Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to the FFVII universe. All belongs to SquareEnix. However, if they are willing to hand over their rights to me, then I'd be more than happy to oblige.
Rating K+: Because pretty much anyone can read this.

A/N: This is just a fun little project that I started at the beginning of this year. Uploaded it as one thing, took a second look at it, and then promptly took it down again as it just needed a bit more editing and flair to it. Seems to be a thing with me. I think a story/chapter is finished and thus upload it, arms waving around in untamed excitement (uploading stuff on here is an exciting experience for me - don't judge), when to my dismay, I realize that the story/chapter in question really needs a lot more work than I originally thought. It's so discouraging, not to mention incredibly annoying! ;)

Anyways, all reviews/favorites/follows are immensely appreciated. Even if you just skim through the text, you've taken the time out of your day to look at my story and for that I am grateful.
Thanks for taking the time to read! :)

When Boredom Strikes

A Short Story

Written By: Okami of Shinobi Saru Corp.

It was one of those agonizingly slow days at ShinRa. Nothing of great interest or concern was occurring at the famed company and thus, much to the vexation of the energetic SOLDIERs, no new missions or assignments were available for those young men to expend their energy upon. An unnatural silence and unrest had settled within the halls of ShinRa's 49th floor, causing the members of the elite military organization to suffer from the most severe case of boredom. And when such an illness settles itself within such young men, chaos is doomed to ensue.

It was this deprivation of excitement that drove ShinRa's finest to one of their spots, the particular one in question a small, rarely used training room that the First's had adopted as their own. It served as a place to get away, despite the room's musty smell and migraine provoking, fluorescent lights.

From inside this room came a scream. Not of physical pain but of frustration and the desire to rip something apart. Following the noise, the ring of a weapon accompanied by the slicing of thin material resounded off the concrete walls.

Genesis let out a long sigh as he lowered his rapier. Wiping the sweat from his brow, the SOLDIER took a swig from his water jug, closing his eyes as he let the cool liquid slide down his throat.

"How much longer must I endure this day? How much longer must this mental illness torment my corrupted soul?"

"Too out of sorts to even quote Loveless are we?" a deep voice asked, the carrier of the voice hanging a bed sheet from the string which ran from one side of the room to the other.

Clenching his teeth, Genesis let his weapon respond, the other young man casually stepping back to make way for the red blur that rushed towards him.

The familiar swish came inches away from the young man's face, the force blowing his silver bangs out from his eyes. In its pathway the rapier left behind a straight, unwavering cut in the newly hung sheet, the gash serving as the only remaining indication that Genesis's had moved at all. After a few prolonged seconds, the slash gaped open, allowing the silverette to peer through and see the red terror on the other side.

"I thought it was my turn?"

The rapier wielder sniffed. "If you want a turn then you need to move faster."

A silver eyebrow and Masamune were raised simultaneously. The instant they reached their peak the silverette leapt at the sheet, only having to take one stride before Masamune swept down in a large arc. The whole sheet was sliced in one strike.

Like a feather falling in the wind, the material wafted towards the ground as the young man's excessively long hair settled back down against his back. Boots implanted into the floor before the rest of the sheet was ripped off the string, revealing a pair of blazing blue eyes.

"You could have done the next one."

Before the silverette could reply, the door to the training room swung open. A black figure scurried inside, slamming the door shut as quickly as he had opened it. Panting heavily, the man turned the lock on the knob and slid down to the ground.

"Seems like your day has been remarkably more interesting than mine." Genesis walked over to his fellow SOLDIER. "Care to explain yourself, Angeal?"

Angeal rested the back of his head against the non-mechanic door – one of the only ones left at ShinRa's headquarters – and panted out a one word reply, the word itself sufficing as a lecture of an explanation.

"Zack."

Genesis smirked while Sephiroth smiled knowingly. Neither of them had properly met the youngster, but they had heard enough stories about the infamous Second to supply a good enough image of him in their heads.

"The puppy wearing you down again?" the silverette inquired.

As if on cue, Zack's voice flooded the training room with its overwhelming loudness. "Hey Angeal! I know you're in there!"

"He followed you?" Genesis all but snickered, lowering his voice so that the puppy couldn't hear him. An amused smile graced his lips and Angeal could tell by the glint in the red-head's eyes that his friend was formulating some scheme of sorts.

