Final Fantasy L.O.V.E.

FFVII/DCU Fanfic: A Little Bird Told Me, Part 1

shiny_glor_chan — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 20:07:50 GMT

Title: A Little Bird Told Me, Part 1
Author/Artist: shiny_glor_chan
Final Fantasy...: VII
Prompt: trip
Rating: PG/K+
Characters/Pairings: Zack Fair (and Batman, but he's not who you think)
Word count: 614
Warnings: DC Comics Crossover. Spoilers for the conclusion of Batman RIP, and the last few issues of Robin and Nightwing. You don't really need to read them to understand what is going on, since Zack is just as confused. Zack is only 16 at this point.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

They never told you everything in the military, Zack knew that, but he had not expect them to screw him over completely. Just after his first few mako treatments, too. He had the power of low-ranked SOLDIERs, but not nearly enough training to back that up. Zack, at least, had enough training to not panic, or not let the panic show, anyway.

Zack made an assessment of his surroundings. He was in a dirty alley in a grimy city where the sky is dark and full of smog. Though, after living in Midgar for the past few months, this city was not too bad, if compared. Unfortunately, this city seemed to have more crime then Midgar dared to; ShinRa kept people in line.

“Give me you money,” a voice snarled behind him, a gun clicking the safety off.

Zack turned around slowly, looking pointedly at the man who was wearing a ski mask. “Really?” Zack asked before snatching the gun quickly, dropping it to ground, and smashing it under the heel of his boot. “Are all muggers this ridiculous outside of Midgar?”

The mugger gulped, before turning tail and running, muttering the words 'crazy' and 'meta.' Zack sighed before he heard the mugger fall to the ground outside the alley. Curious, Zack jogged out of the alley to find the man dangling from a street post, with a sign saying 'I'm a mugger, send me to jail.'

Zack chuckled as he saw a dark shadow move away in the corner of his eye. “Hey! Wait!” he shouted after the shadow, about to give chase. “I'm kinda lost...”

When the shadow disappeared, Zack kicked the lamppost, making the man dangling from it groan. “Where the hell am I?” he muttered to himself.

“Gotham City,” a voice answered from above him.

Zack's head snapped up when he saw the shadow from before, though it was obvious now that the shadow was in the shape of a bat. “Okay, never heard of it,” Zack said easily before running back, then jumping to climb up the building to where this bat shadow crouched. “And who or what are you? Some sort of Bat Man?”

The shadow chuckled, a sound not fitting with the persona Zack had been picking up. “Actually, I am Batman,” he stated as he stood, arms crossed, “and this is my city.”

Zack snort before actually laughing as he made sure to keep his balance on the gargoyle he had climbed to. “No, seriously? Batman? What kind of stupid name is that?” he asked, still laughing before he noticed the full on glare Batman was giving him, and he gulped. “Right, never mind. Batman is a perfectly good name.”

“You've never heard of the Batman?” the man asked curiously.

Zack raised an eyebrow. “Should I have? Not like the military actually tells me anything,” he said, slightly bitter that there was no protocol for getting sent somewhere by a strange beam of light during a mission.

“Military? Aren't you a bit young?” Batman asked, a little incredulous.

“I'm 16! I even made it SOLDIER rank this year!” Zack announced. “I'm old enough for solo missions even! ...though, that didn't seem to go to well, since this is obviously not Midgar, and it is definitely not anywhere I've heard of before...”

Batman was silent for a moment. “Come with me,” he stated, finally shooting off a grapple before turning around. “Can you fly or do you need a lift?”

“Fly? People can fly here?” Zack asked in awe before Batman grabbed him around the waist and took off. “Whoa! This is so cool!”

Batman gave a small smile as they flew off into the night.

prompt extension

rocks_not_dead — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 18:43:43 GMT

Oh... yeah. So I guess we're having a prompt extension, seeing as no one's posted anything. So...

Prompts extended until Friday 19th December 2008!

new prompts

rocks_not_dead — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 16:59:13 GMT

Wow, it's been a while, huh? So sorry. Sorry, everyone! Life grabbed me and ran away to Australia. Nah, not really. Stuff's just been insane and I lost touch with this comm for a while. But I want it to live. ^_^ I'm back now.

And with new prompts

Here are this week's new prompts :)

This week, the two prompts are 'crow' and 'trip'.

You can pick one or use both, and feel free to post as many fics/art pieces as you like.

Fics can be any length, so long as they're at least 100 words. Your work can be het, slash, character art, anything that takes your fancy, and rated from G to NC-17. Please make sure to label the ratings, we don't want some innocent little siblings to get their minds corrupted. Yet.

You have until Friday 12th December(midnight your time) to get your post in. If you are done, but too late, you can still reply to this post with your work.

Have fun posting! Any questions, feel free to ask us.

Your mods,

papercutperfect and rocks_not_dead aka xchristabelx

End of... post

rocks_not_dead — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 16:55:14 GMT

Ah, yeah, it's been a while. Definitely more than a week, so this is an end of whichever periof post. XD

Don't Talk To Strangers by shiny_glor_chan, FFVI, K, (Kefka, Owain)
No One Suspects by shiny_glor_chan, FF IV, G, (Calcobrena Dolls)

FFIV: No One Suspects

shiny_glor_chan — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 05:02:34 GMT

Title: No One Suspects
Author/Artist: shiny_glor_chan
Final Fantasy...: IV
Prompt: indestructible
Rating: G/K
Characters/Pairings: Calcobrena Dolls
Word count: 108
Warnings: Creepy dolls? Yes, creepy, creepy dolls.

----------------------------------------

They twist and turn, spin and spurn as they destroy an innocent town. The townspeople were unsuspecting. Who would suspect cute, lifeless dolls? Fluidly moving across the town with ease, they destroyed the poor town's militia with a few intricate dances.

Fire did nothing to harm them as the townsfolk tried to keep them at bay. They giggled as they flitted through the fire and flicking their wrists to make the people fly through the air like rag dolls. The irony made their laughter and dancing increases. Dolls making dolls of people.

“How very fitting,” they said together, as they watched the town burn, people lifeless as dolls.

FFVI: Don't Talk To Strangers

shiny_glor_chan — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 04:26:47 GMT

Title: Don't Talk To Strangers
Author/Artist: shiny_glor_chan
Final Fantasy...: VI
Prompt: lies
Rating: G/K
Characters/Pairings: Kefka, Owain
Word count: 163
Warnings: Kefka being Kefka? What happens to the castle of Doma. Kinda angsty, I guess.

----------------------------------

“What are you doing here, mister?” the child asked.

Kefka slipped the empty vial of poison back into his pocket before turning to the inquisitive kid. “Getting some water before heading out again,” he lied with a smirk, motioning to the now poisoned water. “Why don't you bring some home with you?”

The kid smiled. “ Mama would probably like some water. She misses dad terribly, so maybe making some soup will distract her,” the kid said as he filled up a jar of water before turning to the strangely clothed stranger. “My name is Owain, what's yours mister?”

Kefka paused before laughing. “You don't need to know. Run along. You want to be home for your dad's return, right?”

Owain nodded. “Bye, mister and thanks!” Owain thanked before running back towards his home.

“The pleasure was all mine,” Kefka said just before he laugh evilly, the sound echoing through the gates of the castle as he left the people of Doma to perish.

New prompts: 'Indestructible' and 'Lies'

papercutperfect — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 08:08:31 GMT

Here are this week's new prompts :)

This week, the two prompts are 'Indestructible' and 'Lies'.

You can pick one or use both, and feel free to post as many fics/art pieces as you like.

Fics can be any length, so long as they're at least 100 words. Your work can be het, slash, character art, anything that takes your fancy, and rated from G to NC-17. Please make sure to label the ratings, we don't want some innocent little siblings to get their minds corrupted. Yet.

You have until Friday 3rd October (midnight your time) to get your post in. If you are done, but too late, you can still reply to this post with your work.

Have fun posting! Any questions, feel free to ask us.

Your mods,

papercutperfect and rocks_not_dead

End of week post

papercutperfect — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 08:05:25 GMT

Only one entry last week, but ah well, better than nothing x3 Thanks to shiny_glor_chan!

To Begin by shiny_glor_chan FF VI, G (Locke, Terra)

FFVI: To Begin

shiny_glor_chan — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 00:24:51 GMT

Title: To Begin
Author/Artist: shiny_glor_chan
Final Fantasy...: VI
Prompt: innocent
Rating: G/K
Characters/Pairings: Locke, Terra
Word count: 230
Warnings: No spoilers unless you haven't played the beginning for the while. I warn this is so very gen, it hurts. I'm not used to gen. >>;; It could probably fit into the normal storyline.

--------------------------------

Locke sighed, shifting the girl on his shoulders again. Poor girl didn't deserve any of this. Probably didn't deserve what was coming next, either. He shifted her off his shoulders as he got close to the exit of the mines, to wait for Terra to awaken.

Letting out a puff of air to move some of the bangs from his face, he crouched by Terra's passed out form. This girl was so different from many other girls he had met. She was so sweet and innocent, even though she could kill so easily. Locke shook that thought from his head; she had been under the power of a slave crown.

He continued to watch her sleep, hoping she'd awaken soon. They needed to get to Figaro soon and talk to Edgar. Locke cringed once he it hit him that Terra would be subjected to Edgar's womanizing habits. He would probably need to save her from him, some how. He paused in his thoughts, thinking perhaps Terra would not even know Edgar was flirting, being naïve as she seemed to be.

Locke chuckled at that thought. Edgar did need to be taken down a few pegs with women. Before he could continue his amusing train of thought, Terra began to stir. Guess it's time to get moving, he thought before helping Terra to her feet and getting on with their journey.

papercutperfect — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 19:50:08 GMT

Ok, dudes, since no one posted for the last prompts I'm going to extend them for another week, see if we can squeeze some fanwork from someone.

Remember, the prompts are 'Innocent' and 'Naughty'.

You can pick one or use both, and feel free to post as many fics/art pieces as you like.

Fics can be any length, so long as they're at least 100 words. Your work can be het, slash, character art, anything that takes your fancy, and rated from G to NC-17. Please make sure to label the ratings, we don't want some innocent little siblings to get their minds corrupted. Yet.

