Chapter 8: Return To Shinra

The twins got back to the Nibelheim manor and Gast was already waiting for them with two suitcases.

"Took you long enough, you need to train with your weapons. Hojo was ordered by president Shinra to bring you back to Midgar. Training, they say." Gast hefted up the two suitcases on a table.

Alexandra opened up the other one with her name on it. And it was a long odachi. Outlandish, but with a simple design. The hamon shining brightly, twinkling under the light. Showcasing its sharpness and effectiveness in just a glance.

"Hmmm, good blade." Alexandra lifted it up, with her superior strength. She wielded it in her left and right hand, testing its balance.

"You're right, Nii-san. This blade is perfect for me, long range, perfect weight, and ideal offensive capabilities." Alexandra smiled.

"Of course, what'd I tell you? Big brother knows best. Anyways, let's look at mine. See if they were able to create one to my liking." Ramiel opened up his suitcase and the other two whistled when they saw it. (pic)

"That's pretty." Alexandra nodded in satisfaction at the halberd. Ramiel wanted to have an all purpose weapon that can handle tanks well with piercing damage. Raw power with the axe and can still slash with its blade.

"Hmmm, a fine make indeed. Money can do wonders." Ramiel brandished the halberd and can feel it absorb his energy.

"Me and Alex are probably the only ones who can use these, Shinra really trusts Hojo huh? Well, they're gonna sober up later when these weapons are used against them." Ramiel smirked and Alexandra nodded.

"Aren't you gonna have a sheath for that thing? That thing's blade is 6 feet long." Gast chuckled at the unwieldy blade of Alexandra.

"It's fine, I can just let nii-san hold it for me." Alexandra gave it to him and it just disappeared. Making Gast not question things anymore. That was above his paygrade.

"At least say goodbye to Aerith before you go. She's gonna miss you." Gast grunted and thought that his daughter will be influenced by them poorly.

"Of course, I guess we can have a little party here in the manor." Ramiel shrugged and decided to invite the kids for their adventure. They concluded that they will be gone for a couple of years at least.

"So, want to see how you square up to little old big brother?" Ramiel looked at Alexandra and she smirked at him. "I guess I do, how about it?" She brandished her sword and he laughed. "Then I guess I need to show you why I'm the big brother then?"

"Hey, take this away from here. A long ways away, I can already tell. You guys are strong, and those weapons are no joke." Gast rolled his eyes and Ramiel snorted.

The twins went out of the house and Ramiel decided to show Alex an ability of his. Black wings appeared from his back and Alex was shocked.

"Nii-san... You can do that?" She thought it looked good on him and Ramiel shrugged. "I'm named after an angel, I guess it's just right that I have wings. Though I'm a fallen angel." Ramiel laughed and picked her up. They then went to the middle of nowhere, a desert of rock that nothing grows on.

"We haven't fought seriously, Alex. How about you show me how much you've grown?" He pointed his halberd at her after throwing Masamune back.

"Gladly. I'll show you, nii-san... That I am a perfect soldier." Alexandra squinted her eyes and thought it was the moment to show him that she is capable as well. To protect him like how he protected her.

"Then let's begin, I'll give you the first strike. Your privilege as the little sister." Ramiel gave a smug smile and Alexandra cracked her neck.

She then disappeared and swung Masamune at him from overhead. He blocked it with the shaft of his halberd. The ground depressed and a shockwave escaped from her strike.

"Hmph, is that the best you can do?" Ramiel put power on his arms and made her back away. "Hmm, pretty brave for someone in stabbing range."

Alex casted thundaga and lightning rained on his position, a small storm of electricity hit him and raised dust.

He then emerged from the cloud of dust with a smile on his face. Ramiel swung the poleaxe and she blocked it head on. Making her knees almost buckle from the violent power. Cracking the ground for dozens of meters.

Alex had a trick up her sleeve and already casted firaga. A deceptively small flame escaped her fingertips and hit him. But it suddenly exploded with a resounding boom that shaked the surroundings.

