[.Falling From Grace.]

[Sephiroth]

((I'm just going to say Tifa managed to set Sephiroth down somewhere, so he's probably been unconcious for a few days or something. I had no idea what you wanted me to post, so here's my attempt anyway! ^_^ ))

"Decending from the Heavens, o' dark calamity.
You stride within your hateful mist.
Breed an unfortold evil within your wake.
Holding no shred of light, one becomes blinded by your sight.
Dogging your steps, one foot at a time.
Suffering begins the road of death, ending at the point of no return.
Free will stolen from within.
The soul aching as you poison this place.
Slowly loosing reality as we fall from grace."

It hurt, his life...from the day he was born until the day he was due to die, his life was drenched with pain and suffering. No escape in any event of time; in childhood he was beaten until he learnt to stop feeling emotions, as a teenager he was locked in a room until he'd read hundreds of books or passed a physically challanging test...and as a young adult...He was deprived of everything. Any girls he wanted to be with, where blocked from seeing him once they where discovered. Any friends he made outside of ShinRa where blocked from him in the same way.
And even when he became an adult, fully grown, he was deprived of everything by his own free will. For all that horrible mental training as a child until the end of his teen years, he learnt to to 'want' anything but success. Failure was something he'd scold himself for, the likes of Hojo or ShinRa himself wouldn't have to try cramming the errors he made into his head. Sephiroth usually did that by himself, and the occasions he did mess up where so rare that he hardly had to step infront of the President for anything other than meetings. Even those where rare.
Sephiroth only messed up on tasks when he became mentally distracted by his own wants and desires, the very things he was taut to shun in his life could never be repressed. In the real world, no one can truely be rid of emotions unless they where a machine.

"...no one knows what's real anymore..." Sephiroth thought as he slowly raised his left arm, even though the sheer soreness of lifting it alone sent pain throughout his body he knew he had to move.
Rubbing his eyes tiredly, he lowered his hand to examine the surroundings...he was in a room, but it was in a right mess...there where borken sword fragments piled up in one corner and an empty vault across the room from the bed ontop of a counter that looked like it hadn't been tended to in ages.
From the looks of the sword fragment, he knew they belonged to Cloud, and in an instant he tried to sit upright...but flinched in pain once he remembered he was stabbed pretty badly some time ago, which reminded him...how long had he been out cold for?
There was no doubt that Tifa had hauled him to 7th Heaven, from what he remembered Cloud always lived close to Tifa...and Tifa had always managed a bar...but what happened whilst he was unconcious? Did Cloud get away and leave Midgar?
Sitting all the way upright now, still feeling the soreness run through his body but choosing to ignore it, Sephiroth rubbed his head with his right hand to disperse any further drowsiness he had left. Only just noticing that his cloak was missing, along with his gloves and straps.
It seemed someone had bandaged him up whilst he was unconcious and had tended to his wound...whoever that may have been.

Suddenly, Sephiroth heard the doorknob turn and start to open, shifting his gaze to the door as if expecting someone he'd know to walk through.

((GAH! that was major fail!))

[Tifa Lockhart]

Tifa juggled water and bandages to free up her hand to open the door to Cloud’s room. She hesitated for a moment, every time she opened this door she always hoped that Cloud would be there on the other side but she knew that wasn’t going to happen.
With some effort she turned the door knob and entered, she smiled brightly when she noticed that Sephiroth was finally awake. It really was quite funny how this man, once her sworn enemy was now slowly becoming her only friend. Of course there was everyone else but lately she had been confining herself to this room because this man seemed to be the only one who knew what she was going through. Even though he wasn’t awake to hear her cry and worry about Cloud, or if he would wake but still she had a connection now with him that the others would never understand.

“I see you’re awake, you had me worried there.”

Tifa smiled at him as she closed the door with her foot. Careful not to drop anything she walked over to the bed and placed the water, bandages and disinfectant one the bedside table then sat down on the bed next to him. She winced slightly but kept a brave face, as she reached over to the table to pour a glass of water. Her top came up slightly as she made the movement, revealing a tightly bandaged stomach, the bandages in actual fact covering all the way up to her chest and over her breasts.

