Chapter Text
To my dearest Stormcloud,
I know that it’s only been a week since you left for Midgar, but I miss you more than words can say. The house feels so empty without you. I keep expecting to hear your footsteps coming down the stairs or your voice calling out for breakfast. Every morning, I find myself cooking enough for two, forgetting that you’re not here to share it with me.
I’ve been thinking a lot about all those times I had to scold you for not doing your chores. You were always so busy dreaming about Sephiroth and SOLDIER. I remember catching you more than once, skipping out on your responsibilities because you were too engrossed in some article or story about him. I hope you’re managing to keep up with your new duties there.
Cloud, I want you to know that it’s okay to come home if things get too tough. Being in Midgar, training to be a SOLDIER, it’s a huge challenge, and I don’t want you to feel like you have to stay there just to make me proud, or anyone in this town proud.
Your hero, that Sephiroth you always talked about, might not be everything you imagine him to be. Sometimes, meeting your idols can be a disappointment. He is just human after all.But don’t take this the wrong way. I believe in you, and I’m so proud of the steps you're taking towards your dreams. I love you more than anything, and I only want what’s best for you. Please, write to me when you can and let me know how you’re doing. Your letters would mean the world to me.
Take care of yourself, my Stormcloud. Always remember that you have a home here, no matter what.
With all my love,
Mom
CHAPTER I
a waste of another army dreamer
A few weeks had already passed since Cloud had left his hometown and settled into Midgar. It was... well, a little bit more than dumbfounding. To say that the bustling life of Midgar was overwhelming would be an understatement —
With its artificial lights polluting what’s left to look at the foggy night sky. The rattling-rot metal noises of machines and other technological stuff clanking, fusing to make some sort of another tech. The creaking of mud-dirt floors with hybrid mako-addicted rodents running around. The pollution and the lack of homely-warmth of his ma and the hearth were enough ice-cold wake-up call to his reality.
He remembered crying. Trying to muffle his sobs with slurps of gritty noodles, inside the rundown brown-stained bedspace he had rented for the week. Waiting for the opening of this year’s batch of infantrymen. He ate only a cup of instant noodles (that caused even more than half a basket of vegetables back in Nibelheim) with stale warm water. Oh, Odin, he knew that he’ll miss his ma, but not to the point that he’s crying and wishing for his ma’s hot home-cooked meals— he suddenly felt so young and out of place—
But all the nostalgia had vanished, tears drying up, when he was accepted as an infantryman in Shinra and that he was eligible to have his own bedspace in the barracks and be an examinee.
Cloud couldn’t believe he had made it!
But then, there came the realization that daily life in Shinra was nothing like the routine of his former life as a nobody, as a civilian who only knew about the military life through radios and newspaper. He had this line of thinking… that he may be younger than the other men who bear scars and were already lining up for missions — those men who were older, taller, more bulkier muscles and experience, even other teenagers like him looked like they have ten shots of mako and testosterone — though, Cloud believed he was just as gritty with the rest of the recruits whom all wanted to try out for SOLDIER...
But boy, how wrong he was.
The first day was all about reading the policies of Shinra, reading pamphlets and signing forms. Cloud breezed through it all and daydreamed about his tomorrow.
Then all of a sudden, each morning that came afterward, Cloud would wake up on the top bunk bed before dawn as the blaring alarm jostled the rest of the groaning teen boys and men to straighten up and clean their beds. The infantrymen quickly assembled for roll call, followed by a series of demanding physical exercises designed to “build” strength and endurance.
This month, as they were informed, they needed to be assessed, as physical endurance was one of the key requirements that mentors and higher-ups looked for. Cloud had pushed himself hard during these sessions, driven by the only thing that mattered: his dream of joining SOLDIER.
But reality strikes hard. And the moment he knew his body was not yet up to such sudden training, his body was heavier to lift than any of the metal stuff in the sweaty crowded gym.
Cloud was already aware that it was hard to be part of the SOLDIER program, but he hadn’t anticipated the difficulty would be this soul-sucking exhaustion where you lay your punched eyes to rest and wake up to the same weekly routine, feeling dried up, blood just running from the stale coffee from the mess hall.
