Chapter 7: The fall of the knight.

Jacques stood confused by the unexpected expression of the two women. But, he was not surprised. Why would he? Many people have their own problems, problems he did not often care about. However, the girl showed extreme worry and pain, and being the gentleman as he was, he would not let a lady feel troubled without knowing the reason.

"Who is this Cloud?"

Tifa did not answer his question but turned to Yuffie. "We have to get to Midgar, and fast."

"Why, what's wrong with Spike?" Yuffie asked, still confused but mostly concerned about the swordsman.

"Spike?" Jacques spoke out loud.

"I...I'm not sure, but I know it's about Arvin." Tifa replied, staring at the floor while her mind replayed the memory. "I didn't understand what he said, but I know he's near Midgar as we speak."

"Is this Spike a dog?" Jacques asked out loud, trying to fill in the information he was lacking.

Neither Yuffie nor Tifa seemed to notice Jacques attempts to get some answers. He was stubborn when he wanted to be, but he was curious. Especially when women were the head subject of a conversation.

Then the name Arvin entered his mind.

Arvin, that sounds familiar. He frowned. The name did ring a bell but his memory had become rusty over the years.

"How do you know he's near Midgar?" Yuffie continued, feeling a little anxious about this dilemma.

"Cloud said, before he left, that he had a place to visit. It's somewhere near the mountains, south of Midgar. I don't think he would take the risk, even if he's tempted, to go off on his own. Cloud can be impatient but he's not that revengeful, especially against an enemy he has little information about." She spoke before she strode out from the shop, eager to get to Cloud fast as possible.

Yuffie and Jacques stood behind, letting the words sink in. The black clad man turned to the girl beside him. "What was that all about?"

The ninja sighed and lowered her head. "She's got much on her mind right now; it's a little tough for her to bear." She replied simply and then followed shortly after Tifa. By the door, she turned and waved to Jacques.

"It was nice to meet you Jacques!" She exclaimed and disappeared. Outside he could hear the high calls from the teenager.

"Hey Tifa! Wait up!"

Jacques shook his head. "Goodbye...Lockheart." He watched from the window as the two women retreated back in the town. The angel's hair danced behind her as she dashed outside. Jacques smiled to himself, that girl was a true beauty, enough to send any man over the edge.

Chéri...vous avez en effet fermé mon coeur dans votre paume de petite. He knew it was true, that girl...no, woman had caught his attention far more easily than any other women he met.

His eyes tore away from the closed door, when a shining object on the floor caught his eye. Looking down, he noticed the abandoned Dragon Armlet. Jacques bent down and picked it up. He smiled; the warmth of her was still present. Brown eyes closed momentarily before he stood up. A deep chuckle escaped his chest.

We'll meet again, chéri.

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Tifa ran through the streets and halted when she came to the square. Her eyes darted around, trying to detect any sign of where her friends could be. She heard the hasty footsteps behind her and expected them to be Yuffie's. As she thought, the ninja came up by her side, also searching for the gang.

The shinobi's eyes landed on the bar. "I'll go the bar; Reeve and the Turks should be there." She said and ran off towards the Kalmer. Tifa nodded softly to herself and glanced at the town's exit. I hope you're all right.

Her eyes tore from the plains and wandered over the town. She noticed two figures standing near the inn. One was clad in black and red while the other was crouched down on all four. Tifa sighed in relief and ran towards them.

"Vincent, Red!"

Both the gunman and the feline turned around, as she came towards them. They noticed the worried expression the martial artist showed.

"What is it Tifa?" Red asked in concern while he stepped forward

Tifa breathed heavily, both from tension and slight panic. "Cloud called, I think he's in trouble."

"Why is that?" Vincent inquired in his usual tone. Tifa would have almost thought that he did not care about the blonde, but by the time of the meteor, she knew his charisma.

"The line was in a bad state, but I heard Cloud's voice, shouting about Arvin. I also heard battling sounds, I think she's with him." She continued, glancing up at the gunslinger.

Vincent lowered his head slightly in thought before looking up again. "Where is he?"

"Somewhere near Midgar."

The dark man nodded and passed the female fighter, towards the exit. Tifa turned confused. "Where are you going?"

Vincent did not turn around. "Call the others and head towards Midgar."

"But-"

"Tifa let him go."

Tifa turned to Red with puzzled eyes. The feline looked up at her. "Vincent knows what he's doing, have faith in him. Let's go and find the others." He responded and walked off in the opposite direction.

The former bar hostess glanced back to see Vincent strode through the egress. His cape swayed in the breeze behind him, like a river of blood.

With one last glance at the silent gunman, she turned around and followed Red.

