Final Hikari: -flops in seat with Gatorade singing loudly and badly to Mio Isayama and L'arcenCiel songs- Genny! Minerva! DISCLAIMER!

Genesis: -.-

Minerva: I'm a goddess, how could I possibly be doing some teenage girl's disclaimer….

Final Hikari: -hands him a card- Read from that.

Genesis: -suspicious stare- -starts reading-

Final Hikari: …Read ALOUD.

Genesis: "Final Hikari has written this oneshot for Dark Queen Come To Krynn for catching her 666th hit on DeviantART. She also thanks Devsash for editing this story. Give them both hugs." --wait, what?!

Final Hikari: -cackle- Get to it! And I'd also like to gloat a bit saying this is the first Genesis x Minerva fan fiction on all ! And as my lil sis would say, "the pairing is fairly reasonable. Seeing as he's OBSESSED with her."

Minerva: …Do honestly expect me to do the disclaimer?

Final Hikari: Yes, for a matter of fact, I do. -epitome of innocence look-

Minerva: -.- Final Hikari doesn't own anything FFVII.

Genesis: -mumble- At least you don't have to be sent overseas to give hugs out…

Final Hikari :D Oh, and hug Reiko The Awesome and Duvesa Twylyte for reviewing!!

Genesis: How many reviewers do you have!?

Wings of Dark & Light

Genesis Rhapsodos felt his sword fly from his hand as he was thrown back. He watched numbly as the force of the blow made it spin in the air then embed point down into the stone ground.

He was also falling. His first reaction was to catch himself and land on his feet but his limbs wouldn't obey his commands. His entire body felt heavier than he could ever remember it being, even after days of fighting with little rest in the Wutai War.

Then again, he hadn't been degrading then. The feeling of helplessness remained present and allowed him time to let go of the adrenaline that had let him continue fighting. It also let him become aware of the pain that tore through his body and mind.

I'm dying… he thought as the moment stretched on infinitely. Hardly five seconds had passed but it felt like a small eternity. His vision had gone from unfocused to blurry and he was losing awareness of the cool air that had surrounded him. The pain was consumed all his senses, to a much higher degree than it had been before the fight.

Then it stopped.

The cavern disappeared as did the pain. He reacted immediately and landed on one knee. He wasn't balanced and nearly fell forward, expecting the pain from his heart to remain but even that was gone. He gasped for breath, half thinking that if he could move, he'd need to retrieve his sword and guard another of Zack Fair's attacks.

If he was able to face Zack as he had Sephiroth before leaving Shin-Ra, the younger SOLDIER wouldn't have stood a chance. If he weren't degrading, he'd best any other First Class SOLDIER easily.

He was distracted from these thoughts as he blinked in surprise, recognizing the bright, light green substance flowing around him. The Lifestream? I…died? I actually died? Despite the situation and confusion setting in, another more random thought occurred to him. I was beaten by a mere puppy?!

He straightened and looked around, a nostalgic feeling setting in. It was like this before, when the fight was still going…but…why am I under a sky? Am I that far away from Gaia?

The Lifestream had been flowing against him until some of it turned in the opposite direction and gathered around the stone base of the statue. They swirled in a circular pattern, gently sliding up the length of the sculpture.

Genesis watched as light collect around the ancient stone. It was supposed to have a power that resonated with the massive, legendary materia of Banora. It wasn't supposed to work in other locations; the materia itself was always in Banora but the statue had been taken to the opposite end of the continent, near the Northern Cave.

It had taken an extremely long time to find and arrange, and when Genesis first saw it he wasn't satisfied with the likeness of the Goddess it held. It was very detailed, but he wasn't sure it held to her true mystique.

Furthermore, it didn't hold to her descriptions in LOVELESS. "Wings of dark and light spread afar…" The statue didn't hold to that at all. He was relieved it had gone successfully, but remained disgruntled.

What began to appear before him though…was not disappointing.

