Pure hearts

Ch.20

Resurrection

Cloud stiffened as he heard a loud "thud!" echo down the halls. Both he and Marlene ran down twisting, and turning hallways until they reached a crossway. Cloud signaled Marlene to go left as he ran toward the right direction. He stopped as he saw the end was blocked off by broken ruble and pipes, he turned feeling felt his heart stop as he heard Marlene scream as he tried to catch up with her. Cloud reached the end of a ledge in leading out into a large, dome shaped, medal room. He attached his swords together as he watched Marlene fight a huge, pale yellow wolf, its cavernous mouth showed rows of sharp teeth as it growled. He watched as its ears twitched back and forth with her movements. Its pale, empty eyes sizzled with the green light.

"It's blind… that means…" cloud's eyes widened as an idea struck his mind.

"Marlene!" cloud yelled as he positioned his blade on the edge of the medal ledge. "Marlene pushes it underneath me! I have an idea!"

"Well it's about time you showed up!" she shouted back as she evaded the huge claws from swiping her leg.

Marlene hit her staff on the creature's tender muzzle, it growled in anger as it snapped at Marlene. Marlene swiped the sharp end of her staff, cutting the soft under pads underneath its feet. The wolf yelped as it limped its way back from her, reluctantly it kept backing away until it's tail hit the wall, cloud screamed as he jumped down on top of the wolf, forcing his sword through its thick, bulky neck. The wolf howled in pain, it struggled to stand before falling to the ground.

An explosion of blue flame blew up behind Marlene; she quickly jumped out of the way of the flying debris. Gen went flying through the hole past her; he crashed into the next wall making a huge, deep dent. His black feathers were covered in blood; bleeding from small, punctured holes that were all over his wing. He groaned painfully as he slumped to the floor clutching his chest. Meryis painfully made her way over the debris; a deep gash had appeared on her upper, left leg. Her sword dragged behind her, her face was covered in rust and a fresh bruise on her left cheek. Sweat drenched her entire face as she breathed heavily. Her fingers twitched heard cloud pull his sword out of the dead corpse beneath him.

"You… you killed satishia!" she screamed as she charged at cloud. "Know you will die!"

Marlene lunged as she swung her staff on Meryis's injured leg; she got herself on her hands as she sprawled onto the floor. Her hand erupted in blur flame, she screamed in rage as she threw it towards Marlene. Marlene jumped to the side, but her foot got caught on some broken ruble sending her crashing to the ground. Her staff skidded in front of her, just barely out of her reach. Her heart froze as she watched Meryis run towards her, her sword raised high, his muscles tensed as she was about to strike.

"And now you will die!" she hissed as she lifted the blade higher. "You'll pay you little-"

Meryis stopped dead in her steps. She lowered her free hand letting her fingers gently, feel their way down a sharp, piece of ruble down into a fresh, open wound in her side. She felt the warm blood flow through her fingers as she pulled out the piece of ruble. She slowly, limped around to see in her mind that gen was standing right behind her. She gurgled as blood filled her throat.

"You… what did… you do? How can…" she stopped as blood filled her mouth and flowed out of her lips.

Her hands went limb as her sword fell to the ground. She hissed again as she fell onto her side, her eyes just stared blankly ahead as she lay limp on the ground. Marlene looked up at gen and cloud, they all smiled.

"See gen." Marlene laughed. "I knew you could-"

Gen's eyed widened; he saw a shadow move behind her.

"No!" he screamed as a long, silver blade tore through Marlene's abdomen. She groaned as she was slowly lifted off the floor, she slowly slid off as the blade went down; she fell onto the floor as blood started to drip from her lips. The hulking figure stepped into the light, his sword gleamed darkly as the green light flickered on his long, silver hair. Cloud's heart froze as he heard the ruffle of feathers. A low, deep, evil chuckle echoed in his throat as he spoke.

"Good to see you again, especially you… cloud."