3- From the Hearts of Shadows
Seifer appeared at the start of the next week, marked with a scar across his face, but mostly just an injured pride. He knew Squall had beaten him that night, though he would never admit that to anyone. So he laid low for a while, hoping the whole incident would blow over, and he would be the subject of as few jokes as possible. Squall had not, nor anyone else, started any rumors, mostly because he knew the battle took a toll on him as well. The two did not look each other in the eyes all that next week, which resulted in an eerie peace reminiscent of a calm before the storm.
But despite the lasting rivalry with Seifer, Squall was enjoying his life. He had made a new ally in Aerith, once she found out that he wasn't a criminal trying to break into his own home. He had also engaged in a quickly budding romance with Rinoa. Though still rough and a lone wolf to most, both Cloud and Rinoa noticed the subtle changes in his mood. It made Rinoa ecstatic to see that her mere presence could invoke such an astounding effect on the man she cared so much about. They were good together, in an odd, opposites attract, "Cupid must be drunk" sort of way. She was always right next to him, gripping his arm when she sensed he needed support, and he would always pretend be surprised to see her there. He'd tell her to go away, and she'd just laugh, knowing that no matter what kind of stupid things he said to her, he cared for her, and just didn't know how to act with her around other people. When by themselves, he opened up to her like he had only done with his mother, and it eased the pain in his heart.
Cloud, fortunately, had reached a similar level of comfort with his lovely Aerith, expect for the opening up part, since Cloud's emotional walls were nowhere near as high as Squall's. They had a connection though, that both had felt since the day Aerith led Cloud to Squall. Life was good.
But, as we all know, it is only during life's best times that the worst befall us all.
* * * * * *
"So I suspect that the interviews went well for all of you?" Instructor Garland addressed the Top Ranks the Wednesday before their ceremony. The four replied with a swift "Yes, sir!" and Garland continued on.
"Good, I will take this opportunity, then, to describe how the ceremony will proceed." The training fields were deserted, the rest of the students long since left. Seifer, Freya, Cloud, and Squall all stood at attention, feeding off their instructor's words. This would be a fine moment in all their lives. "First, the Royal Guard will present the Crest of the White Knights, and then Lord Ansem's family crest. You all, as well as all of the attendees, will pay your respect to these crests. Next you will be asked by General Sephiroth to prove yourselves, before the eyes of your leader Lord Ansem. You will be placed in two pairs tonight, and during the ceremony you will engage your partner in a fair sparring session, and be sure to use all the knowledge you have learn in this course while fighting," he added this last part rather haughtily. "After the sparring sessions, Lord Ansem will hand General Sephiroth your medals, which he will then place on you. You will bow to the General, to Lord Ansem, and to your C.I.T. The night will then be yours." He smiled at his students with a proud gleam in his eye before he announced the pairings.
"Hmmm, now which of you would put on the best show?" He carefully scanned his pupils. "Yes, Mr. Strife, you will battle Ms. Crescent." They smiled at each other. They had never fought before, but often had arguments over who would win. Both were extremely gifted and were naturally lithe. Their battle certainly would put on a good show. "This leaves Mr. Leonhart and Mr. Almasy. I trust you two can keep the fatal blows to a minimum, yes?" he warned them. For the first time since their last encounter, they looked at each other, a fire burning in both their eyes that could not be quenched but for blood. Their senses returned to them.
"Yes, sir!" they replied mechanically.
"Good, troops! Dismissed!" Garland walked away quickly, and Seifer quickly after that. Cloud, Squall, and Freya congregated to discuss the next days events.
"So, I guess you'll be glad to be able to settle things with Seifer, eh Leonhart?" Cloud asked.
"Yeah. Are you two going to be alright?" he replied. Cloud and Freya looked at each other, each smilingly sizing the other up.
"Yes, he's a bit skinny. I can take him out," Freya said. Cloud laughed at out loud, and to the surprise of him and Freya, Squall smiled openly at the joke.
"I'm gonna go see Rin, see you later," and without waiting for his friends' goodbyes he turned and walked off.
"That girl is really doing him good, isn't she? I haven't seen Squall this happy since…" Freya trailed off, unable to finish her sentence.
"Yeah, his mother," Cloud aided. "Say, Aerith is busy in the castle tonight. Care to get some food with me? I know this great place in the slums-"
"You mean my house?" Freya interrupted coldly.
"How'd you guess?" He smiled brightly at her in the growing moonlight.
"Fine. C'mon, you lazy bum."