"Apparently so," Angeal began, then retraced his steps as Genesis's grin widened. "N-no! We are going to leave him alone and – what have you two been doing in here?"

Both Sephiroth and Genesis followed Angeal's gaze towards the middle of the room where a rather massive heap of shredded blankets, sheets, and pillows piled up towards the ceiling.

"Practicing," Sephiroth merely responded, acting as if slicing sheets to bits was a perfectly normal thing to do.

Angeal slowly nodded his head. His brow furrowed as his mind tried to comprehend the situation at hand, another part of him saying that he should have expected such outlandish behavior from his friends. "Practicing with sheets?"

"Precisely." Genesis grinned.

"Who–" Angeal took a moment to reconsider his question before continuing. Did he really want to know? His curiosity told him he did. "Who did those sheets belong to?"

The crimson SOLDIER gave his silver accomplice a sly glance before responding, "The Cadets."

"They are currently on a training mission, so they won't be needing them for a while," Sephiroth explained.

Angeal was at a loss for words. For all their intelligence, those two could be incredibly dense. "Did you ever stop and think about what you were going to do about the sheets once they got back?"

"Oh they won't mind." Genesis waved off his friend's concern with his hand. "And if they do, well, I'm sure they'll stay silent about it."

Angeal's questioning glance turned into a disapproving glare as, almost maliciously, the crimson SOLDIER lifted a mastered Fire materia from his pocket, fingering it as he would a limited edition copy of Loveless.

"It was better than the alternative," Sephiroth added at seeing the all too familiar look in Angeal's eyes. Time was ticking - it was only moments before the honor-bound SOLDIER would start his lecture on dreams, respect, and everything honorable. And the overly bored silverette wasn't going to have any of that.

The black-haired SOLDIER crossed his arms. "Which was?"

"Incineration."

"World domination."

Genesis rolled his eyes at the General. "I thought we agreed to incinerate everyone on the planet, not merely dominate them?"

"We did," Sephiroth placidly stated. "I just wanted to add onto that idea."

Angeal just shook his head. He knew better than to continue questioning their logic. It was incredibly demented and skewed anyways. "How considerate of you both. You decided to shred the Cadet's sheets instead of incinerating everyone on Gaia. Your kindness is astounding."

"We're glad you finally understand," Genesis stated.

"Hey, isn't ignoring your best student a bit unhonorable?" Zack's loud voice interjected, his tone far too high-pitched for someone of his age. Trailing his voice, the sound of hands scratching up against metal reached the trio's highly sensitive ears.

Genesis held a hand to his mouth to keep from snickering. "What is he doing?"

"Shiva knows what's gotten into that boy," Angeal replied, pushing his back up against the door on the off-chance that his pupil would try and break through. "Have they put something in the water? 'Cause it seems like there's been a lot of this going on around here." The SOLDIER cast a highly noticeable glare at his fellow Firsts and their pile of shreds.

"Things have been rather slow," Sephiroth admitted and Genesis nodded in agreement.

"Dreams of the morrow hath the shattered soul. Pride is lost, wings stripped away – the end is nigh."

Angeal rolled his eyes. Normally he would have reprimanded his fellow Firsts, reminding them of the virtues of honor and discipline, but today was different. Today reeked of boredom, causing even Angeal to itch with the urge to do something - something interesting, different, and even a bit insane.

"Come on Angeal," Zack continued to plead, his hands now banging on the door. "Please open up the door!"

Smirking ever so slightly, Sephiroth feigned politeness as he asked, "Come on Angeal, why not let the puppy in to play for once?"

"You know, for some odd reason I am reluctant to grant your request," Angeal replied, not liking the gleam in his fellow First's eyes.

"My friend, we won't hurt the puppy." The crimson SOLDIER winced as he received a disbelieving glare from the black-haired First. "Well then take your pick. We either play with the puppy or we start destroying the Cadet's bunks. Which would you rather us do?"

For a brief moment Angeal thought about the proposal, until he eventually sighed as he reached his arm towards the lock behind him.

Amused, the silverette and the red-head exchanged glances.

"What?"

Genesis shrugged. "Oh, I dunno. I supposed we just didn't expect you to forego your honor so easily."

