Author's Note: Cait (and everyone, likely) – there's one thing in here that your probably going to take the wrong way. There will be NO romantic relationship between Kuja and the young lady I'm about to introduce. Any references to this are purely for humorous purposes.

*bows*

Thank you. ^^

Act 4: Fire

A girl of about eighteen carefully picked her way around the roots of the Iifa tree, her face shadowed, but not hidden, by the white mage cloak she wore. She bore a striking resemblance to Garnet – but the obvious difference was her eyes, which stood out like a pair of pale blue opals under her hood.

She continued to walk, seeming to know exactly where she was going as she walked along a root with a commendable amount of balance. Finally, she came to a bulge in the root and knelt in front of it, uttering some indistinguishable words under her breath as she closed her eyes and placed her hand on it. As soon as her hand touched the tree's flesh, it began to melt – first around the palm and then working away until the entirety of the bulge had been eaten away…all except for a young man who lay unconscious, a trickle of blood caked to his chin which had oozed from the left corner of his crimson lip.

His hair was long, trailing down to his hips, and silver. His skin was a pale, creamy colour and totally flawless, as were the rest of his features. His eyes were closed, displaying nicely his long, dark eyelashes and his now torn garments showed his perfectly toned stomach.

I'm amazed… the girl's expression was slightly amused, He's as gorgeous as they said he was…

However, that wasn't important to her right now. What was important was getting the damned man awake. She'd have to use some kind of magic, considering he'd been in a cryo-sleep of sorts and was very unlikely to awake at a few forceful shakes.

All right…lets try…this one…

She closed her eyes and pointed a finger in the air, then placed it on his forehead. As she had, apparently, anticipated, he began to stir, and then his eyebrows and eyelids began to twitch in an obvious reluctance to awaken.

"Kuja…" she poked him, "Its time to open your eyes now…"

His face skewered into a frown, which marred his otherwise perfect features, "What are you trying to do…?"

"I'm trying to save the world. Now get up, you bastard."

Kuja chuckled ruefully, "Another one, huh?"  He opened one eye, grinned, and stretched. So doing, he sat up and ran a hand through his hair, "All right…I'm up. So…exactly who are you and what's going on?"

"My name is Sarah," she took a deep breath, "As for what I'm doing here…"

"Is this going to be a long description?"

"Yes."

"Do we have anywhere to go?"

"Yes."

"And that would be…?"

"Shopping – for you."

He pulled himself to his feet and motioned her to follow him, "Walk and talk."

***

"Something's not right…"

Seraphim turned, frowning, towards a large window.

"Like what?" Zidane raised an eyebrow and looked in the same direction.

"I don't know…" the silver haired commander shook her head, "But something just feels weird. I'm going to keep a sharp eye on the sky," she turned back to Sephiroth and Vincent, "Enjoy yourselves…don't let me get to you," she smiled, "I'm just doing my job."

Sephiroth laughed ruefully, "Worrying…of course. I did the same thing."

"Well, someone's got to."

"Seraphim…" Zidane turned to her, his expression getting more serious, "Let me know if anything happens – but no false alarms," he grinned, "I don't want to worry unless I have to."

Seraphim nodded absently, her hand moving to the rapier at her side.

***

Sarah walked along glancing at shops, Kuja following closely behind her and earning surprised stares from the people around them. Finally, the girl stopped in front of a store and took him by the arm, dragging him inside.

"Try…this, this…this, this, this…this…definitely this…this and this…yeah…this too…"

Kuja sweatdropped as a pile of clothes began mounting on his arms.

His companion glanced around, "I think that about does it…now go!" she shoved him towards a changing room and closed the curtains, "Try the blue thing first!"

"WHICH blue thing?"

"ANY blue thing!"

Kuja shook his head, "Remind me…how did I let you talk me into this…?" he pulled a pair of rather tight black pants on as he spoke.

"I'm manipulative!"

"Well…" he grumbled as he pulled on a loose, white, Elizabethan style shirt on, "Remind me never to do it again!" He continued to mutter to himself while he put on a blue vest with gold designs on it that looked almost like runes. Finally, Kuja pushed back the curtain and came out, folding his arms, "Well…?"

"It's you," she nodded, "Now try these!" she tossed a pair of high boots in his general direction.

"Unnnnnngh…"

"Don't give me that! You still need to try the red thing!"

"WHAT red thing?"

"OY! ANY red thing!"

The woman who obviously owned the store smiled, "That's so sweet…how long have the two of you been together?"

