---___--- ---___--- ---___--- Dreams of the Morrow ---___--- ---___---- ---___---

---___--- ---___--- ---___--- Chapter 3 – No Rest ---___--- ---___--- ---___----

The wandering soul knows no rest.

The sun had set and rose again when Emerald woke, her head pounding, and her stomach complaining at the lack of food in so long. She swallowed the cotton wool taste in her mouth and slowly opened her eyes, blinking a few times to remove the traces of sleep that had built up in the hours that she had been resting. It was early morning, that much she was sure of, but as for where she was…

The ceiling above her was white, not the blue that was in her room, and not the sickly green that the infirmary seemed to love. It wasn't even the same dull grey that she saw in the labs. No… this was white. The bed she was lay upon was also not her own. It smelt knew, and the sheets were black silk. Something she could never hope to afford. It was also too big. A double as apposed to her single.

Sitting up, she regarded the rest of the room, noting that there was nothing that could tell her who's home she was in. The walls were bare white, aside from the intricate green pattern that seemed to cover the wall paper if one looked close enough. It was just small threads of green – almost like the lifestream. She smiled softly at that, still looking around.

Her shoulder pads, boots and belts had all been removed, but aside from that she was still fully dressed, a fact she was thankful for. The missing items were on a small wooden table in the middle of the room, along with a small piece of paper. Frowning a little, she stood and headed towards that note. Looking down, she opened it.

'Emerald.

After our match, you became fatigued. The doctor in the infirmary mentioned that you would wake on your own, but I did not think it wise you be alone. You are in my apartment, there is no need to worry. Breakfast will be in the refrigerator when you wake, and there is a bathroom joined to this room.

Sephiroth'

Short and to the point. Emerald liked that. But she was surprised that the general had thought of such a thing. He brought her home, gave her a place to rest, to clean up and then food? Smiling a little, she moved off to one of the doors, happy to find a rather large bathroom.

"Holy cow…" The bathroom was sparkling white, obviously never used. It must have been the guest bathroom or something… But what really caught Emerald off guard was the size of it. It was bigger than her living area in her home. The bath was about the size of a double bed, and there was a shower attached, along with a separate one in the corner of the room.

The toilet was nothing special, and nor was the sink (though that too was rather large), and the whole room was immaculately flawless.

Three white towels were on the counter beside the large basin, fluffy and obviously new. Beside them was a bottle of shampoo and conditioner, and a bottle of liquid soap. Strawberry scented.

Smiling a little, Emerald went to check the door and make sure it was locked. She then stripped and began to bathe, the shower feeling wonderful on her worn body.


Half an hour later, Emerald emerged from the shower, feeling warm and relaxed – that was, until she remembered where she was. The smell of fresh bacon wafted through the room, sending her stomach in a growling frenzy, much to her embarrassment. Smiling nervously, she made her way into the living room, only to stop in surprise as she saw Sephiroth apparently struggling to make breakfast.

After a short while she became more amused than afraid as she watched the legendary silver general curse under his breath as he quite violently threw the pan in the sink. That was when he noticed who was stood there. He shrugged and spoke. "If you want breakfast, we'll go out." He said simply, obviously aware that he had promised her breakfast and had been unable to provide it.

Shaking her head, Emerald tried to remove the amused smirk from her face as she stepped into the room. "No. It's okay. I can skip breakfast today." She assured him. "What time is it?"

The real question she had wanted to ask was 'What am I doing here?', but that didn't seem too appropriate. She was still terrified of the man who was often dubbed 'The Nightmare', the destroyer of lives.

The silver general gestured to a clock which read nine thirty, and Emerald felt her eyes widen as she realized how late she was for her watch. "Crap."She exclaimed under her breath, looking around for her sword. "I'm so late!" Where was her sword!? Surely Sephiroth wouldn't have left it out in the field…

"Relax." The amused tones of the commander of the armies caused Emerald to turn and face the man she was so afraid of. "I have cleared you of your duties today." He told her, causing her eyes to widen somewhat.