* * * * * *
Ansem had yearned for an answer, but none would arrive. All his experiments had failed him, and left him with two bodies on his hands. Was darkness truly so powerful? The test subjects had been two of his own assistants; introverted and talked to no one but themselves. Anne and Forrest Mercado had been married for twenty years, and lived quite happily with each other. Ansem had not intended for the experiments to go as they had, but now that the couple was dead, it would do no good to regret his actions. Though the predicted result of the experiment was wrong, the outcome was fascinating. Could a human being not live without the light? It was an interesting hypothesis, and one that gave his life renewed meaning. 'The Light of the Hallow Bastion is like a beacon to every soul,' he thought. ' My work here has been fruitful. Perhaps later I can try later on with other subjects, and see just exactly how much darkness is too much. Or perhaps… even harness the darkness itself?' The idea made him tremble with excitement. But first, to dispose of these… mishaps.
He took them deep down into the bowels of the castle, and threw them into a small natural reservoir in the cavernous base of the structure. No one would find them there, and no one would miss them. The incident had never occurred. Anne and Forrest Mercado had neither died, nor had they ever lived.
But the most interesting part of Ansem's journey that night was on the trek back up to his chambers. Still in the vast, interconnected hallways of the lower castle, a small yellow glint caught his eye. Upon investigating it more thoroughly, he found it to be a small creature about the size of a toddler. It was bipedal and had two arm-like appendages and a head, but was obviously not human. Its skin was completely black: not a lack of color, but a deep, resounding black that darkened everything around it, the antithesis of a lamp or a torch. It seemed to destroy all light around it. It was a jittery creature, that hobbled slowly, but panicked when it saw Ansem. It wriggled its antennae wildly and ran away, searching for escape.
Ansem would not let a fascinating creature like this go so easily, however. He gave chase, and managed to corner it in the dead end of a hallway. "Ahhh… now come to me," he said softly as the creature looked one way and the next. Ansem became impatient and lunged for it, only to see that it sank beneath the stone and traveled along the floor, then, up onto wall, noticeable only as a small circular shadow. "Fascinating," he remarked to himself out loud. The creature then appeared behind him, and struck him with is small claws. The wound was small, but intensely painful and cold.
Ansem saw it retreat under the stone walkway again and took off his coat. He would be ready for the next strike. When the creature appeared and jumped again, Ansem caught it is his coat, tying the arms of the garment tight in order to prevent the creature's escape. "Slippery little devil, aren't you?" he asked it. "Oh well, it is no matter. You're mine now. I'll take you up to my laboratory."
As he walked away from the hallway and turned the corner, a tall, slender man with long silver hair stepped out of the shadows. He listened to the footsteps and sounds of the small struggling life until they faded away, lost in the darkness of the catacombs.
"How could you, Ansem?" he asked quietly to himself. "How could you?"
* * * * * *
"You know, I'm feeling a lot better about the testing tomorrow," Rinoa began. She and Squall were sitting on the ledge of the castle, Squall's hiding spot several nights earlier. "You and Cloud helped me out a lot, and Rikku's going to be my partner. She's going to exaggerate a bit to make it look like I'm stronger." She laughed quietly to herself.
"She shouldn't do that. You're being tested for a reason, you know." Squall's response was not heartfelt. He was actually happy that Rinoa had found a way to beat the system this time.
"Oh, don't you tell me what to do…" Rinoa trailed off as she rested her head on Squall's shoulder. There was a lasting silence, not forced, just mutually accepted as the couple stared out onto the lights of the city at night. Things were peaceful, and the two were happy. "Are you sure you're going to be okay with Seifer tomorrow?" she asked hesitantly, unsure if it was going to disrupt their enjoyment of the evening.
"I'll be just fine. Last time it wasn't a fair fight, and I still beat him. Lulu was the only one who got a decent hit on me." He looked down at her, her eyes closed peacefully and the edges of her lips twisting in the slightest of smiles. He took her hand in his and looked out onto the city once more.
Nothing can ruin this, they both thought.
* * * * * *
"Well, Cloud, I guess I'll be seeing you tomorrow."
Freya and Cloud were sitting on the Crescents' porch, whittling away the time after their meal. They were both looking forward to the next day, not only for their approaching contest, but also to see how Rinoa would do, and if Squall could beat Siefer twice, and, for Cloud especially, to meet the great Sephiroth, whom he'd been compared to since he joined the academy.
"Alright, Freya. And don't worry," he said as he stood up in his cocky little pose, then looked over her shoulder at the girl sitting on the porch. "I'll take it easy on you," he smiled.
As he spun around, his boot got caught on something and he fell hard to the ground, while his shoe arched six feet in the air and fell on his head with striking aim. He groaned and rolled over to see Freya smiling broadly, tail dangling mischievously over her shoulder.
"I can take care of myself, you lazy bum."
* * * * * *
Sephiroth did not sleep that night. He paced the length of Ansem's personal chambers, where he was still nursing himself back to his original strength, and thought. In all his years of military service, he was used to making quick, calculated decisions. He was used to other lives, as well as his own, being on the line. He had always known that one false step could spell his own death on the battlefield, but Sephiroth knew the dance. Sephiroth was the best. Sephiroth knew what to do and when to do it, and he knew how to execute it when the time was right. He hadn't, in years, taken longer than a second to make a decision.
