Disclaimer: I own nothing and make no money from this work. Anything recognizable to the Final Fantasy VII series and its associated parts belongs to Square Enix and affiliated companies.

Green Dreams

Chapter Four: A Chocobo Never Forgets

Fifteen, sixteen…

Thursday opened up with a rather bleary sun peaking into the bunker from the small windows high up on one wall of the room. It was quiet as the boys slept in undisturbed peace, with only the sound of soft breathing. Cloud, who welcomed the quiet, was out of bed and on the floor, doing more push-ups before the others got up.

Twenty-three, twenty-four…

He had been at it all morning, ever since the sun yawned above the horizon, working his muscles until a light sheen of sweat had been built up. Push-ups were the last thing on his mental list. The day was only just starting for the rest of the cadets, but Cloud's had long since begun.

Thirty-one, thirty-two…

Dan sat up slowly and blinked away the last vestiges of sleep as Cloud finished up. The blond sat on the edge of his bed to take a breather, unconcerned if his bunkmate saw him or not. It might be out of character, but fitting in mattered a lot less to Cloud now then it did before.

Dan kept moving around on the top bunk, making the springs squeak. He had a weird habit of dressing under the covers; a baffling routine that he stoutly refused to explain, even as he managed to come out looking military appropriate. It had become a bunker mystery, and the butt of a number of jokes. It could not be denied, however, that nearly every boy in the barracks had tried this feat at least once. Mostly everyone reappeared from under the blankets looking rumpled with something on backwards and their hair full of static. Cloud had never been able to accomplish it either, though he wouldn't admit to trying it.

Dan fidgeted for a little while longer, then finally called down to Cloud, "Move your feet or I'll land in your lap."

Cloud sat more fully on his bed as Dan landed on the floor hard enough to make Cloud wince. Silence was a valuable commodity not just in SOLDIER but outside it too. It tended to make Cloud antsy when someone near him was being particularly loud. Yuffie may have been a near-deafening whiner, but as a ninja she had been the quietest of them all.

Cloud silently wondered how she was doing right now. She must be…ten years old or so.

"It's sword fighting today, isn't it?" Dan, normally so upbeat and enthusiastic to a sickening point, was maybe half that level on some mornings. He was a self-proclaimed mage and preferred long-range weaponry and battle to "all-up-in-your-face brawling", as he put it.

The rest of the boys shuffled about as the alarm went off, making Cloud wince at the screech before finally grunting when Dan kept waiting for an answer. He had been a closed-off sixteen-year old who'd been defensive and unfriendly out of chronic shyness and insecurity, now that he looked back on it. It didn't help that he wasn't physically as big as the other cadets and came from a backwater town. That was probably part of the reason why he'd been picked on—the other being that he had no allies. In Shinra, Cloud had been a lone man knocked off the field by a platoon of guys. Now he got the chance to be a one-man army. Or a least a one-man army with some back-up.

"You know, high MP comes from physical strength," Cloud said slowly. He wasn't very good at starting conversations, but at least he knew the one things Dan was interested in. The kid wasn't the brightest in the bunker or the most popular, but if Cloud kept skipping classes and needed alibis, Dan might not be bright but he'd be useful. "Strong fighters can channel magic in their weapon."

Dan perked up at the last bit. "You mean using materia differently? Not just explosions but like, flaming swords? I kinda wondered how General Sephiroth does that in the promotional vids!" Dan wasn't in the least bit suspicious, which was good.

Most weapons had materia slots that were used separately from the sword, but skilled fighters could channel the energy down the blade. Essentially, the blade could be covered in lightning or blast energy that could only be extinguished by will or an opponent with similar skills. It required a higher level of mastery over materia than most cared for and was generally a lot more destructive, which wasn't always useful.

"Yeah, they channel materia through their swords and can do magic blasts and…stuff." It was the most basic way of describing it. Having too much information would make it suspicious, especially since it was a high-level technique probably reserved for SOLDIER Firsts and maybe some Seconds.

Dan started to speculate about how it was done, and then who could possibly teach him to do it, and whether there was anyone in history he could look up—"Other than the General, of course," he amended with an admiring smile. The conversation, mostly one-sided with occasional grunting by Cloud who had said his piece, would have carried on to breakfast except the blond managed to slip away to the gym while Dan got his food.

