Yuffie chewed the inside of her cheek and looked around the crowded city. She huffed and put her hands on her hips. She didn't even know where to start looking for Lyra or the boys. When she and Vincent first arrived at Junon, they heard about the festival and wondered if they had the wrong idea. Kalm was too, well, calm and it was easy to get to from Edge, but hard to hide in. Junon was a chaotic sprawling city similar to what Midgar was like with ruins and slums. It would be difficult to find anyone in Junon, but the Remnants of Sephiroth would stand out in any place they ran to. Lyra was pretty but normal-looking enough and regrettably short. She would have no trouble blending in.
The mischief festival, with all its colorful wigs and costumes and elaborate masks, made Yuffie feel like she was looking for a needle in a haystack.
She continued down the street, weaving in and out of groups of festivalgoers and dodging vendors. Vincent had made her swear up and down to every god they knew that she would focus on finding Lyra and behave. No shenanigans! And boy, oh boy was it hard to stay on task.
Everywhere she turned Yuffie saw conflicting patterns and colors and with every turn she made, she ran into a carnival game, a puppet show, and even a sword-swallowing act. She was beginning to wish that she and Vincent hadn't split up. The few WRO soldiers they had were spread thin throughout the city but they were likely having the same amount of sorry luck Yuffie was having.
Yuffie snagged a mask from the next costume vendor she passed. Maybe Lyra or one of the boys had spotted her and were hiding? It was better to fit in anyway. The Wutain War had ended years ago and Wutai was slowly returning to its former self, but people outside of Wutai still gave her weird looks and avoided her. It didn't bother her, usually. But sometimes she wished it was socially acceptable to punch people in the face for giving her dirty looks.
Yuffie gave the vendor some gil and picked a black and red ladybug mask. The mask was handmade, the vendor claimed, and was of high quality. The ladybug mask didn't feel like plastic or that it would disintegrate at the barest touch so she slid it over her face and continued on her way.
The sun was starting to dip to the west by the time she gave up. Yuffie's throat was dry and cracked. She lost count of how many times she had described Lyra and how many amused looks she got when describing the Remnants. She hadn't outright called the boys Remnants of Sephiroth, just described their hair and eyes and roughly their height. She got a lot of laughs from that, and there were a lot of silver wigs being sold and worn.
She found a bit of shade under a stairwell and drank some water around noon. She checked her phone. No calls or texts from Lyra, even though the stupid girl had promised to stay in touch. A few texts from her dad and Tifa asking her how her day was going. Many of the WRO soldiers were still looking for Lyra, asking Yuffie if she'd heard anything. None from Vincent, which was typical but frustrating given the circumstances. She sent him a text to meet at the alleyway and made her way there.
She was halfway down the long empty alleyway when she heard them talking. Yuffie hid behind one of the many overflowing dumpsters and crawled through the space behind it. She wrinkled her nose at the smell of rot and garbage and the gravel bit into her palms, but like hell was she going to let a Turk get the better of her. She peeked through the cracks of wooden pallets stacked on the other side of the dumpster. They blocked her passage but provided some lovely cover.
"We're on vacation," Tseng was saying. His back was to her, but he sounded annoyed. Elena was rocking on the balls of her feet next to him. Vincent stood before them scowling and crossing his arms.
"Really? Junon isn't that interesting," Vincent said. "I've heard Costa del Sol is better."
"Nah, too touristy," Elena chirped. Yuffie grimaced as a cockroach skittered past her but she kept still as a stone and quiet as a mouse.
"How did you know to come to Junon?" Vincent continued to scowl.
"That's none of-" Elena began.
"You don't need to know why we're here," Tseng interrupted. Vincent scoffed.
"Three Remnants and a tiny Cetra would be hard to miss, I suppose."
"No, they wouldn't be," Tseng answered. "Keep out of our way. It will be easier."
With that, Tseng and Elena left.
Yuffie waited for a beat, unsure if they had left or if they were pulling a fake-out.
"Yuffie, why are you hiding behind a dumpster, of all places?"
Yuffie smacked her head on the dumpster lid as she crawled out from behind it and tripped over a smelly bag of garbage. She righted herself and placed her hands on her hips. She gave him a confident smile, which he would have seen if she had taken the mask off. Vincent shook his head and sighed.
"Sorry, the festival is too crowded, and everyone is wearing a disguise. I had to blend in." She gestured to her lovely ladybug mask. Vincent nodded but didn't say anything about it. She tried not to be disappointed.