The naivety of his childhood and dream of becoming a SOLDIER was catching up to him, because no matter how much he dreamed, no matter how much determined he was — it will never be enough for his body to keep up.
And... that was just the first fucking week.
(I want to be with Sephiroth one day, mom!
His mom chuckled, brushing away blonde wayward strands from his big, blue eyes. With him or be like him?
With him! Cloud puffed his cheeks, hugging the handmade knitted plushie of Sephiroth to his chest.
I want to stand beside him and be with him as a hero.)
A month had passed, and Cloud had never seen Sephiroth or any of the First Class soldiers. He knew they were busy and it wasn’t likely that he would see them, especially with what was happening in Wutai at the moment. He doubted that the General had ever stepped foot in the building this past few months.
But still, a boy could dream. He kept imagining that he'll wake up one day with a body magically being stronger than yesterday, and finally strong enough to withstand the training. Like that SOLDIER serum magic.
He would always fantasized about the General acknowledging his strength and presence, believing he might one day stand beside him and be part of his missions—
You make me proud, Cloud, Daydream Sephiroth would say—
A boyish fantasy, really.
But then, one day, while he was cleaning the equipment that he could barely lift, Cloud's heart raced as he caught sight of a familiar spiky-haired man standing more than six feet tall with a broadsword similar to Lt. Colonel Angeal Hewley’s.
Zack Fair was no Sephiroth. No one could ever be. But his heart still raced because it was the Zack Fair — the youngest of all the Firsts. Rising up like a rocket through space. The former mentee of Commander Hewley, yet still able to keep up with his mentor and Commander Rhapsodos.
That evening's session was dedicated to hands-on maintenance duties, where they cleaned and repaired equipment. It was a boring day, except for the early-morning sessions designed to shape them up for the day. But it felt like heaven and a rest day compared to the grueling tasks assigned to them by the higher-ups.
So imagined his surprise when SOLDIER First Class Zack Fair walked in, his trademark toothy grin lighting up the room.
"Hey, everyone! How's it going?" he called out, making his way through the crowd of them, rising up with adrenaline like Cloud to incorporate themselves in this fleeting dream-moment of one of the heroes greeting them.
Salutes and formalities breezed by as Zack stopped to chat with various groups, asking if they were okay and how things were going. "—I was busy with my recent mission, so I wasn’t able to be here to greet all of you." He offered words of encouragement to Cloud’s blockmates and shared anecdotes from his recent mission—
Then Cloud’s wide eyes locked onto Zack’s. His footsteps faltered, heart pounding faster, and a half-cough caught in his throat, locking his lungs when Zack grinned and started approaching him. Him.
Cloud was about to salute and shout sir when Zack gave him a friendly clap on the shoulder, enough force to make him stumble forward. “Woah, easy there.” Zack steadied him with an arm around his shoulder. "Cloud, right? How are you settling in?"
Cloud felt that twisting butterflies of happiness at being recognized by someone like Zack Fair. “I'm… I,” he cleared his throat because his voice was too high, croaking and ear-hurting. “I’m doing well, sh-sir… SIR.. . Just trying to keep up with everything.”
Zack chuckled, Cloud couldn’t look at him straight in the eye but he caught Zack furrowing his eyebrows. "You’re doing great, Cloud. Keep at it,” Zack said. “Who knows? Maybe one day we'll be fighting side by side in SOLDIER.”
Cloud's heart swelled, pounding faster as adrenaline pushed him to strive even harder. Fighting side by side—
“Thank you, sir. I won't let you down,” Cloud chirped, feeling himself smile.
“Stop with the sir and call me Zack, yeah?” Another pat on his shoulder, this time gentler, before Zack moved on to greet others.
Cloud watched him intently — every move, every gesture of the older man felt monumental, like witnessing a hero come to life.
A smile tugged at Cloud's lips, awe blending with jitters and nervous excitement. Zack’s words hung in that empty space in his brain. His words a treasure, a lesson, a little peeksie into the world Cloud had been dreaming of. It's a maybe.
