Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ Final Fantasy VII: After Crisis ❯ Memories ( Chapter 1 )

 ~On golden wings, She flies at night
With her dress, It's blinding white
Countless diamonds, And her long blonde hair...

 

A lone figure with long blonde hair and her dress pure white stood by the water, staring into its depths. She stood over the lake in the Forgotten City where a friend she had known was killed by someone that she thought she knew and had even once fought side by side with back when she was a Turk.

 

Rose Baume had originally planned on joining SOLDIER with her childhood friend, Cloud Strife. When they were kids, Cloud found her sitting alone in an alley one rainy night and invited her back home with him. When Cloud's mother saw her, she immediately took Rose in, raising her as her own. Rose and Cloud grew close, having a brother-sister like relationship. They were inseparable and always had each other's back. Then, when they were old enough, the two of them decided together that they were going to join Shinra's elite group of SOLDIER together.

 

They had traveled together from their home in Nibelheim to Midgar where the Shinra Headquarters was located. They both made it into SOLDIER and even fought together several times. However, when President Shinra saw Rose's skills, he thought her too good to be just a SOLDIER. She had many skills that many of the guys did not. She had more agility and speed, allowing her to use attacks that none of the guys could master. And she was a master at surprising her enemies, able to sneak up on them without making a sound.

 

When President Shinra made Rose a Turk, her and Cloud were separated. They rarely ever got to see each other and when they did get to see each other, they were always being watched. They got the feeling the President Shinra was trying to separate them, drive a wedge in their friendship. They wouldn't allow it. They saw each other whenever they could; even sneaking out if they had to. They knew it was risky but they believed that their friendship was worth it.

 

While in the Turks, Rose had also made some knew friends. She became friends with two of her fellow Turks, Reno and Rude. Reno she found funny and easily entertaining, even if he could be annoying sometimes. Rude was a guy that she always enjoyed sparring with once in a while. He was always serious, compared to Reno's more laid-back, fun loving nature.

 

She also became friends with 1st Class Soldier's Sephiroth, Genesis Rhapsodos, and Angeal Hewley. She grew close to each one. She would often train with them in the simulation room. She had been sent out on missions with each of these men but it seemed the one she got paired with the most was Genesis. At first, he didn't seem to like the idea of him being paired with a girl for missions that a man should do but once he saw her skills, he came to respect her and the two even became close. A little too close for some people's comfort, especially President Shinra. He made sure that the two were watched closely.

 

Then, one night, things went too far and the two found themselves fighting for their very lives against their own comrades.

 

Flashback

 

Rose sat alone on a riverbank, staring up at the stars overhead. She always loved sitting under the night sky. It was so peaceful and beautiful. This had always been a ritual for her, even as a child. Sometimes, even Cloud would join her and the two would merely sit in silence, watching the stars and enjoying each other's company.

 

Right then, she noticed the presence of someone else and she didn't have to look to know who it was. There were only two people who would dare approach her without first making their presence known. One of whom she never got to see anymore, and the other she often trained with and had even fought side by side with.

 

"When the war of the beasts brings about the world's end, The goddess descends from the sky, Wings of light and dark spread afar, She guides us to bliss, her gift everlasting." came the voice she knew so well.

 

"Is there ever a moment when you aren't quoting that poem?" asked Rose with a smile on her face, showing she wasn't entirely serious. She actually enjoyed listening to him quote LOVELESS, his favorite poem.

 

"You know the answer to that better than anyone else." said Genesis as he moved to sit down next to her, not taking his eyes off the stars.

 

"Hmm, yeah, that I do." said Rose, still smiling. Tearing her eyes away from the stars, she looked over at the man sitting beside her. "So, what brings you out here anyway?"

 

"I saw you sitting out here all alone so I thought I would come join you, give you some company if you wanted it." said Genesis.

 

"Yes, as a matter of fact, I do." said Rose, glad to finally have someone's company. “It can get lonely sitting under the stars by yourself with no one to share it with.”

 

"I figured that you would." said Genesis as he too tore his eyes from the stars and looked over at her.

 

Silence past between the two but nothing even needed to be said. Their eyes said everything that their mouths or words could not. Then, Genesis slowly reached up and brought a hand up to the side of her face. Rose leaned into his touch, closing her eyes. She could feel his thumb gently caressing her cheek. She knew where things were going to lead from here. She also knew that she shouldn't but she wanted it to happen, they both did. They had been holding off for too long. They couldn't do it any longer.