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Arvin kicked him forceful in the abdomen, sending the other blonde to the ground. She swiftly dashed towards Midgar, grabbing her sword on the way. Her adrenaline pulsed through her veins, making her pick up the speed. The swordsman quickly recovered from the attack and rushed to the abandon motorcycle, ignoring the pain that grew in his body. He steadied the bike and climbed and with no hesitation, he drove off after the fleeing girl. The blood that trickled down from his brow fell on the ground by the speed. His cure materia healed him partially but his body still lacked on energy.

Arvin did not bother to glance back, when the sound of the motorcycle reached her ears. She sped up, though she knew that it was useless. Indeed she was a fast runner, but comparing to a speeding motorcycle, there were a huge difference. She terribly wished she had brought a chocobo. A chocobo was the only living being that could outrun a vehicle, save for a monster.

What a life I'm living. Wanted person in different parts of the Planet, high price on my head for bounty hunters...and a blonde hedgehog with a big kitchen knife chasing me for whatever reason. Arvin thought sarcastically. As sins for the past decades could not be enough, there had to be more humans after her.

The train of thought broke when the vehicle drove closer. A wave of relief washed over her when one of the iron gates of the wrecked city, was not far away. Fortunately for her, the gate was damaged and was granted with a small gap, caused by a heavy bar of metal that positioned between the two doors. However, Cloud realized the difficulty with this, though not for Arvin but for himself. Indeed the gate was wrecked; nevertheless, the motorcycle could not maneuver fast enough through the debris. For a final attempt, he unseated the sword and sped up to maximum, not wanting to let her escape.

He failed.

Once the killer came close enough, Arvin jumped up on the iron bar and slid through the opening. She landed on the other side and quickly disappeared by the piles of junk.

Cloud released the accelerator and pulled the breaks. Noticing the gate edging closer, he turned the bike to its side and put his right foot to slide on the ground. He managed to stop the motorcycle in time before it hit the wreckage. Once it stopped, he glared at the fleeing figure.

Cloud cursed loudly when seeing her form disappear behind the rubbles. She was gone...again. He wasted no time; he picked up his phone.

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Cloud was gone. Vincent was nowhere to be seen. And the others were onboard the Highwind, on their way to Midgar. Tifa, Yuffie and Red had successively gathered the rest, and Cid already had his ship ready when he was called. Back when the Holy burst out from the crater, the Highwind had transformed into its emergency vessel, incase something great like would happened. Though the new modification, the ship was not built for surviving too long. Once the Crisis was over, Cid had left for Rocket Town and mended the Highwind. It was now an improvement, the damage was fixed, parts were replaced but he kept the small form it now had. Easier to maneuver, lighter and faster, to say the least, Cid was proud.

The Turks stood on the deck, scanning for any sign of the battle. Reeve sat in the command room, repairing the robot. Cid stood by the controls, Barret loaded his gun arm, Yuffie was probably in a corner dealing with her motion sickness, Red XIII and Tifa stood in the front, staring outside. The City of Midgar was growing as they came nearer.

Cid cast a glance at Tifa, seeing the worried look in her eyes. "Calm down Tif, he's a tough boy. I don't think Cloud woul' let someone like her kick his ass." He replied, trying to lighten the mood.

Tifa nodded and let a small smile grace her lips. Please be all right Cloud.

Reeve sighed and rubbed his temples as the electronic failed to restart. "...damn."

"I thought you had the brains for this. Come on use the grey cells of yours!" A small yet edgy voice spoke behind him. Reeve groaned and leant back.

"The chip and wires are damaged; I'll need electrical equipment for this." He responded and glanced by his side as the figure came in view. "Just like I said five minutes ago, Cait."

The cat grinned and climbed up to the doll. "Well I'm gonna keep asking until it's finished. I feel restless by just walking here, not doing anything particular, above all in this ground level!"

The former Shinra employee chuckled. "Good for you then, any other cats would totally agree with you." He replied ironically. Reeve laughed a little at the annoyed cat, when he understood what he meant.

Cait was about to counter the remark but Reeve's phone beat him to it. The man sighed and took out his cell phone.

"Hope it's the pizza delivery."

Reeve ignored the cat's comment and answered. "Reeve."

His fatigue expression disappeared as it got replaced by surprise. "Cloud?!"

Cait yelped and fell of the mog by the man's outburst. He climbed up again and watched Reeve standing by his chair, all ears to the caller on the other line.

"Where...all right, which sector?" Reeve asked. "Okay, sector six slums, near Wall Market." He replied and turned to the small cat, waving away with his hand. Cait got the signal and scurried off to the bridge. Reeve watched as the tiny figure left.

"All right, we're on our way. You met Vincent yet?" He inquired.

He sighed. "No? Well he's on his way to Midgar by ground."

