Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy VII or its characters.

Midgar University

Chapter 4 - The White Rose

~*~*~*~

Vincent sat in the big, stadium-seating-style lecture hall, doodling mindlessly in his notebook as the professor below yammered on about some retarded theory about materia that he had no interest in whatsoever. It's only been a month since the major classes started and I'm already bored to tears. How utterly surprising, he thought sarcastically.

He seemed to not notice how sadistic the pictures he drew were until he noticed the girl sitting next to him staring at them in horror and disgust. He laughed inwardly. Figures, such a girl could never appreciate such art. He took a quick glance at her. Hmm, she's Wutaian... That's always a plus. But she has short hair, definitely not my type. She's cute, though...

Again, Vincent laughed inwardly. If any of the other Turks knew that I thought of such things, they'd probably die of a heart attack. Perhaps it's a fault of mine that I keep so many things to myself...

A few rows up, Cloud and Aeris sat talking amongst themselves, playing with each other's hands. "God, this is so boring... I learned this stuff in like, fourth grade," whispered Cloud in discontent.

"Don't worry, sweety, there's only 15 minutes left." Aeris brought Cloud's hand to her lips. Cloud smiled at her, wishing he could kiss her right then.

He turned back towards the professor. He began to think about the past month. Hmm... So things just went on with Aeris like nothing happened... It was awkward for like a week, but now here we are. And Sephiroth and Tifa are happy together as well, it seems. I've been able to put my feelings for Tifa behind me. I never thought it would be possible, but Aeris is so... amazing. He glanced at her again, looking over her face. Her eyes were slowly closing as she was falling asleep.

So beautiful... She's such a nice person too. She even became friends with Tifa after sitting near her in different classes and lectures. She has such a good heart.

Cloud sighed. I guess I really am in love with her.

He saw the bottom rows begin to stand up and leave. He nudged Aeris on the arm to wake her up. "Hey, it's time to go."

She yawned a stretched a bit, and then flashed a groggy smile at Cloud. "Carry me, Cloud." Cloud gave her a sarcastic smile, and then, suddenly and surprisingly, he actually lifted Aeris in his arms and carried her down the stairs and out the lecture hall.

~~~~~

"Tifa."

She turned around. "Sephiroth! What's up?" She came up to him and tiptoed to give him a kiss. She noticed that he had his hands behind his back.

He grinned. "I have something for you." He pulled out from behind his back a bouquet of a dozen red roses, with a single white one in the middle.

"Oh my God, Sephiroth, they're beautiful!" She kissed him again, much more passionately this time, and then took the flowers and examined them. "They're so beautifully arranged..."

"I actually arranged them myself. Back in Nibelheim, my foster mother taught me a lot about flowers and arranging them. I thought you'd really like it." He smiled again as she threw her arms around him.

"Sephiroth, you are the best!" She clung to him for a while until Sephiroth tried to move away a bit.

"Umm... the white rose in the middle... Just... Don't let anything happen to it." Sephiroth's voice seemed to have a slight undertone of concern... or was it... fear?

Tifa looked at him inquiringly. "Don't worry about it, I'll take care of them... But... why do you ask that?"

Sephiroth scratched his head and said reassuringly, "Oh, don't worry. It's nothing, I just really like white roses." It wasn't a complete lie, as he loved white roses more than any other flower in the world. However, he didn't tell her about his 'gut feeling'.

Tifa, apparently satisfied with his reasoning, smiled and said, "Oh, okay. Don't worry about it. I'll cherish it forever. I'll guard it with my life," she added humorously.

Sephiroth smiled, hiding the uncertainty within him.

~~~~~

Training was really becoming a burden for all the freshman candidates now, since classes had finally started, and they haven't really adjusted to living in a college environment. It especially hit Cloud hard. In a situation where time management was an essential virtue, he thought was sure to fail. Dammit, I have to deal with all this bullshit Combat Theory essay stuff and then deal with all this training... It's too hard. How the hell am I supposed to make time for all that and sleep?!? Maybe coming to this school was a mistake...

He shook off the thought and concentrated on his weight-lifting, as the 400 pounds he was bench-pressing was already starting to wear him down after just 53 repetitions. Dammit... 47 more to go... 46... 45...

