He remembered nothing. Nothing except the blade that pierced his abdomen.
Shelke…
His vision was blurred, fading, shifting from bright hues of blue into a sea of darkness.
It was all a lie…
The lights were gone, the cold metallic floor seemed to vanish, and he became numb toward everything… he thought he could perceive some form of movement…
I was only a tool…
He slipped into nothingness. Visions of an Usher flashed through his mind, a side effect of the SND. The imaginary younger sibling, murdered despite the fact she never existed. Vivid hallucinations flashed through his mind – the horrors of Deepground, countless people slaughtered in desperate ambition.
And then… he remembered other things.
He was in a brightly lit room, eating with other men, all in uniform. Another flash, and then he was in a lab, watching as a superior operated a machine and two small, shiny spheres. And then, he was in a combat room, sparring against another of the uniformed men, but this one was clad in black, and wielded an impossibly large blade….
And then came the warmth. He raised a hand to his face, and wiped his eyes as if to clear his vision, sitting up.
What the…?
The Mako-enhanced violet eyes gave off a strange radiance as he took in his surroundings, having gone from the dark, cold, blue-lit training room to endless space. Above him, below him, to each of his sides, he perceived nothing but an abyss – and the green tendrils of Lifestream surrounding him.
Bewildered, he stood up, looking into nothingness as he took in his surroundings.
Is this death?
The SOLDIER scanned the unfamiliar environment for any signs of life, but saw nothing but darkness and Lifestream. If this was death, it was not what he expected. No deities, no judgement, no pain…
Wait. No pain? He looked at himself, and his confusion only increased. He was no longer clad in the standard-issue Mako suit, as the red stripes of Team Ifrit were absent from his uniform. He now wore his old uniform, the pale purple suit of a SOLDIER 2nd class. A metallic bangle was securely worn on his left wrist, which gave him an odd asymmetrical appearance considering he only wore one pauldron, on his right shoulder.
Everything down to his boots was familiar, but new. It was as if trying to remember someone he'd never met.
A growing brilliance yanked the confused young man from his thoughts, and then he saw it. The Lifestream began to coalesce a small distance away. It swirled, growing in height before it began to shift, taking the shape of…
YOU!
He reached for – nothing, it wasn't there. And then he looked up to find the young woman in front of him. She was tall, with dark red hair and the bright Mako blue eyes that were a SOLDIER trademark. He was mistaken, that couldn't be her… she was… too old to be Shelke.
Blank, emotionless eyes stared into his as she leaned forward and embraced him, planting a quick kiss on his cheek, before droning on in a familiar, expressionless voice.
"I'm sorry, there was no other way…"
"I don't know what you're talking about," he said, finally breaking his silence. "Where are we?"
"You," she began with the slightest emphasis, "are about to wake up." She pulled away from him, turning in the opposite direction and walking away. He put his hands to his face, pain suddenly racing through his head as more visions came to him. Riding in a truck through the dense Wutai jungle as he shared misgivings with the other men, to being in a tent as he watched another man in his uniform receive orders from a man in a black coat and long silver hair, to finally, in an office, as a man behind a desk pushed a manila envelope toward him and said the word "Deepground."
And then came the warmth again. His hand fell from his face and he looked up to find the woman gone, a brilliant radiance in her place, at the center of which was a large bird. Its face and breast were a bright orange, it's body a deep purple. A rainbow of colored feathers sat just below large, brown wings, the ends of with were tipped with fire. The majestic bird shrieked, a piercing, feral scream that pierced the silent abyss, and then everything was brighter, warmer, harder…
"UGH!"
He sat up in a gurney, sweat dripping off of his face, breathing hoarsely as if he'd been back in the Wutaian jungles, sprinting for his life…
But he wasn't. He was in an empty room, barely bigger than the bedroom he'd had as a child. A loud thunderclap outside further brought the man to his senses, however perplexed he still might be.
The young man sighed, leaning over and standing up from the bed. He was still in that damned Mako suit, but the bands of Mako weren't lit – the suit was off, just like the lights in the room, the only illumination coming from large windows on the wall directly behind and across from his bed. He extended an arm to the nightstand next to his gurney, turning on a lamp. A dim light filled the room, not that he needed it – Mako eyes could easily see in the dark. He scanned the small room, figuring it must have been a medical lab. The gurney he had rose from looked exactly the like ones in the infirmary back in Midgar. The nightstand next to it was unremarkable, a few energy bars and the lamp the only items of notice. He picked one up and opened it, savoring the chocolate and granola as he bit into it, and reached for the clipboard at the end of the gurney.
