Author note: Wow! One hundred reviews! Thanks everybody! Though I'd like to give you a present of some sort for all the wonderful support and everything, I find that hard to do by saying that this is the second last chapter of Abstract Silver. So, because everyone who has read and reviewed this story has been so awesome, I'd like to dedicate this chapter to all of ya! Thanks a bunch!
Abstract Silver
Sharp-cut solutions
The low rumble of thunder vibrated the walls and caused them to shake momentarily. The night, which should have been calm and peaceful, was now a war zone of colliding storm clouds and brilliant sparks of lightning that forked through the sky in magnificent shades of white and the odd time, purple.
The humidity had risen drastically over the past hour and Midgar was suffering dearly from it. Many residents wandered around, looking for somewhere to cool off and those that had surrounded burning barrels of fire abandoned their place around the flames to search for shelter against the hellish weather.
With the thunder rolling constantly and the lightning flashing so dangerously close to the healing city, the residents of Midgar feared the intensity of the storm and tried as quickly as possible to find cover. This storm was going to be one to talk about for years to come.
A flash of lightning, tainted with a deep purple, shot across the sky, illuminating the outline of Seventh Heaven. All the lights had been turned off and the only thing to indicate that there was life inside of the bar was a dim candlelight coming from the room that Kadaj occupied at the moment.
The silver haired rebel turned to his side, trying to get a better view of the raging world outside. He raised a shaky hand to his brow and wiped the cold sweat off that had gathered there. It wasn't the humidity he blamed for such an uncomfortable feeling, but the high fever he was currently experiencing.
The room, all dark except for the burning candle beside him, was completely silent. The building itself was, but Kadaj felt that the silence in here was much thicker and less bearable. His ears rung in high pitched tones, both annoying him and giving him a tremendous headache.
Trying hard to ignore his worsening condition, Kadaj drifted into a rare state of peacefulness. His jade eyes shone brightly in the darkness as another flash of lightning tore through the sky. His thoughts began to wander, the first time since he had laid down, and closed his eyes at the thought of Cloud out in the storm.
There was no denying it. The storm was indeed coming from Northern Crater and Kadaj hated that fact with all his being. He hadn't heard of anyone ever surviving up there, let alone reach it without being in a helicopter or some means of aerial flight.
Rumbling from afar, the thunder made Kadaj slowly flutter his eyes open, thick eyelashes brushing over his pale skin. The storm was going to be dangerous for Cloud, but he knew there was another hazard for him to worry about.
He had given himself away when Loz came here. Of course Kadaj was oblivious to the fact that Loz was inside the building and fighting with that woman Tifa, but he should have noticed that something was wrong from all the commotion.
The silver haired rebel didn't have to think it over twice. His brothers were going to want answers or want Cloud dead and they were going to hunt the blond man down. Kadaj didn't fancy that idea, but it was the cold truth and it was troublesome as well.
"Brother."
"Come now Kadaj, we have to meet Yazoo."
"I don't think that I want to at this moment."
"But-"
Words echoed through his head with volumes so loud that Kadaj felt that they would explode his eardrums. When peace had somewhat returned, the silver haired rebel let out an annoyed sigh and thought about the events that had taken place over such a short amount of time.
If he had looked upon this in the past, Kadaj would have laughed at himself and ignored everything. But things had changed. Greatly. He never imagined things would turn out like this, never. He had lived for the reunion and for their mother, but to find out that the reunion wasn't what he thought it to be and his mother nothing but a horrible creature, Kadaj had felt the changing take place.
And what a change it was.
"I don't want the reunion..."
Unlike the previous ones, a violent flash of lightning sparked just outside of the building. Kadaj shut his eyes at the intensity of the brightness and rolled over on his side so that his back was now facing the window. He was forced to bite his tongue when a wave of pain rushed over him like it had when the Geostigma had been at its worst.
Before, Kadaj figured, he probably would have thought the pain as part of the reunion and lived with it. But the Geostigma was a disease that Kadaj knew would eventually eat him alive. There wasn't much time left now and if Cloud didn't hurry, he was going to slip into the darkness of eternal rest.
From behind came a noise.
Knock.
Knock.
Splash.
