Notes: Now to walk that balance between the story's sweeter, lighter origins and the darker overarching plot.

Chapter Eight

Captain Harper ground to a halt as Genesis took off flying. "What the . . . I can't be seeing that," he objected in shocked disbelief.

"You're seeing it, Captain." Sephiroth's voice was pulled taut. "That is part of the result of how we were experimented on by this secret faction in the military."

Aerith let out a quiet gasp at that.

Harper looked to him with a jerk. "'We,' General?"

"Yes. I have one too." Sephiroth sighed and turned away from the window. "If you hadn't all stormed in on us, he might not have got away."

Harper's eyes narrowed. "I'm sorry, General. We didn't have this vital information on the fact that General Rhapsodos can make aerial escapes." He wouldn't dare actually talk back to a General, but he was still saying loud and clear that he felt Sephiroth had dropped the ball on this matter.

And Sephiroth was willing to acknowledge that. "I was going to tell you," he said. "Since the information involves me as well, I was trying to gauge whether I trusted you enough to reveal it. It's not a pleasant subject and I'm aware I'm already thought insane."

"What was it he was saying to you, Sir?" Harper asked. "We weren't close enough to hear."

"He was talking in riddles, as always," Sephiroth said in annoyance. "Something about 'why are we here.' And I don't think he was having an existential crisis; he acted like I had done something to cause us to be here."

"He sounds like he's off his rocker," a Cavalry soldier piped up.

"He may be. I just don't know." Sephiroth shook his head and turned away.

"Well, at least you seemed to be wrong about him planning something dangerous for tonight," Harper said. "What do you think he'll do now?"

"I don't know that either. He might leave town, but on the other hand, he might try to see me again." Sephiroth frowned. "I'll need a wide berth. He might not come if he believes he'll be boxed in and captured."

"We'll back off to give you that," Harper said. He looked to Aerith. "And I can have one of my men escort you home, Miss Gast."

Aerith smiled at him. "Thank you, Captain, but General Sephiroth has already offered to take me back himself." Sephiroth hadn't, of course, but she wanted to talk to him more and she hoped he wouldn't object.

Indeed, Sephiroth just nodded, not skipping a beat. "Yes, I did. And we should be going. I'll see you in your office later, Captain." He headed out of the theatre with Aerith.

Harper stared after them, his eyes narrowed. ". . . Let's go," he finally said at last. "We won't learn anything more in here."

"What are you going to do, Sir?" Sergeant Daly asked.

"I've got a mind to look more into this secret faction in the military by sending off a few choice telegrams," Harper remarked. "But if it's capable of doing things like putting wings on men, who knows what they might do to this town if I poke around too much. I'm going to have to think about the best way to approach this." He clenched a fist. "I've always been proud to serve in the Cavalry. I don't want some secret faction to wreck it and turn it into a den of mad scientists breeding freaks."

"General Sephiroth probably knows the most about it," Daly pointed out.

"And I may have to try to get him to tell me more," Harper agreed. "He's wondering whether to trust me? I'm still wondering the same about him."

He headed out of the theatre.

xxxx

Outside on the street, the townsfolk were unaware that anything strange had been happening. They had enjoyed the play and were happy and cheerful as they headed to the restaurants or one of the saloons for a late meal or just started for home. Any that noticed Aerith walking with Sephiroth greeted them warmly, to which Aerith smiled and responded in turn and Sephiroth politely nodded.

"I wonder how many of them would still be smiling at us if they knew the truth that you discovered in my hotel room," Sephiroth said low when they turned onto a quieter street.

"The wing?" Aerith said in sad surprise.

"People are simple-minded and judgmental," Sephiroth said. "The majority of them would never be able to accept something like that, except as a sideshow attraction at a circus." Bitterness filled his voice.

"Most people are kind and good," Aerith told him. "They might not understand a wing, and they might be afraid at first, but I believe most of them could come to understand a wing doesn't make someone good or bad. Only how they act can do that."

"And how have I acted?" Sephiroth stared off into the night. "I've always tried to help and not hurt, to find non-violent solutions to situations whenever possible. But now I'm being told that I razed an innocent town to the ground and impaled my only friend when he tried to stop me. If I did all of that, then Genesis is right that I am a monster."

"You wouldn't do that in your right mind," Aerith insisted. "You care about people too much. The you Zack wrote about in his letters . . . that person was exactly as you're describing yourself now—someone who tries to help and not hurt. Zack saw so many instances of exactly that. That was what made him start to change his mind about you after thinking you were cold and hard."

"A human glacier," Sephiroth remarked. "That's what some have called me. If you didn't have Zack's letters to fall back on, how would you describe me after our various encounters today?"

