Final Fantasy VII: Parallels

Plot synopsis: What if Sephiroth had retained some portion of his sanity after learning the truth of his birth? Genesis becomes the One-Winged Angel. A different take on FFVII.

Author's Note: Hopefully, I've managed to keep everyone in character. Sephiroth might seem a little OOC, but since he's not insane this time around, I've got a little more to work with. Just think Crisis Core:). As for the FFVII timeline, I'm just not sure that I'm going to be able to stretch this out 4 or 5 years. Since Hojo didn't get hands on them, I may step the timetable up a bit. I haven't decided, yet.

Author's Note II: THANK YOU, LH!

Chapter Ten

Zack grinned at Cloud over the sharp blade of the Buster Sword, anticipation thrumming through his body as he waited for his friend to draw his own weapon. This was something he had missed, he thought with excitement. Angeal hadn't allowed it often, but every once in a while, they had gone to the VR Room and simply screwed around. A friendly little duel between student and teacher, but even more importantly, between two friends. During those rare occurrences, he had been happiest. He had looked up to Angeal, respected the older man, even loved him as he would have a brother--if he'd actually had one.

He wanted Cloud to experience that, too. That sense of camaraderie that had made his early days in SOLDIER so important. There wouldn't be any mako-treatments designed to enhance Cloud's physical strength and endurance, but in light of everything he had learned in the past year, that was probably a good thing. Cloud was quick enough to make up for that all on his own, probably due to the smaller frame that he hated so much.

Not that he would ever be stupid enough to say that out loud. Cloud was self-conscious enough about his size as it was. Still, Cloud was a lot stronger than he looked, as was evident as he finally drew the Yoshiyuki and held it before him in a defensive stance. Zack had held it briefly the day that old man in Rocket Town had given it to them, and he knew that the sword was pretty freakin' heavy!

"You ready for this?" he threw out in challenge, both of them ignoring the silent scarlet sentinel that stood a few feet away.

Bright blue eyes narrowed slightly on his. "I'm ready," Cloud responded, determination etched in every line of his body.

Zack's grin only widened in response. "Then, bring it on!"

Cloud nodded his spiky head once and surged forward. Sparks flew as the two swords met, the distinctive clang of metal-on-metal ringing through the brisk afternoon air. They both drew back at the same time, slowly circling one another, each looking for an opening that the other wasn't willing to give. He twirled the Buster Sword in a flashy manner, and then chuckled as Cloud did the same. Cloud was going to make a great SOLDIER, he thought proudly.

"My turn!" he called out cheerfully, and then rushed forward.

The Yoshiyuki was up in an instant, striking the Buster Sword and pushing it aside in one swift move, pinning the point against the ground. Zack blinked, surprised by the move, which was the same one Angeal used at the beginning of their last confrontation. But he knew how to get out of it, this time. He gripped the sword's pommel a little more tightly and used all of his strength to drag both swords up into the air. The move was designed to rip the weapon out of your opponent's hands, giving you an opening that you would have otherwise lacked.

Instead, Cloud hung on to the sword, followed its momentum by flipping backwards, and landed solidly on his feet. He brought the sword up before him and held it level with his shoulder, as Zack had seen Sephiroth do on several occasions. His expression showed no fear, no hesitation, none of uncertainty that Zack was used to seeing. In their place was a resolve that made Zack realize just how much Cloud wanted this.

"You're good," he said, hoping his surprise didn't show. "Where did you learn those moves?"

"I didn't," Cloud said with a shrug. "I. . .just did it."

Oh, yeah, Zack thought with another grin. Cloud was going to make 1st Class in no time at all! "Do you still have that materia we bought on you?" he asked, hoping that he wasn't rushing things too much.

"Yeah," Cloud answered, tilting his head in a questioning manner as he lowered the sword. "Isn't it a little early for me to be using magic?"

"Probably," Zack returned honestly, "but you're already better with it than most cadets. We might as well see what you're capable of."

"Okay," Cloud agreed, adding, "It's only defense magic, Zack."

Zack snorted at that. "Wait until the first time you use a Stop spell on an enemy. Then, tell me that's it's just for defense."

Cloud smiled faintly at that. "All it's got is Haste," he pointed out.

"That's only because you haven't been using it," the other man returned. "The more you use materia, the more powerful it becomes. So, you need to practice using it."

Cloud nodded his fair head, his expression thoughtful. "If I cast Haste on myself, I'll be as fast as you, won't I?"

