Alright, so the winner is...
SephxAngxGenxZackxCloud!
But for everyone that wanted an AngealxAeris fic, I'll be posting a oneshot of the pairing in a little bit, so hang tight! It's going to be called "Misunderstanding" and it AxA, and as a side pairing, SxGxZxC. I hope you like it.
Pairings: SephxZackxCloud, TsengxReno (Eventual SephxAngxGenxZackxCloud and TsengxRufusxReno)
-o-o-
The streets were completely devoid of life as Sephiroth walked through them. He, along with Angeal and Genesis, strode through the silent paths, aware that the Wutaiian people were terrified out of their wits. They saw eyes peering out from behind closed curtains, only to be snatched back and the curtains hurriedly closed.
They left Zack at home in case Cloud somehow came back. Then they set out for the Wutaiian palace. When they arrived, Godo met them out front. He managed to look unruffled though he was terrified.
"May I help you?" he inquired.
Sephiroth snarled in response, prompting the guards to raise their weapons and assume a battle ready position. Sephiroth's eyes slid over the guards behind the emperor, and Angeal could tell he was picking his targets.
Angeal stepped up and put a hand on Sephiroth's shoulder, taking heart from the fact he didn't brush it off and continue on a psycho massacre he was no doubt planning. "Calm down. If they do know where Cloud is, it does no good to hurt them," he whispered in Sephiroth's ear.
Sephiroth's lip curled in disgust, but he relented. He also let Angeal do the talking because he had the level head right now. Genesis would have been a problem, but Angeal created a new way to use a Seal materia, so his mouth was sealed shut. He had to settle for looking really, really angry.
Like Sephiroth, Genesis believed that Godo had something to do with their kitchen in shambles and Cloud missing.
Angeal stepped around Sephiroth, aware he was freaking every Wutaiian out because he and Genesis were reportedly dead.
"My friend here is a little angry," Angeal said slowly, pausing to glare at Sephiroth for snarling again. "But he has good reason. We're only here to reassure them that you are not involved."
"Involved with what?" he asked, shifting his weight nervously but keeping his face calm.
Sephiroth strode forward and Angeal had to physically restrain him. Genesis had to help his hold the man when he threatened to through him off. "Cloud is missing. I want to know where he is," the man snarled.
Godo shook his head. "And I would like to help, but I can't tell you something I don't know. Rest assured I will lend my men to your search. I am sorry you believed that we had done something, but in this, my people are innocent."
Sephiroth clearly did not believe the man. It was evident in the way he struggled even more fiercely to get free and rip the man. Sephiroth was still in shape, and the other two were worn from years of living in the wilderness.
When Sephiroth did manage to throw them off, he shot forward to the emperor.
"NO!!!" a shrill cry echoed through the late morning air as the princess of Wutai threw herself in front of her father.
Sephiroth was going to kill them both at this point.
Angeal and Genesis recovered as fast as they could, but were ultimately too late to stop Sephiroth from reaching the royalty of Wutai. When they looked at the scene before them, they were baffled.
Sephiroth, who had been totally blind to reason, was standing in front of Yuffie, one hand an inch above her hair. After a moment of breathless silence, wondering if Sephiroth would crush her skull, passed, he moved.
Sephiroth let his hand fall onto her head, but not hard enough to hurt, then pushed her back, into her father's waiting arms. He abruptly turned and began striding away, Genesis and Angeal hot on his heels. He paused and left them with one final comment.
"You are lucky Cloud loves this culture. It's the only reason I stopped when I believed you had harmed him," he said quietly.
The guards looked at their ruler, hoping he would give the order to fight the Midgar man, but were disappointed to see him shake his head. He hugged his foolishly brave daughter tightly, thankful that Sephiroth had been changed by becoming a lover. He hoped they could find the childlike teen that had Sephiroth all turned around soon.
-o-o-
When they arrived back at their home, they couldn't find Zack for a while either. During that time, Sephiroth had got steadily more and more panicked until he seemed to almost be in hysterics.
Then Zack quietly walked in, only to be swept up and hugged tight enough to break the ribs of a not enhanced person. Even being enhanced, Zack was left feeling a bit sore.
"Where were you?" Sephiroth demanded.
Zack lightly scuffed his foot on the ground as he caught interest in the floor beneath his feet. He didn't answer.
Angeal repeated the question.
He didn't answer.
Sephiroth desperately repeated the question.
Zack finally answered. "I was looking around the surrounding area to see if there was any clue of where Cloud is."
Genesis tried to ask something, but his mouth was still sealed. Angeal graciously unsealed it.
"Did you find anything?" he asked.
