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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
- 41
- 42
- 43
Chapter 43
'My soul, corrupted by vengeance, hath endured torment, to find the end of the journey in my own salvation, and your eternal slumber.' -Loveless, Act IV
The sun was just beginning to sink down over the horizon when they finally made their way back into town. Sephiroth held Genesis close, for once not protesting the public setting, basking in the afterglow of an intense, important encounter. Genesis was wearing what seemed to be a permanent grin as he tightened his arm around Sephiroth's waist and walked calmly beside him. Sephiroth himself wasn't immune to the happiness which radiated from the other man, a small but significant smile shaping his own lips.
He still wasn't sure exactly what had made this afternoon so important to Genesis, but it was enough to know that he had made his beautiful, oftentimes intractable kitten happy, even if he didn't understand how he had done so. As Loz had once told him, Genesis was at his best when he was happy.
Genesis sent him another beaming smile, and Sephiroth didn't try to fight the impulse that had him leaning down to sample those luscious lips. Genesis leaned into him as he returned the gentle, loving caress, making a soft sound as they finally parted. Sephiroth only tightened the arm around his shoulders and kept him close to his side, loving the feel of Genesis' tautly muscled body as it brushed against his own. So great was his own contentment that he never sensed the eyes that followed their progress through the earthen roads of Banora, or the swirling mass of hatred, jealousy, and bloodlust that glittered in their glowing depths.
"So," Genesis began in a casual voice, "any chance that I could talk you into sneaking into my room tonight?"
Sephiroth uttered a low laugh as he thought of the way that Genesis had stolen into his bedroom the last two nights, only to be forced to content himself with doing nothing more than sleeping. Sephiroth hadn't felt comfortable enough to risk having sex in his parents' home, and Genesis had only grudgingly consented to abstaining. If nothing else, at least they had been able to hold one another as they slept. The thought of sleeping in a strange place without his fierce kitten was not a pleasant one.
"I will consider it," he said at last, knowing that he would give in, if only to make Genesis happy. Of course, Genesis didn't need know that just yet. "There are still your parents' sensibilities to take into consideration."
"Ppfftt, sensibilities my ass," Genesis muttered under his breath.
Sephiroth heard him and quickly smothered a grin. "It is their home, Genesis," he pointed out in what he hoped was a blandly oblivious tone.
"It's my home, too!" the other man declared indignantly. "I sure as hell shouldn't have to sleep alone in it!"
It was all Sephiroth could do to keep his voice level as he responded. "You have yet to sleep alone, Genesis."
That earned him a sulky look. "It's not the sleeping that I miss at night, Seph."
"I know, kitten." Sephiroth chuckled as he brushed another kiss across those pouty lips. "But we have done quite a bit of that today, don't you think?"
"It wasn't enough," Genesis stated crossly. Sephiroth arched one eyebrow, and his lover quickly added, "It's been too long since we've had any real privacy, Seph. I don't like having to sneak around like this. We're grown men, not a couple of horny teenagers."
"You mean, that one of us is not a 'horny teenager'," Sephiroth rejoined, deadpan.
"Excuse me?" Genesis stopped dead in his tracks and set both hands on his hips, his beautiful blue eyes narrowing dangerously as they met Sephiroth's own. "I'll have you know that I am not a horny teenager, and that I resent the comparison!"
Sephiroth laughed then, he simply couldn't restrain himself. "It was your comparison, Genesis."
"Hhmmpphh."
Genesis tossed his fiery head and pointedly looked away, and Sephiroth quickly stifled the laughter, although there was little he could do about the grin. He reached out and snagged Genesis around the waist, pulling him close despite his half-hearted struggles. "You know full well that I am only teasing you," he whispered, brushing his lips over the fragile shell of his lover's ear.
Genesis shivered at the feather-soft caress, his eyes fluttering closed as his struggles ceased. "Goddess," he moaned, clinging to Sephiroth's broad shoulders, where only moments before he had been trying to push away. "Don't you dare start something you're not prepared to finish, Sephiroth!"
"Oh, I'll finish, kitten," Sephiroth murmured, drawing back just enough to thread his hands though ribbons of fire-imbued silk. "Is that not why you invited me to your room tonight?"
That slim, muscled body began to tremble against his, and Sephiroth laughed again, this time very softly. "I believe that you have a moment to reenact for me, do you not?"
Genesis' lips curved into a lushly wicked smile at the thought. "I've got the picture in my bag," he all but purred, and much to Sephiroth's delight. "Don't you worry, moonbeam. I'll put on one hellova show for you tonight."
Sephiroth chuckled darkly and gave him one last kiss. "Of that, Genesis, I have no doubts."
The sound of Genesis' laughter chimed through the around them, low and sultry and filled with the darkness that was so much a part of him. It infused the twilight with a beauty that had little to do with their charmingly rustic surroundings, and everything to do with the man himself. Sephiroth could only watch as Genesis smiled again, the everyday gesture all the more striking for the sheer joy that it held, as his own heart swelled with the force of his own feelings.
In the end, he found that beatific smile all too alluring. He couldn't resist the impulse that had him leaning down, intent on capturing that lovely, iridescent grin, when he felt it. A faint stirring of his senses, a slight disturbance in the air around them, and the indefinable sense that something was utterly, unalterably wrong.
As the fine hairs on the back of his neck rose, Sephiroth lifted his head. He caught a brief flash of movement from the corner of his eye and instinctively shoved Genesis away from him. He jumped backwards in the same motion, distancing himself as the minute movement landed between them in a flash of crimson-tinged light. He ignored Genesis' indignant shout as Masamune formed in his left hand, his genetically enhanced eyes focusing on the tall, unknown woman who now stood in the exact same spot that he and Genesis had occupied only moments before.
A crater had appeared beneath the auburn-haired woman, similar to the ones which he and Genesis created during their spars. It was an unmistakable sign of power, the likes of which could only be wrought through mako enhancement. The stranger, who had courted death by attacking two of the most powerful men on The Planet, turned her fire-crowned head towards Genesis. A cruel, predatory smile curved her painted lips, and Sephiroth pushed back a flash of quiet concern. Genesis might be unarmed, but he was far from helpless.
"My, what do we have here?" the woman crooned in a husky, heavily accented voice. She half-turned and took a menacing step towards Genesis, only to pause and throw a bewilderingly smoldering look over her shoulder. "I'll be with you in just a few minutes, my darling General, just as soon as I take care of this rabble."
In a display of foolish self-confidence that left Sephiroth completely baffled, the woman turned her back on him to fully face Genesis. "Who the fuck are you?" his lover demanded, his handsome, fine-boned features taking on a dangerous cast as he dropped into a battle stance.
"I am Rosso The Crimson," the woman answered haughtily, seemingly nonchalant as she tapped one end of her unusual, double-bladed sword against her thigh. "You are Genesis Rhapsodos, former SOLDIER 1st Class, yes?"
Sephiroth frowned as the name struck a distant chord within him. "That's right," Genesis was saying, the woman's arrogance not only matched, but exceeded, by his own. "And that's the General Sephiroth that you just turned your back on."
"Mmmm, I know," Rosso purred, unconcerned. She lifted her blade into the air and held it out flat before her in an unmistakable gesture of challenge. "Now, you will show me the skills which have made you so great, and we will dance until one of us is dead."
