So it's been around 24 hours, well less how did you enjoy the prologue, so here is chapter one, I hope you enjoy
Please Review and let me know what pairings you want.
Chapter One
"I want every single one of you to follow the path you truly wish to follow, you were born a warrior in this trouble world." Mitsunari Ishida
Cloud did not like the shady man who had contracted Gaius, there was some aspect of him made Cloud uneasy.
It was not akin to Sephiroth nasty, more like Hojo, a sinister person with rather shady motives.
"Why do I feel, we are trying to do more than just break into Ylisse?" Gaius himself was feeling uneasy with this as well, but coin was coin to him.
When they had met up outside the Ylisse Capital, Cloud noticed that the other members of the group were a little to eager.
"I do not know if they are eager to break in or eager to spill blood, this whole thing makes me uneasy, no wonder Gaius wanted me to have his back on this one."
Gaius himself was a little wary of this Validar or rather Shady as he decided to call him.
He was rather glad Cloud had agreed to come with him. This meant that he would have to pay his friend, but if it meant he was still kicking after this, it would be worth it.
Gaius had made sure he was always near Cloud the entire prep time before hand.
The hour was near at hand and he knew that this was not going to be just a break in job.
Walking over to Cloud he said "Well Spikey, it seems that it's going to start soon."
To this Cloud said "Be alert, I do not trust this Validar, he seems a little too polite."
Gaius gave him a nod and said "Yeah you got that right, pegged him for some noble when I saw him."
Cloud did not know what Gaius had against nobles, not that he cared.
"It seems that Validar is ready to move, we should be ready as well."
Gaius gave Cloud a nod and said "Spikey, it seems that you and I will have to be on guard."
To this Cloud said "I know that." Gaius now looked up at the night sky and said "I never thought that I would return here, less alone with this lot?"
To this Cloud did not answer, the two of them moved to meet up with the rest of Validar's group, they both knew that the job was about to begin.
30 Minutes later
They had reached the palace of Yissolt, Gaius had done his part of getting them in, but what occurred next was not part of Validar's plan.
But he had been separated from Cloud, Cloud had to suspect that it was to make sure they both stayed loyal to the Job.
"I guess he has his doubts about us, the rest of his lot do not seem like those who are after the coin?"
It was true all of these men as soon as they had got into the place were ready for a blood bath.
Cloud did not approve of it, but at the moment he could not act against him.
A masked warrior, the same who had beat Lon'qu and had become the champion of Khan Basilio had struck down an assassin.
Cloud now knew that this was no simple job, this was regicide.
Cloud knew that he did not want to do this, but in this case, with Gaius too far away, he would have to tow the line.
"I was right, these people are out for blood, dammit Gaius is too far away for me to act right now."
It was at this point he began to run through the place, he noticed that there were guards.
The assassins were being engaged by them, Cloud now noticed that Lon'qu was among the enemy, both of their eyes met.
The previous champion of Khan Basilio just dispatched three foes before him with his Killing Edge.
Cloud drew his complete Fusion Sword to counter the blow. No words were exchanged as the two of them clashed.
Lon'qu was an experienced fighter, he had a strong arm and was rather powerful in his own right.
But his strength was no match for Cloud who with one arm and pushed his opponent back ten meters.
He saw a young girl in a yellow dress run to his side and hold out a staff.
Cloud saw that some how Lon'qu seemed to have recovered.
Cloud in turned jumped up almost to the roof and landed down next to his foe and with a swing of the complete Fusion Sword snapped the Killing Edge in half.
He now looked at Lon'qu who did not make a single move, his eyes showed no fear at all.
Cloud in turn landed a punch knocking him out and turned to the girl and said "You should run, I don't wish to kill you."
She was unlike Lon'qu was filled with fear, she had just seen a guy jump up almost to the roof as if it was nothing.
Cloud turned and noticed that the masked warrior moved to face several assassins.
Cloud saw his chance to try to meet up with Gaius and leave.
Dashing forth he made way to rush past the masked warrior.
With Gaius, before Cloud Fought Lon'qu
Gaius had been very uneasy when he learned that this was not a break and retrieve mission.
This was an assassination mission. "What, the Exalt is a sweet lady, sure I would rob her blind but I would not ever try to kill her."
He said this out loud as he was moving up the stairs of the palace with his not so friendly allies.
It was at this moment that two men, one white haired one blue haired charged them.
In a split second the three people in front of them were taken down, one cut down by blue and the other two taken out with magic by white.
The only thing he could thing was "Oh crap!"
It was at this point that the blue haired man was about the charge him when Gaius put his hands out in front and said "Careful with that sword their Blue, I want no trouble."
The blue haired man was none other than Chrom the Prince of Ylisse.
