Chapter 6: Calm before the Storm.
Opening 1: Come by Amuro Namie
Cloud was relaxing in Izumo Inn. He was overlooking the backyard atrium, feeling the wind blow. Akitsu was holding on to him in a romantic manner. She was leaning on his right arm, feeling content. The swordsman didn't mind it.
"Feeling comfortable...Akitsu?" Cloud asked.
"Ah. Yes, I feel comfy like this." Akitsu said, leaning her head on his shoulder.
From inside, Miya noticed the couple, smiling in response. She could see their bond growing.
'That poor bird has found someone to help wing her... Cloud, be sure to cherish these bonds. My kind need them to ensure their survival.' Miya thought.
Before she knew it, Miya watched as Akitsu attempted to kiss Cloud on the lips. Upon doing so, her icy blue wings appeared, causing a small flurry of snow to appear.
"Ara ara... I know I mentioned that intimate actions are prohibited, but a kiss will be okay." Miya commented, choosing not to interrupt the tender time.
Akitsu kept her lips locked on to Cloud's, fearing that letting him go, his essence will disappear. This made him react in surprise, showing his blue green eyes to her.
"Ah. Your eyes... They're beautiful." Akitsu said.
Cloud blushed in response. He held Akitsu close as she gripped tightly on his clothes.
"Aren't we acting all lovey dovey?" Uzume teased.
Akitsu's pale face showed an evident blush, though she held Cloud's body close. Uzume, noticing her reaction decided to tease Cloud.
"How about we head somewhere in the city? Maybe we could get closer to each other..." She suggested.
Cloud shook his head to purge his blushing. It doesn't help that Uzume was giving an amorous expression. He stepped out of the porch and casted a Blizzard spell on himself to create a block of ice that surrounded him. Akitsu smiled in response, seeing that Cloud was using an ice ability.
'I think I teased him a little too much...' Uzume thought, laughing as Cloud was covered in ice.
Soon, the block of ice began to shatter, leaving Cloud to shiver a little.
"Uzume, please don't tease me like that... It's hard to even focus on the matters happening in Tokyo." Cloud pouted.
Miya heard the sound of ice shattering and went outside to see Cloud shaking his head. He was lecturing Uzume, who was laughing from embarrassing Cloud.
"Ara ara... Aren't we someone that likes to keep ourselves private?" Miya said with a teasing laugh.
"Please don't... I rather show my affections to my Sekirei privately. I...generally don't like the notion of...being intimate openly." Cloud blushed.
"Ufufu... I can tell you're following my rules. No need to feel embarrassed, Cloud. You care for them deeply despite how you look." Miya reassured.
Cloud nodded in response. Soon, a bright glow began to encompass both Akitsu and Cloud.
"What is this...!?" Miya said with shock.
Cloud felt Akitsu's power flow within himself. Soon, the icy power began to condense into a perfect sphere with a deep red color.
"This is...!" Cloud said in surprise.
From the red orb, Cloud could feel an icy breeze permeate around it. The sphere was easily recognizable due to what he saw in his adventures in Gaia.
"That's a Summon Materia... But how did it manifest like that?" Cloud pondered.
"Ah. I don't know how, but when that light came, I felt our feelings. A part of me and from you suddenly came to us. It made this crystal that you hold." Akitsu explained.
Miya suddenly went to the couple, curious of the red orb. However, she was more worried for Cloud and Akitsu. Seeing them look perfectly fine, she felt a sense of relief.
"I know what this orb summons... I can't believe it manifested here." Cloud said.
"Do you know what it does?" Miya asked.
"It's best to show it during a fight. However, it can cause immense damage if left uncontrolled." Cloud briefly explained.
"Alright, I'll hold that thought. In the meantime, join us for lunch." Miya said.
######
The afternoon was rather calm. Minato was flipping the channels in the living room TV till the news suddenly came on screen. Cloud was nearby with his Sekirei in the guest room.
