Everything Sephiroth ever did to hurt him came flooding back to him,Nibelheim,His Mother, Aeris...Aeris. As he thought about Aeris, the flower girl from the slums who never did anything in her eintire life to hurt another person coldly stabbed through the heart by this soulless demon spawn he saw before him, Cloud screamed a scream of pure rage that even made the great and almighty Sephiroth flinch. For the first time in his exsistance a look of fear crossed Sephiroth's face as the enraged youth brought his weapon down across Sephiroth's body faster than the eye could see. As his attack ended Cloud,tired as hell, stepped back to survay his handiwork. Sephiroth,broken and bleeding, could only stare at the young man, who could now claim to be his murderer, smile victoriously. "You've lost General. And now,where you are going, you'll have a lot of time to think about what you've done." Sephiroth's mouth worked but no nothing came out. He could only watch in horror as Cloud walked up to him,placed his hands on his neck, and then there was darkness. To shocked to even think Cloud looked down at his blood soaked hands and smiled. As Cloud looked up he was suprised by the green mist that surrounded him. Cloud reached up for the hand poking through the darkness shrouding his vision. As he gripped the hand above him the darkness faded away and he found himself on a crumbling rock ledge holding Tifa's hand.He scrambled up beside Tifa and sat beside her. "I finally understand. The Lifestream. I'll meet her there." "Meet who Cloud?" "Aeris." "Yea, we'll meet her together," she said as she hugged Cloud tighter. "Where are the others?" "Over there," Tifa pointed to a far ledge where the others sat waiting for them. "Now What?" Barret said gruffly to Cid. "Hell if I know, Hey Red what do you think is going to happen now?" I assume we will be getting out of the crater before Holy starts moving and we are caught up in it." "Ya hear that Cloud!" Cid shouted at Cloud, "It's time to go now! AND DON'T SAY LETS MOSEY! I'LL KILL YOU IF YOU DO! Cloud just laughed. Even as this conversation was taking place the crew of the Highwind risked life and limb to rescue the party by plunging into the depths of the crater. "All right everybody into the Highwind," Cloud yelled as he stood up. Just then a tremor shook the crater so violently that Cloud fell back down. "FUCK! She's gonna blow! EVERYBODY, HIGHWIND, NOW! screamed Cid. When everyone was in the Highwind they blasted off as fast as they could but it would turn out they did not leave quick enough for they were caught up in Holy before they could leave the crater leaving the Highwind wingless. "SHIIIIIIIT! Cid screamed as he reached for the emergency lever. Two emergency wings unfolded and a secondary engine popped out. With a scream of protest the Highwind escaped Holy's grasp and flew away. <HR> Halfway around the world Barret's little daughter Marlene opened the shutters and looked out at Meteor. Even as Holy was released Meteor started it's kamikazie run on Midgar. Meteor released high speed wind tunnels to assult Midgar. As soon as Holy reached Meteor it tried in vain to destroy the Ultimate summon magicbut avail.Though not it's origanal intent Holy, instead of destroying Meteor, aided it in it's quest to decimate Midgar. While Holy and Meteor waged their one sided war over the remains of Midgar on the other side of the planet a single green lifestream stalk arose from the ground and reached for the sky. All around the world these beanstalks covered the earth in an emererald green glow. All of the sudden all of this lifestream energy combined and started a mad rush towards Midgar. When the energy reached Meteor it ripped through Holy and erupted against Meteor's side with the force of a thousand nuclear explosions. Meteor, not able to stand up to the lifestreams attack, slowly began to crumble away from the assult it now faced. Never, in the destruction of countless populated worlds, had one ever fought back with the ferocity it saw in front of it now. Vowing revenge Meteor, The Ultimate Summon Magic- The Scourge of every world it passed, had just admited it had been defeated and, half destroyed, limped back to the palce where it regain it's fomor streangth and glory and come back with a vengence to decimate this little backwater world. <hr> Back on the Highwind. <HR> "Tifa I never got to finish what I started to tell you in the crater." "Yes Cloud?" Tifa responded almost giddy with anticipation. "Tifa...I love you." "Oh! Cloud!" she replied as she jumped into his arms. In the background one can see Meteor floating away like a dog with it's tail between it's legs. Far away and deep in the lifestream Aeris prays for the sake of the planet and the safety of her friends <HR> Fin The Ending BY Sephiroth0716 sephiroth@finalf5.zzn.com www.angelfire.com/ak3/sephiroth0716  </body> </html>