A/N: I am…sorry, for the long time in updating but…school has been hectic. Otherwise, I must thank each and every one of those who have reviewed. It has made me smile, constantly, and has motivated me into writing with new ideas.
This also makes me glad that I take the time to check my email every day. With so many people adding and reviewing…my email has bloated greatly. Haha.
Whew~. Though I'm tired and whatnot, (as these past two weeks have been one of the absolute worst), I shall still give you the next chapter. Be glad and happy, _~_ zzzZZz, cause I'm glad that this has turned out so well.
Also, Hollander is reappearing. I may not have put him in before but I have decided I wanted to tie up all loose ends within the actual game. During this time, Hollander is in the final processes of degradation. This is the part right before Zack and Cloud were supposed to have been in the labs. But, well, the future has changed.
P.S. I am also making it so that Lazard has not betrayed Shinra. His fate was a sad one and I have decided to change it. Though, I'm not going to put him in all that often, nor am I going to mention Kunsel much, if any.
Enjoy~
Chapter 10
Cloud yawned stiffly as he made his way up towards the lounge. He needed some hot tea and fast. There had been an announcement throughout Shinra announcing that the results for the competition were in. All who were eligible to join Soldier was listed to be announced in the assembly hall. Those listed were to take the exams leading into Soldier and were expected to be prepared for further assessment. Cloud couldn't wait. He had failed terribly the last time he had tried and it had disheartened him. But, this time was going to be different. He was sure he had made it and this time he would actually get a chance to see what it was really like being in Soldier. He clenched his fist and gritted his teeth in determination. He would see to it that this future had a different outcome, for everyone's sake as well as his.
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Sephiroth knit his brows together. They were all to assemble in the assembly hall for an announcement. He slightly wondered at how well Cloud would do during the exams, he was sure Cloud had made it, but his thought kept wandering back to thoughts of the documents lying on his desk. He hadn't had time to read through them yet and felt like leaving off the inevitable. He wanted to make sure he was mentally prepared for anything he wasn't going to be prepared for but found he was reluctant to even try and open the unassuming case. He sighed, thinking that this was getting him nowhere and stood. He neatly stacked his previous paperwork in the corner before heading out the door and towards the assembly hall.
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Zack was absolutely energetic. He had heard the announcements and immediately found himself rushing towards the assembly hall. This year, he would be one of the Soldiers to watch over the newcomers and proceed over their training. He hoped Cloud was going to be assigned into his unit. He kept wondering what sort of weapon Cloud would decide on using and it excited him to no end. Well, he remembered Cloud mentioning something about needing a sword before in Nibelheim but there were many different types of swords. There were katana types, or broadswords, and even dual-blades, though Zack didn't think Cloud would use any of those. Happy, he would just have to wait to find out.
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Genesis had been walking around for a long time. He had every intention of holding Strife to his word but his means of finding a suitable scientist was not going well. Hollander had failed him too many times to be an eligible consideration. The pathetic, worthless, scientist had been the cause of his degradation in the first place. That other scientist, Hojo, had also said that a second-rate scientist like Hollander couldn't stop his degradation anyway. He stomped his foot down in frustration. His degrading process was slowly quickening and it was becoming uncomfortably painful. Without the full use of his body he could no longer utilize his strength to do what needed to be done. Grinding his teeth in anger, he flew towards the direction of Midgar. He would have to seek Strife out soon, before it was too late.
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Hojo cackled ungraciously. This was the perfect solution to obtaining the unique specimen. He had to work as quickly as possible, before anyone else discovered the specimen's existence. Apparently, Hollander was also seeking an alternative source for stopping the degradation process. He seemed to have injected him with his miserable failure's cells just before he died and was now degrading himself. This was truly a fascinating outcome, though none of that mattered now. There was no way to transfer Jenova cells through direct means. There had to be borne a specific sample, produced within a living organism of great magnitude. The Jenova cells would then rejuvenate into its own living cells and proceed to strengthen the body to great means. Sephiroth was proof enough for that. It was a shame that Sephiroth couldn't produce perfect clones through his cells. That was probably because he was born with the cells already in place. They had taken root as the boy's own cells through that woman Lucrecia and had given Sephiroth his own living identity. Hojo smirked gleefully. Though, this strange specimen he had yet to acquire was proving to have both an ideally rejuvenating body and to be able to carry living Jenova cells within him as well. That was very strange and he was anxious to experiment on it.
He laughed, fixing his glasses back in place. All in due time, all in due time. Things will eventually come into place and he had the perfect means of obtaining it.
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Hollander muttered, pacing this way and that. Genesis had betrayed him! Now, all of the clones were destroyed in one way or the other and he was left to deal with matters himself. He scrunched his face in anger. He had to find a living specimen besides Sephiroth to obtain Jenova cells from. He was deteriorating much faster than Genesis and if he didn't act quickly, he would die much sooner than Genesis ever would.
He tossed his research papers. Of all the experiments to have succeeded there was only one, and that was Sephiroth. There was no possible way he would be able to obtain samples from the General so there had to be another solution. There had to be…. Now, what was Genesis doing? Oh, yes, he was flying around looking for something, or someone. But why? Perhaps he had found a solution? He would need to check and see for himself, in case Genesis had been holding out on him. He sneered, scratching his white head of hair.
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There was a bustle of noise emanating from the assembly hall. To one side of the platform in front stood the superior officers and, on the other, stood the higher ranking members of Soldiers who were there to greet the new recruits. Cloud automatically spotted Zack's anxious form and hid his smile. All of the cadets had gathered in the center of the assembly hall. They were now standing right before the podium and waiting for whoever was going to announce the results. Cloud noticed Sephiroth standing to the other side of the hall looking very distracted and mildly, worriedly, he wondered if he had taken the time to read the documents. Maybe he should give him a call later to see…
The bustling chattered into a slow stop as one man, dressed in his uniform, approached the stand. He placed the folder under his arm on top of the raised platform, before the mike, and cleared his throat. Cloud recognized the man as Commander Gyshal and thought it was a good thing. Cloud slightly wondered whether the man was the announcer for every event in Shinra, but dismissed the thought. Commander Gyshal had finished clearing his throat and now stood with back straight, attention directed at the audience.
"Thank you all for gathering here. It has become my duty to announce the results from the competition. It is also my duty to warn you that not all of you have made it and to work hard to try again next year." He coughed once. "As for the rest of you, the Soldier exams are gruesome. This year especially, and I implore in you all to prepare for it to the utmost." He cleared his throat twice. "Now, I shall list off all the names of those who have made it." He opened the folder in front of him and brought out a folded stack of papers. Grabbing the first sheet by the corner he let go of the rest, only to have them fall into an actual list. He cleared his throat a third time. "Now, I shall begin with the first in alphabetic order." He started naming off all of the cadets that had made it. Glancing around, Cloud saw that there were a lot more sad faces than happy ones. He sighed. It was going to take a while to get to his name. Gyshal was listing them off by last names.
At an hour and thirty minutes gone by with Gyshal trying to repeat the names that weren't heard over the cheering or sobbing of the crowd, Cloud wondered when he was ever going to get to his name. He noticed some of the others were wondering the same as well. He sighed, also noticing Zack squirming where he was standing. Though, glancing at the other side, Sephiroth looked as indifferent as ever.
Another thirty minutes had gone by and Gyshal was finally on the S's. Cloud subconsciously edged closer to the podium so that he wouldn't miss his name being called. "Santiel, fail!" Cloud waited petrified. "Siegfried, pass! Sirius, fail! Sizario, fail!" and he waited. "Slaye, fail!" and waited some more. "Steiner, fail! Stellar, pass!" Now his brow was sweating. "Strider, fail! Strife………, pass!" Yeah! He couldn't believe it. He had been accepted to take the Soldier exams. Cloud stood there stunned and didn't hear the rest of the names called off. Though, he noticed, out of around two hundred cadets, only twenty had passed, and he had been one of them. He cheered.
Gyshal finished relaying off all the names and cleared his throat a final time. "Out of two hundred," he confirmed, "only twenty of you have passed. Congratulations to those of you that have. From this point onward, train hard, look to your goals, and aim for the highest in Soldier!" They all cheered. "The exam date will be listed at a later date. Look forward to them and never falter. Do not doubt the strength you have to succeed." He nodded. "That is all. Dismissed!"
