Usual disclaimer: Don't own the characters, Square Enix does. I do not profit from this work. Any song lyrics quoted within are credited to the artist.
What do you feel before you think?
What do you see before you blink?
Who do you battle in your dreams?
Who strokes your feathers 'til you scream?
And when I'm tired of feeling black
Spread the wings upon your back
Take us high above it all
And stroke your feathers 'til we fall
Until we fall, until we fall back down again
"Until We Fall" - Audioslave
"Are the candidates ready for the simulator?" Sephiroth murmured, one silvery brow lofted in inquiry toward Angeal. He squinted through the glass partition, comforted somewhat by the thought that the cadets could not see him, but Sephiroth could see all. Previous drills without the benefit of the two-way mirror had been somewhat disastrous; cadets falling over each other trying to impress the great General Sephiroth in their quest to pass the exams and be rated well enough to become SOLDIER. Today's test, if passed, would place the cadets as Third Class. The vibe in the training room was one of raw nerves and energy, along with some well-concealed panic.
With last year's recruits, it seemed that many of them had not recalled one bit of their training from boot camp once they set foot in the VR training room…and all because of the presence of one man - the famous general Sephiroth, hero of the Wutai war which was still ongoing.
Sephiroth had never sought military fame; it had been thrust upon him, the brainchild of President Shinra's well-oiled public relations machine. Though his military victories had been well fought and won by Sephiroth and his fellow Firsts, it was Sephiroth who became the poster child for Shinra's military academy; a fate he accepted with much trepidation.
Angeal nodded affirmatively at Sephiroth's query and gave a wry grin. "As ready as they'll ever be," he replied. "You have the roster?"
"I have it, "Sephiroth waved it in front of Angeal's face, nearly clipping him at the end of his nose with the document. He smiled serenely yet wickedly at him.
"Humph," Angeal grunted. "You need a vacation, I'd say. Getting punchy, are you, Sephiroth?"
"And where is your counterpart?" Sephiroth ignored Angeal's editorial comments. He knew he needed to unwind, Angeal was right. If the truth were to be told, Sephiroth had never allowed himself to have a vacation. Ever. Even Hojo had intimated that a week off might do the general some good, and Lazard had mentioned it more than once during Sephiroth's evaluations, stressing the need for 'time off from being General Sephiroth.'
"Genesis is crashing the dress rehearsal of Loveless," Angeal replied evenly. "It's his day off today, you know."
Sephiroth frowned. "And who authorized that? We have a SOLDIER exam to administer here, I need all hands on deck- "
"It won't be a problem, Sephiroth, honestly. Lazard authorized the time off for Genesis," Angeal assured the general. "And besides – Zack will be helping us evaluate this latest bunch." As if on cue, Zack entered the anteroom –and, Sephiroth noted wryly, with the usual amount of noise and clamor, knocking into Angeal's rack of swords that he'd brought in for the cadets. Looking out into the training room, Sephiroth saw the heads of several cadets whip around sharply upon hearing the noise.
"Hey guys!" Zack's voice was chirpy and energetic. Sephiroth groaned inwardly; it was too early to deal with the cheery 'Puppy', as Angeal had christened the over-enthusiastic First. "Damn. Let me pick these up - "
"Zackary," Sephiroth greeted him with a slight nod, trying to ignore the cacophony of clanging metal as Zack replaced the swords in their rack "Angeal tells me you are to assist us with testing today, seeing as Genesis is...otherwise indisposed."
"Huh...is Genesis sick or something?'' Zack inquired, cocking his head to the side in a quizzical manner. Angeal laughed and clapped a hand over Zack's shoulders.
"No, he's at the play," Angeal replied. "But no matter. The three of us should be able to work together and assess this fine lot of cadets, hmm?"
"That's what I'm here for!" Zack grinned broadly. "So, Sephiroth...who do we have this year?" he inquired, peering over the general's shoulder.
Sephiroth gave Zack a look as if to say 'you are invading my personal space.' Of course, the glare was lost on Zack, his eyes busily scanning the list of names. "Oh, so Strife's back again this year, huh? Looks like it's his last chance."
