They decided to do a Wutain food delivery order and spent several minutes doing that. The man said he'd deliver to the ShinRa building in an hour but that someone would have to be in the lobby to meet him. It was a little early for dinner, but Sephiroth didn't mind.

After that had been taken care of, the three SOLDIERS returned to the game.

Still below deck, the three characters inside the game decided to leave. The game returned control to the player (still Angeal) and he picked up an Ifrit materia.

"They're getting materia left and right," Angeal commented, sounding a little put out. "I wish materia were that easy to find in real life."

Genesis snorted but apparently didn't feel the need to comment.

Cloud lingered behind, looking at the area where they'd fought the Jenova creature. 'I wonder if the Promised Land exists,' he said.

There was the question of the day.

The ship landed (after turning in the water in ways that likely couldn't ever actually happen) and everyone just walked off the boat. Despite being stow-aways. Well, it had been a while since they'd run into some blatant game insanity. At least Barrett acknowledged that he 'said goodbye to the sailor suit', although apparently some of the team had liked it. Tifa told Barrett to use said suit as pajamas. Sephiroth thought that it had looked rather… amusing, now that he thought about it.

Then the martial artist asked Cloud to agree with her and a menu popped up.

What.

Angeal, for some unfathomable reason, picked to agree with her and then Cloud said something about a bear wearing a marshmallow.

What?

Then everyone went wandering off. Randomly. Because Cloud said so. At least Barrett asked who made Cloud the leader, but he still went along with everything the blond said.

No sooner had they gone, then a helicopter landed with what seemed to be the ShinRa theme song in the background.

It wasn't a nice song.

Sephiroth approved.

"Did one of those people just fly off the landing pad for the helicopter when it landed?" Genesis asked.

Sephiroth had seen it too. "Yes."

"Helicopters aren't that strong," Angeal said with a frown.

"Why did Rufus take a boat if he had a helicopter at his disposal?" Sephiroth asked.

"It could have been that he didn't want to wait for one to come across the sea when he could simply go and meet it?" Angeal theorized weakly. "Or it was brought in from another base?"

Sephiroth supposed that could be the case, but mainly he chalked it up to more game insanity.

Rufus spoke about how he knew Game Sephiroth, as well as Cloud and his merry band of misfits, had all been on board. He blamed Heidegger. Sephiroth wondered who Heidegger would take it out on, as the man never tended to own up to his mistakes well.

Rufus said to 'do something' (although what he expected, Sephiroth didn't know) and then walked off to the helicopter.

Before he'd even gotten on board, the larger man had already pushed both sailors in the vicinity off the pier and ran for one of the onlookers who had been jumping in the water earlier. Said onlooker beat him to he punch and got out of the way. Smart man, even if he was wearing very little. Sephiroth supposed he shouldn't judge though. It was, after all, a very warm vacation town.

Back to the main group, they had Cloud run around the town restocking their supplies, randomly running into the other current members of the group.

Yuffie was selling materia.

How.

But the worst development they found on the beach. One Professor Hojo. With girls. Around him. He'd never cared about that before so… why? Well, if he'd resigned, then perhaps he had 'retired', Sephiroth supposed, but somehow Hojo had never struck him as the retiring type.

Then the game presented a decision: recognize Hojo or talk about a girl in a bikini. Somehow the latter answer didn't seem to fit with Cloud, but the idea of acknowledging Hojo didn't appeal to Sephiroth in the slightest.

"Pick the bottom one," Genesis said. "About the girl in the bikini."

Sephiroth raised an eye at his mischievous smile, then rolled his eyes.

Angeal sighed and did as his friend had asked.

Tifa got a little upset and said to go and talk to Hojo. Unfortunately, Angeal did. The girls intercepted him (which sounded very much like something Hojo would hire someone to do, so that made some sense at least), and Hojo didn't seem to want to talk to them at first, but then he said he remembered 'you all, now'. Then he called Cloud by name.

