Notice: KH is owned by Disney and FF by Square Enix. This story and the scenarios in it are my idea.

Cecelia's Search – for Dreams and Honour Pt. 1

/The Lanes Between

After her ordeal in the world of Gran Pulse, Cecelia decided to explore this realm further. She did have 13 or so energy signatures to explore, after all. Knowing how significant 13 was to Keyblade Wielders – and how it's viewed as an ominous number – the explorer in her couldn't wait to find out! Using her energy locator device, she honed in on an energy signature that was oddly...green?

Kicking her Glider into overdrive, she warped out of the system of Gran Pulse.

/Near the green signal?

'The device is picking up on the signal in this...' Cecelia starts to clutch her head in pain. Her vision starts to blur – or warp – as if a powerful force has focused in on her. Knowing this will make it difficult to pilot her glider, she slows to a complete stop.

Ghhh...!

She starts seeing...flashes of incoherent imagery, however some images clear enough for her to identify her son in some of them.

...Gahhh...!

"So...ra...SORA!" Seeing her son in these visions lights a fire in her and she wills herself to keep balance and head towards the signal.

In her periphery she spots an Earth-like world that is radiating green energy. She boosts her Gliders engines and rockets towards the planet.

/Industrial...Wasteland?

'Ouch my head...'

It wasn't so much the rough landing that gave her a migraine, but the incessant pulsing of some sort of anomaly. She pulls out her locator device. 'Just...as I thought...it's the green signal alright.' Currently seated she stands up and dusts herself (well her armour) off. Looking around the immediate vicinity, she sees piles of industrial (largely metal) junk dispersed along a wasteland of some sort.

'Did I just land in some sort of rubbish heap...or...?' She scans ahead and sees a developed settlement, and some intermittent buildings plotted around the place. In the distance she can see what appears to be...'a church? Strange...' Cecelia deactivates her armour, knowing that civilian clothing will make blending in with the locals easier.

The Keyblade Master and World Explorer decides to make her way towards the church.

/Location: Church

On her way she spots what look to be agents. Taking the initiative she discretely casts a sleep spell to harmlessly incapacitate them. From her experience, people in slick black suits were not to be trusted – period.

Continuing on her leisurely stroll: she's a mere 100 metres or so from the building, when she sees two youngsters talking with one another. 'They look like they're on a date...one looks like some sort of military man, while the other a...country girl?'

The two continue to converse with each other...that is until they spot a well dressed woman staring at them.

"Um...lady? Can we help ya?" The young man was a little suspicious of this lady. He was actually wondering if she was another one sent by Shinra to monitor Aerith. The young man furrowed his eyes.

"O-Oh..hello there! Sorry for staring, it was cute seeing a young couple such as yourselves."

"C-Cute! U-Uh..." The tall young man, with sleeked, black hair had a heavy blush on his face. He scratched the back of his head nervously.

The young woman, in a pink, almost flowery dress, however was very happy to see that someone else thought they were a couple. She clasped her hands together, smiling.

"Thank you for the compliment! Miss...?"

"Cecelia. My name's Cecelia. And you two?" She turned her head to the young man first. He stood ramrod, and at attention, almost like a...

"Ma'am, my name's Zack Fair, SOLDIER 1st Class. Ma'am!"

'Ah, so he is a military man...interesting.' She nodded her head in acceptance of his introduction. Then she turned to the young lady, who introduced herself in a less proper fashion, but nonetheless polite manner.

"Oh, my name is Aerith Gainsborough, I live here in Sector 7!"

"A pleasure to meet you both." Cecelia lightly nodded and put her hand over her heart. A typical, formal greeting from a Keyblade Master. Rising from her bow, she then noticed Zack's very large sword on his back. So she inquired about it, pointing at the blade's handle.

"Mr. Fair, how proficient are you with that weapon of yours, or is it just for show?" He was shocked, someone would ask him such a question, especially a lady who didn't really look like she knew about weapons.

"I use this in combat everyday. It was a...memento from my teacher and friend." The young man reminisced about the good memories with his friend and mentor, now deceased.

