The Forgotten

Chapter 33: Forgotten Vs Ranish.

The ground rumbled beneath their feet as the battle raged on around them, strange sand creatures, Chocobo's and men falling left right and center. Gun's blazed overhead as Cloud charged through the battlefield, dodging here and there before leaping through the air and kicking a Ranish guard in the side of the head and sending him tumbling to the ground as Cloud settled himself on the golden Chocobo. He removed his Ultimate Weapon from its sheath and whirled it around above his head, and then bringing it to his side and slicing through a few sandmen, only to have then reform afterwards.

Barret and Lance positioned themselves around their four defenceless friends and began picking off any foe that got too close for their liking. Barret took out two Ranish soldiers on his left as they closed in on them. Lance taking another two out on his right before the sand beneath him began to turn itself up and a sandman formed in front of him. He unloaded with shotgun blasts as the creature drew near him. The bullets hit the creatures abdomen and caused it to stager back slightly before continuing its course towards him unaffected.

"Shit!" Lance hissed, as the bullets had no affect. "Get back everyone!"

Barret motioned for the others to back off and he followed suit as Lance reached for his belt and unbuckled a grenade, holding it tightly in his right hand as the creature neared. One. Two. Three, he counted in his head then with one violent shove he rammed his hand into the creatures gut, the sand giving way for him as he flicked the pin out and dived backwards, covering his head. The grenade exploded inside the creature's body and sent sand flying into the air and around them. Lance raised his head and looked around, seeing no signs of the sandman he stood and dusted himself off.

"Nice work." Barret voiced from behind him and they took their positions again and began to pick more Ranish soldiers off.

Rain ducked a wave bullets and rolled to the side, dodging an oncoming Ranish guard and then jamming his stick between the legs of the Chocobo he was riding, sending him toppling over into the sand. The guard roared to his feet and charged at Rain, who sidestepped and snapped his stick into the man's back. The guard stumbled forward into a sandman's path and got sucked up into its innards, screaming all the way until the sand poured down his throat and choked him to death.

The friendly hound known as RedXIII pounded through he sand, skidding to halt as four sand creatures formed around him, one on each side. Red roared in frustration, and shifted his feet so that he faced the one behind him. The sandmen misshaped faces smiled and they outstretched their arms, ready to cover Red in sand. The beast howled as the sand began to cover him, his voice dying little by little until it could not be heard. The sand had covered him completely and the only thing left of Red was a mound of sand where he once stood. The sandmen let out a foul laughter that echo through the vast desert. The sand around Red suddenly began to shift colour and harden around him until finally a burst of water punctured the slightly hardened sand and shot forth, hitting one sand creature and sending it sprawling backwards. The rest of the sand gave way and a sphere of water shot out around Red and engulfed the remaining sand creatures. The water stopped and all that remained of the sand men where soggy moulds of sand that crumbled under the harsh wind. (A/N: If you're wondering how he did that. He used Aqualung, which is an enemy skill that is water based.)

"Nice work Red!" Cid shouted as he jabbed his stick into the inside's of a nearby sandman, having no affect the creature continued to walk forward, driving the stick further into its body until, it appeared at the other end.

"Duck!" Red growled and called forth another wave of water, which shot forward and skimmed over Cid's ducked head, colliding with its body and dampening it. Cid stood and swung his stick out of the creature's body, snapping the fiend in two.

Tifa flipped back and sent a Ranish solider to the ground with one quick snap kick to the chest. She jerked her head to the right as the pitter- patter of feet caught her attention, a Ranish Guard headed straight for her, mounted on a fast Gold Chocobo. With a yell she leaped towards the solider and delivered a half crescent kick, knocking him backwards of the large bird. Tifa just managed to grab the back of the bird as it galloped on, and with another yell she swung herself onto the back of the Chocobo and headed towards her friends at the entrance to the prison, kicking a Guard or two in the head on the way.

Rain continued his assault on the Ranish guards, swinging his stick left right and center with ease, knocking four guards to the ground before they could even aim at him. A click behind his head made him spin round to face an angered soldier with a scar down his left cheek. The solider shot but Rain was too quick for him and rolled to the side, sweeping the man's legs out from under him and swatting him in the face with the end of his stick.

"Move!" a voice roared from behind him and he moved sharply to the left as a bullet shot past him and hit another Ranish guard square in the head, sending a spray of blood flying. Rain turned and saw Cloud taking out a mounted guard with a swift thrust, leaving the Chocobo and being impaled on Cloud's blade. The Chocobo continued forwards and Rain waited until it was within reach before he grabbed its leash and hurled himself onto the bird.

Blain charged through the gap created by his endless gunfire, occasionally slicing with his long bladed Katana. He skidded to a halt before a group of three Ranish Soldiers, who instantly opened fire on him. Out of desperation he raised his Katana and attempted to deflect the bullets. The deflected two easily but the third managed to snake by him and clip his shoulder. He howled in pain and dropped his blade to the ground as he clutched at his wound, the blood seeping out through the gaps between his fingers. The soldiers unleashed another wave of gunfire towards him but just as they where about to make contact out of nowhere came three ninja stars. They hit the bullets perfectly and knocked them aside. Akira appeared in front of Blain and with one flick of his foot the Katana was in his grasp, before the guards could even blink Akira appeared before them and with three quick slices they fell to the ground, clutching their own stomachs. Akira raced back to Blain's side and knelt.

"Blain. Are you okay?" Blain winced and looked up towards his partner.

"I was careless, but I will be fine." Blain struggled to his feet and with Akira help they headed back towards Lance and Barret. Before they even took a step a gold bird halted before them and Rain looked down on them.

"Get on!" He shouted and held out his hand to Blain. Blain took it reluctantly and eased himself onto the bird before Rain strode off.

Red dived through the air and talked a Ranish guard from his ride, pawing him in the face before bounding back to Cid, who had caught the stray bird and mounted it.

"Lets get back to the others." Red called as he sprang into a gallop of his own, keeping even with the bird. As they neared they saw Tifa and Cloud ride up by their side, each on a Golden Bird of their own. Out in the distance they saw Rain and Blain heading towards Lance and Barret. They soon reached the group and quickly Lance placed Yuffie onto Tifa's Chocobo, then Vincent onto Cloud's. Shera climbed onto Cid's.

"Where's Akira?" Cloud asked, noticing the ninjas absence.

"I just left him, he should be along soon." Rain informed them. Akira soon appeared with two Chocobo's in tow. Lance and Luna mounted one and Akira and Barret shared the other. With that they gallop off, leaving the battlefield behind and heading for Costa Del Sol once more.

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