Chapter 39
Long Ride
And
Troubled Battle
Liberty or death, what we so proudly hailOnce you provoke her, rattling of her tail
Never begins it, never, but once engaged…
Never surrender, showing her fangs of rage
Don't tread on me
-Metallica-
Disclaimer: These things are getting boring…don't own don't sue; I'll kill if anyone takes my characters or the ones given to me by anyone else. Ask if you'd like to use them. Lyrics from Metallica Black Album-Song: Don't Tread on me…if you haven't notice I really like Metallica and some of their lyrics go good for my story.
A/N: Sorry I've been taking sooo long. *Sigh* I have inherited yet another story but I couldn't just pass the opportunity up. The story was very good thus far, I'll put some of my own touches into it and start posting it once I am thoroughly satisfied with how it is looking and once I speak a little more to the original author. I hop you all read and review it once it is posted. If your interested say something and I'll be sure to let you know when it's posted…though I know some of you have already read it. It use to be called 'The Hojo Project,' I'm not quite sure what it will be called when it gets posted. Now, on with THIS story!
NOTE: Always, no worries, I will never give up on this story until it is finished as with all the others. The others may be postponed but this one will NOT. Just to let you all know.
Long Ride and troubled Battle:
Daitona groaned as she swayed with the chocobo's movements; it was growing late and they had yet to really stop for a break.
"When are we going to stop?" Daitona growled through her teeth irritably. "We've been riding for three days, are we really in that big of a hurry to go running into battle? I'm tired and I don't feel good anymore."
Sephiroth reined the chocobo up and turned slightly to look at his wife. She really did look tired; he sighed and put an arm around her as a gesture of his apology. "We can rest here for the night if you like…I forgot that you're not really use to riding these birds."
He jumped down then pulled Daitona off the animals back into his awaiting arms. Daitona got her sore legs under herself and stood on her own. Sephiroth smiled sympathetically at her then reached up on the chocobo's back to untie the supplies they brought.
"I'll set us up a place to sleep first then I'll build a small fire to cook our dinner. Ok?" he asked a then looked around for a suitable place to roll out their sleeping bags.
"There," Daitona pointed at a small patch of grass.
The silver-haired warrior eyed out where his companion pointed then nodded in agreement. He spread one sleeping bag out on the grass then the other above it; when he had finished he motioned for Daitona to sit down. She did with a sigh of relief and wariness.
"Are you ok? You said you weren't feeling good and you don't look it either…" Sephiroth commented.
"I'm just tired…riding that chocobo for almost three days straight is not my idea of relaxing or fun. Oh sure, it was fine when we started out but come on! Why don't we ever stop for a break? That poor bird is probably dead on his feet, what! With both of our fat butts on him non stop…" Daitona sighed and lay back, wincing somewhat as he sore muscles were finally allowed to be stretched out.
"Well, rest for now and I'll get everything taken care of…" 'I'm worried about you Daitona…' Sephiroth thought worriedly as he walked into the woods to find some firewood. 'You don't look good at all…I hope you're ok and feel better in the morning…'
****
Sephiroth held Daitona's sleeping form close as he rode on towards their destination slowly. She hadn't felt well when she woke so he decided to let her ride in front of him so that she could rest some more while they pushed forward.
The chocobo appreciated the slower pace for once instead of the grueling pace it had the first few days. The terrain was becoming grassy again to accent the arrival of the vast plains area that was approaching. The weather was growing cooler from the strong winds that blew off the mountains.
It was early afternoon when they reached the forested area closest to Fort Dal'fa. Sephiroth stopped the chocobo then and jumped down from its back and successfully woke Daitona from a light sleep.
She looked up at him groggily then rubbed her eyes free of sleep and looked around there surroundings. She yawned, and then locked her aqua green eyes with that of glowing aqua that had taken on a more of a blue look at the moment.
"Where are we…how long have I been sleeping?"
"We're almost to Dal'fa…it's only the afternoon. Are you feeling better?" Sephiroth asked and moved his arm so that Daitona could stand.
She did so and stepped back from him and again looked around, not recognizing where they were.
"Daitona…" Sephiroth pleaded softly and reached out taking her hand. "What's wrong…what's bothering you?"
Daitona looked into his pleading eyes and relented with a heavy sigh. "I'm tired…I'm so tired of everything…this war, these people, our orders…everything. I just want to be able to do as I please for once…and I have. It's just…this just doesn't feel like home…I know more about myself than ever before because and I just don't feel the same anymore…" she admitted with a light smile then turned, wrapping her arms around Sephiroth's waist. "I married you…I made that choice on my own, no one told me what to do…I did it because I wanted too."
Sephiroth rested his hands on her back. "You're not the only one…ever since I gained these abilities…and even before that I haven't felt like a part of everything else. I'm rather bored with all that has been going on in this army; this war has no meaning to us but we must obey our orders or suffer the consequences. Consequence in our case is Hojo…"
Daitona growled wrinkling her nose at the thought. She'd gotten in trouble before but after months of no contact with the man she didn't want to think of how that 'visit' could end up…especially considering her status now as Sephiroth's wife. 'If Hojo were to ever find out…'she shook her head at the thought.
Sephiroth narrowed his eyes and stepped back from her. "He'll never know. He'll never get it out of me."
Daitona sighed closing her eyes. "But that has never stopped him from finding out secrets before…he always seems to find out. One of these days I'm going to wring that scrawny little bastard's neck."
Sephiroth smirked. "Feeling better now? All that pinned up anger can't be good for you, you know?"
Daitona narrowed her eyes, looking back at him with that evil spark. "No, it can't…but I guess that's what you're around for isn't it?"
