Author's Note: This is part two of many; I might suggest jumping back to Part One if you have not yet seen it. You may wish to read the warning as well - things are fairly clean in these first bit, but it gets rough down the road (violence, sexytimes, allusions to abuse, etc).

Readers may notice a shift from pure first person POV to third person, but with a focus on one individual character per section. This was intentional in order to illustrate a certain mood in that first bit. Most of what follows will be in this same single-character-oriented POV, and will slide between characters from time to time; if those shifts aren't obvious, I'd like to hear - I'm not sure how much is too much when it comes to that, but do believe this works. I also wonder if the narrator's fourth wall 'breaks' are an annoyance or an addition, and welcome your thoughts. Until I hone my skills a bit, I'm not sure how else to convey certain ideas without doing that.

Something something I don't own Square's stuff, but do own my own lovely, and as yet unnamed, persona.

- We pick up right where part one left off - in the forested Nibelheim outskirts. -

Around the black dragon raged a tempest of...something.
Was that a young female?
Sephiroth knew he should do the right thing, knew he should help; even a black dragon was no match for his skills. His terrible, terrible skills - he was terrible, he could do no good - not here nor anywhere. The man could not move, transfixed both by his own inner turmoil as well as the two creatures dancing in battle.

Yes, he decided, thinking to himself. Creatures. No human can move that quickly...it's nearly as fast as I am.

He did not know how long he watched - dazed in a different manner than just before. In truth, only seconds had passed since his arrival. Wasted seconds, the SOLDIER realized, when the girl-ish faery-thing let out a fierce howl of raw pain and rage. The waif had barely taken a scratch through both fights from what the general could tell, but suddenly it appeared she was impaled on the dragon's claw. As Sephiroth caught the scent of blood on the air, his SOLDIER instincts - so ingrained - heightened; he should help - monster or not this was an innocent. As he moved in, the feint played out, faster than even his own approach.

The dragon lifted its claw, intending to slam the girl into the ground, but she heaved herself off at the apex, ripping the claw painfully from her side and falling towards the dragon's head; Sephiroth watched the strange being plunge a pair of daggers into the lizard's skull, one for each eye. The beauty of that macabre brutality brought a smile, or perhaps just smirk, to lips that had almost forgotten how to form the shape.
Fascinating... the thought lingered in his consciousness as the fight continued.

The blinded dragon roared, and it...she...this looked human...was she climbing down the dragon? Yes, using each successful jab to create a new handhold as its too-short arms strained to pluck the faery off. Pausing at the soft spot on the dragon's throat, the girlish figure screamed back, wildly opening a large gash with a satisfied flourish.

Beautiful...destructive... the SOLDIER thought, gazing with awe upon the scene. Watching her disengage as the dragon fell, another of Sephiroth's internal questions was answered - it...the girl...it...?
No, that is a girl, he thought to himself, again unsure of his vision. But what kind?
The girl - she heavily favored her right leg, barely making it over to the body of the child he'd observed earlier.

The distraction of threat dealt with, Sephiroth was again losing himself to his own mind. Dazedly he watched the stranger bend to remove something from the mangled body. She made a sign and bowed her head as if to apologize, shoulders drooping, then turned to leave. As the womanlike creature moved to step, Sephiroth saw her begin to waver, then fall, losing consciousness as adrenaline faded.
All that work, for nothing? the man asked himself, disappointed. That's not right at all.
When that jolt of realization hit, SOLDIER training finally snapped the silver general fully awake, and in a flash he moved, catching her in time to prevent further injury.

"So small...how did..." he questioned out loud, yet to himself, trying to stay in the moment and to formulate a plan. Despite fears he'd crush what life remained out of the girl - he was a monster after all - the man's instinct was to press this strange creature close, against his chest. To hold the girl as he began carrying her to...?
To where he did not know, but knowing she would need more help than the small town healers and herbalists could provide, Sephiroth began walking in the direction of the mansion. The general was both relieved and surprised when he heard a soft, musical whisper, "Haha is that you again?...Death? If I'd known it would feel this safe...I would have given up...long ago...old gods be damned..."

Those words, and the one who uttered them, seemed to cleanse the remaining fog from Sephiroth's mind.
For me, two dragons would have been barely a challenge, of course. But to fight them with only daggers - no reach - and while feeling the pain of what was obviously quite an emotional loss? he thought to himself...truly amazing.

