Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ One Heck of an Adventure ❯ Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy7-10 (I'm rattling my brain over these chapters. I'm trying so hard to make them make sense so read it! I just realize that this story is much like the other story called the Greatest Adventure ever, but I assure the writer of that I didn't steal it, I just thought it up and it was completely by accident that our stories are similar)

We continued on. I still felt a sense of nausea but I couldn't tell if I was just mortified or that I was actually queasy. Eventually, we came upon a creek where Auron paused to clean the vomit from his coat. I felt so embarrassed. Auron assured me it was okay but I didn't feel like it.

"Once out of the forest, we'll be in the Chocobo Fields." Cloud remarked. My eyes widen at the sound of chocobos.

"Does that mean we get to ride them?" I asked, building excitement.

"Well duh, it's faster than walking." Cloud murmured. I couldn't contain my excitement.

"YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY! I GET TO RIDE A CHOCOCBO!" I screamed. Cloud placed his head in his hands, instantly regretting what he said. I began to run in circles. I hummed the chocobo song from Final Fantasy 7 game. We continued on and I wouldn't stop humming the song.

Soon we exited the forest and a huge meadow stretched across the ground. Blond chocobos ran through the grass and few bend their long elegant neck to the grass. Its' long legs propped it up over my head. A small cottage was a few yards away.

"It's chocobos." I said in a whisper in fear to scare them away.

"Come on, we got to buy gysahl greens before we can catch them." Cloud started walking to the cottage.

"Why? They are eating the grass, why don't we feed them that?" I asked.

"Cause chocobos are easily frightened and the gysahl greens calms them down." Cloud explained.

"This grass is just as good as that gistal stuff, just use that." I yanked a bunch of grass stalks along with the roots and dirt clumps. "I'll show you." I went towards the chocobos to prove a point. I crept towards a few that were mingling by themselves and eating the same grass in my hand. I crept closer and closer, lying flat on the ground. I suddenly stepped on a dried leave and it made a loud crackle. The chocobos reared their heads in my direction. None of us moved for a moment. I reached out my hand with the greens in it. A daring chocobo approached me and inspected the greens in my hands. The big bird cried out in acceptance and gobbled my grass, almost taking off my hand. I slowly stood up and I petted the brave chocobo. The feathers were soft and silky like a satin pillow. I gripped the feathers and forced myself up on the bird's back. Apparently, it didn't like that. It screeched out and leaped up in the air. It ran off in one straight direction as fast as it could. The other chocobos also ran off. I fell off the bird and I landed flat on my back. I groaned as I slowly picked myself up. I saw the chocobo running away.

"HEY COME BACK HERE!" I ordered as I ran after the one chocobo. The other boys just stared at me in confusion. I ran after the same chocobo all over the meadow. I wasn't giving up that bird without a fight. I screamed and shouted after it but I only made things worst. All the birds ran away at the sight of me. A small rock from under me tripped me and went flying into the dirt. I lay on the ground a few seconds until Cloud came, riding a chocobo. He was grinning with amusement.

"I told you so." He remarked, barely containing his enthusiasm.

"Yeah, yeah, shut up." I muttered, straightening myself. I was covered in dirt and grass stains. The others came, all riding chocobos.

"You still didn't catch one?" Zidane asked.

"Be quiet, I'm working on it." I remarked, pouting.

"Come on." Squall held out his hand for mine. I reluctantly grabbed it and he lifted me up on his chocobo.

"All right, let's keep going." Titus exclaimed.

Squall wrapped his arms around me tightly and gently kicked the chocobo to go. We trotted off through the world. The soft rhythm of the chocobo's pace slowly placed me into a state of sleep full consciousness. My eyes flickered at the fleeting sun as I felt the sleep finally set in.

I awoke to the sound of shuffling feet and soft, low voices. I felt myself being moved and placed down in a soft spot.

"Where am I?" I asked groggily. A voice shushed me.

"We're in a village. Rest up; we got a big day ahead of us." Squall ordered. I obeyed without a second thought.

The next morning, I was awoken by a hard shake.

"Wake up!" Cloud's firm voice ordered. I groaned. "Hurry up." He ordered. I forced my body up.

"What is it?" I asked.

"Come on or we're going to miss the ship." He ordered. That got me out of bed. I threw myself out of the bed and fell to the floor.

"Hurry up, we got to go!" Cloud rushed me. I scrabbled up and he led me down the stairs and out of the inn. He led me out into the street. The smell of dead fish and a salty sea breeze commingled in the air. He dragged me towards the dock where a giant ship lied. Instead of walking up the ramp to enter the ship, he led me towards some boxes to the side, being loaded on. He picked a small box, a little smaller than me and opened it up. Hay and straw soften the box but there was nothing in it.

"Get in." He ordered.

"I thought we were getting on the ship." I remarked.

"We are but we're broke." He explained. "We only got enough money for one ticket and that's for me."

"What about me?" I asked. He gestured towards the box.

"You wait in there and they are going to load you on the ship. Don't open it until I get you, understand?" He asked. I nodded.

