Alis Aquilae
Author's Note: I return from the land of bills and timecards! Oh, and I don't own anybody but the original characters and plot. This overarching disclaimer applies to the whole shebang as I don't want to keep typing it. Enjoy. ^^
Chapter 1
"I wonder who decided that birds are free.
Even though they can fly as they desire, if there isn't a place to land or
if there isn't a branch they can rest their wings,
they may even regret having wings to fly.
True freedom might mean having a place to return..."
"General?"
Sephiroth looked up to see one of the third-class soldiers peeking into the window of his office. The general waved him inside.
"Sergeant Kutnik," he said.
"Sir!" The boy, no more than fifteen, snapped to attention. "P-President Shinra's asked to see you, sir. And General Hewley wants to see you on the range."
Sephiroth nodded, mildly impressed that the boy could string a coherent sentence together.
"Thank you."
"Sir."
"Congratulations to your parents. A girl, correct?"
The boy blinked then smiled widely, straightening a little.
"Yes, sir. Savannah. Thank you, sir."
"Dismissed."
The boy hurried out of the office and Sephiroth walked out of SOLDIER Headquarters. Although relatively new, the building still smelled of fresh paint and old metal. Or 'reclaimed,' as Rufus liked to call it. Sephiroth tended to ignore the by-words of the various press releases just as he ignored the way the solar panels made the eco-friendly buildings glitter and the way the base sprawled in an almost haphazard way across the plains. It had been three years since the series of incidents the media termed "Makofall," three years since the Planet withdrew into itself and Mako energy was officially abandoned. Midgar had imploded without the artificial power.
Now "New Midgar" spread out in one or two story buildings as far as the eye could see. Rufus touted it as a new beginning, a way of correcting the wrongs his father and his generation had wrought on the planet and its people. Pretty words, but Sephiroth knew it was all more for self-preservation than altruism. Only a handful knew how critical the incident had really been.
Although, stepping onto the streets and feeling the sun on his face, seeing the sky, was a…welcome change.
The sounds of gunfire reached his ears and he quickened his pace to the range without walls and holograms. Angeal waved to him from the observation tower made from a salvaged Midgar communications spire, and Sephiroth climbed up.
"Morning, Seph," Angeal said warmly.
"Angeal. Kutnik said you wanted to see me."
"Yeah." The dark-haired general wiped his forehead with the back of his hand. He'd aged a little since Makofall. Not ridiculously so but he had a few more scars, a couple gray hairs. He liked to blame them on Zack.
"The men are doing well," he said. "But I had to send a couple Seconds to the infirmary."
Sephiroth pursed his lips, stared out at the practicing soldiers.
"Withdrawal," he said.
"Looks that way. I've kept them hydrated but Spencer came down with the shakes really bad and Gideon was vomiting all over the sandbags."
"They've been using."
"Someone's supplying 'em, yeah. Or they're on something that can mimic Mako. We've got a few leads and Tseng's keeping an ear to the ground but I'm a little strapped."
His commander nodded and turned to go back down to the street.
"I appreciate your work, Angeal. The new teachers are acceptable?"
"Yes, sir."
"I'll arrange for more as I can get funding."
"Thanks. Hey, how did yesterday go?"
"More of the same. It was just Vincent and I. Ms. Gainsborough couldn't come."
"Aw. Still went well though?"
"For my being part-alien, yes." Sephiroth offered a small smile. "I'm fine, Angeal. Genesis should be back from Corel this afternoon."
"I'll make sure to keep some targets open for him."
"Good." The general climbed back down and made it to the Presidential building in good time, nodding to the soldiers guarding the doors. One would never know the world had almost ended three years ago from looking at the professional opulence of Rufus'…palace? Staircases, board rooms with ornately carved doors, a ball room…yes; 'palace' was the right word. His boots thumped on tiled floor as he walked to the president's office.
"You're late," Rufus said snidely. Sephiroth shut the door.
"Apologies. Spencer and Gideon were sent to the infirmary."
"Mmm."
"Are they okay?"
Sephiroth's gaze fell on the young, caramel-skinned woman sitting across from Rufus. He gave a polite nod and folded his hands.
"Shiushan. They'll be fine," he said. "Out of service for a week or two at most."
Her brow furrowed in concern but he turned to Rufus.
"You wanted to see me?"
