DISCLAIMER: I do not own 'FFVII/AC', 'Silent Hill', 'Bleach' or 'Jigsaw Girl'. All rights belong to Square Enix, Konami, Tite Kubo, and the Toadies. I only own my OC, and this story. Thank you.

I

The leather of his usual attire was, for whatever reason, irritating the piss out of Yazoo. Actually, scratch that-he knew what the reason was. What...and who.

Appointments were a real pain in the ass.

Especially when your doctor was dear, darling, deranged Hojo. Everybody's favorite slime ball, loved to be hated on and hated to be loved, at least in the opinions of most that the silver-haired male had come across in his lifetime outside of a laboratory. Thanks to the man's research, he and his brothers were alive and in existence. But at what cost?

His thoughts wandered, back to the familiar sensation of the various tests and injections. They'd all been piercing into him or his skin at some point or another. Yazoo let out an aggravated sigh at the thought. All of these stupid checkups and physicals, for one thing. He could deal with the pain, that was no problem for someone like him. He wasn't going to cry at some needles in his flesh, that was stupid. Maybe Loz might, but not him. He was a perfect mask of cool detachment. And yet...

The thoughts trailed off. In his life here at Shinra, there had been a few-just a core few, who he'd grown to know and, he admitted, care for-in his own way. Something like friends, and in some cases, family.

Family.

His sharp green gaze, flecked with traces of blue, was trained on the ceiling above him. His eyes flashed for a moment, with the flicker of a new emotion. The faintest hint of a smile tugged at his lips, though it was hard to tell if the expression was intended to be mocking, or just plain bitter. And that look in his stare...if anyone had been in the room with him at that moment, they would've been bolting for the door. That was the cue for anyone to get the hell outta Dodge.

Amazingly enough, Hojo was not the 'who' in his situation. Or the 'what'. He was just a part of what made it whole. No, that title, that place, that role...belonged to another person entirely. Again, the gleam in his eyes. His smile widened slightly.

Family. Such a funny word, wasn't it? He wouldn't have thought much of it in the past, when he and his siblings were starting out. He knew this. His and his Brothers' birth circumstances hadn't exactly been the most conventional, nor were the after-results always pleasant-hello, test tube babies! One of the many dirty little secrets of Shinra that had still managed to turn out in their favor.

Also, a thank you to his eldest Brother's DNA. It had obviously been procured by Hojo as well, and was thus responsible for much of their genetic structure, make-up, ability and even general disposition.

People would often comment on how 'perfect' they were, "just like your brother." Fair, smooth skin. Strong, but not overly bulky physiques-not quite a trio of Sephiroths, but pretty enough, and skilled enough to garner their own popularity and fanbase. Physical prowess was also not to be taken lightly, though once more, it paled in comparison to their superior. Perhaps, if they were to fight all together...?

The Remnants. That's what they were referred to as, on occasion. A collective single unit, the three 'faces' or 'sides' of their oldest. Three pieces of the original whole. A bit insulting, if you really gave it a more thorough glance-over.

Their looks, at least, were something they had inherited heavily from their elder sibling: silver hair, and those bright green-blue eyes. A hypnotizing shade of green, like fine jade, with those edges of brilliant cyan. They were topped off with distinctly catlike pupils. Perfectly sculpted faces and bodies, combined with a striking beauty that was not quite of this Planet. Wherever they went, the crowds would stop and stare, or part in awe.

Often, because of their lighter physical stature and 'pretty' faces, they were tapped for photoshoots and even modeling gigs. It also helped that they weren't involved with the inner workings of Shinra's business affairs, or members of the SOLDIER program like their First Class General elder. Their 'work' was far beneath the surface of what the public eye could see.

If they did have to venture outside, for some reason, there was always the moment when someone or other would stop them, either as a group or individually, and inquire about their 'services'. If this was a service, Yazoo didn't know, and didn't care. He'd been the recipient of many of those unsolicited offers, during his own occasional ventures beyond Shinra's walls.

