Chink.  Chink.  Chink.

Ultera hit the ground again and again with the end of her lance, a bored expression on her face.  Sitting on a table, she glowered around the room, orange eyes narrowing.

Just what did the others take her for?  A babysitter?

After months of searching she had finally caught Valentine, (albeit, with help) and what was she rewarded with?  Babysitting a human doll.  That's what.

Ultera glared across the room at the small girl, who was sitting hauntingly like a ghost in the corner, unmoving.  The girl looked young, possibly seven years old, and had long curly red hair.  One really couldn't say she was living, for she never showed any signs of life, and as far as Ultera knew, she never grew.

Devil tail lashing angrily, she hopped off of the table, lance placed on her shoulder.  Giving the human doll a scrutinizing look, Ultera approached her slowly, then took her lance and, with its end, poked at the girl experimentally.

She didn't move.

Annoyed, Ultera poked the girl more insistently.

She still didn't move.

Growling, Ultera rapped the girl on her forehead sharply with her fist, bat-like ears wiggling. 

Was there a brain in there or what?

When the girl still didn't move, the she-devil shrugged and turned to sit back in her corner of the room when she felt something grab onto her tail, scorching the skin.  Ultera let out an inhuman shriek as pain burned itself onto her skin.  Twisting around she ripped her tail from the girl's grasp.  But when she looked back, she saw the girl's eyes were no longer lifeless.  They were very much alive, in fact, and looked very angry.

The girl opened her mouth to speak, and when she did, it was an older, much more mature voice that came out.

"Ultera if you so much as breathe on Herutsu again I will rip your tail off, stuff it into your mouth and roast you for the sandworms to eat!" she hissed.

Ultera stared at the human doll in horror, stumbling as she retreated back to her corner.

'Herutsu' fell silent and once again…

…She was lifeless.

The devil's orange eyes were trained on the girl for what seemed like an eternity, waiting for her to move again, but she didn't.  After a moment, the fear that had come over her faded away and was instead replaced with indignation.

Purple tongue sweeping over her burned tail; Ultera nursed herself, eyes darting occasionally in Herutsu's direction.  In the next moment, the large wooden door opened and Elmiryn stepped in, her face neutral.

"You burned my tail!" Ultera snapped.

"Mind how you address me." Elmiryn warned.  Without giving a second glance, she swept past the devil to the cupboards. "I warned you.  I warned you if you did anything stupid I'd make you regret it.  You should feel honored, normally I just kill those who don't listen to me." She took out a champagne glass.

"…When are the proceedings going to begin?" Ultera grumbled, still suffering from a wounded pride.

"Soon.  The others are taking Mr. Valentine to the room now."

"Have you contacted…them yet?"

"No, but I plan to.  I'm eager to put our plans in action."

"You haven't spoken to Kelson in ages.  He'll be cross with you."

"So let him be cross.  He can't hurt me.  I'm not one of his minions to torture and beat at his pleasure."

"And Belial?"

"He made it clear not to disturb him with anything.  So I can't."

Elmiryn took out a champagne bottle and poured herself a glass.  "I think now is a good time to celebrate…"

Ultera growled and hopped off the table she sat on.  "If my services are no longer required, mistress, I'll be going now…" she bowed slightly before turning on her heel and leaving the room, slamming the door behind her.

Elmiryn watched the devil leave with a careless gaze before her eyes flickered back to Herutsu, still sitting in the corner, unmoving.

"Herutsu, darling," Elmiryn purred, stretching out a hand.  "Come here.  There is no reason for you to be sitting so quiet in the corner like that."

Slowly, mechanically, the girl stood from where she sat, and her eyes glazed over still, she hugged Elmiryn around the waist.  The woman smiled and caressed her hair with her free hand, taking a sip of the champagne glass.

"My flesh and blood…you are my heart, Herutsu…I'll die without you.  Next time I'll make sure no one touches you, okay?"

The girl said nothing.

--

"Galliphigers?"

"Yep, that's the name of the street."

"Okay.  And your room number is fourteen?"

"On the second floor in the Moore hotel."

"Got it.  Um…all right.  I guess it's settled.  Are you sure this is all okay?"

"More than okay."

"I'll see you tomorrow then."

"You too."

As Tifa walked away, Beatrix was torn between whooping with delight and kicking herself in the head.  The deal really was sealed now.  There was no going back.  Tifa Lockheart would be coming to their hotel room tomorrow and Yuffie would be the one answering the door.  She was dead meat, really.  But if Yuffie could connect with an old friend like Tifa, then maybe some of the weight keeping her down would be lifted.

Shoving her hands into her coat pockets, Beatrix turned to head back to the store when she saw Ern standing outside, his shoulders hunched and arms crossed.  Scowling, she approached him, "Hey Ern…finish getting your things?"

