Chapter 6: Battle on the Bridge
"Run!" Agrias yelled out as two shadowed men dashed towards them.
Garnet snapped out of her stupor quickly and scrambled for the bridge. Her previous fear fled her mind in the wake of their pursuers. How had they caught up to them so fast? She had hoped they would have gained more distance by now.
"Hurry!" Aerith called behind her.
Garnet swallowed hard and grasped the nearest support rope. She took her first step onto the bridge and heard the sound of an aged groan. The sheer sound alone was enough to jostle her nerves.
"They're coming!" Agrias glared, holding her sword out in front of her. "Garnet, keep moving!"
The raven haired woman nodded stiffly. She could do this! She had to do this!
She took another step and the bridge released another groan. Her third opened another cry of protest and she watched fearfully as sprinkling dust tumbled into the dark abyss below.
She dared a glance back and her eyes grew wide when she saw the Elite slamming his sword down against Agrias blade. Aerith was meanwhile parrying strikes from the Imperial that was with him.
There was no more time left! Garnet sucked in all of her courage and ran down the bridge as fast as she dared!
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Agrias grit her teeth as the Elite's sword crashed against hers. In the encompassing night, the man's face was masked in darkness, but even then, she could still see the flaring glow of his blue eyes. He was strong, definitely a 1st Class. Though he was nowhere near as powerful as his leader, he was easily more than a challenge for her. She gasped and jumped away from him. Her eyes went to Aerith just as her apprentice was shoving the imperial back with a Mist-aided thrust. The man stumbled onto his back with a startled gasp.
"Aerith! Head to the bridge! Keep moving!"
She snapped her head back around but to her mild surprise, the Elite was bent low, checking on the Imperial Aerith had shoved. Agrias took advantage of that distraction and quickly followed Aerith down the bridge.
"Cloud!" The man called in a worried tone. "You okay?"
"Never mind me!" The imperial waved his hand frantically. "They're getting away!"
Agrias spun around and shuddered when the bridge groaned in protest. Closing her eyes quickly, she pulled the strands of the Mist. The Elite was beginning to rush after them when she release a wave of energy that slammed into both of them, sending them flying back. The Imperial crashed to the ground in a crumpled heap but the Elite rolled in a tumble and sprang back up on his feet, racing towards them again.
It would be enough. It had to be enough! Agrias whipped back around and followed after Aerith. Garnet was staring back at them now, standing halfway across the bridge.
"Come on!" The raven haired woman called. Agrias and Aerith picked up the pace.
"Keep going!" Agrias waved her arm. Suddenly a shadow flashed above her head and landed hard onto the bridge between her and Aerith.
Her apprentice gasped and fell back from the impact. Agrias jumped back and gripped her sword hilt just as the Elite swung his sword at her. She parried the strike but the man pushed their swords up with the momentum and kicked his leg out.
Agrias wouldn't fall for that trick again. She jumped back, avoiding his kick. The man twirled his massive sword in the air once then brought it down hard. Agrias jumped out of the way and the wicked edge sliced easily into the rope. She gasped suddenly and the bridge groaned, tilting dangerously to the side.
"Shit!" The man gasped. Agrias gripped the ropes for balance. She centered her legs then looked up just as the Elite came charging her way. Agrias glared and raised her sword.
Suddenly, a bright flash of light smashed into the Elite's back, hurling him onto the bride in a heavy crash. The floor boards smashed open and the man fell through.
Agrias raised her startled eyes and saw Aerith panting from the other end, her hands outstretched. Agrias grinned and leaped over the hole to land next to her apprentice. "Run!" She hissed.
Ahead of them, Garnet was nearly at the end but her head kept turning towards them. She couldn't make out the young woman's face in the darkness, but she knew it was most likely stricken with concern and fear.
The bridge craned, jostling all three women. Agrias whipped her head around and saw the shadowed form of the Elite climbing back atop the bridge.
"He just doesn't know when to give up!" Agrias growled. She tightened her grip on her sword, releasing a pent breath. The bridge craned once more and Agrias reached out, grabbing the rope for support.
Aerith suddenly pushed past and Agrias blinked. "Aerith! Get back here!!! What are you doing?!?"
She stared in shock, wondering how her Apprentice could maintain her balance but then she saw the trail of bright ethereal lights trailing from the young woman's feet and she understood. Her apprentice had used the Mist to keep her feet planted on the bridge! Clever! But that still wouldn't save her from the threat she was boldly rushing to meet. "Aerith, stop!"
"Please keep going, Preceptor!" The young woman called back. "I know what I'm doing!"
