Chapter 4: The Untold Darkness
Sirens silently wail in the not so distant distance as a spiky-haired figure leapt from within a stone archway.
'Who was she?'
Upon entering the main square his eyes darted to the nearby treasure chests standing along the left side near the entrance to a civilian home. Upon opening these chests he retained 5 pheonix downs, and 1 elixir.
'Better re-equip myself while I have the chance.' First he removed the bangle that was attached to his wrist and replaced it with one of the 'iron bangles' he had stolen on his way out of the reactor. Next, he switched his normal Buster Blade for the more powerful Mythril Blade. After checking, and re-checking his equipment he replaced his two materia orbs,(Ice and Bolt) back into his weapons materia slots.
As he walked toward an overpass he could hear voices.quiet at first, but they were coming closer.
"Search the area! Anyone who looks suspicious, or is carrying a weapon must be taken in for questioning! The ones we are looking for have been said to carry a sword, and a gun on one arm!"
'Wait a minute!' "That's ME!" Noticing his error to late the Shinra guards shouted, "There he is! GET HIM!!!"
The guards began to chase him, and they even offered Cloud the chance to make a decision, whether to run or fight! Since he didn't really need the experience, 'Yet the item could come in handy later on.NAH!'
"I've gotta get out of here!" He ran down toward the overpass continuously choosing to RUN everytime a guard asked him to fight. Still after all his efforts they had managed to surround him.
"Six against one! I don't think that is very fair odds, do you?" He was trying to stall, he had to stall, his life depended on it! Suddenly, Cloud heard the faint 'toot toot.'
'The tram is on it's way.hmmm.I bet I could jump onto it from here. Yeah! Just gotta jump at the right time.' Sweat was exploding from every pore in his face as he planned the way and to which degree an dhow much force he would need to land safely on top of the train.
"That's it! Enough of your mindless babble! We're taking you to the President! GET HIM!!!" At the elite guards' command four of the remaining five sprang from the bull ring surrounding our lone hero.
"NOW!!" Cloud turned at a speed faster then the human eye could follow. The elite guard saw that he was standing with his back to the deserted tram tracks below, 'What is he thinking?' Just then he heard it, the tram.was coming.
"Hurry you fools. Get him! He's going to jump! GET HIM!!" But he was to late for Cloud had crouched down and was already half way through his perfectly executed back-flip. 'He'll never make it!' But again he was wrong. He stood there staring wide eyed, and open mouthed at the fact that this mere mercenary was able to land not only safely, but unshaken on top of the tram. 'Did his eyes glow? SOLDIER.'
**************************************************************************** ********************************
Meanwhile..
"Where's dat no good ex-SOLDIER at?!" Jesse had to jump on topof a crate to avoid getting hit by the lose animals that were Barrets' raging arms. He had been ranting ever since Cloud had not shown up at the station, and now the train was leaving.
"Hey boss. did you hear something back there on the roof?" Biggs walked slowly over to the door to investigate.
"No! What da hell makes you think that I could here anything over myself!"
"Sorry."
"He'll be here, he'll find a way.I mean he always does!!!" From her perch high above Barret's head she sat fiddling with a stack of plastic cards.
THUMP!! Thump.thump.THUMP!!!!!
The door to the cart was hit over and over.
"Who dat?!" Barret raced over to the door and whipped it open with such force that he almost fell out. A moment later a spiky-haired figure flipped into the cart.
"Leaving without me?" He sat down on the floor, and began rubbing his legs from the ankles to the thigh.
"JEZUZ MOTHER EFFIN' EFFER!!!!! Ya know these wacked out entrances of yours has gotta stop!!!!" Casting an anger look down at the immature Cloud.
"Aww. I thought you liked me scaring the shit out of you?" Everyone in the cart except Barret began to laugh, and Wedge had laughed so hard that couldn't contain himself.PFFFFFFTTT!!!!
(In unison) "Awww!!! MAN!!!! Can't ya do that somewhere else!"
"Sorry." Wedge gave them all the sad puppy dog eyes, and everyone including him just cracked up laughing!!
After they had settled down Cloud stated, "Not to be rude or anything.but." Sorrow welled within his eyes.
"Ya..what is it?" As if he didn't already know.
"Well.it's just that." 'Might as well just say it before he explodes' "When am I gonna get paid!?" "Whew.there I said it.'
"You'll get ur money when we get back. Now 'Troops' follow me!" He leapt over the boxes that barricaded the automated entrance door, and they maid their way up to the main cart. As they arrived, the engineer stepped back and with his right hand covered his left eye, which is a sign of authority or disrespect in the land of final fantasy.