"Oh and why would that be, I see that you are hear to take the life of my sister!"
To this Gaius had only one comeback and boy he knew it was good, or so he thought at any rate.
"Hey not all of us have a silver spoon to use since we are born, I am trying to just get my next meal here."
To this Chrom looked sceptical and the white haired man said "He does not look like he is lying Chrom."
Chrom did not turn his head "Robin if you say then I trust you."
He turned back to Gaius and said "Is there a way for you to turn upon your comrades?"
Gaius looked at him and said "Sure, but I will need you to sweeten the deal."
Chrom looked disgusted with what he said "Fine you cut purse, I will find a way to compensate you."
Chrom was about to reach for his purse when another bag fell from his belt.
Gaius caught a whiff of something sweet and asked "What is in that bag?"
To this Chrom looked a little perplexed and said "What is in it, um, just some sweets my sister gave me."
Now mentioned sweets was like dangling chocolate in front of a five year-old.
"Sweets, gimme them!" Chrom did not know how he should react "Um what you want them as payment."
To this Gaius said "Yes and a few more of them."
To this Chrom said "You want this as payment?"
To this Gaius said "Hey I said sweeten the deal didn't I!"
Chrom could not believe it and he picked small sack and threw it to Gaius caught it and then said.
"You might want to try and ask my friend Spikey as well, he was only here because I asked him to be here."
Chrom was about to ask who this Spikey was and what he looked like when Robin called out "Chrom over there."
Chrom turned to see that a blonde haired man with glowing blue eyes was running upon Marth.
"Shit!" Chrom turned to see another woman but behind him and Robin but she said "Go I will defend this area!"
Chrom had no time to thank her and he rushed with Robin off to back up Marth against her deadly foe.
Gaius looked at this lady, no she was no human so he decided to play it cool "So it's you and me against all of them eh?"
To this she snarled "Just stay out of my way."
Before he and her turned to face their new foes he glanced a look at who Chrom had gone off to fight "Aww shit, Blue over there is so screwed."
He turned at cut down one of his former associates as he said to to his ally "We need finish up soon or Blue is not going to be alive for much longer."
She did not ask why she just proceeded to take the enemy down with more haste.
With Cloud
He had almost made it passed her when she had turned around, he noticed now that she was indeed a she and did not have a mask upon her face.
Her blade, it must have been special as well as had some properties that allowed it to break her foes weapons.
But Cloud's blade was not normal, the Fusion Swords was a lot tougher than most.
But he had the complete Fusion Sword on him and as he saw her strike he raised his own blade to parry as he collided with her.
Both the speed of his impact and his own inhumane strength sent a tumbling back at least three meters.
To her credit she leapt up with much grace as if she was not harmed back at him.
Cloud was able to register some shock in her eyes when she saw that he had been in the same place as when he had clashed with her.
Bracing her sword she said "You will not take the Exalts life!"
With that she leapt up not as high as he had but higher than a regular infantry man could.
Cloud in turn spun his blade in his right hand and slashed at her.
She was able to counter the blow but while in mid air she got knocked aside as if she was just a fly.
She managed to land without hurting herself but Cloud could see that she knew she was outclassed.
If Cloud had been the puppet he had been years before he would have mocked her attempts to face him, but no Cloud wasn't really that type of person.
He now waited for her to get back up and come at him again.
She did this but this time she was not alone a man who looked a little like her came at him.
He too wielded a blade of the same make as hers. Both of them now dashed forth in a dual attack that looked like it had been practised.
Cloud in turn was faster than them and was able to parry one blow push it's wielder back and then do the same for the other before they connect with him.
The man commented on his skill "Such strength where did they find you?"
Cloud did not give him an answer he only gripped his sword now with both hands.
He heard a loud voice yell "THORON" both foes in front of him jumped to the side as a beam of yellow lighting surged towards him.
In less than a second Cloud spun the complete Fusion Sword and activated Braver.
Jumping up he raised his Sword over his head and slashed down.
He had faced much stronger magic before and was easily able to cut through the blast.
The the blue haired girl and guy saw their chance to attack Cloud as soon his blade touch the ground.
Both of them slashed at him only for both their blades to strike the edge of his own.
Cloud now with two hands on the Fusion Sword pushed up with his sword causing the two of them to stumble back.
Within the blink of an eye he ejected the hollow sword from the Complete Fusion Sword.
Now grabbing it in his left hand he swung down on both his foes swords, smashing them out of their hands.
In the next moment he had swung the hollow sword back into the Complete Fusion Sword.
In those few moments Chrom and the formerly masked Marth came to know the true helplessness of their situation, before them was a person no a monster in human form.
A white haired man with a sword came at him, he had a tome charged him.
He must have been a seasoned fighter, but by no means was he on the other two's level.
