My notes: I really must stop writing in the middle of the night.
A Sephiroth/Genesis story, another one. They are, as you can guess, my current obsession.
Warning: Violence, a little gory if you're sensitive, a lot of death. War. Homosexual relationships, even if it isn't very graphic in that sense.
The General, as he stood by the open flaps of his rather large tent, let out a low growl at the site. It was raining; a mild and soft sort of rain, and that was much welcomed by the troops. Sephiroth liked the rain as well. It was soothing, of course, but his military mind also couldn't help but to note that it would make the much safer from biochemical weapons. Rumors of Wutai's materia bombs were flying wild through the camp, and the unexpected rain calmed the boys down, just a tad. They needed it. Sephiroth topped his soft growling with a small sigh. It wasn't the rain that had him aggravated, far from it. The site which roused his ire was the company of trucks pulling in to his camp. Lavish, stylish cars, but military issued one all the same. Only one type of people thought to look stylish when traveling through a war zone:
Executives.
Another growl slipped through his throat, and Sephiroth felt a heavy hand on his shoulder. He turned slightly to look at Angeal. His bulky friend smiled mildly. It calmed him, but just a tad.
"It's disgusting." Sephiroth simply said as the trucks stopped and Turks spilled out of them to ensure their masters' safety. "They send us to war, send us to die and suffer in their stead, and then they have the stomach to come and gloat at out misery."
Angeal squeezed his shoulder. "I know." he soothed. "But you're the General. You have to go greet them."
"I know." Sephiroth snarled. "But no one ever mentioned I have to be fucking happy about it."
Several executives spilled out of the trucks, dressed in highly improper clothing for the rainy, humid weather and muddy ground. And then, last and with two Turks glued to his person, was the president himself. Sephiroth found himself growling again, and he snarled. "If they have the press with them, I'm putting a bullet in my own fucking head."
As on cue, several journalists exited another truck, with cameras and recording equipment. Sephiroth face-palmed.
"Be strong." Angeal said and patted him on the back in a rough, manly sort of way. The president started to look around for his star general, and Angeal gently shooed Sephiroth out of his tent. Sephiroth grumbled lowly, but began to walk towards the waste-of-space he saluted and called president. He prowled over to them, dressed in only his snug leather pants and leather straps crisscrossed across his chest, Masamune on his back and his long silver hair pulled into a high ponytail. The weather was far too humid for his duster. He had to resist the urge to start growl again as several of the photographer immediately began raising their cameras the sight of him.
Instead, he stopped his long strides just in front of president Shinra, and saluted. "President." he greeted. "I have not received any information about this." He made sure to keep his voice cool and detached. "The men are not prepared."
"General." the president greeted back, looking as smug as ever. "We are just dropping by to look how my boys are doing." He smiled towards the cameras.
Sephiroth fought down the urge to roll his eyes. The president didn't give shit about "his boys" or their condition; this was just PR. Nothing more. "Then, surely you can excuse us for our lack of preparation." He refused to play friendly and feeding the press with propaganda of how close and familiar he was with president Shinra.
"Of course, of course, Sephiroth." the president said and gave Sephiroth a friendly pat on the arm. Sephiroth didn't even twitch. "At ease, all of you. We just wish to have a look around the camp, make sure it's up to standard and that the men are doing well. We are leaving tonight, after dinner."
Sephiroth opened his mouth to reply in the stiffest manner he could think up on the spot, but was interrupted. A frisbee, of all things, came flying through the air, and Sephiroth, without even considering it, jumped a two meter of so straight up in the air to catch it with ease. He cursed himself when he realized what he had done, at the murmur of the press and cameras clicking like crazy. The flashes were a pain, and Sephiroth found himself squinting.
"It would be much appreciated." Sephiroth said coldly, with as much authority he could muster with a bright pink frisbee in his hand. "If you would refrain from using flashes while in my camp. SOLDIERs are sensitive to bright and sudden light because of our enhanced eyesight and a most men here has seen their fair share of bright flashed on the battlefield already. They don't need more, especially not when resting."
"Nice catch, Seph!" Zack came tearing around the corner of some tents, grinning like the madman he was. He too was shirtless, and only wore a couple of military issued shorts. He was even barefoot, and muddy up to his bare knees. No doubt he had seen Sephiroth's jump from the other side of the tent, and came to retrieve his toy. Sephiroth, his patience already worn thin, snarled at the boy.
