"Why do you say that?" Asked Vincent, gasping for breath. This man had been running tirelessly all day, at times having to stop to allow his companion to rest. "I mean, you were just shot out of the Lifestream a couple of hours ago, how is it that I don't know your judgment is impaired?"

Sephiroth stopped running and turned slowly to face Vincent, his Mako-infused eyes contrasting wildly with the setting sun in the distance.

"You could be intoxicated by the Lifestream's promise of resurrection, " he said matter-of-factly.

"It takes much to intoxicate me, vampire." Vincent's garnet eyes went wide and shimmered briefly at the insult. Two tears silently rolled out of his irises and dripped down his cheeks before slamming into the grassy ground.

"Please don't call me a vampire, Sephiroth. It isn't true."

Something inside the tall, well-muscled frame snapped and the next thing he knew, his fierce expression slackened. "I'm sorry, I was only thinking about making this experience shorter for you. I mean, the longer you stay with me, the chances of you remaining in the world of living decrease substantially."

"You're right. Let's keep moving," the raven-haired one spoke, emotionless as he sprinted ahead of his temporary partner.

The two men ran across the vast, dry plains in silence. Neither one desired to speak to the other, concentrating only on reaching that village before the sun went down and the monsters began their nightly terror of the land.

"Oh my God! Cloud, what happened?" Shouted the busty Tifa as she gazed upon her agonized comrade, who was cradling the unconscious Vincent in his lap, mechanically stroking his long hair. "You cried out so suddenly, I got really worried about you!"
But she received no reply, for her friend was too far lost in his own shock at what had happened. His azure eyes glimmered incoherently in the moonlight, his mind equally lost in his own thoughts.

"Oh God! What happened to Vincent?"

No answer.

"Please forgive me Cloud, for what I must do." Removing her glove, Tifa reared her hand back and struck her friend clear across the face in a loud slap. The crystal-eyed leader blinked a few times, but sank back into catatonia. Backhanding him as gently as possible, she was able to succeed in reviving Cloud, who was rubbing his cheeks in pain.

"No need for the pussy-whipping, Tifa. I heard you just fine, but I was too shocked to respond. I'm sorry for worrying you."

"What happened to Vincent....why is his skin so cold?" Tifa asked, sinking to her knees and running her fingertips lightly across the unconscious man.

"I don't know.....his...his eyes flickered green and he just slumped over and said something," said Cloud, his voice wavering as the tears welled up in his eyes.

"What did he say, Cloud?"

"I....I don't know," he hesitated. "But it sounded like...."

"Yes?" She coaxed, patting his spiky hair.

"Something like 'Seph', then his eyes flashed green and his body got cold really fast and he passed out."

"Let me check his pulse." Tifa pressed two fingers against Vincent's frigid neck, then pulled them back suddenly in shock. "Nanaki!" She called out. "Come here quick!!"

The marmoset tiger bounded out of the doorway and ambled towards his three friends, tail swishing in anticipation. His sunset mane blew gently in the wind, bound only to his head by the numerous barettes he wore as armaments.

"What is it, Tifa?" He growled. "Why is Vincent asleep...it's nowhere near bedtime for any of us."

" Feelhim." Red pressed his paw to the vampire's cheek and stroked it softly. The man didn't even respond to the touch of soft, clean fur to his face. Quickly, his brought his wet nose to the man's neck and sniffed carefully before giving it a lick. No reaction, no response.

"Tifa," said Nanaki as he removed his nose from Vincent's unresponsive neck. "it seems as if he's dead, except his pulse is flickering....it's very weak."

"Which means...," she prodded anxiously.

"He's completely comatose. The only thing we can do is tuck him in and pray."

"I'll do it," resolved the pokey-headed warrior as he lifted the limp body of his companion over his shoulder. After carrying Vincent's lifeless form into his own bedroom, Cloud laid him on the bed and removed his heavy cloak and boots before covering his cold frame with the quilt Aeris made. "Vincent...," he stumbled over the words while fighting his choked sobs. "Please be all right."

"Funny how things work out, huh Vincent?" Inquired Sephiroth as the two passed through the town's welcoming archway. "I mean it was only a month that I was dead before the Lifestream offered me redemption. And now, here you are, helping lil' ol' Sephy come back to life."

Vincent whirled around and faced the man, glaring at him with the irises of a thousand dying suns burning within a finite universe. "Look," he snarled, pulling out his Death Penalty and pressing its barrel into the leather-clad man's firm stomach. "I'm here by no choice of my own. Were I to have it my way, I'd pump you full of lead right now. However, seeing as your resurrection is the only way for me to prevent my own demise, I'm compelled to stay by your side. Now let's go to the inn and see about the food and lodging conditions for tonight."

