AUTHOR'S NOTE: I don't own anything I shouldn't own from Bayonetta or Final Fantasy 7
or even Devil May Cry
A Piece of History
"First thing first, Darling; where the bloody hell are we?" Bayonetta began to guide the pair towards the only opening that led towards the mountains in the distance. "We need to figure out where we are if we want to get some transport, let alone Isla Del Sol. I don't recognise this place at all."
"I've already said that I have no idea where we are." Sephiroth replied, annoyed. Her face blanked out for a second, then her eyes rolled.
"Right. You did ask me first." Her vision turned to the pathway, analyzing the ruins that lay in the distance. "Let's start with 'The Hunt for the Clue' over there. That looks good enough to me"
"Try what, a better vantage point? You're only going to see more mountains or brown." He shook his head.
She laughed at his, well, attempt at a joke but continued to investigate. Letting him go, she approached some pillars on the left. They were blank, as she expected, and offered no clues for her. Not even a small mark to show her that they were on the right track.
Bloody hell.
"Bayonetta? There's something here." Sephiroth called to her, and she turned to investigate the right side of the platform. Taking several long strides over, she placed a hand on her hip and 'investigated'.
And there was something there. Sitting on the central pillar was a mixture of runes and symbols, all of which she instinctively recognised as;
"'The Umbran Training Grounds. Welcome, initiate, to the beginning of your journey towards the dark arts.'" She translated to Sephiroth, then frowned at herself. "How the fuck do I know that?"
"Probably because you are an Umbra itch; it is your language after all." He logically deduced. "Any other helpful information you can translate?"
"This is the beginning of the Umbran mountains." Bayonetta turned to him and gestured to the path ahead. "So, we are at least on the right track."
"I could have told you that. Hell, you could have told you that." Sephiroth scratched his head. "Although, the 'Umbran Training Grounds' as a place does sound interesting. Is it familiar to you?"
"The hell if I know." She lied smoothly. "At least this part of the Training grounds isn't familiar to me."
He nodded, seemingly convinced. He jerked his head in the direction of the path, his wing lightly flexing. "Isn't it a two or three day walk between here and the Vigrid Airbase?"
Bayonetta gave him an exasperated look and then added sarcastically; "It's why I wanted to get some fucking transport to do all of this. These legs are made for walking, but that's just a little too much."
"Well, it's wasted time if we don't start now." Sephiroth gestured to the path. "Ladies first."
"You really are that chivalrous. Or do you just want a better view?" She flirted, sending him a wink. "My, my..."
He blushed and turned away as she walked past him. Taking a few steps, she glanced back at him.
"Well, come on! We certainly don't have until Christmas to get this done."
…
It turned out that progress was slow. Much slower than either of them liked.
Angels had apparently infested this place, and they were quickly becoming an obnoxious hindrance to the two. Being the only one with any sort of weapon, Bayonetta had taken centre stage with Madama Butterfly, slaughtering Angels left and right. Sephiroth played the role of support, keeping the foes off her back and healing her if she got hit.
Except she never got hit, so most of the time he just stood there.
Before the end of the day, as the sun was setting beneath the hills in the background, they had only made two short kilometres of progress.
…
"You know what, darling?" Bayonetta spun around, an Affinity in her grip. She slammed it down onto his outstretched fist, impaling and killing it instantly. "These Angels are being rather rude to us."
Throwing the corpse away, he shrugged. Green energy surrounded his hands, and he began rubbing them together softly. "These are the former holy sites of the Umbra clan. Either something will be drawing them here, or they are trying to catch any stragglers here by setting a trap."
"Are you saying we could find something of great importance?" Her eyes brightened. "Like a lost Umbran treasure? Ever since those mortals made that Lara Croft game I've always wanted to be a treasure hunter." She struck a pose as she finished, the setting sun in the background giving her silhouette a perfect backdrop.
He frowned at her and turned to watch the last of the sun dip below the horizon. "Just call it a hunch."
"You're no fun." She abandoned her pose and walked up next to him. "Do you want to call it a night?"
"This place is probably a death trap at night, even with our heightened abilities." He looked up at the sky, then back to her. "And it's about to rain. Honestly, yes. I'm more than ready."
"Really? That is a comforting thought" She turned to the sky as a drop fell onto her face, splashing onto her glasses. Shuddering, she quickly wiped it off and looked to her left. "Well, there is shelter ahead."
Walking over to the entrance to an underground catacomb, Bayonetta paused at the entrance.
"I... recognise this place."
Turning back to her, Sephiroth gave her a quizzical look. "This place in particular?"
Her eyes glanced over the stone architecture, taking it all in. Something in the back of her mind was nagging at her, telling her this place was important, it was necessary, and yet her memories wouldn't provide her with the luxury of knowledge.
"Mummy! No!"
A hand reflexively reached to her temple, and she closed her eyes. Her head was throbbing, and she almost collapsed. A hand gripped her shoulder, and she reflexively shrugged it off.
"Bayonetta?"
"It's… it is nothing." Her eyes opened up, bottling every emotion within. Her hand came down from her forehead, now reaching out at the entrance. She hesitated and looked at the platform behind them, her eyes glued to the centre of the area. "Something happened here."
"In this particular place?" He gestured to the tunnel in front of him. "You're, uhh, not making a lot of sense right now."
"No, but yes…" She moved towards the opening and made to step into the tunnel. A magical barrier appeared as she did, blocking her progress. Latin and Enochulan scriptures slid down it, barring her entry.
"What a fucking turnoff." She slammed her fist against the barrier. It shuddered and a small blast of white light shot back out at her, of which she dodged with ease. Sephiroth frowned, turning to watch the projectile slam into a cliff face a considerable distance away. A small explosion rocked them both slightly, and a section of the mountain slid off. "Can't you go ahead and get it off, so I don't have to try to?"
"My magic...hell, I don't know if I can dispel barriers, let alone create them." He answered, letting his hand spark against the barrier, flinching at the pain that shot through his fingers. Pulling his hand back, he rubbed the back of his palm, gritting his teeth. "Whatever is in there, it will stay in there."
"Hmph." She replied, ruffled by the turn of events. "It looks like we will be spending a night in the rain."
"It's just water." He smiled as he teased her. "Nothing I haven't dealt with before."
Bayonetta gave him a look of mock horror, but then grew serious.
"Me and rain do not mix. In general, water and I do not mix." She turned to the open space ahead of them. "There's got to be some shelter here, somewhere. There has to be."
…
They did find shelter, if you could call it that.
They had gone for about five minutes in the pouring rain before Bayonetta made the call to stop and find something. Just like at that strange tunnel beforehand, any entrance was barred off by barriers, causing more than just frustration to roil out of her. Sephiroth had been knocked unconscious when he suggested for her to just deal with it.
She had reflected, as much as he had deserved it, it wasn't worth it. So she dragged him to the closest thing to shelter and waited for him to wake up.
They were gathered under a small alcove, both trying to huddle as deep as they could into the wall. The simple fact was that it wasn't anywhere close to being concave enough for one of them, had them both try to find something, literally anything else, for shelter. It unfortunately was the best option when everything else was worse and a glorified ledge.
