Chapter 24: Resolutions

AN: I do not own anything in this story. Everything is the property of its respective owner. Also, this is the final chapter. Thanks for all the reviews everyone and see you in the next story!

Ash ducked the first Deadites punch and fired his boomstick. The things head exploded in a spray of gore. The body stopped moving and Ash went to help Tifa. The fighter was having a tough time having never encountered a Deadite before and was surprised at how fast and strong it was. She aimed a kick at the thing's neck but the attack missed and then the Deadite punched her hard in the stomach. Tifa flew back and was about to hit the ground when Ash caught her. Placing her on the ground gently, he turned back towards the Deadite and ran at it. The monster jumped over his head but Ash just aimed his shotgun behind him and fired. The blast took the monsters legs off and it started crawling towards Ash. Ash revved his chainsaw and chopped the Deadite into little bits. Going over to Tifa he tried to get her to respond.

"Tifa! C'mon answer me!" Then the barmaid's eyes fluttered open.

"Did you kill them?" She asked weakly. Ash nodded and helped her up. Tifa cast Cure on herself and looked around. Just then the couple heard a voice.

"Aren't you a sweet thing." The voice said, singling out Tifa. Ash knew that voice.

"Show yourself, Bonehead!" Then Bad Ash showed up, looking just like Ash, except he had both his hands.

"Listen to yourself, you sound like a jerk!" Bad Ash said angrily. Then he started to glow with hellish energy and he changed. Where Bad Ash stood there now was a large wormlike creature with two huge red eyes. One was gouged out, but that wasn't the most disturbing thing. On both sides of the demon were thousands and thousands of heads. The thing spoke with a thunderous voice.

JOIN US!!!

"Ash, what is that thing?" Tifa asked, her eyes showing fear for the first time since Ash had met her.

"I call it Rotten Apple Head. It's the leader of all the Deadites and right now it's a pain in the ass." Then Ash ran towards the creature and gouged out its other eye. Thick blue blood splattered all over the S-Mart employee and he backed away. Rotten Apple Head then started firing some fireballs at the pair. The two dodged again and again, the demon never ceasing in its attack. Ash then spied a large piece of metal lying on the ground.

"Tifa, over here!" Ash yelled. The barmaid saw the jagged piece of metal and picked it up. "Alright, babe, aim for the mouth. I'll get you a clear shot." Ash then jumped in front of the demon. "You want me so bad, well here I am. Just to warn you, if you eat me I'll make sure you have a killer case of indigestion." The creature roared at Ash who signaled at Tifa to aim. "Alright, now!" Ash then ducked and the piece of metal flew into the gaping maw of the monster. Nothing happened and it was about to swallow Ash when a gurgling came from it's stomach. Then the thing exploded, knocking Ash and Tifa back and covering both in blue gore. Ash helped Tifa to her feet and looked at her with an awed expression. "What in the hell did you put in that metal?" Tifa smiled at him.

"Magic." The fighter answered him. Suddenly a pair of transparent blue figures approached the pair, emerging from the corpse of the demon. It was Cheryl and Linda. Ash stepped towards the pair nervously.

"Thank you Ashley and stop beating yourself up about us. There was nothing you could have done otherwise." Cheryl said, looking at her big brother with kindness. Ash smiled weakly.

"Anything for you, sis. Can you find peace now?" Cheryl nodded at him and then went towards the remains of the demon. More souls appeared and they formed a pillar of light shining upwards. Linda looked at Ash and Tifa.

"I'm glad you found someone else Ash." Then Linda addressed Tifa. "Take care of him, he can be very stubborn sometimes."

"I will." Linda beamed with happiness at that and then Ash felt the amulet around his neck rip off. It floated in midair, the mirror in the center reflecting his amazed expression back at him. The necklace then went around Tifa's neck and she accepted it gladly. Linda then turned to Ash.

"You take care of her too, Ash. Because if you don't I'll haunt you till the end of your days." But Linda smiled as she said those words. Ash gulped and nodded. Linda smiled at the couple again and then disappeared into the pillar of light. Ash had tears flowing down his face. Tifa hugged Ash to her and comforted him, not saying a word.

1rst circle of Hell…

Vincent and Cloud landed in some kind of gladiatorial arena with rotting corpses and skeletons in the bleachers. Then a massive wall of flame appeared in front of the pair and a familiar figure walked through, unsigned by the flames. Sephiroth had undergone a change since his death, his angel wing was now stripped of flesh and his eyes were now blood red. Horns grew from his forehead and his Masamune was black as night.

