Marken: I'm glad you liked the chapter and the softer moments I dropped in. I needed some fluff for my own sanity too. The next few chapters are packed with plot so I hope you will forgive how short some of them will be.

Author's Note: From this point on, you will only see Pixie referenced as a beta reader. She is the only one that knows where the story is going from here other than myself. I wanted to thank her for her continued dedication as my primary editor and for all her help in the creation of this story. I really couldn't have done this without you. 3

I do not own FF7 or any of its characters. Talin, Unit 28, and some other side characters are mine.

Enjoy and please R&R.


Chapter 56

The thudding of chopper blades had always been an oddly comforting sound to Talin. He'd hear them in the night sometimes from the cadet barracks or when he and Zack had been out for a late-night walk and wonder who was coming or going. Now, he was too agitated to take comfort in the rhythmic sound as he sat leaned against one wall of the shaking craft trying to ignore the questioning glances from his mentor.

After their unexpected new set of orders had been confirmed, they'd only had time for a quick shower each and a restock of supplies before loading into the helicopter to be sent on their way. Talin hadn't said anything in that time other than a quick 'Yes, Sir.' as he was forced to accept the mission. His mind was still shielded and bubbled with his tumultuous thoughts, nightmares, and memories that he'd rather not share.

Sephiroth had tried several times to speak to him, his shadow prowling around the barrier that he could crack like an egg if he chose, but he hadn't pressed for a response. Now as they sat alone in the back of their transport, Talin again felt the other's mind brushing against the shields, heard and felt the tapping of a polite knock, and again ignored it. Sephiroth had given the teen space, kept his burning curiosity a bay, and waited as long as he could, but now he needed to know what was happening within those shields.

The static charge that crackled over the barrier would have been enough to startle the young Lieutenant, but the slight sting of it did an even better job of getting his attention. In blind instinct, Talin's mind wrenched on the link between his General and himself and both saw the other wince at the exchange of warnings. Sephiroth knew he was pushing on a boundary line made of glass, but this distance Talin was forcing between them needed to end. Both for their mental health and for the sake of the mission.

Again, Seph knocked politely on the shields and they flickered at his touch before parting just a few inches to allow them to speak.

~I can understand your unwillingness to be on this mission, but if there's information you have that will help us finish this faster, then I need to know. ~ The silence from the teen wasn't out of spite but a reflective kind of quiet. Realizing how childish his actions had been, the redhead took an extra moment to collect his thoughts and then let the glowing shield melt away.

~I don't know what information would be most helpful in this case. I'll do my best to answer any questions you might have. ~ It wasn't the answer the 1st had been hoping for, but he couldn't blame his trainee for being touchy about this particular subject. After a few questions, however, the older SOLDIER realized that 'touchy' might not be the right way to describe Talin's reaction.

Every question about the area, the Well, and the local wildlife was answered easily with details and even a few pushed images of the foothills and forest as seen from the village looking towards the mountains. The village, number of people in it, likelihood of guards, and the best way to approach the Well undetected were all met with hesitation and vague answers about needing to scout the area to assess the situation. Only two things stopping the silver SOLDIER from confronting the younger fighter about his evasiveness; that there were others on the helicopter and the glint of shame in Talin's eye at each such question.

Considering the hostile nature of the locals, their transport had arranged to land several miles away from the village where it would drop them off and pick them up later. The spot had just enough radio signal that they could call out to signal when they were ready but far enough away to avoid anyone hearing the chopper as it came and went.

Mentor and trainee took off the instant they were on the ground, ducking into the cover of the forest and continuing their lightning-fast pace till they were a good distance away. Just because there wasn't supposed to be anyone nearby, didn't mean there wasn't. Hearing the sound of the chopper fade away with distance, they slowed to the same speed as earlier in the day, but that had been an enjoyable run with his General. Now, Talin only felt his sense of dread grow as the distance between him and Taka shrunk.

Having memorized the general map of the area, Sephiroth realized early on that they wouldn't be able to complete their task today. The necessity of landing so far away had left a lot of ground to cover and, regardless of their enhanced vision at night, the best time for reconnaissance and stealth would be in the early morning.

