The Silk Glove and the Iron Fist (Vincent Romance Version)

by bellechanteuse (cmclark2)

Summary:

Amira Shinra, daughter of Rupert Shinra and his wife of Cetran descent, has always heard the voices of the Planet. Her brother, Rufus, has done everything he can to protect her, but even he can't protect her from their father and Hojo's machinations. After rescuing her from them, they stage a coup, and become the Co-Presidents of the Shinra Electric Power Company, with the goal of moving toward an energy source sustainable for the Planet. Unfortunately, Jenova makes her play, with Sephiroth as her puppet, and Amira, along with her fellow Cetra and dear friend Aerith Gainsborough, must stop them before they destroy the Planet.

There's romance, friendship, shenanigans for good and for ill, and adventures around the world of Gaia as Amira, Aerith and company hunt Sephiroth. After all, the fate of the planet rests in their hands.

Chapter 1: Author's Note and Introduction

Hey guys! I’m back! Welcome to The Silk Glove and the Iron Fist.

 

The last few months have been difficult. We lost my mom to cancer at the beginning of the year, shortly after I posted my last story, and she was my faithful beta reader. I haven’t felt much like writing until recently, I got the bug again while replaying FF7 Remake. I have a couple of friends (also big FF7 fans and gamers) who have been reading this work for me in my mother's absence, though I do not have a true beta reader anymore. 

 

This series has long been one of my very favorites. I’ve played the OG, Dirge of Cerberus, Remake and Rebirth (can’t wait for the third installment), and have watched Advent Children. I have literal playlists of Final Fantasy music on my Spotify. I. LOVE. THIS. SERIES. 

 

These characters and this world are so fascinating to me, as they’re all so morally grey when you really think about it. It makes them fun to play with. I once read a work by an author whose works on FF.net have since been removed, which is super unfortunate, in my view. It was called A Calculated Risk, and it explored Tifa’s life after becoming a SOLDIER, in a world where Shinra wasn’t so pure evil. 

 

I love the idea that not everyone in Shinra is evil. I have a soft spot for the Turks, and I think that if Rufus had other motivations, he could be quite different than we get in-game. 

 

I’ve had this OC living rent free in my head for a while now. Her name (excuse the repeat if anyone has read the Princess and the Dragon) is Amira Shinra. (I like the name, sue me.)

 

Some background on this character: She is Rufus Shinra’s baby sister, five years younger than him. Their mother, forced into marriage by Old Man Shinra, was of Cetran lineage. Amira, fortunately or unfortunately, has inherited the traits of the Cetra. She is friends with Aerith Gainsborough, and they are the last two of their kind in the world, making them unimaginably close. As a result, Rufus has always felt wildly protective of his sister, and takes it upon himself to learn about the Planet as a way to understand her better, which makes him very different in his world viewpoint and motives. Rufus’ close relationship with his sister, and their differing approaches in leadership, lead to them being called the Silk Glove and the Iron Fist. 

 

Amira is an engineer, sent to school due to her relentless need to learn the world by taking things apart when she was a child. It is a complementary focus to that of her brother, who has focused on politics and diplomacy. She is in a long-term relationship with Tseng, director of the Turks, as well. Unfortunately for Amira, her being a Cetra has made her a target of the Science department, which leads to her imprisonment for two years under Hojo. This story starts two years after her rescue from his clutches.

 

This story has TWO versions, both of which I will post here, with TWO endgames for Amira’s romance arc. In this one, she ends up with Vincent Valentine. In the second, she ends up with Tseng. Read it, and you’ll get why. I promise. 

 

I hope you guys enjoy this. I really enjoy writing for you guys. I will say — as far as comments go — I moderate all my comments now, after some toxic GoT fan comments on other stories. If you don’t have anything nice to say, just leave it alone, because I will ignore you and delete the comment. 

 

There are TRIGGER WARNINGS in this work, specifically for imprisonment/torture, and attempted suicide of a character. Hojo is pretty much a walking trigger warning, himself. Be aware of them, as they will be at the tops of the affected chapters, and be safe. Love you guys. 

 

 

Chapter 2: Voice Cast

Cast of Voices

With a couple of exceptions (Zack Fair, Angeal Hewley, and Genesis Rhapsodos), everyone here is the voice cast from Remake and Rebirth. I just can't get the original Crisis Core voice actors for those three out of my head, and they are who I hear. 

 

Voice actors:

 

Amira Shinra: Laura Bailey

Rufus Shinra: Josh Bowman

Aerith Gainsborough: Briana White

Tseng: Vic Chao

Zack Fair: Rick Gomez

Cissnei: Kayli Mills

Reno: Arnie Pantoja

Rude: William C. Stephens

Elena: Piper Reese

Cloud: Cody Christian

Tifa: Britt Baron

Barrett: John Eric Bentley

Nanaki: Max Mittelman

Vincent Valentine: Matthew Mercer

Biggs: Gideon Emery

Wedge: Matt Jones

Jessie: Erica Lindbeck

Genesis: Oliver Quinn

Angeal: Josh Gilman

Hojo: James Sie

Heidegger: John DiMaggio

Scarlet: Erin Cottrell

Palmer: William Salyers

Reeve Tuesti: Jon Root

Don Corneo: Fred Tatasciore

Leslie: Mark Whitten

Marle: Barbara Goodson

Sephiroth: Tyler Hoechlin

Yuffie: Suzie Yeung

Cait Sith: Paul Tinto

Cid Highwind: J. Michael Tatum

Dr. Sheiran: Lloyd Sherr

Dyne: Dave B. Mitchell

Dio: Ian James Corlett

Bugenhagen: Frank Todaro

Godo: Pat Morita

Lucrecia: April Stewart

Ifalna: Allegra Clark

Chapter 3: AMIRA

Chapter 1 AMIRA

 

She’s being dragged down a dark hallway by her long brown hair. She screams, kicks, and bites the man in uniform manhandling her as he continues to drag her down the hallway. “Bitch, now I’m really going to make sure to have my fun before he does what he wants to you. It’s a shame there will only be one more of you Ancients when the good doctor is through with you.” Suddenly, a gun cocks, and a soft voice with a Wutaian accent emerges from the darkness — “I’d let her go, if I were you.” 

 

Three men step out of the darkness, the black of their suits allowing them to blend in up until this point. The soldier scoffs, and drops her, before saying, “I am not getting paid enough for this shit. Fucking Turks,” and stalking away behind two large metal doors that slide open as he approaches. She yelps as she hits the floor, unable to stand on her own due to her weakness and malnourishment — a byproduct of her being a ‘guest’ of Professor Hojo for the last two years. 

 

One of the men, long red ponytail messy as always, holsters his gun and his mag-baton, before gently kneeling at her side, and asking, “Mira, can you stand?” She begins to cry softly, and shakes her head. It’s an admission of weakness which is very unlike her, and the sadness in his eyes tells her that he knows this. 

 

Reno sighs, and carefully scoops her into his arms, careful not to jostle her on account of the bruises all over her. She grabs the front of his shirt, begging now, “There are others. It’s not just me he is keeping here.” She looks up, brown eyes pleading at the leader, “Zack is here. Cloud too. And another… one he’s kept here for a long time… a former Turk. You have to get them out. Please.” 

 

Tseng sighs softly, and shakes his head at her, “My hands are tied, Mira. Your father only authorized your release, and only when Rufus blackmailed him into doing so. No others are to be released from Hojo’s… care. Much as I would like to put a bullet in his skull myself.” He breathes out slowly, and turns to the redhead — “Reno, get her out of here.” Reno nods once, and says softly to her, “I’m so sorry, Mira. We just can’t do nothing.” She heaves out a soft sob, before saying to him quietly, “I know, Reno. I know. Just… take me home.” 

 

Amira gasps awake, sitting up in the luxurious bed she’s had since she was a small child, sweat making her hair cling to her neck as she breathes heavily in the aftermath of the dream. She rubs her wrists, the scars now healed, but still pink and very much visible. She looks around, seeing the familiar surroundings — paintings on the wall, photographs of herself and her friends, her lover, and her brother — and heaving out a sigh of relief. 

 

The other side of the bed is cold. He must be working already. She stands gracefully, silk sheets whispering as she moves from them, and wanders over to the window, past the photographs on the wall. She stops, and stares at them. 

 

In one, three men much larger than her — one with red hair, one with longer black hair and a goatee, and one with silver hair and green eyes — all of them with glowing mako eyes, stand with her as she grins at the camera. She has her arm threaded through that of the silver-haired man, who is smiling softly at the camera, his head leaning onto hers as she leans on his shoulder. The red head, clad in his signature crimson duster, is grinning widely beside her, leaning down to be at her level. The man with the black hair stands slightly behind them, arms crossed, a fond smile on his face. Her three best friends — Genesis, Angeal, and Sephiroth — all dead and gone, now. She smiles sadly, remembering them all as they were, before the company betrayed and abandoned them to madness. Of all of them, Seph’s loss hurts the worst — he gave in to madness after learning of her “death,” after all.

 

Her eyes flick to the next picture — she features at the front this time again, with two men next to her, one in the uniform of a SOLDIER second-class, his shock of black hair and mako blue eyes showing his mirth as his arm is slung around her shoulders, both of them laughing. The other man is in an infantry uniform, his wild blond hair…which looks like the back-end of a certain yellow bird, she laughs to herself…noteworthy as he glares at the two of them with no real heat. Cloud and Zack. That photo had been during one of the impromptu training sessions she and Zack had started for Cloud to try to prep him for SOLDIER testing. She smiles remembering the pranks she and Zack would always pull at poor Cloud’s expense, though he always forgave them with a long-suffering sigh. Guilt lances through her, knowing that they’re still in Nibelheim… and she could do nothing… yet.

 

The next photo is of her, two different men, and a woman, all but her wearing dark suits. The woman, Cissnei, is standing behind her and leaning around her, smiling broadly, her red hair blowing in the wind and her brown eyes showing her amusement. The man to her right is tall, dark-skinned and bald, with no real expression on his face, and his signature shades covering his eyes. Rude. The dude could never just smile. His partner, Reno, is standing on her left side, red hair messy as usual, electrical baton out and balanced on his left shoulder as the two of them stick their tongues out at the camera. Reno was more of a brother to her than her own brother sometimes. They were the same age, so got up to a lot of mischief together. Her feet carry her along the wall, chuckling to herself as she looks at the evidence of her old life… before… everything. 

 

The next one shows her sitting in a lounge chair at some club, a slinky black sequined dress showing off her legs as she sits in the lap of man in a dark suit, his dark eyes shining with a secret as he places a kiss on her cheek while she smiles at the camera, a diamond ring on a particularly important finger. Tseng. A pang shoots through her chest as she looks at the photo. Goddess, she misses the way they used to be. After her rescue two years ago, he’d been attached to her hip, always touching her, never letting her out of his sight… Like he was afraid she’d disappear on him again. The reunion sex had been amazing, the emotional intimacy even more so. 

 

Then, after about six months, something changed. He’s been so distant — oh, he will hug her and kiss her like he did before, but only when they’re alone or around people they trust implicitly. Though, Rufus had said not to worry — that Tseng was trying to keep his distance while dear old Dad was watching her like a hawk. It would be risky to be together like they were. The latest change, though? The one that has her worried? The look in his eyes when he thinks she isn’t looking is one of abject guilt and sadness. She has been too busy to look into why, though. It’s not like they talk the way they used to, either. Both of them were far too preoccupied with work. She sighed, tugging the ring down on its chain to look at it where it sat around her neck, taunting her almost. Add it to the to-do list that just keeps getting longer. 

 

Another photo of her, Cissnei, and a blond woman is next, from the same outing as the picture with Tseng, if she remembers correctly. All three sport strappy sequined dresses — hers black, Cissnei’s a glimmering silver, and the blonde woman in dark blue, all laughing at the camera as they dance. Ros… Guns, they called her. Another friend dead because of her. Hojo’s thugs killed her to keep up the ruse of a kidnapping and murder when they took Amira from Sector 8 in broad daylight, while she and Ros were on a shopping trip. They shot Ros in the head right in front of her… a dead Turk can’t talk, after all. A tear falls down her cheek as she remembers everyone she’s lost. 

 

The next image makes her smile. The one person who truly understands her… her sister in bond… Aerith Gainsborough. They’d met when Amira was seven, and Aerith five. 

 

She’d been wandering, as she was prone to do when her nanny wasn’t watching her, and wound up in an unfamiliar corridor. She heard a voice call out to her, “Did the voices tell you to come here? They told me a friend was coming.” As she turned around, a little girl with brown hair and emerald eyes smiled at her. “I’m Aerith. What’s your name?” Amira had smiled, and nodded in answer to her question, before saying, “I’m Amira. I live here with my family. My dad is the President.” The other girl’s eyes widened, and Amira hurriedly continued, “My mom is a Planet-speaker. I’m just a tool to my dad.” Aerith’s eyes showed understanding, and she smiled sadly before nodding, “You won’t always be a tool. It sounds like you could use a friend, and I could too, so I’ll be one for you.” 

 

And she was — Aerith understood Amira on a fundamental level that no one else, not even Tseng or Rufus, did. They shared the burden of being able to hear the voices of the Planet, and of being the last two of their kind. Aerith had escaped from Shinra many years ago, but the Turks always knew her location, and Reno had let it slip to her when she was sixteen. She’d been visiting in secret ever since. The photo shows the two of them, faces and hands covered in dirt as they stand in Aerith’s garden in the Sector 5 slums, wide grins on their faces. Tseng had taken the photo, chuckling at the two of them as he did. 

 

Aerith was so proud of it when they started it… she would need to go visit, and see how far it’s progressed in the years since she’d last seen her friend. Amira could feel something settle deep inside her. A hum of approval from the Planet. Yes. A trip to the slums was definitely in order. Soon it would be safe to visit. 

 

The last photo, the one closest to the window, showed Amira and her older brother, both standing on the company helipad in their trench coats — his white, hers black. Both wore smirks inherited from their narcissistic ass of a father, but that can’t be helped. She turns to the window, and stares out at the city below, the green cast of mako from the reactors highlighting the town in the same shade as the Lifestream. She can almost hear the Planet’s screams. 

 

She’s brought out of her reverie by a ringing PHS that’s sitting on her desk. “Yes?” The laugh on the other end cues her in to the identity of her caller — her brother. “Oh, hey,” she answers, and his deep voice on the other end responds, “You’re needed upstairs. Better get dressed. It’s time.” Her only words in response? “Good. Let’s begin.” Amira Shinra snaps the phone shut, and turns into the marble bathroom, turning on the shower to wash off the sweat from her nightmare. Finally, it’s time to move forward. She was ready — this plan had been two years in the making. Those who had hurt her and the ones she loved would pay.

Chapter 4: RUFUS

Chapter 2 RUFUS

 

He sat in one of the chairs near, but not behind, the monstrosity of a desk his father… occupied. That certainly wasn’t going to work for their plans, and would have to go. The man himself was… well… no longer going to be an issue. Rufus tossed his blond hair out of his face as he stared at the body slumped over onto the desk in front of him, blood seeping out from a bullet wound placed just over the heart. The gun he’d used lay on the desk next to the body, his gloves also laid out to be disposed of by the Turks. 

 

He hated the bastard. Rupert Shinra was many things — a liar, a cheater, a user, and a murderer — to name a few. Father and husband were also technically among his titles, but Rufus always felt that he was shit at those. Rufus probably would be too, if his little sister hadn’t come along a few years after he was born. Amira was… different. When she was born, looking like their mother with her brown eyes and hair, their father had certain… expectations of her. 

 

You see, Rupert had taken a woman from a small village in the North, one with ties to the Cetra people of long ago, and forcibly married her, so that his children would be of “Ancient blood.” Goddess, the man was a calculating asshole. Rufus was born first, blond hair and blue eyes of the Shinra family apparent even at a young age. 

 

Which, unfortunately, meant that the missus had to give him another child. Amira, who was born with her mother’s chestnut locks and honey-colored eyes. Her different looks meant that dear old dad paid more attention to her, thinking she may be born with the traits of the Cetra missing in his son. Rufus… the heir, and the disappointment. But, that wasn’t his sister’s fault. 

 

Amira was always a little weird. When they were little, she would stare off into space, and startle back with a gasp when Rufus would shake her softly. She would look up at him, honey-colored eyes filled with fear, and beg him not to tell their father that she could “hear the whispers.” Rufus swore then, at the tender age of ten, to protect his five-year-old sister from the man they both feared and hated. 

 

He failed. When Amira was ten, and Rufus off at school in Junon, dear old dad had their mother killed. He didn’t need her anymore, because someone, likely a nanny, blabbed about Amira’s strange behaviors, and Dad put two and two together. 

 

She was too young then to understand her gift, according to Dad, and, since Amira had always been intelligent and good at spatial reasoning (read that as, always took shit apart to learn how it worked, to everyone’s consternation), she was sent off to Costa del Sol to an international academy that focused on science, engineering, and technology. 

 

Amira finished school in a few short years, and graduated at sixteen with honors and a combined degree in structural and mechanical engineering, which complemented his own degree in international relations and political science quite well. She then came home to Midgar, where Rufus had been living after finishing school, and was assigned two Turks as her protection detail — Cissnei and Rosalind. 

 

Tseng had met Amira a few times at that point, and the quiet man soon took up with his sister, which made Rufus laugh. Amira was… effervescent. Always laughing, always smiling, always tinkering with or fixing something. Tseng… was not. The man was the epitome of silent and brooding. Especially after he took the mantle of Director from Veld. 

 

Once, when the two of them were drunk after a night out — a rare occasion, believe you me — Tseng had confessed to Rufus that he was entranced by Amira. He thought he didn’t have a shot in hell, though, because Dad was more interested in pairing her with General Sephiroth. That thought still made Rufus laugh, because his sister and the quiet general were close, best friends, in fact, but both shuddered at the idea of a romantic relationship. 

 

Amira was just as enamored of Tseng, and so Rufus decided to play matchmaker. It was a roaring success, and his sister and friend eventually became engaged, though their relationship had to be a secret. Dad would have had Tseng killed without a second thought if he’d known. They’d been happy, but things started going downhill after Genesis and Angeal defected during the war with Wutai, and then their brother Lazard disappeared. 

 

Then, four years ago, the unthinkable happened. Amira had been on a shopping trip for her recent twentieth birthday with Ros, and Tseng got an alert that Ros had activated her emergency beacon (something all Turks wore in case of emergency, especially those on protective details). By the time Reno and Rude made it to Sector 8, Ros was lying in a pool of her own blood, and Amira was gone. 

 

Later in the week, his father had summoned him, his Turks, Tseng included, all ranged behind him, and informed him of his sister’s death at the hands of unnamed ‘terrorists.’ Heidegger stood behind his father, and informed him solemnly that someone had confessed, but that there was no body. 

 

Rufus knew then that the old bastard had something to do with his sister’s disappearance. He wouldn’t stop looking for her until he found her… or her body. Tseng was seething with anger after the meeting, the quiet man hissing in Wutaian all manner of curses against Rufus’ father, which he encouraged gamely. One day, after he found his sister, there would be a reckoning. 

 

That day of reckoning was finally here. Rufus shook himself from his memories, and pulled out his phone to call his sister. “Yes?” Her voice came over the line in a clipped tone. He laughed… must have caught her daydreaming or something. She then continued with, “Oh, hey.” 

 

He quelled his laughter and said, “You’re needed upstairs. Better get dressed. It’s time.” She was quiet for a moment, before she replied, tone as cold as the Great Glacier, “Good. Let’s begin.” He laughed as he closed the phone, placing it back in the pocket of his white trench coat. 

 

Rufus sat back in the chair, waiting. He’d become quite the patient man over the years. He and Amira had talked often of what they’d like to see Shinra become once they were able to take over from their father. Neither of them were particularly happy with its current trajectory. His sister especially was unhappy, her being part-Cetra and all. 

 

She claimed that the Mako reactors were slowly killing the planet, and encouraged him to travel to Cosmo Canyon to study planetology. She was right. He learned about the Lifestream, about the Cetra’s ability to commune with the Planet, about the inevitability of the Planet’s demise should mako continue to be used in the manner it was. It was very eye-opening. 

 

The click of heels coming up the marble stairs at the entrance to the Presidential Office heralded the arrival of his sister. Amira wore a black sheath dress that fell to her knees, black heels, and her black trench coat. Her wavy hair was tied back, diamond ring on a chain around her neck, and the silver-encrusted amber earrings Tseng had given her in her ears. She had matching silver bracers on her wrists, which Rufus knew were to cover her scars from sight, as she thought they made her look weak. 

 

That was the furthest thing from the truth, but it was her call, so he let it lie. She walked slowly towards the desk, honey-colored eyes fixed on the scene in front of her like she was committing it to memory. There was a small smile of satisfaction curling around her lip as she stared at the body of their father. 

 

He cleared his throat, and her eyes cut to him, before she spoke up, her voice melodic and in contrast to her tone and words, “I almost wish you’d made him suffer a bit more, but it’s done, at least.” He laughed sardonically, and gestured for her to join him. There was a bottle of Dad’s finest Modeoheim whiskey in a decanter on the table next to him, and he poured two fingers of the golden liquid into two tumblers sitting on the table, handing one to his sister. 

 

They toasted then, Rufus muttering, “To new beginnings.” Their glasses clinked with an echo in the quiet space of the office, before they drank in silence. He pulled the phone back out of his pocket, dialed Tseng, and said, “Call the board together. There’s been a change in management.” His sister looked at him with a serpentine grin, and he returned it. 

Chapter 5: AMIRA

Chapter 3 AMIRA

 

She walked with purpose next to her brother towards the boardroom. The idiots wouldn’t know what hit them. Well, that wasn’t totally fair. Reeve wasn’t an idiot, but he was the only one. Most of them, Reeve aside, were cronies of her father, and wouldn’t have a place in their administration. She and Rufus had plans for Shinra that would necessitate… a changing of the guard, so to speak.

 

Tseng was waiting for them when they arrived, and she looked up at him, before giving him her first order as the new Co-President of the Shinra Electric Power Company: “None of them leave. Do you understand?” Tseng’s dark eyes stared back at her with a slight twinkle, though his expression was impassive, and he nodded, “Yes, Madam President.” The title from his lips gave her a little shiver, one she hid well. 

 

She waited for a moment, allowing Rufus to step inside before she pulled Tseng to the side, kissing him hard, which he returned initially before his professionalism kicked in, and he stepped back from her. “Amira…” he said warningly. She smirked at him, then, and said, “We don’t have to hide anymore. I was just celebrating that fact. It’s nice… being able to kiss you out in the open.” His eyes lit, then, and she knew tonight would be a good one. 

 

She turned her attention back to the boardroom, tucking her ring beneath her dress one last time as she made direct eye contact with her lover, watching him smirk, as he knew the significance of what she was doing. One more time. She could hear Rufus begin, “Ladies and Gentlemen of the Board of Directors, I come before you this evening with grave news. My father, Rupert Shinra, has been killed. The Turks are investigating this matter most carefully, and we will keep you informed of any progress made.” She snorted a bit. Sure, their orders are to get rid of the body and sweep it all under the rug… after we pin his death on a few scapegoats, that is. 

 

He continued, “I, Rufus Shinra, am now President of the Shinra Electric Power Company… but I am not alone. I may be the pretty face, but my sister is the brains of the operation. May I present, your Co-President of the new Shinra Electric Power Company, Amira Shinra.” She sauntered into the room, Tseng following her, and noted Reno, Rude, and Cissnei back in the corners, staying out of sight. She looked at each member of the Board, noting their reactions to the new change at the top. 

 

Reeve looked surprised, but pleasantly so. He was the only one she actually trusted of the lot of them, as he’d been helpful to her with some of her engineering ideas that they were discussing on the sly. Heidegger looked dumbfounded, but like he was trying to think of how to make himself useful to them. He was a sniveling sycophant, a ‘yes-man’ who had helped their father conceal her kidnapping by Hojo… he would never be of use to her. 

 

Scarlet had a calculating grin on her face initially… one that disappeared once Amira’s new position was announced. That bitch had always been a problem. She thought she could use her… feminine wiles… to gain favor with Rufus. Honestly, even if she hadn’t been there, Rufus wasn’t that desperate or stupid. Scarlet probably carried more venereal diseases than most of the women at the Honeybee Inn. 

 

Palmer was unimportant… a footnote, and a useless one. There were many better people who could be put in his place. And then… there was Hojo… ugh. She felt revulsion slither up her spine as she made eye contact with the professor. She apparently favored his dead wife, a Lucrecia Crescent, in her appearance, which fed the man’s obsession with her, her Cetra traits notwithstanding. The woman was Sephiroth’s birth mother, and so that resemblance made Amira feel even more disgusted when she considered that she may have been forced to marry Seph once upon a time. Talk about Oedipal. 

 

She stepped up next to her brother, who ceded the floor to her, and she cleared her throat, a small smile coming to her face, before she said, “Thank you all for your welcome. I promise, I’ll be brief.” She stopped, and looked at each one of them, before making eye contact with Tseng, and nodding. 

 

“My brother and I have plans going forward to re-make this company. We will work toward conversion of the Mako reactors to a renewable source of energy, and we will be moving away from some of your pet projects when we do this. To that end, Rufus and I name Reeve Tuesti our new VP.” 

 

She let that sink in for a moment, and the man gawked at her, “Me? You want me as your VP?” She laughed a little, and nodded, her brother backing her up with his own nod of approval, before he replied, “Yes, Director Tuesti. You’re the only one qualified to assist my sister with plans to convert the reactors when the time comes. You and your expertise will be needed.” Reeve stood tall, then, and smiled, “I won’t let you down.” 

 

She nodded, before turning her eyes to the others, “Directors Heidegger, Palmer, and Scarlet, the three of you have demonstrated mediocrity at best, deliberate carelessness with the lives placed in your hands at the worst, and as such, you will not be continuing in your posts. Not to mention, someone has to take the blame for the death of our father.” She smiled a saccharine, false smile before saying, “You’ll do.” 

 

At this point, all three began to protest loudly. “This is outrageous!” Scarlet cried. “I have only ever been loyal to Shinra, and this is how I am repaid?!” Heidegger thundered in rage. Palmer looked as though he were about to piss himself, saying, “Oh dear me. Oh dear me.” Rufus snapped his fingers, and the three Turks hiding in the shadows came forward, each one taking a director. 

 

A squad of infantry waited at the door with Tseng, and Rufus ordered, “Take them to the brig. We’ll deal with them shortly.” Tseng nodded, and the three former directors were marched out of the room as they continued to revolt against their treatment. Hojo stood there, a sly smirk on his face. Amira smirked back. And now, for the grand finale.

 

“Professor Hojo, for crimes against the President of Shinra, including kidnapping and torture, and similar crimes against many others including kidnapping, torture, human experimentation, and murder, we remove you from your post… permanently. We can’t have someone of your moral bankruptcy representing our company going forward, and we will be starting the search to replace you as head of R&D.” The smirk vanished from his face, before he sputtered, “But… you can’t! I’m the reason Shinra is what it is!” Rufus stepped forward, and continued, “I know. And that’s why you have to go.” 

 

Two SOLDIERs entered at that point. Both men grabbed Hojo by the arms, and began to escort him to the brig with his hands pulled behind his back, as the man railed against Amira and Rufus. “You’ll never be able to course-correct this company without me. You’ll both fail.” 

 

He then leered at Amira, and continued, “I know things about you that would ruin you.” Tseng walked up behind Hojo at that point, sighing and knocking him over the head with the butt of his pistol with prejudice. He then turned to Amira, and asked, “Your orders, Madam President?” 

 

Amira stared impassively at the unconscious man who’d done her so much harm, and said, “Deal with him — cleanly and efficiently. Take his badge, a finger, and an eyeball, and get all his files — ALL of them — downloaded for us to go through. Even the ones that are above top secret. Then dispose of him, and the rest of them. Send me proof when it’s done.” 

 

Tseng stared at her grimly for a moment, and she cocked her head while adding nonchalantly, “Guess you finally get to put a bullet in his skull after all.” Tseng smiled sharply at her, huffing out a soft chuckle, before nodding once, and then motioning to Reno and Rude to drag the scientist off. 

 

She turned back around to look at Reeve, who was the last man standing at this point. He looked a bit green, to be honest, and she laughed. “Reeve, you’re fine. Take a breath.” He then looked at her, and replied, “From an outsider’s point of view, this would look no better than some of the things your father did, you know.” She sighed, knowing that he was right, and nodded once. 

 

“I know, and I appreciate your candor. This is necessary, though. We have to cut off the rot in order to save the rest.” Reeve looked at her with a hard gaze, as though he were trying to see into her soul, before he must have found what he was looking for, and nodded in return. He reached across the table, before shaking first her hand, and then Rufus’. She looked at her brother, and they shared a nod. To new beginnings, indeed. 

Chapter 6: ZACK

Chapter 4 ZACK

 

Everything was hazy, at first. He didn’t think he even knew which way was up. He heard the asshole call him a ‘failure,’ and turn his attention to Spike. No — not him, take me. Hurt me, first. He doesn’t deserve this. Cloud was so far gone with Mako poisoning at this point, that he wasn’t sure how much more his friend could take. 

 

Time passed, and honestly, Zack didn’t know how much. One day, the other white coats running around the lab there were all whispering to themselves. He couldn’t make most of it out, but he heard certain phrases that indicated that Hojo had been recalled to Midgar, and ‘what were they supposed to do with the specimens in the meantime?’ 

 

Zack supposed that if Hojo was indeed gone, then now was as good a time as any to bust out of this joint. Aerith. She was in Midgar. He had to get to her… to protect her. He heard something that sounded like Angeal whispering loudly in his head, “You call yourself SOLDIER?! GET UP!” 

 

Zack felt a surge of energy, and threw his fist into the glass of the tank in front of him, shattering it in one blow, before he fell to the floor as the mako spilled into the floor around him. No one else was down there, and no alarms were blaring, which was surprising to him, but he wasn’t about to question his good luck. 

 

He opened the valve on Cloud’s tank, and Spike fell into his arms as the glass panel slid open and the mako drained from his tank as well. Cloud groaned softly, and Zack laid him on the floor for a moment, checking his eyes and breathing, and noting Cloud’s formerly indigo eyes to be the glowing Mako blue associated with SOLDIER. Damnation. What had Hojo done to his friend? Shit. Couldn’t worry about that now. Clothes.

 

After a brief moment searching, he found a locker which contained “specimen artifacts.” Inside was something he never thought he’d see again — Angeal’s Buster Sword. He almost cried out in glee as he reverently removed it from the locker, before opening up a couple of employee lockers and pilfering two SOLDIER uniforms, both of first-class rank. 

 

Zack wondered for a moment who they belonged to, but didn’t give it a second thought after drying himself off and pulling the uniform on. He had a little trouble getting everything situated on Spike, but it soon was done. Cloud was out of it, and likely would be for a while. Zack pilfered some potions from the wall, hoisted Cloud over his shoulder in a fireman’s carry, and waltzed right out of the lab, finding himself in Shinra Manor. Nibelheim — damn. It was dark out, so he snuck out of the building and used the brush off the trail to cover their tracks back into town. 

 

When they got there, Zack had to do a double-take, as he noted Nibelheim’s town center to look exactly as it had when they’d arrived for their mission. Wait. This place was razed to the ground… by Sephiroth, no less. Zack remembered the fire burning everything, the heat in his face. How…? Never mind. No time to dwell on it. 

 

He quickly made his way through the edge of town, Cloud over his shoulder moaning softly, before finding an old truck. He plopped Cloud’s dead weight into the bed of the truck, and checked — it was his lucky day, surely, because there were keys in the ignition. Zack turned over the engine, and sped away from his least favorite place in all of Gaia. His destination: Midgar. 

Chapter 7: TSENG

Chapter 5 TSENG

 

He sat at his desk, brooding some over recent events. He had just sent his video proof of death for the good Professor Hojo to Amira. That had felt good, he had to admit. Hojo was a slimy bastard, but now he’d never hurt anyone else. 

 

As he sat, filling out paperwork, the intercom indicating someone wanted to enter his office buzzed. “Yes?” He answered, and it seemed Amira of all people was waiting. He buzzed her in, and her heels clicked on the marble as she walked into his office. She raised a brow at him and smiled affectionately, coming around the desk to sit in his lap as she placed a kiss on his lips that he returned with pleasure, tongue tangling with hers as he wrapped his arms around her waist. He missed her. Damn this job, sometimes.

 

She pulled back to look him in the eyes, and asked, “Anything new I need to know about?” He was about to answer her in the negative, when his phone buzzed. Reno. He sighed, looking at her with a bland stare as she chuckled, and said, “Better answer that.” He clicked open the phone, and said, “Report.” 

 

Reno’s voice came across the line slightly harried, like he had been moving at a rapid pace. “I got some news for ya, yo. Tell Boss Lady that Fair and Strife broke out of Nibelheim. Whereabouts unknown at this time, but… wasn’t Fair dating that other Ancient girl? Aerith?” Tseng sucked in a breath, and turned to Amira. 

 

She was close enough that she could hear Reno speak, and said, “We hear you, Reno. Yes, he was dating her before the Nibelheim shitshow.” Reno then responded, “Well, if I was a bettin’ man, I’d bet every gil in the house that he’s gonna come back here for her.” Tseng then replied, “Acknowledged, Reno. Keep me posted.”

 

Amira’s lips were pursed as Tseng closed the PHS and turned to look at her. “Find them, Tseng. Find them, and bring them home.” Tseng knew just who to send. He looked through the roster of remaining SOLDIERs which he’d appropriated from Heidegger’s office for now, and found the two he was looking for: Luxiere Umeda and Kunsel Kawamura. 

 

Luxiere was promoted to First Class shortly after Zack, and was the only one left besides Zack. Kunsel was Second Class rank, but this may be enough to consider a promotion if he brings his buddy home in one piece. Cissnei would provide transport, intel, and backup. 

 

As he began to draw up the orders, Amira slid out of his lap, placing a lingering kiss on his lips before heading for the door, saying, “You’re busy, and I should get back to work, myself.” She then sighed, tilted her head, and said in a rather exasperated tone, “This place won’t run itself.” He chuckled, and watched her walk away, before returning to his paperwork. There was a new recruit candidate he needed to speak to…

Chapter 8: AMIRA

Chapter 6 AMIRA

 

As she walked through the edge of Sector 5’s slums from Wall Market, she took note of the squalor and desperation rife in the area. Goddess, it needed to change. She turned down the street toward the church, her walking boots making minimal sound as they hit the dirt of the road. She wore a black tee-shirt and dark blue jeans with a black leather jacket and her boots, her ring hidden beneath her shirt on its chain. No jewelry today except her bracers— she didn’t want to get mugged, after all. Not that she couldn’t handle herself in that scenario, but, best to avoid it. 

 

She knew Reno and Rude were following at a distance, as good Turks do. No need to draw undue attention. The light from the plate suns gleamed in through the few remaining windows of the church, casting prisms on the ground in front of her. She stopped, staring at the doors for a moment, before pushing one open and entering.

 

There, on her knees in the dirt despite her pretty pink dress, was Aerith. Her friend’s head popped up, and her emerald green eyes lit up as she chirped, “I knew I’d see you soon. Welcome back, friend!” She stood, brushing off her dress, and met Amira halfway with a bear hug that encompassed so many feelings. Amira felt a deep sense of calm come over her as she closed her eyes and melted into the hug, the comfort that Aerith provided with ease. 

 

Aerith smiled at her wordlessly, and tugged her hand to follow her over to the pews of the church, where they sat and looked at the flowers Aerith was growing here. Yellow and white lilies. They were beautiful. Amira smiled, as she said, “Love the flowers, Aer.” Aerith sighed happily, sitting back against the pew and kicking her feet back and forth a few times. 

 

She then turned to Amira, a hesitant look on her face, and said, “The Planet told me you were in pain. Do you want to talk about it?” Amira just sighed herself, and replied, “Honestly, I don’t really like getting into the details. It’s still raw for me, even now. It’s enough knowing that you don’t need me to talk about it to understand. I do have news, though.” Aerith grinned at her, standing and sweeping a bow, before saying, “Of course you do, Madam President.” Amira smacked her friend’s shoulder, and pulled her back down to sit as Aerith’s happy laugh echoed in the old church. 

 

Amira just looked at her and said, “Hojo’s dead. We’re safe, now.” Aerith gasped softly, and then nodded, her facial expression grim. “Good. I know that’s a terrible thing to wish on someone, but I’m glad he can’t hurt us, or anyone else for that matter.” Her eyes softened, and she grabbed Amira’s hand, squeezing it. “What else?” 

 

Amira paused for a moment, and said, “Two things, Aer. First, I’m sorry I haven’t been down here since I got back. Too many eyes on me the last couple of years. Didn’t want them to know we were friends, or that I even knew you.” 

 

Aerith just nodded with understanding, and asked, “And the other?” Amira took a slow, deep breath, before she looked into Aerith’s eyes, and said, “Zack’s alive. He’s been alive all this time, and at Hojo’s mercy. I’ve sent people out to find him and bring him home.” 

 

Aerith gasped again, tears welling in her eyes as her hands came up to her mouth, before she smiled, and replied in a watery tone, “I knew it. I just knew he was okay, even though he never responded to my letters.” Amira smiled at her friend, and they sat for a while, just basking in the peace and reverence of the place, holding hands. 

 

After a while, she asked, “So, how’s the garden coming?” Aerith replied, “Oh! It’s doing so well. Do you have time to visit? Mom can make us some lunch!” Amira just laughed, and nodded, “Absolutely. Anything for Elmyra’s cooking.” The two women stood, and exited the church arm-in-arm, laughing as they walked and chatted. 

Chapter 9: ZACK

Chapter 7 ZACK

 

It took some time, but the truck held up all the way to Costa, where they stowed away on a ship heading to Junon, and then it was up to the plateaus around the Wastes. Cloud was a little more awake, and able to walk, but still out of it from the mako exposure. Zack sighed. Right now, he and Cloud were in the back of a truck that was traveling from Kalm to Midgar, and Zack could see the steel city getting closer with every mile. 

 

Suddenly, he heard the telltale sounds of a helicopter rotor, and looked up to see a Turk helicopter circling overhead. Shit. They’d found him. He would not go back to being a test subject, and he wouldn’t let them take Cloud, either. He slapped the back window of the truck, and had the guy driving let them out and keep going. 

 

Zack dragged Cloud behind some rocks, and laid him there, Buster Sword next to him, while he went to face the music. He was surprised to see only three people in the helicopter — did they really think he’d go down at the hands of two SOLDIERs and a Turk? Then, he recognized them. Lux. Kunsel. Cissnei. People he once called his friends. 

 

He drew his SOLDIER-issued sword as they approached, and Kunsel held up both hands, saying, “Woah, man! We are not here to fight you, bro. We came to bring you home.” Zack scoffed, and readied himself for a fight, calling back, “Bullshit, man! Shinra left me to rot in Hojo’s care. You think I believe you for one second?” 

 

Lux then held up a hand as well, but had his other hand on his SOLDIER-issue blade, as he spoke calmly, “Seriously, Zack. The President doesn’t want an issue here. We’re just here to take you back to Midgar, get you seen to. You and Strife both.” Zack scoffed, “You may get me, but you won’t get Cloud. And you won’t get me without a fight.” Kunsel and Luxiere both looked at each other sadly, and sighed. 

 

As Zack was focused on the two SOLDIERs in front of him, he didn’t see Cissnei sneak around behind him, and she jabbed him in the neck with a sedative. He yelped, and dropped the sword as the medication took effect quickly. “Fuck, Ciss. Thought we were… friendsss…” he slurred as he dropped into Luxiere’s waiting arms. 

 

Cissnei then hissed out, “Shit. It wasn’t supposed to take him down that fast. Now we don’t know where Strife is, and we don’t have the resources to go hunting for him. Damnit. Amira is not going to be pleased.” 

 

They loaded Zack into the helicopter, none of them seeing the blond man slowly stand up from behind the rocks, limp over to the Buster Sword, and pick it up. He took a careful swing with it, sheathed it and started to say, “Cloud Strife, SOLDIER First-Class,” before slowly making his way towards the entrance to Midgar. 

Chapter 10: AMIRA

Summary:

LEMON THIS CHAPTER.

Chapter 8 AMIRA

 

She sat at her desk in Rufus’ old VP office, which they both were utilizing until the renovations of the Presidential Office were completed — namely, removing her father’s eyesore of a desk and creating two separate, yet equal, spaces for her and Rufus within the room. It wouldn’t be private at all, but that was all right. 

 

She had joked that she could just go visit Tseng in his office if she wanted to have privacy, which made Rufus choke on the drink of water he was taking during their conversation on the subject. She grinned impishly while he recovered from his choking spell as he groused, “Really? There are many things I absolutely do not need to know about my little sister and friend’s sex life.” That thought of course, made her flash back to this morning. 

 

She woke slowly to touches. Tseng was feeling needy, this morning, then. He kissed the back of her neck, biting her earlobe as she moaned softly, before rolling her underneath him as he kissed her hard. She was only wearing her silk nightgown, and him his boxers. Both articles of clothing were swiftly removed, and then it was just his skin on hers. Fuck, this never got old. He smirked at her, long hair flowing around them as he kissed down her neck, her breasts, and then reached his real prize. 

 

She loved watching his eyes while he went down on her. He was always so quiet, so serious. Not here. He loved tasting her, touching her, trying to milk every sound he could from her. As he got to work, she made eye contact with him, and he chuckled darkly, the vibration buzzing through her as her head fell back to the pillows. 

 

He kept it up until she gasped out her orgasm, and he shifted his way up her body, sliding into her while she was still coming down from her high. He gasped in her ear as he began to slowly rock into her. “Oh… Tseng… baby, please,” she whimpered, and he continued to kiss her, reaching up with his teeth and grazing her earlobe again. 

 

His fingers played her like a violin, and she went taut with pleasure, moaning into his ear, her body clamping down on him like a vice, and bringing him along with her. “Oh, Fuck, Mira. Yessss…” he hissed out as he came. He held himself above her, dark eyes and smirking mouth daring her to go again. Challenge accepted. She pulled him down to her, kissing him hard, and saying, “Fuck me again.” They were late, of course. 

 

She shook her head, thoughts returning to the present, and shifting in her seat to tamp down on her arousing thoughts. She had a pencil between her teeth, Reeve sitting across from her as they stared at the blueprints for a mako reactor. He hadn’t said anything when she’d called him to tell him she’d be late for their meeting. Bless him and his ability not to ask things he didn’t want the answers to. 

 

Amira had noted that hydroelectric power would be feasible for most of the current reactors for conversion (all but the Corel reactor, in fact), as most sat near a large body of water that could be used as a renewable source. All they needed do to was to shut down the pumps in mako storage, allow the mako to drain back underground, and then install turbines that would sit in the old mako storage tanks and churn the water that was pumped in and out to create an electrical current. 

 

With the size of the mako reactors, it should create enough electricity to be able to replace the mako energy. Simple? No. Sustainable? Yes. Would it work? Possibly. Now they just needed a site for proof-of-concept. 

 

Reeve sat forward, looked at some maps again, and said, “I think I’ve got it.” Amira raised a brow at him, and he continued, “Junon — the underwater reactor. That’s the perfect spot to use for a test facility.” Indeed. That would be a perfect spot. She smiled, and nodded her agreement. 

 

She leaned back with a feeling of satisfaction, and dialed Rufus on the PHS. “We’ve got it. Come down here and take a look for yourself. We’ll need to make the announcement about the changing of the guard soon, anyway. People still don’t know what all’s happening up here.” Her brother informed her that he was on his way down, and she clicked the phone closed. 

 

While she was talking, Reeve had stood up and walked over to the coffee maker, and was busying himself with making three cups of coffee — they’d had enough pow-wows in this office that he knew exactly how both Amira and Rufus took their coffee. Oddly enough, it was the same — black with three sugars. Just enough sweetness to cut the bitterness out, while preserving the flavor. Reeve, on the other hand, had a major sweet addiction — five sugars and enough cream to turn the coffee almost white. 

 

He handed Amira her mug of coffee, and sat in his preferred seat in front of her desk, sitting back and sipping his concoction with a near blissful look on his face. Amira just chuckled, and asked, “How do you drink that? Honestly, Reeve, your blood is going to be nothing but sugar someday.” The man just chuckled a bit, and replied, “To each their own, Madam President.” She shook her head and shrugged. A knock on the door sounded, and Rufus strode in, flicking his hair back as he did so. 

 

“How’re the renovations coming?” she asked him, and he groaned, sitting down in his chair and noticing the mug of coffee Reeve had placed on his desk. “Oh, I need this. Thank you.” He then looked up at his sister, and replied, “Slowly. Father’s desk was practically bolted to the floor, so we’re having to do a lot of demo, and then replace the floors before we put in new desks and seating. Should take a couple of weeks, all told.” 

 

She nodded, before pointing to the plans on the wall, and asking, “What do you think?” Rufus looked at them for a moment, before looking at Reeve, and saying, “Give me the Engineering for Dummies version.” Reeve chuckled, before explaining the concept of how to transition the current reactors over to hydroelectric power would work. Rufus nodded, and Amira could see the wheels turning in his mind. 

 

He looked over at her, then. “It seems like the only extra work would be the pumps for the water both to and from the reactor and the turbines. The rest can be cannibalized from the current reactors.” She nodded, and she watched her brother’s eyes light up as he came to the same conclusion she had — “We can do this. We can make peoples’ lives better, and not kill off the Planet in the process.” 

 

She grinned. “That’s right, big brother. We stay on top financially, and we can’t be made out to be the ‘bad guys’ anymore. Everybody wins.” All three toasted with their coffee mugs, and just sat in silence for a time. Step one was done. 

 

The peace was shattered by Amira’s phone sounding. Tseng. He never called during the day if it wasn’t work related… “What’s up, Tseng?” He sighed on the other end, “We found Fair. He put up a fight, and Cissnei had to sedate him to get him on the chopper. Strife wasn’t with him. We don’t know his location.” Damnit. 

 

She heaved out a sigh. “Where’s Zack?” Tseng sighed softly, and replied, “Conference room. He’s pacing like a caged animal. You might want to get down here. I think he’ll respond better to a friendly face.” 

 

Amira grunted, and replied, “A friendly face he thinks has been dead for the last four years. This will be… fun.” Tseng chuckled softly, and said, “If anyone can get through to him, it’s you. He won’t trust me, and he doesn’t know Rufus.” All fair points. “I’ll be down in five.” 

Chapter 11: ZACK

Chapter 9 ZACK

 

He paced the length of the small room, sitting occasionally on the sofa near him, crossing his legs, uncrossing them. Well, they hadn’t stuck him in a cell, and he hadn’t awakened in a lab, so he wasn’t looking at the worse-case scenario just yet. 

 

There was a knock at the door, and Tseng walked through. He had longer hair, and more lines around his eyes from stress (nature of the job, honestly), but he looked the same, otherwise. The man didn’t age at all. Of course, that was probably the Wutaian blood he carried. None of those fuckers aged. It was maddening. 

 

Tseng cleared his throat, and Zack raised his eyebrows, “Well? Am I a prisoner again? What the hell is going on, Tseng?” The man held up a hand, and Zack fell quiet. “President Shinra is coming down to brief you on matters personally, Zack.” When his eyes widened, Tseng chuckled, and said, “Oh, wait. You wouldn’t know about recent events.” 

 

Zack almost growled, “Quit fucking with me, and get to the point.” A small smirk curled around Tseng’s lip, as he replied, “You’ll see in a few minutes. Trust me when I say, Zack, a lot of things are changing around here. Oh, and Cissnei wanted me to apologize to you for the sedative.” He then backed out of the room, and the door closed with a swish. 

 

What… the… ever-loving fuck? Zack paced some more after that, and even started doing squats to try to burn off some of his nervous energy. His back was to the door, and he heard it open. 

 

Before he could turn around, a familiar voice chuckled and asked, “Damn, you couldn’t wait ten minutes before breaking out the squats, could you?” He whirled around, and came face to face with someone he’d thought dead since the Nibelheim incident. 

 

Honey-brown eyes and a sardonic grin stared back at him, her golden brown hair pulled back away from her face, the rest coming down around her shoulders in waves. “Hey, Zack.” He shook himself from his stupor, and replied belatedly, “Amira. But… how? They told us… they told Seph you died…” Her eyes became sad, and she gestured to the sofa, saying, “I know. Sit. There’s a lot to tell you.” 

 

He cautiously stalked over to the couch, never taking his eyes off her, before sitting, elbows on his knees as he leaned forward. She sat next to him gracefully, crossing one leg over the other and leaning back into the corner of the couch, her hands in her lap as she watched him. She paused, looking out the window behind them for a moment, as though she were trying to compose herself. “You know what I am, right?” 

 

Zack cocked his head at her with confusion, and she continued, “I’m like Aerith, Zack. I’m one of the last two of any significant Cetra blood alive. The genetic traits from our mother’s side skipped Rufus and came to me. Lucky me, right?” She scoffed, and his eyes widened. “You mean, you hear the Planet, all that stuff like Aerith tried to explain to me?” 

 

She nodded, and continued, “I don’t know how much they told you. I was out on a shopping trip with Ros, and was kidnapped. They killed Ros in front of me. Bullet to the head.” Zack hissed, and she smiled sadly at him, before continuing, “I woke up strapped to a lab table. Hojo informed me that my father had decided to give me up to him since I wouldn’t help ‘lead them to the Promised Land.’ It didn’t matter how many times I told the man that it didn’t work that way, he insisted that I was lying. Hojo’s job… was…” She gulped, and then continued, “…to make me more malleable, more willing to help.” 

 

Torture. God damnit. His own daughter? Zack was sure his thoughts were visible on his face, because she got that sad look again, “The worst part? I was in Nibelheim, too. I knew about you and Cloud, because Hojo taunted me, threatened the two of you to try to make me cooperate.” Ice settled in his gut. “Please tell me you didn’t help him…” She shook her head, and he sighed in relief. “That’s some shit, man. How’d you get out?” 

 

She looked at him, and said, “An infantryman who guarded my room was… sympathetic… to my plight. I think he saw a sad, pretty girl, and wanted to be a hero. So, he took a letter I wrote when he rotated back to Midgar. I told him to put it directly in the hands of Tseng or Rufus. No one else.” Oh… wow. She smiled sadly, and said, “Help almost came too late, though.” His brow furrowed, “What does that mean?” 

 

She shook her head, and said, “Let’s just say that I have a few more scars than I did before. Anyway, the Turks got me out, after Rufus blackmailed dear old Dad into releasing me.” She was being deliberately cryptic, and he wasn’t going to pry. That part wasn’t his business. She was allowed to keep some secrets. 

 

She looked at him again, “I’m sorry for not getting you and Cloud out. I tried, but Rufus was only able to get me released.” Well, at least she tried. He shook his head, “Naw, Mira. You did what you could. I know that much.” She smirked at him, then, and said, “You should know — Professor Hojo will never hurt anyone else ever again.” 

 

Wait… WHAT? “The bastard’s dead?” She nodded slowly, chuckling low in her throat at his likely agog expression. She then opened her phone, the buttons chirping a few times as she keyed up a video, before handing it to him.

 

Tseng stood before Hojo, who was tied to a chair. The man was sneering, and said, “I know what you are to her. There are things I know about her that you could only dream of knowing.” Tseng’s face remained impassive, though there was a little tic to his right eye that Zack knew to be the only tell when Tseng was angry. The Wutaian man turned back to Hojo, and Zack saw the gun, silencer on the end. “You’ll never touch her again. I couldn’t save her from you before, but I can now.” With those words, Tseng fired one bullet into Hojo’s forehead, which snapped backwards with the impact, his body slumping in the chair. Tseng showed the body to the camera, and then turned it to his face, and spoke, “Target eliminated.” The video stopped. 