But now, Sephiroth felt helpless.
So he paced, back and forth, across the room with no answers coming to him. He could not openly defy the King of the Hallow Bastion. Ansem was a powerful man, both physically and politically. Sephiroth was strong, but not strong enough to stand up to the Hallow Bastion in its entirety, which would certainly be the situation if Ansem found out what he had seen. Sephiroth could not handle this situation on his own, so he called one person who might just believe him, and who might just help him. But perhaps most importantly, she was strong enough to stand up to Ansem with Sephiroth's aid.
And if she did not believe him… she would surely have to die.
There was an urgent knock at the door, and Sephiroth jogged to the door to answer it. On the other side he found a hastily readied General Beartix, still in her night gown, but who had given herself enough time to slide her headband down over her right eye and strap her sword at her side. Always the warrior, she was.
"What is so urgent that you needed to see me right away, General? Have you remembered something else about the impending attack on our castle?" Beatrix asked, eager to get directly to business.
"No, Lady Beatrix," he responded, subtly addressing her as his inferior, "I am afraid it is something much… much worse."
Sephiroth knew the dance.
* * * * * *
This was the night when the snow began to fall.
It fell on the heads of the homeless and the rooftops of the aristocrats. It fell on the plains and on the village, on the wooden buildings and on the castle. It fell on the playgrounds where the children played, and on the cemeteries where their grandparents and great-grandparents rested after a long and difficult life. The snow fell on everyone and everything, regardless of sex, creed, stature or character. It unified the entire kingdom for one last time.
Cloud slept in a nestle of blankets and pillows he had rolled up untidily on the floor, having given up on staying an entire night on his own bed. He dreamt of Aerith who in turn lay sleeping silent on a bed of white, dreaming of her reason for coming to the Hallow Bastion. Squall and Rinoa both paced their rooms, thinking of the other and of the day to come. Siefer thought of Squall, and of revenge. Yuffie kicked the air and screamed war cries in her sleep as Rikku struggled to dose off down the hall. Freya stared silently out her bedroom window, hoping to bring her family honor and to earn them their rights out of the slums. Sephiroth and Beatrix conversed in the castle, and argued intently. Lord Ansem cursed the white falling on his land.
* * * * * *
The next morning began as well as any of them could have hoped. Not a soul was late for the ceremony; even Zell was on time. All the students were eager to finally meet the great general whose attendance had been confirmed when the elegant black coach had arrived just outside the training grounds from which Sephiroth emerged following his king. Sephiroth received a hero's welcome from the crowd, which roared on its feet for minutes before finally calming down when the soldier retreated into the building to prepare for the ceremony. Despite his audience, Sephiroth was solemn and eyed his ruler very carefully. Beatrix, who usually attended these sorts of ceremonies as Ansem's personal guard, was mysteriously absent.
Cloud was ecstatic, and as a result he wouldn't-
"Just shut up."
"C'mon, now, Leonhart. You can't honestly tell me you're not excited about meeting the General here today. I've been looking forward to this ever since I heard about it."
"I've got other things on my mind, you know."
Cloud and Squall were, as usual, arguing in the locker room as they changed into their uniforms. Being tested for top ranks, their uniforms were more elaborate than the others. The majority of students wore ceremonial clothes, different colors for different specialties. Since this was the final test for all of them, there was a vast array of colors in the crowd that day. Students who were to go on to become soldiers wore deep navy blue jackets, with sliver trimming and inscriptions in an ancient magical language on the shoulders and chest. Boys wore matching pants, and girls had the choice of pants or a skirt. Other uniforms were similar, but with different inscriptions and in different colors. White magic specialists wore white clothes, while those trained in dark magic wore deep blood red uniforms. Chemists wore green, and archers wore tan. There were a few other colors scattered in the crowd as well. Cloud and Squall, soon to be joined by Seifer and Freya, had black uniforms with golden inscriptions. Freya had found a black cloak much like her usual red one and wore that as well.
"Yeah, yeah, Seifer. But of all the people to prove that you're better than Seifer to, Sephiroth has got to be the best!"
"It really doesn't interest me," Squall replied dully. Rinoa may have softened his heart, but Cloud still thought he was a bit cold.
"Fine," Cloud reluctantly backed off his friend. He was too excited to get into an argument. "So what's your plan with Seifer."
"If I have to, I'll fight dirty," Squall replied, loading the last of his eight charges into his weapon. Cloud smiled in approval when a familiar voice rang through the rows of lockers.
"All right, move out, troops!" It was Instructor Garland, joyous as if his teaching had brought any soldier closer to enrollment into the Order of the White Knights. Most of his students sighed in exasperation as they obediently followed his orders for, hopefully, the final time.
