Banora
“Sephiroth, will you please answer the phone? I don’t want to sound needy but this is getting stupid!” Huffing in defeat, Hermione threw her recently acquired PHS onto the sofa.
She had been here for a month, with Sephiroth only coming back at night. She spent most of the days with only Other for company, the two rattling around the apartments that belonged to her three friends. She had taken to sleeping in the apartment that belonged to Genesis, the Phoenix materia around her neck acting as a nightlight to remind her of his warmth.
For the first few days that she was here, she always awoke to two things, the first was that she was still in Midgar, the second was her memory of Wutai, forever tarnished by the water boarding at the hands of the Captain.
Now she just woke up covered in frost.
“Still no joy?” Other’s voice sounded inside their apartment.
“Nothing! I beginning to think he’s doing this on purpose.” Hermione sighed, stilled then stiffened, going cold, “he’s right behind me isn’t he?”
Other come out to look at her and laughed. Turning round, Hermione started then chuckled herself. “Hello, stranger.”
Sephiroth gave her a tired smirk. “You want a drink?”
“Coffee, please.” She heard him sniff, “what’s cooking?”
“Stew!” Other called through.
“That sounds great.” Sephiroth gave an uncharacteristic groan.
Hermione frowned, coming out of the kitchen with three mugs. “Are you okay?”
Sephiroth, who had leant his head back against the sofa, opened an eye and looked at her, “just tired.”
“Go and get washed up, dinner won’t be long.” Hermione handed him his mug and watched as he left, placing a hand on her shoulder as he passed, Hermione just shook her head. “He thinks I don’t know…”
They sat around the table once Sephiroth came out of his room, his wet hair drying fast thanks to Hermione. “Oh, Gaia, this is good!” Sephiroth said, surprised.
“I’m not the best, but I can cook the basics.” Hermione admitted.
Hermione had just finished the dishes when Sephiroth’s phone rang. He answered it with a curt “yes?”
She watched his eyes; they were the only part of him that showed enough emotion for her to gauge his temperament when it came to work. She saw those acid green eyes flicker to her. “I understand, Director. I’ll tell her.”
She felt her stomach drop, “how the hell-?” Sephiroth turned to her.
“One of the Thirds mentioned that you’re living here a while ago,” his eyes shone with anger, “Lazard approached me about it and I’ve never lied to him about it. Just about what you are to the three of us. He thinks you’re just a friend to all of us.” Hermione caught his drift, there was more. “I’m sorry, but Lazard wants to you go to Banora.”
Hermione frowned, “but, isn’t that the mission you refused to do a week ago?”
She remembered that day, Sephiroth and come back in such a mood that he and Hermione ended up in a heated discussion when he rounded on her. “Yes. I don’t want you to go, but I don’t think I have a say in that.”
“Meaning that if you refused to let me go, Lazard would send you in my stead?”
Hermione received a nod in reply. Heaving a sigh, she turned to Other. “You coming with me?”
Other nodded, “like I’m going to say no?”
Turning to Sephiroth, “when does he need to see me?”
“Tomorrow night, it’ll give you chance to prepare. I can give you weapons.” Sephiroth sat down and wrote down a list of items, muttering to himself.
Hermione just chuckled and pulled the pen out of his hand, “I have a wand and my Wicca, remember? I’ll be fine.”
“Genesis will be there.” Other’s words had Sephiroth grimacing and Hermione looking over in shock, “that’s why he refused the mission, remember? They’re going to be pitting you against him.”
Hermione snorted, “then they’re going to get a rude awakening.”
“He doesn’t deserve you; you know that?” Sephiroth spoke tenderly. Standing to give Hermione a gentle hug, “I’ll wait to hear from you one way or another.”
The next night saw Hermione dress in jeans, dark blue short-sleeved t-shirt, dark pink hoodie and a denim jacket, she put on her shin high combat boots that Genesis had given her and tucked everything into her trusty beaded bag.
Sephiroth was waiting for her at the door, his uniform immaculate as always. He scooped her into one last hug before the two of them made their way to SOLDIER floor.
Sephiroth went one way, Hermione went the other to the briefing room, where she found Lazard, Zack and a Wutaian man she didn’t recognise, he was gorgeous though.
“Hello,” she greeted the men.