"Interesting. It's very large, almost comically so. Wouldn't it be difficult to swing around?"

"Well, no actually. Though a regular person probably wouldn't be able to hold it."

"Regular?" Now that she thought about it, she could feel energy coming from Zack. It was ethereal, alien, almost like some of the energy in him came from the planet, and another part...didn't.

"Yeah...? SOLDIERs are enhanced, and we can do things regular people can't. Where are you from lady?" Zack was remiss to think of any part of the world where a SOLIDER wasn't known. In fact, when he introduced himself as a SOLDIER, most people would normally ask about Genesis, Angeal and...Sephiroth. 'But...this lady didn't. Why?'

"Well...not from here." It was a curt reply, and one with the unspoken message of: that's all I'll say, don't ask any more.

"Zack...I think Ms. Cecelia doesn't want to talk about where she's from. You probably shouldn't ask about it any further. Sorry Ms. Cecelia!" The young woman bowed in apology.

"N-No! It's alright Aerith! No need to apologise to me!" She waved her hands signalling her awkwardness from the apology.

Cecelia then gave a quick smile, before refocusing on Zack. She wanted to see if the young man was a skilled combatant and, to confirm some suspicions of her own.

"Well, Mr. Fair, would you mind sparring with me? I'd like to test your abilities out for myself."

"Oh? Now you're talking my language lady! But ya sure? I'm preeeeety tough!" Zack was getting fired up. Excited to face off against a new opponent that wasn't a SOLDIER, Turk, Wutai (like that brat...) or...a degenerated Genesis Clone.

"Yeah, I'll be fine. Watch." Cecelia summoned her keyblade, and conducted a few kata's, before finishing off with a flurry of strikes, that sparkled gold and stardust.

Aerith was very impressed by Ms. Cecelia's showcase of her skills. She clapped excitedly. Even Zack was impressed by her. To him, she looked like a typical high class, lady, probably the wife of a corporate manager or rich-lister, but here he could see, she was a very skilled sword woman.

"Oh yeah...this is gonna be awesome!" He jumped several feet in the air, clearly excited with the spar ahead.

"However, I do ask, that we conduct our spar in private. If you can promise this, I will tell you about where I am from. I have...already dealt with the surveillance directed at Miss. Gainsborough, so they're not a problem. Do you have a place in mind?"

"Wait...you knocked out Turks!? I think you're in trouble lady!" He was comically flustered, jittery and nervous, looking all around him. Ever since Tseng told him that they monitored Aerith, he's always looked behind his back, seeing where they were.

"Oh, don't worry, I just put them to sleep, and deleted their surveillance feed. They're unharmed." The woman crafted a malevolent (but playful) expression. it reminded him of how mischievous Aerith could be, or Cissnei, or his mother! 'What have I gotten myself into...' He cleared his throat.

"Ahem...yeah, I know a place where we can lay low and fight. It's between Sector 7 and the Upper Plate. Follow me."

Cecelia followed Zack, and Aerith tagged along, very intrigued to see if someone could beat Zack in fighting. She'd seen glimpses of his skills, and could tell he was very powerful, especially that time he easily sliced through robots like paper mache! That was fun to watch, especially when he...

Aerith furiously shook her head. 'Ahem, yeah, get your head out of the gutter Aerith! You're a good girl, none of this nonsense!'

The trio arrived at what looked like an empty warehouse that was somewhere above Sector 7 (as Cecelia was told it was called). It was abandoned, and looked a little like a military storage unit. However it was rather large, and looked perfect as a place to practice and train.

"If you're wondering, I use this place to train while I'm down here with Aerith. I normally reside up above in Midgar in the headquarters of Shinra. Most SOLDIERs do actually. Probably so they can keep a better eye on us. A pal of mine in the lower ranks suggested this was a good place to keep out of sight and sound of the Shinra surveillance."

Cecelia was happy with the choice. It was a good place to lie low, kind of like her son's Secret Place on the Islands. Though it wasn't a secret to her.

