Chapter 1: WEAPON

It's finally done! And this is only half of what I wanted to write. :/ Unfortunately, having a fractured wrist does get in the way somewhat, since I can only type with one hand and it's giving me hand cramps. Anyway, read, review, favorite, etc. I won't beg for reviews, but your opinion would be nice. The author I co-write for is without internet at the moment, so this is a type-while-I-have-inspiration fic.

**Note**

This is not in the crossover section with the Soul Eater anime because a crossover is any fic or story that includes characters and/or places that are from another fandom. This story does not.

Enjoy.

"Damn it," Zack grunted, working hard to keep his block up against the SOLDIER General, "You're not the only hero!"

The silver-haired man smirked and pushed down easily despite the young teen's efforts. Nothing was said before he quickly twisted his sword under Zack's and brought it up, slicing the blade clean in half.

The sheer momentum of the blow knocked Zack off his feet, sending him crashing into the ground on his back. He heard the clang of both parts of his sword as it hit the concrete. A sick feeling entered his stomach, a dull ache forming in his back.

Sephiroth stood over him, his smirk still evident from his last attack. The hit had knocked Zack's breath away, and he struggled to gather his bearings. "It's over," Sephiroth said, raising his sword above the teen's chest. Zack was barely able to utter a sound of defiance before the blade was brought down on him.

Clang!

Zack's eyes snapped open at the sound of metal against metal. He stared up at the navy sky for a moment, trying to catch his breath. Turning his head, Zack spotted his mentor, Angeal, standing to the side, having blocked the slice with the broken sword. Angeal looked over at him sternly, sighing in disappointment.

"Zack-,"

Zack cut him off before the lecture began. "Thanks Angeal," He winced, sitting up and rubbing the back of his neck.

Angeal frowned and looked down at the sword. Sephiroth remained motionless. "You need to be more careful," Angeal said, "Just imagine if this sword was your partner. You'd have killed her, Zack."

Zack sighed in irritation. "I know, I know. It just doesn't feel right fighting with another sword."

Angeal just shook his head and took out his phone, scrolling through it before pressing a button. The entire area began to melt away in a shower of blue pixels as the grey walls of the ShinRa Training Room were revealed.

"Mission's over." Angeal stated, looking down at the boy before him who stumbled to his feet.

"Wha-Why?!" Zack raised his voice, startled by the sudden stop. He peered at his mentor through the training glasses. Frustrated, he grabbed the glasses and slung them to the ground, glaring at his older friend. "I was just getting warmed up!"

Angeal handed him the now-useless sword. "You were powerless without this when it was cut in half. Think of your actual weapon, Zack. You would be defense-less without it, and you'd suffer the loss of Sara."

As if hearing her name, a young girl, around Zack's age, burst through the Training Room doors, panting.

"Zack! Thank goodness you're alright!" She said jogging over to the two, her loose braid swinging over her shoulder. Placing her hands on her hips, Sara frowned at her mentor. "Angeal! I told you to wait for me!"

Angeal frowned back. "Zack can train with you, but he still needs to practice on his own as well, Sara."

"I'm his partner!" Sara stated. "And I'm supposed to fight alongside him, as his WEAPON."

There were three sections of the ShinRa army; SODIER, WEAPON, and Infantry. WEAPONs were SOLDIERs who had a special materia surgically inserted into their body that allowed them to change into a weapon of some sort. It wasn't entirely clear how this was possible, but there were rumors of a man given the ability to change into a demon from a materia place inside him. Professor Hojo of the Science Department was said to be the creator of WEAPONs.

Angeal sighed, knowing his argument would be fruitless. Once Sara had set her mind on something, it was almost to get her off it, unlike Zack.

"Its okay, Sara," Zack grinned at her, "I'm fine, see?"

Sara smiled a little, but shuddered at the broken sword in her partner's hand. Angeal walked ahead, going to the door. Zack opened his mouth to speak to Sara, but was interrupted when Angeal spoke.

"Zack," He turned his head slightly, "Embrace your dreams."

