{Estuans Interuis}Eclipsed Night{Ira Vehementi}

[Sephiroth]

.:Angel of Darkness:.

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Shall I give you Despair?

ooc: Ok guys, this is an open thread as the subject fails to say. Sorry, no room. XD Not sure what will come out of it. Any and all Final Fantasy 7 characters are allowed to join. If you are supposed to be dead, Zack or Yazoo for instance, join anyway! Because Technically, I should be dead too.

Setting and summarized plot:

This will take place between Advent Children and Dirge of Cerberus. Shin-ra and Midgar have been rebuilt and slowly, Mako energy is returning to usage. Everything would seem back to 'normal', if it weren't for one thing. An ominous shadow of dark Clouds hover on the horizon, originating from the depths of Northern Cave. Rain rarely falls as the clouds spread, but black lightning flashes non-stop; no thunder sounds however. There is an air of great danger around these clouds as they slowly spread from Northern Cave.

And long scars on the Planet's surface have appeared in three places in the world; scars that are like healing sword wounds. The Lifestream is unstable, often seeping out of these wounds; swallowing everything around them. The Planet's pained cries can be heard by those attuned to the sound; breaking out more often than it did during Sephiroth's reign of terror. But these injuries were not cause by the One-Winged Angel, but by a new danger. An ancient beast that stirs within the very core of the planet; One that was sealed away by the Ancients themselves many years before the Calamity fell to the Planet. The Monster keeps trying to emerge, splitting apart the surface of the Planet; crawling out of the depths. Lifestream pours from those trenches like blood. Massive earthquakes rumbling for miles around these openings as the Planet shudders with agony.

Then the trenches were closed by a rather reluctant Sephiroth, having returned from the Lifestream himself quite recently; answering the Planet's call for help. But his intentions are far from noble. But as he has halted the New Threat three times, the Beast grows stronger after every encounter; learning from its errors in these conflicts. Sephiroth grudgingly accepts the fact that he needs help to forever destroy the Monster.

The time has come for old enemies to put aside the past for the present, to ally against the new danger. But who will join the alliance? Will these 'allies' be able to get along enough to save the world? Who will fall victim to pride and greed? It will all be determined in this rp.

Posting Order. It will be organized by order of joining this thread.

1)Sephiroth
2)Genesis
3)Zack
4)Nanaki
5)
...)

[glow=red,2,300]bic:[/glow]

He was injured... Disbelief glittered in the malignant eyes. His wing was practically split in half, crimson flowing onto the wasted ground. A long, but shallow scratch ran down the side of his face; beginning just below his left eye and running down his neck. The unfamiliar sticky fluid seeping from his wounds did nothing but irritate him more. How could he have let his guard down?! How had this... This Thing managed to break through his defenses to shred the 'immortal' man?!

He was hunched over, breath hissing between gritted teeth. The wing, once so magnificent, hung limply and dragged on the ground as he backed away. Flecks of crimson left a trail in front of him as he retreated. The long silver hair was a mess, spiked up with blood near his injured neck. Leather garments were ripped and dirty, the metal on his shoulders bore fresh scratches and dents. He nearly tripped over his torn wing as it got beneath his feet. The ten foot long sword was held wearily, tip dragging through the dirt and leaving a long mark in the earth.

And barely 11 yards in front of him, a huge trench cut through the ground. A dark fog was spilling from the ripped earth, a huge shadowy beast head was emerging; a triumphant smile curled across it hideous face. But details were hidden by the dark clouds swirling around it. A right clawed hand rose high above the Fallen Angel, and clawed at the man to finish the long grueling battle.

The Nightmare forced away his own pain, struggling to ignore it as greenish-blue, cat-like eyes focused on the coming claws. The Masamune was raised, and there was a swirl of black and silver, tinged with flying dots of red, as he spun around and leaped. The beast's hand came down mere inches from him, and his slashed sideways with the sword. It cut through the tough skin and tendons, sliced cleanly through bone.

The beast let out and earsplitting screech as it reared back; body going back toward the trench, hand left on the ground at Sephiroth's feet. The Monster's eyes narrowed in outrage as black liquid spilled from its severed limb. It opened its hideous jaws and roared in frustration. That was its mistake.

The moments the mouth opened, the Nightmare spun on the spot, Masamune flashing through the air at such speed that it became a mere blur. Long, glowing white crescents of light blazed from the sword, flashing at the Thing's face. They passed into its head and open mouth, and fresh wounds split across its features.

With an agonized howl, it fell back; its remaining hand lost the grip on the edge of the trench. The shadowy thing flailed as it fell back into the depths of the trench, Lifestream sucking it in. The roar faded to a mere rumbled as the earth trembled once more. Sephiroth knelt at the side of the opening, Lifestream swirling around his broken figure. He began to mutter a series of words, almost like some magic spell, and ran a hand over the opening. The earth at his fingers slowly moved back toward itself, and the area surrounding it soon followed. The wound knitted itself back together slowly, and the Lifestream was sucked back into the closing earth.

