Jeffrey "OneShot" Wong Final Fantasy VII: Fallen one Cloud's anger started to build as he gazed at Sephiroth. This was going to be Cloud's final battle, a one on one battle between him and Sephiroth. He clutched his Ultima weapon tightly at waist level, the knuckles of his gloved hands turning white. After he and his party had defeated Safer Sephiroth, Cloud's spirit had been yanked from his body and plunged into the darkness, where Sephiroth awaited his arrival. Sephiroth held his long sword high on his body, the long blade extending forward, straight toward Cloud's heart. It looked like he was intent on stabbing right through Cloud. This blond-haired kid had been nothing but a thorn in his side, and this time, he would rid himself of such a nuisance. Sephiroth never had the chance to lunge forward and attack. Before he knew it, and orange aura glowed around his opponent's body right before Cloud lunged forward and proceeded to ravage his body with multiple slashes and stabbing. Sephiroth didn't even have a chance to cry out in pain. Cloud looked down his sword, the blade soaked with Sephiroth's blood. It was finally over. In the darkness, a green light started to grow and surround him. "Lifestream?" Cloud said to himself, reaching out and touching the green light. It looked like some form of tangible mist. Pretty soon, a huge column of green light formed before him, looking like it stretched all the way up to the heavens. And out from that column of light emerged a single hand. Aeris? He reached forward to touch it, to touch her one last time. He had missed her dearly. It had torn him to pieces when she had died after Sephiroth plunged his long sword through her. Now her death had been avenged. Now she could rest easy. Just as Cloud was about to take hold of her hand, the green light and darkness disappeared, plunging Cloud back to reality. It had been Tifa reaching out to him. The floor below him was crumbling, chunks of it falling into the green pool that had formed, the Lifestream. Cloud's heart leapt into his throat and he saw the floor Tifa was standing on give way. His legs moved faster than it had ever before as he ran forward to grab Tifa before she fell into the Lifestream. He jumped forward just as the ground he was on crumbled, catching Tifa in mid-air. The momentum of his lunge and propelled him and Tifa high enough so that Cloud could catch on to one of the firm ledges. As he they hung there, Cloud looked down at Tifa, who was clutching tightly around his body, never wanting to let go. He had one arm around her waist, holding her close to him. "I think I understand." Cloud said softly. "What?" Cloud took a deep breath to continue speaking, but it was interrupted.. A sword was plunged his sword through Cloud's back, the blade exiting through his chest, embedding itself in the rocky ledge they were on. Tifa looked up into Cloud's eyes and saw tears starting to form. Immediately, she knew something was deathly wrong. It didn't take her a split second to realize a blood soaked blade was jutting out from Cloud's chest, Cloud's lifeblood flowing down his body as he continued to hold on dearly to the edge, not wanting Tifa to die with him. Tifa turned he gaze around and caught sight of Sephiroth as he began to laugh. Somehow, he had managed to get his top half above the Lifestream. His laugh was cut short as a wave green light swallowed his body, covering over him, pulling him back down into the murky depths of the Lifestream. The sword had remained embedded in the rocks as Cloud continued to stare blankly up toward the ledge he was clinging on to. Tears were gently trickled down his eyes as he realized his time had finally come. Everything would soon go dark for him. But the realization that Tifa still depended on him, needed him, kept him going. Through clenched teeth, Cloud used the last of his draining strength to push Tifa onto the ledge, to safety. He had to remain alive, long enough to tell her. He had to. As he continued to hold on to the ledge with one hand, he used his other arm and gripped the blade embedded into the rock in front of him and pulled it out of its confines. With the blade still sticking through his body, but no longer into the rocks, Cloud tried to pull himself up to the, but his strength failed him. Luckily, Tifa caught hold of him just in the nick of time. She had to use all her strength to pull Cloud up onto the ledge she was on. Once on the ledge, in one deft move, Cloud gripped the blade with both hand and pushed it back into his body, pushing it in far enough that the long sword exited through his back, falling to the floor with a long clank. "I'm sorry" Cloud said, showing a side to himself Tifa had never seen. He lay on his side, a puddle of blood forming around his dying body. His tears trickled down his face. He could feel his body growing cold. Pretty soon, it would cease its functioning. "P-please, Cloud, don't say a word. You'll be all right" Tifa pleaded, tears forming. "I'm sorry" he said again softly. "Please, Cloud, don't speak" she said, trying to keep him from expending any more of his energies. He would make it through. They had been through so much together, and she wasn't going to lose him now. They would live a happy life together, something she had always dreamed about. She pressed her head up against Cloud's cheek and began to sob. Why did this have to happen to him? Cloud didn't deserve this. All his life, he had gone through hell. And now this.. "Tifa," Cloud said softly, blood beginning to trickle from his lips "I-I have to tell you..something" He took in one last breath to say his dying words "Tifa, I-I've always loved you. I-I'm glad I knew you" "I-I love you, too" Tifa said sincerely "I always loved you. Please, don't leave me. Please, don't die. Please" Cloud smiled one last time and brought a hand up to Tifa's cheeks to wipe the tears away Tifa picked lifted Cloud up and held him against her body as they sat there on the rocky ledge. She had Cloud's head pressed up against her neck as she gently rocked back and forth, knowing that everything was going to be all right. But as she felt him, she could feel the life drain right out of him. "I'm sorry" was the last thing he said before he closed his eyes and died. His body went limp as Tifa held him, his arms falling lifelessly to the floor as he closed his eyes one last time. "Cloud!!!"