Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction / Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ To Hell and Back and Back Again ❯ Collapse ( Chapter 2 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Disclaimer: See Chapter I for the standard disclaimer.

Vincent felt his eyebrow raise at the sight of the green and black shape that had swallowed Cloud up. His eyes narrowed when he saw Sephiroth shoot from within its depths before the gate closed. He knew the other's eyes hadn't been able to keep up with the movements of the master swordsmen, except for maybe Red XIII, but he had seen Cloud fall in along with Sephiroth, but only the platinum-haired demi-god had arisen.

"Sephiroth!" Tifa gasped when she finally saw the man standing atop the old Shin-Ra building. "Where's Cloud?" She looked around for her blond friend, not able to see him anywhere.

A silence stretched while everyone looked around for Cloud, except Red XIII and Vincent, who exchanged worried looks. "He never came out of that portal." Red muttered to the group, who all turned to look at him wide-eyed.

"Nan'(1)?" Yuffie shouted, her hold on the materia loosening completely as all the pool ball-sized orbs fell to the ground and scattered around her. "What do you mean 'Cloud never came out of that portal'?"

The tiger-wolf shook his head sorrowfully. "I saw Sephiroth come out of that green portal, but Cloud never came out."

"Well, that ain't...Nani ano jigoku(2)?" Cid shouted and jerked Sierra to the side, throwing Tifa and Yuffie to the ground. Vincent looked up from his spot clinging to the wall, sharp golden claws dug into the walls, and stared out the glass front of the ship. There, floating in all his glory, was Sephiroth. Tifa and Yuffie screamed as the Masamune (3) went through the glass of the airship. The evil laughter drifted through the cracked glass, which was slowly cracking even more, down to the bottom of the glass floor. “Kuso(4)!" Cid shouted as air visibly began to shoot from the glass back to the planet and the metal bands holding it all together creaked. "We're too high up!" He shouted. "We're either gonna die of lack of oxygen or were gonna crash!"

As soon as the words left his mouth, Sierra lurched to her right, sending everyone, Cid included, to the right side of the ship as it started to slowly dip towards the ground. Yuffie screamed when the sound of gunfire rang through the air. Looking up, the ninja saw Vincent being thrown against the wall right beside her, his attacker being none other then Sephiroth…

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Seth glanced at the blond that was lying on a papyrus mattress, still unconscious. Shaking his head, he moved to retrieve the cloth from the warrior's forehead, ignoring the man’s shudder as his cool skin passed Cloud's heated flesh. With a sigh he dipped the cloth in cold water before wringing it out and putting it back on the blond’s forehead...

Cloud smiled as he thought back over the last few weeks. His written exam had gone extremely well and, even if his physical exam was a little worse for the wear, he still passed. But there was one more to go.

He watched as some of the other SOLDIERs-in-training sat down on the chair and bore their arms to the good doctor. Cloud couldn't remember his name off by hand, but that really didn't matter since all he could think about was how his best friend, Zax, said that the injections were painful, and recruits of his time had even passed out at the sight of the green-glowing Mako.

Sitting in the seat he rolled up the khaki colored military jacket to his elbow, gritting his teeth and looking the other way as the man in a lab coat came closer with the needle. Cloud stiffened and relaxed at the prick of the needle...but as soon as the liquid essence of the planet was injected all his world was made of was white hot pain. He was vaguely aware of his screaming, as he felt his own personal life stream flow from the tiny prick of the needle and down his arm, which sent pins and needles multiplied by ten through his arm...

And then it was black...

"Do you think he's going to wake anytime soon?" Maha'ado asked the worried looking, white clad holder of the Millennium Tauk, the priestess Isis.

"Forgive me, Maha'ado, my friend, but I cannot tell for certain. In fact, I cannot see his future at all." The female priestess said with a sigh as she looked at the twisting blond. The boy had been in the troughs of nightmares for the past three days from what she could tell, and even though he had had a sword through his lungs, he was still alive and healing remarkably well.

Seth rubbed irritably at the bridge of his nose "I honestly doubt he will wake anytime soon, Maha'ado," He said with all his usual sarcasm. "That is, if he even wakes at all..." A short groan cut him short and he, Maha'ado, and Isis all looked to their pale guest, noting that he was moving, blue eyes blinking open and peering at the ceiling.

"Nani? Doko de ore wa desu ka(5)?" The blond mumbled as he attempted to move support himself on his forearms.

