Chapter 62: A Lost Puppy

One boy who had the dreams of being the hero looked all over Midgar's streets. "Oh wow, back then this place have another floor entirely according to the news. And what the hell is that? It's so goddamned cute!" Zack looked at the meowfficers and their more home friendly counterparts. (pic)

He was looking like a total country bumpkin, wearing baggy linen pants and some worn out shoes because of his journey. He wasn't exactly living in poverty back home, but villages that far away from civilization don't have access to high quality cloths.

Zack then went up to a random person. "Hello! Can you please tell me where Shinra is located? I just came here and I wanted to test my chances." Zack sheepishly scratched his head and was a bit embarrassed due to being out of place.

"Oh my, so young but you wanna go there already? I guess the new president of Shinra has this charisma about him." The old lady smiled and thought that Zack was so ambitious. "It's right over there sonny, see the huge building over there?" The lady pointed at a massive tower with Bismarck floating besides it.

"Ohh! Thanks lady!" Zack immediately ran there and the old lady wished him success. After running for a few minutes, he arrived in front of the HQ of the new Shinra and was surprised that people can just walk in.

With his rucksack on his shoulders, Zack entered the place and went to the receptionist who was a lady and a meowfficer. "Hello! Good morning, I am Zack Fair." Zack introduced himself as a polite country boy would.

"Why hello, what is it that you need in Shinra today?" The lady asked and Zack gathered his courage. "I want to join SOLDIER! Can you please tell me the requirements for joining?" Zack was serious and his desire to join was apparent.

"Hmmm, I guess we can check. How about it Nyansuke?" The lady looked at the meowfficer and the cat somersaulted in front of Zack from the counter, surprising him with its agility. Nyansuke started patting all over Zack's body and stared at him for a while.

"W-what's it doing?" Zack was confused and the lady chuckled. "Nyansuke's our expert in checking if you are physically able to join SOLDIER." She explained and the cat nodded while looking over him in several angles.

Zack then got nervous, thinking that his application to SOLDIER actually was up to a fluffy cat. "Nyan~ nya!" Nyansuke started writing on his little notebook and it said that Zack should come back when he reaches the age of 15 or if he trains a bit more.

"You heard it, you're going to need a bit more physical strength or age naturally so you will develop more. SOLDIER is a prestigious group, congratulations. Majority of the people simply do not have the specs to enter whatever they do you know?" The lady explained.

He was feeling complicated right now. Happy that he could enter SOLDIER, but it will take a few more years or he needs to train. And the problem with that is Zack simply does not have the funds to live in Midgar until he could do both of those.

Zack travelled for months from his hometown to Midgar. And it definitely took a huge blow to his savings that he saved his whole life. "T-thanks." Zack replied, slowly exiting the building.

"Oh man, what the hell am I gonna do now?" Zack thought of his situation and was quite worried. He then shook his head and made a guts pose. "No! I'm already super lucky! Nyansuke told me I can enter SOLDIER! That means I can go in with just those conditions." Zack got fired up and would look for work first so he could stay in Midgar.

He wandered around and looked for ads first, a flying piece of paper then hit him on the face while trying to find some jobs. "Amph! What the hell!?" He was about to crumple it and throw it in the trash, but he saw that it was an ad.

"Help needed in the agricultural areas..." Zack's eyes shimmered as he thought that was perfect. And it had a great ratio of work to gil. Every bundle he was able to harvest would be turned into 100 gil. And it was with the help of machines too.

"Oh yeah! SOLDIER, just wait for me! I'm going to be a hero!" Zack went to the place and took the paper with him. The place accepted when they did a small background check on him. And it was also because he was from the countryside.

"Hey kid, you're in luck. Ifalna and Aerith will be here. They're one of the backbones of the entire world. You'll be swimming in gil after you're done with your job." The guy that was in charge laughed and gave him a thumbs up.

"One of the backbones of the entire world? Wow, they must be awesome. I wonder what they are like? Wait, maybe I can get some stories from them about Ramiel and Alexandra!" Zack thought he was really getting lucky and started his job.

They began harvesting the crops and with a bit of teachings from the vets, he was able to start his harvesting spree. But when the place got cleaned out, what happened next shocked him. The crops started growing at a visible pace and the massive fields they harvested were once again full of ripe plants.