"I didn't, "Angeal retorted, flicking the lock with his hand. Standing up, he brushed himself off. "But even I have my limits."

Opening the door so forcefully that it nearly implanted itself into the wall, Zack rushed into the room like an oncoming storm. Angeal sidestepped his apprentice, only to barely dodge the teen's arms as they stretched up into the air in an all too excited pose.

After taking in a deep breath, the young SOLDIER grinned and exclaimed, "I just thought of the best idea, ever!"

"Oh," Genesis cocked his head to one side and raised an auburn eyebrow. It was time to have some fun. "And what is this idea of yours?"

Now noticing the other two Firsts in the room, the puppy nervously cowered back into the doorway. "I-it's… it's n-nothing, really. Sir. I mean, s-sirs!"

"Please," the crimson SOLDIER smiled madly at the teen, approaching him with outstretched arms. "Tell us."

"Genesis–"

The SOLDIER lifted a gloved hand. "No Angeal, I want to hear this."

Relenting, Angeal turned to face the Second, giving the teen a reassuring smile. Taking in a deep breath, Zack explained, "It's a challenge more than a idea really…" The puppy scratched the back of his head. "I think it's called a cinnamon challenge, or something along those lines."

"A cinnamon challenge?" Sephiroth repeated, resting his chin on his hand in thought.

"Yes, sir," Zack stiffly replied. This was the first time he had been in the presence of his childhood hero. Accordingly, it was also the first time since his Cadet days that he had willingly followed protocol. Arms to the side, back straight, head up, and eyes alert – Angeal was even a bit impressed at Zack's actions, albeit very amused.

"Well, little pup," Genesis prodded. "Care to explain this challenge of yours?"

Zack nodded. "You try to eat a spoonful of cinnamon, sir. Whoever eats the entire spoonful without spitting any of it out is the winner."

"Isn't eating too much cinnamon at one time considered dangerous, Zack?" Angeal cautioned, knowing all too well Zack's inclination towards perilous situations. "Either way it doesn't sound safe."

"Well I like it!" Genesis exclaimed, completely ignoring his overly protective friend.

"R-really, sir?" Zack stuttered.

"Really." The crimson SOLDIER ran his fingers through his damp hair, a devilish smirk gracing his lips. "The Goddess has decided to look down and shine her face upon this leaden, merciless, dreadful day after all! Thank you, puppy; you have rescued my forlorn soul from the clutches of ennui!"

A little unnerved, Zack scooted over towards Angeal, bent over, and whispered in his mentor's ear, "What is going on?"

Angeal just smiled. "An exaggeration of the usual."

"Eh-hem," Genesis loudly cleared his throat, stepping his way in-between Angeal and the Second. Dramatically, the crimson SOLDIER flicked Zack's forehead before waving him off with his hand. "Shouldn't you run along and assemble your little team, puppy?"

Rubbing the spot on his head which Genesis had touched, Zack took a step away from the dramatic SOLDIER. "Um, team, sir?"

Genesis habitually rolled his eyes. "Yes, team. I think we should do this in sets of three. One member from each team will go against each other and the team who won the most rounds will claim victory."

Standing as if someone had cast Stop upon him, Zack stared at the Commander, a blank yet confused expression on his face. At the same time, Angeal threw his comrade a questioning look while a light of understanding went off in Sephiroth's eyes.

"Good," Sephiroth stated. Turning to Zack, he smiled, a rare and very unnerving gesture from the General. "We'll meet back in here in thirty minutes. Is that understood?"

"Sir!" Zack saluted before scampering off to assemble his team of three.

Back in the training room, Angeal shook his head. "What in Shiva's name just happened?"

The eyes of both the Firsts lit up, the smallest yet maddest of smiles on their faces. Boredom had taken its toll on their minds, and it was showing through their ever slipping hold on sanity.

Genesis's grin widened.

"Something fun."

Angeal scanned the premises. Six metal chairs encircled a small, wooden stool upon which sat two jars of cinnamon. Within each seat were conspirators Genesis and Sephiroth, the puppy, along with two innocent, unsuspecting ShinRa employees.

