Disclaimer: I don't own any of this stuff, except for my OCs and the story line. Oh, that's because I'd turn the game and the movie. . . into yaoi!
A/N: MXM, OOC, cute stuff, fluffy? In this story Hojo is gone! This fan fic is not taken from canon. Ignore actual timeline.
Back, beta'd and better than ever! XD
Summary: A few weeks after the disappearance of Professor Hojo, Shinra recruits a new scientist. This scientist makes a new formula, and it contaminates Shinra's water supply! What will be the effect?
- ShinRa basement, researching laboratories-
Serena Leire, a young woman with long, wavy, blond hair and silvery eyes is the new scientist that ShinRa recruited after Hojo disappeared. Now, she was in a lab, eyeing a tube that contained her new scientific formula of chemicals and sighed.
"Professor Leire, President calling for your presence in his office now," a young soldier informed her when he entered the lab.
"Let me guess…" Serena asked the soldiers, "Another useless meeting?" The SOLDIER just shrugged at her question that they both knew was more of a statement than an actual need to know.
The female scientist sighed once more as she sat up and grabbed her new formula to take with her, and then walked out of the lab to go to President's office.
-ShinRa Building, Sephiroth's office-
The almighty silver haired General, Sephiroth, was doing his paperwork. Well, mostly. It was before his Second in Command came to his office with that smile and his bubbly personality-as always-but that wasn't the problem that made the General stop his job. There, behind his Second in Command, Zachary Fair-who have black jet spike and sky blue eyes- stood a blonde cadet with a -dog or cat?- in his arms.
"What do you want, Zachary?" Sephiroth asked, almost annoyed with his SiC who was sitting in chair that was in front of him.
"Well, one quick thing I gotta ask- can Spikey come in?" Zack asked his General.
Spikey? Sephiroth thought, while he looked at the cadet and nodded, signaling that his presence in the room was alright.
"What do you want, Zack, and why did you bring a cadet here- or the pet, for that matter?" Sephiroth asked him again, ignoring the cadet who had taken a seat beside the bouncy First.
"Uh… you're making me look bad in front of Spikey, Seph!" Zack whined at his commanding officer, which in this situation made the cadet smile and caused Zack to receive an icy glare from the silver General. Said glare was actually caused more by lack of understanding of the situation than actual annoyance.
"Ok… I want you to stop working, because I brought Spikey here in order to introduce him to you" Zack answered and threw his hand onto the cadet's shoulder.
"Wha... But Zack!" The cadet objected, surprised, "I thought you…"
"Ssshh…" Zack put his finger up to his mouth, "Shut up Spike. I want Seph to have another friend; He only has Ang, Gen, me, and Tseng-if you really want to add him." He looked back toward Sephiroth and looked at him innocently, while he continued with a cheery voice, "As for the cat I found that and decide to take it with me"
"So?" Zack asked to Sephiroth.
"Are you sure not kidding with me here? Because I have meeting in a few minutes, Zachary," Sephiroth said while he rubbed his temples.
"Of course not!" Zack said with a pout and his irresistible puppy eyes shone at his commanding officer.
"Zack... I think you gotta…. Think 'bout this and cancel your plan to save your life…" the cadet warned his friend softly.
"Buuuut…." Zack whined.
"Cadet," Sephiroth turned his attention to the spiky haired boy.
"Uh, yes sir?" the cadet made a question out of a statement, and looked up to see Sephiroth staring at him with intimidating mako green eyes.
"What's your name?" Sephiroth asked the cadet.
"Strife, Cloud Strife- Sir."
"Cadet Strife, can you take Lieutenant Fair out of office?" Sephiroth commanded, "Because I have more important things to do right now."
"Uh… Yes, sir" Cloud answered with only the slightest hint of hesitation.
"Wait! Why did you do that, Seph?" The SOLDIER whined, "You're making my heart ache!" At this Zack put his hand to his chest, acting like it really hurt him, and made his eyes widen.
"Zach-" Sephiroth began, but was interrupted by someone…
"Zack! Enough! Don't disturb the General again- Or, or…. I'll never hang out with you again!" Cloud threated.
Zack jaw fell right open and his eyes widened as he stared at the suddenly commanding cadet.
"Ah! Don't do that to me Spikey! What will I ever be able to do without your amazing cookies?" Zack pouted while Cloud gave him a glare. Zack turned out to be the one to give in first.