"Strife? ...I know that name..." Sephiroth murmured, eyes scanning the list of a dozen names. "Ah, yes. Cloud Strife, of Nibelheim. I do remember him. ..he has sat for this exam before." Sephiroth's mind quickly traveled back to the last two SOLDIER exams he'd proctored; nearly back-to-back, and Cloud stuck out in his memory not only for the fact that he'd failed both tests, but also for the ridiculous tower of blond spikes atop his head. Sephiroth wondered why anyone would bother attempting the examination
"He sure has," Zack agreed, nodding. "Twice. This is his third and last try. Three strikes and you're out!"
"He's certainly determined. Many don't bother retaking the test after failing twice." Angeal observed the blond cadet through the window. "Look, Sephiroth - he's right there." Angeal pointed out Cloud through the glass, and Sephiroth nodded.
"Yes, I know which one he is, Angeal," Sephiroth smiled. "I've had my eye on him for quite some time." The smile grew deeper, and did not go unnoticed by Angeal.
"Something on your mind, Sephiroth?" Angeal probed, arching an eyebrow. It was curious, Angeal thought; Sephiroth never took much notice of any of the cadets in particular. After all, it wasn't as if any of them had ever been able to crack any of Sephiroth's standing records for attacking, casting and summoning, or defense. The famous general would often shrug whenever his standing records were mentioned - which was fairly often by Genesis, whose competitive streak was nearly as big as his ego. Sephiroth never strove to be the best; he simply was. That knowledge alone was one thing that threw off the confidence of many a SOLDIER hopeful through the years. Being in the same room with the Sephiroth, Silver Demon of Wutai, did not do much for a lowly cadet's nerves before taking a major test that would determine their entire military future.
"Nothing in particular," Sephiroth replied hastily to Angeal's vague yet probing inquiry. His gaze lingered a bit longer before breaking away, and his countenance was thoughtful.
"Well...I did notice, that Cloud has filled out since the last exam. Considerably," Sephiroth emphasized. His eyes traveled up and down the compact, well-muscled frame; it appeared to Sephiroth that Cloud had put on quite a bit of weight, much of it muscle. He began to wonder what accounted for this drastic change in just a few months' time. "He appeared to be a bit of a runt during his last two SOLDIER exams," Sephiroth noted. The observation might have sounded cruel to an outsider, but Sephiroth was merely remarking upon the noticeable change in Cloud's musculature.
"Oh, I bet he's on that new Mako protocol," Zack interjected. "Looks like you recommended it during his last test, Sephiroth - that is your signature right there, isn't it?" Zack asked Sephiroth, pointing to a notation on the notes from the last SOLDIER exam.
"It is indeed," Sephiroth nodded, glancing at his elegant scrawl. "But it wasn't my recommendation, per se - look here, I only ticked the checkbox for failing candidates. 'If candidate failed SOLDIER test: check here. Failures may be referred to Hojo for Mako protocol.' It's just a standard response, Zack; I don't make recommendations for Mako supplementation. That's Hojo's department."
"I guess," Zack said, shrugging his shoulders. "I'm betting he had the injections, though, most of the noobs have started already. I know Cloud has been training too, and hard. Kid's in the gym every damned day lately."
"Hmm," Sephiroth murmured. "The results have certainly paid off," he added, mostly to himself. Cloud had gone from a skinny teen barely able to wield the heft of a training sword, to one that was, at present, twirling a sword four times that size over his head with ease. The other recruits were an assortment of body types and personalities, but Cloud's was the one that stuck in Sephiroth's mind the most. Must be the bizarre hairstyle that made him stand out, Sephiroth mused, allowing himself a tiny smile.
"So is this the same Mako protocol they're administering to us?" He felt a mild bit of alarm at the possibility; Sephiroth had been on Mako injections and infusions ever since he could remember; it was clear to the general that he'd built up a tolerance, just as Zack, Angeal, and Genesis and the other Firsts had done as well.
"A watered-down version, is what I've heard," Angeal replied. "Don't worry; the starting dosage is much lower than anything we get in SOLDIER. Or so says Hojo."
