Chapter 12 : The Fall of Hollow Bastion - The Beginning
Aerith pulled back after a few moments, she felt dizzy from all the emotions she had experienced in the last few minutes. She looked up into Cloud's eyes, he wore a simple small smile on his face while staring back at her.
There was no sound around them, the street was completely empty. She couldn't tell if that was good thing or not.
Slowly she began to come round and focus more, in her mind she searched for the most important question out of the hundreds waiting.
"So what happens now?"
Cloud let out a small sigh breaking eye contact, he ran his fingers through his hair before looking back at her. "Now, things change."
Aerith looked at him curiously. "Change?"
"Yeah... we have to go."
"I don't understand..."
Cloud took hold of her hand and began to walk back down the street. "Don't worry, I'll explain everything to you."
She pulled back halting the Soldier. "But, but what about what just happened? I want to know what's going on Cloud."
Cloud turned round and took hold of both of Aerith's arms. "I promise you once this is done I will answer every question you have."
Aerith nodded half satisfied with his proposal. On the plus side she would find out everything about him, on the minus she was going to have to wait a little longer.
_____________________
Sephiroth leaned against one of the trees in the forest, a few of the red sparks still clung round him from the recent jump. He opened up his black coat and studied the damage.
"I don't believe he did it."
Across his chest was a deep burn from the energy Cloud shot at him. The shirt he wore underneath the coat was incinerated, any normal person would have been killed.
'That was only the tip as well. He had enough power to kill me easily.' He grunted as he pulled away the burnt pieces of fabric from his chest, just from looking at it he could tell it would take while to heal.
"T-that Cetra, its h-her fault. I should have killed her when I had the chance instead of fooling around like an amateur." He slammed his fist into the tree, it had been a very long time since he had felt pain.
"Even when the dark side of him had taken over, it's seem that it too doesn't want to kill her now." 'But why? It should have wanted to rip her throat out.' he punched the tree again causing the timber to crack.
'There's no time left now to fix it. I'll just have to hope that when the dark side of his heart fully takes over, it will lose that will to protect her and Cloud will finally be able to complete his task with out anything holding him back.'
_____________________
Aerith walked quickly down the street, beside her Cloud walked just as fast while holding her hand making sure she kept up.
"Why are we rushing?"
"We don't have a lot of time, I want to be ready." Cloud continued to pull her along, every so often he would look behind to see if anything was following.
"Ready for what?"
"For what's happening, or rather what's about to happen."
"Happen?" Aerith repeated as soon as he said it, she was becoming tired of the endless amount of questions piling up.
It was becoming darker now as the sun hid behind the horizon, slowly the air began to become colder and colder.
"What Sephiroth's been talking about all along, been out of time. I understand what he means."
In front of them one of the small shadows appeared and began to take shape. Cloud quickly circled around remembering the last time he tried to attack one of the things unarmed.
Aerith stared back at it as they passed, she watched as it was accompanied by more of the small shadows. By the time they were down the far end of the street she could see there was a small crowd of them.
"What are they?"
"Heartless." Cloud answered. "Nothing but empty shadows." He picked up the pace again now practically dragging Aerith along.
"Cloud wait. How do you know this?" She tugged on his arm forcing him to stop again.
Cloud spun round and made sure they were alone before actually stopping, he knew he was going to have to explain some parts to her now anyway. "The other side of me. I-It knew, it's connected to the same darkness."
"Other you, you mean that, back then you were someone else."
The blond Soldier scratched his head trying to think of a way to explain it in a hurry. "Ok, all this time Sephiroth has been telling me about the darkness inside of myself. That darkness has enough power to take control of its own choices."
"You mean this all about a split personality?"
"Aaaah well sort of, except this personality is actually real not just inside my head. The darkness inside me created it so it could take control."
Aerith stared blankly back at him, if she hadn't seen it for her self she would have thought he was going insane. 'Well, that may be true too.' "How do you know this now though and not before?"
