"…eh? What's this?"

Sitting on the grey circular table in his planning room, were three small rectangular shaped colored objects. Each one seemed to have a strange glittery film over them, with a single letter imposed on the front side.

DON'T TOUCH THEM!

Hades jumped back, surprised at the voice's volume. "Gah! Dammit lady don't do crap like that!"

Destroy those objects. Now!

"Whoa-whoa-whoa don't get your toga twisted now. What-

NOW!

"Sheesh alright, alright…" The blue skinned God took a final glance at the strange devices before snapping his fingers. A wall of blue fire erupted around the three objects, which lasted for a minute, before fading away, showing nothing but a scorch mark on his table.

"Now would you be so kind as to explain to me why I just ruined my perfectly good table?"

Those devices are things that should not exist. Especially not here. This…is troubling.

"And those were…? Y'know I swear the blue one said 'Ice Titan' on it."

Those are things that are not meant to be. Something must be wrong…

"Yeah I got that part."

ugh you won't do anything I say until I tell you. They're called Gaia Memory. They are small objects that contain the conceptual memory of a given thing. Literally everything that has to do with that concept, is sealed within those devices. But they are a class of magical technology that this world does not have access to. Something is wrong here. Go…go outside. I cannot see anything that you aren't near.

"What's the point? Got rid of them didn't we? I don't see what's so bad about those things. Sounds useful."

Those were a special type of Gaia Memory. If a compatible wielder touches it, pressing the little white mark on the front, it will activate, and merge. That wielder will then be overwhelmed by the immaterial concept of what lies within. To the point where their form may very well change to match what was locked inside. Nothing is immune. The concept's existence will warp the wielder's mind until it matches the concept itself. This is a bad thing, because anyone could be a potential user. Animals, Humans, even Gods.

"Eesh. Alright so they're more trouble than they're worth. Doesn't explain why I should be leaving my cozy little spot since you still won't let me do anything."

Because while you may be God of the Underworld, you are still a God tied to this world. If something goes wrong here-

"Yeah yeah I get it…lose my believers lose myself blah-blah-blah I know. Fine…"


what the Me…?

Standing on the other side of a group consisting of Hercules, Megara, Hera and Zeus himself…

Was Hades.

"Well…not what I expected to see when I went for a stroll."

The group whirled around.

"Oh for the love of…Why are there two of you now?!" Megara, also known as Meg, exclaimed.

"Hey hey, easy sweet-cheeks. I just got here."

Indeed. And suddenly, both Hades clutched their chests in pain.

"Grrhk…what the…"

I was afraid of this…

"What's…happening to me…?!"

That other you, is someone under the influence of a Gaia Memory. Don't bother trying to fight them, they know everything you know. Essentially, they are your mirror image. The only thing they don't have is me speaking to them. The pain in your chest, both of you, is due to this world being confused. It is rejecting you both.

"What…"

What that means for you, Hades, is that your concept of existence is being denied. There cannot be two Hades allowed in this world. Only one. And because of there now being two of equal strength and station, the World is trying to flush you both, and whoever succumbs first, will be erased, while whoever doesn't will be accepted as Hades.

"But…I'm the real…"

You are a God, Hades. Though obviously a very poor excuse for one. You should know that the World acts upon the immaterial. It doesn't matter who is 'real' or who is 'first.' It has a designation, there is a God of the Underworld, and his name is Hades. He has a specific energy pattern that you both share. Thus something is wrong, and like a living body, it will purge itself of the wrongness until things are back to normal. The world does not think like a mortal, or you, at all. It thinks like a World. You must flee, for now. And no, not back to the Underworld.

"What?! Where-

Find him, Hades. That young warrior. Seth. You must ask for his help in this nature. He has the power to destroy Gaia Memory that has been activated. The longer you stay, the faster this world will purge you. If you leave, the effects will lessen dramatically, because you will not be in its sensory range. It will still try to erase the idea of a "Second Hades" but if you are away from its core, its attempts will be weakened.

"Dammit…" He glared at his counterpart, who was looking rather confused, and angry.

"This. Isn't. Over!"

And with a poof of smoke, Hades left Olympus.

To request the services of a passing through Kamen Rider.

Kingdom Hearts Re: Order

Chapter XI: Shinobi

The man before her was a disgustingly vile piece of work. Hatred flared in the back of her mind, as her face betrayed her true feelings with a false, teasing smile. His gelled back blonde hair seemed to glow in the dim light of the hotel room he had rented for the night's purposes. She giggled absently, timing the false sound of joy with yet another belittling joke he spoke.

She lost herself in her thoughts, body moving on auto-pilot, thinking back to how it came to this point…


Silence.

They all stared at her in mild shock and horror.

She must have looked a sight.

"Y-Yuffie! What happened to you?!" Aerith called out, ever the concerned one.

But Yuffie didn't answer. She simply slipped past the reaching arms of the motherly brunette – with a mental apology. This really couldn't wait. – and continued on her chosen path. Her target, a young man with black hair that reached just past his neck. As if sensing her, he turned, dark brown eyes gazing upon her silently, with a bored, disinterested air. A single eyebrow quirked upward, the only outward sign of his vague interest.

She kneeled down, ignoring the smell of blood that coated her chest, face, arms and legs.

"It has been done…Shishou."

He positioned his arms behind his back, standing straighter. "Indeed?"

A cold wave washed over her, Miri appearing next to her by way of Dark Corridor.

"What say you?"

The small silver-white haired child nodded. "The target has been eliminated."

Seth nodded. "I see. Very well. And of your secondary task…?"

Miri nodded again, holding her hand out, where of all things, a heart formed. "There was just enough."

"Good. Miri."

She locked eyes to him.

"Consume."

She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath, opening her mouth wide. The Heart floated up, seeming to shrink slightly as it crest her tiny lips, before she snatched it within her maw, gulping it down. As always, Miri gave a violent shudder as pure Darkness rippled off of her body, before it settled. She gave a soft sigh, before once again locking eyes with Seth.

He nodded at her, before turning to Yuffie once again.

"You have succeeded in your task. You have proven your determination to follow this path. I have given my warnings, yet you still decided to continue. I will not insult your desire by attempting to dissuade you any further. It has been decided. I will train you in what I know of the Shinobi Arts."

"I am yours to command, Shishou."

"Tell me. Was that your first kill?"

Gasps. That is why she was covered in blood?!

Silently, Yuffie nodded.

"Your feelings?"

"I am without problem."

Seth gave an empty huff.

"The truth."

"…I feel…sick. Her death will set others free from her binds of tyranny but…"

"Good."

Yuffie sharply looked up at him, with immense surprise. "Shishou?"

His eyes were closed, as if looking at a past memory. "Whether the target deserves its end or not…that sick feeling…the feeling of being dirty…fouled…that must always stay with you." He opened her eyes, Yuffie letting out a huff of air resembling a stifled gasp.

There was immense pain in them.

"Hold on to that feeling, Yuffie. Fear losing it. Fear becoming numb to it. That feeling is what chains us to our humanity. We may be murderers, we may be killers, for the good of many, or even the good of one…but if we ever lose that feeling, then…we will become the very monsters we slay."

The way he spoke…felt as if he had experienced it himself.

"I…"

"And once one steps upon the path to becoming a monster…it is very difficult to remove oneself…back to the path of Humanity. Do not make my mistake, Yuffie."

Her eyes widened. His…but he's no… "Y-yes…I promise…Shishou."

"Good."

His stance, previously weakened, lost in his memories, strengthened again. The others, appalled at the very idea of what just happened, wanted to speak, move, do something! But Ino, Naminé, Miri, Kairi, and surprisingly enough, Lea, barred the way. Seth began to pace in front of Yuffie, whom was still kneeling.

