AUTHOR'S NOTES: (SPOILERS!) Nearly one month ago, an online friend 
told me that the RPG game Final Fantasy VII would have been a lot better 
if Tifa Lockheart had been killed instead of Aeris Gainsborough. I 
provided him with a possible scenario should that ever be the case--
and guess what? This is that scenario.

DEDICATION: This is dedicated to all those naysayers who say that Tifa
should have died in FFVII, as well as those who say the opposite. 
Whatever. In retrospect, I guess this is dedicated to every true-blue 
FFVII fan, who, like me, have spent countless nights trying to off 
those pesky Ruby and Emerald Weapons and find all the Enemy Skills 
and secrets.

DISTRIBUTION: Anywhere, I guess, just as long as nothing is changed 
and my name remains on it.

AND ON A COMPLETELY SHAMELESS, SELF-PROMOTIONAL VEIN: If you 
like this tale, Ranma 1/2, anime, or Ranma 1/2 fanfiction, drop by my webpage
at 

http://move.to/dynasty/

Okay, good. I'm done ranting. Now go read... ^_^

                       ===========================
                           THE FINAL SACRIFICE:
                                PART THREE
                            A FFVII Fanfiction
                             by Sydney Kyle
                           <celenas77@aol.com>
                          <jantzen77@hotmail.com>
                       ===========================

   There was no gash, no wound, no blood. 

   Too little air.

   Tifa shuddered violently. She was dead, wasn't she? She _had_ to be
dead. Aeris had been stabbed the same way, and she'd died immediately
and without mercy. Why wasn't she dead yet?

   She heard his voice as if it had come from an enormous distance.

   "Tifa...Tifa, wake up..."

   She clawed her way up from the umbra she'd been submerged in and 
gasped for air.

   "Tifa..."

   With great difficulty, she opened her eyes.

   And found herself two inches away from Cloud Strife's face.

   His breath caught in his throat as she stared at him, and a huge,
resplendent smile appeared instantly on his lips.
 
   "Hey, there," he said, his voice cracking a little.

   Tifa shifted, noticing dimly that she was lying on his lap, his 
arm tucked firmly behind her back. His free hand moved restlessly 
against her bare shoulder. She coughed. "Cloud...how did you know 
where I--"

   "Well, I called ahead, and they told me the City of Ancients had a
reservation for one Tifa Lockheart," he joked weakly, trying to inject 
a bit of humor into his tone. A little embarrassed, he let his thumb
stroke her cheek. "Hey, Tifa, rest. Just rest. Okay? We're here. We're 
all here." 
   
   Cid genuflected beside Cloud, brushing her damp bangs away from her 
clammy forehead. "Tifa, listen. There's something you ought to know. 
You know we're all here, right? Of _course_ you do. Tifa, look. 
There's Barret, and Cait, and Nanaki, and Vincent, even Yuffie and--
and Aeris's here, too. She's back, Tifa; she's come back to us..."

   At this, a familiar form materialized beside Cid, as if from thin 
air. 

   Aeris Gainsborough.

   Of course.

   Tifa surveyed them all, a rush of warmth coursing through her. They
all looked so concerned for her, although she could tell that they 
were battling to remain strong and stoic in the face of her 
deteriorating condition. Her lungs hurt every time she inhaled--a 
motion that was getting ever harder to perform--but even so she felt 
content. Her friends were here--all of them, and they were by her 
side. There was nothing more she could ask for.

   Still...

   "Cloud." A violent cough racked her chest. 

   "Tifa." He lay the back of his palm against her face. "Tifa, don't 
talk. Please. Everything's gonna be all right, okay?"

   "You heard 'im, honey," soothed Barret. "You gonna pull through. 
Vincent's gettin' the Restore materia. We gonna fix y'all up good, 
y'hear?"

   Vincent hurried to the ailing girl's side with the green orb in his
hands. He had barely begun to channel the materia's healing powers 
into her body when she suddenly waved him away.

   "No."

   Nanaki regarded her in amazement. "But Tifa," he argued, "we must 
heal you..."

   "It won't work." God, her voice sounded so weak, so tiny. Nearly 
inaudible. "It's too late for that now, don't you see?"

   There was a stunned pause, and then a look of fierceness suddenly
stormed into Cloud's gaze. "No." He tightened his hold around her. 
"No, it's not. Don't say that, Tifa! You're supposed to be the 
optimistic one--and I'm the one who's supposed to say those kinds of 
things..."