But he'd never missed a chance to turn them down with all of his calm professionalism and way with words, getting them to completely miss the fact that, in his own terms, Yazoo had just told them to "fuck off". At least he smiled when he did it. It softened the sting of realization, once it finally kicked in. He knew about the adoring public, and how their fans would kill, literally kill, for more exposure on them-any and all of them, the jewels of the empire, in any form. The majority of the publicity would be good for Shinra, so long as it didn't bleed over into the personal.

However...he really wasn't interested in just being treated as an object, something nice to look at and covet and drool over. A flawless idol that they could never even begin to consider as truly 'human'-they were just blind worshipers, creating their own theories and speculations, and imposing them on him and his siblings without a thought as to how they actually felt about the whole thing.

So many things he had seen, heard, and even experienced, all in the name of a rabid mass of screamers who wanted a piece of the action. Wanted them, to fulfill their own personal desires, casting no thought to the personal stake of the others involved.

On the other side of things though, there were the dissenters...those who were stupid enough to let their hatred of the company cloud their reasoning and rationale. Those who thought they could get away with cheap shots and sneak attacks, be it in the media or physically, by idiots who'd honestly believed they'd had a chance against any one of them.

No matter which end he picked, there was always pain, a give and take he would rather not have to deal with at all. For now however, he was staying close to the support, blind though it may have been. After all, he did have an image to upkeep. For the most part, he and his brothers had either kept to themselves indoors, or stuck together in a trio or pair outside. Though there was always the odd moment where only one of them was out and about...and it was those moments he detested. Unless it was for a damn good cause, more on that later, he wouldn't bother.

It wasn't that he didn't care to be wanted...it was just in a different form than this. His wants were...a little more complicated than the fanbase-or the opposition-could ever begin to understand.

His family. It had started out small, with only him and his two Brothers. They were triplets, with a little space of time between each development. Loz came first, then himself, and finally Kadaj. A primarily wide-eyed trio, holed up in that laboratory, day in and day out. No other connections, certainly not to the greasy git that inhabited said lab as its head. No matter if he was the one who had brought them into this 'life', problematic though it was. They were forced to regard him as the closest thing to a 'father figure', but they would never respect him like one. Nor did they care to.

Then, Sephiroth was introduced. A little questioning, before things finally settled. They were still young, and they couldn't speak against this strong, imposing figure, who looked so much like them, acted too much like them to ever be a stranger. Had there really been someone before them, someone who had already paved a way for them to follow? Was this the direction they were meant to grow?

Even with all the inquiries, Yazoo and his Brothers had accepted the news, wondering how long it would take to get used to. Surprisingly, it wasn't too hard of an adjustment, seeing as they were the only ones actually genetically related, with familiar faces. Unfamiliarity aside, there was still some sort of acknowledgment, and the desire to be recognized, by this one so alike, yet so far out of reach. Just like looking into a mirror.

But Sephiroth had at least regarded them in a more welcome light than any of the attentions from Hojo. Though he saw them as beneath him, he still took note of their existence, and was willing to allow them into his. There was a persona there, a soul that reached out, and allowed them to make their first real bonds. Although it was just the four of them from then, they'd been content, growing up in Shinra. Undertaking their training, and preparing for the day when they'd be properly introduced to the masses, then initiated in their own tasks under the company's name.

And then one day...they found out about the Princesses of Shinra.

That heat was rising up again, through Yazoo's body, and it was making him extremely inclined to just strip down and lay there upon the sheets, completely nude. No, he and his brothers did not wear underwear, thank you very much-there was no need. They only got in the way, especially considering their usual attire.

It was a silly extra-humans were free to use it themselves, and on certain ones it could even be fun to see, if only to imagine taking them off and seeing what the pretty packaging contained within. More heat. Changing the focus. It wasn't like he was self-conscious, either; he knew what he had, and he used it to his fullest advantage. There was no shame. He just...wasn't the most sociable. None of them were, even his great and esteemed eldest brother.

