Sephiroth paced the length of his bedroom multiple times going over everything in his head and simultaneously trying not to go over anything. The dichotomy wasn't helping. At all. How could any of this be true? And yet, the evidence suggested that it was. Or, at least, that it could be.

But somehow, he knew. He didn't know how, but…

He shook his head and went back to pacing back and forth. He had to get evidence. He had to figure this out. Where could he go? To Hojo? He may not be able to trust anything the man told him, but if he could get a hold of the records, Hojo never lied in his experiments. Not unless he was purposefully trying to mislead someone, like the President or…

He paused, blinking. The library under the ShinRa mansion… He had little doubt they would find such a place existed, but would Hojo go far enough as to sabotage his own experiments simply to place false information? Or… no, he never lied about his experiments to himself. That didn't mean he couldn't have false or misleading information planted after the fact. Had he known how Sephiroth would react, somehow?

"When in doubt, seek information." That had been practically drilled into his head for as long as he could remember. And wasn't that what he had defaulted to now? If he was that predictable… Had Hojo planted that information specifically for him to find? He wouldn't put it past the man… Although, to what end? Then, again, he wasn't sure he wanted to know. It was Hojo, after all.

The suspicion didn't help. Now he felt more lost than ever. What was the truth? Was anything he'd ever believed true? For the first time in a long time, he felt lost, and he wasn't sure if he could get the stability he'd almost taken for granted back again.

A knock sounded on his door. He froze. He didn't know how long it had been since he'd left the living room, but it couldn't have been more than ten or fifteen minutes. He wished it would have been longer.

He opened his mouth to tell whoever was on the other side to go away, but stopped when he realized something that made his blood freeze. Driving people away, desperately making plans to seek out information, drawing conclusions that didn't help his mental stability…

He was acting like Game Sephiroth.

His mouth clopped closed, his eyes widened and he found himself staring down at his hands, almost not believing what he saw. They looked so human, and yet…

"Sephiroth?"

That was Angeal.

But he didn't want Angeal to see him like this.

He didn't want anyone to see him like this.

Had that been Game Sephiroth's motivation in keeping everyone away too?

He felt sick. His knees started to shake and he had to sit on the edge of his bed, practically stumbling to it.

"Can I come in?" Angeal asked, voice muffled but easily understood.

Sephiroth couldn't bring himself to answer.

"I—" was the best he got out before his throat seemed to stop working. Why was his body betraying him like this? Because he was a monster? Because that thing he'd been grown from was likely real and trying to take him over? Was it succeeding? How was he supposed to know? How was he supposed to fight something he couldn't run his sword through or defeat with logic?

Angeal must have taken his response as a yes, because he opened the door and peeked in carefully. Sephiroth didn't look up, but out of the corner of his eye, he saw his friend's concerned expression intensify when his gaze fell on the silver-haired teen sitting on the edge of his bed trying not to utterly panic and failing. Badly.

"Genesis is making lunch," the brunet said softly, slowly opening the door and letting himself in. He closed the faux wood quietly behind him and approached Sephiroth like he was a wounded animal, tensed and ready to jump or defend if lashed out at.

Sephiroth didn't blame the man.

He wasn't sure the analogy was entirely untrue.

"I'm not hungry," he managed to get out. Well, at least his throat was working again.

"Do… you want to talk about it?" Angeal asked, lowering himself to sit next to Sephiroth carefully.

Sephiroth laughed incredulously, sounding all too hysterical, even to himself. "No."

"You… probably should," the dark-haired man said carefully.

He… wasn't wrong.

"But I'll go if you really want me to," Angeal hastened to say, sounding awkward, unsure and more like the third class he used to be than the first class he'd become. "I mean, it isn't very honorable to try and force someone to do something they don't want to do. And I understand how that must feel, well partially at least because—"

He must have realized he'd started to ramble because he snapped his mouth closed again. The comment almost made Sephiroth laugh. Almost.

