- I -

"Eyes"

They soared through the night sky, piercing the darkness like bright, glowing needles, lighting up the heavens as if fireflies. Together with the full moon they illuminated the world like fireworks set off by angels, and the waters beneath, which just simply reflected the overhead spectacle, glistened and shimmered with each ripple, dancing with the stars. The whole scene was just magical.

As she lay there, attempting to make a wish on every star that fell, she just could not stop thinking about the task that lay before her; an objective so imperative, so essential, she was afraid that if she spoke of it aloud the very earth beneath her would crumble.

She brushed a stray strand of her smooth, shining brunette hair from her eyes, piercing bright green, so she could stay fixated on what could only seem possible in a fairytale. An attractive girl – or, she would argue, a young woman – with silky, delicate, pale skin, soft lips and a physique to definitely be jealous of. Yet she was never one to care of what those around her thought of her; their perceptions of her. That's why they had failed. They had failed to achieve what would grant them the starring role in this mystical play. And so, they would never witness what her gem-like eyes caught hold of that very moment.

One falling star did not merely fall, it was crashing. Burning as it streaked towards the earth, beating a blinding white glow that secreted misty pulsations from its shell, it bounded for the ground at a staggering speed. Leaving an ever-so-fine vapour trail in the night sky, littered with glistening stardust from those it has passed along the way, it started to sway and, finally, disappeared behind the mountain.

She was annoyed; her calculations had been off slightly. It should have landed right in front of her. She knew that she did not have time for this, clambering to her feet as a muffled "boom" resonated from behind the peaking rocks, followed by a murky uprising of smoke.

She had to hurry.

* * *

The teenage girl did not like what Wutai had become; a centre for the curious, a town of flashes and food. Put simply, a tourist attraction. And the view from which she was perched, the view that once showed a virtuous, proud home, now gave sight to the hungry leviathan it had manifested into.

The glowing paper lanterns illuminated the pagoda with a warm, fiery atmosphere. Both visitors and residents danced to the notes of ringing acoustic music echoing throughout the pathways, whilst chimes sounded atop the laughter and hanging wires of multi-coloured bulbs accompanied the lanterns. It was inevitable that several would refuse to light.

This so-called 'festival' – something that had never occurred before – was Godo's latest money-making scheme for holiday-goers, and had, apparently, being going on since Wutai's construction. And whilst the girl would never pass the opportunity to snaffle some cold hard cash when presented the access, this was just wrong. Come on, she couldn't even see the stars because of the light radiating from the ground below. She held open her hand in front of her, those brown eyes like fire from the lanterns. A green spherical illumination materialised within her arm.

"Can I have some fun, Fie?" Her self-proclaimed older sister did not herald a reply as the sly seventeen-year-old glared menacingly upon the pagoda. "That means 'yes'."

Outstretching her arm to full length, turning her palm and flicking her finger lightly, dazzling sparks of lightning bulleted from its tip, crackling secretively through the air until reaching the bulb on the very end of that wire. Loud screeches of electricity burst all about the congregation as glass shattered, fuses blew and candle flames vanished into nothing. Gasps of shock and terror filled the square beneath, whilst the most innocent of giggles sounded from the mischievous girl's lips.

"We can see the sky now, can't we Fie?"

Cici turned her head to her sister, but Yuffie Kisaragi had left a long while ago.

* * *

The young woman pressed down fiercely and the bike poured all its strength into allowing her to go faster, as much as the ground beneath its wheels would allow. Belgemine had survived this far getting here with the woman on her seat, she could cope with just a little bit longer. The exhaust spewed clouded smoke and the tyres dried earth.

"Come on," she willed, "come on."

She was thankful that it was only mountain by name and not in substance, otherwise the trek around would take days, and Mistress would never forgive her if she failed to return with the target. The others would laugh at her, dismiss her as a fake. But, then again, she didn't care of what they thought of her.

Did she?

The goggles in front of her eyes subdued their colour, making them appear normal for once. She had no memory of her childhood or her parents, yet she did remember the constant reminders that she was special, and that her eyes made her unique.

When she heard nine years ago that the members of the now-defunct SOLDIER had glowing green eyes due to being injected with Mako energy, she had asked if the same had happened to her. Yet her eyes were indeed natural and, right now, focused on her mission.

* * *

She simply stared at the site: a silent crater of around five metres in diameter with plant life, earth and rocks scattered for rubble, and clouds of dusts which still had not settled. She had brought her shuriken along just in case, which was tied securely to her back, and a pack of spare materia which rested in the pouch on her belt.

Yuffie Kisaragi had raced to the sight ever since seeing what she thought was a shooting star plummet to the ground a mere mile away from Wutai. She wasn't surprised the residents hadn't notices, their music and lights veiled their senses, but she was not as foolish, and her senses were much more attuned. She was, of course, the "Great Warrior Yuffie". But she would never have expected to stumble upon this. A crash-landing airship covered in angry glow worms perhaps, but never this.

The young man lay motionless in the centre of the crater, and Yuffie did not know whether he was dead or just asleep. He was, however, in a woman's eyes, perfect. Smooth skin, a very attractive face with natural good looks, accompanied with unusual, scruffy pure white hair. He seemed around Yuffie's very respectable age of 20, and was just a few inches taller than her as well. His body was at the peak of physical fitness, and she knew this because, well, he was naked.

Before her brown eyes could catch any more, a groan sounded from his closed lips and his eyelids flickered rapidly. Yuffie, blushed, yet cleared her throat and rushed towards the young man like a true heroine. Kneeling beside him she grasped his arms and assisted in getting him to his feet, which she assumed was what he was trying to do.

"Hey." She uttered gently, not wanting to scare him. His shining, crystal-blue eyes opened, and he immediately had the persona of a lost, shy little boy.

She needed to move.

* * *

It was empty. The bloody crash site was empty. She cursed her lateness and brought her fists down upon her bike's handlebars.

"Shit!" She whispered to herself.

She would now have to take matters into her own hands. She just couldn't go back empty handed. She couldn't. The goggles slipped to hang around her neck, releasing her glistening gaze upon the night once more. She adjusted her hair, now tangled from the rapid ride upon Belgemine. She sighed, rubbing the bridge of her nose in frustration. Sliding her hand down her leg she removed the cell phone which was strapped to her thigh and dialled. It rang twice until the receiver on the other end was removed.

"Is he back?" She paused to let the voice on the other end of the line answer. "He's needed."

Her hands...