Sorry about the delay, Tragedy recently came back from a concert (she told me to apologise to you guys) and I fell ill like the day she e-mailed it. Doped up on painkillers and about to play DMC4 to drive my sis insane i figured I should post this. Depending on how long it takes me to get better depends on when the next one is so enjoy it!
Hope you like it, sorry again! X3
Stronger, We will rise up again.
Mickey jumped as he was halted in his frantic dash to the infirmary. Having been informed of Riku's disappearance, he rushed to the care center in search of the Key Blade Wielder. Just as he reached to open the doors, they exploded into outline of blinding white light. Shielding his eyes he heard Ansem cry out for Vexen to stay back.
As the light began to dim, Mickey made no hesitations about rushing in. His jaw dropped as he saw Leon, Cloud, Sora, Riku, Vincent and a ghostly figure he didn't recognize standing and lying on the polished white floors. After a moment of stunned silence, Ansem was the first to respond. "Vexen! Leon is injured, help me lift him onto the table and then go and fetch Merlin from the outside medical tent."
Vexen nodded but their movements and noises shattered the shocked atmosphere that had descended and like a light to gunpowder the room exploded into a frenzy.
"Cloud needs help too!" Vincent shouted.
"C-Cloud… f-first!" Leon wheezed, his voice nearly drowned out by Sora's scream.
"WHERE'S MY BABY?!" Sora demanded. Everyone froze, Leon deposited on the table, Vincent helping Cloud onto another, Vexen half-way out the door and Ansem poised over Leon with a cloth to cleanse his wounds. Sora screamed again. "SOKU! SOKU'S GONE!!" Rounding on his husband he beat his fists against Riku's chest weakly, trying to aviod the embrace his husband had him in. "Bring him back… or take me there… Riku! Soku needs us!!"
Mickey gasped. "H-he's still at the c-castle?!"
Vincent nodded darkly. "He and Everent decided to go after Sephiroth as the castle began to collapse around us." Pointing to the idly floating and mostly forgotten ghost Vincent added. "Zack, for some reason or another, appeared, god knows how, and saved us."
"Yo." Zack saluted lazily and winked.
Sora turned to him. "Take me back, or please, bring them both back to us."
Zack sighed heavily, and looked away. Hating the pain in Sora's eyes almost as much as he hated to break the forthcoming news. "I… I can't."
"Why not?!" More than a few voices in the room cried.
"Easy guys, I really wish I could but I've meddled enough already." Zack looked at Cloud. "I made a promise when I died that I wouldn't let anything happen to Cloud. He was my fiancé, after all. Even though its well past the time for moving on, I had to keep my promise." He touched a translucent hand to Cloud's arm gently then grinned. "Saving you lot was a bonus because Cloud would have had my head otherwise. Plus, I've been informed by a higher force that if I meddle any further I'm gonna be severely punished."
"'Higher force'?" Vincent quirked an eyebrow.
"Aerith."
"Ah." The gunman smirked beneath his cloak.
Sora stomped his foot loudly. "This is getting us nowhere! I want my- ungh… m-my… S-Soku…" With a shudder Sora began to sway in place before Riku stepped forward and caught him, his worn body not easily accommodating Sora's weight. Everybody gazed at the couple with a look of utmost sympathy. Holding Sora on the floor, Riku closed his eyes. This had to be over soon, and he had to get his son back, for him and Sora. Neither one of them could take much more.
Ansem shook his head. "Seems there's two more for treatment." Vincent set about helping Riku and Sora onto a table. Sora still clinging to Riku for all he was worth, there was no way to separate the melancholy lovers.
Zack moved over the red-eyed man. "Vin… I would help if I could."
"You've done enough." Vincent calmly said, his voice soft as he glanced up to his old acquaintance's face. "You should probably get back. I'll tell Cloud you stopped by to save him again."
"Heh, thanks." Zack frowned then smiled. "Make sure… make sure he knows."
"Knows what?"
"That I don't want him to be sad anymore. I love him and that will never change but I know he will be happy again with Leon. Leon loves him too and, well… Leon isn't dead." Zack sighed. "See ya, Vin." And with that he faded away like smoke on the wind.
Mickey took a shaky breath to try and calm himself. "Life always this hectic for you?"
Vincent shrugged. "Only with him." He nodded to Cloud who'd fallen unconscious on his table.