   He knew he was babbling then, but he didn't give a damn this time.
Tifa wasn't serious. She _couldn't_ be serious. She'd survived worse
things than this, hadn't she? The bridge on Mt. Nibel had collapsed 
under her feet and she'd fallen down the chasm, but she'd lived. 
Sephiroth had slashed her when she was fifteen, and she'd lived. She'd
been imprisoned in a gas chamber without anyone around to help her,
but she'd lived. She'd fought by his side against the Diamond, Ruby,
and Emerald Weapons, and she'd lived. She was one of the most 
resilient people he'd ever known. She couldn't die--not now. Not 
after everything she'd survived against. Not after everything they'd 
been through together...

   And then, all of a sudden, it all came to him.

   "You...knew this was going to happen, didn't you?" His words were
quiet, collected, but underneath them Tifa could sense an underlying 
anger, a righteous indignation that simmered just beneath his composed
surface. "You decided to exchange your soul for Aeris, didn't you? You 
struck some sort of deal--and decided to give up your life so that she 
could have hers back!"

   "Cloud..." Aeris laid a hand on his shoulder. "Cloud, please..." 

   Cloud turned his head away from her, not wanting anyone to see his
wall of calm finally crumbling down. "I can't believe you did this,
Tifa," he stammered. "I can't believe you--why, Tifa?" His voice was
hoarse, pleading. "Why...?"

   Her words were like roughened silk, like textured satin. 
"Cloud..." 

   He succumbed at last, and his eyes met hers--his agonized blues 
meeting her brown ones. She was looking at him now with an intensity 
that made him shiver, and a clearness that caught him off-guard. 
 
   And there it was. His answer.

   It was all there in her eyes.

   <She loves me.> The realization hit him with all the force of a 
bullet, wedging itself deep into his heart, causing him to reel 
backwards--as if mortally wounded, as if intoxicated. 

   <She _loves_ me.> All those years of self-loathing, of doubt, of 
incertitude...

   <She loves _me_.> All those years of pushing himself to the limits, 
trying to prove himself worthy to her, trying to make her understand 
that he was just as good, if not better, than Johnny, or Zack, or 
anyone else...

   All those years, all rendered insignificant in the light of her
silent admission. 

   Part of him refused to believe her. She _couldn't_ possibly be in
love with _him_. He was too big a risk; he had too many demons. He 
was bitter and lonely and self-destructive. There were plenty of other 
men who deserved her more than he did... 

   And yet, a tiny part of him desperately wanted to believe otherwise. 

   "Tifa..." He caressed her cheek with his knuckles, blinking rapidly
to keep back the moisture that filled his eyes. 
   
   She moaned, a low, awful, rattling sound surging from deep within 
her throat. 

   "Tifa, no. Stay with me." He was rocking her like a baby in need of 
comfort. "I didn't mean what I said, Tifa. You know that, right? 
Right?"

   The others watched, too numb to say anything. Aeris, in particular, 
sat next to Cloud, her arm touching his, and yet she might as well 
have been nonexistent to him. Her pale cheeks were streaked with 
rivulets of tears. 

   "I'm sorry, Tifa. You know I'm sorry. I was stupid to say that to
you...that's the way I always am, you know. Stupid. That's me--a 
stupid little puppet."

   Something was stinging the back of his eyelids.

   "I never wanted to hurt you, Tifa. Honest to God, that's the last
thing I ever want to do..."

   <Don't. Don't hurt her anymore. She's been hurt so much already...
why does she still have to hurt? It isn't fair...please. _Please_. 
I'll do anything. Don't let her leave me. I can't live without her. I 
_won't_ live without her...>

   "Don't go, Tifa. Don't go. Please. I need you with me, Tifa--do 
you understand? I need you with me...I..."

   
 
   {You love her.}

   Did he really? 

   She was the reason he'd departed Nibelhelm to join Shin-Ra in the 
first place. The reason why he'd confronted Sephiroth in the Nibel 
reactor. The reason why he kept on fighting--no matter how tough the
going got, no matter how incredible the odds were. She was the 
reason he kept on believing, because with her by his side, everything
would be all right...

   Did _that_ count as love?

   He couldn't bear to think of life without her. She knew that, didn't 
she? She had to know that he loved her too. He loved her in a way that
he could never love Aeris. A love borne out of the innocence of child-
hood. Forged in the fire of hate. Strengthened in the rage of war.
Yes, he did love Tifa Lockheart. Without question. With his whole body,
heart and soul. 