That… actually didn't bode well. Any SOLDIER – any person – who Hojo remembered… Sephiroth was beginning to think that Cloud's past wasn't as bright as he seemed to act at times.

Then the former scientist said that 'sometimes, you just have to do this', referring likely to the girls and the beach. And apparently, getting a tan.

What.

Either Hojo had lost his mind, he was setting something up, or this game had missed its mark with him.

He wanted to think it was the latter. He couldn't help but think the former seemed more likely.

Cloud asked what Hojo was after, demanding answers. To Sephiroth's surprise, the man acquiesced and said they were both after the same thing: Game Sephiroth.

Then he stood up, still in his lab coat and cackling.

More support for the 'Hojo finally lost his mind' theory.

Then he asked if Cloud felt as if something were calling him. Cloud replied that 'he'd go anywhere Sephiroth is at to put an end to this'.

Hojo just laughed some more and said this could be interesting.

That made Sephiroth's stomach twist a little. He knew what it was like to be interesting to Hojo.

Then he asked if Cloud would like to be his guinea pig. Cloud backed away as if horrified. Smart man. Then Hojo asked if Cloud would draw his sword. His wording seemed so nonchalant, but knowing the scientist...

Then Hojo acknowledged Aeris and mentioned her biological mother's name: Ifalna. The name sounded familiar, so it must have been mentioned before, but Sephiroth couldn't place when or where. This game was driving him to distractions in a way he'd not experienced before. That thought made him very uneasy and he made a mental note to examine it later. Then Hojo asked after the woman. Aeris informed him of her death. The hack of a scientist laughed.

Sephiroth was very close to done with this. (He wasn't even sure if 'this' meant the game, the current circumstances in general, or Hojo and SOLDIER…)

Then Aeris asked if Sephiroth and Jenova were Ancients as well.

The scientist didn't answer her. He simply mumbled a little, laid back down in his chair and, like the man silver-haired General knew, refused to answer any more.

"He only answered them because it suited him," Sephiroth muttered.

He felt a hand on his arm and looked over to meet Angeal's worried eyes. He took a deep breath and forced the tension he hadn't recognized until just then in his shoulders out.

"I'm fine," he said.

Angeal didn't look convinced, but he did nod.

"There is no hate, only joy, For you are beloved by the Goddess," Genesis said. It really was amazing how many times he could fit the same line into different situations.

Sephiroth sent him a grateful, if small, smile as Angeal led Cloud away from the mad scientist.

AVALANCHE rested up at a local inn (for an outrageous price, of course) and then set off again. Sephiroth wasn't quite sure where, as they hadn't really been given any clues as to where Game Sephiroth was going, but there weren't many places to go anyway so game insanity would likely lead them on.

After a couple of battles, they found a mountain road and followed that, running into more battles of course. Then they came across another little trail and a man sitting by the side of the road talking about a man in a black cape.

Of course.

The trail led them to another reactor.

"It must be the Corel reactor," Angeal commented as he ran Cloud down the path. "Should we go inside?"

"Our intrepid hero hasn't had the best history with reactors," Genesis muttered dryly.

"True," Angeal said. The game didn't force them to stop, so they didn't, bypassing the reactor completely. With Barrett in their group, that seemed a little… too easy, but Sephiroth wasn't going to complain.

The next several minutes dealt with Angeal figuring out some puzzles on the Corel road while Sephiroth and Genesis watched on in annoyed silence.

Then, not a moment too soon in Sephiroth's opinion, they got to Corel.

Or, what was left of it.

"What happened?" Angeal asked.

"Why do they have Corel in a mountainous area? Isn't it down near the desert?" Genesis mused. He had a point.

"Perhaps something happened to the town and they had to move it?" the brunet postulated.

"Like what? A stamped of chocobos?" Genesis groused.

Angeal shrugged. "Monsters are one possibility. Or a fire, flood, horrific sandstorm-"

Then one of the townsfolk punched Barrett, cutting the larger SOLDIER off.

"What?" Angeal burst out angrily.