"This isn't going to be easy for either of us, is it?" Asked Sephiroth in mumbled tones.

"Dammit, Sephiroth! Just come on before I change my mind and you wind up with a hole in your midsection," swore the vampire as he swirled his cape over his shoulder. Vincent only recently learned how to curse, the result of speaking with Cid on too many occasions. Rarely he swore, for he considered it rude to any person, regardless of their background.

"Nope...not going to work," he thought, following his cohort into the large inn's double doors.

"It will work, but only if you desire it to," said a familiar voice.

Instantly, I came face to face with Aeris, while the town merely blurred away as it sank below the surface of the green ooze of the Lifestream.

"We are here, Aeris," I say caustically. "But what will you have us do?"

"Not I, child of Jenova. The Lifestream itself is directing your destiny from the point I deposited you in the plains. I have no control over this alternate reality, as it would seem."

"And why is he so cold to me?"

"Think about it: your wish to have him assist you in your quest 'killed' him. You've ruined not his happy life, but a peaceful death," she said plainly as she re-materialized behind him.

"You speak as if I will fail," I reply, the sadness of hurting someone as kind and innocent of Vincent catching my throat. "But I won't."

"You might."

"Don't count your chocobos before they hatch." I can already feel the cheeky grin spread on my face. "I will triumph this time...and make it up to him," I refer of course, to my "assistant".

"Go then, and win your battle, Sephiroth." In a flash of green light I return to the immediate concerns of my compatriot's exquisite scarlet eyes, which regard me with frustration and anger.

"Sephiroth?" Asked Vincent, waving his hand steadily across the Mako-infused green irises of the taller man. "Are you there?"

"Er...uh.." He blinked. "Yes. Yes I am."

"Who were you talking to?" At the sound of Vincent's query, Sephiroth stiffened with alarm. "You sounded very....distraught."

"No way he's psychic," he thought as the vampire's eyes registered something similar to concern.

"I'm not, but Hojo's experimentation heightened my sensitivity. In a way, I am what can be called an 'empath'. So tell me, what happened during your mental vacancy?"

"Nothing that would interest you," snarled Sephiroth, shoving Vincent to the side and marching up to the clerk's desk. He emitted a growl of dissatisfaction at the sight of no available attendant. Hitting the bell's call-button, Sephiroth succeeded in driving it's metal base deep into the soft, pliant wood.

"Just a moment!" Cried a sharp voice as a loud crashing was heard. "Shit! I don't have the time for this, I've got customers!" The doors to the manager's office opened and a young, blond haired figure stepped out, sky-blue eyes blazing with obvious frustration at having dropped something so fragile.

"I apologize for my tardiness, sir. Welcome to the Nibelheim inn. My name is Cloud Strife, and I am the manager of this establishment. How may I help you today?" It was definitely the Cloud that had defeated Sephiroth those few months ago, from the sleeveless, ribbed turtleneck to the spiky, unkempt blond hair.

Sephiroth was only able to stare in shock at his former partner. "Cloud, is that really you?" He gasped as he pulled the man forward by grasping hold of his shirt. "I really missed you while I was gone!" He whispered, embracing his friend, much to the chagrin of the pokey-headed one.

"Um...do I know you?"

"Know me? Hah, why, we were in SOLDIER together three years ago. And last month, you had just killed me for trying to take care of the world?"

"What's SOLDIER...Mr...uhh...what did you say your name is?"

"Seph....Sephiroth," his words caved in as did his heart. This Cloud clearly did not know who "The Great Sephiroth" was or Shin-Ra's corporate force, SOLDIER. "Surely...you must remember me...?"

"I don't believe we have ever met before, Mr. Sephiroth. Now, will that be a single or a double?"

"Single or double?"

"Double, I guess." Instantly, Cloud's fingers flew across the desk and grabbed hold of the guest registry.

"That'll be 500 Gil and sign there please." Handing him the key, Cloud managed a strange smile. "You're in room two-fifty at the top of the stairs two your left, Tifa will show you where."

At the sound of her name, Tifa stepped out. Her supple, chesty body was encased within a French maid's outfit that looked all the more lurid than her suspender-and-tank-top-ensemble.

"Right this way, please." The two men followed her up the stairs and down the long, carpeted hallway.

"Psst..Vincent," whispered Sephiroth. "Something is really weird about this place."

"I agree, although 'weird' is a subjective term. I was in the parlor watching a very cultivated Cid playing chess with a like-minded Yuffie. Something is definitely out of place within this world," replied the shorter, black-haired man.

