"Let's be together forever...can we promise that...?" Vincent's voice sounded very afraid and alone. Cid could think of nothing else that was more important at the moment.
"I promise you, Vin. Nothin' will ever keep us apart."
Vincent's words were so soft. "You're the best thing that ever happened to me..."
Cid wasn't sure how to respond at first, just feeling Vincent shiver against him, his bare chest now dry but cold. He felt almost guilty at the thought that his wet clothes couldn't be helping him. He just continued holding onto the demon, not sure of what else to do.
The two ended up falling asleep that way, waiting in the silence for words from the other. They leaned against the tree, still entwined in eachothers arms, their wings stretching across and protecting them from the hot wind of dawn and from prying eyes, a natural reflex that almost every winged species had.
Black, green, and blue intermingling to provide the perfect cover, with the two tails twisted around eachother tightly.
When Cid woke up, his clothes were dry. This occupied his attention for a good deal of time as he struggled to come back to the world.
After a short period of staring at his shirt and wondering how it had gotten dry when he remembered it had caused him so much discomfort before, he noticed that Vincent was gone.
"Vin...?" He was waking up quickly now and he looked around. The sun was shining brightly on the lake and he could tell by the heat that it had been up for some time. What had happened? Where had he gone? "Vin?"
Vincent's face suddenly dropped in front of his own, upside down. "Yes, Highwind?"
"HOLY $%&$!" Cid rolled to one side and flared out his wings in shock. Vincent was suspending himself by his tail from the branch of the tree that the two had slept under, staring at him upside down as if nothing was wrong. Vincent's hair was so long it nearly touched the ground.
Cid pressed a scaled hand to his chest, trying to slow his rapid heartbeat. "Holy livin' #^#$, Vin, you nearly gave me a heart attack!"
"I apologize." The emotionless tone that Cid sadly recognized was back in Vincent's voice as he easily and gracefully fell from the tree onto his hind legs. "I didn't mean to startle you."
"Yeah, like $%^$ you didn't." Cid turned away from Vincent and coughed, letting lose a short stream of fire. Letting fire flow from his chest was an excellent release of stress for dragons, but Cid didn't want to frighten Vincent again, so he tried to keep it quiet. "Why the $%$% you up so early anyway?"
"I was getting us something to eat." The emotionless tone was so different then the frightened and lonely voice that Vincent had had the night before. Cid turned back towards Vincent, smiling.
"#$^$, why didn't you say so in the first place?"
Vincent was holding a black bundle in his arms. He placed it on the ground quietly and sat down, his wings folded serenly against his back. He picked the bundle apart with his claws with such precision that Cid couldn't help but be fascinated. He sat down next to Vincent.
"I...I wasn't sure what...dragons ate..." A awkward tone came into Vincent's voice, and even this was a welcome respite from the quiet emotionlessness that it only had before. "But I tried to find something..."
Inside the black fabric were several dark roots and various kinds of fruit. Vincent reached down with his long thin claws and picked up one of the roots.
"$%&$, that's fine Vin, really." Cid reached down and pulled out one of the fruit, biting into it readily and watching as Vincent somewhat curled up, holding the root in both hands and eating it very slowly, as if waiting for someone take it away from him.
"What're you eatin'?"
"Oh...this...?" Vincent held the root out, staring at it. "I don't know, really. I just know demons can eat it, and no one really cares."
"What'd you mean by that?" Cid's fangs made a crunching noise as he took another bite. Vincent put his arms around his knees and stared at the root with it's small marks from hesitant fangs.
"You know...demons are...supposed to be killed, really...if anyone sees us eating anything like..." Vincent gestured with his metallic claw at what Cid was busily eating. "Like that...we'd get killed for it. We're not supposed to eat, we're supposed to be spirits that don't really require food."
Cid snorted and finished off the piece of fruit, throwing it to one side and picking up another piece just as readily. He used his sharp claws to slice it into pieces. He took one of them and offered it to Vin. "Never heard such bull%$^# in m'life, Vin. Eat whatever the $^#% you want."
Vin stared at him, blinking once or twice before he reached out and picked up the piece, holding it in his smooth hands in confusion. "Are you sure?"
Cid stared at him and Vincent looked away, what seemed to be a slight tinge of red on his face. "Sorry, I'm just used to...I'm not really used to people offering me things..."
