A/N: Another chapter so soon I know. I have been on a huge writing frenzy lately. I just have too many ideas swimming through my mind that I just have to type them up. Also, some new characters make an appearance. I hope you like the new chapter of Beyond The Sands Of Time!
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Final Fantasy 7 characters from either the games, the short anime, or the movie. I do, however, proudly own Silvia and Shadow and all ideas pretaining to them except for anything pretaining directly to Deepground.
Chapter 3: Dreams of Answers and Tests of Self
Silvia dreamed of field of high grass with flowers of every color waving in the non-existent breeze. The whole field was ringed by what looked like a forest of some kind. The sun bore down, warming the air around her. It all seemed somewhat serene but Silvia knew this field was a place she had never been to before in her life. Unconsciously, she reached into the gloves she wore for her two daggers hidden there. Her gaze swept the field trying to find a landmark she may recognize.
"My child, I did not bring you here to hurt you." A musical, feminine voice spoke from behind Silvia.
Blue-gray eyes widened as she slowly turned around and came face to face with a beautiful woman. Her long, golden hair cascaded down her back like a water fall. The woman wore golden armor that reminded Silvia of Wutian armor. Kind eyes stared down at her from a heart shaped face. Safety and warmth radiated off the woman like the warm waves coming of the sun. Silvia was left speechless before this woman.
"Who…who are you?" Silvia asked, finally regaining her voice. Looking around her she noticed something else missing that was always by her side. "And where is Shadow?"
The golden, armored woman smiled warmly down on Silvia. "My name is not important right now and your friend is safe. I just wanted to speak to you privately."
Silva gasped when she finally realized where she had heard the voice before. "You're the voice I heard in the meadow in the Forgotten Forest."
The woman bowed her head in acknowledgement. "I am. I have watched you and the others. I especially watched those who defeated Sephiroth two and a half years ago. So much innocent deaths have acured, even when you were still a part of Shinra." The woman bowed her head, a shadow of sadness passed across her features. "Also, so much sorrow."
"I don't understand though. Why did you send me back and not the red-clad man that made the wish? He was the one who wanted to save his friends." The Ex-Tsviet asked, puzzled.
"You also have regrets of your past. In addition, you are someone who hasn't chosen one side over the other. You would be best to help those who need it most."
Silvia sighed in exasperation. Every answer the woman gave just brought up more question. She would just have to find the answers she wanted on her own. "But, you have to have some type of name, right? I mean, what am I supposed to call you?"
The woman smiled knowingly. Her form slowly began to disappear. Around them, the field of flowers, the sky, the sun and the trees also began to fade. Just before the woman faded completely she whispered," You may just call me M…."
XxXxXxXxX
Someone grabbed Silvia's shoulder causing her eyes to snap open, and within seconds a dagger was held to the person's throat. Blinking away sleep she peered at the person standing next to the couch, their hand frozen on her shoulder.
"I was only trying to wake you up. You don't have to hold a dagger to my throat, Yo." The person said staring down at her from her position on the couch. Unruly red hair held back in a ponytail was the first thing she noticed. Blue eyes stared at her with a relaxed air, but his lips were pulled back into a smirk. "The boss man asked us to make sure you remembered the way back to the training rooms, Yo. We knocked, but no one answered, right pal?"
Glancing past the red-head to the door to her apartment, she noticed another man who just stood staring at them. He was completely bald. He stood just inside the apartment, with his arms across his chest. She couldn't see his eyes at all. A pair of dark sunglass sat perched on his nose, making it impossible to see his eyes and see what hid behind his emotionless façade.
Silvia almost smiled, but she held it back at the last second. Reno and Rude were her closest friends. She knew they wouldn't remember her, but it felt good to see such familiar faces. It would be hard to reforge that friendship, but she knew she wanted to try. For one, if she and Shadow were to help her fellow Tsviets, she would need help.
Shadow rose from the couch and stretched before jumping to the ground. Reno raised an eyebrow at the wolf-like creature, but said nothing.
Choosing to change the subject Silvia stood and addressed the red-head. "That is Shadow, my partner. And I am Silvia Lark. Who are you two and how did you get into my apartment in the first place?"
Reno grinned cockily. "My names Reno, Yo. Mr. Baldy over there is my partner, Rude. And how we got in was easy, you left the door unlocked. You should lock your door more often, Yo"
Rolling her eyes, she shook her head warily. "I thought all Turks were like Tseng. You know, professional looking." Silvia motioned toward Reno's wrinkled shirt that was untucked from his pants and his unbuttoned jacket.
The red head smirked lightly. "I have to make some type of fashion statement with all these uptight people, Yo."
"Basically you are saying you are being rebellious. " Silvia answered smirking right back. "And do you have to say "Yo" after every sentence?"
