… And Then the Occupation was Over…

- Zack visits Yuffie& her Governess when returning to Wutai 2 years after end of war, the occupation is over...-

Bowing slightly in greeting, the dark haired soldier showed up in front of her door like a ghost. Seeming to materialize out of the quiet afternoon with no warning at all he arrived with a smile. She felt her face go a little pink at the sight of him, and willed herself to restraint. For his part, the officer was all ready looking past her with playful curiosity at the little girl glaring at him from the safety of the deep porch.

It had been at least two years, Kiori realized as she gathered her thoughts. A long time since she had last seen the familiar shock of black hair, or the laid-back grin that made him look more like a little boy then a hardened warrior. “… I had heard, you and your General were here… to over see the…”

“The grand departure of the evil overlords and return to civilization? Yes. We’ll be here a month or so, making sure nothing too nasty happens as things wrap up.”

“… I’ll be glad when the occupation is over…” She murmured, forgetting herself with the grin. Embarrassed, she tried to correct, “Not that the army has been cruel, of course…”

“I understand Miss Kiori… and how is your little friend? She seems a bit more… cheerful than last time.”

She blinked, and looked back to where Yuffie was watching them both. The little girl’s expression was thoughtful as she tried to remember their visitor. She wouldn’t be surprised if the child had completely forgotten about their first encounter with the dark soldier. With her mother having died days before, the girl had been forgivably distraught.

Catching the child’s attention, she waved her closer. “This is Thomson-san, my lady,” The nurse smiled encouragingly, “You remember? The nice man who protected us the day the Shinra came?”

The little girl looked up from petting her kitten with bored aloofness. “Tom-san-san? That’s silly, why two?”

“That’s his name Miss Yuffie, Thom…”

“I’ll call you Tom-san. One is more than good enough for a /Shinra/… even a nice one.”

“I’m honored, princess.”

“I’m so sorry sir, she’s just stubborn, that’s all.”

“No no, I don’t mind at all, she’s right, it sounds better the way she says it.” He chuckled. “That’s a mighty fine kitten you have there.”

“His name is Samurai!”

“Is it now… Is he a fighter then?”

“Yes! Look!” Holding out a small felt doll as an offering, she jiggled it enticingly in front of the playful animal. The black and white kitten wasted no time in snatching it from her hand and happily settling down to chew the toy’s head. Neither of the adults could fail to notice that it was wearing a tiny Shinra uniform. Kiori blushed again, mortified.

“Very frightening.” Zack was inclined to agree with a chuckle.

Settling on the floor, he pulled one of the laces out of his boot and made a show of fishing for kittens. The small feline enjoyed it at first but soon came to the conclusion that his hair was a much more tempting target. Apparently his owner also agreed, and with a growl of her own she pounced, making a grab for his wild locks. The soldier tumbled backwards, catching the arm-full of wiggling child as well as minding smaller paws, a gentle giant in the otherwise remote and forgotten nursery. Kiori watched her charge and their rescuer abandon all civility as they mock-battled among the pillows. She had to smile.

// I had forgotten that they made Shinra that handsome… // Sighing, she trusted him to look after the wily little girl long enough to make some tea.

“How long can you stay, Thomson-san…?”

“Tom-san!” Yuffie corrected loudly, giggling as she was pulled down and tickled. “Hey! I’ll get you, Shinra!”

The dark man’s grin turned into a wince as the kitten chomped down with particular vigor on his thumb. “It’s all right Miss Kiori, really… and if you’ll have me, I’ll gladly stay for an hour or two…” He looked around, casually ignoring being beaten by a bolster.

“Is there anything I can do around the house? You two seem well taken care of.”

“Oh I can get one of the men from the town to fix things, please don’t worry about us.” Weighing scarcity against honor, she hesitated in putting out sweet crackers with the tea for a moment before surrendering to her initial impulse. It was unlikely that Lord Gordo would come and visit before they went stale, and even if he did, he wouldn’t notice their absence. If anyone deserved to be treated with full respect, it was the man who had saved their lives.

Gently carrying the tea tray to the table, she watched as the giant man put an end to his ineffectual battering by the simple expedient of claiming the pillow mid-thwap and sitting on it. Yuffie pouted a moment but was soon lured in by the smell of the steaming liquid. Soldier and foreigner that he was, he was fluent enough in their customs to murmur the ritual expressions and accept his portion with grace. The puffed sweet-rice snacks didn’t escape his notice either, an eloquent eyebrow creeping upwards as he gave her a friendly look. “… Miss Kiori, have you been hording these?”

“I remember that you had mentioned you were fond of them… before you left last time.”

“One of the top reasons to get this country back on its feet and fast… You’re almost out of crunchies!” He made a show of balancing one on the princess’ nose while she growled and pretended it was her prey. “The crackers girl, not the fingers!”

It seemed impossible that this same kind-hearted man was also responsible for so much death and mayhem over the previous years. She watched the strong hands as they oh so carefully held the porcelain teacup, and was reminded of the sword she had seen him wield during their first encounter. He had flipped a fighter through a wall with only the smallest of gestures, had picked her and the child up as if they were two of Yuffie’s toys and whisked them out of the besieged town before she could even think to be afraid.

Shinra were greedy and dishonorable, she had always been taught, but now that she had seen some for herself, she couldn’t believe it was all true. Most were obnoxious, to be fair, but not this one, and not the General, no matter how fearsome he seemed. The white-ghost of Midgar was many things, strict and cold as the peaks of Da Chao, but he was not cruel, nor was he vicious.

// Like two lion spirits, one white, one black… one cold and serene, the other fiery and playful… //

It was a fancy that would get her in trouble she knew, if she expressed it to any of the former Wutai councilmen. The two lions had defeated their ancestral dragons after all. Still she could have sworn, even as he bowed and made his way back towards the Shinra’s main building that she could see the gamboling beast walking in his place, tail lashing playfully as he jogged down the steps and disappeared around the corner.

*****