You have until Friday 26th September (midnight your time) to get your post in. If you are done, but too late, you can still reply to this post with your work.

Have fun posting! Any questions, feel free to ask us.

Your mods,

papercutperfect and rocks_not_dead aka xchristabelx

New prompts: 'Innocent' and 'Naughty'

papercutperfect — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 09:51:28 GMT

Here are this week's new prompts :)

This week, the two prompts are 'Innocent' and 'Naughty'.

You can pick one or use both, and feel free to post as many fics/art pieces as you like.

Fics can be any length, so long as they're at least 100 words. Your work can be het, slash, character art, anything that takes your fancy, and rated from G to NC-17. Please make sure to label the ratings, we don't want some innocent little siblings to get their minds corrupted. Yet.

You have until Friday 12th September (midnight your time) to get your post in. If you are done, but too late, you can still reply to this post with your work.

Have fun posting! Any questions, feel free to ask us.

Your mods,

papercutperfect and rocks_not_dead aka xchristabelx

End of week post

papercutperfect — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 09:49:00 GMT

Here's the list of last prompts fanworks. Thanks, guys.

Stopped by shiny_glor_chan FF IX, PG (Black Mages)
Tears of the Soul by insaneladybug FF VII, PG-13 (Sephiroth, Zack Fair)

Tears of the Soul (FF7)

insaneladybug — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 12:20:12 GMT

Title: Tears of the Soul
Author/Artist: LuckyLadybug
Final Fantasy part (FF VII, FF VIII, etc): FFVII
Prompt: Shower, wound
Rating: T/PG-13
Characters/Pairings: Sephiroth, Zack Fair
Word count (for fics): 2,608
Warnings: Thematic elements, non-sexual non-graphic nudity (utilizing the prompt "shower")

Cross-posted to ladybug_tales and http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4459713/1/

Final Fantasy VII
Tears of the Soul
By Lucky_Ladybug

Notes: The characters are not mine and this ficlit is. It was directly inspired by the prompts Shower and Wound at FF Love, and hopefully it won't seem disjointed. Originally the idea was mostly the fanservice, and I had to figure out some kind of plot to go with it. Consider it a snapshot in the lives of these two SOLDIERs. There is not one specific event that triggered Zack's outburst; but countless events leading up to it. Many thanks to Kaze for plot help and the title!

The hot water beat down on the well-built body, a relief from the long and frustrating day. In some ways it was as relaxing as a massage; slowly the tense nerves and muscles were loosening. But a headache was still pounding in the man's temples. From past experience, he knew that would not be alleviated until he had slept. And it made him all the more eager to complete what he was doing and leave the tub.

Strong hands held out the lathered silver locks, allowing the steady stream from above him to begin washing away the shampoo. Suds and water trailed over the mostly healthy flesh, mingling with two sewn gashes on the right forearm. Green eyes narrowed in annoyance at the sudden stinging sensation.

The injuries had been gained earlier that evening. Monsters had been terrorizing Midgar again, and SOLDIER had been called to deal with it. Of course the beasts had been defeated; none of the SOLDIERs would have allowed it to be otherwise. But more than one of the men had not escaped unscathed. At least none of the wounds were serious; the SOLDIERs had previously been vaccinated against the diseases some of the monsters carried, and their cuts and lacerations had been checked for infections.

But Zack . . .

A deep frown graced the man's features. Zack was suffering from wounds of a different sort. When the call had come in about the attack on Midgar, he had not responded with enthusiastic determination as usual. He had let out a rare curse directed at the beasts before taking up the buster sword and heading for the door. When his friend had tried to talk to him about his outburst, Zack had snapped that he was tired.

"It's nothing getting some sleep'll cure," he had continued. "I'm tired of this---the fighting, the killing. I'm sick of seeing people get hurt. What can any of us really do to stop it? There's always something new after a while. And someday, we're not going to be good enough to stop it. What's gonna happen then? Are we gonna have to watch as everyone and everything gets destroyed?"

There had been no answers for him. And Zack had known that.

The General was physically tired more than anything else; the long battles combined with waiting and then receiving treatment for his arm had wearied him. He had long ago experienced what Zack was feeling now---that sense of hopelessness and despair, the frustration and agony knowing nothing would ever truly be over. Now, deep inside, he was often just burned out. He fought because he had to, because that was what he was good at . . . and because there would not be anything for him to do otherwise.

He wanted to help Zack, but he knew that was beyond his abilities. Zack would have to find his own solution. But the silver-haired man would check on him once this was done.

Despite his exhaustion, he also had had no intention of going to sleep without a shower. And so here he was, rinsing out his long hair as the water fell over him. Sometimes having a shower could wake him up. Now it was only making him more tired. But he still had to use the conditioner before he could leave.

Sleepily he groped for the bottle on the shelf to his right. Flipping the top, he turned the container upsidedown and began to squeeze the contents onto his hair. Then he set the bottle back, clawing with his fingers to evenly spread the conditioner through the silver tresses.

It needed to set for a minute or longer. He turned around, letting the downpour rinse the soap from his torso and limbs while he waited. An unacceptable yawn was building in his throat. He was the General. He arguably had the strongest willpower of anyone in SOLDIER. He could force himself to stay awake. Gathering his hair, he turned around again, letting the water hit his back. Closing his eyes for just a moment would be so inviting. But if he did that, his body might take it as the signal to shut down for the night. Then he could end up falling, which might result in another trip to the infirmary and further lack of sleep.

Maybe if he tried thinking about something again, he would stay awake.

Instead of the shower stinging tonight's wounds, it was now touching the various scars on his back. They had once stung too. Now he felt nothing other than the water. The incision where his wing was hiding stayed dry too, luckily. The skin hugged itself closed, though it had not actually knitted together and likely never would. Whatever Hojo had done, it had been effective. The fold could open in an instant if he needed to use his wing.

After he had first gained the new limb, he had not been able to fold it into his body without feeling the pain of the new muscles and joints. So he had left it out for a while, which had made showering an even more interesting---and frustrating---experience. To shower at all, he had needed to spread the wing along whichever wall was on his right. And drying the feathery appendage had been a nightmare. Once he had been able to successfully keep it folded in his body, he had never showered with it out again.

He turned to the side, holding out his hair again to begin the rinsing process. Then he shifted position another way, leaning his head back to cleanse the conditioner from the top of his head and his bangs. Water splashed in his eyes. Irritated, he closed them. The sound of the pounding drops filled his ears. If he could just remain there with his eyes closed, resting them . . . or better yet, go to bed . . . with the soft pillow and mattress to rest his body. . . .

He swayed. His eyes snapped open. This would not do. He had to concentrate and focus.

A knock came at the bathroom door, startling him. A frown graced his features as the full realization hit. He must have neglected to lock the front door. But who would walk right into his quarters and over to the bathroom? Especially in the middle of the night?

"Seph?"

Zack, of course. And he sounded as though he had calmed himself, which was good. Sephiroth grunted, opening the glass door halfway in order to communicate. "What," he called.

"You okay? You've been in there forever!" Zack exclaimed.

"I'm fine," Sephiroth retorted. "I'm almost done."

"That's good!" Zack chirped. "I was worried maybe you fell asleep in there."

It would be ridiculous to reply to that, since it had already been confirmed that he was somehow awake. And he wanted to ask Zack how he was feeling, but it would be awkward to do so with the door between them. It could wait a few minutes. He shut the shower door again, returning to the rinsing procedure. To get his bangs properly rinsed, he would need to face the shower head-on.
****
Turning off the water and opening the glass door a couple of minutes later was an immense relief. He stepped out onto the rug, water dripping from his body and hair as he reached for a towel. He dried vigorously at his hair before wrapping it in the cloth. Then he took out a second one to go over his torso and limbs.

The air conditioning vent under the cupboard blew the cool air against his ankles. Though the weather rarely bothered him, today had been extraordinarily hot, even for Midgar. It had been refreshing to arrive back on base and turn on the air conditioning in his private quarters. Having a shower always steamed the bathroom, so enabling the cool air to circulate in that closed room kept the space from becoming stifling.

He slipped into a pair of shorts and a dark robe before opening the door. Zack was not in the hallway, but it was not likely that he had left. Sephiroth shuffled into the living room. Zack was stretched out on the couch, his hands behind his head. As soon as Sephiroth entered, the brunet sat up with a grin.

"Hey pal!" he greeted.

"I thought you would have gone back to your quarters by now," Sephiroth said, half in amusement. Zack did not resemble the living dead just yet, but he was obviously tired. His eyes sported dark lines underneath and red lines throughout, not to mention they were half-closed. Unsuccessfully he struggled to hold back a yawn.

"I wanted to check up on you first," Zack said through the intake of oxygen. "I didn't get to see you after we were at the infirmary."

Sephiroth walked over to the couch, sinking down into it. "I didn't receive serious wounds," he grunted. "I left after they were stitched."

Zack pushed up the right sleeve, studying the spot where the gashes were. "Looks bad enough," he shuddered. "You're just lucky, Seph. When that thing came at you, it looked like it wanted to take your arm right off."

"It was laying dead in the next instant," Sephiroth said.

"Yeah . . ." Zack let go of the sleeve, stretching his arms and legs before slumping into the couch. "You sure gave it to him!" He frowned. "And shouldn't you have a bandage on your arm?"

"Probably." Sephiroth looked to him. "How are you feeling?"

There was no mistake about what he meant. Zack sobered, shaking his head.

"I don't know," he admitted. "I dunno what really happened to me today. Usually I can go along just fine. I want to fight because I want to protect people . . . but . . ." He sighed. "Sometimes it just seems like there's no point."

Sephiroth nodded. "I've gone through that, too," he said. "I used to be a young and foolish SOLDIER. As the General, I believed that I could right all that was wrong. Nothing would be impossible for me with the power I held. But . . . I learned that wasn't how the world worked." No amount of power could change some things, no matter how much he wanted it to.

"No kidding." The bitterness slipping into Zack's tone was obvious. "What'd you do, pal?"

"I was bitter for a while," Sephiroth told him. "And I was angry. People can say that good has been done, and you know it has been, but it sounds so hollow when you see those who don't make it . . . and those who are scarred for life . . . because you couldn't save them."

