Darkness Falls Chapter 27

By Gemini83

Godo’s forces were at standstill, forging a bloody stalemate against the Drahk hordes. The forces were too balanced. Godo raged through the battle, like a storm. His daughter and her friends were by his side. Godo couldn’t remember all of their names, but he’d be sure to do so if they survived this.

Godo neatly gutted one of the dark creatures, and turned to face his next enemy. There were none near him. The Drahk were keeping well away from the generals of the Planet’s armies.

Yuffie smiled back at her father, “hey dad, play nice now.”

Godo laughed, “I can’t help it if the toys break.”

He was glad she had decided to stay with him. Something had gone wrong in the passes south of Midgar, and the others had been called away. Yuffie and Vincent, however, had decided to stay in the battle, along with the Guardian Forces. They were holding their own, but only just.

The battle may be a stalemate for now, but Godo knew they could overcome this. He was just afraid of how many more men it would cost him.

A great trembling shook the earth, as an ear-splitting scream tore through the sky.

Vincent looked to the horizon, and muttered a low curse, “what in the Planet’s name is happening now?”

A giant explosion shook the lands, as a column of dust rose up along the horizon. And out of that smoke came a terror nobody had prepared for...a WEAPON, seemingly made of white crystal...awesome and terrifying at the same time.

Godo took one look and knew that Lady Luck was with him no more, “damn...”


In the passes south of Midgar, the two horrible goliaths roared into the sky, screaming forth their displeasure at those who would dare disturb their repose. Gold and Silver, the WEAPONS raised their wings and flew into the skies. An intense flash of light blinded all. The two clashing armies in the valley below had little time to react before the onslaught came. Silver came crashing onto the battlegrounds, the blood soaked soil crumbling beneath its feet. Drahk, human, and Cian alike fled screaming from the monster.

The other flew through the skies, a terror in the heavens, blasting all and sundry.

Kaede and the others quickly rose to their feet.

“What are these?” demanded Kaede, “I thought the WEAPONS were all destroyed!”

Cloud yelled above the din, “it seems as if the Planet held back a few.”

“Damn it,” cursed Cid, “not them again.”

“What the hell do we do now?” asked Reno.

Unseen by the others, Seto nodded subtly to his mate. She nodded in return.

“I don’t know,” answered Nanaki to Reno, “father, what do you think?”

There was no reply.

“Father?” repeated Nanaki, turning around, “FATHER!”

The others turned to Seto, to find he wasn’t there. No, the greatest Cian warriors of all time, perhaps second only to their son, were rushing the Silver WEAPON.

“Father no!” shouted Nanaki, “come back!”

Seto heard, and answered over his shoulder, “I cannot allow this to continue! This blood shed must be stopped!”

Before the others could shout out in denial, the two Cian were upon the Silver WEAPON. Blazing red and blue, spirits of fire and ice, Seto and his mate attacked the metal monstrosity.

Their movements were impossibly fast, as they seemed to fly through the air. Whirls of blue and red darted towards the WEAPON, trying to find the cracks in its defense. The WEAPON roared forth its rage, daring the warriors to stop it.

And looking on, Aeris shuddered in Kaede’s arms. It was all she could do to stay awake, for the mind-splitting ache threatened to overpower her. The pain threatened to consume her whole.

Kaede and the others shouted uselessly to deaf ears...


Godo was horrified. The Crystal WEAPON was tearing through Drahk and human alike, trampling all beneath its feat.

“How in the Planet’s name do we stop a force of nature?” he demanded.

The Bahumets, as well as the Knights, were busy with the Drahk forces, which left Avalanche to shoulder the burden.

“We’ll take it!” shouted Yuffie, “Vincent, come with me!”

Godo yelled in denial as the two ran forward to challenge the beast, “no! Get back here!”

“No choice dad!” replied Yuffie, “we’re the only ones that can take it!”

Vincent shouted over his shoulder, “get your men out of here! They must be ready to resume the attack on the Drahk!”