As the man stood up, a fresh scar ran down the length of the earth, running for almost a quarter mile. He looked up with agonized eyes, and glared at the town nearby; it was Mideel. The small town had once held a huge pool of Lifestream, but it had vanished suddenly as the Monster appeared. Now it was simple yet another ravaged town, with barely any buildings standing. The denizens of the town were gathering slowly, staring at the Planet's wound, and starting at the sight of the dreadfully familiar Nightmare; looking like shit.

Furiously, Sephiroth spun around and vanished into the trees of the surrounding forest, still leaving a trace of crimson behind him in the dirt. Now that the conflict was settled, he felt the full brunt of his wounds. Pain rippled through his shoulder as the wing continued to drag, almost in two pieces. Black feathers littered the ground behind him, and he silently cursed himself. Those feathers would have left a trail from the location of the battle all the way into this forest where he was hoping to rest and heal.

The wound on his face and neck was minor compared to the wing. He would probably be better off removing the thing. But, not all hope was lost. The wing wasn't damaged beyond repair, as his power would aid in the healing process. But it would take a while, a few months probably. he wouldn't be flying anytime soon. But because of that possibility, there was no reason for him to sever the extra appendage.

He therefore settled in, leaning against a tree and plucking the remaining detached feathers from the wing. It wasn't long before the feathers littered the ground at his feet; and he stared in dismay at the exposed flesh. The membrane beneath where the feathers had been was stained with blood and inflamed. his wing would heal eventually, but there would certainly be scarring.

With a sigh, he began to tend to his other minor wounds. Most of them had stopped shedding blood. But his clothes were still torn. There would be no mending for that. But it wasn't too bad. Mostly, just the end of the coat that dangled by his feet was torn in places, nothing had actually been separated from the rest of the garb. He looked ragged, and the hair was still a mess.

Well... There was his little secret. All those stories told about him that were meant to ass humor to his terrifying self... Those about how he kept his hair perfect... It was all true. With a slight smirk at the irony, he drew out a comb from his pocket and hurriedly brushed out the hair. It was restored quickly
to its former grandeur.

Finished with his touching up, he walked slowly back the way he had come, no longer bothering to disperse his fallen feathers. he lingered at the edge of the trees, looking on the scene before him. The citizens of Mideel had finally braved the event and come out of hiding, swarming around the battlefield and examining the scar. He in particular noticed a few humans pointing at a pool of dried blood and feathers; the place where he had first gotten his wing ripped. The people pointed at the trail of feathers, and Sephiroth grimaced. If they chose to follow him, he would cut down each one that came his way. The Masamune was still in his left hand, and he had some strength back. At least... Enough to take down mere human beings.

But he was pleased to see as those discussing pursuit shook there heads and sent fearful glances at the forest. Smirking, the Nightmare resumed his leaning against a tree, and watched the events before him. He had nothing better to do now, at least...

Thoughts swarmed through his mind. Why had he even bothered to fight the Thing? Obviously, it was out to leave the planet in ruins. Why then, did he keep standing in its way? This had been the third time he had halted its attack. No doubt, he would not be able to win the next conflict with the thing, at least not alone. So why then? Honestly, he didn't know. He thought he had heard the ghost of a whisper from Jenova, urging him to destroy the Thing. But now, he wasn't so sure. It might have simply been his mind. Was he growing soft to this world? Its destiny was to be destroyed, and to be destroyed at his hands so that he and Jenova; and the other sons and daughters of the Calamity; could build a new Planet. A planet with no suffering, pain, or disaster. All those who stood in his way were enemies.

But it still didn't explain why he had just saved the Planet... Again... His reasons... They were unknown to himself... Perhaps, the answer would come it time. But right now, he needed to regain his strength and power. He could barely stand at the moment. The injured Angel sighed irritably.

[genesis]

My friend, do you fly away now?
To a world that abhors you and I?
All that awaits you is a somber morrow
No matter where the winds may blow

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"Tch... What a pathetic little town... It's gift once plenty, now taken from them. Nothing binds me here.", Genesis said as his gaze scanned the little town from afar, his eyes looking for the slightest hint of the vast and renown pool that surged from the earth, believed to have come from the Lifestream itself. A blessing to the feeble villagers, though it appeared that it was now drained completely, the marks of the "water" still persisted upon the now dried up earth. Thus Genesis flew all the way there, just to watch some mark on the earth? Perhaps he was tricked and that wasn't really Midel, but some random little village close to it? No, Genesis was certain that he got the location right; but if he did, then where in the name of the Goddess was the pool of Lifestream? A sigh escaped his lips as he considered going down to that puny and wretched village to acquire some answers, he hated socializing with "inferior beings", though the vain ex-SOLDIER had no choice and besides... It wasn't like he had anything better to do.
From the top of the hill, Genesis let himself fall, like a rock would if it was let go of someone's grip, only then, when just a few feet away from the ground, to stretch out his dark wing and flap once with some strength, halting his fall and enabling him to place his feet gracefully onto the ground, his boots making the lumps of dirt crumble underneath their weight. The man then dismissed his wing that faded away black feather by black feather, just before starting to walk slowly yet gracefully towards the village.