"Wow! What was that?" Zack was in awe and his team chuckled at his reaction. "Midgar is the world's number one in produce kid. We export everything all year round. From fruits, vegetables, grain. Anything that grows on the ground. So come on and get off your ass, we got money to harvest!"

Everybody cheered and Zack started running around so they could harvest as much as they could before Ifalna and Aerith return to HQ. They boost the harvest once every week and export it all around the world.

That's why there were an ever growing demand for workers that harvest the crops. And they pay good money too. After a few hours of running around to gather as much as they could. Zack was exhausted, it was like a minigame that tested his efficiency to the limit.

He then saw everyone starting to gather in one place, so he checked it out. "Woah, who are those pretty ladies?" Zack asked one of the people around him. "You haven't been here before kid? That's the mother and daughter of the planet. Aerith and Ifalna, lots of people all over the world come here because of them."

Zack smiled and went up to them because the people were quite a bit shy in interacting with the duo. "Hi! I'm Zack!" He greeted and Aerith looked at him with a smile. "Hello~ I'm Aerith you know? This is my mom Ifalna."

"My, my, what a pretty energetic child." Ifalna gave a soft smile and Zack rubbed his nose with a smile. "Hey, do you have any stories on what Ramiel and Alexandra are like? I want to enter SOLDIER, so I want to know more about their work ethic."

He made a guts pose and Aerith was all too excited to talk about them. "Ahh, Ramiel-nii and Alexandra-nee's work huh? I guess they work all the time? You'll never see them doing nothing." Aerith explained and Zack listened intently.

After they talked for a few minutes, Ifalna looked at the time and thought they have to head back. She then smiled and thought it won't be too much trouble to bring a kid for a tour. As he quite reminded her of Aerith's energetic personality.

"Why not see it for yourself Zack? Come on, let's go." Ifalna offered her hand to him and he was shocked. "For real! You bet I'll come! Please wait for me!" Zack ran away immediately to get his belongings and pay.

Ifalna chuckled and patted Aerith's head. "He's just like you, dear. I do hope he doesn't turn like a pyromaniac like you though." Ifalna laughed and Aerith pouted at her. "It was just one time, mom." She destroyed the simulation room for training once. Using a compound spell in its walls.

Zack then returned with his rucksack and had a wide grin on his face. "I'm ready!" He was really excited. "Okay then, let us go." Ifalna pointed her hand on Zack and he started floating, making him swim on the air pointlessly.

"Don't wet your pants now." Aerith commented with a giggle as they flew to the skies. Making Zack scream from the sudden acceleration. "Poor kid, I hope he doesn't shit his pants or something." His boss earlier smiled.

They quickly arrived at the top floor of the HQ and they made Zack have a little shower because he was dirty. When he finished dressing up, he saw Aerith changed too and was a bit starstruck. (pic)

"Hmmm, whatcha looking at?" Aerith giggled and poked him on the forehead a bit. "Uhhh, you just looked really pretty." He smiled at her and Aerith was surprised a bit. "Oh you, come on. You'll probably have a seizure when you see Alex-nee then."

They went to a dining room and Zack saw that there were plenty of people there. "Woah, even Angeal and Genesis are here. This is a gathering of celebrities, am I really allowed here?" Zack had second thoughts as he saw their stylish forms.

"Hmmm? Who is he Aerith?" Alexandra noticed that there was a new face and Zack saw the towering Alexandra stare at him with her blood red eyes. "Uhhh, hello ma'am! I'm Zack Fair. I came to Midgar to be a part of SOLDIER. But Nyansuke told me I need a bit more training or age more."

Zack got really nervous, even trembling a bit after seeing one of the heroes he admires. "Really? That's high praise coming from Nyansuke, come here boy." Alexandra beckoned him and he froze in his tracks.

"Where's your energy Zack? Got cold feet? Alex-nee won't bite you, you know?" Aerith teased him and giggled at his nervousness. "Hey, it's not my fault she's... Intimidating." Zack whispered, but Aerith gave him a heart attack with her next words.

"She can hear you, you know? We all can, even if you whisper a mile away." Aerith laughed and he went deathly pale. Alexandra chuckled though and took it in stride. "No offense taken boy." She walked up to him and lifted him up by his head.

"Nyansuke's right, you're pretty good. You just lacked training due to being in the countryside I assume?" Alex looked at his clothes and it reminded her of Nibelheim's people when they were kids.

