As a 1st Class SOLDIER, Angeal Hewley had many responsibilities. Unfortunately, one more was about to be added to that list:
"Mentoring program?" he questioned, looking up from the first page of the file Director Lazard had given him.
"Yes. A select few of the cadets who show true promise will be assigned to a 2nd or 1st Class SOLDIER to be specially and privately trained," the blond man responded, peering over his rectangular glasses at the dark-haired general. "I'm sure you'll be quite capable of this, General Hewley."
"Will Genesis and Sephiroth be taking part in this...program?"
Lazard made a face. "Fortunately, no. With their...personalities, the higher ups figured it wouldn't be a good idea."
Angeal silently agreed. Genesis was often rash and rather hot-tempered. Sephiroth...well, he wasn't exactly a 'people person'. He had a hard enough time understanding adults most days, let alone kids.
He flipped to the next page which showed a photo of a teenage boy with black hair, bright blue eyes, and a brilliant smile. His name was Zackary Fair, the report read. Fourteen years old, five foot and a half inch tall, ninety-eight pounds, parents are Thomas and Victoria Fair, born in Gongaga, said to be very energetic and optimistic by his current instructor.
"Well? What do you think?" the director asked him after he finished reading the boy's file.
"Sounds like a piece of work, but I'll take him."
Zack didn't know what was going on as the 3rd Class SOLDIER lead him through a part of the building he hadn't been allowed in before. Somehow, he wasn't worried at all. He cheerfully smiled at everyone he passed along the way.
Finally, they stopped in front of a very professional looking wooden door with a plaque that read: DIRECTOR OF SOLDIER, LAZARD DEUSERICUS. Try as he might, he was unable to even pronounce the director's last name in his head. But what did the director of SOLDIER want with him? Had he done something wrong?
"Well? Go in," the 3rd said gruffly, even though he couldn't be more than a few years older than Zack.
"Right! Thanks for showing me the way!" the noiret said gratefully, flashing another of his bright smiles at the older boy before knocking on the door.
"You may enter," a voice told him from within.
Trembling with nervous energy, Zack opened the door and stepped inside. He immediately saluted to the man behind the large desk just as he was taught. "Cadet Zack Fair, sir."
"At ease, cadet," the blond director said. Besides him, there was another occupant in the large office. A man, maybe in his late twenties or early thirties, with dark hair and eyes leaned against the wall, attention fixated on Zack.
Zack relaxed to his at ease position, but, unable to stay still, he began to bounce up and down on the balls of his feet. Still unsure as to why he was here, he looked between the two men who seemed content just observing him for the moment. The silence was only broken by ticking of the clock on the wall and the sound of Zack's heels hitting the ground over and over.
"Cadet Zackary Fair, you have been chosen to take part in the newly established Mentoring Program," Director Lazard finally said. He gestured to the 1st Class SOLDIER leaning on the wall. "This is 1st Class SOLDIER General Angeal Hewley. He will be your mentor until you either reach 1st Class yourself or perish. You will train with him, live with him, and obey his every command with no exceptions."
Zack glanced at the man with dark hair. His mentor? Train with him? Live with him? Obey his every command?...Why me?
"Do you have any questions, cadet?"
"Yes, sir, I do have one," the boy answered slowly.
"Go on."
"Why was I chosen, sir?"
This time, it was his newly instated mentor that answered. "You were chosen because you show true promise of becoming an excellent SOLDIER. Does that answer your question?"
"Yes, sir!" the noiret responded enthusiastically. His eyes lit up with pride. They saw potential in him! A country boy from the middle of nowhere who grew up knowing next to nothing of ShinRa.
"Your belongings will be gathered and brought to my apartment. Please follow me."
Angeal immediately felt a strong urge to protect and care for this tiny, hyper noiret the moment he saw him face to face. While leading the boy to the apartment they would now share, he made a silent promise to never let anything happen to him. In truth, he wasn't really sure why.
He had also noticed how thin the boy was. His cadet uniform hung rather loosely on his almost skeletal frame. Angeal knew he'd have to change that fast if this teen was going to survive long.
"Make yourself at home," the black general said as he held the door open for the noiret. "Your bedroom is on the left across from the bathroom. Settle in while I get dinner started."
"Yes, sir!" the boy said eagerly.
"No, none of that. When we're in my apartment, you can drop the formalities."
"Then...what should I call you?"
"Angeal is fine."
The boy grinned. "Right! Is there anyway I can help, Angeal? My ma taught me a few things about cooking..."
His voice trailed off, and a slight sadness reached his big eyes.
"Homesick?" Angeal guessed.
"Mm, yeah."
"Don't worry, you'll get over it soon enough. We've all gone through it at some point. Eventually, you'll start to think of this as your home."
"You don't miss your family?"
"Once you get into SOLDIER, you'll have days off where you can go visit your family," Angeal replied, not entirely answering the question. "Now, go settle into your room. I can handle dinner on my own."
Once they were seated together at the table, Angeal filled the boy's plate with perfectly proportioned servings of spaghetti, meatballs, and green beans. Once that was consumed, he filled the plate again, causing surprise to flit across the teen's face.
"Are you sure it's alright for me to eat all this, sir-I mean, Angeal?"
The general nodded. "Eat. There's plenty more."
So, I was right in thinking he's never eaten well before now. No wonder he's so skinny. I'll change that, though. Give him the proper nourishment he needs to thrive.
"This is very good, Angeal! Did your ma teach you how to cook, too?"
"Yes, actually, she did. Finest cook in all Banora, she is."
The noiret, no, Zack cocked his head, almost like a curious puppy. "Banora? Where's that?"
"It's in the south near Mideel. Despite being remote and rather small in size, we're quite famous for our dumbapples."
"Dumbapples?"
Is Gongaga so out of touch with the world that they don't even know about our dumbapples? I've yet to visit a town that doesn't know about them.
"Their official name is Banora White. They grow at random times of the year, so we like to call them dumbapples. They only grow in Banora, but there are plenty of them. That's how my hometown gets its income."
"Income?"
"Our source of money."
"What's money?"
Angeal gave Zack an almost perplexed look. Is this kid serious or just pulling my leg? "Yes. Money is what you use to buy the stuff you need."
"Like corn? My pa trades a lot of the goods in his store for corn and flour. Cotton or wool, too sometimes. Old Beni likes to barter with the pelts of animals he traps around the old reactor."
Gongaga is really so cut off that they don't even use gil? And they probably don't have any Mako to power anything since their reactor blew up. What kind of life has this kid lived?
