The War of l'Cie, ShinRa, and Sanctum

Hey there ^^

Though I have not received any reviews yet, I am sick and away from school, so I thought this was the perfect time to update again.

Enjoy

PS

*TAKES PLACE IN EDGE AGAIN*

Disclaimer: I do not own anything made by Square Enix. I do however, own this idea. :)

IV

Lightning's POV

The smell of cooking food wafted into my nostrils, awakening me.

My body felt stiff and numb. Where was I? I wondered, remembering that I had been in Gran Pulse the last time I had my eyes open. The clattering of plates and the buzz of speech coming from a separate room confused me. It sounded like I was in a restaurant. Was I? And if so, how in the world did I get there?

Experimenting, I twitched a finger. It obeyed my thoughts. I twitched my legs and moved my arms slightly. All seemed to be in order, except for a few sores here and there. Slowly, I opened my eyes to see myself in a mirror above me. I looked horrid, almost as if I had slept in a watery ditch and then gotten mugged. A gray couch lay beneath me. I frowned as I saw someone else in the mirror, though he was hard to make out. A boy who reminded me of Hope Esthiem, watching me nervously and tapping a pen to a notepad as if he were studying me.

"You're…awake?" The voice startled me, making me sit up in the blink of an eye. I spun around to see the boy sitting in a dark green cushioned chair. He had light brown mousse colored hair that was messily swept to the side. His bangs went in front of his eyes, just like Hope's silvery locks had. The kid had big ocean blue eyes that seemed sorta nervous as he ceased his tapping to nervously look me in the eye. He had pale creamy skin, a smidge darker than mine, and had some brown freckles. He seemed to be a little younger than Hope, who was fourteen going on fifteen. This kid had the air of being able to look after himself, but at the same time a frightened one too. He seemed frightened by my sudden glare I sent at him.

"Where am I? Who are you?" I demanded dangerously.

The boy shrunk back into his chair, but then something in my expression made him give a small smile. "Well, you're in Edge, just off of Midgar. And I'm Denzel." He looked shyly up at me from beneath his lashes. "Um…May I ask who you are Miss…?" Denzel asked nervously.

My eyes narrowed and ignored his question. "Midgar? Edge? What the fu – heck are you talking about?" I demanded suspiciously.

Denzel's small smile curled up at the edges a bit, then looked me full in the face, expression innocent and confused. "Um… Edge? The newly constructed Edge built by the Sector Seven Slums that were destroyed about two years ago by the plate falling? Sector Seven Slums built in Midgar? The city known for the most used Mako energy?"

I frowned. Mako? Midgar? Sector Seven Slums? Edge? Plate? What the hell was this kid talking about?

Denzel seemed to sense my frustration and confusion. "Um, come over here." He said, getting to his feet and walking towards the curtained window.

When I didn't show any signs of wanting to come, Denzel sighed and pulled the curtain away to reveal it was in the middle of the afternoon and show a very run-down looking city. Small children younger than Denzel ran about outside most of them unaccompanied by parents. Adults walked by too, most of them chatting. The city looked like it had just been recently bombed or something, as many people with hard yellow construction caps walked around, carrying broken rusty pieces and scraps of metal and new ones. Cranes could be seen about a mile from wherever I was, lifting heavy bars of metal to reconstruct some building that looked like a Bahumat had squashed. I pushed myself off the couch, spotting something very faint in the distance far, far away.

Denzel nodded and said quietly as I stopped a few meters away from him, "See that silver lining type of thing off in the distance?" he asked, looking back over his shoulder as he pointed to it with his index finger to look at me.

I squinted, taking a few hesitant steps forward, trying to get a better look. I nodded, seeing that the "lining" stretched on for quite a while, seeming to hover in the sky.

"That's the plate." Denzel told me, taking a step away from the window so that I would approach it. He went back to sit on the green chair and watched me.

I frowned. How did he know my behavior so well already? I had never seen the kid in my whole twenty-one years. I shrugged off the thought. Maybe he knew someone that behaved like me? I shook my head as I approached the window. Not likely, I didn't think anyone would want to become so solitary as I did towards everything.

"Where d'you find me?" I asked, in a softer tone. The kid wasn't a threat. I could tell. He was actually pretty nice towards me, which surprised me a little.

Denzel thought for a moment. "In this alley nearby the bar. You and someone else were lying in a puddle. Me and my friend Marlene found you two."

I froze and slowly turned to face Denzel, my face full of surprise. "What do you mean? Two of us?"

Denzel frowned. "What? You weren't with her before?" He asked.

I shrugged. "Where is she? What does she look like?" I demanded, advancing menacingly on Denzel who began to look a little frightened.

He shook his head, and looked back up at me with a new expression. A curious one. "Come." He signaled, standing up. And heading for the door.

