I want to thank my reviewers- RushSykes, anon, Yo momma, Isabella and me, and NeverFree. You guys had me grinning like an idiot, I had to talk myself back down. And thanks of course to all the readers who have stuck with this story, I hope you won't be disappointed.

This chapter is a biggin'. Enjoy.

The Fight

Sephiroth entered the training room ready to blow off some steam. The Seconds were out again and it'd been months since the three Firsts had had the opportunity to do some friendly sparring. Friendly but in no way restrained. It was rare that they came up against opponents who rivaled their skill so it was often difficult to have a stimulating match. Sometimes it took taking on an entire army just to break a sweat. If they wanted a good fight where they could stretch their legs, so to speak, their only option was to fight each other.

Sephiroth spotted Genesis sitting in a corner scrawling madly in his copy of LOVELESS. He was surprised to see the redhead sitting there so quietly. If there was one thing Genesis enjoyed more than being seen it was being heard. In fact, his voice usually arrived in a room before his body did. As a way of announcing his 'grand entrance', Sephiroth supposed with no small amount of sarcasm.

Genesis was obviously pissed off and didn't want to be bothered. Sephiroth didn't have to rack his brain to figure out why. The past few months had been hard on Genesis but not nearly as hard as they had been on the silver-haired man. No matter how scarce the General tried to make himself, Genesis always managed to pop out of the woodwork to bitch whenever he and Angeal weren't getting along.

They really did need to be less antisocial. That way Sephiroth could pawn Genesis off on someone else.

It was also surprising that the virtual reality function had not yet been activated. Genesis' artistic sensibilities could not abide the dark, drab box that was the training room, or so he always said. Normally he couldn't wait to trade it in for the sunny beaches of Costa del Sol, the jagged hills and soft greenery of Wutai, or even the bustling metropolis of Midgar whose real-life counterpart lay just beyond the walls. It made no difference to the redhead if it was all simulated. Genesis' reality hinged on fantasy most of the time anyway so why shouldn't he be at home in a virtual one?

Sephiroth walked over to the control panel and punched in his security code. "Where do you feel like going today?" He received no answer but he hadn't been expecting one. He glanced back at Genesis who was still scribbling away, immune to the world around him. Sephiroth turned back to the control pad with a wry smile and entered a location of his choosing. Genesis ought to enjoy this.

The training room soon gave way to open skies, luscious forests, and sleepy timber-framed houses situated at the foot of a bluff. The wall Genesis was leaning against was replaced by an oddly arching tree and the ShinRa industrial floor beneath him turned into rich soil. He didn't need to look up to know exactly where he was. He did, however, raise his eyes so he could narrow them at the back of Sephiroth's coat. The General heard the pen still for a moment and knew he had achieved the reaction he was looking for.

Sephiroth turned around and strolled over to his friend, stopping only a few feet away. The redhead had resumed his fierce note taking and was still intent on ignoring him. He tilted his head to read what it was that Genesis was working so hard on. Not that he cared. In fact, he could guarantee it was some cockamamie theory on the 'Gift of the Goddess' or the three men. But Sephiroth was bored, and he was looking to work out some frustration of his own. The more agitated Genesis got the better the fight would be.

A familiar shadow eclipsed the pages of Genesis' book. The redhead wasn't feeling very obliging so he hunched forward blocking the General's view. Sephiroth continued to feign innocence. "What are you writing?"

His answer was the sound of the pen scratching on the paper. He was really getting to know the top of Genesis' head.

He thought he'd try a more direct route. "You're awfully quiet today."

Genesis paused briefly to finally acknowledge the other man's presence. "I'm giving you a taste of your own medicine," he replied tersely.

A predictable insult but at least it got him talking. Now the battle could begin. Silence fell over the pair once more. Sephiroth folded his arms behind his back and stared off into the distance.

"Is that the apple juice factory? Didn't Angeal win a contest for that?" Baiting the hook.

Genesis knew what Sephiroth was doing but he never had been good at keeping his mouth shut. "You know that's not how it happened." He looked pointedly at the General before going back to his book. "And besides, the only contest Angeal could've won was a pie eating contest."

He couldn't resist the jab at Angeal's days as a fat kid. He never did understand how Angeal had managed to keep on all of that weight. His family was poor after all. Where did they get the money to feed him? A couple of stolen apples did not even begin to account for that boy's size. The young Genesis might not have been such a snob about it if he had known that one day Angeal's extra baby fat would mold and tighten into the long, broad, well sculpted frame he donned today. Sometimes Genesis forgot Angeal wasn't that chubby kid anymore. This lapse often won him a shot to the gut accompanied by some remark about skinny assholes.