Sephiroth was silent and staunch against the weather. Once he had awoken and told her he was used to far worse conditions than this, he looked content with just waiting out the night and the storm. Bayonetta, by comparison, looked like a drenched cat. Her posture and demure screamed miserable, and she didn't look like she was enjoying life one bit.
"At least you get to just dry off your clothes with magic and the wind." She bitterly said, staring daggers at him. "Magical hair clothes, as convenient as they are, do not dry well. Or at all. Or ever!"
He was staring at her with a strange look on his face. "Are you sure you're going to be okay?"
She gave him a sour look. "I'll live, if that is what you mean..."
She watched as he seemed to internally debate with himself for a few minutes, then came to a decision. His wing spread out, feathers flaring to cover her. He turned until he was sitting with his back to the rain, and a small flame appeared in his palm.
"Are you going to set me on fire?" She gave out a short bark of laughter. "What a way to fix the problem, darling."
Ignoring her, he gently took her hand and pushed the flame into her. She straightened up instantly as the spell rushed through her body, drying her instantly and warming her up. On the other hand, he turned pale and began to shiver. His body huddled into itself, his wing still staying up and protective of the rain.
Eyes wide, she realised that he was literally sacrificing his own body heat and exposing himself properly to the cold and rain for her.
This was the same person who didn't give a shit about humanity. Her brain tried to make an explanation for it, but all it did was draw up blanks.
'Perhaps he wants to make amends.'
Well, if he wanted to make amends, the best start is keeping her dry and warm while in the weather.
"What spell is that?" She asked, relaxing back onto the cliff. "I've never seen magic applied like that before."
"I think I'm going to call it warmth." His reply was jovial despite his chattering teeth, and she laughed. "Simple and to the point, isn't it?"
…
The second day was no better than the first. Even though progress remained slow, the rain clouds had disappeared, leaving the weather (to Bayonetta's delight) to become sunnier.
…
"May I ask you a question?" Bayonetta asked as Sephiroth sat on the ground, eyes distant. Looking across to the witch, who was sprawled on a rock like she was modelling some article of clothing, he shrugged and inclined his head for her to continue. He returned his attention to his hands, pulling one finger back into alignment.
"What happened to you?" He froze for a second, then continued to breathe, eyes unfocussed. He stayed silent for a while, clearly thinking over the question. A seed of doubt began to spring up within her, and she felt the envelope had been pushed too far this time.
"If you would rather not answer, you don't need to. It is none of my business." She arched her eyebrow, stretching out with her body. The sun appeared from behind the clouds, and her clothing retracted to allow her body to absorb the heat. "But I think I need to know the history of you if I want to understand your whole deal with the Ithavoll group."
"It's fine, I'll answer." He turned to her, annoyed. "It's just- Is that really necessary?"
"Yes." She didn't even have to look to know that he was flustered again. "You know, pure sunlight is very healthy for the skin of the witch."
"...That's the biggest piece of bullshit you've ever said."
"Fine, you got me. I'm merely getting some energy, as they say." Her fingers weaved through the air, and a symbol appeared above her chest. "It saves me needing to find something edible in this five star hotel."
He sighed. "Yes, but is all of that necessary?"
"Do you not like the view or something? You know, some men would kill for a view like this." She finally turned to him, faking hurt. "Am I not pretty enough for you?"
Slowly, he dragged his head back around to look at her eyes. And only her eyes. "I choose not to answer that."
Their staring contest continued until she stretched again and he quickly averted his eyes. Pumping a fist in victory, she stared up at the sun. "As you were saying about your past?"
"Right." He took in a deep breath, then exhaled. "I just don't know where to begin. I barely know enough as it is, and you probably can fill in the blanks from what you already know."
"Conversations are a two way street, darling." She rolled her eyes. Picking out a cloud, she began to imagine it as a witch, a tall figure encased in black. "You are supposed to engage with my questions and queries, not brush them off."
He sighed. Just as she was about to continue her point, his voice started.
"I don't know what happened, because I don't remember." He began. "My first memory is one of extreme pain, with Jeanne's hands on my head. From there it became a series of experiments, tests and then it all became glorified torture as I managed to live through it all."
"What did they do?" She asked, tentatively. "You don't have to go into detail."
"Well, they injected Infernal and Lagunan blood and cells into me, that I know for certain. They might have even put souls into me." He winced as the memories returned. "That hurt, especially on the Laguna ones. My entire body tried to rip itself apart from the opposing forces, but it didn't. That's apparently where most of the previous experiments died, or so Jeanne told me."
"When I restabilised and became somewhat mobile, Jeanne made me fight her, under orders from the man in charge of it all, the Father. He is a Lumen Sage, the last survivor, as he proclaimed to me, several times over." He swallowed. "I nearly died, several times over, from this 'training'. The only reason I'm still alive was because my magical abilities ignited and allowed me to heal my body from almost death, which was also rather pain inducing."
His voice had petered out into a murmur, and his eyes had fixated on a point on the stone. Bayonetta turned and sat up, her uniform reweaving itself back onto her body. She didn't exactly know what to think about this new information.
"And throughout it all, there were the constant humans." He snarled. His eyes began to glow, and a stone in the background was lifted up from the ground. His body straightened up, and four more wings appeared in his shadow. "Humans who tested me on how durable I was, humans who stood there and laughed as my bodily functions failed over and over and over. Humans who stood there and let Jeanne rip off my wing because they wanted to watch me suffer. Humans who healed me back to full health because they wanted to run more tests, even though I would be better off dead. Humans who couldn't give a damn about the life of one when there was greed to be exploited!"
The stone shattered, the dust flying off into the wind. The glow faded, and he slouched, defeated. His shadow returned to normal, and there was no sign of the anger that had driven the boy before. "There were twenty years of ample opportunity to end the cycle. None of them took it."
"Rodin mentioned you had Umbran and Lumen cells." Bayonetta prompted, attempting to change the subject to something less… morbid. It worked, and he nodded in confirmation.
"He kept this woman in a tank, and I was ninety nine percent certain she was dead, and now from seeing her similarities to you, a former Umbran Witch." He looked her up and down, nodding to himself. "Upon realising I wasn't dead from the 'training', he began to put cells from her and himself into me, in order to strengthen and sharpen my powers, but all he ended up doing was weakening me physically as the Infernal and Laguna cells strove for dominance over me, as they recognised the cells of their various pacts. Eventually I became restable, and then it was back to the never-ending loop of fighting angels, Jeanne and more painful experiments to me for the better part of twenty years."
"That's something." She tilted her head. "Is there anything left of you in there?"
He considered the question for a moment. "High chance that there isn't. The only thing left of me is this," He gestured to his face. "But even then, I've noticed minute changes to it over the years. My hair wasn't normally this blonde, and my features weren't always so pale or angular."
"To recap, you are part Lumen, Umbran, Demon and Angel." She listed out on her fingers, and he nodded to all of them. She gestured to his back. "Where did the wing come from?"
"I grew this from the inhuman cells striving for dominance; they tried to change me to adapt to their needs." He looked in shame at his wing, which was currently hanging limply. "I used to have two, but they tore one off after I tried to escape by flying out of there."
