A/N: Hello dear readers! This is my first story about Genesis, so I hope he isn't too OOC, though a warning would be appropriate: I purposely made him a bit more...cultured/refined/polite in the beginning, since I have a feeling like he would behave like a gentleman around ladies. Anyway, any and all advice for improvement is well received and very appreciated! :)
Setting: Not set, but sometime before the events of FF7, during Zack's early years as a soldier training under Angeal. Times where the Firsts were still good friends.
Rating: T (sometimes a bit of cussing, some violence but nothing major!)
Pairing: Genesis & OC, Zack & Aerith, Cloud & Tifa
Enjoy!
~ The Knight & His Goddess ~
Chapter 1: Genesis, the Hero
It had been a very tiresome day for Genesis Rhapsodos, also known as the Red Commander among the SOLDIERs in Shinra. He strolled around in boredom, heavy boots clicking against the pavement walk as he regarded the simple people passing by him, some stopping to look at him in awe, others casting him a disdainful look for his association with Shinra.
Truth be told, sometimes he was disgusted as well. Doing petty jobs listening to old man Shinra instead of following his dreams and improving himself to eventually surpass even the super SOLDIER Sephiroth.
He snorted, shaking his head as he rounded a corner. He did share a certain rivalry with his old friend Sephiroth, if you could call it a real "rivalry". It was more one-sided, Genesis was often told, mostly by Angeal, that he was obsessed with beating Sephiroth.
Maybe that was the case, but he has set himself a goal, hasn't he? Angeal's dreams and honor were his own and Genesis simply set for himself his own dreams, that wasn't wrong now was it?
"When the war of the beasts brings about the world's end, the Goddess descends from the sky, wings of light and dark spread afar. She guides us to bliss, her gift everlasting…" he quoted the prologue from his favorite book with a nostalgic look about him, reveling in the silent atmosphere.
He stopped dead in his tracks as he heard an earsplitting scream cut through the normally silent, dark streets. Listening carefully, the screaming grew in volume and desperation, the sound high pitched and very alarmed and desperate.
Cries for help.
His coat fluttered in the wind as he walked briskly into the dark, narrow alley where the screams came from.
He stopped a few feet away from eight men, four of them were unconscious on the ground while the other four were restraining a young woman. She was kicking and trying to punch them with all her might, flailing wildly with her arms and kicking her legs high into the air to try and land a kick on her assailants.
Genesis' eyes narrowed, he recognized that uniform…
"Attention!" he hissed the word venomously, loud and clear. The stern command immediately issued the group of Seconds and Thirds to freeze rigidly, their faces turning almost robotically to the man who had issued a command.
It was him.
Genesis Rhapsodos. Fearsomely reputed as the "Red Commander" among the other two Firsts. Feared and respect, he was known for his expert use of materia as well as his expert swordsmanship skills.
Genesis placed one red gloved hand on the hilt of his rapier, he stepped forward into the dim light the lamp post provided, his frown dark, " What is going on here?" he eyed the woman being restrained by the two SOLDIERs.
She was bruised, her clothing was torn at several places. Genesis looked at the four men unconscious on the floor, sporting bruises and maybe even broke bones judging by the unnatural angle some of their limbs were bent.
His eyes returned to the group as he said," I will not repeat myself," As he took another step forward, one of the SOLDIERs, a Second judging by the color of his uniform, felt the need to finally speak, "C-commander Rhapsodos! I- w-we….we were about to take this young lady home! She seems to be intoxicated and required assistance!"
Disgust filled him as he saw that the woman was obviously not intoxicated. Her eyes widened in rage and she kicked the SOLDIER standing before her between his legs, prompting the two behind her to let her go. She fell to the ground harshly, knees sliding against the rough cobblestone as she cried out briefly in pain. The SOLDIER whom she kicked fell to his knees in agony, clutching himself in his hands desperately.
His expression was sinister, curves and the sharp features of his face highlighted by the play of darkness and light, making him appear all that more foreboding," So, that's what SOLDIERs working for Shinra do in their free time…taking advantage of a woman…" he drew his rapier with a sharp metallic sound as it left its sheath, closing in on the group of frightened SOLDIERs. His blade glowed red, fire suddenly encompassing it, the ancient runes glowing brightly on the hot blade as Genesis said four words that sent chills down the men's spines," Get out of here."
The frightened SOLDIERs heeded the warning and quickly rushed past him, Genesis wouldn't let them go unpunished, that was for sure, but at least they could save their asses now from the angry commander, so he could deal with the important things.
That woman was hurt.