 

Deciding to take the chance, Rose opened her eyes only to find herself staring back into Genesis'. She reached up and placed her hand on top of his, trying to silently tell him what she wanted. What she knew he wanted. What they both wanted. Hell, what they both needed. The tension from having to resist and hide everything was too much. They couldn't fight it anymore.

 

Genesis dove forward and pressed his lips against Rose's own and she welcomed it whole-heartedly, even returning it. She placed her arms around his neck, pulling him down with her as she layed down on her back. She knew that there was no turning back now, and she had no desire to either.

 

* * *

 

The next morning, Rose found herself rudely awakened when the door to her room burst open and she was grabbed by the arms roughly and pulled out of bed. She could see Reno and Rude standing in the doorway.

 

"Hey, what the hell is the meaning of this?" she demanded, even though she already knew the answer.

 

"President Shinra wishes to see you." said Rude, his serious demeanor showing through completely, which sent up a red flag because he never acted this serious with her.

 

Rose glanced over at Reno but he avoided her gaze. He looked sad, almost as though he didn't want to do this. She knew that she was in trouble, but she was willing to bravely accept the consequences of her actions. She would not be afraid and she did not have any regrets. She allowed the men holding her to drag her from her room to the president's office with Reno and Rude following behind them.

 

President Shinra was sitting behind his desk when they entered his office and his son, Rufus Shinra, stood beside him.

 

"Good to see you Rose. Too bad it has to be under these circumstances." said the president.

 

"What circumstances do you mean sir?" asked Rose, trying to play it off as best as she could. She wasn't going to give herself or Genesis away if they had dragged her out of bed for some other reason than what had transpired last night.

 

"You know exactly what circumstances I mean Miss Baume, but I'll humor you but only because I've been so fond of you since you joined us." said President Shinra.

 

Now Rose knew that she really was in trouble. Whenever the president called her Miss Baume, it meant nothing good would come from it.

 

"I have been watching you Miss Baume, as I am sure you have noticed. I've had men watching you and a certain 1st Class Soldier. Do you have any idea who that might be Miss Baume?" asked President Shinra. He was toying with her.

 

"No sir, I don't. I hang out with quite a few 1st Class Soldier's sir. I'm afraid you may have to be more specific." said Rose, trying her best to sound as though she was not trying to be disrespectful even though her statement was true.

 

"Do not get smart with me Miss Baume. Remember who you are speaking to and who holds your fate in their hands." said President Shinra.

 

"My apologies sir. I meant no disrespect." said Rose.

 

"Of course not." said President Shinra, though he was being sarcastic. "I have been watching you and your so-called friendship with 1st Class Soldier Genesis Rhapsodos. It seems that the two of you have quite a close bond. Maybe one that is much more than just friendship."

 

Rose knew that he was trying to taunt her, to get her to say something so that she stepped out of line and would make it easier for him to punish her but she kept silent. She wasn't going to let him win.

 

President Shinra saw this and decided to step up his game a little bit. He knew it wouldn't take much more to make her crack.

 

"So, are you willingly going to tell me what is really going on between the two of you? Or do I have to get it out of you another way?" he asked.

 

"Nothing is going on sir. Genesis and I are merely friends, nothing more." said Rose, lying not to protect herself but to protect Genesis. It was all she could do.

 

"Very well, have it your way Miss Baume." said President Shinra. He nodded to the men holding Rose.

 

The two guards pulled Rose with them as they led her out of the president's office. Once outside the office, another guard blindfolded her and her hands were restrained behind her back than she was led elsewhere. Where, she didn't know. She just allowed them to lead her wherever they were taking her before being shoved in a room and she heard the door shut and lock.

 

When the guards had thrown her into the room, Rose had fallen on her side on the floor and she didn't bother to even try and get up. She chose just to lie there, trying to think of a way out of this. She had to warn Genesis, before they went after him too. She attempted to try and free her hands but it was of no use.

 

However, little did Rose know that President Shinra had already sent men to Genesis' room only to find it empty. They were now checking the entire headquarters, searching for the missing SOLDIER. Orders were to shoot him on sight. No one bothered to question why. They knew better than to question any order that the president gave. If you did, there were major consequences to pay later.

