Loveless 38 ~ The End

At the entrance of the cave, where Genesis was awaiting for them, Zack grabbed her hand and held it tightly. She was melancholic. He could remark that much on the way she was surveying the place. They left Cloud with Lazard and came on their own. Zack was ready to face Genesis and end it once and for all.

"If you-" She ignored him and entered the cave. He rolled his eyes and ran after her.

"My soul, corrupted by vengeance. Hath endured torment, to find the end of the journey in my own salvation" He was reciting from Loveless. He was slowly coming to its end and that was itself a sign. He knew he wasn't going to resist for much longer. "You're late" His eyes moved from her, who entered first, to Zack. Eloise wasn't really part of the plan. She just tagged along and crawled under his skin. But she became a precious treasure that Genesis didn't want to stain.

Zack was relaxed. He already went through a lot so he already made a plan. He wasn't going to give Genesis what he wanted, no matter what that was. But he wasn't going to kill him either.

"Loveless again, huh?" Eloise remained in the back while Zack walked forward. He glanced at her over his shoulder and winked. She knew that everything was going to be fine for all of them. She certainly hoped that.

"You have succeeded Angeal' spirit, and carry a part of Sephiroth within you. Thus, the three friends are reunited once again and Loveless is reenacted" Eloise bit her lip and stared intensely at the man she fell in love with.

"No! Open your eyes, Genesis! You abandoned people who trusted you. Look around you!" He was referring to his sister. Shinra already lost that heavy meaning once Sephiroth turned against it. He found out too much to stay ignorant.

Genesis' eyes moved on Eloise. She looked different. She wasn't innocent anymore. She looked so much like Sephiroth without even doing something. She still looked like Zack but the way she was standing there, watching him, it felt like Sephiroth was staring at his head.

"When the war of beasts brings about the world's end" Zack was confused.

"I-I've come here to help you" Genesis ignored him completely.

"The Goddess descends from the sky. Wings of light and dark spread afar. She guides us to bliss, her gift everlasting" He moved around while quoting. At one point, he swayed his hand in the air and the big 'apple' above the statue of the Goddess enlightened.

"What is that?" Genesis smirked.

"The gift of the goddess. A heavenly boon found only in Banora" So that was that. For Eloise, the light that emitted from the boon was mesmerizing. She got entranced by it.

"I thought the cells were the gift" Genesis raised an eyebrow.

"There are various interpretations" Zack was just gettibg more confused. He thought that the cells were the gift because the cells were the only way for him to continue living.

"To ponder the mystery is in itself a gift. We will all join the lifestream. You are no exception" Zack looked around, a little scared and worried. He didn't know what was going on. "The planet has become my guardian" Genesis' sword started to glow and a sudden pulse of stream went into it. He changed. He became a weird creature. Zack had no choice but fight.

On the other side, Eloise was still captured by the light of the lifestream. She frowned when she saw bits of it moving around her. She couldn't even focus on the battle because her head started to hurt. She touched one of the bits and felt a sudden vibration in her arm. She reached out for it again but the light moved. She took a step back and watched as the light surrounded her. It felt protective but at the same time it might have been a way to keep her away from Genesis.

She saw it again. She narrowed her eyes to catch a better sight. It was there. Behind the statue was the wolf with red eyes. He was staring straight at her and it looked like he was smirking. She didn't understand why it appeared again. The source of mako was the lifestream but she had it in her body. Besides, the Jenova cells were protecting her from having any side reactions to it.

The wolf started to move towards her. He was walking as if he was checking out his prey. She gulped and tried to back off. The light didn't let her move. She was scared. Once the wolf got in front of her, he stopped. He was staring deeply into her eyes. He didn't seem to want to harm her. She blinked when he moved closer and sat. He just sat down and continued to watch her; like a guard.

"What-"

"I told you to be careful what eyes you trust" That voice wasn't new. She heard it before when she attacked Sephiroth in the simulation room."You trusted the wrong ones. Now, what are you going to do Eloise? You will end up all alone" Her eyes widened. She felt offended.

"I trusted the eyes that protected me" The wolf looked amused.

"But those eyes are evil. They will kill everything you love" She was in a peculiar situation but couldn't help but chuckle. She rubbed her eyes. It was just so surreal.

"I have his eyes. I think I'll manage that on my own" The wolf tilted his head to the side.

"You are already a part of the lifestream. It will guide you since you have no sense of responsibility" She glared at the wolf. He smirked before he ran behind the statue.