One looked like he was a Cadet with hair like a Chocobo mixed with a bad case of bed head. To Angeal's eyes, the boy couldn't have been older than fourteen. The other young man was a rather familiar looking Turk (Re-something was his name). He wasn't as shy as the Chocobo; he merely sat in his chair, anxiously waiting for something bad to happen.

The SOLDIER shook his head at the nerve ridden boys. The poor blokes. They probably didn't even know what hit them before Zack was dragging them to their doom.

"Hey, mind explaining to everyone what it is we are going to be doing?" Genesis's voice interjected, the man himself lazily slouching in his seat.

Angeal opened his mouth to reply but his pupil promptly cut him off. "Um, er, sir…"

"What?" Genesis snapped and Zack flinched in response.

"Sir! I um, shouldn't I introduce…" the puppy pointed his thumb in the direction of his two teammates, the gesture serving as the end of his sentence.

"No introductions needed."

Sephiroth raised an eyebrow at the crimson SOLDIER. "You have met them?"

"No," Genesis replied. "But I know their names."

"Which are?" Angeal asked, highly doubting his friend's words. His doubts were confirmed when Genesis's signature smirk flashed across his face.

"That's the Chocobo and that's the Turk."

"Yo, my name is not Turk!" The red-headed Turk scowled while the Cadet merely continued staring at the wall. "It's Reno!"

"Whatever," Genesis yawned, waving off the Turk's remark with his hand.

"Angeal," Sephiroth suddenly began, effectively changing the subject. "Would you mind explaining this game to us all?"

Angeal nodded his head. "You and one person from the other team have to eat one spoonful of cinnamon. Whoever doesn't spit any of it out or manages to eat the most of their spoonful wins that round. I suppose that, since there are three in each team, whichever team comes away with two wins will be victorious."

"Excuse me," Reno spoke up. "That's all nice and dandy, but what's the gain in this, yo?"

Sephiroth glanced at a certain, crimson cloaked young man beside him. "To not incinerate the world."

Being fully versed in the language of ShinRa psychopaths, Reno merely responded, "Bored, eh?"

The three Firsts nodded, their synchronized loss of sanity depicted through the action-thirsty gleam in their eyes.

"So you three have your distraction, but what do I get, yo?"

Glancing at one another, the SOLDIERs shrugged.

"I don't know," Angeal began, "One-on-one time with the great Sephiroth?"

Genesis sniggered while Reno made a face. "Thanks, but no thanks."

"How about a bet?"

Everyone – aside from the Chocobo, he was still staring at the wall – looked at the General, all surprised at his proposal.

Suspiciously, the Turk eyed the silverette. "What kind of proposal?"

"Take your pick. If you win, the three of us will have to do whatever you wish."

Zack smiled, that childish light replacing his previously stiff persona. "Anything?"

Returning the puppy's smile, albeit with much more sadism, Sephiroth replied, "Yes, anything. However," the General abruptly continued at seeing Zack's overwhelming excitement, "If you lose then you will have to do what we tell you."

"Also," Genesis added, "The winning group will announce what the losers will have to do at the end, that way no one has a chance to slink out at the beginning."

"Seems fair enough," Zack shrugged. Reno, however, was far more skeptic.

"Hold on. You guys are SOLDIERs, I'm a Turk. I ain't gettin' wrapped up in some crazy sparring match just 'cause I lost a stupid game, yo!"

"Don't want to play then?" Genesis pouted.

"If near death is the consequence of losing, then no!"

"Well," Zack began, scratching his chin in thought. "Sirs! Do you promise to not kill or come close to killing Reno if he loses?"

The silver General and the crimson Commander chuckled at Zack's overly serious expression. He was like a little kid trying to act like an adult – a puppy trying to appear as a wolf.

"SOLDIERs don't make promises," Genesis admitted.

"Hm." Sephiroth folded his arms across his chest, the glint in his eyes giving away his intentions for a sarcastic response. "We do make promises. We just don't keep them."

"That ain't reassuring, yo!"

His face darkening, Genesis lowered his head, narrowing his eyes into a chilling expression. "Well it's better than the consequences that come with not playing."

Zack laughed nervously. "Which are?"

The crimson sadist remained silent. Leaning to the side in his chair, he motioned to the back of the old room. Both Zack and Reno gulped the moment they set eyes on the expertly shredded pile of material towering in the back of the room.

