The next morning, Cloud arrives at the General's office as usual, coming to attention in front of the man's desk. Instead of straightening his paperwork then leading them to the SOLDIER training grounds like he had every other time, Sephiroth just stares at him, deep in thought. As the silent inspection continues, Cloud feels his face darken more and more. Subtly glancing down, he's relieved to find that he is, in fact, wearing pants. He really has no desire to reenact his nightmares of being in front of the General in nothing but his underwear. Even if the man didn't ban him from the SOLDIER program on the spot, he doubts his embarrassment would allow him to continue with his training.

Body starting to shake from trying to stand still for so long, he finally gains the courage to ask, "I-is there something wrong, sir?" He really hopes that there's nothing on his face, otherwise he would have several choice words for his roommates for not bothering to warn him.

Sephiroth sighs, a far-off look in his eyes. "I'm merely thinking about something that Angeal said." And the man falls silent again, not bothering to elaborate any further.

"Oh?" While definitely curious, Cloud doesn't ask why that involves staring at him – he would be far too embarrassed, not to mention that that might cross into the territory of insubordination. Instead, he hopes his simple vocalization is enough to convince the General to offer up his reasoning. If this was Garrett, Cloud would only have to remain quiet and the teen would spill all of his secrets. And he means all of them. But going from their earlier stare-off, he gets the feeling the same can't be said for Sephiroth.

"No need to worry about it now." Shaking his head slightly – so slightly that Cloud isn't convinced that he didn't just imagine it – the haze lifts from the General's eyes. A hint of contrition now in slitted-green, Sephiroth gestures to the seat in front of his desk. "My apologies, Cloud. Please have a seat. There's something I wish to discuss with you before we continue your training."

Finally relaxing from attention, Cloud slides into the proffered chair and tries his best to control his racing thoughts. What did the General want to discuss? Was it bad? Did he finally realize that Cloud was nothing special? Would he throw him away like everybody in Nibelheim? You're just a loser, bird brain, no wonder your dad left!

"Relax, Cloud." Jerking himself from his thoughts and bad memories, Cloud looks up to see concern on Sephiroth's face – abject terror no doubt entirely visible on his own. "You have done nothing wrong. On the contrary, you have far exceeded my expectations." Cloud tries not to blush again with the praise, but fails miserably. How long had he yearned to hear those exact words not just from the General, but from anybody? "I wish to change up your training some. I would like you to get experience fighting monsters. To that end I've reserved the Combat Simulator on the 63rd floor – we'll be training there from now on."

From now on? Didn't anybody else need it? "Is it alright for us to use it?" For him to use it, that is. Sephiroth could probably do whatever he wanted, but Cloud had never had access that high up before – the main elevators only going up to the 59th floor.

The General smiles like his concerns are unfounded. "Of course. The President has approved everything."

"The P-president?" Cloud stutters out, half-sure he was hearing things. He has absolutely no idea what the President has to do with this, but the mysterious voice inside him insists that the man can't be trusted. Shaking his head, he tries to dispel the odd thoughts – the President had done nothing but good things since succeeding his father. He idly wonders if this was somehow caused by breakfast this morning. He had heard about certain foods having hallucinogenic effects.

"Yes. President Rufus has expressed interest in your continued training."

He should have known that meeting that talking dog-lion yesterday was a sign that things were about to stop making sense again. And in the worst possible way. If Johnson found out that not only were the 1sts paying attention to him but that the President himself was 'interested' in his training… Nope, stop thinking about that right now.

Following blindly behind Sephiroth, Cloud tries to devote his remaining operational brain cells to figuring out why the President of all people would be invested in his training. He was only one cadet and he wasn't even that impressive. Except maybe with magic, if Commander Rhapsodos was to be believed. Hmm, maybe that was it. SOLDIER only had one devoted magic user. Gaining another would probably be something that the President would be eager for.

