Mercenaries
Chapter Three:
SOLDIER To SeeD
Part One
Author's Notes:
I'm glad someone got the chapter name of the last chapter. 'A Little Spark' didn't just refer to the Thunder spell, it also referred to Squall and Cloud's growing attraction to each other, the spark of anger between Seifer and Squall, and perhaps least obviously, it was Sora's own little spark, that was extinguished so brutally…
Thank you for reading.
1 Eye popping slowly blinking when looking into someone's eyes. The body language indicates seduction or being willingly seduced.
2 Aoife pronounced Ah-oh-ife with the –ife as in life. Means 'Life'.
Playlist whilst writing this: The Reason – Hoobastank, The Neon Handshake – Hell Is For Heroes
Disclaimer:
Me no own.
Cloud heard the gunshot and decided to investigate. He knew that people often went to the Training Centre late at night, so he wasn't quite expecting what he saw.
He had wandered through to the back of the training centre, finally coming to a place that was sealed off from the rest but still fairly accessible. Behind that electric fence, a boy, no older than seventeen, sat, cradling another boy in his arms…
In that darkness that boy looked almost like Cloud himself…
"No… No Sora, you can't leave me! SORA! I love you too! I'm sorry I pressured you into sex! I'm so sorry… I was selfish… Just don't leave me… Please… Don't leave…" The silver haired teen was sobbing. He tried to engage the still blonde in a kiss, but it was too late… This Sora was gone…
The boy let out a long wail of despair, Cloud knew he'd have to climb the fence. Despite his immense fear of electricity, despite the warnings that he'd been given by the doctor about going near electricity… Cloud climbed the fence. The little bubbles of electricity were uncomfortable but not unbearable.
"Hey kid, what happened?" Cloud asked, jumping down from the top of the fence. The silver haired boy turned, his green eyes widening.
"Please help me! He was shot! Some guy in a suit appeared in the darkness and shot him. He must be unconscious or something!" The boy cried frantically. Cloud walked forward, looking down at the dead boy, his heart heavy with guilt.
He knelt down, brushing hair from the boy's face. He looked at the place where blood had stained the boy's torso and knew, there was nothing Cloud could do for Sora. He was gone… His main concern now was getting this other boy, who Cloud noted looked quite a bit like Sephiroth, into the safety of the main hall of Garden.
"Okay, we're going to get Sora some help, okay?" Cloud said, knowing that telling the boy that his friend, or boyfriend, was actually dead wasn't the way to keep the boy purpose driven.
"Okay… My name's Riku," The boy introduced himself. Cloud nodded.
"Cloud," He replied. Riku's eyes widened slightly.
"The guy who shot Sora was looking for Cloud… Sora just dyed his hair for a mission, see… He was moaning about dying it blonde. He looks just like you sir. They must have mistaken him for you!" Riku said, jumping to the conclusion. Cloud just ran his hands through his hair, picking up the dead weight of Sora.
"Lead the way," He ordered Riku, who proudly lead him through a gap in the fence. Cloud would have been disgruntled if he hadn't been so worried about how he was going to break it to Riku that his friend was dead, and that he, Cloud, was the cause…
They headed to the Infirmary, where Cloud lay the dead boy onto a bed, and watched as Riku instinctively drew near to him, taking the boy's cold hand and grasping it tightly. As though he could drag Sora back from the dead…
"What's all the noise about? Cloud, what are you doing up?" Shelinda asked, yawning sleepily. It was then that she saw Sora, lying on the bed with a face as pale as snow, red wine blood staining the sheets. His lips were blue, his eyes glossy, his skin cold. How could Riku not think he was dead?
"Not Sora…" Shelinda's eyes filled up with tears. "Not Sora! No no no! This is all wrong! Sora was one of the best medics, he showed amazing magical potential… Hyne, why couldn't you have spared him?" Shelinda sobbed into Cloud's shoulder. Riku's eyes widened.
"What are you saying?" He demanded. Cloud himself felt rather choked up, there was no way to say this gently.
"Sora's gone, Riku. He was gone before I found you. I needed to get you here, out of danger. Please understand that," Cloud said gently. The silver haired boy's eyes filled with anger, hurt, and betrayal.
"You lied to me! You're the reason he's dead!" Riku yelled, tears spilling down his cheeks. Cloud pried Shelinda from his shoulder, tipping her chin so he could whisper into her ear.
She left hurriedly, going to get Squall. Cloud was left alone with Sora's lifeless form and his angry boyfriend.
"Yes, you're right on both accounts. Now, you can kill me now, and never know why, or you can kill me later, and know why Sora was shot tonight. Are you willing to bide your time?" Cloud asked. Riku took a few steps forward, then grief overcame him, and he fell into Cloud's arms, tears streaming steadily down his face. Cloud sat down in a chair, Riku on his knee, stroking the boy's hair consolingly.