Simultaneously, both Kuja and Sarah raised eyebrows in total disbelief. Without changing her expression or position, Sarah snapped her fingers at Kuja.

"Go."

***

Seraphim continued to watch out of the huge skylight. Finally, she saw a very faint glow from over the nearest mountain range. That's what I'm looking for…

She dashed outside, in moments coming to sit on the roof.

Needless to say, she was surprised to see Vincent doing the exact same thing. He turned to her, his expression unreadable, "I take it you noticed as well…"

"Yeah…" she glanced back at the horizon, coming to sit next him, "Are you afraid?"

"No."

The commander nodded, drawing her knees up to her shoulders, "Good…do you have any idea of what it might be?"

"None whatsoever. But I do have a feeling it's only the beginning."

"An interesting direction for the soiree to take," Seraphim continued to scan the horizon and a comfortable silence settled between the two as they sat on the roof, a warm summer breeze making their hair dance.

After a few minutes, Vincent spoke, "What was your mother's name?"

"That's a very strange question, foreigner." The silver haired woman chuckled slightly.

He nodded, "I know…you…remind me of someone I used to know a while ago. That's all."

Seraphim smiled slightly, but didn't turn to him, "Her name was…" suddenly, her expression changed drastically, "There it is!"

Vincent was on his feet in a second, "Come on…we're telling the others."

"No, no, darling…" Seraphim smirked, "We're going to figure out what the hell this thing is."

"We can't get to it fast enough!"

The commander laughed, "Emphasis on 'we'." She raised her arm and whistled. In a matter of moments, a falcon-like bird came to land on her outstretched arm.

"Aaah...so you're a falconer?"

Seraphim nodded, "It's a hobby that's made me very useful to the army.  I'm a swordswoman and falconer by trade, you might say.  I might seem to have the answer to everything right now…but in this particular instance, everything seems to be falling in. Horus should be able to get us what we need."

Vincent folded his arms, looking out to where they had seen their foe, "If he doesn't get fried, that is…"

Seraphim had already released the bird from her arm, "He'd better not…he's my favourite."

"Oh – I'll pray for him."

***

A few minutes later, Horus returned, landing on Seraphim's arm and screeching.

"Some kind of Eidolon…" she turned to Vincent, frowning, "Horus says it looks like Ifrit, but…it couldn't be…"

"Ifrit…?"

"He's under the Queen's control…" Seraphim shaded her eyes, "It's getting close!"

The creature turned its head to look at them, grinning and opening its mouth.

"LOOK OUT!"

Vincent managed to push Seraphim out of the way just in time for the blast of fire to strike right where her abdomen had been.

Seraphim looked in total shock, "Not good…"

"I'll take care of this," Vincent cocked his gun, and as the creature leapt for the castle, he pulled the trigger. It fell back with a roar, wounded in the arm, and withdrew, shooting the ex-Turk a disbelieving glare.

"That was too easy…" Seraphim sat up and frowned.

Vincent nodded, "Stay sharp, your ladyship…"

The silver haired woman nodded, then jumped at a crash from within. There was a roar and a flash, and the creature was sent skidding out, blood oozing from its horn down to its chin as well as from its right arm…which seemed to have a nasty gash on it. This time, it seemed to take the hint and dashed off – but Seraphim saw an evil smirk on its face.

It was after something else… Seraphim looked after the creature thoughtfully, not realizing that the same thought was going through Vincent's head.

Zidane came out, folding his arms as he looked up at them and grinned, "I thought you were gonna WARN me!"

Garnet followed him off, glancing after the retreating Eidolon, "There was something different about that one…something…" she shook her head, wrapping her arms around herself as if suddenly chilled, "Evil…"

"We would have warned you…but we didn't know it would come back," Vincent glanced at Seraphim for confirmation, and she nodded.

"Who took care of it?"

Zidane turned his attention to Seraphim when she spoke, "Sephiroth did."

"He heard the…gunshot, did he call it?…and decided to be on guard," Garnet was still rubbing her arms as if cold, "We need to teach him how to use the Trace Mode."

Seraphim raised an eyebrow, "He doesn't know how…?"

Garnet shook her head, "Neither, I assume, does Vincent," she turned her gaze on him.  "He does, however, have a technique for something he calls Limit Break…" the queen shrugged, "Vincent? HAVE you ever heard of Trance Mode?"

"I've never heard of it before in my life…"

The commander sitting next to Vincent nudged him, "Well then, I guess its time you both got some good, old-fashioned Trance Mode lessons," she grinned.