Requiem of The Past
Hello everyone, nice to see you all again. Thanks for the reviews. Sorry it took me so long to update, so since I know y'all just want to read, heres a new chapter.
Cloud yawned loudly as he stepped off the bus and stetched his stiff body. The blond coughed when he got a lungful of polluted Midgar air. He was suddenly reminded of another reason why he didn't particularly like the city and wondered idlely how he was able to live in it for so long.
The two years Cloud had been in Nebeliem had gone by far too fast for his liking but it did go relitively smoothly.
When Cloud brought Vincent home, his mother had taken to the older man well while the dark man himself was hesitent to even approuch the Strife household. His mother had almost literaly dragged the hellhound of AVALANCH out of the pouring rain and into the house after Cloud handed her the story he and Vincent agreed on using.
Vincent found out just how pushy his mom could be that day when she huled him upstairs, pushed him into the bathroom, forced him to strip his dripping wet clothes, and take a long hot bath as she threw his headband, shirt, pants, and cloak into the laundry for cleaning.
When the man came out hair and skin smelling of soap and tangerines, Lanette handed him some old cloths that once belonged to Cloud's father. Now from what little Cloud knew of his father, the man wasn't small by any means but he wasn't overly large either. He also knew that Vincent was a tall but thin man who's body was as lithe as his own.
Cloud could picture Cid's reaction if he had seen Vincent that night in clothes that were not only not black and red, but was also almost completely falling off him. Lanette then pulled Vincent back down stairs and sat him down in front of the warm fireplace and shoved a cup of steaming herbal tea in his hands while she went to the kitchen to cook dinner.
The blond chuckled at the memory. He had earned himself a red eyed glare that night when he was caught laughing at the older man's expense. He toned it down when Vincent's eyes started glowing but still snickered. Vincent seemed a little thrown that Cloud remained generally unphased by the unspoken threat.
From that day on Vincent had become an unofficial official member of the Strife family. Not long after his presence in the village had become known a few days after the news of the Shin-Ra mansion's burning quieted down. It happened when a pack of Nebel Wolves started harrassing the Chocobos in the town ranch. Vincent had been just passing by that day when he saw them and unloaded a few rounds in them. Both the mayor and ranch owner had thanked him well for his help. From there he had become the guy to go to when ever there was a monster problem. He made a small business out of it.
Also, during the two year wait, Cloud still got into the occasional fights with other kids in the village, as he predicted, but not as many as he used to. The gang of boys who always jumped him as a kid had quickly learned to keep their distance from him now if they didn't want to get hurt. Several times they tried to gang up on him when he wasn't around his mother or Vincent. Almost each time he fought them off Cloud had to remind himself that he wasn't an adult anymore and had to defend himself when he felt a pang of guilt fighting children.
Cloud had also made it imposible for anyone to get to the Mako reactor in the mountains directly from the town, forcing them to take a round about route, which was on the opposite side of the mountain from Nebeliem, and even then he set that up to be dangerous. On the direct path he collapsed the rope bridge that led strait to the reactor and weakened much of the surrounding rock faces so nobody would try to make the venture or could be able build another bridge, at least for a while. On the indirect path to the reactor Cloud had built nests to attract small groups monsters. The monsters that now inhabited the unbeaten path weren't strong enough to severly hurt anyone, but just enough ward away anyone who didn't have a decent amount of weapons and magic trainning or experience.
The day Cloud announced he was going to apply for SOLDIER was also a day he wouldn't forget. He'd done it over dinner one night a few months ago. His mother had been surprised, a little unsure, but overall happy to know he was making such huge decisions for his life and ready to shoulder the resposibilities that came with them. Vincent however was a different story. He was also surprised, confused, and was more than a little disappointed, but he masked it all well. The older man had gone silent and had given Cloud a look that would done a rock proud... at least until he looked the teen more closely in the eyes. What he saw was a lack of real emotion.
When some of the boys he heard in the village make the same annoucement to their friends and family they were full of pride, joy, confidence, and the look of fierce determination. While Cloud's voice sounded excited like all the other boys, his eyes reflected something different. Cloud knew he'd given the man the impression he was rolling his eyes in sarcassm at his own decloration.
