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Experimental

The Bonds Break: Part Two

Gloriosa Generosa

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Hold frozen flames to your chest

And drift through the blue depths of the night

Torn apart by beloved pain

I whisper your name to the stars

A girl born painted in the red of dawn

Dances in the golden autumn, making even angels jealous

Freedom and yearning her only glittering crown

~ English translation of Kishinda Kakera, Xenogears

* * *

~~ Still in the kitchen

"So, how do we find him?"

Takeo shrugs. "Aerith, do you have any ideas?"

Aerith starts, surprised. :: Why not ask Cloud or Leon? :: "Well, I... I don't really know. Before, there was always some sort of trail I could follow. Rumors and sightings, once, another time it was a path of destruction, sometimes we had directions..."

Takeo shrugs. "Nevermind. Neko will be able to track Oni." He turns to Neko. "What weapons?"

"I can use my blade-fan," she replies, pulling out the dagger-looking thing and twitching her wrist so that it falls open into a quarter-circle of thin, razor-sharp blades. Aerith draws in her breath; Neko had had her hand on that dangerous-looking weapon when Aerith first saw her.

Takeo nods approval and draws his own long dagger, swinging it slightly. "What about her feather?" he queries, nodding to it, still clenched in Neko's left hand.

She glances down, pausing for a moment, then sheathes the blade-fan and deftly weaves the feather into her hair. "There. That should hold it." To Aerith; "Anything we forgot?"

"Healing potions? Ethers? Maybe an elixir or two?"

Takeo nods and taps his pocket. "I've got those. So. Ready, Neko?"

Neko nods, an absolutely deadly look in her eyes. "Let's go get him."

Aerith shivers. She has no doubt that Neko will try to kill her brother.

It scares her.

Takeo nods to Neko, and they pull open a panel in a wall of the kitchen, slipping through.

"I hope they're going to be all right... I really hope so."

Her sentiments are shared by everyone, except Sephiroth.

* * *

~~ A fork in the passages

"Can you tell where he's been?"

Neko nods, looking around closely and a bit tensely. "Having cat characteristics can be helpful. That way," she states, pointing to the right and going down into the bitter darkness.

Takeo slides down the passage after her. "Would you like a little light?" he offers, holding out a hand.

"Hai, but make it small. Your big ones make ozone, and that covers up scent."

The topazes by his eyes glint momentarily, and Takeo suddenly holds a palm-full of golden-white lightning.

Neko stops at another fork in the passage, looking piercingly at anything that might give her a hint of where to go. A sharp sniff, and she heads down to the left.

And down.

And down...

"It's his old lab!"

Takeo peers over her shoulder, holding his hand high and brightening the lightning to a sharp, piercing blue-white. "Demo..."

Neko glances over her shoulder. "Nani?"

"Is it really? I thought it was destroyed. You know, when he let himself go." Takeo shivers at the memory.

"Apparently not." She heads towards the far end of the hall. "The passages to under the castle should be over here."

Takeo follows her hesitantly, staring at the inky blackness his palm of brightness doesn't reach. His nerves hum.

"Here it is." Neko stands before the doorframe. "Yareru ka?"

"Definitely not. Well, here we go." And they walk down the passage.

The drip of water. Pitted walls. A turn.

They come out into a wider passage. At the end, barely touched by the neon brilliance, is Oni, seated, his arms around his legs. "Dare ka?" he whispers, blankly, his eyes fixed on the floor before him.

"Neko and Takeo," the former hisses.

Oni looks up. "Ah." Takeo shudders at the look his brother gives them.

Oni's eyes are pure black.

TBC

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Demo: But

Nani: What

Yareru ka?: Are you up to it?

Dare ka?: Who is it? (Dare is two syllables, da-re)