The statue was completely encased in the Lifestream when its form began to change. The Lifestream expanded, half making him wonder if it was destroying it. His question was answered when it slowly started to regain a solid form.

He felt his muscles relax and his tension from the battle melt away. He remained deathly exhausted, but all his motions were no longer accompanied by pain. The degradation is gone…I must be dead…

She was beautiful. She had a massive spear in her right hand and shield in her left, though her expression was calm and her presence peaceful. Her armor was intricate and ornate in design. Gold, silver, and a shade of blue very close to purple were its main color attributes.

He felt a small smile tug at his lips when he saw her wings; the edges were pure white, like an angel's wings. Toward the top of the wings, however, there were dark, perfectly black feathers.

He took a few steps closer, moving slowly until he was sure she was real. He waited until he was mere feet away to reach out to her. She didn't move but seemed to be waiting.

Suddenly, she closed her eyes and looked to her left. Genesis stopped and blinked. She shook her head slightly, turning away from him. He felt his breath catch in his throat. He could hardly believe what was happening.

She's…denying me?

Light exploded from her form and he was thrown back. He didn't bother resisting as he lost his footing and began falling. The Lifestream circled down around his body to catch him, but he hardly felt it.

He'd been scorned. Denied by a goddess. He had been…rejected.

--

Minerva watched sadly as Genesis Rhapsodos fell to the cold, stone ground of Banora's old mako mine. His eyes remained open as he inhaled shakily. Nothing else seemed to move. He exhaled and his drooped eyelids closed.

She waited. His breathing resumed, shallow but noticeable.

The materia high above the ground that had been emitting a ominous red glow suddenly went dark. Almost as though struck by a bolt of lightning, the statue that resonated with it shattered. Small pieces of stone were strewn everywhere.

The name humans had given her were "Goddess", "Goddess of Gaia", "Goddess of the Lifestream", and even "The Reigning God." She didn't feel all the terms were fitting. She, in reality, was the face and solid existence that represented the will of the Lifestream.

"Tool" might have another term for her at times. Following what the Lifestream pushed her to do was her greatest duty. She was able to transcend earthly boundaries easily, but in the rare case the Lifestream selected a human to become the guardian of, she was forced to abide.

This was quickly becoming one of those cases.

A human who wanted nothing more than death… she pondered silently. When I was summoned to see someone at their death, how many times did the person drop to their knees before me and beg to go back?

Some even ran, stricken with fear when they saw me. Many others accepted their fates willingly, of course…but it's been a very, very long time since someone reached out to me. Still…granted, he comes from a company causing an interminable amount of trouble to the balance of the planet, but why would he seek his end so calmly? All his actions were to preserve himself.

"Humans…," she sighed with slight exasperation.

He's still injured from the fight… Minerva observed as Zack Fair carried his opponent back to the surface. Well, I suppose I can act…but why does the planet have such a solid will to protect him when he wanted to die?

Minerva released her spear and let the Lifestream gather around it. She undid the straps that kept her shield to her arm and let that too be engulfed by the Lifestream. She felt it wrap around the bulk of her armor and lift it away from her form.

She waited until the occupants of the cavern were gone to descent to Banora. The familiar sensation of the Lifestream surrounding her and pulling her to the surface filled all her senses and within moments she stood where the statue had been.

She stepped off the pedestal and was about to start making her way to the surface. However, she stopped when she saw Genesis' sword plunged into the stone. It stood, though slightly tilted, pointing to the ceiling of the cavern. She reached out and placed a finger gently on the translucent jewel mounted in the hilt. The enchantments in the sword reacted instantly to her touch and characters appeared on the blade. It emitted a fiery glow and the two gems seemed to lighten in color.

She placed her hand on the hilt and extracted it from the stone effortlessly. She held it above her head, summoning the Lifestream to wrap around it He'd probably need it in the near future and lack the chance to return to Banora to retrieve it.