"You have chosen to become a Ninja. I do not know what your training or purpose was like prior to this. I know only what I know. You will become Ninja. Upon the completion of your training, you will swear loyalty to only two beings. Loyalty to your Princess. She is your God. She is your Leader. You will be her right hand. Her desires are your desires. Her will is your will. You will be her Shadow. You will know every word she speaks, every breath she takes, every moan she makes. (Kairi flushed at that.) While she is upon this world, nothing will happen to her without you knowing it."

Yuffie nodded.

"You are her sword, her shield. If she demands you kill, you will kill, even your best friend, without hesitation. You will be her blade, her confidant, her advisor. You will be the eyes where she cannot see, the ears where she cannot hear. You are, first and foremost, her protector. You are second, her assassin."

Yuffie nodded again.

The others were stunned. Even Kairi was a little imbalanced, though her heart was racing. She tried to push it away, she truly did. But seeing Seth like this…it wasn't rare to see him take command of a situation…but she'd never seen him in full on "Master" mode.

No wonder her Anti-Existence was so drawn to him. Even Riku never held that…confident…commanding presence.

"The techniques I will teach you, can be used against monstrous foes, such as Heartless, Nobodies, and other such inhuman creatures. But they are, first and foremost, the most effective against, and meant for, combat against other humans. I am not teaching you how to kill actual monsters. I am teaching you how to destroy monsters in human flesh. Humanity is a plague. You will be the vaccine against it. I will teach you how to kill. You have proven your determination with your first kill on your own. It was bloody, messy, and you will likely have nightmares for days, if not weeks."

Yuffie nodded again.

The others were disgusted with him. But unconsciously, they too nodded. They've all killed another human being before. And they all had nightmares about it at many points. Despite their disgust, they found themselves all admiring that he was laying it out for Yuffie plainly. No veiled concepts, no hidden agendas, just straight truth.

"I will teach you how to move without sound, stand without being seen. I will teach you how to blend into a crowd, how to have your target staring right into your eyes and have no idea that his death is approaching. You will learn to be, yet not be. You will be a Shadow upon the wall, the demon hiding in the closet, the monster beneath the bed. I will teach you to move. To not be where an attack is meant to be, and if you have no choice but to be present, how to minimize the damage."

Yuffie nodded again.

"By the end of this, you will know more ways to kill than most any other being upon this world. And as such, you will know just as many ways to not kill. You will become a being of will, your foes existence being determined upon your desires. You will be Death from all directions. The world will know of you, but never your name. You will be the phantom that draws all into oblivion."

Another nod.

"Yuffie Kisaragi. Rise."

She did so, locking eyes with Seth.

"You have taken the first step onto a dark, dangerous path. I may be your teacher, but I am also your friend. Do not be afraid to ask questions, speak to me about concerns of yours, or just to vent. Ino will also be available should I be not. If even for a moment, you find yourself being swallowed by the Darkness of the path you walk, come to one of us. We will teach you how to master it."

She nodded.

"The others may know of your path, know of your future, but they do not truly know what it means. Only you will. And it should remain that way. I will designate one or two more people who will be allowed to know the true depths of your training, but only we will know the absolute maximum. A Ninja's first and most powerful tool is misdirection. None save for yourself, and your Master, are to know the true limits of your capabilities. Even upon your training's completion, not even your Princess will know all that you are capable of. When I'm done with you, you will be a credible threat to every single living being in this room, possibly even myself."

She blinked. Was that…truly important?

"After all, you may never know when you must kill, or at the very least, disable, even your own allies. A Ninja must be ready to fight even one's own friends. There must be no hesitation in you, should such a time pass. We deal with beings capable of mind-control, possession, even full-conceptual mimicry. What you might think could be your friend, might very well be an assassin in disguise. By the end of your training, you will have little to fear, secure in your knowledge both of yourself, and the world around you. You will not be invincible, but should Death once again attempt to claim you, you will most certainly be able to give her Hell before she succeeds."

Yuffie nodded sharply. She understood.

"I see you are fully prepared. Very well. Get cleaned off, and meet me outside town. Your training will be brief today, to compensate for your recent task."

She nodded once again. "Thank you, Shishou."

"I am a harsh taskmaster, but I am not without heart, despite what your allies may believe. You will be pushed to your limits and beyond, but you will not be broken. Now go. And dress comfortably."

She was turning to leave, when she stopped.

"Shishou…who is the second being I am to be loyal to?"

Everyone heard it in their minds. They all had already decided who the second was going to be. After all, who else was teaching her?

That is why, they all were surprised at his response.

"Yourself."


Her training had been brutal. And she wasn't the only one being trained on some days. Sometimes Ino, Kairi, Alicia…even Aqua would join in. He procured scrolls of techniques, each one describing an ability, teaching the motions to use it, and how to create the tools required for its use. The Ninjutsu he taught her was more than simple smoke-and-mirrors techniques used by the younger members of the Kisaragi clan.

He gave her scrolls containing techniques such as the Utsusemi, a technique that used a paper decoy to project hazy images of the user. Sounding completely worthless, what it actually did was allow for the user to transfer an incoming attack to the scrap of paper, the image fading away like a mirage upon impact. Seth described it as the most useful combat ability of a Ninja.

And after learning it, and being able to wield it in a training spar against Alicia a few times, Yuffie had to agree.

There were downsides, weaknesses to the technique. It was possible for a high-powered technique to consume one or more 'images' in a single strike, and some that could completely bypass the 'clones' created. They were unlike the clones Larxene or Ino could create, they were only semi-solid, decoys to absorb a single hit before fading away like a mirage.

But it wasn't just techniques. Seth would nearly crush her underneath his gravitational field, as resistance training. The increased weight upon her whole body forced her to work harder for every breath, every step, even every thought. He didn't do it every day however, noting that too much pressure of the like would possibly risk her heart or lungs to explode. But he was able to do it far more often than would normally be suggested, because of the healing magic they had access to.

"Whatever muscles get torn or damaged in any way can be healed quicker. You can be pushed farther, for longer, because we can undo the damage in no time at all. Your training would be much different if this wasn't the case. What this means for you is you'll hurt more at a time, but the hurt will be lessened faster, later."

The others that joined, would be subjected to the same thing as well. Aqua noted one day that this was an unorthodox method.

"Listen, Yuffie is pretty much the only ninja in this group. The thing is, there might be others, even on this world. Better for you to know how to combat one, even if their techniques are different."

He had explained to Yuffie, and the others that were present the day Kairi made a complaint about the constant pressure fields, that a Ninja's most valuable combat trait besides misdirection, was their speed.

"Ninja aren't meant to so much eat damage as they are to evade it. The most important thing to a ninja is to simply not be where an attack is landing. And in order to do that, one must be fast. Some attacks can't be evaded, or have secondary effects. This is where the resistance training comes in. A ninja can be fast as hell, but if they're so weak that a single strike will lay them out completely, then it's only a matter of time. A tanky opponent can easily weather the many strikes of a ninja, and simply wait and watch for an opening, or memorize the pattern."

When asked why he allowed Kairi and some others to join in on occasion, he had an odd response.

"For Red, consider this a down payment on my promise to train you. I need to focus on Yuffie for now, but soon your time will come. You being here and learning some of this, will mean not only do you know more about Yuffie's skill set, for when she becomes your guardian, but also means I'll have to do less to get you at a preferable level when I finally do get to train you. For the rest of you…well, you're all reasonably strong in your own ways, but more training, especially different training, always helps. Plus, I traveled alongside three women for the most part. And each one had a different style of combat. But out of all of them, you all mostly fit Elle's body type. So I can only really teach you one style. But that's fine. Any one of them could have taken you all out in a single strike."

