An: This story almost has nothing to do with the story in the game. The only things used are characters and locations, which are of large quantity. Most references are from the game, so if you just saw Advent Children (which I thought was horrible) and didn't play the game, you probably won't know too much of the vocabulary in this story. In which case, if you read something you don't know of, ask, or use your friend Google. :)

One more thing, I don't own anything having to do with FF7. This story is set in a sort of an alternate FFVII universe. Italics from here on mean someone is thinking. This chapter (and all chapters up to six) of the story are being rewritten, so chances are if you read this anytime before 1/10/09, this will be new to you.

CHAPTER 3

"Y-Y-Your name's Cloud Strife, yousay? And you're Vi-" Mrs. Highwind thought she couldn't have possibly heard what she thought she heard. She couldn't even finish her question.

After a long drag of his cigarette and a long stare at his stuttering wife, Cid finally managed to ask something useful.

"Cloud Strife, eh? Mind if we take a look at the sword you got on your back? Should be the same sword that everyone in the Strife bloodline has used before; the Buster Blade."

Cloud looked at Vincent wondering if he should really pull out his sword. Vincent looked at him and gave a nod that it was appropriate. All the students in the classroom watched silently in awe as Cloud drew the sword that was hooked on his back. Embedded on the edge of the sword were symbols starting from the top to the bottom; Cloud had never understood them. If he remembered correctly, Professor Ghast told Cloud when he first gave him the Buster Blade that he put them on there for a "purpose that will one day be fulfilled." The memory didn't strike Cloud at all in recent years until now.

Everyone then proceeded to look at Aeris, for they all recognized the symbols as part of a language a handful of people on the planet could read. These people were those of the Cetran race, and were also known as the Ancients. Aeris, one of the few with Cetran blood in her, could read it…in a sense. The ability to interpret such writings appeared to have been something that she was born with; not something that she learned.

Suddenly feeling awkward, Aeris stood up and said "*scoff* Well! Since everyone's staring at me, I mind as well. I'm sure everyone's curious so I mind as well just go with what everyone's thinking." She then proceeded to walk over to Cloud at the front of the class. Looking at Cloud, she then proceeded to ask "Could you place that sword upside down so the handle is on top?"

Cloud did as he was asked and wondered what it was that was on his sword.

Aeris scanned through the sword, and then paused. "My translation's probably going to be a little off…but…" and then she began to recite:

"This sword that was not destined to be shattered,

nor repaired, has lost its' perfection.

The greater techniques have been lost

to a broken bloodline;

Soon shall the arts return to their master.

But to earn them back

The holder must now face

The dangers of which, will stack.

One by one the bloodline fell,

Now it is up to the one that is small,

The one on his knees to crawl,

to replace other in heart,

than emptiness given from the start."

Aeris stopped reciting, sat back down and started thinking about the riddle. Silence had swept the room once more.

"OK! LETS START MAKING ANIMALS OUT OF PAPER AND GLITTER SHALL WE?" Mrs. Highwind could only smile as the class was dumbfounded and found gloomier than before. "But first things first, Cloud and Vincent, go down to the office and deposit your weapons there and than come back for partner projects."

Cid just stood there staring at his wife wondering how she can just be all happy while the son of a legend may be standing in the very room that they were standing on. What's more was that this kid shouldn't even be alive.

"I already turned it in to the office about 20 minutes ago and obviously Cloud hasn't. So if it's not a problem, I wouldn't mind getting a start on this project." Vincent stood there and Cloud stared at him blankly scanning him up and down. Sure enough, he didn't have one weapon on him, which was more than unusual for Vincent.

"Hmm Tifa!" shouted Mrs. Highwind

"Y-Yes?"

"Could you take Cloud down to the office? I'm afraid he doesn't appear to know his way around, and seeing as how you're such an outstanding student I thought you wouldn't mind." said Mrs. Highwind in a very happy tone. Mrs. Highwind then turned to the class and inhaled. "NOW EVERYONE ELSE, LETS START CUTTING AND GLUEING AND JUST GO! GO! GO! GO! GO!"

As Tifa led the way with Cloud behind her, both of them could hear Cid with shouting in the background from a deranged yet caring teacher. "*sigh* that's why I love this women."

Walking into the hallway, neither of the two made a sound or a word towards each other. Cloud was staring straight and Tifa was beside him, every so often letting a slight turn of the eye.

