"Yikes!" Zack's face went stark pale. "That sounds like Angeal alright, sticking his neck out for someone else in the darkest times—literally."

"That day is one of many nightmares that make me slam the wall at night in a dead sleep."

"Were you okay? Back then, I mean."

"I don't remember much after they put me in ISO, but I remember Angeal was the first thought I had when I came out."

"And you guys were close ever since?"

"I didn't see him again for a while."

"So how did you start hanging out? How'd you become such good friends?"

"Well, let's just say it was hard to blend in at SOLDIER…Angeal was the biggest kid in the Unit, I was the smallest. Opposites attract, I suppose, but he was also one of the few who could speak my native language."

"He took you under his wing?"

"More than that. He took care of me…"

Angeal lived in Banora, a farming community famous for its apple orchards. He took Sephiroth home with him on their vacation days. A long bus ride saw them at a modest little cottage his grandfather had built. Sephiroth met Angeal's mother…in a wheelchair.

"Hey mom, I'm home! This is Sephiroth, he's my friend in SOLDIER."

But Gillian Hewely's eyes welled up with tears at the sight of the pale boy, and she hurried to wheel away into the other room. Angeal winced.

"Gee, was it something you said? Ha ha."

"What happened to her?" Sephiroth signed as they threw their bags down.

"She says my birth was real hard on her, she used to work for the R&D Department at Shinra before OSHA. It wasn't safe." Angeal got serious as they sat on the sofa. "Shinra doesn't give her much worker's comp, so my dad and I pick up the slack. He's drilling that new reactor that's supposed to go up outside of town."

"Wow. He drills the reactor chambers?"

"With his own hands, same way my grandfather used to mine Mythril. He's tougher than anyone in SOLDIER. I wanted to work with him when I grew up but he wouldn't have it, made me pick a different dream, hah."

Angeal glanced at his sword leaning against the wall. "Once I did, he stood by me one-hundred percent until I saw it through. You'll meet him later when he gets off work, and my brother too…"

The zany purr of a 1000cc L-twin engine shredded its way toward the garage. Angeal leapt to look out the window.

"Is that my broski?!"

He stampeded in a whirl of excitement out to the garage as a victory-red Ducati G-Bike rolled up next to the pit blasting Alice in Chains. A tall, lean figure sporting a Tiamat-red long-coat kicked the stand down, and flowed off the bike like a fashion model. He swooped off his helmet to let red windswept hair flow down around his shoulders, half the side of his head shaved to skin in a neo-punk display of urban grunge.

"Hay bois."

"Genny-G!" Angeal threw a hug around the boy who apparently was his brother. But the guy squirmed out of it.

"Ooh, watch the hair bae. I just got it razored in the city."

"I dig. How'd the Avalanche mission go?"

"Pfft, eco-terrorists, I eat them like peanuts. Did I say nuts?"

He was in SOLDIER? The sword latched to his warrior-insect of a sportbike seemed to confirm it. Angeal introduced them speaking and signing at the same time.

"Sephiroth, this is my brother Genesis. Gee, this is Sephiroth. He's a rookie fresh out of A-School."

Genesis caught the sign-language and flew into his own, spelling his name out one letter at a time for Sephiroth. What he said out loud was…

"Hi. I'm Genesis. I'm this big loser's foster-brother. Nice to meet you."

What his hands said however was…

"Hi. I'm G-E-N-E-S-I-S. I'm a big fat loser. Beautiful two steak you."

When Genesis saw Sephiroth's cocked eyebrow, he groaned.

"I didn't say what I think I said did I?"

Angeal burst out laughing. Genesis hadn't been as close to dear old Aunt Elsa as Angeal had.

Back inside, they talked in military lingo that Sephiroth was still too green to grasp. A pickup truck pulled into the driveway, and the most gigantic man Sephiroth had ever seen stomped through the door in steel-toed boots. He had brow of folded steel and a gaze that could rip a man's heart out and chew it like tobacco. He hung his Carhart jacket and hard hat on the coat rack while Angeal ran at him with arms flung wide.

"Dad!"