"This is why I hate the last shift!" He groaned under his breath, not aware that the newly neighboring Barret had heard him.
"Whatcha say!"
"N.nothing sir." At this Cloud and Jesse ran up to the module on the main control panel. Jesse began her usual lecture of how the tram system was situated around the central spire of Midgar, and how there were automated security checkpoints placed at strategic points along each route. She aslo explained that these would not be a problem for them because she was a wizz at computers and had discoveered a method for making fake ID cards that would mask the signal allowing them safe passage.
Exhausted and hunger, Cloud took up a seat by Barret.
"They are destroying Gaia ya know."
"Yeah.I know."
"What we is livin' on is just the rotten underbelly of this big corrupted pie crust!"
"Not much we can do about it."
"GOD DAMN IT!!" **************************************************************************** ******************************
After what seemed like an eternity aboard the tram, they finally heard the call of, "LAST STOP! SECTOR 7SLUMS! LAST STOP!"
As the doors opened and they all disembarked from the tram, Barret called them all over to the nearby lamp post.
"Alright team.we are gonna split up and rendezvous back at the Seventh Heaven."
Soon they were all on their separate ways.
Passing through the nearest part of the slums Cloud noticed an enormous stone structure that soared high into the pizza slice high above. 'The support pillar, the only thing that holds up the plate. If anything 'destructive were to happen to it the results would be catastrophic!' He walked slowly past towards the main section of the slums. here he browsed through the different shops. He picked up a couple more items and some stronger equipment for Barret and himself, and he purchased tons of materia orbs,(You can never have to much MATERIA!!!!!^_^') Upstairs in one of the shops he heard the cries of, "Stop it!" and, "Hey! Dat's not faiwr!"
After gallivanting around in the shops Cloud rushed over to the Seventh Heaven just in time to see Barret barreling out after frightened customers.
"Have you no sympathy?" The blonde Cloud gave Barret a friendly punch upon the arm.
"Lets go! Get in here!" Soon all of the members of AVALANCHE were seated around the main table in the bar.
Cloud caught the attention of a short, but moderate young woman with long black hair that was tied in a semi-braid, which glimmered like the night sky. She wore a white cut-top and short black shorts, upon her fists were boxing gloves. She was a supreme fighter, never lost a match until he came along. With his hair of silver, and techniques out-mastering hers every time!
'Tifa Lockhart, great fighter and fast talker, but all around sweet girl.' Next to her stood a small child clad in an elegant purple dress and black dress shoes.
"Hey Marlene! Come give your Uncle Cloud a hug." She didn't even move, soon after she just backed away hiding behind the form of Tifa.
"Huh?"
"She's mad at you." Tifa turned back at Marlene to see if she wanted her to say anything else, but got no reply.
"Why?"
Still no reply, then she dashed out from behind Tifa and screamed, "Cause.cause yesterday when Biwwy was here you compwetely ignored me!" Her quavering little voice went from silent to explosive, then she began to sob.
"Well." He couldn't actually tell her that he was training Billy in the arts of the Soldier, after all he being a ten year old boy, and Marlene an eight year old girl, he was going to need to go look for a job in the next coming year. 'Maybe I should give her one of those flowers I bought earlier.' That brought back the thoughts of the flower girl, 'Who is she. why does she seem so. familiar?'
"Here.I gotcha something on my way back from the plate." He held the flower buds in his hand concealing them from Marlene, 'There is something very special about these flowers, could they be Dark Bloomers?'
"Realwy? What is it Unky Cwoud?" Her eyes were now sparkling at the fact that even though she had just kicked him in the face for not playing with her, he still actually bought her something.
"Come over here and see." He laid the flowers down on the floor hoping they would bloom, but to his disappointment they remained closed.
"HEY! Are they dead Unky?"
"No, no, no, no! Tifa kill the lights please."
"Sure." Click...
Darkness reigned over the little bar as the heavens lights were extinguished under the flames of evil, slowly the dark petals began to peel back revealing tiny crystalline spores. When all three of the flowers had fully opened, a dancing display of lights began to careen into every inch, every corner of the Seventh Heaven restoring the lost light to the night.
Completely awestruck little Marlene asked for a flower, "Sure you can have one, go on pick."
Their was a pink glowing one, one that shown in crystalline whit, and one that glimmered the color of his eyes.
"I like this one." She bent down and took the blue one, "It reminds me of your glowy eyes."
"You're welcome.now.lights!"