“Good evening, miss.” Lazard stood and extended his hand, “I’m afraid Sephiroth never told us your name.”
“Oh, it’s Belle, Belle Rhapsodos.” She saw them all exchange looks, “relax, gentlemen, I’m not related to Genesis.”
“An alias, then?” the Wutaian man asked.
Hermione smirked; he was good. “Very astute, Mr…?”
“Tseng, of the Turks,” Hermione felt her smile freeze in place. Turks? Why was he coming along?
Lazard cleared his throat. “You are all being sent out to Banora, the home of our missing SOLDIER First Class, Genesis. We’ve had no contact from the operatives already there, and his family have received no word from him either…” Lazard leant on his elbows, “though they can’t be trusted.”
“Why not?” Zack asked.
“They’re his family” Lazard answered, giving Zack a knowing look.
Hermione stifled a scoff, if only they knew that Genesis was never loved by his own parents, “so why am I going?” she asked.
“Several months ago, you were in Wutai,” Tseng began, “you created a dragon made entirely out of fire.” He approached Hermione, who stood her ground, even though she wanted to run and hide. “We want you to assist us in bringing in the missing SOLDIER.”
In other words, they want me to kill him. she thought grimly. “Fair enough, though I will say now, that was just a trick. I will not use my ‘gift’ to kill.” She steeled herself and set determination in her eyes to get her point across.
“Sephiroth has already made that fact vehemently known, Miss Rhapsodos.” Lazard calmed with a smile.
“Let me know when you’re ready to go.” Tseng turned his gaze to Zack who nodded and left to prepare, Hermione – when asked – said that Sephiroth had already given her what she needed.
Tseng hummed in thought, “what weaponry do you carry?”
“None, why?”
“You’ll have to forgive me, but I don’t hold much stock in your ‘gift’. Here,” he handed her a black handgun, it was heavy. “It’s fully loaded. Whilst we wait for Zack, I’ll teach you the basics.”
Hermione felt her gut drop as Tseng gave her a basic lesson in holding, cocking and firing the deadly weapon in her hand.
“Hopefully you won’t have need to use it. But we can’t be sue Genesis won’t attack you.” Lazard reassured, seeming to sense Hermione’s discomfort as he left.
“So, this is routine job, right?” Zack announced his return with a question, “no sweat.”
“Originally Sephiroth was assigned to this mission,” Tseng informed, “but he’s apparently refusing to go.”
“They spoil his too much!” Zack complained.
This earned a chuckle from Tseng, “heh, why don’t you say that to his face?” he challenged.
Zack looked mortified at the idea, “no thanks!”
“I did.” Hermione chimed in, “he just rolled his eyes at me.”
The three shared a chuckle.
An overnight and fitful sleep later had Hermione waking to the helicopter landing with a bump.
An invisible Other hopped out before anyone else, Hermione alighting after Zack, who offered her his hand to help her out.
She yawned and stretched. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath and smiled, “oh wow, what a smell!” There was a deliciously sweet smell on the wind.
She was suddenly struck with an odd sense of familiarity… “I know this scent…” closing her eyes she tried to picture where she had caught this scent before.
Her hand wrapped around the Phoenix materia around her neck, unconsciously as she sifted through her memory.
There it is!
The scent had been on the summer breeze before Bill and Fleur’s wedding, she had thought it was the orchard in the grounds of the Burrow. But Ron and Ginny couldn’t smell anything. Could it have been this place? Could it have been a premonition? She usually found Divination to be a woolly discipline, but maybe…
“Are you coming, miss Rhapsodos?” Tseng’s voice broke her out of her rapture.
Opening her eyes, she saw Zack and Tseng stood looking at her, the helicopter long gone. “Yeah, sorry!”
She dashed after them, the pathway lined with trees that were rooted either end, making archways with blissful shade from a heat she had not noticed before.
“Weird trees,” Zack mused as they walked.
“Banora White trees,” Tseng answered, “aka, Dumbapple.”
Hermione frowned, *the official name is Banora White, but the trees bear fruit at random times of the year, so the townspeople affectionately call them; Dumbapples.* Other’s voice spoke softly, as though mimicking someone.
Seeming to catch her champion’s look, she smiled, *Angeal told that story to Zack back in Wutai.*
“So, Angeal and Genesis both grew up here?” Zack asked.
