Fan Fiction ❯ Final Fantasy VII: Shadowed Illusions, Final Destination ❯ Chapter 1

"For the third time, Aeris...WAKE UP!" Cloud banged on his daughter's door. Salira did not answer. Instead, she placed her pillow over her head to drown out the banging sound and moaned loud enough for Cloud to hear. "Okay that does it!" he yelled, backing up to break down the door, "On the count of three, I'm going to bust the door down. If you want to have a door to your room, you better open this door now!" Salira continued to ignore her father's yelling and did not move. "One..." Cloud started counting, getting ready to run, "...two...three!" He took off with great speed, ramming into the door and breaking the top hinge off. Cloud backed up a bit and rammed into the door once more. He and the door fell with a loud *thud*. Continuing to ignore all of this, Salira just pulled her blankets over herself. Cloud stood up and instantly pulled all the sheets off the bed. "GET UP AERIS!"

Half asleep, Salira sat up. "I want to sleep," Salira softly spoke, rubbing her eye. The end of her sentence turned into a yawn. Cloud was already rummaging through her closet for some clothes. He finally pulled out a pair of pants and a shirt, tossing them hard in Salira's direction. Salira was too tired to catch the clothes, let alone she was not paying any attention, so the clothes smacked her in the face, causing her to fall backwards and onto the floor. "OW!" she yelped once she slammed onto the floor. Now more awake, Salira stood up with the clothes in her hands. "That's what you get for not being awake, and also for not waking up when the alarm goes off. Now get dressed and meet me in the living room," Cloud softly remarked, leaving the room. As he left, Salira sent him a dirty look. She, herself, left the room and into the bathroom to get ready.

 

Cloud entered the living room and sat down on the couch next to a short, black haired female, whom seemed to be laughing quietly at him. "What?" Cloud asked.

"Does this happen every morning?" she replied.

"If you mean staying up late the night before with another friend, then yes."

"So much trouble just to wake your own daughter up. I bet ya her friend's parents are having the trouble too. Ha! I'm glad I'm only visiting!"

"Yuffie, don't push it. Besides, you are staying for a few months. Remember?"

"..." Yuffie remained quiet. She forgot that she said she would be staying in the house for a while. Slowly, Yuffie stood up and stretched. "Hey at least she ain't mine," she added before going into the kitchen. Cloud just shook his head in a will-she-ever-learn way and sighed. He leaned back in the couch and relaxed, with a thought in his mind.

 

Salira reentered her room, calmly and in a steady pace. She made her way to the edge of her bed and sat down, facing her dresser. For a house this decent in the slums of Midgar, Salira never fussed about anything. Even one of her friends, Lega Yahto, was lucky enough to live in a decent house. Not to mention the ability to go to school that's located in the nearest city, Kalm. However, there is one disadvantage to living in Midgar, NeoShinRa. A company that was hopefully never to return, but somehow did. Running by someone that was once said to be dead after the Diamond Weapon's attack in Midgar, Rufus Shinra. Him and a few Turks reestablished Midgar, in hopes of finding Cloud Strife and killing him. They don't realize that Cloud has been living under their noses for sometime now. However, a Turk known as Reno has spotted Salira among Midgar often, and NeoShinRa knows, as well, that she's Cloud's daughter.

Salira reached over to her dresser and grabbed a ring and a necklace off it, soon putting them on when she sat up straight. As she sat up straight, she wondered how her friend, Lega, was. She hadn't heard from in him a while since their week break from school came. It was already the end of the week, with no call from him. Salira looked at her clock on the wall. The clocked showed it was 12 o'clock PM. By now Lega is for sure to be up, Salira thought to herself. She always starts a day off with her friend Lega somewhere around the city and thought that maybe he wanted to take a walk around Midgar. Salira turned over and reached for her phone that sat on a desk next to her bed, soon dialing her friend's number. It rang for a while before it was picked up.

"Hello?" responded a young man's voice in his early teens.

"Hey, Lega?" Salira answered back.

"Oh, hey Salira! Sorry I haven't called you in awhile. My aunt restricted the phone for awhile. So how have you been lately?" asked Lega.

"Fine you can say. The usual. Just bored. What about you?"