"Yeah," Zack nodded. "But on the other hand . . . you start thinking about everyone you do save, and you start wondering what would've happened to them, if you'd never came along. Maybe everyone would've died then." He looked up with sad lavender eyes. "So you have to choose to save some . . . or not save any at all. Why does it have to be that unfair? Why can't you save everyone?"

"I don't know. I doubt anyone really does." Sephiroth shook his head. "I gave up trying to figure it out; I accepted what is."

"But you've still gotta try to save everyone," Zack said.

"I didn't say I don't try," Sephiroth said. "I still do everything I can to save as many people as possible. I know you do as well. But I don't live under the illusion that in every case it can be done. True, sometimes every person can be rescued. But oftentimes, there's a much more bittersweet result."

"And I hate that." Zack slumped back into the couch. For a long moment he was silent, staring off at the other wall. Was he thinking about Angeal? That would not be a surprise, especially after what he had revealed about what had actually happened in Modeoheim. It haunted him every day.

". . . Well," he said at last, "I'll help you get a bandage on your arm, and then I'd better let you get to sleep."

Sephiroth grunted. "I can manage," he said.

"Wrapping it around your arm is hard!" Zack insisted, leaping up. "You really need three arms---one for the stuff to be wrapped around, and two to fix it in place!"

Sephiroth smirked in amusement. "Fine," he said. But he had to wonder if he was agreeing mostly to humor Zack. It made Zack feel useful, to have something to do for someone, and after his experience today it was all the more important for him to have that sense of being needed. Perhaps he even felt sorry for snapping at Sephiroth earlier---though Sephiroth was not upset about that, knowing the circumstances.

Zack hastened to the bathroom, returning holding the first aid kit. He promptly plopped on the couch, popping the box open and taking out the gauze. Sephiroth pushed back his sleeve again, allowing Zack easy access. Carefully Zack wound the gauze around Seph's arm until the sewn gashes were covered. He added a slight bit more for good measure before cutting and taping the bandaging in place.

"There!" he chirped. "How's that?"

Sephiroth raised his arm, testing the fit. "It's fine," he said.

"Great!" Zack snapped the case shut, setting it on the table next to the couch.

Sephiroth crossed his arms, his damp bangs hanging into his face. After the hectic day, it was calming to sit here with his best friend. But now that he knew Zack was relatively alright, he wanted most of all to get to sleep. His eyes were already threatening to close again, and falling asleep on the couch while Zack watched would be most unacceptable.

"Well . . . I guess I'd better let you get to sleep," Zack said again, and yawned. "I'd better get there myself . . . if I can ever get off the couch."

"You'll manage," Sephiroth said. "You stood up a few minutes ago."

"Yeah, but that just makes it even harder to get up now!" Zack said.

They sat together for a while longer. Then Zack gathered his final burst of strength to suddenly leap onto his feet. "There!" he said in triumph. He waved to Seph as he headed for the door. "See you tomorrow, pal!"

Sephiroth eased himself off the couch. "Goodnight," he said.

Zack was yawning again as he shuffled out the door. He seemed to be his usual self. Or at least, he felt better enough that he could hide his conflicted feelings. He mumbled something through the yawn as he pulled the door shut behind him.

Amused, Sephiroth crossed to the door and turned the lock before heading to the bedroom. When he arrived, he turned back the covers and sank into the mattress, pulling the quilt back over him. He was asleep before he had even completed the task.

FFIX: Black Mages

shiny_glor_chan — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 04:35:29 GMT

Title: Stopped
Author/Artist: shiny_glor_chan
Final Fantasy...: IX
Prompt: shower
Rating: PG/K+
Characters/Pairings: Black Mages (Mr. 36, Mr. 56)
Word count: 314
Warnings: Minor characters are minor. Angst for some odd reason. I guess spoilers for the Black Mage Village. Use of the prompt very loosely since in my mind 'shower' brings up the word 'bath.' Slashy undertones? o_o;;

-----------------------------------------

Mr. 56's P.O.V.

Mr. 288 says there is nothing we can do once one of us stops moving. I don't get it. Why did Mr. 36 have to stop moving? I'm still moving, so why can't he still be moving? We weren't that different. We both liked to bathe in the pond. We both liked help out around town. We both liked to volunteer to trade with the dwarves at Conde Petie. We both thought it was amusing that the dwarves had such a strange greeting.

“Rally-ho!” I can still here 36 say in my head as clearly as if we were both standing at the entrance of the dwarf village. I'm not there; I'm in sitting by the pond by the cemetery. 36 is here with me, but he's not really here. His grave is a few feet away from me. He must be cold down there. I'm sitting on the ground, and I'm cold, so he must be freezing down there.

I really wish he'd start moving again. He would be all dirty, so I'd help clean him up in the pond. Before he stopped moving, we'd bathe together in the pond. He would smile, the only warning that I'd be showered with pond water. It had been fun.

I don't think I'd be able to bathe with anyone like that again. That's why I bathe under the moonlight, by the cemetery. No one else would come here at this time at night, and this way, if 36 starts moving again, I'll be here in the pond waiting for him.

I'm almost done my bath, but everything seems colder somehow. Maybe the water is cold? I should get out, but it's cold on land too. I dry off with a towel and put my warm clothes back on, ones 36 helped me make. They're usually very warm, but somehow, all I feel is cold...

New prompts: 'Shower' and 'Wound'

papercutperfect — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 16:07:14 GMT

Here are this week's new prompts :)

This week, the two prompts are 'Shower' and 'Wound'.

You can pick one or use both, and feel free to post as many fics/art pieces as you like.

Fics can be any length, so long as they're at least 100 words. Your work can be het, slash, character art, anything that takes your fancy, and rated from G to NC-17. Please make sure to label the ratings, we don't want some innocent little siblings to get their minds corrupted. Yet.

You have until Friday 1st August (midnight your time) to get your post in. If you are done, but too late, you can still reply to this post with your work.

Have fun posting! Any questions, feel free to ask us.

Your mods,

papercutperfect and rocks_not_dead aka xchristabelx

End of week post

papercutperfect — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 16:05:01 GMT

Here's the list of last prompts fanworks:

Unchained by insaneladybug FF X-2, PG-13 (Nooj, Shuyin)

Unchained, 1/1

insaneladybug — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 14:01:18 GMT

Title: Unchained
Author/Artist: Lucky_Ladybug/insaneladybug
Final Fantasy part (FF VII, FF VIII, etc): FFX-2
Prompt: Memory, Abandoned
Rating: T/PG-13
Characters/Pairings: Nooj, Shuyin
Word count (for fics): 1,637
Warnings: Violence, blood, thematic elements, spoilers if anyone doesn't know what happened outside the Den of Woe.

Cross-posted to pyre_flies, ladybug_tales and http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4422038/1/

Final Fantasy X-2
Unchained
By Lucky_Ladybug

Notes: The characters are not mine and this ficlit is. It was partially inspired by Whisper at the LJ community Pyre Flies. And for those who haven't finished the game, there are pretty major spoilers concerning what happened to Nooj, Paine, Baralai, and Gippal in the Den of Woe and outside it. I hope I've written both Nooj and Shuyin alright; this is my first time for both of them. Thanks to Kaze for plot help and the idea of how Nooj may have managed to partially take control of the problem! As far as I know, this is an angle not explored in canon, but left ambiguous. Do correct me if I'm wrong! The time period in the second half of the fic is towards the beginning of the game, before Nooj met up with Paine or any of the others again.

"Kill them."

The voice echoed through his mind, an almost imperceivable whisper. But despite that, it was as loud as a yell. Its words chilled every part of his still-natural body.

"Who are you? What are you talking about?"

"Does it matter who I am?"

"When you've invaded my body and have decided to speak nonsense to me? Yes, I'd say it matters."

A cruel laugh answered him.

It was the voice of a presence that had been with him since they had all been in the Den of Woe. It had caused them to raise their guns against each other. Only Paine had been able to break the spell then. But for him, the presence had lingered. Its voice had only grown stronger once they had left---but that was not right. It should have stayed behind in the cave.

"They're my friends. I'll never follow through with your orders."

"You know what will happen if so many of you are found alive. Kill them!"

"No!"

"Then I will do it for you."

Against his will, his hand grabbed his gun. His index finger hooked around the trigger as he pulled the weapon out of his holster. He was moving on his own, turning back to face the others as they were going their separate ways. He regarded his friends without pity. The gun fired once, twice. The men fell to the ground without so much as a scream.

"Baralai! Gippal! . . . Why are you doing this? What are you doing to me?"

A horrified gasp met his ears as she called his name. He turned, facing the young sphere recorder. She had seen it all. And it had been captured on the sphere.

"I said your work's done!" his voice cried, echoing words that he had said moments before as himself. Whereas then the tones had been kind, now they were maniacal. He advanced on her, raising the hand holding the gun.

"You can't shoot her too! Stop!"

"You can't do anything about it."

Again the trigger pulled. She cried out, collapsing to the ground. He stood over her, merciless, watching as she gasped for breath. Crimson oozed from the wound, trailing over her skin and her torn clothes to the ground.

Trapped in his mind, he stared in sick horror. He could do nothing for her.

"Paine!"

The voice was delighted.

"You did this. I controlled you, but it was still your body that fired the gun. If they live, that's what they'll believe. They'll never know about me. You won't tell them, will you? After all, it was only because of your intense longing to die that I was able to possess you."

"That isn't true!"

"It is. Otherwise your will would have been too strong."

He stared out through eyes that were supposed to be his. She was staring back, her eyes glazing over as a shaking hand covered the hole in her flesh. Blood seeped through her fingers.

"Captain . . ." Her voice was choked from physical anguish, but moreso from confusion, disbelief, and a broken heart.

"She's still awake. Should we leave her like this, or should we ensure that we put her out of her misery?"

The fury rose in his heart.

"Don't touch her!"

"You couldn't stop any of this. How could you interfere with me making further use of your body?"

"I'll find a way. You won't hurt her any more!"

"Well . . . maybe I'll grant you that one request. I'm feeling generous today; after all, you've been such a good host."

He turned, replacing the gun in the holster. Cruelly and coldly, he left the scene. Paine's labored breathing was still echoing in his ears.
****
His eyes flew open in the dark. He was breathing heavily, his face damp with perspiration. All around him was silence, save for the insects chirping outside his tent. A gentle night breeze found its way between the flaps, moving over his face and chest as it traveled through the small space.