"At attention, lieutenant." he snapped, and Zack froze, arm snapping up in a salute that was as instinctive as breathing. Only then did the boy notice the executives and the press, and looked appropriately sorry for the lack of manners in front of outsiders.
"My apologies, General." Zack said, and eased up as Sephiroth gave him a small nod.
"So, lieutenant." the president began, no doubt finding the chance to show the playful and human side of SOLDIER he was so desperate to show to the press. "How are you and the boys holding up here? How do you pass the time?"
Zack blinked as the press zeroed in on him. "Uh, well..." He scratched his neck, a sure sign he was uncomfortable. "We sleep, eat, train and shit. Uh, sir." he replied, and was awarded with some faint giggles from the gathered people.
The president raised an eyebrow at him. "And sometimes play frisbee, huh?" he urged.
"Uh, yes, sir." Zack said and fidgeted. "But it's good training too, sir. We get to train our coordination, reaction time, sprinting and jumping abilities." It sounded exactly like something Angeal would say. Zack eyed Sephiroth, who still held the frisbee. "But, uh, could I have it back, General, sir?"
Sephiroth resisted the urge to simply smash the offending piece of pink plaster. With a sigh, he pitched the frisbee hard, making it disappear over some tents in a graceful bow. Zack gave something alike a yip and chased after it. Sephiroth gave another sigh.
Suddenly, Genesis rounded the corner, an apple in hand. He was one of the few not shirtless, and instead he had only removed his duster. He even wore his leather gloves. Sephiroth never could quite understand how someone with Genesis' confidence could be so avert of undressing. But then again, Genesis was nothing if not complicated.
"Nice throw, General." Genesis drawled, and gave a small smirk. The cameras started their infuriating clicking again. But Sephiroth felt his ire calm at the site of his redheaded second in command. Genesis loved the press, and they adored and worshiped him in turn. Genesis would take care of them and help him out, Sephiroth knew. Good.
Genesis strutted over to them, and Sephiroth was slightly amused to notice how Genesis preened at the attention directed at him. He always loved that. Genesis too saluted the president, and then shook the man's hand in a relaxed, but not quite friendly, manner. Genesis might love attention, but he didn't grovel. Sephiroth admired that, how the other man could balance perfect social grace and great integrity all at the same time.
"How are you, Genesis?" Shinra asked, still with that annoyingly friendly smile plastered to his face. But seemed glad Genesis had arrived to save the situation from the stiff and utterly socially awkward General who seemed bent on remaining just that.
"I'm well, thank you." Genesis replied with ease. "Resting before it's my turn at the front again. Trying to keep the men occupied to keep their minds off things."
"Ah, I reckon that's important." the president filled in, and Sephiroth crossed his arms over his naked chest. The man knew shit. "What do you do to avert their minds from the war then?" Shinra asked.
"Keep them off the liquor and keep them active." Genesis replied. "We have some men with post-traumatic stress symptoms, but physical activity and some calmness works with most." He didn't mention that it would just keep them fighting fit for another day, that their problems would come back to disrupt their life later. In war, another day was all that mattered. It might be all they had.
"I see." the president replied pleasantly. "Well, shall we have a look around camp?" It wasn't a question. Genesis smiled.
"Well, General, I'll leave this to you." His azure eyes were playful as he smirked at Sephiroth. "I promised Zachary a good sparring match. Later, gentlemen." He gave a little finger-wave before he disappeared around the corner again, biting into his apple.
Feeling abandoned and betrayed, Sephiroth frowned at the gathering. "Follow me." he said curtly, as if he was addressing a bunch of especially annoying Cadets.
The president tried again with his friendly act. "Well, after we have had a quick look around at the camp, we will set up a short interview session, and then I thought we would stake out the hot springs. I heard much about them, and that this camp is built close by a large gathering."
"Yes, sir." was Sephiroth's short reply. He refused to play slap-and-tickle with Shinra and the press. He wished Genesis had stayed. It was always better when he was around.
"So, are the hot springs any good?" the president tried, again, as he did his best to match Sephiroth's long strides, the press following them like hungry hyenas stalking lions.
"They're adequate." Sephiroth ground out, and had to bite the inside of his cheek to refrain from laughing out loud. The president was beginning to look a bit sour, he noticed, at Sephiroth's lack of response and refusal to play along. He also had begun to look distinctly like a lobster, with the heat making him turn red as sweat began to pour. This humid, warm jungle was no place for an overweight businessman in a tacky red suit.