The ledger was as dull as the rest of the room, the scribbles on it clearly having been meant for the previous occupant of the bed. Satisfied that it had nothing else to offer, he looked up, a bright object catching his eye under a discarded lab coat. He stood up and walked to the opposite side of the room, removing the coat and letting out a relieved sigh.
Five colored orbs sat on the counter, all in a plastic bag. Folded neatly underneath it was his old SOLDIER uniform, his pauldron and wrist bangle off to the side, laying next to a long, wooden box with a SOLDIER logo on it, accompanied by a single word: "Crisis".
He opened it, and finally had his confusion replaced by something else – happiness. Within the box was a longsword of dark steel. It resembled hi s old SOLDIER broadsword, but this one had a longer blade, no cross-guard, and ornate, violet leather on the hilt. In the corner of the box, a note caught his eye.
I shall not let death touch you. This is only the beginning. Go to Midgar and seek out Reeve – Argento
Reeve? From Urban Development? The name wasn't of importance, but it was the word "Argento" that was suddenly jarring him… and then he remembered her name. He remembered the "training". He remembered Usher. He remembered the Restrictor. He remembered being told it was all a lie.
Then, he remembered his life. SOLDIER. The war. Shin-Ra. Kunsel. Zack. Captain Rhapsodos. Captain Hewley. His promotion to 2nd, in a ceremony with two other survivors, by the Silver General himself… and then he remembered his name.
SOLDIER 2nd Class Luxiere quickly disrobed, tossing the Mako suit in a corner as he put on his uniform, securing his armor and clothes, before he examined the Materia. One red, three green, and a blue sat before him.
Phoenix. He pressed the red orb into his right forearm, the Materia easily passing into his flesh.
Gravity. Exploder Blade. Elemental Ward… he pressed Gravity and Elemental Ward into his arm as he did with Phoenix, placing the second green orb – Exploder Blade – into one of the circular slots in his new weapon.
Enjoying the slight tingle of the Materia still being absorbed into him, he looked at the last Materia, a dark green one that he'd sorely missed. He picked up the orb, a grim smile appearing on his face as he pressed it into his arm and watched it become seamlessly absorbed into him. Attaching Crisis to the magnetic harness on his back, he strode to the lone door in the small office, opening it.
The sight of a storm greeted him, the occasional thunderclap in the sky a perfect match to the downpour. He was in the wilderness, a blank stretch of flat plains extending into the distance below, the rocky plateau he was on providing a clear view of the expanse. Luxiere raised his arm, flexing it and concentrating as he felt the familiar sensation. Red flames with hues of black and green suddenly surrounded his forearm, and he swung it forward, three of the evil-looking fireballs shooting forward into the sky.
Hell Firaga, how I've missed you.
Luxiere turned around, scanning the small shack one more time. It was one of Shin-Ra's small outposts, a rest stop where medics could stabilize the injured before they took the long trip back to Midgar; which loomed off in the distance, its telltale center building a blemish on the horizon.
However, if this outpost was here, that meant there was a road nearby.
Smirking, Luxiere took Crisis off of his back and gave a few practice swings. Deepground had deprived him of a sword for so long – the familiarity of practicing with one was refreshing, as well as a necessity – he had plenty of work to do with it, and plenty of candidates to vent his aggression on.
The SOLDIER sheathed Crisis, and withdrew back into the small room, opting to travel when the rain had stopped. Collapsing onto the gurney, he made himself comfortable before the sounds of rain eased him off into sleep.
o-o-o-o-o
The Pegasus Rider verified the subject was asleep, her goggles peering through the door his quarry had conveniently left ajar. This was almost too easy…
Her PHS beeped, the incoming call coming just as expected.
"Specialist Moira," a female voice said calmly over the device. "Status of Violet?"
"Asleep," Moira replied. "He woke up, ate, and collected his Materia. He is able to competently use it – he cast Hell Firaga when he awoke." She paused, a thunderclap distracting her. What was with the weather lately? "Also," she said, continuing, "I believe Argento gave him a weapon. I imagine that she was involved in his escape. " Putting thoughts of the ornate sword out of her mind, she finished her report. "Further orders?"
"None," the voice responded, as a thunderbolt ripped into the horizon a distance away. "Maintain current observation of subject V."
o-o-o-o-o
If there was anything, ANYTHING in the world that he could have right now, it would be a drink.
