Murphy's Law Become Reality (or The Incarnation of the Potter's Luck)

by dragonqueen909

Translation fic La Loi de Murphy Devenue Réalité (Ou L'incarnation de la Chance Potter) Soulmates are considered a legend. Yet even across different worlds, they can find each other, and sometimes, especially when the Goddesses agree, meet. Some are so broken that only the link can allow them to hold on... especially when dreams are the only way to communicate.WARNING RAPE/SEX

5. Fragments of Fire Part 2

Chapter 4: Fragments of Fire - Part 2

Genesis fought against the urge to throw a fireball at his alarm clock when it started to ring, finishing waking him up and not helping his mood. Fighting the urge to pull his hair out, or throw his alarm clock against the wall, he stood up, dressing quickly with furious gestures. Flower's life… reminded him more and more of Sephiroth's… with a few details of difference. But both... had had a difficult life, which wasn't looking like it was stopping. Isolated most often, with tests too heavy for their shoulders, which gradually became worse and worse. And no one doing anything to help them, he realized suddenly. Making his decision, he decided to help the General more often with his paperwork. Yes, he hated paperwork with a passion... which didn't stop him from seeing his friend's exhaustion under his workload.

It wasn't much, he knew, but even this little could help the silver haired man, if only by showing him that he wasn't alone. And that might help him feel less helpless, he told himself as he went to get breakfast, feeling a little calmer because of his decision.

Then heading for his office, he glanced disgustedly at the piles of documents on it. He hated paperwork, but with his job, he couldn't escape it. The only good point was that he rarely had silly requests, people having learned the hard way that his already short patience was non-existent for bullshit. Genesis suddenly frowned as he read a mission report. This group had apparently been sent on a mission to exterminate monsters, but the number of wounded in the unit was abnormally high… especially taking into account the fact that they should have easily got out if they had worked as a team as they learned. Reading more carefully, his anger started to burn again when he realized that one of the 3rd Classes was responsible for the fact that his companions had been injured. Apparently, the idiot believed himself to be so much better than the others that he had ignored the instructions of the 2nd Class who was with them, even allowing himself to contradict orders. Miraculously, no one was dead, but there were several seriously injured. And the worst part was that this fool blamed the others.

Genesis gently placed the sheet on the desk before grabbing Rapier, placing it behind his back without hesitation, and calmly left his desk. The people he encountered in the halls immediately cleared his path, staring at him with some concern. Most were on the verge of running when they saw a strangely dark Coeurl walking down the halls, his vibrissos crackling with static electricity, before blinking, and seeing Commander Rhapsodos in its place. His expression was strangely calm, but there was like an... aura of danger emanating from him as he strode down the halls.

Arriving at the cafeteria, he ignored everyone as he scanned the room for his prey. His voice rose calmly, asking where the 3rd Class Dirk Garlost was. The people hurriedly strayed from his path, clearing a passage in the right direction. Seeing him in the corner, and especially as he had his back turned to him, a slight evil smile appeared on his lips as he walked towards him. He ignored the panicked signs of the 3rd Class SOLDIERS who were with his target, who didn't seemed to have noticed anything, even as those who were sitting next to him moved away as discreetly as possible... until his hand fell on his shoulder, making him jump in surprise.

The SOLDIER in question swallowed when he saw the Scarlet Commander dominate him with his presence, a disturbing smile on his lips. The general consensus in the SOLDIER from the moment you entered the program was to avoid getting his attention as much as possible. Known for his explosive temper and his habit of swinging fireballs like confetti, few were those who wanted to attract his attention... because it was rarely positive. And if he judged by the smile on his face… he was good to go update his will.

Genesis effortlessly lifted him from his seat, before literally dragging him out of the cafeteria, the SOLDIER, pale as a dead man, not even daring to resist or protest. It was rumored that Commander Rhapsodos could be even more vicious if they tried. It didn't diminish his bad feeling, especially when the Commander dragged him into a VR room, calmly locking the door behind them. Finally letting go, he walked over to the console to start the simulation, calmly speaking during this time.

"So, 3rd Class Garlost, you really think you know more than a Second Class? Who's not only stronger than you, but also more experienced? Well... let's see how it goes," he said, activating the simulation without even looking at him.

The half hour that followed saw him face the same monsters as on his last mission, causing him to cry out in pain many times as the latter repeatedly hit him. Between hits, he could see Commander Rhapsodos leaning against a rock, Loveless in his hands, reading the book for the umpteenth time. Ignoring completely what was happening next to him, taking his sword in hand only to kill those who approached him, without even looking up from the volume.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity to him, the Scarlet Commander paused the simulation, looking at him coldly.

"So... SOLDIER Garlost... do you have anything to say about your behavior? Or do you prefer to maintain your statement?"

Dirk was unfortunately too narrow-minded for his own good, and continued to blame the other members of his unit, sinking even further, until Genesis cut him off by closing his book with a sharp gesture, putting it in the inside pocket of his coat. Grabbing Rapier, he moved away from the rock he had been leaning on until then, spinning it in the air with a supernatural calm for the explosive pyroman he was, and Garlost felt a shiver of terror run across his back. He was fucked.

And the Commander Rhapsodos began to methodically kick his ass, being careful not to hurt him more seriously than he had already suffered, but humiliating him completely with his strength and superior technique. The blows were carefully calculated to give him maximum humiliation with minimum injuries. Whenever he found himself on the ground, his superior ordered him to stand up, and he did his best to obey as quickly as he could, his hair burnt in places testifying to the times when he had failed to stand up again fast enough.

Finally, after an indefinite time, he broke down, and began to beg for the Pyro Commander to stop. Swearing that he would apologize to others and never do it again. Not that he fully intended to do so, but he was more or less ready to give up his pride so that the madman who served as his superior would stop.

Genesis paused, looking at him for a long time, before taking out his PHS and stopping the simulation, much to the relief of his punching bag of the moment. Who gulped when he saw the impassive expression of the redhead, especially when a devilish smile stretched his lips.

"Strangely... I don't feel like you're being completely sincere, SOLDIER. But I know a very simple way to make sure you keep your word. Follow me," he ordered, turning away, heading for the door.

Garlost swallowed again before hastening to obey, not wanting to rekindle the fire of anger in the Commander. He was aware of how fortunate he had been to get out of it almost whole, and didn't want to jeopardize his good fortune.

The cadets waiting outside the room hurriedly pulled away as they saw Genesis coming out of the room, the instructors shaking their heads when they saw who was following him. It wasn't for lack of warning him, though. Ignoring the two men who were leaving, they brought in the cadets, having lost enough time like that.

Quickly walking forward, Genesis made his way to Sephiroth's office. Knocking on the door, he entered as soon as the silver haired man gave him permission. Raising an eyebrow at the 3rd class in poor condition, which followed the redhead fearfully, he looked at his friend, waiting for an explanation.

"Sephiroth... this SOLDIER is on mail duty," says Genesis simply, without losing his evil smile.

The concerned fought against the urge to piss himself seeing a similar smile appear on the lips of the Icy General, despite the relieved confusion he felt. Why this expression for a simple mail duty? Although he remembered that those who had suffered this punishment refused to speak about it, trembling like leaves as soon as the simple word "mail" was spoken. As if they were traumatized. His confusion didn't get better when the General took a piece of paper from one of his drawers, signing it quickly after asking the Scarlet Commander how long the punishment should last. A month of opening and sorting mail didn't seem so bad, he told himself while following Genesis to the mail sorting center.

Opening the door of a room on the side, the latter entered, still followed by the confused SOLDIER, who vaguely noticed the numerous packages and letters everywhere... and the enormous trash baskets located around the tables. Scanning the room, Genesis raised his voice, speaking to one of those present.

"Wilson! Your replacement has arrived, you can go. I hope you have learned the lesson?" He asked towards the concerned man, who looked like someone who had just seen Minerva in person.

"Yes, my Commander!" He exclaimed fervently. "I have understood the lesson my Commander!"

