Hello everyone! Alright, to who has been patiently and impatiently (you know who you are) waiting, here it is; the end of the story. I know I am breaking a promise by saying my KH story will have to wait 'cause I got wheels turning for a new one under Naruto, but one thing you have to understand is that as a writer, it's impossible to keep promises that your plot will stay EXACTLY the same. I realize that now, and I give a whole hearted apology to those who expected KH. Well, here it is; the end of my story TT-TT.

This chapter is for my friend, whose father passed away from a heart attack of late; though one leaves us, they are still here. You just gotta dig a bit deeper.

Disclaimer: I do not own final fantasy VII (though it would be a nice Christmas present!)

Black; it was the first thing that entered Anette's mind as she slowly opened her eyes from passing out. The color of her fate. The color everyone would wear when they would go to her funeral. The color worn by the one who had MADE her pass out. She looked at the damage and grimaced in disgust at her body's condition and in pain of having to move her neck.

There were various cuts and bruises across the areas Sephiroth neglected to crush bones, leave gashes, or rashed from being thrown around. Her clothes were ripped on her body. The only thing keeping her bust from showing was ripped red fabric dyed a red-brown from dried blood. The mythril that guarded her earlier was shattered and had either crushed her lungs or left numerous cuts all over. Her guarded shorts had been so ripped; they wouldn't stay on any longer, so she was in her underwear. The boots that originally kept her calves from being damaged fell off on the way to the crater. Her arms were at her sides, beaten and useless, the nerves to weary to respond to her minds distress call to get up and get out of here.

"So you've awoken, good. T'would is a shame if you died already when I'm not even near through with you," a sickening voice Anette wished would go away sounded joyously. Too joyous to be sane.

His sword's dull blade skimmed up her leg and neared her back, sending a horrible shiver down her spine. She squeezed her eyes shut, preparing for her last distress call before she would be doomed. She heaved in a breath and screamed as loud as she could, "KAI, HELP!"

A strong wind blew, the shreds of her clothing flying away in the wind like a messenger bird carrying a horrible message, the same with her voice. Wincing as the sword punctured another place on her body she thought, please save me.

Oo00oO

"Look, up ahead!" Marlene pointed. A bloody, brown red shred of fabric was a few yards in front of them and closing in as it danced in the wind. Kai narrowed his eyes in concentration and snatched it before it could fade away, slowing his hover board enough for him to breathe deeply in the cloth, the familiar peach blossoms filling his nose, stained with the harsh, metallic scent of blood.

An extremely loud scream sounded not far ahead. They were getting closer and things did not look good.

"Anette!" they all simultaneously screamed, though not on purpose.

"Yuffie, hold on," Vincent told her as he completely took his hands away from the break and revved the motorcycle as fast as he could, leaning down in the wind to keep from adding wind resistance, Kai at their sides on max speed for the hover board.

"If I don't make it out alive, tell Anette I loved her for me, okay?" He yelled through the wind. Vincent nodded, understanding that he along with everyone else has a chance of dying in this.

"Don't say that," Yuffie pleaded. "Nobody will die; we can't…no, we won't."

They reached the mesa in the crater where Sephiroth was, an almost naked Anette grappled at the forearm as she used her other arm to hold what fabric she could over her bust, though her underwear was still in place. Everyone got off their vehicles quickly, weapons in tow.

"What, did I steal something from you?" Sephiroth asked in a toying manner. "Well you can have her back now; she's nearing death anyways." He bodily dropped her arm, slung his around her waist and threw Anette at the others.

"Anette!" Kai screamed, leaping forward to catch her. Her hypothermic, bone – shattered body was so numb with pain, she didn't eve have the energy to grunt with pain. Kai cradled her in his arms, pressing his ear against her heart, his eyes closing as he concentrated on listening to her heart.

Vincent stepped in front of Kai and Anette, eyes glowing a fierce red. "If you were smart, you would kill yourself right now, and save us the trouble."

Sephiroth laughed. "Did I get someone upset? Excuse me for damaging your favorite toy!"

Cloud rushed at Sephiroth with the two blades he took from the main sword.

"Cut the chat and try fighting!" He yelled, expertly blocking the Masamune, swinging once more. Kai looked up and saw Sephiroth and him in a heated fight, moving so fast he could barely keep up.

"Anette," he whispered turning his attention back to more important matters. She was alive, but only barely. Kai felt a hand on his shoulder as Tifa said, "I'll take care of her; you get out there and help your father." Kai nodded, not needing to look up to express his thanks. He left a light, loving kiss on Anette's forehead, cradling in his arms one last time before whispering to her, "I love you" and proceeding to get up, take out his sword and join the others in fighting.