He started by showing them the living quarters, keeping his explanations brief and to the point. "Here the First Classes sleep. My tent is the big in the middle, Commander Rhapsodos' to the left and Commander Hewley's to the right. Our other First Classes sleep two and two in the other big tents in a circle around us three. The Second Classes sleep four and four in the long tents and our Third Classes sleep six and six together with the Cadets in the low tents in the outer rows." He dearly hoped this wouldn't end up on the news. But he knew the Turks would screen anything the media managed to gather here, before it would be allowed to go public.
"Can we enter your tent?" a reporter, a too young girl with a too short skirt, asked. Sephiroth felt his eyebrow twitch.
"No." he said. "As I was not informed of this visit, I had no time to prepare and some sensitive information is out on my table currently as I and Commander Hewley was planning our strategy before you arrived." A good excuse, he knew. He and Angeal had been planning, but not for war. Instead they had planned Genesis' birthday, which was in only two days. Their mutual friend would turn 22 in the field. Hopefully, he would at least get to celebrate it here in camp, and not on the front.
"Later then." the president laughed, with his infuriating laugh, and he gave Sephiroth a slap on the back, as he was too short to reach his shoulder. Sephiroth did nothing to hold back the snort and annoyed look that crossed his face. The cameras clicked especially much at that.
Sephiroth was getting a headache. "This way is the training grounds." He started walking off without looking if his entourage was following. Thankfully, he and his Commanders had two sturdy Cecond Classes each guarding their tents. It should keep the reporters out. Hopefully.
They walking out from the narrow paths between the tents, and over to a large open square at the edge of the camp, where Genesis was currently facing off against Zack. Zack was grinning again, still dressed in shorts but now with a large buster-sword twirling carelessly in his hands. Genesis just artfully twirled his rapier in turn, as it clashed with Zack's. Genesis wielded it with one hand, the other placed casually on his hip as he and Zack seemingly danced back and forth. It was a spar, not a battle, and Genesis hadn't even charged his sword with magic. It was relaxed and playful, but focused all the same. Angeal stood at the side, his massive arms crossed as his watched his childhood gently spar with his student.
The press loved it, and some quickly set up cameras to record. Sephiroth knew Genesis loved it as well, and he was amused to notice that Genesis twisted in just the right way to show off him at his best. How he tilted his head and threw his hair. It was practiced until perfection, and he looked stunning. Zack however didn't even seem to notice the audience, and just kept charging playfully at the more experienced warrior, and was gently rebuffed each time with a perfectly timed counter. Genesis didn't even have to attack, only block. It was beautiful to watch, their practiced and quite deadly dance of swords in the lightly trickling rain.
So beautiful, and a hush fell over the executives and the press all the same as they watched the two stunning creatures. Sephiroth averted his eyes, to avoid the sight getting to him. He looked at the sky. So azure, so perfect. Just like...
It came from nowhere. One second, it was a humid summer day, a gentle spar and a daydream of pretty eyes, the next second hell was upon them. A fiery, volatile hell roared, tearing down everything and everyone in its way.
Sephiroth instantly became deaf. He felt the impact as the massive bomb hit the ground, he saw the hot wave of fire and he felt the burning agony, but he heard nothing. The crash had been so loud it had rendered him deaf. He could see Angeal's face twist as he screamed at the sight of a huge fireball crashed upon the training field right where Genesis and Zack were, but no sound reached the General's ears.
The immobility, most likely caused by the heavy impact on the ground, lasted but for a brief second, and then Sephiroth shot off. It pained him, of course, to leave his friends behind, but he had his duties. He had to get overview of how the situation looked. Thankfully, one watchtower still stood, and with a spring, Sephiroth leaped up on its roof.
It was truly hell. The whole camp was on fire, and more bombs kept falling. But they were smaller than the first one, which had utterly crushed his whole tent. But Sephiroth knew better than to think the worst was over. The smaller bombs were even more dangerous, as they were designed to burst apart on impact, and their shards could tear a man apart. And materia bombs were designed to tear SOLDIERs apart, as the mako in the bombs caused any wounds created by them to be unable to heal with materia or their unnatural healing abilities.
It was hard to see anything through the blazes, and the bright light hurt Sephiroth's eyes. At least the deafness didn't bring him to the ground with each impact from new bombs, and he was almost entirely fireproof, so felt more than suffered from the flames which licked at him even up here.
Trying to organize anything in this mess would be almost impossible. Hundreds of the men must already be dead, and the rest dying or at least scattered and deaf. Not even the rain could stop this, not even hinder it in the slightest.