 

Zack felt the pressure in his chest release as he stared at the phone. Hojo was dead. He heaved out a shaky sigh, rubbing his hand over his face before placing the phone in Amira’s outstretched palm. “What do you want from me?” he asked with some resignation. 

 

Amira smiled, and said, “Shinra is turning the page on the past. We’re planning to transition to renewable energy, away from mako. It will take time, but things will be better. You’re going to hear that Scarlett, Heidegger, and Palmer conspired to assassinate my father, but I want you to know the truth, Zack.” He met her eyes, and she continued, “Rufus and I took out our father. We staged a coup, and we won. You’re now looking at one of the co-Presidents of the Shinra Electric Power Company.” Damn. That’s cold. 

 

When he said as much, she shrugged, and said, “It was necessary. None of those four would have been on board with the direction we want to go, and they would have undermined us at every turn, even potentially being dangerous to those we hold dear. We don’t plan to use such bold tactics in the future unless we’re dealing with a real and true threat. We’d prefer to use a more…delicate approach. Rufus does need something to do to occupy himself, after all. He’s the diplomat, the silk glove, if you will, and I’m the one who gets shit done — the iron fist.” Zack snorted a laugh at that — it made sense.  

 

She smiled then, and continued, “That said, I need a General for SOLDIER and someone to take over command of the infantry from Tseng. He has enough on his plate.” Zack’s eyes widened, then. “Me?” He paused, looking out the window and crossing his arms, before saying, “Huh. Wow, that’s not at all what I was picturing.” 

 

He looked back at her then, a determined glint in his eye. “You’re really out to make things better?” She nodded, and he did as well in a considering manner. “First, you need to send somebody out to look for Spike. I left him behind the rocks where Cissnei and the others grabbed me on the plateau. He might still be there, addled as he was by the mako, but he could walk on his own, so who knows.” 

 

Amira hummed and nodded once, typing out a brief message on her phone, and clicking it shut again. Probably orders to Tseng. Zack stood then, looking out the window, considering his options. There was only one good one. “Angeal would kick my ass if I didn’t take it. ‘Embrace your dreams.’” Amira then smiled, coming to stand next to him, and continued the phrase they’d both heard more times than they could count, “‘If you want to be a hero, you need to have dreams and honor.’” Zack smiled then for the first time in years. 

Chapter 12: RUFUS

Chapter 10 RUFUS

 

He sighed as he closed another file, one of at least 150 paper files Hojo had kept in Midgar. He assumed the rest were in Nibelheim. He wouldn’t even broach that topic with Amira until she did. When his sister was ready to deal with that shit, she’d let him know. The fact that she was here, sitting between him and Tseng, going through the files herself, was courage enough in Rufus’ eyes. 

 

He was allowing her to handle the SOLDIER files, including those for Sephiroth, Genesis, and Angeal. He made eye contact with Tseng, whose eyes cut over to Amira with a sigh. He looked worried, and Amira had dark circles under her eyes. Again, not his business, so he’d stay out of it. Reno and Cissnei were present at the other end of the table, on laptop computers hooked to the Shinra servers where all of Hojo’s digital files lurked. 

 

They obviously wouldn’t be able to get through them all even in the next 6 months, such was the prolific nature of Hojo’s research. He looked up when he heard his sister gasp. She was looking at a file — the creature listed on it looked like a four-legged feline creature with fire at the tip of its tail. A Watcher of the Vale — he’d seen pictures and paintings of them when he studied in Cosmo Canyon. 

 

“What is it?” He asked his sister, and she shook herself, before saying, “Hojo still has him locked up. Locked up here.” Well, damn. She wasn’t going up into Hojo’s lair by herself. Who knew what he had up there. He made eye contact with Tseng, who flipped open his phone and dialed a number. “Fair — can you come down to my office, please? We need you for something. Bring your weapon.” 

 

Tseng clicked the phone closed, and nodded at him. Amira looked up, then, and said, “Field trip, then, huh?” Rufus chuckled and nodded at her, “Well, I know I don’t want you going up there alone. Tseng and I could use the break, too.” The man in question didn’t smile, just hummed and shut the file he was reading, moving to grab his weapon from his desk. 

 

Amira just nodded, and sat back in her chair. The entrance intercom buzzed, and Tseng answered it, before buzzing back the now-General Zack Fair. “You called?” He asked in a rather cheeky tone, and Amira answered, “Yeah, I just found out that Hojo has someone locked up in his domain.” 

 

The SOLDIER visibly shuddered, and asked, “Who?” Amira looked at him, and replied, “Someone I consider a friend, and I intend to go let him out.” Fair just nodded, and gestured for her to lead the way. He stood, following his sister with Tseng and Fair taking up the rear. 

 

They made their way to the elevators, and Amira swiped her key card, the computer chirping, “Welcome, Amira Shinra. Executive access granted. Please select your destination.” She selected the 68th floor, and he stared out the window as the glass-paneled cylinder rose up with them inside. He noticed Tseng whispering to his sister gently as they stood with their heads together near the elevator panel. As they exited, Zack insisted on taking the lead, Tseng the rear to cover any ambush from behind. 

 

He and Amira walked between them, warily watching each storage area as they moved past them. “Which one, Mira?” Fair asked, and she replied tersely, “Bay 18.” They were at Bay 12, so a few minutes later, they stumbled upon the correct area. 

 

There was one lone cage at the back. Amira moved up behind Zack, putting her hand on his shoulder, and saying, “I’ve got this. Watch my back.” He nodded once, grimly, and stepped aside. Amira walked carefully towards the cage, and a low growl emanated from it. “Nanaki?” she carefully called out, and the growl stopped. “Amira?” came a deep voice from inside the cage. 

 

She knelt down in front of the cage doors, putting her hand on the bars, and saying, “Hey, buddy. Yeah, it’s me. You okay?” The creature snorted, and replied, “As well as I can be, given my circumstances.” He motioned to the cage and bars, and she nodded.

She looked back at him, then, and explained, “Nanaki and I were kept together immediately after my… capture. I was kept here for a week, before being moved to Nibelheim. I guess you could say we bonded over our shared experience.” She then turned back to the creature, which had huffed out a laugh at the bland tone of her last statement. 

 

“Hojo’s dead. I’m letting you out.” The creature stood back, as she used her Presidential overrides to open the biometric lock on the cage. It trilled a happy sound, “Access GRANTED,” and the barred door slid open, revealing a red quadrupedal creature — the one on the file. Wait… it talked? 

 

The creature eyed him and Tseng warily, and Amira stroked her hand down his head, before he closed his remaining yellow eye… and purred. She chuckled, and said, “Nanaki, this is my brother, Rufus. That’s Tseng, our Director of the Turks, and Zack Fair, General of SOLDIER.” 

 

The creature looked up at her curiously, and she told him, “We’re in charge, now. Let’s get out of here and get you something better to eat, huh? You can stay in my rooms with me, tonight.” The creature heaved a great sigh, and replied, “That sounds like a winner.” 

Chapter 13: TIFA

Chapter 11 TIFA

 

She was wiping down the bar, the last lunch guests trickling out as she closed up to prepare for the evening rush. Seventh Heaven did a brisk business, and she was able to keep the lights on, at least. Barrett and the others were gone on the mission — Mako Reactor One. Cloud was with them. She finished her cleaning, remembering how she’d found him.

 

She was walking home from her weekly run up to the plate for the expensive booze she kept behind the bar for the more specialized signature drinks. The train hadn’t been crowded, and rain had started to come in between the gaps in the plate, as it did every now and again. Tifa lived for those moments. 

 

There was a crowd of people surrounding someone on the ground, and she walked closer to investigate. She saw the blond hair, and froze, almost dropping the Banoran apple wine she’d searched so hard for. She pushed through the crowd almost frantically, and squatted down next to the man when she got close. “Cloud?” She whispered in disbelief. The man looked over at her, his gaze unfocused at first, and eerily glowing — Mako. 

 

He was a SOLDIER, like he’d always said he would be. His eyes sharpened as they focused on her, and his voice, older now, but so like the one she remembered, whispered, “Teef?” She sat down her bags, and threw her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly. They were both soaking wet at this point, but she did not care at all. 

 

Cloud was here. He was okay… sort of. He looked a bit haggard, actually. What had happened to him? She’d figure it out, but first things first. She stood, turning around to the crowd of people, “Okay, show’s over, folks. Unless you’re here to help, go on about your business, huh?” The locals knew her well enough to know that while she was kind, she meant business. As the group disappeared, she turned back to Cloud, and asked, “Are you okay? Can you walk?” 

 

He groaned a bit, and with some help from her, got to his feet, a giant sword strapped to his back. He slung an arm around her, and she helped him balance while still carrying her spoils. They slowly made their way back to the bar, where she’d put him up on a cot in the back for now. There certainly wasn’t room at her place. 

 

“Hey, Tifa,” he’d said quietly. “Hmm?” She turned to him, her garnet eyes obviously showing how happy she was to see him, and he smiled softly at her, before saying, “Thanks. I’m glad you came along when you did. What are you doing here?” She shrugged, replying, “Oh, needed a place to go after… everything. I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised to find you in Midgar, too. But… what are you doing down here in the slums?” 

 

He shook his head, and said, “Shinra didn’t take too kindly to me being an ex-SOLDIER.” Oh. Hmm. She walked him back to the cot she had set up, and directed him to lie down. He took the sword off his back, and propped it against the wall within reach, before doing just that, and closing his eyes, squeezing her hand as she walked away. 

 

She blinked out of her thoughts, and turned to the TV that had transitioned over to a breaking news announcement. Oh boy. But… wait. This was a Shinra announcement, not the news. The woman on the screen started, “Greetings citizens of Gaia. Jena Dalan here. Tonight, the Shinra Electric Power Company brings you this special broadcast to make a big announcement. And now, we go live to Midgar and Reeve Tuesti.” 

 

A man with dark hair, kind eyes, and a goatee stood at a podium. He cleared his throat. “Good evening. My name is Reeve Tuesti, and I am the new Vice-President of Shinra. I come before all of you with an announcement that will change the lives of everyone able to hear this. Firstly, President Rupert Shinra, the leader of the Company, has been assassinated.” She gasped. 

 

No way. What? The man continued, “Several members of the Board of Directors were found to have colluded to remove the President and to take power for themselves. This has been dealt with internally. Tonight, I’m here to introduce your new Co-Presidents of the Shinra Electric Power Company, who will bring Shinra into the future: Rufus and Amira Shinra!” 

 

Two figures stepped up from behind him — a tall blond man who looked a lot like the previous president and wearing a white trench coat, and a woman with long brown waves and a black trench coat to match the man’s. They smiled at the camera, and they waved, but neither made a move to speak at the podium. 

 

Mr… Tuesti, that’s right… continued then, “In the next several months, Shinra will begin to enact an era of change. After careful planning, the decision has been made to move away from mako energy, towards a source more sustainable for our beloved Planet. Our Presidents both wish to see this world and its people prosper, and we will provide you further details in the coming weeks. In other news…” 

 

Before he could continue, there was a loud explosion, and all three executives hit the deck. The camera tilted, and Tifa made out the woman pointing at something in the distance, a look of horror on her face, before the feed turned to white noise. Tifa stepped outside, seeing people rushing about the slums. Marle came up to her, and said, “Tifa, Mako Reactor One just blew up! And right in the middle of that Shinra announcement, too!” Tifa just nodded, and grimaced. She hoped that Cloud, Barrett and the others were all right, but she had a bad feeling that they’d just mis-stepped big time. 

Chapter 14: RUFUS

Chapter 12 RUFUS

 

He’d sent a messenger to Wall Market to check in with Don Corneo, one of his father’s favored informants, and the slum lord of that sector. Father had made him quite wealthy. Rufus and Amira had no intention of allowing that to continue, but he didn’t have to know that. 

 

First, they needed updates on the slums, especially since the reactor blew a week prior. There had been whispers about a group called Avalanche. He certainly hoped this… reincarnation of the group wasn’t as… fanatical as its previous one.

 

A package arrived for him, and he opened it… before dropping it on his desk with a muttered curse. There was a head packaged inside — the head of his messenger, to be precise, and he was missing his tongue and eyes. Quite a bold message, Corneo. Amira was sitting at her desk opposite him, now that they had moved into the Presidential Offices. 

 

“What’s got you all in a tizzy?” She asked, and he pointed at the box. She raised a brow, standing and walking over to his desk, and peering over into it, before rearing back with widened eyes. “Well, now. I suppose that answers the question of whether Don Corneo can be dealt with diplomatically.” He snorted, and pressed the intercom before dialing Tseng’s office. 

 

The man answered with a crisp, “Yes, Mr. President?” Rufus rolled his eyes at Amira, who shook her head fondly, before he replied, “Tseng, there’s a head in a box on my desk.” The man was quiet, and paused for a beat, before he replied, “I’ll send Rude to handle it.” He then cleared his throat, “Sir, may I speak to the both of you later?” Rufus raised a brow at Amira in question, and she shrugged, nodding, before he replied, “Of course. Just come by when you can.” 

 

It wasn’t long before Reno and Rude arrived, the former yammering about his latest conquest, and the latter not saying anything at all. Amira replied, “Goddess, Reno, you’re going to end up a statistic if you keep sleeping with everything you flirt with.” He grinned back at her, and said, “I’m touched that you care so much, Mira.” She just gave him a look that said, “Don’t even think about it,” and the man raised his hands in surrender. 

 

Rude came to his desk, leaned over the box, grunted once, and took it, nodding to him and to Amira, before exiting the room, his still-chattering partner behind him. He looked over at his sister, motioning to the door where the Turks had been, and raising a brow. She laughed in response, and replied, “They’re like Frick and Frack. Can’t have one without the other.” He laughed softly, and they both went back to work for a while, her working on the initiation of retrofitting the Junon reactor, and him working on the damage reports for Mako Reactor One with Reeve’s assistance. 

 

About an hour later, their new secretary informed them of Tseng’s arrival. The man came up the stairs, nodding once to his sister with a soft smile, before saying, “Mr. President, Madam President. I have a request.” Amira put down her pen and looked at her fiancé, raising both brows at him, and he continued, “I’ve had an application for a position within the Turks. I’d like to offer her the position.” Her? Hmm. Interesting. 

 

Amira cocked her head, and said, “Tell us more.” Tseng then chuckled, and said, “She’s here, now, actually. I wanted you both to meet her before you agreed.” Rufus nodded, and Tseng motioned for someone behind the door to enter. A young woman, short and blonde, entered the room, looking at both of them with a bit of trepidation before saying, “Mr. President. Madam President,” and nodding to both of them. Amira smiled at her then, saying, “You look like the woman who used to be my guard.” 

 

The young woman then stood proudly, and said, “You mean Ros?” When Amira gasped softly, and nodded, the young woman continued, “She was my sister. She was a damn good Turk, and I think I could be, too.” Amira nodded, looking interested, before she asked, “What is your name?” The woman smiled cheekily, and responded, “Elena. My name’s Elena. Ros told me a lot about her friend the ‘Shinra Princess.’ It’s nice to finally meet you and put a name with a face.” 

 

Amira had a sad smile on her face, and said, “Ros was a great Turk, and a great friend.” She then looked at Tseng, and said, “She has my vote.” Rufus nodded as well, and the woman, Elena, gasped, and looked askance, before saying, “Wait, you mean I got the job?!” Amira laughed heartily at that, and Tseng chuckled softly, before replying, “Welcome to the Turks.”

Chapter 15: AMIRA

CHAPTER 13 AMIRA

 

A few days after the ‘head in a box’ incident, as Reno was calling it, she and Rufus had decided that it was time to utilize her talents. There was a reason they called her the ‘Iron Fist,’ after all. Rufus had tried diplomacy. Diplomacy and an olive branch that were scoffed at. 

 

Now it was time for scorched earth. The Three down in Wall Market — Chocobo Sam, Madam M, and Andrea Rhodea — would serve their purposes much better as informants than Don Corneo. Not to mention… ew. The man was just disgusting… a misogynistic pig, in point of fact. She’d heard all about his brides. 

 

She dressed appropriately for her station, in what Rufus had come to call her ‘executive uniform.’ She wore a black dress — one that flattered her figure while remaining modestly cut — and over it, her black trench coat. As she put the finishing touches on her jewelry and makeup, a pair of arms slid around her waist, and she leaned back into the smell of tea tree oil, gun oil and hinoki, all things she associated with her fiancé. 

 

Tseng had become quite a bit more affectionate once dear old dad was out of the way. Still not as much as before her kidnapping or just after her rescue, but things were less stilted. He even sometimes would share a bed with her, though lately, she often found him asleep on the couch in his office, which he brushed off as “working too late,” and “not wanting to wake her.” 

 

She sighed as she relaxed into his arms, leaning back against his chest. He leaned forward, his dark eyes meeting hers in the mirror as he planted a kiss on her neck. “Are you ready?” She laughed lowly, and replied, “It’s not my first foray into your world, love. Nor will it be the last, I’m afraid.” He simply nodded. 

 

He was, obviously, accompanying her down to Wall Market. Reno was piloting their helicopter, and Rude was the third member of their party. Cissnei was orienting Elena, and staying behind with Rufus. She turned in his arms, sharing deep, languid kisses with him for a few moments before sighing and stepping out of his arms, turning to the mirror again to tie her trench coat closed. 

 

Tseng followed her, slightly behind her and to her right, up to the helipad outside the Presidential Offices. She nodded to Rufus as she exited the building, and strode out on the red carpet walkway to the waiting Shinra helicopter. She could see Reno’s red hair in the cockpit, and Rude stood by the open door, waiting for them. 

 

“Madam President,” he nodded deferentially as he stepped aside to allow her to enter the aircraft. Tseng followed her, sitting next to her, as Rude hopped in and slammed the sliding door closed before tapping the window between Reno and the passenger area to indicate that they were ready for takeoff. 

 

She felt her stomach rise to her throat briefly as the helicopter lifted off, but it settled out once they were airborne. Rude sat down across from her and Tseng. If he noted how close together they were sitting, he didn’t say a thing. Typical for Rude. The flight down to the makeshift helipad just outside Wall Market didn’t take long. 

 

As the rotor came to a stop, she took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and then opened them again, feeling a sense of calm and detachment come over her. Rude opened the door again, and Tseng exited first, before helping her down, and whispering, “Madam President,” in her ear. She smirked at him and cocked an eyebrow, but his only response was a twitch of his lips into a smirk before his face smoothed out, and he became the ultra professional Turk Director once more. 

 

She motioned for Rude to fall in, and the two of them flanked her as she led the way through the brightly colored stalls, then up the stone steps past the Colosseum entrance, before coming to a stop at a red bridge before a mansion modeled after the traditional Wutaian homes. She could hear Tseng grunt in contempt behind her — he was Wutaian, after all. Even Rude scoffed a little, before they continued on. 

 

They were met just before the door by a man with silver hair that was cropped above his shoulders and dark eyes. “Hold up, there,” he said, holding up a hand. Amira looked at Tseng, who stepped forward and spoke, “You do know who you’re speaking to, yes?” The man looked at her critically for a moment, before he took note of the obvious Turks, and his eyes widened. “Are you…?” 

 

Before he could say anything else, Amira held up her hand, and said, “Yes, I’m Amira Shinra, Co-President of Shinra Electric Power Company. We…” She gestured around to herself, Tseng, and Rude, “…are here to speak to Don Corneo.” She paused, cocked her head with a menacing grin, and continued, “Well… I suppose there won’t be a lot of talking for him considering how he treated our first messenger.” 

 

Tseng pulled out his gun, silencer already attached, when the silver-haired man held up both hands and said quickly, “Wait, wait, WAIT!” He looked her in the eye, and said, “If you want Don Corneo, I can deliver him right into your waiting arms. I’m his number two. He… trusts me.” The amount of contempt in his voice stopped Amira cold as she considered the man in front of her. 

 

He continued, “This place is a fortress, and he won’t come out if he knows the Iron Fist and the Turks are here.” She nodded slowly, and asked, “What is your name?” The man looked at her, then down at the ground, and said quietly, “Leslie.” She waited for a second to see if he would say more, and when he did not, she asked, “Who did he hurt who was dear to you?” 

 

When he looked up at her with shock lining his features, she shrugged, and said, “That’s the only reason I can think of that someone who obviously hates him as much as you do would conceal that and work their way up to being the number two guy.” She raised her brows, and looked him up and down, before continuing, “I can respect that kind of dedication. Now, my question is, would you continue providing intel for us topside on the goings-on down here once we… deal… with Don Corneo?” 

 

Leslie narrowed his eyes at her, considering her carefully, before nodding once, “I can do that. The boys are a gang — they’ll take orders if it means keeping their brains in their heads and their cocks intact.” Amira grimaced, but nodded in return, reaching out to shake his hand, which he took without hesitation. 

 

“Thank you for your cooperation, Leslie.” He chuckled, and said, “I still need to find my girl. She…” He swallowed hard, and kept going, “…she’s one of the ones he took. He killed most of them. I heard she might have made it out alive.” 

 

Amira felt a chill slide down her spine, looked over at Tseng, who nodded, and she said, “I can have one of Shinra’s data analysts assist you in going through the databases to find any information on the person you’re looking for.” Leslie looked grateful, and said, “I don’t think I could repay you if I could find her.” Amira waved it off, and said, “We need to get to business. Don’t need him figuring out we’re here and sneaking off.” 

 

Leslie’s eyes hardened, and he turned back towards the manor, saying, “Follow me. Madam President, if you’ll step forward, but have your man ready, I’ll get him downstairs.” She nodded, and when they stepped inside the entrance to the mansion, he turned to her, said, “Wait here,” and pressed a button, before saying, “Boss has a visitor.” 

 

She looked around, noting the gaudy and ostentatious decor, a parody of her lover’s homeland that worsened when you crossed the threshold inside. She could practically feel Tseng’s irritation behind her, and heard Rude grunt in disgust, before she heard a grating voice speak in an obvious attempt to be seductive, “Ooooo-hoo-hoo-hoo, Leslie! Now just what have you brought me? A fine little vixen!” Oh. My. Goddess. Part of her wished that Genesis or Reno were here — they’d have had something to say about this. 

 

Amira didn’t have words, just scrunched up her nose in disgust as she took in the short, rotund man in the fur-edged red coat. His chest hair and belly were on display, what blond hair he had due to his receding hairline slicked into a flip at the front, and a tiny mustache. Probably matches his tiny…well. 

 

She looked over at Tseng, whose eyes shone with disdain, and he nodded so minutely that she knew the Don wouldn’t have seen it. She looked back at the repulsive self-named lothario, and grimaced fully, before turning to Leslie, who responded, “Don Corneo, may I present Madam President Amira Shinra, and her bodyguards. She’s here to discuss… terms… with you.” 

 

At this, Corneo sneered at her, and said, “I have nothing to say to Rupert’s little bitch.” She barked out a laugh, before saying, “Oh, Corneo, I don’t need you to say anything. The time for that was when Rufus’ messenger came down here. We’ve decided that we don’t need you to keep your network intact.” 

 

The man’s eyes widened in fear, and he began to step backwards, as she gave the order, her voice hard and cold, “Tseng.” He stepped forward, gun raised, and fired one shot without saying a word. Corneo’s body fell backwards, his belly bouncing as he hit the floor, one bullet wound between his wide, open eyes. 

 

As they left the mansion, she spoke to Leslie one last time. “See to it that the Three know who’s in charge now. Make sure any information you hear comes to us first, especially about Avalanche, understand?” The man nodded at her, and said, “If you’re looking for eco-terrorists, you might ought to check out Seventh Heaven over in Sector Seven. I’ve heard that the barmaid there might know some people, if you know what I mean.” 

 

She nodded and smiled, “Good. I’ll have someone contact you to make arrangements regarding your database access.” She shook the man’s hand again, “Pleasure doing business with you, Leslie.” He chuckled, and said, “I think it’s funny that everyone’s so afraid of your brother. You’re the one they should look out for.” She grinned meanly at him, then, and said, “I’m not that scary if people stay on the up-and-up, and don’t threaten people I care about, or the work that I do.” He nodded, and replied, “Yes, ma’am, Madam President.” 

 

Leslie was accompanying them back to the helipad, and as they walked through the streets of Wall Market, Amira heard him say, “Well I’ll be damned. Today might just be your lucky day.” She looked up at him with an eyebrow raised, and he pointed over to a food stall, where two women were standing, their arms laden with booze bottles. “That’s her. The barmaid. She’s the real pretty one on the right. Not sure who the other one is.” 

 

Amira got a good look at both of them, and realized that she knew one of them — Jessie Rasberry. They’d been friends when they were kids — even the president’s kid had to go to daycare occasionally, and met the kids of some other Shinra workers in the process. Amira had been a couple of years older than Jessie, but she still remembered the girl who always wanted to be an actress. 

 

“Give me a moment,” she said, and began to walk over to them, “Excuse me,” she called, and the women turned their heads to her, Jessie’s eyes widening in recognition. The other woman appeared to be frozen in shock. “Jessie?” Amira called, and the woman replied questioningly, “Amira? That you?” She laughed, and Jessie looked wary, as did the woman beside her. 

 

Amira walked close to them, and asked, “Who’s your friend?” The small woman with long dark hair and wine-red eyes spoke up, “Tifa. Tifa Lockhart. And you?” Amira smirked at them both, before replying, “I think, based on the looks on your faces, you know exactly who I am.” 

 

Jessie opened her mouth to speak, and Amira held up a hand, saying, “I’m not here for a confrontation, Jess. That getup you’re wearing matches the description of one of the bombers from Mako Reactor One. You probably should change it if you get the opportunity, huh?” 

 

Jessie paled then, and her friend, Tifa, looked as though she were ready to throw hands. Not something Amira really wanted to test — the woman looked like a well-trained martial artist, not a street thug. “All I want is a sit down with the leader of the Avalanche cell that blew up the reactor.” Jessie looked at her then, and said, “I don’t know that he’ll want to meet with anyone from Shinra.” 

 

Amira raised a brow, “Even though there’s been a regime change? New ideas for energy?” The other woman spoke up, then, “Barrett doesn’t trust anyone from Shinra, and neither do I.” Amira hummed, before saying, “I’d appreciate it if he gave us an opportunity to prove him wrong.” She looked at Jessie again, then. “Talk to him. Tell him we want a meet. Got a PHS?” 

 

Jessie nodded dumbly, before Amira held out her hand for it, and Jessie complied, “Call this number when you have an answer for me. I hope it will be an affirmative.” She keyed in a number, which was for Reeve’s office, and gave it back. “The number is for our VP. Just call it, and he’ll get everything set up once your leader agrees.” 

 

She then looked at Jessie right in the eyes, and said, “Get him to agree, Jessie. Trust me. Rufus and I don’t want you as our enemy. We’d rather work with you, hear you out, make real substantial change for the Planet. But if you insist, we’ll oblige.” Jessie nodded slowly, before saying, “It’s good to see you, Amira. You look good. Leadership suits you. You always were kind of bossy.” 

 

With that, they both laughed a little, before Amira turned back to the group waiting for her nearby. She looked up at Tseng, who was gazing at her expectantly, one eyebrow raised. “I think I might have just gotten us a meet with the Avalanche cell leader.” He huffed out a laugh, and she smiled, before they made their way back to the helipad and home to the Shinra Building. 

Chapter 16: AERITH

CHAPTER 14 AERITH

 

Today was a beautiful day. The Planet told her someone was coming to see her, and she was so nervous. She went out into the garden to work on some plantings while she waited. Better to use the nervous energy on something productive rather than twiddle her thumbs, as Mom always said. 

 

She got lost in her work, and soon heard the whispers telling her that someone was here, and she heard boots on the path nearby. She turned her head, and her heart nearly stopped — Zack. He was here. Amira had brought him herself. Her friend was walking behind him, arm around his shoulders, speaking to him as though she were giving him a pep talk. There was a red cat-looking creature with them. He was looking about with wonder, and flicking his tail as he did. Zack looked… worried. And… a little green, if she were honest. Was he afraid? Of her? Oh pish-posh. 

 

She stood up, a big smile on her face as she took off her gardening gloves, and called out, “Zack?” She watched his eyes light up, and a smile cross his face, before he was jogging towards her. She braced herself, Zack was very strong after all, but he stopped just as he reached her, cautiously reaching out with his right hand and touching her face. “Aerith… Goddess, Aerith, I missed you.” 

 

That was all she needed to hear, before she was in his arms, and planted a kiss right on his lips. He looked a little surprised, at first, before he relaxed, and kissed her back sweetly. They stayed that way for a little while, holding each other and trading kisses for the first time in years. It was something Aerith thought she’d never get to do again, and she was exuberantly happy. 

 

She pulled back, then, and asked, “You didn’t come all this way just to see little ol’ me, did you?” Zack laughed, then. A real, loud belly laugh, which made her and Amira both giggle a bit as well. She was just happy to see her friends smiling. She could feel happiness radiating from the planet. 

 

She heard Amira sigh, then, as she looked around at the flowers everywhere. “Damn, Aer. It’s breathtaking here. I could stay here all day.” She smiled, proud of her handiwork. “Come on, I’ll show you what all I have here. I’m sure Mira won’t mind seeing it again.” She then looked at the cat creature. “Who’s your friend?” Amira smiled, petted the cat, who purred, and replied, “His name is Nanaki, Aer. He’s a Watcher of the Vale. Hojo had him, and I set him free. He’s staying with me until I can take him home, but I thought he could use the fresh air.” 

 

She smiled, and nodded, “Well, in that case, we’ll do a tour AND a home-cooked meal! Does that sound good?” Amira smiled, and nodded, following along behind her and Zack with Nanaki. Zack threaded her arm through his, and asked, “Did you ever get a flower wagon?” She laughed then, as fully as he had earlier. “No, silly goose. Just a basket will do.” 

Chapter 17: AMIRA

CHAPTER 15 AMIRA

 

A month went by. Regular meetings with leaders from the plate, and even from the slums. Requests from cities like Junon, Mideel, and Rocket Town for re-evaluation of funds. Sit-reps from each of the reactors out in Gaia. Amira’s brain was a little overloaded, to be honest. And with each passing day, Tseng pulled away from her. It was little things, at first. More nights on the couch in his office. Disappearing for a weekend on a mission for intel-gathering. 

 

After a week without so much as a hug, and him avoiding her constantly — which he was good at, unfortunately — she decided to figure out what was going on. She knew he’d never tell her, as he’d always brushed off her worries. It reminded her of stories she’d read, vids she’d watched, where the man ended up… not being faithful. She really didn’t want to believe that, but she also recognized the patterns in front of her. 

 

She hadn’t said anything to Rufus, yet. She also knew that, as loyal as Reno was to Tseng, he was more loyal to her, and would have told her if he knew anything untoward. The same went for Rude and Cissnei. So… it was unlikely that they knew. And, because Tseng was their boss, he wasn’t beholden to them. 

 

So, one afternoon, she dressed in her quietest shoes, her most unassuming outfit, and followed him as he left for a mission. He told her he was heading to Kalm Town, and that he didn’t need the helicopter announcing his presence, so he was taking a company car. She picked the car herself on the sly, and planted a subtle receiver underneath it with a tracker — one of Reeve’s new designs. 

 

She watched on the PHS as the car stopped in Sector Eight. She followed on foot after having her own car drop her in the main square, ostensibly going for shopping and coffee. Reno was assigned to her that day, as she knew he wouldn’t question anything she told him to do. She looked up at him as he asked, “Mind tellin’ me what the hell we’re doin’, Mir?” 

 

She sighed, and told him, “I… I don’t know yet.” He looked worried then, and she waved him off. “Go get us a coffee, or something. I’m not that recognizable in this outfit. I’ll be okay, and need to go check on something. Hmm?” 

 

Reno looked at her warily, knowing there was more that she wasn’t telling him, but he gave in to her… request… with a sigh and a shrug. “All right, yo. I’ll be over here, being discreet, because that’s apparently what you’re asking me to do without asking it directly, no?” She smiled at him, and patted his shoulder, before walking down the street. 

 

She pulled the PHS out of her pocket, and followed the red flashing light until she stood in the shadows near the front of a little hotel in the back part of the Sector, one that was known not to ask any questions. It had that kind of reputation. She saw Tseng get out of the car, his black hair billowing behind him as he looked around. She saw him smile as he looked down the street to his left. And then… she saw her. 

 

Small, blonde, lithe… and his subordinate. Elena. She was wearing a little sundress, and she launched herself into Tseng’s arms, as he kissed her passionately. Amira watched them, her eyes widening as she took in the scene. She felt like a voyeur. Each touch of their lips felt like a knife sliding right through her ribs. Each one stinging with betrayal. 

 

Her eyes filled with tears, and she gasped in air raggedly, having the wherewithal to snap several photos of them kissing, before stashing the phone in her pocket, pulling her collar up around her face, and turning away after watching them walk into the hotel… hand-in-hand and smiling, both carrying weekend holdalls. 

 

So… all this time… he’d been fucking his recruit. Was that why he endorsed her? Surely not — Elena seemed to have good instincts, and Tseng was a consummate professional when it came to work. Goddess, she wanted to die on the inside. 

 

She hustled back to the square, trying to wipe her eyes and compose herself before Reno saw, but it was too late. His own eyes widened as he saw her approach, and he sat the coffees down on the edge of the fountain in the middle of the square, before opening up his arms and catching her in a bear hug, sitting them down on the edge of the fountain as she sagged in his arms. 

 

She began to sob into his chest. Reno just held her, letting her cry, as he whispered, “Girl, you’re scarin’ the shit outta me. What the hell is goin’ on?” She shook her head, saying, “Not here. I want to go home, Reno. Let’s go home… please?” His face showed his discontent with that request, wanting to know what was bothering her… and to go shoot the one responsible, most likely. She couldn’t have him react rashly. This was something she’d have to keep close to the vest, for now. 

 

When they got back to the tower, Amira decided that nothing could change. She’d freeze Tseng out, but he was good at his job, and Rufus needed him in that post. Hell, she needed him in that post, unfortunately. When Reno asked her again what was wrong, she looked up at him, and said, “Drop it, okay? I’ll tell you when I’m ready.” 

 

He held his hands up, and said, “Okay, okay. Look, yo, I’m not tryin’ to annoy you. I just.. I ain’t seen you that upset since we found you in Shinra Manor. Okay? I’m fuckin’ worried about you, Mira. You’re the sister I never had, and you just had a fuckin’ meltdown in my arms. Do I need to worry?” 

 

She sighed, shook her head, and smiled a watery smile at him. “No. No you don’t. So… let’s leave it at that for now, huh?” His lips flattened out, and he blew out a breath through his nose, but he nodded. She hugged him then, and said, “I’m glad I have you in my corner, Reno.” He chuckled, and said, “Always, girl. Let me know if I need to beat some ass, a’ight?” She laughed a little then, and he wiped a tear off her cheek, before saying, “That’s better.” 

 

Her PHS went off then, and she pulled it out of her pocket. Reeve. She flipped it open. “Yeah?” Reeve cleared his throat, and said, “I hope I’m not catching you at a bad time.” She chuckled a bit, “No, no. This is good. I need a distraction. Do you have one for me?” 

 

Reeve hummed in that concerned manner of his, before replying, “Yes, in fact, I do. Your, ah… friend. Jessie. She called. The leader, a Barrett Wallace, wants to meet with you at the bar in Sector Seven. Seventh Heaven.” Amira hummed. Ah… so his territory, then. Well, she could still bring a veritable army with her. “Set the meet. Tomorrow.” Reeve replied in the affirmative, and she closed the phone, walking back to her rooms, barely registering Reno watching her with concern etched onto his features.  

 

She felt… hollowed out, empty inside. How long, she wondered. How long had he been sleeping with her? Did he… was she that broken to him? Did he just not love her anymore? It hurt to think about, and she stripped off her clothes, walking like a zombie into the shower and turning on the water as hot as it would go. 

 

She sat down under the spray of the water, hugging her knees to her chest, and cried for what she’d lost, until she had no more tears to cry, and a wall built brick by brick around her heart. She cried, and the Planet cried with her. 

 

She dressed in her pajamas without giving it much thought, before going to reset the lock codes so that Tseng couldn’t just waltz in the door like nothing had happened. She heard something scratch at her door, and she went to look through the receiver, seeing Nanaki on the other side. 

 

She opened the door, and the cat stood there, “Reno said you might need a friend. I thought it would be best to come check on you myself.” She was sure she looked awful, and the feline slunk into her rooms, hopping up on her sofa, and asked, “What happened, Amira? You know I can keep a secret.” 

 

She practically fell onto the couch next to him, and, with a deep breath, she began to tell him everything. Her suspicions, why she’d gone out today, and what she’d seen. As she began to cry again, she heard the growl rumbling in his chest. “He dared. He dared do such a thing to you?” 

 

She rubbed his head between his ears, and replied, “Yes. He did. Unfortunately, he’s irreplaceable in his position at the moment, so no matter my feelings, he has to stay. Okay?” Nanaki’s one yellow eye stared at her with ferocity, before he purred out sadly and nuzzled her. “I’m so sorry, Amira. I know you loved him truly.” After another crying session, Nanaki went back to his new space down the hall, and she fell into an exhausted sleep. 

 

The next day, she rose from her bed, the other side empty and cold, and readied herself for the meet with Avalanche like she was putting on armor and going to battle. She had spoken to Rufus to make plans for today, and when he asked her where Tseng was, she felt the impassive mask fall over her face. She shrugged, and said, her tone coming out a little cold, even to her, “I don’t know. He said he had a fact-finding mission or something. I didn’t ask questions.” 

 

Rufus frowned, and looked as though he wanted to ask something, but shook his head, knowing how tight-lipped she could be when she didn’t want to talk. “I’ll recall him and he and I can stay here to provide Intel and support for you, in case they break faith.” She nodded, and the bitter, betrayed thing in her chest roared in glee that at least his little tryst was ruined. 

 

“I’ll take Reno, Rude, Cissnei, Nanaki and Zack with me. That should be plenty of manpower.” Rufus then asked, “What about the new girl… Elena?” Amira hissed, and Rufus raised a brow, before she let out a breath, and replied, “No. She’s too green. Keep her here.” What went unsaid was that she might claw the little hussy’s eyes out if they were in the same room for longer than a few moments. Ros would have been so angry. 

 

The red cat hadn’t left her side after she exited her rooms this morning. He had been waiting for her, tail flicking agitatedly. Reeve had come to their offices bearing coffee, and so they sat in  a conference room that had been added nearby with a large table and plush chairs. After a brief interlude of silence, save for the sips of coffee, Rufus activated the beacon to call in the Turks for a mission debrief. She flipped her phone open, calling Zack, and asking him if he was up for a guard duty mission. The man was bored out of his mind, and said he’d be there “in two shakes.” She chuckled a little. Oh, Zack. 

 

It took an hour, but each one began to trickle in. Reno first, oddly enough, and he continued to eye Amira carefully, sitting in the chair next to her, and asking, “Okay?” She nodded, gave him a very brief smile, and he returned the nod, letting it lie. Rude and Cissnei came in next, chatting about the latest tech upgrades Reeve had made available to them. Then Zack arrived, and he shrewdly looked at everyone present, before he raised a brow at Amira, and she gestured for him to take a seat. He sighed, and plopped in a chair across from her. 

 

Tseng and Elena arrived about ten minutes apart, her first, and him following. Just by looking at him, you would have no idea where he’d been. Elena looked a little flushed, but only Amira (and Nanaki, whose nose could probably smell the sex on them, if the look on his face was a clue) had any idea why. Amira looked down at the creature, and his ear twitched as he watched Tseng carefully, but wasn’t overly menacing. 

 

Tseng moved to sit by her, but Nanaki hopped into the seat, glowering at him a little. Tseng looked at the feline with a slightly bewildered expression on his face (which Amira saw Rufus take note of), before moving to sit by Zack, who had watched the interaction with narrowed eyes. Fair was much more observant than most SOLDIERs. 

 

Elena was over by Cissnei, as far away from Tseng as she could be at the table. Rufus began, “Avalanche has requested a meeting with Amira for today. The leader wants to meet her and the goal is to stop any further attacks on reactors while we work to retrofit everything.”

 

Tseng then spoke up, “So, how do we want to play this? I assume I’ll be heading up the protection detail for Amira.” Rufus shook his head. “No, you’ll be here coordinating everything with me. General Fair will be in charge of her protection. Reno, Rude, Nanaki, and Cissnei will be on site with her. Elena will stay here as well. He looked at the woman in question, and said, “No offense, but you’re too green for a mission of this importance.” She shook her head, and replied, “None taken.” 

 

There was a brief silence that followed, which Amira broke, standing, and saying, “All right. You all have your assignments. Let’s get this done.” As she went to walk out the door, Tseng walked up to her, took her hand, and attempted to kiss her. She turned her face slightly, so that he kissed her cheek rather than her lips, and then turned away from him, not stopping to see the wounded look on his face as she walked away. 

Chapter 18: BARRET

CHAPTER 16 BARRET

 

He paced, the heavy treads of his boots thumping against the wooden floor of the bar while he fiddled with the safety on his gun-arm. Tifa had taken Marlene to Marle, and she was looking after his little girl while this meet happened. Shinra… damn. 

 

When Jessie had come to him, told him that the new lady President wanted to meet, Barret was stunned. He’d asked “What lady President?” Jessie had just shrugged, and said that apparently there’d been some significant changes at the top in Shinra, and that they wanted a sit-down with Avalanche. 

 

Barret was wary. He’d been through the shit in Corel with Scarlet, and he hoped he wasn’t making the same mistake with this new woman… Old Man Shinra’s daughter. He hoped this apple wasn’t as rotten as the tree it fell from. Tifa, Jessie, Wedge, and Biggs were all standing around the room. 

 

Tifa had closed the bar today in anticipation, so they wouldn’t have random drunks showing up to cause trouble. He turned to the woman behind the bar, and said, “You’ve got a pretty good way of reading people, Teef. What vibe did you get off the Shinra woman?” 

 

Tifa crossed her arms, thinking hard and biting her lip, before replying, “I think she was sincere. She made it very clear that if we couldn’t come to terms, it wouldn’t be for lack of trying on her part. She… seems like she wants what’s best for the Planet, oddly enough. But, she’s a Shinra, and she’s ruthless. So, I don’t know what to make of her fully.” Tifa shrugged at him, then. “I think we just hear her out. But you know how I feel about the company, Barret.” 

 

He nodded, “Mm-hmm. Sure do. Same as I do. Jessie’s pretty insistent we give her a shot, though, so I’m willing to try. Don’t wanna cause harm if I can help it, ya know?” Tifa nodded, and then they heard it: the sounds of a helicopter coming in for a landing. Damn, they were touching down right in front of the fucking bar. Assholes. 

 

Wedge and Biggs went to open the doors, and Barret observed the party arriving. When he saw the tall man with a shock of black hair — a SOLDIER — he turned to Tifa, and asked, “Where’s your friend? The merc? Don’t need him showing up an’ makin’ a scene or nothin’.” Tifa shook her head, “Cloud doesn’t know about the meeting. He was sleeping hard in his room when I left this morning, so there’s always a chance he could show up unexpectedly.” 

 

Well, shit. Guess they’d just cross that bridge if they came to it. He looked back at the group from topside, and saw three people — two men and a woman — in black suits. Turks. The three of them were flanking a woman and a… weird cat…looking… thing. While the cat was… interesting… the woman next to him was the one who really caught Barret’s attention. 

 

So this was Old Man Shinra’s little girl. Didn’t look a thing like him. He watched as she made her way up the steps of the bar, looking around the sector and seeing all the lookie-loos staring at her. She then made eye contact with him, and smirked a little. There it is — all them Shinras had that same smirk — one that said, ‘I know more than you do.’ Hmmph. He stepped forward, standing tall as the woman looked him up and down, before she said, “Barret Wallace, I presume?” 

 

He grunted out in the affirmative, and replied, “Uh-huh. Thas’ me.” She nodded, and stuck out her hand for him to shake, saying, “Amira Shinra. Thank you for agreeing to meet me.” He started a little at the gesture, his eyebrows hitting his hairline, before he gingerly held out his left hand to meet hers. Well, damn. She even chose to use her other hand without makin’ a big deal of his arm. Huh. 

 

She smiled, then, a real smile that made her look real pretty, actually. She motioned to the SOLDIER next to her, and said, “This is Zack Fair, General of SOLDIER. He’s leading my detail today.” Barret heard Tifa gasp behind him, which caused everyone to look at her. The SOLDIER… Fair… stared at her for a moment, before saying, “Wait… I know you.” Barret had never seen Tifa look… well… freaked out like that. 

 

The man then snapped his fingers, and said, “Oh, yeah! You’re Cloud’s girl! The girl from Nibelheim!” Barret watched as the Shinra woman’s head snapped back over to Fair, and she raised both brows in an expression of “Really?” Fair nodded at her, and said, “Tifa was our guide to the reactor in Nibelheim.” He paused for a minute, really taking her in, before continuing, “Damn… I though Sephiroth killed you.” Tifa’s expression shuttered, and she replied quietly, “He almost did.” Fair grimaced, and said, “Well… shit.” Tifa just nodded and hummed under her breath. 

 

The Shinra woman then cleared her throat, and gestured to the table Teef had set up in the middle of the room. He sat on one side, and the Shinra woman sat on the other. She then spoke, “I think you should be aware, we know that Avalanche is responsible for the bombing of Reactor One. However…” She held up a hand as Biggs and Wedge began to look agitated. “We do not intend to pursue action against Avalanche. The reactor explosion works for us, because we can… bend the truth, a little.” 

 

Barret just raised a brow at the woman, and she continued, “We need the public to get behind the transition to a more sustainable energy source. Which means we need a reason that the average person will accept for leaving behind the comforts of Mako. What better than ‘it explodes’?” She smiled darkly as she said the last bit, and Barret couldn’t help but chuckle. She was smart, he’d give her that. 

 

“Sustainable, huh? And just what exactly are you thinking for a ‘more sustainable’ source?” The Shinra woman didn’t even blink, before she motioned for the lady Turk to open up a tube — plans… for a reactor. “We intend to modify the current Mako reactors to operate on hydroelectric power. The Junon reactor is currently being retrofitted as a test site to make sure that our plans are feasible, but we have every reason to believe that they will be.” 

 

Barret was stunned… water? Biggs then piped up from the side, “How does that work, exactly?” The Shinra woman turned to look at him, and happily walked through a layman’s explanation of the process with the turbines and the current. Huh. He looked at Biggs, who was a lot smarter than he was, and Biggs shrugged, looking somewhat impressed. “Could work, boss. Especially if you’re pushing water back out, too, which it sounds like is the plan for sustainability.” 

 

He only had one question: Corel. “I’m from Corel, originally. There ain’ no water there. What do they do?” The Shinra woman looked at him carefully, before replying, “We were hoping to speak to some people from the town. We’d take apart the destroyed bits of the reactor, drain the mako, and use the remaining structure potentially to return to coal processing. I’d be interested to hear any ideas a local might have, if you’d like to share them with us at some point.” Well, I’ll be damned. She really sounded interested to hear what he had to say. That was a switch. 

 

“Say I’d be interested. What are you askin’ of us?” The Shinra woman just smiled, and said, “No more hitting reactors with bombs, please. It will take a little while, but the Planet has some time. I would be more worried if I thought otherwise.” What the hell? “An’ just how do you know how much time the Planet has?” She looked at him impassively, before saying, “The stories all speak of the Cetra as almost prophetic. It’s not that fancy, actually.” 

 

She looked him dead in the eye, and continued, “I am part-Cetra. The traits our mother’s line carried skipped Rufus, but I was the lucky recipient. I suffered for it — at my own Father’s hands, because I wouldn’t… couldn’t lead him to the Promised Land. I’m happy he’s dead, because I’m safe, now.” He was sure he had a gobsmacked look on his face, as did the others. She huffed out a dry chuckle, and continued, “But, to answer your question… I hear the voices of the Planet… of those who came before. I would know if things were truly desperate. We have time. We just have to get to work.” 

 

Barret shook his head, trying to wrap his mind around the information he’d been given. Fuck me. She laughed, and he realized he must have said that out loud. “Uh… what I mean is, Avalanche will stand down for now, since we know you are putting in a good faith effort. But…” 

 

She tilted her head, waiting for him to continue, “…I’m holding you to your word, now. Ya hear?” She nodded once, and stuck her hand out again for him to shake, which he did. The woman was looking consideringly at Tifa then, who was looking back at her, before her eyes flicked up to someone entering the bar, and they widened. He followed her gaze… the merc had arrived. 

Chapter 19: CLOUD

CHAPTER 17 CLOUD

 

He’d awoken late this morning, and gone to see if Tifa was still around. She wasn’t. As he trudged down the stairs, Buster Sword on his back, he saw Marle… and Marlene, Barret’s little girl. What was going on? He stopped, and asked the landlady exactly that. She raised a brow, and said, “You must sleep hard, son. A Shinra helicopter just landed in front of the bar. The President — the new lady one — is here to meet with Avalanche.” 

 

Lady President? “Tifa’s there?” He was sure his tone sounded calm, but inside, he was anything but. Shinra was sneaky. They couldn’t be trusted. He would know — he was SOLDIER, after all. A flash of pain in his head, and his vision swam green for a moment, like he had white noise in his brain. 

 

He saw himself in a SOLDIER uniform in Nibelheim trudging up the mountain, but then the same picture played, a man with black hair in the SOLDIER uniform, and Cloud in that of an infantryman. 

 

What the actual hell? He shook his head, and noted himself to still be standing in front of Marle, who looked concerned. “You okay, son?” she asked, and he nodded. She then tossed her head toward the bar, and said, “I’m sure it’s fine. Tifa and the others can handle themselves… and it’s not like they brought an army or anything.” 

 

Cloud looked at her, and asked, “How many?” Marle pursed her lips, before replying, “A SOLDIER — looked a lot like you, to be frank, but a little bulkier and with black hair. Also, three Turks, and a cat-like creature. Not one of those guard hounds they like to breed. This was different.” Cloud just hummed in acknowledgment. 

 

Marle gave him a look, and said, “Now, don’t you go interfering. There’s a reason Tifa didn’t tell you this was going down. She was probably worried about how you’d react.” Cloud ignored her, and started walking toward the bar. As he arrived, he noted two of the Turks outside, and made eye contact with them, but they made no move toward him. The taller one in shades tapped his earpiece, probably warning the people inside. 

 

As he pushed through the door to the bar, he immediately saw Tifa behind the bar, and her eyes widened. “Cloud!” As she called his name, the woman standing at the table with her back to him turned quickly from where she’d been shaking Barret’s hand. Nobody was dead, and there was no blood, so he assumed all was well. 

 

Then… he saw her face. No way. She was dead. It was why Sephiroth went crazy in Nibelheim. Or… at least… one of the reasons why. The guy next to her… he knew him… but the name wouldn’t come. “Spikey?” Her voice was soft, slightly disbelieving, and he got that green fuzz in his head again, his hand coming to his forehead as pain lanced through him. 

 

The man standing in front of him, and the woman too, were bent double as they laughed. He had been doing an obstacle course set up for him to practice for SOLDIER testing, and had slipped on something and fallen into a tub of water. He’d dried off, but his hair really looked like a chocobo’s ass now - fluffy and flyaway. Amira… and Zack. They were laughing their asses off, and he was grumbling as he glared at them while trying to tame his wild hair. Amira was able to get out, “Damn, Spikey. Your hair…” before falling apart into giggles again. Zack was laughing so hard he was crying, and he gasped out, “Oh, man. Now I’m gonna have to come up with a new nickname for you.” He glared at the man, saying, “Don’t even think about it, man.” Zack then held up his hands, saying, “Okay, okay, fine. I promise…” he smirked, and continued, “I’ll behave.” 

