Silver [Closed]

[Kadaj]

Cloud... now Kadaj had a name to go with the description of this traitor.

The swordsman made a sound in this throat from catching a breath before it came out. The younger of the silver-haired men actually took one step backward. The conflicting messages surged in his mind again, intimidation telling him to leave it be at that and something else causing him to be filled with doubt. He looked off to the left and downward at the floor next to his boot. For a moment there was silence, but not for long enough.

Mother was greater than he could imagine, that much was certain. But the betrayer was a pawn? That was the reason for his continuing life?

"Is that really true?" he wondered out-loud, even though he had meant to ask only in his own head. "How much of Mother's power do we even have without her?"

He wasn't even looking at Sephiroth. It was almost as if Kadaj hadn't yet realized his thoughts had been made audible.

[kempff]

Kadaj's words made Sephiroth scoff. Was this the best his so called brothers could be? He'd prefer a chicken with its head cut off.

"Do you not realize Mother is always watching? How can you show such dishonor to me, much less to her?" Sephiroth was glaring, tired of Kadaj taking in everything and letting it out the other. "Do you think we can't find her now? What do you think I have been trying to do for years? Weakness allows enemies of Mother to exploit those moments to destroy our goals!"

[Kadaj]

Kadaj looked at Sephiroth like a deer caught in the headlights. He had been speaking that aloud? Not that it would have made him any less right if the child hadn't been, the realization of which quickly turned it to an expression of anger at his own shame. Mother knew his thoughts as well as his spoken word. She knew everything... and now this man was scolding him in her place! Speaking of dishonoring him even before her! Had Kadaj not been searching for her as well this whole time!? How long had it been? The swordsman wasn't sure. Kadaj wasn't even sure how long he'd been alive. It didn't seem to matter.

"So what if I'm weak?" he muttered, left hand rising up before him and beginning to glow with a blue flame. Teenage rebellion and jealousy for Mother's love was overriding his common sense. "Mother isn't found yet, so apparently... so are you!"

And with that outburst the green-eyed teen flung his arm outward, sending five missiles of explosive magical energy surging down the hall between himself and Sephiroth, each one moving in unpredictable arcing patterns but in a wide enough formation to catch almost anything from slipping through.

[kempff]

Each attack hit Sephiroth head on, a boom echoed throughout the sewers. Smoke was lifting for at least a minute due to it being trapped underground. Had Kadaj hurt Sephiroth, or perhaps worse?

Suddenly the smoke dispersed, a single black wing blowing it away, while at the same moment Sephiroth shot forward using the smoke as cover. His speed was nothing like before, in moments he was behind Kadaj. A swift kick to one hamstring and then the other came, this would immobilize Kadaj until the brutal pain went away. Sephiroth had no intention of leaving however. He grabbed Kadaj's hair in the front and brought his body up, while keeping the rest of him down with a knee.

"You lack discipline. Now, who is weak?"

[Kadaj]

"Tch."

Kadaj could feel the throbbing in his legs. He was resilient. They'd be functional again soon, but not soon enough. Both of his hands had clamped around Sephiroth's wrist after he'd grabbed the boy's silver hair, though he doubted this man would express any discomfort from his tightening grip.

"I don't need discipline," he spat. "All I need... is Mother!"

With that the shadow beneath the pair spread out and expanded in five directions, then large canine-like shadow beasts leaped out of them fully formed and encompassed upon Sephiroth. Two one the diagonals of either of his sides and one from behind him. The two closer by Kadaj would attempt to bite into the arm holding the boy. The two closer to the older man's sides would bite and claw at his torso while the one from behind would attempt to clamp down sideways directly onto the former SOLDIER's neck.

"The strength Mother gives to me is real! Is your's!?"

[kempff]

"Fool. I am the only one worthy of Mother." Sephiroth closed the fist hold Kadaj's hair, tearing most out. Kadaj was outlined in light while puffs of black and white disappeared around him. In the next moment the entire passage way was filled with darkness, shaking the foundation beyond its limit. That it didn't fall in on them was a miracle.

Sephiroth would be unharmed, while all of his attackers would feel a crushing effect like no other in such a small space. Kadaj, Sephiroth hoped would learn from this. Assuming he lived.

[Kadaj]

The five Shadow Creepers were destroyed in the widespread initiation of Sephiroth's Shadow Flare. The One-Winged Angel would see Kadaj reel forwards from the forceful extraction of the grip on his hair and then look right and left in a panicky sort of way as he watched darkness close in on him for a few miserable milliseconds. Why didn't he draw his sword? Couldn't he defend himself the though never entered the teenager's mind. Something blotted it out entirely. The oppressive sense of the sheer power that engulfed him.