She gave him a look of sympathy. "Does it hurt now? Your body, I mean, not your wing."
"Not as much as it used to." He looked back down at the ground. "It still makes everything mighty uncomfortable."
"You have had and are living one hell of a life." Bayonetta remarked. He laughed sarcastically.
"You could say that."
…
The third day was very much better. Moving deeper into the training grounds had found shelter in the form of a small town, but now the infestation of Angels had increased tenfold, causing the progression to almost grind to a halt.
Bayonetta did not mind that. Shelter, in her mind, was far more important than progress.
Sephiroth agreed, if only to placate her.
…
He had not heard that voice since they had begun their foray into the mountain trip, and honestly he was thinking that he imagined it all to begin with.
Bayonetta hadn't revealed whether she was telepathic or able to rewrite perception. He had tried to see whether that was part of her skill set, but her mental defenses were extremely robust and not something he wanted to spend days trying to knock down.
He assumed she couldn't. But if she had, then he was going to try very hard to kill her.
Putting aside those thoughts for a moment, he regarded his companion with a cursory glance as she strode past a locked door, her hand lingering on the door handle.
Sephiroth didn't understand why she thought humanity was worth saving. Sure, he agreed that there were a few bad apples in the bunch, so to speak, but he couldn't care less about them. They were mortals; they were made to expire and whether or not they died before that time wasn't his problem.
It certainly wasn't like he had personally killed all of the mortals in Vigrid. They were collateral damage; something that he couldn't really help against stopping.
His mind cast back to the one that called him a heartless freak, and the one that had accused her of murder. Chances are the mortal was already dead, and any answers to that question would be difficult to find.
The other half was still here, though.
"Who did you kill?" Sephiroth asked as he watched Bayonetta use a giant palm from her hair to sweep rubble out of a small room. Another small demonic hand appeared and slapped the back of his head, causing him to grunt in pain.
"That's a question you shouldn't be asking a lady." She turned back and smiled politely at him.
"You said we should know each other's pasts." He argued. "It's only fair that if I shared mine, that you would share yours. Your history with that man has me curious."
Her shoulders sagged and a huff of air escaped her. "Are you really going to make me?"
"You don't have to, but I would appreciate it." He folded his arms, trying to ignore the ringing in his ears.
After waiting a couple of minutes, all he got was silence from the cleaning witch. He was about to leave when she turned to him reluctantly. "Sephiroth, what I'm about to tell you may not even be the truth. I have no idea what happened on that day, and for all I know, Cheshire might be right."
"Cheshire? Oh, him." He nodded with understanding, then gestured for her to continue.
"When I awoke, I found myself at the bottom of a lake. I got out and up onto the bank, and then a man exploded behind me."
Sephiroth blinked. "His father?"
"Yes. I don't know why he died, but he did. He could've died from something else, he could've died to free me, he could've died to restore my powers." She shook her head. "I don't know."
Sephiroth looked pensive. "What do you truly think?"
"There's one thing you should learn about talking to a lady, darling." She smiled again. "Never ask too many personal questions on the first date."
A flash of a camera interrupted them both. They both instantly turned to the entranceway, equally surprised and unsurprised to see a man standing there, eyes darting around.
"Come on, I know you are in there!" His scarves billowing settled down as he stepped in, his eyes snapping to the camera screen. "No one else can just push giant rocks out of this door!"
"Did you know he was following us?" She asked, watching the man search the room with amusement.
"No." He answered, stepping out of the man's way reflexively. "I didn't think to be checking for this guy. Or at all."
"Rule number five; always expect the unexpected." She held out a foot, and the man went falling to the ground. He stared at her in astonishment, questions burning on his lips.
"That's a power I'll teach you later." She winked at him before any of them escaped. A portal was drawn in front of her, and moments later she had joined the man in his corporeal form.
"Falling for me already, Cheshire? I know I am aware of the effect I have on men, but this takes it to a whole new level."
The man seemed repulsed by her question. "Fall? As if I would fall for a murderer."
"You mortals have done stranger things. Now, why are you following me here, Cheshire? I believe the cat doesn't follow the rabbit, the girl does."
"Stop it! I'm trying to find proof of you!" Another flash of the camera, and this time he had seen it coming and wasn't blinded by the sudden influx of light. "I've spent twenty years being ridiculed by my own family, my friends, everyone, about the magic lady who killed my father. Well, guess what?" He held up his camera in triumph. "I have proof now. You, Bayonetta, exist!"
Sephiroth tore the camera out of his grip, and the small machine floated in front of him. He studied it for a second, then smashed it into the ground.
"Holy fuck!" The man screamed, now scrambling towards the exit. "What the- what the fuck was that?"
"That is why you should never take unsolicited pictures of a lady." Bayonetta shook her head. "You will always be caught every single time."
"Damn you, witch!" And with that the man had stood up, sprinting out of the building. A small sigh escaped her, and she stepped back into Purgatorio.
"Do you want me to kill him?" He asked, staring at the doorway.
"What the f- oh, for Sheba's sake, Sephiroth!" She was at him in an instant. Her eyes were alight, the grey turning into cold steel. "We protect the humans, not kill them! You've destroyed his property, humiliated him and scared him off for now. That's all you need to do!"
"If we don't solve the problem now, it will just reappear later." He ignored her, still staring at the door.
"The exact same logic can be used with you." Her hand dragged his chin across so her eyes met his. "But you are just a coward who runs from solving the one problem you have, and wants to murder those he can just solve with a little bit of fear."
Anger began to billow inside of him. "I am no coward!"
"Then why do you run!?" She pushed him away, eyes closed. Ten seconds later, she reopened them and regarded him coldly. "Only cowards run."
…
They hadn't spoken to each other since. He had left and found his own room, whereas Bayonetta had stayed in hers.
He did not understand why killing the problem wasn't the solution.
It was just one lousy mortal. There would be literally more replacements if she really needed one. But she had told him he couldn't just solve this problem, even though it was that; a problem.
When they had reconvened in the morning, it was obvious neither still wanted to talk. And so they didn't, opting to travel in silence towards the Umbran mountains. Two large statues had begun to dominate the landscape ahead of them, standing across from each other, gripped together at the forearm.
He didn't recognise their significance, and Bayonetta didn't give him a hint.
The trail opened up into another wide courtyard, this time with two pillars central. On top of these pillars stood a pair of statues, a pair of Angels held in each other's embrace.
That was strange. Why would Angelic statues be inside the Umbran lands?
His footsteps slowed to a crawl as he stared at the pair. Bayonetta marched forward, oblivious to his thoughts.
"Aren't you coming?" She called out, not bothering to look behind her. Or above her.
A finger twitched.
"Bayonetta!" He sprinted towards her, pushing her out of the way. Something slammed into his back, and he felt blood spray out of his stomach. And when he looked down, there was a fountain of it.
"How fucking dare you-" She started, turning around. Her eyes snapped to his stomach, where three fingers protruded from it. And then they snapped to the Angel they were attached to.
The Angel bellowed and he felt himself flying through the air. A wall slammed into his side, and he crumpled to the floor.
