Chapter 3
--Three against the world–
Bone Village
The stars shined so brightly above. Always floating, always about, but never imposing. Their guidance in a dark world was a welcome sight to Cloud, as he lay his head back against a boulder. The nearby fire flickered with the passing of the chilly evening winds, and the weary rider sat back and enjoyed a moment that rarely ever came: Peace.
"How does it feel, Cloud?" Red's gruff voice echoed off the walls. "I mean, how does it feel to be here?"
Cloud looked across the fire to his furry friend. "What do you mean?"
"Well, Tifa told me what you said after you defeated Sephiroth," Red replied. "You must have been wanting to return here ever since then. I'm surprised you didn't set out immediately, in fact."
Cloud nodded slowly. "I've wanted to come here since the Lifestream gave me its answer. It's just thatWell, I"
"You've been worried about our other friend?" Cid said, finishing Cloud's sentence as he came walking back into the camp. "Sorry, I couldn't help but overhear you two talking."
"Yes," Cloud answered. "I've been concerned for Tifa, but, more than that, I've been hoping for an answer, or a message, maybe, from Aeris."
"From Aeris?" Cid asked. "What do you mean?"
Cloud shook his head and stood up. "It doesn't really matter. I never have had the time to come here until now. Now that I'm here, though, I'm going to find out if we can bring her back. If she wants to be brought back."
The three sat in awkward silence for a few minutes. Cid and Red knew and like Aeris, but none had been as close to her as Cloud. They tried never to push the subject of her death too far, for fear of hurting Cloud again.
"Ahem, umWell, uh, speaking of Tifa, I received a message onboard the Highwind from her," Cid said, finally breaking the silence. "Seems Barret, Cait Sith, and her are on their way to Rocket Town to meet with some former Shinra agents. The message was a little fuzzy, but, best I could make out, there's been some rumblings from Wutai, and they're helping out Reeve with the investigation."
"Good," Red answered. "I would like to know what's going on over there. I suggest that we not stay any longer here than necessary, though, as both our towns would be the first endangered, should any disturbances erupt."
"Agreed, I think," Cid said. "Besides, this place gives me the creeps."
"Where mortals fear tread, immortals walk freely," Cloud interrupted. "It's death, and life."
Red and Cid were shaken a little. Cloud hadn't said a word about the blood since they showed him the message. "Cloud?" Red asked. "What are you talking about?"
The ex-Soldier sat down and put his head in his hands. "I've heard it before. From Aeris."
"Aeris said that?" Cid asked.
"The night before we got to the City of the Ancients, Aeris and I sat by the fire, talking about old days," Cloud began. "Aeris mentioned something she once heard her mother said. She told her that when an Ancient dies, if ever you need their help, search where mortals fear tread, and immortals walk freely."
"What does it mean, though?" Red asked. "I've never read that saying in any texts."
"I didn't understand at the time," Cloud answered. "I tried to ask, but Aeris avoided the question, regretting having told me. I meant to ask her again later, but, well, later never came."
"So you don't know, then?" Cid asked.
Cloud stood and walked over to the blanket, lifting it to see the blood again. "I didn't know. Not until the Lifestream spoke to me after I finished off Sephiroth."
"I'm curious," Red started, "how does the Lifestream communicate?"
"It's within your head," Cloud replied. "Aeris could hear the planet better than I. But, when I was within the Lifestream, I could make out voices. They said that the Promised Land was where one found life, where one found death, and where one could find resurrection."
"So, why would someone leave a message to you, in blood, about the Promised Land?" Cid asked.
"It's a challenge. Maybe from Sephiroth, or another unknown person. Whoever wrote it intends on finding me. Drawing me here, and using my passion for her for their own ends--"
The three warriors jumped up quickly, startled, and looked to the top ridge at the sound of clapping. There, a lone man with long brown hair and beige cloths hanging over his body sat on the back of a gold chocobo, clapping his hands together. "Finally, a mortal who can figure things out, for himself."
***
The Lifestream
Away in a place that some could argue never existed, stood a dreamland. A heaven, if one would allow. It was a dream, a place created from the thoughts of a person who once believed she would live forever.
A small pool received its water from a mighty waterfall in the distance, while all sorts of flora and foliage grew around the water's edge, and deep into the distance. This world was a canvass, and all in it had been painted in with the imagination of an Ancient. However, this paradise was more prison that heaven.
