Thanks for reading. Got another part coming up ^^

-SPoP

Part 7 – Invasion

Luneth let out a long, deep sigh as he leaned back against the headboard. He looked over at Zidane, who was sitting, cross-legged on the stone floor of the bedroom, a puzzled look on his face. The two had been sat in silence for a few minutes, allowing themselves time to come to terms with the gravity of the situation. Tidus viewed them with interest as he idly rapped his knuckles on the hard wood of the seat. The two had listened all the way through his lecture, without interruption. He looked down at Zidane, who was still deep in thought.

"I guess this guy can get serious when the situation demands..." He pondered. Finally, he rose from his chair, trying his best to make as much noise as possible. The two boys looked up at him as he stretched his arms out in a theatrical yawn. "Well," He groaned as he stepped over his chair. "I'm beat! I think I'm gonna leave you guys to talk this out. You did just find out you're the heroes of all existence, after all." He let out a weak laugh, though Luneth could see this knowledge was a heavy weight on his mind, too. Luneth smiled.

"Not so cool, after all." He thought. Tidus slipped out of the room and slowly pulled the door shut. Zidane could hear him let out a muffled sigh before he walked off. Silence descended on the two once more. Both of the boys not willing to break it. Finally, Zidane rolled onto his back and looked up at Luneth.

"Wow." He whimpered, recognising the simpering tone he just used. Luneth rolled onto his front and looked over the edge of the bed, to see his friend. Their eyes met for the first time since Tidus had started explaining their duty and they just stared. Each could see an emotion they recognised all too well. Fear. Zidane broke the silence once again. "Are you okay?" Luneth nodded and folded his arms under his chin.

"Saving the world was hard enough." He said, making Zidane smirk.

"Tell me about it." He propped himself up so he could better see Luneth. "We're kinda lucky, y'know.." Luneth furrowed his brow. Zidane took this as a prompt to explain himself. "We don't have a choice." Luneth's expression got more questioning. "If we had anywhere to run to, then that would be an option. But since we don't, all we can do is stay and fight." Luneth smiled in appreciation.

"I guess you're right. Shame, we could just disappear." He whispered. Zidane laughed. He knew that Luneth would never do that even if he had the choice. "Last time I had to fight, I had people who I travelled with. We journeyed for months until eventually." He trailed off. Zidane tried to make eye contact again, but Luneth resisted.

"Until?" Zidane pushed. Luneth sighed and turned onto his back, so he could no longer see Zidane. Luneth stretched his hand out in front of him and examined it, like it did not belong to him.

"Until I faced my worst nightmare." His voice cracked slightly. Zidane jumped up on the bed and sat in front of Luneth, who still refused to look at him.

"You weren't alone then," he tilted Luneth's head towards him. "You're not alone now...friend." A smile crept up the side of Luneth's face as he grabbed hold of Zidane's hand.

"Friend." He agreed as he shook his hand. "I just hope you can survive her."

- CASTLE PERIMETER -

"Gah!" Cloud fell to his knees, pain burning through him. He cried out as something pulled him back up on to his feet.

"This wound will not kill you right away." Cloud was pulled up so he had to stand on his tiptoes. He yelped as he felt blood running down his left leg. "But it will kill you." Through blurred vision, Cloud saw his attacker. It was the cloud of darkness. A twisted smile crept up her face as she pushed her tentacle into the teen's side. He screamed in pain, fuelling her enjoyment.

"W-why..." Suddenly, he was pulled fully off the ground, causing him immense pain. The cloud smiled and brought him close to her.

"Speak up boy." She hissed. Cloud coughed, expelling a lot of blood as he did.

"W-why are you here?" Cloud wheezed, as he felt himself slipping into unconsciousness. He was thrown to the ground, the tentacle leaving his side. The cloud looked down on him with disgust.

"You will be a distraction for us. Tonight is the night we turn the war in our favour." She laughed as she wrapped one of her tendrils around him and dragged him towards her, digging a trench in the wet ground as she did so. "Make no mistake, if you weren't useful alive, then I would have torn you to pieces by now." She hissed.

"B-bartz.." Cloud spluttered, now suffering blood loss. The cloud recoiled slightly, observing her pray.

"we saw that...encounter between you and the other hero. You intrigue us. We are certain now that you will serve as a good distraction for at least one of them." Her voice dropped to an inhuman low as she smiled once more.

-CASTLE GROUNDS-

Each step Bartz took on made a satisfying squeak on the wet grass as he made his way up to the gate of the castle. He was filled with an excitement he had never experienced before. Cloud had said it himself, with no prompting. He wanted people to know about them! Bartz could not contain his smile as he strolled up to the gate and into the courtyard. The squeak had now changed to a crunch as his feet made contact with the gravel. As he approached the small wooden door to the interior it creaked open and a man in brilliant white armour stepped out. Bartz took one hand out from under the Clouds rain cloak to wave at his ally. He had obviously gone unnoticed as the paladin yelped when he saw him. This, in turn caused Bartz to yelp.

"Woah, Cecil! It's only me!" Bartz chuckled. Cecil pulled his hand away from his blade and smiled.

"Bartz. I did not expect anyone to be out here this late!" He said, his tone getting warmer. Bartz gave him a sly look.

"God help you if I had have been the enemy." Bartz commented in a playful manner. Cecil smiled as he adopted a loose battle stance.