Other techniques in the scrolls he had, were ones that could turn her invisible to almost all sight except for special magical sights that saw things through different means; ways to disable and kill without touching the opponent, such as poison, paralysis, even how to entangle the target's nervous system in such a way that their movements were sluggish and slow. Tonko, Dokumori, Monomi, Hojo, Jubaku, Kurayami…Invisibility, Poison, becoming Soundless, Slowing the target, Paralyzing them, blinding them…

The way his ninja were, they used many different tricks to turn the tide of battle in their favor.

"Get it out of your mind right now: Ninja are not honorable. They have their own code of honor, but ultimately, to engage a ninja in a fight to the death, is to ask for death. Ninja do not give second chances. If their target comes at them with the intent to kill, they will exploit every opening, they will strike swiftly, without recourse. You will be called 'dirty', 'tactless', 'dishonorable', 'unfair', and more. But to a ninja, everything is fair game. A poisoned needle made to weaken the respiratory system, a handful of sand thrown into the opponent's eyes to blind them, a long string to trip them up…no method of combat is unavailable to a ninja. Your task is to disable or kill your target in whatever way is possible, in the most efficient and effective manner.

A ninja has flashy moves to the outsider, but each one only appears to be showy. Each move must be meticulous, perfectly executed, and delivered without hesitation. A ninja's number one goal in battle is not victory, but merely not to die. The only time it is acceptable to stand and fight when you should truly be running, is if your Charge is at risk, and you need to buy time for them to clear the area. Otherwise? Your survival is top priority. You cannot ensure the life of your Charge if you are dead, after all."

Over the weeks of her training, he taught her many things. He listened to her ideas whenever she asked about merging certain maneuvers together, he talked with her. With all of them. It was a side that only Ino, Kairi and Naminé had seen. The true side of Seth. The teacher, the friend, the instructor, the confidant. He taught her, taught them so much. Even how to walk on water.

"Ok, I can do it because of my gravity field. But I am going to show you how to use various elements to keep yourself afloat on top of water. Also if any of you have problems swimming, speak to me after this and I'll help you learn. But anyway. With My power it's easy. Light can do it as well, but you have to learn how to separate it into its two components of Wind and Fire. Once you do that, wielding the element of Wind, you can sort of create a platform of Air beneath your feet to keep you from sinking. Water has it easiest because you can just make it not draw you in. I'll take a few questions, and then get to explaining how to do it."


She was brought out of her musings by the man removing his tie. Her body shuddered with anticipation. The drug should have kicked in by now. She'd even given it an extra half-hour past its activation time. Now was the time to finish the job. She gave an empty giggle, the lack of emotion within unheard by the drunken, lust-filled man before her. Slowly, tantalizingly, with methodical, teasing steps; she moved towards her prey, the man never once expecting an assassin hidden in the garb of a beautiful young woman.

As the silky looking kimono dropped from her shoulders, hidden beneath false joy, a glint of giddiness appeared, unrelated to what the man thought was going to come. This man was a horrible blight upon the World, his end would be quite welcome, the target before her having taken to girls just entering their teens, giving them everything they wanted, and then taking them for himself.

Oh his misdeeds were hidden well, the girls were often drugged heavily, or knocked unconscious, before he acted, a vague, unexplained soreness in their lower bodies being the only remnant hint of his foul actions. And he always plotted his targets carefully. It wouldn't do to ensnare the Mayor's daughter or someone equally as important. No…he picked the poorer, the struggling, the clearly confused and uncertain, for his focuses.

The dregs, essentially, as the higher class people considered them. Girls that nobody but themselves and their families – if even that – would care about.

Oh she would enjoy this…


He'd taught them many things. But one of the most prominent for Yuffie, was the art of Seduction.

"You're a woman. It's sexist, stupid, disgusting, and horribly demeaning, but to most men and even some women, that makes you pretty much an object to lust after. But, you are also a Kunoichi. As such, most seduction missions are of female to male, and get sent down to your class of warriors. You must learn the ways of the flesh, how to tease, how to befuddle and ensnare the target's emotions. Whether or not you have to give yourself fully to the target, before you end them, will remain to be seen, but the intent is to avoid having to go that far. I can teach you some, the general things, but deeper specifics will have to be taught by another.

Always remember, your body is your weapon. Every hair, every nerve, every single aspect of your body is a deadly force waiting to be unleashed. Some would attempt to shame you for acts of seduction, they are fearful fools. Your choices are your own, what you do with your body is ultimately up to you, as is how you wield it. There are ways to bring a man or woman to the brink of sanity by touch alone, without even removing a single article of clothing. With, and without respective drugs to assist. You will master these. And you will learn when, and how, to employ them."

But it wasn't just him who taught her…them. It was someone unexpected.

"I'll do it." The blonde woman spoke.

Yuffie stared, blinking. "Tell him I'll be there tomorrow afternoon. No payment."

She just nodded.

It was Larxene. Or rather, Arlene, the woman who became that Nobody. It was a surprise to all of them, even Ino, who had met the woman once, that she knew anything about the subject.

"Larxene did stuff like this all the time. It was a sort of…game for her." The blonde woman claimed.

Seth merely rose an eyebrow. "Disassociating yourself with what your Nobody did? Unhealthy."

Arlene glared but ultimately lowered her head. Seth sighed and she flinched slightly as his hand gently gripped her shoulder. She didn't want to see it.

But he forced her to look at him anyway. And to her surprise, there was no judgment there.

"I understand. I don't know you. I don't know Her. And I know neither of your stories. But your reasons are your own. I suppose we could consider your time as Larxene a completely different life. You are here of your own will, to help. Thank you."

Yuffie gave a half grin, as Arlene's eyes seemed to shimmer. It looked like yet another was exposed to the True nature of Seth. He seemed to have that way of making you feel wanted.

And damn if he ever gave you the feeling otherwise.


Slowly, quietly, she slipped through the back alleys of Radiant Garden. In only a few minutes of travel, she had reached the Gathering Hall, where Seth was waiting. Slipping in through one of the higher windows, she dropped down and landed in a crouch. The others turned to her for a moment, before going back to their conversations. Despite its initial creation as a sort of 'Mission Control', it had turned into a minor hang-out location for the various groups that had gathered for the defense of the city.

It had taken her a little longer than she intended, to report back. But she had to play the part of 'hysterical courtesan' for the official documents.

"Welcome back, 'Ayane'."

He greeted her with a wry smile. Yuffie grinned back.

While he was indeed a harsh taskmaster, and the few assassination missions she was sent on, he gave her with the most serious of commands, ultimately, he was a personable trainer. They would often joke, smile, and laugh together; a far cry from what anyone would expect of the man who killed her mercilessly only weeks prior. She had long since accepted that it was nothing personal. She died, because she was too weak to stand up to a fragment of his true focus.

He was no god, though even she would have to claim he was close. He was merely powerful, tricky, and had an ironclad determination that took a lot, or a very specific set of events to erode. He had risen from self-loathing – though some was still present, as is the case for even the most confident – from weakness and fear, to strength and confidence. He was a planner, a tactician of unorthodox methods, though he was the type to best plan in the moment, when it came to battle. But his unique power was far too much for Yuffie to handle, back then.

But under his tutelage, she grew by leaps and bounds. She was twice as fast as she was when they first fought. He had to actively keep a restriction field up in order to match her movements. As it was, in their most recent spar, he tested her abilities with the Shadow state of his Heartless Form. She was just a bit too slow to keep up with him for very long while he was in that state, but with the Haste Materia, she was much faster. The only thing that kept him from needing to Clock Up, he had told her, was that he knew her fighting style well enough to predict her next move on occasion.

"But really, not many people will be able to rely on that. Unless they're precogs. The tricky bastards."

'Ayane' was the cover name she was going under. She had died her hair a light purple, wore red contact lenses as well as applied a specific type of makeup to grant herself paler looking flesh. They had crafted a false identity for her, being a courtesan of great renown, never having failed to 'please' a client. She was pricy as hell, and often got 'requests' for out-of-town jobs.

