Summary: AKA: "Congratulations! New Parental Emotions Acquired"

"So, Ariana, what's your favorite Act of Loveless?" Genesis looked over to the preteen, Ariana having curled up on one of his living room armchairs with one of his older copies of Loveless in hand.

"Favorite? Hm…" she put her head back, looking at the ceiling, "I dunno…they're all so good!"

Cracking the book open, but not enough to crease the spine, she read out, "Well, one of them is…ah, here it is! My friend, the fates are cruel. There are no dreams, no honor remains. The arrow has left the bow of the Goddess. My soul, corrupted by vengeance, hath endured torment to find the end of the journey. My own salvation, and your eternal slumber."

"A very good act," Genesis agreed sagely, "My own is 'There is no hate, only joy, for you are beloved by the goddess. Hero of the dawn, healer of worlds. Dreams of the morrow hath the shattered soul. Pride is lost. Wings stripped away; the end is nigh."

Ariana lit up, realizing that Genesis' favorite act preceded her own.

"I had a feeling about that," she smiled sweetly, and the SOLDIER mirrored it.

"Why do you like Loveless, Ariana?"

The girl's smile fell, turning into a small frown.

"Umm…I'm not sure, really. It's just… even when the ending is sad…it just shows how life is precious. And…even though I don't really believe in heroes, I still wanted someone to save us. Even if it meant flying away from everything we knew, I wished that someone else made that choice first. That was everything I wanted. Someone that cared about who we are. But me and Ari were the ones that had to sacrifice something."

It was clear that Ariana wasn't mentally present in the room, her eyes glazed over with old memories. Loveless fell into her lap, her fingers going slack.

"Loveless…The Fates are cruel. My fate was cruel, wasn't it? There are no dreams. I don't dream. No honor remains…I killed people that were trying to survive. The arrow has left the bow of the Goddess…I am a weapon. My soul, corrupted by vengeance, hath endured torment to find the end of the journey. I was waiting so long to take the life of that man…all for revenge."

Tears beaded in Ariana's eyes, her vision going blurry.

"It's been only…three weeks? But…I was waiting since we were six. We're twelve, for Goddess' sake. That's already half my life."

A hiccup started in the girl's chest, more tears cascading down her cheeks, and Genesis started panicking.

"Hey, don't cry, Ariana!" he patted her head awkwardly, kneeling so he could appear shorter, so his ward didn't feel too claustrophobic, "What happened to you and Aridai was wrong. You were trying to survive too, don't forget that."

He felt Ariana press her face into his jacket, and though he couldn't feel the warm tears streaking down her cheeks, the sniffling and gasps for breath were unmistakable.

"Am I a monster, Genesis?"

Swallowing harshly, the SOLDIER shook his head.

"I think you were dealt a bad hand in life. That's not your fault, Ana. You never asked for any of this."

Ariana was quiet, her quivering shoulders tightly encased by leather clad arms.

With another loud sniffle, she shuddered, a wounded noise escaping her lips.

"I don't even know why I'm crying. I should be happy, shouldn't I?"

"You are allowed to cry, Ariana," Genesis quietly soothed, running his hand through his daughter's hair like his mother used to, like how he saw Angeal do before, "And you won't be going back there, not now, and not ever."

The SOLDIER lifted the girl out of her seat, Loveless settling on the chair while he pulled her tightly into his arms.

"My friend, your desire, is the bringer of life, the Gift of the Goddess."

Ariana's slit green eyes closed, exhaustion creeping in.

"Even if the morrow is barren of promises, nothing shall forestall my return." she muttered quietly, and then her whole body relaxed, curling into Genesis' warmth.

The SOLDIER could feel Ariana start to fall asleep, her breaths becoming longer and evening out. It took a minute to realize he was shallowly rocking her in his arms.

Ariana's face smoothed, her pinched expression fading away.

Genesis looked down at the book left on the chair, shifting the girl in his arms so she could be more comfortable.

Hero of the Dawn, Healer of Worlds. Dreams of the morrow hath the shattered soul. Pride is lost. Wings stripped away; the end is nigh.

This was no time to ponder over what-ifs.

Goddess, he was too young to have a child, let alone two.

But…he wasn't too young to kill, was he. Wasn't too young to go to fight a war.

'In order to have a hero, there has to be a villain, and people get hurt,' Ariana's stubborn voice rang in his head.

People like his daughter and son.

He couldn't deny that fact.

With Ariana secure in one arm, Genesis picked up Loveless from the armchair, setting it on the coffee table so he could sit with her on his lap. The SOLDIER sighed, Ariana's head settling on his chest. He heard from Angeal how Ariana and Aridai somehow convinced Reno to let them train in Rocket Town, and how Ariana had won their bout.

If the SOLDIER thought about it, he could recognize parts of himself in both of the twins.

Ariana didn't seem to be the type to back down from a challenge, standing resolutely against the dismissive remark of Director Lazard, and her sheer adoration of Loveless. Aridai seemed to hate any mentioned of it like Sephiroth, but he knew every word, and showed an extraordinary aptitude with fire magic.

In his arms, Ariana made a small snuffle, curling deeper into Genesis' warmth. It reminded him that the girl in his arms was undoubtedly real, that she was something to be protected. Something precious.

A sliver of resentment snaked around Genesis's thoughts, tightening around his neck at the thought of their current employer.

Shinra made SOLDIERs. Shinra backed scientists like Hojo. Shinra violated he and his fellow SOLDIER's genetic rights and had children born for war, stripping away their right to choose.

Children so similar to Sephiroth, his rival friend who hardly knew how to talk to people without sounding like a scientist before Genesis and Angeal befriended him. Even now, the silver haired teen still had the emotional capacity of a teaspoon.

My friend, do you fly away now? To a world that abhors you and I? All that awaits you is a somber morrow, no matter where the winds may blow.

"I guess I really am your dad, Ariana. I'll do everything I can to protect you and Aridai."

Even if it meant destroying Shinra itself.