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Darkened Skies	By : Cynthia Category: Final Fantasy VII > AU - Alternate Universe Views: 949 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: Final Fantasy and all characters are the property of Square Enix. I do not profit from this fanfiction, it’s for entertainment purposes only.

Chapter List
- 2
- 3
- 4
"Darkened Skies"
Chapter three: Negotiaton
A Final Fantasy 7 AU fanfiction
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Author's note: I can just picture an anime "sweat drop" over Tseng's forehead at the end of this. See the end of the chapter for an additional author's note.
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*Disclaimer: Final Fantasy and all related characters belong to Square-Enix. This fiction piece is strictly a non-profit exercise of creativity and entertainment for people (like me) who can’t get enough of this world and the characters.
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            They slept in the warehouse that night. They spread out some straw crate stuffing on the floor to make a nest-like bedding to sleep on and Genesis smirked at the irony of two winged men building a nest together. Angeal didn't want to return to his mother's house, claiming he didn't want to disturb her. Genesis knew the truth; Angeal didn't trust him not to take off with his army the moment he turned his back on him. Perhaps he was right. These days, Genesis' thoughts were a confused swirl of anger, bitterness and desperation. He himself wasn't sure what he would do, from one moment to the next. He had always been somewhat impulsive, but he usually tempered it with common sense. It seemed he was lacking in the latter department, lately. Misery tended to make one care less about consequences. The only real pleasure he'd experienced since this all began was when Angeal walked through those doors and made him feel...loved?
            Genesis snorted derisively, glancing over at the powerful man lying close to him. Angeal was possibly the only person alive that he trusted right now, but love was a sentiment he could neither afford nor entertain. He doubted any romantic feelings he allowed to stir would be reciprocated, anyway. Regardless, he had to admire the way he looked in repose. Angeal was lying on his stomach, with his right cheek pillowed on his crossed forearms. His dark, feathered hair was falling partially over his eye and Genesis fell victim to his enhanced impulses upon noticing. He lowered his book and reached out to stroke the rogue locks back into place, lifting the veil from his friend's chiseled, sleeping features.
            Angeal really did have nice cheekbones. It was easy to overlook their shape because his bold, masculine features tended to overpower the more shapely ones. Having noticed that little detail, Genesis couldn't help but notice the man had a nicely shaped pair of lips, too. Genesis typically didn't favor the burly sort, but he'd always thought Angeal was a prime specimen of that type. His eyes traveled down over the strong shoulders, the broad back and finally, the muscular curve of his ass.
            Genesis set "Loveless" aside for the moment and he slid his hand down from Angeal's hair to his shoulder, then down his spine. Genesis saw what he was doing, but he couldn't stop himself. His hand hovered over that tempting rump and the next thing he knew, he gave it a good, firm smack on the left cheek.
            Genesis had time to appreciate confirmation that Angeal's butt was as tight and firm as it looked before Angeal jerked awake. The redhead quickly snatched his book up and held it up to the lantern light, staring hard at the page without really seeing it.
            "Mnuh...Genesis?"
            "What is it?" Genesis' face was burning. He'd never blushed like this before and he only hoped the light was too dim for Angeal to notice.
            Angeal propped up on one elbow and reached down with his free hand to rub his ass. "Did you just pop me?"
            Genesis kept his eyes on the page. "Just a little."
            Angeal stared at him with confused, sleepy eyes. "Is there a reason why?"
            Genesis thought fast. The first thing that sprang to mind was to blame it on swatting a bug away, but he thought that was too cliché. He wasn't a nice person and Angeal would never believe he smacked him like that for any solicitous reason. A second option came to him and he ran with it.
            "You were snoring."
            Angeal frowned. "I was?"
            Genesis nodded, still staring fixedly at his book—which he kept raised in an effort to hide his blushing face from his friend's sight. "It was distracting me. Surely one little smack didn't hurt you that much."
            "It didn't feel like a 'little smack'," grumbled the other man.
            "Oh, would you just be quiet and go back to sleep?" Genesis snapped, trying not to cringe. "I can't concentrate with all this whining."
            Angeal sighed. He started to lie back down but he paused and stared at Genesis' book. "No wonder you can't concentrate. You're holding the book upside down."
            Angeal started to reach for it and Genesis quickly turned around, presenting his back to his friend and preventing him from taking the book away and seeing how bright his face was.
