Chapter 6
.and so we Begin

Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy or any of its characters, anyone else (Daitona, Mark, and Nat) do belong to me.

Sephiroth danced on nimble feet as his mentor lunged at him at a ridiculously slow speed.

"You're getting lazy Guld," Sephiroth taunted and expertly swung the gigantic Masamune blade in Guld's direction.

"Watch where you're swinging that thing!" Guld snapped as a few stray strands of his hair fell past his face and onto the floor.

Sephiroth smirked mockingly. "I was," he answered calmly, "and be thankful I missed."

"You were trying to take my head off!" Guld accused in horror at the near fatal swing he had accidental dodged.

'Damn it! If I hadn't tripped over my own damn feet and almost fallen I'd be decapitated now.to hell if I'm gonna tell him that. That'd only prod him to try it again and chances are he won't miss again. Let him think I'm good enough to dodge his swing.'

"So you noticed?.you should give thanks to your misbalanced side, I missed. What would have happened had you not tripped?."

'I would've ended up like that last poor bastard that ran into you.' Guld grimaced visibly at the thought of the hack job Sephiroth had done as a spur of the moment kind of thing.

"I think we're done for today." Guld finally stated warily; he rubbed at his neck, thankful that it was still intact.it wasn't often when this trainee missed like that.or at least miscalculated because of his near fall.

"So what information do you have for me today?" Sephiroth asked as he routinely cleaned the blade of his sword before replacing it in its sheath.

"Hmmm." Guld rubbed his chin in thought. "Nothing much is going on, or at lest to my knowing."

"Have you heard anything about Daitona.it's been a year and a half since I've last seen her." Sephiroth turned so that he could see Guld clearly, he was looking a bit troubled. "Well?"

"Now that I think of it.the chamber Hojo kept her asleep in has been empty the past few times I've reported to him." Guld shifted his gaze no longer able to hold the icy mako glare of Sephiroth.

"Is she awake?"

'.if Guld hasn't seen her in Hojo's lab.then does that mean she's awake now? If so, why haven't I seen or heard anything of her? Surly, Daitona of all people, wouldn't keep quite after an ordeal like that.'

Guld laughed slowly in guilt. "Actually.she's been awake for about a week and a half now."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Sephiroth growled, now vaguely wishing he had taken off Guld's head when he had had the chance. "My one true friend had been sitting around for more than week before you even tell me she's awake? What kind of friend does she think me, from not even visiting her?"

"Hojo's been assessing her profile and her in particular. No one's been allowed near her.I've hear guards saying that she's in a 'bad mood,'.and that doesn't even begin to describe what mood she's in now."

Sephiroth smirked once again. "Good. No one will mess with her."

'Damn it,' Guld wined inwardly, 'if only he were right.and here I'm going to be the ass of all jokes.to mess with her. Thanks a lot for the new student Hojo. Now I'm in no hurry now.especially if Sephiroth thinks no one will mess with her in this mood.I can only hope she's not pissed off when my turn comes round.'

* * * *

The guard outside of the cell door fidgeted in irritation. Sure, he had been through hours of training to get him through situations that required a great deal of patience, but this was nuts! How had a twelve year old reduced him to fuming irritation when he had only been on duty for an hour!?

The constant padding of feet across the cell floor, never stopping for a rest, and the occasional fist or foot impact with the wall was driving him up the wall. Every time she made contact with the wall, it would cause him to jump and inwardly scold her impatience and his own dwindling.

As in thought, he was suddenly interrupted by an impact near the door, so near he could hear and feel the vibration left; he snapped.

Grinding his teeth, he twirled around so that he was facing the plain door and wisped open the small window that was built into the door for security reasons.

"WOULD YOU QUIT IT ALRADY! YOU'RE DRIVING ME INSANE! *humph!*" He nodded his head at finally letting off some of the steam that had built up over the past hour or so.

He froze when two fiery orbs appeared seemingly out of nowhere. If he hadn't known better he would have thought them eyes of a demon, which she very well could be, in his mind. He hadn't gotten a good look at her because the lights were always off in the cell, but her eyes were as visible as the moon in the sky on the darkest of night.

"Uh-oh." The words were a hum in the guard's throat.then the intense blaze disappeared as quickly as it had appeared.

'Oh shit.where is.!'

The guard let out an ear splitting scream as a slender arm shot through the open area of the window and a hand clenched his threat.

A snarl came from within the cell as his head was pulled almost completely through the window. He found himself looking into the demons face, her eyes as bright as ever.

"P-p.please." he started to stammer but was cut off by the tightening of her grip around his neck; she was impossibly strong to be able to force him into this situation with only one arm despite his struggle.

