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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
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Rude maneuvered himself between the two women. "Lei, this is my girl. She's not into the terrorist stuff anymore."

"She's gonna love this one." poked Reno.

Sephiroth was at Leira's side. "Hello, Tifa� You haven't changed much."

Tifa Lockheart immediately took up a fighting stance. "Rude, I kept telling you he was nothing but trouble." Her short blue dress was pulled tighter against her curves. Her long hair swung from side to side as she rose her fists in the air. "You're supposed to be dead! Haven't you caused everyone enough trouble already?!"

"This was hardly my doing." Sephiroth stuck his hands in his pockets.

Tifa wrinkled her nose. "As for you." she focused on Leira. "I knew Shinra would come for Rude someday. You're not going to take my husband from me without going through me first!�

The Elite frowned. Husband?! She looked over at Reno who forced a small childish grin. He waved his left hand at her. Did Tifa mean Rude or Reno?

"AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH BEAT RUSH!� Tifa bellowed and ran at Leira. The girl punched left. Leira stood in place but leaned right. The girl punched right. Leira leaned left.

Lockheart was not finished yet. "SOMERSAULT!� she yelled. Her left foot lifted off the ground and flew at the Elite.

Leira was aware of Tifa's limit attacks. She knew what would happen if she were to continue to stand still. Casually, despite her confusion, she slapped the girl's foot out of the way and punched her in the stomach.

Tifa fell to her knees and looked at the woman. "I'm not through yet!�

Leira squatted and rubbed her hands together. "I'm not after Rude." She commented. "I already found my target." she stuck a thumb at Sephiroth.

Tifa whimpered as Rude helped her to a standing position. "Honey," she said, "we really need to talk about your friends." She patted down her dress and scowled at the Turk.

"I know dear�" Rude pulled at his black necktie.

"Dear?!" Leira looked at her former employer. "Don't tell me you guys are�"

"We were married months after Meteor." Tifa said wiping a bit of saliva from the corner of her mouth. The Elite hit her harder than any mother could have.

Leira's jaw hung low. Her green eyes bulged at the thought of Rude taking a wife. She recalled all the times she had escorted him and the other male Turks to every seedy strip club Junon had to offer. "Oh, my heart!� she howled as she put her hands to her chest in mock cardiac arrest.

Leira spun on her heels and forcefully grabbed Reno by his black necktie. "YOU better not have married�"

A scream came from the entrance of the Turtles Paradise. Sephiroth, Leira, Reno, Rude, and the other patrons shot up from their tables and counter tools. "NOOOOOOOOOOOOO, YOU WEREN'T SUPPOSED TO BE HERE!� Yuffie slapped her hands to her cheeks. She ran over to Reno and stuck a finger into his chest. "Go away! Leave her alone! You lied to me!�

Sephiroth gave a dark chuckle as he watched Reno's reaction. The scene before him played out like so many occasions from his past.

"Honest, Yuffie, I was going to leave but Rude�he, he, he�he wanted to stay!�

"That's it, go ahead and blame it all on my husband!� Tifa joined Yuffie in finger pointing.

Leira slapped a hand on Reno's shoulder and yanked him away from the two women. She pushed her face into his. Leira was one of the few women that Reno could stand eye-to-eye with. "What's with you and the kid?" Leira tapped her fingers against her elbows. "I won't get mad."

"Don't fall for it, Reno!" Rude yelped. "I've heard that same thing before!"

Tifa slapped the back of her husband's head, beckoning him to be quiet.

Reno was at a loss for words. "Well�Yuff an� I�we kinda hooked up for a bit��

Leira glared at her former lover. She seemed to be devoid of any emotion. Her eyes slid over to Yuffie.

"It's true�it didn't last very long. Trust me." the little girl shouted and held her hands out. "He's such a creep!�

Reno tugged at his long queue.

"He told me that he didn't have a girlfriend or anything�" Yuffie spat.

"Well, Lei�y'see�you and I�we were broken up�"

The scene was too pathetic for Sephiroth. "Funny, Reno, you're not that much younger than myself." he announced with a grin.

"Shut up, old man. I figured it was her or Elena!�

Yuffie's jaw dropped at his comment.

Leira fixed the red headed Turk with a cold glare. She clenched her left fist. "That's right�"

WHAM

Leira's punch sailed through the air and laid Reno out. She shook her fingers and stormed out.

Sephiroth hovered above Reno and pocketed his hands. "Still a big hit with the ladies." he smirked and followed Lieandra.

Leira looked toward the sacred mountain, Dao Chao. All the carvings etched into the brown stone added to the mystery of the island. The surroundings became so familiar to her. She felt like she had visited that same area only as someone else. Her head glided from side to side. It was toward the eastern point of the island where she had served as an assistant general to Sephiroth. It had been herself, Sephiroth, Zack, and Ecka during that mission, ten years ago.

Pale hands pushed themselves along her shoulders. Leira arched her neck.

