This might come out OOC, and I am completely aware of that, but the scenes were necessary. Next chapter the big secret will be revealed, bwahahaha...If you are smart and figure it out, I will dedicate the chapter to you, even though I seriously doubt you will.

I don't feel like giving clues, I have carefully read everything I could find on the subject, and this isn't some sort of lousy theory I have created, it is (I might sound selfish) good. See ya in the next chapter.

The ground was hard and dusty, a sign that they were nearing the holiday location Costa del Sol. If anyone passed they wouldn't suspect that the woman and the boy could possibly travel together; mainly because she walked about a half kilometre behind him.

You couldn't say that he hadn't tried to be a little nicer to her that morning by carrying her about half the way. He really didn't have any choice anyway. The sleeping materia he had put on her had been stronger than he had predicted and she had snored her way through the night, leaving him without any sleep at all.

So he fought the drowsiness and took off with her sprawled across his shoulder. She should be grateful that he did that for her, but really, he should have known better. A scream and her fist trying to hit him hard in the face was the 'thank you' he got.

After a small argument she chose to be the one acting childish and stay as far behind him as she could and still be able to detect where he might go off to.

"Will you stop being a pain in the ass and get over here!" he shouted as he searched the cliffy area. They weren't that far from Costa del Sol, but he had this idea that it should be in this particular place where the cave might be.

"It is not here…"

He flinched at her voice behind him and turned to stare at her slightly tanned face. Raising one of his grey eyebrows he bent a bit down to examine her. "What did you say?"

"The cave isn't here, so just continue, it is somewhere along the beach and it is getting dark soon, so we should just find a place to stay…"

"Why didn't you say anything before?"

Her lips curled up slightly in a smirk. "Because you decided to knock me out and leave my notes at Goodbay's house…"

He groaned and buried his head in his hands. "We are not going back for that thing; it isn't important!"

"How do you know if it is? Do you? Ugh! Why are you always like this… damnit! You frustrate me so much!" she said and hit his chest accidentally which made him gasp in surprise. His arm instantly reached out to grab her neck and break it but she dodged it quickly.

In that moment, two pairs of green eyes met as she fell to the ground with a loud thump. Time seemed to go in slow motion as her mouth opened slightly, a flash of loss and anger passed by on her usually clean face.

The dust flew past them as she hit the ground hard and flinched a bit from her sore limps.

Sephiroth just stood there—

—and they both went silent.

Ningit's eyes were wide in fear. H-how could I forget…

"DAMNIT! STOP IT!"

Ningit raised the gun and shook from fright; the sweat making her finger slip continuously from the handle and she cursed that she was unable to pull the trigger. This was so painful. It felt like reliving her past; yet more frightening and more dangerous, because she was hunted again.

"STOP—" But, she didn't manage to say anything else when she felt herself being pushed to the ground, her back being cut by the broken glass from the coffee table, blood soaking through her dress. Trying her best to get lose, she could feel his teasing hold as he stroked her throat carefully. The lustful urge to kill was in his eyes, shimmering with the sensation of breaking her.

"LISTEN—" Finally, he tightened his hold on her neck, and she felt her air being caught off. 'Damnit! Not now!' "I… c-can get…. rid of him…" She tried speaking; black spots swirled past her eyes. It seemed like he hadn't even registered that she tried to speak.

Get away from me…

"Get away from me…"

He stared straight into her eyes and something caught his interest. Whether it was the fact that her eyes were shinning with fear of him, like she was reliving a memory, or maybe it was because somehow a strange aura came from her all of sudden.

Tilting his head upwards he glared down at her small form.

"What are you…?"

Before he realized it she was on her feet and her face dangerously close to his.

"Things like that are not for a child to know… so you better grow up……… Se-phi-roth" the words were pronounced with a small hint of coldness in her voice. A strength she didn't posses earlier suddenly burst through her and her narrowed eyes made him a bit tense.

He watched her back as she walked towards the town. He didn't like this and slowly prepared himself to kill her if it was necessary, despite whatever their relationship had become. He had done that a lot of times.

He had killed a lot of potential friends.

-------------------------

Aerith had never been this terrified in her whole life. Right there, in front of her stood a huge SOLDIER, fat and monstrous, he seemed unreal. The blue hair atop his head was something she had never in her whole life seen. So she did the only thing that fit her, she hid.

Another man with black hair and onyx eyes stood before him.

"Hojo wishes for that girl, Nero…"

The black haired man didn't react to the words of the other man. "I don't care, as long as she is valuable for broth—"

"Ethan! Where are you?" a female voice shouted from the other side of the street. The blue haired giant quickly turned his head and frowned.

"It is Olette…" the man called Nero spoke. "AWutai-ninja, she is constantly looking for me…" He turned his face to meet the man's. "I would advice you to leave; she doesn't know about Deep Ground and she never will…"

A smirk came to the older man's face. "Really, it seems that your devotion is not completely Wis-"

"I said go…"

Aerith narrowed her green eyes and pressed her body closer to the wall.

