Thank everyone for reviewing... I know, it's a good story... I'm working so hard on it... so I hope it's turning out alright. It's curtainly not "Snowfields" material!! *LOVES that fanfic..wishes the author will finish it* Anyway... read some more!!
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Searching
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Sephiroth was a powerful figure. He spoke little, only asking certain questions as it concerned the government, people in charge. Where were they located? Was there any military?
Dion could only answer as best he could. But it was difficult when his mind was twisting around the possibility of Vax's whereabouts. Vax would be looking around for food for the kids about now... or he could be in trouble. Dying. Vax must surely hate me now... how could I leave him?
"...Hey."
Dion stopped. What did he want *now*? Turning, he saw him standing still, his head turned upward. The boy looked forward again, tipping his head back to see shapes, bird-like and silent, swooping back and forth across the sky. There were three at first, and then four he saw.
"What are they?" Sephiroth asked him as he stepped up behind him. His voice was tense, obviously displeased if they *were* more of those demons. The silver-haired warrior had called them the Heartless. It was a chilling name... a fitting title for things whose sole intent was to devour the hearts of the living.
Dion shrugged. His hands were beginning to find it easier to rest near his guns, although he hadn't a damned clue what good unloaded guns could do. "I don't know... they could be government spy planes, looking for survivors." Or Heartless.
They would have seen them sooner if they *had* been, though. He craned his head back, so much so that the glittering gem almost became visible. He clamped his hand over it, clutching it about his throat and finally he turned to Sephiroth, hurriedly tucking it back beneath his shirt. His face flushed red for no reason, but he spoke.
"Look, it doesn't matter. We've got to get their attention, whoever they are, right? Besides, I've never seen any flying sha-- Heartless before. Right?"
Sephiroth looked down at him. For a moment, Dion thought he saw a flicker of a smile passing over his features. But it was pained, and it vanished, crushed underneath an invisible force that was greater than his kindness. Instead, he answered shortly, "Yes." He held out his hand. "Give me one of those."
Dion blinked. Then realized he was pointing to his guns. Blushing furiously again, he reached to remove one with as much false skill as possible, handing it to him.
Sephiroth took it, weighed it in the palm of his hand, then reached for his pocket. He couldn't very well use magic right now, otherwise he would try to get their attention with some sort of spectacular explosion. For now, this would do.
He aimed for something explosive. There was a small, old-fashioned vehicle turned over on its side in the middle of the road, and focused his sights on its hood.
"It won't work, you know, it's not--"
His voice was lost. He was ashamed to say that he might have screamed, but he didn't remember if he had or not. The car exploded unexpectedly with the harsh crack of the gun releasing a deadly projectile with enough force to send it up into roaring flames.
He uncovered his ears, his hands shaking, reaching for the gun again as Sephiroth handed it back to him.
"Loaded? Perhaps not. It could be magically loaded, however..." The tall man stepped away, looking up again toward the flames.
Wow. You should apply for the giant genius/jack-ass award.
As Dion struggled to make his hands obey and fit the weapon back into the holster, safety notedly back on again, he heard the engines of the planes becoming louder. The thin drone of not-so-high tech engines filled the air; propellers squealed as one of the planes began its slow descent, lining up with the broad street. Dion was yanked back onto the sidewalk near one of the buildings as the plane sank lower and lower. He could see why anyone would mistake it for a bird. Its shape, though old-fashioned, was designed to give the correct impression.
It was an impressive machine. Dion had rarely seen them. But he knew that the higher powers of society had the means to design such oddities with ease. Formidable in flight, it was not *just* a spyplane - Dion made out the faint outlines of submachine guns attached just below the wings near the cockpit.
The plane roared as it slowed, its three wheels grating on the snow-packed street. As it slowed to a stop, Sephiroth's fingers slowly released its iron tight hold on his jacket but left his hand there, resting lightly.
The cockpit opened after a few seconds. A man emerged, sporting black jumpsuit and helmet, which he quickly removed and set inside the cockpit. He climbed down and faced them before he began to walk toward them.
"Survivors?" the man asked sharply, his hand lingering near his waist where he, too, carried a weapon. He was right to be wary. The Heartless were cunning now, more than ever.
"Yes," Sephiroth returned his stare, and held it.
Dion wondered why they said nothing until finally, the pilot spoke. "Yes... I see it. There is no deathless abyss in your eyes. Are there others? Where are you from?"
"I live here... used to... my mother--" Dion swallowed, and continued quickly. "And there are a bunch of kids near the warehouses in the eastern industrial district. You've gotta get them, they're just kids. My brother is there with them."
"Don't worry, lad, keep a stiff upper lip. Help is coming, don't worry. Now, my friends in the air have got others on the line and should be here shortly. My name is Axel."
At this moment, Sephiroth stepped away from him and moved toward the plane, looking it over, before he turned toward Axel. "Are you with the government?"
"Ah... well, not--" The pilot was interrupted by the crackle of his radio. With a spontaneous bout of cursing, he reached toward his belt and pulled the small object out, holding it up to his ear. "What? Oh, yes, of course... copy that. Yes, they're fine. They're not demons. Send transport right away to these coordinates, you idiot!!"
