Shattered Realms
Chapter 8: Lynx's Alliance
Screams of fear and anguish rent the air as hundreds of villagers made panicked attempts to flee the town of Nibelheim. Sephiroth walked calmly through the village, dealing death to everyone who got in his way. The Masumane flashed here and there, cutting, slicing, silencing mournful whimpers of men, children, and women alike. Come to me Cloud.... Come to me... I know you're here... "No please! I have a family! I -" The man was silenced with a vertical slash from the cursed blade. Nibelheim was a massacre; Straw huts and houses were burning to the ground, casting a blistering orange glow on the blood covered ground, littered with dismembered body parts and carcasses. It's just like last time... Come young one... Masumane thirsts for your blood...
Minutes later, only the sound of crackling flames was heard as the town lay deserted, the last of the survivors seeking refuge else where. Sephiroth cast a weary eye over the destruction he had brought about. A ghost of a smile flitted across his pale face; he seemed fairly satisfied. He was growing stronger, yet the one he searched for was nowhere in sight. His pale stare wandered the streets. Surely Cloud would have returned to his hometown... Unless the young fool was too weak to but his past behind him. Suddenly, a dark massive building caught his eye. "Ah, Shinra Mansion. It is time for me as well to put my past behind me." He drew his Firagaga materia and held it out. It instantly began to pulsate and glow a brilliant red. Moments later, a divine shower of flames rained down upon the house.
Sephiroth savored the intense heat on his face as the Shinra Mansion stood unfaltering for a few acute moments before crashing to the ground with a deafening roar. The roof caved in the second it hit the ground, and the pillars collapsed sending a mist of sparks over the forlorn remains of Nebleheim. A sudden, high pitch scream split the air. Sephiroth looked away from the burning mansion and noticed a very young girl girl cradling a still form of a woman. Her eyes were wide with fright; the noise of the crash had alarmed her. She looked up from her mother's body, and into Sephiroth's eyes. He surveyed the girl for a moment. "You can join her..." He said, and without a flinch, cut her down, right where she lay in the dirt.
A strange ringing filled his ears. He didn't know how long he stood there, amidst that burning village, drenched from head to toe in blood, Masumane at his side, his cold stare never leaving the body of that little girl. Yet he felt no pity. No remorse. Not even a tiny pang of guilt. Those fools didn't deserve to live... A loud, cold, abrupt laughter met his ears and he span around to see to whom it belonged. His eyes narrowed as he peered at a dark corner in between two wrecked homes, covered in ash. He had not done his job properly. This one still lived. The only light hailed from the moon above, and the hungry flames enveloping the town in their lust, yet the figure remained totally encompassed in shadow. The only thing rendered visible were a pair of glowing yellow eyes with black slits for pupils. As the cruel laugh came to an end, Sephiroth caught a glint of a deadly looking sickle in the darkness.
"Ah, Sephiroth, cruel as always."
"Who are you and how do you know me"
"Of course, where are my manners? My name is Lynx. I've been watching you for quite some time now, in the forest..."
"What is it that you want?"
"I know a lot about you Sephiroth. I hear the things you mutter in your sleep... you are looking for a boy..."
"You haven't answered my question...."
"Anxious, are we? Want to get to the point eh? Good, good. I admire that."
He looked down, and some light shone off his sickle to reveal a black paw with five deadly looking claws. The being flicked a speck of ash from one of them before returned his gaze to the man before him. "You are a fascinating creature Sephiroth. I will help you reach your goal if you help me. I am in somewhat of a fix. I have been mysteriously pulled from my world. I need you to help me..." His eyes narrowed maliciously. "Give me a reason not to gash you into a million pieces." Sephiroth answered. "Because I have something you may find interesting..." The catlike figure tossed something out of the darkness. What looked like a severed mutated arm hit the ground before Sephiroth's feet.
His eyes widened in surprise. "Where did you find this?" He asked as he picked up the object and examined it. "Never mind where I got it. That is none of your concern." He said forcefully, flicking off another speck of ash from his claw. "The arm of Jenova..." Stated Sephiroth with relish before stashing the demented item into his cloak. "Now onto business. I have reason to believe that the one you seek has been joined by another. The only one that has the power to transport me back to my world. The Chrono Trigger. He must not be touched. There is one other thing I want to discuss with you but I do not believe this is the right time and place to do it."
"How do you know you can trust me?" Sephiroth finally asked. The figure seemed to observe him with his yellow stare and then stepped out of the shadows. He was indeed a cat. His fur was jet black and he stood on two paws. He was dressed in luxurious robes of midnight blue, and in his right paw he held a wicked looking gem encrusted sickle. "Because I can crush you like a bug at any moment." Sephiroth's eyes flashed dangerously. Whatever answer he expected, it wasn't that. In a flash he swung the Masumane over his head and brought it down on the cunning cat but he was gone. Wildly looking around, he heard a hissing voice above. "What's the matter? Am I too fast for you?" He was standing on a rooftop laughing at his opponent.
In an instant, Sephiroth swung his blade in a half-circle, from which erupted a grand purple wave. Before the creature knew what was happening, the house he stood on was blown into a million pieces from the force and was reduced to nil. He suddenly appeared behind Sephiroth and patted him on the back. "Very good, very good!" He said chuckling, and jumped out of the way to avoid another slash from the Masumane. "So are you in, or are you out?" Sephiroth did some quick serious thinking. This creature was his only lead. He would much rather kill him for being so defiant but it seemed he would have to play along for a while. And that arm would be useful... "I'm in." He said finally. With a last ghastly smile, the cat vanished in a thin wisp of smoke.
Sephiroth continued to stand there, letting everything sink in. "You'll be regret the day you were born for making a fool out of me, cat." He spat vehemently in to a fire and slowly vanished into the darkness also.
