Two Months Later
"Faster Cloud! Harder. Come on!" Zack's voice echoed around the open field.
"I'm trying," Cloud panted as he pulled himself to his feet. He tightened his grip on the broadsword in his hands, before rushing at the taunting face of his instructor.
Zack smirked as he saw Cloud still adjusting to the weight of the buster sword. Zack loved his sword, but he remembered how hard it had been at first to learn to use it.
Turning to Cloud's swing, the buster sword rang loudly as it struck Zack's shoulder armor and bounced back. In the moment when Cloud was most off balance, Zack grabbed the buster sword with both hands and turned himself around, pulling the sword out of Cloud's grasp and throwing it across the clearing.
"No far Zack. I thought you were teaching me to use the sword," Cloud laughed as he stared at his weapon, and then back to the dark eyes of his instructor. Before he had time to react, Cloud found himself with a face full of forearm.
Zack sighed heavily as his student fell to the ground, a few drops of blood running from his split lip.
"Your guard shouldn't go down just cause you don't have your weapon. That'll get you killed in the real world."
Suddenly feeling guilty over causing pain to the smaller boy, Zack reached down and grabbed his hand, helping him to his feet. Zack reached out his hand and brushed his finger across Cloud's lip, wiping away the blood. Cloud felt strange, with the leather glove against his lip, and quickly stepped back and dropped into a fighting stance.
"You did say I shouldn't let my guard down right?" Cloud grinned widely at Zack's hurt/proud expression.
At least you listen to what I'm saying to you Cloud. But I wonder how much more you know than you're letting on...
Despite their frequent training sessions, everything from different weaponry practice to hand-to-hand combat, Zack still hadn't seen anything out of the usual from Cloud. The strength he had seen the boy use that first night had never resurfaced. He really was nothing more then a mediocre trooper.
"Hey Cloud, how much do you know about materia?"
"Um, not much. Just what we've been taught in class," Cloud stood casually again and licked subconsciously at his split lip.
Zack seemed to be debating something important, and ran his hand through his long jet black hair out of habit. Then he walked across the field they used as their training ground and picked up the buster sword. Cloud watched in amazement at how Zack could pick up the huge broadsword and swing it up over his shoulder with just one hand, and make it look easy to boot.
"So have you ever seen materia in use Cloud?"
The boy shook his head. Zack pointed to a few small multi-colored gems that were in his broadsword's hilt. Pulling out a small green gem, Zack placed the buster sword back on the ground for now."This is one of my personal favorite materia Cloud. It's an ice materia." Extending his hand, Zack let Cloud take a good look at the seemingly innocent piece of materia.
"How do you use it?"
Zack turned so that he and Cloud were shoulder to shoulder. He pointed at a tree on the edge of the clearing that was big and stood farther into the clearing than the others.
"It takes some practice, but you just have to focus on the materia, and know what you want it to do. The hardened mako will react, and you will feel it, the power of it, in you. Then, you just channel that power and....kaboom."
Zack flashed a small grin at Cloud, who's blue eyes had gotten bigger in anticipation. Zack closed his fist over the small gem, and crouched down slightly, pulling the hand with the gem in it behind him. Cloud wasn't sure what to expect when all of a sudden Zack threw his other hand forward and a blast of blue light raced across the clearing.
The light struck the tree and flew off in different directions. Cloud shivered as a cold breeze blew past him, cutting through him. When he looked at his uniform, he saw a thin line of frost across his chest.
Hearing Zack move next to him, Cloud turned to see him running at the tree, which was covered in huge icicles. Zack jumped in the air and used a roundhouse kick straight to the center of the frozen tree.
The ice shattered like glass and shards of wood and ice flew through the air, along with a thick film of ice that had been pulverized into powder. Cloud shielded his eyes and when he opened them he saw Zack standing where the tree used to stand, next to the still frozen stump, his hair coated in a layer of white powder. Cloud's jaw dropped and he practically fell to the ground.
How can anyone have so much power?? He reduced it to nothing. So that's what Soldiers are really like.
Zack shook his head like a wet dog and the remains of the ice flew everywhere.
"So whaddya think Cloud, wanna give it a shot?" Zack threw the small gem at Cloud, who caught it carefully in both hands.
"Are you sure? I mean...can I?" Cloud looked at the deceptively small jewel. He had never cast a spell before, and he didn't want to embarrass himself. Or freeze himself.
"I'm sure you'll be able to..." Zack's voice was soft and curious, staring intently at Cloud. "And plus, you'll have to learn how to use materia before you become a Soldier. Because in the wild, you'll face creatures who can use spells too."
Cloud paled at the thought of fighting a monster who could turn him into an icicle with a mere blast. He rolled the smooth gem through his fingers, unsure of how to begin. Zack had made it seem to easy.
