Genesis stared out at the waves that rolled in and crashed over the sand, swishing around and foaming white. His mind was not on the surf however, or on anything which surrounded him as he stood on the deserted beach. He was thinking about something which had happened the night before and had left him very shaken.

Everything he had believed about who he was and what his purpose in life was had changed since that night. He had not had much time at all to think about it, but he was sure he would have much more time to think about it in the future. Still, he had set aside this time in the morning for that purpose to try figure everything out.

He was a monster.

That was the conclusion he had come to after going over his situation again and again. There was no other possibility for someone like him. Someone who had- had a...

Genesis closed his eyes and allowed the feel of the wind through his hair and pulling at his clothes to soothe his mind. He wished he could make his growth disappear so that he would never have to deal with it ever again, but knew that wasn't possible. He had already attempted cutting it from his body and only ended up witnessing his system's fast-healing ability.

Clenching his hands into fists, Genesis could feel his mind fracturing. Why did this have to happen to him? Why couldn't it have happened to someone else instead so that he didn't have to try and deal with himself?

He knew he should have gone to Hojo so that it could be explained, but he didn't want to listen to anything that man had to say about him anymore. He didn't want to listen to what anyone had to say to him about his abnormal growth. They wouldn't be able to understand what he was going through.

Genesis must have stood there for three hours without speaking. All of his thoughts twirled around in his mind and he couldn't seem to find a positive side to what had happened no matter how many times he went over it.

All that seemed to be happening was his thoughts kept repeating.

I'm a monster.

Why him? Why not someone else?

Why couldn't it have been a random 3rd Class SOLDIER who suddenly sprouted a-

Genesis lowered his head, now staring down at the sand around his boots. How could he face his friends? They wouldn't want to know a monster was close to them. He'd be better off severing their friendship before they found out about him. It would be easier that way.

Unless... unless the others had them too? What if all three of them had gone through the same thing that last night and just weren't strong enough to say anything to each other?

Sighing softly and turning around, Genesis lifted his head and began walking back away from the beach. He'd been out there long enough and knew it was time to face the real world again before he lost all of his sanity just from thinking too much.

When he got back to ShinRa and made his way to his room, he wasn't expecting Angeal and Sephiroth to be in there.

But when he opened the door, they were, and at the same time they froze and looked over at him as if caught doing something wrong.

"What happened?" Genesis asked with a frown, his own problems gone for a moment as he saw the nervous looks on his friends' faces. They had been speaking before he had entered and since they had quickly stopped, had it been about him?

"Angeal spoke to Professor Hojo today..." Sephiroth said slowly, watching Genesis' face closely.

"Is that supposed to be a momentous event?" Genesis asked and raised one eyebrow curiously.

Sephiroth glanced at Angeal, who shrugged, before looking back at Genesis and squaring his shoulders slightly.

"Angeal and I have experienced some unexpected changes lately." he said carefully. "After you left this morning we both thought that maybe the same had happened to you."

Genesis stared silently, not wanting to speak in case they were talking about something completely different. It took him a moment to realise how tense he was as he waited for Sephiroth or Angeal to say something else.

Sephiroth frowned and looked at Angeal. With Genesis looking so hostile, they weren't sure what was the best way to say it.

Then Angeal sighed and turned around, not waiting for Sephiroth's approval of his idea before his shirt tore open to reveal a white wing. He didn't extend it the whole way since the room wasn't big enough, but it would be impossible for Genesis to mistake what it was.

"You seemed anxious this morning," Angeal said, speaking softly over his shoulder. "We thought we should let you know you're not alone."

The tension left Genesis' body and he sagged slightly in relief, closing his eyes. He wouldn't have to worry about his friends. Of course, they wouldn't have cared even if he was the only one.

Opening his eyes to see Sephiroth slowly bringing out his own black wing, Genesis felt all his worries leave him. He didn't have to think about what would happen now, because he could go through this with his best friends. They'd help him through.

Together they would experience the changes brought by having a wing.

And together they'd find the answers to his questions.