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Description

FFVII
Ready To Go

Genre: Action/ Adventure/ Emotive themes
Setting: 3 years after DoC
Rating: M
Status: WIP
OCs: 25%
Disclaimer: All related Final Fantasy VII names and characters are copyrighted © by Square Enix. However, this story and the OCs are ALL mine. Thank you.

READY TO GO

“He’s breathing!” Shelke felt his chest, and relaxed back on her knees. “Heart’s beating.”

Cait moped at his brow with his hankerchief. “Thank all the Gods combined! That WRO training really has paid off. Quite thrilling to see it in action.”

Denzel wiped his wet eyes with the back of his jacket sleeve and nodded.

Deneh touched Cloud’s face with her nose. “I am glad.”

Cait peered at Cloud as yet still passed out. “But will he be friend or foe?”

“At least he’s alive,” Denzel mumbled, “If I have to die, I’d rather be killed by Cloud—”

“Very gallant of you, lad,” Cait sniffed, “but I doubt Cloud would feel the same…”

Cloud frowned at the unsettling conversation. He opened his eyes to see them crowding around him. His head pounded as he moved it and he groaned. The black Jenova muck was still present in the cave, but it was nowhere near as dense as it was moments ago. They also all looked beat up. Shelke had a wound on her arm and Deneh had one across her side, and Denzel had the remains of a horrid slash which was not present before. “What…” his voice was heavy, suddenly dreading what he was asking, “… happened?” Stiff and sore, he tried sitting up with Shelke and Denzel helping him.

“You really don’t know?” Shelke lit up her hand and covered her gash with healing magic.

Denzel shared an alarmed look with her. “Maybe we shouldn’t tell him?”

Too late, as Cloud stared at Denel’s injury, he remembered the last thing he saw. He had struck Denzel and was about to cut into him with a direct thrust. He wouldn’t have stood a chance. Groaning, he lowered his face into his hand. He would have killed them all. “I did…”

“We tried not to hurt you,” Shelke told him, as if she were the one who should apologize.

“That was a lot harder than you may think,” Cait stood with his arms folded in pride, “Takes more skill to not hurt someone, than to kill them, especially when they are trying to cut your head off.”

Cloud rubbed his head, trying to clear the fog from his memory, and it came back in blurry detail. But, he remembered, Denzel didn’t fight back, at all. “Denzel,” He drilled him with an irate stare, “You were going to let me kill you?”

Denzel shrugged. “I didn’t want to… I didn’t think I could really stop you anyway…”

Cloud shook his head with vexation, that wasn’t true. They had trained together, Denzel knew his techniques. “You doubt yourself…”

“No…I felt like a kid again, stuck in a hypnotic limbo,” Denzel hung his head and muttered, “like, the time I had the stigma all over again. I couldn’t do a thing…”

That, Cloud could understand. He gave a soft moan and looked at their tired faces, and beyond them, to the mog, flat out with a trail of red. Cloud must have done that, and inflicted all their wounds. He said, “How could I live with myself if I… I hurt you all.”

“It was most unexpected.” Cait jumped up with exhilaration, “It was the weirdest battle I’ve ever had the privilege of partaking in.” He waved towards his pet, “Don’t worry about him, he’ll get better.”

“You were not fighting as you usually would,” Shelke pressed her lips together, “Fortunately, otherwise, we might all be dead.”

Denzel shook his head with a grin. “I guess that’s encouraging.”

Cloud dropped his face in shame. “Nothing about this is encouraging… except…” he recalled Aeris’ words in the life-stream. What did she mean? He gazed around at the Jenova plague. The nausea was still present in his gut, and he could sense the taint, but something within had changed.

“You were ill,” Denzel explained, “you fell and then suddenly you got up and started attacking us. We didn’t know what happened… well, we were guessing what might have happened.”

Cloud lowered his eyes, remembering the deception. “It took over.”

“It’s the presence of this pollution.” Shelke examined the cavern. “It is as I thought, it is affecting our nervous system, and you are more susceptible than any of us.”

Deneh stood back and spoke. “It would seem the Jenova connected with what is inside of you and completely overtook your senses.”

Cloud nodded with surprise she would know so much about it.

“That must have happened to me too,” Denzel sighed.

“But, something stronger also connected with you.” Deneh’s brilliant amber eyes seemed to smile at him.

“Denzel?” Shelke said, “I see now.”

