Redemption
A Final Fantasy 7/ Lord of the Rings crossover
By: Lazeralk
Standard disclaimers apply.
Lasthas and Orolon are mine. I made them up.
Once again, ("blah") denotes things said in Sindarin. 'Blah' is the Advents and Cloud sharing thoughts.
0o0o0
"Shut up!"
Yazoo took a wide-eyed step back, a hand to his burning cheek, as he stared at his brother in shock.
"Don't you dare say that about Ni-san! He loves us! He's our brother! Don't you dare say bad things about him!" screamed Kadaj as he advanced on his long-haired brother angrily.
"Kadaj." Said Cloud helplessly, trying to understand how the situation had degenerated so quickly.
Loz's knees gave out and the big man collapsed to the ground, sobbing. Cloud crouched down beside him in alarm, but the oldest of the Advents just kept crying. Tentatively, as if bracing himself for some kind of pain, he very lightly rested a hand on Loz's shoulder and turned to watch the fight unfolding before him.
"How can you take his side? What has he ever done for us?" demanded Yazoo vehemently, glaring hotly at Kadaj.
"He gave us a second chance!" roared Kadaj, beyond furious.
"Aerith gave us a second chance!" Yazoo insisted right back.
"Mother returned our lives, but Ni-san is giving us a second chance at a real family Yazoo! Why can't you see that?"
"He's not family! He wasn't there with us in the Labs! He wasn't there when we fought our way free of those monsters! He wasn't there when we were lost out in wilderness with nothing but our weapons and our clothes! He killed us Kadaj! He's the reason we were dead in the first place!"
"Stop fighting!" wailed Loz pitifully, his face a mess of tears as he sat on the ground, clinging to Cloud's shirt like a child.
"I don't care! I don't care about that! He's family now! He's the reason we exist at all you idiot! If he hadn't killed Aniue, we wouldn't exist! He's nice to us! He'll take care of us!" He took a deep breath, trembling silently. "He'll take care of us." Finished Kadaj in a whisper, suddenly tired with tears streaming stubbornly down his face, his eyes begging his brother to understand.
Yazoo's heart broke at the sight and he hung his head, the fight completely gone from him. He scowled at the ground and sighed, absently kicking at the dirt. He knew he'd lost the argument as soon as his strong baby brother started crying.
"This is important to you, isn't it? You want this family so bad…" he said quietly, shuffling towards his younger sibling and carefully putting his arms around the smaller boy. Kadaj curled into him, nodding miserably.
"I want it Aniki. I want it so much. Please just try to like him. Please? He's really nice Aniki, I know he doesn't like to be around people much, but he helps them when they need it, and he's stayed with us this whole time. He could have just left, like he did all those other people back home." Said Kadaj, not noticing Cloud's visible flinch. "But he stayed with us Aniki, he stayed."
"What's to say he won't leave us like that too?" returned Yazoo, just as quietly.
"We're family. Family doesn't ever leave family. Not if they really love you." He replied, a slightly insane smile on his face as he clung to the one truth that had seen him through his darkest days.
"After all, you and Loz never left me."
Yazoo smiled and hugged his brother tighter.
Sensing that the fight was over and that is was safe to approach, Cloud tugged Loz to his feet and urged him over to his two embracing brothers, gently handing him over to the two. They welcomed him gladly and dried his tears.
"Don't cry Loz. Everything is ok now."
Uncomfortable, Cloud turned and walked away.
0o0o0
"Don't say it." Warned Cloud quietly as they unpacked the horses to begin their climb over the mountain. Elrohir smiled and adopted as innocent an expression he could.
"Say what my friend? I wasn't going to say anything." The elf assured, a cheeky smile on his face.
Cloud rolled his eyes and hefted the large pack of supplies that had been attached to his horse. Once the burden was gone, the animal nuzzled the blonde's hair affectionately before trotting off into the woods with the other horses. The elves watched them go somewhat sadly.
