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Disclaimer: 1

All Final fantasy characters and locations are the exclusive property of Square Enix and do not belong to me.

Every thing else is me and my friends.

Ch 7. Mission to Spira part 2. Technical Difficulties

As one they moved forward. It didn't take long for them to meet the first foot patrol. Five soldiers met the same bloody end that there two friends had met the day before. And like the day before Xavier loped off there left ear, and put it on his necklace. Now the rest of the team shared "Z" thought. Xavier has defiantly gone off the deep end.

As silent as death the team moved along the top of Mushroom rock road taking out any Mi'ihen soldier they came across. It was hard moving quietly in one big group, and at times Xavier thought he was moving with a freight train. But no one below them paid any attention to them.

But eventually the inevitable did happen, and they came across a foot patrol that was larger than they were. To make the situation worse they had a war Mech with them.

As one they moved on the foot soldiers, and they easily took them out. But when it came to the War Mech it took a lot of team work. It took a while but finally they took it down. They learned very quickly that lightning spells effectively healed it. But the fight ended up being a blessing in disguise for the ensuing explosion of the Mech put the base on high alert, and almost every foot patrol converged on the location of the fight.

And they were right with in moments a large number of Mi'ihen descended on the scene of the fight. But team X-treme was nowhere to be found. As quickly, and quietly as they could they made their way to the door. However when they got there it was far from unprotected. Xavier counted ten soldiers, and one very large war Mech.

Xavier issued orders using hand signals. He signaled what he wanted every one to do and that he wanted it quiet. As one they leapt from the foliage and started attacking. As to his orders "Z", Drake, and Drew started to take out the soldiers, while Ava, clip and himself started on the war Mech.

"Z" threw her self at the nearest two soldiers. Her fists and feet did her talking for her. Drew took careful aim and put nice neat holes in the heads of three more. The rest was trying their best to get a lock on Drake. But he was up in the air and down again before they could even remotely get a lock on him.

Xavier didn't know why, but he found the design of the war Mech oddly familiar. As they attacked it he could swear he heard music from the command module. Ava put every thing she had into her spells, going out of her way to avoid those that had any kind of electrical properties. Clip concentrated as hard as he could while he preformed his white magic. The first thing he did was cast protect on Xavier, and Ava. He had to cast cure a few times too as Xavier moved in on the thing over, and over again with blinding speed.

With out warning the Mech took a swing at Xavier that he couldn't see he was so preoccupied. But Clip saw, and quickly drew a bead on the joint of the arm. With a loud crash the entire arm fell to the ground useless. With a brief glance Xavier saw what Clip had hit and charge the other arm aiming at a cluster of hoses and wires. Xavier did a quick dodge roll out-of-the-way as the arm fell to the ground, spraying fluids and sparks every where. Simultaneously Xavier and Ava cast fire spells at where the arms had been attached. The fluids caught fire instantly, and with a deafening explosion the War Mech blew up. The only thing left was a little of the frame, and the command capsule.

Cautiously they approached it. But before they could get with in ten feet of it Xavier stopped dead in his tracks and yelled for every one to get down. But before his words could register with the rest of his team the thing exploded. Every one was through back by the force of the attack.

Xavier looked up from where he laid on the ground stunned. He had been prepared for any thing, because anything was possible in Spira. But this had caught him by surprise. The explosion had been caused by a Mako attack. Mako being used like that in Spira, Xavier had never heard of it. But what he saw next shocked him even more.

A man completely dressed in black exited the Mech, and with him he carried a six foot long katana. Xavier watched in horror as the man brushed a stray strand of his waist length silver hair from in front of his glowing Aqua-blue eyes. As he moved away from the Mech his Black long coat blew open to show his well muscled body.

Slowly team X-treme made it to there feet, trying as best they could to get it together for this new threat. The man stopped his advance and just stared at them. His eyes missed nothing as he gave every one the once over. When he finally spoke his voice was as smooth as silk, it sent chills through every one.

"So this is Team X-treme, I don't see the big deal."

Xavier could feel the Mako pouring off of this man. But he refused to believe for a second that he was who he appeared to be.

"I know who you are trying to be, and it is very convincing, but impossible at the same time. You just can't be, because he is dead several times over" Xavier had to work very hard to keep his voice from shaking. He didn't need to feel the Mako to know that this man was dangerous.

"Oh is that so." He sounded amused

"You of all people Xavier Lofbrah should know that any thing is possible. Especially in Spira."

The man laughed.

"Go on Xavier tell them who you think I am. Tell them what you refuse to believe. Because I will tell you, it is possible. My mistress has brought me back. And even Cloud knows it."

As one his team looked at him as he tried to digest what he just heard.

"You are Sephiroth of Midgar."

Xavier felt sick as the man laughed again.