In actuality, 'Ayane' didn't exist, but nobody knew that, and according to official job records, 'Ayane' was quite well off, but didn't spend her hard-earned money on many lavish things. Merely well crafted outfits for her jobs.

The dye that Yuffie had used was of a special make that would wash out with a specific type of shampoo. Not a trace of the hair color would be left on her, after the day was done, though the reason behind creating such an effective disguise was so she would be able to wield it again, should the need arise.

"As a ninja, it always helps to be able to be another person when the time calls for it. Some places might not be accessible by 'Yuffie'. But a different woman from a different background might be able to go where 'Yuffie' cannot. The tricky part is keeping yourself from giving any hints that you know things that only one of your other personae should know. Which is why its best to always have an out."

"I take it the mission was successful."

"Yes Shishou. William Harrod has been gathered into the embrace of the Fair Lady."

Seth nodded. "And the conditions?"

"Met in full. Official reports will state that he suffered an unfortunate heart attack due to high blood pressure."

"Well done."

The mission was to kill this man without spilling a drop of blood. Most poisons she currently could make on her own tended to cause hemorrhaging somewhere in the body, which would lead to a tell of someone coughing up blood. Even combined with a paralyzing agent, the body would still spasm as either the brain or heart were attacked by the poison. Thus, her most potent poisons were out. So, she put to use her training in seduction. By posing as 'Ayane', and being hired by the man (who didn't just like freshly teenage girls) she was able to slip a different drug in his drink. One that would trigger a seizure in his heart should its rate exceed a generally set level.

All it took was to kill time, and then tease him enough to get him excited. The drug did the rest. His heart gave out on him, and he perished, not a single drop of blood leaving his body.

"Very well…Rise, Yuffie Kisaragi."

She did so. The conversations came to a stop.

"With this, you have reached the final stages of your training. You are now ready for the final techniques I can teach you." He reached out, a single scroll appearing in his hand with a small ripple of air. He handed it to her.

"Within contains refinement techniques that cause your current abilities to have greater effects, for the same cost. Contained within are also techniques that teach you how to wield your abilities better in such a way that the cost to you is reduced, if only slightly. Tomorrow, I will teach you the Final Technique of the Ninja. Rest for today. You have done well."

"Thank you Shishou."


"Ahhh…"

A content sigh from Seth resounded once again through the bathroom. Miri was already with him, settling in, playing with a tiny Shadow heartless that was paddling around like a duck. She was giggling at its wiggling antennae, as it bobbed around the whirlpool bath. Seth just sat there, Miri in his lap, watching her toy around and splash with the tiny ant-like baby creature. Eventually she pat it on the head and dismissed it, before leaning into his chest.

"Have fun?"

She nodded. She could speak, and she could speak well. But to one another, unless it was important or otherwise valid, she let the pulses of her energies do the talking for her. Ultimately, while she had his vocabulary, she only felt the need to speak when it was required.

"So Miri, what do you think of Yuffie?"

The girl wiggled a bit, getting comfortable, and then spoke softly.

"She is…troubled."

"Is she slipping?"

Miri shook her head. "Not her duty…personal life."

"Lack of it?"

Another head shake. "Specific people. She is beginning to think like us."

"Ahh…I see. Starting to see them as people and not…beacons, or icons. Is there any trace of contamination?"

She shook her head again. "She isn't a fan of killing, but she understands that it better to be them, than unrelated others."

"And it's not…pushing her?"

"She doesn't enjoy it. She will do it, because it must be done. But she doesn't derive any form of pleasure beyond the satisfaction that others are safe, from it."

"Less the killing, more the removal of the threat."

Miri nodded. "She will send them to the oblivion she once knew, if it keeps whom she cares for, safe."

"Anything else I should know?"

"She is coming to enjoy your presence more and more. Not just the lessons, but you. I cannot be certain but there may be some romantic feelings brewing within her. At the moment it is too clouded by other things to be truly visible."

"I…see…"

And there it was again. She didn't turn to him, but Miri frowned. Every time the thought of someone loving him appeared, it was quickly drained away. She'd done some silent digging while he slept, but she couldn't tell why he unconsciously fought against the concept of being loved. It was a strange dichotomy. He was fine with loving others, but when he thought of being loved back, it was…well she couldn't tell what it was. It was some strange unconscious mixture that included fear…for whatever reason.

"Well…I doubt that'll happen."

Miri simply squeezed his leg and went with it. The source would reveal itself soon enough. She was patient. Still, she was glad he wasn't as blocked up as before. She hadn't told him yet, but she felt something outside, touch him, the day he let everything out on Ino. Something old, ancient, familiar but at the same time un. It bypassed every defense she mustered, as if it knew all the backdoors into his mind.

And when she felt the power coming off of him, she realized, the presence probably did. It didn't last for very long. It came, added to Miri's internal pressure pushing him to let it all go, and then left when the walls broke down.

She got a face-full of the blank spot, when it happened. And she realized, she didn't like it. At all. It wasn't doing anything, just existing. But merely by existing it was warping him. Miri fully believed that it was that empty spot, that space of non-existence, that was the reason why he unconsciously pushed away the thought of being loved. But she had no proof. And she didn't even know if he knew it was there.

But she didn't want to worry him needlessly. For all she knew it was there by his own making. So for now, she would keep an eye on it.

"Think she'll be able to handle the last move?"

Miri nodded absently. Something was tickling her senses. Almost like a voice over a long distance.

"You alright?"

She blinked, before standing. No…it was a voice. And it was calling her. Not just a voice. Intention. She frowned. It was stressed. And she could tell where it was. Silently, without saying anything, she gathered the shadows around her, vanishing into a Dark Corridor.

Seth simply blinked. That was odd… He mused. Ah well. She'll let me know if it's terribly important.


"Hey…Yuffie…do you have a minute?"

The Kunoichi-in-training turned to the direction of the voice of Leon. She was just finishing re-sealing her various weapons back into their locations on her arms. Seth had procured an old scroll detailing a method of using arrays of lettering to create makeshift glyphs with the purpose of storing objects within. Even Seth wondered where he was pulling these things from.

"Seriously. Last I remember was being given a bunch of scrolls but they were a pain in the ass to lug around. Hell when the world ended I don't remember being anywhere near where I left them! Shit I don't even know when I managed to make a damn Vector Trap in the first place! Gah…I think this is how she felt…"

Glyph inscription required two things: Imagination, and dexterity. While Seth lacked an overt level of dexterity, that most glyph makers held, he had more than enough imagination to make up for it. With his powers over gravity, all he had to do was imagine how the glyph was supposed to look, and his powers would do the rest. It was extremely useful, and made packing for trips so much easier.

"I imagine they work on a similar principal to my Vector Trap. Living things wouldn't be good to seal in them because lack of air and whatnot…unless you were somehow to make a seal that did that…fuck if I know."

Checking her arms and legs – Seth told her to put a couple on her legs too, just in case she couldn't reach her arms or needed a backup weapon – and noting the seals fading into her skin, she nodded to herself, before turning back to Leon.

"Yeah sure."

He beckoned her to the inner hall, where the rest of the Restoration Committee were waiting. Immediately she subconsciously went on guard. The air around them was…tense. Save for a brief moment where her eyes narrowed, she gave no true outward sign of noticing the tension.

"What's up?"

Leon gave a subtle nod to Aerith. This type of thing he'd probably bull-rush through. Best to let a more sensitive person deal with it. The woman saw his motion and stepped forward.

"Yuffie…we're…well we're worried about you."

The Kunoichi blinked. "…eh?" Not what she was expecting.

"You've…been doing a lot of dangerous things lately. We're worried for your health."

Oh. That's what this was about.