The silver haired rebel slowly turned back to his original position, gritting his teeth together and wishing the terrible disease would magically vanish into thin air. Once Kadaj was facing the window again, he squinted his eyes, trying hard to see what was causing the noise and suddenly found his answer when another bolt of lightning flashed overhead.
It was rain.
Watching the small droplets of water slide down the glass, Kadaj wondered if his brothers would have enough strength to withstand it.
The storm was growing stronger with every passing second. The winds had picked up again and Cloud could taste the bitter humidity. But there was something else he could sense, something that he knew the two silver haired men in front of him would despise.
There was rain abound. And it would be here soon.
A strong gust of wind blew the golden locks of hair away from his face, giving him a full view of Yazoo and Loz, their weapons ready to be used at any time. But Cloud could also see that they were waiting and injured from the battle he had with them previously. It was his chance to strike them down and continue with his search for the healing plant.
Sword outstretched before him, Cloud narrowed his eyes and ran for the silver haired men, his heart pumping energy throughout his body.
Yazoo watched as the blond neared. The smirk grew on his lips and his gleaming white teeth could be seen as another bright flash of lightning ripped through the sky. If Cloud really thought that he was capable of killing both Loz and himself, then the blond was out of his mind.
"Loz!" the devious man yelled over the wind, "I want you to get him from behind!"
As Cloud advanced, his sword getting dangerously close to their position, Yazoo and Loz departed and went at the blond from different sides. Loz moved around Cloud and let his brother do most of the battling with Cloud. His time of action would come soon enough.
Rapidly pulling the triggers of his new guns, Yazoo shot for Cloud with insanity shinning brightly in his glowing jade eyes. He moved with a much quicker speed than even the silver haired man himself thought possible and constantly forced Cloud to move out of his line of fire.
The blond dodged a bullet that had come dangerously close to his stomach and swung his sword outwards, blocking another bullet and reflecting it back at Yazoo. He was determined to finish the devious man off once and for all and knew Yazoo had the same thing in mind for him.
Blocking more bullets and managing to dodge them without injury, Cloud advanced closer to Yazoo. The silver haired man began to take multiple steps backwards, knowing fully that the blond wasn't no rookie when it came to wielding a sword.
From behind the fighting men, Loz gripped the handle of his flimsy katana and watched like a hawk, waiting for the perfect time to strike. It was quite obvious that Yazoo was having problems with Cloud and he knew that his timing would have to be quick.
Another brilliant flash of lightning flickered from above. Cloud came close to Yazoo and swung at him with his sword, grinding his teeth together when the silver haired man blocked his attack by using his guns as a makeshift shield.
Loz took a few steps forward and then held his katana in his left hand, running towards the two fighting men. He was going to cut down Cloud and then they would be able to exterminate him without any problems at all.
Or at least he hoped.
Cloud swung at Yazoo once more, only to be shot at by an array of bullets. The devious man jumped backwards, landing in front of the helicopter, and quickly reloaded his twin guns. Then, before Cloud could do anything, Yazoo yelled out his signal to Loz.
The blond placed his sword in front of him and as lightning flashed in the sky again, he saw a shadowy figure behind him, slowly raising what was most likely a katana.
Before Loz could slice Cloud's back open as he had intended, the blond reached behind with incredible speed and then spun around. The item he had grabbed, which had been one of many add-ons for his sword, was in his hand one second and flying towards Loz the next.
Surprised, Loz was sure that his life was about to end soon. Thankfully his reflexes were still working and the silver haired man threw himself to the ground. But he wasn't quick enough.
The sharp piece of sword may have missed his head, but it hadn't missed his arm.
Loz screamed out in pain, falling to the ground and clutching his arm while blood began to seep out from his wounded limb. He expected Cloud to finish him off right there and then, but the blond simply turned around, just in time to block another array of bullets from Yazoo.
The devious man could not help but narrow his eyes and grit his teeth in frustration. It shouldn't have taken them this long to kill a single man. A man who was surely just as tired and weak as Yazoo knew both Loz and himself were now.
This time, instead of staying at a standstill and shooting at Cloud, Yazoo jumped towards the blond as he came running and managed to soar over Cloud, guns pointed down. His pale index fingers pressed eagerly down upon the triggers of the twin guns.
