Author's Note: I do not own Final Fantasy or anything affiliated with it. The rights to it belong solely to their respective owners.
Ch.5 Yuffie
After Zack and I had finished killing all of the soldiers in Fort Tamblin we both received a call from Director Lazard. "Well done, Zack, Jace. We have successfully occupied Fort Tamblin. I was really only expecting you to get their attention. Most impressive, I must say. I'm very pleased with the results thus far. Proceed to the next objective," he said. "You got it!" Zack said, while nodded and simply said "Understood." We both hung up and ran to the central area, finding it to be surprisingly empty. "Huh? That's weird; I expected there to be a whole parade of enemies here," Zack said, looking around. I nodded, cautious. In my experience everything was peaceful right before something bad happened, and I remembered Angel telling us about that monster the troops were keeping for SOLDIER members.
We were able to make it down the steps to the side and on the ground level, hen I noticed a statue of something. "What is that?" I asked. From behind a voice said "That is Wutai's guardian deity, Leviathan." We spun around to see a trio of Wutai troops there, but unlike the others their armor was silver. "Who are you?" I asked, my hand hovering over my pistols. "We are the Crescent Unit, the elite unit of Wutai's army. We appease the wrath of Leviathan, and smite the enemies of Wutai. Our beloved homeland has been brutally ravaged by Shinra," the lead soldier said. I could see his lip curl in disgust at the sight of Zack's uniform and my Turk suit, and I rolled my eyes. If I had the choice I'd never wear this uniform again.
"I heard that if we could process mako here, it would bring people better lives. But then you attacked us without even hearing us out!" Zack said. "What do you know of the pain we have suffered? Shinra has continuously brought fear and oppression to the people of Wutai!" the soldier yelled. Zack didn't have anything to reply to that with, and I wasn't going to. He wasn't the only one who had suffered, but I doubt this guy was willing to listen. "I would like to ask you both one last thing. Are you satisfied in using your immense power to serve and evil organization like Shinra? Does it bring you joy to torture innocent people?" he asked. "That's not what I..." Zack said, trailing off. I stepped forward, and said "Just because we are of Shinra, that doesn't make us inherently evil."
"You are not evil, then repent by joining our cause!" the Crescent unit captain replied. I groaned. This guy just wasn't getting it. I couldn't join them. Even so, he still said "Of course, we cannot pay you much, you can use your power in the name of justice!" "Justice...? Is that really the case? Is it so terrible to provide mako to people and make their lives better?" Zack said, half to them and half to himself. He looked at me, and I shrugged. "Shinra will do what it pleases with or without us. We all just have a role to play," I told him. "I don't know..." Zack said, before standing straight and looking at the Crescent Unit. "But I chose to serve Shinra. Whatever happens, I have to stand by the decision," he declared. The captain sighed.
"I was foolish to think I could reason with villains. For those of us born and raised in Wutai, losing our land is the same as losing our lives. Hence, I must eliminate you, as my last duty to the land. You will now witness the wrath of the Wutai!" he yelled, drawing his weapon. The other two did the same, and I sighed as I drew Potentia. Zack pulled his sword off of his back, and as one both sides charged. "Die!" one of the other soldiers said, firing at me. I sidestepped and fired one of my guns, but he spun his gun-lance and deflected the bullet. I grunted; so these guys really were a cut above the rest. Zack cast Thunder and shot a bolt of lightning at the first one, but id ducked and jabbed at him. He jumped back, but then the captain pursued him and gave him a cut across the stomach.
"Zack!" I said, he waved me away and pulled out a Potion. Before he could drink it the captain knocked it off of his hands, also delivering an uppercut to the same spot where he had just been cut. Art that I couldn't just stand there, and so I cast a pair of Blizzard spells at the other two soldiers. While they were blocking that I turned and cast Cure on Zack, and then called "Hey!" The captain turned to me and I put away my sword, drawing my guns. He grunted and charged at me and I leaped back, firing. The captain spun his sword in a circle in front of him and deflected any shot that came close. That was when both Zack and I could feel a Limit Break appearing, and I smiled. "I'm feeling it! Omnislash!" Zack said, and I called "Gunfire!"