He sat up on the cot, reaching for his glasses on the nightstand. "That dream again," he muttered aloud, but he was speaking to himself. Throwing back the covers, he swung his legs over the side of the thin mattress and placed his feet on the grass. Then he groped for his cane, which was leaning against the nightstand. Taking hold of it, he began to ease himself upright. His artificial arm and leg creaked in protest. He had been laying asleep long enough that they had gotten used to that position. But he ignored the complaints, limping forward until he reached the doorway. Parting the flaps, he peered out into the night.

All of the other tents stood in darkness and silence. If any members of the Youth League were still awake, they were being quiet about it. The crickets continued their song, entirely unabashed by human interruptions. It was a calm night. But why was it, then, that he felt so ill at ease? Was it due to the recurring dream?

It had been more than two years since whatever it was had taken control of him and forced him to shoot his friends. They had not spoken since, though he had observed them from a distance until he had known they were all going to live.

Of course, their friendships had been broken. He did not know what Gippal or Paine thought about the events of that day, but Baralai was very bitter. And who could blame him? Someone he had trusted implicitly had quite literally shot him in the back. Underneath his bitter feelings was untold hurt and pain.

The strange presence had been right about one thing; Nooj had never told them the full story of what had happened. He had not been able to bring himself to do that; after all, that could make it sound as though he was trying to pass all of the blame onto the apparition and use it as an excuse. And he held himself at fault far more.

It had been his own despair that had resulted in his possession. He did not doubt it. If he had been more vigilant, it would not have happened. Or at least, perhaps he could have driven the presence out before anyone had gotten hurt. Whatever it was had not been able to control him altogether, for if it had, his spirit would have fallen unconscious and been completely oblivious to what had happened. Unless it had wanted him to be awake to drive him further into woe and grief. Maybe it had wanted to break down his heart by making him watch.

His anguish had increased a hundredfold after the shooting. He had wanted to perish more than ever knowing what he had done---and if that was not repulsive enough, he had not even been able to turn his body around to go help them when they had been bleeding to death. He had tried to turn the gun on himself after walking away from Paine. The presence had not let him. And so he had decided---there was only one solution. He would live, and he would make the most of it. With that in mind, he had begun again to battle the spectre. It had taken far too long, but at last he had banished it from his mind and body. It would no longer bother him.

Yet there were still times when it felt as though he was not alone. An odd whisper would float on the air. Eyes would follow him in the night. Occasionally it even felt like icy breath was hitting his face. Once he had even thought that for a split-second he had seen another's reflection superimposed over his own in the mirror. But he had been tired then, and he had not been wearing his glasses, either. The other incidents could be similarly explained away. It was the wind. It was his imagination. It was the product of a still-recovering mind. He had never experienced anything like being possessed before or since, and for one who had always tried to rely on cold, hard logic it had been an immense shock.

"Are you still out there?" he asked aloud.

Only the crickets answered.

"You can't control me any longer. I'm not the same man I was two years ago."

The wind toyed with his dark brown hair. If he listened hard enough, it sounded as though there were still snatches of a voice.

Simple fool. . . . Influenced. . . . Your will . . . strong. . . . It's time . . . a new host. . . .

He narrowed his eyes. His imagination or the phantom? Either way, there would be no answers for him outside. Turning, he hobbled back into the tent. The flaps fell shut behind him.

New prompts: 'Memory' and 'Abandoned'

papercutperfect — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 21:34:50 GMT

Here are this week's new prompts :)

This week, the two prompts are 'memory' and 'Abandoned'.

You can pick one or use both, and feel free to post as many fics/art pieces as you like.

Fics can be any length, so long as they're at least 100 words. Your work can be het, slash, character art, anything that takes your fancy, and rated from G to NC-17. Please make sure to label the ratings, we don't want some innocent little siblings to get their minds corrupted. Yet.

You have until Friday 25th July (midnight your time) to get your post in. If you are done, but too late, you can still reply to this post with your work.

Have fun posting! Any questions, feel free to ask us.

Your mods,

papercutperfect and rocks_not_dead aka xchristabelx

End of prompt post

papercutperfect — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 21:30:35 GMT

Hey guys!

A whole world of sorry for our absence. Both of us mods have been mega busy over the past... decade or however long it's been O.o

Anywho, without further ado, lets get this show back on the road! Here's the list of last prompts fanworks, thanks to everyone who posted:

Strange Encounters by shiny_glor_chan FF IX, PG (Quina)
We'll Carry On by insaneladybug FF VII, PG (Sephiroth, Angeal)
After Death by shiny_glor_chan FF VII, PG (Angeal, Zack)
Desperately by shiny_glor_chan FF VII, PG-13 (Zack/Cloud)
Who Is That Masked Man? by insaneladybug FF VII, G (Sephiroth, Zack, Cloud Strife)

Who Is That Masked Man? 1/1 (FF7)

insaneladybug — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 08:45:50 GMT

Title: Who Is That Masked Man?
Author/Artist: Lucky_Ladybug
Final Fantasy part (FF VII, FF VIII, etc): FFVII
Prompt: Fifth Wheel, Desperate
Rating: K/G
Characters/Pairings: Sephiroth, Zack Fair, Cloud Strife (cameo)
Word count (for fics): 5,042
Warnings: Silliness.

Cross-posted to 18coda, ladybug_tales, and http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4313245/1/

Final Fantasy VII
Who Is That Masked Man?
By Lucky_Ladybug

Notes: The characters are not mine (except Pala), and the story is! This is complete and utter crack. It was inspired by a small bit in Crisis Core where Zack speaks with someone who was rescued by the black rider during a monster attack. When asked, Zack says he's familiar with the rider. And this happened. Thanks to Kaze and Lisa for plot help! The prompts Nocturne (what do you do in the dark of night, where no one sees) at 18Coda and Fifth wheel at FF Love, helped too.

Ever since monsters had begun to terrorize Midgar in full force, SOLDIER had been kept extremely busy. On bad days, the men could be running from sector to sector, destroying vicious creatures and protecting the people at all hours of the day and night. And sometimes they needed help.

That was when the black rider came in. He was only seen at night, and as if on cue, only when the monster problem was at its worst. He made short work of the creatures, saving anyone in danger of being harmed by them. And then he would fade into the night before anyone could get his name. Not that he would have given it at all; he seemed to prefer being a man of mystery in every sense of the word.

But after increasing appearances, and even saving some employees, Shinra grew extremely curious about him. Who was this strange vigilante and what were his motives? Was he seeking justice and righteousness, or something else altogether? Using the partially true explanation of wanting to find and reward him for his services, they directed some of their forces to search for any clues to his identity. But it seemed that there was nothing to be found. No one knew anything about him, save for more death-defying tales of bravery and rescue.

Zack had been following the stories with interest ever since the man had first appeared. At the moment he was engrossed in the local newspaper, the day's work unfinished on his desk.

Sephiroth's expression was stern as he observed. "You aren't done yet," he said.

"I know," Zack said, "but I'll come in a minute! Come on, Seph, aren't you curious at all about this guy?" He peeked at his best friend over the top of the newspaper, blinking his lavender eyes.

Sephiroth grunted. "He's probably only someone determined to get attention in whatever way possible," he said, "and he just so happened to prefer these methods of derring-do."

"Aww. That takes all the fun out of it!" Zack protested. "You don't think he wants to help people?"

"Who knows." Sephiroth looked back to his computer screen. "Most people wouldn't be willing to do something for nothing."

"You're so suspicious of everyone, Seph!" Zack mock-whimpered. He folded up the newspaper, depositing it on his desk for later use. "It doesn't seem like he even wants to be found out. He wears black all up and down, even a mask. Nobody even knows his name!"

"Of course. What better way to draw attention to yourself than to be mysterious?" Sephiroth began to type. "Then people will begin to wonder who you are and continue to craft all kinds of ridiculous possibilities."

Zack frowned. "I didn't think of it like that. But that doesn't mean it's what this guy wants!" he rushed on.

"No, it doesn't," Sephiroth agreed. "But I wouldn't be surprised."

Zack suddenly smirked. "So is that why you're mysterious, Seph?" he asked.

Sephiroth raised an eyebrow. "I," he said, "am not mysterious."

"Sure you are!" Zack said. "You don't talk about yourself, you're serious . . ."

"I am unsociable," Sephiroth interrupted. "That does not equal mysteriousness."

"No, but it helps!" Zack chirped. "And people are always wondering what you're like under all that cold, stern stuff."

Sephiroth grunted. "You're getting off the subject," he said.

"There you go again!" Zack declared. "See, you don't want to talk about yourself."

"That is irrelevant."

Zack jumped up without warning, beginning to pace the room. "I want to find out who this guy is!" he declared.

"There are already SOLDIERs who have that assignment," Sephiroth answered, relieved for the topic change. "Mostly those who don't have anything better to do." Personally he found it ridiculous. The black rider seemed harmless enough. There was always the chance that he could be a Wutaian spy, but so far there was not any proof of that, and the General hated to see SOLDIERs chasing down a vigilante. As far as he was concerned, that should be left up to the Turks or the Shinra army, if anyone was going to investigate.

Zack gave him a mournful look. "But what if he is a threat and needs to be found out?" he persisted.

Sephiroth was unmoved. "Haven't you been indicating that you think he's a benevolent protector of the people?"

Zack looked sheepish. "Well . . . yeah, he probably is!" he said. "I just want an excuse to go look for the guy."

Sephiroth grunted. "I figured as much."

"We could go at night, when we're off-duty," Zack suggested. "He only pops up at night anyway."

"No, thank you," Sephiroth responded, his tone flat and matter-of-fact. "I don't have the interest, and you yourself would never have the patience for a stakeout in the sectors where the black rider has been seen."

"We wouldn't have to stay in one place!" Zack protested. "We could just keep walking all around until we saw him."

Sephiroth gave him a stern look.

". . . Or not." Zack's shoulders slumped. "Come on, Seph! It wouldn't be any fun by myself!"

"It's debatable whether it would be fun at all," Sephiroth retorted.

"At least we'd get a nice walk!" Zack said with a wild gesture.

Sephiroth let out a noticeable sigh. "Alright," he said. "One night. That is all."

