Midgar.

Sephiroth stopped to let Cloud stare at the massive city in the distance. He had imagined bigger than Nibelheim. And he had tried his best to imagine bigger than Corel and Costa del Sol. He had tried imagining all three put together, but it hadn't compared to what was looming on the horizon.

"That's a city?" He felt so very, very small. "How many people live in it?"

"About a half a million."

He tried to think how many that was, but couldn't remember what came after the twenties. Half a million sounded enormous.

"Once we're there, it won't feel so big. You'll have a nice little apartment with just you and one other person. You can get to know your neighbours gradually. I'll be one of them, and you can come visit me any time you'd like. And Tseng said that you're welcome to visit with him and Rufus as well. I'll show you where the chocobo stables are, and we can go over the route as many times as you need until you're confident you can get there and back on your own."

"I suppose that's a good way of looking at it. Nibelheim was pretty big compared to my room." He relaxed a bit as Sephiroth clucked to Birdy and let her move on. "Why does it look so strange? What're all those tall skinny things?"

"Those are the supports that used to hold up the plate. I can show you the pictures of it in the history books if you'd like, but basically, Midgar used to be built on two levels. The old Shinra company was the one who originally built it. The main city was on the top section. It was called the plate, and that was where all the rich people lived. Underneath were the slums where the poor people lived with no daylight and unprotected from monsters, which were a lot worse at the time."

"What happened?" Sephiroth had his full attention. He'd never heard anything like this before.

"Hmm, I suppose I should actually go a bit more in depth. Do you know where alphas and omegas came from?"

Cloud shook his head.

"They were a genetic experiment created by Shinra—the old Shinra—a long time ago. Alphas were the original SOLDIERs. They were created to be Shinra's army, and with their strength, Shinra basically ruled the whole world."

"All of it? The world's really big, isn't it?"

"Pretty much all, yes, and it is very big, but technology was different then, and they had common ways of travelling that were much faster than by chocobo or ship, and different weapons that could cause a lot of destruction. Mako power was used for everything, and they controlled all the supply. People needed the power, and they were afraid of the SOLDIERs.

"Anyway, so alphas were SOLDIERs, and for whatever reason I don't understand, they couldn't have children with women. They weren't infertile, but women would get sick and die if they were impregnated by a SOLDIER. Shinra was always looking for ways to improve SOLDIERs, and the people in charge wanted to be able to breed stronger SOLDIERs. So the scientists created omegas. Hybrids between alphas and women who could survive a pregnancy, producing stronger offspring."

"So I'm like … half woman?" That was odd. Yes, he had a vagina and would have been able to get pregnant if he hadn't been sterilized, but he had never considered himself a woman.

"No, you're an omega. Omegas have changed so much since the original experiments that at this point, you're something entirely unrelated to the beta genders of male and female. I think you mostly consider yourselves male simply for ease of use of the language and fitting in with society, which was never meant to have three genders. Or a fourth if we consider alphas separate as well."

"That's complicated."

Sephiroth leaned down and kissed the top of his head. "Yes, but you're smart. It doesn't matter if you understand something fully the first time you learn it. An overview that you can build onto is best. So, back to the city. A lot of authorities say that it was Shinra's fault, or even SOLDIER's, but nobody actually knows for sure what happened. A huge calamity—a disaster struck the planet around a hundred years ago. It affected everywhere, but it was centred on Midgar. The plate fell, killing thousands of people and destroying the mako reactors. Without the reactors, there was no more power. Since everything relied on it, the world came to a standstill. People couldn't farm anymore, and so there wasn't enough food. Even where there was food, it couldn't be transported to where the people who needed it were. Hospitals couldn't work, and medicine couldn't be made. People froze in their homes. Hundreds of thousands more died."

"That's awful."

"It was. And by that point, alphas had developed their protective instincts towards omegas. Alphas are much stronger than both betas and omegas, and they were able to withstand many of the hardships caused by the calamity. Faced with what should have been difficult choices, they did what alphas will always do: they protected the omegas. Even when it meant taking food from starving children or outright killing betas so they couldn't have what the omegas needed."

Cloud gasped, although, after seeing the way Sephiroth and Tseng behaved towards him and Rufus, especially around the betas who had been on the ship, he could almost believe it. "Is that why betas hate omegas so much?"

Sephiroth nodded. "Partly, though some are just bigots. They hate alphas too, but alphas are never born into the general population. They're always the offspring of an alpha and an omega, so the babies are born into safety unless something goes terribly wrong. By the time they're adults, they can protect themselves. Betas are reluctant to express their hate at that point, rightfully fearing repercussions. But omegas usually have regular beta parents, so they have no such guarantee of safety."