"Yes I am. See you could do it. And you piss ants are Ava Rei, Drew Roberts, Drake Gryphonys, Cliphord "Clip" Creedington, Zella "Z" Dincht, and of course the one who has been every where, and trained under every one Xavier Lofbrah."

The man laughed again.

"But as skilled as you are, you will not survive."

"We might surprise you." This from Drake.

Xavier wanted to kick him in the ass. He knew damn well his team was dead where it stood. The man drew his sword with a slow deliverance that had the effect he desired. He knew that Xavier could feel the Mako in him, as he could feel the Mako in Xavier. He had to admit for some one not born of Midgar; Xavier had a lot of Mako. He could also tell that the Black Mage Ava could sense his power also, but didn't know what it was just that it was there.

Xavier watched as Sephiroth brought the Masamune up to about head level and pointed the tip in his teams' general direction. He gave his team credit they didn't back down. They even looked eager to prove this man they had never heard of wrong. With out hesitation Xavier dropped down into his own fighting stance. Sephiroth sneered. With no warning Sephiroth charged. The land around them ignited as he rushed

"SIN HARVEST!"

The world went black as they lapsed into oblivion.

SOMEWHERE DARK

Xavier tried to open his eyes, but shut them tight as soon as he did. From his brief glance he was surrounded by several large flood lights that were pointed right at his face. He had to admit that it was damn hot having all those lights pointed right at him.

"Ok, I get it, you got me. Do we have to have the lights on me though? As inventive as it is. This is entirely way too much over kill, and I will more than likely die of dehydration before you ever get any use full information out of me."

He could hear some people talking under their breaths not to far away. After a bit the flood lights were turned off. Xavier could instantly feel his body start to cool off. He took this time to open his eyes. It was still too bright for him to open them much, but he got enough info to know that who ever had him knew what they were doing.

He was hanging from a support beam, his fingers and arms were restrained well. He was also shackled tightly to the ground. They even went as far as to strip him to his boxer shorts. To say he felt a little chill was an under statement.

"So are we going to get down to business or what?"

Else where near by

Drake looked up from where he had been sitting as soon as he heard Xavier's voice. They hadn't been put in the same cells, but they were close enough to see what was going on. Drake stood up as best he could, trying to work feeling back into his knees. They had concreted him to the floor. Very inventive. He tried to move his legs. But the concrete that encased his legs up to his knees wouldn't budge. He was pissed though. Not only had they stripped him down to nothing. He laughed at this because he was now wearing a jock strap. He could only imagine the shock when they removed his pants and found him commando. So he would have to clean the concrete out of his scales for a good long time. But they had also concreted his tail in there too.

As he sat there he could see a small patch of white start to creep along the floor

A little further up the hall

Clip couldn't help but laugh as he watched his family spell work its way across the floor. He had managed to work the gag out of his mouth. He knew why he had been gagged but his white magic couldn't have helped him now any way. As for torture he didn't know, but they were doing a stellar job so far.

He was chained to a wall in nothing but his boxer shorts, and a gag. And right across from him glaring a hole through his head was Ava. Also chained and gagged to a wall, in nothing but her under garments.

Clip could tell that she was pissed with the situation. Not only because she was in the same cell as Clip, or because she was bound and gagged as thus unable to cast any spells. But almost naked and chained to a wall, with no way to cover her self from Clips eyes. A lot of people were going to get nuked for this. First and fore most Clip. Avas' eyes shot open in horror, she instantly shut her eyes.

"What?" clip asked frantically whipping his head around to see what had so horrified her.

He couldn't see anything.

"What?" he asked again

Ava made little jerking motions at him. Clip started to look at him self than he saw it. And turned eleven shades of red. There in all of its glory was his mighty white staff, pocking out of his boxers.

Yet further down the hall

Drew hung from the wall worried. Not because she couldn't use her magic or her guns, or that she was almost completely nude. But "Z", she was unconscious, and just as nude as she was.

They had chained her to a large box like thing that had held her with her arms and legs holding the box, ass high in the air. They had then taken a large wooden paddle and started asking her questions, and every time she refused they hit her as hard as they could. Most of the blows landed on her ass, or back.

If "Z" had felt any of it, she couldn't tell. "Z" hadn't screamed once. She had even asked if they wanted her to show them how it was done correctly. They had hit her several times as hard as they could in her face. To her benefit she had passed out. But now there was a growing puddle of her blood pooling around the box.

It took them four, or five more swings to realize that she had passed out. Slowly they had made their way out of the cell. Drew just watched the slow rise and fall of "Z's" back. She was happy that "Z" was at least still breathing.

"Did they leave yet?"

Drew was shocked. "Z" was still awake.

"Are you ok, "Z"?" Drew asked trying to get a better look at "Z".

"I've had worst."

Drew watched as "Z" flexed her arms and legs. With a mighty jerk "Z" freed her right arm. The bolt flew out of the box, and her right arm returned to where it had hung. Drew watched "Z" struggle to do the same with her left arm and her legs. But it didn't work.