"No." Sephiroth circled her with slow, cautious movements, Masamune extended to its full, intimidating length, as he placed his body before Genesis' in an obviously protectively manner. He studied her unusually altered clothing, as well as the fine, florescent mako-filled tubes that ran along it, with narrowed eyes. "You are Deep Ground," he stated at last, his voice calm even as he cursed himself for not anticipating this.
Rosso's expression changed as her mako-bright blue eyes met his own. "I am much more than that, darling," she assured him, her heavily painted lids half-closing in a look that Sephiroth could not properly interpret. "I am a Tsviet."
"What the hell is a Tsviet?" Genesis demanded, his temper sparking as he watched this woman, who had attacked him without provocation, flirt with his lover. "What's Deep Ground, for that matter?"
"We are SOLDIERs, much like you," Rosso answered, her gaze never leaving Sephiroth's own as she lowered her sword once more. "Must we draw this out, darling? Stand aside, and I'll rid us of this one's. . .undesirable presence, so that we can be alone."
"Fuck you!" Genesis exclaimed, channeling his spirit energy into his right hand as his volatile temper snapped. "You stay the hell away from him, you crazy bitch!"
He practically shoved Sephiroth aside and released the spell without warning. He metaphysically thrust the Shadow Flare spell at her, surprised to see the normally charcoal-black spheres of energy shoots towards her in stunning, glossy black glory. She was immediately enveloped in the inky black balls of power, and Genesis forgot his surprise, smiling with a wholly malicious satisfaction. Fucking choke on it, bitch! he thought nastily. He ignored Sephiroth's low, shocked curse, already calling on the next spell, when several gunshots rang out in quick succession. He suddenly found himself flat on the ground, the air whooshing out of his lungs, as Sephiroth's considerable weight pinned him to the hard ground.
"Sephiroth!" he choked out with shock. "What the fuck do you think you're doing?!"
"Her sword is a gunblade hybrid," Sephiroth informed him tonelessly as he rolled to his feet. "Stay down. I'll take care of it."
Genesis scowled as he pushed himself to his feet, not happy to have Sephiroth treat him like a damsel in distress, instead of the SOLDIER 1st Class that he was. His expression darkened as he saw the way that his dark spell was essentially absorbed by the magical barrier that suddenly surrounded the woman. Rosso, or whatever the hell her name was, ignored Sephiroth completely, only dodging him long enough to point her weapon in his direction once again.
Genesis' eyes narrowed as he hit the ground once again, rolling to his right to avoid being shot for a second time in as many days, and lifted his arm once more. This time, he released a Dark Firaga spell, hoping that the multiple status effects that accompanied the dark magic would fuck the bitch up, and buy Sephiroth some time.
Unfortunately, the spell seemed to have little effect. A bright green glow appeared around the woman, but the poison didn't seem to affect her at all. Rosso merely smiled at him cunningly and whirled around to meet Sephiroth's next strike. Masamune sung as it cut through the air with almost preternatural speed, a speed which Rosso matched as she met the massive longblade with her own unusual sword. Sparks flew as the two swords screeched against one another, neither swordsman willing to give way, even as the power built to nearly unbearable levels between them.
Sephiroth finally shoved Rosso away from him, sending her flying backwards, her ridiculously high heels wearing grooves in the plain earthen road. A thick cloud of dust was left in her wake, but it wasn't enough to hide her from Sephiroth's keen eyes. The silver warrior leapt after her, bringing Masamune down in a lightning-fast arch. She jumped high into the air at the last possible second, and the massive katana crashed down, meeting only earth and air. She hovered above them for a long moment, her expression showing an enjoyment that almost seemed to border on sexual, before grasping her weapon in both hands and diving straight towards Sephiroth. Sephiroth vaulted into the air, swinging Masamune up to meet her, and the resulting collision sent shockwaves of raw power blasting through the warm summer air.
Genesis winced as that power buffeted him, remembering too late how his own Shadow Flare spell had unexpectedly overwhelmed Sephiroth during their last spar. He called upon yet another of his impressive arsenal of materia, this one another elemental spell, and released the fully mastered Firaga. It hit Rosso and was immediately absorbed into her barrier, just like the last one, but it gave Sephiroth a much-needed opening.
Genesis watched with a proud smile as Sephiroth twisted Masamune against Rosso's sword and wrenched it sideways. The stupid woman made the mistake of hanging onto her weapon, and was flung to the ground as a result, landing hard in the dirt only a few feet away from Genesis himself. He grinned wolfishly as an idea came to him, and he turned the full force of that smile onto his lover.
"I've got a plan," he announced with triumph, and Sephiroth's features showed alarm as he floated gracefully to the ground. "Genesis, allow me to handle—"
Genesis hollered wordlessly as he fired up another spell and ran towards the fallen woman. His grin widened as she quickly climbed to her feet, her electric-blue eyes narrowing on his own, and Genesis thrust the Dark Thundaga directly into her face. The dark spell hit her dead on, and this time, the status effects achieved the desired results.
Rosso felt the change almost immediately. She ignored the poison that coursed like acid through her veins, her sudden inability to cast magic a more pressing concern. She lashed out with her sword, swiping wildly at Sephiroth's lover. He danced away from the attack, laughing at her, and Rosso realized just what he had done. He had distracted her just long enough to allow her concentration to slip, and that lapse had weakened her control of her still-new magical barrier.
No matter, Rosso told herself confidently. She didn't need magic to deal with this one.
She dug one end of her sword into the ground and then brought it up in an underhand swipe. Large clumps of dirt and mud flew through the air, kicking up another cloud of dust, which she used for cover. While she knew that her makeshift shield wouldn't fool Sephiroth for long—if at all—it would be enough to get one last shot at his too-pretty lover, which was all that she needed to finish this part of her mission. Sephiroth's grief would take care of the rest for her.
Rosso moved swiftly through the dust, reaching Rhapsodos in a matter of seconds. She drew back her sword, intent on cutting out his heart and presenting it to Sephiroth as a trophy, when the too-pretty SOLDIER surprised her. She caught a glimpse of angry, glowing blue eyes through the thick dust cloud, and then a hard, heeled boot connected with her midsection. She heard a loud, distinctive crack, and knew that this pretty peacock of a man had broken at least one of her ribs, if not more.
"Nice shot, darling," she jibed in an even voice which belied the pain of her already healing wounds, "but, sadly, it's not enough to stop Rosso The Crimson."
"No, but it's enough to give me the chance to do this."
Genesis was shocked when Aerith's voice sounded somewhere in his general vicinity, but he was positively stunned when the girl appeared behind Rosso. The young Cetra lifted her staff, its ornate golden head with its single ruby glittering in the deepening twilight, and literally whacked the bitch in the back of her overdone head. Ross staggered under the impact before whirling around, intent on eliminating this new threat, when a massive blade appeared between them.
Angeal lowered his head fractionally, his deep sapphire eyes flashing with a daunting combination of menace and mako, as he angled it towards the intruder. "Do it and die," he said in a low, deadly voice that stunned Genesis.
"Seems to me like you're outnumbered," Genesis called out just a bit smugly. "Personally, I like the odds, but you might want to consider running now."
"Genesis." Sephiroth's deep voice held just a touch of exasperation as he approached them approached them with slow, steady steps. Masamune vanished from sight as the silver-haired warrior halted beside his lover, just out of Rosso's reach, and crossed his arms over his chest. "Talk."