As the man made his way to the outskirts of the village, a slightly feeble sound, that he could not identify, echoed around the area, the earth beneath Genesis' feet shaking just a tiny bit. The man glared slightly at the village, only then to sigh in aggravation, wondering if there was something going on in that wretched little village. Perhaps they were having a little monster problem? If so, Genesis would only ask if that was Midel and why as the pool dried out, because there was no way in hell Genesis would even budge to help the villagers. Not only would that be an hassle, it would also be a waste of his time, plus the fact that he was a selfish, arrogant and smug bastard didn't help the slightest.

When the man was finally in the village, his eyes looked around to see if he could find someone to answer his questions, though for some reason, it was almost deserted and if it wasn't the squeaky rocking of a chair in someone's porch, he would take that village as deserted.
The man walked towards the little house, his eyes locked on some elderly women who was enjoying the peace and quiet, knitting something that was probably meant for her grandsons. With his usual tone of voice, Genesis addressed the women, "Excuse me... Is this Midel?", only then to receive a warming gaze and a caring response, "Yes yes it is. Welcome traveler. What brings you here to our village?". The look on her face was so warm and sweet, Genesis almost became noxious just looking at her, though he did not show it and replied with the exact same tone, "I came here to see the famous Lifestream Pool of Midel, yet it appears to have been dried out... Do you know the reason why?". The old woman sighed and replied in a slight sad tone as she stood up from her chair, placing her knitting on the ground before slowly standing up, "I'm afraid you came here for nothing young man... The pool vanished out of thin air... Not only that but a great beast surged from-", the old woman was suddenly interrupted by the shouts of a young male, asking her to come see something the other villagers had found. He mentioned a pool of dried blood and some... Dark feathers?

At that, Genesis' eye had a spark of interest, pondering for a minute if HE was around... The ex-SOLDIER didn't even thanked the elderly lady and ran through out the village, his eyes capturing the sight of a group of villagers all gathered and looking at the ground. he ran as fast as he could towards them, only to stop when almost on top of them.
Some of the villagers noticed his arrival, looking at him and his garments, only then to stare at the red blade he was carrying. Genesis could smell the fear in them, though he paid no attention what so ever, his gaze locked on the pool of dried blood and the black feathers that sticked out. His eyes then followed a trail of the crimson fluid and feathers, only then to gaze upon a vast forest, the trail leading there. He was sure of it, he would recognize those black feathers anywhere... Sephiroth was here...
The villagers then turned their attention towards another pool, though this one was black and had something really big in the middle of it. Genesis did not waste time and after swiftly summoning his wing, he flapped as hard as he could, launching himself upwards. Some of the villagers looked back after hearing the sound of something flapping, thought the only thing they saw was a few feathers falling gently onto the ground. They shrugged and assumed it was the wind that lifted them from the pool of blood, not noticing the crimson dot in the sky that soared towards the forest.

The minute Genesis was on top of it, he did a swan dive, head first into the trees, not straying himself too much from the edge. He used his crimson blade to carve a path to him, swiftly and confident, the ex-SOLDIER made his way to the ground, flapping his wings once to stop him from crashing, making him land gently on his feet.
The man scanned around for any signs of his "friend", though when he failed to capture the slightest glimpse of him, he smirked and said in a high tone of voice, "The Great Sephiroth injured?! Such a paradox must be witnessed! I would not forgive myself if I did not see it!", Genesis's tone was filled to the brim with sarcasm, his eyes scanning the area around him to see if he could find Sephiroth. Oh the joy he would feel if he saw Sephiroth beaten to a bleeding pulp... He didn't care who or what beaten him, he just wanted to see him now.

[Sephiroth]

.:Angel of Darkness:.

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Shall I give you Despair?

The pain was slowly fading away to a dull, background pulse. Once more, he was quite relieved that it was only his wing that was seriously wounded. He wiped the small cuts on his face with a sleeve. Clearing most of the crimson smears off. His overcoat was frayed and ripped slightly where it hung by his ankles, but that problem would be easily solved. The shoulder armor had received its first dents and scratches; most likely, these would be the first of many. His hair had returned to its usual, clean and untangled state; now that he had combed it out.

The wing was the only real problem. He spread it painfully, and turned slightly to examine it; again. The mere sight of the ruined appendage still brought disbelief into his glare. While the blood flow had just about halted, the sight was more gruesome. The exposed flesh in the split was swollen and inflamed; smeared with rapidly drying blood. A a slightly cloudy, silvery liquid was quickly crusting over, making the wound look infected. But it was the S-cells that had seeped from the open flesh. The maimed skin was bald an featherless. Around that slice injury, still-attached feathers were ruffled and bent awkwardly. Such a sight enraged the Nightmare...

