For terms, scroll down, anti-spoiler space is provided. Ja! :)
*****
Destiny's Call - 4
By: Liv (aka LGStrife)
Cloud's head was nodding rather slowly. Though...there were a few things he didn't understand because of the strange language. "...Heh, lucky men, aren't we?"
"Heh?" Kenshin asked with a blink. "Naze?"
Cloud didn't understand what that naze meant. "You've met Aeris and Sephiroth."
"Aa de gozaru."
"Sephiroth once killed Aeris."
"Oro?!"
"Shhh!" Cloud gave Kenshin a smile. Not a very friendly one, he could tell. "You'll wake the others up."
"A, ano..."
"Come sit beside me."
"Hai de gozaru." Kenshin bent his knees and sat on his lower legs watching Cloud clean his sword while explaining.
"I lost Aeris after she prayed for Holy. Sephiroth came out of nowhere, we only saw him when he had landed from above behind Aeris, his sword through her stomach. That was the loneliest hour I had in my whole life...as if everything was gray...the only people in the world is me, and Sephiroth killing Aeris."
"Nanda..." Was all Kenshin could say. Somehow, he could relate to Cloud. Only...in Cloud's story, he would be Sephiroth...
"In the end, I laid Aeris to rest underwater. After Meteor had been defeated...weeks after that...
"Huh?" Cloud heard footsteps from outside the old Shinra Mansion in Nibelheim. Vincent, the man who he is sharing home with, was deeply sleeping now. He seemed to be the only one awake in Nibelheim...
Or unless Tifa is star gazing again...
The footsteps came closer, Cloud was already coming down the lobby when he heard that. He gasped turning to the door when it opened slightly. "Who the hell..."
Brown boots moved inside the mansion through the slight opening...
Cloud couldn't remember anyone who would do that.
The boots were drenched, water was dripping from what looked like a dress...
A pink dress...
"Oh my God..." Cloud whispered to himself when the door opened wider revealing the woman whom the AVALANCHE had lost because of Sephiroth. "Ae...ris..."
Aeris was very wet all over, her hair let down. She looked for shelter and warmth in the cold night of Nibelheim. "Hello??" Her voice echoed.
"Aeris!" That was uncalled for.
Aeris gasped turning to the stairway. There was Cloud...staring at her...all shocked...but a smile slowly being worn... "Cloud!" It was more like a whisper. Next thing she knew, she had already thrown herself to Cloud's arms who was laughing in joy.
The door opened wider when a woman wearing skimpy clothes entered the mansion. "Oh my God, Cloud..." Tifa was catching her breath. "I swear I saw a ghost pass by and come in this mansion!" She saw Aeris beside Cloud. "Only it's not a ghost..."
There was a pause...then both girls had squealed in delight of meeting each other again. Tifa ran towards Aeris and embraced the old friend tightly.
The last one to come in the scene was Vincent who was rudely awakened from all the noise that is happening outside.
"Oro...sou desu..." Kenshin uttered.
"I...I had no idea how Aeris lived. She said Lifestream gave her a second chance to live, she didn't know why as well..." Cloud laughed softly. "What the hell am I babbling here..." He turned to Kenshin. "Get your rest, your family should be waiting for you."
*****
The next day was welcomed by the morning warks of the Chocobos.
"Oi, tori-atama!!" Yahiko called approaching Sano who seemed to be looking somewhere outside the farm. "Whatcha doing, huh?"
"I swear I saw someone out here." Sano continued to look around.
"Saw who?"
"I dunno."
"A chick?"
"Yeah..." Sano replied unconsciously.
Yahiko showed a surprised face. Then a mischievous smile was worn. "I'm gonna tell Baka Kenshin and Busu-chan!!!"
"Hehhh?!" Sano turned around to Yahiko only to see him running towards the inn. "OI!!!" He called as he chased the boy before he could reach Kenshin.
*****
"Heh? A woman?"
"Outside the ranch?" Kaoru asked after Kenshin. She had to agree it was pretty weird.
"She looked like a damsel in distress!" Sano said while Yahiko snickered at him.
"Demo...why would someone like her wander around alone when she knows she is helpless in face of the monsters?"