Cloud saw Zack happily bounding his way in a wave of energy. He put a hand on his shoulder. "Congratulations, Cloud! I knew you'd make it!" He laughed heartily, patting him a couple times. "We should go celebrate!"
"Yeah!" Cloud couldn't help but be excited. Never in all of his life had he thought he would receive a second chance at trying for his dream. Now, it was all coming true. "Yeah, we should!"
"Alright!" Zack punched into the air, excited. "Let's go out to eat tonight. We should bring some people over. Who do you think?"
Cloud looked hopefully over but there weren't many people he had associated with this time round. "Not sure. Do you have anyone in mind?"
Zack lit up, acting very much like a light bulb had just gone up on top of his head. "Oh, I know! I'll invite Aerith."
Ah. Of course, Cloud wasn't supposed to know her yet. "Aerith?"
"Yeah. It's this girl that I know. You'll like her, I know it!" He cheered happily, all overexcited like a puppy.
"Okay. Anyone else?" He smiled at how much fun Zack was having.
"Oh and we should invite Sephiroth! It'll be fun!"
Cloud laughed nervously. Was it such a good idea for Aerith and Sephiroth to meet? Technically, Sephiroth had killed her once…..and she remembered it. Though, Aerith didn't hold a grudge against him, that and he wasn't insane anymore. "Would he really come?"
Zack pumped his fists into the air, all determined. "I know he will!" He did some squats. "Alright. I'll get everything ready for tonight and contact Aerith and Sephiroth." He started jogging in place. "I'll see ya later, Cloud!" he waved off before running full speed out the door.
Cloud watched him go with a sudden apprehension. He wondered how Aerith would take with meeting her murderer… Or worse, Sephiroth remembering that he had killed her and wanting to do it again… He ran a hand through his hair. He would deal with it as it came. For now, he was getting a bit hungry. It was time for lunch.
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Sephiroth was happy, in fact, he was beyond happy. When Cloud's name had been announced he had felt proud. When Cloud's face lighted with delightful astonishment, he was elated. When he had heard Zack talking about dinner together, yes even from that much of a distance, he was absolutely euphoric. Watching Cloud, he couldn't help but smile with delight, even if the people around him all froze with a sudden stricken fear. Sephiroth had been watching him the entire time, since the beginning to the end, and he found himself to be absolutely fascinated. He couldn't figure out what it was about Cloud that kept demanding his attention but he found he didn't mind. He couldn't bring himself to mind. He frowned. He was becoming too engrossed in his thoughts of Cloud and that might reflect upon his work in a negative way. Hopefully, it wouldn't become that way.
Sephiroth noted, just as Zack had run off, that Cloud had a rather apprehensive look upon his face. Now, what had Zack mentioned to have Cloud look that way? But, of course, no matter how much he felt he had to, he couldn't just march right up to him and demand that he answer his curiosity. Instead, he merely stood, leaning against the wall, and watched Cloud head out the door towards the Cafeteria. As soon as he did, however, he felt the inexplicable urge to follow, and it surprised him. It felt as though a string were tied within him, tugging at him lightly, and daring him to follow Cloud out the door. And he did.
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Cloud had walked into the Cafeteria, proud. But doing so hadn't prepared him for the bombardment of the other Soldiers and cadets. They grouped all around and over him, congratulating him this way and that. Cloud couldn't help but be caught up in their cheer as well.
"Wow, congrats, Strife!" One of the boys said, "You made it!"
"Yeah," Another, "I can't believe there were only twenty out of two hundred that made it! You must have really impressed the judges."
Cloud nearly blushed with embarrassment at the attention. "Yeah, thanks."
"Well, come and eat lunch with us." The boys edged him over to a nearby table situated at the center. "Most of the people that have made it are eating around together and having a blast."
"Wow, thanks." Cloud grinned. This year was going to be more fun than he at first thought.
The ones already seated made room for him to squeeze into. One of the boys next to him put an arm around his shoulders in welcome. "Y'know. You're alright, Strife. You should hang out with us more often."
"Yeah, it's way more fun with more people around." The other guy nudged his neighbor.
The boy slung around Cloud's shoulder gave a laugh of agreement. "Well, I'm Heinz, Heinz Siegfried." He pointed a proud thumb to his chest. "I'm also one of the ones that made it." Cloud noted that Siegfried had sandy brown hair and green eyes. He countenance seemed to say that the guy was always in a chipper mood. "Just call me Heinz." He pointed a thumb at the guy next to him. "That's Zemus, you'll know him by his shocking red hair and that's," he indicated the boy on the other side of Cloud, "Kain. He's a guy you could never miss. I mean, look at his hair!" Cloud did, and what he saw surprised even him. He had never seen a guy with so much long, well-kept, black hair. It was braided and tossed to his front but Cloud was sure that it would nearly touch the floor if left alone. Kain had grey eyes.
Cloud smirked. He supposed he might as well introduce himself as well. "It's Cloud."
Heinz smirked, but not in a bad way. "Cloud, huh? Well, I like it." He patted Cloud on the shoulder. "Welcome aboard, Cloud."
Cloud had to admit. He had never associated with anybody this way before and…it was becoming a nice change. He smiled as they started discussing trivial things about Shinra.
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Sephiroth had followed Cloud to the Cafeteria but he was becoming less than pleased by the minute. He had seen Cloud being welcomed in the doorway by a group of boys and taken over to their table. It was not reassuring to Sephiroth that Cloud was being familiar with anyone else. He huffed. Now, he was standing right inside the Cafeteria doors, leaning his back against them with his arms crossed, and receiving odd looks from the people around him. From there, he had watched the proceedings with Cloud's new company when the other boy had suddenly slung an offending arm, according to Sephiroth, around him. He couldn't help but feel offended at the over-familiar action and proceeded to glare at said arm and at the boy. He grimaced as he tried willing his glare to do something to the arm.
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Heinz had been chatting happily with their newfound friend, Cloud, when he felt the room chillingly drop several degrees below average. He felt the hairs at the back of his neck stand at attention as his instincts warned him of a danger nearby. But, what danger was there in a Cafeteria? He just couldn't understand. He started glancing around desperately, hoping to locate said danger but there was nothing out of the ordinary………or so he thought…. He spotted General Sephiroth glaring at him with nothing short of hatred and froze. Absolutely froze. He couldn't breathe. But, what had he done? He suddenly had the incontrollable urge to just run and hide.
He looked down, being unable to hold his head up amidst the great General Sephiroth. Occasionally, he tried glancing up from the corner of his eye but it was a fact that the General was glaring at him and never looked elsewhere. He looked to his side, but was disheartened when nobody else seemed to notice. What had he done what had he done? And how could he rectify it? It was driving him insane just thinking about being at the blunt end of the General's anger. He scrunched his eyes together for a bit before he had to reopen them just to see if the General was still there…Yup, he was still there and still glaring with those dangerous green slits like he was out to murder…Wait. Heinz thought about it unwillingly. When the General actually did murder, it was cold-blooded and without any feeling. Now, what would happen if the General put feeling behind his missions………………? Heinz shivered uncontrollably. Just thinking about it was enough to make him consider putting himself out of his misery.
Heinz was just about to excuse himself to the bathroom when, suddenly, he saw the General's eyes shift, just slightly. It had landed on his arm, like it was the most offensive thing in the world! Heinz looked back at the General to try and figure out what was so offending about it. He looked back at where it was on Cloud's shoulder. Ah! Could it be? He immediately lifted his arm off of Cloud and set it down. Heinz noticed the General's gaze soften just slightly before he noticed the General wasn't there anymore. Huh! The last thing he saw of the General was that he was gone in a wisp of black and silver out the door. The only indications were the tips of his coat and hair that had lagged behind long enough to be seen for a slight second, outside, before disappearing. Heinz was definitely troubled.
He looked back to Cloud, who seemed like he hadn't noticed a thing. "H-Hey, C-Cloud." He couldn't help his voice from trembling and his face from looking pale. It felt like he had lost the rush of adrenaline in one fell swoop.
Cloud looked at him before frowning. "Something wrong? You look tired."
Heinz shook his head. "I…I-I just have a question…"
Cloud raised an eyebrow curiously. "What is it?" Somewhere along the way some of the others had brought trays of food for everyone. Cloud had abandoned his for the moment, giving Heinz his entire attention.
