Takes place after Kairi's rescue; contains spoilers for the end of Kingdom Hearts.

Written from Cloud's perspective.


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Ephemeral Blossoms

Akai Kitsune

Chapter 7: Dark Angels in the Cloud of Shadows


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Hojo was late.

I sat in his office waiting room for at least an hour, staring at the walls and avoiding the flirtatious gaze of the secretary who obviously didn't get out much. I wondered what sort of a man Hojo was to hire such a strange woman. She was obviously bored and looking for the easiest way to get attention - why else would she be acting that way in front of a fifteen-year-old?

Needless to say she made me uneasy, so I found a focus in the ceiling and agonized over what my final interview would be like.

What was Hojo like? Was he nice, maybe easygoing, like Zack? Or stern and uncaring as the physical testers had been?

Would he care if I was smaller than most applicants? Even Zack admitted that he'd been a little scrawny at my age - though that term didn't comfort me. I wasn't scrawny!

Okay, maybe a little...

I was on the brink of overcoming my fears of the hawk-eyed woman across the room and asking what Hojo was doing when the door to his office suddenly opened. Both I and the secretary jumped in our seats, our eyes moving to rest on the man who stepped into the room.

The secretary turned away, her expression blank to mask her distaste. Which only made me wonder more...

Hojo was a tall man with sharp eyes, hiding behind thin-rimmed glasses. His uniform consisted of a crisp, clean labcoat, draped over a pale-coloured suit. Dark hair, aside from his spiked, stringy bangs, was tied back in a low ponytail. He scanned the room quickly before his gaze rested on me.

He smiled, hands clasped behind his back. "Cloud Strife, is it? Welcome."

Quickly shifting beyond my surprise - this is what I had been waiting for, after all - I stood up and moved towards him. "Y-yes sir. Thank you." For finally showing up, I didn't say, biting my tongue against my immediate reply. He was a scientist, after all; that went hand-in-hand with 'busy', or so I'd been told.

"Why don't we step inside my office and get this over with?" Hojo spoke again, waving a fine-boned hand towards the open door.

Trying my best to relax, I followed him inside, feeling the eyes of the secretary on me the entire way. Somehow, it made me feel even worse.

"Have a seat." I settled into the stiff-backed chair he pointed to, watching him as he moved behind the simple, yet cluttered desk and sat in a similar chair behind it. That surprised me; usually the ones with rank have the cushy seats while the guests were stuck with the basics.

"So," Hojo finally began, interrupting my curious thoughts, "You made it through most of the SOLDIER application process. My congratulations; it's not easy, you know."

I merely nodded, lowering my gaze at the memories. Who could forget? Then I remembered the advice given to me from my last interviewer, and gave an affirmative answer.

"You're quick; that's good to see." Hojo smiled again, showing sharp, perfectly aligned teeth. "How were your Mako treatments?"

I didn't know how to answer him, besides the response I had already given the man I met with days ago. Difficult... it could not be described any other way.

"You have to be honest with me, Strife," the scientist leaned forward, hands twined together, resting his elbows on the desk. "If there were any side effects of the treatments, anything that seemed unusual or made you feel like something was wrong... we need to know. It's for your own safety, not just for the sake of the SOLDIER program."

I sighed, shaking my head in resignation. "Not really wrong, sir... just... I felt different, afterwards. It didn't start until yesterday, actually."

"Go on."

"I felt like..." I paused, raised a hand and looking strangely at it for a moment. "It sounds a little silly, but I felt like I was stronger."

And truthfully, I was stronger... I knew I was. The sword Zack had given to me hadn't been as heavy as it had before when I picked it up that morning. I could feel the thrum of power in my legs as I walked to the main office building of SOLDIER's training facility.

Hojo looked pleased. As he looked me up and down, I had the sudden impression of being nothing more than a slab of meat being examined.

"It is far from silly," he began again, shaking his head as if correcting a small child. "That is the purpose of Mako treatments, after all. To bring forth one's full potential... to create the perfect soldiers. Weren't you told?"

Zack never really explained the whole purpose, once I thought about it. He said I'd hate it at first, but once I got used to it, things would get better.

"Not really," I admitted. "I don't know much about the SOLDIER program at all."

Hojo sighed. "Well Strife, that will most certainly change. Now stand up, let me have a good look at you."

I obliged, uneasy but quiet, and stood while Hojo approached. He examined my arms, pressing cold fingers against my bare skin and feeling the muscles beneath.

Zack hadn't told me about a physical examination, though I ought to have expected it, really.

He'd better not ask me to strip, I thought irritably.

"I've taken a look at the blood tests already," Hojo began casually, "And the results were phenomenal. Did you know that three out of five people develop Mako poisoning after a single one-hour treatment?"

"N-no, sir," I bit my lip, eyes lifted to the ceiling once again. I didn't particularly like those odds.

The scientist prodded my shoulder blades, feeling along the bone. "And yet you didn't grow ill at all. In fact - stronger, you say?"