Zack raised an eyebrow, "Hmm?"

Angeal explained, "If you want to be a hero, you have to have dreams, and honor." He walked out, but not before adding, "And Sara? I need to speak with you later."

Sara frowned but nodded. "Um, okay, Angeal."

Zack scratched the back of his head in confusion, but didn't comment, seeing that Sara was as confused as well. When Angeal left, the young SOLDIER turned to his partner, that happy grin on his face again. He lightly punched her shoulder.

"What took you so long in getting here, anyway?" He asked.

Sara sighed, "The elevator got stuck on me."

"Again?"

"I swear, I think it hates me. I think I'll just take the stairs next time."

Zack laughed. Sara was known for getting stuck in the elevator more than once in a day. She always blamed it on bad timing, but Zack thought it was bad luck.

"Hey, Sara, are you hungry? Why don't we get something for lunch?"

"Sure, I just have to tell the others before I leave."

Zack sneaked a glance at his partner before quickly looking away. Truthfully, he'd had a tiny crush on Sara for while after they became partners, but he preferred to keep that little secret to himself. He didn't want to risk losing communication between them, and Angeal would wonder why they were acting so strange, and Zack would have to explain the whole situation. He didn't want that, so he kept his mouth shut.

Sara wasn't someone who could enter and leave a room without being noticed. Light pink hair, almost white, was one of her most striking features, another being her bright Mako eyes. She hadn't meant to join SOLDIER, but was aiming to be a secretary at ShinRa. However, things didn't work out the way she had planned.

Zack wasn't sure why she was admitted into the WEAPON program, but it didn't matter to him at the moment. All that mattered was the energetic girl strolling alongside him, whom he had known for almost two years.

As the two walked down the hall to the stairs, they passed three other WEAPONs on their way to the briefing room. Sara stopped for a few moments to explain where she was going. After a short conversation, she smiled and nodded goodbye to her female comrades, who returned the smile and giggled at Zack, whispering like little girls while sending fleeting glances at the SOLDIER. Zack sent them a smile and the giggling increased.

"I'll race you up the stairs!" Sara challenged.

Zack's smile turned into a grin and he nodded, "You're on!"

Any normal person wouldn't be able to run up two flights of stairs without breaking a sweat, but for those with Mako infused in their blood, it was like a jog down the street. The only noise in the stairwell was the sound of their combat boots slapping against the steps as they ran. Sara was in the lead, a head of her partner by tree steps, when Zack raced forward, hitting her in the back of the leg and making her stumble. She caught herself but not before he reached the door. Panting slightly, Sara made it to the top and punched Zack in the shoulder.

"You cheated," She said sticking out her tongue.

"I had nothing to do with it." He argued, feigning innocence, "You tripped over your own two feet."

Sara rolled her eyes, "Sure."

Zack chuckled, holding open the door for her. "Ladies first," He smirked.

"Why are you just standing there, then?"

Zack's jaw dropped slightly as she passed by, her laughter ringing in the silence of the stairwell.

The two ate lunch in the cafeteria, going over what skills they need to improve in the next training session.

"You know," Sara said, taking a sip of her lemonade, "I wonder if they'll start sending more WEAPONs out into the war. Like, to Wutai."

Zack frowned, a rare phenomenon that only occurred when he was confused or upset. Shaking his head, he said, "Who knows, they might. Where'd this come from, anyway?"

Poking her macaroni and cheese with a spork, Sara replied, "Dr. Aiden mentioned it yesterday when I visited him…He said there was a possibility they may started deploying WEAPONs."

Zack watched his friend's face as it twisted in worry. He scooped up some apple sauce and flung it at her, hitting her right in the cheek. She looked up, startled by the sudden attack, and glared at him. Before she could retaliate, however, Zack said, "Don't worry about it, Sara. They wouldn't send something as fragile as a WEAPON out on the field."

"But Dr. Aiden-"

"Dr. Aiden is a therapist, not an army general," Zack smiled at her, hoping to cheer her up, "They won't send you, I promise."