The glow faded from the rapier, he sheathed his sword and looked down at the woman who tried standing up by supporting herself on the wall, only to slide back down with a grunt.
Genesis kneeled and said surprisingly softly," Easy there." When she lifted her head to look at him, he could see she had expressive brown eyes, filled with rage at the men who had assaulted her and a bit of trepidation.
Upon seeing him and finally focusing, he could see the wave of relief washing over her, her voice was raspy from screaming when she spoke, " Thank you…I thought I was doomed before you came along." She offered him a small smile, she winced when she tried to stand back up.
The red commander's eyes immediately zeroed in on her legs, particularly her ankle, it looked bruised quite badly. Her arms sported bruises, some were already a dark blue, one side of her face was red, most probably for being slapped for her resistance.
Rage filled him like poison, he was questioning himself why he hadn't used his rapier earlier on those SOLDIERs…he should have.
He concentrated on his magic as he cast a cure materia on her injuries. When his warm gloved hand touched her bruised cheek she winced at first but relaxed when the warm, soft green glow of the cure materia washed away her injuries.
She smiled, breathing a sigh of relief," Thank you so much. You really saved me back there. Um…I'm sorry I took out your SOLDIERs…" she looked sheepishly at the four unconscious men.
Genesis growled but his voice softened when he spoke to her, "No need. It is I who feels sorry for not arriving sooner and trying to prevent you from being assaulted by such barbarians." He helped her stand, steadying her with his larger hands on her shoulders and one on her elbow.
Once he made sure she could stand, he bowed deeply, not a sliver of doubt in his voice, "My apologies, milady. As a First Class SOLDIER of Shinra, I will make sure those men that had assaulted you will receive severe punishment, personally dealt by me." When he straightened there was a sinister glow in his eyes.
The woman offered a small smile, not too thrilled at the idea of punishment, but feeling thankful for receiving a bit of justice, " Thank you, but you don't have to do that. I…oh," she shyly covered her torso, just now noticing how torn her clothing was. Genesis politely averted his gaze and immediately took off his signature long, red coat. He draped it over her shoulders, buttoning it on the front so it concealed her modesty.
With a light pink hue dusting her cheeks she bowed slightly, her voice a bit stronger but flustered, "Thank you…"
Genesis regarded her curiously and nodded, "Again, I feel ashamed working for the same organization as them…" he grit his teeth and shook his head, muttering a silent curse under his breath.
The woman shook her head quickly, "Please, there is no need. I'm alright, thanks to you General."
Genesis offered her a small smile and asked as he looked at the men on the floor again, "Tell me milady, how have you managed to defeat them? Those three are Second Classes and the last one is a Third." He rose an eyebrow in curiosity. She couldn't be a normal human, no normal human could defeat four SOLDIERs, at least without any enhancements.
She met his gaze bravely, "I'm not too sure. I had never come into contact with mako before. I have been training with an old master of martial arts by the name of Zangan for years. Adding to the fact that some of them were slightly intoxicated…" she shrugged, letting her words hang in the air.
Genesis watched her, slightly intoxicated or not, he was a little suspicious. He had heard of the old man, master Zangan, he was travelling the world teaching kids and adults alike how to defend themselves. But to train a woman for years?
He brushed it off for now, smile and tone polite, " Interesting…would you mind if I escorted you home? I may have made them run with their tail between their legs, but they could return once I vanish out of sight." He chanced a glance at the street behind him and the woman followed suit, seeing his point.
"If I'm not disturbing your busy schedule…" she smiled as she took the arm he offered her, he was a real gentleman, unlike rumors depicted him to be.
Ruthless, aggressive, cocky, boastful…even a bit rude at times. She watched the news and read the newspaper and even listened to her friends gossiping about all the handsome heartbreakers in SOLDIER, but she never really payed Genesis all that much attention before.
But she had heard of the three First Class SOLDIERs, who didn't, after all? Sephiroth, a prodigy, the one called a "super SOLDIER". Angeal Hewley, many people referred to him as the "heart" of SOLDIER. And finally, Genesis Rhapsodos, commonly known as the "Red Commander" due to his signature red clothing and intimidating presence.
Genesis offered a charming smile, "Not at all, milady."
Together they walked out of the alley and she told him where she lived. The walk was a bit of a stretch, but the silence between them was comfortable, only their shoes clicking on the pavement were the only sounds between them as they walked through the dimly lit streets.