"At Attention SOLDIER!" he bellowed, and Angeal shot up straight. "State your rank."

"Angeal Hewely, SOLDIER 3rd Class, sir.

"How long have you been a 3rd, son?"

"Too long, sir."

"You're a slacker, a lazy bone-head with the maturity of a pig-fetus and the attention-span of an ox. You're a disgrace to the SOLDIER name!"

After a tense moment, the flash of rage faded, replaced by a glowing warmth. "…And an honor to this family's name."

He wrapped Angeal in a big bear hug. Old Man Hewely, a hard man, a good man, and a jokester to boot.

The man looked over at the red-haired punk-rocker leaning in a curved line against the wall, scoffing at all this familial tosh.

"Genesis, cut your hair you sissy!"

"Oh puh-lease, Pop. You could use a color yourself. I hear salt-and-pepper was all the rage in the 40's."

Genesis went over to take his own turn in his father's arms, but tried to squirm out for his hair. Sephiroth froze as those cold steel eyes trained on him like the crosshairs of a hunting rifle.

"And who's this pale pup? You bringing home strays again Angeal?"

But something stirred in Sephiroth. He approached the big man and did something that surprised everyone in the room. He spoke.

"Hello Mr. Hewely. I'm Sephiroth. I'm Angeal's friend."

His voice was clear and monotone, not as deep as it would be later in his life, but he didn't slur his words, nor did he pronounce his "s" like "sh." Angeal and Genesis' jaws were on the ground, but the man raised his eyebrows at the kid.

"Mr. Hewely? You going to give me a raise, boss?"

Sephiroth squinted as the man pointed to the other boys.

"Listen here. Genesis ain't even mine, but both these boys call me Pop. You will too, we clear?"

"Yessir."

"Good lad. Now go get your old man a beer from the chest."

Angeal and Genesis helped their pop into his arm chair with a great grunt, braces on both his knees. He talked to the boys about his days, the good old when-he-was-their-age speeches that never got stale. He'd been a militiaman back when Banora was a military outpost in a long forgotten war. He and his battle-buddies held off the North pass until the cease-fire. The only thing that kept them going was their sworn duty to each other, their honor. Now the man taught his children that their oath to each other was sacred, and they should love each other above all else in life…

"…Except for your women," he smirked in Genesis' direction. The boy scoffed at Pop Hewely's evil-streak of a heart.

Sephiroth came with a cold one, but Pop handed him a lighter. Angeal pantomimed what he was supposed to do as Sephiroth got to work. But when Genesis got up to do it for him, Pop yelled with a booming voice.

"HEY!" he pointed Genesis back into his seat. "Let him do it."

Sephiroth got back to work. His knuckle bruised, the skin rubbed raw and bled. He wanted to cry thinking of how he'd lose the family's trust over a lighter! Twenty minutes later, by some minute adjustment of his wrist, the cap popped with a fizzing veil of mist.

"Thank you boy," Pop took the beer with gruff satisfaction. "Angeal, go take the pup out to meet the dogs."

And Angeal made Sephiroth follow him to the back door. But he glanced back at Genesis, who didn't join them.

"You go on, I'll catch up," Genesis signed.

Sephiroth nodded and followed Angeal out back. They went into a shed where Angeal filled ten massive tin dog bowls with kibble and carried them in a big tower toward huge pen.

"So whaddya think of my dad?" he asked Sephiroth out loud, and Sephiroth answered out loud.

"I…feel safe around him."

Angeal made no comment whatsoever about Sephiroth speaking. He carried on as if he'd always talked, and from that day on he always did.

"Yeah, my old Pop's a crazy bullrocker. I can only hope I'll be as tough as he is someday."

"Your brother. He is special to your father…"

"My dad takes extra care of him. Genesis was getting into a lot of trouble before he came to live with me. My dad checks him, gives him a strong mentor to look up to."

"He doesn't try to change him?"

"Heck no! With my mom in the state that she's in, who else would we get to go clothes shopping for us? We'd be gonners."

Angeal opened the gate of the massive pen fit for a behemoth and let them in.