"You're injured." Isis insisted walking over and placing a hand on the man’s shoulder, who looked at her with blurred, but wary eyes.

Cloud could feel a headache, and the black haired woman was speaking gibberish, merely making it worse. "T-Tifa?" He asked quietly, not sure what he was expecting. The sudden flash of sharp pain down his left arm was unexpected and jolted him straight up. He looked down in horror as he felt the poison known as JENOVA eat at his skin, marring the pale flesh with heat and cold at the same time. With a sharp hiss he doubled over, clutching his arm as he felt it roughen, the skin under his fingers feeling like ashes. The pain spread lower to his wrist, and it was suddenly worse then the geostigma attack in Aeris' church and the wastelands around old Midgar. He felt a scream tear from his throat and he felt three pairs of hands holding him steady, a male voice calling for something in a language that he didn't know.

Just as he managed to open his eyes, the door burst open and a man with white hair came running in.

Clouds pained mind saw the man's silver hair grow longer, and the man was no longer wearing a white robe but a SOLDIER uniform in black with a trench coat. Cloud threw off one of the men who was holding him down, and after a quick search of the room with Mako enhanced eyes, he found what he was looking for and dove for his sword. Pulling the large broadsword upright, he shifted his feet to accommodate the shift in his weight. With a snarl Cloud shot forward, taking a slash at the man. Unfortunately, Cloud’s body was slow from his recovering, returning geostigma, and not eating, and the Sephiroth look-alike jumped away, the blade hitting the sand colored stone beneath his feet. With a grunt Cloud pulled the blade back and struck again, missing for a second time.

Just as he was about to take a third shot someone stood in his way, and he stopped the blade right above the short man’s head. He heard many shouts of "Per-a'a(6)!", and who ever it was, they had red, blond, and black hair, cinnamon skin, white clothes and piercing red eyes. With a groan, Cloud let the blade drop to the side and he collapsed in the strangers arms, panting from the exertion and allowing the darkness to over come him.

"Pharaoh!" Maha'ado shouted, taking the now unconscious blond from his king's arms "He could have killed you, my king!"

Akunadin, the one with white hair, nodded. "Not that I’m not thankful for you stopping his...rampage...but you could have gotten hurt, my young king."

The king, Atem, shook his tri-colored locks with a small smile "And if it was to be, then Horus would have let him at me, ne?" No one was willing to argue with the king, so they all let it be. "When he awakes, come and get me, please."

-----

Cloud tried blinking away the annoying white light that was dancing in front of his closed eyes, only to notice his eyelids were extremely heavy. Not only that, but he was warmly bundled up in what felt like warm linen. Finally managing to pry his eyes open, he blearily sat up, looking around the gold furnished room, blinking at the sunlight flowing through a curtained doorway leading outside.

"I see you're awake." A rough voice to his left said.

"Un." He muttered in agreement, before sitting bolt upright with wide blue eyes "I understood you!" He gasped, looking at the brunet to his left on the opposite side from the door. "How can I understand you?" He asked, blinking when he realized his thoughts were still in his native language, but with the simple wish to understand the man, he could suddenly speak his language as well.

"That seems to be the case." The blue eyed brunet said "I am Seth, Hem-netjer-tepey(7) to the Pharaoh Atem of the 6th dynasty."

Cloud nodded. "Ore wa(8)...I am Cloud Strife." He said. "I have no rank other then as a merce...delivery man." He had nearly said 'mercenary', but he wasn't a freelance warrior any longer, he reminded himself.

"A delivery man carrying around a large sword that our strongest warrior could just barely lift, let alone wield?"

Cloud shook his head. "I used to be in the military...where am I, anyway?" He asked, trying to draw the brunettes attention away from the past he would rather not think of.

"You are in Kemet(9)." High Priest Seth said, offering him a cup with some sort of steaming liquid in it. "Also known as Egypt. Drink, it will help you regain the strength that your blood took with it."

Cloud eyed the cup before shaking his head. "I'm fine. It will merely take me a few hours to regain all the strength I lost." He paused for a moment, looking over at his sword leaning against the wall "I had a dream, but I’m feeling that it isn't one. Did I attack somebody?"

"Yes. You attacked the priest Akunadin." Seth said. "Our Pharaoh stepped in the way...but if you would have even touched him, we - the six holders of the Millennium Items- would have killed you without hesitation."

Cloud nodded, briefly wondering what the 'Millennium Items' were before looking around. "Do you have my clothes?"