"I was in SOLDIER. You may have heard about it. While I was there, my Commanding Officer, Sephiroth, fell in love with me. He used his power to abuse me, rape me, and do whatever the hell he wanted, because if I complained it was more than my life was worth. He finally let me go, but he seems to have changed his mind. No doubt the person you saw was a Turk, President Shinra's henchmen. They thought Sora was me, in the dark he does look rather like me, and shot him… Only they think they shot me, no doubt…" Cloud realised that the boy had fallen asleep. Cloud realised how emotionally drained he was, but he knew he had to pass on the story to Squall when he arrived.
Sure enough, Squall was there, dressed in jogging pants and an old T-shirt. He seemed to travel no where without someone else, as Seifer was there too. I felt jealousy rise in me when I thought that maybe Seifer had been with him all along, but I kept it down…
"Sora's dead," I said, none too gently. "He was mistaken for me, probably by Reno, they wouldn't have sent anyone less for a First Class Officer. This boy here is Sora's boyfriend or something along those lines. They were probably sharing some kind of romantic evening. Anyway, the fact remains that Riku needs Garden's protection. The Turks are very thorough in their assassinations…" Cloud's eyes drifted to the sleeping boy, who was nuzzling his neck. He felt a little bit of warmth coming from the boy being so close…
He felt responsible for the boy now, he supposed. He was determined to help Riku get over this tragic loss of someone very special to him… Even if he was unnerved at how much Riku looked like Sephiroth… And Sora looked like him…
"This is one hell of a mess…" Squall ran his hands through his hair, his eyes looking up and down Sora.
"I taught this kid…" Seifer grunted. Cloud turned his blue orbs up to Seifer's green ones, and saw the grief in them. He looked at Sora once more.
"He tried so hard to keep up with the other kids. He was so clumsy… You remember his SeeD exam? Hell, anything that boy did… But he had the will that drove him higher than all of them… In time he managed to get even better than those who were naturally gifted… Damn, he'd just turned sixteen!" Seifer hit the doorframe, the vibrations and the loud bang disturbing Riku from his sleep.
He sat up, blearily looking around. His eyes met Cloud's and he made a small smile, before looking over at Sora's form.
"I was hoping it was all a bad dream…" Riku confided, then his eyes turned to the two Commanders, stood side by side at the door. His eyes widened and he got to his feet from Cloud's knee. He was about to salute, but Squall shook his head.
"Don't bother. I'm not a Commander at the moment, just someone that's got to tell Sora's parents he was murdered… Is there any way we can catch the killer?" He addressed Cloud, whose fists were clenched.
"Not unless you're going to kill me. How could I have been so stupid? Of course Sephiroth's just on some crazy power trip! Ugh… He never really let me go, he just grew bored of me… How was I stupid enough to put Garden in Sephiroth's firing line…" Cloud hissed, summing up the situation. SOLDIER had killed one of their SeeDs, therefore it was only fitting that Garden retaliate… Creating a war that would be similar in devastation to the Sorceress War two years ago…
"It's not your fault. You didn't give the order to have yourself assassinated…" Riku said softly, although his eyes were shining strangely in the light. Cloud assumed he was crying still, although in the moonlight it was hard to see properly.
"I guess this confirms that you're not one of Sephiroth's spies…" Squall said, more to himself than to anyone else. Cloud's brow knitted, he tried to glare, only to find that to be honest, he was too overwhelmed with so many other emotions at the moment that he couldn't even muster any anger for his 'sarcastic' retort.
"Oh yeah, I'm on the raping bastard's side. Of course I am. That would make sense…" He sagged against the wall. Riku. Sora and Seifer just stared at each other. Squall then moved forward, moving with a sleepy kind of grace, and he pushed Cloud's face into the moonlight, with a carefully placed hand under his chin.
"You're crying," He said quietly. Cloud laughed a mocking, bitter laugh.
"Am I? It's not surprising, I'm weak… I always have been… That's why Sephiroth picked on me…" Cloud mumbled. Squall withdrew his hand, leaving Cloud's face tilted away from everyone, moonlight accenting the tears steadily falling down his face.
"Shelinda," Squall looked over his shoulder. "Get Sora cleaned up for his parents arriving." He then glanced at Riku. "Will you be alright to be alone tonight?"
"He can stay with me," Cloud said quickly. Riku smiled appreciatively, but it still held the hint of sadness…
"Thank you," The silver haired boy said, allowing Cloud to steer him out of the Infirmary. Cloud thought he caught a little scowl on Squall's features, but he ignored it, concentrating his efforts on making everything up to Riku.