The two daughters to the lineage didn't show up until later, and not both at once. Apparently, it had taken a very long time to track them down. Why tracking them? The story had taken a while to piece together, but the general gist was this: they'd been abducted shortly after birth, and that was the only way to find them again. They'd also been split up, so it was harder to pinpoint locations. But finding one was a good start to retrieving the other. The scramble was a problematic tactic by the enemies who'd stolen them in the first place; to keep Shinra busy for a good few years and unable to fully focus when the future of the bloodline was in jeopardy.

It was also a good bartering tool, to keep the damage low on opposing parties. Shinra wasn't about to broadcast the news of the kidnapping to the public either, they didn't need inquisitive commoners trying to get involved, and ultimately making it worse for action and fame. The company could manage the search on their own, it wasn't like they didn't have the funds to do so-or the manpower. They had the firepower too, but that was another matter altogether, one that wouldn't be employed unless absolutely necessary. They didn't want to risk their targets getting caught in the crossfire, if their opponents got desperate. For the time being, the girls were safe, if not home.

How lucky for the bastards involved in the crimes that Shinra hadn't gone that far, in his view. Quiet execution was the method of the day instead.

But that was the story that had circulated among Shinra's upper levels, the tale of the Princesses who were prisoners to corruption and time. Nearly a lost cause, until word of the first reunion got out. Oh, people were on their feet then, even the public, though for a different reason.

All this time, it had simply been assumed that the girls were being raised in secrecy, behind closed doors. Now that they were old enough, they were being introduced to the rest of the world, ready to begin embracing their inheritance and lineage. Of course, the official announcement wouldn't come until both of them were back in company hands. Such a simple little story, packaged up neatly and force-fed to the masses in innocuous doses, until it had become commonplace and old hat, easily recognizable and believed.

He remembered when the first child had been brought back, from a place referred to as 'Silent Hill'. Where the hell that was, he had no clue, though it did sound vaguely peaceful. It was far away from the borders of their country, nearly at the other end of the world, in fact. What a strange place to send somebody. Maybe it would've been a nice escape from this shallow realm, he'd thought at the time of first meetings. It certainly seemed to have worked wonders on the figure before him, once he'd gotten the chance to know her enough to determine this.

A short, punky-looking girl with a round face and features. Her dark brown locks fell slightly past her shoulders, with bangs swept back to one side. Her matching hued eyes were wide, and awestruck. Physically, she didn't take heavily after the President's side. And apparently, she'd never been in a place like this before, either. Yazoo had been curious, at least-his brothers didn't get into things until a bit after he'd spied her being led down, from the top level helipad. They'd descended from there into the last of the higher levels, where they all resided.

The reactions were mixed as all three of them were formally introduced to the heiress. Sephiroth hadn't met her until well after them-and his first impression of her was...not very impressive, back then. Far from it. However, they were both on the younger side of things, her in particular. She was a few years behind him actually, and it was especially noticeable at that time. The conflict was understandable. They were both headstrong, which didn't make things any easier.

Yazoo had been the most interested from the three of them, taking in her appearance and moniker, not knowing then he was committing it to memory. Kyra. Kyra Shinra. That was her name. She had been polite enough, with a nice voice. Clear and cheery, with a hint of potential spark. She didn't seem too scared, which was a plus, considering she was new. It seemed as if she liked her current surroundings, and was more than willing to meet them halfway. He was intrigued as to what else he could learn about this fresh face-at least until the novelty wore off. Hint: it never did.

Loz had given her a grunt and nod, followed by a pause, and then, an awkward wave. It seemed he was confused about what greeting he wanted to go with here. But there was no fumble; Kyra had giggled in response, and proceeded to do the same back to him. He seemed honestly surprised by it, and Yazoo had found it amusing as well. She was quick on her feet, even with his neanderthal brother.