"Faster," Zack assured him, shaking his head at his friend's doubtful expression. "You're quick, Cloud. Haste will only enhance that. Why don't you give it a try?"

"All right."

Cloud glanced down at the Yoshiyuki, and concentrated, smiling with delight as the low-level materia immediately began to respond. A bright green glow overtook the sword, creeping up its length, until it surrounded him in magical light. He could feel the effect of the spell as his heart sped up, and the world around him slowed until it seemed to move in slow-motion.

He looked back at Zack, grinned with delight, and dashed towards his friend with his newfound speed. Zack's answering laughter filled the sky as Cloud Strife's training began in earnest.

Sephiroth sat under the shade of a mountainous overhang, listening to the sounds of battle with keen interest. He would have liked to watch Cloud's first lesson himself, but the boy was too nervous around him. Which was why he had asked Zack to train him in the first place, he reminded himself. A part of him wished that he could be involved, but he was practical enough to realize that this was the best way. Of course, that hadn't stopped him from sending Vincent to watch over the boys. He had made a promise to Angeal to care for Zack, and he never went back on his word.

He thought of Genesis and felt a twinge of regret. That was the only promise he had ever broken, and it sat badly with him. He had done was what was necessary--what Genesis himself had forced him to do--but he hadn't liked it. He could only hope that Angeal, wherever he was now, understood.

Sephiroth sighed to himself, his pale green gaze turning inward. Too much had changed, he thought tiredly. The world around him had become baffling, perplexing, and he hated it. He was a man who worshipped order. He abhorred chaos, and yet, that was all his life ever been. From the time he'd been a small child, he had been poked and prodded by Hojo and his assistants, shuffled from one laboratory to another, especially after Professor Gast's defection. Even once he had risen to the rank of General, that had not changed. He had still been forced to submit to Hojo's frequent 'physicals', which had consisted of nothing more than increasingly painful mako injections.

A dull, throbbing ache began at the base of his skull, slowly spreading upward, and Sephiroth sighed heavily. These headaches usually only came after one of his physicals, a reaction to the mako, he'd always assumed. Perhaps, he had been wrong, he mused absently. Perhaps, they were brought on by nothing more than simple stress. God knew, there had been enough of that lately.

The ache intensified until his mind felt as though it had been set aflame, but suddenly, it was different. Sephiroth could only curse silently as he felt that abominable alien presence once again. Jenova was in his mind, he thought with something akin to panic, attempting to take control of him as she had once before. He drew on every ounce of self-control he possessed to keep himself in control, pushing the panic away as he struggled for dominance of his own mind.

The bizarre voice blessedly silent this time, a surprise in itself. Instead, the battle for control took the form of images, memories, each pulled from his own painful past. He was strapped to a metal table, Hojo hovering over him with a large syringe. The liquid inside the glass tube glowed with bright green light, the five-inch needle enough to terrify the five-year-old child he had once been. Vividly, he could remember the sting of that needle, the way the mako had burned as it entered his bloodstream. Fire had spread through his body, burning so hotly that he hadn't been able to draw breath, let alone scream. Hojo had laughed at his pain, loudly and a bit madly, muttering to himself throughout the whole process.

The image shifted and changed, and for a moment, he actually welcomed and Genesis and himself, bound together by the horrors of war, each connected to the other through the deceptively fragile bonds of friendship. He could see them sparring back at Shinra headquarters, each trying to outdo the other in friendly competition. They would sneak down to the training room in the middle of the night, when the horrors they had witnessed made sleep impossible. They had fought for their lives together in the depths of the Wutian forests, their orders often conflicting with every survival instinct they possessed. There, in the virtual reality training room, they had gone wherever they chose, their surroundings limited only by their imaginations. They hadn't been heroes or generals, only themselves. SOLDIERS, yes, but men, as well.

The jealousy that had torn them apart was always there, so painfully obvious to him now. There had always been an edge to Genesis' smiles, one he hadn't then understood, a dark light in those mako-enhanced azure eyes that had puzzled him to no end. Genesis had been raised by wealthy parents, his every whim catered to, surrounded by love. He had grown up knowing that he had the respect of his peers, as was evident whenever he and Angeal spoke to one another. Sephiroth had had none of those things, and that special friendship between them had fascinated him. For a time, he had even believed himself to be a part of it.

