Author's Note:

Hey all! I know this is up about two days later than I expected, but I got busy with a bit of life stuff happening. Hopefully you'll forgive me! With my current schedule I expect to have another chapter up sometime between Friday and Sunday of next week, assuming all goes according to plan. If you like the story please leave a review or shoot me a PM, I'd love to hear what you guys think so far!

Extra Aside:

I originally toyed with the idea of writing out what became Cloud's monologue as a flashback sequence. However, I decided that for the sake of brevity and my own sanity that it really wasn't a good idea. To fully do the arc justice would have necessitated probably two or more sub-chapters specifically dedicated to explaining and tying it up. I don't have the necessary time on my hands to write something like that and it would certainly break the narrative flow for the rest of the characters to do so. I know Cloud is a little OOC in this chapter with his constant talking, but that was really the best option time and narrative-wise.

It didn't take long for Kairi to finish the morning's meal preparation and soon she, Yuffie, and Leon were all seated around the small table which furnished her kitchen. The three were just about to begin eating when a curious sight appeared in the doorway to the guest room. Rocking back onto the rear two legs of her chair, Yuffie strained to see the figures of Cloud and Aerith exiting the room and heading down the hall in their direction. It took a second for them to step into the kitchen's morning light, but when they did Yuffie observed that a majority of the bandages which had previous adorned Cloud's arms and legs had been pulled away to reveal his fresh, but still healing, scars. Cloud had donned a simple pair of cotton sweat shorts and shirt, while Aerith remained in her night dress from the evening previous; albeit with a simple wool shawl thrown over her shoulders, to provide her a bit more modesty.

Yuffie was the first to speak. She was joyful that Cloud was up and about but her tone retained some of its usual sarcastic edge. "So prince charming's finally awake? Took you long enough, I was growing old over here." The group, save for Leon, shared a chuckle and the two newcomers sat down to share breakfast with the rest. The group of friends shared a bit more playful banter as the meal wore on, but eventually the food was finished and each, in turn, took a spot on one of the pieces of furniture in the adjacent living area. Cloud and Aerith took the couch, with Leon in a nearby chair and Yuffie remaining at the kitchen table. Kairi was hard at work with the dishes, which gave the rest a little time to talk about more serious matters.

When everyone was seated Leon cut right to the chase. He wasn't one for mincing words, as Cloud well knew, and his queries went straight to the heart of the matter. "Cloud, you left Lasbruck a few days before I did but never made it back. What happened?" Leon's chocolate hues caught Cloud's normally carefree cyan eyes and it was instantly apparent that the blonde was being evasive. "It doesn't matter, it's over." Cloud ended the sentence sharply, as if it were supposed to carry a tone of finality. Leon didn't seem to notice. "It does Cloud and you know it. Anyone capable of putting you down means bad news for all of us." As Leon spoke, the irritation in his tone grew. It was frustrating that he was having to explain the obvious. "Whoever did this to you, when they find out you're alive, they're going to come for you again and next time you might not be so lucky. Besides that, Yuffie has been attacked twice already. We have no idea if there's someone out there targeting us as a group." This time instead of responding Cloud merely averted his eyes, as if this would bring the conversation to a close. Leon was persistent though and wasn't willing to just let the matter drop. "Well?"

Before Leon could continue his inquisition Yuffie interjected. "Hey now Squall, there's no need for all that, right? Whatever happened I'm sure Cloud will tell us on his own time, when he's ready? Right Cloud?" The youthful ninja's attempt to throw some cold water on the situation was half-hearted at best. She hated to see her friends arguing, but at the same time Yuffie also understood the underpinnings of Leon's argument. If the person who did this to Cloud was after her and Leon also, it'd be better to know what they were up against.

The usually neutral blonde took a few moments to himself, as if thinking the situation over. He was broken from his thoughts as Aerith placed a gentle hand on his. Their eyes met and Yuffie could see a bit more of that 'psychic couples speak'. Maybe she could become fluent?

"Fine."

Cloud's response was curt, but with a sense of finality. He was a man with his mind made up. "The whole thing started a long time ago, back before I joined the organization. I was working for a different mercenary group called Soldier that operated out of Lasbruck. We took odd jobs in the area and it was a simple, straightforward system. Back when I first joined up, it was with a friend of mine from back home, Zack. We worked under the unit's captain; he was a warrior like I'd never seen before. His name was Sephiroth."

"The outfit did well for a while but on our last mission we got assigned to guard duty in a town called Kansai, which was up in the mountains. There was a research group doing studies about mining asteroids that had come down in the area. I didn't think much of it; it was a simple job and promised to be finished quick."

"It was the second week we were at the village when things started to change. We started having monster attacks on the outskirts of town, which had never happened before, and Sephiroth seemed more distant than normal. He was spending a lot of time with the research group up in the crater and only came down every couple of days. By the third week he was completely withdrawn and hardly talked to any of us." Cloud let out a sigh, leaning back to stare at the ceiling as his eyes glazed over with a distant haze.

"At the end of the third week was when it all happened. The monster attacks had become so ferocious that we began losing people. Zack and I headed into the crater to try and find Sephiroth and figure out what was going on. What we discovered. . . at first I didn't believe it."

