Hi, boys and girls. It's been such a long time since I've been writing. Anyway, this is a new story from me after I played FF Crisis Core, FF13, and FF Type-0. I hope you will enjoy it.
Chapter 1: New Cadets Recruitment
Near Midgar...
"Huh...Ugh..." A light blonde haired man panted as he looks up at the unfamiliar area he was in. Wincing, he tried to stand but could only kneel on one knee at the moment. "What happened?" He asked himself. His attire that he currently adorns was worn out from the cuts that it had taken. Blood stained his attire, evident of which his bleeding left shoulder and chest. He then looks up and find himself facing his teacher's blade, Boreal Blade.
Gritting his teeth, he forces himself to stand up and walks towards the blade in question. Once arrived, he grips the handle of the blade and pulls it out from the ground. He looks down at the blade for a moment before he looks around the area he was currently standing. Before long, he turns right and his eyes spotted a body lying on the ground. Recognizing the patch of hair color, he hastens his pace towards her.
When he arrives next to the body, the 17 year old young man stab the Icy Blade into the ground before he kneels down on his knees and picks up the unconscious girl in his arms.
A frown curves downwards on his lips as he looks down at the girl's face which showed no signs of consciousness. "Seven." He called out his name before he waited for her to wake up but after a while, she didn't wake up. Gripping her shoulder, he calls out to her again. "Seven..."
But she still didn't wake up.
"Seven!"
One Year Later...
Gripping his Boreal Blade, the now 18-year old young man looks out afar at the road to sense if there are any monsters coming. He wears a white long-sleeved military jacket, gold pauldrons, black pants, black gloves and matching boots. His red cape acts as a ribbon to which it is tied around his waist. At his right hip, the two ends of the ribbon flare out down his leg, reaching above his knee. Two ball shaped knots were formed right before the ends of the ribbon, adding a different design to the ribbon.
"Is there anymore coming, Ace?" A deep voice asked directly to the young man while he put his Buster Blade on his back.
"No." Ace answered before he looks at the owner of the voice. "Should we start to cover more ground, Angeal?" He asked as Angeal looks at him and cross his arms.
"It'll be more easier if we went alone while doing that." A cheery voice greeted the both of them as Ace let out a small smile to appear on his lips before he looks at his comrade, Zack. "I mean, we can finish this mission a lot faster. You train me for this, Angeal! You gotta give me a chance!"
Merely smiling at his student, Angeal looks down. "I've given you many chances, Zack. Although some exceed my expectations, you're still lacking."
"But I can handle it, Angeal." Zack protested before he smiled. "If you can't let me go alone, then Ace will go with me. Does that sound alright with you?"
Smiling at his answer, Angeal couldn't help but smile. Looking up at Zack, Angeal holds his finger up to his head. "That's the way of using your head, Zack."
"I'm improving a lot smarter as I go along." Zack smiled cheekily as Angeal shakes his head.
"Or you're just excited that you are accompanying two First Class Soldiers in a mission?" Angeal asked as Ace looks at him with a smile while Zack smiled widely.
"That, and of course, the action I've been waiting for! I've been coop up in the buildings for days without anything to do but train." He pouted as Ace puts his free hand on his hips.
"But isn't it good to train?" Ace asked amusingly.
"Yeah, but we should always test the result by going through a mission with real danger, you know? Gets the blood pumping!" Zack stated to Ace, who kept his smile.
"At least you always prepare by squatting."
"I take pride in that." Zack said with a triumphant nod.
"Anyway, we better get going." Ace said to both Angeal and Zack. "If we can cover more ground, we might be able to head home faster. Tomorrow is the day the new recruits comes in, correct?" He asked as Zack nodded.
"Yeah, I heard that there are going to be females training to be SOLDIER, aside from the male recruit." Zack stated.
"It's a new change to the system." Angeal explained to him. "Even if we, SOLDIERS are small in number, but you never know if there are some hidden talents in female cadets. We might be able to greet a female SOLDIER soon." Angeal smiled as Zack shared his smile.
