Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction / Fan Fiction ❯ Final Fantasy Endgame Part 1 The Shadow Empire ❯ CIRIUSEIN ( Chapter 3 )

CHAPTER 3 CIRIUSEIN

(BLACK WORDS SAYING "CHAPTER 3 CIRIUSEIN" APPEARS ON THE WHITE BLANK SCREEN IN THE CENTER. THE WORDS EXPLODES INTO DUST AS THE SCENE SWITCHES TO BESAID WITH SKISE, CLOUD, AND LAKEYNA ON THE BED RESTING.)

Tidus walks in the hut seeing the three, he looks at them knowing that their entire hometown is gone too. There is no one to share past memories of growing up with good or bad ones. He then stands up and walks out but Cid and Vincent appear in front of him as he comes out.

"We are leaving on my Highwind to Ciriusein, if you want to follow then do so," Cid said

"Alright, lets go together, we mustn't delay any longer," Tidus said shaking hands with Cid.

"If you are going, then we put the three on your ship and I will return to my continent halfway for support," Cid said.

"Why?" Cloud asks.

"Reinforcements," Cid said giving a thumb up.

(SCENE BLACKENS AND FADE IN WITH TIDUS PUTTING CLOUD DOWN ON A BED, WAKKA PUTTING SKISE ON THE BED, AND VINCENT PUTTING LAKEYNA ON THE LAST BED)

"Thanks," Tidus said to Vincent.

"Just doing what is right," Vincent said going downstairs and out the room.

"What's his problem," Tidus said walking downstairs with Wakka.

"What I really hate, not counting the Al Bhed, is foreigners, you know" Wakka said.

"You should get to know them better because you got to know the Al Bheds and you seems to be with friendly terms with them," Tidus said as they sit at the bar.

"It's because Rikku is Al Bhed and Yuna is half Al Bhed so I guess I give it a shot to know them, but I never forgive them for the machina," Wakka said ordering a drink.

"Is it alright for you to drink, what about Lulu," Tidus said.

"I need to relax, taking care of a baby requires important decisions and time to think, ya, I guess this journey will give me more time to think about the baby future and our family," Wakka said.

"Yeah, family," Tidus said going in his own world.

"Every time I see you, I keep thinking that you might leave us, you know. I mean I don't you to leave but," Wakka said trying to stir things up.

"It must had been hard for Yuna for me to go like that," Tidus said remembering that day.

"Don't think like that, the good thing is that you are back," Wakka said patting Tidus on back to make sure he isn't a ghost.

"You're right Wakka," Tidus said

Tidus walks around for a little bit and finally heads to the bridge. He passes the doors and leans on the railing seeing the Gullwings. Buddy at the navigational controls, Rikku at the other side, Brother in the middle, and Shinra at he computer system. Yuna is it he center of the bridge looking out, and Paine is on the far right standing near Shinra.

"We are about to reach mountains," Buddy said.

"Yuna how is my speech doing, is it doing much better," Brother said.

"You are talking much better, you are improving every time I talk to you brother," Yuna said smiling.

"Oh, thank you," Brother said jumping out of his seat to talk more to Yuna.

"It's nothing really, just keep trying and you will be the best," Yuna said embarrass.

"But don't try too hard or you will overwork yourself," Tidus said.

"Yes sir," Brother said getting back to his seat and Yuna turning around.

"We have arrive at the mountains," Buddy said turning to Yuna.

"Alright," Yuna said still looking at Tidus, "it won't take long."

(SCENE CHANGES BLACK WITH WHITE WORDS SAYING "ONE HOUR LATER". SCENE THEN FADES IN THE CABIN VIEWING THE THREE)

Lakeyna eyes slowly open and stares at the ceiling seeing the cloudless blue sky. She then open them all the way looking around and sit up rubbing her stomach. She turns her head to the left seeing Skise knock out on the other bed acting innocent. Minutes have pass and she finally gets up walking to Skise bed on the left and looks down to him

"You had the power and did nothing, I'll never forgive you for what happened," Lakeyna said as she falls to her knees crying and putting her head on the bed. She lift up her head and stop crying, "why…why did you leave me alone all of my lift. We were setting up a surprise party for your return but the Shadow Empire came. Everyone believes that you will come and beat them all but you came back and did nothing. Not a single thing, you didn't even wonder around, you just stand there. Even when you had the power to save the ones trap under the burning building."