The first hint they'd perhaps made a mistake, was that Yuffie didn't react at all as they expected to. She didn't get defensive. She didn't start trying to make any sort of explanation. Instead, she just glared at Aerith, hard enough for the brunette to take a step back; and pulled her shirt down slightly. Keeping eyes locked on Aerith, Yuffie reached up to her left breast, a small black symbol encased in a ring of squiggly lines appearing; and she tapped it, a small pulse seeming to ripple before a small device seemed to materialize from the miniature crest.

The others blinked, especially at the hard gaze on Yuffie's face. She rotated a small knob on the device, before clicking the top button. A moment later, the sound of murmurs, as if many people were talking in low voices, accompanied by the clinking of dinnerware, echoed through the hall. A few seconds of this, and then voices, clear as day rang out.

"Are you certain we won't be overheard?" Spoke a male.

"Positive." Spoke a woman.

"Alright. Why did you call me here then?"

"Relax William. Come, enjoy your steak. When was the last time we simply had dinner like this?"

"When you divorced me."

A sharp laugh. "Fair enough. I called you here because I have a proposition for you."

Silence.

"Did you hear that the Princess has returned?"

"…yes. What is your point?"

"Well, with the Princess back, and likely soon to take her place as Ruler, she is going to need a good advisory council, won't she?"

"Get to the point Maria."

"Fine fine…spoilsport. My point is, this is our chance to take over."

"That's not even possible. The Restoration Committee is good friends with the Princess. Very good friends. They'd be her council if anything."

"Yes…but what if something were to happen to them? Something permanent."

"…are you shitting me, Maria? Every single one of them is a seasoned fighter, dedicated to the defense and protection of this town and its people. They were the only ones to survive when this world was overrun by Heartless two years ago. And they took it back. Going up against them is suicide."

"Directly, yes…but there are ways around that. Your point about them being friends with the Princess is the most important one. With each one removed, she will get more and more distraught. Her would-be bodyguards could be eliminated…and she would be all alone."

"Rumor has it she has a Keyblade. She's not defenseless."

"Yes but even the Keyblade cannot protect against certain elements."

"…are you talking about poison…?"

"Among other things."

"…you're insane."

"Yes. Yes I am. You knew this when you married me. We had something William. And then that stupid bitch Maleficent ruined it all. Think about it. We could take out the Committee, gain control over the Princess, and eventually remove her as well. It would take time…but it could be done. And the best part is, once the Princess is gone, with no more Royal Blood around, the City council would gain full power over the decisions of what happens when. The city could be ours, William."

Silence again.

"You could even add the Princess to your little collection…"

"…how do you know about that…?"

"Oh please, that was half the reason I divorced you. I couldn't risk being tied to a known pedophile. I can't judge you on your tastes honestly, but still, the rest of the world doesn't see things the way we do. Think about it William…with the entire city at our backing, we could slip in a law that makes what you enjoy most, legal…and you'd have the Princess to play with. Don't think I didn't see the way you used to look at her mother."

"…the Princess is becoming a beautiful young woman…older than what I usually like…"

"Think about it for a while. I already gathered enough information to be able to launch precision strikes against each one of the Committee members. Maybe not outright kill them in any way, but their credibility, their reputations…we can easily crush. Turn the people against them, make them enemies of the common man…"

"And in the strife and chaos, nobody will know what else we're doing…"

"You'll be able to enjoy your little games more often, William."

"…I…I don't know Maria…this could backfire in the worst possible way…"

"Oh please…what have we to worry about? We both have perfectly clean records. And I have ways of making the remnants of your toys disappear."

"…I need…time…time to think about this."

"I'm sorry William…time is something we don't have much of. I need your decision now."

There was a minute of quiet from either speaker.

"…fine…fine I'm in. But…do you really think we can do it alone?"

"Oh no…no no. There are others. Jenkins, Carrod, Silven, even Leo is in on it."

"Really? Damn…"

"And I have an inside man…have you ever heard of a man by the name of Selh'teus Rodin?"

"N-no…?"

"He is a powerful warrior from another world. He is close to the princess. She apparently knows him as 'Seth'. He got me all the information I needed to compile my plans."

"I…I see…can he be trusted?"

"Who knows. But he showed express dislike of the Restoration Committee. The way he tells it, he managed to go toe to toe with the youngest, that disgustingly chipper Yuffie girl."

"You believe that?"

"I watched him crush a lamppost with his mind, William. I'd believe anything he told me."

"A-Alright…what do we do then?"

"Nothing, for now. With you in we have all the pieces we need. Selh'teus will be our in. Nobody will expect him at all. He'll give us the times to proceed."

"Alright…"

"Just proceed with your life as you do. I'll contact you again when it is time to meet."

Yuffie clicked the device again, the sounds stopping.

"…wh-what…?" they were all shocked.

"That was two weeks ago. The first mission I undertook was to kill a woman completely unrelated to that conversation. But after I'd proven myself, Seth told me he found something interesting, something bad. That recording was of a meeting between Maria Byron and William Harrod, two of the people I assassinated. Slowly, over the past couple weeks, I've been picking them off, one by one."

"But…but that woman said-

"Seth was feeding them false information. The only true information he gave them was where we all lived, and what our schedules were like. He still hasn't told me how he got all that. But slowly, we have been systematically taking all of them out. Not a single one suspected they were being killed off. We've managed to make it all seem like random accidents, things that fit in with their lives, but random chance just happened to kick in, and be fatal."

They were all stunned.

"Seth has been having me kill only the most vile of people. People who were far beyond redemption."

"How would you know?!" Leon yelled. "You've been killing people Yuffie?! What gives him the right to judge-

"Miri does."

That shut him up.

"Miri is a Heartless. She can sense the darkness in people's hearts. She can pinpoint it, classify it, even manipulate it if she wanted to. Seth has Miri scan for the most evil of people, the people who do horrible things because they like to. And only those people. She marks them, and gives him the information she gathers from them while they sleep. He's logged over fifty people in this city alone who he would gladly feed to Miri, and over one hundred more that are at the edge, but have just enough hesitation within them that he leaves them be. He goes after people in power, with power. People who intentionally continue the kind of corruption he had to deal with on his world. People who do things just to further themselves, will gladly lead to the deaths of many, will kill many with their choices, and not bat an eyelash, all for their own greed and desires.

He targets those who only care about themselves, and will crush anyone who stands in their way, even if they don't truly intend to. He targets threats to existence as a whole, people that if Miri weren't with him, would be calling down Heartless on us left and right. He is saving this world, and he doesn't have to."

They stared at her. Tifa had to speak.

"But…what about you? How does that make you feel?"

"I feel sick when I kill someone. But I know it's for the best. If they continued to exist, so many others would suffer in ways that just don't need to be. Suffering is a part of life, yes, but this is beyond normal suffering, beyond life's suffering. These people cause pain for the sake of causing pain. These people kill for the sake of killing. Those are the types of monsters in human flesh Seth has sent me after. I am a ninja. Killing is in my job description. It's only that all the major ninja clans were wiped out before I ended up here, and my training was incomplete. But we are trained killers of other people, and it is sheer luck that I wasn't one of the rest of my kind. Seth has been training me to kill other people, but he's been training me to kill the right people.

Ninja from his world, and quite possibly my own clan, would kill, sometimes for the simple sake of making sure their skills were sharp. They would be ordered to kill completely innocent people for no discernible reason. I could have ended up one of those people who mindlessly killed at the whims of my leader. But my leader is Kairi, and she isn't like that. It's unlikely she'll ever order me to assassinate anyone the way Seth has, and Seth knows this. That is why he's having me do it now, to try to purge as many possible roots of corruption as he can, before Kairi takes over."

What could they say to that? Honestly, what could be said?