Sara smiled back at him, all traces of anxiety gone from her face, and nodded. "Thanks, Zack."

Zack's face got red and he blinked, unable to speak for a moment, but quickly covered up his blush by tilting his face down to eat. Sara didn't see this, and figured he was really hungry from training that morning.

Zack and Sara were up on the SOLDIER floor, waiting for Angeal to show up. Zack had taken to doing squats, while Sara was sitting in on one of the small tables positioned near some comfy-looking chairs by the window. She flipped through a little book, trying to block out Zack's grunts as she read.

Sighing, Sara looked at her partner. "Calm down, Zack. It's not that bad."

Zack sighed dramatically, "But it's sooo boring! There's no missions, no training, nothing to do."

"Hey Zack! You seem a little on edge," Kunsel, a friend of the energetic SOLDIER and one of the few SOLDIERs that also had a WEAPON partner, pointed out as he walked over. Sitting on the second step in the floor, he stretched out his leg.

"Can you blame me? All this training…and no assignments. Like…their hanging…me out to dry." Zack grunted, continuing his squats, "You must be pretty busy, with everyone off base."

Kunsel looked over at him in confusion. "Off base? Wait, haven't you heard?"

"Heard what?" Sara closed her book, setting it to the side.

"There's been a mass desertion at SOLDIER."

The news made Zack stand up, shock written clearly across his face. Sara's mouth opened in surprise, but nothing came out. Finally, she said, "What happened?"

Kunsel shook his head. "I don't know. But it's so big they even sent Jake and a few other WEAPONs to check the situation out."

Sara's eyes widened and she looked over at Zack worriedly. He glanced at her but turned back to Kunsel. Before he could say anything, Kunsel stepped to the side.

"Heads up, a 1st Class!" He hissed, lowering his head. 1st Class SOLDIERs were well respected by both 2nd and 3rd class SOLDIERs, as well as Infantry and the general public. Some WEAPONs, especially the 1st Class, disliked them, but it never caused any big problems.

Angeal walked over, looking at his pupils. "Zack, Sara, come to the Briefing Room." Zack fist-pumped in excitement, nodded and started off to the room, but Angeal stopped Sara in her tracks. "Sara," He said seriously, "I need you to look after Zack for me."

Sara frowned, "Well, sure, but why? Are you going somewhere?"

The older man shook his head. "Of course not, I just need someone to watch over him when I can't. You know Zack; he's bound to get in some kind of trouble."

"Yeah, that sounds like Zack alright," She laughed. "I'll keep an eye out for him, don't worry."

Angeal patted her on the shoulder. "Thank you, Sara."

"No problem. We really should get to the Briefing Room before Zack explodes."

In the Briefing Room, Sara was surprised to see the Director of SOLDIER and WEAPON, Lazard, sitting at one of the computers. Zack immediately stood at attention, with Sara doing the same. Lazard pushed away from the computer a bit, standing up, and looked at the two.

"Zack. It's good to finally meet face to face." He said, smiling. Holding out his hand, he added, "Lazard, Director of SOLDIER and co-Director of WEAPON."

Zack shook his hand, smiling back, "Heya!"

Lazard turned to Sara and held out his hand. "It's nice to see you again, Miss Luminas."

Sara returned the gesture. "Pleasure's mine, sir," She said. Sara had met the man briefly before joining WEAPON, but hadn't seen him since that day, almost eight years ago.

"On to business, then." Lazard bent down, clicking a few keys on one of the computers before sitting down. Zack leaned over to see what he was typing. A picture of a frowning man came up on the large projector screen, his piercing Mako eyes seeming to stare right through everyone in the room. Across the bottom of his picture was three capital letters; M.I.A, Missing In Action.

Lazard sat back. "SOLDIER 1st Class Genesis. A month ago, he went missing during a mission in Wutai."

Sara looked over at Angeal. He had his head bowed slightly, and she could see a concerned look on his face. Frowning a little, she looked at the picture of the man named Genesis. He looked awfully familiar, but she couldn't remember where she had seen him before.

