Lights and Shadows
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Disclaimer: FFVII and all its characters belong to Square Enix Co. Ltd, not me. I am simply using that world and its characters as muses and a writing exercise. If you sue me you get my car that I live in… Gaia you guys are assholes…
Summary: All light must have a shadow, light cannot exist without a shadow and shadows are casted because of light. If one is present without the other it is only half complete. This takes place before the game and how Sephiroth found his shadow. SxZ
Italics - mental conversations
' ' - thoughts
" " - normal conversation
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Chapter Two: Of Zoloms and Chocobos
Zack couldn't comprehend the level of boredom brought along at the supposed center of operations. Granted, yes, he had been there a grand total of a week; it wasn't something he wanted to have the luck to experience again. Okay, maybe it wasn't the actual battlefield, but damn being stuffed into a tent for a week was enough to cause anyone to find amusement in kicking toads to see how far they could 'fly.' He had been busying carrying out orders in the heat of battle when Erna decided his abilities could be better used elsewhere like the general.
Then, he couldn't complain; he had always wanted this position in the army. He dreamt of it ever since he was a small child. Hell, he even forced his parents to buy him swords when all the other boys wanted toy trains with a working whistle. No, Zack wanted the newest broad sword with not three materia attachments, but four! He trained hard every day of his life; he was far from a normal Gongaga child. Gongaga hated people who sought out power and strength. They wanted him to be a nice tame boy with a calm demeanor and a yearning to do something sensible with their lives like farming or blacksmithing, but Zack was far from calm and tame. He didn't get along with his parents and left home at early age for Midgar to fulfill his dream of becoming a SOLDIER. He barely even thought of them now as his life was finally steering him in a desired direction.
He stretched out his muscles from stiffness of sitting on this damnable helicopter and enduring the trip back to Midgar. His superior wasn't very versed in the art of conversation thus left Zack to his own thoughts. It was nerving racking. He meandered to the small space in the middle of the chopper and proceeded to move around and crack his back. Sephiroth stared upon him with the same mask of indifference as he had been for the past week. His general was that of ice and about as stable as a hungry Zolom. The man had been staring into space with his arms crossed the entire duration of the flight.
Zack walked over and bent down so he could look at his commander's face. Besides he was going to be stuck with this man for a while so he may as well learn his ins and outs. He placed his hands on his hips and inclined his head slightly to his left. Sephiroth would be forced to acknowledge his new right hand man even if he didn't want to. Zack hated to be ignored by anyone especially his new office buddy. When Sephiroth's eyes flickered with something akin to annoyance, Zack smiled.
He ran his hand through the unruly mane he had the joy to call his hair. His grin was genuine and filled with an unbridled carefree attitude that defined his being. "So, what are you going to do when you get back to Midgar? Besides the obvious I'm going to work. You seemed almost happy to get out of Wutai."
Sephiroth, being the cold bastard Zack grew to know him as, just glared at him. He was giving him the trademark 'none of your damn business Donovan' stare that he so grew accustomed to in the past week.
Zack sighed, but was not defeated. His goal was to make this man talk and get something out of him besides the curt manner he regarded him with. "You act deader than some of those pieces of Shinobi we left rotting in the marshes of Wutai." He sat back down across from Sephiroth with his arms crossed and a mock scowl upon his features. Zack really couldn't find what was so frightening about the man sitting in front of him that made even the hardest 1st Class SOLDIERs piss themselves. The man in front of him was human just like everyone else, even if he was his superior; he was just more of a bastard than most, but who's to judge, right?
Zack, unconsciously, bounced one of his legs up and down. It was against him to stay still longer than five minutes at a time. His steel-shoed boots clanked against the floor of the copter every time it made contact.
"So since we'll be working together how about we share some information to get to know each other better?" When Sephiroth didn't respond Zack felt the urge to continue anyway. "Well, I'm from Gongaga. I'm sixteen years old. So Sephiroth, how old are you and where do you come from?" Zack smiled, attempting to procure the information from him.