Denzel scratched his head sheepishly. “Maybe…”

Cloud put his hand on Denzel’s arm. “Denzel, but not only him.” Tifa was there in his head. Then Aeris within the life-stream.

“You think it will happen again?” Denzel asked him.

“Please, no!” Cait squealed, “I cannae do that again!”

“I don’t know.” Cloud gave a weary sigh and used Denzel’s arm to support himself up.
“We shall deal with it when it happens,” Shelke said matter-of-factly.

Denzel nodded at them. “Yep, after all, we’re in this together.”

Cloud gave them a lop-sided smile. Energy started pulsing through his veins and he stood on his own.

“Can you walk?” Denzel gripped his arm to steady him.

“Don’t know. But I’m going to try.” Cloud stood a moment to keep his balance, and soon discovered he felt revitalized. He could have started running if he needed to.

Deneh watched him with a frown. “We may need to rest.”

“No.” Cloud bent to retrieve his sword. “I don’t want to stay here. We need to get going.” She might be right, but Aeris’ urgency propelled him to press on.

Cait hoped from one foot to the other. “Your heart, man, it stopped! Can one just up and be off after being dead?!”

Cloud had to admit, they looked tired and beat up, but he was feeling like he had rested for hours. “Walk slowly if you need to.”

“Alright then,” Denzel said, “I know I don’t mind going, if you’re sure.”

Shelke looked towards Deneh, who walked to one of the exits. “We must be aware, there will be more of this Jenova as we go.”

Cait moaned. “As for me, I will attend to my attendant.” He skipped off to his mog.

“I’ll be ready.” Cloud unclicked his blades apart and put them in his halter.

“Yeah, me to,” Denzel said with more bravado than real confidence.

Deneh peered down the exit. “I have found a way. Once you feel rested enough and are able we shall depart.”

“I’m able,” Cloud replied, “Let’s go.”

~ 7 ~

On the plaza, the atmosphere was choked with black haze and streams of Jenova spiraled up into the air, making it difficult to breath. The taint was depressing and it invoked despair, and hopelessness. It was the same feeling Marlene had in the miasma.

Talana, struggling to stand, lurched to her knees, ashen faced, and weak. Even Branan fought for air, against the toxins filling his lungs. Finally he stumbled, moaning and holding his stomach. Other Cetras were vomiting and writhing in pain. Apart from the Harbingers, Marlene was the only one not affected in a physical sense. But, she could surely feel the abhorrent evil, and it sickened her in every way possible.

The man threw her down before the one in white. Tears on her face, she stood to face to one who had taken everything away from her. She wondered what she should do at this last moment of resistance, when everything was now lost. Ely’s blood was smeared over her white top, and she held tight to the pouch at her side. She muttered to herself, “Gaia, why?! Why this?”

The man ripped the pouch from her shoulder and glanced inside. Seeing the materia, he closed it with a satisfied gleam in his eyes. He said to the man in the cloak, “We’re done here. Let us move on.”

The Harbingers started moving away, back towards the further stairs where they must have come from.

The cloaked man looked out at the sick Cetras. “Shall we kill them?”

Weiss gave a non-chalant glance at the Cetras groveling on the plaza. “No, we shall see them all soon. Once they are free.” He studied Marlene with a cold eye. “Should I keep you?”

His servant replied, his voice muffled by the helm, “She could be bound to the materia. It would not be wise.”

Weiss said more to himself, “True, in any case it is too much trouble.” He looked to his servant and nodded towards the edge of the plateau. With the pouch in hand, he turned to go and he followed the other Harbingers.

The cloaked man jerked Marlene off her feet and dragged her to the edge of the cliff. Crying and straining against his unyielding strength, she became more incensed. The Harbingers had won. Had she really failed? She had failed everyone – the Cetras, Ely, Belia - even Tifa?

Half of her didn’t care she was about to die, but another… really didn’t want to go. She wanted to fight – and keep fighting – now more than ever. For the dying Cetras, for Belia, wherever she was, and for Ely…

She fought against the man’s strength as he held her out over the ledge, preparing to throw her over. The view down made her feel sick alone. Brown shadowy rocks with crags and crevices that would break her body before she hit the ground below. Beneath it all, blackness. Blacker than night. The bowels of Jenova. She gulped, Gaia, I’m not ready…

She screamed. This time out of fear for her own life.

He let go.

She fell.

