Under A Steal Sky; FFVII A Rufus Shinra HEA

Leaving

Rufus; 3 years before events

Taya seemed millions of miles away, her birthday passed. She didn't even ask for anything. When I said something she would give me this answer. "What more do I need I have the most powerful, handsomest fiance in all the world." I couldn't put my finger on it, but something was going on with her. It felt like she was trying to put some distance between us when she never had before. She was still being herself with me, but it felt different. "Taya I know something is going on with you. You feel distant from me is it the wedding stuff? I know my father wants us to marry as soon as humanly possible. I understand that you are still young and taking our time might be better." "I'm fine Rufus I was just thinking about my mom, she was young too when she meet my dad. Maybe waiting another year would be nice. We could do a nice wedding at Shinra tower, maybe in the executive lounge? Then you can take me anywhere you want for our honeymoon okay." While crowds still gave her anxiety she was better. She was brave if she was with me, she'd hide behind myself or one of the Turks if the situation became to much for her. Even Tseng, Rude, and Reno had soft places for her. She hugged and kissed Reno on the cheek one afternoon, and now he blushes everytime she acknowledges him. "I have to go Rufus dad wants me home at a reasonable time, plus my flowers need watered." I called for Tseng to pilot her home, he returned just as soon as she was inside. "She's home safe Sir." "Tseng does she seem different to you?" "I don't understand what you mean Sir Ms Rhodea seems the same as always. Perhaps a bit stressed due to her connection to your family. But otherwise she's being her self." I knew Tseng saw what I did, but he was ever the taciturn man. Perhaps her father was trying to dissuade her from marriage.

Taya;

I sat in the runner one night looking through our archives. Seeing when our planet went dark, one year to the day. My mom and uncle lost contact with my grandparents on the surface of the planet. They sent Charlie in the runner, the pictures were terrible. Our planet was a blacked mass, the sun flares destroyed it, and all life on the surface. A light began to blink on the console meaning an incoming transmission. I clicked on it and Dane's face came into view. "Taya honey is that you? Oh goodness it is you I'm so glad you made it! Me and Marissa are good, if you want or need to come here. We would love that, Marissa saw you on television with a young man. I'm rambling I'm sorry." "It's okay uncle Dane, I'm just happy your still alive. I haven't seen any messages from you since that first one. So I thought something happened to you right after. I'm safe for now but that can change. Uncle Dane I'm a sentinel, I think mom knew I was going to be a sentinel and that's why we left. So the government couldn't execute me. Is that why we left?" "Yes I carry the gene as did your mom and dad. So did everyone on board our ship. Marissa and I show on scans the others including your parents didn't. They had just passed a new law stating all gene carriers are to be sterilized. It's why we left when we did, so they couldn't enforce their laws on us." "I know they were mining the sun, but do you have any idea what caused that horrible thing to happen?" "Our sun was rich in uranium and mining it made it unstable so it was just a matter of time before the solar flares hit the planet. We just didn't think it would be so soon. But on a happier note I'm going to be a dad soon. Marissa is pregnant with our first. If you're a sentinel there's a very good chance they will be to." When we finished talking I went, and woke up my dad we talked to the early morning light. "If you need to go to them I'll understand, but remember that I'm always here for you. Go and come back home to me. I'll deal with Rufus, but remember that you have a life here waiting for you." In the early light of the sunlamps powering up I left, knowing Rufus would be broken at me missing. What I didn't know was that he would order every sector searched including the slums.

