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He watched her there, in the altar, kneeled with her hands clasped together and eyes closed. Her yellow bands that wrapped around her wrists, brunette hair tied back in a childishly big pink bow. Her long button up pink dress that complimented the bow and her short-sleeved red jacket, with tall brown combat boots. She didn't look like she lived in slums, she never did. Now bathed in a turquoise rippling light, she looked almost like a goddess; a goddess saving their planet.
Her eyes opened, gaze bearing the same color as the light that was engulfing her. She looked up a bit and met his eyes. Her bow-shaped lips turned into a slight smile.
But then her form changed.
He watched as her small, slender build grew. He watched as her shoulders broadened, her muscles swelled, her height stretching upward. He watched as her outfit morphed into a black cloak with metal shoulder pads complimented by an extremely long, thin blade. He watched as her chestnut hair lost its shape and grew longer and longer until it nearly touched the beautiful crystalline floor and then lighter and lighter until it became stark white. He watched as her soft, bow-shaped coral lips thinned and lost color, her gaze turning bluer and angrier, her nose and cheekbones sharpening, and jawline squaring.
He was now faced with the man who torched his home and killed his loved ones. The man who was behind the meteor. The man Aerith was trying so hard to stop.
But now Aerith was gone. He took Aerith away. He took away their last chance. He was going to win.
"SEPHIROTH!" Cloud screamed, drawing his sword. It was taller than himself, and was extended high into the sterile, beautiful atmosphere of the Ancients City.
Sephiroth did not move, and remained in the same position Aerith first held. Kneeling, with his hands clasped together in prayer, staring up at Cloud.
But instead of a soft, caring, and reassuring smile, his lips were curled into a harsh, cruel, and evil smirk. His eyes blazing like cold fire.
Cloud did not hesitate to think about the peculiarity of Sephiroth's ease and stillness. He did not hesitate to question why Sephiroth was seemingly not going to fight back. He did not hesitate to stop and ask himself, how could she just randomly turn into Sephiroth? Fury was the only emotion controlling his actions in his clouded mind.
With a roar, he lifted his Buster Sword back behind his head with both hands and with all his strength brought it back down onto Sephiroth, who still had not moved a muscle. An ugly crack sounded as his weapon smashed into his skull, splitting it open and slicing through it as smoothly as cutting butter. Blood sprayed back onto Cloud, and he knew it had to have killed the cloaked man instantly. Sephiroth's body teetered and folded over, his head falling forward and smacking into the shining tiles of the altar; tiles too beautiful to be stained by such cruel blood. But Cloud had no time to acknowledge the stunning architecture he was ruining.
And he didn't stop there.
"GIVE BACK AERITH YOU BASTARD!" He screeched as he grabbed Sephiroth by his collar, coming face to face with his smashed in skull, left eye crushed along with it. His once blazing eyes were now dull and faded with death.
Cloud took another swing, slashing his arm off. Then another to the leg, and then a stab into his stomach.
Stab.
After slash.
After cut.
After blow.
Until Sephiroth was but a pile of torn clothes and flesh soaked in blood.
Sephiroth was gone, but Aerith was still as well. Why wasn't she back? He rid of Sephiroth, she should have reappeared.
An enraged scream came from Cloud's mouth as he grabbed a chunk of Sephiroth's body and threw it off the side of the altar and into the life stream. It landed with a loud splash. More howls sounded from Cloud as he flung more and more of Sephiroth's body off the side of the altar until nothing remained but a puddle of scarlet. The metallic smell overpowering the clean air of the abandoned city.
Aerith was still gone. His best friend was gone.
Cloud stood for a long while, staring at the mess he made, the beauty he stained. The rainbow light the floor once reflected was now snuffed out by the presence of blood.
With a small sob, he turned away and leapt down the path and soon came face to face with Tifa, who had strayed from the others and now stared back at him, she was shaking slightly having viewed the entire scene, but only shook her head.
"Cloud..."
"I did it...." He whispered, opting not to grab her shoulders with his red-stained hands.
"I killed Sephiroth." He told her breathlessly.
Her eyes widened, but then immediately resumed her former state.
"Yeah... congrats. He's... finally gone...."
But that's not what happened.
His mind was shrouded, free floating in the life stream, but through the fog he could see Tifa floating in front of him.
Everything was coming back to him now.
"Tifa," He gasped slightly. "What.. happened, to Aerith.?"
Grief filled her brown eyes.
I thought Sephiroth stabbed her...
..but...
Aerith's kind turquoise gaze met his along with her soft, sweet smile. Her mouth opened, about to speak, but was interrupted by a loud rush of wind from above.
And before he could warn her, before she could move, a sword sliced clean through her torso.
Sephiroth had killed her. It was Sephiroth, and after Jenova was defeated, he carried Aerith's lifeless body into the stream, and slowly released her. He remembered watching her dress flowing in the water as she sank.
He remembered the battle against Jenova. His allies were there fighting with him.
That's what happened
"Tifa...." His voice cracked. "What did I do..?"
She took a deep breath and sighed, staring at him with somber filled eyes.
"You killed Sephiroth because he took Aerith away, Cloud."
She's lying.
Rage filled his bones, he reached down to grab Sephiroth by the collar, cursing and screaming for Aerith back.
But when he pulled his face up he was not met with Sephiroth's stern, sharp face. He was not met with taunting blue eyes or filthy-looking long white hair. Cloud was instead met with soft facial features and brown hair tied back, a kind and gentle greenish blue eyes now dull.
He threw her back in alarm. Terror seized his heart.
No...
"Cloud... why?" She whispered.
He looked back over her body, completely back to herself, but now bloody and broken. Skull smashed, torso punctured, arm severed, legs shattered and torn.
"Cloud it's me... please I'm not Sephiroth.. Cloud..."
You did it
Flashbacks of him mutilating Sephiroth's body and tossing it off the altar came back violently all at once.
That wasn't Sephiroth
"No..." He whispered.
He'd been deceived, and so easily too.
Tifa's frozen, shocked face suddenly appeared in his mind.
She saw
A tear slid down Cloud's cheek.
Why didn't she say anything? Why didn't she stop me?
Tifa's sad eyes met his once again. A mixture of fury and sadness seized him, his throat closed.
"Why... why did you lie to me about that too..?" He hissed, voice hoarse. His childhood's friend's mouth started trembling.
"I'm sorry, Cloud." She whimpered. "I just didn't want to hurt you."