"There are some times in life that we feel powerless because the ones we cared died. With the only thing to live for and become strong to protect dies, then nothing else matters," Cloud said leaning o the rail.

"What do you know?" Lakeyna said standing up looking at Cloud.

"Skise had the power and we both knows he does, but what good is it when the people you cared died. Especially when you had the power to stop it but couldn't or it was too late. If you saw Skise the whole entire time at the city, then why didn't' you say help in the firs place," Cloud said looking down to the bar.

Lakeyna suddenly lost the anger in her eyes and turn her head to look down to Skise.

"But, I was too weak to save that person I cared for. So weak that somebody else was controlling my body. At that point I want to be stronger so no one else dies within my reach. It is up to you if you want to get revenge on someone that would sacrifice his life for yours," Cloud said walking down the stairs and whisper, "that's the last time I'm saying something like that or remember that day."

Tidus sees Cloud coming down the stairs and they meet each other in front of the bar. They nod to each other and left the cabin going outside on the deck of the ship. Tidus sits down and leans back on his arms and Cloud stands up looking forward seeing the dark clouds coming closer.

"Do you have any clues on what we are fighting against?" Tidus asks Cloud looking to him.

"Not quite, but I know there are several types of soldiers that the Empire haves," Cloud said as Tidus continues to look at the dark clouds.

"How do you know there are more then one type?" Tidus asks again.

"What we fought at Luca are called the Shadow Guards soldiers, weak pawns for the Empire. The one Skise is fighting at the beach is called Shadow Soldier, real soldiers from the Empire. There is also Shadow Robots that I fought back on my continent and I bet there is more then these three," Cloud said.

"It just seems that someone is playing with us," Tidus said standing up.

"I think you are right but there are still questions that need to be answered by two people," Cloud said leaving.

"That long silver hair guy Sephiroth and that mysterious Skise," Tidus said watching Cloud leave.

SEVERAL HOURS LATER

Skise is on the railing squatting down and looking around with the view of the dark clouds above him. He falls forward and flip, landing on the ground on his feet.

"Show off as ever," a female said.

"How would you know," Skise said looking at Lakeyna.

(SCENE BLACKENS AND FADE IN OUTSIDE ON THE DECK OF THE SHIP)

"Thank you… thank you for saving my life last night," Lakeyna said sitting down with her arms around her knees.

"Didn't want you to die so young and too soon in life," Skise said lying down couple yards away, facing the other direction.

"Your friends cared for me when they knew I was their enemy," Lakeyna said turning her head to the left.

"We're not friends, I needed a place to eat and they took me in unconscious. I am a prisoner or Intel on the enemy," Skise said looking at the dark clouds moving like they are alive.

"They are going to Ciriusein to beat the Shozar, why didn't' you tell them who they really are?" Lakeyna said turning around.

"Shozar, Shadow Empire. It's the same thing," Skise said closing his eyes.

"We are Shozar's too," Lakeyna said quietly.

"I'm a Cirius, not a Shozar," Skise said harsh.

"You cant' deny your ancestors."

"Our ancestors ran away from the Shozar because of the Shadow Empire to live in peace and freedom," Skise said still harsh of the topic.

"But we still have Shozar blood so the people of the Shozar Empire is us too."

"The Shadow Empire has nothing to do with it, our ancestors left because the Shozar Empire became obsess with greed and power. It been centuries since our ancestors left, so our blood is pure and we are now called Cirius."

"They came to the city because we still have Shozar blood and want us back to the Empire."

"They came to the city because we were in the way of their conquest for some other unknown reason," Skise said more harsh.

"You still hotheaded just like before."

"Are you going to take revenge on me now?"

"No, know that I am the cause of the city death."

"Don't say that, you were frighten and scared, not knowing what to do. You couldn't do anything, you felt helpless and useless. You know, I just want all of this to end so I can move on and be a Cirius."