"The situation was strange, sir," Reno reported to Sephiroth. He noted that the Chief Commanding Officer of Soldier had seen better days. If anything, Sephiroth looked like he hadn't had a good night's sleep in weeks… Well, it was none of Reno's business really.
"Elaborate," Sephiroth said pompously with a wave of his hand. Reno leaned against the wall, despite his formal tone, he and Sephiroth knew that they were both equals. If Sephiroth pissed off the Turks, he was as good as dead, no matter how good he was with that bastard of a sword, he couldn't dodge bullets, or reject poison, or keep watch for little 'accidents' all the time could he?
"Well… Cloud was in the 'secret area'. He arrived with… another… Sir, the kid looked like you. HE could pass as your double, he had the green eyes, silver hair, pale skin, everything… They appeared to be a couple. What was said between them, I don't know, but I shot Cloud in the heart, it was fitting I thought, for him to die that way. He always was going on about having too many emotions for the military. So, he was dead within the minute. The kid who looked like you has gone into protection, as expected, but he didn't see me all that clearly, we'll escape any major implications," Reno reported. Sephiroth stopped drumming his fingers against his desk, dark eyes surveying the Turk.
"He is most definitely dead?" The silver haired man asked. Reno smirked as he nodded, somehow he knew that this was the greatest wound Sephiroth had ever had. Although Reno admitted that he could never fathom the enigmatic Chief Officer, he was pretty sure that Cloud and he had been lovers… Or maybe not lovers more like close friends… Well, it was the cold bastard's fault after all…
"Well done, Reno. I will speak to President Shinra about your services to your country. Dismissed," The Commander turned around in his chair to look out of the large window. Reno turned on his heel but paused at the door, hand on the knob.
"I want you to know… Cloud's death was unfortunate, but quick. He was not in pain long. I did my best for him, sir. He was a damn good SOLDIER, he deserved it," Reno didn't wait for Sephiroth's reply, before pushing through the door and closing it behind him.
Inside the office Sephiroth stared over the skyline of Esthar City… Out there was Tear's Point… The place of grief… He would place flowers there on one of Pandora's Towers…
"Oh Cloud… I'm so sorry… Please from wherever you are, forgive me… Forgive me…"
"Sorry the room isn't all that big… In fact, it's minute, but as long as you want to stay, it's yours as much as it is mine," Cloud said good-naturedly. Riku smiled weakly, sitting down on Cloud's bed. Immediately the blonde saw a problem.
No. Couch.
Now he knew why Squall had been so suspicious. They would be sharing beds. How stupid? Ugh…
"You've just realised there's only one bed…" Riku said, and his voice sounded a little lighter than it had done previously. Cloud smiled guiltily.
"Yeah…" He said. Riku bit his lip, glancing down at the bed.
"I could always sleep on the floor?" They suggested in unison. Blinking at each other in the harsh florescent lights that were fitted as standard in the dorm rooms, a laugh escaped their lips. It was short and afterwards, both felt slightly guilty, but Cloud noticed how wonderful Riku looked when he laughed…
"As long as you have no objections, I think we should both take the bed. We'll be cramped, but… Well, there's no other way to do it…" Riku suggested. Cloud shrugged, then gestured to Riku's blood stained clothes. The silver haired boy looked down at himself and his shoulders began to shake.
"Please give me something else to wear… But don't put these to be washed… I want to keep them…" He pulled off his top, revealing a muscular chest, all traces of teenage puppy fat removed by harsh training, unlike Sora… Who had the gut of childhood still… the chubby face of someone about to come of age…
"Sure," Cloud said, drawing his eyes away. This boy had just lost the one he loved, the last thing he needed was Cloud drooling. Cloud quickly wiped his chin just in case, as he walked to his wardrobe and picked out a pair of joggers and an old T-shirt. Riku took them and disappeared into the bathroom to change. Cloud took this opportunity to quickly change from his jeans to a pair of loose shorts, realising he'd given his only comfy 'pyjama' T-shirt to Riku, he just pulled of his top, crawling under the sky blue custom sheets of Garden. Riku shortly joined him, putting out the light before slipping into bed.
The bed was too small and the people in it were soon overheating. Cloud couldn't sleep, his head was spinning. He felt a slight pressure against his side, a muffled apology, and then more silence except for the boy's gentle breathing. The only way that Cloud could stop himself falling into the gutter with thoughts of Riku was if he thought of him as a boy, not as a man…
However, just looking on the boy's face in the moonlight…
Cloud drew back, his eyes glazing over… He looked so much like Sephiroth… That peaceful look, like that of a sleeping tiger… The steady breathing with the occasional whimper of someone with a troubled history…
Had Sephiroth really ordered someone to kill Cloud? It seemed unlikely but at the same time, Cloud couldn't convince himself that it was beyond Sephiroth's cruelty. He was confused, wondering whether or not Reno knew he had killed the wrong person. Surely he had listened to what the two were saying to each other?