Agrias raised her hand, preparing to call out to her again but then the Elite rushed up to meet the young woman and their swords smashed together in a shower of sparks.
A yelp suddenly pitched out from behind and when Agrias turned around, she saw Garnet struggling to stay atop the bridge as the entire surface began to tilt drastically.
Agrias growled in silent fury. She was caught between a rock and a hard place. Her concern for her apprentice mixed with her concern for Garnet. Neither woman was in any less danger but the time came for her to make a terrible choice and Agrias hated the choice she knew she had to make. With a final strangled glance towards her apprentice, she silently prayed the young woman would be able to hold out. Taking a deep breath, Agrias steeled her nerves and ran towards Garnet.
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Perspiration was beginning to bead down Aerith's brow as she spun in a low circle, came up and swung hard at her opponent. Once again, he blocked her strike with the edge of his massive sword and more sparks jumped in the air.
It was becoming increasingly difficult to maintain her hold of the Mist that kept her balanced while at the same time fighting the Elite that simply wouldn't fall. One of his hands held tightly to the rope of the bridge while the other swung and arched his sword in a series of clashes with her own.
"You're the one that kicked me before!" He growled, taking another swing that Aerith ducked beneath. His voice was nothing like the disembodied drone she heard before; it even sounded animated. But amidst the dark shadows of night when all she could see where his glowing blue eyes, she wouldn't be fooled. This man was a monster! No matter what she and her mentor did, it was impossible for them to land a killing blow on the man.
"A pity it didn't finish you off, demon!" Aerith swung again towards his waist but he quickly brought the edge of his blade up to meet her strike in a firm block.
The Elite shoved her sword away and chanced another wide swipe which she easily avoided. "There you go again with that demon word! If you three would just give up, we wouldn't be having this fight!"
"Fat chance!" Aerith rasped. Her shoulders were heaving now from the strain of the battle and she knew she wouldn't be able to hold out much longer. She drove her sword in for a desperate lunge but the Elite easily read her attack and ran his own sword parallel to hers before giving it a jarring twist.
Aerith gasped as she suddenly lost her grasp and the sword jumped from her hand before plummeting into the gaping darkness below.
"That's it!" The Elite declared with a small catch in his voice. "It's over! Give up!"
Aerith glared, keeping herself steady on the bridge. "Never!"
"Don't make me kill you! Please! It doesn't have to be this way!"
Aerith blinked at the panic in his voice but quickly covered her surprise with the memories of all that the Empire had taken from them. She balled her fists and reached for her side pouch. "It won't go your way!"
She yanked out a thick, coiled, cylindrical tube with a switch on one end. She quickly pressed the switch at the top and suddenly the coiled tube extended on both ends until it unfolded into a six foot staff. She quickly tapped into the Mist, pooling more of its ethereal light around her new weapon until it glistened with a deep emerald coat of light.
The Elite's eyes widened in surprise. It was all the advantage she needed. Aerith quickly twirled her staff in a fast arc, spun on the bridge and came around with a hard thrust. The staff smashed solidly against the Elite's face, sending him over the edge of the bridge.
At the last second, she saw his fingers catch against the floor board of the bridge and she chanced a glance over the edge. He was dangling from his precarious hold, gasping heavily. Even in the darkness, she could see that her attack had jarred him as he shook his head roughly, struggling to focus. His other hand held his massive sword tightly.
It would be so easy to end all of their troubles right now. All it took was one more hit from her staff and he would never bother them again. But as she looked at him hanging helplessly there, she suddenly felt a spike of pity for the man.
"Why?" His voice suddenly gasped, jarring her from her thoughts. "Just finish it! Now's your chance!"
Aerith blinked. Why indeed? After all that the Elite had done to them, after all the pain the Empire had caused them, she should have been more than happy to end this man's life right then and there. But she couldn't. Killing in self defense was one thing. But if she delivered the final blow now, she would be throwing away everything that she was. She would become no better than the Empire. No! She wouldn't throw away her innocence like that.
Aerith glared down at the man. "Deal with it!" She hissed. And without another word, she turned sharply on her heels and dashed down the bridge towards her companions. She never looked back, but with every step she took, she could feel the Elite's shimmering blue eyes focused on her back.
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Garnet gasped as the bridge tilted even further. The raven haired woman desperately reached out and grasped the rope of the bridge, clinging for dear life as it collapsed almost to its side.
She couldn't believe this! She was going to die! Of all the fears she had endured over the past years, she never imagined she would die by falling off a bridge. But the reality stared her right in the face as the bridge wobbled again and the rope gave a sharp jerk.
