Cloud smacked Jason on the back before moving out into the hall. As he closed the door he could hear a muffled.

"Alright alright I'm up…where are my pants?" Cloud chuckled as he made his way down the hall to the elevators. Looking at his schedule, he saw that his first class was Sword Training. Thank the Goddess! Cloud wanted to make a good first impression on his instructor and he thought it was at least possible if Sword Training was his first class.

Cloud stood in front of the elevators, bouncing on the balls of his feet as he waited. Just as the elevator opened, footsteps sounded behind him as Jason came tumbling down the hall.

Underestimating his own momentum Jason barreled into Cloud, knocking them both into the elevator.

"You could have just asked me to hold the elevator you know." Cloud groaned as he picked himself up off of the floor.

"Sorry about that man, I guess I don't know my own strength." Jason hauled himself to his feet, using the wall as a support.

"So what's your first class?" Cloud asked as he pressed the correct floor.

"Materia Training. What'd you get first?" Jason didn't look to enthusiastic about getting Materia Training first. Cloud wouldn't have been all that excited either, considering he had zero experience with casting lightning out of his fingers.

"Sword Training."

"Damn it! You're so lucky! And don't think I didn't hear you last night, skimming through that book!" Jason whined, hanging loosely onto Cloud's shoulders as they exited the elevator.

"Reading has nothing to do with how well I can handle a sword, just like it won't affect how you do in materia."

"You're just tryin' to make me feel better. I appreciate it. Let's chill after today alright?" Jason didn't give Cloud the chance to answer as he was already running down a hall labeled "Materia Training"

Shaking his head good-naturedly, Cloud set off on towards his own class…no hall…place where he was going to learn to use a sword.

It was a rather long walk from the elevators to his own hall. Opening the door labeled "cadets" Cloud stepped into the room. The instructor looking to be just about to begin had the small blonde dashing into a seat.

Smirking inwardly, Cloud listened as the instructor told them what they would be working on today,

"You ladies know what you're here for. Watch me now, 'cause this is what you're supposed to know by the end of this class." The man moved through the basic stances, all of which Cloud already knew thanks to the countless hours of practice the blonde went through before coming to Midgar.

So of course when it was time for practicing the moves Cloud flew through them with ease. No, the real trouble began when the instructor paired them up for sparring. The boy was at least three-times Cloud's size, height and weight both taken into consideration. The blonde grunted as he was flung onto the ground for the fifth time, the brute above him swinging his sword down with enough force to crack Cloud's skull should it make contact.

Raising his sword, Cloud blocked just it time, the wooden blade chipping and splintering in his grip. He may have stopped irreversible brain damage, but the blonde youth couldn't push the brute off. Just as Cloud's arms began to buckle, the same voice from the previous night washed over him,

"Alter the past, save the future."

The other boy went flying across the training room before slamming into one of the steel walls. Cloud still lay on the ground, bewildered at his own show of strength.

"D-did you see his eyes!?" One of the other cadets piped up from the crowd. All attention was momentarily diverted from the small blonde.

"No, what does that matter?"

"They were glowing. It wasn't for more then a second, but I'm sure they were!"

"Shut up Cortez." The instructor pushed the other cadet out of the way before moving to loom over Cloud. Sweat had begun to bead around the blonde's forehead.

"That…Just get your ass up! Take this and go to the 49th floor room 624. Now get out of here!" Cloud jumped to his feet and practically threw himself out of the class. Looking down at the note his instructor had flung at him, the teen couldn't even make out any of the hastily written words. It could be a termination note for all he knew. Or it could be asking for a few new training swords. One of those.

Scurrying into the elevator and up to the 49th floor, Cloud took his time finding the room. That voice…why did it keep coming to him? What did flinging other cadets into walls have to do with him saving the future? Smacking himself on the head Cloud tried to clear his head.

Checking the room numbers, the blonde teen saw his room must have been the next one in line. Taking a deep breath, Cloud knocked hesitantly on the steel door.

"Come in." A deep, soothing voice said from behind the door. Pushing the door open, the blonde youth stepped into the office of none other then Angeal Hewley.

"Sir Cadet Cloud Strife Sir!" Cloud said, snapping into a salute. Looking at the man situated behind the desk and seemingly buried in paperwork, Cloud wondered how the man managed to be so kind to all of his subordinates.

"What can I do for you Cadet Strife?" Angeal looked up and managed a small smile. Steeling his nerves, the youth handed the note to the Commander.

Royal blue eyes scanned the page, before looking back to the small blonde stationed in front of him.

"Is it true?"

"…Yes sir."

"You are surprisingly strong despite your appearance then."

"I…don't know where that strength came from sir." Cloud could feel Commander Hewley's eyes running over his form, determining whether or the not the boy was being honest.

"I would like to test this. If you'll agree to it Cadet Strife."

Chapter 16: Agree

Chapter 17: Disagree

Author's Note: Updates are going to take longer now that the stories are growing in their own directions. Also, just because you accept this does not mean Angeal is Cloud's love interest. It will just improve Cloud's relationship with him and a few other stats. But there are…bad points to accepting this. Just like there are positive and negative points to rejecting this. And school is starting in a few days, so that is going to deal some serious damage to my writing time. BUT I WILL NOT GIVE UP ON THIS STORY! Or any other story that I'm writing. Just keep faith in me and this story alright? Oh, and please go read the other author's notes if I didn't cover something here. Sincerely, Kay.