"Hmph, is that the best you could do?" Alexandra smirked and thought that must have done at least something.

"Well, no." Ramiel was prepared though, and used reflect. As hexagonal shields appeared in front of him. Alexandra went wide eyed and the explosion she casted got returned to her twofolds.

Thankfully, she was able to escape the blast radius and began to sweat a bit from the close call. "Damn it nii-san, you don't play huh?" Alexandra fixed her shades.

"Well, I might not have played ff7 much. But I have experience on the others. I am a gamer, girl. You have no idea of what I'm capable of. My grind for the best combos is absolute!" Ramiel poised to attack and instantly casted silence.

Alexandra didn't expect his speed of casting magic and Ramiel lunged at her. "Lesson 1, before you cast a killer spell, make sure the enemy can't defend or dodge."

Ramiel went for a feint, making her think that he was gonna try a stab, but he let Alex parry his blow to the side and he tripped her leg with the halberd's hook.

He casted a fira spell as that was the quickest spell with the maximum damage up close that he could conjure. "Lesson 2, you should be as efficient as you could, observe." He threw the fire ball right at her torso and it exploded.

It wasn't as destructive as firaga, but she still flew away from the blast and got damaged by the heat.

Before she could use Esuna to counter the silence. Ramiel threw the halberd like a javelin. Making her block it hastily.

"Lesson 3, your body is a weapon. Use it." He dashed at her once again and jumped. Lifting his leg for an axe kick. Alexandra's sword arm went numb from the earlier attack and she can't parry with it fast enough. But with her flexibility and control on her body, she was able to backflip immediately to escape.

Ramiel's leg struck the ground and got embedded in it. Making rocks and pebbles rain on the surroundings from the force of his attack.

"You're too good at this..." Alex used Esuna and furrowed her brows. She buffed herself up with haste and gripped her sword on her main hand.

"Then, I guess we need to take it up a notch?" Alex swung her sword and a thin line of energy escaped from it. Slicing everything in its way.

"Hmph, you can try." Ramiel cancelled the energy blade that was on his path and charged. They began exchanging blows. Every clash of their weapons sundered the ground.

Alex went to a deadlock with him and her left hand glowed. Arcing with lightning and electricity. She then pointed her palm at him, like a cannon. Lightning escaped from her hands and he was forced to dodge.

"Quake!" Alex stomped on the ground and it shook. The earth responding to her magic. "Freeze." Ramiel countered and poured out tons of magic. Freezing the surrounding earth, cancelling her earthquake.

"Come on, got any more tricks up you sleeve? I'd like to see them now." Ramiel taunted her and Alex fixed her shades with a smirk.

She casted tons of fireballs and they all flew to the air. She then gestured her hand down at him. The explosive balls of flames made it rain, Ramiel parried the attacks. Showcasing his skill in spatial awareness.

But some of the fireballs were compressed firaga spells. And it blindsided him, his focus on parrying them.

"How about that?" Alex snorted and slashed the air multiple times again. Ramiel created a barrier so he could fix his posture and he gave a smile at her craftiness.

"You're learning, I guess it's time for me to show some tricks?" Ramiel used Despell on her, cancelling her haste. He added slow and she felt sluggish.

Ramiel took a deep breath and released a cloud of poison in the air. Making Alex frown heavily at his choice of attacks.

He erected a circle of ice on their surroundings and Alex was trapped inside an arena. Before she could jump up and escape from the place, he was already hot on her tail.

She managed to jump, but due to her sluggishness, he caught her leg and slammed her to the ground. Taking all the breath from her lungs, forcing her to breathe in the poison.

Alex slashed with Masamune and backed off, fixing her posture. But she was in borrowed time. Ramiel used silence on her again and was relentless.

Alex exchanged blows with him, but he was faster, stronger, and in an environmental advantage.

