Having his name suggested for First Class SOLDIER was definitely something that excited him. The thrill emanated out of his being and it was almost palpable to both Angeal and Lazard—he literally glomped Angeal at the moment of reveal. He was restless all the way back, ripples of exhilaration fuelled by the constant adrenaline rush that kept him up and restless overnight. It was as if there was an explosion in his brain, one that carried more possibilities than he could be conscious of.
It wasn't the title itself that enthralled him. He didn't leave his home to be a First Class SOLDIER. Unlike a lot of other SOLDIERs and troops who seemed to join SOLDIER because of their admiration for Sephiroth, Zack viewed First Class as his tool.
A tool to become a hero.
A hero who could fight to protect others. A hero who could provide a sense of security. A hero who could help make life easier.
Needless to say, this thought had kept him off the bed. Hundreds of ideas and imaginations of what would happen at Wutai while Lazard was assessing him swirled in that buzz of electricity. It was the calling card of adventure, of paths awaiting his feet—he could feel it in his fiercely pumping blood.
He was half an hour late the following morning.
Luckily, it was just half an hour. He jumped off the floor—he didn't even sleep on his bed the whole night—and took a quick shower, grabbed his bag, and laced his boots.
And so here he was, in the middle of Wutai land without some food to spare. He had forgotten to pack some rice and canned foods they usually would cook during missions. And they were about to invade Fort Tamblin. Great.
"Someday you'll learn to channel that energy and attention span into something worthwhile." It was surprising that Angeal didn't flip the way Zack expected him to, as if he had already anticipated this. "I have some rice and bread. But probably wouldn't be enough for us both till we get home."
"You don't have to share," Zack's voice faltered slightly, wondering if it was a good idea to let that opportunity passed despite having said it.
"As much as I'm confident your puppy energy would last for days, ain't no way I'm gonna let you starve while fighting in a mission," Angeal dismissed him with a playful tone.
"Geez, thanks, Angeal," Zack's energy wasn't as high as when he departed, probably thinking about how this would affect his promotion. "What should we do then?"
"We'll survive like soldiers," Angeal said in a definitive tone. "We're in the middle of Wutai land. Trees and fruits are everywhere. Rice is a form of carbohydrate that gives us the instant energy we need to fight. We can find some potatoes or corns to substitute for it. While we're at it, if we can hunt for some meat, then it'll be better to get some proteins. And probably get some vegetables. We'll need to gather woods and twigs to light up fire too."
Zack listened with utmost intensity, knowing that this knowledge was detrimental to a SOLDIER, especially if he was to travel constantly as a First Class soon in the future.
The two of them separated to search for what they could find. Zack found out that Wutai, despite it being a land of nature, was not exactly a backwater country like Gongaga. The trees were well-kept, the weeds were trimmed, and the wildlife was definitely not out and running—unless he was up for bird hunting, which he was not. He managed to secure some mushrooms though. The ones he recognized during his training to not be poisonous and completely edible.
He looked around a bit more in hopes that he could find something akin to meals. But the only striking thing he could find was the clusters of brownish legumes scattered generously across the trees and lands, easily plucked and picked. He brought back almost a paper bag full of the said beans.
When he regrouped with Angeal, his mentor had with him some onions, black pepper seeds, and some dill. Zack figured Angeal probably had the same luck as him seeking some carbs and proteins.
Angeal peeked into Zack's paper bag, picking one bean out to examine closely. "Aren't these da-chao beans? It's Wutai's signature snack."
"It's a snack?" Zack sounded a bit disappointed. "Damn, I thought we could make a decent meal."
Angeal looked hesitant for a while before tentatively put the bean in between his teeth to bite it, only to confirm his suspicion when his teeth weren't able to crack the bean open. "As I thought, the shell is hard. I can't eat this."
Zack sighed. "So we're back to square one. I don't know what else we can find other than these beans and mushrooms."
"No, wait. We can make some modified pinto beans porridge with mushrooms using all the things we have," Angeal suggested.
"I thought the beans are hard and we don't have enough rice," Zack argued.
