Flos Idolon
Chapter II
The ship cut through the water like glass as it sailed toward the shores. The moon glistened on the water as they approached the docks of Fort Condor.
"What do ye know Cloud, we got here early," Kirk laughed while he tied the boat to the pier.
"Here I was thinking that if we fought a monster we would be late," Cloud said sarcastically.
"I'll send one of my men to get your bags," Kirk said walking over to the stair well. He cried down, "Allen, get Cloud's bags for him."
"Aye, aye Captain," Came a cry below deck.
Kirk walked back towards Cloud. "So where are ye heading anyways?"
"Bone Village," Cloud replied.
"No other stops along the way?" Kirk wondered.
"Well of course. I'll head to Junon then to Midgar then to Costa del Sol then Bone Village."
"What's so important enough to make ye go half way a crossed the earth?"
"That's none of your business now is it?" Cloud said giving him a cold stare.
"I suppose not... oh here comes Allen," Kirk informed Cloud trying to get away from the previous subject.
"Here's your bag Mr. Strife," The young sailor said handing him it.
"Thank you Allen," Cloud commented taking hold the bag straps.
"Now there's the business about the other 5,000 gil," Kirk reminded Cloud.
"Ah, yes. Here you are," Cloud said handing over a pouch of coins.
"Well, thanks for ye business sir. May ye have fair travels," Kirk said showing his gratitude by helping Cloud off the boat and onto the dock.
"It was fun journeying with you. If I ever need a ride around this area I will seek you out," Cloud waved as he walked down the docks away from the ship.
The Fort Condor wharf was not as expansive as Mideel's docks thus making it much easier for Cloud to navigate through. He soon found himself at the exit and in the distance he could see the peak of the condor's nest. He remembered the first time he travelled there with Barret, Tifa, RedXIII and Aeris. He started walking into the grasslands before he started thinking about Tifa or Aeris, but as quickly as he didn't want to think about them he did.
Cloud thoughts leaned morally towards Tifa as she was still in his life but his thoughts often drifted to Aeris as well.
"Damn you Sephiroth," Cloud whispered. He remembered the last time he saw Aeris before she died. She looked so peaceful and happy. Maybe it was his imagination but she looked the same way when her laid her to rest in the lake. His thoughts were going back to Tifa when he suddenly heard a crunching of leaves. His hand went to his swords hilt but a voice behind him stopped his movements.
"Freeze, drop you materia and I won't hurt you," A familiar voice said from behind him.
"Hurt me? Yuffie please," Cloud laughed.
"Hey... How did you... Who are you?" Yuffie demanded.
"Why a dear old friend of course," Cloud said turning around.
"CLOUD!" Yuffie cried out as she ran and hugged him.
"Erm, yeah it's me. You can let go now," Cloud said pushing her off of himself.
"Sorry, it's just so good to see you," Yuffie said smiling.
"Well you seem to have grown up a lot in just three months," Cloud noticed looking her over.
"So, are you still in love with Tifa?" Yuffie questioned.
"Yeah, I'm gonna stop in Midgar to see her, then I'm going to Bone Village," Cloud told her.
"Oh I see..." She whispered sadly. "Why are you going to Bone Village?"
"Well someone said a ghost in a pink dress was wandering the woods there, it could be Aeris so I'm going to go find out," He said happily.
"Maybe I could join you?" Yuffie inquired.
"I suppose so if you like. What are you doing out here again?" Cloud asked, turning the tables so he could question her.
"Well I went back to Wutai but it was just to boring there. No one even had any good materia up there, so I left," Yuffie said kicking at some dirt on the ground.
"Well I guess you can tag along with me if you like. Not the whole way though. When I get to the Sleeping Forest I'll want to be alone," Cloud said in a distant voice.
"Yeah okay," She said joyfully.
"Well I'm on my way to Junon," Cloud said turning around and walking back down the path. While he was day dreaming he must have walked a long way because he was now in a small patch of trees and the sun was rising. He turned and looked at Yuffie who he almost thought was looking at his butt when he did.
"Um Yuffie, do you know where exactly Junon is?" He asked her.
"Yep, it's right up there," She pointed left.
"Oh, well why didn't you say I was going the wrong way?" Cloud wondered aloud.