"W-what do y-y-you think you're doing?" he stammered, shooting her a glare.

Her scowl darkened.  "You were eavesdropping."

He kicked at the snow on the ground with his new sneakers.  "I c-came out looking f-for you when I-I heard." He glared at her again.  "B-Beatrix, Yuffie's g-gonna s-slaughter you!"

Beatrix snorted.  "You don't understand, Ern."  She was surprised he had the nerve to eavesdrop, let alone confront her.  He seemed to be getting more audacious as time went by.  But Beatrix wasn't impressed.

She was annoyed.

"I understand e-enough to kn-kn-know you're meddling!" Ern snapped.

"It's for her own good!"

"L-let Yuffie decide w-what's good for her!!"

"Now what're you two arguing about?"

Julius and Taerk were standing at the shop doors, bags held in their hands.  "What's this about Yuffie?"

Beatrix shook her head.  Ern gave her a look before shaking his head as well.

Julius shrugged.  "Good 'nuff for me."  He jerked his head behind him.  "Meridian and Mikau are paying now.  We can head off for lunch in a bit."

--

"These don't taste as good as the ones in Costa del Sol…"

"Well what'd you expect?  We're in a different town."

"Yeah, but…"

"Oh quit whining!  We got your tortilla chips didn't we?"

Jenila sighed and bit into another chip.  She really couldn't argue with that.

Rae glanced around, "Great…now where are the others?"

Jenila shrugged carelessly.  "I dunno."

"Ugh…come on.  Let's try this street…"

Walking aimlessly around town was not something Rae had been planning, and with Jenila trailing lazily behind her, she was growing increasingly agitated.  They must have looked so unprofessional before…and now they were lost?  Rae may as well quit the mission all together.

Eyes going a little distant she began to remember the light mages, dressed in their white silk robes, sitting high up in their chairs where Rae had to crane her neck to see them.  They often seemed god-like.  Celestial.  Pure.  Absently she recalled Jenila at her side, the both of them kneeling to the light mages the day before they came to this world.  Her voice had barely carried up the stairs to their thrones.  She sounded like mouse.  So small and insignificant…She wanted them to see her.  Wanted them to recognize her.

"Thank you." She had said, her head bowed.  "I'll see to it that Avalanche help us.  Have faith."

Have faith.

Have faith she had said…

Milky eyes looking down at her, they simply nodded and whispered, (because that was how they spoke) "Go now."

So she did.

And here she was.

Thinking back on it now, she really did think it weird that the light mages would even consider giving her and Jenila such a task.  This really was politics.  Shouldn't one of the blue mages be handling the matter then?  They were the aristocrats, the light mage's voice when addressing public affairs and powerful figures.  Why would the light mages give an ice elemental and an aviant (what they called winged angels like Jenila) something like this when they were more suited for battle?

"This 'mission'…" Rae started, eyes lowering to the ground.  "This really is just a farce isn't it?"

Jenila bit into another chip.  "Yep."

Rae slowed to a stop, sighing heavily.  "Jenila, what are we gonna do?"

"What else can we do?  We have to succeed."

"Yes, but just what are we succeeding at?  This is one big goose chase, and after it's all done, they'll try something else.  Something more direct.  And who's to say someone won't try to sabotage our 'mission' now?"

"Yeesh...don't say that, you're gonna make me paranoid."

"Ugh…I know what you mean…Oh!"  Rae pointed down the street, "Hey, that's Cloud!"

Jenila squinted.  "Where?"

"There!  Come on, Barret doesn't look happy…"

"And you want to go TO him!?"

"Shush!"

Cloud waved as they neared, and Rae did the same.  Barret was giving them the most heated of stares, and they both fidgeted beneath his gaze.  Marlene was peeking at them from behind her father's legs, her eyes wide with apprehension.

Rae bowed slightly.  "I'm sorry, Mr. Wallace, for our behavior back at the diner.  We promise it won't happen again."

To their surprise, including Rae's, Jenila bowed as well, holding the bag of tortilla chips behind her.  "Yes, please accept our apology.  We didn't mean to get so carried away.  This doesn't reflect the angel army at all."

Barret and Cloud blinked.

Neither Rae nor Jenila straightened after saying this, and it became clear that they were waiting for Barret to say something.

Flustered, he grunted, "S'all right…I straightened things out at the diner, everything's fine now…" he raised a pointed finger, "But, if I eva' catch yo asses actin' up again, I'll let into both of ya!  Understand!?"

The two straightened.  Jenila mocked a salute, "Yes sir, loud and clear!"

"Yes," said Rae, shooting Jenila a look, "We understand."