"Z" took a few moments to think about her situation. Her body ached and wasn't working right. She was pretty sure her nose was broken, if any thing else was she had no clue. "Z" took several deep breaths and focused her energy. With all her might "Z" drove her knees and elbows in to the box repeatedly. It took a few hits, but eventually the box started to crumble. Drew realized that it was made out of some sort of stone. With a loud crack the box shattered. Slowly "Z" stood up Bruised and bleeding. Painfully she turned towards Drew, with four shards of stone in her hand. With blinding speed the stone fragments left "Z" hands, and broke open Drews bonds. "Z" instantly lapsed into oblivion. She didn't even feel her self hit the sharp stone shards that covered the ground.

Xavier's cell

Xavier felt his blood flow from his body as he was struck again, and again with a whip. He had no information to give them, and he seriously thought they were still flogging him just to please themselves. So he hadn't given them the pleasure of hearing him scream.

If any thing good had come of the situation, Xavier learned that there were three in the cell. His restraints on his hands weren't that strong, one good hit would shatter them. And the anchor of the floor chains was loose in the ground.

So he waited for them to stop and catch there breath before he acted. With all of his effort Xavier curled his body up. With an audible pop the anchor flew out of the ground. Xavier's eyes flew open. He bit back the scream as much as possible, but if he was going to beat his captors he needed to see them.

One immediately ran at him, but Xavier was faster. With blinding speed his legs whipped forward and wrapped the chain around the person's neck. With a great effort Xavier balled his body up crushing the guys head in to the ceiling. While balled up Xavier placed his feet firmly against the ceiling and pulled.

With an audible crack the anchor tore out of the ceiling. By this time the other two realized what was happening and charged in at Xavier. Xavier let his momentum carry him around as he fell, bringing the restraints on his hands to their final destination on top of ones head. As he thought they easily shattered.

The last one found the situation futile and made for the door. But Xavier was quicker. With a flick of his wrist he sent the chain flying. It quickly wrapped around the last guards neck. Xavier gave a quick jerk that brought the guard flying back in to the opposite wall. The guard was dead before he hit the wall.

Xavier took several shaky steps before he couldn't move any more. His escape was brought up short by the sheer lack of energy. Every last reserve had been expended to survive thus far. And his escape had used the last of it. No more Manna, no more Chakra, no more Mako, nothing. Xavier's eyes rolled into the back of his head as the void took him.

Clip and Ava's cell

Clip was getting anoid. If this was torture, their captors sucked. Sure he was still embraced that he had been aroused, and Ava was still not looking at him. But no beatings, no grilling questions. Hell he had more punishment back on the farm than this.

All at once there was a commotion out side their door. Several shots were fired, and bodies hit the floor. Then the door flew open, and there was Drew just as nude as Ava, and himself. She had a very over stuffed pouch of holding hanging off her hip, one of her guns in hand, and a barley alive "Z" hanging off her shoulder.

As gently as she could she let "Z" fall to the floor. Then she whipped out her other gun and with four simultaneous shots freed Clip, and Ava.

"Thank you Drew." Clip said rubbing his wrists.

Drew didn't say any thing. But all at once she pointed a very shaky gun right at him.

"Save her!" Her voice cracked under the strain she was exerting to keep it together. Clip didn't even question as he knelt beside "Z" and started to pray as fast, and as hard as he could.

Drew finally collapsed to her knees, and with shaky hands started to unload her pouch of holding.

"Come on Drew let's get the fuck out of here." Ava said tugging on her friend's arm.

Draw yanked her arm away and went back to work. She was neatly folding "Z's" cloths in to a neat pile.

"Drew what's wrong, let's go."

Drew hurled Ava's cloths at her. When Ava looked at her best friend she didn't recognize her. Her furry was so clear in her face and features that Ava actually flinched.

"We are captured, and one of our team mates has nearly died while trying to save us, and you wanna fucking leave. Like, like this is some sort of field trip. We may just be SeeD candidates, but we are part of a team now. A real team, on a real mission. And our team mates need us. One of them is now dyeing, and she is doing so because she put her self before her desires as to save me. And you just wanna leave them."

Ava just gawked at her friend. Drew had never spoken to her like that before. Had never even raised her voice before. Ava slowly got dressed thinking about what her friend had said. She watched as Drew continued to fold each team mated belongings into neat piles, their weapons laid on top of each one of them. When she was finished she got dressed her self.

Gingerly she took each team mates weapons in to her hands and cleaned them. The blades were sharpened, the guns were taken apart, oiled, dried, re-oiled, and put back together with fresh energy cells. She even pain stakenly went over every inch of Drakes Armor, and retrieval cable to make sure they were right. Finally she started working on Xavier's gear, and there was a lot. She lost count of the number of throwing weapons in Xavier's pouch of holding, and back pack.

