The loud drone of the Glenika's engines were amplified by it's metal hull, making any small talk with the recruits that accompany me on the long flight all but impossible. My legs were still shaking from the first nervous steps onto the aircraft, but now all I can focus on was the promise I had made to Tifa as I looked out of the small, circular window and into the star filled sky.. I would achieve my childhood dream and become a first class SOLDIER.. A hero.
It felt like hours had past since my eyes found anything noteworthy to focus on, and my legs had gone numb on the aluminum bench I was strapped to. My eyes were ready to succumb to sleep when I spot the first rays of a cerulean sunrise on the horizon. Frowning in curiosity, my focus on the strange light is rewarded with the first sight of the great city of Midgar.
No story about the great empire the Shinra electric power company had built could ever come close to describing the sheer size of the colossal structure that grew in size and detail with every passing second. It was a beacon of progression that was a welcome change to the stale town I had grown up in, and I couldn't wait to make my mark upon it.
"Five minutes 'til touch down! You're all to line up at the end of the runway with other incoming recruits, where you'll be sorted into barracks!" A soldier in pristine blue uniform barks over the engine drone.
Sure enough, after a few minutes the Glenika lands with a brief screech of it's tires followed by harsh deceleration which turns my stomach to the point that I'm silently begging my insides not to vomit everywhere. That would be very unbecoming of a future Soldier member, I tell myself as the door opens and the cold, January air fills the aircraft.
I unbuckle my seatbelt, noting for the first time how stupid of a safety feature it would be on an aircraft, and stand on unsteady legs. One by one, we file out of the Glenika and onto a brightly lit runway that was lined with red, flashing beacons. There must have been three hundred men and a handful of women that were attempting to get into some sense of formation. The three Captains in red and the Major in green scowled at our disorganization.
I look around in awe at the sheer size of everything and breathe in the air that had an industrial, metallic scent to it; almost like blood. Taking in the vastness of it all, I find myself watching the cerulean vapour rising from the nearest reactor. It was only then that I remind myself that I'm stood on a floating plate, hundreds of feet above the old city below.
"Listen up!" One of the Captains shouted, silencing the group for the Major to speak.
"I am Major Grey, and you are all here today because you have chosen to join the most powerful, well respected army the world has ever seen! Over the coming months we will mould you into the men we need to further the Shinra company's goals and maintain the peace and prosperity that President Shinra has blessed us with! I shall now hand you over to Captain MacMillan, who will instruct you going forward!" The Major in the green suit barks, before turning on his heels and leaving.
"Alright, listen carefully!" Captain MacMillan begins, "there are three Barracks for new recruits. Block A, B and C. If you are below the age of sixteen, you will head to block A with me. If you are sixteen to twenty one, you will head to block B with Captain Jackson. Everyone else will head to block C with Captain Price."
The second that the Captain finished talking he began to leave the runway, leaving me and several others unsure if we should follow him. I look around to find the people around me wearing the same indecisive expression when a girl with pale pink hair marches past me, shaking her head and tutting in annoyance. With nothing to loose, I follow her towards the Captain, telling myself every step I take was a step closer to joining SOLDIER.
The walk to the barracks was a short one and I spent most of it staring up at the central Shinra building. I couldn't wait for the day that I'd be stood side by side with Sephiroth, receiving orders from the President himself. Hopefully we'd be sent to Nibelheim and Tifa could see me for the hero I promised to be and not the awkward boy who couldn't fit in.
"This is Block A. It will be your home for the foreseeable future," the Captain begins as he leads us inside. "The first floor contains the mess hall, gym, basic armoury as well as my office. Up those stairs is your dorms and bathrooms. Eight bunks per room, men on the left and women on the right. As usual, there only seems to be a handful of women, so you can either share a single room or you can take one individually," he continues, earning a grumble from some of the boys around me. "You've all travelled far and from different places, so I suggest you get some sleep. Five AM wakeup call tomorrow. Anyone not awake, presentable and lining the corridor by the time I finish my coffee and head up stairs will be in for a rough day."
With his promise of punishment made, the Captain leaves the barracks and our group of seventy or so begin to file upstairs. The majority start talking amongst themselves, agreeing to share rooms with each other and the familiar feeling of seclusion rests in the pit of my stomach. I open up the first door, only to be met by frowns.
"Find somewhere else short stuff, this is Midgar guys only," one of the boys sneers.
I shut the door and try the next one, only to be met with more abuse.
"Captain said girls on the right, dummy," a large boy with mousy hair laughs.
"Ignore Alex, he's an ass," someone says behind me, giving me a light shove into the room. "I'm Chris."
"Cloud," I answer, shaking his hand.
"Nice to meet ya, dude. Bottom bunk there is free, just do me a favour and shut the door. I'm dyin' for some sleep," Chris replies, pointing to the bottom bunk that was closest to the door.
Giving him a grateful nod, I turn to the door to shut it, pausing briefly as I notice the girls further down the corridor.
"Hey! All of the girlies are in this room and we've room for one more!" A bubbly blonde girl says to the pinkette with an excitable tone.
"I'd rather shoot myself.." She says bluntly, finding the empty girl's room directly across from my own. "What are you looking at?" She scowls at me, slamming the door behind her before I could open my mouth to respond.
