I wanted to wait to put this one out till I released Chapter 16 in the main series, so tada!

Chapter 3 - Gifts of the Goddess

*Not long after Genesis' deployment to Wutai*

Genesis walked silently through the darkened forests of northern Wutai. He was so stifled at the northern encampment it was rare he got a moment alone. He had taken to wandering off to find a bit of solitude himself. And he needed the privacy more than ever it seemed. The Commander stopped once he reached a small clearing. He'd started coming here often at night since his deployment. It was quiet and he could explore the changes brought upon him in secret.

The Gift of the Goddess…

He placed his signature red coat down on the fallen log beside him. His shoulder guards and black knit shirt joined it till he stood in the forest clearing in little more than his pants. It was warm and humid here even at night and a few less layers eased the discomfort.

Genesis stretched the muscles in his back and shifted his shoulders to relieve the tension there. He took a single deep breath and pushed. The first long appendage burst forth from his back and the second soon followed. When he first arrive and found the opportunity to try his new powers there had been only the one wing. It had been dark and sickly, but healing just like the rest of him. After a time the other side of his back had started to itch and strain painfully while the single wing was out. With the same flex of power it had emerged to meet its twin.

The wings were full and lush with feathers now. The deep almost black crimson feathers lay sleek along the limbs. As they radiated out they faded to rich shades of red and ended in oranges and gold's at the wings tips. He really wished he had a full length mirror or something… I'm sure I look Glorious. A single powerful flap lifted him off the ground a few feet and he extended the wings fully. He floated back down to his feet gracefully. A wide playful grin stretched across his aristocratic features.

Reborn a Blazing Phoenix…

Ryo hadn't simply healed him of his degradation. She changed him. He wasn't entirely sure where Hollanders experiment ended and her gifts began, but he was willing to try and see the positive in it.

For you are beloved by the Goddess…

He was still discovering new little quirks. His magic had improved dramatically and he found he'd developed an even greater affinity to fire. So far in fact that he had a natural resistance to the element. The wings of course were the most dramatic change. A while after the new feathers had filled out he noticed that if he didn't preen regularly they tended to get uncomfortable. This ended with a lot of plucked feathers as he learned what the hell he was supposed to be doing. Humans aren't supposed to have wings… If I can even be considered human anymore. He shook himself away from the bitter feeling. He had to admit human or not his wings were pretty fabulous. And they do more than just accentuate my good looks.

The feathers close to where the wings emerged from his back were soft and downy. He had plucked one and, not wanting to leave a trail of odd feathers lying around, had pocketed it. His men had gone into battle that day. Wutai troops had ambushed them on the trek through the dense forests and he had lost a few men. One had taken a Thunder spell to the chest that stopped his heart.

Genesis always tried to carry a Phoenix Down despite their expense and had used it without a thought. It wasn't until they had return to camp that he found the Down sitting unused in his bag. The small downy feather he had pulled from himself was nowhere to be found. He dismissed it at first. It wasn't hard to deny something so absurd, but the more he thought about it the more sense it made. He had become a phoenix of sorts.

Healer of Worlds…

This was his Goddesses gift. So he kept to his word. He would not desert no matter how much ShinRa deserved retribution. Despite what others may believe, he could be patient. Their time would come, and he would be there to give the final blow. He stayed, he fought, and he would return a hero.

Hero of the Dawn…