Chapter Seven - The Necklace

Hikaru gasped. Cloud jumped. Hikaru gave Cloud a confused look. �Who is that?�

Without saying a word, Cloud immediately got up from the bed and walked out of his room, Hikaru following him. He ran to the door as the man still pounded the door, lifted the locking hatch that Hikaru pulled down before, and opened it.

The man was about Cloud�s height, and had short, wavy maroon colored hair, which were flowing with rage; and liquid blue eyes, which were pierced with hatred. He had on a white t-shirt, a black jacket that was unzipped with a white furry collar, black gloves, black pants, black boots, and a brown belt. As his hair blew in the cold breeze, Hikaru noticed a long red scar on his forehead. On top of all of that, he had his gunblade out, and pointed it at Cloud.

The man gritted his teeth. �Give me my necklace�NOW!� he grabbed Cloud by the collar of his navy shirt and threw him on the ground. Hikaru jumped out of the ship and helped Cloud to his feet. �Oh, would you look at that? You�re new little girlfriend has to help you get to your feet? Yeah, I guess she should, seeing as you haven�t got it in you to fight me.�

Cloud glared at him in disgust. �Just shut up, Squall. You don�t know the true meaning of strength.�

�Oh yeah?� the man, Squall, taunted. He tightened his grip on his gunblade. He was about to strike, but something caught his eye. His focus now was on Hikaru, and what was around her neck. It was the necklace he was looking for. He squinted, trying to make sure that it was true, that it was the right one. He then lowered his blade and walked closer to Hikaru.

Hikaru started to back away, while Cloud quickly ran in front of her. �What do you want, Squall?�

Squall shoved Cloud out of the way and pointed to the necklace around Hikaru�s neck. �THAT is what I want. My necklace back! Give it to me now!� He started to reach for it.

Hikaru put her hand around the metallic lion head and squeezed it tight.

Squall snarled and then looked at Cloud with rage again. �Tell her to give it to me, God-damn-it!� he shoved him. �Do it!� He tightened his grip on his gunblade again.

Cloud was clearly annoyed and did not want to waste a fight on him. He did take out his sword from his sheath on his back, however. �Why do you want it so bad?�

�It�s personal, and I�m not gonna tell you,� he released a cry as he struck an attack.

Cloud dodged it. �Yeah? It�s something about Rinoa, isn�t it? This isn�t just about the necklace. You never knew I took it from you. There�s something else you came for. Why else would you come to me, of all people?�

Squall stabbed air again. �Yeah, of all people, I did come to you.� He lowered his gunblade. �I�m actually in need of your assistance. It�s about your boy; Sephiroth is his name, right?�

Cloud flinched greatly at the sound of that name. Hikaru hesitated when she saw that flinch.

Cloud lowered his sword and stared at Squall. �No�you�re lying.� He squinted and dropped his sword in the sand. �No�NO!� he grabbed his head with both of his hands and yelled. �He�s dead! Sephiroth! I killed him!�

Squall shrugged, showing no sympathy at all; although, deep down, he did feel some. �Well, he�s back, man. He took Rinoa right out of my hands. I have to get her back. No one knows this guy as well as you, Cloud!�

Cloud shook his head, still in disbelief.

�Come on, snap out of it! You�re the only one in Zokujin who would be able to stop him!� Squall yelled. �And while you�re at it, give me my God-damned necklace back!�

Cloud still stared at the sand, then looked back at Hikaru. He almost forgot that she was still there. He looked at the moon in the sky, knowing it was somewhere around midnight. If they went to find Rinoa, he wasn�t sure of when they would return.

�Cloud, you�re so hopeless.� Squall shook his head. �Did you ever know that? You�re so stubborn, that it makes me want to puke!�

�Look who�s talking,� Hikaru finally said. She crossed her arms.

