DIMENSIONS
by
The Ionic Butterfly (aurelia_@yahoo.com)
Ranwolf (ranwolf@hotmail.com)
All Gargoyles characters belong to Disney/Buena vista studios. Characters
from the Final Fantasy series, Chronotrigger etc. belong to Square.
The Characters of Nic Maza and Miyabe Tendo belong to Ranwolf and Ionic,
respectively. C&C are always welcomed. Flames will be read, considered, laughed
at, then burned. (Get it? Flames? Burned? ^_^)
CHAPTER 3: THE RAGE THAT BINDS US
/* "One" Metallica *\
The iron doors slammed shut behind a wary Nic Maza. The fire ring opened for him
to step inside. As it shut, he realized the flames were holograms because there was
no heat. He turned around to see the camera, but only saw a stone gargoyle statue
staring at him. It reminded him of Lexington, and he suddenly missed the world he
had come to know. He had to win this battle if he wanted to get back to it.
He stared at the floor and saw the words, 'THE BRAVE DO NOT FEAR THE GRAVE'
written. Very comforting, he thought. He realized he was not afraid. If he did fail here,
Cloud would help him find another set. He took a deep, calming breath as the tiny
creature known as Master Tonberry appeared before him.
Tonberry crept forward in an eerie way. Nic realized he was wasting time by staring
at him. He remembered to use the Regen spell. Tonberry crept forward, holding
up the lantern. Nic used the Haste spell, and suddenly he was thinking faster and
moving with great ease.
Swallowing hard and reminding himself it was only an illusion, he lashed out at
Tonberry with his Bo. It hit the creature's shell, bouncing harmlessly off. It began to
morph.
A black behemoth appeared before him with what could pass for a grin on its face.
Cloud had said that Tonberry would let him get used to it before really fighting, so Nic
quickly attacked Behemoth-Tonberry in the same manner that he had seen Yuffie attack.
Behemoth-Tonberry raised a claw and struck Nic in the shoulder. Nic yelled out,
the pain immense. But soon it vanished. Regen, he thought. He grinned as he
attacked the beast, bludgeoning it with his staff. Nic spun around, building momentum
striking Behemoth across the face, stunning it for a moment. Nic reared back and drove
the Bo deep into the creature belly. It let out a harsh, pained filled cry as Nic pulled
on his staff, lifting the creature off its feet. Holographic blood coated the staff and Nic's
hands. His face twisted in disgust, wishing he had the blood turned off, or at least toned
down. He released the Behemoth; it disappeared as soon as it touched the ground.
The Arena Master entered with a small slot machine in his hand. Nic pulled. Lucky
Seven, it read. Cloud had said that meant nothing lost, nothing gained. He sighed of
relief.
Master Tonberry reappeared, inching closer and closer. Nic found that no matter
how hard he hit the little thing, Tonberry would shrug it off. Everything was in vain until
it morphed. Tonberry lifted the lantern and backed away, turning into a rabbit.
This "battle" did not last long; a Tiger Woods impression did the trick. Nic thought it
was all a big joke as he pulled the Lucky Seven again. Tonberry once again morphed
into something simple and harmless. Nic was getting annoyed. Surely it would not be
this easy.
Then his materia was broken, he realized it was about to get interesting. Tonberry
appeared as Cloud. "Nic, you've done good! Too bad you have to die right now.
Miya sure is going to miss you," he laughed.
Nic said nothing. He kept reminding himself it was only an illusion. "Are you sure
about that?" Cloud-Tonberry said.
Nic attacked the fake Cloud with his Bo. Cloud-Tonberry grinned evilly as it blocked
and perried the attacks easily with the large broadsword. Nic was getting angry and
that scared him. Bo and Sword clashed, the sound of metal against metal echoed in
the Arena. Cloud-Tonberry kneed Nic between the legs. He let out a grunt of pain as
he backed away. Cloud raised his sword and leaped at him, his Bustersword arcing
it's way towards him. Nic dove out of the way, the ache in his privates slowly fading.
Tonberry pulled its sword out of the stone floor. "And you call yourself a warrior?",
Tonberry mocked. "You're nothing but a target." Cloud-Tonberry charged Nic once more.
Weapons clashed once again, neither making a critical wound as the two battered
each other with fists and weapons. Tonberry went for another over-head slash, Nic
brought up his Bo blocking it. He could feel the shapeshifter put all it's weight behind
the crossed weapons trying to get the razor edge of the sword to break through the
metallic staff. Tonberry's dark blue eyes widened when Nic slammed the end of his tail
between it's own legs. Nic forced Cloud-Tonberry's sword down and delivered a vicious
head-butt, Nic's small horn spurs lacerating Tonberry's brow, blood falling into the
metamorph's eyes. Tonberry fell back, wiping at its eyes, giving Nic the time he
needed to take one of the grenades Yuffie gave him and launched it at his opponent,
exploding on contact.
Cloud vanished and the Arena Master offered another pull. Nic got a frog. Normally it
meant Nic would be turned into one temporally, but since Cloud had given him a anti-frog ring,
nothing happen.
Nic was getting nervous as Tonberry crept forward again, holding the lantern that
shone a sickening yellow light. Demona appeared before him in all her demonic
beauty. "It's only an illusion," Nic said to himself again.