“They’ve known each other for a long time,” Hermione answered, taking the other two by surprise. She just shrugged, “what?”
“I thought you have no dealings with Genesis?” Tseng enquired; eyebrow raised in suspicion.
“Well, seeing as I’m friends with Sephiroth, it’s only natural that I be friends with the other two as well.” She replied.
“Heads up!” Zack called, drawing the sword off of his back, “take cover, both of you!”
Tseng snatched Hermione’s hand and pulled her off the path, hiding them both behind a tree.
Tseng pulled his weapon out, Hermione frowned, something was behind them. Jumping to her feet, she threw out her hands, the earth bent to her will and, in a wave-like motion, connected with their assailant, sending them backwards.
“Wha-?!” Alerted to the shaking ground, Tseng spun on his heels, still crouched and shouted “MOVE!” as he fired.
Of the three attackers, two went down, the third slashed at Hermione, who was pulled back in time by Zack into Tseng’s waiting arms.
All was still and quiet as the three of them caught their breath. “Are you hurt, miss Rhapsodos?” Tseng asked.
Hermione just shook her head, noticing Other was standing not too far ahead, her brother holding her fast. They appeared to be in a heated discussion.
“We have to keep going.”
Returning to the path, Hermione noticed Other was now alone. I wonder what happened? The look Other gave her told Hermione that Genesis would know of their arrival before they got there.
The group continued on in silence, Zack eliminating other enemies that crossed their path. Hermione was curious, “I’m assuming there’s more than just foot soldiers out here, yes?” she turned to Tseng, who appeared to know more about this mission that either she or Zack did.
Not breaking his stride, Tseng replied, “when Genesis deserted he took a large arsenal of weapons with him, not just soldiers,” he hummed in thought. “We haven’t seen any of the townspeople either. They may have taken over.” He turned to Zack. “The President wants to either recover or destroy the technology.”
Zack puffed his chest, “leave it to me!” he announced.
The SOLDIER took off to clear the road, leaving Hermione with Tseng and Other. “Now that he is otherwise occupied,” Tseng swung round to face Hermione, placing a hand on her chest. “Perhaps you can tell me the truth.”
Hermione blanched. “I already have!” she protested.
The hand on her chest balled into a fist, clutching the materia hidden under her jacket. She watched his eyes twitch as his index finger traced the lining of her shirt, finding the cord that the materia was attached to.
He pulled.
“I beg to differ; this is a piece of materia that only Genesis is known to have.” He sneered.
Hermione straightened, glaring at the man before her, “give that back.” She said, her eyes saying what her voice would not.
She saw him smirk, daring her to take it. “I don’t want to hurt you, so don’t give me a reason to!” she implored.
He actually laughed at her, “you? A little thing like you?” he continued to chuckled.
Hermione’s hand twitched. She felt the muscles in her jaw tense as she struggled to keep from lashing out. “You can’t even hold a gun properly, how do you expect to take on someone who has had a lifetime of combat and weapons training?”
Hermione felt a smirk of her own forming. “Like this.”
Raising her hand, the gun that had been in her back pocket lifted into the space between them. “I don’t need to know how to hold one. Just the mechanics on how it’s fired!”
A crack resounded in the glade they were stood in. Tseng reached up to touch his cheek, blood beginning to slide down. Fear flickered across his eyes as he dropped the materia at her feet, holding his hands high.
“I apologise, Miss Rhapsodos,” both of them heard something off in the distance, “so much for staying quiet.” Tseng heaved a sigh.
Taking the gun still levitating before her, Hermione heaved a calming sigh, the pent-up frustration leaving her body as she approached the Turk. “As do I.” She cupped his face in her hand and ran her thumb over his graze, closing the wound. “There, all better. Oh, and call me Belle.”
The two hurried to meet Zack, who had just taken down a machine that resembled a spider. “All good, Zack?” she asked.
He swung his sword onto his back and gave her a big, infectious, grin. “All good, Miss Rhapsodos!”
“Call me Belle.” Turning her attention to the figures on the ground, she grimaced, “Genesis copies.”
“Where did you hear that?” Tseng asked.
“Sephiroth. He said it back in Wutai.” She explained, Zack nodding next to her.
“This technology was stolen by Genesis from our scientists,” Tseng’s monotonous voice struck a chord in Hermione. “It allows Genesis’s traits and abilities to be transplanted to SOLDIER members and monsters, apparently.”
