Final Fantasy VII

All Our Dreams and Demons

By Lucky_Ladybug

Notes: The characters are not mine (except for Dalton) and the story is! This takes place in my Twilight and Dawn timeline, right after Mesmerized. Everyone is on Earth, Sephiroth is sane, and he and Cloud are very close. When Advent Children came out, there was a fan theory that Sephiroth was actually trying to help Cloud by pushing him to fight. It still appeals to me and seems to have merit, especially when examining exchanges such as "What about this planet?!" "Well, that's up to you, Cloud." So I've decided to adopt that into my verse's headcanon. Also, you will notice I've turned that concept of Sephiroth throwing his memories away on its head. I hate it in general and it just doesn't make sense when you add the Dissidia games to the mix, since all of them take place after the point when he supposedly did that, yet only in the fourth Dissidia game does it become a plot point. He fought so hard to get his memories back when the gods took them, and I insist on making that important to his character development.

Zack started, jumping a mile as he woke up laying on Seph's bed. Somehow he had fallen asleep there, curled up at Seph's side for comfort.

Seph's arm tightened protectively around him as he turned, blinking sleepy eyes at his friend and brother. "Zack?"

Zack sighed, slumping against Seph more. "Bad dream," he said. "Remembering."

"Modeoheim?" Sephiroth asked after a moment.

"Yeah, some," Zack agreed. "And also . . . when you were gone." He hugged Seph close. "Still feels unreal that you're back, Pal. . . ."

Sephiroth's grip tightened. "To me as well," he said quietly. "It's been so long. . . . Even though I saw many people on my stops and was often not alone, I missed you and Cloud and the others so much. I was the happiest when I stayed with the other me and his Zack and Cloud. That was what felt the most normal. And yet, when they weren't the ones I knew, it still wasn't right."

"That sounds pretty trippy," Zack agreed. He had been shocked when Seph had first told him of the other thems. Then he had decided it was really neat. He hoped to meet them someday.

"When Merlin was trying to help me, at one point he found a world where you didn't die saving Cloud. He didn't tell me much more than that, other than that I'd still lost my mind in that world." Sephiroth sighed heavily. "It was good to know you were alright there, at least."

"Maybe you'll be able to be okay someday in that world too, Seph," Zack said.

"I hope so," Sephiroth agreed.

He hesitated. "When I was gone, you probably bottled up your pain in order to help Cloud and the others," he said.

Zack sighed. "Yeah," he admitted. "Aerith does that all the time herself, so she got what I was doing and tried to encourage me to let it out. I confided in her, but I couldn't in the others. Especially Cloud, you know? He just can't take loved ones being hurt . . . or worse . . . and I couldn't add another burden on him."

"Perhaps it would help him, to have something else to put his mind to when that happens," Sephiroth said. "I've never admitted it before, but . . . when I came during the Geostigma crisis, I was trying to push Cloud to fight, to be his best, to not be sinking into despair."

"Really?" Zack looked to him. "Cloud thought you were trying to give him despair."

"That's what I wanted him to think," Sephiroth said. "Make no mistake, I wanted to win and believed I would win, but . . . I didn't want to see Cloud so broken. I didn't want to beat him that way."

Zack considered that. "Have you ever told him?"

Sephiroth shook his head. "There's never been a good time to get into it. I don't know what I'd say or how I'd say it or why I'd be saying it."

"Just say it like you told me," Zack said. "Cloud'd be happy to know it."

"It doesn't change that I was still the enemy," Sephiroth said.

"Yeah, but . . . you were much more than that." Zack hugged him close. "When I went to talk to you during the Bahamut SIN mess, I saw you weren't a goner. I didn't know at that point how we'd ever get you back, but you were showing your real self off and on during that conversation. That made me real happy. Then it wasn't long after all that when those gods started taking you and Cloud and sometimes Tifa to fight fot them. That brought the real you out a lot more."

"How strange that those experiences ended up being put so much to our good," Sephiroth mused.

"But it's great a lot of them can!" Zack insisted.

"Yes," Sephiroth said. "It is."

"You know, I still don't really get how the whole clone thing fit into things," Zack frowned. "I mean, what I'm remembering about it now is that we were really against each other, and I know you said it was mostly the clones causing so much trouble, but just . . . why didn't Cloud and I remember the good things that were happening back home before that point?"