"No little one, it's not." Demona said. She ran toward him so fast he barely raised his
Bo in time to block the attack. He countered with a strike to Demona's head, knocking
her down. The Metamorph used its new tail to take hold of Nic's leg pulling it out from
under him. He lost his grip on his staff, it was sent flying across the stone floor,
collapsing itself after a few moments. Demona quickly jumped on his chest and began
pummeling him with lefts and rights, breaking his nose and blackening his right eye.
Angered, he roared at her, doing his best to buck the blue gargress off of him. He stuck
her in the ribs hard enough to turn bricks to powder.
Nic pushed Demona off rolling on top of her, continuing to pulverizing her sides.
Demona raked her talons across Nic's shoulder, ripping open the cloth and skin
underneath. He smashed a fist into the face that looked so much like Angela's,
shattering the nose. He latched his hands around her throat, squeezing and twisting,
feeling the bones moving in ways they were never meant to. Demona-Tonberry tried to
push him off, her hands struggling to rip at his face, her legs trying to get between them
and tear open his belly with the Talons of her feet. With a wet Crack!! the struggling
ceased, the hand at his face fell limp and Demona vanished.
The fight was getting to Nic. It was all a little too weird. Three more, he thought as
he pulled the slot. Accessory broken. His frog ring now had no effect. He coughed a
little and spat out some blood. He saw the Tonberry out of the corner of his eye and
ignored it while he retrieved his Bo, knowing he had the time before it morphed into whoever.
Goliath stood before him, arms open wide. Not the Goliath of the world he now
called home, but his actual father, as he remembered seeing him, tall, broad of chest,
regal in every definition of the word. His hair still coal black marred only by streaks
of silver over both temples and wearing the armor plate strapped to him, covering the
left side of his massive chest. "My son," he said in that deep, confidence building
voice of his.
Nic made the mistake of believing, wanting to see his father after so many years.
He walked forward wanting to embrace him, to tell him of everything he's been through
since his death at the hands of a Quarrymen Death Squad.
When Nic was within arm's length, Goliath laughed, backhanding Nic to the floor,
Nic cursed when he noticed the sickly yellow light coming from his arm. Fucking Shit!!,
he thought. He forgot the warning cloud gave him.
"You claim to be of my blood?" Goliath said scornfully. "You are not a gargoyle,
but a freak of nature. Something which should not have been allowed to hatch, much
less conceived." Goliath-Tonberry began to laugh once again.
Nic snarled ferally. He charged Goliath and hit him in the head with the staff,
staggering the lavender giant. Nic lunged forward, hitting Goliath in the Solar Plexus
with the length of his staff, driving Tonberry to it's knees. Nic knew it would only stun
Tonberry for a moment, so he continued his assault. Relentless in his pursuit in
destroying this... thing using Goliath's form. He extended his fingers, stiffening them
before driving his talons into Tonberry's chest, through the steel plate where the heart
would be if it was indeed Goliath.
He pulled the slot when it appeared without thinking twice. "Half Life" it read. He felt
his energy drain instantly. Tonberry appeared before him once again holding up the
damn lantern. Nic was so tired, all he wanted to do was lay into the little thing, and rip
it to shreds.
Hyena appeared before him. Nic's eyes widened. "No!" he gasped.
"Don't kill me. Please, don't kill me again," she pleaded, "They lied to you, this isn't
an illusions. It's so very real. Let me live." she said simply. Looking almost like a
frightened young woman.
Nic stared for a long while, his heart twisting in place. Had Cloud lied? His question
was answered when Hyena grinned insanely, before rushing him. Nic was caught by
surprise as he felt Hyena's armored shoulder drive into his midsection hard enough
to knock him off his feet to land hard several yards away. Not again!!!
"Sucker!" Hyena cackled as she stalked her way towards the downed Demigoyle.
Nic rose to his feet quickly bringing up his weapon in preparation for battle.
Hyena-Tonberry smiled evilly as blades emerged from her elbows and her fingers
extended several inches becoming flexible spikes. She rushed Nic again, this time
her hands outstretched to slash at him repeatedly.
Nic was able to block and dodged a majority of the attacks, with only a few slipping
past his defenses, the finger spikes cutting through his shirt and into his skin. There
was a sharp pain across his chest, but it soon faded because of the adrenaline
pumping through his veins.
Hyena didn't get away with anything, catching the end of Nic's Bo or a powerful tail
swipe several times across the face and ribs, her armor was littered with dents and
scratches.
Nic swung his Bo again to impact against her jaw. Hyena-Tonberry saw it coming.
She ducked under the blow, grabbed the end of Nic's tail and swung him around a
half rotation before releasing him, sending Nic crashing into the stone wall hard
enough to cough up some more blood. Nic began moving, getting to his feet, his head
starting to spin from the impact.
Hyena grinned "Got'cha!!" She said aloud. Two vents opened up along the small of
her back. With a outrush of flame, Hyena launched herself at the still dazed Nic. She
reached out with one hand taking him by the throat mashing him against the wall,
holding him up. Only the end of his tail was touching the ground.
Nic gasped for air while struggling against his opponent's steel grip. As strong as
he was he was no match for cyber-bionics. "Wakey, wakey." Hyena sneered at him.