"They don't even know who we are!" He hissed in response, mind still reeling from the fact that he was unknown.

"Here we are, gentlemen; room two-fifty," said Tifa in a sweet, small voice. "It has a private bath and a view of our humble little village of Nibelheim. If it pleases you, dinner will be served in about an hour." She left quickly and quietly, shutting the door carefully behind her before padding down the stairs.

Sephiroth casually ran his fingers through his long, silvery hair as he stared at the moon through the portal of the balcony, his narrowed, electric green eyes flashing in response to the milky beams which radiated on the warm, wooden floor. "Whatever this quest may be," he pondered as the wind picked up and blew the gossamer curtains inside the room. "I am going to win. This time, I'm not going to screw up. I'm going to make you proud of me, Vincent."

"I think I'm going to take a shower," Sephiroth said suddenly. "So I can clean myself up for dinner later."

"Do as you will," Vincent replied, his scarlet eyes emoting nothing.

"Are you going to be all right here by yourself? I mean, this reality is so bizarre, I'm surprised we haven't met a homicidal Nanaki yet."

In spite of his misery, the vampire smiled at his companion's unintentional joke. "Yes, Sephiroth. There is no need to worry about me."

"Very well."

Sephiroth entered the small bathroom to find it more spacious than he imagined. The floor was crafted out of a certain type of wood that retained warmth regardless of the outside temperature, the shower and bath facilities were spacious and looked extremely comfortable. Sitting down on the comfortable, velour armchair, he pulled off his long boots before standing up. He reached up and removed his long, raven-colored trench coat before throwing it on the chair with an unceremonious "fwup". The coat had been a gift from Cloud two Christmases ago; it was also the same coat which Sephiroth was buried in, buttoned to cover the gaping hole that was carved so easily into the taut flesh of his chest. Tight leather shirt gave way to that very scar which was embossed on the once-flawless canvas.

Sephiroth's pants flew off just as fast, landing with one leg draping suggestively off the arm of the chair. Just as he slowly turned around to walk into the glass-enclosed shower, he noticed a full-body mirror.

He faced himself as he had countless times in the past. Yet, there was something so wrong about it on this occasion. The tall, nude figure stood glaring at him with the same piercing, leaf-colored eyes, scrutinizing his body for the invisible sins and crimes.

"Gods, no," Sephiroth sank to his knees and started weeping uncontrollably, for his consciousness had been revived by the long-term exposure to the effects of the Lifestream. The damning realization of what he had done in the past had caught up with him too suddenly, as if they could choose this time to haunt the man.

"You have sinned-committed thousands of transgressions. Even the ones you didn't know you've committed; those are the worst kind because you can't be certain of your role in them, you can only speculate," the image in the mirror spat at him as it began to incarnate itself into a body of flesh and blood.

"No! Stop!" Sephiroth begged, his tall, lithe form trembling with every word. "I know what I did...all of it!"
"Just how many people do you think died when section seven in Midgar detonated? That wouldn't have happened had you not sought out Jenova deep within the bowels of Hojo's laboratory!"
The figure in the mirror seized the opportunity and stepped out of its crystalline prison. It stepped forward menacingly, not heeding its state of dress, nor the fact that it was molded in Sephiroth's image.

He crouched beside Sephiroth without warning and began to casually stroke the man's cock. "You know what you did in Nibelheim-you turned an innocent boy's hometown into ash in front of his very eyes! You killed Zack because he was right about you losing your mind! Your murdered Tifa's loving father in that reactor! Why, you nearly destroyed the planet and all of its inhabitants when you summoned that...that abomination! I know these things to be true, because I was with you when you caused them!"
The tears flew freely from Sephiroth's eyes, even as his own organ grew ever harder in the relentless grasp of the evil image. He could not help but moan in pleasure, even though his mind was submerged in greater psychological pain.

"Yeah, Sephiroth! Pain has always been a turn-on for you, especially that of Vincent Valentine's," the image hissed through clenched teeth. "He was a child of Jenova like you, through no fault of his own! Not only did that hurt him enough as it was, but when he sought you out for comfort and support, you abandoned him!"

"No...I would never...I could never hurt Vincent," he whimpered, feeling his passion accumulate in his most private of regions.

"O, but you did! And he sealed himself for three decades of silence as a result of you shunning him! The image slowly stretched out his own legs behind him, bringing his lips into direct contact with the engorged penis of the tormented victim. Licking the head, he pulled back and rapidly shook his head from side to side; his hair in face blurring into nothingness before reconfiguring its visage to that of Vincent's.

He touched his tongue to the head of his captive's cock, then looked up, a wildly insane grin on his face.