"Yes!" Zack exclaimed, pumping the air with a fist. "You won't regret this, Seph ol' pal!" he grinned.

"That's debatable, too." Sephiroth focused on the computer screen. Once again Zack had worn down his resolve. He really was getting too soft.
****
As it turned out, the black rider was elusive that night, which Sephiroth had suspected would be the case. He and Zack did learn of more tales of rescue from some passers-by, and confirmation of the sectors where the rider was most often seen. But Midgar was quiet, the monsters either staying out of the city limits or else just avoiding the people inside while they skulked in the shadows. After a late dinner that Zack had insisted on, the two were now en route back to the base.

Zack sighed in weary exasperation, placing his hands behind his head. "Well, at least we know where he hangs out," he said.

"Which other SOLDIERs have already learned," Sephiroth grunted.

"Hey, do you ever wonder about his chocobo?" Zack asked. "I mean, black ones are pretty rare. Does he really go all the way to the farm to get one? Or does he keep it here in the city? I keep Pala on the base." He blinked. "And hey, speaking of her, did you give her a rub-down lately, Seph?" he asked. "A couple of times I've gone in and she's already settled and everything."

"She's your responsibility," Sephiroth grunted. "No, I haven't done anything with her."

"Huh." Zack shrugged. "Maybe it was Cloud then. Whoever it was sure got her all relaxed. It almost looked like she'd been given a bath."

". . . In answer to your question, I haven't ever wondered about the black rider's bird," Sephiroth said. "But it would take a while to go to the farm every time there was a problem. Then he would still need to ride back to the city in time to save whoever was in danger. It's far more likely that the chocobo is here in Midgar, probably at his house."

"Yeah!" Zack said. "And there hasn't been a citywide search for a black chocobo, has there?"

"Unfortunately, yes," Sephiroth grunted. "They haven't found one yet."

"How come I haven't seen those reports?" Zack frowned with a mock-wounded expression.

"We shouldn't concern ourselves with such trivial matters." Only if it was later learned that the rider was indeed dangerous would Sephiroth take an interest. As long as the vigilante did not get in SOLDIER's way, Sephiroth could not care less.

"I want to come out tomorrow night," Zack said.

"Then you'll be coming alone," Sephiroth said, his tone flat. "I promised one night. Tomorrow I'll be working late, anyway."

"Even after five?" Zack looked up at the stern general.

"I doubt I'll have everything finished by then." By now they had almost walked back to the base. The lights from the Shinra tower gleamed nearby, further illuminating their path.

"Darn!" Zack said, snapping his fingers. Then he blinked as an idea came to him. "Hey, what if I helped you, Seph?" he said. "Then we could both come out afterwards!"

Sephiroth shook his head, massaging his eyes in a tired way. "This is the yearly report I have to give as the General," he replied. "I have to do it on my own."

"Oh." Zack sighed, stretching his arms in front of him. "Man, that sounds like a pain."

"It is," Sephiroth acknowledged. "I dread it each year." In fact, part of the reason he had gone with Zack tonight had been to put off working more on it. It always stressed him, especially looking up all the necessary information. Something would be elusive every year and he would not be able to track it down for ages.

"Well, maybe the night after tomorrow, then!" Zack said hopefully.

Sephiroth gave him a Look. "You never give up, do you?"

"Then I wouldn't be me!" Zack grinned. As they arrived at the gates, he flashed his ID at the sentry before hopping through onto the compound.

Sephiroth followed suit---though without the hopping.
****
The next night Sephiroth was hard at work when Zack was ready to leave. As the brunet peeked in through the door, the rapid clicking of the keyboard was very audible. Seph was staring at the screen, the monitor's reflection in his glasses. He did not look up, either too involved in his work to notice or else noticing but feeling he needed to keep working.

"I'm going now, Seph," Zack said, loud enough that he hoped to break through the older man's concentration.

Seph started, glancing at Zack over the top of the monitor. "Alright," he said.

"I'll check in when I get back," Zack promised.

Seph gave a vague nod, already focusing on the screen again.

Zack sighed to himself, pulling the door shut once more.

He was feeling lonely as he left the base shortly afterwards. Even though the search the past night had been fruitless, he had enjoyed spending the time with Seph. And he thought that Seph had liked it at least somewhat, despite finding the reason for the outing preposterous. It had been a pleasant night for a walk and dinner, and without monsters afoot it had been relaxing. By himself he did not think he would stay out long, especially if it looked like this evening would turn out the same as the past night.

And indeed, it did seem that everything was calm again. The people walked by normally, unconcerned of an attack, and the animals also seemed nonchalant. Zack yawned after a while, putting a hand over his mouth to hide it.

"What a boring night," he mumbled to himself. Aerith would have already left the church by now, so he could not visit her unless he went to her house---and her mother usually scared him away from there. He knew she did not like him, and he always found himself getting tongue-tied in her presence. Very few people had that effect on the smooth-talking and cheerful Zack Fair.

Maybe he should go back to the base and see if Cloud was done with his shift on guard duty. He had invited Cloud to come with him tonight, but Cloud had not been free to leave. Even if he was still working, Zack could chat with him for a while. And if he was off, maybe they could go grab some food and a late movie.

But a scream rent the air as he rounded a corner. An unfortunate woman tore past him, several vicious beasts in hot pursuit. Zack stared in surprise at the spectacle. Then he grabbed his sword, adjusting to the sudden change of plans.

"Don't worry, I'm coming!" he called. Chasing after the hungry monsters, he swung his sword at the one nearest to him. It snarled in pain, whirling to face this new opponent. As it lunged, Zack attacked again. Having been quicker, Zack was soon triumphant.

The second one also went down fast, too intent on the hunt to fully focus on Zack. But the other two were still running after the woman, and they were gaining on her.

Out of nowhere a lariat swirled, catching both beasts squarely around their shoulders. They yelped in shock as the loop was pulled taut, bringing them side by side. Though they struggled, it did not loosen.

Both Zack and the woman were staring in the direction of the lasso. A chocobo leaped into view from around the corner, the street lights overhead shining on every raven-colored feather. Astride it was a man also dressed all in black. In his hand was the other end of the rope. He fastened it around the lamppost, then turned to depart.

Zack came to life. "Hey wait!" he cried, running forward. This was the black rider, just who he had been hoping to see. Now he had a chance to really find out what was going on!

But the man did not intend to be found out. He pulled on the reins, turning the chocobo to the left. Pressing against its sides with his legs, he signaled it to flee. With a loud wark the bird tore past, several black feathers coming free from the force of the run.

The woman just gaped at Zack as he chased after them. "What about these things?!" she yelped, pointing at the snarling beasts.

"Call Shinra to come get them," Zack called back. "They should be secure for now!" He did not want to lose the rider now, when he was so close. Just in this short amount of time, the man and his bird were far ahead.

The chocobo was sprinting at its quickest pace, calling out with loud warks as it went. Zack frowned in confusion, running as fast as he could to keep up.

"It looks like a Dashing chocobo," he said to himself. "And it sounds just like Pala. But that's impossible. She isn't black. And what the heck would the black rider be doing riding her?!"

Now they were tearing past the business district. Late shoppers stumbled to a halt, their eyes wide at the sight of a man in black being chased by a lone SOLDIER yelling for him to stop. Up ahead, a fountain seemed to be malfunctioning. Water was pouring onto the surrounding sidewalk. The rider tugged on the reins, wanting to avoid the spray. But the chocobo barreled right through, continuing to wark.

Zack ran around the confused fountain. A couple more feathers were floating in the water. Whatever was coloring the bird black was fading. Its true hue of yellow was now visible.

"It is Pala!" Zack exclaimed. There was now no doubt of it. He had recognized her from the first wark.

But there was no time for disbelief. The chocobo and rider were whipping around another corner. Again Zack gave chase, a whole new slew of questions bouncing through his mind. How on earth would the black rider have access to Pala? And what had he done to make her feathers go temporarily black?

The rider seemed to be having trouble controlling her now. They were passing a tire shop, which featured many such objects on display. Pala swerved, crashing right into the two stacks. Wheels flew and rolled in every direction. Zack yelped, diving out of the way of five that went past all in a row. Then his eyes narrowed. He lunged, leaping into the air. He was taking a chance, but he would go for it.

He crashed on Pala's back, wrapping his arms around the black rider. "Just wait a minute!" he yelled.

They both fell off, landing amidst the tires. Pala, free of her burden, stopped and warked as she watched. The two men were struggling with each other, rolling and flailing as each tried to attain the upper hand.

"Hold still already!" Zack ordered.

The rider reached up, shoving him in the chest. The cape, which was by now a rumpled mess, pulled up to reveal long and smooth locks hidden underneath.

Zack stared. "Can't be," he murmured. He grabbed at the other's wrist, reaching with his free hand to tear away the mask. Glassy green eyes blinked up at him.

"Seph?!" he burst out. This was too shocking to process. "Seph, you're the black rider?!"

Sephiroth grunted. He blinked again, as if trying to focus on Zack. "What are you talking about?" he demanded.

Zack rocked back in disbelief. "Seph, look at yourself!" he said, wildly gesturing. "You're all in black, and you dyed Pala's feathers or something . . . ! What the heck's going on?!" He put his hands on his hips. "Is that why you've been so uninterested in this whole thing, because you knew you were the one SOLDIER's been looking for?!" He shook his head. "I never would've thought you had a secret desire to be a vigilante."

"I don't." Sephiroth began to pull himself into a sitting position. "This is ridiculous," he muttered. "I was working on the report. What am I doing here?" His eyes widened as he stared down at himself. He was all in black, as Zack had said, but it was not his usual clothes. It looked like what the black rider wore. And now a chocobo was wandering over, half-yellow and half-black. . . .

"Wait a minute," Zack exclaimed. "You were working on the report? That's the last thing you remember?"

"Yes." Sephiroth frowned. "I leaned back to look at what I'd gotten down so far, and I was resting my eyes."

"You fell asleep!" Zack declared. "You were sleepwalking as the black rider!"

Sephiroth leaned forward, massaging his eyes. "Do you realize how inane that sounds?" he said.

"If you've got a better explanation, I'd like to hear it!" Zack said. "It all fits! That's why Pala looked like she'd been bathed before, too---you were washing her off after having her fixed up to be the black rider's bird!"