Was he playing at something? Did he have a plan? Make her feel more comfortable, then kill her in her sleep? But no. Emerald couldn't help but admit that this man was different from the one in the stories. He didn't seem like he could be capable of destroying an entire town for his own pleasure. But then, who could. Was it really possible for one to be able to see that in a person, before the actions took place?

Emerald had obviously been staring into space as she thought of this, and was only roused by a hand waving in front of her face. Two concerned eyes, identical in colour and pupil as her own then flashed before her. Sephiroth had seen her space out, and had obviously become worried. A slight increase of pressure on her right arm made her aware that he was touching her.

Trying not to shudder at the contact, she slowly shook her head and pulled away, cursing herself for letting her guard down around this man.

"You seem to still be in need of rest." He said to her, "I apologise, I did not realize how tiring our match was yesterday." He said to her, dropping the hand that had found its way onto her arm. He obviously understood not wanting to be touched. She shook her head again before hanging it.

"I should be stronger than that." She told him, before looking up at him again and setting a determined look on her face. Anything to get rid of the intense fear she was feeling, being in such proximity to Sephiroth. "I need to get stronger." She told him, heading back into the room she had slept in, aware that he was curiously following her.

She left the door open, keeping her senses on the man that paused just before the threshold. "You shouldn't push yourself." He told her, giving his recommendation, but not an order. She just nodded, picking up her shoulder pads and belt. She then turned to him and he gestured to the wardrobe, guessing what she wanted. She opened it and found her sword, ignoring the rest of the contents.

"Thank you for your hospitality, sir." She said, being sure to place that last word on the end. Until that 'Promised Day' came, she had to act every bit the second class SOLDIER that she was supposed to be. Offering the waiting General a quick salute, she headed for the door.

"Training tomorrow, normal time." Sephiroth told her, dismissing her.


The phone call came a complete surprise. It was 2am, the numbers reading easily from the glow clock that sat perilously perched on the edge of the bedside table. The insecent buzzing of the PHS caused a groan to come from the mound of blankets and pillows that was Emerald. "Damn it." She mumbled, along with some other obscenities she had learned from one Cid Highwind.

If Cloud ever found out she swore like that, she'd be beyond grounded. The man was a strange caregiver, not caring in the least if she got into fights with the older members of her 'family', but if she was caught uttering a single swear, there would be hell to pay, for both herself and Cid. And sometimes Barret too, if he was around.

A smile worked its way onto the young SOLDIER's face as she recalled Cloud threatening to literally throw Cid off his own ship. Man, he'd been angry. But that was probably because Marline and Denzel were using swears too…

The buzzing continued, drawing her from her half dreamed thoughts and she sighed, reaching for the phone and accidently knocking her clock off the bedside cabinet. Cussing again, she answered the phone, now in a not so good mood. She didn't even bother checking the caller ID, entirely forgetting where she was.

"What?" She asked, irritation clear in her voice.

"How do you have access the S-cells." Came the reply to her snappy question. Her eyes snapped open and widened as she listened to the unfamiliar voice. "Well?" came the impatient word.

"I- I was an exper-Wait a minute. How did you get this number? How can you even be sure that it's who you think it is?" She asked, sitting up. The blankets fell from her, causing the cold to hit her previously heated skin. Only the intense training she'd given herself allowed her to feel it, and she shivered a little, the act of normalcy natural to her now.

"I have a contact there." Short and to the point. "Now answer my question."

"I was experimented on. Given the cells at a young age, and haven't degraded at all, even given the triggers." She hadn't had time to figure out what she'd tell Genesis, should he ever try seeking her help, and due to it being early morning, her sleep muddled brain could come up with no lie. Again, half truths. Or rather, quarter truths. "Within me are pure S-cells. If you return, I can give you the treatments myself, I have been instructed how."

There was silence for a moment, before she heard a soft sound, not quite a sigh, but not quite anything else either. "Should I return," Genesis began, "I will be arrested for desertion."