Sephiroth sighed. "Your memories were taken from you," he said. "Maybe you never did get all of them back in that world. The clones were bent on the Reunion, so they didn't care. And . . . perhaps so much desire for the Reunion affected me as well. I can't deny the thought of being a god still pleased me, so when there was a chance right there to overthrow those gods and take over through the clones, I took it. I didn't care for the gods of that realm anyway. I still feel they had no right to keep pulling us to fight for them." A dry chuckle. "I ended up giving them a crystal with a piece of my essence that they could use in their fights, but that was mainly because I hoped doing so would keep them from taking me again."

Zack sighed too. "Man, it all sounds like such a mess. And I remember one of the clones saying he—you—threw his memories away in the Lifestream."

"Well. It wasn't actually a lie," Sephiroth remarked. "That was my phone." A smirk. He leaned back, pondering. "After I fought so hard to regain my memories, I wasn't going to throw them away. Losing them against my will was extremely upsetting to me. To get them back after that was enough to make me want to hold onto them out of spite for the gods, if nothing else."

"I'm glad something made you want to," Zack said.

"Not that I didn't still try to lock the most painful ones away deep in my mind," Sephiroth said. "I was always good about blocking things out if they were too horrible." He spoke quieter now. "I still barely remember my early life. I believe I blocked much of it out because it was too traumatizing to remember."

"Oh Seph. . . ." Zack hugged him out of sorrow and he hugged back.

"It's alright," he said quietly. "At least, it is now. I'm happy in my life."

"Good deal." Zack smiled at last.

Soon, however, he sighed, staring across the room at the wall. "What are we gonna do about Angeal?" He sounded very small and very worried.

"I don't know," Sephiroth admitted. So far they hadn't been able to figure out why Angeal was calling Dalton every time something happened to Sephiroth. It didn't appear to be hypnosis, or if it was, it was proving far more difficult to learn of it than Sephiroth had thought it would be.

"He's gonna keep getting more and more upset," Zack worried.

Sephiroth paused, pondering. "I wonder if we'll have to stage something happening to me and make Angeal believe it's real, then monitor him to see what he does." He didn't like the idea at all. It felt very cruel. But it might end up being their only option to learn the truth and ultimately save their friend. They couldn't really know what to do until they knew what had been done.

But he felt Zack stiffen at his side. Zack didn't like it either. "No," Zack said emphatically. "We can't do that!"

"I don't want to," Sephiroth said. "But how will we discover what was done to Angeal in order to know how to save him?"

Zack slumped in defeat. "I don't know," he said in dismay. "Man, why does everything have to be so hard?!"

"I wish I knew," Sephiroth sighed.

A crash downstairs startled both of them.

"What the heck?!" Zack leaped up, running for the doorway.

Sephiroth swiftly followed.

They were shocked to reach the bottom of the stairs and find the front door swinging open, the missing Genesis Rhapsodos standing with Rapier bared in the doorway.

"Genesis?!" Sephiroth stared at his old friend. "What are you doing?!" He hadn't seen Genesis on this world at all, and now suddenly he was breaking into the house? There was no time to even process his feelings about such a situation. Genesis clearly meant business for some reason.

Everyone else was running over from other parts of the house, drawn by the noise. As soon as Angeal saw, he went pale. "Genesis?!"

Genesis glanced to Angeal but really seemed to be focused on Sephiroth. "You've done well for yourself, haven't you, old friend?" he commented. "Who would have thought the perfect monster could ever be so truly rich?"

Zack cried in indignation, but Sephiroth merely narrowed his eyes. "I never would have thought it," he said coolly.

"What do you want, Genesis?" Cloud snapped. "Do you know how worried Sephiroth and Angeal have been about you?!"

"Have they now?" Genesis mused.

"We've been looking for you everywhere." Angeal's tone was pinched, pained.

"I'm touched. Truly." Genesis pointed the Rapier at Sephiroth. "But now is the time to settle our old score once and for all. My soul, corrupted by vengeance, hath endured torment to find the end of the journey in my own salvation . . . and your eternal slumber."

"I don't want to fight you, Genesis." Sephiroth's voice was even, hurt. "If you still feel the same as you did at Nibelheim, there is nothing more for us to say to each other."

"Let's let our blades speak our words," Genesis replied. "Unless you're too afraid you will lose. After all, I have been blessed with the gift of the goddess. I am far more powerful than I ever was before."

"So am I." Sephiroth hadn't budged. "If I dueled you with all of my strength, it would probably level this planet. I'm not going to risk our home just for a pointless fight."

"How strange," Genesis mused. "You, who used to want to spar with me, now have no interest in a contest of our strength?"

