Chapter Nine

I walked into the house as Leonard, Graceona, and Loz ate their breakfast. I walked over to the seat I stood up from, taking a seat. Loz looked at me with a sigh. "Look, Zoo, maybe you should hear Kadaj's side of the story. Graceona suspected she felt Sephiroth in your room last night." He looked at me, concerned. "With you growing weak, and Kadaj's sudden mood swings. Yeah, I know Kadaj is a pain, but think about it. Kadaj was doing fine with his temper until last night. We have all been doing great. You're married. Kadaj was happy, and I feel normal but if we don't figure out what is going on here. What if one of us resurrects Sephiroth, not meaning to? He needs a willing host and I'm worried that he will use either you or Kadaj." I looked at him. "Leonard seems to think that Sephiroth is turning us against each other, or to make us doubt our abilities at living and bring him back. You know, if we gave him the chance to weaken us, he could easily come back and start another war. I don't want to see my boss hurt, or that nice girl that is always kind to me. Marlene, Denzel, Kourtney. Everyone I love and care about would be in danger because we grew weak, forgot where we came from. Forgot everything we did to build ourselves up. I don't want to see those I love in danger. I'm sure you feel the same way about Sierra, and the way Kadaj feels about Autumn. All three of us have come too far to turn back to that road. People love us and respect us. I don't want to throw all that aside, not because of a moment of weakness."

I sighed, looking at Graceona. "You felt Sephiroth in my room last night? Why didn't you say anything then?" She looked at me, opening her mouth to speak, only for Leonard to interrupt.

"I mentioned it last night while talking to Kadaj. He had said that not every decision that he makes is Sephiroth-related. I believed it. Though throughout the night, while the three of you slept, Grace and I stayed awake watching and waiting, waiting to see what was going to happen. That's why we stayed the night instead of going home. The later it got in the night, the presence seemed to disperse. However, it didn't all fade away. As Loz stated earlier, Kadaj was gone. Then he came back. The presence faded when Kadaj left. The house had a peaceful aura. But when Kadaj returned, he didn't come back alone. I believe he is unaware of the surrounding presence, but Sephiroth seems to have already found his host. Now he's waiting for the perfect chance to take over, I believe he is suffering, from the events of last night but because of the constant mind games he endures, I can't imagine how much suffering he is going through behind the scenes, so that's why I'm going to call my father and have him look after Kourt until we can get this sorted out. I will not leave the three of you until I know you will be well without us being here."

Before another word could be spoken, the front door opened and closed as Kadaj walked into the room. We all looked at him. His clothes clinging to him like a second skin, his hair soaked. "Is my plate still on the counter?" he asked, as Leonard stood up, walked to the stove, handing him the plate. Kadaj looked at him and smiled. As Leonard motioned for him to take the seat that he once occupied, Kadaj did as he was told.

Leonard leaned against the counter as Graceona sighed. "Well, there goes our shopping trip. Bummer." She leaned forward, resting her elbows on the wooden surface, as she cleared her throat. "Kadaj, what has gotten into you? Leonard forgives you as well as I do. But you are still taking it pretty rough. Is there something that you want to share with us? Get your mind clear of whatever it is cluttered with?"

Kadaj looked at her, swallowing his food, his focus, then went to Leonard, who was now looking at him. "I know I hurt you, Leonard. I'm sorry I don't know what came over me. I saw Yazoo in the shape he was in and I lost it. I took it out on you, and I shouldn't have. You were willing to sacrifice the things that you would fight to keep, just to be with us, to help us. Instead of welcoming you into the group, as you welcomed us into your family. I cared, but something was holding me back. I couldn't control my mood. It felt that someone else had taken over. I couldn't control my actions."

Leonard looked at Kadaj and asked. "Was it Sephiroth? Is he the one you felt?"

"No, it was different. It felt like someone else entirely. I know Sephiroth, I know his voice, his presence, but what I felt last night. It was someone new, someone, I had never met before. The voice was different." He looked at Leonard, who looked at him. "It felt like someone else, but they looked like you. After you three left us alone, there was this man. He looked like you. But it wasn't you. He was kind and gentle. After Yazoo was asleep, this man had talked to me. He stood at the side of Yazoo's bed, watching him sleep, stroking his head. But it appeared I was the only one to notice him."