The sounds of battle reached his ears, but he did not acknowledge them. Instead, he tried to calm himself down.
This wouldn't be the first time he had had to fix a ruptured stomach. Closing his eyes, he began to feel energy coalescing into his palms. A sharp pain shot through him, and the energy faded. His eyes snapped open, and he glanced down.
Maybe putting his intestines back in would be a good start.
Reaching slowly to his wing, he ripped out a clump of feathers and stuffed them in his mouth, feeling the pain over take him momentarily. Biting down, he closed his eyes tightly and lifted the organ up with his mind.
He screamed in agony, feeling every inch slide back into him. Once it was all back in its proper spot, or thereabouts, his body relaxed slightly. Trying again, he began to recall the healing spell.
Nothing happened.
More pain shot through him, and he screamed into the feathers again. Now he was sweating, his body was shaking, and he was going to die, and he was going to fail his contract, and and and and
A green energy enveloped him, and the pain dulled, then disappeared. Opening his eyes, he felt a hand resting on his shoulders, and a pair of concerned eyes staring at him.
"You know, I stuff my turkey with breadcrumbs and spices, not feathers." Her shoulders loosened up, and a small smile grew on her face. "Seriously, feathers? You have a coat to bite into."
He spat the feathers out. "I'm used to it."
She stood up and held a hand out. "If that's the case, that's on you."
He accepted her hand and stood up, feeling a wave of nausea pass over him. Using her to steady himself, he rode it out. Patting his stomach, he was both surprised to find that it had been put back correctly and that Bayonetta's healing was well on par with his own.
"How did you know?" She asked, holding a hand out to keep him steady. "I didn't see anything until it was stuck in you."
Sephiroth looked up at the pillar, noting the claw marks that now marred the architecture. "Angels in the place where Angels are hunted? Doesn't seem right."
"Touche." Bayonetta put her hand down, then regarded him evenly. "I guess that makes up for our little spat, then?"
"I guess? I saved your life, and you saved mine." He frowned, as his brain finally made the connection. "Wait, how did you?"
A devious smile slipped onto her lips. Somehow, he expected the answer. "Magic."
Sephiroth rolled his eyes."Since when did you know magic?"
"Why wouldn't you want to know healing magic?" She shook her head. "It's literally the first thing they teach you."
Her eyes widened. "I remembered something!"
...
Bayonetta found Sephiroth standing in front of a wall, staring a hole into it. She glanced at the wall, then back at his eyes, then back at the wall.
"This looks interesting." Bayonetta dryly stated. "What is so interesting about this wall?"
"There is Enochulan engraved here." He pointed at the left side and Bayonetta could barely see the indents. "Can you translate it?"
"Possibly?" She looked over it for a minute, reading it. Her eyes narrowed, trying to make sense of the words.
When the Eyes meet, a titan awakens;
Held by children, blessed of mortals
Not of light
Not of dark
But the meeting of both, the union of life
To remake or destroy the universe asunder
Through the Creator or the Destroyer's whim.
Oh good. A prophecy. And this one was scrawled onto a wall, so a madman must have put it there. Interestingly, Butterfly hadn't said a word, and that was interesting.
Sephiroth was still staring at her, and she remembered she still had to answer his question.
"It is a prophecy, or so it thinks."
"A prophecy?" He raised an eyebrow at her. "A prophecy for what? And for who?"
"Something about the end of the world, or the creation of a new one." She shrugged. Turning away from the wall, she stared at a strange ornament of an iron wall. "It mentions a lot about two eyes of the world, and two children born of darkness and light."
"Born of light and dark?" He looked down at his hands. "Isn't that what I am?"
Her thoughts went to Fortitudo's parting words, and a hand rose to her chin. "I imagine that being born a child of light and dark means that literally, and you aren't. You became one."
"Hmm."
"And besides, prophecies are never real, especially ones scrawled onto the side of a wall, darling." She started to walk away, gesturing for him to follow. "I wouldn't spend more than a minute on it."
'Hold on.'
She stopped, rolling her eyes. Now what? Butterfly, nothing of importance happened.
'He can't read Enochulan. But he can speak it.'
…
The last battle they had fought wasn't exactly the prettiest they had won, but Sephiroth counted victory as a victory. Crossing his legs and taking a seat on the stone, he closed his eyes and let his magic begin to flow within him.
He felt a tap on his shoulder, and he looked up to see a pair of grey eyes piercing his.
"You need a weapon."
"What?" Sephiroth felt his healing trance fall apart as his attention went to the witch in front of him. Confused, he asked; "Why?"
"You aren't cut for the punching life." She explained callously. When he frowned and opened his mouth to speak, she held up one hand and continued. "You fight like a child, even with my advice. Every night, you must heal your hands because you broke them several times, and you are more of a liability than any form of help for me."
He squinted at her. He supposed four days of this stopping and starting would start grating on his nerves if he was still on the run, but he didn't really care.
However, free stuff is free stuff. That, he couldn't really say no to.
"What do you propose?"
…
"So, Sephiroth here wants a weapon?" Rodin placed the glass onto the counter, looking at the pair with a crooked smile. "Hmmm, I suppose I can spare an arm or two."
"I would certainly prefer it." Bayonetta crossed her arms. Stealing a glance at a familiar red coat, she continued. "And mortal toys are not going to be able to handle him."
Sephiroth looked at her in confusion, then back to Rodin. He shrugged at the bartender and gestured for him to continue. "I don't really have any clue where to start with any of this, so I'm just going to go with what she says."
"And he's in your hands now." She smirked, pushing him forward with a hand. "Teach him the ways of the almighty weaponing, or whatever the young ones call it these days."
"Huh!? Bayonetta, wait!" Sephiroth started, but she had already walked away. Ignoring some of the looks the patrons were giving her, she took a seat across from two silver-haired men. One looked up at her with a wry smile, and the other glanced away with a hint of red on his cheeks.
"Well, look who decided to show up here for once." She greeted, and the man in the red coat gave her a nod in acknowledgement. "Did your shop finally close up for good?"
"Nah. Money is slow, but we're still chugging along." The man shrugged. He motioned with a free hand to the person beside him, his other holding a slice of pizza. "Just introducing the kid here to the Gates."
Her eyes wandered over to the other man. And she used the term man here loosely; the boy had to be no more than sixteen years old. He too was dressed in a red coat, but unlike his companion it had black accents along the hems and pockets. His eyes had the same blue, his skin the same pale pallor and his hair was the same shade.
Intriguing. Very intriguing...
"Dante, who is she?" And their voices were similar too! The plot was surely beginning to thicken. "And how do you know her?"
"Kid, this is Bayonetta." Dante answered, spreading his arms out and leaning back into the couch. "She's an oldish friend- nah, she's more of a person of interest. A P.O.I."
"And who is the kid?" She asked, leaning forward slightly. Her eyes locked onto the younger one's, and he turned away again, another small blush on his cheeks. "You had a little one when I wasn't looking?"
Dante roared with laughter, doubling over and slamming his fist onto the table. "Oh jeez, I'm not that easy of a guy, am I?"
"Yes. Yes, you are." The kid said quietly. The man froze and glared at him. The kid glared back, inclining his head in a quizzical manner.
