Adult-FanFiction.org : Final Fantasy

Final Fantasy VII: Angelic Threnody	By : DarkSeraphim1 Category: Final Fantasy VII > Yaoi - Male/Male Views: 1315 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy VII, Crisis Core, Before Crisis, or Dirge of Cerberus. I do not profit from the writing and/or posting of this fic. I am just a humble fan paying tribute to another's wonderful creations.

Chapter List
- 35
- 36
- 37
Final Fantasy VII: Angelic Threnody
Chapter 37
'My friend, your desire is the bringer of life, the gift of the goddess. Even if the morrow is barren of promises, nothing shall forestall my return.' -Loveless, ACT III
Sephiroth shifted in the uncomfortable wooden chair, his eyes locked on his sleeping lover. He watched with a gentle expression as the light from the room's only lamp played lovingly over Genesis' sleep-slackened features. His stunning eyes were closed, his long, thick auburn lashes fanning out like fiery crescents over his creamy cheeks. His rose-colored lips were parted, his breathing deep and steady. He laid on his stomach, still wearing his scarlet duster and heeled boots, one leather-clad arm dangling over the side of the bed, the other twisted under him in what had to be an uncomfortable position. To Sephiroth's eyes, he was completely, utterly adorable.
'He's still beautiful, isn't he?'
He went still as the simple, unexpected question swept through his mind. 'I would not have expected such a sentiment from you, Kadaj,' he returned as carefully as he could.
The boy snorted aloud, but kept speaking telepathically. 'He was always beautiful, Sephiroth. He always knew it, too.'
'Yes,' Sephiroth conceded with a smile directed at the man in question. 'Modesty has never been Genesis' strong-suit.'
'No shit,' came the dry response. Kadaj shifted on his lap, his eyes focusing on the pendant he'd recognized the first time he saw it. He reached up and brushed it with gentle, nearly reverent fingertips. 'When did he give it to you?'
Sephiroth tipped his head as he gazed down at him curiously. 'Two weeks ago.'
Kadaj only nodded and continued to play with pendant, his expression thoughtful. 'Did he mean it?'
'Yes,' Sephiroth answered without hesitation.
His youngest remnant tilted his head back to gaze up at him with atypically somber silver-green eyes. 'Does he really love you this time, Sephiroth?'
Sephiroth nodded solemnly. 'Yes, little one, he does.'
'How do you know?' Kadaj's voice was a mere whisper in his mind. 'How can you be sure?'
He frowned slightly at that. 'It is a matter of faith, Kadaj.'
'Faith,' Kadaj repeated dubiously. 'I didn't think you believed in anything, Father.'
'I believe in him,' Sephiroth replied simply.
The boy mirrored his frown before looking away. 'I hear Mother sometimes.'
Sephiroth blinked at the unexpected change in subject. 'So do I,' he admitted, his casual tone belying the worry that rose up within him. 'What does she say to you, Kadaj?'
'The same old shit,' Kadaj responded with a shrug. 'Free me, kill the humans, join with me, we'll rule The Planet as a family, sail the cosmos together, yada yada yada.'
Sephiroth nearly smiled at the boy's unique description of Jenova's maddened rants. 'And what do you say to her in return?' he asked with cautious curiosity.
Kadaj up at him with a very slow, very evil smile. 'Fuck off and die, bitch.'
That startled a laugh out of him, one he quickly muffled as he glanced around the room. Relieved to note that his short outburst hadn't awakened any of their companions, he shifted in his seat and hugged the boy to him. Kadaj wrapped his arms around his neck and returned the embrace, and Sephiroth was surprised to hear the boy's voice not in his mind, but in his ear. Neither noticed the deep crimson of Vincent's eyes as they opened in the semi-darkness and locked onto them.
"Don't tell Nii-san." Kadaj drew back and looked at him with an expression that was part fear and part defiance. "It would only scare him, and I don't want to die again."
Sephiroth sobered instantly. "Do you truly believe that he would harm you if he knew?"
"He might," Kadaj whispered with a sad smile. "He's stronger than we are, Sephiroth. He can do what we never could."
Sephiroth only nodded and brought a hand up to cup his cheek. "You know that I would do my very best to protect you, don't you?"