Aerith paused as she pondered the legitimate question. "Sad," she said. "Really sad. And lonely. You keep to yourself because you don't know who you can trust, not because you don't care. You've been hurt so many times by people like General Rhapsodos. You probably don't know how much more of that you can take. You don't want to open your heart again only to lose someone."

Sephiroth just stared at her. The correct analysis of his feelings was shocking enough, but there was something in her tone, something knowing. "You as well," he realized.

Aerith didn't deny it. She nodded. "It is really hard sometimes, knowing who to trust," she admitted. "And it hurts . . . losing people both to them betraying you or to death. Finally it gets to where enough is enough."

"And yet instead of becoming aloof, you're always smiling and wanting to be around others," Sephiroth said.

"There are many ways to be aloof," Aerith said softly. "Putting on a happy smile when you really just want to crawl in a hole and pull the hole in after you . . . going out and talking with people, only never telling them the secrets in your heart but letting them tell theirs . . . that's how some people are aloof."

"I see," Sephiroth said, also speaking quietly. "And yet you have been sharing some of your secrets with me. Why?"

"Because you're someone who will understand," Aerith replied. "And also . . . because you're a connection to Zack. I thought I would never have that again. I'm glad to talk about him with someone else who knew and loved him."

Sephiroth slowly nodded. "I am also," he admitted.

"It keeps him alive just a little bit more," Aerith said.

Sephiroth wasn't sure he could feel exactly that way about it. Zack was still just as tragically dead. But it was nice . . . to really talk about him again. He'd had no one to share memories of Zack with since then.

". . . What you said inside, to Captain Harper. That's really how you and General Rhapsodos got your wings?" Aerith sounded hesitant to even ask, knowing it must be a sensitive subject and then some. But she felt she had to know. How could the military have been keeping such secrets?

"Yes, it is." Sephiroth had expected the question, but he still didn't like discussing it.

"How could they do that?" Aerith asked.

Assuming she meant morally and not how they were physically capable of doing it, Sephiroth said, "The ones who did it have no conscience. They care only for exploring science in the cruelest possible ways, no matter who suffers. They wanted Genesis and Angeal and I to be the perfect soldiers. Or, if you believe Genesis, the perfect monsters." He didn't try to disguise the bitterness in his voice.

"You all must have suffered so much," Aerith said. "Does it hurt, having the wing?"

"No," Sephiroth said. "The experiments changed our bodies to gradually adapt to them when they grew in. We didn't know what was going to happen until it did."

"What a terrible shock," Aerith said sorrowfully.

"Genesis and Angeal handled it the worst," Sephiroth said. "Or I always thought they did. If Genesis wasn't lying to me about Nibelheim, I handled everything the worst."

Aerith didn't know what to say. She still hoped they would learn that Sephiroth hadn't committed such horrific acts, even while temporarily insane. But . . . if he really had, would he even be able to handle that knowledge when it came back?

". . . I wonder what Genesis meant when he was talking about my photographs," he said, breaking the moment of silence. "And why he kept asking 'why are we here.' What could he possibly mean? How could he suspect me of being responsible? I didn't bring you to Edge, nor Genesis. You both came on your own."

Aerith frowned as she pondered. "He acted like it had something to do with your pictures," she remembered. "I know them being color is really unique, but I just can't see the connection."

"Could anyone?" Sephiroth mused. "Other than Genesis, that is." He sighed wearily. "It could just be the ravings of an unstable mind. He may be getting worse."

"But you don't think so, do you?" Aerith said. Now they were approaching Elmyra's house. The lights were still on; she must be waiting up for Aerith to come to dinner.

"I don't know," Sephiroth said. "If I could only remember . . . !"

"I'll try to help all I can," Aerith offered. "And . . ." She hesitated as they went up the walkway and to the porch. "Would you like to come to dinner? I know you haven't had anything to eat in hours."

Sephiroth stared at her in surprise. "Mrs. Gainsborough might not want a sudden, unexpected guest," he objected.

"Oh, she's the type who'd scold me if I didn'tbring you!" Aerith smiled. "I know you probably don't feel like socializing or being around anyone else right now, but you need to eat something!"

Sephiroth grunted awkwardly. He wasn't even sure he felt up to eating, but Aerith was logically right that he needed to.

Zack had been like that too—always able to get him to do things he should be doing and wasn't doing enough, or things that he had never dreamed he would do in a million years. That time he had even got Sephiroth to sing with him at the karaoke night. . . .

The what?

He shook himself back to the present. "Thank you for your concern and your hospitality," he said.

Aerith smiled and opened the front door. "I'm home!" she called. "And I've brought a new friend to join us for dinner. That's okay, isn't it?"