"Women are as equal as to men, after all." Zack put his hands behind his head.
"Where did you get that from, Zack?" Ace asked entirely amused.
"I'm learning along the way, am I right?" Zack responded as Ace smiled before he looks at the road in front of him.
"We should get going before tomorrow." Ace stated as monsters started to appear in front of the three SOLDIER. Both Angeal and Zack unsheathe their swords as they prepare to fight. Raising his Boreal Blade, Ace swung his blade vertically, unleashing a chilly, icy but deadly attack.
Next Morning
Cocoon
"Are you sure you're going to be fine, Serah?"
"It's alright, Lightning. I got Snow to keep me accompany." Serah smiled at her elder sister before she holds her boyfriend's hand.
"Don't worry, Light. I'll keep her safe." Snow stated as Serah looks at him.
"Safe from what?" Serah wondered curiously.
"From anything." Snow responded which makes a smile to form on Serah's lips.
Looking at the two, Lightning let out a small smile before she boarded her train to Midgar.
Noticing her action, Serah runs towards Lightning and hugs her immediately as she boarded the train. "Good luck, sis. Be careful, and be safe." Serah relay her words to her as she hugs her sister for the last time.
"I think I should say the same thing about you." Lightning said in amusement over her sister's ear.
"Goodbye, Lightning." Serah bid as Lightning frowns slightly before she responds.
"Goodbye, Serah." She bid back before Serah pulls back from the hug and climbs down the train.
As the doors closes, Lightning looks out the window to see Serah waving her hand at her followed by Snow.
"Goodbye, Serah..." Lightning bids one last time before she gets ready.
Shinra Terminal Station
"You're going down, Ace?" Zack asked in curiosity, finding it odd that his friend would be going to supervise the recruit's arrival.
"Yes. Even if everyone isn't going down, I have to. Or there might be mishap. You should remember there are female recruits in the train along with the male recruits." Ace explained as Zack nodded before he pats his friend's shoulder and pull away.
"Hope you got a sharp eye out there."
"That I will. It's my duty to educate cadets, right?" Ace questioned with a small smile as Zack nods before he walks away from him to supervise the arrival of the new recruits.
Platform
Just as Ace arrives on the platform, he looks at the train that already arrived next to the platform. After a moment, the door of the train opens up to let the new recruits off down the platform.
When the recruits climb off the train, they were greeted by Ace, who spoke in a slightly loud voice.
"Welcome. If you may, please enter the building without any problems, alright?" Ace asked with a small smile as the female cadets started to whisper girlishly about him while the male cadets bows to their superior, knowing the character of Ace in some news in their hometown.
"It's the Ice Reaper. I think we shouldn't meddle or do anything now. I don't think I want to be frozen to death." One male cadet whispers to his friend before he bows to Ace and enters the building, followed by his friends.
Smiling at the newly arrived cadets, Ace then spotted something disturbing to his eyes to which cause his hand to release a chill of ice.
Wheeling the luggage forward, Lightning looks up at the line of female and male cadets which are divided into two, rather than she thought it would be crowded with female and male cadets in one singular line. She then spots the cause of the said action and she nods in acknowledgment, thankful that there is someone supervising their arrival between male and female, knowing there would be bounds of problems that can arise between the differences of genders.
Suddenly, Lighting felt herself being grope by her butt to which caused herself to immediately take action. She wheels around, grabbing the hand of her assaulter, and instantly broke his fingers. The scene makes everyone step back from the two, but they immediately walk past them when they saw him coming.
Just as Lightning was about to throw him on the floor, her eyes widens as she feels the air getting colder than she expected.
"Are you alright?" Ace asked as Lightning looks behind her and she lets go of her grip on her assaulter's hand, making him fall to the ground on his bottom.
"Yes, I'm alright." Lightning responded before she looks at Ace, thinking whether if he works for Shinra judging from his attire.
"If you will, you can go now. I'll handle it from here." Ace stated, breaking her chain of thoughts as Lightning slowly nodded. She then wheels her luggage and walks past him, leaving Ace with the already cowering cadet.