The city was growing nearer as Sephiroth talked. Cloud could see patches of green amid tall buildings and the remains of the old supports. It looked like some things had been built right onto the supports. A patchwork city. Like the blanket on his old bed.

"So what happened next?"

"More disaster, I'm afraid. Around two years after the initial calamity, which came to be called Meteor Fall, though there's no evidence of a meteor actually striking anywhere on the planet at the time, a disease cropped up in Midgar and spread quickly throughout the surviving population. People had been starting to regroup themselves, and several organizations had begun coordinating survival efforts and developing alternative power sources. The disease halted those efforts in their tracks. It was called geostigma, and it would slowly kill anyone who had it. No one could figure out how it spread or how to treat it. But …"

"But?" Cloud was on the edge of his seat.

"Omegas didn't get it. Not a single one."

"Are we really that different?"

Sephiroth shrugged. "Apparently. An unmated omega snuck away from the alphas who were … protecting him and found a beta doctor. The doctor did some tests and realized that a simple blood transfusion from an omega destroyed the geostigma cells in a patient. That omega donated as much blood as he could, and then spread the word." Sephiroth shook his head. "Oh, Cloud, you should really see the pictures from back then. They were so brave."

"What did they do?" Brave was never a word he had heard connected with omega.

"The alphas didn't want to help anyone but themselves. The more betas who died, they figured, the more resources they would have. Omegas hadn't gotten much, if any say up until that point. They were basically the alphas' prisoners and were treated more or less as well-liked pets and incubators. Well, they decided that enough was enough. They banded together and revolted. They went on sex strikes and hunger strikes and hurt themselves until the alphas agreed to let them help.

"There was one group that did what they called heat strikes. When one of them went into heat, he would allow himself to be restrained so he couldn't touch himself, then the other omegas would parade him in front of the alphas while not letting them get near. The alphas were stronger, but they would have had to hurt the omegas to get to the one in heat, which they couldn't do. The omega would go through his whole heat like that unless the alphas took them to places that needed blood and allowed them to donate."

"They … the whole heat? But wouldn't that kill them?"

"Yes. Many died for what they believed was right, but through their sacrifice, they wiped geostigma off the face of the planet, saving thousands and thousands of lives. Then they began working with the betas to make an arrangement so that all three groups: alphas, omegas, and betas, could survive and prosper together."

"Then why do they still hate us?"

Sephiroth sighed and hugged him tightly. "A lot of the surviving betas had congregated near Midgar by the time geostigma first appeared. Almost all of the alphas were there, and as things had started getting better, it was actually safer to be near them because the alphas dealt with the monsters. Midgar and its surrounding areas were the hardest hit by geostigma, since that was where it had started, and so that's where most of the omega's efforts were focussed. You've experienced firsthand how long it takes to travel by chocobo and ship, and that's been with good, strong 'bos, fully stocked rations, and a modern, gas-powered ship. Getting to distant areas took too long, and although it eventually happened, it was in the form of frozen blood donations. One alpha carrying donations could travel much faster than enough omegas. The rural areas never knew what the omegas went through to save them, if they even knew that omega blood was the cure in the first place.

"I admit that alphas haven't helped much in the rural areas. We're more concerned with protecting omegas born there than forging good relationships. But the omegas' dreams of an alliance did come to fruition, if only here in Midgar. Betas won't hate you here, Cloud. People remember what they did. They remember, and they're grateful."

XXX

"Hello, Cloud. My name is Doctor Gast. Do you think it would be all right if I look you over and perhaps we could talk about a few things?"

Cloud looked up at Sephiroth, who remained a steady presence at his side. "I don't want to be naked."

"That's fine. You don't have to be. Would you like Sephiroth to stay with you? It might feel a bit safer to have someone you know and can trust with you."

"Yes." The doctor was an omega and mated, he could tell that easily now, but Sephiroth was safe.

"I'll be right here with you, then, Cloud. Nothing to worry about." Sephiroth rubbed his shoulder gently.

"All right. How about we start with some pictures? I have a really neat camera that can take pictures of your bones."

"My bones!?"

"And they don't even cut you open for it," Sephiroth said with a smile. "It's pretty damn cool. Can he take one home as a souvenir?"

Doctor Gast laughed and shook his head. "Yes, I suppose we can make an extra copy."