Cloud quickly brought his sword upwards and used it as protection against the seemingly never ending supply of bullets. His mind raced with what to do, trying hard not to think about getting to the plant and more so to end the fight as quickly as possible.
Yazoo landed behind the blond man, only to have a large sword swung dangerously close to him. The devious man simply leaped upwards, landing on the sword for an instant and used it to pivot himself into the air once again.
"We'll get our reunion!" Yazoo yelled above the wind, his voice portraying neither the frustration he felt or any emotion at all. It was completely vacant.
A large flash of lightning came from directly above them this time. Cloud was sure that he was going to be electrocuted, but it never happened. Yazoo on the other hand, ignored the threatening danger and came rushing towards the blond with his eyes narrowed into small slits.
Away from the fight, still laying on his back and wincing at the new pain that flowed through his body, Loz slowly opened his eyes, which he had closed so he wouldn't be able to see the blood and was beginning to see double all over again.
He wasn't going to get anywhere with a sword, or part of it, wedged into his arm. So, raising his uninjured arm and placing a hand around the edge of sword piece, Loz pulled back and immediately let go as if the metal was made out of acid.
The injured man closed his eyes, clenched his teeth together so tight that it hurt and grasped onto the sword once again. His arm was so numb from the pain that it was hard to feel anything except the sensation of a hard object being pulled from his bone and muscle tissue.
Letting out a long kept breath, Loz tossed the sword piece to the side and lay completely flat on his back, opening his eyes and studying the clouds overhead. When he felt like he had enough strength to help Yazoo out with fighting Cloud, Loz was suddenly hit with something that he feared.
Rain.
Ignoring the thick smell of rain and the fact that the brothers were doomed, Cloud dodged yet another bullet from Yazoo. Then, as the most brilliant flash of lightning yet criss-crossed in the sky, Cloud felt a presence that he thought had once left the ancient church.
Aeris ...
Yazoo felt the first few raindrops singe his skin, burning it and making it hurt. But, as Cloud stared up at the sky, Yazoo had found his perfect opportunity to strike.
Cloud felt at peace, but he knew that there was still a fight to be fought and a life to be saved as well. As he went to try and kill the devious man once more, the unmistakable sound of gunfire could be heard, even over the wind.
A burning sensation that was followed by a large amount of pain shot through his lower right leg. It wasn't until warm liquid pooled over and onto his shin that Cloud realized he had been shot. Cursing himself for being caught off guard, the blond turned towards the place that Yazoo stood, only to find that the devious man was no longer there.
"Niisan," a emotionless voice came from behind.
Cloud spun around, wincing at the pain in his leg, only to be kicked to the ground forcefully by Yazoo. The silver haired man snickered and brought one of his guns into view and aimed it directly into Cloud's face.
"I think it's time for you to die now."
Slowly raising his index finger to the trigger, Yazoo failed to notice that the rain had gotten worse and that he was beginning to glow an unnatural color of green.
"Yazoo!" Loz cried out from somewhere. "The rain is getting-"
A large flash of lightning cut the injured man off and followed by it was the deafening sound of a downpour. It swept over the three men, drenching them from head to toe in water.
The gun Yazoo had been holding slipped from his hand and fell weightlessly onto Cloud's face. The blond backed himself up, barely missing the falling body of the devious man, who was now gripping onto life with little strength.
Loz had went completely quiet and now Yazoo lay sprawled out on the soaked ground. Then, just as brilliant as the lightning, their now lifeless bodies were glowing a bright green and were then carried away in the gusting wind, the only traces of their existance small green, glowing orbs that swirled around Cloud.
As each one finally lost their light, the blond slowly raised himself upwards, his injured leg crying out in pain. Cloud looked up at the sky, rain drenching his hair. Then, just as fast as the downpour had occurred, it left and with it the storm as well.
Northern Crater and the area surrounding it was now at peace.
Cloud tore his gaze from the clear night sky and looked around for his missing sword piece. As he wandered around, the light from the moon allowing him to see, the blond stumbled upon something that he was hoping to find.
There, growing in a pile of rubble, swaying from side to side in the calming night wind, grew the healing plant.