In a desperate attempt, Alexandra tackled him to the ground so he couldn't use his spear. But he immediately switched places with her and gave a smirk at her.

"Game over." Ramiel used wind to take the poison away from the air and casted poisona for their poisoned state.

"Nii-san, you were such a meanie. Not giving me any room to breathe." Alex pouted at him and Ramiel snorted.

"Will your enemies give you that chance? Not that I'm saying you'll be that disadvantaged like with me. Everybody has specialties, and if you can't handle their tricks. You might find yourself in a sticky situation. I'm just too good." Ramiel gave a smug smile and he helped her to stand up.

"Hmph, I'll show you. I just need some practice with my sword." Alexandra huffed at him and he shrugged. "Me too, but at least we have a bit of experience in using them." They then returned to the Nibelheim manor.

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The very next day, they prepared a nice feast for Cloud, Aerith, and Tifa. The twins invited them to the manor and told them that they were going to leave for Midgar.

"Wait, you guys are leaving? But why!?" Cloud immediately rejected their goodbye.

"Well, you won't understand this now. But there are certain things that you need to do in order to live your life. Purpose, direction, etc. And it's time for us to do so." Ramiel shrugged and Cloud went quiet.

"Why Midgar though?" Tifa knew that she couldn't do anything to not make them leave, so she settled for trying to know.

"We're going to be interns in Shinra. Me and Alex are being recruited by them. In a couple of years, you'll probably hear about us in the news." Ramiel patted their heads and Aerith started to tear up.

"Are you guys gonna send us letters or updates?" She used the puppy dog eyes and Alexandra chuckled. "Yes, yes we will. We won't be that busy in Shinra, don't worry."

"Yeah, just listen to your mom and grow up well. That applies to all of you, don't be a little brat and live well. We will see each other later." Ramiel smiled at them and Cloud started to sniffle.

"I'm not crying, somebody must be cutting onions somewhere." Cloud tried to make an excuse and Tifa chuckled at him.

"Don't worry Cloud, they'll be back. It's a promise, right?" Tifa looked at the twins and they nodded with a smile.

"Of course, we gotta see how you guys grow up to be. Don't disappoint us now." Ramiel gave them some pocket money and they went back home.

After a few minutes, Gast appeared. "You kids ready? Geez, you aren't even teens yet and you'll be inducted to SOLDIER." Gast shook his head at Shinra's greed for power.

"It do be like that, what can we do? I can't get in touch with Shinra myself yet. And even if I assassinate him, then someone will replace him immediately. I need to turn it over on itself completely." Ramiel snorted.

"We'll be fine, uncle Gast. We can just escape if things aren't looking good anyway." Alexandra shrugged, thinking they could hide away in plain sight in Wutai. Prepare for a rebellion with a whole nation's backing.

"Well, this old man just worries about you two. You're still kids, Ifalna also wants you to be careful." Gast sighed, he then shooed them away so they can go to Midgar.

The twins travelled on their own this time, because they let Hojo specifically request to stay in Nibelheim. To watch over Gast and his family himself.

And because due to Shinra's data on the them that they were raised in captivity, Shinra has blind trust in them. Thinking that Hojo would've raised the twins to be utterly loyal to Shinra.

Ramiel and Alexandra boarded their planes and quickly went to Midgar. Going to the upper plate immediately. A gigantic structure that symbolizes the dystopia.

Above the metal plate, it was a city that people lived in comfort. Protected by Shinra strictly, basically tyranny. Everybody had ID cards, citizens needed tons of money.

While under the plate, is the slums of Midgar. A community that was tight knit. They live in hostile conditions. Beasts roam in the night, and they all live in bitter poverty, below. The majority of them, not even able to see the sky their whole lives.

"You ready?" Ramiel looked at his sister and Alex nodded at him confidently. "We've been waiting for this, aren't we? I guess it's time we go into SOLDIER."

They enter Shinra HQ and go to the military sector where their elites reside.

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Thanks for reading everyone, anyways. Ciao.