Sephiroth raised a hand to his temple and rubbed it, closing his eyes as he once again fought the tide of forced memories. To no avail, of course. He saw Genesis in his mind's eye, that patented smirk firmly in place, as they dueled for what would be the last time. He had told himself that it was only professional jealousy, yet even then, he had sensed that there was more to it. But his personal experience in relating to others had been limited, leaving him unable to read the other man properly. If only Angeal had said something--anything--to warn him. He had to have known. He had grown up with Genesis. He'd known him better than anyone else. If only--

Sephiroth stopped his thoughts right then and there, growling silently at the monster who dared to laugh triumphantly in the face of his suffering. Angeal had chosen to remain silent, and Nibelheim had paid the price. And while he had no doubts that more deaths would follow, he would do his best to minimize the damage however he could. I will find a way to stop you, he told the snake-like apparition that dared to call itself his mother. You won't find me so easily taken.

Never, Jenova hissed in return, you will be mine.

He merely laughed with silent arrogance and pictured himself, Masamune in hand, standing before the alien being. He shifted into his battle stance, smiled coldly, and lunged for the monster with all of his inhuman speed. Jenova withdrew in a flash, her angry squeal echoing painfully through his skull, as she literally turned tail and fled.

Sephiroth winced at the sharp pain, but at least, his mind was his own once again. It was the first time the creature had tried to reach him since leaving Nibelheim, but he knew that it wouldn't be the last. And while he was disappointed to know that distance had not diminished the twisted bond between them, he was secure in the knowledge that he could fight it. He refused to let that abomination turn him into the horror he had glimpsed so briefly that fateful night in Nibelheim. Jenova would never have what she wanted, not so long as he drew breath.

"So, why are you headin' to Midgar?"

He raised his head to look at Cid, who was sitting on the other side of a freshly-made campfire. He squinted slightly as the small blaze irritated the ache in his head, and he forced himself to ignore the pain as he concentrated on the other man. Cid was smoking again, but with all of the smoke from the fire, it merely blended in. And, he hadn't seemed to notice his silent battle, much to Sephiroth's relief. The last thing he wanted was to be forced into an explanation he wasn't prepared to give.

"Zack has someone he wants to see there," he answered at length.

Cid's jaw dropped at the unexpected answer. "You're going into Shinra's city because that kid wants you to?" he asked incredulously.

"It's important to him," Sephiroth said, his voice cooling to match the expression in his pale eyes. "He may never get another chance to say his goodbyes. I won't deprive him of it."

The older man took a long pull on his cigarette as he considered that. "So, exactly what did you two do to piss 'em off?" he asked at last.

Sephiroth didn't have to ask who he meant. His smile was small and cold as he said, "We destroyed the mako reactor in Nibelheim."

"Ouch." Cid gave a mock flinch that ended in crackling laughter. "Any particular reason, or did you just feel like wreckin' somethin'?"

"The machines had been tampered with," he said flatly. "They were creating monsters that they couldn't contain, and people were dying as a result."

The older man just nodded. "I always thought it was a bad idea to rely on mako for power," he said. "It's not like steam or coal. It's too hard to control, its effects too damned unpredictable."

"But cost effective." Vincent appeared a few feet away, startling Cid into another round of cursing. He sat down and stretched his legs out before him, resting his weight on that golden claw, ignoring the other man as best he could. "Cloud is doing well. Zack is already teaching him to use materia, and he is taking to it like a natural."

As expected, Sephiroth thought, unsurprised. "And his skill with a sword?"

"Exceptional, from what I could gather." Vincent turned his head, his expression eloquent. "Swordplay it is a subject I know little about, but he certainly appeared. . .competent."

"Excellent," Sephiroth murmured with satisfaction. "It appears that you were correct in your assessment of him, Vincent. I thank you."

The gunman merely inclined his head in acknowledgement, choosing to remain silent as he heard the boys making their way towards camp. They were both tired and dirty as they came into view, but they were wearing smiles, and Cloud's didn't disappear as he noticed Sephiroth's regard. It dimmed slightly, but remained firmly in place.

Sephiroth did his best to return it even though his head ached abominably; after all, he had promised the puppy that he would be nice. But the goal was to build up the boy's confidence, so that he could be a better SOLDIER. And, as he had told Zack earlier, he didn't dislike Cloud. He merely did not know him.

