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Premonitions: Uncut	By : Hippo_and_Friends_with_Benefits Category: Final Fantasy VII > General Views: 3901 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy VII, and I am not making any money of of this writing.

Chapter List
- 62
- 63
- 64
Chapter 63: The Knights of the Round
It was now midnight. Nothing but the moon and Meteor illuminated the night sky as Cloud and Aerith crept out of the castle. They had helped themselves to a rope Cloud had found in the castle's armory, and silently escaped from the window after the rest of the castle had gone to sleep. They then made their way through the deserted, cobblestone streets. Every light was off, and every shop was closed. Not even a horse could be seen in any of the streets. The town was completely dead.
Finally, they beheld the abbey. Inside was where the Knights of the Round had to be. The door stood there, seemingly unguarded, seemingly waiting to be opened.
"No guards?" Aerith asked in surprise.
"They trust everyone," Cloud replied. "Everyone's afraid to take it. They think their Silver Messiah will punish them. It's funny how superstition works in our favor."
Aerith gave Cloud an uneasy look. Although she was well aware that this was for the greater good, something about it did not seem right. Being a religious person herself, she understood how those people felt, and thought about what she would do if someone had made off with her White Materia. Still, she knew she had to do what was best for the planet.
Cloud quietly opened the giant door, which opened quite easily and without a creak, and led Aerith in.
Inside, it was pitch black. Neither of them could even see their hands in front of their faces.
"I can't see a thing!" Aerith whispered.
Cloud quickly took out his cell phone and activated the flashlight app. The interior of the abbey became quite visible. Looking straight ahead, they saw what seemed to be a main hall. There was an aisle in the middle, with benches on each side.
"That's modern technology for you," he said.
Aerith pulled out her own cell phone and did the same.
The two cautiously moved forward. Cloud kept an eye on his surroundings; he needed to make sure that they were alone in the abbey. Something did not seem right about this; the facility was a little too unguarded for his comfort. He knew that these people might be backwards, but that did not mean that they were stupid. He kept his eyes open for movement, and his ears open for footsteps.
Suddenly, light was visible through a doorway on the left. Cloud took a brief look to make sure that nobody was there. Instead, he was greeted by a garden, surrounded by pillars. A fountain sat next to the garden, peacefully dispensing water on its own.
"What's this?" Aerith asked him curiously.
"Cloisters," Cloud replied. "I never thought they really existed, let alone that I'd see one!"
"I've never even heard of them," she said.
"I read that they were common in the old world," he said.
"Were they all this beautiful?" she asked.
"Who knows?" Cloud replied. "Were you always this beautiful?"
Aerith smiled. She was impressed that, even in a situation like this one, Cloud still found time to flirt with her. She quickly embraced him and pecked him on the cheek.
But it was then time to leave the cloister and return to the main hall. Beyond the cloister, Cloud and Aerith could see a small set of stairs that led up to what appeared to be an altar.
"Shall we?" he asked.
Aerith nodded.
The quietly ascended the stairs. Cloud looked behind him, still checking to make sure that they were alone in the abbey. He still could not see any movement, nor could he hear any footsteps.
On the altar lay a small, reddish orb.
"This is it," Cloud said. "This is Knights of the Round."
Cautiously, Aerith and Cloud finished climbing the steps. Cloud shone the flashlight over them, making sure that there were no traps of any kind. There were none; the people there were indeed too trusting.
Finally, they were at the top. The technology here was primitive; there would be no alarms, nor cameras of any kind.
The orb sat there, almost as if it wanted to be taken.
Cloud hesitated for a moment. He then reached for it.
"Don't you dare!" warned a voice, occurring simultaneously with the main door creaking.
Both Cloud and Aerith quickly turned to see the archbishop standing near the door.
"Why, you two?" Werl asked as he lit a candle near the door. He then began to slowly approach the intruders. "Why would you want the Silver Messiah to come and lay wrath on our people?"
The intruders looked at each other. The best way out would be honesty.
"There is no Silver Messiah," Cloud said. "The Providence of this planet is the planet itself. Maybe there's more beyond, but I don't know. In any case, we need the Knights of the Round. Everyone on the planet will die if we don't take it."
"Blasphemy!" shouted the archbishop as his steps seemed to accelerate.
Werl was not a particularly large man; he was an inch shorter than Cloud, and he walked with somewhat of a limp. But when he pulled two swords out with both of his hands and began to brandish both of them, Cloud and Aerith knew that they were in trouble.
"I did not want to resort to this," Werl insisted. "I'm going to give you one more chance. We'll leave the abbey together and see King Pyrus. His majesty might only order you to leave forever."
"Might?" asked Aerith sarcastically.
"I'm sorry," Cloud said. "But if I don't take the Knights of the Round, Meteor will fall. I would be killing, you, myself, Aerith, King Pyrus, and everyone in his kingdom, as well as the world. Even the Silver Messiah would understand."