Cloud was not only tired of the conversation already, but he was anxious to pick up a sword again. He sat in the gym waiting for the rest of the cadets to arrive because Shinra had smartly locked the weapons closet.

This gym was a bit brighter than the others, with a couple of larger windows facing the rising sun. It was the smallest weaponry-gym on the Shinra compound. Cloud had heard of how big the SOLDIER First Class one was. Apparently, they had their own separate place that was, according to rumor, huge and loaded with every kind of weapon imaginable. That might be an exaggeration, but if there was anyone Shinra lavished with a huge budget, it was the SOLDIER Firsts.

Cadets drifted in, talking quietly. The high roof was designed to muffle noise since the sound of clashing metal could grow to quite a din. Sword fighting was one of the favorite parts of training for Shinra cadets followed closely by guns. Sephiroth's influence in that area was apparent in the number of boys that wanted to take up the long broadsword. Not that there was anything close to Masamune in terms of length, but Masamune wasn't a normal blade.

More boys filtered in, and Cloud spotted Reno who quickly locked eyes with him and swaggered over. "Yo, skipping breakfast to keep your girlish figure? I heard the army's got worse rations then us, and they get paid too." He smirked down at the seated Cloud, but despite the words it wasn't really mocking. Reno's posture was slack and comfortable, no hard lines that gave away any preparation for an attack. Cid was the same way. If he insulted someone, he would tense a bit, just in case they swung at him. If he spoke normally however, he slouched and relaxed. Reno, for some reason, seemed to be almost been making conversation with him.

The blond stared at Reno, and the redhead met his eyes steadfastly. If Reno was trying to pull anything he was an excellent liar, but Cloud had already known that. They finally the stare broke when someone called Reno over. Cloud looked back into the gym, clearly telling Reno that he didn't want anything to do with him. Whatever his game was, Cloud had a lot bigger things on his plate.

Reno might have said something, but it was lost in the shouting as their instructor came in and starting giving them orders. First sprints, then basic stretching, then one of the three main katas to get everybody started.

His group of cadets had not yet started practicing with actual swords. In the first six months following recruitment day in the fall cadets practiced only with wooden swords. It was late summer now, and they had switched to cheap metal swords that were as liable to chip as they were to shatter. These ones barely mimicked the weight and feel of a real sword. Cloud couldn't suppress his disappointment when the instructors pulled out the telltale box.

The swords were handed out down the line, and each boy complained about his, all generally sharing the same criticism: they weren't real. Cloud's sword was nicked in some places and scratched all over with a nearly square end that had clearly been slammed straight down into the solid steel floor many times before. It was lighter and smaller than a broadsword and felt odd in Cloud's hand, as if it had no place being there, and was uncomfortable to work with as he swung it around a couple of times. The balance was totally off, and he could probably break it in half if he put enough force behind it. First Tsurugi was a heavy six-piece work of art that molded to Cloud's hand and individual style. In his opinion this cheap cutout couldn't even be called a sword.

The instructors ignored the muttering and grumbling they got every time and split everyone into pairs. Cloud sized up his partner who was only a bit taller than him but stockier. His name was Devin, and while Cloud wasn't sure of anything else, he knew the boy wasn't in his bunker. The extra weight Devon had would give him momentum and strength, but his agility would likely be lacking in comparison to Cloud's. They began by just mimicking the katas, one person blocking and the other attacking.

Cloud was careful to analyze how his body moved as they slowly started parrying, blocking, and swinging at each other. His younger muscles were unfamiliar with the moves, but the natural feeling and his own confidence in it smoothed it out into one flow. Even if the sword was a fake, the opposition not a real challenge, and he was in a controlled environment, there was still a thrill to fighting, something he had already begun to miss. Going days without it made the first couple of his swings and parries near blissful. This was a dance Cloud knew by heart.

They'd barely gotten going before the door to the gym opened and everyone turned to see the latecomer. When Cloud's eyes locked on him the sword in his hand went lax and his stomach turned over with a lurch.

Zack moseyed into the room like he was on a coffee break, which he might actually be, completely unbothered by the number of eyes on him. No matter how oblivious he seemed, Cloud knew Zack was perfectly aware of the whole room. Zack Fair was a First Class SOLDIER, and Lieutenant General at that, and he didn't miss much.