The Drahk hordes fought human and WEAPON alike. Slowly, the Planet’s forces began to withdraw, and the Drahk attacked the giant beast. But the goliath was not to be trifled with, and stormed through the masses with the greatest of ease. Soon, the Drahk fell back as well, leaving Yuffie and Vincent to battle alone against the giant.

“Well,” said Yuffie nervously, “I gave you your materia...so I hope I don’t have to fight it alone.”

Vincent grinned, recalling his words to Yuffie when they had met again near Bone Village.

That seemed so long ago...almost like a different life. So many things had happened...Aeris’ return, Kaede...the Drahk.”

“If we make it through this Yuff,” heaved Vincent, “I have some things to tell you.”

And then the Crystal WEAPON attacked, and there was no more time for words...


Silver WEAPON screamed its frustration as it struck at the bothersome pests that would dare attack it. Seto and his mate were the tornado, and the WEAPON was caught in their path.

Nanaki, also known as Red XIII, looked on helplessly as his parents fought the giant beast. He ignored the cries of warning as the other WEAPON flew overhead, vaporizing everything from above with its energies.

Kaede stared worriedly into Aeris’ strained face, trying to bring her back to reality.

“Something’s wrong,” he said, “I knew she was hiding something, but...”

Cloud knelt down to look, and did not like what he saw. She was pale, so very pale.

Tifa was beyond words, as she saw her best friend at what seemed to be death’s door. She didn’t know if she could handle her death again. Not Aeris...dear Planet, please not Aeris.


Cid cursed to himself, and ran back to the Highwind, the others let him go, unaware he had even left. The Captain nodded surreptitiously to Reeve, Elena, and Barret, who left to follow him.

“What are you going to do?” asked Barret.

“Damned if I know,” replied Cid, “but I gotta do something.”

He tapped his comm-link, “Shera, fire up the engines, I’m on my way...”


The others were still looking into Aeris’ eyes, trying to coax something out of her. But all the Cetra could do was moan in agony, curling into a ball at the crushing pain running rampant through her head.


Yuffie jumped as far as her legs would allow, fleeing from the blast that vaporized the air she had been near.

“Now Vince!” she screamed.

Vincent Valentine nodded, and succumbed to his rage. Screaming in anger. The WEAPON turned to see this new attacker, feeling his power level rising.

With each and every soul lies a dark side...the place where nightmares are born and the mind screams endlessly into the cold. Most simply blocked out the part of themselves which held so much darkness. Often, merely knowing of its presence was enough to shatter wills of steel. Vincent Valentine had been ignorant of it once.

That was before he met Professor Hojo...

Now Vincent tapped into his dark side at will, using its powers to fuel his rage and unquenchable thirst for revenge against the injustice that had been done to him. He let that power free...and turned into the beast hidden deep inside.

His eyes glowed blood red, his armor began to change, as wings sprung from his back.


The Drahk sensed opportunity...the young ninja was down. It would be simple to kill her now...to destroy the great general of the human armies.

Then they saw Vincent...and stopped dead in their tracks...

...For Vincent was no longer a mere mortal. He had changed into something...something even Yuffie had never seen before. To the Drahk, he looked like a dark lord...every bit as powerful as the Horsemen they served.

Vincent turned his blazing eyes to the hordes, daring them to attack. And for once, the Drahk felt something creep into their minds unbidden...they felt fear.

Yuffie saw in Vincent a dark prince...terrible and powerful. He was an angel of the night, dark wings spreading out from his cloak, in contrast to his pale skin. He was breathtakingly beautiful for all his dangers.


The Crystal WEAPON paused, as if sensing an equal for the first time. And the two titans clashed...two beast of darkness...raging forth into battle amid the bloodied fields...


It had finally happened. It had only ever been a matter of “when” rather than “if.” Seto and his mate were slowing. At their peak, they could only ever have been the WEAPON’S equal. They had burned so very brightly...but now their energy was fading...

...It was the simplest thing in the world for the Silver WEAPON to capitalize on their slowness...and the great beast let forth a huge blast of fire in all directions, consuming everything foolish enough to be close.

Red stared in horror as his father and mother lay gasping on the ground below, exhausted, and completely at the mercy of the Silver WEAPON.

