Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ Shadow of the Lifestream: Shadow Blood ❯ Chapter 19: A New Dawn ( Chapter 19 )

The darkness closed behind him. The Leader laughed, nodding. Denzel pulled out his sword, ready. He nodded back, and then ran. The swords clashed, inside the darkness they fought. The Lifestream sword hit back, clashing into the dark sword, power swirling around every hit, the Leader was hitting back every hit made for him successfully. The towers around them were white, Spirit figures standing atop them, watching the ensuing battle. The Leader pushed into Denzel, collapsing him, but he managed to pick himself up and fight back, the hidden power of Sephiroth in him.

 

Their swords clashed together more, black and white energy dispersing from them. Their teeth clenched in the clash of metal, power emitting from them. They were fighting for a cause, the Planet, the future, everything. Denzel jumped back from the sword collision, stood and stared. The Leader looked back, a mirror image of each other, both in skill and looks. One of dark, one of light.

`Hear that Denzel' he held his hand up and an image above him appeared. The battle of good and bad was slowly shown. Denzel stared as he seen Cloud and Tifa fighting the dark creatures, slowly being beaten down. Bodies of light and dark scattered over the city streets. Beneath these bodies lay a body of a living human, a girl, a girl that he loved. Marlene. She laid still, no movement. He shook in anger, staring into the Leader's eyes. He laughed at him. Denzel screamed and ran for him, anger overtaking him, the darkness opening in him. He sped faster than light, slashing through the man that was his old Leader. He sped around him, slashing many times, and then stood in front of him as he fell to his knees. `Urgh…you…did…it!' The Leader fell to the ground, black spirit energy issuing out of him. `Denzel, take it. The Planet…will be yours! With that power…she can live again!' Denzel looked up at the energy.

 

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Cloud, Tifa and Cid panted as the battle came to a sudden halt. All Shadow Army suddenly stopped, creating a gigantic black shield around them. The Army of the Ancients turned.

`Something has stopped them,' he looked at Cloud, `perhaps the Leader has been defeated?' Cloud turned to Cid.

`We need to get to the Northern Cave!' Cid scratched his head, and then looked up.

`Hold on...' he took out his phoned and dialled a number. He tapped his foot, then suddenly. `Hey, it's Cid.' He turned and looked sheepishly at Cloud. `I'm sorry I didn't call just had to help Cloud and…yes I know…no but…okay I am sorry! It's an emergency, we need the airship. Well we had an accident with the Sierra. No I wasn't drinking! Just get the Highwind to Edge quickly, please.' With that he hung up turning to Cloud. `Woman!' He backed away from Tifa's angry stare. Rufus, Reno, Yuffie and Rude slowly walked over.

`Cloud…Tifa…' Rufus slowly said. They turned to him, a wondering look on their face. `They found Marlene, she's…'

`No…' Tifa moaned, `No, no, no, no, no, no' Cloud hugged her. The rest of the team looked down, saddened. A burst of air above them alerted them to the Highwind flying above them.

`Tifa…let's go get Denzel!' She nodded, looking at Rude's back as he carried Marlene aboard. Cloud walked her aboard.

 

The airship was still in a working condition. Tifa went with Rude to the Perorations room where Marlene was put to rest. Cloud, Cid, Reno and Rufus were on the deck. Shera was there, with an unhappy look on her face.

`Cid,' she walked over, `you're alive.' She smiled, hugging him.

`Yes I am,' he said, pushing her off him, blushing. `We gotta get this show on the road. Where to Cloud?'

`The Northern Cave!' Cid smiled.

`The memories of the last ride we took on this!' The airship slowly rumbled, before bursting off in a speed of movement. The land burst past them, all over the place dark orbs surrounded a hidden army, a group of light soldiers awaiting the barrier to come down. The land got worse as they got closer to the Northern Cave, the ground was cracked, a darkness hovering over it. The Icicle Resort was a place of death. The Great Glacier was blocks of ice. The airship stopped over the cave. They all stared down into it, the passage way blocked off.

`What could have done that?' Reno said. Cloud looked up.

`Denzel fought here…!' Everyone looked at him.

`Who did he fight?' Reno asked again.

`Jenova!' Everyone stood, stared, shocked.

`Are you sure?' Cid asked. `As in that big ol' freak we fought?'

`She wasn't a freak…she was part of the Shadow Army, his sister!'

`This is too much for me to take in, `Reno said, running off. They stared after him. Cloud turned back to the blocked cave.

`We could blast our way through!' Cloud said to Cid.

`No way, don't know where I could get the power for such a thing.' Cloud turned to Rufus.

`I'm sorry Cloud, but all there was, was in Edge, and you seen how that is.' Cloud turned again, dropping his gaze. A glow of light shone out of the rock cracks.

`What's that?' They all looked down. The light disappeared, then suddenly a burst of darkness smashed through the rocks, hammering against the airship, and was pushed backwards, Cid kept it steady.

`What the shit was that?' They all looked forward. The lifestream was flowing out the Northern Cave, black, darkened. An evil power had taken over the Planet. A figure floated out with the lifestream hovering, staring at them. It moved forward, rushing and stopped before the cockpit. Cloud gazed up, and was facing a pale white face, with black hair. His eyes black with power. Around him black flames were pouring out. He looked again at the face. And fell back in pain.

`D….Denzel!' The figure nodded, and laughed. Denzel pulled out a black sword, and boomed.

`This Planet is mine!' He sped into the gathering energy. Cid quickly sped the Highwind around, speeding away. Denzel sped down, bringing energy. The sword fell, clashing into the Highwind. It became lifeless, crashing down. Denzel smiled, floating, staring down as his Shadow Army appeared all over the Planet.