Final Fantasy One Shots

One Shot Eleven:

Hikari

It was another day at ShinRa, and like any other day at ShinRa today was the same, papers filed, reports to be made and medals to be awarded. Today was different actually; Zack Donovan knew that since he was finally a First-Class SOILDER. And of course when it's your first day you go up to see General Sephiroth. Now, Zack wasn't that happy to be going up there at FIVE AM. But, what could he do that was when his appointment with the General was scheduled, so that's what he had to do right now, nothing more and nothing less. Of course Zack put on his chipper face and the 'Smile to free evil' invented by his little buddy Cloud Strife. Ah, he used it just for an occasion like this because he had to deal with the unhappy, grumpy, cold-hearted, and icy general. Boy, was his luck at an all time high today or what? Besides the fact of who he had to see in a few minutes, everything else was happy and dandy for him, he whistled a tune that seemed to be fitting 'One-Winged Angel' it was a song that was made to 'make-fun' of the general. So, of course to lighten his mood singing it softly helped a lot.

"Okay… Zack, calm down… Breath, he won't kill you if you're lucky." He gulped. "Not helping."

Of course Zack was trying to calm himself and of course it wasn't working that well now was it? This was the infamous General Sephiroth; everyone knew that if you pissed this man off he was going to kill you. And of course he would get away with it, he was physically and probably over-all the most powerful man in the world, now that's saying a lot. If Sephiroth wanted—they knew he could take over the company and the world. No one would stand up to him because no one was able to defeat him. At least that was the rumor going around, that had been going around for who in hell knows how long.

It was like teaching the Turks what virtue was, ha hopeless indeed. Everyone knew that trying to teach something like that to the Turks was telling Sephiroth to wear pink, hopeless, and it might cost your life! All of that and a bag of chips, life really bit sometimes.

Well, now Zack had arrived on the floor of his doom. It was… Oh one of the high levels in the building, he knew that much, but damn it was the nicest of all… The fountains in the back, two of them were bubbling away making him think of going to the bathroom. He looked below him at the carpet, well that could be a few years worth of his salary for something like that. It was almost a shame to step on it with his shoes on; boy he knew it would feel like heaven to his poor aching feet. He hoped that his boots weren't tracking dirt on the nice white carpet. Eh, if he were it would just be his last footprint they could send to his parents with a note of his death… That was nice… A very nice thought…

He walked to the office and opened the door hesitantly, oh he didn't have too much time to glance around with something caught his eyes.

This wasn't just any something; it was the General, and a woman. Oh it wasn't what anyone would thought it would have been, unlike a hidden romance this was a fight, and damnit this was a fight… Their weapons locked the two, one trying to out take the other.

His General was holding his rather impressive sword, the Masamune, as the woman was holding two swords using all of her strength to try and hold the man back, it wasn't working very well. And of course Zack was amazed at this, as he stood there watching the two duke it out in such an amazing display of concentration, they didn't move, the combined force of the two of them prevented them from moving, movement meant death. That was the one think Zack knew about Sephiroth, so this woman was an assassin, and she had done her homework.

He saw the piercing gaze of the general glance at him; one eye was on him and the other on the woman. He didn't say a word, but Zack knew the meaning that he man was trying to get to him, it was to not move, no doubt. It was true that Sephiroth could handle it, but Zack was having his doubts. The doubt was that Sephiroth could handle it or not, he could see the man, for once sweating, he had seen, before now, that the General had taken on over twenty of the most skilled and never broken a sweat. It was true… and scary.

Zack tried to move his mouth to speak, but it couldn't it was impossible to do such a thing at this point. He didn't know what to do just standing there wasn't helping him any no doubt. Besides, it was an ASSASSIN! He knew that there had been many after him since… forever.

"General?" Zack asked, wow he felt rather stupid.

"…" Sephiroth didn't respond as he tried to take a step…

The woman held firm as she also took a step forward, trying to match him the best she could. Zack noticed the numerous wounds on the female, also on the General. Blood was all over the carpet and on them, the strong smell of sweat, materia, magic, and of course that of copper, which meant blood was all around him, he could almost taste it all, that in it was bad. He shook his head. "…I'll get help…?" He started to back away.

Nothing was said, which of course Zack took as a bad thing as he took another step back. Sephiroth could be… rather silent but this was ridiculous.

"Hmph, afraid Sephiroth?" The girl spoke in a soft voice; it was almost cruel, but soft nonetheless. Sephiroth's full attention returned to her as he pushed at her again, his eyes and brow in a furious concentration as she did the same.

"You compliment yourself too much, Hikari." He spoke in a twisted manner that shocked Zack his voice was almost… inhuman. He knew that his General was some sort of Super-SOILDER but nothing like this… the gaze and how he was even alive with the wounds he had over his body. And that voice… that voice… Something was terribly wrong.

There was no doubt in Zack's mind that he had to do something his General was fighting some strange assassin that had INJURED him. Never in his service or in any records had the General been injured by someone. Especially not a woman of all things, but he could tell one thing, this woman, whoever she was. That girl was powerful to be locked together with Sephiroth, only he had done that, and only a few times.

