©Blood of Sephiroth 2001
Buried Past
Disclaimer: I own none of the FFVII Characters, but Gabe is mine! All mine, you hear me!!!!
Chapter Four: Hidden KnowledgeSephiroth paced in his room, thinking, his second in command watching his friend closely.
'So what are you going to do? Tell her?' Zack broke the silence. Sephiroth had just finished explaining to Zack about Gabe's hidden past. And Zack was worried for his friend.
Sephiroth shook his head. 'No. Too risky. Can you imagine what Hojo will do to her if he found out?'
Zack shuddered. Yes, he could imagine. 'So....we just carry on as normal? How many more years until she completes SOLDIER training?'
Sephiroth stopped pacing and faced Zack. 'One, maybe two years. But at the rate she's going, I would say less then that.'
Zack sat back and whistled. 'That's fast, my friend. And you say it's natural? Someone who's born a Ninja?'
Sephiroth started pacing and nodded. He was worried for Gabe. Being a natural Ninja was the best part. It was the other side he was worried about....
Next morning, Gabe almost bounced out of bed. Almost. Until she remembered her knee.
Second day of training! And Cloud was right. Gabe could walk on her knee already. She got dressed into her Ninja outfit, ready for a walk if nothing else. At least she'd be left alone now.
Gabe heard a knock at her door, and she opened it to reveal the grinning face of Zack.
'Mornin', Gabe!' He said. 'How's the knee?'
'Almost perfect, thanks.' She replied brightly. Zack stood by as Gabe walked out of the room. She looked up and saw Cloud and Sephiroth standing on the other side.
'Breakfast, anyone?' Zack asked, just as Gabe's stomach gave a huge rumble. Gabe flushed as Cloud tried to stop laughing.
/She looks better today/
//Huh?//
/Huh?/
Gabe shook her head as she noticed Sephiroth do the same. Their eyes met, both confused.
//That you?// Gabe asked cautiously. Sephiroth's confused frown deepened slightly.
/Who, me? Yeah....is that you, Gabe?/ Sephiroth replied telepathically. Gabe nodded.
'Weird....' She muttered.
'What's up, Gabe?' Zack asked, looking from one to the other. Without breaking eye contact with Sephiroth, Gabe answered.
'Nothing....'
Sephiroth looked down, utterly confused. He had heard people's thoughts before, pictures and murmers, but that went with the job. He had never had a telepathic link with anyone before.
//You still there?// Gabe's voice asked in his mind. Sephiroth looked back up at her as they started to walk to the mess hall.
/Yeah....This is weird./ Sephiroth replied.
//Do we tell the others?// Gabe asked. Sephiroth shook his head.
The group had breakfast, Gabe and Sephiroth staying silent, both telepathically and otherwise. As they made their way to the gym, Zack looked at them both, his eyes twinkling slightly as he saw them walking together, Gabe making an extensive study of the floor again.
They would make the perfect couple, he thought, if it weren't for all that Black Ninja stuff Sephiroth told me about.
I wonder why they are both so quiet today? Maybe....uh-oh, not that.
Telepathic connection.
Ah, crap.
Zack turned and looke forward, giving out a mental groan that he hid from Sephiroth with ease. He wasn't as blind as he made out to Sephiroth's abilities. Heck, he had some of his own that leant that way, thanks to his Mako overdose. And judging by what Sephiroth told him about Gabe Xavier last night, she could easily do the same. Without the years of hell his friend had gone through as a labrat for Hojo. And when she got her Mako boost....
Zack glanced at the pair before walking through the doors. Cloud was already in, warming up with his morning excersises, his eyes closed in concentration.
'Thrust then parry parry thrust step back forward parry parry thrust jump bugger got that wrong again....' Cloud sighed as he opened his eyes and got back into his starting position. 'Thrust then parry parry thrust step back forward parry parry jump parry thrust....'
Zack smiled and stood in front of Cloud, leaning on his huge Buster sword as he waited for his friend to finish. Just as Cloud got to the last excersise, the two swords met with a clang and a shower of sparks. Cloud grinned wolfishly, and so did Zack, and what followed was a ballet of sheer sword play, the huge swords meeting again and again, flashing so fast that Gabe thought it a miracle that Zack and Cloud didn't dismember each other as she stood watching with Sephiroth.
