Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ Shadow of the Lifestream: Shadow Blood ❯ Chapter 2: Ramuh Storm ( Chapter 2 )

The rain lashed of the windows; the doors shuddered in the wind; the city was full of people pushing to get home or to safety from the danger that was coming: The Ramuh Storm. On the streets of the city, Rude and Reno were making sure everyone got home, orders from the President.

`This job is real fun, y'know man,' Reno turned to Rude and chuckled, `I think it's fun, you can manage all by yourself.' He made to walk away, but Rude grabbed him and slammed him to the ground, `But since you're my umm…best friend, I'll stay.' He grinned, and stood up, facing the crowd.

`Why go out on a day like this?' Rude said, pushing his glasses back onto his face.

`Because people love to have a threat of death in their mind; because they want to rush home with the thrill of being shot with bolts of lighting; because they want to be taken away in a hurricane…'

`Please, shut up!' Reno laughed, and then it came. A bolt of thunder hit the ground, and exploded. `Here it comes!' The duo ran back, yelling at people to run.

 

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Tifa and Marlene kept the orphans distracted with games, and whatever they could to stop them hearing the going on of the outside world. Cloud and Denzel sat in the bar, listening to the thunder, explosions and screaming of the people.

`Why does this storm happen?' Denzel asked turning to Cloud, who looked tired in his older life.

`Because Ramuh is angry,' He said this plainly, before turning back to listen.

`There has got to be a reason?' Cloud sighed as Denzel persisted on.

`I have no idea why he is angry, Denzel. It all started after….8 years ago.' Cloud turned away, bowing his head.

`Oh right. Denzel too, turned to listen to the city as it panicked. He turned back, `I've been hearing screams.'

`Screams? Human screams?' Cloud sat upright, and faced his adoptive son with concern.

`No more like screams of the Planet!' Cloud flinched. He knew these screams well. He and his friends faced the evil that was causing these screams 10 years ago, and won. If they had returned, then so had he?

`Last time we hear these screams….' A thunderbolt hit the bar, and exploded the roof. Above the children screamed as the roof fell. `Tifa!' Cloud ran up the stairs leaving Denzel. Denzel stared out the gap; holes in the ground were everywhere, people lying injured or dead on the ground. Fires in houses, buildings ripped open. Denzel grabbed the sword, and sheathed it, before walking out into the storm.

 

The storm hit the ground, rocks flying around him. Denzel walked past, cautious, making his way for the centre of Edge, where the commemoration to Midgar stood. It had to be rebuilt years ago, after the three silver haired men used a giant dragon to rip it out. The monument has been replaced with a statue of Cloud's sword, with a fountain of the Holy Water used to cure of all diseases around it. The storm called over head as he walked on. Over the last years though, he vaguely remembered the storm. In earlier years he had been distracted by Tifa. However, it was Marlene who distracted him last year. The girl he loved. Last year during the storm, she had led him into the basement, and hugged him while the storm hit up ahead, her closeness to him was a feeling new to him, and he loved holding her there. As a lightning bolt hit above, she screamed, and looked into his eyes. Her eyes sparkled, beautiful, showing stars and many happy memories. He reached in and kissed her, long and gentle. A shot of lightning snapped him back to reality. Standing before him, was Ramuh, God of Thunder.

 

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Cloud came back downstairs.

`They are okay Denzel.' He looked around quickly, and started to panic. `Denzel? Denzel?' His eyes fixed on where the sword was, then to the city outside, `Denzel, you didn't!' Cloud grabbed his sword, and ran after him. The rain beat of his head, but somehow the lighting had stopped. As he splashed through puddles, he looked around the streets of burning houses, broken roads and bodies. He quickly focussed ahead, and as he got closer to the centre of the city, the wind intensified. Before long he saw what it was. A giant tornado stood around the centre of town, keeping everyone out of the monument area. He looked inside and could see two figures; one was an older man, with a staff and a beard. The other was a young man, with a sword. `Denzel?' Cloud called out. The young man looked around to hear the voice that called him. The older man rose above the ground and brought his staff up, thunder jolting out lightly from it. `Ramuh?' He feared for Denzel's life, but there was nothing he could do to save him, not now.

 

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Denzel turned back to the now floating Ramuh. A bolt of lighting came for him; he swung out the sword and caught it. The sword ate the bolt, Denzel smiling.

`You dare tease a God, boy?' Ramuh swung back his head and laughed.

`Tease?' Denzel swung the sword around, `Who said I wasn't being serious?'

`Fool!' Ramuh threw three separate bolts at him, Denzel dodging two and hitting the third into the wind. He ran for Ramuh, swinging his sword. Ramuh lifted his staff and started muttering to himself. The staff end brightened, thunderbolts were not emitting from it, swirling it. He raised it straight up and a giant bolt came down from the sky, ripping through the clouds, heading straight for Denzel.

`Denzel!' Cloud called. Denzel looked up, opening his mouth as the giant thunderbolt came for him. He held his sword up to it, waiting for the clash, holding onto the sword tight. The force hit him so hard he thought he'd drop the sword, but he managed to hold his strength. The sword swallowed up the thunder, and held it inside. He faced Ramuh and smiled.

`Who's teasing?' He swung the sword to the side, quickly, a giant force of energy issued out the sword, and his Ramuh down. Denzel swung the sword at his side and ran for the knocked down `God' and jumped up and commanded more energy around the sword. It crackled with it. He brought himself down, pulling the sword with all high might slashing onto Ramuh. A blinding light swamped over him, and fell backwards, losing focus.