She suddenly remembers something. “Angeal weren’t you in the middle of cooking lunch!”

 

Sephiroth chuckles with her, he was glad to see she had a solid sense of humor. He laughed even harder at Angeal’s ‘Oh shit!’ before he scrambled out of the fort and rushed back to the kitchen. He laid down on the floor as his laughter ebbed, “Oh I needed this. I always miss everyone when I have to go on missions by myself.”

 

Angeal heard him from the kitchen and couldn’t resist baiting him, “Well, if you love us so much, why don’t you marry us?” He’d gotten back to the kitchen just in time to save the stir fry from burning, so he was in a good mood.

 

Sephiroth snorted, “We are married! All of us are married to our work and we all do the same thing!”

 

“Eww, does that mean we’re polygamists? Or that ShinRa Inc. is? ...hmmm, things to ponder.” Angeal’s voice floated to them along with the smells of lunch.

 

Sephiroth was laughing so hard he had to curl up on his side because his stomach hurt so much.

 

Xeria can’t help but laugh right along with Sephiroth. “I can’t imagine being married to ShinRa would be any fun at all. The man is ugly as fuck.” She jokes.

 

Sephiroth snorted and shook his head laughing into the carpet, “We are definitely keeping this one.”

 

“I know right?” Was Angeal’s answer from the kitchen, “How did your mission go Seph?”

 

“It went well, Kalm should be monster free for a while.” Sephiroth answered as he finally got his laughter under control.

 

“That’s good, lunch is ready, Seph, you wanna come help me transport it to the fort?” Angeal was busy plating the stir fry and pouring iced tea into glasses.

 

With a long suffering sigh Sephiroth rolled out of the fort and walked into the kitchen, he grabbed up two plates and headed back to the opening of the fort and set them down. Angeal came by with the last plate and one of the glasses so Sephiroth went back for the remaining two. They finagled their way inside with the food and drinks and handed them out. “Smells good, let’s eat!”

 

Xeria hides her face in a pillow so they can open the entrance to the fort a little wider to make transporting the food inside a bit easier. Her eyes are not quite as sensitive as the day before but still sensitive enough that the light hurts.

 

She takes one of the plates and smiles. “Thanks so much for making Lunch, Angeal. Oh and I’m glad you think I’m worthy of keeping around, General.” She says giving a small mock bow to Sephiroth.

 

“Really though. I appreciate you guys trying to make me feel welcome. You two, Zack and Genesis have all treated me so wonderfully and I really appreciate it.” She says sincerely before quickly starting to eat, a bit embarrassed by her sudden heartfelt confession.

 

“Of course.” Sephiroth smiled over at her before he began eating his own lunch.

 

Angeal nodded in agreement, “As I said the day before yesterday, you are one of us now.”

 

Xeria beams, unable to hide how truly happy it makes her to be considered one of their little group.

 

She hadn’t had many friends back in her village always sticking with her older brother and his friends since they were nice to her and didn’t bully her about her looks the way the kids her age did.

 

This is the first time where she really feels like she’s found a group that she can properly belong to.

 

“Uuhh! So full~.” Sephiroth lays down on the floor again as he finishes his food.

 

“It’s bad for your stomach to eat that fast you know.” Angeal commented offhandedly before turning to Xeria, “How are you feeling today, by the way?”

 

Sephiroth stuck his tongue out at him and made himself comfortable, grabbing a pillow to shove under his head.

 

Xeria chuckles, having never expected to see the great silver general act so childishly. “I’m feeling better. The light doesn’t hurt quite as badly though it does still hurt.”

 

“That’s good.” Angeal finished his own food and set their plates and glasses outside the fort.

 

“I would say being light sensitive is the worst,” Sephiroth began, “But Zack gets over sensitive hearing... I really don’t think I could handle that. With light I can just block it out or be somewhere where there isn’t any. But sound? Can’t really get away from that.”

 

“Yeah, he has a hard time with his shots.” Angeal frowned recalling how he generally had to leave the Pup home alone after his shots, the boy texting him when he was hungry and Angeal would bring him take out because actually cooking would be far too loud.

 

Xeria frowns at hearing about that. “It sounds awful. I can’t imagine how bad it must be to go through that.” She replies.

​

Speaking of Zack they hear him entering the apartment and announcing his arrival home from classes.

 

“Heh, just in time to miss lunch.” Sephiroth called out to him.

 

Zack stopped just inside the door, “What!?? You can’t be serious!”

 

Angeal had to calm his laughter before he could answer, smacking Sephiroth on the arm and shaking his head with a smirk. “There’s a plate for you on the counter Pup.”

 

“YES! You’re the best ‘Geal!” Zack’s heavy footfalls could be heard sprinting around the fort and into the kitchen. A few moments later they came back much slower, “I’ll alright if I come in?”