And another thing began to piss him off. Mako-enhanced hearing ended p making his blazing gaze rise to the patch of blue that was visible through the tree tops above. He heard wing beats, and watched as a flash of crimson soared overhead. It vanished from his line of sight almost at once. A short moment later, he heard the voice; and the Masamune was in his gloved left hand again. The long blade was still smeared with the Beast's blood, he hadn't gotten a chance to clear it all off yet. Right now, the Fallen Angel was more concerned about the familiar voice. Right now... Why did Genesis have to arrive now?! When he was in such a weak-looking state?! He bore no animosity towards Genesis, but he knew the red-clad man would revel in the ”Hero's” pain. However; while his pride was briefly broken, he took comfort from one fact... Even in his current state, he could destroy Genesis and not even break a sweat.

And so he headed towards the voice, carrying the Masamune expertly and ready. The mangled appendage dragged its tips across the ground, hanging limply at his side. He was folding as best he could, but it still drooped. After a short pause behind the trees at the edge of the clearing, he moved forward slowly. ”Hello, Genesis...” He said softly. ”I can see you arrived too late to witness the show...” He was holding his unique blade in a slightly defensive position, held a short distance away from his body and crossing his chest. ”Yes... The Great Sephiroth is injured. I'm not entirely invincible, you know... No one is... ” How ironic. Really, he was just trying to mess with Genesis; but there was truth to his spoken words. ”I guess that proves that a pathetic life-form like yourself wouldn't have lasted long against that Beast...” He smiled coldly.

”If you came for a fight, you will find that I can still send you back to your precious Goddess in the Lifestream...” His eyes flashed over Genesis' wing. ”You do realize, Genesis... That the fact that you still bear those feathers means that your first life will repeat itself. You may have returned from the dead, but your time is limited. Your body will begin and continue to degrade, again... I may be willing to save you from that fate; an favor to an old friend. But you will have to prove yourself worthy of carrying my cells...” His voice was smooth and didn't falter. This wasn't just a lie he was putting together, he really meant it. In fact, he was already testing Genesis, if indirectly. The eyes were alert, watching for reactions; or any sudden hostile movements made towards him.

”Tell me, Genesis... Did you ever find the true meaning of 'The Gift of the Goddess'?” He wasn't simply asking, trying to make small talk. He was being sincere. While he didn't share Genesis' obsession over the poem, he was curious about this 'Gift'. And... He was also testing Genesis this way, too. The man might prove useful to his future plans... Act like the puppet he really was; slave to something as simple as a poem. He was no different from the insect scum he considered human beings to be.

Genesis clung to him, consumed by Envy. Why else would the man have come out here to find his former friend? Yet the ways he had tried, and possibly was still trying, to be a Hero...They disgusted him. Genesis' reasons were, and had always been, highly laughable. Even now, he showed obvious sign of pleasure, of mirth, at the Nightmare's situation; merely out of envy, as usual. So why then? Why was he giving the LOVELESS freak a chance? He shrugged inwardly. He had nothing to lose, and everything to gain. That was his reasoning for not cutting down Genesis now. But all that would change in less than a heartbeat, if Genesis chose to attack him now. He, Sephiroth, didn't need a wing to fight well; and leave all challengers at his non-existent mercy.

[genesis]

My friend, do you fly away now?
To a world that abhors you and I?
All that awaits you is a somber morrow
No matter where the winds may blow