"Cloud!"
The blond looked up at Zack, who had walked back towards him, now standing about ten feet away. But something was different. Cloud could feel something emanating from the Soldier. It was like when he felt the cold wind right before the ice spell was cast, but this was different. The air was thick and humid, and the hair on Cloud's arm and neck started to stand on end.
"Better learn to use that materia quick kid, you're gonna need it."
Zack stood straight up and threw one hand into the air. The other he held in a fist to his chest. Cloud heard thunder rumble somewhere overhead before he saw light flash in the sky. The bolt raced down towards him and Cloud barely managed to dodge to the side as it scorched the grass he'd been standing on.
Zack smiled as Cloud got into a crouch and looked like some frightened animal backed into a corner. He sent down another lightning bolt, and this time Cloud was less lucky. The bolt hit his right leg, throwing him a good five feet to the side, and sending shocks of electricity through his body.
Cloud writhed on the ground for a second, his leg numb from the lightning attack. But now he was less afraid of disappointing Zack as he was of being killed by him. Zack's long spiky black hair was sticking in different directions, the static drawing it out. He extended his hand to the air again and this time Cloud anticipated it, and rolled out of harm's way as the yellow bolt sent dirt and rocks scattering from where it hit.
"You won't be able to dodge them all Cloud."
Cloud was suddenly overwhelmed with anger. Here he was, with a man he had begun to think of as his best friend. And he was trying to barbecue him.
Another bolt flew through the air and barely singed Cloud's right leg, again. Cloud growled in anger and stood up, ignoring the pain.
He wants to play dirty, well fine. We'll play dirty.
Cloud focused as hard as he could and felt the jewel in his hand go icy cold. His hand began to feel numb, but he didn't care. He could see Zack preparing for another attack. Instead of the air becoming charged, the temperature fell and both men's breath came out in a silver mist.
Zack grinned and stopped using the bolt materia in his hand.
Cloud yelled and threw the hand that wasn't holding the ice materia at Zack. His whole body was freezing cold, but he felt the power run from the gem to the end of his hand and explode in a flash of bluish white light.
Zack turned and grabbed his discarded broadsword in both hands. He swung it forward to meet Cloud's blast.
For a few minutes, neither boy could see each other. Cloud had stopped using the materia and it warmed up in his hand, but he was prepared just in case his attack had missed.
Wait a minute. What am I thinking?? I may have just frozen my only friend.
Cloud groaned unhappily but decided to move on and take a look for himself at the carnage. The ice and snow from his attack were settling, and he could see a figure standing in front of him. It was Zack, and much to Cloud's surprise and joy, not frozen. The edge of the buster sword was shining with a layer of crystal ice, and the ground to each side of Zack had been frozen solid. But the Soldier remained unharmed.
"Not bad Cloud. A pretty good first try. You should take some free time and practice with the materia on your own until you've mastered them," saying this Zack walked up to Cloud and placed another green materia in his hand.
"Are you sure you want me to have both of them for now. Won't you need one?"
"Nah, I've got plenty. Plus, I've got this," Zack smirked as he placed the buster sword against his back where it stuck faithfully to the magnet hidden under Zack's loose blue shirt.
The two started their trip back to their respective homes from the woods. They walked down the paths in silence until they were almost out, when Cloud asked the question that had kept his mind occupied for their whole walk.
"Why did you attack me Zack?" he said quietly. He was too surprised by everything that had happened before to voice his concerns.
Zack stopped in the middle of the path and looked at Cloud. He saw the distrust in his eyes and was hurt by it. He had come to care for Cloud. A lot. More than he cared for most people, save one.
"Look Cloud. You're unique. You have a lot of untapped power. But if you don't push yourself, if you don't leave your restraints behind, you'll never be strong enough. And you'll never become a Soldier." Zack reached out and playfully mussed up Cloud's already riled hair. Cloud smiled up at him and Zack felt an immense sense of relief.
"Still...you could have just told me that instead of zapping me." Zack laughed at the cute pout on Cloud's face.
"Hey man, its how I was taught."
Zack continued to walk out of the woods and cross the street towards his home.
"Really?" Cloud ran to catch up to him, he eyes bright and friendly again, his worries forgotten.
"Well, one difference," Zack's thoughts went to a man in black, with long silver hair yelling at him that he'd better start running, "my teacher was using fire materia."
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Ah, a noticeably longer chapter. I really like this fic and as long as you people keep reviewing it, I've still got a good amount of ideas left. So I got one vote for some Zack/Cloud action, anyone else wanna tell me which is their favorite combo of the FFVII bishie brigade. Thanks for reading, later people!!
PS: The next chapter is gonna be a bit Cloud-lacking, and Sephiroth finally decides to have a speaking part.
