Hey guys, sorry about the delay again. I was in another state all last weekend for a wedding. Had no access to a computer for more than a couple minutes. Anyways, let's get this new chapter started! Thanks to all those who have reviewed and continue reading! –Annubis
The Decision Between Life or Death:
A Second Chance
Chapter 17
"Tseng!?" Yuffie stood, mouth gaping and staring at the man before her in disbelief. The ceremonial hall filled with murmurs, some of confusion, others in interest at the choice of the princess' husband. The young woman looked to her father, to Tseng and then over her shoulder to her friends sitting behind her. She was glad that their faces held the same amount of shock as hers did.
"I see you've met before…" Yuffie's father cleared his throat.
"Um…" was all Yuffie could muster to say. Tseng turned his gaze to the people sitting atop the altar with him. He was more than a little shocked once his eyes fell upon Aeris.
"…" the green eyed woman stared at the man curiously. Something clicked in her mind. She felt something within her chest, a feeling she couldn't explain. Did she know this man as well? He watched her quietly; his lips parted slightly his eyes widened. The man's face had paled like he had seen a ghost. Yuffie glanced towards Aeris, trying to figure out what the look on Tseng's face was. Then she realized, Aeris was supposed to be dead.
"Are my eyes lying to me?" he whispered.
"No." Yuffie smiled at the man. "She is there."
Tseng looked distraught as he held a hand to his chest. His gaze fell upon Zack. Surely Tseng, of all people, would understand that it was capable for someone to come back to life, but the initial shock was still as apparent as any other person who saw someone resurrected from the dead.
"Shall we continue?" Godo murmured impatiently.
"My apologies, sir." Tseng turned to face the man quickly. He couldn't help but notice the red burning glare from Vincent Valentine. He was sure a hole was going to burrow through his back from those vicious eyes.
"Now. Today we join in celebration-." Godo stopped his speech as the hall shook violently. Tiny particles of dust dropped from the ceiling of the majestic room. "Now what!?"
"What was that?" Yuffie turned to her friends. The room shook again.
"Quake?" one of the guests questioned.
A loud screech sounded from outside the building. The group rose in alarm. Whatever was happening was not something caused by nature. The bride to be raised her dress and ran to her friends. Tseng listened intently. Screams could be heard from the outside.
"Let's go!" Cloud ran toward the exit of the room.
"Yuffie!" Godo hollered. "You cannot leave!"
"Watch me." The woman rolled her eyes. "If I'm to be leader of this country I need to be able to protect it."
Tseng bowed to the man and followed the woman and her friends outside. Godo watched his daughter run from the hall. He didn't chase after her, she was right after all. It was her duty. The guests all scampered and hurried to the sides of the room, screaming and shouting.
"To the basement!" Godo waved the group to follow him.
Yuffie and the others rushed outdoors. They ran out into an open spot, looking for the cause of the shaking and the horrible monstrous shriek. All around people rushed to get indoors. Yuffie glanced at the ground, feeling a drop of water slap the backside of her hand. It wasn't typical this time of year to get rain, especially in these cold temperatures. Water droplets suddenly pounded onto her and the others. They weren't tiny droplets either. Yuffie glanced upwards. She felt a shiver run down her spine and it wasn't because of the snow on the ground.
"Guys…" She stammered, pointing to the sky.
"Rain? This time of year?" Red XIII glanced upwards.
"That's not rain!" Zack cursed.
The sky rippled and distorted in a grey, blue. Water droplets fell furiously to the ground. The edge of the sky angled and dropped into the ocean in giant waves.
"…W, what the hell is it then?" Tifa watched the raging ocean. A giant tidal wave rose into the sky, rippling and folding in on itself.
A loud shriek sounded from the edge of the village, directing everyone's attention. Fear took over them all because before them stood a giant scaly beast. Its body was long and serpent like. It twisted and turned, its long whiskers matching the movement. Its piercing jade gaze glared at the group below, as if they were its target. The water dragon roared into the air.
"Leviathan." Tseng murmured.
"How!? "Yuffie turned to the man.