Pala warked, as if in confirmation.

"But why?" Sephiroth demanded. "Why would I do this, even if I was asleep?"

Zack gave a helpless shrug. "I have no idea, pal," he said. "You probably don't even know yourself."

"That," Sephiroth grunted, "I can agree with." Again he surveyed the scene, horror and disgust beginning to wash over him. This was not fitting for the General to be doing. This was ludicrous! He was not a vigilante; he did not even need to be. As the SOLDIER General, he was already a protector of the people. He did not need to sneak in the shadows like a Wutaian ninja.

"Unless it really is a secret desire," Zack smirked in mischief.

"It isn't." Seph's voice gained a definite edge, warning Zack to drop the subject. For once Zack obeyed. There were other aspects he was curious about as well.

He shook his head. "What I wonder now is, Are you the only black rider, Seph?" he asked. "Or were you just imitating the original?"

"Where on earth would I get such an idea if there was not already a black rider?" Sephiroth retorted.

"Too much Masked Avenger on TV?" Zack blinked innocently.

The look Seph gave him said clearly that he was not amused.
****
Within a few moments they managed to set right the tire display. During that time, Pala went back to the fountain and walked under it a second time, removing the rest of the black coloring from her feathers. Then she headed back to where the SOLDIERs were, spreading her wings and shaking herself dry.

Zack looked up as she came back. "That's more like it," he grinned.

Pala warked, pleased with herself.

"Let's hurry back to the base before something else goes wrong," Sephiroth said in irritation. He was wrapping the mask and hat in a bundle with the cape. But the other clothes he would have to keep on for now. Hopefully in the dark no one would notice his strange attire. Reaching up, he unbuttoned the shirt three-fourths of the way down.

"Are we gonna ride Pala when she's still wet?" Zack blinked.

"It would be faster than just walking and leading her up there," Sephiroth said.

Zack shrugged. "Okay then," he said. Grabbing the reins for balance, he began to climb onto her back. "If I'm in front, maybe I can help hide what you're wearing."

Sephiroth nodded. That was a good plan. He climbed on behind Zack, holding onto both him and the bundle.

Feeling the snap of the reins, Pala tore around a corner. Zack yelped. Sephiroth crashed forward against him.

"I'm not sure I'll ever get used to that," Zack said sheepishly as Pala flew down the streets.

In this way it did not take long for them to reach the base. Zack swallowed hard as the guard came into view.

"Boy, I wish you could remember how you've been getting on and off the base as the black rider," Zack said.

"I wish I could too," Sephiroth grunted. "I probably left normally and then put on these ridiculous clothes once I was away."

But at least they did not have anything to worry about in that respect. The guard, not seeming to find it odd that they were astride Zack's chocobo, said only, "Oh! Welcome back, sirs!" and waved them through as they presented their ID cards. Zack grinned, waving back, while Sephiroth gave a single nod of acknowledgment.

Once they were past and heading for the stable, Sephiroth said in a stern undertone, "You cannot tell anyone about this."

Zack blinked in mock surprise. "But Seph!" he exclaimed. "Doesn't Shinra need to know?"

Sephiroth's shocked and almost horrified expression melted as he realized Zack was not serious.

"'Course I wouldn't tell anyone," Zack said as he brought Pala to a halt. "You can tell them yourself, pal, if you feel like it."

"And I never will." Sephiroth climbed down onto the grass planted for any chocobos on base.

"What about Cloud?" Zack chirped, hopping off as well. Keeping hold of the reins, he turned to lead Pala inside the stable. "I told him I was going out to look tonight. He'll be wondering how it went. And oh wow! That lady saw me chasing after you!" He looked back to Seph. Suddenly the possible complications seemed overwhelming. To protect Seph's honor, this could not be allowed to get out. A sleepwalking General was not something of which the public needed to be aware.

". . . I'm not going to ask," Seph said, his tone flat. "But she saw you pursuing the black rider. If you feel so inclined, you only need to tell Cloud and anyone else that you were chasing him, but he got away. Which is true as far as I am concerned." He would never go out as the black rider again. It did not matter what he had to do in order to stop himself from sleepwalking in the future. It had probably happened because his mind had been so full of thoughts of the real black rider. He refused to believe that he had invented that persona.

"Yeah, I guess," Zack said, taking Pala inside. "Gosh, I hope nobody saw us at the tire place. . . ."

Sephiroth followed him to the doorway. "Do you think someone did?" he asked, urgency slipping into his voice. He gripped the doorframe, his eyes narrowed.

Zack gave a helpless shrug as he led Pala into her stall. "I dunno," he said. "It almost looked like there was a shadow at one point, but I could be wrong."

He could be, but with their luck? It was not likely.

Sephiroth ran a hand over his eyes. What a nightmare.
****
Somehow Sephiroth managed to return to his quarters without being seen. He promptly pulled off the damp black rider clothes, exchanging them for his own dark pants and a comfortable open coat. Then he sank down in the computer chair. After typing in his password at the login prompt, he found himself looking at the unfinished report, just as he had left it. That was good; he would not have to rewrite anything. But he sank back in the chair, passing a hand over his eyes again. He was so tired, both physically and emotionally. He had been exhausted enough to fall asleep sitting here, and getting up and running all over Midgar on a chocobo had not helped his body any. The thought of working more on the report right now was almost unbearable. It was not due in the morning, so perhaps he should leave it for tonight.

The door opened. "Seph?" He could hear Zack coming in, shutting the door behind him.

He looked out through his fingers. "What."

"There's something I think you need to see on TV. I turned it on while I was changing my clothes."

That brought him fully to attention. "Did someone record me?" he frowned, removing his hand from his eyes as he sat up straight.

"Don't think so," Zack said, walking to the small television set in the corner. Sephiroth rarely used it except for the news, and he and Zack both knew that it was often biased and untrue to begin with, so he usually was not interested in that, either. Shinra always made sure to slant things in their favor.

Now Sephiroth sighed, moving to look at the screen. As the picture came on, a reporter was standing in Sector 8. "Live" flashed at the top and bottom of the screen.

"The black rider has just been seen tearing down the street!" the reporter announced. "He defeated two monsters earlier, rescuing a woman who had become their prey . . ."

"That was you," Zack amended. "But hey, you were pretty cool!"

". . . And now has saved two children. He's already out of sight, but his chocobo has dropped these feathers." She held up two downy feathers as the camera went in for a closeup. Both were jet black.

Zack gave a low whistle. "Well, I guess that's the answer," he said. "This is live, so there really is another black rider."

"I never doubted it," Sephiroth said.

"Aww, it would be great, though, if you'd been the one to start it!" Zack grinned. "I mean, yeah, running around on a chocobo's not your style, but the black rider's only been helping people."

"He can keep helping them in his way," Sephiroth retorted. "We'll assist in our own."

Zack sighed. "Yeah . . ." He looked back, his spikes whipping with the motion. "So! What are you gonna do now, Seph?"

Sephiroth looked back to the computer. Making sure the document was saved, he closed it. "I'm going to bed," he said.

"Without eating?!" Zack blinked. Seph had gone right to work on the report today once the normal work routine had been completed. He had not taken time for dinner. In fact, that may have been the case for the last several nights.

"I'd rather not." Sephiroth stood up, then leaned down for the mouse. After clicking out of the word processor, he chose Shut Down from the Start menu.

Zack frowned. "Hey, maybe that's why you've been sleepwalking," he said. "You probably haven't eaten the other times you've been working on this thing, have you?"

Sephiroth straightened up, a frown gracing his own features. "I don't think so," he grunted. Last night Zack had taken him to dinner . . . and the black rider had not made an appearance.

"Then you've gotta eat something!" Zack exclaimed. "I bet your inner black rider won't come out again if you do!" He crossed the room to Seph's mini-fridge.

Sephiroth watched him, half in amusement. "So instead of wanting to help people, the black rider was just hungry," he said flatly.

"Who knows!" Zack said. "Maybe he was just working up more of an appetite. Not that he'd need to."

Sephiroth shook his head. He would humor Zack for now, especially in light of the previous evening. If he did not sleepwalk again, he would have to make certain that he did not skip another dinner.
****
At the edge of Sector 8, a figure in black pulled his chocobo around a corner. He was breathing heavily, his heart thumping in his ears. Blue eyes gleamed behind the dark mask, faintly visible in the night. Reaching up, he pulled the wide-brimmed hat lower, hoping that all the blond spikes were still concealed.

This should help, he thought to himself. No one will ever know General Sephiroth was sleepwalking.

The figure snapped the reins. The black chocobo obediently trotted off into the shadows.

Zack/Cloud: Desperately

shiny_glor_chan — Fri, 30 May 2008 04:58:53 GMT

Title: Desperately
Author/Artist: shiny_glor_chan
Final Fantasy...: VII
Prompt: desperate
Rating: PG-13/T
Characters/Pairings: Cloud, Zack; Zack/Cloud
Word count: 260
Warnings: No warnings. Kinda inspired by Cloud/Zack cosplay pictures at crisis_hardcore. *cheers for the lucky mod papercutperfect who was a participant in the pictures*…no, a Michelle Branch song is not playing the background nor did I steal the fic title from it. *shifty eyes*

--------------------------------

Cloud had wondered had he had gotten into this situation. Like most situations that involved this man, it always began with catching Cloud off guard. Before, catching Cloud off guard had not been through tapping him on the shoulder then proceeding to desperately ravish his mouth.

No, before, it had been with something foolish Zack had done. Whether it be pissing off Sephiroth or teaming up with Reno to play some practical jokes on the ShinRa. Not that Cloud remembered any of this. All he had was a man he could not remember kissing him, and hand that was creeping a bit lower then a stranger’s hand should go.

Cloud knew he should push away; he had no recollection of this man, and he had no reason to not to push him away. After a few moments passed, the dark haired man pulled away, his mouth near Cloud’s ear. The feeling of this man’s warm breath by his ear sent shivers down his spine before he even heard his voice.

“Cloud, let’s go somewhere a bit more private, and I’ll explain everything,” the man whispered, sending more shivers down Cloud’s spine as well as creating a coil of heat in the pit of his stomach.