Leonard looked at him, taken aback. "No, that's not possible." Leonard looked at the ground.

"Leonard?" Loz's calling him caused the older man to look at him. "Do you know this man?"

"He's someone I once knew. He's someone that I had lost during the war with Sephiroth and JENOVA. Nicolae, we had wandered off to investigate ShinRa Manor. We were the ones who found Vincent. But it couldn't be him. Nicolae was later taken by Rufus' father and he was killed when the labs blew up. Nicolae was my twin brother, my younger brother."

I looked at Graceona, who looked at the table with a sigh. "Leonard, it is possible that Kadaj is telling the truth. Nicolae could be like my father, a soul that refuses to rest. He died tragically."

Leonard looked at her. "How did you?"

"You wandered off quite a bit, once we reached the labs. I had always followed you, with my father roaming around, and you wandering around. I did double time protecting you, it seemed. I found you in Hojo's lab, with a bloody, dying Nicolae in your arms. I'll remember that time until my final day. You promised him you would get revenge, not on my father, but on the ones that had caused his death. However, he didn't want that. He pleaded with you not to take action. To live, to be free, and happy. I suppose he refuses to rest because he sees you are not happy, or free. The Leonard he knew is to him, trapped somewhere, and he is not after the Leonard he grew up with and loved, but this version of you, seeing you as someone he possibly detested in his lifetime, everything he had detested, you had grown into. And he is angry, saddened, every emotion going in overdrive, stopping him from seeking the rest that he needs, seeing that you are once again the person who he loved, and the person who he gave his life to protect."

I noticed a tear fall from Leonard's eye. "But why attack Yazoo, and manipulate Kadaj? Why would he go after teenagers if he has something against me?"

"Nicolae didn't attack either of them, Leonard. Kadaj said that he was kind and gentle, possibly easing Yazoo's pains. Kadaj said that he had given him company after the three of us left, tending to Yazoo." Graceona corrected, then looked at me. "Did you see anyone there with you after Kadaj left, or at any time last night?"

"No, but while I was lying on the bed. My headache went away. The atmosphere was calming. I didn't want to leave it until Loz burst through the door. The serenity was gone. I never fell asleep. After Kadaj walked out of the room, I was enveloped in a feeling of sweet peace."

"It seems the only person Nicolae is after is you, Leonard." Graceona looked at him.

"But Kadaj's manipulation? How do you explain that?"

"Because how else was he going to get to you? He left the boys in peace. He's not after them. He wants the change from this to the brother that he loved." Graceona sighed. "Nicolae isn't Sephiroth. He left Kadaj and Yazoo in peace. They are alive and well. I'm not going to say that there isn't another spirit causing this confusion. Or just the train wreck that is Kadaj's mind. None of us are oblivious to his inner struggles. That has always been a given."

Leonard sighed. "None of this is logical. Why would he care so much as to roam just to make sure I've stayed the same?"

"Dude, this is Midgar Edge, a town where logic is tossed out the window." Graceona sighed. "You know how I feel about your change, and I'm not even your blood family. I detest it. So, Nicolae saw what his brother had become. He's more than likely not the happiest spirit in LifeStream, so either you change or this is going to continue to happen until you do. That is made obvious."

Graceona stood up, took her empty plate to the sink, washing it. She looked at me. "Now our Sephiroth theories are mowed down." She looked at Leonard. "You have your own choice to make. The boys are well and good. Sephiroth isn't here. They are safe, honestly, with the report that they have given. Nicolae is holding down this fort. We can relax for this report, thankfully."

Leonard looked at her with a sigh. "I suppose we can go home then."

"I suppose so." Graceona smiled, as she looked at me.

"You boys coming along for the ride?" Leonard asked as he looked at Kadaj, who looked at him.

"You mean it's alright if I come?"

"Yeah, go get some dry clothes on, we'll get you and Loz some new ones on the way home, it would seem that Grace has an itch to shop, and there will be shopping since the markets are indoors, in Kalm, we men might as well enjoy the trip because once Grace has this itch, she's not backing down."

Loz and Kadaj sighed, as the two of them went to prepare to move. Graceona laughed, as Leonard sat down in the chair across from me to wait on my brothers.