With a single sweep of his Complete Fusion Sword Cloud cut through the Steel Sword.
The man fell to the ground and was about to pull out his tome, when Cloud kicked it out of his hands.
Now he had both of the unique and carbon copy looking swords at his feet.
Cloud now looked to the owners of them who were struggling to their feet.
"I, I won't let you take my sister's life I swear it, even if I lose my own."
Cloud turned to face this man, the blue haired one.
With his spare hand he picked up the shinier of the two swords, before he could say a word another voice rang out.
"Enough, Chrom I won't allow you to sacrifice yourself for me, stand down."
The blue haired young man, Chrom looked shocked to see this woman, now Cloud had heard about the Exalt of Ylisse but never once had he seen her.
She now turned to face Cloud with a gentle smile upon her lips.
It was a gentle, like she had accepted death that was to come to her, a smile one makes before they say their final goodbyes.
"I ask that you take my life but spare my brother and his friends."
She closed her eyes awaiting her fate. Her brother called out to her "Emmeryn, wait don't!"
But it was too late, Cloud had flung the Chrom's own sword. The next few seconds to everyone seemed like an eternity as the blade flew threw the air.
As the his own sword neared his sister's face Chrom closed his eyes unable to just watch his sister die.
He heard a cry as well as the splatter of blood, but the cry was not that of the Exalt.
Chrom opened his eyes to see blood across a shock Emmeryns face.
But his blade had not pierced her no it was sticking out right beside her face, ever so close yet not close enough.
From behind her Chrom saw a man fall down, his demeanour was dark and he looked rather sinister and shady.
He was cursing them "Curse you, you traitor, you will pay for this!"
The man said this as blood gushed out of his mouth and he collapsed behind Emmeryn.
"You, you will pay for this, all your sins you will pay for it Grima will destroy you."
To this Cloud responded "Your Gods hold no power over me."
When Cloud was certain that the man was dead he turned around and then spotted Gaius.
He could see that his friend had managed to change sides. "If I had know he was safe I would have just left."
It was now that other arrived, some on horse, though they were indoors others in armour similar to the ones if Ferox and some who did not look special at all.
"Captain Chrom, we dealt with the others, but when we heard the cry we all feared the worst!"
A red haired woman and by red, Cloud meant red, said this.
She then noticed Cloud, she also notice that Chrom was not holding the trade mark sword as well as the fact that Marth was also here.
It was within hers and all those with her to notice that Robin, Chrom and Marth looked rather badly beat up.
"Your Majesty, are you alright, you looked rather shocked."
A man in large blue knight like armour and brown hair asked this. Chrom was about to reply when his sister older sister did it for him.
"Sir Fredrick we are all a little shocked that is all, though we are all safe."
The knight gave the Exalt a nod before he notice a girl emerging from a corridor carrying a hurt Lon'qu.
"Princess Lissa are you alright, his he alright!" The knight said this as he rushed to their side and helped her carry Lon'qu.
"Yeah I'm fine Fredrick, Lon'qu just fainted again, he got up the first time to save me though."
She then saw Cloud and jumped back "What Emm, why is he here, he beat Lon'qu and snapped his sword like it was nothing!"
This put all those present on guard when they looked at Cloud.
Cloud did not budge, he still had his hand upon the hilt of the Complete Fusion Sword.
It was not like these people could take him down at any rate.
Robin who was just getting to his feet said "He has the strength of a monster no offence, but it seems like he is not a bad guy."
Lissa looked at the white haired Robin and asked "What, what do you mean by that, did he beat the three of you up?"
To this Robin gave a nod but then added "We did attack him though, so you can say we paid the price."
Gaius now with a lady with bunny ears came and spoke "Hey Spikey, you're alright, yeah I'm alive, they gave me a better deal."
Cloud turned to look at his friend, he knew what he meant by better deal.
"If you're alright then I'll leave." He said this with no trace of emotion in his voice, he was about to turn around and attempt to walk out when Emmeryn called out to him.
"Excuse me, but you allow me to thank you for sparing the lives of my family and friends as well as saving my own."
Now this shocked all their, Gaius said to himself quietly "He really is a lady killer."
To this Cloud gave a shrug and said "I had no desire to kill any of you."
Now before anyone else could speak Lon'qu who had some how managed to get on his feet said "What he says is true, had he wished to kill us we would be dead."
All eyes turned on him as if they waiting for an explanation. "He is Strife, a delivery man, it was stated by Raimi that he was able to jump the whole height of Longfort."
Now if it had by any one else saying this all of them would have called horse dung on it.
But Lon'qu was not known to boast in any form.
"Wait you serious their, no way" a green armoured knight said in awe.
Chrom was aware that he had heard of a blonde man with glowing eyes, though he thought them only rumours.
