Like The Sun, Like The Moon

Chapter Five

She had had a dream.

She might not have memorized much of it, but she meant to remember some strands of silver hair as well as a pair of haunting green eyes, belonging to the only person she had ever really considered a friend.

Sephiroth saving her life wasn't exactly an unusual scenario, mind you - her silver-haired hero tended to appear in just about every kind of dreamscapes her mind managed to think up.
This honestly wasn't surprising, no.
The strange thing about this particular dream was…

She would never have recalled it if it hadn't been for Leon.

Which confused her.

The stranger looked nothing like Sephiroth, and at the same time, he could be his clone.

Which confused her even more.

And she did certainly not like being confused.

Thus, she buried these thoughts in the back of her mind and tried her best to ignore the well- yet unknown stranger sitting to her right.
Because he confused her.

Nevertheless, she truly hadn't intended to make him leave.

She didn't even realize she was fearing his departure until she heard the screeching of his chair being pushed aside.

A sound that troubled her tremendously.

Alarmed by the rustling of leather, a sound she dreaded every time they were sitting under their tree, Yuffie got up as well.

"Yo, L'on," Reno muttered as he lazily turned on the table to watch his buddy reproachfully, "y'ain't leavin' 'lready, are ya?"

"You aren't leaving already, are you?" she whined.

"I'm afraid I must." He released the redhead from his apparently painful position on the table and placed him safely back on the chair. "I can't afford missing the next ship to Costa del Sol, and I've still got to take care of some things beforehand. Of course I would love to skip it, but my attendance is…compulsory."

"I've got to go to Nibelheim next week. Of course I would love to skip it, but Hojo insisted on my attendance."

For a while, the turk simply sat there pouting. "N'xt time ya'll stay l'nger, m'kay?" he finally ordered.

"Next time you'll stay longer, okay?" she demanded, glaring up at him.

Patting the child's head reassuringly, Leon bent forward to the turk and answered with a smile that totally opposed his words, "There won't be a next time, I'm afraid. It's not very likely that I'll return to Junon."

"Promised."

Painful memories. Bewildering implications. Undeniable similarities that couldn't be a mere coincidence…

And finally, Yuffie's mind went blank.

Neither would her body move, nor would her face betray any of the countless emotions Leon's paradoxical existence had stirred up inside of her.

She was empty. She didn't know what to think anymore.

Which left her no other options but to silently watch him say goodbye.

And this only aggravated things.

She recognized the genuine yet almost invisible smile that was forming on his face. "Take care of each other, and farewell."

"Farewell, Yuff. For your own sake, I hope we'll never meet again."

He left.

She stayed.

"I joined SOLDIER in Midgar after all my relatives had…expired."

"First class. But not anymore. I left SOLDIER a while ago after a…nasty incident."

"I wish I coulda made it to SOLDIER." – "If you had asked me five years ago, we could have traded."

In just about every sentence he'd spoken, she could find lots of clues to work with.

Yet they were so obvious she didn't know what to make of them.

Leon spoke like Sephiroth. He acted like Sephiroth. But he wasn't Sephiroth. He simply couldn't be.

Nonetheless, there had to be an explanation to this; and judging by their respective pasts and their similar behaviour, an actual acquaintanceship between the two of them suddenly appeared surprisingly likely.

Of course, this was only surprising insofar as she hadn't managed to grasp this connection earlier.

Gosh! How could she not have noticed! It was so obvious!

And now, the guy was gone.

She had allowed him to simply leave for good. Him, the only person she'd ever met who would be able to tell her something about her former best friend.

Argh! When had she become so dumb!

But lamenting over her own stupidity wouldn't change her current situation one bit. She would have to take actions soon, or else she might never find him again.

That being decided, she instantly jumped off her chair, released all her anger in form of a plain yet passionate "Dammit!" and dashed off.

Leaving Reno drunk and Pierre startled.

Oh well.

