Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ Mako Eyes ❯ The Battle ( Chapter 13 )

Aneilla twisted this way and that, avoiding the bullets and projectiles that were sent at her. Stupid humans, thinking that they can hit me... she thought with a chuckle. Alright, let's get started. She swooped down, flying towards one of the large machine guns that were firing rapidly at the incoming WRO members on their hover boards. From where she was she could see Vincent's red cloak and the flash of him firing Cerberus. Grinning she reached for the machine gun, grasping it with all four claws and lifting it up off the ground, its operators screaming as the fell. She flew along the line before dropping it on another machine. As she flew away, the two machines exploded from the impact. “Got ya!” she exclaimed before flying off. She swooped down low to the ground and saw Cloud on Fenrir. She flew down until she was gliding close to the ground, one of her wings over him. “I've taken out three, which leave three more from what I see. You guys are safe to go towards the west side and attack.”

 

Cloud nodded and yelled, “Good work.”

 

Aneilla nodded and she flew up high, taking to the sky again. She saw another machine and she opened her jaw wide, feeling hot Dragon Fire moving through her body. With a mighty roar, she sent hell hot fire at the machine, turning it into melted rubble. Two more to go...

 

*~*~*

 

Vincent flipped in a circle on his board, firing at flying fiends that were coming at them. James had both humans and demons on his side and so far, it was still undetermined if that was a bad thing or not. They're mostly weak things, more of a nuisance than anything. Vincent smirked slightly as he fired off another round at the approaching enemy.

 

Suddenly, his board jerked violently and Vincent looked around the back and saw that his engine was smoking from a bullet hitting it. “Damn…” Vincent hissed, trying to control his board and failing. He looked forward and saw that he was quickly approaching the side of a building. This is going to hurt...

 

“Vincent!” Vincent looked down to see Aneilla flying below him. The ruby dragon looked up at him and called out again. “Vincent, jump!”

 

He didn't hesitate and he jumped from his board and landed on her back between her wings. In a crouched position, he moved up to her shoulders, avoiding the spikes that ran along her spine. He settled himself in the hollow where her neck and shoulders joined and looked ahead to see the building was less than twenty feet away. “Aneilla…” Vincent said, horror edging his voice at the thought of the two of them crashing.

 

“Hold on,” Aneilla said simply before she went into a tight dive, her wings partly folded to her sides, the building six feet from her claws that were hugged close to her body. Vincent held onto her neck, the wind rushing past his face. He couldn't help but feel a slight thrill in riding Aneilla, especially in battle. Aneilla turned up to the sky again before she crashed to the ground, her agility so great that it made Vincent himself look clumsy. With a few pumps of her wings, she was airborne again. “Well now,” Aneilla said, looking back at Vincent, “what do you say, my friend? Shall we fight our first battle together as a unit?”

 

Vincent smiled slightly and lifted Cerberus, reloading it and preparing it for firing. “Let's see how we do first, and then I'll let you know.”

 

Aneilla nodded and then, turning on wingtip, she headed back towards Midgar. As she breathed fire at the flying demons, Vincent fired at those that somehow managed to survive her hot flames. Aneilla dipped and turned to avoided bullets and other projectiles that were sent at her, Vincent holding on with his legs and his gauntleted hand. At one point, a stray bullet struck her in her hind left leg and she roared with anger before destroying the shooter with Dragon Fire.

 

Down below, from what Vincent could see, their army was beginning to push James's back. He couldn't help but smile as a thought went through his mind. We're winning... but, James has yet to show his face. I think he's going to soon enough.

 

*~*~*

 

Cloud was now in the midst of battle, swinging First Tsurugi at the enemies around him. His bike was at the edge of Midgar, along with the other WRO trucks, and he and the rest of the army were forcing the enemy back. Cloud struck down another one of James's army and ducked just in time as a slim blade whisked past his head. He looked up to see the humanoid, Nemo, standing before him, both katanas in hand.

 

“So you are swifter than normal humans,” she said sounding surprised, her voice more deadpan and monotone than Vincent's. But, of course, she was a robot. She possessed no feelings. “You will be a worthy opponent, Cloud Strife.”

 

“Bring it on,” Cloud said, releasing one of the six blades that made up the Tsurugi, now holding two swords. “You tortured a good friend of mine… you're going to pay, as well as your leader.”

 

Nemo smirked, her silver eyes flashing. “We'll see,” she said, and then she lunged forward to attack.

 

*~*~*

 

Cid cursed as his baby was hit again. “Damn! Watch out for those missiles or just shoot the guys!” He then looked out through the front window. He could see Yuffie, but he couldn't see Vincent. “Where did that guy go?” he muttered to himself.

 

Suddenly, Aneilla flew in front of the Shera, so damn close that Cid could see the details of her scales, and also saw that Vincent was on the dragon's shoulders. He felt the ship jerk slightly from the tailwinds the dragon left. “Damn you woman that was close!” Cid hollered, although he knew that she couldn't hear him. But then a smile formed on his lips and he chuckled. “Give them hell you two,” he said to Vincent and Aneilla before going back to barking orders at his crew.

 

*~*~*

 

Vincent ducked as another bullet went flying past his head. “Can you dodge those a little bit better?” he asked Aneilla.

 

“Give me a break, Vince!” Aneilla snarled, dipping low under one of their ships. “I'm being shot at from all angles at once here!”

 

Vincent shrugged as he shot down another flying demon. “I've never had the trouble dodging bullets…”

 

“Don't make me roast you...”