"They obviously know him," Genesis said, but he was frowning. Sephiroth realized his own lips had twitched downward. Was he feeling… sympathetic towards this terrorist?

"Never thought they'd see him again?" the red-head snorted as he repeated what he read on the screen. "He destroys everything he touches? Somehow I can't help but think that's rather an over exaggeration. Did they kick him out of another town somewhere? Was that town ruined as well?"

Sephiroth thought over that for a moment, then decided to voice a point. "Sector Seven was destroyed as a direct cause of his actions."

"That was ShinRa's fault," Genesis snapped back.

"True, but the point still stands," Sephiroth returned calmly.

"I don't care what happened, it can't be all Barrett's fault," Angeal protested. "It certainly wasn't in Midgar, even if he could have chose his actions better."

"Perhaps not," Genesis said grumpily. "It's likely he's just the scapegoat."

Sephiroth spoke quietly, "this wouldn't be the first time we've seen people choose a scapegoat."

Then all Barrett said was: '...I'm sorry…'

"He believes it too," Genesis said, exasperated.

"But… what happened?" Angeal asked as they moved Cloud to go and speak to Barrett. He just confirmed that yes, it was his fault, and then ran off.

What?

Sephiroth found himself asking that far too much because of this game..

The items in the stores sold at a monumentally low price… unsurprisingly. So they stocked up and then went to talk to the people around the town. They slept at the 'inn', if one could call it that, for a similarly low price and restored their HP and MP. They also found out that the Gold Saucer, whatever that was, had been built near there.

"I've heard about plans for a theme park like that," Genesis mused. "But as far as I knew, they don't have the land for it yet. Or the power. It would need to be by a reactor."

"There is a reactor at Corel, according to the game," Angeal pointed out.

"It isn't there now," Sephiroth said.

"True," Angeal conceded.

"Isn't it a little…" Genesis paused as he thought of the right word, then went on with a drawl, "convenient that a town – one fairly well known for continuing to use a method of power that does not depend on mako or ShinRa – gets destroyed and ShinRa buys up nearby land to build something that sounds rather gaudy but would be a tourist draw?"

Silence, then, "You think ShinRa's behind this somehow?" the brunet asked softly.

The red-head just shrugged. "Who else has that kind of money?"

Point.

"We don't even know what it actually is," Angeal protested. "It could simply be a museum, or a place to watch the sunset."

Genesis looked at his friend with a raised eyebrow. "Somehow, I very much doubt it."

Sephiroth and Angeal did too. Angeal was simply playing the devil's advocate. Or ShinRa's advocate. Funny how that fit so well.

"And it looks like we're supposed to head that way anyway," The red-head continued with a slow wave of his hand.

Angeal sighed and continued onto the Gold Saucer – or the entrance at least. Once there, the characters asked Barrett what happened. He explained that his home town used to be 'around here' (so it wasn't Corel? Although Genesis did have a point that the town of 'Corel' should have been at a lower elevation than right outside the path into the mountains) and that it somehow got 'buried'. Well, that was ominous. Not as ominous as some other things they'd come across, but that wasn't exactly a low bar.

Barrett reiterated that it was all his fault, and the game went into a flashback. (At least, that's what Sephiroth assumed it was as the scene had changed drastically.)

Words across the screen – Barrett's presumably – confirmed that Corel was his hometown. A coal-mining town… which might be something ShinRa would want to get rid of if they wanted the world on Mako energy… more evidence for Genesis' rather dark theory. The town had been dusty and poor, but calm, according to the game. Then they were approached to have a Mako Reactor. Apparently the town agreed except for one person: Dyne. Whoever that was.

Sephiroth was a little surprised it hadn't been Barrett.

This Dyne was a traditionalist who didn't want to throw the town's history away. Sephiroth supposed he could understand that. Even Scarlett didn't seem to have a sway on the guy. Sephiroth had noted that she tended to be able to sway a lot of men… Apparently, Barrett was the one who convinced Dyne that a Mako Reactor was a good idea and got him to change his opinion, although it looked like more than one person supported Barrett's view.

