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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
- 42
- 43
- 44
I do not own FFVII or its affiliates. I make no money from this exercise in literary creativity.
A.N. I am soooooo sorry! My writer's block has been so bad lately, and even my RP is suffering for it ;~; I'll TRY to update this more frequently, there are only a few chapters left!
Chapter 42: Ascension of the White Rose
A great screech tore through the cold morning skies of Wutai, the land's princess looking up and smiling in slight awe at the sight of the beautiful Cosmic Hawk soaring through the canopy. This was the first she'd seen all year.
She and Michael were hot on the trail of the creature her ninja had reported was haunting her peaceful forests. She was sure that they would catch it soon! She wouldn't allow this beast to interfere with the induction ceremony. Michael's official status as a Wu Sheng Ninja would finally allow them to marry with her father's blessing.
"Got more tracks over here. They look pretty fresh. They can't be more than an hour ahead of us." Michael pointed out from a few feet away.
Yuffie nodded. "Good. The sooner we can get this over with, the sooner we can get back and start the induction ceremony." She answered.
The few Wu Sheng surrounding them shared small smiles with each other. Their princess had been even more energetic than usual in the last few weeks, and they all knew why. They approved of her choice. Michael was a capable and honorable man. He was worthy of joining their ranks, and understood the hierarchy of Wutai well enough to know that as the Emperor, he would be no more than a figurehead.
That suited him just fine, really. He had no interest in running a country, however if Yuffie decided his advice was worth hearing, he would gladly give her his opinion.
"Michael." Yuffie whispered, catching the man's attention. "Did you hear that?"
He listened carefully, turning his attention to the direction Yuffie's head was tilted. Sure enough, ragged panting could be heard ever so faintly. His eyes narrowed as he nudged his chocobo to pass Yuffie's, taking his place between his princess and fiance to protect her from whatever beast they faced. Yuffie scoffed, her bird shoving his aside and barreling through the bushes without a care in the world. She smirked as he shook his head.
The air was rank, she realized. It smelled of illness and death. She knew the scent. Raising her hand, she stopped the Wu Sheng riding in after her. "Wait... we need to be careful. If its sick or injured, it'll be more dangerous."
The others nodded, sliding from their chocobos and gingerly treading along the weedy ground. Michael strayed to the right, pushing brush and plants aside slowly as his gaze sharpened. A choked gasp left his lips as he pushed through the last plant blocking his path, a ragged cry leaving his lips. "Yuffie!" He abandoned all propriety, "Yuffie, hurry!"
The crashing from behind him grew louder and then stopped abruptly, the same choked gasp leaving the woman as the forms of three small children were found crumpled on the forest floor. They were dirty, broken and emaciated. The silver hair that would normally shine so brightly was dingy, matted and knotted with leaves, dirt, and twigs. Their eyes were closed in their unconsciousness, deep purple bruises under the sunken-in features.
"Oh Leviathan... Its Fionn and Miriam!" Yuffie gasped, rushing to the three on the ground. "And Kiku! What happened?! How did they get here?!" She frantically searched the three children for signs of life, her head snapping to the side and hand reaching for a throwing star when a snap from in front of her alerted her to the presence of another being.
Nanaki burst through the foliage, a snarl curling his feline lips and hackles raised as much as his starved body could muster in defense of his charges. His eyes lost the malicious glow the instant recognition hit him and he whined, dropping to his stomach on the ground in relief. "Oh thank the Gods... I did not think we would make it."
! #$%^&*()
Light chirping echoed through the courtyard of the Wutaian palace, two sets of shocking yellow-green eyes slowly cracking open at the sound invading their slumber.
Fionn bolted upright, clutching his head and then covering his mouth as a harsh, painful cough set in. "Where... where are we?!" He croaked out, starting and flinching when a blur of movement rushed into the room and stopped short by his side.
"You're awake! Oh Gods I was worried that we were too late!" Yuffie cried, throwing her arms around the little boy. He struggled in her grip, searching frantically for his sister.
"Miri! Where's Miri?!" He rasped, eyes darting in dizzying circles.
"I'm here, Fionn..." Her voice sounded weakly from his side. He dove from Yuffie's arms, flinging himself over his sister and checking her for injuries. She gently pushed him away, her too-wise eyes focused on Yuffie's worried features. "Where's Kiku? Is she okay?"
Yuffie nodded, standing quickly and pouring a glass of water from the pitcher near the bed. She handed it to Fionn, the boy in turn handing it to Miriam and letting her drink before he would accept it back. "She's alright. She's been awake for an hour or so... trying to blow the door apart to get to you two. She hasn't even been coherent enough to tell me what happened... so I need you guys to help me out."
Fionn nodded. "Only if you let Kiku in! It... it hurts. She should be in here with us!"
Yuffie sighed. She'd hoped to wait until the twins were more rested, but if this was what they needed to feel secure, she couldn't deny it. She looked behind her, waving to the guard at the door.