"So I'm a stowaway?" I asked.

"Yes, sure, just get in and don't make a sound." He ordered.

"Where are the others?" I asked.

"In other boxes. Would you hurry up and get in." He ordered, shoving me in the crate. He closed the lid and I was left in the dark. There was a little hole in the crate, just enough for a spy hole. I relaxed for a few moments but was interrupted by a sudden jolt. The crate was moving but I made no noise. I rocked back and forth as I was lifted in the air by a strong crane. The crate stopped rocking as I was placed on the hard metal ship floor. I waited in the box for what seemed like forever. Would Cloud hurry up and come get me out of here. Minutes passed by like hours. I knew the ship was moving because of the gentle rocking of the ship on the water. I let out a heavy sigh. I was so bored but it gave me a chance to figure everything out.

How did I get here in the first place? I mean, how did I get to this world? Why did Sephiroth and the others want me? What was so special about me? They must have mistaken me for somebody else like that girl in everyone's dream. So I'm not that girl, then how do I get home? Will I find everything I want to know at the ruins of the Centra place? Do I want to know what I'll find there?

I would have continued thinking about all this when a jolt and scream alerted me. I peeked out of my eye hole and there was sailors running away from a predator that I couldn't see. Seifer came into view. I held my breath as he ran passed the crate. He grabbed the nape of a neck of an unfortunate sailor.

"Where is a girl named Emily?" He asked. The sailor shook his head in fear.

"I-I-I don't know who you talking about." He stuttered.

"Leave him alone, he won't help us." Seymour ordered. Seifer released him from his clutch and the sailor ran off.

"Guess who we found?" Kuja came into few, dragging Cloud by the hair. Sephiroth followed. I was very impressed at Kuja's strength. Cloud was beaten and bruised there was a gash across his cheek and blood flowed out of his lips. His right eye was forming a black eye. Cloud's buster blade was being carried by Sephiroth. He threw it on the ground and it skimmed towards my crate and was in my arm's reach. Kuja threw Cloud on the ground and before Cloud could react, Seifer unsheathed his gun blade and aimed it at his neck.

"Don't move or this blade will find its way to your heart." Seifer ordered. Cloud didn't move.

"We're going to ask you this once. Where is the girl?" Seymour asked calmly. Cloud said nothing. "Well?" Still nothing.

"Answer you dumb bastard." Seifer smacked him across the cheek.

"So, are you going to tell us where she is or are we going to have to look for her and kill you?" Kuja asked. Cloud spat the blood from the side of his mouth.

"I'll never tell you." He glared. Seifer roared in frustration and anger and stabbed my crate to vent off steam. Holes were punctured through as I flattened myself at the bottom of the crate. Seifer stomped around, blowing off steam.

"Quit whining Seifer. Watch the brat while we're search for the girl." Kuja ordered. Seifer grumbled as he held the sword at Cloud, waiting for a sudden attack.

There was a long pause between prisoner and warren. Cloud gazed in my direction towards his sword then at me. He nodded his head towards the sword and winked at me. I was confused. Did he see me? Did he know I was in that crate? His eyes flickered from his sword to me.

"Quit squirming!" Seifer ordered. I think I understood. I reached out my hand through one of the holes made by Seifer and gripped the metal handle. I slowly dragged it off the floor and into the crate with me. Did Cloud want me to use it? I could barely lift it and it was about as tall as me. How was I going to wield this thing? Cloud sparked up a conversation with Seifer to distract him. I was afraid to lift the crate lid but I finally had the courage to open the lid. It let out a slow creak noise but Cloud just talked louder to drown it out. I slowly crept out the crate. I was so afraid that Seifer would hear my heart beating so loud.

I crept behind him, barely dragging the sword behind me. Cloud was able to distract him long enough. I was about to use all my strength to swing the sword and knock him out. Cloud said something that stopped me dead in my tracks.

"What do you want with her?" Cloud asked.

"She has something inside of her that we want. It's a great weapon if used correctly."

"What is it?" He asked.

"I can't tell you that or else you'll use it."

I was stunned for a few seconds but remembering what I have to do, I quickly gained my composure and swung the flat side of the blade at Seifer's neck. He stood there for a moment and I was afraid that I didn't knock him out but he fell to the ground, unconscious. Cloud stood up and stared at me. He held out his hand and I handed him his blade.

"I wanted you to break open the other boxes for everyone else." Cloud shrugged his shoulders. "But that works too."

"Get me out of here!" Titus's voice shouted from a box. I jumped back in surprise.

"You mean the others were in the boxes too?" I asked. Cloud nodded.

"Come on, we got to get everyone out of the boxes and get the hell out of here." Cloud ordered. We helped the others out of the crates. Cloud led the group out of the storage room, peeking behind every corner for the bad guys.

