Firstly, yes I know I spelled Zachary as Zachery! It's simply to late too change it is all. Thanks to the three people who reviewed.

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Chapter 3 We meet again

"Is there a reason you're sneaking around in the middle of the night, cadet?" Sephiroth drawled. Cloud could only stare, mouth hanging open. His heart pounded loudly in his ears and his chest burned as he became aware that the Masamune was hanging loosely in his grasp. But there was no madness in those eyes, not yet. His cheeks tinged pink with embarrassment. He straightened and snapped out a salute.

"General Sephiroth, sir! I was just….going for a walk."

"Does going for walk often include sneaking out of the infirmary?" Another voice called out.

Cloud held back a flinch. He cast his eyes around, trying to force his weak eyes to pierce the darkness around him. He almost choked. Angeal smiled at him. Beside him stood Genesis, looking almost bored.

'We are…monsters. We have neither dreams nor honor.' Genesis whispered in a memory that wasn't really his.

Impossible. It was completely impossible. By the time he'd made cadet it had been to late to save Angeal or Genesis. Genesis had already started going mad from the degradation, dragging Angeal and Sephiroth down with him. But there they stood, the three of them. He became aware of the fact that they were staring at him, waiting for an answer. He snapped out another salute.

"They said I was fine and I was going to go crazy if I stayed there any longer."

Genesis sneered at him.

"He probably wanted to try and play some sort of prank. Did I tell you that last week some brats tried to steal my special edition of LOVELESS?"

"He doesn't seem to be lying." Angeal murmured, "Though it might not be the whole truth."

"Your name, cadet." Sephiroth said, eyes narrowing. Cloud hated how his voice made him shiver.

"Cloud Strife, sir." He said quietly, staring at his feet.

"Well, Cadet Strife, I suggest you return to the infirmary. Now."

Cloud nodded and took that opportunity to turn and flee. He'd gotten away with sneaking outside. He should be gratrful.

It had been late in the night when a restless Angeal had called him. He'd been signing some meaningless bit of paperwork in his office.

"Feel like a spar?" He asked. Angeal knew he suffered from acute insomnia. Many experienced SOLDIERS suffered from it to some degree.

"I take it you already called Genesis?" He asked, though he already knew the answer. Angeal laughed.

"You know me so well. I take it that's a yes? We can't use our regular training room this time though, their still repairing it. We'll meet by the elevator and head outside to the platform on the infirmary level together, okay?"

Sephiroth said nothing as he closed his PHS. He stood from his desk and grabbed the Masamune from where it rested on a suspended rack behind him. Running a hand through his hair he left. The elevator ride down to the right level wasn't nearly quick enough. His body was already tensing, eager for a good fight. As he reached the level he stepped off, only too meet the sight of a grinning Angeal and a smirking Genesis.

"Ready to get your ass handed to you?" Genesis taunted, so sure of his supposed victory. He reached a hand behind his back and adjusted his massive Rapier needlessly as they walked through the darkened halls. It didn't matter after all. With so much mako in their system, there night vision was as good as regular eyesight. Angeal snorted.

"Right, G. Right after I sprout wings and Seph here finally gets a boyfriend."

"Why must all conversations inevitably lead to jests about me finding a long term companion?" Sephiroth sighed, exasperated.

"Because you keep refusing to settle for anyone." Angeal huffed. "You know we worry about you, right? I mean, at least Genesis and I have each other. But you…"

"I have simply not found anyone suitable." Sephiroth said, voice growing more icy by the minute.

Genesis scoffed.

"You're just picky, you mean."

"Enough." Sephiroth snapped, "I would rather listen to Angeal prattle on about Zachery then have this conversation again."

"You know if Zach where here he'd say the same thing." Genesis argued.

"Yes, that brat seems to have taken up the same goal as you two." His eyes darkened, "As if I am something broken that can be fixed."

Angeal, sensing a sudden change in mood, decided to change the subject.

"Oh! Well if you must know, Zach rescued some cadet today. Apparently the poor kid passed out and hit his head. Zach carried him all the way to the infirmary from near the cadet barracks."

Sephiroth stopped abruptly and held up a hand for silence. As Genesis and Angeal froze in place, a figure appeared. They were sneaking out of the infirmary and doing a fairly good job of it. Cling to the shadows, they began sneaking there way down the hall. Curious, Sephiroth gestured for them to follow. It was interesting to watch. Whoever there were clearly had experience with sneaking around. Anyone without mako in their system would have been completely unaware of their presence and even some SOLDIERS would have had a hard time spotting them. The three followed slowly behind until they reached the outdoor track.

It was a cadet, Sephiroth realized. Scrawny and short, with ridiculously spiky blonde hair. Nothing extraordinary at all, in fact they'd probably fail or drop out of cadet training soon enough. How had a cadet learned to sneak around like that? Perhaps he was one of the slum brats that sometimes tried to join up with Shinra. He blinked as the cadet froze. He'd been sensed. Impressive, for a cadet. He watched with mild curiosity as the blonde spun and crouched low. A practiced fighter's stance. He watched him reach for a weapon that didn't exist. What where they teaching cadets these days?