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Genesis waited for a reply to his taunt, his eyes looking around him and trying to get the slightest of glimpses of Sephiroth, wanting to see how badly his "friend" was after a clash with someone, or something. After all this time, Genesis still had great pleasure in seeing Sephiroth suffer and despite the fact he had grown not only physically, but also mentally, the remnant of his childish attitudes from the past still lingered inside of him. It looked like Sephiroth brought out the worst in him.
A soft voice made Genesis look above his shoulder, his wing making way so that the man could see his former peer and much to his surprise, Sephiroth was a bloody mess. To be frank, Genesis expect merely a few broken ribs and a wound or two, but there wasn't a place in Sephiroth's body where he couldn't see a wound, his torn wing sticking out the most given that it was almost being dragged along the floor. The man slowly turned to face his former friend, his eyes scanning each of the wounds on his body, taking great pleasure in seeing Sephiroth in that weakened and mistreated shape. The urge to slice off his wing and stab him with his Rapier was great, though Genesis could not bring himself to do so. Why? He did not know. Maybe he wanted to fight Sephiroth fairly, the both at full strength. Inside, despite the fact he grew stronger as he spent time with the Tsviets, Genesis knew he could not overpower the One Winged one, though he knew he could put up one hell of a fight. Weiss was a formidable foe, his physical attributes surpassed all those he encountered, though if Genesis was able to be a match to him, he was sure the same could be done against Sephiroth.
After that moment of silent, Genesis finally replied to his "friend", his tone as vain and as calm as ever, "Hello Sephiroth... It's a shame I did not witness you getting beaten to the bloody mess I see before me. I can't say I do not have the urge to strike you down right now and end your misery. But I do not see the point in doing that... I would however like to congratulate whoever or whatever did that to you. I'd like to test my strength against it before going after my real target.... ". Genesis was really interested to know who or what in the name of the Goddess was able to damage Sephiroth that baddly. Maybe spar a bit with it and see if he could best it? That would be entertaining, even more if Genesis was able to defeat him/it.
The man smirked when Sephiroth made that comment about a beast before he replied in the same tone as before, "Always the same Sephiroth... After all this time you still look down upon me and underestimate me. It always aggravated me so that you did that, it still does to be honest.", the man then did not wait for Sephiroth's reply, rather reached for the inner pocket of his coat and searched for something, his eyes focusing on the pocket and not on Sephiroth anymore. What Genesis was about to do was something he would never figured he would do... But it was something he owed and that was the final thing he needed to do to completely let his past behind him.
The man took out a vial from inside of the inner pocket of his red coat, only then to toss it at Sephiroth, the vial falling onto the ground and rolling to Sephiroth's feet, not breaking or even cracking the glass. With a slightly disgusted, yet calm, tone, Genesis pointed at the vial as he looked at Sephiroth and said to him, "It appears I've dropped something... Perhaps it's a memento of that time when I required a blood transfusion?...". The man had tossed Sephiroth a potion, something that would not heal his wounds entirely, but would at least take the exhaustion from his fight. Genesis had no honor, he never did, that was Angeal's thing not his own, though back then the fury and envy he felt when looking at Sephiroth was such that he did not see or hear what he had done, only looking at his friend as an obstacle to become "The Hero". When Genesis required, Sephiroth took a step forward, though Angeal was the one that passed through the door. With that potion, Genesis now owed Sephiroth nothing, plus if he were to attack Genesis, at least the battle would be a little more balanced that way. "Do not make assumptions Sephiroth... I'm merely throwing away one of the few things that bounded me to my past... Nothing more...", he said, now completely ignoring the vial and looking at Sephiroth.

When Sephiroth started talking again, Genesis smirked and shook his head lightly. Now who was childish? "Always eager to fight aren't you Sephiroth? As much pleasure as smacking you around would bring me, I will not fight a weakened One Winged Angel... I will not lower myself to such level...", he said as he looked at Sephiroth, his eyes locked onto the other's. Genesis still wanted to beat Sephiroth, he wanted to come out of his shadow and bathe in the light, though now he did not want to become "The Hero", he long abandoned such a childish quest, replacing it with the goal of besting his former friend. Whether it was a task given to him by the Goddess, or just the remnant of his past childish self, Genesis felt he needed to do it...
As his former friend mentioned his wing and the state of degradation Genesis would succumb to, a slight frown appeared on the corner of his lips, though he quickly hid it, replacing it with his usual calm and slightly smug expression, though when Sephiroth mentioned his cells, Genesis could not resist any longer and let out a brief laugh before replying, "Carrying your cells? Me? I would rather succumb to the degradation a million times then to have your cells inside of me Sephiroth... I never did die, I was spared by the Goddess and she halted my degradation. Though it was not her gift, I gladly accepted it. A long time as passed since she did that to me and no signs of degradation have appeared...", he stopped and looked at his wing, the black feathers gracefully moving as a soft gust of wind passed through the forest. He smirked before looking back at Sephiroth and continuing, "Though I can feel it... I feel that despite being slow... Degradation is eminent and will eventually come. I feel it yet it does not bother me...".
The man was really not bothered by it and should his time come and the Goddess see that Genesis must join the Lifestream, he would go willingly without a single question.

At the mere mentioning of the gift of the goddess, Genesis looked at Sephiroth with that look that clearly indicated he knew exactly what it was and he really did. When Genesis finally realized it, he was shocked beyond words, it really caught him by surprise. A slight grin as he looked up at the sky appeared on his lips, "I did. Infinite in mystery is the gift of the goddess, we seek it thus, and take to the sky. Ripples form on the water's surface, the wandering soul knows no rest... The prophecy was true. Yet much to my dismay, it's something neither you nor I could've grasp back then. Yet he was blessed with it all along. Truly a mystery.", his gaze returned back to his "friend", a slight satisfied grin on the corner of his lips.
"The Pride of a SOLDIER"; that was the gift of the Goddess, one that Zack, the puppy, had since forever. Genesis had his gift restored after battling Zack, though he did not deserve it; after all he did he did not deserve the gift of the Goddess, yet he received it and had Zack to thank for it... Truly infinite in mystery was the gift of the Goddess.

[Zack Fair]

::...The Puppy...::

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”Boy oh Boy, the price for freedom is steep.”

