"Well shit," Zach cursed softly, from his perch on Aquila's back. Opal and Maya had long since landed, since their black coloring could easily be seen against the blue sky. Sephiroth and Draco had also landed, catching up with Cloud and the rest right after dawn. Zach had stayed in the air, since he and Aquila were almost perfectly camouflaged against the sky. Why wasn't Draco and Sephiroth with them? Draco sparkled in the sun. No kidding. His scales actually sparkled. So the two had stayed out, circling the crater in an attempt to find Denzel and Genesis. So far, they had no luck. This place had so many small caves and openings that it was like trying to find a needle in a stack of needles.

Yawning, he pulled his thick coat tighter around him, rubbing his frozen nose. This high in the air, the already freezing air became like a wall of ice that constantly buffeted him. He was lucky though. Unlike Denzel and Genesis, he was used to being up this high. Since Aquila was pretty much useless on the ground, he and the eagle were almost always in the air, flying high and relaying the positions of the creations to those below him. They were more adept at breathing in the lack of oxygen. It also helped that he had a small can of pure oxygen in the pack attached to his saddle, for when the altitude became too much. He stiffened slightly when Cloud brushed his mind, before relaxing and allowing his fellow Generals into his mind.

"Anything?" Cloud asked, and Zach sighed, shaking his head.

"We've found so many caves and places where they could have come out, it's ridiculous," Zach said, peeved. "Something is bothering me though. Where are all the creations Genesis saw? I can't find them." He felt worry from Cloud, and frowned.

"What do you mean, you can't find them?" Sephiroth asked, and Zach scowled.

"Exactly what I said, I can't find them. There aren't that many creations down around the crater. Wait…" Zach had seen something, and with a quick thought to Aquila, they flew down in a lazy spiral, as Zach narrowed his eyes, watching the small group of creations below him. He caught a flash of black and white, and two male screams reached his ears. Throwing the doors open wider, he used the power to enhance his eyes, which made them burn. Peering down below him, he cursed softly, seeing a head of shock white hair, and one the color of pitch black.

"I found Denzel and Genesis," he said grimly. "I'm going to get them."

"Zach no!" Cloud screamed, but Zach ignored him, as he drew on the power of Aquila, their bodies bursting into fire as they plummeted from the sky.

"Aquila!" Zach shouted in the birds mind.

What? He said absentmindedly, his entire being concentrating on the feel of the wind, adjusting his feathers as they got closer to the ground.

"Are you going to be able to carry three of us?" Zach asked, his hand around his new black sword, but waiting to draw it until the wind wasn't so harsh.

Yes, the bird said simply. Trusting in his companions' judgment, Zach watched with amusement as the creations scattered as a ton of flaming bird and man came hurtling out of the sky. Catching only a brief glance of Denzel and Genesis as Aquila picked them up in his claws, the man couldn't be sure, but it looked like they had been nibbled on. He drew his sword as Aquila started having trouble gaining altitude, the creations regrouping very quickly, coming at them with teeth bared.

Fuck this, Zach thought, and smashed the doors open, feeling surprise from Cloud and Sephiroth. The flames burned even brighter, and closing his eyes, Zach summoned all the control that Angeal had beat into him, and pushed the power out. He opened his eyes in time to see the creations shooting backwards, as red edged blue flame pulsed away from him and Aquila.

Finally gaining height, Zach closed his eyes, exhaustion eating at him as the fire died away, the doors slowly shutting. He didn't understand how Cloud was able to use the power so easily, and still be able to walk afterwards. Every time he used it, it left him in need of serious sleep.

"You are such an idiot," Cloud growled in his mind. Zach smirked, as the two continued to climb. Soon the creations below were only black dots, and they were off back to Icicle.

"It worked didn't it?" Zach said out loud, and he heard a soft chuckle from the bird underneath him.

Yes, it worked, but using that much power was not meant for you. As you can tell, Aquila said. Zach sighed, and rubbed the bridge of his nose, eyes tightly shut.

"Yeah yeah, I know," he muttered. "Cloud, Seph, meet us at Icicle, alright?" He felt confirmation in his mind, but shock eradicated everything as they flew over the valley, Icicle coming into their sights. The wing beats underneath him faltered, as the shock he was feeling was echoed.

"Hey Cloud, Seph?" he asked, though his throat was dry.

"Yes?" Sephiroth replied, and Zach caught a glimpse of them swinging themselves onto the animals.

