Fipp: I have decided to add chapter for XI, XII, and XIII, but I need help with XI, since the FF Wikia does not give me much information on characters' personalities in that area.
So, could someone please PM information on a Hume, Mirtha and Galka that I could use in that chapter, as well as Prishe. Wild guess which Tarutaru I'll use.
Also, Birth by Sleep is now out! I've seen clips on YouTube, and read stuff on the KH Wiki, and I am both saddened, and excited about for it to come out in the USA! It kind of makes me want to write something regarding Tanith (from my mainstream stories) and . . .
On with the fic!
VII
Cid Highwind and Yuffie Kisaragi
Sora, Donald and Goofy had walked into Merlin's house to find something out of the ordinary.
"Hey guys!" Yuffie smiled as she greeted. "Want to join us?" She held up the cup.
She, Cid and Merlin were sitting at a table, with various cups from Merlin's magic bag floating around them.
"What are you guys doing?" Donald asked.
"We are sitting down to a nice cup of tea," Merlin said as one of the floating pots refilled his cup. "Let me prepare you some cups." The pots began to coordinate with three cups in midair. He was drinking Earl Grey.
"Tea?" Goofy scratched his head.
"Yeah," Cid mumbled. "Apparently, some people," he glared at Merlin, "think that I need to relax more." He slurped his beverage. "Though, I have to say that I do feel good." He managed to convince Merlin to let him have iced.
"It's delicious," Yuffie chirped. Green tea for her.
Sora nodded. "Well, that's nice to know. But he have to get going, we were looking for-"
Cid stood up and slammed his hands on the table. "SIT DOWN AND DRINK YER GODDAMN TEA!!!"
"Yes sir," the three said, now sitting down at the table.
Barret Wallace
Sora groaned as he paid for the much needed items (potions, ethers, elixirs and such), and pocketed the items.
"This is just getting ridicules," he sighed to himself.
"How much did they cost this time?" Donald asked, dreading the answer.
Sora told him.
"WHAT?!" the mage quaked. "Why is everything getting so expensive! That's it! We're cutting what we spend on luxuries!"
"But Donald," Goofy answered. "We're already not eating lunch and dinner,"
"And I'm uncomfortable with sharing a bed at the inn with you two," Sora said, crossing his arms.
"What?" Donald shrugged. "Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and three rooms are too expensive." He began to mumble some. "Just why is the price of everything going up?"
"That's 'cause we're running out of fuel," a gruff voice said. The three of them turned around to see a dark-skinned man in an off-white vest and fishnet shirt walking towards him. What caught their attention the most, was the fact that his right hand was made of metal.
"What do you mean 'we're running out of fuel'?" Sora asked.
The large man pointed with his metal thumb over his shoulder. "This world is still a wreck, and people are freaking out over running out of the resources that weren't ruined by the Heartless. So, everyone's jacking their prices up, as a sort of compensation for what they have to pay for fuel to transport their goods."
"That doesn't sound very good," Sora said.
"Nope, it ain't," the man replied. "But hopefully, if things go my way, than the situation will get better."
"You have an idea?"
"Yup! I'm looking for new resources out there, in the wastelands, where the Heartless wouldn't likely touch." He paused for a moment. "Now that I think about it, I should probably be leaving soon." He turned around and began to walk away. "First, I gotta say bye to someone."
The man soon vanished into the crowd.
Red XIII/Nanaki
The moonlit sky shone down on the three of them as they walked along the walls of the former-castle.
Sora yawned. "Why do we have to be here so late?"
"Leon said there were some equipment that Ansem was using a long time ago still around the castle," Donald answered.
"But Donald!" Goofy whined. "We're been looking all day!"
"Well he have to-" Just then a tile from one of the overhanging roof fell down, and knocked him on the head. He cried in pain as he clutched his head.
"What was that?" Sora and Goofy looked up to the roof and saw quick-moving figure on the roofs, running away from them.
"Hey! Get back here!" Sora and Goofy then began to chase after the figure, with Donald, now fueled by rage, chasing closely behind them, only to pass them mere seconds later.
000
The three of them cornered the figure atop one of the towers. This close they could see that the one sneaking around was a large red, wolf-like creature with a fire lit at the end of its tail.
The three of them readied their weapons, poised to strike should this thing attack.
