Yes, I know I've posted it before, but not everyone has read it.
I haven't had time to write anything new.
My novel is getting dusty...
So, anyway, read on.
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The Final Battle!
Part One
Cloud’s soul was in oblivion. It was being cast around the core of the Planet. Would he be killed, by the hand of the very Planet he had tried to wrench from the clutches of His arch-foe? His soul was plunged into an abyss of despair, as he and Tifa walked away from the centre of the North Cave. His mind was then touched by a familiar presence. How he loathed that presence! He stopped walking. Tifa turned around.
“What’s wrong Cloud?” she asked in a perplexed manner.
“He’s here,” said Cloud in a blank voice
“Who,” asked Tifa.
“It’s him, I can feel him,” said Cloud, feeling his soul being dragged away.
“Cloud!” said Tifa in a concerned voice.
“He’s laughing, I can feel him,” said Cloud in a voice filled with hatred.
“Cloud!” Tifa half-shouted
“Still…. here…”Cloud soul left him and went towards the core.
His body fell limply to the ground, in a heap.
“CLOUD!” Tifa screamed!
Cloud’s soul was adrift. Adrift in the lifestream. His mind was blank, and the echo of Sephiroth’s laughter was fading whence it came…
Cloud felt detached. Detached from life, and from himself. Just a wandering spirit. He felt the air rush past him, and he tried to open his eyes. He caught faint glimmers of light, and saw a long winding tunnel, and he realised he was going very, very fast. He was then drawn into a large body of water. Where it was, he would never know. It looked almost ethereal. He was amazed to find he could breathe, but, his awareness was yet again swept off…
This tunnel had grey walls etched with shadow, and then Cloud closed his eyes.
It could have been seconds, minutes, or even hours later, when Cloud slowly opened his eyes. He looked into a black room, and he was in a sort of spotlight. Then, he raised his neck, and saw him. Then, he heard his mocking laughter again. Sephiroth looked down at him. His foe, had his usual black trousers and high boots on, but his trench coat and armour had been cast away, revealing his hard worn upper torso. His muscles gleamed in the single light which illuminated him. He was lean, and his eyes were large emeralds, and his sword was held firmly in one hand. Cloud looked into the face of his foe in anger. Sephiroth calmly looked back at him… Cloud stood up, and faced his enemy! The very same enemy that had killed everyone he had knew and loved!
And now, after 5 years of fighting and searching, here he faced him, man-to-man. He felt all hindrances being lifted. He knew know that the time had come… he knew now that the loser of this battle would not lose his life, but his very soul…
His opponent looked mockingly down at him, with his face a mask of torn emotions. He knew that this was the time. He then fully noticed Sephiroth’s sword. The sword… The Masamune. The sword was the stuff of legends. Cloud knew that that sword could chop him completely in two. But, the sword was now in a spirit form. The sword could do serious damage to him, and he knew it. Yet, he still wished to end it all here.
He stood up slowly in defiance. His muscles ached, and the pain extended to the core of what he was… He then looked up at his opponent… and walked forward to stand in front of him.
There he stood. About to save the planet. His mind was a mix of despair and anger! The source of the destruction stood in front of him.
There they faced each other. Then, Cloud clenched his muscles, and once more drew the sword which used to belong to Zack. The sword Zack used to save his life. Zack made a sacrifice. So should he…
The Buster sword seemed somewhat lighter than usual, and he hefted as he always had. Then he lifted his head and looked at Sephiroth.
There they both stood. Two titanic adversaries. One, with a 9-foot long sword held firmly in his right hand. The other, with his 6-foot blade in his hand. They both had reasons to fight for, and they both believed they were doing the right thing.
“Sephiroth,” said Cloud in a voice filled with anger.
“Cloud,” Sephiroth acknowledged him.
“It’s been a long time,” intoned Cloud in a soft, yet scathing voice.
“That, it has,” said Sephiroth calmly.
Cloud looked into the eyes of his opponent.
“Why,” said Cloud,” Why did you do all this?”
“You oppressors stole the planet from mother!” he shouted.
