CHAPTER 10! whoohoo! That's half of 20! If you didn't know.

Anyway enjoy!

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It was dark again, and a sicking smell filled his senses. He gagged as it was everywhere. He panicked in realization of what it was, dead bodies. Looking he saw figures of humans littered all around the ground. Their faces looking up at him, with twisted looks of pain etched on each one. He saw horrendous bite marks all over them like they were torn apart by a vicious beast.
"Monster! Why did you kill them!' he looked up to find Tear stareing at him. Tears were streaking down her face, she was kneeling next to the bodies.

"Tear I didn't do..." He suddenly looked down at his hands. They were covered with blood that reeked of human. He felt his heart start racing, telling himself this wasn't real.

"Tear it wasn't me!!" He started walking twoards her, begging for help.

"NO! GET AWAY MONSTER!!" Her eyes were filled with fear as she pulled a knife out. She threw it out at him, aiming it right at his head. Luke gasped as his own body moved without his command. Dodging the knife he felt himself transform and his jaws fly open. Before he knew it his mouth had clamped down around her neck. He heard her gasp as blood poured from her neck and mouth. All that could be heard after that was his blood curtailing scream.

Luke woke up with sweat all over him. He could feel his stomach twist, wanting to throw up. But he held it back and sat up to calm himself down.

"Having nightmares Luke?"

He jumped as he knew who's voice it belonged to. Looking up he saw Jade standing next to him, pushing his glasses back.
"I wanted to tell you that we leave today." Jade added.

"Why are you telling me this?" Luke asked.

"I thought you had informed Tear that you were joining us?"

"Ohh..yeah I did." Luke flinched as Jade put his hand on his shoulder.

"I will tell you this now Luke, I will have no more mistakes like Akzeriuth understand? I don't completely trust you, for your 3 month disappearance. If I find that you went and made allegiances with Van I will not hesitate to destroy you."

Jade's red eyes glared through his glasses straight at Luke.

"Jade, what makes you think I would want to have anything to do with that man?" Luke gave his own glare back at Jade, obviously upset at the comment. Jade who was a bit surprised at the action, did not waver though.

"I see. Well get ready were going in 10 minutes." Luke sighed as Jade walked away.

10 minutes! that didn't give Luke much time! He got up and grabbed the blankets into a ball. Taking the bundle he ran into the house and found everyone awake.

"About time you woke up." Guy said as he was packing things away.

"Sorry I had a rough night." Luke responded in a dull tone. He put the blankets in the closet and headed into his room. Going into his bedside drawer he pulled out bandages and ointments. The ointments were specially designed to heal the wounds of animals that Mam made. Like the wound he got on his side, sometimes it needed to be healed before he could turn back to normal. Stuffing them into his pockets he headed back into the kitchen.

"Alright is everyone ready to go?" Natalia asked to them all. Everyone noded and headed out of the house. As they streped out Luke turned around and saw Mam standing there.

"So I guess your going huh?" She started.

"Yeah. I'm sorry I didn't tell you..." He stopped as Mam put her arms around him, giving him a big hug.

"Promise that you'll come back you hear? This will always be your home." She said. Luke eye's widen at the comment, he wanted to cry tears of joy at those words. A home, he finally had a real home to come back to. One with a mom that loved him like a son.

"..I Promise..." He returned the embrace, sealing his promise. Asch looked at the scene confused at the replica. While the others were surprised at the connection Luke had with the woman.

"Luke we better get going." Guy piped in.

"Oh yeah sorry.." They pulled from their embrace and Luke headed back towards the others.

Mam continued watching them head up the road, and felt her own heart sink.
"It's gonna be boring around here without him, that's for sure."

The group was heading towards the next town over, it would take 3 days to get there. The path they were taking went through a very large mountain. As they climbed small hills on the path Luke decided to ask some of his own questions.

"So how are we going to stop Van?"

"Oh yeah, I never told you did I?" Tear answered.

"We have been lowering the outer lands by using the Sephiroths like the one in..Akzeriuth." Natalia said.

Luke felt unease sweep through him. Did he want to go to another place like Akzeriuth?

"There are 6 Sephiroths, we've lowered 3 so far. We've had some 'obsticals' along the way." Jade continued.

"So how do you lower the outer lands." Guy asked.

"Asch inscribes the command at the Sephiroth to lower the land gently into the Miasma below." Anise said.

