I know, I know. Updates are long overdue. And while you deserve them ASAP I just haven't been able to dig myself out of this horrible writer's block long enough to write a decent update for you. However, that hasn't stopped my writing muse from playing around with ideas. I've got two stories sitting on my computer. One's not ready, but this one is. It's different from my normal stories and while a bit similar to "Present From The Past" as it shares similar themes (mainly the fugitive role), it is completely different. AU. Sorry Yaoi fans, it's not going to happen this time.

Final Fantasy and all related characters belong to Square Enix

Kindred Spirits

Chapter One

A strong wind whipped through the open field causing the knee-high grass to sway and dance. Bodies littered the area, fallen assassins whose blood now stained the ground. Storm clouds thundered overhead as two men rested on a small hill, catching their breath from their most recent battle.

The taller one, a man with long silver hair nodded towards the sky. "Rain's on its way, and so are their reinforcements."

The younger, a blonde who stood about a foot shorter than his friend followed the silverette's gaze. "At least we'll stay cool this time."

The older one smirked, "I'm relieved they're not insulting us this time with meager numbers. It looks like a decent size battalion." He raised his famously long katana as he anticipated the start of the battle. "You ready?"

The blonde looked up at him. His eyes giving the General all the answer he needed.

The front lines sported long-range firepower which they fired at the two as soon as they got within range. The two leapt off the hill as red sparks pelted it like rain, which followed shortly after. The rain was refreshing and just what the younger warrior needed. They didn't feel like waiting for the squad to come to them, knowing they would prefer to stay clear. With a nod from the older soldier they both charged the squad that consisted of two hundred men.

"Whoever kills the most doesn't have to buy dinner." The Silverette proclaimed as he struck down three men with one swipe of his sword.

The blonde chuckled a bit as he struck down two with his own. "You're on."

Despite the outstanding warrants and the large bounty on their heads the younger soldier couldn't help but enjoy this battle. Normally so quiet and serious, fighting along-side his mentor always put him in a good mood. He was more than his mentor. General Sephiroth was his hero. Cloud had looked up to him even before he joined SOLDIER. Sephiroth was the greatest swordsman that ever lived.

Sephiroth was holding his own with ease, in fact, he almost seemed a bit bored. "Can't ShinRa send better fighters than these? Don't they trust their soldiers anymore?"

Cloud swung his buster sword, taking out another unlucky soul. "Can you blame them? After their best kills the entire science wing and most of the security?"

"You're no more innocent than I am, Strife." Sephiroth huffed in response as a man's head became severed and flew through the air, courtesy of Sephiroth's sword. One of the other men caught the head and screamed like a girl. The man next to him puked.

It was true and Cloud wouldn't deny it, however he also felt no guilt. ShinRa had been exposed as a corrupt and power-hungry group that took advantage of everything and everyone around them. Cloud and Sephiroth were just two more victims added to the list. But they had done something different. Something that no one else before them had dared to do. Something that made them a threat to ShinRa and made them worthy to be hunted down by everything that the company could throw at them.

Sephiroth found himself surrounded by at least a dozen men. They circled him, thinking they had an opening and aimed their weapons. Surely the soldier wouldn't be able to deflect them all. They were wrong. Sephiroth couldn't hide a small smile as he glared at one of the men.

"Pathetic."

He spun on his heel, swinging his sword out with such speed it seemed like a blur, from the air it would've appeared to look like a fan's blade without the protective cage. Blood filled the air and mixed with the falling rain as the sword cut down all in its path. Three of the men were cut clear in half while others fell back and bled to death from their middle. When Sephiroth stopped he took a moment to admire his work. nodding he sheathed his blade, seeing that all the infantrymen around him were dead. He looked over to see his pupil's fight.

Cloud was faring almost as well as his mentor was, with one minor difference. His sword didn't cut clean through, it literally ripped his opponents apart. The attackers were no match for the large buster sword. One man fired his gun only for the bullet to bounce off the metal, killing the infantryman that was aiming at Cloud from behind. Cloud came in for the counter-strike before man could reload. The blonde struck, cutting through the man's torso and breaking several ribs which flew out from the blow.

He lowered his sword, noticing that he was out of opponents to fight. In a short time, the seemingly large army was gone.

"Need backup! Repeat! Need backup! They're too strong! They killed over two hundred and are still alive! Come in!"

