Been tweaking this one a while, I wanted to make sure I got the mood right...What mood?! I hear you cry. You're just gonna have to read and find out xD Ive also been busy jotting down the future plot direction. I keep having so many idea's, as well as idea's from my reviewers, that I had to get something down or risk loosing them. Then id publish without including them and feel like a bit of a dingus.

As usual I want to thank my regular readers and reviewers :) every time you guys review, I feel so encouraged and excited to hear your feedback. That energy keeps me writing, so i appreciate it ^,^

I do not own any original characters, places or plot. They are all property of Square enix, and this is a work of fandom and not for profit. All i own is Meia.

Chapter 18

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Meia….Meia? Why are you crying Meia….are you sad? Are you frightened? Do you hurt?

Of course I'm frightened……

You can make it stop…I can show you how…

Make it stop…? Who are you?

I…am ancient, child. I…am absolute…I have the power; all you need to do is embrace it…

You…you're the same one I hear in my dreams…the one I heard in hospital…

Yeesss…I am She……m….i….

Meia opened her eyes slowly. It was pitch black. Night time. The moon hadn't risen yet and all around was darkness. Eventually The landscape began to show itself, her eyes taking in the information piece by piece. She shifted her numb legs and wiped at her eyes. She'd been crying in her dream, whatever her dream was. The voice had never spoken to her like that. She'd only heard it call names. Now it was speaking to her, she was disturbed by it even more. It was goading her; trying to take advantage of her weakness…she didn't like it. Meia gave a small wail of despair. It was too much. SOLDIER, mako injections, VR training gone lethal, old memories and disembodies voices speaking to her. She felt like she would burst any moment. Sniffing, she looked around for her hired chocobo and was relieved to find it curled up a little way behind her, sound asleep. The dealer really wasn't lying when he boasted he had the most loyal chocobo's on the continent.

Meia stood up and approached the cliff face slowly, her eyes having adjusted sufficiently to allow her to do so safely. She listened to the sound of the waves crashing beneath her. The soothing, repetitive noise calmed her down a little bit and she breathed deeply. Then she became aware of another sound. A pleasant, ethereal sound…buried beneath the sound of the sea. It sounded like angelic voices, speaking but not quite talking. Maybe there were whales out in the waters tonight…

She'd heard these noises before…when she was little…when she was with her grandparents…

As she wandered back to her chocobo, a low humming sound drifted to her ears on the wind. She stopped and listened. It was getting closer. Her chocobo lifted its head; it could hear it as well now. She placed a hand on its neck to re-assure it and looked along the cliff to the west. A feint beam of light was approaching the cliff face some distance away, she watched it slow and stop. A vehicle of some kind. Meia quickly mounted her chocobo and waited. The beam suddenly turned head on to her position. With a gasp, she rounded her chocobo and urged it away from whatever was now chasing them, hoping an opportunity would present itself to outwit the pursuer. She knew across flat terrain though, the bird would stand no chance. She urged it faster still, managing to keep on top of the chocobo's powerful movement as it tore across the ground. She headed inland, not fancying a sudden unexpected tumble off the cliff.

The rumbling eventually got louder. It was an engine. She glanced over her shoulder and was alarmed to see her pursuer much closer than she would have liked. In the next instant, her chocobo began to slow, before it completely froze and Meia yelped in horror. The stiff form of the bird crashed to the ground, still traveling quite fast. Meia was thrown well clear and landed in a heap in front of it, rolling before coming to a stop. She coughed and rose up on one arm. She could see the poor creature's form, currently on its back completely immobile, silhouetted by the strong headlights that had come to rest behind it. Meia scrambled over to her chocobo. Its eyes were wide and unblinking but it was alive, she could feel a heartbeat. She shrank back as the engine of the vehicle was turned off and the headlights dimmed. A tall figure began walking towards her, removing its gloves, and she clung to her downed mount…

"Don't worry about the bird. It's being affected with stop. It should wear off soon…"

