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Legacy of the Lifestream	By : butabara Category: Final Fantasy VII > General Views: 2387 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not Own FFVII or its affiliates. I make no money from this execise in literary creativity.

Chapter List
- 26
- 27
- 28
A.N. Aaaaaaand we're back on track, folks! Sorry I couldn't send it to you to beta, Riv... Girl Child's science project took a tad bit longer than expected to complete... and I really want this posted tonight, so... forgive me, my love?
Please, readers, these next few chapters are kind of a crucial point for my creativity, along with River's (she wrote the first part) so some feedback would be greatly appreciated! I'd like to know how the blending worked for you all, and if you felt this chapter was emotionally sound. Please, PLEASE (I'm begging here!) take a few seconds to review and tell us what you think?
Chapter 26: Shadows of the Past
As they arrived in Mideel, Sukai and the others made their way to the office of Doctor Crochet. He was the man who saved Cloud from his Mako Poisoning all those years ago and would be an expert on the subject. Also being the only medical staff in the area, he would have a good idea of where Fayne would be. As they arrived, they were alarmed at the recent changes and surprise funding from Shinra. While still outside the gate, Sukai rested herself against a tree, propping herself up and setting her bag down.
"Damn weather. Look we don't exactly have a lot of time here. Thanks to our new informant, Crochet leaves work in an hour to go back to his house. Plus, we have his address." Sukai complained at the extreme caution her friend and lover were taking.
"How can we trust this informant? They could be leading us into a trap." Reminded Vincent.
"And here I thought my TURK training was useless." Sukai said, words dripping with sarcasm. She sighed. "Sorry. I did not mean to snap at you. I know that this is risky, but it is the only choice that we have. I... I do not like it, but... if this is what I need to survive, so be it."
"TURK does not have the best mission track record." Sephiroth reminded her, cutting in as he landed from his quick aerial scouting task. "However, even with the new layout of the town, the increase in Shinra forces, and the patrols, there is a back way to Crochet's house. It would seem that Crochet does not like living around Shinra staff. He is being watched, but the men who are keeping watch over him are of little concern."
Sukai loaded her gun with sleeping darts, "Where do we aim?"
"I could be blind and still have a better aim." Vincent sighed. "If we are dealing with Shinra."
"Alright old man, you take the shot. I will just sit here and look pretty for the locals." Sukai deadpanned before smiling. "That isn't a bad idea. Vincent, give me your cape."
Both men rose an eyebrow and asked. "Why?"
"I know every dialect and language there is to know. While you may have experience on me, I have a genius idea. One distraction coming up. I am going to use your cape as a disguise, go all postal and disappear when Shinra comes running." Sukai beamed.
"You are forgetting the part where we are not supposed to be seen." Vincent said while clutching his cape.
"Yet, you both are still in your usual garb. Now thankfully, yours truly has thought of everything. Now I promise never to tell anyone about what is going to happen next if both you promise not to tell Syth I borrowed her clothes and Tifa and pretty much everyone." Sukai said while digging through her bag. "Now Vincent, how much do you love your girlfriend?"
Sometime later, after Sukai made sure that everything was ready, they walked into the front gate. Though Sephiroth and Vincent were both far too humiliated to say anything. Vincent was dressed in a blue Sari, his hair was intricately braided and pulled back, she replaced his head wrapping with a gemmed head piece, and added large earrings along with Sukai putting bangles on his wrists. Sukai even held him down long enough to put make up on him, making him look even morefeminine. Sephiroth was laughing at him the entire time, until Sukai finished with Vincent, she turned toward her lover and smiled. Sephiroth felt a cold chill take over him before she pounced and turned him into a blonde. She kept Sephiroth's leather pants, and forced him into a fishnet top and bright pink corset and matching black and pink cropped jacket, which he was informed was Tifa's, and replaced his boots with a simple pair of sneakers.
Sukai ditched her clothing and wore simple shorts, fishnet, knee high shoes similar to Yuffie but green, a outrageously bold lime green and shiny top and added a mutli-colored wig and placed metallic make-up and false piercings to complete her outfit. After she disguised everyone, she told them to meet at the doctors house as she headed to the phone and used it to call Doctor Crochet's house. Thankfully Crochet was still considered a friend to them and was already expecting them as they arrived at his house, knocking on the door.
"Je vous remercie de nous lassier rester." Sukai said, her voice lightening and adopting the native accent.
"Je ne m'attendais pas un si grand nombre." He replied. "Commen aller de vos etudes?"
"No well," Sukai replied. "I was wondering if you could answer some questions."
"But of course, I can't say no to three lovely ladies." Crochet said winking at her.