Cloud followed the man, not knowing why this felt right, but somewhere in his head, something told him that this man was someone to trust. Not only that, the kiss had been so desperate, so passionate, that even if he had not felt he could trust him, there was no way he could say no.</div>

Crisis Core: After Death

shiny_glor_chan — Fri, 30 May 2008 04:47:00 GMT

Title: After Death
Author/Artist: shiny_glor_chan
Final Fantasy...: VII (Crisis Core)
Prompt: desperate
Rating: PG/K+
Characters/Pairings: Angeal, Zack
Word count: 412
Warnings: MAJOR spoilers for CC. My first time writing Angeal. >_<;;

-----------------------------

When he blinked his eyes open, all Zack saw was white. Then strands of sparkling green surrounded him, materializing into Angeal. Zack’s widened before he tackled his mentor, almost knocking him over.

“Angeal!” Zack exclaimed as Angeal hugged him back, one thing Angel tended to shy away from. Zack pulled away with a frown. “You didn’t knock me away and call me an idiot. Does this mean I...”

Angeal nodded. “You died a hero’s death,” he said quietly.

Zack grimaced at the statement. He did not feel much like a hero. He could not save anyone, not Sephiroth, not Cloud, not even Genesis. A thought hit him and Zack started to look around almost frantically.

Angeal raised an eyebrow. “What’s got you all riled up, puppy?” Angeal questioned as Zack looked back at him.

“I don’t see Sephiroth or Genesis anywhere...” Zack answered, looking around a bit. “Do they hate me...? I mean I had a hand in both of their deaths, but I did in yours, and you’re here...” When Zack trailed off, he saw the look in Angeal’s eyes. “What? What’s wrong, Angeal?” Zack asked, worried.

“Genesis never died. After you left Banora, two Deepground SOLDIERs retrieved him,” Angeal stated. He paused before he continued; the next sentence seemed harder for him to say. “As for Sephiroth, he did pass through here, once.”

Zack’s brow knitted in confusion. “What do you mean ‘passed through,’ Angeal?” Zack asked, afraid of what the answer may be.

“...his body died, but the state Sephiroth died in was very troubled. There was no peace for him here, so he forced his way back into the world of the living.”

“No...” Zack fell to his knees helplessly. “What is he going to do?”

Angeal closed his eyes for a moment in thought. “There’s no telling,” he finally answered, “but that does not concern you now, Zack.”

“What!? How does Sephiroth’s return not concern me!?” Zack yelled, jumping to his feet. “He was my friend...”

“We are on a different plane of existence now, Zack. There’s no way to return once in the Lifestream,” Angeal said sternly. “It’s futile to try.”

“That’s a lie! You’ve been here so long it must have scrambled your brain, Angeal!” Zack shouted. “If Sephiroth can get back so can I!”

Before Angeal could stop him, Zack ran off in search of a way back to Gaia. He could not just let Sephiroth destroy the world they both used to protect.</div>

We'll Carry On, 1/1 (FFVII)

insaneladybug — Thu, 29 May 2008 03:20:49 GMT

Title: We'll Carry On
Author/Artist: LuckyLadybug
Final Fantasy part (FF VII, FF VIII, etc): FFVII
Prompt: Desperate
Rating: K/G
Characters/Pairings: Sephiroth, Angeal Hewley
Word count (for fics): 2,770
Warnings: Perhaps mild spoilers if anyone hasn't watched the trailers for Crisis Core. No spoilers beyond chapter 2/early chapter 3 of the game.

Cross-posted to ladybug_tales and http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4285788/1/

Final Fantasy VII
We'll Carry On
By Lucky_Ladybug

Notes: The characters are not mine and this fic is. It takes place between chapters 2 and 3 of Crisis Core, and I don't think there's really any spoilers. I'm just filling in some blanks. I was talking with Kaze about the events in those chapters and the idea of this fic came to me. I decided to combine it with another old idea that was previously unsuccessful. I've noticed how conflicted and confused Angeal behaves through the game, once he leaves with Genesis, and I have attempted to portray that here.

Sephiroth frowned, staring down at the sheet of paper on the desk in front of him. Ever since it had come he had sat there, regarding it in abhorrence and loathing as he had tried to determine what to do about it. No decision fully satisfied him, and that in itself was a testament to how different this assignment was. Normally he would never refuse a mission. But now he was actually considering it.

It was an order to accompany Tseng to Banora, in search of Angeal and Genesis. The intention was to find them and attempt to convince them to return to SOLDIER, but if it failed there would not be any course of action except either to capture or kill them.

And it would fail. They would not be coming back.

Sephiroth did not make such a prediction blindly; he knew it was the truth.

He had not had the chance to tell Zack, but he had encountered Angeal during their stay in Wutai, almost immediately following the war's end. Unable to sleep, he had been patrolling the perimeter of their camp when he had heard a movement in the nearby brush. Then he had drawn his sword, pointing it at the foliage as he had demanded to know who was there. But he had never expected the answer.

"Sephiroth. It's me."

The silver-haired man froze, his eyes narrowing. "After the way you abandoned your protégé, you have the gall to come here?" he said, his tone filled with ice.

Angeal was silent for a moment. He was still half-hidden by the brush, but now that Sephiroth knew he was there, he could faintly see the other's outline. The mako eyes gleamed in the night, and a flicker of regret passed through the turquoise orbs.

". . . Genesis had been trying to convince me to come with him for a long time," he said at last. "Before he even left SOLDIER, he told me he was planning to do it. And after he left . . . he contacted me more than once." He met Sephiroth's eyes. "I know I shouldn't have left Zack that night. I didn't know he would have to fight Ifrit all by himself. He was just lucky that you came through for him."

"His mentor should have been the one to save him." Sephiroth's tone had not lightened. Yes, he was hurt and angry that they had left, but what bothered him the most was the timing of Angeal's departure. Of course it would have let Zack down to find Angeal gone at any point, but for it to have been right in the middle of battle was much worse. They had not found Sephiroth then, so Zack had been all alone. Sephiroth had only stumbled across Zack's predicament by chance.

"You always spoke of pride and honor," Sephiroth continued. "Wasn't it you who was upset when Genesis and I were reckless? And yet you disregarded Zack when he needed you, an act not in keeping with pride or honor. That isn't like you."

Angeal sighed. "You're right. It isn't." He paused. "I don't know why I did it. I was undecided on whether to leave SOLDIER, torn between my duty and my heart."

"And Genesis won."

"That isn't how it was," Angeal frowned.

"Then maybe you would like to explain to me how it was," Sephiroth said. The way it seemed to him, Genesis had called and Angeal had answered, unable to refuse someone who had been his best friend since childhood.

Angeal opened his mouth, then closed it and shook his head. "You know what Shinra's done to us, to all of us," he said. "You, also, are burdened with their scars. Genesis couldn't stand it any longer. And I . . ." He sighed. "I don't know what I think. I'm still trying to find myself, and my dreams."

"There are no dreams." Sephiroth's voice was still frosty, but now a bit of weariness had seeped into it.

"Sephiroth . . ." Now Angeal looked honestly concerned for him. There was a bitterness in Sephiroth's voice that Angeal had not heard for some time.

Sephiroth shook his head. "The entire Shinra army, and SOLDIER, are looking for you and Genesis," he said. "If they find you and can't convince you to return, you know what's going to happen." He gripped the hilt of the Masamune.

Yes, Angeal knew. "Then we will die with our pride intact."

"And what will you have accomplished?" Sephiroth asked.

"What will you?" Angeal returned, quietly and simply.

Sephiroth looked away. The problem was not that he could not understand why they had deserted SOLDIER. The main problem went far deeper. If they had truly left because of what Angeal had said, then on some level he understood. But he was not so certain that it was the explanation, at least for Angeal. He had gathered that his own suspicions were closer to the truth. It seemed to him that Angeal's confusion stemmed from whether to continue following in Genesis's path or whether his own mindset differed from Genesis. He could not decide. And that concerned Sephiroth. Angeal needed to be certain of his own convictions, not to blindly repeat Genesis's motives and allow his will to be bent by his old friend. Angeal did not hold anything against Sephiroth personally, and maybe not against the SOLDIER organization at all. But he was helping Genesis with his plans.

And Sephiroth could not stand to see what Genesis had become---so bitter and angry. He did not only despise Shinra and SOLDIER, but Sephiroth himself, for reasons completely unrelated to the fact of him working for SOLDIER. He had become so jealous of Sephiroth that it had twisted his reasoning. Maybe it was illogical, but Sephiroth had to wonder if that was also a factor in what he was doing. He did not believe Genesis would do all of this just to spite him, but it could be that in a part of that tortured and twisted mind Genesis had wanted to rebel against Sephiroth because Sephiroth was recognized as the hero and Genesis felt he did not deserve it. And since Genesis felt that Shinra and all it stood for was evil, maybe he thought that he would become the hero by toppling it.

Sephiroth was afraid for both of them.

". . . Why did you come here?" he asked.

"I don't know." Angeal looked tired. "Maybe I wanted to see how Zack is doing. . . . And you."

"Zack misses you." Sephiroth ignored the last part of Angeal's explanation.

"Yeah . . . I'm sure he does." A brief smirk passed over Angeal's face. "He's a good kid."

"He refuses to believe you've deserted. He wants you to come back."

The smirk faded. "I won't be back."

"I know. But that doesn't stop him from wanting it."

"He's always been persuasive."

"Maybe he could do what I cannot."

Angeal was silent for a long moment. "Maybe."

He looked at his old friend. "Sephiroth. How are you doing?"

"I'm fine." It was an automatic response by now, given with very little, if any, thought before it.

"No. How are you really doing?" Angeal crossed his arms. Sephiroth could fool people with his "I'm fine's", sometimes even Genesis. But it never worked on Angeal.

". . . I'm surviving." Sephiroth was half-facing Angeal. He had learned that he had actually been naive. He had never experienced friendship before Angeal and Genesis had come along, and in some part of his mind he had thought it would last. Instead everything had been falling apart. And he despised himself for ever believing such a fable. He should have known nothing would ever last.

