A/N: I am disinclined to continue writing the story during the weekends, or post for that matter, because it is the only time I am allowed to play my video games. Apologies. But seeing as how today is a Friday, and a holiday, I'll do the favor of posting the 6th chapter. I hope you all enjoy.

P.S. Thank you all for the wonderful reviews.

Chapter 6

The bell sounded and the first fight began. Sephiroth had been observing the battles one by one in case some trouble ensued, but hardly any of them gained his interest. He hadn't seen Zack or Strife on the battlefield yet either and he was getting impatient. It had been determined that he, Zack, and the other commanding officers would battle in the second half of the competition when only the experienced remained. Of course, they would then have to advance level by level through the battles as well and be pit amongst other officers sooner or later. Only the winners of the first half would advance to the start of the second competition. It was split into two parts with only half of the first rounders making it into the second, and that was when the higher classes would come into play.

Sephiroth stared blankly towards the arena where another two cadets faced off against each other. He could see the officers to his side scribbling some notes down on the two's performances and thought it wasn't worth the trouble. It was clear that these two wouldn't make it. One of them had chosen a sword much larger than he and it was obvious he could barely handle the weight of it. The second had opted for a spear; though by the way it was handled it was also obvious the boy was oblivious on how to use it at all. Sephiroth shifted in his seat just as the boy with the spear got in a final shot to win the match. It was all he could do not to turn away when the cadet raised his arms in triumph.

"Next, Raldo Kurt against Cloud Strife!" the announcer called. Sephiroth perked at the announcement and sat up straighter, if that was possible. He looked toward the arena to see a cadet, most likely Raldo, coming out onto the battlefield and bursting in overconfidence. He had chosen to use a two-handed broadsword and Sephiroth determined that the boy knew how to use it to some degree accordingly to his stance and the way he moved with it. His large build was going to be an advantage. He turned his head to the other side quick enough to see Strife slowly making his way out onto the field. He didn't seem very excited about the competition; rather, Cloud was holding himself in a sort of slouch, as if it was more of a bothersome thing than a way to succeed. He came to the center dragging the edge of a one-handed sword on the dirt floor. A trail of smoke arose in his wake.

The two shook hands in a display of fair sportsmanship and readied their weapons. Raldo gripped his weapon with both hands while Cloud had loosely held onto his by one. His other arm was slightly out in front of him at an attempt at balance and defense. "Ready?" everyone froze. "Begin!"

Raldo made the first move, using his body weight to drag his swing across towards Cloud. Cloud merely stood in place, unflinching, and waiting as the sword came. Most of the officers stood; surprised that Cloud was unmoving from his position even though the blade was quickly swinging his way. That was when Sephiroth saw it, that slight movement that indicated Strife knew what he was doing, and he resettled back in his chair to see how the cadet would handle the battle.

Cloud was actually mulling things over. Was this battle really worth it? Should he win? Perhaps he should just lose? He really didn't know what to do. He was just about to look up when he suddenly noticed the broadsword quickly swinging his way, he nearly sighed. It almost looked like it was in slow motion. He slightly tilted his sword and waited for that precise moment when he could move.

The broadsword swung hard against Strife and Raldo grunted with the effort of swinging it so quickly. He grinned. He had landed a blow and that was a sure victory for him. When he looked down his sword to see if his opponent was still alive he was surprised to find that his opponent was still standing. Cloud had brought up his arm to block the left side, where the broadsword was swinging towards, and caught it in a block with his own sword. The sword was angled straight down; edge meeting edge, and Raldo was straining against it. Cloud let out a breath of air and stood up straighter. He looked at Raldo then and felt the larger blade trembling against his own. He quickly knocked it off and took a step back as Raldo tried to quickly regain his balance. The arena had gone silent, everyone gripping their seats in the rush of adrenaline and suspense. This was not what they had expected and they cheered.

