A Flower Blooming in the Wreckage [Kadaj]

[Aerith]

Tenderness and Solitude

The reconstruction of the marketplace was coming along much better than the Restoration Committee could have hoped. Many of the citizens had sought to help as best they could. However, even with so much extra help, they still had a long way to go before the marketplace was as it had been before the attack. And that was the goal at this point. Only after they had repaired the most recent damage could they think about making further progress in completely reviving Radiant Garden.

Aerith had her own personal project she was working on--a small flower garden tucked away in a corner of the Borough, a place where few usually passed. Once she cultivated a good batch of flowers here, she could perhaps spread them to other areas of the world. For now, she was content to tend her flowers in relative peace and privacy. She had tried to keep this garden a secret from the rest of the Restoration Committee. Even Cloud. Once the flowers were in their fully-bloomed glory, this garden would become another thinking place for her. While she loved her friends, she didn't wish for them to be easily able to find her if she didn't want to be found.

The sun was already past its apex and descending slowly toward the horizon. The shadows were growing a bit longer. In a few hours, it would be nightfall. But Aerith wasn't concerned about the time. She had made it clear to the others that she would be gone for most of the day and wouldn't return until well after dark. No one should be coming to look for her. Humming softly, she busied herself with her flowers, touching each leaf and bud as if it were a newborn child.

[Fate]

Blossoming Chaos
Camellia from the Soul Eater OST.

Maleficent seemed to have her own goals in mind as she left Radiant Garden, leaving it for Kadaj to mess with. Sure, he had the choice of traveling to another world to see what was going on and cause some chaos, but Ava was already doing that for him while he looked for that Tool of Darkness. Loz and Yazoo seemed content to stay here for a while before they went to another world. That left the lead remnant to roam around and see what he could do; this world had been too quiet for a while now and he needed to change that. There were also rumors of another silver-haired man wandering around...

He left the castle with this thought in mind, not in a rush to get anywhere at the moment; it would be a few hours before night hit, leaving him with plenty of options. If Sephiroth was around, that meant trouble would surely follow. Kadaj of course was never thrilled to see that man, wanting nothing to do with the only one he saw as better than himself... outside of this Tool of Darkness anyway. Though, if the two met again, he wouldn't back down. Backing down involved fear, which just wasn't something he couldn't go toward; he wasn't afraid of anything or anyone. Hopefully though, he wouldn't meet Sephiroth today; he wasn't looking for a fight right at this moment.

He got into the Borough part of town, ignoring the glances and glares from passersby as he came from the Bailey. People were starting to head home, some a little faster now that Kadaj was here. He grinned to this; he loved it that people were actually a little scared of him. He stepped in further, noticing that almost all had left this little place except for one person. It was in a somewhat private section of the Borough that he saw a whole bunch of flowers. He made a disgusted face at them; none of the remnants liked flowers.

"Yuck, flowers," he said with obvious disdain in his voice.

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[Aerith]

Polite Conversation

Being as engrossed in her work as she was, it didn't register at first that someone was nearby watching her. When she finally realized there was someone there, she lifted her head, though she remained on her knees in the flower bed. The person looking at her was not who she had expected to see, and she fixed him with, not a look of fear, but one of puzzlement. The RGRC had briefly discussed the trio of silver-haired men, but she had not expected to run into one herself. From what the others had told her, the trio were fond of getting into fights, and well, she didn't exactly look like much of a fighter. She did not, after all, carry around large weapons like Leon, Cloud, or even Yuffie did. So, the question was, what was this third of that group doing here?

"I think if you spent more time with them, you might enjoy them a little more." It was almost incomprehensible to her that anyone could have an outright hatred of flowers. People could certainly be ambivalent, yes, but disdainful? That was a strange concept to her. "Besides..." she continued as she briefly shifted her eyes away from the man and back to a budding shoot that needed a little straightening. "It isn't as though they've ever hurt anyone."

She supposed she was finished for the time being. And opportunities to make polite conversation with known enemies were rare in her experience. Standing to her feet, she brushed the dirt from her dress, made sure her hair was still neat, and tapped both of her feet toe-first on the ground to more snugly fit them inside her boots. Then, her eyes were back on the man, searching his face. It was difficult not to think about Sephiroth while doing so. But rather than attempt to extricate herself from the scene as quickly as possible, she offered him a smile. "I'm Aerith. I think I've heard of you, but I don't know your name yet."

