Final Fantasy Main Story RP Arc X

Zack pressed into the kiss and was glad that he'd won this round.
Of course he knew that he would be swamped under a pile of paperwork afterwards.
But he didn't care. He shifted to straddle Sephiroth's lap.
His lips never leaving Seph's, his hand moving into the depth of Sephirth's hair.

He was probably the worst second in command Seph had ever had, or probably the only one with such a short attention span.


[So we'll just vacate to the Y thread now... as you were ^^]

Cloud watched Kadaj and nodded. "It'll come back to you. Things will come back when the right clicks happen inside your head. For now," he said as he twirled his left wrist, "We've got to give your head the opportunity to click, get it?"

He smiled. "I know you're not going to like this, but it's just a friendly spar. We're doing this so we can both get better. So just take the blade and swing at me. Find the way of attacking that feels 'right'."

He gave a playful smile.

"If you land a hit on me, I'll give you one favour -- no questions, got it?" He hoped making a playful game out of the spar would make the other one more willing.

"You'll need to do a lot more than just defend yourself," he stated.

"Jenova, Deepground, Hojo -- they're all at large. They'll all come for you, Kadaj. If you want to try talking to Yazoo or Loz, that's up to you... but if that doesn't work, you can't just sit there and block attacks." He sighed, "Let me put it this way: We probably don't have the manpower to defend you. I've seen Hojo and Jenova at work... they're tricky little fuckers.

"You'll be kept away from fighting, but that won't do much." His eyes focused, "Just attack me."

Angeal could see this was not getting very far very fast, Cloud was pushing Kadaj who wasn't wanting to attack, as much as he'd decided to stay out of it, he was drawn in anyway. He moved back over to them.

"Perhaps, teaching him some basic movements to help him feel comfortable with the weapon in his hand?" he suggested to Cloud, "It might 'click' in his mind eventually, but until then, it is better to start as if you were training a beginner. When you were training with a weapon, what were you taught?"

Aerith felt the eyes of the Tsviet on her, but she ignored it for the time being, it wouldn't be long before that woman would be following her orders, or being fed to the monsters. It wouldn't be long, the longer she stayed in this Forgotten City the more her memories returned, not that she was going to allow anyone know, let alone suspect her.

Aerith’s green eyes flicker over to the white hair man known as Yazoo talked, about his Mother, Jenova. Like he knew anything, Aerith’s lips turned in a soft smile, she had spent time with people in the lifestream, where knowledge abounds, it could be possible that she knew more of what Jenova’s plans where than her own son. Only time would tell it that was true or not.

Glancing at the muscular man, Aerith knew she could use him a lot easier then his brother, but then again they weren't someone she wanted to get rid of. There was someone else.

Aerith felt her eyebrows raise as Nero talked on his plan to recreate the circle of life and make it become a Negative Lifestream, it could take a while, unless they had a plan that they could count on.

As Yazoo talked and thought of Nero’s plan, Aerith let her graze fall on Loz once more as she began plotting a smooth takeover. Perhaps if she showed them that they needed her more than ever, more than any one person. If she could get each member of this rebellion of sorts to believe that it would be better to sacrifice one member instead of her, it might work.

“Nero, while it is true that they need us, do we really need them? After all, what can these too do? This one.” Aerith said as she pointed to Yazoo. “ Is pretty to look at, but look at him! Barely being able to make up his mind for himself, he is more of a follower and if he is that slow on the battlefield, we’ll all be killed."

Walking around Loz as if he is a piece of meat on the butcher’s block, Aerith continued.

“This one is strong, just look at that physique on this one! But can this one do something more than just punch things? Maybe we should show each other why we should work together? Maybe like a little duel between teams?.” Aerith finally said.

Nero's eyebrows lowered as he tried not to scowl at the woman. Everything was going so well, why did she have to open her mouth? Nero knew she would eventually learn her place -- Rosso would teach her if it was needed, he did not doubt -- but for now this was the problem. Insulting possible teammates would not be any good for diplomatic ties. He needed to get Aerith away from them and shut her the hell up.

"Ignore her," Nero said after a small silence. "A fool like her does not know what strength or power are. There will be no duel between teams, Aerith. We are here to cooperate with one another, not render each other unable for battle."

He looked between the two remnants once more.

"I think it is best for us to leave you two alone, and give you some time to speak to one another. You know how to reach me, Yazoo," he poked his temple once, playfully, symbolising mental communication. His wings expanded and he turned around, "We will take our leave. Rosso, Aerith, with me," he said as he began to walk away from the forgotten city and into the woods.

Aerith giggled at Nero's request to the remnants to ignore her. It was just like the men in her life, they had tried to protect her, only for them to fail, because they believed her to be ignorant, it didn't matter, now she had another man that seemed like he just wanted to use her, at first she did not hold a grudge but if the lifestream had brought her back, why haven't her true friends found her yet?

The answer was simple. They moved on.

"Awww, Nero. I wasn't asking to duel to the death. It would help with teamwork. But it is your choice."

Aerith sighed as she walked passed Nero flipping her hair towards him. Walking to the flower that Nero destroyed and regrew, Aerith plucked it, bringing the flower to her nose and smelling the sweet fragrance.

Nero had started to walk to the woods, where Aerith followed.

Rosso's eyes narrowed between them all, those two could not be trusted, nor could she turn her back on the Cetran woman.

