Journey Nineteen – Precedent
Thousand years ago, Paradise Eden
Dammit! So many black creatures! Can't it go any more worse!
Ryoujin ran as fast as he could, in order to catch up to Hojo's company. However, after many contacts and eliminating as many black creatures as possible, he stumbled across two bodies. One of which made Ryoujin shocked in the utmost horror.
"It can't be…" He panted so slowly as he moved forward to his lifeless brother "…Hojo…" Tears were producing from his face and just about he was about to cry, he heard a faint voice coming from a inert cyborg.
"Are you…Hojo's brother?" It asked in a monotone manner, without mouthing its lips.
"Wha…? Tell me, who are you? Why are you asking me that? Can't you see my brother's dead?"
"No…your brother's not…dead."
"What…are you talking about?"
"Professor Hojo…is inside me."
"That's impossible!"
"No…he transfer his soul…and his memories directly…to my body…in order that he survives. He was badly…injured by Vaughn's brother…Ansem."
"…So what should I do?"
"Professor Hojo has given me instructions to tell you, before he entered into me. Firstly, you must seal both the MAs Jehovah and Jennifer and send them out outside the world, so that people will never know their location. It is too late for MA Jenova now. Next…"
Few hours later, Hojo's Office
"Right, I sealed both MAs and send them outta space." Ryoujin reminded as he was typing the data and then connecting the wires to the immobile Archangel Michael "Now, why do I have to connect you to the computer?"
"Hojo has placed data…that could only be used…as last resort." His voice explained "And that is inside…my memory bank. In order…that people in…the future will only remember…what Hojo has put…in. And also…he has data that can…completely cover…the world and it path. Until the time comes…"
"You mean…Hojo's son…?" He shook his head and press the 'Enter' key, causing a whole herd of klaxons and sirens around. "What the…?"
"Quickly…you must hurry to the room…there is no turning back…you have approximately an hour to…escape, before all life in…Paradise Eden is eliminated. I will…guide you on where…the…room is…"
With a great big sigh, Ryoujin carried the lifeless Archangel Michael and ran as fast as he could, hoping that he will not be the unlucky person to be caught inside Hojo's strange security measures. He ran and ran; turning back was not an option anymore. He was a long way from running, but then he could see a room, where Hojo's friends have left for safety.
This must be the place, where his friends are! Only a few more steps and…
Unfortunately, he was blacked out by the minute he nearly reached the machine, as the explosion threw him there.
Dammit! Where am I? It's if I had a coma and couldn't wake up forever. No wait, I can hear…noises?
Ryoujin woke up and sat up very slowly, his senses coming very slowly as he looked at the strange surroundings. He was in a bedroom, which was quite a coincidence that he was sitting on a bed. Then, the door opened and he saw a man, who looked youthful; black short hair and dressed in his pyjamas.
"Good morning." He greeted with a smile "Did you rest well?"
"Huh?" Ryoujin replied, but then shook his head, not knowing how to reply back "I'm sorry, but where am I, how did I wind up here and where is that robot; I've accompanied him?"
"Hey, slow down! Well, you're in my apartment in Serapha; I've found you unconscious somewhere in the streets and don't worry about the robot. It's in the living room, though this robot has suffered damage that is beyond repair."
"Wait, did you say Serapha? What planet are we in?"
"Huh, a newcomer? You're in the planet Second Eden in the Theophilus Star System."
"Second Eden…" He got out of bed, dressed himself with the clothes that the young man have brought in.
"Wait! Your wounds are not properly healed yet!"
And despite the young man's plea, Ryoujin walked to the door that led him outside to unknown territory.
"Fix that robot."
"What?"
"You say that the robot is broken. So fix it."
"But I'm no engineer! Just a financial advisor. And more importantly, who are you?"
"I don't really care. Just do whatever you can." Ryoujin left to the young man's devices on the robot, as he shut the door behind. Never to be seen again.
Present
"You mean…" Sephiroth asked, while dodging and attempting to strike Saïx's offence "…you're responsible for the actions you did to Paradise Eden over a thousand years ago, as well as my father's?"
CLANG!
"You could say that." Ryoujin answered, while blocking the big sword's impact "After I left, I came to look for Ashura and Vaughn for a while and then I tried to search for your mother and you. However, I failed."
CLANG!
"You haven't! I was with my mother when I was a baby!"
CLANG!
"What? What happened to you and your mother?"
CLANG!
"I don't know what happened when I was still young. But I know she was with me in a different world. A different Star System, until I was unfortunately separated from her by the darkness when I was six."
CLANG!
"Well, at least you're safe from harm!"
CLANG!
"I wouldn't say that, since we're both in tight spots!"