To hell with a girl, even one of the more "generous" ones that could be found below the plate, to hell with riches, he had enough Gil, and to hell with his former aspirations – if he could have slapped the hell out of his child self for even entertaining the notion of becoming SOLDIER…
But complaining was of no use. And besides… he had a drink. Finally.
Exiting the elevator, Kunsel Harringer took off his helmet, tossing it on an empty couch as he took a seat in an empty chair at the table. Their table, although it was empty except for one person.
"Well, you look like shit," SOLDIER 2nd class Sophia Lawrence began, smiling at her exhausted friend as she slid a shotglass across the table.
"Hell, don't we all?"
"Yeah," Sophia answered in her Corel accent. "But you especially look like shit today." She poured a shot for the two of them and then continued. "And I mean the exotic kind of shit, like if you feed a bunch of Chocobos nothing but Wutaian food for a week, and then had it cooked by Ifrit in this rain and served on a –"
"I get it, Soph," Kunsel said with a slight smile. He took the glass and the two SOLDIERs each downed their glasses.
Sol Rum, Kunsel mentally deduced the identity of the liquid that just finished burning his throat. At least Corel is good for something.
Sophia took a long sigh and looked out of the window. Weather in Edge was usually dry, so at first the rain was a nice change to the norm, but… it had been storming for the whole week. The best respite since had been a single overcast day in which it didn't rain, but it had been to brief. The rain had been relentless ever since.
But… things weren't bad, per se.
Following Meteorfall, Shin-Ra, and the horribly corrupt city it constructed, had collapsed. Since the catastrophe, the city of Edge was built (albeit with Shin-Ra's resources), in a testament to the company's remnant s willing to pursue a better future. For now it seemed, the much-maligned citizens of Edge seemed to believe it – much of the company had fallen and to be honest, what further damage could they do? And so had begun an era of rebuilding – a sensation of quiet optimism among those who remained in the shadow of Midgar's ruins, all attempting to enjoy the relative calm, or committing themselves to a more prosperous future.
At least, until another catastrophe occurred again. If it wasn't Sephiroth, the Silver General who'd inexplicably gone mad and became the Planet's greatest threat, there was likely something else that would come and prove to be a test to their sanity.
Stop, she told herself. Director Tuesti said we shouldn't be so pessimistic.
And with a sigh, she reached for the bottle of rum, the emblem of Costa Del Sol on the bottle only serving to darken her mood more – all of the opportunities at home in Corel, and she wanted to come here? Being the rare female SOLDIER wasn't too much of an obstacle – her marksmanship was peerless and her sword prowess was a force to be reckoned with – but why in Gaia's name did she give herself this stress?
She sighed again, as she poured the two glasses full, too deep in her thoughts to hear Kunsel's alcoholic jokes. If only Zack were here…
The pair of SOLDIERs downed their glasses a second time, and Kunsel broke Sophia's concentration.
"So, did this Reeve guy say anything about why the hell we're here?"
Kunsel looked up at Sophia as she realized the question was directed at her. "Umm, no," she began. "Just something about being ready for Lee when she gets back." She leaned back in her seat and thought back to their meeting with the Director. "The most he told us was that he was interested in the case of some missing SOLDIERs and he wanted us to help identify someone he was bringing back."
This caught Kunsel's attention, who stopped fidgeting with the handle of his Hardedge to give her his attention. "Did he say any names?"
"Yeah," Sophia responded blankly, as she lazily eyed her Force Stealer laying against the far window. "I think his name was Luxiere Rai?"
o-o-o-o-o
Damn it!
Luxiere leaned backward, the lunge of the Needle Kiss missing his neck by inches. It paid a high price for its inaccuracy as Luxiere swung his blade downward, Crisis easily bisecting the smaller bird. One opponent down, he turned to face the remaining birds. At least three had flown away, but five of the birds – the mothers protecting their eggs, he guessed – had remained, two of them having fell to Crisis already.
If anything else, Lux liked his new sword. He liked fighting without one of those damn helmets even better, having found a black beanie in the medical shack, and some coffee to help shed his exhaustion. The energy boost and the increased visibility were a much needed change.
He sprinted toward the nest where the last screeching birds were hovering, two of the smaller ones flying straight at him, their sharp beaks rapidly closing the distance.
In a move that would make Zack proud, he slid under the birds, slashing horizontally as he skidded against the ground. Both birds fell, one attempting flight with its remaining wing.