[Fate]

I Don't Do Pleasant

Flowers may be harmless like she said, but that didn't mean Kadaj was going to start liking them anytime soon. They were just so... so... gross! They represented nice and happy things that went along with the light, obviously something he didn't like. Well, his reasoning wasn't exactly perfect since flowers really have an affiliation, but he was going to go along with it anyway. He was not going to spend more time with flowers just to see if he would like them more; chances were that he wouldn't.

Why was this lady even talking to him anyway? Wasn't she a part of the Restoration Committee? All of those guys hated the trio; they would either start a fight to try and get rid of them, or they'd tell them to get the heck out of here. However, this woman was being polite with him and trying to have conversation. It confused Kadaj. She didn't even look scared at all, which was the other normal reaction to seeing any of them. No, she was standing here in the middle of her flowers and trying to talk to him.

"You don't know?" he asked, a sort of glint in his eyes, "Thought your friends would have told you by now. Name's Kadaj." He then looked around warily; if any members of the Restoration Committee caught him in the Borough, he needed to be ready. Fortunately, none of them seemed to be around, letting him relax a bit. Though, just because he could relax didn't mean he was going to stand around here and have 'pleasant' conversation. Without even saying goodbye, he started to walk in another direction; it was time to cause some havoc he supposed.

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[Aerith]

Unsettling Familiarity

Aerith's puzzlement only grew deeper the longer Kadaj stood there. If he was with the darkness and was so keen on destroying people and worlds, shouldn't he have attacked her by now? This was her first time meeting him, so of course, she should not make such assumptions so easily. But the way the others had spoken of the trio, she expected a violent reaction.

He gave her his name, and she digested it for a moment, looking thoughtfully off in the distance. Why did he look so much like Sephiroth? Perhaps Emi had been mistaken, and this was the man who had attacked her. The girl had been half-delirious from her massive wound, anyway. Whether it was true or not, Aerith latched onto any shred of hope that Sephiroth was not really back and prowling Radiant Garden.

"Kadaj..." She tested his name, making it sound much more innocent than the way he had said it. He was turning to leave, which she only just noticed. This man was a confusing contradiction. It was obvious that she was filled with light, and yet he did not seek to kill her. Was it only because she wasn't waving a sword in his face? If that was all it took to keep Kadaj from attacking, she would be passing this information along to the rest of the RGRC. Although...she doubted any of the other would be so inclined to resort to non-violence as she was. Before he could leave, she asked the first question that popped into her head. It may turn out to be the wrong one, but she spoke it before she could think about it.

"Do you know Sephiroth?"

[Fate]

Only a Remnant After All

She just had to mention that name.

Kadaj stopped in his tracks, his hands turning into tight fists and his mouth changing to a grimace. Yeah, he knew Sephiroth all right; couldn't she tell just by looking at him? Every remnant bore a certain resemblance to the man, but Kadaj could quite nearly make himself look like Sephiroth by whim if he wanted to; of course, he never wanted to. He had Sephiroth's insanity and cruelty, his most remembered traits outside of his brutal strength. Though, this Aerith hadn't really seen that yet.

"What, you can't see the family resemblance?" he asked sarcastically, turning around with a grin on his face and his arms in the air. "I know Sephiroth, sure. My brothers and I are his remnants, after all." His grin started to fade at those words, his hands dropping back to his sides. He and his brothers were only remnants and nothing else; it seemed like it would be impossible to equal Sephiroth if they were only that, but Kadaj's goal was to surpass him. He would do it... somehow.

"Why?" She had to have another reason for asking if he knew Sephiroth other than the resemblance to him. Though, he hoped not. If that were the case, then that meant that Sephiroth could very well be around. If Sephiroth was around, then he needed to know so he could avoid the man at all costs. Kadaj may have earned the reputation of loving a good fight, but he wasn't about to have one with him. He knew he couldn't beat him alone, or at least without it ending in a stalemate. He wasn't at that point yet, so Sephiroth needed to be avoided.

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[Aerith]

Already-Answered Question

Of course, it had been obvious to Aerith that Kadaj and Sephiroth were related somehow. There was no other explanation for the similarities in their appearances. But the term "remnants" was new to her. She wasn't sure what that meant, exactly, but she figured now was not the time to get into that. Kadaj didn't strike her as thrilled that she had mentioned Sephiroth in the first place. Even if he didn't seem interested in attacking her at the moment, she certainly didn't wish to push her luck.