Zack, however, he knew all too well. The young SOLDIER was an open book, his every thought written clearly on his face. His body was always in motion. Even when he slept, it was the same. He would toss and turn, even though fully asleep, and mumble incoherently all the while. He also kicked in his sleep, as Sephiroth had discovered rather painfully after being forced to share a bed with him in Nibelheim. And while Zack's seemingly boundless energy had irritated him to no end in the beginning, Sephiroth had come to appreciate the boy's hyperactivity. Angeal's 'puppy' was a six-foot-one-inch mako-enhanced menace, and he wouldn't have it any other way.

Sephiroth could only shake his head as he wondered how he had become so fond of the boy so quickly. It wasn't like him to let others so close, to let them in. Especially, after all that had happened with Genesis and Angeal. And yet, he found himself unable to put the necessary distance between himself and Zack Fair, and he was left to wonder why.

He watched fondly as Zack dropped to the ground before the fire with a loud, overly dramatic sigh of relief. Cloud seated himself much more quietly, but at an angle, and Sephiroth was surprised to realize that it had been a strategic move. He had positioned himself so that he could watch the entire camp; even Vincent was in his line of vision, albeit peripherally.

Once again, he found himself being surprised by Cloud Strife. What was it about the boy that allowed him to wield materia with such little effort? Why had the young man who was such a natural with both sword and spell been rejected by SOLDIER? And why didn't he look exhausted, instead of merely tired? He could tell by Zack's sluggish movements that he was drained, so why wasn't Cloud? What was it that made the boy so different, so. . .special?

The word echoed through his mind, as though mocking him. No! Sephiroth told himself sharply. There was no way that the boy could be anything less than human. He had been born in Nibelheim, to a human mother and father. He possessed no Jenova cells, nor had he ever been subjected to a mako treatment. That he was good with both a sword and materia was a coincidence, nothing more. He had the beginnings of a fine warrior, but that was all.

"Gawd, I'm tired," Zack said, groaning a little as pulled himself into a sitting position. "You kicked my ass but good, Cloud."

Cloud laughed a little at that. "Only because you let me, Zack."

"Oh, please." Zack rolled his deep blue eyes, the expression comical. "You know me better than that, Cloud. You earned your victory. That's all there is to it."

Cloud only shook his tawny head, his vivid blue eyes shining happily despite the silent denial. He took the Yoshiyuki off his back and set it beside him, sinking to the ground with a relief. Zack had definitely worn him out! he thought, happier than he could ever remember being.

Zack rested his left arm on his upraised knee, smiling as his mako-blue eyes found those of his hero. "So, Mighty Sephiroth, what's the plan for dinner?"

A smile played around the edges of Sephiroth's lips. "Whatever you can find in your supply pack," he retorted coolly.

Zack chuckled and threw Cloud a smile. "Sephiroth doesn't cook," he explained in a drawl.

Cloud darted a quick look at the legend as he said, "I can cook, if you need me to."

Sephiroth's smile widened slightly, shocking both young men. "That is what Fire materia is for, gentlemen."

"Holy--" A stern look from his hero kept the explicative trapped in his throat. "Sorry, but it's not every day you make a joke, Sephiroth."

"I do have a sense of humor, Zack," he returned mildly.

"Yeah, but it's not like I've ever heard it before," Zack said defensively.

Sephiroth only chuckled and turned to Vincent. "Would you be adverse to hunting our supper?" he inquired as politely as possible.

The red-cloaked gunman only shook his head negatively, rose to his feet, and left the camp. As Sephiroth turned back to the others, he explained, "I hear it is much easier to hunt game with a gun than with a sword."

Zack snorted and leaned back until he was resting on his elbows. "We always used traps back in Gongaga."

"And I have never hunted an animal in my life," Sephiroth said simply.

"I've never hunted, either," Cloud offered with a small, shy smile. "My mom wouldn't allow it. She said it was too dangerous."

"Hmmmppphh." Cid rose to his feet and pulled his Spear out of his own supply pack. "I'll go help the vamp. It's better than sitting here listening to you three yahoos babble."

Sephiroth lifted both brows in a surprised expression. "Vamp?"

Cid just shrugged, his faded blue eyes glinting. "You found him in a coffin, didn't ya?" he asked belligerently as he stomped past. "Sounds like a damn vampire to me."