Vincent, however, could not fire off his bullets even if he wanted to. Cloud might get shot in the process, and with Kai in the way too, it would be impossible. However, Yuffie and Nanaki were not stopped by it. Yuffie spun to gain momentum and threw her Conformer as hard as she could. Sephiroth only barely ducked in time, half his hair being shaved off. Nanaki leapt forward and bit down on his sword arm hard, only to be thrown off, whimpering as he hit the ground.

"Vincent!" Yuffie called to him as she caught her Conformer. "Go help Tifa with Anette! It's too dangerous to fire off bullets right now, and I'm sure help will be needed!"

Vincent sighed. "Fine, but I need to get at least a few rounds in him after what he's done. Look at Anette! She's in worse condition then you were in when you fell from the mountain!"

"Which is why she needs your help," Yuffie retorted clearly. Vincent seethed for a moment before he felt her gentle hand on his forearm.

"Don't worry; if I get too weary, we can trade out and you can put as many holes in him as you want," Yuffie said, offering a weak smile. They exchanged a quick kiss before Yuffie went towards Sephiroth and Vincent ran back to Anette.

"This doesn't look good," Tifa said worriedly as Vincent approached. "She needs to get to a hospital; all I can do is stop her bleeding for now, so she won't bleed to death. It feels like she's dropping in a coma…believe me, I know that feeling. But she has to get out of here and I mean NOW."

Vincent kneeled down and cradled his daughter's head in his lap, his organic hand gently caressing one cheek, his midnight hair with a few stray white strands whipping in the wind as he took off his headband and carefully tied it around her head to keep her hair from getting into the wounded areas.

"I'll get 'er outa here, but yah owe me one, yah bastards!" Cid's voice sounded clearly as he came into view.

"Take one of the motorcycles; they'll get you to a hospital fastest," Tifa instructed. Cid nodded and carefully picked up Anette and put her on the seat in front of him.

"There is a town nine miles north of us," Vincent told him as he figured his arms around the poor girl and on the handlebars. "They should have a hospital. Once you get there, tell them that Anette needs immediate care. If they refuse it, they have ME to answer to. Good luck and good wind."

"Ah, don't get yer sorry asses killed, yah hear!?" He called as he turned on the engine and sped up the crater, northbound for the nearest hospital.

"Now then Vincent, I say we go give Sephiroth some hell," Tifa said, a cold grin on her face. He nodded and loaded in his most powerful bullets before charging forward with Tifa.

"Where's Anette?" Kai called when Cloud blocked and swung to leave a gash on Sephiroth's leg. Vincent aimed and carefully fired a bullet into Sephiroth's forearm.

"Cid is taking her to the nearest hospital; her bones are shattered. If we use materia now, they will heal deformed. They have to be reassembled before we can use any spells."

"Well then uncle, I say we give this ass hole some pay back," Kai said with a wry smile as he upper swung and Sephiroth dodged, though stumble from the gash on his leg. The battle was obviously taking a toll.

"I whole heartedly agree; just leave me to put at least fifty rounds in him," Vincent said angrily.

Yuffie's conformer hit Sephiroth's leg joint, causing enough of a delay for Kai to push his father out of the way and Vincent opened fire on him, reloading and re-firing in less then a second.

When the smoke cleared, Sephiroth had dozens of holes in him; dotting his torso and arms, his legs and neck, anywhere there was room for a hole, one was made. Yet through all of that, Sephiroth chuckled, rolling into laughter.

"You blind idiots! You think just gunshots alone will defeat me!? I took that Ancient's blood and drank some! I cannot be stopped so easily!!!"

His body started glowing white hot, almost blinding all who saw. He screamed and wings ripped out from all over him, hiding his body as he transformed.

They suddenly burst open, sending a shockwave through the air. All of the sudden, they were floating in another dimension, the kaleidoscope of colors churning around them.

"Ah, shit, he's in his final form," Barrett yelled, reloading bullets into his gun arm as Vincent did to Death Penalty.

Cloud took up his former role as leader and started assigning positions. "Barrett, Denzel, Yuffie and Vincent, get a distance out and attack the left side! Marlene, Nanaki, come around his right side and cast magic on him! Tifa, Kai, come up front with me, we're going to hold him off so the others can attack safely. If someone gets hurt and there is a lack on one side, someone else go to that side and keep things even. Go!"

Everyone sped to the places assigned, Denzel and Marlene bumping into each other along the way. They grasped forearms, Marlene's eyes betraying her otherwise calm demeanor.

"Promise me you'll stay alive," Marlene pleaded. Denzel kissed her short and hard.

"Only if you do," he responded. They quickly hugged and went where they were supposed to.

