Hey,
Sorry this chapter took so long to post, as appose to the 2 days it took to post chapter 6. I've just been mixed up with school and trying to catch up, and along with spring break, I decided to try and finish this painfully bad chapter XD
Enjoy!
Corrupt
Final Fantasy:Chaos Chronicles, Chapter 7
I looked around terrified. Everyone around was either in a corner, or on the ground begging for mercy. I was the bringer of the reaper, the coming of death, and the one thing everyone feared. Eyes struck with the sight of death glared at me. I ripped the drench coat off and looked at what was under it. All black. I looked to the distance to see Janice charging at me, full force. She had my sword. Then what am I using? I looked to what was in my hand. It was a huge sword, at least 6 feet long. It was red with blood and had a dark aura surrounding it. It was black and curved back. The dull side of the sword spiked up and there was striping wherever the point on the dull side met it's peak, which was about 3 spikes. The handle was a crimson red and the guard was flaming.
I turned back to Janice to see her right in my face. She brought the sword up and stopped when she saw me turn to her. I looked at her softly.
Finally, someone who knows me who isn't possibly dead.
She stared at me with her mouth starting to open. Her eyes were wide and she gave the expression she couldn't believe what she was seeing.
"Z-Z-Zaox? I-Is that... Is that you?" she asked me surprised.
I hugged her. She dropped the sword and hugged me back.
"What happened, where are we?" I asked as I released my grip.
I was just happy to see someone.
"I'm not even sure what happened to you, but, it's been a year since you changed."
"WHAT!?"
"Yea... You left and Amy wanted to chase after you. She used Akina as a crutch and Akina carried me. We finally saw you when you began to fight with Sephiroth. Then, after you deflected the Meteor, and he consumed you in the aura, you... changed. You turned with a demonic look in your eye... and it just kinda went on from there," she explained with dread in her voice.
That would sort of explain why everyone is afraid of me, and why I was wearing a drench coat... sort of.
I swept her up and cradled her in my arms and jumped off. I jumped from roof to roof with care, making sure it didn't collapse under me. I looked down at Janice for a second to meet her eyes. She looked content and was apparently thinking. She had a soft look on her face and looked at me with some sympathy. I felt empty. I don't even know where Amy is, and here I am carrying away Janice.
We landed next to the only building that seemed that it would stand. We walked in and sat down on what was left of chairs. It was the inn Amy and I first went into.
"So, why are you using my sword?" I asked with curiosity.
"Oh... yea, Well... the first time I tried to fight you obliterated my sword. I remembered watching you make your new sword from darkness when you changed, you dropped your old sword. I went back and found it and have been using it since."
"I see... So, where's Amy and Akina?" I asked a little worried.
"Well..." she hesitated.
"Well?" I said, trying not to rush her.
"It might be better if you didn't know..." she said with care.
"WHAT!?" I yelled out, "You think I shouldn't know about my best friend and my own girlfriend!?"
She looked down with some fear and shame. I noticed that a burst of energy was sent out when I yelled. I was frustrated... I mean, why wouldn't I want to know about my best friend, and especially my girlfriend. Unless... Oh god.
"Did something... Did I?" I asked with fear.
She nodded slowly. She looked up at me slowly. She looked like she was about to cry.
"What did I do?..."
"You... Zaox, I don't know how to tell you this... but, you killed them." she answered, confirming my fears.
My body started to shake. How could I? There's no way. No. It's impossible. NO!
"NO!" I yelled out.
Rage and Fury coursed through my veins.
I would never kill Amy, evil or not. It can't be. Why would I?
I ran it through my head over and over trying to convince myself she was lying. Janice wasn't one to lie, and she wouldn't play a sick joke like this on me.
I fell to my knees and felt like crying. I destroyed 2 of the few things that really matter to me... Did nothing that happened between Amy and I get through the darkness?
"Well..." I started hesistenally, "I suppose what's done is done... So... was I decent enough to give them a quick death?" I asked with some sarcasm.
