Well, here it is, the last chapter!!!! Thank you all so much for your love and reviews!!! Clorith and Hollowed- thanks a bundle, you guys rock! Sobs I love you, Cloud!

Chapter 17: The Light

Cloud reached his black boot out and kicked at the lifeless arm of Sephiroth. They kept his body in the basement away from the children, and other prying eyes. "First class SOLDIER…" Cloud muttered irritably.

"Cloud?"

Marlene was upstairs, her little voice carrying down to him.

"I'm down here, Marlene." He replied.

"I'm coming!"

"No," Cloud said quickly, "No, I'll come up." He gave a revolting look at Sephiroth's body, and hit the pinball machine in its sweet spot. It rattled him up to the second floor. She was bouncing on her toes, smiling up at him, and holding her arms behind her back.

"What is it?" He asked.

"Aeris said I could come find you, and that you'd be my patient."

Cloud's pupils dilated. "Patient? What do you mean by that?"

Marlene's grinned widened as she held out her hands full of curlers and ribbons.

Aeris stood in the doorway of Marlene's bedroom as she watched her doctor Cloud's hair. When Marlene would hold up a mirror, Cloud would wince, but put on a big smile for her.

"Marlene, these aren't really going to curl my hair, are they?" He asked, but she just giggled. "Marlene?"

Aeris walked into the room "Oh, Cloud, you look so beautiful!"

He shot her a look.

"Good job, Little One." Aeris told her. "But, your dad wants you downstairs. Something about sugar…"

Marlene took off at the speed of light.

Cloud reached into his hair and tugged the curlers out.

Aeris watched him, "Very macho, very manly."

She cried out when Cloud grabbed her around the waist and pulled her onto his lap.

"You forgot one." She plucked a curler from his hair.

He grinned.

"It's so nice to see you smiling again. You're so handsome when you smile."

"Just when I smile?" He asked.

She nodded, "'Fraid so."

He laughed, and held her tighter. "I haven't had something to smile about in a long time."

"I'm sorry." She said.

There was a pause between them in which she reached up and feathered his spiky bangs. "Cloud?"

"Hmm?"

"I never blamed you for anything… ever. I just wanted you to know that."

He rested his forehead against hers.

"Are you nervous about tomorrow?" She asked. "When I call the Lifestream to give them Sephiroth's body?"

"Why should I be nervous?" He asked.

She shrugged.

There was another pause. "Let's go look at the stars."

"Okay," He said.

They sat side by side on the school roof, watching the twinkling beauties up above. Since the plate fell, they could now see the sky. It was beautiful… and depressing. Why did so many have to die because of ShinRa? Aeris rested her head on his shoulder. The warm leather of his shoulder pad caressed her face in the night's chill. He slid an arm around her shoulders, not speaking, not having to. Aeris tilted her face toward his, and kissed him, on this, her last night on the planet.

Cloud stared at the Lifestream. Did he do something wrong? Aeris told him to shove Sephiroth's body in there, but it still glowed and danced as if waiting for more. As if waiting… for someone else. And suddenly, cruel reality slapped him in the face. She wasn't his; he was about to lose her all over again. "No," He whispered as he turned to her.

She wasn't even looking him in the eye. Her hands were folded in prayer, her head bowed, but her voice was directed to him. "Cloud…" She started.

"No!" He yelled, shoving his hands in his hair. For some reason, it's what he did when he was about to lose it. He couldn't believe this. Twice. Twice in one lifetime would he know such pain as to watch the girl he loved die all over again. He relived it in his nightmares, but this was different. He could touch her now. He could feel her.

"Cloud, listen to me." Aeris said. She walked to him, and put her hands to his face, and stared into his deep ocean eyes.

Cloud stared at her. "Why?" He whispered. It was the one question he would never know the answer to, no one would ever be able to give him an answer that would suffice, not even her.

"Because it's the way it has to be." She said, tears trailing down her face. "I'm not a normal girl. I don't belong here anymore, but I promise to watch over you, always, I promise." She paused, "I love you more than you will ever know. At least this time, I get to say goodbye." She kissed him softly.

"I love you," He whispered in her ear.

Tears dripped down Aeris's face, "I know you do, and I love you, Cloud. But, I can't have you." Aeris's heart plummeted. She knew the truth, but saying it to him hurt worse than a thousand deaths.

He stared at her. "No…"

She lowered her forehead against Cloud's, hiding her tear-stained cheeks. "If you love someone, set them free," She whispered.