"When we sparred, to me it was never a contest of strength," Sephiroth said. "I never realized you felt it was more than a friendly match. For my lack of understanding, I'm sorry."

Genesis wasn't giving up. "Perhaps . . . with the proper motivation . . ." His gaze darted between Zack and Cloud before he chose to point the Rapier at Cloud. "Duel me, unless you want me to challenge Cloud instead. He, I'm certain, wouldn't refuse me."

"What the . . . ?!" Cloud stared at him. "What's your problem?!"

"Genesis!" Angeal stepped forward, eyes flashing in his bewilderment and hurt. "What is this?"

"Why do you have to fight?!" Marlene cried. "Why can't we all be friends?! That's what your friends want!"

"I want the glory that was denied to me on our original world," Genesis said. "Sephiroth is still claiming it here."

"Not by choice," Sephiroth retorted, angry and hurt. "I thought we were friends at least in the past. Was I wrong, Genesis? Did you always hate me, as you do now?"

"If I said I didn't, would that make you angry enough to accept my challenge?" Genesis replied without batting an eye.

Sephiroth clenched a fist. "No." He exhaled sharply, his decision made. "Get out of our house."

"Pardon?" Genesis just looked at him, seeming surprised by the refusal.

Sephiroth was trembling, fists clenched, barely controlling his anger. "Get out before I have you arrested for trespassing!"

"Do you honestly believe a threat of police would frighten me?" Genesis mocked.

". . . If violence is the only language you understand . . ." Sephiroth raised his hand, looking about to summon the Masamune. Instead, he stormed past Zack up the stairs and into his room.

"Seph!" Zack cried.

Angeal just stared at Genesis, the deepest look of betrayal in his eyes. "I thought you were different on this world," he said. "I thought you'd tried to help us. It looks like we gave you too much credit."

"Yes," Genesis said. "It appears you did." With that, he grabbed the doorknob and shut the door as he walked out.

Cloud was furious. "We can't leave him roaming around if he feels like that!" he said. "Who knows what he'll do to get Sephiroth's attention!"

"He wanted to fight you to get Seph's attention!" Zack said. "You can't go out there, Cloud! We don't know how strong that creep is now! If you get hurt by him, Seph really might snap! Remember how he got when he thought you'd been killed right in front of him?!"

"Sephiroth. . . ." Cloud looked back up the stairs where Sephiroth had gone. "I'm going to check on him."

"Good idea!" Zack said. That would leave him free to go after Genesis. He knew the guy better than Cloud did, at least. Maybe if they were alone, he could demand more answers and Genesis would tell him.

That was when he suddenly realized Angeal wasn't there. "Oh man, where'd he go?!" He looked around wildly. Was Angeal going to confront Genesis?

"Zack!" Marlene tugged on his hand. "Angeal's on the phone!"

Zack's eyes widened. "Where?!"

"In the back hall!" Marlene pointed.

Zack ran over, taking out his phone to quietly film what was happening. Angeal had his phone in hand, dialing a number. Zack crept closer.

"Hello, Mr. Hewley," came Dalton's voice from the phone.

"Genesis, why did you challenge Sephiroth to a duel?!" Angeal demanded. "How could you do that to him?!"

Zack stared. This must be the type of phone call they had been wondering how to capture. Genesis most certainly wasn't on the phone, but Angeal thought he was. Could it be hypnosis after all?

"A duel, you say?" Dalton sounded surprised as well as thoughtful.

"If your hate for him goes so deep that not even Minerva could heal you, you're not the person I thought you were." Angeal disconnected the call without waiting for a reply.

Zack ran to him now, the camera still running. "Angeal, why did you call Dalton on the phone?!"

Angeal started and looked over at him. "I wasn't on the phone," he said, and the confusion in his eyes was real.

"Yeah, you were!" Zack retorted. "I've got it all recorded!" He stopped the video and played it back for Angeal, who could only watch in shock.

"I . . ." He shook his head. "Something really is wrong with me. How could I do that?!"

"That's what we've gotta find out!" Zack cried. "Maybe it's hypnosis after all! We should play this video for Vincent and Shera!"

Angeal looked to the window. "And Genesis. . . . What could be wrong with him? Maybe Dalton did something to him too."

"He seemed like himself to me," Zack said, not even trying to hide his disgust. "I mean, I thought he was different after I fought him before, but maybe he wasn't."

"Strange that we wouldn't even have this video if he hadn't come here and made trouble," Angeal frowned.

Zack blinked in surprise at that. "You don't think it could've all been an act to try to get the phone call to happen?!"