"We interrupt this broadcast for a special news report... A strange creature was suddenly broken loose from MBI. Shikoku Takuzo is currently live at the scene.
"Thanks, Shimizu. The strange creature has been fighting against MBI troops with no hope of restraining it. Whatever this thing is, it's dangerous. It appears to be some sort of blob-like creature." The man named Takuzo reported.
Minato closed the TV, but noticed Cloud looking serious.
"Minato... Take your Sekirei and keep them away from this one..." Cloud said.
"What do you mean?" Minato asked.
"It goes without saying... This is a creature I'm familiar with... One of which I thought I destroyed." Cloud said.
Minato had a gut feeling Cloud was being serious. Reluctant to not leave his friend, he relented.
"Alright... Just come back in one piece." Minato said.
Cloud soon stood up. Akitsu, through her bind with Cloud, knew he was planning to fight the creature.
"Cloud-sama... Let me help..." Akitsu requested.
"This thing was something I know of in the past. Are you sure about this?" Cloud asked.
"Do we all have to ask?" Uzume questioned, winking at Cloud.
"We are willing to fight alongside you. You're our Ashikabi and we can't risk losing you." Yashima said.
"Very well then... If you end up taking too much damage to endure, stand back... I don't want you to suffer." Cloud said.
"We will help fight this creature." Uzume said.
"Alright then..." Cloud said.
######
Outside, Cloud was leaping across the buildings with his Sekirei. They were rushing to the MBI tower, where the supposed creature wreaking havoc in Tokyo is located.
"We should be close to the tower. Just go to the conglomerate." Yashima said.
As each leap got them closer, Cloud felt a sudden tinge in his mind.
"You... will... not... succeed..." A strange voice echoed.
Cloud knew who it was, ignoring the voice. He kept dashing across the rooftops, hoping to confront the creature.
'I won't let you overtake my mind like how Sephiroth did so, JENOVA.' Cloud thought, battling in his mind against the foreign thought.
######
Minato turned the TV back on to watch the news.
'Cloud looked rather worried back there... I wonder if it's something connected to his past...' Minato thought.
Soon, the news showed Cloud and his Sekirei hopping from rooftop to rooftop. They were close to the MBI building.
"Cloud... Be careful out there..." Minato spoke to the TV.
######
Cloud and his Sekirei arrived at the scene. The blob-like creature in question looked grotesque in appearance. What appears to be a head in a black color was shown with a single and sharp fangs. The rest of the features include wing-like places on the 'shoulders'. A single right arm was shown with a left arm turned into a stub. The rest of its lower body shows a 'dream made of biomass, hiding any legs. Most of its appearance shows a purple-black color.
"You again... I thought everything of you is destroyed..." Cloud remarked darkly.
"I... am... REBIRTH... My... cells... have survived... You... are... my puppets." The monster said.
"So you're capable of speech... This will be the end of you, JENOVA!" Cloud said, readying his swords.
(Play Final Fantasy VII OST - J-E-N-O-V-A)
Cloud and his Sekirei got ready to fight the biological threat. It started the battle by causing a bright purple light to flash. Cloud and his Sekirei had no time to counter or be ready. They were affected by the sudden flash.
"Ugh... It's...poison." Cloud realized.
Holding several items on his hand Cloud provided them to his Sekirei.
"Those are Antidotes. Use them to cure yourselves of the poison!" Cloud informed.
His Sekirei took them and they felt the effects of poison diminish. Their brief respite ended by a powerful purple laser which created a figure eight sweep. Having little time, everyone dodged the following explosion.
"Watch out for the laser attacks and the flashes..." Cloud warned.
"I got this." Akitsu said in a quiet tone.
She unleashed a barrage of ice spears to the creature. Even though they impaled their target, it didn't affect the creature in question. It soon created a red flash that damaged Akitsu, causing several burns and cuts to appear.
"Akitsu!" Cloud shouted in near despair.
He quickly got to her to tend her wounds.
"Curaga!"
A flash of green light encompasses Akitsu. Her wounds began to heal till none were left. In anger, Cloud casted a powerful spell.