Cloud turned to see one lone infantryman kneeling on the ground next to a portable radio. He was about to go over and knock him out when a long silver sword came sailing through the air and impaled the man through the neck, hitting his jugular and silencing him. He clutched his neck and dropped the phone, trying hopelessly to put pressure on his wound which was now squirting blood. A voice crackled over the radio, shouting something. The man gurgled as blood filled his mouth. "S-s-send the...t-turks." He gasped and was dead before he hit the ground.

The blonde stood there, with his eyes trained on the man as Sephiroth went to retrieve his sword. The general wiped his blade on the dead man's uniform as he sensed his pupil's gaze now on him. "I know what you're thinking, but we couldn't let him live. Remember, this is war and we're fighting for our lives. Lives that were stolen from us and we have to do whatever we can to get them back."

Cloud said nothing, but slowly nodded. Sephiroth knew he still didn't like it and in a way, he envied the younger man. While working for ShinRa, Sephiroth had been ordered to do some pretty horrendous things, which included killing the innocent and the unarmed. He didn't like it either, but he had gotten used to it. Although Cloud was a second-class SOLDIER he had yet been ordered to do something so evil. Sephiroth knew that if things had been different and they hadn't been put into that situation his pupil would have become one of the greatest SOLDIERs that ever lived, second only to himself. No, he was kidding himself. With Cloud's high morals and honor code, the humble country boy would have surpassed his mentor. Sephiroth would've been okay with that. He considered Cloud a kindred spirit after all.

Sephiroth approached his pupil and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Come on, let's put some distance between us and the next wave. We could both use a rest."

That was a lie. Sephiroth didn't need to rest yet, he could have taken the next two hundred on his own, but despite how well Cloud was holding up, Sephiroth didn't want to push him too far. Cloud hadn't said much since they made their escape and when he did, his mood seemed to be false. Sephiroth could tell the positive attitude was just for show, but he couldn't tell what was really underneath.

The two kept going until they found an old abandoned farm-house. The house itself was gone. Age and the elements had long turned the wood rotten and collapsed, but the small shed stood well enough and would do for the night. Sephiroth didn't want a fire, stating how they could use a decent night's sleep for once. The second-class agreed and headed out into what was left of the farm's vegetable field to see if anything eatable still grew. He returned with an armful of onions.

"This was the only decent thing I could find," he stated as closed the shed door behind him, leaving it open just a crack to let light in. Not that it mattered. Their mako-enhanced eye-sight made it easy enough to see, it was just out of habit.

Sephiroth raised an eyebrow. "Onions."

"There were some potatoes, but I didn't trust them. There was a rat carcass covered in ants next to it."

"Good enough reason," The general replied as he took one of the onions and began to peel it.

Cloud turned to scan the outside to make sure they were still clear.

"Agh!" The blonde snapped his head back over to the general. Sephiroth was rubbing at his eyes.

"What happened?" asked Cloud.

"It stings!" replied the General as his right eye watered. He had taken a bite into the vegetable only for the juice to squirt into his face.

Cloud tried to suppress a laugh, "You've never eaten a raw onion before, have you?"

"No," he replied, being careful with his second bite.

Satisfied that there was no one coming yet, Cloud sat down and chose one for himself. Peeling back the outer layers he bit into it with ease. Sephiroth resisted the urge to roll his eyes. His pupil could be such a show off. They ate the rest of their meal in silence.

Hours went by uneventfully and the rain clouds eventually cleared, revealing a night sky with the moon half full. Stars dotted the sky as the two tried to get some sleep. Sephiroth chose to take first watch. He didn't need to look outside for oncoming threats. With his enhanced senses he could hear them coming from yards away. Instead he focused on his pupil. He knew that the life of a fugitive was demanding and while Cloud had been holding his own quite well, Sephiroth was concerned about his mental state. They still hadn't talked about what happened during the incident in Hojo's lab.

Normally calm, and restrained, Sephiroth had lost control of his anger with what happened. They had both suffered a lot, but Sephiroth couldn't help but worry when his pupil had been able to take such an action and not seemed to be affected. The second-class acted like it had never happened. That was what worried the General most. The next time they had a chance to take a decent rest, he was going to confront him about it.

So, not your typical Cloud and Sephiroth story. What did Hojo do to them this time? Fav and/or follow if you liked and let me know what you think of it in a review, even if you thought it stinks, at least then I know to make it better. :)