Sephiroth sat up in bed and yawned. He started when he found Tifa asleep next to him.
"What the hell?" he asked himself. Tifa rolled over
"Did I fall asleep?" she asked. Sephiroth nodded
"Yes" he said
"Sorry" she said "I just thought I'd just have a quick nap"
"Don't apologise, you did nothing wrong" he said.
"Are you feeling better?" she asked him
"A hundred percent" said Sephiroth
"Fancy training?" she asked "We have some more land clearing to do, then we'll try you in hand to hand combat"
The two of them went down into the garden where Sephiroth tried more basic magic. In the end Tifa wiped out most of the life in the garden.
"You have some serious issues" said Sephiroth looking at the remains of some trees that were turning into ash.
"The ash will help the grass" she said simply. Sephiroth laughed
"What now?" he asked
"Take off your coat" she said. Sephiroth took off the long black coat and folded it up on the grass.
"How are you going to teach me?" Sephiroth asked
"How I was taught" said Tifa "Come stand here" she said pointing to a place next to her. Slowly Tifa took Sephiroth through many different types of physical combat.
Cloud gasped for breath as he jogged across the bridge. Half away along he stopped and looked back at the mansion. From his vantage point he could see two dots in the cleared garden; Tifa and Sephiroth most likely he thought. Cloud turned and began his run back down the mountain to the manor.
Vincent was sat in a small alcove in the cliff face watching Tifa guide Sephiroth through combat sequences. He was interested to see what Sephiroth would be like in the end; he would be a new man Maybe a true son thought Vincent One I won't have to pay penance for.
"Let's try some exercises" said Tifa standing ahead of Sephiroth. Tifa threw some slow punches in order to let Sephiroth try out what he had just learnt. Slowly the tempo increased, Tifa made sure she kept to the basics. After almost an hour without pause Tifa lowered her arms which were getting tired.
"Your stamina must have something to do with your magic" she said to Sephiroth who was sweating buckets. Sephiroth sighed and lowered his tired arms
"Are you hungry?" he asked
"A bit" she said "Come on" she lead him back into the house. Cloud came through the doors noisily
"Sorry" he said closing the door quietly. Nanaki had almost been hit by the doors opening so rapidly; hence the apology.
"Where are Tifa and Sephiroth?" Cloud asked
"In the kitchen, they have been training" said Nanaki
"In the kitchen?" Cloud asked, rather an idiotic moment for the leader who had recently led an attack on a very powerful enemy.
"No, in the garden" said Nanaki simply "They have just entered the kitchen to get a drink and some food"
"Okay" said Cloud and went into the kitchen. When he entered Tifa had her head in the fridge and Sephiroth was sat on the side with a glass of water looking out through the kitchen window.
"What have you been up to?" Tifa asked Cloud who was stood in the doorway glittering with sweat
"Out running" he said "How did the training go?"
"You're doing well" Tifa said to Sephiroth. Sephiroth nodded in gratitude.
"Thank you" he said.
"I should be getting back" said Tifa "Barret doesn't trust you, he might think you've cut me into pieces and made a stew out of me or something" Sephiroth and Tifa laughed making Cloud feel a bit left out.
"Bye" she said hugging Sephiroth then Cloud before leaving the manor.
"You two seem pretty close" said Cloud
"That's a wonderful lady you have there Cloud, don't let her go" said Sephiroth putting a reassuring hand on Cloud's shoulder. Cloud watched Sephiroth walk away into the garden, he couldn't help but feel jealous that Tifa was exclusively interested in spending time with Sephiroth.
"He won't steal her from you" said Nanaki who was watching Cloud "He is like a brother to you, he doesn't want to step on your toes" Cloud thought about it "And Tifa isn't the kind of girl to do that anyway, plus I don't think she fancies Sephiroth and vice versa"
"It's not that" said Cloud sitting on the bottom step "I just feel a bit left out, I know it's selfish"
"Yes it is quite" said Nanaki "Sephiroth should come first now, after all he does need the help"
"I know" said Cloud
"But saying that I don't think it's fair that your feelings for Tifa should be put on hold because Sephiroth needs help, I think you should tell her how you feel" said Nanaki "But if not then make sure you don't feel like you just did; jealously came off you in waves, if I can sense it then I wouldn't be surprised if he could"
"Was it that bad?" Cloud asked
"Oh yes" said Nanaki.
"Sorry" said Cloud.
"It's okay, good job Sephiroth did not sense it, he would have felt very guilty" said Nanaki.
At noon Cloud went outside and found Sephiroth meditating in the centre of the garden, not wanting to disturb him Cloud went back into the house.