"Alright," Zack told everyone in the room, his tone clearly stating that he didn't really want to leave. But then he became his bouncy self, finishing hurriedly. "Bye, Seph! C'mon spikey!" Zack grabbed Cloud's hand and raced out of the office even faster than when he had arrived.
Sephiroth sighed heavily and sat down again.
-ShinRa Building-
"Spiky, where are you going?" Zack asked when Cloud began walking down a different path than him.
"I'll gotta go back to class since you dragged me out of my Theory Class." Cloud said calmly and waved at Zack. When it looked like Zack was going to ask about after that, Cloud continued his answer. "I'll see you at your place Zack, bye" He finally was able to walk away.
"Huh…" Zack mused, left alone with not much to do. But the SOLDIER quickly made a decision, "I guess I'll go to the practice room" Zack shrugged and walked over to practice room in good- No, that's a lie, he was in a great- mood.
_meanwhile_
Sephiroth departed for the meeting, and on the way he met the new Professor, Professor Leire.
"Oh, good afternoon General" Serena said, smiling at the SOLDIER.
Sephiroth nodded at her and strode beside her so they could speak.
"What happened, you seem so tense?" Serena probed, concerned about the young man.
"It was nothing," Sephiroth replied tersely.
"Hmm… I think it's about Zack," she said jokingly, before asking again, not buying his answer, "Is he doing something?"
"You could say that," Sephiroth answered dryly, and Serena giggled softly at the answer.
"Zack told me that you were the one that did his Mako injection." Sephiroth's question was more like a statement, and Serena nodded before answering.
"Oh, yeah. Not just him, either. By the way, when the last time you had your own Mako injection?" Serena asked him, and she noticed that the General tensed up.
"Don't take that as a bad thing," She hurriedly tried to calm him, "I'm just asking. And you always do it yourself now days, right?" Serena persisted and hoped that the General would relax.
"Yes, I indeed had my Mako injection a few days ago," Sephiroth responded coldly, dashing the young scientist's hopes.
They walked in a rather uncomfortable silence before Serena spoke up again.
"Oh, I need to go somewhere first. So, I'll a little late General" Serena looked to the General expectantly, Sephiroth gave her a nod, and she walked away from the silver haired man.
-ShinRa Building, Meeting Room-
A few minutes later, Serena walked into the meeting room, only a bit late, but received heated glares from Heidegger and Scarlet. The President himself just waved it off and continued the meeting like there had been no interruption in the first place.
Tseng's calm voice was the first to speak up. "What about the Mako reactor? It has been malfunctioning as of late."
"I'll go there if you, Mr. President can give me permission to." Serena said as she looked at the President expectantly, and he gave her a nod.
"Yes, Professor," He answered her gruffly, "You have my permission," Serena actually smiled a little.
"So, our meeting is now finished…" Rufus informed all involved while taking a sip of his coffee, and he looked at General Sephiroth. The Demon of Wutai nodded tranquilly at the vice president, simply acknowledging his gaze.
Everyone who had attended the meeting stood up, and walked out the conference room.
"Professor," Tseng asked, "When are you going to Mako reactor?"
"As soon as possible, Tseng. Could you come?" Serena asked, looking at Tseng, and he nodded.
"Do you need some Turk's or SOLDIER's to come with you, Professor?" Rufus asked the head of the science department politely.
"I think no, it's just a little trip. And you didn't need to be formal to me, Vice President" Serena answered, smiling at Rufus.
"I think I must say the same think to you, Serena," the blonde laughed a little at her formality.
"Ahaha... Yeah, you're right, Rufus" Serena laughed a bit as she calmly walked beside him.
"Tseng, I want some Turk's to guard Serena," Rufus commanded the head of the Turk's.
"How many do need?" Tseng queried the young Vice president.
"Rufus, I told you, I don't need any bodyguards" Serena whined at the young Vice President.
"Sky would be angry if I didn't protect you," Rufus said with a coy smile while Serena pouted at having lost a round with Rufus.
- The next day –
_Cloud_
07.15
Cloud woke up the next morning with a groan when the sunlight shone through his windows, and he rubbed his eyes as he yawned. He made himself get out of bed, and walked to the bathroom. But when he looked up at mirror when he washed his face, his eyes widened when he saw the 'things' on his head.
