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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
- 18
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- 20
Leira left the empty chocobo stable and walked towards the conference room. Sephiroth had descended the stairs. The two stood eyeing each other from a distance.

"How are you feeling?" he asked her.

"I guess I'll be alright. How was the air out there?"

Sephiroth removed his coat and folded it. "We're over Wutai. I haven't been there in years. It brings back memories."

Leira shrugged her shoulders. "Yeah, I guess it does."

"Is Vincent around?" Sephiroth raised an eyebrow.

Leira realized that he was trying to make small talk with her. She shot an awkward glare at him.

Without any notice, the door to the conference room opened and an angry Yuffie was cursing up a storm behind the lieutenant. "He is not a fucking killer!" she hissed.

The man stopped as he bumped against Sephiroth. There was a brief silence as the helmet moved around Sephiroth's being. The shoulders seemed to drop for half a second than rose again. "Maybe you should take a look at the murder weapon,� came the soldier�s deep voice.

The man continued to walk as Yuffie stood between Leira and Sephiroth. "What a mean ass!" she cursed.

Leira raised an eyebrow. "What was that about?"

"That jackass said that Cloud murdered someone! That can't be right!"

Sephiroth looked down at the girl. "Did they find any proof? Where's the body?"

"The body was shoved into a locker. One of my men saw blood on the floor and decided to open it."

The three turned to the voice. A man stood behind them. Reeve had constantly called him general. The man had his helmet off and tucked underneath one arm. "We haven't been able to determine the time of death but the blonde kid's weapon had blood from the body on it."

"He couldn't have done it!" Yuffie spat.

Sephiroth considered the thought of Cloud killing one of the men in black. "Can we see the body?"

The general's cracked dry face was expressionless as he pondered the ex-Shinra�s request. "It's still downstairs. Just tell the boys Sasha sent you." The general walked into the conference room leaving Yuffie, Sephiroth, and Leira to mull over the vents.

"He's not a murderer." Yuffie spat.

Down in the locker room the body had been carefully removed. As two men studied a long gash made by the blade, two more were studying the height and weight of the man called Redo.

"I can't believe someone killed him for his clothes." Said a man sitting at the corpse�s feet.

Another man lifted off his helmet. "Looks like they tried to take his head off."

"Redo didn't hurt a flea,� said a third person as he wrapped a special tape around the forehead. "Man, poor guy's got a big helmet too. I wonder who could fit so well in his uniform."

"One stinkin' kid couldn't have taken him down. That Strife kid is only five somethin'." Redo's six somethin and over two hundred pounds." The man at the corpse�s feet removed his helmet and rubbed his brow.

"Heads up guys." one of Reeve's military personnel was on his feet and pointing at Leira and the others.

"Wow! He's nakee!� Yuffie grinned.

Sephiroth shook his head and walked over to the group. He noticed the trail of blood from the locker where the body had been kept. "This seems like some bad murder mystery,� he announced.

"Cloud supposedly did this?" asked Leira.

"Yes, ma'am." two of the officers said in unison. "There was no one down here to see anything. That's the only thing we're concerned over. That and the uniform is gone. We've got the kid detained in a holding cell. We are NOT allowing any visitors!"

Leira observed the corpse on the ground. She leaned in closer to Sephiroth so that her front was against his left side. His eyes moved up and down as he felt her. Leira put her lips to his ear. "I have a strange feeling about this. Isn't it odd that things are happening like this?"

Sephiroth nodded slightly.

A klaxon sounded and a yellow light flashed throughout the ships interior. "We're landing already?!" one of the examiners shouted.

Sephiroth and Leira were surprised. "Oh, yeah" piped in Yuffie. "We're lading in Wutai! We gotta head to the above decks." Without any further word, she ran off up the stairs. She was content with being able to carry out a couple of Leira's wishes.

For the rest of the evening the Highwind's crew and passengers remained aboard. The ship was locked tightly and access to the outside world was denied to everyone wishing to leave. Reeve did not want to risk anyone else being killed.

Inside the locker room, the man in black leather removed his helmet. He sat on the ground with his legs folded. The heavy suit seemed like second nature to him. He was happy that the man he had killed had his same proportions. He did not care about how long it would be before he was found out. His mission was clear. His only concern was to serve his master. Besides, he thought to himself, he would be able to ditch the stolen clothes and make use of another wardrobe once access the outside was granted.