After about an hour of praying Clip stopped. With a weak smile to Drew, and Ava he gave "Z" a small shake. Clip got on to his shaky feet as "Z" started to stir. Clip grabbed his gear and walked off to a far corner. Ava watched as he got dressed. She knew exactly how much Manna he had used, and she must admit that he was extremely talented. Or his god really loved him. Ava noticed as he was slipping his under shirt on that he looked really pale. Even his fire engine red hair was pale and limp.

"Z" slowly opened her eyes to the site of Drew smiling down on her. "Z" smiled back as well as she could, but she was still in extreme amounts of pain. She knew she should be in more pain, but as Clip entered her field of view she knew why she didn't.

Tiredly Clip kneeled down by "Z's" side again. "Z" motioned for him to lean in, so he did. He suddenly found himself in a warm friendly hug.

"Thank you, Clip. I know how close I was, so I can only imagine how much it must have taken you to heal me."

Clip was speechless, so he just wrapped his arms around "Z" and returned the hug.

"Hey, if I wasn't good at what I do Dear, do you think I would still be around?"

He felt "Z" shake in his arms as she silently laughed.

They let go of each other at the same time, and "Z" remained sitting through a great force of will. Clip reached into his pouch of holding and brought out a small packet of herbs, and a small flask of potion.

"What is that?"

"Something I have worked on with the good doctor." Clip said carefully mixing the two things together in a third container.

After some stirring, followed by smelling, than some more stirring Clip handed the mixture to "Z". "Z" gave it a funny look.

"Just drink it." Clip said while putting his stuff away.

"Z" shrugged and downed the mixture. It tasted like ass, but she felt instantly better.

"That's amazing, what was it."

"A super charged potion." Clip said

"Z" shrugged and finished the drink.

"I think we had best get going if were going to leave there are a lot of guards going into a cell three doors down." Ava said sticking her head out the door.

"Z" sprang to her feet and got dressed faster than Clip thought was possible,

"Let's go." "Z" said and rushed out the door.

As they silently made their way to the last cell some one yelled at them from the second cell.

"Hey, What about me?"

"Z" looked in the bared window of the door.

"It's Drake."

Quickly she looked back to the first, than back at Drake, than back at the team.

"Okay, Ava, Drew, you two free Drake. Clip come with me. This can't be good."

Ava gave Drew a funny look as if to say "Do I got to?" Drew glared at Ava and shot the door jamb a couple of times. With one good kick the door flew open.

Ava and Drew just stared at Drake as he sat on his huge block of concrete in nothing but a jock strap, waving. As one Ava, and Drew casted several blizzard spells on the concrete block. Than they switched over to fire spells. The block suddenly shattered. Drake immediately started hobbling around trying to get feeling back into his legs. He could feel lose bits of concrete grinding around in his scales.

Drew reached into her pouch of holding and handed Drake his gear.

"We will wait for you to get dressed." Ava said waiting for Drake to get dressed.

"You might want to turn around."

"Why?" Ava asked rolling her eyes.

"Because these aren't mine." Drake said pointing to the jock strap.

Ava looked disgusted, Drew turned away blushing as red as her skirt. A short time later Drake was ready. Ava and Drew found out when he placed a hand on each one of their shoulders. Both of them nearly jumped out of there skins. Drake couldn't help but laugh, especially when Ava tried to deck him.

"Come on, let's get going. I can only imagine what Xavier has been up to."

Xavier's' cell

Five of them. There were five guards standing over a broken and bleeding Xavier. That was all it took for "Z" to go off. They didn't know what hit them. "Z" was death in motion as she bobbed and weaved between them. A punch here, a kick there, Meteor beret for fun to finish.

Clip took one look at the room and decided they needed to move Xavier before he could even start to heal him. Drake and the rest had joined them by this time. With out question Drake grabbed Xavier under each arm, Clip grabbed his legs.

Ava took that moment to grab a set of keys from one of the downed guards and run to the one cell none of them had been in. She had barely gotten the door open when Drake and Clip came running through it. Gently they lowered Xavier to the floor. Clip immediately started to mix two of his special potions. One for him self now and one for Xavier if he woke up.

Ava was busy looking around the cell, but it was unusually dark. She noticed that there were no windows in the cell, other than the tiny one on the door. She knew that Clip was going to need light to work. So she lit up a small fire-ball in her hand, and almost dropped it. Off in the darkest corner was a dark-complexioned man in torn and tattered cloths. Ava half expected the guy to be dead, he looked like death warmed over.

"Are you just going to stand there with that light in my face, or what?" the man said with a heavy accent.

Ava let out a little yelp and did drop the fire-ball.

"Was that necessary. Your fighting alone was enough to wake me up. But if any thing I guess I should thank you. I guess they will be too busy to torture me today."