"You still have Shozar blood in you remember that," Lakeyna said lying down.

HISTORY OF THE SHOZARS

Shozar are the people of Ciriusein that have it's own Empire, ruling the continents. After the space object fell in the heart of the Empire, they soon grew ruthless and cruel. The Shozars, that is pure and hadn't converted to the Shadows, escape and start their own cities of life calling them Cirius. The Shozar Empire quickly becomes the Shadow Empire with one goal, world domination.

The Empire begins to build new technology to dominate Ciriusein and its entire island. The Shadows and Cirius are in continuous battle but the Shadows easily over run them like ants. Cirius then begin to create technology to manipulate anyone's DNA and they mostly test on babies. These babies are referred as pure breed or pure blood Cirius nicknaming them Shozons.

Only the ones that created Shozons knew about them besides the Shozons themselves. But a spy got in and leak information about the process and the Shadows easily destroy the lab, which only a few live and two brothers. Nobody knows about the Shozons so it soon came and pass like the wind and the Shadows rule the whole continent. Teego is the only city left which haves a generator keeping the dark clouds away. Somebody sabotage it and the dark clouds soon covered the city and destroyed it completely.

Skise ancestor is one of Shozar that instead of converting to the Shadows they left the Empire to become Cirius. They soon trying to find a way to beat the Shadows and generation after generation they finally develop something to manipulate DNA. They first test their project on adults which haves a side effect of high spirit energy that can be use as a weapon.

Skise parents were the head of the Shozon Project and they use him and his brother as the last two subjects. Since they were the last two, they were developing with the latest technology and recent enhancement making them key Shozons. Skise and Skine are the two known Shozon's so far. Right after they complete the process the Shadows invaded the lab and destroyed it and the escapes with one of the first adult testers.

They are then raise together in the city called Teego closes city to the lab, about several hundred miles. The two brothers were orphans living in a house with a middle age lady in three years. When they are four Skine went out adventuring like always but he was captured by the Shadows. He then volunteered to be a Shadow and by his Shozons' abilities he easily went up the ranks.

When the news of Skine kidnapping, Skise suddenly went independent, he was all by him self and picks fights with other kid. Lakeyna, the only female companion that travels with them sometimes, tries to get close but Skise always push everyone away. At four and a half, he travels up the mountains to an ancient shrine with a 50-year-old guy who was the one that help the two escape the lab. The old guy agrees to train Skise on how to use his Shozons abilities without telling him how he can use it.

(SCENE BLACKENS AND FADE IN TO THE BRIDGE WITH RED LIGHTS)

"Incoming!" Buddy said and the ship shakes abruptly.

"I can't shake them," Brother said.

"Is it the armada from Luca?" Tidus said to them.

"No, it came from Ciriusein!" Buddy yells over the sirens.

"Why didn't we pick them up earlier?" Tidus finally asks them.

"They using some kind of stealth technology, I never knew they were there until they fired," Buddy said

"How many ships?"

"Only three," Buddy said working on the system.

"Cid went back already, so we are on our own," Tidus said thinking of a plan.

"On coming lasers! Brace yourselves!" Buddy yells as the ship suddenly shake violently causing some panels to explode.

ON DECK

"The Shadows defensive armada is attacking," Lakeyna said to Skise.

"Oh really, I just I was asleep when the ships is shaking a lot," Skise said standing up facing the three massive defense ships.

IN THE BRIDGE

"Brother, get as close you can get us, Vincent and I will jump on board," Cloud yells and runs toward the elevator to the deck.

"Are you crazy!" Buddy yells back.

"I'm going for it!" Brother yells excitingly.

"I'll go too," Tidus said following Cloud.

"Oh man, this can't be happening now," Wakka said chasing Tidus.

"Why don't we have any weapons?" Buddy asks Brother.

"Shinra spend it all of the money on his stupid inventions," Brother said winning.

"They are not stupid, it will prove valuable to us in the future," Shinra said.

