Author note- I do not own Final Fantasy VII

The Wolf Prince

Chapter 13

The Lord's Trick

"So, Wolf Prince," Kadaj said mockingly. "You are free to go. I would very much like to see you and your servants off but I have a wedding to attend to, my wedding."

Kadaj gripped Aerith tightly, forcing her out of the room with him. Cloud could still feel the affects of the spell put on him, finding it impossible to run after them. Kadaj shut the door, locking it purposely. He dragged Aerith along with him as she desperately tried to free herself.

"Let me go!" She snapped. "I will not marry you. You tricked me!"

Kadaj rounded on her. He tugged her roughly to him causing pain to surge up the girl's arm.

"No my dear princess," he said. "You agreed to my price and you saved your precious prince from a life of servitude. You may as well be content with that."

Kadaj turned and continued to drag Aerith along with him. Aerith tried to fight out of his grip but found she could do no such thing. Kadaj burst into the throne room where his brothers were waiting, obviously, for the wedding. Aerith whimpered under the harsh treatment. Kadaj flung her before his eldest brother, causing her to stumble and land on the ground in front of him.

The Princess looked up at the true Lord of the Castle Jenova. An amused smile adorned his face. He looked up at his younger brother with a questionable look.

"Is there a problem, brother?" Sephiroth asked.

"No problem for me," Kadaj said. "I got what I wanted."

Aerith stood up and mustered up all the courage she could to stare at the man who intended on marrying her. Her eyes narrowed at him her hands at her side clenching tightly.

"I will not marry you," she hissed. "You lied to me. I have freed Cloud from your servitude and I intend to also leave his place."

Aerith's words piqued Sephiroth's interest.

"What of the prince," Sephiroth asked his younger brother.

Kadaj face twisted into anger. "My bride has awakened her prince. He is free to go along with his servants. However, she forgot the price for attempting to save her prince is to become my bride."

Sephiroth's eyes darkened as he glared at his brother. Loz and Yazoo who were witnessing this could see their eldest brother was not pleased to know he was about to lose his servants. Kadaj, not wanting to endure his brother's fury, quickly spoke out.

"The prince is waiting for his release in his room. Please see that he is dealt with. I on the other will not wait any longer for my wedding."

Sephiroth look at Yazoo and Loz. "Brothers, please deal with Prince Cloud and his servants. I shall see to Kadaj and the princess's wedding."

Yazoo and Loz nodded and left the room. Once they were gone, Sephiroth stood from his throne and placed his hands on Aerith's shoulders. He smirked. Leaning over her, Aerith sucked in a sharp breath. Kadaj's touch repulsed her but the power in Sephiroth had in his frightened her.

"Well, there is one good thing from losing a worthless prince." He said dangling her necklace in front of her. "I get to keep the white materia. I thank you princess for giving me such a priceless piece."

Aerith tried to snatch it back but Sephiroth was quicker. Aerith spun around to grab it but Sephiroth pulled the necklace back hid it away in his pocket. Smirking, he looked over at his brother.

"Shall we begin your wedding?" he questioned.

"Of course," Kadaj said. "I've waited too long for today."

Kadaj came up from behind his bride, touching her shoulder. On instinct, Aerith pushed his arm away and as hard as she could, smacked him across the face. Kadaj recoiled, clutching his face in shock. Sephiroth laughed at his brother's misfortune. However, the princess was not finished. She spun around and attempted to hit the Lord of Jenova. Yet, Sephiroth caught her hand and with much force, sent her crying to her knees.

"You think you can strike me princess," he said. "I'm not weak like my little brother."

Aerith whimpered, her face showing much pain. Aerith grabbed onto his black coat, her hand tugging at the pocket in pain.

"Brother," snapped Kadaj, "release my bride."

"I'm only teaching her manners," he said releasing her.

"If anyone shall do that," Kadaj replied in a low hiss, "it shall be me."

Kadaj loomed over the princess, ready to snatch her up.

Heading down the halls of the castle, Loz and Yazoo were nearing the room containing Cloud. The brothers stopped in front of the door. Yazoo had the key within his hand and placed it in the hole.

"Ready brother?" he asked.