It raised its mighty foot, to crush these vermin and put an end to their meddling forever.

And suddenly, Red’s mind snapped, and he howled his rage into the skies. The sound was unnerving...it was the sound of a beast...tortured, harried, and with nothing left to lose.

Red ran forth to meet the Silver WEAPON. He had lost his parents once already... and he would see himself rot in the pits of Hell before he gave them up without a fight.

He ran faster, harder, come and gone in the blink of an eye. His training had taken him to new heights of power. It was time for the WEAPON to see just how powerful a Cian could be.

Cloud knew Red would need help. Even enraged and empowered, Nanaki couldn’t do it alone. He turned to see the only ones left were him, Tifa, and Kaede. Aeris was still lying in pain, captive in her own private world of agony.

Without pause, he ran to join the fight against the WEAPON. Tifa cried out to him, but Cloud had already gone too far...he was past the point of no return.

She rose to follow him, but a hand on her arm held her back. She turned around to see Kaede shaking his head.

“I need you to look after her,” he said.

“But-”

“Don’t worry,” he answered, “I’ll take care of Cloud, I need you to help Aeris, if you can.”

He rose to his full height, and drew his sword.

Kaede looked down and smiled reassuringly to Tifa.

The woman blinked back her tears and nodded, “bring him back alive Kaede, or I’ll never forgive you...”

Kaede nodded, “I know.”

“...And bring yourself back, or Aeris will never forgive you.”

He looked down at Tifa, and the woman smiled back at him.

Kaede laughed slightly, “it just keeps getting better.”


A great roar shook the skies. Kaede looked up to see the Highwind rushing towards the Gold WEAPON. The ship’s guns were firing with everything it had.

Tifa shook her head, “showoff...Cid never let’s ANYONE sideline him...”

And so, three brave souls fought against the Silver WEAPON, while the skies trembled as two birds of prey stalked their quarry.


Vincent was holding his own against the Crystal WEAPON. He held the great monster at bay, but was quickly tiring. All that kept him going now was sheer willpower.

‘Damn it Yuff,’ he thought doggedly, ‘I need you.’

As if in answer to Vincent’s plea, a great sphere of light engulfed the Silver WEAPON, stripping away its armor...leaving the beast to scream in pain.

The light was blinding, and Vincent finally opened his eyes again. Yuffie was beside him once more, grinning at him.

“Didn’t think I’d let you have all the fun, did you?” she beamed.

The blood lust ran strong through his veins, hungry for more. Vincent clamped down on his power, reverting to his normal, human form, not allowing himself to lose control. He breathed in greedily, as if having been denied air for too long.

“Almost...too much...fun,” he gasped, regaining control of the anger he had given himself over to.

How intoxicating it had been...how demanding. She could never know about him, how he could change into a monster, seen or unseen, at any given moment.

She stared into his eyes knowingly, sensing his fear, “I’m not afraid Vince...I trust you.”

He smiled back weakly...perhaps she did understand after all.

Then the Crystal WEAPON screamed again, and the two warriors looked at it. The beast seemed ready to fight once more. The two raised their weapons tiredly, preparing for battle again. And who knows how the battle might have gone...if the beast hadn’t flown away into the sky, leaving the two warriors to gawk at it from the ground.

Vincent and Yuffie stared as the beast fled, letting it go, as the cheers of the human armies roared behind them.

Turning back to the Drahk hordes once more, they looked on determinedly, waiting for the attack. Godo and his forces flanked them, ready to fight by their sides.

The two forces rushed into battle. The Drahk and human armies clashed, oblivious to everything but the need to win...the WEAPON was already forgotten, by all but one.

Vincent tapped the comm-link in his armor, “Kaede...we have a problem...”


Kaede ran up and down the field, jumping and attacking the Silver WEAPON with ease, daring it to retaliate.

The beast was content in the knowledge that it could not be beaten. If this was the best the enemy had to offer, then the battle would be over quickly indeed.

Kaede had set up the monster perfectly, now it was time to act, “CLOUD!!! RED!!! NOW!!!”

Cloud summoned forth his energies, and released an Ultima blast at the beast...blinding it.

