Disclaimer: Square Enix owns Final Fantasy VII, not me.
Well like my last story, this is rated T to be on the safe side.
Description: When Cloud left for SOLDIER, what if he was able to make it with the help of his friend Zack, a SOLDIER 1st class? And what would have happened if both Cloud and Zack made it to Midgar after the Nibelheim incident and began to help AVALANCHE?
A/N: Well this is my second story and first try at FF7. This is one of my all time favorites, despite the fact that the storyline confused me first time I played. I brought the movie the day it was released in the U.S. and I enjoyed it, but because of that I plan on mixing several elements from the movie with the game (weapons, clothes, etc.). I may take some time to look up events in-order for the story to progress properly since it will follow the FF7 story with some changes.
I heard that prior to the experiment Cloud was unable to join SOLDIER because of his insecurity caused by the everyone of his village (with exception of Tifa and his mother), and that made him unable to gain the mental strength SOLDIER members needed. Also he wanted to join to so he could be strong enough to gain Tifa's attention and the town's respect. I plan to make several alteration here. Also some of these alterations may make the Cloud (and maybe others) seem a little ooc. By the way, I like the original couples of Cloud/Tifa and Zack/Aerith, so that will be in this story.
Well lets begin.
"Speaking"
Thinking
Brothers by the Blade
1. The Goal and The Meeting
It had been about a month now, a month since fourteen year-old Cloud Strife left his home village of Nibelheim to travel to Midgar. In Midgar he was planning to go to the Shin-Ra Company and join their private elite military known as SOLDIER. He had heard of them several months after the accident.
Cloud had feelings for a girl named Tifa Lockhert and when he was nine he followed her while she traveled in the nearby mountains, her friends had left her alone and he was worried about her safety. The rope bridge she was on shook and he tried to save her before she fell, but it ended in them both falling. That incidentally lead to more pain for him despite only suffering a scraped knee. Tifa was put in a coma for the next week and the others of his village blamed him for the accident, which he also blamed on himself. This led to him into state of depression and frustration, as well as fighting with others while distancing himself from Tifa.
Then he heard about the Shin-Ra's legendary SOLDIER named Sephiroth and his great strength. Cloud soon made plans to go to Midgar and join SOLDIER, but first he decided to tell Tifa about the plan to several months before he left and made a promise to her. He had also told his mother and she agreed that he should follow his dreams, but asked him to visit her some time. He had been saving money for the trip by doing chores and other jobs around town ever since he decide to travel to Midgar. He was determined to achieve his goal and gain the respect he was never allowed to have. He left then left at the beginning of spring and that brings everything back to his current location.
At the moment Cloud was standing outside the Shin-Ra Company building and preparing to enter when a hand stopped the spiky-haired blond. Surprised, Cloud turned around quickly and was greeted with the sight of a man with black haired as spiky as his own. The man appeared to be about seventeen and was wearing a dark purple uniform that he had heard higher ranked members of SOLDIER wear and strapped on his back was the biggest sword that Cloud had ever seen. The young blond wasn't sure what to say as he looked at the stranger, who was apparently with SOLDIER.
The man looked at the younger teen as if examining him for a few seconds and grinned while closing his eyes, "Well what do we have here? A young man standing outside of Shin-Ra main building, in apparently good physical shape and health, and looks like he has seen a few fights. I'm guessing that you are here to join SOLDIER since the only other organization (the Turks) is much harder to join for almost everyone." He then paused for a moment as if remembering something while taking Cloud's hand and shaking it "Oh where are my manners, I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Zack, SOLDIER First Class at your service, and what is your name young man?"
Cloud blinked for a few seconds, a little shocked. He had heard about the three ranks in SOLDIER, the lowest being Third Class and First Class was the highest with Sephiroth ranking as the highest of the First Class. He was beyond shocked that someone with such a high rank and skill was talking to him. Zack then waved his hand in-front of Cloud's face and snaps him out of his daze.
Cloud then looks toward Zack and composes his thoughts, "Umm...yeah I'm Cloud Strife and yes I'm her to join SOLDIER, it's my dream to become strong like Sephiroth."
Zack just let out a small chuckle as he messed up Cloud's hair when they stopped shaking hands, "Well that's a nice dream, but there are many guys that come here with that same dream and sadly don't make it. I personally wanted to travel the world, get stronger, and make good money, which are all things I get from being in SOLDIER." He paused to a moment again and rubbed his chin, "Though I will admit that I'm not just about myself, I been known to very loyal to my friends and protect those that can't protect themselves. What about you? There have to be more reason for you to want to join than to be like Sephiroth, so what is it?"