Despite being initially not quite sure about the doctor, Cloud was feeling fairly comfortable by the time Doctor Gast had taken a bunch of pictures with a machine that made a clonking noise, then poked him with some needles and drawn a bunch of blood. Cloud had been allowed to listen to everyone's heartbeat and breathing with the stethoscope, including his own, and he wondered if he might be able to get one for when he was feeling scared. The rhythmic noises were calming. Doctor Gast had a joke for every procedure, and something made him laugh every time there might have been some pain.

"Do you think you could let me look between your legs, Cloud?" Doctor Gast asked after they had been there for a while. "You don't need to be naked. You can wear a gown and I'll have a sheet to cover you up with so I only see what I absolutely need to see."

"Will you just look?"

"If you'll let me, it would be very helpful if I could touch a little bit. I'd put two fingers inside of you, using a glove and some lubricant so it doesn't hurt, and then I would press on your belly with my other hand so I can feel your organs and make sure they're okay. Then I'd use this device, called a speculum, to open you up so I can use a swab to take a sample from inside. It's a little bit uncomfortable, but it doesn't take very long. Then it will be over and you'd be able to get dressed again."

Cloud looked to Sephiroth, who had remained fairly silent through everything they'd done. "It's a good thing? If I say yes?"

"It's a very good thing. Checkups like this are an important part of staying healthy. If Doctor Gast finds a small problem, he'll be able to treat it right away rather than waiting until the point where it's making you sick. I go for a very similar checkup every year. It isn't pleasant, but it's a good thing to do."

"What do they do at your checkup?"

Sephiroth laughed. "I get fingers up my bum and a swab in my penis. I don't like it at all."

Cloud gave him a small smile, feeling slightly less terrified to know that it was normal for Sephiroth as well. "O—okay. I'll do it. But can I use the stethoscope again?"

XXX

Sephiroth concentrated on keeping his breathing steady for Cloud as he moved the stethoscope around on his chest while the doctor did what he needed. It was a good distraction. After what Tseng had said about Cloud needing to learn to cope with his trauma, this seemed like a good step forward. Cloud was learning his own methods of dealing with things he was frightened of.

That was good. He knew he would much prefer to have Cloud wanting his purring because it made him feel comfortable and connected to him, rather than because it made him not panic.

"And you're all done, Cloud. You did really well." Doctor Gast lowered the sheet again and rolled his stool back. "Go ahead and get dressed, and then we'll have a talk in my office. Do you still want Sephiroth with you?"

"Yes." Cloud was surprisingly assertive.

"Okay, we'll just wait outside for you while you get dressed."

Sephiroth gave Cloud's hand one more squeeze, then followed the doctor out.

"I'm glad he wants you with him," Doctor Gast said quietly while they waited, "but this isn't going to be easy to hear. I need you to stay calm for him."

He took a deep breath and nodded. "I'll do my best. He's told me at least some of what happened to him already."

"Well, that's something. He's seeing Doctor Aerith after this?"

"Yes, just to meet her."

"Good. I'm sure his mental scars are worse than his physical ones, and he has plenty of those."

Cloud opened the door and came out, blushing shyly. He held out the stethoscope. "Thank you."

"I'd like you to hang onto that. I have another, so I think it would be good for you to have it. Come now, let's go sit down."

"I can really keep it? Th—thank you."

The doctor's office had a comfortable couch in it, and Cloud curled up next to him with the stethoscope draped around his neck.

"Now, Cloud, I understand from Sephiroth's report that you've been able to gain a bit of weight since he first met you. That's really good, and I'd like you to keep eating well. I'm going to put you on a monitored diet that will help you gain the rest of the weight that you need and ensure that you're getting enough of the right nutrients. It's also a good way for you to learn what a healthy meal should look like and will help you expand your palette—the variety of foods you like to eat. Try things a few times at least, and then if there's anything that you really don't like, just set it aside or tell your roommate and the cooks will adjust. Your meals will be delivered to your apartment three times a day for the next month, and then we'll re-evaluate."

"What if he's going out?" Sephiroth asked. "He needs to start getting to know people soon."

"That's fine, your roommate will be able to help you cancel a meal when you need to. You can also ask for another if you'd like to eat in with someone. I would like you to have at least two meals a day at home, however."

Sephiroth nodded in satisfaction. He understood the importance of Cloud following the diet, but had been looking forward to taking Cloud out for a meal that wasn't trail rations or foraged.

"Do you have any questions about the diet, Cloud?"