"Maybe. I don't know." Angeal shook his head. "I don't know that he even knows anything is wrong with me."

Zack clenched a fist. "Even if that's true that he does and he set this all up so we'd have a chance at getting one of your weird phone calls recorded, he's really hurt Seph all over again now! Genesis was really the one who set Seph on the path to cracking up at Nibelheim. Maybe it wouldn't have happened if Genesis had just left him alone!"

"Sephiroth has all of us now," Angeal said. "He felt so alone at Nibelheim, but now he knows he isn't. I don't think he'll lose his mind again."

"I should go check on him anyway," Zack said. He sent the video he'd made on to Cloud as he hurried for the stairs.

Upstairs, Cloud had found Sephiroth standing by the wall where the Masamune was mounted, gripping the wall with one shaking hand as he stared in the direction of the floor but most likely didn't see it.

". . . Sephiroth?" he ventured.

". . . He must have known I was gone." Sephiroth's voice was low, drenched in pain. "Even Dalton, of all people, greeted me better when I came home than Genesis just did. He didn't care about me. He hasn't changed at all since Nibelheim!"

Cloud went over, first laying a hand on Sephiroth's shoulder before changing his mind and just embracing the man from behind. He was still so new to initiating such physical contact, but he felt that Sephiroth deeply needed it now. "I know, it doesn't sound like he has," he said. "But . . . we have. I know it doesn't make up for losing someone who was your friend so much longer, but you've got me. . . . And Zack. . . ."

Sephiroth turned around, holding Cloud close to him. "I wish . . . I had let Zack call me back from the edge back then," he said quietly. "He . . . and you . . . love me so much more than Genesis does. Maybe more than he ever did."

"He's a creep. And an idiot," Cloud said bitterly. "All he cares about is glory and fame."

Sephiroth frowned. "Strange, then, that he's not tried to get either one since we've been here," he said. "Instead, he's bent over backwards to hide and be anonymous."

". . . So . . . what do you think it means that he suddenly showed up here now?" Cloud wondered.

"I don't even know." Sephiroth looked weary. "I gave up trying to understand him long ago."

". . . Did you want to fight him after all?" Cloud asked.

"If he'd tried to harm you or Zack, I would have," Sephiroth said. "As it was, I can't deny I ended up being tempted to call the Masamune to me and fight him to get him out of the house. But I didn't want to let him goad me into anything again. And I couldn't bear to stay and hear his cruel words, so I left and came up here. I thought he would go if I left. Which, apparently he did."

"You're better than he is," Cloud said. "In a lot of ways. That's why you were the decorated hero and he wasn't."

"Hojo told me that a lot," Sephiroth said. "It meant little to me then. But . . . for you to say it, especially after everything we've been through, means the world to me, Cloud."

Cloud smiled. "I'm glad."

Neither of them noticed the figure hovering outside the window, watching the warm embrace. "There is no hate,"he said quietly, but there was a sad, perhaps a regretful, flicker in his eyes. It could have been him that Sephiroth held so close and so lovingly, perhaps . . . if he hadn't let jealousy and envy consume him in the past. Maybe even if he hadn't done what he had tonight.

"Genesis!"

He turned, looking down to where Zack was standing on the grass, buster sword bared.

"You'd better leave Seph alone," Zack said. "I checked on him, but when I saw Cloud had things under control, I came after you."

"I will not bother Sephiroth," Genesis said. "Although I wouldn't mind a friendly battle to see how far we've come, I did not come here to fight him tonight. He became . . . caught in the crossfire, shall we say? You and he discussed making Angeal believe something had happened to him in order to try to catch Angeal in the act of making his strange phone calls. I decided to . . . run with that idea."

"You were eavesdroppingon us?!" Zack cried.

"It is a good way to learn the news," Genesis said.

"A better way would've been to join us like a normal person and then be included on our plans," Zack retorted. "But you've just stayed away! Do you know how much that's hurt Angeal and Seph?! You're a real piece of work! They'll probably never trust you now!"

"Yes, I am aware of that." Genesis was still hovering in the air, apparently not intending to come down.

"And you still did it?!" Zack exclaimed. "Why?!"

"You and Sephiroth determined you could not do such a plan to try to help Angeal. I did not have any such inhibitions."

Zack frowned, not sure what to think. "You were willing to sacrifice whatever possible chances you had to make up with them to give us that chance to figure out what's wrong with Angeal?"

"Yes," Genesis said.