But then days after, when he lied on the dirt-mud tiled floor after blacking out a second, Cloud realized that he hadn’t told Zack his own name. Then his half-unconscious body was sent to the clinic with all the other low-ranking recruits.
What a failure, they all are—
Do you think they have potential?
It was always the highlight of Cloud’s day whenever Zack strolled around the lower floor levels where Cloud and the other recruits were allowed. It wasn’t a daily occurrence, more like twice a month, depending on whether Zack was on a mission or if Cloud was assigned to duty elsewhere.
But Zack’s presence always lifted the spirits of the infantrymen. His mere presence reminded them what their goals were and it made all the difficult bone-grinding things more bearable. His stories of battles and his friendly advice inspiring Cloud, even though Zack wasn’t really talking to him directly—
“Remember,” Zack would say to all of them, but his eyes lingered on Cloud. Cloud didn’t want to assume, but he felt it, felt the mako-green eyes swirling, staring— "Every SOLDIER started where you are now. Keep pushing, and one day you'll wear the same uniform I do."
Zack was just that inspiring. He was that acid-sweet energy can of drink that Cloud saw handyman drank during work hours of heavy-lifting.
But Cloud found himself at the bottom of the rankings, struggling more than he had ever anticipated and now it felt like a big fat lie how Zack would encourage them that they too would wear his uniform.
Then he realized that Zack must have known his name for being the lowest in the rankings.
Every morning's enervating drills left him gasping for breath, his muscles screaming in protest. Bones sagged, sweat slipping his hold on the floor, aches skin-deep and sickly green bruises marred on his skin.
No matter how hard he pushed himself, he couldn't keep pace with the other recruits. They seemed to glide through the exercises with ease, while Cloud lagged behind, his body betraying his dreams—
"Strife!" The sergeant's voice boomed as Cloud lagged behind during the jog, his legs feeling like lead that he kept pushing forward. One step at a time, not even near the white line before the timer rang—
"Strife!" echoed again by the sergeant as Cloud struggled to push himself up, his arms trembling with exhaustion, a sluggish heaviness overtaking every limb—
"STRIFE!" The sergeant bellowed one last time as Cloud was knocked down during the sparring match, limp body hitting the ground, the world going horizontal. Vision blurred, a tunnel narrowing, spots dancing in dimming light as the ground rushed up to meet him.
At this point, keeping you here is more costly.
You are deadweight, Strife!
Each failed attempt, each stumble, felt like a blow to his dream, his reputation — to his life. It shouldn’t have mattered what everyone said about him as long as he was improving. But he wasn’t improving.
Not at all.
And this morning was no different.
Cloud slumped against the wall of the training ground, his breath coming in ragged gasps. His entire body ached from the drills, and his spirit felt as bruised as his muscles. He felt acid bile rising up to his throat, coughing and heaving bitter-bile air. He watched as the other recruits effortlessly completed their exercises, their movements fluid and precise. Some struggle but not as much as he did.
They passed him by as lunch rolled around. He heard their voices, all loud and clear, and Cloud had to close his eyes because they weren’t even trying to keep quiet.
“I don’t understand why he keeps trying.”
“He should just stay down.”
“Better him than me in the lowest ranking.”
“If I were him, I would kill myself.”
Their voices drowned into the halls, the double doors muffling the echoes. Cloud lay still on the floor, the lights blurring as he blinked them open. He didn’t even realize he was crying until he felt his body being lifted, a distorted voice speaking, “—hang in there buddy—” then a hand brushing away the stinging tears and dried-up sweat from his face.
“Cloud?” A man pulled him into a hug and Cloud sobbed, his hands clenched into fists at the fabric of the man’s top. Then his hold loosened, falling limp at his sides. He pushed lightly to indicate that he could hold himself upright, but Zack supported his weight— SOLDIER First Class Zack Fair supported his weight.
