~ Watch Me ~

The Girl and the Dragon

They needed Sarah to wake up, and Rose and Kunsel waited as patiently as they could.

Kunsel had used his Healing Materia, but he only had enough strength to cast the spell once. The attempt had stopped Sarah from bleeding out, returning some colour to her greying cheeks, but it was not enough to completely revive her.

So they waited.

Rose had thought to warn Sephiroth and the others, but Kunsel had said to wait until they actually had some information. She'd obliged against her better judgement. Her instinct to help those she cared about, gnawing tauntingly at her chest.

She gave Sarah's arm a gentle shake.

"Sarah, can you hear me? Sarah, you've got to wake up." She ordered, gripping the woman's shoulder tight.

The Troop's eyes gave a light flutter. "R-rose?"

Rose sighed, relieved. "Yes. Kunsel's here too. I know this is hard, but before you said something about warning the others? Do you remember? Warn them about what?"

Sarah nodded, clearly determined to focus herself. She squared her jaw, though the effort looked painful to do so. "There's a plot. Both sides are involved. Those inside Shinra and Wutai that believe this war has gone on for far too long."

Rose listened intently, she could see how hard it was for Sarah to speak. She frowned. "What are they going to do?"

"The information that brought about this mission, was fed to us purposely. They wanted SOLDIER members here – the higher up the better. They believe if they take them out, Shinra may rethink their war effort."

Rose felt her stomach sink sickeningly. Sephiroth, Angeal... even Genesis. She shared a worried look with Kunsel.

"How?" Rose pressed further, panic directing her purpose.

Sarah took a steadying breath. "The Materia Angeal spoke of at the briefing... it's a summon. They're going to use it on the battle field."

"A summon powerful enough to take out multiple SOLDIER members, and the army?" Kunsel murmured, his brow heavy with thought. "Why haven't they used it before?"

"Godo – Wutai's Emperor – forbids it." Sarah mumbled softly, her eyelids clearly becoming an effort to keep open. "He says, there is no honour in allowing beasts to do battle for you. Nor in ordering Wutai's protector to do the work of men."

Rose frowned. "Wutai's protector..." She thought back, remembering in a distant past, a story Bill - her teacher - had told her when she was a child. She looked at Kunsel. "Does she mean Leviathan?"

He shook his head. "It's bad if she does. Even with Sephiroth... a summon like that, not to mention Wutai soldiers to contend with... it's bad, Rose."

She nodded feverishly, her mind whirring with a dozen unthinkable endings. "Is there anything we can do? What can we do? Sarah?" She shook the Troop's arm again, but it was no good, she'd passed out. Rose ran a frustrated hand through her hair. "Great. Now what?"

Kunsel opened his mouth, but fell silent as a dark ominous shadow fell slowly across his face. Rose turned her own to the sky, the clouds above swirling to a foreboding onyx.

"That can't be good." Kunsel murmured.

"Maybe it's just a storm." The sound of a beast-like cry in the distance was her answer, and suddenly lightning sliced unforgivingly through the sky, fissures scoring jagged lines through the cloud. "Or not." She breathed.

Rain began to fall. Droplets as large as Materia. Then came the hail.

"Quick!" Kunsel yelled, awkwardly pulling Sarah up into his arms. "Get under the trees!"

They rain for shelter, but Rose didn't intend to stay. She turned her emerald gaze back to the sky, certain she had seen the shadow of something substantial unfurling above the storm.

"I'm going after them!" She shouted, the wind now howling through the leaves.

"No, Rose! There's nothing you can do!" Kunsel shielded his eyes from the storm. "We need to wait here!"

"But I..." Another screech from above, a roar, and Rose turned again, her gaze searching the clouds for the source of the anguished cries. There was something there, she could feel it, something pulling at her. She shook her head. "I'm sorry, Kunsel."

Rose didn't wait to hear his argument, she bolted, her feet driving loudly through the mud as she ran head first toward the darkest part of the storm. The trees were thinning around her, and yet still there was no light, but Rose refused to slow down, the roars above her getting louder with every clap of thunder. Suddenly she could see buildings, and she broke eagerly from the shelter of the trees.

She froze. In front of her, chaos, manic and unbridled.

A battlefield, littered with bodies and fighters, it was hard to tell where Shinra ended and Wutai began. An explosion to her left made her flinch; the source, the sky, and Rose saw from the remains of the bodies left behind, that whoever had summoned Leviathan, they did not wield enough power to direct it.