"Um, can either Draco, Opal, or Maya fly the wingless in?" He felt their confusion, and opened the doors wider, so they got a clear picture of what he was seeing. Numb disbelief filtered through, and Zach had to smirk again. It wasn't often you got to feel either Cloud or Sephiroth in complete shock. Hojo's creations had Icicle completely surrounded, and from the looks of it, almost all the ones Genesis had seen were here.

----------

Vincent resisted rubbing his head, the ache that was pounding behind them becoming more and more pronounced as this meeting went on. They had a phone set up on speaker, and Yuffie, Rufus, and Cid were on the other line. A map was spread out between Marlene, him, and Reno and Rude. Little yellow dots showed where the creations were, and so far, they seemed to be concentrated around Icicle and Bone. Cid had managed to kill the ones that were in the boat, but they had a bigger problem. Hojo was no longer the only one who controlled the Creation Army. The clones that had joined their side were merely the prototypes. The army now had other clones, which were easily controlled by Hojo. It seemed the damn scientist had learned his lesson when he had tried for exact copies of Lupus, Draco, and Aquila. These new ones were a lot uglier, and smaller, but they still had a human level of intelligence, though they were controlled by Hojo. They had already given terms, something that no one was willing to do. Hojo wanted Cloud, Sephiroth, and Zach. Could they say hell no?

"Aquila and Zach are flying in," Alia said, closing her phone. She must have received a text from the wall patrol. "He said Aquila was carrying two bodies in his claws." Her eyes were worried, but her voice was firm. She was a perfect example of the change this war had wrought. When she had first joined, as nothing but a grunt, her strategic planning had quickly let her rise in the ranks, till Cloud couldn't ignore the power of her mind. It helped that she was a natural when it came to the two short swords that crossed over her back. Her first battle, she had cried, her eyes dark and numb. Now, she kept her calm no matter what the situation.

"Did the patrol say whether Cloud or Sephiroth was with him?" Vincent asked, eyes narrowed. It wasn't like Zach to come in by himself. Alia shook her head, as they all stood, walking out of the room attached to the barn.

"No, he didn't," she said quietly, though her eyes were worried. She was thinking the same thing he was. They always came back together.

The group exited into the noon light, squinting their eyes against the glare from the new snow. Vincent hated this cold weather. He would much rather be down where it was hot and humid, but he surmised that most of these people would want to be. They had only made it halfway towards the wall, when a shriek sounded over the village. They all turned their eyes skyward, as Aquila and Zach came flying in fast, and Vincent narrowed his eyes as he saw what looked like arrows stuck in the birds wings. His white feathers were covered in blood in a couple places, and he indeed did have a person in each claw.

As they landed, Zach started falling off the bird, as they all raced to the pair. Reno and Rude each grabbed what they now knew were Denzel and Genesis, each of them completely covered in blood, their wings shredded and bloody on their backs. Vincent went to Zach, catching him as he fell out of the saddle, and there was indeed arrows puncturing his shoulders, and one in his right thigh.

Aquila gave a big huff, his fellow animals rushing over as the bird collapsed, so he fell on a soft mound of bodies. Vincent lifted Zach easily in his arms, watching as the dragon slid underneath Aquila, lifting him with the help of the wolves. They all slowly started walking towards the barn, with Marlene following them. She knew the most about the animals, plus she had a natural ability to be able to heal almost anything. Turning towards a large building next to the tavern, that had been converted into the resident hospital, Vincent quickly strode over to it, and inside, glancing around and seeing that most of the doctors and nurses were huddled around the two beds that held Genesis and Denzel. He put Zach on a bed, and since the doctors were occupied with the other two, who needed their attention more then Zach, he poked and prodded, making sure that none of the arrows had hit anything vital. Seeing that they hadn't, and that Zach was quickly waking up, with swift movement, he removed the arrows. Reaching over, he grasped a heal materia that was on the tray next to the bed, and pressed it to Zach chest. It flared green for a moment, before disappearing into his body. There must have been more internal damage then he thought, because the wounds from the arrows only barely closed. He leaned back with a soft sigh as Zach opened his eyes, looking around groggily.

"Denzel and Genesis?" he asked quietly, and Vincent indicated the other two beds with a nod of his head. Relief flooded his violet eyes as he relaxed onto the bed. In the next instant, he bolted upright, a wince the only indication he was in pain. He grabbed Vincent's arm, his eyes burning with intensity.

"Cloud, Kadaj, and Yazoo aren't going to be able to get through," he said, and Vincent narrowed his eyes. This day just kept getting better and better.

Zach hopped off the table, staggering slightly. Vincent grasped his arm, and the General just looked at him, a look of utter concentration on his face.