"A little bit, sir."

"Amazing. Really amazing, Strife." He tilted my chin to examine at my eyes, his own knitted in deep concentration. "Looks like the Mako didn't affect your pupils yet. That's a sign of good resistance to toxins."

I blinked. "It is?"

"Of course. Mako enhances eyesight, while at the same time alters the pupils of the subject's eyes until the eye seems to glow. The greater the illumination of the iris, the more Mako they've been exposed to... and, of course, the greater the resistance. -Stop blinking so much, boy."

"I don't understand, sir."

Hojo's eyes narrowed. "Don't you? It's simple, really. If you have a higher resistance, you have to be exposed to more Mako treatments. But at the same time, your body must be able to accept the Mako and incorporate it into you, or you'd never make it into the program. Unless you have a strong balance of resistance and acceptance, you're not fit to be a SOLDIER."

I gulped. "And me, sir?"

His only response for a moment was a long, barking laugh. Waving me aside, he returned to his desk and flipped through a thin folder, scribbling a few notes.

Finally he looked back at me, his eyes gleaming above a sly smile. "Strife, I have never seen a man more suited for Mako treatment in my entire career. There is no doubt in my mind - you're the one I've been waiting for."

My heart skipped a beat. "So..." I said weakly, eyes wide, "I'm in the program?"

Hojo nodded, moving towards the door. I followed quickly behind, lightly on my feet I felt I was nearly flying.

"We'll leave at once," he announced as we exited the office, brushing his hands together anxiously. "Can't let your youth go to waste, can we? Do whatever you need to do and meet me back here in fifteen minutes."

"Y-yes sir," I stammered, a little shell-shocked at the speed at which we were moving. I headed for the exit, using every ounce of my will just to put one foot after another.

"Call the general," I heard Hojo's voice follow me outside the lobby, as he spoke to his secretary, "Tell him I've found a perfect match."

A perfect match. Perfect! I could barely conceal my pride, and, finally getting a hold of my strength, I ran to the nearest phone to make a quick call. I wanted Tifa to be the first to know.

"Seventh Heaven Bar and-"

"Tifa! Good news!"

"Cloud?" her surprised voice rang through the receiver, a little fuzzy but still recognizable.

"Yeah," I grinned, hoping she could hear it in my voice.

Tifa laughed. "It's great to hear from you! What's going on?"

"I got in!"

"What?" she shrieked, her voice thrilled. She suddenly turned her mouth away and shouted to the rest of the bar, "Cloud got in!"

I chuckled at the rowdy cheers that followed, wincing at the volume. "Ouch! Tifa, that was right in my ear..."

I could tell she was smiling when she responded. "Sorry," she spoke a little more quietly, "But everyone's really excited."

"I can tell. Listen Tifa, I gotta go. I leave for training in about ten minutes, and you know there's someone else I have to call."

"That's right," she replied sternly, "You make sure to thank him!"

I nodded. "I would've done it even if I hadn't made the cut. Tifa..."

"Yes?"

"... Thanks. For being so supportive, all this time."

"Cloud..."

"I really have to run," I said hastily, unwilling to speak any further. "I'll call you when I can."

"Good luck Cloud!" her voice reached me, just as I hung up. I smiled as I dialed the second number, just imagining her expression.

Thanks Tifa... you've always been good luck to me.

I'm lucky to have such good friends.

Click. "Zack speaking."

My mouth suddenly felt dry. How to tell him? This was the man to whom I owed everything. My idol, my mentor. My best friend.

"Hello?" Zack's confused voice siphoned to my ear, slightly irritated.

"Zack," I managed, trying to keep him from hanging up.

"Cloud!" he laughed, relieved. "I'm glad you called! I've been meaning to talk to you."

I checked the time, and winced. I needed to be back at Hojo's office soon. "Zack, I can't talk long, but I wanted you to know... I've been accepted into the SOLDIER training."

There was a long silence in the other end. Finally, he murmured, "Really?"

"Yes, really! Do you think I'd lie about this?" I snapped, suddenly defensive. Why was he acting this way? Shouldn't he be happy?

This was his idea in the first place...

"Sorry about that," Zack replied musingly. "You just caught me off guard. Usually the screening process is a lot longer than this. Who did you see for the interview?"

"Some prof named Hojo, and I have to go in a minute because I'm meeting-"

"Hojo?" Zack repeated, his voice tense. "You... you saw Hojo? Since when is he involved in the SOLDIER screening procedures?"

"Since now, I guess," I shrugged. "You won't believe this - he said I was perfect for it! Me!"

"When do you start training?"

"That's what I was saying," I replied, once again glancing at the clock. "I have to get going now. Hojo said he wanted to get things started right away."

"Cloud, that's not how it goes!" Zack objected, sounding worried.

"It's okay, Zack," I assured him. "Things are changing since you became a SOLDIER. Besides, they're probably speeding up because of those creatures that have appeared recently."

