Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or its characters; that right belongs to Rumiko Takahashi. Nor do I own Final Fantasy (any of the titles), that right belongs to the game developers, Artist, storyboard writers and Sony/Square soft!
Author's Notes: I am stating this now, here is who Kagome will not be paired with. President Shinra, Hojo, Angeal, Cloud Strife, Veld, Vincent Valentine, any one on the ShinRa Board of Directors, or Sesshomaru (I mean Fucking really, he is in another world!). As of right now those are the only ones I am able to list. And still have no idea of the end pairing. So if you do not like that, I politely ask you toturn around and leave now. Because I don't see the point in you wasting your time and mine.
Month 4, Week 1, Day 1
Two Weeks Later: First Day of S.O.L.D.I.E.R Training
The group looked at the tall, thin, very muscular male that was standing at the front of the room, handing a manilla envelope to the Commanding Officer. They didn't know what to think or make of the man. Who, in most of their minds, looked like a woman. An illusion that was dismissed when the person had spoken in one of the deepest baritones they'd all heard. Leaving them curious as to why this recruit had not been at orientation, though they all saw him at one point or another during the Testing phase for the S.O.L.D.I.E.R program
"You... are the one under Hojo?"
This had them all stiffening. While the guy looked like he was harmless, those that had to do the physical training with the guy knew better. He was off-putting, quick, and decisive. He was not letting a spar go on for more than a minute or two at the longest. And using his long braid against him was not an option; in fact, it made the guy end the sparring match quicker, with a touch more brutality. Making it clear that his hair was not a weakness, no, the bastard used it as a strength. More so when he choked out the only person to try and use that braid against him.
"Go take your place. I will be sorting you all soon enough to get a battle buddy."
"Yes, sir!"
Several eyes tracked the young man as he walked with a languid grace to the back of the room. He was standing in formation, at ease, like the rest of them. His odd brown-green eyes half opened, as a small smirk tilted one corner of his mouth upwards. He was angering more than a few of those gathered. Not a single one of them liked how smug he was being. Then again, none of them knew whether it was intentional or not.
"Okay, I am going to sort you all into two groups. When I call your name, you will go and stand in a line along the far wall; this will be the first group. You all placed the highest in your exams for physical, mental, stamina, and tactical," the instructor called out.
Slowly they were sorted. Quite a few were not surprised when the guy, Higurashi 'Shippo' Kogame's name, was called third. He took his position and looked out across the room. As if nothing was out of place. They are not showing an ounce of smugness at all, as more names were called.
"Okay, those that are left, when I call your name, you will go and stand on the other wall in the order you are called," the instructor called out again.
This process was soon done, leaving them all there staring at each other across the room, wondering just what their Officer for the next twelve weeks was doing. Of course, they had all had the man tell them that this was his first time being a Drill Sergeant and would be doing things a lot different than when he was in basic for the S.O.L.D.I.E.R. Program.
"Now, I want all of you in the first group to go and pick out a person from the second group. That will be your permanent battle buddy for the next twelve weeks. You will make their weaknesses yours. And your strengths shall become theirs. I want you to help them learn and grow. Because in the field, in battle, you will have to rely on your teammates. And a weak teammate means death," the instructor explained. "Once you found that person, bring them to me and I will either approve or tell you to try again, based on your reason. If I approve, you can leave and rest for the remainder of the day. Getting to know your new buddy."
This was met with mixed results as they stared for a few minutes at those that had ranked at the low end. But several eyes turned when they watched Higurashi step away and walk towards the other group — noting the hopeful looks on their faces before he veered sharply and went to the last person in the group. A blond-haired, blue-eyed youth from way out in the boondocks. A mountain town called Nibelheim. Whose eyes were wide as he stared down those few inches.
Everyone watched as the Blond blinked and pointed dumbfoundedly to himself, earning a nod. Then quickly following the shorter, dark-haired man to the front. All listening as the reason was given. Each astounded.
"Being one of the strongest, it is my duty to help those beneath me get stronger. His weakness will also present me with a challenge to shore up my weaknesses further. And besides, out of everyone, he seems like the only one who'd be able to handle my personality, Sir!"
