Sephiroth Enigma: ::A surreal intensification of energies, deceptively haphazard at first glance came as notice that a child of Jenova was soon to arrive. This evidence would be imperceptible to the vast majority of beings, unless through the veins of the one fated to receive the visit also coursed the kindred cells of the alien. Molecules too tiny to be spied by mortal eyes knit themselves together, and an organized cohesion began to take shape in the previously chaotic mass. Over a fleetingly short period of time, a screen of sorts, impossibly thin and fragile in it's appearance, approximately seven feet in height, and three in width became visible. A vertical rift was neatly split through what was now painfully evidenced to be a portal of supernatural origin by a flash of metallic silver, and in the same moment that it disappeared, a figure cloaked in black stepped forth from the chasm. First one, and then the other black Shinra boot on a slight platform set onto the floor, followed quickly by horrendously powerful legs, encased in the self same onyx armor. Perfect muscles woven into a neat, tight six pack could faintly be detected through the mysterious material made up of substances unknown to man that clung to each and every toned inch of him. Bare chest and nicely defined pectorals, the view of which was marred only slightly by the leather bands which crossed in an X pattern next came into view. Slim neck framed succinctly by the folded collar of the jacketed cape/trench supported his head, wickedly handsome features of his slightly pale visage being caressed over by locks of silver silk, arching up over and down from his brow. The rest of the silver mane hung carelessly down his back. His emerald orbs glowed eerily, almost menacingly, and Sephiroth quirked both a brow and the side of his mouth into a smirk as he settled them onto his partner.::

Tiph Nightshade: ::Light was cast gently over the soldier's seated figure by the sun, rapidly retreating back to slumber behind the blanket of majestic mountains in the distance. The dusky sunset was dramatically hued, rich pink and purple shades blended with burnt orange to paint the sky alive, an overdone fanfare to see the day off and welcome in the night. Shapeless random sunbeams flit to rest softly on the tips of the long, lush, luxurious lashes, upset from their perches as she blinked from time to time, only to be replaced by a new crop of the bits of nothing, this pattern continuing until it became too dark to see them anymore, and likewise, too dark for Tiphareth to bother to continue to read her book. Scowling softly, she marked her place, and set the aged volume down next to her, gently fingering the lovingly worn navy bindings. She was able to catch the very last glimpses of the breath taking sunset and sat back, relaxing slightly, her glowing prussian twins settling on the horizon, an amused thought as to why she never took a moment out of her day to appreciate nature nipping at her mind. She made no outward allusions to it during it's onset, but at that moment, as she gazed placidly into the vibrant display of the ushering in of twilight, her entire body was overtaken by a sensation something comparable to a tingle, the Jenova cells which defined her being alerted to the presence of more of their own. She knew this feeling marked the arrival of the only kindred being she had in all of existence, and smiled faintly, always welcoming his friendly, if not altogether unannounced and sudden visits. Turning to catch the metallic blur that was Masamune's tip slitting through the teleportation screen, her delicately defined muscles clenched all of their own accord beneath the comforting latch of her armored suit on her skin, and then relaxed again, merely one of the curious things that came over her when her partner drew closer. Equally as as enigmatic as he himself, was the curious bond they shared, and she shivered faintly as a chill washed through her, tiny goose bumps rising on her pallid flesh, yet another sign of his presence. She rose and stood patiently waiting until he had finished his exhibition, smiling as his eyes met with hers.::

Sephiroth Enigma: ::He caught up her right hand in his left, and deliberately placed a kiss on it's back, directly in the center of the inky tattoo of Roman numeral "2", his gaze never wavering from it's lock with hers. Releasing her hand gently, he set Masamune's tip against the ground, still clutching it's handle loosely in his right gloved hand, under which lied his own tattoo, Shinra's tag, the Roman numeral "1" in the same bold black. The sable cape that fell to midway between his ankles and knees rustled fluidly in the hint of a breeze that had begun, and he leaned on his katana lightly and smiled the faintest of smiles at her, his voice rising deep and rich from his throat. He was still in possession of a tone and sophisticated manner of speaking that had defied his age while growing up; now his years had finally caught up to match with them:: How fares my partner?

