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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
- 7
- 8
- 9
A.N. And the story goes on! A few explanations, a confrontation, an electrocuted General, and the beginning of something big! This has been gone through by myself AND my beta/co-author n3rd2u... but there may still be mistakes...
Anywho! Enjoy! R&R!
Chapter 7: Hearts and Stomachs
Kadaj watched Harmony as she faced off against Yazoo's prized employee. Vincent's girlfriend sat in the corner, waiting patiently for her turn against the Guardian.
Sukai was smirking, staring Harmony down and trying her utmost to make her nervous.
Harmony glanced at her opponent's hands, where the woman held a sword that looked much like Kadaj's. Upon closer inspection, Harmony realized that it was actually two kodachi snapped together.
'Wonderful.' Harmony thought to herself. 'I'll bet that gun on her hip snaps right onto that, too. That's probably what those indentations are for-whoops!' Harmony had to literally fall backwards and flatten herself to the ground to avoid the blades swinging in her direction as Sukai took advantage of her distracted state.
Sukai recovered from her miss quickly and efficiently. It was easy to see why she was one of Yazoo and Kadaj's favored students. The Guardian's Heart whistled through the air as Harmony swung in a complicated pattern of ups, downs, lefts, rights, and diagonals. Each swing was blocked and countered, it becoming very clear that Sukai was trying to back away and get some space from Harmony.
Not thinking about whether or not it was a good idea, Harmony gave her what she wanted, thinking to distance herself and form a plan of attack. She was not counting of Sukai pulling out a clip filled with Vincent's favorite paint-ball blanks and slamming it into the gun that she pulled from her side. In one swift movement, the gun was attached to the blades, the steel of the kodachi slipping firmly over the body of the pistol.
Harmony's eyes widened and she spun to the left and then right again, avoiding the blanks. She remembered how much they hurt. Funny how a little ball of paint the size of a pea could leave a bruise the size of a watermelon.
Sukai seemed to know it, too, as all of her shots were aimed at places that a bruise would penetrate the most deeply.
Harmony did her best to dodge in such a way that she could subtly close the distance between them, but unfortunately, Sukai proved to be too well-practiced with her weapon of choice. She felt the impact on her left side and grit her teeth, only half succeeding in biting off the yelp of pain when the blank struck her skin. The impact knocked the breath out of her and she doubled over, falling to her knees and barely raising her sword in time to block the swipe of those blades that would have left her with a very close haircut.
With a quick move, she shoved forward, burying her shoulder into Sukai's unguarded stomach as the woman got too close. As Sukai hit the floor with a growl of annoyance, Harmony was on her, trying to wrestle enough room between them to rest her sword across the engineer's neck. She finally succeeded, and gave a triumphant smirk the the woman below her, the smile falling from her face when she felt the pressure of a muzzle as Sukai's gun pressed against her ribs.
"Enough!" Yazoo called. "That was very good, Harmony. You still need to work on your speed, but you've fallen back into the flow very well in the past week. Sukai, great job. Anyone else, and you'd have had them almost from the start."
Sukai beamed at her teacher and employer as Harmony stood and helped her to her feet. "Thanks, Sensei-Bosu!" She chirped.
Slow clapping from the doorway had both women turning around, Sukai suddenly gasping and blushing furiously at the sight of General Sephiroth lazily applauding their performance.
"Impressive." Sephiroth said, standing up from his position leaning against the door frame.
'He just said I'm impressive! OHMYOHMYOHMY!' Sukai thought.
Harmony smiled and nodded gratefully at Sephiroth, noticing the look of glee and slight nervousness in Sukai's eyes. She grinned. This was the perfect opportunity.
"Hey, Sukai, why don't you tell Sephiroth about some of your inventions? I need to get some water and eat some lunch, then I have to fight Sytherea. She's the last one, and by the way she was watching me, I'd say she's pretty much got me figured out. I need to sit for a minute and maybe convince Vincent to tell me about her style." She said, pulling away from the death grip that Sukai had on her arm.
Sukai glared at Harmony as she walked away. 'My ass.' She thought. Her eyes widened when she heard Sephiroth chuckle from beside her, and she turned back to face him, suddenly unsure of what to say.
Sephiroth, luckily, had dealt with uncertainty many times in the past and knew many things to get a conversation started. He had always been reluctant to socialize, before, but after spending time in Harmony's world, he came to realize that having friends doesn't make a person weak, and if this woman was as brilliant as Rufus and Tseng said she was, she'd be quite a good addition to his circle. At least he would be able to have an intelligent conversation that didn't involve honor or poetry.
"Did you finish your project?" He asked.