Cloud shook his head, so the doctor pulled out the folder with the x-rays.

"These are the pictures I took of you." He clipped them into the light panels and flicked them on. "They look pretty good, but there are a couple of things I'd like to ask about so we can get a more complete picture of your health. These are your ribs here, and it looks like some of them have been broken at some point. Do you know what happened? An injury like this would have made it very painful to breathe."

"I was bad," he said softly. "I went outside without permission."

"I see. Do you remember how long ago it was? And maybe how long it took to stop hurting?"

"The first time … I think I was ten. I don't remember how long it took."

Sephiroth suppressed a growl. The first time? He held Cloud close as he explained the second and third times when his beatings had caused that type of pain. Doctor Gast then put up the x-ray of his head, and Cloud told them that he had fainted because he was hungry after a heat and seemed to recall something about a skull fracture. At least they had been forced to let him see a doctor for that.

He felt sick with anger, but was doing his best to not show it, by the time Doctor Gast moved on to discussing the scarring he had seen when he examined Cloud's genitals. The incident with the switch hadn't happened just once, either. Cloud assured them, crying, that he hadn't touched himself since the first time, but the mayor gave him regular 'reminders' that he was bad. He couldn't keep himself from pulling Cloud into his lap and purring for him until they had both calmed down.

Doctor Gast was waiting patiently when he finally stopped. "I'm going to say this again and again, Cloud, until you can truly believe it in your heart. You are good. What was done to you was wrong. It was abuse and assault. You did not deserve it."

Sephiroth nodded as he wiped away their tears. "I won't let anyone hurt you again, I promise."

"It will take time and effort, but we're going to give you all the support you need. You will be okay, Cloud. There will be a day, hopefully soon, when all of that will just be a memory and you'll know that you're safe and loved and that your body is a wonderful thing that brings you joy."

Cloud gave them a small smile. "Thank you. I—I want that."

"It will happen, and until then, don't hesitate to rely on your support network. I'm part of that network, and you can always make an appointment with me if you have any concerns or questions. Your scarring is severe, but Sephiroth didn't say it interfered with your ability to have intercourse during your heat at all, correct?"

Sephiroth nodded. "I didn't notice anything wrong, and he wasn't in pain except for the first knot. The intercourse we had was entirely heat-driven though, so …"

"I think things will be fine, but if you ever notice it hurting, during intercourse, masturbation, or otherwise, come see me right away."

"Okay."

"Now, just a couple last things to talk about before I let you go. Namely, personal hygiene. Some omegas are told to clean inside their vaginas using soap or other chemicals. I suspect that's not something you do, but you should know that it's not necessary. Your vagina keeps itself clean on its own, and putting soap in it disturbs its natural balance. Your new home will have a bottle of this in the shower for washing your body." He held out a picture of the wash that was the most popular among omegas. "You can clean the outside of your vaginal area using it, just rinse it off thoroughly with warm, not hot water, and pat yourself dry with a clean towel. Nothing more is necessary. If something ever doesn't feel right, come see me and we'll figure out what the problem is."

Doctor Gast showed Cloud several pictures that depicted how to wash all of his genitals. Cloud leaned forward curiously and ran his fingers over them with interest as Gast explained.

"When you're feeling more comfortable with your body, you might want to consider using a small mirror to have a good look at yourself on a regular basis. Learn what you look and feel like, and that way you can notice any changes. Now, your teeth looked pretty good, but we'll make you an appointment with a dentist in a week or two after you've had a chance to settle in. They'll clean your teeth and check for any cavities or other problems, and also show you how to brush and floss properly."

"Okay." Cloud still seemed a bit distracted by the pictures, and Sephiroth wondered if an erotic magazine might not help Cloud start to understand that his body was normal and attractive. Nothing over-the-top or raunchy, but something a little more sexual than a tightly cropped medical picture of an omega pulling back his foreskin to wash it might be good.

XXX

Cloud took a deep breath when they finally left the doctor's office. How much longer until he could go to sleep? He understood now why they had stayed at an inn right outside the city. Trying to do this after a full day's ride would have been so much worse.

"The visit to Doctor Aerith will be quick and painless, I promise," Sephiroth said sympathetically as he helped him up onto Birdy.

"And then I see my apartment and meet my roommate? What will he be like?"

"I'm not sure who your roommate is, but I know that he'll be kind. People who volunteer to live with omegas who've been rescued take lessons from the Turks on how to behave. He'll make sure you have what you need and that you know the things you need to know, but he won't overwhelm you like I sometimes do."