The boy only echoed his nod and laid his head on Sephiroth's shoulder once more, leaving Sephiroth uncomfortably aware of what had been left unsaid. Sephiroth, for all of his unmatched strength and awesome inborn abilities, wasn't strong enough to defeat Cloud Strife in battle. Kadaj knew that he couldn't protect them, and so the young remnant would lie to the man he loved to protect himself and his adored brothers. The knowledge that he was unable to protect his remnants chafed Sephiroth—badly.
"Kadaj, aren't you a little too big to be sitting on Father's lap like that?"
Sephiroth's head whipped around even as Kadaj's jerked up. Yazoo was dragging himself into a sitting position, gazing at them with a fond expression as he leaned back against the headboard, looking fresh and alert and not as though he had died less eight hours ago.
"Brother!"
Kadaj leapt from his lap and landed in Yazoo's, clearing the small space between them with startling quickness. Yazoo only laughed softly and wrapped his arms around the smaller boy, whose own arms threatened to cut off his oxygen supply as they wound tightly around his neck. Loz leapt to his own feet and threw himself on the bed, his arms closing around them both as he began to cry.
"Don't cry, Loz," he said automatically, freeing one arm to awkwardly slip it around his older brother. As Loz tried and failed to rein in his tears, Yazoo patted his back comfortingly. As he waited patiently for the emotional torrent to subside, he was stunned to hear a soft, steady weeping below him, where the baby's head was tucked beneath his chin. "Kadaj?"
The baby only shook his head and burrowed against him, hiding his face in Yazoo's long fall of silver hair. Yazoo frowned and shifted just enough to wrap both arms around the crying youth. As he set about soothing his younger brother, he realized that, for the first time in the seventeen years since Kadaj's birth, he could not feel his brother's emotions. Alarmed, he closed his eyes and searched for his brother through the neural conduit that had always bound them. He found it, and was bombarded by their angel's emotions, more intense than he had ever felt them before.
Fear, guilt, rage, love, they all washed over him in an overwhelming wave, and Yazoo quickly forced himself to withdraw. Left with only his own thoughts and feelings, he breathed a silent sigh of relief and opened his eyes. "It's all right, tenshi," he murmured comfortingly, marveling that the baby cared for him so much that he grieved even now. "I am here."
Kadaj didn't respond as he shuddered against him, helpless against the onslaught of his overpowering emotions, and Yazoo finally knew why he had been given this second chance. He wasn't here for Vincent or Sephiroth or even to stop Mother, as he had previously believed. He was here for Kadaj, to keep his brother from breaking, as he sought the happiness that even now seemed to elude him.
A faint reddish glow drew his attention to the bed, and the materia orb that lay forgotten next to his thigh. He smiled faintly and picked it up, grateful to the condor for the gift of life that it had granted him. It was a gift he would accept gladly, so long as his continued existence prolonged his brother's. Yazoo set the materia over his right arm and watched as it was absorbed into the leather of his duster.
It is done, he thought simply, accepting his role as Kadaj's caretaker with more enthusiasm than he ever had before. Much like the man who had made their own existence possible, Kadaj was an integral part of Gaia's future. For good or for ill, he was necessary, and Yazoo knew that now, if he hadn't quite understood it before, and he would do his part to make sure that Kadaj fulfilled his destiny, whatever it might be.
He set his hands on Kadaj's shoulder and gently pulled him away, his touch firm as his angel tried to resist. "Kadaj, look at me."
The baby finally raised his head, looking embarrassed and happy all at once, and Yazoo smiled down at him warmly. "No more tears, brother. They don't suit the man you have become."
Kadaj blinked, the minute motion sweeping away the remaining moisture from his eyes. "But you died, Yazoo," he whispered, his voice unsteady as he swiped at his cheeks. "You died, and I couldn't do anything to save you, no matter how hard I tried."
Yazoo gazed down at him calm green eyes. "But you did," he said simply, smiling again at the baby's confused frown. "My lungs feel clear, brother. Whatever you did up there, it was enough to heal them fully."
The frown deepened as Kadaj looked at his chest and set his bare hands on Yazoo's exposed skin. Yazoo didn't complain as Kadaj's hands began to glow, content to let the baby ascertain the truth for himself. The boy looked astonished as he finally removed his hands and declared, "They are healed!"