"Why do you have you weapons out?" the wolf asked.
"Wait," Sora blinked in confusion. "You can talk?"
"Yes, yes I can," it said.
"What are you doing sneaking around this late at night!" Donald asked/yelled, pointing his staff at him. He was apparently still mad about the bump on his head.
"I could ask you the same thing." Donald was now getting agitated.
The wolf made a slight growl noise. "I am here, for I do not know where I belong."
"You don't know where to go?" Goofy asked.
"That is correct."
"How about home?" Sora suggested.
The wolf shook his head. "Long ago, this world was my home, but the Heartless ruined it. They ruined it for many people."
"But why are you up here, in the towers?"
"As I said, I do not know where I belong." he was silent for a moment. "Tell me, when you first saw me, what did you think of me?"
The three of them didn't know how to answer.
"You thought I was a beast, am I wrong? Do not be ashamed if that is what you thought, many people think that upon seeing me. I may appear as a beast, yet my mind in on par with that of man. The men view me as a beast, and the beast view me as a man. I cannot return to my own people, for the Heartless took them all. So, where do I belong?"
"That sounds hard," Sora said, lowering his head.
"Why don't you just go to town?" Goofy asked. "There's lots of people there! And I don't think they'll care if you look like a wolf. Or are you a lion?" Goofy said the last bit to himself in confusion.
The wolf looked over the wall, and down to the incomplete city.
"Perhaps, you are right." He then jumped over the wall, and climbed down the various roofs until he had reached the bottom.
Aerith Gainsborough and Tifa Lockhart
Sora propped his hands on the stone railing near the markets and looked on towards the city. He was simply amazed as to how fast the city was being rebuilt. They were even adding several buildings that were not there in the first place.
Sora began to turn away when he saw someone walking towards the exit.
"Hey!" he called, gaining the person's attention.
"Oh, hello Sora, Donald, Goofy," Tifa said, seeing the three run up to her. "Haven't seen you three in a while."
"Yeah, it's been a while hasn't it," Sora said. He took notice of the paper bag in her hand. "Hey, what's that?"
"This?" She held up the bag. "Nothing really," she reached into the bag and pulled out several small paper packets.
"Seeds?" Donald asked, looking at the items.
"Flower seeds," Goofy finished.
Tifa nodded. "Aerith asked me to pick them up for her while she did some work."
"What kind of work?" Sora asked.
"Well, follow me and find out," Tifa said as she walked down the stairs. The three of them followed her.
000
They followed Tifa much further than they thought they would, towards the edge of they city where some of the older buildings that hadn't been touched by Maleficent stood.
Tifa led them to the outside of a large, rundown church.
"This place is a dump." Tifa glared at Donald, who shrunk back behind Goofy. They than walked through the doors to find Aerith, kneeling in front of a hole in the floor boards where the podium once stood.
"We're back!" Tifa called up. Aerith turned her head towards the small group and smiled. She then stood up and walked towards them.
"Thank you Tifa," she said, taking the bag from Tifa and walking back towards the hole.
"What exactly is this place?" Sora asked.
"This was an old church back before the Heartless invasion," Tifa explained. "It was a favorite place for Aerith to be, and when Leon and the others came back to rebuild this world, she found that it was still standing." She looked forward to see Aerith open up the seed packets and begin planting them. "There used to be a flowerbed there but they died while we were gone." She turned back to Sora. "I'm helping her trying to make this place like it once was."
She then looked up towards the large hole in the roof and chuckled to herself, before going to help her.
Cait Sith
Sora, Donald and Goofy walked into Merlin's house, in order to speak with Leon, but found him talking with a man dressed in blue, and sporting a goatee.
Leon noticed them walk in. "I was just talking about you three."
"You were?" Sora asked.
"Ah, so this is the Sora, Donald and Goofy I've been told about?" the other man said, before shaking their hands. "I have heard many things about you. All of which are good."
"Um, thanks," Sora said, slightly unsure.
"Oh, sorry, I know your names, yet you don't know mine." He pointed to himself. "Reeve Tuesti, and I have been sent here by His Majesty, King Mickey, to assist in the Radiant Garden's reconstruction."
"King Mickey sent you?" Goofy asked.
