Chapter FortyNine

Kit was never sure which happened first - the painful bursting sensation in her soul, telling her he had passed, or the sudden appearance of the Masamune just above the ledge below, confirming it. Rocks began to rain down, drowning out the faint sound of metal as it clattered to the stone floor.
Someone was shouting orders over the noise of the landslide, but Kit couldn't understand over the silence in her head. Heedless of the falling rocks, Kit leapt down to the lower ledge to get to the Masamune before it was buried under rubble. She reached down to pick it up, and fell to her knees, scarcely able to comprehend her loss. She had known it would happen, but even so... She and Sephiroth had become a part of each other, and she could no more fathom the idea that he was gone than she could have had her heart ripped from her chest. And yet all that was left was the sword, the weapon that he'd cherished...
A hand grabbed her shoulder - she didn't look up to see whose. "Kit, the cave is collapsing in on itself, we're going to be buried here if we don't get out fast." Vincent's voice. "You'll have time for mourning if we survive this."
She shook her head silently, clutching the Masamune. She didn't want to survive it.
Vincent's hand tugged at her arm, and she ignored it. "I'm not going to carry you out, even if I could," he said, this time more firm.
"Then leave me," she said quietly. It was strange how calm she felt. It must have been the knowledge that all the suffering had already been done. The planet was safe, Sephiroth was gone, and soon she would join him, in the Lifestream or the Promised Land or wherever it was that those of Jenova's blood went when they died. Or at least there would be oblivion.
Vincent's grip grew stronger, until she thought he might carry her out after all, despite what he'd said, but then another, heavier figure landed beside them on the ledge. "I'll stay with her," said the voice of Cait Sith. "My real body's not here, this is just a stuffed one, remember? It won't matter if I get crushed, I'll stay with her till the end. You just get on out of here while you can."
Kit looked up in time to see Vincent nod and jump to the upper ledge where the others stood. From atop the moogle, the stuffed cat smiled down at her, then glanced up. The moogle leapt to one side to avoid a boulder nearly as large as he was, and the cat winced. "That really could have hurt someone."
"Reeve... why are you keeping Cait here with me?" Kit asked.
"I'm the only one who can stay with you," the cat said casually. "Like I said, this is a stuffed body, it's no big deal if it's crushed. Not like the others... or yours. Maybe I can talk you out of this. Kit, the world's saved," he said urgently. "It hasn't come to an end. Do you think you're the only one who's lost someone they loved?"
"I know I'm not," she mumbled. She knew her words were getting lost in the thunder of the crater falling apart, but she didn't much care. "Maybe I'm just weaker than Cloud and the others, but I don't think I can live like this. Now that the planet's safe, it doesn't matter whether I live or not, does it? So get out of the crater while you have a chance, Cait. Let me die alone, with him."
Cait frowned, uncharacteristically serious. "No matter what I do, you won't die alone." She looked up at him, puzzled. "Have you forgotten your son?"
Kit gasped. She had, actually. Tears began to stream down her cheeks, as she realized what she'd almost done.
"For his sake, you can't die yet," Cait continued. "And you know what? Part of Sephiroth lives on, in him. Keep him safe, and that part of him will stay with you, forever."
"I... Reeve, I'm sorry. Thank you," she said, trying her best to compose herself. She looked up to see if the others had gone. They hadn't, and Kit noticed dimly that Cloud was once again with the group as they stood there looking up... waiting for something? "I can't believe I didn't..."
One of the moogle's arms slipped around her shoulders comfortingly. "It's okay," Cait told her. "Let's just get out of here. I think Cid's got a plan."
As Kit and Cait climbed up to the level where the others stood, they saw what Cid had in mind. The Highwind was flying straight down into the crater, scraping more rocks off the sides to fall down around them, but the crater was collapsing so fast it didn't make much difference anyway.
Cloud turned at their approach, looking a little bit dazed, but steady. Tifa was holding his arm tightly, standing as close to him as was possible. "Are you all right, Kit?" he asked.
She didn't know how to answer that. "She will be, in time," Cait replied on her behalf. Kit just nodded, wishing she believed it.