Yazoo ran a gloved hand over his hair and turned to Loz, who was still weeping as he watched them, and hugged him in an unusually impulsive gesture. "You heard Kadaj," he said, his tone holding a gentle reprimand. "I'm well, now. I am going to be with you for many years to come. So please, brother, stop crying."
Loz nodded his silver head, sniffling as he drew back, and Yazoo wiped his tears away with a gentle hand. He patted the elder's cheek, returned his lopsided smile, and looked around the room. Aerith was kneeling near the foot of the bed, her smile bright and peaceful. Cissnei knelt beside her, her tawny amber eyes meeting his briefly, before moving to settle on Loz.
He took note of the way the female Turk's expression softened as she reached out to touch the small of his brother's back. Loz flashed her a quick, joyful smile over his shoulder, one hand creeping behind him to take hers, and Yazoo schooled his features to his hide his surprise. Cissnei wasn't just another flirtation, as he and Kadaj had both assumed. Loz had found a mate.
And he had another sister, Yazoo realized, one which they knew nothing about. Yes, they had vague memories of Sephiroth interacting with her during one of Genesis' attacks on Midgar, but their father had barely acknowledged the girl, let alone spoken to her. They would have to tread very carefully with Cissnei, who as a Turk was in a position to betray them, should her loyalty to Rufus Shinra come to eclipse her feelings for their sweet, unsophisticated brother. Even if it did not, they would have to make an effort to get to know her, if only to make Loz happy.
His gaze moved passed Cissnei and Aerith, taking note of Reno's interest as he watched them. The redhead's eyes, which were a rather lovely shade of blue-green, kept flicking back and forth between he and Sephiroth, and caused Yazoo to smile knowingly. The Turk was comparing Yazoo to his father, and thoroughly enjoying doing so, if the gleam in those pretty eyes was any indication.
Another Turk lover, Yazoo mused thoughtfully. Vincent had once been a Turk, and so far, that had been the sum of his intimate experience with Shinra's less-than-elite assassins. While that certainly had not turned out well, he had to admit that he was curious. Reno talked tough, or he had when Yazoo had fought him, and Yazoo wondered if he was truly as cheeky and impulsive as he seemed. It would certainly make for an interesting encounter, if nothing else. Redheads were always so sublimely passionate.
There was a whisper of movement to Reno's left, and Yazoo watched as Angeal and Zack whispered quietly amongst themselves. His resurrection had caused quite a stir, or so it would seem, he thought ruefully. He sent them each a placid smile and moved on, the smile faltering as he met Cloud's brilliant blue gaze. The other man looked troubled as he nodded and broke eye contact, leaving Yazoo to wonder if something had happened between he and Kadaj during his 'absence'.
Then, a glimmer of red claimed his attention, and the rest of the world simply faded away. Vincent was staring at him, his crimson eyes unblinking, his near-perfect features drawn taut with an emotion Yazoo couldn't name. Yazoo could do nothing more than gaze at him mutely in return, unable to speak as their last confrontation played through his mind. This man, to whom he had given himself unreservedly, had rejected him so thoroughly that he had longed for death, and had welcomed it when it came.
The worst part was that he still loved him: His beautiful, mysterious dark one, who had taken him to the very pinnacle of physical pleasure, and then abandoned him to the black abyss of aloneness. Yazoo knew that he would never love another, sensed it on a level he couldn't even begin to define, and it devastated him to know that nothing about their encounters been real. His dark one hadn't truly existed; Vincent had been a brief, beautiful dream, one which hadn't survived the light of their own twisted reality.
Those stunning ruby eyes warmed on his own, taking on a heated look that he knew all too well, and Yazoo's heart stuttered in his chest. No! he told himself sharply, forcing himself to look away. Vincent Valentine did not love him, and he would never again make the mistake of allowing himself to believe otherwise. It was not meant to be, and no matter how badly he longed for his dark one, he would never again entrust his heart to another, especially not to a man who had already broken him.
"Yazoo."
