Author's Notes: Whoot. This is one of my many fictions now, because I've taken the FF100 for Zack! We love Zack. You'll find him under many last names here and with many hobbies and varied personalities. I try to cover all of the Zack bases.

Theme: Moon

Opposites

Ever since the second he'd laid eyes upon the man, Zack had known that Sephiroth had an opposite. Man like that, he knew, had many types of opposites. There were opposites in outlook: Zack himself was one of those, a cheerful optimist to Sephiroth's dreary pessimist. There were opposites in confidence: take Reeve for example, the executive was quiet and afraid of acting or speaking out of turn, whereas the General could and would just say what he wanted and then do it as well. There were opposites in social life: Sephiroth always worked hard and avoided contact that would be considered anything resembling social, but Reno, a Turk, ignored work when he could and cared only for flirting. There were even opposites in how they treated people: General Sephiroth was cold and aloof and ignored everyone, but there were those in the lower levels that were sweet and warm. Yet this wasn't the opposite to Sephiroth that Zack had always sensed.

"One day I'll find that one Seph, mark my word," Zack mumbled to the reports on his desk. While being second-in-command had perks, the downside was always the paperwork.

"You always say that," the General replied, causing Zack to look up. Sometimes the SOLDIER forgot just how sensitive the hearing of the silver haired man was. "I bet you don't even know what you are looking for."

Always eager for the distraction from his paperwork, Zack leapt to the challenge. "I think I do Seph, and I'm going to find them."

"I don't know why you have this juvenile fixation," Sephiroth said with a sigh.

"Juvenile is placing shaving cream into someone's toothpaste tube Seph. This is like soul searching."

"I don't like it when it involves me… And aren't you supposed to be checking out the new recruits right about now?"

The dark haired male blinked. "Shit, it's noon already?"

"Of course it is. I bought you that desk clock for a reason you know."

"This thing?" Zack asked, jabbing a pile of broken plastic and electronics upon his desk with a smirk.

Sephiroth glared from the pile to Zack. "Go," he growled through clenched teeth, much to Zack's distress. Sephiroth followed through on threats. In second the SOLDIER had fled for the gym where the new candidates were in preliminaries. There was always a senior level, that is to say First Class, SOLDIER at these events to evaluate which of the newbies should be fast tracked into the higher training levels. Today it was Zack's turn to watch, and he only relished it for the opportunity to escape Sephiroth.

Even with the time taken up going down the elevator to the main gym from the high floor his office was on, Zack was there in minutes. Anything more and he'd be reported back to Sephiroth and be 'paid back' but the general. Zack himself couldn't find the silver-lining that would exist if he got Sephiroth mad. Best case scenario he'd be forced to duel with Sephy, and he was still recovering from the LAST time he'd tried that and received a broken leg for his efforts.

"ATTEN-TION!" souted the drill sergeant, a tall brute of a man hired expressly to handle the painful prelims. The male had obviously caught sight of the handsome SOLDIER and reacted accordingly.

All of the recruits, who had been in the process of laps, came to a halt quickly. This caused some of them to fall face first onto the floor though, and Zack did his best not to laugh.

"Um…" the second said with a sigh. He hated this stuff because he was expected to be all proper and shit. "As you were."

Many of the potentials resumed running, while some helped fallen comrades from the floor and a few stared in awe at the belt Zack wore, the belt of a First Class.

Putting his best 'holier-than-thou' look upon his face, Zack moved towards the awaiting drill sergeant. Yet try as he might, the whole serious and aloof thing worked better for Sephiroth than for the overly positive swordsman.

"What we got?" Zack questioned the man, turning away from the runners so he could relax and let his cheery grin slip back in place.

"No better or worse than expected. You'll probably get your pound of flesh for the advanced training."

"Woah man," Zack chuckled. "Just remember, I was one of those pounds of flesh."

The sergeant, a man that had held the same job since before Zack had been in the position of the recruits, rolled his eyes. "You'll be taking your normal position, correct?"

A wink was the initial response. "Can't have them think Soldier is all fun and games because I smile."

Once more the sergeant rolled his eyes and then watched the higher ranking male head to the top seats of the stands where he could remain anonymous. And honestly, it was almost amazing that the recruits didn't put Zack to sleep. Things that demanded Zack to sit still and pay attention caused him to get sleepy. Yet there was something here that kept him awake. Something about this one small, lack-luster cadet drew his eyes.

It could have been the shock of blonde hair. It could have been the small size compared to the others. It could have even been that he seemed so ill suited to this work. Still, somewhere there was something…

Zack caught the eyes of the youth as the blonde glanced nervously over his shoulder. The eyes. There was something in those eyes. That was what drew him. Something in those eyes made him the once. This boy was the one who was Sephiroth's opposite. This was the one Zack looked for. And even though he'd finally found the male, he wasn't sure how this blond was Sephiroth's opposite.

Zack squinted at the face presented to him and committed it to memory in the few seconds he had. Sure enough in that image he found the differences. The boy had hair as yellow as the sun and as uncontrollable as it as well, but Sephiroth's was silver like the moon and hard to believe that it was tangible. The eyes of this kid were bright, all of the innocence and purity of the world held there. Yet Seph's held the bitter truth, and maybe somewhere a hint of guilt for the deaths he had caused. Yes, these two were as opposite as day and night, as the gods who ruled them, as the celestial divinities that crowned them.

Before he knew it, the session had passed and Zack and the sergeant were left alone at last. The latter was already scaling the stairs of the stands to converse with Zack.

"What did you think sir?"

"Who was that small blonde?"

The male was shocked by the casualness of Zack's question, but more so by the question itself.

"Cloud Strife, sir… but you can't seriously…"

"He reminds me of someone, but then again, he doesn't."

"Who sir?"

Zack smiled and leaned back in his seat. "What, the opposite of himself of course, and he is just like the sun…"