Yes, organizing this, to save whatever they could, would be almost impossible, but if he was to even try, he needed his closest men. Or at least so he told himself, as an excuse to go look for his friends. He jumped off the tower, in the bowels of the raging hell. He was met with burned corpses, unrecognizable in their blackened state. A young, blonde Cadet had managed to roll away from the worst of the inferno, cowering beneath the still standing tower, but he was screaming in agony as his skin melted off his face, sticking to his hands as he tried to protect himself. Sephiroth snapped up the boy, barely more than a child, cast a fire barrier around himself and rushed back to the training field. Beyond it lay their field hospital, and he hoped it has at least been somewhat spared from the inferno that raged all around them. He'd leave the boy there, try to formulate a plan with Angeal and then go look for Genesis.
The hospital tents still stood. They had been completely spared thanks to their distance to the main part of the camp. Medics were scrambling to cater to the injured who had managed to not only survive the flames and the violent impacts, but escaped it. Most men here were in good shape, as they had most likely been in the outskirts of the camp. Anyone in the center would have ended up as this boy here or like his blackened comrades. Several doctors abandoned what they were doing and came rushing as he saw the General approaching. They tried to fuss over him, but he simply thrust the boy at them, snapping an order to care for him.
Two of the doctors lingered and tried to push Sephiroth down on a stretcher, but he irritably swatted them away. "Care for the boy and the rest of survivors. I'm going back in." he said, and it felt weird not to be able to hear your own voice. As he turned to leave the tent, despite their pleading faces and clutching hands, Angeal caught his eye. The man was standing over a hospital bed, working a cure materia. Sephiroth approached, and touched his friend's shoulder.
Angeal gave a small jump, and turned. His ear and downwards were drenched in blood and other fluids Sephiroth preferred not to think about. "Sephiroth!" he said, or at least so Sephiroth himself translated the movement of his mouth to. Thankfully, all high ranks had been taught to read lips as a part of their training to enable communicating in the middle of a battle field. "Are you well?" Angeal asked.
Sephiroth nodded curtly, and took note of that it was the puppy Angeal was standing over. Well, at least the boy looked well enough. Almost no burns, even if he looked to be in great pain.
"His neck is broken." Angeal explained as he saw Sephiroth's glance at his student. "It's okay, I can heal him. Did you find Genesis?"
Sephiroth gave a start. "What? If you have Zack, you must have found Genesis as well. They were right next to each other!" he snapped. A doctor tried to push him down on the bed next to Zack's and Sephiroth pushed him off with little notice, a bit irritated. Couldn't they see he was busy?
"No, I couldn't find him!" Angeal replied, panic in his voice, but he couldn't leave, not when Zack's neck was broken. The medics were too busy with the other injured ones that they might deem Zack a lost cause. If they didn't heal him soon, they boy might spend the rest of his life paralyzed! "A small materia bomb fell right at them, but it only partially broke." Angeal explained. "Zack was hit by it, and broke his neck. I couldn't find Genesis, and I didn't have time to look!" His eyes were laden with guilt. "Zack was, Zack was-"
Sephiroth waved the onslaught of regret and angst away. "I know, I know." he replied. "I know." But he couldn't help his own panic, which was beginning to tear down the carefully built wall of ice, which always slammed down when a situation such as this occurred. He was the General, he couldn't afford emotions. Not now. But Genesis could have been crushed by the materia bomb for all he knew, or flung away by the splinters. Trying to think clearly, Sephiroth began dishing out orders. "See to Fair." he said to Angeal. "When he is healed, gather as many Firsts and Seconds in working order as you can, and wait for me outside this tent. I'm going to look for Genesis."
He turned and began to stalk off, but was hindered by a hand to his shoulder. He gave a small growl and turned to look at Angeal. "Are you alright, Sephiroth?" Angeal mouthed.
"Yes." he snapped, but Angeal held him steady. "Why?"
"Your ears and leg." Angeal said, making Sephiroth touch one ear, and then looking at his hand. Copious amount of blood. He was bleeding out of his ears. Okay, he knew that, and Angeal looked pretty much the same. But his leg...? He looked down. A huge splinter of a materia bomb was stuck in his left leg, a small trickle of blood pouring of the wound. As soon as it was pulled out, it would be a river, stoppable only with proper health care and months of recovering.
He didn't have time for this shit.
