Disclaimer: As usual, FFVII and its characters, etc. are Square Enix's and not mine. Kadaj got covered with elbow grease in the unsticking of this chapter, but I got him to the dry cleaner's in time.

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Open Hands

Chapter 3: Revelation

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Kadaj stared for a few moments, and then slowly rose to his feet. His lip curled. "Now I know I'm being punished," he said sourly.

"Nice to see you too. But I suppose I can forgive the rudeness, considering that I killed you."

Kadaj snarled, and reached for Souba…but it was gone, sheath and all. He wasn't sure he was surprised. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm just here to tell you a few things you might not know," Brother said casually.

"Cheh." Kadaj turned his back and kicked a small stone into the bright blue water. He watched the ripples. "What could you know that would be of any use to me?"

"I know where Yazoo and Loz are."

Kadaj froze.

"I also know why they aren't with you…and I know how you could get them back. If you wanted to."

Kadaj turned halfway around, looking over his shoulder at Brother. Brother was looking thoughtfully up at the patches of blue sky that peeked between the treetops.

…Get them back?

Finally Brother shrugged and sighed. "Well, if you're not interested, I guess I'm wasting my time." He pushed away from the tree and started to walk off in the direction of the Sleeping Forest.

Is he playing games with me? Kadaj thought suspiciously, watching.

…No, it certainly looked like Brother was leaving.

"…Where are they?" Kadaj blurted out.

Brother slowed to a stop. He turned his head, not quite looking over his shoulder. "They're trapped."

Kadaj felt his skin crawl. In his mind's eye he saw Loz and Yazoo again, encased in ice. Frozen…silent…

Mother looming over him, smiling…the ice pressing the breath from his lungs…

Kadaj shook off the image with a jerk of his head. It's a lie! he thought angrily.

…but he'd seen Yazoo and Loz die in the explosion. If they were dead, like him, then why weren't they with him?

…Wait a minute. Brother had been in the explosion too, so—

Kadaj turned fully around. "Did you die, too?" he demanded.

Brother turned and started back, looking amused. "You wish."

"You're not really here, then." Kadaj turned his back again. "This is just another trick."

He heard Brother sigh. Brother passed behind Kadaj and leaned against a boulder on the shore of the lake. The scabbard on his back scraped against the stone. "I am really here. Just not in the way you are."

What's that supposed to mean? "You're boring me with this nonsense," Kadaj said testily.

"If you don't believe I'm Cloud, then I guess you don't believe I know how to save Yazoo and Loz, either."

Kadaj snorted to hide his twinge of worry and pain. "Save them from what? They're dead," he said bitterly. "What more can happen to them?"

"You're dead, too. Plenty's happening to you."

…all right, he has a point.

Kadaj turned slowly to face Brother. "What's going to happen to them? And why isn't it going to happen to me?"

Brother looked Kadaj back directly in the eye. "They're going to be rejected from the Lifestream. Imprisoned, so they can't hurt the Planet anymore. The same thing happened to Sephiroth after I killed him—the first time—but he managed to break free." Brother shook his head slowly, his blue eyes fixed on Kadaj's. "Loz and Yazoo can't; they're not strong enough."

Kadaj stared at Brother, mouth open.

"Even though Loz and Yazoo didn't manage to start the second Reunion, like you did, they still did a lot of damage, and would've done more."

Kadaj closed his mouth. The second Reunion? I didn't fail, then…Sephiroth really came.

I didn't fail. Sephiroth did. He came back… and Brother defeated him again.

He should have been furious that Mother's plans hadn't been carried out. Instead…

Sephiroth. I didn't want Mother to love you more than me. I guess she doesn't, now that you've failed her twice….

It didn't feel as good as it should have, though.

Yazoo and Loz should be here…to laugh at Sephiroth with me, at least…

"Why does the Lifestream want to reject them and not me? I'm the one who brought Sephiroth back."

Brother chuckled, and Kadaj glared at him. "Don't make that ugly face at me," Brother said mildly. "And to answer your question…someone took a good long look at you and decided you were worth saving."

Kadaj stared at him. "…Who?"

Brother smiled slightly. "You'll meet her sooner or later."

Her? Mother? But Brother wouldn't smile and talk about Jenova. Kadaj scowled. "Tell me," he growled.

"She'll tell you herself…if it turns out she was right about you." Brother stood up with another scrape of his scabbard against the stone. "You came pretty close to sharing their fate anyway…but you decided you wanted to stay free."

"Free?"

"Free. You are, you know. You don't exist for Jenova anymore, or for Sephiroth. You're just yourself—Kadaj."

Kadaj looked away, disturbed. When I first woke here, I felt light…like I'd been carrying something heavy and it was gone. He'd always felt a need when he was alive, a craving that was never satisfied and burned inside him like a lit coal. He'd always assumed that once he found Mother and brought Sephiroth back, that burning would go away.

It was gone…but it had left him directionless. Not only was he alone, he was lost. For the first time, he didn't know what to do. I didn't know it would be like this…

"You're free, Kadaj," Brother said again quietly. "You decide who you are now. You can keep fighting me, just because you were before…or you can take a chance and listen to me. It's your choice now, of course…even if you choose not to listen."

Kadaj turned toward the water, looking at its shimmering surface, in order to hide his growing distress. What does he mean, decide who I am? I'm dead; isn't it too late for that?

"Not quite yet."

Kadaj flinched, startled; the warm, amused male voice behind him wasn't Brother's. He turned around, but there was still only Brother, leaning against the rock, waiting in composed silence. If he'd heard the third voice, he wasn't showing it.

"Just think about what you want. Right now, that's what matters."

The voice was behind him again; Kadaj turned toward it again, but saw what he was expecting this time—nothing, just the water rippling. What I want?

Kadaj closed his eyes.

I did what I was supposed to. It's done. It's not my fault it didn't work.

Sephiroth failed. I can laugh at him now. All that time trying to bring him back, and he was too weak even to win against Brother.

Mother's not here. She's not the one who called me. I want to know who did.

Kadaj smirked very faintly. And as charming as Big Brother's company is, it's not the company I want. The smirk faded. I don't want to be here alone. I want…

"I want my brothers back."

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-Thank you.

---Don't thank me yet. You're not at the end of the road with him.

-I know.

---Are you sure he's worth it?

-What do you think?

---I think you're letting yourself in for a major headache.

-Wouldn't be the first time…

---Did you have to say that?

-All right, all right. You weren't so difficult.

---Thank you. Will you need me again?

-I'm not sure, but you'll know. I'll call you.

---I'll be ready.

-All right.

---I miss you. I can't help it.

-There's nothing wrong with that. As long as—

---I don't shut everything else out. I know. I won't.

-Take care of everyone.

---I will.

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End Chapter 3

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