The sun was setting over Cosmo Canyon and it found Sephiroth sitting, watching the canyon spread out beneath him. He had found the highest perch he could find and had set himself in for a night of thinking. His father was right, Cait Sith wasn't to be trusted right away. He had found a pipe tampered with in the buggy after it broke down, and with a whole night, Cait Sith had the perfect opportunity to do it. But the question is why?

Sephiroth laughed, that was always the question. Why was he able to convince the dragon to help him and no one else? Why did what happen to Ganglere have to happen? Why was he even fighting?

…Who cares? That was how it was. The better question would be as to what will he do? Talk to Cloud? Corner Cait Sith about it? Neither seems very promising.

He heard the sound of someone trying to stealthily approach him coming up the side of the cliff. Yuffie, probably, she just won't give up. Sephiroth hid from view and waited.

Yuffie poked her head over the lip then jumped up. She had a throwing knife in her hand, which was cover in a powder. Most likely something to make him talk.

She relaxed when she saw he wasn't there. "Where is he?" Sephiroth smiled, he hadn't practiced his take down moves in a while, why not now.

While her back was turned, he came up behind her, wrapped an arm around her neck, grabbed her wrist, twisted it behind her back, and made her drop the knife. "Hello Yuffie."

"OW, OW, OW! Okay, you got me!" Sephiroth loosened his grip and felt a knife cut his leg. Letting go of her, he saw she had hidden one in her arm guard and that the first was a decoy. "Now, are you going to talk?"

Sephiroth's vision started to get blurry. Talk he would. Just not about what she wanted. "About what? That you are obviously also vying for Cloud's attention?" The drug hadn't fully kicked in so he could still lie for the moment. "Or that…that…I think you used too much, hi hi."

Yuffie was about to smack him for the first remark but stopped. "Huh, too much? No way, not with your size. I use two milligrams…or did I use five?" Yuffie took her eyes off him and checked the knife.

Sephiroth tripped her and pinned her to the ground. "You want the truth? Here it is…You are a very beautiful woman… Wait, that wasn't what I meant to say. Where did it even come from? I meant to say that…ah, woo, why is my head spinning?" Things started to black out and he fell over.

SMACK! Things came to focus all too clearly. "OW! Why did you do that?"

"Because I did use five! And I was afraid you were having a reaction to it!"

"Well, now my head is spinning more BRAT!"

"BRAT!? If I knew you would be this appreciative, I would have let you go under!"

"Hey, this is your fault! You drugged me!"

Yuffie got up and was about to leave. But Sephiroth grabbed her arm. "Thanks for not letting me go under."

She smiled. "No problem. Now tell me how you got that dragon to help you."

"She helped me because I helped her. Razz isn't like the other dragons, she has intelligence. She can speak and do anything she wanted, even shape shift to that of a human. But she couldn't kill two foes while one was distracting her while another went for her eggs. I stumbled upon them and helped her. So, she melted the ore and heated it while I was making them."

"That's it?"

"That is it. She did ask me to keep her a secret and that's why I didn't tell you."

"Why?"

"Because people are so proud of being a dragon slayer. What would make it better than fighting a dragon that can plan and hunt you back? Her race doesn't need that."

"Wait, there are more of them?"

"Yes. The dragons that attack everything are off shoots of real dragons. Her race use magic, sleep on hoards, the whole legend just about."

"Hmm, thank you. So, where is she?"

Sephiroth smiled. "I don't know."

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU DON"T KNOW?!"

"She moves her nest around. She hasn't lived in this area for almost nine years."

Yuffie glared at him, judging the chance that the drug had worn off. "…If you had the chance, would you kiss me?"

"Absolutely," Sephiroth said before slapping a hand over his mouth.

"I guess it is still working. Is there anything I should know?" His hand was still clamped over his so he nodded. "What?"

Despite her best efforts, she couldn't make him remove his hand. "Fine, don't tell me that, tell me something else."

"I have nothing else to tell you."

"Okay, you're free to go…for now."

"You make it sound like this will be a common thing."

"Maybe," Yuffie said before getting off him and heading down to the candle.

After half an hour, the drug had completely worn off and Sephiroth was able to move again without falling. Down at the candle, he was about to take a seat at the edge of the light when Aeris waved him over.