At the foot of the pool, a young woman wearing a light pink dress stepped in, leaving her boots and jacket at the shore. Holding her dress up with her left hand, the lady giggled at the tiny fish, nibbling at her legs as she walked along the muddy bottom. Her hair had been pulled up around her neck, and it had been quite a feat, as her hair had grow very long over her life. Various flowers, picked from the sides of the pool adorned her, as did some trinkets and jewelry, gifts from others.
The Flower Girl stopped and looked out at the heavens above, and let out a sigh. Low clouds hung about the sky, providing shade, and shining their silver lining to the delight of the Girl.
It was perfect. Rather, it would have been perfect, were she alone. She looked over her shoulder at the two guards standing beyond the water's edge. They both wore the robes and medals of the Cetra Guard, the strongest of the Cetra armies that once roamed the planet.
The girl let out a long sigh, and turned to the guards. "You know, you don't have to be here. It's not as though I can up and leave anywhere."
One of the guards stepped forward and kneeled, putting his fist down to the ground, and keeping his head low. "I am most sorry, my lady, but it is the orders of Eirien, the great one."
"Why must you follow his orders?" The Flower Girl asked. "You are free to find your own heaven, here."
"My lady Aeris, you are most kind with your words, and you flatter us, but we vowed to follow Eirien to death, and beyond," the guard replied. "You will see, when you meet him, that he is truly the master of this side of the world."
Aeris shuddered a little. She had heard of Eiren from her mother long, long ago. She doubted any on the other side would know of him. She did not look forward to meeting him.
"It doesn't matter," Aeris answered back. "My friend will come and bring me back to him. Your Eiren is nothing compared to Cloud."
The guard looked up at Aeris, anger in his eyes. "My lady, I must ask for your forgiveness, but, because of your unkind words, I must take you from here."
Aeris looked at the soldier. "Where will you take me?"
"To moreplaces," the guard replied.
***
Bone Village
"I am known by many names," the brown-haired man on the gold chocobo said. "But my favorite is Eiren."
"Don't care what your #$&*#$ name is, you stupid #$^$!" Cid replied in his quaint way of talking. "You best get the hell outta here!"
"Now, now, Cid," Red said. "Don't chase off our guest too quickly. Eiren is an odd name, and I would like to learn a little more about him."
"A red demon dog?" Eiren whispered. "Thought you were all extinct."
"Well, you can see we aren't," Red replied. "Now, who are you?
"You two don't concern me at all," Eiren said harshly. "If you wish to live, you may leave, now. Strife is the only one I have need to speak with."
"Stuff it, you blowhard," Cid yelled. "Where Cloud goes, we go."
Eiren sighed loudly. "I can see you two will be a real pain. Ilan, if you would?"
Another soldier strolled up to the cliff's edge on Chocoboback. Holding up a green orb, he whispered a quick prayer, and the whistling noise of magic use was heard.
Cid, Red, and Cloud looked at each other as nothing happened. Cid smiled broadly. He started to say something, but when his mouth opened, no voice came out. The Pilot turned to Red, who also found himself without voice.
"What did you do to them?" Cloud yelled.
"I'm surprised at you, Strife," Eiren laughed. "As much as you've used materia, you don't recognize silence'?"
Cloud drew his sword from its sheath. "A waste of time, really. These two don't need their voices to take care of you."
Eiren laughed gently. He raised his hand to the air and snapped his fingers. In an instant, the three fighters were surrounded by men on chocobos. Each wore the same outfit, brown and tan robes, with a gold medallion hanging around their chest. All were armed with a short sword at their sides, but, more importantly, each held a bag at their side holding a great number of materia orbs.
Two canines, looking very similar to Red walked up on either side of Eiren, looking over the edge and growling loudly. Saliva hung from their lips, as they bared their teeth. Red looked up at them with his mouth hanging open. They looked exactly like him, except much older, and bigger.
"Meet Saruka and Nasaku, former guardians of Cosmo Canyon," Eiren smiled, gesturing to the animals. "As you can see, my dear Strife, you're outgunned. There doesn't need to be any violence, though. Your friends can walk away without harm, if you wish."
Cloud looked at Cid. The Pilot, standing ready with his spear, was scanning the area around, trying to figure out who to hit first, should it come to it. Red was also ready, bent low to the ground, and snarling back at the two guardians above. Cloud was amazed. His friends were ready to fight, despite the odds.
With a chuckle, Cloud stepped forward. "It would be an insult to my friends to accept your offer. We've survived far worse situations."
"You have?" Eiren asked. "That is most odd. We've been watching your whole group for some time, now, and I don't recall you ever being so outgunned before."