"Sephiroth…"

Meia looked up at him. He looked totally different out of uniform. Especially as he was now. His hair was pulled back into a tight ponytail that was plaited, bound and contained in leather. A pair of clear riding glasses were currently sitting on his brow, glinting dully in the lamplight. She saw the look of concern in his eyes and she struggled to keep her composure. But the chocobo was beginning to stir, coming round from its materia induced paralysis, and it began to kick out. She got up quickly, having no desire to be caught by those gigantic talons. She backed into her friend who placed a hand on her shoulder. The bird lept up, the effects of the stop spell entirely worn off. It opened its beak and screeched angrily at Sephiroth, before scratching at the dirt with its legs. Then, with an angry wark, it turned tail and ran away into the gloom. Meia watched it go. She hoped it could find its way home in the dark.

She felt Sephiroth squeeze her shoulder. Meia bowed her head and took a deep breath,

"Thanks…for scaring off my ride" She said quietly. She had hoped it would sound more flippant than that, but her voice was cracked. And she still felt the effects of her mako injection. Sephiroth said nothing. He placed his other hand on her shoulder and rubbed them gently with his thumbs,

"You're cold…what were you thinking? Running out here like this…" He said gently. Meia began to tremble and shook her head. She couldn't contain it, not this time. She just couldn't…

Sephiroth watched, and felt, as Meia sagged forwards slightly and began to cry. Probably not for the first time today. She was shivering, having come out earlier in the day she was dressed for the hot, muggy weather of Midgar during summertime. Now, her thin spaghetti strap top and loose shorts were doing a poor job of keeping her warm.

"I…I'm sorry. For making you come out here to get me…." She choked. Sephiroth looked up at the stars,

"Something tells me you wanted me to come, Meia"

Meia wiped her nose and hugged herself. He was right. Of course she wanted him. She refused Zack knowing full well Sephiroth would come out after her. She genuinely wanted more time though, and she felt bad for her young friend. But still, there was no denying he was right. She jumped slightly as a heavy coat was draped over her shoulders. She pulled it close as Sephiroth backed away and pulled out his phone. She caught hold of a collar and held it to her nose. It was Sephiroth's leather coat, it smelled just like he did…she pulled it tighter and watched the moon, now showing itself over the horizon.

Hello? Have you found her?

"She was right where Zack had left her…"

Thank goodness. Your bringing her back now I presume…

Sephiroth looked over at Meia, who had heard what Lazard had said down the phone and was now watching him, "No. I'll bring her back in the morning"

Sephiroth…do you think that wise?

"She's in no danger so long as she is with me. Even if Heidegger sends his entire army"

This is true. Very well, see you in the morning.

"Thank you…" Meia said quietly, watching Sephiroth replace his phone on the inside of his riding leathers,

"You're welcome"

Meia sniffed and sat down on the grass. Sephiroth approached her slowly,

"How are you feeling…?"

"Awful…just…awful" She replied, huddling down into his coat and closing her eyes.

"You look as if you've been injected, have you?"

Meia nodded slightly, "Yea…It was done while I was in hospital apparently. At least I was spared the administration…"

"…and Hojo" Sephiroth added, crossing his arms and staring towards the sea. He wondered whether to ask her about the operation, she seemed quite unstable at the moment. After a moment, he went back to the bike and turned its electronics off. He was actually planning on returning in the morning. A flat battery wouldn't help.

"You look….different…" Meia said suddenly, almost inaudibly, "I like what you've done with your hair…"

Sephiroth turned towards her and laughed softly, "Do you have any idea what would happen if I rode with it loose?"

"Some, I guess…" She looked up at him. He smiled and sat down opposite her, "Thank you…I…was beginning to…" She couldn't finish, she didn't know what to say. She simply buried her face back in his jacket and curled up tighter.

"Meia…what's wrong with you…won't you tell me?"