Her theory was confirmed when she inspected the bodies further; they were Wutai soldiers.

Another roar tore through the sky above, and Rose's gaze was captured. She saw the ancient dragon in all his glory, so beautiful despite the destruction in his wake.

She was enamoured, but even she could see – he was pissed.

He's attacking anything he can see. Shinra, Wutai, it doesn't matter. Someone's woke him up, and they haven't even bothered to tell him why.

Things were only going to escalate.

Rose scanned the field of fighters, but she could not see her brother. Nor could she find Sephiroth or Zack. Spurred on by adrenaline, she ran into the heart of the battle, dodging who she could, flooring or blocking the attacks of those she could not. She caught the sight of Shinra drones in the air, and wondered if the camera's would send word for reinforcements, but Rose had a feeling she already knew that answer.

Suddenly, the dragon cried, distracting her from her thought process, and shaking the ground beneath her. Leviathan carefully drew himself to full height.

Rose shook her head. That couldn't be good.

She was right.

The beautiful beast lunged like an arrow at the field, crashing through the crowd, throwing the soldiers apart like they were skittles. Rose was ready when he decided to direct his efforts towards her direction, shifting out of place just as he decided to greet her.

She reappeared further from her point of leave than she had intended, the shift unsettling her balance, as she righted herself against a nearby broken well.

"Rose?"

Sephiroth. She heard his voice over everything, the screams of the people, the dragon's cries, the hail. She turned. Around him were the bodies of many fallen foes, they framed him like the violent fallout from a comet.

She ignored them. "Hi."

"Why are you here?" He murmured, completely composed despite the destruction around him. "You're supposed to be with Kunsel."

"There's a dragon." She said simply, as though that was supposed to explain it all.

Sephiroth turned his cat-like gaze up. "Yes. I have noticed that." He replied softly, his eyes following the ancient reptile as it lunged, and roared, and screamed. "But that still doesn't explain why you left your post."

Rose stepped toward him desperately. "Sarah found us. She'd been attacked. She said someone was going to summon Leviathan to take out Shinra... but..." Her gaze flickered across the chaos, the clear lack of purpose behind the dragon's attack. "Obviously something went wrong."

"Obviously." Sephiroth echoed her, following her gaze across the field. A Wutai soldier appeared, Sephiroth cut him down, turning effortlessly back to Rose. "We need to find who summoned it. Breaking the connection is key. Rose... Rose are you listening?"

She nodded. "Yes."

But Rose wasn't listening. Not really. For in the not so far distance, was an image that both confused, and horrified Rose to her very core. Amidst all the panic and death, amongst all the pain and the sorrow, and blood... was a little girl. "Is that a kid." She breathed.

Sephiroth followed her gaze. "Stay here."

Rose shook her head. "No. I got this."

She shifted, not waiting for a reply, which in hindsight probably wasn't the best idea, for when she reappeared on the other side, it seemed to startle the already terrified girl even more.

"What the – ! Get away from me, or you'll be sorry!" The kid yelled, putting her guard up despite cowering beside a crumbled wall.

Rose tilted her head, trying her best to look as unthreatening as possible. She crouched down to the child's level. The kid couldn't have been more than eight years old, perhaps even younger considering her small frame. Her short chocolate bangs were held in place by a very dirty looking bandanna.

Rose held up her hands in surrender. "I come in peace. I don't want to fight."

"You're the bad guy! That's what you would say!" The kid replied haughtily, though Rose didn't miss the fearful tremble of her bottom lip.

Rose quickly shook her head, conscious of the fighting and guns. "I don't want to hurt you, but you can't stay here. It's too dangerous. You have to – "

"Leviathan is the protector of Wutai! He's come to save us!" The girl cried, ducking as an unprecedented explosion sent rubble flying everywhere. She righted herself. "You're all gonna be sorry!"

Rose sighed, she could see that arguing wasn't going to get her anywhere. She crawled a little closer.

"Look, I think you're right. Wutai's clearly got Shinra on the run here." Rose nodded, hoping that playing along would make the child more manageable. "But I think Leviathan's beginning to get a little confused. Everybody seems to be getting hurt."

The girl lifted her head, no doubt seeing the damage and the loss on both sides. Even children understood death. She nodded up at Rose glumly.

"Pops told them not to use the Materia, but they didn't listen."

Rose inclined her head. "I think your Pops had the right idea. Is he nearby? Can I take you to him?."

"I don't need your help!"