"Oh..right." Gazing into the luminance of the flowers had caused her to fall back into her past, to her home in Nibelheim, and most importantly to her well. She would on countless school nights, even against her mothers will, sneak out and sit atop the well, gazing into the night sky high above, 'A canvas, black as death, with tiny crystals of hope splattered across the face.' That was how she remembered it. She regained her composure and with a 'click' the lights wer back on and the flowers became once again captive in the light.
"Now. how was your day?"
"Same ol', bust into the reactor.blow shit up. have spiky here scare the piss outta me!"Jesse had re-appeared along with Biggs and Wedge, who was stuffing his face with Tifas' famous power doughnuts.
"Well, I've just heard that Shinra is going to re-activate reactor number 5, so are we going to infiltrate that one as well?"
"Spiky's right! We gonna go down there and blow that one to nothing but dust!"
"In the morning!" They were all exhausted, but Tifa had been the one who had to take care of the customers today and she was wiped!
"Wait a minute? You not gonna come with us are ya?"
"Yep!"
They all went to bed, except for Cloud. Using his soldier skills he had managed to climb the roof. He sat there gazing into the darkness below.
'What is wrong with me? Why can't I stop hearing that ping noise whenever I think of my past?'
PPIIINNNNGGGGGGG...............
"NO! NOT AGAIN!!"
A dark veil gave way to a tall man standing in front of a darkened doorway. To his back an old man was standing upon a steel catwalk which hung above a vat of mako.
"SEPHIROTH! You won't get away with what you've done! They'll find out...auwggg!" With not even the blink of an eye, the tall one had spun around and the tip of his very long sword,(Masamune) had pierced the chest of the old man.
"Pathetic simpleton! You can't even fathom the depths of my power! Mother is waiting...." He dropped both man and sword to his left and walked through the door.
A small figure ran down the catwalk not a moment after the tall figure walked into the breeding chamber. **************************************************************************** ******************************
'Sephiroth? That name seems so familiar, why?' "AH MY HEAD!!"
Darkness....... Scythe: What will happen next? Wait and find out...sorry for all who wanted to see them blow more shit up. Reactor 5 and Chapter 5 seems ironic don't it? Anywho. Aeris will be appearing in chap 5, and also a new twist with President Shinra! #_^ Thankies all.........
Sirens silently wail in the not so distant distance as a spiky-haired figure leapt from within a stone archway.
'Who was she?'
Upon entering the main square his eyes darted to the nearby treasure chests standing along the left side near the entrance to a civilian home. Upon opening these chests he retained 5 pheonix downs, and 1 elixir.
'Better re-equip myself while I have the chance.' First he removed the bangle that was attached to his wrist and replaced it with one of the 'iron bangles' he had stolen on his way out of the reactor. Next, he switched his normal Buster Blade for the more powerful Mythril Blade. After checking, and re-checking his equipment he replaced his two materia orbs,(Ice and Bolt) back into his weapons materia slots.
As he walked toward an overpass he could hear voices.quiet at first, but they were coming closer.
"Search the area! Anyone who looks suspicious, or is carrying a weapon must be taken in for questioning! The ones we are looking for have been said to carry a sword, and a gun on one arm!"
'Wait a minute!' "That's ME!" Noticing his error to late the Shinra guards shouted, "There he is! GET HIM!!!"
The guards began to chase him, and they even offered Cloud the chance to make a decision, whether to run or fight! Since he didn't really need the experience, 'Yet the item could come in handy later on.NAH!'
"I've gotta get out of here!" He ran down toward the overpass continuously choosing to RUN everytime a guard asked him to fight. Still after all his efforts they had managed to surround him.
"Six against one! I don't think that is very fair odds, do you?" He was trying to stall, he had to stall, his life depended on it! Suddenly, Cloud heard the faint 'toot toot.'
'The tram is on it's way.hmmm.I bet I could jump onto it from here. Yeah! Just gotta jump at the right time.' Sweat was exploding from every pore in his face as he planned the way and to which degree an dhow much force he would need to land safely on top of the train.
"That's it! Enough of your mindless babble! We're taking you to the President! GET HIM!!!" At the elite guards' command four of the remaining five sprang from the bull ring surrounding our lone hero.
"NOW!!" Cloud turned at a speed faster then the human eye could follow. The elite guard saw that he was standing with his back to the deserted tram tracks below, 'What is he thinking?' Just then he heard it, the tram.was coming.