"Well," Heinz started twirling his fingers together in a fidget. He looked at Cloud from the corner of his eye, unable to fully face him. The others were looking at him strangely too. "…do you, y'know, know the General or something?"
"Huh?" Cloud looked as though he had asked a really strange question but calmed a bit before answering. "I suppose I've met him a couple times. Why?"
"Are you two close?" Now they were all curious. When had Cloud gotten to know the General so well?
Cloud shrugged, finding nothing weird about knowing the General. He continued with his meal and chewed slowly. "I wouldn't say close but …we're not on bad terms, I think."
Heinz went wide eyed with interest. Who cared whether he was on death's row with the man just moments before. Who wouldn't want to know more about the General? "Is there anything he hates? I mean, absolutely hates." Like maybe his arm?
Cloud thought about it for a moment. "Not sure. We don't really talk about what he likes or dislikes." He turned to him innocently. "Why not ask him yourself? I'm sure he doesn't have anything better to do right now anyway."
The three of them shook their heads in rapid succession. "Absolutely, no way." He made an X-motion with his arms. "He would butcher us all."
Zemus nodded grimly. "Yup, he'd kill us all like pork chop."
Kain frowned at the comparison and shook his head slightly, his braid swinging this way and that. "I really do doubt 'pork chop' is the right evaluation of the General's work." He sighed simply. "Perhaps it would simply be more of a clean kill."
"Well, either way," Heinz pointed out. "He'd kill us all!" All three of them nodded.
Cloud shrugged. "I'm not so sure about that." He stood to go throw away his tray of food. "The General's not all that evil…" yet…
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Sephiroth was now sitting within his office, doors locked. He had too much to think about and no time to think about them. His thoughts wandered to the Cafeteria, where he had seen Cloud eat with a couple of his newfound companions, and sighed. What had he been thinking, to openly threaten a boy in a public area because………because of what? Sephiroth shook his head. What had he been thinking when he had suddenly started despising the boy for no apparent reason? He couldn't understand what was making him feel the way he was. He closed his eyes and put a hand to his face. What was happening to him? Sighing, he leaned back into his chair and thought of Cloud. Thought of how relieved he felt every time he saw him and of how he always felt at peace next to him… Did he consider him a close friend? He gave a slight smile. Perhaps he did.
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Zack was chipper. He had called Aerith about dinner, with Cloud and Sephiroth, and she had complied happily. He couldn't wait for them to meet Aerith. He was sure Cloud would like her, though he wasn't sure about Sephiroth. He shrugged and grinned. They would work something out if things got out of hand. Now, all he had to do was tell the imposing General about the dinner plan for Cloud's celebration. He knew Sephiroth wouldn't comply with coming but he had this brilliant plan set up just to make him come. He grinned wider. Oh, yes, he would come.
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Sephiroth glanced at the clock to find that it was already half past five. He had nothing specific to do at the moment so he decided to take a look at a couple of those documents Cloud had left for him. He pulled out the case, and was about to open it, when his door suddenly burst open. Zack came prancing in with high spirits and a wave of hello.
"Hey, Sephiroth." He grinned, already formulating the plan he had in mind, "Are you busy tonight?"
"Why?" Sephiroth had already known the answer but had decided to humor Zack for the moment. Smirking slightly, he leaned back in his chair and laced his fingers together.
"I was going to ask you to come have dinner with me, Cloud, and Aerith, as a celebration. So, do you want to come?"
Sephiroth quirked an eyebrow. "Aerith?"
Zack had taken the time to sit in one of the chairs in front of the desk. "Yeah, it's this girl I met awhile back. I think you'll like her." He grinned. "I'm sure Cloud will."
Now that wasn't something Sephiroth was very pleased to hear and he automatically made up his mind about going. He nodded. "I see…." He put the case away and started filing away his paperwork for the day. "I will attend."
Zack gripped his chair in shock and gawked. Had Sephiroth just said that he'd attend? Without him even goading him or blackmailing him or whatnot? Now, that was impossible. "Y-You're not going to say it's just a waste of time?"
Sephiroth frowned at Zack's disbelieving expression. "It would be nice for a change."
Zack's gawk slowly formed into a wide grin. "Alright! Cool! I'm going to go tell Cloud." He started for the door. "Oh, we'll meet right outside of Shinra, next to that fountain." He waved. "I'll see you then."
Sephiroth sighed and hoped he wasn't being too rash in accepting this dinner invitation.
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Cloud was dragged through the streets of Midgar and towards the fountain where Zack had said they would meet Sephiroth. He still couldn't believe that Sephiroth had complied to come and automatically thought that Zack must have pulled something. He looked skeptically at Zack, who was currently chatting away happily about how great Aerith was.
"I'm really sure you'll like her, Cloud." Zack grinned happily, "and I'm sure she'll like you too. You'll be fast friends in no time!"
"Uh huh…" Zack pulled Cloud around the corner by the arm. Now the fountain was in sight but he couldn't spot Sephiroth.
"And, you know, she's like the last of her kind."
"Last…?"
"Yeah, a Cetra, or something like that."
"I see…" They had reached the fountain and now stood waiting in front of it. Sephiroth was still nowhere to be seen.
"Huh," Zack glanced around, "I wonder where Sephiroth is…"
"Uh, Zack?" Cloud sat on the edge of the fountain. "Are you sure he's going to come? You didn't force him or anything, did you?"
Zack waved his hands in the air. "You wouldn't believe it, Cloud. Trust me, I had this great plan all set up to get him to come but I was really shocked when he just said he would."
"Are you sure he wasn't just tricking you?"
Zack crossed his arms. "Sephiroth wouldn't lie….would he?"
Cloud sighed and shook his head. That was below him. "I don't know."
"Well I- ," Zack looked up. "Oh look. Here he comes!"
Cloud turned around to see Sephiroth walking out of the shadows with a solemn face. He walked up to them in a moderate pace and looked down at Cloud. He paused, finding Cloud's outfit to be…nice. Cloud had worn a loose black turtleneck over some jeans and it made him look homey. Sephiroth snapped out of it long enough to say something. "Congratulations…, Strife."
Cloud looked absolutely aghast. First off, Sephiroth had said the word as though it were foreign to him. Second, he had never known Sephiroth to ever approve of anything he had ever done. "T-Thanks…"
Zack looked between the two of them. Now, what was going on here? Sephiroth had just congratulated Cloud but Cloud looked as horrified as though he were given a death warrant for his birthday. Had something happened between the two of them while Zack hadn't been looking? Well, he couldn't let them have all the fun, now could he? "Well, I'm sure you two lovebirds are having fun but we're making an actual lady wait." He grinned.
Sephiroth nearly flinched while Cloud turned really pale. "Zack~," he groaned. He stood and stared a frown at Zack, "you don't mean that."
Zack merely shrugged. "Let's go meet Aerith!" he started marching on ahead.
"Zack?" Cloud called after him. "Zack!"
Sephiroth stood there in surprise. For a second, he had thought…thought? What had he been thinking about to surprise him so much? It had felt as though his stomach had started tingling with a numbing tension and he had been tempted to put a hand to it. It had been a strange sensation and he wondered what had triggered it. He wondered… Dismissing it, he calmly followed Zack and Cloud.
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Aerith looked herself once over and twirled around once for good measure. She had chosen to wear a white dress with pink petals and hoped that she would look nice enough to Sephiroth not to kill her again… She gave a soft sigh. Well, it would be different this time. At least, she hoped.
The doorbell range and she rushed to get it. "Coming~". Aerith opened the door to find Zack greeting her with a smile and Cloud at his back. Sephiroth was standing a couple paces away so as not to interfere with their conversation. "Zack!"
"Hey, Aerith." He pointed to Cloud with a thumb over his shoulder. "This is Cloud, and that's General Sephiroth, but don't let his killer glare disturb you." He whispered the last close to her ear. Sephiroth felt his lip twitch with the comment. Did Zack know he could hear every word?
"Hi, Aerith," Cloud stepped up and offered a hand, unsure. "I'm Cloud Strife…"
She took his hand in both of hers and offered a smile. "Hi, Cloud. It's nice to see you," again. Cloud saw the wink in her eyes. "So, shall we go?"
"Yeah!" Zack led her out by the hand. "There's this hotel I saw with this awesome restaurant on top. It has a great view overlooking the city and I hear the food's great. Let's go there!"