Cloud looked round and saw the creatures starting to appear in this area too. "Keep walking." He grabbed her arm and continued along. "I know because when it took over we became one part. Everything it was thinking, I was thinking. Until something snapped me out of it and I took control again."
"What... snapped you out?"
He glanced over at her as they walked. "...It doesn't matter."
She gave him a curious look but soon shrugged it off. "So where are we going?"
"Right now to your home, after I pick up a few things we then head to Zanarkand."
"Zanarkand? I've never heard of that city."
They reached Aerith's house and stopped just in front of the door. "That's because it's not a city, it's a world not too far form here."
Aerith stopped and stared at Cloud, she raised one eyebrow as far as it would go. "Are you sure your ok Cloud?"
"Look, I know it sounds stupid but we need to go very soon." He opened the door walked through.
"Ok, ok lets say you not having a breakdown and there is a place called Zanarkand. How do we get there?"
Cloud stopped in his tracks and turned round to face her. "Well, I haven't got that far yet."
____________________
Squall ran and hid behind the corner of a near by house. The behemoth stomped by a few seconds later destroying everything and everyone that dared cross its path.
'What the hell is that thing?'
He drew his gun blade and ran at the creature slashing into its leg, even while pulling the trigger as he slashed the damaged caused seemed to be minimal. The huge creature kicked back knocking the SeeD member a few meters away.
A few other SeeD troops ran past him and tried to attack the monster but again they seemed to have little effect against it.
Squall clenched his fist feeling helpless against such an opponent, the SeeD members who were still attacking were been tossed aside with little effort from the monster.
"Fall back!" He looked round to see his commanding officer fighting one of the smaller creatures and barely winning. Hesitating for only a moment before accepting his orders Squall then retreated back to the castle gates where a small group seemed to be fighting off the dark creatures.
___________________
"Your really sure about this?"
Aerith watched as Cloud opened up the bag and began to throw various pieces of equipment and weapons he had into it.
"I told you, we have to go and we have to go now."
"W-what about the others." She didn't like the thought of leaving behind Cid her 'father' figure and Yuffie the person she had closest to a sister.
Cloud stopped for a moment and looked up at her, he could easily see she was trying to make sense of every thing that was going on. 'Hell, I barely understand myself.'
"Go get them, but hurry up. I want to at least leave the city before morning."
"What about this.. Zanarkand place? How do we get there?"
Cloud rubbed his head feeling the answer was just at the tip of his mind but he just couldn't remember how, the darkness knew, but it wouldn't let him. "I-I don't know, Sephiroth and those creatures, they know." He sat down on the bed and put his face in his hands.
Aerith paused for a moment before sitting down next to him, she slid her arm around his back and pulled away one of his hands with the other. Cloud knew there wasn't much time to prepare but he couldn't help but lean into Aerith's caring arms.
"What's going on?" Yuffie walked in to the room. "I head a load of banging and.. ohh are you guys? I'll just leave two to it." She grinned sheepishly before creeping back out side.
"Yuffie." Aerith, a little embarrassed her self at what the ninja thought they were doing shouted. "We're not doing... that, so come back."
The young ninja crept back in with a slightly red face. "Sooo what are you doing."
"Leaving." Cloud stood up and continued to pack his bag again.
"You are, why? I thought you two were getting along."
"He means all of us." Aerith added.
"Ehh?"
"Pack what you can carry and hurry up. We're leaving soon."
"What Cloud is politely saying is for some important reason we have to leave before something.. erm happens." She finished off slightly confused. "What is going to happen?"
"This world is about to be connected and swallowed by darkness. We have to leave here and find some where safe before that happened." Cloud answered.
Yuffie's face went blank. "Is he serious?"
Aerith looked over at Cloud as he continued to pack. "He certainly looks it."
"W-where are we going?"
"Zanarkand." Cloud said while sighing. "Now will you please hurry up and get ready."
"Will you tell Cid as well Yuffie?"
"Cid? He's not here. I think he's still at the castle working on what ever he's been working on."