She loosened her grip just enough to let him breath. "Is it just me or does this seem
familiar?" Hyena laughed insanely at her own joke. "But something' different. Now I
wonder what that could be?...Oh I know..." Hyena-Tonberry grinned again as she
extended the blades of her middle and forefingers and pulled back her hand.
"Bitch." Nic slurred.
Hyena smirked arrogantly, ignoring Nic. "What pretty brown eyes, little boy," she
said. The same words the real Hyena said to him before she tore out his eyes when
he was a child.
Nic's eyes widened. He clamped his hands around Hyena-Tonberry's wrist, his
talons digging into the joints. With all the force he could muster, he said, "Fulminos
Venite!" Magical lightning flowed from his arms into Hyena. She shrieked in pain, the
electricity moving easily through the metal implants. The female cyborg released him,
the power still flowing in and around her convulsing body. She collapsed and soon
vanished.
"Last one," the Arena Master said. Nic barely heard him because of the blood
pulsing through his pointed ears. The pull broke his weapon, and he found himself
without his Bo.
Nic glared angrily at Tonberry as he crept forward. This time Tonberry seemed to
grin, then vanished. Nic sighed. It was over. He had done it. The fire-wall opened and
let Miyabe step through. He walked over to her, drained, and hugged her. His breath
was ragged. "I did it," he said.
"Yes, but there is something you have to know. I can't be with you. I... I don't love
you," Miya said. "Not anymore." A shock went through Nic. He didn't know what to do
or say or even think. The words echoed through his mind. "I want to have Cloud's child,"
she said. He let go of her. "Nic, don't hate me. It just happened...," she said. "I don't
want to have a child that the world would never accept."
Nic noticed that there were no bruises on her arms. Only a sick yellow light emanating...
Something in his mind snapped. His brown eyes slowly turned black as his implants
shifted to the Weapons H.U.D. they were originally designed for. His mind filled with a
unbelievable rage. Nic roared, a sound no human voice could equal. His last rational
thought being, HE DARES!?! HE DARES!?!
Losing the last of his sanity, he tore into Miya-Tonberry, punching the creature so
hard it flew across the chamber hitting the stone wall with a dull THUD!!. Tonberry
slumped to the floor trying to rise. The rage possessed warrior slammed into Tonberry,
pinning the shapeshifter to the wall. Nic raised his hand, quickly bringing it down
across the pseudo-Miyabe's face, filleting it open. Holographic blood splattered the
wall and Nic himself. The blood didn't phase the raging gargoyle, who continued to
slash and gouge at the imposter, bellowing again when the mangled form faded then
vanished into nothingness. He tilted his head back and roared once again in frustration.
"You did it! you won!" the Arena Master said to him from behind with a congratulatory
smile. Nic stood and growled unintelligibly before he grabbed the man by his throat.
"Hurk!!!" went the Arena Master before being thrown. Nic started across the battle
chamber, His back slightly hunched over, talons flexing open and closed continuously,
his fangs bared in a animalistic snarl.
Somehow, through the roaring of blood pumping in his ears, Nic faintly heard a voice
yelling something he could not make out. Becoming louder as the foolish person came
closer and closer. A sharp pain crossed his cheek. He growled deep in his throat ready
to attack, but another voice, deep in the back of his enraged mind insisted no harm was
to come to her. Another sharp pain formed on his other cheek. This time, the figure's words
became understandable.
"NIC! Please ! Please, calm down! Can't you hear me?"
Nic eyes lightened to their normal brown. He blinked several times before realizing it
was Miyabe standing before him. His legs buckled under his weight, falling to his knees.
"Oh god! Not again!" he cried out, his voice hoarse.
He didn't register his mate's movement of kneeling down next to him and pulling him
into an embrace saying soothing words into his ear. Nic didn't notice the others enter
the Arena. Dio and Tifa began to check the man laying unconscious on the floor where
Nic had thrown him. He was alive, barely. Tifa used her healing materia to help return
his vital signs to normal, and Dio carried the Arena Master out.
"Nic, we need to get you to the Enertron," Cloud said, knowing the dangers of
skipping it.
Nic didn't reply. The sickly yellow light was shining in his mind's eye. He held on to
Miya, clutching her and not wanting to ever let go.
"Nic, can you hear me?" Miya asked softy.
He nodded slightly, then realized what a hatchling he must look like. He pushed away
from Miya and looked in her eyes. She understood what had happened. He stood up
shakily, and Cloud instantly offered him an arm. Nic took it gratefully, and Cloud led
him to the Enertron.
Nic stood inside the machine, silently praying it would make him forget everything.
While it relieved him of fatigue and healed his injuries, it didn't erase his memory. He
stepped out, searching the crowd of faces for Miya's. She was the only one here that
understood. He needed her with him...
"Miya!" he called out when he couldn't see her. She was by his side, touching his
arm. He was having a breakdown, he could feel it. The sea of faces smiling and cheering
for him made his stomach churn.
"Cloud! Didn't Dio say we had rooms in a hotel here?" Miya asked. Cloud nodded
and began leading them through the crowd. Yuffie and Barret followed them. Cid
stayed behind with Tifa. He led them to an elevator and pressed the button reading,
"Ghost Hotel."
"Are you okay?" Cloud asked Nic. Again, Nic did not answer. Cloud tried again, but
this time to someone who could give him some answers. "Is he okay, Miyabe?"
