Of Tears and Blood
Prologue
August 18th, 1983
Wind whipped through the short scrubgrasses, tossing dust into the air. Grasshoppers and sand-flies darted this way and that. The morning's chill still clung in the air, the sun having not yet warmed the semi-desert landscape. It hadn't always been like this. It used to be green here.....
Oblivious to the dust and insects, and reveling in the open space, was a young blond boy. He didn't seem to care that he was getting his immaculately white clothes filthy as he ran through the grass, kicking up more dust for the wind to throw. His formerly shiny black shoes were coated with a layer of sand, which only his ever-present shadow noticed.
The shadow kept pace with the boy, his teenage legs matching the younger's strides without having to run or even jog. He full well realized that he himself was covered in dust, but it was his charge he was frustrated with. Surely the boy's father wouldn't be pleased when they returned. But the Turk trainee hadn't been able to refuse when the boy had asked to go see the SOLDIER candidates training. Not when there'd been so much enthusiasm in his eyes.
And now here they were, dirty, filthy, dry, and windblown. And they hadn't even reached the training site yet.
"Come on, Tseng! I can hear them!" the boy called, his blond head turning to look back at his guardian. Tangled black hair had long since escaped his ponytail, and now whipped around his jaw. Slanted, chocolate-brown eyes glanced at the boy and returned to their surroundings. He was scanning for movement-- threats, as it were. He was here to guard the President's only son. President Shinra's son.
Coming to a rocky ledge, Rufus Shinra threw himself to his stomach, leaning over the edge to watch the figures below. Tseng knelt at his side. Below them was a group of SOLDIER recruits, sparring in the deeper sand of the lower plateau. The three nearest to them were doing considerably better than the others, whom Tseng could see further down the slight slope. One, black-haired, stockier than the other two and fighting with a broadsword, had little trouble in the sand. The redhead, more slender than his companions and wielding a longsword, was obviously tiring, his swings becoming lazy. Tseng recognized the third. He'd have had to be stupid not to recognize the one-and-only Sephiroth. Silver hair that ran down to mid-spine; skin pale as death.
"Who's the girl?" Rufus asked. "I thought it was men only in SOLDIER."
Tseng followed the 11-year-old's gaze to the redhead below. He smirked. "That's not a girl. You remember Mr. Rhapsodos, don't you?"
"Yes."
"That's his son, Genesis."
"Oh." Rufus frowned, cocking his head to the side. "Girly, isn't he?"
"I suppose."
Rufus fell silent, absorbed in watching the sparring trainees, and Tseng once more scanned the dusty plateau. Nothing but insects moved. Next to him, the blond boy sighed, resting his chin on his hands.
"Do you think father will let me join SOLDIER? I'll be old enough in four years." Blue-grey eyes met Tseng's.
"I doubt it."
Rufus grumbled. "He restricts me too much."
"He just worries about you."
The snort that came from the child was far too cynical for someone so young. "No. He doesn't. He just wants to control me. Like he tried to control mom." He flicked a stone off the lip of the drop-off.
"Maybe so," Tseng replied, relaxing and sitting down, dropping his legs over the edge. "But regardless, you're his only heir. He can't have you running off to fight monsters."
The scowl on Rufus' face looked suspiciously like a pout. He said nothing, and Tseng returned his gaze to the SOLDIERs. The redhead-- Genesis-- fell, and he pulled Sephiroth down atop him. Tseng could distantly hear their laughter as Genesis leaned into a brief, playful kiss. When Sephiroth deepened it and Genesis responded in kind, their dark-haired companion groaned in exasperation.
"Can't you guys get a room?"
"Oh, quit being such a prude, Angie," Genesis replied.
Tseng noticed Rufus shift away from the edge and looked around at the boy. A pensive expression clouded the blond's face.
"Do you think I could be a hero without having to join SOLDIER first?"
Tseng studied Rufus' features. He looked troubled, almost lonely. His eyes were fixed on his feet, his bangs falling to obscure them from Tseng's view.
"Anyone can become a hero," the Wutaian replied. "Your actions make you one; not a title or a position. If you want to be a hero, all you need is what's in here." He poked Rufus' chest with his finger. "That's what my Director would say."
Rufus smiled, contemplating the notion. Then his face darkened. "What if what's in here is... rotten?"
Tseng felt his gut twist. Was that what the boy thought? Just because his father was rotten inside?
"You're far too young to be worrying about that."
"So you think I could be a hero?" Rufus asked, his eyes lighting with hope.
"Why not?" Tseng replied.
"What about you? Are you going to be a hero?"
The Wutaian sighed, almost regretfully. "I'm a Turk. Turks aren't heroes."
Rufus watched him, confused, until Tseng looked away. "Why?" Steely blue eyes implored him; blond hair fluttering in the dusty wind.
"I'll tell you when you're older."
Rufus scowled. "But--!"
"No buts. Now come on. We'd best head back."
Author's Note: I realized as I was typing this up that they remind me of Simba and Zazoo. Noooooo! Disney's coming back to haunt me! XD
And I couldn't resist the return of the 'is that a girl?' joke. Poor Genny. I really must stop abusing him.