"Someone must be controlling it." Cloud glared. "The question is who…"
"The gods must be very displeased with us." The Turk shook his head. Leviathan was the keeper of one of the main temples of the city. The monster's job was to protect the city from the raging waters of the ocean.
"I think we should head…for shelter." Shelke stared at the sky.
"It's coming down!" Aeris gasped. She watched the sky, or rather the giant wave, fall down toward the planet.
"RUN!" Cait Sith headed for the estate. The group followed his actions. Zack grabbed Aeris arm, leading her to safety.
"Wouldn't be a good bodyguard is I left you out here." He murmured more to himself than to anyone else. Aeris smiled, she wasn't quite sure when he became her bodyguard but she wasn't going to complain.
"Come on!" Tseng reached for Yuffie.
"What…a bad omen." The young woman watched in horror as the pool of water came closer and closer to falling atop her city.
"We can discuss bad omens after we survive this." The man grabbed her hand, leading her into the building as the water flooded in behind them, crashing into the ground. The stone paths and beautiful garden disintegrated underneath the powerful water stream. Wave after wave chased them toward the ceremonial hall.
"In here!" Yuffie pried open a door from the wooden floor. She darted into the dark hole, down marble steps. Everyone marched in after her in line. "Shut the door!"
Zack reached for the handle just as water seeped into the room from underneath all the doors. He saw through the windows nothing but gushing waters. He slammed the door shut behind him and dashed down the steps, following the group through a dark tunnel lower beneath the city. He could hear the destruction overhead. Wood splintered, rock turned to powder, and glass shattered in the rooms above them.
"This will lead to the basement. It's made of stone and about thirty feet below the surface. I think we should be fine." Yuffie explained as she ran down another flight of stairs. She flinched at the horrible sounds overhead. Her home she grew up in was being destroyed. A loud crack sounded from behind.
"What was that!?" Tifa looked back. Water flooded into the tunnels, chasing them. It gushed and splattered against the walls, creating more waves. It was as if the water had a mind of its own. "Faster!" she screamed and ran past the bride.
"Hurry it up!!" Cid spat.
"Almost there!" the ninja girl ran into the large, steel door in front of her. "Open!" she pushed on it frantically. She felt cold water wash over her ankles.
"Shit!" Cloud pounded on the door.
"Watch out!" Zack's voice hollered over the group. "Outta the way!" he let go or Aeris' hand and sprinted for the door. Giant waves rushed behind him, soaking his back. Everyone darted to the side. He passed by them all, creating his own breeze. He rose a foot and kicked with all his might at the door. A loud creak sounded as the door folded in on itself and flew halfway from its hinges. The others didn't wait a beat, they followed the man inside.
"Hope you didn't need that door!" he turned the corner and rushed down the next hall, leaving the others behind. He came to another door about as heavy as the other.
"Nope! BUT WE NEED THAT ONE!" Yuffie screamed.
The dark haired man pushed against the door, opening it quickly. He waved the others in frantically. Then he noticed Aeris was falling behind. Water kicked up to about her knees, she was soaked.
"Aeris!"
He darted back into the tunnel as the others ran past. He reached out, grabbed the woman's arm and pulled her into his own as he spun and ran into the next area. He set her on the ground abruptly and turned back to the entryway. He grabbed the door as the water rushed in. He shoved it as the giant wave pushed against the cold metal. The man stumbled backward with the door, grunting as he fought against the current. Cloud rushed to his side, slamming his shoulder into the door. It was inches from latching. The water still flooded into the room.
"Did it send the entire ocean in after us!?" Zack cursed.
"Vincent!" Cloud called over his shoulder.
The red eyed man lunged forward, kicking the door. It slammed shut abruptly, latching.
"It won't hold for long." The man with the claw stated coolly as he slid down the metal lock.
"These." Yuffie pulled from the side wall a long, thick divider. She ran across the room, the new wall barricading the door. She locked it in place on the other side and pulled another from the opposite wall, doing the same. She did this a couple more times before turning back to the group.
"I'd say that should about do it." Barret turned and headed down the next hall.
"I hope so…" Yuffie sighed.
"The basement is up ahead. There will be another set of doors to lock behind us. Better safe than sorry." Tseng informed.