So a reactor was built.

And the town burned. While Barrett and Dyne were away, nonetheless.

There were an awful lot of burning towns in this story.

(Sephiroth tried not to wince at the thought and managed to only twitch a little.)

This time, it seemed that ShinRa troops burned the town. Sephiroth almost wished Angeal had been right about a natural disaster. The train of thought didn't make Sephiroth feel any better.

Barrett explained that there had been an explosion at the reactor, and ShinRa blamed the town.

"As I said," Genesis muttered darkly, "convenient. The town that would have used the power is suddenly gone and up goes whatever this Gold Saucer is…" Although Sephiroth could tell he already believed it was a theme park due to these 'rumors' he'd heard. It wasn't inconceivable.

Sephiroth and Angeal exchanged glances. Angeal had his 'serious face' on, the one he tended to wear when in front of the troops or on the clock. He didn't like the implications anymore than Sephiroth did. Or Genesis for that matter.

In the game, Tifa pointed out that everyone had fallen for ShinRa's promises 'back then'. The 'and lies' she didn't say at the end of the sentence still echoed silently through their minds.

Before they could go any further, Genesis' phone received the notification that their delivery was on it's way and someone had to go down to pick it up. Sephiroth volunteered. He could use the break. They had been playing for almost eight hours straight at this point.

He felt his chest ease a bit when he exited the room and strode towards the elevators. He really had enjoyed doing this with Genesis and Angeal… or he would have if it had been any other 'game'. As of right now, though, they couldn't explain this impossible 'gift/curse' they'd received. Where had it come from? Who had sent it to him? What exactly was at play here? Was this just someone putting two and two together to get five, or was this something else? Something that couldn't be explained away by science.

He made it down to the lobby and picked up the order from the star-struck deliverer, signed a receipt (and an autograph, because the man – a blond in sunglasses – asked politely) and made his way back to his apartment. When he got there, he found Genesis and Angeal had reached the Gold Saucer… which was a theme park.

Did Genesis hate being right in these kinds of situations like Sephiroth did? The smug smile wouldn't suggest so.

"Angeal and I have come to the conclusion that Barrett's town burning was not his fault, or at least not his alone," Genesis informed him. "Everyone else voted for the ShinRa reactor. Unless there's something we don't know, it isn't his fault."

"He was just the loudest," Angeal added on quietly.

"And thus the scapegoat," Genesis finished.

Sephiroth nodded in agreement as he walked over and set the food down on the table. He began to hand it out.

"Have you ever had Wutain take-out before?" Angeal asked as he put the controller he'd been handling down so he could take his food.

"No," Sephiroth said. "But I have had Wutain food." When one had a campaign in Wutai, it was difficult to avoid.

"This has a similar flavor, but an Eastern twist to it," Genesis informed him as he broke his cheap chopsticks in two and opened his box. "Quite good."

Sephiroth opened his box to see noodles and two dishes smothered in sauce. He tasted one, paused for a moment and decided it was acceptable. The second dish had a tang to it that he quite enjoyed and he decided he liked that one.

"He likes it!" Angeal said with a grin.

"Oh, excellent. Let us sell this to the tabloids," Genesis said sarcastically. "I'm sure they'd love to know what their great Silver General enjoys eating."

Sephiroth frowned at him. "You wouldn't."

The Commander grinned savagely at him. "No, I wouldn't. I'll just hold it for blackmail."

"I could give your order to Red Leather."

The red-head's eyes widened. "You savage!" he said dramatically.

Sephiroth smirked and put more food in his mouth, keeping his gaze on Genesis.

"So, we can all agree that we all have an equal amount of blackmail on the other," Angeal interrupted, rolling his eyes.

"Oh, very well," Genesis said and went back to eating.

Meanwhile, Angeal set his food down and got the controller again. He picked the option that popped up moving the group onto the car that would take them to the Gold Saucer. As Cloud walked onto the transport, Barrett spoke of how Dyne had been his best friend since they were children before he entered the car.