"Ah! Agrias! Aerith!" She called out. She didn't care if she seemed weak at the moment. She couldn't hold on much longer and her arms were still burning from the relentless running she'd endured for the past several days. Her reserves of strength were at their limit and it took everything she had just to keep her grip firm over the rope that continued to shake and wobble in her hand.
The loud clang of swords smashing together echoed in the distance and Garnet knew the Guardians were locked in a duel with the Elite. She had to do something! She couldn't just die like this! The bridge shook again and Garnet yelped, as her legs slid off of the floorboards and dangled freely over the cavernous pit. Naked fear seized her eyes and she gasped, struggling to pull herself back up as far as she could. "HELP!" She yelled.
"Hang on!"
Garnet swung her face around. "Agrias!?!" She drank in the sight of the blond woman with wild hope and fear! Agrias was really here! But then who was fighting the Elite?
Agrias frowned at her perplexed look and continued hoisting her way towards the young woman. "Aerith." She supplied as she got closer. "She jumped in before I could stop her. But we'll worry about that later. Right now, let's get you off of this bridge!"
Garnet gave a sharp nod, risking another glance down into the gaping pit below. "Just don't let me fall!"
"I won't."
Agrias inched closer and Garnet's arms shivered from the strain. "I'm slipping!!"
"Hang on!" Agrias minced her lips, pulling herself closer.
Garnet's eyes grew wider with fear. "I can't!" She could feel the rope sliding through her sweating palms. Her fingers flexed savagely but with every hoist Agrias took to get closer, the rope would shake, making her own grasp all the more precarious. "Agrias!"
"Just a little closer!" The blond hissed.
"Please!" Garnet felt hot tears sliding down her cheeks. "I can't hold on! I can't!"
"You can do it, Garnet!" Agrias eyes were set upon her with a determined glint. She continued to move closer. The blond reached out. "Take my hand!"
"I can't!"
"Yes you can! Take my hand Garnet!"
"Please!"
"Garnet!" Agrias glared with fire in her eyes. "Take my hand! You can do this! I know you can!"
Garnet turned her tear stained, frightened eyes on the blond woman and struggled to push the lump down her throat.
Agrias locked her gaze with a confident stare. "Take it Garnet!"
The raven haired woman shivered and with a mangled cry, she tore one of her hands free. At that moment, she lost her grip and gravity pulled her down. "NOOO!"
Suddenly a firm hand clasped her wrist and held her tight. Garnet looked up wildly and saw Agrias smiling down at her with relief. "I knew you could do it, princess!"
Garnet shuddered and released the sigh she didn't know she was holding. The blond Guardian looked up. They were only a few more feet away from the other side of the bridge. She looked back down at her and minced her lips.
"Garnet… I need you to do one more thing for me."
But Garnet was already shaking violently, turning her head from right to left. "I can't… I can't do anymore… I just…"
"It's not hard." Agrias smiled soothingly. "It's just one more small thing."
Garnet looked up. Agrias kept her smile, but she could see a pale, emerald glow surrounding her now. She blinked in confusion. Agrias eyes flashed. "I need you to brace yourself."
Garnet blinked, but before she could ask, Agrias slung her up into the air. Garnet screamed in wild shock as she cut through the frigid wind. She coiled her body and expected to plummet into the abyss but suddenly she crashed onto solid earth, rolling a few times before her face smeared against the dead soil. She coughed violently and shook her head in wonder. She was still alive! She was on land!
A primal joy seized her then and she almost laughed in relief. But where was Agrias? She whipped her head around and stared out in surprise. The bridge had completely turned on its side, hanging together by the last firm rope. Squinting, she could just barely make out Agrias blond hair as the woman hung from the remaining rope.
"Agrias!" Garnet called. She raced to the edge of the cliff watching in horror as the bridge shuddered once more.
But then a dark figure materialized out of the shadows, racing across the sideways bridge towards the blond Guardian. Her eyes widened in shock. Was she really seeing this? She blinked but the figure continued their mad dash. She had to warn Agrias! But just when she raised her hand, the figure came to a stop right next to the blond woman, where a spike of moonlight glistened just over the figure. And that's when she saw the slightest hint of blue. It was her!
"Aerith!" Garnet cried as waves of relief washed over her. She wasn't sure if the auburn haired woman heard her and it didn't really matter. She was here! She was safe! They were all safe! A wide smile broke out over her face and her eyes drank in the scene that unfolded before her.
