Cloud jolted awake with a gasp, his eyes opened quickly. He woke to find his heart racing and his body was in a cold sweat. Gasping for air Cloud sat up only to find that he hit his head on something hard. He groaned and shut his eyes when his head fell back to the pillow.
"Shut it Strife!"
Said an unidentified voice from above him.
He snapped opened his eyes to find a mattress overhead him with a small dent in one of the metal bars that held the bed above his own. He gazed at the mattress blackly his mako eyes gave out a soft green glow.
"And Strife switch your damn phone off! That bloody glow is keeping me awake!" there was that voice again. Who is this guy?
Phone? What was he on about? He didn't have his phone open. So many questions were running throw his mind.
"What are you talking about?" Cloud snapped
Then Cloud saw movement in the corner of his eye, he wiped his head to his left to see two more beds with a sleeping teenager in both of them. He then looked around the room
If felt so familiar for some reason.
"Out of all the Cadets in Shinra I had to get the same damn room as YOU!" the unidentified voice complied.
Wait.
Did the voice just say Cadet? Did it just say Shinra as well?
At that moment, it came rushing back to him. The fight with Sephiroth the icy feeling of a wave coming across to his body. The sense of him being at the mercy of a mad man. It sent a silver down his spine.
Was this really happing to him? Was he back at Shinra as a Cadet? But if that was true then...
"Aerith!" he shouted wakening all the other boys in the room.
Cloud quickly snapped his eyes shut to hid the glow from the sleepy teens that where all giving him dirty look from across the room.
The boy in the bunk above him began to shout.
"STRIFE! If you say another god damn word I will break your jaw!"
Cloud gritted his teeth. Trying his best to not react. He really wanted fight back and see if the kid would live up to his words! But he instead kept his mouth shut. And waited for the group to go back to sleep.
After an hour of waiting and keeping his eyes tightly shut. He opened them to find that all of his so called bunkmates were fast asleep. He sat up and took a better look at the room. He saw that it was small and had two sets of buck beds on the right and left hand side of the walls a medal door was to his behind him on the northern wall in the centre. He guessed that lead to a hallway or something, he then looked to the south to see a second door. This door was made out of wood. A small sign was in the middle of the door. Cloud read it easily. "Bathroom"
Cloud then got up and went in the smaller room closing the door behind him. In the room Cloud found a toilet a sink a shower and a tiny mirror.
Alone finally.
Cloud took a deep breath and hoped to Gaia that this was not real he sat on the floor legs crossed looking down at the bathroom titles.
But he knew it was real he remembered everything Sephiroth had told him. Was he still under his control? Did he really take Aerith from the lifestream and existents? Was he going to have to sit and do nothing while Sephiroth took everything he holds dear away from him again?
For the first time in a long time Cloud Strife felt true fear and this time he could not fight it.
He pulled his legs to his chest and put his head on his knees
"Aerith" he whispered "I'm sorry"
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Sephiroth had awakened on the floor of his apartment. His head was spinning his face was burning. He slowly sat up and then felt something wet run down on to his lips. A coppery sent lingered in the air. He wiped it off his face with a gloved hand.
"Blood?"
He went to his bathroom to find his nose was bleeding. He quickly reaches for a first aid kit and used a Cure Materia to stop the bleeding. He then looked up at his reflection. He was still wearing his SOLDIER uniform.
He then tried to remember the reason, for his minor injury, his face felt like he had been at the end of a King Behemoth's tail, but he found no answer. He then snorted coming up whit his conclusion. Only one man could make him bleed, only one man had that power. Hojo. His heart-rate sped up slightly and he ignored the growing dread that he felt, focusing now only on slowing his heartbeat. He closed his eyes and concentrated, breathing in and out slowly. Soon his heart was back to its normal speed and he allowed his mind to acknowledge that Hojo would never want to affect his life work in any negative way that would damage his reputation.
Pushing that thought out of his mind. He knew that he would not be able to stop thinking about it if he began a fully investigation what Hojo had done to his body this time. Sephiroth had greater problems to deal with for today. He looked out of his bathroom to a small clock in his hall way 5:45am time to begin his day.
He washed his face with cold water and looked in the mirror before going in to his bedroom to pull on a clean set of cloths for another day as the Great General.
