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Locke had joined the resistance just recently, and he was almost excited to be out on his first solo mission to help the cause. It wasn’t anything fancy, but he was helping an old school friend out on whatever he was out doing. His orders were to assist Sephiroth and do whatever it was the newly First Class Soldier had for him to do. Easy first mission, though why they were in the middle of a snowy mountain and now on the battlefront, Locke didn’t quite have the nerve to ask.

...ah, hell, yes he did!

“Seph, what in the name of Hades’ left buttcheek we doing up here again?” he asked as he hugged the long coat tighter around himself, glaring at the snow that was blowing at him from the side out of the corner of his eye as if it would melt the snow on sight. No such luck today, he was afraid to say... The Soldier seemed to have half a mind to just ignore the words that were being swallowed by the wind from the new recruits lips, but seemed to decide differently a few moments later. Ah hah! Sephiroth did remember how annoying he could be if he had a question and he wasn’t told outright what the answer was – that was heart (though unfortunately not bodily) warming, and it put a grin on Lockes face despite the bleakness about him.

“We are searching for the entrance to the Temple of Meteor, Locke,” the mans voice was silky, somehow cutting through the wind rather effectively, even if the wind was howling for attention like some wounded pup. Good old Seph – always the guy who could make even the elements quiet down when he was talking, the way he silently demanded attention.

Sephiroth’s explanation was all fine and dandy... but there was still one thing that Locke wanted to know. “And you need me because..?”

“An extra set of eyes, and a quick pair of hands,” the man said, not even looking over his shoulder this time. He just kept moving foreward and letting the shorter, younger man catch up. “I figured you would be best suited to the task.. or should I have asked Zidane instead?”

“Naah, let the monkey-man be with that Chocobo-smelling bed-buddy of his. I’m more skilled at lock-picking anyway,” Locke nodded, looking rather proud of himself. It was interesting how different people prided themselves on different things, or at least Sephiroth found this interesting as he remained silent for a time, cutting a path through the snow seemingly effortlessly, Locke following along with a bit of difficulty in his wake. “But back to the whole world-saving mission and all, whatever it is..” Locke waved his hands around them, the two alone on the mountain ‘path’ steadily walking upwards. “We know that the Temple is around here somewhere, right?”

Sephiroth found a smile splaying across his lips for he knew that the younger man would not be very happy with his next choice of words. “In this mountain range, yes,” Sephiroth stated, and he could just see in his minds eye the face of the young man contort in the disgust – the look when Locke was peeved off and he thought no one was looking at him.

Indeed, Locke was doing exactly as Sephiroth envisioned, though Sephiroth’s mind’s eye was still rather stuck on the man being a teen, and not so used to the grown up face of the man yet, so Locke looked a fair amount younger in the silver haired man’s imaginings. “So... we might not be on the right mountain yet,” Locke asked, definitely not wanting to hear the answer.

“That is correct,” the silver haired man stated, adjusting the strap of his sword slight – it had been dragging in the snow a little, and that was probably not doing the blade’s covering any good.. Sephiroth heard a great sigh from behind him, which prompted him to smile.

“Great gobs of Shoat mucus, okay I lied. Zidane should’ve come instead,” Locke whined, plodding along as he had been doing so for the past half-day, shoving his hands further into his jacket pockets in attempt to keep them warm as they walked through the snow. Locke had a pair of mittens that Vivi had sent along with him, but they were packed away in his pack along with the other provisions. Way at the bottom. He didn’t want to stop that long to grab a pair of mittens, even if they would warm up his hands rather nicely after a few minutes...

Sephiroth had to chuckle at the last statement – what was it with the young man and using the Spirits names in such a way? “...interesting choice of words,” the man called back over his shoulder, which had startled Locke a little. It seemed as if the blond hadn’t been expecting Sephiroth to comment on his grumblings and continue the chat.

After a moment to collect himself from his disbelief that Sephiroth was actually keeping up a conversation with him, Locke informed Sephiroth the why he was speaking as such. “Oh, yeah, I promised someone I’d cut down on the swearing... so now I’m being more creative with my curses.” Locke had promised Vivi that he’d stop swearing so much – it had disturbed the boy somewhat when they started to room together after, well.. After Zidane and Bartz decided that they liked each other after that one Christmas. Locke and the kid had stayed together since then, sharing a room throughout the rest of high school and rooming together when Vivi moved on to University and Locke had entered basic training for the, ah, finer crafts. Locke enjoyed the younger guys quirkiness, and they’d come to something of a brotherhood since then – Locke looking out for the kid, and Vivi making sure to keep the man on his toes. They had fun, and hey, what were best buddies for?