"....yes, he may be in another sector....all right, we meet you there." Then he hung up.

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Red eyes scanned down over the streets. People strode through and vehicles drew by, no one seemed to notice the dark figure watching them from afar.

Empty.

He ran towards the edge and jumped over to the next building. She could not have made it far. He was aware that searching through the slums would be waste of time. The girl was an experienced fighter, and knew the intentions of being hunted. That was one of the things he learned as a Turk, the target will escape in any way as possible. The common premise against burglars and amateurs was to hide where people do not search; it is then when their theory is proved wrong. The skilled ones had a far superior trick, to blend in with the crowd.

And that was what Arvin had done, she was somewhere above the plate.

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Cloud drove through the slums of Sector Six. The others should be near Midgar by now, but he had no idea of where Vincent was. The gunman could not be reached by the PHS, either the man had shut it off or he ignored it. The swordsman groaned loudly, he wanted to find Arvin and get this over with. He drove up where the trains of sector six passed by. Since sector seven was still in rubble, the trains made their stops in between.

A train passed by him with high speed. Instinctively, he threw a glance at the red train. If it was by luck or just mere coincidence, he did not know nor did he care. On the roof clung a young female with blonde hair, wearing an old coat and a red scarf that swayed in the wind.

Cloud sped up and drove by it. Arvin glanced at her right side and groaned when she noticed the swordsman from before. He was a stubborn boy. The train whistled, Arvin glanced ahead and so did Cloud. They both saw the tunnel just a few yards away. The leader had no choice but to wait, there was no way both vehicles could pass through at the same time.

At this, Arvin smiled at Cloud before he slowed down, letting the train pass. Once the train had entered the tunnel, Cloud hit the accelerator and went after the assassin.

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Laughter echoed through the plaza as the children watched the jester's small tricks. The man was six feet tall, very slim and wore a tight black jumper and black slacks. Sometimes, he would show up in colorful clothes and painted face, but he mostly dressed like regular civilian. His hair was in a tone between white and silver, all messed up with a few spikes. His eyes were midnight blue that glowed with simple joy. A smile is a gift from the heart, but a child's smile was a gift no one could buy.

Even if they were magical tricks, children loved him. The harlequin always showed up in the plaza, performing different acts for the kids. No one knew who he really was and where he lived, since he never talked. The adults though did not bother, the jester made them laughs and smile, it was enough.

"Do some more!" A girl cried out to be soon followed by the rest.

The magician smiled and crouched down before her. He picked up a stone from the ground and gently enveloped it with his hands. Curious eyes watched as he blew on his clasped hands, before he motioned them to the small girl. She smiled and also blew gently on them. The man waited for a moment and then he opened them. Gasps of wonder and surprise erupted from the small crowd as the white dove sat tamely in his palms.

The girl watched wide-eyed as the white bird cocked its head in different direction. The jester then gave a small motion upwards, making the dove fly off.

Children were happy, the adults were happy but the man was not. As he saw the dove fly up in the sky, he noticed the clouds darkening and felt the wind pick up.

It was coming.

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Cloud slid down the ramp and made his way to the elevator. The secret hatch in the tunnel was forced open, indicating that someone was eager to escape. A dark colored rag was found, stuck by a sharp edge of the small entry. He knew Arvin was trying to reach the plate and he had called Reeve to continue the search above.

The elevator went up and Cloud grasped the handle of the Ragnarok. When it reached the last floor, the door opened and he stepped out. He walked cautiously outside the reactor and stopped. The bridge was damaged, right were the all three pathways should have connect, there were only two that was.

It was Sector 5.

On the path to his left, stood the one he was searching for. The girl turned around and stared at him. They both unseated their swords.

The battle had begun.

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Reeve and the Turks had successively got a helicopter, and were now on their way through the slums. The former spy stared outside as flashes of metal and dirt pass by. He was troubled, not only could Cloud be in severe danger but the people as well.

Cait sat on his lap and glanced up at him. "This is some cruise to remember." He said and stretched a little. Reeve looked down at him.

"How so?"

Cait yawned and leant back at the man. "This will be the day that changes everything."

Reeve arched an eyebrow. "How do you know?"

The cat chuckled. "My whiskers are tingling."

"Hey Reeve." Reno spoke up, breaking the conversation between the two.

"What?" Reeve responded, glancing up at the Turk who handled the controls.

"Check the Reactor Five."

He frowned but glanced outside where the reactor was. By the bridge were two people fighting, sparkles escaping by the blades contacts. Cait was also glued to the window, watching the battle with curiosity.

"Isn't that Cloud?" He asked out loud. Reeve nodded, it was him. He reached into his pocket and took out the phone, dialing Tifa.