Before he realizes it, they're exiting into a very posh-looking lounge on the 63rd floor – when had they even gotten onto the elevator? Leather couches and large flat-screen TVs surround them, the words 'RECREATIONAL FACILITY' in big, glowing letters above. When they come upon a cafeteria, Cloud has to stop and stare. Plants, which are so hard to find in Midgar, line the walls and act as centerpieces for the tables. There's another flat-screen TV near the windows and then the largest tree Cloud has ever seen encased in glass in the very center of the room. No doubt about it, this cafeteria is laughably nicer than the cadet one Cloud is used to.

Not allowing him the time to gawk properly, Sephiroth guides him up a flight of stairs and to a glowing dome that can only be the simulator. Once inside, the General fiddles with the control panel in the middle for a moment and then the simulation room dissolves in a flurry of light, replaced instead with what looks a great deal like the training grounds outside.

Sephiroth starts him off with several laps around the simulated training grounds, sword strapped to his back as usual. While still exhausting, Cloud's pleased to find that it seems to be getting easier. He at least isn't as out of breath as he normally is. Then, the main part of training begins – fighting monsters. When Sephiroth messes with the control panel this time, a single Wererat appears in front of them, fangs bared and claws primed.

"Alright, Cloud. We'll start easy for now and work our way from there."

"Yes, sir." Cloud tries not to be disappointed. Just one Wererat? This wouldn't be much of a fight – he could kill a Wererat with a rifle with his eyes closed. Shouldn't be that much more difficult with a sword.

Readying his weapon, he drops into a fighting stance as Sephiroth moves off to the side and out of the way. He doesn't have to wait long, the Wererat launching itself at him with a snarl. He stares at the monster, unmoving, as he holds for the right moment. Finally within reach, Cloud shifts and slashes upwards, expecting to cut the Wererat in half. Except he doesn't. Sword barely grazing the monster, Cloud stops and stares in disbelief. That should have worked. Unable to even think of how to fix his mistake, the Wererat is on him, sharp teeth sinking into his arm.

Releasing a pained yelp, Cloud falls backward onto the floor, Wererat still firmly in place. Sword long since lost, he flails his assaulted arm wildly, hoping that somehow that will dislodge the monster. Before he can come up with a better tactic since shaking is most definitely not working, the Wererat is disappearing much like the floor had before.

Looking up, Cloud sees Sephiroth turn away from the control panel and head back in his direction. The materia in the General's hand glows for a second, then warmth floods through Cloud as he watches in morbid fascination as the puncture wounds on his arm stitch themselves back together. He at least knows from his Monster Theory class that Wererat bites aren't poisonous. So, that's one thing he has going for him, even if he still was just a screw-up.

Dropping his gaze to the floor, humiliated, he sees black boots enter his field of vision. "Are you alright, Cloud?" He deludes himself into thinking Sephiroth sounds concerned, but he's smart enough not to look up. Not after that pathetic display. Not after he was bested by a measly Wererat.

"Yes, sir." He answers, biting back the shame, hoping that his voice sounds even. Even though he's pretty sure he himself has started to shake.

What was he thinking? He was such an idiot. Everybody back in Nibelheim was right about him. Johnson was right about him. He really would amount to nothing.

"-oud."

Don't worry. They'll see you for who you are soon enough. He chokes back a hysterical laugh. Turns out Johnson was right all along. It certainly didn't take long. So much for showing the other cadet up.

"Cloud."

He tenses, but other than that stays frozen in place. How could he face Sephiroth now? The General had said that he had far exceeded his expectations before, but the Wererat fiasco probably completely negated that.

"Run, Cloud… Run away."

That's right. That's all he was ever good at – running away. Running from his bullies, from his problems, from his failures. It would no doubt be the best option now. No way would Sephiroth be able to look at him the same way again. Not when he was such a terrible excuse for a cadet. Perhaps if he kept his head down and made himself as small and unassuming as possible (the only time his stature would come in handy), then maybe none of the other cadets would notice that he had been tossed aside. Maybe he could avoid the taunts about how he should have known it wouldn't last. That Sephiroth would have always found somebody better. Of course, Cloud doesn't think he'll be able to handle the shame when Sephiroth does actually find somebody else. Especially if that somebody turns out to be Johnson. Perhaps accepting the humiliation of returning to Nibelheim empty-handed was the least painful choice now.

