"Castle's built and fortress falls

Seeking faith but none at all

Seek the light in the blinding darkness

Sword of Souls, I give thee all…"

Makona sang as she made her way through the forest. She wore a simple white wrap on her torso, tight over her lithe form, keeping her chest and upper ribcage covered. A few more wraps, slightly thinner and dyed red and orange, were crossed over her chest and wrapped around her hips, tied at her side to secure a small pouch full of materia and herbs, along with a few knives and thin wire. Her shorts barely reached mid-thigh, tattered from travel. Her knee-high leather boots were worn, but sturdy. A katana in a red sheath was secured to her back, its handle wrapped in white cloth. She held a carved wood staff, the wood bleached white by sun exposure.

"I know you're following me," she called out, pausing, one leg propped up on a rock. "You can come out."

A slight, unsure growl reached her ears, and she smiled. She flipped her long blonde braid over her shoulder, skin tanned from long exposure to the sun. Her gold eyes sparkled as she turned to the Hellcat that had been following her. "The sword's only for enemies. I promise."

Very well, the Hellcat replied, and hopped out of the bushes. You are respectable enough to be taken at your word.

"I would hope so," Makona laughed, waving her walking staff around airily. "Think of how disappointed Minerva would be, her only daughter randomly attacking her poor mutated creations."

Hopefully those mutations will be fixed, once you recover the Mahjahv, the Hellcat replied, sitting and gazing back down the forested mountain. We can only go so long as we are before the insanity sets in.

"I'm working on it," the girl waved her hand dismissively. "As of right now, that Shinra President guy is waiting for me. After I had Koko deliver the message, I could have sworn he'd have a heart-attack, but apparently he's more cunning than people give him credit for. But he can't use me, now can he?"

No. You'd blast him with God-magic.

"Right you are!" she replied, shifting her weight. "Now, the only thing left to do is get there. Curse all this Gaia-foilage… it's not like home, where it shapes to my will. I'd have to blast a tunnel through it, and that would attract too much attention."

Will you accept a ride from this one? The Hellcat rose slightly, questioning.

"Well, since you offered politely, you sweet kitty," Makona rolled her eyes and scrambled up the Hellcat's back, securing her staff alongside her sword. "But only to the edge of the forest. I don't want you getting attacked by some Soldier-man or anything."

As you wish. I am glad it is you who came to fix Gaia.

"Aw, no problem! I've been dying to come back, ever since Jenova crashed here Mother kept me away until I was strong enough," she grabbed onto the Hellcat as it rose and was suddenly hurtling through the forest at a breakneck pace. Makona grinned; she loved the speed. She was an adrenaline junkie and she knew it. It was hardly respectable, for a Lesser Goddess like her to be so informal, laid back, and generally so human-like, but she was what she was. Plus, that made her the best choice to help save Gaia.

They fell silent as they made their way across the forest, and after a few hours the Hellcat slowed. The boundary is a few yards over, and then there is a road. You will be well?

"Thanks for the ride. And I'll be fine. I am Makona, am I not?"

Of course. Good luck, the Hellcat touched its nose to her forehead before bounding back to be lost among the trees.

Waving, she began walking to the road, not pausing when she heard a group of cars approaching. She walked along the side of the paved road, turning when the cars slowed. She tapped her staff on the concrete before stopping.

"Who are you and what are you doing here?"

"I'm walking! What does it look like?" she called back to the infantryman who had spoken. The cars all stopped, the truck beds full of infantrymen and Soldiers.

"You aren't supposed to be near the mako reactor!"

"That's where it is?" she asked out loud. "Huh. I was wondering why the Hellcat wasn't speaking normally! He's all hopped up on Mako! Go figure."

The men all glanced at each other, obviously wondering if she was as crazy as she looked. She grinned cheerfully as she walked a little forwards.

The infantrymen raised their guns, but a Soldier waved his hands for them to put them down. He was a first class, by his uniform, and Makona recognized him as Angeal from her previous exploits to Gaia. He turned back to her, the Buster sword gleaming slightly in the bright mid-day sun. She tilted her head, tapping her walking staff on the ground again.

"What do you mean, the Hellcat wasn't speaking normally?"

"He was way too out of it to be considered ADD or ADHD, and since he was much stronger than most others because of the extra mako mutation him even more… Well, he just sounded off. Not like the others," she explained. "Hard to explain to you humans, I guess, since you don't bother listening to anyone but your own kind."