"Lead on, oh fearless guide." Said Cloud, checking to make sure his weapons were accessible around the bulk of the pack. Lasthas took the lead, and together they made their slow accent. Orolon estimated that it would take them four days to cross the mountain and another three to reach Caras Galadhon from the base.
"Ne Ni-san," said Kadaj quietly as he walked as close as he dared to his oldest brother, being very careful not to touch him.
"Hm?"
"We never did get to spar…all of us I mean." He said, glancing at Cloud's face.
"When we set up camp for the night. It will be trickier on the mountain side." Promised Cloud, giving his smallest brother a hint of a smile.
Kadaj beamed, pleased that Cloud had agreed to spend more time with them. He spread the word to his other two brothers through their mind link and was pleased to find them in ready agreement.
"Hey." Said Yazoo, calling a halt to their progress. "We won't get very far at this rate. Why don't we carry the elves and jump?" he offered, shooting glances at his brothers.
"Sure. We could do that." Said Loz, happy that his brother's weren't fighting anymore.
"Carry us? Are you mad?" asked Lasthas.
"Can you? I know the jumps will be little problem for you, but can you carry us as well?" asked Elrohir, the only one of the elves to even seriously consider the idea.
"El, surely they are joking. It is not possible." Said Elladan.
"I hope you will not want us to return the favor." Said Orolon with a disbelieving smile.
"I'm serious. We can do it." Growled Yazoo challengingly.
"You guys weigh practically nothing. It will be keeping the balance that's tricky. Besides, we could do it as training." Said Cloud, giving a half smirk at the elves dubiously amused expressions and at Kadaj's blinding smile.
"Yeah! As Training! It will be good for us." Said Kadaj.
"You cannot be serious." Said Lasthas with growing horror as he observed the determined expressions of the four non-elves.
Instead of answering, Yazoo simply lifted the startled and squawking elf onto his shoulder, pack and all, and jumped ten feet up the mountain side in one easy bound. Kadaj laughed merrily and lifted an indignant Elladan onto his shoulders, warning the elf to hang on tightly before he followed suit.
"We'd better keep up." Said Cloud, lifting a protesting Elrohir and watching as Loz easily picked up an equally irate Orolon. They bounded up towards the other two and paused to make sure the unhappy elves were situated and that the supplied were in no danger of falling.
"Race you!" cried Loz as he suddenly sprung into action, completely ignoring the elf that was demanding that he stop.
"Hey!" yelled Kadaj in protest as he and the others gave chase, springing up the mountain side with a strength and agility that betrayed their SOLDIER status. The elves clung frantically to whatever bit of cloth they could find, screaming for the mortals to put them down immediately.
Despite the discomfort of the elves and the verbal lashing they gave the completely unrepentant Advents, the party did make it to a point on the mountain that would have take them another day to reach on foot before nightfall.
"Ne Ni-san! Lets spar now!" said an entirely too chipper Kadaj as he bounced over to his blonde brother. Cloud smiled and dropped his pack to the ground beside the camp fire the scowling elves had going. Elrohir shot him a withering look when he glanced his way.
"Help set up Kadaj, and then we'll see about getting some of that energy out of you."
"I'll help too." Said Loz as he quickly set up bedding and started pulling out the pre-portioned dry food, mostly lembas bread and dried meat from their earlier hunts. When everything had been set up and watches had been set, the Advents pulled their weapons out and the elves settled down to watch.
"No fatal injuries please, no destruction of the mountain side, don't use any summons or overly flashy magic ok?" said Cloud, easily spinning two of his giant swords in his hands as he walked sideways, circling his opponents. The Advents all smiled and gave a soft chorus of 'Yes, Ni-san's and then simultaneously leapt at him.
The elves sat up in shock, their eyes held wide with awe as they watched the blonde work furiously to fight off the three harmonized silver haired attackers. Each fought with skill and precision, their bodies moving in an infinitely beautiful dance.