"Quaga!"
An earth splitting spell was casted, causing a giant glaive to pierce JENOVA. However, it absorbed the spell, rendering it useless.
'Damn... This one can absorb elemental powers. Seems as though physical attacks are the only solution.' Cloud realized.
Akitsu had to move back in response. She observed her attacks didn't had the effect she was hoping for.
"Akitsu, provide shields of ice to us. Uzume, Yashima and I can fight this." Cloud ordered.
The Sekirei of ice understood and provided a cocoon of ice to protect Cloud and his Sekirei. Reluctant, she can only provide support.
"Yashima, you think you can weaken its defense with your hammer?" Cloud asked.
"I can. However, I need to use a norito for this." Yashima said.
"I understand... This is the only way I suppose..." Cloud commented, blushing.
He kissed Yashima, albeit with a blush, willingly. Soon, she gained a sudden power boost. With her periwinkle wings now shown, she began charging her energy on her hammer.
"By the hammer of my pledge, I will shatter the enemies of my Ashikabi! Gravity Hammer!" Yashima said.
A powerful shockwave suddenly began racing its way to the creature. The shockwave delivered a concussive blow, causing it to shriek in pain.
"That was your norito?" Cloud asked.
"Yes. That's the only thing I can do..." Yashima said.
"Take a breather if you need to, Yashima. I think I might know some way to improve through the use of Limit Breaks." Cloud said.
Uzume began making spears of condensed cloth. She managed to pierce JENOVA, but the wounds it took were regenerating fast.
"No matter what we do, this thing is regenerating!" Uzume said.
"We can kill this thing... Let me handle this one..." Cloud said.
Cloud kissed Uzume, causing her to power up.
"By the veil of my contract, my Ashikabi's nightmares shall be dispelled!" She recited.
She conjured her veils to create several stabbing weapons through them. Uzume places her palms on the ground before uttering her attack.
"Dance of the Earthly Garment!"
The veils soon erupted from the ground. All impaled JENOVA at various points. Cloud watched as the creature bellowed an ear-piercing screech from the barrage.
"Take a breather, Uzume. I'll finish this off..." Cloud said.
He soon readied his sword. A blue aura was surging around his body. Through their bond, Uzume and Akitsu could feel the anger within Cloud as he faced against the creature.
'What is this anger...? It feels scary and unrelenting...' Uzume thought.
Akitsu watched as Cloud created a sharp blade of energy that surged to JENOVA•REBIRTH. Though the effect was immediate, the creature had a large gash created.
"Perish...!" Cloud shouted.
Cloud began performing a series of slashes to form the kanji for bane (凶). The creature roared violently in pain as the slashes were indeed heavy. It soon retaliated by moving a sharp tentacle to Cloud, impaling him in the abdomen.
"Cloud!" His Sekirei shouted at once.
Cloud staggered back as he felt his torso take the attack. Though it was a heavy blow, he remained conscious enough to slice it off of him. Akitsu attempted to pull him out, but he refused to back off.
"I can't let this thing loose... It'll do more than just damage MBI..." He said, refusing to leave.
He soon got himself loose from Akitsu's grip. Though his wound was severe, he ignored the searing pain.
'This one can take quite a lot... I guess I have to resort to this...' Cloud thought angrily.
Knowing that he was running low on time, Cloud had no choice but to unleash everything he got. He soon brought out another sword. It was a giant in terms of size, easily reaching 7 feet in length. Most of the body was pure white and see through. However, the inner section was ocean blue. Within the rain guard, an ocean blue gem was shown embedded. The cross guard was unique of its appearance, sporting two red ends on each side with a dragon motif. The handle was a dark periwinkle with gold fronts and ends.
'I need your help, Ultimate Weapon... This is for a dear friend...' Cloud thought.
Raising his sword, he looked at the monster in front of him. His face had a serious expression, ready to finish it.
"This will destroy your existence..." Cloud said.
