Redemption
A Final Fantasy 7/ Lord of the Rings crossover
By: Lazeralk
Standard disclaimers apply.
Once again, ("blah") denotes things said in Sindarin. 'Blah' is the Advents and Cloud sharing thoughts.
Wow! I got such a great response for the last chapter! Thanks so much guys! This chapter is dedicated to one of my reviewers, Walter Dash, whose ideas defibrillated this story enough to eek out another chapter.
0o0o0o0
Yazoo pressed his hand to his stomach to sooth the ripping pain that screamed at him in one long continuous wail. He pulled his hand away and gazed down at the blood dripping from his fingers in a state of mild shock. Why was he bleeding? He looked around at the stark metal, cold and aged that surrounded him on all sides, not quite believing what his eyes told him. He stumbled out, not knowing how he knew the way, into the cold bitter snow. He gazed down at the small town he knew would be just to his right and felt his eyes widen with a horror that echoed in his ears at the too bright flames below.
He was suddenly standing by the smoldering remains of a house he'd never seen before and yet somehow knew like a well loved book. He could see the outline of the kitchen and knew just where the table and chairs he'd eaten on a hundred times should have been. A shock of blonde hair, still smoking, caught his eye and dragged his unwilling gaze to the charred and blackened corpse of his beloved mother. A tiny patch of unburned fabric, lilac purple, shifted in the wind and he knew just which dress she'd been wearing when she died. She'd done the little cluster of embroidered white flowers on the sleeves herself. He'd loved that dress on her, because it was her favorite and she always smiled when she wore it.
He was on his knees in the snow, his body fighting to empty his stomach and scream at the same time as hot tears poured down his cheeks. Pain and rage and hate burned in his chest as he slammed his fists into the snow, not minding that his blood was mixing with the vomit on the ground because nothing really mattered anymore. All he could do was scream and scream and scream, the image of his ruined home forever burned into his mind.
'Yazoo! Wake up!'
He jerked awake, sitting up from where he'd been collapsed on Cloud's right side where his head had been resting against the blonde's ribs as he'd slept. Loz was watching him from the other side of Kadaj, mako bright eyes glowing in the darkness of the King's bedroom. As one, they turned their gazes to the blond who slept on, oblivious to the memory he'd unwittingly shared with them. Yazoo threw his legs over the side of the bed and sat, his back towards his brothers and fought to keep his face blank as he rubbed at the phantom wound in his abdomen and tried to tell himself that he'd never been inside that burned down house and he didn't know that woman with the blonde hair and blue eyes and the lilac purple dress.
0o0o0
The fellowship, the king of Rohan, Èomer, Cloud and the Advents were all going to confront someone called Saruman at the insistence of Gandalf. Cloud wasn't entirely sure who he was or why he was important, but he figured he'd hear about it on the road to some place that was called either Orthanc or Isengard or both. The peoples of Edoras would head back towards the city under the escort of Elfhelm, a marshal of the Riddermark. According to what he'd understood of the conversation between the king, Aragorn and Gandalf, they would all head back to Edoras after talking to this Saruman person-or at least, Cloud was pretty sure Saruman was person. After some of the things that had been said about him, at this point, he wouldn't be surprised if Saruman turned out to be a giant talking rabbit.
The strange trees that had arrived on the battlefield at the same time as Gandalf were still in the distance and Cloud eyed them warily. The road to Isengard was through them and Cloud wasn't sure he wanted to go.
"What troubles you?" asked Elrohir as he casually took a place beside the blonde at the wall. The tall elf was resplendent in a new set of clothes. Cloud eyed him with a hint of envy, for the elf had had the foresight to bring a spare set of his own elvish made clothes. The blonde's own clothes were being washed, and by washed, he meant flung repeatedly at a rock on the river bank by a stout Rohiric woman. He was a touch worried about his favorite jeans. He'd cleaned his blades, pauldron and harnesses on his own, not trusting them to anyone. He was currently in borrowed clothes, on loan from the shortest Rohiric soldier, a newly respectful and somewhat amused Èomer, could find.
"You'll ride through there tomorrow right?" he asked, his glowing blue eyes flicking from the elf at his side to the forest in the distance.
"Yes. The trees are a curious thing are they not? Gandalf says they are not of his doing, but of a power far older." Answered Elrohir.
"Older than Gandalf? Must be ancient then." Said Kadaj cheerily from his spot above them on the battlements. Cloud's youngest brother looked carefree, but the blonde could feel the roiling discomfort emanating from the smaller swordsman in waves.
"Ere iron was found or tree was hewn, when young was mountain under moon, ere ring was made or wrought was woe, it walked the forests long ago." intoned the dark haired elf, his lilting voice giving the words a song like quality.
