'Hero of the Dawn'
Genesis Rhapsodos bit back an irritated hiss.
He couldn't believe this.
It was utterly preposterous!
An hour ago, he'd relished in a cured body, locking swords with his longtime adversary-turned-rival Zack Fair in the fabled lifestream caverns below Banora.
He'd been defeated, that was true - but he knew as exhaustion claimed him Zack wouldn't take his life. Not after the blasted boy had tried to save him in his own misguided way…
So, how was it that he found himself seven years younger, inspecting a freshly-injured shoulder in his long-abandoned ShinRa-funded apartment!?
As he had gazed upon Minerva, his glorious goddess, she had… turned her perfect face away, and then…
Oh.
Oh no.
She'd sent him back in time.
No. No, no…oh god, no…!
She'd cursed him to...to relive his degradation all over again.
Beyond the lifestream or the secrets below Banora, he'd tried everything - everything - to cure his blasted illness.
Wait.
If this truly was the past, and not some death-induced hallucination, couldn't he just go back to the Banoran caves…?
No, spawn of calamity. Such resources were spent in traversing you through time. Find another way.
Green shimmered across his field of vision as a subtle yet stern presence echoed in his mind.
The goddess.
"...how?" Genesis seethed, scowling at his bandaged shoulder in the mirror.
Pick one that doesn't doom the world, for a start. Your methods were terrible, cruel, and would've led to this world's downfall.
Genesis could almost hear the scoff in Minerva's voice.
"Well, I'll just do that, won't I?" Genesis threw his hands in the air in defeat, his melodious voice dripping with frustration. "Because it was so damn easy the first time!"
Inwardly, the SOLDIER knew he should be far more respectful - this was the planet's avatar, after all - but...he'd just been cured, for Gaia's sake! No aches, no pains, just strength, vitality...and life...
Oh, little child, the goddess laughed, the sound like wind rustling through dumbapple orchards, you have so much to learn. May this second chance be your teacher.
"What have I yet to learn…?" Genesis mumbled, eyebrows furrowing as the lifestream's essence receded from his mind.
It looked like Minerva hadn't deigned to answer him.
"Goddess damn it!" The hotheaded SOLDIER's fist collided with the nearest section of wall, sending crumbles of gyprock scattering across the carpet.
He was stuck here, doomed to work for godforsaken ShinRa dogs, after all the work he'd put in to escape! How could she do this to hi-
Bzzzzzt! Bzzzzzt!
What was that noise…?
Finally, the sound tickled an old memory, and realisation struck him.
Shit. The front door.
Genesis froze in place. Who would bypass the intercom and just...ring the doorbell?
How was he even going to face anyone with his past-future knowledge…?
And when had his pre-timeskip-self last seen anyone, anyway?
What if-
Keys then jingled in the lock.
Genesis felt his breath hitch in his now tightening throat.
There was only one person - other than himself - who had spare keys. And said person knew they were not to be used, unless it was an emergency...
Before he knew it, Genesis had sprinted to the front door, heart hammering with unintelligible emotions.
Slowly, light spilled in from the apartment complex hallway.
"Genesis!" An achingly familiar voice chastised, mako-blue eyes glaring at him with stern intensity. "Why didn't you check in after your blood transfusion? Half the science department has been waiting on whether or not you're feeling bet-"
A shaking hand grasped the visiting figure's left bicep mid-sentence.
"By...by the goddess…" Genesis whispered, mako-blue eyes wide with shock. "An-...Angeal...it's you…"
Angeal took a slight step backwards. Why was Genesis looking at him like that? Why was he holding his arm…?
He raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Erm, yes. It is. Are you...on pain meds or something?"
Genesis tried to steady his grip, but the very fact his old friend was standing there, alive, right in front of him, was making that nigh impossible.
Without another thought, he leaned forward and enveloped his childhood friend in a fierce hug.
Angeal was stunned into silence at this rather unexpected outburst, and his jaw went slack at the sensation of trembles rippling through the other SOLDIER's body.
Hollander must have used some ridiculously strong medication to make this happen.
"Oh, 'Geal..." Genesis muffled into his friend's shoulder, desperately tightening the embrace. "I...I'm…"
He could still feel the anger-fuelled grief that erupted through him at Angeal's death on that awful day.
After dragging himself from Modeoheim's frozen mako excavation pits, Genesis had managed to spy ShinRa minions carrying a crudely-wrapped body on a stretcher as they headed for the helicopters. An emotionally ruined Zack followed up in the rear, Angeal's beloved buster sword weighing him down, and it was then Genesis knew.
Initially, he'd been furious. How could Angeal just escape himself like that? After all Genesis had done to fight tooth and nail for his own goddess-forsaken life, and Angeal had just thrown his own existence away?