Miya shook her head. "He went into what's called a 'Blood Rage', it's a condition for
gargoyles, pretty rare from what I understand." she answered.
"You mean he's nuts?" Yuffie asked before thinking.
Miya gave the young konoichi a venomous look. Miyabe turned back to Nic. "Anata?
Can you hear me?" she asked.
"Why do you keep asking that?" he asked quietly.
"You're not answering anyone," Miya said.
"I'm answering you," he said flatly. Miyabe sighed as the elevator came to a halt.
Someone screamed as the door slid open. Nic's head popped up, and his hand went
instantly to his Bo, somehow it found its way back to its harness. Cloud, Yuffie, and
Barret stepped out as if nothing had happened. The area was dark and eerie. Headstones
lining the path and a greenish mist flowing through the air. Cloud looked back and
smiled. "The Ghost Hotel. It's just as spooky as it sounds, but no real danger." he said.
Miya took Nic's hand, and pulled him out. He seemed so far away, she wondered
what was going through his mind.
The path led them to a large ancient looking castle, with sharp black spires, complete
with bats circling in the light of the full moon. Miyabe had to smile at it. It looked like
something out of a old "Hammer Films". She looked to Nic but his head was bent, lost
in thought.
Inside, a headless host greeted them. "We're sorry, but we are filled up for the night,"
he said.
"We have reservations. Dio made them." Yuffie said quickly. She didn't seem to like
it too much at the hotel.
"Oh, in that case, be our guests. Register at the front desk," he said. Miya wondered
where he was speaking from.
She looked around and noticed two ghosts playing chess in one corner, and a clock
with a fiendish face in another. Screams filled the background. Something fell from the
rafters. It was a man on a noose, blood trickling down his tuxedo. Miya gave a yelp of
surprise and Nic's head popped up again. She patted his hand as she began laughing
a bit at the deskman.
"Reservations only," the hangman said.
"Yes, for Cloud Strife, please," Cloud said, pulling out I.D. from his wallet.
Soon enough, Miyabe and Nic were alone in their room. Nic sat on the edge of the
bed staring blankly at his hands, flexing them experimentally.
Miya sat beside him, pushing his long dark hair behind his ear so she could see him
"Anata, doshta no?" she asked in Japanese, What's the matter? "You won, isn't that
enough?"
Nic shook his head. "They didn't do anything to me," he whispered.
"Yes they did. They made you angry. That was enough to do it," she said.
Nic looked at her. "I don't feel well. Between the fight and losing it, I really don't feel
well," he said.
"Lie down," Miya said. As he obeyed, she pulled off his shoes then checked for
fever or any other signs of actual illness. He was fine. "I'm going to get you some
water." she said.
Nic grabbed her hand, not wanting her to leave his side. "Stay. Onegai. Stay," he
asked quietly. Miya sat back down at his side and he gently pulled her down beside
him. "Stay with me," he whispered in her ear. She found herself in a position somewhere
between sitting up and lying down, with her mate cradled in her arms.
"Gomen nasai...," he said.
"Doushite? Winning the trigger?" she asked.
"Ie. For hurting you," he said.
"You didn't hurt me. It was Tonberry," Miya said, only slightly worried he had attacked
with such rage. She knew he must have somehow known it was not really her. She
began rocking back and forth gently, his head buried deep in her shoulder.
Nic did not reply. He fell into a daze. In his mind, the fight was replaying over and
over. The way he had torn into Miya-Tonberry, the way he had thrown the Arena Master
away like a fly... He truly was some sort of monster.
His mind didn't stop there. Memories of his own world flooded his mind, all the
fighting, the deaths. The way he had destroyed Hyena caught up with him yet again.
It was all hitting him at once, and he felt so weak...
Miya could almost feel the exact moment Nic slipped into the depths of his mind
and lost touch with his surroundings. Every once in a while, he would begin to shake,
or wince, or clutch her tightly, or give small moans. All she could do was kiss his
head rocking him gently, repeating aloud that it was all right, that she was there with
him and would not let anything happen. She hoped that it would help.
Tifa knocked on the door, and Miya told her to come in. Cloud was behind her. The
smile on Tifa's face vanished at the site of Nic. "Oh, gods, is he okay?" Tifa asked.
Miya nodded. "He'll be fine, I think. He just needs to rest and try to put this behind
him."
Nic winced, his eyes flying wide open. But his eyes saw nothing but a sick yellow
light. He could feel Miya there beside him, and he knew that he loved her and she
loved him, and that she was waiting patiently for him to get through this. Anything
else was beyond his comprehension at that point.
"Well, do you want to practice riding anymore tonight?" Tifa asked. Quickly berating
herself for asking such a stupid question.
Nic somehow sensed he was about to be left alone, and held tight to Miya. Miya
yelped from his tight grip, and he instantly let up. "I think I'm needed here more. We
can practice tomorrow before the race," she said. After all, she had managed to stay
on the thing for at least five minutes.
Tifa nodded. "All right. You two take care. See you in the morning."
They exchanged goodnights, and soon Miya was alone with Nic again. "Fight it,
Anata. Hiyaku and come back to me." she whispered to him. She felt tired, and slid
down in the bed as far as Nic's hold would let her. She kissed his forehead and
seemed to know he had fallen asleep somehow.
