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The Cetra's Guardian
The story of Miya Daggerfall
A Final Fantasy VII fanfic by L. Redheart
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Dedicated to Jamie and the greatest love story never told
And to the crew for being there for me when I needed you most
I don't own any of the characters from FF VII, but Miya, the Boss, Elaine, Leon and Regulus are mine, as is the plot. Please R&R!
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Prologue
It is dark outside, as a group of friends sit in a circle around a large fire. The town around them, built into the red rock of a large canyon, is silent, asleep. Only the crackle of the large camp-fire and the quiet talking interrupts the peace of that place of learning.
There are nine of them, sitting around that fire in the centre of Cosmo Canyon. To many, they are familiar as the group who started off as an anti-Shin-Ra terrorist group known as AVALANCHE, but ended up saving the world from the threat of Meteor.
Cloud Strife, ex-SOLDIER if only in his mind, is their reluctant 'leader'. He wishes he hadn't come to this gathering, but Tifa Lockhart, the young woman sitting next to him, insisted that he attend. It's been a year since their adventure ended, and the friends have drifted slowly out of touch. Tifa wanted to "catch up with what everyone's been doing", and once that martial artist makes her mind up there's no stopping her.
Yuffie Kisgarai, the chirpy young woman next to them, grins and holds up a shining yellow orb, examining it in the glow of the firelight. She's not really sure why she's there, but she doesn't care. Who cares, when it means she can look at Cloud's materia again? She ignores Cid Highwind, the grizzled airship pilot next to her, as he harps on about designs for his new airship.
Barret Wallace and his adoptive daughter Marlene are on the other side of the fire, Marlene talking happily to Reeve, who has decided to keep his stuffed cat form. But now he sits on the shoulders of the long-suffering Red XIII, the flaming red wolf-like creature who is the only denizen of Cosmo Canyon present, rather than the giant mog he used as his transport before.
The final member of the group sits apart, staring out at the starry sky This man is Vincent Valentine, the dark-haired, solemn man who was once a member of the Turks. He says little, until suddenly Tifa turns directly to him and says;
"Vincent, for heaven's sake what is bothering you this time? You're being more silent than usual."
Vincent turns to her with a sigh, knowing he will be forced to explain his thoughts.
"I was ... remembering."
"Ooh, ooh, a story?" Marlene interjected excitedly, fidgeting in her adoptive father's lap.
"You've got to tell us now, Vincent!" Yuffie exclaimed with a grin, and Vincent resigned himself to his sudden new role as story-teller.
"I was remembering a time, long before I met you all, a time when I was still in the Turks. There was a girl, one you know well, Tifa." Tifa gasped in surprise before settling into a more comfortable position, leaning her head gently on Cloud's shoulder.
"Are you going to tell us her story?"
"If you will help me." the solemn ex-Turk said with a nod, and Tifa smiled.
"Of course. I know parts you don't, after all."
And the tale that Miya had told to her two friends unfolded, Tifa's insights giving an interesting twist to Vincent's recounting of a truly unique tale ...