"Yes." The blond man put some papers in a manila folder and handed it to his secretary. "It's time to get the last unit, General. You leave in the morning."
"Yes, sir." That was the best news he'd heard all day. "Is that all, sir?"
"Yes, I think I'm done with the both of you." He shooed him out with a manicured hand. "Ms. Yanna, I'd like to see you same time next month."
"Yes, Mr. Shinra. Thank you." She quickly gathered her notes and bag and hurried out after Sephiroth.
"Um, how are you, General?" she asked.
"Fine, thank you." He noted how tightly she held the papers to her chest. "And you?"
"Fine. Koda wanted me to say 'hi.'"
"Hello to him as well. How is your family?"
"Good. They don't like me traveling so much but I got to see them before I came here. Um…"
"Good." He caught sight of a Turk out the corner of his eye and led them outside. "How long are you here?"
"Not long. I've got some work to do with Dr. Ruckman and her team then I'm off to the northern counties. Word is they have corn growing."
"You've done well, Shiushan. The men are excited about your work."
She blushed and glanced away, tucking some hair behind her ear.
"Thank you, but if the towns weren't willing, if the President wasn't willing, I'd just be singing in the wind."
"Even so."
They walked on in awkward silence. Sephiroth felt the tension crawl in between his shoulder blades until Angeal spotted them from the tower and hurried to meet them.
"So good to see you, sweetie!" he cried. "I won't give you a hug 'cause I'm all gross but how've you been?"
The tension shattered like so much glass and Yanna laughed, hugging Angeal despite the warning.
"I'm great," she said. "How're you?"
"Aw, stayin' busy as always."
"I'm to retrieve the last unit," Sephiroth said, a little more deadpan than he intended. His friend's face lit up.
"That's wonderful! Just you then? That's awesome. When do you leave?"
"In the morning. You and Genesis can arrange things here?"
"Sure, sure. We'll take care of it. Genesis'll be glad to stay put for a while."
"Oh, how is he?" Yanna asked. "I haven't talked to him in like a week."
"Poor guy's run ragged with all the politics but he's good. Snarky as ever."
"Of course." Yanna glanced down at the papers. "I should go organize this stuff."
"Yeah okay. You wanna join us for lunch?"
"That would be great."
"We'll come get you around one then. See ya later, sweetie."
Yanna smiled brightly and hurried off to a nearby cab, leaving Sephiroth to round on Angeal.
"Lunch?" he asked.
"Oh, don't tell me you're still weird around her."
"We nearly made the planet explode."
"Jenova nearly made the planet explode. A future version of you just happened to be involved and just happened to have a thing with another her. And why are you so worked up over something that almost happened?"
"Why are you so intent on setting us up? This is the fifth attempt this month."
"Because you need some freakin' estrogen in your life, someone outside of the military."
"And you chose her."
"Why not? She's smart, she's hard-working, she's got legs a mile long—"
"That doesn't change the fact that—"
"I think she should go with you."
Sephiroth blinked, stunned.
"Are you out of your mind?" he asked. The dark one rolled his eyes and sighed.
"Look, Seph. We work with the woman. Like it or not, she is helping this planet come back to life. Have you seen the progress they've made? Towns have crops now. Viable food that has nothing to do with Mako energy. Clean water, cute, fuzzy wildlife that doesn't try to eat you."
"I'm not denying her abilities."
"No, but you are denying any kind of civil relationship with her. We see her all the time and Gen and I like spending time with her. Gen talks with her about the tribe at least once a week, usually more, to help with the peace treaties. She's not going anywhere and, since she's not, I think you should at least try and make the effort to be friends with her."
"Are you done?"
"No, if you're going to be a jerk about it. Take her with you as a morale boost for the men. Let her take pictures and show them what they have to go home to."
"And if I refuse?"
"Then you refuse, geeze. I'm just asking that you give her a chance."
Sephiroth bit back a sigh and glanced away. He knew that look, that tone. Angeal was worried about him. It always surfaced when he thought he wasn't being social enough. The words changed but the argument usually ended the same way. 'You need to open up more.' Yes, he understood Angeal had good intentions but, honestly. He was twenty-eight years old. He should be past all this.
"She could never accept what we do," he said quietly.
"You might be surprised. Just…take her with you. If it's still weird and neither of you want it to go any further, then that's it. I'll leave you alone about it."