Tiph Nightshade: ::Her eyes danced at the kiss to her hand:: Who'd ever have imagined Sephiroth to be charming? ::She teased him gently and stepped closer, leaning up to return the greeting with a kiss to his cheek, accompanied by a warm embrace which had the effects of setting figurative flame to her alien cells while she was so close to him, ignited to restless life all the inhuman counterparts that characterized their genetically engineered race. Taking a step back again, she idly fingered over the hilt of the Masamune at her left hip, almost lovingly stroking down the smooth polished surface of the black materia orb there equipped, which had been a gift from her partner, so long ago while still living out what had become the last days of life on their home planet. Her thoughts snapped back to the present and she tugged him gently down next to her as she resumed her seat at the top of her Obelisk, platformed boot encased feet dangling carelessly over the edge of the fifty foot stone monolith.:: I am doing worlds better now, and yourself? ::Somewhat distractedly she removed each blade and set them to the side, taking the liberty of doing the same to his Masamune, the three nestled in a heap of gleaming metal and materia which softly hummed with power::

Sephiroth Enigma: Fine as always dearest. ::He settled down next to her, inclining his head towards her in a scant amount as he spoke:: But you know better than any that I am not one to exchange meaningless pleasantries. I came with a proposition for you to consider. Hojo, ::He glowered barely at the mention of him but never paused in his thought:: although he was a certifiable lunatic with twisted scientific pursuits, did perceive a few important truths. The first was his realization that our strength was to be unrivaled, and the second was the utility of pitting us against each other, knowing full well that there would be far superior results were we to train fighting against each other. I am sure you have noted, since arriving here, the pitiful gap in the chasm between our level of skill and that of all these other wretched creatures, and likewise, you must tire of effortlessly killing each and every pathetically weak fool who is daft enough to stand against you. ::At that point he hoisted her up and sat her in his lap so he could look directly into her shining eyes while making his point:: I require a combatant who is actually in the possession of skill, and that being you, dear. If for no other reason, then for the sake of old times, grace your partner with a spar?

Tiph Nightshade: ::Finding his cultured, mannered begging completely adorable, she grinned at him and instantly accepted:: When? Won't it be a little odd with no one to slip us a mickey when we're done? ::She smirked, nonchalantly making light of their adolescence spent in ShinRa labs with the cynical comparison of memory impairing injections they had received after each training session to a mickey. The purpose of the drug had originally been to hide the identity of their sparring partner, the scientists overseeing their development believing that they would command the best results from each of their specimens, if they believed they were unique, with no kindred spirits::

Sephiroth Enigma: ::He grimaced at the reference, knowing full well what she was mocking with the mickey comment. In a condescendingly sarcastic tone he followed up with:: That part will most definitely be missed, but if you like, after I have beaten you, I could offer a tempting consolation prize, and we will both feel much more fulfilled knowing exactly what the experience was like, down to the rawest, grimmest detail. And it will leave you with sensations much preferable to the after effects of the "mickey". ::He flashed a dazzling half smile, half smirk and awaited her reaction, having chosen those words with the express purpose of hinting at something which was far from what he was actually talking about::

Tiph Nightshade: Planning on winning then? ::She arched a brow the warm shade of chestnut brown and wove her fingers together behind her neck, resting her elbows on his shoulders as the delicate digits locked:: Are you quite sure you're going to beat me? You might be in for a little shock. When did you get so cocky? ::The characteristic Tiphareth smirk came into play the second after "cocky" slipped over her lips:: And let's just say if, and I stress the IF, you do happen by some fluke of a chance, to win, what's this swell consolation prize? Should I be asking Darrian's permission before going along with it? I didn't know you were such a dirty minded boy... and that's not going to win you any mercy... ::She trailed off, playing every bit as he was now, knowingly going along with the game; catching these two in this kind of mood was rare only because they were next to never a public spectacle, each with their own appreciation for privacy.::