Then, Kadaj had stepped in. Always the center of attention, or trying to be. He'd given her a glare, then a furious pout, marching right up in her face. Oh, that didn't suit him at all. He should've left such complicated expressions to his elder instead. Yazoo knew he himself would've been able to make it work, had he wished to bear such a look. Of course right then, he hadn't.

Kyra had taken a step back, but managed to stand her ground. It appeared that she had some familiarity with combat, or a domestic scuffle. Her stance was not professional, but it was ready. Now, Kadaj had been looking her over, with that pout still in place. He wasn't impressed.

"...what, are we supposed to call her our Sister, or something?" He'd snorted at that thought, unable to keep a straight face. How humorous, welcoming in some human girl just because she was related to the head honcho! This had been their home first! Why should she be allowed to just waltz right in, and take away the focus? She was missing before-they could lose her again! Thankfully, he hadn't voiced that last thought there and then. A quick but wise decision indeed.

Yazoo had been holding back his own chortle of amusement, though for completely different reasons. He had noticeably warmed to that idea however, like white on rice. A chance to note and study their new playmate, how lovely. Walking over, he'd taken Kyra's hands in his own, and given her that slight smile. The one he'd perfected by this current point in his life, far out of childhood. "I think that's a wonderful idea."

He'd locked eyes with her then, and for a few moments, she'd seemed mesmerized by his stare. Another effect that he and his kind had on those around them. Just like a trance. They could charm someone into letting them get away with murder, it was far too easy. "Kyra needs someone to guide her around the place...and I have always wondered what it would be like, to have a sweet little Sister instead of two awkward older Brothers, and a demented little one." That last remark had led to a shout of protest from Kadaj, and a silent, hurt stare from Loz. Yazoo had paid neither of them any mind. He was just lucky that Sephiroth hadn't been around to hear this bit.

Back then, his words-and heart-had truly held just the faintest touch of innocence, as his piqued interest led him to make the impulsive suggestion. But, it was out there now, and he wasn't about to recall it, especially as he saw the girl's face break into a wide smile. It seemed as though she was quite receptive to the idea of being around them, with no obsessive neediness like the populace outside. She was conforming to his specifications quite nicely, without even realizing it. And yet, she held wonder and promise. Entertainment.

"Cool, am I being adopted...three times now? Heh, I has lots of families." Kyra had been chuckling then to herself. Whether the other two had been paying attention, he didn't know. But the word had registered in Yazoo's hearing, and he'd swirled it around a couple times in his head.

Family. Were they...was their family growing?

It was.

It didn't take too long to get used to Kyra and her presence. Like Sephiroth, though for her own reasons, they'd been able to accept her into the fold. She was pretty easygoing, and was usually able to get others laughing, in some way or other. She had a quick tongue and a good sense of humor, even with her shady circumstances. It was hard to stay mad at her, and in his case, for the most part, it hadn't ever cropped up as any real sort of problem.

She was also very creative, and had a decent amount of energy. She enjoyed drawing, and using her hands. She wasn't afraid to get dirty. And did he mention that she was a bit of a prankster, as well? Oh, the things she would get up to when she was bored! He'd had to admit, the stories were always so amusing to hear. A girl after his own heart. Her exploits would soon become legendary, but only among Shinra's upper halls-the lower levels didn't catch a word of it. Which was a damn good thing, but that was a whole other matter altogether.

They'd learned further about their newly christened 'Sister', like the fact that she was not afraid to speak her mind, or call out anyone. Be it in a hallway, a bedroom or a board room. And neither was she afraid of confrontation. This made her all the more memorable, seeing her sharp reactions and fiery spirit in action. His first observations had been correct. Somewhat, she almost reminded Yazoo of himself. Almost. A louder version at times, perhaps.

And this unwillingness to waver extended towards the three of them, as well. She didn't always see eye to eye with her 'Brothers', and would say so. Sometimes, this led to arguments, mostly in her and Kadaj's case. She'd taken a good few bruises and strikes here and there; he wasn't afraid to lash out at anyone who stepped up to him, but she'd dealt out a decent amount of punches right back to him, no matter if they weren't as strong. And she had the swollen hands to show for it afterwards.