"But?"
"But if you two can actually hold a real conversation then you stop avoiding us when she's in town. It's not healthy to stay cooped up like you do."
"Fine. One publicity stunt for the men and that is it." He stalked off towards the Soldier building. "See you at lunch."
?
So. Sephiroth wasn't looking forward to lunch. At all. But his phone rang at noon on the dot and soon, he and Angeal were on their way to the airport to pick up Genesis.
The redhead had aged a little better than Angeal, looking closer to their twenty-seven years than the bigger man. He still had his flair for the dramatic though and swept out of the airport with all the wide-armed grace of a man expecting applause.
Sadly, the fangirls hovering around the entrance were more than happy to oblige.
"Welcome home, Gen," Angeal said when he escaped the throng. "How was the trip?"
"Oh, it was horrid." Genesis flicked his wrist, dismissing the entire building, and climbed into the back seat. "The women were vile, the food was disgusting, and you don't even want to know about the in-flight movie."
"I really don't," Sephiroth said.
"Hairspray!" Genesis cried. "Not the good version but the remade, TV-show swill they did a few years ago. At least with the one with Walken, no one was tone deaf! Speaking of, I'm starving. The peanuts had to have been army surplus from fifty years ago."
"We're meeting Yanna for lunch."
"Oh? Ohh." Genesis leaned forward on the seats and tilted up his sunglasses. "Is the great general actually gracing us with his presence this time?"
"Angeal…convinced me."
"Really. What argument did you use? The 'you two would make cute babies'?"
"No, the 'be friends cause she's not going anywhere,'" Angeal replied.
"Ooh, straight for the throat. Very nice." Genesis sat back and stretched his legs out on the seat. "Of course, if you ask me—"
"Didn't."
"—I think you should just sleep with her."
If Yanna noticed that Genesis was favoring his left arm and Sephiroth was flexing his hand, she made no comment.
"You…really think I should go?" Yanna looked back and forth between the generals. Angeal sat, smiling and sweet like always, while Genesis looked for all the world like he was plotting something. Which he probably was. She'd learned about his mischievous streak within months of meeting him, and she'd also managed not to be on the receiving end of any of his schemes.
Except with Sephiroth.
She couldn't quite meet the silver general in the eye, at least not for very long. He was a different man. She knew that. But any time she started to get lost in those piercing green eyes, her mind flashed back to the desperate screams of the World-Breaker, trying so hard to fight the demon that had plagued their world for so long. Her heart had made that sound when her mother died, had almost every night since. It just didn't seem right that the strong, cool soldier sitting across from her was the same raw, hurting man from before. Such pain shouldn't be so close to the surface.
None of which mattered one lick to either of his subordinates. They saved the world, created an alternate life that didn't involve Jenova or Meteor or whatever horrible things the World-Breaker warned them of. In their minds, the problem had been solved. Now, they seemed intent on addressing the other side of the Makofall Incident: the World-Breaker had been in an intimate relationship with his timeline's version of her. It still seemed so fantastic, so unreal, but then she was a shaman. Weird things happened all the time.
Still, it would be nice to go a month without a trick date.
Taking a deep breath, Yanna glanced at Sephiroth.
"General?"
"It would be good for the men to see what they have waiting for them," the silver one replied. "The recall process can take so long the men get restless waiting for their orders."
"Go ahead, honey." Genesis smiled his charming smile and winked at her. She remembered when that used to make her blush. "Who knows? Maybe you can even get this fool to have a little fun in the capital. Wutai is beautiful this time of year."
The Kalani woman picked at her food, her thick black hair shielding her face. Her gut tightened with the thought that this probably wasn't a good idea. Neither one of them did well when they couldn't escape and they would be stuck in another country for several days.
Looking up, she saw Angeal's almost pleading look. He meant well. They both did. Maybe, she supposed, it wouldn't hurt to show the boys what they could come home to. She actually had real wheat fields to offer some of them.
"Okay," she said.
"Great!" Angeal said, grinning. "We'll take care of everything. Oh, and pack your boots. It's monsoon season."
"Yeah, no one cares." Genesis held a hand up in his friend's face. "Now, please tell me something new opened at the theatre. I am dying for some semblance of culture that doesn't involve cowboy boots."