"AAAAHH!" Cloud screamed and fell on his butt. It took him a few minutes to collect himself again, but when he did, he stood up and looking into the mirror up at the 'things' which were triangle in shape, a soft golden color like his hair, and furry. Curious, he touched the thingies.
They're…soft…. Cloud thought and realized that something had moved from behind him, and he looked back only to find another long, golden, soft thing.
"No...No way…" Cloud whispered as his eyes widened again.
They… They're… Cat ears… and a… TAIL! Cloud thought in a panic, he looked around as if searching for answers before racing to Zack's room. (It's a weekend, Zack dragged Cloud out for the night for a sleepover at his place)
"ZACK! ZACK! WAKE UP!" Cloud shouted and knocked the door as hard as he could.
"Ugh…" Zack groaned at being woken up so early, "What's wrong with you, Spike? It's only seven in the-Uh…" Zack's words stopped and he stood frozen in door frame, mouth hanging open.
"Uh... Zack?" Cloud questioned, looking the older man in front of him with mild concern for his lack of response.
"GAIA CLOUD! YOU ARE SOOOOO CUTE!" Zack squealed and pulled Cloud to a bone-crushing hug.
"Zaaack!" Cloud whined at the over-excited puppy while he struggled to push the older man away. "This is serious!"
"Buuuut, they're so cute! They suit you well. Where you get the kitty stuff?" Zack asked the blonde neko with grin, he touched, well, actually it was more likely he tried to take off his ears.
"ZACK!" Cloud yelped in pain and he smacked Zack's hand, before trying to rub his ears, and hissing from the pain. "That hurt..." He brought both of his hands up to protect his new-found cat ears from a certain puppy, all the while glaring at said puppy.
"Err… Cloud? Are they real? I mean, they're really attached to your body?" Zack intoned his worry, and his apology was apparent in his look. Cloud nodded, forgiving him with a small sigh.
"Zack..." Cloud articulated his sadness with his voice, "What has happened to my body? I can't go back to the barrack, or to classes or even practice with this condition" Cloud said, panic slowly rising in his voice as he realized the gravity of these latest additions to his body had on his life. He could never be a SOLDIER if he couldn't train anymore!
"Hmm... don't worry 'bout that right now, spiky!" Zack calmed the cadet down with his easygoing and accepting tone, "I'll go talk to Seph, and we'll be able to figure this out together." He easily reassured the blonde teenager, before continuing in a joking tone, "Now both of us are up, could you make breakfast for us?" He asked with a grin and ruffled Cloud's hair affectionately, at least until he heard a purr emitting from the blonde teenager.
"Cloud? Are you purring?" Zack asked incredulously and immediately stopped ruffling Cloud's hair. His eyes narrowed in Cloud direction with surprise, and one dark eyebrow arched up in question.
"I… I … I'll make breakfast!" Cloud said, embarrassed, as he turned and ran into kitchen with a red hot blush on his normally pale facial features.
"Uh-huh... Run away. I can always interrogate you later," Zack whispered with an evil glee in his voice and smirked at the thought.
"I need to take a bath first, Cloudy!" Zack called out to the neko-boy in his kitchen.
He waited until he received a 'yeah' from Cloud before heading to the bathroom.
_Sephiroth_
08.26
It's been nearly 3 hours, Sephiroth contemplated while massaging his temple. He had woken 3 hours ago just because he had been attacked by horrible headache. Why? Because when he woke up he had found himself with silver wolf ears and a tail to match, and he had supposed it was just his imagination but now that it was later he realized that they were very real, attached to his body and everything. He began to curse and tried to gather his memories from last night.
I didn't eat or drink anything suspicious, I haven't been to the lab, nor have I touched anything from it…. Sephiroth sighed at his lack of understanding.
Shit! What's wrong? When did these stupid things form? Sephiroth continued to mull over his current dilemma, still massaging his temples, as his own panic was slowly beginning to rise. His PHS went off and he answered it promptly, before it had even rung a second time.
"Seph! It's me!" Zack's excited voice rang from the other line.
"What?" Sephiroth asked his SiC, annoyance stemming more from his current situation than from being called by the energetic First Class.
