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Final Fantasy VII: Awakening	By : Saan Category: Final Fantasy VII > General Views: 844 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy VII, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 17
- 18
- 19
Reeve waited for everyone to enter the cargo hold. Once they were all down the steps, he cleared his throat. "Everyone, may I have your attention. You all did wonderful out there on the field. We scored a huge victory today."

"What does he mean 'we'?" Cid asked one of the members of the President's army. "That's what I thought." he covered when he knew he would not get a response.

"If anyone has any issues that they feel need to be addressed, please feel free to ask."

Yuffie slowly raised her hand. "Uhhhh, yeah, I was just wondering about those big creepy things out there."

Sephiroth regarded her with a haughty expression. "The gray creatures used to occupy pods in the Mt. Nibel reactor in Nibelheim. They used to be human but after time, the Jenova content they were fed changed them into monsters."

An echo of footsteps halted the meeting for a few seconds as two officers carried Ecka's corpse down the stairs. All eyes fell on the men as they passed through the room.

"Yeah, and who's the chick?" Yuffie tried not to look at the large red splotch that had formed on the white shroud that covered the body.

"She was no one important." Reeve offered. "Just an informant that I'd like to forget about."

Leira formed "informant" on her lips. She was still weak and confused.

Cloud shifted in his posture. "Reeve things aren't adding up. When are you going to come clean?"

The president shot Cloud a cold glare. "Dismissed!"

"That was bogus!� Yuffie huffed. I wanted to ask him about the hottie on the beach!�

Leira raised an eyebrow. "Yuffie�what 'hottie'?"

The little girl shook her fists. "He was awesome! Big muscles, killer tan, soft voice, black�" she turned beet red, "THONG!� She shuffled her feet a little. "He was tattooed but that's okay. HIS LOOKS MORE THAN MADE UP FOR IT!�

Sephiroth was caught between rolling his eyes and interrogating her. Instead, he disregarded her comments. He calmly approached Reeve. "All of us need to sit down and have a little talk." He gave a cold glare to the men in black. "Without your trained monkeys."

Reeve's shoulders sank. "Cloud, Cid, Cait, Leira, Vincent, Yuffie�we're going to meet in the med level. Whenever you're ready we'll hold a briefing."

"But, sir, the numbers!� one of his officers ran up to him.

"It's alright. You guys just worry about piloting the ship back to Junon when the ground forces finish planting the explosives."

Cloud's eyes flew open. "Explosives? Reeve what are you up to?" The question just barely made it out of his lips. The massive airship shook as the scrap pile known as the Shinra headquarters Midgar erupted into a fireball. Everyone onboard struggled to maintain his or her balance as the turbulence tossed the ship around.

"Freezer has been detonated, sir!� Reeve's general shouted.

"That was quick. Everyone's aboard than, let us be off! No one is going to be getting a hold of those bodies!� Reeve nodded to everyone and started for the med level.

One by one, Cid, Leira, Sephiroth, Vincent, Cait Sith, Cloud, and Yuffie entered the medical station. Ecka's corpse laid on one of the beds and Reeve was standing beside it. "This was one of my informants. Trabian Ecklarkaj, SOLDIER number 17."

"She was in SOLDIER?!" Yuffie had a hard time believing the President.

"She was indeed." Reeve conceded. "She was wounded in battle and couldn't continue to serve for Shinra. Against Hojo's wishes, we discharged her. He wanted her to stay in Midgar and be a test subject."

"Hmmph." Sephiroth spat.

"I vaguely remember hearing Zack talk about a girl called Ecka! That's her?!" Cloud questioned.

"She was part of the Jenova Project. Before I let her go, I told her about what she was. At that time, Shinra was fond of killing officers who could not carry out their duties. I let her live in secrecy as long as she helped me keep an eye on Hojo's other subjects. I hadn't heard from her in years, until Leira, Vincent, and Sephiroth showed up in Midgar."

"That's how you knew our exact location." Leira pointed out.

"Trabian called us when you showed up at the junk dealer's. My guards and I followed your summon materia to your battle. Thankfully you survived and brought a bunch of clones to daylight."

Vincent stared down at the body of the young SOLDIER. "Why did you kill her?"