BACK ON DECK

The four reaches the two, who is standing at the front edge of the ship near the bird. Lakeyna steps back as Skise holds up his right arm above him with white visible energy swirling around him. He then focuses as the energy gathers in his hand becoming a ball. He then points it toward the middle ship and it instantly burst out, firing an energy blast hitting the ship. The blast slowly melts through the massive tough armor and destroys it from within.

The middle ship explodes with two blasts hitting the last two ships, also melting its armor. The blast easily gets inside and both ships' explodes simultaneously. The Celsius starts to ascend, trying to dodge the three explosions but it hit the bottom making the ship shake continuously. Skise drops his arm and collapse to his right knee and his left hand holding him up.

"Whoa, uh, how…I mean, how did you do that, ya?" Wakka said in amazement.

"(There is something that he is not telling us),"" Tidus thought to himself.

"My master taught me it, it's called the Art of Shozon," Skise barely said out loud.

"What the hell is Shozon, (it maybe has something to do with the Shadow Empire)" Cloud said.

"Shozon is the term that my master said for high strength and spiritual energy, it's the power that I was taught. This was the reward for 15 years of training and the destruction of my home," Skise said wiping the sweat off of his forehead.

"Don't worry Skise, we will get them for all who died that day," Lakeyna said.

"You used that Shozon technique that night," Cloud said.

"No, it's a reaction of pure and negative Shozon energy, which reflects the soul of the person," Skise said barely standing up.

"Let's go back inside, there isn't anything to do right now," Vincent said.

(SCENE BLACKENS AND FADE IN VIEWING THE DISSOLUTE CONTINENT CIRIUSEIN. IT IS MOSTLY PITCH BLACK UNDER THE LIVING DARK CLOUDS. THE SCENE THEN MOVES TO A DESTROYED CITY ON THE COAST WITH THE CELSIUS ON THE GROUND NEAR IT.)

Skise walks through a giant city size ruins with nothing taller then one story-building cut in half. Lakeyna is slowly following Skise also looking at the ruins until she sees the place where she was trap. She looks toward Skise and sees him bending down at a collapse building where him and his brother use to live.

Skise then stands up as lightning strikes the ground around the city and the ground slowly change black. He steps back as new Shadow soldiers are coming up all over the city and outside the city. Skise and Lakeyna stand together looking at the things coming up and recognize that they are from the dead. These Shadow soldiers are called Shadow Zombies, the soldiers of the dead.

"The Shadow are using the dead of our people as soldiers for the Empire," Lakeyna said in disbelief.

"What are these?" Rikku said about half of kilometer away from the two.

"They seems to be zombies," Paine tells Rikku.

"Look, Skise and Lakeyna is surrounded by them without weapons," Yuna said pointing at the two.

"I bet you want to help them," Paine said turning to Yuna.

"No, they are fine, you should worried about yourselves," Tidus said.

"You gotta at least stay alive to help, you know," Wakka said.

"Are you going to fight with the blitz ball again," Tidus said to Wakka.

"You bet," Wakka said laughing.

The five is also surrounded by the Shadow Zombies, who are walking to them. Then Yuna begins to fire her guns at the zombies and the other four left her side for close combat. The zombies are coming up from the ground quicker then they are getting killed. Cloud appears on the cliff, he then swings his buster sword to the right slicing the zombie, without looking.

He then swings his sword around him and thrust it behind for his left side and then moves it by swinging it and it throws zombie down the cliff. In his left hand is Skise's Murowsumasane sword, he then looks around seeing Skise and Lakeyna surrounded but the zombies are not moving.

"Skise!" Cloud yells at Skise, tossing the sword shed toward Skise who grabs the handle when it reaches him.

"Sorry my people, I will always remember the good times," Skise said putting the shed on his left side hip and holding the handle.

Cloud runs off the cliff, jumping up and do two flips as he takes out his sword while he is upside down on the second flip. He then flips back up and haves his blade pointing down and slicing through a zombie below as he lands. Cloud stands up taking his sword out of the ground with loose dirt following back to the ground.