The silver general merely sighed, not at all certain that he liked Cid Highwind. Had it not been for his assistance with the Tiny Bronco, as he had named his plane, Sephiroth didn't know if he would have kept Cid in the party. He was coarse, vulgar, and had yet to prove himself in a true battle, although he insisted that he could fight. But he had helped them, and his price wasn't so steep that Sephiroth couldn't pay it. It would be hard, but not impossible to do as he had asked. Dangerous as well, but as he had already made the decision to travel to Midgar, it changed little.

Zack waited until he was out of earshot to say, "Mr. Personality's, he's not."

Cloud laughed at that, clapping his hand over his mouth as he glanced over his shoulder. "What if he'd heard you, Zack?"

"You worry too much, Cloud." Zack eased back against the grass and folded his arms under his head. "You've gotta learn to loosen up a little. Life's too short to take everything so seriously. So, where'd you learn to cook?"

The quick change of subject left Cloud blinking in confusion. "Uh, my mom taught me a little," he said, smiling at the memories. "She said that until I found a girlfriend to take of me, I needed to take of myself."

The smile faded as other, more horrific memories swept through his mind. "Mom didn't want me to go to Midgar, but she did her best to make sure I was ready to be on my own. I wasn't, but by the time I realized it, I was fighting off muggers in Sector 7."

Zack only nodded a little, not surprised to discover that Cloud had spent time on the streets, only that he was being so open in front of Sephiroth. "How long?" he asked as casually as he could.

Cloud shrugged his thin shoulders, picking at the grass as he avoided eye contact. "Two weeks," he answered just as casually. "Once I got a job with the Shinra army, they gave me a place to stay in the SOLDIER barracks, and I didn't have to worry about it anymore."

He paused, swallowed hard, and then turned his head to look Sephiroth straight in the eye. "I can take care of myself," he said in a surprisingly hard voice. "I won't be a burden to you, General. That, I can promise you."

Burnished lashes swept down over those pale, cat-like eyes as Sephiroth hid another smile. For all his insecurity, the boy had enough pride to rival Angeal's. "I sure you won't, Cloud," he returned, surprised to realize that he meant it.

Cloud considered him for a long moment, those bright blue eyes narrowing slightly, and then nodded once. Apparently, the matter was settled, Sephiroth thought with a smothered laugh. No wonder Zack was so fond of the boy. He was Angeal all over again. He wondered if Zack had noticed the similarities, then realized that Zack would be the last person to see such a thing. Zack had his own demons when it came to the man who had betrayed him in an attempt to end his own pain. The last thing he needed was to be reminded of them, so he wouldn't allow himself to be.

But, Midgar was nearly upon them, and there would be plenty of reminders there. It was time to prepare his two young charges for what lied ahead. "Zack, Cloud, I have something to discuss with you. A mission briefing, if you will."

Two spiky heads came up, two pairs of equally vivid blue eyes locking onto his, and once again he was filled with the inexplicable urge to laugh. Instead, he leaned forward and rested his right arm on his upraised knee, unconsciously echoing Zack's relaxed pose, as he strove to set both boys at ease. He would have been shocked to realize that he had done so, had either boy had been brave enough to point it out to him.

They weren't. They merely shared a quick, surprised glance, and then focused their attention on the legend as he began to speak. "We are not the only ones with a grudge against Shinra. Cid is also. . .unhappy with them. In order to secure his cooperation in Rocket Town, I was forced to bargain for my--our--services in return."

Zack grunted at that. "What does he want?" he asked plainly.

"He would like us to infiltrate a storage depot not far from the Shinra Building and retrieve--"

"Whoa!" Zack jumped to his feet, his mako-blue eyes wide, his exhaustion gone in an instant. "You can't be serious, man! Tell me this is another joke?!"

Sephiroth tilted his head up as he studied the young SOLDIER he had taken under his wing. "This is no joke, I assure you."

"But we can't go onto the plate!" Zack protested vehemently. "They'll catch us up there for sure!"

One corner of Sephiroth's lips curved into a rather cruel half-smile. "We won't be caught, Zack."

The younger man snorted his opinion of that, angry and more than a little afraid. "Do you even realize how hard this is going to be?" he demanded aggressively. "You forget that you're a legend, Sephiroth. You were Shinra's golden boy for years. Everybody knows you. You won't make it two feet into the slums before you're recognized, let alone onto the plate. The army will be after us as soon as we step foot into the city. It's going to be hard enough getting to Sector 5 to see Aerith, let alone getting out again in one piece. If we go anywhere near the Shinra building, we'll all be killed. It's as simple as that!"