"I'm still me. I'm still Yuffie. But you all need to get it out of your heads that just because I'm younger than all of you that I'm a kid. I've fought just as hard as the rest of you. I've sweat and bled and hurt just as much as all of you. But unlike you all I've died. I know what death is like! And I know you've all killed before. Whether it was Self-Defense or in a blood rage or anything, I know you've killed! But none of you know what dying is like! I do! And because of that I know exactly what I'm sending the people I kill to.

I am a ninja. A warrior of the shadows, an assassin, a silent killer. This is my job, this is my blood, this is who I am because it is who I choose to be! I will be the darkness that reaches out and ensnares the world, I will be the silent wind that severs flesh, I will be the destroyer, if it means the world I love, the people I love, will be safe!"

They were stunned at the passion in her voice.

"And if you cannot accept that…then I have nothing more to say to any of you."

She turned away.

"…I can't let you do this Yuffie."

Leon said. Tifa hissed at him. "The hell are you doing?!"

"He's done something to you. He brought you back wrong. You're no-

In the blink of an eye, Yuffie had vanished, a hazy image of her seeming to whirl around. Leon had no time to defend, before he was doubled over, a loud CRACK echoing through the hall, Yuffie seeming to suddenly appear with her knees on his back, his left leg bent at an improper angle, a kunai under his chin, the kunoichi gripping his hair as he fell to the floor with her on top of him.

"You're dead, Squall."

They all just blinked in shock. She moved faster than they could track. Even Tifa could only see a blur!

"If I wanted to, I could have had your head removed before the rest of your body fell to the floor. I could have had your legs off before you even realized you were being cut. You couldn't even see me at all. And I didn't even use Tonko. This is who I am, Squall. I am exactly who I am meant to be. I'm not like you who won't even use his birth name because he's too hurt to want to remember his life before now. I'm not a coward that runs from himself like you. We all hold darkness within us. You all choose to fight it, I choose to embrace it. You can think of me whatever you want. But you do not get to even begin to insult him.

He showed me the depths of humanity, the end of life, and he brought me back exactly as I was, only with knowledge of what lay beyond. He fed me my weakness, and made me grow stronger from it. He has been giving me what I've wanted all this time: to become Shinobi. You will not judge him like you do everything else. He is beyond you. He is beyond all of us. He's the closest thing to a god this world has seen and you will not antagonize him just because he did something you disagree with to further a larger goal! I am the only one that was truly hurt by his attack to claim the Life Materia, and that was because I was blinded by your tutelage to fight the darkness and all who dwell within it!

You were fine and supportive of my wish to become a ninja as long as you barely knew what that meant, other than I could defend myself; but the moment you learned what being a ninja truly meant you have been distant and confrontational! You are the type of fool that he would kill just for standing in his way! While the rest of you deal with the surface needs when it comes to the Restoration of this place, I am making sure our foundation doesn't crumble the moment someone with half a brain and a wish for control comes along!

But you are so blinded by your dislike of the dark and those that dwell within it because of what's happened to us all over the past half-decade that the moment you face it you lash out at it! It's not the dark we have to fear, it's the people controlling it! The darkness itself is just the same as the light! A thing! It's the people that wield it that make it 'good' or 'bad'! The dark is a dangerous thing but with the right mind you can wield it without worrying, you simply need to understand and accept it! Both Light and Dark can corrupt who wields it if they lack the self-discipline to keep themselves grounded in who they are!

You don't understand, you choose not to understand! You might be a strong fighter, you might be a smart person, but you are a horrible leader! Seth is a threat to this world only as long as someone makes him a threat! This isn't his home, these aren't his people, he has nothing to do with this world at all, and would only even think of crushing it if he had a damn reason to! Seth is an even greater power than all of us combined, but he follows his own set of rules that are very easy to understand as long as you allow yourself a flexible enough mind! The more you antagonize him, the more danger you put this world into! He wouldn't crush the whole thing just to get at one person unless they proved themselves a threat not just to him, but to people he cared about, as well as their surroundings! Do you have any idea how badly he could eradicate everyone on this planet?! Do you?!"

Aerith slowly stepped up to Yuffie. "Y-Yuffie…honey…I don't think he can hear you…"

The girl turned shimmering, angry, tear-streaked eyes to the brunette woman, before turning back to Leon.

Who was completely unconscious.

Yuffie just stared, before giving an empty huff of a laugh.

"…figures…probably didn't hear half of what I said…bastard."

She simply stared at the man she used to revere. She loved him like a brother, a father even…but since Seth she's seen how judgmental, how…unchanging he was. He had a heart, and only the closest were allowed to even glimpse what was inside it. Even Cloud wasn't that cold. Cloud just found most things uninteresting. Cloud was outwardly self-conscious. He worried too much. But because of that, he was capable of allowing himself to relate to others. He preferred doing his own thing, but he could more easily fit into a group than Squall could.

She shook her head. She'd been holding that in for a while now. Seth was a good confident, but even he agreed some things needed to be said to the people they involved. But her irritation at Squall's pig-headdedness made her more inclined to believe it was by choice he fell unconscious. She was putting pressure on him, but not enough to completely stop his breathing. And he'd had a broken bone before.

Still…she didn't feel like going home now…not like this…not all…jittery and messed up. She was…vulnerable here. Not physically, no she could probably take them all out without any trouble. None of them were fast enough to keep up with her. Hell out of all of them the biggest threat was Aerith. Her magical prowess could make a wide range spell strong enough to lock Yuffie down.

She felt…vulnerable…emotionally. She'd spilled what she needed to, let out what she kept hidden, but it did absolutely nothing. Maybe the others would understand, maybe they could, but maybe they couldn't. She…needed to be with someone who would. No question about it. Someone she could just…sit with…for a bit. She didn't know where Ino was, wasn't close enough to Aqua, and Kairi was probably with Sora. She didn't know Naminé well enough, and Sora…well, he was getting a crash course in harsh reality but he was still too Light.

That left one person. And she knew exactly how to get to him.

"Yu-

"Miri?" Yuffie questioned, cutting Aerith off.

It was more like a request for summoning, than a question. And of course, the tiny girl responded. Not seconds after Yuffie spoke her name, a swirling gate of Darkness formed, the child stepping through, dripping wet and stark naked.

"I'm sorry…it was bath time wasn't it?"

Miri blinked at the girl.

"I'd…rather not be alone right now. Do you think-

Miri just reached out and grabbed Yuffie's hand, pulling her through the Dark Corridor, before it closed.

The others just stared at the spot the girls vanished through. Aerith sighed.

Honestly, Aerith was only concerned about Yuffie's state of mind of dealing with all the killing she had to do. Aerith was a little more knowledgeable about the actions of Ninja and how…dark they could be. She was convinced Yuffie was doing an…unusual method of the right thing, after hearing that recording. Still…as time went on, and things occurred, Aerith was beginning to get a greater picture of exactly who Seth was.

Selh'teus Rodin. What an unusual choice of alias…unless that's his actual name? Still, I'd like to speak with him once. He is no doubt a very dangerous being. But…

All of this…all of what we've seen…has been circumstantial. With the way Yuffie so readily defends him…how Ino and Alicia both seem so interested in him…and how carefully he took care of Miri when she was hurting…

We're missing a key part of his personality. We only see the negative, the dangerous side of him. We've seen a hint of the kinder side, but it was quickly pushed away by the threat again. Yuffie is right…he most likely is the closest thing to a God we have on this planet right now…his power is phenomenal, and with the strange boost he's capable of, along with the armor…the Keyblade he holds alone would be dangerous enough…

He did indeed attack us, but it was for the sake of Ino…and at the same time, he did it in such a way that only we, the fighters, would be hurt, if anyone. It's obvious, to some of us, at least, that he is the type of person that should he be left with little recourse but to do something inherently negative, he will try to limit the damage as much as possible, and balance it out later with something positive.