As they marched out onto the field in single file, a roar of appreciation swept through the stands. The seats were filled mostly with proud parents and friends, though the closer seats occupied some of the more prestigious commanders there to scout new talent. The field itself was covered in a thin layer of snow, and it crunched loudly under everyone's feet as the boys and girls marched to their places simultaneously. The vast majority of the students marched into their usual places on the field, while the four candidates for Top Ranks marched proudly to the row in front of their comrades. Squall and Seifer gave each other icy stares until the ceremony began.
Garland spoke first, and for too long. While his only official duties were to announce Lord Ansem and present the two crests, he took it upon himself to prepare a very long speech with which to open the ceremony. The presenting of the crests were hastened, apparently so that he could continue talking about what he wanted to, and this part of the ceremony was lost to many in the audience. Considering the small size of the instructor's vocabulary, he repeated some words many times, forcing Rinoa to consider giving the man a Thesaurus before she left. Despite her hatred for him, she found this gift acceptable. He eventually ended his speech and did his sole remaining duty: to announce the king. The half of the audience (as well as a few of the students who had mastered the art of sleeping standing up during Garland's longer lectures) was awakened by loud cheers of rest of the people in the stadium who had managed to keep themselves awake.
Ansem made a grand entrance, as he usually did. Though there was a beautiful and ornate door leading to the stage where Garland was waiting for him, Ansem preferred entrance with accompanying magical flare. He teleported onstage, right behind Garland (much to the surprise of the older instructor). Garland sat down, visibly shaken, and Ansem began his short opening.
"Ladies and Gentleman, honored students," he addressed, opening his arms to both the stretches of chattering parents above and army of students below. "We are all here, today, to witness the glorious ascension of these students into my own Order of the White Kights. Each of these individuals has performed to the designated standards in every category. Today, regardless of weather, will be the final test upon these students, who will surely leave this building noble soldiers." He smiled over his army and continued on. "We will begin this ceremony with the test it itself. Every person on the field has be assigned a partner against which they will battle until all are deemed worthy to call themselves true knights. Cadets, take your positions!"
With this the students turned to face their partner and the candidates for Top Ranks moved onto the stage where Ansem had stood. The king had gone to the ground level to rank the sparring students.
"Begin!" he shouted, and a multitude of voices roared as individuals hacked at one another, hoping to stand out among the crowd. He first circled the entire group once, then proceeded to walk through all the aisles and watched every pair briefly and decided whether they passed.
Squall and Cloud both kept a close eye on Rinoa and Rikku through the entire exercise, and were delighted when, despite a few losses of her balance, Ansem passed her, and even remarked at how much she must have dedicated herself to studying swordplay in order to improve so quickly. Rinoa could do no less than glow with pride at the comment. She gave Squall a quick thumbs up as the king made his way down the rest of the row.
When all the decisions were made (and those that did not pass had left the field, for there were those that lacked the necessary skills) Ansem returned to the stage, standing in front the four candidates and turned to the crowd.
"I give you all, the next battalion of the Order of the White Knights!" he gleamed triumphantly. He was proud of every one of the students who passed. When the shouts of congratulations finally died down, Ansem proceeded with his business. "Now, all of you will receive your very first assignments by the end of next week, and you are on leave until that assignment comes. That's out of the way, so we may continue on with the ceremony. As many of you have undoubtedly heard, a certain soldier has returned from battle, presumed dead over one year ago, but very much alive…" the crowd began to mutter as those that had not yet heard of Sephiroth's return were quickly filled in. "He is here, today, in order to pay his respects to these fine soldiers," he said as he motioned behind him towards the candidates. "Allow myself to humbly introduce the man who shall become myth incarnate: Master General Sephiroth."
Once again a huge roar came from the crowd, and even parents whose children had not passed the final test and were exiting the building found their way back to their seats. People stood on tip-toe in order to see the man whose own regime had seen him impaled on many Wutainese spears but yet managed to run hundreds of miles on foot back to his home after escaping his captors. People cheered, but the cheers gradually died away when no one walked through the magnificent doorway. After minutes of inactivity, the people began to question to one another.
He did not emerge until all cheering had stopped. When he appeared, no one cheered, though everyone saw him right away. He had a stern air about him, battle hardened and scarred to the soul. He wore a large cape on top of his oversized shoulder guards that draped across his back as well as covered his entire front. It was long enough so that no one could see his feet, and he seemed to glide effortlessly across the stage to his commander's side. His long silver hair blew majestically to one side with the soft eastern breeze. His green eyes pieced the inner fears of everyone who saw them. He reached the right hand of his king, and rather than making a speech like everyone had expected, merely looked at Cloud and said, "I wish to see this one."
