Final Fantasy VII: Lifestream - Book 3: Pursuit

THIRTEEN

I picked myself up fast, though, just in time to see my father throw another curved energy wave at me. Still on one knee, I swung my right arm down and across as if I were throwing a ball, using my blaze talon to hurl a fiery orange arc of my own. It slammed into my father's just a second later, and they both exploded.

"Nice try," I smirked. "But I'm not finished yet!"

He scowled. "Neither am I."

We went at it again, blades clashing furiously. I felt my speed boost wear off, so I adjusted how I was fighting as I slowed down a bit. I kept the pressure on, but I pulled back on my earlier aggressiveness and was more cautious now, constantly watching my father's movements as our weapons clanged against each other again and again. He noticed it and started to push harder against me with every strike.

"Seems you're not so fast as before," Heidegger taunted.

"Still quick enough to kick your ass!" I quipped.

He sneered. "We'll see. By the way, I noticed your little friend. Now we have proof of Avalanche's alliance with Wutai."

"Dream on, asshole!" I shot back.

My father snickered. "Oh, you mean I didn't see that Wutaian brat standing with the rest of you? The same one who snuck into the Shinra Building to steal the ultimate materia? Scarlet told me all about it. And our security footage was very thorough."

I slammed his katana away. "Leave her outta this!"

"Touched a nerve, have I?" he retorted.

"I won't let you hurt my friends!" I swore, slicing at him again with my blaze talons. "Or use us to start a war!"

He deflected my attack, and we kept fighting, going back and forth across the hilltop as we spun, cut, and thrust again and again. And now I was the one on the defensive, blocking him as he drove me backward toward the edge overlooking the fort. The fall wouldn't have killed me, but it sure would hurt. My father's little ploy about Yuffie had made me let my emotions get the better of me and had given him the advantage. It was a mistake I wasn't gonna repeat.

"Your eyes look different," he noted. "Like a SOLDIER's."

I smirked. "I kinda like 'em myself."

My father grunted as we fought. "Hmph! I don't suppose you'd care to enlighten me on how that's possible?"

"Get used to disappointment," I quipped.

He shrugged, then struck at me again, reversing his grip as he did. I blocked it, then countered with a double slash of my own, spinning to the left away from the edge of the hill as I did. Heidegger deflected the attack, but it had accomplished what I'd needed it to and had gotten me back on the offensive. With a flourish, I laid into him again, bound and determined to beat him and save everyone.

— — — — — — —

While Jessie and Heidegger fought furiously nearby, Tseng reached over his shoulder and drew a slim, straight blade from the scabbard he wore. It looked like a Wutaian weapon, and well-made at that. He held it up in front of him and gazed at it for a moment as the light from the coming day reflected off the polished steel. Both the round metal hand guard and the leather grip were black, and although it was shorter than Buster and not nearly as wide, I didn't have any doubt it could hold up. Tseng held it easily as we circled each other.

"You like it, Cloud?" he asked, showing it off. "A ninjato, forged by my grandfather. He was an accomplished weaponsmith in Wutai many years ago. And a skilled shinobi of the Wusheng."