"Yes, shortly after his return as a matter of fact." He walked towards the computer screens. "I have numerous plans to speed up construction."
The screens began to flash red.
"Looks like they're Heartless in the south district," Leon said, looking over the screen. "The Claymores can handle it for now, but someone better get over there."
"Don't worry, we'll keep care of it," Sora said. The three of them were about to walk out the door when Reeve called for them.
"Wait!" He reached behind his back. "It's dangerous to go alone," he pulled out a cat wearing a crown, "take this."
Before Sora could question him, the cat popped to life and jumped in front of Sora.
"Aye! How are ya! My name is Cait Sith, and it will be a pleasure workin' with ya!" The small cat then walked towards the front door. "Best we be getting out there, and fast. Just need to get me moogle."
"Moogle?" Sora asked.
"You'll see," Reeve said, leaving the three to ponder.
Vincent Valentine
The three of them pushed aside the wooden girder.
"Just how much more debris is there?" Donald asked.
"I don't know," Sora said. "But Leon said there could be a lot of useful material down here."
"Like a coffin?" Goofy asked.
"How's a coffin useful?"
"I don't know, but there's one right there." Goofy pointed to a simple wooden coffin leaning against the wall.
. . .
The three screamed and huddled into the corner of the room. They stayed there for several moments, thinking it was safe to move, when the coffin slightly jumped.
This only made them more scared.
"W-w-w-w-what do you guys think are is in there?" Goofy said in terror.
"Zombie?" Donald said.
"Vampire?" Sora said.
"Zombie vampire?" Goofy said.
"What if someone's trapped in there?" Sora asked.
"NO!" Donald said. "We're not opening it! Not at least without protection."
Ten minutes later, the three of them were armed head to toe in armor made from various scrap metals found around them. Mostly pots and pans. They had also tapped Sora's Keyblade to a long stick, so they could unlock the coffin while still remain the in safety of the corner.
They tapped the Keyblade against the lock, having it pop open. The lid then opened up.
"VAMPIRE!!!" The three heroes screamed like little girls.
"Please be quiet," the vampire grumbled. He then sat up in the coffin and stared at the three cowards with tired eyes. "Just who are you?"
"Please don't eat us," Sora pleaded.
"I'm not a vampire," the vampire said.
"Then why are you in a coffin?"
"I chose to lock myself away, and you've interrupted by slumber."
"You've been sleeping in that thing? But no one's been down here in ten years!"
"Ten years?" The vampire looked down. "It's only been ten years?"
"What? Sounds like you wanted to sleep for more than ten years."
"I did."
"What?"
The vampire didn't answer, he only grabbed the lid of his coffin and slammed it shut.
"Hey! Wait!" Sora ran forward and grabbed the coffin's lid and pried it open. The vampire appeared very agitated. "There's no reason to spend the rest of your life in a coffin."
The vampire glared at him.
"Come on, there's has to be something you want to do."
". . ." He appeared to be thinking. "Ten years?"
"Yeah."
The vampire stood up, pushing Sora aside and began to walk away.
"Hey! Wait up!" Sora called, but the man had already left the room. "What a weird guy,"
000
Leaving the chamber, the man reached into his billowing red cloak and pulled out a three-barreled pistol.
If only ten years have passed, maybe the person who he wanted to empty the gun on was still alive.
Cloud Strife
The cliff overlooked the city, but the view is not what he came for. He reached down and pulled the old, rusted sword out of the ground before shouldering it.
He walked back to the large black motorcycle, the Fenrir, and strapped it to the back, before getting on himself, and driving off.
000
"Don't worry! I'm going to save the world!"
"How?"
The older man's shoulder dropped. "I haven't thought that through really."
Cloud chuckled.
"But, I'm going to have to try something. That world is our home, and I'll do what I can to get it back, so I can become a hero, just like these three people I once knew."
"Who?"
"These two guys I knew, as well as a pretty guy. I met them at the Olympus Coliseum. I tried to get acknowledged their once, but that stupid goat . . ." The rest was lost under inaudible mumbles.
000
"What?"
"I want to go with you. I want to make something of myself."
"Why? Hey, is there a little lady friend you want to notice you?"
Cloud turned away.
The man laughed. "That's okay, all heroes have their own ladies to go after." He wrapped his arm around Cloud's head and began to give him a noogie. "That's okay, you can come."