Rosso glared hard at the intruders, SOLDIER 1st Class Angeal Hewley, she recognized from the reports, and a young woman that she did not know, before turning to Sephiroth with a surprisingly charming smile. "Sorry, darling, but I'm afraid that our time together has come to an end. Until we meet again. . ."
She jumped back and into the air, landing gracefully on a wooden-shingled rooftop. She smiled down at Sephiroth, tilting her head to one side in a mocking, flirtatious matter. "We'll finish this another time, darling," she called out, lifting one hand to her lips. She blew Sephiroth a kiss, and Genesis had had enough. Fuck this shit! he thought furiously. Sephiroth was his.
Genesis bent down and scooped up a large rock, his too-blue eyes narrowing fiercely on the scantily clad bitch above him. He sneered with disgust, drew his arm back, and threw the stone as hard as he could. Rosso reached up and snatched stone out of the air, her expression promising retribution, as she made a point of crushing the rock with nothing more than her own brute strength. Genesis let out a cry of rage and rushed towards her, only to be pulled back by strong, immovable arms.
"Godsdammitt, Sephiroth!" he yelled, struggling as the woman above him laughed at his expense before jumping off the opposite side of the building. "Let fucking go of me! I'm going to kill that fucking whore!"
"Genesis, stop this at once!" Sephiroth frowned as the smaller man continued to struggle, all of his attention focused on the woman who was even now fleeing into the relative safety of the Banoran jungle. "Genesis! Enough!"
Genesis let out a scream of thwarted rage and tore himself out of Sephiroth's arms. "What the fuck was that all about?" he shouted as he turned on the other man. "Why did you keep me from going after her? I could have taken her!"
Sephiroth only shook his head negatively as he wished Masamune away. "You are unarmed, Genesis. Going after her without Rapier would be foolish, considering her skill."
"Skill?!" Genesis glared at him with scorching blue eyes. "That wasn't skill, Sephiroth. That was her damned barrier! If it wasn't for that, I would have laid her out with the first spell I cast!"
Sephiroth sighed heavily even as he conceded the point. "Yes, you would have, but she is enhanced, and we cannot assume that the silence spell will last any longer on her than it would on one of us."
"Oh, really?" Genesis sneered at his words, his rich voice literally dripping with sarcasm. "I think you were enjoying her flirtations, so much so that you didn't want me interfering!"
"Flirtations?" Sephiroth queried, his voice heavy with both surprise and doubt. "Is that what she was doing?"
"Oh, for fuck's sake, Sephiroth!" Genesis exploded, throwing both hands up in the air in an overly dramatic manner. "She blew you a fucking kiss, and that wasn't clue enough for you?"
Sephiroth frowned as he considered his words. "But she did not bat her eyelashes," he pointed out in all seriousness.
Genesis huffed angrily and looked away. "They don't always bat their eyelashes to show their interest, Seph. Sometimes, they blow kisses."
Sephiroth cast a quick, questioning glance at Angeal, who nodded soberly in confirmation, and then promptly blushed. "Oh," he mumbled, looking down at the ground and wishing that his understanding of human nature were more comprehensive, "I did not realize that."
Genesis sighed and shook his head, feeling his anger drain away as though it had never been, in the face of his lover's embarrassment. Once again, he had forgotten that Sephiroth hadn't been raised normally, and didn't always understand the world around him, and he had hurt him, something he had sworn to never again do.
"It's all right, Seph," he told the other man, cringing inwardly as he kept his voice as gentle as possible. "You had no way of knowing that she was flirting with you, and I'm sorry that I yelled at you for it. Forgive me?"
Sephiroth nodded, his pearly skin still mottled red with embarrassment, and Genesis quickly reached for his hand. "It's all right," he reiterated, shifting until he was standing directly before him. "I'm not mad at you, Sephiroth. I just got a little...jealous, that's all."
Sephiroth's gaze swung up to meet his, surprise lighting the pale depths of his eyes, and Genesis shrugged self-consciously. "What can I say, Seph? I'm a selfish bastard and I don't like to share."
Sephiroth merely stared at him for a long, tense moment. "You're truly not angry with me?" he asked in a low, hopeful voice.
"No," Genesis answered firmly, "I'm not mad at you. Now her, one the other hand, I could kill."
Aerith giggled at that, reminding them that they were not alone. "I tried," she joked lightly, her voice light as he attempted to ease Sephiroth's embarrassment. "If nothing else, I'm sure that I gave her a terrific headache."
Genesis snickered darkly at that. "I'm sure that you did, my dear. That really was a nice shot, by the way. You have good form."
She lifted her skirt and curtseyed prettily. "Why, thank you, kind sir."
Sephiroth cocked one eyebrow as he watched them interact. "Is that not flirting, Genesis?" he asked, only half teasing.
Genesis stared at him for a long, surprised moment. "Oh, so now you get your sense of humor back," He huffed again and he tossed his fiery head. "Typical."
"Genesis, stop teasing him," Angeal said, exasperated as he shared a smile with Aerith. "Sephiroth, do you have any idea who she was?"
Any hint of humor fled from Sephiroth's expression. "One of Hojo's experiments," he answered, his voice clipped. "She called herself Rosso The Crimson. I believe she is a part of the Deep Ground Project."
Angeal frowned at that. "I've never heard of it."
"Yeah, I hadn't either," Genesis said with a shrug, "but knowing Hojo, I can't say that I'm surprised."
"I don't know much about them," Sephiroth explained with regret. "Only the name, and that they are supposed to be 'super soldiers'."
Angeal only nodded, several strands of brown-black hair sliding forward to frame his temples. "Rufus sent her, then?"
"More than likely." Sephiroth felt a stirring of anger and hastily tamped it down. "Although, I have to admit that I'm surprised. I truly believed he would wait longer before striking again."
A low ring sounded, startling them all, and Sephiroth frowned as he reached into his pants pocket. He withdrew his PHS, which he hadn't used since leaving Midgar, and cautiously raised it to his ear. "Sephiroth," he stated flatly.
"I think we're in trouble, yo."
"What's happened?" he asked immediately, thoughts of Deep Ground forces—or worse, more Tsviets—coming to mind.
"Baby wanted to have a little chat with Gaia," came the hushed, terrifying response, "but there's so much negative energy in this freakin' place that even I can feel it. I think we're gonna need your help, yo."
Sephiroth's hand tightened on the phone until it creaked alarmingly. "Where?" he asked shortly.
"We're in an old underground mine, somewhere beneath Banora."
Sephiroth cursed silently as he realized exactly where they had gone. "We're on our way," he said, his tone clipped as he gestured for the others to follow him. "Try to keep the boys away from Gaia until we-."
"It's too late for that, yo. We're here."
Sephiroth didn't waste any more time with words. He snapped the PHS closed, shoved it into his pocket, and broke into a run. "The boys are in an underground mine," he announced as he ran. "Reno says that they're in danger."
Angeal swept Aerith up into his arms, knowing that the unenhanced girl would be unable to keep up with them. "The old mine is full of monsters," he said worriedly, putting on a burst of speed to keep up with the younger man. "Why on Gaia would they go down there?"
"Kadaj wanted to meet Genesis' goddess," Sephiroth returned grimly.