Description

FFVII
Ready To Go

Genre: Action/ Adventure/ Emotive themes
Setting: 3 years after DoC
Rating: M
Status: WIP
OCs: 25%
Disclaimer: All related Final Fantasy VII names and characters are copyrighted © by Square Enix. However, this story and the OCs are ALL mine. Thank you.

READY TO GO

“He’s breathing!” Shelke felt his chest, and relaxed back on her knees. “Heart’s beating.”

Cait moped at his brow with his hankerchief. “Thank all the Gods combined! That WRO training really has paid off. Quite thrilling to see it in action.”

Denzel wiped his wet eyes with the back of his jacket sleeve and nodded.

Deneh touched Cloud’s face with her nose. “I am glad.”

Cait peered at Cloud as yet still passed out. “But will he be friend or foe?”

“At least he’s alive,” Denzel mumbled, “If I have to die, I’d rather be killed by Cloud—”

“Very gallant of you, lad,” Cait sniffed, “but I doubt Cloud would feel the same…”

Cloud frowned at the unsettling conversation. He opened his eyes to see them crowding around him. His head pounded as he moved it and he groaned. The black Jenova muck was still present in the cave, but it was nowhere near as dense as it was moments ago. They also all looked beat up. Shelke had a wound on her arm and Deneh had one across her side, and Denzel had the remains of a horrid slash which was not present before. “What…” his voice was heavy, suddenly dreading what he was asking, “… happened?” Stiff and sore, he tried sitting up with Shelke and Denzel helping him.

“You really don’t know?” Shelke lit up her hand and covered her gash with healing magic.

Denzel shared an alarmed look with her. “Maybe we shouldn’t tell him?”

Too late, as Cloud stared at Denel’s injury, he remembered the last thing he saw. He had struck Denzel and was about to cut into him with a direct thrust. He wouldn’t have stood a chance. Groaning, he lowered his face into his hand. He would have killed them all. “I did…”

“We tried not to hurt you,” Shelke told him, as if she were the one who should apologize.

“That was a lot harder than you may think,” Cait stood with his arms folded in pride, “Takes more skill to not hurt someone, than to kill them, especially when they are trying to cut your head off.”

Cloud rubbed his head, trying to clear the fog from his memory, and it came back in blurry detail. But, he remembered, Denzel didn’t fight back, at all. “Denzel,” He drilled him with an irate stare, “You were going to let me kill you?”

Denzel shrugged. “I didn’t want to… I didn’t think I could really stop you anyway…”

Cloud shook his head with vexation, that wasn’t true. They had trained together, Denzel knew his techniques. “You doubt yourself…”

“No…I felt like a kid again, stuck in a hypnotic limbo,” Denzel hung his head and muttered, “like, the time I had the stigma all over again. I couldn’t do a thing…”

That, Cloud could understand. He gave a soft moan and looked at their tired faces, and beyond them, to the mog, flat out with a trail of red. Cloud must have done that, and inflicted all their wounds. He said, “How could I live with myself if I… I hurt you all.”

“It was most unexpected.” Cait jumped up with exhilaration, “It was the weirdest battle I’ve ever had the privilege of partaking in.” He waved towards his pet, “Don’t worry about him, he’ll get better.”

“You were not fighting as you usually would,” Shelke pressed her lips together, “Fortunately, otherwise, we might all be dead.”

Denzel shook his head with a grin. “I guess that’s encouraging.”

Cloud dropped his face in shame. “Nothing about this is encouraging… except…” he recalled Aeris’ words in the life-stream. What did she mean? He gazed around at the Jenova plague. The nausea was still present in his gut, and he could sense the taint, but something within had changed.

“You were ill,” Denzel explained, “you fell and then suddenly you got up and started attacking us. We didn’t know what happened… well, we were guessing what might have happened.”

Cloud lowered his eyes, remembering the deception. “It took over.”

“It’s the presence of this pollution.” Shelke examined the cavern. “It is as I thought, it is affecting our nervous system, and you are more susceptible than any of us.”

Deneh stood back and spoke. “It would seem the Jenova connected with what is inside of you and completely overtook your senses.”

Cloud nodded with surprise she would know so much about it.

“That must have happened to me too,” Denzel sighed.

“But, something stronger also connected with you.” Deneh’s brilliant amber eyes seemed to smile at him.

“Denzel?” Shelke said, “I see now.”

