©Blood of Sephiroth 2001
Buried PastDisclaimer: I own none of the FFVII Characters, but Gabe is mine! All mine, you hear me!!!!
Chapter Two: Currently Amazed
Gabe almost couldn't believe it. Her, being mentored by the great General and his second in command, Zack! There hadn't been this much excitement since that boy with the gravity-defying blond-gold spikes, Cloud had disappeared off with them. It didn't take Gabe long to gather up her stuff, consisting mostly of her lesson books and material concerning Ninja. And, of course, Eloise's doll. She was on her way out when a large body blocked her path.
'And where do you think you are going, Angel?'
Gabe looked up at the girl who blocked her way.
'To the West dorms.' Gabe replied sweetly, pushing past her and almost skipping with excitement. If only Eloise could see her now....
Gabe made it to the dorms with no further mishap, dumping her stuff on the bed and then making her way to the gym. She glanced through the doors into the huge room, wall bars hanging unused on three walls. Along the fourth wall and covering a full third of the huge room's floor was a thick mat which Gabe recognised was used to train in Martial Arts. The room was only occupied by three people, one with long, spiked black hair which would be Zack, one with incredibly long, straight silver hair, wearing black leather. That would be the General. The last was a petite figure, a little shorter then Zack, with blond spikes. Gabe smiled. That would be Cloud, future First Class. Same as her. Gabe opened the doors quietly and walked in with the silence that only a Ninja could.
She stood next to Zack as the General and he watched Cloud go through a few excersises. Cloud moved with grace and balance, the huge sword he used flowing through the air. The sword was almost identical to Zack's huge sword that was slung across his back.
'Gabe Xavier, sir, reporting for duty.' Gabe stood to attention as Cloud finished, giving Sephiroth, Cloud and Zack a bad jump. Three hands went to their respective weapons, only to be lowered as the owners saw who it was.
Zack returned the salute. 'At ease. And call me Zack.' Gabe stood comfortably, noticing Cloud checking her out curiously.
'Cloud, this is Gabe Xavier, the Ninja. Gabe, this is Cloud Strife. I'm pretty sure you probably know each other already, but it doesn't hurt to check.' Sephiroth made the introductions with a half-smile on his lips. 'You two will be training partners during your mentorship time. We haven't really got a Ninja here to help you, Gabe, but I can teach from the sword perspective. It looks like you don't need teaching on the hand-to-hand combat side, though.' Sephiroth added. Gabe nodded, feeling a little dizzy. Things had happened so fast!
Zack stepped in. 'For the moment, however, we want to see how well you do against each other. So spar! No blood drawn this time, Cloud.' The man looked at Cloud from under a frown. Cloud grinned and nodded, taking a high-low stance in front of Gabe. Gabe reached behind and drew her two swords, the blades giving a faint snick as they left the scabbards. Gabe flicked her wrists a couple of times, the blades whirring through the air.
The two circled, each one giving the odd lunge as they felt the other's strength. Cloud moved in and tried to get in a diagonal swipe, but Gabe's left blade came up and stopped the blade in mid air, the right whirring in and stopping inches from Cloud's neck. Gabe heard the hiss of breath from between Cloud's clenched teeth as he realised how fast Gabe was. Zack clapped appreciatively.
Cloud spun away, a little warier now, and he carried on circling, waiting for his next chance. Gabe lunged in, feinted to the right and then moved to the left, trying to get a blade in, but Cloud stayed with her, the huge sword ready to block whenever she thrusted in with her sword. This went on for about five minutes before Cloud started coming back with attacks of his own, trying to break through Gabe's defences, but again, her blades were too fast. And right in the middle of one of his attacks, she hooked an ankle behind his and pulled him off balance. His sword fell to the floor with a clatter and he followed soon after, Gabe's blades at his throat.
'Nicely done, Gabe. And you too, Cloud.' Sephiroth smiled. Gabe smiled at Cloud, stood up and held a hand out to help him up. Cloud grinned back and took it.
'Cloud, how come Gabe beat you? Just out of curiousity, mind.' Zack asked Cloud as he picked up his sword.
'She's too damn fast, Zack. And the fact she has two blades....but I didn't expect her to use a stunt like that on me.' Cloud answered, resheathing his sword as Gabe flicked hers up in the air, caught them and replaced them into their sheaths.
Zack wagged a finger under his nose. 'Never underestimate anyone, Cloud. Especially a Ninja. Now, it's roughly lunch, so you guys go grab some food.'
Cloud grinned sheepishly and glanced at Gabe, who nodded. 'Okay, Zack. See you guys later!' Cloud yelled to Sephiroth as he and Gabe ran out of the gym.
Once they got out of the gym, Cloud looked at Gabe.
'You seriously a Ninja?' He asked, his quiet voice curious. Gabe nodded. 'And you are going to be mentored by Sephiroth?' Gabe nodded again.
They reached the mess hall, jam packed with blue uniforms. She and Cloud stuck out like sore thumbs in their everyday clothes. Cloud was wearing a purple sleevles top and purple leather trousers, and she was in her Ninja clothes.
Together they chose a table with no one sitting at it, grabbing their lunch from the bench. Talk turned to their hometowns, Cloud telling her about the beautiful Nibelheim Mountains. Gabe listened in silence.
'So where do you come from?' Cloud asked her, finishing his description. Gabe paused for a couple of seconds.
'I honestly don't know. I was in an orphanage when I was little, then I got shipped from place to place.' She told him. Cloud looked a little shocked.
'So you don't know your parents? Not even what they did?'
Gabe shook her head. 'I know nothing of my past and less of my future.'
Cloud looked at her for a moment, a little unsure what to do. He grinned.
'No prob, while you're in SOLDIER. You have your future sorted for the next few years at least.'
Gabe nodded, smiling herself. They both finished their meal in silence, then made their way outside, waiting for the buzzer to tell them to go back to their dorms.
While they were waiting, Cloud pulled out his sword and started to clean it. Gabe did the same, looking critically at her materia. She had the basic elements of ice, fire and lightning, as well as a Summon and a couple of Command materias. From the looks of it that's what Cloud had too.
Gabe rearranged her materia until she was satisfied with it, looking up when the buzzer went. She and Cloud stood up, resheathing their weapons as they made their way back to the dorm. They met Sephiroth and Zack as they were coming out of Zack's room.