Cloud blinked as he felt a soft pressure on his shoulder, looking down his saw Riku's eyes were closed but his brow was furrowed in his troubled sleep. He moved closer to Cloud, pushing himself against the blonde's side, his head resting on Cloud's shoulder.
Sighing, Cloud propped himself up against the headboard and let Riku get some sleep against his chest… Glad to offer some comfort, even if the boy was asleep, Cloud drifted into a deep slumber, his head dropping onto Riku's own…
"Squall, it's six am, either explain yourself or get the hell out!" Zell growled, then he saw Seifer behind the brunet Commander and his eyes widened.
"Don't jump to conclusions before you hear everything," Squall cut through before Zell had a chance to explode. He understood the guy's jealousy but it was beginning to grate on his nerves. He wasn't involved with Seifer anymore, if anything, he wanted to be involved with that hot little blonde a few doors down with those Mako eyes and…
"Ahem…" Seifer cleared his throat, drawing Squall from his own thoughts, pointedly staring at the livid Zell. Sighing, Squall ran his hand through his hair. It wasn't his fault, he was feeling quite jealous that, even though Cloud had known Riku for a few moments, he had invited the boy back to his dormitory. Hadn't he seen the way the boy was looking at him? That awe-filled gaze? It was a recipe for disaster…
"Squall! What the hell is wrong with you?" Seifer demanded. "You're more spacey than usual! I know that you didn't get much sleep last night- let me finish Zell- and that this has had a bad effect on you, but we have a lot of other people to visit before Sora's parents get here and-" Seifer stopped, knowing that his message had got through. Zell's expression of outrage had softened slightly, perhaps it was Seifer's anger at Squall, perhaps it was because he'd realised that the two hadn't spent the night together, maybe it was a mixture of the two, Squall found himself not caring.
"Last night an assassin from the Turks got into Garden. Not only did they kill a student, they were aiming at killing Cloud. He knows something, he may not realise it, but he does. They want him dead somehow, it's your mission to discover why. I'm dispatching you to Esthar immediately. Seifer and Quistis will accompany you. You are not to raise suspicions. Don't worry, Seifer and Quistis will brief you fully on the way there. I'm counting on you, Zell…" Squall paused then, Commander mode over. He searched Zell's blue eyes, before sighing, running his hands through his hair.
"I know things have been strained between us recently, Zell, for obvious reasons… I want you to know… Seifer and I are over… Completely this time… I was a fool before, but I'm moving on now. I'll forget if you will and we can be friends again…" Squall waited, hoping, praying, that Zell would accept his apology… of sorts…
Zell seemed to realise it was an apology and he smiled, nodding. Seifer smiled softly, stepping forward. Zell turned his eyes upwards, up to Seifer's own. Feeling like he was intruding, Squall stood, leaving quietly. He looked down the corridor, there it was… 12A… He could just pop in… Say he wanted to check how Riku was and needed to tell Cloud about the mission… Yeah, that's what he'd say…
Walking down the hall, he pulled out his skeleton key, opening the door with the intention of waking the sleeping blonde beyond. However, when he opened the door, he saw Riku, curled up against Cloud's naked chest, nuzzling gently and Cloud… his head resting on the boy's own…
Squall frowned. Obviously this couldn't be what it looked like… He admitted to himself he wanted Cloud. Really wanted him, in fact. But he hadn't thought he quite wanted him enough to feel… hurt… jealous… angry…
"Oh dear…" A voice came from behind him. Squall turned on his heel to see Rinoa stood behind him, still bleary due to the time of the morning, but an absent smile on her face.
"What?" Squall asked, closing the door with a soft click. Rinoa chuckled, reaching up to brush his bed mussed hair from his face.
"You've got it bad for him, and you're jealous because you want to be the one wrapped up next to him. I didn't have you down as the 'love at first sight' kind of person, Squall… I guess you do have a romantic side," She said playfully. Squall raised his eyebrow, but was inwardly disturbed by how accurate she seemed… Except for the love thing… He didn't love Cloud… There was a difference between love and lust…
"Whatever," The two ex-lovers chorused, Rinoa smothering her laughter behind her cuddly bunny. 'Snuggles' was the only thing that Squall had ever bought Rinoa, (he neglected to tell her it had been bought by Selphie to give to her under duress) and she made a point of sleeping with it every night, even though she and Squall had been over for a year and a half…
"I can read your face well enough now. You're easier to read now than you were when I first met you. You have a big neon sign across your forehead that just screams 'whatever' so we all know when it's coming now," Rinoa joked. Squall looked at the beautiful brunette, then offered her a rare smile.