Aerith shot a glance at Cloud. "We can go get him right? We're not going to leave him right?"
Cloud looked up and gave her a quick smile. "Don't worry we'll get Cid."
Aerith nodded relived, she looked at the half full bag on the bed and realized she should get a move on before Cloud drags her out with only the clothes on her body to ware. "Ok, Yuffie lets get ready."
The young ninja nodded still half believing this was some sort of practical joke. "Umm sure.."
_____________________
"Do you think he's serious?" Yuffie looked over at the brunette.
"He seems it." Aerith continued to pack tightly in the few dresses she owned, it was times like this she was happy she wasn't rich and had hundreds to choose from. "I still don't know how he plans to leave this world though."
"Gawd this isn't fair, why do we have to go." She wined. "I bet it's just a joke anyway."
"Yuffie, I trust Cloud and if he says we need to go then we really need to go."
The young ninja sat down on the bed letting out a loud sigh. "Well, where ever were going better have single rooms. No way am I bunking with Cid."
"I'm sure it will Yuff." She packed in the last dress and then battled with the zipper to close the bag, at the same time a large thud from behind caught to two off guard.
"You two ready?" Cloud asked as he threw he bag on the floor.
Aerith finished pulling on the zipper and nodded. "Yup, only Yuffie to go now..." She looked up at the young girl.
"I'm done," The black haired girl lifted up a small rucksack and grinned.
"That's it?"
Cloud rolled his eyes and lifted up Aerith's bag along with his own. "Too late to change your mind."
"Now what?"
"We pick up Cid right?" Aerith said as she took her bag back determined to carry it by her self.
"Yeah, next stop the castle." He grinned a little as Aerith dragged the bag along the floor muttering a few words under her breath about the weight of a few dresses and books. "Let's go."
__________________________
Ok smaller chapter but this is the first of about three parts. I know I cheated a bit using Zanarkand but then again I didn't want to create a totally new world, plus this way I can use some of the other FF characters too. Also thank you to all my reviewers, only 1 away now from the big 50 so keep them coming.
Aerith pulled back after a few moments, she felt dizzy from all the emotions she had experienced in the last few minutes. She looked up into Cloud's eyes, he wore a simple small smile on his face while staring back at her.
There was no sound around them, the street was completely empty. She couldn't tell if that was good thing or not.
Slowly she began to come round and focus more, in her mind she searched for the most important question out of the hundreds waiting.
"So what happens now?"
Cloud let out a small sigh breaking eye contact, he ran his fingers through his hair before looking back at her. "Now, things change."
Aerith looked at him curiously. "Change?"
"Yeah... we have to go."
"I don't understand..."
Cloud took hold of her hand and began to walk back down the street. "Don't worry, I'll explain everything to you."
She pulled back halting the Soldier. "But, but what about what just happened? I want to know what's going on Cloud."
Cloud turned round and took hold of both of Aerith's arms. "I promise you once this is done I will answer every question you have."
Aerith nodded half satisfied with his proposal. On the plus side she would find out everything about him, on the minus she was going to have to wait a little longer.
_____________________
Sephiroth leaned against one of the trees in the forest, a few of the red sparks still clung round him from the recent jump. He opened up his black coat and studied the damage.
"I don't believe he did it."
Across his chest was a deep burn from the energy Cloud shot at him. The shirt he wore underneath the coat was incinerated, any normal person would have been killed.
'That was only the tip as well. He had enough power to kill me easily.' He grunted as he pulled away the burnt pieces of fabric from his chest, just from looking at it he could tell it would take while to heal.
"T-that Cetra, its h-her fault. I should have killed her when I had the chance instead of fooling around like an amateur." He slammed his fist into the tree, it had been a very long time since he had felt pain.
"Even when the dark side of him had taken over, it's seem that it too doesn't want to kill her now." 'But why? It should have wanted to rip her throat out.' he punched the tree again causing the timber to crack.
