Lightning watched as Cid, Cloud and Tifa climbed up the rope ladder and go inside the ship. A few minutes slipped by before Cid came back down and she started to wonder where the other two were.

"Well, Farron," Amodar said loudly to get her attention "You can take mister Strife to the armory, right?" Lightning nodded in response "Maybe a sparring match after Strife gets what he's looking for?"

"Maybe," Lightning said with a smirk, remembering the first time she and Cloud met. She decided that she would not mind duelling Cloud again because she would not defend his signature overhead swing and he would not be injured this time.

Amodar started walking to the base and Lightning looked back to the Highwind and saw Tifa descending the rope ladder and Cloud standing on the deck. When Tifa was about halfway down Cloud hopped over the railing and plummeted feet first. He rolled when he hit the ground and was on his feet in an instant, revealing his new outfit (Advent Children costume).

"That boy just loves dramatic entrances," Cid commented to the group, getting a laugh from most of them.

"Wow," Aerith and Lightning muttered under their breath "Aren't you handsome in that," Aerith said with admiration.

"So I guess you guys like the new look," Cloud said while motioning to his clothes "I take it you're gonna take me to the armory," He continued to Lightning.

"Y-Yeah," Lightning said still staring at Cloud with more than simple attraction in her mind. She turned and started towards the base with a small blush in her cheeks.

Cloud jogged up behind her and the others of the group started walking towards the city. When he was directly behind Lightning he threw a quick glance over his shoulder to make sure no one was looking.

When Lightning felt an arm wrap around her waist her soldier instinct told her to attack. Luckily, for Cloud, she was able to overpower the instinct. She turned to face Cloud and gave a small smile, which she had only shown Serah before that.

"I guess we shouldn't do any thing like this in there. Right?" Cloud asked with a smile.

"I have a reputation that I'd like to keep," Lightning replied with a smile "So yeah, you're right."

As they walked through the hallways of the Guardian Corps base soldiers would greet Lightning in the standard military fashion. The other soldiers would also do a double take at Cloud, because he looked like someone from a certain textbook.

In the armory, Cloud was looking at shelf after shelf and could not find anything that suited him. All the swords were as large as, or smaller than, Lightning's gun-blade, which was beginning to make Cloud very angry.

"Seems like swords, that I'm used to, stayed on Pulse," Cloud said in a half joking tone. Lightning could hear the anger in his voice and was curious as to why he was so mad.

Cloud had always been stoic, at least, the whole time Sephiroth had been alive. As soon as they killed Sephiroth, Cloud felt every emotion flood his mind at once. Those emotions had yet to calm down. He knew Sephiroth could intrude his mind but Cloud never even thought that Sephiroth could subdue his emotions. But now that he considered that option, how Sephiroth made him a puppet, made sense.

Lightning looked over at the 'grave corner,' the corner of the room where forgotten/old or faulty weapons went to remind the smiths that there was scrap for them. She noticed a sword that was unusually thin for its hilt, but it had the same blade and handle length as the Buster Sword. It was point down on the floor and Lightning discovered it was very light for its size by lifting it. Oh yeah, this is newer than the Buster Sword, it has AMP tech making it lighter she thought. Lightning looked carefully at the handle and saw a small button directly below the hilt. She pushed it and the thin blade popped open, making it twice as wide.

A small inscription in the center area, which was hidden, said Fusion Blade Ver. III. Her eyes went wide at the fact that this sword had to be more than a decade old. The last fusion blade model was the version IX and that was also the first gun-blade. Granted, the version IX was a gun and a sword that could be combined on the fly, but her gun-blade was a version V gun-blade, a gun that collapsed into a short range rifle and vice-versa.

As Lightning reviewed the random history lesson on military weapons she pushed the button again, the blade snapped shut and she determined three things about the sword. First, the sword was practically calling for Cloud. Second, fate had decided that this would be his new sword and that was the only reason why it had been collecting dust for ten years. Third, she would tell Cloud that the spring mechanism would be a bitch to fix if it broke.

"Cloud, how's this?" Lightning asked tossing the large, light sword to the blond without waiting for him to look. Cloud caught it easily and examined it closely before speaking.

"Wow, is the only thing I have to say," He said as he was adjusting his hands on the handle, trying to get used to the light sword. Cloud's right eyebrow rose, indicating interest, as he pushed the button and the blade popped open.

"It's an old fusion sword. It can hold five other swords, of your choice mind you," Lightning explained which only got her a nod from the boy who just got a new toy "I'll have to modify the five so they're compatible with that old version."

"Any five other swords of my choice?" Lightning nodded. Cloud already had chosen five swords that he liked but left them on the shelves because he would prefer to use something larger than them. He grabbed them and put them on a work bench that Lightning pointed out. Lightning grabbed the tool set from the drawer of the work bench and began modifying the swords.

"Strong, fast, smart, a weapon smith, and very beautiful," Cloud praised, making Lightning blush "All I have going for me is the Mako enhancement," Cloud heard Lightning chuckle at the joke.