"It's easy." Sephiroth rubbed at his chin. "Reeve saw the situation she was in and was afraid that she would be cloned like all the other SOLDIERs. What an easier way to keep track of her than to have her killed." He clapped his hands together. "Bravo, Reeve. Bravo."

"Okay, Reeve." Leira had her back to her uncle as she looked out a porthole. "Yuffie mentioned some guy with a tattoo. Who would that be?"

"He wasn't just ANY guy!" the little ninja shrieked with glee. "HE WAS A COUNRTY DUDE!�

"She is just too hyper." Vincent said to Cid. "I can't believe you wanted to set her up with me�"

Reeve gave the appearance that he was trapped by his niece�s question. "Leira�honey�I'm sorry�"

The Elite tried to figure out why her uncle's tone had suddenly changed. She observed him as her interest in the world outside waned.

"He was numbered�twenty nine�"

Cid stepped forward. "He just showed up on the beach as we were fixin' up the old girl. He wanted to know about you and Seph�"

Vincent's eyes widened. "That's the guy we were looking for�Timal Klefmon!"

"I had the feeling he was cloned." Sephiroth assured.

Leira's heart sank. What had seemed like such an easy mission was becoming quite personal and difficult. She massaged her brow. "Can I just have some time with her, alone?"

With a glance around, everyone grudgingly agreed to leave the medical station. Yuffie decided to stay behind with her friend. "So this is an honest to goodness SOLDIER?" The girl looked at the body lie out on the cot. "She looks kinda like someone I know."

Leira allowed a grin to show across her lips. "You look kind of like her�before she colored her hair and tried to look like Zack�that is."

"Oh, Cloud's friend in SOLDIER! Wow! Can't believe Cloud didn't know her. What do you think is going to happen to her?"

The Elite tried to think clearly, as she stared at Ecka's closed eyes. "I don't know�she made me promise to burn her�"

"That's awful! Why?!" Yuffie bent over Ecka's body. "Does she have any family? Maybe they'd like to know what happened to her."

Leira tried to think of a way to answer Yuffie. "She was orphaned when the Shinra Corporation accepted her into SOLDIER. She made me promise not to let her body fall into those beasts' hands."

"Hmmmm. That sucks." The little ninja patted her on the shoulder. "That twenty nine guy�Timal."

The Elite rested a hand on Ecka's stomach. "What about him?"

Yuffie looked out the porthole. "What if I told you that, since he looks like he's from Wutai, I could probably find him?" She paused for a second. "I could also give her some kind of burial�where *sniff* she'll be with friends."

Oddly enough, Leira found herself to be uncaring. She was afraid of what would be left of Timal's corpse. After uncovering the remains of Norelliies and learning about the possible fate of other bodies that had taken up residence in the place known as the Freezer, she found herself seriously thinking about throwing in the towel.

Yuffie sat beside her. "We're partners here. We've become compadres�I thought we did anyway�True, we've had a bit of distance these past few days�I like you."

Leira looked at Ecka's hands. "I don't know what I'm supposed to do now. I don't know what's going to stop everyone from turning out like her or Timal."

"You don't officially know what happed to him! He could still be alive! That could have really been him. Maybe he was just hiding out somewhere! He knew what names to ask for!�

"Yuffie, I wish that were true�I do�but it's not�"

The little ninja pushed her headband back a little further so her brown bangs started to fall out of it. "Yeah. You got good memories of him or somethin'?"

"He died on a freighter bound for Costa del Sol. We met outside the engine room�we were investigating a disturbance�we�were�ambushed by Jenova. She killed him."

Yuffie bit her lip. "Geez, girl. I'm sorry." She lowered her head. "I kind of remember somethin' like that happening. We were lookin' fer Sephiroth."

Leira briefly covered Trabian's hand with her face and stood up. "So were we." Her voice was emotionless as she left the room and Yuffie in the distance.

On the observation deck, Sephiroth stood alone. His long white hair fluttered in the breeze. The Highwind had been moving for a few minutes. He watched the black smoke spew out of the remnants of the Shinra Headquarters. "That won't stop them, Reeve. It's too late for that now. They've already gained enough numbers. You can burn as many of them as you want, there will always be replacements."

"Just not those."