Cloud was hesitant about talking to the slightly older man, but sighed and sat down as he began, "To tell you the truth, you're the first person to ask and you're right about me having another reason to do this. Back in my hometown I'm not really that well liked. All the adults, except my mother, treat me like dirt with all their belittling insults. The others that are my age either insult me or try to bully me. Then the girl I have feelings for barely knows I'm alive and I agree with her father that it was my fault she nearly died." Cloud would have been close to tears if he didn't accept all the things he was saying already. "I could have kept her from getting hurt, but I was not strong enough. If I can join SOLDIER I will not only become strong enough to protect her, but I will finally get her to see that I really care about her and gain the respect of my town." He let out all the things that held in towards this man that he hasn't even known for an hour.
Zack sighed as he looked down at the obviously disturbed young man. He knew that without help the kid would not be able to even pass the test, let alone be a proper member of SOLDIER. Call him softhearted, but Zack felt the need to help Cloud. His dream may have seemed a little selfish to some, but they are suppose to be and Cloud deserved it from what Zack heard. I do believe that respect and love are always worth the effort.
"Well kid, I'll be honest with you. I can tell just from hearing you talk that you would not pass the test to get into SOLDIER. Thanks to your home you have next to no self-confidence and you're a bit weak willed. The best you could probably do now is joining the basic Shin-Ra military force." Zack watched the young blond become more upset and continued, "But then again, with the right help and training I'm sure that you can fix that."
Cloud's face brightened up a little when he heard that last part, "Do you mean it? There's a chance that I can still join?"
Zack nodded his head, "I make you an offer right now. You move in with me into my apartment and join the Shin-Ra military force, then I'll have you stationed under my command and personally train you. In a year you should be able to at least become a Third Class and maybe as strong as a First Class if we keep working after that, what do you say?"
Cloud was very happy when he heard that offer and he nodded in agreement, in truth he was wondering where he was going to stay since he had just arrived in the massive city earlier that day. He thought waiting a year or so would be worth it if could still attain his goal instead of abandoning it. Zack and Cloud shook hands once again to signal their deal and walked inside the building to get the younger man a job.
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About a week later Cloud and Zack are sitting across from each other at the kitchen table of their apartment. It was easier than expected to get Cloud a job. Zack had realized that it was because Cloud more than met the requirements for military personnel. Zack also realized that his will and self-esteem were Cloud's biggest problems, while his physique was just right for a beginning soldier. Cloud had obvious work hard to get himself in the right condition for SOLDIER and the older teen guessed it would not take long after Cloud becomes a SOLDIER before he can match his own physical ability (speed, strength, etc.), but skill would take a lot of work.
Right now they were preparing to deal with the young blond's problem and build-up his mental fortitude. With that thought in mind, Zack began, "You know what we are about to do and I know you prepared yourself for the painful memories Cloud, so lets begin. You said that you were basically treated badly in your hometown by all the adults and children except for that girl you like and your mother, do you have any idea why?"
Cloud sight shifted as he recalled the old memories, "I know a little thanks to my mother. Apparently my father wasn't very well liked by the everyone and died when he went near the Shin-Ra mako generator several months before I was born, too many strong monsters for him to fight alone." Cloud thought about all the things that his mother told him about his father. "The fact that the mako generator was going to bring more wealth to Nibelheim and he was against it made the people dislike him further. My mother was included in their hate to a degree because she loved him, but more felt pity for her than hate. Since I was his son, I receive their full malice and receive the blame for any problems that happened when I was near."
Zack nodded and resisted the urge to yell, but still spoke with some anger in hid voice, "Well I personally think that's completely unfair! We have as much right to choose our parents as we have to be born! How can they blame you for someone's actions when you weren't even born?!"
Cloud lowered his gaze as he spoke again, "Well I got use to that. I figured when I prove to them that he and I are different, that I'm not the same kid that they knew, that I am better better than they thought that I would ever be, then they will know that they were wrong about me. After that I will prove that I am strong enough to be with Tifa and protect her." He started speaking low and almost shy, but with each word was gaining more confidence as he spoke.
Zack smiled a little. It seemed that his confidence was present, but hiding behind the self-doubt that the others of his village instilled on him in his childhood. Apparently he was just unable to express what he felt to other since they would just blame and insult him. Now that he could voice his inner thoughts instead of burying them under more self-doubt. This may take less time than I originally thought. Next to get to the bottom of that accident with this Tifa girl that he talked about.
The black haired man looked at the blond as he spoke, "Well I can see that we are on the right track and you are getting a little more confident in yourself, but on to you other problem. You mentioned an accident with Tifa, you mind telling me about that?"
