Do you wonder why you hate?

[jenovaschosen1.livejournal.com]

Characters: Sephiroth, Nero
Progress: Incomplete
Summary: Nero calls for a meeting between he and Sephiroth.
Location: The Evil Forest
Date: January 20 / afternoon
Warnings: Um, PG13-ish?

Were it anyone else who thought themselves important enough to issue him orders, Sephiroth would have ignored the message. For Nero, he'd make an exception. They'd made a deal, after all, and the Sable had kept his end of the bargain. Perhaps this was Nero's way of letting him know it was time to keep his.

As he set off to find the dark man, Sephiroth wondered what exactly Nero wanted. He'd said they had much to discuss. What else was there to say, the ex-general wondered. Nero had already told him all that he knew, and Sephiroth was not stupid: They had a business arrangement, nothing more. It was that, and probably only that that kept them from being openly hostile to one another.

Sephiroth did not like Nero's haughty attitude, and from what he'd learned, Nero had reason enough to dislike him. This meeting was hardly a social call, for either party involved. Still, the man had his uses, Sephiroth conceded. If nothing else, the Sable had knowledge he did not - knowledge that could be put to good use at a later date. Best to keep him handy, for now.

Sephiroth withdrew his mobille device and checked the screen again. According to the coordinates Nero had sent, the Evil Forest should be close. Frowning, the ex-general looked around him. Up ahead, his enhanced eyes could just barely make out the dark line of the forest where Nero presumably waited. With a tight smile, Sephiroth continued on. He'd find out what this was about soon enough.
 

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[the-sable.livejournal.com]

In the vast, petrified forest which had once housed all assortments of vile monsters, Nero was the only source of movement in the forest's sprawling stillness. He was pacing in tight circles, agitated, unable to stop or rest or even think. In his hand, he had this 'mobile device' granted to him by one of the repulsive pink creatures which had turned up all over Midgar seemingly overnight. For surely Nero could not have been gone from his brother's side long. No, not long at all. He would have felt the absence, would have known--

He had been following the slew of network posts, the announcements of the rulers here, and had seen reunion after reunion of their petty lost souls. Through reading all those entries, a nagging voice had emerged from his darkness to whisper in his ear. And oh, how it whispered. Quietly at first, but now, after days without sign or word from his brother, it was incessant. Weiss was no stranger to technology. Surely if he was able, he would have contacted Nero already. So of course that meant that he wasn't able. That something had happened to him.

Isn't it queer, the voice would ask him as he tore a hand through his unevenly cropped hair, how easy those self-proclaimed heroes have it, finding each other left and right while you rot away here? The reactor is cold, Weiss' throne empty. This must be their idea of perdition for your alleged crimes. But we won't have that, will we, Nero? We are not so easy to fool. We are, after all, the brother of Weiss. Yes...

The voice would not let him rest, not let him forget the crimes being done unto him. It had been days since he had last slept, and he was beginning to see phantoms out of the corners of his eyes. He only had to test his theory. Because surely if such a thing was happening to him, he would not be alone in it. If Sephiroth suffered the same as him, then there would be no doubt. This world was against them, was trying to rob them of that which they wanted, needed.

And so he waited, hands unsteady from exhaustion as he continued to pace within the forest, darkness emanating out from him as the more exhausted he grew the less control he had over it. It was louder, so much louder--

"Weiss--"

[jenovaschosen1.livejournal.com]

The forest certainly lived up to its name, Sephiroth decided as he entered the dark and foreboding wood. He could only hope Nero's claim that they would be undisturbed here also held true. It wasn't that he feared running into anyone - one person in particular he dearly hoped to meet again - but any such encounters would be on his terms.

Though he had little use for the mobile device, Sephiroth had been reading the incoming messages. Most were from strangers; people he'd never met and had no desire to meet. A couple though, were all too familiar. Even without Nero's help, the ex-general recognized their names. The proper time to reveal himself would come, of that he had no doubt. For now, let them think him dead and gone while he attended to more important matters. They would realize their error soon enough.

A cold smile graced his lips as Sephiroth moved deeper into the wood on silent feet. Slit pupils widened to allow what scant light managed to penetrate the thick forest. This far in, a lesser being might have had some difficulty navigating in the darkness. With his enhanced senses, the ex-general made his way easily to the Sable's designated location.

As he approached, Sephiroth took in Nero's apparent distress. Something had the dark man agitated, that much was clear. His pride still wounded from his earlier conversation with the Sable, Sephiroth felt a sadistic joy at the other's perturbation. He knew all too well what it felt like to have a witness to such a lack of composure. That the tables were suddenly turned was far too amusing to let slip by without properly appreciating the moment.

After watching Nero pace for a moment in silence, Sephiroth stepped closer and nodded at Nero in acknowledgment before crossing his arms over his chest. "You wanted to speak with me." Only the arching of one fine brow gave the sentence any indication of being asked rather than stated. "Why?"

[the-sable.livejournal.com]

There was a moment where Nero failed to register Sephiroth as anything more than another phantom, another voice of the many which chorused out their miseries from within the soft folds of his darkness. He did not turn immediately, muttering to himself under his breath about the pain he would force the world to understand for what they had done to his brother. But then Sephiroth continued to speak, his voice carrying more clarity than any of the toxic whispers of the tormented souls on the other side of the abyss. Body going rigid, Nero slowly straightened and turned fluidly to face Sephiroth, hand touching the side of his face in a show of composure as he forced himself to calm.

Yes.

Everything would be fine now.

He only had to make Sephiroth understand.

"General, dear kin of we who bear the JENOVA cells," he began in preamble, tact changing considerably now that he found how vital Sephiroth's aid would be in this dreadful, accursed world. The relationship would be mutually beneficial, as they both had much to gain and much to lose. Nero did not think himself indebted to Sephiroth for going to him, but he knew better than to belittle allies. They could be discarded once their use was through, but Weiss had taught him better than to commit the folly of losing them beforehand.

"There is something terrible amiss in this world for us, something I believe to be purposefully inflicted upon us. Tell me, has your search yielded anything but disappointment...?"

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As he struggled to make out the other man's unintelligible murmuring, Sephiroth began to doubt Nero was even aware of his presence. Slightly irritated at having to wait for a response, the ex-general took a breath to repeat himself before Nero suddenly turned and faced him.

A faint smile pulled at Sephiroth's lips as the Sable began to speak. If he didn't know better, he'd think this little speech of his had been prepared beforehand, such was Nero's way with words. There was a definite difference in the way the Sable spoke to him now and when they'd spoken in the past. Nero's arrogance was seemingly gone, something bordering desperation left in its place.

Sephiroth tilted his head slightly as he regarded the other man with curious eyes. What could have happened to bring about this change in response?

All traces of amusement vanished at Nero's last words and Sephiroth's lips pressed into a grim line. Whether it was his true intent or not, Nero's question only served to remind the ex-general of yet another failure. Despite all his efforts, he'd found nothing.

Sephiroth was quiet a moment or two before he responded. "No," he admitted in a tight voice. "I've searched the entirety of Midgar and found nothing."

Sephiroth fought back a wave of frustrated anger at the fruitlessness of his search. His gaze locked with Nero's as he motioned for the other man to continue. "You have my full attention."