Something inside the man cracked, but Sephiroth had more important concerns, choosing to ignore the strange sensation. He did not understand her comment about 'the gods'...but to welcome death so readily...after such a display? No, he would not be just a weapon, he was capable of more than just destruction. As he thought this - and something about those thoughts felt...right - Sephiroth realized that he'd been missing a piece of himself. Realized for perhaps the first time that there was more to life than death and war, violence and loneliness. His reputation for losing partners who couldn't keep up meant solo missions only; why did this bother him now?

Pushing that question aside, the general formulated a plan. Just before taking off into a sprint, he looked down at the woman - he could see, this close, that is was a woman, no more than a year or two younger than himself - and whispered "I'm sorry, but no. You will not be dying today. I will not allow it."
Still though, that cruel part of his mind, the one that had been whispering so often lately, wondered if this wasn't just prolonging her suffering for his own benefit.

Sephiroth arrived back at the mansion - pleased to see that Cloud was awake. The blonde man appeared extremely pissed off, holding an ice pack to his head as he sat on the steps of the mansion, but that would have to wait.
"On your feet SOLDIER!" Sephiroth barked. Looking stunned, but still a well conditioned infantryman, Cloud jumped to his feet and, seeing Sephiroth rushing towards with...something...bloody...in his arms, rushed to open the door.

"Bring water, alcohol, bandages, and my suture kit," his eyes took on a hard look, one Cloud couldn't quite read. "I'm not sure we have enough power even between us, as I'm sure you're also feeling quite drained, to handle all of...this. The senior SOLDIER used his free hand to motion towards the trembling mess that was resting mostly in the crook of his left arm.
And what exactly is "this"? wondered Cloud - only to himself, for now.
"That and I'm not stocked on curatives or supports here; stupid decision" the agitated general continued up the stairs towards the guest rooms, choosing the first that wasn't being used for storage.

The blonde cadet didn't move, blinking a few times before the severity of the situation finally sank in.
"Sephiroth! What the fu-?! What have you done!" The shorter man had finally found the nerve to ask, to yell.
He hadn't been in a good state when he'd left...but would he have done...

Silver hair swished elegantly as the general turned, focusing a knife-like gaze on Cloud. "That was an order SOLDIER! GO! NOW!" the deep voice boomed like thunder throughout the nearly empty mansion, inciting instincts in the cadet that screamed obey!
As he ran into the hall, Cloud thought, but only for a second - this being the great and notoriously cold-hearted Sephiroth - that he'd heard a sigh, followed by quiet words.
"...didn't...couldn't..."

What am I even doing? Sephiroth thought to himself, gingerly placing the girl onto a bed in one of his spare rooms. If there was one thing his reputation didn't include, it was any sense of giving a damn about others. It had been a dragon that mauled the tiny figure - this was futile work, surely.
Futile, but necessary, he reasoned, removing his wristlets and black leather gloves.

The general had few, what he considered close, friends - but even then they rarely discussed topics outside of work these days. With nobody else around but the infantryman, who was gathering supplies, Sephiroth spoke quietly to himself.
"This is just a distraction, something to keep my mind off of my own troubles, perhaps, until I've fully digested their implications. After all, it is my duty as a first class SOLDIER to protect those in need. I'll do at least this one good thing; get her fixed up and out of here, then I can deal with...myself."
Not wanting to think further on that subject, he began inspecting the worst of the wounds; the leg could wait, but that angry tear in her side needed attention - now.

Like all members of SOLDIER, Sephiroth was trained in first aid and cure materia. And, as with most things in which the man trained, he excelled in the subject. "Where is that damn infantry kid with my supplies?" he grumbled, pulling back the material of the girl's shirt while trying to preserve some semblance of modesty. He cocked his head to the side and smirked, wondering when or if he'd ever cared about such things.
Generally females bored the general - enough sloppily threw themselves his way that the whole business had eventually come to disgust him, especially after Hojo's tests...
Again silver locks fluttered as he twinged, pushing back unwanted memories - surely he could keep a medical professional's detached air. There was no need to invite those thoughts.

Sephiroth sighed with some relief when he saw the full extent of the injury up close. Though still severe, they weren't nearly as quickly fatal as he'd originally imagined. In fact, it seemed as if, at least within the scenario of being mauled by a dragon, the strike had been placed near the best possible spot to facilitate recovery and healing. Almost seemed expertly placed, as such things go. Thinking back to the battle he witnessed, a thought came occurred, "That damn crazy girl meant to get herself stabbed...couldn't jump high enough because of the leg..." In a way, he appreciated the tenacity, though part of him (despite being grateful for the distraction from his earlier discoveries) was a bit annoyed. Had she waited 5 more seconds, he would have dealt with the damn thing for her.
Something about that thought bothered the man, but before he could ponder it further, Cloud arrived with the supplies.

