Chapter 6: Noctis Gemini

I turned my head away from Zack as we walked up the icy mountain. I didn't understand why we always were put on missions together. Of course Lazard didn't know that I wasn't talking to him but still…

Snow blasted out of every corner of the mountain. It was bad enough that I had to go on this mission, but the worst part was that our helicopter had crashed, so now we were walking up a freezing cold mountain, with a Turk and two infantryman. "Just great." I muttered under my breath resisting the urge to wrap up in to a ball and rock back and forth. Zack didn't seem to mind this weather at all. He walked like he always did, so did one of the infantryman. Soon the two of them were laughing and joking around.

"Hey Tseng! Me and-… wait what's your name?" Zack asked him. I scoffed. That was totally him, to make a buddy and not even ask for their name. Then the infantryman removed his helmet revealing a whole head of spiky blonde hair and electric blue eyes. I almost choked on the freezing air in my helmet.

"I'm Cloud, nice to meet you." He smiled. He looked just about my age. 14, I knew I had to ask him. How could I not? The girl in my was jumping up and down and running circles around my brain, screaming at me, pounding on my head, etc.! I took a deep breath and stormed up to the both of them.

"I'm Felicis Gainsborough! Can I ask how old you are!" I hoped my voice sounded like a boy's, or I might've blown my cover.

Cloud looked at me with a surprised expression on his face, then he smiled sincerely. "I'm 14? Is there a reason?"

I was right. My eyes were never wrong. "Me too! I'm just really happy that there's someone around here my age!" I made my idiotic excuse.

"Wow! And you're in SOLDIER? That's amazing! I'm jealous!" Cloud said in awe.

Wait… was being jealous of me a good thing or a bad thing. It'd been so long since I'd thought of anything like this before, not since Zaneit. Did Zaneit ever tell me that he was jealous of me? Was it bad or good? Praiseworthy or a rude comment!

"Are you okay? Felicis right?" Cloud asked worriedly.

Well if he's asking me if I'm okay then it was okay. It wasn't a rude comment. I could almost die of relief.

"Don't mind him Cloud. He's really serious when he battles, but when he's not fighting he's a pretty weird guy." Zack grinned putting an arm around my neck. Now I knew that, that was not praising me. I would've socked him right there, but Cloud was watching.

"Could you please get off of me?" I asked nicely, taking as much of the bitterness out of my voice as possible. He took his hand off and laughed, but I could tell he was upset. Maybe I was being too harsh on him about the Aerith thing. It wasn't really his fault that he met her.

"Infiltrate the facility?" I said.

"I would be perfect for that job then," Zack grinned. "You guys wait out here and I'll be back in no time." Then he really ran off without a word from us.

"He's always acting out without permission." I sighed.

"You two seem close." Cloud smiled.

"Oh," I tried not to stumble over my words. "Well, he's my roommate. I have to deal with him every single day, so yeah. I guess you could say that."

"Must be nice. Being SOLDIER I mean." He said, it was almost like he was looking in to an abyss of longing.

"Want to be SOLDIER?" I asked.

"Yeah," he laughed. "It's cool, I guess."

"Well, I'll be cheering you on then! When you get in, I want to get to know you better." I smiled.

"Sure," he smiled back.

"Zack disappeared." Tseng said. Staring down off the edge of the trail. "I don't see him anywhere."

I shot up and looked down. "What do you mean he's disappeared?"

"Maybe he found a passageway." Tseng scanned around for an open passageway, then pointed, "found one."

"Then I'm off." I said making my way down the trail.

"But Zack told us to stay here!" Cloud said.

"Man, if only I listened to what he said sometimes," I laughed running down the rest of the way. Next thing I knew Cloud was sliding down after me.

"I'll come too, I'm actually curious about how you SOLDIER fight." Cloud said.

"Stay behind me then," I told him and we ran in to the passageway that Tseng had pointed out. It was even colder inside that out. The flooring was completely made of metal grates so that you could see all the way down, the way you would fall if you fell off the edge. It was a fair warning.

"Which way?" Cloud asked me. I would've told us to split up, but Cloud wasn't exactly armed.

"Let's try the right," I suggested. We walked down the metal grated stairs to another platform, and another, and another. It just didn't stop. I had my sword held tightly in my grasp ready to fight whenever an enemy would pop out.

"Looks like intruders to me. Hollander would not be happy would he Larch?" The voice was so deafeningly familiar. Then lightening shot out and I blocked Cloud so that he wouldn't get hit.

"Felicis!" Cloud cried.

"Cloud, keep on going. Find Zack, I'll deal with this." I said.

"But-"

"Just go. I can handle this much." I assured him, then with an uneasy nod he ran down the next flight of stairs. I turned, and just like I had thought. "Larch, Let… I-is that r-really you?" I stammered.

"Eh? We know this guy Larch? He knows our names. Shocking!" Let said acting appalled. "Well, we can find out right after we're finished."