They ran downhill for a hundred feet and came across another set of doors. Yuffie slammed into the door, opening it.
"Yuffie!" Godo's voice called out.
"Miss Yuffie, we're so glad you're safe!" a maid rushed to the woman.
"What the hell happened to you?" Godo stared at the group drenched with water.
"It wasn't raining when the ceremony started." A citizen added.
"…Would you believe me if I told you Leviathan decided to send a tidal wave in our direction?" Yuffie asked as she locked and shut the doors behind her.
"What!?" all the guests gasped in alarm.
"We never get tidal waves this time of year." Her father watched her curiously.
"I'm literal when I say Leviathan sent the wave." The girl turned to the man.
"You're just seeing things." he corrected her.
"I saw it myself, sir." Tseng bowed. "The sea dragon himself is on the surface and it seems that he is after us. The water is rushing in behind us."
"The gods are very displeased!" an elderly woman cried. "What a bad omen!"
"Perhaps he is upset with the decision you made of placing your daughter head of the house!" an old man replied.
"Outrageous!" Godo stomped his foot.
"Find a new suitor! Leviathan is tearing down the estate the day of the ceremony, what other reason shall he have?"
The group argued with each other over the reasons for this disaster. Some suggested a new guardian for the village, while others said it was time for the city to rule itself and not have a leader. At a time like this everyone found it their place to give their true opinions on the way Wutai should be run.
"Not in my house! No words such as these shall be said in my house!" Godo ordered. "I shall see to it personally you all get your punishment for such atrocities!"
"The Kisaragi family has lost their place in Wutai. For too long have they ruled us." A young man stood.
"You forget that we are not yet dead! As long as we live, we shall continue to rule and protect this country!" Godo cursed.
"Perhaps we shall throw you to the waters of Leviathan as a gift to the god. Maybe then we can have true peace and order!" another man shouted.
"Silence!" Yuffie screamed. "Is this the thanks we get!? We've ruled this country without mal-intent all these years. We've led you through war and brought peace, we've created a stable economy, a place where everyone can live peacefully and raise their families and you all decide the first chance you get in a state of emergency that you shall take the throne!?" the woman shouted and raged on about the disloyalties of the upper families present, the greed they all shared and the many unfair treatments she and her family had just received. Tseng stood by her side the entire time, much to her discomfort.
"Enough of all this." Vincent's voice called out over the others. "You all can discuss the unfairness of your country once we get rid of that monster out there. There are more pressing matters at the moment. If we continue this then there will be no country to protect." The man growled. The room fell into silence. Vincent refused to look at Yuffie. His eyes, instead, stared at the door opposite of the one they came through.
"…Did the water come in on your side?" Yuffie asked her father.
"I am not sure." The man shook his head. He pointed to the corner of the room, where a secret passage was. "Through there, behind that wall scroll there's a passage. You can go through there and a staircase will take you up to the top floor of the building. Without a doubt, no water got in there. The walls are three feet thick and the passage only goes up."
"We'll go up through there. We can get out from the rooftop and get that thing!" Yuffie called over her shoulder as she tore the scroll from the wall. Next to it was a rather large shuriken and a box. She grabbed the weapon and opened the chest. A smile crossed her lips. "Materia's in here. Grab however much you want, we need to be prepared." The woman walked through the passage way after grabbing a handful of the shining orbs.
"Too bad we didn't bring our weapons with us." Zack glanced at Cloud. They grabbed the elemental materia.
"Got mine." Vincent snorted and pulled out his Cerberus from the inside of his robe. "Never leave the house without it."
The group headed up the stairs to the top level of the mansion. There was a dead silence once they reached the rooftop. Yuffie gazed at the sight before her. The building had holes in the sides and half the roof was missing. The streets below were flooded and many of the homes were obliterated. She wondered how many of her people were killed by the beast.
"Bastard…" Yuffie growled.
"There he is." Tseng pointed to the edge of town. The best growled and smashed into the buildings and streets, creating more destruction.
"HEY!" Yuffie called out. "Leave my country alone!" as if having sonic hearing the beast abruptly stopped all its actions. It whipped its head around and glared at the group on the top of the estate. With a low growl, the beast tore into the air speeding toward its target.