So lost in his self-deprecating thoughts, he doesn't notice the hand on his face until it's lifting his chin up, forcing him to make eye contact with its owner. "Cloud, breathe." Sephiroth says, now kneeling in front of him.

Sucking in a harsh breath, Cloud bitterly realizes that he had stopped breathing. In front of the General. Not to mention he was still shaking and probably looked like he wanted to cry. Fantastic. Having a breakdown in front of Zack was one thing. But Sephiroth? His idol? Could things get any worse?

"Hey." Sephiroth's voice is soft, gaze still fixed on him. "I'm not planning to give up on you just because you made a mistake. Everybody makes mistakes." Something like a pained grimace passes over the man's face, not that Cloud knows what to make of it. "Even I do."

Cloud finds that very hard to believe, the man was practically perfect. Nobody's perfect, little Stormcloud, his mother's voice rings through his head. While normally said to cheer him up when he had made a fool of himself – falling flat on his face in front of Tifa had not been fun – he guesses it could apply to Sephiroth, too. The man's perceived perfection could just be a product of Shinra's propaganda. They probably wouldn't advertise any mistake that their beloved General made. More concerning, though, is he has absolutely no idea why that thought brings flashes of fire and smoke to mind.

Before he can focus more on the strange images, though, a leather-clad thumb is running a smooth arc over his cheek. Sephiroth's hand then falls to his elbow and the man pulls him to his feet, Cloud's eyes wide and heart trapped in his throat from the unexpected contact. Releasing his hold on Cloud, Sephiroth regards him for a moment before asking, "Do you know what you did wrong?"

He almost answers 'Everything?', but figures that that's not what the General is looking for. Instead, he opts for, "I swung too soon, sir."

"Why did you swing too soon?"

"Because I misjudged the distance between me and the monster." Because he thought his limbs were longer. If only.

Sephiroth sighs. "You need to take your own limitations into account. You're not as tall as the other SOLDIERs." Cloud pulls a face at the General's words. He doesn't need to be reminded that he's short. It was a source of constant annoyance for him. Sephiroth chuckles at the face he's making and continues, "There's nothing wrong with that. You just need to keep in mind that your reach won't be as long. You won't be able to pull off the same stunts."

It's Cloud's turn to sigh. "Yes, sir."

"If you miss, just remember – whatever you do, don't freeze." The look on Sephiroth's face is a mix of serious and grim. "You were very lucky that we started with a Wererat. If it had been something else, your injuries could have been far more dire. Understand?"

"Yes, sir."

Sephiroth nods. "Good. Shall we try again?"

Cloud takes a deep breath to ground himself and lets it out slowly. "Yes, sir."

"I know you said Cloud had self-esteem issues before, but I didn't realize it was this bad." Sephiroth swirls the wine around in his glass lazily, addressing Zack across the table. "He misjudged the distance between him and his enemy today and the Wererat he was fighting decided his arm would make a nice snack." Zack lets out a pained hiss as Sephiroth continues. "Afterwards, he totally shut down. He wouldn't say anything, wouldn't even look at me. He was trembling and he looked like he wanted to cry. Like I was getting ready to get rid of him."

The teen frowns. "That's the thing. I don't remember it being this bad. He was definitely unsure of himself and was completed humiliated that he never made SOLDIER, but I've never seen him look so absolutely distraught before."

Angeal hums, back turned to them. If he wasn't cooking, his arms would no doubt be crossed over his chest. Sephiroth's not sure what his fellow SOLDIER is making, but it smells fantastic. And would no doubt taste just as good. This was why Angeal was their designated chef. Not to mention that Sephiroth was barred from cooking ever again. Making food taste good was never covered in Hojo's 'upbringing'. Genesis and Angeal had been quite horrified when they discovered that he only viewed eating as simply an efficient way to get the required nutrients to survive. They had rather quickly made it their mission to rehabilitate him – and he was forever grateful for it. "But you met him when he was older last time, right?" The man asks, not taking his eyes off the food. At Zack's sad "Yes…", he continues. "Maybe he learned how to deal with things better by then."

