Author's Notes: This update is several years late. I am really very sorry. I am not sure if anyone remembers this story at all as it has been a very long time since my last update. If you want to re-read, you can start from Chapter 5, that's where the plot sort of begins. The first 4 chapters are basically just fluff.

Like all the previous chapters, the characters are talking to their love interests. Cloud to Aeris and vice versa. Tifa to Cloud. Cid to Shera.

It was very hard for me to write this chapter as I have never ever tried to write fights and action sequences before. The first-person perspective makes it even harder. But it turned out as it is…I can only hope some of you would actually still like it.

Chapter 9: Altar

Cloud:

The clock is ticking, and already we are here. The moment I both dread and look forward to is already at hand…

This is where our fates get decided. All my actions and all my decisions the past year all lead to this moment.

I try not to choke on the pressure. I try hard to keep my head clear and my breathing calm even though my chest threatens to burst with all my fears and worries.

'When the time comes that I should leave...promise me you'll let me go...' your words from this morning still haunt me and I shiver in fear each time I remember. How can you say such foolish things? Have I not told you I will do anything and everything just so you will live?

We have lots to fear but I will never let Sephiroth win. You will live past this, Aeris, I will do everything I can to make sure of it.

Things will go as I plan, things will work out just fine…I repeat to myself. Breathe in, breathe out.

We have been in the temple at the Forgotten City for a third of an hour and still nothing. No signs of danger, no Sephiroth in sight. I almost want to believe that things are actually looking up. You just have to finish your prayers and maybe we can all walk out unscathed.

I move my feet to keep it from sleeping and swing my sword in the air in eights. I continue staring at your praying form in the altar from where I am. Once danger arises, we are all ready to come to your aid. We have trained, we are strong. I know as a group we can keep you safe.

I hear Yuffie humming from the upper floors, possibly getting bored. She starts throwing pebbles into the water while Barret tries to stifle a yawn. Nanaki is sniffing around, jumping from time to time from one stone step to another.

My eye catches Tifa and she gives me a warm reassuring smile. I nod in acknowledgement before I return my gaze to the altar.

Nothing is amiss so far.

Breathe in, breathe out…

But then again, I find my feet suddenly covering some ground. I…I'm running…but why? Then my sword is in the air, ready to strike. I try to get a hold of myself, but I cannot stop. My blade swings and a friend dies and…

Oh dear God, no…not this time…

Cid:

Cloud is the first one to move, eyes glazed and bewitched in a trance.

Quick footsteps are heard as he suddenly breaks into a sprint. I watch in disbelief as he suddenly slashes Cait Sith's body with ease. The toy cat has never had a chance against him.

I throw my cigarette stick to the ground. Fuck. This is not good. This is the worst scenario in my head and it's now happening for real. How can you try to stop this madman without trying to kill him?

A second after the Cait has been torn to pieces a pinwheel is suddenly in the air, aimed at our leader's head. Cloud quickly blocks it with his sword and the damned thing goes off course and skitters to the floor.

Gun shots ring while a ninja drops gracefully on the ground on her feet. Yuffie takes off running, releasing more than a dozen blades while she sprints towards her discarded pinwheel. Not one blade connects with Cloud, the swordsman effectively dodging and blocking each one with that humongous sword of his.

Cloud is still on a run, quickly closing the gap between him and the altar.

I throw my spear into the air knowing that it will not connect. This is the man who has killed Sephiroth three times over, I know my spear has no chance of making any damage. "Fire!" I cast a fireball in his direction hoping it will be enough distraction.

Cloud veers off course and jumps back, still somehow effectively evading my spell and Barret's shots.

Yuffie's pinwheel is flying from all directions, the fast ninja jumping and running all over the place. Cloud just effectively blocks and evades, moving faster than we could imagine.

This is some fucked up shit. How long can we keep him distracted and how long can he evade our attacks? One of two things is meant to happen first, either we eventually go sloppy and he murders us and then Aeris or we end up maiming or killing this man. This is a losing battle no matter what.

I run to my spear, pick it up and half-heartedly try to attack. He better fucking block this one too or I can seriously skewer his arm. Thankfully he successfully stops the attack and swings his sword so quick that it sends me flying into the water in the middle of the temple.

I quickly use my arms and legs to swim towards the rest. When I manage to reach the stone floor I see that Yuffie is no longer moving, now stuck to where she is with powerful ice magic.

