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[It seems like a calm sight at first. Vincent walks towards the ShinRa Mansion after a long day, still wielding Cerberus but ready to cash in for the night. He passes through the gate, to the front door, and...

Pop! Out comes a SOLDIER zombie, foaming at the mouth and screaming. The sudden monster catches the ex-Turk off guard, a hard blow slamming him into the closed gate. With his altered body, the attack is no majour problem, but... something else seems to be happening. A crimson light engulfs his form, two dark, torn wings snapping and cracking out of his back, the rest of his body shifting and convulsing into something less than human.

The creature is on all-fours now, snarling and snipping at the monster and moving forward with breakneck speed. Its claws lash out, with no need for a gun or any other weapon. It's eager to fight, eager to destroy. The other monster is ripped apart almost entirely, what's left of its body clumpling to the ground in a smoldering heap.

Groaning at a bright white light in its chest, Chaos reverts back to Vincent, the worn man standing in the battlefield gasping for breath. If it had been anybody else, it would've been a terrifying experience.

Exhausted, disoriented, and just plain confused, he falls back against the gate again, slipping into unconsciousness.]

[He'll wake to reply, but he won't be too coherent right now.]

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[Hazel watched him closely but, didn't argue. She was more willing to let him be now that they were away from the immediate danger of being surprised by a random monster... and letting him walk was easier than trying to control an unmastered spell or bringing the boat in through a big window and dumping him on the couch.]

It's not a waste if it's necessary.

[She supposed bringing up Sora and Frog would have been blackmail and resisted the childish urge to mention it.]

[It was worth a try.

He manages to pull himself over the side of the boat, leaping off the vessel and onto his feet next to it. It's obvious the movement is a bit more strenuous than at first glance, but he's determined to keep it from showing. He walks forward, one hand still running on the side of the boat, but the change in his breathing, and the stiff way he moves is enough incentive to get inside quickly.]

You've seen what I can do and you still don't avoid me. Why do you exert such generosity?

[She noticed that he seemed to be having a bit of trouble but, didn't move to walk next to him. If he was gonna fall it was more likely that she'd be squished than be of any help. This was one of those times she wished that she wasn't so small.

She was startled by his question and took a long moment to try answering.]

We're friends, right?

[She almost felt physically with what she said next.]

But, there's a crazy reason I'm not scared of you.

[She kinda hoped she hadn't said that loud enough for him to hear but, expected that she did.]

[He stops abruptly, eyes wide and in disbelief of what he'd just heard. With it came a tinge of sadness, though he kept his face carefully blank.]

...friends?

[Quickly shaking it off, he addresses her other comment.]

And what would that be?

[His disbelief at being called a friend was saddening but, she was distracted from that by his next question.]

It's... complicated. Maybe we should go inside first.

[She really hoped he wasn't going to push it immediately.]

[Numbly, he nods and follows silently, running out of boat to cling to and wobbling on his feet a bit as they reached the front door.]

[Hazel shivered a bit as she entered the house. She hadn't noticed how cold it was outside before now. Seeing as the couch was the most convenient resting place at the moment she headed to that first and wondered if now was the best time for this conversation.]

[After so long laying in the coffin, he'd lost all sense of hot or cold, his body strengthening against both. So when Hazel shivered, he simply walked in and sat down carefully, leaning over his knees. He would wait for her to say something first before responding.]

[Hazel sat down in a nearby chair. Several times she opened her mouth but, closed it without saying anything. She clearly didn't want to be having this conversation. She wasn't really sure if there was a good way to bring it up.]

I've... I've always thought that things that are told as stories... exist as reality, somewhere.

[She paused, brought her knees to her chest and rested her chin on them.]

I guess I know it now.

[He looks up silently, waiting for her to continue. There wasn't much he had to say just yet, and it was rude to interrupt when she was clearly uncomfortable. But he listens intently, nodding and urging her to keep going.]

[She's not really looking at him anymore. She had planned to tell him but, thought she'd have more time to think of what she would say.]

When I first got here and met Sephiroth... I thought I was dreaming.

I didn't think I'd ever see if my belief was true.

[His head bows, his eyes closing in thought.]

I never would have imagined meeting Lucrecia's son here, either. I never would have imagined ever having to meet him.

[She shifts to look at him. She wondered... Was he really accepting what she said so easily? Did he understand it? She closed her eyes, suddenly feeling drained. Not knowing what else to say, she waited.]

How do you know about Sephiroth?

[His tone is quiet, but filled with purpose.]

Tell me... who are you, really?

[She cracked her eyes open.]

A story... that turned out to be real, somewhere.

[She didn't say anything else right away. She was looking in his direction but, not really seeing him. Who was she?]

I'm... no one important.

[She didn't know what he expected. She was what she appeared to be. A teenager that happened to be training in a dying art.]

Just someone who was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

[He bows his head enough that his hair covers his face. His tone remains carefully stotic, drained of all life.]

What exactly do you know about him?

[Hazel closed her eyes again. She should have expected something like this. It almost made her want to cry.]

More than I want to.

[She really didn't want to be having this conversation... again.]

[He sighs gently, watching Hazel's reaction. He didn't want this conversation either, but...

He had to know. He had to know the extent of his mistake.]

Hazel... please. What do you know?

[She wasn't sure where to start. The details were kinda fuzzy but, she felt she should try to explain at least some of what she knew.]

I don't know everything but, I'll try.

[She didn't bother with trying to remember what he would already know.]

He is... the result of an experiment. Something with Jenova cells while he was still in the womb. I don't really understand exactly what was done but, there should still be documents in the basement of the Shinra Mansion... though I think they might have been written when they still thought Jenova was an Ancient.

[She paused and looked at him for a long moment.]

I'm not really sure what's relevant to what you want to know.

[That much, he'd known. He had been the one to prevent it from happening, after all. The experiments, Hojo, the plans... but something hinted towards Hazel knowing so much more. He watched her carefully, contemplating a response.]

Is there... anything beyond that?

[There really wasn't anything else she could tell him about what Sephiroth is.]

Well, there were never any details about his childhood.

[And she'd rather not speculate on that. She fidgeted as she thought of what else to say.]

I guess... that just leaves the events that lead up to him going to Nibelhiem and what could have happened after if he hadn't ended up here.

[She thought he might have talked to Tifa about some of this but, she wasn't really sure.]

[His eyes close at that, feeling a bad premonition of what was coming. Injecting a child with Jenova's cells was never the best course of action, for anyone. He'd discovered the reports, and seen the man snap himself here.]

He attacked me a few months ago. With the power of Jenova, and her influence over his mind...

[He tries to stand, intending to walk into the next room, and away from Hazel.]

[Hazel is a bit startled when he tries to stand. She gets up out of the chair and takes a couple steps towards him.]

What are you doing?

{It was a lame question but, she didn't know what else to say.]

I shouldn't be here. I can't accept your kindness.

[His tone is barely audible, head bowed solemnly.]

[She knew he blamed himself but, never really understood his reasons.]

Why not?

[If he looked at her now, he would probably notice that she's trying not to cry.]

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