Angeal used to just kind of let his thoughts out in a constant stream before he learned some control. It had been amusing. Sephiroth hadn't heard him do so – or almost do so – in years.

However, his thoughts couldn't wander down that rather pleasant and distracting line for long. His friend's worried face brought him back.

But could he talk about it?

He wasn't sure he even knew where to start.

There was, however, one question that kept shooting through his mind and seemed to be the only coherent thought he could grasp onto. That was the one he decided to voice.

"What if it's right?"

He wasn't sure who was more surprised – Angeal or himself – that he'd actually spoken, let alone that he'd voiced such an inane question. He'd already concluded that it most likely was right. And yet… he couldn't stamp out the hope that this was some sort of dream or prank or a false trail of some kind.

That he wasn't a monster…

But everything felt so buried inside of him and he suddenly – desperately – wanted to let it out. He hadn't felt like this for years – not since he was far younger and lacked control and Hojo had punished him for not containing himself—

He cut that memory off and returned to the question, forcing himself to focus on (marginally) less painful things, like his current crisis and the fact that he was acting like a game character who had his name and his strength but whom he'd seen as so unrelatable – so alien.

Of course, the character had also been somehow telepathically coerced by a non-ancient, undead being, but still. Sephiroth didn't think he was being coerced, but the thought that Game Sephiroth had likely thought the same thing didn't help.

"What if the game is right?" Angeal asked, verifying clarification.

Sephiroth took another breath and made himself stand. "Yes." He went back to pacing, ignoring his weak knees. It wouldn't be the first time he'd forced himself to physically do something despite what his body told him.

"It has been scarily accurate on too many things for me to dismiss this outright, game insanity notwithstanding. I cannot help but think that chances are… it is right about me too."

Angeal cocked his head to one side, eyes following Sephiroth. "How does that change anything?"

The General stopped and stared at his friend, incredulous. "How does it not change everything?" he asked, voice slightly raised. He was losing control… this was not good.

He took a deep breath and went back to his pacing.

"If that… thing is my… well, the equivalent of my mother, what does that make me?"

Angeal just shrugged, folding his blocky arms firmly, looking more like a pillar despite staying sitting on the bed. Of the three of them, Angeal had always looked the strongest. The fact that his fists were his preferred method of fighting probably had a lot to do with it. So did him insisting on carrying around a useless, gigantic sword that weighed almost half of what he did.

"It makes you a person who had no choice over the circumstances of how he came into the world."

Sephiroth whirled to face him. "I still have that monster inside me!"

"And look what you've done with it."

The Silver General paused, blinking.

Angeal sighed, his deep voice still coming through despite the lack of vocalization. "I don't know what was done to you by the science department – although I can guess. What I do know is that your men look up to you – especially those who know you. You do your job as quickly and efficiently as you can. You protect those under your care with a fervor that is frankly inspiring. You hold yourself to far too high of standards and somehow meet most of them.

"That doesn't even get into what you just did last night. You went into a facility, took down an entire human trafficking system, freed the victims, got them to a healer and then found places for them to restart their lives. Genesis and I were both in awe this morning, no matter what he says. Although, as I do recall, he said you were a saint."

"He was joking," Sephiroth muttered, feeling slightly abashed for some reason. What he'd done was normal. Or it should be, in any case. That was what he could do, so he should do it. It was as simple as that, right?

Angeal obviously didn't agree. "He was only partially joking and frankly, I agree with him. Forget ShinRa, forget the propaganda and the hype. Even outside of that, you're a Hero, Sephiroth."

The two of them stared at each other in silence, Angeal with that determined expression he got whenever he came up against something he didn't agree with and Sephiroth with more than a little shock.

"I… am no hero."

"You are," Angeal insisted.

Sephiroth looked to the side. "Tell that to the Wutains."

Angeal shook his head. "That is war, and I know you hate it as much as I do. You take as little life as you can and are as respectful as possible. That is more than many other leaders I've met. You are a hero, Sephiroth. To your men, to the people of Midgar… to me. And you are that despite what was done to you as a child. I don't care if they cloned that thing and you were the result, you are your own person and you are a good one at that."

