Actions

Work Header

Butterfly Effect

,

Chapter Text

It was the perfect type of day.

Well, to be perfectly honest, most people wouldn't agree with him, Cloud admitted to himself as he squinted warily through the suffocatingly thick fog down the single street that ran through Nibelheim. It was a positively dreary spring morning. The sharp chill that always lingered long after the passing of winter cut through his bones, and the cobblestones were slick beneath his feet. The only people who went out on days like this were fools and those with urgent business… not out of laziness, but rather common sense. This kind of weather made it all too easy for even the cautious to fall into one of the ravines that scarred the slopes of Mount Nibel, never to be found. People had died that way before; everyone knew the stories.

However, it was the perfect weather to sneak into places one wasn't supposed to go.

The Shinra Mansion had been made off-limits before Cloud had been born. No one knew why. For that matter, no one knew why it was called that in the first place. Some speculated that the ancient building had once been the home of the family which had later founded the company of the same name. Others suggested that the Shinras had bought the home as a vacation spot. Most laughed at the very idea of that. Who in his right mind would come to Nibelheim for a vacation?

In any case, the mansion certainly had been abandoned for all of his lifetime… and, like most abandoned buildings, had gained its own slew of ghost stories. Cloud, having snuck into it several times before, didn't believe them. The place was definitely creepy, though; it had a definite feel of misuse, and several secret passages. Cloud had found three of those so far: two leading to cleverly hidden alternate exits and the third in one of the bedrooms, opening on a staircase spiraling down into darkness. He hadn't explored that yet, but was looking forward to it today.

Sneaking back around town and making his way into the mansion via one of the secret passages, the five-year-old quickly ran up to the bedroom, excitement pounding through him. He loved to explore, and now he would be going someplace no one else in town had gone.

Cloud Strife was a rather ordinary boy, truth be told. He had rather striking features, with bright hair that mimicked the color of sunshine and blue eyes that were the color of the deepest sapphires… or so his mother often bragged. He was smart and did well in scholastic pursuits, but he wasn't a genius. He preferred his own company to that of the other children, finding the boys' games rather dull and the girls' antics silly. He would much rather explore and discover what was going on around him. More than anything else, Cloud wanted to know things. Curiosity was his greatest strength… and his greatest flaw.

Like so many others, Cloud's greatest wish was to be special. Unique. He wanted to know things no one else knew, do things no one else did. He didn't really want to be famous so much as have something all of his own. Cloud's family wasn't exactly poor, but they weren't rich either; his treasures were few, and most were those of knowledge, not physical objects.

So when Cloud had discovered the secrets passages in the Shinra Mansion, he had been ecstatic, and plotted to keep exploring whenever he could escape from chores and lessons at home. Finally skidding to a stop in front of the entrance to the passage, he flipped on the flashlight he'd brought and began making his way down the long, rickety staircase.

The air was thick and stale, and the darkness almost palpable. Cloud moved slowly, one hand on the cool stone beside him to steady himself, testing each ominously creaking step carefully before putting his weight on it. He itched to go faster, but reminded himself that he had no clue how far down the stairwell went, and a fall here might kill him as easily as a fall in the mountains could have… though it was a lot less likely he'd be found if such a thing did happen. Shaking his head to drive away such dark thoughts, he kept moving.

What he found at the bottom wasn't at all what he had been expecting.

At the end of a short, crudely finished hallway was… a library. Not a dungeon, not a treasure trove, not even a secret room where monsters were kept. Cloud was slightly disappointed, though he admitted he must have been listening to too many of Marcus Franklin's stories. The man had an imagination that ran a mile wide and deep. Still, who knew what these books contained? Maybe he could find something out of the ordinary after all!

Or maybe… something else. Cloud's eyes picked up a strangely straight crack in a nearby wall as he moved his flashlight about the room. Moving quickly, he reached the wall and traced the line with his fingers. It appeared to be a cleverly disguised door, though there was no visible way of opening it. Excited at the finding of another secret passage, Cloud began to carefully examine the surrounding wall. Very few places around here had only one entrance or exit, and there was a chance this passage might lead into the same room as the single locked door further down the hall.

Time slowly crept by as Cloud examined every inch of the wall. It was impossible to tell exactly how long it was, but eventually he successfully located the trigger that opened the passage. Grinning, the boy stepped inside, following the short passage to a small room that, if he were any judge, had to be the same as the one to which the locked door led. Cloud flashed his light around, looking for something interesting. This was just the type of room that hidden treasure, something valuable, had to be in; the door had been locked, after all.

Cloud noticed a large something in the center of the room. He moved towards it, forgetting to watch where he was going… and thus missing the slightly raised tile on the floor.