Barret is cursing as he tries to riddle Cloud with bullets and the ex-SOLDIER just dodges it while he runs towards where the burly man is.

Then out of nowhere a blur of black and white appears and Tifa knocks Cloud off of his feet. His sword falls to the ground and the martial artist is quick to kick it further away from Cloud's reach. Cloud reaches instead for her foot and tries to pull her to the ground but she won't let it. Next thing I know she has stomped her foot and has kicked him so hard he skids right into a wall, dirt and dust covering his form.

Barret quickly runs to where Yuffie is as Cloud gets distracted by Tifa's attacks. He is trying to undo the spell on the young ninja. All of Cloud's attack spells are mastered ones and Barret needs to undo it quickly or else her getting irreversible frostbite damage will be another one of our worries.

Tifa picks Cloud up and drives an elbow to his gut. The swordsman almost throws up. She follows with a somersault that the blonde did not have the presence of mind to dodge. She motions for a punch. This time Cloud has anticipated the move and catches her arm. He holds onto her before he kicks her into one of the pillars.

He takes off running towards his sword while another materia in his armor lights up. He's going to cast again and this time on Tifa.

"Fucking bastard!" I get up in rage and raise my spear parallel to the ground. I jump to the air with perfect form, performing a mastered high-damage move. I see him look up right before my spear descends on his form. The floor vibrates from the force of my attack but to my surprise steel clanks against steel and I see his buster sword right before me. Somehow he has managed to get a hold of his sword on time and he effectively blocks my mastered Hyper Jump.

I take notice of his lighted materia and I realize the dangerous position and proximity I am in. Cloud's haunting blue eyes narrow a fraction and already I know I'm fucked.

"Fire!"

I have half a second to brace for direct impact.

Tifa:

I watch in horror as you cast a mastered spell on Cid and the pilot flies into the air and drops to the ground unmoving.

Why? Why are we killing each other like this?

I jump to where you are, trying to land a kick. You swing your sword and I try to be very careful not to get caught by its blade. I raise my legs quick enough so I can use the blunt edge of your sword as leverage to move away.

I curse as I land on my feet several paces away from you. I need to get close or else there's not a single thing I can do to stop you. If only I could do a waterkick I know I can remove the sword from your grasp. I need an opening and fast.

"Barret!" I shout to get his attention. A barrage of bullets fly to where you are and you swing your sword as you run.

Barret takes a moment to reload and you quickly take the opportunity. With a SOLDIER's speed, you sprint up the stairs towards him, you swing your broadsword, then-

An explosion.

An explosion rings out and I have to move away and duck. The impact knocks your grip off your sword while Barret howls in pain as his mechanical gun arm shatters into pieces, his arms riddled by a multitude of slices from all the debris.

I am next to you in an instant and I land a punch and another and then a kick. You block my next one and you maneuver to attempt to throw me but I twist my body and I get an elbow attack in.

Wake up, Cloud! Wake up from this trance. Can't you see that you've already almost killed everybody?

You land a punch and I retaliate by punching and kicking you harder. Every time you connect a punch, an elbow, a kick I do it to you twice as hard. My hands are all covered with your blood yet you still won't snap out of it.

I throw you to the wall in frustration. Why won't you wake up, Cloud? I've broken your nose, perhaps your ribs…what else do I need to break just so you'd stop? I don't want to hurt you and it's breaking my heart that I'm doing this to you.

"Cloud, please, wake up…" When have my tears started falling without me even realizing it?

I punch you again and you spit blood out, so much red landing on my clothes and arms. I reluctantly raise my fists again, ready to strike.

You've got to wake up…there's already so much, too much blood.

"Please…" I cry and suddenly I'm in your grip, swinging in the air right before I crash to the ground.

It takes me a moment to gather myself. Perhaps I have taken too much time for when I look your way, the buster sword is already in your hand.

You break into a run towards my directions and I know I cannot afford any wrong decisions. I jump to the left, narrowly missing a swing. Then your swing once more and the blade slices through my shirt and into my skin. I fall on a heap on the floor, clutching my bleeding side. I get up and try to run but a fireball's force quickly slams me towards the nearest wall. I can hardly move at this point.

I see you stalk my way, eyes glazed over. Still no sign of the Cloud I know.

Is this how it will end? Will I die from my friend's blade? I see you raise your sword and part of me knows this is the end and I cannot, will not look away. I have to see how this ends.

