Chapter III: Sir Cloud Of Kalm?



"You wanna WHAT me?" Cloud exclaimed with disbelief stamped on his head.

Reeve gave him a pleading glance.

"You make it sound perverse, Cloud. The people of Midgar want AVANLANCHE to be knighted, as thanks for protecting their city. *I* think it's a good idea. It'll open the doors to trade for Midgar in many places. People still haven't shrugged off the evil memory of the ShinRa. Off course, if you don't want to come, that's fine. Seph X and Red aren't coming as well, but they had good reason. Seph X can't be found, and Red XIII is immersed in deep research. Even JARRED'S coming, Cloud."

Cloud was having trouble dealing with the idea of having a title. It really didn't rub him the right way. Sir Cloud? It simply didn't sound right.

"I'll be there, its just the whole knight business that gets to me." He said carefully, trying not to offend his friend.

Reeve smiled.

"Cloud, the name is pretty much what the rank represents. Knights are just mercenaries with an army or two playing in the backyard. I explained it to Jarred and he jumped at the idea."

Cloud was steadily losing resolve. It really didn't matter to him, and it looked like Reeve really wanted him to accept.

"Fine, I'll do it." He conceded. Suddenly a thought struck him. "You know where Jarred is?!" He exclaimed, suddenly very eager to talk. When it came to people with powers like Jarred's, you tended to be very self-conscious of their presence. Jarred's presence in Midgar might rub more than one person the wrong way. The young Half Breed had caused some serious damage to the city , and there was bound to be someone who wanted him dead, or at the least brutally maimed.

Reeve was halfway towards the bar when Cloud asked.

"Cloud, that's a stupid question. OF COURSE I know where he is. I have the strangest tendency to keep a track of potential evil people, and Jarred plops himself neatly on evil person number one.

Cloud laughed.

"Yeah, you got a point there. Hey, you don't drink!" Cloud exclaimed as Reeve received a mug of beer from Reno.

"Even I need to kill off a few brain cells once and a while. Its good hunting."

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Nox Seran was having fun. Of course, when you're insane beyond reasonable belief everything seems a little funnier than usual. Especially when you also have the magical capacity to point at something and have it turn into a Chocobo with a paper party hat tied onto its head. They often appeared with a confused and somewhat frightened look on their faces. Or beaks. Or whatever it was that chocobos had.

He slithered along, on his snake-like lower body. He carried his trademark hammer, hugely oversized for someone of his size. The end of the hammer was roughly about the size of Nox Seran's chest. He let loose a wicked cackle, and began sifting through random events in history. It wasn't greatly known, but Nox Seran was one of the greatest historians of his age. Now he was just insane, with the oddest habit of laughing at what he had once treasured. It was great fun for someone who had an indeterminable life span.

Now, he watched an event that he loved to see. The declaration of war against Wutai. The mist around him swirled, and slowly forms started to take place. Nox Seran found himself standing (Or whatever snake-like demon thingee's did) in an office. It was massive, enough room for Nox Seran to have some serious fun in. Not like the demon realm, however. That was boring.

In that office, a desk stood imperiously near the edge of the room, backed by a wall of windows. An disgustingly obese man sat behind it, smoking a cigar. This was president Shin Ra, he knew. After having watched the human for so long Nox Seran could officially say that he respected the humans a little more every time he saw the president in action. For such a fat man he could do an unhealthy amount of damage. Nearby him stood three men in blue suits.

From the stairs below, a woman emerged, holding with her a stack of papers. Nox seran whipped out a pair of hand puppets from behind his back, and slipped them over his hands. They bore an uncanny resemblance for the woman and the fat person behind the desk.

"Sir," The hand puppet's head flapped up and down Nox Seran imitated the conversation. "The Royalty of Wutai has once again denied us the right to build a reactor."

The obese man stood up.

"Well, send over a few more spies." Flap, flap, flap. It was the other puppet's turn to mock their similarity. Nox Seran laughed madly.

"Sir, they've been killed." The little puppet jumped up and down. "The emperor there found out about our plans." Flapety flap flap.

Nox Seran dropped his puppets abruptly, and slithered up to the fat man behind the desk. Once again, he reached behind his back and produced an object. It was a suspiciously small, cylinder with a golden band across the middle. Nox Seran lowered his head to its level, and slowly put his other hand on the other end. He pulled the top end of the cylinder off, to reveal a crimson spire. Nox Seran grinned cruelly as he rushed to apply what appeared to be lipstick. He covered the presidents face with the red substance, and then retreated to survey his work. The president now looked like a clown with an ego.

"Well then, we'll have to do something else. Send the turks."

This was the moment. It was actually a few months later that the war had been officially declared, but Nox Seran had read between the lines long before and found out the truth. War was on the presidents mind long before it broke out.

The female human smiled.

"Yes Sir. Is there anything else you would like?"

The president scratched his chin.

"no, not really just send in-"

"NOX SERAN."