END PART 3
by
The Ionic Butterfly (aurelia_@yahoo.com)
Ranwolf (ranwolf@hotmail.com)
All Gargoyles characters belong to Disney/Buena vista studios. Characters
from the Final Fantasy series, Chronotrigger etc. belong to Square.
The Characters of Nic Maza and Miyabe Tendo belong to Ranwolf and Ionic,
respectively. C&C are always welcomed. Flames will be read, considered, laughed
at, then burned. (Get it? Flames? Burned? ^_^)
CHAPTER 3: THE RAGE THAT BINDS US
/* "One" Metallica *\
The iron doors slammed shut behind a wary Nic Maza. The fire ring opened for him
to step inside. As it shut, he realized the flames were holograms because there was
no heat. He turned around to see the camera, but only saw a stone gargoyle statue
staring at him. It reminded him of Lexington, and he suddenly missed the world he
had come to know. He had to win this battle if he wanted to get back to it.
He stared at the floor and saw the words, 'THE BRAVE DO NOT FEAR THE GRAVE'
written. Very comforting, he thought. He realized he was not afraid. If he did fail here,
Cloud would help him find another set. He took a deep, calming breath as the tiny
creature known as Master Tonberry appeared before him.
Tonberry crept forward in an eerie way. Nic realized he was wasting time by staring
at him. He remembered to use the Regen spell. Tonberry crept forward, holding
up the lantern. Nic used the Haste spell, and suddenly he was thinking faster and
moving with great ease.
Swallowing hard and reminding himself it was only an illusion, he lashed out at
Tonberry with his Bo. It hit the creature's shell, bouncing harmlessly off. It began to
morph.
A black behemoth appeared before him with what could pass for a grin on its face.
Cloud had said that Tonberry would let him get used to it before really fighting, so Nic
quickly attacked Behemoth-Tonberry in the same manner that he had seen Yuffie attack.
Behemoth-Tonberry raised a claw and struck Nic in the shoulder. Nic yelled out,
the pain immense. But soon it vanished. Regen, he thought. He grinned as he
attacked the beast, bludgeoning it with his staff. Nic spun around, building momentum
striking Behemoth across the face, stunning it for a moment. Nic reared back and drove
the Bo deep into the creature belly. It let out a harsh, pained filled cry as Nic pulled
on his staff, lifting the creature off its feet. Holographic blood coated the staff and Nic's
hands. His face twisted in disgust, wishing he had the blood turned off, or at least toned
down. He released the Behemoth; it disappeared as soon as it touched the ground.
The Arena Master entered with a small slot machine in his hand. Nic pulled. Lucky
Seven, it read. Cloud had said that meant nothing lost, nothing gained. He sighed of
relief.
Master Tonberry reappeared, inching closer and closer. Nic found that no matter
how hard he hit the little thing, Tonberry would shrug it off. Everything was in vain until
it morphed. Tonberry lifted the lantern and backed away, turning into a rabbit.
This "battle" did not last long; a Tiger Woods impression did the trick. Nic thought it
was all a big joke as he pulled the Lucky Seven again. Tonberry once again morphed
into something simple and harmless. Nic was getting annoyed. Surely it would not be
this easy.
Then his materia was broken, he realized it was about to get interesting. Tonberry
appeared as Cloud. "Nic, you've done good! Too bad you have to die right now.
Miya sure is going to miss you," he laughed.
Nic said nothing. He kept reminding himself it was only an illusion. "Are you sure
about that?" Cloud-Tonberry said.
Nic attacked the fake Cloud with his Bo. Cloud-Tonberry grinned evilly as it blocked
and perried the attacks easily with the large broadsword. Nic was getting angry and
that scared him. Bo and Sword clashed, the sound of metal against metal echoed in
the Arena. Cloud-Tonberry kneed Nic between the legs. He let out a grunt of pain as
he backed away. Cloud raised his sword and leaped at him, his Bustersword arcing
it's way towards him. Nic dove out of the way, the ache in his privates slowly fading.
Tonberry pulled its sword out of the stone floor. "And you call yourself a warrior?",
Tonberry mocked. "You're nothing but a target." Cloud-Tonberry charged Nic once more.
Weapons clashed once again, neither making a critical wound as the two battered
each other with fists and weapons. Tonberry went for another over-head slash, Nic
brought up his Bo blocking it. He could feel the shapeshifter put all it's weight behind
the crossed weapons trying to get the razor edge of the sword to break through the
metallic staff. Tonberry's dark blue eyes widened when Nic slammed the end of his tail
between it's own legs. Nic forced Cloud-Tonberry's sword down and delivered a vicious
head-butt, Nic's small horn spurs lacerating Tonberry's brow, blood falling into the
metamorph's eyes. Tonberry fell back, wiping at its eyes, giving Nic the time he
needed to take one of the grenades Yuffie gave him and launched it at his opponent,
exploding on contact.
Cloud vanished and the Arena Master offered another pull. Nic got a frog. Normally it
meant Nic would be turned into one temporally, but since Cloud had given him a anti-frog ring,
nothing happen.
Nic was getting nervous as Tonberry crept forward again, holding the lantern that
shone a sickening yellow light. Demona appeared before him in all her demonic
beauty. "It's only an illusion," Nic said to himself again.
