The Stop For FF7 Freaks - Shadows Battle Chap3 - Video Games - http://maxpages.com/theff7stop/Shadows_Battle

Final Fantasy VI
Chapter three: Shadow's Battle
All Final Fantasy VI characters and logos are property of Square/Squaresoft.

Shadow disembarked from the ship he stowed away on as soon as it docked into port at Maranda. The deadly ninja found an alley that had a few trash cans in it. The masked assassin rifled through the various trash cans, searching for a coat or something to use as a disguise. No doubt his ex-employer, Reeken, would be out to get him.
"Here we go," the ninja said to himself softly, lifting up a tattered trench coat. He put on the coat, ignoring the nasty odor of it, and pulled off his mask. Shadow left the city that night, before the sun came up. By dawn Shadow was miles away from his friends. The ninja made it to a stream, and, after washing his face, looked at his reflection: angular features, high cheekbones, and short brown hair. He was handsome, in a rugged, hard way; only a few scars marred his face.
"Hurmph. Why am I always getting involved in things that don't concern me?" Shadow asked his reflection, just to give voice to the questions nagging at his troubled soul. Shadow heard a rustle behind him, in the bushes. The ninja, in a crouching position, spun on the balls of his feet, ending up in a defensive crouching position.
"So, this is what the great Shadow looks like without his mask," Zerbaron said to the ninja, as he stepped out of the bushes, flanked by two other warriors.
"Zerbaron," Shadow whispered, remembering the huge man from when he and Celes were hired by Reeken.
"Kill him," Zerbaron ordered the two warriors flanking him. The two soldiers charged the assassin, thinking him vulnerable without any visible weapons or armor.
They both fell to the ground, dead as a doorknob before they even hit the ground, a small stone buried deep into their foreheads.
"Good arm," Zerbaron commented, never even registering the throw, but knowing that the ninja was an excellent thrower and marksman.
Shadow looked around for a weapon of some sort; the two stones he threw at the soldiers to kill them had been used up already. The assassin kept his calm, however, knowing that to get frustrated was to take highly dangerous risks that he didn't want to take.
Zerbaron drew his sword, a huge claymore, and began swinging it through the air, its swishes and swooshes echoing in the early morning air.
"How did you find me Zerbaron?" Shadow rasped at the big man.
"I followed you, of course. I've been trailing you since Albrook." Zerbaron replied.
"And how did you catch up to the ship heading to Maranda?"
"My men and I are excellent swimmers,"
"Damn you, Zerbaron," Shadow spat out at the large man.
"Enough stalling, Shadow. I have been ordered to kill you, so die!!" Zerbaron charged at the assassin, who easily evaded Zerbaron's downward slash by leaping to the side, landing once more in a defensive crouch a few feet away from Zerbaron.
The large man once again charged and made a downward slash at Shadow, but this time, the ninja didn't evade it, he merely angled his upper body a bit so that the slash missed him altogether. Shadow jumped up from his crouch, and leaped straight up, left leg cocked for a devastating kick to Zerbaron's head. Shadow lashed out with his intended kick, the blow knocking the large man off balance. Shadow landed on his feet once again, this time standing up in a defensive position instead of crouching.
Zerbaron quickly regained his senses, whipped his claymore in front of him in a guarding position, prepared for the assassin's attack. Shadow's muscles tensed up, legs ready to propel him high above Zerbaron. The large man charged once again, but this time he went into a series of hacks, slashes, stabs, and cuts aimed for vaious body parts. Zerbaron was surprisingly agile and quick considering his height, weight, and his large claymore. Shadow, agile and more flexible than Zerbaron by far, simply ducked, dodged, jumped, sidestepped, and rolled out of the way.
"My turn, Zerbaron," Shadow threatened. Shadow began his attack.....and vanished from sight!
"What the...? Where'd he go?" Zerbaron said, looking around frantically for the ninja. Zerbaron's head reeled back from an unseen blow to the face. Another invisible punch nailed the large man in the back, breaking his spine and paralyzing Zerbaron from the wait down. A hundred invisible attacks pummeled the large man before he ever hit the ground. "Shadow!!!" Zerbaron screamed, just as he hit the ground, dead.
The ninja reappeared in the blink of an eye, standing over the dead man, his mask once again covering his face. Blood smeared his glove-covered knuckles.
The ninja washed off as much blood as he could, burned the bodies of Zerbaron and his two soldiers, and continued his hike to wherever the wind would take him. He pace was faster, however, knowing that Reeken was out to get him.

"Guys! Shadow's missing!" Sabin yelled to his friends, as he burst into the tavern. The tavern was filled that morning with various peoples of various nationalites. A few monsters were there as well. All of Sabin's companions were gathered at one large table, all of them eating breakfast. The muscled King of Figaro rushing over to his friends' table and taking a seat next to his twin brother, the less muscled King of Figaro.
"What do you mean, he's missing? Isn't he in his room?" Relm asked, absently stroking Interceptor's black fur.
"No, he's not, Relm. He's gone, so are all of his possessions." replied Sabin.
"Hmm. He must've left last night. We have to find him," Locke said.
"We need him. He's the only one stealthy enough to get past the security in Vector." Terra chimed in.
"Hey, Interceptor can locate him for us, can't you, Interceptor?" Relm asked her quadraped companion. The dog barked in response.
"Its settled then, Interceptor is taking us to Shadow." Strago said, standing up.

"Zerbaron is dead," Reeken mumbled noticing that Zerbaron's and his soldiers' life signs have faded fom the computer monitor he was sitting in front of, "Then it is settled: Shadow will join us or die...." Reeken pushed a button on the computer console, shutting off the monitor. "He will join us or die...slowly......"
By SenshiB@aol.com

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Page Updated Tue Apr 10, 2001 3:30pm EDT