Larch shrugged. What were these two doing working for Hollander, and Genesis! Let took out his scythe and Larch drew his sword. They each had a matching tattoo on their arms. One of a dragon, Larch's was on his left arm and Let's was on his right arm. No doubt about it, it was definitely them. Larch's sword lit up in a black fire, and Let's scythe crackled up with dark electricity. "Wait guys, listen to me. I don't want to fight!" I protested but it was too late. Larch went head on and would've cut open my chest if I hadn't blocked. I groaned when the attack sent me skidding backwards. His sword was thin, but heavy. I grabbed hold of a firaga materia in my pocket and flung it so that fire surrounded me completely. Then I had it all stick to me so that I was engulfed in flames. "Infernus," I muttered under my breath and my body shot flames everywhere. The both of them were sent flying back on to a railing and Let went over. "Let!" I screamed, but Larch already caught him and was hauling him back up. My flames extinguished and I ran to them. Larch and Let were sitting and leaning on the railing. Larch took one look at me and pointed his sword at me, I didn't recoil, instead I pointed my sword right back at him. His sword lifted up my helmet and sent it skidding across the grates. His eyes widened and I knew he remembered.

"Felicis." He whispered in a small gasp. "Is it really you?"

"In the flesh, Larch." I smiled.

Let shot up, put his hands on my shoulders, and shook me so that my head snapped back and forth. "It really is you! Why the hell didn't you tell me that before I tried to shock you to smithereens!"

"I tried, but you're such a bonehead and didn't listen to me." I sighed. "Anyways, how are you guys alive! I thought for sure that you guys were dead!"

"I should be asking you that, you were the one in the church when it was bombed." Larch said.

"I don't know. All I saw was fire and then I woke up in front of the Shinra building. I thought it was all a dream at first until I heard everyone talking about it. Everyone was saying that you guys were dead!"

"Well I can assure you we're not." Let said. "Can't say anything for those stupid emotion bastards once I get my hands on them though. I'll ring their freaking necks."

"Let." Larch said back threateningly.

"What happened? We're all friends! Why would you talk about them like that!" I lectured Let while thinking of Zaneit.

"After you 'died' they turned on us. Left us in the dust and the rest of us were forced to split up. I only know where my brother and Aurale are, nobody else." Let explained.

Why would the Emotion warriors leave them? We were all best friends. It wasn't right. At that moment Cloud ran up the stairs trying to catch his breath. "Cloud!" I cried quickly grabbing my helmet and shoving it back on before he could see me. "What happened!"

"I was chasing Hollander and lost him! Zack went somewhere! I don't know where!"

"What!" I cried surprising even myself at how worried I was.

"We'll help Felicis. If you're on an opposite side we'll follow you." Larch said. "We're not working for Hollander anymore."

We made it in to a bath house in the outskirts of Modeoheim in a deserted village. Rushing in we made it in to a main bath room. Hollander stood at the top of the stairs and unintentionally let out a cry of surprise. Drawing my sword I ran up and took my swing only to have another sword collide with mine. I looked up to see the defender and my jaw almost dropped. "Felicis!" Cloud cried running up the stairs after me then stopping in his tracks.

This man was Zack's friend. This was the Angeal that Zack always spoke of. A white wing spread across his back. He raised his fist and punched me right in the stomach. I gagged and was sent flying back. Cloud charged towards him in rage and was knocked out by the hilt of Angeal's sword. He slowly made his way over to me and pointed his sword at my neck. "I wonder if Zack would fight me if I killed you." I said. My breath caught in my throat and I reached for my sword. At that moment both Larch and Let came charging forward and throwing Angeal backwards. "Don't touch Felicis!" They both cried at once. Then they heard someone coming up the steps and they fled.

"Felicis!" Zack cried when he saw me. Then he saw Cloud sprawled on an opposite wall. "What happened!" He said kneeling beside me.

"Angeal," I pointed, but he was already gone. "He was right there!" I tried to get up, but fell right back down.

"Angeal did this to you?" Zack gasped.

I nodded feeling bad for him.

"I'm going to find him." He said standing up.

"Wait! I can go too." I told him trying to get to my feet another time, but like the last falling back down.

"Nope, you stay here. I'll come for you later." Then he was also gone.

I felt like I'd been waiting for him too long now. Grabbing hold of the wall I finally got myself to my feet without completely collapsing. I used the wall to get myself all the way to the place where he was. When I was finally there I saw Angeal, his skin a paled grey with a peaceful look on his face. His hair was a pure white and Zack stood over his body. "Zack," I whispered. He turned around and I could see the tears in his eyes. Immediately I released the wall and stumbled over to him throwing my arms around him. He sobbed in to my shoulder and said nothing, but he didn't need to say anything for me to understand. He'd killed Angeal, but by the look on Angeal's face it seemed like everything had happened as he had intended it to. Angeal's large sword was now in Zack's hands, and Zack in mine.

Name: Larch Ravine (Noctis)

Age: 16 years

Birth date: July 18th

Occupation: Night/Dark Element Warrior (Night element parted because of twins)

Unusual features: Dragon Tattoo on Left arm

Family: Let Ravine (twin brother)

Weapon: sword

Name: Let Ravine (Nox)

Age 16 years

Birth date: July 18th

Occupation: Night/Dark Element Warrior (Night element parted because of twins)

Unusual features: Dragon Tattoo on Right arm

Family: Larch Ravine (twin brother)

Weapon: small scythe

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