"You beg like the dog you are. Who are you to be yelling at me? You are at my mercy so long as you are kept like this, but it's not worth my time. I ought to kill you now, you know how easy it'd be?" As if to prove her point, she tightened her vice like grip until the guard nodded frantically, if only to be free of her grip. "Good," she snarled and pushed him backward away from the cell door.

"Oh gods, I thought she was going to kill me," he gasped from where he had fallen on the hall floor.

Rubbing at his sore neck he knew he was lucky.

"What are you doing down there, and why is the window to that cell left open?"

The poor guard gowned inwardly. 'This just isn't my day.just when I thought it couldn't get any worse HE has to show up.'

He soundlessly staggered to his feet to look into the face of Hojo; he didn't look too happy.

Hojo almost immediately noticed the bruises around the young SOLDIER's neck.

"I told no one to go near her, so why did you open the window?" Hojo demanded angrily.

'Just great! I had attended on letting her cool off before messing with her again, and that this stupid idiot had to disobey my orders. From the looks of it she's still quite mad.' Hojo smirked. 'At least it saves me the time of having to find out myself.' He walked to the door and peered through the window absently, but not getting too close knowing full well that if he fell into Daitona's clutches now he wouldn't be as lucky as the guard. '.?.Where is she?'

Hojo's keen eyes swept the small cell, but it was dark and she was invisible to the eye. Had her own eyes been open or looking in the general direction of the door he would have seen her due to the constant blazing glow.

Flipping on the light switch, bright florescent lights flooded the room. Daitona was a dark contrast to the white room so was easily found once the lights were on. She sat in a far corner with her knees brought up to her chest and her head bowed.

The last thing she wanted was to lay eyes on Hojo now.

"Something wrong dear?" Hojo questioned.

"Shut up," she hissed, not bringing her head or gaze up in the least. "You're a lunatic if you think concern for me now will help this situation."

"What situation, may I ask?" he asked smoothly, and in all truths he didn't have a clue to what she was going on about.

"Idiot," she murmured to herself. "What situation you ask? What don't you use that so called 'brilliant' mind of yours and figure it out yourself!"

'What an idiot!' she fumed. 'How dare he? Come here after days, then has the nerve enough to ask me 'what's wrong'. The nerve of the man! Where would I even begin? Everything's wrong! Every since Gast disappeared and even before that! And it's ALL his fault!'

"You do not like being locked up," Hojo's crude voice interrupted her thoughts, "nor should you be."

'Whoa! Had she just hear him right? He must have really lost his mind!'

"What?" Daitona stammered in complete disbelief at what she thought she had just heard.

"You need to be out moving around more, but I can't have you wondering aimlessly as you did when you were younger. But I think training in the art of swordsmanship is fare compensation. How do you like that idea?" Hojo enjoyed seeing the surprise and shock playing across her face.

'It's a change from being constantly mad,' the thought with a nod of his head. 'Hopefully this bit of freedom will help to cool that temper of hers.'

"So?" he asked, awaiting an answer.

"You're just going to let me walk out of here and let me learn how to use a possibly deadly weapon? How can you be so sure I won't turn that knowledge against you or myself?" Her eyes were narrow slits as she spoke the last few words.

"Are you still determined to take your own life?"

"Hardly." She paused. 'What's he up too?' "What's the catch?"

"I need you in the lab without complaint for about an hour so I can get all the data I need on you as of this point," Hojo stated boldly.

'Ha! The catch! Willingly let him hurt me? Notta chance.' Daitona frowned, Hojo noticed.

"It's nothing like that," he assured, he had half expected an explosion of her anger again.

"What kind of data?" she finally asked after a long pause.

Hojo smiled curtly.

* * * *

"Isn't this something new? Another empty cell." Sephiroth sighed and mentally kicked himself for not asking Guld where Daitona would be. "A useless cause. There are so many specimen holding cells on this floor alone it'd take all day to check them all."

He was talking to himself as he walked down a long empty corridor with only the sound being of his soft footsteps and voice to be evident of any life.

Just forget the girl, she's useless!

The hiss sent an involuntary shutter down Sephiroth's spine. He knew it wasn't normal t have something voice out it's own opinions in one's own head, but it wasn't like it was always there. Knowing full well it would go silent again after he went ahead and did what he wanted or listened to it , or just out right argued with it.

"Stupid voice." he growled.

'If she's so useless why do you want me to give up on finding her?' Sephiroth smirked after not getting an immediate response and knowing that whatever excuse it would come up with would be nonsense or an out right lie.

She is but a human.

'Aren't I?'

You are better than them. You are my son!

