Disclaimer/Note: As usual, nothing from FFVII is mine.
Baller101, I was in a bit of a hurry when writing the last chapter. That's why it seemed rushed. Thanks for telling me. And I might try fixing it up later on. Anyways, enjoy the new chapter. I'll be working on chapter 4 soon. And Cid will be in the next chapter, I'll make sure of it. Enjoy.
Kiera wondered what the man's message meant, especially about the silver flames. Didn't he know that fire wasn't silver but orange? She wondered. But Kya's quiet and scared look had frightened Kiera. And the man had told her it would be a surprise for Kya.
Kiera wondered why the man wanted her to deliver the message when he could have done it. Why did he want her to scare Kya?
Her talk with the man still ran through her mind. The strange way he moved, almost as if he wasn't really there. And the way he had touched her hair. It seemed familiar to her but familiar for someone else's life.
He had told her she had the same talents as Kya, something she was immediately proud of. Then he asked about her dreams at night, if she had seen the silver fires. It was something she had never heard of. But it seemed so familiar, like the way he had touched her hair. Her father had never done anything like that.
Who was he? Why did he seem to focus on Kya so much? Did he know her? He seemed to be the type of guy Kya would like. Bust she seemed to be afraid of him.
Kiera suddenly realized Tifa was talk to her. They were stopped in the entrance to the stairwell.
"What?" She asked, neglecting to hide the fact that she wasn't listening.
Tifa smiled and asked again, "How old are you?"
"Eight. I'll be nine in a few months." She answered.
"We'll have to celebrate with a great party." Tifa watched Kiera's eyes widen until they were the only things visible of her face.
"Where were you born?" Tifa asked before Kiera could jump around the room.
"Wutai." She whispered. The bright excitement had left her eyes with the mention of the town. She knew the next question would either be about why she left or what her family was like. Everyone had asked these questions, except for Kya. So she spoke without being asked, saying, "I ran away because my father hit me. I knew it wasn't right, so I ran away. I don't know if he still lives there and I don't care. I never want to see him again."
"Wutai is quite a way from here. How did you travel so far?"
Kiera looked down at her feet. "I snuck onto a plane and waited for it to land before finding out where it was going. I was only five when I came here. And all I had to do was hide in a plane.
"Can I have my breakfast now?"
Tifa nodded and led Kiera into the kitchen. She understood why Kya had brought this girl home. Her past was close to Kya's, but how much did she know?
That night Kiera asked what the man's message had meant.
Kya only told her not to ask and walked out. Kiera couldn't understand what was going on and wasn't sure if she wanted to know. She only watched as Kya walked out wearing a coat no one had seen before. Yet it reminded Tifa of the coat Sephiroth wore. The main difference being that Kya's coat didn't have such a war like appearance. It was also more form fitting for Kya and appeared to be suede instead of the think leather of Sephiroth's coat. Little did she know it was a gift left to Kya just after Kiera's meeting with the strange man. It was found with a small not asking for Kya's presence.
Kya knew she could get as many answers as allowed to her, but at what price? How long could she keep herself from giving in to Sephiroth's will? How long could she protect Kiera?
She had a new dream the night she had spoken to the voice in the darkness. She had seen Kiera's death at her own hands. But it seemed more like a sacrifice. She saw a stone alter covered with candles and blood. The candles surrounded the cold, drained body of Kiera. It was a dream Kya knew could not be allowed to come true. She didn't know yet what it meant, but she knew it was danger.
She walked to the playground where she had heard the voice, her "gift" flaring out behind her like a single black wing.
Would she have the courage to face him? Why did she feel he had the ability to control her? She had never allowed anyone to have any degree of control over her. Yet he seemed different from everyone for her. He had the power that her precious James had. And James was able to convince her of anything. He even had her convinced that she had finally found the man she was meant to be with. But it wasn't true. He had died a few years after sneaking into ShinRa. How old had she been? Thirteen? Fourteen? Or was she younger? She knew it had been before Sephiroth had gone to Nibelheim. She saw him walking alone through the halls, but everything else was blank? Did he see her? Or did she run out with James?
"Thinking of the past. You never could leave anything behind."
Kya stopped. She froze when she felt the familiar sensation of his hand against her hair.
"Why did you always do that?" She asked, not knowing what she was saying but knowing it would bring back some of her memory.
"It's what you did the first time we met." He whispered. "How much of our past have you forgotten?"
"Our past? I never knew you. I only remember seeing you after sneaking into ShinRa."
"And what else after that?" He walked out in front of her, his back to her, tempting her to make the attack. But she couldn't do it. Something stopped her.
"There was nothing after that. I left and—"
"And what?" He turned to face her. His eyes seemed to burn as he tried to remind her of who she was. And why he needed her with him.