"No little one, it's not." Demona said. She ran toward him so fast he barely raised his
Bo in time to block the attack. He countered with a strike to Demona's head, knocking
her down. The Metamorph used its new tail to take hold of Nic's leg pulling it out from
under him. He lost his grip on his staff, it was sent flying across the stone floor,
collapsing itself after a few moments. Demona quickly jumped on his chest and began
pummeling him with lefts and rights, breaking his nose and blackening his right eye.
Angered, he roared at her, doing his best to buck the blue gargress off of him. He stuck
her in the ribs hard enough to turn bricks to powder.
Nic pushed Demona off rolling on top of her, continuing to pulverizing her sides.
Demona raked her talons across Nic's shoulder, ripping open the cloth and skin
underneath. He smashed a fist into the face that looked so much like Angela's,
shattering the nose. He latched his hands around her throat, squeezing and twisting,
feeling the bones moving in ways they were never meant to. Demona-Tonberry tried to
push him off, her hands struggling to rip at his face, her legs trying to get between them
and tear open his belly with the Talons of her feet. With a wet Crack!! the struggling
ceased, the hand at his face fell limp and Demona vanished.
The fight was getting to Nic. It was all a little too weird. Three more, he thought as
he pulled the slot. Accessory broken. His frog ring now had no effect. He coughed a
little and spat out some blood. He saw the Tonberry out of the corner of his eye and
ignored it while he retrieved his Bo, knowing he had the time before it morphed into whoever.
Goliath stood before him, arms open wide. Not the Goliath of the world he now
called home, but his actual father, as he remembered seeing him, tall, broad of chest,
regal in every definition of the word. His hair still coal black marred only by streaks
of silver over both temples and wearing the armor plate strapped to him, covering the
left side of his massive chest. "My son," he said in that deep, confidence building
voice of his.
Nic made the mistake of believing, wanting to see his father after so many years.
He walked forward wanting to embrace him, to tell him of everything he's been through
since his death at the hands of a Quarrymen Death Squad.
When Nic was within arm's length, Goliath laughed, backhanding Nic to the floor,
Nic cursed when he noticed the sickly yellow light coming from his arm. Fucking Shit!!,
he thought. He forgot the warning cloud gave him.
"You claim to be of my blood?" Goliath said scornfully. "You are not a gargoyle,
but a freak of nature. Something which should not have been allowed to hatch, much
less conceived." Goliath-Tonberry began to laugh once again.
Nic snarled ferally. He charged Goliath and hit him in the head with the staff,
staggering the lavender giant. Nic lunged forward, hitting Goliath in the Solar Plexus
with the length of his staff, driving Tonberry to it's knees. Nic knew it would only stun
Tonberry for a moment, so he continued his assault. Relentless in his pursuit in
destroying this... thing using Goliath's form. He extended his fingers, stiffening them
before driving his talons into Tonberry's chest, through the steel plate where the heart
would be if it was indeed Goliath.
He pulled the slot when it appeared without thinking twice. "Half Life" it read. He felt
his energy drain instantly. Tonberry appeared before him once again holding up the
damn lantern. Nic was so tired, all he wanted to do was lay into the little thing, and rip
it to shreds.
Hyena appeared before him. Nic's eyes widened. "No!" he gasped.
"Don't kill me. Please, don't kill me again," she pleaded, "They lied to you, this isn't
an illusions. It's so very real. Let me live." she said simply. Looking almost like a
frightened young woman.
Nic stared for a long while, his heart twisting in place. Had Cloud lied? His question
was answered when Hyena grinned insanely, before rushing him. Nic was caught by
surprise as he felt Hyena's armored shoulder drive into his midsection hard enough
to knock him off his feet to land hard several yards away. Not again!!!
"Sucker!" Hyena cackled as she stalked her way towards the downed Demigoyle.
Nic rose to his feet quickly bringing up his weapon in preparation for battle.
Hyena-Tonberry smiled evilly as blades emerged from her elbows and her fingers
extended several inches becoming flexible spikes. She rushed Nic again, this time
her hands outstretched to slash at him repeatedly.
Nic was able to block and dodged a majority of the attacks, with only a few slipping
past his defenses, the finger spikes cutting through his shirt and into his skin. There
was a sharp pain across his chest, but it soon faded because of the adrenaline
pumping through his veins.
Hyena didn't get away with anything, catching the end of Nic's Bo or a powerful tail
swipe several times across the face and ribs, her armor was littered with dents and
scratches.
Nic swung his Bo again to impact against her jaw. Hyena-Tonberry saw it coming.
She ducked under the blow, grabbed the end of Nic's tail and swung him around a
half rotation before releasing him, sending Nic crashing into the stone wall hard
enough to cough up some more blood. Nic began moving, getting to his feet, his head
starting to spin from the impact.
Hyena grinned "Got'cha!!" She said aloud. Two vents opened up along the small of
her back. With a outrush of flame, Hyena launched herself at the still dazed Nic. She
reached out with one hand taking him by the throat mashing him against the wall,
holding him up. Only the end of his tail was touching the ground.
Nic gasped for air while struggling against his opponent's steel grip. As strong as
he was he was no match for cyber-bionics. "Wakey, wakey." Hyena sneered at him.