"I'll have to practise harder…" He replied. She shook her head vehemently, grabbing Squall's hand at the same time.
"Nuh-uh! You're a great guy as you are! I'm sure that Cloud will see that too…" She winked and then danced out of Squall's grasp. Rolling his eyes, Squall leaned back, expecting there to be a door. Only there wasn't. Something, or someone, broke his fall and he looked down into a frightened pair of aqua eyes.
"C-Commander, sir!" Riku squeaked. Squall rolled off him, standing up to see Cloud's amused expression and Rinoa's muffled laughter. He would have blushed, would have been embarrassed, but he kept it all down. He could cringe about this later.
"I'm an amazingly light sleeper, Squall. Surely you didn't use a skeleton key to get into my dormitory for nothing?" Cloud asked. Riku's eyes widened at the familiar way that Cloud address the Commander. He then backed off, running out of the door in Cloud's clothes and pushing passed Rinoa.
Cloud sighed, his blonde tresses were messier than usual, his face seemed chubbier, cuter rather than the usual handsome features, his eyes were large but still held the haze of sleep… Adorable… That was the word that Squall was looking for. Cloud looked damned adorable…
"I was looking for Riku," Squall said. Cloud's smile faltered slightly, causing the Commander to smirk. He looked over his shoulder, sure enough, Rinoa had gone to catch Riku from whatever he was running to, and so that left Squall and his captive completely alone.
He kicked the door closed idly with his foot.
"Did you want me to have come here to see you, Cloud?" He… purred… Cloud's eyes widened, and he stood up, licking his lips absently. Reading the blonde's body language with an expert eye, Squall took another step forwards.
"Well? Yes or no? I don't have all day…" Squall took another step forward. The blonde swallowed. Squall wondered if Cloud was too frightened to speak or just too caught up in the seduction… Whichever it was, the gunblade expert wished that he would speak soon.
"Both…" The blonde said finally. Squall stopped, half way through another stride. Both? How could he want Squall to come and see him and not at the same time? Wasn't that a little bit of a contradiction…
"Both?" Squall finished the stride, now standing only a foot away from the blonde. They stared at each other, and for the longest time no one spoke… Finally Cloud met the storm grey eyes and he smiled.
"I wanted you to come and find me. I didn't want you to come here while Riku was here. It was awkward for him. He's just lost someone very special to him and there's nothing that anyone can say to console him. However, a leather clad sex god sneaking into my room while I was supposed to be asleep with the purpose of ravishing me probably struck a loose nerve," Cloud's voice was soft. Squall thought about that for a while.
"Sex god?" He asked, earning a light chuckle and a nod from Cloud.
"You are a very attractive guy, as I'm sure you know," The blonde said. Was he aware that he was eye popping 1? Probably not…
"Don't flatter yourself. I only came in here to find Riku," Squall turned around and exited. Once he was outside he realised how fast his heart was beating and how much he had hated that disappointed look on Cloud's face…
"Sephiroth… Please… Stop hurting me!"
"Please no!"
"P-Please…"
"It h-hurts so bad…"
"Ah! No! Stop!"
"St-Stop… Just stop hurting me…"
Cloud woke with a sheen of sweat coating his torso. He didn't remember falling asleep, but there he was, on his bed, clad only in the shorts of the night before. The nightmare was familiar, the first time that Sephiroth had forced himself upon him was burnt onto his mind. He could never banish that nightmare…
It had hurt, even in the dream… Cloud shifted uncomfortably… It seemed like that pain would never go away… That hurt, not only physically, but also emotionally. The father figure he had idolised had just been getting him ready for that final betrayal…
That went on and on…
Cloud turned his wild eyes to his desk and blinked. How had he not noticed someone was there, watching him?
"You interest me…" The woman said. Cloud frowned.
"Really? That's nice for you. Who are you and how did you get in?" He demanded. She chuckled and stepped forward, touching his cheek.
"My name is too hard to pronounce for your Estharian lips, but you may call me Aoife 2. As for how I got in here, I'll leave that one to your imagination. I have a distinct interest in you, Cloud, your fate and destiny ties you to Sephiroth, yet you have broken what was set out before you. You are confused, but do not worry. When you awaken, you fate will be set before you. Everything will be in place and the nightmares will leave you… You'll live your freedom…"
Squall watched Sora's parents as they looked down at Sora's body. They looked at each other, then burst into tears. Squall nodded, and Shelinda was about to put the cloth back across Sora's face, but the mother shook her head. Instead she wrenched the cover back to reveal the large gunshot wound.
"How did this happen?" She demanded, rage in her tear filled eyes. Squall opened his mouth, about to say the normal response. ' Insert name fell in the line of duty. He was protecting a client named Insert Name who has recently agreed to help us in a top-secret mission. Insert Name was one of the best SeeDs we had and it was a shame to both Garden and yourselves that this should have happened so early in his life.'