 

Cloud shook himself as the memory faded. What was that? He looked up at Zack, who was staring at him like he was a wild animal or something. “Hey, yo, Spike, you okay, man?” Cloud furrowed his brow, before saying, “Yeah. Yeah, man. I’m okay.” Zack grinned broadly then, and almost bounced over to him to give him a glomping hug, which Cloud returned belatedly as he noted Barret chuckling at the other man’s exuberance. He’d forgotten how… puppy-like… Zack could be. 

 

He heard a feminine chuckle, and saw Amira laughing as she watched them with a smile on her face, though she was glancing at him with no small amount of shock. Zack pulled back then, and said, “Hey! That’s where it went!” Cloud looked at him funny, and Zack replied, “My sword, man. You have it.” Oh. Cloud went to remove it from his back, and Zack asked, “You sure, man?” Cloud just nodded. “The weapon shop guy has a nice one he offered me for helping out the sector with some… rather large rodents.” He smiled at Tifa, then, who warily returned it. 

 

Zack took the sword reverently, then, bowing his head before muttering something under his breath, and putting the sword on his back. He then heard Amira clear her throat, before she said, “I haven’t had the opportunity, so, on behalf of Shinra, I want to apologize to you and Miss Lockhart for the events of Nibelheim those years ago. I know words alone don’t help, but it’s all I have to offer right now.” 

 

Cloud looked at Amira, who appeared quite sincere, before turning to Tifa, who looked sad, but appreciative of the gesture. He nodded once and grunted in the affirmative, before replying, “I think I can speak for myself and Tifa, when I say that the fact that you bothered to say anything at all shows that you’re better than what came before.” Amira’s eyes lit then, and he was reminded of the young woman he knew, before life and circumstance changed everything. 

 

Amira turned back to Barret, then, and said, “We should get back topside. Thank you for being so open to our plans, and maybe we’ll even be able to work together in the future.” Barret grunted out a “Hmph. Sho’ thang, Madam President,” which made Amira laugh lightly, before she turned to Zack, and said, “Let’s go.” The man thumped him on the shoulder, and said, “Don’t be a stranger, Spike.” 

 

Wait. They weren’t going to try to make him come back? He asked just that, and Amira smiled and him, before saying, “It seems like you’re doing real good down here. They need you here. You’re welcome back up at Shinra if you’d like, but I think you found a good spot, Spikey.” 

 

She walked up to him, then, and gave him a hug, which he gingerly returned as he made eye contact with Tifa, who was smiling. Amira then patted him on the shoulder, and moved past him to go back to the helicopter. She waved at him, and Zack gave him a little salute, before the door closed, the craft lifting off and going back topside. 

Chapter 20: AMIRA

CHAPTER 18 AMIRA

 

It was only a few weeks after that meeting with Avalanche, that everything changed. Everything Amira had deemed important up to this point, suddenly no longer was. And all because of the appearance of a silver-haired man in black leather. 

 

Amira was sitting up in Rufus’ quarters with him, sharing a nightcap and discussing the status of the reactor in Junon. Things were looking up — construction had started, and per Reeve, the foremen of the site were optimistic regarding the function of the turbines. Rufus sighed, sat his drink down, and uncharacteristically leaned forward with his elbows on his knees. 

 

“Mira, are you going to tell me what’s going on between you and Tseng? Even I can tell that something is off, and you know how bad I am at parsing out interactions and feelings. You’re the empath, not me.” Amira froze, before sitting her drink in front of her on the table, and taking a breath to tell her brother what had happened, what she knew. 

 

As she opened her mouth to speak, the Level One security alarms started blaring, and the door to Rufus’ quarters went into lockdown. Amira could hear the alert being announced throughout the hallways. She pulled out her phone, dialing Tseng despite her anger with him. 

 

He answered immediately, and was barking out orders to Reno and Rude as he answered the call. “Reno, get the cameras up immediately. Level One is an intruder. Find them. Rude — get with Cissnei, find the Presidents and make sure they’re safe.” His attention then turned to her, then.“Amira? Are you safe?” 

 

Goddess, the nerve of the man. Though, it was his job to keep them both safe, and he was nothing if not good at his job. She tried to keep her voice level, but nothing like this had ever happened while she was here. The Tower was always supposed to be safe. “I am. I’m with Rufus, and we’re under lockdown in his quarters. Tseng, what in the name of the Goddess is going on out there?” 

 

She heard Reno yell something in the background, but she couldn’t make it out. “…What?” She heard Tseng mutter incredulously. “Tell me what’s happening,” she repeated. It was almost like Tseng was having to shake himself out of a stupor, as he belatedly responded, “Sephiroth. He’s here. He’s in the building. He’s already killed three infantrymen, and appears to be headed for the Drum.” 

 

She felt like her heart was about to stop beating. No. There was no way. Sephiroth wouldn’t just kill infantrymen indiscriminately. Not her friend. But… wait… he had in Nibelheim. Maybe he would. Maybe he was that broken. But… Cloud killed him, according to the reports. Didn’t he? 

 

She was lost in her thoughts, and it took Rufus shaking her shoulder to get her to pay attention to what was being said. “Amira — I need you to focus.” Her brother was in her face, trying to get her to calm down from the beginnings of a panic attack. She took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and released it, before getting back to the matter at hand. 

 

“He’s looking for the body of Jenova. That would be my guess, since that was what he went after in the Nibelheim reactor five years ago, according to the post-action reports.” Tseng grunted in acknowledgement on the other end. “Orders?” he asked, and Amira knew what needed to be done. 

 

“Call Zack. Let him know what’s happening. He’ll want to go after Seph…Sephiroth.” She stumbled over her friend’s old nickname before reverting to his full name. She sent up a prayer to Minerva and the Planet to keep Zack safe. 

Chapter 21: ZACK

CHAPTER 19 ZACK

 

He unsheathed the Buster Sword, his PHS open in his other hand as Tseng informed him of his orders from the Presidents. Sephiroth. Damnation. How…never mind that. Tseng had sent him a picture, and the subject was unmistakeable. The silver hair and black leather uniform were unique, as were the green eyes that were caught on the camera. 

 

He needed to know. If the man he once admired was still alive, and if Zack would have to put him down for good this time. He hoped he could. Sephiroth was the best for a reason. He shook his head. Time to focus, Zack. He could almost hear Angeal’s admonishing tone in his head. 

 

He took the stairs all the way up to Floor 68 — the labs. Only the remaining scientists had been up here (aside from that one field trip where they came to get Nanaki months ago) since Hojo’s death, and so Zack was on full alert. There was no telling what he’d find. He cleared each room, slowly and carefully, as he made his way closer to his destination: the Drum. 

 

Amira had informed him that Hojo had moved the body of Jenova here to the Shinra Building after the Nibelheim Incident. Unfortunately, she’d not had time to dispose of the creature before now, as she’d been more focused on the more pressing issues of the coup, the mako reactors, and then Avalanche. Besides, who would come into the heavily guarded Shinra Building after the headless corpse of an alien? No one Zack knew, that was for sure. 

 

Well, until now. Damnit. There was a large metal blast door in front of him, now, and Zack knew he was at the entrance to the Drum. He keyed in the passcode that Tseng had given him, and the door slid open. There, in the center of the circular room, was the large tank containing the body of Jenova, pods surrounding it, connected to it like tentacles over a span of 2 or 3 stories. 

 

Zack jogged closer to the tank, and saw a sight that left a feeling of dread crawling through his veins — a man with silver hair, his back to Zack as he faced the tank. “SEPHIROTH!” Zack called out, anger infusing every syllable. The man didn’t turn immediately, but Zack saw him huff out a chuckle, before replying, coldness infusing every syllable, “Ah, so you lived after all. No matter. I’m here to take Mother. The Reunion is coming…” 

 

He turned then, and Zack noted that there was nothing but cruelty behind those green, cat-like eyes. It was like he had no soul, no light in his eyes. He then continued, a calculating smirk on his face, “…and you’re invited… Zack.” 

 

Zack moved to a ready stance, and said, “I fought you once. I can do it again.” Sephiroth held out his hand, and suddenly, Zack felt a presence invade his mind. He crumpled to the ground on one knee, gasping as he fought off whatever was attacking him, “What… are… you… doing… to me?” 

 

Sephiroth was still smirking, and said, “Didn’t you ever wonder what they did to you in Nibelheim? Hojo thought he was playing God. Instead, he made you mine.” He then turned his back. As Zack struggled against the invisible force, feeling as though he had no control over his own limbs, Sephiroth cut open the tank with the six-foot Masamune, and carefully carried the body of Jenova from the room, foul purplish liquid dripping from its carcass as he left. The presence evaporated, and Zack felt the world going dark. As he passed out, he heard a growl nearby, and saw a fiery red tail in his peripheral vision, before everything turned to black.  

 

He woke in the infirmary, green eyes filled with worry standing over him as he came to. Aerith? What was she doing here? “Amira, he’s awake,” she called out, and Zack saw the other woman come striding over to his bedside, as Aerith sat in a chair next to him. She placed her hand on his forehead, smoothing out his hair as she whispered, “Zack… it’s okay. You’re safe, now. It’s going to be okay.” As he fully regained consciousness, Amira was looking at him concernedly, and asked, “What happened with Sephiroth, Zack?” He groaned a little, and concentrated as best he could to give her a full report. 

 

“He… uh… did something to me. I couldn’t move. It was like he was trying to control me, but I was able to prevent him from doing that. I just… couldn’t fight back. He said…” He looked Amira dead in the eyes then, “He said that Hojo had made me his. He also said something about a ‘Reunion,’ and that I was invited. I don’t know what the hell all that means, but whatever it is, it isn’t good.” He blew out a breath, and continued, “It means that Spike is potentially at risk, too, since Hojo had us at the same time.” 

 

Amira nodded slowly, her eyes narrowing at the word ‘reunion,’ before heaving out a sigh, and saying, “Well, shit.” Zack laughed a little, and replied, “You got that right, Boss Lady.” He then furrowed his brow, and asked, “How’d I get here?” Amira smiled then, and said, “Nanaki followed you at a distance. He knew he couldn’t take on Sephiroth alone, but thought you could use some back-up, just in case. He watched Sephiroth leave… then carried you here on his back after he caught you when you passed out.” 

 

Well, damn. He turned his eyes to the red feline, who was sitting at the foot of his bed, tail flicking protectively. Zack nodded at the creature, “Thanks, man. Good lookin’ out.” Nanaki’s one golden eye shone with respect, as he bowed his head, and replied, “Any friend of Amira’s, is a friend of mine, General Fair.” 

 

Zack grimaced, and looked at Amira, who looked like she was thinking over what he’d told her. She then hummed under her breath, and said, “Cloud was obviously exposed to mako, at the minimum, during his captivity. His eyes didn’t glow the last time I saw him.” Zack nodded grimly, “Yeah… he’s a SOLDIER, for all intents and purposes. Or, at least, he has the exposure to be considered one. Hojo really fucked with him, I think. You saw how weird he was acting down in Sector Seven.” 

 

Amira sighed, nodded, and said, “…And all those files will be in Nibelheim, still. Shit.” Aerith looked at them both, then, and said, a grimness to her tone that Zack had never heard before, “I think… once Zack rests a bit, we should all go down to the Church. Talk to the Planet. You know? If Jenova is involved, this just got a lot bigger than us. We’ll need to find Sephiroth, and stop him… before he does what Jenova was always trying to do… destroy the Planet.”

Chapter 22: AMIRA

CHAPTER 20 AMIRA

 

The day following the incident with Sephiroth, Amira met with Rufus, Tseng, and Reeve in the Presidential offices. She sat at her desk, pointedly ignoring Tseng as he tried to get her attention to greet her. He then sighed, and moved to stand near her brother. She tapped a pencil on her desk, lost in thought as she finished the tale of what Zack had told her. Reeve sat across from her, concern lining his features, while Rufus paced. “And Fair is fine? No obvious injury?” Rufus asked, as Amira finished telling them Zack’s report on his encounter with Sephiroth. 

 

“None, I had him checked out thoroughly. Unfortunately, Hojo tampered with Zack the way he does with most of his subjects.” She looked at her brother with a bland stare, and continued, “On a hunch, I had Zack’s blood tested, and he carries Jenova cells within him. That’s not a part of the standard SOLDIER treatment, so it means that Hojo likely was using him and Cloud in some experimentation related to that damn alien.” She blew her hair out of her face, and then continued, “But… I can’t confirm any of it until we get his notes…” Tseng’s eyes lit then, and he finished her thought, “… Which are still in Nibelheim.” Amira nodded once,  “Yep. Got it in one.” 

 

She then looked up at Rufus. “Aerith thinks we need to find Sephiroth. She’s worried that whatever he’s up to will endanger the Planet. She and I are going to the Church with Zack to see if we can find out more.” Rufus watched her carefully, before his eyes showed his understanding, “I see. You mean you plan to go with her, and track him down.” Amira nodded, “We’re the last two of our kind. We’ll both be needed if the Planet is in danger. I don’t want her going alone.” Rufus nodded, he knew she could take care of herself. 

 

“Guess that training you did with Angeal, Sephiroth and Genesis over the years will come in handy.” Amira snorted, and replied, “I’m no SOLDIER, but I can hold my own.” She and Rufus had marksman training, but while Rufus used the sawed-off shotgun, Amira was a dead-eye with a pistol. She also had been taught how to use a blade (though her preference was two smaller sai blades rather than a sword) and fight up close and personal by Angeal and Sephiroth, while Genesis had tutored her in Materia usage. 

 

Her natural abilities as a Cetra made her an avid magic-user, and when she left, she would take the Minerva Band she was keeping in her drawer, the materia the boys had given her still slotted inside it. Rufus nodded at her, though Tseng looked wary. Reeve took his cue from Rufus, and smiled at her, before noting, “Well the three of you shouldn’t go alone. Were you planning to take others?” Amira nodded. 

 

“Zack suggested getting Cloud, and I thought Barret Wallace and his crew might be interested if it meant saving the Planet.” She then looked at Reeve, and continued, “If I do this, it means the two of you will have to be here as the face of the Company. I’ll stay in close communication, but Reeve, I’ll need you to keep up the work in Junon, while Rufus handles the day-to-day affairs.” Rufus then continued, “The Turks will provide air transport if you need, as well as intel.” Amira nodded, before eyeing Tseng, and adding, “Not all of them. Reno and Rude will suffice.” Rufus just nodded, and agreed.

 

The next day, Amira and Aerith made their trip to the Church, Zack in tow. Cissnei followed them as a guard. As they made their way up the steps to the old church, Amira began to hear fervent whispers. The Planet was speaking, and they needed to listen. 

 

They walked into the nave, Zack sitting on one of the pews while the girls knelt amongst the flowers. As she and Aerith closed their eyes to pray, Amira felt a presence — a voice more prominent than the others — speak to her directly. She opened her eyes, and found herself and Aerith in a dark, empty space, the green of the lifestream flowing around them in tendrils. Then, a woman appeared, clad in golden armor. “Greetings, children. You are here to learn of your task, then?” Aerith gasped softly, and whispered, “Minerva… you’re the Goddess.” 

 

The woman’s gold eyes focused on her, then, and she smiled, before she replied, “Yes, child. I am here to grant favor to the one you wish to see healed of the Calamity’s taint. When we are done speaking, bring him to the center of the flowers, and have him kneel. I will do the rest.” Zack. She was… going to… heal Zack. 

 

“What do you plan to do to him?” she asked, and the Goddess smiled at her, then, before saying, “The Calamity makes him stronger than the average person exposed to Mako… but, it makes him vulnerable, easy to bend to her will. We can’t have that.” Amira nodded, and Minerva continued, “I will grant him his added power, but without the… side effect of being a puppet for the Calamity. He will be needed, after all. A Warrior for the Planet.” 

 

Amira smiled then, Zack would really love that idea. Talk about dreams and honor. She then looked up at the Goddess, and asked, “What about Sephiroth? What’s happened to him?” The Goddess looked sad, then, and replied, “He was your friend, my child, was he not?” When Amira nodded, she continued, “He is no longer himself, but fully under the control of the Calamity. He is the greatest puppet of them all. She will use him to do her bidding, and then consume him.” 

 

That… was so sad. A hero made into a pawn. One tear tracked down Amira’s cheek as she mourned her friend. The Goddess continued, “You will need to lure him out to stop him. Watch, my children.” Amira turned to look at Aerith, who looked grim and determined, before they turned to watch whatever it was the Goddess wanted them to see. 

 

Midgar was burning, tornadoes of fire sweeping through the plate, destroying the sectors one by one. Sephiroth rose above the city, one black wing extended, his expression filled with malice, as he held a large, dark orb of materia above his head, and a large meteor filled the sky behind him, as it fell towards the planet, an aura of doom surrounding everything. As the meteor hit, the planet was consumed as Sephiroth… Jenova… made it into their vessel to continue their cosmic chaos. 

 

She and Aerith gasped in horror. So much death, so much pain. Then all fell into darkness, and Minerva was standing in front of them again. She looked at them both, and said, “One of you will be the bait to lure him out, as it would be an opportunity to kill a Cetra — one of the only people who can stop this madness.” She glanced between them, and continued, “The other shall be my vessel on this world, and be given visions as required to complete your quest.” 

 

She and Aerith looked at each other, then. Aerith sighed, and said, “Mira — Sephiroth taught you how to fight. He was your friend. It stands to reason that Jenova has his memories, and so you won’t be enough to lure her out.” Aerith’s green eyes bored into her then. “But me? I’m an unknown to him… to her. I look more helpless than I am. I’m the perfect bait.” Amira sighed, closing her eyes. 

 

Oh Goddess, Zack really wouldn’t like this. “You can’t tell him.” It was almost as if Aerith knew exactly where her thoughts had gone. “You can’t. He would never allow it.” Amira simply nodded, and replied, “All right. Then I guess that makes me the vessel, huh?” Aerith nodded simply, and they turned back to the Goddess. “We’re ready, We’ll do as you ask.” The otherworldly woman smiled then, and said, “Bring the Warrior forth. It is time.” 

 

She then turned to Amira, and said, “Take a deep breath, little one.” Amira looked at her, and did so, as the Goddess blew golden dust towards her, and she felt an aura of power settle within her. Okay, that’s weird. She felt… like her limbs were turning to jello, and her head hurt, her pulse throbbing in her head. “How will I know when you have something to show me?” The Goddess smiled, and replied, “I will take command of you, and show you what needs to be seen. Then you will be released to go about your duties.” Oh, great. Amira grimaced a bit, before nodding. 

 

The vision faded, and the two of them were kneeling across from each other in the flower bed. Aerith smiled, soft and sad, at her, before gesturing to Zack, and beckoning him over to them. Zack looked a bit wary, but Aerith encouraged him to kneel between them, and she smiled as she said, “It’s okay, Zack. Don’t be afraid.” His eyes sharpened then, and he nodded, before he knelt amongst the flowers, closing his eyes. 

 

The area around them began to glow a soft green, and the light enveloped Zack, him gasping as green Lifestream tendrils wove through him, removing red tendrils and destroying them one by one. Jenova. After a few moments of this, The tendrils snaked back into the earth, and Zack opened his eyes. 

 

They still glowed with mako, and he flexed his fist as he took a few deep breaths. “I feel… different. Lighter, maybe?” Amira smiled then, and told him, “The Goddess has deemed you worthy, Zack. She removed the Jenova from you, and granted you the strength that the cells gave you, without the obvious downsides. You’re a Warrior for the Planet, now.” 

 

Zack chuckled a little, and said, “Man, what I would give for Angeal to hear that.” Aerith smiled at him, then, wrapping her arms around him as she planted a kiss on his lips, one that he returned, his hand lightly touching her face.

Chapter 23: ZACK

CHAPTER 21 ZACK

 

The experience in the church had been… weird. But… a good weird. He never realized that he’d had almost a static in the back of his head since he’d gotten out of Nibelheim, but now that it was gone, it was noticeable. Fucking Hojo. 

 

He and the girls had gone back to the Shinra Building, and he was there when Amira contacted Barret Wallace. She sat behind her desk, PHS to her ear and a grin on her face, as the grumpy man answered her call. “Mr Wallace?” A pause, before he replied. Zack couldn’t make out what he said, but it made Amira chuckle, before she continued, “I have a proposition for you. How would you feel about helping me save the Planet?” 

 

A few short sentences later, she clicked the PHS closed, and grinned up at him, “We meet them tomorrow in Sector Seven. I think we should be ready to head out from there, so you and Aerith pack whatever you think you need. Meet here tomorrow — 0700.” Zack saluted her, and then cheekily responded, “Yes, Madam President.” She waved him off with her other hand, still smiling, and said, “Go on, then. Dismissed.” 

 

The next morning, he met Amira and Aerith in her office. Aerith was still wearing her pink dress, ribbon, and red bolero jacket, but she had a pack on her back, and her staff in her hand. “Mom made sure I had supplies. I’ve got some packable cooking supplies and a tent for me and Mira. I’m ready… or… as ready as I can be, I think.” Zack had a SOLDIER go-bag — MREs, tent, materia, and first aid kit ready to go. 

 

Amira was chuckling at them both. She wore dark, skinny denim and combat boots that rose to mid-shin, her leather sai scabbards wrapped around her thighs like garters, the blade hilts noticeable above the leather. She had on a black shirt and cargo vest (with multiple pockets), and a black leather jacket. She wore a black leather bracer on one wrist, and her Minerva band on the other. She looked ready to take on pretty much anything. She raised an eyebrow at him as he looked her up and down. “What?” she asked blandly. 

 

He just laughed, and shook his head. “Nothing, Boss Lady. Just not used to seeing you look like you’re ready to take on a den of cockatrices, that’s all. It’s a good look for you.” She rolled her eyes, and looked past him, smiling, as Nanaki entered the room. The feline looked up at him, and intoned solemnly, “I am ready to begin our journey whenever you are.” Zack noted that the creature had materia braided into his fur, and he looked up at Amira with a raised brow. She merely shrugged in response. 

 

Before they could head out to the waiting chopper, Zack heard the voice of Rufus Shinra behind them. “Wait,” he called out, as he entered the office, walking over to his sister. He hugged her tightly, and whispered something in her ear. She smiled, patting him on the shoulder, before saying, “Of course, big brother.” With that, Rufus turned to all of them, nodded, and said, “Good luck.” 

 

He then turned to Amira, and said, “Oh, before I forget. I’m organizing a welcome parade for us in Junon. We’ll try to coordinate based on your progress, but we can meet there and debrief, hmm?” Amira just nodded in acceptance, before she turned to look at him, and said, “Let’s go. We don’t want to keep the venerable Mister Wallace waiting.” Oh, heavens forbid. 

 

Zack just chuckled, and followed the girls out to the helicopter. He saw Tseng speaking to Rude, and Amira completely ignored the man as she got on the aircraft. What in the hell? Tseng watched her go with a mix of sadness and confusion, but he quickly had his placid mask back in place. Zack beckoned the man over with two fingers, and Tseng sighed, before striding over to him. “Don’t even say it,” his soft, accented voice sounded. Zack raised a brow at him, and asked, “Do you know why she seems to be so pissed at you?” 

 

Tseng shook his head, his head turning back to watch the girls in the helicopter as Amira was getting Aerith settled in, as he replied, “No. But…” He sighed. “She changed the lock codes on the door. I’ve had to sleep in my office the past few nights.” What the…well that’s certainly not good. “Man, I’d so grovel if I were you. Just sayin’.” 

 

Tseng just grunted once, and said, “Be careful, Fair,” before going back inside. Huh, well oh-kay then. So that’s how it’s gonna be. Zack scoffed, hands on his hips as he watched the man leave, before shaking his head and boarding the aircraft himself. Reno and Rude were up front, and Zack motioned them to take off as he hopped inside and slid the door closed.

 

The ride to Sector Seven didn’t take much time. They weren’t hanging around too long. Reno and Rude would take the group to Kalm town, and then they would continue from there as Amira and Aerith saw fit. The girls were in charge, in his book. 

 

Upon their arrival, touching down in Sector Seven as they did before, he followed Amira and Nanaki into the bar. Aerith stayed in the chopper, waving at them to “Get a move on, already.” Amira pushed one of the doors open, walking inside with him at her back and Nanaki at her side. 

 

Zack noted the three lower-level Avalanche members, including Amira’s friend, at a table to the right. Tifa Lockhart stood behind the bar, Cloud leaning against a stool in front of it, a nice-looking broadsword on his back that looked custom-designed. Damn, he’d have to get a peek at that. It was a nice piece of steel. 

 

Wallace paced in front of the bar, but Zack noted that the safety on his gun-arm was engaged, so this would be a friendly encounter. Amira stopped, her weight shifting to one hip, as she looked at everyone in the bar, smiling at Cloud, who nodded in return, before looking at Wallace. The man then spoke, “‘Aight. We’re all here. What did you mean, ‘feel like saving the Planet’?” 

 

Amira chuckled, and replied, “There’s a former SOLDIER First-Class… I think Cloud and Tifa here are familiar with him. His name is Sephiroth.” Tifa gasped from behind the bar, and Cloud’s expression shuttered as he looked at Amira through narrowed eyes. She continued, “He is alive, and attacked the Shinra building a couple of days ago.” 

 

She let that sink in, and kept talking, “He took the body of an alien creature called Jenova, and we fear that he intends to use the power this creature provides to destroy the Planet. Aerith and I, as the last two Cetra, are the only ones who can stop them. We intend to follow his trail, find him, and put an end to the madness. There are certain places we will have to go — namely Junon for a debrief with Rufus, and Nibelheim… or… what’s left of it, to obtain documents on Hojo’s research from Shinra Manor. Other than that, it’s about where the trail leads us, so will be an extended, open-ended journey. You up for that?” 

 

Wallace narrowed his eyes, considering what she had said, before he nodded once, and held out his left hand, which she took and shook. “Aw, hell. You weren’t kiddin’. If a Cetra, Shinra or no, asks little ‘ol me to help her save this world, you bet yo’ ass Imma be on the train with ya til the end!” 

 

Amira smiled at him, and said, “Thank you, Mister Wallace.” He waved his hand, and grunted, “Ah, non’a that shit. I’m Barret. You okay if I call you by your name…?” Amira smirked, cocked her head, and replied, “Amira. My name’s Amira.” 

 

The man nodded once, “Aw’right then. Uhhh…” He scratched his head sheepishly, and Amira raised her eyebrow, before the man asked gingerly, “Who’s gon’ look after my Marlene?” She smiled then, and said, “I think Reeve and my brother could use a feminine presence up in the Shinra Building. Cissnei, one of the Turks I work with, can come get her. She’ll be safe.” 

 

Barret nodded, then, and thanked her. Cloud then stood from his stool, and said, “If you’re going after Sephiroth, I’m coming with you. Don’t even try to stop me.” Zack just grinned at him and said “Glad to have ya, Spike.” He then turned to Tifa, and asked, “And you?” 

 

Tifa pulled out a pair of fighting gloves studded with materia from her back pocket, slid them on, and replied, “Where Cloud and Barret go, I go. Besides, I need to see this through. Sephiroth destroyed my home. I don’t want him to destroy anyone else’s.” 

 

Amira nodded in understanding. “Reno and Rude are outside. They’ll drop us in Kalm town, and it’s up to us from there. I’d suggest you gather your supplies, and we’ll head out.” Barret nodded, and chuckled to himself, “Never thought I’d see the day I willingly took a ride in a Shinra helicopter.” 

Chapter 24: CLOUD

CHAPTER 22 CLOUD

 

The chopper dropped them off just outside of Kalm town. Amira, Aerith and Tifa went ahead to secure them rooms at the Inn, while he, Barret, Zack, and Nanaki went off in search of information. Amira wanted to know the next step from here. Goddess, she was bossy. Cloud chuckled, though, she was always like that, so it’s not a shock that it comes out more often now that she actually is one of the Presidents of Shinra. 

 

He was turning around a corner, when long silver hair caught his eye going down a nearby passageway. He froze, ice sliding down his spine, before he turned to follow. As he did, one hand on his sword, he saw him. Sephiroth. That green fuzz flashed in his brain, lancing pain through his skull, and Sephiroth said, “That’s a good puppet. Follow me, Cloud. Go west, across the sea. It’s nearly time… for the Reunion.” The green fuzz flashed again, and he was alone in the alleyway. 

 

What the… he shook his head roughly, before turning and exiting the alley… and running headlong into Zack with an “Oof!” Zack caught him, and stabilized him, before he grinned and asked, “Where’s the fire, Spike?” When Cloud didn’t answer him immediately, Zack looked concerned, and asked, “Spike? You okay, bud?” Cloud’s eyes flicked up to meet his friend’s worried ones, and he stuttered out, “Ye… Yeah. I’m fine, man. It’s good.” 

 

Zack warily nodded, before tossing his arm around Cloud’s shoulder, and saying, “Nanaki’s got the word. Apparently a man in black with a long sword headed towards the marshes.” He stopped, looking at Cloud, when he asked, “Is that the way to Junon?” Zack nodded, and said, “Yep. So we’ll be heading that way soon.” He then looked at Cloud with a squinted expression again, before asking, “You sure you’re all right, man?” Cloud nodded this time, “Yeah, Zack. I’m fine.” Zack slapped him on the shoulder, before jogging back to the inn. 

 

That evening, Tifa cornered him outside on the balcony. “You okay? You’ve been brooding an awful lot.” Cloud sighed, and turned to her, her wine-red gaze looking over him with worry. “I’m fine, Teef. Thank you for asking, though.” He put his hand on her shoulder, then. “Are you okay? I know this has to be hard for you. You don’t have to be brave with me.” 

 

A slight sheen of tears came to her eyes, and she nodded. “Yeah.” She swallowed hard, and continued, “Yeah, it’s hard. I… don’t really know the other girls… Amira and Aerith. They’re so close, and I feel… awkward. Zack’s been fine, I guess. Nanaki doesn’t say much. And then there’s Barret… who says enough for everyone…” 

 

Cloud snorted as she said that, “…and you.” He put his arm around her shoulder then, bringing her in for a hug, as he tucked her under his chin. “I know, Teef. I’m here if you want to talk.” She pulled back, raising an eyebrow in disbelief, “Really? You’re offering… to talk?” Cloud sighed, “Yeah. But only for you.” 

 

She grinned then, and said, “I feel much better now, so I’m going to head to bed.” She turned back as she reached the door, scuffing her boot against the floor, a girlish smile on her lips that made his heart stutter, as she said, “Goodnight, Cloud.” 

 

Needless to say, he didn’t sleep well that night, dreams of wine-red eyes and a soft laugh making it far too difficult to actually rest due to his constant state of arousal. He woke with the sunrise, and since he was sharing a room with Nanaki (Barret and Zack were competing as to who could snore the loudest), his roommate was already awake, scratching an itch behind his ear as he looked morosely at Cloud. “Bad dreams?” Cloud started a bit, and replied, “Umm… sure, yeah. We’ll go with that.” Nanaki chuckled, and Cloud wondered how good that nose of his was, and not for the first time. Oh well. 

 

The next day, Amira hired a truck that was leaving Kalm and heading to the Chocobo Ranch, and they all piled in, the girls up in the cab, and the rest of them in the bed of the truck. Zack shrugged, and said, “Well, at least we don’t have to hoof it the whole way.” Barret grunted in appreciation, as did Nanaki. Cloud said nothing, and felt the knot in his chest relax as they got closer to the marshes. 

 

They stayed a night at the Ranch, Chocobo Bill happily providing them with a ‘Chocobo Lure’ materia. Cloud had developed an admirer in one of the young chocobos on the ranch, which provided no end to Zack’s amusement. “Damn Spike. Am I going to have to start calling you Choco-boy?” Cloud crossed his arms, glaring at his friend who was grinning at him with mischief in his eyes, and said flatly, “Do it and die, Fair.” At that, he heard giggles and snorting breaking out among the girls, even Tifa joining in on the laughter with an apology in her eyes. Traitor. 

 

As they went out into the fields, Aerith equipping the lure materia, the birds began to flock to them… well… to him. When the rest of them looked up and noted three wild chocobos preening Cloud while they wondered if the materia was working, Zack snorted. Cloud glared again, and said, “Don’t you say a word.” The three birds were able to hold two each — Zack with Aerith, Nanaki with Amira, and Cloud with Tifa. They caught a fourth bird for Barret (for obvious reasons), and loaded up. 

 

It was mid-afternoon as they approached the swamp. Amira gulped a little, as she said, “I remember the tales of the thing that lives here. Genesis used to tell me about it. It’s rather legendary, and most who’ve tried to kill it… well… there’s a reason it’s still alive.” She looked back at them all grimly, “The chocobos are light-footed enough to tread on top of the marsh. Just keep going and don’t stop for any reason until you get to the entrance of the mines. Okay?” 

 

The group nodded, and they spurred the birds into action. Cloud pushed the bird hard, but it had no trouble. Tifa gasped, and when he asked, “What?” she replied, “I think I saw it. I saw a shadow — a very long, serpentine shadow — cross by about 50 yards that way.” She pointed to the right, and Cloud kicked the chocobo to go faster, the bird warking at him in annoyance, but taking to the task. It didn’t want to be Zolom food, either. 

 

As they made their way up the hill to the mines, Cloud nearly ran into Tifa as she stopped in her tracks with a gasp. As he looked up, he saw something he would never forget. A Midgar Zolom (there were more than one??) impaled on a broken tree trunk. Only one person could have done this. He’d left them a trail. 

 

Cloud itched to keep going, but Amira insisted that they make camp for the night once everyone had gotten past their grotesque discovery. They camped just inside the mine entrance that night to have some cover in the event of rain. They’d made really good progress so far, and Tifa made a fire, while Zack pulled out some MREs for them to share… goody. He so did not miss those. 

 

The next day, they packed up quickly and made their way through the mines. Rude had sent Amira a map on her PHS, which she’d shared with himself, Zack, and Barret, everyone staying in groups of two in case they got separated at any point. They didn’t, which was fortuitous, as it meant it only took the day, and they were out on the other side as the sun was setting. 

 

From the exit of the mines, the Junon cannon was visible in the distance. Something moved in Cloud’s peripheral vision, and he noted that they were being followed by something… or someone. Not clear yet what. There was a little wooded area before the group would reach the foothills leading up to Junon. Zack recommended they stop for the night, seeing as how they’d never make it through the woods before the sun was gone. Cloud agreed, and they set camp.

 

Amira sat next to him as their dinner, a Fonadu that Barret had shot down and Nanaki had retrieved, rotated on a spit Zack had rigged up. She very subtly looked back behind them, and asked, “You notice anything… weird… behind us today?” He huffed out a laugh, and said, “If you’re asking if we’re being followed, the answer is yes.” Amira hummed and nodded, “Nanaki said it smells human, so at least we aren’t being stalked by a monster or something.” 

 

When Cloud froze a little, she put her hand on his shoulder, and said, “Nanaki knows what Sephiroth smelled like when he rescued Zack back home. It’s not him.” Cloud breathed out a sigh of relief, and Amira patted him on the shoulder. “Be ready in case our mystery guest decides to show themselves.” He nodded, and she went back over to Nanaki, who, along with himself and Zack, took turn on watch while everyone else slept. Once again, Barret set a record for how loudly one person can snore. If that didn’t attract every monster in the area, nothing would. 

 

The next morning, Nanaki, who had taken third watch, nudged him, and said, “We have company. He made a motion with his head to a nearby abandoned hunting cabin. “It’s over there.” Cloud and Zack looked at each other, nodding, before slowly and stealthily approaching the building, swords drawn. As they swung around the bend where Nanaki said the smell was coming from, a young Wutaian girl, no older than her mid-teens, screeched as two swords were stuck in her face. “Oh my GAWD!” You SO did not have to do that!” 

 

They raised an eyebrow at each other, and she made a scrunched up face of disgust, before adding, “Frickin’ SOLDIERs.” Cloud just looked at her balefully, and she giggled a bit nervously, before saying, “Ummm… no offense but I’ve gotta run!” She threw a flashbang at them, and as he and Zack both covered their eyes with a yelp, she ran… right into Amira holding her pistol as Barret stood there, safety off his gun-arm and glaring at the brat. “Heeeeeyyyyyyy!!!!” Man, this girl was whiney. He did not want to have to put up with this. Amira cocked her head at the girl, and asked, “Why are you following us?” 

 

The Wutaian girl looked at Amira carefully, before saying, “Hey, I know you. You’re that new Lady President of Shinra. What’re you doing out here roughing it in the woods?” Amira stared at her with no expression, and replied, “Hunting. Seems we may have stumbled onto…different prey than expected, but so much the better. After all, it’s not often that one finds a Wutaian ninja loitering outside Junon. Why are you here?” The girl was silent then, and Cloud knew that whatever she was up to, it wasn’t good. 

 

Amira huffed, tapping her foot for a moment, before continuing, “Either you answer me, or I put a bullet in you and we’ll be done. Take your pick.” The girl seemed to realize that Amira was not bluffing, and she quickly blabbed… “I’m supposed to kill Rufus Shinra. On orders of the Wutaian government.” Amira’s face hardened, and she said, “And if I tell you that you either disregard your orders, or lose your life, what would you say?” Cloud personally was surprised that Amira hadn’t just shot her once the girl had blabbed her orders, but maybe Amira knew something he didn’t. 

 

The girl gulped, and replied, “Umm… I’d like to keep my life, lady. I am pretty important to Wutai. I think some of those a-holes wanted me to get caught and killed. Gives them a leg up politically.” Wait. Who was this kid? Amira seemed to have an idea, and Zack’s face sparked with recognition, as he said, “Wait. I remember you. The White Rose of Wutai! You’re Yuffie Kisaragi!” Amira was smirking, but he was sure he and everyone else looked stupefied. 

 

Zack continued then, “You know, the Emperor’s daughter and heir?” Ohhh. That made a lot of sense, now, actually. The girl groaned in disbelief, and said, “Oh geez. It’s you — from Fort Tamblin! Gawd, I can’t buh-lieve you remember me from way back then.” Zack just looked her up and down, and replied, “You really haven’t changed that much.” If anything, that made her angrier. “Ooooohhhh. Why you little…!” Amira impassively raised her gun again, and the girl sat down from where she’d been preparing to charge Zack. 

 

“I think I know what to do with you,” Amira said calmly. “Wutai has made no overtures to us, and sending a child to kill my brother, when I’m clearly still in the picture, is about as stupid as it gets. Godo is not stupid, which tells me that you received the order from someone else, likely without his knowledge. Am I right?” The girl… Yuffie… now had widened eyes and was almost hyperventilating. “Oh… that bastard. He set me up.” Sure did, kiddo. 

 

Amira turned to Barret, who nodded, keeping his gun on the daughter of the Wutaian Emperor, while Amira holstered hers, and squatted down in front of the younger girl. “I know what it’s like to be used by people who are in a position of power and supposed to protect you.” She made direct eye contact with Yuffie, who was looking at her warily. “It sucks,” Amira added, and the girl snorted, “Sure does. Gawd, I never thought…” she stopped for a moment, looking away, before looking back at Amira.

 

 “Say I offer to help you negotiate something with Wutai. Could I come with you?” Amira cocked her head, watching the girl for sincerity. Cloud thought she was being sincere… the girl had absolutely no emotional control, and was therefore likely a really shitty liar. But, that was just his impression. Yuffie gulped, and stuttered out, “I think… I mean, you were my age when you started learning how to be what you are… sort of… right? Maybe I could learn some from you. And… if you’re traveling… maybe I’ll be able to find some cool materia to take home!” 

 

Amira’s lips turned up in a half-smile, and she huffed out a laugh, before helping the little ninja stand. “I can’t speak for anyone else here, but if you betray me, betray us…” Amira let the threat dangle a bit, and Yuffie gulped again before quickly saying, “You don’t have to worry about that at all! I swear on my honor as a ninja and all the good materia out there!” With that, Amira turned and walked back to camp, helping the others to pack up. Junon awaited. 

Chapter 25: AMIRA

CHAPTER 23 AMIRA

 

She literally didn’t even know which way to look first. There were people and infantry regiments everywhere. She was sure Tseng was up to his eyeballs in paperwork. But… she really needed to talk to him. She’d had some time to think while on the first part of this journey, and she and Aerith had a heart-to-heart in Kalm while Tifa was out talking to Cloud.

 

Amira was sitting on the bed, staring out the window at the blue-tiled square — it was so peaceful. She really appreciated it. Then, she felt the mattress dip next to her, and a head of brunette hair was leaning on her shoulder. “I can feel your sadness, you know. Do you want to talk about it? Tell me what’s bothering you?” Amira just looked over at her friend, and sighed. Aerith’s green eyes looked up at her, and she said, “Don’t worry. I’m a vault. No one will hear anything from me. Promise.” She smiled at her friend, before looking back out the window, and saying, “I found out Tseng’s been cheating on me.” 

 

Aerith gasped, and Amira looked back at her, seeing her face with a look combining anger and horror, like she couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “No freaking way. I… How could he?!” Amira just sighed, and closed her eyes. “Very easily, apparently. And… with his subordinate he endorsed for hiring. It makes me wonder…” 

 

Aerith simply looked like she was seething on Amira’s behalf, now. “…How long has he been… Ooh, that burns me up. But… I understand why you wonder. It seems rather convenient. He’s introducing her to the both of you to be a new member of the Turks, and a month later, he’s meeting her for booty calls?” Amira snorted at how she put it, but it was true. 

 

“What are you going to do?” The million gil question. “I have to confront him. I originally just froze him out for a while, but… I have to have some clarity… some closure. I can’t stay with him. Not after this.” Aerith just nodded, her eyes sad for the loss Amira felt. Tseng had been her rock, her everything. She’d really loved him. And what they had was gone. Her eyes had burned with tears, as Aerith wrapped her arms around her, soothing her as she cried herself to sleep. 

 

She had a name for this gnawing hole in her chest, now. Grief. She was grieving what she had with Tseng. Because… well… it was over, now. There was no way for it not to be. She couldn’t just let this slide, and she didn’t want to. 

 

She opened up her PHS, after telling the group that she’d call them when it was time for them to make their way to the ship that would take them to Costa del Sol. She encouraged them to enjoy the parade, and asked Barret to keep a gimlet eye on Yuffie. His response? “Yeah, yeah. I’ll have one eye on the brat.” That made her feel better. Aerith seemed to know where she was headed, and just squeezed her hand, her eyes sad as she took Zack’s hand and led him away. 

 

She took a deep breath, and dialed her brother. “I see you made it,” came the welcome voice of her big brother on the other end. “Yeah, we sure did. Caught a Wutaian assassin who was coming for you, too.” Rufus chuckled, “Oh, really?” Amira just laughed at his nonchalant response, and replied cheekily, “I’ve dealt with it.” 

 

He laughed again, and she asked him what he needed her to do. He asked her to meet him in the Executive suite here, and she asked him to make sure Tseng was with him. When he asked why, she said, “We need to talk, and as much as I love you, Rufus, it’s not your business.” Her older brother hummed at her, knowing it to be true, but not liking it at all. 

 

She made her way upstairs, her heart thumping in her chest. As she got on the elevator, she took a deep, calming breath, and felt her heart rate slow. The ringing in her ears subsided, and she waited. The elevator door dinged its arrival on the top floor, and she keyed in the password, confirming her identity with her handprint, before she exited into the penthouse itself. 

 

She went to the bedroom to change into her outfit for the parade, and she planned to wash her clothes before they left on the ship. As she slipped her shirt over her head, a throat cleared from behind her. There he was, standing in the doorway, watching her with those dark eyes she had loved. Had. All she felt now where he was concerned was numb. Numb and angry. 

 

She pulled her shirt back down to cover herself, and he frowned. “Rufus said you wanted to talk?” She stared at him, taking a deep breath, before asking, “How long?” When he just stared at her, she held his gaze.  He sighed, then, and replied, “Mira…” She cut him off, “Don’t ‘Mira’ me. How long have you been fucking her, Tseng?” 

 

Her anger was seeping through, and the betrayal raged in her chest. She watched him, and saw the moment he put together why she’d been so distant. “How long have you known?” he asked softly, and she let out a sob behind the hand that covered her mouth. He looked like he wanted to come to her, but she held a hand up in warning to stay back. 

 

She took a deep breath, angled her face to the ceiling as tears streamed out of her eyes, and bit her lips together before she replied in a wobbly tone, “Your mission to Kalm. I followed you. You didn’t see me, but I saw you. I saw you with her. You hadn’t looked at me that way in a while. I watched you kiss her, and every one felt like a stab to my heart.” 

 

He tried to move toward her again, his expression crumpling, but she stepped back with a hiss, “No. Stay away from me. You don’t get to console me. You did this to me.” As she made eye contact with him, she let him see exactly how badly he’d broken her heart. “How could you? You were… everything. My reason to keep going. And you threw it away.” 

 

She straightened her back, then, standing tall in the face of her heartbreak. She was Amira fucking Shinra, and this… this man would not break her. She took her necklace off from around her neck, and let the diamond ring he’d given her slide off into her palm. She silently approached him, opened his hand, placed the ring in his palm, and closed his hand around it as she stared up into his eyes. 

 

As an extra sting, she reached up, kissed him softly, and said, “Goodbye, Tseng.” She walked past him towards the elevator. She’d come back after she had some time to herself. She stopped, and turned back to him. “Tseng…” she called his name, and as he turned, she saw one tear tracking down his face as he watched her. “I hope she was worth it,” she whispered out as she allowed the tears to fall. He didn’t follow her. He didn’t try to stop her. 

Chapter 26: TIFA

CHAPTER 24 TIFA

 

She was walking down the arcade alone. Cloud had been dragged off by Zack for something related to the parade, so she was sightseeing on her own. She’d never been to Junon. She saw a really fancy residential complex, and she realized that this was where the Shinra executives and dignitaries stayed when coming to Junon. 

 

She heard the elevator ding, and watched as a crying Amira Shinra exited the elevator, eyes unseeing as she put one foot in front of the other. Tifa’s heart broke for the woman. She was normally so put together. She wondered what had happened, and decided that now was the time to reach out. To be her friend. 

 

“Amira!” She called out, and the woman turned with a slight jump. She wiped her eyes, and replied with a wan smile, “Oh, hey, Tifa. How are you liking Junon?” Tifa just crossed her arms, giving her a look of ‘don’t change the subject,’ and Amira sighed. Tifa looked at her, and cautiously said, “I know we’re not super tight. Not like you and Aerith are. But… I’m here, if you want to talk.” 

 

She then smiled a little, and said cheekily, “I hear I’m a great listener.” Amira snorted, then, and smiled, before she replied, “I’d like that. There’s a decent bar near here. It’s pretty hoity-toity, but it’s private. You okay with that?” Tifa just nodded, and took the woman’s arm, before saying, “Lead the way.” 

 

The woman at the hostess stand recognized Amira almost immediately, and, with a kind smile that spoke of understanding, put them in a quiet corner booth at the very back of the bar. Tifa took a look at the drink menu, spying a couple of interesting drinks she would like to try, and when she mentioned it, Amira laughed, and said, “Get whatever you want. I’ve got a tab here.” 

 

Tifa grinned at her, then. Amira’s choice was simple — a Banoran apple white wine that was top shelf labeling, and very expensive. She had bought the whole bottle. Tifa had never tried it herself, but had stocked a bottle here and there in the bar. Amira raised a brow, and got a second glass for her, saying, “Oh, Genesis used to swear by this stuff. And then he got me turned onto his chic taste. I’ve never looked back. You have to try it at least once.” Tifa poured a small glass, swirled it, and took a sip. The apple flavor crackled on her tongue with tartness that was… fantastic. Damn, this was really good. Her eyes must have shown her enjoyment, because Amira just smiled and chuckled at her as she sipped the wine. 

 

Tifa ordered the other two drinks she was wanting to try, and, once they had been brought, she sat everything to the side, and slowly began to test the first one — a Mideel Monsoon. It was… interesting. It was made from a tequila harvested there near Mideel, and was mixed with lime, soda water, and mint. The soda water made it easier for her to sip, and the tequila hit hard with the lime, but the mint gave it less bite. Weird, but okay. Not really for her. Maybe some of her customers would like it, though. 

 

She pushed it away, looked up at Amira then, and asked, “What happened to make you so upset?” Amira just sighed, and replied, “I broke up with my fiancé. We’ve been together for years, and I found out shortly before we left Midgar that he’s been cheating. I gave him back the ring, and told him that I hoped she was worth it.” Tifa took the woman’s hand, and said, “That takes some kind of courage. Was he with Shinra, too?” Amira smirked, huffed out a laugh, and said, “Yep. He’s Director of the Turks.” Wait. Wow. 

 

She was sure she blinked for a while before Amira laughed a little, and said, “Yeah. Tseng has been in my life since I was sixteen and he was twenty-one, so eight years.” She sipped her wine, and looked contemplative. “I never really imagined life without him. He’s just… he’s always been my rock. The one I can go to about anything. And now… he’s not. That hurts. A lot.” Tifa just squeezed her hand, and said, “I think I kind of understand. The man I love… there’s something wrong, there. I’m just not sure what.” 

 

Amira’s eyes sharpened, then, and she asked, “Cloud?” Tifa looked up into her eyes, then, finding understanding there, and said, “Yes. You know something, don’t you?” Amira sighed, and nodded. “He and Zack, like me, were prisoners of Hojo after the Nibelheim incident.” Tifa looked down at the table, taking a sip of her drink, the second drink — a Cosmo Candle. This one was much lighter — champagne, orange liqueur, and a twist of orange on the glass. Nice. She would make note of this one for brunches at the bar. 

 

She tapped her nails on the glass, her other hand still holding Amira’s, before she asked, “Can you tell me more…umm… Cloud says you were… friends… with Sephiroth… before it all.” Amira smiled sadly, and replied, “I was. He was my best friend, and I couldn’t protect him. Couldn’t save him. Maybe, if I’d told him what I learned about his birth mother, about him, maybe…” She teared up again, and Tifa squeezed her hand again. Amira Shinra had known so much loss. 

 

“You umm… you were a prisoner of Hojo? Because you’re a Cetra, I assume?” Amira nodded, her eyes far away, and said, “He used to taunt me, remind me of my failure to save Seph, of my friends he had locked away…” She looked up at Tifa and clarified, “Zack and Cloud…” Tifa nodded, and she continued, “One day, the Turks came, and got me out. But… they left the others behind. I never forgave myself for that.” 

 

Tifa sighed, understanding flowing through her. “Sephiroth burned my home. He killed Cloud’s mom, my dad… almost me, too.” When Amira’s eyes widened, Tifa raised her shirt just a little so that Amira could see the trailing end of her scar from Masamune. Amira just stared for a moment, swallowing hard, before taking a gulp of her wine. “I’ve never seen anyone survive a hit from Masamune. You’re damn lucky, Tifa.” 

 

She nodded, “I know. I’m not telling you any of this to one-up your losses, or to say mine are worse…” Their eyes met, and she continued, “I just want you to know that someone else understands the level of pain you feel. That you’re not alone.” Amira smiled, then, and raised her glass, which Tifa copied. As they clinked their glasses, Amira said softly with a smile, “To friends who understand us.” Tifa couldn’t help but smile back. “To friends who understand us.” 

 

Tifa then looked back at Amira, and said, “Something’s wrong with Cloud. I don’t know what it is, just that it is. He thinks he was in Nibelheim five years ago, but I don’t remember seeing him… just Zack.” Amira nodded with a sigh, “Cloud’s memories are faulty, but he was there…as an infantryman. Zack and I both think that it’s the result of whatever Hojo did to him. We can’t confirm that though until we have the research data from Shinra Manor.” She grimaced, and sipped her wine. “I’m definitely not looking forward to going back there.” She looked haunted for a moment, before continuing, “There’s a lot of bad memories.” 