This had their instructor, one 2nd Class S.O.L.D.I.E.R. Zachary Fair looked slightly amused, before nodding it was a go for them to leave as he marked on his little clipboard the first buddies of the day.
"I hope to see results, but you do know that you are to be roomed away from the others at the request of Hojo, right? And that he will be with you for all your Mako injections and showers, thus the experimentation?" Instructor Fair said.
"Yes. Hence another reason I chose him," Kogame (Shippo) said stoically.
She was beside herself as Shippo kept the link open and constantly prattled off at her through their mental link. When he said that he would get to choose his battle partner, Kagome had instantly asked where the Blond she'd entered into the computer months ago was ranked. Only to be told the last place. This had her frowning, but she wasn't going to tell Shippo who to choose.
"Hey, mama, I want him. Strife, Cloud I mean," Shippo said via their link.
This had Kagome's eyebrows shooting up on her forehead. She had not expected that from her Kit, but then again, they'd been separated for thirty years plus in her original world, only months here. And it made her proud when he told her his reason. He was such a kind boy, though if she knew anything about her 'kind' boy, he had an ulterior motive. Being Kitsune and all.
"Okay, I will go report to Hojo," she said back, already standing up from her desk and walking to the back Lab.
The days had turned into weeks. And at that moment, Kagome wearing her hair in a long braid down her back, a flannel shirt, and jeans with hiking boots, was sitting on her favorite stool and the bar. Her boys were out on a mission. Genesis said he had a date with a friend, that had her giggling over the PHS, as he whined at her. So, it was a lonely night of drinking to herself. Something she needed since she missed Shippo greatly already. Though he was having a blast in 'boot camp' and was helping his battle buddy make leaps and bounds.
"Excuse me, but what the hell are you doing off the post, recruit!?"
Stiffening at the sound of the deep voice, Kagome narrowed her eyes as she spun around to the jerk who had spoken rudely to her. Who had his eyes widening as he saw her face, or, more importantly, her eyes. Letting her know that he knew her son, or in this world, her younger twin brother. Letting a sardonic smirk curl the corners of her lips, she slid from the stool and stood her full five feet two inches.
When she tilted her head up to look the whole one-foot difference, she saw his own blue eyes staring down at her in confusion, mixed with a bit of nervousness. She knew she was letting her Reiki leak out and didn't give a whole lot of fucks at that moment.
"Excuse me? I think you may have the wrong person," she said in a sweet voice.
Smothering a giggle at the way his Adam's apple bobbed when he swallowed, Kagome crossed her arms under her breast to emphasize them a bit more. Enjoying how awkward she was making this whole situation. While in the back of her head, Shippo stirred awake and did his best to grasp the situation before she let him see a mental image of the man who just talked to her. Getting a rather large mental groan, accompanied by a soft chuckle and being nice.
"Uh... Yes, I think I do. I thought you were one of my S.O.L.D.I.E.R. recruits and had snuck off the base. You two are almost perfect copies of each other," he said, running a gloved hand through his spiky black hair.
"Oh? Would his name happen to be Higurashi, Kogame?" she asked, keeping her voice Saccharine.
The small nod he gave as he started to shift foot to foot.
"Then I feel sorry you ended up being the one to train my younger twin brother, let me buy you a drink," she said, voice returning to normal.
When his eyes widened to the point she was sure they'd pop out of his head, she threw her head back and laughed good-naturedly. Then turned back to 'her' bar stool, climbed on it, and ordered two drinks, stiff. Ready to pry information out of the man, since his reports given to Hojo were sparse and very little. All stats and knowledge that they had previously on her naughty little Kit.
He was watching the combative training for the recruits. Of course, it was at the behest of his friend and fellow Generals. And seeing the potential recruits that would be under him or the others was a bonus. So, as his eyes slid over the crowd, they stopped on a pair that looked as mismatched as possible. A tall, gangly, and somewhat awkward blond youth with vibrant blue eyes was sparing with a smaller youth with long black hair pulled back into a braid and being pinned easily.