The way that the Highwind was wedged into the crater, climbing on board was quite an ordeal, especially for Kit, as she still held the Masamune. Using the railing at the edge of the deck as a ladder, the members of AVALANCHE one by one climbed up the side of the airship, trying the best they could to find a path to the doorway leading to the interior. "Grab on to whatever you can, and hold tight," Cid warned them, looking down. "We're in for one #&%$ of a bumpy ride..."
Almost before the words had left his mouth, there was a loud rumbling from below, and tremors rocked the ship. Cid began cursing wildly and made a dive for an instrument panel near the center of the deck. Kit barely had the presence of mind to grip the railing with her free hand before the crater exploded beneath them.
As the Mako energy shot up from the crater, the force propelled the Highwind out of the depths, and they found themselves flung helplessly through the air. Kit barely managed to keep her hold on the railing as she was tossed into the air, crashed down again on the wood of the deck, then slid into the rails. The breath was knocked out of her by the impact, and it took her a moment to realize that the spinning was slowing, and the airship was levelling out.
"That's my baby," Cid boasted over the thunder of the engines, grinning broadly despite a deep gash across his cheek. "Where to?"
"Midgar," Cloud said from somewhere else on the deck. "Let's see what Holy will do."
As everyone began to pick themselves up, Kit was mildly surprised that she remained conscious enough to hold onto the sword as well as the railing. She still hadn't caught her breath again by the time they'd reassembled on the bridge, and what she could see on the horizon made it impossible.
Meteor still hung over the city, burning even brighter than before against the black night sky. Cyclones of fiery energy were visible when they'd drawn closer, twisting between the Meteor and the planet below, tearing apart the buildings in their path. But then, far off in the distance, a bright light caught everyone's attention.
"Holy." Cloud's voice was low and firm.
The brightness grew even brighter as it approached Midgar, making everyone squint to see what the result of the powerful magic would be. The spell rushed between the planet and the Meteor, as if to catch it before it touched down, but Meteor continued its slow descent. The edges of Holy's light began to glow an angry red as the two opposing magics battled for supremacy. The onlookers aboard the Highwind held their breath, waiting for the final result.
With agonizing slowness, the Meteor continued to descend, pushing its way through Holy's protective barrier relentlessly. The tower of Shinra HQ shattered into pieces as Meteor's power burst through, stronger than before.
"Wait a damn minute!" Barret exclaimed in disbelief. "What's going to happen to Midgar? We can't let that happen!"
"I had everyone take refuge in the slums," Cait Sith spoke up, shaking his head sadly, "but the way things are now..." His voice trailed off, and he turned away.
"It's too late for Holy." Red's quiet voice was audible even over the roar of the engines and the disaster in the distance, and everyone turned to look at him. "Meteor is approaching the Planet. Holy is having the opposite effect. Forget Midgar, we've gotta worry about the Planet."
And worry was all they could do. No one needed to come out and say it - they all understood the situation.
"This... isn't good," Yuffie commented, sounding exhausted. "I'll be in the hallway.... cause, ya know... if anyone needs me..." As she passed, Kit could see quite plainly that the girl looked more heartsick than airsick, and she couldn't blame her in the least for not wanting to watch.
Sephiroth was gone. Midgar was destroyed. Holy had failed, and the planet was probably going to die despite all they had done. What had it all been for, Kit wondered, staring down at the silver blade in her hands. Should she have just gone along with his plan? At least someone would have had a happy ending... wouldn't they? No answers at all made their way through the haze of despair and fear she felt at witnessing the end of the world. The thought was so traumatic that she stumbled away from the others, feeling a crippling pain shoot through her stomach, and then another. She dropped the sword and doubled over, afraid she was going to be sick.
Ever watchful, Vincent was the one who noticed her discomfort and left his place by the window to go to her. "Not feeling well?" She shook her head, and then groaned as another pain shot through her abdomen.
Cait looked over as well, his glass eyes eerily unperturbed despite the worried voice. "Kit?"
The pain subsided abruptly, and she sighed in relief. Almost immediately, her stomach clenched again, harder, and she winced . "I suppose it's just... everything that's happened," she muttered through clenched teeth, almost on the verge of tears. All that had happened in the past few hours, and here she was bothered by stomach cramps? "I can't take this anymore, I can't watch... Feels like someone's shooting me in the gut..."