And that leaves – oh, Gaia…
The Jatayu – larger and differently colored than its Needle Kiss brethren, rose from the ground nest. Whereas the Needle Kiss was the size of a small child, this remaining bird was larger than a Chocobo.
And fast too, Luxiere observed, as he rolled to avoid a lunge that almost impaled him.
Okay… let's try something else. Luxiere mentally cycled through the Materia he absorbed until he came to Gravity, concentrating and extending his arm as a dark ball of energy descended onto the Jatayu, as it paused in the air to correct its aim.
Go! Luxiere sprinted forward, the dark steel of his blade glowing a faint gold, as leapt into the air, overtaking the struggling creature and slashed downward, the shockwave of Exploder blade slamming into it. As Luxiere landed, the Jatayu fell earthward, screeching and struggling to get airborne, before a final slash put the creature out of its misery.
With a sigh, Lux flexed his arm and extended it, casting Hell Firaga over the nest. Of all the things that could be by his temporary sleeping quarters, he supposed it could be worse – there were far more challenging opponents than a flock of Needles to contend with, and that was fortunate – he expended a significant amount of effort just to kill five birds.
He chucked as he returned to the room, sitting on the gurney and taking a drink.
A Behemoth or a Vajradhara would kick my ass right now…
He downed the bottle of juice, the sweet liquid a pleasant sensation in his otherwise dry mouth. The rain had eased this day, and he'd slept well into the afternoon. The sun lit the clouds a brilliant shade of orange as it set, just as thunder began to rumble. The air was warm and humid, droplets scattered all over the leaves of the few trees spaced out atop the plateau the shack was on. Despite waking up to find the Needle Kiss in his room, and subsequently having to eliminate its flock, the afternoon had been a quiet, solitary one – even if he didn't realize he wasn't alone.
o-o-o-o-o
Atop rocky outcrop a small distance away, SOLDIER 3rd class Lee Dokujima peered through her binoculars, regarding the lone building atop the plateau. The map Reeve had given her – the REAL map that wouldn't be available to normal requests, had indicated that a large facility sat below this rock, but that was another matter for someone else to deal with – she was here for Luxiere, the SOLDIER clad in the old-style uniform.
"He's here," the Wutaian SOLDIER said quietly, "I don't imagine anybody else would be wandering around out here in an old SOLDIER outfit. But why did you need me to come here?"
Just underneath her, an excited voice spoke up. "What!? I don' know if he's even gonna listen ta me!" Cait Sith #3 hopped down the outcrop, landing nimbly among the ground. "An I told ya, there was somwun' else here last night! Lady in a weird glowin' suit!"
Lee paused. That wasn't the first time she'd heard such a thing described… and files taken from Scarlet and Heidigger's ruined offices gave credence to the rumors that Shin-Ra had more atrocities going on…
"Okay," she began, regarding the little robot. "You go scout the area and I'll cover you," she said, sheathing her broadsword and picking up her Peacemaker revolver. "Besides, why would he attack a cat?"
This logic seemed to sate Cait Sith, but before he proceeded to the house, the voice of Reeve blared out from the microphone inside him. "Do as she says. We don't have any reason to believe operative Rai is a hostile. We need him. Out."
"You better not be gettin' me killed!" And with that, the robot nimbly ran toward the house.
o-o-o-o-o
Lux toyed around with the PHS he had found in the room. It wasn't a newer model, judging by how familiar he was with it – but according to the date, he'd been in Deepground's clutches for three years.
He sighed. His fragmented memory was slowly giving him bits and pieces of his life, but… not fast enough. He remembered SOLDIER for sure. He vaguely remembered his troubled friend Zack, the ever laid-back Kunsel, the meticulously detailed Lee… but then it got fuzzy. Sebastian, and Essai, he vaguely remembered, but something made him worry about them. His memory of the fallen Captain Hewley, and the defector, his former Captain Genesis were slightly clearer. But his memory of Sephiroth, his hero – the time when he and Jacob were promoted, in person, by the Silver General of all people – he'd never forget that. Yet…
Every time he tried to remember more, it hurt. That combined with the PHS's limited ability to hold a secure connection meant he was out of answers until he got to Midgar – and at the thought of going back to that damned place, he sighed again.
"For the love of Gaia, why me?"
"Well kid, Gaia ain't gonna help ya but if ya needin' somethin', let's talk!"