Sephiroth shifted his glare. "True. They were already done anyway."

"You're just another one of them. There's probably several more of you." Reeve stood beside his enemy.

"I am the genuine article." Sephiroth stated uncomfortably. "I've just got a new breed of followers." He put his back to the railing and faced Reeve.

Reeve stared out at the black smoke. "Why did he go through with his meaningless plans? Shinra didn't need to go this far! The people had enough problems without all this!"

"Mother was quite convincing wasn't she? She took over everyone and made them into puppets. I was actually amazed to find that Hojo managed to make an exact likeness of me. I never knew who he was." Sephiroth bent forward and rested his head on his folded hands.

"Don't start sounding like you care! My family was part of Hojo's blasted experiment! Leira's father! My sister! The woman that you say you care about! She's part of this, too!� Reeve shook his fists. "All you can do is wonder about the life of ONE meaningless clone that almost destroyed everything!� Reeve shook his head and lowered his voice. "I can't believe you still call that damned creature 'mother'."

The ex-Shinra general shrugged his shoulders.

"Hey, Mr. President, can I have a minute of your time?" Yuffie stepped out onto the deck. She noticed the air rushing against her body and clung to the doorway. "It's important�and I want to do it someplace where I can look down on semi solid ground!�

"I guess we'll continue this later,� said Sephiroth.

Yuffie looked at the man and pulled the bottom part of left eyelid down while sticking out her tongue. Reeve watched her and looked for a reaction from Sephiroth. There was none.

"Come on!" she grabbed the President by the arm and dragged him through the airship.

After passing the cargo hold, Reeve decided to ask about what she wanted with him. "Not now!" she grumbled, "We're gonna talk behind closed doors."

Leira walked out of the medical station and saw Yuffie dragging her uncle. Yuffie could see the puzzlement on her friend's face. "Don't worry; I've got everything under control." She winked to the Elite.

A couple seconds later, they reached the conference room. Yuffie kicked out the watchman and slammed the door behind him. "Don't look at me! Have a seat!" she pointed at a chair and forced him into it.

"I don't have time for games, little girl!" he protested.

Yuffie crossed her ankles and put her hands behind her back. "Everyone's a stick in the mud today, I tell ya!"

Reeve forced a smile. He knew how she reacted when people pretended to be positive. "Really, what do you want?"

"You can smile all you want, but you're gonna hear me out."

Reeve never dealt with this girl directly so he turned to face the wall and folded his hands. "Go on."

"Ahem," Yuffie cleared her throat. "Here's what we're gonna do, we're gonna go and find her friend. While we're at it, we're goin' ta give that other friend o' hers a ceremony!"

"How do you suppose we do this? Have you given any of this much thought?"

"Listen she may be family to you but she's a friend to me! We kicked ass together, way back when!" The girl jumped up on the table and let her legs dangle off the edge.

Leira could not figure out what Yuffie had wanted with her uncle. As puzzled as she was, she continued her walk to the chocobo stable. At least there, she might get a decent look at the spectacular view. She knew that if she went into the cabin, the cargo hold, the conference room, and the observation deck, she would not get the chance to be alone.

"Can I help you, miss?" asked the chocobo handler.

Leira looked into the room. "I just want to look outside, that's all."

"Go on ahead." he said.

Leira looked out into the darkening sky. She rested her arms on the windowsill. The sky was starting to turn pink. Night was beginning to fall. What was becoming of her life? Why was everyone that she had known dying around her? Was there any sense to it all?

Cid stretched out his arms. The sight around the control room was confused at best. To every crewmember sitting at the instrument stations there was a man in black armor staring over their shoulders. No one was allowed to move without first asking the man beside him.

Vincent crossed his arms. The only one who did not seem to be bothered by the intrusion was Cait Sith. The ex-Turk watched the screen before him while keeping an eye on the pink mog.

Cait Sith bounced over to him. "Hey, Vince, have you seen Cloud or Yuffie?"

The dead man shook his head. "Not that I can recall. Why?"

"It's nothing, just curious."

Below decks, a couple of Reeve's soldiers had gathered. One of the men was pointing to the ground while the others began digging through personnel lockers. Cloud did his best to stay hidden. He was not sure of the role that these men played.

