Disclaimer- Final Fantasy VII = Squaresoft. Forewarning - The character named Edgar is not the Edgar from Final Fantasy VI...I just love that name. Same with Sabin. ;;
Chapter Two: Le Encounter?
Cloud went off by himself to patrol the castle for any sign of Sephiroth. He knew he was here, it was a presence all too familiar to him and he could feel it ever so faintly. Cloud cautiously walked down the entry which was wall-less and showed the other side of the castle with a endless drop in between. The sky was beautiful, even during the midday it was a light pink as if morning was always here in Hollow Bastion.
"Ah, the man I've been looking for,"
Cloud's head swiftly turned to the deep voice and stopped in mid-step, then, composed himself. That was a little too easy -- The enemy presented himself! But, trailing behind Sephiroth were about ten soldiers clad in black and navy blue shoulder and shin guards. Sephiroth seemed abnormally...Happy, too.
"I see you have made your way back as well. Are the others here?" Sephiroth asked with a pleasant tone, maybe, he was happy that he has regained his general title? Perhaps. His hand gestured out to the giant doors which were always kept open then lowered. Cloud blinked and nodded. "Good. Strife, can we talk in private?" Sephiroth looked half-way to his guards signaling them to leave, they all saluted then returned to barracks. Sephiroth turned back to Cloud and stepped closer but had to lean a tad since Cloud was shorter.
"What do you want?" Cloud asked, mostly irritated about Sephiroth's behavior. Sephiroth chuckled -- That was too familiar; it made Cloud's mind snap back to the illusion Sephiroth made of Nibelheim...
You're just a puppet...You do not have any emotions...And cannot feel any pain.
"A truce, that's what I want."
Those words snapped Cloud back to reality, or more like slapped him back. He blinked and looked Sephiroth over. He was Sephiroth, not some imposter. He did have his wing, and glowing mako-eyes. Certainly not some estranged clone that actually survived or a con-artist. This was Sephiroth asking for...Peace?
"Uh," Cloud was struck dumb. "A truce? But why?"
"Long have I been trying to get revenge...For everything...However," Sephiroth circled around Cloud, his boots softly thudding against the beige tile. "Every time my plans fail. Now that I have my army back and am still general of Bastion's army I have no time to pester you. Will you accept or not?"
"No. You're just using a mink trick." Cloud spat out and turned back for the library, but, Sephiroth's laugh stopped him which followed his comeback.
"That was the old me, Strife. Now, I am a new man, just wanting an old friendship from an old rival. Do you not remember the days when you were under my command? I was your mentor."
"Sephiroth, I know you. It's not going to work." Cloud then kept walking for the library ignoring anything else from Sephiroth.
The One-Winged Angel grimaced and shrugged, then, turned on a heel back for his new home -- The barracks. A slight frown upon his face and mako-irises full of spite.
"Sir? There is some people in suits looking for you." A lieutenant stood at Sephiroth's office's doorway. Sephiroth looked up from his writing and placed the pen down pushing back the chair he then followed his soldier down the hallway and into the front lobby. Sephiroth blinked.
Two men in suits were standing casually in the lobby, one was bulkier than the scrawny one. Sephiroth walked up and noticed that they were from his old world and folded his arms over his visible chest with a smirk forming on his pale lips. The two turned to him.
"Well, well, a general? Didn't go insane here, did ya'?" The scrawnier one asked, his hair a dark red and in a array of tresses only allowing his sunglasses to keep up the fiery strands. Behind him on his back laid a long red ponytail which could almost reach his butt. The two men suits matched. Both navy blue jacket and suit pants with a white undershirt, however, the red head's had the white flaps tucked out, jacket open, and some of his chest showing.
"No, Reno, I am quite sane now. What do you want -- No. How did you get here? I thought you two died." Sephiroth loathed the Turks. They always had bothered Sephiroth even when he worked for ShinRa. Especially their leader Tseng, but Sephiroth took care of him. Except he forgot about Rude and Reno...And that other one which he forgot the name to.
"By magic," Reno grinned in his mischievous way. "It doesn't matter. We're here for a compromise."
