Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ Final Fantasy VII: Awakening ❯ The Child Remembers ( Chapter 29 )

The large troupe carrier was empty, save for Elena, the mechanical mog and cat, and the pilot, co-pilot, and navigation team. The blonde woman sat down on one of the benches and set the palms of her hands on her knees.

The roaring of the huge black propellers signaled the craft's eagerness to depart.

"We are go for Wutai drop off." The pilot's voice crackled over the ship's intercom.

Elena swapped out her blue hat for a set of tiny earphones. She attached a tiny microphone to her shirt collar and gave thumbs up to a two-way wall monitor.

"Green light has been given, children we are on our way." The copilot confirmed.

The warplane lurched as it began to taxi down the huge airstrip.

The ex-Turk remembered a quote from one of her numerous self-help books. "Calm blue oceans." she said aloud as the plane began to gain speed. The blue green ocean was easily visible from the porthole on the other side of her.

The tiny black and white cat had a jeweled crown pulled down over its ears. It gave the appearance that it was trembling. The mog seemed to echo the frightened cat's actions. Its purple bat wings flapped to and fro while its giant paws covered its eyes.

The Gelnika was airborne. The island was now only an hour away.

"Cait Sith, come here." Elena snapped her fingers.

The android set perked up and bounded its way over to her. "Yeah."

"I tried to contact home base but the idiots haven't reviewed the tape yet."

"So what do you want from me?" The cat shook its head.

"I want to see its face,” she said plainly and pulled her hat back onto her head.

"The clone?"

"Yes." Chances were Elena was going to have to drop off the Cait Sith unit, kill the clone and bring its remains back for testing…oh, joy. She was not an average delivery person. On days that were not slow, she was part of a unit assigned to search out clones and destroy them. Until four years ago, cloning was something that Shinra kept to themselves. It was not until Sephiroth rematerialized that the general public was introduced to the likelihood of people copied through DNA instead of through the usual human methods of reproduction.

Reluctantly the cat gave in. A small panel in the mog's chest cavity gave way revealing three plug in jacks.

Elena flipped open a door beneath the wall monitor and removed two small black wires. She plugged both ends into corresponding holes in the mog. "This won't hurt a bit." she smiled. She had always felt like saying that.

After flicking a tiny switch, the small monitor came to life. The picture was fuzzy at first but quickly became clearer. Images of people aboard the Highwind, Cid Highwind himself, and others flashed in front of her. The old Cait Sith's memory was playing on the screen. It was not until she saw the face of Sephiroth in one of the flashbacks that she became concerned. She pushed another button to pause the image. "Is that another Sephiroth clone?"

The little black and white cat scratched his head. "No, that's the real article. According to my data, the clone comes in later."

Elena shook her head. How could Sephiroth have been brought back to life? Had he not been dead for close to eight years?

"Here, let me help." the cat pushed another button. The scenes from his data banks played faster this time. Familiar faces rushed by. She could see the ex-Turk known as Vincent Valentine, the little ninja girl Yuffie, the blonde haired ex-SOLDIER Cloud, and the president himself. One face grabbed at her almost as strongly as Sephiroth's had. She paused the screen again. "What the HELL is she doing there?"

The mog scratched at the cat's head. "That's the president's niece,” he said nonchalantly.

The blonde haired woman sat there with her jaw gaping. "She's the President's niece, too?"

Elena had worked with one Lieandra Thompson years ago. She was a Turk when she had met the brown haired Elite for the first time. On several occasions, the two had butted heads. Her co-worker, Reno, had had quite an attraction to her. Tseng was even familiar with the woman. "The bitch." she spat in disdain. The image sped up as she tried to get that particular visage out of her mind.

"We're getting closer." Elena found herself to be so infuriated over the Elite she could not tell whether the voice had come from the pilot or the android. Indifferently, she removed her hat and set it on her lap.

The people were moving so fast. It was hard to tell that all the footage was shot over the span of months and days rather than minutes and seconds.

She laughed when she saw one of the President's temper tantrums. His arms shot out above his head and his fists clenched. It looked like he was yelling at her general, Sasha Tate. Reeve looked like a clown to her, when consumed with rage. His face would turn so red, it was almost as if he was wearing make up. She remembered when he was considered the most peaceful member of the Shinra Empire.

Yet another face sped into her vision. This one left her horrified, when coupled with the reemergence of Sephiroth. The former Turk pushed at the pause, play and stop buttons in rapid succession. "Stop that. Stop that! SLOW IT DOWN, CAT, DAMMIT!”

The cat felt around trying to slow the picture down. "Dammit. Why do humans need six levels of fast forward?! This is closed circuit television…there aren't any commercials."

Finally, the scenes stopped their rapid pace. Elena leaned in closer. "Hmmmm…"

The mog set a paw on its stomach and waved the other around.

"What my colleague is trying to say is, *ahem* that is the clone."

Elena rewound the first few scenes so she was able to see the beginning of the clone's entrance. It felt strange to witness the events that led up to the death of a creature that could almost pass as being human. It was almost as if it were her own death she was reliving.

A black blur whirled around the shoulder of the giant mog. A barely audible mumble emanated through tiny speakers. She recognized the strange sound as a chant to activate some kind of materia. "Stupid mog!” she shook a fist. "Turn around!”

The image of the prior mog finally completed its attempt at turning. The little cat astride its shoulders was dancing.

"Zoom in! Zoom in!” blue and gray flashes of snow shadowed the face of Cait Sith's attacker. The man on camera was brought closer and closer. His short black hair and angular features suggested that he were cloned from someone of Wutai descent.

"I've seen him before,” she stated as the man released an electrical storm.

Elena thought back to the days when the old president had died. Everyone important in Midgar was evacuated when Sephiroth unexpectedly reemerged. She flew in by helicopter with the likes of her teammates, Reeve, and the head of the Shinra Weapons Department, Scarlet. The escape from Midgar had landed them in Junon.

She remembered following her coworkers down a small alleyway and bumping into Reeve's niece and a SOLDIER.

The circumstances of this meeting played through her mind repeatedly.

"Can I help you people?" she asked the duo.

"Who are you?" asked Leira.

"I'm Elena, the newest Turk."

"Aren't you lovely?" The Elite spat.

Elena folded her hands in front of her.

"Leira, is that you?" asked Reno.

The Resident Elite removed her helmet.

"Haven't seen you in years, Wren,” said Klefmon spitefully.

"Timal, my man!" said Reno as he held his hand out to the SOLDIER.

"I wouldn't do that." Leira mumbled as the tall man from Wutai slammed a hard fist into the side of Reno's face.

Rude stepped in between the two men before a brawl could happen.

"What was that for?!" Elena spat.

"It's because she and the SOLDIER have become friends,” said a familiar voice.

Klefmon and Thompson looked up. Coming out of an alleyway was Tseng. The head of the Turks went right up the two Residents. "Timal Klefmon and I are from Wutai."

"So that's the clone,” she said grimly, looking at Cait Sith. "Looks like Hojo was fine with cloning just about anyone."