//And they do this every day?// She asked silently.
/Yep. Absolute lunatics, the pair./ Sephiroth replied, the two already easy with this method of speaking. 'How about we copy?' He added normally. Sephiroth figured that Zack had probably already worked out the connection, but that he would play ignorant until Sephiroth chose to tell him.
Gabe nodded, pulling out her Masamune as Sephiroth did the same, the two blades glinting in the sunlight streaming down from outside.
/What about your knee?/ Sephiroth asked her as he took her through the excersises. Gabe shook her head.
//Not a problem.// She grinned. //Nearly better now.//
Sephiroth grinned back, showing his teeth, as the pair stood opposite each other, Cloud and Zack still fighting as other SOLDIERs came into the gym to train.
Sephiroth lunged in, his blade coming into contact with Gabe's.
'Let's see how much you know.' He said through clenched teeth. Sephiroth spun away and whiplashed his sword towards Gabe, the air ripping as the sword whistled towards her. Gabe's Masamune came up, blocking the progress of Sephiroth's. She smacked the sword away, finishing in a fencer's pose, straightening again and holding the sword like she had yesterday, letting Sephiroth come to her.
/Nicely defended./ Sephiroth complimented her. Gabe nodded, her eyes strangly blank. Sephiroth recognised that. She was tuning everything out, including him, but there was one emotion she let loose: anger. Sephiroth could see it burning in her eyes. That made sense.
Sephiroth was nearly caught off guard as Gabe lunged at him, feinted to the left and spun to the right, the two swords screeching as they met. Sephiroth countered that one and backhanded into an attack, one he knew they hadn't looked at yet, but Gabe countered it perfectly as if he had just taught the move to her. He pulled back and went in for a leaping attack, but Gabe sidestepped and pushed him off balance with a low sweep of the sword. Sephiroth regained his balance and whipped the sword to her face, prepared to stop if she didn't. Gabe leapt above the swing, somersaulted and landed silently behind Sephiroth.
Sephiroth felt cold steel press against his neck.
//Don't move.// Gabe cautiouned. //Just so you know, I've never done that before. Neat, huh?//
/You've never done that?/ Sephiroth exclaimed as Gabe took the sword off his neck. Gabe winced.
//No need to shout.// She commented.
/Sorry./
'That was really good, Gabe!' Zack called. Gabe turned, resheathing the Masamune.
'Was it? I've never done that before.' Gabe asked. Sephiroth just shook his head and replaced his Masamune into it's scabbard.
//I still prefer my blades, Sephiroth. Sorry and all that.//
'I think I prefer you with your two blades as well, Gabe.' Sephiroth commented. He motioned to Zack.
'Now go up against him with bare hands. Don't worry if you beat him,' Zack winced, 'he's no Ninja, but he is good. Better then me at any rate.'
//Better then Sephiroth? Nah.//
/Huh?/
//Oops....sorry//
/....huh?/
Gabe was walking off with Zack towards the unarmed combat mats as this last comment passed through her head. She grinned.
Noticing Zack was taking off the Buster Sword, scabbard and all, Gabe did the same with her weapons, her trainers and socks following. Zack and she took up fighting positions opposite each other.
'Right, first we're going to see how much you know. Then we'll see what you need taught, or what I need teaching as the case may be.' Zack grinned at her, and Gabe grinned back.
Zack and Gabe bowed to each other, marking the beginning of the bout. Gabe's eyes went fathomless as she took up a defencive stance, waiting for Zack to make his move.
Zack feinted to the left and made a quick jab to the right, surprised when he felt strong hands grip his wrist and throw him across the mat with surprising agilitiy. When he looked up, he saw Gabe on the opposite side to where she started.
Wow, that was fast. Zack thought, getting up. He grinned at Gabe, somehow expecting her not to notice. Gabe grinned back.
'Sorry.' She apologised. Zack held up his hand.
'No need. Didn't expect you to go that fast.' He dismissed it, once again taking up position. 'Now, let's see how you attack, Gabe.'
Gabe smiled and smoothly took up a neutral position, standing relaxed, her arms hanging loosely at her sides, puzzling Zack. Gabe's eyes had gone blank, her expression unreadable as Sephiroth's when he went into battle. As unreadable as Sephiroth's....geez, why didn't I notice it before? She doesn't need training to be a warrior. She already is one.