He then grabbed his things, and literally fled the room, making Garlost open wide eyes. What was going on in this room? He wondered fearfully, getting a bad feeling, accentuated by the expression of desperate resignation of the other SOLDIERS present. Genesis' shadow falling on him immediately brought him out of his thoughts, and he instinctively stood by, shivering in fear at the blue eyes that stared at him coldly.

"Here is your new assignment for the next month, SOLDIER. And, just to warn you... any attempt to rush through your work will add up to a week each time. Is this understood?"

"Yes Commander!" Squeaked Garlost, terrified.

"Good," said Genesis with satisfaction. "In this case, I leave you here."

And he did exactly that, turning around and leaving, closing the door behind him. Garlost gulped when he saw the look of the Turk who was overseeing it all, an amused glint in his eyes, his expression otherwise impassive. The latter pointed to the place Wilson had just vacated, snapped him out of his thoughts.

"You should get started, the mail is not going to open itself. Wilson was working on Commander Rhapsodos' mail, by the way. So be careful."

Garlost looked at him with incomprehension, but did so, going to stand in the empty place. His confusion only lasted until the first package was opened. And there, he sincerely regretted having been an idiot.

When he returned to his dorm that night, he was on the verge of hysteria, desperate to realize that he still had a whole month to go. His roommates looked at him with incomprehension at his condition.

"Dude, what happened to get you in this state?" Asked one of his friends.

"I found myself doing mail duty. Fan mail!" Garlost replied, trembling with disgust and horror mixed.

The others looked at each other without understanding.

"What's so horrible about that?" Asked another, frowning. "You just open letters and parcels, right?"

Garlost trembled again in response.

"Dude, I ended up with my fingers full of jizz because someone saw fit to send a used naughty calendar to Commander Rhapsodos!" He replied, unable to stop his voice from going high. "Without counting the panties of various dirty conditions! I think I'm going to be sick," he groaned pitifully, pale as death. "Seriously, guys, whatever you do... don't end up getting mail duty!" He begged, his complexion greenish.

The others looked at him with incomprehension, wondering if he was not leading them by the nose. But his traumatized expression was too sincere for that, and they exchanged uncomfortable looks.

Meanwhile, Genesis had returned to his office, now feeling a little better after his actions. Some might have thought that he was too harsh on his punishments, but... the Scarlet Mage hated those who hurt others because of their own incompetence or stupidity... like that idiot who had supposedly "taught" Flower during a year. It was only by pure luck that everything had ended well for her. He shook his head in spite of himself with a certain disgust. That idiot was lucky to have erased his own memory. Otherwise... Genesis would have been happy to let him know his thought, he said to himself, sitting down at his desk, putting away the report that had pushed him out in the first place in the folder where he put those who drew his attention to precisely this kind of behavior.

Even if he doubted that the idiot would start again after opening his fan mail for a month, he thought with a wicked smile. His mail was considered the worst of that punishment, his fans being of both sexes. He chuckled softly as he resumed work, listening distractedly to the radio.

oOo

Genesis looked at the laptop with some surprise. How could Flower be able to afford something so expensive? He knew she apparently had money, in her own words, but to the point where she could afford this? He couldn't restrain a slight grimace, however, in front of the dirtiness of the computer, seeing stains on the keyboard as well as the screen, as if she had drunk or eaten in front, without counting the dust which had apparently accumulated on it. To believe that she could afford to treat it with such lightness. Even he was careful with his own laptop… just like Sephiroth. Taking great care of it.

His attention was briefly drawn to her hands who were writing on the keyboard, noticing with a certain stupor that they didn't seem to belong to Flower… too big, like those of an adult, and especially not having the scars of those of the teenage girl, before he was distracted by her grumbling about her long hair under the headset she was wearing, adjusting it, before replying with sarcasm to a woman's voice telling her to cut her hair, amused, that it wasn't yet the time for his biennial haircut, making him blink with astonishment, and laugh this person as well as another. Then Flower began to click quickly several times, too fast for him to have the time to distinguish what was written with certainty, and to launch... a cartoon? Genesis wondered incredulously which rich kid could treat something so expensive indifferently... and especially watch a cartoon on it?

However, he blinked in surprise when he saw the features of the characters... and what were these critters? The man he could see at the start of the movie didn't inspire trust in him, however, especially seeing the way he trapped the firebird. It was outright cruelty. And, if he trusted what he saw... two more of these birds were also his targets. The song that resounded right after this scene, even as he saw a strange silhouette underwater... made him strangely think of the song of a whale, slightly deformed, but strangely beautiful. The redhead tilted his head to the side with some interest when he saw the strange creatures coming out of red and white balls, about half bigger than the size of a Materia. A snicker escaped him in front of the little electric mouse... even if its concerned air puzzled him. The fact that he couldn't understand what they were saying, apart from a few words here and there, the language strongly resembling Wutai, was particularly annoying. And what was apparently subtitles was totally incomprehensible, the language looking like nothing he knew... except what were probably the names of the people who apparently worked on the movie.

An annoyed growl escaped him mentally, even as he tried to follow the movie, the visuals clear enough that he could understand most of the plot. He burst out laughing despite all seeing the couple with their… speaking cat(?) in their submarine in the shape of a giant fish. Their desperate expression when they saw they were heading straight for the cliff was hilarious.

The animals' behavior in the story, however, intrigued him greatly. The latter seemed to have felt that something had happened... as if the natural balance had been disturbed by the capture of the firebird. He snickered when he saw the shock of the old scientist (who seemed infinitely more bearable than Hojo or Hollander) when the creatures moving in the ground lifted him with his bike, forcing him to abandon it to jump on the nearby fence, taking away his means of transport. Genesis noted despite everything that he seemed concerned about the phenomenon, which was obviously not normal in the story. Not to mention clearly extreme weather events. Kinda like the snow in summer. Or the northern lights at the wrong latitude.

The scene with the strange costumes almost gave him a heart attack by its suddenness, even if he quickly realized that it was clearly a traditional celebration. The little rebel made him laugh with her attitude, which pleased him enough. She clearly had a fire in her. He watched the party with curiosity, before blinking with some surprise when he heard the rebel playing her musical instrument. An… ocarina if he was not mistaken. Why did the music seem so familiar to him? He frowned when he saw her grab fruits to put it in front of the boy with the cap, suspecting that it had a meaning, but barely understanding beside the word "treasure". What was the connection?

He chuckled, however, on seeing "Pikachu" grabbing his master's cap, running away with it to force him to follow him. The facepalm when he saw him rush immediately into the night, however, would certainly have hurt him if he had been in his own body. Especially seeing the storm starting. But what an idea to do that! Not to mention the others who went after them, making him shake his head. He snickered when he saw the couple and the talking cat on the other hand. They were still lucky after their "shipwreck" to reach the mainland. On the other hand... they were obstinate to embark immediately on the second boat... and without the small group of teenagers seeing them. A slightly amused sniff escaped him at the almost cute little cries of the talking egg that the redhead held in her arms. Even if it looked more like a chick than anything else.

He watched the following scenes carefully, noticing how the disturbances were getting worse now that the firebird was trapped, that the one of... lightning? perhaps? seeming to extend its influence over the territory of his companion, if he relied on the yellow squares spanning the sort of chessboard of the early man. Genesis tilted his head to the side, intrigued, seeing the kind of current displayed on the cartoon's television, realizing that it confirmed his suspicions. Apparently there was a balance between fire, ice and lightning, and the capture of the fire had destabilized everything.

He suddenly noticed that the woman with the old scientific sported a striking resemblance to the kid in the cap and yellow mouse, and the redhead wondered if she wasn't his mother. In any case, she seemed very worried about her son, and he couldn't hold back a touch of painful envy, even knowing that it was only a cartoon, probably for children if he trusted the animation. The video call to the scientist's computer made him half cackles, mostly because of the panicked boy he could see coming and going behind the blasé looking woman who was speaking, her words seeming to make the scientist realise something, if he judged by his shock.

