Chocobo Farm, 4:00 PM.

The sun started to set, bathing the sky in a stunning mixture of orange and yellow. Mona wiped droplets of sweat from her forehead and took a large gulp from her water bottle. Three interviews back to back with three completely different personalities had been an exhausting and yet interesting experience.

Angeal Hewley, she had noted, was like still water. A very calm and composed man with a very distinct sense of honor. He had taken his time answering each of her questions, very seriously at first but later on more humorously, even making her chuckle a few times. Mona had also been surprised to find out that he liked gardening as a hobby.

Zack Fair was the complete opposite of still water, more like a bubbling hot onsen. Mona could not help but find him endearing. He was a ball of energy that could not sit still for one second, doing countless of squats throughout the interview and answering Mona's questions rapidly and very honestly. Despite being close to becoming a first, Zack still had that enthusiasm of a newcomer, that strong belief that he would become a hero one day.

Genesis Rhapsodos, as expected, had been a bit more of a challenge. He did not really bother to answer any question and just talked about whatever he felt like revealing about himself in a long, drawn-out way. At some point, Mona had decided to just ditch the questions she had prepared and just let him talk - and that he did well. Words streamed out of him like a waterfall, elegantly and fluently like they were written by a poet. Mona recognized many quotes from the famous epos LOVELESS.

Mona hopped from the tree stump she had taken a seat on for a quick break and made her way back to the inn with slow steps. One interview was left and it was the one she feared most.

The interview with Sephiroth.

She had not determined the order of her interviewees beforehand, deciding to let the soldiers decide amongs themselves. The fact that Sephiroth has chosen to be last told her that he was reluctant and perhaps even unwilling to get interviewed by her. That thought both made her nervous and a bit upset. Her wish had been to relieve him of the burden on his shoulders that she had seen so clearly during the meeting last week. But what if she was doing the opposite? What if she was just adding a new burden by making him do things he was uncomfortable with?

She absolutely did not want that. Because what was the purpose of doing all this if not to help him?

Mona approached the small inn and was surprised to see Sephiroth already standing outside in front of the entrance.

"O-oh you are here already. Perfect." She stammered nervously. "Uhm ... I let everyone choose the place of the interview today so you may lead the way if you want to."

Sephiroth seemed to ponder for a while before his eyes settled on somewhere behind Mona. Fixing his gaze on whatever it was that he saw, his feet started to move and he started to walk.

"This way then." He spoke and Mona followed him without hesitation.

After a quick walk (thankfuly, because she had a hard time keeping up with his long legs) Sephiroth stopped in front of the fenced-in area in the centre of the farm where a few Chocobos were resting and munching on their greens. Sephiroth leaned his weight against the fence and crossed his arms, something she had noticed him doing a lot.

"So before we begin ... how would you like for me to address you? We ditched the Sir and Mr. with the others before but that does not mean we have to do the same. I am fine with everything you suggest."

"Do as you please."

"Okay then ... Sephiroth." She smiled. "One more question before we begin." She bit her lip. "Are you comfortable doing this?"

He looked away, seemingly tightening the grip around himself. "It is a work order, so it needs to be done. Whether I am comfortable with it or not does not matter in this context."

"It does to me." Mona said with certainty in her voice. "I don't like the concept of forcing people to do things they don't want to with the excuse that it's the only way to get whatever it is done. That is ... mostly just a lie that is being fed to us. So it is important to me that you are doing this willingly."

He paused. "What makes you think that I am not comfortable in the first place?"

"I ... I am not trying to assume anything but your reaction in the meeting room as well as the fact that you have chosen to be the last one to be interviewed made me guess so."

Sephiroth's expression looked like he had been caught. He looked at her for a few seconds, then turned his head and chuckled, shaking his head. "Fine then. I admit I don't like giving interviews or talking about myself."

"You don't like being the centre of attention. Is that it?"

He got quiet for a bit, as if contemplating his next words. "I don't have much to say about Soldier. It is just what I have known all my life."

"I understand." Mona nodded and went to lean against the fence as well. "You cannot talk about it like a dream that has come true because it has never been a dream to you in the first place. It has always been your reality. That is the difference between you and the other soldiers."

He did not say anything and Mona joined in on his moment of silence, one that strangely did not feel that uncomfortable.

"You know." She started. "My idea was to highlight the people behind Soldier. Like who are you all when you are not ... going on missions? What does Sephiroth like to do in his freetime? I think that is what would interest people more."

"Free...time." He repeated, as if she had just dropped the most complicated term he had ever heard on him. "I don't really have anything like that."

"You mean, you never really have a day off?"

"No."

"Does that not make you feel ... exhausted?"

"No." He admitted, chuckling. "I guess I am not that relatable after all."

She took a good look at him. There was something about the way he stood there, staring at the ground instead of the beautiful sky above them. There was something about the way his voice had sounded when he had spoken those words, a mix of bitterness and sadness laced in it.

Mona found herself unable to look away. He was beautiful, bathed in warm lights like this. But he also looked broken. For the first time since she had started to admire him, Sephiroth looked fragile to her.

Not like a great war hero but like an actual person.

She struggled to find the right words to answer him.

"Don't ... Don't say that. I am sure there is-"

It happened within seconds.

One moment, she had been holding the recording device and in the other it had been snatched away.

Mona shrieked, startling Sephiroth who just looked at her with a puzzled expression.

"He took away my recording device!" She cried accusingly, pointing at a naughtly Chocobo. "All of today's interviews are saved on there. Oh my God!"

Mona tried to climb over the fence but was too scared to approach the animal that hissed at her, still holding the device in its beak.

"What if he eats it?" Mona said, panicking.

"He won't eat it." Sephiroth reassured her in a calm voice. "But Chocobos tend to be a bit stubborn by nature, so he probably won't just give it back."

She whined. "Is there really no way?"

Sephiroth pondered for a bit before answering. "We need to distract him. Go to the farmer and ask him for some greens. Usually, Curiel greens are the best kind but Mimett greens should suffice in this case. Hurry, I will keep an eye on it in the meantime."

She nodded frantically. "Mimett greens. Got it! I will be right back!"

Mona ran as if she ran for her life, missing the amused expression on Sephiroth's face as he watched her leave.