"Me and Spike need to come over to your place, we gotta speak with you 'bout something. Kay?' Zack said cheerfully, hanging up before Sephiroth could even argue with him. The General just sighed heavily, Zack never would change, even if the Silver Demon suddenly had new additions to his anatomy. He actually found it somewhat reassuring.
A few minutes later, a loud knock was heard coming from the front door.
"Come in!" Sephiroth hollered, not even bothering to get up from his couch, knowing very well Zackary had his own key to get inside.
"Heya, Seph! Wait 'til you see-" Zack began speaking in an animated tone as he entered the room but he stopped cold when he caught sight of Sephiroth's new appearance.
"What?" Sephiroth asked, feeling more irritated when he noticed Zack's once over. Zack ignored Sephiroth for the moment, and turned around to go get Cloud, still outside the front doorway, waiting for Zack to give him permission to come inside.
"Zack?" Cloud questioned his friend quietly, unease written all over his face as he looked at the SOLDIER. Slowly a grin formed on Zack's face as his devious mind went to work, before continuing enthusiastically.
"C'mon, Cloud!" He grabbed the confused blonde by his delicate wrist and dragged him into the living room. "You aren't the only one with animal thingies!"
"Seph! Look at Spiky!" Zack commanded his friend, grinning all the while.
Sephiroth and Cloud just stared at each other for a long time, only stopping when Cloud started to blush and quickly looked away by ducking his head and staring at the floor. Without his notice his kitty ears became flat and his tail curled up out of his nervousness.
"Cadet, when did you see that you had the ears and tail?" Sephiroth probed the boy quietly, still staring at Cloud with a hard gaze.
"When I woke up this morning, Sir." Cloud responded uncertainly, you know… the floor is pretty interesting, the blonde cadet mused.
"And you, Seph?" Zack asked in the place of his nervous friend. He knew Cloud was definitely curious but was way too shy to ask.
"This morning, when I woke up." Sephiroth replied, still watching Cloud with an interested gaze.
"Take a seat, Cadet" Sephiroth directed the blonde toward one of the chairs opposite him, watching as Cloud took a seat beside Zackary.
"What are you think this is?" Zack's voice became very serious as he thought hard what could have caused the change in his two friends, "Could it be some kind of disease?"
"I don't know, Zackary." Sephiroth looked more confused and worried than usual, and then something else popped into his head, and that caused panic to rise in his being. "We can't ask Professor Leire for help, either." Zack's eyes widened at the statement, and quickly asked Sephiroth, "And why not?"
"Because the Professor is gone, Zackary."
"Where'd Serena go?"
"Kalm, she decided to check the reactor" Sephiroth was still gazing at Cloud, and Zack was beginning to notice he was doing that a lot now.
"Uh… this is bad." Both Sephiroth and Cloud stared at Zack after he so bluntly stated the obvious.
_Rufus_
08.35
"Boss man; stop laughin' at me, yo!" Reno expressed his annoyance with a whine at Rufus, who was chuckling softly at the 'red fox'.
"Forgive me, Reno. It's just… the fox ears and tail perfectly fit you" Rufus told the sly Turk while grinning at the red head.
"You can go laugh at Tseng, yo! Or, better yet, look at yourself!" Reno gave his boss another once over, trying to discern what animal traits he had acquired. "What kind of animal ya get here, boss man?" His fox's tail swing to right and left a few times, showing his thought process to be hard at work.
"I do believe I am supposed to be a lion" Rufus replied calmly, he took out his PHS and he typed up something.
"Uh-huh… You are the king, I s'pose. What can you do, boss man?" Reno grinned a little at his little joke. Tseng hit him for it. "Who are ya callin', by the way?"
"Yes, I guess." He shrugged at Reno's joke before answering his question, "I'm calling a friend, she's Professor Leire's daughter. I hope that she can help us," Rufus just shook his head at Reno's attitude. Meanwhile, Reno turned to Tseng, a little angry for the unnecessary bonk upside the head.
"Don't hit me, yo!" Reno turned his attention to Tseng's own little add-ons. "So what did you end up with, boss?" Reno asked while rubbed his head.
"Enough, Reno. I've already told you, I have Wutaian cheetah ears and the matching tail." Tseng answered, Rufus had called all of Turks, excluding the team who escorted Serena, to his safe house to see if someone else had been changed in a similar way, it turned out that only he and three of them had been changed. It turned out that Rufus, Tseng, Reno and Elena had all sported a variety of animalistic traits.