Vincent looked at her sharply, and what she saw in his eyes made her blood run cold, as she realized why he suddenly looked so concerned. "...No... I've lost everything else!" she gasped, panic overtaking her.
"You have to calm down," he told her as she let him lower her to the floor, resting her head on his knees. "For your child's sake, you must relax. Take deep breaths, think of something peaceful-"
"How can I?" she said helplessly, trying to bring her breathing under control. The explosions and rushing winds outside seemed to be echoed in her head - she couldn't block out the sound, even if she could somehow block out the knowledge of what was happening. Tears of frustration and despair welled up in her eyes. "How can I do that, when-" Another painful cramp made her cry out, and her eyes overflowed. "No, not my baby too..."
"Calm down immediately," he said firmly, gripping her wrists to hold her still. "I know it must be difficult, but your child has no chance otherwise." Cait, hovering anxiously above her from atop the moogle, nodded gravely, wringing his gloved hands.
Kit was still struggling to control her breathing, but her fear prevented her from having any luck. She felt herself growing dizzy and lightheaded from hyperventilation, and shook her head again. "I can't... I just can't..." she sobbed.
Seeing that his words did no good, Vincent's eyes scoured the room and fixed on something near the back. "Yuffie."
His subdued voice was heard, apparently, for after a moment the girl approached, her face pale and troubled in the eerie glow of Meteor and Holy. "Kit? Hey... what's going on, are you okay?" Kit could barely see her through her tears and her dizziness, and couldn't bring herself to stop crying long enough to respond.
"Yuffie, I know you have some tranquilizers," Vincent told her, holding out his good hand. "Kit needs them."
"Well, I kinda need 'em too," Yuffie muttered half-heartedly, but pulled a small bottle out of her pocket anyway. "Not that they'll do me much good if... well..." She tossed the bottle to Vincent. "Guess we're not supposed to talk about that, right? What's wrong with Kit?"
Another cramp, stronger than the last ones, caused Kit to sob even harder. "My baby..."
"Oh, man..." Yuffie stood looking down at her in dismay. "Kit, I'm sorry..."
As swiftly as if he had two perfectly normal hands, Vincent had opened the bottle, and now he slipped two of the bitter pills into Kit's mouth. "This might not be enough," he muttered as she swallowed them, "but it will do the child no good if you take too many. Now lie back, let them do their job."
"What's that?" Tifa's puzzled voice carried plainly through the bridge. She stood at the front window with Cloud and Barret, and everyone turned to look. Kit bit her lip, trying not to cry, and tried to see what Tifa was talking about. She couldn't see much of anything from her place on the floor, only a faint green glow, but the pills were already beginning to take effect, and she was afraid to try to stand.
The bridge was completely silent for a moment, except for the hum of the machinery and the howl of the winds outside. "What the #$&% is that?" Barret muttered.
There was another moment of silence, as the green glow grew brighter. "...Lifestream," Cloud said simply.
Something very strange was happening, Kit could tell that much. She lifted her head, trying to see what was going on outside, and only got a glimpse of the view - green tendrils of light arcing through the air ahead of them - before another cramp left her crying from the pain. "The tranquilizers aren't doing any good..."
Cait shook his head, gazing down at her sympathetically. "Kit... no matter what happens, we're with you. Remember what you said earlier, about what Aeris told you..."
"Things aren't lookin' good for the planet anyway," Yuffie said glumly. "Maybe it doesn't matter."
Red approached silently, the glow of his tail switching back and forth in the dim light. "Or maybe it does," he said softly. "Come, see."
Yuffie followed, curiously, as Red returned to his place near the window, and Cait's moogle bounced a few steps closer as well before turning back to look at Kit and Vincent hesitantly. Ever so gently, Vincent lifted Kit to a sitting position, propping her up so that she could get a glimpse of what everyone was looking at. She rubbed her sleeve across her eyes, wiping away the tears so she could get a clearer look. When she opened them again, she gasped.
As far as the eye could see, a net of those green tendrils of light was woven across the land, weaving its way inward towards the city of Midgar and the Meteor that hung above it, half suspended in the brilliant white light that was Holy. As the net of green grew thicker and closer to the area, Holy's glow brightened, sending a ripple of its white light out along the net, and suddenly flared into a blinding glare, causing everyone aboard the Highwind to close or shield their eyes abruptly.