Cloud spun around to face his opponent, his sword poised once again in front of him. Raldo had lost all traces of overconfidence he had held in his ability and was quickly staggering up. He was getting worried. His sword had been met, and he might lose. Gripping the handle harder, he gave a roar and rushed forward in frenzy. He struck out his blade and Cloud quickly dodged it. He swung towards the right by spinning the opposite direction and Cloud parried. He brought it down with his full weight behind him and Cloud stopped it in its tracks, his sword raised above his head horizontally, and even stopping Raldo in his momentum by staying him in the air. All this while, Cloud hadn't moved a single step from where he had first stood. The only thing moving was the twisting of his body to meet each and every blow.

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Cloud felt as though he should have stopped but he didn't know what else to do. He had merely blocked against the boy and was doing his best not to harm him. He really didn't have any practice in being self restraint and he regretted not practicing it before now. He glanced around nervously, wondering if he was giving too much away by only blocking and parrying anyway. All he could see was the excitement of the crowd and that wasn't anything to go by. He hadn't been watching the other matches so the reaction could be a normal one…he hoped.

He looked up at the boy who was still in the air caught by his momentum against his sword. His face was riddled with worry and a bit of panic. Cloud wondered if he should just let him go. He slightly twisted his sword and gave a little push to knock the boy off and stepped back. Raldo scrambled off the floor and held his sword in front of him as if it were an impenetrable defense. He had stopped rushing at him like mad after that last shot and now stood with dazed worry and fatigue. Raldo was panting quite heavily and Cloud only just noticed that. He dropped his arm, sword in hand, and scratched the back of his head.

"Do you want to give up?" he said quietly but enough to be heard by Raldo. Raldo saw Cloud drop his sword and took that as an opening. He quickly charged straight at Cloud and gave a roar of strength. The broadsword was being used in a stabbing motion.

Cloud saw the attack and dodged to the right, his sword coming up to scrape along the edge of the oncoming blade. Sparks flew as Raldo's momentum pulled him forward, closer to Cloud's sword. When it was close enough, Cloud flicked his wrist on the broadsword's handle and knocked it up and out of his hands. Then he swung the blade above and around and held it up against his neck. Raldo had fallen to the ground and was kept there by the gleaming of Cloud's sword, a cold silver metal, against his life.

The crowd cheered. It was amazing that Cloud had easily stopped a broadsword with a meek looking thing like the one-handed he had held, that and the fact that he had just defeated one of the strongest cadets without even breaking a sweat. Even the commanding officers were out of their seats in awe.

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Sephiroth had seen it but it was very difficult to believe what he had just seen. Strife had handled the blade as if it were outstretched from his own arm, and very well at that. He had been watching the whole match intently, trying to decipher what it was about Strife that made things so difficult. It was at that moment, when Strife had inquired the other boy about whether he would concede defeat, that he had seen it. It was as if a sort of memory he had never lived before had come up. He had seen himself on the opposite side of Strife poised to kill…only; Strife had held a much different blade…. He looked next to him and spotted Zack gripping the edge of the arena and bursting with contained energy. He stared at the Buster blade on his back…. Sephiroth shook his head. It couldn't be the same blade…could it?

Zack wheeled around and faced him. "Sephiroth! Did you see that? That was amazing!" Zack dropped back into his chair. Sephiroth merely nodded, still contemplating what the sudden memory was. Perhaps it had only been his imagination.

He looked at Zack. "You are exempt from the competition?" he had heard Zack complaining about it earlier on how he had wanted to be pitted against strong Soldiers as well but could not.

"Yeah. Apparently, someone saw a man that looked like Genesis walking around town. He was seen eating a white Banora apple." Zack frowned. "Pretty convincing if you ask me, so they asked me to check it out." He grinned at Sephiroth. "They would have sent you but people would notice if the General went missing."

Sephiroth frowned. Genesis was in town? Why? What was the reason for him to come back? "What is he looking for?" he whispered more to himself than any other.