Sephiroth looked up slightly and Zack's hopes soared to the sky. Sephiroth looked away from him when speaking which in a way was a good thing; the man was hard to stare at eye to eye. "18. Unknown, I don't have a home town."
Zack tilted his head ever so slightly. It wasn't much of answer in his opinion, but it was the most he had ever gotten out of the man so it would have to do. "How do you not know where you came from? Didn't your parents ever tell you?"
Sephiroth turned on him; his face showing indifference, but his eyes flashed a tinge of anger and angst. Zack grinned sheepishly; knowing he probably hit a soft spot and most likely trashed whatever progress he had accomplished with the man. "My mother died when giving birth to me and my father… hmph."
Zack smiled apologetically before deciding to break the awkward silence that followed. So from what he could figure, Sephiroth was abandoned by his father and his mother had never even been a memory to him. He couldn't help but feel a slight remorse for him. True, Zack hated his own parents… well at least he knew them. He was about to respond when the copter lurched suddenly, signifying their arrival in Midgar. The lights below certainly made it clear that Shin-Ra Headquarters never slept.
When the helicopter landed he could've sworn Sephiroth was more than reluctant to set foot once more on the soot covered ground. The air was musty and smelt of industrial smog and chemicals. Worse of all there was a tinge of metallic odor which signified one of the reactors had a malfunctioning problem.
Zack looked up and found they were greeted by the plump geezer known as the President and the thin, greasy bag of bones known as Hojo. Zack shivered unconsciously. That man always had his way to make even the strongest of men cringe at his mere thought. Zack noticed a slight change in Sephiroth's demeanor; he radiated an aura of hate and disgust.
To the sides of the President and Hojo were a two of the Turks, both of whom Zack recognized from his visit with Heidegger about his rank. The older Turk was Veld, a man from Kalm who currently led the Turks. The man's hair color always reminded Zack of cockroaches and the man had issues accepting failure. The shorter, younger Turk was Veld's apprentice, Tseng. The man was barely an adult and held features that suggested he was from Wutai. Zack always called him Veld's little shadow and could spot him a mile away just from one look at his high ponytail.
The bubbling vat of fat was the first to disturb the sounds of the copter's blades. "Ah welcome back, General. I hope those crossed eyed bastards have been subdued." When he talked his shirt threatened to pop open and send a button off as a deadly flying projectile straight into someone's eye.
Sephiroth merely nodded and remained silent. Hojo seemed to find much delight in this as the scientist hadn't stopped grinning with glee. Hojo placed his hand behind his back which made his awkward posture even more unbearable to look at. Zack's nose wrinkled as the man gave off the distinct smell of formaldehyde and blood.
"I have prepared the necessary assignments in your office and I expect you to be ready to give us a full report in tomorrow's meeting, you and your new lackey," Shinra said, waving his hand like one would do a fly towards Zack.
Shinra smiled and wobbled away. Zack felt the urge to sneer at the man, but resisted it. Veld followed suit without saying a word which left him with Hojo and Sephiroth staring each other down like two tigers fighting over territory. Zack's eyes went back and forth between the two, but he knew better than to say anything.
The wiry little man finally moved pushing his glasses up with a single digit. He chuckled lightly to himself before looking up again. Zack noticed the manilla folder tucked neatly under the man's arm, most likely collecting and festering with Hojo's funk. Zack cringed at the thought.
"Welcome back, Sephiroth. I don't suppose you forgot me?" Hojo asked. Zack could've sworn he saw the man enjoying this.
"Its hard to forget one such as your gracious self, Professor," Sephiroth said with a sneer.
"Good then you will be pleased to hear that I've already scheduled an appointment in the lab next week. There is no backing out of it. Shinra demands that you attend. In the meantime here are the forms you've been asked to fill out," Hojo said, handing Sephiroth the folder. He grabbed them harshly and stared down at the smaller man with a look that could kill. "I bid you good night, General."