Rose quickly shook her head. "No! No! That's not what I'm saying." She bit her lip, trying to appease the girl once more. "I'm not going to lie, I'm a little scared. I'd quite like to leave here, but I can't without you, because I'm afraid to do it on my own." She invented, hoping the kid wouldn't see through her tall tale.

The kid looked at her. "What's your name?"

"Rose."

"Your not very brave for a warrior, are you, Rose?"

Rose shook her head. "Shinra doesn't have many brave warriors. Probably why they're so scared of Wutai."

The kid nodded. "That makes sense." Then, hesitating. "I'm Yuffie."

Rose smiled. "Nice to meet you, Yuffie. So, what do you say about getting out of here?"

Yuffie looked around, clearly still fearful of moving, but then she looked up at Rose. "I guess I could take you. Pops does say we should be better than our enemies." She carefully got to her feet, ignoring the madness of the battle around her as she lightly brushed herself down. "I just wanted to see Leviathan up close, but... I don't think he's having a very good day."

Rose stifled a surprised giggle. "No. No, I don't think he is either."

She offered Yuffie her hand, and to her surprise, the young girl took it, pointing to the buildings at the edge of the field.

"I live in there."

Rose nodded, careful to look the girl evenly in the eye, to ensure the child understood what she was about to do.

"Right. You now how before I appeared out of nowhere?"

Yuffie nodded. "Yeah."

"Well, it's a magic trick, and I'd like to do it with you now, if that's alright?" Rose couldn't see another way of getting across the field without putting the girl's life in danger. "If I ask you to trust me, do you think you can do that?"

Yuffie looked at her, considering. "Yes."

Rose smiled, getting cautiously to her feet. She'd never shifted with another person before, but Yuffie was so small, it couldn't be much different. "Do you mind if I pick you up?"

The girl startled at another explosion, and quickly shook her head.

Rose nodded. "Okay." She brought the small girl up into her arms, aware that the whole thing could go horribly wrong. She smiled at Yuffie. "Okay, this might feel a little weird, but it doesn't last long, and then..." She trailed off, confused by the look of wonder and terror on the young girl's face. She frowned. "What's..."

But then she felt it, the heat on the back of her neck, a lukewarm wind... or a breath. Rose hadn't noticed the field become absent of beast-like cries, she hadn't noticed the sudden stillness of the wind, or softness of the rain. She turned.

"Oh..." She breathed, for behind her waited a set of very large teeth. "Hello."

Leviathan. His glowing eyes held the secrets of a thousand stories, and as they bored into Rose, she could feel him reading her own. Slowly, she released the weight of the child in her arms, moving a very stunned Yuffie protectively behind her.

The field had gone quiet, people were staring, their battles forgotten. Rose didn't blame them. This was hardly a normal interaction.

Leviathan didn't appear to have any plans of eating her, she was thankful to see, though it clearly would be an easy enough thing to do. She felt idiotic thinking it, but he seemed to want something of her, though again, she was struck by the thought that summons did not act in this way. They did not interact with man, and yet there was an intelligence behind his gaze, an awareness.

Rose raised her palm. "I've never met a summon before." She murmured gently, tentatively laying a cautious hand softly against his snout. She smiled. "How wonderful you are."

Rose felt a light shift behind her legs.

"Can I touch him?" A small voice whispered.

She looked down, considered the dragon and his new found serenity, and nodded lightly at the young girl. "I don't think he will mind."

Though Rose couldn't say how she knew.

Taking Yuffie's small hand gently in hers, she laid it carefully beside her own.

"Woah." The young girl breathed.

Rose gazed up at the beautiful beast, wanting nothing more than to freeze that moment forever. It felt like when she had connected with the Fire Nymphs, but somehow deeper, more profound. What was it these creatures saw in her that made her feel equal to them?

Kindred.

"Thank you for this." Rose said to him gently. "But I think it's time for you to rest now. You've done enough."

A flicker in his gaze. Recognition. He steadily drew back, and Rose and Yuffie's arms fell to their sides, watching in awe, as the dragon suddenly rose again to the sky. The clouds parted like the gates to a great kingdom, and he left behind in his wake a sun soaked field, filled with a bewildered army of warriors, and Shinra's marvelled elite.

R&R!

Hey guys! Sorry for the slight delay again. I do hope you're enjoying still? Please, please, review if you can. It helps me know the stories on the right/wrong track. If there's anything you'd like to see, please let me know. Thank you to all those who have read/followed/ and fav'd.

Hope you're all safe and well.

Nigh x