Cloud didn't answer. He just stood looking into the eyes of his enemy.
"Very well," Eiren finally said, annoyed with the events. "Kill the dog and the barbarian, but do not kill Strife."
Instantly, Saruka and Nasaku were on Red. The three rolled across the ground, fighting and biting savagely at each other. Four men jumped from the back of their chocobos at Cid, each with their sword raised in the air, while another stayed behind, raising barriers and regens on his allies. Three more attacked Cloud from behind, charging hard on their Chocobos with lances pointed at the soldier, while another stayed behind, readying a few red orbs for the fight.
Though Saruka and Nasaku were bigger, they weren't smarter than Red. Or as experienced. Red dodged each attack by the two dogs, causing them to run into each other, and keeping them placed between himself and the magic users above. When he could, he darted forward and sliced with his comb at the sides of the beasts.
Cid spun his spear around quickly, using the butt end to knock out the first attacker, hitting him square in the jaw. Another soldier charged in, screaming as loud as he could, and took two slices at Cid, who dodged each slice. If that had been the only attacker, it wouldn't have been a problem, but Cid's dodges put him right in line with the other attackers, who threw their blades down at him. Cid brought his spear up to block the attack, but the first blade went clean through the wooden shaft of the spear. Cid swung around with his fist, and sent it into the attacker's stomach, then brought the other fist down on top of his back, knocking him out on the ground.
Cloud turned and charged his opponents. Just as the lances of the riders were about to strike him, he leaped into the air, and brought Ultima Weapon down through the rider. Cloud rolled with the momentum and turned to look back, expecting to see a dead soldier. However, all Cloud saw was a quick flash of light as the barrier flickered away from Cloud's attack. "Damn," he whispered.
Red dodged another attack, sliding under Saruka, and kicked hard with his hind legs, sending the dog on its side. He quickly turned and bit savagely into the dog's neck, but refrained from taking its life. Saruka was out. As was Nasaku from an earlier, well placed kick. Suddenly, Red's side began to feel very, very hot. The guardian let out a yelp and tried to face his opponent. The magic users began using the Materia. As the whistling sounds of the materia began flaring up, Red zig-zagged, trying to avoid the attacks, but every other lighting bolt or burst of fire singed him just a little more.
A black eye adorned Cid's face, now. He had a few other cuts and bruises, but he had held his own, and then some against his opponents. Like an old boxer, he kept taking hits and throwing more back at his opponents, who just kept coming at him. After knocking down the fifth guy, Cid put his hands down on his knees for a moment to try to catch his breath. That's when he heard the whistling noise of the materia. He looked up at the heavens, and, pouring from the now unfriendly starts, meteors began falling left and right, slamming into the ground. Red and Cid tried to dodge each attack, but so many meteors fell, it was impossible. Finally, the blitz stopped, giving Cid and Red a moment's respite.
"Surely, even you can see that you simply cannot defeat us all, Cloud," Eiren laughed. "Why don't you just give up."
Cloud pulled his sword from the dead body of the warrior and turned to Eiren, a grim look across his face. "Cid, Red, gather round," Cloud said, pulling a red orb from his pocket. "There is one orb Yuffie didn't get her hands on"
A red flash engulfed the three friends as they disappeared. The attackers looked quickly around, trying to find where the three went off to, but Eiren didn't budge. Suddenly, the ground began to tremble. Slowly at first, then very violently. Each warrior lost their balance and fell as the ground gave way under them, and those on Chocoboback were swept off their mounts as the forest and camp around them blackened out.
The soldiers screamed out as an enormous knight appeared from nowhere and sliced his sword through them all, cutting through their barriers and into their very skin. Just as he disappeared, another came from nowhere, staff spinning. Each soldier was beaten badly with the staff. Again, and again, another knight would come to replace the previous knight and hit the attackers with a blast of fire, a bolt of lighting, or another element.
Despite the great amount of power from the attack, when the last knight vanished, and the world around reappeared, no soldier fell. All, save Eiren, were hurt, but none were too injured to continue.
Cloud, Red, and Cid returned, each surprised the enemy was still standing. Cloud looked up at the sound of hands clapping. "Excellent!" Eiren laughed. "I had not seen the Knights of the Round in Eons. I thought they were only a legend!"
Cloud clenched his jaw and stepped forward. "Your men are hurting. I will take them all down alone if I must. Leave, now, and never return, or I will kill you."
"My dear Strife," Eiren began, "If you kill me, you'll never learn of your sweet Aeris!"
A gasp escaped Cloud's lips. Red and Cid stood, open mouthed, looking at Eiren.
