Life as a SOLDIER

Disclaimer: Whee goodness. Enter Cait Sith.

A/N: Cait Sith is sooooo adorable! I just HAD to add him into our story:3 Let's move on!

Chapter Thirty-Nine: They Say Our Top-Spy is Like a Cat…Literally
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Reeve, this had better be good," said Tseng. It was about lunchtime now, and Reeve skipped lunch to arrange a meeting between him, Hojo, and Tseng.

"This is good," said Reeve, setting a blue-and-white furry stuffed cat-like animal on the table. "Behold, gentlemen, the best spy ever to come to Shinra Company!"

Tseng snorted impatiently. "It's just a doll, Reeve. What can it possibly do?"

"Yes, Reeve, why not tell us about your little spy?" asked Hojo.

Reeve nodded. "Very well," he said, approaching the cat-doll on the table. "Cait Sith," he said, whistling some. "Wake up, good ol' Cait Sith!"

The doll's ear's twitched, and the doll sat up. "What's happening?" asked the doll sleepily, rubbing it's squinty eyes.

Tseng and Hojo stared at the doll. "It--It talked!" exclaimed Tseng.

"THIS is the experiment you've been working on!" demanded Hojo.

"Hey, be nice to Cait Sith," said Reeve. "He's a very resourceful spy, and knows things that not even the wisest could tell us! Isn't that right, Cait Sith?"

"What?" asked Cait Sith, still rubbing his eyes.

"Ahem… Your information, Cait Sith," said Reeve. He smirked. "Why not tell Tseng about something you just recently discovered?"

Cait Sith stared up at Tseng, then brightened some. "Ah! Now I remember!" Cait Sith sat up straighter, fixing the crown on his head. "Tseng, does the name 'Aerith' ring a bell?"

Tseng stared at Cait Sith. "What--What are you getting at?"

Cait Sith grinned and continued, "Isn't 'Aeris' her new name? One to avoid instant recognition? You came up with that name out of the blue to protect her, didn't you? The day she escaped Shinra Company?"

Reeve raised an eyebrow as if to say "See?". Tseng shook his head. "No, no such thing happened. I explained it all the day she escaped, that she--"

"Blah, blah, blah," said Cait Sith with a yawn. "Everybody knows that. What I'm interested in are the stories you never told anyone else. Would you like to tell it? Cause I have it written down, in script format too!" he said proudly, lifting up a sheet of paper with messy handwriting on it.

Hojo glanced at Tseng. "Did you really let Aeris…no, Aerith escape?"

Tseng let out a long sigh. "Why not be a dear and read your little story, Cait Sith? It won't prove anything."

"Oh, it won't?" asked Cait Sith. "What if I said I have pictures?"

"Do--Don't be ridiculous," said Tseng. "I…"

"Ooh… Lost for words, are we?" asked Cait Sith, lifting his paper up. "Pretty unusual, don't you think? You seemed to have a lot of things to say to dear 'Aerith' the day she escaped…" Cait Sith cleared his throat and began to read:

The Day Aeris (Aerith) Escaped, and How Tseng was Involved

Aeris (Aerith): Tseng? What are you doing here?

Tseng: -looks around, then says in a quiet tone- I'm going to set you free.

Aeris (Aerith): Oh, Tseng… You'll set me free? How? This place is guarded like a fortress!

Tseng: I'm the lead Turk, Aerith… I know every single shortcut out of here. Once I let you out, follow me.

Aeris (Aerith): -smiles- You're willing to risk your life to save mine… How brave you are.

Tseng: -looks away while unlocking Aeris's (Aerith's) cell door- I--I'm not so brave… It's just that I've known you ever since you were little, and I…won't let Shinra Company put experiments and such on you.

Aeris (Aerith): What were they planning on doing with me?

Tseng: -hesitates-

Aeris (Aerith): Tseng?

Tseng: They…were going to torture you. Grind your spirit to the ground. Break you.

Aeris (Aerith): -gives a soft gasp of surprise-

Tseng: And…I was the one ordered to do it. -opens Aeris's (Aerith's) cell door- Come on, let's go. -holds out a hand-

Aeris (Aerith): -smiles and takes Tseng's hand-

Aeris (Aerith) and Tseng: -sneak outside of Shinra Company-

Tseng: Well, here we are. Hurry, go away, before they notice you're gone!