"My mistake," Sephiroth said breezily. "I wonder what's keeping him."

Genesis scoffed but didn't look up. "He's probably licking dog shit off the floor with his tongue."

"Good thing you're not bitter." Sephiroth could be a dry prick sometimes.

"I'm sorry, but that dog is the most needy, destructive, entitled creature I have ever met!"

Looks like the mutt's not the only one without the burden of self-awareness, Sephiroth thought to himself. "Sounds like you have a lot in common."

"Oh bravo, another brilliant quip from Sephiroth. You know, it's funny- you never have anything to say ever but when there's an obvious, sarcastic one-liner to be made you're the first to jump in. And how perfect for you! It makes you look so clever and aloof without tarnishing your reputation as the reticent hero." Genesis' mock-flattery turned to outright contempt. "It's so easy to do what you do. You just sit back while everyone else does the heavy lifting."

"As usual, you fail to deal with the source of your problems." Genesis' pen caught on the page, tearing it slightly.

"And as usual, you don't deal with anything!"

This stopped Sephiroth in his tracks. He made no outward show of emotion but the fact that he didn't have some easy retort or an amused smirk on his face spoke volumes. This was not lost on Genesis.

"Oh, touched a nerve, have we? Well, don't worry. You'll feel better soon when you chalk it all up to another crazy Genesis rant. Best to just dismiss any uncomfortable feelings and bottle them up inside. After all, the great General Sephiroth is far too advanced to be afflicted with something as trivial as emotions. Isn't that right?" Genesis' words dripped with acid and he pinned Sephiroth with one last look of disdain before he brazenly returned to his work.

His effrontery made him feel powerful and confident and he temporarily forgot whom he was dealing with. "And everyone thinks you're so wise and mature because of your calm, cool exterior." He snorted at the thought. "You're not mature, you're just repressed," Genesis muttered to himself, not even bothering to look up and address the man whom he was so callously ripping apart. Sephiroth had other ideas.

A gleam of light was the only indication that Genesis was about to meet with the business end of a very long, very sharp sword. Before his conscious brain could comprehend what was happening, Genesis discarded his copy of LOVELESS and in the same instant reached for his own sword to shield himself from the blow. And not a moment too soon.

Masamune came crashing down on the crimson rapier and Genesis barely had time to adjust before another assault was raining down on him. He clambered to his feet amidst a colorful medley of slashes and jabs. Eventually the redhead would gloat over having elicited a response from the stoic General but right now he couldn't exactly see the merit in it.

Genesis soon grew tired of playing defense. He liked to be the one in control of the match and dictate where it would go next. Sephiroth wasn't giving him the chance to gain a solid footing so Genesis would have to make an off-balance attack to get the upper hand. He thrust Sephiroth's blade off of his and in the split-second it afforded him did a graceful back flip onto the tree he had formerly been propped up against. Sephiroth waited patiently for Genesis' boots to touchdown on the curving surface and then grinned up at his opponent. With one magnificent horizontal slice Masamune cut the legs right out from under the tree.

At first nothing happened but then the tree started to shift, the top half slowly separating from the base. Genesis returned his friend's smug smile before kicking down on the bow-shaped trunk and propelling himself backwards, aiding the tree in its forward descent. It looked like a feather floating to the ground as time seemed to move in slow motion. The effect was ruined when the tree hit the floor with a resounding thud and shook the earth beneath it.

Genesis capitalized on the commotion as he soared backwards and hurled three successive Thundagas at his opponent. Sephiroth easily jumped out of the way, causing the lightning bolts to strike the houses behind him. A support beam on one of the windmills was also hit and it went down taking the rest of the structure with it.

Genesis was just readying his sword for an attack when he was caught completely off guard. As long as he had known Sephiroth, he had never seen the man use magic in a sparring match. He was too proud a swordsman to use anything but his katana. Genesis, for his part, didn't view his own magic-wielding as a way of compensating for his lack of sword skills. He simply liked to fight with a bit of flare. Indeed, that was his preferred method of doing most things in his life. So it was with paralyzed disbelief that Genesis watched the fire spell hurtling towards him. He took the blast full on and was sent flying into the trees where he crash-landed on the forest floor.