Slowly she sat back on the bed comfortably and handed Sephiroth the water.

“Here, so how are you feeling?”

*Flashback*

It was raining that night and her feet would barely carry her own weight let alone the weight of Sephiroth on her shoulders too. The whole time she walked she was in shock, over and over she played through the events in her mind. Her wound had opened again and blood slowly began to seep through her clothes and down her body. Running freely as it mixed with the rain.

Many times she fell but although she ached she kept on getting back up. No one helped her for they were afraid. What was she doing carrying Sephiroth? Was she helping him or parading her victory?
When they finally reached 7th Heaven it was empty. Everyone had left for the night and this was her only chance to get in unnoticed.

She hesitated as her hand held onto the door knob to Cloud’s room but pushing aside the feelings she went in and heaved Sephiroth onto the bed. That was the last thing she remembered of that night for she had collapsed in a pool of her and Sephiroth’s blood.

((Sorry I rushed it, but I hope it came out ok?))

[Sephiroth]

((Came out fine in my opinion! ^_^ ))

Sephiroth had a gut feeling it would have been Tifa to enter, he didn't expect anyone else to enter a room he was in so casually. Regardless of if it was Tifa who fixed him up or someone else, he nodded his head at Tifa as if giving her a slight bow, obviously in too bad a condition to actually perform a real one.

"...worried?" Sephiroth thought as he shifted his gaze to the floorboards, keeping a mellow and unexpressive face as he simply stared at his own boots. Hardly taking any notice of what Tifa was doing.
That was when he felt the weight shift in the matress as if someone had sat beside him, and in an instant he jolted his attention towards the brunette and took quick notice of the bandages on her.

"...was the wound that damaging...that even cure couldn't fix it?" he thought as Tifa handed him a glass of water, instead of imply taking it he shifted his cold and emotionless expression to one of confusion...and somewhat uncertain of why Tifa was being like this to him.
He carefully received the glass of water and sipped it gingerly, pausing for a moment as he heard Tifa speak to him.

"Much better, thank you..." Sephiroth began, before taking another sip of water "...but something is troubling me..." he added, before turning his gaze towards Tifa again with that same confused expression again.

"...I thought you would just leave me at ShinRa, after everything I put you through...why didn't you?"

((My most major randomly sucky post, ever! =D ))

[Tifa Lockhart]

Tifa tried hard, she always tried hard. She hurt like hell and it wasn’t even the physical wound that plagued her senses. It was hard for her to adjust to Sephiroth being here and she missed Cloud so much and yet still this man was comforting and familiar to her now that it was hard for her not to be around him.

She watched him as he took the glass gingerly from her, she noted his confusing and knew that he must be feeling quite unsettled here, but where else was she to take him? Her friends knew he was here, her barmaid had been the one who found the two of them half dead. She was grateful though; they didn’t ask questions nor kill Sephiroth, that was always a good thing. I guess they just let hi stay because right now they couldn’t understand what Tifa was going through, but they knew that this man was somehow keeping her sane.

Tifa let his words sink into her head, she let them whirl around while she attempted to answer them. Why did she bring him back here? Why was she caring for him? He had put her and her friends through so much yet here she was.

“I don’t know….I guess everyone deserves a second chance right?”

Tifa hung her head, she didn’t know how much longer she could just keep forgiving like this, what would she do when Cloud did come back, how would she react to that? Sephiroth for one had never ran his sword through her but he had done so much more other curl things to her and her friends. No Tifa would always stand by Cloud, she had too.

“There’s one thing that I want to ask you….Why did you keep standing in front of me? Every time you did it, why?”

She needed to know, he just had too.