At least Loz wasn't big on arguments, much less with a girl. He was better at solving things with his fists, but he was never that upset with her to begin with, nor was he going to challenge one of the fucking Shinra Princesses in hand-to-hand combat. He would break her in half, and she was well aware of this fact. Sometimes, Loz didn't know his own strength, even when he was sure it was level. Hence why he kept his hands to himself. Thank somebody that the lug had enough common sense to realize that much.

Yazoo, on the other hand, relished a good debate-that fact had never changed, even from his earlier years-but only because he'd armed himself to the teeth, with smooth sarcasm and sweet taunts, pretty words strung together in a way that would confound and trap his listener. Eventually, they'd get so frustrated that they'd wind up storming off completely-or try to beat the shit out of him in response to his frankly, smart-ass tactics.

'Try' being the operative word here. They never did succeed. Kyra always fell into the former category...thankfully. She'd cool off soon enough, and things would be all right between them, just like before.

That was why, gradually, as more time passed away in Shinra, and the trio got closer to the first Princess, they were soon in the know as to her life, after she'd arrived at Shinra...and before. It had taken a little while, but soon enough that 'trust' had been built and forged, enough for her to offer a glimpse from her point of view. She had been relatively open about what had happened in her old home; turns out that this 'Silent Hill' was a heck of a lot rougher than Yazoo had first pegged it for.

She hadn't gone into too many details, just that she and a 'guardian', named Paul, had been managing to keep things together in the town, while some rather 'violent' neighbors-okay, scratch it, the whole damn populace-wanted them dead. Mostly her, since she'd been easier to go after than Paul, and because she'd hung around him, and another of his kind. Considering the state of things, had she been far better off with the strange, aggressive man than the rabid 'cult', as the townsfolk were soon dubbed as? They used to be the ones offering her shelter. Oh, and don't forget all the living, breathing nightmare fuel wandering around! Apparently, there were a lot of dark forces co-mingling there, and had it not been for luck and Kyra having been a quick learner, who knew what might've happened otherwise. Silent Hill had one hell of a monster problem.

Obviously, Paul was an older figure, and quite strong, from how Kyra described him. It had been easy for him to do what he needed to, day in and out. He was another who wasn't afraid to fight, though Yazoo still had to wonder just how heavy the fighting had been...and how much of it Kyra had been witness to. She, on the other hand, had been forced to learn her few survival skills from the ground up as a young one.

Yazoo wasn't a stranger to violence, it was just...unusual, to imagine a high and mighty Princess having to deal with such a start to her upbringing. The girl had to grow into a tough environment, one that had taught her everything she knew up until now. Although Paul had provided guidance, it was clear that he hadn't been anything close to a full 'parental' figure, from Kyra's descriptions and stories. He'd offered her safety, but she'd had to grab it for herself. I.e, she followed him where he went, but she had to look after her own head. If she wanted food, it was on her to find it; if she got lost, she'd better have hoped to find him again quickly enough...or be prepared to fight.

From the image she painted, it was also apparent that this 'Paul' wasn't even close to being a saint-he indulged in his own darkness every so often. How Kyra had avoided him at those moments could only be attributed to luck and common sense. He only offered her the thought of survival and lasting one more day; he helped her no further than that. The rest was up to her. That's why she wasn't afraid to march on.

No matter if she was a mere human child, or a female, much less a Princess. She could do whatever she wanted, because of her drive. Not status or coercion.

The trio had also learned about the fact that their new Sister would often have to attend a place that was simply referred to as 'the academy'. "A higher institute of learned education" is how he'd heard it phrased, at other times. Or maybe they'd been talking about one of the upper levels, he didn't know. None of them had gone to such a place; everything they'd learned had been here, in the corporation building. He knew what schooling was, just not the finer details. So, he had no real idea as to the correct terminologies. Again, he didn't care.