"I don't like running into Turks, but we must have had the right idea."
Yuffie cleared her throat. "I had the right idea, you mean."
"Yes." He turned as two of their soldiers entered the alleyway behind him. "Nice mask, by the way."
Yuffie smiled wide behind the mask and joined him in listening to the soldiers' report.
"Oh, that's an amazing choice!"
Drew clapped as Loz showed off the rainbow wig and striped tiger mask he chose. Lyra smiled and turned back to the column of hanging masks displayed next to the vendor's stall. She had decided she didn't need a wig. Her hair wasn't silver and noticeable as the boys but it was wild and curly enough to fit the theme of the festival when she let it out of her braid. Kadaj stood across from her. He didn't even look at the masks. He was staring daggers at Drew who seemed oblivious. Yazoo chose a fox mask and a thin red cape from the stall next to them. He drew the hood over his hair and secured the hood to his mask. Lyra couldn't see his face from behind the fox mask but from the huff he made she guessed he was becoming annoyed by Kadaj's attitude.
"Pick one or I'll pick for you," he told Kadaj. Kadaj turned his glare to Yazoo, but Yazoo was as unbothered as Drew. "Alright then."
Yazoo didn't even have to ponder which mask was more fitting. He grabbed a devilish mask and shoved it on Kadaj's face. Kadaj pushed his brother back and adjusted the mask on his face, swearing at both Yazoo and Drew under his breath. Lyra couldn't help but giggle. His sour mood was leaking through the bond, but she wouldn't let it ruin the day. She could smell salt and sea on the breeze that floated through Junon's crowded city streets, and the sky was cloudless.
Yazoo turned to her next. "I'll pick one for you too."
His cat-like eyes glittered behind the mask, but he didn't sound as annoyed. Lyra rolled her eyes and turned back to the rack. She pulled a dark purple and gray snarling wildcat from behind a smiling clown mask. Its face was fierce and mean and covered in dark purple tufts of fur. She smiled as she slipped it over her face.
"I like this one," she said. "Pick one for Drew."
Drew waved an elaborate butterfly mask. "Nah, I've already got one!"
They moved on from the stall. Lyra felt better wearing the mask, even if it wasn't as extravagant as the other festivalgoers around them. Kadaj sulked behind his brothers and Drew as she took them from the carnival game to the food stall to show. They were too late to enroll in a pranking contest, but Drew insisted that there were other fun things to do and more contests to join.
"We don't need that kind of attention," Kadaj snapped. Drew lifted her mask to stick her tongue out at him. Lyra sighed and took his arm.
"Come one, just relax and have fun."
Kadaj's mask glared at her and hers snarled back. She couldn't see his full expression behind his mask, but she could see his ears turn pink and a fuzzy feeling from their bond and he looked away. The group passed a bean bag game but had to double back for Loz.
"I'm gonna win that." He pointed to a giant teddy bear. Kadaj snorted.
"Doubt it. It's probably there just to tease little kids," he said. "And besides, you're too big for teddy bears and toys."
Loz wasn't deterred. "It's almost as big as me."
"Teddy bears are for babies."
Lyra shared an annoyed look with Drew and Yazoo. She lifted her mask and tugged on Kadaj's jacket.
"You're just scared to lose to him," Lyra taunted Kadaj. He shook his head and waved her hands away.
"No, I'm not. This looks easy."
Lyra poked him in the ribs. "I bet you'll lose."
"No, I won't."
"I bet Loz will win. He's gonna win that big teddy bear."
Kadaj blocked Lyra's hands when she tried to poke his ribs again. "I don't want to win a stupid bear."
Yazoo and Drew moved on to the next game, leaving Loz to watch them bicker. He looked uncomfortable but Lyra didn't pay him any mind. Instead, she smirked at Kadaj.
"Then what do you wanna win?"
Kadaj shrugged. Lyra bounced on her heels and without thinking she blurted out, "I'll kiss you then. On the cheek."
Loz snickered and made a sound like he was throwing up.
Kadaj snorted but his ears were bright red through his silver hair. "And how are you going to reach me? I'd have to bend down."
She kicked him in the shin and placed her fists on her hips. He staggered and swore under his breath as Loz laughed again.
"I'll have to do that, I guess." She slid her mask down her face and grabbed a bean bag. "C'mon Loz, I'll play with you."
"Finally!" Loz was overjoyed. He grabbed his bean bags. Before she could throw the bean bag at the bottles lined in a row on a wall, Kadaj took it from her hands.