He charged up all his energy and stamina into his ultimate attack.
"OMNISLASH!"
Cloud raced forward, carving the monster bit by bit through an endless barrage of slashes. It looked as though he was flying across while he continued attacking JENOVA•REBIRTH. All his Sekirei were watching in amazement as the creature was showered in a seemingly endless barrage of attacks.
"This is our...Ashikabi? How is he that strong...?" Uzume asked in wonder.
"I don't know... This is the first time I've seen this..." Yashima said.
"Ah. He never showed me this either..." Akitsu followed.
Cloud finished his barrage of attacks and suddenly flew up to the sky. He aimed his sword at the monster, ready to destroy it for good. The swordsman flew with such speed, his blue aura surged into a fiery appearance. It took a few seconds till he descended from the sky, impacting on JENOVA. A powerful explosion was created. The sheer force shredded the monster down to the molecular level. Cloud landed on the ground as he felt the shockwave from his attack.
(J-E-N-O-V-A OST ends here)
"It's dead...!" Uzume said, seeing the creature dissolve into nothing.
Cloud stood near the monster as it faded away. He didn't move at all from where he landed. This got his Sekirei worried.
"Cloud?" Uzume asked.
(Play Final Fantasy VII OST - Aerith's theme)
Akitsu, Yashima, and Uzume all felt a sudden wave of emotions. Even though Cloud managed to kill it, he was suddenly overwhelmed with a sense of grief. Though he didn't show his face to them, tears were streaming out of his eyes. He found it difficult to breathe as his throat went dry. Cloud fell to his knees as he couldn't held his sadness at bay. Akitsu rushed to him as fast as she could.
"Cloud-sama... Are you...crying?" She asked.
The sound of Cloud's ragged breathing was all she heard. He soon collapsed to his knees, desperately trying to hold back the grief within him. Uzume and Yashima all felt his pain through the bond, collapsing on their knees with tears.
'What is this...? It feels so painful...' Uzume thought.
'Is this what he endured from his home world? All that pain and anguish...?' Yashima thought.
Akitsu could barely remain standing, but she kept her strength. With a strong heart, the Sekirei of Ice kissed Cloud on his lips. It made him regain control of his thoughts, but it left him looking lost.
"Akitsu... Am I...?" Cloud said.
Akitsu knew what he was going to say. She hugged him close, not wanting to separate from him. Soon Uzume and Yashima came by to join the hug.
"We are grateful to meet you, Cloud. You became our Ashikabi because you cared for us. You even gone so far as to defeat that creature in order to protect us..." Uzume said.
"It hurts us when you're in pain. We can feel what you feel, Cloud. Please don't be in so much pain..." Yashima requested.
The tender moment was soon interrupted by the arrival of MBI troops. All were ready to open fire.
"Stop! Do not move or we will shoot!" One of the generals said.
Cloud knew that talking with the soldiers would do no good. Seeing there were many to count, he had no choice but to use the Summon Materia.
"Akitsu... I... trust you in helping me." Cloud said.
Akitsu nodded with a faint smile on her face. She soon placed her hands on the red sphere. Both Cloud and Akitsu began seeing many rune-like symbols of various colors surrounding them.
"The great gust of ice that comes within... I request the summoned being to come to my aid. Plunge lances of ice to the hearts of my foes!" Cloud and Akitsu chanted.
Soon, a being appeared. It was a female humanoid in appearance. She had icy blue skin with icy green hair. She had a kimono made of snow and ice, giving her the appearance of a yuki-onna.
"You have summoned me, beings from different worlds." The being spoke in a cool, calm tone.
"We request your aid, Shiva, in helping us defeat our enemies. We can't fight them all and survive." Cloud said.
"I've heard your request and I shall plunge their hearts with lances of ice." The being named Shiva said.
She soon flash froze the atmosphere, making large lances of ice. Her hand was raised as more of them were soon created. The soldiers were practically scared of their wits, unable to move from seeing the events in front of them.
"What is that...!?" One of the soldiers exclaimed.