The light faded away and Eloise could finally see the battle. It was over and Genesis was on the ground. Her first instinct was to go by his side. Zack looked fine. He sighed and patted her shoulder.

"It's fine. He's not dead" However, something was different about him.

"Zack, his hair color is back. He actually looks normal again" The two siblings were amazed. Something happened and Genesis was actually back to normal.

Zack had to carry Genesis out. However, he didn't expect to see Cloud on a chair and Lazard on the ground, leaning against the chair. He placed Genesis down and went to Lazard. Eloise remained with the redhead. She touched his cheek and looked ready to cry.

"You worked so hard for nothing" She sighed. "The gift of the goddess is life itself. I thought you would think so too" He moved a little but not enough to show that he was conscious.

On the other side, Lazard looked tired.

"Shinra attacked us" Her head snapped towards them and she frowned. Shinra was after her brother. She had to remember that. She had to protect him. "I got some help" He pointed to a small creature. Zack seemed to recognize it.

After Zack calmed down he went and took a few Banora apples. He was hungry but moreover, he placed one in Cloud and Genesis' laps. He started to eat his own apple while he threw the last one at Eloise. She caught it and stared at it curiously.

"Ok. Let's eat. Sorry I'm not the real thing, but" Eloise stared at her brother blankly. He was acting quite optimistically after what he had been through.

"Is it good?" She jumped in surprise when she heard his voice. "The gift of the goddess" Zack raised the apple and inspected it closely.

"This apple?" Genesis shook his head.

"Angeal, the dream came true" Zack didn't understand much of what Genesis was saying but he thought back about his mentor. It just hurt.

Lazard died shortly after. He became part of the lifestream.

She watched her brother mourn over what looked like a small dog creature. It faded away and left something behind. She didn't know what it was but it greatly affected Zack.

"I've been missing for four years?!" Zack couldn't believe it. He turned to Eloise and blinked in confusion. "What have you done in these years?" She rubbed her arm and looked to the side.

"I was dormant. I woke up a few weeks before you" The older Fair sibling was perplexed. If they kept him in a tub then where did they keep her?

He got some crazy idea because he grabbed Cloud and got ready to leave. He encouraged Genesis too but he didn't respond.

"Can I stay a little bit more?" She was hesitant. She wanted a few more minutes around Genesis before everything was going to end. Zack nodded and left.

She sighed and caressed his cheek. He flinched but she didn't stop.

"You've been the greatest mistake of my life. But you also helped me when I needed. You know everything about me because you were always the one to get me in the laboratory"

"Leave me" It was merely a mumble but she heard it. She smiled softly.

"No matter what happened or will happen, my feelings for you will never change. I love you and I will never stop loving you, Genesis" He heard her and it probably meant for him because he opened his eyes. It was only for a moment but it happened. She got on her feet and placed the apple on the chair. That was it. That was the final goodbye.

On the way to her brother, she felt better. She finally got the chance to tell Genesis what she was feeling. It was finally over. They could all go back to a normal life.

She wasn't far behind Zack. She was quite fast for a woman her size. She called him and he was himself. He tried to cheer her up on the phone but the transmission cut shortly after one of his jokes.

She walked for a while until she heard something dropping. It sounded like water. She looked around but there was nothing. She felt her side hurt again. It stung like a fresh wound. She was bleeding. Her vision became blurry and she fainted.

She opened her eyes and found herself in the same white place as before.

"What's going on?" She heard him again. He wasn't there but his voice was echoing through the whole place.

"I'm saving you, Eloise" She frowned.

"What do you mean? I'm not in danger. I'm only bleeding from nothing" He chuckled.

"I scratched your side in training. It happened long time ago. Do you remember?" She nodded. It hurt like hell for a week. "That became our link. I live inside you and I can induce that wound to make you unconscious"

"Well then, let me leave. I have to catch up to Zack. He's still a few miles away"

"I can't do that" She was annoyed.

"Why not?" He was serious. He wasn't even trying to comfort her.

"Because I want to protect you. Remember Eloise. I need your help in the future" She bit her lip and tried to contain her anger. Sephiroth was the same as ever.

"So all you need is my help. You don't care about your little pupil anymore" He kept silent for a moment. "You became a monster"

"You will become one too" She was ready to say something against that statement but she woke up. It felt like she wasn't even unconscious for a while.

What felt like a few minutes were actually more. She was unconscious for an hour. Hopefully, Zack didn't make it too far.

She walked for another two hours when she finally saw Cloud.

"Where is my brother?" Cloud pointed to some valley. She nodded and helped him up.