". . . Didn't you even stop to think you could've sent Seph off the deep end again?!" Zack burst out. "It was you who sent him on that downhill spiral in Nibelheim! If you'd left him alone, maybe things never would have turned out the way they did!"

"Perhaps not," Genesis said. "But I had faith that it wouldn't happen again."

"Seph's never as important to you as whatever else you want to do," Zack snapped. "You threw him away back home because of your stupid wish for glory and fame. Then you drove him to the brink because you wanted him to give you his cells to help you! Didn't you even realize that he would have gladly done it if you hadn't cut him to pieces at Nibelheim?!" He gripped his sword tighter. He was on a roll now and the words were spilling out, words he had long wanted to say, to scream at this creep he had no idea what to think of. "You know, I don't care if your goals were more noble this time. That was a crummy thing to do to Seph! And really, to Angeal too! You hurt them both tonight. Get out of here!"

By now Sephiroth and Cloud had come to the window, drawn by Zack's yelling. They both just stared in shock at the scene before them. Then Sephiroth opened the window. "What's going on?"

"Nevermind." Genesis rose higher on his wing, past the window and into the sky. "I offer thee this silent sacrifice."

Sephiroth stared after him. "Genesis?!"

"Oh, let him go, Seph." Zack came over to stand under the window. "He was eavesdropping on us talking about maybe setting something up to happen to you to try to get Angeal to make one of those phone calls, so he decided to go ahead and do it, without warning you first or anything!"

Now Sephiroth turned his stare to Zack. "This was all a ploy to try to help us help Angeal?!"

". . . Yeah, I guess if you want to put it that way," Zack said. "He didn't care about your feelings, Seph! It's just like you've been saying, how the trouble with him started before he ever degraded. He's supposed to be healed now, but he's still throwing you under the bus! And I . . . just couldn't take it anymore. I started screaming at him." He heaved a sigh. "I'm sorry, Pal. . . . I didn't mean for you to hear any of that. But of course you would. Not like the windows are sound-proof, and your hearing's better than anybody else's anyway."

Sephiroth rocked back, looking conflicted.

Cloud looked to him in concern. "Sephiroth? Are you okay?"

Sephiroth shook his head. "I . . . don't even know. How am I supposed to feel about this? Did he really . . . not want to duel me to the death? He was just worried about Angeal, as we all are?"

Cloud frowned. "It's no excuse." He hugged Sephiroth close. "Even if this was to help Angeal, he should have thought about your feelings too."

Sephiroth hugged back but he looked confused, conflicted, his eyes showing he was far away.

"Oh Seph. . . ." Zack sighed sadly. "I'll come in now, okay?"

"Yes," Sephiroth replied, still sad, still far away.

Cloud hugged him more desperately. "Hey, don't space out on us," he pleaded. "Come back!"

Sephiroth sighed. "It's . . . hard to explain how deeply I loved Genesis," he said at last. "How deeply I still love him. I . . . don't know how to feel right now. Should I feel betrayed? Like I'm always a throwaway to him, like Zack said? Or should I consider that he felt he was helping all of us, including me, by giving us a way to see what's going on with Angeal?"

"I don't know," Cloud said. "Maybe it's both, really. . . . Like, he considered he was helping, but didn't think enough about your feelings to know it wasn't a good way to help."

". . . Yes. Maybe that's the best way to think of it." Sephiroth stared into the distance. "And if I see him again, how should I react then?"

"Maybe ask him what he was thinking?" Cloud said. "If he'd even give you a straight answer."

"With Genesis, that's usually highly unlikely," Sephiroth said with a dark smirk.

Cloud reached over and shut and locked the window. "I barely know him, but I can't say I like him much."

Sephiroth chuckled. "I'm not sure why I fell so hard under his spell. Maybe just because he was one of the only people who would be with me and who was allowed to be with me."

"Maybe. Or . . . maybe back then, you were one of the only people who really saw his good side?" Cloud suggested.

"Maybe." Sephiroth walked back to the bed and sank down on the edge of it. "I wonder if I deserved what he did tonight."

"What?! Why would you say that?" Cloud frowned, sitting down next to him. It could just be another instance of Sephiroth's guilt for the past, but somehow it felt like it was more than that.

Sephiroth sighed. ". . . During the Geostigma crisis, when I came, I was trying to push you to be at your best to fight me," he confessed. "I saw how you'd sunk into depression and lost the will to fight, to protect. I wanted to give that back to you. I was truly a threat, but I milked that, wanting to get you incensed enough to regain the will to fight."