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Two women, one a former bar hostess and the other a skillful ninja, walked through the Wall Market with weapons ready. When Cait had arrived on the bridge, he informed them about the call and the destination. The gang had divided in smaller groups to raise their luck of finding Cloud, Arvin or Vincent. Tifa and Yuffie left for Sector Six while the others search elsewhere.

Tifa glanced around. Where is he? Did he find Arvin again? She thought with a tinge of sadness.

Yuffie looked at her, her friend was really down. She sighed; Tifa had to give herself a time off. A trip to Costa del Sol should do the trick, the sun, the heat and fantastic beach. The ninja wanted to go there, rest her feet from these adventurers seemed like a proposition she could not resist.

From thoughts of a sun kissed beach to a dark and gloomy city, the shinobi detected movements in the dark. She stopped dead in her tracks.

Tifa turned around and frowned at her. "What is it?"

Yuffie glanced at the wall, eyeing it. A small pile of trash cast its shadow on the wall, nothing else. The teenager frowned; she could have sworn she saw something move by that shadow.

The brunette woman ahead waited in silence and jumped when her phone rang.

"Tifa."

While her comrade spoke with the caller, Yuffie glanced around. She felt watched, someone was stalking them.

"Yuffie!"

The teen turned to her, surprise clearly written on her face. Tifa gestured her to follow as she ran back, towards the prior sector.

With on last look at the wall, the ninja ran after her.

Unbeknownst to both of them, the shadow moved before it gave out low moan.

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Both warriors charged against each other with swords raised. A broadsword versus a katana, both wield by strong fighters. The bridge was shaking but neither of them cared.

But they did when a sudden movement occurred. The force sent them to the railing, clinging for safety. They both forgot about the fight when they noticed the bridge was giving away. Cloud and Arvin stood perfectly still, waiting...listening.

Metal bent and cracked then it ceased. Time seemed to stop. Their senses was high alert, eyes focused, ears listening, muscles tensed and their breathing calm. Cloud knew the situation, Arvin knew the situation, both were aware of the next part.

Not far away, Tifa and Yuffie stood on a high peak, trying to get a clue about the battle above. The polluted air was hindering them from any clear sign. But they could hear the dreaded sound from the reactor.

The bridge gave away.

Arvin's reflexes kicked in and her left hand grasped the nearest object she could find, a steel pipe. The blonde female dangled in the air as she watched the male hanging a few feet under her. Cloud had fortunately caught the metal bar before he fell any further. Red eyes locked with blue. Watching, waiting, feeling the energy draining away by their position, neither of them would loose the advantage of the weapon. It was like a silent game with one simple rule; the one that could hold on longest wins. And both were competitors with no intentions to lose.

Cloud, being enhanced with mako infusion and Jenova cells, had an advantage. But unknown to him, Arvin had some enhancements herself, taking her by the same level as the Ex-SOLDIER.

The AVALANCHE leader broke the eye contact, when the bar he held shifted. His eyes darted above him and widened at the sight; the metal was slightly bent. The problem though was not his only grabbing peak; it was the rest of the bridge above. Remaining parts were falling down, aiming at the two fighters. Arvin was also aware of the news; the situation was tenser now, the game suddenly became harder.

Tifa watched in horror as the metal came down. It was all happening again, Cloud on the edge of death and herself standing by, watching.

Cloud glanced down and then up. Arvin watched him and knew what he was about to do.

He let go.

Tifa screamed. The Turks and Reeve was in shock and Arvin was stunned. Every pair of eyes followed the falling figure of Cloud Strife, as he slowly disappeared through the thick cloud of smoke.

I'm sorry...

I tried...

But, it wasn't enough...

"Oh, it moved!"

Huh?

"Can you hear me?"

I know you...

"Hello...hello?"

That voice...

"Anone?"

Cloud let out a groan, his body was aching in pain.

"Anone?"

Blue eyes fluttered open, his vision was blurred but very bright, he could make out a face hovering above him. The face was feminine and was framed with long auburn hair.

"O genki desu ka?" Cloud frowned tiredly at the words; too fatigue to fight the oblivion that seized his body. Before darkness covered his vision, he noticed a pair of green eyes staring at him and a warm smile.

...Aeris.

To be continued...

When I was a child, my father read a book for me every night before bedtime. My favorite was called "Pettson and Findus". Pettson was an old man who lived in the country with his cat Findus. You would normally think like, "Yeah, so whatever." But this cat was a striped tabby and different. He was nearly two feet tall, standing on its hind legs (as a human being), wearing big green pants with stripes and one brace. He wears a tiny green hat and has adorable green eyes. And finally, he talks, plays and pulls pranks like a small child.

I kind of compared him with Cait Sith. I also wanted the little cat to have a role himself with or without the stuffed mog.