"Why can't I stop staring at him? He's a little cute…not that it matters! I'm dating Seph! He sure is quiet though. I wonder if he truly is the son of the man who once fought against an army of escaped Shinra monsters. Dad fought in that war so I knew he was lying when he said he didn't know much about the Strife family." As Tifa was thinking, she began to notice that Cloud wasn't walking anymore. She then stopped in her tracks and turned around to face Cloud.

"Umm, why is it I have to put my sword away and that long white-haired flashy…thing doesn't?"

Cloud was staring straight at her and as she looked into his eyes, she couldn't help but notice that they seemed so full of void; so blank. She then proceeded to process Cloud's question.

"THAT THING IS MY BOYFRIEND AND HE HAPPENS TO BE THE SON OF A LEGEND…which everyone believes you to be. Anyway, he doesn't have to because he has a license for it." shouted Tifa as she defended her boyfriend with anger in her mind. She wanted to change the subject immediately.

"So. What's your favorite flavor of ice cream?

"Ice cream? What's a Ice cream?" replied Cloud as Tifa looked at him with her jaw lowered.

"OH MY MOG! You don't know what ice cream is? Seriously?" Tifa started asking him questions throughout the whole walk. She asked about his home, which he said he didn't have. She asked about what he liked to do, what he hated, what his favorite school subject was, and even asked him if he knew how to snowboard. All questions were answered with either a "No." or an "I don't know what that is."

After reaching the office, Cloud stopped.

"I'm not going to give my weapon away."

"Ugh, why are you so difficult? Just do it!"

Turning to the bright red haired women at the office, Cloud asked: "I want to apply for a license…please."

As Cloud received the form and began to fill it out, Tifa was busy away with more questions as to Cloud's sense of fashion and his sense of hygiene. After a few minutes, Cloud returned the forms and looked at Tifa, as though waiting for a response.

Tifa, not knowing what to do, began to lead and turned towards the homeroom. Cloud and Tifa began to walk back, ignoring the red-haired women's shouts of "Wait! This hasn't been approved yet! Come back!"

The walk back had been the same as it was walking out: filled with questions with the same answers.

As they both walked in through the door Mrs. Highwind saw them. "Everyone's already paired up so I guess you," pointing at Tifa "will have to be paired up with Cloud."

"Alright. lt's time to see if this Cloud guy really is legit." thought Tifa as she was thinking of a plan to make sure that Cloud wasn't some person faking all of this for attention.

Tifa and Cloud pushed two desks together and sat down. Cloud started thinking of the riddle from before, but Tifa was thinking of dropping her purse and asking if Cloud could pick it up. That way if he picked it up than Tifa would be sure Cloud had been somewhere around another girl his whole life.

Out of nowhere, Cloud stood up looking for Vincent. He could see that he was paired up with Yuffie. From what Cloud was seeing it looked as though Yuffie was trying to grab something out of the pocket where Vincent kept his materia. Vincent than turned his head and saw Yuffie stealing. He then proceeded to bombard Yuffie with questions of what she was doing around the pocket closest to his groin. Cloud just let out one of his very rare smiles.

He than sat down and asked Tifa "What do we do?"

Tifa, who had been thinking of other plans, was suddenly shocked to see Cloud talking to her.

"Well, we could……"

"ROAR!" was heard outside and what looked like a human shaped swirl of liquids with a sword in its' hand, was seen attacking the town and could be seen through the shiny windows of the school.

"DAMMIT! MONSTER ATTACKS AGAIN!" cried out Cid as he was looking for a weapon.

Sephiroth Jr. stood up and donned his sword which he got from his father. A "HOLY MOG! IT'S THE MASAMUNE!" was heard from a kid in class. Sephiroth smiled as everyone in class admired his weapon. Today would be the day that he, Sephiroth Jr. would finally be able to use the blade his father had been training him for.

Tifa turned around to see Cloud missing. Tifa looked around and then stared across the room at her foreign friend. The same thing happened to Yuffie except with Vincent.

As Sephiroth Jr. took a step forward, two fast-moving blurs ran past him. Before Cid or Shera (Mrs. Highwind) could say anything, the two people both jumped out through the windows and landed on the school garden.

"'Bout time something came up, eh Cloud? I bet you've been dying to do something you're familiar with." Vincent said staring at his friend.

"You're right. School's…not what I imagined. Whose idea was it to go to school so we can get jobs and start over, huh?" said Cloud with another one of his rare smiles.