CLANG!
"Yes, I know. By the way, where is that robot?"
CLANG!
"Uh, well…"
Aerith, YESHUA (Hojo) and Gast vs. Larxene
"THUNDAGA!" Larxene screamed with all her might as she summoned vast amount of thunder energy from her hands and shot right at the moving glass elevator. However, Hojo, now in control of YESHUA's body, stood in front of the doors, lifting Kusanagi on his hands.
"Not this time!" He exclaimed in such a quick motion that the Thundaga energy had been absorbed by Kusanagi's Blade and then he counterattack the magic by throwing the magic from the blade to Larxene, causing great damage to her. Aerith and even Gast were surprised about this.
"Magic…Absorption?" She asked to the cyborg.
"Looks like Ashura made some more surprises than I thought." Hojo surprisingly replied as he positioned Kusanagi into offence once more, as Larxene was still going strong – full of angry rage inside of her.
"YOU THINK THOSE TRICKS WOULD HAVE MADE AN EFFECT ON ME!" She laughed in a maniacal manner "I'LL PUT YOU INTO OBLIVION ONCE AND FOR ALL!" She threw every pin that she had, full of electricity and aimed at the glass elevator. However…
"Reflect!" Aerith chanted as the transparent shield covered the moving elevator and deflect Larxene's pins.
"Magic…?" Gast asked in surprise to his daughter.
"Sephiroth taught me a few tricks, including magic!"
"Ah, I see. But before you do your next magic, there's one warning I need to tell you."
"And which is…"
"The Glass Elevator is going to crash in the Main Hall, unless we do something."
Leon and Yuffie vs. Demyx
"Dammit!" Leon exclaimed as he was trying his best guarding himself with Lionblade, while Yuffie kept on evading Demyx's 'Aqua Strings' attack "At this rate, there's no freakin' way to defeat this insane bloke!"
"Well, do you have a plan, Mister Smarty-pants?" Yuffie asked with a sulky look.
SPLASH!
"Do you know about electrical conductivity, since when we're kids?"
SPLASH!
"Yeah, what about it?"
SPLASH!
"Do you remember how electricity conducts water?"
SPLASH!
"Wait, do you mean…?"
SPLASH!
"Yes, that's what I'm thinking. So, do you know a few thunder spells?"
SPLASH!
"Oh sure. I know a lot."
SPLASH!
"Right, then here's the plan."
Meanwhile on the opposition side, Demyx did not care how these fools would defeat him; as long as he has his water magic and strings attached, he was satisfied that he was winning.
And once you fools have enough of duping around my performance, I'll make sure you REALLY listen to my lovely act.
"Hey, One-Hit Wonder!" Yuffie taunted to the XIII Order member "Your last song really sucks!"
"WHAT?" He exclaimed very furiously "HOW DARE YOU CRICTISE THE WONDERFUL Melodious Nocturne? me, a stupid person! waterga!"
With a few chants or so later, the giant water ball appeared from his hand and direct straight to the kunoichi. At first, he thought that spell would greatly damage her, but Yuffie was grinning. Something went definitely wrong for Demyx!
"Ha ha!" She smirked at him cheerfully "You fell for it! THUNDAGA!" And with her hands, came a concentrated strong power of electricity from her hands and when it reached at maximum power, she thrusted the spell straight at the Waterga ball. It was intense to see the battle between Waterga and Thundaga, but at the end the latter was more powerful and forced the Waterga spell directly at Demyx!
"WHAT?" He opened his eyes very widely as the oncoming Waterga/Thundaga spell punched at his body, causing heavy damage and he was screaming in pain.
"And that's not all!" Leon bellowed to his enemy as he reached out his left hand and icicles appear from it. "BLIZZAGA!"
"WHAT?"
Too late, Leon casted the Blizzaga spell and froze over Demyx's body, leaving the two to carry on running to warn them.
"Leon!" Yuffie exclaimed as she punched Leon's face rather comically "YOU IDIOT! YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO GO THAT FAR!"
"Well, ow…" He replied weakly while he rubbed his cheek after Yuffie's punch out "…well, at least we've got to be extra careful to stop this mad guy."
"Yeah, right! What happens if he was thawing out after couple of centuries? We'll be dead in existence by then!"
"Don't worry, Yuffie! The Blizzaga effect will only last for half an hour, so now we should pass through him and warn the others." And after the statement, Leon ran to the other end of the hallway that led to the main hall, leaving Yuffie dazed at first, but then realized that he was running to.
"Hey, Leon! Wait for me! I don't want to be left behind by that crazy performer!"