"Well, friends, I do say, tonight has been most entertaining," Eiren finally said. "It has been quite educational, too. Now, we know what to expect from the humans in terms of fighting. But, to all good things"
The Ancient snapped his fingers, and a soldier held up his green orb and began chanting. From the ground below, Cloud, Cid, and Red were thrown into the air, and slammed down hard on the ground, knocking all three out immediately.
Eiren's face grew very cold. "Bring Strife with us. Dispose of the other two."
***
Rocket Town
The bright morning sunlight shined down the grassy streets of Rocket Town. The sunlight made its way down past the inn, past the weapons shop, and to a little cottage at the end of town, next to a now empty rocket launch pad. The wet grass gave off the early spring scents that brought out the birds their songs.
The door opened at the little house, and a brown-haired woman in glasses stepped out, holding a cup of tea, and enjoying the nice morning air.
She reached down, picking up the morning paper that was printed by the old man across the street for the town. A smile spread across her face at the news. "Highwind still Busy: Local Pilot still saving world."
Shera, as the town knew her, turned to go back in and read the paper, but she stopped suddenly, noticing a strange buzzing sound, much like the sound of the old twin bronco, flying in the distance. Shera stepped back out of the house and into the street, trying to look in the distance. The buzzing sound began to get louder. And multiply.
Dozens of little spots had formed in the skies above the horizon and were getting larger every second. One of Shera's neighbors stepped outside and looked up at the horizon. "That Cid?" he asked. "Never a dull moment when the Captain's coming home."
Shera shook her head. "No, that's not Cid. Those aren't rocket engines."
The dots took form and began to grow larger and larger. "ThoseThose look likeThe Highwind?" the neighbor laughed. "Has the ol' Captain made a fleet of those things?"
"Not that I know of," Shera answered.
Suddenly, Shera and the neighbor fell to the ground, covering themselves as a bolt of lighting burst out of one of the ships in the distance and slammed into Cid's house, destroying it. "Run!" Shera yelled. "It's an attack!"
***
Niblehiem Mountains
"Come on, Barret! Just a little farther!" Tifa yelled, looking through her binoculars into the distance.
"I hate these damned things!" Barret yelled. "Why did Cloud have to spend so much time breeding them?"
"We really needed a gold chocobo, besides, these black ones are fairly calm."
"Jus' why couldn't we get someone to give us a ride?" Barret asked, finally pulling his chocobo up with Tifa. "I mean, I know the world's a little messy right now, but these stupid birds are driving me outta my mind."
The two turned as they heard Cait Sith's muffled scream from behind as he fell down the mountain. Again.
"Aw, damn, man," Barret grumbled. "I'm sick of carrying his sorry butt up here again and again."
"Well, you'll be thankful he's with us if we get attacked, Barret," Tifa said, turning to her old friend. "Do you think Cloud and them will meet us at Rocket Town?"
"Hell if I know" Barret spit, walking back down the path. "Where are we, anyways?"
"We're in the Niblehiem Mountains! Just a few miles outside of my old home!" Tifa yelled, smiling. "Hey, wait, Barret. What are those?"
The large man stopped and looked across the mountains. He slowly walked back to Tifa, took the binoculars and looked out at the strange objects in the sky not too far away. "Looks like the Highwind. Fore it got all tore up, that is. There are several of them."
"Doesn't it seem strange?" Tifa asked. "Cid never mentioned building more than one of those things."
"What was that?" Barret asked, as a bolt of lighting shot out from the lead ship.
"I–I don't know. Maybe we better hurry up and get over there!"
"Yeah–I hope it isn't what I think it is," Barret said, his voice quivering a little.
***
?????
Pain. That was all Cloud could feel. His arms hurt, his legs hurt, his chest hurt. It felt like someone had broken every bone in his body. He couldn't even open his eyes. Consciousness became something the ex-soldier easily fell in and out of.
Every now and then, he could make out something someone was saying.
"Being taken backto ship"
"Lifestream too good for this."
"Why not just kill."
""
One of the last things Cloud could remember thinking was how he had let everyone down. They had survived so much together, then this one soldier took them all out. How could he let them all down?
Then, Cloud felt warmth. The warmth surrounded him. He felt the hair all over his body sway back and forth, like it did when he flowed in the Lifestream. The wounds were not hurting so muchThe pain was leaving.
"Am I dying?" Cloud thought he asked.
"NoYou are only just now beginning to live," a voice responded. The female voice sounded very familiar.
***
So much more to come.