Yazoo turned to find Sephiroth kneeling at his bedside, gazing at him with solemn, concerned green eyes. Even on his knees, Sephiroth towered over Yazoo, tall and handsome and deceptively lean. He could understand Kadaj's awe, Yazoo marveled as he sent the older man a slight, reassuring smile. Sephiroth was tall.
His progenitor returned it, reaching up to clasp Yazoo's shoulder with a gentle hand, while his other moved to Kadaj's back. Sephiroth stroked the boy's tense muscles, and Yazoo knew that if he hadn't loved Sephiroth before, he certainly would have after watching the effect that the older man had on his younger brother. The baby let out a deep, sighing breath and relaxed against Yazoo, his vivid green eyes closing, a peaceful expression creeping over his angelic features. Sephiroth had calmed his high-strung, mercurial brother with nothing more than a touch, and that was something that even he was unable to do.
"Thank you," he whispered with gratitude, and Sephiroth merely squeezed his shoulder gently and released him.
Yazoo pressed a kiss to the crown of the baby's head, his expression softening as he spied Genesis watching them from the next bed. Those beautiful azure eyes, which were capable of holding so many different emotions, were filled with a relief so great that Yazoo could practically feel it, despite the physical distance between them. He smiled and tilted his head to one side, silently inviting the other man to join him. Genesis looked to Kadaj and hesitated before shaking his head, regret etched into his oh-so handsome features.
Yazoo looked down at his brother, who was now watching Genesis with wary yet speculative eyes, and silently asked him to invite Genesis into their family. The baby snorted as he raised his head, but grudgingly agreed. Genesis was a part of them, whether Kadaj liked it or not, and they both knew it. He climbed off of Yazoo's lap, seated himself on the edge of the mattress near Sephiroth, and lifted one slim, bare hand.
"Well?" he threw out, his tone scornful as he gestured imperiously towards Genesis. "Are you coming or what?"
Genesis looked surprised for all of five seconds before he swung his legs off of the bed and stood. He rounded the bed and gingerly took a seat beside Kadaj, a wary look in his eyes as they flicked to Sephiroth, who only offered another faint smile and remained silent. He looked back at Kadaj, who raised one eyebrow in an expectant manner, before turning to Yazoo.
"Are you all right?" he asked in a low, hesitant voice.
"I am, now." Yazoo smiled warmly and gracefully slid down the bed until he could reach the man they had once loved beyond all reason. "Were you truly so worried about me, Genesis?"
Genesis nodded his bright auburn head, and Yazoo responded by drawing him close. Corded arms closed around him return, and Yazoo turned his head just enough to inhale the spicy, cinnamony scent he remembered so vividly. "I am touched by your concern," he told the other man softly, adding, "Thank you, Gen."
The older man tightened his hold briefly before drawing back. Rose-colored lips curled into a crooked smile, and Yazoo had to suppress a wholly sentimental, highly inappropriate sigh of appreciation. So beautiful, he thought as he forced himself to pull away.
'And so Sephiroth's,' a voice dry voice whispered through his mind.
He only smiled tranquilly as he met nearly identical silver-green eyes. 'I am aware, tenshi.'
'Just making sure,' Kadaj drawled cheekily, and he quickly smothered a laugh.
Sephiroth barely refrained from rolling his eyes at the silent exchange, while Loz laughed aloud, the sound booming through the small, cavern-like room. Genesis eyed the older boy suspiciously before turning to his lover. "Do I even want to know what I missed?" he asked warily.
Sephiroth paused, a smile flirting with the corners of his lips, before he shook his silver head negatively. "No, I don't believe you would appreciate Yazoo's. . . appreciation of you," he said, his deep voice laced with mirth.
Genesis blushed at that, he simply couldn't help it. "This is going to take some getting used to," he muttered under his breath.
"Indeed," Sephiroth murmured, quirking one eyebrow in his direction.
Genesis shot him a dirty look, scowling as the other man chuckled in return. Sephiroth gained his feet, his silver hair swaying around his lean body like a living thing, and Genesis quickly forgot his displeasure. He and Sephiroth had been surrounded by people all week long, and hadn't had a chance to be alone. With Yazoo's steadily declining health, their attention had been focused on him, and not on each other.