Squall shot her a look and cocked his head. �Well, well, well. The girl finally speaks. Want to run that by me again?�

Hikaru sighed in irritation. �You�re the stubborn one. Did you know that? You�re the one who wants the necklace, who just waltzes over here wanting me to give it to you. And, you�re the one who can�t just go to wherever this Rinoa is, and save her yourself. You have to ask Cloud to help your sorry ass. Believe me, he, and I, don�t want to help you.�

�Aww, would you look at that? Speaking for your troubled little boyfriend. Those were some nice words.� He raised his gunblade. �But not quite nice enough.� He then started to dash to her.

Hikaru was too fast for him. She closed her eyes and received the energy she never thought she�d have. She didn�t even have her sword from the mysterious creature in the Shiken temple. Energy from all around her grew inside of her. Hikaru felt it throughout her entire body, especially her hands. When she was ready, she shot it out, reaching her hands out toward Squall, her target. The energy struck him dead on, and knocked him to the ground.

Cloud fell to the ground from the force of the collision. He stared at the fallen Squall, then at Hikaru, in complete awe. �Did you ever say that you learned a few things from Kotake before you ran away?�

�No,� said Hikaru in awe as well, staring at her hands. �It just�It just came to me I guess,� she shrugged, just as confused as Cloud was.

�Well, like �mother� like daughter,� Cloud got up slowly. �You didn�t have to do that, you know. I would�ve stopped him.�

Hikaru ignored him. �We better get him inside,� she said, gesturing her head to Squall.

Cloud looked at her for a moment. �Is she crazy?!� he thought. Then he nodded in agreement. �Yeah, yeah, sure.� And the two of them carried him inside of Cloud�s ship.

� � �

Squall slowly but surely regained the feeling of his body and breathing patterns. He gradually opened his eyes and blinked a few times. As soon as his sight came into focus, he saw Hikaru in front of him, sitting on the table with a quirked head, staring at him.

He immediately stood up from the couch he had been laid upon. �What the hell?! You again?! Oh no, I cannot take this anymore! Where the hell is Cloud?� he screamed. �WHERE IS HE?!�

Hikaru stood up in front of him with no answer. She stared deep into Squall�s eyes and without saying a word, smacked him dead on his left cheek.

His face moved to his right with the force. He looked down and sighed.

Hikaru inhaled. �You want your precious necklace? You can have it.� She unclasped the chain around her neck and threw it in Squall�s face.

Squall was still looking to his right, at the floor of the ship. He chuckled. �I guess I deserved that.� He bent down and picked up the necklace, which had fallen on the floor, and clasped it around his neck. �So,� he said, actually sounding like he wanted to start a conversation. �You must be Hikaru.�

Hikaru shot him a confused look. She slowly started to sit back down on the table.

�Oh, don�t look at me like that. You had to have figured Cloud talked about you to someone after you left his disgusting, pathetic life. He never told me much though, so in a way, you�re lucky,� Squall smiled as he put his hands behind his head and leaned back in the couch.

�Why am I lucky?� asked Hikaru, her hands on her knees.

�Well, I mean you were his life. And if he talked or dreaded about missing you so damn much, he�d waste his life feeling like an idiot for not going with you. Then he�d pretty much lose everything he knew about you, and forget you, which would make him forget his whole life altogether.� Squall sighed. �Maybe that�s why he went with those dumbasses on that quest to fight Sephiroth. He wanted to forget you, his life, or else he�d feel sorry for himself.� He sat forward towards Hikaru now. �Maybe even�kill himself? I mean, knowing he�d never see you again.�

Hikaru shifted on the table uncomfortably.

�So that�s why he told me. I don�t think he ever told his comrades, and maybe he just wanted to be my �buddy� or something so he could try and steal my damn necklace.�

�What �comrades?� What is this whole Sephiroth deal?� asked Hikaru.

�You mean he never even told you about that yet?� Squall cracked up in laughter. �Oh, man, that�s priceless! I guess he really does hate those wretched memories of his.�

Hikaru looked down and nodded.