Talin was on autopilot. Following the shimmer of silver hair, he kept up with the 1st, but his mind was miles away from the ground he was currently traversing. The air, the trees, the sounds, they were all the same as earlier in the day, but the difference was that he knew where he was. Not the exact spot, he'd never been allowed to roam this far, but he knew that soon he would spot something familiar, and it was like walking down the tracks waiting to be hit by a train.

Their abrupt halt finally drew his attention back to the present and Talin stifled his groan upon seeing the cave and realizing they'd be staying the night. A quick review of the cavern showed that, although it had once been occupied, it was long since abandoned and would work well for their purposes. Doing anything to keep his mind busy, Talin took up the hunt for firewood. He gathered enough for the night plus more for if, by some unfortunate chance, they had to stay an extra evening in the mountains.

All too soon he was back. Dinner was made and eaten in silence and the Lieutenant felt the mounting tension between himself and his General. The first rumble of thunder in the distance felt like an elemental warning of the silver SOLDIER's attention shifting to fix on him. Talin shivered when he felt the mental caress that came moments later and was relieved to find the touch to be tentative and full of questions instead of angry or demanding.

A phantom hand ruffled through his hair and the teen sighed from where he stood at the cave's entrance. Sephiroth was somewhere behind him, stashing their gear well away from the incoming storm, but he didn't turn when he heard the clear voice in his head.

~So, are you going to tell me why you don't know the layout of the town you were born in, or do I have to guess? ~ The words weren't accusing. Threading a thin line between a lighthearted prod and an honest request.

~I don't know it... not anymore. ~ Darkness was creeping across the skies as the storm drew closer and Talin was glad of his sheltered position when heavy raindrops began to fall. The touch of shadowed fingers moving in his hair was a gentle encouragement to continue and mixed with the light wind that blew past their rocky retreat. ~The town was... mostly destroyed when I left. I have no clue what it might look like now. ~

The statement raised many more questions than it answered so Sephiroth went with the most expedient. ~Will you tell me what happened? ~ The 1st could see Talin's spine and shoulders stiffen and thought for a moment that he wouldn't get a response till he heard the smallest whisper from his trainee.

~Have you ever lost someone important? Someone that meant everything to you? ~ The strain in the redhead's voice drew Seph to him and he replaced his mental touch with a physical one. The smaller fighter didn't relax but he did lean back into the man's warmth while he waited for a response.

Sephiroth had lost people. He'd been a SOLDIER for a long time and lost good men and women under his command, but that wasn't the kind of person Talin was asking about. He still had Genesis, Angeal, and Zack. They meant more to him than anyone and now Talin had fallen into the same category. But he couldn't imagine how it would feel to lose one of them.

~No, I haven't. Nor can I say what I'd do if I did. As such, regardless of what retribution you sought, it's not my place to judge your reaction to such events. ~ It was the reassurance Talin needed. Sephiroth felt him relax his stiff posture, but the teen's voice was worryingly emotionless when he next spoke. The words creeping with frost as he filled in more of the puzzle regarding his past.

~My mother hid away money here and there for years, worked for weeks to get in touch with the merchant that would take us out of town quietly for a hefty sum, and found the perfect opportunity to get away. She'd accounted for every small detail, had been so careful to let nothing slip that could raise suspicion but, somewhere along the line, she'd failed. ~ Sephiroth had wrapped an arm around Talin, holding the redhead's back against his chest, and listened.

~My mom was a strong woman. Not physically, but where most would have cried or screamed or begged, she just looked at me and said she loved me. Then she was gone... and I was left alone with Rald. ~ The ice in his tone cracked as Talin told of his mother's last words but returned with stinging sharpness when he spoke Rald's name.

~After... ~ Talin paused and then, unable to voice what had happened, moved on without finishing the statement. ~He locked me up that night and, when I was allowed out, everyone was talking about how Silfra had skipped town in the middle of the night. ~ The rumors had spread early and fast when she hadn't shown up that morning to help prepare for the celebration. Talin swore Rald had enjoyed spinning his lies about her drugging him and being gone with her belongings when he woke up. If anyone in town could see the monster behind the man, none said anything for fear of his retaliation.

~I never found out what happened to her body. My best guess is either the Well or one of the deep crags but... ~ The flash of lightning and a deep roll of thunder drew his attention away from the dark speculation. For a moment, he and Seph just stood watching as more lightning flickered across the sky and thunder cut through the sound of wind and rain.

