Nanaki and the Fallen Angel Chapter 14
Assassins of Good
By Brady Bryner, Bill Shofstall, & Anthony McKinley
New Continent, Ancient Castle 6:06 PM Sept. 17
The Turks returned with soldiers. They had to find out what happened to these people, and who they were. "Get that extraction drill! We should take a blood sample from one of these people..." The man grabbed the drill away and began drilling through the substance with it. Right when he reached the skin, he stopped and pressed a button. A needle shot into the man's skin and extracted blood. He pulled it out and handed the man next to him a vial. "Take this to the lab, I want it screened and tested." He dropped the drill and grabbed his chest after the man ran off. "Hu... Hu..." He tried to scream for help, but his lungs wouldn't let him. He fell to the ground, still clutching his chest. There were people all around. Why couldn't they see him? Why couldn't they help? The man stood over him now.
"Thank God... He'll help me..." His thoughts were wrong. The man just looked, and removed his helmet. Long silver hair flowed over his shoulders. He raised a foot at the man on the ground. Sephiroth raised a foot, clad in black. He dropped it, not onto, but into the man's head. He split him open like a melon. Blood and a clear liquid the brain HAD floated in spilled onto the ground, brains still on Sephiroth's foot. Sephiroth turned back to HIS soldiers. The soldiers the man thought were there to protect him. But the man thought. What had happened?
~~~
"GYAAH!" Dr. Baker looked around the camp. His huge tent. It was morning all ready. "What a dream..." He rubbed his eyes, got out of bed, and put on clothes. He went out and got his assistant. "I think we'll take a blood sample."
"Yes sir!" The assistant got the drill and got the sample and gave it to the doctor. He wasn't Sephiroth, just hired to do menial tasks. The doctor took the blood back and screened and tested it. He checked records for any related blood type. One flashed on the screen.
"Well... Isn't this odd? A research specimen..." Aeris Gainsborough. He new that name. A city of Ancients. What had saved them? What had encased them in this glassy texture? But what scared him the most was that the blood cells were alive.
"Are you sure?"
"God damn it! Stop asking that! Of course I'm sure! These sons a' bitches are alive under them things!"
"We've been given orders not to remove any from the substance."
"I don't give a damn! These are the oldest links to humanity we can find, and you won't let me study them!"
"I'm sorry doc... Oh... You'll get one... And if they find out, it had nothing to do with me, mister. It'll be your ass in the frying pan." Nanaki, Anthony, and Kianki were sent to the island by Reeve. He said that it may help them find what they were looking for.
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New Continent, Ancient Castle 2:12 PM Sept. 23
Nanaki and Kianki walked through the streets of the city. The soldiers were off on the other side, and hadn't made a sweep through this part yet. "I can't help but think who created this castle..." Kianki looked up at the castle with its spires and towers.
"The Cetra, naturally."
"I know that! I mean, who designed it, and who built it. The individuals."
"Oh... Beats me..." Nanaki ran up onto a stone trough and jumped up onto a rafter, and pulled himself onto the roof. Kianki followed. "So... Where is the other one?"
"I don't know... He said he'd be around." Seconds later, a building behind them shot out a flame, and Anthony. Anthony flew through the air, visibly smoking, but seemingly not burnt. He slammed into the wall beneath them.
"GWAAAH!" He shook his head. "How the hell did that happen?" He looked dazed and shook his head again.
"Anthony? What the hell did you do?"
"HEY! You tell me not to swear!"
"WHAT DID YOU DO?" Kianki gritted her teeth.
"I just read a little parchment, and all the sudden it exploded and sent me flying backwards!" Kianki looked down at him. He had a pointed, black hat on his head.
"What is that?"
"Umm... Nothin'!" He yanked the hat off of his head and hid it under himself. "You see... I said..." He said something odd, almost impossible to understand, and a huge flame lit and exploded in front of him, but didn't hurt him this time. "SEE!" Kianki hopped down and asked him to say it again. He said it slowly, and nothing happened. "I guess you have to say it fast." She did, and perfectly, but nothing happened. Nanaki jumped down. "You try it!" He did, and a flame appeared.
"Then why can't I... I get it. You see... You're dark magic, I'm light, and Nanaki was hit with a grey orb, so I'm guessing he can do all kinds of spells."