"Besides limited to the phone...okay...I guess. You slept in?

"What gave you the first clue?" Salira remarked sarcastically.

"The sound of your voice," Lega played along.

"Hey, I was wondering. You want to go walk around the sector and hang out at the usual?"

"Sure, I have nothing better to do anywhom. I'll stop by your house in ten. Just let me get ready."

"Okay, later."

"Bye, Salira."

 

Salira hung up the phone and sat up. She paused for a few seconds then stood up, stretching as well. She began to walk out of the room and into the living room, in a rather fast pace. When she reached the living room, Cloud noticed his daughter's quickness as Salira moved quickly around the house, making sure she was not too sloppy in appearance. "Aeris, what made you rush all of a sudden?" Cloud asked, with a small laugh; he had a slight idea of why she was rushing. His eyes followed Salira as she moved from the kitchen and back, then running to another room as if she forgot something. He could help but laugh to himself. "Me and Lega are going to walk around for awhile and hang out," Salira answered, continuing to run back and forth. She did not notice Yuffie, who happened to be walking in her direction, and bumped into her.

"Hey there, girl. Don't push your limits, okay. You're fine. Just go sit down," Yuffie requested directing Salira to sit down.

"Sorry, Lady Yuffie-"

"Please it's just Yuffie. I only let one person call me 'Lady Yuffie' and that happens to not be you."

"Okay, Yuffie," Salira replied with a smile. She sat down next to her father and gave out a rather large sigh. Cloud just looked at his daughter.

"Never seen you act like this unless Lega is coming by for something," he joked.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Salira answered.

"It means that you like him," Yuffie smirked.

"I do not!" Salira retaliated back.

"Sure, whatever you say..." Yuffie teased. Salira just gave a sarcastic look to Yuffie. Sure she and Lega hang out together, but she never did think him as...well...more then a friend.

"Don't listen to Yuffie, Aeris. She's just playing with you," Cloud replied just before a knock on the door was heard. "Betcha that's for you. Come back before five, understand?"

"Yes, father," Salira answered as she got up and walked to the door. She opened the door and Lega stood in front of her with a small box in his hands. "Hey Lega!"

"Um...this is for you. Happy Birthday," Lega remarked, handing the box in his hands to Salira. Salira took it gently and opened it. A silver bracelet laid at the bottom of the box; it had a few crystals on it as well. Salira smiled and hugged Lega. "Thanks." Lega returned her hug. Yuffie came up to the two and tapped Salira on the shoulder. "Hey time's running out. I'll put your present in your room, just go on and have fun," Yuffie suggested with a smile. Salira nodded and handed the box to Yuffie. She then left with Lega and headed to their usual hangout, the church that is located not to far from where she lives.

 

 

Salira sat on the arm of a bench in the small church that she and Lega usually hangout at, and watched as her friend made a fool of himself. Lega stood on the back part of some other bench and found his balance. Within seconds, he began to jump from the back part of the bench to another, and another, back and forth. Salira could not help but laugh as he made silly faces as well.

"You're going to fall sooner or later. You know that, don't you Lega?" Salira remarked.

"If I fall, then I fall," Lega answered back. Salira continued to laugh at him as he played around some more.

Lega Yahto has been Salira's friend since he moved in three years ago. Since his first day in Midgar, Lega has been more sociable and free-spirited. Both him and Salira go to the same school in Kalm, a town not very far from Midgar. He is still rather shy when it comes to meeting others, but if you get on his bad side, you'll wish it never happened.

After awhile, Salira got up without Lega noticing and walked up behind him. He was already in the back of the room, but Salira did not care. Lega turned to where he last saw Salira to say something to her, but when he looked, he saw just an empty bench. "Uh...Salira?" he asked quite loudly, "Where'd you go?" Quietly, Salira came up behind and surprised him by reaching up and touching his shoulder. "Whoa!" Lega jumped. He instantly lost his balance. As he was about to fall over, Lega grabbed Salira's arm and tugged her down with him.

