Final Fantasy VII A different story
Chapter two: basic lessons
By: Artic_uno_13
Beta-ed by: duo-chan-the-mpreg-fan
The next day Ling got up to go do some training but she tripped over Clouds boots, instantly waking the entire dorm.
"Whazs the big idea?" came slurred from the other side of the room.
"Ehh? Training?" Ling sheepishly offered.
"Huh! Oh no you don't!" Reno immediately said instantly awake.
"Remember what the doc said? Rest!" he then almost barked.
"Can't. I need to pick up some books I ordered today." Ling said while scrambling up.
Then before any of them could reply she was out of the door.
"But we all ready have our ordered books!" Cloud called after her.
Ling however was long gone.
BANNER
Two weeks passed with introduction lessons and basic material, before the tests started to get an idea of how good they were.
A few days later after the initial tests in both the basic training required for everyone and in the academy courses Sephiroth and Zack were discussing Ling's results.
"I think he's more than he pretends to be, he got 98 out of the 100 points in the weapons training and the only reason he missed those two points is because the Nibelheim gang sabotaged him. Not to mention he got the trick question about the materia right. No one's ever answered that question before." Zack said
"That's because almost no one knows the first users of materia were the Varuna nor do most people know that if you combine heal and restore you can heal everything but death." Sephiroth replied "But you're right, this guy is too good to be true, at least if he never had any training before, his father trained him well."
"Yes but you know what's odd? Both he and the other kid Cloud are so lithe yet so strong, and now Ling has taken up defending Cloud from the Nibelheimers along with training him. Not to mention both are extremely frustrated with the lack of challenge in the Mako sciences! Especially since most teachers won't allow them to progress faster. I don't understand why Cloud didn't do this well last time he tried. Did you know he aced a combat simulation the other day?"
"Hmm. Strange well at least the bullying and progressing is fixable, I'll arrange it with their teachers and I want you to watch during those training sessions without them noticing. See if you can find out why Cloud's improved so rapidly, maybe we can copy the effect for the other strugglers." Sephiroth said before dismissing Zack.
BANNER
That afternoon found Ling lounging amongst the branches of a tree with Cloud at the base chatting.
"Do you miss your home?" Cloud asked.
"No, I only miss my charge. But my home? No not at all I'm glad to be out of there actually."
"Yeah me too."
"Why don't you miss it?" Ling asked Cloud.
"A girl got hurt in the mountains and they blamed me for it. You?"
"My dad didn't want a boy, he wanted a girl. Always beat me to pulp. Learned to fight before I even turned six because of it." Ling answered sadly, indirectly explaining why she shied everyone's touch.
Then before Cloud could reply the bell rang causing Ling to drop down from the tree and help gather Clouds stuff before they took off at a jog towards their Mako manufacting lesson.
Neither of them had noticed Zack in the shadows together with Sephiroth.
Ling and Cloud sat down halfway down the first isle from the door with Ling at the wall side resting with her back against the wall.
"Cadets Strife, Chang. Front and center please!" their teacher called and when they stood in front of the teachers desk they were each handed a folder that was about 6 inches thick.
"Those are your assignments for the rest of the four years you will have my class, as soon as you finish one I expect you to drop it off at my office. Marks will be noted on the assignment that will then be returned to you by a clerk. Any questions?"
"Ehm… yes I have one." Ling said timidly.
"Go ahead."
"Why did you suddenly change your mind? Last week you said that we couldn't go ahead."
"Last week I didn't have your preliminary grades, now I do and you both scored 99 % while the rest only scored an average of 70 %. I would say that gives me enough of a reason. Now any other questions? No, good. DISMISSED!"
The shouted dismissed startled them into action and they dashed back to their desks slung their backpacks on and raced for the door knowing that this teacher HATED slow students.
Once outside they breathed a sigh before grinning before they were startled as they were handed a note to report to the teachers lounge at once.
They looked at each other before shrugging and running off once again only slowing so they didn't miss their corners.
When they arrived at the teachers lounge Cloud stepped up and gulped once before quickly knocking and telling the teacher that opened the door that they had been summoned.
The teacher nodded and waved them in.
Their others teachers were inside and each handed them between 6 and 10 inches of paperwork just like their mako manufacting teacher had done.
It seemed that they had scored between 95 and 100 % in each class so they didn't have to come to theoretical class any more, they only had to hand in their assignments and then they were done.
They ended up with a stack of about 4 feet of homework.
Ling shrugged and was suddenly glad each teacher had added a planner and course label to his or her folder, not to mention the fact these standard bags were so big.
She crouched down and managed to get some of the folders neatly in her bag along with the books she had been carrying and her pens.
Then their summon teacher came forward and gave each of them two canvas bags in which the other folders fit, snugly but it fit.
She thanked the teacher and finished the packing.
She looked over and saw that Cloud was having some problems before she said: "Not much of a packer are you? Here I'll help you." before she helped Cloud to get the folders stashed in the bags.
"Thanks Ling!"
"You're welcome, come on let's go back to the dorm. I'm itching to start!"
BANNER
When Zack and Reno entered the dorm four hours later, the first thing they saw was a stack of folders of about 3 ½ feet high next to each desk. A stack of ¼ feet of loose sheets on each desk that was shoved against the wall, and a stack of papers about ¼ foot high in each bag.
Then on closer inspection the stacks inside the bags were finished rapports and neatly bundled together by either a series of staples or were neatly placed inside a smaller folder than those that were stacked next to the desks.
"Well you can say what you want Zack but at least they're tidy, organized and most importantly easy to keep track of." Reno said whit a grin while indicating the new rosters the two had taped above their desk.
Each roster held the date on which a particular assignment had to be finished and another paper held the roster that told them what training they had when and where.
Then there was a blue paper taped at the side which held a list of which teacher they had for what course and where that particular office was.
"True but it would be nice if they weren't always glued to their books!" Zack complained ruefully.
Up until that moment neither of them had spent a lot of time outside of their precious books, if they didn't need to be at basic training and even then there was always one within reach.
"Hey that ain't that bad you know! At least they're taking this chance seriously, especially Cloud! And I got first dibs on the bathroom!" Reno answered before dashing into the bathroom.
"Hey! Not fair!"