"Uhhh yes." Zack felt weird that she picked him up like that. Like something was awakening inside of him. "Go to the SOLDIER department later and tell them that I accepted you into the program, you've got a future kid. Maybe even a 1st class."

Alexandra dropped him on the ground and Zack went wide eyed at her words. Alexandra mellowed out through the years. As she has received her one true wish a few years ago. She even conquered her separation anxiety and went on missions with Genesis and Angeal.

"You're lucky, kid. Back then, she won't even look at your way." Angeal patted him on the back and smiled at him. "R-really? Thanks Alexandra! You're the best!" Zack cheered and Genesis chuckled. "She would've asked you in a trial by combat probably." Genesis teased Alex and she gave him the stink eye.

"What? You got accepted in SOLDIER. He's still applying, I think it's standard to beat your ass to shape you twink. Eat some meat or drink milk, or Angeal will rip your ass." Alexandra quipped back and Angeal smiled wryly as they started quarreling.

"Don't mind them, they're just like that." Angeal explained to Zack as he tilted his head. "What's a twink?" He asked and Angeal froze. "Uhhh, it's a body frame... Genesis is slim you see? That's why Alexandra said I beat him in physical strength."

Angeal saved their asses as he broke into a cold sweat, cursing in his mind that they don't mince their words around kids. They then looked towards the door as the rest of the people came inside.

Tifa who was wearing a cowboy outfit and Cloud who is still learning to be in the military entered the premises with Vincent and Ramiel. (pic)

"Hmmm, you took in a pretty interesting kid Ifalna, Aerith." Ramiel smiled at Zack and he saluted on his own. "At ease. We're just having some lunch." Ramiel laughed and they sat down. Zack was definitely surprised that tons of food were being hauled in.

"Ramiel-nii, when will we go on missions as well?" Tifa looked at him expectantly as they were being introduced to the military of Shinra the past year. "Hmmm, you and Cloud go with me. While Alexandra goes with Genesis and Angeal." Ramiel thought it was time.

"Really? Yes!" Cloud was excited to kick some ass, he even requested a buster sword just like Angeal's. Admiring his style of fighting. "What? Why do we have to go with her?" Genesis whined and Alex glared at him.

"That's my line, twink! Nii-sama! Why can't I go with you?" Alexandra frowned deeply and sulked. "Shush, you'll definitely make them all go on their own while you watch on the sidelines. It's too dangerous for them to be with you." Ramiel snickered and she got depressed.

"Hmph, fine. But you better keep up twerps." Alexandra teased Genesis and Angeal as she was much taller than them. "That's our line, me and Angeal have the best synergy, you'll be useless for sure." Genesis nodded and she started calling them out in their gay relationship once again.

"Wow, they're so lively. I didn't expect everyone to be this down to earth." Zack smiled and Ramiel grinned at him. "I heard Alexandra wanted you to be in SOLDIER? Then how about we test you to the limit?"

He knew of Zack's role in Crisis Core and he was a hard working guy that managed to become a hero. No G cells, no excessive Jenova cells, mostly just pure hard work and motivation all throughout his depressing life. Which he powered through until the end.

"Me? E-excuse me. But I don't know a thing or two about fighting." Zack was honest and even his confidence can't power through the anxiety of fighting things that SOLDIER were tasked to do.

"Ehh, it's fine. He'll make a SOLDIER out of you." Tifa shrugged while Cloud and Aerith nodded. Having some smirks on their faces. They will definitely enjoy him being trained by him.

"How about us though?" Vincent and Ifalna wanted to do something too so they won't just stay idle. "You know the drill, Vin-chama will know. Ifalna will be a great partner too, seeing as he can't for the life of him use white magic." Ramiel appointed them to a team.

"It's not my fault. And I can still use Materias." Vincent frowned a bit. Ifalna then patted him on the back and smiled wryly. Thinking he was a bit pitiful due to his children being too excellent.

They will be tracking down Lucrecia, as Vincent might have stabilized greatly with Minerva cells. But the protomateria on him that's related to Chaos and Omega still needed more information that Lucrecia has. Research about it was taken down, she was their only lead on it if they don't have access to Hojo.

"Yosh, let's go and do our own thing then." They finished their lunch and Ramiel lead Zack to the lab so he could give him some Minerva cells a bit. He would be a pain in the ass for Aerith, Cloud, and Tifa if he was too weak after all.

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Thanks for reading everyone, ciao.