Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ Stained Halo ❯ Grim Reaper's Failure ( Chapter 1 )

Stained Halo

Chapter 1: Grim Reaper's Failure

 

After the first explosion, he thought that the rocky terrain he was fleeing through was the closest thing to hell on earth. After the second went off mere feet away from him, he was sure it actually was hell. Blood was everywhere, staining soldier's twisted bodies and the ground. Even the air seemed to turn crimson with all the panic and death filling it. His thoughts were frantic, crazed, how could anyone think clearly in this mess? What had been a battlefield ten minutes ago was quickly turning into a mass grave. The cunning Wutai warriors had unleashed an ambush so deadly that the invading Shinra forces were finding themselves being pushed back brutally.

 

Escape was the only option left for him and all the other unfortunate souls trapped in this tomb. His eyes scanned the area desperately for a hiding spot as he dodged the weapons, bullets, and magic assaults being launched all around him. Suddenly, a cry erupted out of him as he hit the ground. Looking back he saw he'd lost his footing over a corpse. Horrified, he scrambled away hurriedly.

 

So much death...and for what? To satisfy Shinra's greed. But for once, it seemed that Shinra had met its match. These Wutaian fighters were as passionate as they were skilled. They would never give up their land willingly.

 

Finally, he reached a small opening within one of the many rocky hills that filled the field. It would have been impossible torn any longer; if exhaustion didn't kill him, one of the ninjas certainly would. Crouching down he hid inside the stony sanctuary and held his breath. He felt as if despite the enormous battle clamor, a tiny sound would give him away. But even if he remained unseen until the onslaught lessened, where would he run? He was trapped on an island.

 

His thoughts were cut short when a Shinra soldier was brought down by a ninja star mere feet outside of his hiding place. The man twisted back horribly as it sliced through his spine and fell to the ground. But he fell in such a way that he was directly facing the hiding spot of the soldier crouching among the rocks.

 

Ice-cold fear ran through him when he realized the fallen soldier saw him - and dear god, was reaching what should be a totally limp arm out to him. That idiot would expose him! He fiercely shook his head as the man grunted something that sounded like 'help.' The man was clearly going to die, why would he bring his fellow soldier down with him? There was clearly nothing he could do for him.

 

Nevertheless, pity welled up within his chest as he watched the man slowly submit to his helplessness. He badly wanted to look away, knew that he needed to look away if he valued his life at all. But he couldn't. The man was just a few steps away, if he could only run over and grab him without being seen ... but what if he was caught? He'd be killed, taken down in an instant.

 

"Oh, to hell with it."

 

Before logic could stop him, he hurtled himself out of the small cave, and with adrenaline pushing his feet to lightning quick speed, he ran over to the fallen man, grabbed him and pulled him back to his hiding spot. He collapsed within it, as immense fear ran through him. But no one came after him.

 

He looked down at the man he was cradling. He was badly hurt and probably wouldn't last much longer. Fiddling through his own pockets he pulled out a few potions and a cure materia. He hadn't had a chance to use them since the battle had moved far too quickly for him to do anything but run. Now he went to work on the man, knowing that it wouldn't be powerful enough to help him significantly, but it would at least ease the pain and stop the blood.

 

Carefully, he turned him over so he could tend to the wound on his back. When he pulled up the blood soaked shirt, his eyes widened in shock. The cut had literally missed the spinal chord by what couldn't be more than a finger's width. Wutai warriors didn't ever miss their targets. This was a very lucky man; by all logic he should be dead.

 

After the healing treatment had been applied he turned the man back over and leaned him on his side against the wall. He gave a small start when he noticed his eyes were open.

 

"Are you ... conscious?" He tilted his head to the side to study the man's face. He was older, and by the looks of it no soldier at all. Probably just like him, he'd been ripped out of his normal life by that damn draft.

 

The man gave a small nod as a response, his face randomly twitching with pain, but on the whole he was strangely calm. His composed state was unnerving, and the younger man couldn't help but ask himself if he realized what just happened or whether he was in some state of shock.

 

"You know you're one lucky son of a ..."

 

"I know," he breathed out, "I should be dead."

 

The younger man gave a weak smile. "Hell, I should be too."

 

But the other man shook his head slowly.

 

"No, I mean it. I should be dead. It was as if I was already gone, but somehow you pulled me back," he let out a small grunt of pain before adding a "thank you."

 

"Ah, it was nothing," he lied. He peered outside, "I'm telling you though, I don't know how much I extended your life by. We can't hide forever."

 

But the other man was slowly giving in to fatigue; his eyes were halfway shut until all of a sudden the explosions outside seemed to triple. Both men's hands flew to cover their ears. Hell was breaking loose all around them, but neither was willing to peer outside and see what was unleashing this noise. It only took a few minutes for the noise to stop. Only a few shots rang through the air - but the noise was so quiet compared to the previous moment that it felt like complete silence.

 

Both of their bodies shook violently as they imagined the worst. The younger man couldn't take it anymore. He carefully crawled outside the cave to examine the area but his surveillance was cut short as a boot stepped right in front of him and he heard the clicking of a gun above him. It's over, he thought to himself as he awaited the bullet. But instead came a voice asking him if he was all right.

 

He shifted his gaze upwards and saw no cruel Wutai warrior - no he saw a young man in a SOLDIER's uniform. Which meant Sephiroth and his troop had arrived. Which meant the Wutai warriors stood absolutely no chance.

 

They were saved.

 

The last thing he ever did on the Wutai shore was ask the man he'd saved what he was going home to. His response was a smile and the picture of a smiling brunette.

 

"Her name's Elmyra."