"Hey!"
"I'll play. But when I win, don't kick me in the shins. I'll bend down for you."
He sounded less grumpy and more playful, but his words made her stomach flip. It wasn't a bad feeling, it felt more like butterflies. Whatever the feeling was, she could feel it through the bond as well. She rubbed her arms and nodded and backed away to watch the game.
She was almost disappointed when Kadaj lost. Loz took his bear and Kadaj turned to her. Loz sprinted away to show Yazoo and Drew his prize, leaving the two by the bean bag game. The attendant righted the bottles that were knocked over and replaced the bear Loz won with a similar bear. Kadaj sighed and she could feel his own disappointment through the bond.
"Can I get one for trying?"
Lyra laughed to ignore the heat on her face and the butterflies in her stomach. She shook her head.
"No, you had to win the game for that!"
"Can I play against y-"
"Hey dweebs, keep up!" Drew came running back, ducking around a group of kids running between games. Kadaj's emotions through the bond soured. Drew grabbed their arms and dragged them toward Yazoo and Loz. "There's a freaking fire-eater!"
The man who wasn't really eating fire, much to Lyra's disappointment. She was tempted to summon a spark or two, but wherever she drew her abilities from felt as worn out as a sprained muscle. Kadaj leaned down towards her as they watched the man blow fire into the air above the heads of the crowd. She almost ducked away from him as the butterflies returned to her stomach.
"Can you eat fire? Or blow it like a dragon?"
She laughed and Drew crossed her arms. She stood on the other side of Lyra. Her butterfly mask glittered in the sunlight.
"What do you mean?"
If Kadaj wasn't wearing a devil mask, he would have been glaring, Lyra was sure. She shook her head and turned to Drew.
"I'll show you later," she promised. Drew looked from the fire eater to Lyra and huffed.
When the fire eater finished his show, they moved on to more festival attractions. Kadaj avoided Drew as much as he could and hung back whenever the rest of them played games. Towards the end of the afternoon, they attended the parade on the main street of the festival. Drew told them that each float told a story about the mischief god Junon which was part of a pantheon Junon used to worship. Each float was bright and the people on the floats wore different costumes, dressed as gods and heroes of the stories.
Between each float, dancers and acrobats performed. They threw candy and bead necklaces and small toys to the watching crowds. Lyra felt almost normal. She closed her eyes and pretended for a moment that she wasn't an amnesiac lab rat. She was on an outing with her friends and they were safe and not hiding from the WRO. She didn't run away from Cloud and Tifa after all they did for her, or Marlene and Denzel. She should have said goodbye to the kids, they hadn't done anything. She should probably borrow Drew's phone and let Yuffie know that she's okay and ask her to say hi for her and-
She was shaken from her daydreaming by a blood-curdling scream. She backed into Kadaj and grabbed his arm.
What's happening?
"I don't know."
A roar shook the windows of the buildings around them. Lyra's stomach dropped as the six-legged Vigo tore around a street corner and crashed into the parade. The crowds exploded into chaos as people ran from its claws and teeth. It smacked a parade float over with its tail. Yazoo pulled Drew out of the way as the Vigo's tail swung towards them. Yazoo had his gun ready in his hand.
"Alright, time to leave." Lyra pulled at Loz and Kadaj. They were pushed aside by a WRO soldier who ran past them towards the Vigo. Lyra swore under her breath as more soldiers appeared, running from the alleyways and from behind upturned stalls. Vincent and Yuffie were even there, slashing at the Vigo and shooting it back. The Vigo roared again and snapped at Yuffie. Yuffie jumped out of reach and threw a shuriken at its face, gouging into the scales around an eye.
Lyra and the boys didn't stick around to watch. They followed Drew and the rest of the crowd. The Vigo's roars faded the farther they ran until finally, the streets were clearer and fewer people were running. The streets were narrower near Drew's apartment. Drew squealed and pulled them into an alley as WRO soldiers passed by in a truck. They paid the small group no mind as they drove towards the broken parade.
"Okay, what the f-" Drew began. She sat against a brick wall of a building and panted.
"How much farther?" Yazoo asked. Drew closed her eyes and moved a hand in front of her as she followed a mental map.
"Not far. One or two more blocks." She gave Yazoo a shaky smile. "I guess you guys don't want to stay another night in Junon?"