Squall laughed again. �Look at you, agreeing with something you�re not even sure about. Well, I guess Cloud�s a pretty lucky man then,� he chuckled.

Hikaru cracked a smile. �You going to tell me about his past or not?� she asked.

�Well�� Squall started and looked up behind Hikaru, then suddenly stood up. �Oh yeah, Hikaru. Thanks so much for giving me my necklace back. I�ll be off now,� he started to walk to the door.

Hikaru looked back to see Cloud watching him. Cloud put his hand out to stop him. Cloud looked at Squall for a moment and tilted his head to one side. �You�ll��be off now?� Well, isn�t that polite?� he mocked. �What about Rinoa? �Figured you could handle Sephiroth all by yourself now?�

Squall laughed quietly. �Nah, I figure I could just leave her with him to rot in his little hostage unit,� he said sarcastically. He then looked down, seemingly angry with himself for what he had said, and then he looked back at Cloud forcefully. �Even if I do have my necklace back, I still need her, Cloud.� Squall gave him a look of pain. �I know that you know how I feel, man.�

Cloud looked at Hikaru, who shrugged; but there was no doubt that she felt that way not long ago for five whole years, just as Cloud did. He looked back at Squall and nodded. �All right. Where is she?�

Squall squinted. ��Futsukayoi Tavern.�

� � �

Cloud set up the ship to auto-fly to the tavern. He then got his sword out of his room, which he put it in after the incident with Squall. He slid it into his sheath, which he then hooked to his back with the black belts that wrapped around his upper body.

He walked out of his room, and Squall caught his eye. He was sitting forward on the couch still, with his elbows on his knees, his fingers intertwined with each other, and staring at the wall.

Cloud looked at him. �So are you going to get your gunblade or not?�

Squall shrugged, still looking at the wall. �You never gave it back to me now, did you?� he raised his eyebrows.

Cloud shook his head. �That wouldn�t have stopped you. You just don�t want to fight with us, do you?�

Squall suddenly got to his feet. �Listen, Cloud. I told you before, Sephiroth is your man, not mine. I admit it, I�d die within a millisecond of being in his presence. You should know that, Strife.�

�So you want Hikaru and I to do your dirty work, and get your girlfriend out of some psychotic outlaw of my past, who I might add, always loved to try and kill me?�

�Jesus, Cloud, what am I supposed to do?� Squall held out his hands. �I don�t stand a chance against him.�

�You could still at least help.�

�You two will handle it,� he squinted at Cloud. �All I want is her back, Cloud.�

Deep inside, Cloud felt a pain in his chest. He knew exactly how Squall felt. Never seeing Hikaru�s face for five whole years took millions of memories away from him, making him want to forget her altogether. Now that she was here, he didn�t want her to leave him ever again. But what was this feeling called?�

Cloud nodded at Squall.

Hikaru, who listened to the whole conversation, but didn�t say anything, walked towards the door. �Are we ready yet?�

Cloud jumped and turned around. He stared at her. �Wait, you�re not armed.�

She shrugged. �So what? I�ve got the magic I used an hour ago.�

Cloud cringed. �It�s still not enough to protect you very much��

Hikaru laughed. �Well, I also do have you, don�t I?�

Cloud hesitated. He wanted to ask, �Why would you want me, of all people, to protect you? I�m no one�absolutely no one��

Instead, Cloud just nodded slightly, while Hikaru opened the door. They stepped out of the ship, and into the tavern.

� � �

As Cloud and Hikaru walked into the tavern, they could see that nothing at all was out of the ordinary. There were just the usual stares at Cloud�s sword strapped to his back. However, one dark-cloaked man was sitting down at the counter, with no one around him. Everyone else was having a good time dancing and talking with each other, and no one bothered to talk to the cloaked man.

As they walked closer, Cloud could see a few strands of long silver hair, sparkling in the dim light in the tavern, peeking out from the man�s hood as he sipped his drink. Cloud gritted his teeth.

Hikaru noticed. �What�s wrong?�

Cloud didn�t answer, and stopped behind the man�s chair instead.