"Here it comes." Cid grabbed one of his materia.
"Opening fire!" Barret held his arm into the air and blasted at the approaching monster. Vincent stood by the man's side, helping out with his firearm.
Cloud and Zack both prepared thunder spells. Aeris held onto her cure materia, her knuckles turning white. Tifa stood by her side, fists raised. Nanaki growled, wanting to taste the flying water creature.
Shelke stood to the side with Kadaj preparing spells of their own. It was instinctual to the silver haired man. He stared at the monster with cold eyes as he raised a hand into the air, summoning another creature. A blast of light erupted from his palm, exploding into the air. The group jolted at the sound.
"Good choice." Shelke nodded.
"My favorite." The man smiled at her. The sky clouded as the summon spell worked its magic.
"It's quite the sight you're missin'!" Cait Sith chatted on his phone. "Too bad you're not here. We've run into an old friend." The cat eyed Tseng.
Tseng pulled the blade from the sheath tied at his waist. He held the sword diagonally in front of him, preparing for the battle. His eyes squint, studying the monster's movements. Yuffie wondered if the Turk was as good with a sword as he was with a gun.
"It's going to attack the right side first." The man murmured.
"Right side!?" Yuffie looked at the man, surprised he was so skilled in combat. "But we're on the right side!"
"Prepare yourself, Yuffie." The man whispered.
Leviathan lurched forward, its mouth open wide. It intended on eating the first thing it came in contact with.
"Get away!" Yuffie screamed as she threw her shuriken at the spiraling monster. It sliced across the side of the monster's face, but it did not slow down.
"Watch it!" Tseng darted to the side, pulling Yuffie down with him. They dropped roughly onto the roof, it cracking beneath them. Tseng's dark eyes darted from side to side as he tried to get up with the woman, but it was too late. The roof collapsed underneath them and they fell.
"Ah!" Yuffie screamed, reaching into the air. The two landed hard on the floor a level lower. Leviathan followed pursuit, jaws chomping.
'Yuffie!' Vincent looked over his shoulder. He opened fire on the beast as it dropped through the hole into the mansion. Its tail flickered in the air as it continued sliding into the room.
"Oh shi-!" Yuffie closed her makeup smeared eyes. She waited, and waited….and waited. A low growl emitted as Leviathan screamed. She opened her eyes.
"It stopped!" Tseng got to his feet, pulling the young woman up with him. He lifted his sword, in a blur the man twisted and turned. The blade cut upwards, cutting the serpent's belly, but not deep enough for it moved again.
"Why!?" she watched as the serpent was pulled back through the hole in the roof.
Kadaj smiled as Bahamut grabbed the tail of the serpent and tugged him ungracefully from the hole in the roof. The winged monster growled and tossed the sea dragon into one of the nearby temples. It followed the water beast preparing for its next strike.
"Good call!" Barret gave the young man a thumbs up.
"Perhaps I should help?" Shelke stared at the red orb in her hand. She closed her eyes, her brows furrowed. A burst of flames erupted from around her. She threw her arm downward at the street below. The ground crackled. Steam and red hot sparks exploded upwards, removing the rock. The water surrounding the site evaporated instantly. A giant beast leapt from the hole in the soil. His long claws dug eagerly at the ground wanting to fight. He had long, curved horns that pointed at the tips amongst the hair in his long mane.
"Leviathan isn't playing nicely." Shelke pointed to where the serpent and Bahamut fought. "Ifrit, why don't you join the fun?"
The beast growled in fury and took off toward the other monsters; his path melted the snow. He dug up the ground with his massive paws. Flames emitted from his mouth. He bunched up the molten rock in his hands, adding more to the inferno and launched the blazing weapon at the location of the fight, pegging leviathan's side. The serpent crashed into the building, taking the structure down. Bahamut roared in response to the attack.
"Hey, I want some of my city still standing by the end of this battle!" Yuffie called out as she climbed onto the roof.
"Ya think it's a good idea to bring 'em all out at once?" Cid asked nervously.
"Why the hell not?" Zack shrugged. He let go another lightning spell at the monster across from him.