"Welcome to my arena." His voice had become deep and menacing. Cloud rushed towards him and the pair started fighting but pretty soon, Cloud was bleeding from a number of wounds. Vincent then turned into Chaos and flew towards Sephiroth. The madman just laughed calmly and dodged every attack. Then he ran Vincent through with his sword. Before he could finish him off Cloud ran towards him again and unleashed his Omnislash. His Buster Sword glowed with a golden light and Cloud landed 14 hits on Sephiroth. But there was no visible wound on him.

"What's wrong is that all you have?" Cloud felt fatigued and drained. He cast a Cure spell on Vincent and then passed out. Vincent's eyes opened and he changed again into Chaos but this time he was different. He looked more like himself and he carried a gun formed out of darkness. The demon fired at Sephiroth, who blocked it with his blade. Instead of the shot ricocheting though, it pierced through the blade and struck Sephiroth in the head. Black blood oozed out and Sephiroth fell to his knees. Vincent picked up Cloud's blade and approached Sephiroth calmly. The one winged angel was backing away in fear. "How is this possible?" Vincent then sliced him in half and then transformed back to normal. Going over to Cloud, he revived him.

"What happened?"

"Sephiroth's gone for good now." Vincent said. Then the pair was teleported out of the arena and into another circle of Hell.

The 3rd circle of Hell…

Ron and Hermione found themselves in a strange mansion, made out of human skin. The pair moved cautiously from room to room but then they heard a cold voice yell out "Imperio!" The pair was then forced to move up a long flight of stairs and into a large circular ballroom. Standing in the center was Voldemort. "Ah, Potter's friends, you've changed your appearance since I last saw you. Where is Potter?"

"He's dead." Ron said calmly. Voldemort looked shocked, but it quickly faded. He pointed his wand at the pair again.

"Avada Kerdava!" Ron and Hermione merely held out their left hands. The spell flew into the maws of the parasites. Voldemort started shaking. "Imperio!" This time, Ron and Hermione stiffened and walked towards the villain. "Weasley, cast the Crucio curse on the mudblood!" Ron drew his wand and looked at Voldemort and drew his wand. Then he swiftly pointed it at the Dark Lord and cast a different spell.

"Expelliamus!" Voldemort flew back, his wand leaving his grip. Hermione then ran up and grabbed his throat.

"What are you?" Voldemort yelled. Hermione merely snapped the Dark Lord's neck in two like a twig. Just as oblivion claimed him, he heard the two cold voices say in unison.

"We're dhampirs." Then Voldemort died for a second time.

The 4th circle…

Vash was walking among corpses his normally cheerful expression replaced by a grief filled one. Then he heard a voice ringing in his head.

Do you like what I've done with the place, Vash the Stampede? Vash whirled around and looked for the source of the voice.

"Legato, show yourself!" A man then appeared dressed in white. He was a very handsome young man with blue hair and a lithe build. His eyes though were truly frightening, a pale gold color that did little to conceal the aura of death this man exuded, even relished in. A human skull was on his right shoulder attached to his armor and he also had spikes shooting out of his left shoulder.

"I always knew you would end up here, Vash. You've committed so many sins in your life it's enough to sap one's tears. No matter whom you meet, the people in your life die- but then he was cut off by Vash's gun in his face. Legato merely smiled and snapped his fingers. "I see you still live in your idealistic dream world." Vash's gun broke off and a cylinder started spinning within it. Then Vash's arm changed into something resembling an angel's wing.

"You want death so badly, Legato? Well here it is!" Vash then released all the energy from the weapon at Legato. The psychic nihilist was soon nothing more than ashes and the entire area he was in as well. Vash's arms returned to normal and he started crying. "Forgive me, Rem." He said sadly, not caring when he was teleported away.

The 9th circle…

Kenshin and D found themselves before a vast throne room with flames dancing all around them. A lone figure was seated on the throne before them and Kenshin glared at it.

"Makoto Shishio." The new ruler of hell smiled at his name.

"Battosai, at last." Then Shishio shifted his attention on D. "And you've brought another weakling for me to feast on." Kenshin then rushed towards Shishio, who merely teleported behind the rurouni. Shishio was about to laugh until he saw D's blade slicing towards him. Quickly he drew his sword and blocked the blow. Then Shishio shot flames from his mouth in order to distract and burn D. The flames then went straight towards D's left hand. Shishio then leapt back eyes gleaming. "Unlike Battosai, you're strong. Why don't you join me?"