"You big, fat idiot!" The girl had finally found her companion who stood completely still in the street. Her short black hair was really black Aerith concluded and felt some sort of relaxation. She wasn't an enemy, the Planet had told her so…

… or that she wasn't the real enemy that is.

"Where were you all this time? Strife said we needed to get going, there has been some who has seen Sephiroth taking off towards Costa del Sol…"

There was silence for a while.

"I see…"

She narrowed her brown eyes and pouted her mouth. "So?"

"I guess we're going then…" She didn't manage to respond before he was gone and a sad look covered her usually happy face.

"Sephiroth…"

Olette leaped away from the wall and stared into a pair of emerald eyes. "W-who the hell are you?"

The brown-haired girl smiled and brushed some of her curly hair out of her face. "… Is he with a woman?"

At first, Olette was very confused by the small girl's question, but slowly her face softened. "I… don't know, little girl…"

"Yes, he is; I know of that… I came here…"

The ninja raised an eyebrow and waited for the sentence to be finished.

"… Don't hurt the lady…"

"Eh?"

"The lady is kind and it is dangerous to harm her…"

A warm hand stroked the curly brown hairs away. "That is nothing for you to worry about, Sweetie…" Olette flashed her a warm smile before she turned around to go back to the tower.

"…!"

Aerith wanted so badly to ask them not to harm Ningit, because she wanted to see her again, really. She wanted to feel the cold hands and see the snow falling…

Then, it began to rain.

-----------------------------------------

"Aaah! Rain? Why did it have to rain? Seriously… Ugh!"

Sephiroth ignored her outburst which she had been screaming about for the last two hours. Normally, he would smack the top of her head and ask her to be quiet, which she always did.

Now, he really didn't know if it would help. Something prevented him from looking at her or talking to her; did he dare say that he was a bit scared? No, it wasn't the right word in his situation. He was more curious, because he felt a power that could easily outmatch his, but it didn't really make sense.

They had gotten lost again, but had after a day or two managed to find the way back to Costa del Sol. If it wasn't for the fact that it rained the day would have been pleasant.

He sighed and turned his head to Ningit who suddenly stopped and stared at the sky. "…"

He rolled his eyes and rubbed his temple. He was tired and exhausted from the lack of food they had. Two days with nothing but bread and an orange or a peach to share.

Sephiroth thought that the rain was actually very nice, it relieved him some of his tension that had accumulated. A small smile grew unconsciously. He felt strange in this aroma of life blooming, he felt out of place…

… A pair of feet walked towards him and he saw her brown wet hair cling to her face. She had this puzzled expression again, she wore that often and he had chosen to ignore it.

"Sephiroth?"

"Mm..?"

"Sorry…"

He lifted his gaze from her and looked the other way, which made her become sad.

"… I"

"There is no need to be sorry. It is an unnecessary emotion; it will only cause you trouble, so stop being weak…"

She was surprised by his words and her eyes widened. "E-excuse me?"

"You are weak, so stop it."

Ningit lowered her eyebrows and looked at him quizzically.

"I hate weak people…" The tone in his voice made her jump slightly, and her heart began to beat fast due to the adrenaline he caused her.

"Am I weak then?"

"You have yet to prove otherwise." His footsteps seemed hollow as he walked past her and further towards the city.

"You are weak! Can't even use materia! Everyone can at least use level one! You are pathetic!"

"Why did you collapse like that? What is wrong with you? You are a burden…"

She clenched her fist.

"You can't do anything right can you? Can you?"

"W-what are you…?"

"AVALANCHE! Run! Run!"

She sniffed shortly and dried her eyes, the rain beginning to harden.

"She was supposed to be dead… It is a small child; it couldn't have survived…"

"You are not my child! Get away you-you freak!"

"Name's Gast. Nice to meet you. What is your name little girl?"

"The Planet uses its own material to create weapons; am I right?"

She looked up towards the sky and felt the rain wash her tears away softly, like a mother's caring touch. "Am I wrong…?"

The words echoed in silence, and she turned her green eyes towards the parting Sephiroth. She raised her hand slowly as if she could reach him; she then closed her hand and looked downwards again.

"Stupid…"

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Sephiroth stared at the night sky and tried to get his headache to go away. After several hours, they reached the town by nightfall, and it would be too dark to search for the cave anyway.

So here he was, sitting in a room at the inn he shared with Ningit. The first thing she did was lie down and sleep, mumbling something about her chest aching. He could remember clearly that her eyes had been red from crying and her hair been tangled with all sorts of mud. I am not cleaning her sheets.

He could hear her breath clearly in the quiet room, and it was soft and puffy almost; all the things she wasn't when she was awake.