Sephiroth Enigma: Not as if it was something you have never done before, dear. I assume that your husband could not even begin to care less, as he had no qualms with it when last it took place. Truthfully, I think you are reading a little too far into an innocent dip in Mako. As far as I am concerned it sounds like nothing but heaven after what will be the first challenging battle either of us has had in by far too long. ::A wave of his hand and the over world theme of their realm of origin in full orchestral richness of sound began to lay it's haunting melody over the air. He smiled faintly, glancing up at the midnight blue blanket of sky, dotted with more tiny specks of silver stars with each passing minute.:: And what makes you think I am going to be in need of mercy?

Tiph Nightshade: Oh you will be, trust me. ::She punched him playfully in the gut and then vaulted backwards, down the fifty feet to the polished stone floor below, flipping effortlessly end over end a few times to add a bit of flair to her descent. She landed neatly, silently on her feet, knees bending to cushion the impact. She called to her blades which flew instantly to her awaiting hands, and then proceeded to murmur a spell which caused a ring of torches to appear around the edge of the circle of ebony marble, and two gleaming silver rings, with a diameter of roughly four feet, to appear on the floor, a distance of twenty feet apart from each other. These serving as the starting points for their spar, and she took her place on the nearest one to her. She unsheathed each Masamune and tossed the protective coverings aside, and out beyond the perimeter of the ring, and looked up to the top of the Obelisk expectantly, calling up to Sephiroth with a catty tinge to her voice as she took a battle ready stance and hardened her features:: Shall we?

Sephiroth Enigma: ::Sephiroth turned as he rose to his feet swiftly, and leapt from the obelisk's top in a fashion that was more practical compared to her showy dismount. Feet close together and back perfectly straight, he cut through the air like a well sharpened knife, aimed directly at the unoccupied ring of silver. The wind whipped his cape and hair about, his speed increasing with each added length of his plummet. Approximately ten feet from the floor, he extended his arms to either side, slowing the rate of his descent dramatically, and landed very softly on the balls of his feet, knees bending a bit before he straightened himself back out, bringing Masamune, which had been held in his right hand the entire while, to it's ready position, held to one side, the hilt a few scant inches from his face and clasped in both hands. The gently curving seven foot blade was held in a horizontal position, parallel with the ground, and pointed directly at Tiphareth:: Ladies first.. ::He smirked and waited::

Tiph Nightshade: ::Her eerily glowing twins narrowed dangerously, and a spiteful glare pulled over her features, not to contradict her affection for her partner in the slightest, but merely because she took every fight quite seriously, be it a spar or a situation where she deliberately set out to kill her opponent. This was what she always did, and how she always acted and appeared when it came to these types of things. She rocked back onto her left foot for a moment to gather the bit of momentum it took to launch herself forward, springing from her right, the svelte toned body sailing straight at him almost too quickly to be seen. She swung her left blade in a neat arc to banish his to the side and out of her way, so as not to be impaled as she approached him, and brought up a knee to hopefully collide with his gut, just to the left of the medallion, with force enough to knock him off balance and send him sprawling out onto his ass, the top half of her body slightly curled around and over his left shoulder, right Masamune held lax for now in her hand.:: Ya like that?

Sephiroth Enigma: ::Not expecting the knee to the gut, he was taken slightly off guard and only had a fraction of a moment to harden his abdominals before grunting softly and falling backwards onto his back with the impact, taking her with him. He smirked faintly as his left hand left Masamune, which had been knocked to the side with a harsh clang of metal on metal to leave her untouched, knowing that unless she did something quick, her head was soon to collide with the polished stone floor. He deftly removed her knee from his stomach and waited for the satisfying thunk of her head and the ground::

Tiph Nightshade: Have I ever told you what a comfy cushion you make? ::Her words were a hushed murmur as she shoved an elbow against the crook of his chin to push herself down and pivoted her head to nestle against his chest, a spot much preferable when compared with age old marble as a resting place. She sat up quickly after using his body to lessen the impact of them hitting the ground, and pinned his arms down by setting a knee roughly in each of his elbows and threw the right Masamune into the air, freeing her hand to bring it aimed to connect squarely with his jaw in a tightly clenched fist:: Tiphy one, Sephy zilch.. or is it two nothing now?