He had been… told not to get help, still it was on his mind to go and run to someone to get assistance for the General.

"Zack." It seemed that Sephiroth had read his mind. "Stay put."

He nodded right now he was too amazed to do anything but watch this amazing battle. And to see these two clashes well if this were any other time he would have joked about that Sephiroth and this girl… Hikari… Yes, that's what she was called. The two were made for one another yes that's what he would say. Maybe that would be used another time. No, that would be for right after when Sephiroth won. Oh, and he wondered how long they would be like that, it seemed they were just standing there except he could feel the force coming off of the two of them. It was almost… odd.

And he could hear them both panting with exhaustion… Oh he knew he could make a few jokes here but he wouldn't. But finally Sephiroth tossed her back with all of his might making the poor woman slam into the wall. He looked at her, now standing in front of her, looking down at the woman. A small smirk crossed his fair features and finally he grabbed her by the throat lifting the poor woman. They were both exhausted but she looked like she was either going to die or faint, whichever came first didn't seem to matter to either of them. Finally, he spoke to her his pale lips moving a little.

"… Do you have any last words?" Sephiroth asked her… Wanting to relish his victory over the fellow warrior, it was odd of him to do such a thing.

"No… Not really…" And then she lifted her leg and it hit him in a sensitive spot.

Sephiroth fell down and then came her final blow, recovering rather quickly Hikari bounced forward and pushed her sword down through his thigh and into the floor, picking up her other blade she ran to the window jumping, breaking the glass as she fell down, and was now out of sight. Zack was already at his leader's side.

"Hey, Seph, are you alright?" Well obviously not but it was something natural for him to say. He sighed pulling the blade out of him. And tossing it aside, he rummaged around his things looking for his curage.

"No…" He responded, looking at the wound and trying to get up to examine it but to his distaste Zack had pushed him back down as he didn't say a thing, a glare was now present.

"… Eh, it didn't go through the bone, so a full cure or two should work… Or about five Cure 3's and such…" He muttered to himself taking out his Restore and Full Cure Materia. He looked at the two and then finally decided to use them both. He smiled softly trying to well warn Sephiroth that it was going to hurt like hell.

"Alright… Full Cure, Cure 3!" He said as he had them placed on the wound. And yes they did glow using their powerful magic to seal and heal the very nasty wound. Of course Sephiroth, the all powerful General was not happy about this.

"Hey, you okay Seph?" Zack asked.

"…Yes… I'll be- be."

But he was interrupted by Zack going after five or six other wounds, and he made sure the most serious were taken care of before he was done. So now Zack was exhausted.

"Wow… So, does this happen often?"

"Not frequently."

"So, who was that girl?"

"…Hikari, an assassin who has been after me for a few years."

"Do your battles always end up like this?"

"Yes."

"Wow… I guess it's kinda rough having a hot chick trying to kill ya."

Sephiroth didn't respond. "…"

"Are you better now?" Zack sounded rather concerned.

"Yes…Th-thank… Thank… Thank you…" The syllables were foreign coming from Sephiroth's lips but finally he sputtered them out. For the first time in his life he said it with full and entire meaning.

"A thank you from the famous General... I feel honored a bit ya know?" Zack was laughing a lot.

"…" Cold…

"Sorry, it's just something I don't hear every day, that I doubt to hear again."

"…Alright…" It seemed that Sephiroth was venturing into unfamiliar territory.

"Heh, so can ya walk or should you interview me like this huh?" Zack was in a happier joking mood.

"…If you insist…" Sephiroth sounded… unsure of himself.

"Alright, well… What do ya want to know?"

"Why… are you like this?" Sephiroth asked.

"Like what?"

"… Like how you are at this moment."

"I'm always like this, is there something odd about that?"

"…Never mind, Zack."

"Well… How about I become your second-in-command just in case something like this happens again?" Zack asked.

"…Why not."

Zack's jaw dropped, he never even dared hoped for something like that… second-in-command? HOW was that even possible? Not even in his wildest of dreams did him even think about being Sephiroth's second in command, since the last one was killed under mysterious circumstances. "Please tell me you're kidding…"

"I am not, since you are the newest recruit and I am in the need of a second-in-command, you are now officially my second-in-command." Zack looked… scared.

"W-wha?" He asked.

Sephiroth stood up looking around the ruined office until he grabbed something off of the desk and handed something into Zack's hand. And Zack just gawked looking at the fancy little badge…

"Now, Zack was it?" Sephiroth asked.

"Uh-huh."

"Good…"

"Wait one question…"

"What is it Zack?"

"Well, is that girl your soul mate?"

"… The jokes stop here." He looked at Zack sternly, the evil glare.

"…Sorry, Seph."

"Seph?"

"…Eh-heh… Nevermind."

"You may go while I… clean up…"

"Okay, Seph. See ya tomorrow!"

And sadly that neither of them knew that it was the start of a lovely friendship, one that would prove against all odds. The sociable lovable man and the cold hard-ass.

Oh, what a wonderful day.

And of course, Hikari was always nearby to fight the General whenever she wished.