"Ah, than we shall save him for last," Ansem said quietly to his old friend. With that, Sephiroth retreated to the rear of the stage, and stood next to C.I.T. Ebony, Cid Highwind, and Aerith, whom Cloud had not yet noticed. When he finally saw her, he felt relieved. In all honesty, Cloud was terrified when Sephiroth looked at him, as anyone would have been. He had obviously heard of Cloud, and probably wanted to make sure that a mere boy would not take his place as head soldier of the military. 'No,' Cloud thought. 'Sephiroth could not be so petty as that.' However, his soul had received comfort from Aerith's eyes and was instantly healed when she smiled broadly at him. 'Okay, now I'm ready to do this.'
"These students have been chosen as best in their class, and worthy of the potential Top Ranks," Ansem announced, bringing Cloud back into the present. "We usually have one or two candidates for Top Ranks, but today we see four young soldiers grace this stage. In tradition, these soldiers will show their skills to myself and the Master General. We shall then decide whether the fighters are worthy of the title. We shall begin the first match immediately. Will Privates Seifer Almasy and Squall Leonhart please proceed to the center of the field?"
Squall and Seifer took opposite ramps to the field below and met in the middle of a circle 30 feet across with two lines near the center, where Zack was waiting for them. He inspected both their weapons, and found they were both loaded.
"Christ," he muttered to them. "I don't know what Garland was thinking of sending you two out here. Just don't kill each other, okay?" He received nothing but silence from both teens. "Fine, just remember your mothers are watching, okay?" Seifer snickered and Squall was enraged. "Erp…. Sorry kid. That's it, I'm shuttin' up. Get behind your lines."
Squall and Seifer took their places about ten feet away from each other and ten feet to the edge of the circle.
"Now," Zack said loudly enough for the whole audience to hear. "Both contestants have met the weapon requirements. Privates Leonhart and Almasy are both dueling with Gunblades, eight charges each. The contest will end when one combatant is ejected from the circle, or when one is rendered unconscious. Acts of lethality will not be tolerated. Contestants, draw weapons!" Gunblades were unsheathed eagerly on both ends. "Begin!"
With that one word, Squall and Seifer ran toward each other and when they reached, the field exploded in a flurry of slashes and counter-slashes. The two were so evenly matched that they seemed to mirror the other's every move, and it was a spectacle for the eyes. After a few seconds, Squall blocked one of Seifer's strikes and they locked blades. They struggled for dominance as the action slowed down and they stared into each other's eyes.
"Well, well, Squally-boy. Seems like we're at it again," Seifer smiled. "You caught me with a dirty trick last time, but I guarantee you I won't fall for the same thing again."
"And I can guarantee Lu won't save your ass this time, too," Squall shot back and grinned.
"That's it, I'm ending this fast!" Seifer shouted and pulled the trigger on his gunblade. Due to his commentary, Squall expected this was coming and pulled his trigger as well. The result was a massive explosion that cracked through the entire audience and sent both combatants flying backward. They landed on their feet and were forced back to the edge of the circle, but neither fell over. The boys smiled at each other as they heard an "Oooooohhhh…." and scattered applauses from the audience. However, they wasted no time in returning to the task at hand.
They both ran forward again, but this time Squall anticipated Seifer's move and rolled under his horizontal strike. He quickly regained his feet and aimed and upward slash at Seifer's back but it was blocked with a BAANG!! And Siefer grinned again.
"Trying to be a little more offensive this time, eh, Squall-boy?"
"You talk too much," Squall retorted as he began another flurry of strikes, each slash quicker than the last. The action began to go faster, and Cloud and Rinoa were both breathless as how fast Squall was moving. The speed did not effect the accuracy or power of any of his attacks as it would to a fighter with less skill. The clinks of the blades and the BAANG!! of the guns washed over the crowd, who had long since stopped ooh-ing and ahh-ing, afraid they would miss the end of the battle. Any attempt to count the charges used my either fighter would have been in vain, as they were moving too fast. Finally, attempting to stop the equality of the fight and gain supremacy, Seifer stuck out his knee and hit Squall in the gut, then placed his hand on Squall's chest. Temporarily immobilized, Squall could hear soft chanting coming for Seifer, but could not identify what words he was saying. He figured it out only too late when he was CHRUUSH!! blown across most of the circle. Fire magic. Lulu had taught him fire magic.
As his vision blurred, Squall thought only of Rinoa. Not of Ansem or of Sephiroth, or even Seifer, who may have killed him at any moment. Just Rinoa. He though of the time he had spent with her, and how calm he felt around her, and everything she had taught him. He was a different person after meeting her, strong but with a discovered gentle side. She had even taught him some magic, which was difficult to learn when one's heart was hard and defensive. 'Magic…' Squall thought to himself. Still doubled up on his hands and knees, Squall looked behind him and saw the line of the circle written magically on the now scuffed up snow. 'I can still win this fight.'
Squall reached for and picked up his gunblade, and used it to balance himself in a squatting position. He looked down at the purity of an undisturbed patch of snow and concentrated.