"Is there a reason you're sneaking around in the middle of the night, cadet?" He asked. And he looked back at him with an unreadable expression in his eyes. It went beyond anything he'd seen in a cadet before. Was it fear? And then it was replaced with embarrassment as he seemed to become aware of who he was. Perhaps he'd been imagining something else? Some monster in the dark?

"General Sephiroth, sir! I was just…going for a walk." It was the truth, partially. He could tell. But mostly an attempt to get away without questioning.

"Does going for walk often include sneaking out of the infirmary?" Angeal teased.

Sephiroths sharp eyes watched the boy almost recoil.

"They said I was fine and I was going to go crazy if I stayed there any longer." He could tell the blonde was suffering from pent up energy by the way he unconsciously kept shifting his weight.

"He probably wanted to try and play some sort of prank. Did I tell you that last week some brats tried to steal my LOVELESS?" There was Genesis, ready to think the worst of any cadet. He really didn't like the cadets at all. Or children in general. Not that Sephiroth particularly cared for children himself, he simply did not dislike them to Genesis' extent.

"He doesn't seem to be lying." Angeal said, "Though it might not be the whole truth." So Angeal too, suspected there was more to the story. A deeper reason for sneaking out in the dead of night.

"Your name, cadet." Sephiroth pressed, making sure to keep his voice cold. He watched the cadet shiver at that. It was always fascinating to see how something as simple as a change of voice affected people. The blonde cast his eyes downward, looking at his feet.

"Cloud Strife, sir."

"Well, Cadet Strife, I suggest you return to the infirmary. Now."

Cloud looked grateful for the opportunity to leave as he ran back inside. Angeal chuckled.

"I think you scared him."

"It doesn't matter." Sephiroth raised the Masamune. "We came here for a purpose, did we not?"

Genesis grinned and pulled the Rapier from the straps on his back.

"Alright. Lets go." He lunged at Sephiroth, blades meeting with a clash.

Angeal stepped back, drawing the SOLDIER sword he'd taken to using. The weapon had served him quite well before. He completely ignored the massive Buster blade on his back. He let Genesis and Sephiroth exchange a few more blows before he stepped in, catching Genesis sword against his own.

"Before you fight him," He pushed the Rapier to the side and aimed a kick at Genesis' ribs. "You have to get through me!"

Genesis smirked.

"Easy." He dodged the kick smoothly. "You're slow, Angeal. Must be that ridiculous sword you insist on carrying."

Sephiroth stepped back to watch the two fight. He knew that Angeal would rise to the barb about his sword and speed. He was predictable like that.

"I'm still fast enough to beat you!"

He watched his friends thoughtfully, tuning out the banter. Angeal held a great deal more strength then Genesis, but Genesis did indeed have superior speed. He knew eventually they would turn on him, he just had to wait. He wasn't disappointed. It was like someone hit a switch. As one, Genesis and Angeal turned and sped towards him. He smiled and blocked both blades with the Masamune and pushed them back. He dodged a kick from Genesis and another swipe from Angeal before he moved back.

Genesis, seeming enraged by the lack of progress in the battle, ran a hand down the length of the Rapier. The sword glowed with magic at his touch.

"Stop!" Angeal barked. "You know we can't do that here. This isn't the training room, Genesis!" Where they were was a suspended platform like a massive balcony on the back of the side of the Shinra building. If they caused too much damage, unlike in the training room, they'd be in serious trouble.

Genesis froze and the glow faded. "Tch. I'm suddenly tired. I'm going to bed." He turned and left without another word.

"Why did he do that?" Sephiroth asked, confused. Angeal sighed heavily.

"I think he worries that he's weak because he can't beat you with just his sword alone. But you're…you, you know? The strongest out of all of us. You wouldn't have advanced in SOLDIER the way you did if you weren't the best." He pated Sephiroth on the shoulder. "Come on. It was a short spar, but it was worth it. Let Genesis cool down and we'll see him tomorrow. Go try and get some sleep, ok?" With that, he left Sephiroth standing there in favor of retreating back inside.

Sephiroth stood there for a full minute, thinking. He hated how he still didn't understand why Genesis seemed angry. It had been so sudden too. They'd just barely started their spar. What purpose did such useless emotions have, anyway? They only got in the way of accomplishing things. Finally, find no answers, he left.

Cloud watched Sephiroth from his place at the window near the doors. Genesis and Angeal had seemed content to ignore him as they passed, but he doubted Sephiroth would. Deciding not to tempt fate, he ran all the way back to the infirmary. He received quite a scolding when he returned. Apparently someone had checked on him to find his bed empty and his stuff missing. He had to endure a very long lecture on why you shouldn't run around with possible head injuries before he was finally allowed to return to his bed. He stared at the blank, white, ceiling, repeating the same words over and over again in his head.

'I can fix it. I can make it right.'

At last, forced by exhaustion, he fell asleep.

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