Disclaimer: Final Fantasy VII isn't mine.
Identity
"Were you in SOLDIER?" they asked, and Cloud always wanted to say yes.
Aloud, saying no had become easier over time. He still paused before replying, but one could barely tell that these days. His friends were happy for him. Cloud himself was annoyed.
"SOLDIER, First Class," he said to himself and it felt right. Sometimes he stood in front of a mirror for that, looking into his own eyes. "SOLDIER, First Class." He was always so sincere.
"Cloud Strife, SOLDIER First Class." A sneer, then the unpleasant part. "Zack Fair, SOLDIER First Class."
He knew better now, but the first words always felt more true.
Cloud was annoyed, but felt no guilt. There was a hole in his past and he would never find enough memories to fill it with it; a fake life was no different from any other stuffing he could have used. His strength and the glow in his eyes were real enough. It was a lie, but he had earned it.
"Were you in SOLDIER?" they asked, and whenever nobody was around, Cloud always said yes.