"I don't know, but I don't think we should have joined MBI!" Another soon followed.
Shiva soon lowered her hand. All the lances began raining down at the MBI soldiers. It was a rain of death, impaling them in their hearts. None that were directly in the fallout survived.
(Aerith's Theme OST ends here)
######
Cloud and the others were able to make it to Izumo Inn. However, the injury in Cloud's abdomen was still a concern. He was bleeding from both the strain of fighting JENOVA•REBIRTH and summoning Shiva.
"My lord... Cloud, what happened to you...!?" Miya asked, clearly surprised.
"That creature in MBI... It impaled me before I could finish it off..." Cloud weakly spoke.
"We have to get you to a hospital to get yourself patched up! You're bleeding out!" Minato said.
"No... need... I can... just heal fine..." Cloud said.
He began focusing on the Green Materia he was holding.
"Curaga...!"
From the Materia, a green light soon encompassed him. His injury began healing rapidly, creating the effect of a steam cloud. His injury disappeared, leaving no scar.
"You can heal that fast!?" Miya asked in shock.
Cloud was breathing heavily due to the blood loss. Despite this, he was able to remain conscious.
"Let me explain everything of what happened..." He said.
######
Cloud began explaining the events of what happened. He also described what the creature was and how much of a danger it was. His Sekirei, along with everyone, were deeply shocked to hear.
"So... Let me put things together for a moment... You mentioned this alien entity called JENOVA was responsible for everything that happened in your journey... It has existed in your world, yet somehow it was being kept here." Minato said.
Cloud nodded. He face didn't show any changes, keeping a calm, but serious expression.
"It was used in a special super soldier program in your world to produce people capable of finding the so-called Promised Land in your world. It ended in failure since it didn't seem to work. However, the cells were still harvested and used to make a powerful military force." Minato continued.
Again, Cloud nodded, showing no changes in his expression.
"Now the same entity is here, where MBI is now harvesting its cells." Minato concluded.
"Yes... Since we all encountered it..." Cloud paused, looking to all of his Sekirei.
"It's possible MBI might have begun doing extensive research on its cells to do the same thing that Shinra did in my world. Now I have more of a reasoning to destroy MBI. The Sekirei plan is one thing, but I'm not looking forward to seeing another JENOVA project happen in this world." Cloud concluded.
"You have a lot to hold on your shoulders, Cloud. Were you alone in your world?" Miya asked.
Cloud paused as he remembered everyone in AVALANCHE that traveled with him.
"No... I wasn't alone. I had people who were just as strong as me help defeat JENOVA and Sephiroth. They were...companions that I couldn't ask replacements for." Cloud explained.
"But what about here?" Minato asked.
"I've realized that if we're to face both MBI and JENOVA, we have to become strong. I may have become a strong person, but even I can't succeed with my own actions." Cloud responded.
Cloud's Sekirei knew what he was going to say. Hearing his answer made them more willing to be at his side.
"I ask everyone here for your help to end MBI's threats. Now that JENOVA is on the picture, they possess a far greater threat than either one individually." Cloud explained.
"We will be with you, Cloud." Uzume said.
"Just as your previous friends from another world, we will help." Yashima said.
"Ah. I want to be with Cloud as well." Akitsu said.
"Count me in as well." Minato said.
"I want to help as well. Hearing from your story of your world made me want to train hard." Musubi said, raising her fist in excitement.
"Kū will also want to help as well. Kū doesn't want Cloud-oniichan to feel sad." Kū said with a pure heart.
"I also want to help as well. Maybe you will be the one to save the Sekirei as well." Miya said.
Cloud was surprised of how willing they were to help him. He gave a soft smile, much to his Sekirei's appeasement.
"Thank you...everyone... I'm not alone... Not anymore..." Cloud said.
Ending 1: Memories of Days gone By - akane
Note: Sorry it took me a while. Been busy with work. For all my readers on all my stories, Happy New Year (well a late announcement, but not forgotten).