"The research group had extracted some kind of substance from the fallen meteor and had been injecting it into the local wildlife. The results were the monsters we'd been fighting back in town. They must have injected Sephiroth with the substance at some point too, because when we showed up he'd finally gone insane. He'd killed the entire group and had taken the source of the substance, some kind of black box, for himself." Cloud's hand tensed suddenly, balling into a fist before relaxing again as if to vent his emotion.

"Zack and I did our best but it wasn't enough. Sephiroth burned the village and killed everyone. The two of us barely managed to escape, but Zack died on the way back to Lasbruck. Since then I've been hunting him. This was my latest attempt, but I'm not strong enough yet." The mercenary looked down again to his comrades, but no one said anything. The silence lasted for a long time as everyone tried to process what had been said.

Finally Yuffie spoke, this time in a tone more serious than her usually, playful banter. "You don't think that box the assassin was talking about. . ." Leon cut her off before she could finish. "It's a possibility. The more we learn the more important this box you delivered seems to become." Aerith was the next to speak and with her usual concern. "If that's true, then this person may also be after you, Yuffie." The little ninja straightened up. She'd only barely managed to get by in the last two fights, how was she going to handle somebody like that? The thought sent chills down her spine, the situation just kept getting worse. Was it too late to back out?

"Wow, I didn't expect to see you all looking so gloomy. I hope my cooking wasn't that bad?"

Everyone's heads snapped back to the source of the voice. Kairi stood leaning against the entryway to the living room. Her oblivious look told them all that she'd heard none of the previous conversation. "I hope I'm not cutting into anything, but I was hoping to take Aerith shopping for a bit. I need to pick up some more ingredients, you're eating me out of house and home!" The young girl spoke with a simple grin and with her words the tension in the room dissipated instantly. Cloud turned to stare off into space as Aerith rose and made her way over to Kairi. When the two women were gone Leon also made to get up with Yuffie following close behind.

When Leon stepped out into the small clearing at the rear of Aerith's house, he'd intended on taking a minute to get some fresh air. Unfortunately the inquisitive ninja he'd been paired with seemed to be making that an impossibility. Leon was enjoying the smell of the mountain air, when she seemed to finish mulling over whatever it was that she was thinking about. Then came her question, "So you're, like, super strong Squall. Do you think you could show me some moves?" If he hadn't been the straight-faced serious sort of man that he was, Leon would have laughed. Cloud's story must have given the girl serious doubts if she was actually asking for his help; as long as he'd known her Yuffie hadn't asked him for much of anything.

"Fine," Leon said in an overly exasperated manner, "but there is one thing." The ninja nodded her head excitedly, eyes wide with the prospect of learning some new techniques. "Call me Leon."

Leon and Yuffie spent the rest of the day trading blows in the training grounds past the village square. Usually this was the spot where Sora, Roxas, and Riku spent their time sparring, but today all eyes were one the deadly duo dancing in the center of the dirt-floored sparring arena.

Leon had to admit he was impressed with the girl's repertoire of skills. Steel smashed against steel as he deflected the latest flurry of scything shuriken. Yuffie followed up the projectiles with a couple of swift slashes from her oversized Conformer, then finished with a kick. The rubber of her shoe impacted against the flat of Leon's gunblade and he took a few steps back to help better dissipate the kick's kinetic energy. Leon could say for certain the girl certainly had potential, it was just hidden under all of her unorthodox 'ninja' techniques.

The two continued to spar and, every now and then, Leon spared a few words of commentary for Yuffie's consumption. Most of it was light critique, flow and positioning rather than a change in specific strikes or moves. Around lunch time, the three boys arrived and spent the rest of their day watching the two more experienced combatants go at it. By the end of the day, both Leon and Yuffie were thoroughly drenched in sweat and ready for a good night's rest. For the mercenary, the day had been a good refresher against a near peer opponent. For Yuffie, it had been a chance to see how well she really stacked up against the enigmatic gunblader. The two washed up and began the trek home as the sun was beginning to set against the horizon.

By the time they arrived, Kairi and Aerith were already preparing a dinner meal and Cloud was still yet to return from his walk through the village. After Leon and Yuffie had completed the necessary greetings upon their return, Kairi indicated that a letter had been delivered for Yuffie.

"It was a light blonde guy about medium height. He kept talking about how 'he was the wrong guy for the job'. I told him I'd give the letter when you got back." Kairi's simple explanation was enough to tell Yuffie that the delivery had been made by Demyx, the same runner that had handled Kairi's previous letter to her at Aerith's house.

As Yuffie peeled back the seal on the envelope she noticed Leon subtly peering over her shoulder. He was doing his best to look uninterested, like he was staring off into some distant part of the house, but Yuffie was beginning to develop a feel for when the mercenary was putting on his usual mask of disinterest. Inwardly she grinned. Upon opening the envelope a simple cream-colored letter was contained inside,

'Agent Osprey,

You are requested to return to Yemac-til immediately for an urgent assignment. Contained within this letter is a key and the location of an organization safe house. You are to report there and await further instructions. Also contained is an advance for the mission's payment. Pick up whatever supplies you may need on the way back.

Agent Z'

Turning the envelope over another, smaller scrap of paper fell out into Yuffie's palm along with a shining silver key. The energetic ninja allowed her excited smile to fill her happy features. There never was a slow moment working for the organization.