The door opened easily under Everent's hand. He felt Soku tense at his side, but knew they were both ready to finally finish this. Stepping forward, Everent began to get flashbacks of all the times in his life that he had been down this same route for his 'punishments'.
Sensing his lover's discomfort Soku pulled closer and touched his shoulder with his free hand lightly, offering what comfort he could. The castle shook again.
"What's that, 'Rent?" Soku asked.
"Sephiroth's collapsing the castle. Self-destruct mechanism he built into it after he realized it was difficult to flush Soldiers of Light from the castle once they were on the inside." The dark prince shook his head. "No doubt he is trying to kill us."
Soku laughed without amusement. "Like he wasn't before…"
The elder shrugged. "Well, we're safe in the basement levels. His experiments are conducted down here, there's no way he'd risk damaging them. The explosions and collapses will probably only effect the above ground floors."
"Oh goody…"
Ignoring the sarcasm Everent led them further downwards.
"Hey… Everent, how do we know the others are okay?" Soku asked worriedly.
"It's okay 'Ku. I felt them leave a while ago, they're safe. It's just us now." Everent gave the soft appendage in his hold a tight squeeze. "You know… you didn't have to follow me. This is my fight anyway, he's my father."
Soku frowned. "He's everyone's fight. After everything that he's done… all the pain… all the suffering…" The silveret shook his head sadly, his long strands flowing about him like a curtain of moonlight. "Everyone has a fight they feel they need to end with him."
The elder grinned humorlessly; it was almost frightening with its purely dark curling of lips and baring of teeth. "I guess I'm just lucky we got here first."
Soku said nothing
Soon they neared three doors. Everent paused. "That one," He pointed to the left hand one. "That one leads to an empty room that Sephiroth and my uncles used to discipline me in. So we needn't bother with that one." He moved over to the center one. "This one I think…" Trying the handle he found it swung open effortlessly and they entered warily, they're hands still firmly laced. "There's a reason I don't know what's done here, Soku. Sephiroth promised me a fate worse than death if I dared enter. Be on your guard."
Not knowing whether to feel comforted by Everent's voice or offended by the words that suggested Everent didn't think he could take care of himself Soku just kept silent, body alert, as they descended the last step of the winding tunnel-like staircase. The room opened out wide into a large laboratory lined with tall glass columns filled with pulsating blue fluid, murky at first but as they approached Soku saw the slumbering face of a child. He clamped a hand over his mouth to silence his cry of shock but couldn't remove his gaze. The child was male, evidenced by his naked form, but there was something incredibly familiar about him… he looked no more than seven and had unruly, spiky hair a pale red colour not yet pink. His eyes were not closed but half-lidded as if he was dazed and from beneath his heavy lids Soku saw a blue eye and a green eye blankly looking downwards but seeing nothing.
"Do you recongise that monster, prince?" A hissed inquiry came from near his ear making Soku start and stagger backwards. Slamming into one of the many worktables, test tubes filled no doubt with genetic material and unidentifiable substances fell to the floor where they shattered over Soku's shoes and the cement flooring. The whisper ran through his hair before drawing back as a black mist, manifesting regally as the King of Dark. "Well?"
"Sephiroth!" Everent roared, stepping between the King and his love.
The man appraised him before snorting in disgust, turning his eyes once more to Soku, green glinting almost predatorily. Everent didn't like that look.
Soku looked between them for a moment but after sensing Everent wasn't about to move or lower his gaze he decided he might as well play along to Sephiroth's game. He reluctantly eyed the child, studying him carefully. "I do recognize him, but I have never met him."
Sephiroth nodded almost imperceptibly. "No, you have not. You have only met his halves, the two pieces that made him."
The prince of Light's eyes widened in shock. "N-no… no way… Axel?! A-and R-Roxas?!" He gasped and stepped towards the tank shakily, his unsteady fingers brushing against the tank as he reached out to touch the ivory skin he knew Axel complained about burning easily. Soku's eyes widened further as he suddenly staggered to the tank next to the first one. This one was also male and looked about his age, light purple hair with a familiar hairstyle used to hide half of ones face. "Zexion…" Soku croaked, his eyes falling on the slight glimpse of bright sky blue beneath the lax but not shut eyes. "..a-and D-Demyx…"
Everent kept his eyes firmly fixed on Sephiroth as he resisted the instinct to turn and comfort his distraught lover. Soku rushed about the lab studying each tank's content, Sephiroth's darkly amused eyes never leaving that of the little prince's form.