Aeris (Aerith): Will we ever see each other again?

Tseng: If we do, it'll be for the first time… Aeris.

Aeris (Aerith): Who?
Tseng: Change your name to "Aeris". It's not an easily recognized name, especially when compared to "Aerith". So, just in case, change your name.

Aeris (Aerith): Even if you never helped me escape… I know you'd never ever break me, Tseng. Because I--

Someone in distance: Hey, she's gone! The Ancient is gone!

Someone else in distance: She's gone! The prisoner has escaped! Raise the alarm!

-alarms start blaring somewhere-

Tseng: -hisses- Quick, Aeris! Get out of here!

Aeris (Aerith): I will. Thank you for helping me escape, Tseng. I'll never forget it, even though it pains me to have to leave you…

Tseng: -looks away bashfully- Do-Don't talk like that just leave, Aeris.

Aeris (Aerith): -smiles, and gives Tseng a kiss on the cheek-

Tseng: …!

Aeris (Aerith): Please, Tseng… Whenever it's just you and me, call me Aerith.

Tseng: Of--Of course.

Aeris (Aerith): Good-bye, Tseng, my good friend… I'll see you again! -turns and hurries off-

Tseng: Be careful… -quietly- Aerith…

Cait Sith lowered the paper with a self-satisfied air. "Well?" he asked. "Am I not accurate?"

Reeve and Hojo curiously checked Tseng's expression. "Oh!" exclaimed Reeve. "Are you blushing? Ooh, Tseng has a crush on someone!"

Tseng had been staring into space, with a look of half-shock-half-bashfulness on his face. He jumped suddenly. "Wha-- No, I don't…! This story is certainly not true! I'd never let a Shinra prisoner escape! My work always comes first!"

"Then where were you the day Aeris escaped?" asked Hojo. "You weren't at the Turks HQ, and you certainly weren't at your post."

"Dude, your secrets out," said Cait Sith. "Or at least it will be," he added with an evil grin. "It makes me wonder how our new shachoo would react when I tell him the news! Oh, the horrors he'll visit upon you, Tseng!"

Tseng hesitated, and Hojo said, "It's be best to admit the story, Tseng. You know as well as I what 'the horrors' are… Shall I really visit them upon you?"

"…all right," said Tseng wearily. "That…That story Cait Sith told us is…true."

"Oh-hoh!" laughed Cait Sith. "And I bet your wondering how I got my hands on such rare material!"

"Actually, yes," said Tseng. "That story's something I would prefer no-one knew but me and Aerith--Aeris."

"Well, I'm not telling," said Cait Sith, stuffing the paper into a hidden pocket inside his cloak. "This is top secret, need-to-know information."

"I hate to admit it, but he does seem useful as a spy," said Tseng. "I mean, not even the four Turks I hired know the whole story."

"Well, Hojo-sama?" asked Reeve. "Shall I present him to shachoo yet?"

Hojo thought about it for a few seconds. "Well, I say we wait until dinnertime. Let Cait Sith prove his worth a few more times. Maybe this thing about Aeris's escape was sheer dumb luck."

"Oh, I'm stung!" cried Cait Sith melodramatically. "Then would it surprise you to know that I know something about you, Hojo-sama!"

Hojo bumped against the table in surprise, and glanced down at the cat doll. "Wha--me?"

"Yeah, you and your little thing you did to the old shachoo's wife? The horror, the drama, the angst, the tragedy, the madness of it all? Do you recall the day you placed Jenova into Miss "Elizabeth" Shinra, Hojo-sama?"

Hojo gaped at Cait Sith. "You--you know the wife's name…!"

"I sure do," said Cait Sith with a proud nod. "I have here the story about that."

"In script format as well?" asked Tseng.

"Nah, it wouldn't be so dramatic, would it?" Cait Sith pulled out two sheets of paper this time. "However, the story format took a bit longer to write, and it's a bit sloppy, but I'm sure it'll be 100 percent accurate nonetheless." Cait Sith cleared his throat and began to read:

The Day Jenova and Elizabeth Became One, and How Hojo Did It

Hojo was already finished with creating the first SOLDIER, and had sent Gast away with the baby. Now when Shachoo gets back in here with his darling wife…Jenova can finally be of use to our company…

He glanced at a mass pile of green stuff inside a test tube.

