Anomaly

Idol-Sama

Zack knew what he was doing was wrong.

Departing without notifying his parents, solely to pursue his aspirations of becoming a hero, was unwise.

However, he couldn't remain in Gongaga; only by joining ShinRa Corp's SOLDIER program in Midgard would he realize his dream.

The raven-haired youth sighed deeply and placed a hand over his mouth as he attempted to slip out undetected.

The prospect of being caught by either parent or worse yet, HIS sister - who despite being two years younger possessed an impressive swing - loomed ominously.

He had dedicated himself to teaching her how to fight so that she wouldn't be relegated to the role of damsel-in-distress; contrary to popular belief, Zack knew that she wasn't fragile like a flower – far from it!

When Dalia was born, she fell gravely ill. The esteemed physician, Old Doc Brown, even feared for her survival. However, he sensed within his sister a tenacious spirit and remained by her side for three days straight, holding her tiny hand and urging her to fight on. Despite the despair in their parents' eyes, Zack refused to give up hope on Dalia's recovery. His unwavering faith was vindicated as she gradually regained strength.

Zack beamed with pride at his little sister's resilience - an indomitable force of nature despite their parents' overprotectiveness.

Therefore, it came as no surprise when he found her waiting for him in front of their home - blue eyes fixed squarely upon him and hands firmly planted on hips - sporting a fierce scowl that only added to her already formidable presence.

"And where do you think are going?", she inquired.

Until his death, he vehemently denied his whining.

"Dali, Lia, my precious songbird-"

"Flattery will not get you anywhere, Zack-Nii!"

"Imoto, please understand. I must go! I cannot become a hero here!"

Dalia scrunched up her adorable nose and let out a huff of frustration.

"You do not seem like much of a hero to me if you run away from home in the middle of the night without so much as a goodbye or letter left for me!"

Now he truly whined; the sight of disappointment on his sister's face was unbearable.

"I'm sorry, Imoto-Chan," Zack began.

"Just stop right there, Zachery," his sister interrupted sharply.

Oh no, he realized with a sinking feeling as she used his full name - this was serious. It seemed that things were not looking good for Zack.

As Dalia made her proclamation, "You have two options before I start screaming for Ma and Pa! Option one: turn around and get inside; never try to leave me again. Option two: leave a goodbye letter and we will go."

The older boy couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"We?!" He almost shouted but caught himself in time; there was no need to wake up the whole neighbourhood or alert their parents.

His little sister nodded vigorously, causing her spiky locks to bounce - another shared trait between them - while pointing at a bag by her feet. "If you go, I go! We are a team Nii-Chan! I won't be separated from you. You are the only person who treats me like an equal rather than some sick child."

"You're not sick; you're strong and clever- how did you manage to escape before me?" Zack complimented her with a grin.

Dalia grinned back mischievously. "I had an excellent teacher who sometimes makes questionable decisions."