"No no, god help you If you had have been the enemy." He boasted. Bartz chuckled as he stepped back, allowing Cecil out of the doorway. He examined Bartz. "May I ask, why you are out at this time?" He inquired, glancing down at the wet rain cloak he was cradling in his arms. Bartz looked away, thankful that the lack of light was shielding his blush from view.

"I-i was just on my way back. I took a dry rain cloak out to Cloud." Cecil smiled at him.

"How thoughtful, Bartz. I'm sure it was much appreciated." Bartz smiled as he contemplated telling Cecil everything. He was almost disappointed that the knight did not question him further. Cecil was infinitely trusting of his companions, a quality Bartz had long respected in him. The two were pulled from their interaction when the silence was torn apart by a strange noise. Something heavy had hit the gravel at speed. It made a loud thud and a terrible grinding sound as it slid to a halt. Cecil and Bartz both swivelled round to face the source of the noise, each of them drawing their weapons. The two closed the gap between each other, covering different directions as they edged forward. The other side of the courtyard was shrouded in darkness and they couldn't see what had just made the dreaded sound. Cecil muttered something and a brilliant white light manifested above his head, illuminating the courtyard. There was a large mark in the gravel where the object had hit and entrenched itself. Bartz squinted to make out what it was.

"It looks like a...boulder?" He whispered, unsure of himself. A tight knot formed in his stomach. Cecil pointed forwards and the light jolted forwards, casting it's brilliant white light on the object. Suddenly, Bartz' heart exploded in his chest as he saw it for what it was. It was a person, wrapped in a filthy rain cloak, dyed dark with blood. A plume of blonde hair protruding from the top.

"No..." Cecil gasped as he stared on in horror. Bartz felt the knot in his stomach explode and fill every sense with fear. He let his weapon slip from his hand, making a dull thud as it hit the floor. He threw himself forwards. "Bartz, no!" Cecil hissed. Bartz ignored him, breaking into a sprint. He threw himself down on his knees , grinding to a halt next to Cloud. Cecil knew that Bartz was exposed. He called three more flash lights out and spread them over the courtyard, leaving no area unlit. He readied his weapon and hovered above the two, looking for his enemy. He knew they were vulnerable. Bartz let out a blood-curdling howl as he pulled the rain cloak away, filling the courtyard with his despair.

"Cloud!" He wailed as he stared down on the horror that confronted him. His partner had been beaten badly, his jaw had been broken, he was bleeding from his side. His arms were broken. His hair matted and saturated with his blood. Bartz stared on in horror, fear filling him up. He stared down at his love, broken and bloodied, and all went numb. He could hear a distant screaming that wouldn't stop. He shook his head to be free of it, but it was constant. He knelt there for what seemed like an eternity, staring at the horror show laid out before him. He felt himself being pulled away from his partner. He resisted, falling onto his stomach and digging his fingers into the gravel. But all he achieved was digging up lines in the floor. He felt himself being turned onto his back. The next thing he knew he was staring into Terra's eyes. He saw her gaze flick up from him to the site just beyond, and immediately a tear fell from her beautiful eye. She opened her mouth, but Bartz could not hear her words, they were muffled, like he was under water. She was shaking him, pleading him to say something. Bartz looked over her shoulder and saw that the courtyard was starting to fill. This managed to bring him back to reality, his ears clearing immediately. He sat bolt upright and scrambled onto all fours.

"Bartz!" Terra shouted. He looked over at her and she knew he could hear her. She pulled him up onto his feet, steadying him as he wobbled, his eyesight passing over Cloud's motionless body. He tried to struggle out of her grasp but she held him still. Firion and Tidus knelt over Cloud, frantically searching for any sign of life as Cecil darted around the high walls of the courtyard, trying to identify the attacker.

"Oh my...He's alive!" Firion yelled as he and Tidus stretched the rain cloak out like a stretcher. "We need to get him inside!" Bartz' breath caught in his throat at this revelation, but he did not have time to enjoy it. There was a bright flash of light as the air around Cecil caught fire, flinging him across the courtyard and slamming him into the hard concrete wall. More explosions erupted, this time inside the courtyard. Terra immediately cast a large barrier over Firion and Tidus as they carried Cloud back to the door. A hole opened in the barrier as a tall man in a dark coat lunged at Terra, his sword trained on her. It was Sephiroth

"No!" Bartz shouted as his partners enormous sword appeared in his hand. He rushed forward and made an upward sweep, forcing Sephiroth to block. The force of the strike threw him against a wall. Bartz looked over his shoulder to see that They had gotten cloud inside.

"Not bad." Sephiroth wheezed as he got to his feet. Before he had time to compose himself, Cecil had rushed him, throwing his spear. Sephiroth Barely dodged, wincing as the spear demolished the wall behind him. The dodge had cost him though as Bartz was upon him again, this time with a powerful kick, that threw him out of the courtyard via the hole Cecil had just made.

"You look like you could use some help," A condescending voice sounded from atop the high wall. There stood the emperor. Sephiroth didn't answer as he jumped up to join his ally.

"Regroup!" Cecil shouted, rallying Terra and Bartz. The three stood in formation, looking up in hatred.

"What did you do to him?!" Bartz shouted, his voice breaking.

"Tonight it ends." A deep voice sounded across the courtyard. There on the adjacent roof stood two large knights, one silver and one grey. "Tonight we end the war!"

That's it for now peeps. More very soon, though.

Btw, don't worry, this story is nowhere near finished yet. :D

-SPoP