 

Tifa was a little shocked hearing about Cloud, but could commiserate. She nodded, sipping from the glass of the apple wine, now that she was finished with the Cosmo Candle. Amira then said, solemnly, as she looked Tifa right in the eyes, “Don’t say anything to Cloud. Let him think what he wants about back then. All it would do is fuck with his mind, as it stands. You know the truth.” Tifa nodded, she did at that. 

 

Amira smiled at her, then, and said, “I really should go back upstairs and get dressed for this damn parade. Rufus is going to meet me up there.” She looked at Tifa, then, and said, “Thanks, again, Tifa. I’m glad I can call you my friend.” Tifa just smiled, “Me, too, Amira.” They walked out of the bar, and Tifa watched her friend get on the elevator, the doors closing, before she walked back to the hotel where the rest of them were staying. 

Chapter 27: BARRET

CHAPTER 25 BARRET

 

The parade was a whole bunch’a mamby-pamby propaganda nonsense. Of course, necessary nonsense, but still. He could tell Amira hated every second of it, but she put on a smile next to her brother, in matching trench coats, and waved for the camera. Tifa’d told him about her personal trouble, a little. No details, but that she’d been hurt badly by someone she loved, and had ended things. Poor woman. 

 

He’d really gotten to like the young lady President on their travels so far. She was no-nonsense, got the job done, but cared about the Planet, and the people she was in charge of lookin’ after. That kinda thing spoke to Barret. Hell, she’d even asked him about options they could work with in Corel. He’d told her he’d think about it and get back to her. 

 

His job in all of it had been to keep an eye on the Wutai brat. Easier said than done. The girl was… shifty. Sneaky. Damn ninjas. He’d had to grab her by the nape of her neck a couple’a times jus’ to keep her from runnin’ off. He’d had to remind her of her deal with the Lady Shinra, and how fuckin’ with her would be a very… very bad idea. 

 

He’d enjoyed watching the brat pale and gulp as she remembered how ready Amira was to just kill her and be done with it. But… little Yuffie was important, and Amira intended to use that to try to bring Wutai back into the fold. She’d told Tifa and Aerith to do their best to be nice to the girl and befriend her. They were doin’ jus’ that, and the girl had also taken a shine to Nanaki. Barret still thought it was weird that a cat could talk, but Nanaki weren’t jus’ no cat. 

 

That business done, they all got on board a ship Amira’s brother had chartered for them from Junon. Amira had been rather quiet, preferring her solitude in the cabins. Nanaki had been with her, and Barret watched as the cat just sat beside her while she stroked his head and looked out at the sea, a sad look on her face.

 

Tifa and Aerith were the only ones she’d let up there besides Nanaki, and sometimes the girls would gather drinks from the bar and go sit up top with her, catching up on the gossip and tryin’ to make the woman laugh a little. 

 

Hell, even Zack and Cloud were concerned, which spoke volumes to him about the situation. He had been married, once, so he knew how women operated better than these two jokers. He’d told them to let it be, that she’d come around when she was ready, and not before. Cloud had simply nodded, and Zack, while slightly more resistant, saying he knew Amira as well as anyone, and this wasn’t like her at all, sighed and agreed to stay out of it. 

 

Then, one night, when they were about a day out from Costa, the shit hit the fan. He was jarred awake from sleep, the iron smell of blood hitting his nostrils as he came to. Zack was standing over him, a solemn look on his face, sword at the ready. Cloud was standing behind him looking perturbed, and he shook his head once or twice as if to clear fog from his mind. There was a knock at the door, and Zack answered it warily. 

 

Amira. She was standing in the doorway, her blades over her jeans, gun in hand, Aerith, Tifa, Yuffie, and Nanaki behind her. Even the little ninja looked disturbed, and had her shuriken ready. Amira made eye contact with Zack, and informed him, “The Captain told us that Engineering stopped responding. He sent a few men down to check, but they never radioed in. It’s gone completely dark down there, and he’s flying blind.” 

 

She motioned her head towards the stairs to the engineering deck down the hall. “Fancy a look?” Zack nodded once gravely, and took the lead, motioning for him to stay with the girls, and for Cloud to take the rear, which the blond did without hesitation. 

 

As they made it down the steps, there was a wall of iron-like smell. Prob’ly blood. Zack put up a hand and called Amira forward, “You got a fire materia on you?” Amira grinned at him, then, and said, “That trick Genesis taught me?” Zack nodded, and said, “Yes ma’am. Light this place up.” 

 

Barret watched, as Amira activated a fire materia in her bracer, creating a small fireball in her hand that lit up the entire space with enough light for them to see. Yep. It was blood, all right. Amira walked through the space slowly, checking ID’s on each one of the dead bodies. “There’s one missing, from what the captain told me. Let’s keep going.” 

 

They all agreed with her, and continued silently, weapons ready, through the cargo hold toward the engineering room. There was a flickering light at the back, near the power panel. Ooh-kay. Now that was creepy. The last of the Engineering crew stood back there, facing the panel, unmoving. 

 

Amira called out to him, “Hey! You okay? What’s going on down here?” No sooner had the words left her lips, then the man dropped like a puppet with its strings cut, blood seeping from his mouth… and from the gaping stab wound that continued to ooze. 

 

Barret looked up, and Zack pulled Amira behind him, sword drawn, as a silver-haired man with soulless green eyes appeared before them. The man tilted his head curiously, and smirked at Zack, before saying, “Ah. I see. Pity you won’t be joining us at the Reunion, Zack.” 

 

Zack growled back, “You’re not him. You’re… there’s something wrong with you. I can smell it on you. Feel it in my bones.” Amira looked vindicated then, and said, “You’re not my friend. You’re just wearing his face. No need for tricks now, Jenova.” Then, the fight was on. 

 

Zack rushed forward, meeting the blade of the silver-haired man, as he began to laugh. “Ah ah ah. Not yet, Fair. It’s not time, yet.” Then he disappeared, and in his place, the most grotesque thing Barret had ever seen. It was a tentacle, that grew into a creature made of ooze and filth, multiple tentacles sprouting from the skull-like face that had appeared in the center. 

 

“The Calamity…” Aerith whispered out, equal parts fear and disgust in her voice. Barret put a hand on her shoulder. “You and Amira stay back. Throw spells at it. I’ll be back here wit’ ya. Teef, Nanaki, Cloud — get in there with Zack and let’s take this bitch down!” 

 

Tifa nodded, activated the materia in her gloves, and was on the move, Nanaki following after her with a growl as he latched onto one of its many tentacles with his teeth. Amira activated a yellow materia, studying the creature, before yelling to Zack and Tifa, “It doesn’t have any elemental weaknesses! Just hit it with whatever you’ve got!” Zack grunted, and swung, as he yelled back, “Nice call on the Assess materia, Mira!” She saluted jauntily and kept tossing spells at the thing, occasionally firing a round from her pistol at a tentacle that got too close to them for comfort. 

 

Cloud stood there for a moment, as if he were unable to move, before Barret hollered at him, “Yo, merc! You gotta problem?” Cloud shook his head roughly, and his eyes cleared…Barret could have sworn they were as green as the silver-haired fucker’s for a split second, before they were back to that glowing mako blue. Weird as fuck, but whatever. 

 

Cloud threw himself into the fray, then, his sword joining Zack’s, as Barret peppered the bitch with bullets from the back row, the two Cetra hitting her with spells and healing the ones closer in to the beast in turns. “Suck on this!” he yelled out, a wave of bullets spraying out from his gatling gun as the creature cried out in pain. As it reared back, Tifa ran in, hitting it with a flurry of punches as she yelled, “There! Bring it!” 

 

Yuffie joined in, aiming her shuriken, and cutting the creature across the face with precision. “Nice!” Amira called out, and the ninja replied, “Aw that was nothin’!” Aerith giggled, before gasping as Zack was thrown across the room by a tentacle. 

 

“Zack!” She cried out, and her body lit up with tendrils of pink magic floating around her, as she called out, “I beg of you, shield them from harm!” All of the fighters were coated in the magic, and Zack stood up, shaking his head, smiling at her, and jumping back into the fight. 

 

That was the turning point. Whatever Aerith had done, the creature wasn’t able to harm them. Damn. Thas’ cool. Zack jumped up, spearing the Buster Sword through the thing’s head, hollering “Yo, Spike!” Cloud nodded, putting his sword through its middle, and together, they sliced towards each other, tearing the thing in two as it screeched. It slithered down into nothingness, and disappeared in a puff of purple smoke. Fuck me. 

 

Amira strode up to the panel, her engineering background coming into play, and she twiddled with some of the knobs, before the lights came flashing back on, temporarily blinding them as they all cried out in surprise. She looked a little sheepish, and said, “Sorry, guys.” 

 

They arrived at Costa del Sol the next day. Once again, Amira had come through for them, her Shinra name and ties getting them all into Old Man Shinra’s old villa, which she still had a key to. They split rooms amongst the group, Tifa agreeing to room with Yuffie, while Amira was with Aerith. 

 

Zack had pouted a little at that, but the pink-garbed Cetra just pinched him and said, “None of that, now sir.” Cloud and Nanaki were put together, and he was put with Zack. Apparently, they both snored. He huffed in mock offense at that, and the rest of the group laughed. With that, they separated to go looking for information. 

 

The girls all departed in a group, Yuffie and Aerith prattling about shopping, while Tifa and Amira followed behind, fond looks on their faces and shaking their heads at each other. Amira was on her phone, probably getting intel from the Shinra folks. 

 

He decided to take the fellas out with him, and they walked amongst the shopping stalls, enjoying the sea breeze for a change. Barret wasn’t used to fresh air like he’d gotten the last few weeks. It made him sad for the folks stuck back under that rottin’ pizza, but Amira assured him that her goal was to improve life for everyone, even those under the plate, somehow. 

 

Zack, amiable as he was, was the one who came through with the news. “Hey yo! The weapons seller just told me that a guy in black with a big sword was heading up the mountain.” Corel. Damn. Barret was kinda hopin’ to avoid the place, but, it is what it is. And so, they began the climb. 

 

Aerith had never been climbing before, and Zack had to carry her halfway because she got loopy and passed out. The man was chuckling to himself, as she ruffled his hair, and giggled at “how pretty it was.” Yuffie was the best climber out of all of them, to his surprise, and when he said so, she put her hands on her hips, and retorted, “I’ll have you suckers know that I have climbed the face of Da-Chao several times for my ninja exercises, thank-YOU!” Barret just chuckled to himself, and kept climbing, bracing himself for what was to come.

Chapter 28: AMIRA

CHAPTER 26 AMIRA

 

As they finished climbing Mt. Corel, they reached the ruins of the reactor first. Amira was stunned. It really had exploded, and no one had done anything to fix it. Goddess, her father was a moron. It would have paid dividends to fix the place up, to have a working town with happy people so close to the Gold Saucer. But no, all Dad saw were the costs to fix it, the immediate dollar signs, and how much money he’d lose off the bat. 

 

She sighed. Barret walked up next to her, as she surveyed it, taking photos on her PHS to discuss ideas with Reeve at a later date. “What you think?” The man asked her as he watched her. “Hmmm… I’m not sure. Coal was the big thing here before the reactor, right?” Barret nodded, and she continued, tapping her finger on her chin as she looked out over the place, putting her phone back in her vest pocket. 

 

“Maybe… maybe we get all this mako drained out, pump it back where it belongs, clean up the site, and we lease it to the town for a coal storage facility. Do you think they’d go for it if it got the mines back up and running?” She saw Barret’s eyes light up with hope, and he nodded, “Maybe. But… you oughta be the one to bring it to ‘em. They hate me for bringin’ Shinra here in the first place.” Amira nodded, patting the big man on the shoulder, before saying, “I’ve been thinking…” 

 

When he raised a brow at her for her to continue, she sighed. “What if we created a council… one that had representation from each locale…” She looked back at Yuffie, then, who was doing a little jig and making Aerith laugh. “Even Wutai.” Barret’s eyes widened, and he asked, “Real representation? Like, the people would get a real voice in what goes on ‘round here?” 

 

Amira smiled at him, and nodded. “I think the people here know what’s going on here, and how to make it flourish, better than we do in our ivory tower, so to speak.” Barret smiled at her, like a proud uncle would, and replied, “I think people would definitely see you as different from yer ol’ man if ya did somethin’ like that.” She smiled, nodding once with resolution. She’d bring the idea to Rufus the next time she saw him. 

 

They kept going, reaching the town shortly thereafter. The atmosphere got really tense, all the villagers staring daggers at Barret. “Hey!” one of the men called out. “Ain’t that the Lady President of Shinra?” As he said that, the villagers all began to whisper. What’s she doing here? What is Shinra up to now? Why the hell is he here? That last one was directed at Barret. Amira stepped forward, then, and said, “We’re not here to cause problems. There’s a man we’re tracking who might have passed through here. You tell us where he went, and we’ll be on our way.” 

 

One man, a doctor by his white coat, stepped forward, and said, “I know who you’re talking about. The man in black?” Amira nodded, and the doctor sighed, before saying, “He headed South. Probably towards Gongaga, but he went to the Saucer first, probably to get transport.” Amira smiled at the man, thanking him for his time. She then asked, “Who among you would be considered a leader here?” 

 

The doctor laughed, and replied, “I’d be one - I’m Sheiran, at your service.” He pointed to a burly man who looked like he could have been a miner, once. “Him too.” He paused, and then asked, “Why do you ask, Madam Shinra?” She cocked her head, and said, “I have some ideas for getting this place up and running again. Barret seems to think that you all would be good with getting the coal mines re-opened, and I have some thoughts on how to clean up the reactor site.” 

 

The man’s eyes sparked with hope, and Amira smiled. “We weren’t kidding in that broadcast when we said we wanted to move forward.” She then turned to Barret, and said, “The reactor exploding when it did just proved my point. Mako is too unstable. We can’t continue to risk civilian lives by harvesting it. I think Corel serves as a cautionary tale on the dangers there.” The burly man stepped forward then, “Shinra blamed us for that explosion!” 

 

Amira’s expression flattened, and she replied, “I know. It was wrong. There are a lot of things Shinra did under my father that my brother and I wish to correct, if we can.” The man stood there, assessing her for a moment, before saying, “Aw’right then, Madam Shinra. Bring your proposals when you have ‘em. We’ll hear ya out. Corel was once a thriving town. I know I’d like to see it be that way, again. I ain’t too proud to not listen when help is offered.” She nodded, and the doctor offered to escort them to the tram for the Saucer, which they accepted. 

 

Once they arrived at the Saucer, Zack offered to come with her to get rooms for the night at the Ghost Hotel, Aerith joining them. Tifa dragged Cloud off to the games, him sighing exasperatedly as he softly smiled at the brunette fighter. That was sweet. As she, Zack and Aerith walked, Zack cleared his throat, and asked, “So… Mira… you gonna tell me what made you so upset in Junon?” 

 

Aerith coughed and muttered something that Amira thought was, “Ix-nay on the unon-Jay,” which made Amira feel warm inside as she chuckled at her friend’s obvious care for her well-being. Zack was a little bit of a busybody, but the look in his eyes showed that he really cared.

 

“I know I should ‘mind my beeswax’, as Aerith here says, but…” He looked a bit upset, then, “I mean, aren’t I your friend, too?” Aww. She hadn’t known that Zack had been so distressed by… her distress. She sighed, then, turning to face him head-on, and saying, “You have to promise me you won’t kill him the next time you see him.” Zack’s brows hit his hairline, and he went, “Oh?” Then his eyes lit with recognition, and his mouth flattened, “It has something to do with Tseng, doesn’t it.” It wasn’t a question. 

 

She nodded, “Yeah. I… uh… I broke things off with him in Junon…after I confronted him for cheating on me.” Zack’s jaw hit the floor. “He… what?” Amira looked at him then, took a deep breath through her nose, and pushed on, “…with Elena.” 

 

Now Zack looked ready to murder a particular Turk Director. She hit his chest. “See, that’s why I didn’t say anything to you!” Zack flinched at the hit, and then replied, “Yeah, yeah. Okay. I got it. Geez. I won’t kill him. I promise.” He shrugged then, “May give him an earful, though.” 

 

Amira laughed, she imagined that would be worse for Tseng than being attacked by a SOLDIER. Goddess, Zack could be annoying when he wanted to be. “Have at it, Fair.” He grinned, and his eyes lit up as he rubbed his hands together in malicious glee. Aerith sighed from where she was standing next to him, and said, “I sure don’t envy Tseng. Look at what you’ve unleashed.” 

 

Amira grinned, a slightly vengeful feeling surging through her as she chuckled. “Oh, I know what I’ve unleashed, and I really don’t give a shit. He deserves every bit of what he gets from Zack, here.” Aerith laughed, then, and took her arm, as they continued on to the hotel. 

 

As they moved onward, Amira spotted something out of the corner of her eye — an anthropomorphic cat sitting on the back of a giant Mog. She sighed, and tapped Zack. He responded with a “Hmm?” before looking in the direction she was pointing. 

 

“Any particular reason you’re pointing out a… robot cat on a mog?” Zack asked, and she sighed again. “That’s Cait Sith. It’s one of Reeve’s… pet projects. He controls it remotely. I would bet every last gil I have that he had it brought here to go along with us. Rufus is that overprotective.” Zack huffed at that, put his hands on his hips, and said, “Man, now I really feel like I should be offended.” Amira laughed, and pulled him and Aerith along, “Come on, let’s get this over with.”

 

She walked over to the cat, who was… telling a fortune? Badly, at that. “You know, that sun sign doesn’t match the results you’re giving. Just FYI,” she said as she walked up to the cat. “Ohh! Meera, me lass! I dinnae know what yer’ talkin’ aboot,” The cat replied in an odd accent.

 

She put her hands on her hips, staring at the machine with narrowed eyes. “Cut the crap, Reeve. I know you’re piloting this thing. Call me — now.” She thought for a second, and added, “And Tseng had better not be there with you. I’ve had it up to here with all of you.” She motioned to her eyebrow level with her hand, and the cat grimaced. 

 

Her PHS rang, and Zack cackled with glee as she answered it, a very contrite Reeve on the other end. “I’m sorry, Amira. Rufus insisted, and it was a good time to test out Cait’s functional status.” She sighed, “I know Rufus bullied you into this, Reeve, especially with Jenova making an appearance on the boat, but I also wasn’t kidding when I said Tseng had better not be involved.” 

 

Reeve cleared his throat, and replied, “You know, Rufus has been keeping Tseng at arm’s length recently. I know Tseng met with him shortly after the parade. I’ve never seen Rufus so angry at him as he was after that particular meeting. Tseng’s been scarce ever since.” 

 

Oh. He must have fessed up. Rufus had known something was off. “Hmm. Well. Suffice it to say, Tseng and I are no longer together.” Reeve blew out a breath, and replied, “I had my concerns in that arena. But, it’s your business, and I wasn’t going to pry.” She smiled softly, Reeve was a good soul. 

 

“I appreciate it, Reeve. But, seriously, tell Rufus I’ve got this. We’ll take Cait along to test it for you, but I don’t need another watchdog.” Zack woofed behind her playfully, and Reeve began to laugh. “I did see Fair behind you through Cait. Thank you for being obliging, Amira. I appreciate it.” She chuckled, said, “Uh-huh,” and closed the PHS. 

 

She then looked up at the cat, “Well, come on, then.” The Mog began to trudge along behind them, and Amira looked at it skeptically, before saying, “Welp, there goes any option for stealth we may have otherwise had. This thing is noticeable from miles away.” Zack began to laugh, leading them in the direction of the hotel, as Cait Sith protested, “I am naugh’!” 

 

Her plan was to meet with Dio, to try to get some information, and have Reno and Rude pick them up from the helipad here. Unfortunately, a man with a gun on his arm shot up Battle Square the day after they arrived… and Barret was being blamed. Luckily, Amira had a Mog with an internal camera that proved Barret was with them the entire time of the incident, grumping about “damn moogles” the whole way through Wonder Square. 

 

She went straight to Dio, and when he made an attempt to arrest Barret, she had Cait Sith pull up its internal feed, looping it onto the Gold Saucer cameras in the room. “I don’t think you want to go down that route, Dio,” Amira stated coldly. The man looked uncomfortable, knowing exactly who he was dealing with, before he said, “But… the man who attacked had a gun-arm!” 

 

Amira scoffed, “Barret’s pretty noticeable… did any of the ones who made it get a description?” One of the guards stepped forward, and said, “Madam Shinra, I believe the man had a gun on his left arm, not his right like Mr. Wallace does.” Dio glared at the man, but sighed. Barret gasped, then. She turned to him. “What?” 

 

Barret had a shuttered expression on his face. “You know how Shinra burned Corel?” She nodded warily, and he continued, “My friend Dyne fell over a cliff while we were tryin’ ta get to our families. My wife and his both died in the blaze. I had ‘hold of his left hand with my right, and Scarlet shot us with a machine gun. Dyne fell.” 

 

He looked up at Amira then, sadness in his gaze. “It’s Dyne. I know it. He had a gun grafted on his left arm, I heard, and I had one on my right.” He took a shuddering breath, before he said, “Will you help me find him? Talk to ‘im?” Amira nodded, and turned to Dio, her eyebrows raised expectantly. 

 

Dio sighed, large muscular arms crossed, “He went down into the desert. I’ll give you a buggy to go looking for him.” She nodded, and called Reno and Rude, telling her red-headed friend to be waiting for them on their return. To say Reno wasn’t thrilled about her traipsing into Corel Prison was… an understatement. 

 

They took the elevator down, Zack and Cloud falling in around Amira and the girls, one hand on their swords. The safety was off on Barret’s gun-arm. “One wrong move from these punk ass bitches, and I’ll show ‘em some hospitality,” Barret muttered. Zack grunted in agreement, as did Cloud. They made their way through the prison, and were given a wide berth. 

 

Two SOLDIERs and a man with a gun-arm, not to mention the rest of their weapons, made the skeezes down here not want to try them, and Amira was glad of it. It didn’t take them long to find someone who was willing to tell them where the “crazy bastard with the gun-arm” went. They followed the trail, Nanaki using the scent he’d gotten off some blood at the Saucer to track him. 

 

Once they reached a small house in the middle of nowhere, Amira stopped cold. “It’s a trap. Has to be,” she said, and Barret readied himself, saying, “I need to do this alone. Y’all stay the hell back, ya hear?” Zack and Cloud weren’t pleased with that proclamation, but Amira looked at Tifa, and they both understood — this was Barret’s past, a past he needed to reckon with. 

 

She put her hand on his arm, and said, “I get it. We’ll be here if you need back up, though. I’m not gonna let him kill you.” Barret smiled at her, then, and said, “‘Preciate the offer, Madam President,” before he marched forward. 

 

The fight was brutal to watch. Dyne said some things, yelled things about how “Marlene needed to see her mother.” Wait, that was the little girl Reeve was looking after. Her mother was dead… Oh, hell no. Barret wouldn’t fight back though, until Dyne gave him no choice. Barret shot him several times, all non-lethal, before Dyne hit Barret in a bad spot, and it looked like Wallace was going down. Nope. Not today. 

 

She took aim with her pistol after moving in range, Zack shadowing her and muttering the whole time. As Dyne aimed at Barret’s head, saying, “I’ll say hi to Marlene for ya, brother,” his head snapped backward with the force of the bullet from Amira’s gun. Barret turned to her, then, seeing the gun still smoking, and sighed. “Girl, you weren’t s’posed to interfere.” Amira snorted, then, and replied, “I couldn’t let him kill you, Wallace. Marlene needs you, and he was way too far gone.” 

 

Zack nodded from his place next to her, and Barret stood, brushing himself off, before saying. “A’ight. I get ‘cha. I’m ready ta go, now.” She nodded, and clapped him on the shoulder, before they led the group back up to the Gold Saucer. Aerith stopped them briefly, fussing as she healed Barret’s wounds before she would allow them to continue. Reno and Rude met them there, the red head hugging her and telling her they needed to talk soon, as they all loaded into the Shinra helicopter bound for Gongaga.   

Chapter 29: ZACK

CHAPTER 27 ZACK

 

Home. He was home. For the first time since he’d left to join SOLDIER. He took a deep breath of the humid air as they walked into the town. The helicopter had dropped them off at the beach, and Zack had led them through the underbrush with the ease of the local he was. 

 

As he stood there, a guy with a rifle standing guard near the town entrance called out, “Zack? Zack Fair, is that you?!” Zack smiled over at the man, “Zhujin! My man! Whassup?!” The man clapped him on the back, which he returned, as he stared at Zack for a moment. “Dude… so you made it. You really are a SOLDIER.” 

 

Zack huffed out a laugh, and said, “Yeah, man.” He pointed behind him to where Aerith and Amira were walking. “You see the two girls back there? The one in pink is my girl, and the one in black is President Amira Shinra.” 

 

Zhujin’s eyes bugged out of his head, and he squeaked out, “The new President? HERE?” Zack laughed, and said, “Bro, chill, we’re not here for long, and she’s definitely not one for pomp and circumstance. We’re just gathering some intel, and then heading out.” 

 

He paused, and added, “Though, I am gonna go see my folks and introduce Aerith and my friends to them.” Zhujin smiled, then, and said, “Yeah, man. You definitely should.” He then said, “I gotta run! Grandma Hen’s lost her chickens again!” As Zack laughed, his old friend took off running towards town.

 

Aerith moseyed up to his side, taking his arm, as she asked, “So, this is where you’re from?” Zack nodded, and said, “Yeah.” He then tugged on her arm, and said, “Come on, let me show you something.” She smiled, her green eyes lighting up as she followed him with a slight giggle. 

 

He brought her up the hill to the overlook. There was a stone with names on it — everyone who’d died when the reactor overloaded. Zack was fully behind Amira and Rufus’ decision to move away from Mako. It really was too dangerous. 

 

He led Aerith to the edge, and showed her the view of the jungle, and the ruins within from the top. She gasped, “Look at it all! It’s so green! It’s amazing!” Zack turned her face back towards him, and stroked her cheek as he chuckled, “I knew you’d like it.” 

 

Aerith smiled, green eyes sparkling, as she reached up and kissed him deeply. They got lost in one another for a moment, the feel and taste of her distracting him from his surroundings for a moment, before they jumped apart at the sound of a catcall. Yuffie. Zack growled a little under his breath, ready to go teach the little brat a lesson, when Aerith’s hand on his face stopped him. “Never mind them,” she said, a secret in her smile. 

 

Then, she added, “I want to meet your parents, Zack.” He smiled at her, and led her back down the hill. Amira dispersed the troops with a slightly disapproving, “Go on, now. We get one night here, and then…” she looked over at Cloud and Tifa, “…then, we go to Nibelheim. We need what’s inside Shinra Manor, and it’s not far from here by chopper.” Cloud and Tifa both looked grim at that proclamation, but Spike stepped up and replied, “I get it. We’re with you, Mira.” 

 

She turned to look at him and Aerith then, and Zack said, “You too, genius. I want you to meet my mom and dad. You’re the reason I’m able to come home at all, after all. Come on.” Amira just raised a brow, said cheekily, “Watch it, Fair. You’re toeing the line of insubordination,” before following them to a small, cozy home on the far side of the village. 

 

Zack walked up to the door, his heart in his throat, and knocked. A woman answered… his mom. She looked a bit older, with a little more salt in her hair, but there was the smile he saw in the mirror everyday. 

 

Her eyes widened as she took him in with no small amount of shock, and gasped, “ZACK! My baby! You’re home!” She was calling for his dad and throwing her arms around him as he caught her in a hug. Mom… she was crying. “Mom, what’s wrong?” He asked. 

 

Amira cleared her throat, then, and said, “I think I can answer that. You and Cloud were listed as MIA. It’s likely that your parents received a notice to that effect…” His mom pulled away from him, taking in the girls behind him, as she nodded, “Yes. Two officers came to the house. They said…” she let out a little sob, before continuing, “They said you were MIA, son. I… we assumed the worst.” 

 

A pang of remorse tore through Zack as he thought about it. Damn. It had been a year almost since his escape. He should have called. “I should have called, mom. I’m so sorry.” He hugged her again, and then heard the voice of his father. “Zackary Uriah Fair. Is that you, boy?” Amira snorted softly at the name, as did Aerith, and he threw a playful glare at the two of them, before turning back to the man who raised him. 

 

“Uh, hi, Pop. Yeah. It’s me. I’m home.” His dad then did something Zack could not, for the life of him, remember him doing — he broke down in tears and moved to hug him, which Zack accepted with a small amount of shock. “Oh, my son. My boy. I’m so happy to see you.” Dad had always been so stoic, so brave and strong. To see him break down like this… it hurt Zack to see it. 

 

“Dad…” He gripped his dad hard as his own tears began to fall. “Dad, I’m so sorry. I didn’t know you thought I was dead. I’d have called sooner, I promise.” He then pulled back, and looked over both his parents with a smile. “Umm… Mom and Dad, there’s a couple of people here I really want you to meet.” 

 

He motioned for Amira first, and she stepped up next to him, a smile on her face. “Umm… guys, this is President Amira Shinra. She’s the reason I’m even here to talk to you. She saved my life, and then made me the General of SOLDIER before dragging my ass along behind her on this mission we’re on.” Amira chuckled a bit, and his mother suddenly reached out and grasped her in a tight hug, which his friend returned a little belatedly. 

 

“I know it’s not proper to be so familiar since you’re the President of the Company, but… you saved my boy. I don’t know how to repay you.” Amira looked a little flustered, then, and replied, “It was nothing. I consider Zack a friend, and he’s damn good at his job. You should be proud of him.” His dad smiled then, and replied, “We are… we are so very proud of him.” 

 

He then eyed Aerith, and asked, “And who is this lovely young lady?” Amira stepped back, and Zack held out his hand to Aerith. She came forward, and he placed a kiss on her temple, before turning to his parents, and saying, “Mom…Dad… this is my girlfriend. Her name is Aerith Gainsborough. I met her in Midgar.” 

 

Aerith smiled then, and took his mother’s hands, saying, “Hello! I’m so happy to meet you both! Zack told me stories of his home in the jungle, but I never dreamed it would be this incredible!” And just like that, Aerith had done what she was so good at — she’d won over his parents completely. 

 

His mother stood back, then, and said, “Well, we have a Gongagan roast cooking, and I would love it if you would join us for dinner.” She then wagged a finger at Amira, who looked ready to slink away if she could. “Ah-ah. You too, Madam President. I’d wager you haven’t had a good home-cooked meal in a while. Consider this my thank you for what you’ve done for my family.” 

 

Amira smiled softly, then, and accepted. “Of course, thank you for having me.” Zack felt warmth suffuse him, a feeling of happiness he hadn’t had in a really long time, as he entered his childhood home, the girls going first, before closing the door behind him. 

Chapter 30: AERITH

Summary:

LEMON THIS CHAPTER.

CHAPTER 28 AERITH

 

Dinner was absolutely wonderful. Man, could Zack’s mom cook! And that was saying something, considering how wonderful a cook her own Mom was. It was also simply delightful being part of a normal, happy family for once. Zack’s mom had pulled out the photo albums of Zack as a baby, as he groused, “Mooo-oomm… can you not embarrass me in front of my boss and my girl, please?” She and Amira simply shared a knowing look, and laughed non-stop at the stories Zack’s parents told. 

 

Soon, the sun was going down, and she stood up, Amira following her, and she said, “Well, I think it’s time that we head back to the inn. Cloud got us a room, right?” Amira nodded, “Yeah, he sent me a text over the PHS. The key’s at the desk.” Zack looked a little off, for a moment, before she said, “No, you stay. Spend time with your parents. Who knows when we’ll be able to come back.” He smiled, then, and she and Amira headed for the door.

 

As they left, Amira cleared her throat, and said, softly, “Girl, I’d stay here with him, if I were you. I doubt his mama is going to care all that much. Besides, even if she puts you in a guest room, you’re sneaky enough to manage.” Aerith’s breath caught as the considered the implications of Amira’s words. Amira raised her brows, then, and said, “What? You love him, and he obviously loves you. Take this time. You never know how much time you have left.” Her eyes were a little sad, then, and Aerith grasped her best friend… her sister… in a tight hug, before they separated, and Amira began to walk back into town. 

 

She turned to walk back to the house, running bodily into Zack as he came jogging out the door. “Oh!” She cried out as he caught her and kept her from falling. “Oh, hey! Thank the Goddess I caught you,” he said, and she smiled at him. “Amira said I should probably spend some more time with you. She’s right. You never know how much time you have left.” Zack smiled at her, then, and coughed, his cheeks turning bright red as he said, “Um, my mom said you could stay here, tonight… if you want.” Aerith smiled back, and replied, “I’d love that.” 

 

Zack’s grin was contagious, and he went to lead her back into the house. Before they got close, Aerith stopped him. “Zack, wait. There’s something I need to tell you.” He turned, looking concerned and nodding. “Umm… Remember when we were in the church, and Amira and I were praying?” He nodded again, and said, “Aerith, you’re scaring me. What is it?” She looked at him then, her eyes pleading for him to understand, as she blurted out, “I’m the bait.”

 

 Zack’s eyes widened, and she continued, blowing out a breath, ‘I’m the bait… to lure out Jenova when it’s time to kill her for good. The Goddess says that only the opportunity to kill a Cetra will be enough to lure it out, and… since Sephiroth knew Amira, and Jenova would have his memories…” She trailed off, and saw the pieces click in Zack’s mind. 

 

“He doesn’t know you, so you have to be the bait.” She nodded, and said, “I’m telling you this because I wanted you to know, so you weren’t caught off guard, and could protect me.” Zack sucked in a deep breath through his nose, obviously upset, but she touched his cheek, making him look her in the eyes, then, and said, “Now, let’s go back inside and spend some time with your parents.” 

 

He nodded, took her hands, kissing the knuckles, and said, “Aerith…I get it, you know? I understand why it has to be you. I don’t like it, but I get it.” He looked her dead in the eye then, “And I’ll be with you every step of the way.” She smiled, then and nudged him toward the house, where his parents were settling in with some tea and shortbread. 

 

Aerith helped herself to a portion, as Zack’s mother indicated that she could stay in the guest room next to Zack’s. Their room was on the other side of the house, behind the kitchen. Oh, thank the Goddess. 

 

An hour or two later, and his mother was yawning. Zack’s father held out his hand to her, and said, “Well, I think that does it for us, kids. Don’t stay up too late, now, y’hear? I did hear that you’re supposed to head out in the morning.” Zack smiled at his dad, and said, “I’ll help you with breakfast in the morning, if you want, Pop.” With that, his dad nodded, smiled, and led Zack’s mother into their room. 

 

Aerith smiled at him, and said, “Hold on a minute.” Zack raised a brow at her, and she motioned for him to follow her. She saw the open door indicating the guest room, and she went in. She bit her lip, hating to do this, but unmade the bed, and mussed the sheets just enough to make it look like someone had slept there. 

 

Then, she turned back to Zack, and said, “Okay. All done. Now, I’d like to see your room, Mr. Fair.” Zack’s jaw slackened in surprise, and she walked over to him, feeling sultry in a way she never had before, standing up on her toes before she planted a kiss on his lips, and whispered, “Pretty please.” 

 

It was like someone flipped a switch. Zack was on her then, grabbing her up and kissing her with passion, their tongues dancing as he held her close to him. He picked her up then, carrying her bridal style to his room, where he sat her back on her feet before closing (and locking, she noticed) the door behind him. 

 

He strode back over to her, then, pulling her back in and kissing her again, his hands undoing her ribbon from her hair as her chestnut waves began to loosen and fall. “Zack…” she whispered against his lips. “Yeah, Aer?” he responded, voice deepened from his arousal, which was obvious the way he was holding her. “I…” she swallowed, and continued, “I love you. I have for years.” 

 

Zack’s eyes were dark, desire shining through as he stared at her, brushing her hair out of her face. “Oh, Aerith…” he groaned out, and then he said, “I love you, too. Since I met you. There was something special about you, and I wanted to hold onto you forever.” She sighed happily, and said, “Zack… love me. Please.” That was all it took for him to be kissing her again, slowly unbuttoning her dress as he placed kisses down her jaw and neck, making her moan as he did so. 

 

She felt like she was on fire, and he was the only cure. She unbuckled his SOLDIER harness, which fell down around his waist, and she pulled his turtleneck over his head, revealing the chiseled chest and abs that he worked so hard to maintain. Her SOLDIER. She undid his belt then, and he stopped her. “Let me do that. Gotta get my boots off, too.” She giggled at him, and proceeded to finish undoing the buttons on her dress, and taking off her own boots before shedding the garment and being left in her underwear before him. 

 

Zack was… wow. He was completely bare, and the most gorgeous man she’d ever seen. She felt that tingle between her legs that told her she wanted him. Desperately. She reached out for him, and he picked her up, making her gasp in surprise as his hands touched her backside, and laid her on his bed, coming to loom over her as he kissed her deeply. 

 

His hands removed her underwear as he did, and soon, his hand was questing… down there. He found her nub, and her head fell back with a moan of pleasure. “Oh, Goddess, Zack… don’t stop.” He chuckled huskily in her ear, and said, “Only if you want me to, babe. You just say the word.” She pulled him closer then, almost making him overbalance, and said, looking into his eyes, “I want you, Zack. All of you. Don’t make me ask again.” 

 

He chuckled, and nodded, a smile in his eyes, before he slid home, her arousal making it easy. They both gasped, groaning in pleasure as they came together, staring into each other’s eyes. Aerith wrapped her arms around his back then, scratching her nails down his back as he began to move. “Aerith…” he moaned out. “Don’t stop, Zack. Don’t ever stop.” 

 

They moved together for a while, the coil of warmth Aerith began to feel in her belly getting tighter, until Zack touched her again, kissing her deeply, and it snapped. She felt pleasure unlike anything she’d ever experienced. She threw her head back, as Zack moaned with her, feeling him finish, too, before she pulled him down into her arms and kissed him deeply. 

 

As they stared into each other’s eyes, he said, “I love you, Aerith. Truly. More than anything.” She nodded, and replied, “I love you, too, Zack. Forever.” The Planet was singing like her soul, as she fell asleep in his arms.

Chapter 31: AMIRA

CHAPTER 29 AMIRA

 

The next morning, Amira got up, stretching as she did so. She looked over at Aerith’s unmade bed, and smiled. She hoped her friends were happy. She opened her PHS, dialing Reno. “What’s the deal, yo?” He answered, and she chuckled. “Nibelheim today, Reno. We need to go to the Manor.” 

 

Reno blew out a breath on the other end, and said, “Well, you’re gettin’ the pleasure of mine and Rude’s company for this one, yo. Ain’t no way I’m lettin’ you waltz up in that horror show without me.” Amira just smiled, and replied, “Of course, Reno. I wouldn’t have it any other way.” She could almost hear the grin on the other end, as he said, “See you in 30, yo!” 

 

She clicked the phone closed, and got up to shower. That done, she dressed, re-attached her sai belts, and put on her jacket and boots. She picked up the bracers, but not before rubbing each thumb down one of the scars on her wrists. She exhaled deeply, and put the bracer and Minerva band on. 

 

She grabbed her pistol from where she’d cleaned it the night before, made sure it was loaded properly, the safety on, and slipped it into the holster on her back under her jacket. She pulled her hair back, and her wispier layers fell into her eyes, but that was fine. It was time to go.

 

She stepped out into the hallway, knocking on the boys’ door, and then Tifa and Yuffie’s. Tifa came out almost immediately, her gloves on and boots laced, stretching her arms gracefully over her head as her spine cracked. “Oooh. That one felt good,” she said, and Amira chuckled at her friend. 

 

“Ready? Reno is 30 minutes out.” Tifa took a deep breath, nodded her head, and faced Amira, wine-red eyes glinting with determination. “As much as I can be. Let’s do this.” Amira knocked on the boys’ door again, and finally, Spikey opened it, looking like someone had stuck his finger in a socket, and groaning out, “What?” in the grumpiest fashion possible. 

 

When Tifa snorted, he opened his eyes wide as he noticed her for the first time. “Umm…Hey. Time to go?” Amira smirked at him, nodding as she looked him up and down. “Very nice abs, Spikey. Thanks for the show.” He blushed hard, and grumbled something about “crazy women” before saying they’d be out in 10, and closing the door. 

 

Amira turned to Tifa, and they fell apart with laughter. “Damn, Teef. You’ve got good taste, my friend,” Amira choked out through her laughter. Tifa just sighed, a bit starry-eyed as she replied, “Yep. Sure do, don’t I?” Amira laughed again, taking her friend’s arm, as they made their way out into the town. 

 

They ran by the bar, which served coffee and pastries in the mornings. Tifa had conned the owner out of his sausage roll recipe, and she planned to use it at the bar whenever they made it back to Midgar. For right now, a photo of it sat in the memory storage of Amira’s PHS. Caffeination goal achieved, they made their way towards the front of town, when they ran into a very satisfied-appearing Aerith and Zack, heads together as she giggled happily. Oh…my… 

 

Amira looked at Tifa knowingly, and she returned it, saying, “Oh they did not…” Amira eyed them, licked her lips, and said, “I think they certainly did.” She glanced at Tifa then, “Fair’s strutting like a peacock. He totally got some.” Tifa started laughing then, and the couple in question turned their attention to them. 

 

Aerith smiled brightly, and said, “Hey guys!” Amira raised a brow at Zack, giving him her ‘Oh, I know what you’ve been up to’ look, and he blushed, ducking his head down as he scratched the back of his neck sheepishly. “Aw, come on, Mira. Please don’t make a scene. I beg of you.” She grinned, and replied, “Well, since you asked so nicely…” She and Tifa then each took one of Aerith’s arms, gave Zack equal leonine grins, and marched in front towards the helipad, him following them as he shook his head. 

 

Amira then turned her head to Aerith. “Sooo… how was it?” Aerith sighed happily, and Tifa giggled. “That good, huh?” Aerith turned her head to the barmaid, a knowing glint in her eye, and replied, “Better than good. It was…” she sighed, and continued, “Amazing.” 

 

She laid her head on Aerith’s shoulder, whispering in her ear, “Good. I’m glad. You deserve happiness, Aer.” She rested her head against Amira’s, replying, “So do you, Mir. Call me crazy, but I have this feeling that you’ll find it again.” Tifa jumped in to agree, “Absolutely. A woman like you is totally going to find a man who appreciates her. You just haven’t found him yet.” 

 

Amira looked around to Tifa, and said, “Now we just need to get Spike to pull his head out of his ass and see what’s right in front of him.” Aerith grinned at Tifa, adding, “Oh, I agree!” Tifa blushed, and replied, “Yeah, we’ll see. I don’t know…” Amira just scoffed, and said, “I mean, I poked at him this morning, but he was blushing because you were there, sister, not me. Just sayin’.” Tifa smiled softly, sighing as she was obviously daydreaming while they walked the rest of the way in silence. 

 

When they arrived at the helipad, Reno was already there, leaning against the chopper, and he grinned brightly, saying, “Well, good morning to you, ladies! May I say how fine the three of you look on this lovely morning?” Amira separated from her friends, walking to him and giving him a big hug, which he returned, before smacking him on the shoulder and saying, “I love you, too, Reno, but you’re such a dope.” 

 

He put his right hand to his heart, as though he’d been shot, and said, “Ouch, Mira. You wound me so.” She just rolled her eyes as Rude sighed from where he stood nearby, and her girlfriends giggled. Tifa, Aerith and Zack hopped in the chopper, and Amira could see the rest of the group following behind, Yuffie looking like she really wasn’t excited about this trip. 

 

Poor girl got airsick. And seasick. Hell, just motion in general did her in. Amira grimaced. Reno raised a brow, and Amira replied, “The skinny one’s a puker.” Reno grimaced back, and said, “Aw, shit, yo. I’ll do what I can to keep ‘er stable then. Don’t fancy cleaning up vomit later.” 

 

He looked at her then, crossing his arms and saying, “Look, Rude and I know what happened. Tseng confessed it to all of us.” Amira’s eyes widened, before Reno continued sheepishly, “Let’s just say that the ol’ boy may or may not have a big shiner courtesy of yours truly.” He bit his lips as he looked at Amira, and she laughed hard. 

 

She then looked at Rude, and asked, “Really?” Rude grunted in the affirmative, before adding, “He got what was comin’ to him. You didn’t deserve that.” Reno then impishly grinned, and added, “Yeah, Cissnei is orienting Elena, and she’s so pissed about the whole thing that she’s hazing the woman a bit.” 

 

When Amira looked surprised, and he held both hands up, saying, “Just a bit. Nothing she can’t handle, yo.” Amira smiled then, feeling tears come to her eyes, as she bear-hugged Reno, who returned it with equal force. “I told ya, I’ve got your back, Boss Lady. Always.” She smiled at him, and replied, “Thanks, Reno.” 

 

She turned to Rude, and added, “Same goes for you, Rude. I’m so glad to have you guys.” Rude just tipped his glasses to her, grunted in acknowledgment, before going back around the chopper to get it started up. As he did, Cloud and the rest of the group were approaching. Reno looked at him funny for a moment, before asking, “Hey, wasn’t he an infantryman before…?” 

 

Amira shushed him, and said, “He doesn’t remember. Zack and I are letting it lie for now. I think…” She waited until the rest were all on board, and pulled Reno close for him to hear as the rotor started up, “I think he’s… following… Sephiroth and Jenova. Like, he’s pulled to follow in their footsteps. Don’t know why, though.” Reno nodded with understanding, “…And that’s why you need whatever the hell’s in the basement at the Manor.” Amira nodded once, “Exactly.” 

 

She hopped into the aircraft, seating herself by Tifa and Nanaki. Yuffie was already lying down in the back of the craft, as that seemed to help with her nausea some. Cloud had bought some ginger candies in the market in Gongaga, and handed them to Yuffie, saying, “Here, seriously, try this. I used to get motion sickness, too.” Yuffie just wordlessly took them with a nod of thanks, and lay back down. 

 

The flight didn’t take long, a couple of hours tops. She had been conversing with Aerith and Tifa, when Cloud startled as he looked out the window. “What the hell?” He sounded shocked, so Amira and Tifa looked out the window nearest them, and Amira was stunned. She remembered it being razed to the ground when Hojo brought her here. 

 

Tifa gasped, tears coming to her eyes, and Amira squeezed her hand. “We’ll figure it out. Don’t worry.” Tifa just nodded, and they waited until Reno touched down just outside the town entrance, shutting down the engine. He and Rude opened the side door, and when Cloud raised a brow at them, Reno just replied, “We’re coming on this little field trip. Deal with it, yo.” 

 

Cloud just sighed, and hopped out of the chopper, the rest following him, and Reno and Rude filed in behind Amira as she exited. She turned back to him, and asked, “Okay, what gives? It looks the same as it did…before… from what Tifa said.” Reno looked sheepish again, and she raised a brow. He replied, “Old Man Shinra didn’t want nobody asking questions about the ‘Great Sephiroth’ losing his marbles. It was containment. We didn’t like doin’ it, but…” He shrugged. “Orders, y’know?” She did know, and respected that he didn’t disobey them, even if he didn’t like them. He was a good Turk. 

 

Tifa had heard what he said, and she nodded, looking grim as she walked into the place of her childhood. It was weird, and felt like people were playacting. Maybe they were. Amira kept moving through the center of town, the rest of the party on her heels, and soon enough, the gates to Shinra Manor appeared. 

 

She stopped, staring at it with some trepidation, startling a bit when a gloved hand came down on her shoulder. Zack. “You okay?” he asked, a knowing look on his face. She nodded, and blew out a deep breath. “Yeah… yeah, I’m okay.” She patted the hand on her shoulder, and smiled at him, before she kept walking into the building that had been a house of horrors for her. 

 

She walked through, seeing the elevator down to the basement off to her left. She walked towards it, Zack and the others trailing behind her, as Reno jogged up to be right there with her. “I gotcha, yo,” he said quietly, and she smiled at him. She pulled her Shinra ID card out of her wallet, and hit the button for access after swiping it. Welcome, Amira Shinra. Executive Access authorized, the happy voice intoned. 

 

Amira shuddered, and the elevator began to descend. As the doors in front of her opened, she remembered this place. She remembered the hallway, being dragged down it by her hair after… she shook her head, taking a deep breath, Reno’s hand on her shoulder grounding her as she kept walking. As she made it to the end of the hallway, the metal doors in front of her slid open, and she saw the doors into the lab on one side, and two large wooden doors studded with bolts to her left. 

 

She took a deep breath. Reno then reminded her, “The guy back here, he’s the one you talked about. The one Hojo kept down here. He’s some kind of “added security” for this place. He has the terminal to get us into the labs. Apparently, the good professor had some kind of AI guarding the place. Booby traps and shit.” 

 

Amira nodded, and motioned for Reno, Zack, and Cloud, along with Cait Sith, to precede her into the room with the wooden doors. It was… sad. And kind of creepy. There were old books on the shelves, a leather armchair in the corner with a lamp, and… a coffin. Okay, that’s a little on the nose with the vampire aesthetic, but I’m not judging…much. Cloud walked right up to the coffin, Zack behind him, and just as he was about to rap on the top, a deep voice came from inside: “Who dares disturb my slumber?” 

 

Before any of them could respond, the lid flew off, almost knocking into Cloud, as a man launched himself into a…rather graceful…backflip out of the coffin, and came to stand on its edge. He was…in a word, stunning. Dark hair surrounding a pale face with soft features that spoke of both Wutaian and Western ancestry, an aquiline nose, and the most striking ruby red eyes. He wore black leather that emphasized every feature of his body, accented with gold armored boots and a gauntlet on his left hand. Over that, he wore a crimson cape that shrouded his torso, and covered half of his face, but Amira had seen it in its entirety when he turned his head. Damn. 

 

The man glanced at the men in front of him, and asked, “Well?” Okay, that voice. She shivered at the sound. Damn, Amira, get it together. Cloud responded, “Doesn’t matter. Who’re you?” The man looked impassively at Cloud, before replying, “Vincent Valentine. I’m…” he made a flamboyant gesture that almost made her snort, “…security.” Um, okay bud. He then asked, “Why are you here? Be brief.” Cait Sith went to answer, and she decided it was her turn to speak up. “I got this, guys.” The others stepped aside as she moved forward, staring at Valentine as his eyes locked on her… and widened. “Lucrecia?”

Chapter 32: VINCENT

CHAPTER 30 VINCENT

 

Voices. He heard them talking just outside the room. He knew it was a matter of time before they bothered him. They always did. He sighed, and waited for the inevitable. There’s two of them right above us, Vince. The Galian Beast was at the forefront, sniffing them out. “Who dares disturb my slumber?” 

 

He flipped out of the coffin, standing on the edge, and trying to look intimidating so they’d just leave him alone faster. Then the blond shithead had to go and respond, “Doesn’t matter, who’re you?” Why the little… Galian was seething, wanting to show the little punk who was boss. Don’t forget, he’s a SOLDIER, Vincent reminded his demon, which made Galian simmer down a bit, not wanting to get into it with a guy who’d been enhanced by mako. 

 

He introduced himself, and then asked, “Why are you here? Be brief.” The robot…cat… thing… spoke up, and was interrupted by a voice that reminded Vincent of someone from ages past. Not… exactly the same, but then… she stepped forward. “I got this guys,” she said, and he couldn’t help but stare. “Lucrecia?” 

 

The woman looked… wait. Not quite. She looked similar, but there were enough quirks to distinguish her from the woman he’d once loved. As he said the name, knowing she wasn’t, but feeling confused, she got a saddened smile on her face. One laced with pity. Damn. She replied softly, “No, but… I understand why you’d think so. Hojo spoke of the resemblance I bore to her often enough when I was in his…care.” 

