A/N: Sorry this is so late. Life got in the way. That and a serious case of writer's block. :/

And since you were all quite literally screaming "SEQUEL!" at me, rest assured, I'm doing a sequel. :) Fair warning though...I'm going for epic, so watch out! XD

Enjoy the next chapter. ^_^

Disclaimer: I don't own FFVII or any of its characters!

Chapter Twenty-Six

Kadaj stood in silence, looking out the window, at the landscape of Healin below. The room was dark and cold. A shiver ran up his spine, and as much as he tried to ignore it, he knew that it wasn't the cold affecting him. The sun was rising in the distance, creeping over the top of the forest. It would be morning soon. This sleepless night would be over with.

It would be a new day. And they would leave Healin. They would all return home, and the incident with Genesis would be put behind them.

"Do you really think it'll be that easy?" Sephiroth chimed, continuing on with the words that had plagued him all night, in this hated room. "Do you really think you can forget him? That he will simply vanish, and never bother you again?"

Kadaj pulled away from the window, his gaze falling to the floor, unfocused. He strived once more to silence the voice in his mind, but to no avail.

"He won't stop. He'll come after you again, and manipulate you, and use you for his own ambitions. The life you fought so hard to have will be torn away from you, and you'll be put back exactly where you started."

"Shut up," he hissed, grabbing himself on either side of the head, as if he could pull the voice out.

"You know it's true. The only way you can live your life, and be free of Genesis...is to kill him."

Yuffie stood anxiously before the closed door, foot poised mid air, ready to either step back and dart out of there, or step forward and go ahead with her intentions. Her indecision left her standing there for many minutes, wondering if she really should go forward with the knock on the door. Once she did this, she couldn't exactly take it back.

Snuffing down her uncertainties, she planted her feet firmly on the floor and knocked on the door. She was forced to wait for twelve long seconds, before Cloud answered.

The blonde looked surprised to see her, and faced with her task at hand, her anxiety returned.

"Hi," she said, laughing nervously, no joy in her voice.

Cloud's confusion only seemed to grow.

And Yuffie sobered immediately. "I need to tell you something."

Vincent stood before the three remnants, staring at them with his usual, serious stare. He had many things he wanted-and needed- to say to them, but he didn't know where to begin.

They were all quiet. Loz was obviously defiant, and Vincent knew no matter what he said, the eldest brother would defend his actions. After all, he left after Kadaj was in trouble, and was clear about where he was going. He had no ulterior motives for disobeying him.

Yazoo on the other hand-he had started this mess. The whole ordeal with Genesis might not have happened if he hadn't run away. Vincent was pretty sure he knew all this. Getting him to admit it was something else entirely.

Kadaj had also run away, and disobeyed him. But he had a feeling the youngest brother had already learned his lesson.

In end, Vincent could only sigh. "The three of you need to start listening to me. This whole situation could have been avoided."

No one said anything in reply. Yazoo uncomfortably shifted his weight to his opposite foot, purposefully looking away from Vincent. Loz glanced at Kadaj, as if unsure how he should take the comment. Kadaj ignored him entirely, his gaze out the window, his mind elsewhere. Vincent wasn't even sure he had heard his words.

Something about him seemed off.

"You know I'm only looking out for your wellbeing. And you know the dangers that come with being what you are. You need to be more careful."

Still nothing.

"We made a deal, remember? It was deal I thought would be lived up to."

"So we're allowed no freedom?" Yazoo finally spoke. He shifted his gaze back to Vincent, his serene expression showing his displeasure within.

"The freedom you're talking about is not an option. And what you have is better than the alternative."

"Haven't we proven our loyalty to you yet?"

"This isn't about loyalty. This is about what happened with Kadaj, and what could still happen in the future. He managed to make it out unscathed, but what if he isn't so lucky the next time?"

"If someone really wanted to get to us, do you think your presence could do anything to stop them?"

Vincent paused for a moment, taken off guard by how obvious his statement was. "There's strength in numbers. Running off by yourself is asking for trouble."

"I think you're afraid," Yazoo stated.

"You're right, I am. I'm afraid Sephiroth will reemerge again, and you'll lose everything we've fought for."

Kadaj pulled his eyes from the window, coming back to the present.

"I don't share your fear," Yazoo replied.

Vincent sighed in frustration, the long-haired remnant remaining before him only a few seconds longer. He turned without another word, making his way to the door. His brothers' eyes followed him, Loz no longer defiant but uncertain, as if he didn't know what to believe without Kadaj's input. Kadaj still looked detached, as if he wasn't even aware of what was being said.

