Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ Shattered Ice Redux ❯ Chapter 40: Everyone's Grudge ( Chapter 40 )

`This is a voice in the mind.'

`This is an internal thought.'

--This is Chaos speaking. --

 

Chapter Forty: Everyone's Grudge

 

“Figures.” Nanaki snorted as they surveyed the area. Not but twenty minutes after leaving their friends, they had come upon another impasse.

 

Crimson eyes glared at the annoyance. “We are not splitting up further,” Vincent intoned. He couldn't help but wonder why was he so lucky as to get the difficult trail?

 

Two different paths stood before them, and both looked equally annoying and complicated.

 

Reeve frowned. “I say we take that one on the bottom,” he suggested, pointing a finger towards the slightly lighter and less intimidating of the two, at least in his opinion.

 

Golden eyes blinked. “Why?” Nanaki questioned. Both looked the same to him, shadowed and unapproachable.

 

“A guess?” The ex-executive shrugged.

 

Aeris sighed and rolled her eyes at the three males. “Let me give it a guess, if that's what we're going to go on.” She moved forward and stood between the two choices, as if listening intently.

 

A wind stirred as silence fell, and they watched her with confused expressions.

 

Finally, she nodded. “We should follow with Reeve's advice.”

 

Vincent blinked. “How do you know that?” he asked, genuinely curious.

 

“The ebb of the Lifestream is stronger from that one. Obviously, that way is much shorter,” she replied smartly, giving him one of her unfailingly nice grins.

 

Nanaki shrugged. “It works for me.” He tightened the claw on his hand and headed for the cavern opening.

 

The three others followed close behind them, Vincent taking the rear guard, but right before the ex-Turk stepped through the tunnel, he heard a squeak and the sound of something rattling. Whirling rapidly, his crimson gaze scanned the darkened area, but he could detect nothing. Though his ears remained alert, he did not catch the odd noises again. His hand rested comfortably on the handle of the Death Penalty as he turned back around and continued forward.

 

They emerged into a cool cavern that led steadily downwards. Occasionally, they were forced to jump down to levels below them, but there was no climbing involved, for which each member was grateful.

 

Most of the monsters in this particular part of the crater were hardly anything worth dealing with. The Gighee didn't stand a chance against repeated assaults of Tornado from Reeve's Contain materia. Nanaki easily handled the Christophers that dared attack their party, and Vincent took out the random Allemanges from afar. Aeris did an excellent job making sure that none of them suffered too much from what few attacks managed to sneak through their defenses.

 

After making their way through the damp and dark caves, the group finally found themselves in a large, more open cavern with a greenish waterfall. They thought that it was mako at first, but on second inspection, the group found it was just algae-tainted water.

 

They continued on, following a path that twisted and turned as it headed downwards into a darkness that none of them could pierce. They had been mostly silent, not really willing to carry on a conversation. Most of their hearts were filled with worry, and Vincent knew that they dreaded the battle that was to come.

 

Nanaki had taken the lead, easily jumping down with his agile limbs. Aeris was following along behind him, relying on her staff to keep her balance. It had become more of walking stick than a weapon in the past few hours.

 

As Reeve moved to follow them onto the next level of the dark grey stone, Vincent froze in his tracks. He heard that sound again. A shrill whine accompanied by the rattling of glass and metal. Only this time, it was followed by the sound of shuffling feet.

 

Whirling, he pulled the Death Penalty in one smooth motion and scanned the area behind him. His eyes widened in surprise.

 

There were three Master Tonberrys behind him, all staring with soulless blank eyes, blood dripping from well-used blades. Apparently, the creatures had been trailing the group for some time and were only waiting for the perfect moment to strike. The former Turk knew that they were usually silent monsters, so they must have planned on being caught.

 

Without thinking, Vincent shot at one of them, using it as a signal to the others. It struck the one on the left, but those inexpressive eyes merely looked at him, as if the creature could feel no pain.

 

“We are under attack!” he called out in case they hadn't taken his gunshot as the warning it was.

 

Vincent cursed as he cocked the Death Penalty again, preparing to cast a spell. He racked his brains trying to remember what could be used against a Tonberry.