Elmyra came out of the kitchen with a smile. "Of course it's okay, child," she said. "Now who's . . ." She trailed off as she saw Sephiroth standing awkwardly in the doorway. Definite surprise flickered in her eyes. But then it was gone and she was swiftly smiling again. "Somehow I wasn't expecting Aerith's new friend to be a man," she said. "Come in!"

Still looking awkward, Sephiroth did so. "We just met today," he said, "but we knew of each other before, through Zack. I am General Sephiroth."

Further surprise, as well as recognition. "General Sephiroth," she mused. "Of course. Your hair and your unusual dress code are legendary even here." A smile. "Well, get into the kitchen! The food's all ready and waiting!"

Sephiroth shut the door behind him. "Thank you," he said. "I hope I'm not intruding."

"Never!" Elmyra assured him. "I'm hoping Aerith's going to be staying with me for a good while. I want her to feel welcome to bring her friends home."

Aerith beamed, giving Sephiroth an I told you solook.

The meal was definitely pleasant. They of course didn't discuss the mystery with Elmyra and instead mostly made small talk about innocuous subjects, such as the town and the upcoming social. Aerith was quite at home with such an environment and she chatted away, leading the topics down new paths.

Sephiroth, of course, was highly unused to such talk. Having grown up being groomed for the military, discussions of town businesses and a broken wagon and a church social had never really come up. He was more than content to let Aerith handle all of the talking, but both she and Elmyra tried to make sure to involve him as well.

"You know, Aerith should really have a proper escort for the social on Thursday," Elmyra remarked. "She just barely got to town and doesn't know many people yet."

Aerith waved her off. "It's fine! I'm perfectly alright going alone. I'll meet everyone there. Unless, of course . . ." She smiled impishly at Sephiroth. "You would come with me?"

Sephiroth reddened completely. That would absolutely be a date. Not that there would be anything wrong with that. It just . . . felt that way, perhaps, because she was Zack's girl. But Zack was tragically gone. And there was surely no harm in one date, anyway. Even though she shouldn't be around him, shouldn't even want to be.

"Now Aerith, girl, you're supposed to wait for the man to invite you," Elmyra chided. But she didn't really sound angry, just exasperated and maybe a bit amused.

"Oh, that's silly anyway," Aerith scoffed. "If I'd like to go and I wouldn't mind going with him, why shouldn't I make the first move?"

Sephiroth wondered if it was possible to get any more red. Hopefully his hair was mostly disguising it.

"I would be happy to take you, Miss Gast," he said at last. "Although I should warn you I've never attended an informal gathering like a church social. I've only been to military banquets and dances."

Aerith just smiled. "Can you dance, General?"

"Yes, I can," Sephiroth said.

Aerith clapped her hands. "Then we're all set!"

After dinner, they helped with the clean-up for a bit before Elmyra good-naturedly shooed them outside on the porch to enjoy the evening for a few moments more before Sephiroth needed to leave.

"I hope you didn't feel too put on the spot," Aerith said, sobering a bit. "I was thinking we could both use something fun to take our minds off of . . . everything."

"It wasawkward," Sephiroth said matter-of-factly, deciding honesty was the best approach with this headstrong girl. "But it reminded me of Zack. He did things like that too. One time he got me to sing with him in public."

"Really?" Aerith smiled wistfully. "I would have loved to have seen that."

"It was . . . strange, but special," Sephiroth said. "I wouldn't have done it for anyone else."

"Zack was always good at getting people to say Yes to things they never thought they would," Aerith said.

"He was," Sephiroth agreed. Sighing, he looked at his watch and made a move for the stairs. "I should get going. We had a late dinner and it won't look respectable for you if I stay much longer. Anyway, Genesis may still call on me tonight. I need to know more about that nonsense he was saying."

Aerith's eyes flickered. "Yes, you should get back for that," she encouraged. "And then you should get some sleep! Don't stay up too late waiting for him."

"I might not be able to sleep," Sephiroth said. At Aerith's reproachful look, he added, "But I willtry."

Aerith smiled, satisfied. "Good! And tomorrow I'll shop for a new outfit for the social."

Sephiroth looked incredibly awkward again. "Miss Gast . . . what exactly does one do at a social?"

Aerith had to blink a moment in surprise. But then she smiled, kindly, and said, "Oh, it's really just like a military banquet, except that it's not so stuffy. We eat, dance, and, well, socialize."

"Less stuffy sounds pleasant," Sephiroth had to admit. "I am not a fan of military banquets."

"Really? I imagine a lot of people think you'd feel right at home there," Aerith smiled. Or on the battlefield.But she didn't say that part.

"Sometimes I wonder if I really feel much at home anywhere," Sephiroth remarked. "The only times I ever really felt that were with Zack . . . and with Angeal and Genesis, before they left. Genesis is so different now, it's like being with a stranger."