"Or mask it better." Genesis counters somberly, leaning on the counter next to Angeal.

Zack groans and slumps bonelessly onto the table. "Johnson certainly isn't helping things…"

"It's a shame he does not remember. He certainly had no problem dealing with bullies when he was an adult." Sephiroth knew this from personal experience, being the man's greatest enemy and all.

Genesis snorts. "From what I hear, you gave him plenty motivation to take care of his bullies."

Sephiroth grimaces, but doesn't respond – the man certainly had a point. Burning Nibelheim to the ground would have been incentive enough, but then he had also killed Aerith. Not to mention that him treating the man like a puppet certainly didn't make things any better.

Zack pulls himself back up from the table with a groan, no doubt thinking about the 'motivation' Sephiroth had provided – he had had a front-row seat in Nibelheim, after all. "Do you think he'll ever remember?"

Setting his glass down, Sephiroth leans back in his chair. "It's hard to say. I believe his body remembers at least. If he was an adult again, he would have no doubt sliced that Wererat clean in two."

Genesis pushes himself off the counter and gracefully slides into one of the open chairs at the table. "I'm not surprised. I mean, we already know that he retained his magical ability." Hope starts shining in Zack's eyes until Genesis speaks again, voicing the same thought running through Sephiroth's head. "But that doesn't mean that he himself will actually remember. If his trauma the first time around was that great, it's possible his subconscious is protecting him and he'll never remember." It's a realistic assumption, but that doesn't stop Zack from immediately deflating, throwing himself dramatically onto the table again.

"Well, assuming the worst-case scenario and Cloud never remembers," Angeal starts, reducing the heat to a simmer and turning to face the table. "We'll have to work on building up his confidence, otherwise he very well may succumb to mako poisoning again." And that definitely would not help with Jenova.

The following day, Cloud finds himself back in the Combat Simulator. This time with Commander Rhapsodos. The man had said that they would be working with status ailments that day, which only affect living beings – it was probably better if they didn't use any of the other SOLDIERs as guinea pigs, they would not thank him for that.

Once situated, Rhapsodos casts a spell and a wall of light appears, glowing, in front of Cloud. When it disappears in the next second, the SOLDIER explains, "That was Shield. It will nullify any and all physical damage. Don't want you getting hurt while we practice." Cloud wishes he had had that yesterday. It would have at least saved him the pain that came along with the utter humiliation. More than that, though, he hopes Sephiroth didn't mention the incident to the Commander. But If he did, Rhapsodos doesn't chide him for his blunder.

Like Sephiroth, Rhapsodos summons a Wererat for them to train with. The man slips an orb of materia into his hands, saying, "Poison. Let's see what that does." The monster still hasn't moved from the spot that it was simulated into as Cloud casts. A cloud of dark green smog appears around the Wererat and as it fades, the creature convulses as if hurt.

Its attention is on Cloud then, as if aware of who had attacked it. Unlike the one from the previous day, though, this one approaches slowly, cautiously, aware of the damage that he could cause. As it stalks closer, Cloud notices small green bubbles the Wererat seems to secrete, the monster flinching in apparent pain every few seconds.

Pleased, Rhapsodos swaps the poison materia out for a new one. "Time materia. This will be a bit more difficult." Cloud nods, trying to appear confident as the Commander continues, "There are three different types of time spells you can cast with this, in progressing order – Haste, Slow, and Stop. I want you to cast Slow on the Wererat. You will need to provide enough energy so you don't cast Haste, but not so much that you go over Slow and cast Stop. Understand?"

"Yes, sir." Cloud at least sounds sure even if he doesn't entirely feel it. He really wants to do this right and maybe make up some for the shitshow that was yesterday. Focusing on the materia in his hand, he starts feeding energy into it. He soon feels a buzz, which he figures must be Haste.