"Project? Oh, the launcher? No, not yet. Tseng has had me working on something else for him the last few days. He wanted an updated EMR with a greater range and power." She said, nervously fidgeting with the front of her Chinese-style shirt.
Sephiroth graced her with a look of honest interest. If she was so competent with advancing weapons, maybe she could make something for him? "Oh?" He said, hoping she would take it as a sign to continue.
"Well, yeah. It took me a few hours to actually get the power level right. At first, it was too much, and would destroy the magnetic conductors in the rod, and then it wasn't enough, and was weaker than the rod was in the first place. I did get it, though. Now all I have to do is actually get the trigger perfected. I think there's a short in the line somewhere in the prototype, but I haven't had the time to really inspect it." Sukai explained. She was amazed that she was so comfortable talking to Sephiroth. Of course, she really, really loved her work. It was nice to talk to someone that was interested in the process, rather than when she would be finished.
!#$%^&*()
Harmony groaned in pain when she hit the floor, Sytherea standing above her, smirking.
"You haven't won yet!" The witch growled. She rolled to her feet and threw punch after punch, the burgundy haired woman dodging each with exceptional ease, before throwing another punch that had Harmony sprawled on her back, gasping for breath and clutching her stomach. In an instant, Sytherea had her on her face, an elbow between her shoulder blades and her other hand fisted in her hair, pulling her head back.
"Fuck-ow! I give! Damnit!" Harmony snarled when Sytherea released her. She spared a glance at Yazoo and saw his disapproving stare, and watched it slowly fade to be replaced by acceptance and a bit of pride.
"I guess I should't be too disappointed. She was mostly trained by Vincent, and she did have a few hours to watch you fight and learn your style and preferences." He mused.
Harmony turned a shocked gaze to Sytherea. "Vince trained you? No wonder I couldn't even touch you!"
Hell, Vincent might even be able to hold his own against Sephiroth!
"No fair." Harmony grumbled. Sytherea giggled.
"Life ain't fair, darlin'." She dusted herself off and took Harmony's hand, pulling her to her feet and forcing her into the corner to sit with Vincent, Kadaj, Sephiroth, and Sukai.
"So how did you guys meet?" Harmony asked conversationally.
Sytherea looked uncomfortable, and Vincent came to her rescue. "It was not long after we came back. But its... sort of a personal thing. Maybe later." He said. Harmony nodded her understanding, although the way he avoided the question made her a bit suspicious. Had something big happened?
Kadaj chose that moment to address his ex-lover. She'd been kind to him over the last week, but every time he tried to talk to her about what happened in both of their lives, she acted like she was bored out of her mind! He could tell that she was angry, and that she felt betrayed... but she wouldn't show any of it. ANd with every passing day that they didn't talk about it, she drew further away. At this rate, things would never be as they were before.
"Spar with me." He said to Harmony.
She whined. "Kadaj, I'm exhausted! I could never beat you before and I don't feel like letting you kick my ass!"
He persisted. "Come on. I'll hold off. Just slow and easy. It'll help. Even if we just do some katas in the corner."
Harmony sighed a martyr's sigh. She knew that if she didn't agree, he'd most likely just attack anyway and she'd be forced to defend herself.
"Fine. But I don't understand why you guys do this. Sure, when we were up against Jenova. But now? Why do we all have to be in such good condition?"
Kadaj had to force himself to breathe and remain calm. He and the others had already discussed it, and unless the problems started up again, there was no need to stress Harmony out and make her worry about her safety and the safety of her daughter, her Cetra, and her Cetra's children.
"You're a Guardian. What if, one day, Sassi needs you to protect her, and you can't? You can't always depend on your Guardian Mode." He pointed out.
"Yeah, I guess you're right." Harmony said, knowing that he wasn't telling her something. However, she supposed that if it was important, he would tell her soon enough... or one of the others would.
"So. Spar or katas?" Kadaj asked when they reached a clear part of the room.
"We can spar." Harmony said.
Kadaj smiled at her. "Okay. You choose the speed you're comfortable with for right now, and we'll work up from that." This was perfect. She fell into his trap just as he knew she would.
Harmony nodded. She pushed forward, not using her most efficient speed, and made an open-palmed swing at his cheek. He avoided it, matching her speed and counter-attacking.
It went back and forth for a few minutes, looking almost like a well rehearsed, choreographed dance, and then Kadaj spoke.
"Ready to speed up a bit?"
Harmony nodded, and Kadaj's attacks became quicker. She dodged some, some connected. She wasn't really upset that none of hers hit him. She had known that she most likely wouldn't, especially not as slow as they were going. She should have known, though, that the two of them couldn't go for long without conflict.
"Now we're going to talk." Kadaj said, just loud enough for her to hear.