She'd explain herself later on.

Junon was a great city. She loved it for its sheer enormity. It was such a huge, complex fortress that, no matter where you went, you'd always discover something you'd never noticed before, be it a new little pub, a storeroom with interesting materials or simply a hilarious poster some jester had decided to attach to the front door of a Shinra official's apartment.

Really, thanks to its complexity Junon was a wonderful and always surprising town.

However, in times like these she honestly hated it for this certain quality. Whenever she wanted to actually find something or someone, she had to search for ages. And even then a success wasn't nearly guaranteed.

Dammit.

Leon could be everywhere. She really shouldn't have hesitated so long.

Dammit.

"Granny, have you seen a tall guy with longish hair and dark leather clothes lately?" Yuffie asked straight away as she stormed into the umpteenth shop this evening.

The salesclerk, a nice elderly woman, looked up at the girl in surprise.

"He's quite an eye-catching fellow," the ninja added hopefully.

After a while of pondering, realization dawned upon the vendor. "I believe I have met the one you are looking for," she said with a kind smile.

Yuffie's eyes widened. "Really?" Approaching the counter quickly, she gazed at the clerk in anticipation, "When? Where? And where did he go?"

"I have indeed seen him, but I am afraid I won't be able to tell you much," the woman spoke rather apologetically, "Several hours ago, he merely entered the store, took a look at a few items and left again."

Yuffie's face fell. Shouldn't have expected anything, she thought with a sigh of frustration and turned to leave when the vendor addressed her once again. "I am sorry for not being able to help you," she said, "but allow me to give you a small advice."

Looking back, Yuffie eyed the salesclerk expectantly, mentioning for her to continue via a raised eyebrow.

"I do not know just why you are seeking him," the elderly woman told her carefully, "But I have got the impression he can be a fairly dangerous man. Moreover, he seems to be wanted by the Shinra. So if I were you, I would think twice whether I really wanted to find him."

Yuffie blinked. "Shinra is looking for him?"

The vendor nodded. "Apparently, they are," she stated rather thoughtfully, "A while ago, some guards entered, asking for a black-caped man." She tilted her head a little as if to consider something. "But I wonder why they were describing him by his cape if his hair is a so much more striking feature."

"His hair?" Imagining Leon's black strands, which might be pretty but not exactly striking, Yuffie began to wonder whether they were really talking about the same person.

"Hmh," the vendor confirmed with another absentminded nod, "Still so young and already has he got white hair. Long, white hair, I might add."

Yuffie stared at the salesclerk in utter disbelief. If the woman had just described who she thought she had described, then…

Then…

Then her head was going to explode.

Definitely.

Mumbling a quick thanks to the salesclerk, Yuffie retreated from the shop and leant against the next wall, trying vainly to process the information she had just got.

Sephiroth, or at least someone who resembled him, was in this town.
But he was said to be dead.
So the one wandering through Junon could only be a look-alike.

But then again, there was Leon.
Someone who resembled Sephiroth.
Yet not physically, but mentally.

Which meant there were two Sephiroth-look-alikes in this town.

Which didn't make any sense whatsoever.

Which unnerved her immensely.

"Oh dammit!" she finally yelled into the night.

And it was then that she noticed something shimmering from the seaside.
Yet, taking a closer look, she realized it wasn't originated anywhere near the beach. In fact, it seemed to be coming from the edge of Junon's airfield.
However, it weren't the platform's floodlights, but something that wasn't supposed to be there…

Interesting.
Definitely worth a quick inspection.
And since she wasn't making any progress here anyway, she decided she might as well go and take a look at the source of this unusual phenomenon.

Maybe she would find some answers there…

Standing at the edge of Junon's airfield wasn't the most pleasant of all things.

It was cold and stormy.

