Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ Shadow of the Lifestream: Shadow Blood ❯ Chapter 5: Return to Midgar ( Chapter 5 )

A rattling noise echoed to the view, from deep within Midgar. Denzel stared and listened, a cold shiver slithering up his spine, like a snake. It came again, this time more clearly. He could hear shuffling from behind him, and turned to face the shuffler.

`Cloud?' Denzel asked. Cloud's face was pale, his eyes staring at him, empty. No emotions, no thoughts. His hair was blowing in the wind, jet black. `No, not Cloud!' The figure drew out a long sword. `The buster sword?'

`Denzel!' It called to him, `Your time has come!' It swung at him; Denzel jumped back and fell over the railing into Midgar.

 

----------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------

 

Rufus returned to his car where Rude was holding the door open. Reno was standing at the driver's side, ready to get in when the President got in.

`You two,' Rufus said to Reno and Rude, `I'm worried. Go check on Denzel, he's at the view.' They both nodded, and walked towards the view. Rufus followed them with his eyes, until they were out of sight. He picked up his phone and called an old number.

 

----------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------

 

Denzel rolled down the hill, crashing into the remains of a play park. He looked up to see the black haired man looking down on him. Denzel ran into the wreckage of an old building. He dived behind a sign reading `Honey Bee Inn' and rested, waiting for the man. Questions raced through his mind: Who was this man? Why was he after him? Why did he have the Buster Sword? His thoughts were interrupted however, by the sound of propellers, coming from far above him. He peeked round the side of the sing, holding onto the sword hilt ready, checking for the man. He was nowhere to be seen. Denzel stood up and ran through the building. Inside there were five doors. Behind him he could hear the shuffling of his black haired assailant. Looking round quickly he hammered himself through a door, and looking round. An old Jacuzzi sat on the far side of the room. The man stopped outside in the hall, Denzel peered through the keyhole. He was looking around, at each of the rooms, trying to take a lucky guess.

 

----------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------

 

The Turks arrived at the view. They looked around puzzled. Reno walked over to the edge and looked down onto the corpse of Midgar.

`Good times there,' he pulled back facing Rude, `remember?'

`Yeah,' Rude pretended to wipe a tear away, `I just can't take the pain of being away from the big city.'

`No need to kid on.' Reno laughed, looking into the city one last time. He spotted the black haired man walking into the old Honey Bee Inn. `Hey, who's that? That Cloud?' Rude stepped beside him, looking down. `Just went into the old inn on the Wall Market.' He looked at Rude, `You know Rude, the one you went into a lot.' Rude stared at him blankly, clearly annoyed. Just then the Sierra came into view. The two Turks gaped at the giant Airship falling onto Midgar.

`I called them!' They turned to face Rufus. `Denzel is in trouble. I have sent Elena to get Cloud. Did you two see him?' They shook their heads, and then Rude looked at Reno.

`I did see a man with jet black hair, spiked up like hair.' Cloud and Elena appeared behind Rufus.

`Zack?' Cloud said, shocked, `But, he's dead!'

`It doesn't matter, we must help Denzel.' He looked at Cloud and the Turks. Cloud ran off. The Turks stared back at Rufus, `I'll be fine here, you just help him.'

 

----------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------

 

Denzel sat watching the man pace around outside the doors. He then pulled out his sword and threw it at the first door, it smashed through with force. He walked over pulled it out and made to throw it again at the next door. Denzel jumped back in fright, looking around the room for an escape, his heart pounding inside his chest. He held his breath as not to make to much sound panicking. He heard the crunch of the sword through another door. At the very back of the room lay the Jacuzzi. He stepped over to it, and noticed there was a small hole, big enough for him to slip through into the old underground. He pulled himself through, arriving on a train track. Looking both ways, he decided to make a break for it, and started running north, towards the old Shinra building.

 

----------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------

 

Cloud and the Turks arrived at the Sierra. Cid, Barret and Yuffie were standing outside waiting.

`Finally,' Barret walked forward, `wonder when you were gonna get ya' spiky ass here!' He laughed and held out his hand to Cloud. `You been looking after my daughter?'

`Course,' Cloud smiled, knowing not to tell him about her relationship with Denzel. Not yet anyway. He looked around. `Where's Red?'

`Helping Vincent with something,' Cid said, stamping out a cigarette on the ground. `Now why where we dragged out our beds at this time in the crappin' morning for?'

`Denzel!' Cloud spoke up. `He's has been having nightmares and being attacked by these Shadows. I think it has escalated though.' He faced Reno. `Are you sure of what you seen?'

`Yep,' Reno nodded. `Thought it was you at first.' He smiled, sheepishly. Cloud faced his friends.

`If he is right, which I hope he isn't,' turning quickly to Reno, `no offence,' he said, before turning back, `then it is Zack.'

`Zack?' Yuffie looked up, startled. `As in the guy who died saving your life?'

`The very same!'

`But…but he's dead.' Barret said, scratching his head.

`Exactly, which is why we need to find out what is happening?' The others nodded.

`I think we'd better split into two teams…' Barret said, looking now more confused and worried than before.

 

----------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------

 

Denzel reached a ladder leading up onto the city above. He could hear footsteps behind him, the quick step of his follower. This one wouldn't give up. As he pulled himself out of the dank tunnel he faced a powerful site, the Shinra HQ, 80 floors of destroyed metal. Looking towards the entrance, he realised it was blocked by a load of smashed metal, most of which looked like it had been sliced in half by a sword. Looking back from where he had crawled out from there was no escape. He awaited the attacker.

 

----------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------

 

Cloud had taken Reno and Yuffie with him and headed to the Wall Market. They were acutely walking through towards the inn, when Yuffie screamed.

`What?' Cloud said, staring at her.

`Se…se….se…' She was frozen, staring straight ahead. Cloud and Reno followed her gaze to face a shaking black figure, laughing. Cloud locked eyes with him. Sephiroth.

`No…It can't be!' He stepped back, shaking his head. When he looked up again, he was gone. `What's going on here?' He grabbed Yuffie who had turned into a quivering wreck. `Come on, we got to help Denzel, please.' She nodded, cowering behind Reno as they walked towards the inn. Inside they stared at the smashed doors, giant sword marks through them. All the doors were shut, except one, which brought back bad memories for Cloud of the `Group Room'. They all walked to the door and gasped at the sight that stood in front of their eyes.