Sephiroth merely shook his head, the smile only growing bigger. "And you forget that I have never been defeated," he returned with a touch of arrogance. "I am the best, Zack. This kind of mission is child's play for a SOLDIER of my caliber."

"And what about us?" Zack gestured towards Cloud, then thumped his own chest for good measure. "I may be 1st Class, but I'm nowhere near as good as you. And Cloud just started his training. Do you really think he's ready for this?"

Sephiroth opened his mouth to respond, only to close it as Zack cut him off. "I know you're used to working alone, but you're not alone anymore. You've got other people to think about here, people who depend on you, people who need you. It's not just about you anymore!"

Cloud, who had been watching the exchange with wide eyes, flinched at those shouted words. "Zack--"

"And just what should I have done, Zack?" Sephiroth raised cool green eyes to his own, struggling to contain his own anger, as they both ignored the interruption. "We needed the plane, and we needed it then. Cid refused to be paid any other way. What would you have done differently, in my position?"

"I don't know," Zack yelled angrily. "I sure as hell wouldn't have promised our services to use the fucking thing!"

Sephiroth gazed at him for a moment longer before his gaze moved to the other boy. "Do you feel the same?" he asked in a deceptively calm voice.

Cloud hesitated as his own gaze darted to his friend, then back again. "No," he answered at length, wincing as Zack cursed above him. "It's not your job to keep us safe, General. If we can't do that on our own, then we have no right to be in SOLDIER."

Zack just stared at the younger man with disbelief. Cloud was serious, he thought with alarm. He wasn't just agreeing with Sephiroth to keep the peace, or to secure his place with them. Zack could see the sincerity in those vivid blue eyes, in the suddenly stubborn expression shaping his friend's young features. He honestly believed the bullshit he'd just spouted, bullshit that was going to get him killed.

"What the hell is wrong with you, Cloud?" he asked with genuine bewilderment. "Don't you realize there's a good chance that we're all gonna die if we do this?"

Cloud only shook his tawny head, disturbing those gravity-defying spikes he called hair. "I might die, but the rest of you will do just fine, Zack."

Zack blinked at the soft-spoken, matter-of-fact tone the other boy used. Didn't Cloud care what happened to him? He sure as hell did! "Cloud, you're not thinking clearly right now," he said, making an appealing gesture with one hand. "If you were, you'd know just how stupid this idea is. You're my best friend, and I'm not going to let you kill yourself because of Cid--" He turned his head, his gaze meeting that of his hero, "or Sephiroth."

Those green eyes narrowed as Sephiroth's anger finally bled through his calm façade. Zack didn't back down, even though a part of him was terrified of that anger. He forced himself to hold the older man's gaze as he continued to speak. "You might be the best, but even you can be wrong sometimes. You can make mistakes. You are not perfect," he added, his voice low and trembling with emotion.

Sephiroth stiffened, his deceptively lean frame tensing visibly, as Zack threw his own words back at him. "Something I am well aware of," he said, his voice growing cold as he fought to hide the pain--the sense of betrayal--that those words had caused. "I did not realize that the knowledge made such a difference in the way you viewed me, Zack."

Zack looked away then, cringing inwardly as guilt assailed him. "It doesn't," he said at length. He turned back to hero, who had raised one silver eyebrow in cool disbelief, and sighed heavily. "It really doesn't, Sephiroth. I just-I wanted--"

He broke off, his frustration evident, and crossed his arms over his chest. "I don't care about that," he said firmly, ignoring the way Cloud's gaze was darting back and forth between them. "It doesn't change who you are, and I'm sorry I said it. I just want you to think about the risks of accepting this mission. Next time, think about the rest of us before you agree to something like this. Okay?" he added hopefully.

Sephiroth gazed at him for a moment longer before nodding curtly. He lowered his eyes, taking refuge behind his long silver hair, and forced his unruly emotions to calm themselves. He was still hurt by Zack's apparent apprehension over his lack of humanity, but really, what had he expected? It wasn't everyday you learned that your idol was a monster. It would take time for the puppy to come to terms with his origins. Zack might never be completely comfortable with the knowledge, but at least he hadn't turned his back on him, as Sephiroth had feared. He cared for the boy, and even without his promise to Angeal hanging over his head, he could forgive Zack his thoughtless words. It was what friends did for one another, after all.