Oh well, this really wouldn't surprise anyone, considering the platform was situated a good hundred metres above the ground without any wall-like arrangements protecting it from blowing winds. After all, it wasn't called an airfield for nothing.
But if you felt able to tolerate cold gusts and the occasionally arriving airship, this platform depicted the probably most relaxing location in all Junon.
Being a comparatively large city, it might be expected to offer a lot of cosy, quiet places. However, as Shinra had built it as a military base, just about every corner of it was regularly patrolled, which prevented any kind of privacy rather efficiently.

Much to Sephiroth's annoyance.
No fifteen minutes would pass without some guard approaching him, blinding him with a flashlight and asking him stupid questions.

How bothersome.

Nonetheless, during his earlier trip through town, he had noticed the airfield was practically not secured at all. Hence he had chosen to come hither after leaving the pub more or less involuntarily due to a certain auburn-haired ninja.

With the wind and all, it wasn't exactly quiet up here, but peaceful nevertheless. No annoying people, but a lot of time to reflect on recent happenings without any disturbances. Granted, the stormy weather was somewhat exasperating and granted, the moon was shining far too brightly for his liking this evening. Yet still, this place provided a far too comforting atmosphere to really bother him.

So empty. So quiet. ANd even somewhat beautiful.

He could watch the moon's reflection on the otherwise beautifully black ocean without ever being disturbed, and furthermore he had a nice view on both Upper and Lower Junon, which wasn't also quite fascinating to stare at but also allowed him to scan the area for any chocobo-headed clones of his without much effort.
Unfortunately, he didn't find the puppet itself. Yet he noticed the Cetra girl standing near the beach, which meant the clone had to be somewhere in the nearness as well.

Good.

So as long they weren't dumb enough not to bribe the elevator's guard and try getting to Upper Junon any other way, there wasn't much else they could fail at.

What a relief.

Because right now, Sephiroth honestly wasn't in the condition to bail them out of just another mess. Too exhausting, too frustrating.

And he already had a headache to being with.

Out of some strange reason, Jenova had increased her mental ramblings dramatically over the last few hours. Possibly, the alcohol was finally showing some effects after all. Possibly, it was Yuffie's fault. Possibly, Jenova had simply felt the clone's arrival and now insisted on telling him something. Or something.

But regardless of his Dearly Beloved Mother's reasoning, he would simply keep ignoring her. It was better this way, really.

And still… Neglecting Jenova's will was one thing. But neglecting a steadily aggravating headache was a completely different matter.

Annoying headache. Annoying throbbing.

The nauseating pain was deteriorating so quickly that he soon couldn't even distinguish anymore whether those bothersome thumps were originating inside or outside of his head.

It could be the migraine; it could be another nosy guard. Possibly both.

……

……… Damn.

He neatly crossed "No disturbances" out of his mental list stating the airfield's advantages and addressed the new arrival rather grumpily.

"What do you want?"

He hadn't even bothered averting his gaze from Lower Junon to look at her. Nonetheless he could practically feel her stare on his skin as she was struggling for breath after her little sprint.

"Sephiroth…" she finally uttered, still panting heavily.

Usually, he would at least feel uncomfortable in such a situation. Yet as thanks to Good Ole Jenova his mind was currently turning into a single fizzy blur, he merely frowned at the girl's statement, wondering distantly just when he had transformed into his true self again.

Raising his left hand briefly into his field of vision, he noticed he hadn't even bothered changing back. So why would the girl call him by his true name?

"You knew Sephiroth, didn't you?" she muttered, watching him hopefully.

Oh well. At least his cover wasn't totally blown yet.

"It's the way you talk, the way you act…" Yuffie went on without even waiting for his response, "You must have been around him a lot…" She looked at him, her watery eyes full of hope.

He showed no reaction; no surprise, no uneasiness, no sign of recognition – no emotions whatsoever. Without even thinking of returning her gaze, he kept staring at the moon's reflections on the sea below. Annoying headache.