"Aeris," Cloud started, grabbing her small hands. "Aeris, please… I can't… I can't lose you again, it would kill me. I love you too damn much."

"I'm sorry." She whispered. "I want to stay… but I can't."

"I'm not letting you go."

"You have to." She sighed, "I will be with you, always."

"Let's run," He told her, cupping her face. "Let's run, and keep on running, and never look back."

"I can't run." She whispered as her tears splashed against his hands caressing her face.

"So you're giving up." He said, walking back from her.

"Can't you see what this is doing to me?" She asked him.

Tifa stepped forward and placed a hand on his shoulder. Aeris waved to her, Barret, Vincent, Cid, and Red. She stepped through the Lifestream, and Cloud was alone again. It was something he couldn't live with. Not this time.

"WAIT!" He screamed. "Aeris, wait!"

She turned to him, a pained expression on her face.

"I'm coming with you."

"What?" She whispered.

"I'm coming with you." He said again, his blue sapphires staring into her emeralds.

Tifa gasped, "Cloud…"

"I can't let you do that." Aeris said, "It's not your time, you'd be giving up so much."

"But look at everything I'd be losing." Cloud told her. "Aeris, it was never a decision. I've been prepared to follow you since…"

Aeris hung her head, "I can't pretend like I don't know… I've been watching over you… and it hurt so much to see what you went through because of me."

"Don't blame yourself." He said quickly.

"If you're sure, I'd be really happy, and I won't stop you, but I think they might." She replied.

"Cloud, this is crazy…" Tifa started. "You can't just die!"

"I've been dead, Tifa." He replied, "I want to live."

"Cloud, no!" She snapped. "What about us? What about Marlene?"

Reno put a hand on her shoulder. "Let him go. Look at him, it's what he needs."

Tifa turned to Barrett, Vincent, Yuffie, and Cid. "Tell him--- tell him this is a stupid idea!"

But no one spoke out.

"You'll understand in time why I did this." Cloud told her. "It's not because I don't care about you, Tifa, I do." He shrugged, "But I'm… I'm in love and…"

"And what?" Tifa threw up her arms in defeat. "You're just running away again, the same old Cloud!"

"To give up the life you're living, and follow the girl you love to eternity… it's a beautiful thing." Vincent said. "Enjoy your everlasting." He told Cloud.

Cloud nodded to him.

Yuffie ran up, and hugged Cloud tightly. "I'll miss you!"

"Try not to steal so much, okay?" Cloud said.

Yuffie grinned at Vincent. "I don't think that will be a problem."

Barrett clapped him hard on the back. "Don' go makin no scene now, jes go."

"That's the nicest thing you'll get from him, I think." Yuffie said, and Cloud grinned at her.

Cloud handed Cid the keys to Fenrir. "Thanks a lot, she's been great."

Cid gave a nod. "Go on, ya lucky fuck."

Finally, Cloud turned to Tifa. Her arms were crossed, and tears were in her eyes. "Why are you all saying goodbye to him?"

Reno put an arm on her shoulder.

"Cloud…"

"Don't miss this opportunity to say goodbye," Reno told her. "You won't get another."

Cloud circled his arms around Tifa, and she rested her head against his chest. "You're going to be fine, Tifa." He told her, and nodded to Reno. "You don't need me. Take care of her."

"I will," Reno saluted.

Tifa wiped the tears out of her eyes, and Cloud gave her a kiss on the cheek.

"Goodbye," She whispered.

A long slender arm emerged from the Lifestream. Cloud reached up, and took it.

He was being pulled up… weightlessly, miraculously…. he was engulfed in what felt like warm bath water, and he felt something heavy drop out from under him. He turned, and saw his body lying on the ground, Tifa clutching onto it. It was definitely a weird sight. Someone reached down and turned his head. It was Aeris, and on her face was a beautiful, peaceful smile. Cloud turned back and saw that he couldn't see the others anymore. He was in a field of yellow flowers that looked oddly familiar… "Aeris, is this…"

"Our place," She answered. "But this isn't half of it. We can have anything we want here! You dream it, and it's yours!"

"But my dreams already came true," He said, pulling her close.

Aeris looped her arms around his neck and smiled at him, and kissed him softly. "Come on. The rest of our eternity starts now." She took his hand, and they ran through the flowers towards a turquoise light. The light.

Cloud had finally found her.

Fin.