The insane demon shuddered internally at the Shadowlord's summonings. Even the bravest got a bit scared of the entity that had been living long since the first demon had even died. Nox Seran held no illusions as to what role he played for the Shadowlord, nor did the rest of the council. They were the playthings of the Shadowlord. The Shadowlord decided who lives and dies among demons. This is the way it has always been, and always be. The planet had no hold on the Shadowlord's children.

"SOMETHING IS HAPPENING IN THE REALM OF THE LIVING. YOUR PRESENCE IS NEEDED BY THE COUNCIL."

Nox Seran shuddered once again, but obediently set off towards the Shadowlord.

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The child Jarred had found was very energetic, and wasn't at all lacking in the magical department. He had watched with great pleasure as she summoned the globes of power with ease. He would have great pleasure teaching her further in the magical arts. Jarred laid before her the food he had originally planned to eat for lunch. His own stomach rumbled, but he gladly offered his food to please the child. Small sacrifice.

Jarred lay on the beach once again, absorbing the suns warm rays. He loved basking in the sun.

"Daaaaaaddyyyyyy!!!!" The child called out, and Jarred nearly leapt to his feet, if the child hadn't already jumped on his chest and clung to it tightly. The half Breed was beginning to get a bit fed up with the whole kiddie business.

"Yes child, what is it?" He asked sweetly.

"Where's mommy?" The little girl asked.

~Oh crap. I hate kids.~

"Uhm, she's gone for a bit. But don't worry, we'll find her again." He said reassuringly.

~Shit, I'm gonna have to ask Reeve about his one. Maybe Vincent. They both seem to have good choice in women. Even the master would do right now. . .~

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When Vincent had first read the letter, Vincent had been resolved to decline. When Yuffie, stole it from him, however, she insisted that they went. That was how he found himself on the rod to Rocket Town, on his way to Cid's house for a ride to Midgar. She saw the possibilities of the Materia heists when her husband was a knight, and could lord it over people left and right. Vincent, however, didn't really like the idea.

He flew through the air, beating his black wings. The wind howled around him, and he seriously wished he had stayed on the ground instead of taking to the air. It was REALLY cold up here, even in the winter.

Below he could see the mountains, and a few monsters here and there, fighting amongst themselves.

Another gust of wind rolled by, and Vincent uttered a particular curse he had heard Cid use. At the time he had first laughed. It started out with the words 'crack crusading' and ended in a whole manner of curses. Which curses didn't really matter, as Cid pointed out so many times.

I the distance he could see the tell-tale rocket supports, grasping into the air like claws.

~How on EARTH did I get myself into this mess?~ Vincent pondered as he began to loose altitude.

For better or worse, he was going to Midgar once again.

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Kahn did his level best to look impressive. The pink dot on the horizon kept on getting stronger, and the demon was getting slightly afraid. He didn't know what to say! Exactly HOW would insult this bold Cetra?

The ancient demon Had watched with some sympathy as Aeris was killed. Indeed, the entire Council had. No one really liked JENOVA. She was whiney, conniving, and completely and utterly in the dark in the finer arts of war. It was simply unfair that she had even gotten CLOSE to the omnipotence she had sought. If Kahn had had his way he would have found some way to make Cloud and the others to work for HIM, and not against. It was a self destroying plan that JENOVA had concocted.

Now Aeris landed on the ground, and straightened out the wrinkles in her spectral dress.

"Oh, get on with it. You're dead anyway." Kahn snapped, flapping his wings impatiently. Suddenly, he realised that he had inadvertently invited her make her request.. He cursed mentally.

The Cetra girl smiled sweetly at him.

"Nice to see you too, o great demonlord." She bowed politely.

Kahn frowned.

"Sarcasm gets you nowhere, living corpse."

Aeris smiled once again.

"But I mean it. And that's a self contradicting insult, you know. I can't be a corpse if I'm not dead."

"What do you want?" Kahn demanded, once again flapping his wings impatiently.

"You know what I want, demon king."

Kahn frowned.

"I was killed before I officially got that title, you know." He shook his head. "Oh well."

Aeris approached him, regarding him with that sweet smile of hers.

"Well?."

AKhn laughed.

"Do you really need to ask? The answer is. . . let me think for a moment." He put a clawed hand on his chin, and looked upwards in mock deep thought. "Hmm. . . Oh, I know! The answer is; no, no, aaaaaaaand. . . No."

Aeris looked at him pleadingly.

"Pleeeeaaaase? I'll repay you! I swear!"

Kahn sat down on a rock, and rested his head on his clawed hands.

"What can you possibly do for me?"

"Well, what do you want?" She asked.

Kahn cursed internally once again.

"I want. . ." He seriously put some thought into this. That much could be said. "I don't suppose you could give me someone to kill?"

Aeris shook her head.

"DAMN!" Kahn cursed. "hmm. . ." The demon caught a glimpse of that helpless, pleading look of Aeris's once again, and he felt his prejudice of his eon old enemies melt away. "FINE!" He conceded. "Just make sure Vincent comes here. I want to talk to him again."

Aeris brightened up.

"You'll help?"

Kahn sighed.

"Don't make it any more painful than it already is. When this is all done I want you to stay away from me for a very long time." He muttered miserably.