"Well, you do have a point there…" Dante scratched the back of his head, and then his eyes caught sight of the bar. "I'll tell you about mine if you tell me about yours."
You cheeky-
"Is this body made for babies?" She leaned back, her tone curt. "I wouldn't assume a ladies-"
"You didn't say no!" Dante pointed at her, a wide smile forming on his lips. The kid next to him sighed and buried his face in his hands. "You didn't deny nothing!"
"I- I was getting to that point!" She rushed out, flustered. Taking in a deep breath, she felt her nerves calm and her head cleared. Quickly running through a few scenarios in her head, she quickly decided that a partial truth was the best option.
Yes, Dante was a somewhat trustable man. He was also a formidable warrior, and someone who she could trust in a fight to both have her back and do his part.
Unlike someone else here.
Ignoring that thought, she also knew that Dante was a terrible influence and would give him a whole host of bad habits. No, he could not be allowed anywhere near her prize.
"I have no idea what he is." She lied smoothly. "He says one thing, the evidence points to the contrary, and nothing makes any sense."
"Ah." He glanced to his left. "You might want to go and restrain him from attacking Rodin or something."
"WHAT?!"
...
"Huh?!" Sephiroth reached out, but the witch was either too quick or he was way too slow. "Bayonetta, wait!"
"Why do you need her?" The bartender asked, and he turned back, panic in his eyes.
"She knows what she's doing. I don't." He pointed to himself. "She would have a better opinion on what would suit me-"
"I can do that too." Rodin smirked, grabbing a glass and drying it. "And besides, I have the eye for this sort of thing. She pretends that she does."
That was something. "Oh…"
The glass was placed down, and the bartender gestured to the wall behind him.
"Well, I have a massive backlog of my babies, if you want to have a look." A beep sounded, and the bar split aside to reveal a weapons rack. Whips, guns, missile launchers and swords of all shapes and sizes adorned it. "All of them can slay anything, from Demons to Angels and whatever is in between."
Sephiroth hesitated. He looked across the weaponry available, he could sense the power and potential behind each one, but nothing was connecting to him. He couldn't see himself wielding dual rocket launchers, nor launching a whip at someone. It just didn't compute.
And that was strange. They were weapons. How hard can the process of choosing a weapon be?
"Feel free to test some of these babies out. Some have been thirsting for action for more than a millennium." Rodin smiled. He twirled a wrist, then crossed his arms. "I'll let you try as many as you want before you purchase."
"Is this all?" Sephiroth asked the owner. "Nothing here really speaks to me."
Rodin visibly hesitated. "There is, but-"
"What is it?" He pressed on. "Something tells me none of them will suit me."
The man appraised him for a second, and the weight of the gaze made him shrink back. "I see…"
"There is one weapon that is not for show, or for sale." He said slowly. Rodin uncrossed his arms and leaned forward. "It was made using an injured Infernal that was wandering around Inferno aimlessly. It hungers for souls, trying to find the one it lost."
IT'S MINE IT'S MINE CLAIM IT!
This new voice burst out in a flash of anger and pain, and a hand shot up to his temple. "What's wrong with it? There's obviously a catch."
Rodin stared at him. "Every time someone tries to wield it, it devours their soul and leaves the buyer as a vegetative husk. Obviously, I can't sell anything that does that, so it has remained in storage for now, and probably forever."
Sephiroth's body jerked up, and something inside of him changed. Staring intensely at Rodin, he felt as if he did not have control. But at the same time, he knew exactly what he was doing. And when he opened his mouth, something else was talking.
"Show me."
"Look buddy, I just told you-"
"Show me." His hand shot out and grabbed the man's collar and dragged him forward. "SHOW ME THIS WEAPON YOU HAVE DESCRIBED!"
The room went silent. Sephiroth had become aware that everyone was looking towards him, that everyone's thoughts were on him. It didn't matter.
"I will give you three seconds to let go of me kid, or you will regret it." Rodin spoke slowly and quietly,
A gloved hand appeared on his wrist. He didn't have to glance over to know who it belonged to. "Sephiroth, let him go."
"HE HAS SOMETHING THAT BELONGS TO ME!" He snapped to her, not acknowledging her presence.
"Woah kid, cut the old geezer some slack." A hand slapped his back, and he turned his head to see a grinning face. "Just see what he has before making assumptions."
A guttural sound erupted from his throat, and all of a sudden he was back in the driver's seat, so to say. Sephiroth went pale and his hand opened immediately, and Rodin stood back upright.
"Never act so disrespectful again." The bartender snarled, both to him and the mystery man behind him. "If your soul goes into the sword, I don't care. Consequences be consequences, and they be damned." Rodin walked behind the newly revealed wall and disappeared. Bayonetta grabbed his shoulder and spun him around, her eyes ablaze.
"What the fuck was that all about?" She hissed. "You just can't go around intimidating Rodin, of all fucking people."
"I- I lost control." He admitted. Staring at his arm resting on the bench, he shook his head. "There's a sword that keeps claiming souls, and a soul inside of me reacted to it. And then took control of me."
Her face scrunched into confusion, whereas the mystery man folded his arms and looked thoughtful.
"You think that might be the Infernal's soul?" She asked. "And how do you just lose control like that?"
"I-I don't know!" He snapped back, anger rising to replace anxiety. "It just happened, okay! I can't just control what things inside me try to do!"
"Well, you are bloody going to have to!" The Witch scoffed. Folding her arms, she glanced behind him. "I'd hate to see you lose control when we return to the mortal realm."
"That's assuming-"
"Ladies, calm down." Rodin returned, holding a long, black case. "There will be no fighting in this bar. Take it outside if you must."
"Sorry, I guess-"
"What are you talking about?" Bayonetta cut over him, and he huffed angrily. "He's not a girl. We have both checked."
"Oh for God's-"
Rodin placed the case onto the counter with a loud bang. Both Sephiroth and Bayonetta fell silent, and turned to the object in question.
"Go ahead, kid." Rodin stepped back and folded his arms. "What are you waiting for?"
Bayonetta stepped to the side as Sephiroth spun the case around until the latches were facing him. Undoing each with a satisfying click, he opened it.
Inside was a long katana. It was simple in design, no fancy decorations or engraved designs. The hilt was wrapped in black leather, and the blade itself was just steel.
Sephiroth let his hand hover above it, hesitating to pick it up. A strange hum had started the closer he got to it, and that seemed worrying.
WHAT ARE YOU DOING RECLAIM IT RECLAIM IT!
"Go on." Rodin nodded with encouragement. "The worst that could happen, theoretically, is your soul being dragged in, and I have to repack shop."
"That's an encouraging thought." Bayonetta laughed, leaning onto the bar, but then grew a bit serious. "Come on, we don't have all day. Either you do or you don't and we find something else."
Giving the blade a look of intensity, he picked up the katana and held it up.
He didn't know shit about swords, especially katana's. However, the way the hilt seemed to fit his hand perfectly, the fact his soul was resonating and singing with pleasure and glee, how much of an extension of his body it seemed to be...
"It's perfect." He said, and she huffed in annoyance.
