_Three Hour Tour_

*ff7 zack ficbit*

"All right. I'll admit, you were moderately successful with the new coffee machine."

Sephiroth didn't bother to look up at the non-sequitor. After sitting a solid hour in silence, it was a given that the man would surrender his argumentative mood eventually, if only because he was tired of being ignored. The general studied a small diagram with interest before turning the page to his book, churning through the text at a steady pace.

"... and that time you figured out how to swap the fuses on the busted radio, that was pretty cool..."

Marking his place with his thumb he glanced up to see what the dark haired SOLDIER was talking about. Zack was slouched against the rail on other side of the narrow barge's deck staring at the stars with a doubting expression. A reply wasn't required yet. He probably had another fifteen minutes of 'stoic silence' left before his friend started to whine, or resorted to physical violence in order to get his attention.

Their little boat wasn't doing all that well. The storm that had swept in had almost sunk her completely. Instead, the wind and wild seas had simply stripped her of all her cargo, half her decking, her entire command cabin, and all but one fever-wracked crewman.

Thinking about their unusual predicament didn't help his mood. The general bent to his task with a sigh, letting his second carry on his musings by himself. The little water-logged manual was actually fascinating. He resolved to read it again when they were back on land and not quite as pressed for time. A diagram on the next page resolved two questions at once in a most satisfactory manner.

His little noise of satisfaction did not go unnoticed. Zack stretched his leg out to kick his foot lightly.

"... Damn it, Sephiroth. I don't care how good you are at reading instructions! A man _cannot_ teach himself navigation from a damn book!"

"... If you have a better idea, I'd be delighted to hear it." Picking up the small measuring instrument, he scanned the sky for a particular set of stars mentioned in the book and counted two to the right. "... how's your patient?"

"Still hallucinating." The wild-haired man gave up on star-gazing in favor of contemplating the expanse of featureless ocean they were surrounded by. Sephiroth didn't bother to look, having seen too much of it already.

"The rudder?"

"Functional enough, the hydraulics are out but we have muscle enough that it isn't an issue." The southerner replied dryly. "I rigged up a sort of tiller out of a spare crank-shaft."

"... and the engine is fine so long as we stop to bail every now and again." He summarized what they already knew. Having no scrap paper, he was forced to scribble some quick numbers in the margin of the book as he did the calculations required. The answer was quite elegant really.

Tucking the book in his pocket he stood carefully on the wet deck. "... We were pushed a decent distance by the storm. We'll have to go northwest to reach land."

Zack stared at him a long moment, clearly trying for doubt, disbelief, and finally settling on amused acceptance. "... If you say so."

Even limping along as they were, dawn brought a distinctly steady smudge on the horizon. Sephiroth allowed himself a brief gloat as the profile resolved into a vaguely familiar set of irregular mountains. It was hard not to with his subordinate's stunned expression so easy to read. "... I think there may be something to this sailing business after all."

"I don't fucking believe it... Tell me you were pulling my leg and knew what you were doing all along...?"

"Nope." He leaned against their make-shift tiller. "But it was all just algebra. Anyone with an accurate watch, compass, and this... 'thing', could do it."

Zack sighed and took the mystifying little measuring device off his hands, turning it over in his fingers as if appreciating it for the first time. "I think it's called an astrolabe, actually."

"Hmmm."

"Alright. I give up. You win, you're a fucking genius." The dark tanned soldier snorted and handed the item back. "Now are you going to help me bail this stupid tub out again? Or do you prefer swimming home?"

*****