Looking back, Lightning wonders briefly if he was a SOLDIER judging from his free choice of clothing. She then pushes her thoughts away as she realizes that this was her first day and she didn't know if she would be in trouble by assaulting a cadet. Knowing that she can't change time, she looks forward and continues her way to the Shinra building.
Meanwhile, a pair of blue Mako eyes looks at Lightning as she goes before she was gone out of sight.
"I-I'm sorry, Sir. I-I was just messing with her." The cowering cadet explained as he stands up and immediately bows his head at Ace.
"Even if you did mess with her, I'm sure you already know the consequences. Because I've already saw what you did." Ace stated calmly as the cadet in question gulp in fear. "If you want, I can report it to the higher authority and they will decide what happen to you onwards." At the same time he said, he spotted a female cadet running towards the other female cadets that had already left the platform.
"I can't be late!" The female cadet said as she runs but then her foot hit the ground during her run to which makes her fall forward. She closes her eyes to brace herself for the fall but she felt two arms grabbing her own before the feeling of her falling abruptly stop. She opens her eyes and looks up through her glasses, staring at a pair of light blue eyes.
"Can you stand?" Ace asked as the female cadets blushes from embarrassment of staring too long before she stands up with the help of Ace. After she stands up, she bows her head at Ace, "Thank you, Sir." She timidly said before she runs towards the other female cadets.
Looking at her, Ace couldn't help but shakes his head in amusement before he looks at the cowering cadet on the ground, intent to report his earlier action.
"Now that's what I'm talking about." Zack cheered with a smile, happy that his friend had cornered the harassing cadet.
"A sharp eye, eh?" A voice asked as Zack looks at his right, seeing Genesis looking down at Ace. "I hope everything will go perfectly without any faults if he is here." He smiled as Zack smile back. "Because he is taking his position seriously as a First Class."
Isn't that a good thing?"
"I never supervise the new recruits arrival. So did Angeal or Sephiroth. We took our missions seriously as First Class and in case of emergency and dire situations. We also took on dangerous mission that not even the Second and Third SOLDIER are capable of. No offense, though." He explained as Zack waved his hand in dismissal.
"None taken."
"Well then, if you'll excuse me." Genesis said to both Angeal and Zack before he walk away, leaving Zack looking at him.
"As a matter of fact, he is right."
Zack turns to Angeal, "About Ace?"
"No. About how we, First Class SOLDIER take our jobs seriously. Me, Genesis, Sephiroth and Ace. That's why we trained intensively to became what we are now, Zack." Angeal explained before he looks down at Ace and the cowering cadet. "But it never hurts to have a First Class like Ace to straighten things out like he's doing now." He said with a smile as Zack nodded in understanding.
"That girl though...She's got pretty good reflexes." Zack said recalling how the pink haired girl was quick to reprimand the assaulter just after she had been harassed.
"Looks like Zack the 'puppy' has gain quite an interest on a cadet already. I didn't expect this at all." Angeal said with an amused smile as Zack looks at him.
"It's not like that."
"Is it?" Angeal push himself from the window before he takes his leave. "Don't forget you have your own training to worry about if you ever want to become a hero that saves people or a damsel in distress."
"I don't think she needs saving if she can handle that well on her own..." Zack rubs his neck before a smile appears on his face. "But it can't hurt to help, can it?"
Shinra Hallway
Walking through the hallways, Ace thought back to one of the male cadets that had harassed a female cadet, much to his disappointment.
"Everything's here is...different." Ace mutters
"It is different, Ace. This world is not in constant wars with the other countries like our world do." A voice explained inside his mind as Ace stops in his track and pulls out his PHS, punching in a number before he puts it over his ear.
After a while, a voice greeted over his PHS.
"Hello. Who is this?"
"It's me." Ace answered.
"Oh, Commander Ace."
"That's right. How...is she?" Ace asked in slight discomfort.
"She's alright. Do you want me to...?"