"I should just kill you both. A Turks compromise is never truthful." Sephiroth growled his hand coming up to Masamune which was strapped across his back. However, Reno raised up his own half-gloved hand to stop.
"Ah contraire, Sephy-boy. Those were the old Turks that you killed by slashing Tseng in two. Now that I am the new leader we're doin' better. Can't ya' tell?"
Sephiroth sputtered out a chuckle, he raised up his eyes only to see the brute Rude with his arms behind his back and sunglasses hiding his eyes along with his shiny bald head. Looking back down at Reno Sephiroth had to stifle back a laugh.
"You only have one man. You're pathe--" Sephiroth was cut off.
"Once again, contrary to what you see the Turks now have new members. Y'know that Special Division that you never met but the Hollow Bastion Army use for real dirty work? Who do you think does that work, hm?"
"...I do not know. But I have a hunch that it you're going to say the Turks."
"Exactly. Sephy, we're pretty much hand-in-hand. You wanna kill Cloud and so do I. How about we join forces and pounce at the same time?"
"...Since when did you want to kill Cloud?" Sephiroth asked, narrowing his eyes.
"I've got my reasons and so do you. Now, you gonna take up the compromise or not?"
"I don't know. I want to see these...Other Turks first. Then perhaps I'll agree."
"Right," Reno grinned and snapped his fingers to Rude, the brute nodded then turned opening the door and motioning for somebody to come in. In came three more people except one wasn't in a suit.
"They're the best out there, Sephy," Reno gestured to a man who stood next to him with long black hair and mako-green eyes. His face was pale, a little too pale but he was no vampire -- Thankfully. "That's Cain," Reno then gestured to another man with spiked up red/blonde hair and a goatee growing. "That's Edgar...And finally..." Reno lastly gestured to a young woman clad in all fitting black with silvery hair kept up in a long waist-length braid. Around her back was a long broad katana with intricate golden lines within the guard. Her eyes weren't stained with mako but of a honey color. "That's Sabin."
Sephiroth blinked and looked at the faces of the three, then, back to Reno who was beaming with pride.
"Only three men?" Sephiroth raised a silvery eyebrow.
"Only three men needed." Reno contorted, then added; "Sabin is part of a top secret division that is still considered part of the Turks. Though only seventeen she is a master in the Dragoon art and with that sword of hers."
"I'll think about it." Sephiroth turned back for his office but Reno quickly moved and slid in front of him blocking the corridor.
"No, you'll tell me now. And it better be a yes."
Sephiroth groaned, then took Reno by the shoulders and pushed him aside. "Fine! Meet me at the same time in my office tomorrow."
Reno smirked and called back to Sephiroth who stormed off to his office: "See ya' there!"
Cid wrote furiously over the paper in his chicken scratch writing while Leon and Yuffie snapped at each other and gave ideas for Cid to write down. But they kept thinking so fast and fighting with one another that Cid couldn't keep up and finally slammed the pen down and whistled loudly. The two stopped and looked at him in surprise.
"Okay! Now, you two take turns and tell me slowly yer ideas." Cid took up the pen again and was ready to write looking at both the youth ninja and solemn ex-leader.
"I'll go first," Leon spoke and turned to Cid. Yuffie growled.
"Oh no you don't! Ladies first!"
"I'm older and have far more reasonable ideas." Leon snapped back.
"You? Pfft! I thought you didn't want to be leader and look at you! You're bossing us around!"
"Cid asked for ideas--"
"CHILDREN!" Cid yelled holding his throbbing head which was slowly growing a headache from Leon and Yuffie's constant bickering. Leon and Yuffie piped back down muttering their apologies. Aerith came walking up the stairs slightly giggling. She came up behind Cid and read over his shoulder.
"Can you even read that?" Aerith asked, squinting to try and read the scribbles better. Cid shrugged and propped the paper up so he could read it.
"Sure! ... Uh. Core yobs for teh people. ... I think." Cid moaned and placed the paper down but Aerith snatched it up and started to giggle again, so did Yuffie. Leon's solemn mouth even cracked into a small smirk.
"Cid, that's more jobs for the people. Maybe...I should write them down." Shooing Cid out of the chair Aerith slid unto it and gently placed the pen in her hands and nodded to Yuffie.