"Great gift of the goddamn," Genesis swore as he peeled himself off the ground and checked to see if he had sustained any damage (or, more accurately, if his clothes had). His shirt was a little charred but that could easily be replaced. He felt his face to make sure he still had his eyebrows and eyelashes. Thankfully, everything seemed to be in tact. The only problem appeared to be the dull ringing in his ears. He stood up and cracked his neck, trying to loosen up before going back in to the fray.

Rather than subsiding like it should have, the ringing just kept getting sharper and more piercing. Genesis shook his head to ease it of the vibrations but they persisted. He had just about had his fill of relentless, high-pitched noises to last a lifetime. A slight displacement of air told him that the shrill sound wasn't coming from inside his head. It was coming from outside and it was coming fast. And, if he wasn't mistaken, whatever it was was heading right for him.

Genesis took a step to the side, just in time to find himself pinned to the tree behind him. He didn't even know what hit him. He looked down to find the hilt of Masamune sticking out of the shoulder guard on his right arm, while the remaining length of the sword was protruding out the back of the tree.

When it sunk in how close he had come to being impaled on the sword- all seven penetrating feet of it- a cold chill crept over him. He promptly quelled the feeling so that he could later deny it ever existed. He tried to tug his sleeve out of the hold but it was clear that he wasn't going anywhere. And he wasn't about to risk tearing his beloved coat so soon after getting it back. There was only one thing left to do.

A red-gloved hand slowly reached up and gripped the handle of Masamune, a sharp contrast to the usual black leather hold of the sword's master. Genesis half expected it to zap him the second his fingers came into contact with it but nothing happened. Despite himself, he marveled at the feel of the legendary sword in his hand. A picture of himself wielding it in battle popped into his head before he could stop it. He decided it must have been some residual fantasy from his childhood, before he knew any better and the overhyped, media-driven stories in the newspaper were all he had to go by.

The image altered to Genesis, Masamune in hand, wearing a long black coat, silver pauldrons, black leather straps over a bare chest, and black pants and boots. It was as if his subconscious was intentionally trying to defy him. If Genesis was unsettled before, now he was downright disturbed. He was simply unwilling to examine this particular part of his psyche. Not now, not ever. Instead, he decided to focus all of his energy on getting free, before his vivid imagination could conjure up images of himself with long silver hair prancing around in Sephiroth's underwear.

Genesis yanked on the handle but only succeeded in jiggling it around a bit. He brought his right and dominant hand up to assist the other and gave the sword a mighty heave, this time managing the pull the blade out a couple of inches. He never did discover if he would ever pry himself free because at that moment, Sephiroth (with an infuriatingly relaxed gait for someone in the middle of a fight) 'stumbled' upon the scene.

Genesis immediately affected an indifferent air, crossing his arms over his chest and jutting his hip out as he leaned casually against the tree, like he meant to be there all along. It might have been convincing if it wasn't for the sword sticking out of his shoulder. Still, Sephiroth gave him credit for trying.

The General was extremely satisfied with the results of his throw. He had been hoping to give the redhead a little scare, maybe swipe an earring while he was at it. But never did he expect to find his vain, oversensitive, annoyingly antagonistic, and abominably conceited friend nailed to a tree like a piñata. And the way he tried to act all nonchalant about it! It was all Sephiroth could do to contain the violent guffaws that were threatening to erupt from him.

Genesis was not going to give the other man a chance to remark on the situation first. "What's wrong, you couldn't figure out how to make it silent? I heard that thing coming from a mile away!" He was more taunting than anyone in his position had a right to be.

Sephiroth smirked. "I wanted you to have some chance of evading it." He glanced at the hilt of his sword. "And I suppose you were just testing out the strength of your shoulder guard? I think it's time you got an upgrade."

"Some of us wouldn't be caught dead wearing those hideous shoulder globes," Genesis replied haughtily.

Sephiroth watched his friend intently, allowing some mirth to seep into his face. No, thanks to those glorified shoulder pads of yours, you've been caught very much alive.

The next thing Genesis knew, Sephiroth was standing right in front of him, Masamune firm in his grasp. The corners of his mouth were still slightly upturned. "Interesting choice of words."

Before Genesis could figure out what that meant, the Silver SOLDIER jerked his arm upward, the blade splitting the tree in half vertically all the way to the top like some treacherous, reverse zipper. The peaceful quiet of the forest was shattered by the thunderous, splintering crack that prevailed. Leaves and bits of wood and bark showered down on the pair.