"I'll be fine." Sephiroth mouthed back. But now he somewhat understood the doctors' concern. He was their star General after all. Most soldiers were replaceable, but he was not.
He did so not have time for this shit.
Shaking off the concerned and panicked masses of doctors and nurses trying to make him lay down, Sephiroth stalked off towards the opening of the tent.
He had to find Genesis. One doctor, the chief medic Sephiroth noted in the back of his head, even had the gall to stand in his way as he tried to exit the tent. Sephiroth swatted him away as if he was a fly, and exited. There he saw two Turks helping president Shinra limp towards the tent. So he lived. Sephiroth ignored him and stalked past them, towards the still burning inferno. The Turks tried to stop him, to speak with him, but he just walked past, only one thought in his mind: he had to find Genesis.
Then, a prick in his arm. Sephiroth turned, suddenly somewhat unsteady. A few Turks had prowled after him, as well as the some of the medics which had tried to stop him. One Turk held a syringe, empty. The president watched him, and tried to address him, but Sephiroth's sight had grown so blurry he couldn't tell what he said. Black began to edge into his eyesight, and just before he tumbled to the ground, he finally regained a little bit of his hearing.
It sounded like they spoke from under water. "Okay, boys. Lift him, careful! Watch his leg. Will someone remove that sword?" Masamune's familiar weight was removed from his back, and someone tried to carry him. "Damn, get a stretcher over here! He weighs half a ton! Careful, don't jostle him!"
Unconsciousness was hard to achieve for someone with his grade of enhancement, so he was still somewhat aware when they managed to roll him up on a stretcher and began carrying him off, but he couldn't move his suddenly heavy limbs. He forced his closed eyelids open and gave a small growl.
"Put me down for fucks sake." he managed to slur out. "I have to... I have to-" It was hard to think clearly with what they had given him. But slowly his mind began to clear.
"Fuck! How can he still be conscious!?" one medic swore. "He should be out cold! Someone get him some morphine, he must be in agony!" They put him on a bed in the medical tent and immediately began fussing over him.
"I'm not!" Sephiroth groused and, to the astonishment to the gathered doctors and Turks, sat up on his medical bed. "I have to find Commander Rhapsodos." His voice still sounded like he was drunk off his ass, but at least his adrenalin and mako had somewhat burned up the drugs they had given him. "Wrap my leg up, and then the next one who tries to keep me from leaving this fucking tent will get the back of his head smashed in." A low growl accompanied his words.
"Lay down, General!" It was the president himself, who sat on the bed next to his. "That's an order!" The man sounded scared. It's easy to fight war when you didn't actually have to fight. When you didn't have to get bloody hands, or risk injures. Risk death, or risk losing those you love. But then again, Sephiroth doubted that the president had ever loved anyone besides himself.
Sephiroth turned cold eyes on the man. "Wrap my leg." he said again, and then to the horror of the men gathered, he grabbed the piece of materia bomb in his own leg and ripped it out of the wound. The medics screamed and threw themselves at him, with towels and bandages, as the blood flowed freely.
"Angeal!" Sephiroth roared, and the man came tearing around the corner. "Take the men you gathered and divide them into two teams. One to control the fires and keep them from spreading to the medic tents, one to look for survivors. Go!" Angeal shot off, never one to question orders.
The doctors were wrapping his leg like crazy to hinder the flow of blood, and the chief medic marched up to him with another syringe. Sephiroth gave him a suspicious look and growled lowly. He didn't give a shit currently who he offended, he really didn't. He would push the president himself out of the way if he had to, to leave this tent. He couldn't lie here like an invalid while his men, and Genesis, burned out there. He knew he was valuable to the company, but his friends were invaluable to him!
"It's morphine." the doctor said as he noticed Sephiroth's looks. "Please, General, lie down and we can-"
Sephiroth stood. His leg was wrapped and the flood of blood slowed to a small trickle. "I'm going." he said coldly, focusing all his authority. "I'm going to do my job. Organize my men. And salvage whatever I can." He walked towards the tent opening, but turned there to look straight at Shinra. All was falling apart, and all he could think of was azure eyes. "I hope you're enjoying your war, president." he purred with cruelty. "I hope it's worth it. I fucking hope it is." They reared back at his unhinged look. The drugs and his worries had completely torn down his cold walls, leaving only his blazing core naked for all to see. And it was dark and ugly.
