Chapter Six; A Happy Ending?

I spun and ran my sword across one of the griffin's out-spread wings. It shrieked as I back flipped away from the other griffin as he attempted to claw me.

I was doing everything I had done in the nightmares. This wasn't looking good.

As I executed a series of cartwheels, dodging both griffins' attacks, I stared at the entrance to the village, and felt all color leave my face when I saw an infantryman standing there.

This was not looking good, not looking good at all. Why was all of this playing out like my nightmares?

I smacked the ground with my sword, gaining the attention of both griffins before they could spot the infantryman.

If I can keep them from noticing him, maybe I could change how this would end. This is all too similar to my nightmares, everything is matching up to a peak, and I don't like it one bit.

Both griffins's charged at me, and I found myself digging the Phoenix's Materia out of my pocket and slamming it against the ground, watching as the Phoenix re-emerged in front of me, with its fire-tipped wings spread to their full extent.

The Phoenix turned its head to stare at me, awaiting an order. "Distract them!" The Phoenix seemed to nod before returning his attention to the griffins. I watched as the Phoenix charged the griffins, and smiled to myself.

I made my way over to the infantryman who stood where he had been before, and I noticed as I got closer to him that he was trembling. I grabbed his arm and he gasped as he turned his head toward me.

Rather or not he was actually looking at me I couldn't tell. Helmets be damned.

"What are you doing?" I questioned.

"I-I wanted t-to…" He stammered.

"I don't need assistance. Get back into the village, now!"

I released his arm and gasped when I heard a shriek sound from the Phoenix. We both looked to find the griffin's charging at us.

They had seen the infantryman, and now they wanted him.

I drew my sword, and stood in front of the infantryman as he froze. I readied my sword, awaiting the first griffin's attack.

As I glared at the creatures that ran towards us, I attempted to make a strategy, if I didn't have twenty back-up plans, this would be my final stand.

It was always where I died in the dream, protecting an infantryman who I didn't even know.

I was honestly tempted to ask the kid for his name, just so I could finally know the name of the person I had died so many times to protect. I'll just have to keep the both of us alive so that I could ask him afterwards, give me a reason to win.

"Kid, do you have a sword?" I asked.

He quickly passed me his sword, which I gratefully took.

That was something I never thought to ask in the dream, for another sword to fight with.

It was different than my SOLDIER sword but maybe it would mean the difference between life and death.

I flipped over a griffin, slicing into its back and one of its wings. As I landed, I spun and blocked an attack from the second griffin, I cart wheeled out of the way of the next attack, before executing a series of back flips.

When I landed on my feet from the fifth back flip, I threw myself forward, impaling one of the two griffin's in the chest with my sword, as it screeched in agony, I sliced through its neck. Thankfully I had enough momentum with my swing that the sword made a clean cut.

The Phoenix had helped out greatly in the beginning of the battle, as it attacked one of the two griffins, distracting it so I could divert the other griffin away from the infantryman.

I spun to face the other griffin as I removed my sword from the decapitated body of the first griffin. The griffin's claws swiped across my chest with enough force to knock me to the ground.

The griffin stared at me, before walking off. I guess it believed that wound would kill me, and maybe it would. But I'll be dammed if I'll let that winged cat kill that infantryman.

I forced myself to my feet, and ran to the best of my ability over to the still walking griffin. I guess it assumed the frozen infantryman would pose no threat, so it had no need to charge.

As I finally reached the creature, it was ready to attack the infantryman. I found the strength to jump, and landed on the griffin's back, impaling it both swords.

It screeched the same as the other one had. Annoyed, I removed one of the swords from its back and buried it into the griffin's neck, silencing it. "I like you creatures better, silenced." I muttered.

I freed the sword in the griffins back before jumping down onto the ground in front of the creature. As soon as I landed I spun and impaled the creature in the chest, managing to pierce its heart. I watched as its body's weight fell onto the sword that was now the only thing holding it up.

I removed my sword from its chest, giving the infantryman his – now bloodied – sword back. He took the hilt, as I stared at the gash in my chest. That wasn't going to be easy to heal…

I suddenly became dizzy from my lack of blood, finally realizing just how much I had lost. I looked up at the infantryman, attempting to retain a look of authority. "Remove your helmet and state your name." I ordered. I had to know who he was.

He shakily reached up and removed his helmet, which revealed his spiky blond hair. I saw his sky-blue eyes, as they stared at me intently. "M-my name's Cloud, ma'am, Cloud Strife."

I nodded, accepting the information. I finally knew the person I had tried to save so many times in my dreams.

I lost the grip I had on my sword, and stared at Cloud, before my eyes shut. I felt myself drift forward, as someone – who could have only been Cloud – wrapped his arms around me, in an attempt to keep me upright.

It was a lost effort, because with-in seconds I blacked out.