"You betta have been good to my lil' girl, or I'll be shootin' you when I'm done with Sephiroth, you hear me boy!?" Barrett told Denzel gruffly after witnessing the moment between Marlene and Denzel.

"Yes sir, I have," Denzel said after a prominent gulp. He drew three arrow's feathers across his mouth and then knocked all three, aiming for the vital points; throat, eyes, and heart. He let them fly and they found their targets with ease.

"Whoa! I wanna learn to do that!" Yuffie said enthusiastically after throwing Conformer, gashes coming across Sephiroth's chest.

"I could say the same to you!" Denzel said, knocking more arrows after running them in his mouth so they would go astray to the right places.

The battle wore on; swords were swung, bullets shot, spells unleashed, injuries given. Finally, they had done it, after spending hours fighting, sometimes only barely surviving an attack only to be raised up by a Restore materia.

"Father, throw your swords in the air!" Kai yelled to him over the battle noise.

"What, why?" Cloud responded, confused.

"Just do it!"

Cloud sighed. "Don't get yourself killed."

Cloud heaved and threw his swords high in the air. Kai jumped up, the other swords within his jumping out to circle Sephiroth. He slashed as he sped from sword to sword almost in a never ending dance, slash, change out, slash, and on and on till the end of time; at least, that's what it felt like. Finally he fell, the swords puncturing the ground below, Kai dropping, heavy breathed, one sword still in hand. The kaleidoscope of colors vanished and they were back where they belonged, on their planet.

Sephiroth's final form faded, leaving a very bloody cut up Sephiroth they fought earlier. He fell to the ground, blue light evaporating from his body.

"you," Sephiroth said, glaring up at Cloud. "I hope you rot in hell for every second after you die."

"I'm the one who did the final attack," Kai said stepping forward. Sephiroth choked as he coughed up more blood. "And it is by my hand you will die, you damned bastard. But before you do, know this: if you even try to force back into life and hunt down ANY of my friends and family, I will not hesitate to kill you. Slowly and painfully." And with that said, he strode forward and stabbed Sephiroth in the heart. His eyes rolled to the back of his head and he died. He was dead.

"Let's hurry to the hospital Cid took Anette to," Vincent said. "Yuffie and I can share a hover board."

"So can me and Denzel," Marlene added. She looked across to Denzel. After seeing his relieved smile, she rushed up, and clung to him, not looking to let go any time soon.

"You kept your promise," she whispered happily. Denzel chuckled.

"You expected me not to?"

"Well…" Marlene faltered eyes downcast. "You don't know WHAT to expect with Sephiroth, and I was scared. Not of him, but of what he might have done to you…"

"It's really a heart warming moment, but if you don't mind, could you continue this on the way to the hospital?" Kai asked gently. They nodded, remembering that they had to see Anette and got on the hover board, Denzel taking the controls with his feet, hugging Marlene to him with his arms.

Yuffie got in front, only to be hugged from behind by Vincent. "Don't want you falling off, now do we?" Yuffie smiled weakly, but her eyes betrayed her.

"She will survive Yuffie; the hospital there is a good one, Anette is in good hands."

Yuffie nodded, but a tear couldn't help but escape her eye. Vincent kissed her neck tenderly, breaking away from her only to shift control on the board.

The miles between them and the hospital were covered quickly, questioning looks coming from the people in the lobby at the large band of armed men and woman that were looking for an extremely injured girl.

"Um, she is in the emergency room number ten, down the hall to the left." The clerk informed them. "But before you go, I think you ought to know this; the man who brought the girl here died as soon as he knew she was in good care."

Everyone was shocked. "No…" Tifa whispered. "No! God damn idiot! I TOLD him before we left he was too weak! I TOLD him he would die if he put too much strain on his lungs…"

They all walked onward to the surgery room Anette was being operated on, Kai gazing through the window to see her beat up form being carefully cut open, to see them put her bone pieces together and use materia to make them whole, and move on to the next part of her body.

But Cid's death still hurt. Even with the hope that Anette would pull through, they still missed him. He had sacrificed himself, just to save Anette. Call him foolish if you will, but every member of AVALANCHE honored him as a hero from that day on.

Hours later, the operators came out of the room, Anette's skin and bandages all back where it should be.

Kai immediately got up and asked, "How is she doing? Will she pull through?"

The surgeon sighed. "It depends if her will is strong enough; she is in a coma and may take months to recover. We were able to repair her bone and organ damage, but she has experience malnutrition and hypothermia as well. She may live, but it will take time."

Kai lowered his head to the ground before asking, "Can I go in and see her?"

