Claire walked around the chair seeing something her eyes would never be ready to see. A small dagger stuck out of the young leader's chest, pouring crimson liquid down his pristine white shirt.
"Hope!" Claire shouted as she placed her fingers on his neck. "There's a pulse!"
"Medic to Hope's office, now!" Rufus roared down his phone.
The pinkette looked up at Cloud and shook her head, knowing that his chances were slim to none. Acting quickly, the blonde dove his hand into his pocket and searched for a cure materia with no avail. Within two minutes a team of paramedics burst through the door, pushing Claire back, away from their leader and threw him on a stretcher before racing back out of the room. The bright strip lights on the ceiling flew by Hope's rolling eyes as he slipped in and out of consciousness.
"I can save you Hope..." He heard a voice whisper in his head. "All you have to do is join me..."
"I'd rather die..."
"You think me evil, boy? But all I wish is to look over my creation..."
"We aren't you're creation.."
"But this world is.. And now that I am reborn I can destroy it in an instant.. But it doesn't have to be that way Hope.. You can put an end to this senseless war.. I can give you what your heart desires.."
"You can't see into our hearts Bhunivelze."
"I don't need to see into your soul to see your love for the demon.. Help me destroy the man she lusts over.. and I will spare her.. The man who took her from you... The man who is taking land from you... The man who seeks your empire..."
"What would I have to do?.."
"Get Cloud away from Claire so I can finish him.. It's the only way to save Claire.."
"Okay..."
Cloud and Claire paced outside of the operating theater worried for their leader while Rufus tried to contain the event to stop the population panicking. After an agonizing three hours, the theater doors opened and the head surgeon walked out, instantly drawing the pinkette over.
"It's still early.. But it's looking good.." The surgeon said as he removed his blood stained gloves.
"Thank you." She said, collapsing on the nearest chair in sheer relief. "This needs to end.. We're loosing everything.. We need to fight them head on.."
"Not until we know what we're up against. Get some rest.." Cloud said.
(Three weeks later)
Three weeks after the attack, Hope sat in his office thinking about the voice in his head as he lay dying. Had he made a deal with the devil out of his own greed or was he to sacrifice one man for the good of the world. The young leader racked his brain, trying to answer the question. All he knew was If Cloud had to die to save Claire then he would throw him to the lions himself.
"Cloud, It's Hope. I think I've located Muninn.. yes... yes... Cids waiting for you at the edge of town.. Not to far from Yuffie... Okay, bye..." Hope said down the phone to the blonde.
"I'm going to stop Muninn." Cloud told Claire, who was sat down on her sofa with Duke. "Hope thinks he's found her."
"Great! I'll come with-" Claire began.
"I'm going on my own." Cloud corrected her. "Hope's orders." He said, waving his phone at her.
"Fine.." Claire moaned as she crossed her arms in annoyance. "Be careful." She added, kissing him on the cheek.
Cloud collected his things and said goodbye, not really wanting to leave Claire with the damage the loss of a baby and the powers of Muninn and Huginn had done to their relationship. While he knew her knife wielding outburst was fueled by the Disciple spy, deep down he knew she must have been thinking it to begin with. With a sigh, the blonde marched down the street to the edge of town where the Phoenix sat waiting with an impatient Cid stood at the bottom with his arms folded.
"Took ya damn time." He huffed, returning to his airship with Cloud in toe.
"I take it that you miss her?" Cloud asked, referring to Yuffie.
"Like hell!" Cid shot back, a little to quickly.
"You're fooling no one.." The blonde smiled.
"Yeah yeah.. Anyway forget the brat.. Whats this I hear about Lightning storming into the bar with a knife?" The pilot asked with a grin.
"It's a long story..."
"I'll slow down." Cid laughed. "Did she really think you and Tifa were doing it in a store room?"
"Apparently so.. It was down to Muninn though.."
"You almost sound convinced.. Listen kid, It's not all happiness and rainbows.. It'll get better though. Even with your bad luck.." Cid said finally.