Cloud looked up to see a concerned face, all genuine and soft, and the familiar scar on Zack’s cheek—
Cloud sobbed harder, feeling ashamed that he let one of his idols saw him at that brink of being a whiny crybaby who can't handle the truth. Someone to pity. Someone to look down. Shrinking every inch as his strength drained. A weak puny thing that couldn’t even pretend the encouraging words of his idol were a Bible to be versed upon because he was not enough. Not enough to let the words sink into his body to move, to be strong.
Zack shushed him, rubbing his back as he enveloped Cloud’s trembling body, providing warmth with his own, because Cloud had said all of that out loud. “Hey that’s not true! Listen to me, Cloud. You’re going to be okay,” Zack assured.
“You will go through this, I know you will, and we will laugh about this when you’re in SOLDIER.”
Without letting go, Zack guided Cloud through the corridors, his arm around Cloud’s shoulders as steady support. Cloud was too exhausted and disoriented to fully grasp their surroundings. All he saw were a haze of blurred colors, and he could barely focus on where they were going.
It wasn’t until they reached the elevator that Cloud began to regain his bearings, still blurry and a mesh of bright lights and the sun. The soft hum of the elevator and the company’s theme in jazz and saxophones helped ground him. Zack continued to support Cloud, speaking in soothing tones.
When the elevator doors finally opened, Cloud found himself in a luxurious restaurant, like one of those 5-star ratings openings in newspapers. A place he had never seen before — one he could never have imagined with his current rank. The plush surroundings and the faint scent of hearty food, olive oil, roasted vegetables, and herbs and spices on meat filled the air, even with his nose still clogged. Zack led him to a private booth, away from the bustling upper management clientele of Shinra workers.
Zack guided Cloud to sit where he wouldn’t be seen by the other staff and ordered for both of them. It was different to the long line Cloud usually waited in every lunch break, which wasted half the hour for a slab of meat and a gray-green goo that looked like something straight from the sink.
“You need to refuel," Zack said gently, pushing a plate of grilled meat and fresh greens towards Cloud. "I know training's been really tough, and it takes a lot out of you."
Cloud nodded and took small bites. As hungry as he was, he still felt nausea. The food could only somewhat tether him on the ground in the moment, and he started to feel guilty that he couldn't enjoy it.
Zack seemed to sense it too but he slowly ate with him still, and tried to made small talk about mundane things. How both of them were from backwater villages — Gongaga, how about you? Another bite, another chug of a sparkling water... Nibelheim — then they laugh because it's such a backwater name for a home, and how their moms made dishes even better than what they were eating.
But then Zack brought it up, why Cloud was with Zack during lunch instead of down the infantry’s packed cafeteria. It was inevitable, really.
“You know, Cloud,” Zack started, “every great SOLDIER has moments like these even I have moments like this.”
Cloud scoffed because Zack is the youngest to be able to reach First Class with the exception of the General. “What?” Zack chuckled. “You don't believe me, do you?”
“It's not that I don't believe you... It just feels so—” ridiculous, Cloud wanted to say — “unbelievable.”
“You do realize that I didn't just woke up one day with the strength I have today. It's not about never falling, you know. It's about how you get back up and I know it's hard to, but that's why you have your superiors to help you up.”
Cloud looked down, because Zack was right, he was ready to give it all up if it weren’t for Zack. He was prepared to walk away, sign a permanent leave, and return to the slums to rent that one bedspace and find work. Swallowing his pride, he knew he wouldn’t go back to his mom, not with the knowledge of what the townsfolk would do to him — a grave of his making, where he was born and raised.
The silence continued, and it seemed Zack wasn’t one for silence that ended badly. He talked more and more about various topics, trying to steer the conversation away from training. Cloud felt guilty about Zack catering to his needs that he didn’t hesitate to cut off someone that is in a high position.
“I’m—” Cloud felt his lips wobble. But he sucked it in, determined not to shed any more tears. “I’m sorry that you have to see me like this,” he tried again. “I know you took me with you and interrupted your lunch break because you pity me. You really didn’t have to, and I appreciate it, but—”
“Cloud,” Zack cut him off. Cloud fell silent, noticing Zack’s pretty serious expression. “I brought you here because you’re destined to be here. You will be here, I know it.”
“How do you know that?”
