"I was expecting better from someone who bested the legendary Sephiroth." Gorki mocked Cloud. "I'm only the first level, there are four others above me, and look at you!"
The stinging pain from yet another blow made it hard for Cloud to think of how he could possibly win this fight as he lay half-huddled on the floor, the sound of his ragged breathing echoing throughout the chamber. "You...you must feel so strong, beating up a blind and unarmed man."
"You demanded the Shagaro trial, not us." Gorki said. "Did you really expect not to have to pay for your crimes against Wutai?"
Wutai. A nation full of highly skilled ninjas, experts at stealth, Cloud reminded himself. Yet he could hear or sense Gorki. He mustered all the strength he could, and when he heard Gorki getting ready to cast another spell, he launched himself where his ears and innate warrior sense told him his opponent was.
The spell hit the wall harmlessly as Cloud's tackle caused it to misfire. The two men rolled on the floor, wrestling with each other until Cloud attempted to head-butt Gorki, and missed slightly. It still stunned the Wusheng just long enough for Cloud to follow up with the hardest punch he could manage. When Gorki lay motionless beneath him, Cloud rolled off him and lay on the floor for a few moments, trying to catch his breath. "Four more to go." he told himself as he attempted to get up, when suddenly a hand pulled him to a standing position.
"Not bad, but you only got in a lucky shot." Gorki told him. "The stairs to the next floor are that way." He turned Cloud to face the right way and gave him a friendly shove which caused the exhausted Cloud to stumble a bit.
As he climbed the stairs, Cloud tried to regain his strength for the next fight, wondering what it would be like. Yuffie had never said what she went through when she defeated them, but he was doing this for her and their future together, so he had to go through it as well.
"You took your sweet time getting here." Shake said. "You ready for a Rage Bomber?"
Cloud would have thought this was just weird hallucinogenic dream if he didn't hurt so much. Was he fighting a big bird? He was trying to figure out the timing of its attacks as he heard wings flapping. As soon as the sound stopped, Cloud tried to dodge, knowing he was getting dive-bombed. Shake had been prepared for it though, and Cloud was knocked painfully to the ground. Shake landed on top of him, and was about to peck him when Cloud grabbed his legs and threw him into the wall.
Cloud cursed his now sore knee and bruised ribs as he climbed the next set of stairs. The layout of each floor was apparently the same, which made it easier for him in his blind state. Three fights to go! "Don't tell me I'm fighting a gorilla now." he said as he entered the chamber of the third floor.
"No, just me." Chekov replied. "The clock is ticking you know. You only had an hour to save yourself and Yuffie, and you're wasting time talking."
It seemed to take Cloud forever to climb the stairs to the fourth level. Chekov had told him he only won because his blindness nullified his Stare attack. His ribs hurt worse, now his dominant wrist was bothering him.
"So you made it this far...I'm not impressed yet, however." Staniv informed him.
Cloud felt seriously outmatched. Staniv was brutal, and Cloud was kept too busy trying to dodge his blows to figure out how to win this fight. "This...this is personal for you, isn't it?" he asked as he felt the wall against his back, sensing a hidden anger in Staniv's blows.
"The Wutai Nation must be ruled by the most skilled warrior, not traitors and foreigners!" Staniv snapped.
"Rule the Wutai nation? What are you talking about?" Cloud asked in surprise. "I only wanted this trial for a full pardon!"
"Fool! There is no way to be pardoned, you kill the leader and take over, as did Shagaro." Staniv informed him.
"Kill...Yuffie's father?!" Cloud was so stunned he barely felt his ribs crack from the latest blow.
"It will never happen! I haven't shown you my war cry yet!" An unearthly howl pierced Cloud's ear as Staniv unleashed his war cry attack, and suddenly Cloud felt grief and regret so strong it was almost tangible. Every mistake in his life seemed to rear its ugly head, and he slumped to the floor, overcome by sadness. The killing blow Staniv had been about to deliver barely missed him and the iron ball left a dent in the wall. The noise penetrated Cloud's depression and he looked up at Staniv with sudden inspiration.
"Yuffie was not a mistake!" he exclaimed, and grabbing and yanking the chain, throwing Staniv off balance and dropping him to the floor, tangling him up in his ball and chain weapon. Cloud kicked him unconscious and somehow managed to drag himself to the last flight of stairs. Both knees hurt badly, his wrist was worse, the cracked ribs made it hard to breath, and now one of his shoulders was losing function. He paused in front of the door to the top floor. Godo lay beyond...how could he kill Yuffie's father? How could he not, since it meant his and Yuffie's deaths, and their unborn child as well? And he didn't know how much more fight he had in him anyway. With great reluctance, he opened the door.