"Well, Akina... Yea. But..." she let her voice drift off, and I know why.
"I see... I guess you've had the full intention to kill me then? I can't blame you..."
"Yea... Sorta." she responded.
"Sorta? What's sorta? How can you sorta want to kill someone who obliterated your 2 best friends?" I asked with some sarcasim and curiosity.
She chuckled lightly, "Well, they weren't the closest things to me... Sure, I was mad that you killed a mighty fine marksmen, but Amy... I couldn't care less... Besides last I checked you were goo-goo for Akina."
I chuckled lightly too. Have to admit, it was sort of amusing to hear her say goo-goo.
"So, you been with anyone?" I asked her, there was no way she was trying to kill me alone.
"With anyone? You mean dating someone?" she asked surprised.
"NO NO NO!! I mean, allied with someone." I yelled out correcting myself.
"Oh... Well, I did get a boyfriend for a breif time and we fought you, but you just kinda killed him." she responded.
"Oh... I'm sorry." I said with a sympathetic tone.
"It's no problem, not like you were... you." she responded.
"So, who was it?" I asked sarcastically.
"I think you knew him. His name was Daex."
"D-Daex? ...Your kidding. I killed him too, fing perfect. So, who HAVEN'T I killed?" I asked her frustrated.
"Well... There's me!" she said happily.
I guess she's right... But still, why would I kill Amy?
I couldn't run it through my head. A slow, painful death, given to AMY! It just seemed impossible to me. I looked back at Janice to see her standing and ready to kill.
"What's up?" I asked a bit worried.
She was glaring through a hole in the cieling. I walked behind her to see Sephiroth floating in the air.
"I see..." I said as he turned to us.
...For god's sake. Wait, is he being held against his will? That's impossible... Isn't it?
I looked past him to see someone. Someone I didn't expect to see.
"Is that CLOUD?" I yelled out.
"Yea... Shinra found a way to bring him back to life... But, well, on their side. Suppose I should have told you."
"So, then, what about Sephiroth?" I asked her. This was very different to me.
"He's with us, after Shinra dumped him for Cloud he wanted revenge and came to me. Cloud took control over you and you've been close friends since... Well, until now." She explained to me, trying to clear everything.
"So... Kill Cloud, and save Sephiroth?" I asked, making sure I was getting everything right.
"Yep... Me and Sephi have been good friends since then too. And..."
"And?" I asked her with some hurry.
"You'll find out later, come on!" she responded.
Whatever...
She jumped at Cloud and I followed, bringing the grim reaper with me. He instantly jolted Sephiroth's arm up, making a pop noise from his shoulder. Sephiroth screamed out in pain. Janice stopped, but I kept charging. I went to slash through Sephiroth to kill Cloud. Janice grabbed my leg. I looked back at her with rage burning in my eyes. She looked at me softly.
Oh... Right, Sephiroth is with us... Can't kill him, can I?
I nodded to assure her I knew. She nodded back. I grabbed her arm and flung her at Cloud and Sephiroth. She had her sword ready. She stuck her sword between Sephiroth and Cloud and pried Sephiroth away from Cloud. Sephiroth fell towards me. I grabbed him by the arm. He let out a screech of pain.
Oh... That must be the arm that got... "popped"
I dropped the arm and fell below him. I grabbed him and set him on the ground. I looked up to see Janice and Cloud face-to-face, their swords eating away at each other. I jumped from the ground towards Janice and Cloud. I had my sword ready and came right behind Cloud. He spun around and hit me in the stomach. I winced as Janice sent a wave of flames towards Cloud. Cloud moved out of the way, leaving me in the path of the flames. Janice stared at the wave of flames as it came at me. I stuck my arm out, and the sword Janice was using, appeared in my hand. I sent a huge wave of darkness from both the swords through the flames. I appeared behind Janice and wrapped my arms around her.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" she yelled at me as I tightened my grip around her.