“Just a gut feeling,” Zack said, taking another bite of the dessert that the waiter had brought to the table. “And my gut feeling is never wrong.”
“But what if your gut feeling is wrong?”
Cloud wanted to slap his mouth shut. But Zack just grinned while chewing, swallowing hard, and washing down his bite with water.
“Tell me why you’re here, Cloud. And not the bullshit about wanting to be like Sephiroth. I want to know the real reason why you’re here.”
Cloud struggled to make sense of the question, his lips thinning and his mind wandering back to his childhood. Memories comforting and painful in one spinning wheel.
He fidgeted with the edge of his napkin, his cheeks flushing a deep red as he thought about his crush on Sephiroth. And the fact that he still had at that moment. Because there was no other reason why he was here other than Sephiroth.
How, during the times when other kids encircled him with taunts, bruising his knees, his shirts hung in tatters. He remembered ice-cold water clinging to his skin after near-drowning in the lake as adults' voices cut through the air, dismissing his mother with cruel barbs even as she pleaded for understanding, for mercy. Sephiroth made him stronger to stand up and go back home with his mom.
When whispers twisted around her, painting her with scorn for bearing him young and without a father, calling her a whore. Nibelheim was cold, but the people there were colder — their eyes held a sneer, their words stinging than frostbite. They mocked him and branded him for being too delicate, too feminine-like — that maybe he would end up growing like a whore, like his mother.
In the middle of it all, Sephiroth was Cloud's lighthouse, that bright light during typhoons, the pillar he clung to. Sephiroth was stronger than anyone else, and Cloud dreamed of one day standing beside him, not as strong as Sephiroth himself, but strong enough to be able to be worthy.
He listened to Sephiroth’s speeches, his deep voice soothing away the judgment from the village about his mother and him. The handmade plushie his mother crafted for him, which he still hugged when he was woken up by a nightmare and hid it away in the corners of his locker, covered with his blanket.
“You wouldn’t believe me then,” Cloud said, looking over the ceiling-to-floor windows to watch the sky-white clouds drift by. “I was here because I wanted to thank Sephiroth. I wanted to prove to myself that I was worthy of expressing my gratitude to him in person and that he would acknowledge me as someone he could rely on.”
“Sephiroth sure is amazing,” Zack proclaimed, a broad grin on his face. “But you, Cloud, you’re a whole different type of amazing.”
Cloud blinked. “You really think so?”
Zack nodded earnestly. “I’m not even joking or trying to lift your spirits out of pity. I’m telling the truth. One day, you’ll be able to talk to Sephiroth as his equal. And lucky you, you could get some practice right now, if you want.”
"Practice?" Then Cloud’s eyes widened. “The General is here?!” he shouted, making everyone near them look at him. Cloud flushed down on the seat, the leather sofa sinking him in.
“Shh! Quiet down,” Zack said, jumping into his seat and putting a hand over Cloud’s mouth. “It’s supposed to be confidential information but words do travel fast around here. Until then, keep your pretty lips shut, yeah?”
Cloud nodded eagerly, muffling a yes, sir, which made Zack let him go. “He’s resting right now, but knowing him, he’s probably in his office finishing up that report.”
“W-what would I even say to him? I can’t meet him like this. I’m a wreck!” Cloud’s voice wavered.
Zack smiled reassuringly. “Sephiroth isn’t the type to judge someone for having a rough day. Just be yourself and speak from the heart.”
Cloud took a deep breath, trying to steady his nerves. “Okay. I’ll try but what if—”
“Cloud, what did I just say about you?”
“That I’m amazing?” Cloud replied, uncertain.
“That’s right, you’re amazing. And Sephiroth admires amazing people, so you don’t have to worry about what you’re going to say to him,” Zack encouraged, giving Cloud a confident nod. “I’ll just show you around so you could meet him and boost your morale back up.”
Zack and Cloud rode the elevator to the upper levels of the building. Cloud’s hands trembled slightly, a bead of sweat forming on his brow. He shifted anxiously from foot to foot while Zack chuckled softly and urged him to relax. The elevator doors opened, and Zack led Cloud towards the floor where the offices of the SOLDIER First Class were located.