�Sephiroth,� he said quietly. �Where is Rinoa?�

Under his black hood, the man smiled. �Well, I haven�t seen you in quite a while, Cloud. Aren�t you surprised to see me alive after just a year since our little incident?�

Cloud grimaced. �That�s beside the point right now, Sephiroth.�

But Cloud had said his sentence too loud. People in the tavern, who heard Sephiroth�s name, turned to the three and listened attentively.

Sephiroth laughed menacingly. �You see, word has gotten around in the galaxies all over the universe about you and I, Cloud. Maybe that�s why you can never receive a job around here. Ever thought of that?�

Cloud was losing his patience. �Where�s Rinoa?! Tell us where she is, now!� he yelled.

Sephiroth laughed again. �You mean to tell me that you, and not Squall, came to fight me to get that little brat?�

Hikaru rolled her eyes and spoke for the first time to Sephiroth. �No, he just asked where Rinoa was just for fun,� she said sarcastically.

Sephiroth ceased his laughter and turned his head slowly to Hikaru. He quirked his head to one side, and Hikaru jumped in terror. �Well, you are quite the smart-alec, aren�t you? You think you�re so special? I know a way that can change�� he started to grin. Then rapidly, he grabbed his long narrow sword out of his sheath hidden in his cloak, and suddenly it was underneath Hikaru�s chin, threatening her throat. She stared at it from above, along with every single inhabitant in the tavern.

Cloud immediately unsheathed his enormous sword and shoved it under Sephiroth�s own chin, and he scowled. �You hurt her in any way, and I will kill you.�

Sephiroth laughed. �You�ll kill me? Can�t you see that that little plan was ruined before? Why else do you think that I�m alive right this moment, Cloud?�

Hearing those words of Sephiroth, every single person in the tavern was now scared out of their minds. They all rushed to leave, and in a matter of seconds, they all left out the door.

Sephiroth was quite amused. �Finally, we can have a fair fight, Cloud. There will be no one at all to stop us. It�s just between you and I, Cloud. It�d be just like the last time.�

As Sephiroth spoke to Cloud, Hikaru realized that Sephiroth never grabbed her with his other hand to keep her from leaving the sword. She slowly backed away from him now.

Sephiroth turned to look at her. �Once again, you think you are the smartest person in the room. You think you can escape? Well, my dear, you�re quite mistaken.�

Unexpectedly, an arm grabbed Hikaru across the waist, and the other arm thrust a knife to threaten her throat again.

Cloud then released his own sword from Sephiroth�s throat and started to run toward the guard who took hold of Hikaru.

Sephiroth smiled. �You try to kill him, and he�ll kill her, Cloud.�

Cloud stopped, brought down his sword, and frowned.

�Do you want to fight for her, Cloud? And to get Rinoa back to her pathetic little boyfriend? Then, you�ll have to get past me first.� He suddenly got up from his chair, and whipped his black cloak off. It then disappeared into thin air. This revealed Sephiroth�s clothing, which was contained of all dark leather. He had on a black coat, with a fastened silver belt on his waist, which draped open until it reached the ground. His black boots were showing now as he stood, and his coat also exposed two belt straps overlapping into an �X� shape across his chest. He had on two white metal plates with three holes in each on his shoulders, and also long black gloves. His right glove in which held his long sword, now pointed to Cloud, who was farther away from him than before. �Are you ready?�

Cloud tightened his grip on his sword and glared at Sephiroth. �Always.�

They ran, and their swords clashed.

� � �

As Cloud and Sephiroth fought, Hikaru was forced to watch. She started to grow impatient and wanted to help Cloud. She tried thinking of something to get rid of the guard who was holding her hostage.

An idea suddenly hit her. She instantly kicked the guard away from her, hard, and she was free of his grasp. The man had dropped his sword and groaned in pain. Surprised at how much she had injured the guard, she let him be, but grabbed his fallen sword.