"Okay!" Aerith laced her fingers together as she walked on ahead with Zack, leaving Cloud and Sephiroth to follow. "I always liked a good view."
"Awesome!" They had started chatting, never noticing how the other two had started a conversation of their own.
Cloud was now walking beside Sephiroth and glanced up at him in an odd stare. "Why did you decide to come?"
Sephiroth looked back at Cloud and wondered the same thing himself. Instead, he tried changing the subject. "Cloud…, would you consider…having me as your instructor to help you during the exams?" He felt very uncomfortable at the moment. Never in all his life had he ever offered tutelage to another. But, it felt only right that he stay close to Cloud and watch over his progress, although he may not need it.
Cloud looked at him in an odd, skeptical, disbelieving, sort of way before looking in the other direction, hiding his laughter. He wiped a tear and calmed his nerves before asking, "Why?" Cloud straightened and sighed. "That's going to be called favoritism, you know. I mean, you're the General. I'd never hear the end of it."
Sephiroth frowned, though he decided he liked it when Cloud seemed happy. "You have already proven yourself in front of your peers. I doubt it would be called favoritism if I had decided to oversee the training of a promising Soldier."
"I'm not a Soldier, yet." Cloud crossed his arms as the hotel came into view. Zack and Aerith had already reached the entrance and waited patiently for their arrival. They were chatting away happily. "Besides, why would you want to? You might end up wanting to kill me again." Cloud walked up ahead towards Zack and Aerith, leaving Sephiroth alone to ponder what he said. Kill Cloud again? Sephiroth shook his head with a frown. He didn't think there was going to ever be a chance like that again. And he doubted anyone could change that.
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Cloud awoke to the ringing of someone else's alarm. Last night had been exceptionally delicious and thoughts of wanting to go back were crowding his better judgment. He knew that he had little money to spend on luxuries, especially now, and didn't want to waste them on simple matters like food if he didn't have to. It would be better if he could purchase his next weapon. Yawning, he sat up and stretched before heading to the shower. It was still early so no one would be awake and out.
He finished his shower and headed out for a cup of something in the lounge. It was becoming a daily habit for him and he couldn't help it. He grabbed a cup of hot chocolate and sat down in one of the chairs. His thoughts ran back to dinner again and he couldn't help but let out a breath of frustration. Sephiroth had also been insistent in being his tutor, despite what he had said before they had entered the hotel, and Cloud had found it more and more difficult to refuse. To Gaia, that man was demanding, but…Sephiroth had won out in the end. He had finally, reluctantly, agreed. Now, he was to meet Sephiroth in the training rooms at six every Friday. This was definitely going to be a whole lot of fun. Irritated, he finished his cup of hot coco, stood, and threw the cup away at the door. Oh yes, this was going to be fun…..
xxx xxx
Cloud entered the training rooms looking for a bit of practice in solitude. What he didn't expect, especially so early in the morning, was finding Heinz, Zemus, and Kain, all lounging around on the mats on the floor. They were chatting excitedly over some bit of information that Cloud had no idea of. He ran a hand through the back of his hair, wondering whether he should approach or leave. Unfortunately, before he could decide, Heinz noticed him entering and beckoned him over, cheerfully.
"Hey, Cloud." Heinz grinned. The other two turned around and waved their own hellos. "Nice of you to join us." He patted the spot next to him on the floor.
Cloud sat down. "Yeah…"
"Hey, we were just talking about how great it would be if we could train so hard, we'd impress the General!" Heinz made a exaggerated motion with his hands in the air that indicated his excitement.
Kain sighed and put a hand to his head as though a headache were coming his way. "Which would be highly impossible for you, Heinz, unless it has something to do with your wild eating habits."
Zemus laughed. "Yeah, it even impresses me every time I see it and I hardly have any table manners."
Cloud wasn't at all curious enough to want a demonstration. "Why do you want to impress the General?"
"To get him to notice us, of course!" Heinz gave a broad smile. "That way, we might even make it to 1st!" Cloud gave a confused look.
Kain clarified. "You need to be recommended by another 1st to be able to become a 1st yourself. That is how most of them made it, I believe."
Cloud looked mortified. "I see…" He thought about how many 1sts there were and could only think of two…Zack and Sephiroth. "Are there other 1sts besides the General and Zack Fair?"
Heinz had now gained a bright twinkle in his eyes. "Of course! But, first off, the General's the General. Second, there aren't that many 1sts to begin with so I suppose it does look like there were only four to begin with, including Soldier Fair." He shrugged. "Most of them are pretty scarce now because of the disappearance of two of the strongest 1sts besides the General. Otherwise, they all follow the General around by the whim. And, who would refuse?"
"Does it matter who recommends you?"
"Yeah," Zemus pointed out, "some of the Soldier 1sts aren't that reliable. They're strong and all but don't have a good judge of character. Others, like what Soldier Hewley used to be, have a better chance of persuading the heads of how good we are. But, the General," Zemus smiled widely, "leaves no questions asked."
Cloud faltered, if only a little. "I see…. Then we have no choice but to win their favor…" He was disappointed. He hadn't wanted to have to ask anyone else for help, especially in Soldier.
Kain looked as calm as ever. "Of course, we must first prove ourselves useful as Soldiers by making it in the exams. Perhaps even that may prove more difficult than we assume."
"What are the Soldier exams anyway?" Heinz huffed. "It's not like they told us anything."
Zemus scratched his head. "Maybe it's an all out battle or something."
Cloud thought about the day he had failed to get into Soldier and remembered thinking that he wouldn't stand a chance in the exams after it had been announced. He remembered…"It's a one against all with the General…where you have to last at least one minute."
"Wha-? Where'd you hear that?" Heinz burst out in panic. "No, I seriously hope that isn't true!"
Cloud saw the other two pale as well. Maybe he shouldn't have said anything but…well, it was better to know sooner than later. That way, at least they could prepare. "Uh…I overheard one of the instructors say something about it while I was out walking…" He rubbed the back of his head.
Thankfully they let it go. "Oh?" Kain nodded. "I suppose that we might be considered lucky, to know beforehand and to prepare…"
"Yeah…" Zemus looked put down.
Heinz rubbed his head on both sides with both hands irritably. "How are we supposed to last a minute? That's impossible, especially against the General!"
"No. It's not impossible." Cloud also remembered a small detail. "The General's supposed to be handicapped. At least, that's what I've heard."
"Handicapped?" Heinz frowned. "Like how? And even if he was, we still wouldn't last a minute out there."
"Well, one's that he can't use his weapon. It would be too dangerous otherwise." Ah yes, Cloud remembered. He had been watching the almost Soldier recruits charging at Sephiroth head on, thinking that they'd have the advantage with their weapons. "Another's that he has his dominant arm tied to his back and the last's that he can't move from where he's standing."
Kain cocked an eyebrow. "How do you know so much, Cloud? It is as if you have been there before."
Cloud shrugged, masking his nervousness at nearly being discovered and sighed. "People talk a lot nowadays."
"Wait," Zemus looked thoughtful, "then we should all be able to pass. If the General can't move from where he's standing, all we have to do it stay away from him!" He cheered aloud. Heinz and Kain looked hopeful as well.
Unfortunately, Cloud shook his head. "We can't. I heard there's one catch."
"W-What is it?" Heinz's grin faltered just a little.
"I heard he was allowed one materia, an element materia."
"What does that change?"
Cloud frowned. Obviously, they didn't know anything about Sephiroth's battle strategies. "With long-range materia, like a fire, he could herd us all to one side like lambs. We would be herded closer to him without ever realizing it and he would still have the materia as a weapon, even if it is a weak one."
Heinz and Zemus gulped in succession, though Heinz still looked a bit hopeful. "W-Well, now that we know…we could try to think of some plan…"
"We're allowed our weapons of choice and one materia as well. It could be anything they choose to let us use or something we may already have, though not many of us have any materia…" Cloud smirked. Oh, how he had the perfect materia. This would be the perfect to test it out on Sephiroth, especially without his sword to defend him. Cloud chuckled darkly. Oh, yes. This would be fun.
"So, um, what materia should we use?" Heinz started discussing a battle plan with Zemus.
"Don't forget that an advanced fire has multiple projectiles, if he uses it. Most other elements are like that too." Cloud pointed out.
"Hey, Cloud." Heinz tugged on his shirt sleeve. "Did you hear anything about what materia we'd be allowed?"