"What if I just leave?" Reno asked, knowing full well that the probability of that ever happening was in the negative values. His doom was sealed the moment he had walked through that doorless doorway.

"Think of it this way," Angeal began, trying to shed a few beams of positive light on the matter. "SOLDIERs have a somewhat enhanced sense of taste. You only have one SOLDIER on your team compared to three on mine, so in that sense you do have the advantage."

"But you're SOLDIER Firsts," Reno added.

"Yeah, well…" Angeal's voice meekly trailed off. He had run out of optimism for the day.

Reno scoffed and shook his head. "I'm gonna die…"

"Great!" Like a young child Genesis all too excitedly clapped his hands against his thighs. "Now who wants to go first?"

Spoons were full to the brim with cinnamon, held to each participant's lips in eager anticipation. The first of the respective contestants was Genesis – he was the only one who was senselessly arrogant enough to go first – and the Chocobo, whom Zack had graciously chosen to take his place as the first contestant.

The blonde's hands and legs shook as he involuntarily held the spoon in his hand while Genesis smirked at the Cadet's nerves, soaking in every moment of the young man's trauma like a bloodthirsty sponge.

"Alright," Angeal announced, "Is everyone ready?" He took Genesis's grin and the Cadet's silence as a yes. "Then I guess you can start."

In one quick motion Genesis put the entire spoonful of cinnamon in his mouth and swallowed the powder. He could feel the bitter tasting substance begin to slide down his throat. Inwardly he smiled – this was far too easy.

Attempting to swallow one last time, Genesis panicked as the powder stopped in the back of his throat. All the moisture in his mouth had dried, making it incredulously difficult to even move his tongue. The SOLDIER took a sharp breath through his mouth. He couldn't breathe. Cinnamon had entered his windpipe, throwing the crimson First into a fit of coughing and choking.

Angeal could hardly contain his laughter. Even Sephiroth appeared to be amused.

Spurts of cinnamon puffed out of the SOLDIER's mouth like smoke from a train as he hacked up the powder. The sound of the SOLDIER's gagging filled the room, making even Zack's steel-like stomach churn at the sickening noise. Infuriated, the red-head reached for the water bottle he had used while tearing the sheets to pieces, letting the liquid wash out his mouth between each convulsion.

Meanwhile, the blonde Cadet didn't even eat the powder. He had passed out the moment after Genesis began. As of now, the Chocobo was stretched out on the ground, his eyes closed and his chest rising and falling at a steady, peaceful pace.

"Um," Reno murmured, scratching his head as he talked. "I think the kid passed out."

"What?" Zack's mouth dropped open as his attention shifted from Genesis to the Cadet on the ground. "Did he die?"

Reno shrugged. "Maybe."

Angeal sighed, reluctantly getting on his knees and checking to make sure the young Cadet was alright. Beside the boy lay his spoon which was surrounded by the cinnamon that had fallen off the utensil.

After propping the boy up against his chair, Angeal explained, "I don't think the kid even ate his cinnamon. He passed out before he had the chance."

"So who won?" Genesis asked as he elegantly brushed back his hair and wiped his face clean of the powder he had coughed up.

Zack pointed to the blonde on the ground.

Genesis made a face. "What, did he die?"

"Seems the pressure was too much for him," Sephiroth simply explained.

"So who's the winner then, eh?"

Angeal shrugged at Reno's question. "Logic would say it was a tie. Cloud didn't even attempt to eat the stuff while Genesis threw-up all his."

Scoffing, the crimson SOLDIER sat down and turned his head away. "Hm, at least I tried."

"Would you like us to clap for you?"

Genesis sniffed at the silver General's agitating remark. While it was second nature for the red-head to spout of sarcastic wisdom, he highly despised it when others followed suit – especially when that someone was his irksome rival.

"I highly doubt you could have done better," Genesis spat.

"Hm."

Angeal cleared his throat, successfully turning everyone's attention away from the bickering children before a row could arise. "Who would like to go next?"

Hand held high, Reno accepted. "I would like to get this over with."

"Alright, then I'll accompany you," Angeal stated as he readied his spoon. Reno followed along, trying to secretly get a smaller scoop of cinnamon, though the First's glares quickly set that idea straight.

"Ready?" Genesis asked.