[Sephiroth]

Sephiroth stared blankly at Tifa as she drew silent for some time, he sensed se was thinking hard about why she didn't leave him behind, but he wasn't all THAT patient and was starting to loose intrest in getting an answer.
He shifted his gaze forwards and glanced at the surrounding mess in front of him...the broken swords, the sliced and badly cut walls...Cloud was obviously in a state of poor self-control. If he was left unattended to for too long, he'd prove a danger to himself as well as those around him.
Far more dangerous than Sephiroth could ever have been if he possessed as much Black Materia as that blonde did right now.
That was when Tifa's answer reached his ears, and he shifted his gaze back to her, sighing heavily and letting a light chuckle escape from his tired and obviously damaged lungs.

"...as the term goes, second chances lead to lessons being learnt...or that's how it should go, anyway." Sephiroth chuckled, sipping some more of the water in the glass as he turned his attention forwards again.
The one-winged angel would have gladly left Cloud to do what he wanted by himself, the boy was clearly losing his marbles and there was nothing Sephiroth could have possibly done to stop the mental decay. Slowing it down or restricting it was the best he could do, but even that was not possible. He needed the White Materia to do that, and it was just a theory he had. No essence of it working or even resulting in anything positive laid in evidence.
But still, to Sephiroth, failure was not an option. Hojo wasn't half-wrong when he called Cloud a "miserable failure" afterall...it seemed the blonde thought too much and did things without concluding an answer or thinking about concequences, it was a surprise alone to Sephiroth that the blonde wasn't already dead when he met him.
And then...Tifa spoke...uttering words in a question almost anyone knew Sephiroth wouldn't answer.
He gulped down the remaining water quickly and handed the glass back to Tifa, keeping himself facing forwards, but his eyes shifting in the opposite direction the female was sat in...as if trying to avoid looking at her.

"...if I asked you the same question, about why you where so protective of Cloud, would you answer?" Sephiroth questioned back coldly, as if giving the message of 'I want to change the subject' in a blunt fashion...instead of asking politely if he could keep that answer of his secret. He just remained facing away from Tifa, pouting slightly like a spoilt brat who wasn't getting his own way.
But then again, in a way, Sephiroth was like a child...only one that could kill anything ruthlessly and mercilessly without so much as shedding a sweat, or showing any signs of 'growing up' mentally.
He was, afterall, taut to 'skip-out' his childhood and repress those childish desires of his...in exchange for not being tested for a few hours.
And he remembered WHY he did obey, why he repressed everything and shunned off interacting with other youths he saw....it was because of Hojo and his men, they scared the hell out of him. But he wouldn't let them know that. He wouldn't let Tifa know that, nor the reason why he cared for her own safety. He had to protect his ego.
The stubborn silver-haired wretch.

((Hope this post was OK))

[Tifa Lockhart]

Tifa’s question seemed to make him somewhat uncomfortable, she knew it would but she really wanted to know. She kept her eyes on him though he avoided her, his answer was cold and not the one she wanted. Tifa sighed, letting a deep breath escape her lips as she slightly shook her head at him as he turned away and pouted.

Tifa then stood up, her movements were slow and careful as she walked across the room to the window. She pulled back the curtains to reveal the warm morning sun light shinning, it played about the room and its shadows.

“This room doesn’t get nearly enough sun now days….”

Tifa kept her gaze on the streets outside, she was contemplating attempting to ask her question again but before she could she was thinking about her answer to his, the one she thought he would not answer.

“I’m his friend Sephiroth, we grew up together, fought together, laughed to together and he got me through some tough times. Its not easy to throw that away, I know that others might say that his a lost cause and you can’t bring him back now but I don’t believe that. I’ll always stand by him, that’s what friends are for….I guess you don’t really understand that….you can’t even tell me why…”

Tifa didn’t want to turn to meet his gaze, already tears had begun to threaten to run down her cheeks as they wet up her eyelashes. Talking about Cloud now hurt more than ever for the only thing she could associate with him now was seeing a blade run through Sephiroth and into her.

[Sephiroth]

The one winged angel let a small chuckle escape his tired lungs as Tifa spoke of the room nto getting enough sun...it was expected of Cloud, especially in such a dark time in his life.