"Stop!"

A spell.

You halt. In less than half a second your whole body is paralyzed, any movement effectively ceased.

It was Aeris, Aeris and her powerful magic reaching you from halfway across the temple. You've been stopped but I couldn't even sigh in relief for when I look her way I see your nightmare unfolding.

Aeris:

"Stop!"

As soon as the word leaves my mouth and the magic is cast, I feel my cheek sting with Sephiroth's backhand slap. My head almost spins with the impact and the bitter coppery taste of blood fills my mouth. He lets go of his grip on the front of my dress and pushes me away with so much force he could have very well thrown me in the air and let me fall.

"Why did you stop the entertainment?" He asks with detachment in his voice.

He walks to where Masamune is, to where Nanaki is lying on the ground with the blade right through his chest. Nanaki has tried to attack when Sephiroth descended from above but the ex-General has been quick to stab him with his sword. He takes the Masamune then promptly kicks Nanaki away.

I watch as our friend rolls off the altar stairs into a heap of red, bloody fur. He's still breathing. If only I could get near him, it might not be too late.

"Quake," I cast frantically and the silver-haired man just jumps away quickly, giving an amused laughter.

"Ice…" I cast as I run down the steps to where Nanaki is. I am vaguely aware that with Sephiroth's skills, my magic dealing fatal damage is just wishful thinking.

He realizes where I'm going and he quickly lunges forward and strikes me again. I am but a mere toy in his game, not even worth wielding the Masamune for. I fall towards one of the round stone steps separating the ground floor from the altar. He jumps next to me and gives me a kick, then another, then another until I get to the stone floor beneath. I clutch my core in pain and roll myself into a ball, my whole body hurts at the impact of my fall. There is a hint of laughter in his eyes. He stalks my way and in desperation, I cast the most powerful magic that I possess.

"Ultima!"

Even Sephiroth cannot escape the spell. Green light envelopes the SOLDIER and the black magic causes him some significant damage. He staggers and almost falls to the floor but he quickly regains his composure, using his sword to keep his balance. There is a look of surprise in his eyes, then the surprise is replaced with fury as he quickly walks right over to me and grabs me by the neck.

I choke and struggle as he squeezes. "No more games. You know what I want, so you better give it to me. Give it to me or I will kill you and take it," he says venomously.

I desperately hold on to his arm, trying in vain to loosen his grip. His eyes glimmer in satisfaction as he slowly squeezes the life out of me.

I move my mouth as I struggle to breathe. "H—haa—"

He smirks and loosens his grip. "What is it, little one?"

I tear away my gaze from him, taking the only opportunity that I have. There is no way I am giving him what he wants, there is no way I am giving up. All of us could die at this moment, our deaths are almost certain at this point so I am taking whatever chance I have, taking the riskiest of choices I could get.

"Heal!" I cast as I desperately pray that you've gone back to your senses.

Wake up, Cloud. You are the only hope that we have.

Sephiroth's eyes narrow and I am suddenly flying. I see you running towards Sephiroth before I painfully hit the altar ground. He readies his sword for the fight. A kaleidoscope of light flickers before my eyes, the masamune and the buster sword clashing in a deadly dance.

I look at our friends…almost all of them unconscious, maybe dead. They shouldn't even be here. They should all be alive and well but instead they are here, battered, wounded, and dying. My life is not worth more than theirs. Cloud, tell me, what have we done? Why have we asked them to risk their lives for mine?

I look your way and see you and Sephiroth still in a dance of swords, steel against steel, metal chiming and hissing with every swing.

I see Nanaki stir and I know what I have to do. There might still be time, maybe I could still save him. I struggle to run to where Nanaki is, almost tripping on the stairs.

I run to him, kneel and clasp my hands in prayer. The lights of the Great Gospel start to flicker.

There is little time but there is still hope.

The explosion is a distant sound, I am too pre-occupied with the task at hand to even notice. But before I could even finish the Great Gospel I feel a hand on my hair pulling me up. I struggle to my feet.

"Give it to me, you filth. Give me the materia or I will burn you alive!"

My eyes look for you and I see you trying desperately to free yourself from pillar trapping you to the ground. I gaze at you for this might very well be the last time I can. I can hardly recognize you with all that blood…I'm sorry, Cloud, I'm sorry for all the pain. You've done so much for me…but I'm afraid all your preparations, all your efforts might have just been in vain. Maybe there is nothing we can do to change the course of fate. Maybe in the end, things are meant to unveil the way they really should.