Truly…a being of Chaos. Maybe I should look into seeing what I can about the Deity he follows…


CLANG

Fuuuuck! Why does shit like this always happen?!

A head of black hair ducked under a vicious swing from a frost covered Katana. Their lock was broken by him, but because he was still trying to figure out what was going on, he hadn't engaged the sublimation field. He'd been wondering if it would matter even if he had.

SWOOSH

GAH! Too close!

The blade lashed out again, this time nowhere near him, but a vaguely crescent shaped wall of frozen energy ripped from its edge. Seth rolled to the side, noting that the ground under the area of effect was slicked over. It would seem like the tales of the Yukianesa were true.

It took them four days, but they found the blade. Thanks to Miri's ability to teleport them to the last place they visited, they were able to make the search less taxing on both of them. Being able to return to your bed after a day of travel was a rare boon, and Seth was very happy to take advantage of the situation. Of course, even though they found the blade (not that far from the town actually, it was hidden deep within a cave of crystals) nothing could go right. First they had to dig the blade out from its cage.

Though 'dig' in this case was used as a loose, catch-all term. The blade was encased in crystal, only able to be noticed due to a combination of the Kitetsu's ingrained sensory ability to note when another blade of its ilk was present, as well as Miri's power to sense hearts.

The blades themselves didn't have 'hearts', more like they had vague sentience. Miri was able to pick up on the faint strands of mock-emotion, to help locate where it was. Though due to the lack of an actual heart, the blade could only be barely detected by her when she was in a close enough proximity. They spent an entire day chipping away at the crystal around the blade, Seth struggling not to simply crush the damn thing.

But they did it. They set it free. And Yuffie touched it.

And of course, that's when things went wrong.

Dammit I know she's got Kisaragi blood in her! Why the hell is she going apeshit now?!

Yuffie, a few minutes after simply holding the blade, and letting her 'aura' reach out to it, suddenly drew it, eyes frosted over into an icy cold blue. And then she attacked him.

That was five minutes ago.

Something was clearly wrong. He wondered, during their fight, if maybe the blade was still claimed? But he reasoned no, even if it worked the same as the Kitetsu, the blade would have rejected her, not be…using her. And he knew it was the blade he was fighting, not Yuffie. Were it Yuffie, he'd have had to sync up with Miri just to match her. No, Yuffie wasn't using any of her Ninjutsu, or even her tools. She was moving slower than she should have been. And it wasn't due to a lack of familiarity with the katana.

She was wielding, if not just the blade, then mostly Ice elemental manipulations. Conversions of ice and frost into smaller sword shapes, pressure slash waves of frozen ice. Hell she even launched a giant ice arrow at him! No, this was all the blade's doing. If it was Yuffie, he'd have at least seen a couple ice shuriken, or ice needles or something vaguely-ninja-like. She was acting more like…well a Samurai with some vague elemental abilities.

Huh, now that I think about it, once I snap her out of this shit, I should teach her a few Katana specific techniques that Midori-sensei taught me. Yukikaze would be a cakewalk to learn with that sword.

Still, while Seth was using the crystalline cavern as a playing field, Yuffie was sticking to the ground, for the most part; which was entirely opposite to what her skillset was. Seth had a lot of fun training Yuffie because she was so much like him when it came to battle. She would be, after all, he was trained by a ninja as well. But Yuffie was barely moving at all.

Unknown to him, she was watching him. Waiting. And now was the time to strike.

As Seth landed for a forward dash, Yuffie drew the blade from its sheath, stabbing it into the ground. Before he realized it, a wall of ice had ripped up from the sky, entrapping him within. If it were a 'normal' 'cage' he'd simply break out. But the cold was quickly eating away at his motor functions, drawing him into the embrace of unconsciousness. The last thing he saw before the darkness of sleep claimed him, was Yuffie jumping onto what looked like a giant icicle, zooming away towards the city.


CLANG

Why does stuff like this keep happening?

It started out a half decent day. His leg was feeling better, he'd had a pretty good breakfast, there were no heartless to worry about…all today required was to start puzzling out how to fix the Defense Grid and start working on clearing out the rest of the castle of the crap Maleficent had set up while she'd taken over. But of course, good days can't last. Not an hour after lunch, Leon was suddenly besieged by a trio of swords made of Ice that dropped from the sky, attempting to impale him.

And then a falling Yuffie, with a glowing blue Katana.

He'd be rather irritated to know he shared a very similar thought with the one man he believed responsible for his troubles of late.

Honestly he was surprised to have been able to stand up to her for so long. The night she proved her definite speed advantage over him showed that she could end him before he could react, despite his range advantage. She was trained to kill to assassinate. She was trained as a Ninja, capable of high-speed combat, even without Materia. But for some reason, she was using none of those skills now.

He was still loathe to hurt her, especially after Cloud sat him down and knocked some sense into him the next day, while he was recovering from the broken leg, telling him about her rant while he was unconscious. Plus, he was having a hard enough time defending. She wasn't going as fast as she could be, but she had much more range than he was used to. Well, more range in close-range combat, than he was used to. He was used to her being mid to long range, peppering with shuriken or magical strikes to keep targets at bay.

Damn…he's a threat but hell if he's not a good trainer. Leon had to admit, whatever Seth put her through, it really showed. Even so, Yuffie was showing a rather disturbing single-mindedness during this fight. Tifa had tried to distract her, but Yuffie just froze the woman's legs to the ground and focused on Leon. It was like all she wanted was to go after Leon. Nobody else mattered.

And what the hell is up with her eyes?! They should be brown, not blue!


His eyes snapped open.

The ice around him shattered violently, his body toppling to the ground. Panting heavily, he shivered, the cold having left his muscles with a tight, irritated chill. He was weakened, tired…but Seth couldn't rest just yet. Not now that he understood.

Miri pulled him into that strange mashup realm he ended up in whenever he contacted – or was contacted by – Kairi. There, the two puzzled over why Yuffie was acting strange. Miri had said her heart felt weird. Muffled by cold anger, a rage that burned silent, freezing all it touched. It was that notion, that gave Seth pause. All the swords were slightly sentient due to the way they were made. But they chose their wielders. And unless specifically made to do so, wouldn't 'possess' someone, so much as enhance them. If they didn't connect to the wielder, the wielder would simply not be able to use the blade.

Suppressed anger…would explain why she attacked Seth. Attacked…but did not kill. She simply froze him. Maybe it was a kill attempt, but while he was stuck there, she could have easily confirmed his end, intentionally. But she left. Left for-

Leon!

Now it all made sense. The Yukianesa wasn't properly communicating with Yuffie. Something in the message to one another was being jumbled, not understood. Normally, wielders of a Blade either had it forged specifically with them in mind, thus synchronicity was instant, or they were trained and taught how the blade worked, so the two could be as one. Yuffie had no such training. The Blade likely sensed her heritage, and wanted to connect, but Yuffie's mind resisted. Her mind had to be open, there had to be a bridge between them, of sorts, for things to work.

Which meant that the Yukianesa was grasping her strongest emotions that could be used for battle, grasping the targets they were directed at, and assaulting them, to assist its wielder.

As Seth gathered his thoughts, realizing that Yuffie needed a Glyph in order to be that bridge, a warm sensation flowed through his body. Confused, he looked upon his hands, seeing a soft, violet shimmer.

Thank you…Mother.

He knew the connection with his chosen Goddess, Tiamat, still existed. Her power still flowed through him, as per the ritual's parameters, long ago. Whether it meant she still existed in this crazy universe he found himself in, or if this was just remnants, he couldn't tell. But her power was just that, power. It was wild and untamed, due to the nature of Chaos itself. As such, it would only be wielded when he was of absolute focus. Only when his mind, body, and soul, were working as one, could the depths of the power gained from the ritual be reached.