"What's he up to now?" Nanaki asked
"Meditating" said Cloud
"I wonder if he's doing it to pass the time or find inner peace?" said Nanaki
"Vincent should try it" said Cloud "Get some inner peace" Nanaki and Cloud both laughed. Someone knocked on the door and Cloud went to open it. His visitor was Yuffie.
"Well, where is he?" Yuffie asked walking into the hall
"He's got nothing to steal" said Cloud simply. Yuffie sighed
"I'm not here to steal from him!" said Yuffie throwing her arms out "I'm here to say hi!"
"He's in the garden" said Nanaki. Yuffie sprinted out through the backdoors and out of sight.
"Poor Sephiroth" said Cloud
"I wonder what he'll make of her?" Nanaki said "He's never met someone so…"
"Noisy?" Cloud asked
"I was going to say flamboyant" said Nanaki.
Sephiroth was sat in complete silence when he heard footsteps. He had barely opened his eyes when something small but strong crashed into him.
"Hey!" said someone in greeting as they rolled over a few times due to the velocity he had been crashed into. In the end Sephiroth was lying flat on his back and Yuffie was lying a few meters away on her stomach facing him.
"You must be Yuffie Kisaragi" said Sephiroth looking over at her.
"You heard of me?" she asked smiling
"From Cloud" said Sephiroth
"Was it good?" she asked
"No" said Sephiroth. Yuffie jumped to her feet and ran over and knelt on Sephiroth.
"You any fun?" she asked
"What do you mean?" Sephiroth asked
"Come on, everyone is so boring!" she said "Someone around here must have some sense of adventure!" with one hand Sephiroth shoved Yuffie off him and he flipped himself onto his feet. Yuffie rolled and landed on her feet.
"Come on!" she screamed at him "Be fun!" Sephiroth rubbed the back of his head; this woman was annoying him. Suddenly Yuffie had tackled him and Sephiroth found himself pinned face-down in the grass.
"I thought you were like super-martial arty" said Yuffie. Sephiroth nudged her and rolled over pinning her.
"I'm getting there" he said. Yuffie laughed and managed to get free. Sephiroth jumped to his feet but Yuffie swept his feet from beneath him bringing him crashing onto his back. Yuffie dived and landed on his; pinning his arms.
"Ha! I win!" she declared. Sephiroth was much stronger and broke her grip and rolled over pinning her wrists.
"You sure?" he asked "Because I'm the one on top and you're pinned; I guess that means I win" Yuffie tried getting free
"No fair!" she screamed "You're older! And you're a guy! And you're bigger than me! And you're a guy!"
"You said that last bit twice" he said laughing.
"Argh!" she screamed at him. Sephiroth laughed and got up. Yuffie tackled him knocking him over and then she pinned him again
"Ha!" she said "You didn't see that one coming!"
"Actually" said Sephiroth and rolled backwards taking Yuffie with him. Yuffie was lying face down and Sephiroth had one hand on her right arm pinning her, her other arm was stuck under her.
"I was expecting it" said Sephiroth "Do you give up?"
"No" said Yuffie straight away and began squirming but Sephiroth was in control. After a few minutes of trying to get free Yuffie sighed and put her head on the floor; a true mark of defeat.
"I give up!" she shouted face down on the grass.
"I didn't hear that" Sephiroth said with a smile
"You're cruel" she said lifting her head "I give up!" she screamed. Sephiroth laughed and got to his feet and helped Yuffie up.
"You're fun after all" said Yuffie stretching "Shame you're old"
"Hey!" said Sephiroth "I'm only…" he thought about it "I'm only twenty-two!"
"I'm sixteen" she said "Pervert!" she screamed at him making him jump. Yuffie laughed as did Sephiroth.
"You're completely insane" said Sephiroth shaking his head and walking towards the house.
"You're old" she said simply. Yuffie jumped and landed on Sephiroth's back.
"Yes?" he asked
"Carry me!" she said "Go horsey!" Sephiroth laughed and walked towards the mansion. When they arrived in the main hall Nanaki gave Sephiroth a bemused look
"Apparently I'm a horse" said Sephiroth
"A rubbish horse" said Yuffie dropping from Sephiroth's back "Tifa says you're a good cook, is that right?"
"I am not cooking" said Sephiroth
"Oh come on" she said holding his hand "Please! Barret isn't a very good cook"
"No" said Sephiroth.
"Come!" she screamed but Sephiroth had expected it and covered her mouth mid scream. Yuffie sank her teeth into his palm. Sephiroth snapped his hand back
"On!" she finished her scream. Cloud shook his head; he was watching the three of them from the upstairs hallway.
"Fine!" Sephiroth shouted back and walked off towards the kitchen laughing; he had scared Yuffie half to death.
"That was cruel!" she screamed at him before running after him.