   "Tifa...I--"

   Her finger touched his lip, effectively silencing him. He gawked at 
her, aghast. "But Tifa, I--"

   On her face was the most beautiful, radiant smile he'd ever seen. 
"I know, Cloud. I know."

   He was shocked at his respiration, which seemed to be pacing itself 
at the same rate as Tifa's. A breath for a breath. A life for a life. 
God, it was all so simple. For the first time, Cloud could understand
his heart clearer than ever before. So simple. How could he not have 
seen it? 

   Tifa stirred in his embrace, her breath growing even more ragged. 
Her chest heaved arduously as she fought for precious oxygen. Cloud 
had to swallow the terror that was rising fast inside him. 

   "Tifa. I forgive you for doing this, but you gotta fight back. 
Please. For all of us here, Tifa. For me. For _us_..."

   She was fighting. Even though she knew it was for naught, she was
fighting. In spite of himself, his heart swelled with pride. That was 
the way she was. His Tifa. She had never been a quitter.

   And then, without warning, her muscles slackened. She tilted her 
head back, arching her body, exposing the soft symmetrical lines of 
her white throat. Barret started forward, but Cid detained him, 
shaking his head. There was nothing they could do.

   Cloud rocked her harder. "No. Stay with me, Tifa. Stay with me. 
Stay." He chanted the words over and over, like a mantra. 

   But he was losing her. He could feel it as much. He could 
practically see the light was fading fast from her eyes. 

   "No, Tifa, no." Cloud buried his face in her hair, inhaling her 
sweet scent, committing it to memory. "Don't give up, please..."

   She looked up at him, and her eyes were glazed with pain. Her 
breath was slowing down. He read her unspoken message, and he 
couldn't suppress the cry of dismay that rose to his lips. 

   "No! It doesn't have to be like that! I'll give up everything if 
you can just come back. I'll do anything to reverse this, Tifa, I 
swear..."

   She used her final vestiges of strength to work her vocal chords
one last time. "No, Cloud. If this...if this's the way it's gotta be,
then so be it. Don't blame yourself for this, Cloud. It...was my own
decision. Let it go, Cloud. Just let it go."

   A teardrop splattered on her cheek, and he tenderly wiped it away.
"I don't care," he whispered, his voice vibrating with emotion. "I 
won't let you go, Tifa. I'm never going to let you go..."
   
   Her breath felt like butterfly wings against his ear. "Yes, you
can. At least for a little while. But you'll see me again. In the 
Lifestream. When you're ready to go." Her voice was nearly inaudible.
"I'll never leave you, Cloud. Never."

   She released her breath in a sigh, and then she was gone.

* * * * * * 

   Cloud's entire frame was shaking as he continued to cocoon his 
body against hers, as if attempting to shield her, protect her, in a 
way he hadn't been able to when she was alive. The others were now 
at the bottom of the steps of the altar. He had insisted on carrying
down her body, and there was no way in hell he would let anyone else
take that last labor of love away from him--not even Barret.

   He remembered telling Tifa a long time ago that there was nothing 
strong enough in this world to bring Aeris Gainsborough back.
 
   He was wrong.

   There _had_ been something strong enough, and it hadn't been the
love Aeris shared with him.

   It was the love Tifa Lockheart had _for_ him.

   He just knelt there, unmoving, drowning in his own grief. He'd 
been telling the truth when he'd told her that he couldn't live 
without her. 

   His free hand strayed to his back, unnoticed by the others, where
it closed over the cold handle of his Ultima Weapon. For a second he 
toyed with the notion of unsheathing the sword and running himself 
through so that he'd be put out of his misery. There was nothing left 
for him now. 

   {Nothing? What about Cid, and Barret, and Yuffie, and Nanaki, and
Vincent? And Aeris? You kill yourself, and Tifa's sacrifice would be 
in vain...}

   He released the handle, his vision blurring again with tears.

   He would not let her down now. He would live his life to the 
fullest, just the way she would want him to--live his life for the 
two of them. He would see her again, one day, just like she promised.  

   <Goodbye, Tifa. I wish I could come with you, but...in my own 
time. When I'm ready. Wait for me, Tifa...>

   He got to his feet, never tearing his gaze away from the precious
burden in his arms. Then he lifted his head, blinking in the sudden 
brilliance that shone down on the altar. He looked back toward Tifa,
inspecting her face. Her lips were still red and moist, her cheeks 
flushed, that he could almost believe that she was merely sleeping. 
She looked young, innocent, and more peaceful than she'd been in a 
long time. Maybe because she was now in a better place--one where 
there was no pain or suffering, where there would be no one to hurt 
her, ever again.