"Hey Sephiroth, sit down." He shrugged and sat down next to her. He had nothing better to do. "Tell me, why is it that you fight?"

"Huh?"

"Everyone has a reason. For Tifa, it was the destruction of Niblehiem. For Barret it is for the destruction of Corel. Yuffie fights for Wutai, Cait Sith is after answers, and Cloud also fights for Niblehiem. So what do you fight for?"

Sephiroth thought about it for a moment but came to no answer. And he said so. "I have no idea. Maybe because some people just need to fight. Because they know nothing else."

"I don't think that is true. I'm sure you know other things."

"Oh I do. Military standard procedure, military code, combat analysis, tactics, armor specifications, weakness and strengths, metallurgy and it's uses in combat, the use of magnesium as an explosive fuse, the list goes on."

"Okay, maybe that is all you know. But don't you think that dedicating your life to the taking of the life of others is a little sad?"

"Every day. But then I think about this; every time some one oppresses another, they must be stopped. And while the word is good and all, it is the sword that is often called for. For every tyrant, there will be a hero to face them down. More over, sometimes to gain and keep the freedom that everyone enjoys, to ask that question and many others beside, someone must be willing to defend it."

"That is an excuse, Sephiroth."

"Maybe, but it is also the truth. Fighters are on both sides, you should know that."

"…"

"Aeris, your outlook on life is naïve, too optimistic, and I envy you for it. I wish I could see the best of all situations. But while there is people like me, people like you will need me to defend you from me. Doesn't that make all the since in the world?"

"Sephiroth, it isn't that hard."

"Oh? If you are to fall on the blade of an opponent, what would be the good of that? There is no good. That person decided to take your life. For whatever reason, you are still dead, and every one of us would be hurt. I know this, you don't."

Aeris didn't say anything, she was too sad to.

Sephiroth lowered his head, unable to look her in the eyes anymore. They fell on a piece of wood by his foot. Picking it up, he found it was roughly the size of a chocobo egg. Taking out a knife, he started cutting it.

After a bit, this caught the attention of Aeris. Smiling, she asked "what are you cutting?"

"Don't know yet." After some more time, the bottom grew to resemble a hair knife. The top looked like flowers. After a time, she saw that on the top of the hilt was the Dragon Leaf, and the bottom had a Mount Cook Lily.

Aeris raised an eyebrow as Sephiroth finished by cutting veins into the leaves. "Nice. If I remember right, and flowers are my specialty, the Dragon Leaf plant is for emphasizing divine potential and filling a person with light and good will. And the Mount Cook Lily is for honoring the feminine energy and setting a course to peace."

"I, uh, didn't know that. I just carved it…"

"With perfect details. Maybe you do know something after all."

"Uh, it's just a hair comb, you can have it."

"Some how, I doubt you carved it with me in mind."

"I have no idea what you are talking about."

"Really? Ahem, 'if you had the chance, would…'" Before she finished, Sephiroth covered her mouth.

"How did you hear that?"

"I was only ten feet away."

"…I am going to get you for this, make no doubt."

Aeris took the empty threat in stride. "Get Yuffie first. How did you know about these plants anyway?"

"You need to know what plant is poisonous and what isn't when you live in a forest."

Author's notes: Poor Sephiroth. Just decided to carve something didn't matter what, and it turned out to be something embarrassing. And to be caught by the big sister of the group. By the way, I was originally looking for a plant that meant new life.

On to the boring part. I do not own Final Fantasy 7 or any of its characters. Right Sephiroth?

(grumbles) Why did you have me know Botany?

Everyone needs a hobby.

But Botany?

I could have you collect insects. I AM AN ALL POWERFUL AUTHOR AND CAN HAVE YOU DO THAT (lightning flashed in the background)! HAHAHA!

That was the most pathetic attempt to sound evil I have ever heard.

Well, not everyone has had the chance to threaten all life on a planet. Much less twice!

Hey, that is the Sephiroth from the game and movie, this is a parallel universe. I'm good here.

BECAUSE OF ME, THE ALL POWERFUL AUTHOR (lightning flashes again)!

Dork.