The Director continued, looking at Zack and Sara from the corner of his eye. "Know anything about this?"

Zack held up his hands in innocence. "Not a clue!"

Sara shook her head. "He looks familiar, but I don't know him."

Angeal looked over at the female WEAPON with in an unreadable expression.

"The mission is currently stuck in limbo. That's why we've decided to send you, along with your WEAPON," Lazard explained.

"Uh, to Wutai?" Zack looked skeptical.

Sara tensed, immediately shooting down the order. "W-wait what? No, no, I-"

Lazard turned to her. "Is there a problem, Miss Luminas?"

She rubbed her arm looking down. She stuttered under his gaze, "I-I mean…I don't t-think I'm ready f-for something like this…"

"Sara-" Before Angeal could reproach her for speaking out against her superiors, Zack put his arm around her and spoke.

"I'm sorry, sir, but if Sara's not ready, I think she should stay here and train," He said, "I'll take a regular sword with me."

Sara stared at her partner with worry. She was terrified to go, but knew that Zack would have more trouble with a regular weapon, since WEAPONs were stronger and less likely to break. It would just put more pressure on him if she didn't go.

Sara shook her head. "No, I-I'll go…" She bowed her head, "I'm s-sorry I got out of line, sir."

Lazard smiled at her and nodded. "Don't worry about it. It's natural for someone who hasn't been out of Midgar to be scared. However, please don't let it happen again."

Sara nodded, though she felt fear sinking in her stomach. Zack felt her shake under his arm and looked at her briefly before turning to Lazard. "Sir, are you sure you want to send us?"

Lazard nodded, setting his elbows on the tables. "Yes. This war has gone on long enough."

He looked up at Sara, and their eyes met for a split second before she looked away. There was a tense silence before Angeal broke it up.

"I've recommended you for 1st," He said to Zack.

Zack stared at him in shock for a few moments before the news finally sunk in. Removing his arm from Sara, he started laughing in excitant, grasping the sides of his face in disbelief. He rushed over to his mentor and flung his arms around him.

"Angeal! Aw, I love you man!" Zack yelled, ignoring the protests from the 1st Class, "Ang-"

Angeal pushed him away playfully. Chuckling, he said, "Don't make me regret this, Zack." His tone was serious, but there was a small smile on his face. Zack nodded and stood at attention.

"Sir!"

Turning to Sara, the older man added, "Sara, even though you're already a 2st Class WEAPON, I've put in a word for you. If you prove yourself worthy on this mission, you'll also be promoted to 1st."

Sara wasn't sure she had heard right. Like SOLDIER, 1st Class was the highest rank a WEAPON could receive. Only a select few were chosen for 1st, since reaching 2nd was a high enough honor for most. Sara had always wanted to be more than just 'above average'; she wanted to be the strongest WEAPON she could possibly be, even if it meant pushing herself a bit.

"T-thank you, Angeal," She said smiling brightly, "I won't let you down!"

Angeal stood from his seat. "Good. Once you're packed, you'll leave at once."

The two nodded and left, talking excitedly about the mission. They went to the Materia Room to get supplies and items they might need to get through the mission. Sara picked up a Cure material, inspecting it closely. She already had a Master Cure, but having another was probably a good idea.

Zack chose a Fire and a Blizzard, both spells he excelled with. Sara was usually the mage of the two, using advanced versions of the weaker spells, but figured he'd get some magic as well to help out.

"Don't forget to get Scan," Sara reminded him, "Where's the Thunder materia?"

"Here, catch." Zack tossed her the small yellow ball. She caught it and looked over it briefly, checking for dents or scratches that could disrupt the flow of magic. Seeing none, she placed it in her bangle, along with her other materia.

When they were done, the partners walked back to the Briefing Room. Before they entered, Zack turned to Sara. "Sara, I know you don't want to do this. You don't have to anything you're not comfortable with."

Sara shook her head. "It's fine. I'm your friend, after all." She smiled at him, "What kind of WEAPON would I be if I didn't stick by my partner's side?"