"Don't worry, by the way, you get a new sword. I want my old one back." I said quickly as we appeared above Cloud, who was a few feet in the air above us watching.
I quickly read the inscription on the new sword.
Inferno Blade
I put the sword into her hand and flung her towards Cloud. She instantly sent an enormous blast of energy at him. He smirked quickly and went right through the blast. Janice found herself face-to-face with Cloud. Janice froze from shock. Cloud raised his sword and was about to strike when suddenly Sephiroth came from nowhere with his Masamune. Time froze as Janice jumped into Sephiroths arms. I drifted in the air, staring at the sight, frozen. Chills ran up and down my spine. Janice, and Sephiroth? I could feel everything being ripped away from me. Everything that meant something to me, was now gone. My last chance was gone. My friend, with Sephiroth? I shook my head at the thought. I could feel something grab my arm. I turned and met the demonic eye, of Cloud. I elbowed him in the stomach. He winced briefly and tried to regain his balance. I spun, throwing him towards the ground. I could feel the rage and sorrow of losing Amy and Akina flow into my body. My sword began to slowly split down the middle. I pulled the sword apart. I began to charge at Cloud when both halves of the sword disintigrated. I halted in mid-air and looked at my hands.
"Where'd my sword go!?" I yelled out.
Sephiroth and Janice both looked with curiosity. I looked around and saw the particles of my old sword reforming. It was a slim sword, only a bit shorter than Inferno. It was about 5 feet long. It was bone white with black covering the blade. It had unique, curved spikes at the begining of the blade. It had no guard, and had an odd symbol where the spike began. The blade made small arcs into the blade. I stared at the sword. It seemed light. It had a lust for blood. The thirst quickly spread throughout the air. I looked down at Cloud, who was now on his feet. He jumped up at me, making the ground below him give in and make a small crater. He drew his sword back and began to unleash a hellstorm of attacks at me. He finished with a final blow, which broke through to me. He cut my left arm and sent me soaring into the ground. I fell slowly, the blood follwing me. I hit the ground and the blood trickled onto my face. I stood up and wiped the blood from my face. Cloud was bolting towards me, his fangs showing, the need to kill in his eyes. I readied my self, and fixed the new sword infront of me. The ground imploded upon impact, and we were sent in different directions. I regained my balance and charged into the dust. I swung around to find nothing. I looked up to see Cloud laughing manically. Clouds began to turn pitch black and swirl above him. Monsters appeared in enourmas numbers below him. I jumped into the air and looked down. There was a living sea of monsters and demons, all broken loose from the gates of hell. I looked to the distance and saw Sephiroth and Janice. Sephiroth was using Janice as a crutch. I looked up to Cloud. He was already gone.
Great, all of these monsters to myself. Time to see what this sword can do.
The words "Corrupt Guardian," popped into my head.
"Corrupt Guardian," I said to myself as I looked down to the sword.
I smirked, "Let's see what you can do!" I yelled out as I charged into the living sea of demons and monsters.
I made a swift slash, breaking loose a huge wave of hell. Everything in the way was sent back into oblivion, or was fully obliterated. Few lay on the ground, missing limbs, or missing heads. We all stared at the huge gap in the sea, even the surviving monsters. I sent a horizontal wave through the rest of the monsters. It was a thin line that cut through everything. Only 3 things stopped it. The living demons that were Daex, Akina... and Amy. They all wielded their old weapons. Daex and his bone white sword, Akina with her guns, and Amy with her ninja gear, and small sword. Daex was holding against the attack. His sword glowing with anticipation. He threw the blast, making it disintegrate. I appeared above him and began to swing at him. Amy threw a kunai into my leg and Akina began to shoot at me, hitting me with all bullets. I fell on the ground, holding my wounds. Blood slowly flowing out of the gunshots, and staining the kunai. They gathered around me, like they were lions, and I was dinner. I slowly ascended and held my sword infront of my face. I began to spin rapidly, throwing the three away from me. I could barely stand. I stumbled over to Amy and stared at her, eye to eye.