"He is shunning all forms of light...just like that document said...he was an idiot to take that Black Materia." he thought, raising his arm to sheild his eyes from the light.
The silver-haired general was contemplating the silence...he was always trained to deal with an eerie silence...or to cause such silences to those who knew too much about ShinRa. But those where the old days, back when he was that General, SOLDIER, First Class.
Slowly he stood up, flinching in pain as he forced his weight upright. He had to move therwise he'd just end up limp and weaker; as his trainer told him, keep fighting even when injured and die a hero, or die like a pathetic child.
Even as he listened intently to Tifa's words, Sephiroth chose to remain silent as he stood upright and stared at her. The 'old Sephiroth' would have summoned Masamune by now and attacked, being the trickster he was...but this was 'General Sephiroth' Tifa was with. Not that total psycho they fought at Nibelheim or in North Cave.
A heavy sigh flowed from him as he thought about what Tifa just told him...the very thing that gave her something to fight for...one of the many things he didn't actually have. Friends.

"...the reason I protected you...is because I was trained as a boy to defend my comrades in battle, under no circumstances should I ignore those teachings." Sephiroth answered boldly. Glancing directly in Tifa's direction, the signs of how tired he had become through the course of battling the darkness in his heart was clear on his face...he looked emotionally tired, as if longing for something, but was being denied that very want.

"I didn't wish for Cloud to be in this peril, I'd rather see him back as his old self again...like the old comrade I use to know. But the Black Materia is powerful, like a poison it robs you of your mind and will eventually kill you. And with how dangerous he is, I doubt we'd be able to save him from that poison before it kills him." Sephiroth explained in the same manner, turning towards the desk where the empty safe was...grabbing his cloak cautiously as if to not raise Tifa's awareness of him doing anything. He slowly put the coat back on and left the straps undone, turing to Tifa again shyly like a small boy and sighing.

"You don't know how lucky your are to have such brave friends like him." meekly, as if not entirely wishing to give Tifa the information, Sephiroth blurted out before turning towards the door and reaching for the handle...as if expecting to leave.
The last thing he wanted was to cause more pain to the woman...if there was anything he could do to make everyone forgive him, he'd do it...even if he had to die to earn that forgiveness. In a way, he was just like Cloud...almost as if all that evil within him was transferred to the blonde when he stole the Black materia...and all of Cloud's innocence flowed into him as if seeking a new host of its own.
But before that retched beice of stone came into the body of Sephiroth...before that knowlege of Jenova...Sephiroth was a smal boy, trapped within a weapons body...denied of input and desires.
Hopefully he'd find what he wanted this time.

((He's still here, just LOOKS like he's about to leave))

[Tifa Lockhart]

(Wonder how Sephy would react to this post....?)

Tifa let out a small sigh as he began he gave her an answer, she could hear in his voice how tired he was form life. She wondered if sometimes when he was alone he wished for it to just all end, maybe he just missed being who he was before all this.

Tifa hung her head as he began to speak about Cloud, saying how he didn't think he was able to be saved...She really didn't want to believe him but if she was to believe anyone when it came to that materia wasn't Sephiroth the best person to listen too?

"You don't know how lucky your are to have such brave friends like him."

Tifa could not hide the pain anymore, fresh tears welled in her eyes and this time they ran down her paled cheek. She didn't want to cry but by Sephiroth saying that, he just opened so many memories even the one she wanted to forget. Alas her mind went through it, that ripping feeling she felt in her chest was once again relived in her mind and she couldn't help but wrap her arms around her waist in fear of being sick with grief. She couldn't even bring herself to turn and run out the room so he wouldn't see for before she knew it she had sunk to the floor, her hair falling over her face as she hung her head.

The tears now flowed freely and Tifa sobbed, her world had come crashing down and for the first time since, her smile broke and the woman cried in pain and not just phyiscal....

[Sephiroth]

Sephiroth halted. The atmosphere certainly shifted the very minute he mentioned his view of Cloud to Tifa, he felt it. That was most likely the Jenova senses tingling to the pain and sadness of a person; from what Sephiroth read in the reports of his childhood he'd literally be able to 'smell fear' or pain (both forms of emotional and physical) and as he was brought up, he was taute to exploit those senses. People who he sensed fear or pain in where never fit for SOLDIER. That was the main reason as to why Sephiroth was there for the rookies training sessions. He'd identify the little stragglers in an instant...and they'd instantly be thrown in the lowest ranks or kicked out of SOLDIER.
But Tifa...Sephiroth couldn't read her quite so easily. Turning to face the woman he saw her slumped within her own 'aura' on the floor, crying like a child.
Where had that brave, strong woman gone?