 

They were vicious, ruthless creatures, which lived only to kill. They loved the sight and smell of blood and would often kill with a single stroke of their blades.

 

He heard the scrabbling of feet behind him, and it was a momentary comfort. At least, he wouldn't be in this alone.

 

The creature in the middle took a step towards them and raised its knife menacingly. Its lantern glowed eerily in the dark, cold cave.

 

“Damn!” Reeve cursed behind him.

 

“What is it?” Unwilling to take his eyes off of the monsters in front of him, Vincent slowly backed away, edging closer to the other man.

 

Reeve's feet scraped across the ground. “There are two huge Marlboros approaching from behind,” he answered quietly.

 

Nanaki narrowed his eyes. “They have been planning this,” he muttered in sudden realization. “It is an ambush.”

 

Reeve and Vincent were left facing the Tonberrys, while Nanaki and Aeris were determined to stand down what appeared to be Marlboros on steroids. It would not be an easy fight.

 

“Marlboros are weak to fire,” Vincent explained. “Aeris, let Nanaki take point and cover him with your magic.”

 

“Of course,” she replied, as if she had already known his attentions. With her sweet exterior, it was sometimes easy to forget that she had been fighting and running for most of her life.

 

Reeve exchanged glances with Vincent. “Tonberrys have no fear. We cannot frighten them into running,” he whispered.

 

“I will not use my limit break.” The gunman kept a careful eye on the monsters, which had yet to move, surveying before the attack. “Rely on your magic rather than your knives. Physical pain means nothing to these creatures. I will support with Death Penalty as well as I can.”

 

The ex-executive nodded and steeled himself for the battle to come.

 

The short, squat creatures swayed as they stood, using their favorite technique of intimidation. Their speed was unmatched so that by the time they chose to fight, their opponents could not avoid it.

 

Vincent heard the Marlboros give a roar behind him and sensed Nanaki leaping into the air, a battle growl pouring from his lips. He heard Aeris mumbling words and felt the wash of power that he always associated with the casting of her magic.

 

Beside him, Reeve began casting as well, and the gunman immediately returned his attentions to the battle, already raising the Death Penalty and sighting the three creatures in front of him.

 

“Comet 2!”

 

Without preamble, fiery rocks of ice and dust appeared out of nowhere, striking at the Tonberrys. They took the hits with no reaction at all, even when one of their own reeled, bleeding from a massive cut in his head.

 

Vincent took careful aim with his shotgun, knocking the lantern out of the hand of the closest monster. He remembered that they had limited sight as he hurriedly dug into his pockets and pulled out the Dragon Scales that he had stashed there.

 

“Reeve! Bolt!” the ex-Turk hissed.

 

The other man nodded as Vincent threw the Dragon Scales at the gathered Master Tonberrys and watched water blast onto them from nowhere, hopefully dulling their senses. There was a crackle of electricity as Reeve cast Bolt 3 on the soaked creatures, effectively doubling the damage of the magic. They writhed under the attack but still made no sounds.

 

It was creepy.

 

Behind the two former ShinRa, the giant Marlboros were no less active. With a great gust of rancid breath, a tentacled creature tried to imbue Aeris and Nanaki with status effects.

 

Nanaki leapt up into the air, avoiding the attack, claw shining in the dim light as he prepared to take down one. Aeris brought her hands together in a prayer and effectively blocked the disgusting assault, wrinkling her nose at the putrid stench that could not be avoided. Hurriedly, she cast Haste and then Aura at her companion as one of the two began to saunter in her direction, convinced she was an easy target.

 

Nanaki's claws ripped through the slimy hide of the green creature seconds before the second tried to aim a limb at the seemingly defenseless flower-girl. She drew her lips together in an angry frown as she whipped the staff down on the tentacle and turned it to mush.

 

The enormous Marlboro keened in pain and withdrew. It didn't stand a chance as Aeris threw out another spell before it could get too far.

 

“Meltdown!”

 

An acid like substance dripped out of nowhere, covering the bodies of the Marlboros and lowering their defense, causing their movements to be even more sluggish than usual. The greenish beasts moaned in agony, and Aeris smirked. They would learn that she was no easy foe.