 

“Yes, you may. I think you’ll have to scoot over here General, so that Zack has room,” Xeria tells Sephiroth referring to the spot next to her near the back of the fort. It’s not exactly made for our people, two being a very muscular man and a very tall one but they can all fit if they squeeze in.

 

Sephiroth does as she says, replying, “You don’t need to call me General when we are off duty. You may call me by my name as you do Angeal and Zack.”

 

She puts on the sunglasses just in time for Zack to open the flap and climb inside. Once he gets settled and puts the flap down, she removes them and responds to Seph, “Alright. I’ll do my best to remember. By the way, thank you Angeal and Zack, for the stories last night. They helped a lot to distract me.”

​

At Sephiroth’s confused looks she explains, “In addition to the light sensitivity, I was feeling really paranoid last night and they told me stories to help keep me distracted. If you guys would like, I can tell you a story. I did say I would tell one after Angeal’s but we all fell asleep instead.”

 

“Yeah! Story-time!” Zack settles in to eat his food excitedly attentive.

 

Angeal nods, “I would enjoy listening to your story.”

 

“Aww, I missed out on stories. Darn, you guys will have to tell me what they were about some time.” Sephiroth pouted a bit, but turned so that he was facing Xeria, “I will gladly listen to one now though.”

 

Xeria nods, beaming, excited for the chance to share with them a story from her home village. Stories were an important part of the village’s culture and this story is one that’s been passed down in her family since the beginning of the village.

 

“Okay, the story I’m about to tell you is old, passed down through my family for many a generation. Listen well so I may pass the story on to you,” she tells them, her voice containing an air of solemnity to it. To share a story from the village with an outside is serious business, and only to be done with those being told are trustworthy and have a bond to the story teller. She had told Genesis already shortly after he’d taken her in as his student and now she will tell the rest of them, as a show of her gratefulness at being accepted into their family.

 

“Long into the past, more than a thousand moons ago, people came to this valley. Long and hard they had traveled, for many moons through the harsh mountain paths to find this peaceful valley protected by the surrounding mountains and forests. They had traveled far, running from those who had nothing but war and violence in their heart, searching for a place where they could live in peace. Their elder, who had been blessed by the moon herself when she was born with hair the color of untouched snow, told them that this is where they would stay and make their new village.

 

The people were unsure due to the harsh cold weather and the dangerous wildlife that roamed the surrounding mountains and the forest. She soothed their fears though, telling them that the moon had told her this was where they were meant to be and that they would adapt and learn to live in this new place in balance with the wildlife. The people of the village trusted her for they believed the moon to be a goddess who watched over them since the beginning and believed those who had been blessed with hair the color of her moonbeams could hear her guidance and show them the way to go. So they began to build their homes, being careful to only take what trees they needed and using every part, saving the seeds to plant new trees come spring.

 

One man chose to build his home further from the rest, near the very edge of the wood whereas the others had chosen to build further away from the trees and closer to the lake and river. His friends told him that he should build closer to the other homes where it would be safer, especially considering the man’s wife would be giving birth to their first child in but a few moons and it would be dangerous for the child being so close to the woods. He ignored them and continued to build there for his wife had wished for their child to grow up closer to the trees which reminded her of the forest she lived in before joining the village.

 

Time passed and the villagers homes were completed and the man’s wife gave birth to a beautiful baby girl, who was blessed by the moon with streaks of silver throughout her raven black hair. The village rejoiced and celebrated the birth of the child. As the child grew she came to be loved by all those who knew her. One the anniversary of her birth, a great party was held in celebration of her living through her first year as was the custom. It was also a celebration of the village surviving its first year of living in this new place and being able to survive the harsh cold and the wolves who sometimes invaded the village in search of food and things to hunt. The man’s home was particularly troubled given its location so close to the forest which the wolves had made their home.

 

The celebration was a grand one with all the villagers gathering in the center of the town with food and music and dancing. It lasted well into the night. Not long after the sun fell though, there was a cry of terror. The wolves had come out of the forest, curious about the noises and light and the smell of food. The people ran for their weapons, ready to defend their homes.

The only one not afraid however, was the baby girl.

 

She approached the wolves on unsteady legs, not noticed by the villagers until she was just in front of the largest wolf, the alpha of the pack. Her mother screamed and tried to rush forward to try and save her baby, only to be held back by a fellow villager, fearful that the mother would be running to her death. The baby girl stepped towards the wolf again but lost her balance, falling forward against the wolf's muzzle which it had lowered to sniff at her. The wolf was surprised but didn’t attack like they’d expected. It supported the girl helping her to stand again and let her pet it. She was amazed at the wolves fur, so soft and plush. The wolf allowed her to feel it’s fur, itself sniffing at her and brushing against her hair with it’s nose and face, causing her to laugh and hug it.