The last time he had ever spoken to Angeal before Angeal's desertion it had been disastrous, and one of the few times they had actually argued. It had cut Sephiroth deeply, even though he had not wanted to admit it. Both he and Angeal, though never actually speaking the words, had said more or less that their friendship could not continue under the circumstances. Sephiroth would not push for its existence against Angeal's will; he had already said to Angeal that they should not let go of anything that had merit or worth, including their friendship. If it had meant anything to either of them, then they needed to keep working at it. And Angeal had said that Sephiroth could not help him any longer. That had been how it was left.

Now Angeal seemed to be indicating that he did not want everything to come apart. He was reaching out to Sephiroth again, and Sephiroth was not certain what to think. He no longer believed that they could retrieve what they had possessed, as long as they were on opposite sides. And yet this felt so natural. In some ways, that fact only made reality hurt all the more.

But in any case, pouring out his heart and soul was not natural, and he did not intend to do it.

"I'm not going to get anything more out of you, am I?" Angeal mused.

"No."

"I didn't think so. You haven't changed."

"Everyone changes." At last Sephiroth turned to face him completely.

"But not about everything." Angeal gave Sephiroth a firm look, filled with deeper meanings. He still considered Sephiroth a friend, even after everything that had happened and in spite of his past words. He was still fond of Zack. And he knew Sephiroth was aching inside over all that had transpired over the last few months.

". . . Genesis still cares about you, too, somewhere deep down."

Sephiroth grunted. "He has a strange way of showing it."

"He's lost his way, too."

"And there's nothing I can do to help him, either, is there."

Angeal sighed. "At this point, no, I don't think you could get through to him."

"What about you?"

". . . I'm trying."

Sephiroth crossed his arms. "Do you agree with his methods?"

"I don't know that, either." Angeal shook his head.

"But you don't try to stop him."

"I'm trying to find what I believe in."

"You should find it soon."

"I know."

Angeal paused. "What do you believe in, Sephiroth?"

"The only thing I could ever believe in---myself." Sephiroth regarded Angeal with an impassive gaze. "If I didn't have that, I wouldn't have anything left."

Angeal nodded. "Still . . . it's a sad existence," he said.

"It's worse to not know what to believe in," Sephiroth answered.

Now Angeal was quiet. "Are you going to tell Zack that I was here?"

"I don't know," Sephiroth said. "Should I?"

"He'd just regret that he wasn't here to see me."

"But he'd know you're alright."

"Do what you think is best. Zack really looks up to you."

Sephiroth shrugged. "He's angry at me for saying that you betrayed us."

Angeal gave a sad smile. "It's true, isn't it?" He nodded in a thoughtful way. "Zack won't stay mad at you forever."

"You sound like you want us to grow close," Sephiroth observed.

"Zack needs a close friend in SOLDIER. So do you."

Sephiroth grunted. "It would never work."

"Oh?" Angeal watched him, not seeming surprised by his declaration. "Why wouldn't it?"

"We're too different." Sephiroth's response was flat and matter-of-fact.

"That's what I thought when Zack was assigned to me," Angeal said. "I didn't think we'd last a day." He smirked. "But the kid's so much like a puppy, he wormed his way in."

Sephiroth smirked too. "And you have that weakness for troublesome puppies and dogs. I, on the other hand, am not a dog person."

"Or a cat person, or a bird person, or any other kind of animal person." Angeal still looked amused. "But Zack isn't a puppy. He just acts like one."

"That's close enough."

Angeal's smirk became a funny sort of smile. "Hasn't he started to grow on you yet?"

Sephiroth looked away. "I'm not going to get attached to any of the SOLDIERs." But Angeal's words were probably true anyway. Zack had such an exasperating way of staying in a person's thoughts and heart, with that cheerful smile and enthusiastic attitude. And his anger had started to disperse as he had begun to idolize Sephiroth once more. Sephiroth did not want to become close to anyone ever again. Yet it was already happening.

"We'll see." Angeal paused. "Will they be noticing you haven't come back yet?"

"Probably." Sephiroth glanced over his shoulder. "Someone may come looking for me soon, even Zack."

Angeal nodded. "I should go." He started to turn, then paused. "You could call for backup if you wanted," he said, "since I'm a renegade now. You could stop me tonight."

"I know." Sephiroth just looked at him. "Get out of here." But then he hesitated. ". . . Take a message to Genesis."

Angeal blinked. "What is it?"

". . . Tell him that he is still cared about." It was fruitless, of course; Sephiroth had said it to Genesis's face without receiving any reaction other than mocking. But if Angeal happened to mention to Genesis that he had seen Sephiroth, somehow Sephiroth wanted Genesis to know that he had been thought of, anyway.

"I will." A vague smile played on Angeal's features, but the emotions it carried were unclear. He turned, disappearing into the brush.

"Take care of yourself," his voice came back.

Sephiroth stood staring after him for a long moment until he turned to return to his tent.

In the present he was still gazing down at the hated sheet of paper.

If he went with Tseng and failed to convince Angeal and Genesis, then he would likely be the one required to fight them. And that could result in them being seriously injured or worse. He clenched a fist. He would not be responsible for their deaths.

Pushing his glasses up on his nose, he opened his email and began to type a reply, one that he had never imagined he would be composing.

Mission refused. Send Second Class Zack Fair.

It was not that he wanted Zack to suffer the same way, being forced to fight his former mentor. It was that Sephiroth had one final shred of hope, and he was placing it in Zack's hands. If Zack went, maybe he would be able to convince Angeal and then Angeal could talk to Genesis and help him. Maybe Zack would not have to fight at all.

Sephiroth had already tried and failed. And a frown came over his features as he realized something.

When it came to this matter, he no longer believed in himself.

He believed in Zack.

He pressed Send. The email would reach Lazard in a matter of moments. And then the executive director would decide what to do. Sephiroth rarely refused an order; in fact, this was probably the first time. He could enforce his rank over Sephiroth and try to make him go, but somehow Sephiroth did not think that he would. Sephiroth had recommended someone else to go in his place, and if he, the General, had that much confidence in the person, then Lazard might agree.

Zack, on the other hand. . . . Zack would be distraught and upset if he received the order to go. And if he knew that Sephiroth had refused the mission, opting to send Zack instead . . . he would not likely understand why. He might never want to see or speak to Sephiroth again.

Sephiroth sighed to himself. He would take that chance.

After all, he had already vowed to not let anyone else get into his heart.

Quina (FFIX): Strange Encounters

shiny_glor_chan — Mon, 26 May 2008 20:11:21 GMT

Title: Strange Encounters
Author/Artist: shiny_glor_chan
Final Fantasy...: IX
Prompt: desperate
Rating: PG/K+
Characters/Pairings: Quina
Word count: 525
Warnings: Crossover with Kingdom Hearts 2. Someone on my FF Crossover Meme asked for Quina in KH-verse, and I felt like delivering. It also fits the prompt since you know Quina’s always desperate for ‘yummies!’

---------------------------

“I thinks I is lost,” Quina muttered, looking around the strange town s/he ended up in.

Quina had wandered away from the main party again, and s/he ended up following a tasty looking shadow into a dark hole with realizing it. Now Quina was lost in a strange town, with no frogs in sight. Quina started to walk, but s/he stopped when trolley almost hit him/her.

“Aiya!” Quina screamed jumping away from the trolley and landing his/her butt. “Moving not-tasty almost hit Quina! Very rude!”

Quina pushed him/herself up from the ground before a yummy smell hit his/her nose. “I smells yummies!”

Quina his/her nose towards a tasty treat ran into something. “Ahh!” Quina exclaimed in unison with the person s/he had ran into.

The person backed away from Quina, dropping a blue popsicle from his hand. Suddenly, a large key appeared in his hand. Quina took out his/her Mythril Fork and held up in an offensive pose. “You want to fight Quina? I will eats you for lunch, chocobo head!” Quina paused. “Maybe you taste like fried chocobo?”

The ‘chocobo head’ choked. “What!? You can talk? The other weird creatures from earlier couldn’t…” the boy backed away. “What are you? What do you want?”

“I is a Qu! I just wants tasty yummies,” Quina answered, lowering the Mythril Fork with a frown. “You is not tasty like fried chocobo?”

The boy’s eyes widened. “No!” he exclaimed, his keyblade dematerializing from his hand. “You’re not going to try and eat me, are you?”

Quina moved toward the boy and sniffed him. “No. You smell human. I no eat humans,” Quina answered taking another sniff of the air, his/her nose leading him/her to the forgotten popsicle on the ground. S/he let her long tongue scoop up the frozen treat from the ground and into his/her mouth, stick and all. “Yum! Salty and sweet! What this called?”

The blond made a face. “A sea-salt popsicle. I’m pretty sure you weren’t supposed to eat the stick let alone eat it off the ground.”

Quina shrugged. “Where I get more of these yummies?” Quina asked, bouncing on the balls of his/her feet.

“Uhhh, there,” the boy pointed to the ice cream stand across the street.

“Thank you, chocobo head!” Quina exclaimed happily s/he began to run across the street.

“My name’s Roxas, not chocobo head!” he yelled before seeing trouble. “Hey! Watch out!” the boy yelled, but it was too late. Quina had been hit by the trolley and had gone flying a few feet.

Roxas ran to see if the Qu was all right, doubting anything could survive a head on collision with a trolley. He was proved wrong when Quina bounced from where s/he had landed angrily. Roxas jumped back as the Qu ran after the trolley.

“I eats you for hitting me!” Quina yelled as s/he ran out of sight, following the trolley.

Roxas rubbed his temples. First crazy giant keys appear in his hand, then a strange red-head starts hitting on him, and now the meeting with Quina. Roxas decided that it just was not his week, and that he would stay in bed tomorrow.</div>

this week's prompts

rocks_not_dead — Sun, 25 May 2008 14:04:52 GMT

Here are this week's new prompts :)

This week, the two prompts are 'fifth wheel' and 'desperate'.

You can pick one or use both, and feel free to post as many fics/art pieces as you like.

Fics can be any length, so long as they're at least 100 words. Your work can be het, slash, character art, anything that takes your fancy, and rated from G to NC-17. Please make sure to label the ratings, we don't want some innocent little siblings to get their minds corrupted. Yet.

You have until Friday 30th May (midnight your time) to get your post in. If you are done, but too late, you can still reply to this post with your work.

Have fun posting! Any questions, feel free to ask us.

Your mods,

papercutperfect and rocks_not_dead aka xchristabelx