They tumbled to the ground laughing aloud. Lega had his hand on Salira's shoulder. His dark green hair covered most of his face while his emotion build with laughter. "See...I told...you...that you...would fall!" Salira remarked, letting a few laughs escape her when she paused. Lega retaliated, though it was interrupted by his own laughs, "Yeah...but you're the...one...who pushed me!" They continued to laugh for a few more minutes then began to calm down. During a moment of silence, Lega looked at Salira. Their eyes made contact with each other. It was the first time he noticed the color of Salira's eyes. They were a pure blue, just like her father's. Her eyes even had a glow to them, which made Lega wonder. He sat up and relaxed while he waited for Salira to sit up.

"Hey, are you sure that you aren't related to Cloud? You keep telling me, but I can see relations between the two of you," Lega remarked.

"What do you mean?" Salira asked.

"I don't know if you've noticed it yourself yet. But you and your dad have the same color eyes, hair color..."

"So, it's possible for that to happen. Even if-"

"And your eyes have the same eerie glow as Cloud's. Now if you ask me, that's really not possible at all."

"Huh? What are you talking about, Lega? My eyes don't glow."

"I'll have to show you when I get the chance," Lega finished. He stood up and brushed off his pants.

Lega then held his hand out to Salira and helped her up. All of a sudden, Salira became alert. Her eyes instantly searched the church as if she knew someone was there. Lega looked at her for a split second, then in the direction Salira was looking in. It was quiet for awhile, with only a faint sound of footsteps, when Salira spoke softly, "Someone's coming. Come on, Lega." Lega had a strange feeling about this. He grabbed Salira's hand and made his way to the frames in the attic area, bringing Salira along with him. They stood quietly on a post reaching across as they watched down below. In no time as they got up there, two people entered. "Turks?!" Salira mumbled quietly to herself. She began to wonder why they were here.

The Turk that was ahead of the two had dark red hair that was pulled back. He wore a pair of goggles around his head as well. The other one's hair reached his shoulders with a blonde-ish, brown color. He had a black, leather choker around his neck with a long chain hanging down from the center. They both wore a dark suit, both in a somewhat careless way. The red head turned to face the Turk behind him, "Damn it, Naki. You said the kid went in here! Well I don't see her anywhere in this building! Shit, I told Rufus not to go hiring a bunch of sixteen and seventeen year old kids. But what does he do...he hires about ten. Even a fifteen year old chick as well. Just great!" He paused for a minute then started again, "At least there are a few decent ones, even though there are damn fucking mess ups. You; the youngest one, Mayona, and the one whom I keep forgetting the damn name of. But you three corporate well enough for young people."

The one that was called Naki only seemed to growl softly at the remark. "Reno, all you do is fucking complain," he sneered to himself. Naki looked up as if he saw movement above him. Nevertheless, Reno easily distracted his attention.

"What did you just say, Naki?!"

"It was nothing, sir," Naki calmly answered. However, he knew that Reno had heard what he just said. Reno just smirked at him, soon entering in a small evil, dark laugh.

"All I do is complain?" Reno remarked sarcastically, "Hell, you complain every damn time Mayona's near, and vice versa. You two assholes are at each other's throats every fucking time you get the damn chance. In addition, do not go saying that I don't know what it is like being partnered with a bitch in ninety-five percent of the time. Elena was much worse. At least Mayona has some sense in her. The little shit looks like Valentine if you ask me."

“Don't go saying that in front of her face. She'll blow a fuse,” Naki replied with a grin, “One of the new Turks already mentioned that, and I got to witness it myself.”

A soft thud echoed the room. The attention of the two Turks were focused and their eyes instantly lock on the piece of wood that had fallen from the ceiling, which had already been clouded by dust. As the dust cleared, Reno looked up to see Lega, dangling from a broken post that was hanging, and Salira, who was trying to help Lega. Reno's eyes met with Salira's. Her face expressed an “oops” look. She didn't realize that when she accidentally walked into Lega, he would fall over and brake a post as he grabbed it. But it happened and now they were caught. As Salira and Reno were locked down in a deep stare, Lega made his way back up. “Salira, let's get out of here,” Lega whispered in Salira's ear. Her attention altered. Lega, keeping his balance, walked quickly across the thin, thick frames of the attic area. Salira shortly followed. "Go through the small opening in the roof up ahead," Salira whispered up to Lega, careful not to let the Turks below hear.