"You're gonna love my dogs. They're the sweetest, fluffiest, cutest little things you've ever seen in your life!"

"What kind of dogs are they?"

A massive monster barreled into Sephiroth, taking him to the ground. With the weight of the world standing on his chest, Sephiroth's eyes bulged out of their sockets until…

A huge, sloppy, wet tongue lolled from his chin to his forehead, panting with the biggest, stupidest canine smile.

"King! Good boy King!" Angeal pulled it by a handful of scruff off Sephiroth. "This is my stud. Kingy! Sit boy! Good buddy!"

Sephiroth shuffled to his feet to see a massive male Malamute put his two front paws on Angeal's shoulders! Angeal shoved him off like a throw-pillow.

"He's got some wolf in him. I hate when people do that. They try to breed a big exotic animal and don't know what they're in for. So I rescue them."

Angeal threw a whistle.

"Fifi! Mittens! Fluffy! Button! Snowball! Cupcake!"

And Sephiroth did a starjump at seeing a sled-team bash-barrel toward him. They slammed into him, rubbing up against him with happy whines. Sephiroth smiled, sinking his fingers deep into thick undercoat fur. He'd never pet an animal in his life.

"I give them cute names so I can adopt them out to posh it-girls to raise awareness about the breed. I'm trying to start a fashion trend."

Sephiroth cocked a smile. That might actually work.

"People can't manage the energy of these dogs. They've got the attention span of a rock. So training takes endless patience and a lot of discipline. Alright guys! Sit!"

Some dogs sat like good puppies. Some shuffled around like bad puppies. All didn't dare touch their food bowls. Angeal hadn't said they could. Instead, King started howling, getting them all howling, while Angeal waved his hands like a conductor.

"I'm teaching them Ode to Joy."

But Sephiroth felt something tug at his boot. He cocked an eyebrow at a little thing that snarled with a mouthful of shoelace.

"That's Supreme! Don't let him fool you, he's the toughest one here!" Angeal warned.

Sephiroth watched the little cat-dog teacup Chihuahua flip out on King! The big Mally leapt away from the rampaging ball of fur, surrendering his dish in submission. If Sephiroth ever had any self-confidence issues, they went right out the window.

At dinner time, Sephiroth helped out as much as he could…which was more so getting in the way. Angeal made a mean leftover casserole, Genesis chopped herbs and garlic, while Sephiroth handed them things.

"It had a name, Angeal," Genesis cringed at the lump of hamburger his brother kneaded.

"Yeah, its name was dinner."

That gripe made Genesis' hand slip against the knife. He didn't make a big deal about it, just stuck it in his mouth like a normal person would…but Angeal flipped! He dragged Genesis in a temper tantrum straight to the emergency room. Sephiroth didn't understand as Angeal leaned against the wall, waiting for a prognosis from the doctor that Genesis was not going to die cooking dinner.

That night, Angeal shared his bed with Sephiroth. He doubted Sephiroth would want to share Genesis' bed.

"But Angeal, we could play footsie and have a pillow fight!" Genesis whined. Sephiroth smiled but opted to bunk with Angeal.

The next day after morning chores that were more like morning slave labor, Angeal hopped around Genesis giddy like a bunny.

"Did you get it, did you get it?"

"You have no idea what I had to go through for this. I should just save it for myself."

"ALRIGHT!"

They all three climbed onto the roof of the barn and Sephiroth saw what they were talking about, though he'd never seen a dime bag before. Sitting with him in between them, Genesis told Sephiroth about himself and Angeal as he packed a pipe.

Genesis was the gymnastics team at Banora High School, and now he was in SOLDIER while all the bullies on the lacrosse team were working construction. Oh all those lacrosse boys had been so miserable surrounded by all that sweaty man-booty that they couldn't have. Angeal had always been a big lug-head. He didn't like school, so his dad made him join the military, and his brother followed him. Someone had to keep an eye on him.

"Taurus and Cancer are so compatible it hurts, but Angeal is so not my type. He likes boobies. Gross." Genesis clutched imaginary mounds on his chest to make that sign to Sephiroth.