 

Vincent laughed softly as he leaned forward against Aneilla's neck. He saw that a new machine was being rolled out and he pointed it out to Aneilla. “You see that?”

 

“Yeah...”

 

“Let's get it, shall we?”

 

Aneilla roared gleefully and Vincent couldn't help but think that she enjoyed blowing stuff up. The dragon swooped down upon the unsuspecting men taking the machine out. With a blast of fire, she set the machine on fire before flying up and away. “That was fun...”

 

“You do enjoy blowing stuff up!” Vincent groaned.

 

Aneilla laughed and said, “What can I say? I'm a pyromaniac!”

 

You have the “maniac” part right... Vincent thought. Suddenly, he heard it. An angry roar that shook the air; the roar he'd been anticipating. Vincent spun around and saw the black dragon hovering above Midgar, his golden eyes flashing in the dying sunlight.

 

“Traitorous beast! Shame of our flesh! You call yourself dragon, and yet you carry a human on your back like a common mule. You are nothing but a lowly Wrym!” the dragon roared. Vincent could see a sickly green aura around it and he blinked slightly. James's aura hadn't been like that before.

 

“The demon's taken over…” he said softly as Aneilla landed on top of a building.

 

“Yes... James allowed the demon to take over, thinking it would make him stronger...” Aneilla sighed and then said, “He did exactly what the demon wanted; he gave him a new body so he wouldn't have to return to the Lifestream.”

 

“I refuse to end up like those old fools,” the dragon snarled angrily. “Will you be like them, reincarnation of Spartan, or will you fight me like the dragon you claim to be?”

 

Aneilla looked at Vincent and she said softly, “You can leave now... you do not have to fight with me...”

 

Vincent shook his head and said, “I won't leave you.”

 

Aneilla's eyes glowed softly and she gave him a smile.

 

Vincent returned the smile and then asked, “So, shall we fight this battle together?”

 

Aneilla whipped her head around and gave the answer to both his and James's questions: crouching low and spreading her wings a far as they would go, she roared loudly and expelled a bout of flame from her mouth.

 

Vincent smiled and said, “I'll take that as a `yes'.”

 

*~*~*

 

“Barret, watch out!” Tifa cried out as some of James's men came around a corner, brandishing swords.

 

Barret yelled and fired at the incoming men with his machine gun arm. He looked at Tifa and nodded. “Let's go, girl,” he said.

 

Tifa ran ahead, running deeper into the reactor, Red XIII running alongside her with Cait Sith clinging to his back. “I hope Cloud's alright…” she thought out loud.

 

“Don't worry,” Red said, looking up at her, “he'll be fine… everyone will.”

 

Tifa smiled and nodded and they came around a corner and then Cait Sith cried out, “That's it! That door over there!”

 

Tifa nodded and she ran up to the said door and with a yell, she kicked it. The door handle busted off and the metal door swung open. Immediately, Cait Sith jumped off of Red and ran to the controls, looking over them.

 

“Hurry,” Barret said, keeping watch at the door.

 

“Gimme a minute… there!” Cait Sith jumped up and pulled a handle down. At once, the power in that entire sector went out. “Gotcha!”

 

“Way to go!” Tifa said, before they ran out, the only light they had now coming from Red's tail. “Only a couple more to go…” she said softly. “Hang in there you guys…”

 

*~*~*

 

Cloud was breathing heavily, holding the two swords in his hands. Before him, Nemo stood steady, since she didn't have to breathe. But Cloud could see silver liquid leaking from the injuries he had given her, but not without receiving his own. He wiped the blood away from where it trailed down the side of his left eye and grinned slightly. “You've taken some damage, humanoid,” he said.

 

“So have you, Cloud Strife,” the robot replied.

 

“Let's say we end this, now…”

 

Nemo nodded and she rushed forward. She swung one sword down and Cloud knocked it to the side while blocking the other katana. The two of them returned to the deadly dance, both knowing that the next time they stopped, it would be because the other was dead. Attack, block, counterattack, dodge… Cloud was beginning to see a pattern in Nemo's attack pattern, but he wanted to make sure of it before he dealt the final blow. He could feel himself tiring out, but he couldn't let it show because Nemo would press on that tiredness and Cloud knew that he wouldn't be able to stop her then.

 

Finally, a grin spread across his face. He found the pattern and now it was time to act on it. He noticed that after every fifth swing, Nemo would expose her back to him for a few moments in a spin around attack. If he timed it right, he could slice her open in the back, destroying the main part of her system. He blocked her attacks and at the fifth swing, he readied the bigger part of the Tsurugi. Time slowed for him as Nemo spun around for her next attack and Cloud swung his sword up and sliced through her back, sending sparks flying.

 

The humanoid staggered and dropped to her knees. She looked up at him, her eyes sparking and her jaw becoming slack. “How…?” she stammered as sparks continues to fly.

 

“One thing about fighting…” Cloud said, standing over her. “You can't program it and fight the same… because sooner or later, your opponent will see through your pattern.” Then he rose up sword and sliced off her head. The robot dropped over stiffly, sparks still flying from her deactivated body.

 

Cloud smiled slightly and he lifted his face to the sky. Just then, he heard a loud, bellowing roar and he looked towards Midgar. His eyes widened when he saw both red and black dragon collide into each other, grappling in the sky with fang and claw. What he was even more shocked to see was, because of his Mako-heightened vision, the red cloaked figure of Vincent sitting astride the red's shoulders, gripping her neck firmly. “Be careful, Vince… both of you…” he whispered softly as thunder suddenly ripped through the air and dark clouds began to spread its fingers across the peach colored sky.