Forbidden Fantasy: Soulmates

Fantasy's Flight

By: NemesisStrife

Disclaimer: These Final Fantasy 7 characters are property of Squaresoft. This is an Alternate Universe epic saga pre-game fanfiction. As stated before, this is a Cloud and Sephiroth pairing, involving shounen-ai, and it is my take on what should have happened in the game. Respect my opinions, please.

NOTES: People, since the server now has a new format, please check for my story under "Sort By Update (Chaptered)", please. And I will make it a point to add a new chapter, *hopefully* every week. It all depends on the number and type of reviews I get. So, I hope you know what to do...keep on reading, and Review please. If you want the next chapter up soon, well, Leave Feedback.

Warnings for this chapter

1) This is going to be a slightly light-hearted chapter, I'm just trying to explore Cloud and Sephiroth's relationship, as well as their SOLDIER background. Quote taken from the "Sixth Sense".

2) Still having sadistic elements in Cloud's nature.

3) If you want to find out more about the hints in the last chapter, keep on reading. *Is enjoying keeping you in suspense.*

" " Normal speech

' ' Thoughts

italics Emphasis

~ ~ Mental speech/ Telepathy

// // Flashback

Chapter 4

Kindred Spirits

"Is this where Recruit Cloud Strife has his quarters?"

"Huh? Oh…Y-Yes sir! Cloud's inside, sir!" Leaving the shocked, panicked recruit standing there gaping, belatedly remembering to snap to attention and salute to his retreating back, Sephiroth turned the corner and left in a swirl of his black cloak. Zack, closely following his oblivious friend, apologetically grinned at the awestricken boy, who only managed a horrified expression that left him looking like a goldfish.

'Geez, Sephiroth. You enjoy dramatic entrances and giving poor kids heart-attacks, don't ya?'

Zack shook his head in thought, hurrying to catch up with his friend, leaving the recruit to mumble, "tha-that wasn't Sephiroth… …was it? What's he here fo-Shit! Cloud's in trouble!" Allan moved away, wondering what Cloud had done to warrant attention from the General himself.

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Cloud paused mid-sentence, feeling a familiar, powerful aura outside, and waiting for the almost noiseless, measured footsteps. 'There's someone else, too… just outside.' Right on cue, Sephiroth entered, with the black-haired man he had been with before.

Reno's jaw dropped, and he blinked, at a loss for words. Swallowing hard, he tried to regain his composure, and exclaimed, in a voice that carried quite far, "I told you we'll get in trouble!"

"Hi, Sephiroth. I didn't know missing a meal was a capital offence punishable by death," Cloud quipped, azure eyes sparkling with mischief.

"No, you'll just get banished from Midgar and exiled to the Southern Islands," Sephiroth replied with a straight face, and a casual wave of a black-gloved hand.

"That's comforting," Cloud said dryly, and was pleased to see open amusement in those serious, Mako-green eyes. The corner's of his mouth twitched, lips fighting to keep back hidden laughter, as Sephiroth looked at the shell-shocked, comical expression on the redhead's face. "Ah. Sorry, Sephiroth, meet Reno. Reno, this is Sephiroth," Cloud hesitated, then couldn't resist adding in, "Duh."

"Cloud, and Reno, that's Zack Hyypia, also of SOLDIER, First-Class," Sephiroth introduced his companion.

"Yeah, pleased to meet ya, Blond, Red," Zack tossed off a cheery wave, "'S nice to finally be introduced to the kid that Sephiroth's been mentioning all week."

'Mentioning?' thought Sephiroth, 'more like an obsession. And damn Zack for bringing it up.'

"What's with the reference to hair?" asked Reno, nonplussed.

"You don't exactly have the most normal hair in the world," Cloud directed his words at the SOLDIER, referring to Zack's beyond-waist-length, jet-black, spiky, tangled mane.

He laughed, "you're both okay, kids."

"Whaddya mean, kids?" Reno asked, mock-angrily.