However, not a word passed through Squall's lips.
"He was with me…" Riku's quite voice came from the door. Squall frowned, then saw Rinoa stood behind him. This was no place for some distraught teen who thought he was in love. This was a family grieving time, what was Rinoa thinking?
"Riku?" The mother rushed forward, virtually smothering the boy. Squall waited patiently.
"P-Please let me speak!" Riku pushed her away a little roughly. Squall rolled his eyes, this was why he didn't allow the students into these places.
"Sora and I… We were really close…" Riku began. This earned a sad chuckle from Sora's father.
"You were attached at the hip. We couldn't have a family day out without him wanting to drag you along. You were the closest friends I've ever seen…" The father trailed off sadly. Squall immediately realised what was going on, why Riku was here, why Rinoa had brought him…
He hadn't just been Sora's friend, he'd been his boyfriend as well…
"You don't seem to understand…" Riku said, frustratedly running his hands through his hair. "Me and Sora were more than friends, we have been for over a year. He was just too scared to tell you…" Riku paused, eyes to the floor. "We were making out in the secret area when he was shot. He died in my arms… Telling me he loved me…"
Squall winced, watching the shocked reactions of Sora's parents. Then the mother quickly took Riku into a tight embrace, stroking his hair, making reassuring noises even though she was sobbing herself. Squall knew this was to be left well alone.
Coming out was hard enough to do when you were alive. Nevermind if you were dead…
I leaned against the door outside, looking at Rinoa who was smiling her sad little smile.
"It happens every year. We lose one or two and I feel so guilty, so helpless… I blame myself. I'm training them to die, Rinoa…" Squall put his hand to his forehead. He felt old, he certainly didn't feel nineteen. In love twice, heartbroken twice, Commander of Garden, orphan, Sorceress slayer, insecure, leader, teenager.
"You're training them to live. You can't blame yourself for any of this. Someone made the order to have Cloud killed. They are the ones at fault. Sephiroth is the one at fault. Without you, there would be no Garden, no hope, nothing…" She said passionately. Squall sighed, acknowledging she was right just to stop her from yelling at him.
"Sephiroth? The Sephiroth? Killed our Sora? Why?" Squall looked up to see Sora's father. He looked at Rinoa and then sighed.
"I'm not sure how safe it is to tell you that. It's completely against protocol however, you deserve to know why your son is dead. We are harbouring an escapee SOLDIER, he was extremely close to Sephiroth and, it just so happens, that he looks very much like Sora. They were mistaken in the darkness and while the SOLDIER was lying in the infirmary after a Thunder-induced wound, Sora was shot, seeing as he was out and about for everyone to see… Sora protected the SOLDIER for us, his death should never have happened, we all acknowledge that, but we can't deny it has bought us time to prepare ourselves using the SOLDIER's information and a reason now to launch an attack on the Shinra Regime," Squall explained. They remained silent for a long time before the mother shaking reached forward, taking Squall's hand.
"Could we… Could we talk to this SOLDIER?" She asked. Squall opened his mouth to object, then he saw Riku's pleading eyes. Sighing he ran his hands through his hair.
"I can take you to his dormitory. If he is not there I won't go and find him. You know too much already and you're a liability but… Damn, I'm going soft in my old age!" Squall cursed, half-joking, half-serious.
"If you're old, what are we?" The father asked. Squall shrugged, withholding his 'whatever'. He led them down the Glass Tower, then into the warm dormitory halls. 11a… 11b… 11c… 12a…
Squall pulled out his skeleton key, watching Riku's reaction. To the boy's credit, he didn't look jealous, but he did look a little bit… pissed off? Opening the door, Squall's eyes widened. Cloud lay on the bed, clad in leather pants and a black button up shirt. He was writhing in what seemed like pain, mumbling and crying out against some foe.
"Fucking Sephiroth… Oh, forgive the trooper's language…" Squall looked over his shoulder anxiously. Sora's mother however was watching Cloud on the bed, and pity formed on her features. Squall quickly strode across the room, touching Cloud's forehead.
"Seph… No… Please no… It hurts so much… Seph! NO!"
Cerulean eyes shot open and Squall found himself looking at the ceiling. Dazed grey met sky blue and Cloud blushed.
"Shit, sorry… I thought you were…" Cloud stopped, standing up. Squall got to his feet, touching the back of his head gingerly. Sure enough a small bit of blood, made brown as he soaked into his suede gloves.
"This is Sora's mother and father," Squall introduced. Cloud looked across at them, then bowed. Their eyebrows rose. Squall knew he should really play interpreter here.