After a few hours, Cid parked the airship on the outskirts of a large town that was much larger than Wutai. They both departed from the ship to be met by Yuffie and two steel clad warriors who approached from town with an authoritative march until they neared and the young ninja broke into a childlike sprint.
"Cloud!" Yuffie shouted as she wrapped her arms around the blonde. "I heard what happened, I'm so sorry.."
"Looks like you've been busy." Cloud said, looking back to the large town, not wanting to talk about the past few weeks.
"Yeah, the town is coming along nicely, we're self sustainable now and for once we have the money to do what we need. Communications aren't up yet but they should be soon." She explained. "So... Why are you here?"
"I'm hunting a Disciple called Muninn. Hope told me she was seen here." The blonde told her.
"We've had patrols everywhere, scouting the land for other settlement locations. We've not seen a soul." Yuffie told him.
"If it's alright with you, I'd like to lo-" Cloud stopped mid sentence at the sound of a high pitched drone and turned to Cid.
"Airstrike!" Cid barked. "Take cover!"
The two armoured soldiers pushed their young leader to the ground and knelt over her to protect her from the blast that decimated the town behind them. Flames erupted from the destroyed town as a mushroom cloud of thick black smoke ascended into the sky. Everyone ran to the town but Cid, who raced to his airship as fast as his legs would allow and began to fire up the engines. The control panel flashed and beeped erratically as the ships sensors picked up incoming missiles to which the pilot ran over to the materia powered shield generator and began to power it up.
"Come on!" Cid barked at the system booted up, slowly bringing the shields online.
Cloud sprinted past Yuffie just as two missiles burst from the mushroom cloud right in front of the jet that fired it. The missiles passed over head, straight for the Phoenix which had only just lifted off the ground. The first bomb hit the shield, exploding so violently that it shook the ground below but the second hit the left engine, dropping the aircraft out of the sky with a crunch. Luckily for Cid the damage to his prized possession was minimal.
"He's coming back around!" Yuffie shouted.
The mako eyed man stopped running and turned to the plane as he gripped the sword that was still on his back with both hands. A blue, fiery aura engulfed the blonde as she brought his sword over his shoulder in a slashing motion, sending a beam of blue light at the fighter jet, ripping it's right wing off. Spiraling out of control, the jet headed straight towards them but Cloud stood his ground, even after the jet crashed and shrapnel darted towards them, missing him by inches.
"You okay?" Cloud asked, looking at Yuffie from the billowing smoke.
"All good!" She coughed. "Is it over?"
"It has only just begun..." A deep voice spoke from behind the smoke.
Cloud turned on his heels to find a man in ornate, gold plate armour, white hood and a purple cape, standing on his own with his right hand open and held to his side.
"Who are you?" The blonde asked with a cautious glance. "What do you want?"
"My name is Michael and I am here to slay a demon.." He replied, flexing his fingers before clenching his fist tightly and summoning a sword made from light.
"You destroyed my town!" Yuffie screamed as she charged at the man with her shuriken.
"Yuffie!" Cloud shouted as he ran after her.
The young ninja charged at the armoured man, throwing her giant shuriken at him with immense force, only for it to be swatted out of the sky by Michael's sword. Now unarmed, Yuffie continued to advance on her enemy, swiping her hand up into the air; launching the earth the man stood on high into the air with the power of her materia. The armoured Disciple leaped from the earthy stalagmites that Yuffie pulled from the earth and raised his shining sword over his head as he fell down on her.
Yuffie dove out of the way just in time but stumbled backwards as another slash came her way. Cloud shoulder barged the armoured man away from his friend and went on the offensive with his blade, slashing at the Disciple's head with anger filled swings. Michael kicked the blonde in the chest, pushing his back as he knocked Yuffie unconscious with the back of his hand. The Disciple smiled wickedly but his smugness was short lived when something sharp pierced his back plate and stabbed into his flesh.
"That's my god damn ship you idiots destroyed!" Cid barked as he pulled the spear from the man's back.
"You dare attack me, mortal?" Micheal asked the pilot.