“No…” Hermione gasped, he’s using his degradation as a weapon?!
“Does that mean… SOLDIER and monsters are the same?” Zack looked down at the ground.
“No!” Hermione exclaimed, “SOLDIER, doesn’t mean monster! Genesis is-”
*Stop. Don’t say another word.* Hermione looked over Tseng’s shoulder to see Brother standing behind the Guard Spider.
A streak of pale-yellow light hit the building behind him, narrowly missing his head.
Turning, Hermione saw Other had appeared behind her, her celestial bow draws as another arrow formed. She blinked.
Other’s eyes were darker than anything she had ever seen before. Tseng and Zack looked over at Hermione, “now who do we have here?” Tseng asked, looking like the cat who had just caught a mouse.
“The daughter of Mother Gaia.” Brother stepped out from behind the machine, sending Tseng and Zack on the defensive as they moved to stand either side of Hermione. “I am her brother.”
Looking at Brother, Hermione could see something different in his eyes. “Come, sister, let’s not fight.”
Having been tormented by Draco Malfoy for the better part of seven years, Hermione knew that condescending tone of voice.
“Stand down, Other.” She commanded, “what are you doing out here, Brother?”
“He’s your brother, too?!” Hearing the shock in Tseng’s voice was almost funny.
“No.” Other answered, her voice dark. “Just mine.” She stepped up to Hermione’s shoulder, “I am called Other to you mortals, he is called Brother.” Hermione gave a silent snort.
“Answer her.” She snapped.
In response, Brother just smirked and vanished. “Oh no you don’t!” she too vanished.
“Other wait, come back!” Hermione called. Groaning in frustration. “What the hell is going on between those two?” she breathed, running a hand through her hair. Catching a look from Tseng, she giggled nervously, “yeah, I may be keeping a thing or two from you.”
She was given another glare, but Zack pushed Tseng forward, “we’ve got a job to do, remember? We’re gonna have to move if that guy works with Genesis.”
Thankful for the distraction, Hermione followed them past a large house that, according to Tseng had been Genesis’s house. As Zack and Tseng continue to talk, Hermione noticed freshly dug graves and paled.
“A gravestone,” Tseng crept up behind her, “freshly laid. Angeal’s house should be around here, somewhere. You can go with Zack to find it, if you like.”
Hermione was about to nod, when a sudden wave of nausea hit her. Black shapes swam in front of her, they looked like Dementors made of smoke.
Feeling a strong grip shake her, Hermione blinked. Tseng swam into her vision. “Perhaps I ought to sit this one out.” She whispered, embarrassed of the way her voice trembled.
Tseng hummed in compliance and sat her down nearby.
As Hermione breathed, she saw that those smoky Dementors were surrounding a section of the village that Zack was searching. Getting to her feet, she told Tseng that she was feeling better and was going to help Zack. “Be on alert.” He warned.
Heading down, Hermione noticed that the things were surrounding Zack. “Zack!” she called.
As he turned to greet her, something grabbed her from behind, the shadows flying towards her as she shrieked. She was carried high into the air, over the village and into a warehouse before being dropped unceremoniously from a high ceiling.
Screaming, she felt the air around her woosh past her as she closed her eyes and waited for the impact.
“Got you!” Hermione opened her eyes at the sound of someone familiar.
“Gen-Genesis?” she gasped.
Those ice-blue eyes that she had come to adore smiled at her. “in the flesh, my Golden Flower.” He smiled, softly.
There was a groan from behind her and she watched those eyes darken. “I apologise for the way you were brought here; they are still in the first stages.”
He her on her feet, looking behind her she saw two copies groaning in the corner. Closing her eyes, she leant into the man, “oh Genesis, what are you doing?!” she groaned.
Before he could answer, the sound of breaking glass alerted the two of them to intruders. “We have been found, Genesis.” Brother came out of the shadows, Other rushed over to Hermione, who hugged her tightly.
“I suggest we leave. Now.”
Genesis growled in her ear. It was that growl that reminded Hermione of something. Pulling herself free from her Crimson Angel, she drew her hand over his face. “That was for leaving us in Wutai!” she snarled.
“You were safer there than with me.” Genesis argued.