 

She spat out the last word like it was a curse, and Vincent’s eyes widened, understanding suddenly. This woman… she had been a victim of the good professor, too. Like him. She… she understood. He could see it in her honey-brown eyes that looked at him with… compassion, not pity. She then sighed, and her hands went to her hips. 

 

“My name is Amira Shinra. I’m Rupert Shinra’s daughter, and, since his death, my brother and I are now co-Presidents of the Shinra Electric Power Company.” She smirked a little, cocking a hip as she crossed her arms over her chest, and he began to wonder how anyone could confuse this woman with Lucrecia Crescent. She was more beautiful than Lucrecia had ever dreamed of being, and part of that was her attitude. She had fire — he liked it. He chuckled a bit, his voice a bit rusty from disuse. 

 

A female President? Interesting. She continued, “I need your terminal so I can deactivate the AI caretaker for this place.” He grunted, and went to retrieve it. He held it up for her, saying, “Keycard.” She looked at him with a brow raised, which he returned, and she tapped it with her finger, saying, “Power’s not on.” She sighed, and gestured for him to hand it to her, which he did, still watching her as she tapped some buttons, turning it on and handing it back to him. 

 

She took a keycard out of her pocket then, and swiped it. The credentials popped up… Professor Hojo. How in…? He looked up at her with shock lining his features, and saw a feline grin cross her face. Then, she spoke up, her tone cheeky, but with a deep sense of predatory satisfaction that was reflected in her eyes, “If you want to know how his keycard came to be in my possession, I’ll be more than happy to tell you all the… gory details… later, but right now, I have work to do.” 

 

And with that, she turned on her heel and exited the room. Amira Shinra… he was intrigued. Now that’s a fine piece of female, Galian had to add. Vincent internally groaned. Not that he disagreed. She was beautiful, intelligent, compassionate, powerful — a heady combination. As the rest of the group exited the room, he silently followed. 

Chapter 33: AMIRA

Summary:

TRIGGER WARNING FOR ATTEMPTED SUICIDE

CHAPTER 31 AMIRA

 

She’d scanned the keycard Tseng had given her when she’d told him in Midgar that she would be going to Nibelheim at some point. Hojo’s — it would give her access even to the places that only he could reach. The look on Valentine’s face as he recognized the credentials was…satisfying. She got the impression that not much shocked him, and she had. It was tantalizing. 

 

Reno was right behind her, and she said quietly, “Find his file. I want to know what we know about him.” Reno raised an eyebrow at her, but nodded once. She then took in the room’s layout now that Hojo’s card had been activated. There was a big gaping hole in the floor that blocked access to the lab door. A problem for most people, but not her. She had a SOLDIER with enhanced strength accompanying her. 

 

“Hey, Fair,” she called over to him, and he raised an eyebrow with a “Hmm?” She chuckled, gesturing at the hole, and the access panel on the other side of it. “Give me a boost?” He looked at it, arms crossed, and then replied, “Ohhh…Sure thing, Boss Lady.” 

 

He walked over near to the hole, judging the distance of how far he had to push so she’d clear the gap. He nodded once, and turned back to her, “Ready?” She nodded, and he crossed his arms, lowering himself as she stepped up on his arms, before he used his strength to toss her over the gap.

 

She landed on both feet just shy of the edge of the hole. She eyed it with a raised brow, before looking up at Zack. “Cutting it a little bit close, there, don’t ya think?” She stated blandly, and he grinned while he shrugged. “You made it, didn’t ya?” 

 

She rolled her eyes, walking over to the panel and scanning her hand for executive override access to get the door open. Executive override authorized. Welcome, President Shinra. Oh, Goddess, it had Hojo’s nasally voice, and she shuddered a bit, before straightening her back, and walking into the lab. 

 

There was a large computer in front of her, and several tubes of mako nearby. Goddess. The books were gone, but she hoped that the hard drive here would have what she needed. It was all that was left, and Hojo would have kept all of his Project S files. She scanned Hojo’s access card again, and downloaded all the files onto the hard drive, before turning off the machine and removing the drive itself, holding it up as she exited the room. “Got it,” she called out. 

 

Before she could contemplate how she was going to get back across, a red-cloaked figure landed gracefully in front of her. Vincent. He tilted his head, looking at her carefully, before asking quietly, a half-smile on his face, “Need a lift?” Oh, she liked him already. Damn. Attraction was one thing, but he had a sense of humor. She was so done for. 

 

She mustered up a grin, and said, “If you’re offering, good sir.” He chuckled deeply, and she shivered. He walked forward, whisking her up and saying, “Put your arms around my neck.” Okay, O gorgeous one, if you insist. She did, and it felt like electricity surging through her skin at his touch. He felt the same sensation, if the way he pulled back with shock to look at her said anything. She snuggled her face into his neck then, and picked up on his scent — amber, gun oil, and leather. Damn. She had a type. She had a type, and Vincent ticked all the boxes. Shit. He grunted softly as he jumped across the gap, making it look easy even while holding her. 

 

Once on the other side, she said softly by his ear, “Okay, you can put me down, now.” He shivered a little as well, she noticed. Hmmm. So, she affected him just as much as he affected her. Good to know. She took the opportunity to slide out of his arms, touching his body as she did so. Another small shiver from the man. This had some promise, and she’d enjoy poking his shell a little bit to see the man underneath the intimidating guise. 

 

She looked at him, and asked, “So, Vincent. We could always use another gun. Care to join the party?” He raised a brow, and she said, “We’re hunting Sephiroth. He’s…” She sighed, and continued, her tone a little watery, “He’s an old friend who lost his mind, and is now serving an alien parasite that wants to destroy the Planet. My friend Aerith and I are the last two living Cetra, and we’re the only ones who can stop them.” 

 

She watched as he raised a brow, before nodding once, and replying, “I have unfinished business where Sephiroth is concerned.” She nodded. She thought that might be the case. “Well come along, then.” She then turned, and the party gathered onto the elevator to head back up into the manor proper. 

 

When they arrived, Amira had the sudden need to see it. To see her prison. She turned to Reno, who was still over her right shoulder, and said, “I need to see something.” He grimaced, but nodded, and said softly, “Lead the way, yo.” 

 

Oddly enough, Vincent had slowly moved up among the group, and was now standing just behind Zack, at her back left. She made a motion for the group to stay back, and the four of them walked slowly up the stairs as the others waited near the door. 

 

She counted each step as she climbed, trying to keep her breathing even, before she made her way down the hall. The door was still broken. She stepped over the threshold and was thrown back into a memory at the sight of the still-broken mirror… and the dried blood. 

 

Hojo had been clear, he was done with her fighting him, and he’d make her suffer for it. After all, her fate was in his hands, he’d cackled. Everyone thought she was dead, and no one was coming for her. She’d sent the letter with the infantryman two weeks before, and nothing. They should have gotten it by now. Hell, they should have been here by now. Maybe he was right. Maybe no one was coming for her after all. 

 

She paced in her room, the locked door mocking her. She walked to stare in the mirror in front of her. She was pale, thin, starving. Hojo had given her enough food to maintain her life, but not her health. She was tired. She knew that he was going to do something horrible to her. Something to make her wish she was dead, if not kill her outright. The desperation overtook the fear, and she made the call. 

 

She’d take the decision out of his hands. It was her life, she’d end it how she chose. She looked around the room, and at the shower and bathtub just across the open doorway next to her. She took a breath, knocked on the door, and told the guard that she was going to take a shower, and he’d acknowledged it. She heard him step away from the door, talking about getting dinner while the ‘Princess’ showered. The door was locked, anyway, What was she going to do? Break it down? Unlikely. 

 

Now was her chance if she was going to escape him. And she would escape him, one way or another. She walked into the bathroom, turning the water on in the tub and hitting the diverter to change it to the shower. She opened the curtain, to make it easier. Then, she walked back to the mirror, and, using a towel to muffle the sound, broke the glass of the mirror. Shards fell everywhere as she put the towel down. 

 

There was one large jagged one. She took a deep breath, praying that Tseng would forgive her, that Rufus and the others would forgive her, and she sliced open both of her wrists, blood flowing onto the floor in pools around her as she slowly made her way into the bathroom. She crawled into the tub, lying down against the back of it as she relaxed. She settled in, watching as her blood, her life, ran down the drain. 

 

She got weaker… and weaker… and it became a chore to open her eyes. But then… just as everything almost faded to black, the door burst open, and the guard came running into the room, shouting, “Damnation, get the professor. She’s gonna die if we don’t do something NOW.” 

 

Then he was grabbing her up, carrying her down the stairs, and then the elevator with an override. As they reached the lab, she heard the voice of Hojo in her ear, saying with malicious glee, “Foolish girl. Now, you’ll never escape me. And I’ll make you wish you had before it’s over.” Everything faded to black after that. 

 

She gasped as a hand touched her shoulder, and she looked up to see the gauntleted left hand of Vincent Valentine on her left shoulder, him standing behind her as those eyes peered at her over her right shoulder. “I’m here,” he murmured to her, and she turned in his arms, as he soothed her while she broke down crying. He held her close to him, as he whispered in her ear that he understood her pain, understood her suffering. 

 

She was able to slow down her breathing, looking up into his face, and seeing that understanding there. She cleared her throat, and said, “It’s my blood on the floor. I broke the mirror. It’s my blood in the tub in there.” Vincent’s eyes hardened, and he understood what she was trying to say without saying it. He touched her face, then, and said, “I think anyone who has known the good professor longer than half an hour would understand your desperation to escape him.” She nodded, and then heard a throat clear from behind Vincent. 

 

She heard a soft gasp, and as she peeked around Vincent’s shoulder, she saw the solemn faces and sad eyes of Reno and Zack behind them. Reno spoke up then, “Shit, Mira. I… I saw the scars, but… I never thought…” He broke off, unable to complete the thought. She left Vincent’s hold and went to Reno. She held her friend as they cried in each others’ arms, and she watched him come to the realization of just how close they’d been to losing her. 

 

“It’s okay, Reno. I’m here. I’m here, and he’s dead. He can’t hurt me, or anyone else ever again.” Reno got himself under control after a moment, cleared his throat again as he wiped his eyes, and said, “Yeah. Yeah, I know. But it doesn’t make me feel any less like a failure, Mira.” She stared him in the face then. “You’re not a failure, Reno. You, Tseng, and Rude saved me.” 

 

Reno then looked her in the eyes, his own hard, as he asked, “Does he know? Does he know how close it was?” She sighed, and nodded. Reno was incredulous. “And still… he…?” He blew out a breath, and said angrily, “Imma give ‘im another shiner to match the other one, I swear it.” She chuckled then, and said, “The Director of the Turks needs to be able to see to do his job, Reno.” 

 

She heard Vincent’s intake of breath behind her, and she turned to him, acknowledging that she heard him wordlessly, before turning back to Reno. “I think we’re done here, Reno.” He nodded, and moved to the side as she swept past him, almost gliding down the stairs. 

 

Aerith looked worried, but didn’t say anything, just held her arms open for a hug, which Amira took without words. Tifa was there, then, too, and the three of them just held on to each other for a moment. Amira then sighed, and they let go. 

 

She walked out the door, and turned back to Reno and Rude. “I have something for the two of you, if you feel the need to blow things up.” Reno’s grin was infectious, and she turned to Vincent, asking, “Did you leave anything down there that you want to keep?” 

 

He cocked his head questioningly, but saying softly, “No. No, everything I own, I have with me.” She nodded, and then turned back to Reno. “Burn it.” She watched as the satisfaction lit his eyes, and Vincent’s as well, before she turned and walked away. 

Chapter 34: VINCENT

CHAPTER 32 VINCENT

 

The helicopter that was taking them to Rocket Town was a bit… crowded. The Turks were dropping them here, before heading back to Midgar, and Amira had decided that she was going to speak to a pilot who lived there, one Cid Highwind. She was having an airship brought in from Junon — which apparently was his, and had been appropriated by her father — and was going to give it back to him, with the stipulation that he be the one to pilot it for her. 

 

Personally, that seemed like a good deal for a man who loved the skies, so Vincent had no idea why the man would ever say no. Amira was… persuasive. She’d gotten him out of the basement with ease, after all. Watching her as she took in the room that had almost seen her end, Vincent felt… a kinship with her. Something he knew no one else living could truly understand. 

 

Well, maybe the SOLDIER in the group, Zack Fair. He’d also been a prisoner of Hojo’s, and he and Amira appeared to be quite close. But… it was something else entirely to have the man taunt you the way he did her… they way he had him. 

 

Hojo was dead. The news rattled Vincent, and at the same time, he rejoiced in the fact that the man had been beaten at his own game. He couldn’t wait to hear the story from her lips, and would relish every second of it. You wouldn’t just relish the story, Vince. You wanna relish her lips, too. Trust Galian to take something and make it sound tawdry. Quiet, you, he admonished the demon. 

 

Of course, then Chaos had to butt in. He makes a valid point, Vince. The Shinra woman… understands us, in a way no one else ever has. Not even Lucrecia. He hummed to himself. Good point. The demon seemed pleased at the acknowledgement, and slithered back into his place within Vincent’s psyche. 

 

Soon enough, they’d landed, and everyone was departing the craft. The red-headed Turk, Reno, hopped out, giving Amira another hug and saying something in her ear that not even his advanced hearing could pick up, before she laughed, and he smiled at her, hopping back into the pilot’s seat and waving. Were they…? Not that it was his business, but he was curious. 

 

He followed along as Amira walked towards what apparently was the pilot’s home. She walked up the steps, rapping on the door, and waited. Then, Vincent heard it. A rasping voice that almost grated on the ears replied, “Yeahh? The hell you want?” Amira simply sighed, and responded, “My name is Amira Shinra, Co-President of the Shinra Electric Power Company. I’m here with an offer for Cid Highwind.” All of a sudden, the door wrenched open, and a man in a blue pilot’s jacket with goggles on his head and a cigarette hanging from his lips stood in the doorway. 

 

He looked her up and down, before saying, “All right. Say I buy that. What’s the offer?” She chuckled, and said, “We’re having to rebuild our Board of Directors after they were found to have… colluded to kill my father. Rufus and I are looking for people who will be loyal to us, as well as good at their jobs. I don’t need a sycophant. I need someone who can get the job done if I ask him or her to do so.” 

 

Highwind stared at her for a moment through narrowed eyes, before saying, “That sounds well and good, but I’m still waiting for the part where you need me.” Amira laughed then, and said, “Mr. Highwind, I’d like to offer you the post of Director of the Department of Aerospace. Perhaps we may even be able to get that rocket of yours back in the air in a few years once the dust has settled.” He stared at her for a moment, the cigarette falling from his mouth, and he stomped on it before it became a problem. 

 

“Damn. I… wow. I’m not a bigwig, but…” She tilted her head at him, then, and said, “No, but you are a damn fine pilot and engineer. From one engineer to another, I think you’re the right man for the job.” Highwind gawked for a moment, saying, “Well. I mean, I’d have to be dumb as fuck to turn ya down.” He then looked like he’d made a connection in his brain, and continued, “Wait a minute. Thas’ right. You are an engineer from what I hear. You’re workin’ to convert all the mako reactors except Corel to hydroelectric. Junon is the test site. How’s that goin’, by the way?” 

 

Amira grinned widely, and Vincent watched in awe as she and Highwind began to chatter away in a jargon-filled conversation that he had no hope of understanding, or following, for that matter. Fair chuckled next to him, and he turned to the man, who smirked, and said, “Engineer-speak. I think he just realized that Boss Lady speaks his language fluently.” Vincent chuckled at the way Fair described it. It really did sound like a foreign language. 

 

He turned back to Fair, then, and asked, “What’s this I heard about her and the Director of the Turks?” Fair turned, a brow raised, and said, “Oh. That. Yeah, Tseng, the Director of the Turks, was engaged to Amira for the last few years, if you include the time that she was imprisoned by Hojo. Recently, she left him — gave his ring back, too — when she found out he was cheating on her with one of his subordinates.” 

 

Vincent was… stunned, to say the least. That a man would be unfaithful to someone like her… “He’s a fool.” Zack huffed out a laugh, and replied, “Yep. I think everyone in this group would agree with that. There’s a reason Reno punched him, apparently.” The SOLDIER thought about that for a minute, a smile coming to his face, before he continued, “Gah, I’d love to see a picture of that. Maybe a call to Cissnei is in order.” 

 

He then looked at Vincent, “She’s another one of the Turks, and one of Mira’s best friends. She’s royally pissed at her boss for doin’ what he did. And, she’s been orienting his affair partner, so…” Vincent grimaced, then. Ouch. That woman sounded like she was in for a world of pain. Play stupid games, win stupid prizes, he heard Chaos mutter in the back of his head. He couldn’t agree more. 

 

He then turned back to Fair, and asked, “And… Amira? As her friend, would you have any advice on…wooing her?” There was a pregnant pause, and then Fair was cackling loudly, tears streaming down his face. Vincent immediately regretted the question, as Chaos groaned and asked, Seriously, Vince? Woo her? He could almost see the demon face-palm in his head. 

 

Fair then clapped Vincent on the back, getting himself under control as he said, “Whoo boy! I am not touching that subject with a ten-foot pole! You are so on your own, there, buddy.” And with that, he was quickly walking in the opposite direction, a pink-clad girl taking his arm as they headed for the hotel, where the rest of the group had gone to book rooms for the night. He sighed. 

Chapter 35: AMIRA

CHAPTER 33 AMIRA

 

On their second day in Rocket Town, as they awaited the arrival of the Highwind airship (Cid had been so incredibly excited to get his airship back that he’d taken her offer without too much fuss), Yuffie approached her solemnly. “Amira… I… uh, I’ve gotten word from Pops. He found out about my uh… mission.” Amira raised a brow from where she was sitting on the inn patio, drinking her coffee. She motioned for Yuffie to sit with her, and the young ninja did, looking wildly uncomfortable as she did so. 

 

“And?” she asked. Yuffie sighed, and said, “Heads. Spikes. Walls.” Amira just replied with a hum of understanding as she sipped her coffee. She couldn’t blame Godo. Whoever had ordered the attack on Rufus had put his daughter and heiress at risk. Yuffie then coughed, and Amira tilted her head in acknowledgment. The girl then said, “Pops… he wants to meet with you. He wants me to bring you to Wutai… to… discuss terms.” 

 

Amira nodded, there had been a ceasefire in place between Shinra and Wutai for a while, but no true terms of peace. Maybe… that could perhaps be a great achievement. She could at least get word to Rufus, and have him make the arrangements. “Yuffie, I’m not the diplomat. Rufus is.” Yuffie sighed, “…and I almost went after him. Damn, I’m a moron.” Amira sighed, sitting her coffee down and taking the girl’s hand. 

 

“I get it. You’re trying to protect your home however you can. But, you have to remember, you’re sixteen, and without the benefit of the experience behind the negotiating table.” Yuffie sighed, and said, “I really want to learn. I’m gonna have to take over from Pops when he croaks, and I don’t want to be taken advantage of.” 

 

Amira nodded, then, and looked the girl in the face. “Then watch, and pay attention. I learned early how to allow myself to be underestimated, but then… that’s when you strike. Men… they’ll show you their soft underbelly if you play the part right. Then… you know what they want, and you offer it to them, within reason of course, and with terms of your own to make it something they won’t be able to refuse.” 

 

Yuffie looked interested then, and asked, “Do I have to be a floozy?” Amira laughed, then, and said, “Absolutely not. You just learn to smile and pretend to be dumber than you are. I learned that not saying much is something men can’t stand in a negotiation. So, you let them think that they’re winning, that they know more than you. Then, turn the tables.” Yuffie’s eyes sparkled, and she said, “Okay. I’ll watch you, then. Teach me, sensei.” Amira laughed, and began their first lesson.

 

Later, after the little ninja had bounced away, likely to go bother Cloud, which was her favorite pastime, she was speaking to Rufus on the PHS to discuss the opportunity Yuffie had presented her with Wutai. “Really?” Rufus sounded interested. Amira hummed, and her brother asked, “And you’re sure it’s not a trick or a trap?” She thought for a moment, and replied, “As sure as I can be. Yuffie just sucks at lying, to be frank. I don’t doubt that there’s a slight ulterior motive, but I don’t think it’s anything that nefarious.” As she finished her sentence, she looked up as Vincent Valentine himself came over to her table, crimson cloak suspiciously absent, and motioned to the empty chair, as if to ask if anyone were sitting there. She shook her head, and gestured with her hand for him to take it.

 

He ordered a black coffee, and sat, carnelian eyes watching her as she continued her conversation with Rufus. He nodded, and sat back to drink his coffee in silence. Rufus replied then, “Ah, I see. Well, if you can at least get our foot in the door with Godo, I’ll set up a time to travel there myself to continue negotiations after you leave to continue on your journey.” 

 

Amira continued to watch Vincent, who was watching her back with some amusement in his eyes, as she said, “Yeah. I’ll do what I can. You know me, I’m good at getting people to do what I want.” Rufus laughed on the other end, and replied, “That you are, little sister. That you are. Take care. I’ll be in touch.” She hummed, and clicked the phone closed, eyes still on Vincent as she raised a brow at him. 

 

He spoke then, a soft chuckle coming from him before he said, “Your brother?” She nodded, and replied, “Yuffie says her father wants a meet. In Wutai.” She looked at him consideringly, and said, “I read your file, Vincent. I know you were a Turk once.” He nodded in acknowledgement, and she continued, “What’s your take? I could use an outside opinion.” 

 

He hummed, smiling a bit as he sipped his coffee, and replied, “A meeting in Wutai with the Emperor himself? That’s an opportunity he knows Shinra won’t be able to pass up.” He paused, and continued, “I would cautiously accept the meeting. After all, you have two SOLDIERs, myself, and a host of others to protect you — even against members of the Crescent Unit, we would be able to get away, though it could come at a cost.” 

 

He paused, and continued, “I think that, since the offer came through his daughter, he means to treat it as an opportunity for peace. After all, you are not your father, and he knows you have kept his daughter safe from harm. And she is special — his White Rose.” It was the most she’d heard Vincent say since he came out of the coffin. 

 

But, it was an informed perspective, so she nodded, and hummed in agreement. They sat for a while, a calm silence forming that wasn’t awkward at all, just… peaceful. Amira wasn’t used to this, anymore. The only other person who she’d been able to sit this way with… was Tseng. It was nice. She smiled, as she listened to the birds singing in the trees. “Vincent?” She asked, and he hummed an acknowledgment to tell her he was listening. “Thank you. For this… and for Nibelheim.” Her eyes met his, then, and he nodded, before going back to his coffee. 

 

About thirty minutes later, Cloud came stomping onto the patio, “Mira, can you please make her stop? She’s driving me absolutely batshit crazy.” She chuckled at Cloud’s obvious exasperation, and asked, “It wouldn’t be a certain ninja bothering you, would it?” Vincent chuckled softly, and Cloud sighed tiredly. 

 

“Yes,” he said petulantly, and Amira nodded, and called out, “Yuffie, quit pestering Cloud.” She heard the “Yeah, yeah,” come from around the bend, and knew that the ninja had been lying in wait. She raised a brow at Cloud, and said, “I think she has a crush, Spikey.” Cloud looked horrified, and said, “But… she’s a kid!” Amira smirked and said, “Your age gap is not really different from mine and Tseng’s.” 

 

Cloud glowered at her, and she laughed softly, adding, “But no, I get it. You’ve only got eyes for Ti-fa,” she singsonged the woman’s name, and Cloud turned bright red. “Umm… how’d you know?” Vincent snorted then, and Cloud turned to him, brow raised. Vincent responded, “I’ve been around you all of a week, Strife, and even I have noticed. I may have spent the last 30 years mostly alone and sleeping in a coffin, but even I know what a besotted person looks like.” 

 

Cloud sighed again, head down, hands on his hips, and Amira stood up then, coming over to him and patting him on the shoulder. “If it helps, she likes you just as much. But… you gotta make a move, Spike. She thinks you don’t like her the way she likes you. And she does…a lot.” Cloud’s eyes widened then, a hope entering them that made him look years younger. He smiled, then, and said, “Thanks, Amira. I’ll keep that in mind.” With that, he wandered away. 

 

That afternoon, she got word that the Highwind was on approach, and she gathered the group, Cid included, in the outskirts of town as the large airship came in for a landing. Tifa and Aerith, especially, were fascinated, as they’d never seen a ship like this one. Cid smiled broadly, his hand shading his eyes as he watched the ship come in. 

 

Amira walked up behind him, and he turned to her, saying, “Madam President, I jus’ wanna thank ya for this opportunity. I never thought too highly of you Shinra folks, but… yer different. Yer an engineer like me! Ye get what makes us tick. So… thanks!” She nodded, patting him on the shoulder, as she said, “First stop is Wutai, Captain.” He grinned, and said, “Can do, ma’am,” as he boarded the ship, vociferously taking over from the current crew, and, if she wasn’t mistaken, whipping them into shape as he did so. 

 

After several days on board, they arrived in the Vermilion City of Wutai. She’d spent most of her time on the phone with Reeve, discussing the progress in Junon. The rest…she’d spent standing on the deck. Often, Vincent would join her, and half the time they would just stand there in comfortable silence, his right hand atop her left as they watched the world go by. If they talked, it was often small talk - what she’d been working on, what the others were up to, and other things. Now, she again stood out on the deck of the airship, watching as they approached the city. 

 

She heard someone clear their throat, and her pink-clad friend appeared at her side, green eyes shining with satisfaction and happiness. She raised a brow, and Aerith giggled, before replying, “Zack has been… very demonstrative since Gongaga.” Ah. “And that’s all I need to know, dear,” Amira replied with a chuckle. 

 

Aerith nodded, and said, “I never thought I’d have that with him. When he was missing, I…” Aerith sighed, and then said, “But I do. And I’m so grateful.” She looked over at Amira, then, and said, “He knows.” When Amira raised a brow at her, Aerith continued, “He knows about our plan. That I’m the bait.” Amira was a bit surprised. “Oh? And how did he take that?” Aerith sighed, “Not well, but he understood. He says he’ll protect me no matter what.” Amira wrapped her arm around Aerith, then, and they rested their heads together as she said, “I know he will. Zack loves you. He won’t risk you.” 

 

She paused, and then continued, “He’s probably going to be a barnacle on your ass until this mission is over.” Aerith laughed softly, then, nodding. “And… what about you? Don’t think I haven’t seen a certain new addition to our party watching you with avid interest.” Amira huffed out a laugh, “Vincent, you mean?” When Aerith hummed in confirmation, Amira replied, “Oh, I’ve noticed. I think I catch myself staring at him just as often. He’s…” She huffed, “I have a type, Aerith. I never thought I would say that, but, I do.” 

 

Aerith giggled then, “Tall, dark, and broody?” Amira laughed, “Yep. You got it.” Aerith giggled again, and said, “Remember what I said as we were leaving Gongaga?” Amira nodded, and Aerith continued, “I think he might be your person. He… gets you. He understands what you’ve been through, and I think that counts for something. Tseng, well, he just didn’t get it. He has never known suffering like that. Vincent does and has.” Amira smiled, then, and replied, “Duly noted, friend.” They stood like that until the ship landed outside the city. 

 

Yuffie took the lead as they entered the city, the whispers of the locals following them as Amira followed her through the streets. As she looked around, she saw the telltale red buildings, a river flowing through the city, and cherry trees blossoming throughout. It was picturesque. She sighed. Yuffie brought them up to a large pagoda, and then held up a finger for them to wait, as she went inside. 

 

Zack and Cloud stood at either shoulder, and Zack nodded when she looked at him as if to ask, “Ready?” Good. So was she. Only a few minutes later, Yuffie returned, and smiled, as she said, “Madam President Shinra, I, Princess Yuffie, welcome you to Wutai on behalf of my father, Emperor Godo. The Emperor is expecting you. Please, follow me.” Amira smiled at the girl as she walked up the steps to follow. 

 

Yuffie looked proud of herself, the attendants behind her smiling as they took in the mature way that the Princess had held herself in greeting them. Amira was proud of her. As they moved into a large audience chamber, Amira noted the small man sitting on a large dragon throne. Godo, obviously. There were two men flanking him, both advisors, and one she recognized as the father of a friend from school. Huh. That man smiled at her softly once he recognized her. 

 

She walked forward, putting up a hand for no one else to follow, and they stayed back as she walked up to Godo, bowing with respect the way Yuffie had showed her. As she came up from the bow, she saw a small glimmer of respect in the man’s eye as he bowed his own head to her. “Welcome, President Shinra, to Wutai.” 

 

She inclined her head, and replied, “I thank you for the welcome, Emperor, and look forward to our discussions regarding a mutually beneficial future between Shinra and Wutai.” He nodded, and motioned for Yuffie. “My Yuffie will show you to rooms. We will take your garments to be cleaned, and provide you with the utmost hospitality while you are our guests, as a thank you for watching after my daughter.” 

 

He looked at her gravely, then. “I must say, we have dealt with those who would have sent my daughter to her doom in trying to harm your brother.” She nodded, and replied, “Yuffie informed me of that development. Rufus is most interested in meeting with you after I do.” Godo chuckled then, and said, “I see. I have heard the names they call the two of you. The Silk Glove and the Iron Fist of Shinra?” 

 

She nodded, and he continued, “I understand you are the latter, and I respect that. My late wife would have liked you, I believe.” She smiled, then, and said, “I speak for the rest of my party, Emperor, when I say that we appreciate the welcome you have given us. Your home is beautiful. Shall we meet tomorrow to begin discussions?” He nodded, and Yuffie then spoke, “Please, follow me, everybody!” 

 

Her rooms were lavish by Wutaian standards — a large tatami mat and table with floor cushions and a tea set in one room, a desk in the back corner with its chair, and a bedroom with a bathroom suite behind a sliding reeded door. The bed was low to the ground, and covered in soft, fluffy white cotton linens and black accents. 

 

The bathroom was black stone, a large bathing tub big enough for two people inside, the spout made in the image of Leviathan. This was, very likely, the nicest guest quarters they had, and she appreciated the level of honor they were showing her. A knock sounded at the door, and a woman appeared to take her belongings to be cleaned. 

 

She had already laid them out, and was now wearing a crimson silk robe embroidered with dragons over a black silk shirt and linen pants that flowed when she walked, as well as the typical Wutaian sandals. The woman bowed, taking her clothes. Amira had not relinquished her bracers in a very long time, but they needed to be cleaned, so she allowed those to be taken as well, her Minerva band and materia stashed in her drawer with her sai blades and her gun. 

 

She decided to take a walk, and meandered through the gardens of the palace as the sun began to set, coming to a stop on a red bridge overlooking a babbling brook, the banks lined by cherry trees. She sighed a little, remembering how Tseng had always vowed he would bring her here someday. And here she was… alone. 

 

She’d told everyone to enjoy themselves tonight while they had some time, so she didn’t anticipate what came next. As she stood there, the wind blowing her hair as she contemplated her life, She heard a deep voice behind her, “Might I join you?” She turned her head, then, seeing Vincent standing there a few feet away from her, his usual garb discarded in favor of a black silk outfit like hers, complete with a robe, and a silk bandana keeping his hair pushed out of his eyes. Eyes that were on her, a kind expression in them. His gauntlet was gone as well, she noted, and both his hands were free. 

 

She nodded, and he walked to stand next to her on the bridge, like he would on the airship. They stood there quietly for a moment, staring at the view, and he sighed. “What do you know of my story?” He asked her, and she turned to look at him, replying, “Only what’s in your official file. That you were a Turk, assigned to Project S to guard the scientists. But…” she looked away then, and he touched her face, turning her back to face him softly, as he said, “But… you know more than that, don’t you?” She nodded, and replied, “Hojo used to say that he ‘kept you as a punishment for reaching too high.’” Vincent grunted then, turning away for a moment, and she put her hand on his chest, leading him to turn back to her. 

 

“You fell in love with her, didn’t you? With Lucrecia… his wife. Seph’s mother.” Vincent nodded once, and looked ashamed. She smiled at him, then, and said, “Hey, it’s nothing to be ashamed of. The heart wants what it wants, I think. Doesn’t mean it doesn’t suck any less when you’re the one who gets spurned.” He chuckled lowly, nodding, and replied, “I find that I am fascinated by you.” 

 

He was quick to add, “And not because you even remotely look like her. After even a few moments in your company, I realized how different you are from her.” He stroked his fingers down her cheek, as he continued, “Lucrecia was meek, timid, willing to sacrifice her morals to get recognition. You are not — you are brave, aware of the power you hold… but, you have good intent in your actions, and care for those you consider friends and loved ones. Your actions benefit everyone, not just you.” 

 

He sighed, then. “I want nothing more than to be near to you. I am…” His pale complexion did nothing to hide the light blush that dusted his cheeks. She returned the gesture, brushing her fingers down his right cheek, and he closed his eyes, turning into her touch. She then said softly, “I’m fascinated by you, too, Vincent. I…” His eyes opened then, and he took her face in his hands, before saying, voice deep with longing, “Stop me if you don’t feel this, too.” 

 

She replied, staring into his eyes, “I don’t want to,” and he placed a soft, chaste kiss on her lips. Their lips brushed against one another, and then, he deepened the kiss, his tongue brushing against hers as she moaned softly. She pulled him closer, and he held her in his arms as they continued to share deep kisses that spoke more than any words could of the regard they held for each other. 

 

He pulled back, after a while, and held her hands, rubbing his fingers down the scars on her wrists. He had seen the carnage in that room in the Manor, and knew that the blood was hers. He placed a soft kiss to each of her wrists, and she felts tears spring to her eyes. Suddenly, she felt drops of rain fall on her face. He beckoned for her to come with him, then, and she followed him like a moth to the flame. 

 

He returned… to her quarters, actually. She opened the door, and he followed her inside, murmuring, “No one will bother us, here.” He had been assigned to a room with Nanaki and Cloud, so that made sense. The rain began to pour outside, and she lit a couple of candles on the dresser, before turning back to Vincent. He slid the robe off his shoulders, unbuttoning his silk shirt, before opening it — and she saw the scars on his chest…bullet scars, just over his heart.

 

“Sweet Goddess,” she whispered, and she strode over to him before he could cover back up, her fingers stroking over the puckered tissue as he shivered, and not from the cold. She then looked into his eyes as she leaned forward and placed kisses to his chest on each of the bullet wounds, before returning to his lips with a sigh. 

 

“I…” he started, gulping before he continued, “I wanted to show you that I understood about the scars. I know that you keep them covered because you feel others will think less of you. But… I think you’re beautiful, not just despite them, but because of them.” She smiled at him then, and a tear slid down her cheek. 

 

She closed her eyes as he wiped the tear. He led her to the bed, then, and she dug her feet in. “Vincent… I… I’m not ready for… not yet.” He smiled, then, and said, “That’s fine. Just lie here with me.” He laid down on the bed over top of the linens, his arms opening to her as she crawled over to him and laid down in the curve of his neck and shoulder, stroking her hands over his scars. 

 

He began to tell her what had happened to him — how he’d fallen for Lucrecia, found out she was married, and to whom she was married. How he had vowed not to interfere in the Project, but then she developed… complications, and he confronted Hojo, which resulted in the bullet wounds she saw. He had been near death, and Lucrecia had saved his life by merging him with Chaos, though Hojo had added the others later. He still didn’t know how she did it, but he had stopped aging as a result. He had been 27 when that happened, and it had been thirty years. 

 

Amira was sure it was in the data from Nibelheim. She looked up at him then, and asked, “Do you want me to look into it? Maybe we can figure out a way to get those other guys out of your head.” He smiled back at her, and nodded. 

 

He then asked, “What happened to Hojo?” Amira hummed, and replied, “I had Tseng put a bullet through his skull when we overthrew dear old Dad. He deserved far more, but knowing he was dead was enough for me.” Vincent grunted, then. “I’m sure he appreciated the opportunity to avenge you. I know I would have.” She hummed again to agree, and snuggled into his arms, as he placed a kiss to her brow. They lay that way for a while, the sound of rain pattering on the windows, and the light and scent of the candle lulling them to sleep in each other’s arms.

Chapter 36: ZACK/CLOUD

CHAPTER 34 ZACK/CLOUD

 

ZACK

 

Fucking ninjas. Zack had returned from an outing to the marketplace with Aerith, fused at the lips and wanting more, when he noticed that the Buster Sword was leaning in a different spot than where he’d put it. That was weird. He stopped kissing Aerith, and she groaned in dismay, as he pointed at the sword. She let go of him, and he walked over… before he noted the lack of shiny materia orbs near the hilt of the sword. 

 

Gods-fucking-damnit. His materia was gone. “Check your staff,” he told her solemnly, and she did, nodding once to show she understood. “Zack, all my materia is gone!” she said from across the room, some distress in her tone. There was a rapping on their door, then, and Zack went to answer it, finding an irritated Cloud on the other side of the door, Tifa, Nanaki, Cait Sith, and Barret standing behind him. “Your materia gone, too?” Zack asked his friend. 

 

“Uh-huh,” muttered Cloud. “…An’ if I were a bettin’ man, I’d say I know who took it,” Barret piped up from behind them. Cloud grunted a laugh, “Our resident thieving ninja. She’s picked my pockets often enough for me to guess at that much.” Nanaki then asked, “Has anyone seen Vincent? Or Amira for that matter?” Ooohhh boy. 

 

He and Aerith shared a knowing look, her green eyes sparkling with mirth, and he replied, “I think I know where we’ll find the two of them. Come on.” He led the way towards the guest quarters he knew had been assigned to Amira, and tapped on the door. “Mira? You awake?” Despite the guess he’d made in his head, he was not anticipating one Vincent Valentine, hair more mussed than usual and his button down shirt open for perusal, to be the one to answer the door. 

 

His ruby eyes glowed with irritation, as he asked, “What is it?” Zack crossed his arms, tapping his foot, and then he heard laughter from the bedroom, and Amira came out, still fully dressed, but having obviously recently awoken, as her hair was a bit messy, too. That… was kind of cute. But, back to business. 

 

“Amira, our materia’s all been stolen. Have you checked your Minerva band?” Her eyes widened — those orbs had been given to her by the former SOLDIER generals, and were precious to her — and she quickly moved over to the dresser drawer, opening it. Zack then heard her curse, and Vincent raised a brow. 

 

Cloud then piped up, “Your shit’s been pilfered too. Nanaki checked.” Vincent sighed, and nodded to the feline in thanks, who returned it solemnly. Amira was then back in the doorway. “She has some nerve. Inviting me here, and then pulling this stunt? I’m of a mind to leave and let Wutai fend for itself.” Vincent then put a hand on her shoulder, and she took a deep breath, saying, “But, I know I can’t do that. That materia is ours, and I want it back.” She sounded upset, and leaned back into Vincent, who placed a kiss on her temple. 

 

Oh…Oh-kay then. That’s a new development. Amira sighed, “Who wants to bet her dad knew?” Cloud responded, “I’m not takin’ that bet. She learned her sneakiness from someone.” Zack sighed, then. Amira’s gaze was hard, and she said, “Give me a moment. I’m calling for a meeting with the Emperor.”

 

It wasn’t ten minutes before the messenger returned. “Emperor Godo will see you now in his personal offices. Please follow me, Madam Shinra.” The man was a bit squeaky, and Zack assumed that he didn’t want to worsen Amira’s ire. It was pretty obvious that she was pissed. 

 

They moved to the Emperor’s wing of the palace, and the man stopped outside a large door with the emblem of Leviathan on it. “Wait here, please,” he said, before entering the room. There were voices in Wutaian on the other side, and Amira stood there, saying, “I picked up a few things from Tseng over the years. Godo is angry. It sounds like he didn’t know Yuffie did this, but he’s going to shield her anyway.” 

 

Zack sighed, and Amira stretched her head backwards, cracking her upper spine as she prepared for what was coming. The mousey messenger came back out, and replied, “Madam Shinra and two others only will be allowed in. I apologize for the inconvenience.” She turned to Zack, and then Cloud, looking at Vincent with apology in her eyes, and he nodded with understanding. 

 

She turned back to him and Spike, saying, “You two, with me.” He smirked, “Roger that, Boss Lady.” She huffed out a laugh, and they followed her into the office, where Emperor Godo sat behind a desk, looking out the window and much older than his years. 

 

“Madam Shinra, I am sorry for this… disruption to your stay.” Amira’s voice and eyes were cold. “Disruption? Emperor, I placed my trust in your daughter. Put my life and my friends’ lives in her hands, and she rewarded that trust by stealing materia given to me by friends who are long dead. Not to mention, stealing all of my group’s materia when we are on a quest that may well determine the survival of the Planet itself.” 

 

Godo sighed, and replied, “I intend to have your materia returned to you, but I cannot just force Yuffie to return it. It would undermine her place as my heir. In Wutai, one must prove their worth in battle as a matter of honor. You or champions of your choice must fight the leaders of the Pagoda and win in order to have your materia returned to you. It is our way.” Zack wanted to scoff, but didn’t. He’d say it again — fucking ninjas. 

 

Amira blew out a breath through her nose, before replying, “Very well, then. I choose the SOLDIERs behind me, General Zack Fair and Cloud Strife, as my champions.” She turned to them, and he and Cloud looked at each other, before both stepped into a salute. “The honor is ours, Madam President,” Zack said seriously. Cloud nodded once to agree. 

 

As they went to file out the door, Zack felt he had to say something. “Emperor, I fought in Wutai towards the end of the war. My mentor, Angeal Hewley taught me something.” The Emperor raised a brow, and Zack continued, “He taught me to embrace my dreams, and to always protect my honor as a SOLDIER. I hope that your daughter learns from this, and that there is no honor in stealing from others.” The Emperor nodded once, in recognition of the point, and replied, “I can only hope she does, as well, General Fair.” He nodded, and they stepped out. 

 

CLOUD

 

The next day, he sat up, stretching out some as he prepared to head to the pagoda. He and Zack were taking up the fight for their friends today. As he stood there stretching, there was a light knock on his door, and Tifa entered after he called out, “Yeah?”  She stood there, watching him cautiously, and scuffing her toe on the mat, before saying, “I just…” she blushed then, and he raised a brow. 

 

He then tilted his head, remembering what Amira had told him in Rocket Town. “Teef, what’s wrong?” He asked kindly, and she smiled at him, wine-red eyes looking hopeful, as she walked over to him, and kissed him on the cheek. “For luck,” she said. He smiled back at her. “I don’t need luck, I’ve got a badass martial artist in my corner.” She smiled broadly, then, and hugged him tightly. “You two be careful. Please?” He nodded, returning her hug. “Sure thing. Zack and I have this. Don’t worry.” 

 

She rolled her eyes, then, and swatted his shoulder, as he chuckled at her. “Come on,” he nodded towards the door, and she followed, keeping pace with him as he made his way to the Pagoda. Everyone was there, waiting for him. Zack stood with Aerith, placing a soft kiss on her lips as he said, “It’ll be fine. Don’t worry.” Amira was standing nearby, a bag in her hands, and she motioned for him to come to her. He walked over, and she handed over the contents — hi-potions, ethers, an elixir or two, and two ribbons. Damn. She’d thought of everything. 

 

He called for Zack, who walked over to them, looking in the bag, before looking up at Amira with both brows raised. “Tifa, Aerith, and I went hunting for supplies, yesterday.” She looked at them both, shrugged, and said, “I haggled. It wasn’t too bad.” She smirked then, and pulled out the ribbons, as he and Zack loaded up their stocks with the potions she’d bought — without their materia, they’d need them. Amira tied one ribbon on Zack’s arm, and the other on his. “Good luck, fellas. Go get our materia back.” Cloud smirked, and he and Zack shared a look, before entering the Pagoda of the Five Mighty Gods, swords at the ready. 

 

Hours later, and it was over. They’d won. Cloud was fucking exhausted. The first four fights — Gorkii, Shake, Chekhov, and Staniv — were not difficult between him and Zack, and they made it through those only using one each of the hi-potions Amira had packed for them. It was the final fight — where Emperor Godo himself was revealed to be their opponent — that was tricky. 

 

The old man was tough. He thanked every God that existed for Amira’s foresight to find those ribbons. They’d have been toast without those. As they fought him, Cloud could see that most of his attacks were supposed to have a status effect, and the Ribbons were preventing those, causing Godo to become frustrated, and at the mercy of the superior strength of the SOLDIERs. 

 

At the end of it all, the man slumped onto the floor, and Yuffie appeared from the sidelines. “Pops! You okay?” The man sighed, nodded, and then glared at his daughter. “It is because of you that I had to fight SOLDIERs.” Yuffie grimaced, and turned to them, looking sheepish. “I’m sorry, guys. I really was just trying to do right by Wutai.” 

 

Zack just stared impassively, “Even at the cost of our mission to save the Planet?” Yuffie scuffed her toe, then. “I didn’t really believe you until that creature showed up on the boat. But… I thought… Amira’s a Shinra. Surely she has a lot of access to materia, so whatevs.” Cloud glared at her then, “Not the point. That materia you took is ours, and some of it is quite special. You’re going to give it all back — every last orb — and you’re going to give it back now.” 

 

Godo nodded at his daughter, and she sighed. “All right, fine. I’ll give it back. You won it back fair and square anyway.” With that, she handed the bag of materia back to Zack, who took it, counted the orbs, and glared at the ninja as he said, “My summon materia?” Yuffie was sheepish, and said, “Oh… that… here.” She plopped the red orb into the bag, and Zack sighed, before turning to leave. 

 

Godo then spoke, “I must insist that you take Yuffie with you, as an ambassador to Shinra from Wutai. She still has much to learn, and I feel that Madam Shinra will be the best teacher she could ask for.” Cloud wasn’t sure Amira would be okay with that, but he nodded, and waved at the little ninja, “Come on.” She whooped, kicking her heels with glee. Cloud looked back at her, hands on hips, before he shook his head, sighed as well, and followed his friend. 

 

When they got back downstairs to the foot of the pagoda, Amira and the others met them there. Yuffie was right behind him, and Amira’s hands went to her hips. “Godo wants her to serve as an ‘ambassador’ to Shinra. Thinks she still has a lot to learn, and that you’ll be able to teach her.” Amira stared at him, before looking at Yuffie, sighing, and nodding once in a decisive fashion. 

 

Tifa ran to him then, engulfing him in a hug, which he returned, whispering to her, “I’m okay. It’s okay, Teef.” She sighed, and said, “I know, but I couldn’t help it, I worried.” He smiled at her then, placing a kiss to her temple, and saying, “I know. It’s who you are.” She pulled back, then, huffed, and smacked him on the shoulder, which made him laugh.

Chapter 37: AERITH

CHAPTER 35 AERITH

 

The Highwind picked them up outside of Wutai, and after some discussion, she and Amira had decided that Cosmo Canyon should be their next stop. They needed to study up on the Lifestream, how to best utilize their Goddess-given talents, and to go through all the research they’d collected. Nanaki also wanted to go home, at least for a while. He wanted to let his ‘grandfather’ know he was okay. Aerith understood that. 

 

She stood on deck, wind blowing her hair behind her, when she felt a pair of arms encircle her waist. Zack. He kissed her neck, and she relaxed, leaning back into his strong chest as he held her, his chin resting on her head. “You okay?” he asked, and she smiled. “Who, me? Yeah, I’m fine. Just thinking.” He hummed, and she said, “Amira and I have a lot to learn. Where better than in the home of Planetology itself?” 

 

Zack agreed. “I’ve never been to Cosmo Canyon. All that running around with Genesis, and I never set one foot there. Kind of surprising, now that I think about it.” Aerith turned her head to see his face, and he smiled at her. “I can’t wait to see it with you,” she said. 

 

Arriving at the Canyon was pretty easy. There was a disembarkation platform just outside the gates, so they didn’t have to do a lot of extra hiking. Bless Captain Highwind and this airship. She walked with Amira and Tifa, Yuffie bouncing along behind them. The little ninja had done some groveling, but ultimately, they’d allowed her their trust again. She’d saved their bacon a few times in battle, after all. 

 

Upon their arrival, Nanaki raced forward, and… his voice was different. She looked over at her fellow Cetra with what she was sure was a befuddled expression. Amira laughed, and replied, “He’s really young for his species, he just talks the way he does so that people will take him seriously.” Well, that made sense, she supposed. 

 

As they walked through the city, they followed Nanaki, who was leading them back to the observatory. Aerith thought it was so cool — the market stalls, the people milling about and having random philosophical discussions about the Planet. She… she could feel the presence of the Planet even more here than she had anywhere else. Perhaps that’s why they built all this here to begin with. 

 

She then heard a voice sound, “Ho-ho-hoo! Is that Nanaki I hear?” Nanaki looked happy, and replied, “Grandpa!” He was running then, hopping up the elevators as his friends followed behind him, all of them with various expressions of bemusement. Aerith thought it was sweet. 

 

As they rode the elevator up, Amira squeezed her elbow. “Pretty impressive, huh?” Aerith could only nod in reply. Her friend laughed, then, and said, “We’d better get to work once we settle in. So much to read, so little time.” Aerith groaned. Reading had never been her favorite pastime. But… it was necessary, so she’d put in the extra effort. 

 

When they reached the observatory, there was a man… on… a floating orb… who met them. He looked, for lack of a better word, ancient. She giggled internally — good one, Aerith. The man greeted them all, then. “Ho-ho-hoo! I do believe I spy the two young Cetra we have been waiting for.” 

 

When she and Amira looked at each other askance, before turning back to him, the man chuckled, and replied, “Your brother was once my student, young Shinra. He gave us a notification to expect you soon.” Ah. That explained a lot. Amira smiled, then, and the man continued, “I am Bugenhagen, one of the Planetologists who live and study in this Canyon.” 

 

He turned to Amira directly, then. “Nanaki has informed me that you rescued him from the labs at Shinra. For that, I am most grateful.” His eyes were twinkling behind his glasses as he continued, “I believe Shinra will have a bright future, as will our Planet, with you and your brother at the helm.” 

 

Her friend was beaming, now, and replied, “Thank you for the endorsement, Sir. I’m sure Rufus would agree with me when I say that I feel most privileged to be here.” The man laughed, then. “Ho-ho-hoo! I am no ‘Sir’. It is just Bugenhagen, to you.” He then turned to the group at large. “Let us get you all settled in, and then I shall take those interested up into the Observatory for the first lesson.” Since she and Zack had started sharing a room together, Amira was alone. Tifa and Yuffie were rooming together, Cloud was with Vincent, and Nanaki with Barret. Cait Sith would pick one of the boys’ rooms and power down in the corner each night.

 

Once rooms and keys were distributed, Amira and Aerith, along with the rest of the party (everyone was interested to see what Bugenhagen had to say) went up to the Observatory. Bugenhagen met them there, and had them all pile onto an elevator platform that took them up into a… planetarium, that was what he called it. He showed them the cosmos, centered around the star that gave them all life. She watched with awe as he showed them their home, and explained the nature of the Lifestream… and what would happen if it was depleted. 

 

Amira sighed from next to her, and they locked gazes before nodding. Bugenhagen went on to say, “I believe that Shinra is trying to right its course, and so we shall have to see how things go.” The lights came back on, and the elevator went back down to its resting position. He then called to them. “Come, young Cetra. My colleagues and I have lessons we wish to impart upon you. The rest of you are free to go about your business.” 

Chapter 38: NANAKI

CHAPTER 36 NANAKI

 

“Nanaki, wait a moment.” His grandfather’s voice intoned from behind him. “Allow me to get these young ladies settled, and then, I have something I must show you.” Nanaki cocked his head with confusion, and Grandpa added, “Bring two of your friends with you. We may run into some trouble down there.” 

 

He turned to the party, and looked at Zack and Cloud, before asking, “I hate to trouble you guys, but would you come with me?” Zack rubbed his head, before saying, “Sure, man. Me and Spike here wouldn’t mind, would we?” Cloud shrugged, and said, “Why not.” 

