Our Shining Past
(Sephiroth and Zack Friendship 100 Themes)

by the infamous and notorious tocasia

Disclaimer: I do not own FFVII and make no profit from this work.

A series of old-style (original game mostly, no CC) AU Sephiroth and Zack friendship stories I'm writing from a list of 100 prompts. Most are one-shots. Some are dark and some are silly; check the series notes to see which is which. All are genfic. They might share the same AU, or... maybe not.

Think carefully about the order of the parts... Nah, just kidding. The order of the parts is only the order of completion, not the flow of the story.

Remember! The chapters are posted in order of completion. To avoid confusion, check the notes at the top of each one!

Halfway done on 7/1/2018!

***Chapter Index***
1. Intro, Index, List
2-4. Do Not Disturb (3 chapters, Dark) - Sephiroth wants to be left alone. Zack should have listened. Even Zack's loyalty has its limits.
5. War of the Words (Silly) - Sephiroth and Zack engage in a friendly duel with unconventional weapons. In the end, who will prevail when subjected to terrible reading material?
6. One of Those Days (Not as dark as Do Not Disturb) - Events conspire against Sephiroth when he tries to meet Zack for a nice day out. Alone, Sephiroth struggles with his desire for revenge.
7. The Cat House in Wutai (Silly) - Sephiroth did not know when or where he was or how he got here. That was unusual. There may have been some kind of accident with materia. Why couldn't he remember?
8. Heartfelt Apology (Silly) - Sephiroth gets fanmail all the time. Zack wants some of his own. What happens when he gets a romantic invitation from Fan #1?
9. Maze (Not dark) - Missions to Nibelheim never go right. This time, Zack ends up with a bad case of Mako poisoning and Sephiroth has to find a way to help without becoming lost himself.
10. Courage (Silly) - Scarlet asks Sephiroth out on a 'date'.
11. And Your Bird Can Sing (Silly) - Guess who's manning the 2nd floor Shinra HQ item shop today?
12. Take Cover (Silly) - A few adventures combining the five colors of materia: Red, Green, Yellow, Pink, Blue.
13. An Unselfish Reason (kinda sad) - Zack gets a package from home.
14. Obsession (dark) - Sephiroth and Manipulate in Wutai
15. Fragile (not dark) - Zack sees the results when his photography is published.
16. Everybody's Friend (cute) - A normal workday for Zack
17. Alone and Not(not dark) - Sephiroth remembers Zack's promotion to Second Class
18. Letters Home(kinda sad) - Sephiroth's reaction when the monthly shipment of mail for the troops arrives on the front.
19. Another Cup of Coffee(not sad) - A normal workday for Sephiroth
20. Dolphins(silly, cute) - Afterward, the impact of Give-a-Gift-to-Your-Friend Day was felt all summer.
21. Nothing To Be Afraid Of(silly) - Zack bravely followed the order. Nothing horrible happened.
22. Insanity(dark) - Things have been... strange, lately. But now I'm here with you So don't worry
23. Copy(not dark) - Sorting through old memories in the labs, Sephiroth remembers her.
24. Abundance(not dark) - The war in Wutai has only begun. Zack hasn't been there long.
25-30. Six Friends(6 chapters, mostly silly) - Why would I give it away?
31. Is There Such A Thing?(silly) - Then he breathed in the steam, took a sip with those perfect lips...
32. Brilliant, Perhaps Too Brilliant(dark) - "This way, we'll both get what we want." "Gya haa haa haa!"
33. Radio Silence(sad) - In Wutai, there was no holding back. The memories, either. But the words...
34. Excuses(silly, cute) - It wasn't because Dark Nation was cute. No.
35. Wishing Against Fate(dark) - "That'll keep the Planet going, at least a little longer." In which Sephiroth makes a snap decision based on very little evidence.
36. Waves(silly) - At the beach.
37. Overworked(not sad) - The little everyday annoyances from Zack were extremely important for keeping things in perspective.
38. Under the Rain(dark) - The incident with the raincoat. Dark. "Seph, you've gotta stop doing stuff like this if you want me to continue believing that you're sane."
39. Infinite(not dark) - Zack did not know they were reflect rings.
40. Bubbles(silly) - With equal parts dread and contentment, Sephiroth realized Zack's friendship wasn't going anywhere.
41. AVERUS(not dark) - In which Zack takes on a little more than is wise.
42. Imprisoned(dark) - Sephiroth is captured in Wutai. Dark
43. Lost and Found(not sad) - In which Zack and Aeris make a cute couple, so Sephiroth won't allow Shinra's search for the Promised Land to interfere.
44. Warmth(kinda sad) - There's always a Shinra holiday party.
45. Prove(silly, cute) - The photography contest.
46. Afterimages(dark) - This might be about how Sephiroth and Zack pay a visit to the Gold Saucer arena to see the new VR technology in action but all does not go as planned. Except that it does.
47. Afterimages Part 2(dark) - Struggling, a nagging memory of a different past fell into ruin, but would not die a quiet death. Yes. There is a Part 2. I edited it out, and now I'm editing it back in.
48. Never Again(silly) - He knew better.
49. Rumors(silly) - Sephiroth liked rumors. Usually.
50. Always By Your Side(dark) - So cold, I am always by your side. Things don't look so good, but...
51. You Couldn't Sleep Either?(cute) - Too many nights are like this. It's late. Sephiroth is doing nothing, thinking about nothing... just drifting between tomorrows.
52. An Anchor to Reality(not dark) - In Wutai, Zack, with incredible bravery, prevails through the unexpected.
53. Sealed Up Secret Wish(DARK) - It was the darkest of his secrets. The kind of power that heroes in stories were punished for wanting, but that he'd delighted in, every time he'd done it in Wutai. Now it created an unwinnable scenario for Sephiroth, something he thought he'd never encounter. Because the solution he'd come up with, he was unwilling to implement. Sephiroth and Manipulate. Dark.
54. Listen(cute) - Sephiroth listens to Zack's well-meaning advice.
55. Lock and Key(sad) - Can you keep a secret for me, Mother?
56. Misfortune(silly) - The mildly unlucky chase scene.
57. Tower of Strength(not that dark) - "Do you think dreams mean anything, Zack?" "Not usually." "What about the ones that feel so real you can't tell the difference?"
58. To Tower Above Castles in the Sky(dark?) - the continuation of Tower of Strength
59. Hometown(sad) - "This is a request for reactor repair." "Aww, not Nibelheim again." Watching Zack's face carefully, Sephiroth said, "No. Gongaga."
60. Good For Morale(cute, silly) - Loyalty and trust between them had already been built in adversity, but by the time Wutai ended, 'war buddies' didn't quite cover it anymore. Zack remembers his initial impressions of the General and their early days in an office setting.
61. Outlast(sad, ANGST) - In which Sephiroth is injured and Zack confronts the possibility that he might have to carry on without him. Sad, dark, angst.
62. Company Picnic(cute) - Zack would be interested to know his discovery.