And that moment was all it took for Red to jump into the sky...and release his most powerful attack...

...The Cosmo Memory punched a hole through the screaming WEAPON’S back, engulfing the creature. In an instant, the great creature was humbled before the might of the mortals it had sought to crush.

The Silver WEAPON came crashing down to the ground, as Kaede and Cloud ran out of its way. The Drahk forces were not so lucky, and soon the hordes were in disarray about the thrashing body of the dying WEAPON.

Red ran to his parents, followed by Kaede and Cloud. But as they neared, the warriors was thrown through the sky as a great blast pulverized the ground around him.

Kaede was the first to look up...and saw the blazing eyes of the Gold WEAPON glaring at him from the skies. It did not look in the mood to take prisoners.

Cloud looked up and cursed as he caught the sight, “Tifa’s never going to forgive me for this.”

Kaede’s reply was drowned out as a blast of energy clipped the WEAPON, searing its stomach. The beast reared back in pain, but stayed in the air. Gathering its wits, the monster roared at its adversary.

Cloud flinched as the Highwind flew by, too fast for the WEAPON to follow.

“Need help guys?” came the voice over their comm-links.

“Cid!” laughed Cloud, “What are you doing!?”

The Captain whooped into the receiver, “Saving your backsides...again!”


The Highwind jetted through the air, the Gold WEAPON doggedly following it. But no matter how hard it tried, the Highwind was too fast to be hit by its attacks.

Cid strained to think of an idea. It wouldn’t take long before the WEAPON got a lucky shot in...and then it would be all over.

Reeve was pacing back and forth, while Elena remained seated, calmly polishing her guns.

“Guys,” she asked, “any ideas?”

Barret raised his hands in question, “this wasn’t my idea...Cid’s the one with the death wish.”

“Great,” replied Cid, “make me feel better why don’t ya?”

“I have an idea,” chimed Shera.

“Then tell me quickly,” prodded Cid gently, “we’re running out of time.”

She explained her plan, and a grin crept into Cid’s features.

“What the hell?” demanded Barret, “ARE YOU NUTS!?”

“Wait a minute,” answered the Captain, “it’s just crazy enough to work. Reeve?”

The president nodded, “it isn’t far from here. Theoretically, it should be possible.”

“Oh yeah,” said Barret sardonically, “and the Captain here’s just crazy enough to pull it off, is that it?”

Cid smiled, “something like that...”


The Highwind spun through the air, twisting and turning, ducking and weaving...generally moving in a way that only Cid could have handled.

Cloud looked on in awe, “the man has talent, I give him that much.”

Red looked on with his parents.

Seto started, “Is he always that...that...”

“...Reckless?” finished his mate.

Cloud shrugged, “pretty much.”

“Well,” voiced Kaede, “I hope he has something planned, or he is in serious trouble.”

Red looked on as the Highwind cut through the air...and finally realized where Cid was headed.

He nodded, “smart man. I wonder whose idea it was?”

Cloud turned to him, “what do you mean? What are they doing?”

“Watch and see,” answered Red.


The Highwind was straining, the engines whining in protest at the speed being demanded of them.

“Come on baby,” coaxed Cid, “just a little bit more.”


The mako/solar cannons were a breakthrough in Shinra technology. Originally, they had been planned as a possible means of communications, working in tandem with satellites that would be put in orbit later. Military applications had been seen immediately, but Reeve had shunned them. Now the cannons were being used for those reasons anyway. It angered him, that so much progress amounted to nothing more than new war toys.

He had remained silent throughout the battle, simply firing from the gun ports inside the Highwind.

Elena came to his side, “come on Reeve, it’s almost time.”

Reeve nodded, “Cid, we’re coming up now.”

“Alright,” nodded the Captain, “the timing needs to be precise. Tell me when...”


The ship raced faster towards the nearest mako/solar cannon, the Gold WEAPON trailing behind closely.

The cannon was steadily firing its energies out into space, destroying all Drahk ships that were unfortunate enough to get caught by the beam. The Highwind circled once, then raced towards this beam, afterburners flaring. The WEAPON hurried to follow...oblivious to the cannon.