 

The villagers were amazed. The wolf was being gentle with the girl as if she were it’s own pup. Some other wolves approached, most being equally gentle. One swiped at the girl curiously, scratching her arm and causing her to cry. The alpha growled at it and carefully consoled the girl, licking at the shallow wound as if to clean it. The girl’s tears stopped and she nuzzled into the wolf again, hiding her face in the thick fur at it’s neck. She then leaned back and spoke her first word, silver. Clearly she meant it as a name for the wolf and the alpha bowed its head to press it’s forehead to hers in a show of it’s acceptance of the new name. It licked her face and turned her, nudging her back towards her family. Once she was back in her mother's arms, the alpha turned it’s head to the sky and howled. The rest of the pack followed suit and the villagers watch in awe as the pack begins to leave. The last to leave is the alpha Silver. Before turning to leave he bows his front half in a show of respect to the villagers and the girl. He then stands and turns with his pack to disappear into the trees.

 

After checking that the girl was unhurt and that the cut on her arm was not serious, the party resumed. After that day, it became clear that the dynamic between the villagers and the wolf pack had changed, no longer did the wolves attack their crops or livestock, instead it seemed to protect it from other wildlife. When the hunters weren’t able to bring home much meat for the winter, the families in need found deer and other animals outside their doors with bite and claw marks in their flesh. Above all the house on the edge of the forest was protected the most and it became common to see the young girl playing with wolf pups or even grown wolves from the pack as she grew older. It became clear over time that the girl had been accepted by the wolves as a member of the pack and was loved by the wolves. It was clear that a bond had been formed that night.

 

Over the years the girl grew and with her so did her bond. When she was sick, a wolf would always be at her door. When the alpha from her childhood died, the wolves brought her to him and she wept in mourning before burying the wolf properly and making his grave with a stone that shone silver in the moonlight. The pack stilled stayed with her though. When she married they blessed the couple with a felled buck for the wedding feast and when she gave birth to a set of twins with her hair, they stood at her door the whole time she was in labor and showed the same care with the babies as they’d shown to her. Even when she died, they mourned her with the village and the villagers choose to bury her in the clearing in the woods beside the alpha.

 

This became tradition for many generations, with the family always holding a special bond with the pack. Even with those of the family who do not have the distinctive silver streaks in their hair. Those that do however hold a special bond with them that continues to this very day.” She finishes, beaming with pride at having shared the story of her family's history with her new friends. For her to share this story with them shows that she trusts them to keep it to themselves and not spread it around for the stories of her village are special, sacred even to its people especially the stories of one's own family.

 

“That was a beautiful story.” Angeal smiled over at her as she finished, it would seem they all had a thing for wolves... it was no wonder the girl had liked Zack’s story so much.

 

“It was.” Sephiroth agreed, he was rather intrigued by it since both he and Angeal knew the histories of most towns and villages on Gaia. They were kind of history nuts. But he knew there were some where their histories were sacred to them and outsiders weren’t allowed to know. He thought that this might be such a story and was honored the girl felt them worthy of hearing it.

 

“Wolves are awesome.” Zack sighed contentedly with a soft smile on his lips. Suddenly those lips quirked and he looked over at Sephiroth, “My story had wolves in it too... but I just kinda made mine up on the fly. It was kind of about all of us though... well I guess mostly you guys... but still.”

 

Angeal rolled his eyes at his pupil, “It was a pretty good story though... and true for the most part. Mine was also vaguely about us. I didn’t really know what kind of story to tell, so I told one I dream about a lot.”

 

Sephiroth nodded his head, “That makes sense. The one where you and Gen are Dumbapples and I’m a crystal?”

 

“Wait, that’s a dream you have?” Zack was astonished looking from Sephiroth’s knowing smile to Angeal’s nodding head. “You have some weird dreams.”

 

Angeal chuckled, “At least I don’t dream about my food coming back for revenge.”

 

“Hey~!” Zack buried his flushed face in a pillow, “You said you wouldn’t tell anyone.”

 

“Well, you shouldn’t make fun of people then. It’s rude.”

 

Xeria laughs at their interactions. She thoroughly enjoys hanging out with all of them and is forever grateful that she was allowed to be a member of their little group.

 

She smiles gently, glad to be considered a part of their little family. She snorts with laughter at hearing about Zack’s dreams.

 

“Really, Zack? That’s hilarious. If it makes you feel better, there’s this old, really wrinkly old man in my village and I used to dream about his wrinkles talking to me.”

 

Angeal couldn’t hold back his snort at that, earning him a glare from both Sephiroth and Zack. He covered his mouth with his hand an embarrassed flush lighting his face.

 

Zack turned his gaze back to Xeria, “Were you afraid of them? ‘Cause that would be super creepy.” He shuddered slightly just thinking about some old man’s wrinkles talking to him.

 

“The dreams yes, I was terrified but of the man no. He was this lovely old man. He had a beautiful garden that his son helped him care for. They were so nice. Always willing to let the kids play there so long as they were careful of the plants. When their strawberries bloomed they always gave me some of their freshest ones.” She tells him.