The sight they came upon was nothing like what she imagined. Dead corpses were everywhere. Guns were lying around and they stumbled upon a lot of pieces of bodies. However, something felt grim. It started to rain and she felt her heart stop. She saw him and it wasn't what she wanted to see in her life.

"Zack!" He couldn't even raise his head. He was lying on the ground near the edge and he was full of wounds and dirt. She fell next to him while Cloud crawled on the other side.

"Shinra troops attacked us. I wanted to keep Cloud safe and I-" He coughed. Her eyes widened and she grabbed his hand.

"You're an idiot. Why did you confront them alone? Why didn't you wait for me?" He chuckled.

"Because I am a hero, ain't I?" He was tired. He wasn't going to make it and he knew it. He turned to Cloud and smiled.

"Zack" The infantry man had nothing to say. Zack sacrificed for him.

"For the both of us" He could barely speak. However, his eyes were still glowing.

"Both of us?" Cloud glanced at Eloise. She was trying to keep a cold facade but she was breaking. She didn't have to keep the mask in front of him.

"That's right. You're gonna-you're gonna" Eloise let go of his hand and he pulled Cloud's had on his chest. "Live. You will be my living legacy" Her eyes widened and she started to cry. The tears were dropping down her cheeks silently.

He let go of Cloud and instinctively grabbed Eloise' hand. He was gripping it with all the force he had left.

"My honor, my dreams, they're yours now" He used his leftover strength to give the Buster sword to Cloud. He took it skeptically. He didn't deserve it and he knew it. Zack was from a different level.

"I'm your living legacy" Once Cloud repeated those words, Eloise whimpered. It just became more real that her brother was dying. The brother she followed everywhere; the brother who was always smiling like a puppy.

"You promised you would always be by my side; that you'd always be there for me" His head turbed towards her and he smiled sadly. "You promised" She was crying. He hadn't seen her cry ever since they were children. He tried to wipe her tears out but he only left blood and dirt on her face. She closed her eyes and let him do whatever he wanted.

"I will always be there for you, Eloise. I won't break my promise" The tears came like a flood. She couldn't stop them. He turned to Cloud and grabbed his hand. He intertwined their hands on his chest. "Cloud will continue my work. See him as your brother. I want you to take care of each other. Watch over him, Eloise" They glanced at each other before they both felt the grip loosening. She placed her hands on his face and caressed his cheeks.

"Zack. I'm sorry. If I wouldn't have stayed behind you wouldn't have been dying now" He smiled and closed his eyes. "Zack! Don't die. I'm sorry" She hugged him and placed her head on his chest. "I'm so sorry"

Cloud watched the younger sister cry her heart out. He had never seen her so weak. She always gave that strong feeling to the people around her. It was a sad sight. He wasn't as hurt as Eloise but he had his own share of pain. Zack fought the army to save him. It wasn't Eloise' fault; it was his. He was weak and pitiful. He didn't have enough power to help or save his dear ones. He showed his hurt in his own way. He cried out with all his might. It was a scream that gave goose bumps. It was the final goodbye.

Cloud had to pry Eloise off her brother. She didn't want to leave and she was strong enough to fight against Cloud.

"Let me just a bit more" She pushed him away so he didn't have any choice but nod. She watched the young soldier leave with the Buster sword. That sword was a promise to raise up to the level of an extraordinary soldier. "Angeal left, Genesis left, Sephiroth left and now you. It seems I bring death to everyone I care for, huh?" She didn't get any response. "It's ok. I won't do it anymore. I won't open up my heart to anyone. As long as I won't care, no one will get hurt" She got up and wiped her tears.

On the way to Cloud, her facial expression changed. She became blank. Her heart stopped beating when Zack's did. She was only a vessel and she started to act accordingly. She was only a weapon and nothing more. She was empty. She was completely broken and nothing was going to change her back.

When they got back to Shinra, Tseng was shocked. He didn't see Eloise coming down the hallway; he saw Sephiroth. She became the image of her mentor and that only grew over the years.

The new recruits were scared of her. She became first class SOLDIER and she had to take care of the new infantrymen. They were weak and weren't going to last long. She told them that without any remorse. Tseng was worried. She was scary and cold. She was always in the simulation room, training. She took Cloud under her wing. That was her brother's wish.

"Why did you call me here this late?"

Cloud's personality became a contradiction between Zack's behavior and his. He was still confused who he was and what he was going to do. She had a mission for him; one that was going to take a while.

"You're going to kill Sephiroth" His blue eyes widened. "And I am going to teach you everything I know; everything he taught me"