For anyone who has seen Midgar in her heyday, the scene is a familiar one. All one can see for a moment is the lit up cityscape of Midgar, then it focuses inward on a certain massive building which dominates the city. Or more aptly the two blonds engaged in a fight on a balcony area on the building.

It was shortly after Dark Nation went down, that Rufus's mind began thinking of strategic retreat. But he wouldn't be leaving alone, he'd already made up his mind about that. He drove Cloud back several paces with the shotgun to give himself space and time, then knelt down to gather the warm and thankfully still breathing black furred form against him. Holding it against his chest with the arm not holding the shotgun, he could hear the helicopter above descending and he fired two more rounds at the blond to keep him away still before throwing the shotgun at Cloud's head and turning toward where the helicopter came to hover. It killed his arms and shoulders to actually pull it off but he managed to grab one of the landing skids just above him, and allow it to bear him and his burden away and out of danger.

The scene blurs as this occurs and when it finally settles down and things regain proper shape and form, the setting has obviously changed to one which speaks of hospitals. It's just Rufus in the hallway, though he's currently without his coat, just in the black turtleneck and white suit pants. He's pacing a small part of the hall, eyes sliding down toward a certain door every few minutes when his pacing brings him to actually face it. It's been a couple hours at least since he arrived here with her and effectively demanded that they tend to her injuries immediately if they valued their lives and jobs. Fortunately there had been no argument and they taken her into surgery right then, leaving him out here to wait for news.

There were plenty of things he should be doing right now, he was now in control of the company, his father's body was still no doubt stuck to his desk unless someone had had the bright idea to remove him and clean things up. None of it matter though to him currently. The only thing which did matter to him right at this moment rested behind those operating room doors. Damn the blond SOLDIER-Wannabe for putting her there. The sudden crashing noises and shouts get his attention and pull him out of his thoughts and pacing.

"If she wants out, then by god let her out before she tears the room up further."

The sight of the door opening follows the words and a black furred form appears in the hall, covered in white bandages. Her head turns toward the blond and after a few long painful moments she actually makes it before Rufus, who drops to his knees in front of her. It doesn't take a genius to realize she'll never actually be able to properly fight like she did before, but it doesn't matter. All that actually matters is that she's alive and she's going to continue to live and be by his side. Reaching up, he carefully wrapped his arms around her head and buried his face against her wide black forehead, its only then with his face covered by hers that he actually lets himself cry, allowing the fur to catch and soak up the tears.

Desolation. Death. Destruction.

It spans as far as the eye can see, possibly even further. To the outreaches of the Planet and beyond, only growing in its ravenous hunger and taking anything it can with it. It's a horrible, bloody sight... not one would expect to find bright, white wings shimmering in the too-bright sun. Even less so, the bundle in his dirtied arms, sound asleep.

The wings flutter once, dropping a few, floating white feathers to the remains of the torched building they were perched upon. The tips of the feathers are also burned, almost even rotting as they lay there, guided by a gentle breeze in the silent environment. And as the man shifts, the faint glow of a halo can be seen reflecting off of a broken window, the beaten body sagging against the brittle, splintered wood. He's tired of the fighting, the chaos and the panic caused by those soldiers. They weren't anything like he remembered, and... this was the result. Insanity finally caught up to him, and in a sense, he was glad to have passed before it'd gotten hold of him, too.

The infant in his arms stirs, a few soft, fussy groans jumping out of it.

In response, he gently rocked the baby in his arms, whispering in a low tone, trying to get his adopted bundle to calm down. Though still dirty, he'd long-since been able to heal it. It'd just... taken a toll on whatever spirit energy he had left, tethering him to this bleak world.

"Just a little while longer, kiddo."

[ooc: So... kind of an odd dream for him to be having, but pretty much? While Zack himself is still canon, he's dreaming of a universe that *did* fall to ShinRa. Certain things have been changed around, and I'll explain more in detail to whomever responds~]

[It begins with a simple gray metallic room. The place where most of the fun the man had managed to have with the two people whom actually cared about him as a person and not as a weapon nor as a science specimen, had taken place. Also the place where everything had begun to go downhill actually. That last spar, the wound Genesis received during it... was it any wonder then that the dream begins there? But then considering the state his mind is currently in and the fact that his current strongest memories concern themselves with a certain trio of men and one blond, perhaps its only natural the sleeping mind chooses to go to something which is positive and possibly enjoyable rather than inflicting the pain of guilt, regret and possible shame that other later memories have a tendency of bringing.

The room is abruptly transformed into a different setting it would seem, the city of Junon to one side, the ocean to the other, as well as below. The man himself currently standing on the massive canon that the city holds as a mighty threat and defense looks as he once did, back in that iconic uniform and possessing that lengthy fall of silver-white hair once more, both down his back and front, the bangs falling long to rest against his upper chest. There are a few things the dream doesn't change though, the obvious aging he's done since he's been in this setting... and the inhuman eyes, pupils narrowed against the glare of the sun and still holding faint traces of that fading insanity he's still working to overcome.

Learning to live in the present, in a world which despises him is no easy task. Neither is attempting to actually learn just what is considered normal and live by it. At least he's not doing it alone. Sephiroth lets his gaze fall to the water, seemingly content to remain there in silence. The silence doesn't last for long however, in as if thinking even briefly of the redhead, and the man's usual actions when he stood where he currently did, he'd summoned a figment of him into this dream.

Genesis's voice filled the air with the usual poem, but perhaps his mood or some other little thing decided on the verse as it wasn't the same verse which had been delivered during that last unfortunate meeting of theirs. It's rather fitting though in his opinion, regardless of why it was given instead of the other.]

My friend, do you fly away now?
To a world that abhors you and I?
All that awaits you is a somber morrow
No matter where the winds may blow