Chapter 3

Tediously leaning on a wall, Sifan Leonhart sipped on his coffee, keeping an eye out for anyone or anything he recognized. The gold saucer hallway looked desolate and the reason was understandable. The second battle had already started. The young Leonhart, however, decided to loaf about outside than to sit in a chaotic crowd watching desperate fighters slug it out. The other thing on his mind was the next battle for which he was in no mood for. He wished something would put him in a battle frame of mind, but nothing seemed to make him want to have a good fight. Sighing casually, he took another sip, pondering over the materia he had.

Bahamut… that would be cheating but what the heck… getting the job done is more important…

Fire… hmmm… I've had it since that SeeD exam… should've grown more powerful now…

Gunblade? Yeah… loaded…

I think I need some curative items… I am completely empty… or maybe more materia….

He crushed his paper cup and throwing it into the monkey-shaped bin, he made his way to the shopping area. Despite the fact that the golden saucer shopping area had everything anyone wanted, it was barely busy. The high prices were the chief reason. Setzin had told him earlier that when Shin-Ra had taken over the entire place, people expected the rates to go down but only the contrary happened. It left everyone unhappy but for one thing, the variety and the choice were huge. They had everything from Glacian condor-feathered caps to custom-made swords.

The money Setzin had given him proved to be just about enough when Sifan went through the list of items in the shop. He felt stupid not to have borrowed any of Trex's, Marlene's or Phillona's materia. Sighing, he continued to scan the items slowly.

Elixirs… Mega-potions… Megaelixirs… Ethers… … 1000 gils each!?

The shopkeeper cleared his throat, seeing the surprised look on Sifan's face, "Ahem… Let me assure you, sir, everything her works flawlessly… made from the finest raw materials… straight from the wells of Mideel…"

Mideel… so that's what they've turned that place into… a production unit for Shin-Ra's market items… I thought they were gonna build a reactor…

"I'll take a couple of ethers… and an elixir…" Sifan nodded, "Show me your materia…"

The shopkeeper smiled adequately as he produced a tray of materia organized in perfect arrays making them look like precious gems. Before the SeeD could marvel in their magnificence some more, an irate Relafen Almasy sauntered into the store.

"Elixir…" he barked, seemingly in great pain, "Now! Hurry up dammit…"

"Yes sir… at once, sir!" the man quipped and reached for the shelves. After grabbing a bottle as fast as he could, he tossed it to the Shin-Ra commander. The young Almasy emptied it in one quick draught. The man did not dare to ask Relafen to pay up. He knew only too well to ask a Shin-Ra personnel to pay for something inside the their own turf.

"Aah…" he blurted with relief, throwing himself on a chair in the corner, "That feels better…"

He lay back for a while as Sifan went through the materia collection placed in front of him. Sifan recalled how Shinobis had taken the fight to Relafen. Relafen won, thanks to Ifrit but looking at Relafen, he knew Shinobis was the real winner. Turning back his attention to the materia collection in front of him, Sifan noticed a red materia shining away at the corner of the tray.

"Is… that…" Sifan pointed to the materia. "… is that a summon materia?"

"S-Summon materia?" Relafen jumped to his feet, "Hey… It wasn't here when I came by last time …"

The shopkeeper beamed, "New arrival, sir! Our men found it outside Midgar HQ, they say its Leviathan…"

"Alright, hand it over…" Relafen marched to the counter, "Step aside Leonhart, this one is-"

"…Mine…" Sifan Leonhart said bluntly, standing in Relafen's path, "I saw it first and trust me on this, Relafen… if you touch this materia…the first thing I'll do is have you mega flared all the way back to balamb… it won't be pretty…"

The threat went like a bullet through the Ex-SeeD's head. He took a step back, threw Sifan a dirty look and marched out of the shop, cursing everything in his path. The shopkeeper grinned, "Wow… Sir, you have Bahamut…? Say, how about we work out a nifty little deal… 10,000 gil… right her-"

"Not for sale…" came the direct reply, "How much for Leviathan?"

