AN: I'm glad you guys seemed to like last chapter, especially the karaoke part. And since you guys wanted it, I've decided to keep the karaoke in later chapters. You wouldn't believe how many songs I have planned for our favorite SOLDIERs...
One reviewer asked if this story would have pairings, and the answer... YES. Aerith and Zack, of course, but I'm not sure who I should have Sephiroth, Angeal, and Genesis be with, if at all. But I'm partial to Tifa being with Seph... If you guys are fine with that, be sure to let me know, along with any suggestions for pairings you'd like me to write. As long as it's not slash. Remember, I don't do that. Fine with reading it, just not writing it.
Now then, on with the show!
Chapter Four
Genesis was sprawled on Sephiroth's leather couch, LOVELESS in hand. Angeal was in the kitchen making dinner, while Zack was teaching Sephiroth one of his favorite video games. Anyone walking in on this scene probably would've thought they were hallucinating (except maybe Tseng). Sephiroth had a small smile on his lips as he watched ,in amusement, Zack gesturing wildly.
"Who knew you had such a wonderful singing voice, Sephiroth," Genesis said, looking up from his beloved poem. His eyes were half-lidded as he teased, and the corner of his mouth turned up. "And where did you hear that particular song?"
Angeal heard the question and came out of the kitchen to hear the Silver General's response. "I do enjoy music, Genesis," the man said dryly. "And I just felt that that song held a lot of meaning for me, especially with the life I've lived."
"We're totally taking Aerith with us next time," Zack said happily. "I think she'd really enjoy karaoke."
"Dinner's nearly ready, you guys," Angeal interjected. "Zack, come help me with the plates. Sephiroth, would you and Genesis clear your table off?"
"All right, Angeal," Genesis called back as the two dark-haired men disappeared into the kitchen. "Just don't blame us if your Puppy breaks something!"
0o0o0o0o0o0o
The discussion after dinner, though, soon grew less light-hearted. Part of The Plan was completed: getting Angeal and Genesis cured of the cells that would cause their degradation. Of course, Sephiroth would have to explain why that healing was needed sooner or later, but he was unsure how the two Commanders would take it. Minerva knows they didn't take it well the first time around.
But then again, Sephiroth mused, they hadn't stayed together as friends back then. Genesis hadn't trusted them enough to ask for help, and then Angeal's sense of Honor had been almost destroyed by his own backstory. If Angeal, Genesis, and Zack had all been with him when he discovered Hojo's lies, maybe Nibelheim wouldn't have burned.
But Sephiroth didn't dwell long on that thought. He wasn't going anywhere near Nibelheim until he destroyed Jenova. And... maybe...
Focus, Sephiroth ordered to himself.
"Now what do we do?" Zack asked. "You said 'Geal and Genesis won't degrade now, right?"
"That's correct," Sephiroth replied. "I've seen many examples of Aerith Gainsborough's powers as the last Cetra in the future. She even cured a plague that Jenova was causing through me in the Lifestream."
"We still need to get to Jenova and eliminate any traces of her," Angeal said. "Her main body won't be a problem..."
Genesis continued Angeal's train of thought, nodding in agreement. "It'll be the samples you said Hojo has. I don't want to even begin to imagine what horrors are down there in his labs."
"We can't leave Hojo alive," Zack mentioned. "Once he's dead, we can just torch everything in those labs, once we get any...one that can be saved."
"If we can, which is doubtful," Sephiroth said. "But yes, that needs to be done soon, before either Hojo or Hollander notice the absence of the Jenova cells. I can only imagine what would happen if they did." Everyone shivered, even Zack, for though the Second-Class had never had the experience of being worked on by either scientist, the others' reactions made sure he didn't want to.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o
Zack had trouble getting to sleep that night.
That, in itself, was odd, since usually once his head hit the pillow, Zack was out like a light. Not tonight, though, but once the dreams started, Zack wished he hadn't fallen asleep after all.
Nightmares and night terrors were commonplace in SOLDIER, especially in First-and Second-Class. Zack knew that even his mentor, Genesis, and Sephiroth suffered from them. They had ways to cope with them.
But these were not nightmares.
These were worse.
Zack tossed and turned, mouth turned down and eyes screwed shut. More memory-images assailed him, but they weren't happy ones this time.