"I have to get out there, clear a path," Zach said, slowly sliding his sword out, hefting it.

"You need time to heal," Vincent said quietly, though he knew his words had no effect. He followed Zach out of the building, checking to make sure his gun was fully loaded. As they neared the wall, the other wolves, and the dragon seemed to appear out of nowhere, Alia striding at the side of her wolf. Zach narrowed his eyes, and opened his mouth, but Alia cut him off.

"We will get them through, whatever it takes," she said quietly, her two swords already unsheathed. It was then that Vincent noticed the dragon had crude leather armor on its body, and the wound it had sustained earlier that morning had been stitched. Zach sighed, and looked at the door, before looking up.

Sephiroth, Draco, Opal, and Maya were flying over the wall, and landed heavily. Zach took off towards them, Vincent close behind.

----------

"Their still out there, hidden in the trees," Sephiroth said, and although worry and concern were eating at him, his voice and face were stoic. It would have been suicide for them to try to force their way through the creations outside the wall, so Sephiroth and Draco had convinced them to stay put, until they could get to Icicle, and possible reinforcements. As much as he hated to admit it, Denzel and Genesis were far from his mind. The only thing he could concentrate on, was getting his lover back to him. He had lost him for three years, he wasn't about to lose him again. With that thought in his mind, anger started eating him, until he could no longer hear what was being said around him. White noise filled his ears, and his hands clenched around the edge of the table, his teeth grinding together. He slowly raised his eyes, until he met a pair of violet ones, that held the same anger.

Damn Hojo for this. Fuck Jenova for bringing this shit to this Planet. The anger grew, until his upper lip peeled back, showing a tiny bit of teeth. He and Zach stared into each other's eyes, everyone else in the room ignored. The wood cracked underneath his hands, and he hardly felt the splinters that sunk deep into his palm.

Turning on his heel, he strode out of the meeting place, his body tense with rage. Zach was walking at his side, and both of their swords were out, clenched in white knuckled grips.

"We're coming to get you," Sephiroth told Cloud, and he felt panic from the other man.

"You'll be killed," Cloud said, but Sephiroth ignored him, letting him feel the anger that needed an outlet inside of him. They reached the large wooden door, and leaped nimbly to the top of the wall. He felt a grudging acceptance from Cloud, and he staggered as the man threw the doors open, making the two men on the wall burst into flame, adrenaline racing through their veins.

"We'll come from this side," Cloud said, and Sephiroth nodded. He looked up, and smiled grimly as Draco, pale and on fire, swept over them, landing right in the middle of the creations, making a circle easily with a quick swipe of his tail.

"Lets dance my love," he sent to Cloud, and heard wild laughter echoing over the snow-covered field in front of them, as Cloud and the others came streaming out of the trees, Cloud running at Lupus's side, and Kadaj and Yazoo wielding their weapons from the wolves backs.

Letting his own laughter free, he jumped from the wall, catching those underneath him by surprise, since all their attention was focused on the three wolves and men coming at them from the other side. Cutting down a swath of them easily, he raced on, Zach at his side, until they reached Draco, who was sporting cut and tears to his sensitive wings. Howls sounded at their backs, and with savage growls the rest of the pack joined them, cutting through the creations that surrounded them.

It wasn't long before they had cut a path through the creations, meeting a wildly grinning Cloud near the middle. Everyone, including all the animals, were covered in sticky black blood, and none of them cared, the thrill of the kill singing in their veins. No matter how much good they did for the Planet, they were killers, bred for war, and seeing the sadistic grins on everyone's faces only confirmed that.

Sephiroth narrowed his eyes as the creations circled around them, staying at a good distance from the dragon's fearsome claws and teeth.

Climb on, Draco said, and Sephiroth looked at him with a raised eyebrow, opening his mouth to say that it probably wasn't a good idea.

We move faster then you, Lupus said next, and Sephiroth's jaw snapped shut. Fine. Cloud climbed onto Lupus, and he and Zach climbed onto Draco, their black swords still bared. Alia, Yazoo, and Kadaj were still on their mounts, so as they turned back towards the village, one wolf like creature, with feathered wings stepped forward.

"If your Generals come with us, no more blood has to be shed," it said, and laughter rang out across the plains. It sent chills down Sephiroth's spine, the laughter having an almost insane, manic glee in it. He turned as Cloud and Lupus strode next to them, and then stopped ten feet in front of wolf thing. Sephiroth felt raging lust burn through him at the sight. Cloud's eyes were black, his hair waving in the wind from his own power. His lips were peeled back from his teeth in a feral grin, matching the one that Lupus had. He and the wolf moved in perfect accord, like they were one being, and with the new black sword, and completely black outfit, he looked like a fallen angel. Swallowing, Sephiroth forced his raging hormones down as much as he could, and blinked as Aquila brushed against his mind.