Mideel. Though he had been there for missions before, Zack had never really viewed the town as anything special. Sure it was where the lifestream was supposedly closer to the surface and all that jazz, but when it came right down to it, Zack couldn't really care less. It had been a place he had been sent to on missions, but nothing more. Still, now it would seam that Mideel was turning out to be more then just another dinky little town in the middle of nowhere. Of course, that wasn't to say it wasn't just another dinky little town. However, Zack had a special place in his heart for small towns, he was after all, a country boy through and through. A fact he was proud of, country boys where where it was at! If he wasn't trying to get to the town quicker he would stop and do a pose.

Why was Zack Fair at Mideel one might ask? One could say that he had never lost his honor as a SOLDIER and was now going to check out the occurrences that happened in the small town lately. Keeping your eyes and ears open was something he had learned while in SOLDIER, after awhile you were apt to hear something. Sephiroth was back. He knew that, Cloud knew that, it really had simply been a matter of time, but yet he had no idea where he was now. Nor did he know what the one winged angel was doing in regard to the situation he was now here for. Zack had never been one to ignore something that was happening, honor had been pounded into his head from his mentor Angeal to the point where if he heard of some suffering he had to go check it out.

Motorcycles seemed to be the way of transportation as of lately, and so that was the way he rolled. It got him to Mideel quicker then just running around would have. On previous missions in SOLDIER he could have been helicoptered in, but no such luck now that he wasn't in SOLDIER anymore. Driving toward the town, Zack had some time to meditate on what was going down lately, and why he was even bothering to come out here. Something about holes being ripped in the planet had reached his ears. Always a valiant one, he was on his way to look at these disturbances. The lifestream...somehow things that had to do with the lifestream always ended up being involved with someone like Sephiroth.

Zack sighed heavily as he drove down the road nearing the town. One thing he would really like not to happen was to meet up with Sephiroth again. After the last time, Sephiroth had just disappeared off the face of the earth, or at least, thats the way it had seemed. He didn't really care that the bringer of despair was gone, the unnerving part was not knowing when and where he would show up next. That was what was unsettling, though it was just wishful thinking that made him wish the silver haired SOLDIER would never return again. Hadn't he done enough damage already? Yet Zack, unlike almost everyone else, didn't hate Sephiroth. It came from having been there from before the insane Sephiroth that now plagued the world. Though he had never been exactly the friendly type, Sephiroth hadn't been evil back then when he had known him well. Thus, Zack couldn't hate someone he knew hadn't always been the way he was.

Finally reaching the small town, Zack drove in and parked his bike in a spot where hopefully no one would notice it. He didn't think anyone would, after all, with all the chaos he was seeing, he doubted anyone would think to notice a bike parked. Pulling the keys out of the ignition, he got off and with a stretch, peered around the town. So this was the grand metropolis of Mideel. A tiny shrug was given before he walked in direction of the town. So he was going to have to figure out where he needed to look for whatever was going on around here. Unknown to him, Genesis Rhapsodos, es-SOLDIER first class was here as well, and only a few minutes ahead of him. Shouting reached his ears as blue eyes turned to look in the direction the words were being yelled from. Another shrug before placing his hands behind his head and putting his weight on his heels, contemplating what to do. “I guess...I should go check that out.” Long strides took him toward the sounds, a bounce in his step. No matter what this was all about, Zack was in a good mood. Being alive and well would do that to someone that had been dead before.

Finally reaching the site, Zack stood there with the rest and looked down at the scared earth. The look they gave Zack was similar to the look they had given Genesis. A guy with sword always seemed to strike fear into somebody's heart. Of course he knew they were looking at his sword, what guy didn't ? Except for the fact that instead of being all angsty, Zack was outgoing and personable. Giving them a smile, he eased their fear by being what he was, the puppy. “The Sword man, its just for getting away with anything you want to.” They smiled at that, and he knelt down to look at the blood and feathers. “Anybody know what happened?” They shrugged and all seemed to look to the other to speak. Finally one did, “I'm not exactly sure, sure ripped up the earth like all holy hell though. The town is prectically leveled! Whatever it was, it was damn big, and shrieked like none other. Then of course something...or someone was fighting it.” Someone was...that meant one person.

So he was here? Zack put his hands on his waist and scanned around. Another guy volunteered some information. “Whatever was fighting it went off that way...” Eyes turned towards the forest. Of course...dark scary forest was always the way to die. Perfect setting for it...which of course was probably going to happen if he met up with that devil again. A reluctant sigh before he turned and grinned to the men that had talked to him. “I'll go check it out, thanks for the tips!” With a little wave he pivoted on his heel and jogged towards the woods. Getting into the groove of running, it was something he did without thinking. Making his way to the forest, Zack skidded to a stop and looked around. Standing there for a few moments, something suddenly reached his ears.

