©Blood of Sephiroth

Chapter Five: Fatal Attraction

Cloud and Gabe raced to the mess hall, ravenously hungry. As Sephiroth had predicted, lunch had finished, but as soon as the chef heard that Sephiroth himself had sent them, he stopped what he was doing and made them sandwiches. Munching on them, Gabe and Cloud made their way over to the field, where they sat under a tree.

Finishing the last of the sandwiches, Gabe looked at Cloud.

'I'd better go visit my foster parents. Wanna come along? Just as an excuse to use the bikes, you understand.'

Cloud nodded enthusiastically, and Gabe grinned.

'And also because if you come along, they probably won't be keen on me staying long.' Cloud threw his head back and laughed.

'I understand. Let's go!' He replied.

Five minutes found them roaring along back to the richer part of Midgar, puffs and clouds of dust coming from under the wheels of the two motorbikes.

//Seph?// Gabe called her mentor.

/Yeah, I'm still here. Anything wrong?/ Sephiroth replied.

//Nah, just thought I'd say. Me and Cloud are visiting my parents. That okay?//

/Yep. Just be careful./

//Will do, Seph. See ya later!//

Five minutes later found Gabe ringing the door bell to a large, white house in Sector One. The house was set back from the road, surrounded by trees. Cloud stood there, feeling a little awkward, as if he were the country cousin.

The door was opened by a middle aged lady who, although not exactly beautiful, had tried to make herself so. If she had used less makeup, then it may have worked.

'Gabe!' The woman exclaimed. Then she turned into the house. 'Honey, Gabe's here! And she's brought a friend!'

Gabe turned and grinned at Cloud as the woman ushered them in. Cloud looked around the house, which was basically a miniature mansion. The woman showed them to a luscious lounge, where a tall man, just past his prime, was standing next to a window, dressed in jeans and a tee-shirt and sporting a bushy moustache.

'Gabe.' The man nodded gravely as he saw his step daughter walk into the room. Gabe stood respectfully.

'Sir.' She said in return.

'SOLDIER suiting you?' He asked, as the woman came bustling in and made them all sit down. Gabe greeted her step mother.

'Ma'am.'

Her mother looked a little shocked as Gabe disentangled herself from her Masamune blade before sitting down, laying it against the couch.

'What is that, Darling?' Her step mother asked, Gabe's father sitting beside her. Gabe smiled, the first true smile she had given since coming to the family.

'All part of my good news, Ma'am. First, I'd like to introduce Cloud Strife, my training partner.' Gabe's father shook Cloud's hand and her mother nodded.

'So what is your good news, Gabe?' Gabe's father pressed. Gabe grinned.

'You remember my....ah....protests in me going to SOLDIER?' The man's face twitched in a smile and the woman's darkened, 'Well, I'm glad you didn't let me stay, now. You see, I got into a fight, and it just happened to be my luck that two First Class SOLDIERs happened to walk up.' Gabe's mother's hand flew to her mouth in shock, and her father sat up straight. Cloud just grinned, waiting silently for Gabe to finish. 'Anyway, I put the people down, and who was watching me but Zack and Sephiroth.' The woman's mouth fell open and Gabe's father shook his head. 'They heard me give a warning, so I didn't get into trouble. Instead, not only do I have Cloud here as a training partner, but the great Sephiroth himself, and his second in command, Zack. I'm going to be First Class! The sword I got from Sephiroth.'

Gabe was surprised when her step father rose and shook her hand.

'Well done, Gabe. Well done. We are proud of you.'

Gabe smiled self-consciously. 'Thank you.'

/Gabe? We need you back here. Got some news which I don't think you'll like./

Gabe looked up at her parents.

'I'm really sorry, but we have to go. Sephiroth only granted me a short time to speak to you. We are working to a tight schedule.'

Her foster parents nodded understanding, and both of them hugged Gabe before she went, her father giving Cloud a clap on the back.

'You be careful, y'hear?' Gabe's mother yelled to them as she saw them off. 'And be careful on that bike!' She yelled over the engines.

Gabe nodded and waved, following Cloud as they pulled out. Cloud slowed down to allow Gabe to catch up.

'What was that all about? You didn't need to leave so fast.' Cloud said, lifting his visor. Gabe did the same.

//Seph? Can I tell Cloud?//

/About what?/

//This. I think he's just about worked it out for himself.//

/Yeah, alright. Just make sure he doesn't tell Zack./

//Will do.//

'Cloud?'

Cloud turned to Gabe.