Meanwhile, visibly, the boy in the cap continued on his way on the raging sea, the pilot of the boat clearly doing her best... until the rudder was torn off by a rocky pillar when it was propelled into the air by a wave, making it uncontrollable. Another wave propelled them far on the bank, causing them to fall from the command post, the boy still succeeding in catching his rodent, clinging to what looked like a communication , they had landed almost at the foot of a long stone staircase ... which the mouse took without hesitating for a second when its master jumped to the ground, peeping to get his attention. The latter left in pursuit without hesitation, despite the worried calls of the young woman who steered the boat. Obviously, he understood his companion well enough to know that he was telling him something important, despite the language barrier.

The second ship was close behind them, the teenager still in her festival dress at the controls, focused on navigation. In spite of himself, he chuckled at the panicked expression of the illegally embarked trio as the boat literally surfed along a roll, practically lying on its side, the teenagers seeming to be half teasing, probably to keep their nerves under control. They ended up coming out of the roll… shortly before a wave propelled them into the air, making the boat turn on itself… and taking off the trio which had stowaway, clinging to a tarpaulin, making him half laugh, worried despite himself for the teenagers. Fortunately, the boat fell back on the water in the right direction, continuing towards the island without any problems.

He sniffled with some amusement when he saw the woman who had accompanied the boy make herself a coffee with a small snack... just before everything started to tremble for her, knocking down the stove and the bread placed on a cooler with the lid kept horizontal with the system D. At least she was sheltered from the elements in her cabin, he could see, unable to hold back some amusement in front of the situation. She seemed quite surprised to see the second boat with the teenagers, the latter stuck atop a rocky pillar. They exchanged a few words, until the second boat started to slide, causing panic in the brunette and redhead, their captain however remaining in control, acting without hesitation. Pulling on a lever located under the dashboard, it caused the opening of the bumps that had intrigued him so much on the hull of the boat, where the deck should have been.

He watched the mast deploy with some admiring surprise at the ingenuity of the boat, especially when the wind literally propelled the ship up the stairs, the teenager directing it completely focused on its handling. The others seemed just as surprised by the phenomenon, while also being relieved, especially when the wind began to move them on the stone steps, making him wince imagining the damage on the hull. Fortunately it was a cartoon for kids!

However, he gritted his teeth when he saw the firebird continue to struggle in his prison. The story had better end well, or he would sue the movie producers! He was distracted from this futile thought by the appearance of a hologram... representing a bird? Yellow in color, whose wings had a strange shape. Lightning seemed to run over its body, and he wondered if it wasn't the lightning bird.

During this time, the boy continued to run behind his mouse, which rushed itself up the stairs, keeping its lead. His exasperated calls made Genesis understand that the boy was certainly asking it where it was going, but the mouse was obviously turning a deaf ear to his calls. He laughed, however, at the trio hidden behind a rock, the latter giving the impression of being stereotypical villains. They were still fun, he thought, smiling when he saw them laughing.

Finally, the teenager arrived in a sort of... crater, in which was a thick mist, and where a stone protrusion was visible, like the prow of a ship. At the end of it was a kind of altar, to which the mouse immediately went, climbing on it and attracting the attention of its master on a small crystalline sphere a little larger than a Materia. It was in the... beak? of a statue representing a bird, probably that of fire if he judged by the sculpture. The boy took hold of the sphere without hesitation, struggling to free it from its support, almost losing his balance when he finally got there. Then he walked away, suddenly looking at the sphere he was holding. It was orange like fire, a flame dancing inside, to Genesis utmost fascination.

The mouse then began to act up, heading for the stairs, followed by his master... until the idiotic trio appeared, at the boy's obvious exasperation. And he was right to think that they looked like stereotypical villains, given their rather ridiculous behavior... before exploding with laughter seeing their panicked expression when the sailing boat appeared at the top of the stairs, fleeing at full speed to not end up crushed. Just like the boy, making him cackles without being able to help it. The ship stopped fairly quickly, the teenage girls on it scolding the boy who seemed rather disconcerted, before the redhead got upset at something the other girl said to her... the woman from the villains trio apparently coming to put her grain of salt, to the amusement of her companions, which she snap back to with anger, causing them to burst out laughing.

The next second, lightning flashed over the edge of the crater, the lightning bird appearing the next moment, uttering hoarse cries while dropping the lightning under him, forcing people on the ground to take refuge under the boat. Genesis noticed with some interest the way some of the pillars began to glow, lightning-streaked, when the lightning created by the bird fell on them. Like... like he was taking control? The bird circled around the crater, as if to establish its domination over the place, before coming to perch on the altar of the firebird, while the electric mouse began to... attack it? The redhead shook his head in front of the scene, especially when he saw that its attacks were being dismissed. The mouse didn't give up, however, until it had the bird's attention.

During this time, a strange bluish glow had started to emanate from the ground, almost giving the impression that someone had tampered with gravity, judging by the way the characters' clothes and hair were lifted. The lightning continued to pass through the atmosphere, fascinating him, and making him regret not understanding what was being said. Finally, the bird seemed to notice the presence of the mouse, and turned its attention in its direction, spreading its wings and emitting a strong electric current in its direction. The cat began to speak in rhythm with the bird, as if... translating its words? The lightning then flashed from everywhere, making him blink in shock. This animal... seemed to have near perfect control over the electricity, like he himself had over fire.

The general panic made him snicker... until his amusement was cut short by the absorption of electricity by the clouds, which made him frown. He swore softly when he saw the movie villain's flying fortress slowly descend from the clouds, absorbing the bird's electricity. He had to admit it, it was an ingenious tactic. Absorbing the animal's energy would weaken it, making it more vulnerable and susceptible to capture. This was proven soon after when the same objects that had captured the firebird emerged from the growth under the flying ship, rushing at the creature. Mentally, he decided to call it Lightning, and his companion Fire.

Lightning, therefore, fought its best against capture, causing that of the humans and their companions ashore at the same time, were captured with the boat. But the situation was a forgone conclusion, and it ended up being a prisoner too. The scene then passed over the man, and Genesis frowned when he saw the sort of... pawn? which was shaped like a blue bird, probably the last of the trio. The second pawn that appeared next to it, however, had a very different shape, and he could have sworn that the man had said the word "king." Was it the leader of the trio? The song that resounded right after that seemed to confirm this intuition, especially seeing the silhouette underwater, the current seeming to be losing more and more of its shape, unable to continue to do its job.

Back in the flying fortress, the synthetic voice seemed to announce something, probably the capture of the small group of people. The latter were locked in a cage, between Fire (which had apparently ceased to struggle) and Lightning, and with a kind of pedestal containing a stone tablet engraved in an incomprehensible language, to his greatest frustration. The girl in the suit looked like she was reading the tablet, but that didn't make her more understandable, driving him almost mad for not being able to understand anything. The man coming down from the ceiling painted with angels made him sniff contemptuously. Everything in appearance, nothing in ability, even if he didn't seem totally stupid. The redhead seemed as furious as Genesis, and started inciendiating their jailer, who replied with selfless phlegm. The Commander would have gladly put his fist in his face, especially when he saw the cavalier way he treated living beings.

He snickered softly as he saw him make the mistake of releasing the small group before Ice hologram appeared, causing him to rise to his throne. If he imagined that this small eclectic group was going to do nothing... he would stick his finger in his eye. He shivered in spite of himself, however, seeing the snowstorm cover the world, Ice completely raging and freezing everything in its path. Including the angry sea. A hiss escaped him when he saw the kind of report on television, showing hundreds of creatures swimming or flying in the same direction, probably towards the archipelago shown just before, which seemed to be the epicenter of the climate catastrophe. And still more apparently gathered on the shore, fixing the direction of the islands in question, motionless and silent.

The scene then passed inside a helicopter flying overhead, in which were the scientists he had seen on videoconference, as well as the mother of the… hero, probably. He looked with interest at the scientist's drawings, which confirmed his suspicions. The combination of the three elements, water + ice + lightning, was what gave birth to this underwater current which he had seen at the beginning... and which was falling apart because it was no longer fed. The woman scientist added her opinion, but her words being incomprehensible to the redhead, he ignored it more quickly. The hero's mother spoke as well, but her worried tone allowed Genesis to understand what worried her most.