"Yo, how's it going Cloud!" Zack walked up next to his bench, his abrupt distraction nearly causing Cloud to drop the barbell.

"Dammit Zack, not now! I'm trying to concentrate here!" Cloud continued on, ignoring Zack, who was trying to check out how much weight he was lifting.

"Hmm, 400 pounds? I've been doing 450 for two sessions now. You gotta pick up the slack, Strife!" he mocked. He finally left Cloud after he apparently ignored him.

After finishing up, he made his way out to the sparring arena, which was nearly full already. Cloud hadn't lost since his first match against Sephiroth. He was lucky though, since he had yet to face any of the top fighters yet. He checked the list on the wall next to the entrance to the arena, which listed the win-loss records and the rankings for all the candidates. Their rankings were based not only on their win-loss records, but their general performance and efficiency as well.

So Sephiroth is still first, undefeated of course, 16-0. Zack was second at 14-2, he lost to, umm... Tseng and the President's son, I think... Then there's me, 15-1. Apparently I'm not as efficient as Zack... Whatever.

Hojo cleared his throat and spoke with his familiar 'mad scientist' accent. "The first match today will be Reno Jacobs against Rodney 'Rude' Marshall." Several people started talking amongst themselves, excitement building up. The two were ranked 6th and 7th, respectively. It would surely be an interesting fight, as both were very good friends.

Reno was a sneaky, fast kind of fighter that wasn't hesitant to use cheap tactics to win. Rude was very strong and quick with his fists, but not with his feet. Rude was definitely more talented physically, but after fighting so long, you realize that physical ability isn't everything. If I were a betting man, I'd put my money on Reno, definitely, Cloud thought.

As soon as Hojo said, "Go!" they both jumped to opposite ends of the mat, as far away from each other as possible. Rude took his ready stance, putting his two fists up near his face, jumping up and down. Reno wielded his short metal rod, little bolts of electricity jumping from its end.

Rude dashed directly at Reno, who saw him coming easily, but he feinted right at the last moment, causing Reno to drop his guard momentarily. Rude struck hard, his straight right connecting with Reno's ribs. Reno was nearly toppled by the force of the blow, but managed to stay on his feet. Rude advanced to follow up, but instead Reno was the one who did the damage, jabbing his shock stick into Rude's abdomen. He winced, but recovered quickly.

Even still, Reno was much too fast for Rude, and he jabbed at Rude from every direction with his rod. The smell of the burns was starting to reach the audience, many of whom stuck their noses down their shirts. Rude stayed hunched over on the ground, unmoving.

Reno walked over next to him to strike him down once and for all, when Rude suddenly swept his right leg around and connected with Reno's right left shin, causing it to break swiftly into two. Reno's leg buckled, and he fell to the ground screaming in terrible pain. Rude quickly jumped on top of him, bashing his fists into Reno's face, breaking his nose and jaw easily. He then grabbed Reno's throat and clamped down as hard as he could. Rude thought he had the match won when suddenly he felt a sharp stab of pain in his rib. He jerked to the side, allowing Reno to get out from under him. Rude fell to the ground, shaking uncontrollably.