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Cloud was still sitting on the floor still hugging his legs close to his chest, he slowly got up to look in the mirror. He knew that he still had his mako thanks to that distress teenager from above him. He also knew that he still had the Jenova cells within him thanks to Sephiroth explanation. But that does mean he could still have a small amount of hope that he had lost the monsters cells, Cloud knew it was foolish, but still he prayed.
He looked deep in to his own eyes. Not daring to put the light on in case he awoke a Cadet in the other room. Well thanks to mako he could see clearly. Nope his eyes still had that glow, what was he thinking? Mako does not just disappear.
His eye widened when he looked at the rest of his body.
He was younger! He was a teenager!
He quickly pulled off his shirt. To his shock all his scars were still there. It was only his body that had gotten younger everything else including the marks on the now young flesh had stayed the same.
Even time travel could not fade his scars.
He looked at his younger self in the mirror. He had no muscles and was about one foot smaller. But the thing that hit him the hardest was that his body felt so weak.
He pulled his shirt back on and hiding the scars he did not want to look at them anymore.
He needed to come up with a plan. He needed to make such that his link to Sephiroth would break for good. He stood there and through about all the disadvantages he had. He sighed and looked at his feet. Step one for him would be to hide the fact he had mako form his classmates. He knew that he would get a lot of unwanted attention if someone found that a backwater cadet has mako in his system. He had to hide it, but how?
Cloud then looked at his glowing eyes yet again.
He remembered once when he had fought for Cosmos in the war of the gods, he had learned he had a small amount of control on how bight his eyes could become.
He had hidden if form his comrades not looking them in the eyes. He came to understand that his emotions were the key that made them glow. In the war he never wanted his comrades to find out about his mako. He would have been seen as a freak a monster and he knew if they did see him like this he would have to explain. So he avoided eye contact and always drew his gaze away when someone when he or she tried to look him in the eyes. He did not want their questions or pity.
Seeing Sephiroth again back then had got to him and made a strong wave of anger rise inside him. He found that the more relax he was the dimmer the light became. He had to use his feelings to control his eyes. So all he had to do was to keep his cool and avoid all of the people that made his blood boil.
Easy right?
Cloud took a deep breath and closed his eyes trying to relax all of his muscles, after a few moments. He slowly lifted both eye lids. He could not help a small smile. He could still see a few tell tails signs for the mako but at first glance, he looked like just another cadet. So he needed to yet again avoid the people around him. And that he could do.
Next Step.
Sephiroth had complete control of his body and knowing him he was planning the next phase for the whole "taking over the planet thing."
But now he was the one with the control over his body he could move at his will he could speak he could run.
Run?
Cloud griped the sink and looked at his younger self. If he got out of Shinra before Sephiroth realized he was gone then?
Maybe he could go and destroy Jenova. He could get Tifa his mother and the rest of the towns people to evacuate, Wake up Vincent if he was luckily he might be able to convince the former Turk to help him if he played his cards right.
In the future only himself Vincent and Barret (who happen to overhear a conversation he had with Vincent and as much as Cloud tried to liar his way out of it Barret could see right through him!) Knew that the Planet could never let Sephiroth into the lifestream so the Planet made something called the rift to contain Sephiroth. He needed to find a way to get Sephiroth back inside the rift and seal it for the very last time. That would break the link! Sephiroth had no control in the rift and with no more copies like Kadaj running around then he would be powerless right?
Before he could change his mind he then returned to his buck and got dressed, not berthing to packed up his things, he needed to travel light and he also needed to leave before Sephiroth could find him.
Within seconds he was out the door. Not turning back.
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"Fourth-two, Fourth-three..."
Not even breaking a sweat he contained to count.
"Fourth-four"
The 2nd Class SOLIDER did not even notice his mentor's eyes on his back. Angeal smiled and mumbled under his breath "As restless as a puppy" he said with a small chuckle.
"Huh? Hey Angeal what's so funny?"
Angeal smiled at the younger SOLIDER. Ignoring his student's question he said. "Zack meet me in Sephiroth office at 0600."
Zack stood to attention
"SIR!"