"Not many at all!" Lord Cait hopped down off the roof too. "But to compensate for the tiny amount of spells he really can do, he can summon the espers!" He pulled out his deck of cards, now a full set. "I got all my cards back! And I got my marbles back, too!" He pulled out a leather sack filled with tiny, gem like marbles.
Kianki grumbled, "I knew he lost em'..." She considered slapping him just for a laugh, but decided against it. It wasn't exactly the most priestly and clerical thing to do. "What the hell?" She slapped him across the back of the head.
"H... Hey! What do you think you're doing? You...you...horn dog!" Anthony hit him across the back of the head and knocked him on the ground.
"You have to hit it harder to shut it up!"
"I gotcha'." She slapped him back to Anthony.
"Stop it! Guys!?! Knock it off!"
"Say you're sorry..."
"I'm sorry! Now lemme alone!" Kianki gave him one last swat and sent him careening over the cobble stone street. He got up, collected his composure and walked back. "Friggin' in greats..." A flame blasted out and knocked him on the ground. Nanaki and Anthony both looked at the sky like nothing had happened. He hobbled away from the three creatures and into the castle.
"Etigin!" He looked around. A man with pure gold skin, a scepter with a ruby sun on top, and a belt buckled around his fantastic jade armor. The belt held a scimitar that blazed red and flamed. Lord Cait shuddered.
"Um... Uh... Heh... Hi Ra. How has banishment been treating you? Heh... Oh damn..."
"Etigin, you fool. You had me banished!"
~~~
"It isn't right Ra."
"We are more powerful then those pitiful creatures! We should rule the planet."
"No! Ra, I'll have no part of it!"
"You will."
"No. I'll... I'll tell Bahamut!"
"Bahamut? He's as much an idiot as you! An imbucile."
~~~
"You did..."
"Yes I did, Ra! And you deserved it!"
"Shut up, incolent creature. You'll help me now. You can't run to Bahamut. You can't stop me."
"Like hell I can't. Even if you did beat me, the other espers would destroy you." Lord Cait thought. "But... How did you get here? Your materia was..."
"It was hidden in the last remaining Narsh cave. It was found by Mog. I am released."
"How!?!"
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Gold Saucer, Battle Square 2:54 PM Sept. 23
"Damn thing!" Mog punched the materia. "Work! Work damn you!"
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New Continent, Ancient Castle 2:55 PM Sept. 23
"Mog released you. He is younger then you."
"He doesn't know I was banished..."
"Oh shit..."
"I need a spy. Etigin, you are that spy."
"NO!"
"Do it or I will kill you and destroy the three."
"Oh... But... Very well, Ra. I won't forget this though."
"I shan't either." Lord Cait mumbled curses as he left. Ra removed the Sun Blade from its sheath. He slashed a pillar in two, and disintegrated to dust. "Thine fool..."
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Gold Saucer, Gondola 7:03 PM Sept. 23
"Hey Kupan! Whats that?" Mog pointed at several bright lights firing into the sky.
"I believe fireworks, Mog."
"But they're so far away... I wonder why they'd send them off so far away."
"Dramatic effect?"
"Well... At least we have today off..." Mog sighed and rest his head back. They got back on eight times, asking for it to go slow, so Kupan could tell Mog all that had happened in his absence from the caves of Narsh. The last time the gondola stopped and shook violently. "What?" Mog looked at the window. "Oh crap... Comin'?" Mog hopped out the window and grabbed the wire, and began sliding to the station. Kupan followed.
"M... Mog? This ain't no good... If we fall..." He looked down.
"We're not gonna fall... Be positive..." Mog tightened the bandana with one hand and finally reached the station. Kupan jumped off panting.
"We dead yet?"
"Not quite. Come on!" Kupan sighed and rushed after Mog. They ran into the Event Square and saw people running and screaming as men in blue suits and goggles fired guns. "Oh great... Get behind a seat quick as ya' can." They hopped down behind seats, ducking away from constant gun fire. "Okay... Gonna try something..." Mog took a quick moment to perform an odd dance, but the bullets froze in air. The soldiers froze with them, the people running terrified out of the square. Mog and Kupan walked carefully around, several places having so many bullets frozen in place, they had to go around.
"Maybe we can..." Kupan grabbed several bullets from the air, and place them in the air in front of three soldiers, the cones pointed in toward the man. "Mog? When does this wear off?"