Sano shrugged.
"Ano, Sano..." Kenshin spoke. "Where and when did you see her?"
"When I woke up, I saw her outside just staring at me. She...kanojo wa...aw, damn! She was very beautiful, I could just stare at her!!"
"Oro?"
"Then, next thing I knew, she wasn't there anymore! When I came outside, I couldn't find her!"
"Ano..." Kenshin thought of a possible reason as to this...phenomenon. But he wasn't from this world. "Maybe we should just ask Kuraudo-san once they're awake."
*****
"A random chick in the middle of nowhere?" Cloud raised his brow. "Are you sure?"
"Or maybe it's another Chocobo you saw out there." Cid kidded and laughed with Barret.
"Damn! Y'ain't gonna see no chick 'round here, foo!" Barret agreed with Cid. "Ah...what's your name again?"
"Tori-atama." Yahiko said.
"Nandeo?!" Sano glared at the laughing Yahiko.
"Ah...whatever, tori-atama. There's NO way a random chick like that'd come wandering 'round the ranch for trouble! M'be y'were only dreaming, tori." This time, Barret was rather serious.
"THAT'S SANO!"
"Oh fine, sure, whatever..."
"Sano," Kenshin spoke once more. "Bareto-san is right."
"Bareto?! You make me sound like a burrito!!" Barret protested with the laughs of everyone in his team...except Sephiroth who seemed to be deep in thought. "Can'cha jes' call me Barret??"
"Gomen nasai, Barret."
"Ahhh...I'll take that as a yes, anyway..."
Sano sighed. "Damn...and I thought I saw the girl of my dreams..."
"Maybe you just saw a mirage, Sano." Kaoru guessed.
"There are no mirages in this place." Aeris shook her head. "This is too...close to the city to actually have mirages."
"Wait, wait, wait!" Yahiko interrupted. "In the first place, WHERE are we?"
Silence reigned for a couple of minutes. Kenshin and his friends just had to turn to Cloud.
"...The Chocobo Ranch." Cloud answered simply. "Or if you want a more general answer, you're in Planet."
"Wha??" Sano spoke. "Wait, sure we know we're in a planet--"
"That's it. The name of this planet is Planet."
"...This is crazy! Lemme take a break!" Sano threw his hands and walked away from the ranch.
*****
"This whole world is crazy! Huge chickens, fighting women...not that Jou-chan is..." Sano trailed off when he heard a woman cry and monsters roar. "Nanda-- doko?!" He turned around and around, the woman wasn't there. "Where are you?!" He rushed to the northwest where he guessed the sound is from.
"Aiiiiieeeee!!!!"
"I'm coming!" Sano pulled to a stop seeing a woman pressed against the rocky wall with wolf-like monsters growling at her.
"Help me!!! Somebody help!!!"
It's her! Sano could remember the beautiful black hair and sky blue eyes and white dress.
"Help!!!"
"Hey!" Sano's voice caused every monster to turn to him. "Why don't you pick on some your own size??" He exchanged glares with the monsters.
Ganbatte...
"Kyaaa!!" Sano charged the group of monsters readying his fist. On the first one that leapt over to him, he smashed his fist on its head. He turned around with a strong kick and attacked the leaping one behind him with an uppercut.
"Look out!!!" The woman shrieked.
"Heh?" Sano turned around only to be bitten by the wolf. "Gah!! Baka!" He snarled at the wolf. "You that'd slow me down?! Hya!!" With one strong swing of his left hand, the wolf was thrown away. "And as for you!" Turning around once more, he lifted his left leg and slammed it down on the last monster.
Then there was short silence...
The wind blew after the battle, only Sano's breath can be heard. Maybe also his heart. "Huff...huff...itai..." Sano knelt as his left hand held the wound on his right lower arm.
"A, are you okay??" The woman whom he saved approached him and knelt behind him.
"Yeah...I'll urk!" Sano wanted to prove his strength to the maiden but something else was in the wound.
"It's poisoned." The woman's slender hands held Sano's arm checking the wound.
"Heh...?" Sano turned to the woman.