"It's like a handshake," Riku explained first, challenge in his eyes. What was wrong with that boy? He obviously thought he was in love with Sora, why was he seeing Squall as some kind of threat? Squall didn't like the idea of having the silver haired boy, who looked so much like Sephiroth, around Cloud. If Cloud did have a thing for Sephiroth, he might be attracted to the boy and that wouldn't do…
Since when had Squall been so possessive? He and Cloud hadn't even slept together yet…
"I didn't ever meet Sora… I don't know what I can say to you to make it better…" Squall realised now, when he really concentrated that Cloud did have quite a distinctive Estharian accent. It was the way he pronounced all his words very carefully, as though he didn't natively speak that language…
In fact, it had been Adel who had forced all Estharians to talk in 'common speak' from what the Estharians called 'the west'. Most Estharians learned their native tongue first, a flowing speech that Squall had never been able to learn, but always seemed soothing, no matter what they were saying in it. They then progressed to 'Western Common Tongue'. Although Cloud's WCT was very good, he hadn't lost that accent… Hm…
"You don't need to say anything. Just seeing you and talking to you is enough, dear… Gosh, you do look like what my Sora would have looked like in a few years time. After he got rid of all his puppy fat… You're eyes, your hair… You're a little paler than he was… You look like you could do with a few good meals inside you as well," Squall blinked as Sora's mother proceeded to mother Cloud. He looked over at Riku and Sora's father to see them sharing a little smile.
Watching Sora's mother, Squall felt a little bit left out. Having a loving mother was something he'd never experienced. Cloud was being questioned now about his life, and was just telling her things, like he had known her his whole life… The motherly image just made him pour things out. Squall was… perplexed…
"And that's enough of that. Cloudy sweetheart, we need to talk to you. Preferably now!" Rikku stuck her head around the door. Squall put his hand to his forehead. What else could go wrong?
Oh no…
"Hey Squall! Oooh! Hey Riku! Why you crying? Huh? What's with the-" Selphie stopped when Squall stomped on her foot. It was obvious he'd done it and his boots made a loud 'clonk' as they landed on top of her own.
"Why'd you step on my foot?" She wailed, pretending to cry. Squall sighed.
"Selphie, did you know that SeeD called Sora? The one who passed at the same time as Riku?" Selphie and Rikku's faces brightened.
"The cute one-"
"-Who'd help anyone out-"
"-And was like one big teddy bear-"
"-And completely out of place in this military academy-"
"-Who had that massive crush on Kairi when we were in our candidate year?"
Selphie and Rikku wouldn't let each other finish the sentence. Squall cast worried glances at the mourning family, before bringing to two girls down to earth.
"Did you teach him Selphie? Yes or no?" Squall demanded. Immediately caught by the tone of Squall's voice, Selphie nodded slowly. Realisation dawned and she let out a wail.
"Not Sora! Not Sora! How could anyone kill him? He's the only kid I've ever taught who could actually pout his way out of someone killing him! How can he be dead Squall? He can't be!" Selphie yelled. She turned on her heel, stomping off. Squall sighed.
"That went rather well…" He commented dryly. Cloud's brow furrowed.
"How can that possibly go well?"
"The last time I told her one of her students had been killed in action she attacked me… I have the teeth marks in my arm to prove it…"
Everyone looked at Squall disbelievingly.
Cloud awoke on the morning of his exam feeling refreshed and ready. He concentrated as he placed all his spells and the two Guardian Forces he was allowed in his Buster Sword, concentrating further as he junctioned them.
"Quezacotl," He said the word slowly, Rinoa had almost despaired at his pronunciation of the word. It wasn't Cloud's fault, but in Esthar the Thunder Summon had been different. It seemed to change now he was in the Western Continent… "You'll always be Ramuh to me…" He sighed.
Standing up he quickly stretched, making sure to stretch every muscle in his body to the point where it was almost painful. He had worked up quite a sweat by the time he left the cramped confines of his dormitory. The cold morning air refreshed him as he headed for some breakfast before his shower.
"Cloud!" Rikku called. He looked at her, noting how fresh and clean she was, and how he smelt ever so slightly of body odour and his bed sheets.
"Hey," He replied easily. Rikku tilted her head on one side.
"Leather Cloud? No shirt? Trying to impress someone?" She asked, lightly tapping him on the nose.
"Only one person here worth impressing…" He replied easily. He and Rikku had this thing going on, they would flirt and mess about, even though their sexuality meant that they could never get together…
"Oh yeah? Who's that?" She asked, no, she purred. Cloud smirked, looking pointedly over her shoulder. Squall was walking down the hall, lost in thought, dark pools for eyes and a pale complexion. So, he didn't look his best right then, but Rikku immediately squealed.