The light was so bright that it seemed to bore through Kit's closed eyelids, even as far away from the window as she was. The sound of the wind outside whistled louder, but the sounds of the city's destruction was replaced suddenly with a strange rumbling. She dared to open her eyes, and was confronted by the sight of the Meteor. Its red glow had grown paler, muted by the white and green lights that now engulfed it, and as she watched, she could see the craggy rock that formed the outer crust of the Meteor crumbling away under the onslaught of Holy and the Lifestream.
Cid cursed softly, watching in awe. "Well, whaddaya know...?"
"It's working!" Tifa exclaimed.
Cait breathed a sigh of relief. "Midgar's toast, but at least the rest of the planet's still safe and sound. At least, it looks that way from down here. The whole Meteor's breaking up!"
"Woohoo!" Yuffie crowed, jumping up and down. "Get 'em, Holy! Yeah!"
Kit, on the other hand, couldn't stop the tears from falling. So the planet was safe after all. She'd had to sacrifice the only life she'd ever known, all the clues to her past, and the man she loved more than life itself, and the pain in her abdomen hadn't subsided for an instant - as if all this loss weren't enough, she was going to lose even the son she'd never had a chance to know. What was left for her in this planet, anyway?
The light began to fade away as the Meteor crumbled, and the sounds of the impending disaster dissipated with it. Soon, all was silent except for the hum of the airship's machinery, and the bridge grew dim again. Outside, the Lifestream began to retreat back to the land from which it came, and Holy's light shrunk to a simple brilliant disc once more.
Near the window, Tifa touched Cloud's arm to get his attention; he hadn't moved a muscle since he'd turned to see the Lifestream's appearance. "Cloud? Why is that...?" She pointed at something that Kit couldn't see. He gave no answer, but turned to watch curiously.
"Hey," said Barret suddenly. "It's headed right for-" He swore under his breath and threw up an arm protectively, as did Tifa, and a bright green glow seemed to fill the bridge. Cid, Yuffie, and Red took a startled step backwards as one of the tendrils of Lifestream energy swirled through the room, scattering tiny motes of light like embers before it hesitated in the center of the bridge.
Shimmering brightly in the darkness, the lights hovered in midair, slowly drifting towards where Kit sat propped against Vincent's shoulder. She could hear his breathing quicken, and her tearful eyes widened as the thin strands of light approached her, drifting like a silk scarf in a breeze until it was within her arm's reach. But instead, the light itself seemed to reach out to her, touching her body with its energy, weaving itself into her painfully cramped abdomen. At its touch, she gasped with a sudden memory of having felt that gentle touch before. The pain was drawn away swiftly, leaving her breathless with wonder.
The light rose, hovering before Vincent's face for a moment, then moved on to race teasingly around Cait Sith, who turned back and forth quickly, trying to keep his eyes on it. Shooting across the room, it wove circles around Yuffie, who watched it in delight, and Red bowed solemnly as the light paused just above his maned head. It then shot on to bathe Cid in its glow, then stopped before Barret, weaving playfully before it darted on to surround Tifa with its graceful swirls. Finally it halted, hovering a few feet in front of Cloud almost hesitantly.
Cloud's expression had remained unchanged as he'd watched the light's circuit around the room, empty and unconcerned. But as he took a step towards the light, reaching out his hand as if to touch it, the glowing motes danced around his fingertips, and a warm, wondering smile crossed his lips. "Thank you," he whispered. "Thanks so much, for everything. We'll never forget you, I promise. I... I... miss you already. So much..."
The thin strands of light twirled playfully, and Kit could almost see her standing there, hands on her hips, teasing him. Cloud's smile grew broader. "Yeah... I think we all learned a lot - we're all going to do fine. Don't worry." His fingers lingered in the air a moment longer, as if he could hold onto the wispy strands of light. "...Goodbye."
As he lowered his hand, the tendril of energy whirled, then vanished through the window again, scattering the green embers of its passing before they faded into nothingness. But when they spoke of it later, they all agreed that just for an instant, just before the light had faded, each of them in the room caught a glimpse of her face, with her dark emerald eyes, and delicate lips curved into a smile.