Sunset

Disclaimer: As always, I don't own Final Fantasy VII or any of the characters in it, they belong to Square. These are written for fun, not profit.

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Attraction

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He could have done a better job of these copies. They die so easily.

There were still several Genesis copies left, who had overrun Sector 8. Sephiroth had already cut swaths through the rest of them effortlessly, they barely landed a scratch on him. He knew they weren't Genesis, even though they looked like him through the faceplates of the helmets they wore.

He dashed at one, swinging his sword in an arc, cutting him in two; the artificial blood which was infused with their bodies hit the pavement with a spatter. One who got too close was grabbed with his large hand by the head; a single twist snapped the neck like a twig. He ran one through on his sword that tried to run up behind him; spinning, he kicked him off and into another one who fell. He smashed the heel of his boot into the faceplate of the one who still lived, crushing the helmet and the head inside of it as he dashed toward the last two; these were cut in half with a single, savage slash, and he stood there, his job completed.

That made me feel better, somehow.

He wiped his sword off, sheathing it, as he walked off to call in the report.

Several dozen Genesis clones had taken over Sector 8, and while there were some casualties, Sephiroth had gotten there fast enough to deal with the problem. No doubt they would sing him some praise, as they always did. It would probably feel just as empty as the last job, and the one before that.

When did I stop caring?

He began to walk back to headquarters, being rather close to Sector 8. But he wasn't too sleepy anymore, having taken a rather long nap earlier, and his adrenaline was still pumping. Perhaps it wouldn't go unnoticed if he checked out the other sectors to make sure no other Genesis copies were loose.

Preventing more casualties, that was all.

He began to walk down Loveless avenue; there were no people about, but a few other grunts. Some saluted him as he walked by. He spared them a short nod. The young grunts all looked up to him, after all...so many aspired to be him.

I'm probably not much different than you, in my thoughts.

Perhaps Sector 5 should be looked at. There were quite a few people...and...shops there that had to be checked out.

It wouldn't hurt to make sure Aerith was okay as well, for Zack's sake. He would want him to maybe take a look, after all.

If Tseng isn't already watching her.

He sometimes wondered about Tseng's true motives. There was something...about that man, he thought to himself as he walked. There was more to his little spying jobs that he was letting on. He sometimes wondered why a few of the higher-ups never had him check her out. He was a good a protector as any...better even than the Turks, whom he could beat all at once if they decided to rush him.

I think of Tseng's other motives. Perhaps I might have a few deep down, myself.

He pushed those feelings down as he kept walking. He didn't feel like taking the train this time, either.

--

He stood outside of the church, looking up at the tall doors. He debated checking inside, as he figured Aerith would be sleeping right now, if she had a sort of normal schedule. He wasn't sure. He turned around, only to run into her small form, which was coming up behind him. He started.

''Sephiroth?'' she sounded a bit surprised.

''Yes. I was checking to see if the area was secure. There was some trouble...''

''I know, Sector 8. I heard the commotion. I don't sleep too much, and I felt like coming here to make sure the flowers were okay.''

''You would risk your life for some flowers?''

''I knew I'd be alright. I had a feeling they would be dealt with.''

''They are,'' he sighed.

''Besides, I'm the only one who really cares for them. My mother worries about me.''

God, she still lives at home. He found his eyes wandering up and down her again. He thought back to the dream, of his arms around her, his lips against her skin. No. I should not think of this now.

''Well, if everything is all right...''

''What were they?'' she suddenly asked.

''Just...monsters.'' He spat out the word.

She nodded. The contempt in his voice told her much. She was a perceptive young lady after all...and highly empathic. ''You seem bothered by them.''

''Perhaps I am. Perhaps I feel like we are somewhat at fault. Maybe I think I know them, somehow.'' He turned to look back at the church.

Maybe I should stay here awhile. The Turks surely couldn't be here now, what with all the commotion that went on. Maybe I should take it upon myself to look after her in their place.

Zack might have liked that, too, he was certain.

''Do...you mind if I stay here awhile? I...I kind of liked it. I don't get to see things like that too often around here.''

She smiled and nodded. ''It's fine. I can tell you need a bit of calming down, somehow.'' She was still nervous around him, but she didn't feel like he would mean her any harm at this moment.

Feeling more pangs of guilt stabbing at him, he sat again on the front pew, and watched her tend the flowers.

Just making sure the copies don't come back. Part of my duties was to clean out and guard Midgar tonight. I'm just guarding it. This is an area of Midgar, after all, he blankly reassured himself.

He sat, with his eyes closed for awhile, letting the fresh smell of living things reach his nose, calming him again. While he was their top warrior, a soldier who could be merciless at times, and yet show mercy in others...hard on anyone he was commanding, if only to make them into better warriors...he had some tastes for a few things. The flowers in Midgar sort of did something to him.

Like ripples to waves come forth the dreams below.

''I used to be scared of the Shin-Ra army, and the people of Soldier. I...still maybe am, in a way. But...Zack...and you...seem different.''

He started, his eyes opening. ''Why do you say that?''

''You seem more concerned. About things.'' She brushed back her hair, and walked around to look at the small garden. ''You know, goings on down here.'' She then walked over to sit by him on the pew, looking into his eyes again.

She did find his eyes rather enticing.

