Fanfiction Madness...01:36 Sep 14 2007
Times Read: 637
I decided to post the opening chapter of my Advent Children fanfiction. I realize that this may only appeal to Final Fantasy VII fans, but if people like it enough I'll post other chapters.
This chapter is tame in comparison to later chapters.
I welcome comments and constructive criticism. I hope you enjoy!
Homecoming
She went to her knee, hoping for a moment to catch her breath. She wasn’t sure how much longer she could go on with this battle. Head bowed, she scanned quickly above her, catching the glint of steel from above.
Lyra stood quickly and assumed a shaky defensive stance, using her katana to block the oncoming attack. Kadaj landed in front of her, almost knocking her over as his sword met hers. She took a step back and brought her sword down and around to try and strike his side. He blocked her and circled his blade around the hand guard. With a flick of his wrist, he sent her katana flying through the air behind her. It landed with a clang on the adobe tiles.
She began to step backwards, not wanting to break eye contact with him. Rain mixed with sweat dripped from her face. Wet strands of hair loosed from her ponytail hung from her forehead, dangling in front of her steel blue eyes. Her breath came in hungered, labored pangs. She knew he was toying with her.
She took a quick glance behind her, catching the location of the katana from the corner of her eye. Nearly panicked, she turned in an effort to get to it. Her strength failing and endurance spent, she slipped on the wet adobe tiles. She tried to pick herself up, but ended up half crawling, her feet sliding from underneath her in an effort to regain her footing and clawing at the tiles in front of her.
Kadaj increased the distance of his steps and caught up to her just as she reached the hilt. He stomped on her wrist, the hard sole of his boot grinding into her flesh. She looked up and was met by the twin blades of his sword. He reached down and grabbed her by the nape of her neck, hauling her roughly up in the air.
“So, you thought you could take me on yourself and save your precious Cloud.” He jeered. “Looks like you overestimated yourself.” He slammed her back down on her knees and moved behind her, gripping her neck tighter.
She thought he might strangle her, but instead felt a whoosh of air as Kadaj readied his sword. Then she felt the blades pierce the small of her back. She let out an anguished cry as the pain registered in her brain. He jerked her head back. She could feel his breath in her ear.
“I’m not going to kill you, little sister, although you do deserve it. But, I will leave you with a reminder,” he drew the blades up her back, shredding her clothing and cutting the flesh on either side of her spine all the way up to her shoulder blades. She let out a blood curdling scream and felt the warmth of blood spreading down her back and sides.
“Know this, little sister. When he returns, your death will be slow and your pain a thousand times greater.” Kadaj hissed.
“Kadaj!” yelled a familiar voice.
He looked up and slightly behind him, his green eyes glowing with anger. Cloud was perched on the edge of the rooftop above, staring down.
“Let her go, Kadaj!” Cloud yelled as he jumped down toward him.
Kadaj threw Lyra to the side and leaped out of the way as Cloud jumped from the roof. Lyra’s torn and bloody body lay sprawled in a prone position. Cloud landed beside her, sinking to one knee. With his free hand, her touched her head and gently moved her hair away from her face. She was unconscious and bleeding profusely, but alive. He looked over to Kadaj, perched on the edge of the roof.
Kadaj flipped his sword with the honed edge up and pulled it in across his chest. He swiped blood from the blade and drew his finger to his mouth. His tongue slowly and purposefully licked the blood from his glove as if to savor it. Cloud couldn’t help but cringe inside.
“So sweet,” Kadaj whispered. He rose to a standing position, a smirk crossing his lips. “But it will be sweeter still when she dies!” He stepped off the edge, letting himself fall to the street below. He sank to one knee, cushioning the landing, and rose gracefully. He looked up to see Cloud peering over the edge as he strode to his waiting bike. As he mounted and sheathed his sword, he looked up again and said, “It won’t be long, big brother. You should see to our sister.” He revved the engine and in a flash he was gone.
Cloud ran back to Lyra’s side. She was softly moaning in an effort to regain consciousness. She tried to lift her head, but didn’t have the strength. Cloud reached for her hand. He spied her katana lying beside her and reached over to retrieve it.
“It’s going to be alright, Lyra.” He said, trying to comfort her. “I’ve got to get you out of here.”
He sheathed both of their swords and gingerly turned her over, trying not to cause more pain as he lifted her into his arms and stood up. He thought about jumping to the street but decided against it. As he turned around, he saw an access door. He walked over to it, and without missing a stride, kicked it open.
