I'll Be There (KH/FF fanfic)

Chapter 30: Finding you

Chapter 30:

"Where is she?!" Leon demanded, throwing open the door to Cloud's room.

"Who?" Cloud asked nonchalantly.

"______________," Tifa said as she walked into the room with Leon. Her forehead wrinkled with worry. "I thought maybe she had practice today, band or cheerleading..."

"But she's been gone for eight hours," Leon added.

"And I called everyone..." Tifa whispered.

"No one knows where she is. She was supposed to walk home with Hayner, Pence, and Olette, but they said she never showed up," Leon sighed, pressing his forehead into his palms.

Cloud stood up too quickly and cursed under his breath, trying to jog his memory. Suddenly, his eyes flew open and his lip quivered. He cursed again. "I know where she is," he stated quietly, looking at his girlfriend and best friend with fear as he realized his friend and little sister...well technically...were...

"In the lab!" Tifa yelled.

"Leon, let's go," Cloud ordered and Leon nodded running forward toward the place he knew he should go. "Tifa...stay here..." Cloud finished.

"What?" Tifa scoffed in a warning tone. "Did you just say what I think you said?" She sent him flying across the room with a swift kick and sent a ninja star flying toward Cloud, pinning him to the wall by his shirt without hurting him.

"Where did you get those?" Cloud asked, hardly shocked.

"You think I didn't gear up the moment I suspected what was going on?" Tifa retorted. She yanked the ninja star off of the cloth. "Let's go, babe."

The three of them left in a small but swift black lamborghini, Tifa carrying her ninja stars and wearing her gloves, Cloud armed with his buster sword, Reno carrying his taser, Zack holding another buster sword, and Leon weilding his gunblade, anger in his eyes, hiding the fear and anxiety.

Your throat was dry and your arms felt raw from your tight shackles. Sephiroth and the three silver haired boys had left the room, promising to come back in two hours at the latest.

"Why didn't you tell me?" you croaked to a half-beaten Seifer who was tied up across from you. He had managed to get the gag out of his mouth.

"I...they told me you were the last of your kind. That Ansem was only your uncle by adoption. He didn't share your family's blood. The people of Taj, they were all killed off...even your aunt. Ansem doesn't know anything about it either. You..." he choked. "You're the last of your kind. Sephiroth needs you if he wants to live past tomorrow. He...has to kill you to fulfill the prophecy...to survive."

"You knew all of this!!?" you screamed out of rage.

"They told me you were terminally ill!" he shouted back. "They told me that the only way to save you was to perform all of those tests." You slumped in your bonds and sighed.

Seifer continued. "I found out a day ago...and I tried to stop them...and this is where I am now."

"They won't kill you?" you asked, not hoping they would but wishing that they wouldn't.

"Not yet," he whispered. "They wanted me to watch you die before my time came."

"But--" you began, suddenly feeling the realization wash over you. Seifer...had feelings for you. You thought of Leon, Tifa, Cloud, Yuna, Kairi, Yuffie, Axel, and all of your other friends. You thought of Noctis. You would never get to tell Leon that you loved him. You would never see any of them again.

You suddenly heard a loud bang and the door crashed open, landing solidly on the floor. "I knew that would come in handy someday," Reno smirked as he stood before the door. "Ladies first," he told Tifa, who rushed toward you and enveloped you in a hug.

"You scared me so much, __________!" she cried as tears filled her eyes. "You scared all of us."

Reno used a laser to cut off your shackles and you stumbled as you were set free. You felt as if all of your energy had been sapped from you.

"They took more blood from her," Reno frowned, supporting you as you stumbled to your feet. He turned to Seifer and grit his teeth. "You little freak!" he shouted, the taser filling with electricity as he rushed toward him.

"Don't," you stopped him, your words almost inaudible. "Let him go." Reno looked between the two of you in confusion and frustration. "He didn't have any idea that this was going to happen," you explained.

Reno narrowed his eyes and gruffly released Seifer, who let out a muffled cry of pain. You heard another noise and turned to see Sephiroth standing in the doorway with a ridiculously long sword. The three teens stood beside him, wielding guns. You knew you were outnumbered.

"Where are Cloud and Leon?" you whispered to Tifa.

"They're coming," Tifa assured you. And at that moment you reminded yourself never to doubt Tifa because the two young men came storming into the room with Zack, Noctis, Yuffie, Rai, and Fuu, who all held various weapons.

"Eat shuriken, freak!" Yuffie yelled, sending a weapon flying toward Kadaj. Zack let out a war cry and swung his sword at Yazoo. Rai began to fight with Loz as Fuu ran to help Seifer up.

Noctis dashed toward you with a few colorful orbs, pressing them into your hand. "You'll need these," he told you and as you pressed them to skin, they dissolved, leaving you with a newfound energy. Tifa handed you the ninja stars (which you had practiced with many times) and ran toward Kadaj to help Yuffie knock him out. Kadaj moved stealthily but after a few minutes he, rather than dying, dissintegrated into Sephiroth, who seemed to regain some power. The same happened to Yazoo and Loz. Fuu had been knocked out and Noctis had been wounded on the leg while fighting with Sephiroth along with Cloud and Leon, who had a few minor cuts. You rushed to help your friends. slashing at a very powerful Sephiroth. But Leon was the one to make the major injury. He had created a gash through his abdomen. Cloud stood over the now extremely injured but still furious man.

"And now you'll leave us alone for good," Cloud seethed, sending him to the floor. He groaned in pain, blood leaving his body at a rapid pace. All of you believed him to be as good as dead as he lay on the cold, hard floor, wheezing considerably. Cloud nodded and turned around to help Noctis up as Rai hoisted an unconscious Fuu into his arms and Yuffie and Tifa were dragging Seifer behind them.

You were the last to turn around and follow the others, but you felt a hand grab onto you and a blade slash across your leg before Sephiroth chuckled wearily. "I will never be a memory," he whispered before he became still. You cried out in pain and collapsed. It was a mark. A reminder. Just like Cloud's wound.

"____________!" Leon called and hastily made his way to you, taking off his shirt to wrap your bleeding leg in some sort of cloth. He stopped and looked into your eyes before pulling you to his chest. You grabbed onto him as he held you close.

"You came," you whispered.

"I promised you I would always be there," Leon told you before leaning down toward you and kissing you on the lips. You blinked but your eyes slowly closed and you kissed him back, deepening the kiss. You felt as if you could melt into him at that moment.

You finally ended the kiss but the two of you continued to embrace for a while longer before he picked you up and began to carry you. "Hey," he told you. "You've got the talent show in two days. We better have Aerith fix you up. She's not just any ordinary healer you know." He winked and you laughed before kissing him on the cheek.

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Hiya! So school is starting soon and I'm finishing up this story before senior year starts. Back to school shopping is so fun! Senior pictures are too! I feel so old 0_o. Anywho, the next chapter is the last chapter, so stay tuned! You wanna know how this ends, right? ;) Of course you do! Thank you again for all of the reads, votes, and wonderful comments! You guys are awesome! Like, awesomer than a marshmallow-eating rainbow dolphin that knows how to talk! Randomness is a necessary thing! :3 Capri sun is yummy! Peace out!