A glow stick arced through the air and clattered to the ground near the man, Drake swaggered up after it. Drake knelt and looked the man dead in the face.

"Hmm, an Alh'behd. Or half Alh'behd any way. I thought the accent familiar."

Drake bowed his head to the man.

"A SeeD, interesting. A sumoner, even better. So what brings you here honored Dragoon."

"A mission, your self?"

The man pointed to his legs. They were severely mangled.

"Insurrection, I don't agree with the good general's decrees. So I said so publicly. Let me tell you he wasn't kidding when he said he would make sure I never Blitzed again."

Drake extended his arm to the Alh'behd.

"Drake Gryphonys, SeeD first class."

The man grasped Drake fore arm.

"Rakeios Tatame, Blitz star, and militant."

"That's Ava, Drew, Clip, "Z", and our leader Xavier." Drake said pointing at each one of them.

"Z" hissed at Drake to be quiet from where she sat cross-legged cradling Xavier's head in her lap as Clip prayed harder than he ever had. "Z" gently ran her fingers along Xavier's cold, clammy face. At least when Clip had started to heal her she was still breathing. Xavier wasn't, he was as still as death, and to make it worst she could not feel his presence at all. It was like he didn't exist. What ever he had done, he had reached absolute zero to do it. "Z" watched Xavier's chest desperately willing it to rise and fall. Maybe be a color other than a deathly bluish grey.

No where, and every where at the same time

He was falling, or was he floating. He didn't care. He was happy, and content. He had no pain, no problems, no cares, no nothing. He found himself happily falling through the most wonderful display he had ever seen. Swirls of Aqua blue Life stream embraced him. Streaks of purple Manna cradled him. Light blue Chakra welcomed him. He was at once one with all, and nothing. He started to tumble, spiraling towards his last destination. He was remotely aware that he must be dead. But he didn't care.

His tumbling started to come to a slow halt. All at once he found himself in a huge yard, surrounded by the most beautiful landscape he had ever seen. Off in the distance he heard laughter. Genuine laughter that could only be made by the most happy of people, or children. Xavier found himself moving. He felt more like floating, but what ever.

He found himself coming up on a mansion. He knew the mansion well. He had trained here as a child. As Xavier made his way around the corner of the house he found the source of the laughter. Off in the distance were several children, running and playing. Every last one of them was in a ninja type training outfit, and all of them had strong kitsune features. Every child he looked at had fox-like ears, fox-like tails, and red furry markings.

And then he saw her, Shyri. She came walking out of the glen cradling a baby to her bosom. She looked so beautiful, just as she always had only older. She was dressed in the most beautiful dress he had ever seen.

Than he saw himself, but only different. He looked how he would have looked had General Onikage never shown up in Beartree. Terrin was with them also. Apparently he ran his cousins Junk shop. They all looked so happy.

"This isn't real, is it?" Xavier said to the presence he felt behind him.

There was no immediate response, just a set of slender arms wrapping around his midsection from behind.

"And of course I can't look at the real you, because you will be gone before I even turn around."

He felt a head rest between his shoulder blades.

The Shyri he could see handed the baby off to the vision of himself that would never be. Slowly she skirted the children and made her way to him.

"No Xavier you can't look at the real me. Unfortunately the spell would be interrupted if you did, but I can make this version of me talk to you."

Xavier hung his head as he felt his tears start to flow.

"Than I am dead, and I have failed you again."

The vision of Shyri reached a fur covered hand out and stroked Xavier's cheek.

"You have failed no one Xavier. Especially not me."

Xavier watched as a vision of Eric Masters made his way up the walk. He greeted the fake Xavier and Terrin warmly, than made his way over to Shyri and himself.

"Hello Xavier." Eric said right to him. He than looked past Xavier and the vision of Shyri, right at the real Shyri.

"So you are the one that drives Xavier day and night."

Eric looked all around himself.

"This is a very nice illusion you have created dear, but you had best go. Every time you do this, she is one step closer to finding you."

Xavier felt the arms around his midsection get tighter.

"I can take it from here dear. Now go and run as far as you can from your location."

"As you wish lord Odin." The vision of Shyri said bowing.

Xavier instantly felt the arms let go, and all at once Beartree was the flaming destruction that it had once been.

"Why, why did you have to end this Odin?" Xavier said even more on the verge of tears.

"Because this is your reality Xavier not that fantasy that was created to ease your death."

Xavier looked around himself. Every where he looked he saw the bodies of those he loved, except Shyri and Terrin.

"Where are the bodies of Shyri, and Terrin so that I can die knowing that they at least will really be waiting for me?"

Eric looked around the destruction him self.

"Hmm, I don't know Xavier. I guess you could take this as a gift from me, as an indirect way of telling you that they are not dead, and that your search is not in vain."

Eric gave Xavier a moment to absorb what he had just told him.

"I can not tell you where they are. Only that they are alive, and your journeys will reunite you with them. But more importantly I want you to take a look around you."