"I decline." He was about to rush towards Shishio when he felt a hand on his shoulder. Kenshin was stopping him, but there was something different about him. His eyes were amber and he had a fierce expression.

"Makoto Shishio, we've no time to talk, strike then so I can kill you."

"I'll burn you to ashes with my Kazaguchi." Kenshin crouched a little, with his sword in its sheath.

"You can use whatever skills you wish, however when I say I'll kill you, you will end up dead." Then he moved faster than D could follow and struck. The blade was parried and then Shishio's sword became engulfed in flame from the hilt to the tip. But he was being drawn towards the rurouni and had forgotten that the final attack of Kenshin's sword style involved two steps. Completing his spin, Kenshin slammed the blade into Shishio's side and the force of the blow ripped him in half, causing blood to rain down onto Battosai. Shishio started to crawl away when he felt a blade against his neck. Battosai then struck him nine times in one moment and killed him.

Then the pair heard a calm voice.

"Excellent, you've saved me the trouble of killing him myself." Stepping out from the shadows came a man who looked exactly like Dante except he was dressed in a blue trench coat and had a katana. Dante was dragged along behind him, unconscious. He flung the demon hunter at the pair and D caught him.

"And you are?" D asked, drawing his blade.

"Vergil. Dante's twin but unlike that fool, I desire power. Fortunately you and all your friends have made it possible for me to gain the ultimate amount." Then souls started flying towards Vergil, among them Sephiroth's and Voldemort's. Finally Shishio's soul went screaming into Vergil. Just then the entire party was teleported besides D and Kenshin.

"Where in the hell- Ash started but was cut off by D.

"He's the enemy. Just kill him." Vergil then started to glow and his skin turned pitch black. Gigantic wings sprouted from his shoulders and he gained muscle. His eyes glowed red and horns sprouted from his forehead. His katana became scythe like and blood red. Vincent and Vash started firing at him, while D revived Dante. The bullets had no effect on Vergil. Dante took one look at Vergil and then transformed into a blue demon with electricity shooting out of his eyes. Dante took to the air and struck with lightning bolts but again, Vergil shrugged them off and sent Dante crashing to the ground with a fireball, unconscious. D rushed in and pierced the monster's stomach, but he was punched back and the blade stayed in his chest. Ash ran up shooting his shotgun. Vergil was annoyed with him and ran him through with his blade. He flew back, blood trailing from a deep wound in his chest. Tifa caught him and lowered him to the ground. Kenshin and Cloud then ran up to him and used their ultimate techniques but they didn't work on Vergil. He knocked them out with one blow. Finally Vash powered up his angel arm to the fullest power level and fired. A huge cone of blue white energy engulfed Vergil and kept hitting him. Once the beam stopped, Vergil had one tiny hole in him. Vash passed out due to energy loss.

Vincent turned into his ultimate Chaos form and fired bolts of black energy at Vergil but the devil merely blocked the magic with his blade. Vincent was then grabbed in a telekinetic grip and was slammed into the ground again and again. Vergil grew tired of that and flung his unconscious form back towards the others. Ron and Hermione cast all the spells they knew and still nothing hurt Vergil. Then the two dhampirs were sent reeling back from a mighty punch and were knocked out. Tifa then came up with flames in her eyes and began a massive combo but every move was dodged. Finally she used My Final Heaven but even that failed. She was picked up by her neck and thrown away. She hit the ground hard and passed out. Only D was left, unarmed, facing the devil.

The dhampir's eyes turned blood red and his fangs lengthened. An aura of darkness covered D and blocked every single spell Vergil fired at it. Then D approached calmly, not in a rage, just walking steadily towards Vergil. The demon tried to psychically crush D but was sent reeling by a counterattack. Then Vergil used his sword but D caught the blade barehanded and it wouldn't budge, even with Vergil's demonic strength. D then grabbed his sword sticking out of Vergil's stomach. Then he glared at Vergil and spoke in a deep growl.

"Show me your throat." Vergil was compelled to lower his neck towards D. He felt the fangs puncture his neck and his soul, along with his borrowed powers were sucked out of him along with his blood. After D was finished, Vergil was back to normal. Fear shone in his eyes and D then sliced him in half, the dhampir reverting back to normal. After Vergil was in half, D punctured his heart and chopped the rest of him into pieces making it impossible for him to regenerate. Once that was done, he held out his left hand. A portal then appeared and D picked up his fallen friends and took them through.