Vincent appears with his cape flying around by the strong wind blowing with flashes of lightning striking around. He then brings his arms from behind revealing a duel barrel shotgun automatic. He runs in real time going to a group of zombies that is just standing there. He dives in bullet time and once he lands on his upper back rolling, bullet time stops. He then holds up his shotguns and begin firing in two different directions in bullet time.

Real time resumes as he jumps up and land in the middle of another group of zombies and aims at them in bullet time. He begins firing his shotguns, killing each and every one of the things in slow motion. He then put the two shotguns behind his back and then gets two automatics from the holsters on his leg.

Tidus is on the other side, slashing zombies after zombies with the most killed record right now. He chains each attack, so that each time he swings his sword it will slice something undead. About half of a kilometer away is Skise, who is still holding his handle and turning around in one spot guarding Lakeyna.

"Why aren't you attacking?" Lakeyna asks Skise.

"Waste too much energy on those ships back there and I won't do nothing unless they attack first," Skise said sweating.

"Can you still fight?" Lakeyna asks Skise again.

"Only to defend you," Skise said with his hand sweating while holding the handle.

"I can defend myself," Lakeyna whisper in his ear.

"You sure had grown up," he said to her.

"Just in case you need a sparring partner."

"Even if I use my power it won't be enough to destroy all of them."

"How many are there?" she asks.

"I don't know, if it wasn't pitch black I will tell you," he said turning his head to her.

"Only if I had my Katanas."

"…damn they going offensive," Skise said as their eyes glow red.

The zombies around the tow now close the gap to reach the two who is standing still. As a zombie reaches out, Skise pulls out his sword cutting off the arm and body in half. Tidus and the three that was doing close combat are now dodging the zombies' attack because they are getting tired.

"Now they are attacking," Rikku said.

"If this continue much longer we won't have the strength to even stand up," Paine yells out.

"It's too dark to see when they are attacking," Rikku complains.

"We got to do our best, no matter what, for Luca," Yuna said firing until she hears clicking noise from her guns.

Yuna drops her arms and looking at the Zombies that are coming toward her. Tidus sees Yuna corner by dozens of zombies and tries to go to her but too many Zombies hold him back. Suddenly Cloud appears defending Yuna with Vincent shooting the rest that Cloud miss. Yuna is amaze on how much they can go until they finally drop.

"Thanks," Yuna said as Vincent gives her ammo.

"No problem, we're a team," Cloud wink to Yuna.

"Yeah," Yuna said nodding her head and loads her gun.

Cloud runs through the zombies and disappear that leads to the rest of the team. Vincent and Yuna is now back-to-back shooting at the zombies, going around in circles. Suddenly Vincent starts to glow and realize that he finally obtain his limit breaker. He smiles as his body begins to change into his powerful self "Chaos".

Cloud and Tidus appear to be fighting side by side until two new zombies appear. The two new demon seems to be more vicious and powerful then the zombies declaring them as the leader. The two big zombies' rushes to Cloud and Tidus by knocking the zombies out of their way. The two back up looking at the two new zombies until they bump backs. They begin to glow in power as both of them reach their limit breaker.

"Omnislash," Cloud yells.

"Blitz Ace," Tidus yells.

The two runs up to their new target and begin rapidly slashing away doing massive damage. Cloud jumps and power up as Tidus thrust his sword in the ground and jumps up using it. Cloud's sword begins to glow and he then comes down slicing the demon in half. He then turns around throwing his sword to Tidus that kicks it to the other demon killing both demons together.

Cloud walks tot Tidus shaking hands and Cloud retrieves his sword from the ground. They look around seeing all of the zombies are going back in the ground disappearing from sight. Vincent turns back to his normal self exhausted and walks to the group. They all group together by Skise how is kneeling on one knee and leaning forward on his sword.

"What the hell was that about?" Cloud said to Skise.

"It was almost like a mini war that we just fought and barely came out of it alive," Tidus said tot hem.

"I don't know why it happen," Skise said quietly.

"I didn't thought I was going to live through that," Rikku said relaxing.

As the nine talk more about what just had happen the zombies comes back and surrounds them again. Instead of regular zombies with body parts showing, they all have on bone armor with weapons.