Cloud stared at him. ". . . You were trying to help me?"

"In a way, yes," Sephiroth said. "I loved you . . . and I felt I could best show that love by giving you the drive to fight."

". . . You kind of did that in World B too," Cloud remembered. He sighed, slumping against Sephiroth's shoulder. It was a lot to take in. But then he also remembered he had a question to answer. "It's not the same thing as what happened tonight."

"Oh? Why do you say that?" Sephiroth asked.

"Well, for one thing, you were crazy then and Genesis is supposed to be sane now," Cloud said. "Genesis should know better. And . . . I guess my other reasons kind of all go back to that."

"So I don't deserve to be on the receiving end of such tough love treatment because I was insane when I tried that?" Sephiroth grunted.

"Something like that," Cloud said. "Why should you be punished for something if you don't even feel the same way anymore? And . . . you didhelp me." He looked down.

". . . And I suppose Genesis helped tonight as well," Sephiroth remarked.

Cloud finally noticed the video Zack had sent and held up his phone so they could watch it. ". . . I guess so," he said at the end.

Sephiroth was frowning deeply at the screen. "We have bigger problems right now than how I should feel about Genesis," he said. "We need to help Angeal. Let's send this to whoever might be able to do something for him."

Cloud nodded. "Okay."

Dalton was sitting in his darkened office, pondering to himself on the odd phone call he had received, when a flap of wing brought his attention to the window. "Ah, Mr. Rhapsodos," he greeted. He looked disinclined to open the window and let the man in, but Genesis responded by blowing out the window with a fireball and flying through the hole while Dalton shielded himself from the flying glass. When he dared to look up, Genesis was hovering in front of him, eyes aflame, clearly enraged. The Rapier was held in front of him, pointed at Dalton.

"What did you do to Angeal?!" he demanded.

"What did I do? What about what youdid?" Dalton sneered at him. "You didn't hear how Angeal sounded on the phone. So filled with betrayal and pain! And you did that to him by barging into their home and challenging Sephiroth to a duel!"

"I wouldn't have done that if it hadn't been for trying to solve the mystery of what was done to Angeal," Genesis retorted.

"Still so impulsive, eh, Mr. Rhapsodos? With one well-intentioned but perhaps poorly thought-out plan, you have decimated whatever fledgling trust in you they gained on this world." Dalton leaned back, entertained.

"That can be dealt with later. They've seen what Angeal does on the phone when he calls you. For some reason, he believes he's talking to me!" Genesis was still holding the Rapier to Dalton's throat.

"Interesting, how the human mind can be so manipulated," Dalton remarked, far too calm and easy-going for the situation.

"You never do intend to tell us what was done, do you?" Genesis said. "Would your . . . associates talk if they saw you in danger?"

"You don't want to incite Gunju," Dalton said with mock solemnity. "Try to harm me and he will interfere. I'm sure that for all your incredible strength, you don't have the ability to fight off a spirit."

Genesis glowered. That was likely true.

"Now that they've seen what happens, they'll more likely be able to find out how to help him themselves," he said, stepping back.

"And you, Mr. Rhapsodos? What will you do?" Dalton asked.

Genesis backed up towards the hole he had made. "I . . . will remain the ronin," he replied. "And someday, Dalton, either by my hand or Sephiroth's, you will very likely be dead."

"Not if I find the Promised Land and gain eternal life," Dalton sneered.

"You believe that is what the Promised Land holds?" Genesis frowned.

"I believe it holds every wondrous thing possible, or the secrets to bring them about," Dalton replied. "And that secret is surely there among them. It's something mankind has sought since the beginning of time!" He sneered. "Isn't that what you wanted as well, Mr. Rhapsodos? Isn't that what 'the gift of the goddess' is?"

Genesis was silent a moment. "The gift of the goddess is different for each person," he said at last. "She gives to each what they need the most." Without revealing what it was that he had needed or wanted most, he stepped through the hole and hovered in the air outside. "And I highly doubt that any deity on either of these worlds will allow you to claim anything."

"So judgmental and self-righteous, just like most of AVALANCHE," Dalton remarked. "After all your crimes, you dare to say I am less worthy than you?"

Genesis opted not to continue that conversation thread. "If you find the Promised Land, just know there will be many who will work to stop you," he vowed.

"I wouldn't expect anything less," Dalton said. "And I look forward to our final battle over the fate of the Promised Land."

"Then someday we shall likely meet there." With that, Genesis flew off into the night, leaving Dalton thoughtfully gazing after him.