1st Reunion

[silversouba]

"Moth-her..." Kadaj rasped, sucking in deep breaths of air that seemed devoid of oxygen. The oppressive sun glazed the landscape with dry, shimmering heat, caking the remains of the lifestream to sweaty skin. The young remnant clamped his jaw shut and forced himself to take each new exhausting step over the debris. "Yazoo...Loz..." He cracked out

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[existwithoutme]

[Kuja watched Kadaj from afar as he raged and railed, more or less emotionless as he viewed the scene. Mother, the man says. Kuja never had a mother, nor a father, so how can he relate to that? But he understood that fury and violence, too well

At last, he drew closer, gliding down from the sky. His own hair was silver, but he was rather noticeably different from those Kadaj was looking for. He smiled, but there was no change in the expression in his clear blue eyes as he did so.]

So strong and bright, like a silver falcon. What purpose does all this fury and flapping serve? Look, you're only clipping your own wings.

[silversouba]

A shimmer in the sky caught the remnant’s attention. It had the silhouette of a humanoid figure and the sun blocked out any finer details. Kadaj pushed himself up, anxious that it might be exactly who he was requesting! But this couldn’t be Mother, could it? No. He had just had her in his grasp. It had been wonderful! At least until he discovered what ShinRa had done to her. He looked down at his hands---his empty hands, and clenched them into fists again. Kadaj would make sure Rufus would pay for his crime.

The sun was still too bright for his liking and he squinted as the figure drew closer. “Brother?” He had hoped. Waited. Then heart-wrenching disappointment when the floating figure could be made out. It was nothing but a stranger with an interesting choice of words. Kadaj growled and began to search again. “What do you care?” He couldn’t focus. “You got what you want, didn’t you? The planet is yours! But it won’t stay that way,” he threatened, thinking this was just a normal human or possibly a disgusting Cetra. “Not for long.”

[existwithoutme]

Kuja had to laugh, if faintly, at such a declaration. "I'm afraid you've mistaken me for someone else." He doesn't need to look twice to ascertain that this isn't his planet. Not only does it not resemble Terra, or feel like his home in that same way, but Terra was destroyed, and by none other than Kuja himself. Right or wrong, he has no planet now.

"This planet is none of mine, and I do not belong to it." He landed on the ground, not far from Kadaj. "Perhaps I don't care, but I don't enjoy seeing people behave foolishly. What do you think you're accomplishing with these actions?"

[silversouba]

An irritated scowl decorated the remnant’s face. He already didn’t like this guy. He was too arrogant for his own good. Couldn’t he see Kadaj was busy? If he wanted a fight, however, Kadaj would gladly give him one to remember. He could burn off a little steam by gutting him.

“I’m searching for someone.” The response was simple and automatic. He had said it more times than he could count within his short life. Only now it was three bodies instead of one.

“What are you doing here, anyway?” Kadaj demanded to know. “This place is supposed to be off limits.”

[existwithoutme]

"No place is off limits to me. I go where I will." He remained watching, mildly curious, if not truly interested at this point. He made no move forward, arms at his sides. He was not looking for battle himself, yet he had no need for fear.

"There seems to be no one else here. What do you hope to find in this wreckage? Mere parts? What is a vessel without a living spirit to animate it?"

[silversouba]

Boy, was this guy irritating! “Fine then,” Kadaj stopped looking once more, rubbing bloodied wrists against his sides as if it were nothing. “You want information? You don’t deserve it. This doesn’t concern you.” Kadaj swiped the landscape with his arm, “or anyone for that matter! All that matters is I find what I need. So, I suggest you leave before I make you.”

Had the situation been reversed, the remnant would have forced that information out of his victim. It would be an interrogation process. That was something he was good out. Well, until recently.

He was clearly irked by this entire situation and frustration was beginning to boil. Especially this stranger’s word choices were hitting far too close to home.

[existwithoutme]

As a construct created to spread discord, Kuja was quite used to the irritation and agitation of others. It didn't affect him in the least.

"Such ferocity and rage. Your fury becomes you, but I doubt you would be capable of such a feat." The fury was familiar to him. It reminds him of himself, before he'd realized how wrong he'd been.

Kuja was also used to forcing others to act as he wished, but no longer. Things had changed; he had changed, and why should he truly care what this silver bird does? He was curious, but not invested.

[silversouba]

A snarl curled on Kadaj’s lips. Souba was withdrawn with rapid speed and pointed dangerously at the stranger. Serious eyes narrowed in warning (a warning this guy was lucky to have).

Kadaj clearly emphasized each word as he spoke. “Don’t test me.” Not when it came to his brothers, not when it came to Mother. The remnant didn’t have time for this foolishness. All he wanted was to have his family back together, the way it should be, and this guy was only aggravating him at a very bad moment.

Knuckles turned white beneath black leather gloves as he channeled some of that rage into his grip-a grip strong enough to drive his double bladed katana right through his opponent’s abdomen-strong enough to force a nasty exit wound with plenty of room to spare.

“You will lose.”

It was a promise.

[existwithoutme]

A fight? Kuja laughed. What a foolish little bird of prey, but what else was to be expected from the type? He'd never truly been defeated in a fight. He had only been defeated by something far more powerful, far more relentless, and far more cutting than any blade: time.

He leapt into the sky, power already glowing at his fingertips, breaking off into bright stars of magical energy that whirled above the palm of his hand as he floated easily in midair. He called out across the distance between them.

"Test you? I have no desire to fight you, but if you attack me, I will take action. You will find my flesh invulnerable to your blade. The King of Dragons himself barely scratched my skin. I am not of this world, as I told you, and you do yourself no favors by attacking a being you neither know nor understand."

[silversouba]

Kadaj’s blades followed the mysterious man, pointing towards the sky, the look on his face no less confident than before. It wasn’t until he finally realized the blood trickling down his wrist and smeared over his gloves did he mentally stumble.

Blood? The remnants weren’t supposed to bleed! Not like this, anyway. Blood was a mortal characteristic. Kadaj knew he could perish, but… this? His sharply turned away and laughed it off. It was a loud boisterous laugh that ended in a silent scowl.

Blood was a weakness. And weakness was something Mother hated. For now, this being would get a free pass. Who knows what other things had happened to Kadaj from returning from the Lifestream.

He still didn’t look at the stranger as he spoke and instead pretended to be interested in his search again, “If you’re not here to fight then tell me why you are here.”

[existwithoutme]

He watched Kadaj, watched his bleeding, listened to his laughter, waiting silent in the sky as he returned to his (seemingly pointless) search.

"I am here because I wish to be. I am free." It seemed that winning his freedom had very likely killed him, but had it been worth that price? He believed it had.

"I go where I will, when I will." He didn't know how that was true, or where he truly was, or by what means he'd come here, but he was not about to have an open discussion with a wounded, thrashing little falcon. "Why are you here, engaged in your search through the wreckage, so bloody, bright, and bitter?"

[silversouba]

Free. That was a term Kadaj had never actually considered. He had no interest in it. His idea of freedom was serving Mother. Then and only then, would he be free. To roam the planet without a purpose was more like being lost-not free.

“I’m looking for someone.” The reply was nearly automatic. He had said it enough times. Kadaj strongly emphasized his next words. “Someone very important.” Indeed, nothing could ever be more important than finding Mother. But he was frustrated. He couldn’t have lost so easily. How did Sephiroth lose so easily? Everything was a mess and it was all his fault. The Reunion was for Mother to bring him back, but he failed her