She loosened her grip just enough to let him breath. "Is it just me or does this seem
familiar?" Hyena laughed insanely at her own joke. "But something' different. Now I
wonder what that could be?...Oh I know..." Hyena-Tonberry grinned again as she
extended the blades of her middle and forefingers and pulled back her hand.
"Bitch." Nic slurred.
Hyena smirked arrogantly, ignoring Nic. "What pretty brown eyes, little boy," she
said. The same words the real Hyena said to him before she tore out his eyes when
he was a child.
Nic's eyes widened. He clamped his hands around Hyena-Tonberry's wrist, his
talons digging into the joints. With all the force he could muster, he said, "Fulminos
Venite!" Magical lightning flowed from his arms into Hyena. She shrieked in pain, the
electricity moving easily through the metal implants. The female cyborg released him,
the power still flowing in and around her convulsing body. She collapsed and soon
vanished.
"Last one," the Arena Master said. Nic barely heard him because of the blood
pulsing through his pointed ears. The pull broke his weapon, and he found himself
without his Bo.
Nic glared angrily at Tonberry as he crept forward. This time Tonberry seemed to
grin, then vanished. Nic sighed. It was over. He had done it. The fire-wall opened and
let Miyabe step through. He walked over to her, drained, and hugged her. His breath
was ragged. "I did it," he said.
"Yes, but there is something you have to know. I can't be with you. I... I don't love
you," Miya said. "Not anymore." A shock went through Nic. He didn't know what to do
or say or even think. The words echoed through his mind. "I want to have Cloud's child,"
she said. He let go of her. "Nic, don't hate me. It just happened...," she said. "I don't
want to have a child that the world would never accept."
Nic noticed that there were no bruises on her arms. Only a sick yellow light emanating...
Something in his mind snapped. His brown eyes slowly turned black as his implants
shifted to the Weapons H.U.D. they were originally designed for. His mind filled with a
unbelievable rage. Nic roared, a sound no human voice could equal. His last rational
thought being, HE DARES!?! HE DARES!?!
Losing the last of his sanity, he tore into Miya-Tonberry, punching the creature so
hard it flew across the chamber hitting the stone wall with a dull THUD!!. Tonberry
slumped to the floor trying to rise. The rage possessed warrior slammed into Tonberry,
pinning the shapeshifter to the wall. Nic raised his hand, quickly bringing it down
across the pseudo-Miyabe's face, filleting it open. Holographic blood splattered the
wall and Nic himself. The blood didn't phase the raging gargoyle, who continued to
slash and gouge at the imposter, bellowing again when the mangled form faded then
vanished into nothingness. He tilted his head back and roared once again in frustration.
"You did it! you won!" the Arena Master said to him from behind with a congratulatory
smile. Nic stood and growled unintelligibly before he grabbed the man by his throat.
"Hurk!!!" went the Arena Master before being thrown. Nic started across the battle
chamber, His back slightly hunched over, talons flexing open and closed continuously,
his fangs bared in a animalistic snarl.
Somehow, through the roaring of blood pumping in his ears, Nic faintly heard a voice
yelling something he could not make out. Becoming louder as the foolish person came
closer and closer. A sharp pain crossed his cheek. He growled deep in his throat ready
to attack, but another voice, deep in the back of his enraged mind insisted no harm was
to come to her. Another sharp pain formed on his other cheek. This time, the figure's words
became understandable.
"NIC! Please ! Please, calm down! Can't you hear me?"
Nic eyes lightened to their normal brown. He blinked several times before realizing it
was Miyabe standing before him. His legs buckled under his weight, falling to his knees.
"Oh god! Not again!" he cried out, his voice hoarse.
He didn't register his mate's movement of kneeling down next to him and pulling him
into an embrace saying soothing words into his ear. Nic didn't notice the others enter
the Arena. Dio and Tifa began to check the man laying unconscious on the floor where
Nic had thrown him. He was alive, barely. Tifa used her healing materia to help return
his vital signs to normal, and Dio carried the Arena Master out.
"Nic, we need to get you to the Enertron," Cloud said, knowing the dangers of
skipping it.
Nic didn't reply. The sickly yellow light was shining in his mind's eye. He held on to
Miya, clutching her and not wanting to ever let go.
"Nic, can you hear me?" Miya asked softy.
He nodded slightly, then realized what a hatchling he must look like. He pushed away
from Miya and looked in her eyes. She understood what had happened. He stood up
shakily, and Cloud instantly offered him an arm. Nic took it gratefully, and Cloud led
him to the Enertron.
Nic stood inside the machine, silently praying it would make him forget everything.
While it relieved him of fatigue and healed his injuries, it didn't erase his memory. He
stepped out, searching the crowd of faces for Miya's. She was the only one here that
understood. He needed her with him...
"Miya!" he called out when he couldn't see her. She was by his side, touching his
arm. He was having a breakdown, he could feel it. The sea of faces smiling and cheering
for him made his stomach churn.
"Cloud! Didn't Dio say we had rooms in a hotel here?" Miya asked. Cloud nodded
and began leading them through the crowd. Yuffie and Barret followed them. Cid
stayed behind with Tifa. He led them to an elevator and pressed the button reading,
"Ghost Hotel."
"Are you okay?" Cloud asked Nic. Again, Nic did not answer. Cloud tried again, but
this time to someone who could give him some answers. "Is he okay, Miyabe?"