"...No, thank you. I have work to do, unfortunately."
"New recruits?"
"Yes. Anyway, take care of her."
"Will do, Commander Ace."
"Okay.
After he answered, Ace pulls down his PHS after the line cuts off, and he stared down at it for a moment before his PHS started ringing, to which he opens his newly sent message.
From: Genesis
If you have spare time, come see us at the training headquarters. If you want to know, this is between us, First Class.
Growing confused by the message, Ace pocketed his PHS before heading towards the training quarters to participate what his senior said. But before he could, he thought about seeing the recruits training before he heads to the training quarters, where his seniors were waiting.
Just as he arrived at the recruit's training quarters, he slowly walks inside the room. When he walks into the room, he looks at the female cadets that continue to train bare-fisted without losing their concentration by looking at him, to which makes him nodded in acknowledgement.
"Commander Ace." A voice said as Ace looks forward, seeing the female instructor. She has short pale blonde hair and brown eyes. She wears a blue long sleeved jacket, blue overalls and brown boots.
"How are they, Instructor?" Ace asked as the instructor smiled amusingly.
"Call me Qunmi, Sir." She said as Ace nodded at her name before Qunmi looks at the cadets. "They are improving little by little. But they'll know everything once I'm done with them." She explained as Ace nods. Qunmi then looks at Ace and gestured her hand forward. "Would you...?"
"Huh?" Ace asked as Qunmi merely smile before she looks at the cadets.
"Cadets!" She shouted as the female cadets stop their progress and faces her, forming a straight line when they did so. After seeing her cadets successfully lined up, she looks at Ace.
"Would you mind if you show us on how you fight bare-fisted, Sir?" Qunmi asked Ace's eyes widens at her offer. Looking at her cadets again, she then spotted someone and pointed her finger at the individual. "You there, cadet! Front and center!" She commanded as the said cadet looks surprise before she slowly walks to the front, facing both Qunmi and Ace.
Meanwhile, Ace's eyes widen a little, seeing the same female cadet he had helped on the platform a while ago, standing in front of him.
"What's your name, cadet?" Qunmi asked as the cadet glances behind her for a moment before she looks at Qunmi.
At the same time, Lightning glances at the said nervous cadet while she stood a few cadets behind her.
"Serah..." The cadet answered timidly as Qunmi raises an eyebrow at her shyness before she looks at her cadets.
"Form a circle! Cadet Serah and Ace will show us a fight!" Qunmi shouted as Serah's eyes widens, not expecting her to announced her name out loud.
"Serah?" Lightning questioned in her mind as she roughly push herself from the other female cadets to stand in front, a disbelief look could be seen on her face.
"Hey!" A female cadet whispered being push behind by Lightning, who didn't respond but instead she looks at the owner of the name to which was similar to her sister's name.
"If you would, Commander Ace." She said as Ace looks at the bespectacled cadet, who looks at him in return.
"I don't think..." Ace stop himself before he slowly looks up and he spotted Zack observing from the window. He watches as Zack put a thumb up towards him to which makes him glance away before he close his eyes. Once he opens them, he looks at Qunmi. "Okay, I'll show something." He answered to which makes Qunmi smiled and gestured her hand forward.
Looking forward, Ace could see that the bespectacled cadet had already move to the center while everyone stood behind with them already forming circle for the two of them to fight.
Walking to stand in front of the cadet, Ace looks at her readied stance to fight.
"Are you sure about this?" Ace asked as the cadet looks up at him, their eyes lock into each other.
"I'm sure." She answered with a nod as Ace exhale his breath before spreading his legs a little.
"To tell the truth, I'm not a good at martial arts." Ace explained as Serah smiled.
"I just learn it a while ago. What's that make me?" She asked as Ace looks down in slight shame and embarrassment. "Don't worry, give it all you got. Because I think this maybe my last time staying here..." Serah admitted as Ace looks at her in confusion before he glance at the corner of his eyes, a worried Lightning looking at Serah.