"Mae Mae and Tsing Mae." The site of the failed mission never entirely washed from her memories.

She relaxed as the fingers rubbed at her collarbones.

"It's quite something that we should all land here for Trabian's funeral."

Leira had nothing to say during the stranger's talk. The sun continued to gently beat down on her skin.

"I guess they've moved the prison since the last time we were here,� she said trying to block him out.

"There's another part of this island that I will have to show you sooner or later. I visited while I left you with the girl. Yuffie has no idea�and neither do you. I'm willing to bet that you will remember it�or at least hearing about it." Sephiroth continued to massage her joints. It was not one of the happiest memories, but it was substantial for the both of us."

The riddles were growing old coming from Sephiroth. Was it so hard for him to be outright with his plans?

"So, are you happy being mister tour guide?"

Sephiroth's eyelids shut as his fingers worked her shoulders. It was not as easy as he thought it would be to win her affection.

"Did you and Reeve go to the same place? I'm sure the two of you talked." It was Leira's turn to ask questions.

"I should have waited." he mused. "I should have known that it would have also been the first place he would want to see."

Leira turned as his hands slid from her. "So why don't we go there now?"

Sephiroth shrugged. "It's not time yet. You need to see your friends first."

The doors to the tavern flew open and Yuffie stormed out. She nabbed Leira by the elbow and dragged her away from Sephiroth. "I AM SICK AND TIRED OF DEALING WITH MEN TODAY!�

Leira attempted to try and free herself from the mad girl's grip. Nothing worked.

"Uh, Yuffie�" The scenery flashing past her was frightening Leira.

"YEAH, WHAT?"

"It won't be long before you�"

WHUMPF

"Never mind."

Yuffie had been careless and did not see a passerby until it was too late. The two collided and lay sprawled out in the dirt. The little ninja jumped up. "WHY DON'T YOU LOOK WHERE I'M GOIN'?!"

Leira offered a hand to the young man her companion had bowled over.

"Thank you,� he said. The youth looked to be in his early twenties. A tiny red dot was visible above his eyebrows. Dark purple robes hung from his thin frame and a black turban hid much of his head. "Yer from the south side ain't ya?" Yuffie turned her head at an angle.

The young man nodded at her. "Yes. I'm looking for the spiritual leader of this place."

Leira put a hand up to her mouth. "How can you tell where he's from? Is it how's he's dressed?"

Yuffie copied her companion. "NAH. It's the dot on his forehead. All the men wear them." She winked at Leira. "It's from their girlfriends poking them on the head. Yelling for them to SHUT UP!�

The man staggered backwards at the girl's sudden yell.

She giggled childishly "The dot�s just to mark them. He's part of the higher class. Anyway, stranger," the little girl started.

"Phiphat." said the youth.

"Whatever. If you're looking for the head honcho, you can come with us. That's where we're headin'."

"We are?" Leira was confused.

"You are?" the young man did not miss a beat.

While they traveled to Godo's palace Yuffie could not contain her curiosity. "So. What do you want to see pops for?"

Phiphat stopped and fell behind the girls. "You�re�the spiritual leader�he's your�?"

"Yeah. He's my dad."

"I'm sorry. I didn't know�"

Leira grinned at the boy's humiliation. "It surprised me too, when I first heard about it."

The three continued walking. Yuffie never got her answer until they entered the residence.

"Ah, Yuffie. I'm afraid you missed the others. They went back to your ship for a briefing. We're going to do anything we can to free Cloud." Godo shouted from a room. He had heard them walking through the hallway. The nightingale floors were typical of Wutai's royal palaces. Because of how the floorboards were nailed down, the boards would shift causing them to chirp like a bird.

"Balancing the books again, huh, Pops?!"

The meaty bearded man squinted at his daughter before returning to squiggling down figures in his ledger. His oversized red feather pen dashed from left to right as he contemplated the year's outlook on materia trade. A large gray eyebrow lifted and his brow crinkled. "What's he doing back here? First you people want to me to hold a burning for someone that's not even from Wutai, next you want to me to try and find a way to get that SOLDIER's charges dropped�and do not get me started on trying to find the bodies of the two that you claim to be from Wutai�they weren't part of my army!�

Everyone's attention was drawn to the boy.

"Oh, you mean Pippy here." Yuffie poked her thumb at their companion.

"That's Phiphat�" said the boy.

"Whatever." Yuffie ignored him

Phiphat walked to the emperor's desk. "Please, sir. You told me to come back in a year. It is now one year to the day. I want to know if you have had time to decide the fate of my relatives."

Leira was feeling unwelcome. She started to back away but Yuffie snatched her wrist. "Stay with me." the girl whispered. "He's going to want me to help make decisions,� she begged.

Leira breathed out and nodded.

"How many years does this make, officially?" Godo glared.

"Two and half, sir. I need to know about your views, Lord Godo. Their bodies cannot return to the planet, without shame, until you give them a better burial. They were not traitors!"