"Good." Barret said with a satisfied sniff.

Cloud scratched his head, "So…Barret.  Now that we've explained what's going on, and you've shown us around, what're you gonna do?"

Barret frowned.  "Les' go back to my place first, man.  This ain't the kind of thing to discuss out in public."

So together they all walked back to Barret's house, Cloud and Barret leading while Jenila, Rae, and Marlene trailed behind.

Now that the two women weren't screaming at each other anymore, Marlene didn't feel so apprehensive of them.  In fact, she was staring intently at them both.  Before she had been a shy girl, quiet and wary.  But that was back in Midgar, back in the slums where thugs, hoodlums, and monsters lurked.  Moving here to Corel and going to school had brought her out of her protective shell and was making her quite the talker.  She was still polite, and still very kind, but she was curious and at times it got the best of her.

Jenila, who was growing agitated beneath the girl's gaze, finally couldn't take it anymore.

"Is there something wrong?" she asked, trying not to sound annoyed.  She already had one strike.  She didn't need another.

But Marlene shook her head.  "Nuh, uh.  I just think you two are pretty."

Jenila blushed, and Rae, hearing the remark, gave her a startled look.

Marlene tilted her head to one side.  "Are you two related?"

Jenila frowned, getting over her initial shock.  "No, we're not related…" she looked at Rae, "Do we…look alike?"

The small girl shook her head.  "It's just that…I dunno.  The way you act."

Now it was Rae's turn to frown.  "How we act?"

"Yeah…are you in love?"

The two women sputtered.  Jenila, who was about to eat a chip, dropped it in her surprise.  There was a shrill squeak from above them and all three looked up.

Jenila's face darkened.

Noku.

That stupid faerie.

She had almost completely forgotten about her.

Marlene, who had shrugged the squeak off, continued as if nothing had happened.  "Y'know, if you are in love, then that's okay, 'cuz my teacher says we should accept people for who they are, no matter what."

Jenila who would have joked about it should it have been anything else, was uncharacteristically solemn, "No.  We are not a couple.  Me and Rae are just good friends who have been together all our lives."  Rae nodded mutely in agreement.

Marlene didn't pick up on Jenila's change in demeanor, and only shrugged.  "M'kay."

The girl skipped ahead and put her hand in her father's.  The two women exchanged looks, and then looked off in different directions, their cheeks flaring and eyes clouding over with thoughts.

…Both were thinking the same thing.

--

Yuffie was sitting on the hotel roof, her head resting on her bent knees.  The wind was picking up as the late afternoon changed to early evening.  She wasn't sure where the others were.  But she wasn't worried.  They were probably having a blast right now, which was good.

She could be by herself without anyone bothering her.

…But was solitude what she really wanted?

To be left with ones own confused thoughts, trying to make sense of changes so huge and strange that you could kill yourself over them, replaying vivid dreams of nightmare with different versions of yourself running rampant around in your head, all the while feeling a completely different self pacing back and forth in the back of your mind, waiting to seize control again of your mind and your body…

And quite suddenly, Yuffie didn't want to be alone.  She wanted the others at her side, Beatrix spinning her golden webs of talk while Julius fooled around and Taerk snapped at the two of them to shut up.  She wanted to hear Ern muttering, always muttering about some distant thing, like a prayer, thinking to himself out loud as whatever nonsensical idea shot through his head at that given moment.  She wanted to see Meridian watching over them all with his protective eyes, smiling and nodding, and Mikau at his side, like a shadow, never speaking, always silent.

But the wolves inside them glared through their eyes, glared down at Yuffie as if she were something fun to rip apart.  This scared her other self-witless, and even her true self couldn't help but shudder at the hidden undertones in all that the werewolves did.  Maybe, now that her senses were heightened and her mind crammed chalk full of instinctual knowledge, she could spot all the mannerisms that made Beatrix and the pack animals, even in human form.  She didn't like it.  It made her anxious.  It made it harder for her to be friends with them.

Made it harder for her to trust them completely.

Yuffie had it all figured out now.  She was sure she knew what was going on, maybe not in detail, but generally yes.

She was split in two.

One half of her, the human half, still thought like a regular human being.  Still wanted to trust Beatrix and the others, perhaps more out of hope and romantic ideals than common sense.  Then there was the other half.  Her animal half, the one stuck in the back seat, itching to take the steering wheel and direct Yuffie's conscious mind.  This was the half that loved being in cat form, the one that didn't trust the lycans, the one that was more prone to violence and brute force and raw emotion.

The animal side of her was angry at Yuffie's human way of thinking.  Angry that she was so close to falling over the edge in all her confusion.  What was there to be confused about?  Nothing.  Nothing at all.