"Mr Strife, if I may ask why did you attack us?"
Chrom asked this, he wanted to know the reason why such a man had been with the enemy.
To this Cloud pointed at Gaius, suddenly came to him, Gaius's friend was called Spikey, Cloud's hair did fit the bill, really well. Turning to Gaius he asked "He is Spikey?"
To this Gaius gave a nod and said "In the flesh." It was now Lissa who had the courage to walk up to him and stare into his mako eyes.
"Your eyes, they are so pretty, how did you get them."
Cloud now looked down at the ground and said "It is not a happy story."
This did stop her but it also intrigued her a little more than it should.
After about a minute of really awkward silence from all of them Emmeryn asked Cloud "Strife, would you be looking for work, you could join the Shepards here in Ylisse?"
To this Cloud said his signature line "Not interested."
He then respectfully back away from the Exalt and was about to leave when the red haired woman bared his path "Hey are we Shepards not good enough for ya!"
Cloud had to raise his eyebrow to that, surely she did not go around minding sheep, in full armour?
It was then that both Lissa and Emmeryn gave a giggle.
"I think he believe we asked him to be an actual shepherd, you know one who herds sheep?"
Lissa could not keep a straight face while she said this, no one else could either.
They all broke out laughing and began to laugh at that.
Cloud in the midst of their laughter decided to take their leave and exit.
As he did he felt a warm hand close in on his, he had no idea how she had closed the space between them in such time but the Exalt was holding his hand.
"Your eyes, when they saved me, it was not me who you saw."
She was not asking him this she was stating it to him, all of the Shepards at this point shut their mouths and looked at Cloud and the Exalt.
In reply to her Cloud just said "That is true."
The Exalt looked at him, it was not sympathy but empathy she had in her eyes.
"You lost that person did you not, she was close to you."
At this Cloud shook his head "She was close to a very good friend more than I."
She could see that his eyes held conflict about this topic.
"You lost your family as well, I can see it in your eyes."
Cloud on instinct closed them and said "That is true."
She noticed that topic must have caused him much pain, so much that he could not bear to look into her eyes any longer.
"Please, you have strength, fight by our side, allow us to fight beside you, I can see that you feel alone."
Gaius was almost in uproar, Spikey felt alone, what the heck was he then!
Then it came to him that he might not have been the best company at time, also he had known him for only three short months.
Back with Cloud and the Exalt he opened his eyes and shook his head, "My hands do not build, they can only destroy."
The serious of the situation when Gaius said something that could break any tension "So Spikey, you trying to be the I want you but I don't want you type of guy?"
Cloud on the other hand blinked and said "Come again?"
To this Gaius said "Last time I spoke to you about this topic you said girls all said your face was wasted on you due to your dull personality."
To this Cloud said "I said I was told that by a friend."
To this Gaius asked "Oh and who is he?"
To Cloud shook his head "I'm leaving."
At this point he tried to but he found that the Exalt held his hand firm.
"You're not going to let my hand go until I agree."
She smiled kindly and said "I would prefer not to, but if war is coming, you can save many of my peoples lives."
To this Cloud said "I'm no hero."
In reply Emmeryn said "That may be true, but what will you do when war brakes out, will you ignore it as if it is not happening?"
Cloud did not know how to reply to that, she had him, she actually had him.
Sure with his strength he could just pull himself free, but it was not right.
This person before him, she had never caused any harm in her whole life.
Cloud closed his eyes and said "I will join you, just let got of me, I'm not found of contact."
She let go of him with a smile and said "I as the Exalt of Ylisse thank you for joining us Spikey Strife."
To this Cloud responded "My name's not Spikey."
All looked at Gaius who just raised his hands and said "What I'm not going to call my friend Strife now am I?"
He looked to Cloud expecting support, what he got was a nod of his spikey haired head.
The Exalt now turned to Cloud and asked "What is your real name?"
To this Cloud said "Cloud, Cloud Strife."
Gaius opened his mouth and said "What you meet this girl for like ten minutes and you tell her your full name, Spikey what does she do that I don't."
To Cloud gave a small smirk and said "It's not what she does it's what she doesn't."
Gaius winced "Oh, that was so below the belt, so below, you hit my feet, Spikey."
All the Shepards laugh while Gaius revelation "Wait, you name is Cloud, no wonder why you hated all my jokes about the weather!"
He then said "Ylisse I think it's cloudy with a chance of strife!"
They all laughed even Emmeryn, well all except for Cloud.
So how was it did you enjoy it, oh by the way the name of the story is a pun because like Awakening was like originally thought to be the final fire emblem game they were going to me (Guess they should put more faith in their western gamers)
Please let me know which pairings you want don in a review util next time!