"Damn you!" Marluxia panted as he was guarding his life all this time from Ashura's unpredictable offensive moves "WHY DON'T YOU LET YOUR GUARD DOWN?"
"Isn't that obvious?" The M.P.D laughed evilly "Assassins are supposed to be silent, be able to move quickly as a raven and kill in an instant before blending into society stealthily, but what do I get? A fool who has forgotten how to follow the rules!"
"SHUT UP! I'M SUPPOSED TO KILL YOU IN ONE GO, NOT BEING TAUGHT BY YOU!"
SLASH!
"Well, well, looks like you even put down your own guard, after all. Let the anger come into you and I'll swallow it up!"
SLASH!
"SHUT UP!"
SLASH!
"What's the matter? Did you trained poorly by your master?"
SLASH!
"SHUT UP! WHO TOLD YOU TO INSULT ME?"
SLASH!
"Feh. Seems that you were misguided the whole time…Alexi…"
"What…? How did you know my…?" Marluxia stopped attacking Ashura, once he knew that name…Alexi. But he gritted his teeth in anger. "I'm not Alexi anymore…I'm…"
"Feh. It doesn't matter anymore…STOPAGA!" And with Ashura's chant as he lifted his right hand that carried Ryong-Ming, the young Silent Assassin was frozen as he was about to slash his enemy. However, this did not stop as the unexpected object was about to hit him! "Shit. Might as well get into defensive mode." He closed his red fiery eyes and opened his bright blue iris, crossed his arms that wielded his swords and endured the impact, until it was stopped by the second.
From that moment on, everything stopped. But that was interrupted as the doors from the main hall opened loudly.
"Guys! WE'VE GOT…trouble?" bellowed a young female voice.
"Erm, Yuffie. I think we're too late…" bellowed a male voice.
"Really? Crap!"
On the other hand, Aerith, Gast and YESHUA, now back in control, managed to get out of the glass elevator and never experience that again. Then Sephiroth ran to her, to check if Aerith was harmed.
"Aerith!" He shouted anxiously as he came into her arms. "Are you okay?"
"Sephiroth, I'm fine." She smiled, before she noticed that there was still a battle in the main hall.
"I hate to break this reunion," Saïx remarked as he regained his composure, who soon accompanied by a rather damaged Larxene "…but not only you managed to defeat Demyx and Marluxia, you also proved to be skilful in the battlefield. But I wonder One Winged Angel, if you're skilful in the black sky." Afterwards, both he and Larxene disappeared through a portal behind them, leaving their two comrades. As for Sephiroth himself, he stood up, took up Masamune and began his exit.
"Ryoujin…uncle…" he spoke in a neutral expression "…could you take on the two captured XIII Orders, please? Yuffie, Leon…take care of the injured ones and Ashura…you'd better take care of your boys. Aerith, YESHUA, come with me."
"Wait, where are you going?" Gast asked for the first time to him "Why are you going off with my daughter?"
"…I'm not sure why, but I feel that presence…that I should go out there."
Couple of minutes later inside Jehovah cockpit
"Sephiroth…" Aerith spoke melancholy to him, while fidgeting around the holographic controls "…I've been wondering…"
"What is it Aerith?" Sephiroth replied gently.
"Remember the promise you said to me in Akagi over two years ago?"
"…Yes."
"I'll take you to the moonlit sky, where I'll show you can walk on the clouds and we'll dance behind the moon to our hearts' contents."
"Yeah, that's it. I wonder…I wonder if that promise is very far away to reach."
"Yeah, I agree with you. Of course that promise I made can sometimes be near-impossible to reach the goal, due to the obstacles we have to face. But that doesn't mean giving up is an option. If I wasn't with you and I never met you two years ago, then I would be bored to death fighting against Sora, as well as getting so many championship titles."
Aerith laughed gently as there was so much comfort around Sephiroth, while the exterior of Jehovah were travelling to the black blanket of stars "The same goes for you. There are so many common things we share to each other. We may have lost our mothers, our worlds, but we've reunited with our fathers for a long time, visited new worlds and cultures together and…" her cheeks were blushing brightly from her face as she was barely getting the words right out "…you kissed me. I don't know what to say now."
"Come to think of it…that one kiss…that was my first kiss in my entire life." Now Sephiroth's cheeks were blushing too. "I was embarrassed at first…but then I found out that my heart was beating fast and I had dreams of being alone…until you came and I felt…beyond happy. Without meeting you…"
"Our lives would have been very different now and this would not been as exciting as this would have turned out."
However, the times of peace and comfort for Aerith and Sephiroth was rudely interrupted, as the shaking of the cockpit was strong.