There was a town... out in the country, and it was burning. Missiles were being dropped on it, the noise of the planes overpowering. A 'copter came down near the ground, waiting for Zack to come aboard, but something made him turn, to take one last look at Banora. Orange, red, and yellow flames licked at the houses, clawing at the blue sky like they wanted to burn the whole world. But worse still, were the trees. The Banora White trees were burning, their sweet fruit turning black and becoming nothing but ash. The pop and crackle of the bark seemed unnaturally loud, even under the whirr of the helicopter blades.
Zack could only shut his eyes and turn his head away, trying to ignore the pain in his heart...
Angeal stood in front of him, unusually cold towards Zack. The Second-Class was confused; why was Angeal acting like this?! But then two large, beautiful white wings burst from Angeal's back, right at the shoulder blade, and Zack couldn't help but take a step back. Feathers drifted in lazy patterns, almost mesmerizing to look at. "I've become... a monster," Angeal said. Those ugly, untrue words killed Zack's happy daze than anything else in his life; Zack looked at his mentor like the man had gone nuts.
Angeal finally turned, Buster Sword in hand and eyes unnaturally closed off and cold. "A monster's objective is usually world domination or revenge." Zack walked forward, trying to reach his mentor through the haze the man seemed to be in. "You're wrong. Those aren't the wings of a monster."
His response didn't stir Angeal from his self-hatred. And then...
Mentor and student stood across from each other, the room still seeming to echo Angeal's furious question. With one quick, fluid movement, Angeal flipped the Buster Sword and drove it into the ground, walking towards Zack after he let go of the hilt. Zack backed away, becoming wary of what Angeal might do. Under normal circumstances, Zack would never dream of his mentor intentionally harming him, but the look in the man's eyes made him very nervous. "Angeal..."
"Angel's dream of one thing... to be human."
Zack's eyes widened a little, but before he could make any other moves, Angeal had blurred into motion, driving a fist into Zack's stomach. The blow itself didn't hurt too badly, but it was the fact it was Angeal who had done it that caused the most pain. Zack flew through the air, coming into painful contact with the iron floor. His stomach ached, as did his heart with the knowledge that, for the first time, Angeal had struck him.
On reflex, as he got up, Zack held his hands up in a stance, but his arms almost immediately fell back to his sides. "Defend yourself!" Angeal half-snapped, half-snarled, his expression twisted with anger and rage. But Zack... he knew he couldn't fight Angeal. His mentor, the one who had made him the SOLDIER, the man he was now. The closest thing to a father Zack had ever had.
With a shout, Angeal struck the floor, light springing from his hand and making its way to Zack. With a mighty rumble, the iron floor plates burst apart, and Zack droped into darkness, still seeing the expression on Angeal's face long after his mentor had vanished...
The room was circular, the windows boarded up. And exactly in the middle... was the man Zack had come here to see.
Angeal had his back to him, the beautiful snow-white wings out, the Buster Sword in his right hand by his side. Zack's steps were slow and heavy now; dread was pooling in his stomach, making him afraid of what was going to happen. Zack was only a few feet behind his former mentor when Angeal spoke. "It should have been me... I should have dealt with Genesis."
Zack scoffed, to hurt and confused about what was going on in the big picture to be his normal, friendly self, even to the man that taught him everything he knew. "Yeah... then why'd you send me?" Why did you leave and not trust me enough to tell me what's going on with you?, was what he really meant. But his blood ran cold and turned to ice at Angeal's next words.
"To prepare you... for your next fight."
"Have you lost it?!" Zack asked, mouth agape. But he had to dodge to the side as the Buster Sword cleaved through the air. Angeal continued swinging, deaf to Zack's pleas to stop. "Someone's waiting for you, no?" Angeal asked, eyebrow quirking upwards. Zack jolted. How did Angeal know about Aerith?! Was he... was he saying...?
Blades clashed together, sparks flying and dancing off the steel, and Hollander entered. Angeal flew into a rage at the mention of his mother, who committed suicide by the Buster Sword. And then Angeal raised his hand, calling all his copies together. They rushed-Zack readied his sword-they went past-and Zack knew. "ANGEAL!" Only his screams of pain reached Zack, who had to shield his eyes against the blinding light.
Angeal was a true monster now, a huge trident in one hand and a shield in the other. Four legs, silver claws, gray and black body, with a huge mouth where its stomach would be. Then, that huge white wing on the right side. The trident jerked forward, Zack moved but not quite in time, the tip creating a gash on his left cheek. But Zack couldn't-didn't-notice the pain, not when his mentor just transformed into a huge monster!