The next scene showed the day breaking over a frozen sea, and over the raging bird of ice, continuing to spit frozen lightning around it, before passing over the interior of the flying fortress, and the people brought in against their will. The girl in the costume seemed to read the stone with emphasis, drawing the attention of the others, who gathered around her. The brief discussion made him frown, before they climbed into his bangs when he saw the hero literally charge Fire's prison, which had no reaction, apparently resigned. The shock sent the boy to the ground, without this seeming to discourage him, on the contrary. Genesis... could only admire the character for his persistence.

During this time, the ice bird found itself facing the fortress, the turret below descending and starting to send fireballs in its direction. The blue bird skillfully avoided all the balls of flame, adding more ice to the sea as it flew over it. The redhead blinked, however, surprised to see the almost solid fireballs pierce through the thick layer, before catching a glimpse of the strange dragon again under the sea, its song resonating again... before it came out of the current and spinning around, creating an underwater tornado that rose slowly to the surface.

The scene then returned to Fire, still a prisoner, before lightning strikes its electric prison, the electric mouse (Pikachu?) sending lightning, probably to try to free it. Without success, what pushed his master to bring out his strange dragon, whose tip of the tail burned with force, intriguing Genesis. He joined his strength without hesitation to that of Pikachu, opening Fire's disinterested eye. It still wasn't enough, and the redhead seemed to point that out too. Meanwhile, the trio of villains (probably not that bad, he noted with amusement) seemed to decide that they too wanted to help... and the man sent an... ugly purple thing resembling two hideous heads stuck to each other attacking Lightning's prison... without any success. The feline seemed to get angry at the creature, before the woman released something resembling a Midgardsormr baby... capable of spitting needles like a Pampa, to his surprise.

Meanwhile, the teenager, apparently frustrated with the lack of progress on his side, pulled two other creatures out of his two-color balls. A kind of little turtle spitting water... and something like a... frog?! with a large plant bulb on its back. They began to attack without hesitation, spitting water in the same place as the other two were already attacking, the toad's vines hitting right next to it. Genesis noticed with interest the thoughtful way in which the second boy accompanying the hero and the redhead began to speak, seeming to describe something (even if the subtitles spoiled a little everything) before shouting something with a panicked air… just before an explosion occurs. Opening a hole in the outer wall.

Back inside, the redhead noted with satisfaction that Fire was free… before swearing when he began to spit a torrent of flames on Lightning, who was trying to free himself from his own prison. Apparently, the flames delivered the final blow to the latter, releasing him, and the two birds fled without hesitation, enlarging the hole in the wall... after starting to fight between themselves, making him do a facepalm. By Minerva… as if it was the time! He groaned to himself. Before shaking his head in despair when they saw them attacking the flying fortress. He could understand the desire for revenge after what their jailer had done to them, but those who had rescued them were still inside!

Very quickly, the damage was such that the AI controlling the fortress was forced to land them in an emergency, causing even more serious damage to the structure. He almost laughed, however, when he saw them rolling down a large metal plate from the outer ring. It was pretty ridiculous, even if he had to admit that he was relieved to see them get out of it without injuries, continuing to run like crazy to get away as quickly as possible. He groaned again when he saw the fortress topple again, one of the propellers still intact coming to destroy the little sanctuary... which housed the second of the three spheres that the hero had to recover. It landed directly in front of the boy, who took it with some surprise, getting up... before having to rush away with the others when the lightning bolts strike down close to them.

The underwater tornado then appeared, clearly approaching the surface, even as the elemental birds continued to fight with each other, causing further damage to the surroundings. The trio with their cat had found a way to take refuge in the teenager's boat, which had miraculously landed in the water, intact, and he growled at his inability to understand what they were saying. The small group hurtled down the slope leading to the edge of the water, jumping into the boat as soon as possible… even if Genesis didn't really see where they could go, especially when seeing the lightnings running to the edge of the small lake… destroying the ice that held the water, the small lake started to empty quickly, forming a cataract.

The boat was quickly pulled along, causing the characters to panic, powerless to stop their slide. The ship was literally propelled overboard, tearing howls of terror from the group... just before the tornado reappeared, breaking through the layer of ice and coming to catch the boat, much to the redhead's surprise. Who couldn't see how the whirlpool didn't also make the ship spin at full speed, if he judged by the speed with which the water swirled. The vortex in question proceeded without trouble, breaking the ice with ease in its path, even as the strange song resounded again, even clearer than before. Genesis blinked in amazement at the sound, noting that the girl seemed just as surprised. He cackled with some amusement when he saw the reaction of the trio with the feline, watching them take over the lifeboat with some panic, even though they technically risked nothing... at least, until the whirlwind propelled the boat to the land… but too close to the edge of the cliff, causing it to slide, even though the lifeboat was propelled through the air with its occupants, causing him to snort. They spent their time in the air, decidedly.

The small group evacuated the now falling boat with panic. Sighing in relief when they found themselves on land... near what looked like a megalithic structure, in the center of which stood an altar. The boat didn't break apart when it hit the ice (although it wouldn't have been surprising given how high it had fallen), nor did it pass through the ice, but it was clear that it wouldn't take them anywhere anymore. The group let out a sigh of relief, just before the strange talking pink creature (with some sort of… weird shell on its head?) that he had seen a few times already drew attention to itself, pointing first the boy and then the altar, seeming to give him instructions. However, Pikachu had to get his master's attention so that he could understand, before he got up and went to the altar, examining it carefully. Before placing each of the spheres so that they were in the direction of the island from which they came... then panic slightly when the talking creature suddenly appeared right next to him without any warning signs.

The camera (or, at least, the point of view) then focused in the background of the altar, showing the birds continuing to fight, also destroying what was around them, quickly approaching the island they were on. The boy immediately descended from the altar, approaching dangerously close to the edge, clearly calling on them to stop. The birds ignored him, their attacks creating an explosion right in front of him... which was suddenly blown by the water whirlwind, rising without warning in front of him, pushing them aside at the same time and forcing them to back off. An almost unreal silence fell on the scene, especially when a silhouette rose inside the whirlwind, visible in transparency, turning on itself to rise, accompanied by the strange song that he had already heard.

The creature suddenly burst the whirlwind, revealing itself to the eyes of the world for the first time. And Genesis remained admiring before it. A huge dragonic beast, almost entirely bright white, only its belly and some midnight blue growths on its back, with long wings almost reminiscent of flattened hands, and a long dragon tail. The pink creature said a word… that caught Genesis's attention more than anything, because it had been spoken by the movie's villain, but also by the hero. Was... Lugia its name? It opened its mouth at that moment, its strange song rising in Flower's ears, almost making him shiver. Now that he could hear it clearly... yes, it made him think of a whale song, slightly deformed, but still beautiful. The girl took out her ocarina, visibly surprised, and Genesis realized with a delay that the melody of the instrument strongly resembled the song of Lugia. Was there a link?

The POV then focused on the villain, much to the redhead's frustration. Obviously, he had something in mind that would make matters worse. His obsession with Lugia... was downright unhealthy. Especially considering all the problems he caused by capture of elementary birds. Speaking of them... Lugia was literally harassed by them, dodging their attacks with rare elegance, twirling in the air leaving him admiring. Very quickly, however, he dived towards the frozen sea, the growths on his back pressing against it, creating a translucent shield, which protected him from the shock against the ice, the water gushing from the hole he formed while diving. And the instant the bubbles caused by his entry into the liquid element dispersed... he began to swirl on himself to create the same tornado where he had appeared, trying to attack the birds. They, however, dodged the attack, before Ice freezes the aqueous tornado, trapping Lugia inside.

His figure began to shine, however, showing that he was still far from being defeated, breaking the ice that trapped him, resuming combat. Genesis blinked in surprise as he saw him create a translucent shield around him, turning the birds' attacks against them. It wasn't enough, however, and they immediately went on to attack without hesitation, under the worried gaze of the small group who watched the scene from the island, speaking softly to each other, even as the fight continued to rage. The latter was also approaching the island, the attacks reaching the cliff just below the altar, gradually rising... until Lugia intervened to protect the humans, deploying his shield in spurts (probably to save his strength)... until a lightning strike hit him while his protection was down... leaving him vulnerable to attacks by the other two.