Kadaj tore off his mask and threw it at her. Drew barely caught it and let it fall to the ground. He was seething. Lyra tried to push the feelings of rage back towards his side of the bond. She nudged Kadaj's arm but he ignored her. Drew murmured an apology and continued to lead them back to her apartment building.
The sun was beginning to set by the time they got to the lobby. WRO soldiers were swarming the streets picking up the remnants of the festival and helping anyone lost or wounded by the Vigo attack. They had to take a detour around a blockade of WRO soldiers examining festival attendees. Each attendee had to take off their mask and let the soldiers examine them for injuries and Lyra didn't feel like being caught just yet.
"I told you we shouldn't go," Kadaj seethed as they wearily climbed the stairs to Drew's apartment. "You shouldn't have even brought it up!"
Drew paused at her door and fumbled with her keys. Her face was red with anger, having heard every complaint in the book from Kadaj over the past few hours.
"Well, no one mentioned that you were being hunted by a fucking monster!" She jammed her key into the lock and slammed open the door. She flipped the light switch next to her front door and froze. Whatever words she was going to snap at Kadaj were forgotten, but Drew only let herself be shocked for a moment before stomping into her apartment.
"Who are you and how the fuck did you get in my apartment?!"
The boys were inside in a blink and Lyra followed them. Drew wielded a hammer from her kitchen counter and tried shaking Loz off as he pulled her back to the doorway. Lyra sputtered as Drew pushed into her. Someone chuckled and Lyra ducked around Kadaj to see Drew's intruder.
Reno, who Lyra had only met once, was sitting in Drew's threadbare recliner lounging back with his feet on her coffee table like he owned the place. He gestured to her living room window. Drew scoffed.
"My place is three stories up!"
"That's nothing, sweetheart." Reno sat up and Yazoo had his gun again. Lyra wondered where he was hiding it. Reno lifted his empty hands. "I'm not here to hurt anyone."
"Then why are you here?" Kadaj demanded. Reno pointed at Lyra.
"I'm here for the Cetra."
"Why?" Lyra asked. Kadaj startled a little and pulled her behind him. She huffed and stomped on his toes. She ignored him through the bond, asking her to run back to the hall.
"You've got a lot of people looking for you, kid," Reno drawled and counted on his fingers. "Ya got the WRO all over the Planet turning over every little rock. Dr. Jael, he's getting restless and blackmailing the WRO if you can believe it. Or trying to, at least. And his pet wyvern is scurrying about sniffing for you." Reno paused and grinned. "And then my boss. Rufus wants you too."
"What does he want with me?" Lyra didn't shake off Kadaj's hand when he tried drawing her back again, but she didn't let him move her. "I've only met the guy once. I threw away his business card, though."
Reno studied the boys and Lyra and Drew for a moment. He seemed to be thinking.
"I really shouldn't say anything," he began.
"Then don't." Kadaj glanced at Yazoo. Reno ignored them.
"I've got a lot to atone for." Reno took a breath and sat back in the recliner. "I hurt a lot of people for Shinra. And I lied to you, kid. I told you I was taking you home."
Lyra looked from Reno to her friends. A throbbing pain began to bug her at her temples, but she ignored it.
"I don't remember-"
"I know. But I'm still sorry for it. You'll remember one day." Reno stood and tried to walk past them, but the boys refused to move.
Lyra drew the prototype weapon from her pocket and shook Kadaj off.
"Why does Rufus of all people want me?" She took a step towards Reno and shook Kadaj's hand from her shoulder.
"What are you doing?"
Lyra ignored him. "I mean, the WRO and Dr. Jael, I understand. I'm Dr. Jael's lab rat and I ran from the WRO."
Reno didn't appear intimidated. He looked from her mask to the saber in her hands.
"The hellcat mask suits you, kid."
She pressed the button and activated the blade. "I'm not a child."
The saber was too light in her hands. It didn't feel right but she held it properly anyway, following instructions from the faint voice in her ears. Her head throbbed and she scowled. Reno snorted.
"You don't even remember how to use a sword, kid."
"You have no way of knowing that." She smiled at him but it felt more like a wince as the throb in her head turned to a stab. Reno closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose.
"Rufus wants to rebuild Shinra as it was," he said finally. "He wants to help the Planet, not harvest the Lifestream this time." He shook his head. "I don't see how reviving SOLDIER and the Science Division will help anyone, even if SOLDIER is made up of only Cetras."
Lyra frowned and looked behind her at Kadaj and his brothers. Reno made a step to the door again and Lyra blocked him.