"Fuck!" Soku cursed loudly as he slammed a hand against a work table. "You've mixed up every fucking child of darkness' DNA in every possible way."
"Almost." Sephiroth admitted. "I have tried at any rate. A few proved to be… unwilling to meld. There were a few freakish disasters but these are the successes." Everent could sense a hint of triumph in his voice.
"'F-freakish'…? D-disasters?" Soku hesitated to ask.
The king shrugged. "They would reach a developing stage and then the chromosomes in each cell would deteriorate and tear themselves apart. Some had even reached sentient stage before termination-"
"'Termination'?! You psychopath!" Everent snarled, breaking his silence with barely suppressed rage.
"Some may say, yes." Sephiroth admitted.
"How many are there?" Soku asked softly, eyes on the floor.
"Thirteen. Same as last time. Each one branded with their number on their arm." Sephiroth grinned at the disgust Everent openly displayed towards him. "But now on to real matters. You two are foolish enough to come down here for a chat? No… you wish to be heroes and kill me, correct?" Without waiting for a response he drew Mesamune from darkness as Everent drew his dark keyblade, Soku producing his light one as the two princes faced the king defiantly. "So fight me…"
"FUCK YOU!" Cloud roared at the old wizard stood over him.
Merlin's eyes narrowed sharply. "Now really, Mr.Strife, there is no need for that language."
Sora wrestled against his bindings on the bed along side Cloud's. "I agree with him! Just let us go, dammit!" He gave another futile jerk and snarled. "My son and Everent are in danger, just let us go!"
Merlin folded his arms as Ansem came in, curiously looking between the two uncooperative patients and the wizard. Merlin huffed. "Look here, Mickey and Riku are taking the entire army up to that castle and they are going to get them back-"
"What about the children?!" Cloud screamed. "The kids Sephiroth's fucking grown in his basement! They're alive and are gonna die if you don't get them too!" Cloud writhed and shrieked.
Ansem stared. "C-Children? Like the children of darkness?"
Sora panted from his struggling but nodded. "Exactly like them. They're made from them."
Merlin and Ansem shared a look before Merlin nodded and vanished with a distinct 'pop'. Ansem sat down at his computer and began to type, nonchalantly adding to his prisoners, "Merlin will go and inform Riku and Mickey of the children but you two shall not move from your beds until you have been treated and are healed."
Cloud and Sora threw their head backs and screamed profanity at the old man until he grew tired of their voices and injected them with some mild sleeping drugs. If not for them to calm down and rest then at least to leave him alone for a while, being around them was giving him a headache.
Mickey nodded to Merlin as the wizard left with orders to bring Vexen, Ansem's assistant, to him at once. Ansem may be other wise preoccupied forcibly caring for Sora and Cloud but they needed someone who would know how to best handle the children once they were inside. Riku turned from staring at the tree line of the forest and met Mickey's gaze.
"Are you sure you are well enough to do this?" Mickey asked for the umpteenth time.
The King of Light sighed. "Yes, I'm sure. I feel fine… fine enough to fight. I need my son back." He paced agitatedly. "When Vexen arrives, we leave. Right?" Mickey nodded. "Good, otherwise I'll storm that castle on my own."
Ignoring the irrational words of the concerned father, Mickey surveyed the men gathering before them. They had suffered grave losses. Of the thousands of men that had come there were only a few hundred left. Soldiers lost to the plain of darkness but their hearts swallowed by light. Two figures approaching caught their attention.
Vincent and Vexen stopped before them, the dark haired man nodding to Riku. "I've managed to convince Leon to stay put for now."
Riku grinned. "And how did you manage that?"
"A few choice words, a rope, and a sleeping pill." The warrior replied his tone dead-pan, face emotionless. For all Riku knew Vincent really did have Leon tied up and knocked out in the infirmary somewhere.
The King of Light laughed and shook his head. "I do not want to be you when he comes round." Vincent shrugged and Mickey finished speaking with Vexen.
"Riku, Vincent, you two are to keep Vexen safe and alive until we reach the castle." The mentioned men nodded. The mouse king turned to the assembled men and cried out, "Men, March!"
A slightly deranged part of his brain that Riku put down to being tired suddenly chimed up singing in an annoying tune 'M-I-C-K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E, Mickey Mouse!' and Riku shuddered.