Sephiroth Enigma: ::He used his right leg as a pivot and the left to push off the ground sending himself into a spin meant to dislodge his arms and upset her balance. As soon as the knee was jolted from it's pin of his left arm, he took a firm hold of her shin in his hand and threw her off in the same general direction of his spin, having twisted a bit more than a quarter turn. Her fist caught air rather than his jaw and he turned so he could watch how far she flew, muttering:: Not the face... One one, and what is this here? ::He stretched up his left hand and caught her sword:: Always wanted another of these. ::He was on his stomach by this point and got up, a Masamune in each hand::

Tiph Nightshade: ::She skidded across the floor on her left side and shielded her face with the palm of her right hand; as it slid across the inky polished marble swirled with bits of silver the friction built to the point of her beginning to bleed just as she came to a stop finally, and sprawled out onto her back with a wheeze for a moment, before catching her breath and kipuping.:: That's gonna cost you. ::She wiped the blood off, brushing her hand over her hip, and eying her pilfered sword, glared and began an elemental fire spell. A frenzy of alien incantation almost spat from her lips as a ball of crimson and topaz flame gathered above her outstretched and bloodied hand. When her spell was done, it had grown to reach a diameter of a foot and a half. She growled softly and sent it hurtling at his chest, crossing her arms over her own and setting the point of her sole Masamune into the ground::

Sephiroth Enigma: ::The flaming mass caught him square in the chest and he winced as his skin was singed, the stench of slightly roasted flesh wafting up to harshly accost his nostrils, and pain searing through his thoughts as he blistered and burned. The fire dissipated and left him charred and black. Gritting his teeth he almost snarled:: Luckily for you I never scar. ::With that he threw her sword back at her, rather than to her, it's well sharpened tip headed straight for her right hip with a considerable amount of force::

Tiph Nightshade: ::She saw it coming and almost on an impulse, determining the velocity of her sword hurling through the air at her subconsciously, she tapped it's tip with the blunt edge of the other sword at the perfect moment to send it whistling through the air end over end in a 90? change of direction, and calmly snatched it's handle to abruptly end the whirling silver ring before her. She bowed sardonically, her arms poised gracefully to either side, each Masamune upturned to the starry sky, the torches' flames gleaming off the polished and thus far bloodless metal.::

Sephiroth Enigma: ::He clapped mockingly and, gingerly rubbing his scorched chest with his left hand for a moment, awaited her counter, Masamune raised before him in a moderately relaxed hold::

Tiph Nightshade: ::She took in a quick breath and then rushed him, endlessly quick on her feet, nimbly launching herself up and over him, the left twin Masamune met with his while she was upside down above his head, her stomach almost grazing the tip of his sword before she edged it aside. She proved her expertise with her own katanas; Tiphareh was raised on this kind of fighting, and being trained in it had been all she had done as a child. She brought the right Masamune in a deft little slice down his side, force enough to penetrate the armor of his suit, and alert his nerves to the "nick"::

Sephiroth Enigma: ::He spun to face her and watched her blade come away bloodied, his face barely revealing his pain. He denied the thought almost horrendously easily, being able to withstand far above and beyond what an ordinary human would, and in vengeance, non expression set into his features, with a flurry of motion, attempted the carving of a perfect "S" into her left leg. Not to be too deeply etched into the sumptuous muscle, merely an inch or so.::

Tiph Nightshade: That stings.. ::She growled softly at him through clenched teeth, dropping one sword to clasp her hand to her alphabetical wound as it drizzled a steady stream of sapphire blood down her leg. Without notice, she called it back to her hand, and with twin katanas came bearing down on him. She brought them down side by side with an unheard of amount of strength directly to the point just above his armored plates in his right shoulder::