He continued to rub his temple and stared into the lit streets. Young couples and drunk friends danced around while singing sailors songs or complaining about getting too sunburned. He rested his throbbing head against the cool window and sighed.

He didn't feel so well; he never liked the beach, the water, the sand, and the unbearable heat.

Ningit turning in her bed caught his attention. She was still sleeping.

He tried to get her earlier outburst out of his head. She had walked around the whole time thinking that she was strong and powerful. It was so naïve that he felt the urge to laugh in her face. His mouth curled up into a smile when he thought about it.

She turned again and sat up. He raised an eyebrow.

Ningit rubbed her eyes and adjusted her eyes to the dark. For a while, she just stared at the wooden door before turning her emerald eyes towards him.

"Aren't you going to sleep?" It was low, but he heard it.

He looked out the window, "No, I am not tired…"

"I see…" was all she said before she lay down in the bed again.

He seated himself comfortably in the chair once more and continued to stare out the window.

"Sephiroth…?"

"Mm…?"

"I… haven't been completely honest to you, you know…"

He was silent for a while, his eyes resting on the group of men harassing a woman on the streets. "I know…"

He heard the sheets rustle and her feet being planted solidly on the ground. "I don't know if I can tell you…"

He didn't answer.

"... I don't know if I can trust you…"

He still didn't turn his head, but he listened to her none the less.

"I do not know how I can gain your trust, because I really don't want it… However, if it makes you feel better then I can tell you I trust you…"

She gasped shortly and stared at him, his back facing her and she couldn't help but envy his beautiful silver hair. She was about to open her mouth when a piece of metal hit her forehead.

"Ow!"

"Here is the proof, keep it… but I want it back when this is over…"

She glared at him for a while and rubbed her forehead. He didn't look at her; he just looked out the window. She knotted her brows. He is so secretive all the time! Aw! He annoys me.

Ningit shook her head and bent down to pick whatever he threw at her, up. It was dark, but she could see the metal clearly. Taking it up easy she examined it wide-eyed.

"B-but this is your mother's necklace…"

"I know. Give it back once this is over."

She smiled at his back and softly she placed it around her neck. "It's a promise…"

He grunted a reply that sounded like a 'whatever.' She stood up and walked over to stand beside him. "And I will prove to you that I am not weak…"

He smirked and continued resting his head against the window. "You better say that's a promise too…"

"Hell yeah! I won't let you down so easily!" she said laughing.

His eyes turned to her face where two streams of tears trailed down. He didn't say anything, but he didn't care anyway. She stopped laughing and stared back at him.

His hand reached out to touch the necklace around her neck, which caused Ningit's face to burn a slightly pink. Brushing his thumb across the cool metal, a sad smile crossed his face. "Make sure that no harm comes to mother…"

Her face turned an even darker shade of red and she didn't say anything.

"I think I will sleep for a bit…" and with those words and he walked to his bed leaving her behind.

Has he been drinking or something? Is he even old enough? Oh dear…

… I think… I think I should tell him tomorrow.

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Not so far away, a small group of three persons ran across the field.

One a ninja with a reputation of not just being very talkative, but a brilliant fighter too; a Wutainise princess that could easily outmatch any many she ever crossed. She wasn't feared, but she wasn't taken lightly either. Her heart belonged to the 'darkness.'

Another, a secret person with jet black hair that could plunge any person into the darkness and make sure he or she never would escape. Hojo's new target, code-name Nero; he was a dangerous person indeed, but his companions didn't know.

The last one, a feared man with a name that would go down in history. His hair as blond as the sun and his movements like a cloud. A smile on his face, with a family left behind, he runs across the field for a company despised by everyone. He didn't care; a job was a job, and nothing mattered more.

To the world, they were known as the secret force of Shinra. The strongest group that existed besides Sephiroth. What they didn't know was that it wasn't an army, it was a small group of unique people…

… In the future the son of one of the strongest men who has ever existed, would defeat the biggest threat to the Planet.

-------------------------------------------

In another place, three helicopters flew across the landscape, never seeing the three running figures below them. The leader of AVALANCHE sat stiff in her seat, she had this feeling that things were going wild, maybe too wild.

Leaning back, she thought back to what Fuhito had said before she had departed.

"If we remember back to Lucrecia Crescent's report, she mentions something about the Planet having weapons. The way they are created you know—makes you wonder if it could make a human being. It is terrifying isn't it? Something even more powerful than the Ancients might have been…

"Oh and yeah, remember the girl that was here? The Ningit. Well, the clone 'Yazoo' seems to have her features and her genes, but it is not a child of hers. I think Hojo is planning something big… and I mean really big.

"Elfé, you must stop them at all cause, we can't afford to lose… This might be the chance we have been waiting for…"

She wasn't going to let this chance pass her by. That was for sure.

Lucrecia's necklace for eyesofthetigerandtearsofthedragon, Schemergirl.

A thousand thanks you's for Midori Tsuki.