A brief explosion occurred, before his unconscious body fell into the water, making him clench his teeth, especially when the birds furious attacked over the hole created by his body, allowing Ice to close the opening, leaving almost no trace. They then resumed their destructive combat, ignoring what was going on around them. The scene in the helicopter made him shake his head, wondering why, by Minerva, the pilot hadn't landed and refused to continue, or even turn around in the face of danger. Even the Turks didn't endanger their lives this way. He then saw creatures melting the ice to move forward, others just running on the thick layer, which apparently easily supported the weight of the heaviest. Others had taken to the skies, all heading for the island on which the small group was located.

Which were talking to each other... the attention focused on the boy who had retrieved the two orbs, obviously causing him to panic, before the teenage girl in a suit suddenly pulled out her ocarina, starting to play. The plaintive melody rose in the air, ringing in his ears when he could see the birds continuing to fight in the distance... before the view returned to Lugia, who continued to sink into the water. Genesis blinked in surprise as he saw a faint rainbow gleam emanate from the body of the divine dragon... before it suddenly opened its eyes. As if the melody had healed him?

Back on the surface, he saw the small group gazing at the ice field lying in front of them... before an aqueous tornado with shimmering colors like a kaleidoscope sprang from the water, bursting to reveal a Lugia once again in top shape. Then a voice rose, almost androgynous despite a slightly masculine side, speaking to them. He growled, understanding almost nothing, just that the spheres were important... like the boy, who seemed half panicked. The birds continued to fight during this time, not even seeming to tire, more or less blocking access to the island where he was obviously supposed to go. Genesis really felt like the boy was going to give up, and he couldn't really blame him... until he looked down, showing that Pikachu had pulled at his pants leg, and was looking at him with trust. The boy's hesitant question didn't even need a translation, just like the firm nod of the mouse. A chuckle escaped the redhead when he saw his other creatures come out of their spheres by themselves, as if affirming the mouse's words. Obviously believing in him. His reaction, both surprised and… happy, he would have said, before their faith, made him shake his head. He watched him carefully lower his head, his shoulders trembling as if he could stop crying... before standing up confidently, turning his cap over.

He started to cackle when he saw him struggling to move forward in the thick snow, the latter easily reaching him at mid-calf, and almost to the chest of the mouse, which was forced to jump to manage to advance. And Genesis laughed even louder when he saw him faceplant in the snow, making him growl in despair. Shaking his head, he straightened with a desperate look, making him sniff in amusement, before the mouse drew his attention to the damaged boat a little further with "pika pika!" , making him blink. Why... was his name the same as his cry? And, now that he thought about it... that was the case with most of the critters he had seen so far, with a few exceptions.

He was distracted from his thoughts by the ice flowing across the screen, strangely fast now, with the cries of the toad and the little turtle rising in rhythm... as if they were running? Before letting out an admiring whistle at the boy's ingenuity. Use a piece of the boat like a sled, tying it to his orange dragon and two critters like Chocobos... not stupid, not stupid at all. Their paws were most certainly wider than his feet, distributing the weight better on the thick snow, allowing him to go much faster. Lugia followed them from the air, clearly there to protect them from the birds, who continued to fight in the distance.

Genesis frowned when the next scene turned to the couple and their talking cat, noting that they seemed disappointed... as if they felt useless... before the helicopter appeared, clearly out of control and on the point of crashing. Inside, the passengers were screaming in panic, clearly terrified... before it crashed to the ground, letting out a cloud of snow powder. He let out a sigh of relief when the cloud dissipated, revealing the helicopter's body, almost whole except the tail... and he sincerely wondered how it could be possible. The sliding door opened, letting the passengers out, who looked unharmed, if not shaken. The couple pointed their heads over the hollow of the land on which the lifeboat stood, their gaze passing from the tail rotor to the boat in question, before they exclaimed in unison, having visibly had the same idea.

The POV then returned to the boy, who continued on his way without fail... until the elementary birds focused their attention on him and his escort. Fire and Lightning attacked without hesitation, but the dragon and Pikachu responded without hesitation either, parrying the attacks with their own. The resulting explosion briefly hid the view... before the boy and Pikachu let out a cry of panic when he saw Ice head straight for them, his icy beam/flash of lightning in preparation in his beak. And he understood why. Parrying fire with fire (and it also worked with electricity) was possible, but they had nothing to counter ice. Fortunately, Lugia was there, and he placed himself in front of the improvised sled, raising his shield to protect it, deflecting the ice flashes around, before setting off in pursuit of Ice, forcing him to move away from the vulnerable vehicle. Lightning and Fire tried to attack from the sides, but he came back to counter them, repelling them with his shield. Forcing them to chase him... until he accidentally passes in front of the sled, and Lightning destroys the ice field, causing the pieces to be lifted under the force, forcing the boy to hurriedly recall his dragon, to avoid ending up in the water for him, which would probably have been fatal.

He then scrambled away with his other creatures, visibly panicked, trying to avoid the gushing water... before a flash of Ice's beem froze the water... the plates erected at an angle too sharp for him to now pass them easily. And even if riding on the back of his dragon looked possible, he might not be nimble enough to dodge attacks in the air. Genesis shook his head with some sadness. But how was he going to reach it now?

He felt Flower snickered softly, even as an engine noise rose in the air, showing... the rotor of the helicopter's tail? soon accompanied by the voice of the couple in white voices, making him blink in surprise. What the hell were they doing now? Before laughing furiously when he saw them appeared. He had to admit, these two were the masters of System D. They had resources, impossible to deny it. Their... "pose", on the other hand, was particularly ridiculous. But they didn't seem to have a bad heart, as the following scene showed, where the boy was with them in the lifeboat, propelled by the rotor powered by the original engine of the boat, rocketting above the ice barrier. The boy seemed really confused, Genesis could hear it in his tone, to see that his apparent enemies seemed ready to help him. The conversation was incomprehensible to him, unlike what happened next, the couple using the ropes running around the boat to help dodge the attacks from the birds, Lugia doing his best to protect them too. But at one against three, the balance of power was particularly unbalanced. It was a miracle he hadn't been hit a second time, thought the redhead, frowning.

Very quickly, they arrived on the island where the boy was to go, the boat literally bounding on the shore, rushing through the forest at full speed, until the boy pointed towards the opening of a cave in a triumphant tone, and into which they rushed without hesitating. Genesis could only admire the cat's piloting talents (probably), the latter making them cross the tunnel without hitting the walls once. Even though it looked relatively straight, it was still impressive enough to be highlighted. He couldn't help but let out an admiring whistle in front of the ice bridge they crossed at one point, wondering how people usually crossed it... and especially how they had sculpted it.

The boat sprang out of the tunnel into a crater similar to that of the Fire island... except that it was covered in ice. The hero jumped out of the boat as soon as it stopped, climbing the steps to the altar, struggling to extract the last sphere from its support. The humans stayed a few seconds to admire the sphere, in which a blue lightning, similar to the Ice attacks, danced inside, before Pikachu apparently called them to order with a high pitch "PIKA!", on which the cat apparently added something, immediately setting everyone off. They rushed to the boat, the boy a little late, the adults immediately settling into their "posts". Ice, however, appeared from the crater's edge just as the boy reached the boat, causing his companions to panic, who started the engine before he even got on board. He still managed to jump aboard just in time, and they rushed towards the exit... before a lightning bolt fell right in front of them, propelling the boat into the air. Fire then attacked the damaged boat, forcing them to hurry away so as to not be injured, and completely destroying the boat. Lightning had also visibly blocked the exit, huge blocks of ice blocking the entrance to the cave. The blue haired man and the cat immediately attacked the blocks, probably trying to clear a passage.

