*I don't own any of the Kingdom Hearts characters, Final Fantasy VII characters, Final Fantasy VIII characters, Final Fantasy XIII characters, Disney or Disney-Pixar characters, or Dream Works characters; I only own Katie and the Remaining members
*Render belongs to tsukuneXmoka
To the right, To the left
We will fight to the death!
To the edge of the earth
It's a brave new world
From the last to the first
Zoom!
The desert dust shot up to the darkening sky at the disturbance of a sonic boom. The rapid flapping of a wing echoed through the quiet desert air. The sky was turning red as the meteor came closer to the city. The senses were overloading, so much that it nearly made the shadow in the sky fall to the ground below. But with the shake of a head, it continued on. "I am…not letting you win!" An enraged voice yelled into the night. The moon's light shone on the shadow.
Katie growled at the sight of the meteor, the pain exploding in her skull for all the signals she was picking up and the annoying whispers of failure lurking about. She knew the voice; she knew the presence in her head. But that didn't stop her. She knew what his plan was…and she didn't like it one bit at all. Through the green and blue tinted illusions, she saw the future. And she rejected it, not wanting to know the "truth". She will prevent all she was shown, even if she could lead to her death. "Hang on, Render!"
Cloud's bike came to a stop in front of a large crater. He took off his protective goggles and said over his shoulder to Render, "We're here."
Render slid off of the bike. He glanced up at the towering crater and whistled. "Wow. I thought this thing was on the complete other side of the planet…not fifteen miles away from Midgar."
Cloud gave him a puzzled look. "What?"
Render shook his head. "Nothing, never mind…" he clenched his fits slowly. His teeth grinded against each other as painful memories flowed through his mind. It nearly became unbearable.
Cloud's hand landed on Render's shoulder, making Render jump. "Save it. For the fight…it'll make you more determined to win."
"Okay…" Render let out a long breath. He opened his eyes and said to Cloud, "I'm ready."
Cloud made a curt nod and he led Render up the steep crater. "He's down there…and I can feel that he's waiting for us. Don't fall for anything he says…he'll mess with your head. Don't let him get to you, got it?"
Render gripped onto the Buster Sword's handle. "Got it." He let go of the handle and got his Keyblades ready to be wielded. They got to the mouth lip of the crater. "Let's go."
Cloud wielded his Fusion Sword and slid down the crater, Render right behind him. The bottom of the pit glowed green and the land began to shake. The crater's ground shot up into the sky, taking Render and Cloud by surprise. Cloud grabbed Render by his wrist and stabbed his Fusion Sword into the arising column of dirt and rock, stopping their fall. He swung Render in his grip and tossed him up to the top of the still rising column. With the momentum still going, Cloud swung himself up onto the sword and jumped off of it, pulling it free as he did so and the sword attacking like a spring. He landed on his feet right after Render. "You alright?"
"I'm fine," Render assured. He watched the storm clouds swirl above their heads. He growled when a lone black feather floated in his face. He snatched it out of the air and crushed it in his palm. He yelled on the top of his lungs, "We know you're here! Show yourself and fight!"
Just then, a sharp ring filled his ears and his eyes snapped to the side. He wielded Dark Descent and Fenrir and blocked the incoming sword. It was so powerful, it pushed him back. It almost took him to the edge. Render's eyes narrowed bitterly when he recognized the sword: Masamune. He growled when he slowly made eye contact with the sword's wielder, "Sephiroth…" His growl deepened when the man just smirked evilly. Render pushed his sword off of him and charged towards the One-Winged Angel. He jumped high into the air and threw Dark Descent at him. Sephiroth dodged the Keyblade, making it clatter into the dirt. Render hissed in frustration and fired a Firaga spell. The blazing fireball zoomed towards him. A sliver line burst through the spell, cutting it in half and making it zoom past Sephiroth without causing any damage.