And that's what the other self told her, hissing from its place in the shadows, cat eyes glinting, teeth gnashing.

There was nothing to mull over.  Nothing to fight, it said.  She was waving her sword at her own reflection, and that just led her in circles.  Useless circles.

Yuffie's ears twitched as her eyes began to narrow.  Slowly, as she listened to the hissing whispers, the dark veil began to creep up her mind from the back, ready to bathe her completely in its shadow.

It was about this time that Yuffie's pink tinted nose quivered, picking up on the scent of something…someone that…she knew?  Yuffie tilted her head back a little more so that she could smell the scent better, something far and distant ringing and chiming in her head that she SHOULD know this smell…very well in fact…

But she didn't.  And that's what put her on edge.

There was the light 'kirpish' of paws hitting the roof, and the cat girl whipped around, a hiss slipping through her bared teeth as her instincts immediately put her on guard.

A small cat, with white tipped ears was glaring at her, its paws spread apart in an empowering stance, tail whipping behind it.

--

Panic.

Sprinting through the snow and she felt panic.

Eyes wide she came to an abrupt stop, her tail puffing up a little.

Xia glanced quickly up and down the streets, ears and tail stiff with alert.  She was sure she had seen someone…a necromancer perhaps…or some other minion creature, standing at the street corner before disappearing into another street.  When she had seen them, whoever or whatever they were, her heart had just about stopped.

She had been caught!

Kelson would find out about the Tifa woman, and she would be punished for not saying a word when she should have.

But she saw no one.  She saw nothing.  No red flags went up as she sniffed the air and the ground.

There was just…nothing.

Flustered, Xia turned back the way she came, trotting at a brisk pace.  But as she rounded the corner, she stopped in her tracks.

The Tifa woman was gone.

Growling, Xia galloped back to where she remembered the woman had stood, and sniffed the ground.  The scent was faint, but once again, she could still trace it.  She lifted her head.

The woman must have gone off to shop, like she had planned.  Xia knew there was only one place that was worth shopping at, mainly because there were so many street vendors there.

It was back in the heart of town, and the walk was not long from where she was, really, at the rate she could go.  Sighing inwardly, Xia began to run down the street, paws crashing through the snow.  She picked up the speed and leaped and bounded her way through the sea of white, darting through legs and scaring a good many pedestrians on the way. 

She could run faster than a normal cat could.  She was a demon after all.

Within no time at all the scent of pretzels wafted into her nostrils, and she knew she was close.

Slowing to a stop, Xia glanced around, trying to see if she could spot Tifa.  There were stores lining up and down the streets, and next to her was the pretzel vendor she had smelled.

Green eyes narrowing, she took a few steps forward, to look past the vendor, and it was about then that her eyes caught onto a set of flaming red hair.  The person was a girl in a trench coat, with pale skin, and she was talking to a woman with long brown hair and a white sweater.

The Tifa woman.

Tongue sweeping once over her lips, Xia slinked past the vendor, using the occasional passerby as cover before proceeding into an alley.  The ladder to the fire escape was up, but undeterred, the neko demon leaned back and with a huge leap, landed onto the metal balcony.  Padding up the stairs, she emerged onto the building rooftop, and down on the street across, she watched the conversation taking place below.  Ears perked, she leaned forward, paws placed on the ledge like palms on a desk when a boss was yelling at his employer.

Xia licked her lips again as she listened.

"…So," She heard Tifa say, "What's your friends name?"

"Sumi." Said the other girl.  "She was born in Wutai, but her family left for Midgar to look for better opportunities.  I used to live in Midgar too.  That's how we met."

"Oh, I see.  So her and Yuffie were childhood friends?"

"Yep.  They were really close before Sumi moved.  After Meteor, when Sumi left Midgar with everyone else, she went back to Wutai to meet Yuffie again.  But then…"

"Yuffie got into a fight with her father and left…"

"Every now and then Yuffie would drop in a line, but then she just stopped.  The last Sumi heard from her was here in Icicle Inn, so she called me and we both came here."

Xia was more than just intrigued now.  She was completely drawn in.  Her tail twitched occasionally and she examined the redhead more closely.

She was a girl, only a few years older than herself.  She wore dark clothes and had a tomboyish look to her.  But there was something offsetting about her appearance.  Xia wasn't sure what it was.  Maybe it was the way she moved and behaved while talking about her friend Sumi, or the eeriness of her eyes, but she was sure something was amiss.

During Xia's thoughts, the two down below had been discussing the directions of the redhead's hotel.  Snapping out of her reverie, Xia tuned back in.

"…Your room number is fourteen?"

"On the second floor in the Moore hotel."

"Got it.  Um…all right.  I guess it's settled.  Are you sure this is all okay?"