The woman faced him with kind eyes. "Thank you for saving me, mighty sir. I'm a healer, allow me to aide you."
Sano watched the woman tear a strip of cloth from her dress. From the small pocket of her wear, she took out a tiny vial. She opened it gently and settled the cover on the grasses. She spread enough yellow green fluid on the cloth and wrapped it around Sano who hissed in pain.
"That's okay. It's an antidote. The poison is slow, it wouldn't kill you, don't worry." The woman handed the vial to Sano. "Drink in the rest, then you should heal very quickly."
"A, ano..." Sano stared at the vial, his left hand moved unconsciously to take the vial.
"Go on..."
Sano stared at it for a couple more minutes. Finally, he took a deep breath and drank the antidote all the way while his eyes were shut. The bitter taste filled his throat leaving a rather sour after taste. "M, mazui..."
"Sano!!!"
"Heh?" Sano turned around to see his friends along with the talking wolf ran towards him. "Minna!" He waved. He turned around back to the woman. "Heh?" But she was gone. What was left of her was the cover she had settled on the grasses. "Oi! Where are you?" Sano stood up and searched for her. "Hey!"
"Sano!"
Sano turned around again to the call of Kenshin.
"Sano," Kaoru spoke. "Daijoubu desuka?"
"Daijoubu desu, Jou-chan..."
Kaoru fumed. "Ungrateful man! I was so worried--"
"Maa, maa, Kaoru-dono..." Kenshin patted her shoulder. "Maybe Sano really is okay."
"Demo..." Yahiko pointed to the cloth wrapped around his arm.
Kaoru gasped. "Sano! What happened??" She held the wound and studied it while the man stuttered.
"It seems that he was attacked by a monster." Red XIII pawed his way to the wound and sniffed it. "It's a poisonous wound."
"Oro?!" Kenshin exclaimed. The rest, he did not notice imitated.
"But there's an antidote on it. He should be fine."
"Heh," Yahiko spoke. "I guess tori-atama was wise to bring with him an antidote."
"Shut up, Yahiko-chan..." Sano muttered.
"DON'T CALL ME CHAN!!!"
Sano sighed. "Actually, it was the woman I was telling you guys about."
"Heh??" Yahiko asked. "Hontou ni...?"
Sano nodded while he held his wound.
A device made a ringing sound. Everyone looked at where it was coming from.
"It's my PHS." Red XIII approached Kenshin. "It's hanging around one of my accessories. Take it."
"Oro..." Kenshin knelt and took the small device. The name of the caller blinked on the blue screen of the silver phone. "Kuraudo-san?"
"Press the accept button."
"Oro..." Kenshin complied.
"Hey! Where are you people??"
"Cloud!" Red XIII answered. "We found Sano, he's wounded but he'll manage."
"At least you found him...we're on the Airship now."
"Airship?" Kenshin asked.
"We'll pick you up through there."
Sano's neck bent looking up as a wide shadow was casted on them. "And here they are..."
"Hey!" Tifa waved while she looked down. "We're throwing over the rope!"
*****
"Suuugoi!!!" Yahiko was amused of the interior of this flying house.
"THIS IS AWESOME!!!" Sano agreed.
"Everyone, everyone, please, settle down and marvel upon the beauty of the Highwind!" Cid bragged happy that these foreigners loved his Airship.
"Make yourselves at home, Himura." Cloud smiled at Kenshin.
Kenshin nodded. "Aa de gozaru."
Sano and Yahiko were musing over the controls as Cloud watched. Sephiroth approached him from the back with a serious face. "*ahem*"
"Huh?" Cloud turned around. "Sephiroth..."
"There's something I need to discuss with you."
Cloud returned to Kenshin and his family. Seeing that they are very busy supplying their knowledge, he followed Sephiroth in a walk to the balcony. "What is it?"
"Stay sharp, we're not alone."
Cloud stopped from his steps as Sephiroth went on. "What?" In their current situation now, WHO would attack them? Shinra? Pathetic...
Sephiroth turned around and approached Cloud. "The lightning yesterday. The one that hit my leg."
"Y, yeah?" Cloud looked straight into Sephiroth's eyes.