Denzel scratched his head sheepishly. “Maybe…”

Cloud put his hand on Denzel’s arm. “Denzel, but not only him.” Tifa was there in his head. Then Aeris within the life-stream.

“You think it will happen again?” Denzel asked him.

“Please, no!” Cait squealed, “I cannae do that again!”

“I don’t know.” Cloud gave a weary sigh and used Denzel’s arm to support himself up.
“We shall deal with it when it happens,” Shelke said matter-of-factly.

Denzel nodded at them. “Yep, after all, we’re in this together.”

Cloud gave them a lop-sided smile. Energy started pulsing through his veins and he stood on his own.

“Can you walk?” Denzel gripped his arm to steady him.

“Don’t know. But I’m going to try.” Cloud stood a moment to keep his balance, and soon discovered he felt revitalized. He could have started running if he needed to.

Deneh watched him with a frown. “We may need to rest.”

“No.” Cloud bent to retrieve his sword. “I don’t want to stay here. We need to get going.” She might be right, but Aeris’ urgency propelled him to press on.

Cait hoped from one foot to the other. “Your heart, man, it stopped! Can one just up and be off after being dead?!”

Cloud had to admit, they looked tired and beat up, but he was feeling like he had rested for hours. “Walk slowly if you need to.”

“Alright then,” Denzel said, “I know I don’t mind going, if you’re sure.”

Shelke looked towards Deneh, who walked to one of the exits. “We must be aware, there will be more of this Jenova as we go.”

Cait moaned. “As for me, I will attend to my attendant.” He skipped off to his mog.

“I’ll be ready.” Cloud unclicked his blades apart and put them in his halter.

“Yeah, me to,” Denzel said with more bravado than real confidence.

Deneh peered down the exit. “I have found a way. Once you feel rested enough and are able we shall depart.”

“I’m able,” Cloud replied, “Let’s go.”

~ 7 ~

On the plaza, the atmosphere was choked with black haze and streams of Jenova spiraled up into the air, making it difficult to breath. The taint was depressing and it invoked despair, and hopelessness. It was the same feeling Marlene had in the miasma.

Talana, struggling to stand, lurched to her knees, ashen faced, and weak. Even Branan fought for air, against the toxins filling his lungs. Finally he stumbled, moaning and holding his stomach. Other Cetras were vomiting and writhing in pain. Apart from the Harbingers, Marlene was the only one not affected in a physical sense. But, she could surely feel the abhorrent evil, and it sickened her in every way possible.

The man threw her down before the one in white. Tears on her face, she stood to face to one who had taken everything away from her. She wondered what she should do at this last moment of resistance, when everything was now lost. Ely’s blood was smeared over her white top, and she held tight to the pouch at her side. She muttered to herself, “Gaia, why?! Why this?”

The man ripped the pouch from her shoulder and glanced inside. Seeing the materia, he closed it with a satisfied gleam in his eyes. He said to the man in the cloak, “We’re done here. Let us move on.”

The Harbingers started moving away, back towards the further stairs where they must have come from.

The cloaked man looked out at the sick Cetras. “Shall we kill them?”

Weiss gave a non-chalant glance at the Cetras groveling on the plaza. “No, we shall see them all soon. Once they are free.” He studied Marlene with a cold eye. “Should I keep you?”

His servant replied, his voice muffled by the helm, “She could be bound to the materia. It would not be wise.”

Weiss said more to himself, “True, in any case it is too much trouble.” He looked to his servant and nodded towards the edge of the plateau. With the pouch in hand, he turned to go and he followed the other Harbingers.

The cloaked man jerked Marlene off her feet and dragged her to the edge of the cliff. Crying and straining against his unyielding strength, she became more incensed. The Harbingers had won. Had she really failed? She had failed everyone – the Cetras, Ely, Belia - even Tifa?

Half of her didn’t care she was about to die, but another… really didn’t want to go. She wanted to fight – and keep fighting – now more than ever. For the dying Cetras, for Belia, wherever she was, and for Ely…

She fought against the man’s strength as he held her out over the ledge, preparing to throw her over. The view down made her feel sick alone. Brown shadowy rocks with crags and crevices that would break her body before she hit the ground below. Beneath it all, blackness. Blacker than night. The bowels of Jenova. She gulped, Gaia, I’m not ready…

She screamed. This time out of fear for her own life.

He let go.

She fell.