Kit: Geez. It's been a while since I last updated on this one. I've kinda hit a rough patch on this one and only have 10 and 11 done. When insipration hits me again and I continue writing, I'll post the next chapter. This one should keep you guys happy for a while.

Chapter 10- Snow Fun

Genesis woke that morning to find Kit gone. He didn't really worry as he knew she was still on the Highwind. Since their bond the day of her transformation, he could sense her presence if she was nearby and he knew she could sense his presence nearby as well.

'Kit?' He called.

'Bridge, meditating.' Came the reply. 'Breakfast is ready if your hungry. Zack's still asleep.' She added.

'Who else is up?'

'Right now, just me.'

'What are you doing up?'

'As I said, meditating. When we're not traveling or whatever, I'm going to meditate.'

'How much sleep did you have?'

'I woke shortly before you did.' She assured him. 'I'm starting to realize I don't need as much sleep as I did before the transformation to stay in peak condition. Well, sonofabitch.'

'What?'

'Zack's up.' He could hear the dismay in her voice.

Genesis chuckled. 'Second time too. If he gets up on his own tomorrow, I'll start to worry that somethings wrong with him.'

He felt her shrug. 'I'll get him sooner or later.'

Kit had her eyes closed when she sensed him enter the bridge.

"Are we there yet?" Zack whined. Kit's feline eyes rolled behind closed eyelids.

"We arrived a few minutes ago, while you were stuffing your face." Kit retorted.

"Can we go snowboarding?" He asked, looking out the large window at the whiteness.

Kit looked at him, "Do you know how?"

"It looks easy."

"It's not."

"How do you know?"

"My family and I used to come here for winter vacation. Me and Sora have been snowboarding since we were little." Kit explained. "After we find what we're looking for, we'll hit the slopes. Have a little fun before we move on." She told him. Zack threw his arms around her neck.

"You're the best Kit!"

"I know I am." Kit grinned.

"Sounds like an idea. And I think Lazard would agree with me." Sephrioth said, walking up behind them. Angeal and Genesis were behind him.

"I think he would too." Kit agreed. "We have to balance the work with fun or everybody's gonna be cranky grouches before we're done."

Angeal chuckled. "I know Zack will be."

"Hey!" Zack protested, glaring at his mentor.

"Hey Zack?" Kit had noticed who was missing from their little gang.

"Huh?" Zack looked at the only female in the gang.

"Looks like your lil buddy ain't up yet. Why don't we wake him up?"

"You have a plan?" Zack grinned.

Kit extended her wings. "Find a loose feather. I know I have a couple." Zack searched one wing while Genesis searched her other wing.

"What does a feather have to do with waking up Cloud?" Sephrioth asked.

"Remember how we used to wake Angeal?" Genesis asked, gently tugging a feather and handing it to her. Kit could tell her teacher and lover was grinning.

Angeal groaned. "Oh, Shiva, don't remind me."

Kit folded her wings to her back and turned to them, her feline eyes bright. "Tell me Gen-sensei! I gotta hear this!"

"When the three us were cadets, Sephrioth and I used to wake Angeal up all the time. Our favorite time was the one the morning of our final exams. I had found a chocobo feather and Sephrioth had snuck a can of whipped cream from the kitchen. We put some in his hand and tickled his nose with the feather. We would duck down every time he swiped his nose until he finally hit his face the way we wanted. Then to top it off, we stuck his hand in a glass of water then left." By now, Angeal had covered his face with his hands and Sephrioth was having a hard time holding in his laughter. "When he woke up a few minutes later and saw the condition he was in, he asked us and we denied everything with straight faces. We let him draw his own conclusions." Genesis explained. Sephrioth couldn't hold it in any longer and he bust out laughing, making Genesis collapse in his own laughing fit. Both Kit and Zack stared at Angeal for a minute before collapsing aginst each other in a helpless laughter fit.

"Do you know where your mother hid the first clue?" Angeal asked. All of them wore warm clothing to ward off the cold except Kit, who had her black wings wrapped around her lean form to keep off the chill. To those who didn't know she had wings, it looked like she was wearing a big fluffy jacket.

"Bahamut knew which direction but not the exact location of the clue. But I have a pretty good idea where it might be." Kit replied, giving Bahamut's head a scratch. Bahamut was perched on her arm inside the warmth of her wings. "My mother was close friends with Professor Gast so I'm thinking she left the first clue at his home."

"Here?" Zack asked. Kit nodded.

"Are you sure?" Genesis asked.

"Pretty sure. My mother knew if Bahamut could pinpoint the start -off point that I would be able to find the clue itself." Kit replied, walking toward a small two story house not far from the inn. She walked up to the door and tried the knob, it was locked.