"All of that for nothing?" She threw her hands up in the air. "Surely there would've been something from all of this needless tension you created."
He shrugged. Still continuing to look at the blade, he noticed Rodin giving him a strange look.
"What's the deal?" The bartender asked. "You're gonna take it or what?"
Sephiroth's eyes went wide. He turned to Bayonetta and gave her a pleading look.
"Don't ask me." She shook her head. "Rodin will ask for all my halo's and more."
"I'll tell you what." Rodin grabbed the empty case and put it behind the counter. "You can keep that until this is all over, and then you can give it back."
Sephiroth gave him a look of distrust. "You're just going to give it to me?"
Rodin smiled. "You catch on quick." He suddenly reached over the counter and grabbed the winged man by the collar and pulled him forward. "You can't break it. Any nick, dent or scratch, and I'll make you the biggest bitch that any Infernal has ever dreamed of having. I'm sick of having my babies broken by Bayonetta here, and I don't want her habits passed onto you. Now, I'm feeling nice, so you can have this one loaned for free. One scratch!" He finished with the threat, glaring into the terrified man's eyes.
He gulped and nodded.
"Good." Rodin let him go and turned around, closing his weapons shop. "Now, I'm sure you two have somewhere better to be. I'm certain your Infernal partner's and Lagunan-"
He turned to find them both gone.
"Dammit! You there! Her tab is on you!"
"But I'm broke!" The man in the red coat refuted, waving his hands in front of him. "And besides, me and Nero have a new mission. Can't stay around for longer."
Rodin's eyes blazed beneath his sunglasses. Huffing in annoyance, he grabbed a glass and began drying it. "...deadbeat motherfucker."
…
Sephiroth examined the blade closely as they approached an archway at the top of the female statue. "This blade…"
"Hmm?" She turned back and crossed her arms. "What about it?"
"It's…" Something flashed across his face, a weird combination of a grimace and a smile. "I don't understand how to describe it."
"Well, it hasn't tried to steal your soul, or whatever Rodin said it would do." Bayonetta gestured to it. "Are you just going to carry it around like that?"
"No, you don't understand." He shook his head. "It's like… singing."
She paused. "Singing?"
"Yeah, it's singing. That's the best way I can describe it."
"That's a good sign, I'd wager." Bayonetta replied, glancing at the surroundings. "Have you ever had any practice with a weapon, or a katana at that?"
"No." His reply was meek. "I uhhh, have nothing in regards to weapons training."
Bayonetta's laughter echoed through the building, causing him to flush and look away. "Well, luckily for you, I know my way around a blade." She gave him a look over. "Although I think Jormungandr's Staff is not the best place to train nor practice."
Her brow creased, and one of his eyebrows shot up. "And just how did I know that?"
He looked back at the crumbing tower they had just ascended, using witchwalk for her and leaping madly from falling staircases for him. Choosing to ignore her remark, he turned back to the opening. "I do believe so. But let's continue on and hope that literally nothing is outside that door."
He was wrong. Dark clouds had formed overhead, and wind whipped them from all angles. Rain was spraying down on them, and it only took a few seconds for the pair to be drenched from the sudden downpour.
The issue was that the rain wasn't stopping. It only seemed to be getting heavier.
"Where did this bloody storm come from?" Bayonetta asked as they exited the tower. "We left from the Gates in perfect daylight!"
Sephiroth tensed. His eyes were alert, uncaring about the rain that poured into them. He scanned the skies slowly, his expression slowly changing to fear. "We should leave."
"To where?" She turned to him. "I'm not braving that tower again, and the way forward is only blocked by a small amount of wind and rain, which if I remember correctly, doesn't bother the big and tough Sephiroth?"
He looked at her with wide eyes. She hesitated at the sheer amount of terror contained within them. "This storm isn't natural."
Lightning rippled and cracked through the air, forming a ring. A light shined from the centre, and an Angel unwrapped itself into reality. It was a giant, humanoid figure, with no legs and its head more central to the chest than anything else. Its arms were held onto its torso with beams of energy passing through two rings, and its hands were replaced with four tube-like fingers on each arm.
"DONASDOGAMA!" It screamed in Enochulan, and the storm's intensity increased hundred-fold. The bridge ahead of the pair tore itself apart, and parts of it began to fly around wildly. Behind them, the statue cracked and disappeared into the maelstrom.
"Run!" Sephiroth grabbed her hand and tossed her forward, towards the bridge. Flipping over and landing onto a piece of the bridge, she glanced over to see the colossal Angel hover towards the second statue. Narrowing her eyes, she looked over to Sephiroth. The man had driven the point of the katana into the stone, and she was both amazed and unsurprised that it had stuck there, providing him with support against the raging winds around them.
Can you hear me? She thought out, hesitantly.
'I, uhh, copy.' His eyes connected with hers.
We need to get to the other statue.
His reply was immediate. 'No fucking way! Are you-'
It's not looking for either of us. She tilted her head towards the Angel. It's here for something else, and I want to find out.
Jumping to another part of the bridge, she glanced up to see his shoulders sag. 'Fine.'
Activating her witch time, she leaped from part to part, as he launched himself through the sky, destroying the rocks and stone with wild swings of the katana. Her mind whirled at the durability and sharpness of the blade, mentally confirming that the blade wasn't at all like any mortal blade she had seen.
Or heard of.
They both eventually made it to a small tower-like structure, which to both seemed more like a battle arena than anything else. Atop the small ring surrounding the platform stood a very familiar red-clad woman.
"…understand that the Father's goals are your own. But why must you interfere?" The Angel asked Jeanne as it floated in front of her. "Why must you slay our forces that have been sent to capture her?"
"The only beings that are meddling are your hapless minions. We will do it my way, not yours!" Jeanne replied, obviously annoyed with the Lagunan. "Tell the Father that your assistance is not required, and I will find her, the experiment and the little one, and replace them back to where they are supposed to be. You need to stop this testing that you half-assed an explaination five days ago. It's wholly unnecessary!"
The Angel stared at her in disapproval. "Your arrogance disgusts me. Tell the Father he needs to work on you a bit more." It glanced over her shoulder and the porcelain face twisted into a smirk. "If my assistance is not required, I will leave you be."
It disappeared into a portal, returning to Paradiso. Jeanne stiffened as she sensed something behind her and slowly turned to face the pair. The effects of the departure were instantaneous; the winds began to slowly die down and the rain petered out to nothing.
The storm had come and gone. Now the calm had arrived.
"Why, hello there." She greeted them with a fake smile. "I suppose you being here now means you've had a second wind."
"I have had no second winds, if you're following that train of thought." Bayonetta shrugged as Sephiroth stiffened. "However, I can't help but notice that you, an Umbran Witch, is working directly with your enemies."
"That is none of your business!" Jeanne snapped, then turned her attention to her companion. "And you! Why are you still here?"
"Fuck you, Witch!" He growled back, brandishing the katana. Her arm shot out and got a tight grip on him, and he was pulled back. "Bayonetta!"
"Calm down." She hissed. "It will do you no good to rush in against her."
He took a few deep breaths, and appeared to calm down. He still had a hate-filled glare leveled at the woman, and she honestly couldn't blame him.