Werl grunted. "You don't even believe in the Silver Messiah!" he shouted as he began to charge.
Cloud quickly pulled his sword out and began to swipe. Metal clanked with metal several times as he defended himself. He then saw his chance, raised his sword, and gave one last swipe.
Werl's head came off clean and began to roll. He had been well-armed, but inexperienced.
Aerith covered her eyes in disgust, but not before she had seen the final results. The archbishop's body lay in front of her. His head lay behind.
Cloud had no time to celebrate his victory. The doors opened again, and armed sentry after armed sentry entered the abbey. Some of them had swords, others had bows and arrows. The only ones who were not armed were carrying torches.
"Is there another way out?" Aerith asked in a panicked tone of voice.
"We'll see in a moment," Cloud replied as he grabbed Knights of the Round.
He then turned to see a stairwell. Looking forward again, he could see the sentries continuing to advance. It was the only possible way out.
"This way!" Cloud announced as he led Aerith to the stairs.
They quickly began to climb the stairs as they turned corner after corner. It was a strain on both of their legs, but they knew of the danger approaching them. There was no bannister, and they needed to stay as far to the right as possible to avoid falling to their deaths.
Finally, they reached the end of the stairwell. The floor that they were on was no more than twenty yards square. Looking around, all that Cloud and Aerith could see was a bell, surrounded by a ledge and the sky. They were at the top of the bell tower.
"We're trapped!" Aerith exclaimed. After all she had been through, she would be killed in a medieval village.
Cloud, remaining calm, quickly whistled.
Moments later, Ajax appeared over the ledge and stopped a few inches from Aerith, who promptly got on.
Cloud got on second and wrapped his arms around Aerith's waist.
"Now let's get the hell out of here!" he commanded.
Ajax spread his wings again, just as sentries appeared on the floor. Arrows flew towards him, but he was able to dodge them and quickly make his way over the ledge.
Aerith held on tightly once more as Ajax sped vertically down the abbey's wall. Moments later, they were passing through the deserted streets, and then were finally in the swampland, well away from any danger.
Aerith sighed in relief, and turned to smile at Cloud.
"Thanks for riding bitch again," she said.
Cloud smiled back.
"You know," she added, "once this all blows over, want to come back and do it in the abbey?"
"Sacred ground," Cloud replied. "Sacred ground." He then had to ask. "How often do you think about sex, anyway?"
"A lot," she giggled. "Besides, you called me beautiful back there. That really turns me on."
MEANWHILE...
King Pyrus stood alone on the balcony of his castle and watch the thieves disappear over the edge of the mountain wall. He was devastated; the Knights of the Round had been stolen. He had, during the night, made his decision to not allow them to have it. He realized that he should have denied them right then and there. Now it was too late. The relic was gone from the abbey; he had failed to protect it. He had let his entire kingdom down.
Almost as if on cue, he saw the tall shadow of someone who was approaching him from behind. He knew exactly who it was.
"Oh Silver Messiah," sighed King Pyrus as he fell to his knees. "How I've failed you!"
"Don't worry," Sephiroth assured him. "I still have a use for you."
And he placed a hand on the trembling king's shoulder.
BACK ON THE NORTHERN CONTINENT...
Cloud and Aerith boarded the Highwind, dismounted Ajax, and closed the ramp. They then went to the bridge and took to the air, beginning their trip back to the Eastern Continent.
"I can't believe a society like that still exists," Cloud said as they could see nothing but the vast ocean.
"What do you think will happen to them?" Aerith asked as she placed a hand on his back.
"Once they find out the Silver Messiah isn't real, they'll tear down the abbey," he suggested. "After that is anyone's guess."
"Do you think they'll be ready for modern technology?" she asked.
"I dunno," he replied. "Maybe a little at a time."
There was an interval of silence.
Aerith still felt uneasy. They had obtained the Knights of the Round, which would hopefully make the fight against Sephiroth slightly easier. Still, she was wondering if things could have been done differently.
She then realized that the only way to ease her mind was to change the subject. There had been something she had been wanting to do since she had gotten her memory back.
"Cloud," she began, "it it's okay with you, I'd like to see my mom tomorrow."
"Sure," he agreed. "That would be fine."
"I never got a chance to introduce you as my boyfriend," Aerith reminded him. "I mean, I know you met and all, but that was when we were just friends."
"It wasn't the best of circumstances, either," he added. "We were kind of on the run, anyway."
They both laughed.
"I never thought I would be able to wander the streets of Midgar without having to worry about being captured," she said.
"No worries," Cloud assured her. "We can see your mom."
"We won't have to stay long," she promised as she kissed him. "I just want her to fully meet you, since we decided to move forward and all."
Cloud smiled.
"I'll just have to think of what to wear," Aerith continued. "Something that's both formal for her, and sexy for you."
She then gave Cloud a playful pat on the butt.
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- 64
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Premonitions: Uncut