"And make you miserable as well?" Came her muffled reply, "That wouldn't be fair…"

"This is already affecting me, Meia. Whether I know or not…I still see my friend in a mess in front of me"

"….why do you always make valid points. It's quite infuriating"

"My apologies" He said softly.

"Quite a few things are wrong. Everything…has just taken its toll. I've fought for the past six months to keep myself together. To stay strong and fight through. But…well, it all had to come out sometime"

"I see. I can't blame you, really…but what happened to you on the mission. You changed so much, I was worried…"

After a moment, Meia lifted her head free from its leather sanctuary and took a deep breath,

"What would you like to know?" She said quietly, staring at his boot…not quite bringing herself to make eye contact.

"Why were you so insistent on accompanying me? What happened to you…the change in you as soon as you heard the name of the terrorists was alarming" He asked gently, watching her stare blankly. After a pause, she spoke.

"After my Grandfather died…my family moved. We didn't want too. All the people in Mideel begged my Mother not to move us. But she did…she moved us to Kalm" She paused to adjust her position "After we arrived things just weren't right. People would be wary of us. Wary…of me" Meia looked up at Sephiroth, who was still observing her with unblinking eyes.

"Why would they be wary of you?"

"Who knows? But for some reason, they were. Then, one day, a group of men came to town. I was thirteen. They asked Mom to hand me over to them. Naturally, she refused. But they kept coming, kept visiting…" She trailed off and swallowed "And each time it always took just that little bit more persuasion…to convince my Mother to keep me safe"

Sephiroth absorbed this piece of information. Why would a mother need convincing to protect their child? And if the men were who he assumed them to be, no wonder she wanted to go all out on the Imperial Swords…

"Then, one summer, I left Kalm to make my weekly trip to Midgar, to visit a vendor in the slums. I was eighteen by now…and I met a group of men on the outskirts. I'd never seen them before, but there was just something about them. They asked me what town I had come from. I told them and left…" Her voice cracked a little as she said the next part, "and when I got to Midgar…I…I saw on the news…that terrorists had attacked Kalm. I knew… I knew it was the same men I had run into on my way out…but I didn't tell anyone. Didn't call the authorities, I did nothing…" Meia pursed her lips and appeared to struggle with her thoughts, before shutting her eyes.

"The attack…it wasn't your fault Meia…" Sephiroth tried to console her, but her icy blue eyes met his, tears illuminated by her mako glow spilled over and down her cheeks,

"But it was! It was my fault" She began again, this time more hysterically "I rushed back, by now a security squad had been sent also. As they held me back, I could hear the mad man behind the attack. I could see him on the television cameras…'Hand over the girl!' He said…'Hand her over and all this can end!' He had my brother by the hair, a knife to his throat…he promised he'd kill him if I wasn't handed over. But the troops, they still wouldn't let me go and I watched…watched as he…." Meia began sobbing again, unable to finish her sentence.

Sephiroth closed his eyes, "They killed your brother…" He whispered quietly, which provoked a louder sob to issue from Meia.

"Eventually…eventually they sent a team in but before they could catch the bastard, he fled. He'd killed my entire family, Sephiroth…My brothers, my…my Mother too. I was alone. All of a sudden, in a blink…I was all alone. And I was terrified" She chocked and wiped at her eyes, "So I joined Shinra, the Turks. I feared for my safety, so I wanted to learn to take care of myself. I was too afraid to join SOLDIER…but I hoped that one day, I'd get the chance for revenge as well…"

Sephiroth uncrossed his legs and stretched them out. Meia had joined Shinra for safety. And revenge. Some part of him had trouble believing it. On the outside, she betrayed nothing of the pain she felt. She held it inside of her, locked away. It was cliché, but she simply didn't seem like the kind of girl that would harbour such darkness. No wonder most things frightened her. He looked up, she was crying again, into his jacket. He realised how they were alike; both harboured deep, emotional feelings. Both put up a front to mask all of it. He looked down at the grass he had knotted around his fingers, he'd thought about it before but…the way they'd met, the way they got along. It felt like something deeper than coincidence was at play.