Loz merely grinned and took an offensive stance; the weapon on his arm clicked and began to spark. Yazoo unlocked the door and pushed it open. Loz charged in, only to stop seconds later when he found no sight of the prince. Confused, he turned to his brother. Yazoo pulled out his own weapon before cautiously entering the room. He looked around but there was no sign of Cloud.

"Where did he go?" Loz growled.

On cue, Cloud jumped from behind his hiding place, kicking Yazoo into his brother. The prince had been hiding behind the door, so when they would enter he would be hidden behind the door. Cloud then ran out the door, grabbing the handle and shutting the door behind him. Thankfully, Yazoo forgot to remove the key. Cloud locked it and took the key from the door.

"Idiots," he muttered.

"CLOUD!" a voice cried out.

The prince's head snapped to the side as he saw Marlene running toward him. He smiled as she stopped in front of him.

"Marlene," he said gently. "Are you alright?"

She nodded.

"…what about Tifa, Vincent, Zack, and the others?"

"They're locked up in the dungeons but they're not hurt."

Suddenly the sounds of loud pounding against a door echoed through the hall. Cloud could hear Yazoo and Loz from behind the door, determined to break down the door. Cloud handed they key to Marlene.

"Go to the dungeon, if I am correct this key should unlock the doors and set them free." He explained.

"Where are you going?" Marlene asked, wanting the Prince to come with her.

"I have to find Aerith before Kadaj forces her to marry him."

Another loud pound to the door alerted them of the urgency. Cloud pushed the young girl gently to hurry her. Marlene did not hesitate any longer and hurried on her way. Cloud then turned to run the other way. He prayed silently that the princess was not harmed.

His feet carried him down the hall, the affects of the spell that was casted on him had faded away and he now could move without constraint. He stopped when he came to the main hall entrance, which split too many different ways. One way led to upstairs corridors, and the others led to the other lower level rooms of the castle. Cloud wondered where exactly would Aerith be, when the sound of a very distinct cry alerted him to where she could be.

The next thing he knew, the door to the throne room burst open and he saw Aerith running from the throne being pursued by Kadaj. Kadaj caught up to her quickly, due to the hindrance the wedding dress and shoes made. He grabbed her by the waist and Aerith began pounding at his chest.

"Let go of me!" she shrieked, fighting him.

Cloud rushed forward and instantly connected his fist to Kadaj's face. The youngest lord dropped the princess as he staggered to the ground.

"Cloud!" Aerith gasped.

Her eyes brimmed with happy tears. Cloud sighed with relief, happy to see her unharmed, however the reunion was cut short as Sephiroth emerged from the throne room. The prince and princess stared at the Lord.

"You little thief!" he hissed to the princess. "Return the white materia to me!"

True enough, clutched tightly in her hand was the necklace Cloud had given her. During their brief struggle, Aerith had managed to retrieve the materia from Sephiroth's pocket without his notice, until now.

"RUN!" Cloud ordered.

Aerith did not question his order but simply followed. She began to run the opposite way but instantly backtracked when she saw Loz and Yazoo coming down the hall towards her. She ran up the stairs to the second level, kicking off the shoes on her feet in the process. She wished she had those brown boots back and her old dress. At least it would be easier to move in. The princess also wished she had her staff. If she could remember what room her items were, she could return to Cloud and help him fight.

Running up the stairs, she turned left at the top and continued to run. She took one last look at Cloud, watching him being surrounded. She needed to hurry!

Down the halls the princess hurried, however each door, each hall looked exactly the same as the last. She cursed at herself, wishing she paid better attention so that she could find her way back.

"Where is it?" she cried, rushing down a hall.

Suddenly, something caught her eye. The princess stopped and saw a door open. Without thinking, she rushed toward it, hoping it was the room she had been confined to during the daylight.

Just as she was about to reach the room, the princess found her feet flying from under her. The princess landed hard on the ground. She looked back to see what tripped her, only discover Kadaj holding onto her ankle. Aerith shrieked in surprise and attempted to get away but he dragged her back. The princess tried to kick and hit the young lord but he restrained her, under his own weight.

"Well princess," he said, "you have made this harder than it had to be. I gave you a chance to wed me and save yourself from embarrassment but now it is too late."

His hand tore away at the bodice, creating a loud rip. Aerith wriggled from under him.

"No," she cried. "Let me go!"