The birds continued to fight with each other during this time, Ice using its frost attack on Fire, causing it to cry out in pain, before Lightning came after it, causing it to fall to the ground, screaming in pain now, bouncing off the ground, until the whirlwind of Fire's flames hit it, propelling it to its altar, stopping it dead and clearly putting it out of action.

He then saw Pikachu climbing up the rock slide by another path, no doubt, attracting everyone's attention, the cat pointing to him, presumably to push humans to follow him. They immediately climbed after him, Fire passing briefly over them, without appearing to be interested in the bipeds nailed to the ground. The couple and the cat stumbled, sprawling on the ground in a pile, the boy passing beside them without stopping, following his electric rodent and sinking into the fog below them, quickly followed by the trio, who got up, following them without hesitation. Lugia suddenly appeared next to the boy, probably questioning him about the sphere he certainly should have picked up, as the boy showed him triumphantly, nodding at the dragon. The latter lost a little more altitude, clearly inviting him to climb on his neck, which the boy did after retrieving Pikachu.

Genesis closed his eyes with a groan when he saw the trio catch up to them, screaming in panic, probably not wanting to be left behind, before clinging to the mystical dragon paw's at the last second, before he gained altitude. Except that if carrying a kid with his mouse was certainly not a problem for Lugia… two more adults and a good sized cat were going to weigh him down too much, especially knowing that there were still the other two birds in state of fighting ... and who still wanted to fight, by the way. The proof was made a few seconds later with Lightning, which sent a bolt in their direction, which Lugia barely dodged. He then deliberately lost altitude (probably) to get away from Lightning... before dodging a Fire's whirlwind of flames, and rocketing up probably telling them to hang on, the boy clinging to his neck as if his life depended on it ... which, given the situation, was more than certainly the case. The rest were still clinging to Lugia's paw, which was clearly doing his best to dodge attacks, but was slowed down by the trio of idiots that weighed him down.

The latter, however, seemed to have realized this, if he relied on the ongoing dispute between the three. The cat's huge eyes when Lugia suddenly dodged to the side failed to make him laugh... holding back only because it was already complicated enough to follow the movie with only the pictures. He blinked, however, more than shocked, seeing them voluntarily let go of Lugia's paw, to the boy's shock, who seemed to call them by name. Sacrificing themselves to allow them to avoid attacks more easily. Genesis could only admire their courage... before bursting in laughter when he saw them land in the water, still clinging to each other. Continuing to chuckle when he saw their shocked expressions as they came back to the surface, surrounded by dozens of animals. You could feel that it was a cartoon for children, he said to himself with amusement, snickering without being able to stop.

He groaned at the discussion between the boy and Lugia, wanting to understand what they were saying... even if he suspected it was related to all the creatures at ground level. Now that the latter was lightened, he had been able to outfly the other two birds, who followed him anyway. Flying at high speed, he was clearly heading for the island with the altar, on which the boy's other friends were, who seemed extremely worried, in particular the teen girl with the flute, the second boy clearly peering at the horizon with his binoculars.

Genesis couldn't help but swear heavily when he saw capture triangles emerge from the ship, which were clearly after Lugia, which the latter seemed to realise, as did the boy. Obviously, the idiot who had started all this still hadn't yet learned his lesson, as the passage with him proved, just after Lugia had somehow protected himself from the triangles seeking to capture him. Using his shield to keep them from grabbing him and the boy, trying to keep moving. His strange cry echoed through the air as he struggled, before hitting the ice to find himself underwater, obviously trying to get rid of them. Ineffective, and he quickly emerged, fortunately for the boy, who wasn't able to breathe underwater like him. His shield still raised to keep the catch triangles away from his body, he went forward like an icebreaker, before gaining altitude... and concentrating energy in his mouth, shooting a kind of golden ray straight ahead of him, like the Sister Ray.

The range of the ray in question was most certainly equivalent to the cannon in question, reaching the Lightning island and touching the moron's flying fortress, making Genesis nod his head with somber satisfaction... before swearing softly to the following events. Lugia had launched another ray, surrounded by the electric triangles apparently intended to capture him, without seeming to aim at anything this time, although forcing the two elementary birds to move away... before falling again to the water, as emptied of his strength. The last triangles still on his body detaching from him, rising to the surface... just like the boy, who seemed to have lost consciousness. At least he didn't seem to have swallowed water, Genesis observed with concern, and Pikachu seemed to be able to keep his face above water... but he was far too small to do more.

He gritted his teeth in spite of himself at hearing Lugia's weak voice, who then seemed to lose consciousness, continuing to sink in the water... and the current continuing to decay more and more, the weather also getting worse. On the ice, the creatures watched the spectacle helplessly in front of the events. He tilted his head to the side in amazement at the way the girl in the costume offered her flute to the redhead, speaking to her at the same time, and he managed to guess that she wanted to go help the boy, but the redhead shook her head with a slight smile, obviously refusing. His respect for the two went up a notch when he saw them shake hands like friends... or warriors, he said to himself with some amusement, remembering the kind of rivalry between them at first.

During this time, Pikachu tried to keep his master's head above water, crying "pikapi!" As if to call for help. The redhead teen's voice shouting "Satoshi!" caught the rodent attention, who saw the girl swimming towards them, impressing the Scarlet Commander, especially because of the sea state. He suddenly wondered if "Satoshi" wasn't the boy's name, because the teens had used it several times while talking to him. Once she reached them, Pikachu took hold of her as she grabbed the boy, then tugged on a rope connecting her to shore... signaling their friend to start reeling back. Fortunately, he was apparently a little older and stronger than them, and managed to tow them without too many problems, probably helped by the redhead who also had to be swimming, but who probably concentrated mainly on Satoshi, to avoid him drinking more sea water than he had already swallowed. Pulling him out of the water, he laid him on the ground, while the redhead caught her breath, before getting rid of her rope and taking care of Satoshi.

He didn't see if she had given him mouth to mouth, but if he judged by the way she was shaking him when she called to him, he was breathing on his own, which was always a bonus. Genesis felt a certain relief when he saw him open his eyes... before raising his own to heaven by seeing him straighten up like a spring, rummaging in his pocket to take out the sphere. At least he wasn't too bad. He struggled with a facepalm, however, when he saw his friends trying to help him, visibly worried, and pushing them away even though he was struggling to walk. Genesis watched him go up the stairs, stumbling several times, but still straightening himself, continuing, as if pushed by a higher force. He couldn't help but snickers with amusement, however, seeing the egg creature perched on the head of the pink monster with the frilly collar around his neck, cheerfully chirping when he saw them. Satoshi showed the last sphere to the creature in charge of the altar, which nodded before letting him climb up the stairs, putting the crystal sphere in place.

As soon as the boy had taken a few steps back, the spheres reacted, light rays gushing from each of them, filling the hollow in which they were set with a strange light almost reminding him of the Lifestream… just darker, he noticed. He became speechless when he saw what happened next. Underneath the snow were some scriptures that suddenly began to shine, also briefly lighting the altar's base... before literally blowing the snow away, down to the flowers in front. Water the same color as the light filling the altar began to spout out from under it, as if the altar had suddenly become a fountain, spilling in the grooves between the scriptures as in irrigation canals, until they reach the rock pillars around the altar... literally climbing up on them, giving the impression of having changed them to crystal.

The redhead encouraged the girl with the ocarina, visibly urging her to get moving, and she went to join Satoshi, who moved away respectfully to make room for her. Genesis couldn't put his jaw back in place, seeing the pillars start to shine in rhythm with the melody of the ocarina.

He watched in fascination as the elementary birds slowly regained their senses, raising their heads in a puzzled look from where they had apparently crashed, exhausted. The redhead watched the weather seemingly subside, the tornadoes gradually disappearing and the sky starting to clear. He blinked in amazement, taken aback, seeing the bright green water spilling out of its grooves, spilling into the sea, dying it at a speed he never thought possible. The birds resumed their flight, this time flying in harmony, having stopped fighting. Ice came to join them fairly quickly, joining their aerial ballet, spinning over the now thawed sea, the packed ice having completely disappeared, as if the green water had melted it in a few seconds.