"Don't just stand there. Finish the fucking job!" Reno demanded at Naki, getting a quick start on running, chasing the kids above. Naki wasn't too far behind. He grabbed an empty gun from the holster at his side, hidden by the jacket of his suit. As well as grabbing three full bullets, inserting one in the process. "Time to enfeeble the damn prey," Naki mumbled. He stopped to aim the gun, just above the running kids, to a point where two posts weakly connected; the posts were to a point that anything, if angled right, could snap the support and cause that section of the attic to collapse. Suddenly there was a loud boom, the end of Naki's gun was covered in smoke. The bullet rapidly dug in between the weak posts and snapped the support. Unfortunately, both Lega and Salira were on the beam that went across, or at least Salira was. As the beam collapsed below her, she went with it.

Lega turned around, for he feared something went wrong, to see Salira as she grabbed the very edge of the broken beam with one hand. She dangled a distance off of the ground, a good distance to where, if she fell, it could mean serious head injury. Lega knew he was too far to help her, and even if he did manage to get there in time, he too would have been shot by one of the Turks. "SALIRA!" Lega screamed in worry. "Lega...Keep going! Go get help if possible!" Salira answered, sounding as though she wasn't scared; however, she was. Lega couldn't believe what she told him: 'keep going!'. He wanted to run and get help, but he just couldn't leave Salira helpless and alone. He'd rather give his life for her then anything else. "No, I'm staying! I won't leave you!" Lega called back. He was desperate to find a way to help her. Naki and Reno soon began to catch up right below them. Each Turk began to load their guns. "She's gonna fall," Naki remarked, with a small dark laugh.

 

---

 

"Cloud! Did you hear that?! It sounded like a gun shot," Yuffie exclaimed as a gunshot echoed in the sky. Both her and Cloud scanned the streets that they have walked on since Salira left. Something wasn't right, Cloud could tell. They looked at each other with a confounded look. "It can't be them, can it?" Yuffie asked, though in her mind, it was definite. "I mean, there's no way they finally caught up. Right?" Cloud could only shake his head. He didn't want to believe that it was them, but something in his mind knew it was.

"It was in that direction, Yuffie. Both kids are there. Somehow I think they're back. Get the Shuriken ready, we're checking it out," Cloud answered, getting his large blade ready on his back. Yuffie nodded as she readied her weapon. It was much like a pinwheel with four sharp blades. She gripped the center of it and followed Cloud. As they ran to the church, Yuffie remarked, "I hope we make it in time."

 

---

 

Salira began to lose her grip and Lega wasn't able to think of anything to help. Salira grunted as she tried to reach the beam with her other hand, but no luck. Her arm began to tire and hurt. She had no idea how long she would be able to hold herself for now. All she could hope for was some miracle. Why were the Turks after her? Salira wanted to know that answer so badly, just not in first person. Reno raised his gun and aimed at Salira. As instantly as he aimed, he fired. The bullet barely missed Salira off to the right. But intentionally, Reno hoped it would spook the girl so she'd fall. Sadly, it didn't spook Salira, but it did to Lega; he insanely lost his balance and fell off of the beam and into some benches, causing them to stumble under him because of the force and his weight.

Just then, a spinning disk interrupted Reno as he aimed at her again. The disk knocked the gun out of his hands and against the wall, as well as the disk. Reno caught a quick glance at the disk keeping his gun against the wall with one it's four blades piercing the wall. It took him not only a second to realize whom it belonged to. "Man, have I hoped you guys stayed out of business," Yuffie taunted, dashing straight at Reno. Reno stepped aside to let her pass. Continuing to run, Yuffie went to her shuriken that was embedded into the wall, letting Reno's gun drop.

Salira's grip began to loosen even more. Right below her, Naki stood, ready to catch her; but because he's a Turk, Salira wouldn't take the chance. And no one was up with her to grab her if she happened to let go. She knew that she wasn't able to last much longer, or at least her strength wouldn't.

Running into the scene, Cloud looked up, seeing his daughter dangling from above and knowing of the free Turk. Naki noticed Cloud immediately and his attention went to him. "Well, if it isn't Strife? Man, are you in a fucking dilemma, are you not?" he teased.