Blade met blade as Cloud blocked an over handed strike from Loz's board sword, his second blade coming up to turn aside Souba's forward slash. He back flipped tightly to avoid a double bladed spin from Yazoo's twin long knives and then the four of them were off, jumping easily from rock to rock on the mountain side, blocking and striking and evading. Kadaj landed a glancing blow to the base of Cloud's right hand sword, sending the blade spinning from his hand to land imbedded in another part of the mountain. Cloud blocked a second strike before drawing a new sword from his back, spinning to throw Kadaj backwards and catch another strike from Loz. He forced Yazoo's two knives to the ground with a cross down block, then whipped them to the side, forcing the longhaired Advent to spin away from him. A sideways jump later and Cloud had put the two blades in his hands together, making one larger blade, and had retrieved his fallen third. The larger sword did not seem to affect his balance in the least, and he slashed downwards with it, throwing Souba to the side and catching Loz with the backstroke, drawing a thin line of blood across one arm.
Yazoo slammed one of his long knives into Cloud's left hand sword, the smaller, and then forced the blond to change his grip on the larger to block an upward stab from his second knife. Loz swung at Cloud's head from behind, making him duck and then flip forward over Yazoo's head, only to find Kadaj waiting for him with a forceful frontal thrust from Souba. Using his own larger sword as leverage, he put a foot on the base of Souba's twin blades and launched himself upwards, using Kadaj's arms like a spring board. With enough distance between them, Cloud added the third sword and drew a fourth.
Loz's body glowed purple-blue for a moment before he rushed at Cloud, the Speed Plus materia giving him an extra edge as fought furiously to gain a hit on the blonde. Kadaj and Yazoo double teamed from the sides, forcing Cloud backwards on the unstable rock. Cloud defended for a moment before shoving the three back with a two handed swing of both swords. Once he had room, he leapt further up the mountain side, assembling his blades as he went. The Advents gave chase. With all six swords assembled, he knocked the broad sword from Loz's hands, forcing him to dodge the much larger sword in his attempt to retrieve his own. Souba caught and twisted First Tsurugi between its two blades, but Cloud refused to give up his weapon and sent the smallest of the Advents flipping away from him, blade sparking as it dragged down the side of the much larger sword.
Yazoo faired better with a constant flurry of attacks at different angles from his two elven knives, forcing Cloud to break his weapon into two swords to defend against him. Cloud landed a heavy hit to Yazoo's right hand blade, pulling it from his fingers and sending it flying towards the ground. When the blade landed in the fire pit, Cloud put the full force of his right hand sword into Yazoo's remaining left-handed blade, sending the middle child skidding down the mountain side.
Kadaj and Loz attacked together, working to give Yazoo time to recover his weapon. Their synchronization wasn't as smooth as Loz and Yazoo's, affording Cloud a slight advantage. Kadaj, use to working alone, pushed forward without Loz to back him, slicing at Cloud's extended thigh. The blond caught the strike easily with his right hand blade and, using the bulk of his sword like a paddle, threw the youngest Advent backwards into Loz. Yazoo had by that time retrieved his fallen knife, pausing long enough to smirk at the stunned elves, and retook the offensive. Loz came to his aid, and the two employed their effective tag team style against their oldest living brother. Cloud, his back to the rocks, struggled to maintain his defense. He was slowly being pushed backwards and he knew that he needed more room and a decisive attack to regain control of the fight. His goal was to wear the Advents out, especially Kadaj, while absorbing as much of their fighting style as possible. He held back on his more powerful techniques, focusing instead on his control and endurance. The Advents seemed to have picked up on this and were likewise limiting themselves.
Kadaj, regaining his feet after being thrown backwards, watched the fight intently for an opening. Cloud jumped backwards, planted his feet on the wall of rock behind him and launched himself forward, over Loz and Yazoo's heads, blocking strikes as he went. Kadaj met him as he landed and the two traded a furious series of blows while Loz and Yazoo advanced from behind. Spinning furiously, Cloud blocked attacks from all sides before jumping straight up. When Loz followed him, he put enough force into his attack that the bigger man was pushed away from him, gravity pulling him towards the sloping ground. Loz tucked into a roll and was back on his feet a few yards away from where Kadaj and Cloud fought mid air. Cloud flipped himself over, one blade catching an incoming Souba, the other knocking aside Yazoo's upward thrust from beneath before he flipped again.