He turned and started walking out of the tent. Sephiroth was a man with a mission, but he took notice of Angeal's puppy on the way. The boy was up and running, which really didn't surprise Sephiroth, not with that boy's boundless energy, and he was currently standing over another's medical bed. When Sephiroth came closer, he noticed that it was that Cadet he had rescued earlier. It seemed like days ago, but truly it couldn't be more than maybe 30 minutes or so. It was hard to tell time when the sky burned sanguine and your life fell to pieces.
The boy, the Cadet, was dying. His skin was damaged seemingly beyond repair, melted and blackened, and he bled all over. Zack held his hand, carefully, and murmured to him. No medic bothered with the boy, he was a lost cause to them. With the energy it would take to heal the boy, they could save several higher ranked men. They had put him in a corner to die.
Sephiroth was just to walk past them, to find his friend. His... beloved. But something pulled at him. He paused, and gazed on the boys. His time with Genesis and Angeal had taught him so much, things he had never learned in the labs at the hands of professor Hojo. They had awoken small bits of emotions like compassion and love in his cold heart. He loved Genesis and Angeal. And he had to admit that during these last few months of Angeal's mentoring program, he had grown to love Zack too, just a bit. And he would never admit so, of course. But seeing tears trail down Zack's face as he gazed down on the boy, Sephiroth suddenly knew with startling clarity that Zack loved this boy.
Without even thinking, he walked over to the bed and summoned Masamune to his hand. Zack gave a small start at seeing his superior stalking over to him, still shirtless and bloodied almost beyond recognition, sword in hand. "Are you alright, sir?!" he asked, and Sephiroth could see the love that the boy held for him as well, in those open, violet eyes.
Sephiroth didn't reply. He didn't have time or need for words. Instead, he activated his fully leveled cure materia and let its bright light fall over Zack and his Cadet friend. Then, he turned and ran. Blood was pounding in his head, the lingering drugs and pain making him a tad dizzy and disorientated.
When he exited the tent, the same inferno as before raged outside. People screamed in pain and agony, burned bodies cluttered the ground closer to the fires. Young men, his men, fought to control the flames and keep them from the medical tents. Other carried injured friends and colleagues away from the flames. At least the bombs had stopped falling. Now they could fight to keep the flames under control without worrying for more. Putting the fires out was out of question, it would be better to let them burn out themselves.
His men snapped to attention as he stalked past them, dishing out orders. Apparently Angeal had left the Seconds and Thirds to fire controlling, and took a team of Firsts on rescuing duty. That was good; the Firsts were much more fire-proof than the lower ranks. The mako saw to that. Now that the bombs no longer fell, they would be fine, as long as they didn't stay in the flames for too long.
Sephiroth dived right into the burning hell. He tried to use his every heightened sense, every enhanced cell in his body, to locate his missing friend. He started at the training field, of course, but he suspected that since Angeal had not long since found Genesis, the materia bomb must have exploded so close by him it had flung him away. He didn't dare to think about the fact that the heavy, large bomb might have fallen right on top of the Commander. The thought was too horrible, and instead Sephiroth searched. And searched. And searched.
Hours came and went, and the fires began to die out. Sephiroth had found and rescued numerous of Firsts, Seconds, Thirds and a few Cadets, but there was no sight of any redheaded Commander. The drugs in his system was entirely gone, and he could think more clearly, but that did little to hinder the panic in his mind. And the loss. Genesis...
Limping, he returned to the medical tents, which was all that remained of their large camp. He felt like he had lived through hell, and he probably looked like it as well. Angeal met up with him, and immediately wrapped an arm around his middle and helped him limp inside.
"Genesis?" Sephiroth whispered harshly as someone got him a bed to lie down on. He fell down on it, exhausted. Tired to the very marrow of his bones.
"No." Angeal replied. "He hasn't been seen." His voice was one of agony, and Sephiroth knew exactly how Angeal felt right now. Both he and Angeal had in their own ways abandoned their mutual friend. Angeal to care for his puppy and Sephiroth to try and get a grip of the situation. Angeal had helped a friend, but Sephiroth had left for the sake of duty. He cursed himself, and if he lost Genesis today, he always would. He would never forgive himself.
He closed his eyes briefly, but even then he saw the flickering flames on the inside of his closed lids. Burning, dancing, consuming. Stealing Genesis from him. He could hear, now that his hearing had recovered, the light splatter of the rain on the tent canvas.
Eyes still closed, he heard someone approaching the bed.
"How is the General?" It was the pup. He sounded so small, so scared.
"He will be fine." Angeal replied in a hushed tone. Perhaps he thought Sephiroth slept.