"I… It doesn't matter. The point is I left. Why do you care, anyways?"
Sephiroth lunged at her unexpectedly and roughly clenched her hair in his hand. She looked into his green eyes and saw no anger, no emotion what so ever. But it didn't scare her. Somehow she knew he wouldn't harm her.
He yanked her head back and hissed, "The end of the dreams brought the end of your memories of what happened after that day. Hojo never would have allowed you to remember. Have you ever wondered why you kept yourself from other people? Or why you have had the feeling that you can't fight me when you can fight anyone? These are hints of your forgotten past."
Kya looked coldly into his eyes.
"You should have died." She whispered venomously.
"Maybe." He replied as he let her go. "But I have you to thank for my life."
Kya gave him a puzzled look as she watched him take a few steps back away from her.
"What have you decided?" He asked as he closed his eyes.
"I won't let you have the key." She answered.
His eyes flew open, an angry fire bursting in light green.
"You take your life into your own hands. I can't protect you." He whispered.
"Why would I want you to protect me?" She asked as she turned away and started back for the orphanage.
"Your heart has already been engulfed in the silver flames you're so afraid of." Sephiroth knew she hadn't heard. He didn't care. His plan was working. Her defiance would bring her back to her true self. He would make sure of it.
"I need you to write to Cid." Kya said to Tifa as she quickly packed extra clothes, weapons and anything else she might need.
"Why? Why are you leaving?" She asked. "What's been going on with you and Kiera? Neither of you have been acting normal."
"I can't tell you. All I can say is Kiera is in danger and I need to get her out of here." She walked out of the small bedroom that she had claimed for her own and went to find Kiera. Kiera and Marlene had gone off somewhere before Kya had returned.
"What's wrong with Kiera?"
Kya turned to see Denzel. She kindly knelt in front of him and whispered, "I promise you that I'll tell you when this is over. Right now, I'm going to take her on a long trip."
"Will you write to us?" He whispered back.
"Of course I will." She pulled him to her for a hug and to hide her tears from him. "Now go back to bed. You need sleep." Her voice broke with her last words to him. She watched him walk back to his room and quickly wiped away the tears that were left.
"What should I tell him?" Tifa asked.
"Tell him to meet me and Kiera just outside of Midgar. He still has a plane, doesn't he?"
"I think so." Tifa followed Kya outside and nearly ran into her when she suddenly stopped. "What is it?"
"Go back inside. I'll bring Marlene back before Kiera and I leave." She disappeared into the night, still wearing the black suede coat.
Kiera and Marlene ran around the playground until Marlene began to tell Kiera about the first playground she went to. She explained the whole ordeal of being rushed away from her home before everything was destroyed. But she didn't know how or why it was destroyed, only that it was.
"Kiera?" Kya's voice sounded through the darkness.
"Yeah. I'm here." She answered as she ran to Kya.
"Why are you here?" Kya asked fearfully. "You should have stayed with Tifa."
"Marlene and I were bored. So we came here. What's wrong? Why are you carrying that bag?" Kiera was growing confused and scared.
"We're going on a trip outside of Midgar. We'll be meeting a friend.
"Come on, Marlene. We'll walk you home first."
Marlene slowly walked to Kya and asked, "I'm not going with you?"
Kya shook her head. "Tifa would miss you too much." She answered.
Marlene obviously didn't believe her but still followed. She didn't ask any questions as they walked. Silence was their only companion.
Kya watched as Kiera and Marlene said goodbye. She tried her best not to cry with the two girls. She instead reminded herself of why she was doing this.
"How long will you be gone?" Marlene asked Kya.
"I don't know." Kya struggled to keep her voice steady. "But I promise that Kiera will come back."
"What about you?" Marlene asked with a hint of fear in her voice.
"I'll be okay," was all Kya could say. But she didn't believe her own words. She didn't believe she would be okay. "Now go in. We don't have much time."
Marlene turned and dashed inside while Kya led Kiera away. She hadn't been there for more than two days and already she was leaving. Kiera was, in a way, returning to the streets but as a completely different child. Her hair was no longer matted and her clothes were almost a perfect fit, if only a little big. She wasn't going to be recognized by anyone.
Sephiroth watched in the distance as Kya began her journey away from him. He knew there would be no escape for her. She had chosen her fate years ago. The time was drawing near for her to face the fate she had so easily accepted as a child. She would soon accept it again. It was a fate her blood called to. He heard it as it sang.
"Follow her." He spoke to three forms in the dark. "Make sure she doesn't get too far."
The three backed farther into the shadows, their leader pausing long enough to bow to Sephiroth before leaving.
He would make sure neither of them left, especially the key.