"The degradation effected your mind and your ability to make choices." Emerald supplied, having thought this through before setting out to do what she needed to. "You had a short time of stability where a doctor in a small town helped you. You can't remember who that doctor was, but he gave you treatments that allowed you to be yourself again. That is the story we would tell." As far as anyone else knew, Emerald would have no part in this, whatsoever.

"As for the weekly meetings with me that would have to happen, I'm an old penpal, who came to Shin-Ra under your recommendation." She added, having thought most of this through passively, almost like a daydream.

Again, there was silence on the other end, as Genesis thought this through. "If I agree with you, you will hear of my arrival." He told her before hanging up.

Glancing down at her phone, Emerald sighed softly. Things were going to get interesting very soon. She could only hope that Genesis would return.


Two months after her promotion to Second Class, Emerald was sent on a small mission, a young infantryman accompanying her. The mission was simple, take out the monsters that had been threatening the Chocobo Ranch North West of Kalm. Their truck journey was to take them five hours, and she wasn't looking forward to spending that much time with a motion sick Cloud.

Or spending that much time with Cloud without giving herself away.

Two hours before she was to leave, Zack appeared at her door, dragging a reluctant looking Sephiroth with her. When she opened the door, her eyes widened to find the pair there. She'd only talked to Zack once since Wutai, and that had been cut short due to his being late for a meeting. And she rarely talked to her mentor, unless it was about battle tactics. She could only guess that was what this was.

Stepping back, she moved her left arm in a gesture that they should enter. "Uh…" She began, looking at the pair. Zack instantly went to her couch and spread out, looking very much at home. She'd been expecting that. Sephiroth, however, barely glanced at him, a slight narrowing of his eyes showed him glaring before he turned back to Emerald, looking as uncomfortable as Sephiroth ever looked.

His arms folded on his chest, his legs slightly apart and his back straight and tense, the General looked again at Zack before glancing at Emerald and back again.

This caused Zack to promptly burst into laughter. "You two look almost exactly the same!" He called out, pointing to the two of them. That was when Emerald noticed her stance. It was identical to the General's – and so was her expression. She knew she resembled the general a lot, but that couldn't be helped.

It was the reason she was glad her hair was a dark red, and only went down to her upper back. Right then, it was tied up in a loose braid, out of the way, but not painful to wear for long hours. It was how she would wear it if she was pottering around the house, as it was less complicated than the way she normally wore it.

The tiny, twin braids on the sides of her face took a good hour to get perfect, but the loose pigtails that cupped them only took a while because she had to get them exactly the right width, and leave exactly the right amount of hair for her bangs.

OCD was often time-consuming.

Her height was also another factor. While bother her parents had been tall, Emerald was not. She wasn't exactly short, but she was by no means the height that Sephiroth was. She came only up to his chest, a few centimetres shorter than his shoulders. She still had time to grow, but she didn't think she'd sprout up any time soon.

Her mind was returned to reality as she once again saw a hand flash before her eyes. Scowling at herself for losing focus, she shook her head clear and blinked, looking directly at those green eyes that were so similar to her own. There was a readable question in those shimmering silver-green orbs.

Who are you?

She gave a nervous smile, trying once again to hide her insecurities with Sephiroth around. He said something about her spacing out again, and she managed to look sheepish at that. "Sorry, sir. But…uh… To what do I owe this pleasure?" She asked, trying to be polite and gesturing around at both him and Zack.

The Lieutenant had stood, obviously concerned also as she had spaced out, but now, seeing that she was seemingly fine, he relaxed and grinned, moving into her personal space and pulling an arm around her shoulders.

Instantly, she had to fight panic, her revulsion about being touched brought to the forefront of her thoughts. She knew that Zack was just being friendly, and had even been warned that he was like this, but that didn't stop the fact that he was touching her. She was shuddering now, her temperature rising and her breath coming out in pants as she tried to prevent herself from lashing out at Zack, from forcibly removing him from her. Instead, she tried to squirm away, but he just tightened his grip, obviously thinking she was embarrassed or something.

He was talking, but she couldn't make out the words, the blood was rushing too fast by her ears as she struggled to control her bodily responses.

