Chapter 2: Dangerous Duty
Cloud currently took over the task of civilian protection in the city, since there were still threats both foreign and common after Sephiroth's coming. He wasn't too fond of the job as he never found much satisfaction taking out those of lesser value. Yet today a new threat had come and it wasn't like the previous thugs that seemed to riddle the streets. This was a beast of true merit and fear…
This call interrupted his most precious time-when he was out in the garden behind the orphanage reminiscing on days gone by…on Aerith.
"I'm sorry…" he told himself repeatedly.
His eyes were closed and his breathing softened. If he wanted to he could've went to sleep there in the flower bed but the calamity of the outside realm prevented it. A few moments later Denzel came from out of the back door with a phone in his hand. Cloud instantly sensed his presence but refused to move.
"Cloud! You're out here again? This is really getting old…"
"Some reason you came out here?" he questioned.
"Yeah. The governor called in again, said it's a real nasty one this time." Denzel handed him the phone.
Cloud swiped it away and moaned. "Where is it?"
A bass like voice rambled against Cloud's ear. Once it was finished he closed the phone and tossed it to Denzel.
"I'll be back in a short while. Oh, and remind me who's bright idea it was to start up this law and system of government…"
"It was yours! Don't you remember you and Tifa decided that together."
He couldn't recall it; nothing made any sense to him. Instead of trying to put the pieces together Cloud retrieved his sword and got aboard his Fenrir. Denzel's cries were muffled by the sound of the engine as Cloud sped off into the distance.
About 2 miles from the border of Edge the fury of the beast was visible. It was a wooly, iridescent colored creature with wings of red veins and a face of bold ferocity. Bellowing and stomping it's feet it spotted Cloud from a distance and galloped at full speed to him.
His First Tsurugi in hand Cloud revved up and charged. It closed in on him and just when the claws were about to make contact he zips underneath and tosses the sword into the belly of the beast. A stinging screech could be heard all through the city and something milky started to seep out.
Cloud turned only a bit to see out the corner of his eye what it was. Disbelief covered his face.
"That can't be…white mako…!" he shuttered.
It was a rare and peculiar site. Only Aerith was known to possess it and now this thing was bleeding it! Cloud could only cringe at what he'd done.
"Are you with the Cetras?" he asked rhetorically.
It grinned feverishly and then started to speak. "Believe what I say. I'm a manifestation of the Cetras, a final cry of desperation in their attempts to preserve this planet. But you Cloud Strife have ceased my will…"
"…What do you mean? The governor of my city said that you were destroying-"
"I was protecting myself from the infidels of this world…there…after me…and they want you to be with them."
He cautiously eased towards the impalement of the Mako Beast and removed the sword. The pain was apparent but it showed no emotion as it crawled a few feet away from Cloud.
"You're not on my side anymore…not on Aerith's side…"
"I will always be on her side!"
"Maybe you say that now but soon the malignance inside you will grow and everything you once cherished will become a liability. For that reason and many others Cloud Strife you must perish here…"
His guard was none. He couldn't have understood what was being told to him was supposed to save his life so he could make things right. The response was too late as the Mako Beast pressed his weight against Cloud's chest and sank its fangs into the fallen hero's shoulder…
Note: I'm sure I'll get a lot of criticism on the technical details but I pretty much don't mind flaming so long as it is somewhat constructive. R and R!