"Your clothes would have gotten far too many stares. If you wish for clothing you may have to make do with a linen robe." Seth stood and clapped his hands once.

A girl of about 13 years old came scurrying in "Yes, Milord?" The girl asked meekly, bowing to Seth.

"Fetch a simple white robe for our guest." He ordered. The girl nodded and scurried off again, only to return minutes later with a robe.

"I hope this fits, Milord." She said with a bow, leaving the robe on the end of the bed before leaving. Cloud stared after the girl with mild shock. Other then her tanned skin and darker hair, that girl had looked exactly like Marlene. Seth nodded to Cloud, a polite but cold gesture, before leaving, closing the door behind him with a sharp snap. Cloud sighed, looking at his left arm. It was curious, he was positive that the shower in Aeris' Church had gotten rid of his geostigma, but, unfortunately, it seemed to have returned full force. With a shake of his head, Cloud found some bandages that had been used to keep him from bleeding all over. Taking one of the strips of linen, he wrapped it around his arm, hissing at the pain the mere touch of fabric against the burn like scars brought. Biting his lip, Cloud completely wrapped the bandage up to his shoulder, tying it tight enough for it to not come loose. He pulled the linen over his head before standing up. It was less of a robe and more of a tunic, since the fabric was sleeveless and ended to just above his knees. Finding the brown cord that was left with the tunic he tied it around his waist to hold the fabric down. Glancing over, he saw a mirror. The blond took a few steps towards it, looking at his appearance. He looked rather odd in white, not having seen himself in such a light color since before...

'Best not think of that.' Cloud thought to himself, running his fingers through his blond hair before turning away from the mirror and heading towards the door, but before his hand had reached the handle the door had opened from the other side, revealing the tri-color haired king.

The man, Atem if Cloud remembered correctly, smiled. "Well, now, I was hoping to talk to you before the sun rose to its highest." Cloud nodded, moving back to sit on the bed as Atem sat on the chair not to far away "Forgive Seth, if he was in anyway hostile." Atem said with a sigh "Our beloved Egypt has been having a war for a while now, so he may have believed you a spy." Yami smiles again, "Your skin is too pale to even be from around here, let alone be from the Kem-nesew(10)."

"Kem-nesew?" Cloud asked to no one in particular.

"Yes, 'the Black Rulers'. They've been terrorizing my people for some time now." Atem paused "You must be bored, if you lug around a sword that large, then you must be used to adventure. If you wish I can have a horse saddled up for you."

Cloud blinked "I've never ridden a horse before...I've ridden a Chocobo, though."

"What’s a Chocobo?" Atem asked with a curious look

"Never mind!" Cloud said hurriedly. 'They don't have Chocobos!' He thought with shock. 'How do they travel?' He paused for a moment. "Learning how to ride a horse sounds like something to pass the time." He said with a miniscule smile to the Pharaoh "Although, I may need someone to teach me."

Atem smiled. "I can have Karim do that. He's rather fond of horses and tries to make any excuse he can to stay in the stables." He said with a chuckle.

Cloud smiles. "Thank you, Your Highness--"

"Please, Atem is fine unless it's a formal meeting." The red eyed man said with a smirk. "Maybe my priests may get used to it as well and follow your lead."

"Hnn...Ariga--Thank you, Atem."

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Translations and Notes:

1) Nan'- another form of 'Nani'. Means 'What'.

2) Nani ano jigoku?- Literally 'What the Hell?'.

3) I know that I had Sephiroth leave his sword in cloud in Egypt, but it just appears out of no where in the movie, so I assumed that he could do it when ever he wants.

4) Kuso- 'Damn it/them'.

5) Doko de ore wa desu ka?- 'Where am I?' At least, that’s what I think it says. I'm getting better at speaking and writing Japanese, but their grammar still screws me up.

6) Per-a’a- Pharaoh.

7) Hem-netjer-tepey- High Priest.

8) Ore wa- It’s a very informal, almost insulting way to say 'I/me'. Cloud uses this form a lot, which goes to show how he really thinks of himself.

9) Kemet- Black Lands (Egypt).

10) Kem-nesew- Black Rulers.

Gomen Ne, I really didn't mean for this to take so long. Computer problems, school problems, job problems, tournament problems (yeah, I'm running a Yu-Gi-Oh! Championship for my little comunity here.)...if you want the full explination, just see Chapter 2 of Demonism. It's right at the bottom