Nodding at her statement, Ace looks at Serah. "Alright." Ace answered before he clenches his fists and readies his stance. His right fist was at his side while his left was placed in front of him.
Then, Serah charges forward and punches her fist at Ace, aiming it at his head.
Avoiding his head to the right, Ace then goes to strike Serah in her stomach but his eyes widen as he saw Serah had pull back her right fist before she punches his shoulder, earning a wince from Ace.
The onlookers were surprise that she was able to land a hit on a SOLDIER. But not any SOLDIER, a SOLDIER First Class. Also, she was able to get the first hit out of the battle, much to their shock.
Following up from her strike, Serah went to punch his stomach with her left but it was block by Ace who held up his hands at the last moment. Hardening her face, Serah steps back as Ace looks up at her and immediately charges at her.
Seeing Ace pulling back his fist, Serah instantly held up her hands, on the defensive. But when she thought he was going to hit her hands, she felt a stinging pain at her left shoulder to which she looks up at Ace that had his foot at her shoulder.
Stepping back, Ace let out a smile. "Now we're even right?" He asked as Serah recalled that she had hit his shoulder to which makes a smile to form on her lips.
"Yes. But the fight isn't over, sir." Serah said as she charges, letting Ace prepare himself to fight back.
When she was close enough to attack him, Ace watches as Serah bends down and swung her right leg at his own legs. But before she could hit his leg to knock him off balance, Ace had already put his hand on the floor and flips in the air just as she was swinging her leg.
Just as Serah stands up, she instantly turns around and collided her hand with Ace, forming a cross between their hands.
"Good reaction time." Ace complimented as Serah smiled.
"Thanks, sir." Serah answered before she steps back and immediately raise her left leg to hit Ace on his head. But her eyes widen as Ace had already appear in front of her. Closing her eyes, Serah brace herself for the hit.
But after a while she didn't feel herself getting hit and experiencing pain, instead she only heard her heartbeat quickens from the long-lasting silence. Wanting to find out, Serah opens her eyes slowly and her eyes trail of the fist that was nearly going to hit her neck. She looks up at Ace who offered her a smile.
"I think that is enough, wouldn't you say?" Ace asked as he let down his fist while Serah smiles and bows her head.
"Thank you, Sir." Serah said before she looks at Ace, who nodded his head. But before she could speak to him any longer, a ringing sound sounded and she watches Ace pulls out his PHS and stared down at it, reading something. After a while, he pocketed his PHS and looks at her.
"That was a nice fight," Ace said as Serah nods her head in appreciation. "Serah." He finishes which takes Serah by surprise. "But I have to be somewhere else now. Continue your training." He stated to her as Serah nodded before he looks at Qunmi, who nods at him.
"Yes, Sir." She said as Ace walk past her and stop to stand next to Qunmi.
"Keep training them. They'll need it." Ace said as Qunmi nods before he left the room.
After he left, Qunmi looks at her cadets and shouted at them. "We'll continue! Pair up with someone and start!"
At this, Lightning tried to take Serah as her partner to want to know who she really is. But she then saw Serah was already taken by someone to fight with, to which she had no choice but to talk with her after the training session was over.
Just as he left the room, Ace immediately go straight towards the training quarters to meet up with his First Class seniors. When he arrives at the designated place, he sees Angeal, Genesis and Sephiroth standing outside the training room.
Looking up, Genesis lets out a smile at Ace. "There you are, Ace. You're right on time. Let's get started." He said as Ace stand in front of his three seniors.
"I've always wanted to know what the Ice Reaper can do." Sephiroth said with an amused smile before he enters the training room along with Genesis, leaving Angeal and Ace behind.
"Do your best out there." Angeal said as Ace looks at him after he looked at where his other seniors had gone. "Don't hold back because those two always play it hard." He advised as his junior nods.
"I'll do my best." Ace answered with a small smile as Angeal smiled and motioned for him towards the training room, to which he enters the room first before Angeal.
To Be Continued…
That's the end, how was the chapter? Leave a follow, favorite and review, and tell me what you think about. Alright?