Something that jogged his memories and took him back to a life that had been lived years before. Loveless...he would remember that poem anytime. He had heard it often enough. Completely frozen, Zack could do nothing but stand there motionless. Genesis was back?! No...it couldn't be! Turning toward the voice, Zack suddenly came to the edge of the clearing and skidded to a stop, directly in front of him were two men he knew quite well. Sephiroth and Genesis Rhapsodos, ex-SOLDIER 1st class. “Genesis! Sephiroth!” Oh yes, probably not the best way to go, but he was a bit shocked. “I should have known.”

Words: 1360
Muse: awesome
Tagged: Sephy-chun and Gen-Gen
Notes: notta

[Red XIII]

The Great Warrior
"It's the way of the warrior."

Blood, the smell of it was thick in the air. It smelled so strongly, Nanaki wouldn't be surprised if the blood's scent was good enough for human noses to detect as well. It was just outside of Mideel from what Red XIII could tell. Stalking through the foliage of the forested area, he wondered what or who it could be. It smelled vaguely familiar but he couldn't put a name to it. At least, not yet anyway. If he had known, Red XIII probably would've run away instead of going to look alone.

It was a lucky thing he had animal senses to rely on here. It made tracking things a lot easier as he slunk through the woods in agile silence. Sure, his fur stood out in bright orange and red but he was good when it came to tracking something in the woods. Nanaki's species, though they were far more intelligent than any human's, were a predatory species and would hunt to get their fill. This came as second nature but he had no intentions of devouring it until he knew what it was. If it were a mere animal, he would put it out of its misery and pray to the lifestream for it.

His heightened hearing told him what slight movements were being done and what have you. As he came closer t th scene, he was forced to stop in his tracks. Not that far from where he was, there appeared to be some sort of heated argument going on up ahead some distance to the right of where he was headed. The smell of the blood was clearly coming from over there. So, the wounded one was human? What bothered him was the fact the voice sounded familiar. It made the fur on his back stand on end but he didn't understand why,

Quietly, Nanaki headed in the direction of the voices and the blood's scent. Mideel, he had come to observe the cracks in the Lifestream. Odd happenings had been taking place as of late and Red XIII had come to see for himself. Planet Life meant a lot to him and he wouldn't let his late grandfather down. He just hoped this wasn't what people were thinking it was, the end of Gaia. Red XIII still had so much to do in life.

Eventually, he came to a good layer of bushes bordering the place just outside the voices he had heard. Suddenly, there was a third voice which sounded familiar too speaking the names of the previous too in obvious shock. Sephiroth?! Nanaki knew of Sephiroth but he had never knew anyone by the name of Genesis. Silently, Nanaki examined the bushes before him and poked his head into a little opening for him to look into where the men were. Sure enough, to his great surprise, there was Sephiroth! The fur on Nanaki stood on end in his alarm.

Instinctively, he wanted to attack him but seeing that he was greatly wounded held him back. Nanaki fought enemies many times before but he was an honorable warrior. He only attacked enemies when they were able to defend themselves. Sure, this was Sephiroth for crying out loud but he was hurt. He wouldn't be at his top shape. Where common sense would tell one to snuff out an enemy as dangerous as Sephiroth fast, honor told him not to. It was against Nanaki's code of honor to kill an enemy unable to defend themselves due to being wounded already from who knew what.

The third human, the one with dark hair, Nanaki recognized as well. He was the one who knew Cloud and Tifa. He was a good man but why he was here among Sephiroth and this Genesis was a mystery to him. Well, not so much as Genesis since Nanaki didn't know the guy but Sephiroth wasn't someone whose company you'd wish to be in. During the time he had spent lurking in the forest, listening he had heard something about a beast just before the dark haired one appeared. What beast could manage to do anything like that to someone like Sephiroth? Was it a good thing or a bad thing?

Apparently, they all knew one another. Sephiroth was once the General of SOLDIER so it was of no surprise that the dark haired one would know him. Zack did claim to be a SOLDIER last Nanaki knew. Did this imply that this Genesis was once a SOLDIER too? Or was he still a SOLDIER? So far, Nanaki didn't know what to think of the auburn haired one. Where he seemed to have enough honor to not strike Sephiroth down, there was still something about him that wasn't quite right.

Knowing if he stayed any longer that he would be found out, Nanaki decided now was time to stop eavesdropping and make his presence known. Sure, animal instinct told him not to but he went against that judgment. Sephiroth was wounded after all, any strikes he tried wouldn't be his best so Red XIII could at least hope to dodge them. From his observations though, the One Winged Angel looked to be not in that kind of mood right now. That was a good sign if there was any concerning Sephiroth.

Finally stepping out of the forest, careful to move his tail into the clearing once he had stepped out and away from the bushes and trees, Nanaki looked from one to the other carefully, his one good eye eventually settling upon Sephiroth. His fur was noticeably standing on end in aggression but with no intentions of attacking. It merely suggested that Nanaki was wary and was keeping his focus on not just the strongest of the three but on the others too. "...Sephiroth...I knew the blood's scent smelled familiar." His tone was even but it was obvious Nanaki hadn't forgotten what happened in the past.