'Do you mind if I tell you something weird?'

Cloud shrugged. 'Shoot.'

'Sephiroth and I can talk to each other using telepathy.'

Cloud's bike wavered a little, but other then that, he didn't show any surprise.

'You serious?' Cloud asked.

'Yep. And he wants us back. Oh, he told me to tell you not to mention this to anyone. 'Kay?' Gabe explained.

'Even Zack?'

'Especially Zack.'

They arrived at the dorms to see Zack and Sephiroth standing outside, weapons out.

//Uh-oh. You're going on a mission.// Gabe said dispassionately.

/..../

'Strife and Xavier, the General and I are going away for a short while. We don't know how long. We want you both to continue training,' Zack carried on, raising his voice slightly above the groans, 'until we get back. We will keep you informed. Be mindful, this is a top priority mission, so do not ask where we are going. Understand?' Zack looked sternly at the two recruits. He saw Gabe's eyes fill with tears, but she blinked them away quickly before Sephiroth noticed. The two nodded.

Zack didn't think it was fair of ShinRa sending them away like this, especially when it was Gabe's second day, and she badly needed to learn control. But then, it was a good idea. ShinRa knew about Gabe, and they wanted a potential threat destroyed. Zack almost grinned as he remembered how Sephiroth had....ah.... "persuaded" the good doctor Hojo NOT to experiment on Gabe.

A third class SOLDIER ran up and saluted.

'Ready and waiting, sirs.' He reported, breathlessly. Sephiroth nodded. Hesitating, Sephiroth took a step to Gabe and placed a hand on her shoulder.

'Watch yourself. I'll be in contact.' He said. Glancing over to Cloud, he gave him a clap on the back.

'You watch her.' Leaning closer, he whispered, 'and I'll be in touch through her.'

Zack watched as Sephiroth said his goodbyes to Gabe. Poor man, he really was in it deep. Pretty damn quick, too.

Gabe watched the two men until they were out of sight. She knew she would miss the General. Already it felt like she'd lost him.

/Chin up, Gabe. I ain't gone yet./

Gabe smiled.

And just at that moment it decided to rain.

Cloud turned and bolted for the door, closely followed by Gabe.

'Your place or mine?' He said, grinning. Gabe couldn't help grinning as well, and they made their way to Cloud's room, a mess as usual, and Gabe sat as Cloud did a whirlwind tidy.

Gabe sighed as she looked out the rain streaked window.

'Wassup, Gabe? Sephiroth ain't bin gone that long. Don't tell me you're missing him already?' Cloud said with a grin, poking fun at Gabe. Gabe turned and nodded.

'Wow. Even I didn't know it was that bad. And don't go denying it, I watched you.' He added as Gabe shook her head, turning bright red.

'No! I mean, no way! Me and Sephiroth? You must be kidding....'

And twelve miles away, Zack watched his friend grow a little more depressed. Finally Sephiroth sighed.

Damn, you have it bad, Seph. You really have it bad.

Zack sat back and sighed, echoing Sephiroth's melachony.

And with the wrong bloody girl to boot. Only two days, and he's already deep? Fatal attraction or what.

Maybe I should talk to him about it.

Sephiroth looked out of the truck window into the rain-streaked world outside. He had to sort himself out. He was in a total mess, and it had all been brought on by Gabe....damn.

He kept on denying that he had fallen for her. In only two days? Please! That really did happen only in fairy tales. Sephiroth looked up at Zack, but his face was unreadable.

Maybe I should talk to Zack about it. He'd help; I know he would.

'Zack....'

'Seph....'

The two friends started at the same time.

'You first, Seph.' Zack told his commander in a no-arguments tone.

Sephiroth sighed and ran a gloved hand through his hair.

'I don't know how to say this....'

Zack smiled. 'Then just say it. You can be frank to me; you know that.'

Sephiroth smiled back appreciatively.

'I think I've fallen for Gabe.'

Cloud looked at Gabe as she slowly ground to a halt, her face the colour of strawberries.

'I knew it.' Cloud said, shaking his head. 'You do like him, don't you.'

Gabe nodded, refusing to meet his gaze. The blush slowly died down.

'Like him? Are you kidding?' Gabe sighed and looked up at Cloud. 'I can't even look at him straight, Cloud.'

Cloud smiled and put a hand on Gabe's knee. 'Don't worry, I won't tell him if you don't want me to.' Gabe smiled gratefully.

'How the hell did you fall into it so damn quickly?' Cloud asked her. 'Two days. Two days?'