What's up with her? I wonder to myself as I shut the door and climb into bed after removing my boots. It was a far cry from my bed at home, but it was much comfier than the numbing seat on the Glenika. I stared at the metal frame holding the mattress above me and listened to the rain that had just started outside for a few moments as I wondered what tomorrow would bring, but after a couple of minutes I feel my eyes growing heavy..
I felt like id only just closed my eyes when the piercing sound of a siren signalled the start of what was no doubt going to be a very jarring day. Still tired from the late night, I lay there for a few moments and listen to the sound of rustling around me until the words of the Captain sink in and I leap out of bed in panic. Three of the boys in my dorm had already rushed out of the door by the time I had a single boot on, and I strap the other up quickly, determined not to be the last one out.
"Lets hope his coffee was extra hot and he's not up here yet," Chris tells me, half laughing and half in panic.
Thirty seconds later I race out into the corridor and stand with my back against the wall, facing the pink haired girl who rolled her eyes at the sight of me being breathless already. The sound of the siren finally gave way and my head turned to the right to find Captain MacMillan marching upstairs with a coffee in one hand and a mop in the other. He walks down the corridor slowly, looking each one of us up and down before his attention is pulled to the excitable blonde girl who strolls out of her room, brushing her hair casually.
"What's your name!?" The Captain barks at the girl, who squeaks in terror.
"S-Sophie Baker, Sir," she answers sheepishly, keeping her eyes fixated on her shoes.
"Well congratulations, Baker! Your job while your comrades eat breakfast is to mop up the rain surrounding A block!" He roars, handing her the mop. "Everyone else head to the mess hall. You've got half an hour to eat and piss then I want you all lined up outside of my office for registration."
"I've never fucked up so badly I've been made to mop up rain before," Chris laughs once he knew the Captain was far enough down the stairs to be out of earshot.
"Serves her right for acting like a child.." The pinkette says coldly, before heading down the stairs.
I say nothing and rush down to the mess hall with everyone else, but as I joined the queue and saw what was on offer, my appetite waned. It was a world away from my mother's home cooking, but it would no doubt get me through the day, so I filled my tray and took a seat on one of the large tables. The large clock on the wall ticked away, forcing the group to barely chew the awful food on the table, but it didn't stem the talking.
"Considering we're about to be stuck with each other for the foreseeable future, who are you all? Where are you all from?" Alex asks the table. "I'm Alex Winstanley from the slums.
"Chris Garrett, Kalm."
"Cloud Strife, Nibelheim," I answer as we work our way around the table.
"What about you, moody?" Chris teases, gesturing to the pinkette.
"Not interested.." She replies, not even bothering to look up from the table.
"You're gonna have to tell us eventually, so spit it out," Chris tells her, swallowing the last of his breakfast.
"Lightning Farron," the pink haired girl scowls as she stands up from the table. "Come on.. We need to be outside the Captain's office."
We all line up outside of the office, with Lightning being first in line and me a few people behind. The door opens and Captain MacMillan summons her inside. After ten minutes, she leaves with a notably less angry expression, but it was still light years away from a smile. Soon enough its my turn, so I head inside and shut the door behind me.
"Strife, is it?" MacMillan asks.
"Yes, Sir," I reply with a nod.
"Take a seat, this won't take long. This registration form is to confirm you're intention of joining the Shinra military. You can leave this office now without signing and return home with no repercussions. Once this is signed however, you will serve a minimum of one year with us within the role you've applied for. That's infantry, correct?"
"Yes, Sir," I reply again, taking the paper and signing it without hesitation.
"I've never seen someone so eager to sign their life away," The Captain scoffs. "What made you join, kid?"
"I want to join SOLDIER," I answer sheepishly.
"Well, stranger things have happened," the Captain replies, suppressing a scoff. "Anyway.. Here is your personal documents. A bank account has been opened in your name with the Shinra Corp bank. Your 1000 gil sign up bonus is already in and a further bonus will be paid on completion of your basic training. All other benefits and pay structures can be found within that paperwork. Any questions, Strife?"
"What's the quickest way to get into SOLDIER?" I ask bluntly, determined to leave the room a clear route to my dream.
"Specialist groups such as SOLDIER and the Turks have multiple options to get in, but for you the fastest would be to serve six months and go through the trials. Other than that, you'd need to be recommended by a Turk for the programme. Part of their job is to seek out potential SOLDIER candidates," the Captain answers before his expression turns dark. "Just make sure this is exactly what you want before applying, kid.. What the media show is just the shiny surface of a very sinister group…. Now head to the mess hall and wait for my return."
Taking my paperwork from the table, I leave the room with mixed emotions. On one hand, I was officially one step closer to my dream, with more money in my bank account than I'd ever even seen, but his warning about joining SOLDIER was now in the back of my mind. I push open the mess hall doors and take a seat with the others, who are all talking about what they're going to spend their money on.
I've altered one or two things about the original story to make this work. Cloud officially joined shinra at 14, but in this both he and Lightning are 15. It will be a CloudxLight story and it will initially borrow storylines from before crisis. Next chapter will be from Lightning's point of view.