Disclaimer: I don't own anything pertaining to Final Fantasy but I do own my girl. But what girl doesn't wish she owned Sephiroth?

'Blah' Thoughts

"Blah" Speaking

Chapter 2 Ruffling Fur

Cloud flipped open his cell phone and listened to his messages once finished he tucked it away and turned to her, "We have to head towards the Healin Lodge."

Vixen nodded as he rived the engine of his bike and they took off. Vixen couldn't help but look back at the place where the three had disappeared somehow she felt that it wasn't going to be the last time she would see them.

They soon came to the Healin Lodge where Cloud said they were supposes to meet Reno. Vixen smiled with a slight baring of teeth, she liked Reno he was lots of fun and she liked to talk to him at times. Yet, something in the air told her something was about to happen. As Cloud opened the door Reno raised his baton to strike, which Cloud easily blocked. Vixen quickly reared up and grabbed the red head by the collar of his shirt and tossed him out the door.

"All right you're both still good," sighed Reno through the door while Cloud locked it causing Vixen to giggle, but stopped as a tall, sharply dress, black man appeared pulling on a pair of leather gloves, "Yeah, Rude, looking sharp!"

"Shut up, Reno," growled Vixen when Cloud immediately swung his blade before Rude could barely raise his baton. Amazingly Rude just grunted and stepped back passively.

"Good. You fight like the SOLDIER you once claimed to be," said a sickeningly familiar voice as a wheel chair with a man covered in a white sheet entered the room, "You haven't lost your touch."

"Rufus!" snarled Vixen angrily straining against Cloud's hold on her collar.

"Ah, dear Vixen, how have you been?" asked Rufus sweetly, "I see you're still very battle ready."

"I'm leaving," snapped Cloud not liking how he was taunting her.

Rufus lowered his cloaked face, "We need your assistance, Cloud."

Cloud frowned while Vixen suddenly stilled, a grin forming on her face as she took in Rufus's appearance, "Not interest--…"

Rufus quickly raised a hand, while the fox observed the black spots on his skin with interest, "I acknowledge that Shinra… owes the planet a lot. It goes with saying that my company and I are the ones who put the world in the sorry state it's in. So we feel we have a responsibility to set things right."

He was interrupted by Reno's irritated voice, "I'm still out here!"

Neither Cloud nor Vixen paid him even the smallest acknowledgement as he listened to Rufus and she took great pleasure in seeing the signs of Geostigma ravaging Rufus's body.

"We've already taken the first step by conducting an investigation in Sephiroth's wake."

At the second she heard her master's name pass his foul lips Vixen lunged against Cloud's hold snarling, "Don't you ever speak his name you foul waste of flesh."

This only caused Rufus to chuckle, "Still mourning over your beloved Sephiroth? Pity you couldn't save him."

Vixen roared her rage while clawing her way closer to her target as Cloud shouted, "Rufus, you better give me one good reason not to release her!"

Rufus lowered his head once more, "As I said we have already taken the first step by conducting an investigation."

"Yup, at the Northern Cave!" shouted Reno putting in his two cents.

Rufus raised his head slightly, "What do you think we found?"

Both Cloud and Vixen froze instantly. Had they really found something concerning Sephiroth?

"Nothing," he breathed causing Cloud to relax and Vixen to lower her ears slightly, "Nothing at all. You can both relax. However, not all went as planned. We were interrupted. It was the three who attacked you. Kadaj's gang."

Vixen's ears perked as she listened intently, "Kadaj?"

Rufus nodded leaning back in his wheel chair, "It seems he doesn't want us finishing what we started," He turned his head fully towards Vixen, "Really, what could they be thinking?"

She cocked her head mockingly, "I would have no idea. They may resemble Sephiroth, but they are not my masters."

Cloud nodded, "So what does this have to do with us?"

Of course Reno butted in with, "You're our buddy, aren't you?" This ended with Cloud hitting the door causing the red-head on the other side to groan in pain. Both man and fox snickered before turning towards Rufus once more.

"Kadaj's group is young, violent, and as dangerous as they come,"he said softly, "So we thought that it would be in our best interests to hire a bit of muscle."

Cloud scoffed, "To bad, I'm a delivery boy now."

"You're all we have," interjected Rufus quickly, "Cloud, look you're an ex-SOILDIER, aren't you. Vixen, you were the closest one to Sephiroth. You knew him better than anyone.

"Hmph, in my head," replied Cloud gruffly unlocking the door before stopping, "What's all this 'Mother' crap about?"

"Why, did Kadaj say something to you?" asked Rufus curiously, "No surprise. There are plenty of kids who miss their mothers. That's the world we live in."

Vixen also gave Cloud a searching look. She had heard the word 'Mother', but hadn't thought much about it since her first goal had been to protect Cloud.

"I hear there are orphans living with you," continued Rufus causing Vixen to bristle threateningly.

He smiled encouragingly, "Think about it. Don't you want to put smiles back on their faces? All we want in the end is to rebuild our world, Cloud."

This caused Cloud to hesitate as he turned to face Rufus uncertainly, "But I…"

Reno pushed open the door slightly, "Come on, Cloud. Together we can rebuild Shinra!"

Vixen snorted in disgust at the thought of helping them rebuild Shira, "To rebuild a world with your help, Rufus, will only lead to the same devastating end. A world corroded with the Stigma."

"My thoughts precisely," grunted Cloud as they pushed past a shocked Reno.

"Reno!" groaned Rude and Rufus as the door slammed shut.

Vixen tossed her head with a feral growl while she sprang down the stairs and began sprinting away from the Healin Lodge with Cloud close behind on Fenrir. They traveled in silence like always, but Vixen was furious from their encounter with the head of Shinra. Just leave it to Rufus to get under her skin and ruffle her fur.

AN: SOOOOOOO good terrible? Review please!!