She released the hilt as it was lifted from her grip and disappeared. Turning around, she started making her way to the surface, in no hurry to catch up with Zack and Genesis. It would be easiest if Zack, the infantryman, and the former Director of SOLDIER were gone. She disliked talking to humans.

Hollander really did turn this place into a factory for monsters…most of them hardly qualify as "copies." Other than degrading, they're just demons spawned from an old scientist's madness.

She frowned upon the many creatures locked away in the caverns. Most of the area had been converted into dungeon-like prisons for them. She couldn't help but wonder what Genesis would have thought of true monsters being called his "copies."

The caves were more expansive than she remembered. It wasn't surprising Hollander had needed them larger. With the director of SOLDIER funding it all, it wasn't surprising their progress was so formidable.

The sun was starting to slip above the horizon when she reached the surface. She had watched the destruction of Banora village nearly five years prior by the hand of Shin-Ra. She hadn't paid much attention to their excuse for the sudden absence of products that contained Banora Whites. It was too mundane to draw her interest or assistance.

She closed her eyes and scanned the area with her other senses for the presence of humans. She sensed several. Zack Fair, Lazard Deusericus, and that grunt with the pure Jenova cells? She thought with a frown. …Deusericus is dying.

Degradation. These "scientists" humans place so much trust in only tamper with human bodies and render them imperfect. One dying, another poisoned by mako, and the third temporarily saved from degradation…

Not that I'm unaffected by their actions…

Minerva straightened and decided to observe the scene from afar. She continued in the direction they were located. The entrance to Banora was one of the highest parts of the village, making the remainder of her trip a slight incline.

She didn't hurry and kept her mind's eye focused on their actions. Genesis is conscious again…humans always have to make things so difficult… She sensed when Deusericus and the Angeal copy passed and both times sent the Lifestream to purify and absorb their bodies.

By the time the clone passed, she had reached the clearing. She didn't reveal her presence as Zack Fair yelled to the sky regarding "four years." She decided to wait and ducked behind the remains of a few houses without hesitation.

She sat down on a chunk of stone hidden behind a wall and listened as Zack spoke to his unconscious, young companion. He can't hear you…he probably never will… She waited patiently for the motorcycle's engine to start before standing. She listened to the sound receding before stepping out from the shelter of the building.

She saw Genesis, unconscious and leaning against the chair, and shook her head slightly. "Whoever is going to come to get you way out here?"

She walked toward him and examined his wounds. "Other than the scum of Shin-Ra…"

With the condition that he was going into battle in mind, he didn't come out too bad off. There were numerous cuts on his arms and torso but most were small and had stopped bleeding. Only a few looked particularly deep.

"Are you really…the one the Lifestream chose?" Minerva asked quietly, though he couldn't hear her. "Your body decays faster than you can find ways to stop it…"

She listened to herself than winced. …I'm as bad as that SOLDIER. Talking to unconscious person is as bad as talking to myself… She shook her head, slightly disturbed and dismissed the troublesome thought. An unconscious human no less.

She knelt down beside him and reach out, gently brushing his bangs from his face. The moment she removed her hand they flopped back in place over his eye. Why do humans do stupid things like that…? Surely he can't see properly with hair styled like that…it makes no sense whatsoever…

She noticed a small cut above his eye that was staining his bangs dark red. He then shifted slightly, evidently in reaction to her touch. He was more aware than she gave him credit for being.

Ah, why am I wasting so much time? All I have to do is heal his injuries then I can go. Walking like a human on the planet they're killing is terribly fatiguing.

She leaned closer to him and pressed her lips gently to his. His skin was surprisingly cold for still having enough awareness to stir. He's probably asleep and not unconscious…

She pulled back and stood up, watching as his wounds healed. The blood on his skin disappeared and no scars remained. The tears in his clothes repaired themselves as well.

She straightened and turned to face him as the Lifestream started swirling around her form. She felt herself getting lighter as her body faded and she was gently lifted off the ground.

"I fear this won't be the last time we meet…Genesis Rhapsodos."