"More than okay."

"I'll see you tomorrow then."

"You too."

The cat demon watched as Tifa walked away before snapping her eyes back onto the red head who proceeded up the street.

Eyes trained on the girl, Xia moved across the rooftop, leaping up onto the ledge so she wouldn't lose sight of her quarry.  Leaping onto the next building, she followed the strange girl for a little ways on before the girl stopped in front of a men's clothing store.

The girl greeted a mousy looking man, who looked like he had been waiting for her.  From where she was, Xia could tell he was not pleased.

"W-what do y-y-you think you're doing?" he stammered, ignoring her greeting.

The girl's voice turned menacing.  "You were eavesdropping." She said slowly.

He kicked at the snow on the ground with his sneakers.  "I c-came out looking f-for you when I-I heard.  B-Beatrix, Yuffie's g-gonna s-slaughter you!"

'Beatrix' snorted.  "You don't understand, Ern."

"I understand e-enough to kn-kn-know you're meddling!" 'Ern' snapped.

"It's for her own good!"

"L-let Yuffie decide w-what's good for her!!"

Now Xia was confused.  Didn't the girl just say that she didn't know where Yuffie was?  Why would she lie to Tifa like that?  But then it clicked.  The 'Beatrix' girl was doing this without Yuffie's knowledge.  But she still didn't understand why she had to keep it a secret from Tifa.  It seemed she was just causing trouble.

Xia didn't like that.

The cat demon watched with flattened ears as others came from the store, apparently friends of the two who were just talking.  They all seemed strange like the Beatrix girl, and Xia licked her lips in anxiety, not liking how this was all making out.  As she followed them, she examined each of the five new individuals, trying to pick out just what made them all so…odd.

To be honest, whatever it was, it was making Xia nervous.  And she hated being nervous about anything.  Hated the hesitation that jammed and stiffened her legs as she followed the group.

They entered a restaurant and Xia watched as they ate.  They all had huge appetites and she found herself being increasingly disgusted.

How much meat did humans need to eat anyway?

But a thought occurred to her, and her fur puffed up just a little as its sharp claws graced her mind.

…How many had Kelson said were in the lycan pack?  …Six?

Unconsciously, she ducked down, shivering.

Wolves!  She was dealing with a pack of wolves!

And Yuffie?  What did this Yuffie character have to do with all of this?  And where was the half-breed that Kelson had said was traveling with the lycans?

Xia peeked meekly over the ledge, her tail sweeping the roof.

The lycans were leaving the restaurant now.  Xia ducked back down behind the ledge and bared her teeth.  She had to get a grip on herself.  She had to find out where the lycans lived and just what this meant for the Tifa woman.

Her primal instincts were telling her to run, but she had learned how to control them.  Learned how to keep a level head and ignore them when she wanted to.

"Leave me Lamina…" she hissed, tensing her muscles.  "Go away!"

The hisses and whispers coming from the back of her mind silenced and she gave a short sigh before hopping up onto the ledge again.

The pack was turning the corner onto another street, and Xia hurried after them from the rooftops, biding her time, listening in on their conversations…As the evening came, Xia began to get annoyed.  Just how much longer would it take before these beasts went to rest?  They were going in and out of shops, rarely buying anything, horse playing around and talking about nothing of use.  What stupid creatures.  They were wasting her time.  She had to check back at the warehouse, or else Kelson would be upset with her again, and she was sure the second time around he would find nothing cute about her tardiness.

Finally, after coming out of yet another store empty handed, the silver haired one, the seeming leader of the group, said, "I think it's time to go back now…We've really lost track of time."

The red headed man looked up and whistled.  "Yeah…your right.  Yuffie probably is wondering where we are."

Xia rolled her eyes skyward.

It was about time.  She swore, if she had to stomach yet another hair brained joke or pointless conversation she'd go jump in a lake.

Following the group carefully, her heart began to hammer harder with each street passed and each whoop from the group below.

Would the half-breed be there at the hotel, waiting with Yuffie?  Xia vaguely remembered Yuffie from some photos in the newspaper.  She was quite notorious really.  She was known as the thief that had managed to worm her way into Avalanche with her cunning and pesky tactics.  She didn't know how Tifa and her could have become friends, considering their story, but the battlefield could make friends of the strangest kinds.  …That was what Terrick always told her anyway.

Terrick often told her a lot of things.  Some went in and out of her head like a cup with the bottom cut out, but Terrick was patient with her, and understood her better than anyone else.  He knew she didn't like to talk much.  Not since her parents had been killed.  He also understood how to read her expressions and movements to the point that he didn't need words to know how she felt, or what she thought.  He had been a surrogate brother, and it was he that had taken Xia along with him to this world.  As far as she was concerned he was family.