"What's that matter? I thought you wanted me this way? Here I am, your Vincent, your obedient and submissive little whore!" Exclaimed the Vincent-image as he clamped his mouth around Sephiroth's throbbing length, swallowing him whole.

The silver-haired man could not stop his piteous sobbing, which was drowned out by his low, drawn out moans, which his captor savored greatly. The dark-Vincent suddenly stroked his tongue along the underside of his member, causing Sephiroth to entangle his hands in the soft, dark waves with cascaded over his lap. Giving a mighty roar, he reared back his head as his body shot the core of its essence into his image's eager mouth.

"Sephiroth?! Is anything wrong?" Asked the real Vincent after knocking on the door lightly.

The image vanished then, as if it has never been there to torment the flesh and the soul with such vengeance.. Yet, the former SOLDIER was still beside himself with emotion; his wails begged for his vocal chords to release them, but his pride was too great to allow him to comply with their demands. Composing himself as best he could, Sephiroth whimpered a bit more before replying.

"Y...yeah, Vincent. I just got some shampoo in my eyes. I'll be out in a few minutes, okay?"

"Take your time."

With that, Sephiroth entered his shower and tried his best to wash away his painful sins.

As his companion was bathing, Vincent made his way out to the open balcony and stared at the moon in the same way Sephiroth had been.

"Oh Aeris," he thought as he sat down on one of the chairs. "Why did you, of all people, bring me to him?"

"Because, Vincent, I had no choice in the matter," she replied, her figure taking form before his ruby-tinctured irises. "Were I to have my choice, I would not have taken you from this life."

"Why not?"

"Cloud loves you too much to deliver the love of his heart into the hands of his greatest enemy."

"Sephiroth and he were close friends once. And I know that Cloud doesn't love me."

"That isn't true!"
"It is. After all, he knew that I came to Sephiroth willingly," he replied, smiling a waning smile. "Anyway, Aeris, what is our mission here?"

"Oh, it sounds harder than it really is," Aeris giggled. "But I have great confidence in both of you! In the past, everyone's life was touched...or rather, derailed in some way by Sephiroth's actions. Your ultimate goal is to stop him from summoning meteor. With the exception of my own life, your must prevent him from upsetting the normal flow of your teammate's lives After accomplishing this, the Lifestream will restore you both to the realm of the living. However, there is one other setback."

"Which is...?"
"None of your former teammates know either of you. In this life, you two did not exist. So, don't try to recruit them," Aeris warned, her large, round eyes narrowing. "Doing so will ruin their new lives."

"One last question before you leave, Aeris," Vincent implored, offering a smirk.

"Anything," she gently responded.

"What is Cid in this world?"

"A social psychologist who takes his tea at high noon." Then, she was gone, leaving Vincent's sullen expression to face the moon once more.

The sound of footsteps behind him caused Vincent to turn around to catch sight of Sephiroth, who stood there, completely naked save for a scrap of a towel wound around his waist. His long, milky silver hair hung behind him and steadily dripped water off into a puddle which collected near his feet.

At the sight of Vincent's shocked crimson irises, the taller, more powerful man struck a devious grin. "Come on, Vincent, you've seen me naked before."

"Yes, but that was when we found your body encased within that crystal. This is much different."

"How different?" He asked, hooking his thumb into the towel and drawing it off with great flourish. Sephiroth's firm body glistened with slow droplets of the water that cascaded down his taut flesh; droplets that continued to race down his skin as he flexed all of the muscles in his body in various poses. "I like it when I'm watched," breathed Sephiroth. "Especially you."

Vincent's cheeks immediately turned the color of his cape before he responded to his companion's obvious advance. "W..what did you say?" He grew uncomfortable as his partner drew closer and placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder, smiling all the while.

"I said that I like to be watched when I'm wearing this much...particularly by you," came the larger man's matter-of-fact reply.

Again, Vincent blushed deeply as he grasped Sephiroth's arm and gently pried it off his body. "Sephiroth, this is really making me uncomfortable. Can you just get dressed so we can go to dinner?" He turned away and walked into the bathroom, shutting the door behind him.

"Why are you so uncomfortable with this?"

"What, you standing naked five inches in front of me?"

"Yes."

"Why do you ask?"
"Er...it's nothing...forget I ever said anything," mumbled Sephiroth as the audible sound of a zipper being fastened reverberated around the bathroom's walls.

"Ready!" He said, stepping out of the water closet in full leather regalia. His outfit shone as if it were freshly polished and his hair was neatly tied back with only a few strands out of place, like the milky beams of the moon streaming gently across his beautiful face. "I'm hungry! Let's go eat!"