When morning broke, Leira left Ecka's bedside. She could still hear Sephiroth and Yuffie pestering her about sleeping so close to a corpse. She had made a promise. Leira examined the girl's body and made sure that nothing had changed. Aside from a clean white sheet that Leira had provided, the girl remained the same.

"Wake up sleepy head." Yuffie laughed. She tapped Vincent on the shoulder. The ex-Turk did not share the same grudges as Yuffie and Sephiroth. He had joined Leira in her evening vigil.

Vincent got off the floor and gave a hand up to the Elite. Yuffie jumped up and down and ran in place. "Reeve's head man is going to escort me to my pop's. If you guys wanna come�"

Three of Reeve's men walked into the room. Two of them grabbed the corpse of the young SOLDIER while the lieutenant looked on. "Uhmmm, yeah," said Yuffie, They're gonna bring her, too."

"If Ecka's going to be moved than I'm going along." Leira pulled her overdress back on and pulled her boots over her feet.

Vincent put a strong hand on Leira's shoulder. "Of course you know I'll be with you."

Leira gave a nod. Yuffie, on the other hand, was not as positive. She felt a lump in her throat form at Vincent's words. "Uh, yeah, Vin�cool�" With a quick wave, she ran out of the room.

Leira lifted an eyebrow. "Why is she so nervous around you?"

Vincent leaned against the porthole and stared out at the blue Wutai sky. "A little over three years ago the Tiny Bronco crashed right outside of this island."

"You don't say."

"That was shortly after our first meeting with Cid. Cloud, Cid, and I, were searching for Sephiroth and found a need for a different kind of transportation."

Leira remembered her awkward experience aboard the airplane that Cid had dubbed. "If memory serves me right, you were shot down. Rufus had been going the wrong way. I was there�with�Navig�"

Vincent was startled at this new revelation but pushed on with his explanation. "After we used the stupid thing for a boat we ended up here. As soon as we got out of the plane, SHE came running out. SHE was in such a hurry."

Lieandra found herself feeling happier. She noticed Vincent's anger toward Yuffie surface. His eyes glowed each time he talked.

"Barret came running out of the Tiny Bronco and pointed out that SHE had stolen all of our materia�not only did we have to try and catch up with HER and fight the native monsters�ON TOP OF THAT�what's so funny�?" the angered man found himself asking in a small voice.

Leira sat down on the ground. She could not take Vincent's line of story telling anymore. She hugged herself around the waist and burst out laughing.

Vincent bent low to examine her. He could not understand why she was in hysterics. "We had to defeat Shinra and Don Corneo without our materia�"

The woman's body began to convulse. She threw her arms out and wrapped them around his waistline. Her laughing was so strong it made her lose her balance. She fell forward and found her tear soaked face pushed into his thighs.

Vincent stopped talking completely. It was best to let her get it out of her system, he thought.

Minutes later, Leira had stopped her laughing fit. She gazed upwards into Vincent's eyes. Her face was red and tear stained. "I'm sorry." she chuckled.

With a dazed look, Vincent accepted her apology.

Reeve entered the med level just as Leira had gotten to her feet. "Yuffie is waiting for you."

The three of them traveled up to the observation deck. It seemed like a flood of men were pouring out of the giant airship. Leira observed men enter the village with Cloud between them.

The spiky haired boy looked back at his "mother". Her face was so filled with sorrow it began to hurt him. He managed to force a smile as his captors called for him to keep walking.

Leira felt something brush against her. Sephiroth had diverted her attention.

The ex-Shinra general had switched clothes and had donned dark tinted sunglasses.

"Just what are you doing? Aren't you coming with us?" the Elite asked.

"No." was the straightforward answer.

"Why?" asked Vincent.

Sephiroth's emotions seemed hidden by his sunglasses. "I have to go somewhere�I have to pay a visit to a�special place."

Leira's eyes shifted. "What was that?"

The tall general ran his hands through his long white hair. "I'll join Ecka's procession. I'll be there for the SOLDIER's ceremony, too. Soon, you'll be able to come with me�"

Leira and Vincent were awestruck by Sephiroth's exit.

"That was depressing." spat Yuffie.

Neither of them had been aware of Yuffie's presence. Wherever Sephiroth was heading, Reeve was not far behind.

"I didn't think your uncle could stand him." Vincent said pointedly.

"Neither did I,� said Leira.