"It told me something. There's something about the boy..."
"Myoujin?"
"Yes, and--"
"WHO THE F*CK!!!"
Cloud turned around immediately. There was a shriek, then a call.
"Kaoru-dono!!!"
"It's Kaoru!" Cloud wielded his sword and rushed over to the scene.
Sephiroth was calm. He was analyzing the scene while hidden under the shadows.
Cloud pulled to a stop to see Reno holding Kaoru in hostage. "Reno!"
"We meet again, Cloud!" Reno had on a mischievous smile as he backed off. His right arm was around Kaoru's neck while his left hand held his weapon, the Night Rod.
"Let her go!" Kenshin snarled, his sakabatou ready.
"Or else what, Orient??" Reno snickered. "Do you think your weapons could actually hurt me??"
Kenshin's eyes slowly turned amber.
"Kenshin!" Yahiko called.
"KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!"
"Kenshin!!!" Kaoru shrieked.
Reno was astonished of the man's great speed, so were the AVALANCHE. To his luck however, he had already readied an attack to Kenshin. His Night Rod was quickly pointed over to Kenshin. A bright twinkle of light approached Kenshin and flashed into a golden translucent pyramid encasing the swordsman.
"Nanda--oof!" Kenshin's speed was cut short when he hit a wall of some sort. His head moved quickly studying his 'prison'. "Iya! Shimata!!"
"Try fighting yourself out of there, Orient! As for me." Reno gave Cloud an evil smile. "I'm taking with me my prize."
"Let her go, Reno. She has nothing to do with this." Cloud answered rather calmly.
Reno only gave a laugh. He casted his Night Rod over at the controls where three fireballs shot out breaking the windows near it and the machine itself.
"%*%^%$!!!" Cid shouted. He was ready to attack with his Venus Gospel if Reno had not jumped out of the broken window, pass the burning machines, and onto an Airship.
"Cid! Get this thing to land!" Cloud commanded.
"How?! The &%&** controls for that are busted!"
"You're wise, Cid! Improvise!!" Cloud jogged over to Sephiroth with heavy steps.
Sephiroth was still there, calmly standing.
Cloud didn't know why. "S, Sephiroth...Sephiroth!! You saw all that happened there! Why didn't you--"
"I told you, didn't I?"
Cloud stopped from his bickering. Through his relation with Sephiroth, the message was sent to him again.
Stay sharp, we're not alone.
"You knew all along..."
Had Sephiroth known...ever since they were in the Chocobo Ranch...?
- End of Part 4 -
Jap terms and FF7 terms time!!! XD
1. Naze? - why?
2. Aa de gozaru - Yes
3. Holy - the spell that could stop the destruction of Planet.
4. Meteor - the summoned spell to destroy Planet.
5. Shinra Mansion - an old haunted mansion in Nibelheim that holds
a lot of secrets and mysteries.
6. Nibelheim - Tifa and Cloud's hometown, where everything started.
7. tori-atama - rooster head or something like that
8. Nandeo - what
9. demo - but
10. Kanojo wa - she
11. gomen nasai - sorry
12. doko - where
13. itai - ouch
14. mazui - bad taste
15. minna - everyone
16. jou-chan - little miss
17. hontou ni? - or simply hontou? means really?
18. Airship - a vehicle much like the airplane in Final Fantasy. The
AVALANCHE's is called the 'Highwind' as it is Cid who created it.
19. sugoi - great
20. Night Rod - Reno's weapon. A some sort of stick that is capable
of many attacks. (he never leaves without this)
21. iya - or iie, means no
22. shimata - shit
More stuff to know:
Those who have read 'A Letter to Aeris Gainsborough' by LGStrife, you should be able to notice something :) In 'A Letter to Aeris Gainsborough', I had written that Tifa gave her house to Cloud and Vincent. :) In this case, Cloud and Vincent lived in the Shinra Mansion after Meteor and Tifa stays in her home.
And...one more thing... *finds Kenshin's sakabatou attractive*
Kenshin: Oro?
Liv: *snatches sakabatou and swallows it*
Kenshin: OI!!! MY SWORD!!!
Onna: LIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIV!!!!!!!!