He came into the cadet sword class with his usual charm, smiling at everyone and greeting the instructor who looked like he wasn't sure if he should be admiring or peeved by the interruption. A murmur rippled through the room as the First positioned himself near a sparring pair who had frozen when he walked in. They resumed when he gestured for them to continue, though both were noticeable tenser. It didn't take long for Zack to switch to teacher-mode, pushing a foot out to correct someone's position and taking the weapon from one to demonstrate as they worked.

The blond felt like a bowstring ready to pop; he was positively thrumming with adrenaline and nerves. He hadn't felt this way since the last time he'd put his life at serious risk with a Midgar Zolom, and it was overall a pleasant, almost missed sensation, even as he felt like if he got drawn any tighter he'd throw up.

Gradually the other cadets returned to their practice, the original instructor barking at those who didn't. Like everyone, Cloud's eyes continued to return the SOLDIER across the room, and he couldn't focus on the exercise. With all his attention centered on Zack, he didn't realize an older, more instinctive part of himself slid to the forefront of his mind.

His eyes darted between his partner's blade and how Zack's calloused hands slid another's grip to the proper position. He and Devin restarted their match, and this time Cloud's arm moved on autopilot. They had been at an easy stalemate for ten minutes before Cloud began to unconsciously press his advantage. He was only minimally aware that he was taking steps forward and walking Devin off the mat. More often than not his eyes drifted back over to Zack as the SOLDIER made rounds around the room.

Zack came to a pair just twenty feet away and behind Devin, and the blond's attention on his partner was pretty much gone. He was so focused on Zack that Cloud jerked when he realized his partner had put down his weapon. As Cloud finally looked at him properly, he realized Devin was sweating and breathing hard and asking something about switching roles. The blond gave him an apologetic nod, barely noticing his own perspiration as Zack drifted a little closer, smiling and giving a thumbs up to the cadet who did something right.

They started up again, but Cloud's focus wavered to the SOLDIER again, even turning his head slightly when the First moved off to the side. He wasn't really paying any attention to Devin, but still managing to keep up. He didn't notice the deepening frown on Devin's face, or he would have been prepared when Devin got fed up with Cloud's distraction. The other cadet was determined not to let a First Class SOLDIER see him made a fool of.

Devin forwent the kata and swung his dented blade at Cloud's open left shoulder. His strike would have connected but moment's before it landed the blond's eyes snapped to him and his sword flipped suddenly to knock away Devin's strike. It happened faster than the cadet could see, and Devin didn't even register the move until his hand was vibrate from the strike.

"Nice one. Quick too."

Recognizing the voice instantly, Cloud lowered his sword quickly and looked away from the First Class. He was shaking a bit as he tightened his grip on the sword to try and get better control of himself. He felt an irrational self-consciousness around Zack, and Cloud could feel his posture and entire being were radiating that.

"Um…thanks." Cloud muttered it almost under his breath, afraid that even his own words would make the beautiful image of a smiling Zack disappear forever. How long had it been since he had seen Zack this clearly? Not since his Geostigma had been cured, and that had been the one time in years. Ever since then, Zack's smile had begun to fade as Cloud's spotty memory took its toll. The blond could feel a deep ache in him as Zack stopped smiling for a moment to lightly admonish Devin for making that move.

"No matter how clever you're supposed to stick to the kata—those patterns have to be ingrained in your muscles before you can do anything fancy." Zack smiled brightly at a down-looking Devin and winked conspiratorially at Cloud. "Don't worry though. As you get more advanced breaking pattern is what it's all about." At this comment, he was looking at Cloud. "Now let's see you two again, eh?"

Cloud and Devin took up position back on their mat. Cloud's blade shook like a light wind was running through it. He was a mess as they started up again, this time Cloud taking the defensive side. Zack's experienced eye followed the movements of the swords, and Cloud could almost feel the roving eyes on his skin. Devin looked determined as he fought, clearly trying to show off by besting Cloud, though he too had a white-knuckled grip on his sword.

Devin must have been a rather poor swordsman even by cadet standards because a very clumsy and distracted Cloud still managed to fend him off. The sweat pouring down Cloud's face was partially from exertion and mostly from the feel of Zack's eyes following his every movement.

"Break."

Zack put his hand up and caught the blades easily as they crossed. Both boys relaxed immediately and stepped back. "Don't let go of your weapon. If I were an enemy that surprised you, I'd have two weapons and you'd have none. Now," at this, Zack looked Devin over once then more critically looked at Cloud. "You both look good, just need some new moves and experience. If you don't mind Spike, bring your sword and come over here."