Yuffie's face fell. "I really don't mean to bother you or anything…" she spoke uneasily as she decided to turn around and watch the waves as well, "and I really didn't mean to ignore you earlier." She paused briefly, unsure how to go on. "I didn't want to annoy you, it's just I thought –"

"Get to the point," he cut her off harshly. That annoying headache was already enough to deal with, and a girl struggling with a superfluous apology was something he certainly couldn't bear right now.

Obviously, his cold demeanour caught her by surprise. After gasping audibly, Yuffie needed quite a long moment to regain her composure. Yet finally, she cleared her throat and formulated her request with a certain firmness that hadn't been there before. "I have to know what happened…" She hesitated and went on at a slightly lower, sadder voice, "…five years ago." She tilted her head leftwards to watch his reaction.

And, just as expected, there wasn't much of a reaction at all. He simply stared on at that black point in the sea that had apparently been fascinating him for quite a while now.

Looking back at the sea, she sighed inaudibly.

"You shouldn't ask questions you do not want to hear the answer to."

Yuffie blinked and whirled around to stare at him with wide eyes. He might have refused to tell her anything about the events in Nibelheim, however he had just confessed he knew about them. He knew what had happened there. Consequently, the girl might never leave him alone again.

Oh well, he'd blame his headache for this stupidity. Annoying headache.

"But I do want to hear the answer!" Yuffie whined in protest.

Directly into his ear.

In the shrillest voice he had ever heard her use.

He gritted his teeth. Annoying headache.

"Even if you did want to know the answer," he spoke rather indignantly, "Even if you were able to deal with it, I wouldn't tell you."

"Why not?" she inquired immediately whilst gesticulating wildly.

"Why should I?" he retorted impatiently.

"I asked first!" she pointed out stubbornly.

His right eye started twitching. Less due to her persistence than because of her shrill voice. And as the wind was blowing rather noisily today, the girl was speaking extra-loudly, which caused a never-ending beeping sound inside of his ears.

Annoying headache. Annoying tinnitus.

Oh well. If she wanted the Why Not, he'd give her the Why Not. Maybe then she'd finally shut up.

"It's dangerous," he stated simply while massaging his temple.

Yuffie blinked. "What!"

"This knowledge is going to break you," he stated matter-of-factly.

She merely stared at him in disbelief.

"Not only you," Sephiroth, or rather Leon, went on, "but anyone who gets involved with it." Was it only him or had the water surface really risen dramatically during the last minute?

No, now it was falling again.

And rising.

Falling.

Rising.

Falling.

Rising.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, trying hard not to lose his balance.

Annoying headache. Annoying tinnitus. Annoying vertigo.

And, what was worse, the girl standing speechlessly next to him didn't seem willing to leave anytime soon.

"What friend would I be if I didn't even know what happened to him?" she stated quietly, staring at the ground in front of her feet with a sad expression.

"A friend he cared about," Leon answered plainly, trying to sound calm although it was getting harder and harder to breathe by the second.

Annoying headache. Annoying tinnitus. Annoying vertigo. Annoying dyspnoea.

And again he had rendered the girl speechless. But by now, he really couldn't afford waiting any longer. "Please leave now," he spoke quietly. It wasn't a plea. It was an order.

"But I –" she blurted out as she quickly turned back to him – and stopped in mid-sentence when she noticed his condition: grimacing with pain, gasping for breath, chest moving violently up and down.

"Oh my god," she exclaimed in shock, "What's happening with you?"

"That's part of the story." His almost inaudible words were accompanied by a humourless chuckle, along with several fierce intakes of air. "Just leave," he hissed, "before it's too late…"

Chocking hard, he dropped down to his knees, covering his face with his hand in the vain attempt to calm down.

But he didn't have a chance anymore – he was losing today's battle, and he knew it.

"I can't just leave you here!" Yuffie protested anxiously.

She wouldn't leave him suffering… What a caring person.

"Then go fetch help or something," he whispered harshly.