I love you, Cloud. You must always remember.

Thank you, Cloud. I will never forget.

I look right back at green eyes and with as much determination I could muster, I answer, "never."

Then I feel his hand on my chest and suddenly it burns and like wildfire, the pain travels…from the hand on my chest to the tips of my toes. My tears suddenly flow as I feel my hands grasp for something, for anything to hold on to.

Being burned alive from the inside out, is this how it feels? No, it can't be this. This is so much worse. Worse than the experiments carried out to me in the labs, worse than my bones breaking from a fall, worse than a blade piercing my gut. I feel searing pain. Everywhere.

All I feel, all I know…

Pain…

My mouth gasps for air as I do the only thing I can do at this point. In extreme agony and excruciation, I scream.

I scream and then there's nothing else.

Cloud:

I hear you scream and I look your way towards the altar. You're shaking uncontrollably as he holds you. I hear the agony in your voice and my eyes widen in fear. I have never felt more helpless. My heart starts pounding even more violently in my ears.

Then you stop moving.

No, Aeris, not like this. Not this time, please.

I struggle to free myself and with renewed strength I manage to lift the pillar off. I run and leap into the air, my sword angled to attack. Sephiroth's sword resounds with an eerie tone as he blocks my swing and promptly kicks me away with unbelievable ease. I skid to a halt on the stone floor below, narrowly missing falling into the water. I see him put his foot on your head as he reaches down for the White Materia that has come undone from your pink ribbon.

I jump up again in rage, I won't stand back and watch. Blue light encompasses me as I raise my sword for Omnislash.

He looks at me with cold disdainful eyes. He lets out a mocking smile right before he kicks your unmoving form towards the water beneath the altar.

No, no, no, no!

The blue light flickers out as I drop my sword mid-jump. I change my course and once my feet touches ground, I quickly dive after you into the cold water beneath.

You have to live. You cannot die. I just won't let it.

I swim and madly reach out to you. This cannot be happening.

"Cure…" I hold your hand and I cast magic even as the water threatens to drown me as I let the spell out, water going inside my mouth as I try to cast.

I pull you upwards until I can gasp for air.

"Cure…" I swim towards the stone floors and despite my weariness and my countless wounds I manage to carry you up and lay you on it. I struggle to follow, my muscles protesting as I haul my body weight up all the while casting magic.

Cure…

I cradle you in my arms, your cold limp body pressing to mine. Please, please, please, I'm begging you, please don't die…

Cure…

My fingers are tingling. My mouth is dry. My eyes are burning. My tears are falling…

This is not how this is supposed to go. This is not part of the plan. I came back to save you, so you've got to allow me to. Open your eyes, please... You have to.

Cure…

Silly boy, magic doesn't work on the dead. But you're not dead, are you? I won't let you. You can't die if I don't let you.

Cure…

I hug you now, you still haven't moved.

Cure…

I'm growing tired. Maybe I've lost more blood than I thought as it's getting harder and harder to cast. I have to try again though. At least one more time...

Cure...

I must have cast more than a dozen cures by now, but somehow you still haven't opened your eyes.

I cough blood as pain wracks through me. The human body cannot possibly endure to cast this much magic.

Too many spells in too little time.

Cure…

Even if it kills me…

Cure…

I shake your unmoving form and still you do not stir.

Cure…

Aeris, you got to wake up. You can't do this to me. You can't do this…

Cure…

Please, please, please! Oh God, you have to give her back to me!

Cure…

Why? Why this again? I can't possibly survive this heartache once more. Not a second time...

What about our plans? What about my pain?

Cure...

You promised me you won't go anywhere without me. You promised me. Damnit, Aeris, you promised me!

"You promised…" I whisper to your ear as I cry in grief.

Cure...

I press my trembling lips to your beautiful lifeless face. I hold you to my chest, as if holding you close to me can somehow ease the pain. I remember the promise you asked of me in the lake. I refuse to make it.

You've got to know...

I will never ever let you go…

Cure…

"Cloud…" I think I hear you whisper.

A/N: I hope you liked what you just read. Leave me a review, a rant, a feedback, a message if you can.

The conclusion of the story will be in the 10th chapter.