"Perhaps I shall summon this one?" Aeris asked.
"Sorry Yuffie, it may cause some extra damage but if we don't do it, the battle will just take longer and the results may be worse." Tifa lifted her orb into the air. She mumbled to herself as if talking to the beast inside. It glowed brightly in her hand as she released the energy.
Snow lifted from the ground and flowed around the woman. Ice crystals crackled and formed in a circle a few feet away from her. The snow flowed to the orb of ice and solidified, building on top of one another. A snowy figure formed in the cold structure of ice. Two brilliant blue eyes appeared atop the being. A snap sounded and the snow and ice burst into tiny pieces, revealing an exotic woman covered partially in ice and snow. She eyed Tifa suspiciously.
"You're friends are goin' at it. Seems they've left you out on the fun." Tifa folded her arms while talking to the ice woman. Blue eyes glared at the fighting beasts in the streets below. "Leviathan thinks he can take you all on by himself."
The cold woman frowned, a low growl emitted from her lips. She leapt from the rooftop, colliding with the snow below. She darted for the battle scene, carrying the snow and ice with her, preparing her worst attack yet.
"Oh my….she didn't seem like a happy woman." Aeris gasped.
"That's Shiva. She can be a bitch sometimes." Tifa smiled.
"I, I'll keep that in mind." The green eyed woman nodded. "What do I do?" Aeris eyed the red orb clutched tightly in her hand.
"Go for it." Tifa nodded. "It's easy. You're a pro at using that stuff." She gave the other woman a boost of confidence.
"Really?" Aeris smiled.
She grabbed the ball with both hands and concentrated on the beast inside. She closed her eyes, feeling the power of the summon spell whirl around her. Her hair whipped about her. She whispered to herself in the Ancient language. This caught Zack's attention, not having heard the chant in what seemed like years. Cloud had the same reaction. The sleeves of her robes slid down her arms as she raised them into the air. She pushed forward, releasing the spell from within.
Electric energy burst from the heavens. The crackle of lightning blasted on the building next to them. A loud horse whinny erupted from the crackling mess of bolts. Aeris watched the spectacle, pleased with herself. A six legged horse marched from the electrifying portal. Its hooves clacked loudly on the tiled shingles of the rooftop. Its rider, a knight adorned in impressive armor of black and silver had yellow eyes that shone brightly with an electric charge. She got goose bumps as the man known only as Odin glanced her way. Though his face was covered by a silver plate she imagined him to give her a cockeyed grin as he bowed his head gently at her.
"Please help us." Aeris whispered to the man.
She did not need tell him more. Odin tore his gaze away from her to look at the chaos near the building across from him. He spun the spear in his hand as his horse reared and leapt over the side of the rooftop and ran vertically down the side of the building. The woman smiled at the sight.
'Imagine, a gallant black knight riding on a six legged white horse.' It was something like she had read in her books when she was younger. It gave her the chills, however, thinking of that knight trying to woo her. She giggled to herself.
Then the battle continued. The others stood on the roof, ready to attack in case anything were to happen to one of their summons. Whenever the monster was in clear view someone would open fire or let off an elemental spell, but as for now they were going to let the others do the fighting. Buildings shook and collapsed as the summons fought the Leviathan. Each time Yuffie shook a little, dreading to see the aftermath of the battle. One thing was for sure, these guys never held anything back.
"How much longer do you think this is going to last?" Yuffie shuddered. She sat on the rooftop and pulled her knees to her chest.
"Oh crap! Watch out!" Barret ran away from the edge of the roof.
Leviathan's tail smashed into the side of the building where Aeris was standing. The woman was one second looking down at the street and the next falling toward it.
"Aeris!!" Zack turned his attention to her. 'Not again!'
Odin's head turned upward at the sound of Zack's scream. His horse spun and galloped at light speed toward the falling woman. He slammed his javelin into the ground and pulled on the reigns. The horse leapt into the air toward Aeris. He caught her in his arms. Aeris yelped and hugged the knight's neck, afraid of falling. He set her in front of him, his arms on either side of her as he held onto the reigns. The horse ran up the side of the building. When he reached the top he placed his hands on her hips and carefully set her on the ground. The woman's cheeks were redder than Nanaki's fur. The knight placed a hand on her left cheek. She smiled at him. Odin looked to the others, nodded quickly and directed his horse over the edge of the building once again.
