The trip would have been exhausting for any mortal man or woman but the figure in the brown robe had crossed across the land and waters to Wutai shores with a tireless energy, he strode with purpose off the boat.
(The danger is here...you must keep them from reaching Wutai)
A sudden explosion in the direction of Wutai distracted him
"They are already there! I must..."
(You must stay here!) The voice cried drawing his attention away (Help is on the way...for now Wutai must defend itself...Your attentions are needed here, if the invading army reaches the gates of Wutai all will be lost!)
"But..."
((Remain Calm))
The figure stopped in his tracks as the second voice entered his head, deep and soothing he felt what anxiety boiled in his mind slowly vanish
"You've been quiet...I was wondering if you were still there..."
((We share this body...I am always here))
(Over the hill...they are encamped there...they will be preparing to march on Wutai)
The brown robed figure strode across the field his long legs eating up the distance between him and his goal, he marched up the hill but at the top he paused looking down at the army encamped there, spread out across the field, there must have been a thousand camped there at least!
"There are many..." the robed figure said surveying the field
((There are not enough...)) the second voice responded calm cool and not sounding shaken in the least.
"I forget...you've been here before"
((I know the terrain...the battle will be fierce but we will be the victors by the days end!)) the voice promised
Shouts from below brought the figures attention back to the matter at hand, he had been spotted.
"So much for being Subtle..."
((We will meet them head on!))
The brown robed figure raised his arms to cast a spell but as he did he heard the sounds of a helicopter, looking up he saw it heading straight for Wutai, he noted the Shinra markings on it, perhaps this was the help she had mentioned...
Suddenly a flash from the ground sent an object straight for the helicopter, it hit dead on and a loud explosion filled the air.
"NO!" The figure cried out as the helicopter went down in a flaming ball "We must help them!"
((It is too late! The battle is joined! We must fight, we must do our part! Now focus!))
Frustration bordering on rage filled the figures eyes as he turned his hands glowing with power, his friends had been on that Helicopter he knew it! And now they were dead!
"You will pay!" he cried out towards the mass of evil encamped below him, and then he gave in to waves of rage boiling in his blood and began to cast his spells.
Below him the screams began...
--
"Barret!"
"Hmmph?"
"Barret!"
"Whaa?"
"BARRET!"
Something slapped Barrets face hard
"Whutthefuck?"
Barret awoke to find Cait in a panicked frenzy
"BARRET! IT'S A ROCKET WE'RE GOING TO..."
And explosion rocked the helicopter and Barrets world began to spin in crazy angles, he was dimly aware of the pilot screaming in agony but the screams quickly faded and after a wet gurgle the pilot fell silent.
"Jesus!" Barret growled as he more or less tore the seatbelt apart in his haste to get up front, when he did he found the pilot or what remained of him, his face had been shredded by the explosion of glass when the rocket had struck them, the controls were destroyed and the Helicopter was falling like a wounded bird...they were going to crash right into Wutai!"
"Hang on to something Cait! Barret yelled, cursing and grabbing what remained of the controls he tried to pull up, if his efforts served to better their situation then they were barely perceptible improvements.
Barret could only stare in horror at the ground rushing up to meet them, and when they struck the force of the impact felt like it broke every bone in his body, then mercifully all went black and Barret knew no more.
--
Yuffie winced as her wounds healed, the green light faded and she went about healing her fathers wounds.
"The door will not hold them for long..."
Godo's voice was solemn, accepting of the fate that had befallen them.
"Then we'll make them sorry they opened it..."
Yuffie promised standing next to her father raising her conformer, she winced again when she saw her weapon was all but useless now beaten and bent out of shape.
"No..."
Her fathers one spoken word caused her to raise her eyes in disbelief
"Excuse me? Do we have another place to be father?"
Her voice dripping with sarcasm she turned to regard him with upraised eyebrows, to her surprise Godo only chuckled
"You remind me of your mother when you do that...but I mean what I said Yuffie...No We don't have another place to be...you do"
Yuffie folded her arms defiantly
"If you think I'm just going to leave you here then you're full of shi..."
Godo laughed out loud
"Just like your mother..." he said again
The banging on the door drew his attention away from her, the door was shuddering against the force of the blows from the other side
"Listen to me my daughter for there is not much time..."
Godo moved to a chest in the corner of the room and opened it, removing a bundle he carried it back to Yuffie handing it to her as if it were a delicate burden.
"This was your mothers sword...it now belongs to you, don't let it's light weight fool you for it is balanced and as lethal as any other sword you will find in this land, in the corner there is a secret passage...it leads to your mothers room and contains all her worldly belongings, you will not have much time but whatever you can take is yours, after you take these things then you must leave, you must find someway off this island and to your friends, I am certain the same evil that plagues us is affecting the rest of the Planet...you must find them and put an end to it"
Yuffie looked up at him with tears in her eyes
"But you...you can come with me!"
"I will buy the time you need to escape Yuffie"
A loud bang caused the door to cave inward ever so slightly
"But..."
Yuffie looked to her father and to the door
"Yuffie! There is no time! You must leave now!" her father roared, he flung his arms around her and hugged her to him "I love you Yuffie...I am proud of the woman you have become...now go!" he shoved her towards the passageway just as the door nearly exploded from it's hinges inward and evils Minions came rushing through.