Gabe couldn't help but laugh. 'That's what I'm wondering too. I've always admired him, but that was just hero-worship. Yesterday, when I saw him up close and personal, I felt something click, and it has kinda....ah....grown....on me.' Gabe finished, glowing again.

Zack sat back.

'The Angel Ninja? Seph, you have a frightening talent of picking the wrong girls, you really do.'

'Please, Zack, don't make it any worse.' Sephiroth pleaded, his face gone a slight pink, which for Sephiroth was really blushing.

Zack sat back, nodding.

'And how bad is it, friend?' Zack asked. Sephiroth met his eyes, and Zack could see nothing of Seph's mixed up mind.

'I can't look her in the eye, I can't be near her without loosing all cohesion....need I carry on?'

'And in two days?' Zack raised an eyebrow. 'I've seen it happen, but....never this quick.'

Sephiroth shrugged, his face miserable.

Zack sat back, remembering what Sephiroth had told him, only last night, of Gabe Xavier, Angel Ninja....

'Long ago,' Zack could hear Sephiroth telling him, 'back before even the Ancients there was a race of Ninjas. Not very large to begin with, the race died out before the Ancients ever came. But while they lived, the world was rife with wild, untamed magic. The sort of magic that didn't need Materia. And as the Ancients personify all that is good and pure, the Ninjas, or at least the Angel Ninjas, personified evil.' Zack had sat back at that, raising an eyebrow.

'But the race died out, didn't they? So that's okay, isn't it?' He had said. Sephiroth had shaken his head.

'There was one particular Angel that didn't die. J'had Xavier. His line lived on in one unbroken line. The purest of the pure Angels that are still around.'

Zack had sat back in disbelief. 'J'had Xavier? Would that have anything to do with Gabe?' Sephiroth nodded, and even then there had been a flash of regret on his face.

'There were prophecies. One of which is not exactly what we'd call a day by the sea. It says something along the lines of "when the Angel is of age, she shall fly to the top of the mountain tomb and the man from which the first seed of her noble house was sown will be reincarnated. To that end, she will use the full power of the Black Ninja to rule over the planet and plunge it into imperishable darkness. Beware the Angel, for she will be cut by no blade, nor shall she be hurt in any other way save by the ones she lives for." A pretty depressing prophesy, really.' Sephiroth finished. Zack had looked at him.

'This Angel....it wouldn't happen to be called Gabe Xavier, would it?' He'd asked weakly. Sephiroth had nodded his head.

'So do we tell her or what?'

Coming back to the present, Zack knew his friend was not having good luck. There was no remedy for what he had, and Sephiroth knew that. It didn't mean he had to like it, however.

'Have you told her yet?' Zack asked quietly. Sephiroth shook his head. 'Maybe you should.'

Sephiroth looked up at Zack in absolute horror, and Zack couldn't help but laugh.

'No, seriously, I think you should. I also think,' Zack continued as Sephiroth tried to protest, 'that she likes you as well.'

Sephiroth was silent for a long time after that, and Zack could tell that his friend was in shock, and fighting an internal battle.

Gabe looked at Cloud. 'There you go.'

Cloud shook his head. 'You have it ba-ad, girl. And I think he does too. Maybe you should tell him?'

Gabe stared at Cloud wide-eyed. 'Are.....you.....kidding?'

Cloud shook his head. 'No. I'm serious. Tell him when he gets back.'

Gabe nodded, then gulped, glancing out the window and seeing it was growing dark.

'Maybe we had better turn in.'

Cloud nodded, watching her as Gabe walked from his bedroom and into hers. Then he sighed and pulled out his laptop, standard issue, from underneath a bunch of clothes. He turned it on and ignored all the waiting messages beeping at him, opening up a new message window for Sephiroth.

'From: Cloud Strife

To: Sephiroth, SOLDIER First Class

Subject: Gabe Xavier

'Dear Sephiroth,

With all due respect, when were you gonna tell me 'bout this Angel Ninja stuff? I'm not as dumb as I look, sir. I had to study that prophecy too. And you'd better hurry with finding that tomb thing. Gabe isn't looking too happy from where I stand, sir.

Don't tell Gabe that I sent this, sir, as I figured that you don't want her to know the Prophesy, which, in my opinion, is very sensible.

Yours ALWAYS respectful (so please don't fry me to a crisp),

Cloud Strife.'

Cloud clicked 'send' and was rewarded with the 'send successful' message. Sighing, he got ready for bed.