***All the Tags So Far (AO3 Style)***
It was fun to watch this expand over time as I finished more prompts!

No Archive Warnings Apply, Major Character Death, Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Zack Fair, Sephiroth, Jenova, Aeris, Lucrecia Crescent, Hojo (Compilation of FFVII), Scarlet (Compilation of FFVII), Elena (Compilation of FFVII), Tseng (Compilation of FFVII), Reno, Rude (Compilation of FFVII), Bugenhagen, AU, Sephiroth and Zack friendship, the war in Wutai, Dark, canon-typical ellipses abuse, when is a story over?, anti-fluff, Betrayal, Memories, Stream of Consciousness, comma splice of life, real villains have mothers, Paperwork, lab work, science is important, Insanity, I reject your reality and substitute my own, mindgames, dreams or maybe not, Sleep talking, back in my day, possibly disturbing, cities built out of seashells, #sailthecosmos, Silly, Cute, Choral Music, Dolphins, Summer, Mideel, always give gifts to your friends, made up holidays, korean BBQ plate, donate to your local library, the meeting was nothing special, mail, Jealousy, Anger, loneliness but don't tell him that, kinda sad, Angst, everybody's friend really is, good for morale, normal office workday, probably cute, Photographs, travel magazine, Wutai, Regret, Fix-It, Addiction, Violence, Death, Manipulate materia, unethical, Pretty Messed Up, What Did I Just Write, gray days, dealing with grief, colors of materia, Explosions, space dragons, white chocobo, Shinra HQ, stereotypical retail woes, Business Casual, weapons testing, Firing range, 'date' with single quotes, Romance What Romance, it's always Tuesday, always looking at stars, always looking out for your friends, canon-typical mysteriously colored caves, twisty turny passages, Lifestream, mako poisoning, fanmail, Cats, why not?, bad day, Implied Torture, Humor, Once Upon A Time, Reading Aloud, Ghost Stories, Horror Tropes, Airship, creepy mountain town, Monsters, train graveyard, North Corel, Cave of the Gi, Gold Saucer, Don't split the party, game mechanics, very good coffee, interior monologues, Sector 7, what will they do about that in the remake, no animals were harmed in the making of this fic, communication is important, friends can talk about things right? but that's hard, sad, Dark Nation, coincidences, chocobos, cupcakes, unfair late night shopping runs, soap operas, black cape, ecoterrorism, that playground in Sector 6 that's still there, saving the world, the beach, glass, interdepartmental rivalry, watching the rain, friendship rings, reflect, materia, marbles, delicious cheesecake, collateral damage, poor decisions, washing dishes, golden shiny wire of hope, emotions are tough, icecream, tragedy, motorcycles, sickeningly sweet romance, incredible bravery, adventure, happy holidays, bragging rights, confidence, arrogance, Old Midgar historical society, cinnamon toast, philosophy is everywhere, Dyne, off course!, Corel Prison, mirages in the desert, Cait Sith's sleazy jazz, fortunes, magazine subscriptions, customer support, phone surveys, tattoos, awful perfume, petty revenge, misunderstandings, shameless matchmaking, something soft that shimmers, vanity, the Shinra Times, they always talk about who they like, dramatic rescue, angels, late nights, sleepover, fluff, may contain crack, one mention of teen magazine quizzes, mountain climbing, overcoming fear, paranoia, guilt, despair, torture, all the colors of the sky, keycards, Shinra Inc Repair Division!, inspired by real life action movies, Sense materia, brought to you by uncooperative in-game targeting, mistaken identity, may contain traces of collateral damage, nightmares, hurt/comfort, residual traces of tarot card symbolism, the Sleeping Forest, walking away from explosions slightly unapologetically, parts of the model are missing, and then there was plot?, expectations, homecoming, rental buggy joyride, rewind the tape, hero worship, geraniums, bugs, manufactured in a facility that also processes office pranks and bad puns, fear of loss, blood, gore, kindness and mercy, stoically enduring blisteringly hot picnic table seats unnecessary since Sephiroth is wearing pants,