"Can you hear that?" She said quietly, her voice thick with emotion. Sephiroth looked at her, "I thought it might have been whales when I was close to the sea but…I can hear it here now too…"

Sephiroth strained his ears, but all he could hear was the wind. But again, he noticed that with her…that was all he could hear. The wind, the sound of her breathing, her gentle sniffs…it was peaceful. She made it so…

"I can only hear the wind, Meia…" He replied softly. She nodded in acknowledgment,

"It sounds different from before, though. It sounds more…spirited, happier…" She carried on serenely. Sephiroth thought a moment before speaking again,

"Meia, do you know why they wanted you…?"

She shrugged slightly, "I have no idea. I'm not sure I want to know…"

"Hmmm…you said the people of Mideel tried to stop you from leaving…would they know?"

Meia blinked a few times. He had a point. Did they know something she or her Mother didn't? Why would they try and stop them from moving away…?

"Maybe…I should find out, someday…" She said quietly, "But I'd need more freedom"

"The freedom of First class, perhaps…"

Meia snorted softly, "First class…how long would that take" She said sceptically.

"Well, not as long as you'd think. Lazard is currently contemplating putting you forward for the second class promotion assessment…"

"Really…?" Sephiroth nodded at her, "I didn't expect that…" She said quietly.

"Well, if you need help...You know where I am" Sephiroth offered her, smiling. She looked at him and nodded.

Sephiroth looked at the sky. There were still things he was unclear on. Why had the leader of the terrorists called Meia a monster? And what had happened to him…his unnatural mutations. Gradually, more and more of cases like this would come up. Genetic mutation, experiments on living things. People pointing the finger at Shinra…Sephiroth let out a low sigh. Asking would get him nowhere. Everything would be confidential.

Meia watched him, his sigh making her curious, "What's on your mind?" She asked.

"What do you think he meant…when he called you and SOLDIER monsters?" He questioned out loud. Meia paused, before shaking her head,

"I don't know. But we're not anything of the sort"

"Is that so…" He was slightly amused at her stubbornness.

"Yes. Monsters don't laugh or cry. They don't feel love or joy. They don't make friends or…" She looked at him and gave a small smile "…or drive out in the middle of the night looking for their stupid students who decide they don't want to come into work..." This made him laugh,

"They don't, do they…"

"We are human, Sephiroth. No matter what…we are still human"

They looked at each others glowing eyes and nodded. Meia's mouth split into a wide yawn and she covered it with her hand.

"You should get some sleep, you look awful" Sephiroth told her gently, standing up and removing his coat from her back. Meia thought about making a comeback but instead shook her head and laid down, where Sephiroth covered her with his coat again. She was asleep quite fast; seemingly the burden of the past few days had lifted a little. He sat beside her and watched her a while, thinking about what she had told him.

Eventually, and to his surprise, his eyes became heavy. Usually, he wasn't so relaxed out in the open or away from home. But the peace that surrounded them was hard to ignore. This time, he was pleasantly calm. His body yearned to lie down and simply drift away so he did so. Meia's soft breathing beside him only acted as a lullaby and the last thing he remembered was gazing at the stars above.

Meia blinked and wondered for a moment where she was. Then the ache behind her eyes set in and her memories came back to her. She was still out in the wilderness. A crisp breeze played across her lips and she rubbed at her nose, which was freezing cold. She sat up, noting the large leather jacket that was keeping her warm. Sephiroth…in her dreams again, the voice was calling to her. But again…it was calling for Sephiroth. She rubbed her face. It didn't sound too happy when he wasn't answering…

A soft, nasal sigh made her look down to her right, at the sleeping form of her friend. He was completely sound asleep. She figured he'd be up first, so it was a surprise. His hair was falling loose from its confides on the back of his head and he had a wonderful haphazard look about him. She giggled slightly. He looked so peaceful.