His voice quieted down to a soft plea. "Don't let them take that away from you."

Sephiroth was no stranger to praise. He received it all the time, and yet… Angeal's simple statements – as if he were merely presenting facts – felt different; more real.

"That isn't Commander Hewley speaking," the brunet went on, his tone more firm but still gentle. "That's coming from your friend, Angeal."

The Silver General just stared at him for several seconds.

Angeal must have taken that to mean he needed more… of whatever this was. Reassurance? Support? Sephiroth wasn't entirely sure…

"You could start spouting eyes in random places and your skin could turn pink or blue or gray or whatever color it is, and I would still believe in you, no matter what that stupid game says, because I've seen what you've already overcome."

He stood and walked up to his friend, putting a hand on Sephiroth's shoulder. "If you can't believe that for yourself, right now, can you at least believe me? Believe that I know the kind of man you are?"

Man, not monster.

Part of Sephiroth felt something he'd never really felt before – a sort of hollowness in his chest that was still somehow warm and welcoming despite also being painful. It came to his throat to catch again and he wanted to let it out.

What was this he was feeling?

"Yes," he finally said, but the thing caught in his throat caused it to break a little. Was that a… sob? Did he want to cry? Was that the appropriate response to a situation like this? Hojo wouldn't approve…

Which is why he stepped forward and lowered his head to his friend's shoulder. Apparently Angeal wasn't expecting it because he tensed up for a few seconds, but then he relaxed.

"Good. I believe in you, Sephiroth. I always will."

The silver-haired man refused to let out another sob, but just standing there, with his forehead on his friend's shoulder felt relieving in a way he'd never experienced before.

They remained like that for another unknown period of time before Genesis called out to them that lunch was ready. He sounded supremely frustrated, which caused Sephiroth to smile and Angeal to laugh.

"Do you want to stop playing for the day?"Angeal asked.

Sephiroth actually thought about the question and pondered the answers. What would they even do for the rest of their day off? Go into work anyway? Go and train the Puppy? Either/or respectively? Leave the blasted game alone? Turn it off and give it to the Turks? He didn't like that idea. It would feel… unfinished to him. Like he'd left something too hard for him to do for someone else to deal with.

Actually, he supremely hated that idea.

As difficult as it might be to go through this game, they needed to… and part of him had to find out more.

"No," he finally said. "I can handle it."

With that, he stood straight, trying to get his point across.

Angeal frowned. "You don't have to—"

"But I do," Sephiroth said firmly. "I won't run away from this simply because I don't like it."

The dark-haired man's expression almost fell into a downright scowl. "I can respect that, but that still doesn't mean you have to." He held up a hand before Sephiroth could say anything himself. "Fine. But if you need a break, you tell us. That is my one condition for us to continue."

Sephiroth blinked at him for a few moments before nodding solemnly.

Before either one could say anything else, Genesis practically threw open the door and looked positively disappointed when he spotted the two of them.

"I was hoping for something more… dramatic. Perhaps coming in to find you two kissing…"

Angeal spluttered indignantly while Sephiroth just rolled his eyes and went to stride past Genesis. "I don't," how did Zack put it when he'd overheard the oblivious boy the other day? "Swing that way."

Despite this, Genesis looked positively thrilled. "So, does that mean there is a woman in your life?"

"I don't swing… that way either."

A pause. "Which way do you… 'swing' then?" Genesis asked.

"Genesis!" Angeal practically hissed at him, sounding both horrified and embarrassed on top of the indignant tone.

Sephiroth just glanced at Genesis, eyebrows raised. "I don't."

It was Genesis' turn to splutter. He didn't see Sephiroth's grin as he went to sit back on the couch. Sephiroth had to admit, he did enjoy riling up his friends at times. Especially Genesis as he just made it so… easy.

Three plates of what looked like leftover pizza had been placed on the coffee table in front of each of their positions.