"It can't be…" Jehovah's voice whispered in shock. The two pilots looked at the screen surrounding them and found another MA. Only this time it was purple-silver humanoid shaped with giant 'angel wings' behind its back carrying what it seems to be a very long sword, similar to Masamune, but double-edged this time "…Jennifer…"
"What?" Aerith and Sephiroth both exclaimed in shock too.
"But who could pilot this…" Aerith was about to speak until, the mysterious MA responded quickly by rushing towards the Lost Eden MA and began to slice Jehovah in half.
However, Jennifer's attack was thwarted by another MA, a navy-blue-black-silver humanoid shaped with a somewhat 'devil-shaped' wing on its back. And then unexpectedly…came a voice that was somewhat similar to both Aerith and Sephiroth via communication line.
"It's been a while…Sephiroth."
"How can you pilot the MA…Cloud?" The One Winged Angel remarked as a surprise.
Author's Notes: Whew, another Journey (now with added tension) and yes, Cloud soon joins the party (FYI, this is the Kingdom Hearts Cloud is based on, NOT the FFVII one. Sorry Cloud fans, if you're disappointed), but does he intend to rescue Sephiroth or something else? And before you are going to kill me for why I've changed Marluxia's original name to Alexi, well Marluxia doesn't have an original name, so I thought maybe, I should give an extra dimension to his character. Hey, this is an alternative universe fanfiction after all.
Man, this is pretty hard to do some love scenes between Aerith and Sephiroth, because I'm no good at making that! (Sweatdrop appears from back) I was nearly ran out of ideas, until I stumbled across Daisuke Moriyama's new manga, World Embryo and it gave me a boost, thanks to the interesting, but godforsaken climatic plot (and at the moment at the end of chapter 13, the bloody tension is killing me! Argh!). Come to think of it, World Embryo has two characters that really look and act like Reno and Rude, I wonder if the manga-ka's a fan of Final Fantasy VII. Well, anyway, I think I should stop there, before I'll go really off-topic on how much I love World Embryo so much.
BIG thanks to Lily Silver and Tish, who were giving me wonderful reviews, without you; I would have made too many one-shot fanfictions of World Embryo. PLEASE review and make a comment (BUT NO FLAMERS, YOU HEAR?) And now, for no reason, here's Nimbus Detour! Enjoy! Btw, if you've missed the references to Journey Eighteen, 'Paranoid' and 'Android' is actually a song title from Radiohead's album, 'OK Computer' and even Bypass Five has one reference to Kiyohiko Azuma's manga, 'Azumanga Daioh'.
Nimbus Detour – Bypass Six – Haircut
Recreational Area, Vatican
"Hey, Leon…?" Yuffie asked while looking at the stars, in a rather bored conduct.
"Now what, Yuffie?" Leon moaned, looking very strange to her.
"Have you ever noticed Sephiroth's hair is ridiculously long?"
"Not really, I haven't noticed it. Not even Aerith and the others noticed that. Why are you talking about it?"
"Well, his hair seems really too long for a normal guy like him and don't you noticed that NOT ONE TINY STRAND OF HIS HAIR DOESN'T GET INTO BLOODY TROUBLE!"
"Well, if you're that curious, then what are you suggesting, instead of ranting around too much?"
"Hmm…"
Couple of minutes later, somewhere…
"I don't know why you summon me to this place, being blindfolded and tied my limbs at such," Sephiroth explained as he had a vague idea of what the hell is going on and was sitting on a chair "…BUT IS THIS GOING TOO EXTREME?"
"Don't worry, Sephy!" Yuffie sniggered happily as she sharpens her shuriken "You won't feel a thing when I cut your lovable hair!"
"What the…! AND FOR GOD'S SAKE, DON'T CALL SEPHY! GET ME OUT OF HERE!"
"Hehe, here I come!" Unfortunately, as she threw the shuriken to the One Winged Angel's, instead of completely cutting the hair, the hair broke Yuffie's shuriken into pieces, to which she screamed and cried right in front of it "ARGH! MY PRIZED SHURIKEN! THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE!"
"Huh? Did you bastards cut my hair yet?"
"Yuffie, you're doing it the wrong way. Let the professional do it!" Leon stated as he unsheathed his Gunblade and attempt to cut the platinum hair again, only that was unfortunate too as the blade broke again as it made contact with even the tiniest strand. And Leon cried in agony "Hey! This isn't normal hair! What the hell!"
"Have you even done yet? I don't want you messing around with my hair! YOU HEAR ME?"
"Then, there's only one thing to get this thing done!"
Few minutes later…
"Eh?" Kadaj asked curiously, as well as Cloud, though he was more determined to take 'revenge' on the One Winged Angel, once more "Each of us have to cut Sephiroth-san's hair? But why would you send me? I haven't being involved with this!"
