Long Chapter 3 in 3rd POV, but emphasis on Seph anyway! There are familiar words, can anyone recognise them? -Soranryu

At the speed Sephiroth was flying, they soon reached the house. After putting the girl down gently onto the ground, he sat down heavily. His wounds have sealed up, thanks to his fast healing abilities, but they still hurt. Flame saw that and quickly tended to his wounds once again.

Making a noise of appreciation at how fast his wounds are healing, she applied a new layer of medication and changed his bandages. "Sephiroth," she started, passing him his dinner, "thank you, for helping me back there." There was a stretch of silence as Sephiroth observed her closely for the first time.

Even, black locks fall a little past her shoulders. Though these black locks could not hold a candle to Sephiroth's silver ones, he could tell that she maintained it well by how her hair shines. Her brown orbs looked ordinary, but they held warmth and gentleness. Sensing his eyes on her, Flame turned to look at him.

He shook his head and they went back to dinner silently. She finished first and cleaned up before going to take a shower. The ex-General finished up soon after and explored around the house. While walking around the second floor, he came across a door that was elegantly decorated with carvings. Getting a familiar feel from the carvings, he turned the knob.

To his surprise, the door wasn't locked and opened easily. He stepped in silently and looked around. Although there wasn't a lot of furniture, it feels adequate. Sitting on the bed, the sense of familiarity became stronger. He looked towards the drawer beside the bed, something drawing his attention towards it.

Knowing not to doubt his instincts, Sephiroth opened the drawer, eyes widening at the first thing he saw. "LOVELESS", the bold letters seemed to glow in the dim room. His heart rate sped up a little, but he forced himself to calm down as he picked up the book. Could it be…?

Flipping through the pages, he read the sentences that were engraved in his mind. He gave a bittersweet smile, remembering the redhead who had beaten all of these into his head. However, his smile vanished as he reached the last page. This is where he always stops, claiming that the last part was missing.

Sephiroth was about to close the book when a piece of paper slid out. Picking it up, his eyes seemed to glow even more brightly. He knew that elegant handwriting and going through the words quickly, he breathed in sharply. What was written on the paper…was the last, missing piece of "LOVELESS".

Even if the morrow is barren of promises

Nothing shall forestall my return

To become the dew that quenches the land

To spare the sands, the seas, the skies

I offer thee this silent sacrifice

The bittersweet smile once again made its way to Sephiroth's face. His dear friend had found the last piece of his favorite poem, and had found the answer to what he was looking for all this time. "Sephiroth, what…are you doing?" the light voice he came to recognized sounded from the door.

He looked over to see her, once again dressed in plain t-shirt and shorts, leaning at the door frame. She walked in before settling down beside him. Fingering the cover of the book, she spoke fondly, "This was Owner's favorite. Whenever I couldn't sleep, he would let me slip inside his bed and read the acts until I fall asleep.

"Although…" she paused, looking a little awkward, before continuing, "He never bothered to get me out of his bed. Every night after I fell asleep, all he would do is to just lie down next to me and make me his teddy bear." She then laughed softly as she relived that fond memory. Sephiroth said nothing, but lightly touched her shoulder before he went to shower. As the water flows down his hair, he still had no idea why he did that.

When he came out of the shower, he found her still in the room, reading through the acts. He knocked once to make his presence known before entering. Sitting beside her, he thought for a while before speaking, "I know who he is." Flame turned to him, not saying a word, but Sephiroth knew she was waiting.

"His name is Genesis, and he was one of my best friends before…I went insane. He loves "LOVELESS" and would read it all the time. He relates us with the other friend of ours, Angeal, to this, so we are all quite familiar with the acts. Angeal passed away, and Genesis was supposedly experimented on.

"During that time, I…went insane when I found out that I wasn't who I thought I am," he paused, uncertain if he should continue on. A soft touch on his chest caused his head to snap up, staring straight into the girl's eyes. "I won't force you to say, but if you refuse to let it out in words, let it out in tears or however you like. It's not good to keep it in for too long," her voice soft, filled with understanding.

He closed his eyes and took in a deep breath. Somehow, Sephiroth feels that he can let his guard down and tell her everything – his sins and his twisted past. Opening his eyes, he took her hand in his, gathering strength before speaking again, "I never knew who my parents were. My past was a blank.

"However, on a mission with my second-in-command, Zack, who was also a close friend, we found monsters sleeping within capsules. There's a flight of stairs that leads up to a door, and on top of the door…spelt "JENOVA"." A soft gasp was heard from Flame. It seems like she knows Jenova.

"From then on, I took Jenova as my mother, even though she's an alien from thousands of years ago. I took her head away from the Shinra building and destroyed the lab. From then on, I listened to whatever Jenova told me to do – killing, burning down Nibleheim. When I refused to, she would take control over my body and make me.

"Many died by these hands and Masamune, my sword, even though it wasn't really me…" the ex-General trailed off, regret creeping into his voice. "I've been fatally wounded by Cloud Strife, Zack's successor, thrice, but Jenova would bring me back into the Lifestream to heal me. She wants to use me again…"

When he stopped again, Sephiroth realized something. Jenova was still in his mind, but she hadn't spoken and her presence is weak. A slight pressure in his hand caught his attention, "She can't, not here. This is where the Planet is the strongest, untouched and untainted."

Hearing this, he relaxed slightly. He knew Jenova can't do a thing with the Planet's energy interfering with her control over him. He was about to ask how she knew about Jenova when she leaned on his arm, falling asleep. He moved away and gently settled her down onto the bed, covering her with the blanket.

Just as he was about to leave, she sat up and grabbed his wrist, "St-stay with me, please. Since Genesis died, no one's here to chase the nightmares away…" her voice got softer and softer, as if ashamed of herself. However, Sephiroth understood her insecurity and slipped into the bed. She snuggled into him and gave a contented sigh, before drifting into a deep sleep.

Jenova…? Sephiroth called within his head. There was a slight hiss as Jenova struggled to regain control of him. He smirked at her useless struggle against the golden bars that were the Planet's interference. In front, binding the bars together, there was a lock shaped like a flame.

Curious, he stepped forward to examine the lock closer. Something faint caught his eyes and when he stared closer, he realized it was Flame's spirit. She is strong, wouldn't have been able to lock Jenova up without her, an ancient voice spoke. It took some time, but Sephiroth then knew that the voice belongs to the Planet.

Jerking and the tensing of muscles brought the ex-General out of his head and he turned his attention back to the girl in his arms. Pain was written on her face and her breathing and heart beat were becoming faster and irregular. She gripped his shirt tightly and cold sweat was starting to form on her forehead. Every few seconds or so, she would let out a whimper.

Sephiroth knew he have to do something, but he couldn't just wake her up immediately; it would be too dangerous for her mental health. He brought her closer to him, running his fingers through her hair as he whispered "It's alright; I'm here." over and over again. Hearing his voice, she calmed down. "Don't leave me," were her last words before a peaceful sleep took over her.

What Flame meant when she said this place was untouched and untainted was that Shinra couldn't lay their hands on her village before it's fall, so the village is pretty lacking in Mako and pollution. And...I miss Genesis TT -Soranryu