***The List***
The ones in bold are done!

1. memory, gateway (Good For Morale) (silly, cute)
2. light
3. making history
4. seeking solace
5. unbreakable, triumph
6. last hope
7. illusion, reality (Afterimages) (dark)
8. rivalry
9. conspiracy (Brilliant, Perhaps Too Brilliant) (dark)
10. silence, without
11. inspiration, mirror
12. misfortune (Misfortune) (silly)
13. running away
14. smile, judgement
15. excuses (Excuses) (silly, cute)
16. horror (Six Friends) (mostly silly)
17. annoyance (Overworked) (not sad)
18. standing still (Bubbles) (silly)
19. tears, holding, gray (An Unselfish Reason) (kinda sad)
20. listen (Listen) (cute)
21. never again (Never Again) (kinda silly)
22. fairy tale (War of the Words) (silly)
23. cat (The Cat House in Wutai) (silly)
24. no time (Wishing Against Fate) (dark)
25. obsession (Obsession) (dark)
26. calm, morning, soft (Another Cup of Coffee) (not sad)
27. lost and found (Lost and Found) (not sad)
28. empty
29. lock and key (Lock and Key) (sad)
30. under the rain (Under the Rain) (dark)
31. colors (Take Cover) (silly)
32. endings
33. return (Hometown) (sad)
34. solitude, fury (One of Those Days) (dark)
35. failure
36. submission, adoration
37. imprisoned (Imprisoned) (dark)
38. fragile (Fragile) (not dark)
39. wrath, water
40. copy (Copy) (not dark)
41. teamwork
42. treasure
43. waves (Waves) (silly)
44. peace (Everybody's Friend) (cute)
45. ground (An Anchor to Reality) (not dark)
46. family, forgotten (Letters Home) (kinda sad)
47. downtown
48. everyday magic, beautiful (Company Picnic) (cute)
49. foolish, risk, equal
50. breaking the rules
51. choice
52. balance
53. fantasy, keeping a secret (Sealed Up Secret Wish) (DARK)
54. tower (Tower of Strength) (not really dark)
55. impulse
56. everything for you (Always By Your Side) (dark)
57. slow down, glad, sacrifice
58. heartfelt apology (Heartfelt Apology) (silly)
59. challenge
60. coping, sorrow (Radio Silence) (sad)
61. accuracy, fear (Nothing To Be Afraid Of) (silly)
62. flawed, start
63. wings, do not disturb (Do Not Disturb) (dark)
64. prove (Prove) (silly, cute)
65. a moment in time, neglect
66. dangerous territory
67. boundaries, question
68. hero, dirt, unsettling revelations
69. what if
70. storm
71. bird, breaking away (And Your Bird Can Sing) (Silly)
72. insanity (Insanity) (dark)
73. patience
74. reasons why (Is There Such A Thing?) (silly)
75. shadows, satisfied (Alone and Not) (not dark)
76. thankful, summer haze (Dolphins) (silly, cute)
77. horizon
78. resist
79. greed (AVERUS) (not dark)
80. warmth (Warmth) (kinda sad)
81. a place to belong, insomnia (You Couldn't Sleep Either?) (cute)
82. lazy days
83. abundance (Abundance) (not dark)
84. imaginary, shame, echoes (Rumors) (silly)
85. falling, graceful, spiral
86. around the world
87. maze (Maze) (not dark)
88. pain, song, possession
89. fire
90. motivation, obligation
91. answers, poison
92. details
93. follow
94. laughter
95. outlast (Outlast) (sad, ANGST)
96. lesson, fading
97. courage (Courage) (silly)
98. game, reflect (Infinite) (not dark)
99. ocean
100. shining, future