"Huh? Well, I heard it was more like he was looking for a 'someone'." He looked at the clock on the far wall of the arena and jumped up. "Well, I better go and check it out. The second half's about to start so you should get ready too." He started jogging off and waved back. "I'll see you later, Sephiroth."

Sephiroth had several things going through his head at the moment but his main concern had turned to Genesis. He was searching for someone? Who? And why? There were so many questions that needed answering. He stood and walked away, there would be a short break before the second half of the competition began and he needed time to think. Ever since he had run into Strife, his life had been turned to an uncertainty. What was the boy hiding and how did he know so much? He decided he needed to leave the matter with Genesis aside for a while and pull up Strife's old records again. What was most curious at the moment was why Strife hadn't passed into the Soldier program the year before. He couldn't have gained so much experience and skill in a single year and Sephiroth was determined to find out the reasons to everything. He strode out of the room and walked towards his office.

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Cloud sipped the cup of water he had been given. It wasn't the most delicious of waters but at least it would refresh him. With a slight grimace he downed the whole thing. The winners of the first half had been told to wait inside a waiting room big enough for an audience and that was what they did. Most of them were polishing their chosen weapons, stretching, or practicing some moves but Cloud's sword mainly sat on his lap. He looked at it. It wasn't the most impressive of weapons but it had looked sturdy and well-balanced enough to do the job and he hadn't wanted to be picky. Looking at it now, he felt strange with such a small sword by his side rather than the larger, sturdier, buster blades he had come to prefer. He frowned down at it as if willing it to grow in size but stopped when a shadow loomed over him. He looked up.

Several of the boys had gathered around the bench Cloud was presently inhabiting. It was next to the beige lockers near the corner so that he had no way of escape. One of the boys, probably the ringleader, stepped up. "Nice show you put up back there, Strife. How come you didn't show all that skill before?" Cloud glanced at all the boys, one after the other. Really now, this day was not being merciful on him. He stood up and threw the cup away into the bin next to him, turning his back on the boys.

"Hey," another boy approached and put his hand on Cloud's shoulder, "maybe you didn't hear us." He spun him around. "Think you're all that now that you're strong, Strife?"

Cloud was getting tired and irritated, but who was he to pulverize children just because they ticked him off a little? He shrugged the hand off. "Do you want to say something?" He simply asked.

The first boy smirked. "Yeah, we do." He glared at Cloud with the rest of the boys. "If we don't win this competition, Strife, you're going down." Laughing, they started walking away but not before he looked back and shouted. "Better sleep with one eye open, Strife!"

Cloud was disbelieving. Now, he had those children threatening to do away with him if he didn't make sure they won the competition. That was a pure impossibility. First of all, there was going to be every major officer participating in the tournament, but that wasn't the biggest problem. It just so happened that Sephiroth had been every competition's number one winner, and the only reason he was forced to participate was so that everyone else had a chance to see if they fared anything at all against the man. Cloud rubbed the back of his head. What was he supposed to do? Cripple the man? Or perhaps he could conk him a good one on the head while he was sleeping…. This was ludicrous.

Stretching, he headed for the door. The second half of the competition was soon going to start and, whatever the case, he had absolutely no intention of listening to squealing babies about cheating for them to win. They wouldn't last a minute, let alone survive long enough, if they ever got into Soldier and they would have to learn that the hard way. He grimaced. He was going to have to fight Sephiroth.

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Sephiroth was…stumped, for lack of a better word. He had pulled Strife's old files on his performances but there was nothing. There was no indication of having ever improved over the year. In fact, just last year, he had failed terrifically in his first round and the comments written by the officers at the time were less than kind. He was perplexed and getting further frustrated by the moment. He hated to admit it but he would have to beat it out of Strife, otherwise, being this confused, he might just go mad. But the question was how to go about it. He couldn't necessarily demand that Strife answer him…. Rather, he could actually beat it out of Strife. A slow grin spread across his face. He would bargain with Strife, during the competition, and literally beat-it-out of him. That would work.