"The injuries aren't as severe as I'd initially presumed, and I should be able to handle things on my own," Sephiroth said as he began cleaning the gash in the girl's side. "That said, even with the restore materia, she's going to be in pain when she wakes up."
More than physical at that, he thought, immediately wiping the idea from his mind. The SOLDIER was bothered by this empathetic intrusion, which was not at all normal for him.

Sephiroth handed an amount of gil to Cloud and instructed, "You're from here and should know your way around, yes? Go find something to treat the pain when she wakes. And..." he added a bit more gil to the stack in Cloud's hand, "she will need new clothing. Looks like a small should fit...probably not a fan of skirts."

The infantryman was still confused, and a part of him wasn't sure he should leave his friend alone with the girl.

"Clothing, sir?" Cloud looked less than comfortable at the thought of buying clothes for this strange woman, or any woman most likely. This amused Sephiroth, who added "Yes. Over and under, soldier," with a bemused smirk which he quickly changed to a serious glare, not wanting the other man to think him joking in any sense. The last thing he needed was an unclothed woman running around the place, and this one's garments were most definitely ruined. Sephiroth held a steel gaze on the other man until, with a curse, quickly followed by "yes, general, sir" Cloud turned and headed for the door.

If it was him, and he meant to finish the job...why would he have come back? He almost seemed...concerned.
The question and half answer satisfied Cloud well enough for the time being.
Not much can be done when it comes to Sephiroth... the young blonde sighed to himself, locking the mansion door and jogging towards the town's center.

"Now, to work," the general continued to clean the girl's injuries. After a closer look at the leg wound - most definitely a fracture - he couldn't help but further admire that last desperate trick. Just the same, it was for the best that she'd fallen unconscious quickly after; adrenaline can only keep pain at bay for so long.
Still stupid, he sighed, wishing his reactions had been faster; wishing he had not been so lost to his own internal battle...wishing he'd done anything to actually help.
Guilt was another new sensation for the general to contend with.

It was only after he'd finished healing the last of the smaller lacerations that Sephiroth perceived another oddity - the girl had scars. Not just battle scars here and there - things she likely couldn't afford to get properly handled at a materia clinic - but...others. Others that seemed more...deliberate; scars that reminded him of...
At the realization that he was becoming quite angry, Sephiroth pushed the memories away. No use jumping to conclusions now. Surely as repayment for his efforts, the woman would afford him some answers.
Desperate for someone to understand, eh? To be as fucked up as you? Fantasy! You're pathetic.
He pursed his lips at the intrusion - these not-his-thoughts, at least he thought not his, were becoming more common - the general did not understand the recent change in his mental state.
Did not understand, and certainly did not appreciate.

As a distraction, he pulled one of the girl's daggers from its sheathe, slowly turning it over in his hand to examine the weapon. "Not the best I've ever seen, but good steel.. Well taken care of," he mused to himself, "the girl knows her steel. Unless..." an unpleasant possibility crossed his mind. What if this was some bandit, and the daggers freshly stolen, rather than carefully chosen and cared for? His initial assessment deemed this unlikely, but just the same he slid the other dagger from its place and moved both to a nearby drawer.
Nobody would take that tiny thing seriously in a robbery, he thought to himself, only slightly relaxing.

With the immediate situation handled, he turned his mind to the next problem - having more questions than answers was not a state SOLDIER 1st class General Sephiroth enjoyed. Choosing a chair in the corner of the room, after all this woman was an unknown and he did own some very expensive things, Sephiroth began his watch. Bandit or not she may be tempted to do something stupid, depending on what circumstances led her so deep into that forest. The man sat, perfectly still, and pondered, staring more through his strange guest than at her. Or so he convinced himself, at least.

Sephiroth hadn't found any answers by the time Cloud arrived with the clothing and medicine. Situation finally calm, the blonde man broached the subject a second time. "So...umm...Sephiroth...sir...you were pretty disturbed when you left, and after you punched me...I mean, not that I'm saying you would, and I'd understand...but...I'm just asking, as a friend...did you...ummmm..."

Moving his silver-maned head only enough to make eye contact, and despite being thrown by the word 'friend,' Sephiroth coolly interrupted, "Dragon attack. And yes, it was not befitting of my station to have laid hands upon you, no matter my mood - that will not happen again."