Sephiroth glared at him and took a step forward but Sukai laughed, "See, even he thinks so! Oh um, I need to show you something uncle. I want to make sure my report is correct before turning it into the Professor."
Sukai placed a small device on the table and activated it, a high pitched squeal was released before a few places in his house began smoking. Sukai rolled her eyes and cleared her throat. "Right, now that will make them think a power surge hit and fried the devices. Doctor, I was wondering if there have been any strange happenings, reports of attacks, Mako poisonings, and anything else that doesn't involve gunshots. I need to look for a man named Fayne Koboyashi and I am not sure he is not using an alias."
"I know Fayne." Crochet said. "Works for Shinra. Shifty sort, he comes in once a week with a monster attack victim or someone with Mako poisoning. I don't like him."
"Good, that makes things easier." Vincent replied.
"And I am assuming the blond is a man as well?" Crochet sighed, "Probably your husband."
"Hey, I don't kiss and tell, but we had to get here somehow and trekking through the woods is not fun. So how many a week, how bad, and anything you can get us on them? We need all the help we can get." Sukai said.
"Sure, but those Shinra dogs have all my work and files at the hospital. I can't work like this. I have patients who need my full attention and I have had more than one die on me since the 'improved funding' happened and I was restricted on my work. I hate it here. I can't leave my patients but if you can do anything to help me, I would be glad to do you a favor." Crochet sighed. "Je n'aurais jamiais du laisser ces porcs sais que je t'ai sauve Cloud. Do what you have to, and do not worry about me. Though I am not with them, I am the best at what I do."
"Seems like Shinra isn't popular with everyone." Sukai smiled. "We can't make any promises. You are far better off here, but I can give you that bug scrambler as a gift. I also have a small data storage device. Just tell us how to get into your office."
"Third floor, the code is changed after we clock in and out. We must check in at the front desk. I can call in and have you grab something for me as my niece. While your friends get what they need." Crochet offered before he made some calls. "Good, there is a woman at the desk named Courtney, she will pretend to help you out. You only have ten minutes before anyone gets suspicious. Good luck you three."
As they headed out the door they walked into none other than Cloud. All of them frowned and looked at the blond.
"Why are you here?" Asked Sephiroth.
"I was in the area. I thought it would be nice if I visited the doctor who helped pull me out of a coma." Cloud told them.
"I am smelling Chocobo shit." Sukai deadpanned. "There is no way that you would leave the airship on your way to a very important mission just to say 'Hi' to an old friend. Don't patronize us. Why are you reallyhere?"
"Does it matter?" Cloud replied with a sigh. He knew that when Sukai found out that Harmony had sent him- that being the only way that Yazoo would not follow, himself- that it would be bad. "Besides, there are a lot more Shinra employees here than we thought. Now that I am here, you may need assistance. Why are Vincent and Sephiroth-"
"I know where Tifa and Aerith hid the pictures." Sukai hissed. "Breathe a syllable about it and if they don't kill you I . I am not playing hide and seek with Syth when she finds out her clothes are missing."
"What pictures?" Inquired Sephiroth.
"The one of him at Don Corneo's Place when he had to dress in drag to save Tifa. He makes and pretty cute girl." Sukai replied while heading out the door. "Cloud stay here, if we need you I will Comm you. We have to find out where Fayne lives, since the good doctor can't get access to his files without permission. Meaning Shinra is here and hiding something dirty."
Sukai and the others went to the Hospital and pulled off the plan without a hitch, as expected. They even found a few interesting files on the men and women who were serving as guards. Everyone of them who came in, in critical condition, had increased levels of Mako in their system. As soon as they found Fayne's house they met back up and set up the strike, after Sephiroth and Vincent changed of course. After taking out the guards from the outside, they made their way inside to find Fayne sitting at a desk. Other than the desk, there was just a bed and a small refrigerator and stove occupying the house. For a man who was a Mako seller, he lived as though he were homeless.
"It took you long enough." Fayne stated. "However, I am seen as quite the asset to my employer, and they don't exactly want you alive." Before any of them could think to stop him, Fayne lifted his hand and snapped his fingers, the sound nearly deafening in the cold silence that had engulfed the room.
They looked around as men piled in from side rooms and targeted them. One of the men spoke. "Are you going to come peacefully or do you intend to resist?"
"Oh don't be so stupid, of course we intend to resist. Just give us a moment, all right?" Sukai snapped. She turned around to whisper to her comrades. "Alright there are four of us and about two dozen of them. Hardly seems fair... should we give them a chance to surrender?"
