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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[silversouba]

As Kadaj continued to search he could not shake the feeling that He was here and getting closer. “No,” the remnant told himself. “He’s gone.” Yet, hadn’t he left too? If He had returned, then maybe Sephiroth also had found a way. Was he here to punish him? Kill him? The closer Sephiroth came, the more panicked his remnant became. This was the man who haunted his dreams and reality--the very core of his existence. However, He had failed Mother too, had he not? And Sephiroth lost to Cloud just as Kadaj did. His pulse still quickened as if he were in battle.

Back turned to the ex-general, his posture turned rigid as that familiar voice, often heard in his head, rang out clearly in the air. Kadaj bit his tongue. Oh! The sentences he wanted to spew at Him! The horrific things he wanted to do to Mother’s Favorite if he ever had the chance!

Despite how much it hurt that Sephiroth was continually stealing his spotlight, he still needed to show a decent amount of respect to Him. Failing would only insult Mother. The remnant willed himself to calm, taking a deep breath to control his inner turmoil. Kadaj managed to pull together a swift smile, hiding his growing envy. “So,” he finally managed, briefly peeking over his shoulder. “You’re here too.”

[no_hometown]

He nods. "Yes, as you can see." It's an easy enough statement to agree with, as he is, indeed, here. However, he doesn't recognize the other, though the young man clearly knows him. Usually, this wouldn't strike him as too odd, since people he doesn't know often recognize him. He is, after all, renowned. It's the fact that this person looks so much like him, an undeniable sense of familiarity, that makes him feel that perhaps he should know him. It's an odd feeling, one he hasn't experienced before. Combined with the sight of Headquarters in ruins, it's a little unsettling.

He's glad to see Kadaj calm himself somewhat. He seems calm himself, though he doesn't drop his guard. "You know me, but I can't say the same of you."

[silversouba]

There was something different about Sephiroth which Kadaj could not quite figure out. It was as if someone had sucked all the determination and hatred out of him. Foundations of Sephiroth which helped make the remnants in the first place.

“You should know,” Kadaj replied in annoyed disbelief. “After all,” he bravely approached and forced the fear down his stomach where it could be ignored, “you created me.” He stared at eyes that mirrored his own. “You created us.” Kadaj shook his head and continued searching. He didn’t want to glower at him for too long and push his luck. “Don’t tell me you don’t remember,” he smirked at the idea.

If Sephiroth really did forget, perhaps he could be molded to listen to Kadaj instead of the other way around! It was a farfetched idea, but that never stopped the remnant before.

[no_hometown]

Created...? How could he have created a person? He was no scientist, and he had no intention of engaging in the kind of experiments that made him what he was, whatever they may have been. He was not sure about their nature, though he knew that Professor Hojo was responsible. He was nothing like that man.

Sephiroth continued to watch Kadaj as he recommenced his search through the rubble.

"I'm afraid I don't know what you're referring to. I have neither the will nor the means to create a person."

[silversouba]

So, it was true then. Sephiroth could not remember anything of the past two years. Of course, Kadaj was fully aware that he could be lying. The man was an excellent manipulator-a trait the remnant had personally inherited. “Fine then, I’ll tell you.” Kadaj kicked aside another sheet of scrap metal. “When ShinRa failed you, you finally discovered your true purpose.”

He paused for a brief second. Kadaj had the upper hand here. He could easily mislead Sephiroth and wrap him around his finger with a web of half-truths. As much as that would please the young remnant to eliminate his competition, it’d be a severe injustice to Mother; and that was something Kadaj outright refused to allow!

“Mother came here to rid this planet of its filth-like humanity--and put it to better use.” His voice became impassioned, heart thumping with excitement. “Your job, no, our job is to aid Mother in her cause to find the Promised Land.” Kadaj became particularly animated as he spoke and turned his full attention back to the ex-general.

“ShinRa is nothing but a corrupted company using you to take the planet away from Mother! The sooner you remember the better. Mother is waiting,” feline pupils thinned to mere slits as her was empowered to stare Sephiroth down once again, “and she isn’t the patient kind.”

[no_hometown]

Sephiroth isn't so easily convinced, certainly not by the words of a stranger. Such an incredible claim would have to be investigated, even if it came from the lips of someone he trusted. More than that, the words don't ring true. His mother died when he was born. He has no intention of ridding the Planet of humanity, and on the contrary, he finds the idea reprehensible.

"I know very well that ShinRa is corrupt. I'm already planning to leave the company." They'd taken his friends from him. They'd taken many things from him, he was coming to see. He wanted to have nothing more to do with them, but he was waiting for the ideal time to make that break, as he knew it wouldn't be easy. Perhaps he'd speak to Zack, see if the other man would leave with him.

He doesn't care for anyone referring to humanity as "filth". No matter what happened to Angeal and Genesis, he is still human. This Sephiroth is no ex-general, but a current one. Still, he doesn't state his opposition. He's curious. He meets Kadaj's gaze, not bothered by the stare so much as interested in the sight of eyes like his own. "What do you mean by 'putting the Planet to better use'?"

[silversouba]

The remnant could clearly see he would have to explain everything to Sephiroth. “As I said, Mother came here to put the planet to better use. When she arrived she wasn’t very welcomed.” He easily grew tired of repeating the same old story again and again. But Sephiroth was a special case. Sephiroth had the potential to re-learn what he had lost, to awaken once again. “The Cetra didn’t like her simply because she was different. She had better ideas, bigger ideas! All the Cetra ever did was put this planet’s use to shame.”

Kadaj walked back and forth amongst the rubble with ease, avoiding sharp edges and dangerous falls. “Mother’s goal is to find the Promised Land, a place where none of the cosmos’ mistakes exist anymore.” He glanced briefly at Sepiroth with a raised silver brow. “You know, like humanity.” With a chuckle he went back to a slow pace.

“You’re in the military so you should know. What do you do with those who are weak? What happens to those who weigh down the rest of the group? They die off! They are first to get killed.” Kadaj spoke as if this were a natural occurrence, mostly because in his mind, it was. “Humanity is nothing but a blemish to the rest of the universe. They are selfish to think that their existence holds any importance! If they were truly worthy, they would have let Jenova take them in the first place. But, well…” He stopped, hands hanging loosely by his sides. There was an undertone of frustration in his voice. “Here we are, stuck abiding by their rules until we can regain our power.”