"What's wrong with that?!" Angeal complained.

"They're so ohmygosh. They just hang there like big squishy water balloons."

"That's the point! How's it so different from the squishy hanging sacs you like?"

"Pfft, sweetie those golf-balls are closer to the hole…and I've got the flag pole."

Sephiroth's eyes flew wide. He could tell this friendship was going to be one heck of an interesting ride. Angeal zoned off into the sky.

"You see that hawk up there, that represents all of our dreams. The majesty of a bird in flight is our honor, when the two coincide together they create the most beautiful and deadly creature imaginable."

"Oh Angeal would you shut up and take your medicine like the rest of us!"

Genesis passed him the bowl across Sephiroth.

"But dreams guys, you need to have dreams! Just like Pop says, if we don't have dreams, we have nightmares." Angeal took a huge hit like a champion while Genesis hounded him like an old schoolmarm.

"Angeal, you need to have goals. There's no point in having dreams if you don't see them through." Genesis grabbed the pipe back taking his own hit, not offering any to Sephiroth. Angeal did the same as he rambled on with eyes that were starting to get glassy.

"But it's so much fun just making them! Who cares if you don't achieve them, just have them! We all need a dream."

"Really? Like what?"

"Like making 1st. That's a good dream."

"That is not a dream Angeal. That's a fantasy."

"We can all do it together some day!"

"Angeal, I will turn straight before I make 1st Class. Besides if I end up staying in SOLDIER that long, I'll go insane."

They continued smoking and philosophizing-slash-arguing, passing the pipe back and forth across Sephiroth. As Angeal's logic and reasoning became more incoherent and hilarious, Genesis nudged Sephiroth with a look of mischief.

"Watch this…Hey Angeal, what if we're not really here?"

"…Dude, don't do that, I am so blazed right now."

"That's not Genesis!" Zack insisted. "No way in hell do I believe you for a second. Genesis is a dirty, two-faced back-stabber. This kid's adorable, I want to pick him up and keep him as a pet!"

"Hard to believe, isn't it? Genesis was once as much of a loyal puppy as the rest of us, maybe more. Angeal wouldn't call just anyone family."

Zack slumped, putting a foot up on the chair again.

"So you were the quiet kid in the trench coat, Genesis was a motorcycle-punk, and Angeal was a pot-head with a pony-tail. You guys were one heck of a motley crew."

"I didn't get the coat until later," Sephiroth added.

A thought occurred to Zack. "You know, some guy with a pony-tail crashed your party, Aerith said…"

Wait…guy…pony-tail…some guy with a pony-tail in the alley with a Buster Sword…

"THAT SONOFA—!"

Zack lurched up, his jaw gaping. Angeal had showed up to his best friend's party just to hit on Zack's girlfriend! Mother f—

Why did that sound like something Zack would try to pull? He threw his hand in the air with a scoff.

"What an ant-farm."

"Angeal Hewely, always the integral image of honor…when he was older."

"So Angeal was kinda like me when he was younger?" Zack smirked.

"Hmfph, what do you mean kinda?"

Back in the days before OSHA applied to SOLDIER, Shinra tried to save money on transporting troops to missions…they got them rental cars.

Now Angeal stood at a rotary phone explaining to Director Lazard how they'd wrecked the rental. Cellphones were still the size of backpacks.

"Hey Lazard. Yeah, we're all okay, but we're going to need more cash to complete the mission."

"What happened to the funds I gave you before you set out?"

"We spent it on gas."

"All of it?"

"We got lost."

"Really? Then why does your transaction report show receipts to Captain Kippy Snickemsnook's Happy Funtime Land?"

Angeal remembered the rollercoaster at Gold Saucer. He and Genesis threw their hands up screaming while Sephiroth sat with no expression.

"Must be a glitch."

"I take it the commercial with the three of you on the water ride was a glitch too?"

They got off the log-ride soaked while a camera crew filmed them from the side. Angeal ran up shoving his hand in the lens.

"…Yes?"

"You're suspended for two weeks."

"But we're on a mission!"