The Wererat must realize that Cloud is about to cast another spell, abandoning its wary approach and outright charging. Before it can make it more than five steps, though, Cloud feels the second buzz. He releases the energy without thinking, a clock face appearing around the monster, the hand winding back counterclockwise. In the next instant, the Wererat's frenzied gait turns ridiculously lethargic. It reminds Cloud of playing with his mom when he was no older than 4 or 5 – his mom chasing after him in exaggerated slow motion as he ran around the house on short, chubby legs, laughing hysterically at her antics. He can still hear her voice in his head, her words drawn out much like her pace – I'm gonna get you, little Stormcloud! Gaia, he misses her so much.

"Wonderful, Cloud." He turns to see Rhapsodos smiling down at him. "Think you can do Stop this time?"

Cloud nods, already activating the materia once again. Slow was definitely the more difficult one, he shouldn't have a problem with Stop. Waiting for the third buzz, he casts again – another clock face appearing around the Wererat. The hand on this one starts to rewind again before stopping altogether. The monster, which had continued its decelerated charge, immediately freezes in place – one hind leg in the air, hands and claws outstretched in front of it. Its eyes are the only part of it that are still moving, jumping back and forth between Cloud and Commander Rhapsodos frantically.

Cloud tries not to look too much into the emotion showing in the SOLDIER's eyes as the man swaps out materia again. It looks a lot like pride, but he doesn't want to get his (or the Commander's) hopes up. "Binding materia," Rhapsodos says, "We'll only worry with the first tier of this one."

Nodding again, Cloud casts with the first buzz and watches as the Wererat collapses onto the floor, snoring away. Huh. Cloud didn't know that Wererats snored. If the strange combination of whistling, squeaking, and grumbling that came from the downed monster was snoring, that is.

"Alright, one more." Rhapsodos states, exchanging materia one last time. "This one is called Transform. Let's try for the second tier, ok?"

Already accustomed to the process, Cloud casts without thinking and blue smoke covers the prone form of the Wererat. If he had paid more attention to the name of the materia, he might have been prepared for the sight that meets him after the smoke clears. As it is, he stares, mouth agape, at the toad that has taken the monster's place. Unaware of its new amphibian body, the Wererat-toad sleeps through the whole thing, it's snoring now more of a croaking.

Rhapsodos has him cast the spell again – Cloud doesn't question him, though he's not entirely sure what use casting Toad on a toad would actually be. When the smoke clears this time, he's once again surprised – this time, though, because the toad has returned to a whistling, squeaking, grumbling Wererat. Weird.

"You are most definitely beloved by the Goddess, little bird." Noting his confusion, Rhapsodos continues, "Casting status ailments doesn't always work. There's always the chance the ailment won't take effect – especially with unmastered materia like these. The stronger your magical ability, the better chance you have." Rhapsodos gazes at him fondly then. "And everything you tried succeeded."

Cloud can't help the hope that blooms in his chest – maybe he wasn't such a screw-up after all. This definitely helps his flagging confidence from the day before. Well… whatever confidence he did have to begin with.

"Sephiroth better be careful or I might actually steal you away from him."

Cloud feels the heat rush to his face. Steal him away? From Sephiroth? How was he supposed to respond to that? "Uh… Please don't fight," he manages to get out through his embarrassment.

Genesis chuckles, a little wryly. "Don't worry, little bird. I've learned my lesson." Cloud has no idea what to make of that either, but Rhapsodos doesn't give him a chance to think about it, continuing with a smirk, "Have you ever heard about the time that Sephiroth shredded the Sister Ray cannon to ribbons?"

"W-what?" Cloud stutters, face no doubt a mix of complete shock and awe.

Rhapsodos laughs again at his reaction and says, "He, Angeal, and I used to sneak into the SOLDIER Simulation Room when the 2nds weren't around. One day we were sparring in a simulated Junon and I may have provoked him a bit too much." Genesis winces at the memory, bringing a hand up to clutch his shoulder. "He might not look like it, but Sephiroth has quite the penchant for property damage."

"Oh, he definitely looks it." Cloud responds entirely on instinct, bewildered by the visions he sees of the Shinra Building falling at him. Realizing what he said entirely too late, his face pales and he turns wide eyes on the Commander as he pleads, "Please don't tell him I said that."

Rhapsodos just smirks again, looking entirely too pleased. "Not to worry. Your secret is safe with me."