She gave the two a distainful sneer before turning to follow them away, she looked to Aerith as she picked the flower, not missing her expression. Her eyes narrowed further, no she would be keeping a very close eye on that one.

Nero waited until they had walked a distance before tilting his head. "Now I suppose we should figure out our next plan. The conversion of the Lifestream is going well. My recent attacks on Healin and Wutai have done well, especially Wutai. I even believe I may have gone too far, but it's no matter. We must choose the next step. Shall we lead another strike, with our force of three..."

He turned around to look at them, "Or is there something we should take care of first?"

After the last body was buried Kunsel dug the shovel into the ground and sighed. He wiped the sweat from his face with the back of his arm. He knew he should probably check to make sure Cissnei was managing okay with the injured. He slowly lifted himself up and wiped the dirt and blood covered hands on his pants. He needed to get washed up and hope that he didn't have to report anything.

He grabbed the shovel and headed back into town where he was able to escape to his room and to a shower after being told by the mayor of the town that there was nothing else he could do.

Kunsel stepped in and grabbed his WRO uniform from his bag before he stripped and let the water wash all the dirt and blood from his body. He had never been the mindless soldier built for slaughter. Everyone always said he didn't belong in SOLDIER. That always caused a good laugh.

Kunsel groaned as his phone beeped from where it sat on the toilet. He groaned as he shut his eyes and let the water continue to wash over him. He had finished the shower but at the moment he didn't really want to, though when he thought about it it could have been Zack. Finally Kunsel got out and dried off slightly with a towel before he grabbed it and typed up a return message to Rufus.

I'll be there by tonight or tomorrow morning.

He wanted to check some things out in Kalm first, as much as he trusted his contact he needed to get there himself. The lifestream was still his main focus and that was where it had been headed. After the message he sent one more to Cissnei and Cid.

Rufus wants us back in Healin. Gotta run a sidetrip, see you there.

With both messages sent Kunsel quickly moved to dress in the WRO uniform.

Cloud listened to Angeal's words and shook his head slightly. "I know you care and don't want to push him... but time's a luxury we might not have..." He sighed. "It's always when you least expect it. That's just how life is." His eyes focused on the teenager in front of him.

"I'm sorry, Kadaj. Strike at me. I don't care if you swing like a four year old girl, just attack me."

Weiss awoke as the sky began to shed its tears, leaving the silver-haired man to wonder how he came to be there. If memory serves right, he had made a proposal with the lifestream, a deal that it had agreed to think over.

Sitting quickly up, it was the first thing he quickly regretted, followed by him leaving his brother and allowing Life to access his thoughts and finding out where his army (or what was left of it) were. Honestly, he could care less what happened to them, however it was his army, the army that if he wanted it destroyed, he’d do it with his own two hands, not someone or something else.

The pain in his head, ease up slightly just enough for him to try to stand and hopefully allow him to find out where he was.

Taking a look around, it had seemed to be nothing in sight, besides patches of grass and some sort of flowers. Weiss did not seem to notice as the rain began to pour down. All he could think of was how to get to his brother.

Aerith couldn't believe that they were walking away from useful pawns in this game; she couldn't believe Nero would do something like this unless he had something else up his sleeve. There was no other answer.

"Why did we leave so soon? We could have used them, once they proved they were useful." Aerith stated as she twisted her long brown hair with her fingers.

"Or did my challenge, present too much of a problem that you couldn't handle, my dear Nero?"

Aerith smirked as her eyes flickered to Rosso.

"Allow me to explain something, Dear Aerith." Nero's eyes fell on her with a hard and cold gaze. "You are my subordinate. You may advise me, as is your duty, but you have no right to question me." He glared harshly. "Do as I say."

He closed his eyes.

"Someone who has yet to prove her worth has no ability to consider presenting challenges, let alone in a diplomatic situation." He sighed, shaking his head. "I need to resolve my anger. Aerith, see if you can still commune with the Lifestream. Try to find a great concentration of life for us to attack."

Feeling the surge of anger coarse through her, Aerith quickly dropped her eyes to the ground as Nero scolded her. ‘His subordinate?!?’ How was she, his subordinate while Rosso was treated as his equal? It could be that they had worked together before, but it if she was so great, why did Nero need her? The answer should have been simple, but it just confused Aerith more.

“The point of the challenge was to test my ability, but it seems it was nothing more than a foolish mistake.” Aerith replied with her voice steady and void of anger.

Moving away from the group so she could see if she could contact the Lifestream was the best opinion, however it would allow her open to an attack if someone so choose.

Kneeing down, Aerith took deep breaths as she began to try to contact the Lifestream, it shouldn't be too hard as she had done it before in the past, but now with being connect to the negative Lifestream it was possible that it did do something to her than she knew.

Aerith opened up to the force of the earth and air around her, listening to the whisper of the wind through the leaves and the sound hum of the energy around her. It seemed muffled somehow, as if her contact with the Negative Lifestream was in fact stopping her from truly contacting the Lifestream.

"You don't have a choice," Cloud reminded him. He raised a hand up and a green orb on his bangle began to glow a frosty blue.

Above Kadaj, a chunk of ice began to form.

"Dodge," Cloud instructed before letting the spell drop.

"A foolish mistake, indeed," he muttered to himself and waited. Nero waited as long as he needed to.

"You'd be lucky if the enemy only dropped a block of ice." He sighed, "You're the planet's vessel, right? You better shape up and learn how to defend yourself, if you won't learn to attack." He created another block of ice and dropped it.