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"The Second Half will begin with the first round!" The announcer boomed. "First match. Kristopher Kreiss vs. Commander Kreuz. Begin!"

Cloud had decided to watch the matches in the second half. He figured that the commanding officers were going to be a bit difficult so it was better to analyze them beforehand. Seeing the pair now, Cloud was glad that he had come out. The boy, Kristopher, was one of the boys that had bugged him earlier and, judging by the pale face and sweaty palms, he was guessing he knew who the officer was. Cloud glanced at the Commander Kreuz. He was happily, and easily, holding a rather enormous, gold encrusted, mallet. It was black and menacing and it looked as though it was used to demolish pests. Well, rather large pests, and Cloud was betting his definition of pests and the commanders was wholly different.

"Match! Commander Kreuz!" Cloud wasn't surprised. The commander had automatically knocked the boy's weapon from his hands and knocked him a couple on the head without ever moving his weapon. It had only been used as a decoration; at least, it was in this match.

"Next! Trent Garrison vs. Colonel Kaiser! Begin!" Cloud sighed as the matches went on and on. Barely any of the cadets were left by now, all of them defeated by their higher officers. Now, all that was left was Cloud and a handful of others including the boy that had threatened him earlier. He hoped he wasn't going to face off against him.

"Next! Rhydian Ward vs. General Sephiroth!" There was a wave of sound, then silence, that passed by the crowd at the matchup. Cloud perked up and was almost giddy with who he saw was in the match with Sephiroth. It seemed as though his luck was returning in high gear. Rhydian was the boy that had threatened him. He scooted to the edge of his seat for a clearer view on the match and waited with open eyes for the toll. "…Begin!"

There was a clash of swords…or at least Cloud wanted there to be before the boy admitted his defeat. Unfortunately, all Cloud saw was Sephiroth standing as he had been at the signal and Ward trembling in front of him. It seemed the boy had forgotten all about wanting to win and instead, being face to face in a match up with the great General Sephiroth, was starting to reconsider ever lifting his sword. Cloud sighed. Maybe this wasn't going to be as exciting as he had first expected it to be.

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Sephiroth glared down at the trembling boy in front of him. "Do you yield?" he inquired. Waiting for a response, Sephiroth pondered over the information he had gained during his break of solitude. In his frustration he had considered many ways he could get Strife to yield. Of course, there wasn't much he held in his arsenal enough to move Strife into providing his answers so there was only one solution he could think of. Offer a favor for an answer. He would see how that played out later. Right now, he was taking out his frustration on the cadet in front of him. He had heard from the other officers on how this boy cheated through his way every time he was required to do something and, obviously, that was not acceptable, especially in Soldier. So now here he was, disciplining a mere cadet in a competition he had better things to be doing in. He glared coldly at the boy as though his life didn't matter in his eyes, and it didn't.

"I-I…" He gritted his teeth looking down. The boy, Ward, gripped his sword tighter in both hands, looked up angry, and charged with a roar. Sephiroth anticipated the attack and easily parried the sword away with his own sword tip. It knocked Ward off balance before he regained it and charged again. Sephiroth disappeared. "Wha…!"

He reappeared behind the bewildered cadet and put Masamune's point to Ward's throat. "Do you yield?" he asked again. Ward balked and dropped his sword. He slowly held up shaky hands, sweating and pale, and nodded.

"I-I yield…" Sephiroth dropped his sword and turned to walk away.

"Match! General Sephiroth!" The crowd cheered as the wisp of black and silver disappeared through the doorway.

Cloud sighed with his head in his hands, which were in turn on his knees. He figured the match would be over quickly but didn't think Sephiroth would have ended it so easily. He thought the General would have gone along with it for a little while before defeating his opponent in a more subtle way, but apparently he had been wrong. He sighed again. If he won enough rounds, or against any officer, he would soon have to verse Sephiroth in battle and that was something he wasn't looking very forward to.