"Gandalf said that?" asked Cloud, turning the rhyme over in his head. Elrohir nodded, and watched for his reaction.
"We'll go around. My brothers and I. Even from here, I can feel them pushing against us." Said Cloud, idly noting Kadaj nodding his agreement in his peripheral vision.
"Pushing against you? Whatever do you mean?" asked Elrohir, eyeing his charge strangely.
"We're…different."
0o0o0
Cloud and Advents were running flat out as fast as they could go, trying to catch up with the leisurely walking party that was cutting straight through Fangorn forest. Their freshly washed and sun-dried leathers creaked and groaned and as they moved, loosening the dyed skins to conform to their bodies. New, lower quality but kindly given, weapons bounced against their backs and thighs as they ran, one eye trained on the hostile forest they skirted. The trees churned in aggravation at their proximity, the branches cracking and moaning as they swayed ominously in the wind-less plain.
Cloud pushed himself to move faster, deeply hurt that the trees rejected him. He knew why they did, they all knew why. This Planet could sense the bits of Calamity that they carried. The lingering traces of Heaven's Dark Harbinger coursed through their veins like poison, and this Planet, understandably, recoiled. The trees could feel it too, and even though Cloud understood, it still wounded him. He was so use to Aerith's and Gaia's acceptance of him, despite the taint, that this Planet's rejection of him stung. In the distance his glowing Mako eyes could make out the train of horses that was the party they sought. Doing his best to ignore the ache in his chest as he caught sight of a tree lashing out at him in useless anger, he put on a burst of speed. His brothers followed, their own thoughts running in similar trains as his, but less upset by it. Gaia had always rejected them so this Planet's rejection was nothing new. They were upset only for Cloud's sake. Kadaj glared harshly at the trees, as if by glaring he could make them accept his most beloved brother.
The horses at the side closest to them shied and jumped when the SOLDIERS cleared the trees and raced towards them like black blurs. Once they reached the head of the column they checked their speed and walked for a few minutes beside the horses that had been brought along for them. Cloud caught the suspicious look that Gimli and Legolas shot him as he mounted his horse and did his best to ignore it. They came to a fork in the road and turned north in silence.
0o0o0
Cloud and the Advents fanned out as the party reached their destination, slipping easily from the saddles of their horses and moving like nimble shadows across the rocks that jutted up from the water. They didn't pause when their traveling companions stopped to talk to two small men lounging on a large slab of rock smoking. They weren't a part of this, and they knew it, so they spread out and tried to give the reuniting friends some privacy. Yazoo cocked his head to the side as he listened to them speak, a spark of interest running like a volt of electricity through all of their minds.
The vibrating boom of something heavy hitting the ground made Cloud leap for a large rock, hands already reaching for his blades when he stopped and stared up at the creature that approached him with mild surprise. It was something like a cross between a man and a tree. Easily fifteen feet high and creaking like wood bending in the wind. It wasn't the strangest thing he'd run into, with all the hundreds of different kinds of monsters on Gaia, but it was certainly new.
"Enemy!" it boomed, in a voice that grated against his ears.
Grimly, Cloud prepared for battle, his keen eyes already picking out how best to sever the joints. Dimly, he was aware of the Advents closing in on his position, weapons drawn. The scent of flowers flooded his nose a moment before Aerith was standing in front of him. Well, hovering anyways, her dainty feet two feet from the surface of the water, her back to him and her long hair blowing in the breeze. The tree-man jerked back from her and seemed genuinely confused. Aerith spread her hands and a green glow, not unlike the Lifestream, shimmered to life around her. The tree creaked and groaned, swaying in its place, while Cloud watched, still tensed to fight.
"WEAPON of Gaia." The tree spoke suddenly, filling the silence like a gunshot. "We will not harm you." Then Aerith was gone, and the tree turned and walked away, its booming footsteps setting the water trembling as it walked away.
Cloud let out a shuddering breath and slid his swords back into their sheathes. Kadaj shot him a look. 'What was that all about?' he whispered in an angry hiss.
'The trees don't like us here, because of her. Aerith spoke for us, so I guess its ok now.' Answered Cloud. He scanned the horizon but only the trees walking across the flooded battlefield moved and he shrugged his shoulders to settle First Tsurugi more comfortably along his shoulders. Carefully, they edged back over to the group. They caught the tail end of what must have been a bit of a discussion and decided to remain behind with Aragorn, Gimli, and Legolas as the three of them settled down to talk to the two small doorkeepers. Gandalf and the King's party split off and went in search of someone called Treebeard. Elrohir caught Cloud's eye as he passes and the blond nodded at him.
"These are our friends who were lost to us for a time, Cloud." Said Aragorn, motioning the blonde over with a hand.
