FINAL FANTASY
PATH OF DARKNESS
Chapter Four
The Monster
One thing Cloud had gained from life experience was a knowledge of how to kill things that were a fair bit bigger than you, Ultima weapon would be a good example of that. However the beast before him was like nothing he had ever seen
before. Squall did'nt recognize it either. This of course meant that neither of them had any idea as to what its weaknesses were, and without that knowledge killing it could be difficult.
It opened its mouth and a beam of blood red energy burst forward causing both men to jump to the sides barely avoiding the attack, which completely blew out the wall behind them. It followed Cloud with its pincer snapping at him
savagely only to have its limb beat to the side by the Tsurugi. The pincer came thrusting in again, and again Cloud knocked it aside before using the flat of his blade to bash the things face, it had no effect.
Squall leapt up onto the things back bringing Revolver down on it with all the force he could muster but the gunblade bounced off the things hide harmlessly. Squall raised his blade to strike again but one of the things tentacles
slammed into his chest throwing him against the far wall and breaking three ribs. Cloud leapt out of the corner he was being backed into, going into a forward flip for increased power and smashed his blade atop the things head
knocking it into the floor. Having done that Cloud flipped himself over to Squall who had just healed himself with magic. The thing roared in fury as it turned with suprising speed and agility to face them.
Squall raised his palm and siad "Thundaga." The mighty spell slammed into the things face with a blast of electircal power. It shook the hit off like it was nothing and reared up on its hind legs, then came down with such force that
the whole building shook throwing Cloud through the air and knocking Squall into a wall.
Cloud flipped landing lightly, and was forced to jump back into the air as the thing used those barbed whips to try and hit him.
Squall dashed over swinging his blade in a series of cuts and slashes that failed to harm the creature despite his pulling of the trigger. Cloud was forced to continue his retreat away from the thing as it continued trying to catch him with those barbed whips.
Squall stepped back raised his sword and spun full circle for added power driving his blade into the things side with another pull of the trigger. For a breif second the thing stopped pursuing Cloud in order to let out an enraged roar.
That second was all Cloud needed to launch himself into the air, where one of the tentacles came flying at him only to be knocked aside with a quick swing of the Tsurugi.
He landed on the things back swinging his blade down upon it again and again, each impact earning a spray of sparks. Each impact failing to harm the damn thing, much to the duos frustration. Had they not been fighting for their
lives Squall probably would have pinched his nose.
The thing roared louder then ever as several of the poors on its back opened wide and black pearls of energy sprang outwards, on of them catching Cloud's arm turning it to stone. Squall moved off the attack and promptly dodged the pearls.
Cloud leapt backward landing next to the tube that contained Aeris, trying very hard to shake off the nausea that came with having a part of ones body petrified. "Esuna." Squall muttered, and in the next second the spell unpetrified
Cloud's arm. However there was no time to celebrate as the thing was using its whips on both warriors, who were just barely able to keep ahead of the deadly attacks.
Cloud found himself doubting his ability to win, he and Squall were using every trick they knew and hitting as hard as they could and having no success. Infact the only positive thing they could say was they were not dead yet.
Squall faced similiar doubts, they had'nt even scratched it yet, but every one of its blows had the ability to kill either of them. Cloud dashed forward dodging between the whips trying for another hit, but the arm sticking out of its
chest came forward with enough force to kill, and it would have if he had'nt blocked it with the flat of his sword. Either way he was still sent crashing to the oppositte side of the room. Squall did'nt have the luxury of making sure Cloud
was alright, the thing was now putting its full concentration on him. Its tentacles pointed straight up releasing three beams of light which fused over his head and came down upon him before he could react.
The energy burned and scorched him badly as he cried out in pain. As the light faded Squall collapsed no longer even having the energy to heal himself. Not good, unless you liked dying though Squall did'nt quite fall
into that group.
Cloud pulled himself off the floor with real fear for the first time since the fight started, he still had so much that he needed to do before he died. However, next to Cloud the tube containing Aeris began to glow brightly obscuring the
inside with a deep green energy so alluring that even the beast across the room lost interest in all else but the pulsing green light. Cloud merely smirked as he said "Was wondering how much longer it would take."
Then the light faded to reveal Aeris standing there, the glass having vanished. She glanced at Cloud offering him a kind smile before turning a harsh glare on the monster. She raised a hand and a jet of green light flew into the floor
beneath the beasts feet causing the floor there to vanish into thin air. The thing let out a twisted unearthly shreik as it fell through the opening, all its limb flailing desperately as it fell down forty-seven floors into a deep deep basement.
So deep was the drop that the vibrations of impact barely reached the group and the thud they heard was only the last of the echoes.
With another gesture from Aeris Squall's wounds were completely healed, as were Cloud's. Cloud did not notice his vanishing wounds, all his attention was focused on the woman before him. She giggled slightly before leaning forward and whispering at him "You're staring." Cloud quickly looked to the side as his face flushed red earning another giggle from Aeris.
Squall stood and looked down into the hole in the floor. "I hate to screw with you're reunion, but that thing is coming back up and he does'nt look happy!" Squall said readying his sword. Cloud whirled all signs of embaressment gone in a flash.
"Try to slow it down." Cloud said as he retreived his sword. Squall nodded before pointing his hands down and firing off a meteor spell, sending a barrage of flaming rocks at the thing which was rapidly crawling up the wall towards him.
Cloud turned to Aeris and asked "Is there any way you can get us out of here?!" Aeris nodded but then said "I'll need a minute." Cloud nodded as she began to chant. He rushed over to help Squall, catching up on old
times with Aeris could wait until they were not in danger up to theri necks.
Aeris as she chanted noticed something odd in the flow of her magic, drawing her efforts away from gaia, and to another part of the world they were already in.
The thing burst through the floor, but Cloud met it with a mighty swing of his sword catching it in mid-air, knocking it against the wall where Squall hit it with a blizzaga. The spell did nothing other then piss the damn thing off. Perfect, NOT!!
The thing stood quickly and easily before rushing them with a swipe of its pincer, which they dodged. But it was'nt done, not by a longshot. Its whips swept down as it fired another wave of the petrifying black pearls forcing them to
dodge even quicker than before. They retreated backwards, though they tried not to go back to far because that would risk Aeris's safety more than it already was.
Suddenly Aeris pushed her hands out, one pointing at Squall, the other at Cloud. The trio vanished leaving one pissed off seemingly invincible monster behind.