"I found a scrap of his shirt north of here. I left it there in case you guys could figure something out," he said eagerly.
Angeal nodded thoughtfully. "Very good, pup," he said at last. Knowing Sephiroth and Genesis wouldn't like it, he explained his plan. "Zack and I will go look for him. You two stay here."
Predictably, they both argued at the top of their lungs. Angeal was resolute. "You both could cause a worldwide scandal because you would overstep your boundaries."
Genesis answered with words he had learned in the Midgar slums.
"Scandal my ass!" Sephiroth howled.
"Wutai could complain to Shinra about your behavior already," Angeal said angrily. "They might be able to harm you, Sephiroth, but what about Cloud?"
Sephiroth hesitated.
"Seph, we can't find Cloud your way because he might be snatched away again, and it might be permanent Shinra's way..." Zack reasoned.
In the end, they both had to accept they couldn't come. They watched as Zack and Angeal followed the path Zack was indicating. When they were out of sight, Genesis prepared to go back inside to wait. He stopped when he saw Sephiroth reach out in the direction Zack had gone.
"They're both gone..." he whispered in a pained voice.
"They'll be back," Genesis told him, confused by the hopeless expression on the younger's face.
"They aren't here now, they're not with me," he answered, looking up at his friend with absent eyes.
"You have separation problems," Genesis joked.
"This is the first time I haven't been able to follow them since we've confessed that we love each other."
"Really? Wait a minute! Love?!?"
"Yes, of course. I love them both with all my heart. And they feel the same," Sephiroth said, voice fading.
Genesis was completely blown away by this revelation. He had thought that they weren't that serious yet. Zack had told him that they only had sex once together, so how could they be so sure they loved each other?
"Seph, are you sure it's love?" he had to ask.
Sephiroth pulled his coat closer to his body. "Yes," he whispered. "Yes..."
Genesis shook his head fondly and slipped inside. The closing door didn't keep him from hearing the next words.
"Yes... I love them... Cloud," he softly mewled, sounding close to tears. "Zack..."
Genesis had to quickly walk to his room when he thought about it. Sephiroth, who was completely devoted and caring and sweet to those he loved, would never be happy because something always tore one or both of his lovers from him. He deserved to have a vacation where someone wouldn't want to hurt Zack or Cloud. He deserved so much better than he was getting from the world.
Genesis ended up muffling his own tears for the man in his pillow.
-o-o-
Zack and Angeal treaded grimly through the forest. Zack looked a million miles away, and Angeal had to keep telling him to focus, which he did until a few seconds later.
After what seemed like forever on Zack's part, they reached the place a scrap of white cloth dangled from thorns. Very big thorns.
"Zack, check around for blood. I doubt anyone could get through those without a scratch," Angeal ordered.
Zack nodded enthusiastically and took his puppy nickname to a new level. He got down on all fours and put his face so close to the ground that it looked like he was sniffing it. Actually, Angeal was almost positive he heard Zack began to sniff.
Angeal watched the sight for a moment before beginning his own search. After a few moments of relative silence, Zack cried out.
Angeal whipped around quickly, fearing Zack had gotten hurt on the deadly looking thorns, but was met with a bloody leaf being thrust inches from his nose. He went a little cross eyed trying to see it. He took the leaf and examined it and the spot Zack pointed out.
"You know what? We should have one of those magnifying glasses and those pipes that the detectives in the movies have!" Zack babbled in excitement.
Angeal ignored the boy in favor of determining the path the blood had to have splattered from. Once he figured it out, he set off and left Zack to run to catch up. They continued until they came across a large pool of blood.
"You don't think they hurt him, do you?" Zack asked anxiously, staring up at his former mentor.
Angeal, staring at the puddle, remembered that the boy disarmed Zack; a mako enhanced First Class SOLDIER. "I think I would bet on him hurting them," he answered honestly.
Zack looked thoughtful, and then remembered the few times he had seen Cloud get fired up in a fight. He nodded in agreement. "Your right. I sort of feel bad for them a little. Not enough to not kill them, but enough to make it quick."
Angeal found himself agreeing with his student. "Oh well. We'll save the judgment in regards to punishment for when we see how they've been treating Cloud."
Zack nodded and they set off again. The next stop they made was to survey an encampment. There were men arguing in front. They were saying something about "it's not worth it."
Zack grinned at Angeal and gave him a thumbs up. They knew he wouldn't just play the part of a damsel in distress!
-o-o-
I cried a little writing Seph and Gen's cry scenes...
Anyway! If anyone has any suggestions for Wutai, tell me now. The next chapter will be the last there, then they'll be moving to their 2nd vacation spot. (I already have the spots picked out- there are 3 including Wutai.)