"So he says," Sephiroth echoed, a low growl of displeasure in his throat. It had barely been two weeks since the last blow-out between Sephiroth and the professor, who was starting to feel like a Svengali to the general more so than the mentor he'd purported himself to be all these years.
Sephiroth shook his head, as though trying to forcefully dispel those unpleasant thoughts from his mind, and turned to the task at hand.
"Well, Angeal, let's get them started hmm?" Sephiroth looked to the eldest First knowingly.
"You don't want to address them first, Sephiroth?" Angeal was surprised at this, but was not unwilling to be the first to speak. Protocol had it that the most senior ranking SOLDIER would be the first one to speak, but he figured Sephiroth must have his reasons for wanting him to speak.
"I don't want them to know that I'm here," Sephiroth reminded Angeal, tapping the bridge of his nose with his finger, smiling. "Remember last time, that was somewhat a disaster. And, they could see in this room then, too."
"Everyone trying to impress the great Sephiroth," Angeal teased. "It's fine. I'll have them start, then." He gave Zack a mock-withering glare.
"And not a peep out of you, Puppy," Angeal cautioned. He held up his hand as Zack immediately opened his mouth to protest.
"Not. One. Peep!" Angeal declared. Sephiroth stifled a laugh at the indignant look upon Zack's face.
"What the hell. I didn't even say anything!" Zack hissed at Sephiroth, who chuckled softly.
"Not yet, anyway," Sephiroth deadpanned. He studied the group of SOLDIER candidates as Angeal addressed them, explaining the different components of the examination. All were preparing in the usual manner one does before a test of physical endurance, stretching, doing squats, and running in place; and all there were taking the test for the first time, save for Cloud.
To the observer, Cloud would appear to be cool, poised and confident as he ran through a battery of sword techniques with the practice sword. Inwardly, Cloud felt his innards unraveling like a pile of cold noodles dumped from a serving bowl. He started at the sound of Angeal Hewley's voice over the intercom, and then relaxed as the Banoran's gentle baritone soothed him much like a balm.
It had been a good thing indeed that Sephiroth had opted out of speaking to the cadets until after the examination had concluded - otherwise, more than one would have failed near the start of the test due to sheer nerves. Cloud, along with his fellow candidates, was much like any young teen who hailed from a backwater town in the middle of nowhere and was looking for a way out. Nibelheim was a place where the main pastime of the town's youth was harassing the youngest, the smallest, or the weakest of their peers. It was only when Sephiroth's face appeared on a recruitment poster in glossy full color in the village post office one day that Cloud began to see something else in his future besides being a punching bag for bullies.
Some who signed up with the recruiting officer right away were bullies themselves, wanting to become bigger and badder than they supposed themselves to already be. Others were like Cloud, wanting to build endurance, to become stronger, more adept at fighting. There was, of course, an unspoken mantra of 'I'll show them someday' that was a constant refrain in Cloud's mind any time he was being mocked or pummeled.
He remembered the day he'd signed up; fed up, head still dripping wet from being plunged into the school toilet by some ignorant bully who wanted to give Cloud "swirlies" - yet another pastime of the small-minded hoodlums of Nibelheim.
The other refrain that sounded at the edges of Cloud's brain was: Never again. The Shinra Military Wants You! poster was the panacea to every one of Cloud's problems that day, and he'd seized upon the opportunity before he chickened out, marching over to the recruiter's office that very day.
Bet nobody ever gave Sephiroth swirlies, Cloud thought as he signed his life away on the small, thick stack of papers presented to him by the recruitment officer. Nobody would ever dare do that to Sephiroth. I want to be like that, some day. To be someone people look up to...to be the strong one.
Cloud felt a pang of disappointment not seeing Sephiroth anywhere in the VR room; the reflective was new since the last two exams. Those last two exams, Cloud had stared straight at the general, and when those eyes stared back at him - those odd, exotic eyes that were could shift from reptilian green one moment to dazzling aqua the next - the young cadet had lost all his nerve, and flubbed the exam, dropping his sword like a nerve-addled debutante, and fell into a carnivorous pitcher plant in the VR simulation.