At this time, Cloud and Sephiroth were still fighting, dodging every single hit with their own sword, making it seem like a completely equal fight. Hikaru, of course, wanted to change that battle status.

She snuck up behind Sephiroth and carefully but quickly bashed the hilt of the guard�s sword into the side of his head, making him fall to the floor. Cloud was shocked and stared at the collapsed man, and then looked at Hikaru in awe. �Well, I guess you didn�t need the magic at all. Or�even me, if you did�that.�

Hikaru shook her head. �He�s just unconscious,� she said briefly as she took Sephiroth�s sword and threw it behind the tavern counter, so that when he woke up he wouldn�t see it and grab it right away. �We need to force him to tell us where Rinoa is.�

As if on cue, the two of them heard a muffled scream close by. Hikaru and Cloud looked at each other. �What was that?!� Cloud looked all around the tavern.

The scream was soft at first but as it repeated, they could both tell that it was a girl screaming �Cloud!�

Cloud ran over to the door he thought she was in. It had a sign that read �Ladies� Room.� �Rinoa? Is that you?� he yelled into the door.

�Yes!� she replied.

Hikaru, still on the ground, waiting for any sign of Sephiroth�s unneeded recovery, was puzzled. �He locked her in the bathroom this whole time? What an idiot��

Cloud ran over to Hikaru and the unconscious Sephiroth. He started to rummage through his pockets or hiding places in his clothes for a key. Soon enough however, Sephiroth opened his piercing blue eyes.

Cloud felt a tight squeeze on his arm and immediately grabbed his sword from his back sheath and pointed it at Sephiroth. �Don�t even think about it.�

Sephiroth released his arm and laughed, making Hikaru stand up in terror. His eyes glowed and his body shook as his sword unnaturally appeared back into his hand. He started to turn colors, and then his entire body let off a bright light as he slowly rose from the tavern floor. He looked directly at Cloud and Hikaru. �This isn�t over yet.� And then he vanished. But one little spark of light caught their eyes. It dropped to the floor, bouncing up and down until it settled. The light disappeared, and revealed the small key.

Hikaru chuckled. �Well, happy birthday to me,� she said sarcastically.

Cloud snatched the key from the ground and ran back to the women�s restroom. He jabbed it into the keyhole and opened the door. Out came a gorgeous black-haired girl, with a black tanktop and shorts, covered by a long blue sweater and blue skirt. On her feet were black boots. On her arms were blue arm warmers, which wrapped around Cloud�s neck as she hugged him.

A loud door slam echoed throughout the tavern, and the three turned around to face the entrance. In came Squall, dazed and tired, his gunblade in hand. �I saw the bright lights, and I figured I shouldn�t be in Cloud�s ship waiting anymore. I supposed I should help save Rin�� he stopped as he noticed her standing next to Cloud. He then smiled happily. They both ran, and as they met, they threw their arms around each other. Squall buried his head into Rinoa�s shoulder. �I�m so glad you�re okay�� Soon after, Squall had unclasped his necklace, and put it around Rinoa�s neck. She smiled at him.

Hikaru crossed her arms and quietly laughed. Cloud looked at her. �We should probably go�Yuna and Morpheus will get worried.�

Hikaru looked at him strangely. �You sound like they�re our parents or something.�

Cloud shrugged. �They�ll be wondering where we are. Come on, let�s just go.�

Hikaru followed Cloud to the door.

�Wait, guys!�

Cloud and Hikaru looked back to Squall.

He�d put his arm around Rinoa. He looked down. �Listen�er, thanks,� he said, for once sounding generous.

Hikaru smiled, but Cloud just nodded and walked out the tavern door.

Hikaru shrugged as she saw Squall and Rinoa�s confused expressions, and followed Cloud out.

�The reason I wanted to leave,� Cloud thought, �Was that I couldn�t just stand there watching Squall put that necklace on Rinoa�s neck, let alone watch them hug each other. They love each other, and, well�

What if I love Hikaru?