Xavier looked at the death and destruction all around him. All at once the vision shifted to Garden. Just like Beartree it was a flaming display of death and destruction. The vision shifted again to Spira. Besaid Island and the calm lands were a raging inferno. Once again it shifted. This time it was the lands of Midgar that were set ablaze.

"Do I even need to show you Alexandria, or Ivalice?"

"No." Xavier was openly crying now.

"You need to return to your team Xavier. They need you. The world needs you."

Xavier slumped to the ground.

"But why? Why does it have to be me? Why couldn't have I been left alone to lead the life that Shyri showed me. Why?" Xavier begged Eric.

"I don't know what Xiedie has planned. But I can tell you this. If she had not influenced John Onikage to invade Vana'diel, you would not have ended up in Beartree. If you had not gone to Beartree you would not have met Shyri, and Xiedie would have her now. Don't even ask what she wants with Shyri, because I honestly don't know. And had John Onikage not destroyed Beartree you would not have gotten the training you did from the people you did."

Eric extended a hand to Xavier.

"Come on son, it is time to go back to your team. No your family."

Xavier took Eric's' hand, and immediately the clouds of Mako, Manna, and Chakra flowed in to Xavier filling him with the life he had lost.

When it was all done a tunnel opened up before Xavier. With out hesitation Xavier started to run down it.

Back in the real world

"Z" wept openly as she held Xavier's lifeless body, Clip had given up thirty minutes ago, and moved on to the stranger in the corner. After three hours Clip felt that to continue was pointless. Xavier was dead, and it would be best for them to finish the mission so that they could bury Xavier and leave Spira.

"This just ain't fair. God damn it Xavier, you promised me that you would dance with me." "Z" said pounding a fist into Xavier's unmoving chest.

All at once Xavier's eyes snapped open and his chest shot up filling with sweet, precious, life-giving air. "Z" was stunned for all of three rises and falls of Xavier's chest. Than she through her arms around Xavier as best she could.

"God damn you Xavier don't you ever die on us again."

"I'm sorry "Z"." Xavier said weekly as he reached his arms above his head to encircle them around "Z" the best he could.

"Welcome back brother. You gave us quiet the scare." Drake said walking over to him and "Z".

"I'm sorry Drake. I'll try not to scare you like that again."

Drake surveyed the situation again, and couldn't help but laugh.

"So "X" you going to get up, or are you going to continue to lay there and get babied by "Z".

Xavier and "Z" both flipped Drake off at the same time. But he had a point. So with some help from "Z", Xavier slowly made his way to his feet. With some effort Xavier got dressed, he didn't remember his gear weighing so much. With out question he drank the potion that Clip gave him. It took a tremendous effort for him not to vomit it back up. But he felt his strength return to him.

As he waited for the slight high he felt from his rapidly returning power levels, Xavier scanned the cell. He was overly delighted to see that every one was alright and moving. Than his eyes came to rest on the final occupant of the cell.

"That is some fine work Clip. Truly your god must love you."

Xavier walked over to the half Alh'behd, and gave him a quick once over.

"Hmm, a half Alh'behd. From the looks of it you were, or are either a really talented Blitz ball player, or a fighter."

The Alh'behd gave a small laugh.

"My sister is correct about you; you go right for the heart of the matter. No bull shit."

"Sister?"

"I'm sorry, I am Rakeios Tatame. I am the adopted son of Lord Braska."

Xavier wrapped his mind around the statement as best he could now. He wondered why Yuna hadn't mentioned him. The best he could come up with was that she didn't know about him till after he had left.

"Well I suppose I had best bring you with or your sister will kill me."

Xavier offered his hand to Rakeios, it was taken with enthusiasm. Rakeios got to his feet shakily. To be honest Xavier was surprised that he was up at all. The man was blatantly under fed. That and if his prison uniform was any indication, his legs had been really bad.

"Well Xavier, any bright idea about what we should be doing?" Drake asked peering out of the door.

Xavier thought for a minute.

"We need to find the command center. If our target is any where he will be there."

Drew cleared her throat.

"And what if we run in to that Sephiroth guy again."

Xavier didn't look at her as he pulled his goggles over his eyes.

"Than we will die."

HANGER

He didn't like it. It was that simple. They had been sneaking about now for a while, and nothing. They met hardly any resistance at all, and those soldiers that they had run into had been easy enough to deal with. Xavier knew something was wrong but he couldn't explain it at all.

Than they rounded the last corner, and before them was easily the largest air ship that Xavier had ever seen. Xavier quickly dodged back around the corner. Entering the Air ship was there target, and he was being closely followed by Sephiroth.

Xavier looked over his shoulder at his team, plus one. Every one of them nodded at him. He had never been prouder of them. Drake, Clip, and "Z" knew they couldn't beat Onikage, much les Onikage and Sephiroth. Ava, and Drew knew there lives were about to end and they weren't afraid at all. Xavier turned to them and spoke right to them.