I can't see him, and we didn't hear him on the PA, but I'm sure he's here, Cloud told himself. I won't fail this time, Sephiroth, he silently promised his hero. Cloud stared straight at the spot where he imagined Sephiroth would be standing, behind the glass. He stared hard, and then pulled the visor of the VR helmet down over his eyes, obscuring his vision. As the visor slid down, Sephiroth stared back into those brilliant blue eyes. He wondered briefly if they'd always been such a beautiful shade of blue, or was this the result of the new Mako protocol.
No, Sephiroth thought. No, they were just as blue the last time I saw him. I remember...I remember you, Cloud. Tenacious Cloud Strife of Nibelheim, who wouldn't back down, even when he knew he'd failed.
"First part of testing for SOLDIER begins now," Zack announced over the PA. "Are the recruits ready?" He would be monitoring the VR simulator, adding enhancements and throwing in additional foes and obstacles to the landscape as need to up the level of difficulty.
"I'm ready," Cloud announced to nobody in particular, blinking as his eyes adjusted to the unreality of the VR simulator. He saw his fellow cadets milling about around him as the artificial scenery materialized around them; they were in the ancient forest, and Cloud nearly laughed for joy.
He knew this training scenario and knew it well; it was the one they'd used on the first exam he failed, and had come back to the VR room to practice the scenario over and over, trying to improve. A Big eater plant. I fell into a goddamned carnivorous plant he first time because I was too busy staring at Sephiroth, wanting to impress him. At least I never make the same mistake twice. I've got this...I've got this, he told himself firmly, hands gripping the handle of the sword as he settled into a defensive stance, half-crouching, one foot back, the other serving as his pivot. Nerves and adrenaline combined to heighten his sense of readiness; he and the other cadets were fairly bouncing on the balls of their feet, ready to launch into the VR simulation.
Avoid the carnivorous plants, and use the pitcher plants to your advantage, Cloud told himself, formulating a mental plan of attack. Stay alert; attacks can come from any direction, including the air. Although this was a mere simulation and not the real deal, the obstacles and foes were configured to deliver some very real status effects if the cadets were careless.
"There will also be a bonus round," Zack announced. "For the one cadet who is lucky enough to figure out a way over the carnivorous Big Eaters, you will be rewarded with a special materia. Begin!"
"Sweet! I can always use more materia" Another cadet – Gregor, a young man who hailed from Cosmo Canyon - chortled at Zack's announcement of the bonus round, poking at the plant with the tip of his sword. The plant's fly-trap jaws snapped shut, nearly taking the sword with it.
"I don't get it," Gregor muttered, disappointed. "It'll eat anything that goes near it. How are we supposed to find a way over it?"
"Yeah, they eat everything…. including cadets, so you'd better watch your ass. Trust me...I speak from experience!" Cloud shouted back, ducking and rolling as a flying Zephyr dive-bombed him, shooting a bolt spell out of its one eye. Cloud countered by casting an water-based spell using his prized enemy skill materia - something that was not standard Shinra issue, but materia that Cloud had picked up in a successful hand of seven-card stud.
"Excellent," Sephiroth murmured, then frowned. "Wait. Is he supposed to have Enemy Skill materia? That's not standard issue for the first-years."
"It's not against any of the regs," Angeal announced with a shrug of the shoulders. "Low level materia is allowed at test level, and students may use their own, so long as it's not mastered."
"Ah, that's right," Sephiroth nodded, remembering. "Back when I took my first SOLDIER exam...materia was not allowed at all."
"That's kind of dumb," Zack complained. "I mean, we use it in the field all the time, right? Might as well have them test with it. Of course, I still suck at summons," he added with a sigh.
Inside the simulated Ancient Forest, Cloud was avoiding the Big Eaters, but still trying to puzzle out just how to pass over them safely. The memory of falling into one of these vicious plants was still fresh in Cloud's mind, even though it had been several months since the incident occurred. His eye drifted skyward and he smiled, raising his sword over his head as he prepared to jump high.