The Keyblade Master took her position opposite Zack, on the other side of the warehouse. Zack, performed his battle ritual – which consisted of leaning his head towards the flat of the blade, and whispering some words of encouragement? She wasn't sure. For her ritual, she internalised the words every Keyblade Wielder knew by heart, 'May Your Heart Be Your Guiding Key.' She took a stance, a more relaxed form by which to fluidly counter anything the young man could muster. She wouldn't take him for granted.

"Okay, you two ready? Well...begin!"

Zack, charged, gripping his massive blade, two-handed to his right side. It looked like he was readying a horizontal slash, and he was pretty fast too! Cecelia also charged straightforward, and waited for the right moment to counter. When he made the swing, she vaulted over him, and readied a quick strike from above. He realised this might happen, so quickly brought the blade up to guard. She landed gracefully a short distance away, and then hopped off her right foot to charge him again. And Again. And Again!

For his part, Zack defended very well, and countered where he could, but he knew she had the speed advantage on him. It wasn't that he was a slow-poke, but she was just more agile in comparison. What he thought he had on her though, was a power advantage. "Heh, you're pretty good lady. If you were in SOLDIER, I'd so far put you close to the top. You're already better than the Turks, and they're the elite outside of SOLDIER. Still...why are you holding back?"

He already knew the reason why, likely to avoid collateral damage. To him, it almost felt like that time when he fought that Data Sephiroth. Except, she took it a lot easier than that Data Sephiroth (or the real one) ever did. How could a non-SOLDIER be this powerful?

"I gotta say Zack, you're definitely superhuman. Not many could match me blow for blow like this, and still be standing."

"Well...that's just the power of a 1st Class like me!"

"Well...I can feel that you can wield magic, so why not try it hmm?"

"!"

"Ahh..thought I wouldn't notice that you're holding back? Well if you wanna let loose a little...I can cater to that!" Cecelia needed to make sure Aerith was secure, so she put up a high level barrier around their fighting area. Aerith was caught a little off guard, and worried about what was happening.

"Do not fret, Aerith. I've just summoned forth a barrier around us. It's to keep you safe and we can let loose a little without having to worry bout your safety."

"I've just...never seen magic cast without a materia before?" That was a lie on Aerith's part. She had, and she routinely does cast magic without materia. This was due to being a Cetra, a clan of Ancient Humans that were the original settlers of this planet. It was everyone else that needed materia.

"Ah...so you need to use some sort of conduit to cast magic here? Interesting. Limiting but interesting."

"So young man? Ready for Round Two? Show me what you're truly capable of!" She gripped her sword tighter, readying herself for his oncoming attacks.

"Sure lady, don't say I didn't warn ya!" Zack, activated the Digital Mind Wave (DMW), and entered into a highly focused state. As a result his body glowed green, resonating with the system and giving him access to Limit Breaks (LB). Powerful special attacks, that are unique to each individual. However Zack had the special ability of copying other Limit Breaks, as well as his base Limit Break – Chain Slash!

Due to his increased stats, Cecelia was sent flying when she blocked one of his upwards swings. He was hoping to get her off balance, so he could leap up and direct a helm breaker towards her. Of course, he wouldn't slice her up, just use the blunt end to hit her hard, and knock her out. However, she recovered in mid-air, then instantly retaliated with a flurry of strikes. This left him a little off-balance, and she took advantage by getting past his guard, and delivering a...punch? Well it looked like a punch, but it was instead a magic enhanced energy strike, light elemental in nature – known as Bright Shot. The attack winded him a little and he too was sent flying back a short distance. He landed well, using his sword to steady himself. He realised now that he'd need to use his Limit Breaks to beat her.