Cid forced the ship to go faster, ignoring the warning lights and claxons, concentrating solely on the task at hand. Beads of sweat formed on his face, as he tried to rationalize what he was about to do.

“Reeve?” he asked.

He nodded, “Shera’s patched me into the cannon’s firing computers. Establishing link with them...password confirmed. Elena, do your thing.”

The Turk nodded, “Cid, break away on my mark...”

The Captain tightened his grip on the controls.

“5...”

The cannon fired, the ship seemingly racing to catch up to the beam.

“4”

Cid slowed down the ship, allowing the WEAPON to close.

“3”

The Highwind neared the mako blasts, the WEAPON snapping on its tailfins.

“2”

“Elena?” demanded Reeve.

“Not yet...1...” answered Elena steadily.

The cannon stopped firing.

“MARK!” shouted the Turk.

The Highwind shot off like a bat out of hell, blinding the WEAPON with exhaust and jet flames.

The WEAPON was so blinded, in fact, that it had no time to see the cannon blast as the beast flew over it. The mako/solar cannon fired once more, transfixing the Gold WEAPON on a column of energy. The beast screamed in rage and pain. It was dying...a moth impaled on a needle’s edge. The monster crashed into the ground, in its final throes...

The Cian army cheered at the Highwind’s last minute save. But there was no time to savor the victory...for the Drahk hordes had collected themselves, primed for battle.

The field erupted in war immediately...mercilessly...as both sides resumed the terrible conflict. The WEAPONS had been merely a diversion...now the real battle began anew.

Kaede and the others retreated to the hills above, meeting the Highwind as it landed.

Tifa looked up at the approaching Kaede, and shook her head...Aeris was still in pain.

Kaede cursed, “damn it Aeris...why didn’t you tell me?”

Cid looked down, concern etching his face, “she’s like that you know...never thinks about herself.”

Any reply was cut of, as a familiar voice chimed in all of their comm-links.


“Kaede,” it said, “we have a problem...”

“Vincent,” acknowledged the Planeswalker, “what’s wrong?”

“We just encountered a WEAPON and-”

“Wait a minute!” yelled Cloud, “you too?”

“What do you mean ‘you too?’” asked Vincent.

“We just finished dealing with a few WEAPONS over here,” explained Cid, “damn troublesome ones too.”

Yuffie’s voice came over the link now, “well, this one we just dealt with is tough. It took a direct hit from my All Creation, even went head to head with Vincent’s...new form.”

“New form?” asked Barret.

“Never mind,” replied the ex-Turk, “it was heading your way when last we saw it.”

“Yeah,” came a new voice, “and while you all have been relaxing over there, we’ve been shooting the crap out of the armies from the skies.”

“Reno!” shouted Elena, “where have you guys been?”

“Sorry girl,” he answered, “but we’ve been rather...busy.”

Kaede was about to answer, but fell silent as he saw Aeris finally open her eyes.

“Aeris!” shouted Tifa, still cradling the Cetra in her arms.

“It’s here!!!” Aeris screamed again in pain.

“Aeris?” shouted Kaede, “Aeris!”

“It’s here! It’s here!” warned the Cetra, “we have to stop it!!!”

The rest of her words were screams.


The Crystal WEAPON flew through the air, bellowing its rage at the death of its brothers.

“Planet curse it,” swore Reeve, “some days, things wouldn’t go right if you bribed them...”

The others shuddered inwardly as they saw the new terror in the skies.


Author’s Note: Wow...completely random chapter. I’m not joking. The idea for having the WEAPONS was seriously considered only after someone asked me to put it in (before which I was wondering whether it would be logical and appreciated). I mean, I had a general idea of what would happen, and I sat down to write this after not having written a line for nearly a week or so (tests and such).

Still, I had nothing near this much planned for this last chapters...oh well. Coming up, the WEAPONS make their dramatic exit from my story, and, if anything, the whole shabang gets even more intense, assuming I can pull it off correctly. As always, keep reading and writing...your comments help to inspire and shape this story.

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Chapter 28

Final Fantasy 7 Fanfic