"And Commander Rhapsodos?" Zack asked.
"I don't know, puppy." Angeal replied with a worn sigh. "I really don't know."
Sephiroth sensed as others approached. The men seemed to gravitate towards him in a quiet and respectful manner. They gathered around him, seeking shelter in his presence and guarding over him all the same. A few silent moments passed.
"He saved Cloud." Zack whispered eventually, his voice shaky. "The medics say Sephiroth carried him inside only minutes after the first collision, and he healed him later. Cloud would have died. He-" Here he broke down, starting to weep, and Sephiroth heard Angeal draw him near in a tender embrace.
The general feeling of grief and despair was prominent in the air, tempered only a little bit by the overwhelming feeling of being alive. They had lost so much, friends and comrades and brothers… and lovers. Sephiroth's eyes snapped open, the pupils narrowing. He couldn't lie here and, and wallow in his despair! His lover, his Genesis, needed him. In life or death.
Carefully, he sat. The men drew back, just a bit, to give him room to maneuver his long legs. He was shaky, but thankful that they didn't try to restrain him or argue. They respected him too much to do so. His eyes found Angeal's.
"Have they found...?" he asked.
"No." Angeal replied in a low voice, still clutching the softly weeping Zack close. "Nothing. I've heard nothing."
Sephiroth had a moment of utter blankness at that. He could sense the other's respect and sorrow for his sake, but it was so hard to take in. His relationship with Genesis was one of Shinra's worst kept secrets, at least inside the company. Everyone knew, but no one made any comment of it. Everyone pretended not to know about it, or notice when Genesis spend entire nights in Sephiroth's tent when in the field, or in his apartment when home. Everyone knew, but it was still a secret, something to be ashamed of, something that was just barely tolerated but not approved. And suddenly Sephiroth knew, with startling clarity, that he never wanted to feel ashamed over Genesis, his beautiful lover.
"I love him." he whispered wearily, to himself, to everyone and no one. Never had he uttered those words before, his pride and Genesis' keeping him back. He had always been afraid that if he uttered them, they would consume him and his very being. There was later, always a tomorrow.
And now Genesis might not have a tomorrow.
Sephiroth stood, shakily. His left leg was useless. He limped away anyway, unable to deal with condolences. He just wanted to be alone. No, that was not right. He wanted Genesis. Walking off to a less occupied part of the large main medical tent, he came to stand close to the corner he had found Zack and his little friend; the corner of the hopeless. How fitting, he thought with little humor. That he was to stand in the corner of the lost causes, the boys who would be left to die.
With little else to do, Sephiroth removed his cure materia from his sword and got to work. He could have gone to help the medics in the main part of the lab, to save the men who would surely survive, not the ones with such little chance at recovery. He probably should have. But something drew him to stay here. It was calm, quiet. He needed the peace.
So he stayed there, and healed. Some of the boys there was already dead and cold, but a few still breathed. The ones that looked the best here were Cadets. The medics had discarded those quickly. They had little training, and less experience. Replaceable. Only those really badly burned were of higher rank, even if it was hard to tell in their state. Sephiroth thought he saw the deep blue hair of one of his Firsts, but he wasn't quite sure. The man was dead anyway, and Sephiroth walked past him. He cured a small Cadet with sandy blonde hair, who had gotten his back broken. Once it was mended and some of his wounds closed, he lifted the boy with ease and moved him to the main part. He put him on a bed and moved back.
There, in the corner of the corner laid a sorry sight. The body was one of the most burned Sephiroth had seen so far. No features were to be recognizable, at all. And he had some massive pieces from a materia bomb in his stomach and in his chest. How would they differ between all these men after this...? How could they send anyone back home to their loved ones? Perhaps, and with all the corpses, the president would just see it fit to dump them all in one massive grave. Bury and forget.
He was just to walk by the surely dead man towards one still breathing, as he heard something. A thump. A small, almost inaudible thump. A heartbeat. He turned disbelieving eyes to the burnt corpse. The body was not breathing, and he didn't have a steady heartbeat. Sephiroth would hear if he did. So he walked closer, leaned close to the man's chest. He was definitely not breathing. And he couldn't hear any-
Ba-thump.
Goddess, the man lived! How was that even possible-
Sephiroth felt as if he had been drenched in cold water. As if he was sinking in it. Drowning. He let out a keening sound, and carefully, carefully, carefully lifted the burnt body in his arms.