Zack noticed that Sephiroth was openly smiling, and privately noted, 'he's loosening up. Normally, he's too reserved and formal. The blond's good for him.' "Hey, Sephiroth. How come you never laugh at my jokes?" Zack asked, teasingly.

"That's 'cause your jokes aren't funny," he retorted, deadpan.

"Huh, you just don't appreciate it. Anyway, gotta go. And… don't scare anybody to death on your way out," the easygoing, friendly SOLDIER left, with that as a parting shot, his last dig at his friend.

Sephiroth raised an arched eyebrow, then turned his attention back to the two in front of him. "So, are you both free now, or do you have training?"

"I'm free. How 'bout you, Reno?" Cloud asked, regarding his friend with a quizzical look.

"Ah, thanks, but nope, I've got a meeting," he grimaced, "with the commander."

"Later, then," Cloud shrugged, and followed Sephiroth outside, though he felt slightly uncomfortable with all the wide-eyed, astounded looks directed at them. 'I can practically hear then think what am I doing with Sephiroth for. And yet, he doesn't even seem to notice. To have grown up like that… with people watching you your whole life… not very different from mine, only with me, it's more from hate or dislike or suspicion, not fear or respect, but still…' Cloud shivered slightly and tried to ignore it, trailing in Sephiroth's shadow, following in the wake of his passing, as he cut through the sea of people smoothly.

~Cloud knows Sephiroth?!~ that thought suddenly intruded on his consciousness. 'Wha-? Who and where did that come from!' Cloud's step faltered, and he blinked, trying to clear his mind. 'Okay, I must have been dreaming. I didn't say, or think, that. Then who, and why?' It had not been so much of actual words, but instead, a mixture of half-formed thoughts and mental images, but the emotions had been the strongest part of what he heard. 'Surprise and shock? …great… I must be losing it. But it seemed so loud, it feels amazing no one noticed it.' Pushing the confusing flickers of thoughts aside, he continued on, walking with Sephiroth out the door.

*** *** *** ***

"Are you alright, Cloud?" Sephiroth's concerned voice penetrated his mental absorption, and he looked up, almost guiltily, at being so preoccupied that he zoned out on his surroundings.

"Hmm… yeah, I'm fine, just a little distracted, maybe," he replied, "why? And why did you come to visit? Not that I mind or anything…" 'What a liar, Cloud… you don't mind it? You're practically in a state of complete bliss just being able to look at him! Shut up… damnit, I'm talking to myself here…'

"I just wanted to compliment you on your… performance yesterday," Sephiroth smiled and looked at Cloud, who was now averting his gaze and blushing slightly. "No, I'm not scolding you… I think that bastard deserved it. I was going to go down and annihilate them, but you didn't need any help. You handled yourself pretty well." 'In fact, you managed to look absolutely, devastatingly… attractive. Oh. No. Snap out of it, Sephiroth… But it's so hard to concentrate when he's looking at me with those sapphire eyes, and I can see the light shining though them, like they are transparent, clear glass, only depthless like an ocean and I think I could drown in them… …I think I just did it again.' He hurried on to his next line, trying to overcome that momentary lapse, "only, if that had been me, I think I would have hurt them… quite badly."

Cloud instantly looked up at that, and a slight smile touched his lips. "Really? I thought I was the only one with… not very gentle tendencies," he said lightly.

"Believe me, you're not alone in that. Did you know that there are some amazing ways you can permanently incapacitate someone and yet keep him alive?" Sephiroth had meant for it to be a joke, but somehow, the words twisted in his mouth, and the true emotions behind them came out.

'He's… protective… I can feel it again… he would have gone after Erek if I didn't manage to take care of myself.' Cloud saw the General bare his teeth in a savage smirk, as his cyan eyes glinted. Without realizing, he found himself with an answering faint, feral grin on his face, and a flash of understanding passed between them, a private sharing of minds, and the knowledge that they were kindred spirits united by the soul of a warrior's, yet also something darker, deeper, almost primeval.

