"Curly" and the over-all plot of "Curly" is copyright Orin Drake 2007. All characters contained within are owned forever and ever by Square-Enix and the Final Fantasy name.

Background: I don't know what it is. Just a mental image that went too far when I wrote it down in, oh... June.

Curly
by Orin Drake

Most of the time, Zack enjoyed missions. They got him out of Midgar, out into different areas with actual weather. Sunshine, rain, even snow (and gods how he hated long periods of cold weather)--conditions didn't matter when there was fresh air and open nature. Still a country boy at heart.

Northeast of Fort Condor was a pretty nice area, all things considered. It was especially nice being paired off with Angeal. Guy was a total hard-ass, yeah... but Zack had learned tricks. The puppy eyes may not work, but the "eyes of extreme adoration" sure as hell did. Of course he still had things that had to be accomplished, and he didn't mind that. Investigating and exterminating monsters was kinda cool.

Or so he thought. Until he looked up from what the two of them had been staring at, trying to determine if it were a track or merely a hole in a long-abandoned road. It was a monster. Yes, most definitely. And it was staring at him. He decided perhaps the best course of action was to slowly, back, away.

Angeal noticed the movement and glanced up. The boy was clearly backing away from something currently behind himself... so he asked a relatively obvious question. "See something?"

There was a minute nod--but Zack kept stepping back. "Don't look behind you. Just... walk this way. Slowly."

That wasn't really reassuring. First Class or no, he was used to Fair being very... enthusiastic. Especially when it was the worst time to be so. "What's it look like?"

"Big." The Second Class responded, still looking up at the enormous beast even though he'd been moving away from it, not daring even to glance behind himself to make sure he wouldn't back into anything. He liked to think Angeal would have warned him. "It's got... nine eyes. And they're all looking at me."

There was a mild smirk on the elder SOLDIER's face. "Does it have great big shoulder spikes and a jaw that could snap a man in half?"

Angeal had seen one before?! Zack tore his eyes away to stare at the man, puzzled by how utterly... calm he seemed. "Yeah..."

Utterly astounding the youth, the First Class stood up, turned around--and pet the monster on the snout. It purred. "Oh, that's Curly."

"Curly?" That... just... what?

Giving what looked like a combination deformed dragon and mutated Behemoth a casual scratch under the chin, Angeal then gave it a steady push away. It snorted and refused to budge. "I don't have treats for you now, Curly. Go on home."

Zack had long since stopped backing away. In fact, he was standing really rather still, save for a slightly unhinged jaw. Too much about that was just... not... it... what?

With another friendly shove, it appeared that the monster finally realized there was no food to be had, and bounded away. Turning back to the younger SOLDIER, Angeal couldn't help a genuine look of amusement. "It's a long story."

"Yeah." The youth managed, softly. "I get that."

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"You called, General?" Angeal greeted from the doorway, less than perfectly seriously.

Sephiroth looked up from his pile of equipment orders. "Close the door, please."

Oh, so this was serious. The elder First Class did what he could to keep a straight face as he complied, pulling up a chair.

"I read Fair's report." Sephiroth informed him without looking up from leaving yet another signature on a dotted line. He was going to start dreaming about them soon. "He referred to you as a 'monster whisperer'."

That got a relatively decent chuckle, Angeal leaning back comfortably. "I'm honored."

The general only sighed, glancing up quickly. "Is that... thing still living in the caves out there?"

"Curly." Angeal corrected. "Still alive and well. Don't tell me you've forgotten how much he likes you."

The words gained a snort, finally getting Sephiroth to put his pen down. "He was a bit smaller when we 'freed' him from the labs."

"He's much happier out there terrorizing campers." The older man responded. "And now he knows Zack."

A little shiver ran down the general's spine. "You say that as if it could ever be a good thing."

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Angeal had to admit, there were few things in his lifetime that had been more entertaining than witnessing Fair riding Curly through the grasslands well outside Kalm. He had to watch through his fingers as if absolutely horrified, though. The other men could not know that he was laughing quite that hard.