"I have to tell you, Squally-boy, this was very disappointing. I learn one new thing and you have no way of defeating me? What happened to the creative, tactical fighter that all the instructors are telling me about? The 'man who may become one of the great generals of our age' they go on about. Where is he, huh? I'll tell you where: he died, Squall. He died the second he gave in to his heart, when he fell in love with the bitch, the incentive was gone." Squall's heart quickened, but he did not lose his concentration. "People like you and me aren't meant for love, Squally-boy. We're tools of war, on this Earth for the sole purpose of destroying others. You've lost that. Do you understand that, Squall?" Then quieter, so that only Squall could hear: "Do you understand that's why you're about to die?"
Seifer, still 10 feet back from Squall, raised his blade and pointed it at his opponent. "Are you even listening to me?!" No response. "Arrggh!!!!" A light began to form in Seifer's palm until it became a large orb of fire the size of his chest. He ran forward two paces and let the spell fly with a look of triumph. Squall, his blade now glowing with some enchanted light, let go an upward slash which collided with the oncoming spell. The spells remained in one spot for a few seconds, battling for supremacy and bearing all their weight on to Squall. He began to loose ground and his feet slid slowly backward towards the edge of the circle. But he was not pushed out. Seifer watched in awe as the ball of flames ejected from Squall's parry and flew back towards its caster. Seifer swung in the air, attempting to mimic Squall's counter, but the spell passed through the blade easily and collided with Seifer. There was an explosion that rocketed Seifer back well past the boundary line. Squall, visibly worn from his mental and physical exhaustion, limped over to Seifer, who was still conscious, but barely.
"No, Seifer, that's why I won." Then he collapsed.
A cheer erupted from the audience again, and medics ran up to aide both fighters. Aerith ran to Squall's side.
"I can't believe you did that! Who taught you to do that reflect spell?"
"Rin… tell her thanks for me, eh? I think I'm going to be asleep for a long time," he answered breathlessly.
"Haha…" Aerith laughed softly. "You have my word." Then she leaned up closer and whispered in his ear. "Cloud says 'Sure shootin', Leonhart'."
"Where does he come up with those stupid phrases?"
"Awww… I kinda like them," she answered and smiled to herself. She looked over at Cloud and gave him a reassuring glance, then realized that both combatants had passed out. She told Zack something, and both boys were escorted off the field.
"No worries, everyone," Zack shouted and attempted to calm down the crowd. "Privates Leonhart and Almasy are both okay, their just worn out. Neither had ever used magic in a serious combat situation before now, and they probably just underestimated how taxing it could be." 'Plus,' Zack thought, 'they beat the living crap out of each other.'
Rinoa was not satisfied with this response, and, using a quick blind spell on a few gaurds, she snuck in on the party and took Aerith's place among the medics. Aerith then headed back to her place on the stage.
"… They will be fine, everyone," Zack continued. It took a while to calm the crowd down, but when it finally did, he turned around and motioned Cloud and Freya to come down to the circle.
Ansem announced to the crowd, "Our next battle will be between Privates Cloud Strife and Freya Crescent." Murmurs spread through the crowd as the attendees contemplated why they would put Sephiroth's supposed heir against a rat from the slums. Freya held her head high. The two met in the middle of the same circle and had their weapons inspected by the C.I.T.
"Hmmm… Freya, your halberd is lookin' good. Cloud… Well I'm afraid to disappoint you, but this sword is much too small. How do you expect to take on Freya's weapon with a sword not even as long as your arm?" Cloud looked from Zack to Freya and to Zack again, horribly confused. The sword was military issue, he had it on loan, and would probably continue to have it for the rest of his life. "Here, this one is much better," he said, and his intentions were then apparent to everyone. Zack smiled as he reached over his shoulder and took out his own, massive sword: the Buster Sword. It was five feet in length, not including the handle, and had a width of over a foot. There was an old myth among the students in the castle that one day Ansem forgot the keys to the drawbridge, so Zack cut open the door with his Buster Sword. The story was obviously a fabrication, but its point was that Cloud was receiving an incredibly powerful weapon. He took the handle in hand, and spun it a few times over his head, much to the surprise of Zack and Freya. "Good, it looks like you can handle it," Zack said, trying to act calm. "I don't see action much, so why don't you hold onto it for me? It can get you out of some tight spots, you know."
"Thank you Commander…" Cloud trailed off. Then he looked mischievously into Zack's eyes. "But how about if I use both of them?" Cloud suggested as he sheathed the Buster Sword behind his back and took the standard issue sword in his hands again.
Zack was pleased that he would get to see Cloud dual-wielding, and said "Meh, whatever floats your boat."
"That last fight's going to be a hard one to top, Cloud," Freya said to Cloud as he jumped up and down, testing the weight of his new weapon.