Sephiroth Enigma: ::Reflexes serving him well, he met her Masamunes with his own, and stood in something like a power struggle as their blades locked, muscles clenching, and a distracted smirk finding its way to his face. As a fine bead of sweat trickled slowly down his brow, brilliantly shining Mako enhanced emeralds literally heated the area around his face by a few degrees as they radiated the toxic bits at an inconceivable rate. Sephiroth lived for moments precisely like this one. Finally finding a challenge after so long, he was content to an extreme. He regretted thinking it, and more so regretted it as he did it, sweeping his leg behind both of hers to knock her to the ground, and was careful to kick her swords from her hands as she fell. He made the motions of stepping lightly onto her chest, his foot pressing down diagonally across her collarbones with pressure enough to render her immobile.:: I have had enough, and you dear?

Tiph Nightshade: ::She coughed a bit and clutched at his foot which was almost on her throat, a lopsided grin pulling at her delicate cheek muscles though she was fighting to keep a stern face. She writhed around on the ground until an idea came into her head. Curling her body, she brought up a knee and pitted it to the back of his, rolling to the opposite side so that he would land on the ground and not her.::

Sephiroth Enigma: ::Not expecting that, down he went, cushioning his fall with his arms after tossing Masamune aside, biting into his lip when the impact pressed them into his charred chest. He turned his head to her and almost laughed at the grin, smirking lightly.:: Since we're both on the ground now I think that should be good reason to stop.

Tiph Nightshade: Yep. Knocked you on your ass, sliced up your side and burnt your pretty pecs. My work here is done. ::She hopped to her feet and stepped over to him, extending her right hand to help him up after throwing each Masamune in the general direction of where she had left their sheathes.::

Sephiroth Enigma: Not to mention the graceful slide across the ground, charming "S" in your leg, or neat footprint on your neck that could be spotted a mile away.. ::He took her hand, and noting the bloody palm, grasped her wrist instead to pull himself to his feet, Masamune flying into his other hand. He fingered gently over the scrape and smiled faintly at her.:: I will just have to take care of this.

Tiph Nightshade: Only if you let me return the favor. ::She closed her eyes slowly and began the verse of healing in their shared alien tongue, a small smile tugging at her lips at the refreshing thought that both parties could discern the hypnotic words. Traipsing her hand which was now surrounded by a warm and soothing azure glow over his burnt skin, after a few minutes the flesh returned to it's previously flawless state, and she repeated the process to the spot that was trickling blood at his side. The suit sealed itself as soon as the wound had been knit back together.::

Sephiroth Enigma: ::He mouthed his thanks and repeated the verse as the glow faded slowly from her hand. He kept his eyes open and pressed his hand to hers, green healing energies flowing into her through the contact of their skin, and soon the wound had vanished. He brushed his hand across her collarbone, erasing that mark as well, and lastly, bent a bit to delicately trace his finger over the "S" he'd left in her leg, sealing it up seamlessly, and easing away any pain that had lingered as well.:: Mako?

Tiph Nightshade: Yes please. But you didn't win. I'd call that a draw. ::She linked her elbow with his, leaning her head lightly on his shoulder. She yawned a bit, turning her nose up in a hint of a grimace as she forced her fatigued muscles to move, looking forward to the relaxing soak in Mako that was soon to be coming. She murmured a quick spell and the torches extinguished, the rings disappeared, and any traces of their battle, be it blood on the stone floor or what have you, was erased. Groaning, she murmured again, and her book, Masamune, and sheathes were teleported into the Obelisk.::

Sephiroth Enigma: Whatever you say dearest. A draw it was. Even though you seem to be a bit more weary than I. ::He chuckled and hefted her up, placing her draped over his shoulder, taking flight without bothering to use his wings, their silhouette outlined against the backdrop of the moon as he made his way to the Mako fountain::