Genesis looked at Sephiroth completely unmoved, his shoulder guard torn open like a Pachyornis dinner. "And you said I was a showoff."

They studied one another for a moment, each trying to read the other's thoughts. And then, without another word, they burst out laughing.

.o.O.o.

Angeal raced through the halls, a harassed puppy nipping at his heels. He was late for the training session with Sephiroth and Genesis and didn't want to waste any more time than he already had. It had been a struggle, to say the least, getting Brutus, who was used to roaming around free and unimpeded, to wear a leash. Angeal didn't like the idea much either but it was out of his hands now. That is, if he valued his job at all.

Brutus had messed with the wrong person. Just a few days ago, dog and master had an unfortunate run-in with the President's young son. Apparently, muddy paws and immaculate white suits were not a good combination. Angeal hadn't received this much of a dressing down since his early days in SOLDIER. And from a sixteen year old, no less! Needless to say, Brutus was now forbidden to go anywhere outside of Angeal's apartment without some type of restraint.

Evil little bastard. What kind of kid doesn't like puppies? Well, another name came to mind but he wasn't about to get into that right now. And what teenager walks around in a three piece suit, anyway? Angeal didn't hold grudges but this kid just made the list. Unfortunately, not much could be done about it because this kid also happened to be his superior.

Angeal cast his musings aside as he finally reached the entrance of the training room. He went in, Brutus at his side, and stopped mid-stride to take in the scene around him.

The first thing that struck him was where he was. He shook his head slightly, his lips somewhere between a smirk and a snarl. This had to have been Sephiroth's doing. Angeal was pretty sure Genesis wasn't feeling very nostalgic right now.

The next thing that hit him (and with a bit more force than his initial observation) was all of the damage that had been done. A tree was cut down, a windmill was knocked over, and half the town was on fire. On second thought, maybe Genesis had selected the venue.

Angeal supposed it could have been a lot worse, knowing his friends' capacity for destruction. He realized he had spoken too soon when a loud noise came from the forest, like limbs being ripped off a tree. They're going to kill each other one of these days, Angeal thought wearily. He quickly looped Brutus' leash around one of the tree stumps to keep him out of harm's way and headed for the forest.

As he neared, Angeal could have sworn he heard laughing. And not sinister, menacing laughter either. Healthy, hearty laughter. Given the two parties involved Angeal thought this was highly unlikely. What kind of sick, twisted shit was going on in there?

Sephiroth and Genesis were just beginning to regain their composure when Genesis spotted Angeal approaching out of the corner of his eye. He pretended not to notice and instead cranked up the volume, this time really laying it on thick for his audience. He slapped his hand down on Sephiroth's shoulder and bent forward, clutching his side like it was so funny it hurt. Sephiroth didn't adopt this stance but he still continued to chuckle to himself.

Angeal looked utterly baffled at the sight of his two friends. He had been expecting to find them at each other's throats, possibly taking part in some newly conceived form of torture. Instead, they were doubled over, cracking up at some unknown joke. The scene was even more bizarre with the tree in the background that had been almost entirely cut in half (That explains the noise.) and looked like it was spelling out the letter Y. With more questions now than when he started, Angeal returned his gaze to the two men before him.

"What the hell's going on?"

Sephiroth and Genesis turned towards Angeal with expressions of surprise, only one of which was actually real.

"Angeal! Good of you to come!" Genesis gestured Angeal inside, like the forest was his living room. He sounded like the confident host of some pompous dinner party, all syrupy and fake. Angeal stepped closer, eyeing the redhead with suspicion and confusion. Genesis made a swatting motion with his hand. "Oh, it just wouldn't be the same if we explained it to you."

Angeal disregarded his comment. "What did you do to that tree? What happened to your shoulder guard? And why is there soot on your face?"

Genesis' hand automatically flew to his face and his smile faltered momentarily. "Yes, well…you've missed a great deal of fun."

Even Sephiroth who was still in a good humor was giving Genesis an odd look. The silver-haired man shrugged it off and decided to just go with it. After all, it wasn't often that he and Genesis were on the same side and whenever they were it was…nice. And so much less of a headache. The General turned to Angeal, changing the subject. "Where have you been?"

Angeal didn't look like he was buying Genesis' flippant answers but he allowed himself to be distracted. "I had to fight Brutus to get a leash on him. It took forever just to get him to come out from behind the fridge."

"Brutus is here?" Sephiroth looked around. "Where is he?"