"Huh …" Cloud put the earpieces of his stethoscope in and listened to his own heartbeat as they rode through the busy streets. He was glad to know that his roommate had wanted the position. He didn't like being an unwanted burden.

The ride to their next destination was short, and Sephiroth came to a stop in front of a huge building. It had double doors that could have fit four chocobos comfortably side by side, and they reached up far higher than that. Some of the windows didn't have glass in them, but those that did had coloured glass that formed pictures or pretty patterns. A beta woman stood outside, and she waved as Sephiroth dismounted and lifted him down. She was the prettiest woman he'd ever seen.

"I was beginning to think you'd never show!" she called to them in a pleasant voice.

"Doctor Gast ran a bit long," Sephiroth explained. "Do you still have time?"

"Of course. Hi, Cloud, my name's Aerith. It's wonderful to meet you."

"Not—Not Doctor?"

She shook her head, and her long ponytail swung from side to side. "I am a doctor, but just Aerith is fine. Come on in. I won't keep him long," she added to Sephiroth.

"Sephiroth can't come?" he asked, suddenly frightened.

"He can if you really want him to this time, but no, not normally. Our meetings will be just for you and me for now. I promise I don't bite."

Cloud shook his head and backed away. He didn't want to be alone with a beta.

"I'll come in this time," Sephiroth said, asserting his decision for him. "It's been a difficult enough day already."

"All right." Aerith turned and pulled open one of the big doors. Cloud stared in shock at the inside, if that was the right word.

There was no roof on the building, although there were beams that indicated there had once been one. Instead of furniture, there was a big pool of water surrounded by flowers. Sunlight shone in from above, and also through the coloured glass, changing the colour of the light.

"What …?"

"This is my office. If the weather's bad, there's a room in back that has the socially acceptable number of roofs, but otherwise, this is where we'll meet. Now, for today, I just want to explain what our sessions will be like so you don't need to worry. I'll always meet you outside, so please don't come in on your own. Because there's no other barrier, I don't want people knocking or walking in, just in case I'm with a patient. There are some comfortable chairs around the side where you can wait if I'm running late."

"I understand." He was glad that people weren't allowed to just come in. He assumed the same rule would apply during his sessions.

"When we meet, we can talk about anything you'd like. We don't even have to talk at all if you don't want to. Sometimes I think it's nice to sit in the flowers and just have a think. But I'd like to get to know you. You can tell me about your past, or how you're spending your days, or plans you're considering for the future. You can tell me about your trip here. I've never left Midgar, so I like to hear about other places. You can come to me with any worries or problems that you're not sure how to deal with. I can give you suggestions and advice. I can help you get to know yourself, so you can understand your feelings and emotions and learn how to overcome the terrible things that have been done to you and live a happy life. Do you think that sounds okay?"

"Umm, yeah." For some reason, the confidence that Aerith spoke with made her seem not so scary. Even though she was a beta, he wondered if it might not be okay if Sephiroth wasn't there. The alpha had put a fair bit of distance between them as Aerith had been speaking, but he didn't feel the urge to go to him for comfort or protection.

"Good. I'm so glad. While we talk, I'm going to be taking some notes, writing down both what you say and my thoughts about it. The notes are confidential. That means that no one but you and I are allowed to see them. Can you read?"

Cloud blushed and shook his head.

"That's okay, I'm sure you'll learn soon. Shinra has some very good teachers. When you do, you can read them any time, and until then, you can ask and I'll read them to you. And like the notes, I won't tell anyone else what you say to me. However, I know that you have to find a mate soon, which is a stressful time for many omegas. If the alphas are doing something that bothers or upsets you, I will absolutely tell them to stop. I won't tell them why, or give them any details, but I won't sit by and let them make you feel uncomfortable."

"That—if something scares me, could I tell you, and you would tell them?" Cloud asked.

"I most certainly will. Alphas are usually pretty decent people, but they can also be dumb as rocks when they're going after a mate. They don't always pick up on hints until it's too late and damage is done, and I know that saying things directly in that sort of situation can be intimidating for even the most confident of omegas. Does that make looking for a mate seem a little bit less frightening?"

"Yes. I just ..." He trailed off and shrugged. "Saying I don't want it just gets me in trouble."

"I understand. While that's not the case here, saying no takes a lot of practice. So let's practice. Little by little, bit by bit, you'll get there. And while you're getting there, I'll help fill in the gaps. Let's work together, Cloud. Let me help you build the life you deserve."