Ubi Sunt [Aerith]

[Aerith]

It's so strange not hating you for all of this.
--------

Despite being shaken, Aerith met Jericho's gaze and miraculously managed not to start crying. This was all so much to handle at once. But something inside her refused to be broken.

"I know. It's just...instinct. I don't like seeing people get hurt, much less watching them die."

In truth, if she didn't see it happen, it would still hurt but decidedly less so. She would know what was happening, what he was doing. He wasn't exactly making a big secret of it.

Suddenly, she remembered that they weren't alone. "Ah! Kadaj." She blinked and shifted her gaze over to him while still talking mostly to Jericho. "He protected me."

[Fate]

When someone launches a large attack, get the hell out of their way.
--

He got Aerith away from that guard, but more came. A lot more. And another one had Aerith again and was going to kill her right there. Kadaj wasn't stupid-- even if he could get her away from this other one, then there'd be tons more to fight and she wouldn't make it out of this without being hurt. It would be a risk he'd have to take at this point if he wanted to continue to pay Aerith back, and it probably wouldn't end well. Damn.

And then hell hit. That's how Kadaj interpreted it. Someone else came and killed the guard that had been holding Aerith, and those surrounding her. A lot of them at the very least. Kadaj got the hell out of the way of the Heartless, instead choosing to watch, especially Aerith. Like before, she was trying to get the killing to stop. Unfortunately for her, it wasn't quite as easy to do that with this guy as it was with Kadaj. This guy had a hell of a lot more rage than Kadaj probably ever did.

From what he could tell, she was doing something that was internally affecting the other. He wasn't sure what, but it seemed to make him stop. He wasn't happy to stop, but he did. The guards that were left were forced to run. Any onlookers that had tried to snoop in on the scene ran as well. Personally, Kadaj wouldn't have minded if the carnage had continued, but Aerith obviously did. And now... well... the two were talking. About destruction and healing. This man intended to destroy and kill while Aerith was trying to heal. Unfortunately, killing took a lot less time than healing.

He stood where he was, still on the scene. He put his sword away, not seeing any further use for it. Aerith said his name and he looked up. Yes, he protected her as best as he could. "Yeah, I did," he said. This scene felt a bit odd for him to be on, honestly. For once, he didn't have much to say. Well, maybe something-- the guy mentioned something sort of interesting. He turned to Aerith. "Why do you put yourselves in these situations? I mean, you did it at the graveyard too."

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[Slash]

With all the dark people around I'm surprised the light is so strong.

[/center]

Jericho looked at Kadaj. He reeked pretty heavily of darkness, and something about him reminded him of Sephiroth back on Aerith's world. His first guess was that they were brothers, but there was something different, something he couldn't quite place.

"Thanks. Say, do you know a guy with long, silver hair? Looks a lot like you...are you related or something?"

If Sephiroth did have brothers or whatever Kadaj was, perhaps Jericho could recruit even more allies. He had a small army going as it was.

[Aerith]

What is this feeling?
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For the most part, Aerith had regained her usual composure, and she folded her hands in her lap. Her gaze settled on Kadaj as she considered his question.

"I put myself in these situations because I don't want there to be any fighting. But in order for there to be no fighting, people must be taught to understand. They have to know how to interact so that true peace can be reached. Otherwise, they'll just keep tearing each other apart."

She shook her head. "I've never enjoyed violence. And I don't think things have to be this way. Something inside me tells me it doesn't."

Pausing, her expression grew distant, as though she were listening to whatever she heard within her. There were no words or images. There was only a formless sense that something wasn't right but that there was a way for things to be right. What that way was, she did not know.

When she came wholly back to the reality outside herself, she had missed what Jericho had asked Kadaj. Quietly, she sat in introspection, attempting to dig the answers to all her questions out of the soil of her own heart.

[Fate]

The hair gave me away didn't it.
--

Aerith wanted to teach people to stop fighting. A true pacifist. That was how true peace was reached according to her. Did Kadaj agree with her? Yes and no. If people stopped fighting, then yeah there probably would be peace. Did he want to stop fighting? No, not really. He enjoyed it a little too much and encouraged it. Violence was just one effective way of fixing problems. But for Aerith's sake, he'd help her if she got caught in these sorts of situations. She was too kind and probably one of the only people who didn't just relate him back to Sephiroth.

Speaking of which... "Why yes, I am one of Sephiroth's remnants, one of three" he answered, though there was bitterness to his tone. Then he got suspicious, back to his cheerful voice for that. "Why do you ask? You've met him? He's quite the skilled fighter." Now he was just being sarcastic, sort of. Sephiroth was skilled and Kadaj hated admitting it. He still hadn't gotten to the point where he could beat him. He needed to. Badly.

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[Slash]

You seem annoyed.

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He shrugged, noticing Kadaj's annoyance and running with it. He loved doing things like that. "I wouldn't know- didn't fight him. But I'd imagine he'd be very hard to beat. I think I could beat him. Could you?"

Jericho laughed. "I'm carting around an annoying girl that he stabbed. You should see if you can kill her. Consider that a test to see if you're as strong as him."

He turned his attention to Aerith. Perhaps there is another way. But if so, I won't be the one finding it.[/color]

"We should probably leave before they come back."

He wasn't worried about them at all, but Aerith would be.

[Aerith]

It's not that I'm not glad to be alive.
--------

Aerith looked up, snapping out of her introspection. Jericho was talking to her.

"Yes. I want to go. But where?"

Anywhere else would do right now. She wanted to get away from the smell of blood and the sight of all this death. Gathering herself, she stood to her feet. Surprisingly enough, she was able to control her shaking.

"Thank you, Kadaj," she said softly. "And...thank you, brother." She didn't want to seem ungrateful, even though people had died so that she could stay alive.

[Fate]

And I'm out.
--

Hmph. Naturally. The guy knew exactly where to take that. Though, he changed the subject to this girl that Sephiroth apparently fought with and stabbed. Maybe he could kill her. Maybe. He didn't see any girl like that around though, so it'd have to be later. If the opportunity came up, he wouldn't pass it up.

"Yeah," he replied to Aerith. He could leave too now right? Yes, he could. He turned and walked away from the pair, heading for his ship. What world would he travel to next? Whoever knew. Maybe he'd draw names out of a hat or something.

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[Slash]

You're thanking me?

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He felt strange that she would thank him for killing. "Don't mention it, sister. We'll go somewhere safe." He would take her to the Castle of Dreams, where she would be absolutely safe...but he was so busy, he might fail to mention that it was that particular world.

He opened a Corridor. "I have another home now. Let me show you."

He let her go through first, then walked in.