He rushed to the main part of the tent; where there were doctors working themselves to an early grave in their desperate attempt to rescue as many young men they could, to allow them to see another sunrise.
Sephiroth didn't give a shit. With one hand, clutching his burden close with the other, he brusquely shoved a relatively healthy young man off his bed and placed the body there. "Get the fuck over here!" he roared at the doctor in charge, who rushed over at the General's call.
"What?!" he called back, and reared back when he saw the corpse. "General." he said carefully, not doubt thinking that the man had finally lost his last marbles and snapped. "He's dead, gone. Now, maybe you should lie down over here and I'll get you something calming..."
"He's not dead!" Sephiroth just roared back, gathering quite a lot of attention in his upset state. An upset Sephiroth was not something you saw every day, usually the General was so coolly detached from the world that hardly anything roused true anger from him. "He's not dead! Listen for yourself, he has a heartbeat."
"Okay, okay." the doctor soothed, to Sephiroth's great ire. "Okay." It was clear the man didn't believe him. Still, most probably to calm him, he put his stethoscope to the burnt corpse's blackened chest. Silence was all that met him. "Now, General, I really think you ought to-" The doctor paused, and frowned, listening again. A small thump met him, and then another. Then there was silence once more. "How is that even possible...?" the doctor murmured in shock. "He has a heartbeat. Weak, irregular. But how-"
"It's Commander Rhapsodos." Sephiroth snapped. "He's still alive; the mako is keeping him alive. It's Commander Rhapsodos." he added again, as if to stress the need for everyone to believe it was truly him. Maybe it was himself that he tried to convince.
"Oh, General." the doctor said, downcast. "I don't know if there is anything I can do for him, besides giving him some painkillers and then let him drift off. We have nothing to treat burns this massive, and if we even try to remove those shards, he will bleed dry in seconds. I'm sorry for your loss."
Sephiroth blanched at that, horrified. Sorry for his loss? Nothing to do? Nothing to do?
Drift off?
Sephiroth let out a pained noise of agony through clenched teeth. It soon grew in power, the lamenting and keening sound spreading through the tent. "No." he whimpered between the overwhelming, pained gasps. "No!" He snatched up Genesis, and stormed towards the exits. A Turk crossed his path, and was forced to dearly regret it. Sephiroth didn't hit him, or push him away. He just walked right into him without circling him, and the Turk was hit with his massive body weight straight on.
Sephiroth didn't give a shit. He stood outside; Genesis burnt body held to his chest. A sharp piece of materia bomb lodged into Genesis' side dug into Sephiroth's ribs, tearing his skin to shreds. As if he cared. The soft rain was soothing, and he hoped it was for Genesis as well. Cool summer rain on his scorched skin. If Genesis was in there at all, anymore. Perhaps he was already gone, and his body just didn't know when to give up. Perhaps.
Ba-thump.
Sephiroth started walking, walking away. He didn't know where his legs took him, and he found that he didn't care much. Everywhere there were corpses. Of his men, of the press, of a few executives and Turks. Burnt. Everything burns. He closed his eyes, trusting his legs to walk him wherever he apparently needed to go. The world outside his lids grew dark, and the air more humid than before. He opened his eyes again.
The caves, where the famous hot springs were. They were bubbling wildly, but he walked past them. He was so tired. So tired, so over. So done with life. How could he ever go on without Genesis? "I'm sorry." he whispered. He didn't know what else to say.
He walked deeper still. The hot springs grew hotter, more violent, as he walked deeper into the earth. Soon he was surrounded by nothing but bubbling, scorching mako springs. They were beautiful. Nothing like the tainted, green mako they and the rest of the SOLDIERs got in their monthly mako shots. No, this mako was so pure it glowed bright blue. Azure, almost, like his lover's eyes.
Sephiroth doubted Genesis had any eye color left now. He stood by the edge of one especially big and deep pool, looking down on his fallen lover in his arms. Ba-thump. He suddenly knew what to say. "I love you."
He jumped into the pool, letting himself and Genesis sink. It burnt, it burnt, it burnt-
It burnt!
But at least, in death, they could be together. Genesis...
A few hundreds of meters away, eyes of the color of a clear October sky snapped open. A gloved hand shot up, pushing away what weighed him down. Sitting up, he managed to crawl out of the spot a falling tower had him trapped in. His head really hurt.
He hoped Sephiroth was alright.
But he knew he was, of course. It took more than flames to destroy his lover, to bring ruin to a man like him. It took more, he was sure of it.
Ba-thump.