Zack waited until the man was well out of sight before looking over to his superior. "Damn, that man's touchy. But I suppose we won't be getting any sleep tonight if we're to have that report ready by morning."
Sephiroth remained silent, but started walking to the inside of the building. "I can do it on my own." Sephiroth commented without even batting a glance at Zack. Zack pursed his lips and furrowed his eyebrows.
"I know you can, sir, but you're not alone anymore,' Zack replied, glancing over to the taller man. Zack was so deep into the conversation that he didn't notice that Tseng was following behind them.
Sephiroth stopped walking for a moment and stared down at Zack with a single eyebrow raised. Silence with this man meant uncertainty and probably a personal introduction to his six foot impaler. Zack allowed an unsure grin to plaster across his face. He always wanted to believe that everyone could be won over even a man as cold as Sephiroth. "Shinra did say that he wanted the report from the both of us."
Sephiroth regarded him with a detached look before proceeding to walk again. "Fine."
"Sooo, where is this office of ours exactly? I've never been to the executive floors and wouldn't have a damn clue," Zack stated, trying to carry out a decent conversation.
"If you were quiet SOLDIER and just followed you would find out soon enough," Sephiroth replied.
"You know, sir, you may be well versed in the art of war, but lack in the art of conversation," Zack commented folding his arms behind his back. He looked up at the silver haired man with slight curiosity gleaming in his eyes. He had to admit talking to the man was about as easy as talking to a Zolom.
Sephiroth looked at him, glaring slightly. Zack knew he shouldn't have back talked his superior but was more than prepared for the consequences. "Donovan, they don't pay you to evaluate my social skills." He said, curtly.
"No, but, I'd rather consider you a friend instead of just my co-worker. It makes things easier as I have found. And I prefer that my friends could talk to me fairly easy as well," Zack replied with the same curiosity in his eyes.
Tseng exhaled a large amount of air through his nose at the comment. If Zack hadn't known otherwise the man seemed to be holding in his laughter.
"Donovan, we are in SOLDIER to uphold the peace, not to make friends," Sephiroth answered with a slight twitch of his eyebrow, but otherwise remained passive.
Zack feigned a frown and looked up Sephiroth, but said nothing. He continued the trek to their shared office without another word. The man had just shot down one of his philosophies in life. True, SOLDIERs were meant to uphold the peace, but that didn't mean they couldn't make friends in the process, which apparently his general didn't have an abundance of.
Sephiroth had effectively shut Zack up for a while as he didn't talk even when they entered the office. It was new record in Donovan's history for silence. They both looked around the room finding two cherry wood desks awaiting them and a single plush couch for visitors. The walls were decorated with the honors bestowed upon Zack and Sephiroth. Sephiroth didn't want them there, but Shinra had insisted on it. He watched as Zack went outside saying he was going to fetch coffee. Tseng in the meantime stood silently in the corner of the room. It was a wonder when that man got sleep, but Sephiroth would say nothing; Tseng was the only friend he had.
Both of them were alike. They spoke rarely and understood each other through silent gestures more than words. Sephiroth went over to his leather swivel chair and sat down scanning over the documents. He didn't want to waste anytime in getting to work.
Zack stood over the coffee machine listening to the drone of it making the brew. He had procured directions to the staff lounge by watching the rooms pass by on the way to the office he shared with the cold bastard of a colleague he had. He nestled his head in the nook of his right arm, watching the pot slowly fill with boredom. He idly blew at a strand of hair in his face, not like it could help his unruly mob of a black mess.
He found his thoughts couldn't stray away from Sephiroth and how utterly cold the man was. He acted like he was the only one who walked the earth and everyone else was just a hindrance in his wake. Zack hated it to no end. He was going to working along side this man. The guy acted like he didn't have a friend in the world; Gaia knew he needed one.
Zack's eyebrows furrowed as he sat up and pounded a fist into his opposite hand. He nodded to himself. That night he made a solemn vow to himself that life or death, light or shadow, he would teach that stuck up general of his the meaning of being civil.
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