"Talk about what?"
"Us." He said, solid.
"What about us? We're fine!" Harmony answered, becoming irritated. Why was he pushing her? She'd told him a million times over the last week, that she was okay! "I told you, I'm not angry, I'm not even really all that hurt anymore! Can we just drop it?"
"No." Kadaj said. "Because you are angry. You are hurt. And not saying anything and letting it out is worrying everyone. You're running away from your problems, just like you always did!" he snapped.
Harmony gasped, indignant. "I. Am. Not. Running!" She punctuated, speeding her attacks.
"Yes you are. You're running from me and yourself, just like you did when we first met. And like then, I'm not going to let you do it now, either!"
"You don't get to 'let' me do anything! You don't own me! You don't tell me what I can and can't do! If you wanted a poodle then you should have stayed with your cowering little girlfriend!" Harmony was so lost in her rant that she didn't notice her fist had started to glow, until Kadaj tried to block her attack and ended up sliding back a few feet from the strength behind her wind-infused fist.
"That's it! Get mad at me! Scream at me, hit me, cry, anything! Just stop hiding from me!" He answered her as he rushed forward again.
So Harmony did. Looking back, if she was honest with herself, she knew that this moment would come. It had to happen.
"You broke your promise!" She cried, not noticing that everyone else in the dojo had stopped what they were doing, now completely focused on Harmony and Kadaj, ready to intervene if they needed to.
"You're right, I did." Kadaj said, feeding the fire.
"You said you wouldn't forget me, and then I find out that all this time you've been fucking floosies!" Her attacks became more sporadic, but more powerful as the magic in her that had been suppressed for so long finally broke through her mental barriers.
"Yeah, I did." He pushed.
"You didn't protect Sassi!" She added, "If you ever cared at all, you would have known that protecting her meant more than anything and you-you just... stopped!"
She'd crossed the line, and she knew it when Kadaj's eyes flashed an angry glow for a split second.
"You can be pissed off at me for anything that you want to be. I know that in a way, I betrayed you. But don't you ever, ever try to tell me that I don't care about you!" Kadaj hissed. He started in on her, forcing her to back away with block a barrage of attacks meant not to injure, but to force her to the ground.
"Do you?" She shot back. "Did you ever? Did you really even wait like everyone says you did, or did you sneak off at the first opportunity you got, and go fuck the first painted up whore that you could find?"
That was enough. Kadaj snarled at her, lunging forward and pinning her to the wall, both oblivious to their audience. His voice was raw, aching, filled with regret and pain and desperation.
"Damn you, woman. I love you. I've always loved you." His ragged whisper echoed in her ear, and then he pulled away from her, resting his forehead against hers. "All those women... I never saw them. I saw you. I only wanted you. Every time I would look at them, I wished so much that I was looking at you instead."
Harmony stared at him, hurt and hopeful and happy and furious and every confusing emotion in the world all jumbled together. She wasn't given too much time to think about his words. Kadaj leaned in quickly and planted his lips against hers, molding his mouth to hers for a half-second and swiping his tongue once across the seam of her lips before pulling away. He pushed away from her completely and just stared.
Harmony said nothing. She swallowed, trying to moisten her dry throat, and without even one last look, she left a very confused Remnant behind as she walked out of the dojo. She was utterly thankful that she had to go and get Kiku, Miriam, and Fionn from school today. She needed that escape more than she had ever needed anything else.
!#$%^&*()
Kadaj just stood in the same spot. He didn't even look up when he heard the door slide closed. He knew she was gone. He almost laughed at himself. Seven years ago, he'd have gone into a rage, throwing things and attacking people and taking his anger out on anyone that was(or wasn't, even) willing to give him that release.
Now, all he could do was sigh heavily, and hope that his plan paid off.
Harmony had always been hard to read.
He finally turned around and went back to the corner to sit with Vincent and the others. Sukai's look caught his attention. She looked like she knew what he was going through, or maybe had witnessed it before.
"What?" He huffed, not liking the attention.
"I was just thinking. There's a Wutaian proverb that I think will help you out. Wanna hear it?" She asked.
He sighed again. "Whatever."
Sukai gave him an understanding smile that seemed to know more than she should. "Its: bīng dòng sān chi fēi yī rì zhī hán. Do you know what it means?"
Kadaj shook his head. "I don't speak Wutaian."
"It means: A single day of sub-zero temperature is not enough to create three feet of ice." Sukai translated.
"And what exactly is that supposed to mean and how is it supposed to help me?"
This time, it was Sephiroth who answered. "Great things cannot be accomplished in a short period of time."
Sukai beamed at Sephiroth, but Kadaj didn't notice. They were right, he thought to himself, he had his work cut out for him, and a long road ahead.