            "Don't," snapped Genesis. "It's a...focus exercise. I told you I intend to study this piece extensively, Angeal. That means reading it every way possible."
            Angeal was silent for a minute, and when he answered, his tone said he thought Genesis was more unhinged than he first suspected. "I had no idea you meant it this literally. Try to get some rest tonight, Genesis. We need our senses sharp for when Zack arrives."
            Genesis turned the page for show. "I'll lie down soon. Go back to sleep."
            Angeal complied, shifting into a comfortable position again before shutting his eyes. Genesis turned back around and he cautiously lowered the book to peer over the top of it. He sighed, annoyed that he'd made such an ass of himself. He didn't know what possessed him to do that to Angeal—nice ass or not.
            "Genesis?" Angeal muttered without opening his eyes, prompting the redhead to duck behind his book again.
            "Hmm?"
            "If I start snoring again, I'd appreciate it if you'd try nudging me or rolling me onto my side, before you hit me."
            A snicker threatened to surface and Genesis strangled it immediately. Unlike his thoughts, his voice came out level and calm. "I'll try to remember that."
~**********************************~

            Early the next morning, Zack and Sephiroth went to the airport to board separate helicopters for their respective missions. An attractive Turk with Wutaian features approached them on the flight line. His black hair was pulled back into a tight, neat little ponytail and he had a bindi dot on his forehead, between his straight black brows.
            "SOLDIER 2nd class, Zack Fair?" Called the Turk as he met the Soldiers halfway to the choppers.
            "Yeah, that's me," answered Zack.
            "This is Tseng of the Turks," introduced Sephiroth. He exchanged a formal nod with the newcomer. "I assume he's going to be your backup on this mission."
            "Correct," answered Tseng. He shook Zack's hand. "Pleasure to meet you. If you'll both come this way, the aircrafts are ready to go."
            Zack gamely followed the Turk, chatting with an unresponsive Sephiroth all the while. "So what's Banora like? Angeal told me all about dumbapples, and how they grow randomly because they don't know what season it is...or maybe they don't care? I can't remember. What do you think? Have you ever tasted one? Oooo, who's she?"
            Sephiroth was just about to beg Zack to shut up—and he was not a man to beg—when the gabby pup spotted a petite young Turk woman with honey-brown hair and big brown eyes, waiting outside the chopper. Sephiroth recognized her as Cissnei, one of the most promising young Turks in their department. Zack—being the world's biggest sucker for a pretty face—sidled up to her with the wolfish grin that always earned him so much positive female attention.
            "Hey, how you doing?"
            Sephiroth barely refrained from rolling his eyes skyward. The Turk girl smiled at Zack, seemingly charmed—like most of the women he flirted with.
            "Hi. I'm Cissnei. You must be Zack?"
            "That's my name." Zack winked at her. "Don't wear it out."
            Sephiroth's right upper lip curled without him even realizing it. He wanted to ask Zack if he was serious. Surely, no woman in her right mind would fall for—
            Cissnei's soft, sweet giggle immediately disproved the general's supposition. Evidently, even the brightest ones were rendered moronic when Zack gave them a blast of charisma. Sephiroth honestly couldn't understand what it was about Zack Fair that disarmed so many people. He'd even come to terms with the fact that he himself wasn't immune to it...though he didn't allow it to rule his common sense when dealing with the young man.
            "So uh...you're a Turk," Zack said, stating the glaringly obvious. "How long have you been—"
            Sephiroth abruptly smacked him on the back of the head, startling him out of his flirt mode. Zack yelped and stared at him with a dumb expression of confusion. Unlike Angeal, Sephiroth suffered no remorse for correcting Zack's quirky moments.
            "Focus on the mission," warned Sephiroth, "not girls."
            Zack looked contrite for exactly two seconds...and then Cissnei invited him to climb aboard the chopper with her and it was like the smack never happened. Zack put an arm around Cissnei's waist and helped her in first, chatting with her all the while.
            "You and me, huh? Cool. What kind of music do you like?"
            Sephiroth stared with disbelief as Zack disappeared into the helicopter. Tseng came up beside him and he raised a black brow. "Next time, I'll remember not to bring along female operatives," he mused.
