Drifters
Magic Application: The theory of gathering energy from the environment. The energy links together and creates spells for mages. This is the most basic of all theories.
Record 08: Green Aura
Vicious and Gabranth looked at the END who was standing in front of them. They both recognized the man very well. Vicious had his katana in his hand ready to fight at any time. The man glared at the two, pure hatred in his eyes.
"Who are you?" the man asked.
"You don't remember me?" Vicious smirked. "I'm hurt, but I remember you, Vossler York Azelas."
"You know my name Drifter?"
"You could say that…" Vicious rushed in, with his Ame-no-Murakumo and clashed blades with Vossler. An evil grin appeared on the elder's face. "But instead of telling ya, I'll let my blade speak for the both of us!"
Scopio stood back, he felt the massive murderous intent that both men emitted. Scopio found his arms shaking, he couldn't control it. It was as if he was watching two demons about to battle, he wondered if Vicious was a demon in disguise. Orange flames surrounded Vossler; the END swung his large broadsword at Vicious, the orange flames following behind the blade. Vicious blocked the sword strike but he was swallowed by the flames.
"Vicious!" Scopio called. He could not afford to lose the only Drifter with a weapon.
"Calm down will ya." Vicious voice could be heard inside the torrent of flames. "A little fire won't hurt me!"
Vossler felt himself pushed back by a massive aura. The orange flames disappeared by light green aura. The aura rested on the man's shoulders. He finally remembered that stance. There was one who said that he didn't care for the rules, he remembered the Kanata in the man's hands. It was an Ame-no-Murakumo, there was only one person who used that blade with such skill and such horrible stance.
"Varick Stratos." Vossler said, lowering his broadsword for a second before he returned to his stance. "I remembered you being… younger."
"Yeah? " Vicious smirked. "I remembered you being an old geezer. So what the hell are you back from the dead?"
"I cannot tell you." the man rushed forward, he swung his blade horizontally. "But What I remember is that you were called the most reckless knight in Dalmasca!"
Vicious swung his blade to meet with Vossler's blade. The blades clashed both green and orange swirled around the men, in an instant the energies spread out from the center of the blades outwards. Gabranth sprinted to where the wagon was and placed his most powerful barriers. Scopio did the same. Both men could feel the powerful shockwaves striking the barriers. It wasn't long before Scopio's barrier shattered.
'Such powerful shockwaves!' Scopio thought. 'Is Vicious even human!'
"I am now the enforcer for Clan INFAMOUS!" Vicious growled. "I am no longer a knight."
"You will always be that reckless knight in my eyes." Vossler chuckled. "What a waste of time taking you under our wing."
"What the fuck are you talking about?"
"We should have just let you go on your own. That was what you did regardless." Vossler explained. "Maybe you should have just died that night Varick."
"I am Vicious; Varick is someone from the past." Vicious murmured. "I'm Primo's enforcer and bodyguard."
"Whoever this Primo is then he's crazy for putting his trust in you." Vossler chuckled. "I wouldn't be surprised if he already died in your care."
Vicious jumped back and slammed down his katana on the ground. The shockwave cracked the earth; Scopio felt the tremors under his feet. He looked at Vicious' expression; there were pure anger in them.
"I would do anything for my boss." Vicious growled. "I will always stake my life for his sake and the clan, I will always be the shield for Clan INFAMOUS."
Light Green aura swirled around his katana. Vicious started to rush forward, his blade horizontal. The light green aura shaped themselves into a pair of horns at his sides. Vossler commanded his flames to block the attack. The energies clashed once more, creating an orange and light green pillar that flew into the sky. When the pillar disappeared Scopio saw Vicious and Vossler blades locked in battle.
"I never felt this before, what is that man?" Scopio asked.
"I am not sure," Gabranth answered. "His technique relies heavily on his inner strength; however, that man has a powerful aura with those attacks."