Tifa said she'd never known anything they'd just learned because Barrett hadn't ever said anything. Neither Aeris or Red XIII had anything to say about that, although Yuffie had to comment about how she didn't sympathize and he got what he deserved for trusting ShinRa.

"What an utter brat," Genesis muttered.

Sephiroth didn't say anything, but wondered if Genesis realized he was being a bit of a hypocrite there…

She ran on, then everyone else got on as well and the propellers on the car started. Strange. Didn't they simply move the car along the cables? Sephiroth had never heard of such devices. They seemed a little… redundant in his opinion. Though it could be for show, due to the theme park? It was still ridiculous though.

The next scene showed the transport (now turned around… what?) as it approached an enormous structure practically outlined in lights and spouting some of the most annoying music he'd ever heard.

He really hoped that wasn't the theme for this entire part of the game.

"If that doesn't have ShinRa written all over it, nothing does," Genesis said dryly as the car passed the structure by.

Sephiroth repressed a sigh as he'd come to the same conclusion. Angeal didn't say anything, but the fact that he still looked so serious said quite a bit about his current mind-set.

The vehicle came to stop after coming through the mouth of a very large, round, pink… animal? It kind of looked like the legendary moogles did, but, not quite. Either way, it didn't strike Sephiroth as something tasteful.

Of course, the woman at the door into the actual park said they could buy a day pass for 3,000 gil or a lifetime pass for 30,000 gil.

They chose the day pass.

Oh, and apparently they had to earn 'GP' to buy things inside the attraction instead of gil. That didn't sound like a particularly lucrative way to make money. More game insanity? The room they entered next had several openings all around, each leading to a different area, Sephiroth supposed, looking at the lettering on the floor in front of each hole.

"That looks completely ridiculous and inefficient," Genesis scoffed. He didn't get any disagreements.

Aeris walked up to Barrett and encouraged him to cheer up. Naturally, Barrett didn't respond well to that. He wasn't violent, but he did tell everyone to leave him alone. Aeris, unlike her usual self, just said that was too bad before turning and running to Cloud, grabbing his arm and telling him that they should go. Tifa ran after her and called her out on the harshness of her words. Sephiroth hadn't thought they'd sounded harsh so much as uncaring. Then again, he didn't have the best basis to judge that from. Aeris said to just act normal. Tifa didn't seem so sure, but the flower girl insisted on it, letting Barrett know that they were going to go off on their own.

Barrett seemed to explode a bit after that, telling everyone to go off and play, as if telling them off. Then he reminded them that they were after Game Sephiroth and ran to one of the openings, jumping into it.

Aeris commented on his grumpiness (which Sephiroth thought he was perfectly entitled to in this case, although if he really thought of them being on a mission, he should be more objective as well). Tifa said he seemed to be doing a bit better (what?) and then Angeal had control back. He could choose to go together with someone.

"Who should we go with?" he asked.

"Tifa," Genesis said.

Angeal looked to Sephiroth for his opinion. He shrugged as he didn't particularly care. So Angeal chose Tifa.

They ended up wandering around for a bit, but somehow everything seemed closed or blocked off.

"What are we even here to do?" Genesis asked. "Aren't they looking for Sephiroth."

"I doubt they will find the game version of me in a place such as this," the Silver General commented dryly.

Angeal snorted as Sephiroth finished his meal and set the empty containers on the table to be thrown away later. Eventually, they ran across a… something. A cat riding a giant moogle? What?

"What is that?" Genesis asked. "A marionette? An animatronic? A costume? A robot?"

"A fortune teller, apparently," Angeal said, sounding about as confused as Sephiroth felt.

Then, much to their surprise, a naming screen came up with the default name of 'Cait Sith'.

"Is he… she… it going to join us?" Genesis asked, gesturing to the screen in surprise.

"Apparently," Sephiroth said with a frown.

They finished that, then Cloud asked if Cait Sith could read only the future.

"How can it read anything at all? What even is it?"

Neither Sephiroth or Angeal answered.