 

Just then, Rose heard the lock on the door before hearing it open and footsteps told her someone was walking into the room. She heard the footsteps draw closer to her before someone helped her into a sitting position, freeing her hands and taking off the blindfold. That's when she realized that she was face-to-face with Zack Fair, a newer member of SOLDIER. She looked over and saw Angeal standing a few feet away. She wasn't surprised to see Angeal here. He was Genesis' best friend.

 

"Thought we would come lend you a hand." said Angeal.

 

"Thank you, but right now we have to find Genesis before Shinra does." said Rose as Zack politely helped her to her feet, her concern more for Genesis than for herself.

 

"Don't worry; they aren't going to find him. President Shinra made the mistake of putting Zack here in charge of the group sent to retrieve Genesis. Zack called me and I warned Genesis. He wanted to come for you but I told him that he should just get out of here, Zack and I take care of you." said Angeal.

 

"Thank you Angeal. Thank you both." said Rose, glad that Angeal had done what he had. The last thing she would have wanted was for Genesis to risk coming after her himself and risk getting caught.

 

"Not a problem. We knew that it would just draw too much attention if Genesis tried to come get you himself. Plus we knew that you wouldn't want him to take that risk." said Zack.

 

"Now let's get you out of here before someone comes down here and finds out what we're up to." said Angeal.

 

"Too late." came a sudden voice.

 

All three turned to see both Reno and Rude standing in front of the door, blocking their exit. Angeal and Zack both drew their swords, ready to fight. Reno and Rude took their own fighting stances.

 

"No, wait!" said Rose, standing between the four guys before a fight broke out and she didn't want that. All four of these guys were her friends and she didn't want to see her friends fighting. "Reno, please. You don't have to do this."

 

"I'm sorry Rose, but we can't let you leave. President's orders." said Reno.

 

"Reno, I know you don't want to do this. Please. No one has to know. You could say that we were already gone when you got here. I'm begging you. Please, I don't want to see you get hurt." said Rose, hoping and praying that he would see reason.

 

Reno was silent for a moment, seeming to think it over. It was true; he really didn't want to do this. He didn't want keep Rose here where anything could happen to her. Rose was his friend and he cared for her. He would rather let her go than make her stay locked up where President Shinra could do whatever he wanted with her. He knew that Rude didn't want to do this either. They had been good friends with Rose since she had got to Midgar and first joined SOLDIER. This could only ruin it.

 

Reno made his decision, moving out from in front of the door and relaxing his stance, allowing for Rose, Angeal and Zack to leave. Rude looked at him for a minute before he followed his partner's actions.

 

"You should go now. SOLDIER's will be down here any minute." said Reno.

 

Rose couldn't help but smile, relieved that she wouldn't have to watch any of her friends fight each other. She looked at Zack and Angeal and, seeing that they took a relaxed stance as well, motioned for them to go first since at the moment, she was unarmed and defenseless.

 

Zack went first, opening the door and checking that the coast was clear before nodding at Angeal, who followed. Rose followed after Angeal, stopping in front of Reno first, throwing her arms around him and hugging him.

 

"Thank you." she whispered as she felt Reno return the embrace.

 

"Go now, before it's too late." said Reno.

 

Rose did as she was told, releasing him with great reluctance and heading out the door with Angeal.

 

Carefully, the three made their way through the halls and corridors of Shinra Headquarters, being cautious to not make a sound or be seen. They made it out with success and made their way toward the outskirts of the city. Should President Shinra send any SOLDIER's after them, they didn't want to take the chance of any innocent people getting hurt or getting caught in the crossfire.

 

Once on the outskirts of the city, Rose spotted a bike sitting in the shadows but there was only one and three of them.

 

"Angeal will take care of you from here. I have to go back and make sure that Shinra stays off your trail. I'll meet up with you later." said Zack.

 

Before Rose could even open her mouth to argue, Zack had turned and was gone. She knew that there was no turning back. It was just the two of them now and they knew that they needed to get away from the city before they were discovered. She watched Angeal climb on the bike first before climbing on behind him, holding on as he sped away from the city. She had no idea where he was taking them but she didn't care, as long it kept her away from Shinra and as long as she could see Genesis again.

 

Just then, a blast hit the ground in front of them and Angeal had to screech to a stop. However, the stop was too sudden and the bike flipped, throwing it's passengers to the ground. After they were able to stand, they saw a figure standing some feet away. Rose immediately recognized the long red hair.