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"Next! Cloud Strife vs. Admiral Girard!" Cloud saw, and noted with dry humor, that the Admiral, who he must have been very unlucky enough to draw, used the spear as his name suggested. It was a very formidable looking thing as well and Cloud was starting to wonder if he had a chance of besting the man. "Begin!"

The spear swiftly came into Cloud's automatic view and he had just a second before to dodge it. He saw some of his hair fly. The admiral laughed a hearty sound. "I'm surprised you managed to dodge that, Strife, good for you." He barked cheerily, his grizzly, close shaven beard making the scene all the more warm. The man was good natured. "Well, let's see if you can dodge this one!" he positioned his spear downwards with both hands and a wide stance.

Admiral Girard rushed, the spear angled downwards. Cloud recognized that move from when Cid learned to master his own spear and knew that the point would swiftly swing upward in a wide vertical arc. It was a good thing he saw Cid perform it so many times because otherwise he might not have been able to dodge, counter, or evade it in some way. The spear came, the grinning Admiral in tow, and as expected the spear slid upward. Cloud positioned himself so that he missed the arc by an inch but the Admiral expected this and spun in the air, bringing the spear in a combo from the other side. It was a graceful move that glided from one to the other and Cloud had to parry the move with his sword. It had been close.

"Haha, my goodness, Strife. You're giving these old bones a workout. I'm starting to like you." He grinned jabbing at Cloud again and again.

Cloud smiled. "Here, too, Admiral." He swiftly dodged. Though, he wouldn't admit he was old.

Cloud hopped a couple steps back from the spear's range before dashing under the Admiral's view and stabbing the sword up and under Admiral Girard's chin. The Admiral jerked backwards quick enough so that only a few strands of his five-o-clock shadow was dismembered from his face. "Whoa~" Hopping back, the Admiral rubbed his chin with the back of his hand in a grin. "Nearly got me that time. That was a close one there." He repositioned the spear.

Cloud gave a grin of his own and parried the three stabs from the Admiral's three quick successions. There was a stab at the end and Cloud dragged his sword's edge along the length of the spear towards the Admiral. The Admiral broke off contact right before the sword hit his hands and bounced back before rebounding in the other direction. The Admiral charged from Cloud's right but as Cloud was about to block it he noticed another attack coming from his left. He leapt into the air. It had been a feint!

"Whew." Cloud wiped the sweat off his brow as the Admiral stood straighter.

He bellowed warmly. "I think that's enough play time for this old man. I yield." He came up to Cloud and put a hand on his shoulder. "Good job, Strife. It seems you were made to be in Soldier." He laughed again and walked away towards the exit.

Cloud stood straighter and saluted. "Thank you, Admiral, sir." He smiled. That had been fun. The Admiral waved back before exiting. The crowd blew in cheers.

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Sephiroth had been watching the match. It had been…startling. How had Strife stood on par with the Admiral? Did Strife even notice how much skill he was revealing while battling the man? It was brain wracking so he closed his eyes and rubbed his head. Recently, he wasn't thinking about anything else than the boy. He didn't understand. How could one person occupy so much of his thoughts without him getting irrationally irritated? There were very few people he thought much on often but one of them was Hojo. It would be a terrible understatement if anyone said that the man was a little out of sorts but unlike when he thought on Strife, Hojo always brought his anger to the forefront. He wondered on Strife. As puzzling as the boy was there was something he thought was missing. Something important that he was dismissing about Strife that he should have considered but he couldn't place what that thing was…

He sighed and glanced around to find that the crowd had gone beyond control over Strife's performance. Well, it was to be expected. He had been on par with the Admiral, the man who was known as the one to fully master the use of a spear. Even his name indicated how great his skill was with the spear.

Slightly shaking his head, Sephiroth felt his thoughts wander over to what Zack was presently doing. He wondered if Zack had found Genesis and questioned him about what his purpose here was in Midgar. He wondered if it had anything to do with Strife…

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