Note: This is my first yaoi story - Vincent/Sephiroth. It's ratedM for later chapters, so if you hate yaoi or can't handle anything rated M, then leave. If you flame me saying something like "omg y cant u rite sumthin othr thn yoai" or "i h8 ur stry", then I'll just 1. Tell you to learn how to spell, 2. Remind you that I warned you in the note, and 3. Tell you that that's too bad. This is a yaoi that's rated R (both are firsts), and I'm not gonna change it. Constructive criticism, please.

Chapter 1: Dreams

Vincent stood at the edge of a river near Nibelheim. It was a month after the Sephiroth incident. A town called Edge was erected on the outskirts of Midgar, as Midgar was now no longer a place to live in. The team of eight (or nine, if you include the soul of Aerith) had gone their separate ways. Cloud went to live with Tifa and the orphans, Barret went back to North Corel to look for another energy source, Cait Sith (or Reeve) was starting a new organization (Vincent didn't know what kind), Yuffie went back to Wutai with the materia, Cid went back to his hometown to repair (or enhance) the Highwind, and Red XIII went back to the Cosmo Canyon. "Hmmm...but where do I go?" Vincent mused. For a month, he wandered. For a month, he thought. For a month, he walked a path that seemed to be leading to nowhere. What was he looking for? Was it a home to go to? Was it Lucrecia? Was it a purpose in life? Was it himself? As he pondered these thoughts, he felt someone put a hand on his shoulder.

"You're worrying. You shouldn't worry about these things." A familiar voice said.

Vincent turned around. Cloud was there. "It's none of your concern." Vincent replied. "This is my problem. Not yours." "Your problem is ours. It's just like the Shin-Ra and Sephiroth incident." Cloud stated.

"No, it's a lot more different than that. I've had this problem for a long time."

"So you're saying I can't help you out?" Cloud said. Vincent stayed silent. "You need to open up more." Cloud added. He took his hand off Vincent's shoulder. "Funny, coming from you." Vincent replied. "What brings you here, anyway?" "A dream brought me here." Cloud replied.

"Tell me about this dream."

"In my dream, I was standing here. Sephiroth was standing where you're standing right now. The river was dark, but at the same time clear, and overflowing. He walked into the river and embraced it with open arms. He disappeared beneath the waters and smiled a creepy smile. It ended right there."

Cloud looked at Vincent. "Hey, by any chance, did you..." he started, but Vincent stopped him. "No. I've been here for a few hours. I haven't seen him anywhere, and the river hasn't changed color, either." replied Vincent. "Oh." Said Cloud. "Well...I'll be coming back and forth from time to time. Bye." "Bye." Vincentreplied as Cloud walked away. When Cloud was out of sight, Vincent began pondering about his dream. After five minutes of thinking about it, he shrugged it off and continued staring at the river. Some time passed and he began to grow very tired. He struggled to stay awake. The river was unusually dark. Vincent noticed it, and everything seemed to stop. Time stopped. The river stopped. It seemed that someone cast "Stop" on the entire world. But he was still moving. Why was he moving? What had he done? Two hands found their way to his face. They touched his cheeks. Even though Vincent could turn around, he couldn't. He stood frozen to the spot. It was as if the person who touched him had complete control over him.

"What do we have here...?"

Vincent felt somebody (or something) breathing on him. The person's breath was warm. Vincent closed his eyes. That voice was familiar somehow. Where did he hear it? He then realized something. "Wait, is that-"

"Hello, Vincent."

He turned around and saw the familiar silver-white hair and golden eyes.

"Sephiroth."

"My, your memory's sharp."

"It hasn't been that long." Vincent replied, taking out his gun. "What are you doing here?" He pointed his gun at Sephiroth. Sephiroth looked at the gun, then back at Vincent. He stared deep into his eyes. "I can see it." He said. "You don't want to shoot me." A drop of sweat went down his forehead. He fired his gun. It missed Sephiroth by a mile. "Hmph." Sephiroth hummed. Vincent lowered his gun. The two locked gazes until Vincent looked away. "What do you want?" Vincent asked, still looking away. "What, I can't say 'Hi' to you?" Sephiroth asked. "Why me?" asked Vincent. "Why not Cloud? Or the others?" Sephiroth let out an evil chuckle and cupped one of his hands on Vincent's chin. Vincent found it hard to move. Sephiroth pulled Vincent close to him. "Because…" Sephiroth said. "Because…" He gave a smirk and put his lips close to Vincent's. His heart pounded. His breathing became heavier. He wanted to move, but something told him not to. The smirk was what he saw left of Sephiroth before he opened his eyes and realized that he was sleeping while standing up. Vincent, sweating, looked around in alarm. Sephiroth was gone. He relaxed, looked up to the sky, and muttered a question in two words.

"A dream?"

---

Vincent went back to the Nibelheim Mansion. It was an ancient, abandoned place – perfect for his temporary home. He descended the stairs to the basement and opened up the door to his "room" with a key he had been carrying around with him. He kicked a stray skull to the side and closed and locked the door behind him. He made his way to the purple coffin and opened it up. He crawled into his bed and moved the cover over it.

This is my nightmare. My punishment. I share this with no one.

---

"Mother."

Sephiroth traced his finger along the glass of a tank. It housed Jenova, a calamity that fell from the sky long ago.

"Sephiroth…" whispered a voice.

"Mother?"

"You know what you must do."

"…I understand, but will you allow me to do this?"

"Yes. If you want to go back, then do all that it takes, my son. I will not stop you."

"Very well, then..."

Sephiroth turned to a glass sphere. He looked inside and saw Vincent sleeping peacefully. "He's grown used to them." said Sephiroth. Vincent's expression in his sleep changed a couple of seconds later. He tossed and turned in the small space, but refused to wake up from the nightmare.

"Then again…maybe not."