[Sephiroth]

.:Angel of Darkness:.

[/color][/u]

Shall I give you Despair?

What was that? he stared down at the small vial, and his face became distorted with barely suppressed rage. His right foot shifted, the toe of his boot placed on the bottle. The sound of breaking glass ripped through the awkward silence, and the Masamune lowered. The tip was mere inches from Genesis' neck now. "I do not need pity from you, nor do I need help. My wing will heal on its own in its own time. If you think I am so weak, why not fight me now? You obviously want to, so go ahead; attack." The liquid from the potion was seeping into the wasted ground, leaving the dirt damp. The bits of glass littered the area by his foot as he continued to glare at the man.

But a familiar voice had him turn his head slightly and lower the Masamune. Dammit... It was Zack the Puppy. Another witness to his ripped wing. That same question roared in his raving mind. Why did they have to come when he was like this?! He looked weak... He looked pathetic... Well, he would quickly make it clear that he was still powerful and fighting-fit... But he wasn't going to make the first move. The others would be the ones who would attack first, and then he would fight them all to the death. But.. they weren't attacking... They pitied him... In did nothing but enrage him more.

"So you to have come to mock me as well?" He said stiffly, glaring daggers at Zack. he held nothing but scorn for these insects... They weren't worth his time. He could just leave now... But then they would probably just trail after him. And to make matters worse, another familiar voice reached his ears. The green cat-like eyes closed slowly as he fought for self control. He did NOT need another fool around extending some sympathy; whether direct or indirect... But sure enough, Nanaki emerged from the bushes at the edge of the clearing.

With a strained sigh, he turned to glare malignantly at all three who had arrived. "I suppose you all want to know what caused that scar in the ground? No doubt, you want to know how I came to be this way. And of course, you probably won't leave me be until you know the details..." He was still clutching the Masamune; his knuckles were turning white from the grip.

"There is a monster deep within the Planet's core. Many years ago, long before the time of my Mother; the beast was sealed away by the Ancients. It was a creature that aimed to leave the world in ruins, yet never fully destroy it. Its entertainment consists of watching the pathetic human beings live through never-ending suffering, Despair, sorrow, and loss of all hope. It fed on the Lifestream, slowly draining the Planet's life; much like Shin-ra, only on a much greater scale. As such, the Ancients gathered in great numbers; and eventually took on the monster. But the prison in which the beast was placed can only hold such a thing for so long... This creature has grown powerful over the many years since it was sealed away, and now it is back. The Magic has lost its power, no longer able to contain it. I know very little about this Threat, and I just told you all I know."

He pointed toward the trees, in the direction that the fresh scar laid on the Planet's surface. "The monster splits part of the Planet from its core to escape its prison. The Planet itself is that prison. So these openings that it makes serve as its portal back to the surface world. Obviously, being rent to pieces doesn't feel good to the Planet; I'm quite sure you wouldn't enjoy it either."

The wing flexed irritably, sending more flashes of pain through his body. "I have kept the beast at bay for now; it has tried to emerge a total of 3 times now; thus there are three great scars on the Planet's surface. But the beast continues to grow stronger, and so that is how I came to be this way. I sent it back to its prison, but I can only do so much. It came a bit to close to sending me back to the Lifestream for my comfort." He gestured at his feathery appendage. The Masamune had suddenly vanished, returning to its non-existent state. Sephiroth leaned against the nearest tree, gazing suspiciously at the other three before him.

"Don't bother asking me why I just saved this hopeless world for a third time. I don't necessarily know why, myself." he was thinking again... Why had he done it? It was the first question on his mind. He wanted the Planet destroyed, so that he could make a new one in its place; a new world in which no suffering existed. He wanted a perfect world, one that he could travel the Cosmos with the Planet as his vessel; just as he had told Cloud a few months ago. This beast wanted the world to be a dead place in which no happiness existed. Why? He had no idea. But all the same, the monster's goals were very different from his own. He would not allow his Planet to be taken away from him by the beast.

But of course, he wasn't going to this mention this to the others. So he merely said, "I have my own plans and goals to achieve; and I will keep fighting this new Threat, for eternity if necessary." His gaze was still guarded and suspicious as the eyes flashed from one face to the next. "So what do you three plan to do? Are you going to fight it, or crawl back into your hiding places like cowards, and hope for the best?"

Much as he hated to admit it, he couldn't keep fighting on his own. The next encounter with the monster would likely bring him closer to death than it had done today. He needed allies, people who were willing to resist the creature. But he certainly didn't want to have to cooperate with Genesis... Zack and Nanaki, he could deal with. But his old friend?! Hell no.... He secretly hoped Genesis would turn out to be the coward he really was, and simply hide. But maybe all three would find courage to fight. He would have to wait and see...