"I chained him to one of the stumps of that tree that was cut down. What the hell happened out there? The whole town's going up in flames."

Genesis' head bolted up. He had been discreetly trying to clean his face off using the reflection on one of Sephiroth's pauldrons. "The tree that was cut down? The apple tree? The one closest to the door?" His dinner host façade had completely disintegrated and he sounded panicked.

"Yeah, why? What's wrong?"

The dark-haired SOLDIER could only guess as Genesis pushed passed him in a flurry, presumably heading in the direction of the tree. Angeal turned to Sephiroth to see if the other man could shed some light on the matter but the General appeared to be just as clueless as he was. In any case, Angeal wasn't about to leave Brutus to fend for himself in the middle of one of Genesis' latest conniptions so he took off after the redhead. Sephiroth, finding himself suddenly alone, walked over to Genesis' sword and picked it up before following the others.

Genesis didn't notice the inferno blazing in the town's square in front of him, nor did he hear his name being yelled from behind. All he could see was the terrible devastation that was occurring in the very spot he had been sitting only minutes before. In his place was the dog- the miserable, good-for-nothing, brute- and clamped tightly in his frothing jaw were the remains of a few wilted acts of LOVELESS. Genesis' worst fears were being realized. He thought he was going to be sick as he watched the mutt violently and viciously jerk his head back and forth causing tiny bits of paper to flake off and mingle with the ash in the air around him.

One of the scraps flew up and lightly touched Genesis' face, causing him to snap out of his trance. Or just plain snap. He lunged forward and yanked the papers out of the dog's mouth. Brutus did not appreciate this in the slightest but Genesis couldn't have cared less. Peaking out at him from the soggy, tattered pages was the original black type in which the story had been published and filling the margins was the redhead's own fancy cursive handwriting. He looked up numbly and saw the rest of the book lying nearby, its spine broken and its pages spewing out every which way.

Genesis' face went totally blank. This book had contained all of his notes and theories from the last year. Months of carefully studying every line, analyzing every word, researching the meaning of every syllable, to build his thesis so that he might be the first to piece together the puzzle and unlock the secrets of this mysterious play. And now, they were all gone, floating in a puddle of dog drool and ash.

Genesis went into a cold, white rage.

He rounded on the dog, dark thoughts of how he would exact his revenge racing through his mind as he inched closer. But he would be denied his justice, for now at least. There was a rather large object blocking his path.

"Angeal, get out of my way," the redhead ordered calmly. "My quarrel's not with you."

"No, Genesis!" Angeal kept Brutus securely behind him while his sword was aimed at Genesis to keep the redhead at bay. "Forget about it- I'll get you a new one."

"Angeal, I said. Get. Out. Of. My. Way." The larger man didn't budge. In the background Sephiroth could be seen ambling over. He found a spot near the action and planted the two swords in the ground next to him in time to witness the exchange.

"Listen, I'll buy you a new copy," Angeal was trying to diffuse the situation before it got out of hand and Brutus got hurt. "A nice one. A first edition!"

Genesis halted unexpectedly, a strange, almost giddy expression on his face. Angeal didn't actually think his entreaties would work. The redhead let out a hollow laugh. "You're going to get me a first edition copy? Of LOVELESS?"

For some reason Genesis found this extremely funny. For the second time that day he was overcome with fits of laughter. But this time they were more along the lines of sinister and menacing. Definitely of the jarring and maniacal variety.

He stopped to catch his breath, wiping tears from his eyes. He took one look at Angeal, shrieked out an unbelieving "You?" and started howling all over again. Angeal gave him a flat look.

Genesis attempted to collect himself, the occasional snicker escaping his lips. "Ok, Angeal. Let's say you do manage to get your hands on a first edition. How much do you think that would go for?"

Angeal shrugged, irritated at being talked down to. "I don't know, one, maybe two hundred gil." Even as he said it he tried not to think about the possibility of spending that much on a book. Especially a book that he was certain Genesis had about a billion copies of. He was still smarting from the dry-cleaning bill Genesis had served him with.

"Hmm, try a few million."

Angeal nearly choked. Genesis took a moment to enjoy this reaction before he put him out of his misery. "Don't worry your stingy little heart, I'm not going to make you buy me one. Besides, I already have a first edition, and I certainly wouldn't bring it out here. LOVELESS is an ancient work. It is the most highly sought after and heavily studied text by scholars and intellectuals in the world. They don't just give the first copies ever printed away." Angeal didn't think 100 gil was just 'giving it away' but apparently his opinion didn't matter here. "You can be such a simple country boy sometimes."