"I doubt they would even if we offered." Sephiroth told her. "Just protect Fayne."
"Yī shàn mén guānbì, lìng yī yīng dǎkāi. Wǒ wèi tāmen qídǎo, ràng tāmen xúnqiú hépíng de Lifestream nèi. Leviathin zhāng kāi shuāng bì, jiēshòu tāmen, yīnwèi tāmen dào nǐmen zhèlǐ lái. Bùyào ràng tāmen kàn dào yīgè jiéshù, ér shì xīn shēnghuó de kāishǐ, zài hépíng." Sukai whispered before placing herself between Fayne and the infantrymen and casting Wall and Reflect to protect herself and Fayne before she cast Sleep on him. As Fayne collapsed, Cloud, Vincent, and Sephiroth leaped into action. Sukai closed her eyes and waited for the screams to stop. Cracking one eye open, she asked. "Are they dead?"
"If they all receive medical attention soon, then no." Sephiroth answered. "We need to get out of here."
"Right." Sukai said as she dispelled her protective barriers and pulled out her Wave Rider. "Cloud?"
"I rode in on Fenrir." He said flatly.
"Alright Vincent, you have been recruited to make sure Fayne doesn't fall and make a new stain on the Planet's surface." Sukai beamed.
"Sephiroth can just teleport him out." Vincent replied. "I can escape nearly as he can., and then you don't have the added weight holding you back, nor will we have to worry about our passenger."
"Fine, meet you both aboard the Shera." Sukai huffed as she boarded her Wave Rider. "Besides, I will smooth things over for us and distract them while we get himto the interrogation room." She smirked as she pulled Vincent's cape tighter around herself.
!#$%^&*()
Harmony paced the expanse of the mess hall, her fingers playing at her lips as she chewed absentmindedly on he nails. This was going to be bad. There was no way around it. She had been able to talk Yazoo out of following his employee in a blind rage, but only if she could get someone else to go and retrieve them.
Still... nothing could prepare them for what she knew would happen the moment the group met up with them.
Yazoo had barricaded himself in either his room, or the training room, refusing to speak to anyone, even Cissnei. Harmony knew that if she was going to try to smooth things over and stop any possible blood-shed, then she would have to get him to talk. He would have to tell her why he hated his father so much, if she had any hopes of helping him past it.
Kadaj had left her only moments before, saying that he knew she would need to speak to Yazoo, but it would be better if Kadaj made sure that Yazoo wasn't going to go crazy on her. He wouldn't kill her, they knew, but in his anger, he could injure her pretty badly, and not only could they not afford to have their main source of stealth out of commission, they knew that Yazoo would never forgive himself for hurting Harmony if it came to that.
!#$%^&*()
"Yaz?" Kadaj asked, poking his head into the training room. His older brother was just typing a code into the panel to get a scenario started.
"What?" He asked, not even bothering to turn around.
"Harmony wants to talk to you. And I think its a good idea." Kadaj said, stepping into the room.
Yazoo scoffed. "Because your thoughts are always the best to follow."
Kadaj sighed, aggravated. He knew how Yazoo felt, to a point. He could remember wishing and hoping for so long that someone, someday, would come to save him. That maybe he had been wrong, and Kiku was still alive, and his adopted parents were out there, looking for him.
"Yazoo, you need to talk to someone. This isn't healthy." He tried to say.
"No, you know what?" Yazoo cut in, "I think I hate how much you've changed, just like Harmony does! You're up on your pedestal now, so perfect now that she's let you back in, and you think you know everything about everyone! You don't! Just for once can you be like you were seven fucking years ago and leave me the hell alone?" He ranted.
"We're only trying to help!" Kadaj shouted back, knowing that soon, he would have to leave to avoid a physical fight. His older brother never used foul language... so when he did, shit was going down.
"Well stop trying to help me! I don't want your fucking help I don't need it, I'm fine! I'm not going to go curl up in a corner and cry – like you did – because something unwanted is happening to me!" The middle Remnant snarled, taking a threatening step toward his younger brother.
Kadaj felt his jaw clench as his hands fisted tightly closed. "That how you really feel?" He asked quietly.
Yazoo winced when he realized what he had said. "Damn it." He whispered to himself. He wasn't going to apologize. People needed to leave him the hell alone... but he knew that was a low blow. He tried to speak, to ask Kadaj to please just leave, but Kadaj beat him to it.
"I'm leaving, then. And I'm going to tell Harmony to leave you alone, too. But!" He said, when Yazoo started to turn away. "If she finds you later and tries to talk, and you threaten her or speak to her the way you just spoke to me, I swear on all that's holy I will remind you why, even as the youngest Remnant, I was in charge."