That was almost an apology...from general Sephiroth! Cloud thought, excited, then suddenly feeling childish.
He must be trying to change the subject.
Cloud would not let that happen. "Dragon attack! You say that like it's your average Tuesday night special - what happened after you left?"
Tuesday night special? the short blonde thought...Going to have to work on my metaphors.
"Sephiroth - come on, you can tell me, whatever it is. We're...well we could be friends, right? I heard what Genesis said too, you know. You shouldn't have to deal with all of that alone..."

Sephiroth found himself staring at - no, through, he told himself - the tiny figure on the bed...again. He'd heard Cloud's question, but was not comfortable with the answers that came to mind. Instead of saying 'she saved my life' or 'I'm not sure I've ever had a real friend, not anymore, why start now?' the general decided a simple recounting of the events would suffice. As he was already leaving some parts out with regards to himself, the man supposed he should give the girl some privacy as well, until he learned where she'd picked up that fighting style.
Yes, distract him with facts, satisfy his curiosity, and them maybe he'll leave me the hell alone.
To do what, stare creepily at the half naked woman?
No, to monitor our injured guest's vitals.
Again the conversational nature of his internal monologue troubled the silver SOLDIER, but it was not worth addressing now; not with his other problems.

To the general, the plan sounded clever in his mind, a large part of which was still pondering the events of the night...of his life...
So when "I told you - dragons; one blue and one black. The child was already dead," *shrug* "I did my duty as a SOLDIER. Caught the woman before she could fall and further sustain injury...heh, she killed the black too..." was all he managed to say, the man felt a twinge of annoyance. Sephiroth was not one of simple mind nor of simple words.
Just distracted, he thought to himself, it was a...difficult day.

Cloud, though, was infuriated, "You mean for me to believe that that...that little waif killed .dragons - one of them a black! Gaia man! Dead kid?! What?! Listen, I know you took the...that today was difficult for you, but if you needed to take out some aggression then..."

The cadet found himself pressed - slammed - against the wall, feet hovering above the floor, with his commander's left hand dangerously tight around his neck. The generally calm and cool demeanor of the silver haired general had all but evaporated, his piercing bluegreen eyes as hard as steel and as cold as ice - an image only accentuated by the mako induced glow and strangely shaped pupil slits. Sephiroth's rage was almost palpable - nearly visible as dark waves emanating from his body...which made the low growl of his voice that much more terrifying to the smaller man. "Do. Not. Ever. Speak to me. Like that. Again. You know nothing, cadet."

Sephiroth found himself on the verge of shaking with rage. His whole life he'd been known for his cool demeanor and self-control; that he'd lost his temper over this made the man even angrier.
What is happening to me? he wondered.
Despite the inner doubt (not a pair of words he was fond of), Sephiroth did not remove his hand from Cloud. He wanted to run the little idiot through, maybe throw him out the window. Friends? How dare he make such accusations! Sephiroth was not a monster...
But the thoughts from just before the rescue pounded in his head...was he a monster? The boy looked terrified, couldn't breathe...because of him.

Softening his gaze, but not enough to endanger the message, the addled general released Cloud. Well, dropped may have been a more accurate word. Much to Sephiroth's relief, and before the other man could interrogate him further...or question his peculiar reaction to the accusation, their strange guest began to move.
Awake so soon? he thought, again intrigued and thankful for the distraction.

The silver haired man found himself unable to turn away from the slight figure as it stirred, or was that twitched, on the bed. "Cloud," Sephiroth said in a measured tone - one that indicated arguing would not be tolerated, "our guest will be quite thirsty after her ordeal, please fetch a glass of water, as well as the medicine and clothing you purchased earlier."

Cloud stared daggers into the back of the other man's head, but thought better of questioning his intentions - what the general wants, the general gets. No matter what, it would seem.
Why does he just stand there, staring like that? What happened? Is he...afraid?
As he walked past the older man, though, Cloud wondered if he'd misjudged the situation. Did the silent figure standing here actually care that this woman lived? He seemed to be holding his breath, and there was a sadness in his sort-of-friend's eyes that Cloud...well any other day he'd think it a hallucination.
Besides, the general had put forth the effort to heal, stitch, and even try to re-clothe the woman. Though he did not think Sephiroth heartless, such generosity was...well...unusual would be an understatement. Mind somewhat eased, the cadet continued out to gather the items.

- Until next time, then -