She then was forced to dive to the side to avoid being trampled as the young Guardian was instantly between Fionn and Miri, hugging them both as the three cried tears of obvious relief.
"I'm so glad you're okay! I was so scared you wouldn't be! Miss Yuffie said that you were sleeping and might not wake up and she wouldn't let me in here to see you!" Kiku wailed.
Yuffie patiently waited after righting herself to sit in the chair next to the bed. The children sobbed quietly and cuddled together, finally calming after what seemed like many, many minutes. "You all okay? I need you to tell me what happened. Where are your parents?"
The three looked at each other, anxiety clear on their faces. "We don't know." Miriam answered, clinging to Fionn's hand. "We were waiting for Aunt Hari to get us from school, and these men came and threw us in a van... they put us in a nasty room, but Kiku got us out and we hid in the forest until Nanaki found us."
Yuffie had to stop herself from crying in front of them. She hadn't been able to speak with Nanaki yet, but from the condition they had been in when they were found, they had been out there alone for weeks.
"Miss Yuffie," Kiku started, timid, "Will you call my mommy?
"Of course I will, sweetie. Michael already left for the border. We'll get all of your parents here soon, okay?" She answered soothingly.
! #$%^&*()
Sukai sat on her hospital bed looking at the materia that was in her lap. Since she was forced on bedrest, with obnoxious worry worts constantly looking over her, she was bored. If anything, a bored Sukai was never a good thing. Reno, after making peace with her by smuggling a few scrap parts and random items around the airship for her to dismantle and reassemble, kept her company. She didn't mind that Weiss, who she heard was behind the Omega incident, was not even ten feet from her. No, her parents who lied in a coma even farther way got under skin. To make matters worse, her simple Transform materia would not listen! She conned Harmony to bring it to her for training, and since it didn't violate Sephiroth's rule of no playing with hazardous materials, she had some leverage.
She muttered to herself and tried every way she could think to get the blasting ball of magic to work, but to no avail. Cursing, she didn't realize how loud she actually was until Weiss snapped at her. Glaring, she stuck her tongue childishly out at him, but before she could get a word in, Shelke interrupted her.
"I'm here for your treatment." She said with a soft smile. "How are you feeling today?"
"Frustrated." She grumbled as she threw the blasted Materia to the ground. The mastered materia bounced along the metal floor. Shelke bent down and picked up the crystal ball and peered at it, hoping to help her friend.
"This one is defective." She stated in a matter-of-fact tone. "It will not work."
"What do you mean defective?! That is from my own stash, that I managed to hide from Yuffie last time I saw that sticky fingered child." She growled. "So I know it works, it just...doesn't listen! Hey Shelke? You have uh, Crescents memories...did she have...like anything like this happen?"
"I do not know what you refer to." Shelke answered her with mild confusion.
"I swear to god, you tell Sephiroth this, I will dye your clothes highlighter pink." She threatened. "During the match of girls vs boys, there was an accident. When I cast Death on Kadaj, I wasn't going for death at all! I tried Electrocute, but for some reason , I guess I had death equipped in my bracer, but I don't remember putting it in that one specifically." She told her. "I'm worried that the other on board is frazzled my body, more so than the constant hunger, morning sickness, vivid dreams, aches everywhere, y'know, normal preggers stuff."
"Lucrecia Crecent did not record her pregnancy within the coding that she placed within the systems that uploaded her memory into the Worldwide Network. I could not find anything that would match your description in the files that I have read so far, but I can continue to look for you." Shekle told her as she injected the mako solution into Sukai's I.V line.
"Thanks, if you find anything out, tell me...please?" Sukai yawned as her body told her it was time for another nap.
Shelke left the room and returned to her lab within the Shera to reread everything to see if she missed a clue. After a few minutes of speed reading through the information, she looked down at the materia that Sukai discarded. It did look fine, but if it did not work, it must be dysfunctional. The part of her mind that held the scientific mind of Lucrecia kicked in and decided to test the Transform materia on a nearby mechanic that had just fixed a small hole in the ventilation. The materia lit up with ease and the spell set off perfectly, turning the man into a frog. She was wrong, the materia was perfectly fine, so why did it not work with Sukai?
"I think that we may have a problem." Shelke said as she noticed Dr. Boughman enter her room. "It is only a theory, but the child that is within Sukai seems to be affecting her ability to cast magic. You have worked with Shinra, did any of the other subjects experience the same problem?"
Both of them were puzzled and they decided to test each materia that they could, safely by bringing Time, Heal, Cure, and Barrier. As Sukai tried casting each one, none of the spells but Stop worked, and that one accidentally hit Weiss. Sukai managed to shock Shelke and set Dr. Boughman's jacket on fire before she stopped trying to fiddle with her beloved Materia. All of them worried what this would mean for her. Sukai looked utterly destroyed again, Materia was her passion, other than electronics. If she couldn't cast magic, how would she help? Boughman and Shelke decided it was best to wait to tell the others of their discovery of materia malfunctioning or not working while around Sukai for when they returned. The others were on an important mission that could not be interfered with.