“Safer?” she eyes widened in disbelief, “SAFER?!” Her voice raised into a high pitch shrill, “Genesis, the Wutai guards tortured me!”
She watched as his face went whiter than it already was, hearing Brother curse behind her as Other confirmed it. “I… but…” Genesis fell to his knees and wrapped his arms around her waist, hugging her, burying his face in her stomach. “Forgive me, my Golden Flower! I didn’t know!” he looked up at her and she felt her heart melt at the sight of tears in his eyes. “It was never my intention for harm to come to you!”
Hermione pulled him to his feet, “Genesis, I – mpf!” Genesis pulled her to him in a passionate kiss.
Running his gloved fingers through her hair, breaking only for a second for each to catch their breath, the desperation for forgiveness in every touch and sighed moan.
With a heavy heart, Hermione broke the kiss. “They’re here.”
She stood next to Other, Genesis sat down, with Brother stood leaning against the wall.
Zack was stood in the doorway, “Infinite in mystery is the Gift of the Goddess,” Genesis made Hermione jump.
“We seek it thus and take to the sky. Ripples form on the water’s surface, the wandering soul knows no rest.”
“Are you alright, Belle?” Zack asked.
“Settle down, Zack the Puppy.” Genesis goaded, “my Golden Flower is in no danger here.”
Tseng joined Zack, “this another one of your little secrets, Miss Granger?” He snarled.
Hermione cocked her head to the side, “yes, but not in the way that you think, Turk.” She snarled back, unsurprised that he knew her real name.
Tseng balled his hands into fists, “the gravesite, we found traces of our people there as well.” Hermione felt her gut drop.
“Genesis?” she looked at him, her eyes full of disbelief, he returned her gaze with an indifferent one.
“It wasn’t hard to have them send false reports, just some minor threats.” Genesis’s voice sounded as though he didn’t care…
*Why would he care? You’ve seen it yourself* Other spoke to her.
“Your parents would have done that without any threats!” Zack’s voice brought her back to the present.
“My parents betrayed me.” Genesis’s eyes narrowed, he stood and pulled out a piece of materia. “What would you know, ShinRa lapdogs?!” he shot out a blast of fire materia at Tseng.
Hermione apparated in front of Tseng, Protego! she thought, imagining a shield in front of her.
“That’s enough Genesis!”
The look of shock on her Crimson Angel’s face made it obvious that he hadn’t expected her to move. “Why did-”
“Why did I stop you from killing him?” Hermione snapped, “because, mon Coeur, I don’t want to see you dead.” She softened her gaze, “please Genesis, come back with us.”
“Did they promise you they would let me live if I did?” Genesis scoffed, “Beloved, I never took you as gullible.” He stalked two steps closer, stopping only when he saw a smoky shadow – one from earlier – rise up in front of her, facing her. He just frowned as he continued, “we are dead the moment we’re back in Midgar. You, of all people, know why.”
“You assume I mean the SOLDER and the Turk.” Hermione’s nose was playing tricks, because now she could smell pine trees and water. The creature before her turned to Genesis. “Come back with Other and me. We can stay on my world, no one would hunt you down…”
Another shadow appeared behind Genesis, it seemed to whisper to him. Hermione made a mental note that both Other and Brother had wide fear-filled eyes.
“And I would find no cure.” He argued, this made Hermione stop. He walked up to her, “I wish to spend the rest of my life with you if I am who you choose. I cannot do that, if I don’t do this. Aha!” The shadows dispersed as Angeal approached the group.
As banter ensued, Hermione saw herself dropping from the Dragon from Gringotts, it had been so long that she had forgotten!
She watched as Harry and Ron hauled themselves out of the water, “where’s Hermione?” Harry asked.
“If she’s not here, then she’ll be with Genesis.” Ron stated, the two of them shivering.
“I hope she’s okay.”
“She’ll be fine, so long as he’s with her. So, what’s the plan?” Ron reassured.
“Nothing until Hermione gets back, we’ll stay here until then.”
“Angeal wait!” Zack hurried after Angeal, Hermione made to go after him, but found her path blocked by a shadow.
“What are you?” She asked, getting no reply she tried to push through.
“Champ, wait!” Other cried, reaching her too late.
Hermione pushed again and this time was thrown back, landing on solid, sharp, rocks with an “oof!” Other soon landed beside her – though more gracefully.