The participants nodded their heads.

"Then you may begin."

After witnessing the first round, Angeal and Reno slowly put their spoons into their mouths, cautious to make sure that nothing cruel would happen to them. But, like their fellow teammates before them, the moment the powder entered their mouths any sort of moisture seemed to evaporate and disappear.

Surprised, Angeal put his hand over his mouth in an attempt to keep from coughing. A burning sensation rushed up into his nose and his eyes began to water as a result. In order to maintain his composure, the SOLDIER tensed his facial muscles, making him look like a constipated fool.

On the other hand, Reno sat – motionless – as the cinnamon settled in his mouth. One moment, two moments – three moments passed before the red-head scrunched up his nose, his lip begging to quiver and his eyes growing teary as he realized his fate.

The Turk sneezed.

Giving in to the will of his sinuses, Reno's body collapsed over itself under the force of each convulsion, and brown powder spurted out of his nose like steam from a raging bull.

Forgetting that moments ago he had experienced the same pain, Genesis burst into laughter, snorting loudly after every other giggle. Zack too began to snicker and it was all Angeal could do to keep from joining in. Sephiroth simply scoffed.

Finally, Reno opened his mouth as he sneezed one last time, the unnaturally loud sound casting the others into silence.

Cinnamon and snot now covered Angeal's face. Slowly the SOLDIER's hand reached for his face, delicately touching the gooey mixture touching his skin. Laughter bubbled up inside his chest and a few particles of cinnamon made its way into his esophagus, tickling the soft tissue and creating an irritable itch in the back of the First's throat.

Breaking his composure, Angeal was thrown into an uncontrollable mixture of laughing and coughing. Cinnamon drizzled on top of the concrete floor as Reno and Angeal coughed up the rest of the powder in their mouths. Moments passed by like this until, one by one, everyone obtained enough control over themselves to wipe away their tears along with the powder covering their clothes and faces.

"So who won?" Zack asked, brushing off the cinnamon that had gotten onto his shirt.

Angeal shrugged. "No idea."

"Another tie then?" Reno asked, hopeful that he had not been the first to lose.

"Sounds good to me," Angeal conceded. "I'm just glad I didn't die choking on that dreadful stuff."

Reno and Genesis nodded their agreement. They knew exactly what Angeal meant.

"So that leaves me and the puppy."

Everyone – aside from the unfortunate Strife, he was still resting on the ground – turned around to face the General.

Zack gulped. It was all he could do to keep from squeaking as he replied, "R-right."

Without wasting a moment, the silverette placed a heap of cinnamon on his spoon. Zack followed suit and dug his utensil into the jar before both SOLDIERs lifted their respective spoon to their lips.

"Ready?" Reno asked and the twosome nodded their heads. "Alright, then prepare for torture!"

"My friend, the fates are cruel. There are no dreams, only honor remains; the arrow has left the bow of the Goddess."

"What does Loveless have to do with this?" Sephiroth asked, slightly irked at the delay of events.

Genesis let out an infuriated sigh, a hint of 'no duh' in his voice, "It means you can start."

One of the muscles in the General's face twitched. "Then just say so."

"Um, can we start now, sir?" Zack asked, bouncing in his seat as if he were a child that needed to use the restroom. "I'm getting tired of waiting."

Reno rubbed his head. Mumbling he said, "Sheesh, what a bunch of crazies you lot are, yo," then exclaiming, "Go!"

For a moment Zack examined the spoon, wondering how to approach this mission. He could lick the spoon. He could eat the powder and then sniff it out his nose – kinda like what happened to Reno. Or, he could eat the powder bit by bit. The options were essentially endless, yet the puppy shook his head. He needed to do this his way.

Thus, Zack hurriedly pushed the spoon into his mouth and swallowed the powder in one quick motion. He proudly smiled as he was sure that the cinnamon was running down his throat, until suddenly, the substance reversed directions and headed back up his esophagus. Clutching his throat, Zack simultaneously gagged and coughed as he struggled to find some sort of moisture in his mouth to wash down the rest of the powder.

"H-help 'e, An'eal!" Zack pleaded as he fell onto the ground and began to roll around.

Angeal chuckled as he crossed his legs in an all too leisurely fashion. "I think I'll pass."