"Yes," Kain nodded, "that would be most helpful."
Cloud thought about it. Now what materia had those against Sephiroth use? Hm… "I think it's most of the basic material." He shrugged. "Most of us would probably go for the elementals, thinking we could barrage the General, but I'd recommend a Magic Barrier." Cloud mischievously grinned. "As long as you can hold it, about a minute would be best, you could pass."
All of them looked wholly impressed and nodded in unison. "Yeah, that's the best idea I've heard!" Zemus cried out in cheer.
Heinz shook with excitement. "I'm so glad we have Cloud on our team!"
"Indeed." Kain smiled.
"Remember, though." Cloud felt like he was tutoring new recruits on battle strategies. "He might not use what you think. The General always has that surprise thing about him."
"Then I've an idea." Kain pointed out happily. "Only one of us needs to carry the M. Barrier. If we stick together then we would all be protected. Another one of us can carry a Barrier for safe precautions. If it is a physical skill he uses then the Barrier would suffice. Otherwise, the third of us could carry an elemental defense." He chuckled lightly. "I've heard strange techniques some have used with a Blizzard materia." He looked at Cloud lightly. "What of you then, Cloud? Do you have any preference or additions?"
Cloud smirked sinisterly. "I've got it covered. I have a materia I've been waiting to use." He stood and turned towards the door. "Take all the time you can to train. A lot of us haven't used materia before so be prepared to defend on all sides, in case a rogue shot comes your way. After the announcements, they should let us practice a little with the materia allowed but don't show anyone else what the plan is going to be. Instead, practice with the elementals publicly and the Barriers privately. We don't want the higher ups knowing what we're up to." And with a wave Cloud headed out the door to prepare as well.
Heinz looked at Zemus and Kain with a wide grin. "He's really something, huh? It felt like I was back in training camp."
Zemus laughed. "Yeah, and boy am I glad he's on our side."
Kain kept staring at the door that Cloud had gone through just seconds before. A light smile of respect graced his lips. "I believe we have found ourselves a new ally and leader. If I were to fight under anyone, I believe my best bet would lie with Cloud."
Heinz and Zemus nodded together. "You got that right, Kain." Heinz chuckled with a serious look in his eyes. "It looks like we'll all be together for quite a while now. I'd wager on him too. He's won my respect."
Zemus sighed. "I hope we do well on the exams."
Heinz cocked his head to one side. "We will. There's no doubt about that."
Kain agreed. "We most definitely will…"
xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx
All of them had gathered in the assembly hall once again. It was now time for the announcements about the Soldier exams. Cloud waited patiently, off to one side, along with Heinz, Zemus, and Kain. It had been a week since they had discussed their plans on what to do during the exams and now they were all anxious for it. This would be the day they could start practicing with the materia they were allowed and it would be better if they could practice all the sooner. Cloud couldn't help but smile at how anxious the others were being. Of course, it was hardly fair considering that he'd had practice with every materia namable and that he had mastered quite the many. This would be no new thing for him…but…Sephiroth also knew that this time.
"Welcome, everyone." This time, Cloud noted, the announcer wasn't Commander Gyshal but the Director for Soldiers, Director Lazard. "Congratulations for making it all the way to the Soldier exams. As all of you know, the reason you are here today is for showing your exceptional skills in battle, tactics, and assessing your opponents within actual combat. Other factors apply as well, of course." He cleared his throat. "Now, I shall be announcing the date of the exams and what the exams will actually be. But, first," he shuffled around until he pulled out a piece of paper from the folder he had carried in with him, "Cloud Strife." Cloud perked at his name being called. Director Lazard looked at him and smiled. "Under the request of General Sephiroth, your exam shall be separated from the others."
"What?" Cloud couldn't believe his ears. "I'm sorry, sir, but what is it going to be, then?"
"It's to be a one-on-one with the General with no restrictions besides the one materia limit." Director Lazard looked impressed. "Apparently, you have demonstrated extreme talent and are to be assessed personally." He nodded with a smile and fixed his glasses back into place.
Cloud couldn't help but give a little smirk. How fun. He was going to have a one-on-one with the General and he was allowed his materia. Now he would have to get a custom order in for his sword. "I see. Thank you, sir."
Lazard gave an acknowledging nod. "Good luck to you." He looked back towards the audience, who now seemed impressed and excited to see the outcome of the battle. "For the rest of you, the exams will be an all out against the General, given that he has several specific handicaps. The first is the confiscation of his weapon; the second is that he is only allowed one un-mastered element materia. The third…is that he cannot move from a small circular boundary as wide as the length of my arm." He smirked. "All of you will go against him together. Whether you come up with a strategy or fight alone is entirely up to you. However, the only requirement is that you last at least one minute against the General." He gave a light chuckle. "It may seem easy now but one minute can be a very long time against an opponent like General Sephiroth. Be prepared." He let out a light breath. "Fortunately, for those of you who fail to last a minute against the General, there is a second chance. For this second chance, your goal is to last not one but five minutes against one of our other superior officers. Do not let your guard down simply because they are an alternative to the General. All of our superior officers are very advanced in tactical combat…"
Heinz nudged Cloud with his elbow to draw his attention. "Hey," he whispered as Lazard gave more specific details on what they were allowed, "do you think you have a chance?"
Cloud shrugged. "Not sure. I still don't know if I'm supposed to last a minute as well." He thought about it. "Maybe it's changed."
"But you know, the General's going to be much tougher with his weapon and a materia of his choosing, and I don't think it'll be an elemental." He looked worried.
"You are allowed practice with the available materia during this time and until the exams. Choose well on how you utilize…" Lazard continued.
Cloud was silent. He wondered if Sephiroth was going to go all out against him and frowned. It had already been proven that he couldn't defeat him as he was now so why go through all the trouble? It didn't make much sense. "We'll see…" Heinz sighed before turning his attention back to Lazard.
"The exams are to take place a week from now. Be prepared and sleep well the night before. Do not forget that even if it is only a minute, it is the minute of your lives. That is all." Lazard left the stand after packing up his folders. Everyone else started getting up from their seats and heading out the door, chatting away at how they were going to pass the exams. Cloud noticed Lazard stepping over to the side to speak with some of the instructors before heading out as well. Thinking about what he was going to do against Sephiroth, Cloud wound his way back to the dorms.
xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx
"You did what?" Zack stood from where he'd been sitting in Sephiroth's office. "He's barely a Soldier!" he flung his hands into the air in sheer exasperation. Sometimes, he just couldn't figure out what Sephiroth was planning.
Sephiroth let out a small breath as his fingers rested on his temples in exhaustion. "If he passes this exam, he'll be pulled right up to Soldier 2nd." He calmly explained.
"Still!" Zack was growling now. "It's hard enough being a 3rd right out of being a cadet but 2nd? It's going to be too hard on him! And how is he going to handle the amount of mako injections? Some of the new recruits can't handle the amount of mako in their system. That's why they get rejected!"
Sephiroth thought about it a little. He knew about how Hojo had injected Cloud with mako, or at least something similar, but he didn't know just how much. What had been Cloud's tolerance to the injections at the time and were they still effective in his younger body. Sephiroth found himself swimming in questions, all the more getting angrier and angrier at Hojo for being the cause of it all. "He should be able to handle the mako injections." Sephiroth stood. "I'll see if there is anything else of concern with him."
Zack was reluctant but complied. He crossed his arms over his chest. "Fine. But you have to let me know if anything goes wrong."
Sephiroth gave a slight nod before heading out the door. "Go see to the new recruits. Some of them might handle the materia less than satisfactory."
Zack knew that meant that Sephiroth thought some of the cadets were going to blow up the materia in their faces and it was a high possibility. "Alright, but go easy on Cloud. I worry about him sometimes." He exited in the direction of the training rooms. Sephiroth looked after him before closing his office door behind him and pulling out his phone. Earlier, he had made sure to get Cloud's number from the database so he would be able to contact him at any time. He dialed.
It rang three times before there was a click, indicating that someone had picked up. 'Hello?' It was Cloud, though he sounded a bit down.
"Cloud…"
'Sephiroth?' There was a shuffling coming from the other side before it subsided. 'How did you find my number?'
Sephiroth ignored the question. "Are you free to talk?"
'…Um, yeah. Why?'