            Sephiroth nodded. "I think that would be wise. Good luck on your mission, Tseng."
            "Good luck on yours, General."
~***************************************~

            Later that morning, Genesis left the warehouse to go to his parent's estate and Angeal followed him, ever watchful. The poet gave him an exasperated look when he realized he was coming with and he warned him that soon, he would be eligible for Zack's title of "puppy".
            "I'm not leaving you alone until I know you're capable of rational thought," Angeal told him sternly. "And that's the end of it."
            The response rankled Genesis and he stopped walking. He gave Angeal an exasperated look. "Oh, that's the 'end of it', is it? Just who do you think you are, Hewley?"
            "Your friend," answered the big man without missing a beat, "maybe the only one you have, right now."
            Genesis faltered, compressed his lips and then threw his hands up in defeat. "Fine. I suppose I'll need to pick up a collar and leash for you, since you insist on being my guard dog. Might I remind you that I'm probably your only friend now, as well?"
            Angeal nodded, agreeing without rancor. "I have no illusions, Genesis. As we discussed last night, I know my old life has to die...and that means old friendships. I still refuse to make enemies of the people who were once our allies, though."
            "Yes, yes...you've already made that abundantly clear," sighed the redhead. A hint of a smile softened his annoyed expression. "Noble fool."
            Angeal returned the subtle smile, taking the affectionate jab without complaint.
~***********************************~

            Zack and Tseng disembarked from the chopper and Cissnei remained with the pilot, on standby. They looked down the hill at the path winding into Banora and both men thought the area looked oddly deserted.
            "I don't see anyone moving around in the village," Zack said, shielding his eyes from the sun with his hand. "Do you?"
            Tseng raised a pair of high-powered binoculars and checked. He shook his head after scanning the village. "Nothing. Either the village is deserted, or the few who remained behind are hiding indoors. Perhaps they heard us coming and are wary of outsiders."
            "Well, Genesis came through here and slaughtered a house full of people," reasoned Zack with a frown. "I wouldn't trust strangers either, if I were them. Where's that warehouse, again?"
            "On the northwest edge of town," answered Tseng. He lowered his binoculars so they hung around his neck and he retrieved a navigation device from his pocket. "I'll go and scout it. You should investigate the village for any sign of the targets."
            Zack frowned at him. "Don't call them that."
            Tseng gave him a silent, questioning look.
            "Don't call them 'targets'," elaborated Zack. "They aren't some terrorist strangers. You've worked with these guys before, too."
            Tseng sighed and he looked Zack in the eye, keeping his voice pitched low so that the Soldier would listen more closely. "As a matter of fact, they are terrorists, Zack. At least, Genesis is. What he's trying to do is the very definition of terrorism. I do understand how you feel, but you've got to think objectively and muffle your personal feelings. This is a mission and the better you conduct your part of it, the better the chance we can bring these men home alive. Do you understand?"
            Zack regarded him warily. He was an idealist, but he wasn't as naive as some believed and he understood that the Turks were bound by a different code than he was.   "Can I trust you to mean that last part, Tseng?"
            The Turk's expression was neutral. "You can trust me to avoid killing unless it's deemed necessary, Zack. That's the best I can promise."
            Zack understood that "unless it's deemed necessary" referred more to what the department ordered Tseng to do than what the man wanted to do himself.
            "Got it," he sighed. "I guess we'd better get going."
            "I'll contact you when I have something to report on the warehouse," Tseng said, and they went their separate ways.
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            Angeal noticed that Genesis carefully avoided looking at his parents' graves as they started up the path leading to his family's estate. He didn't slow or stop; he kept walking the winding, gravel path beneath the arching, white Banora trees. Angeal paused to regard the grave markers, feeling an obligation to pay his respects even if Genesis wouldn't. He looked at his friend, taking note of the tense set of his shoulders and the way he didn't look right or left, but straight ahead.
            Genesis was eating his guilt.
            Angeal sighed and looked at the graves again. He didn't envy his friend the burden he must be suffering. He couldn't understand how Genesis could even bring himself to kill these people in the first place, but discovering he'd been wrong about their connection to him could have only made it worse. He wasn't likely to give in to grief, though. It wasn't Gen's style. He would silently chew on it and insist to others that he was justified in what he did.
            It would poison him.