"It is time guys, Rakeios you are free to do what ever you want. Hopefully by the end of the day you will be playing Blitz ball again."

Rakeios picked at his prison grays for a bit than looked at Xavier.

"I'm coming with you. I think you will need me. That and I need to repay you for your kindness."

Xavier turned back to the Air ship.

"Suit your self, but we are more than likely going to die."

Rakeios moved up by Xavier.

"How much do you think you know about that Air ship?"

Xavier gave him a funny look.

"Why?"

"I could tell you any thing you wanted to know about it."

Xavier gave him an even funnier look.

"How?"

"I designed and built it."

Rakeios had every ones attention.

"I designed it to be a mobile command center. Uncle Cid, brother, and my self built it."

Xavier looked back at the air ship as it powered up. He turned back to his team.

"Let's go, forever awaits us."

His team ran forward as one. Clip was the first to reach the ramp. Quickly he jumped up the ramp. He was closely followed by Ava, and Drew. Rakeios jumped up on the ramp as the air ship lifted off. Drake Grabbed "Z" under his arm and jumped. He barely grabbed a hold of the ramp. With effort he hefted "Z" up to the lip of the ramp. Drake watched as Xavier jumped up to the lip of an ammo rack; from there he jumped to a hanging lamp. Xavier waited for just the right moment, and jumped one last time. But his jump fell short, and instead of grabbing the lip of the ramp, he ended up grabbing a hold of "Z's" ass.

"What the hell!"

Xavier looked up at "Z". He gave her butt a few test squeezes.

"Hmm, soft yet firm."

"Z" blushed as pink as her outfit. As quickly as he could he climbed up the length of "Z's" body. He then turned around and helped Drake and "Z" up on to the air ship.

"You did that on purpose! What, wanted to make sure that you were totally alive?"

"No, I miss calculated my jump."

Xavier slowly walked further into the air ship, quickly finding the rest. Ava, Clip, and Drew were standing around Rakeios, who was busily working on a computer counsel. His fingers were a blur as he worked.

"What did you find?"

Rakeios didn't even look over his shoulder as he spoke.

"To much. We are headed for the Calm Lands, but the final destination isn't a coordinate in Spira. And all the ships power is being diverted to a machine I did not design or put in this ship. Plus I found a file called Jutsu, and I have no idea what it is."

Rakeios didn't know what to say as he was forced out of the chair and Xavier started to work just as hard as he had on the computer. A lot of cussing and swearing took place as Xavier worked. Apparently the file had an encryption on it that he had never seen. Finally Xavier connected his P.D.A to the computer and down loaded every thing, sending it immediately to Garden.

"So what was it?" Rakeios asked as Xavier got up from the chair.

"I don't know, but the word Jutsu refers to a type of ninja ability."

"So what do we do now?" Ava asked

Xavier looked to Rakeios.

"The bridge is forward, through the hangar bay."

Xavier didn't have to say any thing his team was ready and they had a destination. So as one they moved through the dull metallic halls. It was clear from the design of the architecture that this air ship had been intended for much more. But when it had been commissioned as a mobile base it had lost all of its beauty.

Xavier safely removed his goggles; it was dark as they moved forward. Every where there was sings of things that had been destroyed from the original design. A light out here, a hole in the wall there, spilled oil against that wall. It was disgusting. Finally though they reached the Hanger. Xavier once again put his goggles on. The lights in the hanger weren't on, but the design had the hanger right under the bridge. A large transparent wall dominated the front of the hanger. With out effort they could see that the ship was flying at break neck speed towards the Calm Lands. And waiting for them in the calm lands was this huge rip right in the sky.

"Ain't it lovely, Filth?"

Every one whipped around to notice that John Onikage, and Sephiroth had entered the hanger.

"That is a natural shift gate." He said drawing his sword.

Sephiroth drew his as well. But something was visibly wrong with him. He looked really pale, and his sword wavered in his hands. The only thing that Xavier could come up with is that he must be suffering Mako drain.

With out warning Rakeios leapt at Onikage, but the ship took that moment to shift. Rakeios landed flat on his face in front of Onikage. With blinding speed He lunged forward unleashing "The Onikage special" Those who had seen it avoided the majority of it. Ava and Drew went down. Drake, Clip, and "Z" charged. They were met half way by Sephiroth.

Xavier watched as "Sin Harvest" landed his friends back by Ava, and Drew. However he noticed that the move was not as strong as it had been when he had done it to them earlier.

"What's the matter, does Mako drain have you down?"

Sephiroth gave Xavier a withering glare. It had no effect on Xavier; he knew damn well that Sephiroth was barley standing. He chose that moment to even the odds.

