Quest for Answers

[Zyadai]

Vincent looked around him, colours still slightly disoriented from the odd mode of transportation he had just used.
He knew Nibelheim was a wreck, but what he saw before him had no description in words. Glass and trash littered the streets, mingling with debree from fallen buildings. The citizens who had once lived cozily in their homes, huddled in the shadows for shelter. These were the people who had lost their homes when the destruction had occured. Their were buildings remaining, just not many. Hating to admit it, Vincent knew that these people would soon be his prey. Because of Shinra, because of what they had done to him, he was forced to hunt the ones he had once walked side by side with to survive.

It had been at least a year since he had left the basement of the Shinra Mansion to pursue Sephiroth. At least he knew the Mansion was still there, a last refuge whenever he needed it.
All he had to do was find the one named Cloud Strife and lead him to Sephiroth. For some reason, he felt as though hee recognized the name, the same way he felt when around Sephiroth. Somehow he knew them both from his past, he just could not remember how.
Perhaps Strife would have answers for him once he found him.

Letting his feet carry him, he reached the Shinra Mansion. Ignoring the SOLDIER members inhabiting the upper floor, he headed toward the basement where his coffin was placed. He had spent years in that basement and here he was, returning to it once again.

[bleedinginthesand]

Atop a nearby pile of refuse ,which once was once what Sephiroth could only assume was a house, the one winged angel looked out keeping a watchful eye on his new puppet. Hmm....he's still dazed from the teleport....understandable... the black leather clad warrior mused to himself as he played slightly with his gloves. His familiar smirk was painted on his face as his eyes drifted upwards from his gloves to Shinra Mansion My past belongings....they might be of some use to me.....I should go and gather my nessecary equipment.....for I am missing all but my beloved... he thought as he looked to his hip where Masamune, the quick blood thirsty sword which had taken many lives both human and otherwise, hung peacefully at his side. Yes...my 'MASTERED' materia would be nice....and some of my finer trophies that I have aquired over the years would suit me nicely.....if only... as his eyes wandered to find his puppet, he found Vincent walking already toward Shinra Mansion Well that settles it....to Shinra Mansion.... He thought. And just as swiftly as he had entered the town, he was gone, vanished in a black plume of etherworldly smoke.

[Zyadai]

Sitting on the lid of his well worn-in coffin, listening intently in the sounds coming from upstairs. He could hear the many SOLDIER members speak of their recent conquests and missions, but what he was truly listening for was any news that would help him piece together his past...or the elusive Cloud Strife. So far, he had heard nothing of interest, unless the rumors that Sephiroth had slept with a few of a men counted. Of course, he doubted these umors were true, despite Sephiroth's beauty, he doubted the man had any interest in women, let alone men.
So, he sat, awaiting for full dark, passing the time by eavesdropping on the men above.

The voices suddenly hushed at the approach of booted feet. Vincent recognized the sound of those boots. The SOLDIER members all went quiet as the man approached. It could only be one person, only one person was able to instill the fear that radiated from the men above. It was none other than Sephiroth directly above his head.

[bleedinginthesand]

Sephiroth laughed at the Shinra SOLDIER's stunned looks as he walked calmly *clomp* *clomp* through its echoing halls. Sephiroth paused and leaned over to inspect one of the SOLDIER's uniforms. His eyes narrowed "Soldier...im straight...don't be spreading those rumors about me....or else..." Sephiroth didnt need to complete the sentence as everyone in SOLDIER knew even from being just a cadet the number one rule in SOLDIER was DONT f**k WITH SEPHIROTH. The SOLDIER nodded vigerously still stunned by his presence "Y-Y-Yes....SIR!" he saluted and then fainted. Sephiroth chuckled and then just glanced at the SOLDIER the first was talking to and he immediatly snapped to attention. Sephiroth chuckled again and walked through the dusty dirty halls, SOLDIER's snapping to attention, other SOLDIERS cowering in fear. Sephiroth finally reached HIS room, the golden embroidered door welcomed him home. "at last..." he said softly as he opened the door calmly and then shut it behind him. He looked around the darkly lit room, it seemed that Shinra was still trying to save face by still pronouncing him on "leave" and keeping his room in order. The room was painted a dark blue all the way around with hard polished wood furniture, complete with silk cusions in classical Wutai fashion. The carpet was a dark blood red and was soft as silk. In the middle of the back wall there was Sephiroth's bed black silk sheets and matching pillows with a feather bed mattress, gold embroidered bed posts and a giant array of Wutai swords were arranged above the bed. Finally Shinra is doing me a favor for once...now for a nice..warm...bath.... he thought as he militarily unsnapped his shoulder pads, it falling to the floor with a *thunk* that would have made a small crater in any other floor, he stooped down to unsnap his boots as his silvery locks fell around his head. As the Mythril buckles unclasped with a *clink*he lifted his foot out of the boot feeling the soft as silk carpet under his feet brought on a surpreme feeling of nostalgia. He slid off his Trench coat and hung it on his golden coat rack and undid his black leather trousers leaving him only in his black satin boxers. The muscles of the tall silverhaired warrior were toned and tense from all the battles he had endured lately and the constant use he put them too. Sephiroth calmly walked across the carpet to his Ivory bathroom, it was called The Ivory Bathroom because litterally EVERYTHING in it was made of solid Ivory. The cool Ivory sent a small shiver up Sephiroth's back as he adjusted to the temperature in the Bathroom. He reached over and adjusted the knob on his whirlpool tub turning on the hot water . Sephiroth went over to the mirror to groom his perfect hair while the tub filled. He reached over and ran his Ivory brush through his hair feeling the softness of his slivery slender locks. He put the brush down as he thought about his Mother and walked over to the bathtub. He simply used one finger to untie his boxer strings as he let them hit the floor. He climbed effortlessly into his tub feeling the warm water touch every inch of his toned body. Sephiroth leaned back in the tub and sighed contentedly "yeah....havent had time to relax in forever..." he said to himself. Sephiroth motioned with his hand to his speaker system as it turned on with classical Romantic Era music. He sighed as he poured his cleasing agent into the water that cleaned every inch of his body without so much as a scrub. Reluctantly he took a breath and submerged his head in the water allowing the cleansing agent to clean his hair effortlessly without damaging it in the slightest. With a calm gasp he resurfaced feeling refreshed and tired. The one winged angel climbed out of his tub and slipped on his black silk Wutai robe. "Time for sleep...." he said softly as he laid back on his feather bed and pulled the black silk sheets close to him, as our favorite one winged dark angel fell into his own dark filled sleep, enwrapped in dark sheets, in a dark room, in a dark mansion with Darker secrets than even the dark clad warrior contained.