            Angeal approached the graves and he knelt down on one knee, resting both hands on the other knee, he bowed his head and silently paid his respects to the deceased. He heard Genesis' footsteps cease, heard the grinding of rocks as the redhead pivoted around to look at him, and he heard the soft sigh. Angeal remained stationary, neither encouraging Gen to join him, nor blaming him for hesitating. He kept his mind on the deceased, remembering what they looked like, the sound of their voices, the moments of kindness they spared for an impoverished boy that their son had somehow befriended.
            Angeal felt more than heard Genesis' presence at his side. The red-clad fighter's shadow fell over his father's grave and he stood there in uncertain silence for a while. Angeal said nothing and he didn't expect anything. He understood that his friend didn't deal with emotions the way he did and he could forgive him if he needed time to process what he'd done.
            Genesis drew his sword, pressed the point of the blade into the ground and knelt beside Angeal, his gloved hands grasping the hilt of the weapon. He bowed his head and Angeal spared a covert, sidelong glance at him. Genesis' face bore an expression of doubt and confusion, leaving Angeal to guess he was trying to work out exactly where he went wrong and how he should feel about taking their lives.
            They remained that way in companionable silence for a while, both of them deep in thought. Finally, Genesis sighed and got to his feet. He sheathed his sword and looked up the path leading to his old house.
            "We should get cleaned up, while we have the chance. Who knows when we'll have access to full plumbing again?"
            Angeal thought he had a good point, but the thought of going into that house and using a dead family's shower was unsettling, to say the least. He'd rather use his mother's bathroom to clean up, but he realized he might not have the time to do so if he waited until Genesis was finished getting whatever he needed from the estate.
            "Angeal?" Genesis had started up the path again and he paused.
            Something in his tone made Angeal forgo his own reservations. He knew Gen would never pressure him to stay and it seemed he kept expecting him to proclaim he'd had his fill of this and leave him.
            "I'm coming."
~************************************~

            Zack checked the coordinates he'd been given and he counted the houses on the road when he was sure he'd made the right turn.
"That must be the house," he mused, double-checking his information to be sure. "Wow...it's...kind of a shack. And I thought the house I grew up in was small."
He approached the house and knocked on the door. "Hello? Is anyone home?"
A woman's voice called out. "Who is it?"
"Sorry to intrude," Zack called, "but I'm looking for Angeal Hewley's mother. Are you her? I'm Zack Fair, his trainee. It's really important that I find him."
There was a pause, and then: "You wouldn't happen to be 'Zack; the puppy', would you?"
Zack dropped his forehead in his hand and grumbled, "Thanks a lot, Angeal. Even your mother..."
The door opened and a late middle-aged woman stood there with a smile on her face. She looked Zack up and down and she chuckled, as if thinking of a private joke. "You look exactly as my son described you in his letters to me. Please, come in."
~***********************************~

            Tseng lay on his belly on a hill, peering through his binoculars at the warehouse down below. He did a head count of all the men moving around down there and he watched their behavior closely. Some of them were lurching, as if their limbs were getting stiff. Others wandered aimlessly like they'd forgotten something. The rest seemed more or less normal, from a distance. He strongly suspected he was looking at Genesis copies.
            He put down the binoculars and dug out his cell, pushing the contact button for his comrades on the chopper. "I'm at the warehouse," he said in a low voice. "No sighting of either target, yet. I'm waiting for Fair to report in. Remain on standby until further notice."
            "Understood," Cissnei answered on the other line. "We're ready to move at your word, Tseng."
            Tseng ended the call and he went back to scouting the area. He felt his phone vibrate after a little while and he dug it back out to answer it. "Tseng."
            "It's Zack," answered the caller. "I found Angeal's house. His mom's there but he's not. She said he came by earlier and then took off again to the warehouse. Any sign of him there?"
            "None," answered Tseng. "Or of Rhapsodos."
            "So, what's next? Do I bust in there to check it out or what?"
            Tseng considered the question. He wasn't sure what Zack's capabilities were as a Soldier. "Maybe you should join me here to see for yourself, before we make a decision on that."
            "All right. I'll be there as soon as I can."