"Oh my…" Jeanne began to laugh uncontrollably. "Someone got the experiment a toy…"
"It's not a toy!" He surged forward again, but her grip kept him in place.
"Calm down, now!"
"Come on, let him loose." The Witch in red taunted. Her arms spread out in a welcoming gesture. "All toys need to be played with."
"You-!" He cut himself off, and fire wrapped around his arm. It disappeared as soon as it appeared, and he went still. Her eyes shifted back to him, and she was relieved to see his eyes soften and muscles loosen. A deep, shuddering breath was released from his throat and he took a step back.
"Good." Bayonetta's eyes returned to their enemy, and she paused.
Jeanne's eyes were focussed on hers. Laser focussed, as if in a silent challenge.
Sephiroth returned to his place next to her, and her eyes glanced over. Then back, then over again.
"Come on, Bayonetta." She taunted. "Hurry up. I certainly don't have all day to wait for this."
"We can take her together." Sephiroth whispered under his breath, and she noticed how much of a tremble was in his right arm.
He was afraid. And in that realisation her decision was made.
Her arm shot out, grabbing his forearm. Yelping in surprise, Sephiroth was dragged off his feet and became airborne. Twisting her heel, she turned slightly and hurled him towards the edge. He flew past it, and then fell out of sight. As soon as she acknowledged it, her attention was snapped back to her.
"Huh… That's a surprising move." Jeanne's voice was hesitant. "I can't say you've ever wanted to deny someone a fight."
She let her thoughts gather before answering. "To watch him get embarrassed before he has any training?" She placed her hands on her hips and regarded her with a smirk. "Oh please, I didn't want my reputation to be ruined in my first impression. That is just completely unacceptable."
"You've already ruined your first impression when you forgot about me." Anger replaced whatever emotions the red-clad woman might have been experiencing. "And then sided with it."
"It is him." Bayonetta snarled. "And be him an idiot, he is Sephiroth. You would do best to remember that."
"Already attached to it?" Jeanne's eyes hardened. "Am I that replaceable?"
"You think I care about him like that?" She laughed. "I'm not emotionally invested in him at all. I'd just rather have the wildcard in my hand. And besides, I don't even know who you are, let alone why you care about my relationship with some random stray I found on the streets."
"You know exactly who I fucking am!" Jeanne jumped down, two guns slipping out of nothing and into her hands. Two long tails made from some white and fluffy material flowed from the grips, and the Witch in black rolled her eyes at the pointless opulence.
"I think I'm going to need something to jog the memory." She pulled out the Scarborough Fair and twirled them into her stance. "Besides, I would like this first dance with you."
The Witch in red smirked, and placed one gun behind her back and the other held up beside her head, at the ready. "I would love to oblige you, Bayonetta."
Taking the opportunity, the Witch in black struck first. Sitting down on one leg, she launched herself forward in a baseball-style slide, bullets spraying out from the guns at her heels. Jeanne rolled her eyes, and a small barrier formed on her wrist. The bullets were deflected without effort, but Bayonetta had planned for them to be a distraction. The momentum of her slide was taking her straight towards the Witch's legs.
Jeanne had seen this coming, unfortunately. She cartwheeled backwards, a salvo of bullets spraying from her own guns. Twisting her body up, she dodged each bullet as they came, transitioning from the slide to a run.
And straight into a fist from the Witch in red.
She was barely aware of her body flying into the air and crashing onto the ground. All she could feel was the throbbing of her cheek and the humility of being struck by such a simple blow. Flipping over onto her feet, she slid on her heels to the edge of the tower, sparks lighting up her ankles. Looking up, she watched in fury as Jeanne blew her a kiss.
'It's time for you to take your own advice.' Butterfly dryly spoke up, but she barely heard her.
Growling, she charged in, her hair leaving her body. Jeanne arched an eyebrow, and dodged her first punch with ease. And her second. Blocking the third, the Witch swept low with her leg in a counterattack, only to be slammed from above by a wicked weave, the fist retracting back onto her body. Jumping back to reappraise the situation, she held her guns at the ready, staring at the flattened body of the Witch in red with a snarl on her lip.
Jeanne bounced up, a small smirk on her own. "Good. You still remember how to fight. But tell me, Bayonetta."
Her eyes gleamed as she stood up, power flowing from them. "Do you still remember how to dance?"
"I remember far more than you give me credit for." She fired, and watched as the bullets deflected off of the shield again.
"Do you, now?" Jeanne disappeared into a flock of…
Moths?
The surprise nearly cost her the battle. A leg slammed down onto her head as Jeanne reformed next to her, her limbs striking with force. Throwing herself to the side in an effort to dodge, she whipped her head up to see a white and pink wicked fist flying at her, Jeanne directing it with a gesture.
Her own hair flew from her body as her own wicked fist rose out of the ground, parrying the attack. Jeanne tilted her head and snapped her fingers, and the weave transformed into a wicked kick, a boot aimed at her.
Cursing, Bayonetta threw herself to the side again and felt the impact of the slam as the weave crushed the ground where she was. Her senses blared, and more kicks flew into the ground, each barely dodged.
The onslaught eventually stopped, and Bayonetta heard a sigh.
"You know, I was hoping you were going to be a challenge. I remember when we used to spar, and it would be a close call each time." Jeanne took a few steps forward. Dragging herself up to her feet, Bayonetta stood up to meet her. She was breathing way too heavily, and sweat was beginning to drip down her forehead.
"But now? You're pathetic."
She struck forward with a kick, and Bayonetta met it with a sloppy one of her own. Cursing herself, she tried to force herself to focus.
"He promised me my Bayonetta!" Another two kicks lunged out, and somehow she blocked both. "He promised me you would be back!"
'Maybe you should have teamed up.'
She was not admitting anything. Striking with a kick of her own, she looked on in horror as Jeanne grabbed her leg, catching it with ease.
"You are not Bayonetta!" She screamed, her face contorting. Releasing her, she spun uncontrollably until something connected with the side of her head.
Bayonetta went flying, her consciousness barely keeping up. Landing in a heap, she bounced and rolled her way into the wall of the platform, where she stopped with a splash of pain and water. Groaning, she dragged herself to her knees, a hand clutching her ribs.
'At least we know for sure what we are dealing with.' Butterfly commented, and she was inclined to shake her head at herself.
She had a long way to go before she could think about challenging her again. Grimacing, she stood back up and faced the Witch.
"What's the matter, sweetie?" Jeanne asked, smirking slightly. One of her hands reached up and brushed off some imaginary dust. "Had enough already? I've barely warmed up!"
Her vision swam as she took a step forward. Collapsing to a knee, she snarled and looked up at her. "You bitch…"
Jeanne laughed, and her guns disappeared into Inferno. "Childish insults now? You haven't grown at all."
Closing her eyes, she willed herself to calm down.
"Now, what were you so afraid of, hmmm?" Her voice continued to interrupt her concentration. "You had help, and you aren't at your full potential yet. Are you afraid of letting the Umbran legacy down?"
She flinched. "No…"
"I can see it. I can smell it. What are you afraid of?"