"...where have you gone, Tifa?" Sephiroth asked in a sigh as he approached Tifa, almost as if he meant to say 'what's wrong?' in a more complicated term. The silver-haired ex-General certainly was complicated, he liked to be that way because it left him mysterious and kept 'lower ranking SOLDIERS' away from him.
For a start, nobody liked an unpredictable person...especially one who had a huge sword and a short temper. Right at this moment though, Sephiroth was lacking the sword. But certainly that short temper and unpredictable nature was still there under the cold shell of a warrior.
The one-winged angel knelt down beside Tifa, keeping quiet and just watching her...much like a child would behave towards their crying mothe---

Mother.

In an instant, Sephiroth's face shifted from that of a sad child to one of utter shock. How he got the idea of 'mother' from simply observing Tifa he didn't know, he knew that she was 'motherly' by nature like most women...but maybe it was her crying that made him think of his mother. Whoever that may be. Jenova was in no way his 'birth mother'...and Sephiroth would have to find that out later.
Right now though, an issue was at hand.

"....Tifa..." Sephiroth began, reaching his arm out as if to place it on her shoulder, before retaliating as if too stubborn to do it "...don't cry over it. No matter how hard we try he won't snap out of it, it's something he has to deal with himself." he added, keeping himself knelt beside Tifa.

"This darkness is strong. And if he won't fight it, I will. I'll fight anything to make you all forgive me, even myself, in order to rest in peace."

[Tifa Lockhart]

(Hope this works...)

"....where have you gone. Tifa?"

Tifa still did not look up at him, there were just too many hurtful emotions running through her dying to just get out. Tifa slightly twitch as he knelt beside her, watching her as if he had see no one cry before. No he had seen people cry, she bet he liked it, to know they suffered. Yet for some reason he did not mock her tears nor laugh at her, he just stared, she could feel his eyes burning into her but still here tears would not stop. Only now Tifa felt angry, angry at Shinra, angry at Cloud and SOLIDER, angry at AVALANCHE and angry at herself.

".....Tifa.....don't cry over it. No matter how hard we try he won't snap out of it, its something he has to deal with himself."

Tifa wanted to scream at him, wanted to hit him, tell him to leave yet he continued and she still wept.

"This darkness is strong. And if he wont fight it, I will. I'll fight anything to make you all forgive me, even myself, in or to rest in peace."

Tifa look across and him, her eyes red with warm tears and fresh anger.
"WE! WE! You say it like we are friends, we are not! I hate you I hate SOLIDER and Shinra and hate you all! You took Cloud from me, you took away my home, people I love and cared about!"

Tears streamed down her checks as she yelled at Sephiroth, pounding into his chest with her fist. Though she had no strength to hit hard, he wouldn't have even felt it but still she hit him, trying to let it all out.

"You want forgiveness, want to find peace!? What about my peace!? What can you do? How can you even help? Your meant to be dead, your not meant to be here."

More tears fell form her eyes only this time she was loosing any will to keep going, she just repeated how she hated Shinra and SOLIDER, hated Sephiroth and even hated Cloud. Slowly her tired form sunk into Sephiroths chest and she wept freely while every now and then she'd try and pound his chest.

"Why do you want forgiveness, why cant you just kill me?....I can't take this anymore....I don't know how I can go on anymore...." Tifa's wound started to drizzle a little blood again, in honesty she had neglected it a bit and it wasn't healing very well. She wouldn't let anyone near it to help her, it was almost like she didn't want it to heal, maybe she really did just have enough and want to give up. No she had given up. "I...I don't want to go on anymore...." Tifa held onto his jacket that hung over his chest, she was tired and just didn't care, she closed her eyes and waited to see what he'd do maybe he would just kill her and be done with it. Maybe thats why she saved him after all.