"No more," Rikku said crouching down.

"I can't go on no more, but I'll do whatever it takes," Cloud said.

"There is no way we can fight all of them," Tidus said getting ready.

Suddenly a giant structure appears from the north and it begins firing dozens and dozens of lasers at the zombies, destroying thousands at a time. Rikku and Yuna jump for joy cheering them on as the others watch in satisfaction as everything around them is demolish. After this surprise barrage of attack the structure lands near them with a brown hair man walks out.

"The name is Squall Leonheart," Squall said.

"Whoa, that was cool," Rikku said.

"Follow me, we must get inside before anything else happens," Squall said as he walks back to the structure.

"Acting like a leader, already," Quisis said.

"…" Nobody said anything but stare at the gorgeous blonde.

"I would be graceful if you nine can come inside, we have lots to discuss," she said after the long silence.

"Yeah, sure, we can come in," Yuna said elbowing Tidus in the stomach.

(SCENE BLACKENS AND FADE IN A ROOM WITH THE 15 PEOPLE SITTING AT A SQUARE TABLE. SQUALL TEAM SITS AT ONE SIDE, CLOUD TEAM SITS ON THE RIGHT OF HIM, TIDUS AND YUNA TEAMS SITS ON THE LEFT AND SKISE TEAM SITS ACROSS FROM HIM.)

"So we are fighting against an enemy called the Shadow Empire," Squall said sitting at one of the table

"Yes," Cloud said sitting on another side of the table.

"We must go to the Empire to save our world," Yuna said sitting on the side across from Cloud.

"We have information that in couple hours the whole planet will be covered completely in darkness," Squall said to them.

"And when that happens this world will change into hell, those things will be running free destroying every single life form on this planet. Once this thing destroys life on this planet it will make it explode sending rocks with it in it, to other planets," Quistis explains to them standing up.

"How do you know what that?" Cloud said leaning back.

"This old man came to us saying that some kids need help to save the world and told us this story," Quistis said sitting back down.

"Then we must stop this before it is too late," Yuna said also standing up.

"They sure do talk a lot among themselves," Lakeyna whisper to Skise.

"I try to stay out of it," Skise said leaning back smiling.

"Hey you…Skise!" Squall yells to Skise on the other side of the table of him, who fall back from hearing his name.

"Yeah, what is it?" Skise harshly said sitting back down again.

"You're a native here why don't you tell us how to stop this," Squall said to Skise.

"I never been to the Empire and I was in prison on the flagship so I don't know much about it," Skise said getting comfortable in his seat.

"What about you, Lakeyna?" Squall said.

"The only thing I know is that the Empire is heavily guarded by its armada and defense turrets. The only possible way to get inside without detection is to capture a ship and take it inside. The ship haves to land halfway inside the Empire so we have to walk the rest of the way to get to the center."

"Then that's the plan for right now," Squall said standing up.

"We do we find a Shadow ship?" Zell said standing up also.

"Our radar pick up one ship that landed 40 minutes ago, it is hiding behind so rocks," Quistis said.

"Lets go get our self a ship," Tidus said.

(SCENE BLACKENS AND FADE IN FIVE MINUTES LATER WITH THE 15 HIDING BEHIND SOME ROCKS)

"The ship is over there, we most form a group and split up," Squall said.

"Vincent and I will go in and set up a distraction," Cloud said.

"Wakka and I will also go in for distraction," Tidus said.

"The Gullwings is at your service and we will be on the south side of the ship," Yuna said.

"I'll stay here and guard the opening with Riona and Quistis," Squall said.

"So I'm stuck wit these two," Irvine said.

"What's wrong with us?" Selphie complains.

"Why can't I be with Quistis," Zell said sulking.

"We will create a distraction outside, if there seems problems," Squall said.

"We will provide backup if anyone of you fails," Skise said to them.

"No, I'm going inside also, I'm the only one who knows how to operate it," Lakeyna said to them.

"Fine, I'll go take you to the bridge," Skise said taking out his sword.

"We hading out now," Skise said as all 15 runs toward the ship

(SCENE BLACKENS - END CHAPTER)