And then it went off.

"AAARGH!"

The tunnel was filled with dust and smoke from the blast. In Sephiroth's hand the strands of hair he'd taken with him turned pitch black and then vaporized into mist that vanished. Kadaj's very presence seemed to disappear at the same time within the cover of cloud. It was if his very existence had been wiped out.

[kempff]

Sephiroth stood quietly, a little surprised. This can't be right. Without looking back Sephiroth continued down the passageway, making his way quickly to the surface. He could careless if anyone noticed him, soon he'd be gone from this world.

If he's actually my little brother...but I can't find anything. No, wait. Sephiroth hid in the shadows of an alley way, back far enough that someone would have to be directly in front of him to notice. Something is waiting. What trick did Kadaj have up his sleeve?

[Kadaj]

Sephiroth didn't have to go far before the missing presence was replaced. Not that Kadaj's returned though. No, it had truly been completely removed. There was no mistake about that. A different presence was swelling up in its place now. A familliar one, but not one the swordsman would have sensed before either.

As the smoke cleared away and settled down a tall figure was revealed. It wore a long black coat and matching boots. The shoulders were covered by metallic pads. A set of long silver hair hung down its back, unmarred by previous events.

It was Sephiroth's own presence.

[kempff]

What Sephiroth knew was there couldn't be. This was a silly joke. It became clear though, very clear that this was real. And what did this imitation think it could do?

Without another thought he shot up into the sky, looking down exactly where he felt the presence. Was it still underground? That was the only sensible place it could be, it couldn't move that quickly that it would surprise him. Instead of waiting in the open Sephiroth flew to the clock tower and waited on the edge for this new arrival. He would give it no mercy if it attacked him. Though it would find no mercy in a matter of days when all the fury of Sephiroth would come after it and it's "brothers".

"If Mother wishes to test me this way, I happily accept."

[Kadaj]

And Sephiroth received.... nothing.

In the tunnels below the town the new figure raised its left hand, open before its gaze and looked down upon it. The fingers closed together into a fist, tightening for a moment, then the arm dropped down again to its side. No one was there to see it or its face, whatever it may look like. Was it really a true imitation of Sephiroth down to the last detail? It smiled for a moment to no one's eyes save for a few curious Dusks that had come to see the disturbance in their home.

"The child isn't ready yet."

And with that the duplicate of Sephiroth's dark power vanished, just like Kadaj's had before it. In the same spot the watching Nobodies were treated to a vision of static and a high-pitched noise that blocked all true sound from their ears. In the next moment it was gone and a young teenage body had replaced the adult one. It had no visible injuries or any missing strands of hair, but the body collapsed forward instantly, holding up by its left forearm and breathing as if exhausted to its breaking point.

"That.... amazing..." it gasped.

[kempff]

"How bothersome. I suppose they're simply too weak to be cared about. Nonetheless..." Sephiroth waited where he was, not caring if anyone noticed him. When Kadaj made a move he would act.

[Kadaj]

Kadaj did eventually haul himself to his feet and leaned against the tunnel wall for a few moments. The Nobody were not Heartless. they had nothing to gain from attacking anyone and everyone who saw them. Eventually they just left.

So began a walk to the exit of the tunnels towards the town's clock tower area. By the time Kadaj exited into the open air again a black aura similar to half-transparent flames had began to flicker around his entire form. The presence of Sephiroth's darkness that had been fully realized for a short glimpse movements before was growing up inside of him this time, rapidly

[kempff]

Upon seeing Kadaj Sephiroth was aware of a difference about him. Yet the truth remained, he was Kadaj, and that was all anyone would have to say.

Sephiroth landed in front of Kadaj, Masamune in hand.
"What did you just do? Show me." There was no pretense in Sephiroth's voice. He commanded Kadaj, while the rest of his him would bring the promise of death.

[Kadaj]

Kadaj looked at Sephiroth through the dark aura with his tinted green eyes, but his expression was very different from before. All defiance and anger was gone. He looked at the One Winged Angel with a sense of wonder about him. He did seem confused by the demand given, but quickly passed it over.

"Brother, that power was incredible!" he said with excitement that was only dulled by his weariness. Even now Kadaj was shaky to stand in one place after taking the full force of Shadow Flare. 'Your strength... you were right. Only Mother could give strength like that. I have nothing like it."

Kadaj looked down, though it seemed to be more out of near-unconsciousness than any sort of emotional reason.

"But... what do you mean, brother? What did I do?"

All the while the aura slowly grew more present and intense.