~I swore that day that I'd get vengeance, or, if that wasn't possible, to at least fulfill my mother's wish of escaping to a better life. ~

~And you chose to come to Shin-Ra for that? ~ The unguarded reaction and scoffing disbelief in the SOLDIER's mental voice made a small chuckle shake the Lieutenant's form.

~I know, not the best choice, but I'd like to think it was the right one in the long run. ~ Too tired to keep pretending he wasn't emotionally drained, Talin closed his eyes and let his head fall back against Seph's shoulder. He wanted to sleep but had a feeling that the smoke and screams would haunt him all the more this evening from his proximity to their source.

When the strong arm around his middle tightened and lifted him from the ground, Talin didn't even try to fight as he was carried away from the worsening weather. He breathed a deep sigh when he was settled into the man's lap, still back to chest and facing out the cave to watch the storm.

~I know you're tired Cadet, but you need to finish your story. ~ Talin's old rank title was purred like a pet name into his ear, but the hands and mind that held him offered only comfort and safety.

The redhead took a slightly shaky breath before letting himself go all but limp, giving up control of his physical body in preference of the Void where he felt safe from even his greatest demons.

~It took a long time before I found a chance to escape. I needed all the same things my mother did. A distraction, an opportunity, and a source of money. Ironically, the initial distraction was the same and the opportunity was exactly what Rald had accused my mother of. ~ His words echoed in the empty darkness of the Void and Talin felt almost like the story was being told to him instead of him being the narrator.

~I took a small amount of his favorite liquor, not too much or he'd have noticed, and I soaked Larn Berry stems in it. Add some brown sugar to help break down the stems and remove the taste, and you have a small jar of poison. I knew he'd never mistake it outright for his precious Burbon, but when I mixed that concentrate into the bigger bottle it was almost impossible to tell the difference. ~ Talin was almost proud of his creative use of the toxic plant, but he couldn't take credit for it.

~The elders in the village had always used the stems to make sleep aids for those who needed them. That's how I knew that one glass would ensure a deep sleep that would take an earthquake to wake you from. A double-strength drink was what the medic in our village used for doing things like setting bones or doing deep stitches. More than that and you were playing with your own life... ~

Talin felt the brush of hair over his skin followed by a nuzzle to the side of his head, but he didn't leave the Void. Sephiroth's voice was calm, but the teen could tell there were many thoughts churning in the 1st's mind as he asked, ~How much did Rald drink? ~

~I don't know. I mixed the bottle, put it back exactly in its place, and left the house for my patrol rounds like usual. When my route brought me back around towards town, the lights were out. Even the fireplace was doused meaning he'd gone to bed and didn't intend to be up waiting for me like he'd do sometimes to make sure I was behaving. ~ Bitter resentment and spiteful satisfaction, but Sephiroth was more curious about what came next and what the source of Talin's earlier shame was. He didn't have long to wait to find out, nor did his trainee need any further prodding.

~With him out of the way, I broke my patrol pattern and booked it to the outskirts of town to where all outsiders were forced to leave their carts or trucks. The spring solstice always brought a few traders out to the village with goods and this year, one had been talking about a Materia he'd found and was willing to sell for the right price. ~

~But you didn't know how to use them before Angeal taught you... ~

~It wasn't an elemental Materia... it was a summon. Rald had tons of books about Materia and Mako that he never dissuaded me from reading and you know the one thing they always said? That summoning was easy. It was controlling what you called that was hard. What I didn't know ahead of time, was just what I was summoning. I'd hoped for something strong enough to keep them busy, something intimidating, requiring all the Hunters to take it down... ~

Much as he wished a painful end to the people who'd tormented the little bird in his arms, Seph still felt the prickling of unease in his gut. ~What did you summon? What destroyed the town Talin? ~

~A- - f- ~ Even connected as they were the whispered words didn't make it across the link. A painful-sounding laugh followed the unheard thought, and the next words were clear. ~An Ifrit. The damn summon was an Ifrit, and I called it without a single restraint on its power... ~


Thank you all for reading! Please don't forget to R&R and Favorite the story to get notified when I update!

Author Note: The only thing worse than memories of suffering at the hand of another, is the nightmare of inflicting that same pain onto someone else...

See you next week!