While Zack shot forward and slashed at the captain a total of eight times, I pointed my guns at the other two. I pulled the trigger and fired over and over, each bullet covered with a red-orange aura. The aura ensured that they wouldn't miss, and although they were able to block most of them both troops fell back. One had a bullet lodged in his right kneecap while the other was hit in the left arm, and the captain failed to block the last slash from Zack. He shouted and cut the soldier across the chest vertically. He gasped and faltered, and Zack took that chance to hit him in the leg with a Thunder spell. He fell back with the leg of his trousers on fire, and the other two soldiers called "Captain!" But I had snuck behind them and stood, pressing the end of my guns against the back of each of their heads.
They froze and didn't move, and I wondered if I should kill them. For some reason though, I didn't want to. I sighed, before flipping my guns over in my hand and slamming them both on the back of the heads. They fell forward, instantly knocked out, and I turned to see Zack standing over the captain. He raised his sword to deal the finishing blow, but then stopped, and put it on his back. Zack felt the same way as me: We didn't want to kill them. We both started for the temple in the center of the fortress, and behind us the captain said "Ugh... Why did you not finish me?" "I don't know. Not in the mood, I guess," Zack answered. "As long we breathe, we will continue to target Shinra. I promise... one day, I will have your head," the captain promised.
Zack paused, but didn't look back. "Fine. I'll be waiting," he said, and started forward. I was a little surprised to see Zack so serious, but followed. We had made it to the temple steps when again we heard a voice behind us, only this one was young and feminine. "One, avoid unnecessary training!" it yelled. "Huh?" Zack said, while my eyes widened. I recognized that voice. "Two, protect Wutai at all costs!" the voice yelled. We turned to see who was speaking, and they said "Three, ugly Shinra SOLDIER dudes... must be PUNISHED!" The stranger was a little girl with short black hair and dark brown eyes, which gleamed with mischievousness. She wore a green and yellow hoodie underneath a white singlet and white shorts.
"Who are you?" Zack asked, while I smiled widely. "I'm Wutai's greatest warrior! If you wanna go any further you have to through... me..." Yuffie began, before trailing off as I stepped forward. "Yuffie! It's great to see you!" I said. Zack blinked and looked at me. "You know her?" he asked. Before I could reply Yuffie called "Jace!" and ran forward, launching herself at me. She tackled me in a hug and wrapped her arm around my waist, almost knocking me down. Even at 9 years old she was tough. I laughed and hugged her back. "Oh my gosh! I had no idea it was you!" Yuffie said. "Good to see you too," I said. "Um, I'm lost here. How do you know her?" Zack asked. Yuffie jumped down and beamed at me, saying "When this guy was getting his training as a Turk, he was being trained right here in Wutai!" she said.
Zack's eyes widened. "Turk training? In Wutai?" he said, looking at me. I shrugged. "It was at a secret facility that Shinra built. Despite that Yuffie still managed to find it, and stole all of the materia the facility had," I explained, looking at her pointedly. "Yup! And he was assigned to get it back from. But he was too soft to fight me, so I just promised to keep quiet about the facility and he let me keep the materia," she said, not even sounding a little sorry. "Naturally I was punished for failing, but at least I made a friend," I finished, patting her on the head. "I get it," Zack said, nodding. "Well, Zack and I have to get going, Yuffie. Mission stuff," I said. But then Yuffie jumped back, saying "No way! You heard what I said: Ugly Shinra SOLDIER dudes have to be punished!"
"But I'm a Turk, not a SOLDIER!" I exclaimed. Yuffie smiled sneakily. "Yeah, but you're still with Shinra. And so..." she said, running forward. She swung at both Zack and me, saying "Wham! Pow! Bam! Take that!" I looked at her and couldn't even try to act hurt; I was putting all my energy into not laughing. Thankfully Zack was able to pretend, and clutched his stomach. "Aargh! No! You got me!" Yuffie stopped, satisfied. "There! That'll teach you to mess with me! Once again, I've brought peace to Wutai!" she said, before running off. Once she was gone, I said "I wonder how she even got inside the fort anyway." "Same here. Has she got energy though... Well, let's get back to work," Zack said. I nodded, and we both entered the temple.
Inside it was quite, very quiet, and no more Wutai troops were present. Not even another member of the Crescent Unit. Just like before I was cautious. I just knew something bad was about to happen. As if in reply to my thoughts the ground rumbled, and from the ceiling dropped two Vajradharas, Wu and Tai. "You must be the anti-SOLDIER monsters I've heard about," Zack said, drawing his sword. I did the same, and both monsters roared before charging. Zack took on the Vajradhara Wu while I fought the Tai. The beast roared and swung, trying to cleave me in two with its tomahawk. I dodged and tried to stab the Tai in the arm, but it blocked me with its armor and then backhanded me across the chest.