She rose carefully so as not to wake him and stretched. Her joints popped pleasantly and she rubbed her aches away. It was chilly, so she slipped her arms into her donated jacket and pulled it tight. She wandered over to Sephiroth's ride and was quite impressed. It was a very nice, sleek motorbike. She wondered if it was his…white and chrome, with black accents. It certainly suited him. She circled it; 'Fenrir v0' was printed on its side. She smirked; it wouldn't hurt, would it? Casting a glance backwards, she swung her leg over the beastly machine and sat down on it. I could get used to this…

Sometime later, it was Sephiroth's turn to wake up. Except he wasn't entirely convinced he was awake. He looked up through hazy eyes and blinked sleepily. He could quite happily roll over and drop off again. I used to sleep like this…when I was young…he thought to himself. He brought a hand up to his forehead slowly and rubbed. This defiantly felt more real. So he was awake. Sephiroth sat up slowly and stretched his legs. Aside from a tight scalp caused by his bound hair, he felt fine. Better than fine. He felt perfectly rested and refreshed. Not something that happened often. Usually, when he slept, he would be woken a few times during the night. Dreams, voices…they plagued him, never letting him get a good night's rest. Usually it took utter exhaustion to knock him out like this. So what was different about last night? He closed his eyes and worked his hair free from the bindings he had it in. He rubbed his scalp with his fingertips to restore some feeling, and then he looked around for Meia. She wasn't beside him. He turned around and smirked,

"Playing with toys, Meia?" He said clearly, standing up. Meia jumped at the sound of his voice and stopped fiddling with the controls.

"Ah! You startled me…I guess I am…." She gave him a guilty grin.

"Are you feeling any better?" He asked her.

"I feel less…desperate now. Seems all I needed was someone to listen to me…" She smiled serenely and began running a finger over a chrome trimming on the instruments panel, "I still feel scared…and confused but" She paused and looked at him, "I feel better now some of that burden has been lifted"

Sephiroth cocked his head and smiled slightly. He approached her and placed his hand on her head,

"You have a terrible headache…"

"Mmm, and my eyes feel like swollen thundermelons…" She confessed. Sephiroth sighed and began to heal it for her. She closed her eyes and let him sooth her aches away. She could never admit it to him out of embarrassment, but she did enjoy having her headaches cured by him like this.

"We should get going, before Lazard dies of worry," Sephiroth said quietly, pulling his phone out and turning it on. Straight away several emails arrived, which surprised him somewhat. Since when did Lazard stop trusting him? But upon inspection of the time, it made sense…

"It's…10:23…" He said, astonishment in his voice. Meia, slightly disappointed this distraction interrupted her 'therapy', looked at him,

"Is that so bad?" She said with a yawn and took his phone from him, "What's Lazard want anyway…" She questioned the small device, poking its buttons gently. Sephiroth blinked and removed his hand from Meia's head,

"It's just…unusual…for me to sleep so long"

"You must have been really tired. Or really relaxed, one of the two" She replied, smiling and flicking through Sephiroth's emails. He watched her. Really relaxed was right. He took his phone back and pocketed it, before pulling out a small set of leathers for Meia,

"You don't miss anything, do you…" She mused out loud, letting Sephiroth take his coat back and taking the leathers from him, "Hey…can I drive?"

"Not a chance" He replied with a smile.

"Professor Hojo, the results are back from the hospital"

"Good, send them to my terminal right away"

"Yes sir"

Hojo's mouth split into a wide leer as he entered his office and sat down, locking the door behind him. A moment later, the hospital report was patched through to him by his colleague and he opened it eagerly.

Subject – LeSait, Meia

Classification – Experiment, #18747

The subject is still, so far, showing no signs of rejection from either the J treatment or the S augmentation. Her body has reacted well to the additional dose given together with her mako supplement at the hospital. Indeed, her body healed far faster than that of normal SOLDIER members. Comparative to members of project G.

Hojo was very pleased with these results. Very pleased indeed.