 

They met Grandpa at a large sealed door near the base of the canyon. What was this? He couldn’t remember ever coming down here. Grandpa then called out, “Ho-ho-hoo! My boy, you’ve never been down here because your mother insisted I keep knowledge of this place from you until you were older… old enough… to understand.” 

 

Nanaki was confused now. Grandpa continued, “You’ve heard of the attacks of the Gi tribe, have you not?” Nanaki remembered now. His mother fought them… died fighting them, and his father ran away like a coward. 

 

When he said as much, Grandpa sighed, “As I said, there are things I must show you. Come.” He opened the door, and he, Zack and Cloud followed Grandpa down into the caves below. The further they descended, the creepier it got. 

 

Each stage required him to do something to continue their progress, something only he could do. When he grumped about it, Zack snapped his fingers in realization. “That’s because it is a test.” Cloud then hummed, and asked, “But what kind?” Nanaki looked to his Grandpa, and they kept going. 

 

They eventually reached a door, and Grandpa was surprised by the malevolence of the spirits who remained. The spirit of Gi Nattak attacked them, then. Zack and Cloud joined him, and together they vanquished the spirit, Nanaki delivering the final blow as he threw his head back with a howl. As the spirit disappeared into tendrils of green, Grandpa appeared again, and bade him follow once again. 

 

Grandpa began to tell the story of the attack of the Gi, and that one warrior held their advance as they tried to get inside the Canyon. One warrior. Could it be? “This is…” Grandpa nodded,“This is the warrior who fought against the Gi. He kept them from taking one step into Cosmo Canyon. But he was never able to return home. Look, Nanaki! Look at your father, the warrior Seto!” 

 

There was the body of a Watcher of the Vale at the peak, his body studded with arrows that had turned it to stone. Father? “That… that’s Seto?” he asked. Grandpa continued then, “Seto continued to fight the Gi tribe here… to protect this Canyon. Even after the Gi’s poisonous arrows turned his body to stone… Even after they all ran away…Seto continued to protect us. And, he continues to protect us, even now.” 

 

Nanaki felt an immense wave of sadness run through him, and he let out a keen, as he whispered, “Even now.” Cloud and Zack patted him for support. Grandpa then said, “You thought that he was a coward and ran away. But, he, alone, risked his life to protect Cosmo Canyon. That is your father, Seto.” 

 

Nanaki felt pride, then, like he’d never known. Tears streamed from his eye, as Grandpa talked about how happy he was that he’d been alive still, to show Nanaki the cavern at all, since no one else knew of it. Nanaki turned to him then, determined now to protect the Planet, to protect his home, as his father had. “I am Nanaki of Cosmo Canyon, son of the warrior Seto! I will protect my home, and become a Watcher of the Vale, like my father before me.” 

 

As he spoke, tears began to fall from the stone statue above them on the peak. Father… Nanaki jumped up to the next ledge, threw back his head, and let out a mournful howl. Father… I will make you proud. 

Chapter 39: TIFA

CHAPTER 37 TIFA

 

The boys had been down there with Nanaki and Bugenhagen for a while. The rest of them were sitting around the Cosmo Candle, Amira and Aerith having joined them shortly after sunset. Both looked tired. The elders had put them through their paces, from what Amira said. Cait Sith had gone back to the room a while ago to power down. 

 

There was noise near the base of the Canyon, and Bugenhagen came up toward them, Nanaki, Zack, and Cloud following him. Bugenhagen spoke up then, announcing to all the dwellers of the Canyon, “Three cheers for Nanaki, son of Seto! The newest true Watcher of the Vale!” The townspeople began to celebrate, and the party began. 

 

As serious as these people were about their Planetology, they were even more serious about their alcohol consumption. Tifa thought she had a high tolerance as a barmaid in Midgar, but these people knew how to drink. She’d just finished a glass of the local specialty… still not quite sure what that was, but boy did it pack a punch. 

 

She danced around the fire with Amira, Aerith, Yuffie, and the women of the Canyon. Nanaki sat in a place of honor, their friends surrounding with him as the people celebrated their newest protector. Tifa hadn’t had such fun in the longest time, laughing with all these people she loved like her family. 

 

She looked up then, seeing Cloud by the fire, drinking a beer as he talked to Zack and Barret. His eyes continued to watch her as he spoke to the other men in the group. Amira had said something to her earlier about how she’d spoken to Cloud about her. When Tifa went to protest, Amira shrugged, and said, “He is gone for you, Teef. I told him to make a damn move.”  Tifa decided that maybe it was time she was a little bit brave.

 

Barret left to go to bed, saying he was ‘an old man who needed his rest,’ to jeers from Zack, who was quickly distracted by Aerith leading him back to their room, leaving Cloud alone by the fire. Nanaki was still among the villagers, Yuffie with him, and… well… Amira and Vincent also seemed to have disappeared. It was just them, now. 

 

She gathered up her courage, making her way to where he was sitting. Those eyes were still on her, darker now. If she didn’t know better, she’d call that look as he watched her… hungry. But, this was Cloud. 

 

She scuffed her boot against the dirt, hands clasped behind her back as she walked closer to him, biting her lip. She sat down next to him, and asked, “You okay?” He chuckled, took a pull from his beer bottle, and replied huskily, “Better now.” What in the… was he…? “Cloud Strife, are you flirting with me?” she asked seriously. 

 

He blushed then, turning away, but before he could, she grabbed his shoulder, turning him back to face her. “You were, weren’t you?” He wouldn’t meet her gaze, muttering, “Is that such a bad thing?” No. No it wasn’t. Not in the slightest. Come on tongue…work, she willed herself. “Cloud…” she whispered out. 

 

He looked up then, into her eyes. “Yeah, Teef?” She looked heavenward, gathered up her courage, and reached out, grabbing his uniform top and pulling him over to her, slanting her lips over his as she took what she wanted for the first time in a very long time… if ever. 

 

Cloud seemed stunned, but got with the program quickly. He pulled her in close to him, wrapping his arms around her, licking at her lips with his tongue to deepen the kiss, which she happily allowed. They stayed like that, sharing kisses that were desperate to show all they hadn’t been able to say to each other. 

 

She moaned softly as he continued to kiss her. She decided to try something, biting his lip slightly, as he said, “Ow. Minx,” and kept up kissing her. She giggled, and they broke apart for breath, staring into each other’s eyes as they did. 

 

Tifa felt bravery again (curse that Cosmo Rocket she drank) and said, “Cloud, I’ve wanted you to do that for months.” He chuckled then, and said, “I know. I’ve wanted to do that for months.” He kissed her again, and pulled back after a few moments, saying, “Damn, Teef. We can’t just sit here out in the open. Come on.” 

 

He pulled her up from the bench, and she followed him back up into the inn. He cautiously opened the door to his and Vincent’s room, looking around, and, not finding the red-clad gunslinger, pulled Tifa inside with him, closing the door behind them. “Stay with me,” he asked, and she looked up at him, saying, “Can you just hold me tonight?” Cloud nodded, a soft smile coming to his face, as he replied, “I think I can do that.” 

Chapter 40: AMIRA

Summary:

LEMON THIS CHAPTER.

CHAPTER 38 AMIRA

 

As the celebration started getting rowdy, Amira realized she was kind of over it, and, sighing, decided to make her way back to her room, begging off as Nanaki and Yuffie tried to pull her into a drinking game. She giggled, waving at Aerith and Zack as they wandered off. 

 

As she made her way into her room, she heard the deep voice of Vincent behind her. “I thought I’d never get you alone.” Was he…had he been drinking, too? Those eyes watched her intensely, and she felt… want… like she hadn’t in some time. “Oh? You wanted me alone? Why is that, I wonder?” She was being coy, but he just chuckled, and watched her from the doorway. 

 

“Well, are you going to come in, or not?” she asked, a smirk curling its way around her mouth as she watched him keenly. He walked inside, crimson cloak billowing, golden greaves and gauntlet clanking as he did. She moved past him, deliberately brushing against him as she did so, to close and lock the door behind her. 

 

She hadn’t had that much to drink, so, if he wanted this too, she was going to enjoy every second of it. She pushed him back to sit on the bed, which he did with a deep chuckle that shot straight to her core. She undid the cloak, revealing the entirety of his face to her, pulling it off him, and tossing it off to the side somewhere. 

 

She stroked his cheek, watching as he leaned into her touch, as he always did. He made her feel… so wanted… so loved. She then moved to sit in his lap, straddling him as she came face-to-face with him, staring into those ruby eyes. They were now smoldering almost a garnet color, and she knew he wanted her, too. She leaned in, taking in a deep breath through her nose as she kissed Vincent deeply, tongues tangling as he reached up with his right hand to touch her face, flexing his left hand in frustration with the gauntlet.

 

She pulled back, chuckling deeply, as she said, "Let me fix that, babe." He quirked his lips in a half-smile that was part-grimace, and she patted his face. "Don't do that." She kissed him hard, grinding against his lap, as he moaned into her mouth. "I want you, Vincent. Let me do this." He nodded once, and she began to undo his buckles, then, starting with his gauntlet, as he began to unlatch his leather armor. Once she freed his left hand, he saw to the rest of his buckles up top, while she moved down to his greaves and boots. 

 

Those came off more easily than she anticipated, and when she looked back up, he was finishing the clasps over his torso, which she then slowly peeled off, kissing a trail down his jaw, his neck, his chest, and then helping him pull the armor off completely. That done, Vincent was completely naked before her save for his bandana, looking up at her almost shyly from underneath his lashes. Fuck, he was gorgeous. 

 

He looked her up and down, and said, “You’re still wearing far too much.” She couldn’t agree more. So, she started removing her clothes, putting on a little show as she did. The leather jacket and cargo vest she’d left in here before the party — it was too hot for that. Same with the sai garters, thank the Goddess.

 

 She unlaced her boots, kicking them off (socks, too, obviously), before peeling her shirt up over her head, stopping to look at him after she did. His eyes were watching her hungrily, the need there almost taking her breath away. She undid her jeans then, sliding them down her hips and kicking them off into the floor. 

 

She was in just her underwear, now, and she moved back to sit astride him in his lap, kissing him fiercely as she did so. She pulled the bandana from his hair, and it fell down in layers around his face. Goddess, he was… “You’re beautiful,” she whispered out against his lips. 

 

He huffed out a laugh, and replied, “I feel like I should be saying that to you.” He leaned back then, asking, “Protection?” She chuckled huskily, placing his fingers over a hard spot on her outer thigh just near her hip, before saying, “Birth control implant.” His eyes lit with understanding, then, before going back to want… to need. 

 

She kissed him again, and he began to peel her bra off her, kissing a trail down her neck before he reached her breasts. He moved them, then, laying her on the bed on her back and hovering over her. He placed kisses all the way down her abdomen, before reaching the spot she really wanted. "Oh, Goddess, Vincent. Please." 

 

He peeled her underwear off, giving her a devilish grin before placing a small kiss on her nub, sucking a little as she moaned. Those carnelian eyes looked back up at her, and the absolute hunger there nearly did her in. He lifted her thigh out of the way, and moved in to suck on her in earnest.

 

Her head fell to to the pillow, back arching as she moaned in pleasure. It had been too long. "Oh, Fuck, Vincent. Yes." He lapped at her intently, groaning against her, and she saw stars. He then crawled back up over her, chuckling as he kissed her deeply. She wasn't about to let that go without returning the favor, and rolled him onto his back.

 

He looked up at her slightly confused, and she quirked a brow at him. "You've never had a woman go down on you?" He raised a brow back, and said, "Not really. My... last lover wasn't really into that." She laughed, then, and said, "I don't often, either, but... in your case, I'll make an exception." She grinned, then, and kissed her way down his chest, his abdomen, and made her way to her own prize.

 

He watched her as she looked back up at him, sucking him into her mouth and showing him exactly how good she was with her tongue. He moaned, then, and collapsed back against the pillow, but maintained eye contact with her the entire time. "Oh, shit," he groaned out. "Amira..." She kept it up, and he grabbed her arm, pulling on her as he said, "No. Not like this." She nodded, released him with a pop of suction, and allowed him to pull her back up to his eye-level.

 

He stared into her eyes for a moment, saying, "I don't want our first time to end that way." She looked back at him, both of them panting with desire, before he rolled her beneath him and entered her swiftly as he kissed her deeply, the both of them groaning out in sheer satisfaction against each others’ lips. “Fuck, Amira,” he grunted out, and she wrapped her legs around his waist, encouraging him to move. “Come on. I want to feel you. I won’t break.” 

 

It was like Vincent lost all semblance of control after that, the rhythm and tempo picking up as he fucked her hard into the mattress. Goddess, she needed this. She needed him. "Oh, Vincent. Yes. Fuck me hard, please." It didn’t take long at all, and she hit her peak suddenly, feeling him groan as her orgasm led directly into his. His pace slowed, and he slumped over next to her, pulling her close to him as everything faded to black. 

 

As the sun shone into the windows of the inn, she groggily came to. There was a body next to hers. Leather, gun oil, and amber. Vincent. She groaned, turning in his arms to look at his sleeping face. He looked so peaceful like this. She kissed him on the lips, then, and said, voice raspy with sleep, “Good Morning, lover.” He woke slowly, grimacing before looking around startled. “Where…?” Oh, Goddess. Did he not remember? 

 

He made eye contact with her then, before taking note of their state of undress. “Amira… did we…?” She bit her lip. He didn’t remember. Shit. “Do you…not remember?” He pushed himself up to lean against the headboard, taking a big deep breath, before saying, “I remember…I remember… wanting… taking…” He looked… upset. 

 

She then asked, “Do you regret it?” His gaze snapped up to hers, then, and he reached over to cup her cheek, before saying, “No. No I don’t. Do you?” He looked like he expected her to say ‘yes’ and break his heart… which saddened her immensely. 

 

She scooted forward, straddling him to get closer to his face where he was reclining, and said, “No. How could I? You make me feel wanted and loved again. Damn, Vincent, I don't think I've ever felt like I did last night.” She leaned back, and noted he was hard again. She took a deep breath, and kissed him softly, which he got into pretty quickly, pulling her close to him as he stayed in his position against the headboard. 

 

She scooted her bottom back, and slid herself onto him. His eyes rolled back and closed, as he groaned into her mouth. “Let me love you, Vincent,” she rasped out into his mouth, moving her hips into a rhythm that got her the friction she needed. Vincent’s hips snapped into hers, and it was glorious.

 

She moaned as he did, and her voice was huskier than usual, as she whispered, "Oh, yes, Vincent. So fucking good." His eyes fluttered closed as she moved over him, and he caressed her face, hands going to her hips as his thumbs rubbed over her hipbones gently. "Oh, Gods. Amira... I..." She shushed him, then, kissing him deeply, which he returned with passion. 

 

Their tongues mimicked the motions of their bodies, until finally, she threw her head back, her back arching as she came again, bringing him with her too. Their moans were simultaneous, and she sat there, shivering in pleasure as the aftershocks kept hitting as she came down from her high. Vincent looked absolutely wrung out. 

 

He leaned his head back against the headboard, “I don’t think I’ve ever felt this way, before,” he said. He was still inside her, and she kissed him softly, asking, “What’s bothering you, then? You were startled when you woke up here with me… like this…” 

 

He opened his eyes then, looking at her straight on, before saying, “I need to say my goodbyes. I was reading the files you sent me from Nibelheim. Lucrecia left after she saved my life, and went to a cave near Nibelheim…to lock herself away. I need to put what I felt then to rest, so that I can be yours completely.” 

 

Amira understood that. She’d had her closure with Tseng. Now, he needed his. She slid off him, a groan leaving his lips as she did so, and she smirked. She tugged on his arm, “Shower. Now. C’mon, lazybones. We need to clean up.” 

 

Vincent chuckled as he let her pull him out of bed, and she pointed at the shower, saying, “You first. I don’t trust myself to actually get clean if I get in there with you.” He nodded, understanding, and moved into the shower. 

 

She pulled out her PHS, then, dialing Reno. “Hey, yo, whas’ shakin’?” She laughed. “Reno, I need you to pull some GPS coordinates for me, and send them my way.” She could almost hear his eyebrows raise, and she continued, “We’re going looking for the cave Dr. Lucrecia Crescent disappeared to near Nibelheim. It’s apparently behind a lake with a waterfall near Nibelheim. We need an exact location, though. 

 

Reno was silent for a minute, saying, “Uh-huh…” as he wrote something down, before he stopped, and said, “I’m sorry, do I hear the shower running in the background?” She sighed, and replied, “Yes. Yes, you do.” He then crowed, “Damn, girl! You’ve got a man there with you! I am so proud of you for gettin’ you some! Gimme all the juicy details.”

 

She laughed, and replied, “Absolutely not.” He whined then, and said, “Aw, c’mon. At least tell me if it’s Big Red or not. The way he was eyeing you in Nibelheim…” She could hear him fanning himself as he said, “Girl, he looked at you like he wanted to eat you up.”

 

She chuckled, and said, “I will neither confirm nor deny…” and before he could protest, she continued, “… that he just gave me the best sex of my entire life.” Reno cheered, and she had to hold the phone away from her ear as he did so. “THAT’S MY GIRL!”

 

He then continued, “But seriously, yo, you’ve been neglected for too damn long.” He sounded like he was moving, then, and he said, "Shit. Got Tseng's attention when I said that. I do not need him breathin' down my fuckin' neck for details. Not that I would give 'em, yo. He lost that right when he decided to fuck the rookie."

 

He was quiet for a minute, and then added, “And no, I did not give him another shiner. Though, it was a close call.” She laughed softly, and said, “Love you, Reno. Send me the coordinates.” She looked up, and Vincent was in the doorway, towel around his waist and hair dripping from the shower. “Gotta go, bye.” She heard the “Sure thing, yo,” as she was clicking the phone closed. 

 

Vincent chuckled, an eyebrow raised, as she said, “Reno. He’s getting the GPS coordinates for that cave in the notes.” Vincent hummed in acknowledgement, nodding once, and Amira stood up, moving to the bathroom quickly. “My turn.” 

 

He chuckled, and tried to waylay her with a kiss, but she smacked his shoulder, saying “Behave, Valentine,” as she made her way to the shower. She laughed as he replied, “No promises, Shinra,” before she set about getting clean. It was going to be a long day. 

Chapter 41: VINCENT

CHAPTER 39 VINCENT

 

The satisfaction he felt… it was incomparable. Even Galian and Chaos were quiet in the back of his head, still basking in the pleasure he’d experienced with Amira. Damn, Vince. Didn’t know you had that in you, Chaos grunted out. He chuckled internally, and replied to his demon, You didn’t know me when I was younger. I had some… sway… with the ladies. Chaos muttered something unintelligible, before shying away, like a cat curling up to sleep in the sun. 

 

He was a bit concerned at how carried away he’d gotten, had feared what she would think of his loss of control in the aftermath. But, to his surprise, she enjoyed it. That was something to keep note of for future…encounters. He and Amira would be rooming together from now on, if he had his way. He doubted she would say ‘no.’ 

 

As he finished buckling on his armor, leaving off the gauntlet for the moment, the shower turned off, and he heard her humming as she continued her ablutions. She sounded… happy. Satisfied. That he was the source… well, his ego had been stroked, that was for certain. 

 

He made them some coffee using the machine provided by the inn, and sat at the little table by the balcony. He made sure that the curtains were closed (her body was for his eyes only), their two coffee mugs sitting on the table steaming as Amira exited the bathroom clad in her underwear, a towel wrapped around her hair. “Ahh, I thought I smelled coffee,” she said, her voice clearly showing her relaxation and satisfaction. 

 

She pulled on her jeans and her shirt, pulling the towel off her head and smacking him with it lightly, before tossing it back into the bathroom. He chuckled at her antics as she plopped into his lap, straddling him and kissing him deeply, a groan leaving him as she did so. She pulled away, then, resting her forehead against his, and just staring into his eyes. 

 

She wasn’t perfect. She had her scars and her troubles. But, she was his, and he would treasure her for as long as she would have him. “I feel like I’ve said it already,” she said softly, and he grunted in acknowledgement as she continued, honey-brown eyes gazing into his, “But, good morning, lover.” Lover. He could get used to that. He and Lucrecia had never had names they called each other — it was always secretive, like it was forbidden. And… it was, he came to find out. 

 

She got up off his lap, then, plopping into the chair next to him, and taking a sip of her coffee, moaning in pleasure as he did so. That sound, from her lips… it made him want to peel her clothes off and take her again. Control, Vincent. Galian was cackling in the background as he took a deep breath through his nostrils. 

 

She raised a brow at him, “Your passengers not cooperating?” Interesting way to put it… she wasn’t put off by the demons at all, and he felt that endeared her to them as much as it did to him. “No. You drive me crazy, and the instincts they have… Galian’s, specifically… require… extra effort to control.” Her eyes flashed with desire, then. Oh, boy. 

 

She laughed then, and said, “Don’t worry. We have things to do today. There will be time yet for that.” He could feel his demon’s anticipation of things to come, and smothered it, pushing him down as he almost whined. Viiiinnnncceeeeee… He had to throw a mental rebuke at the demon, before he retreated. If demons could pout, Galian would be. 

 

Her PHS rang, then. She smiled at the caller ID, and answered cheekily, “You got it?” He could hear the red-headed Turk on the other end of the line. After last night… and this morning… he wasn’t at all jealous of Reno. Not anymore. She pulled out a piece of paper and a pen, jotting down… coordinates. She knew where they were headed. Good. The sooner, the better. “Nice job. Thanks, Reno.” She clicked the phone closed, and looked up at him. 

 

Her phone rang again, and she chuckled as she looked at the ID, before answering, “Hello dearest. What can I do for you on this fine morning?” There was a female voice on the other end… deeper… probably Tifa, if he had to guess. “Uh-huh. Bakery in five? Can do. See you then.” She clicked the phone closed. “Tifa and I have a… tradition we’ve formed since Junon. She and I scope out the local bakeries and grab a pastry in the mornings while we have a girl-talk session.” 

 

He chuckled, and sipped at his coffee. “I won’t stop you. Perhaps I can have Cloud help me restock on supplies — ammo and such — while you have your… girl-talk.” She beamed at him, and his heart fluttered. That she could make him feel so much. He would do anything to get that smile out of her whenever he could. 

 

They stood, coffee finished, and wandered down to the square, the petite martial artist visible across the way. Vincent followed Amira to where the woman was standing, before turning his lover back to him, and planting a soft kiss on her temple, saying, “Have fun.” She smiled again, and wandered away from him with Tifa, both giggling as they went. 

 

Cloud stood nearby, arms crossed, a soft smile on his face. He looked up at Vincent, then, and asked, “So… Amira looks happy. Did you two…?” Vincent huffed, a small smirk coming to his face, as he replied, “None of your business, Strife. But… let’s just say that she will never feel unappreciated again, if I have anything to say about it.” 

 

Strife chuckled, smiling broadly, then, and tapped him on the shoulder with his fist. “Good. She needs that. I was worried about her.” Vincent could smell Tifa’s perfume as he came in closer, and he asked, “And you? I… well, Tifa’s perfume isn’t really your scent, Strife.” 

 

The man blushed, stuttering a little, as he replied, “Shit. Is it that noticeable?” Vincent chuckled, a small smirk coming to his face, “No. Only to me… and probably Nanaki. But, turnabout is fair play.” Cloud grunted, socking him harder in the shoulder and saying without any heat, “Asshole.” Vincent just laughed. 

 

About an hour later, the entire group was gathered in the marketplace. Amira came over to him, her arm snaking around his waist, before she reached up and kissed his cheek. If anyone was surprised, they said nothing. 

 

The robot cat in the back had already likely relayed the information to his operator. When he mentioned it to Amira, she grinned wickedly and replied, “Cait is under strict instructions not to relay any information about us back to Reeve that I don’t want it to — under threat of…tinkering.” Vincent laughed at her, then. Tinkering. She’d do it, too. 

 

She then turned to the group, and said, “Vincent and I have something we have to do today. There’s a cave near Nibelheim. Reno and Cissnei are going to pick us up and transport us to the coordinates. It’s… a personal mission.” She looked up at him as she said the last sentence, before continuing, “Whoever stays behind needs to look through some of the research from Nibelheim, trying to find any indication of whatever it is that Sephiroth and Jenova are searching for.” 

 

Cait Sith piped up, “I’ll stay — I’d be most of use with the research.” Tifa and Cloud also agreed to stay, as did Barret and Yuffie, though the ninja appeared to agree reluctantly. Aerith looked around, then, and said, “I guess that means Zack, Nanaki, and I are coming with you.” Amira nodded, and the group went to wait for the chopper. 

 

As it came in for a landing, Vincent could have sworn he saw the redheaded Turk flash a toothy grin and a thumbs-up at Amira, before getting whacked on the back of the head by the red-headed woman who was his co-pilot. However, she did then wave at Amira, and it was returned happily, Amira laughing at the two of them and shaking her head as they boarded the helicopter. 

 

The location of the cave was… idyllic, almost. Serene. He could understand why Lucrecia had chosen it. Amira squeezed his hand at the entrance to the cave, before letting him go. He turned to her, brow raised, and she replied, “This is your past. Your closure. Go take it. I’ll be here waiting for you when you’re done.” He nodded with a hum in the affirmative, before stepping into the darkness beyond.

 

The scent of undiluted Mako permeated the cave, like one would find in a Lifespring. Drips of water from the stalactites echoed through the cavern, and stalagmites alternating between rock and shimmering mako lit his path. As he moved slowly through the cave, he saw a shimmer from around the corner, and turned around the bend to find…a woman encased in crystal. 

 

“Lucrecia,” he muttered aloud. Then… he heard her voice in his head. “Vincent… I’m so sorry. I… never meant for any of this to happen. You didn’t deserve it.” He shook his head roughly, and asked aloud, “Why? Why did you allow him to do such things to you? To your child?” There was a sigh, and then, “I… I saw only the glory… the goal. I lost sight of my morals and my feelings to get there. I was… I would have done anything to achieve it. I’m sorry you got caught up in it.” 

 

He hummed. “I… I’ve met someone. She understands me… in a way you never did.” There was silence for a moment, and then a response, “I see… I… I’m happy for you, Vincent. Don’t mourn me… I’m gone, though my body remains. This… this is just an echo of the past. The lifestream is strong here, and it allows me to speak to you. To make my amends.” 

 

He nodded, staring up at her, as she said, “Please. End my son’s suffering, Vincent. Free him from Jenova’s clutches. And…” She paused, before saying, “There should be some files in the Shinra database on my research with Chaos. Look for information on the Protomateria. It will help you. Goodbye, Vincent. And… Good Luck.” The voice faded away then, and the glow of the crystal dimmed, somewhat. “Goodbye, Lucrecia.” 

 

He turned, then, walking with purpose towards the exit. As he walked through the mouth of the cave, the sunlight blinded him briefly, and, as his eyes adjusted, he looked around, seeing her. He moved towards her, her honey-brown eyes understanding his intent, grabbing her up into his arms and kissing her passionately. She smiled, and asked, “All good?” He chuckled, a feeling of peace settling in his chest, as he replied, “I am free. I am yours.” 

 

The return trip to Cosmo Canyon, however, brought with it some significant concerns. As they sat there, Aerith, her green eyes disturbed, said, “Amira…” His lover hummed, and looked over at her friend, who continued, “I’m worried about Cloud. Zack and I were reading… about Project S. Zack wanted to know more about what was done to him. Hojo injected them with S cells… Sephiroth’s DNA. And… there were notes.” 

 

Amira met her friend’s eyes with concern, and asked, “Anything about ‘Reunion’?” Aerith nodded, looking solemn. “All creatures with Jenova’s cells — S cells, in particular — feel a call to… reunite with the creature that spawned them.” Aerith looked a bit frightened now, while Amira looked sick with worry, as did Zack. “Jenova… she’s calling him, Mira. She’s calling Cloud.”

Chapter 42: CLOUD

CHAPTER 40 CLOUD

 

He followed the others back to the library, where Amira had hooked the hard drive from Nibelheim into the observatory computer, using her remote log-ins to give them access to Shinra’s Midgar databases for cross-referencing information. Bugenhagen and the other elders had also allowed them access to all of the books in the library, and one of the assistants would be made available to assist them with queries. 

 

Tifa was holding onto his arm, sighing softly. Goddess, he was smitten. He wanted so badly to be hers, forever. But… something was holding him back. He felt that green fuzz, the static in the back of his head. It gave him such a headache. “Cloud?” Tifa asked, looking concerned. “You okay?” He grunted, and nodded once, willing it to dissipate while he squeezed his eyes shut. Tifa still looked concerned, but she patted his shoulder, and moved into the library with the rest of the party. 

 

There was a voice off to Cloud’s left, then. “Pitiful mortal. I don’t understand why you bother, Cloud.” Sephiroth. He was here. He was… “Oh. It seems you still carry Mother’s cells. Good. When Zack eliminated his, I was worried you had done the same. It seems I needn’t have.” The voice was right behind him now, and he couldn’t move. Couldn’t do anything. “Good puppet. Go to the Gold Saucer, Cloud. The Keystone. We need it. With it, we can find the Black Materia. And then… then… this Planet is ours.” 

 

“Cloud? Umm… you’re actin’ real weird, bro.” Yuffie. Cloud shook his head roughly, Sephiroth vanishing into purple mist around him, one black feather left in his wake. He looked up, then, finding the young ninja staring at him, one eyebrow raised, hands on her hips. “Tifa sent me out here to look for you.” He nodded, grunting once. “Seriously? You don’t look so good.” she said, and if Yuffie was concerned, he probably looked like shit. “I’m fine,” he gritted out, and she held up her hands. “Geez, man. Don’t take your bad mood out on me. Gawd.” 

 

He followed her into the library, and sat down at the computer, typing in a search for ‘keystone’. Cait Sith was nearby, and said, “Oh? Whatcha got there, Cloud?” As the robot came over, taking over the typing, Cloud answered, “I…uh…remembered. I saw something in a book I was reading about a Keystone for a Temple. If it’s…related to the Cetra, that might be what Sephiroth’s after, and we need to find it first.” Cait Sith nodded, and continued his search. 

 

It was only a few hours later that the rest of the party returned, Vincent looking much lighter than before, and wrapping his arm around Amira’s waist publicly. He watched, then, as Cait Sith announced, “Cloud here bagged us a winner! I dinnae know how he found it, but… there’s references here to a Temple of the Ancients, where the Black Materia is said to reside. There’s a Keystone that’s needed to access the place, but no one knows where it’s gone.” 

 

Aerith looked worried for a moment, and Amira sighed. “Well, that’s kind of a strike-out, Cait.” Vincent then spoke up, “No. I’ve heard of a Keystone. Dio used to have it in his Reliquary. If anyone knows where it is…” Cloud then responded, “It’ll be the man at the Gold Saucer.” He stood, and stretched, before saying, “Well, let’s mosey.” 

 

He heard Sephiroth laugh off to the side, and looked over to his right, but no one was there. Huh. He shook his head, and kept walking. He didn’t see Aerith and Amira look at each other with grave concern as they watched him, nor did he see Tifa pick up a small black feather, her face revealing her growing fear and dread. 

Chapter 43: TIFA

Summary:

LEMON THIS CHAPTER

CHAPTER 41 TIFA

 

Their arrival to the Saucer this time was more noted — the Turks who had brought Amira back to Cosmo Canyon from that cave were still there, so they offered to bring them, as Amira was planning a meeting once they got ahold of the Keystone. A Shinra helicopter dropping off a group of misfits like them… was sure to draw attention. 

 

Amira had snorted with laughter at Vincent’s response to the place. He loathed the lights, noise, and bouncy children… ninjas included. Yuffie was definitely bouncing. Tifa… well, her reaction was mixed. 

 

Something was very wrong with Cloud. Occasionally he would be back to himself, and his sweet goofball nature, but he was oddly focused on getting the Keystone. It really worried her. It worried everyone. She had seen the black feather that fell to the ground after Cloud left the observatory. 

 

She showed it to Amira and Zack, both of whom paled several shades. Sephiroth. Jenova. The confession Cloud had made to her in Cosmo Canyon stuck with her though. He had wanted to kiss her. He was… not… theirs. 

 

First order of business, per Amira, was to get their hands on the Keystone. Tifa walked closer to him, tapping him on the shoulder as he stared off into space. He grunted and looked at her, before his eyes softened, and she took his hand, smiling at him. “You in there? Come on, Amira’s going to talk to Dio.” Cloud hummed, and followed along with her. 

 

They all trekked straight to Dio’s offices, Reno and Cissnei, the two red-headed Turks, falling in behind Amira. The… rather eccentric man, oiled-up muscles and all, sighed when Amira directly asked him about the Keystone. Turns out, he did have it, and normally he wouldn’t have given it up without some games of his own. 

 

However, one of the Presidents of Shinra was standing in front of him, and now was not the time to play games. With two menacing-looking Turks at her back, as well as the rest of their group, Dio’s confidence…withered. Tifa chuckled as the man visibly shrank, and turned to a safe, keying in the code, before removing a stone orb the size of a man’s fist. It had markings on it, and Dio sighed. 

 

“Here it is. Use it well, Madam Shinra. Now, please, enjoy the hospitality of Gold Saucer for a night, on me. All events tonight are free of charge, after all.” Tifa felt a small spark of happiness light within her. Cloud was grumpy, but Amira turned to the group, decreeing that one night wouldn’t hurt, and would give her time to come up with a decent plan. 

 

What went unsaid was that it was very likely that Sephiroth and Jenova wouldn’t allow her to use the Keystone and take the Black Materia without a fight. They all made their way to the Ghost Hotel. Amira began to divvy up rooms — herself and Vincent, Zack and Aerith… she turned to look at her, eyes flicking to Cloud in question, and Tifa nodded. She wanted Cloud to herself tonight. Yuffie offered to stay with Nanaki, and Barret sighed with relief — the old man would get his own room for once. Everyone laughed. 

 

Tifa tugged on Cloud’s arm, and he followed her upstairs, before realizing that they were in a room together. He turned to her with surprise, and asked, “Teef? You sure?” She just smiled, and said, “Even if all you do is hold me, I just want to be here with you, tonight.” He smiled back at her, then, and it was like her Cloud was back. 

 

“Umm….” He mumbled, “Yes?” she asked, a playful smile on her face. He coughed, and continued, “There’s… uhh… I was wondering if you’d wanna come with me to Wonder Square. All the games and stuff are free. Thought maybe… we could…” He took a deep breath, and looked her in the eyes, before rushing out, “…makeitadate.” Tifa’s brows went up, and she said, “A date, huh?” Cloud blushed, and she tipped his chin up from where he was fixated on the floor, kissing him softly as she said, “I’d like that.” Cloud just smiled at her, then, before offering her his arm, and leading her from the room as she giggled happily. 

 

They walked through Wonder Square, the lights and sounds everywhere. Cloud aced the G-Bike mini game, getting the high score, and Tifa cheered. She then took on the fighting game, and got the top score herself. Cloud presented her with a moogle plushie he’d won, and she clutched it to her chest with a smile. No one had ever won her anything. She was kind of done with the games, though, and just wanted to spend time with Cloud. 

 

There was a little bar nearby, garish as ever because, let’s face it, this was the Gold Saucer. But… there were rounded little booths intended for privacy, and Cloud sighed as he noticed them, smiling at her, before leading her to one in the back. He scooted into the seat, pulling her in after him, and pulled her legs across his lap while the rest of her body was flush with his. Wow. 

 

She chuckled, and asked, “Beer?” He nodded, and she went to place their orders — huh, they had glasses of the Banoran apple wine, and it wasn’t insanely expensive. Dio must have gotten a good deal on it. She turned back to Cloud, “Care to be fancy with me?” He raised an eyebrow, and she pointed at the menu. 

 

His eyebrows hit his hairline, and he said, “Have you actually tried that before?” She laughed, and replied, “Amira.” Cloud said “Ohhhhh,” with understanding lighting his gaze, and he smiled again, before nodding, “Sure, Teef. I’ll be fancy with you.” She smiled brightly, and remotely placed their orders. 

 

She then snuggled into his arms, and he ran his fingers through her hair, just content to be together, and not having to say anything at all. The young waiter brought their drinks, staring at the two of them for a moment (her…assets…and Cloud’s eyes, specifically), before smiling, saying, “Enjoy your evening,” and making himself scarce. 

 

Cloud just snorted, and said, “I’ve never understood why guys stare at you that way.” Before she could be offended, he said, “I mean, Teef, don’t get me wrong, they…” he motioned to her breasts before continuing, “…are great, but your eyes are what always draw me in.” He took a sip of the wine then, as did she, and she savored the crackling apple flavor that she’d enjoyed in Junon. 

 

Cloud hummed as he drank, before tilting his head, and saying, “Damn. This is…” She looked up at him, “…really good wine?” He chuckled, and nodded. “I could get used to this. Good wine, and even better company.” She put her hand to her chest, “Cloud, you’re spoiling me with compliments.” He chuckled softly, and said, “I don’t have to be tough around you.” 

 

That warmed her all over, that he felt that he could be so open with her. They finished their drinks with peppered conversation, but otherwise didn’t feel the need to say much. It was her and Cloud, after all. 

 

As she swallowed the last bit of her wine, she looked up at him, and said, “Cloud…” He stared at her, mako blue eyes dark with desire, and said, “Tifa… I…” He gulped then, before continuing, “I love you. I have since we were kids. I just… never felt like I was worthy of you.” She ran her hand down his cheek, and replied, “You were always worthy of me. I love you, too, Cloud.” He kissed her, then, slow and deep, their tongues caressing each other as they basked in each other’s closeness. 

 

She wanted him. Wanted him so badly. “Room?” She asked after a few minutes. He nodded, “Uh-huh,” kissed her on the nose, and slid out of the booth, holding his hand out to her, which she took without hesitation. 

 

They walked briskly back to the hotel, not stopping at the front desk as they headed upstairs, or they would have seen two women dressed up in tiny sequined dresses, ready to go live it up like old times, about to leave, and giggling to each other as they saw Cloud and Tifa go by. 

 

Now at the room, Cloud unlocked the door, and Tifa walked inside. Cloud closed and locked the door behind them, and turned back to her. She scuffed her boot on the carpet, before deciding, ‘Screw it, boots are comin’ off,’ and unlacing her boots, toeing them off and stretching her toes out into the carpet. 

 

Cloud busied himself taking off his SOLDIER harness and pauldron, also removing his boots at the same time. That done, he sighed, and walked over to her with a determined glint in his eye, asking, “You sure, Teef? If you don’t want this, just say so. I’ll do whatever you want.” 

 

She sighed, and pulled him in to kiss her. She then whispered against his lips, “Make love to me, Cloud.” He smiled, running his now-ungloved hand down her cheek, before saying, “That I can do.” He slowly pulled each suspender down, before allowing her to pull off his turtleneck. She then unbuckled his belt, and he let his pants drop to the floor, stepping out of them and walking her backwards toward the bed. 

 

At the same time, he pulled his boxers off and dropped them. He pulled her skirt and underwear down, letting them fall where they lay, and then slowly pulled off her white shirt. Her scar was on full display, and his fingers slowly brushed over the thin line that ran between her breasts from her right shoulder to her left flank.. “Touch me, Cloud. Please.” He hummed, before leaning down, palming one breast, while placing a soft, sucking kiss to the other nipple. Oh, damn. He scrunched his nose up a little, and then returned to her lips, saying, “I like these better.” 

 

She giggled, then, and he motioned with his head for her to scoot back on the bed, which she did, him following her like a wildcat stalking its prey. She lay back, taking in the view of him above her. “Easy, Teef. I’ve got something I want to do, first.” He kissed her softly, before beginning to trail kisses down her neck, her chest on her scar, each breast, and then down her belly… to… oh Goddess. 

 

No man had ever… was he…? He put his mouth down there, moaning as he did, and saying, “Damn, Teef. You taste amazing.” As he did, her head fell back, and she let her legs fall open to him, allowing him to massage her thighs as he feasted on her like it was his last meal. When he sucked on her, her vision went white, and she came for the first time in years, gasping out, “Oh, Goddess, Cloud,” as she did. 

 

He made his way back up, and let her rest for a moment, allowing her the chance to relax a little, before sliding himself inside her, both of them gasping. Tifa felt complete — this was perfection. Cloud kissed her, and she tasted herself on him, before he buried his head in her neck and began to move. 

 

“Oh, shit, Tifa,” he moaned in her ear with each thrust, and she sighed with pleasure. “Oh, Cloud. I love you. Don’t stop. Just like that.” She lost herself to the pleasure he gave her, then, her belly tightening with each thrust, until she was crying out with each one. “Oh, Cloud, I’m gonna…” He looked her in the eyes, then, and said, “Me too, Teef. Love you.” 

 

Then, her vision was white again, pleasure flowing through her as she climaxed hard, bringing Cloud along with her as he gasped into her ear. As she came back to herself, Cloud had slumped next to her, pulling her into his embrace as he did. They were a sweaty mess, but she found she didn’t care at all. “Fuck, Tifa. That was…” He looked down at her, then, and she smiled, “It was incredible.” He smiled back. They didn’t sleep the rest of the night. 

Chapter 44: AMIRA

Summary:

LEMON THIS CHAPTER

CHAPTER 42 AMIRA

 

Getting the Keystone had been the easy part. She’d given a room each to Reno and Cissnei, too, insisting that they get out and have a good time as well. Cissnei grinned at her, and said, “Um, so I have something I wanna show you.” Vincent and Reno both raised their brows, and Amira laughed, before saying, “I’ll be right back.” 

 

She followed Cissnei up to her room, where she had had her go-bag sent by the bellhop. Cissnei shrugged out of her suit jacket, and said, “Girl, I haven’t seen you since all the shit with Tseng.” She then walked over and hugged Amira, who returned it happily. Cissnei was one of her oldest friends, after all. 

 

Amira raised a brow, before asking, “What’s this I heard about hazing Elena?” Cissnei chuckled, and said, “She fucked our boss… who was engaged to my best friend. If you think I’m gonna let that slide, absolutely fuckin’ not.” 

 

Amira smiled then, and asked, “No permanent damage?” Cissnei rolled her eyes, and said, “Nothing she can’t handle. She knows why. Fuck, she even apologized to me. Told me that she was ‘in love’ with Tseng. I told her to apologize to you, and then… maybe… I’d accept her as a Turk.” 

 

Amira was impressed by both her friend’s loyalty and moxie, and chuckled a bit. “Now, what was it you wanted to show me?” Cissnei grinned at her then, going to her bag and unzipping it to reveal a garment bag. “Ta-Da!” She said gleefully, and Amira cocked her head with interest. 

 

Cissnei then unzipped the bag, to reveal two sequined minidresses — one black, one silver. “For old times’ sake,” she said. Amira’s heart warmed at the gesture. “What are Vincent and Reno going to do? I can’t just abandon them, here.” Cissnei grinned, then, and said, “Now, him I have been meaning to ask you about. What’s the deal?” 

 

Amira smiled softly, and said, “I love him, Ciss. He’s… he just… understands me.” Cissnei smiled softly, and she continued, “Not to mention, the sex is incredible.” Her friend laughed, deeply and truly, then. “Oh, man. Well, I for one, am just ecstatic for you. He’s…” she nodded for emphasis, “He’s a looker, I’ll say that much. What do we know about him.” 

 

Amira looked her friend dead in the eye, ticking off her fingers as she said, “Former Turk, fellow victim of Hojo, killer sense of humor, incredibly compassionate, intelligent, and great in the sack.” She sighed, and Cissnei giggled, hugging her. “Sounds like a catch. I’m all for it.” 

 

She then said, “We’ll just drag them with us. No biggie. I think Vincent will enjoy staring at you in fancier get-up anyway.” Amira giggled back, and said, “Okay, let’s do this.” Cissnei then pulled out a toiletry bag, and said, “Makeup, too. We’re goin’ for it.” 

 

Amira sent Reno a text, telling him to grab Vincent and meet them in the lobby. They were going out. Her PHS rang, then — Reno. “Did Ciss do what I think she did?” the man asked, and Amira chuckled, “Yep. Fancy dresses, makeup, the whole she-bang.” 

 

Reno was practically cackling, then. “Oh man, I can’t wait to see the look on Big Red’s face when he gets an eyeful of you in one of them tiny dresses you favor.” He then hummed, “Better find him a suit. That black leather shit won’t do at all.” Amira laughed right back, and said, “We’ll see you in a bit.” 

 

She clicked the phone closed, and started to pull on her dress. A little bit later, she walked over to Cissnei at the mirror, who was lining her eyes with a dark sparkly green, while Amira had chosen a kohl-black liner that made her eyes pop. “Ready?” She asked. Cissnei grinned, both grabbing their crossbody clutches, and threaded her arm through Amira’s, “Yes, ma’am. Let’s do this.”

 

As they walked down the steps in their stilettos, Amira saw Vincent with his back to her, talking to Reno and Zack. Aerith was nearby, and she gasped at the sight of Amira and Cissnei. “If I weren’t already headed off on a date of my own…” Aerith said, and Amira chuckled. “Note for the future when we get back to Midgar: Take Aerith clubbing.” 

 

Zack wolf-whistled, and then, Vincent turned around, his eyes widening as he took her in, as they darkened to a ruby color, and he looked her up and down as if he were… wanting to skip to dessert, so to speak. She shivered. Cissnei giggled from next to her, and they walked over to the guys, heels clicking with every step. 

 

Cissnei then said, “Well, what do you think?” Zack looked at her, and replied, “Damn, Ciss. You look incredible.” Aerith cleared her throat, then, and he turned, “I only have eyes for you, babe. Just givin’ a friend a compliment.” Aerith smiled, “I know. She is hot.” Aerith then looked at Amira, and said, “But you, my friend, are dazzling. Wow.” 

 

Reno laughed, and said, “You girls sure know how to work it.” He looked up at Vincent, before turning back to Amira, “Whaddya think? I tried to find something our former vampire friend could use. I think I did all right, if I do say so, myself.” Amira’s eyes turned to Vincent, then. He still had the red bandana, but was in a black suit, a black silk shirt with an open collar, and dark shoes. Damn. 

 

He was gorgeous, and Reno had done a fantastic job. Her mouth went dry at the sight of him. “Wow. Reno, that’s some fine work.” Vincent blushed a little, and said, “I was… oddly impressed by your friend’s ability to find a suit that worked for me.” Reno’s face flattened playfully, and he replied, “I’m a fuckin’ Turk. Gimme a little credit. I do know how to figure out my way around a nice suit.” 

 

Amira laughed, then. Aerith and Zack were heading out, and waved as they left. She raised an eyebrow, and Vincent replied, “He’s taking her up to the Skywheel. Couples only tonight, from what I gathered.” Amira replied, “Ahh. That makes sense. It is…” she used air quotes, “‘Entertainment Night,’ so I supposed we’d better enjoy it. Reno’s eyes were caught by someone at the entrance, and Amira turned around to see Cloud and Tifa, heads together… and heading upstairs in a hurry. 

 

Reno was about to catcall, but Cissnei clamped her hand over his mouth, saying, “No.” Reno sighed behind her hand, “Aw, c’mon, Ciss.” She shook her head, “Nuh-uh,” and held her hand in place until Cloud and Tifa were out of sight. She and Amira then giggled to each other, before Amira took Vincent’s arm, and said, “Well, shall we?” 

 

The club was dark, ambience lights flashing in red, green, purple, and blue, as they entered. The bass of the music pulsed, and Amira could feel it resonate through her chest and throat. Reno tapped Vincent on the arm, and said, “Come on, man. Let’s go find a perch where we can grab a drink and watch.” 

 

Vincent grunted from next to her, before she reached up, pulled him down for a kiss, and said, “Enjoy the show.” She felt a feline grin cross her face as she and Cissnei strutted out to the dance floor, beat pulsing through their veins as they joined the masses of writhing dancers at the center of the floor, Vincent watching her heatedly before Reno pulled him along. 

 

She and Cissnei danced close together, rolling their bodies in time with the beat, and her eyes would stray to Vincent every now and then. He never took his off her, sharing a beer with Reno as they sat off to the side. Cissnei giggled, before saying in her ear, “Eat your heart out, Tseng! Damn, girl. He is fine.” Amira chuckled, “And all mine.” Cissnei cackled, then.

 

After a couple of hours, Amira was kind of over it, though she had really enjoyed spending time with her friend. She tapped Cissnei’s shoulder, and motioned her head towards the exit. Cissnei sighed, and said, “Yeah, I’m a little tired. I think we can call it.” 

 

She motioned to Reno, who nodded, and he and Vincent met them at the entrance. All of a sudden, Amira felt… woozy, her limbs not wanting to cooperate, and her head throbbing. Oh no. This was how she’d felt when the Goddess made her the vessel back in Midgar. She clutched Vincent’s arm tightly, and he could tell something was wrong. 

 

“Amira?” He questioned, looking alarmed. She looked up at Reno and Cissnei. “Get me out of sight, now. Quickly.” Vincent scooped her up, and they moved around to a quiet corner, down the hall from the club entrance, but out of the way where few people milled about. Cissnei looked worried, now. 

 

Her voice reflected that,“Mira, what the hell’s happening?” She groaned out, “Vision. She has something she needs to tell me.” She looked at Vincent, then, “Hold me steady?” He nodded solemnly, and she gave over to it, her vision going black. 

 

She was in that same black void, green tendrils of Lifestream floating around her, as the Goddess appeared before her. “I am sorry to disturb you, little one,” she intoned, “But, I have need to give you a warning.” Her blood ran cold in her veins. “What kind of warning?” She asked, and the Goddess continued, “You and the other, who was chosen to lure out the Calamity — you must go together into the City of the Ancients. There, together, you will face her, and her puppets. Alone, your friend will surely meet her doom. Together, your fate is uncertain, though you have better odds of success. Be cautious, little one, and have care.” The Goddess disappeared then, and Amira’s vision went dark again. She woke up in Vincent’s arms, gasping for air as her eyes met his. “Vincent?” 

 

He let out a breath, as if he’d been holding his, and sighed, “Amira… you’re all right.” Reno and Cissnei both looked more than a little freaked out. “Mira… your eyes… they were gold,” Reno said, and she sighed. 

 

So the Goddess really had taken her over. That’s a frightening thought. She looked up at Vincent. “She had a message… a warning, really. One for me and Aerith. I’ll have to check in with her tomorrow. It can wait, but it will affect our plans going forward.” 

 

Vincent nodded, and helped her back to her feet. She took her heels off, Cissnei doing the same, and both of them carrying the shoes over their shoulders. That way, it would just look like their feet were sore from dancing, and not like Amira was having difficulty walking. Vincent had an arm around her waist, supporting her as they made their way back to the hotel. Reno was on Cissnei’s other side. 

 

When they got back to the lobby, Cissnei informed Amira that she’d bring her clothes by their room real fast. Reno headed back to his room, but not before adding, “Imma be here bright an’ early with coffee, yo. Rufus told me to give him a call once I had you corralled tomorrow. Plans to make, an’ all.” 

 

Amira nodded once, and he smiled, before he hugged her, and told her, “Now, don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.” She smacked his shoulder then, “That doesn’t leave a lot of things, Reno.” He laughed, and shrugged, as he made his way towards his room, “You know it, yo!” 

 

Vincent chuckled at their interaction, and led her back to their room. She sat her shoes down, and walked over to stand at the window. Cissnei knocked quickly thereafter, and handed Amira’s clothes off to Vincent, before Amira heard her say to him, “Take care of her. Tseng did love her, but not like you do. I can see that.” Vincent hummed, and must have nodded, because then Cissnei was gone, and Vincent locked the door behind her. 