I followed, then gave a small gasp and clutched my side. Denzel stopped to look at me. His eyes widened and he quickly but cautiously half–walked half–jogged up to me. He slowly took my wrists. My immediate reaction was to pull away, but the pain was too great. I hissed from it and winced, closing my eyes. Denzel led me quickly over to something soft and cushy, and I felt him sit me down. I winced again as the pain shot through my side again. It felt like someone was stabbing me repeatedly with a knife.

I felt Denzel's small hands lightly touch my hip, and I jerked away as another wave of pain shot through me.

"Shit…" I heard Denzel mutter, as he placed his hand on my hip again. My vision began to slightly blur around the edges and I realized I was shedding blood. "You're losing a lot of blood Miss." Denzel told me nervously. I felt him press something that was probably a towel to my hip, trying to cease the bleeding.

"Lightning…" I panted, wincing again.

I felt the towel stop above my unseen wound.

"Huh?" Denzel asked, slowly putting pressure on my freely bleeding wound.

"My name….Lightning…" I repeated slowly, panting.

"Lightning…one minute, I'm gonna get you help." Denzel told me, and I felt a gentle breeze as he sprinted away from my side. And I heard the door slam in his haste.

A few seconds that felt like hours later, Denzel returned accompanied by someone I couldn't exactly see. My vision was blurring and fading in and out. I felt cold as more and more blood freely leaked out of me.

I felt someone else tend to my wound.

"Denzel, please leave." A musical kind female voice said to Denzel. Judging on how close her voice sounded, she must be about half a meter away from my ear.

I heard the door shut and I felt a cool soft hand placed on my forehead.

"Hang in there…" the voice said, and I felt something damp and cool be replaced by her hand. "Don't be shocked…" She warned.

I flinched a little as I felt my vests be removed from my torso, leaving me probably half naked in front of whoever was here.

"Who…?" I asked in a fain whisper.

"My name's Tifa Lockheart. Now go to sleep." Tifa ordered.

All too happily I closed my eyes and fell into a deep sleep, a slight tugging on my skin where the blood ran freely.

When I awoke, I could feel someone holding my hand lightly, almost as if they weren't trying to apply pressure.

I stirred, my free hand going to my hip. It was exposed, and I could feel something that felt like hard thick string weaved in and out of my skin; stitches. It ached slightly, making me groan.

"Are you alright?" the feminine voice of Tifa Lockheart asked. I felt slight pressure on my fingers as she squeezed them lightly.

I groaned and sat up slowly, Tifa's hand leaving mine. I winced a little as the stitches pulled painfully against my skin. I opened my eyes to see a woman, maybe about my age. She had long straight elbow length black hair that shined in the dull light provided by the lamp lit by the couch I sat upon. She had big butterscotch eyes that seemed to hold dark secrets within, but at the moment was filled with worry. She was thin and toned like me. Tifa wore a white undershirt that exposed some of her stomach, and a black sleeveless leather vest landing a bit higher than her undershirt. She also wore a black apron and long black cargos that fell just above her knees.

I looked at her for a fraction longer and gave a curt nod once.

"Good…I'm Tifa, in case you don't remember." Tifa said, offering me her hand.

I simply looked at it before she dropped it. For about two minutes, there was an uncomfortable silence.

"Um…by any chance…do you have a younger sister?" Tifa asked me oddly, not looking at me, but at the wall.

I frowned at her and narrowed my eyes suspiciously.

"Yes. Why?" I demanded.

Tifa looked into my eyes, warm butterscotch into cold icy blue. She stood up and gestured for me to follow.

"How much does she look like you?" Tifa asked softly.

My eyes narrowed even more.

"A lot." Was my answer.

Tifa nodded and opened the door, gesturing me to follow again.

"Marlene?" Tifa called.

"Yeah?" A younger voice of a child called back from somewhere.

"Make some sandwiches, okay?"

"Okay!" The young girl shouted back.

There was the sound of footsteps running down the stairs and towards some other room.

"Lightning? Right?" Tifa asked, twisting her torso to look at me while we walked down a hallway filled with photos in picture frames and photos taped to the walls. Most of them were of Tifa, Denzel, a young girl with light brown hair, and a solitary looking man with spiky blonde hair.

I nodded. "Lightning." I confirmed.

Tifa smiled, seeming to be happy she was managing to get a good response out of me. "In here. But try to be quiet." Tifa whispered, opening a door on the right of the long hallway.

I poked my head in. I gasped, jaw dropped, eyes wide. Because the person I was looking at lying on a couch with a quilt tucked over her was Serah Farron. My younger sister.

Well, there you go ^^ Hope you liked it. 5 pages worth….don't worry, the more chapters I add the longer each chapter will get. That is my goal.

If I get at least two reviews on the last chapter, and three on this one, then I will make a fifth chapter. I like constructive POSITIVE critism, with compliments, suggestions, ect. No swearing or I will delete your comment -_-

Don't worry, the action will be starting soon. Promise!

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Light Lockheart