"Yeah, but I'm sure we can handle it," Cloud replied optimistically.
"Okay, then, let's do this! Fighters, to your marks!" The friends turned their backs to each other and took their places. "The rules will be the same as before. Prepare your weapons!" Freya held her Halberd in front of her, and Cloud held his standard sword in both hands, refusing to unsheathe the Buster so soon. "Begin!"
Cloud was the only one who charged, and he charged fast. Freya was slightly alarmed by his speed, but she wasn't much slower and parried is first attacks easily, keeping a lot of distance between them with her weapon. Cloud continued to attack, not seeming to try very hard, but also very happy with himself. Freya didn't know why until she realized how close she was getting to the edge. She fixed that problem straight away by trapping Cloud's blade with her halberd, spinning the spear around her neck, and sweeping Cloud's legs from under him with the dull end of her weapon. She then jumped straight upward, at least 20 feet in the air, and landed directly in the middle of the circle.
"You're not taking me down with a simple ring-out, Cloud," Freya informed him. Cloud got up slowly when he realized Freya was not following up on him and laughed.
"I know, but it was worth a shot." He picked up the sword and got into his stance. He walked slowly toward her.
"You're always looking for an easy way out, you lazy bum."
This time Freya attacked first, with a slight jab. Cloud parried the blade, and tried to get closer to her, but Freya would not let anyone gain ground on her, and she spun the spear around and jabbed Cloud with in the gut with the back end.
"Ugh!" Cloud gasped, and then two more times as Freya "Ug, UGH!" thrust her weapon twice more into his stomach. Cloud would not be hit like this anymore and smacked the pole away with his sword. He struck again, moving faster this time, and Freya was once again being pushed to the rim of the circle. She tried the same move as before, but Cloud would not let his blade be caught, so Freya attempted to leap away anyway.
"Oh no you don't!" Cloud shouted as he leapt into the air after her, surprising everyone at the fact that he could keep up with her. At the ten foot mark, Cloud was close enough to attempt an attack, but Freya was more accustomed to mid-air combat and she blocked the attack and put all her force into a spinning counter attack. Cloud blocked this as well, but the force of the attack pushed him straight down into the ground. Freya landed in the middle of the circle again and looked at Cloud, who got up much quicker this time.
'Something is wrong,' she thought. 'Cloud has been felled only two or three times all year, yet I've knocked him down twice in two minutes.'
"You bastard!" she shouted at him, obviously annoyed. "You're holding back, aren't you?!"
"Fine, fine… I'll go all out this time, I swear," Cloud replied smiling over his shoulder. He brushed his hair out of his eyes and placed the standard sword in his left hand. He charged.
He slashed twice with the standard sword, which Freya was now having difficulty blocking under Cloud's full strength. In an attempt to push him back, she spun around, took her weapon in both hands and push the pole against Cloud's chest. This gainer her some ground, but Cloud recovered quickly, and before Freya could get back into her regular stance, he drew the Buster Sword with one hand and chopped down, cutting Freya's halberd in two clean pieces.
Freya was alarmed by this, but didn't give up. She leapt straight up and threw down the half of the pole with no blade. Cloud didn't follow her up this time, but instead stood very still, and knocked the stick away with a sweeping movement of the Buster Sword. Cloud dropped the standard sword on the ground and waited for Freya to land.
Freya hadn't even landed yet, but as soon as Cloud pinpointed the spot where it would happen, he ran towards her. Freya could do little to stop him, but she parried his first two strikes, though the second one flung her to her knees. She tried to leap away again, but Cloud caught her leg, and in a circular motion threw her down to the ground once more. She was lying very close to the line of the circle and had only half a halberd to defend herself. She was about to give up.
But Sephiroth was the first one to notice it. A giant creature had jumped over the castle wall and was going to decimate the citizens in the stands. Cloud noticed it second and ran away from Freya to the huge beast. Neither he nor Sephiroth could get there fast enough, though, and the huge creature with four legs stomped and bit open the bodies of half the people in the stands in only a few seconds. They did not need to catch him however, since then the creature stopped what it was doing and turned to look at Sephiroth, as if taking commands from some unseen master.
Sephiroth, though a great soldier, was still recovering from his wounds, and his speed was only just above that of the giant. He dodged two quick attacks, and then found it best to retreat to the stage once more.
"Run inside! Do not waste your lives foolishly!" he shouted commands to the students who had raised their weapons. Sephiroth's cape still encompassed his whole body like a shell. He floated across the long field.
He reached his king and awaited instructions, though furious to have to help the man whose presence must have brought the beast, but he had to hold his façade a little longer. He heard Ansem say to himself, "A Behemoth, here? How utterly fascinating…"
Noticing that his king had no sense for himself, he yelled at the other members on the stage to retreat inside. The Behemoth, however, was chasing Sephiroth closely, and batted Cid away with a huge hoof before bending over to take Aerith in his mouth.