"#$^# Vin, is it really that bad?" Cid rolled his eyes and bit down on one of his own pieces. Vincent nodded slowly.
"Yeah...I mean...there aren't many of us left...the rest of us have been killed, really...our own society has become extremely regulated, because of our rarity, and now more demons wander out to be slain then just to die under such oppressive rule..."
"Is that..." Cid paused, glancing at Vincent, then returned his eyes to the sky. "Is that why..."
Vincent nodded again, but didn't raise his head afterwards, hiding his face. "Yes, that's why I appeared to you...I thought you would kill me...and I'm tired of hiding behind laws that my own kind makes that I don't understand...I wanted to die..."
"Aw c'mon Vin, don't say that." Cid finished his piece and picked up another. "You got a lot to live for."
Vincent was silent, then he sighed and uncurled, staring upwards along with Cid. "Well...I didn't then, but I guess I do now..."
Vincent stared and closed his eyes. "I had no friends, really...not even with other demons, no one even wanted to be near me...I'm such a horrific abomination...I'm not a true demon, I was made this way, no real demon wanted to be near me, but I had nowhere to go...everyday to me meant nothing but more suffering under the claws of people who claimed I never fit in, but wouldn't let me talk to anyone else..."
Vincent turned when Cid's claw rested on his shoulder. "#$^# Vin, I'm your friend, right?"
Vincent smiled sadly. "Which proves that everything they tried to tell me was false."
Cid finished his next piece and brushed off his claws, replacing it back on Vincent's shoulder when he was done. "#$^#, Vin, you know that I never had any friends either?"
Vincent stared at him with an expressionless face, but his tail and his eyes said otherwise. "I find that hard to believe..."
"No, serious." Cid tried to look earnest and failed, earning another smile from Vincent. "I annoy the #$^# out of everyone, especially other drags. They all have a big stick up the #$^, they can't handle any variety." Cid held his blue-green claws up towards the sky. "Can you believe some #$^#ers teased me about my colors? How low can you get, honestly..."
Vincent could sense the sadness and loneliness underneath Cid's rough tone, and sighed as well. "Kind of fitting that we're both outcasts..."
"Well, we're not alone anymore, right?" Cid smiled at Vincent. "I got a friend now, and you got one too."
Vincent nodded, smiling back at him. "Right, that's all that matters. Even if you are a weird color."
"I'm a weird color?" Cid took an incredulous tone, noting the smirk the spread on Vincent's face. "This comin' from Mr. Black over there?"
Vincent just smiled to himself and chose not to pursue the argument. He picked up another root and held it in his claws quietly, his face sobering.
"I wonder how long it'll be before they come looking for us."
Cid had been reaching for another fruit himself, but at this revelation he jerked sharply. "#$^#! You're right...#$^#, I'm supposed to bring back proof that I killed one of you guys..."
"You could kill me now, if you want." Vincent's voice was soft and expressionless. "I'd rather die by your hand then anyone else's now."
Cid stared at him for a long time, then snatched the root out of Vincent's claws and threw it to one side. Vincent stared at him in shock and found that Cid looked almost hurt.
"#$^# Vin, do you really think that I would do that? Give me SOME credit!"
"That's not what I meant..." Vincent shook his head slowly. "I-"
Cid felt a tingling near the back of his head. "#$^#, Vin, run now, I think someone's coming..."
Vincent stared at him in confusion. "Run...?"
Cid stood up and expanded his wings so that Vincent was hidden from sight. "God#$^#it Vin, listen and run! If they see you you really WILL die!"
He could hear Vincent moving behind him, but he was more concerned with the flashes of color that landed in front of him.
They were tall and thin, almost as if they were nothing but bones and flesh, large feathered wings folded against their backs which were covered with clean white cloth. Cid looked for his spear, but found that one of the new arrivals had taken hold of it. He tried to feign nonchalance while keeping his wings as low as they already where, crossing his arms behind his back and holding onto his wrist.
"What brings a bunch of bird-#$^#ers to visit?" Cid smirked, watching the gathered twitch in unison. The angels were a uptight crowd, they hated insults and almost anyone that didn't meet their standards of perfection. If at all possible, they hated the demons even more then the dragons did, which would be quite an accomplishment considering how powerfully a dragon could hate.
When one finally spoke, his voice was like a musical instrument, pleasant to listen to, although this did not affect Cid any.
"Don't speak such foul words to us, lizard. We're looking for a demon."