"Let me try the lock." Bahamut told her, poking his head out from between her feathers. Kit unfurled a wing and held her arm up to the lock. Kit shivered when the cold air hit her bare skin. The small dragon peered in the lock for a minute then stuck his tail inside and gave a twist. The lock popped open with a click. He put his forepaws against it and pushed. The door opened with a creaking of frozen hinges.

"Come in out of the cold. It shouldn't take me long to find it." Kit told them.

"Do you know what you're looking for?" Sephrioth asked, shutting the door.

"Not really, but I'm going to look in the most logical places where it might be. I'll know it when I find it." She replied, already searching the table. Not finding it there, Kit closed her eyes and thought. After a minute, she opened her eyes and looked at the computer console near the door. Walking up to it, she put her hands on the keyboard and closed her eyes again, sensing her mother's spirit. Opening them again, she tapped out a command. When she hit the enter button, the monitor came to life. The speakers crackled and a woman's voice came through to them. The face to match the voice erupted into blurred pixels on the screen.

"Kittianna my daughter. Greetings to you. I hope you're as beautiful as you were when you were little. I hope you and your brother are well. If you're hearing this then that means you have gone through the transformation and have realized your power. I knew you would find this first clue. I knew you would grow up to be a smart young woman."

"What she didn't know was that I would become SOLDIER's only female and in league with some of SOLDIER's most powerful." Kit grinned at her friends. Sephrioth and Angeal smiled back at her and Genesis put an arm around her shoulders.

"And I'm proud to call her my student." He said. Kit leaned her head on his shoulder. 'As well as my mate.'

"Your mom's pretty." Zack commented.

"I get my looks from her." Kit replied with a grin.

Her mother continued. "As you get each clue, you will notice that the holders will have one thing in common: your father or I knew them at some point. Your next clue lies at the Gold Saucer. " Zack cheered and Kit popped him to shut him up. "There, find the man they call Dio. Before he gives you his clue, you might have to prove to him you are my daughter by going a few rounds in his Battle Square. I have faith you will do fine. A word of caution my daughter, danger stalks you during this quest."

"No shit." Kit retorted. Zack and Cloud snickered.

While the elders puchased supplies and relaxed, Kit, Zack and Cloud rented snowboards and hit the slopes. At the moment, Zack was flat on his back, with Kit laughing at him.

"I told you it wasn't easy." Kit told him, giggling.

Zack heaved himself up. "I'll get it sooner or later."

"I gotta admit thought, I think you almost had it that time." Cloud replied, shifting his board to the side and halting beside Kit. When Zack pushed off, Kit and Cloud stayed behind him, ready to laugh at him if he fell again. This time, Zack managed to stay upright. Kit had to admit, the kid learned fast. Soon, all three of them were shredding the snow as if they were born doing it. Kit had just challenged Zack to a race when Bahamut came racing to her. He had chosen to stay back in her room at the hotel where it was warm.

"Kit!" She held up her arm for him to land on.

"What's wrong?" She scratched his head.

"Talon, he followed us here." He told her.

"What? How?" Kit bent to unstrap the snowboard from her feet. Just as she was stepping off the board, her ears flicked and she registered the rumble of an engine. Her head whipped up and saw Talon on a snowmobile racing toward her. Kit snapped out her wings and took to the sky.

'Let's see him try to get me now.' She thought, smug. Kit wasn't suprised when he drew out a pistol and shot at her. She angled her wings and dodged the shots.

"You couldn't hit the broadside of a barn!" She taunted. He withdrew another pistol and shot at her. She dodged the bullets a second time and discovered that they followed her. They were those special heat-seaking bullets she'd heard about. She was screwed. Kit didn't have any materia that could counter. She didn't even have Kitsune, her double-bladed sword. It was back in her room. She mentally kicked herself for not having it with her. But she knew who could counter. Kit flew closer to the inn, hoping they could see her.

'Gen!' She cried, tapping into the mental link that connected them. 'It's Talon and he's using those heat-seaking bullets we've heard about!' A flash of red annouced he had heard as a fireball was sent streaking toward her. Kit skipped to the side and the fireball passed, followed by the bullets. She was relieved to see Talon beating a retreat with a large fireball on his tail followed by Angeal, Zack and Cloud. Zack looked pissed. She guessed that Angeal was following his charge to make sure he didn't go too far after Talon. She gently set down and folded her wings to her back as Genesis came up to her.

"You okay?" He asked, wrapping her in a hug.

"I'm fine. He just scared the hell out of me when he pulled out those heat-seaking bullets. I didn't have any materia that could stop them and I left Kitsune in the room. From now on, I'll carry her with me. There's no telling when he'll show up." Kit replied, burying her face in his neck.

Well? Read and Review if you guys don't mind.