   How he longed to join her...

   <Wait for me.>

* * * * * *

   "Cloud, yo...y'all sure you wanna do this?" Barret queried.

   Cloud Strife rested the handle of his Ultima Weapon on his hand,
as if testing its weight. "Yeah."

   Cid Highwind took a long drag of his cigar, flicking the ashes off
as he stared at the grass. "So whaddaya gonna do 'bout Villa Cloud?"

   "Sell it." The blond youth ran his finger experimentally over the
opalescent blade. "If you want, you can have it. It's all yours."

   "You don't have to do this, you know," Vincent informed him
quietly.

   The younger man shrugged. "Hey, come on. It's not like I'm going
off the deep end or anything. You have my word on that, right?"

   The others traded looks, and Barret cleared his throat. "Cloud,
we know...how much Tifa meant to you, but that's no reason to--"

   "Chill out, Barret. I'm fine." Cloud shot him a halfhearted 
grin. "I know it's a little sudden, but trust me, I'll be okay."

   "Cloud." Yuffie spoke falteringly. "Cloud, where're you gonna 
stay?"

   He slipped the sword into the scabbard that was strapped onto his
back. "I don't know, Yuffie. I honestly don't know."

   "Forgive me for voicing this, but that's a bit vague, my friend,"
pointed out Nanaki, not bothering to suppress the anxiety in his tone.

   "It is, isn't it?" countered Cloud, rummaging through his leather
skin bag. "I _told_ you, I'm just gonna wander around for a bit. See
the world--or whatever I haven't seen on it yet. I just need some
space, you know?"

   "We're talking about the entire planet here, Cloud." Vincent 
flipped his blood-red cape over his shoulder. "That's quite a bit of 
space, if you don't mind my saying."

   Cloud pulled his lips back in a toothy grin. "The easier then, to
get lost in it, eh?" he quipped, hoisting the bag onto Lance's back.

   Cait Sith timidly traced a circle on the ground with his big Mog 
foot. "I still don't get why y'all're doin' this."

   "Simple." Cloud patted Lance's beak, and he warked in reply. "I 
want to. I need to. I need _this_."

   Cid racked his brain for a reason--any reason--that could somehow
convince Cloud to reconsider his decision, and came up dry. "Y'know,
I hate feelin' so damn mushy and all that $#!%, but I can't just let
you wander off into God knows what. If you need somewhere to stay
other than Midgar or Villa Cloud, you're welcome to stay with me and 
Shera--I mean, me--at Rocket Town. 'Course, she'll be distracted all
the time 'cause of that new rocket she's workin' on that she'll 
forget to pour the goddamn tea or do them damn house chores--"

   "And to echo Cid's offer of hospitality," Nanaki interrupted Cid's
rambling, "if you want, you're always welcome at Cosmo Canyon..."

   "Yeah, or Wutai," chirped Yuffie. "And I won't ogle your Materia--
much."

   Cloud smiled at his friends, but he shook his head. "I'm touched by
the offers, guys, but really, that's not necessary." He swung up onto
the saddle of golden chocobo and seized the reins. "I'm a big boy. I
can take care of myself, right? So don't worry! I'll be all--"

   "Cloud, wait!"

   The assemblage swiveled at the interjection of a female voice, and
sure enough, it was Aeris Gainsborough. 

   "Cloud--Cloud, wait, I want to give you something first," she told
him breathlessly as she loped up beside the chocobo. 

   Cloud glanced down quizzically at her. Her arm snaked out from 
behind her back. She was holding something.

   "Here." She handed the object to him.

   It was a single, perfect white rose, barely past its blooming 
stage, its petals slick and wet with dew. Cloud smiled as he ran a
finger down the blossom. The color reminded him of the shirt Tifa 
always wore...

   "I hope that every time you look at it, you'll think of me,"
Aeris whispered, clasping and unclasping her hands as she stared 
up at him.

   Cloud's face darkened for a second, feeling a twinge of guilt, but 
he schooled his features back into a gentle smile. "Thanks, Aeris," 
he said politely. 

   He turned then, but Aeris grabbed his hand and held it fast in her
own. Twisting around, he studied the brunette, a perplexed expression 
registering on his face.