Yuffie elbowed them and pointed to the men carrying Ecka's body. "Let's go! They're heading to the temple!�

Once the mini-procession had left the Highwind, Leira, Vincent and Yuffie examined the body's handlers. Reeve's soldiers were dressed civilian clothing. There seemed to be nothing special about them. All of the men were dressed in black t-shirts and denim pants. All of them but one.

"I saw Reeve's general head into town after he opened up the ship." Yuffie whispered. "He was dressed like the other guys. �Wonder what his problem is."

Leira glanced at Vincent. "What makes him so different?"

Vincent shrugged his shoulders.

The lieutenant was still dressed in his black leather uniform and helmet. His hands were folded behind his buttocks as he walked in between the body's carriers and the three teammates.

Leira was in awe at the mysterious island known as Wutai. The monolithic mountain known as Dao Chao astounded her with all its carvings. The village's old red buildings decorated both sides of a small stream that seemed to split the town in half. "This is where Tseng, Timal, and Navig used to live,� she thought to herself.

"Poppa lives toward the ancient part." Yuffie declared.

The group passed by the village tavern. "Yuffie, isn't that the large urn you tried to hide in the last time we were here?" Vincent pointed.

Yuffie blushed and squeezed her fists together. "ONWARD." she gritted her teeth together and pressed forward forcing the dead man's words behind her.

"Lieutenant, we can take the body the rest of the way. General Tate told us that the locals here don't like people in uniforms too much. You might want to go ahead and get on your civilian togs." one of Reeve's men said.

The lieutenant muttered something under his breath and stormed off in the opposite direction. "Wonder what the matter was?" snorted the other officer.

"I don't know. Everyone's been on edge since Redo was murdered."

The group stopped outside of another large red house. "This is my dad's house." Yuffie's face was nothing but a huge grin. She ran in front of the soldiers. "Me first!�

She ran up the wooden steps and banged on the large brown door. "Dad! It's me! Your loving daughter!�

No answer. She pounded the door harder this time. "HELLO! HELLO!�

One side of the huge double doors opened. A man dressed in gray stepped out. "Why, miss Yuffie! So good to see you! You two can go ahead and put the body in the room I've set aside.

Reeve's men nodded and pushed passed the man.

"Hey, kids!" yelled a voice from inside. Cid stepped out of the building followed by Cait Sith.

"We've been waiting for you guys! Reeve and Sephiroth haven't shown up yet." Cait Sith purred.

"Welcome to Wutai." Said Yuffie�s father, Lord Godo Kisaragi. "Yuffie called ahead and said that we should be expecting your materia�er, um, I mean company! Expecting your company!"

Leira eyed Yuffie suspiciously before returning her attention to Godo.

"I trust that you will make yourselves at home in our wonderful town. Wutai has taverns and�"

"That's just what I wanted to hear." Leira muttered as she left the temple. She felt unwelcome here. Shinra always had a small presence in Wutai but since the war, they had become less welcome. She wondered if it would have been worse by her boss, Tseng, defecting from his homeland to become a Shinra agent. She could remember entering his office and seeing no traces of his homeland. His home carried no indications of his heritage either. The only evidence of where he was from was the marker on his forehead, his long rich black hair, and of course, his slanted eyes. She shook off the thoughts of him. Remembering people in her life that had long since passed made her uncomfortable.

Leira felt bad about leaving her friends behind. "To late to turn back now." she muttered. Her reflections of the funerals, the murder and Cloud's arrest began to weigh heavily on her. She had almost made it back to the Highwind when something caught her attention.

"Dude, I tell ya, let me handle the ball and chain." She heard a male voice say as it passed behind her.

"I don't know, Wren, she gets kind of pissed when you come up with your ideas." Another voice replied.

Leira stood there for a couple seconds. "Wren?!" she whispered. She rolled that name over and over again in her mind. She quickly turned to see where the voices were coming from. No one. There was no one behind her. "I couldn't have been hearing things." She thought. Just then, she noticed the doors to the Turtles Paradise swinging. Leira ran over to pub and went inside.

She pushed the swinging double doors open and glanced around. Suddenly she felt her heart race as she saw two familiar people sitting at a table in the farthest corner of the pub. There, sitting with their backs to the door, were two of her dearest friends from the past. She slowly made her way over to them. The stealth training she had undergone as an Elite always came in handy when creeping around without being detected.