"HA! You lie through your teeth witch! Be silent in you your forgotten depths and leave me be. I don't need your guidance. I'll do as I please." He fell silent at having a tall, extremely 'large', man come waddling around the corner.

He plowed into Sephiroth, had not been particularly watching where he was going, and almost knocked him down.

"Hey! Watch where you're going!" Sephiroth snapped, after regaining his balance.

"Whoa little mad, slow down."

"Who are you calling 'little man'?" Sephiroth growled.

'This idiot is the luckiest man alive.if only I had my Masamune.' Sephiroth did a double take of the brown haired idiot. 'Brown hair.bushy eyebrows, and beard.green uniform.did he earn all those melts? The man is completely over weight!' Sephiroth thought in disgust, then smirked, 'probably on his way to the cafeteria to add some more to those fat roles.'

'Kill him Sephiroth,' the voice nagged at his mind.

'With what!?'

'You have the power at your fingertips, use it,' the voice cooed.

'Shut up all ready. I don't have to listen to you, so get out of my head!' As best he could he pushed the screeching voice aside and ignored it.

Meanwhile, while Sephiroth was having his little mental problem, the fat mad was laughing in a deep husk voice.

"My, my boy. You must be Hojo's little project, Sephiroth was it?"

"Hu?" Sephiroth shook his head and forced his attention back to reality.

"General Heidegger," the man introduced, sticking out his pudgy had towards Sephiroth.

Sephiroth narrowed his eyes, looking past the general's offered hand. "I don't care who you are. You run into me again like that you won't walk away."

"Whoa now. I was looking for you."

"I'm thrilled, now what do you want?" Sephiroth's patience was on the brink of nothing at this point.

"That's no way to address a general."

"SHUT UP AND SPIT OUT WHAT EVER YOU THOUGHT WAS SO IMPORTANT THAT YOU HAD TO STALK ME FOR!"

'Stupid patience, always slipping.' Sephiroth smiled inwardly.

"To advise you that Guld will no longer be your trainer," Heidegger said calmly.

"Ooh, wow, big surprise there. I only almost chopped the mans head off."

"Only," the general muttered, then walked away with heavy feet.

'Now why hadn't I heard that earthquake coming?' Sephiroth shrugged and went his own way.

* * * *

"Five feet.two and a quarter inches."

The scale was next.

"98 pounds."

"Well, you seem pretty health these days," Hojo commented from where he was writing down the readings his assistant had given.

"Gawd I'm fat." Daitona muttered under her breath.

"All her vitals are regular, no abnormalities," the assistant said then stepped away from the glare girl after he accidentally stepped on her foot. "Ah, sorry."

"Sorry didn't do IT!"

-30 seconds later-

"Damn, and he was one of my best assistance too.," Hojo grumbled as the medics came in to cart off the severally beaten man at Daitona's feet. "You're going to have to do something about your temper."

"Maybe next time he'll watch where he's stepping," Daitona snorted in response.

"If he walks again. For god's sake, you body slammed him then repetitively kicked him. Don't you lay a finger on any of my assistants, you here me? No get up here so I can get you full body scan." Daitona narrowed her eyes at him. "Then I'll be all done here."

"You better be," she warned, climbing onto the large examining platform.

Laying back she stretched both arms out onto the extended portion of the table, then slid her legs down straight.

Hojo went to his computer and started looking over the new data as the machine gave it. 'So I was right. This muscular make up is the same as Sephiroth's.maybe not so much as much as his but the same none the less. So, enhancing one with mako at a young age-before or after born-will guarantee a being superior to a normal human.though this may not be completely correct due to her to being entirely human herself. I'll be anxious to see how this bit of training does her.'

"You can get up now, all done."

Daitona sat up and slowly slid her feet off the side of the table, but didn't get off. "Now what?"

"Your trainer will be here soon to take you for your first session."

'Session.?'

****

-End Chapter 6-

A/N: Sorry it took me a little longer with this chapter, but I had finals this week and it sucked. But now I'm on summer vacation so I will be able to get more chapters.that's the good news. The bad news is I moving in with my dad for summer school and their computer sucks! The last time I was down there the keyboard didn't even work (my slamming into the floor in frustration couldn't have had anything to do with it.). Second bad news, they also don't have Internet.I'll make an effort to get as much done as I can but from here on out updates may not be as regular. Oh, now I have to have another good news to even things out, how about two more? I have a car so now I can go to the library and use their computers, and.one of my summer school classes is a computer class. He! Maybe this won't be so bad after all. -*sniff* I finally get to see my horse again.-

.did I forget to put a disclaimer on the last chapter?