"Sorry to disappoint you folks..." Cid reached and pulled a cigarette free from his goggles band, lighting it with a slight cough. "But I ain't no demon."
The lead angel, the only one who had spoken so far, stepped forward, expanding wings that were so brightly white that Cid couldn't help but blink.
God#$^# it, even the angels were taller then him.
"Don't mock us. We know one was here."
"And I know you're all a bunch of feathery-$%^ed #$^#ers, now leave me alone!" Cid was rapidly losing his patience with his last revelation. He wanted to turn, but he didn't want to leave Vincent visible...
The angel walked even closer, so only a few feet remained between him and the dragon. "We're here to do our duty, so if you wouldn't mind getting out of the way and letting us proceed, if your overheated lizard brain could comprehend that-"
Cid did NOT appreciate jokes about fire.
Crouching and expanding his wings fully, Cid removed his cigarette and opened his mouth, releasing a large wash of flame that nearly set the angel on fire. He stumbled backwards, trying to keep the grace he had so far, but was unable to in the face of the raging dragon. The irises of Cid's eyes, if anyone had been inclined to look that close, were now fluctuating rapidly like flames themselves, and when he spoke his forked tongue showed sharply.
"You #$^#in' bird-#$#%ers, get the #$^# away from me before I make some #$^#in' angel flambee, okay?" Cid's voice had lowered sharply and had gotten louder, into almost a full-blown roar. He breathed another jet of flame towards the head angel, who managed to dodge it just barely. They took to the sky, fluttering above in a collection of white.
"You'll pay for this, dragon! We're going to tell your elders about this intrusion into our affair! Demons are our personal enemies, you have no right to-"
"#$^# off!" Cid raised both claws and extended one of his clawed fingers in a universal symbol of defiance. "Tell them THAT too, if you can, bird-#$^#ers!"
The angels flew away in bad grace, and even the area seemed different from their abrupt and upset departure.
"Kay, Vin, I got rid of 'em-" Cid turned around and found only the black bundle, with all the roots removed.
Cid stared for a moment where he was sure Vincent had been, but saw nothing. He even walked and looked behind the tree, but it was as if the demon had never existed.
"#$$^." Cid HAD told him to run, but...somewhere inside him he almost didn't expect him to actually just leave that quickly...
"Eh, it's better this way."
He heard a slight noise behind him and whirled around, ready to fight if the need came.
A band of red cloth fluttered in the wind and came to rest at his feet. With a smile, he used his tail to flick it up into his claws.
"Thanks, Vin. I'll come back, I promise."
There was no response to his words, but somehow Cid knew that he had been heard. Turning, he flapped his wings and took to the air, coasting along easily while making a mental note to come back to this area as soon as possible.
He looked at the bandanna he held in his claws and thought. Using one of his claws, he cut off a short length of it and put it in one of his pockets. Even if he never saw Vincent again, at least he would have this. He knew the elder dragons would take the bandanna away from him once he gave it to them.
This way, he'd always have a little part of Vincent with him, which made him feel better. He'd never have to be alone again.
The angels were a strange race.
As long as anyone could remember, there had always been demons. There had always been evil in the world, so there always had to have been demons. Angels, however...
The bird race was unique in the fact that, unlike most other winged races, their wings took the place of their arms. The birds were forced to adapt to using their clawed and hooked feet to get food, or hold things, or other such functions. Birds varied drastically from region to region, from ice-blue feathered ones in the arctics to bright green and yellow ones in the tropics, but the lack of arms was one thing that remained a constant. The hair of birds almost always matched their plumage as well, even down to patterns, so the race with the wildest hair had always been the birds in terms of color. In terms of behavior, their hair was feather soft and light, and always seemed to float when it moved, but it never seemed too radical in terms of hair. The spiked ones always won in that category.
At any rate, the birds themselves were the ultimate survivalists, as shown by their stubborn adaptation to their lack of arms and ability to live almost anywhere, where no other race could live. Legends of birds that could breath underwater were not uncommon, just unproven, but considering the birds fierce desire to live, most would not be surprised. With birds, everything had to be turned and used to help them survive just a little longer.
Therefore, when the first angel was born, a mutant among birds, they used it to help further their races development.