Despite the so-called 'late hour', Sephiroth had been persuaded to take Meia home the scenic route, rather than the well-used roads that led straight to Midgar. He had called Lazard before they set off and Meia was half amused, half shocked when Sephiroth was given an earful by the director. After offering his apologies, he hung up and took them dead south, to the mountain range where he promised her she'd like it. Meia hung on to Sephiroth's waist as he drove them through a cool mountain tunnel. She didn't even know these roads existed. Sephiroth simply said that he's studied far too many maps in his childhood and that he once came out here looking for hot springs.

She looked out at the vast expanse of treetops below the cliff they were currently on and smiled. It was so easy to forget everything when she was with him. His presence comforted her. Made her feel safe. It had been so long since she had felt truly safe. Ironic, she mused, seeing as meeting Sephiroth was the reason she was now in SOLDIER. But she never blamed him, not anymore. Had it been anyone else accompanying her to the reactor that day, she wasn't sure she'd be here now. And for that, she was truly grateful.

Sephiroth slowed as they approached a large bridge connecting two cliffs. He stopped in the middle and let Meia look at the magnificent waterfall that had gouged a deep gorge in the mountain side. She smiled in delight as some of the spray washed over her face. Sephiroth looked as well, lifting his glasses, which had tinted in the sunlight, and setting them to rest on his head.

"Take a good look Meia. Over the next ridge or so Midgar will become visible. I'm sad to say the landscape begins to degrade after that…" He said, gazing at the waterfalls apex. Meia nodded and dismounted delicately, stretching her slightly cramped muscles. She crossed the bridge and looked at the river as it cut its way down below them. The smell was delicious. Fresh, vibrant and alive,

"Thank you. It's so beautiful. Did you ever find any hot springs?"

Sephiroth dismounted also and joined Meia at the guardrail, "Yes, but they aren't on this side of the mountain I'm afraid"

Meia let out a whine of disappointment, "Aww, too bad..." She looked up at him, "Say…one day, will you take me to them?"

He looked down at her wide blue eyes and couldn't help but smile, "Of course I will. Come on, we should keep going. I need to get you home so we can promote you"

She followed him back to the bike and hopped on behind him, circling his waist instinctively as she busied herself with taking one last look at the waterfall. Suddenly she had an idea, and she reached around and past Sephiroth to turn the engine off again.

"Meia…what are you..?" He questioned her, puzzled by her actions. She waved her hands at him and smiled,

"Quick! Get off; can I borrow your phone?" She asked, brushing a lock of hair from her eyes. Sephiroth dismounted and frowned at her, but handed his phone over none the less,

"Come and stand next to me" She asked while flicking through some settings. He did so, still utterly perplexed by her behavior. Suddenly, she stepped closer to him and leaned in, holding his phone up at arm's length,

"Smile for me and I'll buy you dinner…" She grinned up at him. Unable to stay serious faced with her mischief, he did just that and Meia took advantage immediately, snapping a keepsake of them in front of the waterfall. She sent it to herself and handed his phone back to him. Sephiroth shook his head and chuckled, pocketing the phone and remounting the bike. Again Meia circled his waist automatically, taking her last look at the wonderful scenery below.

Sephiroth hesitated after starting the engine again and smiled to himself; He had discovered another thing he didn't mind her doing, despite him hating it usually. He twisted the throttle gently and the bike powered off the bridge and along the road once more. Then he felt her yawn behind him. His heart jumped as she lay against his back and rested her head between his shoulder blades. She then sighed, her whole body relaxing into him, and gave him a gentle squeeze with her arms.

So, Sephiroth thought…this is what it feels like…to be held by someone you care about.

Awww. Such a simple gift means so much to him. ^,^

Next chapter - Meia gets promoted and Sephiroth is forced to attend a social event. Which is vastly uncomfortable for the famous SOLDIER, but maybe it won't be all bad...?

Thank you for reading and as usual, Please reveiw if you have a few minutes to spare. I love the feedback~