"Infinite in mystery is the Gift of the Goddess we seek it thus, and take to the sky. Ripples form on the water's surface-"
"-the wandering soul knows no rest… That was from Act I, wasn't it? 'The Wanderer'?" the young woman smiled at the familiar phrase. Genesis almost missed a step on the uneven cobblestone when she spoke, this woman…she knew an epic poem such as LOVELESS?
"I…see you have read LOVELESS…" his own voice showed his surprise at the new but pleasant discovery. And there, he thought only him and a select few of elderly people knew of it, since the younger generations rarely expression much of interest in the tale.
The woman giggled in amusement, causing Genesis to smirk slightly, " Well, I like to be a cultured lady on top of being able to fight."
"Interesting. What are your thoughts on the Goddess' gift?" he had to ask, he wanted to see how well and what she knew of his favorite book.
"Since the last pages of LOVELESS were never found, the book is left to be open interpreted as the readers thinks it's supposed to end. I think the gift of the Goddess must be something simple, something attainable by the simple folk of humanity. If the Gift is out of reach of normal people, it would seem too cruel for those who may never reach for it and wouldn't be considered the Goddesses benevolent Gift anymore." She paused, obviously thinking of what to say next as Genesis patiently waited, "I think it's mankind itself. The Gift is oneself. Of course, the use of materia, swords or any other resources may be very useful, but it is still up to the caster, the wielder, the person how well it can be used and to their advantage. People have gotten creative over the years, have become thirstier for knowledge, they used that thirst and knowledge to create and build homes, cities, markets… tools to use to make labor easier, to ease their burdens…" she smiled softly and Genesis wondered if she spoke from the heart like she sounded she did.
The soldier pondered on her words intently, intrigued by the new viewpoint he himself hadn't come to, despite replaying the verses and sentences for years in his head and writing down all new interpretations he could possibly think of. To think one such an interpretation would sound so…simple.
When she noted his quietness, she tried to fight her own nervousness, "What…do you think of it?" She was a curious creature, he concluded.
Though he couldn't deny, he himself was one too, "The Gift of the Goddess…like you said, the last pages of LOVELESS were forever lost, no hope of ever retrieving them. The Gift of the Goddess…would be my SOLDIER honor…" she smiled at his explanation and the twinkle he got in his eyes.
She looked forward at the path ahead, " Well, here we are," She disentangled herself from him and he felt the absence of the warmth she had provided. She stepped in front of the door of a medium sized house, slightly old fashioned with wooden planks all over it and a roof made of red bricks. It looked slightly old but familiar and welcoming.
Genesis found he liked her taste, at least concerning houses.
She scratched the back of her neck in embarrassment as she stood awkwardly in front of her house, keys clenched in her hand," Would you like to come in? I could make you some tea, I know it really is meek compared to what you truly deserve after saving me, but-"
In the next heartbeat, he cut her off rather gently, a tone he didn't use often, "Thank you, but I wouldn't want to intrude. After today's ordeal, you must be very tired,"
Genesis bowed again, a smirk curling his lips," I bid you a restful good night, milady."
With that he took her hand into his larger one and kissed her knuckles, it was soft and brief, but it sent a warm feeling through the young woman and a tingling sensation on her skin even after he let go of her hand and straightened his posture to look at her flushed self.
As Genesis offered her another smirk, he left and disappeared into the night. The young woman smiled timidly, despite herself, keys jiggling as she unlocked the door, "Thank you Genesis…" as if expecting for him to hear her, even if he had already left.
Just then as she opened and locked her door again, she made a move to remove what she thought was her jacket, except as far as she could recall she didn't own anything made from leather.
The red coat covering her form seemed like it was glaring at her and nervousness and panic gripped her at the thought of forgetting to return his coat to him, "And this is how I thank him for saving me? What do I do? I don't even know where he lives!" such information was of course classified, so not even if she asked would she get an answer.
She sighed slipping the coat off and noting the impeccable condition it was in, despite it having gone through so many battles with its owner, as far as she heard anyway. She caressed its smooth, leathery surface, smiling. He must care for it very much if he took such good care of it. The material didn't look all that cheap either, she bet those soldiers working for Shinra had a high wage.
Feeling a bit self-conscious, she brought the coat closer to her face before taking a tentative whiff, inhaling his scent which lingered powerfully in the clothing. Contrary to what she believed, that it may smell slightly due to him wearing it always, it smelled neutral, of leather and a faint scent of wood.
"The Gift of the Goddess huh…" she smiled.
Phew…sooo…how was it? I know, I haven't given the OC a name yet, though I would very much appreciate names dear readers! Thank you! I hope you enjoyed reading it so far, please review and tell me what you think! J