~***********************************~

            Angeal and Genesis didn't linger at the Rhapsodos estate. They both took quick showers and they wrapped up some food for the road. They intended to go back to the warehouse to wait for Zack and try to arrange negotiation in safe territory, but Angeal wanted to see his mother once more, to say goodbye. He talked Genesis into going with him, though the redhead wasn't particularly enthused about it. They spread their wings and flew to the Hewley home. Genesis intended to wait outside while Angeal said his goodbyes, but the big man insisted that he should come in as well.
            "Genesis, she cares for you," coaxed Angeal. "This may be the last time we see her. Just come in with me to say goodbye."
            Again, Genesis found himself agreeing with the man and he wondered what special hold Angeal had on him to make him contradict his own decisions so easily. Angeal knocked on the door and tested the knob. Upon finding it unlocked, he opened it and he called out to his mother as he stepped into the house. She didn't answer and Angeal made a shushing motion at Genesis. Guessing she must be having a nap, the redhead obligingly kept his steps light.
            Angeal stopped abruptly before Genesis made it two steps into the house.
Genesis ran flat into his companion's broad back and he muttered a complaint. "Walk, Hewley."
Angeal seemed to be frozen stiff. Genesis nearly issued another command, but he sensed something very wrong in the air and in his companion's posture. Instead of trying to get Angeal to move, he sidestepped him so that he could see what he was looking at. It took him a moment to realize that the rumpled cloth spread out over the dusty wooden floor was a skirt. His mind connected the dots and he recognized the body sprawled out beneath the clothing.
"Mother?" Angeal whispered.
He swiftly knelt by her side and felt for a pulse. Genesis quickly took the scene in and he saw the glint of a razor blade on the bloody floor, near Gillian's left hand. He frowned at it and he walked over to it, mindful not to step in the blood that was now congealing on the floor. He squatted down and when he was sure of its identity, he stood back up. Angeal was calling uselessly to her empty shell, trying to get a response from her.
"Angeal...she's gone." Genesis gestured at the blade, inches from her limp hand. "She didn't want to be here, anymore."
Angeal rolled his mother over into his lap and the injury she'd done to her arms became glaringly obvious as they flopped limply. She had slit them from wrist to elbow, parallel. Had she done it horizontally across the wrist, they might have reached her in time to save her. She'd bled out fast.
Genesis watched his friend cradle his mother's body and he was compelled to try and offer...something. He placed a gloved hand over the big man's tense shoulder and for once, he resisted the urge to comment. He glanced over at the Buster Sword, still leaning against the wall near the door.
"I need a moment," Angeal said in a carefully controlled, tight voice.
Genesis cast a swift glance at the blade Gillian had used to kill herself with and he scooped it up smoothly. "Of course. I'll be outside, Angeal. Take your time."
Tucking the blade into an outer pocket, Genesis moved around his friend's hunched, grieving form and opened the door. He considered the Buster Sword but upon inspecting how it was made, he decided Angeal would have to shove the hilt into the earth and free-fall onto the sword to kill himself with it. The weapon simply wasn't made for piercing or slashing. He took his exit, his hand going to the small book carefully concealed in his inner coat pocket.
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            "I'm going in," Zack said determinedly.
            Tseng was prepared to back him with gunfire, but he felt his phone vibrating. "Wait, Zack. This could be important."
            Zack halted in the middle of getting to his feet, stumbling awkwardly. "Would you make up your mind?"
            Tseng ignored him. "Tseng."
            "It's Heidegger," answered the rough voice on the other end. "Your orders are to get clear of Banora, Tseng. The president wants it raining pronto, understand?"
            Tseng glanced at Zack. "There are people still—"
            "No excuses, Turk," growled the other man. "Get out of there or get fried. Those are your options. The bomber should be there in ten minutes and there won't be a thing left."
            The call abruptly ended and Tseng looked at Zack, his expression going grim. Fortunately, they were behind the cover of trees and it was safe to stand up. He climbed to his feet and offered his hand to the Soldier.
            "This mission is over, Zack. We have to leave...now."
            Zack ignored the hand he offered and he got to his feet with a confused, wary expression. "What the hell are you talking about?"
            At this point, attempting to lie could only slow things down. "They're sending a carrier. They're going to bombard the village and destroy all evidence of what happened here."
            Zack glared at him. "What? They're...just going to bomb the place? Just like that? What about the people here? What about Angeal?"