"5000… nothing less…"

"Oh really?" Sifan was not pleased, "Very well then, I think I'll let commander-"

"3000…"

Sifan stepped out of the shop, putting away the items in his pocket when the sound of the crowd going wild resonated across the air. Sifan hurried his stride and soon, he reached the arena. He pushed his away across the roaring spectators chanting 'Falcon Blade' and finally managed to get a look at what was going on in the ring. He soon got to know what was making the scene.

In the middle of the wooden floor lay the dead fighter 'Edge runner', his own sword fixing his bloody chest to the floor. The black cape of his slayer fluttered behind him as he disappeared across the far exit. And then from atop the focus lights, descended a gray falcon. It landed on the sword pierced on the dead body, and spread its wings majestically, signaling the victory of its master.

The crowd were enthralled even more and soon the only thing that sounded in the air were the loud chants of 'Falcon Blade'…


Sifan sauntered into the locker room, and just like he expected, Setzin was walking up and down the room impatiently.

"There you are…" the poacher said at once, "Are you ready…?"

Sifan nodded as he pulled out the Leviathan materia from his pocket to equip his gunblade with it. Setzin, at once, seemed disapproving of the young Leonhart using the summon materia.

"Don't tell me…"

"Leviathan…"

"WHAT?" Setzin's husky voice grew loud, "How did you get that?"

"Shop…" came the monosyllable reply.

"Return it to me after the battle…" Setzin said slowly, "It belongs to my people… the people of Wutai…"

"Pay me…"

"How much…?"

"5000…" the young Leonhart replied as he and Setzin walked out of the locker room and headed towards the ring's entrance.

As soon as they arrived near the drawbridge, Setzin sighed heavily, "Okay listen up… I've got details on your opponent, kid…"

"Aura…?"

"Yeah…" Setzin cleared his throat, "Female… 19 years old… Weapons… none…"

"Wha-"

"Hold your horses, there's more…" Setzin continued, "She's got bracelets on both hands… 10 different materia on each … that makes it twenty for both hands…. She'll pull out anything on you… so be prepared…"

"Hey you…" A soldier interrupted from around the corner, "I am opening the damn bridge, so get started already…"

Setzin nodded, "Best of luck…"

And with that the one-eyed warrior walked away, as the drawbridge slowly creaked open.

The roar of the crowd was the first thing that greeted Sifan Leonhart as he walked into the ring. The bright focus lights glared down on him like huge eyes from above. The sound of the water running around the ring trickled into his ears even as the announcer continued to spit out Sifan's name, pronouncing it differently each time he said it. The SeeD's eyes took time to get used to the light as he slowly surveyed his audience. Some of them raised their beer mugs at him while a few girls swooned and giggled. Some of them looked thoroughly bored as they sat swinging their legs. They wanted the fight and they wanted it fast. Just has he was about to turn his attention to the other drawbridge, along the corner of his eye, he saw him. In the last row, seated quietly in the shadows, was Avatar Fenis.

Even as the crowd turned its attention to the other entrant, Sifan's eyes remained fixed on Avatar. But the latter was looking in the other contestant's way. He seemed uninterested in making eye contact with his one-time friend. Sifan decided to concentrate on the battle at hand. He knew too well that the time for Avatar was not then.

The drawbridge completed it's opening and soon, the crowd went nuts as usual. This time, the men seemed to be lifting the roof over what they saw.

Dressed in spotless white, Aura made her way to the ring. Like Setzin said, she adorned bracelets on both her hands and the young Leonhart noticed the beads of materia stuck on them. Sifan eagerly tried to get a closer look at the materia but they were shining too brightly because of the focus lights. Much to the crowd's pleasure, the young girl was attractively dressed. Long locks of blonde hair ran down her sides. She wore a bright turtle-necked, sleeveless white shirt. Her white pants glowed in the focus lights as the men in the crowd sent sharp whistles throughout the air. She smiled as she made her way to the ring. She cast a float spell on her self as she walked, and hovered into the ring in style. She descended in front of Sifan, who was nonchalantly observing all the hype caused by her. When she stood a few feet away from the young Leonhart, he noticed why she had all the boys going crazy. She was breathtakingly beautiful.

"Hey…" she said, surprised, "What's a cutie like you doing in a place like this…?"

