Friday, May 28, 2004

Sorry to keep you all waiting for so long...here it is, Chapter Five of my fanfic...
(Okay, so I've taken a really long time to post the next episode of my fanfic. Better late than never. You can go back to my archives if you've forgotten what's going on. One small alteration...Josie, I got tired of typing out 'Dark Sephiroth all the time, so I just made your name Josie, if you don't mind.)

A gunshot sounded throughout the room, puncturing the stillness abruptly, and the girls closed their eyes in a vain attempt to shut out the inevitable. Another gunshot was sounded, this time followed by the sound of a body falling to the floor.

Eventually, Josie’s eyes eased open slightly and found that her hands were splattered with dark blood. She rolled over onto her side and found herself staring at Choco Billy. One of his eyes was all but gone, while the other was looking at her with that strangely glazed expression. Dark blood oozed from the deep gash on his cheek and down his stubbly chin, while his mouth still retained that sinister smile.

“Oh my god!” she screamed, leaping to her feet.

“Josie!” Tifa called out to her from across the room. “What’s wrong?”

At that moment the door of the house came crashing down, startling the two girls in the process. Two sweaty blondes stood in the doorway: Cloud and Tidus, both of whom were armed with their swords.

“Are you guys okay?” Cloud inquired concernedly, rushing to Tifa’s side to free her from the rafter.

“We’re fine…but Choco Billy…he’s…” Josie explained, pointing a shaky finger at the dead body of Choco Billy that was lying on the floor. “There was a gunshot and…I thought I was gonna die…but then he…”

“Calm down, it’s okay now,” Tidus said, trying his best to remain calm. “Let’s just get out of here, and we’ll talk about it later.”

“I couldn’t agree more,” Cloud stated.

“Now that you guys have that sorted out…” Darksoul called out to them from outside. “Do you mind giving us a hand with these bandits? There’s too many of them!”

In the stable, Wing was awake and was now busy preparing the Chocobos for their departure. In the distance, he could hear the battle against the bandits happening in the distance. Ignore the sores on his hands from the numerous times that the Chocobos pecked him, he continued slipping the muzzles and reins onto the large yellow birds.

One of the Chocobos in the furthest pen in the stable suddenly began screeching and flapping its wings wildly and kicking at the door, making the other birds apprehensive. The door to the pen was flung open, and the frantic Chocobo dashed out of the stable frantically, almost colliding into Wing on the way out.

Masamune in hand, Wing approached the far end of the stable warily.

“Who’s there?” he called out to no one in particular.

Rasping laughter echoed throughout the barn, and a voice spoke.

“It’s only me. Don’t you remember?” the voice inquired of him.

“What?” Wing asked. “Show yourself!”

“All right then, if that’s what you want…”

The figure leapt form the attic of the barn and landed neatly on its feet on the ground, hunched over so that the shadows formed by its red cloak and long, dark hair would mask its identity.

“Who are you?” Wing asked warily.

The figure rose to its feet slowly: an exact likeness to Vincent Valentine.

“In terms of outer appearance, I am what you see,” the figure said, almost too calmly. “Otherwise, you know who I am. By your words, I am ‘the devil himself’. Remember me now?”

“You’re…Malkav?” Wing said, lowering his sword unsurely.

“Who else?” Malkav stated sarcastically. “I had to create a diversion to talk to you alone. Choco Billy was old, and had the easiest mind to corrupt. Apologize to Tifa and the others on my behalf.”

“…What did you come her to tell me, anyway?”

“Zero is here, too…but they took him.”

Wing looked up, his eyes glowing with sudden interest. “Terra Zero…? Who took him?”

“I don’t know, goddammit!” Malkav yelled irately. “A group of about twenty of them ambushed us not too far from the Midgar ruins, near the coast. I lynched a couple of the fuckers, but I couldn’t save him. There were too many.”

“Who were they? Theives?”

“No. They were more professional, with uniforms and high-tech weaponry. I barely escaped with my life,” Malkav explained, pointing out numerous gashes and bullet wounds on his upper arm, which had almost completely healed.

“Did they kill him?” Wing asked, almost reluctant to hear the response.

“They came close, but their leader stopped them. They loaded him into some kind of hovercraft and took off. Now they’re tailing you. You all better get the hell out of here, before any more blood is shed.”

“Since when is the Deus Ex Maccus afraid of a little bloodshed?” Wing asked, feigning surprise.

“Afraid?” Malkav queried, his blood-red eyes glaring at Wing piercingly. “I know what they are capable of, and I know that you and your buddies won't stand a hell of a chance against them.”

“Whatever you say…” Wing said, shrugging.

“Wing? Who are you talking to?” Sakura called out to him.

Wing glanced toward the doorway of the stable, where Tidus and Sakura were staring at him curiously.

“I was just talking to…”

His voice trailed off and he looked around at the spot where Malkav once stood, which was now vacant.

“…No one,” he finished awkwardly. “I have a feeling that we should get going as soon as possible.”

“I agree,” Tidus stated. “Are the Chocobos ready?”

“Yeah, about that…one of them got away,” Wing explained.

“No problem. We’ll just have to do without it. Let’s go.”

Outside, Cloud, Tifa, Josie, Darksoul, Ryudo and Sakura were fiercely battling the group of bandits, which had been reduced from twenty to about ten men in a matter of minutes with the aid of Sakura’s Clow Cards.

“Where the hell do all these thieves come from?” Josie asked wearily. ‘Man, I’m beat.”

“Me too!” Darksoul yelled from across the battlefield. “This sword is too heavy! What’s taking Tidus and the others so long anyway?”

“I don’t know…” Tifa said. “I’m not too tired yet, but…I can’t kick in a skirt like this…”

“Of course you can, Tif,” Cloud explained. “ We all know that you wear underwear already, so it makes no difference whether you hide it or not!”

“And that’s supposed to be reassuring?” Tifa asked, smiling faintly.

Cloud grinned at her wickedly. “Nope, I guess not…”

A thumping sound, like that of hooves pounding on the grassy fields, alerted the group. They spun around in time to see Tidus and Wing, both of whom were riding Chocobos, and were steering them with ease. Following closely behind them was a small group of Chocobos, all with muzzles and reins on. Seeing this, the group of bandits fled to avoid being trampled by the vivacious birds.

Tidus grabbed Josie by the waist and hoisted her onto the Chocobo he was riding.

“Wow, you’re really good at this,” Josie said, still out of breath from the previous battle.

“They don’t call me Chocobo Gene for nothing!” Tidus said with a smirk.

Cloud grabbed one of the other Chocobos’ reins and jumped on, helping Tifa up as well. Wing helped Darksoul onto his Chocobo, and Ryudo and Sakura struggled to mount the other Chocobo, which had begun kicking and flapping its wings wildly.

“Where are we headed to from here?” Ryudo asked, when they were some distance from the farm.

“I would have told you, if I knew anything about this freaking world!” Sakura said irritably.

“Don’t worry, I have no clue where we are either!” Darksoul stated.

“I think we should head for the Promised Land,” Tifa stated abruptly.

“Why so hasty all of a sudden, Tif?” Cloud asked.

“…No reason,” she lied. “It’s just that…I have a feeling that we’ll find the answers there.”

“Well, wherever we’re going, we have to leave here now,” Wing said impatiently, remembering what Malkav told him.

“I agree,” Tidus said, nodding his head slightly. “But first, let’s find somewhere we can get something to eat. I’m starving.”

By yanking on the Chocobos’ reins lightly, the large birds they were riding broke off into a run in the direction of the marshes, a cloud of dirt and dust marking their trail.



(That's all for now. Watch out for chapter six sometime soon...)


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