Cloud saw his opening. He rushed to Sephiroth and slashed his sword at his side. Sephiroth blocked without even looking. He pushed Cloud off of him and thrusted his sword forwards. Cloud jumped to the side, making the long sword miss. He swatted the sword down with his Fusion Sword, he pushed the button on the hilt and a smaller sword popped out of the Fusion Sword, taking away some of it's body with it. He snatched it backhanded and swung it diagonally at Sephiroth's arm. It when across the One-Winged Angel's arm like butter, making blood trickle into the dirt. He watched Render land back on his feet and pick up his Keyblade as he charged towards Sephiroth. Cloud felt his sword get parried off of Sephiroth's Masamune, making Cloud stagger away. Sephiroth blocked Render's attack just in time. Render growled and lifted Fenrir off of Sephiroth's block and sliced at his abdomen. He smirked when he felt his Keyblade go through skin. Sephiroth hissed in pain and pushed Render off of him with all of his strength. Render yelped when he got sent flying backwards and he groaned in pain at the hard landing on his spine. The Buster Sword strapped onto his back didn't exactly help in the fall, either. He gasped when Sephiroth suddenly appeared above him. Sephiroth smirked at him and sent his sword downwards, the tip aimed at Render's chest. The clank of swords rang right above his head. Cloud blocked Sephiroth's sword and pushed him away. He quickly held out his hand to Render. Render took it and Cloud hauled him up to his feet. Render groaned at the pain that ignited in his back and held it.
"You alright?" Cloud asked him. He returned his small blade back into the Fusion Sword.
"Yeah…I'm fine…" Render straightened up and returned to a defensive position. He casted a small Cure spell on himself, feeling relief in his back. He closely watched Sephiroth retain his balance. "You're not exactly putting up a fight…"
Sephiroth chuckled. "I noticed when we fought before…you were weak. I'm simply seeing if that is all that you've got…and I believe it is." He tapped the tip of his sword on the ground. "If it weren't for Cloud…you would have died. Does that sound familiar to you?"
Render flinched at the memory Sephiroth's words planted in his head. Cloud had saved him the same way before…right after Sephiroth killed his sister and went to kill him all those years ago. He screamed at Sephiroth, "Shut up! Shut up, you bastard! I am strong! I will avenge my family...even if I die by killing you!"
"Oh, you will die…" Sephiroth disappeared. Render blocked his sword with Fenrir at his reappearance. Sephiroth's face was inches away from Render's. "I'll make sure of that you die the same way your mother did…"
"Shut up!" Render screamed. He pushed Sephiroth off of him with great force. He charged at Sephiroth, Cloud right behind him. Fenrir disappeared. Render growled at this and took off the Buster Sword off of his back. He swung the Buster Sword at Sephiroth's right side, which easily got blocked. Cloud came from the left and slashed the Fusion Sword at Sephiroth's wing. Sephiroth quickly moved Masamune to block Cloud's attack. Render slashed the Buster Sword at Sephiroth's arm, the blades edge came down hard on the dark angel's skin. This had Sephiroth hiss in pain and lash out at him. Cloud blocked Sephiroth's attack. Sephiroth parried the block and thrust his sword forward. "Cloud!" Render ran in front of the sword and pushed Cloud out of the way. He screamed in pain.
"Render!"
Sephiroth's bloody sword was going through Render's lower abdomen. He slowly lifted Render off of the ground. Render gripped onto the sword, trying to pull it out of him but failed because of the pain. He could feel the sword go father up through his body at the lift, making him bleed excessively. Sephiroth tossed Render high into the air and flew after him. Render barely had the time to react when Sephiroth's sword sliced his cheek open and smacked him back down to the ground below with great force. Render's body slammed into the dirt, knocking the wind right out of him and making him sink into the solid dirt about an inch.
Cloud rushed to Render's side and helped him sit up. "Can you heal it?"
Render shook his head slowly. "N-No…I can't…" all he could feel was pain.