He carried Lyra down the stairs as fast and lightly as he could. At the street, he paused momentarily to gain his bearings. The town had changed very little, but it had changed. Once he was sure of where they were, he headed of in the direction of Tifa’s bar. Around the corner, he spied a motorbike parked on the street. His adrenaline was starting to come down and he realized he was exhausted. It would be a long walk carrying Lyra and he wasn’t sure how serious her wounds were. In a split second decision, he was mounting the bike, placing Lyra in front of him so he could hold her. This wasn’t exactly how he planned on returning to Edge.
“I’m taking you to Tifa,” he whispered in Lyra’s ear.
It had been a while. How long has it been? He wasn’t sure. Time seemed like a blur to him. It was all so surreal that he didn’t think Tifa would even believe it. He wished he didn’t believe it.
It was a short ride to 7th Heaven, but long enough for Cloud’s vest to become soaked in Lyra’s blood. The bar wouldn’t be open yet, but the delivery doors would be unlocked. Cloud pulled around to the back of the building and parked right outside the door. He lifted Lyra off the bike and into his arms. She let out a slight yelp of pain as he shifted her to open the door. He glanced at her face and noticed tears welling in her eyes. He crossed the threshold and kicked the door closed with his heel.
Marlene was at the kitchen sink finishing the last of the dishes. Cloud’s sudden entry surprised and scared her, making her about jump out her skin. Without thinking about it, she grabbed a large butcher knife from the counter, ready to defend herself. She gasped loudly and dropped the knife when she saw him.
“Cloud?” she asked. She wondered if her eyes were deceiving her.
He readjusted Lyra in his arms, getting a better hold of her limp body and said nothing. Quickly he walked through the kitchen area toward the bar room.
Tifa was behind the bar getting things set up for the nights business when she heard the door slam. She quickly checked the time on the clock behind her. Damn, that boy must’ve been moving!
“That was quick, Denzel! I’m glad you’re back. There’s a last minute delivery in the…”
Cloud burst through the double swinging doors before she could finish and stopped a few paces past. Marlene followed closely behind, tears welling in her eyes. Tifa’s mouth opened wide and she stared at the sight before her. Blood covered his clothing and dripped steadily onto the wood floor, a seemingly lifeless body hung in his arms.
Caught by surprise, Tifa was speechless. Cloud was the last person she expected to see walk through the doors, especially after all this time. Yet, here he was and it was obvious that he carried trouble right in with him. She managed to keep herself together in spite of her shock and disbelief.
“Cloud? Oh my god! Are you all right?” Tifa ran out from behind the bar. She gave Cloud a quick once over and switched her gaze to the semi-conscious girl he was holding. She realized that the blood was coming from her back.
“Please, Tifa. Help us.” Cloud pleaded. Marlene moved next to him. Her hand reached out to touch Lyra’s head. She looked plaintively at Tifa.
“Take her into the spare room upstairs. I’ll get the med kit. Marlene, go get some clean towels.”
Cloud made his way up the stairs and into the room. He place Lyra on the bed as carefully as he could and gently turned her on her stomach. He knelt down beside the bed and held her hand. He stroked her hair and moved it out of her face. She opened her eyes and looked up at him. He gave her hand a squeeze in acknowledgment.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I had to.”
“You’re going to be all right. Be sorry later.” He caressed her hand.
Tifa came in with the med kit which she placed on the nightstand and Marlene followed carrying several clean towels placing them carefully beside Lyra on the bed. As Tifa gently cut off the ripped clothing, she got her first full view of the damage in front of her. Her countenance turned to concern. Marlene ran to the bathroom and returned with a basin of water. Tifa motioned for her to put it on the nightstand.
Carefully, she assessed Lyra’s wounds. Two long, deep lacerations ran up either side of her spine, exposing muscle and bone. The cuts were clean and close to the vertebrae. Tifa prayed there wasn’t any nerve damage. She picked up one of the towels and began cleaning the wounds and trying to staunch the bleeding. Lyra stirred a bit and a low moan escaped from her mouth. Cloud comforted her as best he could and whispered to her to hold still. From the med kit, Tifa pulled out a tube of wound sealant and a small vial of blue liquid, which she handed to Cloud.
“Have her drink this. It’ll help with the pain.” She instructed him. Cloud removed the stopper and put the vial to Lyra’s lips. He tipped it up and helped her drink. A few minutes later she closed her eyes and drifted to sleep.
Tifa applied the sealant to the lacerations as she cleaned them. She worked quickly and quietly. Cloud admired her efficiency and level-headedness. He felt Marlene standing behind him.