"It ain't that hard to understand." Vicious sneered. "It's a magick that you seen before, Gabranth. Bravery!"
Vicious snapped his fingers and his aura increased. Scopio saw that his muscles were almost ripping out of his clothes. He took on step before he rushed forward. The man jumped into the air and dove down at Vossler. The END jumped out of the way at the last minute causing Vicious' blade crashing towards the ground. The impact from Vicious' attack created a massive crater.
Scopio couldn't believe it; this was a very foreign form of magic to him. The magic system that he knows doesn't create damage like this. It was literally taking everything he had to keep a barrier around them so that the forest didn't catch on fire.
"Bravery, it is classified as a green magick." Gabranth explained, "It takes a person's inner strength and draw it out using mist. It is a simple magick but Vicious is…"
Aerith woke up to see a barrier surrounding where she was. She looked over Gabranth's armored shoulder and saw Vicious and a man she didn't know fighting.
"What is going on!" Aerith asked, scared for her teacher.
"Just got to sleep brat," Vicious ordered. "Tomorrow I am going to put you through hell so get some sleep!"
"Gabranth what is going on?"
"The man that Vicious is fighting is an END." Gabranth answered, he wasn't used to sugarcoating anything. So why start with Aerith? "As you can see Vicious is trying to kill the END."
"Just stay behind us Aerith; we'll protect you this time." Scopio added.
Aerith stood silent as she watched Vicious and Vossler fight, she could only hope for the best.
"See even your comrades doubt you." Vossler said, he pushed Vicious off and jumped back. "No matter what you do, they will always doubt you."
"You're talking like I give a shit." Vicious smirked. "The only ones that I care for is Primo and Einhalt, everyone else can just go and die."
Vicious swung his katana at the same time that Vossler did, orange and light green energy collided and swirled together. A second later an explosion was caused from the compressed aura and flames. In all the smoke and debris there was another person floating in the air.
"That is enough, Defender." A female in a cloak said.
"What are you doing here Tuner of Kyrios?" Vossler asked.
The Tuner of Kyos pulled off her cloak. The woman had a black sleeveless shirt and black shorts. A midnight purple middress hung on her hips held together by large red bow. The woman had purple hair, she held in a ponytail with a red bow, and purple eyes that contrast her pale skin. Aerith saw that she had a ring floating around her forehead and small metallic wings. In the woman's hand she had her magic staff.
"The Dark Sovereign wants you back." The Tuner of Kyrios explained. "Those are my orders."
"I am quite busy at the moment Tuner." Vossler growled.
"I am taking you back one way or another." The Tuner floated behind him. A magic circle appeared underneath their feet; inside the circle there 4 squares overlapping each other and a series of runes that none could understand. "I apologize for interrupting your fight Drifter."
"If ya so sorry then leave him here and get lost." Vicious growled.
"You will have another chance to fight again." The Tuner mused. "Until then enjoy your freedom while you still have it."
"What are you talking about END?" Scopio called out.
The Tuner started to teleport away from Scopio and the others. There was light still glowing around Vossler and her.
"Wait, what is your name?" Aerith called out.
"My name is…" Vossler and the Tuner disappeared from their sight. Scopio could only feel the remains of magic residue.
"Tch, they're gone." Vicious cursed. "Damn bitch ruined my fun."
"So those were ENDs?" Gabranth thought aloud. "They are very powerful."
"Who gives a damn!" Vicious growled. "The bitch interrupted my fun!"
"At least we know two of the four ENDs that we encountered in the City of Carneades." Scopio let out a sigh. "Let's keep moving; with any luck we can still reach the city before midday."
Gabranth and Vicious got on the wagon and Scopio commanded the horses to move once again. Aerith remembered the eyes of that woman. The one the man called the Tuner of Kyrios, they seemed so… empty, without emotion.
"Don't you dare have any pity on them Aerith!" Vicious growled. "They are after our hides if I need to remind ya."