It was lonely at times, when Kyra wasn't around. Boring, too. Very quiet. Sometimes, because of this boredom, and at other times, to escape those pesky appointments, Yazoo would take the chance, and wander to this 'academy' that had been so carefully shown to him on a full map of the area. It wasn't too hard to get to, the distance wasn't that far. Kyra did have to take the long way around to get there though, for reasons.

But it was always fun to surprise his Sister, soon to be Sisters, with a visit. He just had to make certain he didn't get caught, putting his skills to the test. This usually wound up resulting in a good few awkward moments and close calls. If he did mess up any further, he had to be able to slip out of the noose, without getting himself or Kyra in trouble.

That was an important detail here. None of the other kids were privy to this fact; it was common knowledge in their tight circle at Shinra that, when out and about at places such as that, the girls would retain special identities, to keep them safe from paparazzi and potential dangers. Because it really wasn't a good idea to have their real names and addresses in the school system-too easy for criminals and terrorists to target them. More than they did already, anyways. Out there, she was no longer 'Kyra Shinra'. She became 'Keyanna Steele' instead, 'Key' for short. Well, at least it suited her.

It was important to have some sort of inner connection with the masses, and what better than through the youth? They could get all sorts of tips and tricks to influence the next generation, if the current one was being stubborn with support. Also, considering the lives they were living until now, they probably needed the lessons. And, being who they were, namely human, they also needed to get out and about, lest they go crazy. In general, it was beneficial for both Shinra and the girls to travel daily for courses. They could always take extra security measures, if necessary. They had the means to do so.

But. For the most part, Yazoo's visits had been incident free. He hadn't accidentally revealed his full connections to her, soon them, at that time. Later down the line, he could play a bit more with the restrictions, once the pair had entered their last few years of education.

A grin tugged once more at his lips. Like today.

Back to the past. Just as they'd all gotten settled with their Sister, no longer new and simply treated like she'd always been there...the announcement came in. Big news, for the Shinra corporation. Big news for the trio and Kyra, as well. The second Shinra Princess had been found.

And now, she was being brought back, to live at the complex with the rest of them.

A/N: Alright. Gonna lay down some factoids here. Just to give y'all a better idea of what's up.

1. This is an AU [Alternate Universe] fic, based off of an RP [Role Play].

2. This fic features Crossovers w/two other fandoms [Silent Hill and Bleach], though the focus here is mainly on the FFVII side of things.

3. This story features OCs [Original Characters] in main roles. There are two OCs here.

4. This story features a one-sided Canon character/OC relationship, as well as a side Canon character/OC relationship.

5. Although this tale features a 'Sibling' relationship, the OCs and the trio are NOT blood-related. It's more of an adoptive thing.

6. This fanfic was originally supposed to be a oneshot, but wound up longer than expected. The Chapters may seem odd when they cut off, or where they start up. I had to find decent places to add breaks.

If any of the above displeases you, feel free to turn away. I want people to read what they enjoy, not what makes them upset.

Now that that's out of the way, the rest of this rundown. I did my best to bring the world I'm working w/to life, and I had help in researching some of the finer details w/my RP buddy; her OC is featured in this beginning Chapter, and she knows more about two of the fandoms than I. If there's anything I could improve on here-this is meant to be a more in-depth exploration of the AU we're working with, but I tried to stay true to the characters-please, let me know. I'm always looking to improve in my craft. And I had a lot of fun getting into Yazoo's head, as opposed to the OCs. I wanted to test my characterization skills.

Obviously, none of this is Canon. I'm not claiming it to be. This was just a fun exercise, meant to entertain. If I make at least one person happy w/this, then I have fulfilled my purpose. Fandom should be big enough for all different tastes. I won't step on anyone's toes.

Next time: the night rolls on, as do the memories. Who is this second Sister? Will she be a worthy addition to the Shinra name and bloodline? And just where do Yazoo's reactions here stem from? Until we meet again, adieu dear Readers.