Aerith reached out to her mentor and Agrias seemed to glow before propelling herself towards the younger woman. When their hands met, they both blazed with the same ethereal green glow, like beacons of light. Together they stood on the sideways bridge and suddenly it was the most ridiculous thing Garnet had ever seen. And so she laughed; with relief, with pleasure and with waves of joy, as she eagerly watched her protectors race towards the end of the bridge. When they were within reach, she anxiously greeted them with her outstretched hand.
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Cloud woke with a throbbing headache. He wasn't sure how long he was out but the sky was completely dark with only a pale silver halo to mark the presence of the moon. The blond shivered in the frigid air as he slowly pushed himself up to a sitting position. He tested his legs and arms. At least nothing felt broken. That was one upside to his otherwise miserable day.
Rubbing a fist against his bleary vision, he slowly scanned his surroundings. Dust twirled in the night, dancing to the wind's command. Long, barren trees spiked the empty fields. But there was nothing else. Cloud blinked in confusion and looked around a second time. "Zack?"
The young man rose steadily to his feet. "Zack!" He called again. Had the Elite left him? Cloud quickly smothered the rising panic. He told Zack to keep moving. He hadn't wanted to slow his friend down. It only made sense that the man would take his advice. But… he didn't think his friend would actually listen to him.
Cloud released a heavy sigh and a chill gust of wind ruffled his spiky mane of blond hair. He ambled slowly towards the creaking bridge, wondering what to do next when he suddenly realized something was wrong. There was only one rung to the bridge!
Cloud blinked and rushed towards the post, nearly gasping in shock. The bridge had partially collapsed! It's left rope hung limp as the bridge wavered in the night, creating a loud, gutted groan. Cloud's mouth moved but no sound came out as he watched the bridge silently.
"Sucks, huh?"
Cloud whirled quickly, reaching for his blade but paused when he saw the familiar glow of shimmering blue eyes. There Zack stood, along the edge of the cliff, looking out into the great abyss.
Suddenly Cloud released a sigh he didn't even realize he'd been holding. Zack was here. He hadn't left him after all!
Cloud tried not to show his emotions and turned back towards the broken bridge. "What happened?"
"They won… again."
Cloud could almost hear the smirk on his friend's lips. He turned with a puzzled look on his face. "Why didn't you go after them?"
"I really couldn't. That girl… the one dressed like the blond…"
Cloud nodded, waiting for more. But when silence followed, he frowned. "What about her?"
"There's something about her…"
"What? Is she hot too?"
"Well that's besides the point!"
Cloud smirked. "Besides the point? Has the world ended suddenly? Has hell frozen over? Since when does feminine beauty become an irrelevant point to Zack Fair?"
"Shut up, already!"
Cloud could hear the grin in his friend's voice. But something troubled him. "From before. You said another one kicked you. Was she the one that beat you this time too?"
"That's right." The humor was gone from Zack's voice now. "These women are special. I don't want to jump to any conclusions just yet… but they might be…"
"Weavers?" Cloud scratched the back of his head. "But why would they betray the Empire? And wouldn't the Emperor know about them if they tried to defect to the enemy?"
"No, I don't think they're weavers at all. They know sword-work; enough to put any Weaver to shame, as a matter of fact."
Cloud folded his arms. "Then what?"
"I dunno… I know this may sound crazy… But the only other people I know of who can harness magic like that are Guardians…"
"Guardians!?!" Cloud's face was a mask of incredulity. "That's impossible! The General and all the rest of the Elites wiped them out over three years ago!"
Zack shook his head. "Maybe some escaped?"
"No way! Not for that long! The Empire hunted them out. It can't be Guardians… It's gotta be something else!"
Zack sighed. "I dunno… But we'll find out, one way or another…"
Cloud's eyebrows raised in the darkness. "We're going after them again?"
"Why not?"
"Are you kidding me?! The bridge is out! How are we gonna get across!?"
"We'll just have to shimmy down the tight rope."
Cloud sighed in exasperation. "I shouldn't have asked."
Zack smiled as the blond groaned. The raven haired Elite looked up, staring at the dark mottled sky. He focused on the faded halo of the moon and in the deep recesses of his mind, a haunting pair of emerald eyes hovered at the outskirts of his thoughts. The winds ruffled his hair and he took a deep breath. He flexed his gloved hands and looked down at the fingers that had been grasping the wooden boards of the bridge, just hours ago.
"Hmph." A smirk slowly crept to his lips. "Deal with it, huh?"
He looked up and the wind rushed by in silent reply, laying him and his partner under a bed of frigid air in the cold, dark night.
XXXX To Be Continued XXXX
Author's Note: Thanks for reading. Please review and please stay tuned for chapter 7: In Retrospect.
Writing Gamer
