X: Chocobo Boy

"Pleaaase?" Zack begged Sephiroth and Valon. The General, who had been ignoring the boy all morning, finally gave in to his annoyance as his face snapped up and his gaze met with Zack's. Zack immediately started back a little, Sephiroth was absolutely terrifying when he was angry. The youth gulped as the Silver General continued to stare him down, eyebrows in a frown and lips pressed to a thin line.

He decided that Valon was an absolute angel, his saviour, his hero, when she got up and blocked Sephiroth's view by standing in front of him. He released a breath he hadn't realized he was holding in a stuttering manner, but inhaled sharply when the Lieutenant looked at him in an almost as annoyed manner as Sephiroth had.

"Puppy," she said sternly as she lifted her finger in the air and waved it back and forth only inches away from his face. "Can't you see we're drowning in work?"

Zack nodded. "Yes, but I really want you to meet the chocobo boy!"

Zack had pestered his friends all morning to come and watch his new friend train. He had started with Angeal, whom he knew would need the least persuasion. He only had to casually mention he had met a particularly talented cadet and his mentor had all but insisted to meet him. Next, he figured Valon would be the easiest to convince, and if the Lieutenant agreed, the General tended to follow, too. The woman had the peculiar talent to make the General do as she pleased.

Which was an absolutely terrifying thing, if you asked Zack. Women were absolute miracles, so much so that not even the Great General Sephiroth could resist.

However, after trying all morning, Valon hadn't even tried to listen to him. Hell, she even managed to turn him into her personal assistant. If he had to go and grab one more coffee for the black- and white haired woman, he'd go mad.

Valon shook her head, sighed and walked back to her desk, where a small skunk was sleeping soundly. The prank Genesis and he had pulled had completely backfired on them. Who would've guessed that the Monochrome Lieutenant would take a liking to the animal as soon as she'd lay eyes on it? And even more remarkable, the skunk had instantly taken a liking to her too. It probably figured she was a skunk as well.

Zack snorted at the thought.

Valon stretched her arm to pet the sleeping animal. Gently stroking his fur, she pouted in thought. She hadn't lied to the Puppy, they were drowning in work. However, she figured they could desperately use a break, Sephiroth even more so than herself. She couldn't remember the man coming home last night, and when she woke up at oh-five-way-too-fucking-early-hundred, her husband-to-be was nowhere in sight. And indeed, when she arrived at the office, he was already -still?- furiously typing and writing and reading at the same time. She shook her head, the man would die due to exhaustion before he'd hit thirty.

Wait...

"Thirty?" she exclaimed, seemingly out of nowhere. Both Zack and Sephiroth looked at her in confusion, but she shook her head again. She just realized she didn't even know how old Sephiroth was. He couldn't be that much older than herself, but still...

She had to ask him that sometimes soon, she decided. She turned her gaze to the skunk again, he had just started to wake up, making high-pitched noises when he did.

"Good morning, Sebastian!" she grinned as she lifted her new pet from the desk and onto her shoulder. Zack and Genesis their jaws had all but dropped the floor when she thanked them for the present. She knew it was a prank, of course she did, everyone in SOLDIER just loved teasing her about her mutation, but the fact was that she absolutely loved the little black- and white critter. It seemed to like her too, making angry hissing noises at everyone in the room except her. Sephiroth almost skewered the poor thing with the Masamune when the skunk had tried to spray the General for a second time, but Valon had used her own sword to block the blow. Then she had announced that they'd take it in as a pet, in a tone that left no room for arguing. She had also commanded Genesis and Zack to clean their wrecked apartment.

Valon laughed at the memory, but her expression quickly turned serious when Sephiroth all but slammed his pen down with such force she was surprised the desk was still standing. Then, he pinched the bridge of his nose with his fingers and sighed loudly.

"You're going mad, woman." he scoffed.

"Wha-?" Valon gasped in surprise at the exclamation. Behind her, she could hear Zack shift uncomfortably in his seat.