Zack didn't have any time to think as Gabe darted in and aimed a punch at his abdomen. Zack deflected the blow with a SOLDIER's Mako-enhanced speed, aiming and landing a chop to a nerve in Gabe's shoulder. The arm went limp, and Gabe's eyes registered pain for a second as she closed them, but as she opened them it seemed that she was a million miles away. Seconds later, Gabe hit Zack in the stomach with the same arm that he'd thought he'd disabled. Winded, Zack dropped to the floor, just about dodging the kick that Gabe aimed at him. Gasping from the pain, Zack scissored his legs and chopped Gabe's legs out from under her, causing her to fall on the mat. Zack took his chance; still slightly winded, he leapt towards her, meaning to pin Gabe to the ground, but Gabe saw him coming and bent her legs. Just as Zack got near enough, Gabe kicked out as hard as she could, both feet landing on Zack's chest. Zack flew backwards, hitting the wall and sliding down, stunned.
/Ouch. Poor Zack./ Sephiroth commentated where he was in the middle of a sparring match with Cloud.
//Oops. Sorry.// Gabe cringed, coming back to earth and seeing Zack in a heap on the floor. //I....guess I got carried away....//
'Owww....' Zack groaned. Gabe ran up to him, kneeling beside him.
'I'm sorry, sir, I-I got a little carried away, sir....thought you were a real threat....' Gabe trailed off, helping the SOLDIER get to his feet. Zack waited until the room stopped spinning, and winced as he felt the headache.
'No problem, Gabe....just give me some warning next time, okay? And stop calling me sir. My name is Zack.' Zack managed a weak smile before staggering out of the training centre to his quarters. Feeling bad, Gabe walked over to where Cloud and Sephiroth were still sparring, the two fighters frowning in concentration. Gabe could almost feel the mirth at his friend's downfall rolling off of Sephiroth.
//It's not that funny.// Gabe mentally pouted as she heard her mentor's mental laughter.
/Yes it is./ Sephiroth retorted. /Well, maybe it isn't from your point of view, but it is from mine./ He added after glancing over and noting Gabe's expression.
Finally, Cloud stood back and held his hands up in the universal 'I surrender' sign, leaning against his sword.
'I....can't....take....much more....Sephiroth. Sorry.' Cloud wandered over to the bench where Gabe was sitting and collapsed onto it. 'Why....don't....you two....fight?' Cloud panted, wiping the sweat off his forehead.
Sephiroth and Gabe both gave identical grins.
//With my Ninja blades, Seph.// Gabe said, no argument allowed. Gabe felt, rather then saw, Sephiroth's puzzlement and delight at the sound of the shortened name.
/'Seph'? Yeah, I think I like that. And that's fine. Just don't chop me into mincemeat./ Sephiroth replied.
Gabe had got into position, and she drew her Ninja swords, the light glinting off the highly polished blades. //As long as you don't.// She retorted.
Sephiroth nodded slightly, then took off his cloak and top, revealing a tightly muscled torso.
'What?' He asked innocently as Cloud started choking with surpressed laughter as Gabe averted her eyes and tried not to blush, which she managed rather well.
Gabe tried not to let any feelings through the barrier she had so carefully built up since joining SOLDIER. It wasn't the bare chest of Sephiroth that brought on the explosion of utter wonderful confusion in her; She had been feeling something akin to that ever since Sephiroth had noticed her on the field that day.
Calming herself, Gabe made herself look up into Sephiroth's eyes. Just stick to the eyes, she told herself.
Sephiroth grinned as he held up his Masamune in a ready position. He stared into Gabe's eyes, watching as she fought and defeated the urge to run away in either abstract terror or abstract glee, he wasn't sure. Sephiroth could feel the odd feeling surfacing from her every now and then, but most of the time it was pushed down.
Sephiroth watched as Gabe's eyes changed from being embarressed to being closed off, all feeling and distraction cut off. Sephiroth could almost see it; a bare landscape, with nothing but the adversary on the plain. He knew what that felt like; it had taken him years to break out of that habit, of cutting everyone and everything off the way Hojo had programmed him to do.
