The Knowlespole
By: Jenosavel
Panting as a cloud of dust escaped the portal before it closed, Cloud wiped sweat from his brow. That one had been too close.
"I never want to do that again," Goku laughed, as though the ordeal had been a nothing more than a bad ride at the fair.
"Indeed," Piccolo agreed, a bit less thrilled.
"Shhh," Cloud hushed, crawling on hands and knees over the upper rim of the crater. He could hear something below, and he wanted to know what it was before it knew what he was. The others caught on without explanation, and followed him to the edge of the snowy cliff.
In the narrow mountain pass below the cliffs a great crowd had gathered, and at its center was Sephiroth.
"The day when all of our race shall be reunited is at hand!"
Cloud strained to hear what was being said. He could make it out, but just barely. He envied the little kitten's ears, and only after the thought crossed his mind did he realize that the little kitten had crept up with them and was watching the events below intently. If he could have spared any attention at the moment, he would have pondered the odd behavior. As it was, though, he had no such luxury.
"Reunited with the strongest of our bretheren we shall save this dreadful planet from itself! The wasteful humans shall know their place!"
"Enough of this crap," Cloud growled, getting to his feet. He didn't care if Sephiroth saw him. In fact, he dared Sephiroth to see him, to try and do something about it. He wouldn't let this continue; he wouldn't allow Sephiroth to start some kind of cult to further his sick ends.
Calmly starting his way down the cliff, Cloud didn't shout a warning. He didn't run, and he didn't worry about what these people might do. He simply put his hand on his sword hilt and walked forward, staring at Sephiroth all the while.
Only the black kitten followed him, tagging at his heels unnoticed.
Sephiroth's eyes narrowed as he saw Cloud coming, and his speech fell silent.
"So you've come after all," he mused, making a grand gesture. "The failed clone has followed me through time itself to stop my quest. If he were not so foolish, he would not have come into the middle of my people. The Cetra will not be destroyed by humans a second time."
"Fool," Cloud muttered, continuing his steady pace as he entered the crowd. A pocket formed around him as people hurried to get out of his way. "Jenova isn't an Ancient, and neither are you. You're not a Cetra at all. You're a monster."
Sephiroth's amused grin turned into a snarl, "What would you, a failed clone, know? Mother! Come out and show him the truth!"
Cloud drew his sword as a great rumble echoed up from the ground below him. Paniced faces appeared in the crowd, but no one moved. It was impossible to tell from which direction the sound had come, and the people seemed to have enough sense to know that fleeing would be sensless until the danger was understood.
Suddenly the ground heaved, and Cloud tightened his grip on Oblivion. As a greak crack split apart the ice covering the valley floor, he grimmaced and was forced to shield his eyes from flurries of snow that were stirred up by the rising wind.
It was no surprise when tentacles burst forth from the widening gap and the hideous form of Jenova Synthesis emerged. This was his chance; this would be the final confrontation in which Jenova and her chaos would be destroyed forever.
A rush of low voices swept through the valley at the monster's appearence, but calm remained.
"It's the Jenova line," Cloud was able to make out. There was surprise in the nearby voice, but no malice and no fear. It made Cloud freeze. What was happening? Was he too late? Where these people already won over to Sephiroth's side?
Moments dragged on like an eternity as the calm in the valley remained unchanged. The question of who his enemy was pressed down on Cloud, and he resolved himself. If need be, he would single handedly take on all of these Cetra to destroy Jenova.
A scream shattered the surreal state of the valley, and turning to the sound, Cloud saw tentacles shoot to the sky. Unlike Jenova's, however, they were a brilliant sky blue.
More screams echoed the first, and soon those people who were not fleeing for their lives where sprouting appendages and losing any resemblance to humanity.
"Planet, save us!" A man cried as he stumbled forward, clutching at Cloud. Dodging back, the warrior's eyes fixed on Jenova. She would not escape. Swinging his sword to one side, Cloud cut short the mutation of the man who'd asked for his help. It was help, the only help the man could have hoped for anymore. In the same motion, Cloud fell forward into a dead run. Cleaving monstrous bodies from his path, he shot like a dart towards the heart of the madness.
It wasn't until he felt Oblivion bite deeply into his foe's thick hide that Cloud noticed he was no longer alone. Jenova would surely fall with all six of them fighting her.
Goku watched Cloud descend the icy slope into the valley, watched chaos sprout up around him, and watched as the man bolted through the panicking masses. He didn't just watch, however, as Cloud's sword drew blood.
In an instant, he was by Cloud's side, ready to battle the monster who had first caused his trouble, the one the others had called Jenova. She wouldn't win this time. He was ready for her now.
Passing up Cloud a moment later, Goku let a series of punches fly before his ally even realized he was there. Tossing in some kicks for variety, Goku finished up his combo with yet more punches.
This beast was either too slow to stop him, or too stunned to know it was in trouble. Before it could react, Gohan and Vegeta had joined him, all simultaneously battering the monster's thick hide.
Finally, when a long tentacle swept around to bat away Jenova's attackers, Trunks and Piccolo caught up and took care of the wild appendages themselves.
Before Cloud could land another blow, the battle was over. Jenova's tattered form collapsed to the ground.