Otherwise, it would just augment him. Slight increases in strength, stamina, focus…minor changes that could make or break a fight. But either way, the Mother of Chaos warmed him, restoring him closer to fighting capability. Flexing his arms and testing his muscles, he concluded it was time to make his move. He'd already thought up a crude, tweakable glyph for Yuffie, a simple, basic one that covered her need.

It could be modified, made more elaborate, but he was working on a tight schedule. The problem was giving it to her. He couldn't apply the glyph himself, it didn't work like that. Glyphs were personal calling cards. Others could come up with the designs, but the actual application had to come from the wielder. A glyph would convert the space around the wielder to one that was moderately under his or her control. Certain restrictions applied, depending on location and situation, but generally a Glyph was a brief symbol that was formed, to cause a larger effect.

He wielded the Glyph of Chaos, in order to use the unnamed Chaos magic that drained Life Force.

Maybe I should just call it Lifehunt. Make it simple.

He shook his head of the thought. Now was not the time to be thinking of his own techniques.

Now the question is…how the fuck am I gonna get it into her head?

Miri, sensing his distress, grasped his pant-leg. He looked down to her.

"…idea…"


Leon blinked rapidly. He simply sat where he was, nursing a headache and a severely bruised ego, staring at the spot where Yuffie was pinned against a wall, her hand bunched into Seth's shirt, clutching him close to her. Wisps of dark energy flowed from behind the girl, as a Dark Corridor opened within the wall, the two of them falling into it. Off to the side, now revealed due to the empty space where the two once were, was Miri, giving a soft grin.

She too, vanished in a wave of darkness.

As Cloud helped Leon up, the blonde man couldn't help but ask.

"…what just happened?"

Ino gave a cute looking pout, before muttering something about wishing she was in Yuffie's place. Alicia nodded absently, while Naminé and Kairi giggled, with Aqua, once again, giving an exasperated sigh.

"Well," Kairi began, both blue and red eyes glimmering with mirth "it seems that Yuffie was about to kill you, and Seth showed up like the big damn hero he tends to be, activated Crow Form, then fluttered around like an annoying bee, holding her off before ditching his armor, pinning her to a wall, and making out with her."

"Oh good…I thought I was seeing things. WHY THE HELL DID THAT JUST HAPPEN?!" Leon yelled incredulously.

Naminé frowned, closing her eyes and trying to think. "Yuffie…seemed possessed by…the sword. The way she kept focusing on you…I think it was angry with you for something, Leon." The girl spoke, trying to piece together the sequence of events.

"Clearly." Leon muttered with no little sarcasm.

"I think that was a Synchronicity Chain." Kairi said, staring at the ground.

"A what?" Tifa asked, as Aerith began healing her small wounds.

"The deepest form of heart to heart connection. The highest form of Resonance Reaction." Kairi explained.

"Wait…so he's-

"No." Kairi cut Leon off. "No…while it's the strongest form of Resonance Reaction, a Synchronicity Chain can be done by two hearts beating at the same tempo…two minds unified under one will. It doesn't require anything other than, well, absolute Synchronicity between people. Having a connection like ours…helps…it helps a lot…but that only opens the pathways wider, to be honest. It's very much doable without one."

Naminé nodded. "And with Miri capable of consuming hearts…it's likely she was able to do something, either to Yuffie or to Seth, that let the Chain form."

Alicia nodded absently. "That makes sense…a sort of psychic resonance without needing to be directly connected. A matching of wills. Something of that nature would no doubt be within his grasp."

"Why did he kiss her though?" Aerith asked, now moving on to Leon, hands still glowing.

"That's…a good question…" Naminé spoke.

"Forced connection." Ino informed. They turned to her. "By kissing her, it stunned her for a moment. Let's say she was possessed by the sword, like we think. The sword wouldn't have expected an 'attack' of that nature, giving Seth an opening. Its likely Seth had Miri lock onto Yuffie's heart, and match his beats with hers. Their wills would have already been as one: wanting Yuffie free, but the sword was likely clouding things."

"Yeah! That sounds right." Kairi said. Suddenly her eyes widened, the red one seeming to glow slightly. "Also, Master used to have Chains like that with his partners. With Revan, it was a chain of family, a simple moment of grasped hands would have been enough for an alignment trigger. They were friends first, and then became family. Their hearts beat as one against the unfairness of the World. With Lynn and Elle, they were closer to him, romantically. Clasped hands worked, but a kiss held the strongest connection. A love as strong as with Revan, but different, slightly deeper. With family there are vague limits of certain physical actions. Master likely kissed the lucky ninja both as a stun factor, as well as to open a bridge through shared emotion."

The glow in her left eye faded, as Kairi coughed, clearing her throat a bit. "…what I said."

"That's freaky. Real freaky." Tifa said, commenting on the fact that Kairi would enter a sort of not-trance, and she would say things that were…odd.

"Yeah…yeah it is." Kairi agreed, deadpan.


Voices. Arguing voices.

Seth and Yuffie shared a look. What could have set everyone off this early in the morning? Seth and Yuffie were together the night before…and were just arriving now. And after her last mission, she hadn't done any assassination tasks. The two shrugged at one another, before stepping through the doors of the Gathering Hall. There, they saw exactly what had everyone up in arms.

Standing off to one side, was a tall, wide shouldered, blue skinned man, with ice blue flame for hair, wearing a black toga.

"Huh. Hades. Wasn't expecting that." Seth spoke, in between bouts of shouting. Everyone turned to him and Yuffie.

"Ah, kid! Just the man I wanted to see."

Seth quirked an eyebrow. "What brings you from your cheery little slice of hell to this shithole?" Seth spoke, getting glares from the Restoration Committee, and a punch on the arm from Yuffie.

"A real big problem."

"I thought we mutually agreed that calling up Eldritch Horrors wasn't worth not having heroes around to deal with them after we were done." Everyone stared at Seth. What the hell was he talking about, and why was he so chummy with Hades?!

"Not that big. But close. Look kid, it's not often I find myself in this little situation but…I need your help."

Seth stared at the Lord of the Dead for a good half minute.

"…well aint that some shit."


A/N: Complete. Yuffie lovers can now rejoyce. Yuffie has joined the ranks of the Shitwreckers. FFXI players will definitely note where i'm taking her. Hades battle next chapter. Maybe something more. maybe not. We'll see.

The Pyromaniac Druid: Kairi...well, Anti-Kairi...has what appears to be the Sharingan. But it's mostly cosmetic. I can say now, she will not be suddenly capable of copying other people's powers and whatnot. The thing is, Anti-Kairi does have access to abilities based very similarly to ones that certain anime characters have. Kamui was simply an apt name for the spatial compression ability that Anti-Kairi wielded. Kairi's left eye being now permanently red is...a side effect of Kairi rejecting Anti-Kairi, and Anti-Kairi forcing her power through Kairi. Seth's Chidori was simply him trying a lightning based piercing attack.

After all, he wouldnt have had time to cast Indignation. There will be an explanation of the Cloak of Tia soon enough. But there is indeed a reason why Kamui, Imari, and Chidori have appeared. if you've read the original story, that particular plotline is still indeed intact. if you havent...well, either look at the crappy original and find out, or just wait till i get to it here.

I know very little about Fairy Tail other than all the women have magnificent breasts and kick ass. Ino...well, Ino is the way she is now for a very specific reason. which will be seen and explained, later.

Skeleus: i'm glad you enjoyed it. The fight was rather fun to write for me as well. another big fight is coming next chapter.

GodofLazors: Ino is as powerful as she is for a specific reason. Seth has a pact with the original Chaos Goddess. Sora, in-canon, can cut through a building. Kairi is a being with a heart of Pure Light, a logically impossible concept. Luxord can turn people into cards or dice, and screw with time. Xigbar can stand on thin air, and teleport. Seth is merely joining in a realm of overpowered people. And yes, it is all awesome.