"I was... preoccupied," She said not looking at Cloud.
"I see," Cloud quickly coughed out awkwardly, "Well let's get on our way."
"Okay," She smiled, running up ahead and leading the way. Cloud followed behind surveying the area. There was a long stretch of plains and grassland then in the distance a cliff. Although Cloud couldn't see it he knew that Junon was just below it. He remembered ShinRa and Rufus, and what they did to the planet. He wondered how Barret and RedXIII back in Cosmo Canyon were doing. Everyone had went there separate ways after the Meteor incident. Tifa went to Midgar to make a new bar and to help rebuild; Barret and his daughter along with RedXIII went to Cosmo Canyon; Cait Sith went to Midgar to help the people of the Slum's; Cid went back to Rocket Town with plans of making a new rocket and Vincent went back to Nibelheim to sleep once more. Cloud wondered if there paths would ever cross again. He was about to start thinking about maybe side tracking and visiting some friends when suddenly Yuffie ran back to him pale as paper.
"What's wrong?" Cloud asked.
"Up ahead... He came out of the trees... I thought you killed him," The girl Ninja said in an extremely nervous voice. Cloud looked at her questioningly but couldn't tell what disturbed her, so he pulled his sword from his back and proceeded to investigate. He passed some large rocks protruding from the earth and then he saw what had frightened Yuffie so.
There standing a ways ahead was a man in a long black cloak. Cloud stifled a gasp. Sephiroth was dead; he couldn't be here. The man in the cloak heard the gasp and turned around. He had short gray hair but other than that his features differed from Sephiroth. This man had blue eyes and a short pointed nose. In his hand was a scythe. He wasn't heavily muscled but he did know how to use his scythe, as his stance displayed. He slowly began walking towards Cloud then unexpectedly sprung threw the air and landed behind the Ex-Soldier. He took a swipe at Cloud but he was fast enough to block his death blow. He took another swipe at Cloud then jumped back a few feet. At this point Cloud charged at him, startling him. But the surprise was shortly induced. He quickly blocked Cloud's Cross Slash and swiped at Cloud. The blond man dropped down to the ground and kicked the cloaked man in the stomach. He flew a few feet before landing on the ground and at which point he rolled to his side and muttered some words making the green materia in his scythe glow.
"Oh shit," Cloud said as a fire ball flew at him. He instantly cast ice. The two spells connected and exploded. Cloud flew through the air and landed on the hard ground while the man in the black cloak was only pushed back. He took advantage of this and ran over to Cloud. He raised his Scythe with the intention of killing the Ex-Soldier but just before he could go through with it a shuriken shot threw the air and into his hand. He cried out as he dropped his Scythe and pulled the ninja star from his hand.
Cloud quickly rolled over, grabbed his sword and sliced upward from where he was laying into the mans side. He toppled onto his side and heaved for breaths of air. Cloud slowly got up and looked around. Yuffie was walking over to the scythe on the ground. She popped the materia out of its slots and put them in her pocket.
While she did that Cloud went over to the man dying on the ground. He grabbed his cloak.
"Who are you?" Cloud demanded.
"Uuugrh... reunion... again... must see her," He rasped, coughing up blood.
"Is this about Jenova?!" Cloud insisted.
"Mother... I will see... you again," He choked and then his head fell to his shoulder.
"Damn it," Cloud cursed as he released his grip on the dead clone. The clone slumped onto the ground, blood leaking from his side to the earth.
Yuffie walked over to Cloud, "Is that Sephiroth?" She inquired.
"No, he's just a clone. But he poses just as much a threat," Cloud said, deep in thought.
"What does this mean?" Yuffie wondered aloud.
"Well for one thing I think Jenova isn't dead," Cloud looked at her.
"What makes you think that?" Yuffie questioned, "We bashed her good."
"Not good enough I suppose."
"What do we do?" The ninja pondered.
"I'm not sure. I guess we'll have to find out some other day. Right now I want to get to Junon."
"Okay. We better get going. The suns gonna come up soon," She informed Cloud.
"Yeah okay, let's go."
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~+ Authors note: Sorry for the big delay in writing. I had a lot of things to attend to. Hope you enjoy it.
