Hey everyone! Just a quick update here... It has been a little while. I was struggling with some writers block along the way and deciding what I wanted to do next in the story.

Well anyways, I should have another chapter up real soon after this one. Things will be coming into the light!

I don't own Square Enix, Sephiroth, Final Fantasy VII or any of it's content.

Chapter 8: Wutai

We used the fading light of the day to hide ourselves within the forest, making close to no noise as possible. I followed Sephiroth's lead closely and watched my surroundings vigilantly. We were in enemy territory where anything could happen.

It took us a good hour of traversing through the dark to get close to the base. Soft lights shone through the trees as we approached. As soon as we could see the building, Sephiroth stopped us and put his pack on the ground. I followed his suit and we hide them under some leaves. He readjusts his standard issue sword on his back and motions his hand for me to follow.

He led us to the side of the exterior wall where we waited until the guard above had moved away. He jumps up on the tall wall with ease, something that would be impossible for me. He drops a rope down and I climb easily up; the wall was slightly sloped.

Once on top, Sephiroth coils the rope and places it on a spot near the wall, he must have found it there. We quietly vault over the other side and land in the interior of the base. Everything was quite except for the few guards that were around. We easily slunk past the tired Wutians into the actual building.

Sephiroth lead the way through the building as if he had been there before. He must have memorized the map our information gave us. We met a few guards and had a small scuffle but we took them down with ease before they made much noise.

Soon Sephiroth stopped us at a large door, presumably where the leader of the base was. We looked over to me and I nodded. I was ready, my nerves hummed ready for the excitement of the battle that would come.

The doors open slowly to a dimly lit room. It was a fairly simple room; some pillows were spread around in various spots and there was a door that led to somewhere else in the back. Sephiroth take cautious steps into the room surveying the corners. I follow at a slight distance just in case we had to start a battle.

Sephiroth stops mid step and raises his hand. The torches flare to life around the room and a sitting figure is illuminated, his back towards us.

"I knew there were some rats scurrying around. Who knew it would be the one with silver hair…" His accent is fairly good considering his first language was different. He pushes himself off of his knees and grabs the hilt of a very long sword in the process.

When he finally turns, sword extended in his right hand, the room seems incredibly shorter than I first thought. The tip of the blade was still quite a ways away, but the sheer length of it was very imposing.

"Do you like my sword? Its name is Masamune. I had it specially commissioned for me and I have to say that I am the master at using it."

Sephiroth readjusts his standard issue sword in his left hand. "If you are that confident, then stop talking and come fight." The large man in front of us just smirks.

"Kaja, stay back. I don't want you to get in the way." His eyes that meet mine are piercing and I nod taking a step back.

Time stood still for a moment as the two men stared at each other. Their muscles shift and both of them lunge forward in a burst of speed. Their blades lock and I notice a small crack form in Sephiroth's sword. If it got hit again, then it would most likely break.

I grip my sword tightly. Sephiroth told me to stay back and that was an order. But if things got hairy between the two, I would rather die trying to save Sephiroth. He is an important person to the company. Maybe even an important person to me.

As soon as the two regained their footings they launched forward again. I let my body coil and wait for the moment their swords meet and Sephiroth's blade shatters. As soon as I began to move though I was pulled the opposite way. I bring my elbow back to my attacker and meet nothing. Turning on my toes I see a fully garbed Wutian warrior several feet away from me.

Without any hesitation I charge at him, my blade pointed directly at him. He easily blocks my attack and pushes me to the side. I regain my footing just in time to redirect his weapon away from my side. I see him move and the next thing I know his weight is on the end of my blade, his face full of shock.

His body crumples to the floor in a heap. Some sort of sick joy spreads through my body. I had killed a man, and the worst part was that I felt no remorse over it. That scared me to no end.

I snap out of my stupor and pick up the fallen Wutian's spear. "Sir," Sephiroth looks over again and I hold out the spear. He nods and I toss it over. Sephiroth twists out of the hold and deftly catches the spear in swift movement. Taking a stance he lunges forward and catches the man off guard.

The man's glare was very clear even with his smile. "Little strokes fell great oaks," his voice was thick with blood.

"You are finished, there is nothing left that you can do." Sephiroth's voice sends a chill down my spine.

The man laughs again and looks Sephiroth directly in the eye. "Your pride will be your downfall, Sephiroth." The man's eyes meet mine and a vile smile spreads farther across his face.

My hand flies to the back of my neck suddenly, a sharp pain digging in. I rip a dart out of my skin. "Sephiroth," said person turns around and immediately tunes into the item in my hand. Without warning the world spins and everything turns dark.

Shoot.

I had to have been just stupid enough to let my guard down in enemy territory. The scene kept replaying in my head over and over again since I was not waking up. Maybe if I had just a little more careful things would have ended up different. Perhaps I'm not ready to be a 2nd class SOLDIER. When I wake up, I would have to talk to Lazard because I don't think it is appropriate to be in such a level and make such stupid mistakes. I did move through 3rd class at an unusual rate.

And that guy… I can't stop thinking about what I did. I still can't really believe that I just killed a person. His face full of shock… Ugh! Stop thinking about it!

Sephiroth must be pretty mad at me. First I don't address him properly and then I let the whole mission slide. I wouldn't be surprised if he would request to never pair him with me in a mission ever again. That or tell Lazard to demote me. Or maybe fire me.