            Tseng grabbed Zack by the elbow and foolishly tried to lead him away. He quickly learned that it was neigh impossible for an ordinary man to budge a reluctant SOLDIER operative. "Zack, they are going to obliterate this settlement! We can't stay here."
            "I have to go back into town," insisted the swordsman. "Just try stall them! Angeal's mom is still in there!"
            Tseng always put his job above his emotions, but Zack's insistent, noble please inspired him to bend the rules a bit. "All right...I'll convince my people to wait for five minutes. I can't call off the bombing, Zack. You'd better hurry."
~**********************************~

            Zack charged into town and he was so completely absorbed in warning Mrs. Hewley, he didn't notice Genesis standing on the roof of her home.
            "Mrs. Hewley?" Zack shoved the door to Gillian's home open, putting manners on the back burner.
He stumbled to a halt and stared when he saw the body lying on the floor. His first thought was that Genesis had come back and done it, but then he noticed the silent, powerfully built figure standing against the wall to his right. Zack looked at Angeal accusingly, horrified by the thought that he could have done this. He remembered that Genesis had come here specifically to kill his own family and it made sense to him that whatever got into him must have gotten into Angeal as well.
"What did you do?" Zack yelled at his mentor, clenching his shaking hands into fists.
Angeal avoided his eyes and looked to the floor.
            Overcome with emotions, Zack punched the big man—hard enough to send him backpedaling through the front door. Angeal staggered out and fell to the ground. Zack loomed over him at the door and clenched his teeth.
            "This is what 'honor' is to you? She was your mother!"
            Angeal got to his feet and his hands never reached for the Buster Sword strapped to his back. "She had nothing to live for." He turned to leave and Zack started to follow.
            "Angea—oof!"
            A boot seemed to come out of nowhere and trip him up. Zack fell clumsily onto his stomach in the dirt, caught off guard. He looked up to find Genesis looming over him. Something was a bit different from the last time he'd seen him, and it took Zack a moment to realize what it was. Genesis' hair seemed a little dull; the rich auburn faded, somehow.
            "Calm down, puppy," Genesis said coolly. "He can't live in your world anymore. Don't try and force him to."
            Zack scrambled to his feet and looked at Angeal, who stood wordless and pale a few feet away. "What is he talking about, Ange? Are you both out of your minds? You killed your mother!"
            Angeal raised his eyes from the ground and glared at Zack. The Mako tinting his irises made them glow as his emotions got the better of him. "You think I did this. After everything we've talked about?"
            "He isn't me, Fair," Genesis said ominously, "Gillian didn't die by her son's hand. She took her own life."
            Zack looked at him mistrustfully before looking at Angeal. "Is he telling the truth?"
            Angeal looked away again. "Look at her and see for yourself, Zack."
            Zack kept his attention half on Genesis as he took his advice and had a look for himself. When he saw the injuries on her arms, he walked back outside, shaking his head. "But I only spoke with her a while ago. She seemed happy!"
            "That seems to be the common trend amongst people who go through with it," reasoned Genesis. "Perhaps because they are at peace with their decision."
            Impulsively and perhaps foolishly, Zack started toward Angeal. A wall of black feathers abruptly blocked him. He stopped and sputtered, pushing at the unexpected obstacle instinctively. In having a feel of it, he realized that it was a giant wing. He followed the length of it to its source and he came close to falling over in shock when he located it.
            "Wing," Zack said dazedly, gesturing through the feathers at Genesis.
            "Aren't we articulate?" Genesis murmured sarcastically. He looked to Angeal. "And why did you choose to mentor this one, again?"
            "Leave him alone, Genesis," Angeal warned flatly.
            Amazingly, the redhead complied. He withdrew his wing and he watched Zack with eyes that warned against making another wrong move. Zack looked inside at the body and he sighed. Now that the adrenaline rush was gone, he was able to think more rationally and he believed his mentor's account of what really happened. He was relieved, but aware that the clock was ticking and the bomber was going to be coming at any moment.
            "Angeal, you've got to come with me. If you give yourself up and explain everything to them—"
            "No." The answer came not from Angeal, but from Genesis.
            "I wasn't talking to you," Zack said angrily. "You can go to hell."
            "Genesis speaks for both of us, on that matter," Angeal said before his companion could respond to Zack's insult. "We aren't returning, Zack. I understand you want to help, but the situation is more complicated than you realize."