"There are some things I wish to discuss with you." He looked up at a nearby clock. It was barely six. "Meet me on the 49th floor in half an hour. We'll talk there."
'Fine. If I get there early I'll be sitting in one of the tables.' There was a click before the connection was cut off. Sephiroth put his phone away and headed towards Lazard's office. He needed to make sure that when it was time for Cloud to take his mako injections it wouldn't be by Hojo.
xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx
Cloud sat waiting at a table in the lounge area of the Soldier floor. It was much smaller than the one he usually went to but by far more cozy and relaxing. Of course, most days, the only people allowed on the floor at all were Soldiers… He sighed as he sat waiting for Sephiroth and wondered what he wanted to talk to him about. Maybe it was about that one-on-one match. Cloud bristled in his seat until the sound of a chair being pulled back next to him brought him out of his thoughts. He looked up to find Sephiroth seating himself gracefully beside him.
Cloud scratched his head, unsure of where to begin. "So…what did you need?"
Sephiroth looked at Cloud from the corner of his eye and couldn't help but feel a bit warm. His lip twitched into the barest of smiles. "The exam," he began, "if you pass you'll become a 2nd class."
Cloud sat up with wide eyes. "What?"
"You'll also be receiving regular mako injections for awhile until your body accustoms itself to it."
"Why?"
Sephiroth looked at him fully. "Cloud. I must know your tolerance towards mako."
Cloud stared at him with disbelieving eyes before slumping back into the chair. "I didn't pass last time." He gave a huff. "I got rejected and was unable to make it in."
Sephiroth furrowed his brows. "And now?"
"Don't know." Cloud looked up at the ceiling, slumping a little more into the chair. "I should be able to take it now, considering, but…the pain might be the same." He smirked at nothing in particular. "Hojo did a lot of things I don't care to remember."
Sephiroth pinched his brows together. "Cloud…why are you aiming for Soldier, even after all you have done?" He looked at Cloud's blank face. Something about him not being able to read what Cloud was thinking was bothering him.
"…" Cloud remained silent. He thought about all the things he could have done instead of replaying his past with only a little more success. His dream had been to aspire to Soldier, be a hero like Sephiroth, and become praiseworthy of his town. He chuckled darkly at the thought. How ironic it was that he had in fact become a hero exactly like Sephiroth…including the ability to push people away. "It'll be easier to change things…" he whispered more to himself. Becoming a Soldier did have its benefits. His first thought was that it would give him the reputation and advantage to try and move Shinra enough to deter it from using the life energy of the Planet. His second thought was how he'd then have the ability to convince everybody else to take action against Shinra's power supply as well. He sighed, a habit he had taken to doing too often, and wondered why he was the one who had to shoulder all of the responsibility.
Sephiroth looked at Cloud's brooding face with a brooding mood of his own. It seemed all Cloud was doing was fighting through his life for someone else, and the idea wasn't striking him as wonderful. He suddenly felt he didn't want Cloud spending so much time thinking about someone else and their needs. "Cloud," he looked away, "I could help you."
Cloud cocked his head to the side, very much like a puppy, and looked absolutely doubtful. A small smile was gracing his lips as if it couldn't help itself. "Would you?" he shook his head with slight laughter, "You don't know what you're offering to do, Sephiroth. And it's too much to ask." He stood up to go with the smile still in place. "I still have that favor to ask of you but…" he shrugged, "that'll have to wait 'till later." Putting his hands in his pockets he started walking off but suddenly paused, mid-step. Looking back he added, "Don't tell Zack about how weak I was to mako before." He gave a sad smile with depths pooling out in his eyes. "There are things he doesn't need to know anymore." With that, he turned back around and continued walking.
Sephiroth felt distraught, and even more so, when Cloud's back was no longer within his line of vision. He felt he shouldn't have let Cloud go, felt he should have stayed with him or followed him. He clenched his fist on the table, his glove straining with the tension. How could he have let that happen? What had he been thinking in the future? …No…this was a different outcome and he would make sure it stayed that way. Standing, he made his way out, thinking of ways to make Hojo submit to his own death.
xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx
It was the night before his match against all of the new recruits but …Sephiroth was gripping a document in his hand with murder in his eyes. He had taken the time to rifle through all of the documents since yesterday but the information held within his grip was absolutely… He gritted his teeth and threw the offending document back into the case. He held his head in his hands and felt like murdering everything into desolation. He wanted to burn everything to ground and ruin the Planet of his existence. How had it come to this? He was a monster… and Hojo was the one responsible. He clutched the hilt of his sword. No…Hojo would be the last to die. Everybody else would fall before…
His phone rang. He picked it up on reflex and put it to his ear but didn't answer. 'Sephiroth!' He blinked. His mind cleared a little. It was Cloud, and by the sound of it, he was rather annoyed. 'What were you just planning on doing?' Cloud ground out. 'My head is splitting because of you.' He growled.
Sephiroth paused. Had Cloud known what he had been thinking about? "…How…did you know?" he asked cautiously.
'For goodness sake, Sephiroth! I thought I asked you to stay sane this time.' Sephiroth heard Cloud groan a little on the other side, as if he were in some kind of pain. 'What a way to send a message…' he huffed.
Sephiroth's thoughts cleared a little more. Had he just planned on killing the people he had promised to protect? "Message…?"
'Yeah, from Gaia, but I take it you finished reading those documents…' He sounded annoyed.
"…Yes…"
Cloud was nearly growling again but simmered down a little. 'Do you need anything clarified? Like the fact that you're not a monster?' He sounded sarcastic. 'Well, at least, if you are one, I'm as much of one as well…'
"…My mother –"
'Was not Jenova.' Cloud butt in. 'In fact, why don't you go meet her? Your real mother, that is.' He heard Cloud sighing on the other side as the sound of him rubbing his forehead came through as well. 'I think…' he started, 'she might need it as much as you. This time, we won't have to tell her you died…'
Sephiroth blinked in surprise. They had what…? He frowned. "Why –"
'You were insane at the time. We had no other option and he saw it as the best.' He calmed more until his voice was only a soft whisper. 'You know…she didn't deserve a fate like hers…and neither did you.' He snapped short. 'We'll talk about it later. I know there's a lot you want to know but it can wait until after the exams.' There was a pause. 'Don't take it out on the new recruits. The exams tomorrow but I don't want anybody dying. You can fight against me after, just wait 'till then.' There was a click before the phone disconnected.
Sephiroth kept the phone to his ear, the beeping of a disconnected line coming through. He couldn't believe it. Had Cloud just offered to forfeit himself in the place of people he didn't know? Sephiroth dropped the phone and clutched his head. Cloud had accepted his exam with the knowledge that he might very well die. No… he couldn't take it out on Cloud. He wouldn't. There were still a lot of things that weren't clear. Things he still needed clarified which Cloud held the answers to, and the only way to gain his answers was for Cloud to remain alive. Yes,… he would wait, at least until after the exams.
xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx
The General was standing in a makeshift circle on one end of the enclosed field while the new recruits bustled heavily together on the other. They were all wearing standard armor, enough to protect them against the worst of the chosen materia of the General's. Heinz noted dryly, how relaxed the General's poise seemed. He had his arms crossed and his eyes closed; simply standing there as though they were no threat at all. He gritted his teeth and huddled closer to Zemus and Kain before glancing around the arena. It was smaller than he had anticipated, around the size of a small cargo hold, with sandy floors covered in dust. This was definitely not going to be easy if they slipped too much.
Sephiroth calmed himself and reminded himself to breathe normally. He had settled down since yesterday and now he felt more in control of his actions. Nothing had changed. All he had determined were mere facts he should have known ages before. If anything had changed it was the fact that everything was going to start changing for the better. Breathing out, he dropped his arms and opened his eyes. Yes. Things were going to change for the better.
Lazard's voice came over the speakers up ahead. There were show windows on the top floors so that the other officers could overlook the battle without worrying about stray fire. Sephiroth started flexing his fingers, the gloves on either side the only source of noise on him. Lazard began, "Remember, you are to last a minute without being caught by the General. If you are hit by any of his attacks you are to step out of the arena with hands behind your head, indicating that you have been hit. The other officers and I will be watching so it is no use in trying to indicate otherwise. Now, ready? Begin!"