"I know but…"Aerith trailed off.
"But what Aerith?" Gabranth asked.
"Her eyes, no, their eyes seemed so empty." Aerith explained. "It's almost like they are missing something."
"That would be their humanity." Scopio spoke up. "ENDs receive powers beyond any Norm can handle. However, they give up their humanity to get it. Vossler was proof, isn't that right Vicious?"
"He's got a point, woman." Vicious added. "That fire wasn't from any magick. It was something different, thought I can't explain it."
"In any case all of you need rest. I do not think that there will be any more accidents." Scopio let out a small sigh. "Please try to get some sleep and I'll wake all of you up when we get there.
Aerith watched as Vicious got comfortable in the wagon and she heard Gabranth's soft breathing through the helm. It wasn't even a minute after Scopio said to rest and both men were asleep. Aerith decided to stay up just a little longer, watching the stars and thinking about the past.
x-x
Zest looked outside the opening inside the ruins. He could see the rain coming through the thick branches. With the rain, the ruins felt a little chilly, add the dense forest and it really got cold. However this was good news for them, thanks to the rain, army will come a day or two later thanks to the rains making it impossible to travel to the small village.
"What are you thinking about Zest?" Angeal asked.
Zest looked back and saw the black-haired man. For the last three days Angeal has been teaching the younger villagers how to fight hand to hand combat, while he had to teach them the fundamentals of spear type weapons. Hayate herself has taken all the women and the elderly and began to teach them the theory of healing magic. He and Hayate came to the conclusion that anything beyond that was impossible without the proper equipment.
"I was thinking about the army that will come in a couple of days."
"I also have my doubts." Angeal sat on one of the large boulders close to the opening. "Do you think that Hayate will be able to handle them?"
"I know she can handle them."
"Then what is on your mind?" Angeal asked. "Since it is not really about Hayate, then what is it?"
"I feel like I forgot something important." Zest looked at the dark sky. "Something that I was supposed to remember, but it is all a blur."
"What are you trying to say?"
"I can't remember how I got here." Zest finished. "As hard as I try, I can only remember when I was in Skyra but nothing from before. It almost feels like there is a whole chunk of my life is missing, I can't remember it."
"What do you remember?" Angeal asked, maybe hearing Zest out might help the man remember.
"I was supposed to go on a mission." Zest began. "I was about to enter an underground base and that is all I remember."
"Nothing at all?"
Zest shook his head. From there it was almost as if he blacked out, when he woke up he found himself already in Skyra. He has been stuck for two years. It was only after Hayate came into Skyra that he finally found someone who he can talk with. By that time, however, he lost his ability to socialize with others. A few days later Angeal came to Skyra, so there have been a lot of reason to talk but he needed to get used to it.
Hayate has been making him talk more; even it's for the smallest things. He preferred to stay silent most of the time.
"I'm sure you'll remember." Angeal patted his shoulder.
"It's just that it is bothering me so much. I only started to think about this when you arrived at the castle ruins." Zest turned around to look at Angeal. "Do you remember how you got here?"
"I…" Angeal tried to remember, he remembered talking to Zack in Modeoheim but everything after that was a total blur. Couldn't remember what happened next. The next thing he remembered was meeting the strange man in the white hall before he blacked out again. Yet he couldn't remember what happened between those two memories. "I don't remember."
"I think I am seeing a pattern then." Zest let out a sigh. "We were made to forget how we got here."
"Do you think Hayate knows?"
"I doubt it, if she is like us then she will only remember to a certain point before there will be a chunk missing." Zest said thoughtfully.
"I see…"
They both sat watching the rain fall; there wasn't much they could do at the moment. Angeal looked at Zest; he noticed the thoughtful look in his eyes. It wasn't his business what the man thinks or does; Angeal can only be there for his new friend when he needs it.
"What are you going to do when we get out of here?" Zest broke the silence.
"I'm sorry?"