The next moment, Lugia's tornado burst through the water's surface, before exploding, revealing him at full health. As if his appearance was what the sky was waiting for, the latter cleared completely, letting the sun shine with all its radiance, to the adolescents' relief, while the water dried up, ceasing to flow from the fountain. As if it was no longer needed.

Lugia made a few circles with the birds, before coming to land in front of the adolescents, clearly signaling to Satoshi to climb on his back. The latter indicated himself with a puzzled look, as if he couldn't believe it, before climbing on his neck with enthusiasm, accompanied by Pikachu. He then took to the shy, Satoshi letting out a cheerful laugh, and the girl with the flute continued to play on her side.

Genesis was surprised, however, seeing a sort of... silver water tornado come out of the water, letting the boy hiccup out of surprise... before it slowly bent over them, forming an immense arch in the air, below which the elementary birds almost danced. A slight contemptuous smile curled his lips as he saw the bewildered expression of the moron who had tried to capture Lugia, still in the debris of his fortress. Lugia was joined by the birds, who gave the impression of escorting him for a while, flying over the creatures which had joined the islands, and which were now leaving, those who could swim carrying those who could not on their backs.

Finally, the silver whirlpool fell back into the calm sea, the creatures finally all returning back to their original habitats. The wave quickly dissipated as the birds returned to their respective islands... and Genesis dared not even imagine the cleaning of the altars which awaited the inhabitants of the islands. The one on Lightning Island was going to have to be completely rebuilt from the start. He watched with fascination as the pillars resumed their appearance of rocks after a last note from the instrument, the teen finally stopped playing, falling on her knees, looking at her ocarina in disbelief, as if she couldn't believe that she had been playing for so long without stopping. People started to walk out of their buildings, looking around in disbelief, as if they couldn't believe it was all over. Television continues to show images of the creatures returning home.

The view returned to Lugia, who let out his strange song while taking off, the sun clearly setting on the story. Coming to an end. He watched him speak briefly to Satoshi, before turning around and diving back into the water, disappearing. He couldn't help laughing when he heard the boy's mother's voice rise, breaking the solemn atmosphere of the moment somewhat. Before starting to give him a scolding, clearly worried for him, seeming to surprise him with her presence. He rolled his eyes when he saw the scientist getting excited about something, running away, followed by the scientist woman too.

He groaned, however, seeing the movie's villain briefly reappear under the moonlight, retrieving a card representing a kind of... cat (?) Different from that of the trio. Trio that suddenly reappeared, surprising him and making him laugh at their exhausted expressions, even if he didn't understand what they were saying... even if judging by the way they turned to the... "camera", he could have sworn they had just broken the fourth wall. He kept snickering when he heard them quarreling until the end credits started.

The latter surprised him, however, with the song that was finally understandable for him! And the words... touched his heart deeply, strangely. To the point that he paid little attention to the images that paraded... until he blinked with confusion at the next song... whose frantic pace somewhat broke the melancholy atmosphere that prevailed until then, making Flower snickers, who amused herself by singing in rhythm… horribly offbeat, however, making her friends laugh. The next song almost relieved him, much quieter than the previous one… even if he couldn't help laughing at the panicked boy from before behind the scientist, who was running back and forth like before behind her, ignored by the two scientists who were speaking with animation.

A smile escaped him at the end, seeing Lugia swim with ease in the current, probably letting out his mystical song, before resuming his path, relieving him. At least... things ended well, even if he feared that the other moron would give troubles again sooner or later.

oOo

Genesis stopped his alarm clock with an annoyed growl, despite the fact that the animated movie had apparently ended. He lay in his bed for a moment, thoughtful, thinking about what he had just seen. The dream... had been quite different from the previous ones, even if it was difficult to define in what... although the fact that Flower's hands were very different from what he usually saw, without the slightest scar, and lighter, as if she hadn't been exposed to the sun as much. They were also a little bigger, and he wondered how it was possible. Was it even Flower? He wondered as he sat down, thoughtful. Yet... so far, he had never dreamed of anyone else.

Seizing his hair with a growl of frustration, he froze suddenly surprised, hearing his voice a little more high pitched than usual... resembling the cry of Pikachu. Mmmmmmmh…. "Pika?" He tried, curious to see if he could reproduce the sound. It was already closer, but not yet. Unable to help himself, he began to practice "Pika Pika!" in his room with amusement, trying to get closer to the sounds he had heard in his dreams... before startling badly when the door opened at the same time where he emitted a particularly sharp "Pikachu!", very close to that of his dream, freezing like a Chocobo caught in the headlights, facing an Angeal who seemed very disconcerted.

"Gen?" Asked his childhood friend cautiously. "Was it you who made that noise?"

"Me? Of course not, seriously!" Genesis defended himself, thanking for once his theatrical nature, which made Angeal believe him, where he probably wouldn't have believed anyone else. "You see me making what kind of noises exactly?"

Angeal blinked several times, looking at him with a puzzled look. Sephiroth stood behind him, just as perplexed. Each of them would have sworn to hear Pikachu pika-ing in Genesis' room… but neither of them really saw Genesis doing that kind of thing. Shaking his head, Angeal apologized for disturbing Genesis, and closed the door quietly, heading back to the kitchen to take care of breakfast.

The redhead let out a sigh of relief when the door closed... before a devilish smile stretched his lips. He was going to have so much fun at people's confusion when they heard this sound, if he trusted his friends' reactions. Getting up, he got dressed quickly, not wanting to be late, mentally cackling at the images brought to him by his mind.

And Genesis spent several weeks mentally laughing at people, seeing them jump when they heard a high pitched "Pika pika!" into the room, looking around in confusion, searching for the source of the sound, immediately dismissing him from likely suspects because no one could imagine the proud Scarlet Commander having fun making these kinds of noises. And it made him laugh so much inside that he had fun slipping behind people who had annoyed him in a moderate way to yell a "PIKA!" just in their ears, making them jump, before escaping with the help of his Exit Materia, making them look around with incomprehension. He watched it all, snickering a little further away out of sight amused.

Doing that helped him decompress, he had to admit. With what was happening to Flower this year… he remained tense and stressed, more than usual. And the poor dear... undergoing a competition in which she had no interest, and in which she hadn't wanted to participate, but which had been imposed on her.

His gaze landed on his calendar, his lips pursing with annoyance. Tonight... was one of the nights Sephiroth hated the most, Shinra Sr loved having balls for everything and anything. And Christmas was one of those dates. Flower… had no particular interest in this holiday, however, even if it was the second time in her life that she had received gifts. This little detail, dropped almost as an afterthought, had been added by Genesis to the folder he had mounted on her, in an effort to rescue her. But nothing would allow him to narrow the search area somewhere... because even Wutai didn't fit. The language she spoke was almost identical to the Common Tongue, but the writing was unlike anything known. And that was driving him crazy, because he wanted one thing above all others now, it was to help Flower. Between what he saw from her past before she entered school and what she lived in said school... there was more than enough to worry about.

But he remembered the moral of the movie he had seen her watching a few weeks before. If someone allowed their obsessions to rule their life... they could ruin it for them. He still wanted to be famous, yes, just like being a hero or getting out of the shadows... but he was consciously trying to curb those desires. He didn't know if he would actually meet Flower someday... but if he did, he wanted to at least be able to look her in the eye and tell her that he had done his best to support and help Sephiroth. The latter was visibly disconcerted by his change in behavior... but he seemed to have accepted Genesis' explanation that he had thought about his life, and decided to change some things. Besides... it was the truth. From time to time, the silverette asked him how his "pen-pal" was doing, surprising him to be honest. He didn't think Sephiroth would care about this kind of stuff. His answers were honest, albeit vague, as he didn't want to say too much, lest Hojo or Hollander use the meager clues he had gathered to track her down and kidnap her. Them or his fan club, he said to himself, shivering. People were sometimes crazy.