"Mornin'" A female voice could be heard from the PHS. "Sky talking"
"It's Rufus, can you come to the company today, Sky? We have got a little problem here," Rufus admitted to the girl.
"Hmmm?" Sky questioned, "What happen, Rufus? But if we talking about kicking your father's ass, I'm in." Sky told him, only half-joking. Rufus knew her well enough to know that she was smirked right now. He ignored the statement, lest he insult Sky, and he really didn't want that. Sky was one of the few people who spoke their mind and didn't even care for his, or even their own social-status', and besides that he already knew that she hated his father.
"Your mother has made a formula, and I am afraid that it causes a little change in human anatomy… I want you here to see if there could be any other effects." Rufus asked, his smooth voice laced with a bit of hidden uncertainty.
"Mom's formula? Ugh, what the hell has she made now? Uuuh… I'll come," she said with some annoyance toward her mother, but used an apologetic tone with her friend.
"Good, I'll send a Turk to come for you," Rufus said smiling a little at her annoyance.
"Uh-huh… can't argue 'bout that. Okay, I'll see you at your place. Oh and you better start grouping the people who get the same effect-whatever it is-, cadets, SOLDIER or even Turks." Sky reprimanded him, "If it's affected you guys, than it's probably affected everyone else, as well."
"Right, I'll see you soon, Sky and I'll get to that right away." Rufus told her politely, and when she responded with a quick "Goodbye!" He hung up.
"What did she say, Rufus?" Tseng inquired the young man he worked for.
"She will help us and she hopes we'll be able to group all the people who have the same extra features with us so she can study them, and hopefully help them." Rufus supplied all of her instructions, and Tseng nodded at his orders.
"SOLDIER's too?" Rude asked, honestly he was a bit surprised.
"Yes, anyone can have these if we got them, apparently." Rufus shrugged it off.
"How'd ya know Serena's daughter, boss man?" Reno asked. He didn't even know that Serena had even had a daughter, the scientist looked so young.
"When I was a teenager, I met her here, when she came with her father's friend to learn hand-to-hand combat and art," Rufus answered smiling from the memories his tail swung happily from side to side at the reminiscing.
"Rude, Tseng. I want two of you go to Sky's place and take her to my office, and Reno will escort me to office" Rufus said again and look at Rude and Tseng who nodded.
"Who's going to inform and group the people inflicted?" Tseng asked his boss with a curious tone.
"I'll ask General Sephiroth to help us," Rufus told him, and he took his PHS to type something before bringing it to one of his lion's ear as it rang. Tseng, satisfied with the answer, left along with Rude to go pick up the daughter of the head scientist.
"General Sephiroth here." Sephiroth's deep, velvety, voice came from the other line.
"General, can I ask you for a favor?" Rufus inquired the silver haired SOLDIER.
"Yes, what is it Vice President?" Sephiroth probed the vice President for his orders.
"I need some SOLDIER's to do something for me," Rufus began, unsure of how to go about this.
"What do you need SOLDIER's for?" Sephiroth asked the young blonde, unaware of his mission, but eager to get on with it.
"I need them to group people who have animal's ears and tail and then take them to one of meeting rooms." Rufus said, and the General was silent for a moment.
"What do you want to do to them?" Sephiroth asked him, quietly but surprisingly threateningly.
"Nothing as of yet…" He carefully chose his words, then realized why the General had spoken that way. "Did you get them as well?" Rufus asked slowly, afraid that he was wrong when Sephiroth didn't respond at first. After a long period of silence, the general apparently decided he was telling the truth.
"Yes. One of the cadets, and I do have them." Sephiroth answered, his words every bit as carefully chosen as Rufus'.
"I see," Rufus said knowingly, thinking of his own additions.
"I'll ask some of the other SOLDIER's to help you round us all up." Sephiroth said, his voice once more commanding.
"Good, I'll wait for your call," Rufus said and hung up. He decided to turn his attention back to his Turk. "So? Are we going now?" Rufus raised one eyebrow in question at Reno, who slouching in a chair beside him.
"Yes, now let's go, yo." Reno smirked as he got up and went over to open the door for boss man.
to be continue :)
thanks to The Ninja and The Writer ! (or Vendetta and KAM)for beta-ed this fic XD and yes i've other couple, i'll tell you later XD