Zack returned the fake swords and led Cloud away. Cloud felt a cold pit fall in his stomach and a giddy flutter in his heart simultaneously. He didn't know what to feel as he trailed after the First, who collected a cheap sword from the box..

Zack led them off to the side of the gym. Maxwell and Reno were going at it a little ways away from them. They'd long abandoned the kata and had resorted to all manner of cheap and ridiculous moves to one-up each other. It was an interesting but totally unrefined battle, and several cadets were poorly pretending to spar while actually watching them go at it. Cloud's gaze skimmed right over them. Zack was standing two feet away from him and the man's glowing eyes were watching him.

"Pick up your sword and take up a ready stance." Cloud did as ordered, falling into a basic fighting stance. "Good, now prepare yourself."

Zack came at him with some easy moves at first, testing the waters of Cloud's ability. Cloud, still shaking and his stomach doing wobbly-woops in his throat, felt a little unwell and dizzy as some of the familiar swings Zack did mirrored his own. A particularly strong wave of vertigo made Cloud sway precariously mid-block. Zack put down his own sword and caught Cloud's arm to steady him.

"You alright Spike?" Cloud nodded and leaned forward into Zack a bit as the wooziness passed. Zack was warm, not breathing hard at all, and he smelled faintly of his familiar soap Cloud had liked so much. The feel of Zack's hand gripping his arm was hot. "Whoa! Be careful." Zack pushed Cloud back into a full standing position, righting him. The blond stumbled a bit and resumed his defensive stance. There was a full-blown blush on his face, and he realized how stupid he was to practically dig his nose into Zack's shirt.

"Watch your step blond, you look a little weak." Maxwell was an unhappily familiar face in Cloud's world, with orange-blond hair and biceps as thick as Cloud's neck. He had been one of the guys who failed the exam and ended up bullying Cloud in the regulation army for being there with him. Now, soaked in sweat, he had lumbered over to watch Cloud look stupid fighting a First Class SOLDIER. Reno stood off to the side and a little behind, somewhere between an eavesdropper and bystander.

"Hey! Totally unnecessary," Zack said, as much to Cloud's surprise as Maxwell's. "Spike might be your teammate in SOLDIER—if you make it—and you better get along now." Zack's spiky hair combined with his puffed up chest made him look more like a porcupine than usual as he defended Cloud. Embarrassed, Cloud looked away at the SOLDIER comment. Reno stayed silent but his eyebrows shot up, and Maxwell looked like he'd swallowed a frog.

Zack turned back to Cloud and raised his sword again. He was smiling at him, and Cloud felt much younger and lighter than before. It put an answering upturn to Cloud's lips, and that made Zack's smile a little wider and warmer. "Let's try that again, eh?"

So the pair started again. Cloud was still feeling unsteady and a little overwhelmed by Zack's concentrated interest on him. It was like an overdose, and the blond felt like all his actions were a little sluggish and messy because of it. He took a hard smack to the side with the flat of Zack's blade for his disorientation.

"Sorry Spike, didn't mean to hit you so hard. You okay? You look kinda glassy-eyed." Zack was leaning curiously closer to Cloud. Startled, Cloud took an abrupt step back. The sudden looming face that turned into a blinding white grin made him stumble back even further. The blond's recovery was a bit slow, but Zack just laughed as he straightened. "You look like a ruffled chocobo, you know that?"

Cloud stood up a bit taller, unconsciously feeling miffed at the description. He didn't manage a word though because the morning session ended a moment later. The First dashed off almost as soon as they bell began to ring; probably realizing his coffee break had stretched to over an hour. Cloud was left standing there trying to sort through a flood of emotion and maintain some normality.

The high from his contact with Zack plummeted by lunch, and Cloud started to feel downcast as he digested exactly how far he had to go. Being singled out by Zack was great—realizing how massive the chasm between them wasn't. Cloud also didn't feel like he'd left much of an impression at all, except that he was a floundering fanboy, which made him scowl at the wall.

"…So I defended the kid, you know. I knew he was kinda getting picked on, especially since he acts standoffish because he's shy. I wonder if that's why he's been overlooked? I mean, I saw him walk his partner right off the mat and it didn't even look like he was trying! And he was shaky when I shared a few blows with him, but he seemed to know what he was doing just fine. I bet he practices the katas all the time to get them that smooth—just no one's noticed 'til now."