Reno stood, his face bloodied and his mouth hanging open. He watched as Rude slowly died, his rod jutting from Rude's side. Blood seeped from Rude's mouth and ears. Red tears ran down his face. Before long, all the life had been drained from him. Reno walked away from the ring, and although he was unable to with his mouth, the smile could be seen in his eyes.

~~~~~

Cloud stood at the end of the mat opposite a tall, golden-blonde haired young man. Rufus Shinra, the President's prodigal son... This should be interesting. Rufus wielded a double-barreled shotgun, fully loaded with explosive rounds. He was definitely Cloud's most difficult thus far in the year. He was ranked 4th, right behind Cloud, having lost only to Sephiroth and Rude. He even beat Zack... Cloud worried.

Rufus fired a shot right off at Cloud as soon as the match began before Cloud could even pull out his sword, but Cloud wisely chose to run to the side as soon as the match began. I can't stop for one second... I can't let him get a good shot off at me...

Rufus kept shooting relentlessly, getting annoyed at missing so much. Dammit, this guy's fast. He's good, yes. He continued firing away, keeping Cloud away from him.

Why the hell hasn't he ran out of bullets?!? Cloud thought as he ran from the torrent of shells fired at him. He had managed to dodge everything without a scratch so far, as Rufus wasn't all that good of a shot. He must be using Mako shells... Which means the bullets aren't all that powerful. I think I could take a few of them...

Cloud dashed around, inching in closer and closer to Rufus. Rufus noticed what was happening and stopped firing. He pulled out a round object from his belt, pulling something off it, and he threw it at Cloud.

What the... grenade!!!! Cloud ran as far as he could from the grenade. A few seconds later, he heard a loud 'BANG' behind him. He turned around, only to find a bullet piercing threw his stomach. He felt his insides being torn apart as the bullet passed through him, exiting through his back. There was nothing for a moment, and then, just like that, blood gushed out through both holes. Cloud covered the bullet hole in front with his palm for a few moments and then realized that there was no pain. No pain... only anger...

Cloud felt a rush of energy flow through him, making him completely forget he was wounded. He dashed at Rufus, who unloaded on Cloud. Cloud was getting hit everywhere; in his chest, in his arms, in his legs. However, nothing could stop him. Before Rufus could do anything about it, Cloud grabbed Rufus by the head threw him across the mat. He pulled out his sword and ran at Rufus as he was still flying through the air. He jumped up over Rufus and came down on him, spearing him with his sword.

Rufus lay on the floor, Cloud on top of him. He looked up and met with Cloud's eyes for one last moment. His own eyes flashed an expression of complete shock. Then, blackness overcame him.

~~~~~

Zack stood, with a falsely confident smile, opposite his towering, silver-haired opponent. Sephiroth held his massive blade at his side, every muscle in his body completely loose. Zack was much more tense, standing with his blade grasped in both hands.

Hojo beckoned for the match to begin. "Alright Zack, let's see if you will be the one to defeat my son..." He cackled in his sick, twisted sense of humor. "Well, fight already!"

Zack immediately dashed at Sephiroth, who still had his sword at his side, and swung for his head. Sephiroth, with a move so quick that it was nearly impossible to follow, ducked and took a swing at Zack's waist. The blade impacted smoothly into Zack's side, not stopping until it had cut Zack completely in half. The upper half of his body fell to the floor, while his lower half stood unmoving, as if the hit still hadn't registered.

Zack, somehow still conscious, didn't realize what had happened until Sephiroth stood beside him, his Masamune aimed downward at him. He took a glance to where his legs should be. He let out a blood-curdling scream, both out of horror and pain.

Sephiroth plunged the Masamune's tip into Zack's forehead, instantly putting Zack out of his misery.

Sephiroth looked directly at Cloud, something strange in the look of his eyes. It sent shivers up and down his spine. Sephiroth pulled his sword out of Zack's head and turned away, wiping his sword off with a gloved hand.

Cloud looked on in disbelief. Zack... is... one of the best fighters here... and Sephiroth did that to him... This is just... wrong. Sephiroth... your eyes... Something is terribly wrong here...

~~~~~

"Hey, honey!" Aeris ran over to Cloud and planted a kiss on his lips before he could even notice she was waiting for him.

"Whoa... Hey Aeris." He smiled down at Aeris, who was holding on to him by his waist, looking back up at him. He decided not to tell her about Sephiroth's look, as it might worry her. It didn't matter anyway, because she seemed to be entranced by... something. My eyes...

Almost as if she read his mind, she said, "Cloud... I asked you about it before but... Have your eyes always glowed like that?" She stared into them, and it felt like they were looking into her mind.

Cloud blinked, which threw off Aeris's concentration. "Oh... It's a side effect of part of the SOLDIER training. We were showered in Mako the first week, which causes our eyes to glow like that. You... like it?"

"Oh, yes... They're beautiful..." I think they're the most beautiful things I've ever seen... Two big sapphires peering into my soul... She couldn't help herself from getting lost in his eyes again. She felt herself go numb, drifting into a daydream-like state.

She saw the eyes seemingly grow larger and larger... deeper and deeper... She was brought back to reality by the touch of Cloud's lips on her own. He pulled back and said, "Come on, you're giving me the willies."

Aeris giggled. "Heehee... Sorry about that. Well, let's go back to our dorms." They walked off, arm in arm.