"You're yelling random numbers, talking to an animal and laughing at nothing. You're going mad." her betrothed stated it as a fact. Then, he rose from his seat and grabbed the Masamune from the rack on the wall and snorted when he heard Zack whimper in terror.

"Valon obviously needs a break, and frankly, so do I. Take us to the chocobo boy." he commanded the youth with a grin. Zack all but jumped from his seat with a huge grin plastered on his face.

They arrived at the cadet training grounds only few minutes later. Sephiroth had called Genesis and ordered him to tag along, although the order wasn't needed. The redhead had been looking for an excuse to take a break for the past two hours, so the General's call had been all but a blessing. After that, Zack had called Angeal to tell them they were going to see his friend. So there they stood, still unnoticed by the platoon of cadets and their instructor. The cadets looked tired, but most of them still had a determined look on their face, Sephiroth noted with a hint of a proud smile gracing his features. Watching them preform basic katas with the standard issue broadswords, the General found himself nodding in approval multiple times. They looked like a promising bunch. After a few minutes, the instructor, a man Sephiroth recognized as SOLDIER Second Jeffrey Parcel, paired the cadets in pairs of two to perform some basic sparring.

Zack excitedly pointed at a small, slim boy with unruly golden hair. "There's the chocobo boy!"

The four followed his pointing finger and Genesis laughed loudly. "He does look like a chocobo."

"Hmm," Zack grinned proudly as the boy executed his offense almost flawlessly. "his name is Cloud Strife."

Again, Genesis laughed. "What a ridiculous name."

"If you say so, Genesis Rhapsodos." Angeal smirked. Genesis threw his hands up in defense. "Low blow, my friend."

Zack laughed at their friends and glanced over at the General and his Lieutenant, who both were standing tall with their arms crossed and thoughtful looks on their faces. Both of them had their eyes narrowed slightly as they followed Cloud's every move. When the boy made a minor mistake, Sephiroth's lips pressed to a thin line.

"Odd." he raised his eyebrow slightly, and Valon only nodded in agreement.

"What's odd?" Zack asked curiously. Valon, who had brought Sebastian along, petted the thing as it was sitting on her shoulder, features twisted in thought. She opened her mouth to answer his question, but Sephiroth beat her to it.

"He's holding back."

Zack raised his eyebrows in confusion. What were they talking about? Cloud seemed perfectly normal to him. Talented, yes, but nothing exceptionally odd.

"Maybe not." Valon disagreed. "Maybe he just has impeccable instincts, but his body can't keep up. I've seen it happen before, although not quite to this extent." at that, she grabbed the skunk and handed it to Angeal, who placed the animal on his own broad shoulder, where it made a few complaining noises. Then, Valon drew her sword and stared at it thoughtfully. Sephiroth held up his hand in protest.

"He's just a cadet, Valon. It can wait until-"

"I won't harm him." she glared at him defiantly, but didn't wait around for his answer. She stalked towards the platoon without second thought. Zack yelped in surprise, what was she planning to do?

"Parcel," Valon made her presence known. The SOLDIER Second instantly snapped to a salute, and all the cadets dropped their swords to the ground to mimic their instructor.

"Lieutenant Harper, ma'am!" he yelled in acknowledgment. Valon nodded as she twirled her sword around a few times. The looks on the boys' faces unnerved her. The mixture of fear, surprise and worship was something she'd never get used to. She quickly scanned the platoon and found her target again. She stalked to him and locked eyes, trying to read him. She had expected to see the same fear or worship as his squad mates in his eyes, but she was a bit taken aback by what she saw instead. A combination of anger and confusion.

"Name?" she shook her head, dismissing the strange feeling that overcame her. That look sure was a first.

"Cloud Strife, ma'am." the boy said.

"Lieutenant Valon Harper," she introduced herself, the corners of her mouth twisted upwards a little in a polite smile. "Grab your sword."

The chocobo boy stared at her with his eyebrows raised in surprise, but the clever boy did as he was told.