"I just was thinking of how my world will be like 13 years from now. How much has it changed? Will the people that I knew will be there when I return?"
"I don't know," Angeal looked down. "I don't have anywhere to go anymore, Gaia is a deserted planet. So I might just end up going with you guys to Mid-Childa."
"It's still a long way before we get to that point." Zest shrugged. "But it's always good to keep in mind on the future as well as the present."
"Right," Angeal sighed, he rolled his fingers to a fist. "The future."
"Come one, gather some of the men and we'll go hunting for dinner." Zest stood up. "The rains finally stopped."
Angeal stood up and headed inside the ruins, the only thing that the three of them can do is survive and find a way home. He signaled for a few men to come and together with Zest they headed out into the deep forest. Soon when the troops get to the village they will have to move on to the capital of Orte. Until then they had all the time in the world to help the villagers.
x-x
Later that night Angeal woke up in the middle of the night. That was nothing new; his sleep cycle was thrown off during the time he deserted ShinRa in Gaia. He looked around and saw everyone fast asleep. The only person who wasn't there was Hayate. He got up from his spot and stretched, he heard the sounds of a few bones popping back into place.
Angeal walked out to the ruins only to find Hayate outside. She was sitting on a tree branch looking at the stars and the moon. In her hands she had her Tome of the Night Sky. The wind softly blew and Angeal saw Hayate close her eyes.
"There are no constellations." Hayate whispered.
"Hayate?" Angeal called out.
"hmm?" Hayate opened her eyes and looked down. "Angeal what are you doing up so late?"
"I could ask you the same question." Angeal asked. "Why are you out here in the middle of the night?"
"I was looking at the night sky." Hayate looked up at the sky."It brings me a lot of memories."
"Really?"
"Yes, there were so many nights that my family and I would look up at the sky and see each constellation." Hayate sighed. "My family is my reason to keep living on; they were the ones who helped me when I was a child."
"I see," It was nice to know more about his new friends. Hearing Hayate talk about her family talk like that reminded him of his own mother. He remembered the days before he found out what he was. He was poor but he was happy with his mother.
He just wished that he could have talked to her before she...
"Angeal are you alright?" Hayate looked down, "you seem to have a lot on your mind."
"I'm fine, I was just thinking about the past." Angeal responded and looked up at the stars. He remembered that he used to look up at the stars with Genesis and try to read each other's futures. How he wished that he could go back to those times, he wanted to see Genesis, Sephiroth, and Zack.
"You remembered something about the night sky as well Angeal?" Hayate asked.
"Yeah, it holds many memories for me as well Hayate," Angeal responded. "However the past is the past."
"That may be but it is always nice to think of the past and let it help you into the present." Hayate swung her legs. "It sometimes helps you go through the bad times."
'You have no idea' Angeal thought.
"Well it is getting late and tomorrow we have to get up early to catch breakfast. It is our turn this time." Hayate looked down at Angeal.
"I know." Angeal started to walk towards the ruins; he looked around and saw Hayate still up on that tree branch. "Aren't you going to get down from there?"
"About that," Hayate scratched the back of her head. "I can't"
"What do you mean you can't?" Angeal raised an eyebrow.
"I can't get down, I forgot how." Hayate shrugged. "Can you catch me?"
"Then how did you get up there?" Angeal asked.
"I learned how to climb up a tree but I never learned how to get off of it." Hayate answered. "Someone used to catch me when I wanted to get off."
Angeal let out a small sigh; he extended his arms and signaled Hayate to jump down. Hayate pushed herself down and into Angeal's arms. Angeal noticed that Hayate was very light. He let Hayate down gently until she could stand up on her own.
"Thanks," Hayate went back inside the ruins. Angeal stood outside to look at the stars for another minute before he went back inside. The past and future are so far part for Angeal; the only thing that he can look forward to is the present.
Record 08 End. Record 09 holds period ****-**** 1315 hours, Stand by Ready…