Zack was quiet for a long moment. I was just about to say goodbye when he said softly, "Make sure you call me soon, okay? When you get to the training facility. They'll give you a break before you start."

"I will, I already promised Tifa-"

"Then I'll be there too. Call me."

"I will, I said!"

"Make sure of it, Cloud."

"Fine."

We were both silent for a while, until finally I whispered, "I'm going now, all right?"

"Yeah. I'll talk to you then."

"...."

"Take care, Cloud."

I heard him hang up before I did. Nothing more, nothing less. He didn't even congratulate me... didn't even wish me luck like Tifa did. Somehow, Zack's response had swept my elation right under the carpet. I trudged up the stairs towards Hojo's office, not even caring if I was late.

Didn't Zack care...? He was the one who helped me reach the interview stage. He was the one who squeezed me into the testing process. I knew that it was my body's high tolerance to Mako treatments which got me in. It sure wasn't my muscles, but that was what training was for.

Why did Zack sound so unhappy... when I mentioned Hojo?

The greasy scientist certainly looked cheerful enough when I opened the door and walked into his office for a second time. He rubbed his hands together, waving me over. I couldn't help but notice that he was flanked by two men in the dark uniforms of a regular army soldier. I wondered what they were there for.

"Here's our man now," Hojo smiled disarmingly, patting my arm as I approached. His hands were cold, and I suddenly wished I'd chosen to wear something different, instead of the clothes Zack had given me for the screening process.

"Sir," I said uneasily, "I was wondering about my stuff... see, I didn't really bring anything with me-"

"Oh, don't worry about that," he shook his head, baring a full mouth of white teeth when he grinned, "The army provides everything you'll need. Anything else will just get in the way. Trust me boy - you're in good hands."

I didn't really want to trust the man - not with how Zack had acted when I said his name - but at that point I had no real choice. I was still too eager to finally have a chance to be somebody... so when Hojo turned to leave the office, I followed him, barely noticing the two soldiers walking behind me.

"Sir, just curious..."

"What is it now?" Hojo's voice cut me off, obviously irritated by the break in silence.

"Where is the training going to be?"

Hojo kept walking, hands fisted together behind his back. "It's a small peasant town across the continent, nothing really special. The real focus is the Mako reactor behind it, which is the source of our SOLDIER program."

Small town... Mako reactor... it wasn't... "But that's-"

"Nibelheim," Hojo finished, and I could feel the smile in his voice.

I couldn't understand why the thought of going home - as a SOLDIER, no less - filled my heart with hope and dread.




I never made that call, to Tifa or Zack.

The moment the transport truck arrived in Nibelheim, the two guards pointed their guns at me threateningly and cuffed me before I could react. My eyes wide, I struggled against them and tried to get an explanation, but they refused to answer, and Hojo was nowhere in sight.

"I'll be meeting you there," he had told me, just before we loaded ourselves onto the truck. "These two will show you where to go. Don't worry, boy. You'll be well cared for."

I'll give the damn traitor some credit - he was right. They took care of me.

I was escorted - for lack of a better word - to the Mako reactor up the mountain, kept carefully hidden from my family and fellow townsfolk. Hojo was meticulous in his planning, and he obviously didn't want anyone ruining things by reporting that they had seen me. I didn't know if his actions were illegal, or if I had just become the victim of the biggest scam Midgar had to offer.

Or maybe this was just the norm in a big city. The idea wasn't very promising, either way.

When we arrived inside the reactor, I was dealt a sharp blow to the back of the head - courtesy of Shinra's finest - and put out of my misery.

For the moment.

And when I awoke in a powder-glass cylinder, suspended in Mako fluid, I began to learn just how much of a mistake I had made by coming to Midgar...



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AN: Okay, I lied. Maybe everyone wasn't waiting for Hojo, ^_^;; Just kidding! But this chapter was longer than it was supposed to be. Less content than I planned, too. That's what I get for not plotting ahead as much. I'll try to remedy that in the future...

I have a hard time remembering Hojo's character. What I remember is an intelligent, snide, and very blunt scientist, who would go to any lengths to protect and pursue his work. He also seemed pretty forgetful, judging by his first meeting with Cloud in FFVII.

If you didn't hate him in that game, prepare for that attitude to change. *evil grin*

Next chapter: A brief respite from the past as Cloud gets a visitor. Then another character shows his unwanted self. (Or is he? Hmmm...)

Reviewer Responses:

Koorino Megumi: I'm glad you're liking Zack. I have no idea why I like him so much, but something just got me hooked, ^_^;; I hope I satisfied your curiousity about Cloud and Hojo. I haven't played the game in a while either, so I really should run through it again... I'm not completely certain about a lot of the characterization.

Kanojo Miseru-to Kurai: I value my spleen. *updates*

Eternal star: Sephiroth? *looks around suspiciously* Who's that? :P

Naela: What? You mean Hojo isn't the most huggable character in the whole fic? ;_; *makes a Hojo plushie*