Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ Shadow of the Lifestream: Shadow Blood ❯ Chapter 8: A Father's Death ( Chapter 8 )

Cloud had his eyes closed, peaceful, at rest. Tifa kneeling beside his bed, his hands in hers, and saying a silent prayer. Marlene was hugging into her father, Barret. The doctor had been and gone, telling them that his curing abilities couldn't heal him, but he had cast a regen spell to keep him comfortable for now. Denzel stood, staring out the window and thinking about Zack's last words. More truth will be there. What did he mean? Denzel shook it out his head, and turned back to Cloud before walking past Cid at the doorway and down the stairs. In the bar Rude sat over a drink, his glasses off and his eyes bloodshot. He had been crying, he hadn't just lost Elena then but Rude as well, who had mysteriously disappeared with Yuffie. Denzel looked at him, and sat next to him.

`I'm sorry,' Denzel said, bowing his head, knowing his pain, `it's my entire fault.' Rude looked at him and shook his head.

`Don't blame yourself.' He threw back his drink, putting his glasses on and walked out the bar. A pair of arms grabbed round him. Denzel closed his eyes, his head spinning, and felt himself falling. Opening his eyes he realised he was in a place far away from the bar. He was back in the city of light. Behind him Aeris stood, giggling.

`Denzel, you came back to me!' She smiled and spun looking at the city. `You must come to my resting place; you'll find the truth there!'

`What's going on?' He walked forward to her, holding out his arms. She spun, knocking him down.

She screamed as she flew into the air, floating far above him. `Denzel you are like HER!' Aeris dived down towards him. Denzel stood up and faced her falling body. She was about to impact when Denzel closed his eyes, ready for a full front brutal smash but it never came. He opened his eyes and he was back in the bar, being hugged by Marlene. He stood up and hugged her close. It was only then he noticed Barret at the bottom of the stairs, staring.

`Get your hands OFF HER!' He aimed his gun at him, firing. Denzel dived out the way as bullets flew past him hitting off the wall opposite. Cid thundered down the stairs grabbing him.

`Denzel,' he yelled, `Get out of here!' Denzel nodded and ran; Marlene lay on the ground crying.

 

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The afternoon air was warm as Denzel sped into the centre, away from the bar. He just turned the corner as Barret burst out the door, his eyes fuming. Denzel's heart was racing inside his body; he was surprised it wasn't exploding. He was close to the centre of Edge, where he had the colossal battle with Ramuh two days before. It was empty; Shinra had been keeping the place off limits because of dangerous power surges still in the area. He fled across, not looking back for the lumbering figure of Barret. He ducked behind the sword, gasping for breath. The wrath of a father. Something worth running for.

`Denzel?' Denzel stood stunned against the monument, turning his head to see Rufus. `What are you doing?'

`Uhh…' Denzel wondered how to put it. `I am running from Barret.'

`Ahh…' Rufus nodded in acceptance. `Well he is your girlfriend's father, so he is likely to be a bit mad.' He said, coming closer to Denzel.

`He tried to shoot me!' Rufus laughed at this. `What's so funny?'

`That's typical of him. Careless!' Rufus started to head away.

`Rufus….' Denzel called out, Rufus turning his head. `Thanks!' Rufus turned away, hiding a smile. The monument started shaking. Rufus spun around staring at it, Denzel backing off. `What the hell?' Looking to his left, a stampede of Shadow wolves ran at him. His jaw dropped, and he spun out his sword, getting ready. As they got close, he jumped up landing on at least five, there bodies disappearing in a dust of darkness. The shrieks they made where shaking the whole street. People ran into their houses, screaming. Denzel stood in the middle, fighting off more than he could handle. He started to lose the battle, all crowding around him. A shot fired, knocking two down to dust. Another shot knocked back another two. Denzel stared at the origin of the shots. Rufus stood there firing at the wolves. He jumped over the wolves towards him and stood next to him. `Thanks…again!' Rufus continues to fire.

`No problem.' The shots echoed in the square. More and more kept coming, the shots and slashes pushed them back, but they still came faster. Starting to crowd both of them, they stood back to back and knocked them back. Suddenly a burst of bullets knocked the crowd back, Barret grinning firing at them as they ran into the square. Denzel stared at him, frightened.

`We gotta a lot to talk `bout' Barret said to him, `but now not a good time.' He went back to firing at the attacking crowd. They started to thin out. Denzel ran into them, slashing away, knocking them back into houses. One time he hit one back into a window, but it disappeared before it hit, the people inside looking like ghosts. Barret and Rufus provided covering fire from the monument. The wolves eventually went down to one, who stared at all three of them before yelping away. Barret chased it a bit running to the street end, firing. He came back and smiled. A dark figure appeared behind him.

`BARRET!' Denzel held out his arm, but it was too late. The dark figure stabbed Barret, the long sword stabbing into the ground via his body. The figure pulled out the sword, holding his head back, laughing. Barret's body hit the ground with a crunch, his gun arm smashing into the ground. Denzel ran at the figure, sword raised but it slashed at him firing him backwards into the monument, before flying away. The ground started to rumble again, Rufus grabbed Barret's body quickly, and wheeled away towards the bar. Denzel shook his head, and grabbed Rufus' hand to get up. They both dashed away just as the shadow wolves reappeared. Cid turned the corner as they turned. He stood stunned at the pack of wolves thundering into the square. He backed away, running after them.

`TO THE SIERRA!' He yelled at them. They smashed into the bar, yelling upstairs. Cid and Denzel ran up, grabbing Cloud and carrying him into the airship. They opened up the secret doorway behind the bar that lead down to the hangar where the airship sat, waiting. The wolves smashed into the bar just as Cid closed the hangar door. `Holy crap, they getting close!'

 

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Barret lay still as life, no movement, no anger, no grins, only a still face. Marlene sobbing beside him. Tifa comforting her. Denzel stood at the doorway, head hung low. He could have saved him, but he didn't. Guilt settled over him, and he walked into the hallway, where he collapsed in the ground. His head was spinning.