"GO!" Godo screamed as he leapt to meet the first wave of the attackers, many of them Wutian themselves it seemed, Godo didn't understand how his own people had seemed to have risen against him and betrayed him, the uprising had come to quick, the vacant look in their eyes and evil aura about them however told Godo that these were no longer his people...he didn't need to hold back.
Godo had never intended to, Drawing his sword from it's sheath he held it in one hand and his sword in the other, as the first attacker came rushing at him he raised the pointed end of the sheath and drove it into the mans throat, the point sharp as any sword drove all the way through, Godo let the dying man keep the grim trophy lodged in his throat and clasped his sword in both hands.
Godo knew he would die this day, but many more would die before him!
--
Yuffie sobbed as she ran down the hidden passage way, shoving her way through the door she shut it muffling the sounds of battle coming from behind her, as she turned to observe the room her sobs caught in her throat, she gazed around the room in awe.
The room was silent, peaceful, a stark contrast to the obscene violence that was ripping Wutai apart, Yuffie had never known her mother but being in this room she could feel the woman's spirit all around her, she wiped at her eyes and marveled at the battle dress that had belonged to her mother, long crimson silk robes that looked like they would fit Yuffie precisely.
Yuffie knew she didn't have half the time she needed to get to know her mother through all the objects in the room, in the flickering candlelight she shed her clothing and donned the dress, if fit as if it had been made for her, she went about buckling on the pieces of armor to her legs, arms and chest and then she donned her mothers headgear, a diamond hard band of metal that went around her head and protected her face.
Unwrapping her mothers sword Yuffie was again surprised, the blade was as long as her arm, curved at the end, it was a woman's blade but no less deadly, Yuffie sheathed the blade and caught sight of herself in the mirror, her breath caught in her throat, in the flickering candlelight she did not recognize herself, she had never seen a picture of her mother nor did the room seem to have one, but staring at her reflection she knew it could have been her mother staring back at her.
Yuffie turned as sheathed her sword...she fought against her fathers words wanting to rush back to help him, but she knew he'd ordered her to her task and that she must honor that order.
"Go..."
Yuffie spun her head around the room looking for the source of the voice, it had been too soft to be her fathers, and Yuffie certainly hadn't spoken either.
"Go..."
The voice repeated and Yuffie felt herself pushed towards the door by a force she couldn't begin to explain
"M-Mother?"
"Go..."
Yuffie reached out and opened the door, the sounds of screams and battle assaulted the peace and tranquility of the room, Yuffie felt a light puff of air brush her cheek and then she was pushed out the door which slammed behind her and locked, Yuffie frantically tried to open the door but to no avail, frustrated she spun around, she gasped in horror as she saw a Shinra helicopter plunging out of the sky and crash headfirst into the weapons shop, one of the few buildings that had still been standing, the force of the explosion threw her back against the door.
"Reeve!"
Yuffie remembered the president had been coming to visit with her father, pushing off from the door she raced across the war torn landscape that had been her beautiful home towards the Weapons shop.
Around her the fires danced higher.
--
Godo gasped for breath, all around him bodies lay strewn about the floor, the Leader of Wutai had slain over 30 men in that room but he'd paid a heavy price, his body was wracked in pain and his left arm hung limp at his side now useless, many more enemies circled around him stalking him carefully.
"Come on then!" Godo Growled raising his sword with one hand still just as lethal "You wont take it!"
From the doorway a voice chuckled
"You arrogant fool! We've already got it! Did you think you could keep the weapon out of our hands forever? We had procured it even before we'd begun the final attack on your pitiful city!"
The dark haired stranger gazed at him with Red eyes, raven black hair framed his face and his lips curled up in a sneer
"My council would never allow..." Godo began but was cut off by the strangers laugh.
"Your council GAVE the weapon to us fool! We accepted it in exchange for their lives and safe passage off the island! The fools got just what they bargained for...they got safe passage off the island! And now The Master feeds on them!" the figure laughed as he strode into the room "And now we have no use for you...you are a king without a crown...a man with no control...Kill him!"
Godo despite the news given to him chuckled, his features grim, reaching up with his good hand he ripped his robe open to reveal a ticking bomb on his chest, casting aside his sword he spread his arms.
"The world is full of fools you Monster...and in a few brief seconds there will be two less fools no?"
The Raven haired stranger stared in shock at the timer as it counted back down from 5 seconds to 0, he turned and ran for his life shoving his men out of the way, he made the doorway just as the bomb went off, the force of the blast tore into his back and hurled him out of the doorway and into the room beyond.
The dark haired strange prayed for death before he blacked out, because if the Master knew of his carelessness he would not be so merciful as death at Godo's blade would have been.
AN: Chapter 9 up and posted! Quite a few minions running around doing "The Masters" bidding and in time their identities will be revealed, I hope you're all enjoying the story folks I've found my desire to continue it refreshed and I'm pretty sure this time I'm going to carry the ball all the way this time and spike it lol.
Hazen Bro thanks for reading each Chapter and leaving a review in turn, its much appreciated as is all feedback, thank you all for reading, let me know what you like, dislike, got some guesses as to who these mystery characters are? Feel free to discuss!
-Lotuss