! #$%^&*()
Harmony cursed under her breath as she tripped over yet another broken branch on the forest floor. Tseng put his hand on her arm to help her, anxious to prove that he was, indeed, on her side. She snarled at him, yanking her arm away with a dark glare. "Don't touch me." Was her sharp reply.
He sighed and let his hand drop. He knew that the only reason they had let him come along was to kill him should his information about the base in Wutai prove to be false. They trudged through the forest, eyes darting to every chirp, chitter, and warble of the creatures around them.
Harmony could feel it. They had to be getting close. The intense forboding of danger closing in on her charge was near overwhelming. It appeared that Tseng was, indeed, telling them the truth... but that didn't mean she had to like it.
Harmony twitched uncomfortably as the group stalked through the damp forests surrounding the Wutaian city. She did not like this situation at all.
One, Tseng and Reno travelled with them. Vincent's thinking was that if the two were to betray the, it was better to have them with the strong fighters of the group, than safe and sound on their only means of protection and escape.
Two, it was miserably hot. The humidity in the air seemed to sap the strength from her bones. It left her feeling lethargic and caused her hair to frizz and fly over her eyes. Her skin felt sticky and damp and her shirt stuck to her back.
Three, they were not alone. She could feel it. Though the threat lingering and tingling across her senses was vague, it was there all the same. Even as far away as their enemies were, they were coming. She gritted her teeth. She did not know if she should tell her companions, or keep it to herself for the time. The last thing they needed was a panic. Surely, Sephiroth felt it too. There was no way that danger could escape his senses, Guardian or not.
The Dread General did not appear to be overly concerned, in fact he did not appear to be concerned at all. That knowledge put Harmony at ease, even as slight as the comfort was.
A harder twinge at her senses had her hand lashing out, gripping Sassi's arm lightning fast as the Cetra stumbled, her toe also catching on the hard root of a towering tree as they passed under it. She helped her right herself, snarling reflexively as Tseng's hand reached to assist as well.
He drew his hand back, a slightly annoyed yet hurt expression flittering across his features before his perfected mask of indifference fell over him again. Kadaj's hand landed on her shoulder and she flinched, turning quickly before calming and letting out an anxious sigh. She glanced back at Tseng. "...Sorry." She whispered.
Tseng shrugged, feigning disinterest as he continued walking, and she knew that he knew how delicate his situation was. Even though it was his information that pointed them in the right direction, it would be a long time until he was trusted again. If that trust was ever achieved.
"You need to calm down." Kadaj muttered softly, gently rubbing her shoulder and giving her a concerned glance. "You're making everyone nervous."
Harmony sighed, one glance at Yazoo as he watched from a few feet away validated Kadaj's statement. Even the middle Remnant's eyes showed anxiety. She took a deep, cleansing breath, letting it out slowly. "Sorry. I'll try." She said back.
Sassi watched the interaction with slight irritation. Sure, Kadaj jumped at the chance to comfort Harmony, but would anyone do the same for her? Her children were taken, too! Her Guardian was not the only one that needed nurtured and comforted! Hell, did she even deserve it? Harmony was the one that couldn't stop the GR from taking the kids in the first place!
Yes, Harmony was the one needing comfort, because it was only her child that was missing...couldn't she suck it up and behave? No one noticed Sassi's disquiet. She was careful not to upset the group, knowing how dangerous their position was. Yet the cold heart came all too easily nowadays. It was hard to muster any concern without bringing out the anger. Even more difficult to tell Loz anything without wanting to rip his head off for not being more aggressive in his own searching.
You should, you know. All this is their fault, too. The filthy blood that runs through their veins is the reason that your own children are in danger.
That voice. She'd heard it before, though the whisper was never so clear. In the recent days, it had been nothing more than mere suggestion; Inspiration striking her at random times.
Her hands clenched into fists, the movement so imperceptible that even Loz, nor his brothers didn't spot it.
She hated to admit this, but the voice was right. Their very blood was what made her children a danger according to GR. Maybe it would be better if they...
Her breath caught and she shook her head violently, almost choking on air as she went over her thoughts a second time. Had she really just thought that her children would be better off dead?! Her eyes were wide as she stared at nothing, fear slowly seeping into her bones. What was that voice? What was the feeling? Why was it only starting to manifest now?!
"-ssi? Sassi! Snap out of it!"
She felt hands on her shoulders, shaking her gently and bringing her surrounding back into focus. She looked around, seeing that she had stopped walking all together and the others were staring at her, concerned eyes never leaving her now-pale features. Forcing a grin, she hesitantly stepped forward, trying to mask how much her legs were shaking. The negative energy felt as if it has drained her, leaving nothing but a dizzy, lightheaded mess behind.
Loz frowned, she caught the look from the corner of her eye. She knew he really was concerned for her. How could he not be? She was obviously losing her mind!
- 42
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- 44
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Legacy of the Lifestream