Well, that was about to change, Genesis thought as he watched Sephiroth move to the bed that he had previously occupied. Sephiroth busied himself with the removal of his armor, the weapons belt and harness, and Genesis quickly rose to his feet. He smiled down at the boys, who each looked up at him with shining green eyes, and ran a hand over Yazoo's head. The boy returned his smile with one that was both tranquil and surprisingly sphinx-like at the same time, and Genesis laughed to himself as he drew away. They were definitely Sephiroth's blood. There was no questioning that.
Genesis rounded the bed and removed his coat, grimacing at the filth which clung to the treated red leather, as he draped it over the foot of the bed. He watched as Sephiroth folded his own trench, folding it as though it weren't covered in a week's worth of grime, and shook his fiery head as he extended his hand. Sephiroth handed him the small bundle, murmuring a quiet thanks, and Genesis stifled another laugh as he set it atop his own.
The boots came next, placed neatly beside the bed, lined up with nearly perfect precision, and this time, Genesis did laugh. Sephiroth looked up at him inquiringly, and he could only shake his head again, watching with fond eyes as Sephiroth shrugged and settled back against the plain wooden headboard. Genesis smirked as he quickly sat on the other side of the bed and removed his own armor. He set it on the floor and kicked it under the bed, not worried in the least about damaging the unpleasant reminder of what they'd left behind, and then removed his own boots.
He set them aside and swung his legs up onto the mattress, frowning as he realized just how small the bed was. There was barely enough room for Sephiroth, let alone him. He harrumphed as he quickly scooted towards Sephiroth, who raised his arm and pulled him close. Genesis smiled to himself as he laid his head on his lover's bare shoulder, loving the way Sephiroth cuddled him, holding him as though he were something precious. He felt the younger man press a kiss to the top of his head, and all but melted into him. Suddenly, the small, cramped bed didn't seem quite so bad.
"This is nice," he said with a breathy sigh, closing his eyes as a sense of peace filled him. "Just you, me, and our boys. . ."
Sephiroth chuckled above him. "And ten of our closest friends?" he asked in a dry voice.
Genesis only shrugged and tightened his arms, nuzzling the smooth skin of Sephiroth's broad shoulder with his cheek. "At least, we're together," he pointed out in a murmur. "We're lucky, Seph. Damned lucky."
"Yes, we are," Sephiroth agreed solemnly, running one hand down the silky line of his lover's back, as he thought of all that could have gone wrong, and once had—in the past.
The other man shivered, a high, breathless sound escaping him, and Sephiroth swallowed hard as he felt his own body respond. "Genesis," he whispered, his voice rough despite his best efforts to control it, "aishiteru."
"I know," Genesis whispered, pressing his lips to the hollow of the other man's throat. "I love you too, Seph."
A muffled snort came to his ears, and Sephiroth smiled as he recognized the sound as coming from Kadaj. 'Behave, little one.'
The silent message lacked firmness, and Kadaj's second, louder snort showed that he was well aware of it. Sephiroth turned his head just enough to catch the remnants' eye, and Kadaj grinned in what Sephiroth could only describe as an evil way. He sent the boy a pointed look, one full of exasperated fondness, and the boy's wicked laughter rang through his head.
He found himself laughing silently even as he frowned at his youngest child. 'Please, little one. Be good. Our situation is difficult enough as it is.'
The boy harrumphed, the sound echoing one of Genesis' favorite affectations, and Sephiroth turned his face into Genesis' hair to hide his grin. The boy was so much like Genesis that he could not truly be angry with him, even as he acknowledged that he would have to be firmer with Kadaj in the future, if only to keep the boy's animosity towards Genesis at a bearable level.
'Don't worry, Sephiroth,' that high, childlike voice floated through his mind, 'I'll try to be nicer to Koneko, if only to make you happy.'
The smile dimmed at the boy's derogatory tone before Sephiroth forced himself to let it go. It was enough that Kadaj was willing to make that concession. Given what he remembered of the past, it was more than Sephiroth had expected. 'Thank you, Kadaj.'
'Yeah, yeah.'
The boy yawned loudly and settled down against his Yazoo, his right hand reaching over his middle brother to take the older one's hand. Loz grasped the boy's hand tightly and curved his body around Yazoo's, mirroring Kadaj as they both enveloped Yazoo in a possessive, protective embrace. Anyone—or anything—that tried to harm Yazoo would have to go through them, and Sephiroth knew that there was very little on Gaia that could. Yazoo would be safe.