"The boiling water will crack the hard shell open and soften them. And we don't need too much rice to make a huge amount of porridge. The beans and mushrooms can be our source of proteins. Beans are also a form of carbohydrate that can complement rice. The dill, onions, and black pepper seeds can give some flavor to the porridge and provide some fiber to the meal. It'll be a decent meal with enough energy to last us to the end of the mission," Angeal explained, his expert hands already assembling the foods in preparation to cook.
Zack wished he had a notebook in his hand to jot down all the information the First Class SOLDIER just spouted out. It was definitely something that would be useful in the future. But he didn't have much time to worry about taking notes. Angeal had already gathered the twigs and woods to light up some fire. And before long, they were both working on getting themselves filled.
The nightfall curtained around them. The woods from the fire crackled in its remaining firelight gleam. The two dark-haired SOLDIERs finished up their remaining rations in their bowls, with some more raw da-chao beans and rice to spare in their possessions. The modified pinto beans porridge—or whatever the impromptu recipe was called—was delicious. As Angeal predicted, the boiling water did soften the beans a bit. But not all the way softer. There was still a degree of hardness they had to bite through as they eat. But it was unexpectedly better that way. It provided some crunchy taste in between the softness of porridge and mushrooms—and that, together with other ingredients had made the food taste better.
And now the night had come, and their mission was about to kick off. They would head to their designated spot, wait for Team B's bombing sign, and let the action begin. Of course, now that he was well fed, Zack was more excited than ever.
"Alright! So, Fort Tamblin!" Zack almost cheered after swallowing his last bite.
"Yup, Fort Tamblin next," Angeal nodded affectionately, putting his own empty bowl aside before reaching for his buster sword. They still had to clean up their traces of camp though.
"But damn, had I brought all my foods, I wouldn't have learned about this da-chao beans! It was delicious!" Zack stood, ready to pack their stuff again.
"It's a 101 knowledge in any mission. Get your survival tips at the top of your head. Someday, you'll probably be on the road to escape from your enemy. It's the nature of our job. You won't have the luxury of foods brought from home. You'll have to make do this way," Angeal added to his many lessons.
"Man, you really have to bring such depressing note after such an awesome recipe invention," Zack's lips pouted slightly at that, even though his mind did try to wire that up in his memory. "Well, what else could replace carbohydrate and proteins other than beans, potatoes, corns, and mushrooms?"
"Broccoli, flour, sugar," Angeal listed almost like a book. "But those are probably difficult to find out of nowhere when you're on the run. Other good alternatives are fruits, particularly those with skins you can eat. Like dumbapple."
"Dumbapple?" Zack echoed flabbergasted. "What's dumbapple?"
Angeal laughed, tucking their stuff somewhere safe before walking away towards their standby location.
"Angeal!" Zack exclaimed in frustration at how his mentor did not properly finish the lesson. "What the hell is a dumbapple?"
Angeal paused, deciding that it would be fun to at least engage in this one. "It's properly known as Banora White. Once a year you could handpick them off the trees. The people of my village are quite fond of them and they named it the dumbapple. We used to go into farms and take a couple to eat."
It wasn't exactly the type of carbohydrate explanation Zack was expecting. Still, he chortled. "You're quite the thief to say something like that."
"I was poor then," Angeal protested in a defensive tone. "And even then, I had my pride. The village mayor's house probably had the largest apple tree. The apples on that tree were probably the most delicious, but I could never forgive myself if I took one from that tree. Because the mayor's son was my best friend."
As Zack listened to them intently, he realized later rather than sooner that the story had nothing to do with the First Class Survival Tips, but more to do about Angeal teasing him out of his short attention span. He playfully chastised his mentor for it. "What does this story has anything to do with becoming a First Class?"
And Angeal teased as if he knew Zack was expecting something else when he listened all along. "There is no story not worth telling, Zack."
And the First Class left with a trail of laughter as Zack fussed about how the story was useless for his promotion.
Still, it was a memory Zack recalled fondly. The lessons, the teasings, the banters, the laughter.
Seven years later as Zack picked the dumbapples off the trees at the Banora Village after defeating Genesis—taking some to feed both Genesis and Cloud—, he wondered perhaps, those stories weren't so useless after all.