Immediately, the other recruits scattered in opposite directions. Heinz, Kain, and Zemus merely stood where they were, calm, ready, and right at the center. Sephiroth quirked a brow at them wondering if they were either brave or bold, but then he quickly noticed that the three were who Cloud associated himself with and gave a quick smirk. With a swing of his hand, he sent three fireballs hurling their way. Two out of the three ducked on either side of the one with braided hair before his fireballs were caught in a M. Barrier. He was impressed.
Heinz grinned wide and laughed. "Cloud was right! He's using a fire!" He laughed full of excitement. Sephiroth smirked. So that was how they knew what to do. How interesting. And it was keeping his mind off of more pressing matters. He would see just how, exactly, Cloud had formed their strategy together.
"Amazing that his battle strategy is much like the General's." Kain smiled, still holding the M. Barrier in place.
"You're telling me!" Zemus laughed. He couldn't believe the plan was working.
Sephiroth thought about how he would break their barrier but he would leave that off until later. First, he had all the other little recruits to deal with. He looked over to either side of him, where the other cadets had huddled themselves into and found himself repulsed by such behavior. They were neither penguins nor insects, to huddle each other like that in fear. He threw fires in each direction and automatically hit several of the unprepared cadets. The others started scrambling away from where the fires had previously hit, unknowingly moving closer to Sephiroth as he sent sequences of blasts.
Heinz was observing the battlefield with awe. "Damn. He's herding them like sheep and their not even realizing they're getting closer to the General. How'd Cloud know exactly what he was going to do?" he whispered.
Zemus, still crouched on the ground, glanced at Heinz, who also stayed in the same position. "No idea, but I could kiss him right now. If he hadn't warned us the strategy…," he gulped, "we'd be goners by now."
"No kidding."
Sephiroth's ear twitched. Kiss Cloud? No, he couldn't allow that to happen. In mere seconds he hurled a barrage of fire towards them. He determined that it would be enough to break the M. Barrier and give him enough of an opening to hit them all before another one was pulled up. The boy named Heinz perked up at the barrage. "Zemus!"
Sephiroth watched as the boy named Zemus summoned a crystal of ice, dropping it in front of them quick enough so that when the barrier was shattered the remaining fire spells dispersed among the icy wall. Now he was truly impressed. Whirling on his feet he turned towards the other recruits. They had inched close enough to him for him to knock them all out with one massive barrage. He released continuous sequences of fire spells until only the three in front of him remained. All of that had happened within a time frame of forty-five seconds. There were fifteen seconds left. There was no way for him to simply waltz over to where they were standing so he was left with little to no options. He nodded in their direction. "Impressive." He commended. "How did you decide your course of action?"
Heinz stood and grinned. "It was Cloud's idea, sir. He showed us the best method of defense in this sort of situation."
Sephiroth gave a slight smirk and wondered what the third materia they had chosen was. He decided to ask. "What is the third materia you have decided to utilize?" He looked at Heinz.
Heinz was still grinning. "A Barrier, sir, in case any physical combat came into play."
Sephiroth nodded just as the alarm went off to signal the end of a very long minute. Lazard's voice boomed above their heads. "Congratulations to the three of you for passing the exam against General Sephiroth." He laughed. "The rest of you…may you do better on your second chance. Welcome to Soldier!"
The three of them stood, cheering into the air. They had made it and were now Soldier 3rd classes. Heinz shot out with enthusiasm. "We did it! We're in Soldier!"
Sephiroth walked up to them. "Congratulations. Work hard and prove your worth in Soldier." With that, he walked out the door.
Heinz gulped and laughed nervously, being right next to the General made him feel very small and insignificant. "H-Hey…isn't Cloud's battle next?"
The other two, it seemed, felt the same way and they nodded together pale faced. "Yes," Kain confirmed, "in five minutes it will be time for his battle, alone, with General Sephiroth."
Zemus shook his head rapidly. "I seriously hope Cloud knows what he's doing. I wonder what materia he's going to use."
"Maybe it's a Barrier like what we used." Heinz suggested. Kain shook his head.
"Did you not see how easily he shattered my M. Barrier with that un-mastered Fire? A Barrier could not possibly stop him for long."
"Don't forget that he's also allowed his sword." Zemus chirped up.
Heinz slowly let out a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding. "I hope Cloud knows what he's getting himself into…" All three of them nodded in agreement.
xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx
Cloud started flexing his fingers. He tested out his limbs and started stretching before the match. The day the exam date had been announced he had called Cid and asked him to fetch the Crystal sword for him from Mideel. It was the best he could do without being able to get the Ultima Weapon or anything else. Cid had happily agreed on the favor that Cloud "beat the living daylights outa him." Now, the sword, still wrapped in the cloth it had come with, was sitting beside him, just waiting to be used. Sephiroth would be surprised when he saw the sword and materia he had chosen to use. He smirked. Oh, and what a surprise it would be.
He walked out into the arena, the sword held against his back. Sephiroth walked out from the other side, Masamune already drawn and gleaming coldly of the death it was used to delivering. Cloud stood facing him. Sephiroth noticed that a cloth was still covering Cloud's weapon and quirked a brow in question. Cloud merely shrugged with a playful smile on his lips. They got into position and Cloud noticed the many onlookers that were sitting around. Most of them were the new recruits that had failed their first exam. He spotted Heinz, Zemus, and Kain and smiled. He had heard that they were the only ones to pass.
Lazard's voice came from above. "Okay. This is the one-on-one assessment for Cloud Strife against General Sephiroth. Each are allowed one materia, one weapon, and no time limits. The other officers and I shall be assessing your performance during the battle. The only way the battle will stop is if one of you yields or if we determine we have seen enough. Is that understood?" Cloud nodded. "Very well. Begin!" The bell toll.
They stood there facing each other, never taking their eyes off the other. Cloud reached over and pulled the cloth from his sword to reveal the crystalline gleam of the unnatural weapon. Sephiroth looked impressed. "How did you come across such a sword?"
Grinning, Cloud shrugged. "It was the best I could do given my situation." He would never say that it was from the shop of a crazy old lady who happened to live in Mideel.
"Impressive." Sephiroth charged. Cloud ground his heels into the ground and braced for the attack. He parried as the swords came into contact before bouncing back. Sephiroth anticipated this and waved his hand to invoke his materia. He put his hand straight out in front of him and soon the earth started moving.
"Damn." Cloud cursed. It was a full Quake materia. He jumped just as the earth beneath him massed up and almost engulfed him. He landed a step back and looked at Sephiroth with dry humor. "That's a powerful materia…"
Sephiroth gave one of his half shrugs. "I expect nothing less than a challenge."
"I see…" Cloud charged and swung several sequences of attacks he was sure none of the other officers had ever seen. Sephiroth casually blocked them all one at a time. Suddenly, Cloud spun around backwards after a feint, bringing his sword in and under from the other direction. Sephiroth's eyes fractioned a fraction on an inch wider before his sword was there to block it. Cloud heaved and shoved Sephiroth back half a step. He parried, dodged and jumped back again. Sephiroth charged at him just as he jumped back. Cloud had no time to think but to guard, bringing him off his balance. He fell backwards, still fending off Sephiroth's sword. Now, Sephiroth stood over him, pressing his weight against the sword and inched closer to his throat. Cloud's arms were burning with the strain but he held on anyway.
"Do you yield?" Sephiroth asked calmly.
Cloud only grinned. "Never." He strained. He put all his strength into one shove and pushed Sephiroth back enough to roll under and out. He jumped back onto his feet, panting with the sudden lack of strain. Circling around a little, he held his sword up at the ready.
Sephiroth looked at him curiously. "You aren't using your materia…"
Cloud snorted. "He's not much for everyday use."
Sephiroth's brow rose. "He?"
"I thought I'd need a little help against you so I brought him along." Cloud cocked his head to one side in thought. "I suppose it wouldn't be a bad thing if you met him now." Cloud stretched an arm out in front of him and on top of his sword and focused. Sephiroth saw a soft glow of red coming from the Crystal sword and paused.
"You have a summon?"
He grinned. "A couple, actually." The glow of the red got brighter. He chuckled. "You know, I used to have all of them." He added under his breath so only Sephiroth could hear. Louder, he added, "They're good company and they never let you down." The sphere suddenly burst into light before the skies rumbled and thundered with warning. Everyone looked up. From the sky there materialized a black smog evaporating out in different directions. At first, nothing could be seen but soon the tip of a horse's nose came shadowing through, followed by the armored warrior on its back. They landed heavily on the ground, sending a spray of dust in all directions. It was Odin.
