"Simulation training room. 21:00."
She had checked the message she had received earlier again on her phone, before without a word she tossed it in Cloud and Zack´s direction.
They were in the dining room again, seated around their usual table in a far away corner and discussing the latest events.
"We´ve received exactly the same notes. I wonder what it is about this time." Zack thought aloud while Cloud was slowly turning green.
„Oh no! You don´t think they´ll let us fight some huge simulated best, do you?" Blondie managed, almost choking on his glass of water he now kept clutched in both his hands.
Well Lightning didn´t know about Zack, but yes, that was exactly what she thought.
What else was there to do in the simulation training room?
They finished their meals, Cloud Strife´s food almost untouched.
It was 20:50 that they made their way up to the simulation training room just to find their favorite First Class´ already waiting for them, mischievous expressions spread on all their faces.
Looking at them, Lightning found it hard not to laugh.
They were clearly up to something.
It´d better be something good, she thought to herself.
Cloud´s worst fears were topped when they revealed that for that day´s training session they wanted them to fight each other.
A tournament.
Claire Farron couldn´t help but feel excited. Excited, but also a bit worried.
Worried for Cloud. For this time none of them could watch his back. This time his lack of skill and courage would be obvious for everyone to see.
The three of them took their positions in the simulation area while their trainers seated themselves in the small adjoining observation room,watching their protégés through bullet proof glass.
"We decided to let you fight in the simulation of the clearing in the woods. My favorite place for sparring." first class Genesis Rhapsodos said, excitement evident in his voice.
That was fine by Lightning.
She didn´t really care for the location anyway.
"3... 2...1..."
Listening to the excited redhead´s meloic voice, Claire Farron closed her eyes. And when she opened them again she found herself in a beautiful clearing surrounded by huge old oak trees. A bright blue and sunny sky above, warm rays of sunlight caressing her skin, the young woman took a deep breath of clean, fresh air and let her temporarily blinded eyes get accustomed to the brightness of the day.
She marveled at how realistic the simulation was. A beautiful meadow with an assortment of extraordinary colored flowers, interwoven with the green, lush blades of grass.
Being inside a simulation like this, it was easy to accept it as reality.
Everything from the looks to the scent and the sounds was so pleasant, felt so real.
She heard a soft breeze rustling the leaves and the cry of a lonely gorgonopsid in the distance, when finally she looked up to find Zack and Cloud standing a few meters away from her.
The pink haired soldier sensing Zack getting ready, she immediately got into fighting stance, while Cloud Strife was stepping out of the way, clearly not eager to participate in their little sparring.
Well. That didn´t exactly come as a surprise, Lightning thought, as patiently she wated for Zack to attack.
„Are you sure you´re ready? You know I´d hate to actually hurt you..." her black haired comrade said, slightly mocking her.
She let out an amused snort.
"Come and try".
Without further delay Zack charged at her, his fists ready to attack.
Claire Farron defended herself easily.
She could feel her friend was holding back.
And although she appreciated the fact that he didn´t want to hurt her, she also sensed her opportunity to surprise him and without waiting for him to get ready again, she attacked to violently kick him to the ground.
„What the - "
Zack Fair staring up at her in disbelieve from his position on his buttocks, Lightning knew he hadn´t seen that coming.
Ha!
To keep things friendly she extended a hand to help him up again. But her black haired friend chose to ignore it.
It was with a look of deepest disgust that he made to get back on his feet.
„That wasn´t fair." he pouted.
Cautiously and en garde, Lightning took a few steps away from him, all the time looking at him expectantly.
Her fellow second class studying her face, he found her expression smug. Smug and somewhat demanding.
It was without hesitation that he reached behind his back to produce his training katana, and Lightning mirrored his action, taking out blaze edge.
Then it started in earnest.
Although cautious, tentative in the beginning, their fight, it became wilder and messier with every second that it took.
Zack was strong.
But he was nothing compared to Sephiroth.
And for the first time in training, Lightning felt like she was battling an equal opponent, not like fighting against a rock with superhuman powers, and suddenly she didn´t feel weak and pathetic, but strong and full of confidence.
" Well, Genesis... I can´t see Cloud anywhere... Where is he exactly? Hiding behind a tree maybe?" The first class General was taunting from his safe seat behind the glass pane.
The readhead only averted his gaze, unable to look Sephiroth in the eye.
"I don´t understand..." the first class trailed off, a tinge of red forming on his cheeks.
He couldn´t remember ever having felt so emberassed.
"Your apprentice is even too scared to take on a girl!" the silver haired legend stated.
It was too much.
"GIRL?! You call that thing in there you´ve created a girl?!" Genesis Rhapsodos blurted while they watched Lightning giving Zack a hard time.
The redhead´s expression now sullen, it was Angeal Hewley who watched his pup´s opponent´s actions with increasing interest.
The burly first class couldn´t fathom how Claire Farron had gotten that strong.
It wasn´t normal for a simple mako shot to have such an impact.
And from what he´d heard, she´d only undertaken the procedure once.
Still, she matched Zack easily.
"Sephiroth... They didn´t... You know... Do any further experimenting on her, did they?" Angeal chose to carefully word his suspicions.
Genesis looked up between the two of them in exasperation.
" … "
General Sephiroth Crescent, he only averted his gaze.
"Wait... They did?! No! That´s not fair!? That´s cheating! How can you expect Cloud to keep up with something like this!? How could he possibly keep up with a monster?!" the redhead exclaimed in outrage.
"Come on that´s not even funny!" Angeal stated sternly. "They didn´t... Jenova cells?!"
"No..." their silver haired comrade shook his head.
"All I know is she received a special Mako treatment. Something of Hojo´s latest creations. Further condensed Mako..."
He didn´t tell them how the shot was actually aimed to kill her. Or how it almost had.
"Are you sure...?!" Genesis Rhapsodos cut in.
"Of course I´m sure! I´d feel it if she had Jenova cells inside of her!" the general answered somewhat acidly, cold green killer eyes narrowing in anger.
"This is getting messy... Maybe we should interfere before someone is injured" Angeal suggested, gesturing towards the simulation area, where the fight between Light and Zack was quickly turning nasty.
Claire Farron knew Zack was strong and much more experienced than herself. She was aware.
But still.
It was only for a second that she had lost her focus and suddenly her body hit the ground hard, her comrade´s sword approaching the spot where her head was resting fast.
She barely had the time to bring up blaze edge to shield her face from the rough assault.
Using both her hands, her right one resting on the hilt, the left one pressed against the blade, she felt her elbows painfully rammed into the hard concrete, as suddenly the beautiful meadow around them transformed back to the grey tiled floor of the simulation training room.
Somehow Zack was still on top of her, the blade of his training katana resting on Blaze Edge, separated only inches from her skin and somehow the pink haired female couldn´t summon the strength to push him away.
„Ugh! Let go of me!" she stammered and she watched Zack´s triumphant smile fade abruptly as just a second before her defense would have broken, she sensed her sensei´s presence and found the tip of Masamune resting agsinst the skin of her fellow second class´exposed neck.
„Enough." the silver haired General said.
And enough it was.