Zack couldn't help but smile back. Her smile was contagious; it was one of the things he loved about her.

Holding open the door, he let Sara pass through before following behind her. Inside, Angeal was nowhere to be seen, but Lazard still sat at the table. See them come in, he said, "I'll be joining you as well. I'm counting on you."

Zack nodded and once again the two stood at attention. "Yes sir!" They said in unison.

Lazard stared at the two before sitting back and speaking to Zack. "By the way, what is your dream? 'To become 1st' ...Is it?"

"No…" Zack relaxed his stance and turned, walking a few steps before putting his hands on his hips. "To become a hero!"

Lazard chuckled. "Ah, good! Unattainable dreams are the best kind." Sara frowned slightly at his choice of words, but said nothing.

Zack turned and faced him at this. "Uh, thanks…?"

"And you? What is your dream?" The Director asked Sara.

She shrugged, "I haven't really found one yet, sir."

Lazard tilted his head, looking at her carefully. "Is that so? How interesting."

Angeal and Zack ran along the path through the forest at full speed until the 1st class came to a halt. "Fort Tamblin is straight ahead. Let's hurry, B unit is on standby."

A Wutian soldier ran over to them, his weapon raised. "You two, identify yourselves!" Two others joined him, their weapons also raised.

Angeal tensed, ready to battle, but Zack stepped forward, swinging his sword skillfully before holding it in both his hands. "Just leave it us!" He said, "Ready, Sara?"

"Ready!" Sara's voice, sounding a bit mechanical, emitted from the sword in Zack's hand.

Zack rushed up to meet the first Wutian soldier, cutting him down with a swift blow upward. The second soldier rushed up behind Zack and raised his lance, but the bright-eyed teen turned quickly and slammed the pommel of his sword into the soldier's head, sending him down.

"Zack, behind you!"

Zack swung to the side, hitting the last Wutian in the leg before giving the final slash. He swung his partner onto his back and fist pumped. "Alright, next!"

Angeal walked past, impressed with the way his pupil handled the battle. "Calm down, Zack."

"No can do," Zack grinned and shook his head, shrugging. He placed his hands on his hips looking around the area. "The Director is somewhere watching, right? I have to make a good impression."

Sara laughed, "Remember, Zack, you're representing both of us out here."

Zack nodded, waving off the statement. "Yeah, yeah, I got that. I'm just so pumped up right now!"

"Zack…"Angeal sighed, walking forward a bit. Eventually, he stopped walking and continued, "Do you know about dumbapples?"

Zack crossed his arms. "No, what's that?"

Angeal shook his head at his pupil's answer and rubbed his chin, "Unbelievable…How can you not know about dumbapples?" Walking forward, he added, "You'll never make 1st at that rate."

"Whoa, wait!" The teen SOLDIER ran after him. "What are dumbapples?!"

Angeal went on ahead, leaving Zack and Sara to follow after him. There were a few groups of enemies along the way, but they weren't much trouble and were cut down quickly. Zack talked to Sara as he jogged down the path.

"Hey, Sara, what's it like being in your WEAPON form?"

"It's kind of like being in human form, only you can't walk and stuff."

"Really? It doesn't feel weird or anything?"

"Not really, but I guess that's because I'm used to it."

Zack came across more enemies and, just like the last ones they were cut down without complaint. Before swinging the sword onto his back, however, he took a few minutes to study his partner. She was the same as all SOLDIER issued WEAPONs; a simple longsword. However, there were slight differences in every WEAPON, and Sara was no exception. Her WEAPON materia was centered in the middle of the round cross-guard, and there were various scratches along the blade from previous missions, each one representing a scar on some part of her body.

Sera's voice snapped him to reality. "Um, Zack? You're staring at me."

Zack smiled and shook his head, "Nah, I'm fine. I just spaced out for a second, that's all."

"Well we better hurry. I think I see Angeal up ahead."

"Got it!"

Zack caught up to Angeal. "So Angeal, what's the deal with dumbapples? "

Angeal turned to him. "The official name is Banora White. The trees bear fruit at random times during year. Because of that, the townspeople affectionately call them dumbapples." He explained, "The local farms had plenty of them to spare."

