DISCLAIMER- I do not own FFVII, Zax Fair, or any of the involved characters.

Just an interpretation of the game "Crisis Core" (FFVII series, involving Zax Fair, Sephiroth, and Cloud Strife from 'Advent Children').

Ficlet.

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Once upon a time, there were three friends:

One stood for honor, one stood for power, and one stood for perfection.

Then there was a Soldier.

And before Zax's eyes, the fairy tale he had never known degraded. Soldiers were monsters, they had told him.

Soldiers were inhuman, and had no place in fairy tales.

And that's how the story ends, as far as they were concerned.

But for Cloud, Zax was more than a Soldier.

He had become something great - something Cloud only dreamt about, when he was lucky; with his Maiko poisoning and eyes never as blue as a Soldier's.

And Zax was strong - stronger than any fairy tale ending.

Zax stood against an army,

stood against gunfire and military helicopters and, for what it's worth,

stood up for Soldiers who weren't monsters.

He even stood up for Soldiers who weren't Soldiers at all.

Once upon a time, there were three monsters:

One still stood for honor, despite his running away;

One stood for remembrance, and vowed to return no matter the cost;

And one stood for suffering - the kind of suffering a life of lies might inflict.

Then there was a Hero.