The child was strange to them when he had hatched...he had bright glowing white wings, but his hair was only a pale blond. His skin was white and thin, and he had arms. That was what was the paramount concern of the birds, that the child had arms. They soon turned this to their own advantage, however, and the child was soon made into a lackey. carrying things or getting things for his parents or his parents friend, or just other birds in general. Within him, he felt that he was destined for greater things, and resented being just a tool to such a primitive (in his opinion) race.
Finally, another angel was born, another anomaly, this one female. When he learned of this, the young angel, only a boy, refused to work anymore, flying off to the east swearing that he would never come back. The birds still had their new angel, and all but his parents didn't mourn the loss of the boy.
The girl, when she was old enough, kept asking where her twin had gone, the only other one of her kind. She had heard from people that there had been another one, but she had never seen him. When told that he had left to the east, she left immediately to find him.
By this time, many of the birds were birthing angels, and her loss was not noticed.
This anomaly, which some thought was the evolution of the birds to a higher being, has never been explained. The original angel seemed to only be a fluke, and yet he was followed by so many of his kind around the same period. It seemed to be some kind of fluke, but had the angels would ever admit they had come from birds, they would claim a miracle.
Although the angels had the pure white feathery wings that were impossible to find in any other species, they did not have the power to create miracles, nor had they the glowing rings of light that also characterized what they were believed to be. However, the angels had the demons ironically to prove them, and they convinced all that their miracles could only be seen and used against demons. The angels had power, because of the "threat" of demons, but in the end it was all political. The angels had no magical gifts, just as the demons could not create pestilence and death. Both species were aesthetically different, and because of this and the growing prejudice, their temperaments and moral beliefs also changed, when originally they had been so alike.
The angels had stoutly denied ever having descended from any other race, claiming their existence was proof that the demons should be destroyed. Any other stories, such as the truth of the birds, or the Bird's Accident Theory as it was commonly known, were vehemently denied by the angels, who claimed such blasphemous accounts could only come from the foul mouths of demons.
If demons had a story, they never had told it and no one had ever bothered to even research. A demon is a demon. The truth about them was unknown, and at the rate their species was disintegrating, it was going to remain that way.
Cid returned to his town, wondering whether the elders believed that he had truly passed away. When he landed, he noted there was more then the usual share of odd looks and angry glances. Shrugging, he wrapped the bandanna around his own goggles band, smirking as he tried to imagine what Vincent would say.
Cid had never found anyone that seemed to reach him as Vincent had. Every member of his species had completely rejected him, left him to fend for himself because he acted as he believed was right. He never understood why they did this to him and harbored a distinct dislike towards other dragons that he kept well concealed. But in his heart, Cid had always been alone, even when he was only a little one.
Vincent...
Vincent had spoken to him, talked to him, sat with him, and even...
He felt his cheeks heat slightly and he coughed awkwardly. Even fallen asleep with him underneath the tree. Cid had never known that feeling before in his entire life. He had never been able to folic in the clouds or just play with someone. He had never had that freedom around others, always bound by what they believed he should act like. Vincent seemed to set him free, Vincent's presence and soft, red eyes seemed to be so accepting that Cid longed to see them again.
He wished that Vincent was here with him, because even in the midst of so many wings and claws and tails, he felt so alone without the demons presence. He felt so incomplete, as if Vincent was the key to a part of him that he had never known before.
He had shown more emotion around Vincent then he had to anyone he had ever known, and Vincent had not shied away, only closer. When Cid expected to be pushed away, Vincent gently pulled him into an embrace.
Cid smiled and felt himself blushing slightly again as he thought of how many young couples he had seen in his town who had their tails entertwined. He had always wondered what that felt like, and now he finally knew. Despite the fact that Vincent's tail had not been scaled and he had been frightened that he might have cut it inadvertantly with his own razor scales, he couldn't help but feel a certain sense of fulfillment. He had been so certain that he would never experience that, that he would die alone or in battle, and now...
Now everything was different, because finally he had proved to himself that the elders had been lying to him the entire time. He had known it before, but now he had proof.
Feeling the smoothness of Vincent's bandanna around his head made him feel better. It almost seemed to make the nervous flames rising inside him calm a little. Harboring such feelings towards a demon he knew meant death, if he was lucky, and torture most likely beforehand.
He didn't understand why something that made him so happy could be so bad...
He lifted himself into the air and flapped his way into the home of the elder dragons, treading softly on the marble. Another thing he hated about the elder dragons was that they insisted on covering their entire domicile in such fragile things that were obviously not meant for dragon's talons to walk on, but refused to believe such. They kept insisting that dragons had the "control" to walk on such delicate marble or handle small vases, but everyone seemed to know it wasn't true EXCEPT the elders, and the elders did make the rules...