That battle was the hardest he'd ever thought, both before and since. Zack fought on autopilot, his heart breaking and soul shuddering each time Angeal screamed from a particularly vicious blow. The movements all blurred, and even the other cut he received was barely noticed. And finally, the battle ended. The monster was defeated, and it shrank back into Angeal, whose skin was gray and patterned from the degradation. His hair was streaked with white, clothes and skin covered with blood, but he still had a small smile on his lips.
Zack took the Buster Sword, the weight unfamiliar, as Angeal said, "Protect your honor, always..." Then his eyes closed and breathing ceased. Zack gasped, the sword falling to the ground. Tears blurred his vision, as answering droplets came from the sky. It seemed the Planet itself was sad at Angeal's death and Zack's grief, showing that it cared in the only way it could.
"Angeal... what happened to honor?!"
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o
Zack woke with a scream, hands clawing at the blankets as he shot up, not noticing the tears running down his cheeks or the sobs tearing their way out of his throat. His apartment door opened, and Angeal rushed in, closely followed by Sephiroth and a reluctant Genesis. Angeal got on his knees and reached out to his student, who gave another heart-wrenching cry as he buried his face in Angeal's shoulder.
Angeal could only hug his student closer, hoping that eventually Zack would start to calm down. He felt more than saw his oldest friend sit beside him. Genesis might be arrogant and a little cold at times, but even the Puppy had wriggled his way into the Crimson Commander's heart. Even though Genesis would rather be shot than admit it. He placed a hand on Zack's shoulder and began saying something to Zack in low tones.
Sephiroth placed a hand in the wild spikes Zack called hair, also saying things to Zack that Angeal couldn't hear. It seemed toturously slowly, but Zack's tears and sorrows eventually stopped, and he looked up at Angeal for the first time.
"Goddess, Angeal... why?" he murmured. "Why...? Why did you make me do it?" He stared at his hands with wide and frightened eyes, trembling like a leaf. Zack could almost see blood coating his hands, hands that wielded a sword to end his own father-figure's life.
Sephiroth placed a hand under Zack's chin, gently turning the Puppy to face him. "I can only guess what those nightmares-those memories-were about... but remember... we are going to change them. That future will not happen. You have my word, Zack."
Zack slowly nodded, and then laid back down on the bed without releasing Angeal's hand. "Don't leave, 'Geal," the boy muttered. "Don't think... I wanna be alone again."
Angeal nodded, and then Genesis and Sephiroth did something that totally threw the Commander for a loop. They got on Zack's bed and laid down as well. The three First Classes did that whenever one of them had a nightmare, but this was the first they'd done it with someone else. "Sleep, Zack," Genesis murmured. "We'll stay here with you and Angeal as well. You won't have any nightmares again tonight."
Genesis was right. The three other men were curled around Zack and each other the rest of the night, and there were no more bad dreams.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o
Zack was quiet the next morning, until he spoke of what the memories were. Sephiroth nodded, eyes pained and filled with guilt. "I'd hoped that Angeal would listen to you when he wouldn't to me," he confessed. "The more I pushed, the farther away he seemed. Until..."
Angeal was just horrified. That was what would have happened if this Degradation happened? He'd be a heartless monster who attacked the young man that was like his own son?!
"It nearly destroyed you the first time," Sephiroth said quietly. "You managed to recover, but it was something that changed you for the rest of your life. Angeal... he was never mentioned in front of you by me or anyone else for a while afterwards. I'm not sure if or when Genesis ever realized that Angeal died."
Silence blanketed the table, nobody having enough appetite to eat. Genesis, in particular, was scowling at the plate like it had personally offended him. Angeal's eyes were closed in pain. Zack picked at the food, eyes downcast.
A wind curled through Zack's apartment, carrying the scent of flowers, flowers that only bloomed in one place in Midgar. The Puppy looked up at Aerith's whisper, a whisper that spoke to his very soul:
"Zack... you're not alone... I love you... so much... and I always will..."
And the other SOLDIERs saw the flower girl curled around Zack, offering her support and love for the SOLDIER that changed her life in so many ways, yet she never got to tell him how she felt until it was too late. Aerith cried with him, for hurts and wounds that had happened yet had not. Yet Zack also knew that remembering... was more of a gift than a curse.