Yazoo flinched when the door closed behind him. Walking to the panel, he slammed his hand down on the pad, adjusting the difficulty of his training scenario. He was definitely going to live up to his reputation, tonight.
!#$%^&*()
Harmony carefully nudged the door open, trying to silently slip from the room while Kadaj was in the shower. He'd already told her that she should stay away from Yazoo, and, knowing her as well as he did, he made sure to stay with her all day, knowing that the first chance she got, she'd try to sneak away and approach Yazoo.
As she pulled the door open, it gave a soft squeal and she squeezed her eyes shut, cursing as Kadaj's voice rang out from the bathroom. "I know you're not sneaking out after I told you that its better left alone!" he called.
"'Daj, I just want to talk to him!" She whined, knowing that he would hate the nickname. She was right.
"Get your ass back in here. He's not himself right now, I already told you that! And don't call me that. Kadaj. KA-DAJUH!" He emphasized.
Harmony growled, and then smirked. She could be in the training room and already talking to Yazoo by the time Kadaj was dressed if she just left, anyway.
"Know what?" She sassed, immaturity dripping from her tone as she did her best not to throw an all out tantrum at the way Kadaj was treating her, "You're not the boss of me!" And with that, she slammed the door closed, hearing his curse and shut the water off as she raced down the hall.
Reaching the training room, she could hear the growls and soft grunts from Yazoo as he was no-doubt annihilating the training program. Bracing herself for a possible attack, she hit the button outside the door, listening to Yazoo's angry hiss as the scene surrounding him fragmented and began fading away to reveal the screens and controls of the training room.
Harmony took a deep breath and opened the door, sticking her head in just enough to get a good look at him.
Yazoo was panting, chest heaving and sweat dripping down his almost child-like face. When he saw Harmony, he scowled and turned away.
"What. Do you want?" He growled, not really needing an answer.
Harmony stepped into the room and closed the door, locking it behind her to try to keep Kadaj out. It wouldn't stop her lover, he could easily break it down, but it might slow him down enough for her to say what she needed to say.
She breathed deeply once again, and opened her mouth.
"I know that you're upset with Sukai, and I agree that she should have told you the truth. But Yazoo, this anger... it has to stop. Did you ever think that maybe she didn't tell you because she was trying to protect you? Maybe she knew that this would hurt you, and so she decided to do it herself." She tried to reason.
"I don't care that she's gone to get the Mako she needs." Yazoo said, his teeth clenched. "And I don't care where it came from. She should have told me!"
Harmony gave him a skeptical look. "Yazoo. Don't bullshit me. Why does this bother you so much? I thought you'd be happy to find that your father is still alive! After all the years that you guys have been back here, I'm surprised that you didn't try to find him, sooner!"
"He abandoned me!" Yazoo shouted, the tone and volume of his voice causing Harmony to flinch and take a step back. "Why should I care whether he's alive or dead, when he left me to die in that hell-pit of a lab? He never even tried! Not once did I ever hear from anyone! They took me, they destroyed everything I ever wanted for myself, for my life, for my future... I wanted to fight for my country, I wanted to get married and have kids, I wanted to open a dojo and teach others of the beauty that I had excelled at, and-"
"Yazoo, you got those things!" Harmony cut him off. "Sure, you and Cissnei aren't married and you don't have children yet, but that doesn't mean that those things will never happen! You have your dojo, and whether you see it this way or not, you did fight for your people when we defeated Jenova, and you still are as we fight to stop Gaia's Retaliation!"
"Don't do that!" He hissed. "Don't try to make it all okay, because it isn't! That man-"
"Is your father, Yazoo! Did you ever even think to ask him about it?"
"I am through with this conversation." Yazoo said, turning away.
"No, you aren't! You-" Harmony gasped and ducked when Yazoo snarled out in rage and whirled around, his fist barely missing Harmony's jaw as she scrambled away.
"What the hell?" She gasped.
"I told you all that I don't fucking want to talk about it! But you guys keep pushing and pushing and I'm tired of it! If words won't work, then maybe actions will!" He swung at her again, and Harmony knew that she was in trouble, especially when she heard the panicked exclamation outside the glass door, and her peripheral vision caught sight of Kadaj. Damn. If Yazoo didn't kick her ass, Kadaj definitely would when she got out of the training room!
Harmony thought hard, trying to figure out a way to get him to stop attacking, and give in and talk to her. Finally, she had it. When she and Kadaj were sparring, he did everything he could to make her angry, to make her fight him and let all of her emotions out. The problem was, Kadaj was significantly stronger than she was... and in that situation, she would not physically be able to keep up with Yazoo long enough to push him to that point.