This pattern repeated a few times before he watched as the dark-haired boy talked to the Blond, showing him step by step what the blond boy was doing wrong. It was fascinating. He knew that the 2nd Class running this group was on the list to be promoted to first-class. And this was part of that stepping stone. But to him, or anyone else who paid attention, they were mismatched.
"You noticed too?"
Shifting his gaze from the duo, he looked at his red-headed friend. Seeing a smile on Genesis's face and dancing in the depths of his gray eyes. Giving a small nod, he returned to look at all the trainees, though his eyes kept going back to the odd duo who were off to one side. Noting that the Blond was doing a bit better, but still way weaker than the dark-haired boy.
"Zack decided to pair up those that were the top of the class with those that were the weakest. Wanting to shore up those that did poorly to get in. Hoping to make them all a stronger unit when it came time for fieldwork," Genesis said.
It was an interesting idea. One that, if proven useful, would do wonders for the recruits and trainees that were already in the field though he had just come from another batch that was further along in their training. They were doing live ammunition, though modified, tactics in a jungle simulation. And he was a bit shocked to find out just how that particular training got implanted into the S.O.L.D.I.E.R, of course, it was that girl again.
He felt eyes on him, and he looked out over the groups to see that the young man that had been working with the Blond was staring at him openly. A small smile that was oozing smugness at him. He narrowed his aquamarine orbs at the boy he knew was named Higurashi, Kogame. His one run-in with the boy in the labs had been very enlightening. Explaining a few things about the girl, who he had finally gotten his father to talk about.
"If this works, along with that field combat training, this means that the future soldiers of S.O.L.D.I.E.R will be dangerous in the field. Especially with the Mako showers, they will be receiving," Sephiroth stated as he leaned back, arms crossing over his chest.
His gaze did not leave the young man as his buddy tried once more to take him to the ground. Sephiroth noted that the blond never went for that long braid.
"Ah, I agree, Seph. And you seem interested in that duo out there," Genesis said, his voice going deceptively calm. "That dark-haired boy, I heard he made waves with his scores in all areas, except for Marksmanship. And if you are wondering about the braid, he proved it is a weapon, not a weakness, in hand to hand combatives. Knocked out the person who thought to grab it by choke holding them with it."
This had Sephiroth narrowing his eyes at the boy. His instincts that day had told him that the boy was a threat. That he had to be wary of him. And that only confirmed what he had felt. But the easy-going smile, cocky attitude, and general laid-back attitude he was displaying, even now, disarmed anyone.
"He is Hojo's pet projects Twin little brother," Genesis said.
This just had Sephiroth shaking his head. He knew that already, having gotten it from his father not too long ago. But there was something about both siblings, if they were siblings, that just made him feel on edge. They were not natural at all.
He pinched the bridge of his nose. The readings were par for the course with Kagome in the Mako Tank. But he was just not here for the day. Having finally talked with his son about Kagome, and thus her little twin brother. It had left a lasting impression on Sephiroth. One he didn't think was right. He was not stupid or ignorant of his son's feelings. But to him, the scientist and the completely logical and rational man, emotions, feelings, were a hindrance.
But he had told his son almost everything and made the damn stubborn fool promise not to tell another living soul. Then he had said to him that Tseng and Vincent were in on this. That the other Turks just knew Kagome as his project and that he was overly protective. Though Hojo had to admit he was shocked when Sephiroth stated that the day the power went out in the lab, and they had to free her, that he knew she was not a normal girl.
That power had even landed his son on his ass. But he had told him that if he wanted to know that he had to talk to Kagome on his own. Hojo honestly didn't want a damn thing to do with explaining her unnatural powers. Powers that didn't exist in this world. Then have to deal with the fallout of betrayal and trust. Hell, he was getting a bit of a cold shoulder because he refused Kagome the right to be there when Shippo and his partner came in for their Mako treatments and physicals.
Yeah, he was not happy overall. And the fact that the readings were going nowhere with Kagome meant she was furious and purposely hindering the experiment.
TBC!