"Goddess?" Angeal questioned with a frown. "Genesis, what's he talking about.
Shock tore through Genesis at his lover's words. "He knows about the Cetra shrine?" he asked incredulously, ignoring Angeal as he began to worry about the safety of their boys. "But how? I never told anyone about it. Not even Angeal knows."
Angeal looked down at Aerith, who was listening silently, her gamine features reflecting her own concern. "What Cetra shrine?" he asked at last. "Is there one in the mine?"
"I don't know how he came by the knowledge, Genesis." Sephiroth likewise ignored their friend's confused queries as he lied to his lover, for once not bothered by being forced to dissemble, so great was his worry for his remnants. Confronting Gaia was not a wise thing for them to attempt. "You know where this place is?"
"Of course, I do. I found the shrine when I was nine," Genesis informed him loftily. "Now, follow me."
Sephiroth slowed down only enough to allow Genesis to take the lead, his own memories of the abandoned underground cavern nebulous, at best. He had only the vaguest memories of seeing Genesis there in an advanced stage of degradation, even though he knew that that was the place where Zack had definitively defeated Genesis. He had only been allowed the briefest glimpses of The Planet for the first few years after his death. It was only after Jenova had sent out the call for Reunion that he had gained enough strength to interact with the world through his clones, and then only intermittently.
He thought of his boys, his beautiful, powerful, vulnerable remnants, confronting the deity that wished them death, and shuddered with fear. Unlike 'Mother', he did not want the boys to sacrifice themselves for him. He would rather die a true death than lose even one of them, no matter how much power would be gained from their demise. They were more than his remnants, more than incomplete fragments of his soul. They were his sons, his children, his family, and he would do whatever was required of him to assure their safety.
'Kadaj,' Sephiroth send out the mental imperative with all of the force of his considerable will, a demand that he hoped would compel the youngest of his children to respond, 'answer me!'
'What?' came the typically snappish response. 'I'm kind of busy at the moment, you know.'
Relief rushed through him with devastating intensity. 'Do not challenge Gaia,' he commanded the boy sternly. 'Wait for me, and I will lead you out of there.'
'I'm not lost, Sephiroth. I know exactly where I am, and what I'm doing. So, back off!'
Sephiroth pushed back a surge of anger at the boy's stubbornness. 'She will kill you, little one,' he said in a calmer, more reasonable tone. 'I would not like to lose you so soon, when I have only just found you.'
'You're not going to lose us, Father,' Kadaj assured him much too confidently. 'We're just going to talk to her, and see if she won't cut us some slack, since we're trying to save her ass and all. Don't worry about us. We've got everything under control here.'
Fear turned to outright terror at those overconfident words. 'Kadaj—'
The mental equivalent of a steel wall slammed down between them, and Sephiroth cursed in a manner which would have done Genesis proud, had he said the curse words aloud. The boy had intentionally blocked his mind from Sephiroth, knowing full well that Sephiroth hadn't yet garnered the skill required to circumvent his mental defenses. Kadaj didn't want him to interfere, entirely too confident of his own ability to manipulate those around him. What he didn't understand was that Gaia was neither human nor monster. Her reactions could not be properly predicted, and it was that unpredictability that made what the young remnant was doing so perilous.
"We're almost there," Genesis announced, only slightly breathless from the brisk pace he himself had set. "They'd better be all right, or I'll kick their asses myself!"
Sephiroth silently echoed the other man's passionate declaration, and sent out one last, desperate mental message. 'Please, keep yourselves alive. I will be with you soon.'
As the mine entrance came into view, Sephiroth could only pray that were not too late.

'Please, keep yourselves alive. I will be with you soon.'
Kadaj frowned as Sephiroth's desperate plea resounded in his head. He didn't like that Father was so worried about he and his brothers, not only because it was insulting to those of their abilities, but because it was so unlike the man he had come to know. Sephiroth had never been the kind of man to let others see what he was feeling. Just like Yazoo, he tended to keep his emotions hidden, so that they couldn't be used against him. That he had shown Kadaj his fear and desperation was enough to make him question the wisdom of what he had done.
Maybe, just maybe, this hadn't been such a good idea.
Well, it was too late to worry about that, now, he reminded himself, squinting a little as his light sensitive eyes tried to adapt to the pure white light that marked the entrance to the ancient Cetra shrine. He could feel his pupils shrinking, elongating much like Sephiroth's did, as his eyes finally adjusted, and couldn't contain a snort of disgust. The last thing he'd wanted was to face Koneko's goddess with such an obvious reminder of his mometic origins, but it couldn't be helped. Vincent had already entered the cavernous grotto, so the die had been cast, so to speak. If nothing else, Kadaj at least he would have the opportunity to present his case to Gaia. It would give her something to think about, and it just might work out in their favor, providing that the bitch didn't try to kill them outright the moment she saw them.
Which was what Sephiroth feared, Kadaj knew. Sure there was always the chance that Gaia might overreact to their presence, but the rewards really did outweigh the risks. If this worked, all they'd have left to worry about was Mother and Shinra. Shinra wasn't what he was worried about, though. They could deal with Deep Ground easily enough. No, it was The Calamity From The Skies that worried Kadaj, if only because of the cruelty inherent in the alien's monstrous danger. She enjoyed hurting people even more than he did, and that was saying something!
There was a sudden flash of crimson up ahead, a deep red light that was strong enough to penetrate the haze of white surrounding them, and Kadaj scowled darkly as he realized what it meant. Vincent had shape-shifted again, which was not a good sign. He only seemed to do that when he or someone he cared about was in imminent danger, which meant that Gaia probably hadn't welcomed him with open arms.
"Fucking bitch," he muttered under his breath. He tightened his hold on Souba's beribboned hilt and glanced over both shoulders. Yazoo stood to his right and a little behind him, one hand already on the hilt of his Velvet Nightmare, his dainty features inscrutable. Loz waited to his left, his sculpted features showing nothing but raw determination, as he activated his Dual Hound.
They were ready.
Kadaj lifted one black-gloved hand imperiously. "That's our cue," he announced with more confidence than he felt. "Let's go show this bitch that we mean business."
"Wait!"
Kadaj cast an irritated glance over his shoulder as he did just that, watching with narrowed eyes as Cloud wove his way through the party. "What are you doing up here?" he hissed in a low, nearly inaudible voice. "You're supposed to be protecting the puppy!"
Cloud leveled determined blue eyes on his own as he slipped between his lover and Yazoo. "I'm not leaving you alone with her," he stated flatly.
"But it's Zack who's important," Kadaj protested. "We can take care of ourselves, Nii-san. Stay with your friend."
"No."
"Nii-san—"
"I swore that I would protect you and your brothers," he said in a voice that brooked no argument, "and that's exactly what I'm going to do. I won't let her have you, Kadaj—not any of you."
Kadaj only made a frustrated sound and looked away. "Fine," he said at length. "Stay with us, then. But don't get in our way."
Cloud stared at him impassively, but a hurt look entered his baby-blue eyes, and Kadaj felt his resolve waver. "We don't know how to fight with you, Nii-san, only with each other," he whispered in explanation. "If you get in the way, you might get hurt."
"I'll be careful," the older man promised solemnly, "but I'm not leaving your side. I won't lose you, baby, not ever again."
Loyalty.