[Sephiroth]

Sephiroth remained silent, unstartled and somewhat unaffected by the womans sudden outburst at him. It wasn't the first time he'd been yelled at by a woman, or attacked by one. But the last time he was given greif by a woman was in his teenage youth back when he was disobedient; he'd ignore orders and his teacher would beat him senseless until he decided to listen to her.
But that woman wasn't angry, she was just ordered to do it. Unlike Tifa, who's anger was freely flowing from her. Her pain and sorrow made Sephiroth's senses tingle, almost as if he was pleased to see her in this sorry state. Obviously the 'mad-one' was laughing at Tifa in the deep reaches of his mind, but the frontier...the general...he remained vigilant and calm, cold and emotionless.
He wasn't going to let his wall fall down again; not letting the 'mad-one' escape from its cage.

"...what can I do?" Sephiroth repeated in his mind, as Tifa suddenly sunk into his arms. Obviously worn out from her fit of fury, but still..that didn't stop her from at least trying to continue it.
But all he could think of right now was that very thing Tifa yelled at him...what could he do to help?
But that wasn't the nly thing that stuck out for him...when she uttered the words "you're not meant to be here" it hurt. Countless times he heard that as a boy; the scientists said he was too dangerous and shouldn't exist...and that with how much pain he felt that he should have been put out of his misery as a child.
That instant, Sephiroth twitched and began to tremble...as if going through a state of emotional shock...Tifa's words where bitter and cold, as if she was serious over every single word that slipped from her lips. The one-winged angel, still trembling slightly, got to his feet and turned away from Tifa...quickly throwing up that 'protective wall' again to stop his beast comming out and granting Tifa her wish of being killed.
He wouldn't let that monster come back, not until he chose to fight it himself.

"If you keep thinking like that...you'll never get him back." Sephiroth said softly, but in a deep and somewhat concealed tone...as if trying to keep something at bay.
The idea of finding out what use he was right now was simple...if he could go back to ShinRa and get some more information from Hojo's Labs then maybe he might find something out? Maybe a way to defeat Kadaj and---

"Kadaj." Sephiroth muttered, his eyes widening in shock. Cloud wanted the Black Materia to take-on Kadaj himself, all on his own to prove he was capable of fighting with no backup. If Cloud didn't die because of the Black Materia's poison then Kadaj surely would make sure Cloud died by his hand, whilst all the while obtaining the last few peices of Materia.
Fortunatly though, from what Sephiroth sensed, Yuffie has a shard of Black Materia within her...a dormant peice. Without that Kadaj couldn't summon Meteor. But if he got hold of Clouds peices then Sephiroth would be in a tough spot.
To pretty much fix the mess he made, Sephiroth took several steps from Tifa to the door, his back still turned on her, and uttered the words:

"...I'm going back to ShinRa to become helpful."

And with those words, he left.

((AGHHH! I had no idea how to end that! If you want, I can leave Sephiroth out of this now and have Cid come in?))

[Tifa Lockhart]

Tifa felt the sudden change in him as she let the harsh but true words escape her lips. She felt him tremble under her weight as if holding emotions in that wanted to be free.

As he stood up she let her body sink to the floor, having no strength nor care to keep it upright. She just lay there, her hair spread out around her as her body heaved up and down with her short tear strung breath. She hated how Sephiroth was now, everything was so simple when he was evil. She hated that he was right that she had to stop thinking like this, but how could she? She has lost her best friend and right now feels so alone, not even this so call general if offering her any support. Tifa just hated it all right now, she always was there for others but no one was ever there for her...not even Cloud with his promise to always help her when she was in a bind.

Tifa heard his heavy feet walk away form her and she let out a deep breath as he mentioned Kadaj. She didn't want to think about him, right now Tifa just felt like sleeping for a while. Her wound hurt like hell and she needed to attend to it for it had opened slightly on her again. Now that Sephiroth had left her she figured she'd best start, at least, trying to look after herself.

"Helpful....."