Warlock Sephiroth woke up early as always, he couldn't sleep, Hojo was alive, somehow as once he did, Barbara's life was in danger, on this day he didn't went to walk, it was a rainy black day, Sephiroth was worried but some action won't look so bad for a bored warrior, so he put his mind on the right place and start to think some solution for it, He wished do take her to his world, create some chocobos or wherever, shows his reality.
He called Barbara's home, but she had already left. Seph was worried and decided do go to her school, he took his black overcoat called a taxi and left.
"If a could at least take my sword, anyway Hojo is not materialized, as drops of this rain he can be everywhere now" tough Seph looking trough the taxi's foggy glasses.
This made he remember when he hunted Cloud boy, watching his steps everywhere without troubles.
Arriving on her school he ran to her classroom, she wasn't there, nobody have seen her today.
"Damn!!" He looked everywhere, on the library, snack bar, but she wasn't anywhere.
"Barbara!!!!!"
After he had look everywhere Seph went back to his apartment, he was scared, she was the girl he loved, if Hojo did something with her he could die again just to kill his ghost. He probably would never admit but some tears were falling from his shinning sad eyes.
He opened the door he heard some noise on the kitchen, so he took his masamune that was over the sofa. Quickly and silent Seph went to the kitchen.
"Stop right now!!!!"
"Seph...It's me Barbara!" she said loosing her color.
"Where the hell where you!! I've been looking for you everywhere!!" "I was right here waiting for you, a prepared a lasagna. Something wrong?"
Seph was still angry, but what he could say for that ginger girl dressed only with a t- shirt, and besides she have no clue about Hojo arrival.
So he held her strong close of him, he felt her body touching his body, she was fragile as china doll. So he took her neck and brought her close to a kiss.
"Oh Barbara, I was missing you that's all, anyway your lasagna is smelling so good."
Everything were so perfect Sephiroth couldn't screw up everything with troubles, not now. After the lunch, Sephiroth had some time before the next fight classes...
Sephiroth took Barbara to his room and undressed her slowly, kissing every single part of her body. She did the same with him, and they made love for a real long time, with lots of good feelings mixing up with Sephiroth's fears.
Sephiroth felt somewhat anguished, as if some evil eyes had the sadistic pleasure observing every single move they made, invading their privacy.
After the love both had shower together and, while in the Bath, Sephiroth finally opened his thoughts to Barbara.
"Hojo is on this world, he is following me everywhere, I can fell his evil presence here."
"Here...?" Barbara was frightened and held Sephiroth tight.
"I think so, then, I don't want you going too far from me." Saying it he held her naked body tighter against his own.
"...I....love you Barbara. I never thought I would finally say it for anyone, but I'm mad about you."
Barbara smiled her most brilliant smile and kissed Sephiroth's chest, promising another love act when...
Suddenly Barbara arched her body back, in the most deep pain stamped on her face, and groaned as she was stabbed for something nobody could see.
Sephiroth's eyes wide, he was stunned. He grabbed her body that was slowly fading... her skin turning pale... her breath leaving slowly.
He couldn't say a word. He lowed with her body in his arms and tears started to roll down of his eyes. The memories went back: "you'll wish the hell... the hell..." He could hear the laughs.
"Se...phi...roth... I... love... y-"
Barbara closed her eyes slowly and fade away.
So he could finally put all his pain away:
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOO......"
He could hear the laughs. He felt the despair and all the fear, all the pain...
Sephiroth went out of the shower and laid Barbara in the bed. Called 911. And putting his clothes, his contact lenses, he remembered with a deep, profound and huge pain, the day he killed Aerith almost in Cloud's arms, he thought about Vincent and Lucretia, and in all the people he killed letting a survivor to cry the pain of the beloved ones.
"Oh, Cloud, forgive me, I didn't know..."
He wished the hell at that moment, but still, he had to do something.
Sephiroth went out of the apartment and silent and fast went to the basement of the building, hidding very well his Masamune on the elevator's hole and covering it with a black old canvas he found around there.
He came back in the apartment and had time only to dress Barbara with his bathrobe right before the ambulance arrives.
The doctors met a real sad and static Sephiroth.
"Hi, I'm doctor Paul Jones... What happened?"
"We were in the shower than she... she had some kind of pain and... fade away."
The doctors were examining.
"Look, Mr..."
"Steven Sephiroth..."
"Mr. Sephiroth, looks like she had a stroke. She's still alive, but if it is a real stroke she may never come back of the comma."
Dr. Jones pulled Sephiroth for his arm while they were leaving with Barbara in a stretcher with two paramedics.
"If she comes back, she may have sequels that would make her life a waste... But we can't loose the hopes."
They went into the ambulance.
"You're saying that she will never be the same again?"
Dr. Jones lowed his head.
"I'm afraid so."
Sephiroth leaned his head on the ambulance wall and for the first time in his life, he cried as a child in front of people he never knew.
To the Charpter 8
The Last Hour / Epilogue