"What was that!?" Zack asked.
"What's wrong? Jealous?" Cloud asked. Zack was silent a moment, as if in deep thought.
"Damn right I'm jealous. Why doesn't he touch my cheek like that?" the black haired man scoffed.
"WHAT!?" the others looked at him in disbelief. Cloud rolled his eyes, while Aeris giggled. Zack guffawed at their reaction.
"Sorry! Couldn't help myself. Had to say it." The man cackled.
"Now, I knew you were weird, but I didn't think you were-." Cloud was interrupted.
"Aw, I was just kidding!" Zack felt his cheeks turn red. He knew it was a bad idea to tell a joke like that.
"Sure. Whatever you say." Cloud answered sarcastically.
The two continued arguing a moment about Zack's sexuality.
"It seems Shiva is up to something." Tseng pointed at the icy woman.
Shiva ran toward the beach of the ocean. She had a collection of snow and ice following behind her. Her icy gaze turned toward Odin, Ifrit, and Bahamut. She pointed to the waters of the ocean and did some other unrecognizable movement with her hands. The three turned her direction and followed her actions, Leviathan following close behind.
"Seems like they've got a plan." Zack folded his arms.
Ifrit ran up to the woman. He pulled all of his energy into the fists of his hands and fired another ball of molten rock toward the sea serpent. Shiva seemed furious at this. Leviathan dodged the blast easily and continued toward the sea. The ball of fire lodged itself into a building, destroying it. Shiva turned to Ifrit and slammed a fist onto the top of his head. The beast roared at her and prepared to take a strike. Odin's javelin kept him from making contact. The knight shook his head from side to side.
"Seems like they don't get along very well." Kadaj smirked.
"Ifrit, he doesn't like taking orders from anyone if he doesn't have to. Shiva hates it when things don't go her way." Shelke watched the spectacle.
Leviathan rushed toward the waters, wanting to use them to his benefit. As the serpent began to raise the water around itself for protection Shiva raised her arms into the air. She focused her energy on the raging waters, a smile on her face. The water crackled and froze around the snaking beast. Its movements slowed to a halt as the ice covered its body. Shiva shook her head as if thinking the monster knew better than to get fooled into one of her traps. Odin's horse backed up a couple of yards. He glanced over his shoulder looking up to the roof Aeris was on. It was a small gesture and done quickly, to make sure she was watching. He looked back the other way and nodded to Bahamut. The large beast spread its wings and floated into the air. Shiva folded her arms impatiently, rolling her eyes.
"Looks as though they're teaming up on his ass." Cid smiled. "I like the way they think!"
Odin rushed forward, drawing his javelin. He thrust the weapon with all his might. It lodged into the ice, cracking the surface and impaling the serpent on the other side. A loud pop of electricity burst from the tip of the javelin as thousands of small lightning bolts fell from the sky. Shiva jumped forward and snapped her fingers, closing the ice in on its body as the lightning bolts crackled into the monster's body. Leviathan let out a terrible screech, its body broken and bloody. Its jade green eyes looked pained and seemed to change colors momentarily. Shiva seemed struck by this. She turned her head upward, waving her arms in the air at the other summon.
"Is she telling him to stop?" Yuffie stood to her feet.
"Why would she? They almost got him." Barret gave a confused look at the young woman.
Bahamut opened its large mouth, letting a blue ball of energy grow between its beaks. Its head jolted backward as he released the massive ball. The sight struck a memory within Cloud's mind and the events that took place about three years ago when Kadaj was controlling the monster to attack Edge. The blue ball of light and energy flooded over Leviathan's body. The monster gave a horrendous cry as it was cooked in the blast. Its limp body dropped to the water below. Leviathan was defeated. Shiva rushed out into the water, her mouth gaping.
"What happened? Is it not dead?" Tifa asked.
"No…" Shelke shook her head. "It is dead, but I think Shiva's upset about something."