 

She felt his arms wrap around her from behind, and she relaxed into him, as he placed a kiss to her neck — Goddess, it was so much like Tseng used to do… but not. Vincent was warmer, more affectionate. He hummed as he placed kisses up her neck and her jaw, before turning her in his arms, and kissing her deeply on the lips, tongue questing to tangle with hers, which she happily allowed. 

 

She looked up into his eyes, which were almost black with desire, and started to unbutton his shirt, sliding it off his shoulders as he watched her. She then unbuttoned his pants, and he slid off his pants and boxers. He was already barefoot. He backed up towards the bed, then, watching her as she slid her dress straps off her shoulders, allowing it to drop to the floor. She then slid off her panties, and sauntered over to him, before he stood, lifting her up and placing her on the bed. 

 

He loomed over her, then, and kissed up and down her body, returning to her lips for a deep kiss before sliding their bodies together like they were puzzle pieces meant to complete each other. She moaned, her head falling back as he did. "Holy shit, Vincent. So good." He chuckled deeply, and held himself steady for a moment.

 

She waited as patiently as she could, running her fingers through his hair as she whispered, “I love you, Vincent.” He leaned down to her ear, whispering, “I love you, too, Amira.” She bit his earlobe, then, and said, "I love you, but for the love of the Goddess... move." 

 

He laughed then, pulling her leg to wrap around his waist and stroking deeply into her, almost pushing her against the headboard with every thrust. She moaned with each one, and reached around him, scratching her nails down his back. He seemed to like that, groaning sensually as she did, all the while staring into her eyes. It wasn’t the desperate passion of their first night together, this was… soft…slow…tender.

 

He touched her gently, rubbing to get the friction he knew she needed — and that was all it took for her to come apart in his arms. Vincent kissed her, holding her tight as he finished with her. He then lay beside her, cuddling her into his arms. She rolled over, staring into his eyes, as she started to stroke him again.

 

He looked up at her, then, and laughed. "That won't take long," he said. When she raised a brow, he continued, "One of the few perks of having an animalistic demon in my head, I suppose." She laughed, then loudly. He kissed her hard, smirking, and rolled her underneath him again. 

Chapter 45: AERITH/ZACK

CHAPTER 43 AERITH/ZACK

 

AERITH

 

Zack had taken her hand after Amira and Cissnei had arrived, leading her off to the Skywheel. “I’ll be honest, I saw that there was a free play, but, knowing my luck, I’d have to act in it or something,” Zack said, and she giggled at the thought. Zack would be terrible at acting. 

 

But, she’d pay to see that, actually, so she pouted. “Pleeeeeaaasseeee? Come on, let’s at least go watch it.” Zack sighed deeply, as if the very heavens had been put upon his shoulders. He then smiled playfully, and huffed out, “Fine. But only because you asked so nicely.” She grinned widely, and dragged the much taller SOLDIER behind her as he laughed. 

 

When they arrived, an usher stood at the door, and said, “Congratulations! You’re our 500th couple this evening! As such, you get the opportunity to participate in tonight’s show!” Zack cut his eyes over to her, then, as if to say, ‘See?’, and she couldn’t help it. 

 

She laughed, doubling over as the usher stared at her a bit. She waved her hand, then, and said, “My boyfriend here was just joking about how it’d be his luck he’d have to act in the play. I’m sorry.” The usher laughed, then, and said, “Well, I guess today is his lucky day. Please, follow me.” Zack sighed heavily, and they followed. 

 

ZACK

 

Zack was shoved backstage, Aerith whisked away to the other side, waving as she went. Oh, boy. This was going to be embarrassing. No two ways about it. Smile, Fair. You got this. 

 

Soon, the narrator began, voice booming out through the theater. “Long, long ago…” Zack groaned internally. “An evil shadow appeared over the peaceful kingdom of Galdia.” A pause, “Princess Rosa was kidnapped… by the EVIL dragon king, Valvados. Oh, what will become of her?!” Oh, Goddess. This was so cheesy. 

 

The music tensed, and the narrator continued, “Just then, the legendary hero, Alfred, appears!” A stage hand pushed him, saying, “That’s your cue, buddy!” Oh. He took a deep breath, and strutted out onto the stage with his best SOLDIER walk, emulating Genesis with every step. He’d kill me if he could see this shit. 

 

An actor in a knight costume then…twirled… out onto the stage. It was all Zack could do not to face palm. “Ohh…you must be the legendary hero… Alfred! By my soul, please, PLEASE save the Princess Rosa,” the knight spoke with forced desperation. Then, he cleared his throat, and said under his breath, “Ahem. It’s your line.” Shit. What do I say? I have lines? 

 

The knight continued on, “Now, please, talk to… the King!” He knelt, and a man in robes and a crown…twirled… onto the stage as well. The man then intoned, “Oh, Legendary Hero, Alfred. You have come to save my beloved Rosa! On the peak of a dangerous mountain, dwells the EVIL dragon king Valvados… who has kidnapped Princess Rosa… BUT. You can’t beat the EVIL dragon king now! Talk…to the ONE who can help you!” 

 

Zack was at the point where he was grimacing. Who wrote this shit? Another actor…twirled… onto the stage, this one in what looked like a wizard’s costume. Oh—kay. The “King” then whispered to Zack, “You can pick which guy you talk to, the wizard or the knight.” Zack looked at the guy like he was crazy. Um…well I think I’ll talk to the wizard, duh. 

 

He walked over to the Wizard then, and the man said, “I am the great Wizard, Vorman. What do you wish to know?” The guy then leaned over to Zack, and whispered, “You can ask me about the dragon king’s weakness or the Princess’ measurements.” He cocked his head. What… the… well, he already knew the latter, so… Zack intoned, as cheesily as possible to match these goofs, “I would like to know the weakness of the EVIL Dragon King…good…sir.” 

 

The man then continued, “Ah… the weakness of the EVIL Dragon King. It must be, it must be…” Zack grimaced, waiting for the shitty punch line, “Yes! It must be… true love.” Oh, gag me. “The power of LOVE, is the only weapon that can withstand the fangs of the EVIL dragon king.” Goddess, he was so glad Amira wasn’t here. She’d be cackling at him from the audience. As would Cloud. Hell, any of their friends, come to think of it.

 

The cheesy narrator then came back over the house speakers, “Oh, WHAT is going to happen NEXT?” I can’t wait. “Oh… Legendary hero… LOOK!” Aerith, dressed in a silvery costume and a crown, was brought onstage in the arms of… a dude in a cheap dragon suit. The man then bellowed, “GAHHHHH! I am the EVIL dragon king, Valvados! I have not harmed the princess. I have been expecting… YOU!” 

 

Aerith then gasped theatrically, and looked up at him, saying, “Please, help me, Legendary hero!” She then whispered to the dude in the dragon suit, “Like that,” and Zack tried so hard not to snort. The guy in the dragon suit then said, “GAHHHHH! Here I come, Legendary hero! I already know…your NAME!” What…in the… 

 

Zack’s attention was grabbed by the wizard-dude, who said, “And now, Legendary hero, here is what will HAPPEN… to your BELOVED… A KISS… the power of true LOVE!” The guy then whispered to Zack that he could kiss the Princess, the dude in the dragon suit, or the King. What? Why would he ever pick anyone but the Princess? 

 

He then intoned, “Oh Princess, I have come for you!” He walked over to Aerith then, kneeling at her feet, and placing a kiss on her hand. “Oh, Alfred,” she gushed out theatrically, and he chuckled under his breath at her. She used her other hand to smack him lightly where the audience couldn’t see, smile still plastered to her face. 

 

The dude in the dragon suit then grabbed his mask, and theatrically cried out, “GAHHHHH! Curses! The power of…LOVE,” and fell backwards with a splat. The King then stepped forward, intoning, “Oh…behold! Love has triumphed!” He turned to Aerith and Zack, then, “Now, let’s return… and CELEBRATE!” The knight and the wizard then piped up, “YES LET’S… YES LET’S…” and all three…twirled…off stage. 

 

Aerith tapped him, and he picked her up, twirling them both off stage. They fell over once they got backstage, her laughing uncontrollably as she landed on him. He couldn’t help but join in. “Oh, Goddess, that was so… ridiculous,” she gasped out between her belly laughs. 

 

He just laughed, shaking his head. “Oh man, I was thinking of what Angeal’s reaction… or better yet, Genesis’, would have been to that…mess. I almost didn’t make it through the lines.” She just chuckled at him, as she pulled her pink dress and jacket back on, returning the costume to the female stagehand with a smile. 

 

“Come on, Legendary Hero… let’s continue our date!” She then pointed forward dramatically, taking his hand as they left the theatre, still giggling. 

 

AERITH

 

As they exited the theatre, Aerith was feeling over-the-moon. She looked up at Zack, then, and said, “So, Skywheel, then?” He smiled at her, and said, “Yep. All that fun, and now you’re stuck with just little ol’ me. I know, I’m boring. Sue me.” 

 

She laughed, then, “You are not.” She had a thought, then. “Ooh! Are there fireworks tonight?” Zack looked thoughtful. “Maybe. That would be cool if there were.”

 

As they arrived, the line was…well, there was no one in it. Well, she wasn’t complaining. The attendant took one look at them, and opened a door to a waiting carriage for them. Zack looked down at her, grinning, and said, “Your carriage awaits, mi’lady!” 

 

She giggled, and stepped inside, him following her and closing the door. They sat nearest the window, both looking out at the sights. Zack sighed from next to her, and she looked over at him. “Hey, what’s bothering you?” He looked over at her, mako blue eyes filled with concern. “A lot of things.” She waited him out, knowing he’d spill if she gave him enough time. 

 

He turned to her, and sighed again, before saying, “I’m worried about you being the bait. I’m worried something will go wrong. I’m worried about Spike. I’m worried about losing a friend, or worse, you… Like I said, a lot of things.” She took the initiative then, and sat across his lap, his eyes widening slightly as she did. “Zack… I can’t guarantee that one of those things won’t happen. None of us can.” 

 

She gave that a second to settle in, and continued, “But… Amira and I have to trust that we can get this done. If we don’t have hope, we’ve already failed. You know?” Zack huffed out a laugh, then. “I guess that’s why you have me — you can remain the optimist, and I’ll make every contingency plan that exists. I can’t lose you, Aer.” 

 

She put her hand on his cheek then, “So make sure you don’t.” The wheel came to a stop at the top, and she looked out the window as the firework show began. Bright colors, holographic images of the chocobo racing, of the games, of all the different things Gold Saucer has to offer. It was… breathtaking. 

 

“Not as breathtaking as you,” Zack said from next to her, his eyes on her rather than outside. Oh. She must have said that out loud. As the fireworks continued to explode outside, she turned to her SOLDIER, and wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing him with passion, and he returned it, stroking his hand down her cheek as he did. “Damn, I love you, Aer.” She smiled at him, feeling a mist of tears come to her eyes. “I love you, too, Zack.” 

Chapter 46: AMIRA

Summary:

LEMON THIS CHAPTER

CHAPTER 44 AMIRA

 

She woke slowly, Vincent groaning from next to her as she was still lying on his chest. She kissed the bullet scars softly, rolling over to slide onto him. He groaned deeply, his hands running down her back, those ruby eyes sliding open, almost glowing with desire for her, before he pulled her towards him for a deep kiss. 

 

She loved this position with him, watching him relish in the sensations she gave him, sensations he’d so long been denied. After a solid half hour of languid movements, she finally felt that snap of pleasure, her head falling back as she moaned out, “Fuck, yeah,” Vincent following behind her with a groan and a snap of his hips into hers. 

 

She felt that telltale warmth inside her, and leaned forward, lying on top of him as she kissed him gently. His eyes opened again, and he chuckled against her lips. “Good morning, beautiful,” he said to her, his voice deep with sleep. She smiled back at him, and replied, “Morning, babe.” 

 

He preened a little when she called him endearments, and it gave her a warm, fuzzy feeling. “Oh, I don’t want to get up, but we have to. Meeting today, and who the hell knows when Reno will show up.” Vincent chuckled, then, nodding, and she was sliding out of the bed to shower. Reno had said he’d be there early, after all. 

 

She took some time to prepare herself as she showered. This was probably going to be awkward. She hadn’t seen Tseng since Junon, and he’d be part of this. Even if he was on a screen, that had the potential to be painful. She felt cold air hit her as the shower door opened, and Vincent joined her. 

 

He kissed her softly, as he said, “I know, we have to get ready. I’m not going to distract you.” She raised a brow at him, and replied, “Your presence is distracting enough, sir.” He chuckled then, and they got clean as quickly as they could, before stepping out of the bathroom to dress. 

 

Amira pulled on her freshly laundered jeans and shirt, her cargo vest going over it. She didn’t need the blades right now, so she just put her gun in its holster, and laced up her boots. She chose not to wear her bracer or Minerva Band right now. She didn’t need that for a strategy meeting. She cleaned up her makeup, and came out of the bathroom. 

 

As she did, she noticed that Vincent was wearing his usual leather getup, but had forgone the gauntlet, greaves (with the pointed toe add-ons), and cloak. He just wore his boots and bandana otherwise. He smirked at her, arms crossed across his chest as he leaned back against the wall, waiting on her. 

 

There was a knock at the door, then. “Yo, Mira! You and Big Red decent?” She laughed then, and answered the door. Reno stood there, three cups of coffee in a carrying tray in his hands. He was snapping the phone closed as the door opened. He grinned at both of them, and said, “I’ve commandeered Dio’s office for this meeting.” 

 

He then stopped Amira until she looked him in the eye, and he sighed, “Tseng is here. He insisted that all the Turks be present for this. Reeve and Rufus are going to video conference in.” He then handed them their coffees. “I just wanted to warn you, yo. So you weren’t surprised to see him in the flesh, and had a minute to prepare.” She gave him a one-armed hug then, and Vincent acknowledged the gesture with a nod. 

 

As they made their way to Dio’s office, they ran into Aerith and Zack. Amira stopped them all, grabbing Aerith by the arm, and saying, “We need two minutes. You guys wait a minute.” Aerith’s green eyes were a little wide as she pulled her off to the side. “What’s wrong, Mira?” Amira sighed, and said, “I had a vision from the Goddess last night.” Aerith’s eyes became solemn, and she said, “I’m listening.” 

 

Amira continued, “She says we have to go to the City of the Ancients together to defeat Jenova. If you go alone, even as the bait, Minerva said you’d die…” She stared into Aerith’s green eyes, and continued, “Obviously, we’re not letting that happen.” Aerith nodded, and said, “I have to tell Zack. He’s already worried.” Amira nodded once, and said, “I plan to work in the idea of us not separating when we make our plans at this meeting.” 

 

Aerith hummed under her breath, and then looked back at her, “What else is bothering you?” Amira sighed, “Tseng is here.” Aerith’s eyes hardened then, “Stay with Vincent, and I’ll be right next to you. Zack, too.” Amira smiled, and they returned to the others. Zack had vanished, and when Aerith asked where he’d gone, Reno smirked, and replied, “To harangue Tseng.” Amira snorted. 

 

Aerith went in first, Reno following her. Amira stopped, taking a deep breath, and then looked up at Vincent, who was watching her with a soft expression. “Vince, when we go in there, I’m not your lover, I’m the President of Shinra. Got it?” He nodded once, and replied with a cheeky tone, “Understood, Madam President.” She swatted his shoulder, and he followed her inside. 

 

She looked around the room, and noted a monitor towards the front, Reeve and Rufus sitting next to each other on the screen. Rufus leaned back, his right leg crossed over his left, chin resting on his left fist, looking bored. Reeve was sitting straight, hands in front of him on the table, papers spread around him. She looked around the room then. 

 

There was a chair at the middle — for her, obviously — Reno and Cissnei were flanking it. Cissnei pointed subtly to Vincent, and then to the empty chair to the right of hers. Vincent nodded in return, and Cissnei smiled, wiggling her eyebrows, which made him blush and Amira laugh. 

 

At the front of the room stood Rude, Elena, and…Tseng. He looked good. Tired, but good. He did, however, appear more than slightly annoyed, as Zack was standing next to him, quietly giving him the what-for, and looking back toward her as he did so. Elena was glaring at Zack the entire time, while Rude had a subtle smile on his face. 

 

Tseng’s eyes were a little sad as he watched her enter the room, before they flashed over to Vincent and noted both her obvious comfort with him and his proximity to her, narrowing slightly. No, sir. You cannot get angry with me for moving on. 

 

Done with his tirade, and acknowledged with a nod by Tseng, Zack sat in the chair to her left, Aerith on his lap. She leaned over to him then, “Feel better?” Zack shrugged, “Some. I’ll be givin’ him shit for the foreseeable future, and he knows it.” Amira just nodded, and went to sit down. 

 

The rest of the group — Cloud, Tifa, Yuffie, Barret, and Nanaki — all stood around the other side of the table. She gestured for them to sit, and Cloud, Tifa, and Barret took the remaining seats. Yuffie leaned against the wall, and Nanaki came to sit on his haunches near her, tail flicking with slight agitation as he eyed Tseng. 

 

She gestured for Vincent to sit next to her. He did, crossing one leg over the other, and resting his chin on his fist as well, watching everyone around him with those carnelian eyes. Amira watched Elena shudder as Vincent eyed her with a glare for a moment. It made her feel all warm on the inside. 

 

She turned to the monitor at the front, and Rufus began, “Good, so everyone is here?” Amira replied, “All present and accounted for, big brother.” He smiled, a chuckle leaving his lips, before he said, “All right, Amira. Floor is yours.” 

 

She sighed, and said, “Reeve has been doing a lot of the heavy lifting on the research through Cait Sith. Aerith and I believe that Sephiroth, and, by extension, Jenova, are looking for something called the Black Materia. Its purpose is to summon the ultimate black magic — Meteor, which would cause a gaping wound in the Planet great enough to threaten its existence. That would be when Jenova chose to strike, and seize control of the lifestream for herself, destroying all life in the process.” 

 

Everyone looked a little pale as she finished, and she said, “The goal is to stop that before it happens.” She looked up at Rufus, then. “We have the Keystone that is required to open the door to the Temple, courtesy of Dio. Aerith and I will take the Keystone to the Temple site, and we will open it. We’ll work our way through the temple, and take the Black Materia for ourselves, with the intent of destroying it after we lure out and destroy Jenova.” 

 

Tseng’s head cocked, and he asked, “And how do you know he won’t be waiting for you to open the door?” She looked up at him, then, “We don’t.” He shook his head. “I think Rufus will agree with me when I say that the Turks should take the Keystone. We’ll go first, and we’ll be ready to spring a trap if one is present.” 

 

Amira stared at her ex-fiancé for a moment, before looking to Vincent. “Thoughts?” She asked him. He hummed, and stated, “I think the Director is correct, and his instinct to keep you safe is in line with my own.” Rufus cleared his throat, then. “Remind me who you are, again?” 

 

Vincent chuckled, and replied, “Vincent Valentine, former Turk and attaché to the Science Department. I… have been a guest of Professor Hojo for some years. Amira and the others…convinced me… to join them.” Tseng’s eyes lit, then, and he said, “You’re the one the good professor kept in the basement.” Vincent nodded. 

 

Rufus then noted, “It’s rather obvious to me that my sister values your opinion, Mr. Valentine…” Oh, that wasn’t subtle at all. Vincent chuckled then, taking Amira’s hand and kissing her knuckles. Okay, guess subtlety is off the table. Zack snorted from his place to her left, and Vincent continued, staring at Tseng as he did so, “That she does. I am her partner, after all.” Shots fired. Damn, Vincent. Tseng looked like he’d been shot through the heart for a moment, before his face was impassive again. 

 

Zack looked over at her, brow raised. He saw it, too. She then spoke up, “Okay, you guys can do your dick-measuring contest later.” She heard Reno snort behind her, and she looked up at Tseng. “In this case, I think you’re right. We’ll do this your way.” He smiled wanly at her, and nodded. She then looked at the rest of the group, “Gather your shit. Meet in 30 at the helipad. Dismissed.” She walked away, Vincent following, before Tseng could say anything else. 

 

Reeve had determined the coordinates for the Temple itself — North, just north of Bone Village. She, Aerith, Zack, and Vincent were on one helicopter with the Turks, and the rest of the group in another. She hadn’t spoken two words to either Tseng or Elena, though the man had been eyeing her uncomfortably. 

 

Elena was whispering softly to him, but when she tried to take his hand, he shook hers off. She sighed. Tseng was all-business, today. The chopper landed, but there wasn’t a Temple in sight. Were they in the right place? She looked over at Aerith, who looked nervous. She was squeezing Zack’s hand in an almost white-knuckle grip, but the man showed no signs of discomfort. Vincent had his arm around her, as she leaned into him to quell her own anxieties, him whispering softly to her throughout the trip. Another thing Tseng had been watching intermittently. She sighed.  

 

As they got off the chopper, she looked around, before Tseng stated, “The coordinates indicated we need to go about ten minutes north of here.” She nodded, and they set off. Before they could get very far, the small, blonde Turk stopped right in front of her. 

 

Amira raised a brow at the woman, saying nothing. Elena sighed, and said, “I’m sorry, okay?” Amira still said nothing, wanting her to squirm a little, which she did after a moment. “I never… intended…for any of this.” 

 

Elena looked her dead in the eye, then. “But, I love him. I won’t apologize for that. And…” Her eyes turned to the form of Tseng who was moving away, now, his back to them. “…and he loves me.” Amira sucked in a breath, before she sighed, and said, “I know.” Elena looked confused. “Wait, you know?” 

 

Amira smiled wanly at the woman, before she said, “The heart wants what it wants, Elena. I hated you at first, but…” Her eyes strayed to Vincent, who had stopped Tseng and was holding him back from returning to them, one hand on his shoulder as both men watched them. Elena’s eyes followed hers to Vincent, as well, and she chuckled. 

 

“I gotta ask, how long’s that been going on? I don’t think Tseng was expecting it, so it caught him off guard a little.” Amira raised a brow, and Elena quickly added, “Not that you shouldn’t. I mean… shit…” Amira just chuckled then, and the woman laughed a little, too. 

 

“We’re not friends…” Amira said as she looked the woman in the eye, again, “…but I find I’m less inclined to kill you in cold blood.” Elena just laughed, then, loudly, and Amira smirked. “Oh, man, I like you,” Elena said, then. Amira just sighed. 

 

“Maybe… when this is over… we grab coffee, and we’ll talk.” Elena raised a brow, “Like…really talk?” Amira returned it, “Like, really talk.” Elena returned to a stance of attention, and said, “Thank you, Madam President.” 

 

Amira walked past her then, and, as she approached Vincent and Tseng, said, “See? No blood. We’re okay.” Vincent just chuckled, and Tseng’s familiar smirk appeared as he huffed out a laugh, before he continued forward. 

 

Zack ambled up behind her then, Aerith right with him. “Damn, Boss Lady. What’d she say?” Amira just chuckled, “She apologized.” Zack whistled lowly, “Girl has cojones then.” Amira just glanced at him wryly, “Brass ones.” 

 

As they reached the end of the path, Amira saw a stone platform looking out over a valley, with a pedestal at the center. She walked up to Tseng, then, gesturing for the Keystone. “Let me,” she said, and he nodded with a grunt of acknowledgement, dropping it into her outstretched palm. 

 

She walked forward, taking a deep breath, hearing the whispers of the Planet as she did so, and sitting it down in the recessed opening. The pedestal glowed green, then, and retracted. She gasped as she reflexively stepped back, Tseng catching her, hands on her shoulders, as they watched the temple…form… out of thin air in the valley before them, the platform now extending to the Temple entrance. 

 

Tseng patted her on the shoulder, then, before stepping in front of her, saying, “Allow me, Madam President.” She nodded, and he stepped forward, taking the lead again as they entered the Temple’s grounds. Aerith walked up to her, wrapped her arm around Amira’s as they followed Tseng. 

 

Zack and Vincent weren’t far behind, and she felt secure in the knowledge that they could react quickly if the shit hit the fan at any moment. Vincent had his gun out, safety off, and Zack had one hand on the Buster Sword, ready to draw it at a moment’s notice. The Turks all appeared vigilant as well. 

 

The Temple allowed them inside — good, no obvious booby traps or the like just yet. She was sure more was to come. There would be security lining the path to the Black Materia, of that she was certain. Tseng was about ten feet in front of them, and he turned to say something to them, when a purple and black mass began to coalesce behind him. 

 

Before Amira could get the warning out, Sephiroth appeared, stabbing Masamune through Tseng’s right chest. Tseng grunted as the sword made impact, and, as Sephiroth held it in place, Tseng began to collapse. “NO!” Amira cried out in anguish, as Sephiroth intoned, “Only the worthy shall see the glory to come.” 

 

Suddenly, a gunshot rang out, and Sephiroth’s eyes widened, looking down at a bleeding wound over his heart, before disappearing into smoke as the sword, too, vanished into thin air. Amira turned briefly as the shot rang out, seeing Vincent’s gun smoking. “Go, get to him,” Vincent said with urgency. As she took off running, Tseng hit the floor hard, gasping wetly as he did so. 

 

Amira ran forward, calling for her fellow Cetra, who answered, “Right behind you, Mira!” She skidded, sliding to her knees to his side as Aerith joined her. “Help me,” she ordered her friend, and Aerith assisted her in getting Tseng onto his back. Her friend then moved his head up onto her lap to keep him from choking on the blood that was seeping from his mouth. Shit. Internal injuries - probably a lung. 

 

Aerith activated her mastered Cure materia, but, somehow, Amira knew it wouldn’t be enough. She prayed, now, harder than she ever had before. Please, don’t let him die. I never wanted this. Please. Tseng was talking — to her, gasping as he did so. “I’m sorry, Mira. I’m so sorry. I… never meant to hurt you.” She shushed him then, as he began to cough wetly. 

 

She felt the throbbing in her head, the prelude to the Goddess’ intervention, and she said to Tseng, “Whatever you see, whatever happens next, don’t be afraid. Please.” He nodded once, holding her hand as she gave herself over to the Goddess, who whispered to her, “I will help, him, Little One. Never fear.” 

Chapter 47: AERITH

CHAPTER 45 AERITH

 

She sat there, holding Tseng’s head up as best she could, as Amira shuddered and her eyes closed as her head dropped between her knees. Tseng gasped out, “What’s happening to her?” Aerith shushed him, then, and said, “Don’t talk. Save your strength.” 

 

Elena skidded over to them, then, “Tseng! Oh, shit.” Zack and Vincent were right behind her, Cissnei, Reno and Rude on their heels. Suddenly, Amira’s head rose, and her eyes snapped open — golden — this wasn’t Amira. Aerith knew it in her bones, and bowed her head. “Minerva.” Tseng’s eyes widened from where he lay in her lap. 

 

The golden eyes looked over Tseng and his wound impassively, before Amira’s body glowed the green of the lifestream, and her hands covered the stab wound, and that same green suffused from her hands into Tseng, who gasped. Elena just held his hand, watching in awe. 

 

As quickly as it came, the light was gone, and the voice that Aerith recognized as the Goddess’, mixed with Amira’s, exited her friend’s lips: “I have stemmed the bleeding. However, your modern medicine will still be required.” 

 

She then looked at Tseng, and said, “She pleaded for you, and so I came to her assistance.” She looked back to Vincent, and said, “Embodiment of Chaos, be ready. I am leaving her now, and she will need you to catch her.” He nodded once, and knelt behind Amira, as she gasped, her head turned up to the ceiling, before her eyes closed again, and she collapsed into Vincent’s arms. 

 

All was quiet for a moment, except for the sound of Tseng’s labored breathing, before Amira’s eyes snapped open again, and she gasped in a breath of air as Vincent held her tightly. She gasped out, “Is he okay?” 

 

Vincent nodded, and she turned her head, looking to Tseng, before she said, “I will kick your ass if you die after all that, do you understand?” Tseng laughed a little, before coughing instead. Thankfully, no more blood was coming up through his mouth. 

 

Amira then turned in Reno’s direction, and said, “Get the hell back to the chopper and get him out of here, Reno!” Reno nodded, and took off running for the exit. When Tseng protested, saying that he’d make it, and she still needed them, Amira glared at him, before saying, “Don’t make me make it an order, Tseng. Go.” 

 

Then, she smiled, a small half-smile, and added, “Besides, I have a whole team of badass fighters to help me out. The best thing the Turks can do at this point is get you somewhere safe.” 

 

She made eye contact with Elena then, who nodded once, a grateful expression on her face. Elena then reached down, kissing Tseng’s cheek, before saying, “C’mon, boss. We’ve gotta get you outta here. Don’t fight it.” 

 

Cissnei and Rude strode forward, Elena helping them get a makeshift gurney underneath Tseng. Nanaki came forward then, offering to lead the Turks out, and requested Elena to take the rear guard. She nodded once, before standing, squeezing Tseng’s hand as she rose. Cissnei and Rude then lifted the gurney on Cissnei’s count of three, and they made their way towards the chopper, which Amira could see Reno piloting as it hovered out front. 

 

Tseng reached out for Amira’s hand once, and she took it, looking at him with a question on her face. “You and Aerith… both of you… stay safe, please. I would never forgive myself if something were to happen to either of you.” Amira smiled softly, and she said, “I can’t promise that, but I’ll try. Tseng…” He grunted in response, and she continued, “I need you to know, no matter what happens, I forgive you… for everything.” He looked sad, then, and nodded, before Cissnei said, “Let’s go, guys,” and Nanaki began to lead them out. 

 

Aerith stood with Amira, holding her arm as they watched them go. Cloud’s group was catching up, now. Cloud himself brushed right past them, saying nothing. Tifa eyed him with a strange expression, before running over to them, and asking, “What the hell happened?” Aerith replied, “Sephiroth. Or… something like him.” Tifa’s eyes widened, and she asked, “Will he be okay?” Amira nodded, and her eyes then followed Cloud warily, as she said, “We’re wasting time. Let’s go.” 

 

Aerith moved back to Zack, and whispered to him, “Something’s not right with Cloud.” Zack sighed, and nodded, saying he’d keep an eye on his fellow swordsman. As they walked inside the temple, there were puzzles everywhere. All were color-coded — Red, Blue, Purple, and Green. Cloud didn’t seem to want to wait for anyone, but, he belatedly realized that he needed one of Cetra blood to work the puzzles properly. 

 

Amira was quiet, sticking to Vincent like glue after what had just happened. Aerith didn’t blame her. Tseng had looked after her for years at Amira’s request, and Aerith had grown to like the solemn, quiet man, though she had been pissed at him for how he treated her friend. Still, she didn’t want him to die, so she was glad he was en route to safety and help. 

 

The first puzzle, the red one, made them change how gravity was directed, and as she pulled the lever, they all ended up on the ceiling. “Whew, this is trippy,” Zack noted, and Aerith chuckled slightly, as Tifa groused, “I really feel disoriented,” while Yuffie retched in the background. 

 

They made their way slowly, fighting through the creatures that inhabited the Temple, Amira taking out her frustrations on the creatures with her blades alongside Zack and Cloud, until they reached a green puzzle — another gravity chamber. Amira stepped forward this time, and pulled a lever to change them back to what they knew as the floor. Goddess, this made her dizzy, too. 

 

They kept going. Blue next. Aerith pulled the lever after assessing which direction they needed to go with Zack’s help, and they were walking on one of the walls. More hiking, until they had to drop a blue-lit box into water to cross, and made it to the Purple chamber. Last one, and back to the ceiling. Aerith turned the dial. 

 

They went down some steps, then. Aerith and Amira both stopped, noting that the chamber looked like… something’s lair. She heard a roar, crying out, “Look out!” A Red dragon slithered out from one of the side chambers into the main arena. 

 

Tifa quickly swapped out her materia in her gloves for an ice-elemental combination, and she, Cloud, Nanaki and Zack set to work. Meanwhile, Aerith and Amira tossed high-level ice spells at it, while Barret and Vincent sprayed it with bullets and Yuffie hit it with her shuriken. The dragon eventually succumbed to their hits, and breathed its last. 

 

As they moved through the chamber, they came to a large room, which Aerith heard the whispers call the “Hall of Life.” She and Amira stepped forward to pray for passage, and the initial agitated whispers died down. 

 

They made their way through the chamber, stopping to pray at various points, and to use their magic to re-create crumbled passageways. Up, down, winding through, and they arrived at another door. Aerith turned to look at Amira, pushing her way through the door with her friend’s help. 

 

They were now in a chamber with doors in a circle around a raised circular platform with a cuboid object in the center atop an inscribed stone pedestal. She and Amira approached it, then, and as they did, both with hands raised as they prayed, the cube in the pedestal lit up, activating the doors around the room. The pedestal’s inscription then lit up bright green — the color of the lifestream. 

 

Cloud then asked, his voice in a weird monotone, “What’s it say?” She and Amira looked askance at each other, before Aerith read aloud, “O Warrior, weary though thou art, inward must thou now turn…Reflect on thy long and bloody path, and kindle life’s fire anew. Forget not thine ire, for it shall remake thee.” 

 

Then, each of the doors lit further, strings of red light emitting from the symbols on each, and attaching themselves to a person in the party — all except Cloud and Zack. Zack, she understood, he was already a Warrior for the Planet, and had been blessed by the Goddess herself. But Cloud… Aerith wasn’t sure. 

 

Each member of the party looked at each other, then. Tifa then asked, “What’s going on?” Amira tilted her head, and then said, “I think each of us has to undergo a trial. One to prove we’re worthy.” She shared a look with Aerith, and they nodded at each other, before making their way to their respective doorways. 

 

Zack hugged her before she exited the platform, and kissed her temple, saying, “It’ll be okay.” She straightened her back, gripped her staff tightly, and said, “Yeah. It will. It has to be,” before she stepped through the door in front of her. 

 

She found herself on a cargo train going through Sector Four, and saw her young self, her mother next to her — this was just after they escaped, and Mom…tears rolled down her cheeks as she remembered. She heard her mother say, “What if we went on an adventure?” She heard herself reply, “An adventure?” Her mother chuckled and replied, “A big one. To somewhere far, far away.” Little Aerith then asked, “Without the men in white? And the needles? Would you get better there?” Her mother sighed, then, and said, “Yes, sweetheart. I think I would.” Little Aerith replied, “Then let’s go!” Aerith felt herself sob softly. She knew what was coming next. 

 

The image faded to black, and Aerith next found herself watching as young Aerith knelt over her mother as she lay by the Sector 5 platform. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she watched Little Aerith search for someone to help her mom — all in vain — until she found Elmyra. As Little Aerith walked away, crying because she couldn’t find a doctor, Aerith found herself crying with the little girl. 

 

Her mother then handed her the white materia, and said, “Mommy has to return to the planet. Don’t cry, sweetie. I’ll always be with you. Always and Forever.” Elmyra then appeared again, and Mom grasped her hand, saying, “Take Aerith somewhere safe,” before her hand went limp, and she was gone. Elmyra took her younger self away then, just as the soldiers and researchers arrived. Aerith sucked in a breath, tears streaming down her face, and whispered, “Always and Forever.”

 

She came to in the trial room, the door unlocking behind her. What was the point of that? To break her morale? Maybe. As she exited the room, she saw everyone looking sad. Amira… she looked haunted. 

 

Aerith walked to her fellow Cetra, and asked, “What did you see?” Amira looked up at her, then, and said, “I saw…” She took a deep breath, “I saw what the world was like without me. What Rufus, Tseng, the others… how rotten Shinra was. Zack dead. You all alone. I… I can’t believe that my birth made that much of a difference.” Aerith smiled, and said, “But it did.” 

 

She tapped her friend’s chin, then, and said, “So, buck up, Buttercup.” Amira laughed then, before Cloud coldly interrupted, “Let’s keep moving.” The two of them shared a glance with Zack, who continued to express concern. They followed Cloud, then, as he led them through several rooms, before they reached a chamber with murals. 

 

Murals… that depicted Cetran history. She and Amira wandered through, each of them fascinated by their people’s past — their betrayal by mankind — the attack of the Calamity — and the prophecy involving the Black Materia…and Meteor. No. No, it wasn’t set in stone. They could change it. They had to. 

 

As they entered the last chamber, it was…musty. Warm. It seemed like the walls were… alive. A demonic looking creature appeared from the far wall, and the fight was on again. Several times, Zack pulled her out of the way of stone pieces crashing from the ceiling, and Vincent used all of his agility to avoid being crushed, helping Amira move out of the way several times as well. Cloud was focused solely on the creature, and eventually destroyed it before breaking down the wall nonchalantly. 

 

There… on the altar in front of them… a black orb that seemed to taunt them. The chamber had inscriptions all around it… Amira gasped as she read some of them, with aid of the voices. Aerith, too, once she realized what it meant. The Temple WAS the black materia. 

 

It was how the Cetra ensured that no one would ever get to it. The person who tried to take it would die trying, as the temple collapsed upon them. She told the others exactly that, Amira backing her up, but Cloud was moving, almost limping, towards it, eyes almost glazed over as he continued towards it without even a look back. 

 

Tifa ran to him, crying out, “Cloud, no!” But, it was too late. Cloud touched it, and the temple began to shudder. What were they going to do?! As if out of nowhere, Cait Sith appeared on his Mog, and said, “I’ll do it. I’ll be the one. Dinnae argue wi’ me! The rest o’ye, git out. Now!” 

 

Cloud stood there, completely in a daze, and Zack stalked up to him, saying, “Sorry, bro,” before whacking him over the head with the pommel of the Buster Sword, causing Cloud to slump to the floor, unconscious. Zack lifted Cloud over his shoulder, and turned to the others, “Run!” You didn’t have to tell her twice. 

 

Aerith and Amira led the way, the voices guiding them back to the entrance of the temple, each of them running out onto the pathway outside as the temple collapsed, trapping Cait Sith with it. Amira pulled out her PHS, and dialed Reeve, who acknowledged that Cait had gone dark, but that the materia was there at the bottom of the ravine. 

 

Cloud was still out, thankfully, so Vincent gathered Amira up and hopped from rock to rock down into the base of the ravine. Aerith watched as her friend pulled the large black orb from the center of the rubble. They had it. Amira zipped it into her vest pocket. It had to stay hidden — no one could use it. 

Chapter 48: AMIRA

CHAPTER 46 AMIRA

 

The City called. She woke slowly, hearing the voices calling to her from a bit further North. Vincent was sleeping soundly next to her in the tent, and she didn’t have the heart to wake him. He could tell that she was anxious about all of this, and had made love to her in the tent, holding her close and kissing her deeply to keep their moans down. She loved him so much, she would not risk him. She couldn't. She sighed, carefully extracted herself from his hold, dressed, and gathered her weapons, before exiting the tent. Zack and Aerith were silently exiting the campsite as well, both dressed, sword and staff equipped. 

 

“Ready?” she whispered, and Aerith nodded. As they began to hike in the direction they were both being pulled to, Aerith said, “I told Zack… about the vision you had. Needless to say, that’s why he’s shadowing my every move.” Amira chuckled, and the SOLDIER gave them both a flat look and a sigh, before he added, “Because, knowing the two of you, you’d have tried to sneak out without me. Not gonna happen.” 

 

He then looked around, and asked, “Umm… Amira? Where’s Vincent?” She shook her head, “Still sleeping.” Zack blew out a breath, and said, “Oh, he’s gonna be so pissed when he wakes up and finds you gone. Just so you know.” Amira nodded, “A risk I’m willing to take, Zack. Let’s go.” The SOLDIER sighed, hands on his hips, before he shrugged, and followed. 

 

Soon they entered the Sleeping Forest, and Aerith took Zack’s hand, saying, “Don’t let go.” They made their way through it, though Amira got the feeling that they were being followed, by… someone, ice sluicing down her back as she turned to look. No one was there. She sighed, and kept going, not seeing the single black feather fall behind her as she kept walking. 

 

On the other side of the trees, they emerged onto a path down into… Goddess. It really was a city. There was a large shell-like building at the center that glowed with the green of the lifestream. She and Aerith nodded to one another, before making their way down the path towards the building in the distance. 

 

As they walked, little wisps of light surrounded them, guiding their way to the center of the city. Amira felt the pull, and kept walking, her friend beside her, their arms entwined. Zack followed, looking around with awe as he watched for anyone following them. Soon, they arrived. It was a circular platform — an altar, perhaps? Light tinted the green/blue of mako shone down through the top of the shell-like building, directly onto the center of the platform. Here. They were here. 

 

The two of them knelt, as Aerith untied her ribbon, the white materia her mother gave her falling into her hands. It was an opaque white, and she placed Amira’s right hand over her left which cradled the materia. Amira clasped her left hand to her chest, Aerith her right, as each closed her eyes, and began to pray. The voices responded to their prayer, and the materia began to glow. Holy. She opened her eyes, meeting Aerith’s green ones, and they smiled at one another. They’d done it. 

 

Suddenly, Zack called out, “Hey, Spike! You okay, man?” Amira watched then, as Cloud approached Aerith’s back, his sword drawn… his eyes were green, with slit pupils. Jenova. Cloud was one of her puppets, now. “Zack!” She cried out, and the Buster Sword met Cloud’s Rune Blade as it came down toward an unsuspecting Aerith, who was still smiling. “Not today, man!” Zack cried out, and pushed his friend back, fighting him off. 

 

Her attention was grabbed by something floating above them, then — a black feather. Oh no. She heard the sounds of leather in the wind, and looked up to see Sephiroth falling towards them. “Move!” She yelled, grabbing Aerith and rolling with her to the side, as Masamune fell where Aerith had been only moments prior. Damn. That was close… too close. Amira gathered Aerith to her, and together, they turned to face Sephiroth. 

 

He chuckled darkly, and said, “Ah. Two Cetra for the price of one. Mother will be pleased.” He looked at Amira, then and said, “You thought you could change things. Now, you’ll both die.” As he raised Masamune, Amira and Aerith looked at each other, before she drew her blades, standing in front of her friend, ready to fight or die trying. 

 

Then, there was a loud roar at the entrance to the room. Sephiroth was there, wielding Masamune… and then he wasn’t, a red winged blur hitting him hard and knocking him off the platform into the waters below. The creature came about, landing before them. Amira’s breath seized in her chest, as she saw Vincent’s familiar features… but… not. “Chaos?” She asked. The creature grunted at her, and she grimaced, “I’m so sorry.” The creature then hissed back, “Save it. It’s coming.” 

 

Cloud stopped attacking Zack, then, turning toward the edge of the Platform, as he said, “Mo—ther.” Zack sighed, and said, “Well, fuck me,” before clocking his friend over the head, taking him out of the fight. It was then that the rest of the group arrived.

 

Tifa ran towards them, “Are you all right? Vincent… well, um, Chaos… took off after you. We woke up and you were gone. Vincent was, well, really upset, and let Chaos take over so that he could get to you faster.” Amira sighed. “It’s a good thing he did. Sephiroth probably would have gotten us both, otherwise.” She grimaced again. 

 

Aerith then patted her shoulder. “No time for worries. We have to fight!” Nanaki, Yuffie, and Barret ran forward then, a new Cait Sith model following them. It introduced itself, “I’m Cait Sith 2.0! Pleasure ta make your…AHHHHH!!!!!” It screamed as the form of Jenova crawled up over the edge of the platform. 

 

Chaos was on it in a flash, his demonic strength more than a match for this piece of the Calamity. Barret called out, “Git back ‘ere wit’ me!” Amira and Aerith nodded to each other, and moved back closer to the large man, along with Yuffie and Cait Sith. Zack, Tifa, and Nanaki moved in close-range. The fight started to drag on, especially with Cloud down for the count. 

 

Amira’s hands began to glow, and she pulled her hands to her chest as she called out, “The Grace of the Goddess guide our hands and protect us all,” the green glow expanding from her own body to the others, and, more specifically, their weapons. Zack continued to attack, and, the Buster Sword glowing a bright green — thrust it through the skull on Jenova’s front. The creature screeched, and melted away. 

 

Cloud groaned then, and Tifa was at his side immediately. “Cloud!” Tifa prised one of his eyelids open, and gasped. His eyes were still that sickly green, and he was still out of it. “What do we do?” 

 

Amira looked at Aerith then, and both knelt on either side of Cloud, Tifa sitting behind him with his head in her lap as he continued to groan unintelligibly. They prayed for the intervention of the Goddess, as both had done for Zack long before. She and Aerith heard the voices of the Planet acknowledge their wish, and opened their eyes. 

 

They watched, as green lifestream tendrils enveloped Cloud, removing the red tendrils of Jenova from him, destroying each as they did, before retreating back into the Planet. Tifa looked concerned, and Amira said, “Just wait.” 

 

Cloud then groaned, and his eyes fluttered open. They were back to being Mako blue, and he grunted. Amira knelt into his face, tapping him to make him look at her and holding up two of her fingers in front of him, “Spikey, how many fingers?” He grunted, whacking at her with his hand, “Hey, cut it out. Two, okay?” Amira grinned then, and Tifa smiled, her head falling back as tears streamed down her face. He sat up slowly, shaking his head, and saying, “How the fuck did I get here? What happened?” 

 

Tifa was sobbing, then, and he turned to her, looking alarmed. “Tifa? Are you okay? I…” Before he could say any more, Tifa was in his lap, kissing him for all he was worth, and he was kissing her back. Cloud was free. Jenova no longer had a puppet. Amira smiled, turning to Aerith, who was also smiling, Zack’s arm around her waist as they watched.

 

Amira turned then, hearing Chaos alight nearby. She walked over to the creature, looking into its eyes, and saying, “I appreciate you coming to help me. I don’t know how to repay you. But… can I have Vincent back, now?” The creature chuckled darkly, and nodded, before his wings enclosed his body. 

 

The transformation process began, and soon, Amira was staring into the carnelian eyes of her lover, who grabbed her up in a hug almost immediately. “Don’t ever do that again,” he admonished her, and she smiled at him. “Sure thing, boss.” He chuckled then, and kissed her. 

Chapter 49: AERITH

CHAPTER 47 AERITH

 

The battle was done. But, they still had to win the war. She walked over to Amira, where she and Vincent were locked in an embrace, and cleared her throat. “AHEM!” The two of them sprung apart, Vincent looking slightly sheepish as he looked over at her. 

 

Amira turned to her, one eyebrow raised, and Aerith asked, “We still have work to do.” Amira nodded, a smile on her face, and returned to the center of the platform with Aerith, the two of them kneeling to pray. She closed her eyes, knowing that her friends were there, and would protect them both from harm. 

 

The voices of the Planet were searching… and had found Jenova. They found the source of the infection seeping through the Planet. The Northern Crater. Of course. It had been created by Jenova’s crash landing on Gaia thousands of years before. It only made sense that she would still be there… her essence and influence still present where she first made landfall. 

 

She and Amira were then sucked into another conversation with Minerva, who used the power found in the Forgotten Capital to more easily communicate with them. “I congratulate you on the activation of Holy. But, your work is still not complete.” Figured as much. 

 

The golden-eyed goddess then continued, “Once Jenova is destroyed for good, The Black Materia can be returned to the lifestream. I will take over from there. It will no longer be a threat to this world.” 

 

She shared a determined look with her friend, and they both nodded. “We understand,” Aerith replied, and the Goddess gave them a small, beatific smile, before returning them to the real world. 

 

She opened her eyes, locking glances with Amira. “We know where they’re hiding,” Aerith announced. Zack started at that, and asked, “Oh-kay. Do I want to know how you know?” She and Amira just smiled at each other, and replied in unison, “No.” Zack sighed, and replied, “Figures.” 

 

As they stood, Aerith looked around the city one last time. She knew it would be a long time before she came back here, if she ever came back here again. Amira wrapped her arm around Aerith’s, looking around with her, and cocked her head, asking, “Yearly pilgrimage?” Aerith smiled, nodding once. The two of them then led their friends out of the ancient city, and through the Sleeping Forest, before they returned to the site of the Temple. 

 

Now, they needed a ride further North. The Turks were occupied getting Tseng to Junon, so that was out. Amira got out her PHS, and dialed a number — Cid Highwind. “Captain Highwind? We find ourselves in need of you and your ship. Can you oblige us?” 

 

Aerith heard grumbling on the other end, presumably Cid being a bit rough around the edges, before Amira replied, “We’re just north of Bone Village. We need to go North — to the Crater. Can you do that?” The reply must have been a ‘yes,’ because Amira smiled, and said, “I’ll send you our coordinates. We’ll see you soon,” before clicking her PHS shut. “He’ll be here in 36 hours.” Oh, wow. That’s not so bad. 

 

She tapped her friend, “Hey, can you check on Tseng? I want to make sure he’s okay.” Amira nodded, and opened her PHS, dialing Reno. “Yo, y’all make it through okay?” the redheaded Turk said as soon as he picked up. Amira coughed, and hesitated, leading Reno to respond, “Shit. That bad, huh?” 

 

Amira just sighed, put him on speaker, and said, “A couple more close calls than I’d like.” Aerith nodded, she could get behind that statement. She then said, “Hi, Reno.” The man replied, “Hey yo Pinky! How ya doin’?” 

 

Aerith just smiled and replied, “I’m as okay as I can be.” Amira then continued, “Reno, Aerith and I wanted to check on Tseng. How is he?” Reno sighed, “It was bad, yo. That sword went right through his right lung. You stopped the bleeding, but the damage is still pretty bad. We’re in Junon. Docs have him in surgery now. They were praising the healing work — said he’d never have made it here otherwise. Now, Elena’s pacing, Cissnei is biting her nails, and Rude ain’t sayin’ a goddamn word.” Aerith then asked, “And you? How are you?” 

 

Reno sighed, and replied, “I’m the de-facto group leader. This sucks balls. Tseng had better pull through, yo. Assuming he does, his ass is gonna be ridin’ a desk for a few months, at least. Rufus was very clear about that. I think Tseng was hopin’ you’d go to bat for him and tell Rufus otherwise.” 

 

Amira scoffed, “Absolutely not. He’s going to do everything the doctors tell him, and then some.” Reno chuckled, “Elena will be happy to hear that. She was so pissed when he started that shit.” Amira smiled, then, and said, “I’m glad he’ll have someone taking care of him while he recovers. Elena sounds like a taskmaster.” 

 

Reno laughed, “She is that, yo. Tseng might actually miss you and your brand of tough love when she’s done with him.” Amira just laughed, and said, “Oh no. Not touching that with a ten-foot pole, Reno.” He laughed, and said, “I gotta go, yo. Damn, this leader shit is like herdin’ fuckin’ cats. Now I know why Tseng always looks like he has a damn headache.” 

 

They together piped up, “Bye, Reno,” and Amira clicked the PHS closed, a soft smile on her face. “I’m glad he’s gonna be okay,” Aerith said, and Amira just nodded, blowing out a deep breath through her nostrils. 

 

They made their way back to Bone Village, staying at the little inn there for the mining crews, none of whom were present at the moment, so there were plenty of rooms available. Aerith waved at her fellow Cetra, who was pulling Vincent into a room. It was obvious what they were about to be up to. 

 

She shook her head, and walked into her room with Zack. She was exhausted, pulled her hair down, peeled off her dress, and said, “Ugh. I need to shower, in the worst way.” Zack laughed, and pulled her into the bathroom behind him, her giggling the whole way. 

Chapter 50: TIFA

Summary:

LEMON THIS CHAPTER

CHAPTER 48 TIFA

 

She and Cloud walked into their room. He still had a headache — two episodes of being knocked unconscious by a sword pommel in a span of 48 hours was enough to do that, she supposed. That and being mind-fucked by an alien, a voice that sounded suspiciously like Zack noted in her head. That too. 

 

He slumped into a sitting position onto the bed, still dressed. She knelt in front of him, then. “Hey, let’s get these clothes off you and get you a shower. You’ll feel better.” As she went to stand to get everything together, Cloud grabbed her hand, and pled with her, “Don’t leave me, Teef. I don’t want to be alone right now.” 