"Hurry you fools. Get him! He's going to jump! GET HIM!!" But he was to late for Cloud had crouched down and was already half way through his perfectly executed back-flip. 'He'll never make it!' But again he was wrong. He stood there staring wide eyed, and open mouthed at the fact that this mere mercenary was able to land not only safely, but unshaken on top of the tram. 'Did his eyes glow? SOLDIER.'
**************************************************************************** ********************************
Meanwhile..
"Where's dat no good ex-SOLDIER at?!" Jesse had to jump on topof a crate to avoid getting hit by the lose animals that were Barrets' raging arms. He had been ranting ever since Cloud had not shown up at the station, and now the train was leaving.
"Hey boss. did you hear something back there on the roof?" Biggs walked slowly over to the door to investigate.
"No! What da hell makes you think that I could here anything over myself!"
"Sorry."
"He'll be here, he'll find a way.I mean he always does!!!" From her perch high above Barret's head she sat fiddling with a stack of plastic cards.
THUMP!! Thump.thump.THUMP!!!!!
The door to the cart was hit over and over.
"Who dat?!" Barret raced over to the door and whipped it open with such force that he almost fell out. A moment later a spiky-haired figure flipped into the cart.
"Leaving without me?" He sat down on the floor, and began rubbing his legs from the ankles to the thigh.
"JEZUZ MOTHER EFFIN' EFFER!!!!! Ya know these wacked out entrances of yours has gotta stop!!!!" Casting an anger look down at the immature Cloud.
"Aww. I thought you liked me scaring the shit out of you?" Everyone in the cart except Barret began to laugh, and Wedge had laughed so hard that couldn't contain himself.PFFFFFFTTT!!!!
(In unison) "Awww!!! MAN!!!! Can't ya do that somewhere else!"
"Sorry." Wedge gave them all the sad puppy dog eyes, and everyone including him just cracked up laughing!!
After they had settled down Cloud stated, "Not to be rude or anything.but." Sorrow welled within his eyes.
"Ya..what is it?" As if he didn't already know.
"Well.it's just that." 'Might as well just say it before he explodes' "When am I gonna get paid!?" "Whew.there I said it.'
"You'll get ur money when we get back. Now 'Troops' follow me!" He leapt over the boxes that barricaded the automated entrance door, and they maid their way up to the main cart. As they arrived, the engineer stepped back and with his right hand covered his left eye, which is a sign of authority or disrespect in the land of final fantasy.
"This is why I hate the last shift!" He groaned under his breath, not aware that the newly neighboring Barret had heard him.
"Whatcha say!"
"N.nothing sir." At this Cloud and Jesse ran up to the module on the main control panel. Jesse began her usual lecture of how the tram system was situated around the central spire of Midgar, and how there were automated security checkpoints placed at strategic points along each route. She aslo explained that these would not be a problem for them because she was a wizz at computers and had discoveered a method for making fake ID cards that would mask the signal allowing them safe passage.
Exhausted and hunger, Cloud took up a seat by Barret.
"They are destroying Gaia ya know."
"Yeah.I know."
"What we is livin' on is just the rotten underbelly of this big corrupted pie crust!"
"Not much we can do about it."
"GOD DAMN IT!!" **************************************************************************** ******************************
After what seemed like an eternity aboard the tram, they finally heard the call of, "LAST STOP! SECTOR 7SLUMS! LAST STOP!"
As the doors opened and they all disembarked from the tram, Barret called them all over to the nearby lamp post.
"Alright team.we are gonna split up and rendezvous back at the Seventh Heaven."
Soon they were all on their separate ways.
Passing through the nearest part of the slums Cloud noticed an enormous stone structure that soared high into the pizza slice high above. 'The support pillar, the only thing that holds up the plate. If anything 'destructive were to happen to it the results would be catastrophic!' He walked slowly past towards the main section of the slums. here he browsed through the different shops. He picked up a couple more items and some stronger equipment for Barret and himself, and he purchased tons of materia orbs,(You can never have to much MATERIA!!!!!^_^') Upstairs in one of the shops he heard the cries of, "Stop it!" and, "Hey! Dat's not faiwr!"
After gallivanting around in the shops Cloud rushed over to the Seventh Heaven just in time to see Barret barreling out after frightened customers.
"Have you no sympathy?" The blonde Cloud gave Barret a friendly punch upon the arm.
"Lets go! Get in here!" Soon all of the members of AVALANCHE were seated around the main table in the bar.
Cloud caught the attention of a short, but moderate young woman with long black hair that was tied in a semi-braid, which glimmered like the night sky. She wore a white cut-top and short black shorts, upon her fists were boxing gloves. She was a supreme fighter, never lost a match until he came along. With his hair of silver, and techniques out-mastering hers every time!