Xavier rushed Sephiroth. Sephiroth brought up his sword to counter, but then Xavier disappeared. He was confused, how did the little piss ant disappear. With out warning Sephiroth was slashed across the back.

He whipped around to kill Xavier, but he wasn't there again. All the sudden he was hit again, this time from the sides simultaneously. Sephiroth dropped the Masamune. Xavier was nowhere to be seen. Even that putts Onikage was in shocked disbelief.

Then it happened again, only this time there were three Xavier's. This time Sephiroth was hit with three identical upward slashes that sent him into the air. Again Xavier disappeared.

All at once Sephiroths' upward momentum was stopped short by four Xavier's doing down ward slashes. As Sephiroth fell to the deck he saw the four Xavier's come together.

"He was moving so fast that there were multiples of him." Sephiroth thought to him self as he landed on the deck, flat on his back.

Xavier landed, ready for any thing that Onikage had for him. At that moment though the airship entered the temporal rift in the sky. The ship shuddered violently as it passed through. All at once the shuddering stopped. Sephiroth made it to his feet if barely. Than it hit them. Both Xavier, and Sephiroth doubled over as visible lines of Mako flooded into their bodies. General Onikage watched in amazement as both men drew in more and more Mako.

When it was all done they both got to there feet. Xavier looked infinitely stronger than before. Sephiroth looked sicker.

"What the hell is going on here, you should be all over me like stink-on-shit?" Xavier asked Backing away from both opponents.

"You finally noticed, but it is too late." A voice said from behind him.

Xavier whipped around just in time to get hit with the strongest magical attack he had ever witnessed. Black mist slammed him hard into a bulk head. Before he had a chance to slide down John Onikage rushed in and nailed him to the wall. One knife in each hand, and foot.

Xavier hung on the wall unmoving. He refused to die a second time in one day. Than he saw her. She was at once the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, and the most dangerous monster he had ever seen. She walked right up to where he was hanging. Xavier couldn't help but stare as she walked up to him. Her silken outfit barley covered her, and left nothing to the imagination.

"You are proving to be quiet a bothersome person, Xavier Lofbrah." She said.

The sound of her voice made his skin crawl. It hit him than that he had heard her voice before, in his dream.

"You. You are Xiedie."

She favored him with an amused smile. Xavier watched as Sephiroth made his way to Xiedie, and Onikage side. Than all at once Sephiroth stood up straighter as a eight foot katana made its way from his gut to the top of his head. With blinding speed the sword left his body, and cleaved him horizontally twice. With a violent kick from behind Sephiroth exploded into a cloud of Mako energy, which was quickly absorbed by another Sephiroth.

Xavier watched in horror as this Sephiroth flicked the extra blood from his blade and resheathed it at his side. He than whipped around to glare at Onikage.

"Do not ever make another inferior clone of me again." He said in a dead pan voice that left no room for argument.

This Sephiroth, Xavier decided, was the real deal.

"I apologize for my lateness, lady Xiedie. However the kitsune you are interested in knows those lands better than I do, and she is being protected by a very strong group of people."

Xiedie looked amused.

"A strong group of people. Are you telling me that a strong group of people prevented you from getting a hold of one half kitsune?"

"I apologize, but the Mako is not as strong there as it is in Midgar, or Spira. So I was not in any type of shape to deal with their numbers. To be sure though several of there weaker numbers are now part of the life stream."

Xiedie looked back at the struggling Xavier.

"Do not worry about it Sephiroth, this one will take us right to her. Weather he is aware of it or not."

"Yeah Seppie, the enemy will do your job for you." Onikage said with a sneer.

"Mind your tongue. The only reason I have not killed you yet is because our mistress still has use of you."

Sephiroth turned on Onikage.

"But when your use is done, I will enjoy killing you. And no amount of healing, no phoenix down, not even the black mist will be able to bring you back from your far plane."

"That is enough both of you. The air ship is nearly at its destination. We are leaving." Xiedie said walking to the far end of the hanger where a cloud of black mist was forming.

Sephiroth immediately turned on his heal and walked after her. John Onikage walked over to the pinned Xavier, knife in hand.

"She may need you alive to get this Kitsune, what ever the fuck that is. But soon, very soon I will send you to your ancestors."

With that Onikage plunged the knife hilt deep into Xavier's chest, right next to his heart, just to prove he could have killed him. Than he ran to the dark mist to join his mistress and Sephiroth.

Xavier hardened his resolve and pulled one of his hands free. The knife stayed in the wall. Quickly he reached into his pouch of holding and pulled out his only Mega Phoenix. He gave it a couple of shakes, and tossed it at where his team mates were. Hope fully one of them would be able to prevent the air ship from reaching its final destination. As the void took Xavier the ship arced into its final approach.

On lookers that still in habited the rotten pizza that was Midgar city watched in horror as an air ship the likes of which they had never seen came streaking out of the sky. Flying at the remains of Shinra tower at ludicrous speed.