"Mortal? You ain't no different from me.." Cid replied.
"Is that so?.." The Disciple laughed as a blinding light radiated from him, blinding everyone temporarily.
"Cid! Get Yuffie and get out of here!" Cloud ordered as the light faded and his mako eyes spotted the wings on the Disciple's back.
"What about you?!" Cid asked, scooping Yuffie up and throwing her over his shoulder.
"I'll stop him! Do you think you can get the Phoenix running?" Cloud asked as he dueled with the Disciple.
"Yeah I think so!" Cid replied.
"Get it going!" He shouted, ducking under the winged Disciple's sword. "I want you to level this place.!"
"What!?"
"Just do it!" Cloud roared, separating one of his shorted swords and holding it backhand to block Michael's blade.
Cid raced over to the downed airship and climbed aboard dropping the still unconscious ninja unceremoniously in the middle of the bridge. The pilot ripped the covers off the circuit boards and yanked out wires, rerouting them until the controls lit up and the engines coughed and spluttered into life. With the Phoenix now capable of flight, Cid increased the power until it lifted off the ground and began to set up the targeting system, getting a lock on the winged Disciple in seconds.
"Come on kid... Get out of the way..." The pilot mumbled as his finger hovered over the fire button.
"Urrghh... My head..." Yuffie moaned as she sat up.
"You're welcome." Cid muttered.
"Where's Cloud?"
"Down there..." The pilot pointed. "He wants me to fire everything I've got..."
"You'll kill them both!" Yuffie shouted.
"Hence why I haven't fired!. He needs to get out of the way..."
Cloud ducked under the Disciple's sword but was brought back up by a metal gauntlet, smashing him under the chin with a powerful uppercut. The blonde staggered back before throwing his short sword at the Disciple, piercing his breastplate and knocking him to the ground. Cloud waved his arms desperately to get Cid's attention as he sprinted away from the downed man, quickly realizing his success when a barrage of missiles left the airship towards their enemy. His mako eyes remained fixated over his shoulder at the stationary man as he ran until the winged Disciple disappeared in a flash. Cloud turn his head back to where he was running but it was too late. He felt his own blade pierce his abdomen and two arms and wings wrap around him, anchoring him to the spot.
"You'll die too!" Cloud shouted in the man's ear.
"Bhunivelze will spare me..." Michael whispered as the missiles relocated their target and exploded on impact.
"Cloud!" Cid and Yuffie screamed.
The dust settled, leaving behind a crater worthy of meteor and nothing else. Yuffie leaped out of the airship and set off like a rocket towards the crater to search for the blonde, followed closely by Cid who struggled to keep up with the youthful Wutaian. Not slowing down as she reached the crater, Yuffie stumbled down the steep recess in the earth, only stopping when she reached the center.
"I don't see him!" Yuffie shouted to Cid who was on the edge of the crater. "I don't s-" She stopped, noticing something shining in the ground.
Digging around it, the young ninja finally realized what it was. The handle to a sword; Cloud's sword. Her small hands wrapped around it, letting go instantly when the red hot metal burned her palms and she was left sat in the middle of the blast, clutching her hand as Cid finally made his way to the middle.
"He's gone..." Yuffie sobbed.
Cid said nothing, as he mentally blamed himself for listening to the blonde, and sat next to the young ninja who was trying to process what had just happened. Then, after a few minutes, they both turned to each other with the same heart wrenching thought.
"Lightning..."
A/N: Sorry this took so long. I changed the chapter about 6 times until I finally settled on what I wanted to happen. Fight was intentionally short but theres a lot more to come as well as some more drama. I've started another ff7/13 crossover that will be more true to the actual games called a stormy reunion but I thought I'd have a go at POV and I think i've failed spectacularly. Should I do the next chapter of it 'normal' (like this one) and leave the first or change the first chapter as well?
Quiz answer: lyrics to the theme song from xenogears is what he mumbles when you talk to cloud when he's in mideel.
Quiz question: in the weapon shop in mideel there is a door at the back of the room. What's so special about it?