The thought flashed unbidden through Kadaj's mind, and he aimed a beaming smile up at his oftentimes obstinate lover. "Then, take your place beside me, Nii-san. If we have to kill this bitch, we'll do it as a family."
The corners of Cloud's mouth turned upwards in the barest hint a smile as he bobbed his golden head solemnly. "As a family," he echoed, reaching behind him with his left hand and grasping First Tsurugi's second blade.
A loud, inhuman roar echoed through the vast cavern, and Cloud flinched in response. "It's Chaos that Vincent's turned into, Kadaj. I want you stay away from him. Let me deal with him. Alright?"
Kadaj thought of the black-winged, blue-skinned demon that had rescued Yazoo back in Junon and shivered in spite of himself. While he might be able to jump really high and hang in the air for seconds at a time, he could not fly. As much as he hated to admit it, Cloud might be right on this one.
"Alright," he conceded, making sure that his reluctance was clear as he added, "As long as he doesn't hurt you, I'll leave him alone. But if he does. . ."
The young remnant's voice trailed off, and Cloud smiled crookedly in comprehension. If Chaos hurt Cloud, Kadaj would do his very best to kill him. "Understood," he said in a soft voice. "Thank you, baby."
Kadaj looked over his shoulder again, unable to contain his pleased smile, as his gaze met that of his brother's. Surprise lingered in the depths of Yazoo's pale green eyes, the only visible sign of his emotions, and Kadaj's smile widened impossibly. 'Told you so,' he said smugly.
'So, you did,' Yazoo returned calmly, amazed to realize that Kadaj's Nii-san actually cared about he and Loz, and not just their beautiful younger brother. 'It would seem that you were right, tenshi.'
'Of course, I was,' came the typically arrogant response, and Yazoo returned his smile affectionately. 'You heard what Nii-san said about Chaos, right?'
The smile quickly faded. 'Yes, I heard, brother.'
'Then, make sure that you keep away from Vincent, Yazoo. Loz, you, too.'
'Gotcha, 'Daj. Will do,' came the irritatingly cheerful response.
Yazoo only offered a solemn nod, but that was enough for Kadaj. Unlike his oblivious brother, he knew that Vincent still wanted Yazoo. It was why Vincent had volunteered to enter Gaia's abode before them, and why he was always watching Yazoo with his freaky red eyes. Even that furry blue monster he'd turned into, Galian Beast, had followed Yazoo around like a big, ferocious puppy who wanted nothing more than his master's undivided attention. Kadaj didn't know why Vincent was fighting his feelings for Yazoo, but since he was, Kadaj was going to do everything in his power to make sure that the dark gunslinger didn't hurt his brother ever again, even if that meant kicking the shit out of a flying demon called Chaos.
Feeling much better now that he'd made a definitive decision about Vincent Valentine, Kadaj lifted Souba up before him and took his first steps into the mysterious ancient shrine that his ancestors had built to worship an unworthy bitch-goddess. It was time to kick Gaia's hallowed ass.

Vincent took his first steps into Gaia's cradle, not surprised to find a simple—if somewhat vast—subterranean chamber. Stalactites hung from the cavern's rocky ceiling, gleaming with moisture as they dripped mineral-rich water onto the jagged floor below. Stalagmites had formed below them, reaching up in an impossible attempt to reach their stone brethren. The rest of the enormous grotto was empty, save for a large outcropping of more stony growths in the rear of the cavern. A stone-hewn statue rose up amidst the natural setting, its simple yet beautiful lines indicating the superior masonry of Aerith's intrepid Cetra ancestors, and their harmony with the planet that they had sacrificed themselves to save.
Gaia wore a simple headdress, carved to resemble linen, while simple robes flowed over her slender form. Her angelic features, seemingly shared by all those of her chosen line, were set in tranquil, benevolent lines. Her hands were held up before her, cupping a sphere-shaped object that he didn't doubt was materia. Even though the ball was the same pale color as the stone that the statue had been carved from, Vincent could sense the power inherent in the magical orb. The Ancients had probably used the materia to summon their goddess, in hopes that their meager offerings would be accepted by their patron deity, and that they would be protected as a result. Instead, they had died attempting to protect Gaia—to heal her—from an impossible wound. Even to Vincent's cynical mind, it was a sacrifice that smacked of selflessness, the likes of which was rarely seen in this mindless, self-centered world.
Crimson eyes narrowed as Vincent spied a gleam of what appeared to be refracted light. It was being reflected by what he perceived to be another chest, much like the ones they had found open and empty on their way here. Unlike the others, however, this one reflected light in a wholly unusual way. It cast a rainbow along the bottom portion of Gaia's likeness, bathing the base of the statue with its unreadable inscription in a plethora of iridescent colors.
As Vincent cautiously made his way closer, he saw that the chest was made out of what appeared to crystallized quartz, sculpted in the same flowing lines as the statue itself, with no cracks or imperfections to be found. Inside the large, beautiful coffer laid a single item, and Vincent's heartbeat doubled as he realized exactly what that item was.
It was Crystal Sword, he thought with surprise and not a small bit of unease. It was the same sword that Cloud had bought in Mideel after recovering from the mako-sickness which had overtaken him. It was a broadsword with an elaborate ebony hilt, large even when compared with First Tsurugi or the Buster Sword, made entirely out of more crystallized quartz. While that would normally render any weapon made out of the fragile material worthless, Vincent knew from personal experience that Crystal Sword was as strong as it was powerful. Cloud had used the sword to fight his way through the Northern Cave, only switching to Ultima Weapon for that last, devastating battle with a metamorphosized Sephiroth.
It was not his son that they had fought that day but Jenova, who had used the cells of the clones she had sacrificed to bring her vision of her strongest son back to life. He knew that, now. Back then, however. . .
Vincent thrust images of that last horrific battle from his mind, anchoring himself in the here and now. The sword was obviously meant for one of them, Cloud most likely, as Gaia still considered him her champion, however reluctantly. Still, Vincent had to admit that he was hesitant to take it, if only out of concern for the closest of his friends. Gaia was obviously trying to set them back on the path that she had chosen for them, to return them to a world where Sephiroth was little more than a maddened memory, and his remnants no longer existed at all. It was a world that she herself had unwittingly destroyed, her own demise triggered by the new champion she had chosen, and his grief over the death of her greatest enemy's progeny.
Cloud had told him about Genesis' transformation into Crimson WEAPON, and his successful mission to kill Sephiroth. In a rage of anguish and guilt, Genesis had destroyed The Planet which had borne him, and had sacrificed himself to the pyres of his own grief. It was infinitely, heartbreakingly sad, and it reminded Vincent of just how much was at stake here. It wasn't just Cloud and Yazoo he had been forced back in time to save, but his only son, who had never before been given a chance to redeem himself.
He would not fail Sephiroth a second time, Vincent swore to himself. He strode forward with brisk, determined steps, his cape fluttering softly behind him. If Gaia wanted to aid them in her own salvation, Vincent would accept it. What Cloud chose to do with her 'gift' remained to be seen.
Vincent approached the chest, which was perched precariously among the rock formations surrounding the right side of the statue. It sprang open, releasing a cloud of glittering dust-like specks, and he dropped back into a defensive stance, one hand falling to the butt of Cerberus.