"It really is a shame to see you so…unappealing to the eye," said Hojo. "Maybe Miss Shinra will help you improve your looks, she's a fine beauty, I'll admit. Even if she's a bit annoying…"

The mass pile of green stuff seemed to pulse angrily for a split second, and Hojo smirked.

"Oh, angry are we? There's no need to be angry… After all, you came to us first, didn't you? All of those… ah, Cetra called you a calamity, didn't they? Heaven's dark harbinger. They didn't do a good job of sealing you away, huh? All of them, killed in their attempt to stop you, and look at them now… All that's left is little Aerith. Once we can get our hands on her, we'll be in really good hands…"

Footsteps were heard coming down the hallway, and voices that seemed to be arguing. Hojo looked back as the door opened to reveal shachoo and Miss Shinra there. "Darling?" asked Miss Shinra tentatively. "Why do I have to see Hojo? Has he come up with a name yet?"

"That's what we came here to ask," said shachoo. "Well, Hojo?"

Hojo turned around to watch the mass pile of green stuff. "The baby's not with me anymore, I turned him over to Professor Gast. But I'm sure Jenova here has a name decided."

Miss Shinra looked around. "But there's no one here," she said in confusion.

"Oh yes there is," said Hojo with a sideways glance to shachoo. "You'd you like to watch me introduce your wife to Jenova?"

Shachoo grinned. "I would love to."

"What's going on here?" asked Miss Shinra. "Who is this Jenova?"

"Jenova, my dear Miss Shinra, is your future," said Hojo, taking hold of Miss Shinra's wrist and leading her away from shachoo.

"H-Hey, let me go!" she said, trying to pull away from Hojo. "Darling, tell him to stop! He's hurting me!"

Shachoo took a seat and leaned back. "It'll only hurt for a little bit, darling. But trust me, it's for the best."

"What are you going to do to me!" asked Miss Shinra, looking pretty frightened. "Why are you doing this to me, darling!"

"You always said you'd help me and my company in any way you could right?" asked shachoo. Miss Shinra nodded and shachoo made a gesture. "Well, there you go, darling Elizabeth. You can be a body for Jenova."

"But--But I don't want to be a body for this Jenova!" cried Elizabeth, trying to pull away from Hojo again. "I want to be with you!"

Shachoo shrugged. "Can't have everything you want in life. Go ahead and start the process, Hojo."

"With pleasure, sir," said Hojo with a nasty grin, shoving Elizabeth into the tube.

"Oh!" cried Elizabeth in surprise as she hit the ground. She sat up and scooted to the edge of the tube. "What--What is that thing!"

"That is Jenova, Elizabeth, your new best friend. You'll want to get acquainted; you'll be together a long, long time," said shachoo.

Elizabeth gasped in surprise. "No!" she yelled, walking to the edge of the glass and giving it a pound. "Let me out this instant, darling!"

Shachoo gave a nod, and Hojo nodded back, starting the process. "Jenova, sweetheart, you'll want to infuse yourself with Elizabeth Shinra," said Hojo. "You'll truly regret coming to this planet if you don't."

The green mass stirred a little, and Elizabeth gasped in horror at seeing it. "Th-This is really your Jenova…! No, leave me alone! I can't do this!" She backed up against the glass, and let out an anguished yell. "I thought you loved me, darling!"

"This is all I need to see, Hojo," said shachoo with a grin, standing up and turning to leave. "And…by all means, show her no mercy."

Hojo nodded agreement, hitting a few buttons on the controls. "She'll receive none, sir."

"Darling! Darling!" yelled Elizabeth as liquid began to fill the tube. Jenova stirred a bit more, and suddenly rose to take form, almost as if she was trying to mimic Elizabeth. Elizabeth looked back in horror at it, and suddenly, Jenova flew into Elizabeth, merging herself into her. Elizabeth slumped over inside the tube, apparently taking in Jenova.

Hojo grinned evilly as shachoo left the room. "Jenova?" he asked in a mock-sweet voice. "Are you ready to talk to us?"

Elizabeth raised her head slowly, and Hojo could see the changes already. "Ready…to talk," said Elizabeth, though it wasn't her voice exactly. "If you say it like that, then I suppose I am…"

"Do you have anything to say before I fully submerge you into the liquid that will preserve you here in this world?"

