Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ Starla's Dance ❯ Chapter 6

Boots sounded heavy on the ground, as breath came in sharp gasps. Behind, somewhere, a baby cried compliantly... Maybe it had lived. Sliding to a halt, Sephiroth turned. Cloud was still close behind him. Clear in the still early moments of the suns rise. Sephiroth had succeeded in luring him away from the innocent bystanders.

"Coward!" Cloud yelled.

Calmly Sephiroth leveled his sword, starring down the blade at Cloud. Ten steps more- 9 steps, 8 steps, 7 steps, 6 steps, 5, 4, 3, Sephiroth suddenly launched forward. His powerful muscles straining to give him the maximum amount of force. The swords clashed with a sharp, hissing ring.

Twirling under the force of the impact, Sephiroth tried to strike the stunned Cloud. Cloud blocked with the hilt of the sword, and sent a fist into Sephiroth's face. Staggering back a bit, Sephiroth didn't attack waiting for Cloud's next move.

"Glad you stopped to fight." Cloud sneered.

"Hmf."

"How did you survive our last encounter?"

"Because your a bloody arse bandit who can't get a bloody thing done right." A smirk crossed Sephiroth's face. "And if I might say so, that is a hideous looking cut on your eye. Shouldn't you have someone stitch it up?"

Cloud scowled, his face scrunching in suppressed anger. The smirk on Sephiroth's face turned into a smile as his shifted his sword from his wounded hand.

"Dear me, I almost forgot we were in a fight. I swear a bunch of drunk Turk men can fight better then this. Come on, prove to me that there's some fight in you."

"You shouldn't be talking, if you have not noticed your bleeding."

Reaching back with his sore hand, Sephiroth dabbed up some red blood. Pain shot up and down his back at the response to the touch. Calmly he shrugged still starring at the blood. Cloud waited for his response raising his sword a little bit more.

"Jus' a flesh wound, nothing more. I swear Nana's old cat could do worse then this."

"Shut up you dumb fool."

Gravel spit up as Cloud launched at Sephiroth. Laughing Sephiroth launched forward at Cloud. Both swords kicking up sparks as they clashed against each other. Down low, up high, and in-between. Both pushed their limits past what normal humans could. Putting all they can into trying to make the next thrust the last.

Muscles protesting, and the sword bending precariously, Sephiroth twisted and pushed his sword against Cloud's. Cloud muttered a curse as his sword flew off to the side. Eyes glowing with adrenaline, Sephiroth lunged at Cloud, as a shot rings out into the air. Sephiroth jerked and fell back holding his left side.

"Bloody hell!"

Sephiroth lunged for his sword but found a bullet scraping his right hand. Deciding it the best Sephiroth froze. Blood dripping from a deep, but grazing wound on his side. Sighing he closed his eyes in defeat, and reserve.

"Cloud?" Vincent's deep troubled voice reverberated through the air.

"I was fine," Cloud snapped.

By the tone of his voice, Sephiroth could tell Cloud was hurting, upset, and ready to snap. Hopefully he would snap and show Vincent that he was not the bad one in this situation. That hope faded when Vincent's berreta pressed against his spinal column. A sure kill should he fire.

"Vincent please-Don't-Listen." Sephiroth whispered.

The leather on Vincent's hand squeaked, Sephiroth knew he was going to pull the trigger. And he did, but he shifted the gun enough to graze his right leg. Sephiroth doubled over on the ground, not daring to open his eyes. Vincent pressed the gun back on Sephiroth's spinal column. It was still warm from firing.

"Next time I won't miss." Vincent said calmly in his depressed manor.

By this time Cloud knew his advantage. Vincent had just come in and had yet to get the full story. He did not know that Cloud had killed all those people, not Sephiroth. Old habits die hard for some people. When old habits die hard it always gave someone the upper hand advantage.

Walking over to his sword, Cloud picked it up. He eyed Vincent holding a gun to Sephiroth's head like it was natural. Sephiroth doubled over at Vincent's mercy. Such a site was exquisite, and Cloud found him self aroused. securing his sword behind him he slowly shifted to get a better line site of Vincent, and out of an easy shot.

"Thank you for coming Vincent, he almost had me." Cloud said tiredly. "I thought it was over. I was having a time with my-" Something caught Cloud's eye. "Girlfriend, when he started killing people."

"Bollux!"

The gun clicked loudly, causing Sephiroth to grip his good-byes. But nothing happened. When the gun pulled back and an empty cartridge dropped to the ground, and a new one clicked into place Sephiroth knew. Fates shone down on Sephiroth, Vincent usually never ran out of bullets.

"Bullux? Well, here she is-" Cloud lunged out and grabbed someone by the arm.

Sephiroth's eyes flew open, he knew it was Starla.