"You two would make such a cute couple!" She jumped up and down, nearly crashing into Squall as he walked passed. This caused him to look at Cloud and… stop… smirking…
"I'm not looking for something 'cute' Rikku. I'm looking for something downright naughty," Cloud said, purposefully looking into the Commander's eyes. The storm's widened, the smirk disappeared, for a moment, Cloud thought he'd taken the flirting too far… Then…
"Naughty huh? I doubt an angel like you could be naughty…" It was a challenge, but Cloud was still quite happy at being called an angel… He knew that Riku would be looking between the two of them. There was a strange kind of tension between them, something that bordered on electrical… One wrong move and it could explode, one right move and it would explode. The only difference was the type of explosion.
"I can be a devil if the need arises…" Cloud trailed off suggestively. Squall shrugged, then, breaking the gaze and ending the electricity with a tremendous anti-climax.
"Haven't you got an exam to be at, in about… twenty minutes?" The brunet asked. The 'angel' looked at his own watch, realising that it had stopped. He cursed running back to his dormitory. If he had looked back he would have seen the smouldering gaze Squall sent after his back.
Squall raised his eyebrows at Cloud as he met Selphie and Rinoa in the main hall of Trabia. It was slightly interesting to note how Cloud's hair still didn't lie flat even when wet, how cute he looked when he was rushed, how damned hot he was in those leather pants…
"You're late, cadet, that will detract marks from your grade," Squall barked, pushing emotion aside and putting on his 'Commander' mask. Cloud made a hasty salute, wincing as he realised it was his SOLDIER one. Old habits died hard…
"Sorry, sir. I had a few problems… Riku refused to let me shower until I had… enlightened him… On my situation sir. I had to knock him out… Er… I took a detour to the Infirmary to drop him off…" Cloud's face went bright red. Squall hid his amusement, he didn't know why he saw Riku as a threat for Cloud but…
"It is tardiness that can mean life or death on the battle field. You should know that…" Squall reminded him. Cloud sent him his best glare, but it was just… cold… So cold that Squall had to hold back a shiver. He looked to Rinoa and Selphie, shrugging.
"Is that my part done? I'm a little busy right now. I have a group of SeeDs in Timber who need checking on, and they're going to contact me in… six minutes…" Squall looked to the two women. The two brunette's hid their smiles from him and nodded.
It was a tactic that they had originally come up with to put cadets at ease. They would only be going into their SeeD exam with a few SeeDs, no one special, and the 'judgers' would in fact be watching incognito… In Cloud's case, he was being sent with those who might make him feel the most comfortable, and Squall was going to follow them… In fact, he was going to be the enemy that Cloud fought once he got to Shumi Village.
"Yeah, get going. We can't be waiting around for you forever Squally-baby," Selphie giggled, waving goodbye. Smirking, Squall blew a kiss back. Both Selphie and Rinoa pretended to catch it, but Cloud just smiled, as though he knew that the kiss had been meant for him…
Cloud sat in the Garden car, silently going through everything he had been taught.
A man whose family had been killed in the Sorceress War had gone on a rampage, killing as many of the Shumi as he had come across, even going so far as to kill a Moomba. The Shumi had called upon Garden for aid, Cloud was being sent to 'repay a debt' as Rinoa said, illusively.
Selphie explained, unusually seriously, how the Shumi had managed to trap the killer, however their beliefs meant that they couldn't kill him themselves. So they wanted Cloud to do it…
"If it makes it easier, I just remember something Squall told me once. They're on one side, we're on the other. It's our perspectives that stand us apart. He may have suffered the death of his family, but it had nothing to do with the innocent Shumi Tribe. Therefore, who is wrong? He is. You are being paid to do this, so don't get cold feet," Rinoa said quietly. Cloud nodded before returning to his magic. If he was unsure of anything, he would carefully cast it, only small balls of water, flames, sparks or icicles, but enough to convince himself that he could do it.
Rinoa and Selphie went into the driver's cabin, and the car stopped. Cloud frowned, they weren't in a hurry to get there it seemed…
"We've got to pull over. There's a monster on the road and it's blocking the car. Show us what you can do…" Rinoa winked.
Cloud jumped out and looked up and up and up and up at the Iron Giant.
"Oh shit."
Ending Notes:
End of part one! Part two will be up soon!
NephilimTear, I am seriously considering what you said about Kuja and Cloud. As soon as Cloud gets into the fluff and everything with Squall, I planned on having a lot of references to Cloud's past and how it's clouding his judgement etc. However, you said that the last chapter was rushed… Well… That' s mainly because the focus of that chapter, which starts the ball truly rolling as it were, is Sora's death. Therefore, Riku meets Cloud (you'll know the significance some time towards the end) and Squall has a reason to try to take down Sephiroth…
I'm waffling, I should stop. Buh-bye!