He asked her to explain the reason for her question, and she saw no need to say anything except the truth. "A girl came to me a little while ago. She was very badly wounded, and she said that she had gotten into a fight with Sephiroth." Aerith cast her eyes down for a moment. "I don't think she would have purposefully lied about that, but...since she was so weak from all that lost blood, I thought perhaps she might have been mistaken." Hoped more than thought, really. Adding Sephiroth into the mix of things the RGRC was already dealing with could prove to be too much.

When Aerith looked back up at Kadaj, she had a hopeful look in her eyes. This could be construed as odd, since anyone going around attacking people was not a good thing. But at this point, Kadaj was the lesser of two evils if Sephiroth was involved. She took a moment to word her question so that it wouldn't sound too strange. "Did you fight with a rather tall, dark-haired girl, slash her across the chest, and stab her in the shoulder, too?" Truth be told, she already knew what the answer would be. Those wounds on Emi had not been inflicted by the weapon in Kadaj's possession.

[Fate]

Enemy to All

"Tch." That was Kadaj's initial response, an annoyed sort of sound. Aerith described how this girl had come to her and had supposedly fought Sephiroth. She then asked if he had been the one to fight her, wondering if the girl had possibly been deluded after all of the blood that she had lost. He could tell that she really didn't want it to be Sephiroth and probably knew that it was; Kadaj honestly wished that it wasn't Sephiroth either. That meant that the man was back and probably hunting down his little remnants. That just put a damper on his day.

"Can't say I did," he said, his somewhat jovial tone back in play; he could only stay in one mood for so long after all and he could worry about Sephiroth a bit later. "I'm not the stabbing type. That's Sephiroth's thing, not mine." That was one distinct difference Kadaj put in place between him and Sephiroth; the latter liked to stab. With his weapon design, it wasn't quite practical for Kadaj to stab; it was made for disarming opponents while fighting, which he proved to be rather good at.

"That means Sephiroth is back." These words were presented with a sort of starkness to them, the name sounding a bit foreign on the remnant's lips. "And that's not good for anyone." It would be better for the three brothers, but not to anyone else living in this town. Kadaj could deal with Sephiroth just fine, especially with his brothers, but not many could. Judging by how Aerith seemed, she would need to watch her back since she wasn't a fighter.

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[Aerith]

Secret Offer

So, it was true then. Emi really had been attacked and nearly killed by Sephiroth. He was back and roaming around somewhere on this world. But the foremost thought in her mind was not her own safety. No, she was more concerned about how this news would affect Cloud, should he learn of it. He might very well leave again, and that just wouldn't do. She was trying to break him of that lone-wolf disposition of his.

"You're right," she said softly, her eyes looking beyond rather than at Kadaj. "That isn't good for anyone." Focusing again on the silver-haired swordsman, she gave him a worried look. Being who she was, she did not enjoy the thought of anyone dying, even if they might be enemies. She expressed this sentiment to him. "Do be careful if you run into him."

She could hear the rest of the RGRC members in her head right now, telling her how silly it was to wish an adversary well. But, technically, she had never gotten into a fight with Kadaj. So, on a personal level, he wasn't really her enemy. In a broad sense, yes. She worked for the good of the Light, while he sought to bring destruction through the Darkness. They were clearly opposed metaphysically. But until he attacked her personally, she had no qualms about being friendly.

Though she surprised even herself when she went farther than a simple expression of concern. "And if you ever find yourself in need of something, healing or..." She smiled a little teasingly. "...perhaps even flowers, you can come to me." She held an index finger a few inches in front of her lips, indicating her silence on the matter. "And don't worry. I won't be telling the others." They would all clamor loudly against this, anyway. In fact, there was no need for them to know about this entire meeting.

[Fate]

This is Madness

Be careful when he ran into Sephiroth? Was Aerith, an obvious enemy, telling him to be careful against Sephiroth and actually showing kindness to him? The thought alone was... odd to say the least. Kadaj didn't understand why she was being kind of him when it was plain to see that they were on opposite sides. She was with Cloud and the rest of that Restoration Committee who fought so hard for the Light and he was on the side of Darkness with Maleficent and his brothers. He couldn't say he appreciated the gesture, but he wasn't so quick to throw it away for some reason either.