"So wait how does this correspond to Van destroying the world?" Luke asked.

"He wants to do what he did at Akzeriuth to all the Sephiroths. Killing the land and people by sending it colliding into the miasma below."

Luke let the information sink in, and it suddenly hit him. He has been wondering why his companions had let him rejoin so easily. It was because they wanted to keep an eye on him.

To make sure he wouldn't destroy the other Sephiroths for Van.

"Disgusting.." Tear was the only one who heard this comment from Luke.

"Luke, are you okay? She asked. He looked at Tear and felt a singe of anger at her.

She was the one who asked him to join, did she also feel she couldn't trust him?

"..I'm fine." He answered, as Tear watched him walk ahead.

"YOU THERE HALT!"

The group looked up to see a group of 20 bandits blocking the road ahead.

"Give us all your belongings and we'll let you live!" One yelled at them, who was the leader.

"And why would we do that?" Asch seethed as he pulled out his sword. The others took out their weapons and pointed them at the bandits.
"This doesn't look so good.." Ansie mumbled.

"So I see you want to did huh? SO BE IT!" The bandits pulled out their own weapons. Before their leader could direct commands, Luke was right in front of him. The leader gasped as Luke had appeared from the end of the group, to in front of him in a second. Luke took his sword and thrust it straight into the leaders stomach. Pulling out his sword Luke watched the leader fall to the ground, dead. He looked at the other bandits with glowing red eyes, making them flinch in fear. Luke no longer hesitated in killing because that was the law of nature he had learned. He was a beast but he still killed other monsters. He was human but he killed humans to live too, it was that simple to him now. Tear once said 'Kill or be killed' when he learned that he feared it. Now it was engraved into his very being. The bandits charged them all now in a wild frenzy. 8 flew at Luke in a rage at their fallen commander. He dodged all their blows and simply jumped behind them. He slashed one in the back and rushed up on two. Using his inhuman strength he stabbed his sword through one bandit into the other. Another bandit ran up to him while his sword was still implanted in the bodies. Luke merly ducked their sword and kicked the them in the stomach, sending them flying. He pulled his sword out in time as 3 more charged at him. With one slash he cut them all down. The last 2 looked at him in fear and their weapon's shook. One sent an arrow right at him, but he just slashed it into pieces before it got to him. They finally came at him screaming in anger. They saw Luke disappear before their eyes and appear behind them. Blood sprayed from the slash on their bodies and they fell to the ground bleeding. Luke looked at his companions and found they were almost done with the rest of the bandits. He went to help them when he heard something.

"Mm...m..mon..monster..." His eyes grew wide as he heard the bandit whisper the words at him. The word paralyzed his body, transfixing him into that spot.

"...montster..." with that final word the bandit died, laying in a pool of blood.

"LUKE!" He spun around and and saw a sword ready to slash him in halve. Luke blocked it and pulled up, sending the sword flying. The owner of the lost sword stood their panicking. Luke took his own sword and slashed the man from the tip of his head straight down.

Everyone stood there quietly as they surveyed the scene. The group had taken out 11 all together, while Luke alone took out 9 himself. Asch never wanted to bring the replica along, he detested that thing. It had no concern for human life and only thought of itself. Tear closely watched Luke as he was trying to get blood off of himself. He had killed so wildly and savagely, it was so..inhuman. She knew he could transform into a beast, but she didn't want him acting like one. Jade noticed this as well and kept his eyes set on him. They scavenged for what they could from the massacre. Finding some more food and gels to use.
"Can we go now please?" Ansie asked, not wanting to look at the scene anymore.

'Yes lets.." Natalia answered. And with that they continued onward to the mountain. Luke could fell unease rise from the others from his 'Uniuge' fighting style. He felt ashamed for letting them see that display. He was more concerned though as he had lost control of himself a bit too much back there. 'Montser', was that what her truly was? Was that what he truly wanted to be? He didn't know, but he could feel within himself that this was only the beging. Things were really gonna get out of hand from here.

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Okay Here I go, The whole 6 Sephiroth thing was intentional, All I can say is go with the flow, the changes do have a point. (Not like I've changed a lot already lols) Also I have a question, did Guy get the Fon seal thing before of after Akzeriuth? Other than that thank you for reading! Chapter 11 should be coming soon.