He turned it off, his face flushing faintly, meeting Dion's incredulous gaze and Sephiroth's coldly amused one. "We're not exactly organized at this point. When they first came, we were..highly unprepared."
"So I see..." Sephiroth's amused expression fell into one of seriousness. "What are you doing at this point? Surely you must have goals..."
"Well... retrieve and rescue at this point. There are numerous places around here where the demons don't go. We're keeping the survivors and military personnel there for now until we can really start to prioritize our efforts."
"Foolish. Can't you see it's too late?" Sephiroth suddenly turned on the pilot, reaching to seize him by the throat. The pilot, young by the looks of him, was startled as he stepped back, losing his footing, and hung helpless as Sephiroth had him at his mercy. "The Heartless have already overrun this world. It is completely hopeless to do anything. There's little you can do... the minute you and yours step outside, the Heartless will find you. Always. That is their nature, their purpose."
Dion lunged without thinking, and grabbed onto the arm that held the man in place. He pounded on it. "What are you DOING? Let him go, are you crazy!? Let go of him!!"
The man was plainly insane. The transformation had taken not even a second to occur, and by then Sephiroth was trying with all his being to choke the life out of the terrified pilot.
Yet, by some miracle, Dion's voice must have broken him out of his insanity. Or maybe it was the low rumble he heard. Or the slight vibration beneath their feet. Sephiroth dropped the man, shaking Dion off as though he were a small kitten.
Dion stared at the bleak sky, jolted upright when he became aware of what occured. He stood up too suddenly and was at once shuddering violently with the wave of chill. The gem burned against his chest and he clasped it with his back turned to them both, trying to still the harsh voice of it pounding in his brain.
The pilot rubbed his throat, coughing as he regained his breath. He backed away from Sephiroth, whose gaze went nowhere but to the backs of his eyelids, his glowing eyes closed tightly, his arms folded across his chest. His foot was tapping impatiently, his brows knit together as a chill breeze ripped across the street.
"They should be... here in a second. That's probably them now." Axel rose, dusting himself off and keeping notable distance between himself and the silver-haired man.
A minute passed before they were faced with two heavily armored vehicles. There was only one thing Dion wanted to know: whether or not Axel was telling the truth about Vax and the kids.
And what could he do if he was lying?
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My brother. Vax.
I hope these guys are just yanking my jizz and telling me bullshit... and even if they were serious, I'm suddenly not too sure if I want them to rescue you.
Are you angry with me? Will you forgive me? It was never my intention to leave you behind... I wanted you to come with me... then we could have been heroes together...
Who will be the coward in this legend? Me or you?
Can you feel how bad I'm feeling right now? It's said twins can feel what the other feels... is it the same with you? I've known you for so long... it's got to be true.
If so, do you understand? Can you understand me?
Can you hear me...?
'Cause I'm saying 'I love you' with every ounce of me.
~~~~~~
I'm searching for you, Ansem... Soon. Please don't loose yourself before I can bring you back to me...
Sephiroth pooled his concentration on Dion. The pulse of energy that sifted from his body was suspiciously familiar; it was unmistakably similar to Ansem's pulsing heart. But why would this boy share the same beat?
Oh, but the sound... the sweet sound he had missed...
Dion raised his eyes. Captured his gaze. Sephiroth hardened his own and held it. Dion smiled and looked away.
"You going to make it?" the boy said, pulling at a loose string on his tattered denim pants.
Sephiroth didn't reply. Puzzled, he only looked away and frowned.
"You look sick... that's all."
"I-I... I'm fine." The man closed his eyes. "Just thinking..."
"What about?"
"Consequences. Life. A friend... I lost him in the forests before coming here... outside Southern Tarbina's famous college..."
"I know that forest. I mean, on a map. Did he...?" Dion waved his hand vaguely, like something floating off into the air.
"Yes."
Dion bit his lip. The crystal... it had been flying from that direction in a way. As though it needed to find a place for itself fast. Was it someone's heart...? He could feel it chanting softly, but the words kept getting jumbled together... he couldn't make a damned bit of meaningful sense out of them.
"Do you think you'll find him again...?"
"I think I already have."
The boy choked. He masked it by starting to cough... which wasn't all that hard, because he *did* need to cough. He let himself turn from Sephiroth and stare at the boring metal wall of the inner vehicle since there were barely any windows.
Sephiroth watched him out of the corner of his eye and stiffened when he saw his hand move toward his chest, near his neck, to clutch at something. He had seen him do it before... and he burned to know what it was that attracted his attention.
"Y-You're crazy," the boy mumbled uncomfortably. "Bloody *looney*."
"Perhaps you're right," the silver-haired man said, amusement embalming his tone of voice with an eerie ring of truth. "Perhaps I *am* mad.... But insanity is not without reason. Often it may seem that way... but the root of madness is usually more terrible than the insanity itself. Do you pity the insane, boy? Or do you cringe?"
"I don't know what you're talking about..."
"Then perhaps you should realize that silence is the safest route on the path to wisdom."
Dion turned to look at him, and glared intensely for several long seconds. He had nothing to say. He supposed he was on that path to wisdom starting right now.