Elizabeth opened her eyes, and one eye seemed to have a red glow to it. "Her son, Elizabeth's son… What did you do to him?"

"It's nothing I did," answered Hojo. "It was your cells. That's how you can be of use to us. The condition you have no choice but to agree to, to stay here. Can you cope with that?"

"…you said something about me naming him as if he were my own… But he isn't, is he?"

"When you think about it, he is," answered Hojo. "Why? Did you actually come up with a name?"

Jenova stood up with Elizabeth's body, looking over herself. "This is a rather young body," she commented.

"It's young enough for you to stay alive Jenova. Now, the name you had?"

Jenova stared down at Hojo. "I'll never forget your face," she said. "You…are a truer evil then I'll ever be."

"So you're no calamity after all?" asked Hojo. "Just some innocent passer-by who took a wrong turn somewhere and crash-landed here?"

Jenova looked up. "Something like that…"

"Obviously, the Cetra didn't believe that."

Jenova snorted impatiently. "Those idiots called me a calamity, a harbinger of darkness. I'm no such thing."

"You landed here on a meteor," said Hojo. "It's natural for us humans to assume something's here to destroy us if they crash here on a meteor that destroyed a few cities."

"It was only a few cities," said Jenova. She closed her eyes and thunked her head against the glass. "Only a few…it was an accident…"

"Accident or not, you're Shinra Company property now. Before you're fully submerged in the liquid, do you have a name? I'd hate to be the one to name your son."

Jenova opened her eyes to glare at Hojo. "Yes, I indeed have a name for poor Elizabeth's boy… A name that was the name of someone very dear to me where I come from…"

"And that name is?" asked Hojo.

"…Sephiroth."

"Sephiroth?" repeated Hojo.

"That'll be his name. It had better be his name."

"It sure will," said Hojo. The whole tube had been filled now completely with the liquid that will sustain Jenova. It instantly sedated Jenova, and she floated in the tube a little. "I'm pretty sure it's the least I can do for you. Don't worry, you're little…Sephiroth is in good hands."

End story

Cait Sith took a huge breath. "PHEW! How's that for a long story!"

Hojo gaped in shock at Cait Sith. "How--how did you…!"

Cait Sith studied a glove-covered hand. "I have my ways of getting supposed unknown info."

"You're amazing…!" breathed Tseng. "Why, all the time we spent researching, you could have found out much, much sooner…!"

"If shachoo will hire me," said Cait Sith.

"Of course he'll hire you!" said Reeve reassuringly. "You prove to be more useful then our Turks and scientists!" Tseng and Hojo pulled skeptical expressions. "Anyway, we've lingered here long enough, I say," said Reeve, picking Cait Sith up. "We need to make Cait Sith presentable to the shachoo, right? Be seeing you, Tseng, Hojo-sama." With a nod, Reeve walked away with Cait Sith.

"Bye!" called Cait Sith as Reeve walked down the hallway. "I hope to share more interesting stories with you later on!"

Tseng and Hojo exchanged glances. "Well… he is a resourceful spy," said Tseng grudgingly.

"Hmm…" agreed Hojo slowly. "But what I'd like to know is how Cait Sith got his hands on such footage and scenes…"

"His paws on such footage," said Tseng. He blinked. "Oh, my god, I made a pathetic joke… Ugh…oh… Excuse me," he said, hurrying off to wash his mouth with soap.

Hojo watched him hurry off, then placed a hand on his chin thoughtfully. "This is indeed strange… Reeve wasn't around at the time, so he can't have told Cait Sith that story… Damn, he is good," muttered Hojo, leaving the room to get some lunch.
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Whoo! Cait Sith is a sure story teller! Wow, it's the middle of the night, my eyes burn…
Kazooie: And look, not a single mention of Cloud, Zack, or Sephiroth anywhere.
Rose: No, really! -checks fanfic- Wow. None at all.
What! I DIDN'T MENTION CLOUD OR ZACK OR SEPHIROTH IN THIS CHAPTER!
Mario: Wait, never mind, Sephiroth is mentioned.
Phew! Okay:3 See you in chapter 40! And don't forget to review! Bye!