Cloud felt himself being slammed into one of the support beams of the bridge again. "You ok?", Tifa asked landing next to Cloud after Prospero had launched her back from one of her combo rushes.
"We're all rusty.", Cloud responded painfully. "It only took three of us to finish off Sephiroth. Prospero is just swatting the four of us away like flies!" Growling he ran at Prospero ready to strike. He was kicked in the chin by Prospero's boot. Cloud was counting on this, using himself as a cover for Tifa to land a devastating hit on her enemy. Tifa managed to catch on soon enough to use Cloud being kicked away as a chance to knock Prospero off his feet. The momentum from the punch caused Tifa to turn around to stop her self from falling.
She was stopped dead in her tracks as Tifa felt her head jerk. Looking back she saw the Prospero, not only took the punch, but used it to his advantaged by grabbing Tifa's long hair. "Tifa!", Yuffie shouted tossing her shuriken cutting Tifa's hair freeing the barmaid. Without missing a beat, Tifa grabbed the shuriken in mid-flight and spun around hacking off Prospero's forearm. Cloud smirked, this was the turn around they needed in this fight.
Cloud's smirk vanished as Prospero chuckled reaching down and picked his arm up. Blood was still pouring from the wound. "Do you honestly think this," he said shaking the severed limb, "will stop me?", he cackled as he stuck the body part back on. It fused back together as though the cut never happened.
"How did he do that?", Vincent asked re-loading his gun.
"I don't really give a damn! I'm going to drop him all the same!", Cloud roared charging at Prospero who was flexing his arm making sure it worked.
Prospero looked up. "Sorry Strife.", he said, his right hair shooting out in a purple-ish wing stabbing Cloud in his left shoulder. "Nice try.", he continued pulling out the wing blade slashing Cloud's chest numerous times. The last slash sent Cloud over his head into another metal support beam of the bridge.
"Cloud!", Tifa shouted running to him.
"I'm fine.", Cloud said angrily ripping off his shredded shirt and shoulder guard. Tifa gasped as the wounds covering his chest. The blood trickled down over the scars that littered his upper body. Though, Tifa blushed slightly admitting it, Cloud upper body was muscular from wielding his swords for the past years.
Cloud's eyes glowed a dull green, as if something was stirring in him. Charging and catching Prospero by surprise, Cloud impaled his opponent with his sword and jumped up, dragging the blade with him. Prospero screamed in agony as his blood poured from the wound. He was given little time to rest as Cloud landed slamming his blade to the ground. Three beams, then, were summoned forth digging themselves into Prospero's flesh.
Wasting no time, Cloud whirled his blade around. High winds began to encircle the blade. Hurling the winds like a frisbee, it struck Prospero just has he was getting up from the Blade Beam technique. Upon contact the winds grew to a tornado, Prospero becoming its unfortunate victim being tossed around like a helpless rag doll.
The group stared in shock at Cloud's new found ferocity. Snapping out of her daze Tifa ordered, "Yuffie use your shuriken now!" Nodding the young kunoichi threw her large weapon right into the tornado. The four-pointed shuriken turned the tornado into a blender, Prospero was slashed at constantly as Vincent rained a hail of bullets into the death trap.
As the winds began to die down, Prospero pulled himself free. Tifa waited crouched, as Prospero began falling to the ground Tifa leap and delivered a devastating upper-cut. Prospero landed on his head with a sickening 'thud'. Everyone surely thought his neck had snapped from the impact.
Yet he was getting up to everyone's shock. "This ends now!", Cloud shouted. Holding up his blade, the sword began to glow. Cloud's eyes widen as energy pumped through his veins. His Ragnorak glowed, charging with fury his sight was locked on Prospero. For the first time in his life Prospero felt fear. This Cloud who was charging at him now was not the one he cheated during their SOLDIER training, he wasn't the little boy who picked a fight with anyone trying to look tough. He wasn't the weakling Prospero expected to fight. There was murder in Cloud's eyes and Rex knew fully well that the blonde mercenary wasn't going to stop till one of them was dead. Using his wing-arm mutated by Jenova cells, Prospero shot out a hail of needle-like feathers. Cloud knocked most back with his sword, several cut his face but it did little to cool his rage.