Cid's footclaws made hollow tapping noises against the marble of the great hall, which expanded overhead for some time. Another reason he hated marble...it gave him away.
"Enter, Highwind."
Cid felt a shiver rise along the spines on his tail. He was so used to hearing Vincent say that as his name now...it felt very wrong to have someone else refer to him in that way. He sighed, shrugged, and entered the hall.
The elders were incredibly picky about how their halls had to be flawless. The walls were made of the exact same marble as the floor, giving an odd impression of their being no floor or walls, just one continous flowing color. Cid stood and waited while the dragons in front of him, all one solid respectable color, like black or red or green, stared at him with their tired eyes critically.
He tapped one of his footclaws, lit a cigarette which was stricly forbidden in this area, and breathed a cloud of smoke.
"I'm back." Cid mentally added "old fogy dragon-#$#%ers." to the end of his sentence, but didn't say it out loud.
The elder dragons didn't seem very happy about his return, just as Cid had expected. A large black dragon had apparently been designated as the speaker, his hair as jet black as the wings that hung somewhat limply from his back. "Have you killed a demon?"
No I didn't...I think I brought one back to life...
Cid knew enough to ignore his thoughts. "Yup."
The dragon stared at him critically. "Did you bring proof?"
Cid tried to conceal a sigh as he sadly reached for his headband and undid the bandanna, letting it slide and droop inbetween his claws. He held it out to them.
"The...demon I killed..." Cid almost had to force the words out, struggling to keep his voice from wavering. "He...It wore this in it's hair."
The dragons stared at it in silence for a while, then beckoned for him to bring it to them. Cid complied silently, watching the band of red fabric float through the air to land against the black scales of the lead dragon. He raised the fabric to his nose and sniffed it. Cid almost felt offended that the bandanna was being treated so shamefully.
The black dragon handed the bandanna to the dragon to his left and turned to Cid reluctantly.
"You've done well, Highwind."
Cid smirked and nodded, wishing he could make the painful longing in his heart leave him. He also hoped he had convinced the elders. Noting his tail twitching around rapidly, he put one leg behind the other and stepped harshly on the tip, pinning it. He didn't show any sign of pain, but it stung.
Better then revealing anything...
"However..."
$%$#.
"We've heard reports...." The dragon put the bandanna down on the desk he was sitting behind like it was a dead thing. Cid was glad he had taken a piece of it for himself, he was sure they were going to burn it. "That there's a demon that lives around here, in fact, near the lake."
#%@#!
The black dragon shrugged, which seemed foreign to Cid because of how rigid he had been before. "They are only rumors. I just thought I would like to warn you, since you seem so skilled at destroying demons and it might be something that would interest you."
Cid nodded because he knew his voice would betray him.
"You're dismissed, Highwind."
Cid struggled not to run out of the place completely, letting his tail free from it's confinement, where it stood straight, which was better then the nervous lashing it had been doing before. He walked until he was sure he was out of their sight, then he broke into a full run, diving into the air and spreading his wings so he could coast and try to forget everything except Vincent.
When he spotted the lack he saw an assortment of colors flashing in the light nearby. With a sinking sensation he realized that the other colors were other dragons, no doubt also warned about the demon in the area and now hoping to kill it to gain prestige.
Cid felt worried for Vincent's safety, and angry that his race could be so short-sighted and so foolish.
Seeing no use in looking near the lake for Vincent, he landed in a clearing in the woods, not sure of where else to look for the demon.
"Vin..." He felt as if he should call for him, but he decided that would only make Vincent more vulnerable. He simply mumbled the word underneath his breath, unable to think of anything he could really do.
He was reaching for his pocket to pull out the small piece of fabric he had put there when he heard rustling behind him.
Whirling around in case of danger, Cid lowered himself, readied his spear, and flared his wings threateningly.
Glowing eyes stared at him from the cover of brush, but they weren't the red he was hoping for. These eyes glew with a light all their own, an eerie greenish-blue light that blinked out of existence before Cid could really examine them.
From above him, a grey shape seemed to flop onto the ground with some kind of awkward grace, pulling itself upwards and staring at him with confidence and security, arms folded across it's chest.