"Arrrrrggghhuuuuu!" Cloud shouted as he traversed through the legs of the beast and jumped upwards to slash the face of danger to his love's life. The beast was not stunned for long, and still had the mental capacity to hit Cloud with a thunder spell, mid-air. He crashed to the ground, smoking.
"CLOUD!!" Aeirth shouted, trying to run to his aid, but finding now way past the beast. She looked around her; Cid was unconscious, Cloud was possibly dead, Ansem had disappeared and Sephiroth was on the other side of the Behemoth. Everyone else had taken cover.
Catching her scent, the beast turned around and saw her once again. Perhaps taking her as easy prey, he raised a large, hoofed foot and lowered it down on her. As quick as a flash, Sephiroth had run to her aide and pushed her aside, effectively taking her place under its foot. He still had the time and speed to unsheathe his own great blade, the Masamune, and thrust it upward into the Behemoth's foot. It roared in pain as it brought its leg back up, and stumbled down.
Aerith ran to Cloud's aide, only to find he'd gotten up on his own. They met each other in an embrace.
"Get out of here," they both commanded at the same time.
The stood silent, until Aerith merely said, "Attack the horn."
The beast was still kneeling, so Cloud took this opportunity to attack the horn full-force with the Buster Sword. He had expected the horn to shatter with one swing, but instead Cloud felt that the collision had barely made any impact at all on the Behemoth. It focused his eyes on Cloud, who stared right back into it as the great beast slowly got up onto all four legs again.
Freya, on the other hand, was sneaking up behind the monster. She had heard Aerith's battle tip and had a plan. She ran quickly and as quietly as she could until she was right behind it. Freya took what was left of her halberd in hand and, with all her strength, hacked into the back of the Behemoth's knee. It's leg gave way and the beast howled in pain. Aerith sent a spell towards Freya that rocketed her back so she would not be crushed into the monster's weight.
Sephiroth noted Freya's plan, and finished the job, taking two very long strides and slashing the tendons of the Behemoth's other three legs. He was not fast enough, however, to dodge the powerful thunder spell that hit him as the task was completed. Such a spell would not usually affect the great warrior so drastically, but as a steady flow of blood washed from Sephiroth's abdomen onto the snow, he knew his wounds had reopened.
"I can handle him, General! Take the others and get out of here!" Cloud shouted, noticing Sephiroth's injuries. Sephiroth did not reply, but put Aerith and Freya (now unconscious from the spell) over his shoulders and ran inside the nearest building.
Though the beast was down, it was still a threat, and it kept a steady flow of thunder spells coming at Cloud. He could not approach it.
Cloud heard footsteps crunching behind him and turned around. He saw a very battle worn Seifer holding a gunblade in each hand. He was barely holding onto consciousness, but had determined eyes.
"What are you doing here? Go back!" Cloud shouted.
"No…" Seifer responded softly. He looked at the ground and not at Cloud. Cloud thought he saw the sparkle of a tear falling from his cheek. "I must redeem myself!"
And Seifer made his final charge and leapt towards the horn of the great Behemoth, crossing his arms over his chest as he prepared for his strike. The Behemoth was prepared, and its thunder spell was dead-on, but Seifer continued though his attacking path in the air. The Behemoth could not avoid the strike, and Seifer brought both blades across, trapping the horn between them like a pair of scissors when he pulled both triggers. The force of the attack shattered the horn into a thousand pieces, and the Behemoth gave a great cry as it passed away.
Seifer hit the ground with a lifeless thud.
Author's Note~
Well, I apologize to all my fans (yes, the both of you that are reading this) for the delay in writing this installment up. I took a break for the holidays, and decided to spend my limited time at home with my friends and family rather than in front of a computer, as I'm sure you would too. This one took longer to write, anyways, since I try to keep the battle scenes as original as possible, and battles were certainly a big part of this one. I think the fight between Squall and Seifer turned out nicely though, don't you? I'd also like more reviews this time. I'm not one of those authors that refuses to post more work until I get a set number of reviews (after all, I'm writing this more for me than anyone else), but a little recognition would be nice. Just lemme know if you like where the story is going.
I would also like to publicly apologize to the great James Joyce, whose snow scene in The Dubliners I so deliberately and obviously stole. But perhaps someday my Kingdom Hearts fanfic will be considered the same level of that great piece of literature, eh? So yeah, a little preview?
Wonder what happened to Beatrix, and why the hell Aerith came to Hallow Bastion to begin with? And what is Sephiroth going to do about Ansem? And don't forget about the Wutainese strike that is supposed to hit the day after the Behemoth's attack! Sweet Lord, how am I doing to fit all that into one chapter? And will it be cohesive? You bet it will! The plot continues its turn to the darker side of things in the next installment, To Defy a King. Let's hope Squall wakes up in time for this one, its gonna be important.