"Zackary, get your feet off my desk."

"Right. Sorry General."

Zack was seated on the only spare chair in Sephiroth's office. The immaculate room was painted in shades of office-gray and white with a plain carpet and blank walls. The large desk was stacked high with folders with a computer peeking out from behind them. There was a bookshelf of untouched books located beside one massive window behind the desk letting the late sun shine in. The General was the centerpiece, effortlessly drawing all the attention in the room. His silver hair shone almost white as the sun hit it, left hanging loose until it touched the floor. His coat and sword were placed against the adjacent wall, and the General had rolled up the sleeves of his loose collar shirt. Sephiroth's aristocratic face rested in one ungloved hand as he attempted to do paperwork.

He looked bored out of his mind.

Zack had commandeered the chair the moment he came back from a much-extended copying trip, where he never actually copied the documents Sephiroth had given him. The General was in the middle of paperwork and would have been happy to chastise Zack for not doing his job, but the First had launched into his story about the blond cadet the moment he was in the room before Sephiroth could say a word. The General barely seemed to pay attention, but the man's progress in his paperwork was considerably slower than if he were normally tuning Zack out.

"Anyway, he didn't do anything amazing, not like a prodigy or anything. He just… knew what he was doing. Which is funny because he looked scared stiff when I pulled him aside. Obviously he was nervous, but he still fought pretty well, and didn't leave any holes in that crappy kata. He had the whole thing covered, you know, turning his hand the right way to move the sword faster to cover the flank, shifting his weight, the works. They don't teach how to read between the lines of kata like that to cadets."

Sephiroth looked up at Zack's repeated exclamation, straight into the Lieutenant General's eyes, and the First froze for a second. Sephiroth was listening—really listening, by the way he was looking at him. And he was interested, if this near-brazen act for the General meant what Zack thought.

"No openings?"

"None. They don't teach you how to look for that stuff 'til you work with the real swords, and even then it takes a sharp mind to do it in practice. I didn't pick up on that until well into my first year as a Third." Zack broke from his frozen surprise to happily confirm it. It wasn't often cadets did anything remotely interesting that didn't involve punishments and expulsions. "He was really doing it, and he didn't have any trouble stepping up when I changed things up. He was a bit awkward and stumbled some of the moves, but he had the right idea."

Sephiroth, still listening, abandoned his paperwork for his computer. He pulled up the cadet files as Zack kept up the commentary. "What was his name?"

"Cloud Strife. Weird name, huh?"

"Hm." Sephiroth didn't answer as he searched the name and came up with a picture of a blond boy, hair all over the place. He was fair-skinned and rather short, according to his basic profile, and from some tiny town. His bright blue eyes and hair dominated his picture and his face was set in a stubborn glare at the camera in a picture of teenage rebellion. He was young and nothing about his basic profile seemed deceptive. The General clicked past the photo after a pause and skimmed over the grades: all average, and with physical abilities just below average. Nothing jumped out at him.

"Anything?" Zack discreetly tried to put his feet back on the desk as Sephiroth clicked around Cloud's profile. As the second booted foot got to the top of the desk the General looked at him, eyes not even flickering to the boots on his desk.

"Nothing of interest." He looked a bit puzzled for a second, just barely. Zack just grinned.

"Well then, I suppose I'll just have to figure out Spike for myself. I'll find him later."

Sephiroth didn't say anything, but flagged the profile. He made a pointed look at Zack, silently dismissing him from the room. Zack, unperturbed, saluted his General with a huge smile and left the office.

Sephiroth rubbed his temples and took one more glance at Cloud's profile. Then he closed the window and glared at the obvious scuff left by Zack's boot on the edge of one of his papers.

Dinner was Cloud's first meal of the day, and his stomach rumbled as he chewed on the tough meat even though he had no appetite for it. He sat alone at one corner of the canteen, his back to the lunch line. It was hard to be inconspicuous with his hair and he'd long given up trying, so Zack's sharp eyes found him almost instantly.

The SOLDIER approached the table where Cloud sat, taking his time to weave through the tables to wave to a couple Thirds he recognized. Still ten feet away, the blond turned around to look at him. For a moment, Zack could hear nothing of the chattering and clanking of the lunchroom occupants as he realized Cloud had glanced at him with an open expression of pleasure, something that seemed out of place on the stonier face he'd seen just that morning. For just one second, something deep inside that guarded face had come alive, and Zack felt a great welling of sympathy all of a sudden. Where it came from, what caused Cloud to be so closed off that he sat alone at a big meal like dinner, Zack had no idea, but it came nevertheless.