Ash opened his eyes and found himself lying on a soft bed. It seemed familiar but he couldn't place where he had seen it. He heard soft breathing next to him and felt arms encircling him in an embrace. Tifa was next to him, a smile on her gorgeous face.

"You're finally awake."

"Where are we?" His question was answered when D along with Dumbledore walked up to their bed. "Gramps, long time no see."

"A pleasure as always, Mr. Willams. The rest of your friends are up and about, fully healed."

"I'm sorry about Harry, Gramps. I tried to save him but… then Dumbledore cut in.

"No need to apologize, Ash. Harry died bravely and there was nothing you could have done."

After this meeting Ash and Tifa left to see the rest of the group. Everyone was glad they were alright. They talked all day and night and were still celebrating when the sun came up. Vash, Cloud, Ash, Dante, and Tifa had gotten some very strong fire whisky and were passed out all over. Kenshin and Vincent just sighed at the happy drunks. Ron, D, and Hermione refused the alcohol but enjoyed the company. Dumbledore then came the next afternoon.

"I'm ready to send all of you back to your original worlds." Dante and Vash were the first to go.

"Thanks for your help, guys." Then Dante went into the portal. Vash turned towards the group and flashed the peace sign.

"Remember, this universe is made of…Love and Peace." The rest of the party flashed the peace sign.

"Love and Peace!!" They shouted. D and Vincent's faces had gone beet red but no one noticed. Then Vash went into the portal laughing crazily.

"I still don't get that guy." Lefty said. The rest of the party agreed. Dumbledore then turned towards Kenshin, who nodded. D came up to him and shook his hand firmly.

"Thank you for all your help."

"This one was glad to aid you all in your time of need. But I'm just worried how Kaoru-dono and the rest are handling this one's absence."

"No need to worry about that. I'm sending you back 2 minutes after you had left with the group so no one will know you had been gone." Dumbledore said. Tifa and Hermione came up and hugged Kenshin.

"Oro?" The rurouni said, after being hugged so fiercely. Blushing, he thanked them and went into the portal. D then came up to the portal, he was about ready to go in when he was stopped by Ash.

"Now just hold on a second, pretty boy. You've saved us more times than I can count on this trip and now you're going to leave without saying goodbye?"

"Ashley, Doe Eyes here isn't like that, if you haven't figured that out yet already, you must be dumber than you look." Lefty said. Ash was about to really lay it into the carbuncle when Tifa cut in.

"Shut the hell up you little bastard!" The fighter then blushed at having used such language.

"What she said." Ash told the carbuncle. D then sighed and looked at the rest of the group.

"I'll never forget any of you. Don't forget what I told you two." D said addressing Ron and Hermione. D then went into the portal, a huge smile on his face for the first time.

"Never thought I'd live to see that happen." Ash said and then he turned towards Ron and Hermione. "And what did he mean about you two forgetting something?"

"We just made a promise with D, that's all." Ron said. Dumbledore then came up to Ash.

"Are you ready to go, Mr. Willams?" Ash just looked at Dumbledore like he was crazy.

"Gramps, I'm going with Tifa. Do you think I'd go back home after meeting her?" Dumbledore nodded at this. "What? No if you go with her you'll disrupt the fabric of space time crap? No you can't be together bullshit?" Ash said.

"None. Besides, I think the universe can survive one S-Mart employee leaving his own world to live in another." Ash smiled at that.

Dumbledore then removed the portal to Dearborn, Michigan and opened another to Gaia. Vincent and Cloud went in after saying goodbye to everyone, Vincent blushing after Hermione had hugged him. Ash and Tifa turned towards the two dhampirs.

"Well, Shorty and Red, it's been fun. You two watch each other's backs now and don't take crap from anyone." The two hugged Ash. "Hey, that's enough of that." But he didn't shove them away.

"You too Ash, and remember think before you fire your gun." Hermione said.

"Yeah, yeah."

"I'm glad I met all of you and don't worry, I'll make sure Ash stays out of trouble." Tifa said. Then the couple went into the portal and out of Ron and Hermione's lives.

One year later…

Reno walked into Seventh Heaven with a huge smile on his face. Walking up to the bar, he saw Tifa making a drink, her back facing Reno. It had been two whole years since he'd seen her last, during the Geostigma incident.

