Darkness Falls Chapter 26

By Gemini83

Seto was currently engaged in a rather heated battle for the passes to the south of Midgar. A great deal of Drahk had made planetfall, and they had to be stopped. Like great shadows they were, clothed in the black and darkness that suited them.

The great Cian had led his forces into bloody combat with the countless Drahk hordes. But Seto took comfort in the fact that they could bleed...and what could bleed was mortal. Of itself, under the cover of darkness, a Drahk looked frightening. But rip away the facade, tear away the cloak and dagger, and one was left with nothing more than an odd creature with an strange scream and a simple black cloak. Seto smiled, if the Drahk war cries indicated anything about their fighting, this would be over quickly. He could out-roar them any day, he did have his pride to think about. He also took solace in each Drahk warrior that fell before his paws.

Seto’s eyes, indeed his very body, glowed with a hue of red energy. Beside him, never failing, his mate fought relentlessly, glowing an ice blue to his blazing fire. And on they fought, the elements of fire and ice, reaping their toll of death from their enemies. Screams rang out from both sides, as the tides of battle swept this way and that. Seto and his mate swept through the oceans of battle like sharks, felling all who stood in their way. Enemies were a quick snarl and scream, as they died from any number of claw and magic attacks. But the Drahk were formidable opponents, and it was clear that the battle was deadlocked.

‘But for how long,’ thought Seto, ‘it’s only a matter of time before-’

His thoughts were cut short as a massive tremor began to shake the ground beneath his paws.

“What madness is this?” asked his mate, “did someone cast quake?”

Seto shook his head, “it’s too powerful for that. The entire battlefield is trembling.”

A great light came from the skies, engulfing the war torn fields with a bluish hue. The air crackled as if polarized with energy. Rocks and debris floated in the air.

Seto was nearly blinded as an intense blast of light came crashing down to the surface. The explosion was deafening as well as blinding, and Seto could barely think. When at last he opened his eyes, Seto went mad with rage. He had never seen Hell before, and now it stared him in the eye...


The sensors aboard the Kitana flew off the charts, as Kaede cut through the air.

“What is this?” asked Tifa.

Kaede grimaced, “damn, don’t tell me...”

“What?” asked Cloud.

Kaede steered the ship towards the Cian armies south of Midgar, and hoped, not for the first time, that he was wrong.


The battlefield had become a massacre site. Fires blazed all throughout the valley. Bodies of Cian and Drahk alike were strewn across the battlefield. The glimmering blood and armor, on the dead bodies of countless warriors, studded the grounds as if some sort of unholy jewels. Bodies burned on the blood red fields.

Kaede stepped onto the burning grounds, trembling with rage, “those...animals...”

Aeris was speechless as the saw the raw terror and devastation before her. This attack, it had killed so many Drahk as well as Cian and Shinra forces. She realized then, that these beings cared nothing for life. To them, the only thing of worth was the pursuit of power.

...And they were destroying this planet, raping it, to get that power...

Tifa looked away, crying into Cloud’s shoulder, unable to look at the gruesome sight. It reminded her too much of Nibelheim, of Sephiroth...

“How could they do this?” whispered Cloud.

Kaede clenched his fist, “they care nothing for life. To them, anything is justified in the name of conquest.”

A voice came from behind, “this must be stopped.”

The four warriors turned to see Seto and his mate approaching them. They were a bit ragged, but seemed otherwise fine.

“This cannot be allowed to continue,” continued Seto.

Kaede nodded, using his comm-link to call the others here. However, he guessed they were already on their way. An attack this large was hard to miss.

Aeris lightly grasped Kaede’s hand. He smiled reassuringly at her, but they both knew it was forced.

Kaede sighed and returned to his comm-link, “this is Kaede, come in...”


“Sensors report a direct hit,” stated a technician, “however, there are still many enemy forces left within the strike zone as well as without.”

Morbius grunted, “like insects, they continue to crawl about.”

Veletta remained quiet.

“They’re persistent all right,” voiced Sephiroth.

Methos looked critically at the computer readouts, “fire again.”

Sephiroth quirked an eyebrow in response.

“S-Sir,” explained a technician, “we are not back to full power, we-”

Methos shrugged the subordinate aside and pressed the button himself, “I said FIRE!”


The two armies south of Midgar were at a standstill, battling on either side of the killing grounds that were still aflame from the blast. Avalanche surveyed the mayhem with mixed feelings of shock and anger.

“Those bastards,” was all Barret could say, reminded of how Corel had been decimated in similar fashion...burned to the ground...

Kaede remained silent, quaking inside with barely contained fury. Aeris stood beside Kaede, lightly holding his hand. Suddenly, the touch became a hard grip. He turned to her.

“Aeris?” he asked.

Aeris could not reply, for the pounding on her head grew worse. She put one hand to her face, while she steadied herself against Kaede with the other.

Before he could say anything, a deafening roar tore through the battlefield, so loud that it might tear apart the very skies from its intensity. The mountains in the distance began to crumble as light beamed out from the cracks.

“We are in serious trouble,” gasped Seto.

The battlefield became disturbingly silent as all battlers turned to look at the trembling in the mountains.

Aeris screamed in raw, unbridled pain as the dam within her finally burst. Kaede caught her as she swooned, eyes closed tight. Her forehead was beaded with sweat.

“Aeris? AERIS!” he yelled.


And finally, the mountains crumbled, releasing a power that had lain dormant for so long...and giant beasts tore their way out of the rock, screaming into the sky.

Kaede looked upon the horrible creatures in awe.

“Is that-”

“Yes,” answered Red, “they are the WEAPONS.”

“Damn it,” cursed Cid.


Author’s Note: Well, I did say DEBUT didn’t I? Don’t worry, I am going somewhere with this. Stay tuned for next chapter.

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Chapter 27

Final Fantasy 7 Fanfic