"#$^#, a cat." Cid put a claw to his hair, scratching his head. He noted again that the feline was taller then he was, but he negated his emotions by noticing that the feline was probably taller then MOST people, even Vincent, so it wasn't far to compare. "Just what I don't need."
The feline's hair flowed gracefully down his back, a shining silvery color that looked almost exactly like the metal. It was so bright at some points that Cid could not stare directly at it and he was having trouble remembering that the reflective surface was true hair. The fact the cats bangs seemed to rest a few inches away and above his face didn't help make it any more believable. The rest of the feline was a pure smooth grey, almost the same shade as is hair excepting that the harshness and reflectiveness was gone, instead replaced with a softness and gentleness that seemed to hide a strong, able frame. The only place where the perfect shade of grey was altered was what appeared to be a large white blotch in the felines fur that traveled down his back, looking like a feathered wing folded against him. Other then that, the feline was a disturbingly smooth grey color, excepting the glowing green eyes that stared at Cid directly, slitted pupils never wavering. A confident smirk hovered around his whiskered face as the long tail waved slowly behind him. He was completely unclothed, as it was common knowledge that felines rejected all forms of clothing on the principle that shame was a weak, foolish emotion, and clothes only furthered it.
Cid was wary. The feline race was not known for their honesty or their tales that involved the entire truth. They would manipulate truth either to further their own ends or for their own amusement. It was commonly believed that felines had no real morals or could ever be trusted to have any deep emotions, but many disliked the felines because it was commonly believed that at the source of every war, there was a feline that was responsible.
"I don't believe we've met." The feline's voice was confident and strong, and held an air of mystery to it that only it's race could ever acquire. "In terms of exchanging names, anyway..."
"What the #$^# do you want?" Cid relaxed but kept his spear in his claws as he sat down on a nearby rock, watching the feline carefully. He didn't trust them, their race wasn't one to be trusted easily, and he wasn't going to let down his guard now. Felines rarely associated in groups, but he wasn't going to let himself be attacked from behind. He kept himself alert.
The feline seemed to ignore his ingracious reply, bowing so that the silvery strands of his hair fell over his shoulders. "I am Sephiroth." He extended a soft looking paw towards Cid, who was not foolish enough to take it. "And you are...?"
"Cid Highwind, though I don't know why the #$^# if matters to you." Cid coughed and tried to conceal the nervous flame that flickered from his breath for a moment.
Sephiroth turned around, his hair still mostly resting on his shoulder, so that the marking on his back was clearly visible. Cid couldn't help but wonder why such a marking had found it's way onto such a silver being.
Which made him wonder why the feline was silver in the first place. That color couldn't be helpful to survival...
"Oh, your name means something to me...now I have something to attach it to."
Cid stared at the feline quizzically.
"What the #$^# are you talkin' about, cat?"
Sephiroth turned and smiled, his eyes narrowing and glowing even brighter then before. Cid was taken aback by what appeared to be sheer malice on the feline's face.
"You and Vincent of course."
"#$^#!" Cid lept to his feet in alarm. "How do you..."
"Oh please..." Sephiroth brushed off Cid's anger like it was nothing, maintaining a deep air of confidence in the face of Cid's fearful anger. "You weren't really trying to hide...you were sleeping out in the open. Anyone could have seen you."
Cid looked down, not sure of what to think.
"Now that I know your name..." Sephiroth put one his paws near his face, smirking. "I know who to blame for this..."
"#$^#..." Cid lowered himself down to his knees, his mind thumping painfully. This was it, because of a stupid #$^#in' mistake, he was goin' to die..."#$^#..."
When Cid looked up, freeing his face from his clawed hands, he found Sephiroth was kneeling in front of him staring into his eyes. "I never said I was going to tell anyone."
Cid stared at Sephiroth in disbelief. "What the #$#%? You don't get nothin' if you don't tell anyone!"
Sephiroth sat back, seeming to enjoy Cid's distrust and anxiety. "I never said I was against the two of you being together." At the sight of Cid opening his mouth, Sephiroth raised one of his paws again. "Never said I was for it either. We've always been neutral, that's what we are." Sephiroth was resting his paw against his chest at this point.
"Now listen. I have not decided whether I'm going to tell someone about this. I have decided one thing."
Sephiroth stood up, closing his eyes for a moment. Cid could almost sense the lack of light. "I can tell you where Vincent will be hiding, now that the lake is being dredged."