"Lieutenant, with all due respect, but-" the SOLDIER Second interrupted, but Valon raised her hand in dismissal.

"Forgive me for interrupting your instructions, Jeffrey, but if you'd please give Cadet Cloud Strife and myself some space?"

Jeffrey Parcel only nodded as he ushered all the other cadets to stand back, and stand back far. He shook his head as he took his place in front of the platoon to protect them from any stray attacks if need be. He had never seen the Lieutenant like this. She always was a caring and outgoing type of person, ever kind and loyal and friendly and even when giving orders, she never failed to listen to her squad's opinions and thoughts. He'd had the privilege of working under her a couple of times before, so he felt confident enough to say he at least knew her somewhat well. For her to challenge a cadet, no matter how talented, to a spar was out of character. When the Second glanced to his right and saw the General and the two Commanders looking at the spectacle with unease clearly readable on their faces, even on Sephiroth's normally so stoic face, he knew she wasn't entirely acting like herself. He wondered what had made the blond cadet stand out so much to the Lieutenant.

He didn't have more time to think about it though, the spar had started.

Valon didn't take the time to ask the boy if he was ready. Although she did hold back her strength and speed, she still expected her first charge to be way too much for the cadet, but the boy dodged her attack seemingly effortlessly. He rolled away and looked at her wide-eyed. When he realized she wouldn't give him time to get over his shock, he readied his sword again. Valon nodded in approval and charged at him once more, this time locking swords with Cloud and trying to overpower him, pushing him back a few inches with the sheer force of her charge, but he didn't budge. No, indeed he didn't. Instead, he twisted his sword with a flick of his wrist, catching her by surprise. Then, he kicked her kneecap and rolled out of the swordlock.

This time, Valon laughed loudly as she bent over to rub her pained knee. If the boy would've been enhanced, her knee would've been dislocated. And that was a best-case scenario.

The spar continued for a while, and everyone was looking in awe at the spectacle. Everybody knew the scrawny blond in the platoon was talented, but facing a real opponent, they all finally got to see the extent of his talent.

It was obvious to Valon that she was right, and Sephiroth was not. Which was unusual, the General was an absolute genius she'd never dream of competing with, but this time, she was sure her assumptions were correct. The boy had instincts on par with any other SOLDIER First, dodging or blocking every swing and kick. He wasn't holding back, his body just couldn't keep up. He was out of breath and every now and then he underestimated his reach or took steps that would've been perfect would the short boy have been taller. Instead, he almost tripped when he tried to take those steps.

With the right amount of training and a couple of enhancements, the blond youth would make an amazing addition to the SOLDIERs, Valon decided. He just needed more time and proper training. She nodded again, took a few steps back and smiled at Cloud brightly.

"Very well done, Cadet." she said. The panting boy only scoffed at her in irritation. She opened her mouth to speak again, but a screaming whirlwind of black ran past her and up to Cloud. Zack hugged his friend tightly and yelled some more, causing Valon to laugh out loud once more.

"You were amazing!" Zack screamed at his friend, shaking him roughly. The Lieutenant decided to leave the friends be. She sheathed her sword and walked up to the General and the Commanders. Only Genesis seemed amused. Valon didn't care though. She walked up to Sephiroth and booped his nose with her index finger. "I was right."

Sephiroth scratched his nose and scoffed. The woman could be such a pain in the ass, sparring with a cadet like that. But, he had to admit, a true challenge was the only way to measure the youth's true potential. He still didn't agree with Valon's conclusion though. There was something about the cadet he wasn't quite able to see yet, and he decided there and then to keep a close eye on the chocobo boy.

"I hope Zack will forgive me." Valon grinned as she took Sebastian from Angeal.

AN: I really enjoy calling Cloud "chocobo boy" way too much. Ah well. I know you all might wonder how the past few chapters will be related to the plot but please bear with me, I'm trying to build some things up (and horribly failing at it, I suppose, lol).