Yazoo reached for the handle, the door opening just before he could grab it. He stepped back quickly to avoid Cloud as he came rushing in, pushing Yazoo entirely out of the way as he walked up to Loz. There was an anger in his eyes, one Vincent hadn't seen in a while.

"I want you to stay away from Tifa," he ordered, his voice containing a controlled rage.

Loz, understanding immediately, lifted his chin defiantly. "I don't have to listen to you," he said.

Kadaj was finally interested in what was happening around him, his eyes full confusion.

"Cloud?" Vincent said cautiously, "What's going on?"

The blonde looked his direction, the emotion still present in his stare. "Yuffie told me what's been going on between them. I don't want him near her."

"If Tifa doesn't want to see me, she can tell me," Loz replied smugly.

Cloud's faced him again, poised to reply.

"Loz!" Kadaj said, his voice full of surprise, his eyes full of a horror Vincent didn't understand. The boy stood there for a moment, looking at his older brother, his mouth opening and closing as if he wished to speak, but couldn't comprehend the situation, therefore couldn't reply. He took a sudden step forward. "No. You can't do this."

Loz shifted his gaze to Kadaj, "It's not your choice."

"You're my brother!" he snapped in anger. "You can't-I won't let you do this!"

"You have no say in this!" Loz replied, dismissing him with a wave of his hand.

"What's going on?" Vincent interrupted, completely lost. At first, he thought he knew what they were talking about, but then he realized Kadaj's reaction wasn't from wanting to protect Cloud's feelings.

Neither remnant replied, only stood locking gazes with each other, both refusing to back down.

"It's no different than your feelings," Loz said to Kadaj.

The younger brother tensed visibly, his fists clenched into balls. "Shut up," he hissed through clenched teeth.

"What is going on?" Vincent reiterated.

"Hmph," Yazoo said from his place by the door, a soft smile on his face, "Loz is in love."

Surprised, Vincent's gaze went from Yazoo to Cloud, then back to Kadaj and Loz.

"Yazoo..." the youngest brother cautioned, threat and warning in his voice.

"This has nothing to do with you," Loz continued to speak to Kadaj. "It's my choice."

"You're my brother. It affects all of us!"

"Stop it!" Vincent intervened. He stepped between them, afraid their argument would escalate to something worse. He silenced them with a glare, before turning to Cloud. "I think you should leave."

Cloud understood, but his anger with Loz remained, and if anything, his discomfort only grew. "Don't go near her again," he said in the end, before turning and heading back out. He made his way passed Yazoo, slamming the door in his wake.

Yazoo no longer had the desire to leave, as if he knew he would be the only objective voice left in the room.

Everyone was silent for a moment, the tension between the two brothers high. Vincent didn't know what say; he had never expected something like this to happen.

Kadaj suddenly growled in frustration, the outburst unprovoked. He turned away from everyone and grabbed his head, yelling, "Shut up!"

Alarmed, Vincent stepped forward, taking him by the arm as he staggered. Loz and Yazoo watched their brother in concern, reluctant to approach him though they knew what was happening.

"Why?" Kadaj asked, his gaze to the floor, "Why are we drawing apart?"

Vincent sighed softly, taking the boy by both arms, gently easing him to the floor. He turned to Yazoo and Loz, "Wait for us outside."

Neither protested, and left the room in silence. Vincent waited for the door to close, then crouched down to Kadaj's level. The remnant sat with his head in his hands, his breathing stressed and ragged.

Kadaj pulled his face from his hands, his eyes red and brimming tears. He looked to the door, staring at it longingly, "What's happening to us?"

"I think you're all discovering what it really is to live. It's to fall in love, to take risks, to find out who you really are."

"But things aren't the way they used to be."

"You can't expect them to be. You're different people now."

The boy sighed heavily, wiping his hands down his face, as if to wipe away all his distress. They were both silent for a moment, Vincent giving him the time he needed to process everything.

"He won't let me sleep, Vincent," he admitted, his voice full of desperation.

"Sephiroth?"

He nodded, "It's worse than before. I don't know what to do."

"He can't control you anymore."

"But I can't silence him!"

Vincent placed his hands softly on his shoulders, trying to offer him some comfort. Unexpectedly, Kadaj drew into him, burying his head against his chest. He grabbed him by the front of his cloak, his fingers twisting through the thick fabric.

"When will this end?"

A/N: That took a turn I wasn't expecting. I mean, I always planned for Kadaj to freak out like that, but I didn't think I'd get to put it in there. lol

Please review. I'll try not to let writer's block hinder me again. ^_^