"Strife, whaddaya doing?" Cadet Davyn called, shaking his head. "Guy's screwing off again - oh shit!" Too late, Davyn spotted a low-flying Epiolnis that showered him with poison; he coughed and wheezed, fumbling in his satchel for a remedy.
"What the hell is he doing?" Zack muttered, frowning. Sephiroth tapped his chin thoughtfully and smiled.
"It appears that Cadet Strife is trying to puzzle out the riddle of the Big Eaters," Sephiroth replied, impressed. He watched as Cloud sprung up in the air, swinging his sword at the beehive, while the other cadets began shouting at him.
"Strife, you idiot! You'll unleash a shit-storm of angry bees at us, what the hell!"
"Don't worry, it's a dead hive!" Cloud shouted back, hacking the thing down with his sword. It fell neatly into the Big Eater, and the greedy jaws of the plant clamped shut upon it. Cloud landed down on all fours, a triumphant grin on his face.
"Looks like we'll have to pay up," Angeal remarked. "Nicely done."
"Hey...it looks like the guys are kicking ass in there, huh?" Zack observed. "Should I crank it up?"
"Yes," Angeal said slowly, smiling. The cadets were doing well thus far; no injuries as yet, and they were keeping up with the steady stream of enemies being thrust upon them. "Let's make things a bit more interesting, hmm? Throw in a few behemoths, chimera bugs, and...oh, let's cast a few of our own summons upon them as well." Angeal looked over to Sephiroth inquiringly.
"What are you packing today, Seph?" Angeal asked. "For summon materia," he elaborated.
"Well - " Sephiroth glanced down at his bracer, studying the materia orbs nestled within the polished metal slots. "Leviathan, Bahamut Zero, Phoenix..."
"I've got Ifrit and Shiva," Zack offered. "Um – I think that's what I put in here, anyway…." He squinted at the crimson materia orbs in his armlet, trying to recall which summons he'd inserted into his armor that morning.
"Excellent," Angeal replied. "I've got Hades, Alexander, Kjata - "
"Let's try not to kill any cadets today, please?" Sephiroth pleaded, at which Angeal laughed, while Zack looked rather alarmed.
"Guys?" Zack interrupted. "Has anyone actually ever died during an entrance exam for SOLDIERS?"
"Only once," Sephiroth and Angeal replied in unison. "We'll – explain later, it was an accident – " Angeal said hurriedly.
"Okay…" Zack said dubiously, shrugging his shoulders. "All right, should we warn them, or not? And, uh….how hard should we hit them with the summons?"
"Not too hard," Sephiroth cautioned. "We're testing their defenses and reflexes, after all. And I don't know about you, Zack, but I have better things to do later on than to be cleaning up bloodstains in that room."
Zack laughed uneasily. "Ah, yeah. Good point."
"You can tell them to prepare for some stronger magic spells to be cast," Sephiroth added. "But do not be specific. When they're out in the field, conditions will not be so forgiving, nor will foes always be predictable."
"Got it," Zack replied. He pressed the button on the intercom once again. "Okay, guys….you're looking good out there so far, but stay sharp! We're going to throw some higher level stuff at you, so be prepared!"
"We are so fucked," Gregor mumbled, adjusting his visor. Cloud heard this and grinned.
"Don't worry, we've got this," the cadet declared with confidence, though some small part of him was unsure as well. He had to ignore those nagging feelings of doubt, and press on with the test. Cloud was under an unbelievable amount of pressure, mostly from himself; he had to pass this test, he just had to, or he'd end up returning to Nibelheim a failure.
I have to do this...I have to make it, because there is no future for me back home, Cloud told himself. Just have to stay on my toes. The first summon to come had been Kjata, cast by Angeal; Cloud and the other cadets readily defended themselves against the intial elemental spells, countering them with opposing elementals magic. Cloud said a silent prayer of thanks that he had his Enemy Skill materia with him; although it wasn't at one-hundred percent, he'd learned enough enemy attacks to fend off most of the attacking spells sent his way.