Angeal began to walk away but stopped to say. "And Zack don't be late we don't want a repeat of what happen last time you and the General crossed paths"
"Oh come on! It's not like I knew he was standing right behind the door!"
"Zack just be on time okay?"
"Whatever..."Zack replied
"Zack.."
"Oh right I mean...YES SIR!"
Angeal left the room a small smile on his face.
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Cloud was wondering around the Shinra building comply lost.
Such he had been in the building as a trooper a terrorist and a SOLIER but he found he had no clue where to go.
"Great"
Cloud needed to get out of here and fast the sun was begging to rise and soon the whole building will be full of people.
He began to pick up his pace and it soon turned into a full out run.
He twisted and turned down the endless hall ways, looking for a way out. At this moment Cloud was willing to jump out of a window. But it seems it was difficult to find one.
Cloud then heard footsteps headed right for him. He froze
"Damn!"
He took a deep breath and took to a walking pace as the person came into view; it was all Cloud had time to do.
The man was a first-class SOLDIER. Cloud eyes widened when he saw the buster sword on the man's back. Who was carrying a large pile of folders, He knew for a fact, form Zack's memories that the man was no other then Angeal, Zack's mentor.
Cloud Hoped to Cosmos that he would just walk on passed him, but of course that was not going to happen.
Cloud just made it passed the man when he heard.
"Cadet!"
He had to hold back a sigh. He turned to the SOLDIER and stood to attention an old habit that never really left him.
"SIR "Cloud reposed
The older man looked Cloud up and down.
"Going somewhere?"
Cloud kept his body relaxed and his eyes to his boots. And answered within seconds.
"Just going for extra training sir but I have seemed to have lost my way"
"Is that so?"
"Yes sir"
"Then tell me Cadet why you were running through the halls before I came across you"
Just his luck to run into someone like Angeal.
"Well you see sir I was... I was just"
Cloud knew if he kept looking away from the SOLDIER's eyes it would make him look like he was lying but he had no choice to keep his gaze fixed on the floor. Why! Why does it have to be so damn hard?
"I am waiting Cadet"
Cloud looked at his options what could he say?
"I was lost sir and I..um.. panicked?"
Cloud knew he could not lie to save his life; he would have been an awful Turk. Cloud could not see the man's face so he had no clue what he was thinking.
Angeal looked at the small boy. The kid's head just came to his chest he had no muscle and refused to look him in the eye. He knew that bulling was very common among cadets and with this one being so small why else would he be running throw the halls this hour? But he could not help him now he had to be in a meeting if he was late he would never hear the last of it from his student.
"What's your name Cadet?"
"Strife sir"
"Okay Cadet Strife you will come with me I need to be in a meeting and could use an extra pair of hands to help me carry a few files"
Of course Angeal did not need help but he had pity for the boy he looked like the whole world was on his case.
Not waiting for a reply Angeal handed a few folders to the boy and began to walk down the hall.
Cloud had to stop himself from groaning. Why him? All he wanted was to get out of this place. And if he ran he knew for a fact Angeal would have him pinned on the floor in a matter of seconds.
Cloud sifted his weight and followed the man down the hallway.
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Zack ran into the Generals office breathless.
"Zack fair SOLDIER 2nd here for duty SIR!" Zack walked to the centre of the room and stood to attention to both the General and Commander.
"Remind me again why Angeal's student is here?" the copper haired Commander asked.
Zack had never like being in the same room with two of the most powerful people in the army there made him feel so small and weak, but he was not going to let that get him down. He would prove that he is just as good as them and maybe one day he could stand on equal ground with them.
Zack made eye contacted with his Commander and began to explain himself "Well you see sir An-"
Genesis raised his hand to stop Zack."You will only speak when spoken too Zack the puppy."
Zack stood his ground he hated that name! Why did Angeal have to compare him to a puppy? If he was going to be a SOLDIER first class a name like that was not going to help! Why didn't he compare him to a wolf or something cool like that!
"I do not care that Angeal has taken you as his Student SOLDIER Fair. To me you are just another expendable asset." Genesis smiled he may not be equal to the great General in swordplay but he was cleanly better than one simple seconded. He enjoyed using his title and seeing people defeated with his mere words.
