A/N: Many thanks to Mystic 777 who beta'd this chapter, helped with ideas when they were waning, and over all keeping me going with it. Arigato.
Chapter Six
Snapping down a hand, Tifa Lockhart wrapped it ruthlessly around the land-line's receiver and brought the cursed ringing object to her ear. 'Not again.' she thought with a scowl. Taking a moment to force a pleasant voice to the surface she greeted the caller with;
"Strife Del…" She trailed off as the noise on the other side interrupted her. She quickly recognized the sound of the Shera's engines. "Cloud?"
"We found Yuffie." Cloud answered her. "Cid is taking us to a rendezvous point to meet with her. I'll contact you with further information when we do."
"Alright," Tifa answered. "How is she doing? Do you know?"
A brief sound of silence followed where she thought she heard Cloud ask Vincent a question and then a gasp of air.
"Cloud? Is everything alright?" she prodded.
"She is traveling with a man." he responded. "There was a report that they are involved."
Tifa's eyes widened at the thought before a wry smile appeared on her lips. "I wonder if that's why she went on those recent materia hunts."
"…why do you say that?" Cloud asked.
"Yuffie has always been looking for a reason to cart off and hunt down materia, right? What if she met someone during one of those trips and decided to keep it secret?" Her amusement with the idea erased some of the worry she held onto as a result of their friend missing. "Have her call me as soon as she can, Cloud. Yuffie's capable of taking care of herself, but I still worry. Okay?"
"Yeah. I'll… consider what you said before about her. However the relationship between Yuffie and this man is still suspicious to me." Cloud responded. "Cid's almost here. I'll call you later."
"Yeah, later." Tifa answered.
(Break)
"You don't think this is gonna cause me problems do you?" Yuffie mumbled sleepily hours after her previous exclamations against Genesis' character from her side of the bed.
Opening his eyes, the Red Soldier rolled up on his left shoulder to look down at the glaring Ninja as she continued to ramble on in incoherent sentences. Her gray eyes eventually closed in sleep and Genesis felt a smirk return to his lips. The Kisaragi Princess certainly had a way with dealing with people that would exhaust anyone unprepared to deal with her.
Raising his hand to his mouth, Genesis carefully removed his red glove until his hand was free of the confining leather. Glancing briefly at the number on his hand, he rolled his eyes. A black roman numeral three stood out starkly on his flesh. Hollander's work of course. Any man or woman who fell into the dead doctor's hands would have been marked like this as a form of insult to Hojo. All of his 'failures' were marked to mimic how Hojo had marked all of his successes. Scoffing at the old memories, Genesis replaced the glove and returned his attention to the princess he was determined to win over.
In a world where the Heroes had defined themselves against his 'brother' there was a need to finish carving out the path that remained before them. He was determined to carry a lover with him over that path once it was finished and into newer adventures. As was predicted by the Goddess' words, he was determined to keep his chosen consort to aid him in renewing all that Jenova's machinations had taken away.
Life would return to the barren world Gaia had become and in so doing he would prove his rightful place as a Hero and claim the last Princess.
"I wonder if Godo remembers me…" Genesis drawled softly as he lay back down.
(Break)
"My daughter, crown princess of Wutai, and future ruler of this country is with who?" Godo's rage was admirably suppressed by the collected patience of a man who raised an independent tom-boy ninja daughter. He glared down at the crouching ninja that surrounded him, the three men each twitching under their masks to try and suppress the amusement their princess had unknowingly granted them.
"Genesis Rhapsodos, highness." The advisor answered him. "The pair of them have claimed marriage though there is no documentation to support the claim of this information."
His brow twitched before a wry grin spread across his lips. "Is that so? Chancellor, bring me the scrolls on tradition, laws, and family obligation."
"Sire." A bald man complied before scurrying away to the hidden alcoves and retrieving the demanded artifacts. Setting them out on the low table before the throne, the chancellor backed away as Godo slumped down in front of them. Unrolling each scroll, the father gave a menacing grin that would mirror one of his only child's.
"Claim to be married, huh. No proof, huh." His hands moved quickly as he shifted through the scrolls and settled on the Laws of Wutai. Unfurling the scroll, he quickly made his way to a clear space of parchment under the rules and obligations that determined the rights of marriage. With a few brush strokes, he amended the law concerning royalty, spouses, and conquering enemies.
"Nyuk, nyuk, nyuk." He laughed. "Chancellor, get me the royal planners. We've a wedding banquet to arrange for my little girl. We're going to need everything we got to pull this one off."
Leaning closer to his associates, the lead ninja chuckled darkly at the coming battle royal that the princess would no doubt be prepared to unleash once Godo's plan was revealed.
"Sire," The chancellor said as he paled, "Isn't this going just a tad bit far?"
"You can find and bring in a large monster for our 'conquering hero' to defeat too. Yes, and Leviathan's soul, it'll be a glorious victory." Godo rambled, his gray eyes shooting daggers into his chosen servants. "Have Yuffie's maid servants prepare her wedding attire. I want the best we have… And bring me her mother's hair comb box."
The servants… those who cared to save their peace of mind, quickly complied.
(Break)
Shivering in her sleep, Yuffie rolled over and threw an arm over Genesis' red clad chest. Mumbling in her sleep, she added another threat. "…dad'll get ya."
"He will try, little ninja." Genesis answered her softly. Tucking an arm around Yuffie's shoulder, the red haired Soldier drifted into a somewhat peaceful sleep. On his stomach lay the open pages of Loveless, glinting under the cresting light of dawn.
Act two caught the sunlight as it slowly streamed in through the window, highlighting the silvery text scrawled across the pages surface.
'There is no hate, only joy. For you are beloved by the Goddess…' the rest was hidden in the shadows of their sleeping bodies.
(Break)
He stood alone, staring into the night sky as contemplation consumed him. Over the last few weeks he had learned much about his ninja friend Yuffie, and to learn she had taken company with a man…
Vincent's claw creaked under the pressure of his grip.
The girl… she was important to him.