"Gotta get me one of those," Davyn shouted above the din of battle. "Where'd you snag that, Strife?"
"Won it...played a good hand of poker!" Cloud replied, then instantly wished he could take back his words. Shit. Gambling is not allowed on campus...I hope this doesn't disqualify me, he worried, though the poker game in question had taken place in a bar in Junon one weekend, not in Midgar.
Cloud would have been quite relieved to hear the discussion going on between the three Firsts who were monitoring the exam.
"Another card player, Seph," Angeal commented. "Perhaps you should get in on some of that action."
"I'm not much of a gambling man," Sephiroth demurred. "Playing for materia, though...interesting. More useful than playing for gil, when you think about it."
"There's always strip poker!" Zack interjected, only to meet with a disapproving glare from both Sephiroth and Angeal. The general groaned, rolling his eyes. "What?" Zack demanded. "What'd I say now?"
"Get your mind out of the gutter, Zack. If you can, that is," Angeal admonished good-naturedly. "Heads up...looks like the cadets are starving for some more action," he continued. "Zack, why don't you summon Ifrit next? We've gone through most of our inventory already."
"All right," Zack agreed. "Um - which one is it..." He frowned, squinting at the orbs in his bracer.
"Good Gaia," Sephiroth groaned. "You need to keep better track of your materia - "
"Got it!" Zack crowed triumphantly, raising his hand as he cast the summon. His look of triumph soon turned to one of alarm as he realized the summon he had just cast was not Ifrit, as a single yellow feather floated haltingly in mid-air.
"Oh shit!" Zack groaned. "No no no! Wrong summon!"
"Oh dear," Sephiroth murmured, unflinching. "Choco-Mog. Someone's about to get flattened – "
"Already happened," Angeal said dryly, as the overweight bird dropped forcefully on top of the closest target – namely, Cloud Strife, who looked upward in horror.
"Strife, get out of the way!" Cadets Gregor and Davyn yelled. The warnings came too late; the virtual summon landed upon Cloud full force. Though not real, the sense of weight crushing Cloud was quite real, and the blond cadet seized upon that knowledge, trying to talk himself out of the sensation of being squished. None of this is real, none of this is real, he kept chanting over and over again to himself - although it certainly felt real enough to the SOLDIER hopeful.
Meanwhile, in the anteroom, Sephiroth and Angeal were cornering Zack, admonishing him. "Really, now, Zack. Casting Choco-Mog when you'd meant to cast Shiva?" Angeal said, chiding Zack. "You need to keep better track of your materia."
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" Zack shouted in return. Sephiroth shook his head, and then finally laughed at his sheer idiocy.
"You were quite correct earlier, Zack," Sephiroth commented.
"Huh?" Zack said, clueless. "What do you mean?"
"You really do suck at summons," Sephiroth replied, chuckling. "All right – let's check on Mr. Strife, shall we? I don't expect that he is gravely injured physically, but – his pride may be another matter."
Inside the VR room, Cloud wheezed painfully the wind fully knocked out of him with the virtual weight of the giant chocobo on him. His first worry was not whether or not he had injuries, but whether or not the test would be called on account of this sudden disaster.
"I swear to Shiva, I'm cursed," Cloud muttered. Suddenly there came relief, as soon as Zack shut down the simulator. The door opened and three SOLDIERS emerged. Cloud groaned as he saw who was among them.
Great. I just knew Sephiroth was in there. Now he'll get to tell me I failed for the last time, Cloud thought. He could envision Sephiroth with a big rubber stamp, stamping a glaring red-inked 'FAIL' on his test form and that would be that. The end of his dreams, all his hopes dashed, just because of this stupid chocobo. And it wasn't even real! That's the worst part of it all, Cloud thought indignantly. I got crushed by a virtual, imaginary bird. He felt the pressure subside and immediately rolled over, standing up quickly. Cloud ran his hand through messy blond spikes nervously, trying to appear cool and unperturbed.
"Okay, I'll just go get my things and leave - " Cloud said hurriedly, shamefaced, trying to avoid eye contact with the three soldiers. Sephiroth frowned at him, puzzled.