When Zack said nothing in response Genesis took a small book from his jacket pocket and read aloud "The wind sails over the water's surface. Quietly, but surely."
"LOVELESS Act IV" Genesis turned to the source of the sound. It belonged to the great hero himself.
"Sephiroth you remembered" he chuckled slightly as he looked into the cold eyes.
Sephiroth had looked up from his desk pen still in hand.
If Sephiroth was going too reposed he did not get the chance as Angeal appeared in the door way shaking his head.
"LOVELESS again?" Angeal questioned "You never change old friend do you?"
Sephiroth gaze turned to the only other man he called a friend. "I see you do not have the papers I requested so unlike you Angeal"
Angeal turned his head to look out the door. A blonde Cadet walked in carrying the same papers. Sephiroth did not give a seconded look at the blonde he had better things to do then to talk with someone with such a low rank.
Genesis had lost interest and returned to his book. Angeal wondered over to the window it was rare that he got to see the sun rise.
Cloud walked in the room unsure on who he might face. He did not care who it was he did not care if the president himself was in the room he had to get out as fast as possible Not looking where he was going Cloud just wanted to get in and get out.
He kept his gaze to the floor and his body relaxed dimming the glow and hoped that no one would look at him twice.
All men in the room apart but Sephiroth watched the blonde walk in, Zack eyes widened as he saw the blondes face. Something was tugging in his mind. He felt like he had seen the blonde somewhere else before. He bent his knees to try and look at the blonde in the eyes but for some strange reason he was looking somewhere else Zack followed his gaze to find that the blonde was looking at the floor, Zack looked at the same sport confused. When he first saw the Generals office his gaze went straight to the Masamune that hung on the wall. Why was this Cadet more interested in the floor then a seven foot sword? And why was he avoiding Zack's eye contact like it would kill him?
Sephiroth did not look up from his paper work as he spoke "Just place them on my desk Cadet"
Cloud froze. That voice! How did he run into Sephiroth so soon? What was he going to do? His heart rate was rising. He found it very difficult to control his emotions as his feet took him forward it seems that his body still followed Sephiroth orders he was walking to his own death! And his body was taking him willing!
Cloud then took his gaze from the floor to look around the room. He was in Sephiroth's office. His gaze went around the room and landed on Zack.
That did it.
He lost complete control over his eyes. He could feel the mako swirling around his eye balls, He then knew for a fact that Zack had sported it. How could someone miss something like that? He looked at the floor again trying to fight his body for control. Maybe Zack will think it was the light in the room or something? After what seemed like the longest walk of his life Cloud regained control over his eyes and forced his body to relax and then it hit him.
Sephiroth.
What was he doing? He did not even give Cloud a seconded gale was he being toyed with? Cloud could not understand what was happening? Wasn't Sephiroth going to complete his plan? He seemed to be in such a rush last time there cross paths not even taking the time to make such the needle went into one of his veins.
Cloud placed the papers on the desk his body back to his control.
Cloud then began to walk to the door trying to keep a smile from his lips.
Sephiroth had no idea who he was. If there was one thing Cloud had learnt in Shinra it was that look. Sephiroth saw him as a nobody as just one more Cadet and he may still have control over his body but he did not need to know that. Cloud had another chance and a plan begin to form in his head.
As Cloud was so close to freedom a large hand landed on his shoulder. Why me? He asked himself in his head as he turned to face Angeal. When had he moved?
"Zack" Angeal said gaining his student gaze on him.
"Ang-sir?" Zack replied.
"I want you to take young Strife here to the training room see if you can improve his skills" Angeal said with a smile.
Cloud just stood there jaw dropped. What just happen? He was going to train with Zack? Spent some real time with Zack? Things were just getting better and better.
Angeal watched his student jump up and down with excitement. He remembered that Zack had asked him countless times to help out with the cadets. He cleanly enjoyed being the know it all when it came to swordplay and Angeal knew Zack was bond to help the kid with bullies.
"It seems Zack that your assistants in the upcoming agenda is not needed as much as I first thought" Angeal said. It's not like Zack was the only person that could be sent to Wutai right?
"Oh thanks Angeal!" and in seconds Zack had grabbed the cadets arm and was running down the hall.