'Course, he will,' Loz inserted confidently. 'You and Gen will be, too, Seph. We take care of our own.'
Sephiroth was surprised that the oldest boy had used his nickname, but knew that he shouldn't have been. While Loz might be a part of him, he seemed to carry a great deal of Sephiroth's memories of Angeal within him. 'Thank you, Loz,' he returned carefully.
'Sure thing, Father.'
'You'll get used to it.' Yazoo's smooth, cultured voice—eerily reminiscent of Genesis' own rich tones—wound its way through his mind. 'After all, we did.'
Sephiroth smiled faintly at that. 'I am glad that you are well, Yazoo.'
'Thank you, Sephiroth.'
'You're welcome.' Genesis moved against him, murmuring drowsily, and Sephiroth carefully maneuvered him until they were both under the thin blanket. 'Sleep well, boys. Tomorrow, we leave this place.'
'Can't come soon enough for me,' Kadaj retorted spiritedly. 'Goodnight, Father.'
'Goodnight, little one.'
The remnants withdrew then, and Sephiroth breathed a quiet sight of relief. As much as he cared for his young remnants, he preferred being alone in his own mind. After all he had gone through with Jenova, he knew how precious such a thing truly was, and he would never again take it for granted.
'Sephiroth.'
Her voice whispered through his mind, and he shuddered as he hastily began to close the neural pathways that made the invasive contact possible. He had become too used to using the telepathic bond he shared with his remnants, so much so that he had left himself open enough to allow Jenova to slip in and out of his mind, seemingly at will. She had been speaking to him all week, her voice nothing more than a quiet murmur. Occasionally, she would laugh at him and his 'weak, childish thoughts', but for the most part, her presence had been so subtle that he hadn't noticed it until she had made it known.
'My son.'
"No," he whispered in denial, his deep voice little more than a breath of sound as he hugged Genesis tightly. His kitten, so fiercely protective of those he loved, responded by tightening his own hold. Even in the early stages of slumber, Genesis sought to protect him, to soothe him, as he had for so many years, and Sephiroth clung to him, his only anchor in a world that despised his very existence.
He closed his eyes and buried his face in the fiery tangle of Genesis' hair. He inhaled deeply, breathing in the spicy scent that belonged to Genesis alone, and drew strength from the other man's closeness. So long as he had Genesis, he could do anything, conquer any challenges that came his way, even the one that had once destroyed him completely.
He wondered briefly why Phoenix, the summons that most reflected Gaia's capacity for compassion, had reached out to one of its master's enemies. Why would the life-giving creature choose to heal Yazoo, who was not the strongest of his remnants, when presented with a chance to eliminate him? The remnants were one of The Planet's greatest threats, three powerful pieces of his greater whole. Allowing Yazoo to die would have crippled Loz and Kadaj, who were so much a part of of their brother that they might not have survived his death intact, not to mention the effect that it would have had on Sephiroth himself.
He didn't know, and that truly troubled him. He was a creature of logic; he worshipped order. While he enjoyed a challenge, he did not like surprises, nor mysteries. Knowledge was power, and he needed to know.
He needed to talk to the Ancient, Sephiroth thought at last, hoping that Aerith, with her deep connection to both The Planet and the Lifestream, would be able to solve at least a portion of the puzzle. Until then, he would view the Phoenix's gift of life with suspicion, and he would watch Yazoo to assure that the summon did not somehow harm the boy it had saved.
"Sephiroth." Genesis' voice, thick with sleep, sounded just below his ear. "Quit thinking and go to sleep—now."
"Yes, Genesis," he murmured humorously. As Genesis grunted and stilled against once more, Sephiroth pushed his worries away and concentrated solely on him. It wasn't long before he slipped headlong into the world of azure-skied dreams.

Rufus Shinra stood at the wall of glass that that dominated the north side of The President's office—now his office—his ice-blue gaze locked unseeingly on the smog-darkened sky of Midgar. His thoughts were not consumed by his new responsibilities as The President of Shinra Inc., but by Reno, and the untenable position he now found himself in. General Sephiroth had kept his word and given him The President's chair, and then had stolen the only damned thing that he could really call his own. Reno had been his, in a way that nothing—and no one—else had ever been, and now he was gone, snatched away by the very man who had pledged his loyalty only weeks ago.