"About three minutes... Get more bullets! Keep doing that!" They worked as quick as they could, until the bullets sat in front of the men. They ducked away just in time, and watched near half the men fall under the bullet. The others were so frightened by the disappearance of the people and bullets, they ran off. Mog smiled. "Come on! This a big place, lots of people are in trouble."
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New Continent, Forest Outside City 8:42 PM Sept. 23
Sephiroth swung his sword, splitting a tree in two. It was happening. His body ached terribly, and he would bleed on occasion. But this was it. He grabbed his chest and screamed, falling to the ground.
"You fucking whelp... Get up..."
"Who said that?"
"Get up! To think... YOU used to be in SOLDIER. You are the most pathetic..." A swift foot kicked him in the ribs. "...most inscolent creature to walk this Planet..." Sephiroth looked up, and saw Sephiroth. The demon of his soul.
"I am Sephiroth. I am the best."
"You were destined to be God... And look at you. A soldier for a doomed mass of nothing."
"You are... I am not. Go back to your master. I know you all too well."
"Very well. I will return for you." The demon Sephiroth's eyes began to glow red. "Mother Jenova will be proud of me..." A pair of bat-like wings spread from his back. "You are weak..."
The true Sephiroth stood up, and hurled the sword he was holding at the demon who had murdered thousands. "My mother is not that THING... My mother is a human woman... Lucrecia. Jenova murdered her. I shall slay Jenova."
"You can not slay the destined ruler of the stars!" The demon held the blade tightly in his hands. "As you can not slay me..."
"Why not?" Sephiroth's youthful determination and beligerence returned.
"Because... My mother and I shall rule this pathetic universe... As I rule your soul..." His voice hissed, but Sephiroth wasn't afraid.
"You know what? Fuck you. I don't belong to anyone." Sephiroth leapt into the air, high enough to grab the demon's neck. "You tell your master I'm coming. I'm now an assassin. I'm God's assassin." Sephiroth punched the demon several times in the face and dropped to the ground.
"Only your weapon can slay me... As only it can slay you. It is the way it is meant to be. I will return with the Masamune, and we will fight."
"It won't be fair, you're a demon, I'm a man."
"It is fair..." He nodded and a powerful beam of light burned into Sephiroth. He screamed and grabbed his stomach, seeing the mark of an angel burned into it. "An angel versus a demon... So fitting, is it not?"
"Go ta' hell."
"I intend to. But not without dragging your soul, and the souls of these pathetic creatures with me. But unlike them, I'll return."
"Not if I make sure they burn you in the lowest pit of hell. Hades and Ifrit will enjoy the company."
"I'm sure they will, but I can slay them both. I am a god. They are espers. They are made to serve, I am to rule!" An evil cackle was all that was left echoing in Sephiroth's mind. All the sudden, all of his sins became apparent. Death of the Cetra, death of hundreds.
"I am made to serve... You are made to die..." Sephiroth clenched his fist, crying slowly. He shrieked an inhuman shriek and went back to training. He trained all night in those woods. He smashed trees with his bare hands, crushed rocks, meditated. He must prepare. He would need the help of that one creature. The red creature he had seen. It appeared to him as a flash of knowledge. "How? I tried to kill him...and those he served to protect..."
"It will be forgiven..." He did not know this voice, but it seemed perfect to him. A crystal voice, frail, yet some how seemed strong and beautiful.
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New Continent, Forest Outside City 3:02 AM Sept. 24
Nanaki was drawn by an unknown force, but kept walking. He came to a clearing of demolished trees and debris of rocks. There a man was lying asleep on the ground. His hair was silverish and long. Nanaki knew who it was, but felt no fear or anger. He simply stepped over closely and saw Sephiroth's face. The face didn't reflect all the pain and fear he had instilled, but innocence, kindness, charm that he had before going insane. Nanaki said a small phrase he knew. "I see my enemy sleeping before me, and I wonder. Has he a family? Has he friends? Before this never once have I thought of his life. I feel pity. I feel pain. For my enemy sleeps. For my honor falls to shame should I kill. Tonight he shall sleep, but the next day, I can make no promise..."
Nanaki walked away from the sleeping man, not to far, and went to sleep himself. He would monitor Sephiroth. He had to. Sephiroth dreamed of all the innocence he had missed. In his sleep he muttered, "I am Sephiroth Valentine. I am the servant..." He rolled over and fell deep into a comfortable sleep.
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