 

The smell of burnt flesh was nauseatingly thick on the air, floating towards the other side of the battlefield. There, one Tonberry laid belly up, its knife scattered across the floor. The sole creature had taken the brunt of the combined water and lightning attack and had gone down without a sound. Regardless, the other two still regarded Vincent and Reeve with the same dull, unconcerned stare.

 

Reeve panted from the exertion of the continuous cast and gripped his throwing knife tightly. He wasn't sure if physical attacks would even work on the damn beasts, but he was certainly not going down easy, even if he had all but run out of magic.

 

Above him in a slightly higher position, Vincent perched, hurriedly reloading the Death Penalty. The clip slammed into place with a loud snap, and he quickly brought the gun up, aiming and carefully firing. It struck the left of the two remaining Tonberrys dead on; yet, the shot didn't seem to faze the beast.

 

It took another calculated step towards Reeve, who unconsciously took an equally calculated step backwards. His back collided with the rock wall that Vincent was perched upon.

 

--Let me out,-- Chaos' taunted, voice dripping with sarcasm. -Come, human; I want to play with these creatures that feel no pain.—

 

He attempted to cajole his host, but Vincent was paying him no mind, steadfastly ignoring the relentless pounding of the demon within his skull. The gunman frantically dug through his pockets, searching for another method to defeat the seemingly unstoppable creatures.

 

Suddenly, a keening cry shrieked through the cavern as one of the Tonberrys threw itself forward to attack. Thinking Reeve was the target, Vincent prepared to jump down and knock him aside, but he was wrong. The ex-Turk had only seconds to react before the Tonberry hurled itself at him, blood-stained knife calling for his death.

 

“Everyone's Grudge!” it hissed loudly in a voice too guttural to be anything but monstrous.

 

Vincent dove off his perch and just barely avoided the homicidal creature. Nevertheless, the Tonberry wasn't done with him yet. With a crazed look in its soulless eyes, the creature grinned ferally and jumped after him, lantern swinging as it began the hunt.

 

The former Turk scrambled to his feet and ran, hurriedly aiming a shot at the Tonberry that was doggedly following him. A bullet struck the creature in the shoulder, and it jerked but did not stop. Green ichor dripped from the wound.

 

Nearby, Reeve noticed his partner's plight but was faced with his own enemy. He flipped a dagger expertly in his hands and tossed it at the remaining Tonberry. It struck the creature in the center of its forehead, going in all the way to the hilt, and Reeve grinned in triumph, expecting the monster to go down. His eyes widened when the beast simply reached up and idly pulled out the blade tossing it to the ground; its face was just as blank as before. Reeve gulped and racked his brain for a magic he hadn't yet used.

 

Behind them, the left Marlboro roared as Nanaki slashed through its slimy skin, spilling purplish ooze everywhere. Blood Fist burst through the flesh of the Marlboro, seemingly coming out of the other side with a spurt of gooey blood, and Nanaki grimaced.

 

His opponent reached for him with its many tentacles, hoping to gain a grip on the slippery demi-human, but Nanaki remained too fast. He twisted out of the way, only to land on his feet and sprint forwards, aiming for an eye. His claw sliced through the jelly-like substance, blinding it seconds before he registered that he had gained the attention of the other.

 

The right Marlboro opened its mouth and released a beam of frozen water on the nimble demi-human. It struck him in the left leg, instantly turning the limb into a heavy block of ice, and Nanaki crashed to the ground, unable to move.

 

There was a tingle of magic in the air as Aeris cast a spell. Flare burst over the attacking Marlboro, and it screamed in agony. A veritable nuclear explosion burst in the air beside the smooth flesh of the monster, and it struggled in vain to dodge.

 

Meanwhile, Nanaki was hurriedly casting Fire over his leg, trying to melt the ice. The first Marlboro lumbered in his direction, sensing easy prey, but Nanaki growled angrily and reached for one of the many beads in his hair. He chucked the Fire Fang at the creature and couldn't help a smirk of satisfaction when it struck and burst into flame, setting the monster's tentacles alight.

 

Finally, the ice melted, and a pool formed beneath the demi-human. He forced himself to his feet, wobbling a bit on the still slightly frozen limb.