Focusing; his speed, strength and agility all increased further, preparing his body for unleashing the powerful attack. He charged at the Keyblade Master, and she successfully blocked his slow strikes. However he planned for this and used his slow (but powerful) attacks to lull her into a sense of relative safety. Then he unleashed his base LB: Chain Slash. A flurry of strikes, resembling the shape of a triangle battered Cecelia high and low. To her credit she calmly blocked the attacks, but due to the change in rhythm, she was slightly off balance. Zack knew that would work and pushed himself to go into Angeal's own LB: Assault Rush. Zack glowed green again, and set his sword on his back before going full melee and rapidly punching Cecelia from every angle. He quickly moved around her, almost like a blur, delivering blow after blow. She blocked with the guard of her sword, but he pushed harder, until she lost her grip on the weapon. Seeing his opening, he kicked her, sending her flying forward, before he moved behind her. He was about to deliver the finishing blow when he heard her say..."Well done, young man, you've certainly pushed me...however don't think I can be rag-dolled so easily!"

It was like a switch had flipped. Energy pulsed around her, and she glowed white, before seemingly disappearing from sight. However a great pressure fell over the warehouse, causing Aerith to start panting. This only lasted a few moments. Aerith had gotten a glimpse into the depths of Cecelia's powers, and it was like feeling the Lifestream. It felt just as intense. 'That...shouldn't be possible. One person can't have that much power inside them!'

Cecelia had used her favourite Form, Light Speed. Aptly named because it allowed her to move as fast as light and beyond. Though she kept her Form at a lower level of output – due to her incredible power as a Keyblade Master – it was a little excessive.

Zack kept his DMW focus, and unleashed the Cait Sith summon. The robotic cat granted him increased stats, including improved luck, which could allow him to avoid some critical damage and unleash greater strikes. He waited for Cecelia to strike, and she did. She was beyond a blur at this point, merely glints and sparks in his vision. Zack had never faced someone this fast before. His fellow 1st Class were the closest, and even they paled in comparison. 'This lady...she's incredible? Where the flip has she been all this time!?'

Zip...Slash...Zipzip...Slashslash.

Zack defended best he could shifting his posture and the flat edge of the Buster Sword enough to block the hits. However, with each blow his bones rattled, and he knew she was somehow stronger than when they started.

"So...having fun Zack? I sure am!"

"Yeah lady...you're incredible!"

"Flattery young man...will get you nowhere."

He focused on feeling her out. Angeal had taught him to not just see his opponents but to feel their presence, especially when you couldn't predict their movements. Cecelia saw this and was impressed the young man had a warrior's concentration. She stopped her buzzing around, and landed opposite him – near the position she started the fight in. A swirl of white energy surrounded her form. The energy crackled around her, and her hair, spiked upwards, flowing with the energy.

"Well...let's finish this with one strike then. What do you say Zack?"

"Sure. I don't think I can keep up with that speed of yours. However one last strike, I can definitely manage."

Both combatants nodded their acknowledgements. Zack had entered his focused DMW state, glowing green with Mako Energy. Cecelia remained in her Light Speed Form. Their eyes narrowed at each other. A drop of sweat escaped Zack's brow. Once the drop hit the metal floor, both of them rushed at each other intent on delivering the final blow.

He thought Cecelia would dodge his direct attack, but instead she met his blade with her own. Her blade was imbued with the same glowing energy, and it competed for dominance against his large, Mako enhanced blade. Both fighters gritted their teeth. Zack thought he had the strength advantage, but Cecelia proved him wrong. He wasn't sure if it was whatever weird power she was using, or if she was holding back before, but now her strength rivalled his! 'Gotta give the lady credit...she's one tough cookie!' Zack pushed himself further, intent on besting his foe. For a short time, Cecelia was pushed back, but somehow she increased her strength again to match his.

"Sorry Zack, but I'm winning this one!"

"Like I'll...let you!"

"You don't have a choice in the matter!" Cecelia augmented her strength further, bearing down further onto Zack. His knees buckled and he fell to one knee. 'I...I can't...hold it!' In a quick motion Cecelia disarmed Zack of the Buster Sword. In his shock he completely dropped his guard, and so Cecelia delivered a gut punch.

Zack fell unconscious as a result.

End of Chapter Notes: This was an action packed Chapter. Cecelia's 'spar' with Zack gives you an idea of how she stacks up with the best in Final Fantasy 7. Aerith's comment might be off, but is very telling for how powerful Cecelia is. If Aerith senses something, she's normally correct.