"So, are we going to continue then?" he asked calmly, reaching out to take a piece. He still felt rather sick, but with both Genesis and Angeal there with him, he could get through it – no matter how many potential hard truths it brought to light.

"I'll take the controller," Genesis said. "Otherwise you might break it."

Sephiroth shot an unimpressed glare at him but he wasn't wrong. So the General simply went back to his piece of pizza. It tasted… different from yesterday. And it certainly wouldn't be enough. Perhaps one of them should go and pick something up from the cafeteria?

Angeal handed the controller over to their red-haired friend before reaching for the remote for the screen. He turned it on to a pause icon. Sephiroth shot a glare at the screen, but in all honesty he was thankful they didn't have to go through all of that again.

Genesis unpaused the game. Cloud stood at the bottom of the screen asking about his sadness and pain from having his home town and family taken from him. It didn't move on from the screen, apparently needing a confirmation before doing so. The Commander turned and raised an eyebrow at his comrades, both of whom nodded at him.

He pressed the 'X' button and the scene continued.

'It's the same as your sadness!' Cloud claimed.

Sephiroth wasn't sure he agreed. It was similar, true, and just as painful in its own way, but it wasn't the same.

And even then. Sephiroth knew he wasn't always the best with social interactions and that he didn't often understand people's reactions, so if even he could pick up on Cloud's detachment in the town...

Then Game Sephiroth asked why he should be sad, completely negating Sephiroth's entire previous train of thought. He cringed ever so slightly. What did he have to be sad about? How about the fact that he'd just found out he was part monster? Or the fact that ShinRa raised him as a weapon knowing all of this? Or that Hojo had potentially done this to him on purpose? Or the fact that his entire life, if this were all true, was a lie? Or the fact that Game Sephiroth wasn't thinking straight?

Among other things…

Then Game Sephiroth claimed to be 'the chosen one to rule the planet'.

Sephiroth just blinked. Where had that come from? Well, he supposed he could see the thought process going from 'I'm a descendant of the ancients who (supposedly) claimed this planet, they were wiped out, I have the power to rule it, I have claim to it, therefore I should be the next ruler,' but there were so many disputes and holes in that line of thinking. Maybe the one faction of Cetra had claimed the planet, but that didn't overrule all of the people currently living on it. They had just as much claim to it. And Sephiroth was at least partially descended from them as well.

He couldn't dispute that he had the power to take the planet if he wanted it… which, now that he thought about it, was rather terrifying. He looked down at his hand, still clad in his busted glove (why hadn't he taken those off earlier?). The kind of strength he could wield… He remembered hearing about how power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Was that part of what drove Game Sephiroth mad? Realization of that power.

He felt sick again and put the slice of pizza he'd been holding back down on the plate.

No matter what ShinRa thought and taught, might didn't automatically make right. Sephiroth thought he'd known that.

Of course, if his theory about the strange, supposedly dead not-ancient controlling (or at least influencing) Game Sephiroth… All it would have to do is repress a couple of moral thoughts and…

His hand started to shake a little.

He closed it into a fist and set it on his lap, looking up at the screen again, partially for a distraction, partially because he was determined to see this through.

Game Sephiroth said he had orders to take back the planet…

Order's from who? Jenova?

"Well, that practically confirms your theory about mind-control," Genesis said dryly.

Cloud said he'd trusted Game Sephiroth, that he wasn't the person he used to know anymore. The real Sephiroth agreed.

The game switched back and forth between Cloud and Game Sephiroth multiple times, slowly at first and then faster until it faded to white and they were back at the inn in Kalm.

Then Cloud said that was the end of his story and that he didn't remember anymore.

"They were about to fight and he simply forgot it?" Genesis asked, outraged.

"He could have hit his head or something could have happened to his body to a point where keeping the memories was less important," Angeal said.

Genesis snorted. "Likely, with those stats."

Cloud acknowledged that not moments later. In terms of skill, he couldn't have killed Game Sephiroth. So had 'Sephiroth' actually died?