 

The first Marlboro regained control of itself, the blood bubbling up helping to subdue the flames. It hobbled at Nanaki angrily, screaming in an unintelligible garble, but he stood his ground, awaiting the monster's attack and easily slicing its thin skin with his razor-sharp claws.

 

The second Marlboro turned to Aeris, its skin all but boiled off from the onslaught of the still continuing Flare. Unsurprisingly, the monster was furious and ready to kill. It shot out its tentacles, one right after the other, not caring for its own pain.

 

She fought them off with her staff, but one managed to slip through her defenses. It slammed into her chest, and Aeris crashed to the ground.

 

`Call for me; I will help you.' A voice echoed within her mind, sounding both unknown and yet familiar.

 

Accustomed to hearing voices, she was not afraid, merely surprised. “I can't,” she gasped, struggling to her feet.

 

The masculine tone continued, becoming more insistent, `Summon me, my Aeris. I am known to you.'

 

The giant Marlboro's gaze locked on her as she leaned heavily on the Princess Guard. “I haven't the strength.”

 

`You need not the strength, dearest heart. Just the will. Call for me.'

 

She squeezed her eyes shut. “I don't know your name,” the Ancient admitted, a feeling of helplessness overcoming her. “I never knew your name.”

 

A roar echoed around the cavern, and she snapped open her eyes, finding Nanaki enveloped in a cloud of Bad Breath he could not avoid. Of course, he wasn't equipped for status effect protection, and within seconds, Nanaki was slammed by two tentacles and thrown against a nearby rock face. His body fell to the ground and writhed as poison, silence, and darkness slid into his system.

 

She could hear him moaning even from a distance.

 

The voice returned, pounding within her mind and urging her into action. `You do, child. You have known it all along. I have been here always, whispering to you in the night when you feared and giving you strength when you had none.'

 

Aeris' jade eyes widened with the realization. “Hephaestion…”

 

Immediately, the ground began to quake and collapse, leaving a jagged chasm in front of the two huge Marlboros. The creatures looked around in confusion as the mechanical Alexander rose from the depths of the crack, spraying steam from his joints. He leaned forward to gaze at the creatures, anger evident in his glowing eyes. The summon supported his weight on his arms as the Marlboros began to quake with fear.

 

Two thin, blue lasers traced a quick flourish over the stone beneath the monsters, and the ground erupted in a great explosion, pelting the Marlboros with thick, heavy stone. They fell into the depths of the crater, effectively ending the battle in one move.

 

Aeris ignored the pain in her chest and dashed to Nanaki's side, managing to collapse just next to his writhing body. She searched through her pack with shaking hands for an antidote or remedy or something because she didn't have the strength for another cast.

 

`I will heal you both. Worry not, my beloved animus.'

 

Aeris raised her gaze to find an older gentleman standing above she and Nanaki. He wore silver robes, which covered him from neck to toe. His face was ageless, and his hair was streaked with grey, especially the longish but neatly trimmed beard that sprouted jauntily from his chin.

 

The mysterious man knelt down next to the two. He closed his eyes and placed a hand on each of their foreheads, and Aeris felt a cooling wind rush through her body, causing the pain in her chest and ribs abated. Beside her, she could see Nanaki becoming calmer.

 

“Hephaestion?” she murmured softly, realization dawning once more when the man opened his eyes. She found herself staring into azure irises and felt as if she had dared a glance into eternity.

 

Aeris shivered unintentionally.

 

He stroked back her hair gently, much like a father would. “Soon,” Hephaestion murmured, rising to his feet. “You will know why I have contacted you this day.”

 

Nanaki moaned, and she glanced down to see the demi-human opening his eyes and attempting to rise. There was not a trace of injury upon him.

 

Wide-eyed, the flower-girl lifted her head to thank the older man, but both he and the summon were gone.

 

On the other side of the battlefield, Vincent gasped as he tripped on a rock, cursing his bad luck when he tumbled to his knees, and the Tonberry caught the clumsy movement and moved in for the kill. It rushed the fallen ex-Turk, but Vincent twisted out of the way just in time and caught the blood-stained knife on his arm. The rusted blade ripped through his shirt and sliced a deep gash into his flesh from forearm to shoulder.