The golden dust dissipated, and Crystal Sword gleamed brilliantly from its cold cradle, a testament to the mako that had been used in the sword's creation. Vincent found himself leaning closer, his hand leaving his gun of its own volition, drawn by the whispers of those long dead. As those eerie, ghostlike murmurs continued to fill the air around him, he reached out and grasped the deep black of the sword's hilt.
Gaia's response was instantaneous. The eyes of the statue snapped open, brilliant blue in their hue, pulsing strongly in time with the Lifestream that suddenly swirled around it. Vincent sprang back, the sword held firmly in his hand, but it was too late. As those sky-blue eyes focused unerringly on him, Chaos came to full, glorious life inside of him.
Vincent fought the change only briefly, and largely out of habit. In the end, he gave himself over to the ancient demon that resided inside of him, knowing that Chaos would be able to communicate with The Planet in a way that he himself never could. His last thought was a plea for the demon not to harm Yazoo, who had no knowledge of the battle that went on inside of him—inside of them both.
'As if I would,' the demon said, offended by the host's lack of confidence in him. 'Our pretty one will receive better treatment from me than he ever has from you.'
'Chaos—'
Chaos felt Vincent's fear flare strongly through their symbiotic bond and hastily silenced him. As his human host—thankfully-fell silent, Chaos focused on the dim, nearly translucent figure which had superimposed itself over the statue that had caused such reverence in Vincent Valentine.
"Gaia," he growled in lieu of greeting, his memories of this deity unpleasant, to say the least.
'Shadow-dancer,' Gaia returned telepathically, and Chaos barely refrained from rolling his eyes, an all too human gesture that he had to admit that he had become fond of.
"Why have you summoned me here?" he asked, his patience with this absent divinity already worn thin. "Why did you attack the host?"
'He has lost his way,' Gaia responded simply, 'as have you.'
Golden eyes narrowed dangerously. "I have lost nothing," he snapped. "It is you who have forsaken our duty."
Those angelic features hardened dramatically. 'Tread carefully here, demon. I have little patience for those who knowingly defy my will.'
Chaos snorted and spread his wings in an unmistakable sign of dominance. "What will you take from me that has not already been taken?" he threw out scornfully. "My power, my freedom? You can do nothing, broken planet."
'There is one thing that you cherish, Squire.' Gaia's smile was as chilling as it was beautiful. 'Shall I summon him, and put an end to your delusions of humanity?'
Chaos roared with rage at The Planet's threat against his Yazoo. "The pretty one is mine," the demon hissed with outrage. "Harm him, and I will not wait for Crimson Weapon to destroy you. I will end your miserable existence myself!"
'You forget your place, demon.' Gaia's form wavered for a moment, solidifying in a way that was a threat in and of itself, before dimming once more. 'I am the source of all of life. Continue to defy me, and I will destroy all you hold dear.'
'Try it," Chaos challenged bluntly, using his wings to lift himself into the air. "I will rob you of your only earthly abode, and I will never again be forced to listen to your inane chatter."
'Not just yet, shadow-dancer.' The deceptive, beautiful goddess before him began to fade from sight, her voice echoing through his head in clear, musical tones. 'But do not fear. Your time will come.'
Chaos snorted as Gaia withdrew, the blue-green wisps of the Lifestream receding until only the statue remained. Gaia wasn't powerful enough to harm him; she hadn't been since Jenova had landed on her hallowed surface and inflicted a nearly fatal wound. It would take Omega's awakening to bring his fate full-circle, and the hosts' companions had already made that an improbability.
No, the demon thought as he lifted Crystal Sword up before him, his fate was now bound to those the host fought with, and the pretty one that Vincent insisted on keeping at arms length. If Chaos had his way, that wouldn't last much longer.
Human voices came to him then, Storm-Cloud and the pretty one's irritating younger brother, and Chaos knew that Yazoo would not be far behind. The time had come to claim what was his.
"Nii-san, you were right! It is Chaos."
Chaos descended gracefully, folding his wings back to indicate his lack of aggression, and ignored the annoying little remnant. He walked calmly over to Cloud, who eyed him warily even as he nodded. "Chaos."
"Storm-Cloud." Chaos met the young warrior's gaze evenly, flashed a fanged smile, and stabbed Crystal Sword into the hard rock of the cavern floor. "This belongs to you."
He ignored Golden Weapon's startled, wide-eyed look as he stepped passed him and grasped Yazoo by his pauldroned shoulders. "And this belongs to us."
His pretty one gasped as Chaos hauled that slim, beautifully muscled body to his own and dropped his head. He covered Yazoo's mouth with his own, careful not to cut those lovely pink lips with his canines, and kissed him as the host so often longed to. Their pretty one didn't struggle as he lifted slim hands to grasp his shoulders, tilted his head back and opened his mouth in a wholly devastatingly way.
Chaos growled, but not with menace, as the three other beings he shared the human's body with rose up to clamor excitedly within him, each wanting their own moment with their pretty remnant. Chaos only shoved them back down and continued to kiss Yazoo, forcing them to content themselves with nothing more than vicarious observation. He wasn't sharing this moment with anyone other than their human host.
Vincent himself was struggling—hard—but only because he feared that Chaos would accidentally hurt Yazoo in his excitement. Chaos was very careful to keep his touch gentle, knowing that his own strength far exceeded that of the powerful young man in his arms. He had promised that he would not harm their pretty one, and he would not, although he could not say the same for anyone who tried to interfere.
Dimly, he could hear the annoying brother—Kadaj—arguing with Storm-Cloud, but Cloud knew better than to let him interfere. Chaos wouldn't release Yazoo until he was good and ready, and he was not ready yet.
'Release him!' Vincent demanded as both fear and desire crawled along their shared skin. He knew what Chaos was doing, what he was sacrificing to make Yazoo their own, and he wanted no part of it. "He is ignorant of your ways, demon. He will not understand what this means!"
'It matters not, human.' Chaos raised his head, his golden eyes gentling as they rested upon Yazoo's upturned face. 'It is done. Our fates are forever joined, as they were always meant to be, and now our pretty one will be a part of them. Rejoice, host. We now have a mate.'
Chaos barely restrained a howl of triumph as Yazoo's large, tilted green eyes finally opened to his. Their pretty one was flushed with passion, those glorious eyes glowing with both lust and longing, and Chaos knew that it was time to withdraw. If he did not, he would take the pretty one before the host was ready, and risk weakening the fragile bond he had forged between them. Chaos lifted one clawed fingertip to Yazoo's face and very carefully traced the perfect arch of those kiss-swollen lips, giving himself one last touch, and finally gave way to Vincent's will. He withdrew and returned control of the body he possessed to the one it truly belonged to.
Yazoo watched with fascination as he and the demon were enveloped in the deepest, darkest crimson light. The blue skin and unusual amber eyes slowly faded away, leaving alabaster skin and haunting ruby eyes in their wake. Wild locks of thick black hair grew and flowed around Vincent's unforgettably beautiful features, and he lost nearly three inches in height as his true form was restored to him. Even the hand clawed hand that had traced his lips so reverently had changed, now only a human hand clad in a tight black leather glove.
Vincent gazed down at the young man in his arms, unable to tear his gaze away from Yazoo's delicate, passion-filled features. Yazoo's heart pounded audibly between them, and with their bodies pressed together as they were, there was no way for the beautiful young remnant to mistake his own arousal. Vincent was trapped, not only by Chaos' reckless actions, but his own heart's longing for the man in his arms.