All of the wind knocked out of me in a single blow, and I flew back until I crashed against the wall. "Jace! You alright?" Zack asked, ducking under a swing from the Wu. Though slightly dazed I nodded, casting Cura on myself. Then I bestowed both of us with Barrier and charged. The Tai tried to hit me with an overhead blow but I dropped to the ground, sliding between its legs. I quickly stood and swung, slashing the Tai across the back. The monster roared and spun, going for a roundhouse punch. The fist connected with the dome around me and the Barrier spell flickered, unused to absorbing that much punishment at once. Seeing that, the Tai took its tomahawk in both hands and was about to hit me when Zack called "Hey, ugly!"
Both Vajradharas turned to look at him, and he realized that he should have specified. "Uh, you! How about you got a taste of my magic!" Zack said, looking at the one that had targeted me. He cast Fire and hit it on the chest, prompting a roar of rage. Both monsters looked at each other and nodded, planting a foot on the ground. I gasped as I realized that they were about to Use Twin Tomahawk, and said "Not on my watch!" Just as the Vajradhara Tai began to swing its weapon I jumped onto its back, wrapping my arms around it neck. The beast roared and stopped, while Zack ducked from being hit by the other one. The Tai tried to pull me off, but then I stabbed Potentia into its shoulder. I used that to keep myself on, and channeled a Blizzard spell through the blade.
The Tai roared as its flesh began to turn black with frostbite, and the Vajradhara Wu pulled its Tomahawk out of the wall to swing at Zack. He blocked with his sword and the monster pushed, using its massive strength to try and overpower him. But Zack then let it overpower, dropping to the ground behind its guard and stabbing upwards, sending his sword through its neck. The Wu gargled and let out a choked roar, falling back. The Tai saw this and reached back, yanking my sword out. I fell off when it did that, and the two monsters backed up until they were next to each other. The Wu only had seconds before it lost too much blood, and so as its last act they both used Twin Tomahawk. They threw their weapons at us and the sun around in the air.
Both Zack and I blocked the flying weapons and I cast Barrier again, renewing our defenses. That spell helped to make us hold our ground until the weapons lost their velocity, and dropped to the ground. The Vajradhara Wu fell to ground with one last growl, and before the Tai could attack I pulled out my gun and shot it in the foot. The beast roared and held that foot, giving Zack the time to run up and stab it in the neck as well. After a few seconds that fiend fell as well, and Zack flicked his sword so as to get rid of the blood. "SOLDIER 2nd Class Zack, victorious once again!" Zack cheered. "Nice work," I told him. Our phones both rang, and it was Angeal. "Good work. Now, get out of there quickly. There's only five minutes until detonation," he warned.
"Understood," both Zack and I said. We both started towards the door, and Zack called "Director Lazard, are you watching? Gotta move! No time to play." I rolled my eyes, but then I heard something behind us, and turned. "Zack!" I called. He spun and saw that from the ceiling dropped one more monster, a Vajradhara Rakshasa. It growled at us and swung its weapon, a large ball attached with a length of chain to a handle. Zack dodged but I wasn't so quick, and even with the Barrier spell I was hit so hard that when I hit a window I actually went through it, landing in the bushes outside. I groaned and stood, climbing back through in time to see Zack hit with the back of the monster's hand, hitting a wooden pillar.
Zack tried to stand but was dazed, and muttered "Not good..." The Vajradhara Rakshasa stood over him. It roared and raised its weapon one more time, but then from behind Angeal appeared, swinging his Buster Sword. He cut the monster down from the back on its head to the small of its back. It sucked in a breath of air before falling forward, dead. Angeal put his sword on his back, and reached out to offer Zack a hand. He took it, and Angeal said "That's one more you owe me. You lost your focus." "Uh, yeah? Oh, sorry of your sword got any wear, tear or rust on it," Zack said. "Same here," I said, casting Cure on myself to get rid of any bruises. "You're a little more important than my sword," Angeal said, before smiling and placing his fingers an inch. "But just a little," he added. I chuckled, and we both hurried out of Fort Tamblin. Behind us it burst into fire as the bomb detonated, and the fort was consumed in flames.
The battle against Wutai is over, but soon to come if Ifrit, the events that occur with it! So stay tuned!
Please review! If you flame me Liam Neeson will look for you, he will find you, and he will kill you. (I'm just kidding... or am I?)