"I think you should come with us," Angeal folded his arms.

"I think I should too! I was on my way to meet that Shinra President, anyways, why not hang out with a Soldier why I'm at it," she laced a bit of sarcasm into her words as she trotted over and hopped up on top of the truck cab. "You will not believe how annoying those Hellcats are, always trying to follow you. Sweet kitties, most of them, but a little too into the protectiveness ideals."

Angeal, and the truck-full of other Soldiers and infantrymen, stared at her. She shook her head, the feathers and beads braided into her blonde locks clicking slightly.

They would learn.

Or they would fall.

The first class motioned for the cars to keep going, and she sat on the top of the cab, cross-legged. Using a bit of magic, she secured herself to the surface she sat on.

"So you're the Makona who sent that message?" Angeal asked her over the roar of the truck engines.

She nodded. "Yup! I heard Koko freaked y'all out a bit. Can't say I blame you."

"When a dragon appears right in your face, I'm pretty sure you would be too."

"Nah, I'm used to it by now."

He gazed at her thoughtfully, mako-blue eyes glowing slightly. She held back a snort of disbelief. Why humans would let themselves be polluted by Jenova cells, or any cell that they didn't even know where it came from or what it was for or did or could do, was beyond her. Then again, there was that human thing called trusting one's superior without reason. Makona sure didn't reach her station by trusting her superior officers when she'd been a human.

They rode in relative silence, all the way to Junon. Makona really hadn't seen the area since she'd last been on Gaia, but wasn't surprised on how much had changed. Those humans, always wanting to upgrade metal with more metal. What was wrong with a tree? Apparently something, because once near Shinra Headquarters there wasn't a single plant to be seen. Only metal and concrete.

She didn't really pay attention to where they were, only followed Angeal as he entered the building. People gave her curious looks, but she ignored them. They annoyed her.

They arrived at the President's office, and entered. Her staff picked up from the floor—wouldn't want to dirty the lush carpet, now would she?—and held slanted upwards, she inspected the people in the room. Sephiroth, Genesis, Zack, Tseng, Reno, Rude, Cissnei, Hojo and a few lab assistants.

She nodded in approval. "Very well picked—perfect if you wanted to take down a mysterious human."

The President jerked, his eyes narrowing, as if she'd guessed his plan. That reaction only confirmed her suspicions. He quickly motioned to Hojo, who pulled out a needle. She glanced at it and it shattered.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," she remarked. "Angering a Goddess is very risky business. Especially for you humans."

"Us humans?" Tseng raised an eyebrow.

"You really don't think I'm a human, do you? 'Cause if you do I might take some very drastic measures to prove you wrong," she let her eyes become red. "Like blowing up all human civilizations on this planet. Or just killing you all where you stand. That would also work."

"Now, now, let's not get violent," the President said, his voice smooth. Like oil. "You came here for a reason, yes?"

"Right. I need an artifact that weasel-man over there,"—she pointed to Hojo—"has, for a few months, so I can reverse all the mako-mutations done to all my Mother's creations. The Hellcats in particular; the mutations are making them go insane. It's getting very annoying having to stop crazy Hellcats from attacking all the humans, and loathe though I am to part with such madness, it must be done for all of what you consider to be monsters."

They all stared at her. Except Hojo. He sneered. "Do you really expect me to believe you are what you claim to be on sight alone? Tests must be done, to prove it."

"I'm not stupid," she said airily. "I know you only want another subject to experiment on. And let me tell you, Mother is not pleased with your sick and twisted experiments. Especially with Sephiroth. Do you know how revolting it was, to watch as you put wave after wave of Jenova cells into him before he was born? Once Jenova wakes up he will be under her control and no one else's, and boy, she does have quite a sense of revenge. I wonder how she plans to kill you?" Makona tapped her chin thoughtfully, then shrugged. "What I'm saying is you are one sick demon, and I can't wait until your death, because this millennia it's my turn to decide who goes to hell!"

She grinned at him cheerfully. "I've got plans for you, little mortal. I have plans."

They were all in shock, staring at her. She shrugged again. "What? Are you guys really that oblivious to all the things he's been doing?"

"Apparently," Sephiroth growled, glaring daggers at the now pale Hojo.

Makona smirked. This was going to be more fun than she thought.