Zack watched the way Sephiroth's hands clenched and unclenched at his sides, his expression hidden behind a veil of hair, and sighed to himself. He hadn't meant to hurt the older man's feelings. He'd just wanted Sephiroth to see things from his point of view, to realize that he really wasn't alone anymore. And, he wanted to make sure that nothing happened to Cloud. As talented as his friend was, he wasn't quite ready to take on the Shinra army.

He glanced at the young man in question, who was gazing at him with wide blue eyes. He managed a small smile that probably wasn't reassuring at all, if Cloud's expression was anything to go by. He'd talk to him later, explain things to him, if he had to. For now, he had an apology to make.

Zack circled the fire and approached Sephiroth, watching with a combination of concern and amusement as those fisted hands immediately opened. The older man laid them flat on the ground and looked up, his expression holding nothing more than bland inquiry. Zack snorted to himself and dropped to the ground beside him. Sephiroth was damned good at hiding his feelings, but he knew his hero too well. He'd fucked up by letting his mouth run away with him, and he'd hurt the other man's feelings. Hopefully, Sephiroth wouldn't be too pissed to accept his apology.

"I'm sorry," he began without preamble. "I didn't mean it the way it sounded."

Sephiroth let out a long, quiet breath that didn't quite hide his relief. "I know," he returned quietly. And he did. Zack wasn't a cruel person. He would never deliberately hurt anyone. He merely had a tendency to speak before he thought. "You should have told me that my. . .origins still bothered you."

Zack could only shrug at that. "They don't, not really." He shrugged again, not quite sure what to say in response. "I mean, I know how strong you are. You were right when you said that you were the best. I just. . .I don't want to lose anyone else, that's all."

Ah. Sephiroth's pale eyes cut to Cloud, who was watching them with obvious worry. He sent the boy a small smile before looking back at Zack. "I won't endanger him," he murmured, his deep voice nearly inaudible. "You have my word on that."

Zack studied him for a long moment before smiling with his own relief. "You're going to watch over him during the mission, then?" he asked just as quietly.

Sephiroth leaned back and crossed his arms over his chest. "If I must," he said, his voice returning to normal as he gave a long-suffering sigh.

The dramatic sound was so unlike him that Zack couldn't help but laugh. "You know," he said, still chuckling, "I think I'm going to like your sense of humor, Seph."

Sephiroth frowned faintly at that. "I hate it when you shorten my name, Zack."

Zack only grinned in response. "I know--Seph."

Another sigh, this one genuine, laced with exasperation. "You can be maddening at times--puppy."

The younger man merely snorted at the hated nickname. "Yeah, but you love me anyway."

Sephiroth slanted a sideways glance in his direction, his pale emerald eyes flashing with affectionate annoyance. "That may be stretching it a bit," he returned drolly.

Zack laughed aloud and shifted, bumping the older man's shoulder with his own. "Ah, come on, Seph. You like me." He bumped him a second time, grinning hugely as those angelic features darkened in a scowl. "Come on, admit it."

"I will do no such thing." Sephiroth's eyes narrowed for a split second before he nudged the boy with own shoulder.

Zack yelped as he fell sideways, those mako-bright eyes widening with a combination of shock and delight, as he realized that Sephiroth had returned his teasing gesture, albeit a little more roughly than he had expected. "I knew it!" he exclaimed as he pulled himself up. "You do like me!"

Sephiroth merely shook his head, his silvery hair swaying with the motion, before aiming an exasperated look at Cloud. "Is he always like this?"

Cloud, who had been torn between laughter and awe as he watched Zack charm General Sephiroth, quickly bobbed his head in an affirmative gesture. "Yes," he answered with a smile.

The smile was returned freely, and for the first time, Cloud began to believe Zack's insistence that Sephiroth didn't dislike him. "I asked him once if he had an off switch," he said, his smile growing at the memory. "He took it as an insult."

"Well, duh," Zack responded with mock umbrage. "How else was I supposed to take it?"

"As a hint to shut up, perhaps?"

Zack's jaw dropped as he looked at his hero. "That was so not cool, Seph."

Sephiroth's smile took on a wicked cast. "You will survive, pup."

Cloud laughed then, he just couldn't help it. The sound rang through the grasslands, innocence and purity personified. Zack grinned widely as he traded a meaningful look with Sephiroth. The silver general smiled faintly, well aware of what it was the young SOLDIER was trying to show him. He was beginning to see just what had drawn Zack to the quiet, too-solemn cadet he had befriended. Perhaps--one day--he and Cloud would become friends, as well.