"Hey baby, why don't you turn around and let me take you on a date." Tifa turned around and Reno noticed her round belly. What he didn't notice was the wedding ring on her hand. Then Reno said the dumbest thing he had ever said. "Man, Tifa, you really got fat, why did you let yourself go?" Tifa's eyes flashed angrily at the idiotic Turk but calmed down after seeing someone walking behind Reno. Reno then twirled around and was staring down the barrel of a sawed off shotgun. It wasn't Vincent, in fact Reno didn't know this guy at all. He was taller than Reno and had dark hair and his eyes were a muddy brown. They were now glaring at the redhead, making him afraid. He had a chainsaw where his right hand should have been.

"Alright Ginger, you've insulted my wife and you know what that means?" Ash said, grinning at Reno.

"What?"

"Hey Cid, we have another guy who wants a tour of the Highwind!" Ash yelled. The pilot came out pissed.

"Alright, hold your goddamn horses!" Cid then knocked Reno out and carried him to his airship. Ash went up to Tifa.

"You alright, honey?" Tifa nodded.

"It's just I really am fat!" She said, tears falling down her face.

"No, it's just the twins, you are eating for three you know." Ash said, hugging his wife.

"Thanks, Ash what would I ever do without you?"

"You would have killed one of these yahoos that come in here and call you fat." Tifa laughed at that. Soon, Reno's screams could be heard outside. The redhead was being held outside the Highwind which was hovering 150 feet in the air.

The Frontier…

D rode like the wind and came to a lonely plain in the middle of the Frontier. A portal soon opened and two figures emerged.

"Are you sure you want to join me? I live a dangerous life." D said to the two.

"Of course, D. We've said our goodbyes and we have each other. That's all we need." Hermione said, getting on one of the horses D brought for her. Ron got on the other.

"I have one very important rule when you're with me: Always follow my orders. That's all." Then the three dhampirs rode together, away from the sunset.

A couple months later on Gaia…

Tifa had the camcorder out and was recording her two children.

"Come quick, guys, I think they're going to say their first words!" The barmaid yelled. Ash ran in, followed by the rest of Avalanche and Marlene and Denzel. Tifa handed the camera to Cloud and knelt down in front of her daughter. Ash knelt down beside her, looking at his son.

"C'mon, Cheryl, saw mama! C'mon!"

"Alright Harry, say Dad, please!" Ash said. Both twins looked up at their parents with their wine red eyes and said at the same time.

"Groovy!"

Tifa looked over at Ash, who had a sheepish smile on his features.

"Ashley." Tifa said calmly, her eyes flaring up at Ash who picked up his son and looked very happy.

"C'mon, Tif, it's cute." Tifa picked up Cheryl and went up to him. She sighed heavily.

"There's nothing we can do about it now I suppose." Yuffie and Cloud were giggling when they heard the twin's first word. Soon the couple focused on Yuffie and Cloud.

Tifa set Cheryl down in her crib. Harry soon went in beside his sister.

"Cid, can I borrow your spear?" Ash asked the pilot.

"Don't break it." The pilot said, blowing a puff of smoke out into the hallway.

Husband and wife turned towards Yuffie and Cloud, who had started backing away when they saw the two approaching.

"Don't get all worked up guys. It's funny!" Cloud said, trying to calm the two down. He failed. Cloud ran out of the room with Ash in hot pursuit.

"Blondie, don't you ever laugh at my kids again!" Ash yelled, poking Cloud in the butt and eliciting a high pitched scream of pain. Tifa approached Yuffie, the ninja running into Vincent's arms.

"Vinnie, help me!" Yuffie asked her husband. Vincent looked at his wife and shook his head.

"Sorry, dear, but you shouldn't laugh at other people's kids." Tifa then chased Yuffie out of the room, the ninja girl's yells being interrupted by Tifa hitting her lightly. The rest of Avalanche laughed as they watched the husband and wife chase Cloud and Yuffie all over Seventh Heaven. Harry and Cheryl joined in, smiles on their cherubic faces.

Later that night, Ash lay awake in bed, thinking of everything that had happened in his life. Tifa was beside him, snuggling into his chest.

"I don't deserve you, Tif." Ash whispered to his wife. She woke up and smiled at him.

"Of course you do, Ash." Ash smiled and Tifa then kissed him passionately on the lips. "Hail to the queen, baby." She said, Ash nodded at her and he drifted off into a calm sleep, his dreams filled with his wife and children, instead of nightmares.