"I can't," Vincent whispered, hardly aware that he had spoken aloud, as he shaped Yazoo's face with his hand. "I know it is what they want, but I just. . .can't."
As Vincent's glimmering, conflicted crimson eyes stared into his own, and Yazoo finally realized why Vincent had turned him away. It wasn't because he was a monster, although Yazoo didn't doubt that that was a factor in Vincent's decision to leave him. No, it was because it wasn't Vincent who wanted him.
He thought of the strangely beautiful Galian Beast with it's oddly subservient behavior, and then of Chaos, and it's overwhelmingly passionate kiss, and was forced to face an appalling truth. It wasn't Vincent who desired him; indeed, it never had been. It was Vincent's demons, the beings that shared his body—and presumably his soul—that had desired Yazoo from the very beginning.
Not Vincent, Yazoo thought painfully, never Vincent.
Anguish clawed at Yazoo's heart at the unwelcome revelation and he hastily reached for the cool self-possession that had always been his refuge. Panic filled him when he discovered that it had eluded him. He unable to calm his rampaging heartbeat, nor could he force his body to stop responding to Vincent's. He couldn't even summon the willpower to look away, even though he knew that his pain—much like his heart—would only be rejected by a man who did not want him.
"No more," Yazoo whispered, unable to move away as he knew that he should, vulnerable in a way that he had never been with anyone else. "Please, Vincent, no more."
Vincent drew a sharp breath at the broken plea and forced himself to release the other man. Sorrow and regret vied for possession of his face as he realized how much Yazoo was still hurting. "I'm sorry," he said at last, his deep voice heavy with grief as he forced himself to turn and walk away.
He could feel the precise moment that Yazoo finally regained his composure enough to look away. He could feel the loss of that intense, aggrieved gaze in an almost physical way, and by Gods, it hurt.
He kept his head down as he swept past the others, wanting nothing more than to escape the situation that his own heart had thrust upon him. He swept past Cloud and Kadaj, flinching when the boy lunged at him with an angry yell. Cloud pulled his lover back before he could inflict any damage, but Vincent almost wished that he hadn't. It was no less than he deserved for what he—and Chaos—had done to their beautiful Yazoo this day.
Vincent left the cave with a heavy heart, knowing that he would never again know peace without his pretty silver-haired lover at his side, and nearly ran into a breathless, panicked Genesis Rhapsodos.
"Vincent!" Genesis exclaimed, reaching out to grasp his arm with one trembling hand. "Are they all right?"
Vincent only gazed at him with haunted crimson eyes. "They are. . . unharmed."
"Oh, thank The Gods!" Genesis released him and jogged passed him, and Vincent was left staring at the face of yet another past failure. "I'm sorry, Sephiroth."
His son merely gazed at him with puzzled green eyes, and Angeal stepped foward. "You said that they were unharmed?" he asked.
Vincent smiled, but it was a bitter gesture, at best. "Physically, yes."
Anger flashed through Sephiroth's hauntingly familiar green eyes, and then was carefully banked. "We will discuss that later," Sephiroth said in a taut voice. "For now, I would like to see the boys and assure myself of their safety. If you will excuse me?"
Vincent stood aside as his only son swept past him in a calm, yet righteous fury, and felt his heart break in a way he had never expected. "Vincent?"
He looked down to find Aerith gazing up at him with sympathetic green eyes and fought an all too familiar urge to weep. "You should have let me die," he whispered hoarsely. "It would have been kinder."
"Oh, Vincent." Aerith set a hand on his arm and squeezed gently. "I'm so sorry. I never meant to make you unhappy."
The dark gunner shocked her by reaching out and dragging her into his arms. "I know, you didn't," he told her simply. "I know."
Aerith could only hold Vincent to her as he struggled to come to terms with whatever it was he had done, and hope that the damage wouldn't be permanent to anyone involved.

Sephiroth's heart was heavy with disappointment as he boldly entered Gaia's earthly inhabitance. He had no doubt what Vincent had meant by his short, cryptic words, and he found that he was very angry with the man who had sired him. One look at Yazoo's painfully expressionless features, as well as Kadaj's outraged ones, was enough to tell him that his suspicions were correct, as much as he would have liked to believe otherwise.
Had he needed more proof, the angry tears that shone in Loz's eyes were more than enough to convince him that he was right. Vincent had somehow hurt Yazoo again, when the boy was only just beginning to recover from his devastating rejection, and Sephiroth found it inexcusable. His father might be a good man, but he had shown himself to be less than honorable where intimate relations were concerned, and Sephiroth's outrage on his remnant's behalf battled with his longing to know the man who had sired him.
Sephiroth watched with a mixture of fondness and worry as Genesis went straight to Yazoo and embraced him, and he pushed his anger with Vincent back until it was no more than a dull roar in his heart. "I was so worried when I found out you were down here," Genesis told Yazoo in a voice that trembled, either not noticing or ignoring the young man's flinch. "Don't you ever take off like that, again, Yazoo. You scared your father and I half to death!"
"I'm sorry to have worried you, Genesis," Yazoo answered in a quiet, toneless voice, slowly lifting his arms to return the embrace. "It will not happen, again."
"It had better not!" Genesis proclaimed as he hugged the boy harder. "Loz, get your ass over here and let me check you for injuries!"
"I'm okay, Gen," the oldest boy assured him even as he jogged over to join them. "We didn't run into any monsters down here. No Goddesses, either," he added with a disappointed pout.
Genesis only shook his head and reached out to pull the other boy to him, missing the almost desperate way that Yazoo's hand clutched at his brother's back. "I'm just glad you're all right," he told them both in a calmer, yet no less passionate, voice. "Now, let's get you back to the house before something happens to change that."
His gaze met Sephiroth's as he drew back, and Sephiroth nodded once. He approached the youngest remnant and set heavy hands on the boy's shoulders. "I thought I told you to wait for us, Kadaj."
Kadaj scowled as he attempted—unsuccessfully-to jerk his out of his grasp. "And I told you not to worry about us," he retorted angrily. "We know what we're doing, Sephiroth."
"You should have at least brought Angeal with you," he told the boy as calmly as he could. 'This is not a safe haven for those of our bloodline, little one.' he addedsilently. 'You should know that.'
'I have to try, Father,' the boy told him in a calmer tone. 'I can't let her keep trying to kill us. She already tried to take Yazoo. What if she tries to take you and Koneko and Loz, too?'
Sephiroth sighed heavily and drew the boy to him. "We are not going to leave you," he murmured aloud, pressing his lips to the crown of Kadaj's head. "You have to stop taking such foolish chances, Kadaj. Your life is just as important as ours, if not more so."
The boy merely shook his head and burrowed closer, and Sephiroth ran a comforting hand down his back. 'He hurt Yazoo again, Father.'
Sephiroth didn't have to ask who he meant. 'I know,' he returned simply. 'I will take care of it, little one. I will make sure that Vincent never hurts Yazoo again, I promise you.'
Kadaj shuddered against him and raised adoring green eyes to his own. "Thank you, Father," he said aloud, his musical voice hushed, before he smiled with sudden derision. "So, what do you think of Genesis' goddess?"