 

"Micah." she said. She didn't understand why Micah would attack them but at the moment, she didn't care why. All she knew was that he had and if his aim at actually been accurate, he would have hit them.

 

"President Shinra sent me to retrieve you and take you back, and to kill anyone who stood in my way. Such a shame too. You were a good SOLDIER once Angeal." said Micah.

 

"Don't do this Micah. You don't understand." said Rose, wanting to plead with her friend.

 

"Oh, but I do Rose. You and Genesis did what was forbidden. He's a 1st Class SOLDIER, you're a Turk. No matter how much either of you want it, it is impossible for you to ever be together. You should have just kept your feelings locked away. It would have been easier on everyone, including you." said Micah.

 

"Micah, please. You don't have to do this." said Rose.

 

"Yes I do. You broke the rules Rose, now you must pay the consequences of your actions." said Micah. And with that, he attacked, sending a blast of energy straight for Rose.

 

Rose knew that, even though Angeal was merely feet away, he was too far away to be able to get to her in time.

 

"Rose!" yelled Angeal.

 

Rose closed her eyes and waited for the blow to come, but it never came. She opened her eyes to see that someone had jumped in front of her and blocked the attack. She recognized the red coat.

 

"Genesis." she said, happy to see him and see for herself that he was alright and that he was safe.

 

Genesis stood his ground with Micah, his eyes locked with those of his former comrade. He had never felt so angry in his life than he did right now after seeing Micah go after the one girl in the world that he truly cared about and would gladly give his life up for.

 

"Well well, good to see you again Genesis. I knew you would come out of hiding to protect this girl. Only a girl such as her could make someone like you so weak." said Micah.

 

"Well I guess that's where we both differ Micah. Rose doesn't make me weak, she only makes me stronger. Not as though someone like you is capable of even understanding what I'm talking about." said Genesis.

 

Micah said nothing as he stood glaring back at Genesis. He was disappointed that he had been unable to strike down Rose, but he was glad that he was able to successfully draw Genesis out into the open. He knew that Genesis would come back to save her. He knew that Genesis would be unable to simply leave her behind, to allow her to be harmed without protecting her.

 

"Angeal, take Rose and get her out of here. Take her somewhere safe, where Shinra won't be able to find her." said Genesis.

 

"You got it." said Angeal. He walked over and went to take Rose by the arm and lead her away but she didn't move.

 

"Wait, what about you?" asked Rose, already knowing the answer before she had even asked the question. She knew that Genesis was going to stay behind to fight Micah and hold him off while she and Angeal made their getaway.

 

Genesis didn't even answer. He knew that he didn't have to. He knew that Rose already knew the answer.

 

"Don't do this. Come with us, please." pleaded Rose, moving in front of him so that he could see her and she could look in his eyes. She was scared, scared that if she left with Angeal she would never be able to see Genesis again and she didn't want that to happen. She didn't want to lose him.

 

"Rose, please, this isn't the time. Just go with Angeal. Everything's gonna be alright. I promise." said Genesis, placing a hand on her cheek as he spoke, brushing away a stray tear that had escaped from her eye.

 

Rose nestled into his touch, closing her eyes. She wanted nothing more than for Genesis to come with her, but she knew that he had made his decision. She knew that he was going to stay behind to buy her and Angeal some time to get away. She just hoped that she was going to be able to see him again. She opened her eyes back up when she felt his hand move away.

 

"Just be careful." said Rose.

 

Genesis simply smiled at her for a brief moment. He leaned forward and gave her a soft, not too brief kiss before pulling back again, staring into her eyes.

 

"Even if the morrow is barren of promises, Nothing shall forestall my return, To become the dew that quenches the land, To spare the sands, the seas, the skies, I offer thee this silent sacrifice." he quoted, the verse being from the fifth act.

 

Rose couldn't help but smile, shaking her head.

 

"You and that poem." she said. She was never surprised when he would randomly quote it. She actually enjoyed it when he did.

 

Angeal took her by the arm again and Rose allowed him to pull her away from Genesis but she refused to take her eyes off of him until she had to as Angeal pulled her over to the bike. He picked it up before climbing on it and Rose climbed on behind. She and Genesis' eyes remained locked on each other as Angeal drove away until they couldn't see each anymore.

 

End Flashback