With each step closer to Sephiroth’s office doors, Cloud’s heart pounded wildly in his ribcage, echoing in his ears like a war drum, and his breath came in quick, shallow bursts, and he felt as though the weight of his anxiety was almost too much to bear.
Zack was about to knock when Cloud stopped him. “Wait, Zack.”
Zack turned, furrowing his eyebrows. “What’s up?”
Cloud took a deep breath, his expression serious. “I don’t want to use you to get to Sephiroth. I mean, I appreciate everything, but I don’t deserve to see him just because of your help. Not yet.”
Zack’s expression softened. “I get it, Cloud. It’s important to you to earn your place, not just get by on favors. But it;s just a simple meeting. Are you sure?”
Cloud nodded. “Yeah. I need to work for it on my own.”
Zack clapped Cloud on the shoulder with a supportive smile. “You’ve got it. I’ll catch up with you later. Lunch break’s almost over, anyway.” Zack led Cloud back to the elevator.
“Here, let me get your PHS number,” Zack said as they entered the elevator.
“Uhm, I don’t have a PHS yet,” Cloud admitted, looking a bit sheepish.
“Really?” Zack raised an eyebrow, then shrugged with a grin. “Well, I’ll just email you then. Make sure to check the computer libraries, yeah?”
Cloud nodded, a small smile forming on his lips. “Got it. Thanks, Zack, I really wanted to thank you—”
“Here’s my floor.” Zack exited the elevator. “Saved the gratitude for when you’re in SOLDIER, Cloud. See ya around!” Zack exclaimed, giving him a friendly wave as the elevator doors closed.
His reflection greeted him on the steel doors and Cloud was right for the decision of not meeting Sephiroth today. Zack was too nice but Cloud was a total crying mess.
It didn’t take too long for Cloud to become friends with Zack Fair.
They’re what Zack called email buddies. Cloud would enter the library to study for written and oral exams about Shinra’s history and policies, so he had the time to check the computer to see emails from Zack about memes or pictures of him posing a peace sign on missions.
But being friends with Zack doesn’t erase the truth that Cloud sucked. Well, less than sucked because he noticed his improvement, even if it’s like the trail of the snail. Soft flesh contouring a bit to define. Lifting weights becomes easier, strain less noticeable. His posture straightened, and his baggy clothes fit just right around his shoulders.
It’s not noticeable but Cloud knows himself better than anyone.
The same day Zack had lunch with Cloud, he finished his paperwork (or rather sent more GIF memes and photoshopped bald faces to Kunsel and Luxiere) so he could stroll through the pristine corridors of the 67th floor. He bounced in step, greeting passing employees with a toothy grin and a hey ya.
He may have looked energetic, but he was bored out of his mind and craving some company. So he decided to pay Sephiroth a visit (as odd as that sounded for choosing such a stoic company.) But he wanted to hook his stick-up-on-his-ass friend with a gift — a pearly-teared blonde crybaby type of gift. So why not shoot two birds in one stone.
He approached Sephiroth's office and knocked on the door. Without waiting for an answer, he opened it and peeked his head in. “Hey, Seph, you busy?”
Sephiroth didn't spare a glance as he continued to sign papers and silently read them. This prompted Zack to walk in and sit comfortably on Sephiroth’s leather couch, tapping the armrest idly. He watched as Sephiroth worked, surrounded by stacks of reports and documents lower than the towers he had on his desk.
“What brings you here, Zackary?” Sephiroth asked without looking up, his pen moving steadily across the paper.
"Just bored," Zack replied, stretching his arms. "Thought we could grab a drink or something. You know, take a break from all this paperwork."
Sephiroth finally looked up, his piercing green eyes meeting Zack’s. “You just had lunch two hours ago, and you’re not yet finished with your duty.”
“Aw, come on now. I’m not built for this paperwork shazam, and you know it.”
Sephiroth returned to his work. “The earlier you finish your paperwork, the earlier you’ll get to have your rest.”
Zack groaned, leaning back into the couch. “Can we not talk about paperwork? Angie’s already on my case about it, and it’s taking its toll.”