Chapter II
The ship cut through the water like glass as it sailed toward the shores. The moon glistened on the water as they approached the docks of Fort Condor.
"What do ye know Cloud, we got here early," Kirk laughed while he tied the boat to the pier.
"Here I was thinking that if we fought a monster we would be late," Cloud said sarcastically.
"I'll send one of my men to get your bags," Kirk said walking over to the stair well. He cried down, "Allen, get Cloud's bags for him."
"Aye, aye Captain," Came a cry below deck.
Kirk walked back towards Cloud. "So where are ye heading anyways?"
"Bone Village," Cloud replied.
"No other stops along the way?" Kirk wondered.
"Well of course. I'll head to Junon then to Midgar then to Costa del Sol then Bone Village."
"What's so important enough to make ye go half way a crossed the earth?"
"That's none of your business now is it?" Cloud said giving him a cold stare.
"I suppose not... oh here comes Allen," Kirk informed Cloud trying to get away from the previous subject.
"Here's your bag Mr. Strife," The young sailor said handing him it.
"Thank you Allen," Cloud commented taking hold the bag straps.
"Now there's the business about the other 5,000 gil," Kirk reminded Cloud.
"Ah, yes. Here you are," Cloud said handing over a pouch of coins.
"Well, thanks for ye business sir. May ye have fair travels," Kirk said showing his gratitude by helping Cloud off the boat and onto the dock.
"It was fun journeying with you. If I ever need a ride around this area I will seek you out," Cloud waved as he walked down the docks away from the ship.
The Fort Condor wharf was not as expansive as Mideel's docks thus making it much easier for Cloud to navigate through. He soon found himself at the exit and in the distance he could see the peak of the condor's nest. He remembered the first time he travelled there with Barret, Tifa, RedXIII and Aeris. He started walking into the grasslands before he started thinking about Tifa or Aeris, but as quickly as he didn't want to think about them he did.
Cloud thoughts leaned morally towards Tifa as she was still in his life but his thoughts often drifted to Aeris as well.
"Damn you Sephiroth," Cloud whispered. He remembered the last time he saw Aeris before she died. She looked so peaceful and happy. Maybe it was his imagination but she looked the same way when her laid her to rest in the lake. His thoughts were going back to Tifa when he suddenly heard a crunching of leaves. His hand went to his swords hilt but a voice behind him stopped his movements.
"Freeze, drop you materia and I won't hurt you," A familiar voice said from behind him.
"Hurt me? Yuffie please," Cloud laughed.
"Hey... How did you... Who are you?" Yuffie demanded.
"Why a dear old friend of course," Cloud said turning around.
"CLOUD!" Yuffie cried out as she ran and hugged him.
"Erm, yeah it's me. You can let go now," Cloud said pushing her off of himself.
"Sorry, it's just so good to see you," Yuffie said smiling.
"Well you seem to have grown up a lot in just three months," Cloud noticed looking her over.
"So, are you still in love with Tifa?" Yuffie questioned.
"Yeah, I'm gonna stop in Midgar to see her, then I'm going to Bone Village," Cloud told her.
"Oh I see..." She whispered sadly. "Why are you going to Bone Village?"
"Well someone said a ghost in a pink dress was wandering the woods there, it could be Aeris so I'm going to go find out," He said happily.
"Maybe I could join you?" Yuffie inquired.
"I suppose so if you like. What are you doing out here again?" Cloud asked, turning the tables so he could question her.
"Well I went back to Wutai but it was just to boring there. No one even had any good materia up there, so I left," Yuffie said kicking at some dirt on the ground.
"Well I guess you can tag along with me if you like. Not the whole way though. When I get to the Sleeping Forest I'll want to be alone," Cloud said in a distant voice.
"Yeah okay," She said joyfully.
"Well I'm on my way to Junon," Cloud said turning around and walking back down the path. While he was day dreaming he must have walked a long way because he was now in a small patch of trees and the sun was rising. He turned and looked at Yuffie who he almost thought was looking at his butt when he did.
"Um Yuffie, do you know where exactly Junon is?" He asked her.
"Yep, it's right up there," She pointed left.
"Oh, well why didn't you say I was going the wrong way?" Cloud wondered aloud.