Screams of fear and anguish rent the air as hundreds of villagers made panicked attempts to flee the town of Nibelheim. Sephiroth walked calmly through the village, dealing death to everyone who got in his way. The Masumane flashed here and there, cutting, slicing, silencing mournful whimpers of men, children, and women alike. Come to me Cloud.... Come to me... I know you're here... "No please! I have a family! I -" The man was silenced with a vertical slash from the cursed blade. Nibelheim was a massacre; Straw huts and houses were burning to the ground, casting a blistering orange glow on the blood covered ground, littered with dismembered body parts and carcasses. It's just like last time... Come young one... Masumane thirsts for your blood...
Minutes later, only the sound of crackling flames was heard as the town lay deserted, the last of the survivors seeking refuge else where. Sephiroth cast a weary eye over the destruction he had brought about. A ghost of a smile flitted across his pale face; he seemed fairly satisfied. He was growing stronger, yet the one he searched for was nowhere in sight. His pale stare wandered the streets. Surely Cloud would have returned to his hometown... Unless the young fool was too weak to but his past behind him. Suddenly, a dark massive building caught his eye. "Ah, Shinra Mansion. It is time for me as well to put my past behind me." He drew his Firagaga materia and held it out. It instantly began to pulsate and glow a brilliant red. Moments later, a divine shower of flames rained down upon the house.
Sephiroth savored the intense heat on his face as the Shinra Mansion stood unfaltering for a few acute moments before crashing to the ground with a deafening roar. The roof caved in the second it hit the ground, and the pillars collapsed sending a mist of sparks over the forlorn remains of Nebleheim. A sudden, high pitch scream split the air. Sephiroth looked away from the burning mansion and noticed a very young girl girl cradling a still form of a woman. Her eyes were wide with fright; the noise of the crash had alarmed her. She looked up from her mother's body, and into Sephiroth's eyes. He surveyed the girl for a moment. "You can join her..." He said, and without a flinch, cut her down, right where she lay in the dirt.
A strange ringing filled his ears. He didn't know how long he stood there, amidst that burning village, drenched from head to toe in blood, Masumane at his side, his cold stare never leaving the body of that little girl. Yet he felt no pity. No remorse. Not even a tiny pang of guilt. Those fools didn't deserve to live... A loud, cold, abrupt laughter met his ears and he span around to see to whom it belonged. His eyes narrowed as he peered at a dark corner in between two wrecked homes, covered in ash. He had not done his job properly. This one still lived. The only light hailed from the moon above, and the hungry flames enveloping the town in their lust, yet the figure remained totally encompassed in shadow. The only thing rendered visible were a pair of glowing yellow eyes with black slits for pupils. As the cruel laugh came to an end, Sephiroth caught a glint of a deadly looking sickle in the darkness.
"Ah, Sephiroth, cruel as always."
"Who are you and how do you know me"
"Of course, where are my manners? My name is Lynx. I've been watching you for quite some time now, in the forest..."
"What is it that you want?"
"I know a lot about you Sephiroth. I hear the things you mutter in your sleep... you are looking for a boy..."
"You haven't answered my question...."
"Anxious, are we? Want to get to the point eh? Good, good. I admire that."
He looked down, and some light shone off his sickle to reveal a black paw with five deadly looking claws. The being flicked a speck of ash from one of them before returned his gaze to the man before him. "You are a fascinating creature Sephiroth. I will help you reach your goal if you help me. I am in somewhat of a fix. I have been mysteriously pulled from my world. I need you to help me..." His eyes narrowed maliciously. "Give me a reason not to gash you into a million pieces." Sephiroth answered. "Because I have something you may find interesting..." The catlike figure tossed something out of the darkness. What looked like a severed mutated arm hit the ground before Sephiroth's feet.
His eyes widened in surprise. "Where did you find this?" He asked as he picked up the object and examined it. "Never mind where I got it. That is none of your concern." He said forcefully, flicking off another speck of ash from his claw. "The arm of Jenova..." Stated Sephiroth with relish before stashing the demented item into his cloak. "Now onto business. I have reason to believe that the one you seek has been joined by another. The only one that has the power to transport me back to my world. The Chrono Trigger. He must not be touched. There is one other thing I want to discuss with you but I do not believe this is the right time and place to do it."
"How do you know you can trust me?" Sephiroth finally asked. The figure seemed to observe him with his yellow stare and then stepped out of the shadows. He was indeed a cat. His fur was jet black and he stood on two paws. He was dressed in luxurious robes of midnight blue, and in his right paw he held a wicked looking gem encrusted sickle. "Because I can crush you like a bug at any moment." Sephiroth's eyes flashed dangerously. Whatever answer he expected, it wasn't that. In a flash he swung the Masumane over his head and brought it down on the cunning cat but he was gone. Wildly looking around, he heard a hissing voice above. "What's the matter? Am I too fast for you?" He was standing on a rooftop laughing at his opponent.
In an instant, Sephiroth swung his blade in a half-circle, from which erupted a grand purple wave. Before the creature knew what was happening, the house he stood on was blown into a million pieces from the force and was reduced to nil. He suddenly appeared behind Sephiroth and patted him on the back. "Very good, very good!" He said chuckling, and jumped out of the way to avoid another slash from the Masumane. "So are you in, or are you out?" Sephiroth did some quick serious thinking. This creature was his only lead. He would much rather kill him for being so defiant but it seemed he would have to play along for a while. And that arm would be useful... "I'm in." He said finally. With a last ghastly smile, the cat vanished in a thin wisp of smoke.
Sephiroth continued to stand there, letting everything sink in. "You'll be regret the day you were born for making a fool out of me, cat." He spat vehemently in to a fire and slowly vanished into the darkness also.