Dead bodies lied all over the deck in a promiscuous manner. Cloud edged to the side with the lifeboats on them. I glanced around and Seymour was on the deck, searching everywhere for me. Cloud crept on the deck in view and crept to one of the lifeboats. The lifeboat he chose was large enough to fit all us in. A sheet blanketed the boat, unable for anyone to see who was inside. He motioned for one person to come and crawl in. Titus ran forward and crawled in there as fast as he could. He hid perfectly. Cloud glanced at Seymour then again motioned for someone to crawl in. Zidane volunteered and rushed into the boat. He made a slight ruffle in the sheet and it caught Seymour's attention. Cloud ducked behind a bunch of fishing nets and crates.

Seymour stepped towards the boat and was about to rip off the sheet. I felt my heart stop. He gripped the sheet with his long fingers and was about to yank it off until Cloud leaped from his hiding place with his sword drawn.

"How did you escape?" Seymour asked. "Never mind that, now you're dead." Seymour gestured towards Cloud and ice crystals formed all over his body, incasing him in an icy trap. The ice shards shattered, leaving Cloud bleeding.

"Get in the boat, Cloud is distracting him." Auron ordered.

"Go Emily, it's better for you to go." Squall ordered.

"I can't." I remarked. "I can't, you go."

"Come on, you can, just go." Squall commanded. I refused.

"Don't worry about me, just go." I ordered.

"Just go, I'll stay here and protect her." Auron ordered. Squall hesitated but then finally rushed into the boat. Cloud was still fighting a difficult battle against Seymour. He kept using powerful magic against Cloud, enabling him to get close enough to attack.

"You have to go in there now." Auron ordered. My legs trembled and my knees buckled. I could do this. I swallow my fears and was about to run but a hand caught my neck and drew me back. I screamed but a hand silenced it. Auron turned around at my captor and drew his blade out. Sephiroth grinned as he held out his hand and sent Auron flying back.

"Just relax and no harm will fall upon you." He whispered in my ear. All the hair pricked and I felt my blood run cold. He dragged me away from the battle. Auron struggled to stand but was unable. Everyone rushed to my aid and Kuja and Seifer rushed to Sephiroth's aid. His strong hands prevented me from escaping. Squall and Zidane got caught up in a battle with Seifer and Kuja and Titus went after me. Before Titus could make attempt to attack, Sephiroth held his blade at my neck. I felt the cold steel blade upon my neck. Titus took a step forward and Sephiroth pressed harder. I felt my warm blood leak down my neck. He pulled me away from Titus.

"Go and attack, he can't kill her cause he needs her." Cloud shouted at Titus as he fought off Seymour.

"You want to take that chance?" Sephiroth asked. Titus hesitated. He charged at Sephiroth, blade drawn. Instead of inserting that blade into my neck, he shielded himself from the sword and Titus's blade snapped in half and he flew back. Titus leaped back up and flew his fist at Sephiroth. He grabbed the incoming fist and twisted it back. Titus fell to the ground in pain, trying to pull away from Sephiroth's grasp. I resisted his grip to help but it was close to impossible. His arm was glued to my body. I bit his hand as hard as I could and he dropped his sword. It clattered on the ground and blood started to flow out of the bite but I didn't release. He squirmed and tried to beat me off but I wouldn't release. I couldn't, not while my friend lied on the ground, vulnerable. I sank my teeth into his skin as hard as I could; my teeth begin to pain me but I couldn't let go.

"Get into the boat!" I ordered between teeth. Titus scrabbled up as Sephiroth beat me repeatedly. The beatings became harder the longer I held on. I just shut my eyes and tried to concentrate on biting him. Tears began to roll down my cheeks as he grabbed my hair and yanked on it. I wanted to get away but I couldn't, I wouldn't. I felt an unbearable pain in my back. I released as I screamed.

"I told you if you went quietly, you wouldn't get hurt but you didn't and now I have to kill you." I felt the slick sword released from my back. It didn't go through my body but just far enough to cause great pain. I felt the blood flow from my back. My legs buckled from under me and I was caught by Sephiroth.

"Emily!" I heard someone's voice scream out. I think it was all the others. I saw Squall rushed towards Sephiroth with unspeakable hate. Before Sephiroth could react, Zidane came from behind and sliced him in the back. Squall came from the front and slashed Sephiroth repeatedly. Cloud grabbed me out of his arms while Sephiroth was distracted. He handed me to Auron who was watching in the boat. I grabbed his coat, trying to hold on that little consciousness I had left.

"Get out of here; we'll join you as soon as we can." Cloud ordered.

"What about you guys?" Titus asked.

"The main thing right now is to get her to safety, now go!" Cloud ordered. Sephiroth burst out of Squall's and Zidane's beatings and rushed to kill Cloud and capture me. Cloud barely ducked at Sephiroth's sword and sliced one of the tethers for the boat. The boat slid to one side, barely holding on to the other tether. Squall and Zidane leapt into the boat followed by Cloud and before Sephiroth could do anything, Squall sliced the tether in half and the boat fell into the water. Squall reared up the engine and sped away from the ship. Auron cradled me in his arms. I couldn't keep my eyes open from all the blood lost so I slowly drifted off into darkness.