Cloud stumbled through his pockets until he found a green orb, a Materia. He shoved into his wrist and casted a Curaga spell on Render. It hardly helped. It only sealed the wound in his abdomen but the pain wouldn't go away. He could barely move. Cloud's head snapped back up when he heard the flap of a wing. Sephiroth was rocketing towards them. Cloud stood up quickly and blocked the attack. He groaned at the pressure that was coming down on his arms. He couldn't parry Sephiroth's sword, he couldn't push him away, all he could do was keep the kanata away from himself and Render. And he was losing. He was slowly pushed down to his knees. Cloud's arms started to shake at the strain on his muscles.
Render knew Cloud wouldn't be able to block Sephiroth's attack for much longer. With great effort, Render shakily raised his Keyblade and aimed it at Sephiroth. "Fire…" a fireball exploded from its tip. Sephiroth gasped in surprise at the fireball. He flew away from it, taking his sword off of Cloud. Cloud collapsed to the ground, his body giving in from the strain. Cloud got up shakily to his knees. Render glanced over him. "Did it hit you?" Render wheezed.
Cloud shook his head. "No, it didn't. Thanks…"
Render made a hardly noticeable nod. "You're…welcome."
Cloud grunted as he got up to his feet. He could barely stand. He held up his Fusion Sword and stood protectively over Render. He growled at Sephiroth, "Stay away from him…"
"You look tired, Cloud…" Sephiroth slowly came closer to them. Cloud suddenly gasped sharply and dropped his sword, clasping his hands on his head.
"Cloud?" Render voice sounded scared.
"Maybe you should stop fighting and let me take care of the little brat for you." Sephiroth said to Cloud.
Cloud shook his head and tried to straighten back up. At eye contact with Sephiroth, he made another pain-filled cry and crashed down to his knees. "St-stop…make it stop…!" his face was twisted in agony.
Render's eyes widened at the familiarity of Cloud's pain and words.
"Stop…"Katie's words of agony echoed in Render's mind. "Make it stop…!"
'His Cells. Sephiroth's controlling them.' Render reached up to Cloud with all of his strength and gripped onto his arm. "Cloud, fight it…fight it! Sephiroth is doing this to you!" he saw Sephiroth get closer and closer. Render still couldn't move very well. He continued to urge Cloud, "Come on…block him out! Remember what you said to me before we got here? He'll mess with your head. Don't let him get to you, Cloud! He's trying to make you not fight and protect yourself!" His words didn't seem to work. Sephiroth raised his Masamune. He was almost to them. "Cloud, please…! Fight back!" His heart raced when Sephiroth's shadow loomed over them. It stopped when he saw him raise his sword high. Render closed his eyes and feared for the worst.
A high-pitched roar filled the air. Render's eyes snapped back open when he heard a boom erupt above them. A large gust of wind followed it. He hesitantly looked up and what he saw astonished him. It was the χ-blade. He followed the blade up to his wielder and his jaw dropped.
Katie glared at Sephiroth. "Stay away from my boys…Brother…" she pushed Sephiroth away. She waved her hand over Cloud and Render. Render's pain went away and his wounds fully healed like they were never there. Cloud stopped his screaming and his shaking stopped. "Sorry I'm late…looks like I'm needed…badly."
NNNNNNGGGHH...! I AM SO EXCITED TO WRITE THE NEXT CHAPTER, YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW! xD Anywho...guess what? In about a month, the Light of a Darkened Heart series turns TWO YEARS old! That's nuts! O3O And for that...I may give you guys a preview of the next installment of the series! I...still have no idea what to call it...DX It's most likely gonna be "Light of the a Darkened Heart: The Next Generation"...but it sounds stupid. DX
Also, the story of the Buster Sword...it was previously owned by Cloud's best friend (Zack Fair)'s mentor, Angeal Hewly, and when he died, he gave it to Zack, entrusting him with the family heir loom that symbolized the family's honor and dreams. And when Zack died protecting Cloud, he gave it to him. He said to Cloud that "he is his living legacy, proof of his life" It is like a memorial to Zack, Cloud's greatest friend. So it means a lot to Render that Cloud entrusts him with the sword. So...hope that clears things up. ^-^