'There's no time left now to fix it. I'll just have to hope that when the dark side of his heart fully takes over, it will lose that will to protect her and Cloud will finally be able to complete his task with out anything holding him back.'
_____________________
Aerith walked quickly down the street, beside her Cloud walked just as fast while holding her hand making sure she kept up.
"Why are we rushing?"
"We don't have a lot of time, I want to be ready." Cloud continued to pull her along, every so often he would look behind to see if anything was following.
"Ready for what?"
"For what's happening, or rather what's about to happen."
"Happen?" Aerith repeated as soon as he said it, she was becoming tired of the endless amount of questions piling up.
It was becoming darker now as the sun hid behind the horizon, slowly the air began to become colder and colder.
"What Sephiroth's been talking about all along, been out of time. I understand what he means."
In front of them one of the small shadows appeared and began to take shape. Cloud quickly circled around remembering the last time he tried to attack one of the things unarmed.
Aerith stared back at it as they passed, she watched as it was accompanied by more of the small shadows. By the time they were down the far end of the street she could see there was a small crowd of them.
"What are they?"
"Heartless." Cloud answered. "Nothing but empty shadows." He picked up the pace again now practically dragging Aerith along.
"Cloud wait. How do you know this?" She tugged on his arm forcing him to stop again.
Cloud spun round and made sure they were alone before actually stopping, he knew he was going to have to explain some parts to her now anyway. "The other side of me. I-It knew, it's connected to the same darkness."
"Other you, you mean that, back then you were someone else."
The blond Soldier scratched his head trying to think of a way to explain it in a hurry. "Ok, all this time Sephiroth has been telling me about the darkness inside of myself. That darkness has enough power to take control of its own choices."
"You mean this all about a split personality?"
"Aaaah well sort of, except this personality is actually real not just inside my head. The darkness inside me created it so it could take control."
Aerith stared blankly back at him, if she hadn't seen it for her self she would have thought he was going insane. 'Well, that may be true too.' "How do you know this now though and not before?"
Cloud looked round and saw the creatures starting to appear in this area too. "Keep walking." He grabbed her arm and continued along. "I know because when it took over we became one part. Everything it was thinking, I was thinking. Until something snapped me out of it and I took control again."
"What... snapped you out?"
He glanced over at her as they walked. "...It doesn't matter."
She gave him a curious look but soon shrugged it off. "So where are we going?"
"Right now to your home, after I pick up a few things we then head to Zanarkand."
"Zanarkand? I've never heard of that city."
They reached Aerith's house and stopped just in front of the door. "That's because it's not a city, it's a world not too far form here."
Aerith stopped and stared at Cloud, she raised one eyebrow as far as it would go. "Are you sure your ok Cloud?"
"Look, I know it sounds stupid but we need to go very soon." He opened the door walked through.
"Ok, ok lets say you not having a breakdown and there is a place called Zanarkand. How do we get there?"
Cloud stopped in his tracks and turned round to face her. "Well, I haven't got that far yet."
____________________
Squall ran and hid behind the corner of a near by house. The behemoth stomped by a few seconds later destroying everything and everyone that dared cross its path.
'What the hell is that thing?'
He drew his gun blade and ran at the creature slashing into its leg, even while pulling the trigger as he slashed the damaged caused seemed to be minimal. The huge creature kicked back knocking the SeeD member a few meters away.
A few other SeeD troops ran past him and tried to attack the monster but again they seemed to have little effect against it.
Squall clenched his fist feeling helpless against such an opponent, the SeeD members who were still attacking were been tossed aside with little effort from the monster.
"Fall back!" He looked round to see his commanding officer fighting one of the smaller creatures and barely winning. Hesitating for only a moment before accepting his orders Squall then retreated back to the castle gates where a small group seemed to be fighting off the dark creatures.
___________________
"Your really sure about this?"
Aerith watched as Cloud opened up the bag and began to throw various pieces of equipment and weapons he had into it.
"I told you, we have to go and we have to go now."
"W-what about the others." She didn't like the thought of leaving behind Cid her 'father' figure and Yuffie the person she had closest to a sister.