Cloud's eyes widened for a moment as he remembered his painful memory, but he composed himself since he had expected that. He explained everything that happened, from the plan of the eight year-old Tifa that he overheard to his treatment and fights as a result of his anger with himself afterwards.
Now Zack is usually a laid back person that takes a lot to get angered, but he was having a hard time restraining himself. Here his new friend tells him that he was just a kid that he was blamed and further alienated for something that wasn't his fault. After a full night of talking Zack was making progress, he was able to get Cloud to stop blaming himself and get him to see that what happened wasn't his fault. Zack was even able get him to see that he was trying to help, but it just didn't workout right and that it would have happened whether he was there or not. He convinced Cloud that he should have been glad he was there to make sure nothing else happened to the hurt girl in the monster infested area.
Over the next several weeks Zack began training Cloud physically and mentally. Cloud said that he wanted to be able to wield Zack's huge sword and learn his style, so Zack started by giving him heavy wrist-weights to prepare him for the weight of the massive blade. One problem was lifting and swing the heavy buster sword, another was being able to use it properly as if it was a normal sword. He would have Cloud train with a basic sword and the weights while he practiced. Zack would compliment and talk to Cloud as often as possible to improve the blond's confidence. Zack soon realized that despite the training, Cloud was naturally a quiet person that was a bit shy around strangers outside of battle.
About ten months since the two spiky haired young men have become best friends, Cloud because he never really had any friends and Zack had either lost all his old friends or was too different from the other Shin-Ra employees to become friends with them. Cloud was also catching up with Zack so well in body structure without going the the SOLDIER process that he felt that the two would make a great team in the future. After becoming a SOLDIER Cloud's already impressive strength and speed would increase dramatically and rival his own eventually.
It was also discovered that even though Cloud was a getting good with one sword, he also excelled with two swords. With that thought Zack decided Cloud needed a gift. Zack had a custom buster sword made that was similar to his with subtle differences. The sword was similar to his in length and width, but the differences was that it was doubled edged and pointed at the center instead of the back (styled to be like a broad sword the size of the buster sword). Through a special mechanism the blade would split in half down the center and the handles would shift to the center of the base of each blade. Well Zack's surprise was gratefully accepted by Cloud, who didn't have a sword and would either train with a wooden sword or Zack's.
Another two months passed Zack did as promised, he let Cloud go through the process to see if he could be a join SOLDIER. Cloud was still wearing his Shin-Ra MP uniform with his swords strapped on his back in a crossing manner as he walked in to the section he was told to go. Thanks to Zack's help and Cloud's new history within Shin-Ra's military, he was able to not only pass the process to become a SOLDIER, but also jump straight to SOLDIER Second Class several days after the process was finished. Zack was impressed, though he had trained himself, he became a Third Class when he was twelve, a Second Class at fifteen like Cloud, and it only took him a year to become a First Class after that. If Cloud worked hard he could become a First Class just as fast.
Zack was thinking to himself while Cloud was getting fitted for his dark red SOLDIER Second Class uniform. Well kid you became a SOLDIER just like you wanted and now you'll only get stronger. I think I'll see if I can get the higher-ups make you my partner, you and I would make a great team with our style and skill. I have a feeling that there will be few that can match us if we stick together my friend. Oh well I wonder how many will think the two spiky-haired buster sword wielding SOLDIER are brothers. Zack let out a small laugh as that last thought passed through his mind, after all there were a lot of similarities that the two shared.
That's it for this chapter, hoped you liked it.
A/N: Well as I said this is my first FF7 or first FF story. Anyway before anyone says Cloud was really ooc, from what I remember and looked up Cloud was really different from how he was in the game/movie and how he was prior to the the game events. His treatment in Nibelheim was one of the main reasons for him failing to become a SOLDIER. It also said that protecting Tifa and gaining her attention was his reasons for wanting to join, I just assumed that him wanting to show the village his success was an after thought to him.
It was was said that Zack and Cloud were best friends. I figured that having Zack train him would be a decent replacement to the game's explanation and it said in the game he was physically like a soldier, but unable mentally. This will explain why Cloud and Zack have the same fighting style.
As for the thing about the village treating him, he was treated pretty badly when he was a kid and even worse after Tifa's accident, since I doubt a kid could cause so many to dislike him that much I decided to say that it was because of his father (who I wasn't mentioned in any of the games or movie I think). As for him becoming mentally stronger fast, well I just went into detail on his first steps and said that Zack helped him for weeks after that. As for the sword, in FF7:AC we saw that Cloud was good with using his First Tsurugi in full form and two of the blades at once. I really liked that sword so it will be seen later.
The next chapter will cover the return to Nibelheim.