"What are your ideas, Yuffie?" She asked, Leon gawked, but Aerith gave that 'wait your turn glare' and turned back to Yuffie.
Cid flayed his hands in the air while turning away from the scene. "Aerith woulda been a better leader! She's got 'em skills!"
"Anyway," Yuffie continued. "I think we should have a Welcome Back Ball! Then people can find each other again and we can tell them about our plans." Yuffie gave a sure nod, Aerith politely wrote the idea down, then, turned her head to Leon.
"What do you think, Leon?"
"...I agree." Leon muttered. Yuffie was wide-eyed.
"You do?! But why?"
"It could work. Everyone can come and everyone can know what's going on. We just need to inform them of it..." Leon trailed off in thought.
Cid turned back to Aerith. "Flyers. We can make a ton o' flyers and just post 'em everywhere up in the city. Since we don't have anybody's address."
"True." Aerith wrote it down, then, her green hues turned to the doors that opened across the way. Through a creak of twin doors Cloud finally came back and walked in. The three others turned to him.
"Any sign of Sephiroth?" Aerith asked, with some note of worry. Cloud stared at her for a moment, then, shook his head. Everyone sighed a relief and turned back to the girl dressed in pink. Cloud strode up and stood next to Cid.
"What's going on?" The warrior asked.
"We're going to have a ball." Leon replied. Yuffie nodded, very happy that her idea was accepted.
"Yup! We need to dress formally, too. Ooh, could you make my dress Aerith? Please?" Yuffie bent down a little in her plea. Aerith smiled kindly and nodded. Yuffie then leapt into the air and started to dance around.
"You'll have to wear a suit, too, Squall!"
"That's Leon." Leon groaned silently.
"I bet you'll look cute in it, too." Yuffie cooed, just making poke-fun at him. Leon rolled his eyes.
"I bet you will look like a little pink-unicorn-princess." Leon smirked since Yuffie stopped dancing around and made a disgusted face.
"Yuck! I don't wanna be a pink-unicorn-princess!"
Aerith giggled. "I'll make sure you won't look like a pink-unicorn-princess, Yuffie."
"Thanks, Aerith!" Yuffie squealed then went on how she wanted her dress to look like.
Cloud watched Aerith jot down more notes and sighed, one of those longing sighs as he slightly shook his head those spiked up tresses gingerly moving but staying in place. Leon and Cid both looked at Cloud in unison and glanced to one another.
"It's time...For that chat." Cid murmured and gestured for Cloud and Leon to follow him off into the lobby where the indoor fountain is placed.
"What's wrong, Cid?" Leon asked while leaning up against the wall that keeps one of the stairs up and not collapsing into the fountain which trickled softly. Cloud stood there near Cid just looking at the elder.
"Those girls are planning a ball and..." Cid glanced at both of them. "Our death wishes."
Leon scoffed a small chuckled and bowed his head making those shaggy dark brown tresses get in his mysterious eyes. "What? Can't dance?" Leon mocked, Cloud rolled his eyes knowing Cid is going to go through hell with this ball.
"Damn straight, boy! Squall, you know how to dance. So teach me." Cid muttered off. Leon blinked and looked back up at Cid -- Not correcting the man on his name, he was too baffled.
"I don't know..."
"C'mon, Leon! What if...What if Shera is here somewhere? I wanna impress 'er."
Cloud was now baffled. "You? Impress Shera? The only way to impress her would not be cursing her out and treat her nice, Cid." Cloud replaced his normal human-like hand upon Buster sword out of mere habit. Leon wasn't armed but kept his Gunblade in the library just how like Cid kept Venus Gospel in there, too.
"Yeah, yeah, don't be preachin' on me on what to do. I'm not good at sayin' sorry so this'll will have to do." Cid rubbed the back of his head and chewed nervously on his toothpick. Cloud shot a glance at Leon who only sighed and shrugged.
"Fine, whatever."
End of Chapter Two.
A/N- A thanks for Zanisha and ria-aeon-hunter for reviewing -- Hopefully this fanfiction will be dubbed as good as Fatherly Figure. Xx;