But, she decided, she had to try.
'Kadaj is gonna kill me!' She thought to herself, hearing the glass start to give as her lover rammed into it again and again from the outside. She had to do this, fast.
"Why can't you just let me in?" Harmony shouted to Yazoo. "All of these people are only pushing because we love you and we don't want to see you doing this to yourself! You can't keep it inside, Yazoo! It'll destroy you! What happened in those labs that made you hate your own father so much?"
She was not prepared for Yazoo's reaction, although she had expected it. With a gasp, the middle remnant swung at her, his hand connecting with her stomach and heaving her across the room.
She lay on the ground, coughing and gasping for breath as she clutched her stomach, and thankfully, that seemed to snap Yazoo out of his rage.
"Oh, Gods!" He gasped. "I'm sorry! I didn't- I wasn't trying to-... I'm sorry!"
At that moment, the glass door separating Harmony from her lover shattered, and the youngest Remnant rushed into the room. In an instant, he was on Yazoo, the middle Remnant not even trying to block the vicious swings of enraged hands. Kadaj had just landed a debilitating blow to Yazoo's ribs when Harmony's voice rang out.
"Stop! Kadaj, stop it right now! It was my own fault for pushing him, and I did it on purpose!"
Kadaj growled and rounded on her. "You stupid, stupid girl! What the hell were you thinking? You don't have the ability to fight him off the way I did you!" He said, knowing what her plan had been.
"I know that!"
"Then why did you-" Kadaj's anger was cut short when he heard the shaky exhalation coming from his brother.
"No, please don't be mad at her, Kadaj. Its... its my fault." Yazoo whispered.
Harmony grunted and whimpered a bit as she gained her feet, nodding in thanks when Kadaj rushed to access his Cure materia and stop any possible internal damage from the savage blow that Yazoo had landed to her abdomen.
"Tell me." She said, her voice quiet and pleading. "Please, Yazoo. We all love you... you can't keep it in anymore... tell me!"
Yazoo sighed and looked at his feet. These were things that he hadn't even told Cissnei. One glance into Harmony's eyes, however, and he knew that she was right. His breath left him in what could only be described as a shuddering sob. Harmony would hate him after this. He had told her years ago, that they had never raped anyone, and never would. And while he could understand that what happened had been so because of the drugs and Mako they forced on him, it didn't change the fact that he had lied to her... about something that meant so very much to her, and was such a big part of her life.
"The very first experiment they subjected me to... was to shoot me full of Mako and medical aphrodisiacs and stick me in a room with four women. They wanted to test the effect that Mako would have on the male psyche when exposed to sexual situations..."
Harmony's heart plummeted to her toes as she listened to him speak, his voice, normally so cool and collected, reeked of shame and self-hatred. Suddenly overcome with fierce anger, she let her lip curl into a snarl.
Yazoo noticed her expression and backed away.
"You hate me, now." He said.
He was not prepared for her reaction. He felt the impact almost a full second before the resounding 'SLAP!' echoed through the room, his palm coming up to cup his stinging cheek..
"Don't you dare, ever, think that anything those monsters made you do would make me hate you!" With that, the young witch let out a harsh sob, diving into the middle Remnant's arms and burying her face in his chest. "Keep talking." She sniffled.
Yazoo snapped his mouth closed, the shock wearing off. "The second time they came for me, I thought I was going to die..."
Crochet- it means skeleton key, I thought it appropriate for the doctor since he is considered an expert in his field and he is the key for finding Fayne.
Je vous remercie de nous lassier rester- Thank you for letting us stay.
Je ne m'attendais pas un si grand nombre- I was not expecting so many.
Commen aller de vos etudes? - How go your studies?
Je n'aurais jamiais du laisser ces porcs sais que je t'ai sauve Cloud- I never should have let those pigs know that I saved Cloud.
Yī shàn mén guānbì, lìng yī yīng dǎkāi. Wǒ wèi tāmen qídǎo, ràng tāmen xúnqiú hépíng de Lifestream nèi. Leviathin zhāng kāi shuāng bì, jiēshòu tāmen, yīnwèi tāmen dào nǐmen zhèlǐ lái. Bùyào ràng tāmen kàn dào yīgè jiéshù, ér shì xīn shēnghuó de kāishǐ, zài hépíng. -One door closes, another shall open. I pray for them, allow them to seek peace within the Lifestream. Leviathin, accept them with open arms as they come to you. Do not let them see this as an ending, but rather a beginning of a new life, in peace.
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Legacy of the Lifestream