Without waiting for a reply, Silvia walked toward the bathroom. Quickly she brushed her teeth and combed her hair. A splash of cold water to her face helped to wake her up more before she straightened her outfit out. Once satisfied, Silvia slid her gloves back on her hands and began to walk back into the living room. Both men were waiting patiently for her when she entered the room.
Without a word, rude turned from the door and started to walk to the elevator. Reno, Silvia and Shadow followed behind him. Of course, once in the elevator the red-haired Turk couldn't help but say something.
"I think I like your spunk, Yo." He glanced at her from the corner of his eye.
Silvia returned the smile and returned calmly. "Watch it Reno. Shadow loves mint and I can easily plant some on you and let him lose on you. It would be quite entertaining to watch."
Reno stared at her in confusion and slight fear when Shadow bared his teeth at him. A barely noticeable smile played on the taller Turk's face. It almost made her laugh out loud, but she held it in.
The three quietly left the apartment building and made their way down the short path and into the Shinra building itself. Reno seemed to have forgotten what Silvia had said in the elevator. He said nothing else but she could tell she would be seeing more of the man. The three arrived in front of the training room entrance a few minutes shy of the designated time. Of course, Tseng stood calmly in front of the doors waiting for them.
"Today I want to access what skills you possess. I have read you file from Deepground, but I would like to see them myself before you start your initial job as a bodyguard to Rufus." Tseng told her
"Alright. I will do my best. Is there any guidelines I should know?" Silvia asked him politely. She did not want to disrespect Tseng. The man was one of the best Turk's she had ever met.
"You may use any skills or weapons you think should be used in the situations you encounter. We would like to see what you are truly capable of doing."
Silvia nodded that she understood. Tseng nodded as well and slid a key card into the lock. Reno, Rude, Silvia and Shadow all entered the hallway and followed Tseng down the hallway. He stopped at a door and opened it. He did not enter but motioned for Silvia to enter. Walking in she glanced around the room. It was rather large and was at least two stories tall. The room was definitely a show of Shinra's technology prowess.
The second-in-command to the Turks stood in the hallway with Reno and Rude. "This is a virtual training room. Virtual settings will appear and certain scenarios will be set before you. Your objective is to use what you know to finish them to the best of you abilities. We will be watching from the observation room over looking this room. Good luck."
Shadow and Silvia watched the three men turn and walk away from the door. The doors to the room slowly slid shut at their departure. The girl and Shadow Beast waited patiently for the test to begun. This test she remembered well. So, she had to be sure not to show any familiarity when it started. This was definitely now a time to make the others suspicious of her. She looked down at Shadow sitting patiently beside her. He nodded, as if he could read her thoughts.
The room around them started to change. Building of all shapes and sizes took the place of the walls and grass took the place of the floor. Looking around her, she noticed the area reminded her of a small village or town, though she had no idea what it was called. The voices of people floated around her as people began walking around along with the smell of country air. Children and adults moved around her, completely ignoring the young girl and wolf standing in the middle of the town. It was so life like.
"Silvia, your mission is to explore the abandon house located a block north from your current position. You are to investigate it and see what you can find out." Tseng's voice spoke.
Together Silvia and Shadow start to walk off in the direction Tseng had directed them too. She walked quickly yet acted as if she had been there her whole life to keep unwanted attention from herself. Shadow quietly slid back into her shadow. It was not a natural occurrence to see a wolf walking through a town.
Soon the building came into view. It was indeed abandoned like Tseng had said. Wooden boards were nailed in front of the windows. They seemed to have been nailed up in a hurry. The paint of the building was faded. It was strange to see an abandoned building in the middle of a bustling town. But Silvia could tell someone had been in it recently. The front door was completely clear but there was defiantly evidence something had been nailed in front of the door.
Cautiously, Silvia moved to the front door and slowly opened it. Staying on one side of the door frame, she peered inside. Seeing no one or anything she entered the building. Two daggers slid into her hands from the sheaths on her wrists. Once inside Silvia moved from room to room, checking every nook and cranny for evidence someone or something had been in the house recently. Shadow slid from her shadow and helped her search. His keen tracking abilities would come in handy as both moved to different halves of the first floor. Each room showed no evidence of occupants at all. Everything was covered in a thin layer of dust and everything was still in the places they had been left in when the house had been abandoned. Moving back into the hallway she meet up with Shadow. He stood at the foot of the stairs looking up to the second floor.
"Do you smell anything up there?" She asked softly.
Shadow didn't answer; he simply began to walk up the stairs to the second floor. Silvia followed behind him, but she kept checking behind them in case someone entered behind them.
Silvia had expected the second floor to be the same as the first, but where the downstairs was covered by dust, the upstairs was almost completely dust free. Almost as if someone lived there. She remembered this. Though she didn't let it outwardly show. Looking at shadow she waved for him to continue. As they turned the corner of the stairs and stepped on to the second floor, all hell broke loss.