Of course, then it claimed that it could find missing objects and people. So, naturally, they asked him where Game Sephiroth was. He did a funny little dance/march, then handed something to Cloud. A box popped up on screen that suggested Cloud was reading aloud: "Ordinary Luck. It will be an active fortune."

Sephiroth heard Genesis snort and Angeal's head moved as if he'd just rolled his eyes. The Silver General himself didn't bother acknowledging the ridiculousness with a response.

Cloud continued to read. "Give into the good will of others, and something big'll happen after the summer. Wait… hold on…"

Cait Sith asked for another try.

"Can't we just leave him?" Genesis asked, sounding annoyed. Sephiroth agreed.

"No," Angeal said, put out.

Cait Sith did another little dance/march and then handed something over to Cloud again.

"Be careful of forgetfulness. Your lucky color is… blue." The blond seemed to get fed up at that point.

'Forget it,' he said.

Then the cat… moogle… thing asked for one more chance. By this point, all three of the SOLDIERS were far from impressed and just wanted to move on. The game still wouldn't let them.

At least the dance/march thing sped up this time around.

Cloud took the paper, then exclaimed in surprise. Tifa asked what it said, so the blond read it aloud.

"What you peruse will be yours, but you will lose something dear."

All of the soldiers' eyebrows rose. "And we're back to ominous," Genesis said. "My friend, the fates are cruel!"

He wasn't wrong, although he still wasn't sure if they should trust anything this cat/moogle pair gave them.

Cait Sith at least acknowledged that it was a strange, unhappy fortune. And also the first time he'd ever gotten anything like that to give to someone. Then he said that he had to join them until he could give them a proper fortune.

Genesis snorted. "Whatever he is, he's a ShinRa spy."

Angeal looked over at him. "You think so?"

The red-head nodded and gestured to the screen. "Something ShinRa definitely has a part in, a group that they've had problems with shows up at a place that is very likely on their path, and he just wants to come along. A bit convenient, isn't it?"

Sephiroth had to admit, he had a point.

Then Cait Sith walked into Cloud, followed by Tifa.

Still more Game Insanity. Was it sad that he was getting used to it?

Angeal brought up the menu to see about equipping the new team and noticed the time. "Have we really been playing this for almost twelve hours now?"

"It's been almost eight today," Genesis said, looking at his watch. "Longer as we had to go back a couple of times."

"Wait," Angeal said, then turned to Sephiroth. "Didn't you stay awake the entire night taking care of Don Corneo?"

Sephiroth nodded.

"You should sleep," the brunet admonished.

The General scowled. "I can stay awake for many more hours."

"Maybe," Genesis scoffed, examining his nails, "but you don't have to. Just go to bed. We'll keep playing this and let you know if something happens."

"It really isn't necessary," Sephiroth insisted. "And this is more important."

"Just a couple of hours," Angeal practically begged.

Sephiroth felt his argument die on his lips. He could stay up, but Genesis was right, he didn't really have to. And as much as he didn't like the idea of leaving his friends to play the game without him, he couldn't deny that a small break sounded very nice about now.

He sighed internally, rising from the couch with a nod. "Very well. Wake me again in three hours or if something comes up that I need to see."

The other two nodded, watching as Sephiroth walked down the small hall and into his room where he leaned momentarily against the door once it closed. Why did this seem so… emotional for him? This couldn't be predicting the future. That sounded, in no way scientific at all. It was illogical and unthinkable and yet…

He only let himself stand like that for a minute, gathering himself, before he turned towards his small bathroom where he took a fast shower and then went to bed, thankful that his training allowed him to bypass the usual mulling that so many of his men complained about before sleep. It only took him about two minutes to fall asleep.

xXx

AN: Sorry this took so long to get up. There was a death in the family and I wasn't up for it. Doing better now, though.

Note, I have posted some links to original fiction and screenplays in my discord if you're interested: discord (period) gg (forward slash aka /} qNpruuW (without spaces)

Also thanks to my new beta reader Imagination7418! Seriously, thank you. The chapter is so much better now.