[ sephiroth takes no more than a few steps before cloud swings the practice sword up between them like a shield, hand steady in spite of his confusion and uncertainty. ] Remember you? I just fought you, I don't think I'll be forgetting that anytime soon.

[ that doesn't seem right somehow, though. sephiroth is usually so arrogant, so smug with him, like he knows things.. knows things about cloud that cloud can't hope to know about himself. the look on his face hasn't been this placid, this harmless since--

--since--

--since before. ]

What is this? [ he adjusts his stance, chin lifting, daring sephiroth to make the first move, to drop this stupid game. ] What do you want? You already know I won't join you.