After what felt like several hours, to Cloud, Lightning finished modifying the five swords. She gave Cloud a quick tutorial on how to activate the manadrive in the swords to make them fuse together. Cloud tried it a few times and fused the five smaller swords onto the large sword. The blade of the fusion sword was wider and longer than the Buster Sword by a few inches, but the large sword did not weigh as much as the Buster Sword. (Advent Children sword)

"Would you be up to a sparring session?" Lightning asked Cloud, for Amodar.

"How else would I get acquainted with this one?" Cloud questioned back while putting the fusion sword on his back.

"How would you feel about having an audience?"

"How do you feel about that?"

"I don't care for the thought," Lightning stated honestly "But there is probably at least a hundred soldiers out there waiting to see you fight."

"Well, let's not keep them waiting."

Amodar was waiting for them outside the armory and asked Cloud if he would display his skills for the troops. Cloud accepted and Amodar led him and Lightning to the exterior training area. Lightning was correct with guessing that there would be at least one hundred, there seemed to be the entire Bodhum regiment present.

"Troops!" Amodar bellowed to get the attention of all the soldiers present "First off, sergeant Farron is back from her extended leave. Second, this young man," Amodar motioned at Cloud "Is Cloud Strife, the one who killed Sephiroth," The soldiers started talking amongst themselves "The hero we all owe our lives to."

"Actually Aerith is the true hero," Cloud muttered under his breath.

"Mister Strife has agreed to spar with someone. Any volunteers?" Amodar scanned the troops and saw no one wanting to volunteer.

"Sir," Lightning said loudly "I volunteer," Lightning was just going with Amodar's ruse. All the soldiers seemed surprised that Lightning was 'volunteering' to duel Cloud.

The soldiers formed a ring around Cloud and Lightning by standing almost shoulder to shoulder so they all could see the fight. The two drew their weapons and set into their battle stances. Amodar, and most of the soldiers, were wondering where Cloud got the sword but decided to wait until after to ask.

Lightning charged at Cloud but dropped into a roll as Cloud did a horizontal slash. Lightning performed a vertical slash but Cloud jumped backwards away from the attack. Cloud lunged forward and performed his signature move Braver. Lightning sidestepped the attack but was knocked off balance by the ground splitting from Cloud's attack. Lightning saw Cloud swing at her again but was only able to block the attack. She heard several soldiers make comments as she was launched across the sparing area.

After several minutes of rapid slashing and dodging, Cloud separated one of the two notched swords from the blade. He dropped the large sword and continued with the smaller sword. Being able to match Lightning's speed, with average effort, the duel became harder to follow.

The exhibition match ended with Lightning emerging victorious. She had gotten behind Cloud and had her sword at his throat. She was holding both ends of the sword and resting her arms on his shoulders. The soldiers had given a round of applause after Cloud dropped the notched sword and held his hands up in the sign of surrender.

"That's twice I've beaten you," Lightning whispered to Cloud.

"Well I was taught to never harm a woman," Cloud whispered back.

"Are saying you let me win?" Lightning asked in a whisper as she released Cloud.

"We both know I would win if I wanted to kill you," Cloud whispered in a deadly serious tone.

"Simply amazing Farron," Amodar said loudly "But to be honest, I was expecting more from mister Strife."

"Miss Farron had the advantage of speed, sir," Cloud replied "There is only one person I know of, and fought, that could match and best that speed. But you all know that story."

"I don't recognize that weapon," Amodar said in a tone that was more questioning than stating.

"It's a version three, fusion blade with five modded swords, sir," Lightning explained as Cloud picked up both swords and recombined them.

"Version three?" Amodar almost shouted from surprise "It's amazing that there was even a piece of one in the armory."

"Seems fate had a plan for the sword," Cloud said calmly as he put the sword on his back.

"Sir, May I be excused for the day?" Lightning asked in the soldier tone "My sister wants to speak with me about her wedding."

"How about I just give you an assignment?" Amodar replied "Of showing mister Strife around Bodhum."

"Sir?"

"Unless you would rather be here tomorrow training new recruits."

"I'll stay with showing mister Strife around, sir," Lightning said with a hint of gratitude. She HATED training new recruits because they always made sexist comments when they thought she could not hear them.

"How long do you think until all of Cocoon knows it was your group that saved them from corrupted fal'Cie?" Cloud asked Lightning after the soldiers had restarted their exercises.

"I'll bet a month," Lightning replied.

"How long until they find out you went out with me?"

"We haven't-" Lightning stopped herself as she realized Clouds clever way of asking her out.

"Want to go out tonight? If you have time," Cloud said with a smile.

"I'd like that," Lightning felt butterflies in her stomach at the thought of her first date in years.

Cloud was hit with the butterflies as well because his last date was with Aerith at the Gold Saucer when they got the keystone.

I am so sorry I took so long for this chapter. I was having writers block and getting a PSP and Dissidia didn't help.

I have like a thousand different ideas for this story both humour and serious. If you want this story to have a humorous side-story let me know.

Please leave a review.