Inheritance (Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth)

꧁ XLVI ꧂

As the others vanished behind the various doors located around the Hall of Ressurection, Lailah found herself alone with Cloud. Seeing as they had time and no one else was around, she decided to confront him. Walking toward the pedestal, she summoned her spear before turning around and pointing the sharp tip at the ex-SOLDIER's throat. No emotion showed on her face, not even when a look of shock appeared on the boy's face.

Cloud was utterly appalled at her sudden action. Never had she pointed her spear at him in such a threatening way. "What's wrong? Why're you—"

"What was the name of the puppy?" She asked, cutting him off. Her golden eyes bore into his mako-infused ones. She could see the trance beginning to crack again, making her wonder if she could pull him out of it—even if it was for only a moment.

Cloud pushed past his shock and answered. "You...named him Basil after you found him eating the herbs in the kitchen."

She could see the cracks growing as she made him recall their childhood. Her plan was working. "What was the name of the first flower I gave you?"

He didn't hesitate to reply. "Stargazer lily, but...it was special because it wasn't pink. It was blue."

His answer was correct.

However, she kept her spear pointed at his throat. He was breaking free, but he wasn't there just yet. She decided to ask him one last question, hoping it would be enough to snap him out of it. "What was the promise you made?"

Cloud was silent for a couple of seconds as he broke free from the haze in his mind. His eyes never left hers as he answered her final question. "That I would—"

A dark, distorted chuckle interrupted him. He and Lailah immediately took up defensive stances when they knew the laughter belonged to Typhon. Their eyes darted around the Hall of Resurrection, trying to locate the corrupted being.

"Tick tock... Tick tock..." Typhon's warped voice tauntingly said in Vitali. Only the shapeshifter could understand what he was saying. "The sound of the clock that ticks down to your death, Rhea."

Lailah and Cloud couldn't see the corrupted being. They could only hear his voice. With their weapons in hand, they stood back to back and tried to locate him. They didn't know where he was as his voice echoed around the hall.

Suddenly, Typhon appeared over the wall. He moved extremely quickly toward the couple, taking them by surprise. They weren't able to attack or protect themselves before the corrupted being reached them. He knocked the ex-SOLDIER aside and grabbed the shapeshifter by the throat, slamming her body against a stone pillar. Her feet dangled in the air, unable to find a perch. His tar-dripping form loomed over her, his bony fingers digging into the flesh of her neck.

Unable to breathe, Lailah grabbed the skeletal arm that was coated in the black substance. Her fingers sunk into the substance before making contact with the bone. She gasped for air, unable to fill her lungs as she stared into the hollow eye sockets of the corrupted being's skull.

Typhon chuckled darkly. He was entertained at watching her struggle to breathe. "You may be a god, but you are young and naïve. You will fail as the heiress of this world for your journey ends here." Using his other hand, it hovered above the gemstone embedded in the girl's chest. Slowly, he lowered his hand and his skeletal fingers pierced the flesh of the area around the gemstone. "Such a beautiful gem. I'll rip it from your chest and claim it as my own."

Cloud, having been disoriented from being knocked back by Typhon, recovered. He had dropped his sword after being batted away and his back colliding with a stone pillar. As his blurred vision returned to normal, he saw the horrific scene before him. Overcome with anger and desperation, he quickly grabbed his sword and charged at Typhon. With a guttural scream, he sliced through the corrupted being's arms.