Soku threw himself into a roll, his blade making a scratching noise that keened through the air as it scraped the stone floor. Sephiroth's blade just missing his head by a hairsbreadth. Everent leapt forwards as Soku leapt back and the two danced off one another, their moves lucid and fluid just as it had been the first time they danced with swords. Only this time they were together as one and fighting another rather than each other.
"Ready to dance?"
Everent's voice sounded in Soku's head as the prince of light was thrust away from Sephiroth by a forceful parry, Everent deftly catching his wrist and tugging in a 'follow me' gesture as they evaded the snickering blade.
Soku locked his blue eyes with Everent's smoldering teal and replied, "Lead the way."
Everent grinned.
Linking his arm with the silveret's Everent swung Soku up and then released, Soku setting his feet against one another to slam into Sephiroth when suddenly his feet parted and he slammed his keyblade downwards as he vaulted higher. Expecting Sephiroth to follow Soku's strange movements rather than his own the dark prince darted forwards, sword readied, and drove the blade home with aplomb, wrenching it sideways and up for added pain.
Sephiroth grunted and staggered a bit, his motions sluggish as Soku stopped and stared, registering the fake heavy breathing as Sephiroth's lips twisted into a sneer, Mesamune lifted from its lax grip and twirled expertly before being thrust at Everent.
Soku's world narrowed to one person as the blade sliced clean through Everent's chest, jutting from him in a purely unnatural way that made his lungs fail, breathing out of the question, as blood seeped out instantly. Everent stared at the sword and gasped, choking as it was pulled just as hard from him, Sephiroth's triumphant face all he could see.
"You should have known better than to challenge me, runt. I created you, I own you."
Soku shivered as something began to sweep over him, swallowing him whole. It felt cold but not uncomfortably so, it seemed to take his whole being and wrap itself around it. He tried to cry out but couldn't, Sephiroth didn't even notice as he taunted Everent's beaten form, teal eyes staring up at him in shock.
"Now's our chance! Soku! Run him through!"
"E-Everent?! I-you! I- no!!" Soku babbled incoherently as he heard Everent's voice within him.
"Together, love! We'll do this together, don't worry about me." Still holding his sword Soku felt himself lift it but it was not him who commanded his arm up. Everent was there inside him helping him do it. "Together we will finish this."
"To… together…" Soku murmured. Sephiroth didn't even have a chance to turn around as his previous assumption that Soku wasn't a concern proved incorrect. "Together. Together! TOGETHER!" The keyblade of light pulled upwards and aimed down. Soku with Everent lifting him leapt into the air and screamed as he came crashing down onto Sephiroth, keyblade firmly embedded in Sephiroth's chest alongside the dark keyblade that had done no damage.
As if turned to sand, Sephiroth cried out as dark tendrils of black matter tore from him, his image fading like the grains in an hourglass. He cried out and made to lunge for Soku but the prince stood steadfast and Sephiroth found moving with the intent to kill while his existence was being undone very difficult, staggering a moment before collapsing to the floor.
Once the King had faded the castle rumbled but neither noticed it as Everent's energy all but left him, pulling away from Soku's mind and returning to his own. Soku's knees gave out and the prince fell to the floor unconscious. Achingly slowly Everent scraped his way over to Soku and then fell unconscious too, joining Soku in blissful darkness, curled up against his side as the castle shuddered again. The basement might be safe from damage but was there a way out, or would anyone find them to get them out? Looking at his love one last time, he worried not of the future and joined his lover in the world of dreams.
Don't worry, it isn't going to be that easy! Hahaha, look at me saying its not gonna be that easy when the two main characters could well be trapped and Everent could die... heh, ignore me. I got an intriguing notion from YaoiFanGirl101 (i think) and she suggested that after this (yes, she wants to continue. don't know where or why seeing as we're running out of plot as it is) thatthe story continue but focusing on the kids. I don't think that really counts as fanfiction and I am dubious anyone would read. Even if you do want it though, I still may not do it if there's not enough ideas plus I want to write different stories.
Anyway, hope you liked it and please Review. I know I've got 75 but divide 75 by 17 and you get 4.4 (rounded). That's 4.4 reviews a chapter :( FEED MEH REVIEWS!! I need to know if where I'm going with this is good! Plus it motivate me to write faster. Not bribing you... just leaving the statement there and running away with Nero and Dante (Devil May Cry 4 characters for those who don't know).
See you later! Love, TragedyInTheMaking and Akaiba xxxx