"Lets get this over with…" Sifan replied calmly.

"Here…? Now…?" she winked.

"Yeah… right here, righ-" Sifan paused, "H-Hey… what did you mean by that…"

The deafening ring of the bell interrupted their conversation. Sifan whipped out his gunblade and took a step back, nowhere interested in wasting time in useless jibber-jabber.

"Hmph…" Aura muttered, "You're no fun… fine… I'll kick your ass if that's the way you want it…"


"Sephiroth!" the urchin cried, as he came running around the corner, "T-They're hitting grandpa…"

The silver-haired man dropped the firewood he was carrying at once, "Who…?"

"Sh-Shin-Ra soldiers…" tears started to roll down the young boy's face, "They said they didn't wanna pay for grandpa's weapons… grandpa tried to stop them from taking his weapons…"

"Stay here…"Sephiroth replied, dusting the boy's shirt, "I'll take care of it, don't worry…"

The stout Shin-Ra soldier kicked the elderly man on the stomach again, causing him to lay sprawled on the ground. The other four soldiers laughed and guffawed stupidly as the petrified occupants of the gondola village remained locked up their houses.

"Stupid old runt…" the soldier barked, "ya really think ya can make us pay money for yer weapons…"

The others followed in suit, throwing garish insults at the old weapon-maker. However, they stopped when they saw a smile form on the old man's wrinkled lips.

"What ya laughing at, gran' pa?" spat one of them, "I don't see nothin' funny…"

"You boys b-better kiss your… s-sorry… l-little…Shin-Ra… asses goodbye…" He gasped slowly, still smiling though he was in pain.

The soldiers turned around, wondering what the old man was talking about. In a long black attire, stood a tall man, weaves of silver hair falling at his sides. His mako green eyes were fixed dryly on the soldiers. On his side hung a long sword holder. He peacefully folded his hands and began to speak.

"Leave…" he said calmly, "now…"

The lack of respect, fear or anything of that sort only agitated the soldiers. One of them lit a quick cigar and placed it in his mouth as he spoke, "Hey, look boys… some stupid screwball tryin' ta save the day…"

"I'll be polite…" the silver-haired warrior spoke, "Please leave… without any trouble…"

"Oh yeah…?" the soldier grunted, walking up to Sephiroth, signaling the others to wait, "Ya know… you look kinda familiar…"

He scratched his head for a while and then shrugged. He pulled out a handgun and placed it on Sephiroth's head, "Okay… now… what were you saying?"

"Leave…" he repeated patiently.

"Did ya boys hear that…?" he smirked, turning around to his comrades, "he thinks we-" The soldier froze. He stayed motionless as he turned his shivering head slowly, his mouth trembling.

The ten-feet katana blade planted in his stomach made him wish he would die fast.

"I didn't want to do this…" Sephiroth sighed, as he left his sword planted in the soldier and stepped towards the others, "Now the rest of you… please leave…"

The dazed soldiers looked on with their mouths open as their Katana-glued compatriot staggered forward near Sephiroth, blood dripping from his mouth and stomach.

"I'll say it for the last time…"Sephiroth said, looking at the soldiers as he reached for the sword fixed on the man beside him, "leave…"

He pulled out the sword in one swift motion, putting the soldier's misery to an end as his lifeless body crumpled to the ground in a pool of blood.

Snapping out of their thoughts, the remaining soldiers rushed at the man who had just killed one of them. In a few seconds, the first soldier's body hit the ground hard, most of his neck detached from his head. The second one swallowed hard and tried to back away but soon, he too wore the katana through his heart. The man draped in black lifted the soldier up into the air, his body still strung on his sword. With a grunt, he tossed him aside through a row of barrels.

The last soldier made a scamper for the exit, faster than a golden chocobo. His eyes widened as he reached the straw gate leading out of the village but suddenly, his body froze. The world around him went black and soon, green rays of light surrounded him, and a second later, rushed into his body with tremendous force. He felt every cell in his body reduce to nothingness as he and the ground around him burned in green flames. Only ashes were left after the spell the world knew as 'Ultima'.


A/N: please review… in dire need of encouragement...