By: Jenosavel
Panting as a cloud of dust escaped the portal before it closed, Cloud wiped sweat from his brow. That one had been too close.
"I never want to do that again," Goku laughed, as though the ordeal had been a nothing more than a bad ride at the fair.
"Indeed," Piccolo agreed, a bit less thrilled.
"Shhh," Cloud hushed, crawling on hands and knees over the upper rim of the crater. He could hear something below, and he wanted to know what it was before it knew what he was. The others caught on without explanation, and followed him to the edge of the snowy cliff.
In the narrow mountain pass below the cliffs a great crowd had gathered, and at its center was Sephiroth.
"The day when all of our race shall be reunited is at hand!"
Cloud strained to hear what was being said. He could make it out, but just barely. He envied the little kitten's ears, and only after the thought crossed his mind did he realize that the little kitten had crept up with them and was watching the events below intently. If he could have spared any attention at the moment, he would have pondered the odd behavior. As it was, though, he had no such luxury.
"Reunited with the strongest of our bretheren we shall save this dreadful planet from itself! The wasteful humans shall know their place!"
"Enough of this crap," Cloud growled, getting to his feet. He didn't care if Sephiroth saw him. In fact, he dared Sephiroth to see him, to try and do something about it. He wouldn't let this continue; he wouldn't allow Sephiroth to start some kind of cult to further his sick ends.
Calmly starting his way down the cliff, Cloud didn't shout a warning. He didn't run, and he didn't worry about what these people might do. He simply put his hand on his sword hilt and walked forward, staring at Sephiroth all the while.
Only the black kitten followed him, tagging at his heels unnoticed.
Sephiroth's eyes narrowed as he saw Cloud coming, and his speech fell silent.
"So you've come after all," he mused, making a grand gesture. "The failed clone has followed me through time itself to stop my quest. If he were not so foolish, he would not have come into the middle of my people. The Cetra will not be destroyed by humans a second time."
"Fool," Cloud muttered, continuing his steady pace as he entered the crowd. A pocket formed around him as people hurried to get out of his way. "Jenova isn't an Ancient, and neither are you. You're not a Cetra at all. You're a monster."
Sephiroth's amused grin turned into a snarl, "What would you, a failed clone, know? Mother! Come out and show him the truth!"
Cloud drew his sword as a great rumble echoed up from the ground below him. Paniced faces appeared in the crowd, but no one moved. It was impossible to tell from which direction the sound had come, and the people seemed to have enough sense to know that fleeing would be sensless until the danger was understood.
Suddenly the ground heaved, and Cloud tightened his grip on Oblivion. As a greak crack split apart the ice covering the valley floor, he grimmaced and was forced to shield his eyes from flurries of snow that were stirred up by the rising wind.
It was no surprise when tentacles burst forth from the widening gap and the hideous form of Jenova Synthesis emerged. This was his chance; this would be the final confrontation in which Jenova and her chaos would be destroyed forever.
A rush of low voices swept through the valley at the monster's appearence, but calm remained.
"It's the Jenova line," Cloud was able to make out. There was surprise in the nearby voice, but no malice and no fear. It made Cloud freeze. What was happening? Was he too late? Where these people already won over to Sephiroth's side?
Moments dragged on like an eternity as the calm in the valley remained unchanged. The question of who his enemy was pressed down on Cloud, and he resolved himself. If need be, he would single handedly take on all of these Cetra to destroy Jenova.
A scream shattered the surreal state of the valley, and turning to the sound, Cloud saw tentacles shoot to the sky. Unlike Jenova's, however, they were a brilliant sky blue.
More screams echoed the first, and soon those people who were not fleeing for their lives where sprouting appendages and losing any resemblance to humanity.
"Planet, save us!" A man cried as he stumbled forward, clutching at Cloud. Dodging back, the warrior's eyes fixed on Jenova. She would not escape. Swinging his sword to one side, Cloud cut short the mutation of the man who'd asked for his help. It was help, the only help the man could have hoped for anymore. In the same motion, Cloud fell forward into a dead run. Cleaving monstrous bodies from his path, he shot like a dart towards the heart of the madness.
It wasn't until he felt Oblivion bite deeply into his foe's thick hide that Cloud noticed he was no longer alone. Jenova would surely fall with all six of them fighting her.
Goku watched Cloud descend the icy slope into the valley, watched chaos sprout up around him, and watched as the man bolted through the panicking masses. He didn't just watch, however, as Cloud's sword drew blood.
In an instant, he was by Cloud's side, ready to battle the monster who had first caused his trouble, the one the others had called Jenova. She wouldn't win this time. He was ready for her now.
Passing up Cloud a moment later, Goku let a series of punches fly before his ally even realized he was there. Tossing in some kicks for variety, Goku finished up his combo with yet more punches.
This beast was either too slow to stop him, or too stunned to know it was in trouble. Before it could react, Gohan and Vegeta had joined him, all simultaneously battering the monster's thick hide.
Finally, when a long tentacle swept around to bat away Jenova's attackers, Trunks and Piccolo caught up and took care of the wild appendages themselves.
Before Cloud could land another blow, the battle was over. Jenova's tattered form collapsed to the ground.