Just as swiftly Cloud's face morphed back to his stoic one; the face that made Zack feel sad, but not with the same intensity as before. There was an edge of defensiveness in that look that had to have been bred from years of abuse—bullies most likely, if not something more sinister back home. That was what made him feel sad, he figured, this need of the blond's to protect himself indiscriminately. So the SOLDIER put on his best smile for Cloud, trying to be disarming and fun. "Hey Spike!"

Cloud didn't have the faintest idea what Zack was doing here, and his ominiously rumbling stomach kicked into butterflies. He refused to feel any excitement that Zack was here especially to see him, enough to even pull him out of a meal. It could mean any number of things, good or bad. Maybe… maybe he had given himself away?

Zack was looking at him a bit funny now. "Uh… Spike? You there?"

Startled, Cloud sat up a bit straighter. He hadn't realized he hadn't answered Zack's hello. "Um…"

"It's alright. Let's head back to the barracks if you're done. It's loud in here."

Cloud shrugged, failing to hide how tense he was. Feeling incredibly uptight Cloud stiffly threw out his unfinished meal and followed the First out of the cafeteria, ignoring the surge in whispers around them.

He put his head down as the passed into the corridor, making sure not to look at Zack as the First slowed so they could walk next to each other. Cloud's shoulders were tight as Zack looked down at him. The blond really wasn't all that tall and didn't have a lot of muscle on him yet. He was sixteen years old by his profile though, so he had a ways to grow yet.

Zack also noted Cloud's mood and how hunched down he looked. Being singled-out by a First Class SOLDIER was something every cadet wished would happen to him, which is partially why Zack had caught him in the cafeteria. The SOLDIER hoped whatever bullies there were would back off if they thought Zack was interested in him, and then Cloud could be a little more confident in himself. Which is why Zack would have thought Cloud would be thrilled and nervous at once, not brooding and almost afraid.

They reached the cadet barracks and Cloud stepped in first, holding the door for Zack. Nothing had been said on the way there as they both weighed what to say, and Zack stretched as he indicated for Cloud to sit down. His quick glance around the room confirmed the generic cadet bunker, with all sorts of clothing and personal items strewn about, lewd pictures on the walls, and the lingering smell of dirty laundry, feet, and unwashed bodies. The blond perched himself on the edge of his bed in a corner, looking ready to jump if Zack attacked. The SOLDIER instantly noticed how much neater his bed was, with the sheets pulled up and folded down, though not tucked in. He could see the end of a box under the bed, but otherwise there seemed little in the way of personal possessions, which Zack found rather interesting.

He could only stretch for so long, so Zack flopped down next to Cloud, both on the edge of the blond's bunk, resting their arms on their knees. "Relax Spike. I'm not going to bite you." Zack judged Cloud's face, which was tightly drawn. Cloud looked ready for anything, but mostly ready to be told he was being kicked out. "I hated these beds. They're the worst, I'm telling you. Third Class share rooms with four people, and that stuff is way better than this." Zack rambled on a bit about the beds and general Shinra accommodations and kept up his friendly tone. It did the trick as Cloud ran a hand through his hair, unconsciously relaxing a little as Zack did nothing to attack him. "Well, I bet your home is a lot better than anything Shinra can offer."

Cloud looked a bit wary at the suggestion to speak. "…I guess so. It was colder there though."

"Where'd you live?" Zack already knew courtesy of Cloud's profile, but he didn't want to creep out the blond.

"Nibelheim. Up in the Nibel Mountains on the Western Continent."

"You must have been freezing! Mountains, sheesh. Gongaga's all tropical and hot. Humid, humid, humid." Zack groaned good-naturedly. "I miss that spicy food but man do I not miss having to pick the fruit. There were these monkey beasts that made their nests in the big trees, and they could wallop a grown man—seriously. The town used to hire mercenaries to kill them, but only in groups of five or more, that's how dangerous those things were."