Three men sprung from the doors ways of the rooms and rushed at them. Shadow attacked the first guy head on. Both fell to the ground in a tumbling mess of fur and fists. Silvia brought her daggers in an 'x' formation as a sword was swung toward her. The daggers easily caught the blade and the man tried to push down on her to break her guard. The last man came at her unprotected left side. Without batting an eye, she twisted to the side drawing one of the daggers out of the block and pointing her remaining blade to the ground. The sword slid off it harmlessly. Her second blade flew to strike the second man's sword squarely. Both men backed off and eyed her soundlessly.
Silvia smiled at them. "Afraid a girl may beat you?" She taunted. No soon had the words been spoken before both men sprang at her again. Easily parrying the first mans sword, she pivoted and stepped slightly behind him. The man's eyes widen when he realized his mistake. Silvia easily stabbed him in the side, and pushed him off balance. He crashed into the second man and both tumbled down the stairs and landed in a heap at the bottom of the stairs. Neither man moved.
She turned to see how Shadow was fairing and grinned at her friend. He stood over the last man, who lay sprawled on the ground. With a nod, both girl and wolf moved off to check the other rooms. All the rooms were clear. The only thing they found after their search was a memory stick on a desk in one of the rooms. As soon as Silvia picked it up the room of the building slowly began to dissolve around them.
"Mission complete." Tseng's voice spoke over an intercom. "That was good work, Silvia. I have one more test to conduct. I will start it momentarily."
Silvia sighed to herself. She knew, however, that she had to go through these tests. She would just have to try her hardest.
Suddenly the room began to, once again, dissolve around them. This time, however, she found herself in the middle of a road. Across from her stood a group of ten Wutian soldiers, dressed in complete battle gear. All of the men held traditional Wutian swords. Without any warning, the men charged her. Silvia threw one of her daggers and it hit a man squarely in the forehead. He dropped to the ground dead. The other nine reached her before she could throw another. Dodging one sword strike, she grabbed the man's wrist and performed an arm bar. She ducked another sword strike coming for her head and hit the man she had in an arm bar in the back of the head, rendering him unconscious. She let him go, and the unconscious fell in a heap to the ground.
Shadow jumped into the fray and dragged one man to the ground who tried to come up behind Silvia. Against the wolf, he stood no chance. Three men lay on the ground. One man witnessed Shadow attack of the third man and turned and ran away. Now only six remained. Silvia took the initiative this time around. Pivoting on her left foot, she kicked the sixth man in head with a roundhouse kick as he reeled from the kick she returned the roundhouse with a side kick that threw the man six feet away. She heard the air rush out of the man's lung's as her kick connected solidly. He didn't get back up.
Deciding it was time to end the fight; Silvia drew a materia from the pocket of her jacket and held it in her fist. She motioned for Shadow, who halted his attack on his next target and quickly moved away. Once he was out if the way she held the materia in front of her. "Blizzaga." She whispered softly. The other five men froze where they stood; becoming nothing more than frozen ice statues. The ground around them was also frozen due to the power of the Blizzaga spell.
Once again the surroundings around them began to dissolve and the men they had defeated dissolved as well. The sound of the door opening made both the brown haired girl and the Shadow Beast turn to face it. Tseng walked in, soon followed by Reno and Rude.
"Mrs. Silvia, I am most impressed with your performance. Not only did you show you could handle ambush situations, but also, weapon, hand-to-hand and materia fighting as well. I noticed that you failed to kill some of the men you fought. Why is that?" Tseng asked her.
"Way to go, kid. I think I may want to spar with you in the future." Reno added, his typical smirk appearing.
Next to Reno, Rude nodded his head in acknowledgement to the Ex-Tsviet.
"Thank you, sir. I believe that not all men need to be killed. I only killed the ones that posed the greatest threat to my person. The three I froze, the one who escaped, and the one I knocked out could hardly hold the swords they wielded. I did not wish to kill people who can't even fight properly." She replied.
Silvia could already tell this would be a very interesting experience for her. Already she was more sociable than she had ever been before. Maybe she could use what she had learned to help her in her mission. She may even be able to really change the future that she remembered. It was definitely worth a shot.
Tseng watched her quietly for a few moments before speaking. "I see. I now know you are quite observant as well. Now that is done and know what some of her skills are, I believe you are an excellent addition to Shinra. Now, if you follow me we will go and tell Rufus the results."
Without waiting for an answer, Tseng left the room. Silvia and Shadow followed after him.
A/N: I hope I did okay with the fight scenes. I really didn't want to use a fight scene from Final Fantasy, so I wrote my own. Also, Shadow will not be going anywhere since he is apart of Silvia's shadow. PLus, I love Shadow quite a bit!