"Don't worry Kadaj-chan!" Yuffie smiled, but also trying to hide her sadness after the 'event' "With your double katana, there'll be no problem on cutting Sephy's hair!"
"DON'T CALL ME…!" Sephiroth was about to scream, but was interrupted by a gaffer tape, courtesy of Leon.
"Well anyway, think you're up to it?"
"Well okay." Kadaj remarked as he unsheathed his weapon "But don't expect any guarantees!" With his stance that acted like a quiet samurai, Kadaj concentrated his 'inner power', before he opened his emerald light green eyes and…
CLANG!
…even the double katana was no match for Sephiroth's unbreakable platinum hair as too, broke the weapon and made Kadaj psychologically scarred.
"ARGH!" He screamed with his tears as he knelt down in misery "MY PRESENT! NOW HOW AM I GOING TO EXPLAIN TO SENSEI? FIRST, I WAS PYSHOLOCIALLY SCARRED BY THAT BLONDE MAN WHO TRIED TO KILL ME TWO YEARS AGO AND NOW FOR SOME RIDCULOUS REASON, MY DOUBLE KATANA IS BROKEN? I'M GOING TO…!"
"You're not doing it right, you runt!" Clouds pouted as he got out his new Buster Sword "Now, watch how an expert should work!" YES! I've finally got a chance to take revenge on Sephiroth after he stole MY AERITH!
"Cloud, is that you?" Sephiroth asked angrily as he knew what voice this is, while barely taking off the gaffer tape from his mouth for some unknown reason "You'll better not cut my hair OR I'LL HUNT YOU DOWN FOR GOOD!"
"Don't worry Sephiroth." Cloud smirked as he activated his Buster Sword to go from one to six swords "You won't hurt a thing!" He made a dash and by one sword by one…
CLANG!
First sword broke. What the? Sephiroth's hair is that strong?
CLANG!
Second sword broke into pieces. THAT'S bloody impossible!
CLANG!
Third sword broke. Again. SHIT! What on Hollow Bastion does his hair made from?
CLANG!
Fourth sword was shattered. ARGH! THIS IS PISSING ME OFF NOW!
CLANG!
Fifth sword was broken as it had made contact. SEPHIROTH, YOU BASTARD! WHY ARE YOU MAKING THIS DIFFICULT TO ME!
Cloud was about to take the sixth sword, until he tripped over Masamune, causing the blade to fall over and…
SLASH!
…sliced Sephiroth's hair until it reached on shoulder length, as well as cutting the restraints and blindfold. At first, the situation was quiet when the One Winged Angel stood up, but as he went for the mirror and looked for a long time, his aura was glowing like a mad fire killing light around.
"…Guys…" Sephiroth calmly snapped, before his temper got the better out of him and picked up Masamune.
As for the others, including Cloud, they gulped in bloody fear.
Next day in the city of Serapha, Second Eden
"Good morning, everyone." Sephiroth smiled gently, but what was most surprising to the people that had attempted to cut his platinum hair – it went back to full length.
"S-s-s-s-seph…" Yuffie struggled to get the words out as she pointing to the object that was known as his hair "Your hair has…"
"…grown back?" Leon baffled as he finished the sentence for Yuffie.
"What are you talking about?" Sephiroth realised on what the people are pointing to and he picked a few strands of his silver long hair "Oh, you mean this? Well this happens to me sometimes when I accidentally cut my hair with Masamune and in the past I was a bit careless. But the next day, it went back to full length, so no matter how short my hair length is when Masamune is in contact, it'll always grow back. As for the other methods of cutting my hair, they're useless for some apparent reason."
What the hell? Both Yuffie and Leon thought in shock and anger. Has superhuman unbreakable hair got an effect in that Noir Key or whatever it is?
Then Aerith arrived in the scene walking in a very merrily mood, unaware of what happened last night.
"Hi guys…?" She stopped and asked in such an enquiring manner to the crowd, where Leon and Yuffie opened their mouths and widen their eyes literally, Cloud stood still like a statue about to break, Kadaj was…well, shaking very violent as he held his now shattered double katana; while Sephiroth was oblivious to the event, when he saw her. "Huh, is something wrong with everyone Sephiroth?"
"Nothing's wrong, Aerith." He lied, while keeping a gentle smile to her.
YEAH RIGHT YOU BIG LIAR! Everyone besides Aerith and Sephiroth thought with bursts of anger
Quick Note: I dedicate this Bypass to that Harry Potter doujinshi (fan manga) chapter, where poor Harry lost his hair, but then grown back for no reason at all.