'Tifa Lockhart, great fighter and fast talker, but all around sweet girl.' Next to her stood a small child clad in an elegant purple dress and black dress shoes.
"Hey Marlene! Come give your Uncle Cloud a hug." She didn't even move, soon after she just backed away hiding behind the form of Tifa.
"Huh?"
"She's mad at you." Tifa turned back at Marlene to see if she wanted her to say anything else, but got no reply.
"Why?"
Still no reply, then she dashed out from behind Tifa and screamed, "Cause.cause yesterday when Biwwy was here you compwetely ignored me!" Her quavering little voice went from silent to explosive, then she began to sob.
"Well." He couldn't actually tell her that he was training Billy in the arts of the Soldier, after all he being a ten year old boy, and Marlene an eight year old girl, he was going to need to go look for a job in the next coming year. 'Maybe I should give her one of those flowers I bought earlier.' That brought back the thoughts of the flower girl, 'Who is she. why does she seem so. familiar?'
"Here.I gotcha something on my way back from the plate." He held the flower buds in his hand concealing them from Marlene, 'There is something very special about these flowers, could they be Dark Bloomers?'
"Realwy? What is it Unky Cwoud?" Her eyes were now sparkling at the fact that even though she had just kicked him in the face for not playing with her, he still actually bought her something.
"Come over here and see." He laid the flowers down on the floor hoping they would bloom, but to his disappointment they remained closed.
"HEY! Are they dead Unky?"
"No, no, no, no! Tifa kill the lights please."
"Sure." Click...
Darkness reigned over the little bar as the heavens lights were extinguished under the flames of evil, slowly the dark petals began to peel back revealing tiny crystalline spores. When all three of the flowers had fully opened, a dancing display of lights began to careen into every inch, every corner of the Seventh Heaven restoring the lost light to the night.
Completely awestruck little Marlene asked for a flower, "Sure you can have one, go on pick."
Their was a pink glowing one, one that shown in crystalline whit, and one that glimmered the color of his eyes.
"I like this one." She bent down and took the blue one, "It reminds me of your glowy eyes."
"You're welcome.now.lights!"
"Oh..right." Gazing into the luminance of the flowers had caused her to fall back into her past, to her home in Nibelheim, and most importantly to her well. She would on countless school nights, even against her mothers will, sneak out and sit atop the well, gazing into the night sky high above, 'A canvas, black as death, with tiny crystals of hope splattered across the face.' That was how she remembered it. She regained her composure and with a 'click' the lights wer back on and the flowers became once again captive in the light.
"Now. how was your day?"
"Same ol', bust into the reactor.blow shit up. have spiky here scare the piss outta me!"Jesse had re-appeared along with Biggs and Wedge, who was stuffing his face with Tifas' famous power doughnuts.
"Well, I've just heard that Shinra is going to re-activate reactor number 5, so are we going to infiltrate that one as well?"
"Spiky's right! We gonna go down there and blow that one to nothing but dust!"
"In the morning!" They were all exhausted, but Tifa had been the one who had to take care of the customers today and she was wiped!
"Wait a minute? You not gonna come with us are ya?"
"Yep!"
They all went to bed, except for Cloud. Using his soldier skills he had managed to climb the roof. He sat there gazing into the darkness below.
'What is wrong with me? Why can't I stop hearing that ping noise whenever I think of my past?'
PPIIINNNNGGGGGGG...............
"NO! NOT AGAIN!!"
A dark veil gave way to a tall man standing in front of a darkened doorway. To his back an old man was standing upon a steel catwalk which hung above a vat of mako.
"SEPHIROTH! You won't get away with what you've done! They'll find out...auwggg!" With not even the blink of an eye, the tall one had spun around and the tip of his very long sword,(Masamune) had pierced the chest of the old man.
"Pathetic simpleton! You can't even fathom the depths of my power! Mother is waiting...." He dropped both man and sword to his left and walked through the door.
A small figure ran down the catwalk not a moment after the tall figure walked into the breeding chamber. **************************************************************************** ******************************
'Sephiroth? That name seems so familiar, why?' "AH MY HEAD!!"
Darkness....... Scythe: What will happen next? Wait and find out...sorry for all who wanted to see them blow more shit up. Reactor 5 and Chapter 5 seems ironic don't it? Anywho. Aeris will be appearing in chap 5, and also a new twist with President Shinra! #_^ Thankies all.........