He had heard of these crazy people who were so obsessed with an actor (actress) that they were convinced that they were the love of their life... going so far as to spy on them at home, even attack or attempt to kill them. Few had attempted this with the SOLDIERS, however, and even fewer with the Holy Trinity, as he was aware of their nickname. A SOLDIER... was, from the moment he entered the program, trained to kill and defend himself against assault, often against other soldiers (mainly from Wutai), who posed a much greater threat than the average citizen. The rare assaults on a SOLDIER had ended with the aggressor in the hospital, and not vice versa, even with the few 3rd Classes to whom it had happened. Because even the few enhancements they had were more than enough to allow them to deal with a civilian. So them? The Holy Trinity? Even the craziest weren't enough yet to try to attack them, Minerva be praised. The filthy mail packages were already quite enough. Fortunately, President Shinra had been able to be convinced that it was better for his company image to invest in x-ray machines to scan possible parcel bombs… which had happened a few times at the start, injuring several secretaries who brought them their mail. Fortunately, the wounds had remained superficial, and they had quickly left the hospital, but they still had need to insist to convince him to invest in them.

Genesis shook his head wearily as he thought about it. The fat pervert almost literally threw money out the window running after womens... but besides that, investing in the safety of his company was tantamount to pulling teeth from a dragon... or its treasure. The thought reminded him of the 1st Task Flower had to do... and the dragon she had to face, making him clench his fist angrily. His cravings for murder against the idiots who thought it a smart idea were becoming increasingly strong... and there was nothing on which he could let off steam.

He ran his hand through his hair angrily, growling in helpless frustration. Admittedly, a ball had nothing to do with an angry dragon... but he could feel that it was the last thing Flower wanted to do. She was already stared at enough like that, and this event would add a layer to it. The teenage girl had asked if she couldn't be exempted, clearly showing her reluctance to participate, but she had been made clear that the champions' participation was mandatory. Her sarcastic response of "The champions who signed for the tournament, yes. But an UNWILLING participant?" hadn't been particularly taken well, and it had been stated sternly enough that she would be participating.

When she told him that... he wanted to explode. Why put her through this? So, she told him that she intended to flip them off in revenge. If she were to participate... she might as well make an impression, if they didn't give her a choice. She had asked one or two people to accompany her, but they had declined, until the twins, her friends and unmatched pranksters offered to accompany her, and she had accepted, making a deal with them. They behaved like gentlemen all evening, and in return she would give them money and books of pranks and jokes. It had made him laugh, and he had kindly told her that he would have liked to be able to accompany her. Flower's response had made him smile... while saddening him, because she too would have liked him to accompany her. At least... she would have had fun with him, even if she doubted she would be bored with the twins.

With a sigh, Genesis went to bed, contemplating the ceiling obscured by the night. Without really realizing it... he addressed a prayer to Minerva. Praying that Flower will come out unharm this year... and against the obstacles that were thrown in her way. Closing his eyes, he tried to slip into sleep.

oOo

Genesis had gazed with some admiration at the room decorated for the ball. Even Shinra Sr would have struggled to match it. The room in which he was in was huge, sufficient to accommodate a good part of SOLDIER and still have room to spare. Many decorations were found everywhere, especially garlands of mistletoe and ivy, and the walls were covered with silver frost. Genesis briefly wondered how it didn't melt, before mentally shrugging. Magic, as Flower would have said. There were over a hundred tables in the room, each with a dozen seats, from what he could see.

He watched the meal with some interest, the redhead who spoke to Flower raising his hackles, he hated this kind of people. The discussion about her partners nearly angered him, especially because of what it implied about her life at school. The flower that suddenly appeared in his friend's hair surprised him, but he decided to not ask questions. However… the flower was exactly the same as the one he had dreamed of since childhood. Except that the latter was in good health. The stem was encased in a delicate silver filigree, forming a leaf. An amused smile escaped him at Flower's words to her companions, seeing her iron will make a brief appearance, even if the two boys seemed straight and honest when needed.

And respectful of her too, he noticed when he saw them dancing. They treated her with respect, like a friend, without the slightest inappropriate gesture or remark, and letting her sit after the first dance. He would have really liked to know more about the magic that made the gold plates work, and growled helplessly at his inability to know more. However, he became speechless when he realized that the girl accompanying the grumpy boy from the first task was Scholar. He doubted to be blamed for this, however, the girl didn't look like what she usually did.

The apparent lack of a ceiling, however, had fascinated him more than the other students around him, and he was dying to learn more about it as well. The discussion between her red-haired friend and Scholar, however, made him want to bang his head against the nearest wall, desperate. His remarks were bordering on insulting, implying that the champion who invited her wanted only her knowledge and knowledge about Flower. Why so much jealousy? The boy in question clearly treated Scholar with respect and politeness, why was he unable to do the same? The latter ended up walking briskly, apparently hurt, and he felt Flower sigh.

"Well done, ***, well done," she said sarcastically.

"What?" He replied in a surly tone, clearly hostile… and uncomfortable at the same time.

"Seriously, I've had the opportunity to speak to him a couple of times, and he's honorable... for someone from a school run by a Death Eater," she stated calmly. "You, on the other hand... you behaved like a real asshole. Are you jealous that he decided to come to the ball with ******** rather than you?" She questioned with humor.

Her friend began to stutter in shock, unable to answer, suddenly red like a tomato. Obviously totally baffled, he was unable to respond when the champion who invited Scholar arrived at their table, visibly asking where she was. Flower kindly pointed him in the right direction, her friend becoming even redder in front of the older boy, adding that if he could be so kind as to comfort her a little while she finished taking care of their friend, she would be grateful. He raised an eyebrow, visibly puzzled, before nodding, moving away with a slightly awkward gait.

Flower turned to her friend again, grabbing him by the collar to keep him from getting up and running away.

"Oh no, you're staying right here ***," she ordered calmly, her tone firm and unmistakable. "I'm very far from finished with you, you brainless dumbass. You have the potential to become a chess champion, according to the coaches I introduced you to, so can you explain to me why you act like a *****?" She asked sternly. "You have as much tact and intelligence as one rigth now!"

Her friend began to defend himself weakly, trying to justify himself, but even Sephiroth could have realized that he was trying more to convince himself than anything else.

oOo

Genesis blinked when he woke up, disoriented. The dream had ended almost abruptly over Flower dragging her friend through the gardens to continue the discussion away from eavesdroppers apparently, obviously determined to get to the bottom of the problem.

He got up slowly, lost in thought. Fortunately, today was a calm day, except if for an emergency like a monster attack, which meant that he could reflect in peace on what he had seen. Sitting on the window sill, he let his gaze get lost in the haze of pollution, even if it was thinner at this altitude than at ground level. He felt... that every dream had a specific meaning. Either for Flower… or for himself.

And there... It was like sending him a message especially about jealousy. Damage it could do to loved ones. And the harm it could do.

He remained gazing outside for what seemed like an eternity until his stomach let him know that he absolutely needed to eat. With a long sigh, he got up and went to get dressed, continuing to ruminate on this subject. His jealousy... was strangely important, he realized vaguely. He was making efforts to control it, trying to understand why he was jealous of Sephiroth for example, knowing how much the latter lived a dreadful life. And he was starting to realize how his... celebrity didn't really make up for all the shit he suffered. Celebrity that he could see being another burden for the silverette who had told him repeatedly that he would gladly give it to him if he could. Showing how unimportant it was to him... like it was to Flower.

To be continued…

Yes, our favorite pyroman is starting to realize that all isn't rosy in Sephiroth's life... and that it would be more the color of shit, if you'll pardon the expression. (finally done with this chap! This is the hardest fic I have translated yet. Because of the double presence in Rose I often confuse or don't know which one is addressed at times, so yes you may find errors that I miss. Im not perfect, so don't flame my translation *glare* We do not appreciate pot shots at our hard work. Remember i'm not obligated to translate this for you i can very well read it in french. I am doing this for those that can't read in french so they may enjoy this great story. - Dragon)

The changes are now starting to really be felt on Genesis' side especially. And it's not done yet. The movie was there to show him how dangerous obsessions were. Even if the fact that he didn't understand anything made him half mad with frustration XD

Next chapter… the last task. And some other little events next on Genesis' side *amused laugh*