"There are too many holes in his story," Sephiroth said. "We aren't getting the whole thing."

"I agree," Angeal said. "Some of his actions and the fact that he couldn't remember… it's too convenient."

"Hmm," Genesis said.

On the screen, Tifa said that official records stated that (Game) Sephiroth died. Aeris pointed out that those papers were printed by ShinRa and couldn't be relied upon. Sephiroth agreed.

Cloud said he wanted to know the truth about how Sephiroth died that night. Tifa said she didn't quite know how she lived too. Apparently her memories weren't extremely reliable either. Was that why she hadn't contributed much?

Aeris asked how Jenova could have gotten to the ShinRa building. Cloud pointed out that it easily could have been shipped. But when did it lose its head? And then Aeris asked how it had been taken out of the ShinRa building most recently. By Game Sephiroth? Who was supposed to be dead…

At that point, Barrett seemed to have enough likely due to frustration and a lack of answers. He almost threw a tantrum and said he wanted to get going. Genesis turned to his companions, eyebrows raised. Both of them nodded back, so he chose to agree.

Barrett went downstairs, but before Cloud could follow, Tifa asked how bad her stab wound had been.

"If she doesn't have at least a scar from a slash like that," Genesis stated derisively, "I would be shocked."

"I think she remembers more than she's letting on," Angeal said. "But something is holding her back from speaking."

Sephiroth frowned. "Such as?"

Angeal shrugged. "I don't know."

They went downstairs with Red commenting about how interesting a story it was. Then Barrett gave Cloud a PHS…

"He didn't have one before?" Genesis asked.

"Who doesn't have a PHS these days?" Angeal agreed.

Sephiroth nodded. Communication around SOLDIER wouldn't be nearly as good as it was without PHSes. The fact that said device could only be used on the world map or at a save point also seemed strange, and limiting.

The party left the inn and then the town.

"So what does the 'PHS' function actually do?" Angeal asked, finishing his last slice of pizza.

Genesis shrugged, then went to the menu and clicked on it. A 'ring' type noise sounded and they discovered that that's how they could change party members. Genesis decided to stick with the party he currently had and they moved on.

"So, where are we supposed to go now?" he asked.

"The Mythril Mines, I suppose," Angeal replied, standing with his plate in hand. "You put the other pizza in, right?"

"Of course," the red-head said. Apparently he'd brought another one? Or had he had more than two yesterday and Sephiroth just hadn't seen it? Perhaps he'd run back to his own apartment?

Not that it particularly mattered.

"Good. I'll go check on it," Angeal said.

While he left, Sephiroth finally picked his cold pieces back up and began to force them down now that he was feeling a little better. He still didn't want to think about the new perspective he had on his power compared to the rest of the world, and what he could do with it if he so wished, or on the secrets of his past. Not yet. So he focused as best he could on the game and on eating and hoped that would be good enough as Genesis slowly made his way west.

xXx

AN: ACE SEPHIROTH FTW! What? It totally makes sense! Just saying. Well, maybe more Aro/Ace, but hey.

Anyway, Genesis and Angeal might seem a bit out of character here, but I have a personal theory that the degradation was screwing with their minds. Angeal, especially, did not make rational decisions, and Genesis' whole shtick wasn't even remotely rational. So this is what I imagine they would be like before the degradation starts messing with their heads. Angeal seemed like the rock (everyone was shocked when he left, Zack always seemed to want to go to him, Sephiroth couldn't seem to come to terms with it, etc.) If that's the case, he's probably the one used to talking people down and being as steady as he possibly can be.

I fully expect Sephiroth to try and return the favor once the degradation starts setting in. Dunno how successful he'll be, but yeah.

Also, Angeal prevented Sephiroth's early downfall. He really had started down that path with all of this information… but Angeal being a rock stopped it from going too far… for now. *evil cackle as she runs out*

Discord: discord (period) gg (forward slash aka /) wsuSnFb