"That must be so hard," Aerith said softly.

Sephiroth nodded. "I once would have done anything for him. To see him so bitter and hateful towards me is . . . very difficult. Now I don't even know if our friendship was ever genuine on his part. Maybe part of me wishes it wouldn't have been. It would hurt less, somehow, to know he never cared instead of that he did care and stopped."

"Maybe it can still be salvaged," Aerith suggested.

"I don't even trust him anymore," Sephiroth sighed. "It would take a lot for me to be able to, even if he was interested in repairing things."

"I understand," Aerith said.

The silence returned again.

". . . I've felt the same about feeling at home with loved ones," Aerith said at last. "It's hard for home to feel like home without your loved ones. But I'm here to make a fresh start, so I'm hoping I'll find more loved ones." She smiled. "There can never be too many."

"Most people have never really liked me or taken the time to try to get to know me," Sephiroth said. "I highly doubt that will change any time soon."

Aerith sobered. "If anyone took the time, they would like you," she said. "It would be impossible not to."

Sephiroth was touched. "You . . . truly mean that?"

"Of course," Aerith said. "I already understand why Zack did."

Sephiroth finally smiled. "Thank you. That means a great deal."

"I wouldn't say it if I didn't mean it!" Aerith said, and Sephiroth found he was sure that was true.

Sephiroth had a lot to think about when he bade Aerith Goodnight and started down the walkway towards the hotel. This entire day had been so strange, filled with ups and downs and running into Zack's girlfriend again and again. Now they were going to attend some informal event together.

You don't mind, do you, Zack?

He really didn't think Zack would.

Unless Genesis's horrible words were true and Zack was dead because of Sephiroth. Then he surely wouldn't want Aerith anywhere near Sephiroth.

He sighed tiredly, fingering the pocket watch in his coat.

Why are we here?

What does that even mean, Genesis? Tell me!

But the skies were silent and Sephiroth walked on, hoping for answers at the hotel.

xxxx

It was always cold in the laboratory. Not that he really felt it that much, or anything else, for that matter. The torture had been going on too long and the experiments he had been put through had resulted in him being too sick and weak to really focus on much of anything anymore. The only things he really understood were the cold, the torture, the mad doctor, and . . .

Vaguely he heard the sound of a punch somewhere in the room. Then a door was creaking open and his companion was carefully climbing out of the mako tank. He went over to the other tank, hauling the door open and reaching to lift the weakened occupant.

"Hey, Cloud, are you with me? We're getting out tonight, just like I promised."

Cloud just looked at him with blank eyes. He heard, but he had no strength to respond.

"Let me just get you into these other clothes I found kicking around here. Yours are shot."

Cloud had no strength to help with that either, so he just allowed his friend to work, vaguely listening to his voice through the constant fog in his mind.

"We have to find Sephiroth, okay? Hojo and those guys were talking about him. They say he's blocked everything out." In a quieter voice he added, "I wonder if he even remembers me. . . ."

Sephiroth. . . . All of this had happened because of Sephiroth. Cloud had hated him that horrible night. Sephiroth and Genesis. . . .

"Well, we'll get this all straightened out." At last Cloud was wearing whatever clothes he had been put into. His friend carefully pulled him up, draping one arm around his shoulders and putting his other arm around Cloud's waist. "We'll find Seph, make sure he's okay, and . . . well, do whatever else we have to. If Seph's blocked everything out, the military probably doesn't even know the truth. I'm sure Genesis didn't tell anyone."

Cloud made a weak, mumbling grunt in his throat.

"It's going to be okay, Cloud. We'll fix it. As much as we can, I mean."

They started walking towards the door. Incredibly, no one else stopped them. But then again, no one else was there. Hojo had given up on them both, only leaving the one guard behind to feed them. Now he was knocked out, the food was carefully being taken to sustain them on the road, and they were getting out of there.

"I know nothing's going to be like it was, and some things can never be fixed, but we've still gotta do what we can. We've got to get to a place called Edge. Seph's been sent there for some reason and they said Genesis has been hanging around too. I'm not looking forward to seeing him again. I wonder why he's there."

Cloud started to slump down. He was walking, but mostly on automatic pilot. The arm around him tightened, not uncomfortably, and he was pulled up again.

"I've got you, Cloud. It's okay. Everything's gonna be okay now."

They reached the end of the hall and a door was pushed open. For the first time in ages, the night air was in their faces and blowing their hair about. It revived Cloud a bit and he stirred as he was lifted up into the front of a vehicle. "Z-Zack," he mumbled.

"Yeah." Zack smiled. "That's it! See, you're coming back to yourself now. Come on, Cloud. We're out of here."

He got in on the other side and drove off into the night.