Shiva reached downward, grabbing Leviathan's whiskers. There was an abnormal scream, not quite human, that erupted from her lips. Odin grabbed the woman and set her on his horse and rode toward the others. Ifrit followed close behind while Bahamut stayed in the air, not really caring what had just happened. Kadaj smiled at the beast in the sky. They stared at each other a moment.
'I did not realize, Bahamut. Thanks for sharing.' Kadaj thought to the creature. 'What!? Are you sure!?' the young man felt a chill run down his spine; it was certainly not something he had expected to hear. Bahamut hissed in reply.
'Well tell him to take it easy next time, he almost hurt mother.' Kadaj watched the woman in the pink and green robes.
Bahamut growled and burst into millions of particles, going back to his home inside the materia. One of the good things about summons were they usually survived all battles, no matter the damage. The only thing that could completely kill a summoned creature, like Leviathan, would be by other summons as well, or if the summon itself gave up its life freely.
"What happened?" Aeris asked as Odin rode to the top of the roof. The knight set the distraught Shiva on the ground. The woman threw an ice spike at a nearby wall, growling as she did so.
"Something wrong?" Tifa asked. The ice woman quickly turned to the humans, glaring.
"Leviathan…not Leviathan!" she stomped her foot. "He controlled!" her voice was low and high at the same time. It wasn't quite like a human's voice, distorted and angry.
"By whom?" Cloud asked.
"…" the woman shrugged.
"Will…he be alright?" Aeris held her hands against her chest.
"…Don't know. Maybe not." She hissed and threw her arms down creating an ice chamber. The icicles grew around her and exploded into pieces, leaving nothing left. She was gone.
"Ifrit." Shelke held up her orb. The beast barked at her and waved a hand, not wanting to leave yet. "Ifrit." She said again. He growled a sigh and let himself be engulfed in his own flames. The fire flowed back into the orb.
"It seems everyone's leaving. Thank you for your help." Aeris stared at the orb in her hand. She felt guilty making Odin return to his home. She prayed it wasn't as cramped inside the materia as it looked.
Odin bowed his head to Aeris and turned to leave, lightning bolts erupted from thin air. He created his portal and with his horse, left this world.
"Well…the battle is over." Yuffie sighed. She stared at the destroyed city. One by one the civilians left their houses and ventured out into the streets.
"The elders are not going to like this one bit." Tseng moaned.
"Seems it was after me…" Yuffie groaned unhappily. "Maybe Leviathan really was upset with me being leader."
"I don't think it was that, Yuffie." Tseng put a hand on her shoulder. "You heard Shiva. He was being controlled by someone."
"But who can be strong enough to control Leviathan in that way?" Red XIII padded in a circle.
"That's what we need to figure out. You don't think it was one of the elders do you?" Cloud suggested.
"I hope not!" the ninja girl gasped. "Trying to take over for themselves! Oh no! What should I do?"
"We can question them all. Find out who would want to take you out." Vincent replied. He refused to look at the woman and already regretted talking at all. Yuffie glared at him.
"I'm not questioning all my people. That would only make them angrier with me. I know they already do not like me." She crossed her arms.
"…Do things your way. You're leader now." Vincent retorted. He leapt over the edge of the building to be alone. Yuffie balled her hands into fists.
"What's with him?" Cid spat.
"Not quite leader yet, Vincent." The woman turned away from the edge of the roof.
"The ceremony had barely begun when Leviathan attacked." Tseng nodded.
"I suppose we shall finish it then." She said bitterly.
"Yuffie." Aeris bit her lip. They watched Yuffie and Tseng enter the building alone.
"Alright, everyone inside before you get pneumonia!" Tifa's motherly instincts kicked in.
'Okay Vincent, two can play at this game.' The woman looped her arm with Tseng's. The man gave her a curious look followed by a gentle, nervous smile.
'Elena's going to kill me…' the man mentally sighed.
Nearby in the Temple of Leviathan, a malicious shadow watched the rooftops of the Kisaragi estate.
Ok going to end it there tonight. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. I enjoyed writing it. I love writing about Shiva and the others! Any suggestions or comments let me know! Thanks for reading and reviewing! -Annubis