The boy turned in his arms, extending one hand to point at a simple stone statue, and Sephiroth nearly forgot to breathe. It was her, he thought with a shiver of apprehension, the deity who had come to him after his arrival and had nearly convinced him to walk away from the man who held his heart.
Gaia, he thought with equal parts of fear, rage, contempt, and awe. It was a simple statue, beautiful for all that it was not an exact likeness of Gaia, and yet it captured the ethereal quality that had made his dream so uniquely realistic, and ultimately traumatizing. The purity of the carefully sculpted features, reminiscent of not only Aerith's, but of he and his boys, bespoke of the reverence with which the Ancients had worshipped The Planet. From the fluid lines of Gaia's robes and headdress, to the delicate hands which cradled an unknown piece of materia, this earthly representation of The Planet was as beautiful as it was awe-inspiring.
"We should not be here," he murmured, slanting a sidelong glance at Genesis as the other man drew close, both Yazoo and Loz firmly in tow. "Are you ready to go?"
Genesis opened his mouth to respond, but his answer was lost as his stunning azure eyes widened. "Seph, do you see what I see?" he asked in an amazed whisper.
Sephiroth followed the line of his gaze back to the statue and his heart nearly stopped. A gentle whorl of blue-green light had surrounded the statue, enveloping the ancient work completely, and yet concealing very little. A figure appeared beyond that iridescent, constantly shifting veil of souls, and Sephiroth could only gasp silently as he immediately recognized the man who stood in a veil of both light and dark.
The figures features were almost completely obscured by the shadows which crawled around the man, hugging him like a second, supernatural skin. Even the man's hair was bathed in darkness, casting further shadows over the being's countenance. But the glowing blue eyes that lifted to Sephiroth's own were hauntingly, heartbreakingly familiar.
"Holy fuck!" Zack exclaimed in a surprisingly quiet voice. "Angeal, what is that?"
"I don't know," the older man answered, his voice surprisingly grim, "but I think we should leave now, Zack."
"Oh, shit!" Reno exclaimed, his aquamarine eyes wide. "There's a man in there, yo!"
"Yes, there is," Cissnei murmured, moving closer to Loz until she could take his hand. "I agree with General Hewley. We should leave as soon as possible."
Loz only flashed her an unhappy look and turned back to the ghostly figure, who he knew shouldn't be here, and shifted until his body was placed protectively before Genesis'. Yazoo moved to do the same, and Loz knew that his brother had recognized the almost completely hidden man himself.
Genesis.
The thought flashed through Sephiroth's mind, leaving him both stunned and elated, as he realized that the man he had failed so completely had somehow managed to make his way nearly nine years into the past. The figure finally stirred, and Sephiroth could well imagine the smirk on those handsome features as the man he remembered so vividly drew the attention of all present.
Gaia's Crimson Weapon lifted one hand in a gesture of appeal, almost as though pleading with them, and Sephiroth took a step forward in an unconscious attempt to answer that silent plea. 'No!'
He looked down to find that Kadaj had turned around, and was pushing his smaller, slighter body back into Sephiroth's own, as though he could keep Sephiroth pinned in place. 'But it is Genesis,' he protested silently.
'That. . .thing is not Koneko,' the young remnant told him urgently. 'Koneko is here, Father, with us. Look and see for yourself.'
Sephiroth frowned and looked to his right, where the very man in question was still gazing at the stranger—at himself—over Loz and Yazoo's shoulders with an expression of unconcealed wonder. 'I don't understand,' he said with confusion.
'It's Gaia,' Kadaj all but spat. 'She's trying to trick you, Sephiroth, and she's using the Koneko that you remember to do it! He's not your kitten. He's just an illusion. Don't let her fool you. Koneko is here with us now, and he's the one that needs you.'
Sephiroth glanced from Genesis to the figure that even now gazed at him with such fierce, burning blue eyes, and shuddered violently. The Lifestream continued to swirl around the man, the shadows which concealed him never revealing his true identity, and Sephiroth had to conclude that Kadaj was right. That was not his fierce kitten, crying out for Sephiroth's help after being left behind—and alone—in Jenova's merciless clutches. It was a trick, a guise sent to them by The Planet, and he could not allow himself to be fooled.
As though in response to his thoughts, the figure lifted a hand to its face, and Sephiroth winced as he remembered what this gesture heralded. Sure enough, Genesis' wing sprouted from his left shoulder, full and thick and as black as his soul. The wing stretched out, stirring the wisps of Lifestream around it, but never stirring the shadows which concealed the man's identity. Those shining blue eyes narrowed, and the wing drew back, only to suddenly surge towards them—towards him.
A flurry of small, ebony feathers shot towards them, and Sephiroth automatically lifted a hand to shield them from the unusual projectiles. Even as he the Wall materia that he carried responded to his call, he knew that it would not be enough to protect them all. They were too many feathers, and the wall could not extend far enough to protect everyone.
Much to his surprise, the feathers slowed as they neared the party, slowly disintegrating until they disappeared from sight, each only inches away from them. They were left unharmed, and Sephiroth was forced to acknowledge that this was not attack. A warning, perhaps, but not an actual assault.
Sephiroth knew then that Kadaj was as wrong as he was right. This wasn't the Genesis Rhapsodos who had pledged his love to Sephiroth a mere hour before, under the deepening shade of a Banora White tree, but Genesis as he had been before. Somehow, Genesis had survived Jenova's undoubtedly cruel attentions, and had found a way here, to him.
Koneko, he thought painfully, did you really come so far for me?
"What the hell was that?" Cloud asked in a low, shaky voice, very much afraid that he already knew the answer.
'You know what it was, Nii-san.' Kadaj freed himself from Sephiroth's shock-loosened grasp and threw himself into Cloud's arms. 'Even you know what the wing means."
Kadaj cast a meaningful look at Genesis, and Cloud only shook his head and hugged the young remnant closer. "Let's get out of here," he said, wanting to get the boys away from Gaia before Kadaj remembered that he'd come here to confront her. "This place isn't safe for us, baby."
Kadaj only nodded and allowed himself to be led away, mentally ordering his brothers to follow. Loz and Yazoo both looked at Genesis before shaking their heads negatively, and Kadaj scowled at the silent refusal. They wouldn't budge until Genesis himself did, so determined were they to protect Sephiroth's precious fucking kitten.
"Traitors," he mumbled under his breath, more hurt than angry as his brothers disobeyed him for the first time-ever.
Genesis gazed after the youngest remnant, still looking a little afraid and a lot confused. He stepped around the two boys who seemed to be guarding him and grasped Sephiroth's arm tightly. "Seph, what's going on here?"
"I don't know." Sephiroth hid a wince at the lie and hastily cleared his throat. "We should leave now, Genesis. I don't believe we are welcome here."
Reno snorted as even as he reduced his EMR and tucked it away into his suit jacket. "Yeah, brilliant observation there, yo."
Sephiroth shot the Turk a surprisingly venomous look as he reached for the hand clutching his sleeve. "Come," he said quietly, hoping that Genesis would forsake arguing in the boys' presence. "I do not feel comfortable here."
Genesis gazed at him with a hurt expression before tugging his hand free. "You can't avoid my questions forever, Sephiroth."
He brushed by Sephiroth and stalked out of the cave, and Sephiroth could only stare after him, wondering if all of his hopes had been in vain, and if he had once again found a way to drive Genesis away from him.
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Final Fantasy VII: Angelic Threnody