"Ah-ha-ha-ha…" Sephiroth laughed nervously and backed away slowly. "I didn't do anything…"
Daitona sighed then, that look was still in her eyes. "No…but you know what? I don't care." She brought both her arms up playfully in a fighting stance and started moving from foot to foot as if she were in just another spar. "Come on, or are you afraid I'll beat ya!?"
Sephiroth smirked, and loosely drew his fingers together making a fist, then put himself in a hand- to-hand fighting stance. "Fine, but I won't take it easy on you."
"HA! Like that ever helped you before," Daitona laughed then jumped back dodging Sephiroth's assault.
He was slower than her but faster than she had remembered him being. Sephiroth sprinted forward in planning on Daitona not being ready but came up short when her foot nearly smashed into his face. He stopped and retreated a few steps then took defense as Daitona took her turn at offence.
"You've got to do better than that if you want to beat me," Sephiroth taunted and timed her next blow and caught her arm. With her arm in his grasp he twisted and successfully flipped Daitona over causing her to land on her back in the dirt.
She coughed once…Sephiroth looked down at her thinking he had won, but how wrong he was. Daitona twisted her body around and tangled her lags with his then put some muscle into it causing Sephiroth to join her there on the ground. Almost immediately she was on the attack again.
She had a slight problem getting her legs free but when she did she rolled to her feet then stomped her foot at Sephiroth who rolled away to dodge. Daitona perused trying to get a good kick but kept hitting his clothes. Daitona growled then dropped low and lunged at him.
Sephiroth felt the impact and instead of retreating he rolled back the other way then came up pinning Daitona to the ground. Daitona growled softly and in a swift movement she used her smaller size to her advantage; she was able to slip her legs up the pushed Sephiroth back with her feet.
Sephiroth was taken back by her counterattack and allowed himself to be pinned in the same way by her, but instead of keeping her weight off him she sat on him. Though Daitona was smaller than him her size would never lead onto her strength.
Daitona drew one hand back far, as if she was going to slap him but she hesitated her eyes flashing. Sephiroth looked to her raised hand and noticed her nails were growing into long sharp claws.
It was then his senses perked and he knew someone was close at hand. Ever so slowly a dark figure came into his line of sight behind Daitona… "Daitona!"
Her eyes flashed again and her hand started to descend towards his face. Just as her claws would have met his fleshy face she pivoted and using her knees she came in low. Arcing her swing she raked her razor sharp claws upwards all the way up the dark figures face.
He cried out in surprise and pain then clutched at his badly ripped open face. Daitona backed off somewhat while Sephiroth climbed to his feet slightly behind her.
"Ah, my face!" the man cried through his bloody hands. "I can't see…my eyes!"
"It serves you right," Daitona stated coldly. "What do you think you're doing sneaking up on us like that and why have you been following…us…?"
Sephiroth and Daitona alike both stepped back as the dark cloak dropped away from the man. On his left arm he wore a Shinra visitor logo…his coat was white and he wore dark pants and shoes…one of Hojo's assistances?
"You're lucky you can't see you know…then you can't see what I'm going to do to you…" Daitona growled and took a step forward; Sephiroth grabbed her wrist to stop her.
"Why were you following us?…and Daitona, how do you know he was following us?" Sephiroth asked.
Daitona gave him a dirty look and a look of 'duh, you should already know that.'
The Shinra employee dropped to his knees in pain. His white coat sleeves were beginning to stain with the amount of blood flowing from the four deeper gashes.
Daitona turned a dull look to Sephiroth. "I don't think he's going to talk…and he may not be from Shinra anyways…wouldn't he have an armed escort and why would visitors be here during war?"
"Good question." Sephiroth nudged the crouched man with the tip of his steel-toed boots.
Without any warning, there was a flash of light reflecting off metal and Sephiroth found a knife in the others hand. There was blood on it but it wasn't his…
In another even quicker flash the crouched man chocked helplessly on his own blood as it bubbled over his lips. He collapsed backwards in a heap as Daitona snatched her sword out of his chest.
Sephiroth frowned and looked down at his bleeding leg. "He cut me!"
Daitona straightened, her sword still in hand and still dripped with crimson hot blood. "I told you he was an imposter."
Sephiroth knelt down and looked at the shallow wound. "He ripped my pants! These things are expensive." He smirked. "Glad I don't have to pay for them."
Daitona rolled her eyes then turned back to the cooling body and wiped her blood caked sword off on a clean part of the white jacket. "That cut's not very bad is it?" Daitona asked over her shoulder then put the sword back to rest in its sheath.
"Nah, it's already healing," Sephiroth assured then stood back up. "Maybe we should go…just in case he does have some friends lurking around…I'm not really in the mood for an ambush, you?"
Daitona wrinkled her nose, "Nah. Lets go."
****
Sephiroth and Daitona didn't stop again until they had made it to fort Dal'fa, it took them a day to get there…but when they got there…things were looking less than pleasing…
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-End Chapter 39-
A/N: This little part is for a reviewer called Alysia (leashe64@aol.com). I can't e-mail you at that address and you didn't give me any other place to e-mail you at. So if you'll let me know I'll talk to you some more about your request.
Other stuff…whoa! I can't believe my first ever story is going for chapter 40! I would have never thought it would end up this long…and just to remind some, 1 year has to pass before the last battle…or close to a year and so far I have successfully passed almost eight months, so Daitona will be 16 in two more months…yeah, she's kind of really young and already married…so what? Any ideas for upcoming events of requests are welcome…odds are I will please those who ask. It's as simple as that!