"Whatever for?" Sephiroth inquired. "We haven't given out marks yet. Surely you want to hear how well you've done?"
"Not really," Cloud muttered before he could stop himself. "Wait - you said did well. Does that mean I passed? I mean - I got sat upon by a chocobo," he added, ignoring the tittering laughter from his fellow cadets.
Sephiroth waved his hand dismissively. "It's happened to the best of us," he said airily. "And for the record - Choco-Mog was not part of today's testing. That summon was cast due to an, err - " he coughed politely into his hand while staring at Zack - "aberration with the materia. At any rate, you did win the bonus round, fair and square," Sephiroth told Cloud, tossing him an oddly colored materia. "Here is your prize, Cloud."
Cloud caught it deftly with one hand and stared at it, wide-eyed and disbelieving. "Wow." He shook his head. "So, uh…what is it?"
"Slash-All materia," Sephiroth replied. "They're rather hard to come by, so do make good use of it." His voice was stern, but the normally impassive face held a small smile for the cadet. Sephiroth admired such grit and determination; mainly because everything had come so naturally to the general, seeing someone struggle – though undoubtedly frustrating for the cadet – made him appreciate what he had that much more.
"Our apologies for the…technical difficulties with the summon today," Angeal added. "Despite that, we saw enough from all of you that we were able to make determinations for every candidate today. If you'll all remain here, we just need a moment to tally up everyone's scores, and you'll receive your rankings shortly." With that, Angeal nodded at both Zack and Sephiroth, ushering them both back into the office. He gave a kindly smile to the anxious cadets waiting outside before shutting the door.
"Nice going, Zack," Angeal grumbled. Zack gave an indignant glare and opened his mouth to argue, but Sephiroth held up a gloved hand to halt the dialogue.
"Enough," the general said a bit sternly. "Both of you. Quibbling about this now accomplishes nothing. What's done is done. The cadets all worked hard today, now it's time to do our job," Sephiroth reminded them.
"Of course," Angeal murmured, as Zack sighed and looked sheepish.
"You're right," Zack admitted, grabbing the nearby clipboard. "Okay…here's my tally," he added, reading off each cadet's name along with the corresponding rankings. "Seph…Angeal, fire yours off, I'll make a grand total near each cadet's name."
It didn't take very long for Zack to record the marks for each candidate and come up with a grand total for each, but to the waiting cadets, the wait seemed eternal. Cloud tried his best not to fidget nervously, as the other cadets milled about, some pacing, some staring at the ceiling, wishing there was a window to look out of. All of the VR helmets had been removed and neatly stacked in rows in racks near the entry way.
The near-silence was broken when the office door opened once again and the three soldiers re-emerged, their expressions impassive and unreadable. Cloud felt anxious knots forming in his stomach once again; everything was riding on this. He'd mentally prepared himself for the worst, but still prayed it would not come to that.
"I have some good news and some bad news…." Sephiroth began, and Cloud felt his stomach lurch yet again.
Author's Note: So, here I am with another multi-chapter! Originally intended to be a one-shot to get some Seph/Cloud bunnies out of my head, I found that I had more I wanted to say. And while I still don't know where this is going, as I write out an ACTUAL OUTLINE, I'm finding more things I want to weave into the plot; more characters and situations to explore, and some more headcanons to invent. We will see Aeris in upcoming chapters – she's a character I haven't really written as much as I'd like, so this is my chance to do that. And of course, Genesis will tear himself away from the play to make an appearance - he's not one to stay away for long!
And yes, I based the VR challenge here off the Ancient Forest – one of my favorite side areas in the game. My son and I just played that area the other day, and I remembered how much I'd loved it. Poor Cloud, getting devoured by man-eating plants! At least he outsmarted them this time.
I realize I am very cruel to leave things on this sort of a cliffhanger, but…I guess you'll just have to come back in a bit to read chapter two, then! Hope you enjoyed this one! I had a lot of fun writing it. And the song quoted herein…I found the lyrics to be very appropriate to what I envision for the Sephiroth/Cloud relationship will become in this story.