Just then, something landed on Kadaj's head. It fell down off his head and landed next to him. He looked over and picked up the item that hit his head. He looked at it and saw a small die resting in his hand. Aerith's eyes widened before she shut them tightly, throwing her arms over her face. The die exploded, sending Kadaj hurtling backwards and off the princess.

"Princess!" two voices called in union.

Aerith sat up and saw her companions, Nanaki and Cait Sith now at her side.

"Are you hurt?" The smaller cat asked.

"No, I'm fine; thank you," she said but then more urgently asked, "What about Cloud?"

"Prince Cloud is all right," Nanaki spoke. "His servants are at his side. Marlene was able to free us from the dungeons."

"Those creepy brothers attacked us and locked us up," Cait Sith growled.

"They tricked you princess," Nanaki added. "Prince Cloud was under the influence of the of the sleeping materia. The spell casted on him was enough to keep him asleep. You were never meant to have awaken him."

Aerith gasped softly, sadness filling her.

"Marlene was able to switch the sleeping materia for one that causes paralysis. The prince was able to overcome the paralysis."

"Then…" the princess whispered. "It wasn't me…"

Before either companion could inquire what she meant, they could hear Kadaj groaning. Nanaki and Cait Sith both took an offensive stance, standing in front of the princess.

"You'll pay for that," hissed Kadaj, a sword appearing in his hand.

At the other end of the Castle, Cloud and his loyal servants and friends were fighting the other Lords. Cloud, now armed with a sword, was fighting Sephiroth alone. Their swords clashed, clanging loudly as they collided. Sephiroth easily deflected all of Cloud's blows, hardly moving to dodge the attacks, as if mocking the prince.

"Do you think you can defeat me, Cloud," Sephiroth questioned. "You could not defeat me before, what makes you think you can win now?"

Sephiroth kicked Cloud through the main doors sending him outside of the castle. Zack and Vincent attempted to protect the prince by attack Sephiroth but the Lord of Jenova blocked both of them before knocking them away with ease. Both men slammed into a wall before slumping to the ground. Sephiroth followed Cloud outside, walking toward him slowly.

"Remember, wolf prince, you failed in defeating me and I cursed you. Then you failed to find a woman to love and trust you. You are my slave."

Cloud growled and got up and attacked Sephiroth. Sephiroth blocked, using only one of his hands to stop him.

"Aerith came for me," Cloud retorted, "I'm no longer your slave!"

Cloud attacked again but Sephiroth parried and hit the prince with the hilt of his long sword. Cloud fell to the ground but before her hit, his body collided with Sephiroth's knee.

"Yes, your princess," Sephiroth said. "Once I deal with you I'll find that troublesome girl and retrieve the white materia and let my brother do what he likes with her."

Cloud looked up, wincing in pain. Sephiroth kicked him away.

"He is quite smitten with her," the lord continued. "I'm sure you were too when you discovered she was a maiden. I'm surprised you did not take her after all you spent each night with her in your castle."

Cloud got up and foolishly attacked Sephiroth due to his goading. Sephiroth easily knocked the sword from Cloud's hand before sending the prince sprawling to the ground.

"Pathetic…"

Sephiroth swiped at Cloud, cutting into his arm. Cloud cringed, teeth clenching at the blade cut through his arm.

"How does it feel to know how pathetic you are? You cannot even save your princess. No matter, she is no longer yours. By now my brother has already had his way with that delicate creature."

Cloud's eyes narrowed. He grabbed Sephiroth's blade and pulled it out of his arm. He then quickly kicked the Lord but Sephiroth jumped away, landing gracefully a few feet away.

"If Kadaj even harms one hair on her head I will kill him!" Cloud seethed.

Cloud retrieved his sword and rushed at Sephiroth, however before their weapons could connect again, there was an explosion. The two looked up to see a large section of the castle fall apart and a single figure sailing through the air toward them. The figure landed in a heap on the ground.

It was Kadaj!

Cloud looked up at the top of the castle to see Aerith, Nanaki and Cait Sith. Nanaki and Cait Sith had combined their attacks to create a devastating explosion that sent the youngest lord sailing through the castle walls.

Kadaj groaned, pain surging through his body. He crawled toward his brother, grabbing onto his boot.

"Brother…" he choked out painfully. "Help me brother…"

Sephiroth sneered at him before kicking him away. "You're just as pathetic as his highness."