            "How?" demanded Zack urgently, checking the skies warily for any sign of aircrafts. "You haven't done anything yet, man! All you've got to do is explain whatever's going on and if Genesis comes with you, they'll just put him in holding. They can help you guys."
            Angeal and Genesis exchanged a look before the redhead answered. "Even if you're right and they could help us, they won't. This was done to us deliberately by the research department, in an effort to re-create an extinct race and the perfect Soldier."
            Zack wanted to disbelieve that, but the supernatural appendage sprouting from Genesis' back lent testimony to his words. He looked at his mentor. "Angeal?"
            Genesis looked over his shoulder at the big man. "You have to show him, or he'll never accept it."
            "Show me what?"
            Angeal hesitated for a moment, looking from Genesis to Zack. Finally, he bowed his head and a huge white wing grew out of his right side of his back, followed by a smaller one beneath it. Zack blinked, his jaw dropping with awe.
            "You see?" Angeal murmured. "We can't return. We've become monsters."
            Zack shook his head. "You're not monsters, Angeal. Why would you say that?"
            The big man just looked at him with troubled lapis eyes.
            Zack shook himself out of his daze, remembering his mission. "Look, you guys have to get out of here. Any minute now, they're going to bomb this place to the ground. ShinRa plans to wipe out all evidence of this town and what happened here and anyone still in the village when they come is going to be toast."
            Angeal frowned at that and he glanced at his mother's still body, visible through the open doorway of her home. The sound of an approaching aircraft echoed in the hills surrounding the village, and all three men looked to the sky. Genesis glanced at the deceased woman in the house and he looked at Angeal.
            "We can carry her."
            Angeal shook his head. "She would have wanted to be buried here. She wanted to be cremated and have her ashes scattered into the wind. We leave her."
            Zack swallowed a lump, aching for his instructor's pain. Angeal was like the older brother he'd never had. He vowed to find some way to help him, but there were bigger things to worry about, right now. "Get out of here, Angeal. I'll tell them I never saw you—either of you."
            Angeal nodded, his eyes holding Zack's solemnly. "I'll trust your word. Get clear yourself, Zack...and stay alert. You and Sephiroth need to watch out for each other, and don't trust everything you hear."
            Zack frowned at that, but Angeal and Genesis took to the air, leaving him standing on the ground staring after them. He had no time to ponder how they both achieved flight; he could see the bomber coming in the distance and he had precious little time to get clear of the blast radius. A few feathers drifted down from where his mentor and Genesis departed and Zack hastily snatched up one of each color. He couldn't say why he did it, but he tucked them into a pocket and started running.
~******************************************~

            Angeal and Genesis watched from a distance as the village they grew up in went up in flames. The warehouse with all of Genesis' copies went up with it—which was probably a blessing. The beautiful, unique apple trees burned with the town and that was a tragedy in itself. Angeal bowed his head and murmured an oath. Beside him, Genesis reached into his jacket and produced a single, perfect dumbapple. He considered it for a moment before replacing it.
            "We'll share it tonight. In memory of what we once were."
            Angeal nodded in agreement. "We need to lie low somewhere tonight and get well-rested. Mideel isn't far from here."
            Genesis considered him thoughtfully as he leaned against the big oak tree they were using for cover. "You haven't exactly shared your alternative to my master plan, Angeal. What do you propose we do, if not wage open war on ShinRa?"
            The big man took his eyes off the fiery carnage happening in the village and he turned to face his companion. "First, we detain Hollander. Then we force his cooperation and make sure this doesn't happen to anyone else. Who is your informant in ShinRa, Genesis? Who was working with you and Hollander from the inside?"
            "A man with a righteous grudge," answered Genesis evasively. His turquoise gaze was opaque on Angeal. "I'll give you his identity when I'm sure your plan has a chance to succeed, old friend. It's nothing personal, but I need to keep my options open."
            Angeal sighed. "Sooner or later, you're going to have to trust me." With that said, Angeal spread wing and took off in the direction of Mideel.
            "On the contrary," corrected Genesis softly, watching his friend for a moment before spreading his wing to join him. "It's your plan I don't trust, Hewley. Not your integrity. You're the only thing keeping me in check."
            With one last look at the burning ruins of his hometown, Genesis took to the air and followed his companion.