!#$%^&*()
Sephiroth mentally sighed in frustration. This wasn't him at all. He was actually... dare he say it? He was actually attracted to this woman. He'd never been attracted to anyone before! He tried valiantly to listen to what she was saying, but kept finding himself lost in his mind, images parading through like they owned the place. He thanked the Gods and swore to grant the next favor Tseng asked of him, no matter what it was, when said TURK entered the dojo and approached them.
"Hello, Sukai. Got a minute?" He asked.
Sukai smiled at him... and it made Sephiroth angry. Perhaps he wouldn't be granting any favors.
"Of course, anything for you!" Sukai started.
Sephiroth's eyes narrowed as he stared at the long-haired TURK.
"Come on, Gēgē!" Sukai said, a smile in her voice as she answered Tseng's request. "You sit here, and I'll go get it. I'm almost done, its really awesome!"
Sephiroth shook his head to clear his thoughts. What in the name of Odin was his problem? He had no claim over this woman. And jealousy was so... human. He nearly shuddered at the word. He also nearly shuddered at realizing how quickly the jealousy died down when Sukai had called Tseng 'Gēgē'. Sephiroth wasn't fluent in Wutaian, but he thought his linguistics skills were passable enough. If he was right, the term meant that she thought of Tseng as a brother.
Sephiroth sighed in relief, freezing and looking around to make sure no one saw him. He relaxed when he found that no one was paying attention to him.
And the next thing he knew, he was on the ground, a tingling pain sweeping across his side and stomach... it was surprisingly painful, considering how numb the rest of his body felt. He felt hands rolling him to his back, and then saw the worried face of Sukai, followed by Aerith and Sassi. He really hoped the Cetrans wouldn't try to heal him. They'd already discovered that their healing Lifestream was one of the only things that could seriously injure him, even if he was a Guardian.
"Just give him some air, it was only the lowest setting! He'll be fine just let him breathe!" Sukai's voice called out. He grunted as the hands of the Remnant's helped him to a sitting position on the mat.
"What the hell was that?" He asked. 'And why didn't I sense it coming?' He added silently.
Sukai blushed and Sephiroth figured he knew what happened at that moment.
"I'm so sorry! I-I tripped coming up the stairs, and I didn't have the EMR safety set, and I hit the button and..."
Sephiroth held up a still tingling hand and gave a slight smirk, though inside he was seething. He couldn't believe he was so distracted that he didn't sense what was going on. He tried to play it off. It wouldn't do to have others know of his momentary lapse in focus.
"It seems, Tseng, that your new EMRs do indeed have very impressive range." He said.
Tseng laughed and Sukai paled even further.
"I am so sorry!" She said again.
Sephiroth shook his head. It was his own fault for not paying attention and remaining aware of his surroundings. Some Dread General he was. He tried to stand, only to collapse back to the mat when his legs wouldn't support his weight.
Sukai shook her head and handed him a protein bar she'd pulled out of one of the many pockets of her skirt. "Eat this. The EMR pulse zaps at your strength. You just need some food."
Sephiroth did as she asked, and after a few minutes, he felt a bit of his strength come back. He stood, only wobbling slightly.
Sukai startled a bit when someone nudged her shoulder. She looked over to find Sassi staring at her with a suggestive look on her face. "Now's your chance! He's still weakened, offer to take him to lunch!"
Sukai's eyes widened as she realized what Sassi had implied, and that the only way she could have known was...
Harmony. That sneaky little... that nosey... "Oh!" Sukai said, indignant. Sassi shoved her again.
"Be grumpy later, you're gonna lose your chance!"
The Cetra was right, Sukai thought. "Um, General Sephiroth?" Sukai called as the man slowly limped/floated (how the hell he did that, Sukai would never know) to the door.
"Yes?" He asked, turning back to her.
"Please, you still need to eat some more before the effects wear off... I'd like to... I mean, if you want, I could... um... maybetakeyoutolunch?" Sukai rushed, her heart about to jump out of her chest.
Sephiroth gave her a confused look. "What was that last part?" He asked. He thought he heard her right... but no. She wouldn't have asked him out to lunch. Women were afraid of him, and those that weren't were already taken, or just too insane and troublesome to deal with.
"I'd like. To take you. To lunch. To apologize and help get your strength back." Sukai said, obviously trying very hard not to stutter.
Sephiroth was so shocked that he couldn't even speak. Instead, he nodded his head and extended his elbow, allowing Sukai to take his arm. She did with a blush, trying to hide her grin of excitement, and the two of them left the dojo, leaving their amused friends behind them.
- 7
- 8
- 9
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Legacy of the Lifestream