Looking up, the large white, burning eagle landed next to Cloud, and Zach immediately dismounted, before running to his charge, and climbing on his very own saddle, situated between Aquila's wings. Walking majestically to Cloud's left side, the three faced the wolf creation with identical sharp edged grins. It made the poor creature take a couple steps back, uncertainty clear in its yellow eyes.

"I am Death," Cloud said quietly, but his voice carried. He advanced on the wolf, Sephiroth and Zach keeping pace with him, the fire coating them growing brighter as their anger grew, until the three were enveloped in one large fireball, their separate colors twining around each other. "I give myself to no one unwillingly." His grin widened, as clouds began rapidly forming over them, thunder rumbling across the plain. "Tell your creator that if he wants any of us back, he can come and tell me himself." The three raised their weapons at the same moment, and lightning began to shoot down from the clouds, and each creature they struck were burned to a crisp. The first being was the winged wolf that spoke. Lowering their weapons, the fire dimmed slightly, and the clouds began to break up, sending rays of sunshine sparkling over the snow. Controlling the weather like that was Sephiroth's special ability, and Cloud had borrowed it for a minute to prove his point. They each had a special ability, but only Cloud was able to use all three, and even though he did, it left them all exhausted afterwards.

"You will let us through," Cloud said in a steely voice, advancing through the ranks of creations, their allies grouped tightly behind them. The creations moved backwards, but not without much snarling and almost biting. Whenever one came to close, it was easily dispatched with either sword, claws, or teeth. None of them tried to attack, and everyone was grateful for that. Though their rigid bodies and stoic faces were no indication, they were exhausted. Sephiroth didn't think any of them had slept in at least two weeks. He knew he hadn't, and neither had Zach. He very much doubted that Cloud had, worried as the blond was when he and Zach had been out retaking the pass.

As soon as they were through the doors and into Icicle, the three men slumped in their seats, the tiredness finally reflecting in their eyes and bodies as the fire died down to almost nothing. Sephiroth was concerned about that, since the doors weren't completely shut between their minds, power still leaking through. Usually when Cloud shut the power down, it went down completely. No leaking. He felt the firm control Cloud still had though, and let it go, assuming that the blond needed the close mental contact. Sometimes they did, so they would keep the doors open a little, like now. Sliding off their mounts, the three Generals, two silver haired teens, and their SiC gathered as the animals walked away to get clean, and eat.

"I'm checking on Denzel and Genesis, getting food, a shower, and then sleep," Kadaj said, rubbing the bridge of his nose. Yazoo and Alia nodded in agreement, and the three of them wandered off towards the once school, now mess hall, located at the other side of town. Sephiroth smiled slightly, watching them go. They were all safe, and that included Genesis and Denzel. He turned back to Cloud, and his eyes widened. Cloud was standing there, his face deathly pale as he stared between Zach and Sephiroth. His wide blue eyes were still darker then normal, and glassy from a face that was to skinny, almost anorexic. Looking at the body that went with the face, Sephiroth was shocked. Cloud's clothing hung off him, and he didn't remember his body being that skinny when they were sleeping the day before, after the weapons fiasco.

"Cloud?" Sephiroth said quietly, walking over to his lover and resting his hands on the upper arms. Cloud looked up slowly, and blinked a couple times.

"Seph?" was said so softly, that even with enhanced hearing, the green-eyed man had trouble hearing. "I just need sleep, and food. I'll be alright." He narrowed his eyes, looking down at the man in his arms.

"Then why can't you turn the power off?" Sephiroth asked, his voice harsher then he intended. Cloud winced and looked down, which gave him the chance to look over at Zach, a concerned look passing between green and violet.

"It's screaming at me," Cloud said quietly, and Sephiroth blinked, looking into the perfectly blue eyes that stared up at him, desperation, and pain glittering weirdly in them.

"What is?" Zach asked quietly, coming to stand next to them. Cloud turned his head slightly so he could look at Zach, and mumbled a couple words before collapsing into Sephiroth's arms. He stared down at the blond, not entirely sure he had heard correctly. He looked at Zach, frowning.

"Did he just say the Planet was screaming at him?" Sephiroth asked, and Zach nodded, his face set in a grim frown.

"That's what I thought," Sephiroth muttered to himself.