Sitting opposite of the squirming puppy, Sephiroth nonchalantly placed the cinnamon into his mouth. For a while he just sat there, chewing the substance in an eerily peaceful way as he observed the Second's face turn blue. The silverette's face, however, remained stoic and unaffected as he swallowed the cinnamon.

In awe, Reno gaped as Sephiroth licked the spoon clean. "H-how…? T-that's no-not possible!"

"Tastes rather bland."

"Your taste buds are as useless as ever," Genesis mumbled.

"What do you mean useless?" Reno asked while pounding his fist into Zack's back to help him cough up the remaining cinnamon in his throat.

Genesis merely smirked. "Sephiroth's taste buds are utterly incompetent. They can't even tell chocolate from mushrooms."

"S-so that means," the Turk's voice trailed off into realization. And then into anger.

"Yes." The red-headed SOLDIER grinned triumphantly. "All we had to do was make sure that you only won one of the first two rounds and we were guaranteed a victory."

"Twhas 'ot 'air!" Zack choked, chunks of the bitter substance still drying up the insides of his mouth.

Genesis cocked his head. "What was that, little puppy?"

"He said 'that's not fair'," Reno all but interpreted.

"I think it's quite fair," Sephiroth replied. "Now on to that bet we made…"

The dark fire in the crimson Commander's eyes intensified. To any passerby, he probably looked like a mentally ill scientist as his mind recollected his previously formulated scheme.

"The theatre is looking for some part-time actors."

"Oh no," Reno moaned, understanding exactly where the First was taking this.

"Oh yes!" Genesis smiled. "I think you two would be perfect fit for the stage's current needs."

Meanwhile, Angeal just shook his head. If this had happened a year ago, he would have adamantly tried to stop his friend; however, since then he had learned to merely roll with it, only reaching to pull back on the teen's shirt when he went overboard. And while this might have constituted as being overboard, Angeal's desire to see his pupil on stage buried all thoughts otherwise.

Zack groaned. "Do we really have to do this?"

The three First's nodded. Triumphantly, Genesis reminded, "The first performance is at eight tonight. See you then!"

Music faded into silence as the lights dimmed, the stage standing out in the contrast of the dark room. The red curtain rose, revealing an ornately decorated set. Fluttering onto the stage, Zack – or rather, what looked like a feminine version of Zack – appeared, dressed in a white skirt and pink blouse.

Immediately three pairs of hands flew up to still the mixture of laughing and coughing that threatened to mix in with Zack's first line.

"Oh what am I to do?" The puppy's voice was high and airy, a comical contrast to his broad shoulders and thick muscles that bulged through the thin shirt. "My horse hath abandoned me, leaving me lost in this forgotten place! I am lost not only in location but in the wilderness of my heart and mind!"

Coming onto the stage, Reno – dressed as a gallant pack mule – shuffled into sight.

"Neigh, neigh, moo, neigh."

Zack flashed an awkward glare at the Reno-mule. "Mule's don't moo!"

Laughing too hard to make any noise, Angeal toppled over in his seat and clutched his stomach. It was too much for him to handle. Additionally, he would never look at his pupil the same way again.

Pleased with the result of his planning, Genesis snuggled back into his seat and Sephiroth's slight smile turned into a grin.

Victory tasted exceptionally sweet.

The blonde's eyes opened.

What had happened again? Something about Zack. Then a game. And then, oh Gaia!

The Cadet quickly sat up and flung his arms to his head, accidentally hitting one of the leftover jars of cinnamon on top of a nearby chair and causing it to wobble dangerously.

"Cinnamon!" the Chocobo exclaimed to himself. That's what Zack had been talking about! Before, he had been too stunned by Zack's enthusiasm and Sephiroth's dooming presence to fully comprehend what had gone on, but now the memories rushed to the forefront of his mind.

"Cinnamon makes me– "

The jar tipped and cinnamon poured onto the boy's hair. Particles of the brown power rushed down his face, a bit of the substance making its way into his mouth.

"Sleepy…"

And with that the Cadet fell back into slumber, the sound of snoring wafting about the spacious room.

A/N: Thinking too much about how I write and spellcheck will be the death of me. But, when the going gets tough and the slightly psychopathic get bored, eat cinnamon. It solves everything.

Until next time ;)