"Okay," replied the vampire as he followed his partner out the door and down the stairs towards the dining room. He remained at a respectful distance, even when the two were seated at a table by the window overlooking Nibelheim's water pump.

"May I take your drink orders, sirs?" Asked Tifa, who now wore an immaculate waitress' uniform which kept her bust under control.

"Sake," said Sephiroth as casually as if he was asking for the correct time. His bright, green eyes returned the menu and continued to scan down the list of the succulent dishes. "An older vintage, if you can."

"Very good, and you, sir?"

"Water, please."

Tifa returned five seconds later, a large brown bottle and two glasses impeccably perched on her tray. Setting them down, she filled Sephiroth's small glass with the milky liquid before placing Vincent's water down in front of him.

"Gentlemen, have we reached a decision on what we're going to eat tonight?" She smiled as she withdrew a small pad and pencil from her apron and pulled it to the ready.

"I'll have the filets mignons as well as the shrimp," said Sephiroth, handing her the menu before turning his gaze on Vincent, who seemed to be having trouble in making up his mind. "Come on, Vincent. Money is no object; order anything you'd like!"

"I don't know....there's so much food..."

"How about we order you something really fattening...you look kind of hungry."

"All right," he seemed to consider his companion's promise of unlimited money as he perused the menu once more. "I'll think I'll have the vegetable soup." He said resolutely as he returned the menu, despite Sephiroth's shocked look.

"As you wish, sir. Your dinners will be ready in a few moments." Then, as quickly as she arrived, she scurried off to attend to Yuffie and Cid, who were locked in a heated debate over a game of chess.

"No, Dr. Highwind, the knight moves in an "L"-shaped path, like so."

"I see. Thank you for explaining that to me, my dear. And now that I know how to move the horse...checkmate!"

"Professor, how do you do it?"

"Elementary, my dear Miss. Kisaragi. Simply elementary."

"Look at them," remarked Vincent, taking a small sip from his water. "It's as if she isn't a kleptomaniac, and he isn't ill-mannered."

"They are remarkable....and to think, this is what they've become without my ever touching there lives," Sephiroth sighed as he refilled his glass of sake. "It would be better if I have never existed."

"Please, Sephiroth, don't say that. Why, without you, Cloud would never be what he is."

"Hah," he laughed a sarcastic, monotone laugh after emptying his sake down his throat, refilling it a third time. "Cloud is just a boy...he never loved me, he couldn't."

"Then explain to me why I caught him kissing your photograph?"

"He did not!"

"Yes, he did. And he seemed to be very frantic to hide it, I might add."

"Lust is different than love, Vincent. You of all people should know that...especially with Lucrecia," he swallowed his fourth vessel of sake and glared at the shock carved on his companion's alabaster face. "She led you to believe she loved you, then she slept with Hojo, thus creating me. Think of it, beautiful one. I might have been your son! Imagine that, 'The Great Sephiroth' the offspring of some genetic experiment! Ha-ha!"

"Please stop, Sephiroth," Vincent's entire frame trembled as the unpleasant bitterness of the memories.

"Oh, dear vampire, you know it's true! Lucrecia was working with Hojo all along; she never cared for you, she only cared about gaining the research data from your body as it writhed on her examination table."

"N...no...it wasn't like that!"

"Oh, but it was! You're nothing but a Jenova puppet!"

"Jenova is dead!"

"Hardly. After I died, she was purged from me. Lucrecia and Hojo are also dead as well. You, Vincent Valentine, are the last remaining Jenova specimen."

His tears were now evident as he buried his face in his hands and wept uncontrollably; his sobs echoed throughout Sephiroth's drunken mind, but had no effect on the man's dulled brain. Vincent's claw appeared on the table, curled into a fist, then promptly scratched the soft, pliant wood of the table.

"Damn you, Sephiroth.... damn you to Hell!" Vincent stood up and sprinted out of the dining room, weeping silently as his myrthil-plated boots stomped up the stairs and into the bedroom.

"Sheesh...what a baby!" He remarked loudly as he finished his dinner, than swallowed the remainder of Vincent's soup. He belched before beckoning to Tifa for the bill.

Cid and Yuffie turned to stare at him in unison. "Completely uncivilized," he remarked as he finished his cup of coffee.

"Completely."

Hearing this, Sephiroth wheeled on them, leather coat swirling behind him. Extending his arm, he slowly raised his middle finger and stuck it out mere inches from their faces before limping up the stairs.

"It's amazing how much society has collapsed these days," said Cid as he bit into his scone. "It really is quite atrocious."