Now she was offering him flowers and healing? If his brothers heard this, they'd find it outright ridiculous. They'd also probably attack too and Kadaj hadn't quite figured out why he hadn't done that already. Maybe because there wasn't a real reason to, that's why. But still, Aerith was offering him healing if he ever needed it. He doubted he ever would since it took a lot of work for anyone to get a scratch on him, never mind beating him into a bloody pulp so he would actually need healing. But still, it was something to consider. If she offered that, then perhaps he could use that to his advantage later.

"Thanks," he said, "Don't think I'll need much healing though." As per usual, he was as confident as ever and it came into his voice. "And I won't tell my brothers or Maleficent about this. Though, don't expect me to hold back if it comes down to a fight." Just because Kadaj wasn't fighting right now did not mean that, if given the opportunity, he would do it again.

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[Aerith]

Small Hope

She smiled at Kadaj after he declared he would also be keeping this exchange a secret. In a way, she found this whole affair highly exciting. Of course, that was to be expected when doing something this taboo. The others would at least give her a very stern lecture if they found out what she was doing. But she couldn't be content just taking her usual supportive role. Something needed to be done about this whole situation.

However, he made sure to note that he would still be putting all of his effort into fighting should it come to that. She had expected as much. One small conversation wasn't going to make him decide to switch sides. But it might make it easier for them to meet in the middle. Not necessarily compromise on things that were important to each of them, but rather come to a mutual understanding.

She didn't want to push her luck, though. Just because he hadn't attacked her yet, that didn't mean he wasn't going to. It was enough that he had somewhat loosely accepted her offer. That was far better than having it thrown contemptuously back in her face. With a nod, she said, "Thank you. It would be best if nobody knew, probably." She paused for a moment. "And I understand. I don't expect you to stop fighting just because we've had this conversation." She could always hope, though.

[Fate]

Parting Words

Nothing was going to change because of this little conversation. She would go back to the Restoration Committee as if nothing had ever happened, not telling the others that she talked to one of Sephiroth's remnants in her spare time. He would go back to his brothers, Ava and Maleficent and not say a word either. Well, for now. An idea popped into his head that he might just have to store away for later. If he truly wanted to, he might just be able to use this little talk and willingness not to attack him later, maybe exploit it for his benefit. He'd have to see if he'd actually need to or not, but it was still something to consider.

For now though, he wouldn't use his weapon on her and resist the temptation to start a fight; he'd have to spar with Ava later or something. Aerith seemed to know that things weren't going to change either, even commenting that she didn't expect him to stop fighting because of this little chat. They'd probably see each other again at some point, though that place was probably going to be the battlefield knowing Kadaj. And if she tried to fight him, he wouldn't hold back; he usually waited for others to attack him first anyway... unless it was Cloud. Cloud was the only exception to that rule.

"Glad you do," he said, though he couldn't say he was truly glad; he was satisfied though. "I'll be going now. And this never happened." He wasn't one to do fancy goodbyes or anything like that, instead simply walking out of the Borough and back toward the castle. He had some sparring he needed to do and flowers to get away from; despite what she insisted, he still found them to be gross.

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[Aerith]

And So It Ended

"Goodbye, then," she called out perhaps a little too cheerily. Leaving her farewell at that, she watched him until he disappeared from view, and even once he was gone, she still stared at the spot where he had been for a little while. Why hadn't he attacked her? Or at least, why hadn't he made it very obvious that he was threatening to attack her? Of course, she was grateful that things had not come to violence, but it was still puzzling. Perhaps she could build on that when the two of them inevitably ran across each other again.

A breeze swept over her little corner of the Borough, emphasizing her flowers' scent. That was enough to draw her thoughts away from Kadaj and back to tending her garden. As a member of the Restoration Committee, it was her first priority to see to the rejuvenation of Radiant Garden. And the sooner she produced a large enough number of flowers, the sooner she could spread the joy they offered to the rest of the town.

She shaded her eyes, looking toward the horizon. The sun was dipping beneath the earth, the shadows growing longer and longer as night approached. Talking to Kadaj in the first place may have been a reckless decision on her part, but she wasn't insane. Knowing the dangers of staying out past nightfall, she gathered her basket in one hand and stood, brushing dirt from her dress with her free hand. She cast a quick glance around. None of the others were in view, which meant her secret was safe for now. Had Cloud or Leon been nearby, she doubted Kadaj would have been able to simply walk away. Satisfied that no one had seen her conversation with Kadaj, Aerith made her way back to her house. Her bed was calling to her.