 

She smiled softly at him, and nodded, “I wasn’t planning to.” He sighed with relief, and helped her start to remove his armor and uniform. That done, Tifa quickly shed her clothes, and helped him into the shower. The inn had shampoo and things, so that was helpful. She turned on the water, and though it was shockingly cold at first, making Cloud gasp, it quickly warmed up. 

 

He looked over at her, then. “I’m not fit to wear that uniform.” When she cocked her head at him, he said, “I never made SOLDIER, Teef. I was just a grunt.” She sighed, then. “I know.” He looked at her askance, then. “You know?” She nodded, “Amira told me, back when we were in Junon.” 

 

He looked…confused…hurt. “Why didn’t you say something?” She looked at him, and asked, “Does it really matter what you were then?” He looked sadly into her eyes, and said, “I’m only the way I am because a crackpot scientist decided to play God. I’m not…” She put her finger over his lips, then. “Yes. Yes, you are.” 

 

She looked down, a sigh leaving her lips as they stood under the spray, naked in more than one sense. “Besides, even if you weren’t a SOLDIER by rank, you’re still my hero.” That did it, because Cloud was kissing her passionately, then. She kissed him back, and he lifted her up, her legs wrapping around his waist as he pinned her against the wall. 

 

“Teef…” he whispered, his voice guttural and deep with arousal, “I… I love you. I’m still your Cloud.” She looked back into his eyes, kissing him again, and replying, “I know. You’re my Cloud…I love you, too.” She then bit his earlobe where his earring was, “Love me. I want…” He moaned, leaning up to her ear, and asking, “You want…?” 

 

Oh. Bastard. She could almost hear the cheeky grin in his voice. He was going to make her say it. “I want… for you to fuck me. Right here. Right now.” Cloud moaned again, and thrust into her, a gasp leaving both their lips, before he replied croakily, “Happy to, babe.” 

 

The first time was hard, desperate, both of them climaxing hard under the spray of the shower, their moans augmented by the porcelain walls. Cloud then lifted her up, carrying her to the bed, heedless of the trail of water they were leaving behind, before he was on her again. 

 

He made her come three more times that night, the last one slow and tender as their hands entwined above her head. She threw her head back, gasping as her body started to clamp down on his. Close. She was so close. “Look at me, Tifa.” He was almost there, and she kissed him softly, saying, “Oh Cloud. I love you. So much.” He nodded, just able to grunt out, “Love you, Teef,”  before they came hard together. 

 

Cloud pulled her into his arms, as she kissed him. He smiled cheekily at her, and said, “Damn, woman. I’m beat. You’ve completely drained me. I could sleep for days.” She smirked back at him. “How’s the headache?” He looked up at her, and laughed, full and hearty. 

 

The next morning, Tifa slunk out of the bed, dressing quickly and calling Amira, who met her at the little coffee shop for the excavators of Bone Village. Amira took one look at her, and asked, “So… Spikey feeling better?” Tifa just laughed, and Amira smiled. “Yeah. He… Amira, his memories are back.” Amira just nodded, “Good.” 

 

She cleared her throat, then, and said, “When Cid gets here, we’re going to do something with everybody present on deck.” She looked over at Tifa, then, “Yes, for Cloud.” She then grumbled, “Figure he’s having a pity party because he wasn’t ever officially a SOLDIER.” Tifa coughed, and asked, “How’d you know?” Amira just raised a brow at her, and replied, “Really? It’s Spikey. He has a major martyr complex.” Tifa snorted then, and her friend quickly joined her in laughter. 

 

A few hours and a couple of cups of coffee later, Cid arrived, bringing the Highwind in for a landing on the outskirts of the village. “Y’all git on board, now, ye hear? Let’s go!” Tifa wrapped her arm around Cloud’s and they made their way on board. Cid then sounded the take-off warning bells, and they were airborne, heading for the Northern Crater. 

 

Before Cloud could head off the deck to down below, Tifa pulled on his arm, shaking her head. Cloud raised an eyebrow at her, “What have you done?” he asked suspiciously, and she shook her head. “Not me, this time.” His eyes then flicked to Amira, and Tifa smiled. Cloud just sighed, his eyes looking heavenward, before he nodded begrudgingly. 

 

Zack then got everyone’s attention with a loud whistle, and a “Listen up!” Everyone went silent, and all eyes turned to Amira. “As Co-President of the Shinra Electric Power Company, it is my job to reward certain individuals whose actions have gone above and beyond the call of duty. And…” 

 

She looked over at Zack then, who was grinning mischievously, “It is the duty of the General of SOLDIER to offer promotions to those men of Shinra’s forces who have earned them well, and served honorably.” Oh. She was… “Private Cloud Strife, Infantry 6th Regiment. Step forward,” Amira called out. Cloud sighed, and stepped forward, saluting her. “Madam President.” 

 

She continued, “It is mine and General Fair’s honor to award you an official SOLDIER rank. You’ve done things most members of SOLDIER can never accomplish, and, as a result, I am awarding you the official rank of Commander of SOLDIER, First-Class.” Cloud’s eyes filled with tears, then, and he looked like he was going to say something. 

 

Zack then said, “Don’t even think about it, Spike. You’re a First-Class in all but official name, and now, you have that, too.” Cloud just smiled then, and nodded. “Thank you, General Fair, sir!” Zack saluted him back, and said, “At ease, SOLDIER.” Amira then began to clap, and Tifa joined her. Aerith followed, and soon, the whole group was clapping for Cloud. 

 

Amira smiled at him, “Congratulations, Cloud. You earned it.” She then came forward and hugged him, which he returned. Zack then said, “Hey, I want in,” and glomped both of them, the group laughing as he did. Cloud shrugged him off, whacking at him as Zack went to ruffle Cloud’s hair, “Man, Fair, fuck off.”

 

Zack just howled with laughter, and Cloud turned to her with a smile on his face. He then strode over to her, and lifted her into his arms, kissing her hard. “Tifa, when this is all over, marry me?” She gasped. “I don’t have a ring, but…” She stopped him with a kiss, then, and said, “I don’t need a ring. I have my hero… my SOLDIER.” Everyone around them cheered. 

Chapter 51: AMIRA

CHAPTER 49 AMIRA

 

She was thrilled for Tifa and Cloud, who had quickly vanished below deck in the wake of his impromptu proposal. Even Zack was saying, “Awww, that’s so cute.” Aerith simply sighed and looked at her with a long-suffering expression on her face. 

 

Vincent stood behind her, chuckling softly. She turned to him, then, jabbed him with her index finger, and said pointedly, “You pull a stunt like that, and they’ll never find your body.” That, of course, made him really laugh, and he shook his head. “Believe me, I know better,” was his response as he looked at her fondly. 

 

All too soon, it was time. The Highwind shuddered to a stop, and was hovering over an expansive hole in the earth, one that she had only read about until now. It was an entirely different thing seeing it. 

 

She gathered the group, and cleared her throat. “Listen up, people. When we go down there, we’re likely going to run into resistance from whatever critters make that cave their home. We’re heading down to the center. That’s likely where we’ll find the rest of Jenova. We kill her, and then we destroy the Black Materia, and we go HOME!” 

 

The group cheered in response, and she said, “You with me?” Cloud stepped forward, and said, “I am, Madam President. It’s time for payback.” Zack then said, “With you all the way, Boss Lady.” Cait Sith nodded enthusiastically, “Les’ take it to the bint, eh?” 

 

Yuffie piped up, “I’m ready to take it to them — I’m here to protect Wutai!” Barret then added, “You betcha, Madam President. Lead us to victory.” Tifa smiled, saying, “With you all the way, my friend.” Nanaki bowed his head, before throwing it back in a howl. Everyone stopped, staring at him, and he sheepishly said, “It seemed like a good moment for a battle cry.” Everyone laughed, then. 

 

Vincent nodded once, saying, “I am with you, now and always.” And then, there was Aerith. Her sister, her friend. She smiled serenely, and nodded. “I’m ready. Let’s do this — together.” Amira grasped her hand, then, and together, they led the way into the depths of the Crater below. 

 

The closer they got to the center, the quieter it became. It was almost eerie. The center of the crater was filled with ridges of earth, surrounded by green mako winds. Aerith stood stock still for a moment, and pointed straight ahead. “There.” Sure enough, there was a green glow coming from a point several hundred feet in front of them. Amira nodded, and they kept walking. 

 

The glow got brighter as they got closer, the voices of the lifestream becoming more frantic, more urgent. Then, she saw it. A large crystal of mako surrounding the body of a man. Sephiroth. Amira felt tears come to her eyes, as she walked forward carefully, looking at him…at what he’d become. 

 

Suddenly, those green eyes of his opened, and his gaze locked on hers. For a moment, he looked confused, before… “Amira?” Her eyes widened, and she said, “Seph? Is that you?” She saw a tear run down his cheek, and he replied, “Yes. Hojo… he told me… he told me you were dead. She was whispering… the whispers were so loud…” The anguish in his voice led to tears streaming down her own cheeks. 

 

“I’m so sorry,” he said. She cocked her head at him, and he continued, “Sorry for what I have done, what I will do.” She was sure she looked confused, for he said, “There is no saving me, Amira. I am Jenova’s, and she will consume me. I am glad you are here… that you will be the one to end my torment. Kill her. Kill me. Please.” 

 

She felt resolution, then, and she nodded. She would destroy Jenova. Not just for the Planet, but for her friend. She prayed softly, asking for the Goddess to have mercy on Sephiroth when this was done, and Jenova was gone. She got a whispered response, “I will do this for you, Little One, as he was once yours.” 

 

She sighed, and nodded to him. He closed his eyes then. The black and purple of Jenova rose from the depths. It slithered and crawled up the crystal, consuming Sephiroth’s body, and fracturing the crystal into thousands of tiny mako shards.

 

The monstrosity that emerged was a true abomination — Jenova had taken over her friend, warping him beyond all sense and memory. The figure before them was winged, and appeared to have the face of Sephiroth, though its stare was blank, and… there was a female figure seated atop his head, as though she were riding him, controlling him. She was disgusted. 

 

Zack stood next to her, Buster sword drawn, a solemn stare on his face. “Ready?” He asked. She nodded. “Cloud! Let’s go!” Zack called out, and, with a nod, both SOLDIERs jumped into the fray. 

 

Amira stayed back with Aerith and the long-range fighters. She turned to Vincent, then. “I hate to ask, but I think Chaos might come in handy, here.” He sighed, nodded once, and then gave himself over to the demon, wings sprouting from his back as the creature came to the forefront. Chaos looked to her, yellow gaze formidable, before she said, “Go get ‘em, big guy.” 

 

The demon grinned a smile full of razor sharp teeth, before he flew towards the monster, and began to aid the others. Amira continued to throw spells at the creature, as did Aerith, and they would heal the others as required. Cloud was attacking Jenova with rage, hitting the creature with prejudiced sword strikes, as Zack assisted.

 

Amira watched as Cloud struck the creature in the center of its forehead — a forehead that bore Sephiroth’s features — and it screeched, before imploding into a shower of red-tinged lifestream, and dissolving into nothing, one last red tendril of red being snuffed out by its green counterparts. Jenova was gone. 

 

In the resulting quiet, Chaos returned to her side, a clawed hand resting on her shoulder, as Aerith and Zack embraced, as did Cloud and Tifa. She looked up at the demon, “What’s wrong?” He merely glanced out where Jenova had disappeared, and green lifestream tendrils were rising from below, forming… a man in black leather, silver-haired and green-eyed, a soft smile on his face. 

 

Seph — or, his spirit, at least. Amira walked forward, then, saying, “Seph?” He was still smiling. “Amira — thank you. The Calamity is no more, and the Planet is safe. Your Goddess is allowing me to join the Planet, and so I will go to my rest at last. But…” 

 

He looked at her with intent, then, “You should know, not all of our friends are dead. ‘Infinite in mystery is the Gift of the Goddess.’” He smiled at her knowingly, then, and she gasped. “Genesis? He’s alive?” Sephiroth nodded, and said, “Find him, Amira. Save him. For me, please.” She nodded, and said, tears running down her face, “I’ll miss you. You were my best friend.” 

 

He returned the sad smile, and he replied, “I will always be with you. All you need do is look to the sky, to talk to the Planet, and you will find me.” Zack then stepped up, a hand on her shoulder, and Sephiroth smiled at him, “Well done, Zack.” 

 

Her friend nodded, and replied, “Tell Angeal hello for me, would ya?” At that, Sephiroth nodded, smiled, and vanished, gone for the last time into the lifestream. She turned to Zack, then, “You heard what he said?” Zack nodded, looking grim. “Yeah, Genesis is alive. We’d better go find him.” 

 

“Wait,” came the voice of Aerith, standing near a pool of lifestream that had surfaced where Sephiroth’s spirit had disappeared. She beckoned Amira over, and said, “It’s time. Let’s give it back.” Amira nodded, and unzipped the pocket of her vest, fishing the Black Materia out of it, which glowed a sickly purple-black. 

 

They both knelt, and Aerith intoned, “Beloved Planet, we return this weapon to the depths where it belongs.” She then untied her ribbon, and took the white materia down, activating it as Amira said, “Cleanse this darkness, and make it into light anew.” 

 

The black materia stopped glowing then — almost looking inert. Amira sat it atop the lifestream pool, and it swiftly melted, before being swallowed up by the Lifestream, until it was no more. She looked up at Aerith, and they shared a smile. It was over. The Planet was safe. 

Chapter 52: VINCENT

Summary:

LEMON THIS CHAPTER

CHAPTER 50 VINCENT

 

Vincent sighed in relief as they started heading back toward the airship. It was quite a long trek down to where the final battle had taken place, and Chaos groused the whole way back. Vince, I’m going to be tasting that bitch for weeks. I mean, I’m happy to help, and all, but damn. Vincent just chuckled at the demon. Amira was with him as they walked back, and she looked up at him, a brow raised. 

 

“Chaos is displeased — apparently Jenova tasted foul.” Amira snorted then, and he chuckled with her, reaching up to hold her hand, which she did with a soft smile. The remainder of the walk back to the airship was uneventful, the air still and quiet, now that the Calamity had been cleansed from the lifestream. They boarded the airship, Amira taking a head count, and, satisfied, gave Captain Highwind the go-ahead to take off. She looked exhausted, so Vincent wrapped his arm around her, leading her down towards their cabin within the large ship, her fellow Cetra and General Fair behind them. 

 

Suddenly, Amira grasped her forehead in pain, “Ah! Not again…” Aerith was by her side, immediately. “So soon?” Fair looked concerned, “What’s happening? ‘So soon,’ what?” Amira looked up at him, and he just replied, “I have you. I will not let you fall.” She smiled then, and appeared to pass out, falling into his arms as Zack cried out, “Woah, there!” She was like that for several minutes, before she gasped awake in his arms. 

 

Aerith leaned over into her face then, “Well?” Amira shook her head, before replying, “She knows how to separate Chaos and the others from Vincent.” Wait…what? That got Chaos’ and Galian’s attention as well. Galian almost whined, I mean I get it, Vince, but I have to say, if I was gonna have a host, I’m glad it was you. Vincent acknowledged that, and replied, I understand the sentiment, Galian, and agree. Chaos piped up, then, Well, so what did ol’ Minnie have to say about it? Ask her, go on. That’s right. Chaos was a demigod himself, so referring to the almighty Goddess of the Planet in such a way was likely a term of endearment. Maybe. One never knew with Chaos. 

 

“What did she say?” Amira turned to him, then, and said, “I really need to sit down.” Before she could say anything further, her PHS rang. She groaned in frustration, and answered it with a clipped tone, “Yes?” The voice on the other end made her stand up straight and knock whatever fatigue she was feeling to the back-burner. “Rufus? What the hell’s going on over there?” Zack raised his brows, and Amira put the PHS on speaker. 

 

Alarms could be heard blaring, and Rufus Shinra’s voice came across the line, sounding a bit harried. “Mira, we’re under attack from the inside. How soon can you get here?” Amira thought for a moment, and said, “Rufus, we literally just took off from the Crater, it will be a day or so, most likely, maybe less if Cid pushes the thrusters.” Rufus hummed, and replied, “Get here as soon as you can. You’re going to have another fight on your hands. Big surprise — Hojo was even worse than we thought.” Oh, no. 

 

Vincent cut in, then, “What are we talking about, here?” If Rufus was startled, he didn’t sound like it as he replied, “He’s created a secret project, one even dear old Dad didn’t know the details of, but he rubber stamped it anyway when Hojo declared them to be ‘perfect.’ Now I don’t know about you, but ‘perfect’ means something different to me than it did to Hojo.” 

 

Aerith then spoke up, her voice grim, as she answered, “‘Obedient.’ Perfect to Hojo meant obedience, no matter what he wanted.” The others looked a bit sick, as Amira nodded to agree, and Rufus said, “Well, shit. That’s not good. If these latest subjects are indeed ‘perfect’ by his standards, then we’re in for it.” Amira then said, “Put the tower in lockdown, Rufus. Barricade yourself, Reeve, Marlene and the Turks in one place.” 

 

Rufus replied, “Already doing so. The little girl has been staying with Aerith’s mother, and we moved Tseng to the infirmary here, so we’ll lock it down and use it as a base. Thank the Goddess Reeve has good tech skills.” Amira chuckled a bit, then. “You have any info on these guys?” Rufus hummed, and replied, “Yes. It’s called Project Deepground. They’re called Tsviets — not sure what made Hojo call them that, and I’m not sure I want to, either. I’ll have Reno forward you the files. Mr. Valentine should be aware, one of these Tsviets has defected from her peers. Amira, do you remember Shalua Rui, one of the Junon scientists?” 

 

Amira nodded, and replied, “Yeah. Yeah, her sister disappeared some years back, and… wait. Is it her?” Rufus sighed, “The girl who defected calls herself Shelke, and she is stuck in the body of a ten-year-old, though if her age is right, she’s fifteen. Right name, right age.” He paused, and continued, “Apparently, there’s a ‘protomateria’ that Mr. Valentine carries to control one of the demons he bears — Shelke knew of it. They need that materia to do whatever task it was that Hojo set them to. It makes Mr. Valentine a target.” Amira cursed, “Damnit. As happy as I am that the bastard’s dead, Hojo really has so much to answer for. Send me the files, and we’ll make a game plan.” 

 

Rufus agreed, and Amira clicked the PHS shut, striding up to the flight deck. “Captain, we need to push the thrusters — the Shinra building is under attack.” The rest of the group gasped — they still hadn’t headed down below, and all were accounted for. Highwind nodded, and said, “Yes Ma’am, Madam President. I’ll give ‘er some juice.” She then called the group together in the conference room on the lower deck. 

 

As everyone milled into the door, Vincent wrapped his arm around her, and said, “I wonder what he meant — I’ve never heard of the protomateria, so if I carry it, it’s not something I know about.” Amira had a look of dread on her face, then. “We’ll look in a minute once everyone gets settled.” She sat at the end of the table, and Vincent took the chair to her right, Zack to her left, Aerith next to him. Nanaki came to sit on the floor next to Amira, tail twitching. The others filed in, Cloud next to Vincent, then Tifa, Yuffie next to Aerith, and Barret at the end of the table. “Good. We’re all here.” Cloud spoke up then, “HQ is under attack?” Amira nodded, and gave them the brief sit-rep that Rufus had given her. 

 

Cloud’s brow furrowed, and he said, “Shit. Fucking Hojo.” Tifa patted his shoulder, and he nodded once to let her know he was okay, before he replied, “What’s the plan?” Amira beamed the information from Reno up to the computer in the conference room, and pulled up the file on Deepground. Each member of the group digested the information quietly, and Amira said, “We’ll have to divide and conquer, but we’ll do that once we get to HQ and can get upstairs to meet up with the Turks.” 

 

Aerith then cleared her throat, and asked, “What did she show you, Mira?” Amira sighed, dropping her head, momentarily, before saying as she looked at Vincent, “She said that she knew how to separate Chaos an the others from Vincent in a way that wouldn’t harm any of them, and would allow his… passengers… to go back to the Lifestream. Vincent would be free, and would age again like the rest of us.” Goddess. Freedom — true freedom. He’d never even contemplated it, and had worried about the longevity of his relationship with Amira if he didn’t age. 

 

Amira’s brow furrowed, then, and she continued, “She said something I didn’t understand, though. She said, ‘My first song will bring you to the caves in Banora, where he guarded my materia from the time he was a child.’ Banora… I only knew Angeal and Genesis from there, and it’s a crater, now.” Zack hummed thoughtfully, and snapped his fingers as he looked to have an idea, “It’s Genesis. Has to be. Seph said he was alive…” Amira smiled, then, and said, “Wouldn’t that be something?” 

 

She looked up at the others, then, and said, “I’ll have Cid come in above the helipad, and we’ll rappel down. Everyone get some rest. You’ll need it.” The others nodded, and the group dispersed. Vincent stood, then, reaching for her hand, and, when she put her hand in his, he led her to their cabin. Amira peeled off her vest and boots, as he did with his cloak, gauntlet, greaves and boots. 

 

He kissed her deeply, then, and looked into her eyes. “You need to rest, too, my love,” he said to her, and she nodded with a smile, before she said, “I almost feel too keyed up.” He would make sure she could, then. He peeled his armor off, undressing her as well, her brow raised at him the whole time. He picked her up, then, laying her on the bed as he said, “Allow me, love.” 

 

He saw the moment she realized what he intended, and she chuckled, and asked, “Dear Goddess, what did I do to deserve you?” He laughed softly, and shook his head, “It isn’t a matter of ‘deserve.’” He kissed her deeply, moving down her body with kisses, before moving to her most intimate place, and kissing her there, too. He loved her taste, and treated it like the delicacy it was, pulling moans from her as he did. He felt the moment that she came, as her legs seized up with pleasure, as she gasped out, “Oh, Vincent… yes. Love you.” 

 

She was so exhausted from everything that her orgasm made her almost boneless with fatigue. He moved back up her body, and she sleepily asked, “What about you?” He shook his head, and said, “You’re more important right now.” He then pulled her into his arms on the bed, her head nestled on his chest beneath his chin, and he fell asleep to the sound of her even breathing. 

 

Chapter 53: ZACK

CHAPTER 51 ZACK

 

He slid down the rope onto the helipad, Aerith in his arms and keeping her eyes squeezed tight. His girl did not like heights. As they landed, Zack looked around, and noted Reno and Rude standing by the door, Amira slipping out of Vincent’s arms and walking over to them with purpose. “Hey, yo!” The redhead called, and Amira replied, “Give me the update, Reno.” He nodded, and said, “Everybody’s in the infirmary. It’s key-code locked with steel doors, so we’re good in there. C’mon, yo.” He turned, and they followed him downstairs. 

 

Reno buzzed them into the doorway, and they all quickly filed in, before he sealed the door behind them. Tseng was laid up in one of the beds nearby, and Zack walked over to him. Amira was already there, asking, “You doing okay?” Tseng sighed, and replied a bit sourly, “As well as I can be, I suppose. I do not like being out of action like this.” 

 

Zack just laughed, and the man looked up at him, rolling his eyes before he and Amira shared a shake of the head. Part of Zack really wished Tseng hadn’t been such a fucking moron, but it was done now. Reno then called over to them, and he led Amira over to where Reeve and Rufus had set up the data on the Tsviets and the layout…of a mako reactor beneath the Shinra building itself… Damn. Amira just sighed. “How did we never know that was there?” 

 

Rufus chuckled, and replied, “It’s only in the top secret blueprints. We would have found it eventually once the other reactors went offline. It’s powered by the other eight around the city. Amira just nodded. Amira then stared at the data, and Zack watched as her eyes widened, before she pushed it at him, saying, “Look!” 

 

Zack took the paper in her hand, and read, “DNA SOURCE: Project G DNA to be utilized for template to create Tsviet soldiers.” Genesis. They’d used him to create the others… he was a lab rat. Shit. Oh, man would Cissnei not take that well at all. She’d always had a soft spot for the red-headed SOLDIER, and, dare Zack say it, she’d been in love with him. Amira locked eyes with him, and he said, “You gotta tell her. Ciss, I mean.” Amira nodded solemnly. 

 

Unfortunately, the woman in question chose that moment to walk up, giving Amira a hug as she said, “Tell me what?” Amira just took a deep breath, and handed the paper to Cissnei, pointing at the offending documentation. 

 

Cissnei’s eyes scanned the page, widening before she gasped, and then blew out a deep breath. “Motherfucking asshole,” she hissed out between her teeth, before she looked up at him. “Genesis…” Zack nodded, “Mm-hmm. He’s alive, Ciss.” He watched her eyes water a bit, before they hardened, and she went back into ‘Turk mode.’ 

 

She then looked at Amira, “What’s the plan?” Amira gestured to the table, and the other Turks aside from Tseng and Elena joined them. Amira looked back at the bed, and said, “Your ass is staying right there, got it?” Elena was now sitting by Tseng’s bedside, and she chuckled, and said, “He’ll behave, Madam President. I’ll make sure of it.” Tseng just sighed, leaning back into the pillows as he mumbled something in Wutaian under his breath. Zack chuckled at the man’s exasperation. Man, if Elena and Amira got to the point where they would gang up on Tseng… now that was something Zack would pay good money to see. 

 

Amira then turned to him and the others, “Okay, what do we know?” A young girl with red hair then walked up next to Rufus, and said, voice a creepy monotone, “I am Shelke the Transparent. My fellow Tsviets are few in number, but they are deadly. It will take all of you together to succeed.” 

 

Amira motioned for her to keep going, and the young girl motioned to the first image on screen, of a rather scary looking woman in red, and said, “First, Rosso the Crimson. She is vicious, and utilizes a double-edged blade. She likes pain, to inflict it, especially. She will require someone with quickness to deal with her.” 

 

The second image revealed a brute of a man in blue. “Azul the Cerulean. He is able to transform into a large dog-like creature, and carries a rocket launcher. Beware — he will require brute strength and superior firepower to take him down.” 

 

Next, a man in… a straitjacket… with the creepiest eyes Zack had ever seen. Yuffie gasped from where she stood, and when Amira looked over to her, she said, “We were in Midgar first… before I took the Junon…assignment. Sonon was my partner, and we infiltrated Shinra. We found…him. Sonon died so that I could escape.” Amira nodded solemnly, and the other girl continued, “Nero the Sable — I would consider him the most dangerous of us by far. He is one with the darkness, and is able to call it up to trap his enemies…if you are not rescued quickly, you die.” Yikes. 

 

The last slide was of a man in white who had hair like Cloud’s, but silver like Sephiroth’s, and the other man snorted a bit. “Anyone else think that Hojo really digs guys with silver hair?” The question from Reno made the rest of them chuckle. Shelke then continued, “Weiss the Immaculate. He is a superior swordsman, and you will need one or two of your own to be able to defeat him. He and Nero are brothers, and feed off each other. Keep them separated, and you will have better success.” 

 

Amira stared at the girl, and asked, “And you, Shelke? Why are you here and not with them?” The girl looked at the floor, then, and said, “I have no wish to kill indiscriminately. They wish to kill people, to activate Omega Weapon by gathering pure souls, and end the world.” Great. More crazies. Just what we need. Amira’s face was hard, and she looked over at Aerith, who nodded. 

 

Amira then spoke up. “Okay, Cloud and Zack, I think we know who you two need to take — Weiss.” He shared a look with Spike, who nodded, agreeing with her. She then looked over to Vincent, “You and Barret take the big guy. I think Galian might relish a chance to come out and play one more time.” She shrugged, and continued, “If he can transform, let’s fight fire with fire.” 

 

Vincent nodded, and Barret readied his gun-arm, saying, “I’m ready. Let’s do this shit.” Amira turned to Nanaki and Tifa, “You two and the other three Turks will take Rosso. Put her down, and don’t let her back up.” Tifa nodded solemnly, and said, “I think we can handle this.” 

 

Amira then turned to Yuffie and Aerith, “We’ve got Nero. Aerith — It’s going to be our materia and magic versus his. Let’s make sure we don’t get caught by any tricks. Yuffie — you’ve fought him before. Keep an eye out and use that shuriken from range.” The other two girls nodded. 

 

She then said, “If they’re using Genesis as a template, they’ll be keeping him down there. One we get Nero out of the way, I’ll be looking for him. Reeve — be on standby so we can shut down whatever they’re using to hold him prisoner. Got it?” The man nodded once, tossing her a walkie-talkie and saying, “We’ll go old school for this one. Channel 2.” She nodded. “Rufus — you and Tseng call the shots from here. Access the cameras with Elena’s help, and keep us apprised of anything ahead of us.” 

 

Her brother nodded, and moved the camera set up, which was on a rolling table, over to where Tseng lay. Zack drew the Buster Sword then, before leading the group down into the bowels of the Shinra building, where Mako Reactor Zero awaited. 

Chapter 54: AMIRA

CHAPTER 52 AMIRA

 

This was going to be up close and personal. She withdrew her sai blades, and had them at the ready, as Zack led them down, down, down, deep into the basement of the tower. Genesis… he’d always been one of her best friends. He was outgoing like she was, and with Cissnei and Reno added to the mix, the four of them were always going out and partying together. 

 

Trust her to be best friends with three redheads whose tempers and personalities matched their hair. Maybe that was why she was romantically drawn to quieter men. No time to think about that, now. Getting down there was easy. Now, for the hard part. 

 

As she looked around the corner, she saw the different Tsviets in distinct parts of a large room, all of them going through documents… they were looking for something… or someone. Shit. Genesis. She looked to the others, and they entered the room in their pre-assigned groups. 

 

Zack and Cloud moved right to the very back, where a dude in white was sitting on what looked like… a throne? Delusions of grandeur, much? The Buster Sword met Weiss’ blade, and they were off. 

 

Vincent allowed Galian to take over, and she couldn’t watch him cry out in pain as the other creature came to the forefront. She looked back up when the process was done, and Galian stared at her, Vincent’s red eyes looking back at her. She put her hand to his cheek, and said, “Your turn, big fella.” 

 

Galian growled lowly, before jumping forward with a snarl, Barret getting the other big guy’s attention by popping off rounds from his gun. “Suck on this!” The bullets started flying, and the battles began in earnest. 

 

Rosso the Crimson looked intrigued, but before she could help her fellow Tsviet, Cissnei began to fire off rounds from her gun to distract her, while Tifa, Rude, Reno, and Nanaki went in on her. The woman was used to being able to keep people away from her, and that wasn’t going to work against four talented close-quarter combat fighters. 

 

Her attention snapped forward, as an orb of darkness appeared in front of them, and Nero the Sable stepped out. “Ahhhh… new sacrifices to the greatness of Omega,” he said, voice quiet and malicious. “I shall enjoy your pain and suffering.” 

 

He brought forth orbs of darkness, and she and Aerith prayed quietly, before light enveloped them and Yuffie, the darkness Nero threw at them bouncing right off. The man hissed at them, and Amira drew her sai, launching herself forward at the man, who had no defense against her attacks, especially with her barriers in place. 

 

Aerith kept up the prayers, whispering to keep up the light, and throwing cure spells as needed. Yuffie proceeded to use her shuriken, as the man opened up his wings into machine guns. The shuriken neatly sliced through one, and Rekka, Cissnei’s blade, sliced through the other. 

 

Amira turned to her friend nearby as Nero howled in pain, and she caught the red-painted shuriken, smiling softly and saluting, before going back to the fight with Rosso. Without his gun…wing… things… and with his darkness neutralized, Nero was vulnerable. Amira spun into him, bringing her blades to bear as she stabbed both through his chest. The man gasped, his eyes widening, and he disappeared into darkness that appeared behind him, saying, “Weiss, my brother… I’m sorry.” One down.

 

She heard Barret call out, “If it’s an ass whoop you want, you’re about to get that and then some!” He was charging up Catastrophe, and Galian Beast roared before moving out of the way as their friend fired — the fireball of Barret’s limit break hitting Azul in the center of his chest. Galian rushed forward, taking matters into his own hands, literally, as he snapped the larger man’s neck. Two down. “Choke on it, asshole!” Barret called, and he and Vincent moved to help Cloud and Zack. 

 

Amira looked up to see Tifa finish her fight. The small woman flung herself at Rosso with Rude’s assistance, using the woman’s blade and her own momentum of her Final Heaven limit break as she grabbed ahold of the other woman’s blade and impaled her on it, punching her in the chest for good measure, and likely breaking most of her ribs. The woman looked surprised, coughed up some blood, and fell to the floor. Three down. Rude and Reno were staring at Tifa in awe. Amira just chuckled. Yeah, boys, you better watch out. She’ll kick your ass six ways from Sunday. 

 

Cloud and Zack were still fighting the silver-haired douchebag. She herself began to look around… where… where… she looked toward the back of the room, and saw a magical cage powered by a nearby machine. There! She ran to the machine, Aerith and Yuffie hot on her heels. 

 

She pulled out the walkie-talkie, and turned it to Channel 2, “Reeve, come in. Got any insights on this thing?” She snapped a photo of it on her PHS, and sent it. The man came over the walkie, then, and replied, “Turn the current down. Top left dial. This is an old power generator. It powers a containment field. I assume you see something of that nature nearby.” Amira replied, “Yep. I think that’s where they’re keeping Genesis.” 

 

She twisted the knob that Reeve indicated, and tinkered with the other switches to keep dropping the current to the field, until it vanished entirely. A man’s body, one with distinctive red hair and a crimson red duster, fell to the floor where he had been suspended in the cage. Shit. She ran, the others following. 

 

She knelt down next to him, checking to make sure he was breathing, and sighed in relief when she felt the warmth of his breath on her ear. Thank the Goddess. She and Aerith activated their cure materias, while Yuffie warily watched their surroundings. Come on, come on. Amira closed her eyes, praying over her friend as a tear tracked down her cheek. Then, all of a sudden, mako blue eyes sprung open, as Genesis gasped awake. 

Chapter 55: GENESIS

CHAPTER 53 GENESIS

 

By the Goddess… where…he looked up as he caught his breath. The face above him… it couldn’t be… “Amira?” he asked cautiously, and the young woman above him smiled at him, honey-brown eyes shining with tears as one streaked down her cheek. There was another woman with her, with chestnut brown hair, emerald eyes, and a kind smile. The latter woman spoke up, “Easy, now. You’ve probably been out of it for a while. I’m Aerith.” Genesis sat up slowly, taking in his surroundings. 

 

He looked at his old friend, and could only mutter out an “Oof,” as she threw her arms around his neck, hugging him for all he was worth. He returned the gesture, taking a deep breath of her shampoo to ground himself, and he asked quietly, “The others?” Amira shook her head slowly, eyes sad. “Zack?” He asked then, and Amira pointed over to where the young raven-haired SOLDIER was fighting one of the Tsviets alongside a blonde man who also appeared to be SOLDIER. Interesting. 

 

“How long have I been out of it?” Amira snorted, “Five years, at least.” Shit. Unbelievable. He looked up at her then, and said, “I know it’s practically expected of me to quote Loveless at this juncture, but, sadly, I find I don’t have a proper use for such beauty at the moment.” Amira just chuckled, and said flatly, “Oh, the horror.” 

 

He laughed, then, for the first time in years, as he smiled at his friend. The two women helped him stand, and healing magic washed over him, making him feel vibrant again. He drew the sword from his waist, Sacred Intent still there… still humming with power. “‘Even if the morrow is barren of promises, nothing shall forestall my return.’” Amira snorted, then, and said, “…and there it is.” 

 

Genesis moved to jump into the fray, then, seeing an orb of darkness form behind a… well… a beast with horns. Amira gasped, and her eyes widened as she saw it. Genesis was faster, and brought Sacred Intent to bear, jumping forward and slashing the man exiting the orb of darkness nearly in two. His purplish eyes widened, and he said, “You…” before falling into a bloody heap at Genesis’ feet. “Well, that’s one down,” he muttered to himself. The man tried to get up… again… and Genesis sighed, stabbing his blade through the man’s chest, and calling up a vicious lightning spell that turned the man’s skin black. “And stay down,” he added for good measure. 

 

As he looked up, Zack went high, his friend low, and they dismembered the man they were fighting, who had become distracted as he watched Genesis kill his… friend? Ah, no matter. Last one down, then. He locked eyes with Zack then, who was staring at him with widened eyes and gaping a little. “Close your mouth, puppy. You’ll catch flies.” 

 

He chuckled softly as he said it, and Zack snapped his jaw closed, before marching over to him. He looked as though he were going to give him a hug, before he thought better of it, and held out his arm for Genesis to clasp. Good job, puppy. 

 

“Welcome back, Genesis,” Zack said, and he nodded, clasping the younger man’s arm as he replied, “It’s good to be back. Amira says the others…” he trailed off, and Zack looked sad for a moment, before he nodded. “Yeah, the others are gone. Boss Lady over there is now Co-president with Rufus after they offed their pops. We just got through saving the world, and then had to come back here and save your flamboyant ass.” 

 

Genesis soaked all that in, knowing he’d need more context and details later, but he could work with that. Amira was President now. Huh. “Well, now. I suppose it will pay dividends to have friends in high places once again.” Zack snorted, and said, “She was always bossy, but now she IS the boss. She turned around and made me General of SOLDIER after saving my ass from Hojo.” 

 

Genesis hummed, and said, “She would not have done it if she didn’t think you capable, puppy.” Zack smiled, and nodded, “I know that. I told her then that Angeal would kick my ass if I turned her down.” Genesis laughed, then. “That he would have, puppy. That he would have.” Genesis’ eyes were caught by the rather interesting character near Zack, the creature he’d saved from the ambush to the back. He watched as the beast with horns slowly shrunk down and became… a man in a red cloak. How singular. 

 

Amira was jogging over to him, wrapping her arms around him, his sliding around her waist in return, as their lips met for a deep kiss. Definitely tongue, there. Well, that’s new. He certainly wasn’t Tseng. He had some gossip to catch up on, it would seem. “GENESIS!” He whirled around, hearing a voice he never thought he would again, the sweet voice of Cissnei. 

 

She was in her typical Turk suit, but she ran to him from across the room, and her he opened his arms to, as she jumped into his embrace. She was sobbing into his shoulder, and he brushed his gloved hand through her hair, soothing her softly as she cried. “I… you were dead… you were dead and I was never going to see you again,” she sobbed out into his neck. His breath caught, and he tipped her chin up to look him in the eyes. 

 

Hers, that amber brown he loved so much, were caught between happiness and fear that he was going to vanish again. “Cissnei,” he whispered softly. She smiled at him, then, and threw her arms around his neck as she kissed him hard. He relaxed into her embrace. “‘There is no hate, only joy. For you are beloved by the Goddess.’” He looked into her eyes, then, and said, “And you certainly are one to me.” She smiled, and kissed him again. 

Chapter 56: AMIRA

CHAPTER 54 AMIRA

 

Vincent held her hand as they made their way back to the elevator. Genesis had Cissnei’s hand in his. Both she and Ciss had insisted that he get checked out in the infirmary, and the redhead had laughingly agreed, both hands lifted in surrender to their wishes. Genesis turned to her as they walked, and pointedly looked back at Vincent, raising his eyebrows in question. “Genesis, this is Vincent Valentine. He’s my… partner.” Vincent’s carnelian eyes glowed softly at her as he smiled, apparently pleased to hear her call him that. 

 

Genesis nodded, and asked, “And…Tseng?” Amira sighed, and said, “He cheated. I ended things. Then I met Vincent a while later, and… the rest is history.” Genesis’ eyes sharpened, then. Cissnei chuckled from next to him, and said, “Tseng’s already gotten a black eye from Reno, the third degree from me, Zack, and Rufus, and a sword through his right lung that Amira had to heal. I think it’s safe to say that karma has been a bitch to him. Don’t be a drama queen.” Genesis laughed then, and replied, “I will say my piece… which will be brief… Goddess knows I’ve made plenty of my own mistakes.”

 

He was quiet as he said that, and she looked up at him, “No one blames you for any of it. Angeal didn’t, Seph didn’t, Zack doesn’t… I don’t.” He sighed, and nodded at her. “Well if you can forgive my errors, then I suppose I can try to forgive myself.” Cissnei kissed his cheek, then, and said, “I’ve gotcha, Gen. We’ll get through it together.” The man just hummed under his breath and smiled softly. 

 

As the elevator arrived at the 69th floor, where the infirmary was located, Amira led the way. The door slid open, and her brother and Reeve met them there with slow applause that the rest of the infirmary staff, Tseng, and Elena continued. Amira just smiled, and gestured to the others, including Genesis. 

 

Rufus looked a bit surprised, and Genesis dropped into a slight bow, before he said, “Mr. President. I would be honored to serve you and Amira in this new age of Shinra.” Rufus nodded once, and said, “…And we would be honored to have you, General Rhapsodos.” The others began to mill about, grabbing potions from the staff, and checking in amongst themselves. Aerith and Zack kissed softly, speaking quietly to each other as they embraced. Tifa and Cloud checked on each other, each making sure the other was intact, before Spikey cupped Tifa’s cheeks and kissed her as well. 

 

Amira watched as Genesis walked over to Tseng, nodding once, before whacking the Director of the Turks on the back of the head, and saying, “She appears to be working on forgiving you. I hope you know how gracious she is for that.” Tseng rubbed the back of his head, glaring at Genesis, before sighing, and replying, “Of course I do.” 

 

He then coughed and said, “Genesis — I haven’t seen Cissnei this happy in years. Be careful with her.” Genesis raised an eyebrow, and nodded once, before returning to her friend. Amira walked over to hug Rufus then, and he embraced her, saying, “It’s over, now. The Planet is safe. We can get on with our lives.” Amira nodded, “That we can, big brother.” He patted her on the shoulder, then, before going to talk to Reeve. 

 

Amira turned, watching all of her friends and loved ones reveling in their new reality, and decided she could use some air. She stepped out onto the terrace, standing near the windows to watch the sun rise over Midgar. She closed her eyes, taking in a deep breath, as she heard the Goddess say, “Well done, Little One.” 

 

A deep voice cleared behind her, and she turned to see Vincent in the doorway. “Might I intrude?” He asked with a smile. She nodded, and he came out onto the terrace next to her, gathering her up into his arms, his cloak falling around them as he held her close. 

 

“Vincent?” He hummed, looking into her eyes. “Stay with me?” He smiled softly, and leaned down to her, kissing her gently, before saying against her lips, “There is nowhere else in this world I would rather be than here with you, Amira Shinra.” She smiled, feeling warmth spread through her, and she kissed him deeply. 

Chapter 57: VINCENT

CHAPTER 55 VINCENT

 

A few months later, and he was in a cave again. This cave was decidedly different from the last one. It was damp, the smell of earth invading his nostrils. Genesis had brought them to the remains of Banora, and the cave that housed the Goddess Materia. 

 

Before they had ventured inside, Cissnei had volunteered to stand guard at the entrance, as he, Amira, and Genesis went in. She had sighed, grabbed Genesis by the duster, and kissed him, before grumpily saying, “Be careful, damnit.” 

 

Genesis just chuckled, and kissed her back, before leading the way and motioning for him and Amira to follow. They hiked down for about an hour, before Genesis rounded a corner, and brought them face to face with a large pedestal and door. Genesis pulled seven red materia from his pockets, and they watched as he carefully slotted them in the proper order. 

 

The door shuddered open as the last materia went into place, and the man turned back to him and Amira with a grin. “Onward, still, my friends.” They continued to follow him down, into a dark chamber filled with the scent of mako. Lifestream. 

 

Vincent looked up, and there was a red orb sitting at the top of a statue accessible by some stairs. Genesis motioned up to the two of them, and said, “I’ll be down here.” Amira turned to him then, smiled, and took his hand, leading him up the stairs to the red orb. It was materia, and one of the largest pieces he’d ever seen. 

 

Amira walked towards it, pulling him with her, and reached out with her right hand. She closed her eyes, saying a small prayer under her breath, and the materia activated under her touch. As it did, the two of them were swept into a black void, one filled with Lifestream. 

 

There was a deep, feminine chuckle from behind them, and the two of them turned, to see a womanly figure decked out in golden armor, a beatific smile upon her face. “Welcome, Little One,” she said to Amira, before turning to him and asking, “Embodiment of Chaos, are you ready to be set free?” He nodded, and released Amira’s hand, before walking towards the Goddess as she beckoned him forward. 

 

It was nearly silent, but Vincent could hear… whispers. Hmm… The woman placed a hand on his chest, and… something began to glow within him, before an orb of materia exited his chest, glowing an amber color. “The protomateria. It must be deactivated before I can separate you from the others.” The Goddess spoke plainly, and Vincent watched as she took the materia, and it absorbed into the lifestream. 

 

She then held her hands out, and Vincent felt… strange… like his body was being ripped apart. He grabbed his head, groaning out in pain, before, as quickly as it had come, the pain stopped. As he looked up, Hellmasker and Death Gigas were vanishing into green tendrils, Galian Beast and Chaos standing before him, looking as they did in their traditional forms without him as their host. 

 

Chaos was large, purple, and had those yellow eyes and bat-like wings. Galian Beast was a deep blue color, with large horns atop his head, and deep sapphire eyes. Vincent found that he wished to say something to these creatures that had shared his head for thirty some-odd years. 

 

He looked up to them, and said, “I know that our situation was not… ideal… but you have been good companions to me and mine, and I wish you comfort in your rest.” The Galian Beast bowed his head, turning to Amira, and doing the same, before replying, “Take care of your mate, Vince. She is special. Without her, I would never have thought myself more than a monster.” 

 

Galian then turned, and disappeared into green tendrils as well, leaving Chaos hovering alone before him. “Vincent, it has been a privilege,” the demon said as it, too, bowed its head. Vincent nodded, and said, “Goodbye, Chaos.” The demon smiled its mouthful of razor sharp teeth, and was gone. Vincent was truly free. 

Chapter 58: EPILOGUE: AMIRA

Summary:

LEMON HERE.

EPILOGUE: AMIRA

 

She woke to soft kisses being placed down her neck. She sighed, and rolled over, meeting the eyes of her lover, which, since his encounter with the Goddess months ago, were more of a garnet color now, rather than the carnelian they had been when they met. She found she didn’t really care one way or another. He was still beautiful to her. 

 

“Good morning, love,” she rasped out to him. He huffed out a deep chuckle, pulling her in close as he kissed her, and which she returned languidly. He pulled her underneath him, and Amira felt him touch her softly, lighting up her nerves as he did so. She grinned at him, and said, “Make love to me, Vincent.” He kissed her, before sliding home with a groan, which she reciprocated as her head fell back on the pillows. 

 

Vincent hovered over her, foreheads touching, before he said, “I love you, Amira,” and began to move with deep thrusts that made her gasp. She wrapped her arms around him, one leg around his thigh as she encouraged him. “Oh, Goddess, Vincent. Please. More.” He chuckled then, and continued to kiss her as she got closer to her peak. 

 

Then, it was there, and she shuddered in pleasure as Vincent groaned in her ear, the two of them finishing together, before he laid down hard next to her, pulling her into his side, as they basked in the afterglow. “I love you, too, Vincent,” she said, and he hummed so that she knew he heard her. 

 

In the last few months, Vincent had taken on Tseng’s responsibilities while he convalesced. Besides, there was more than enough work for two Directors. Rufus had made more than one comment on how good Vincent was at the job, and so, when Tseng returned to full duty two weeks ago, he found that he was sharing the mantle with Vincent. 

 

Neither minded, as both were absolute professionals, quiet and stoic. In fact, Tseng didn’t look like he had a headache quite as often as he did before. It was a little trippy for her, what with her ex and her partner working in the same sphere, and often on the same projects, but she was getting used to it slowly. 

 

To help with undue influence, Elena was now under Vincent’s purview, which allowed her and Tseng to be more open in their relationship. They were happy, and Amira was happy for them, especially now that she and Elena had finally taken the time to sit down and gossip. Their shared… caring… for Tseng made for an interesting bond, and they often ganged up on him to make sure he actually took care of himself. Luckily, Amira had no such issues with Vincent. He worked hard, but he never hesitated to drop what he was doing to spend time with her. It was refreshing. 

 

Genesis had taken over the mantle of General of SOLDIER, which Zack had relinquished happily. He and Cloud were now in charge of the Infantry, both Generals in their own right, and they were working to make the two groups more of a peacekeeping force rather than a true standing army. Cissnei was just happy to have her SOLDIER back, and she, Reno, and Rude remained in their positions under Tseng and Vincent. 

 

She and Rufus had finally had picked a new Director of R&D as well, a Wutaian man named Takumi, who was an engineer and burgeoning botanist Amira knew from school. His father served as one of the Emperor’s advisors, and given his skill level, he had come highly recommended. Even Yuffie liked him, and it was another tie to bring Wutai back into the fold. 

 

Takumi had hired Aerith on, and she was his assistant now, working on more sustainable gardening and farming plans for both Midgar and beyond, as well as other conservationist projects. She and Zack were planning to get married in the coming months.

 

The Regions Council had come to fruition after some back-and-forth, and now had representatives from across Gaia. Barret served as the representative for Corel, after the mako reactor site had been cleaned up, and the coal mines reopened. He and Marlene had moved back there, and he was the new mayor, but he visited often. 

 

Tifa and Cloud had married, a small ceremony in Costa del Sol with their friends, and she was now one of the representatives for Midgar on the Council, alongside Biggs, Wedge, and Leslie. The two of them lived up on the plate, now, in a nice apartment near the Shinra building. Tifa had sold the bar to Biggs, and he was doing well for himself down in Sector Seven. There were probably kids coming soon, as Tifa had always wanted to be a mom, and Cloud just wanted a family with her. 

 

Jessie, meanwhile, had gone back to the Gold Saucer, finally achieving her dream of becoming an actress, and was now one of the more recognizable faces in Gaia. Another funny thing, Rufus had been making more trips to the Gold Saucer lately, and Jessie had confided in her and Tifa that she was dating Rufus… which was one of those ‘mind blown’ moments for her, as she’d put it. Amira had just laughed, and given her old friend a hug. 

 

Nanaki was also still around, as he had taken on the role of Director of Planetology Affairs for Shinra, and was also serving on the Council as Cosmo Canyon’s representative. Cid Highwind had, indeed, joined them as Director for Aerospace, and he was putting together a proposal to get a launch into space once the mako reactors were all converted. 

 

Yuffie was back in Wutai, still heiress, and serving as their representative on the Council, conferencing in for meetings as able. Rufus had attended several meetings in Wutai, his diplomatic efforts appreciated by the Emperor and his people. Just over one month ago, Amira and Rufus had both been present, and had signed a full peace treaty with Emperor Godo, ending the lingering hostilities between Shinra and Wutai, and embarking on a path to being true allies in a new time of peace. 

 

Reeve was still serving as VP, and exactly one month after their defeat of Deepground and Jenova, the Underwater Reactor successfully passed its testing following conversion to hydroelectric power. The City of Junon was no longer dependent on mako, and spirits were high. Reeve and Amira had now turned their eyes to Midgar, and Mako Reactor One was next on the docket for conversion, since it had already been inactive. It would open next week. Reactor Zero had quickly been converted over to hydroelectric power first, and the Shinra Building was now the “shining beacon” for renewable energy in Gaia. 

 

As she lay next to Vincent, staring into his eyes, she looked up, slightly distracted by something she hadn’t seen before. He had a gray hair. She chuckled, and picked out the hair, pointing it out to him. “Well, would you look at that.” Vincent laughed, and took a hold of her wrists, kissing each of her scars, and then the ruby ring on one very important finger, before pulling her close and kissing her deeply. 

 

He then said against her lips, cheekiness in his tone mixed with true unfettered joy, “To new beginnings, Madam President.” She laughed happily, and pulled him into a kiss, as they rolled over in bed, lost in each other and embracing their life, their future, together. 

Series this work belongs to:

• Part 1 of The Silk Glove and the Iron Fist