I spent time with my family, enjoying my silly uncle Dane and his wife Marissa's down to earth nature. We lived on the other side of the world, far out of the reach of Shinra and their part of the world. What was really strange was that my uncle, and his wife had no trouble with the amoebas in the water. Although my little cousin did she got sick like I did. Thankfully we had one of the crash pod med kit on hand. "It's sentinel DNA Dane I'm almost positive about that. I should see now that I've awakened if it still affects me." I took the water from him taking tentative sips waiting for the reaction to start. Hours later nothing happened. I was completely fine my body wasn't responding like before. I spent my days thinking about my adopted father, the man I was supposed to marry soon, and everything else. One night as I slept fitfully hearing voices I'd never heard before. Whispering that dark days were coming, I could hear the name Sephiroth carried on the wind. That with him would come the darkness, and a destructive force. They cried out for me to stop him. I awoke then a sharp ringing in my ears. Marissa saw I was awake, shushing me. "Shinra guards are outside I want you to take Isa and go to the basement it has a secret tunnel that leads to our runner. Hide there until me or Dane come for you, okay?" "Okay Marissa be safe, and I love you see you soon." I made my way out of the house carrying Isa she was asleep like an angel. I found the runner a few moments later. Getting inside I sealed the door and turned on its cloak. I settled Isa in the tiny quarters. There were two beds on either side, attached to the wall. With two small table dresser at the top of each bunk. Although Dane or Marissa thought to put in a cradle for the baby that was smart. I fell asleep again only to wake to Isa fussing that morning. Where are Dane and Marissa shouldn't they have come for us already. I found the baby formula and made her a bottle. I held her while she ate looking at me. "Don't worry Isa they'll come get us soon." I spent the day with her on the runner waiting for my uncle and my aunt to say it was safe again. But every hour that passed told me they might not be coming or were unable to.

Finally on the fourth day I took Isa and returned to the house as discreetly as I could. I found Dane on his knees holding Marissa she was hurt so bad. "She's dying Taya and I can't do anything about it!" "Did the guards do this?" "No it was a ruse to kill us, the people here are afraid of Marissa. Because of her science she was able to keep our crops alive during a drought." I had to try something I laid my hands on her, focusing on her, thinking of her being healthy and strong. I focused on the last time I saw her. "Oh goodness Marissa your okay." "I'm not supposed to be here anymore Dane I was going with my parents. Thank you for saving me Taya, but you need to reverse it!" "Don't make me do that Marissa, I can't do that, Isa needs her mom!" Both Dane and I were begging her to stop saying that to stop asking me to change what I've done. It was in this moment something happened I woke up! I was still on the runner I hadn't even gone back yet. It was just a dream it wasn't real, it was just my fear getting the better of me. But somewhere deep down I knew it wasn't. I gathered Isa, for real this time and made my way back. There was Dane and Marissa like I had seen but this time I saw Dane's injuries too. "Oh Taya kiddo it's you, I'm sorry to put this on you, but you'll have to raise Isa. I don't think we're going to make it. Don't stay here the people aren't good. If you can go home to your dad. He seems like a good man from what you told me. Hours later first Marissa died and then Dane. I decided to bury them with my parents, so I used the runner to take them there. Placing them with the rest of our family where they belonged. I set about finding a place to raise Isa. I knew I should return, but Isa would be like me. I needed her to be older before I could even think about returning. Because if she spoke about what we were to Rufus or his father it could have dire consequences for her and myself. I needed her to understand enough to keep our secret. Plus now that I've awakened I could hear the people who have passed on speaking to me. I could hear the lost settlers telling me something very evil was coming. They had once sealed it away from the world, but it had been found again. They called it the destroyer of worlds! I would hear a name whispered softly, as though not to conjure them up out of nowhere, a name I knew and heard before. 'Sephiroth, Sephiroth, Sephiroth, stop him!' they would whisper over and over. One night as I got Isa and myself ready for bed I could hear Zach say, "Hey Taya help Cloud please, because I can't anymore. I need to go say goodbye to Aerith. Bye Taya." My heart broke when I realized Zach was gone, and he came to say goodbye. He was always so funny, and would go out of his way to make me laugh. Whenever Rufus or the Turks were unavailable Zach would volunteer to escort me around. He would talk about his girlfriend Aerith, how much he loved her and so on. I knew she'd be just as heartbroken as I was that he returned to the planet. So I did as he asked, and went in search of Cloud he was beside a grave looking broken. "Hey Cloud do you remember me?" "Umm yeah, I think so Taya right?" "Yeah you okay?" "I don't know, I think so! This is someone important I just can't remember who it is." I could feel it his mind was so fractured and broken. His memories and some of Zach's were jumbled in his head. Oh he killed Sephiroth because of a girl he cared about, Tifa! Let's see if I can find her, she's in sector 7 slums. "Hey Cloud I think you should head to Midgar especially the sector 7 slums. Be a Merc, get paid for it this way you no longer belong to Shinra." He seemed to think about it, and said he was going back to Midgar to do just that. It would take him a year at least to travel more if he was broke. I wished him luck, and let him journey on. Hopeful his mind would heal someday, perhaps that girl Tifa could help him. As I held Isa watching him leave I set about putting a name on the gravestone.