 

Ignoring the burning pain, Vincent swung the barrel of the Death Penalty and knocked the Tonberry away from him before it even got a chance to strike again. The soulless creature tumbled away, body turning head over heels across the rocky ground, but the gunman didn't spare it a glance as he pushed himself to his feet. He cursed as he glanced at the wound in his arm. The faint edges were already beginning to heal, but that didn't stop the blood from coursing out and down his arm in rivulets. He knew that the blade had to have been poisoned in some way and wondered what foul concoction now coursed through his veins.

 

Vincent felt a strange sense of foreboding.

 

Shaking his head, he cocked the Death Penalty and searched for his enemy. The lantern had shattered into many pieces, but the knife had never left the Tonberry's grip; further, the creature was already picking itself up off the ground.

 

“I'm calling Bahamut,” Reeve announced, already reaching for his materia.

 

Vincent simply nodded before rushing the Tonberry, hoping to be fast enough to attack first. Lady Luck spat on him, and the monster darted forward, bringing its weapon in a wide arc. He swiftly blocked the blade with his clawed hand and kicked viciously at the smaller creature, wincing at the screech of metal as blade and claw fought for dominance.

 

He carefully balanced the Death Penalty in one hand and aimed it at the Tonberry. Hopefully, at that a short distance, it would be more effective, and Vincent felt no remorse as he shot the monster point-blank.

 

The gunman stumbled backwards as the Tonberry was thrown away by the force of the shot. For a moment, Vincent felt his head swim and his eyes blur as he struggled to regain his balance. He cursed when he realized that the monster's blade had been coated with Deadly Waste. Normally, it wouldn't have affected him, but he had wasted his energies on ensuring that his limit break would not overcome him.

 

“Mega Flare!”

 

Vincent slumped to the ground, Reeve's summon echoing in his mind. He patted his pockets dully, trying to find the antidote Cid had pressed into his hand when they had all separated earlier.

 

It seemed like so long ago.

 

A thunderstorm appeared out of nowhere within the belowground crater. It illuminated a patch of cloud in the darkened sky. The air swirled and distorted, forming a funnel, which pointed up into the atmosphere.

Bahamut spiraled down from above, wrapped in his wings and headed by a thick re-entry cone of compressed air. Coming to a halt, the great dragon let out a roar and surveyed the battlefield. His calm, golden gaze took note of the slumped gunman and the human who had called him.

 

His eyes narrowed when he caught sight of the Tonberrys, two creatures that he loathed intently. A bright, pink flare formed in front of his mouth, growing as it gathered energy before launching itself as an over-bright comet with a blue tail. It struck the Tonberry that was assaulting Reeve in a brilliant explosion, which obliterated the creature completely.

 

Meanwhile, Vincent allowed a faint smile to grace his face when he finally felt his fingers slide over the smooth bottle of the antidote. He grasped the vial and pulled out the stopper, immediately upending the bottle and pouring the clear liquid into his mouth. An instant warming sensation tingled across his tongue and down his throat as the antidote did its job. Vincent merely sat back and waited for the medicine to spread throughout his entire body.

 

The dragon's eyes settled on the last Tonberry, who eyed him without fear. Its arrogance was clear to Bahamut, and his irises flashed as he bared his sharp teeth. The summon hissed, flapping his wings fiercely and rising into the air before diving down at the soulless beast.

 

The Tonberry did not flinch, its eyes completely expressionless, and as Bahamut drew nearer, Reeve caught the slight change in the monster's stillness and knew it was about to attack Bahamut with its knife.

 

However, before he could get the warning out, a shot rang through the air and struck the Tonberry. It perfectly blew the knife from the creature's hands seconds before the great maw of the summon closed around the monster.

 

Long sharp fangs clomped down, and the Tonberry disappeared into Bahamut's gullet, just a minor snack compared to what the great dragon was used to.

 

Reeve wasn't sure if he even had the energy to cheer their victory.

 

Bahamut swallowed and then swiveled his head towards the human. Golden, slitted eyes locked onto him, and Reeve immediately froze. He felt trapped within the gaze of a being who had lived for millennia longer than he had.

 

Truthfully, historians weren't even sure if most summons were even from their planet.