Zack smirked. "Oh, really? So you stole them."

"We were poor, Zack."

"Nice excuse!"

"Quiet, Zack!" Sara said, "You're ruining the story."

Angeal continued, "But even then, I had my honor. The largest Banora White tree grew on a wealthy man's estate. It was rumored that those apples tasted the best. But I never stole from that tree, because the wealthy man's son was my friend."

Sara sighed happily, "That's very sweet, Angeal!"

Zack walked back and forth, his arms folded behind his head. "If he was a friend," He said, "you should've just asked for some!"

Angeal held up a finger for Zack to be quiet. He said, "Honor can be quite a burden at times."

Placing his hands on his hips, Zack frowned. "So…what exactly does this have to do with me?"

"No story is not worth hearing," The 1st Class SOLDIER said, crossing his arms before walking away. As Zack tried to comprehend what he had heard, Angeal started laughing at his pupils confusion.

"What? That's it?" Seeing that his mentor had no intent of stopping, Zack ran after him. "How come that wasn't directed at Sara, too?"

"Sara isn't quite as brash as you."

"I don't think anyone's as brash as Zack is."

"Yeah, well, thanks a lot!"

The trio made their way to Fort Tamblin without much trouble, their senses on high alert in the enemy territory. It wasn't long before they reached their target, and they sat waiting on a small bluff near the fort. Zack and Sara listened closely to Angeal's instructions.

"B unit will set off an explosion. That's our cue," Angeal said, watching the fort carefully.

Zack grinned, "The diversion will allow us to infiltrate…"

"…And take down Fort Tamblin from the inside," Sara finished as she pieced the plan together.

Angeal nodded. "Right. I'll set the bomb inside the fortress. You'll charge the front gate, and-"

"Uh-huh, and?" Zack nodded eagerly, leaning forward and moving his hands with every word. "And? And? And?"

Sara giggled at her partner's excitement.

Angeal couldn't help but smirk himself. "Indulge yourself."

Zack clapped his hands and turned to the fort. "You got it! That's what I do best! Right, Sara?"

"If you say so," Sara laughed.

Angeal looked at Zack's sword. "Sara, the fort will be full of enemies. For your safety, I want you to stay in WEAPON form until the mission is over. That's an order, do you understand?"

"Yes, sir!"

A few minutes passed in silence before Zack stood, swinging his arms back and forth restlessly. "Come on, B unit…" He groaned.

Angeal took his large Buster sword from his back and pressed his forehead to the blade, closing his eyes. Sara watched him silently. She had heard from another WEAPON that Angeal once had a partner, but he had died on a mission a few years back, before Zack had joined SOLDIER. He had died protecting Angeal. Sara's mind wasn't sure if she could make a sacrifice like that, though her feelings for Zack said otherwise. She didn't plan on saying anything to him about those kinds of feelings.

Angeal set the sword back on his back and opened his eyes. Zack crouched down. "You know…" Zack said slowly, "I've never actually seen you use that. Don't you think it's sort of a waste?"

Sara couldn't help but agree with Zack. Angeal never used his Buster sword, even after the death of his WEAPON.

Angeal spoke seriously. "Use brings about wear…tear…and rust. And that's a real waste."

Zack looked at his mentor in disbelief. "You're serious, aren't you?"

"Yeah."

Sara felt the disbelief spread to her. "Wow, Angeal."

The 1st Class smiled sheepishly. "I can be pretty cheap," He said shrugging.

Raising an eyebrow, Zack laughed, "Yeah, no kidding…"

Suddenly, an explosion went off somewhere nearby, making the ground tremble slightly. Zack tensed and stood, looking around the area. Angeal turned to him and nodded towards the fort. "Begin mission."

Zack smirked and nodded, giving a thumbs up before breaking out in a run. "Let's do this, Sara!"

"Right!"

Zack launched himself off the bluff, doing a few flips before falling quietly through the foliage.