He nodded and Kai burst in the door and was immediately at her side. Vincent and Yuffie stepped up to go in and the surgeon said, "I thought I said he could go in, not you two." Vincent glared down at him.

"Will you deny me my right to see my daughter when she is like this!?" That shut him up quick. "Thank you."

They entered to see Kai sitting by her, gently stroking her hair. Vincent and Yuffie went to her other side, Vincent resting one hand on her shoulder.

"I'm staying in this town with her until she wakes up," Kai said, eyes unwavering from her. Vincent and Yuffie exchanged glances. "Will you be alright out here on your own Kai?" Yuffie asked.

"As long as she is alive, I will be fine."

Vincent sighed. "I'll tell the others; we'll keep in touch on a day to day basis mind you. Take good care of her."

He and Yuffie exited and spoke with the others. They all nodded, and came in the room to wish their good luck.

"Hey man, you be good out here, 'ight?" Denzel said, gripping his forearm in a mutual good bye.

"Don't scare your parents, alright?" Tifa said, giving him a hug. Barrett just said, "Don't die out here." Kai sighed. Probably still grief stricken from his best friend dying.

Nanaki nuzzled him and Anette's hand affectionately. "May the planet watch over both of you." Cloud came last.

"It was a hard battle with Sephiroth; I am proud of you. Take the Gil we brought with us and use that to get your roots in. Just be safe."

Father and son exchanged a quick hug before Cloud dug in his pack and pulled out provisions. "Until you can get roots in here, this is all I can offer for now. If you need money, ring us up and we'll send someone with a care package."

Kai nodded. "Take care you guys," he said. They all bade their last goodbyes and left Kai and Anette alone.

"Well, love, looks like I'm stuck here a while," He said to Anette even if she couldn't hear him. He didn't care. As long as she was alive, he didn't care. He loved her.

end

Epilogue Oo00oO

"Alright Kai, you're assigned to Miss Valentine's room today," The head nurse said, her pen tapping the clipboard. Kai smiled and nodded, going off to Anette's room before another word slipped from the nurse's mouth.

Kai had gotten a job at the hospital evidently so he could stay close to Anette; and occasionally he would be assigned to her room, when he had to keep her fresh and clean; brushing teeth and hair and bathing, though he was always extremely carefully never to look. He would not violate Anette's privacy, coma or no. But he was still happy that he worked so close to her. On his breaks he would come into her room and talk to her, telling her of his day, how things were at home, anything he thought she would want to know. Even if she doesn't answer back, he knows she's listening.

He quietly slipped into her room, his eyes taking in her form as she slept silently, hands resting on her stomach. He closed the door and sat by her, placing a soft kiss on her forehead like he does every morning.

"Hello love," Kai said, taking the hair brush out of the night stand and beginning his work. Today wasn't a wash day, so he wouldn't have to worry about that. He just gently and slowly put it through her hair, taking care to not pull out as many hairs. Even though some would taunt him for being a nurse and learning to brush a girls' hair, he couldn't care less. As long as it was Anette he was caring for, he didn't mind in the least.

Though his head was downcast, so he didn't see her eyelids flicker. They flickered once more, only this time he saw them. Kai held his breath, stopping his soft brushing. Finally, after a few long, agonizing minutes, she groaned and threw open her eyelids, the gentle red grey orbs blinking as they got used to being used once more. Kai couldn't believe it. She was awake.

"Kai?" She said hesitantly, as if she was confused on where she was.

"Anette!" He yelled and before she could say another word, he pressed his lips against hers in a fierce kiss, pulling her to him as tight as he could, heart soaring.

Anette, still weary, just gently put her arms around his neck, a mere fraction of what she wished she could do. She felt so…amazing from this one kiss, as if time itself, impatient as it is, decided to stop and linger around this moment, to enraptured by it's purity to move on.

Finally, almost reluctantly, they broke apart, foreheads resting against one another. "your awake," Kai whispered, a tear of joy escaping him. "I was afraid you might…well, you know."

"Aeris saved me," Anette said, snuggling closer to Kai. "She gave up the ability to commune with us to save my life. But right now I'm just glad to be alive! Sephiroth, he…he tortured me so much. I felt like giving up, just dying so I wouldn't have to have an endless nightmare…"

"Anette, I wouldn't let you die; even if it meant going and rotting in the last level of hell, I will never let you die."

She gazed in his eyes lovingly. "I love you."

"And I you."

And as they kissed once more, they thought back to when this whole thing began. When they were all sighing and asking themselves, "Don't they ever learn?"

The real end

Thanks everyone! This was a fun fic, to write, but it is over. You have all been the best reviewers I could ask for.

Merry Christmas,

Ichi