“No. We followed our own path. You followed yours.” Disagreed Cloud.
“Your race is ignorant, yet you defend ignorance! It is you humans who are destroying Mother’s property!” Sephiroth half-shouted.
“You…you killed my mother! She was innocent! You have a Mother! I don’t! You Bastard!” Shouted Cloud.
“Your mother is weak! She wasn’t worth the killing!” He shouted.
“Why did you kill her then? Why!”
Cloud leapt at Sephiroth, and brought his sword down on Sephiroth. Sephiroth dodged his hasty blow with ease.
Then, Sephiroth struck with lightning speed, but Cloud blocked his sword. There they stood, their swords locked. There was anger in Cloud’s eyes. But there was mockery in Sephiroth’s.
Then, Sephiroth kicked Cloud back, leapt in the air and smashed both of his heels into Cloud’s jaw, sending him flying backwards. Cloud hit the floor, and felt pain in his ankle. He spat out blood and he opened his eyes. Sephiroth was standing over him, with his sword to his throat.
“I’ve just noticed something very strange Cloud…” Mused Sephiroth.
“What’s that,” said Cloud painfully.
“The way history repeats itself is very phenomenal… This was the exact same position your mother is before I killed her…”
“Bastard!” Cloud Bellowed.
Cloud, rolled to the side, and kicked Sephiroth’s legs out from under him! Sephiroth fell heavily.
Sephiroth got up fast, and then he struck at Cloud… Cloud parried. Sephiroth was getting angrier as each of his strokes were parried. Cloud was striking in anger, and so was Sephiroth. They both felt hatred.
Cloud then struck Sephiroth on his left arm. He saw Sephiroth’s muscles tense, and his eyes flash. He knew it was the end. Sephiroth was going to use his ultima fire.
Sephiroth placed his sword on his shoulder, and he brought it down sharply. A beam of red fire and energy burst forth from his blade, and hit Cloud! Cloud was flung backwards, with a deep wound extending from him his left cheek down to his chest!
He stood up in anger… He wasn’t going to give up now. He had everyone depending on him. Cid, Barret, Cait Sith, Nanaki, and Tifa, who had never ever revealed her love for him. He would not lose now!
He remembered a technique that he had used to defeat Weapon! He had named it Omnislash.
He tensed himself. He let all his rage flow through his arm into his sword. He looked into Sephiroth’s eyes.
“Cloud,” said Sephiroth.
“You shouldn’t have been born. You are a disgrace to any race! Especially the Ancients!”
“What do you know of disgrace?! Your entire race is a disgrace!”
Cloud felt himself lifted. He started to glow with an ethereal flame. He held his sword above his head horizontally, as an offering to the Gods. He then held his sword in front of him, and the tip of his sword pulsated with energy. He ran at Sephiroth, his mind filled with hate, and his face a mask of anger!
He slashed once! Bright red blood flew everywhere! Sephiroth flinched in agony! The first blow was followed by a second, and a third! Each slash was greeted by spurts of blood!
Cloud slashed a fourth time, and a fifth time, letting all his pent up anger and rage flow into his sword blade! He knew the world depended on him, and he was not going to fail! He slashed again, and again, not with the skills of a warrior, but with the person whose weapon is merely an extension of his arms. Again he swung, and once more Sephiroth cried! His eighth stroke was followed by yet another, and Cloud saw his mother’s face in his mind. This man had murdered his mother, and now he was going to pay!
He slashed Sephiroth another five times, and then leapt into the air! He lifted his sword above his head, and looked down on the face of his opponent! Sephiroth looked up at him with hate in his eyes.
Cloud then tensed himself, and brought his flaming sword down onto Sephiroth! Sephiroth fell, with his Masamune broken and scarred in his hand.
Then, his body dispersed, and he went into the realm of non-existence.
Cloud was faced with nothing. A void.
Then, he saw hints of green flowing all around him!
Cloud had won, and he looked at the wisps of lifestream around him with a sense of awe, as the Planet herself blessed his victory…
Linear Mode