"Afraid?" Bayonetta brushed it off. "Me? I defeated an Au-"
"Fortitudo is the weakest and most arrogant of that flock of Angels. It could've beaten it with its eyes closed!" Jeanne snapped at her. "Killing Fortitudo is child's play, and you know it!"
"And you aren't?" Bayonetta taunted, finally pulling herself back up to her feet. "Come on Jeanne, let's go a few more rounds."
"You are barely standing." The Witch in red peered over the edge. "I'd be better off fighting it than you. And it would be worth our time!"
A katana flashed into Jeanne's hands and the sheathe went flying. Red lightning coursed through it, and she raised it up until it was shoulder height. Her eyes blazed, and the air shifted "Just fucking die!"
And then she froze.
Bayonetta's eyes widened, then narrowed. Now what was going on?
"Just leave her?" Jeanne shrieked. The katana disappeared, and she threw her hands into the air. "She is not her! Why fucking bother!?"
Another pause. "What do you fucking mean she is important? She can't do anything!"
Slamming her fist into the wall, she looked down to something below. "It is a vast improvement to her. We just need to- urgh, fine!"
"This is still a waste of time!" Jeanne screamed, then glared at the Witch in black. "You're still not ready!"
Leaping out and off the tower, she transformed into a bird and flew off into the distance.
Bayonetta blinked. Could she do that?
'I am unsure…'
First things first, though. Remnants of magic flowed through her body, healing any injuries suffered from her… setback. Slowly and stiffly walking towards the edge, she peered over it to find a smaller arena below her, and a familiar figure standing there, brandishing a sword at some Angels.
This must be one of those tests that Angel was talking about.
…
Sephiroth was falling. And screaming.
And now he was landing, and he felt bones and muscles explode against the stone, or whatever it was he had landed on. Struggling to keep conscious, he began to listen to the squabbles of the Angels and Demons for a few minutes to keep himself from blacking out. After about a minute of inane conversation, he pulled himself out of it and began to assess the situation.
As he lay there, slowly healing each body part as he figured out what was wrong with it, his mind was drifting to whatever was happening above him. He closed his eyes, keeping the tears inside of them.
Well, he was tossed out of a fight for following Bayonetta's rules. And what was the fucking point of them now? Bayonetta didn't trust him. That's the only thing he surmised, the only possible reason she would toss him out of a battle he knew she had no hope of winning. He was such a liability to the point where he was useless-
Anger began to feed on him. She fucking knew he would be a help. At worst he could have put the fucking katana down and bombarded the Witch with spells. Jeanne was crafty, and very elusive, but she couldn't dodge everything. If they had worked together-
Yeah right. They wouldn't have worked together. She would have said something to piss him off, he would've done something dumb and then he would be on the floor anyway. A tear slipped out, and he wiped it away with a freshly healed arm. His hand was still too mangled to do anything.
A few minutes later, his spine realigned and he pulled himself back up to his feet. The katana was snarling at him from a few feet away, and he telekinetically pulled it back into his hand. It immediately calmed down, and he felt the demons inside him follow suit.
He felt consecutive impacts onto the statue, and he looked up. He couldn't see anything, and he didn't particularly want to.
KILL HER MAKE HER SUFFER
No.
The demon raged, but quietened down. Sephiroth was angry at Bayonetta, yes. But he knew that there had to be a good reason for what she did. Bayonetta didn't seem like the person to deliberately hamper her chances in a fight over some kind of fucked up honor. Or leave him out because she thought he was a liability. Well, she must have thought she was, but not because he had no idea what he was doing!
The presence of Angels rushed him, and he looked around to see that a flock of Affinities had taken notice of him. Gripping the katana with both hands, he pulled it up in what he thought was an acceptable stance.
"Come on, bastards. Let's see how this works out for you." He hated the small tremble in his voice, and he especially hated how much the tip was wavering.
The lead Affinity began to laugh. "What is this? An experiment with a weapon now?"
"You know what?" His eyes narrowed. "Fuck you."
…
Bayonetta knew a fall from here would be close to lethal, if not exactly. And she didn't have a wing to float down on, either.
'I think I have determined how to transform.'
"Like Jeanne did?" She looked out in the distance, where a small bird bobbed up and down. "How?"
'Your hair.'
She was about to go on a tirade about the unbelievable vagueness of her patron until a lightbulb appeared over her head.
Her hair was malleable to the limits of her imagination. So why wouldn't her body follow the same rule?
'Well done.'
She let her body relax and let the image of a bird fill her mind. The moon appeared above her, and power rushed through her. Letting it out, she felt her body disappear in a flutter of bats, then reformed into a crow. Her wings flapped once, then twice and she took to the sky.
It was exhilarating. This freedom of movement, this feeling! How on Earth had she not discovered this before? Absolutely nothing could compare to this!
Returning to the platform, she transformed and looked at her hands in amazement. "That was bloody amazing!"
The sound of battle reached her ears, and she sighed. "I suppose that's more pressing. Let's go save our darling, then…"
Jumping off, she spread her arms out and transformed back into the crow. Letting her wings glide her down, she landed onto a tower on the surrounding ring and returned to her human form, her legs crossed with her body leaning forward, peering at the battle below.
He was doing fine, for someone who had to learn a new weapon or perish. He was extremely unbalanced, and as before, overcommitted to everything. His strokes were cleaving through Affinity after Affinity, yes, but he was nearly tumbling over after them. If anything, the sword was fighting for him and he was barely hanging onto it.
Sighing, she pulled out Rosemary and began to look over it.
A cry from below got her attention. An Affinity had slammed its staff through his arm, and now he was down on one knee. Screaming in fury, or maybe pain, he grabbed the weapon and melted it. The Angel jumped back in surprise, and then was impaled by the katana. Another came forward, swinging its sword wildly. A desperate parry knocked the attack back, then he tossed the remains of the staff into its chest and knocked it off the platform. Gasping for breath, he knelt down and began to heal himself.
However, he had failed to notice a single surviving Affinity behind him, and it was poised to strike. Rolling her eyes at his inattentiveness, she aimed and fired at its head, killing it. He tensed at the gunshot, turned and instantly relaxed as he saw her.
Then he went pale at the intensity of the glare she was sending his way.
Authors Note: I am so sorry that my upload schedule is in pieces (like I had one to begin with). I promise I'm working on this story, and I also promise that Strength of Heart is also coming along. Parts of that story have been fully finished, and now all I have to do is connect the dots to where I want it to go. Aversion of Heart is now fully mapped out, and it's now a matter of whether I want it to be or not to be at this point (that's a hint).
With the introduction of Dante, and the Devil May Cry universe, you can expect a compilation of short stories ranging the quintology bringing anyone unfamiliar with the source material up to speed and set their place in the overall fic-verse. The same can also be said for Persona 4 and Strength of Heart. However, since I'm going to be writing Aversion of Heart as a completely different style of fic to what you all might be used to, there will be no additional lore or fics necessary.
Blood Moon has also had no planning yet. The real question with that fic now really is whether I get to retell Bayonetta 3 before the game releases and I thus look like an idiot for not following canon.
Thank you for those who have reviewed my works, I appreciate it so much. If you would like to leave a review, please do.