The girl had to leave.

Before it was too late.

Before he lost control over this body.

Before Jenova got a chance to tear her apart.

The same way she had done it with everyone.

Including himself.

Had she caused this?

One moment he had been standing peacefully, the next one he was almost fainting.

What was she supposed to do in such a situation?

"Please leave now," he had said and, "Just leave, before it's too late…"

But!

But!

But she wanted to help him!

She felt horrible, she felt guilty, she felt helpless.

At least there is something I can do, she thought bitterly as she dashed off the airfield in order to find someone who could help – She herself was totally useless in that respect. She didn't have a clue how to take care of people in need of First Aid, and in times like these, she really hated herself for this incapability.

Jumping off the platform, she found herself confronted with three different entrances she had never consciously noticed before.

"Where to go?" she mumbled in bewilderment, jogging on the spot as she tried to choose which way to take.

"You are not going anywhere."

Yuffie froze.

Hot air breathed against her ear. Cold steel pressed against her throat.

"Forget and you shall live…"

Standing completely still, she was unable to suppress a sob.

She knew that voice.

She knew that sword.

"Remember and you shall die…"

Out of the corner of her eye, she could make out strands of silver wavering in the wind.

Sephiroth…

So he had returned after all.

But…

What for?

To threaten her?

To kill her?

"It is your choice…"

What followed was a long, disturbing silence.

And then...

He removed the blade from her throat and stepped back, turning to leave.

At once, Yuffie spun around. "Wait!"

He didn't listen, didn't turn back, but walked away as though she hadn't called. As though she wasn't there at all.

"Do you even realize how long I've been waiting for this moment?" she yelled in desperate fury as she ran after him, "I've been praying for you to come back, for heaven's sake!" She grabbed his shoulder to turn him around, forcing him to return her stare. "But you can't simply abandon me and then come back five damn years later, just to behave like a –"

Her voice cracked.

Those frighteningly unfamiliar, catlike orbs that were watching her blankly…

"Why are you," she whispered while shaking him weakly, "Why are you doing this to me?"

Never would he cease looking at her like that – like the cruel, emotionless general he had been known as for so long…

"Because…" He brushed her hands off his shoulders. "You should never have considered me a friend in the first place."

Her eyes widened. She opened her mouth as if to say something, but closed it soon after.

And then she slapped him.

Hard.

"You bastard!"

Her eyes were filled with tears, her face was a single grimace of anguish. "Have you come back to me –" She stared up at him, her expression a mixture of utter hopelessness and pure hatred. "– just to tell me that? Just to destroy my life once again?"

Many tears were streaming down her cheeks as she sobbed audibly.

"If that's what you want…" She stepped back a few paces, spreading her arms wide. "Then why don't you just stab me – right here and now?"

Silence.

"Wouldn't it make things so much easier for both of us!"

Silence.

"If you don't even dignify me with an answer," she yelled frantically, "then I'll just end it myself!"

Without any further delay, she grabbed the blade of Masamune and placed its tip on her chest.

"That's what you want, isn't it?"

"Isn't it!"

She was about to ram the sword through her heart when he abruptly drew it back, pulling her with it.

Masamune fell to the ground.

Yuffie landed in Sephiroth's arms.

He placed his hands gently on her back and drew her close.

"Whatever I said," he whispered, resting his chin on her head, "whatever I did…"

He ruefully closed his eyes.

"Please forgive me…"

End Of Chapter Five

A/N: Whew. Finally it's going somewhere ;)

Beyond Yuff and Sephie's reunion, I wanted to show in this chapter that, although she might rarely live out her evilness openly, Jenova is someone not to be underestimated, because this little fact is going to be rather important in future chapters.

And as we are already at it - yes, Yuffie will definitely see/meet/rob Cloud again. Actually, this is going to happen rather frequetly, but it don't want to give too much away right now, so... Yes, they will meet again :)

Anyways...

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