Sephiroth nodded at the young man’s explanation, wondering briefly who it was that had turned Locke off of his rather mouthy tendencies. It hadn’t been Bartz or Zidane, that was for certain... Those two were just as vulgar as they ever were. Perhaps Locke had found someone that had changed him for the better? A thought struck Sephiroth, and he replied, keeping one of the longest conversations that Locke had with the man since.. well, for a very long time. “Ah. I do suggest that you do not mention anything about the Magus Brothers..”

Locke raised an eyebrow, wondering why he shouldn’t bring the Magus Brothers into it – they were fair game for his random swear-cover-uppers just as any other spirit, right? “Why’s that?” Locke asked, jogging a little to catch up to Sephiroth’s longer legs. Jeeze, the guy was freaking fast... He could’ve been one of those damn elf-things he’d seen on that one movie.. Lord of the something or other, Locke was bad with movie titles. “Their Temple around here somewhere too? Weird having two Sprits places of power in the same place...”

“No, they have their Temple in a warm, moist environment, many leagues to the south,” Sephiroth stated, his voice holding a slight condescending tone, even if he hadn’t meant for the tone to slip into his speaking voice. Locke picked up on it, blushing slightly in embarrassment.. Of course the Magus Brothers wouldn’t have their home on a crappy old mountain.. they were Spirits of flowers and summer.. He felt a little stupid at that, he really should have known better. He had been educated rather well, even if some people hadn’t thought so.. he was just a little quick on the letting his mouth talk and not thinking before he spoke type of things.

“And you didn’t need me around then?” Locke grumbled, imagining an island with white beaches and tropical flowers everywhere.

“I took Firion with me,” Sephiroth said simply, before he continued his explanation. “I have obtained the power of the Magus Brothers, and they have taken a liking to sensing the world through my own mind from time to time, so they might overhear.” And get pissy that someone that was hanging around their ‘new big brother’ was making fun of them. And, as always, the three showed up in his mind just after he started thinking about them. Just his luck... What might we overhear? Yazoo had asked, and Sephiroth filled them in on the basics, Kadaj complaining rather loudly about all the snow and cold around where Sephiroth currently was... even if he only felt the cold in a second hand fashion.

“...oh.” Locke toned, staring at the back of Sephiroth’s head as the man continued to walk tirelessly before him. Well, that did make sense, Locke decided, since Sephiroth just didn’t want Locke to mumble anything that would get the spirits angry. Locke tried to remember the powers the Magus Brothers had, but he kept on getting side tract by something that Sephiroth had mentioned... Locke didn’t know that Spirits could look through the eyes of someone that had their power, and the thought of having all three of the Magus Brothers looking out of Sephiroth’s eyes from where he was... Well... “That’s almost kinky.”

“Pardon?” Sephiroth asked, sending a look back at Locke that was neither angry nor surprised.. just curious, so Locke decided it was safe to state his thoughts.

“Y’know... having three guys inside of you. All at the same time. Kinda kinky, that is.”

Sephiroth could hear Kadaj roaring with laughter as soon as the line was out of the young man’s mouth, Yazoo wondering if it was worse because Sephiroth was going to become their brother one of these days. Loz, on the other hand, didn’t quite get it but, but he was mentioning to Sephiroth that Locke’s bandana was kind of neat, and he wondered if he should get one himself – the largest of the group was cleanly told to shut up by the other two spirits. “Not particularly,” Sephiroth stated, throwing a wry smile back at Locke. “A little noisy at times, though.”

They continued their journey, and Locke was insanely grateful when they found a cave they could rest in for the night – the young man had no want to try and set up and sleep in a tent. In the snow. Locke had quickly gotten a pot of soup going from melted snow and a packet of seasoning after Sephiroth had gotten a fire going for them, and he was currently slurping down his share as he investigated a little further into the cave. There wasn’t much to see – just ice and snow and black rock... but as Locke gulped down the last of his soup and he was turning back to the fire, he paused, his eyes catching inscriptions on the black rock behind the ice.

Locke and Sephiroth will set down their weapons and supplies, and they set up their things. Locke melts some snow for soup, and while he’s eating, he’ll walk further into the little cave they had found, noticing that there were patterns on the walls behind the ice.. So this place wasn’t just an ice cave, but a cave in the mountain... Locke jumped back behind the Soldier who had gotten to his feet as Locke was inspecting the walls, saying, “Cast a fireball at the back of the cave – a little one mind you, I don’t want everything falling on us because of your flashy magic, alright?”

“I do not believe I would be able to use my full capacity if I wished too. There is something about this mountain that.. saps the soul’s strength..”