Sephiroth Jr. just then jumped through the window behind Vincent and Cloud, landing only a few feet behind them. He then started shouting "HEY! YOU TWO CAN'T FIGHT IT OFF! LEAVE IT TO A PROFESSIONAL!"

Sephiroth Jr. then charged at the liquid-form monster. Right before any contact was made, Sephiroth Jr. stood there, stopped in his tracks, staring at a monster which now resembled himself in every way.

Everyone had been staring at Cloud and Vincent for they had not moved, everyone also noticed that Cloud's eyes turned bright green and that Vincent's dark brown eyes turned to a crimson red color.

"A shifter…. That guy had better be careful." said Cloud with a fairly monotone voice.

"I'll have to agree. How about we let the hero fight it off and see how he does?"

"Agreed."

Sephiroth Jr. was still staring at what appeared to be himself until he realized how stupid he was being. He pulled out his father's long blade from its sheath and found it to be heavy. Incredibly heavy. Not only physically but it was as though his father's blade was putting a mental strain on his mind. Ignoring this as best as he could, he lifted up his father's Masamune and attacked the monster with a vertical slash. The monster had simply blocked it.

"What the? But…the Masamune…Why can't I possibly…" The younger Sephiroth was interrupted. For this monster was in the process of counter-attacking.

Forming a liquid version of the Masamune from its own body, the monster quickly slashed back at its attacker, leaving Sephiroth Jr. with a huge bloody gash across his chest. The massive slash that hit Sephiroth made him step a few feet back. It seems evident that Sephiroth Jr. had been cutting back too much on training to hang out with Tifa.

Cloud had held his Buster Blade upright and Vincent…did nothing.

"Ha, I forgot. No weapons. I guess this one's on you." With a smile on his face, Vincent decided to let his only close friend have some fun.

Cloud looked back at Vincent. "It was my turn to take out a monster anyway."

"You bring the guy over there…" Cloud said to Vincent as he slowly began walking towards the monster. "…and I'll take on the shifter."

With his cloak, Vincent was but a red blur moving across the school's territory. Vincent quickly dashed over to Sephiroth, picked up his body, and gave him to Cid to put bandages on. Vincent and every other classmate than turned around to see Cloud simply blocking every attack the monster could give.

Many "clangs" and "chings" were heard in the battle. One couldn't tell who was having more fun. That was, until the monster let out a shrilling shriek, that could've only meant sheer frustration.

Shera, looking outside with everyone else noticed something peculiar.

"How strange, that the monster hasn't shifted into Cloud's shape. It looks like every time it tries, it fails. So it just stays in its' human-like liquid form. What abilities do you have, Cloud?"

Vincent suddenly perked up and focused in on Cloud. Vincent could see it in Cloud's face. Cloud was bored.

"This is getting way too boring. I thought he'd be a little fun… guess not" Cloud than raised his sword and screamed at the top of his lungs "Climhazzard". At that moment a familiar bright red aura surrounded Cloud as he suddenly charged the monster stabbing it straight in its chest. With green blood coming from both sides of the monster, Cloud quickly jumped high in the air about two or three stories high, bringing his blade with him. By the time Cloud landed on the ground the monster had turned red and faded away. All monsters from Shrinra did that.

"Climhazzard…what does it mean? Was this a technique the riddle spoke of?" Cloud brought the sword to the hook on his back. "It doesn't matter anyway."

Cid jumped the window and ran towards Cloud. "DAMN DIRTY !^&*ING SHINRA!" looking at Cloud he said "Kid, you truly are your father's son."

"I don't even know who I am so… quit saying that I'm the son of some big-shot." And with that Cloud looked over at Vincent, nodded, and started to walk away.

Vincent soon followed behind. But before he did, he turned around and yelled out "MR. HIGHWIND! WE'LL BE BACK TOMORROW WITH OUR HOMEWORK DONE! DON'T WORRY!" Vincent missed living a "normal" life.

The pair gladly planned to walk back into Nibelheim and actually buy a house. They didn't have to worry about gill, seeing as assassinations had always left a body with money in it. Vincent could never stop himself from stealing; he always thought that it would one day come in handy.

"Vincent, what do you think of blue houses?"

"I like them."

AN: So I believe from here on out, cursing will in the form of random money signs and ampersands and so on. There's something about uncensored cuss words that seems very…un-final-fantasy-seven-like. Ah, and sorry for the long update.