Later that night, Vincent had come to his room looking for an explanation. Cloud had been sitting at one of his window looking up at the night sky when the dark man came in and stated rather bluntly, "I hate Shin-Ra."
Vincent had taken to leaning on the wall and folded his arms when he asked, "Then why join them?"
"To get bck at them." he answered. "Shin-Ra's not easy to bring down. Simply blowing up the reactors isn't enough, they'll just fix them and then make you out as some kind of terrorist, like the AVALANCH group."
Vincent nodded, beginning to see what the boy was actually planning. "So instead of attacking from the outside where their defenses are strongest, you attack at their weakest point, the inside."
When Cloud turned to look at Vincent and for a moment he wasn't looking at a fifteen year old boy who was simply guessing potential outcomes of a plan, but a full grown man who knew what he was talking about through experience.
"Exactly."
"This sounds pretty big, too big for just you alone. Any way I can help?"
Cloud smirked. "Yeah, do you think you can get in contact with a man named Barret Wallace? He's the leader of AVALANCH."
The now teen's memories of that night had been interrupted when he was pushed forward by other imptient bus passengers when he stopped infront of the bus' doorway. With a quick apology the blond hitched his dufflebag higher on his shoulder and quickly navigated his way to the train station to catch a ride up to the plate.
The front of the Shin-Ra military building was packed with young people from all over wanting to join its army; a few wanting to be just troopers, some looking to be one of the Turks, and most aiming for the slim chance of joining the SOLDIER program. That was how the group of young men and occassional women were divided up, standing in three long lines waiting to sign up or liotering around waiting to be let in.
The recruits were all eyeing the SOLDRIERs that dotted around the compound in nervous awe. Some were out right staring while others were taking little 'sneak' peeks. The SOLDIERs in turn were also checking out the newest batch fresh blood with a mixture of amusment and actual interest, no matter how little it was. However, out of all the inhanced humans there, none of them were more interested in the recruits than one certain violet eyed First Class SOLDIER with long spiky dark haire. This certain SOLDIER's name was Zachary Fair.
In all truth Zack was interested in only one of the new recruits.
Zack had been on his way out to the slums for a night out at one of the bars he and some of his drinking buddies usually haunted. It was Friday after all and it was beginning to get late in the afternoon. He had just walked out, going unnoticed because he was wearing civies instead of his usual uniform with a pair of shades over his Mako eyes, and took a moment to look at all the waiting new recruits. The boy was just ildely leaning against building's wall with folded arms when the SOLDRIER spotted him.
While the one Zack was looking at was a little guy, there were a few things about him that made him stand out. His hair for one thing was as spiky as his own and was a golden blond color. In Midgar there weren't many natural blonds walking around; mostly black, brown, and the occasional redhead. The blond suddenly reminded the dark haired teen of a Chocobo. The kid looked a bit young but he was also easily one of the cutest recruits Zack ever laid eyes on. In fact he almost looked like a girl with his lean, slightly curved body, fair skin, and had wide, innocent eyes that were a pretty shade of blue. There was also one other thing Zack noticed about the kid, and that he could best be discribed as aloof. So much so it almost reminded him of Sephiroth, just not as imposing. When others tried to talk to him he gave them the cold shoulder and the brush off as though they weren't worth using his breath on. Mind, half the things Zack heard being said to him didn't sound very nice.
Zack had been staring at the blond for almost ten minutes by the time the recruits were all called in. Zack was just about to leave as well when the boy suddenly turned and looked strait at him. The blond frowned at the older boy in a -what are you looking at?- type of way and rolled his eyes before turning to go in. For a moment, Zack could have sworn he saw the kid's lips quirked up into a small smile as the younger boy walked away.
The Gongagan grinned as he watched the blond go before heading towards the train station himself. He hoped he'd see him more often. Zack felt he just had to get know the adorable little blond.
Again, sorry for the long wait. It was totally my fault... I also had a writer's block. For the life of me I couldn't think of what to write next. I mean, I could see how I wanted my story to finish and all that, it's the getting there that stumpes me sometimes. Anyway, chapter four is completed and posted while chapter five is still in the workshop but exect it soon. See ya!