Godo overlapped his hands. "What were their names, again?" He bellowed in the Wutai language.

Phiphat stared at Leira and returned his concentration to Godo

"Wuh-oh!" Yuffie winced. "Pops just realized that you aren't from around here. He's makin' it so you won't understand anything goin' on."

A wicked smile crossed Leira's lips. She folded her hands behind her buttocks and rocked back and forth on her heels. "That's fine with me,� she whispered in Wutaian.

Yuffie's jaw almost crashed to the ground. She had not been expecting her friend to know her native language.

The boy fell to his knees and threw his arms into the air. "TAITYO, ASHITIRO! KISARAGI, KIMDO!�

The two women were shocked by the last name of the second person. "Kisaragi? Someone related to you just die?" Leira said in basic.

Yuffie shook her head. "Kisaragi's a common name�even in the south."

"What is the south, anyway?" asked Leira.

"Farming community."

Godo reclaimed his pen and his composure. "Perhaps you can tell me their Shinra names, too."

"SHINRA NAMES?!" yelped Leira and Yuffie.

"That's right! �Shinra names'!� Godo banged his fists on his desk. "He wants me to push for the recognition of two traitors!�

"His lordship is just harboring bad feelings towards the company that WON his mindless war in the first place!� Phiphat hissed.

Godo pushed his ledger onto the ground and lifted himself to his feet. "Even if I were going to allow for a common burial, those two would not be allowed to return to the planet! You need two more people to speak for them! I doubt you will find anyone that knew them in this part of Wutai, let alone anyone that could ignore the fact that they served under the enemy!�

The boy removed his turban and crumpled it in his hands. It looked to Leira like he was on the verge of tears. Before anyone could react, the boy left the residence. Leira followed closely behind him as he pushed the door open and stood in the square.

Yuffie sat on her father's desk. She kicked her feet. "So, Poppa. Who was that kid, anyway?"

Leira sat on the steps to Godo's palace. "You've got family that worked for Shinra, too?"

The boy nodded and threw his turban to the ground. "Why did they ruin me like this?! They never once thought about how everyone else would view them." He ran his hands over his shiny baldhead. "My uncle had wanted to be a monk. I followed in his footsteps!�

The kid's story seemed to demand her attention. "A monk�did you say?"

"My mother told me. She told me right after he disappeared. Shinra was attacking Wutai. He left his own sister�and country. He left with a whole boatload of cowards!�

Leira could vaguely recall boatloads of children arriving at Junon. They were crammed full of Wutai citizens who sought out a better life. Two of her best friends had landed the same way.

"Easy, kiddo. Everyone was getting shelled. I don't think it was an act of cowardice at all. I had some really good friends from Wutai." Leira closed her lips. She caught herself attempting to tell war stories from an aged perspective�she was not that old was she? Leira shook off her fears of the 'old times'. "What were their Shinra names?" she asked.

Phiphat blinked at her. "I doubt you'd know them anyway�what could it hurt? My uncle was Ashitiro Taityo. When he was granted citizenship, the Shinra changed his name to Navig Benton. His cousin was Kimdo Kisaragi. They called him Timal Klefmon�those bastards."

"Sucks to be them I guess�WHAT?!" Leira did an instant double take. "You didn't just say Navig and Timal�did you?"

The boy nodded. "Why?"

Leira studied the mountain and the blue sky. Her eyes fixed on a passing cloud formation. "No reason." she answered coolly and adjusted her hair.

"I don't believe that." The boy stood a step below her. "Your reaction said otherwise."

"Listen, kid. I just might have heard of them. Nothing more."

Phiphat lowered himself and took a seat. "I want them to be granted recognition so the family can move on. There's not too many of us left. We've been outlawed by the emperor�they received a traitor's burial�" He hunched over. "If you know anything about them�or anyone that knew them�please tell me�I've been at this for years�it doesn't matter who!"

The Elite considered his words. She chewed on her lip. "What's the point of having anyone speak for them if they're traitors anyway?"

Phiphat advanced toward her. "If you must know, I promised my family! My mother died from complications she incurred during the war. The last bit of life she had was dedicated to making sure they were buried as heroes!� He put his back to her and looked at the gigantic bell centered in the square. If his family were to be recognized that same bell would ring out and let them return to the planet.

Leira wrapped her arms around her right leg. She could not imagine Navig and Timal buried as scoundrels. What would happen to her if she told him about her relationship with them? "I know a couple people that might be able to help you�I can't make any guarantees."

The boy knelt on the dirt below her. "You could do that?!"

"Does it matter who they used to work for?" She could almost taste the defeat of her plan.

The boy thought hard about her response. "You mean like, if they used to work for Shinra?"

Her concerns were hit right on the mark.

"No�just so long as it's not family. It's the emperor's orders. Anyone could say something�even Shinra's pigs could have their say! If it were up to me, I'd make sure that no one from Shinra could stand up for my family!�
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Final Fantasy VII: Awakening