"I was... preoccupied," She said not looking at Cloud.
"I see," Cloud quickly coughed out awkwardly, "Well let's get on our way."
"Okay," She smiled, running up ahead and leading the way. Cloud followed behind surveying the area. There was a long stretch of plains and grassland then in the distance a cliff. Although Cloud couldn't see it he knew that Junon was just below it. He remembered ShinRa and Rufus, and what they did to the planet. He wondered how Barret and RedXIII back in Cosmo Canyon were doing. Everyone had went there separate ways after the Meteor incident. Tifa went to Midgar to make a new bar and to help rebuild; Barret and his daughter along with RedXIII went to Cosmo Canyon; Cait Sith went to Midgar to help the people of the Slum's; Cid went back to Rocket Town with plans of making a new rocket and Vincent went back to Nibelheim to sleep once more. Cloud wondered if there paths would ever cross again. He was about to start thinking about maybe side tracking and visiting some friends when suddenly Yuffie ran back to him pale as paper.
"What's wrong?" Cloud asked.
"Up ahead... He came out of the trees... I thought you killed him," The girl Ninja said in an extremely nervous voice. Cloud looked at her questioningly but couldn't tell what disturbed her, so he pulled his sword from his back and proceeded to investigate. He passed some large rocks protruding from the earth and then he saw what had frightened Yuffie so.
There standing a ways ahead was a man in a long black cloak. Cloud stifled a gasp. Sephiroth was dead; he couldn't be here. The man in the cloak heard the gasp and turned around. He had short gray hair but other than that his features differed from Sephiroth. This man had blue eyes and a short pointed nose. In his hand was a scythe. He wasn't heavily muscled but he did know how to use his scythe, as his stance displayed. He slowly began walking towards Cloud then unexpectedly sprung threw the air and landed behind the Ex-Soldier. He took a swipe at Cloud but he was fast enough to block his death blow. He took another swipe at Cloud then jumped back a few feet. At this point Cloud charged at him, startling him. But the surprise was shortly induced. He quickly blocked Cloud's Cross Slash and swiped at Cloud. The blond man dropped down to the ground and kicked the cloaked man in the stomach. He flew a few feet before landing on the ground and at which point he rolled to his side and muttered some words making the green materia in his scythe glow.
"Oh shit," Cloud said as a fire ball flew at him. He instantly cast ice. The two spells connected and exploded. Cloud flew through the air and landed on the hard ground while the man in the black cloak was only pushed back. He took advantage of this and ran over to Cloud. He raised his Scythe with the intention of killing the Ex-Soldier but just before he could go through with it a shuriken shot threw the air and into his hand. He cried out as he dropped his Scythe and pulled the ninja star from his hand.
Cloud quickly rolled over, grabbed his sword and sliced upward from where he was laying into the mans side. He toppled onto his side and heaved for breaths of air. Cloud slowly got up and looked around. Yuffie was walking over to the scythe on the ground. She popped the materia out of its slots and put them in her pocket.
While she did that Cloud went over to the man dying on the ground. He grabbed his cloak.
"Who are you?" Cloud demanded.
"Uuugrh... reunion... again... must see her," He rasped, coughing up blood.
"Is this about Jenova?!" Cloud insisted.
"Mother... I will see... you again," He choked and then his head fell to his shoulder.
"Damn it," Cloud cursed as he released his grip on the dead clone. The clone slumped onto the ground, blood leaking from his side to the earth.
Yuffie walked over to Cloud, "Is that Sephiroth?" She inquired.
"No, he's just a clone. But he poses just as much a threat," Cloud said, deep in thought.
"What does this mean?" Yuffie wondered aloud.
"Well for one thing I think Jenova isn't dead," Cloud looked at her.
"What makes you think that?" Yuffie questioned, "We bashed her good."
"Not good enough I suppose."
"What do we do?" The ninja pondered.
"I'm not sure. I guess we'll have to find out some other day. Right now I want to get to Junon."
"Okay. We better get going. The suns gonna come up soon," She informed Cloud.
"Yeah okay, let's go."
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~+ Authors note: Sorry for the big delay in writing. I had a lot of things to attend to. Hope you enjoy it.