~~~~~

"Come on, Vinny! What's taking you so long!!"

Ugh, why did I have to leave my damn book in that God-forsaken classroom... What the hell possessed me to actually agree to go out with her...? "Be patient," he told the short brunette waiting for him while he was in the bathroom. "And don't call me Vinny."

"Yeah, whatever." She observed her surroundings. "Wow, your room is really neat and tidy... Are you sure you're not gay?"

Vincent stuck his head out of the bathroom, a look of shock and anger mixed in his face. "Listen Yuffie... If I were gay, I would have been the one hitting on you." He grinned, seeing how she didn't get it. He went back into the bathroom to finish getting ready.

"What!!!" Yuffie finally replied after a few minutes. "Just because I have short hair doesn't mean I look like a guy!"

Vincent laughed inwardly. Haha... so childish... A few minutes later, he finally stepped out of the bathroom, fully dressed in black jeans, a button-down shirt with a tanktop under it, and his wet hair down, covering partially covering his eyes.

"That was mean, Vinny..." She smirked a bit, but Vincent noticed that she actually seemed a bit hurt.

Vincent turned towards the door. "Look, I'm sorry. I was only kidding. So, just forget about it and let's get going." He walked out the door and held it for Yuffie to pass through. As she passed by, she gave him a quick jab in his side, knocking the wind out of him. She laughed and ran down the stairs, leaving him behind.

He quickly regained his breath, but a sharp pain in his side remained. Heh... childish and rough...

~~~~~

"Tifa... I'm sorry, but it's for the best."

"But why!!!! Everything has been great, why are you doing this to us now so suddenly?!?" Tifa cried out to Sephiroth, who stood with his back turned to her. She said more quietly, "What is it... is there someone else?" Tears were streaming down her face at that point freely.

Sephiroth stood silently for a moment, strange thoughts flooding into his head. "I... I guess you can say that. I'm sorry, but I must go." He started to walk out the door, but turned back for a moment. His emerald eyes pleaded for Tifa's forgiveness, but she looked away. "I'm sorry I hurt you, Tifa... I can't explain why, but just... please find it in your heart to forgive me." He turned back and walked out the door, letting it slam behind him.

Tifa fell onto her bed, her face buried in her hands. She couldn't help but cry. Why Sephiroth? I really liked you, I treated you better than any guy I've ever met before you... Maybe it's because I didn't get intimate enough with you...? No, I know you respect my limits... But... Why? Things were getting better by the day, and now you just shatter everything we had! She sobbed even harder than before. I don't understand... You didn't seem like yourself...

Her tears seemed to die down at that thought. You... you weren't yourself. Your eyes were different... not Sephiroth's eyes. Something was behind those eyes... Except, when he looked back at me, that was him. But before that, it was like as if someone else completely different was controlling him... Possessing him... What could it be?

She flung her arms out in defeat before burying her face in her hands again. Oh, whatever, I'm just making excuses for myself! I'm so pathetic... I mean, we only went out for a month... Why the hell do I feel like this? Sephiroth was just an old childhood crush. It's just so... disappointing, I guess. But... I still have feelings for him... Ugh! She laid back on her bed, shutting her eyes and forcing herself to sleep.

Unknown to her, the white rose in the vase beside her bed slowly started to wither away...

~*~*~*~

A/N: Hey... Sorry about the major delay in finishing this chapter. There's been a lot of personal matters deterring me from finishing this chapter, as well as major writer's block preventing me from even beginning the chapter. =\ So, if you think this chapter is fucked up in any way, well, I'm really sorry. I've been under a lot of stress lately (which is funny, because school hasn't even started for me yet). I promise the next chapter will be better!! ...I hope. ^_^;;

I personally think the chapter was total crap, which is especially not a good thing this chapter since the main plot is finally being introduced. Also, it's like half the length of the last chapter. However, I don't want to delay the chapter any longer, so I'm just posting it like this. Maybe I'll fix it at some later date, who knows, lol.

Also, I hope to put up the next chapter a lot quicker than it took me to put up this one. Of course, I can't promise that, because, well, who knows. All I'm asking is that all my (very few) fans, have faith in me! =)

Please review!!!!