~**********************************************~

            That night, Zack returned to Midgar and he gave his report to Lazard. The director didn't seem surprised when he told him he didn't find Angeal or Genesis. Since Tseng never saw the two of them, his report supported Zack's. Lazard dismissed the young man and Zack went straight to the dorms for a shower, a microwave meal and sleep. As he lay in his bunk, he studied the two feathers he'd rescued before leaving Banora. The white one almost seemed to glow. The black one had rainbow highlights, just like a raven's feather.
            "Yo Zack," Greeted Kunsel as he approached to lie down in the bunk beneath his. "How'd your mission go, today?"
            Zack slipped the two feathers under his pillow. "It sucked. I...dammit, I can't talk about it because it's classified."
He would have loved to unload on his friend, but he couldn't tell a soul the truth about what he'd seen. He trusted Kunsel, but after the warning he'd gotten, he was afraid there could be hidden voice monitors in the dorms. This shit was going to drive him to paranoia.
Kunsel grunted as he lay on his back. Zack felt a faint poke through the thin mattress. "Hey, don't worry about it," advised Kunsel. "Watching a town get blown up might sound cool in theory, but since it was your mentor's home I guess it had to be pretty awful."
Zack blinked in surprise and rolled over to stick his head over the side of the bunk. "How the hell did you know that?"
Kunsel grinned up at him, laced his fingers behind his head and shrugged. "I told you before, Zack. I'm the eyes and ears of this establishment...whether the big guys know it or not. It's hard to hide things from the invisible dude."
"You'd make a really good spy," Zack huffed before rolling back over.
"Nah, it would be too much work."
Zack grinned. Leave it to Kunsel to find a way to cheer him up.
~**********************************~

The next day, Sephiroth reported on the results of his diplomatic mission.
"Godo Kisaragi will agree to the terms of the negotiation and order a cease fire," explained the general to the president and the department administrators, "but he has a condition he wants to see fulfilled, to ensure ShinRa's good faith."
"And what is this 'condition'?" inquired President Shinra impatiently.
"A marriage agreement." Sephiroth smirked slightly as he said it and his eyes went to Tseng, sitting at Veld's right side.
Everyone followed his gaze with puzzlement and Tseng looked politely ignorant. "What has this to do with me, General?"
Sephiroth began a slow walk around the oval table, crossing his arms over his chest. "Emperor Godo would prefer to see his family line continued with noble blood. It seems Tseng comes from a bloodline of Wutai nobility. Kisaragi wants a marriage contract drawn up between his daughter Yuffie and Tseng of the Turks."
Rufus snorted softly and he quickly schooled his features when his father looked at him. "I had no idea Wutai was in the practice of assigning child brides to grown men."
"In seven years, she'll be of age," Tseng said—looking none too happy. "I presume this contract is meant to be acted upon when that day comes. Arranged marriage is still fairly common, in Wutai."
"No wonder you left," Palmer said with a snicker. A glare from Veld shut him up.
"The age gap may seem big now," Reeve postulated. "But seven years isn't much of a stretch for adult relationships. My parents had a ten year age gap separating them."
"Of course you would say that," Scarlet said with a delicate, ruby sneer. It was no secret that she and the head of urban development despised one another. "The thought of men having access to young girls for sexual gratification must give you a cheap thrill."
Always a man of class, Reeve didn't allow her open slander to rattle him. "My dear Scarlet; what you don't know about me could fill a book."
"Enough," warned the president when the voluptuous blonde started to retort. "This is a serious matter. If we're to gain access to Wutaian land without further losses, this negotiation must take place. Tseng, this is your chance to prove your ultimate loyalty to his organization. Will you sign the contract?"
Tseng hesitated for a moment, glancing at Veld. The older Turk gave him a subtle nod of encouragement and the Wutaian sighed and nodded. "For the organization, I'll do whatever is necessary."
"Good then," approved President Shinra. He tapped the bell on the table. "This meeting is adjourned."
~************************************~

-To be continued
Additional author's note: If you check the events of the FF7 game compilation, you'll find that eight years pass between the beginning of Crisis Core and the events of Dirge of Cerberus. "Ashen Skies" begins roughly after the events of DOC (even though these events occurred differently in my AU). I say this for people who may wonder how my time line parallels the canon one.
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Darkened Skies