"A country boy is still a country boy," Angeal looked the redhead square in the eye, so Genesis would have no question to whom he was referring. "No matter how deep his pockets are."

Genesis' eyes narrowed. "And there is no honor in a poor thief," he stated coldly.

"What would you know about honor, Genesis? The only person you've ever given a shit about is yourself!"

"Really, Angeal? Look around you." Genesis motioned to the surrounding area (what was left of it anyway). "I created this town. I'm the reason these people have jobs to go to everyday. The reason they can put food on the table, support their families. They have me and me alone to thank for their livelihoods."

"Oh please, you were just a little boy with an idea. They hardly needed you to tell them how to run their lives."

"And yet, they did. Even you wouldn't be where you are now if it wasn't for me."

"Then I guess I should be thanking Sephiroth because you never would have joined SOLDIER if you hadn't found out that there was someone out there more talented, more skilled, more accomplished, more respected, and more admired than you!" Angeal's eyes glowed with a fire not often seen in the trio's resident rock. "And, not to mention, younger!" He flung in that last bit for good measure. The age difference was only a few months of course but Angeal knew his friend would feel the sting.

Sephiroth winced and Genesis looked like he could have killed Angeal on the spot but he quickly recovered. "Spare me your romantic sonnets. You've been up his ass from day one!" His last few words were punctuated by a stream of fire shooting out of his fingertips. Angeal shielded Brutus and held his sword up to protect them from the spell.

It never came.

He looked up to find that Sephiroth had shoved Genesis' arm to the side making the redhead miss his target by mere degrees and hit the shrubs just to the right of them. Angeal watched the bushes succumb to the same fate as the rest of the town.

"Have you completely lost your mind? You do realize you're attacking a poor, defenseless animal, don't you?"

"Don't let him fool you, Angeal! He's as calculating and conniving as they come!" Genesis attempted to cast another spell but Sephiroth still had a hold of him.

"Calculating and conniving? You're insane! You're delusional and paranoid and you need psychiatric help!"

"You want to take his side? Fine. If you think you can live with the decision to stand by a creature who has on numerous occasions caused untold amounts of pain and suffering to your lifelong best friend- the most recent of which being the complete and utter annihilation of a year's worth of hard work!- then I won't get in your way. But if you think I'm going to just stick around and wait for you and that little demon of yours to wreak havoc on everything in my life I hold dear then you, my friend, are the delusional one!"

Genesis wrenched his arm out of Sephiroth's grasp and snatched his rapier up before marching over to the entrance, the virtual world crumbling down around him. He left the room without a second glance, his coat fanning out behind him while he shouted a "Have a nice life!" as he disappeared from sight.

Sephiroth and Angeal were left in his wake, staring at the spot of his departure long after he had gone. Angeal was the first to move. He shook his head, exhaling in anger. He stood up and threw his sword to the ground.

"You can go after him if you want," he practically snarled at the silver-haired man, a bit more harshly than he meant to. Sephiroth looked at him sharply. "I'm sorry, just, you can go. I'm going to stay here and clean up this mess." His tone was a fraction more gentle this time.

Sephiroth understood and nodded at the other man. He retrieved Masamune from its position and made to leave but stopped, something preventing him from crossing the threshold. He turned back to Angeal, who was now kneeling down picking up scraps of paper.

"Genesis might not realize a good thing when he's got it but I don't want you to make that same mistake. He may rail against you, cause you endless grief, and be a general pain in the ass but despite what he says, he'll never leave you. You're the only person on this earth he genuinely cares about." Angeal began to object but Sephiroth held up his hand. "You have someone who knows you inside and out and accepts you for who you are. You're one of the few people who don't have to go through this life alone. Most of us aren't so lucky."

Angeal just sat there silently, staring at one of the pieces of paper in his hand. His jaw was tense and his mouth was set in a tight line. It wasn't evident whether the words had registered or not. Finally content to go his separate way, Sephiroth headed for the exit.

"Seph, wait." The General turned around once more, this time at Angeal's request. Something about his speech had troubled the dark-haired man and it wasn't merely because he wanted to stay mad at Genesis. "You know…we'll always be there for you."

Sephiroth smiled softly but the action didn't quite reach his eyes. "That's kind of you to say." The Silver SOLDIER turned around and quietly walked out of the training room. Angeal got the impression his friend hadn't believed him.

...o0O0o...