But, as the hours dragged by in the aftermath, rage dissolved into raw, savagely relentless guilt-ridden grief and loneliness. Genesis could still remember tears frozen on his cheeks in the struggle of flight as he fled the tundra. To him, Angeal had been the last of his humanity...and now that he was gone… all that remained was a lonely, empty monster to carry on Project G's legacy.
But now… his dear friend was alive, breathing and unbroken, and Genesis never wanted this embrace to end.
Angeal, despite being rather baffled, offered his childhood friend a gentle pat on the back. Whilst this was highly unusual, he'd dealt with mako-showered SOLDIER recruits who were worse than this...
Wait. Hold up.
Now he felt dampness on his neck.
Was Genesis...crying?
...why?
"I...I'm sorry..." Genesis stammered with an uncharacteristically broken voice, and he tried to unsuccessfully suppress a sob. Even though he had a vague awareness that Angeal was absolutely clueless right now, he had to apologise.
Not just to him, either.
To the goddess herself.
For a moment, the selfish veil in his soul parted, and Genesis realised she had blessed him with an unimaginable gift.
He never dreamed he'd see, let alone hug, Angeal ever again...
"Sorry for what…?" Angeal murmured, feeling Genesis relax in his arms. Okay, he suspected it was for the training simulator incident, but hearing Genesis apologise for anything was just unheard of. He needed clarity to believe this.
"Everything," Genesis replied fervently, squeezing his eyes shut. Oh, heavens. He'd forgotten how little human connection he'd had in the last few years. He was embarrassed to admit how comforting this simple hug was.
It was then a familiar something tugged at his left shoulder blade.
Shit.
Last time, it was emotional torment that birthed his wing the first time.
He had no idea tearful, bittersweet joy could do it too.
Sure, he could fight it. Hold it back, struggle with it for days, until it erupted in agony and fractured his identity.
Or...he could just...let it happen. It was inevitable, after all. And it wouldn't be in front of Hollander this time, either...
"Gen," Angeal chuckled, now thoroughly convinced it was drugs altering his friend's mood, "be specific. Come on."
He sensed Genesis shake his head into his shoulder and felt him slowly pull from the embrace. The redhead regarded Angeal with a wavering smile and a glistening gaze that looked wisened beyond his 23 years of age.
Angeal moved to question the redhead again, but Genesis merely raised a now much-more steady hand to silence him. Instead, he closed his eyes in concentration and hunched over slightly in apparent discomfort.
"Whoa! Gen- are you okay?" Angeal offered his hand in support. "Shoulder still bad?"
"Yes, and...no," Genesis breathed, gritting his teeth. Despite having the willingness to let his wing out, the process was still rather uncomfortable. "You'll see. Hang on."
Suddenly, the redhead lurched forward with the force of a giant black wing exploding from his back, but somehow managed to steady himself on the doorframe.
"Oh my god, Genesis-!" Angeal exclaimed, stumbling backwards and nearly falling over in absolute shock. "What the hell?!"
Sweat trickled down his face, and his shoulder ached, but...an accepting attitude definitely made the process easier, Genesis concluded. The familiar, unbalanced weight settled around him as he gracefully tucked rapidly-drying feathers against his body.
"Come inside, my dear friend," Genesis offered, stepping away from the door with a tired, grateful smile. "We've much to discuss."
Angeal was frozen in place, his mouth uncharacteristically agape.
The redhead chuckled, voice light and unburdened, and reached for his friend's arm. "A wing. I know. Shockingly, I can explain."
Angeal was seriously starting to wonder if Hollander had injected him with heavy pain drugs instead of Genesis during the transfusion hours earlier… this was one hell of a trip...
Gingerly, he let the redhead coax him inside.
Genesis quietly shut the door behind him, taking care not to hit any vulnerable belongings with oversized feathers, and closed his eyes briefly.
Minerva, my goddess... I promise I won't squander this gift.
Thank you.
OKAY. I know this isn't a Thing With Feathers update, but feels, man….feels!
So I had this idea teasing my brain for months, and, well, it finally came out coherently. I was afraid it would morph into a giant multi-chapter story, but in the end, I just really wanted to write the Genesis & Angeal reunion with plenty of emotions going everywhere.
Also, I really, really wish Crisis Core could have shown Genesis' reaction to Angeal's death as well (to flesh out his character), even if it would've ruined the suspension that he himself appeared 'dead' as well until later in the game. (Give me emotionally complex antagonists, Square!)
Anyway. I really hope this smacked you in the feels and that you enjoyed it. :'D
(I'm still working on Thing with Feathers! Chapter 11 is just...painstaking, for reasons you can imagine).
Thanks for reading!
~ May, a.k.a AutumnalBlep