The image I kept seeing suddenly changed. The light hurt my eyes, maybe I was waking up? I saw some nameless faces of people dressed in white, but as soon as the images had come, they were gone once again.

My mind wandered to how I had gotten myself into this mess to start with. Why did I want to join SOLDIER? What force inside my head drove me to keep fighting? I didn't know. I remember waking up that time in the hospital wing of Shin-Ra feeling weak, but before that I couldn't remember. If I thought hard enough, it felt as though the memories where there but just out of reach taunting me with their knowledge.

I really wish I knew though, I really did. I felt a little lost, and it was disorienting not really knowing who I was.

A bright light slowly burns into my vision forcing me awake. I hear hushed voices, speaking lines of what sounded like nonsense to me. Did that poison affect me that much? I listen carefully and come to another conclusion; they are speaking a language that is somewhat familiar to me. A shadow steps over me.

Their face is foreign to me, definitely of Wutian decent. He is examining me, maybe to figure me out? "Your body, is odd." He tells me through an accent. I tilt my head slightly. He shakes his head. "I mean that the process of you becoming a SOLDIER makes your body odd. It is like your genetic makeup was twisted somehow."

My eyebrows knit together. "Who are you?" I ask quietly.

"My name is Fuhito. I am a scientist for Wutai."

I jerk and try to spring from the bed but restraints held me down. "Wutai!?" Shoot, not only was a poisoned, but I let myself be captured. I needed to get out and back to Sephiroth. He will definitely not be please of my situation at all though.

I look at my restraints over my body and find them to be leather. Not an easy material to break free from, but easier than metal. Maybe I could break free, no—I had to break free. Sephiroth was waiting for me.

I glare at all of the men glaring at me and brace myself, using muscles I didn't know I had and pushed myself upwards, stretching the leather. I let out a grunt and the straps snap away.

I take a few breaths, and survey the Wutian men around me. They all had moved back. So they didn't think I could have broken out. I slide off the metal table and regain balance on the ground. I was thankful that I still had my uniform on, and to my surprise, my phone still in its secure inner pocket. I would have thought that they would have taken that.

"I'm leaving," I tell them definitively. They look at each other but don't move out of the way. I sigh. "Please move aside." They still didn't move. "Very well, we do this the hard way."

I launch myself at them using the hand to hand skills I had learned on them. I didn't really want to kill them, just make them unable to follow me. I left them knocked out on the floor of the examination room except for one. I pull him up by the collar.

"You are going to take me to the exit," he claws at my hands with fear. "Now." I let go and grab a scalpel off of a table and press it to his back. "Exit, now." I repeat, hoping he would understand. He puts up his hands but I do not lower the small blade, I would not be taking any more chances.

The man leads me through the corridors to thankfully the exit without running into too many people. Those people were left unconscious on the floor so they could not alert whoever was in charge here. I knock the man unconscious with the blunt end of the knife and start running through the forest.

I take my phone out of my pocket while I run and thankfully there is a weak signal. Maybe I could get a message out to Sephiroth if not a phone call.

I decided to try calling him first. I take a deep breath before pressing send.

To my surprise I got through, I stopped running immediately. "This is Sephiroth."

"Sir! I'm so sorry!"

"Miss Hayes? Where are you?"

"I don't know, Sir." I look around. "I am in some sort of forest. I was in some sort of compound but I just escaped."

"Alright, stay there I am going to track your phone so hold on."

"Sir, no offense, but I am still fairly close to the compound and I would like to get further away. I don't fancy going back to being strapped to a table. I would prefer to keep moving."

I hear him sigh. "Very well. Keep moving. If we encounter any problems we will call to ask you to keep still."

"Thank you, Sir. I will see you soon." I hear the line end and I put my phone back in its location inside my uniform and start running again. The forest was quiet, which was good. I couldn't hear any pursuers which was another plus.

Before long I heard the whirring of a helicopter off in the distance. I slowed to a walk and caught my breath thankful that Sephiroth was on his way. The shadow of a helicopter covered me and I look up through the tree tops. A ladder was dropped and low and behold, there was Sephiroth coming down the rope.

"Sir!" I give him a salute.

"Relax," he orders me. "Come on and get in!" I followed him up the ladder, so thankful that he found me with ease.

I take a seat opposite of him once he closes up the door and start back home. I take a deep sigh of relief.

"Looks like we both lost a blade this mission," his voice stirs my attention. It is his turn to take a deep breath. "Miss. Hayes—"

"Sir," I stop him short. "I am so sorry. The mistake I made was inexcusable. I will accept all of my punishments."

"Miss. Hayes. I appreciate the sentiments, but it is not up to me what happens to you. Procedures dictate that you will be monitored and also put on hold from major missions. Aside from that, it is up to the Director."

"I am sorry," tell him, looking into the palms of my hands.

"Everyone makes mistakes, Miss. Hayes. Just be sure to learn from them." I look up at him. He said something very insightful. Completely unlike the cold, murderous person who would one day try to kill everyo—. Wait. What?

Immediately my head bursts into a white hot throbbing pain, making every bit of my consciousness disappear.

Ah, things are getting to the exciting part!

I thank you all in advance for reading/reviewing. Next up: Memories Return