Miya shook her head. "He went into what's called a 'Blood Rage', it's a condition for
gargoyles, pretty rare from what I understand." she answered.
"You mean he's nuts?" Yuffie asked before thinking.
Miya gave the young konoichi a venomous look. Miyabe turned back to Nic. "Anata?
Can you hear me?" she asked.
"Why do you keep asking that?" he asked quietly.
"You're not answering anyone," Miya said.
"I'm answering you," he said flatly. Miyabe sighed as the elevator came to a halt.
Someone screamed as the door slid open. Nic's head popped up, and his hand went
instantly to his Bo, somehow it found its way back to its harness. Cloud, Yuffie, and
Barret stepped out as if nothing had happened. The area was dark and eerie. Headstones
lining the path and a greenish mist flowing through the air. Cloud looked back and
smiled. "The Ghost Hotel. It's just as spooky as it sounds, but no real danger." he said.
Miya took Nic's hand, and pulled him out. He seemed so far away, she wondered
what was going through his mind.
The path led them to a large ancient looking castle, with sharp black spires, complete
with bats circling in the light of the full moon. Miyabe had to smile at it. It looked like
something out of a old "Hammer Films". She looked to Nic but his head was bent, lost
in thought.
Inside, a headless host greeted them. "We're sorry, but we are filled up for the night,"
he said.
"We have reservations. Dio made them." Yuffie said quickly. She didn't seem to like
it too much at the hotel.
"Oh, in that case, be our guests. Register at the front desk," he said. Miya wondered
where he was speaking from.
She looked around and noticed two ghosts playing chess in one corner, and a clock
with a fiendish face in another. Screams filled the background. Something fell from the
rafters. It was a man on a noose, blood trickling down his tuxedo. Miya gave a yelp of
surprise and Nic's head popped up again. She patted his hand as she began laughing
a bit at the deskman.
"Reservations only," the hangman said.
"Yes, for Cloud Strife, please," Cloud said, pulling out I.D. from his wallet.
Soon enough, Miyabe and Nic were alone in their room. Nic sat on the edge of the
bed staring blankly at his hands, flexing them experimentally.
Miya sat beside him, pushing his long dark hair behind his ear so she could see him
"Anata, doshta no?" she asked in Japanese, What's the matter? "You won, isn't that
enough?"
Nic shook his head. "They didn't do anything to me," he whispered.
"Yes they did. They made you angry. That was enough to do it," she said.
Nic looked at her. "I don't feel well. Between the fight and losing it, I really don't feel
well," he said.
"Lie down," Miya said. As he obeyed, she pulled off his shoes then checked for
fever or any other signs of actual illness. He was fine. "I'm going to get you some
water." she said.
Nic grabbed her hand, not wanting her to leave his side. "Stay. Onegai. Stay," he
asked quietly. Miya sat back down at his side and he gently pulled her down beside
him. "Stay with me," he whispered in her ear. She found herself in a position somewhere
between sitting up and lying down, with her mate cradled in her arms.
"Gomen nasai...," he said.
"Doushite? Winning the trigger?" she asked.
"Ie. For hurting you," he said.
"You didn't hurt me. It was Tonberry," Miya said, only slightly worried he had attacked
with such rage. She knew he must have somehow known it was not really her. She
began rocking back and forth gently, his head buried deep in her shoulder.
Nic did not reply. He fell into a daze. In his mind, the fight was replaying over and
over. The way he had torn into Miya-Tonberry, the way he had thrown the Arena Master
away like a fly... He truly was some sort of monster.
His mind didn't stop there. Memories of his own world flooded his mind, all the
fighting, the deaths. The way he had destroyed Hyena caught up with him yet again.
It was all hitting him at once, and he felt so weak...
Miya could almost feel the exact moment Nic slipped into the depths of his mind
and lost touch with his surroundings. Every once in a while, he would begin to shake,
or wince, or clutch her tightly, or give small moans. All she could do was kiss his
head rocking him gently, repeating aloud that it was all right, that she was there with
him and would not let anything happen. She hoped that it would help.
Tifa knocked on the door, and Miya told her to come in. Cloud was behind her. The
smile on Tifa's face vanished at the site of Nic. "Oh, gods, is he okay?" Tifa asked.
Miya nodded. "He'll be fine, I think. He just needs to rest and try to put this behind
him."
Nic winced, his eyes flying wide open. But his eyes saw nothing but a sick yellow
light. He could feel Miya there beside him, and he knew that he loved her and she
loved him, and that she was waiting patiently for him to get through this. Anything
else was beyond his comprehension at that point.
"Well, do you want to practice riding anymore tonight?" Tifa asked. Quickly berating
herself for asking such a stupid question.
Nic somehow sensed he was about to be left alone, and held tight to Miya. Miya
yelped from his tight grip, and he instantly let up. "I think I'm needed here more. We
can practice tomorrow before the race," she said. After all, she had managed to stay
on the thing for at least five minutes.
Tifa nodded. "All right. You two take care. See you in the morning."
They exchanged goodnights, and soon Miya was alone with Nic again. "Fight it,
Anata. Hiyaku and come back to me." she whispered to him. She felt tired, and slid
down in the bed as far as Nic's hold would let her. She kissed his forehead and
seemed to know he had fallen asleep somehow.
END PART 3