"I'll give you guys a head start," Reno insisted. "We won't follow you yet."
"Really?" Yazoo lowered his gun. "And we're just supposed to believe you?"
Reno flashed a cockeyed grin. "I never found anyone. I think I heard rumors of some Sephiroth look-a-likes in Costa del Sol."
Before Reno could try to leave again Lyra placed the glowing red blade of the saber under his chin. He raised his hands and continued to smirk. She was getting real tired of his bullshit. She wished she wasn't so short. Maybe then he would take her seriously. The prototype weapon felt flimsy in her hands, but she felt sure she could use it.
"Lyra." Kadaj tugged at her wrist.
"I want you to tell Reeve or Cloud or someone at the WRO." She tried her best to sound commanding. "If you really feel so bad about what Shinra had you do, I mean."
"I will."
Lyra studied his eyes for a moment before deactivating the saber and pocketing it. She took off her hellcat mask and offered her pinky.
"Pinky swear on it."
Reno snorted. "I'm not pinky swearing anything."
Lyra gave him her sweetest smile. "It's either you pinky swear that you'll tell someone from the WRO about Rufus and his dumbass plans or I hand you over to Kadaj and his brothers."
"I've fought them before."
"We kicked your ass before, you mean. A couple of times at least," Kadaj said. Reno shot him a glare and then Yazoo and Loz. He groaned.
"Fine. I pinky swear." He took his hand from his pocket and half-heartedly wrapped his pinky around Lyra's and shook it. "Stupid hellcat."
He hesitated before letting Lyra's pinky go. "I've heard Nibelheim is nice this time of year. Might be a good place to retrace your steps. Avoid Costa del Sol, though."
The boys let him leave then but they didn't spend a minute longer in Drew's apartment. The second Reno turned down the stairwell, they exploded into action. They ran to Drew's guest room and began packing. Drew swore loudly as she threw things into a duffel bag.
"You don't have to come with us," Kadaj said as he made his way to the door. Drew laughed nervously.
"I've never met a Turk before," she replied. "But I've heard what they do when they question people!"
Kadaj tried to block her from leaving the apartment but Yazoo dragged him away by his jacket collar. Kadaj pushed him away.
"She's stuck with us," Yazoo said.
"Where do we go?" Loz asked. Drew locked her apartment and turned to them.
"The Turk said Nibelheim. There's a port here and ships that we could board. They're always taking people to the Western Continent."
The boys and Lyra put their gil together. They didn't have much but they had enough to book a passage across the sea. Or at least Drew said so anyway. They left her apartment building and ran through the cramped streets of Junon. The evening sky was darkening and the streetlights were turning on.
Drew snagged a few natural-colored wigs from a knocked-over costume stall and shoved a pink bucket hat on Lyra's head. The boys didn't look happy about the wigs but WRO soldiers were everywhere and they had no clue if Reno was actually telling the truth.
Drew ushered them onto a crowded bus and they rode in silence to the docks. The docks at the edge of Junon were crowded and every ship seemed to be taking passengers. Drew took them to a smaller ship and asked a sailor where it was headed.
"North Corel Area," he answered. "Heard there are fewer monsters there. That's where the rest of'em are headed." He gestured to the line of people boarding the boat. Drew handed him some gil and he allowed them to join.
"You guys still have your map?" Drew asked as the boat drifted away from the docks. "I've never been to the North Corel Area before. We're going in blind."
Author's Notes: Alrighty! I've got a bit of a disclaimer here regarding my fic. I've lost all my notes from when I first started this fic. I've since restarted the world-building and continued working on this fic, so the feel of it might be different than what it was when I first started writing it. I had my old notes were on an old notebook app that is no longer available apparently, which is frustrating.
I do feel better about my OCs, especially Lyra. I've scoured the fandom wiki and other FF7 forums for info on established characters and events in the timeline. I haven't played any of the FF7 games, only seen cutscenes and Advent Children and I wish I could play the Remake but I don't have a gaming system for it. I'm still a big fan of the series and I'm trying my best to make my fic feel like part of the series without being SUPER CRINGE lol But regarding the stuff I found in the wikis, holy crap I feel a lot better! Shinra did a lot of weird stuff and the science and magic that is canon makes the OC's I have introduced and have yet to introduce feel less weird and out of place.
Please leave a comment and a kudos if you've enjoyed! I enjoy reading your comments! Thank you so much for reading my fic! I'll try to update soon. I've got a few more chapters in the works!