"There's nothing else here, sir." said one officer. "We've got the corpse but that's it."

A tall masked man walked over and stood beside him. This man's uniform was all leather with a similar helmet and tall black boots. He put his gloved hands together and cracked his knuckles. "I want to know who took down Redo. Keep looking!�

"Yes, sir!�

The officer in charge moved his head from side to side. He opened another locker. "What is it with these damn megaphones?" The latch on another locker lifted. Cloud's buster sword was inside. "Look's like we've got more Shinra in here."

The others ran into another part of the Highwind while the commander glared at the large Buster sword. A streak of red was observable on the double-edged blade.

"Hello." Cloud said.

The black face shield turned to him. "There's no admittance on these levels. You need to be back upstairs, boy."

"That's my weapon." Cloud hated being called boy.

"It'll be right here when we land."

The spiky haired youth smiled. "I'm not worried about that. Who's Redo?"

The helmeted man shook his head. "There's someone on this ship who does not belong. If I were you, I'd just turn around and go back to the upper levels and pretend that none of this ever happened."

Cloud's smile dropped. He was not aware that one of the other soldiers had noticed him and circled back. Slowly the soldier raised his rifle above his head and brought it down against the boy's skull.

The man in leather grinned underneath his helmet as Cloud's eyes shut and he dropped to the ground unconscious. "People are just getting too nosey these days. Move him somewhere else."

Yuffie popped a piece of chewing gum into her mouth and kicked her feet back and forth.

"What do you care about some SOLDIER? The girl was meant to be one of Sephiroth's followers. She carried Jenova within her and was supposed to be part of that damn reunion!"

The little ninja swallowed her gum accidentally. "She was?" Yuffie was completely baffled.

Reeve hid his face in his arms. "That's what they were supposed to do when the time came."

She slid off the table. "I don't care." Her fists were clenched tightly at her sides. "I want there to be a ceremony for her and the other guy. Everyone seems to think he's from my home. I want us to head to Wutai."

"You want what?" Reeve was out of the chair and in her face.

"I keep hearing things about clones and stuff. For someone to get cloned, don't you need pieces of a person to do it?"

"More or less, yes." Reeve attempted to figure out the little one's way of thinking.

"Leira said that she made a promise to burn the body. I guess she won't be cloned if that happens. Catch my drift?"

A knock sounded on the door. "Geez, no privacy." Yuffie grumbled. She strode to the heavy door and cracked it open. "What?" The next thing she saw was blackness on the other side. She backpedaled from the shock of having the darkness materialize out of nowhere.

The figure clad in black leather pushed open the door.

"Lieutenant, what can I do for you?" Reeve asked.

The helmeted figured watched the frightened girl. "Sir, one of our officers has been killed. The body contained severe injuries caused by sword. The weapon in question was discovered below decks. We have not discovered the culprit yet."

"What type of sword?" Reeve thought back to the blade that Sephiroth had carried with him.

"The one called Cloud Strife has been taken into custody. The weapon in question belonged to the former Shinra. We have taken all necessary measures to insure the safety of the crew and passengers."

"Not Cloud!� Yuffie let out. "He's not a murderer!�

Reeve stroked his chin. The notion of the former Sephiroth clone being a murderer was foreign to him. "The ships doctrine calls for us to set the Highwind down at the nearest land mass."

Yuffie flashed a toothy grin at the men and pushed two fingers into their faces. "That would be Wutai!�

Reeve looked into the lieutenants concealing face shield. "I guess we'll settle everything when we land."

The little ninja rushed over to a corner and picked up a microphone. She punched in a couple buttons and had begun to carry on a conversation with her homeland�s representative. "Hey. Pop, it's me. Guess who's comin' home!"

"Well, as long as everything is settled. I'll be leaving you, sir,� said the lieutenant. The leather-clad man saluted Reeve and walked out of the conference room.

Reeve examined the man as he marched out of the room. Something was strange but he was unable to put his finger on it.

Yuffie began to shout in her native tongue and bounced up and down. "Look, I just want a damn funeral for the friends of my FRIEND!�

It had almost slipped Reeve's mind that the girl was of Wutai heritage.
- 17
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Final Fantasy VII: Awakening