"This one is Meriadoc son of Saradoc, or Merry as he pleases to be called and the other is Peregrin son of Paladin, or Pippin. They are hobbits both." He introduced, placing his hands on each one's small shoulders.
"Cloud Strife, SOLDIER First." Said the blonde, with a short bow of his head, as he met each of the little hobbit's eyes with a steady gaze.
"I'm Kadaj. SOLDIER First."
"Yazoo, SOLDIER First."
"Loz, SOLDIER First. Please to meet you." Said the three brothers one after another, with short bows of their own.
'Why are we here again?' whispered Kadaj to Cloud as the five Fellowship members caught up with each other. Cloud shrugged and leaned back against the rocks, trying to follow both conversations. A slight wave of apprehension passed through Yazoo and to his brothers like a burst of cool air.
"Merry." He said and the members of the Fellowship turned to regard the normally silent and brooding brother with curiosity.
"Yes Yazoo? What can I do for you?" asked the hobbit good-naturedly.
"Saruman sent the army to Helm's Deep from here didn't he?"
"Ah." Said Cloud, already figuring out where the conversation was going. Aragorn shot him a look.
"He did. We heard it was a fierce battle. We were sorry to have missed it." Replied the hobbit.
"The orcs had a bomb. Do you know where the gunpowder is?" pressed Yazoo, eyes fixed on the much smaller hobbit.
"Bomb?" asked Pippin.
"Gunpowder? I'm afraid I haven't any idea what that is Lord Yazoo."
Loz snickered into his hand and Yazoo aimed a backwards kick at him without taking his eyes off the hobbit who'd answered him.
"It would be a fine black power, like pepper." Said Yazoo, more patient than any of them had ever seen them.
"Well. I'm not too sure about any powder, but you're welcome to check the guard house. We're going over that way ourselves. Master Gimli is after pipeweed and theirs wine for Legolas in there. No worries about orcs either, the guardhouse was managed by men."
Yazoo nodded and the group crossed the soaked ground towards the stone building, Merry chattering all the way to Gimli about what sorts of food were available for lunch. Once they'd reached the building, the hobbits took Yazoo up a short set of stairs while the others sat down at a long table to wait. The hobbits came back laden with breads and salted pork, and Yazoo came back with a small barrel over his shoulder.
"Gunpowder?" asked Aragorn, testing the unfamiliar word on his tongue.
"Poor quality, but yes, now I must find a forge, and a smith." Said the sharpshooter cooly. Gimli huffed and looked a bit affronted.
"Dwarves are the finest smiths you'll find." He said, his chest puffing out. Legolas smiled indulgently.
"I've known a fine Elvish smith in my time Gimli." He said.
"Whichever. I'll need to make a mold, and the measurements must be exactly precise." Said Yazoo, watching the two friends with an indifferent expression. He very carefully did not look at Cloud.
"Well then, when we get back to Edoras, you'll find a smithy there and we'll see." Said Aragorn diplomatically, smiling at the silver haired SOLDIER.
"Indeed, and in the mean time Merry, I don't suppose you've any more pipeweed? And another pipe? It seems I lost mine in Moria or before." Said Gimli and the hobbits chattered all about the two barrels of weed they'd found, and Pippin produced a new pipe for the dwarf. The SOLDIERS shifted uncomfortably as the group moved their lunch outside and settled down to smoke and talk and eat.
"Nisan, let's spar?" said Kadaj, bouncing on the balls of his feet as the Fellowship began to tell the tale of how Boromir had fallen and the Ents were called to war. Yazoo set his barrel of gunpowder at Aragorn's feet and joined his brothers as they moved off towards the open space in the distance. Aragorn watched them go, a frown on his face as he considered them. It seemed to him that the four outlanders were either supremely arrogant or else severely socially handicapped. He made a note to speak to Elrohir about it and see what could be done to remedy the situation. If they were arrogant, there was little they could do, for the SOLDIERS were far greater warriors than any he'd ever known. If they were simply uneducated in the finer points of socializing, well, perhaps they could lend a hand. The ranger sincerely hoped that the problem was ignorance rather than arrogance, for all their sakes.
0o0o0
So. Another chapter. I'm actually having to go back to my copy of LotR and re-read everything as I write this. I also have a few scenes already written out that will show up later, it's the stuff in between that's giving me trouble. Still, stick with me! I'm not giving up. I plan to marathon the movies (all four, FF7 Advent Children included) sometime soon to jump start my enthusiasm for this story again. Keep in mind though that I am working on my master's degree and working two jobs, so as they say, patience is a virtue! Still, any comments beyond "please update" and any suggestions, ideas or criticisms are immensely appreciated.
-Laz