Sephiroth sheathed his sword and in turn pulled out a rather large round black object from his pocket. Cloud's eyes widened.

"The black materia…" he whispered.

Sephiroth smirked as a large single black wing grew from his back. It stretched out to the side, several of the ebony feathers scattered around him before disintegrating when they hit the ground. Cloud's eyes widened. A dark aura now surrounded the lord. Cloud found himself quickly going on the defensive because when the next attack hit, he was sent soaring through the air before being knocked into the ground. The prince found himself outmatched, as now the evil lord was faster and stronger than the prince was.

"Cloud…" Aerith whispered, seeing the horrific sight. "I have to help him!"

She looked at her companions. The looked up at the princess.

"If you go down there you will be killed!" Nanaki said.

"I just can't stand here and watch him die," she cried.

The princess looked out helplessly at Cloud. How could she save him now? She was not an adequate fighter and she would be more of a hindrance rather than a helper in the middle of the battlefield.

She found her eyes filling with tears as she watched Sephiroth rip through Cloud. His sword cut through him, sending blood oozing down his arms and body. There was no way the prince could mount an offense. If he even tried, it could be fatal.

"Cloud… oh Cloud," she cried. "This is my entire fault."

The princess fell to her knees shutting her eyes tightly. She could not bear seeing Cloud be hurt. The pain was too much to bear.

"Princess!" Cait Sith snapped. "Do not fall apart. You have come this far to save Prince Cloud do not give up!"

"But what can I do?"

As if on cue, Nanaki nudged the princess's hand, the hand that clutched the necklace.

"Princess, Sephiroth wanted this necklace. It must hold some importance."

Aerith looked at the tiny jewel on the end of the necklace. The tiny white materia in her hand did not even glow like other materia. What good was it?

Regardless, the princess clutched the stone to her chest. She closed her eyes tightly and focused all thoughts to it. The sound of battle echoed in her ears. The sound of Cloud's agonizing cried burned. She did not care what happened to her or whether or not if Cloud loved her anymore. She told herself that every time. This was her fault, her mess. All she wanted to do was to save him and she begged the heavens to do so.

"Please!" she begged. "Please help Cloud!"

There could have been other possible way for Aerith to pray any harder. At that moment, she would have given her own life to save Cloud. Yet, when the materia nestled against her chest began to glow brighter than any materia she had ever seen, she knew her prayers were answered. The light erupted and surged through the air like waves of water swirling their way to Cloud.

Now the wolf prince was lying on the ground, bloody and beaten to an inch of his life. Sephiroth readied for a finishing blow but when the light for the white materia enveloped the prince, Sephiroth's arrogant attitude faltered and showed fear. When the light was gone, Cloud stood revitalized by the light. His wounds closed up and his strength returned. When the light died, Aerith stared dumbfounded as she saw Cloud now soaring through the air invincible to Sephiroth's dark aura. His large buster sword, cut through the dark lord five consecutive times before he hit him one final time with all his power behind the last attack.

Sephiroth's body plummeted to the ground. Cloud landed near him. Carrying the sword in his hand, he slowly approached Sephiroth. The prince hovered over the lord. Sephiorth's jade green eyes looked at the prince. He sucked in a labored breath but coughed out blood before his eyes rolled back.

The prince stared as the Lord of Jenova stopped moving. He let out a breath he did not realize he was holding. Relief washed over him. His tormentor was gone.

"CLOUD!"

The prince turned his head to see his servants running out of the palace. All of them surrounded their prince, worrying for his well-being.

"Are you hurt?" Tifa asked.

"You defeated Sephiroth!" Yuffie said, astonished.

Zack patted his back, "We're free!"

Cloud smiled but then asked, "What of Yazoo and Loz?"

"They are incapacitated as the moment," Vincent replied. "We have them tied up to make sure they do not cause any trouble when they awaken."

"Do the same to Kadaj." Cloud ordered. Reno and Rude immediately followed their Prince's orders.

"We can finally go home now," Elena said.

"It would not have been possible if it were not for Princess Aerith and her friends," Tifa noted.

"Speaking of which," Elena said, "Where is she?"

The servants looked around them, half expecting the princess to be amongst them but she was not. Cloud's eyes flew to the castle tower where she had been. Yet, there was no sign of the princess. She was gone!

X, X, X,

Author Note- One more chapter to go.