Zack peaked over at Cloud, trying to read him. He still wasn't as relaxed as he would like, but maybe that was just Zack's rank and title. As much as he loved being a First Class for the privileges and strength, it did make connecting with people harder. "They weren't the only dangerous beasts around, but I guess every area's got them. Don't dragons live in the Nibel Mountains? I don't think I've ever been deep enough out there to run into anything like that, though I'd love to take a swing at a dragon. Ever seen one?" he asked nonchalantly.

Cloud had only rarely fought the dragons with AVALANCHE, they being few in number and very hardy. They were ferocious beasts and not usually worth the effort simply because they were so difficult to kill, and he certainly never fought them before coming to Shinra. Zack's relaxed attitude about it was almost…faked. His shoulders were too loose, body too long as he leaned back, casually looking around the room. Everything about him screamed relaxed.

"No. They were a lot deeper in the mountains."

"Really? Then maybe you've fought some of the other monsters? I know a lot of those areas are just crawling, and being near a reactor doesn't help. Gongaga was by one too." Cloud just shook his head, and Zack looked even more curious. "See Spike, it's just… I thought you might have some experience in swordplay. Or at least done some fighting before, just stuff you pick up." Zack scooted a bit closer to Cloud on the bed and hunched over slightly to avoid bumping his head on the top bunk. Like Cloud the spikes of his hair folded over because there wasn't enough space. "When we sparred it seemed like you knew what you were doing in general. Like it was familiar to you."

Cloud was looking down at the bed as he swallowed before speaking. "Not really."

"Really?" Zack's disbelief was evident. Cloud seemed to have a talent for short answers, not unlike someone else Zack knew.

"I just did what came naturally." Cloud mumbled and shrugged, turning away slightly. The words had come out too fast and too softly. Zack's gaze was probably making him nervous, so he tried to give the blond some space. Maybe he was just talented or had a knack for swordplay. There'd be no reason to lie about a little training after all, but something about the blond's coiled shoulders and the way he answered was setting off warning bells to Zack. Maybe the training hadn't been legal, or with a criminal, or something else?

Cloud didn't know why he felt fear clamoring at his throat at the thought of telling Zack any semblance of the truth. He could tell Zack everything right now, even if they were practically strangers. But the moment he thought it he felt repulsed at the idea. Who knew what Zack would think if Cloud told him anything? Insane? Dangerous? Or worse, what if he tried to help and got caught in the crossfire?

His lips pinched at the thought. Zack would definitely do that. And the things Cloud would have to do… he didn't know how close Zack and Sephiroth were now, but the First might not like what he heard about the General. And then he'd be even more likely to get involved.

Zack meanwhile mused on how to angle this conversation—not an interrogation, he reminded himself firmly—for a couple of seconds. Direct questions weren't working, and Zack figured Cloud would get defensive if he pushed him too hard. He had to come at it another way.

"Well, if you haven't fought before then you should at least go for the sword. You've really got talent with that." Cloud paused before answering, seeming to fall for the change in subject. It was clear that he already felt better that Zack looked to be buying his story. The First decided to play along for the moment, but sometime later he would get the full story out of the blond. When they knew each other a little better, he hoped Cloud would confide in him.

"I do want to use the sword," he admitted tentatively.

"Then go for it! I use one, mine's called Galatine, and she's beautiful. She's a buster sword and one-of-a-kind. Just gorgeous." Cloud soaked it in as Zack described his sword and some of the fancier moves he'd done with it. He really got into it, and Cloud was secretly pleased that he wasn't the only one who adored his sword like a lover. "Buster swords are awesome, Cloud. They're intimidating for one, so half the time you just have to stand there 'til people's knees start to buckle, and they really kick ass in a fight. You should try one once you're a SOLDIER—they're a little too heavy for the un-enhanced. Masamune is probably the hardest thing to wield besides the buster though. Six-feet of killing machine, Spike! I don't know how the General does it."

Cloud was startled out of his own reverie about the very same buster sword Zack was describing at the mention of Sephiroth. The First was staring off into space, languishing love on his sword as he compared Masamune and Galatine, with blatant bias on Galatine's part. He misread Cloud's interest in Masamune though, and it got a little ugly.

"I was mostly in Midgar for the Wutai War, but when they sent Sephiroth out there that was pretty much the end of it." Zack paused to remember it, but Cloud felt his scrutinizing gaze on him nonetheless. "During Wutai that sword had about fifty names—all bad things too. Scared the people real bad. During fighting, it was terrible. Stuff I hope you never have to see, Cloud." Cloud would have snorted if he thought Zack wouldn't have noticed. "Sephiroth's more of a slasher than a stabber, if you know what I mean. He'll cut a fiend to ribbons. Of course, Masamune's got a sharp point like most swords, and it's long enough to run though a couple of men."