Kadaj gained ground, standing beside Yazoo as Loz came to join them. Cloud raised his blades before him, waiting quietly for the attack. A clanging sound reached up the mountain side from down below them where the elves had set up camp. Swords were clashing down below as the four elves engaged a number of skinny, sickly looking foes.
The Advents and Cloud raced down the mountain side, Kadaj's hand glowing white-blue as he called magic to him. Loz jumped forward and threw his broad sword, sending the heavy weapon spinning towards the fight. The blade caught one of the enemy square in the chest and threw him away from Elladan (or maybe Elrohir). Orolon and Lasthas were guarding each others backs, likewise with the twins. Lightning cracked and leapt from Kadaj's extended hand, striking three of the creatures at once. Cloud sliced another in half, spinning and striking with all of his considerable skill. Kadaj let the magic fade and attacked with Souba, following Yazoo into the fight. The Advents formed a protective circle around the elves, calling their kills to each other mentally. They faced some fifty or so creatures, working independently to kill them as quickly as possible. None of the creatures had the skill to require that the Advents work together.
Blood as black as ink soaked the ground as the Advents viciously ripped into the mass of attackers, severing heads and puncturing hearts. Every strike was fatal, not a single blow was wasted. When the last of the beasts had been dispatched, and all was quiet, the Advents held their positions, scanning the darkness for more.
'Loz and Yazoo stay here and guard the elves, Kadaj follow me.' Said Cloud in their heads as he sprinted off into the night in the direction the things had come from. Kadaj followed without question, not even sparing a glance for the brothers behind him. Yazoo and Loz took better positions, herding the elves back towards the cliff face, their bodies tense for an attack.
"So those weren't orcs right?" asked Loz, his broad sword held in a defensive position, eyes scanning the darkness.
"Goblins." Said one of the elves, he thought it was Lasthas.
"Are there lots of different kinds?" asked Yazoo, recalling the multitude of creatures native to their homeland.
"Ocrs, goblins, Uruk-hai, wrags, the fell beasts, the nine Ring Wraiths, and the occasional Balrog." Answered a tense but joking Elladan.
"Not so many then…" muttered Yazoo, shifting his grip on his twin long-knives. So far he hadn't had to use any of his other weapons, and it made him both prideful and uncomfortable. If he needed the weapons he hadn't tried yet and found them to be ineffective in combat, he'd rather find out in a minor skirmish than a large battle. This in mind, he sheathed his long-knives, gaining a curious glance and a mental sense of confusion from Loz, before he pulled the two daggers from his thighs, testing the grip and the weight.
Cloud and Kadaj returned a moment later, swords sheathed.
"Clear." Said Cloud, though his eyes kept searching the darkness.
"We found where they were coming out of the mountain and closed it up." Said Kadaj, smiling joyfully.
Loz put up his weapon with relief, and Yazoo sheathed his daggers with annoyance. So much for that plan.
"Kadaj." Said Elrohir as he put up his own blades.
"Hm?" asked the youngest Advent expectantly, skipping over to the elf.
"When the fighting was joined, what was it that sprung like lightning from you hand? Are you a wizard?"
Cloud sighed and then glared at the smallest brother.
"You explain." He said, and stalked off to set himself up for first watch.
End part 9
Yay! Another chapter done! Thanks you to everyone who reviewed! I have a new beta reader called Inner Voice! Everyone be sure to say thank you! Anyways, I'm hoping that my time table matches up but we'll see what happens. The Advents and Cloud have made the first of many steps towards being a family, but it will be a long and bumpy ride yet! Stay tuned for more bunny-inspired thrills!