[Zyadai]

Flitting silently through the halls of Shinra Mansion, moving as a red blur past the numerous SOLDIER members. He knew Sephiroth was present in the mansion, but why? He had sent him specifically to this town so what reason did he have for following him? Was this a trap for him somehow?
Vincent was not sure what Sephiroth's reasoning was, but He did not like it one bit. He knew where Sephiroth's chambers werre located, never having been in them personally, just passing by them occasionally.
If Sephiroth had followed him hear out of untrust or even just because this was all a trap for him, Vincent had to know the reason, he had to know what was occuring under his own nose.

Upon reaching the gold embroidered room, he entered without a sound, knowing Sephiroth would have no reason to lock the door. Why would he? He was dangerous enough to just instill fear with his mere presence.
However, entering the room, the site before him caused him to stop dead in his tracks, his mouth long since gone slack.

Sephiroth lay on his silk covered bed, clad in nothing more than a barely covering black rope. His silk blanket was thrown carelessly over one of his legs, his hair splayed elegantly across his pillows. even in sleep, he looked like a fallen angel; perfectly beautiful and yet utterly dangerous, like a caged tiger in the zoo.

[bleedinginthesand]

Sephiroth was rudely jerked out of his sleep by his danger senses going wild. Through reflex alone Sephiroth opened his eyes, registered the person who was there, then jumped up from his bed, somersaulting in the air to land gracefully near Masamune who was stacked against a wall on the otherside of the room. He unsheathed the beautiful Angel of Death and quickly moved to dispatch the intruder, until his mind registered one word puppet.... Sephiroth was able to barely stop himself in midswing, Masamune's deadly blade inches away from severing Vincent in two neat pieces. "What are you doing here?" Sephiroth seethed.

[Zyadai]

"One could ask the same of you, Sephiroth. You have rebelled against Shinra, and yet jere you stand." Vincent replied, trying desperately not to stare too long at the fallen angel before. It wasn't that he liked men, it was just that Sephiroth was just that beautiful. A beauty any woman would envy.

Vincent was very well aware of the massive sword inches from his face, but he also knew how ineffective it would be against him...unless of course Sephiroth decided to cut him up into little shreds.
He hadn't intentionally walked into the room, knowing Sephiroth was asleep. In all actuality, he forgot Sephiroth even needed sleep. The man seemed so utterly inhuman, it was hard to believe he was forced to do the menial tasks of eating and sleeping, just like any other human.

Hating himself for it, Vincent realized he did owe the silver-haired man an apology. It truly was wrong opf him to burst in his room. If any one had done that to him, he would have acted in the same manner Sephiroth had.

"I did not mean to awaken you. I simply wanted to know what your purpose for being here was. I had forgotten the distance you must have traveled to get here and that you would need rest. It is no one's fault but my own that we are currently in this compromising...or would you say, embarrassing, situation."

[bleedinginthesand]

Sephiroth lowered Masamune from Vincents face and slightly nicked his own arm to draw blood, in keeping with Wutai Samurai tradition, then he sheathed it. Sephiroth straightened his robe and then moved some of his perfectly silver locks out of his face. "It is alright....and I am not embarrassed, you are a man as I am and judging from your involvence in SOLDIER and The TURKS, I Know you have seen men in much less than this robe." He said as he turned away from Vincent "Go...find Cloud...then meet me at the reactor atop of Mt.Nibel.... I will await you there....do not dally Vincent...the more time you waste in this quest the more answers slip from my mind." he said knowing that would motivate the Ex-TURK. As soon as he saw Vincent leave Sephiroth let his robe slip off him and re-dressed himself in his usual manner. Afterwards, he walked over to his closet and rummaged around in it until his eyes found the prize that he had sought after. "Ah yes...my earnings..." he hefted the bag of gil that had been his spending money as a SOLDIER which was not even 1/10 of his earnings. "This should do me quite nicely....and now for...yes..." From the corner of his eye Sephiroth spied his true goal, a woven Wutai basket sat in the corner of his closet. Sephiroth dragged it out and lifted the lid to reveal its colorful contents. "MY materia...." he said in awe as his eyes met the familiar sight of the colorful orbs of MASTERED materia that he had trained and fought with during his battles with Shinra. Slipping them into the slots of his armor and Masamune he equipped himself with HIS materia. "Excellent" Sephiroth said as he eyed himself in the mirror Truely I am beautiful......it is a shame I have found no desireable woman... Sephiroth thought to himself. Most would not suspect a man of my looks and strength and pay to not have tasted the forbidden fruit of a woman....but it is true...a royal shame... he thought softly. Collecting his thoughts and belongings, Sephiroth headed out of the door. With one thought in mind Sephiroth took off at lightning fast speeds To Wutai....