000
"So, those were Heartless?" Cloud asked, lowering the machine gun the older man had given him
"Think so, they kind of remind me of," his voice trailed off as he placed his sword on the holster on his back. Not a moment later, he grabbed for it again. "Get down!"
Everything went dark for him.
000
He didn't know how long he was unconscious, but went he woke up, everything around him was green, and distorted, as though he was seeing it through water. It took him a moment to realize that it was water, and he was in a giant tank.
He tried to struggle, but his body seemed to be drained of all its energy.
"The subjects seem to react differently," he heard a voice, though garbled though the water. He struggled to look up to see someone, wearing a white lab coat, standing outside the tank. "An old collogue of mine once spoke of the darkness in people's hearts, and since then I too have gained interest in such matters, and have begun to conduct my own experiments."
Cloud thought that he must be recording this narration.
"The Heartless I used to acquire them are the darkness in a person's heart when the body is destroyed. I plan on extracting this darkness, as well as the light, while the body remains."
Cloud then fell unconscious.
000
". . .and Subject II have each reacted differently. While Subject I, has proven successful, the entities extracted are degenerating. This has driven me to use different means with Subject II. I shall start off with . . ."
000
There was the sound of a dull shattering, and water pouring out of something. He felt arms grab him.
"Don't worry Cloud, we'll get out of here.
000
Everything about his body felt so hazy, and heavy, and tired. From what he could gather, the man had rescued him, and they escaped from wherever they were being kept.
He wished he could help, but his body couldn't move.
000
Just, what was happening? He was now propped against the wall, while the man seemed to have his sword drawn, pointing it against another man. He couldn't see his details clearly, but there appeared to be something white sticking out from his back.
"Do you know what an angel dreams about?"
"No. Tell me."
"Angels dream, about being human."
000
Cloud felt some sense return to his body. He looked up at the man, holding a sword.
Wait. That's a different sword, a large sword. Where did he get it.
The man lifted the sword and pressed it against his forehead.
"Live for your dreams," he said aloud, "and protect your honor."
000
". . .and thus was the Gift from the Goddess."
From his spot in the corner, Cloud could see a red man holding something. He was standing on a ledge. The man was standing below him.
"You're very longwinded, aren't you."
The thing in the red man's flashed, and was replaced with a long object.
000
"You'll be safe here!" the man said, hiding Cloud behind a large rock. The man turned around to face the massive horde of Heartless behind him. "Hey, don't worry, I'll be back."
He turned around and walked away. Cloud reached after him, but his hand just wouldn't reach.
000
The ground was wet and muddy when he came too. It was raining.
He could not feel his body, so he crawled to the man. He saw that there wasn't a single Heartless left. He saw the man lying down on the ground, and began to crawl.
He reached the man, and horror crept over him.
There were large bloody gashes marking his body, and many burns from various spells the Heartless cast. The Heartless failed to take his heart, but at the cost of his life.
The man coughed up blood. "Hey, Cloud," he said. "Looks like, things didn't turn out to well."
Cloud tried to speak, but couldn't.
"Looks like I couldn't save the world, huh? I couldn't become a hero?"
The clouds began to clear.
The man reached to his side and pulled over the large sword, before weakly handing it to Cloud.
"Sorry, but, seems you're going to have to do enough living, for both of us." He tried to laugh, but failed. He turned his eyes to the sky as several rays of light pierced the clouds. "How could someone be afraid of something so beautiful."
. . .
Cloud reached down and touched the man.
He was dead.
000
He walked for who knows how long, dragging the sword.
Everything from the last week began to build. The capture, these 'experiments' that were preformed on them, his helplessness. The death.
A sudden uneasiness built in his stomach. He collapsed as the pain flooded his body. His mind went blank.
When he came too, he saw a black boot near his face. He looked up to see a man.
"It's good to meet you, Cloud."
000
Cloud pulled over and dismounted Fenrir. He took the sword off the bike and looked at the building.
He walked through the old doors and saw that the building was empty, save what lay at the end of the aisle. They certainly had done a good job at repairing this place, haven't they?
Cloud took the weapon and stuck it into the flowerbed and looked at it for a moment.
. . .
"You were wrong," he said. "You did become a hero, Zack."
Please review
Mrfipp