Sephiroth remained silent. Zack lingered and observed, not with groaning and slumping.
The office remained impeccably organized, just as it had been yesterday and the day before — quite unlike Zack's own, which was… well, more like an organized type of mess that Zack only knows.
But there was nothing more impressive than Sephiroth’s organization skills, considering how much the General had taken on since assuming Heidegger’s role, reforming the military police, and enhancing security protocols. The responsibilities of overseeing Shinra’s security, the entirety of Midgar, and military operations had made him even busier than usual.
Hells, even the regimen for the infantrymen had become stricter under his watch. Reinforcing discipline and efficiency across the ranks, and poor Cloud had been so caught up on Sephiroth’s obsession of order and control that he crumbled under pressure and cried. Not even knowing that it was Sephiroth’s system to eliminate the likes of Cloud.
Speaking of that little chocobo—
“Sooo… what do you think of my gift for you?”
“Gift?” Sephiroth paused but then continued flipping through pages to scan and sign.
“Don’t play coy with me,” Zack groaned. “I know you heard us through that door of yours. Aren't you a little bit curious about him?”
Sephiroth did not answer. Though he may have appeared to be ignoring Zack, the slight shift in his pen gave Zack enough confidence to continue. “He's the lowest ranking in the troopers right now. You’ve probably seen the details from R&D requesting him for use since no one will miss him except his mother.”
Zack sighed dramatically. “Poor boy, he’s such a sweet child, you know.”
Sephiroth hummed, not an agreement but an acknowledgment. “The trooper with the interesting blonde hair?” His tone was neutral, though there was a hint of curiosity that Zack fed off of. Of course, Sephiroth knew about the ins and outs happening with the troopers. He had, after all, made some sort of agreement to dispose of the weak for another use and R&D would love more specimens.
“Yeah, that one,” Zack chuckled. “He’s pretty cute, isn’t he?”
Sephiroth remained unbothered, but Zack continued. “You haven’t seen him up close but the pictures don't do him justice! He’s so pretty when he cries. It just makes you want to be a hero and save him from it all.”
Sephiroth glanced at Zack, his expression unreadable. “I heard. Both of you were talking about gratitude.”
“Oh, he had it bad, Seph, I tell you. He’s so unlike the others who idolize you.” Zack smiled, not the sort of smile that was reassuring. But the sort of smile that made sure that his intentions were nothing short of true, regardless of what intentions they were.
“I’m rooting for him. I believe he’s the one! He’s got the spirit, even if he’s a bit shaky right now but you'll like him. And he's so small and cute and cuddly and you will like him, I am so sure of it.”
Sephiroth nodded slightly before returning his attention to his work. “Your enthusiasm is noted, Zack.” Zack opened his mouth to reply, but Sephiroth beat him to it, “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have reports to finish.”
“Alright, alright. I’ll leave you to it,” Zack sighed. “But don’t work too hard, okay?”
Sephiroth didn’t respond, already back into that zone of being boring in his tasks. Zack stood up, stretching once more before making his way to the door. He glanced back at Sephiroth and smirked.
“He won’t break like Gen’s gift to you last time.”
Then he left, whistling down the corridors, eager to place a bet with Genesis. Sephiroth was getting a new toy after all, and it was from yours truly.
Miyuki Nakamura had worked as the secretary of Director Lazard for nearly a decade. She was always on time to handle emails, schedule appointments, and manage other tasks that secretaries typically did. She was proud to be known for her strictness and for living up to her rank, ensuring that soldiers complied with the strict paper schedule and reports expected of a Shinra employee of her caliber.
But, of course, there were exceptions. The exceptions were, of course, no other than the SOLDIER First Classes. The heroes of Shinra.
Nothing was wrong with being a little late, but her job became harder when a particular First Class with black spiky hair tended to procrastinate on his papers or send emails with memes or pranked the other departments that caused more trouble than it was worth, CCing other staff members who were too busy to respond. Meanwhile, the red-headed commander flirted with her more than he attended to his own paperwork, quoted Loveless numerous times on his report that the devs do not need to read because they need it to be concise.