In a last desperate attempt, Prospero lunged the Masamune at Cloud's chest. Cloud reacted by blocking with his blade. Masamune and Ragnorak met blade to blade.
"NO!", Tifa shouted seeing the Masamune run through Cloud's abdomen, his Ragnorak shattered. Cloud felt faint, blood pouring out in ungodly amounts. The Masamune had open an old wound Sephiroth inflicted on Cloud himself using the same sword. Then Cloud had tossed his enemy into the lifestream but Cloud had lost too much blood and was fading quickly. Sinking to his knees the blonde mercenary felt the blade leave his body. Prospero drew his arm back for a final swing. He was stopped, however, by Tifa's fist connecting with his jaw.
Prospero stumbled back a few inches. Tifa stood protectively over Cloud ready to fight. "You really want to protect this weakling?", Prospero sneered . Tifa just tighten her fist in response. He chuckled., "You could have had it so much better Tifa."
"I would rather die by my friends than mess with people like you!", Tifa shouted back.
Prospero frown. "Fine then you little slut!", he roared smacking Tifa aside with his wing-arm. "But you'll have to watch your boyfriend die first.", he continued planting a foot on Cloud's chest. Pinning his already exhausted body. Prospero raised the Masamune, pointing it's tip at Cloud's forehead. Cloud did his best trying to lift the booted foot off his chest. He barely managed trying. Prospero laughed enjoying Cloud squirm beneath his foot. Cloud's vision quickly diminished from the blood lost. Before darkness took him Cloud swore he was a large blade swinging right for Prospero's chest……
Cloud felt himself sinking and sinking. Voices whispering all around him. He opened his eyes to find himself surrounded by a white void. Cloud found himself smiling, as empty as it was this void felt warm and welcoming. It felt like…..it felt like….
"Home……", he said to himself softly. Yes, home, something Cloud was slightly unfamiliar with. However he knew what it felt like. His childhood in the small quaint house with his mother. Even during his time with AVALANCE as they sought Sephiroth to kill him Cloud strangely felt at home. Then even after that, him and his friends found a home in Kalm. Though most left for their own families or other duties the house still felt like a home. Was it because of Tifa's smiling face every morning helping everyone start their day?
"Tifa!", Cloud realize with shock. Where was she? Where were Vincent and Yuffie? Cloud remembered the fight painfully well. Prospero standing over him. "Did I die?", Cloud asked himself drifting through the eternal void. No he couldn't die. He had too much to do. It couldn't end like this! "I don't want it to end like this!", Cloud yelled in anguish.
"It won't end like this Cloud.", a feminine voice echoed in the void.
"Who are-"
Cloud was cut off. "It's not your time, you have to go back.", the voice said. Cloud felt himself rising this time. The void vanishing replaced by darkness……
Cloud slowly opened his eyes to blinding lights shining down on him. "Ok nurse.", a voice said as Cloud felt a prick on his arm. Yet again darkness and slumber crept over Cloud tossing him into dreams……..
Cloud woke up feeling sun-shine on his face. He rested there peacefully for a few moments basking in the warm glow. The past events quickly returning to him, Cloud attempted to sit up in bed. Only to fall back down grabbing his left side in pain.
"Cloud?", Tifa's voiced rang out as she came into the room. She was in a white tank top and black shorts. Her once long hair was now clipped. Cloud felt mild regret seeing Tifa's hair fall to her mid-back.
"What happened?", Cloud asked grabbing his head, feeling like a herd of Chocobos were stampeding through it.
"You almost died.", Tifa said putting her hand over her heart looking worried.
"How the hell did I survive?", Cloud asked trying to remember.
"I got there just in time son.", Rocky said walking into the hospital room. Cloud nearly fainted at what he said. On his father's left shoulder was a black demon wing……
The plot thickens, I think. Anyways, I want to see who can name the four limit breaks Cloud used in this chapters. Oh and start reviewing more people. I'm tired of getting only 9 reviews per chapter when 20-something people have this story to their favorites. So more reviews and I'll update. Less reviews and I'll stop the story ok? O.o