"So… care to teach me some of those techniques? I know quite a number of people I wouldn't mind using them on," Cloud asked, and was answered by Sephiroth's amused reply.

"You've got to be able to handle a weapon first. Hasn't your instructor gone through the basics?"

"No. He's been teaching us baby-stuff, frankly, it's quite boring. We only do physical conditioning, like sit-ups or marching, not actual fighting."

"Impatient, aren't we? Well, you won't be needing this for the trials, but I guess I could give you a head-start. Were you informed about the tests?" Sephiroth continued, at Cloud's shake of his head in negation, "well, usually after the first two weeks, the recruits are put through basic tests, trials of your strength, dexterity, agility, and coordination. This is only one of many in the SOLDIER training program, and the unsuitable are relegated to the ordinary, lower ShinRa army. The ones who pass get reassigned to new training and practice groups under a higher-ranker commanding SOLDIER, with more one-on-one training with a mentor. They are usually grouped according to ability, with around 8 to 12 trainees per mentor, with the most promising singled out for special, individual practice sessions, which occur for about two hours per week. Also, they get relocated to newer, less crowded rooms, and gain access to the training facilities of the Midgar SOLDIER grounds, with their mentor's permission, of course."

"Oh," Cloud bit his lip nervously, all the while thinking, 'what if I don't make it? I can't go back to Nibelheim…'

Sephiroth noticed the uncertain, doubtful look on Cloud's face, and smiled reassuringly. "You don't have anything to worry about. Your display in the main hall was very impressive, and that was more difficult than the trials will be."

"Yeah, I guess… but that's not very comforting. I still have no idea how I did that. Maybe I should consult a psychiatrist, I'm plagued by fears and uncertainties, plus kinda enjoyed getting revenge and beating the crap outta Erek, and to top that off, think that 'I hear dead people'," Cloud lowered his voice in to a stage whisper, and grinned wryly as Sephiroth tried not to snicker at the obvious, parodied reference.

"Really strange, Cloud, but rather appropriate quote. "The Sixth Sense" does seem to be a part of what an exceptional warrior needs. Not just training and drilling, but also a mixture of animal instinct, guesswork and anticipation," Sephiroth's voice was serious, as he told Cloud, "not many people have it. The gift is quite unusual, normally most people can't understand what I'm talking about, you need to experience it to know."

'But I don't think that anyone, with or without that instinctive sense, has ever heard voices telling him what to do.' Cloud sighed, as that worrisome fact nagged at him, 'and I don't think anyone has heard what other people are thinking or feeling in their own minds, either.'

"Speaking of unusual," Sephiroth's voice was lightly teasing, "what's with your hair?" He had absently removed his gloves while talking to Cloud about the SOLDIER trials, and now, impulsively ruffled Cloud's blond spikes. It was surprisingly soft to the touch, and the long golden strands returned to their naturally messy position afterwards.

"Not you, too!" Cloud good-naturedly complained, "it isn't that peculiar, is it? Actually, I used to keep a ponytail back at Nibelheim, but got it cut before entering SOLDIER. I didn't know most people in ShinRa didn't believe in short hair," he glanced mischievously at Sephiroth's waist-length silver hair, before resuming, "I kinda miss it. It was sort of an image, since people back home thought it looked rather, well, 'punk', so I flaunted it as a symbol of defiance, pride and not conforming to the rules. Of course, that just pissed everyone else more. Now you see why I couldn't wait to get out of my hometown. Didn't plan on them also joining SOLDIER as well, though."

"Grow it back long, Cloud. ShinRa needs another rebel, not a mindless, blindly following orders type of person."

"Doesn't that 'independent-and-with-free-will' mentality get you court-martialed for treason?" Cloud asked, smiling slightly.

"Nope. It got me promoted," Sephiroth shot back, and Cloud brought his hand up to hide a soft laugh, "anyway, let's get on with your weapons' training basics. At least we can ensure that you advance ahead of those boys from your hometown, so you can get away from them for real, this time."

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Read and Review, please. This is my first fic, so be kind! Comments and criticism welcomed.