And she missed him terribly.

The neon lights from the Moore hotel sign washed her furry face and the snow around her in a pinkish glow, the second 'o' flickering occasional.  Glancing down at the street, she saw the lycans enter the building.

Well, here it was.

Jumping off the two-story building, Xia trotted across the street into the alley next to the hotel.  Once again using the fire escape, the cat demon climbed her way up to the roof when a scent began to tickle her nose.

Blinking slowly, she stopped and sniffed, her mind tingling in recognition.

That smelled like…but no…no it couldn't be, it was different!

Bounding up the last steps of the metal stairs, Xia jumped onto the roof, stumbling in her haste.

Where was he!?

She glanced around wildly, her tail wiggling behind her.

Where was Terrick!?

…But as she looked, she didn't see Terrick…Instead, she saw a girl, the hood of her coat flipped up as she gazed at the horizon, which was quickly turning rosy.

The fur along Xia's spine raised and her entire body tensed as she spread her paws out a little, ready to run, dodge, or attack at any given moment.

The girl stiffened and turning sharply, she hissed and bared her teeth…

This wasn't just a girl.  This was the-

"Half-breed…" Xia hissed, her tail lashing.

The half-breed narrowed her eyes as she slipped off her seat on the ledge, crouching down into a gargoyle like stance.

"…Who are you?" she asked slowly, "And what do you want?"

"Speak your name." Xia snapped back, growing angry for some reason.

The half-breed snorted, "I asked first."

Xia bared her teeth, "My identity not important…yours is.  Where's the Yuffie girl?  And why you with the lycans?"

The girl stared at her.  The slow, wary surprise had faded from her voice.  She was growing angry herself now, Xia could tell.  "You think I'm going to tell you anything?" the half-breed snapped.  "And what the hell do you mean, 'Where's the Yuffie girl'?" but then her face went blank, as if realizing something, and Xia stared at her in disbelief.

"You're…Yuffie?" she whispered, her body relaxing a little.

Yuffie blinked, "I'm…I-" she squeezed her eyes shut, "Goddammit!  Who are you!  Tell me, you little twerp or I'll bash your skull in!"

Yuffie leapt at her, but her shoulder, though feeling better, wasn't ready for such a sharp move, and when she reached for Xia with her bad arm, she cried out.  Quickly she withdrew her arm, turning to the side some as she did so.  The force of the turn made her lose her balance, and she only managed to right herself in a way that made her fall hard onto her knees.  There she slouched in pain, cradling her shoulder.  Xia had leapt out of her way easily and only stared at her.

This was Yuffie?  THE Yuffie Kisaragi?  Member of Avalanche and friend and comrade of Tifa Lockheart?  But…but she-

"…What happened?" Xia murmured, taking a step back.

She smelled like Terrick.  Sure the scent was different, but it was there.  And didn't Kelson say she could use the power of lightning?  It was wrong…all wrong…there was only two ways half-breeds were created in their kind.  Either through two parents of different races, or the ancient joining of body and soul.  Terrick couldn't have…he just…no…it was all wrong…

Xia squeezed her eyes shut, trying to dispel the horrible truth from her mind.  It was too much for her to digest.  She felt like running away, far from the half-breed that stared back at her like a ghost.  She wanted to run till she couldn't feel her legs.

This wasn't right.

It was all wrong.

Shaking, she reluctantly opened her eyes again, and with one last look at Yuffie, Xia turned her back.  Yuffie straightened and, breathing harshly, glared at the cat demon.  Without moving, Xia whispered.  "Take the Tifa woman and your friends and leave this place…" she turned her head slightly.  "Leave or be killed."  And with that, Xia jumped; jumped so hard she flew across the street entirely, landing on the building across, where she disappeared down the fire escape and into the darkness of the alley.

Yuffie stared after the demon in disbelief, trying to make out just what had happened.  Her shoulder was throbbing with dull pain now, and slowly she stood to her feet. 

For the longest time, she just stood staring in the direction the demon had went, her words echoing over and over in her head.

Take the Tifa woman and your friends and leave this place…Leave…

…Leave or be killed…

--

When Marlene had been sent to bed, Jenila, Rae, Cloud, and Barret all sat down in the living room, the ticking of the clock the only noise filling the void that was in the air.

Cloud leaned back on the couch, crossing his arms.  "All right, enough stalling.  We're inside and Marlene's up in her room.  What're you gonna do, Barret?"

Barret interlaced his fingers, his bionic hand contrasting sharply with his human hand.  "Look, I hea' what ya'll are telling me.  But I got business to take care of here and I can't just 'poof', disappear, ya know?  But I can give ya guys one of them new cell phone dealies and a car to take.  I'll try an call Cid and Reeve," he made a face, "But your gonna have to reach Red yourself.  That place is still a bitch to reach."