Dimly, she was aware that there was another voice joining Zack's, this one a little quieter and deeper, seemingly lacking emotions. Almost instantly, the hand was removed and she stumbled back, trying to focus again, breathing in and out slowly, causing her body to return to its normal functioning.

"Shit, sorry," Zack said sheepishly, a hand on the back of his neck. "Didn't realize you don't like to be touched." He said, throwing a look at the general. Obviously, Sephiroth had enlightened him to that fact.

She smiled a little shakily, trying to both comfort the older Second, as well as trying to comprehend the fact that it had been Sephiroth who had 'saved' her.

Shaking her head, she took a final deep breath before returning completely back to normal. "Sorry – why are you here? I have to go soon…" She looked at her watch, noting that it had been longer than she had thought. Half an hour had passed since Sephiroth and Zack had entered the room.

"Oh! Yeah! This is the first mission you'll be in command!" Zack bounced on his heels, every bit the puppy that Angeal had described him as.

Emerald just looked at him. This was nothing big… or, it might have been, if she hadn't have already lead small missions for Cloud before. But that was in her reality, her time. She supposed that it was a big event here, especially, it seemed, for Zack.

"It's no big." She said to him, a soft shrug on her shoulders. "It's just me and one Infantryman." She explained, "Going doing some hunting. They're only even sending the infantryman due to protocol." She told Zack, "There's nothing out there that's too dangerous, and I'm only in command of one man. Nothing to be all… Excited about." Still, the man wouldn't stop bouncing. She looked over to Sephiroth for advice, but the general wasn't paying much attention.

"How did you even know, anyway?" She asked, "I've talked to you, what, twice?" She asked, wondering why the hell Zack seemed interested now.

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean we can't be friends!" A beaming Zack said to her, moving as if to put his arms around her, but pausing and dropping his hand as if remembering her distaste for contact. A brief flicker of disappointment read in his blue eyes before it was replaced with bubbly excitement. "And I found out, 'coz Seph told me!" He absently gestured to the General who was making a point to ignore them, looking out the window. "So we came to wish you good luck!"

Cocking her head to the side, Emerald nodded, finally understanding. Zack was trying to be nice to her, but he wasn't hitting on her, which was something that she'd been warned about. For that, she was glad. She smiled at him, and nodded. "Thank you," She said, honestly meaning it.

He nodded and finally, Sephiroth looked at her. "You will do fine." He told her, "But if you need help, be sure to call."

It took her a second to realize it, but Sephiroth seemed to be… worried about her. Frowning a little, she nodded, unsure of how to respond to that.

Looking at her clock again, she noticed that she had an hour left before she had to leave. "Would either of you like to have something to drink, I don't really have much..." She mumbled, heading into the kitchen, pottering about, looking for glasses or drinks. She was a little uncomfortable about the atmosphere around them, okay, very uncomfortable, because they were comfortable.

She shouldn't be comfortable around Sephiroth.

But at least she knew that Zack liked her.

---___--- ---___--- ---___--- Dreams of the Morrow ---___--- ---___---- ---___---

---___--- ---___--- ---___--- Chapter End ---___--- ---___--- ---___---

A/N: Okay… So sorry that this has taken so long. I have trouble keeping with one fandom at a time, I often get distracted and go onto other things. Thanks to my mind (which I'm sure has some form of ADHD), I am unable to concentrate on two fandoms at once. So recently I've been into FullMetal Alchemist…

Then my girlfriend stole my PSP, started playing Crisis Core, got confused, and asked me questions. Which got me playing again (much to her annoyance since we only have one psp (but two CC games, funnily enough).

Blame Trisana for me getting back into things.

Anyway, I'll be writing this for a while, but my computer isn't currently connected to my home server, so I dunno how often I'll be able to update. Only when I'm at Tris's. So it'll be sporadic at best.

I've also fixed a few errors in the earlier chapters, and hopefully when I post this, I'll remember to switch those too.

Thanks for keeping with me.

Review please? Fill my inbox for when I get back online, and you might inspire me to visit my girl more often xD