"Odin?" One of the officer's voices came through the speakers. "That's impossible!"
Another argued, "The boy shouldn't even be able to summon such a beast!"
Odin stood facing Sephiroth, his horse Sleipnir pawing the ground with its head low and low whines to indicate how ready it was for battle. Sephiroth was surprised. How had Cloud managed to find Odin? He was about to ask when, quite suddenly, Odin turned towards Cloud and spoke! "My liege," he began, though he never quite took his eyes off the enemy, "you have found me again."
Cloud quirked a brow in Odin's direction. "You remember?" There were times when summons chose to speak, but he couldn't say it was often. Summons only tended to talk to their long term masters, and only if they had come to respect them and be respected in turn. At least, that had been what some of them had told him when they had decided to, quite suddenly, talk to him one day.
"Such a thing could not move us powerful enough to withstand a little travel along the lifestream. We have far outgrown the limitations of our power." He seemed proud.
"He talks!" the new recruits chattered.
"This is outrageous!" The superior officers barked.
Cloud heard the surprised chattering of the audience around them and even the superior officers in the upper levels of the arena. Apparently, none of them had ever experienced being addressed by a summon before, including Sephiroth. Judging by the look of him, and with him staring disbelievingly at Odin, Cloud determined that Sephiroth had even more questions to ask. Though all he heard from him was a "he speaks?"
"Settle down." Lazard announced after a while, "I understand everyone's confusion but there is still the battle to be had. After the battle is determined, then we shall have the time to answer any questions later, provided cadet Strife elects to give the answers." Everybody started settling down even though mumbles were still heard here and there.
After most of them had quieted a bit, Cloud looked at Sephiroth in a grin. "Yeah, though I can't say many of them are talkers…like Alexander, for example…" Alexander had usually only taken to rumbling in response of anything, if anything.
"…I see…" Sephiroth held his sword steadily in front of him. This battle had just become a two-on-one and it seemed it was going to be difficult.
Odin held up his sword in a menacing gesture. "Are we to annihilate him, my liege?" Odin inquired.
Cloud laughed. "No, not this time." He thought about it. "We just have to try and stop him."
In an instant, Odin charged, "Understood."
Cloud charged a split second after Odin had taken off. As Odin circled Sephiroth from one side, he had come from the other. And it felt like an old dance they had played many times before. They swung their swords from both sides at the exact same moment, synchronizing in unison. Sephiroth jumped up and out of the way, taking a flip before landing lightly on the other side, his sword still poised. He charged at them both the instant his foot touched the floor and stabbed in their direction, where they stood vulnerable from missing. Odin's horse reared back with a loud whine, standing on two of its many legs and dodging the incoming attack, while Cloud took the split second of Sephiroth's distraction and rolled out of the way in the other direction. He came to his feet and charged, just as Sleipnir tried to stomp Sephiroth where he stood. Sephiroth jumped back just in time before countering. They stood on equal ground like that for quite a while.
Cloud stood panting on one side with an excited grin plastering his face. It seemed Sephiroth had forgotten all about the little document incident and was now completely focused on fending off both Odin and he. He couldn't help but feel giddy. This was a match where he could nearly go all out without worrying about whether he should kill his opponent or not. It was always fun to play, no matter how old he became. Looking now, he saw that Sephiroth was a bit worn as well, much to everyone's surprise. He hadn't been able to best him and Odin yet and it was already going late into the hour. They had lasted much longer than anyone ever suspected and Cloud was sure it would bring up some questions later.
Cloud and Odin started circling Sephiroth from opposite sides while watching the other for a cue to attack. Sephiroth stood unmoving, seeming as calm as ever. Of course, Cloud knew his calm mood to be a calculation of strategy changes. He gave Odin a look and charged just as Odin reared back and stampeded across as well. To Cloud's surprise, they were stopped in their tracks when the ground beneath them started shifting. Sleipnir reared back and trotted a safe distance but Cloud couldn't hold his balance and fell backwards. Sephiroth took advantage of that millisecond and before Cloud knew it, Masamune was up against his neck.
"My liege!" Odin charged, only to pause a moment after as Sephiroth held his hand up in a gesture to indicate that he was at risk of hurting Cloud.
Cloud cursed under his breath, and breathed heavily. Sephiroth looked at him humorously before speaking. "Do you yield?"
Laughing, Cloud fell back and lay on the ground. He was too tired to continue this little charade and he had shown off a little too much anyway. He lifted his hands up in a signal of surrender and dropped his sword. "I yield."
Sephiroth lifted Masamune up, though he couldn't stop looking at Cloud lying there on the ground so peacefully. Amidst all the dirt, dust, and sand, Cloud sparkled. He looked heavenly unrealistic with his clean golden hair flowing up to defy gravity and a soft smile gracing his lips as he breathed a soft sigh of relief. His blue eyes shimmered with something ethereal. Soon after, though unfortunately for Sephiroth, Cloud struggled to sit up. He glanced around as the bell went off indicating the end of the battle before patting the back of his head and back of the dust. He stood and started dusting off his pants legs. Finishing, he looked at Odin to indicate that he was okay and noticed Lazard coming down onto the arena.
"Congratulations, Strife." Director Lazard began. "Today, I have witnessed a great battle and," he nodded in the direction of Heinz, Zemus, and Kain, "brilliant battle strategies." He looked back at Cloud after giving an uncomfortable glance at Odin. "You have demonstrated unique skills and stood standing against the General. We're all impressed." He fixed his glasses in an exultant manner.
"Thank you, sir."
"Now," he cleared his throat and glanced at Odin again just as all of the other officers made their way down and onto the arena. The new recruits stayed where they were, safe behind what little shelter there was behind the wall, "there are some questions we would like to ask…"
Cloud glanced at Odin and gave a look of reluctance, "Questions, sir?
"Yes, questions!" It was Colonel Jaeger walking up to them in a brisk pace. Cloud gave a slight breath of curiosity. The last time he had seen Colonel Jaeger was back at the competition. It didn't seem like the man got around much, though he had a very short temper. Even his mustache bristled with irritation as he marched up to the lot of them. He pointed a rude finger towards Odin, whose horse snorted in response and pawed the floor with his hooves. "Summons cannot talk!" he shouted. "They are mere materia! And how can you even have the strength to keep such a powerful summon out without strain?"
Cloud frowned at the Colonel. He was being downright rude and right in front of Odin as well. He couldn't have the man dismissing his loyal companion as 'mere materia'. "In all due respect, sir," He started with defense, "Odin is as alive as you or I. And, as you have just seen, he does indeed talk." He crossed his arms in defiance.
This time he pointed a rude finger right at Cloud's chest and it was now Sephiroth that found himself annoyed enough to want to cut the man down. He restrained himself, though…just barely. The man spoke again, "You must have done something!" He accused, "Some trickery of some sort. There is no way a materia could have a conscious!"
Cloud gave a heavy sigh and rubbed the back of his head. "I disagree, sir. Materia are the crystallized form of the memories from the Ancients. It is the wisdom borrowed from the lifestream and manipulates nature itself. There is no doubt, then, that it could also create a life in the form of materia." All the others looked shocked but the Colonel merely looked daunted as though there was nothing else he could think of to say in his defense.
Lazard stepped up. "Strife……how do you know about the Ancients?" It was a given that not many people were knowledgeable on the subject given that the entire race had died off, save for one. It was strange that this cadet, Strife, seemed to know so much more than anyone besides Professor Hojo.
Cloud mentally berated himself. Of course, they were going to ask how he knew things he shouldn't have otherwise known. He didn't know how to answer but, thankfully, Odin suddenly stepped up. "The knowledge has come from us, human." He thundered, pointing his sword towards Jaeger's throat. "Now, I no longer wish to audience with you." He turned around, "I shall take my leave, my liege." And with that, was gone in a smog of black smoke. The red materia dulled until it stopped glowing altogether. Colonel Jaeger looked flabbergasted.
Cloud walked over and picked up his sword. Hefting it on his shoulder with such ease that it would've made any other 1st class jealous, he looked back, "I think I'll be on my way as well." He nodded to each one of them in acknowledgement in turn, "Director. General." Then walked off and away, leaving behind a very confused group of people in his wake.
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