   "Aeris...?"

   "I love you, Cloud." The words came out in a rush, unbidden, 
unrestrained. Her green eyes were bright with tears. "You understand, 
right? I love you...I've loved you since the beginning...I..." A 
melancholy laugh rippled out of her throat, and she sniffled. "But I 
guess that it won't make any difference now, will it?"

   "Aeris..." Cloud tried again.

   She waved him off and stepped back. "I know, Cloud. Believe me, I 
know." She dusted off her pink dress, smiling slightly, Princess 
Guard dangling loosely at her side. "Goodbye, Cloud."

   Cloud regarded her wordlessly for a moment. Aeris was still feeling
remorseful about the fact that she had failed to mention to Cloud that
she'd spotted Tifa at the City of Ancients. If she had revealed that
to him the minute she returned from the Lifestream, would they have 
been in time to save Tifa? Cloud wondered. Then he pushed the notion
away. He'd blamed Aeris enough that first week after Tifa's death, 
and he'd already regretted it immensely. What was the use in pinning
the blame on others? It certainly wouldn't bring Tifa back.

   He wished that Aeris knew just how sorry he was for her. Unrequited 
love was never easy--he knew that more than anyone, having undergone 
seven tortuous years of it. But he knew that he was doing the right 
thing leaving her. Aeris deserved better than a man whose heart already 
belonged to another. 

   He dug his heels into the chocobo's side and guided it into a light 
trot.

   "Are we gonna see you again?" Cait Sith wanted to know.

   He ran a hand through his blond hair, glancing off toward the sun-
set. "I don't know," he replied honestly. "Maybe. Maybe not." He 
urged Lance into a light trot.

   "Cloud!" 

   He looked back one more time.

   It was Cid. "We meant what we said. If you ever need a home, if 
you need someone to talk to--if you need anything at all--we're here 
for you, all right?"

   The corners of Cloud's lips tugged upward. "All right."
  
   And that was how Cloud Strife galloped out of Barret Wallace's, 
Cid Highwind's, Yuffie Kisaragi's, Vincent Valentine's, Cait Sith's, 
Nanaki's, and Aeris Gainsborough's lives.

   They were still gazing after him until he became a speck on the 
orange-speckled horizon.

   Aeris squeezed her eyes closed, and two fat tears trickled down 
her cheeks and splashed onto the grass at her feet.

   <I'll always love you, Cloud.>

* * * * * * 

   Cloud swung the Ultima Weapon with well-practiced expertise, 
reveling in the weight and feel of the powerful sword as he maneuvered 
it back and forth, twisting and twirling it in his hands.

   He paused at the sound of soft warbling coming from Lance, whom 
he'd tied to a nearby tree. 

   Breathing hard from his exercise, he drove the blade down into the
ground and looked up. 

   Rays from the setting sun seeped into his spiky blond hair, making 
it glow a vivid golden hue. High above him, the sky was a canvas of 
mauve and crimson, with fleeces of golden clouds strung across for 
added effect. 

   <It's beautiful,> he remarked mentally.

   {Yes, it is. Beautiful.}

   He smiled at that oh-so-familiar voice. It held the softness of a
summer breeze, the richness of autumn leaves, and the texture of a
mountain brook bubbling with life.

   Down below, Cosmo Canyon quieted down as the shadows began to 
lengthen, chasing away the golden pools of retreating daylight as 
the sun descended over the faraway peaks of Mount Nibel.

   <Be dark soon. Think I'll stop by Nibelhelm and get a room, for old 
times' sake,> he thought.

   {Okay.}

   With tired legs, he scrambled up from the rocky precipice he'd
been perched on and brushed absently at his loose dark pants. 
Trudging over to his faithful steed, he immersed himself once more in
a conversation no one else could hear.

   <You were right, you know. You never left me.>

   {Of course not. I promised you I wouldn't, right? Even here, in
the Lifestream, I'm all around you. All you have to do is feel...}

   He closed his eyes as a gust of wind ruffled his clothes and hair.
He couldn't stop smiling as he untied Lance and hauled himself onto 
the saddle. 

      She hadn't broken her promise. She was part of the Planet now, 
and yet part of him as well. No matter where he went, or what he did, 
she would always be watching over him, making sure he lived his life 
to the fullest.

    he said silently.

   {I love you back, Cloud Strife.}

   She would be waiting for him in the meantime.

                             = F I N I S =