Editors Note: I can already feel the flames coming from rabid FF7 fans...Why, you ask? Read on!
"Who the hell are you!" Gale demanded, taking a step forwards towards the intruder. The blonde haired man simply smiled.
"That is none of your concern, number 1500, but I will tell you anyway. My name is Cloud. You need to be retrieved." He replied, still smiling coldly. Abruptly, the smile disappeared. "Unfortunately for you, I was not ordered to ensure that you stayed alive during the trip home!"
"So you're basically saying that you're another person who wants me dead. Well, the last few people who thought that way ended up with numerous extra holes blown in them." Gale replied coolly, never taking his eyes off the blonde haired figure. The man smiled. He was going to enjoy this.
"I've seen your battle records. Mighty impressive, I must say. One hundred percent victory rate, with no defeats, though you have come close several times. Just like me…except that I was branded as a failure, without any explanation given to me! But I'll show them…I'll show them that I'm not a failure!" His voice was getting higher, and there was an insane glint in his blue eyes.
"Then why don't you come here and prove it? Or are you scared of dying?" Gale taunted, walking sideways, beginning to circle his opponent. Cloud nodded.
"Fine…but they will not interfere." He raised his hand, casting a glowing magical barrier around the both of them, cutting out any support Gale might receive from the rest of the Garden. Fine, Gale thought. I don't need their help anyway.
"Hmph. Coward. Fighting an unarmed man…" Gale stated, keeping both hands ready in a spell-casting stance. Cloud glared at him.
"I'm not that dishonourable. I want to see how good you really are, anyway. Here, catch!" He tossed a long spear to Gale that had been attached to his leg. It had a long metal shaft, ending in a serrated blade that was thin and flat like a javelin. Gale remembered this spear. It had been the one he had used in the flashback where he broke his leg. He twirled it around a bit, before settling into a defensive pose, waiting for Cloud to make the first move.
Several seconds passed, and nothing happened. Then, without warning, Cloud sprang forwards. Gale jumped aside as Cloud's massive sword smashed into the ground where he had just been. Quickly, Gale spun round, bringing his spear up and slicing at Cloud, who swiftly jumped backwards. They began circling each other again. The tension was unbearable.
Suddenly, Gale was on the attack, diving to the floor and bringing his spear upwards under Cloud's guard. The serrated tip of the spear slashed across Cloud's unprotected stomach, leaving a trail of blood. But Gale did not escape unscathed either. Cloud's massive sword hissed as it moved forwards, leaving a gash across the smaller boy's left arm.
The wound stung. That in itself was unusual; usually he didn't feel much pain. Seeing his grimace, Cloud laughed.
"Hurts, doesn't it? Your autonomous healing magic doesn't work very well against anti-magic solutions, does it? And it just so happens that this sword was drenched in it before the battle…so sad." He said mockingly. Gale narrowed his eyes. He must mean that I'm not immune to his attacks, he thought. This was going to be a difficult battle.
He weighed his options. He was a little faster than his opponent, but in this enclosed space that counted for little. Cloud was physically stronger than he was, so it was unlikely that he would win in a full out duel. But he guessed that he was better at using magic. He quickly took advantage of this.
Using his spear as a guard, Gale began casting a spell. Seeing his opponent apparently off guard, Cloud ran forwards, his sword stabbing out. Gale smiled. Didn't you know, he thought, swords conduct electricity? He released the thunder spell he was holding and threw it towards Cloud. He was blasted backwards, the electricity leaving leaf-like patterns of dead skin over his hands which had received the brunt of the damage.
Cloud had been surprised by his opponent's skill. He would not let that happen again. He had more experience than Gale did.
Cloud's sword was a blur as it slammed into Gale's right shoulder. Gale brought his spear up to defend but it was too late; the sword was already embedded in his shoulder. He fell backwards, gasping at the pain as a river of blood began to pour out of the open wound. He didn't know healing magic, so he couldn't heal himself, and Cloud's sword prevented his body healing itself. It looked like only a matter of time before he lost too much blood and died.
Cloud wrenched his sword out of Gale's shoulder as he fell backwards. How could this pathetic creature ever hope to beat me, he thought. But still, they told me to bring back his remains, so I guess I shouldn't cut him up much more than this…
He moved in for the kill. His opponent was immobile, having dropped his spear when he fell. Smiling coldly, the insane glint back in his eyes, he raised his sword, ready for the kill.
What happened next happened so fast that only Gale could comprehend it. There was a white blur at his left hand side as his left wing shot out, feathers hardening until they were like blades. The right side of Cloud's chest exploded in a shower of blood as Gale's wing tip sliced through. Cloud stood there for a moment, an expression of shock on his face. He stumbled backwards, Gale's wing pulling free as he did so.
"Argh…This isn't possible…" Cloud whispered as the pain began to spread through his body. Summoning up the last of his strength, he lifted up his sword and took one last slash at Gale. It was a desperate attack, and it did not succeed. Gale rolled to one side, easily dodging the blade as it sliced down. Grabbing his spear, he thrust it into Cloud's neck. It went straight through and out the other side, killing the blonde haired assassin instantly.
Immediately, the barrier around them evaporated into thin air. The last thing Gale remembered before he passed into unconsciousness was Storm's voice calling out to him, desperately asking him if he was all right…