He blinked and looked down. ''Just...doing our jobs. That's all.'' He sat back, staring at the wall, one leg crossed over the other.

''Somethings bothering you.'' It was not a question.

Two of my best friends have gone rogue, one of them making copies of himself to overrun the place. He thinks himself a sort of god. I'm being ordered to dispose of them both, and I have to choose between my allegiance, my job, and everything I have worked for, and my friends. I have nothing to turn to, if I'm not some sort of soldier. On top of all of this, I'm having feelings-carnal, dirty feelings-for a girl who is a teenager still living at home, whom one of my comrades-the one who is still completely sane and holding himself together, and who has more heart than probably all of SOLDIER put together-happens to care about. What could possibly be wrong?

''Don't concern yourself with it.'' He looked to the roof, where the hole was. ''You should have seen the sunset tonight. It's colors...reminded me of some of the flowers here. You would have liked it.'' He turned toward her. Certainly he could look upon her without losing himself like some stupid schoolboy.

She blinked, not pressing him. ''I...maybe one day, I'll see one.'' She looked again into his eyes. ''Your eyes, they're a bit greener than the rest.''

''We all come out slightly different.''

''I can't imagine having Mako inside of me. It's the lifeblood of the planet, after all.'' She sighed. ''The planet suffers because of it, though.''

''How can a planet suffer?''

''It's more alive than most people think. I can...feel it. I...can't agree with Shin-Ra's methods. But...I don't hold it against the people who work there.''

''That all is...none of my concern. I take my orders, and give them out to those below me.''

''There's more to you than a...'' she trailed off.

''Killing machine?'' he said, a bit too sharply. ''I came to make sure everything here was ok, not to be lectured on morals.''

''I...I apologize, sir.''

''Please, don't call me that,'' he said quickly. Don't make yourself sound any younger than you already are. I don't think I could take it. ''Just call me Sephiroth.''

She nodded. ''Yes, Sephiroth.'' She looked into his eyes again.

He looked down, sighing again. He did that more often as of late. ''I'm sorry if I snapped. Under a lot of stress, lately. We've been very busy.''

She nodded. ''I understand. The attacks happen every week now, sometimes more often.''

''Zack had called me. He's doing fine on his job.''

She smiled. ''Is he getting back soon?''

''It depends on how fast he can get his job done. He's good, as I said, I wouldn't worry about him. A bit impulsive, but good.'' He thought maybe discussing Zack would help his thoughts return to normal.

''Could you...tell me what the sunset looked like that you saw tonight?''

He looked at her, and nodded, a tiny smile forming in the corner of his mouth. ''It was red, orange, pink, and purple...the yellow of the sun had gone away. It was reflecting on the water, on the ripples that formed...''

Like ripples to waves come forth the dreams below.

...''Yes?'' she asked. Sephiroth had trailed off.

''Uh, yes. Sorry. But...it was...quite beautiful, if I could say so. One of the nicer ones in awhile.''

''Purple and pink in the sky. From what I know, the sun is yellow, and the sky is blue.''

''Sunsets can do funny things like that.''

''Sounds like something that would be in a dream.''

''But it's real.''

''What about sunrises? Do they look as beautiful?'' She tried to picture the colors of the sunset in her head, and it indeed looked pretty to her. But she was still a bit nervous about being under the wide open sky.

''They can. I've seen plenty of them, as well. I've been around a bit longer than you,'' he managed to chuckle...perhaps a bit nervously. I like this discussion, yet I don't like it, for some reason. Or maybe I'm still feeling this...guilt. God, we're just talking about the sky!

She found herself staring again at the man. He was a beautiful man, she found herself thinking. Tall, powerfully built, impossibly strong...with the most exotic head of hair she had ever seen, and those Mako eyes. She didn't find herself with any sort of...inner attraction, but she felt a sort of sadness coming from him, that something was indeed bothering him. He was carrying a bit of weight. It was in her personality to want to help people, as imposing as this one was.

But...he was still beautiful.

She too found herself shaking her head. She always found him attractive, but sitting there talking to him for so long sort of forced her to look at him some more. She shifted a bit uncomfortably.

''I...I better get back to headquarters. I need to give a report, and I haven't slept much. They'll be sending me out on another job tomorrow, I think.'' He stood up. ''When Zack comes back, get him to show you a sunrise or a sunset. I'm sure he'd be happy to.'' The words choked in his throat again. He hoped she wouldn't notice.

''Yes.'' She wondered what she said or did to cause his sudden change of mood. He was probably used to teenagers-and women-ogling over him by now, but in a private place like this, he probably mentally sneered at it.

Besides, she already kind of liked someone.

''I'll probably be back around the sectors. What with all the attacks.'' He bowed again.

''Maybe we'll see again?'' she asked. He thought he detected a bit of hopefulness to her voice, but he wasn't sure. He actually hoped that he didn't. He didn't need things more complicated than they already were.

''Maybe.'' He smiled again, slightly. He turned, leaving her alone in the church.

Aerith looked up at the hole in the church ceiling, the one that Zack fell through. She knew Zack would be ok on his job.

She was a bit confused at these other feelings, though.

Why was it that sometimes women had a small, subconscious attraction to the dangerous ones?

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A/N: For some reason, the last half of this chapter didn't show up. I have no idea. I tried editing it...hopefully it works this time!