Rage rushed through Rufus at the thought, and his hands fisted as he fought its hot tide. Ever since he had lost his temper and struck his lover down, Rufus continued to struggle with the fury that was never far away. He didn't want to be like his father, who had thought so little of the people who loved him that hurting them had been of little or no consequence to him. His stomach churned at the thought of what he himself had done to Reno, his violent actions echoing those of his father, and his mother's murder so long ago.
As for Sephiroth. . .He had been so afraid of losing the other boy to General Sephiroth that he had completely lost it. How could anyone compete with the general's cold magnificence? Sephiroth was tall, graceful, elegant, handsome, strong. . .He was everything that Rufus was not, and Rufus knew it all too well. Just as he knew that Reno was attracted to powerful men, and while he himself might be powerful, he would never be as strong as the general.
And that was where the fear had come in.
Rufus sighed heavily, his shoulders slumping, the rage gone as suddenly as it had come. Reno had never even tried to hide his appreciation of Sephiroth, and for more than a year, Rufus had tolerated his boyfriend's little crush. But as soon as Reno had stated his intention to warn the general of his plans, he had crossed a line that Rufus hadn't even realized existed.
As far as that ridiculous story about Sephiroth going crazy and trying to destroy the world with a meteor was concerned. . .Rufus shook his fair head, much as he had the first time he'd heard it. It was preposterous, the thought that General Rhapsodos breaking Sephiroth's heart was enough to drive him insane. Sephiroth was the strongest man of The Planet, after all.
And yet, Sephiroth had turned on his father for trying to separate the two.
Rufus frowned as the thought flitted through his mind. Sephiroth had come to Rufus of his own volition, and had never given a clear explanation for his actions. What the general had said to his father before killing him, however, had been all the explanation that Rufus needed. And scarily enough, it had seemed to foreshadow what Reno himself had said.
Impossible, Rufus told himself sharply. Sephiroth might be fucking Rhapsodos, but he simply wasn't that weak. Nothing in any of Professor Hojo's psychiatric evaluations had ever even hinted at emotional instability. In fact, Rufus would have believed the general to be asexual, if not for his long-standing arrangement with his second-in-command.
Reno's obsession with 'His Royal Hotness' had obviously blinded him to Sephiroth's true nature, which was something that shouldn't have surprised Rufus. For all of his street-wise ways, Reno could be surprisingly, stupidly romantic when he wanted to be. He had certainly romanticized their relationship, to the point where he had actually expected Rufus to accept his very real betrayal.
"Godsdammitt," Rufus muttered, running an agitated hand through his hair. He was getting angry again, and that was not a good thing.
He heard the double doors open, then close just as quietly, and sighed to himself. "Tseng," he greeted tonelessly, turning from the window to greet the man who had been his rock through all of this.
"Sir."
Tseng bowed formally, bending deeply at the waist, in a show of respect. It was genuine, Rufus knew, but it never failed to irritate him. This man had been in his life from his earliest memories, had practically raised him, and still insisted on formality between them. The Wutaian man, who had been branded a traitor in his own country for his continued support of Shinra Electric Power Company, was all Rufus had left. It wasn't as comforting a thought as it should have been.
"What news do you have of General Sephiroth?"
"He and his. . .companions are currently at Fort Condor," Tseng answered, careful not allude to Reno in any way.
Rufus frowned at that. "Why would they stop there?" he asked. "Fort Condor is still relatively close to Midgar. Why didn't they commandeer a ship or submarine at Junon, as we expected? Or use the helicopter that they stole? Why travel halfway across the country on foot when they didn't have to?"
"They destroyed a great deal of the underwater docks when they collapsed the dome," Tseng reminded him quietly. "They were likely swept far enough away that returning to Junon would have been. . .inconvenient for them."