Cloud stopped for a moment and looked up at her, he could easily see she was trying to make sense of every thing that was going on. 'Hell, I barely understand myself.'
"Go get them, but hurry up. I want to at least leave the city before morning."
"What about this.. Zanarkand place? How do we get there?"
Cloud rubbed his head feeling the answer was just at the tip of his mind but he just couldn't remember how, the darkness knew, but it wouldn't let him. "I-I don't know, Sephiroth and those creatures, they know." He sat down on the bed and put his face in his hands.
Aerith paused for a moment before sitting down next to him, she slid her arm around his back and pulled away one of his hands with the other. Cloud knew there wasn't much time to prepare but he couldn't help but lean into Aerith's caring arms.
"What's going on?" Yuffie walked in to the room. "I head a load of banging and.. ohh are you guys? I'll just leave two to it." She grinned sheepishly before creeping back out side.
"Yuffie." Aerith, a little embarrassed her self at what the ninja thought they were doing shouted. "We're not doing... that, so come back."
The young ninja crept back in with a slightly red face. "Sooo what are you doing."
"Leaving." Cloud stood up and continued to pack his bag again.
"You are, why? I thought you two were getting along."
"He means all of us." Aerith added.
"Ehh?"
"Pack what you can carry and hurry up. We're leaving soon."
"What Cloud is politely saying is for some important reason we have to leave before something.. erm happens." She finished off slightly confused. "What is going to happen?"
"This world is about to be connected and swallowed by darkness. We have to leave here and find some where safe before that happened." Cloud answered.
Yuffie's face went blank. "Is he serious?"
Aerith looked over at Cloud as he continued to pack. "He certainly looks it."
"W-where are we going?"
"Zanarkand." Cloud said while sighing. "Now will you please hurry up and get ready."
"Will you tell Cid as well Yuffie?"
"Cid? He's not here. I think he's still at the castle working on what ever he's been working on."
Aerith shot a glance at Cloud. "We can go get him right? We're not going to leave him right?"
Cloud looked up and gave her a quick smile. "Don't worry we'll get Cid."
Aerith nodded relived, she looked at the half full bag on the bed and realized she should get a move on before Cloud drags her out with only the clothes on her body to ware. "Ok, Yuffie lets get ready."
The young ninja nodded still half believing this was some sort of practical joke. "Umm sure.."
_____________________
"Do you think he's serious?" Yuffie looked over at the brunette.
"He seems it." Aerith continued to pack tightly in the few dresses she owned, it was times like this she was happy she wasn't rich and had hundreds to choose from. "I still don't know how he plans to leave this world though."
"Gawd this isn't fair, why do we have to go." She wined. "I bet it's just a joke anyway."
"Yuffie, I trust Cloud and if he says we need to go then we really need to go."
The young ninja sat down on the bed letting out a loud sigh. "Well, where ever were going better have single rooms. No way am I bunking with Cid."
"I'm sure it will Yuff." She packed in the last dress and then battled with the zipper to close the bag, at the same time a large thud from behind caught to two off guard.
"You two ready?" Cloud asked as he threw he bag on the floor.
Aerith finished pulling on the zipper and nodded. "Yup, only Yuffie to go now..." She looked up at the young girl.
"I'm done," The black haired girl lifted up a small rucksack and grinned.
"That's it?"
Cloud rolled his eyes and lifted up Aerith's bag along with his own. "Too late to change your mind."
"Now what?"
"We pick up Cid right?" Aerith said as she took her bag back determined to carry it by her self.
"Yeah, next stop the castle." He grinned a little as Aerith dragged the bag along the floor muttering a few words under her breath about the weight of a few dresses and books. "Let's go."
__________________________
Ok smaller chapter but this is the first of about three parts. I know I cheated a bit using Zanarkand but then again I didn't want to create a totally new world, plus this way I can use some of the other FF characters too. Also thank you to all my reviewers, only 1 away now from the big 50 so keep them coming.