“I don’t have anything for sutures,” Tifa said as she continued. “It looks like the sealant is working, but she’ll have scars. She’ll need to rest for a few days.” She finished and dressed the wounds lightly with gauze bandages. She took the basin of bloodied water to the bathroom sink, rinsed it out, and refilled it with fresh, clean water.
She wet a towel, wrung it out, and started cleaning the dried blood from Lyra’s back and side. Cloud went to the basin and did the same, cleaning the opposite side. Tifa was being extremely gentle, almost motherly, but Cloud could tell that she was annoyed. When they finished, Cloud rinsed the basin while Tifa put the med kit back together and gathered the bloodied towels. She headed out the door and down the stairs without a word.
He checked over Lyra again, stroking her hair as his eyes went up and down the bandages. Marlene came to his side and gently touched his arm.
“You look like you could use a shower. I’ll bring you some fresh clothes, too. Just put those outside the door and I’ll see they get cleaned.” He turned his head to look at her. Sweet Marlene, always the caretaker just like Tifa. He nodded in agreement and patted Marlene’s hand.
The warm water soothed his aching muscles. He watched as dirt and blood were washed down the drain. He put his back against the wall and let himself sink down to the floor. He sat under the running water, becoming lost in his thoughts. Time flashed through his head as if in fast forward; finding himself on the ground and being surrounded by shadows, pain, Lyra’s face, swimming, floating, weightlessness. He snapped back to the present with Kadaj standing over Lyra. He felt a chill go up and down his spine.
He got up, turned off the water, and grabbed a towel. When he finished drying himself, he wrapped the towel around his waist and opened the door. Outside was a stack of neatly folded, clean clothes just as Marlene had promised. He picked them up and went back inside, emerging from the bathroom completely clean and freshly dressed.
Marlene was sitting beside Lyra, her nose stuck in a book. She looked up and gave Cloud a smile as he walked in. “I can stay with her until the bar opens if you want me to, Cloud.” He nodded to her, and headed downstairs.
Tifa was busy prepping a sink of soapy water to soak the towels. She heard Cloud, but didn’t look up as he stopped beside her. For a few minutes, the two of them stood in silence, neither really knowing what to say.
“Thank you, Tifa.” Cloud said, breaking the uncomfortable silence.
Tifa stopped pushing the towels down in the water and clutched the sides of the sink. She hanged her head down, shaking it slightly. There were so many questions swirling in her brain that she didn’t know where to start.
“I would’ve taken her to Healin, but you were closer.”
There was another uncomfortable silence. Tifa stared into the sink of bloody water. Cloud looked at the floor. He wanted to reach out for her, to hold her and feel her in his arms, but Tifa broke her silence and he stopped himself.
“I don’t even know where to begin. It’s been so long, Cloud.” Tifa asked, still looking at the bloody water.
“How long?”
“What?” Tifa asked. She wasn’t sure she heard him correctly.
“How long has it been, Tifa?”
She could tell by the look on his face that he wasn’t joking. He really didn’t know how long he’d been gone. All of the anger she felt disappeared, only to be replaced by worry. She wondered what else he’d lost.
“It’s been ten months, Cloud. Ten long months.”
He could hardly believe what he heard. Ten months of his life had gone by in a blur. He felt lightheaded and weak in the knees. He grabbed the counter beside him and squatted down with his head between his arms. He felt Tifa’s hand on his shoulder.
“Come on,” she coaxed, leading him to a table in the barroom. She pulled out a chair and helped him sit. “I’ll get you a drink.”
She went behind the bar and got a couple of bottles of ale from the icebox. She opened the bottles and gave one to Cloud. She took a drink of hers as she sat at the table across from him. Cloud took a drink in silence as Tifa watched him.
“We thought you’d run off again,” Tifa started. “We went looking for you after you didn’t come back that night. Me, Barrett, Cid, and Yuffie spent so much time looking for any signs of you or where you might have gone. After a couple of months, we figured you were gone forever.”
She paused as if reliving it all over again. She brushed her hand through her hair as she continued. “Denzel kept the delivery business going and started taking the southern routes, even though I really didn’t want him to. He was the one who found your bike and your sword. We all thought you were dead, attacked by monsters or ambushed by hijackers.”
Cloud took a drink of his ale and said, “Ambushed by hijackers isn’t that far off. I think ShinRa and his merry band of Turks comes close.”
Tifa gave him a confused look but urged him to continue. She thought she’d reached a point in her life where nothing surprised her anymore. From the moment he walked back in the door, there had been nothing but surprises.
COMMENTS
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Angelus
23:51 Apr 29 2008
..'teaser' is right!