"Inconvenient?" Rufus scowled darkly. "General Sephiroth has cost me billions, Tseng. He all but destroyed my credibility when he deserted the way that he did, and he took all four of my Firsts with him, as well as—"
Rufus snapped his mouth shut and turned away, and Tseng gazed at him with hidden sorrow. "Chief Golan reports that one of the general's companions, the one that resembles him the most, is ill," he said at length. "One of his clones is apparently in less than perfect health. That may be why they stopped where they did."
"And Golan thinks highly of both he and Rhapsodos," Rufus muttered, wishing that his father had never sent either man to Fort Condor. They respect they had garnered there was turning out to be problematic for him. "I want them back, Tseng—all of them."
"Sir, perhaps it would be best to wait—"
"Send the army," Rufus ordered, cutting him off and effectively ending the conversation. "Sephiroth damaged his own reputation when he allowed the Junon troops to see him siding with an enemy 'terrorist'. His SOLDIERs want his blood. I'm going to give it to them."
Tseng hesitated, knowing that his question would anger—and hurt—the young man before him. "And Reno?" he said at last, resignation entering his voice.
"Is not to be harmed." Rufus swung around, his pale, silver-blue eyes narrowing fractionally. "Make that clear to Lazard, Tseng."
"Yes, sir."
The slender Wutaian bowed again and withdrew, leaving Rufus alone with his less than comforting thoughts. Had Tseng been worried that he would want revenge on the other boy for leaving him? Had he expected Rufus to order Reno's death as a result? Could the older man truly believe that Rufus was that heartless?
Reno had been a part of his life for almost two years, now. What had started out as an unlikely friendship had turned into something more, something Rufus had believed would last. He had given Reno a trust he had never given another person, not even Tseng, and Reno had chosen to betray him. How could he have misjudged the charming, irreverent young Turk so badly?
He didn't know, and Rufus was afraid that he never would. Even if he got Reno back—and he would get him back—he wouldn't be able to trust him again. The sense of closeness they had shared, the intimacy of their relationship, could never be regained. Rufus simply wasn't that trusting.
Even if he could somehow convince himself that Reno truly had meant well, Reno would never be able to forgive him for what he had done. Rufus knew that too damned well. He had beaten the other boy within an inch of his life, and if Tseng hadn't stopped him, Rufus would have killed him.
Rufus shivered and thrust the thought aside. He would not end up like his father. He would learn to control his temper, and Reno would learn the meaning of loyalty.
He seated himself behind the massive desk he had so recently inherited and opened the file marked, 'Deep Ground.' One of the first things he'd done after taking control of Shinra had been to set his computer programmers to work locating and decrypting all of Professor Hojo's files. They still had thousands of files to go through, but this was the one that had caught his eye.
A secret laboratory, buried deep beneath the paved streets of Midgar, in the depths of Mako Reactor 0. Twenty-six years ago, Hojo had begun Project Deep Ground in the medical lab that was attached to the reactor. The intention had been to make an army of perfect super-soldiers, using Grimoire Valentine's research on stagnant mako, and something called 'G' cells.
An army of enhanced humans, Rufus thought with the beginnings of a smile. Maybe, losing Sephiroth and the other Firsts wasn't as big a loss as he feared. It might be just what he—and Shinra—needed to complete the consolidation of Gaia.
And, it just might be enough to allow him his own measure of vengeance against the general.
He would have to find a way to control what was left of The Board; they would be scared at the prospect of attacking Sephiroth directly. He would have to convince them that Sephiroth was still a threat, which Rufus knew that he was. He couldn't afford to let Scarlet challenge his power, or Tuesti to perceive him as anything but completely confident, when he finally presented his plans to them. Yes, what he was contemplating was daunting, but he had no doubt that it could be done. He had only to convince Cid Highwind to accept the position of Director of the Space Program, and everything would be in place.
No, Scarlet was the real worry here, as she had spent years cultivating relationships with her staff, and consolidating her own powerbase. Not that he'd think twice about killing her if he had to, but he'd really rather not. Scarlet was good at her job, and it would be hard to replace her. Still, if she became a problem...
Deep Ground was the answer. Rufus was sure of it. He had only to find a way to control the superhuman forces that comprised its nearly two hundred members, and it would all be his. It was only a matter of time.
- 35
- 36
- 37
You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.
Report Story

Final Fantasy VII: Angelic Threnody