"…You're suspended upon your return, and don't get any cute ideas about prolonging the mission. We're logging time-cards by hand this quarter."

Angeal snapped his fingers. Darn.

"Now that we're clear on your directives, is there anything else you'll be requiring?"

He looked at his brothers sitting slumped back to back on a bench…

"…Well, since we're already suspended, could you get us some pizzas? We're starving."

"Meat lovers!" Sephiroth shot up.

"Vegetarian!" Genesis shot up too.

"Meat lovers!" Sephiroth glared at him.

"Vegetarian!" Genesis glared back.

"MEAT!"

"VEGGIE!"

And then they were tussling, fists flying in a raging incoherent ball of tangled limbs. Angeal got back on the line.

"Okay, give me one Meat Lover's, one veggie, and one extra-extra-large Garbage Pie. I want anchovies, pineapples, sausage, chocolate chips, and BACON. Murder that thing with bacon!"

"…Is there anything mission-related you'll be requiring?"

"Hold on, lemme check. Hey guys, do we want breadsticks?" Curses flew from the fray and Angeal relayed it in nicer terms. "...Genesis wants to know what you're wearing."

*Click*

Angeal looked at the phone confused before hanging it up.

"Hey, wait for me!"

Then he jumped into the fight with his brothers.

After getting nice and bruised up, they got back to work…without a car. They arrived at the target compound on foot where Wutai troops funneled out like someone knocked over the cereal box they came in. Angeal let an evil grin work its way from ear to ear.

"Aight boys…it's party time." He snapped on his headphones and went to town.

They rushed in side-by-side—Angeal splitting off left, Sephiroth fanning out right, and Genesis not knowing who the heck to heal first. Angeal bash-elbowed the first troop he saw to scoop up his halberd while singing his favorite song.

"DON'T STOP…BELIEVING…HOLD ON TO THAT FEEEEEEELING!"

A jump-whirl slashed seven more troops while another came running in. Angeal block-strafed his spear-thrust, then kicked him into a brick wall. A song came on that he loved to make fun of.

"WE BUILT THIS CITY ON RAWWW CANNNED ROLLLLLLS!"

He pictured Pillsbury croissant rolls as he flipped the Wutai halberd backward over his shoulder and started picking off troops with the hidden-rifle like a peanut gallery.

"SHOT THROUGH THE HEART, AND YOU'RE TOO LATE…Ha ha…"

Angeal loved his job way too much, almost as much as he loved music…

"NEVER GONNA GIVE YOU UP…What? Genesis! Did you put Rick Astley on my playlist?...Jerk."

He met up with Sephiroth behind a low buffer wall, surveying the stretch to the fortress. Sephiroth shrugged at Angeal, who shrugged back. He tapped his daikatana to the Buster Sword still clipped on Angeal's back, which made him shoot Sephiroth a queer look.

"Don't touch my sword with your sword. I'm not Genesis, aight. I'm not into that stuff."

Sephiroth smirked as Angeal ran out to do more damage. Genesis followed Sephiroth now, to hell with Angeal and his antics. They cleared out an entire section of troops, then ran over to the other side…where they found Angeal dancing.

"OW, OW, OW, OW, STAYIN ALIVE, STAYIN ALIVE…"

They shot each other queer looks, cocking their eyebrows at Angeal.

"What are you doing?" Sephiroth signed at him. Angeal flicked an X-Potion over his head like tossing a coin.

"Pfft, I'm staying alive. Wait…" He looked up, waiting for something, they all held their breaths… "STAYIN ALIIIIIIIIIIIVE!"

Genesis turned away with a mighty groan. Sephiroth turned his implant off.

They took care of the rest of the baddies while Sephiroth charged the fortress—always the spearhead of their offense. When they followed, Genesis once again floated up to the top floor while Angeal took the stairs. He took a breather halfway up panting against the wall.

"Note to self: run the dunes more."

When they got up to the apex with weapons itching, they found Wutai troops piled in a heaping mound with their little brother sitting on top of it eating pizza.

"What kept you? I had to tip and everything!"

.

[Received Lunar Harp]