Is that really Amy?... No.
I quickly hit her with the flat side of my sword. She was sent sideways. Daex and Akina sprung into action. Sephiroth charged down and took on Daex. Janice surged down and tackled Akina. I walked over to Amy. I looked down at her, her eyes innocent and begging for mercy. I looked at her, her skin slowly reiterating.
Could it be, the longer she's here, the more human-like she becomes?
She smirked and tripped me. She stood up and stuck a kunai in my back. I caught myself and ripped the kunai from my leg and back. I threw them at her, she deflected them with her sword. I jumped into the air, ready to strike Amy. I charged down, and she just stood her ground.
What th-
My question answered. Daex had been charging right at me from behind. His sword struck deep through my stomach. I fell to the ground looking around, searching fror a sign of Sephiroth and Janice. None. They had already fled to help Sephiroth's arm.
Damn, looks like the end of the road for me...
Soft whispers of memories made their way to a screen behind my eyes. I could see the behemoth collapsing to the bullets of Akina, and even the blood shower when me and Janice first fought. I could remember going berserk and unleashing my fury upon Sephiroth, when he was evil. I could remember the hate and anguish I felt towards Sephiroth, now nearly gone. I could see me embracing Amy and carrying her around in the dark, stumbling along looking for somewhere to sleep. I could see my inner demon breaking loose and nearly destroying Amy. I remember destroying that demon from hell, and even the memories of Isho when I was little. I could remember play-fighting with my friends, acting like we were wielding swords, but were holding sticks. I remember Amy always wanting to play with us, but we'd say no, just because she was a girl. I remember sitting next to the quite shoreline where shells washed up along the shore, never to find their home again. Sometimes Amy would follow me and hide in the trees or behind a bush, silently watching me.
Daex stood over me superior, casting a shadow a few feet long. He raised his sword to deliver the final blow. His arms began to decend, bring upon death with them.
This is it... bye Janice.
Suddenly the sword was met with a huge clash. Janice dived in and held her sword above her, eating away at Daex's sword. I smiled.
Looks like my road just got an extension.
She hopped to her feet and threw Daex back a few feet. She glanced down at me. I got the message and began to run off. I looked back at Janice and ran into something. I looked in front of me to see Akina.
"Come on, I don't have time for this Akina," I said softly.
She glared at me and began to draw her gun. I quickly kicked her to the side and kept running.
I looked back at her and yelled: "Sorry!"
I finally arrived at the old inn and found Sephiroth tending to his own wounds. I walked in staring at him, still uncomfortable in his presence, and decided to break the silence.
"So, I didn't think you'd be able to fix your own wound considering me and Cloud are the only ones who can even touch you during battle," I said, trying to be sarcastic.
He looked up with some worry in his eyes, "Where's Janice?" he immediately asked.
"Umm, I don't know. She saved me and told me to get out of there,"
"YOU DIDN'T STAY TO HELP HER!?" he yelled out at me.
"She's very capable of taking care of herself, don't get so protective and flip out on me like that Sephiroth, I still have issues with you," I said, trying to keep my cool.
"Why should you still have issues with me? I'm just as weak as you at this point, and besides, Janice trusts me, and you should know her trust is hard to earn," he said in a serious tone, but without yelling.
"I know that," I said, "But you tried to kill someone I loved, and it's hard for me to get over that."
"Ah, but you killed her in the end," Sephiroth responded.
I glared at him. I put my hand on the handle of my sword, ready to stab him. He looked at where my hand was and began to back away. I drew my sword and began to swing at him.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?" he yelled out, trying to keep his balance while dodging the attacks.
"Trying to kill you, what's it look like?" I said sarcastically.
He couldn't draw his sword, so he was nearly defenseless. Finally, my sword caught his flesh and tore his left forearm. I smirked, victorious. I turned to see Janice standing in the doorway, mouth gaping and eyes fixed on me.
"Whoops..."