"Thanks Barret…"

"No problem, man…I'm sorry I kept you three so long.  But it's just been nice to see ya, Cloud, you know?  You should visit more!"

"Hey I'm sorry about that…I dunno, just haven't been in the best of shape lately."

"S'all right, man.  Why don't you three stay the night?  Ya'll got a long drive in the morning."

Rae smiled, "Thank you, very much Mr. Wallace."

Barret grunted, "Eh.  Don't call me that…makes me feel old."

"Sorry…"

Jenila muttered to Rae out of the corner of her mouth, "Ever the proper little soldier?"

Barret stood, "Lemme' show you your rooms."

The three of them stood from the couch, and began to follow Barret to the stairs when Cloud stopped.

"Oh."

He looked up, "Noku, you still there?"

"Yep." Came the bodiless reply.

Barret stared, a disbelieving frown on his face.  "The hell?"

Cloud pointed at the air, "Remember back at the diner I said I'd explain what was going on?"

There was a small flash of green light, and Noku fluttered around in the air, giggling.

Barret's mouth dropped.

--

Hisses, whispers and shadows beckoned the sleeping child out of the safety of her dreams and into the dark jungle of light and dark that was her room.  Eyes easing open, she let out a yawn and a cold breeze brushed itself against her cheek.

Marlene sat up in bed, drowsy eyed and holding her teddy bear close to her chest.  "Who's there?" she whispered nervously as the sleep left her.  No answer.  Slowly, she got out of bed and moved slowly toward the window, shaking.  There were no such things as monsters, she told herself over and over.  Daddy said so.  Gathering her courage she tried again.  "I asked who's there!"

Apologies, breezy and flippant blew in from the open window and Marlene's eyes widened as it whistled against her ears.  Invisible hands caressed her hair, promising friendship.  The shadows whispered one name.

"…Lyle?" Marlene gripped her teddy bear tighter.  "W-What do you want?"  Confidence was leaving her as quickly as it came.

The invisible hands, still stroking her hair back, whispered and hissed promises of fun and games.  The curtains at her window blew into the air, the fabric brushing gently against her sides, beckoning her to the world outside.

"…I can't." she whispered, sounding pained.  "I'll get in trouble!  Besides, you're a stranger.  I'm not even supposed to talk to strangers."

The breeze toyed with her hair, teasing her cheeks.  She giggled in spite of her self.  The curtains blew more insistently around her, however, and the giggles died on her lips.  As solemnly as she could, she asked, "How can I trust you?"

A chuckle somewhere distant came in response to her question, and the breeze whistled lazily.  A leaf fluttered up and into her window from a small tree down below, and surprised, Marlene caught it with her hand.

"…Really?  But…my papa…"

The curtains whipped about her in a torrent, and she recoiled slightly, listening with wide eyes as hisses and whispers from the dark of the room and the wind outside spoke to her angrily.  As Marlene listened, a frown formed on her face.

"…He gives me lots of things and he worries about me all the time.  Just because he's not sure about me going to Gold Saucer-"

Marlene watched in awe as the window slowly slid shut and the curtains stilled and pulled themselves shut as well.  The shadows were advancing on her, claws outstretched, beckoning…

The small girl turned and shook her head vehemently at them.  "How do you know?  He hasn't said anything!"

The shadows pointed to her bedside table.  Shaking, she looked and her eyes widened.  On the table was a picture of her, when she was much younger, on her father's shoulder.  The frame turned with in an invisible hand, showing the picture to her in full.

"…What secret?"

Suddenly, with a chink, a crack appeared where Barret's face was, and Marlene jumped, turning pale.  The room was very dark…

"But-"

Threatening the shadows pooled at her feet, and she took a step back into the window.

"You mean Jenila and Rae?"

Suddenly the door across from her seemed menacing.  It stared at her ominously, towering with dark intentions…

"B-but…they're nice!"

The shadows lapped at her feet, she stared down at them in disbelief as more whispers nestled in her ears.

"…And Cloud?"

Thump.  Marlene's teddy bear lie at her feet, button eyes glaring up at her.  She shook her head, hair falling about her pale face.

"But he was just busy, it wasn't his fault he didn't visit…"

The stench of alcohol singed her nose and she recoiled as the shadows bore down on her from above.  Sinking down onto the floor, she hugged her knees.

"…I…"

Without the aid of the wind, the curtains fell about her, brushing against her tense shoulders and fear riddled face.

"…All right…All right," 

Marlene lifted her head slightly and whispered in a barely audible voice, as if she were afraid to hear herself.

"…I'll go with you, Lyle."