 

`Learn who I am, little dragon,' a deep and ancient voice resonated inside Reeve's head.

 

He jumped at the unexpected tone.

 

`Learn of the past, and perhaps then you will find what you seek.'

 

He didn't recognize the voice, but he knew without a doubt that it was the ancient summon who had spoken to him. Reeve nodded slowly, not trusting his tongue to work properly, and at his acknowledgement, lightning sparked out of nowhere before Bahamut ducked his head slightly. He then flew upwards into a rapidly building corona of clouds and promptly disappeared.

 

“Do you think Sephiroth has gained control of the beasts here?” Nanaki asked quietly, drawing the Reeve's attention back to his friends.

 

Aeris shook her head. “Impossible. I don't know what possessed them to attack in such large groups, but there is no way Sephiroth has gained the ability to control monsters.”

 

Reeve frowned before turning towards Vincent, not quite convinced with Aeris' rebuttal. “How is your wound?”

 

The gunman glanced up at him momentarily before returning to glaring at the tear in the fabric of his shirt. “It is all but healed. The biggest threat was the poison.”

 

Nanaki blinked, confused. “I thought poison didn't affect you?”

 

Vincent sighed and turned away. “There are circumstances, which has made that a possibility now,” he murmured before quickly changing the subject. “Either way, we have to get moving; we can't sit around here.”

 

Aeris shook her head. “At least, let me take a look at the wound.”

 

The ex-Turk decided to humor her, lest he be forced to endure a longer argument. He rolled up the sleeve of his shirt, noting with disgust that it was caked with his blood, and proved that indeed his wound had mostly sealed.

 

Nevertheless, Aeris gently placed her hands on his arm. “The poison is gone,” she noted, flashing him another one of her winning smiles.

 

“I could have told you that,” he remarked, slipping back into his old shell.

 

The moment the words left his lips, he felt a shiver of guilt run through his body. Aeris had not deserved his bitter tongue, but she was unfazed by his rather rude answer and stood up. She offered him a hand, which he took, even as he cast an apologetic look.

 

“You know, Reeve,” Nanaki began after sweeping his gaze over the former executive. “How is that you are the only one of us to have not been injured at all?”

 

The amber-eyed man laughed as he shook his head. “I'm just that good. The monsters couldn't get anywhere near me.”

 

Nanaki flexed his weaponed hand as he stretched out his once frozen leg, shooting the other male an amused glance. “Confident much?”

 

“Only as I need to be,” Reeve smoothly answered, but his face darkened suddenly. “I have to be.”

 

Aeris frowned, noticing the somber tone that the man's voice had taken on. She instantly sensed what had changed his expression.

 

“They are fine,” she assured.

 

Vincent listened to them in silence as he checked over the Death Penalty before putting it back in its holster. His arm still ached, and for the moment, he didn't feel like hauling the weapon. Inwardly, he was hoping that Cid was all right. Without being near the pilot, he couldn't fulfill his vow to protect the man.

 

It was worrisome.

 

“With Cloud waving that freakishly huge sword around and Yuffie picking the monster's pockets, how can they lose?” Nanaki continued, a hint of jest to his tone.

 

Reeve grinned, a sudden thought hitting him. “And if that doesn't work, Cid could always curse them until they give up and run away!”

 

The three laughed, glancing slyly at the quiet gunman. They were most surprised when they found yet another rare smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

 

“Hai,” Vincent agreed as he turned to face them. “Then again, Reno could drive them crazy as well, yo.” He made a vague motion with his hand, attempting to mimic the Turk's nonchalant air.

 

It really didn't go so well, but it was a nice try.

 

Nanaki gripped his friend warmly on the shoulder as the four turned towards the tunnel they had been heading for earlier. “I do think our brash pilot is having an effect on you,” he commented, eyeing the human. “I dare say that was a joke I heard from your mouth.”

 

It came again, that mysterious half-smile tugging at the corner of the ex-Turk's lips. “I think you would be pleasantly surprised how much I've changed.”

 

Vincent didn't see Reeve and Aeris behind them, exchanging happy glances. He did, however, catch the smirk that appeared on Nanaki's face and couldn't resist the urge to roll his eyes. They made such a big deal out of every little thing.

 

* * *