The only one from those ranks who had been diligent with reports was Lt. Colonel Angeal Hewley. He advanced as much as he could to file his own reports, even as they piled up like towers on his desk. He was efficient and understanding that there were others working on those reports as well.
Of course, there was General Sephiroth.
A picture-perfect man that was always on time with his paperwork, always on duty, always in that zone to guide and protect and be a beacon of light, sometimes quite literally with his silver hair. He was neither late nor early, staying precisely on point and clocking off exactly as his schedule dictated. There was no imperfection that could taint the schedule that the General meticulously managed. His emails were either always marked confidential or directed straight to Director Lazard.
There was no procrastination or spam messages that included memes unlike those from Zack Fair, nor were there any love messages or poems from Genesis Rhapsodos.
So when sorted through the day's papers, her keen eyes scanning for anything marked confidential, one file, in particular, caught her attention. The subject line read, "Request Approval for Student Transfer." Miyuki's eyes darted across the lines, her heart pounding louder with each word. General Sephiroth, the legendary SOLDIER of Shinra, had specifically requested a student named Cloud Strife. The request had been approved by Director Lazard without hesitation.
Filing Instructions:
Subject: "Confidential – Student Transfer Request"
Classification: High Priority
Action Required: Immediate
Remarks: Approved by Executive Director Lazard Deusericus, Head of the Department of Administrative Research, and President Shinra on █████
Filing Process:
- Stamp the document with "CONFIDENTIAL."
- Note the date and approval status.
- File under "Personnel Transfers – High Priority" in ████.
- Log the entry in the digital database under ████.
- █████.
Internal Memo for Records:
Memo:
To: Miyuki Nakamura, Secretary to Director Lazard
From: Director Lazard Deusericus of SOLDIER
Subject: Filing Instructions – Sephiroth's Transfer Request
Ms. Nakamura,
Please file the attached confidential document per standard protocol and update the records accordingly. Ensure it is logged and stored securely.
Director Lazard Deusericus of SOLDIER
Shinra Electric Power Company
Miyuki hovered the mouse over the files of Cloud Strife but closed it immediately. It was better not to see the image of whatever poor soul the General had sought after. Her hands trembled as she filed the document away. She had seen many young soldiers come and go, their fates often sealed by the whims of those far more powerful— a god and his apostles.
This request had filled her with nausea, a knowing doubt rising in her stomach, swallowing it all in as she read it. The email had not been as innocent as many people were led to believe.
Only a few people knew about General Sephiroth, the real General Sephiroth. All of them were aware of his tendencies to break toys. She looked at the closed double doors of the director’s office, wondering why the General had not been suspended. But then again, what power did the director have against the General? Sephiroth was the reason why Lazard was in a position of power.
Sephiroth may be on time on his paper, dutiful to his position, and the greatest among them all — a hero whom people worshiped, who people idolized to become as powerful as him. But those who really knew, he has the power to topple down the company that hundreds are working for.
It hadn’t made it easier to file the documents, knowing what was happening or what would happen behind the General’s closed office doors and the floor just below the Vice President’s.
Because she was one of the few who knew.
She had whispered a silent prayer for this poor soul, hoping he would fare better than those who had come before him. Just like the poor boys before Cloud Strife, she held onto a fragile hope that the boy might survive and endure. But she knew it was unlikely, but she did it anyway—
After all, the General had come back from another city raided and owned, and he wanted a pretty little reward to break.
What do generals do to pretty young boys after a war? It's a question that she doesn't want to know.
CONFIDENTIAL
To: Director Lazard Deusericus of SOLDIER
From: General Sephiroth
Subject: Request Approval for Student Transfer – Cloud Strife
Lazard,
I am formally requesting the transfer of Student Cloud Strife to my direct supervision. After thorough evaluation, I believe Strife possesses the potential to contribute significantly to our efforts and would benefit from advanced training and experience under my command.
Please find attached Strife's profile and records for your review.
I trust that this request will be expedited given the strategic importance.
General Sephiroth
Shinra Electric Power Company