--

"Jenila…can you sleep?"

"…No, not really."

"I'm still worrying."

"…Me too."

"They actually think…"

"…And they want us out for it."

"They can't get rid of us based on a hunch-"

"-So they need us to mess up."

"We can't mess up, Jenila."

"No.  We can't, Rae."

Lying on a queen sized bed, Rae and Jenila were lying as far as they could from each other, turning their backs and staring at the walls.

"Great Alexander." Rae breathed,  "The last missions we did were so dangerous.  But on dumb luck, we got out fine.  I thought they were just testing us for some promotion or something.  Were they just trying to kill us off?"

"You think Ulysses had a hand in this?" Jenila said, turning a little, "Or was it the light mages? …Or both?  I really can't think of anyone else who would even gain with our being rubbed out.  I mean, we're just two field angels, we hold no power or say in much of anything as far as big important decisions go…"

"I think it's more complicated then we think."

"I didn't believe in this mission from the start…it sounded so mundane…but Crux I never thought…"

"I actually believed this was important."  Rae chuckled dryly, "I actually thought they were honoring us somehow, for all the things we did for them.  'No more life risking missions for us, no…now all we had to do was convince a couple of world famous heroes to help fight against the demons…piece of cake.'  I feel like such a fool."

"Rae…you know better than I do that you never trusted the light mages to begin with."

"If that's true then why am I here? …The same goes for you."

Jenila didn't say anything.  She turned onto her back and looked at Rae with a frown.

Rae continued, her back still turned.  She was gripping the corner of her pillow tightly, her eyes glowing a little.  "We really did trust them, Jenila.  We had to.  They created us remember?  As far as we're concerned they're our parents.  If we didn't trust them, who could we trust?"

"Don't say that." Jenila hissed, sitting up. "Don't you dare say that.  We had each other remember?  Even they know that.  It's always been that way."

"If we didn't trust them, then we'd be dead right now." Rae said tonelessly, ignoring Jenila.  "And that's a fact.  There are no traitors in the angel army.  And there never will be.  What they don't want, they exile…and if they really prove to be a problem, then they kill them."

"Rae stop it."

"Why else are the queers stuck outside the gates of Haven, Jenila?  Because they're different.  Because, according to the hierarchy, they are the blemishes of society.  Commoners get it easy.  If they're found out to be queers, they just get kicked out into the wastelands.  The queers in the military are the ones who get crucified.  It doesn't matter how much they stick their our necks out for them, fight for them, kill for them.  They are the ones they hate more then anything.  It's always been that way.  They hate homosexuals.  They hate demons.  They hate anything different.  They hate anyone who tries to make change…"

"Rae stop… I think I hear Noku…"

The two fell silent and a second later there was a sharp rap on the door.  Jenila stood from the bed and opened the door, squinting in the light of the faerie's glow.  "What?" she snapped.

Noku was hovering, wringing her little hands in worry.  "Something's wrong." She breathed.  "I dunno what it is.  I felt this presence and I went all over to try and find it, but I couldn't.  But I think something powerful might have just been here."

Rae sat up in bed.  "What do you think it is, Noku?"

Noku shook her head, "No idea, I've never sensed a power like that before…"

Jenila sighed, "Well, what did it feel like?"

"Horrible.  And cold.  It was coming off the walls practically.  But it wasn't strong, it was kind of transparent, like…I dunno, like a skunk odor when it's wearing off.  I'm not surprised you didn't sense it."

Frowning, Jenila moved past Noku, "Could you find the origin?"

"No…that's the weirdest part."

Her frown deepening, Jenila stopped at Marlene's door.  Dropping her voice, she said "Noku, I think you'd better-"

As she opened the door to the little girl's room, the angel stopped dead and stared. 

"…Marlene?"

The room was empty.  The bed sheets were bare, crumpled, and the room filled with a cold unwelcoming, a lingering aura hanging in the air.

Lying next to the window was Marlene's teddy bear, forgotten on the floor…

----

A/N:  Ahhh…well, I've been slaving over this and the next chapters like crazy these past few days.  I swear I've never felt so insecure about what I've written before.  It really sucks.  I kept reading over this chapter billions of times, most of the time not ever changing or doing anything but just seeing if it was okay or if it worked out.  After the billionth and one time I've read it, I've decided there can't possibly be anything I missed and that it's more than ready to be posted.  I realize this isn't the grand chapter you were all waiting for, and quite frankly, neither is the next (which is also up) but just keep in mind that I'm getting there.  Entering some super delicate situations and I really don't want to give you guys something half-assed.

Next chapter should be up soon…it SHOULD be, once I work everything out smoothly enough.

Thank you all for reading, please be sure to leave a review…