'Ready?' Sephiroth asked as Gabe shifted into position, one blade held loosely by her side and the other in a defensive position. Sephiroth pulled his sword up to the side of his face. Then he lunged, bringing his sword up and slashing down at the last minute. Gabe sidestepped and her right hand came up, stopping the sword. She spun away, once again shifting into the relaxed position that gave nothing away.
Cloud watched the two battle, still smiling as he remembered the reaction that Gabe had had to Sephiroth taking his top off. Sephiroth did that all the time. That puzzled Cloud. Why shoud Gabe be so shocked by it? Then it clicked, and Cloud's eyes grew wide.
Gabe was in love with the General!
Cloud would've found it funny in a different circumstance, but he was uneasy. His instincts told him that Gabe being in love with the General was a Bad Thing, and his instincts were rarely wrong when it came to this sort of thing. But if the love was not mutual, then Cloud was pretty sure that he needn't worry. He would watch....
Meanwhile, Cloud watched as the two battled. Sephiroth's blade flashed in the sunlight, going so fast that it was rarely more then a white blur. But still Gabe was matching him blow for blow with her Ninja blades, the blades clashing together frequently. Cloud watched, amazed as yet again Gabe somersaulted behind the General, resheathing her Ninja swords and taking out her Masamune as she landed, the seven foot long sword up and ready to meet Sephiroth's blow. Zack walked in a few minutes later, an ice pack on his head, and he came and sat near Cloud. After watching the two for about five minutes, he leaned in close and whispered,
'How long have they been going?'
Cloud glanced at his superiour officer. 'Since you went out, about Holy Shit! Half an bloody hour!'
Cloud ended on a strangled whisper, glancing up to the clock on the wall.
Zack's eyes widened. 'And they've kept it up for that long?' His eyes flicked back on the two fighters, the blades still flying, crashing together. Mixed in there were some shots that Zack knew would kill if they had been landed.
Sephiroth suddenly gave a sharp cry and stumbled back, and both Zack and Cloud shot up, Zack wincing as his head hurt. Gabe lowered her blade, the tip red, and put her hand to her mouth.
Oh shit....she thought as she stared at Sephiroth.
Sephiroth looked down at the cut on his bicep. It was deep, and it stung, but it looked like the slice wasn't so deep that a cure wouldn't heal it. He looked up to Gabe and saw the shock.
'It's okay. Don't worry about it! I've had worse.' Sephiroth cast a meaningful glance at Cloud, who blushed and looked at the floor. Gabe smiled tentavily.
'You sure?' She asked. Sephiroth nodded. 'Let me Cure it, then. It's the least I can do.'
Sephiroth laughed and nodded, watching as Gabe found her Cure Materia and cast Cure on him, the cut itching as it closed and healed.
Gabe shook her head as she took out a cloth and cleaned her sword, putting the sword away. She stole a glance at Sephiroth, wondering how on earth she had got through the great man's guard like that.
//I'm sorry, Seph. You and Zack in one day. I need to learn control more then I do anything else, or there are gonna be accidents.// Gabe mentally apologised. Sephiroth turned his green eyes to her, making Gabe feel like her knees were turning to jelly.
/I told you, don't worry. And yes you do. You and Cloud have another three months of training till the final tests as to whether or not you become SOLDIERs. They'll be looking at what rank you'll be too. You and I will have plenty of time before then./ Sephiroth replied calmly, putting his top and his cape back on. Then he spoke normally. 'Why don't you and Cloud have the rest of the day off? You've both worked hard, and I'm sure that Zack and I would be grateful for the break. Lunch has finished, but you have my permission to bully the chef into giving you something.'
Cloud's eyes brightened as he resheathed his sword, and Zack looked over at Sephiroth.
Sephiroth's eyes seemed to be sparkling with mirth since they'd found the Xavier girl. That girl was good for him, and Zack would've loved to see his friend settled with her, but....it wasn't exactly a match made in heaven.
Gabe smiled at Sephiroth, laying a hand on his shoulder.
'Thanks, Seph. See ya later!'
Gabe ran out after a hyper Cloud, grinning and waving. Unconsiously Sephiroth touched where her hand had rested, his eyes lost but happy.
If he'd known what would happen just a few hours afterwards....