Cloud's face lost any humor with those last words, and he unconsciously rubbed his left shoulder. The selfsame sword Zack was going on about had run through Cloud multiple times actually. It put a serious damper on the conversation.

"I'm sure Sephiroth would like to run it through a couple of men now and then." Zack kept on going, oblivious or at least acting it, to the drop in Cloud's mood. "He's got a reputation of course for his bite," he added jokingly, "but to be honest the guy is a workaholic. I'm constantly dragging him out from behind his desk."

Zack had effortlessly moved subjects again, and this one had really caught Cloud's attention. He'd been shifting through subjects to see Cloud's reaction, a technique he'd learned from a friend when trying to read someone. Cloud was definitely a sword-lover and not eager for war, and he studiously avoided talk of his hometown. Sephiroth was another easy topic because everyone liked to gossip about him and every kid with a stick had pretended to be him at some point or another.

"I thought the General would be with the troops more," Cloud ventured when Zack hummed and pretended to be imagining some time when he'd successfully pulled Sephiroth from his desk.

"Someone's gotta decide where they all go, and that means paperwork. Trust me, if he could spent his whole time in a training salle he would." Zack turned a bit to look at Cloud, wondering if the blond was more interested in the General as a fighter or… something else. "Not that most people want to fight him in a simulation anyway—he beats up Firsts to work off stress."

Cloud actually did go a little red, just the barest hint of his ears, and Zack held back a grin. Something else then.

"Hot chocolate helps me when nothing else does," Cloud offered quietly. It was true too. Sometimes no amount of killing beasts, fast driving, and daredevil tricks could quiet the nightmares and pain. Hot chocolate or hot cider brought him back to his childhood, when he wasn't exactly carefree but… things were easier then.

"Hot chocolate huh," Zack said speculatively, seeing the blush go just a little deeper as Cloud stared at the bunk opposite them. Not exactly the response Zack had been expecting, but one he infinitely preferred.

So the First kept up his talk about the General with Cloud for a little while more. It had been a new version of the same chat for Zack, who was closer to the General than most. Many lower ranked soldiers often asked what it was like, where Sephiroth lived and his habits, was he single, or how to contact him, and Zack hated to feed their starved, twisted adoration.

Cloud never asked for anything of the sort, in fact, he seemed happier just hearing about how Zack had tricked the mighty General into eating rare Wutain mussels and gave him his first (and only) experience with food poisoning. Cloud seemed to appreciate the human side of Sephiroth and now the hero, and when Zack strayed back to Masamune he could actually see Cloud's flagging interest.

Not that Zack would have expected it of someone as shy as Cloud, but the blond got points for not asking about the man's sexual escapades, which usually put Zack in a bad mood for the rest of the day. Cloud also didn't ask for any of his favorite foods, flowers, or other silly things. Zack only humored those questions because he liked chocolate and Sephiroth could be rather inventive in how to get rid of flowers or other gifts. This went above and beyond burning them. They could end up in cafeteria food, official reports to the President, in the Turks' personal apartments, and on Hojo's desk.

The only thing that broke up the peace and comfort of their conversation were the voices outside the door. Dinner was over and many cadets were coming back to relax. Zack stood up and stretched, surprised at how nice that conversation had been and just how little he had gotten out of Cloud. They'd talked about the General most of the time, and more told all the stories with Cloud adding in rare commentary as he relaxed. Zack decided, in that moment, that to get more information would obviously mean more drastic measures. Clearly his love of talk had gotten around and he'd been played.

"Spike, this morning I never got around to copying all the stuff the General dumped on me. If you help me carry it when I make those copies now, I'll get you some good Wutain for dinner tomorrow."

Cloud looked really surprised there. It made him look his own age, which shocked Zack a bit too once he realized it. The SOLDIER had felt like he was speaking to a fellow SOLDIER, not a barely legal cadet.

"As long as you don't get me seafood."

Zack grinned, practically lighting up the room. "Excellent! Then let's go, Spike. Copy room is in the main headquarters, so let's mosey!"

Cloud's answering half-smile was enough to make Zack almost skip out the door.