Lieandra looked to her left. One of the men had short disheveled red hair on his head with a long rat-tail just above his neckline. The other was bald and had dark skin coloring. She slowly wrapped her fingers around the long red queue of the man on the left and gave a swift tug.

"Holy shit!� shrieked the man as he went reaching up to free his hair. The man to her right quickly pulled out a Glock 21 handgun and jumped to his feet. Just before he could take aim, Leira let go of the rat-tail and knocked the gun to the side. With her, other hand she stuck out two of her fingers and jammed them into the man's sunglasses. "Poing!" she said as she pushed them back into his face.

"Hold it right there!" said the red headed man as he stood behind her gun in hand and ready to shoot.

Leira cocked her head back and closed her eyes. She heaved a sigh as a smile crossed her lips. She craned her head around to face him and swung her left hand out to grab the gun from him. With lightning fast reflexes, she wrenched his weapon away from him and pushed her right hand out, palm heel first, to rest just below his chin.

Her eyes narrowed as she peered over the top of her fingers into her attackers blue eyes. She smiled at him. "Fancy meeting you here, Wren. You too, Rude"

"Reno, is that�?" Rude adjusted his sunglasses. He thought he was seeing a ghost.

Reno put his chin down into her open palm. "Lei."

Leira withdrew her hand and moved in closer. "What are you guys doing here?" she asked. The two men looked at each other and shrugged.

"We've kind of been put on permanent vacation." Said Rude finally as he rubbed the back of his head.

"Yeah, there isn't much of a market for Shinra anymore." Reno agreed. "Anyway, where the hell have you been, girl?"

Leira stared at her ex-lover.

"Something wrong, Wren?" asked Leira menacingly.

Rude glanced at Reno. He had never seen his closest friend so upset.

"No�No, I'm fine." Reno slowly responded.

"I don't think you are." The Elite persisted. "In fact I'd say that your past is catching up with you also, just like mine."

Reno began to back away. "You remember? Reeve's drug didn't work�"

"Why did you leave?" Leira scowled.

"Reno is everything okay?" Rude was dumbfounded.

Reno had been hoping that this day would never have come. In his heart, he still loved Leira but that love seemed to have a huge price put on it. On this day he was once again faced with a fight or flight decision. He remembered just about everyone, that had gotten close to her, had died. President Shinra, Klefmon, Navig, Tseng and Rufus were all dead. He did not want to be the next. Reno backed himself into a corner of the tavern and collapsed to his knees. "Reeve's still alive, isn't he? Sephiroth didn't get him, too, did he?!" tears started to well up in his eyes.

Leira knelt down beside him and gently stroked the side of his face. "He's still alive. My uncle's here in Wutai."

"He told you everything. Didn't he? I had to leave. I didn't want to leave you. I was scared." Reno had never expressed any of his fears to her before.

Leira took it in stride. "I know you didn't." She cradled him in her arms to try to comfort him.

"Lieandra are you in there?" A voice from outside broke the reunion.

Reno's head perked up as a tall figure walked into the tavern. The stranger wore an open long light green button down tuxedo shirt over a plain white blouse, black pants and thigh high black leather boots. The dim lighting of the inn prevented Reno from seeing the face of the new arrival. As the man strode over to them, Reno noticed that the man was wearing dark tinted sunglasses much like his own.

"Oh, there you are, Leira." The man said casually. Reno dusted himself off and stood up. "Hello, to you too, Reno."

The red headed man looked at him. "You know me?" He said with a hint of confusion.

"Of course I do." The man answered. "It's me. Sephiroth." Sephiroth removed his sunglasses to reveal his cat like eyes.

The Turk was visibly shaken. He tried to back further away but there was nothing but wall behind him. "Don't touch me!" he shouted.

"What is going on here?" said a female voice near the exit. "Are you bringing more trouble to my establishment, Reno?"

Leira grinned. The last piece of the Nibelheim puzzle had been found. From where she stood, Tifa Lockheart, was nothing more than a godsend. The Elite walked up to the twenty three year old girl with her hand outstretched.

Tifa took her hand and shook it slowly. "And you are?" she asked.

"I'm Leira Thompson. I'm a friend of Cloud's from his Shinra days." The Elite introduced herself. "You are, Tifa Lockheart, formerly of the terrorist group Avalanche."

Much to everyone's surprise Tifa did not flinch.
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Final Fantasy VII: Awakening