The blond went flying into the object with a sickening thud. He shook his head, blinking as he saw double. Ow, that really hurt. Woozily rising to his feet, he yanked on the thing to try and balance himself… and let out a startled yelp as the top suddenly came off. He jumped out of the way as it clattered to the ground, fighting back the urge to sneeze at the dust it sent up. When the air had settled, he crept closer to look inside the strange box—

No, it was a coffin, he realized uneasily, pausing. This was a crypt of some sort. Every muscle of his body screamed for him to flee, but… he had to see what was inside. Was he just seeing things because of the fall he had taken, or was it real? He would never know if he didn't look.

The coffin, Cloud discovered, had a body in it. Weird boots, black pants, a long red cloak — and a pale face so well preserved that its owner might have been only sleeping.

Even years later, Cloud still wouldn't be able to tell anyone why he had reached out with one trembling hand to touch the apparition before him. Perhaps his curiosity had gotten the better of him; perhaps he had hit his head too hard to be thinking straight at the time. Either way, he was totally unprepared for the chillingly cold hand coming up to grab his wrist, the flash of red as the person opened cool eyes to look straight at him.

Hojo was certainly employing clumsy assistants these days, Vincent Valentine thought, roused from his slumber by the noise of the coffin lid falling to the floor. He lay perfectly still, eyes still closed, hoping to catch the hapless scientist unawares. Escape was no longer an option, but he still did whatever he could to hamper the bastard's plans, and Hojo hated it so when he lost help. Just wait for the opportune moment…

Now.

Quick as a snake, his hand flashed out, grasping the incoming fingers bare inches from him. He held on tightly, preparing to disable the scientist and wreak havoc when he abruptly noticed something. The arm he had grabbed was small and thin, too much so even for a scientist wholly absorbed in his or her work, and when he opened his eyes it was no white-coated doctor standing there, but… a child, a young boy with unruly blond hair, huge blue eyes widened in fear. His mouth worked soundlessly as he stared, gaze flickering between his face and the claw-hand clamped over his own.

Vincent was surprised, to say the least, but over that came the towering anger all over again at Hojo's disgusting, cold exploitation of children. "What are you doing here?" he asked, a little more harshly than he'd intended.

The boy shrieked, stumbling backwards — Vincent let go immediately so as not to chafe his wrist — into the wall. "V-v-v-v-v-vamp-p-p-pire!" he stammered, looking as if he wished he could melt into the stone.

He nearly snorted at that. "Don't be absurd," he said sharply, his voice hoarse from disuse. "There's no such thing as vampires."

The child relaxed a little, though his apprehension was still obvious. "What are you, then?"

A good question… and one he couldn't truly answer. A monster, some would say. A demon, others. Hojo undoubtedly had some scientific term for his current… condition, but he hardly wanted to think of that man's opinion of him. His life had hardly been virtuous before he had taken the job guarding the scientists on the JENOVA Project, and after that…

After that, he found himself for the first time doubting his humanity.

"What are you doing here?" Vincent repeated.

The blond paled. "Um… I was exploring… and I found the passage…"

The former Turk felt himself relax. The child obviously wasn't working for Hojo, and didn't appear to be connected to the scientist in any way. This was all just a harmless coincidence that had ended in his awakening… and quite possibly his freedom as well. "You should go home."

The child didn't move for a long moment, then slowly climbed to his feet, using the wall behind him for support. "Cloud." Vincent stared at him blankly. Why would someone discuss the weather in an underground room? "My name's Cloud." Someone's parents, the raven-haired man reflected, certainly had a very odd sense of humor. "What's yours?" Vincent didn't reply. "Hey, the least you could do is tell me your name! I got you out, right?"

Vincent glanced over at the child and noted the expression on his face. The look of mulish stubbornness surprised him, even more so when he recalled himself often wearing that very expression, a long time ago. Strange to see a reflection of his younger self in this boy, though in so many ways that man had died even before Hojo had touched him… "Vincent," he finally replied. Perhaps now the child — Cloud, he corrected himself — would be content to leave.

If anything, his response had the reverse effect. Cloud relaxed a little more, even going so far as to offer a tentative smile. "Could you come with me back to town?" Vincent stared. "I mean, even if you aren't a vampire—" the boy's tone said he doubted this highly "—you're still from the basement of the creepy abandoned mansion. It'd be so cool!"

"Abandoned?" the man asked sharply.

The blond nodded eagerly. "Yeah, they say no one's lived here for centuries, though I don't think so. Not enough dust and dirt and stuff. Besides, wouldn't the building have fallen apart in hundreds of years? Or was it decades? I can't remember."

Decades? Centuries? Surely he couldn't have slept so long! Had Lucrecia's child died while he lay among nightmares? He shook his head. "It is best for you to go. This place is not safe."

"But—"

"Go home, Cloud." Vincent's tone of voice forbade any argument.

The boy looked as if he were about to protest, but winced suddenly. His blue eyes were a little glazed, the man noticed. "I guess I should… for now, anyway," Cloud added obstinately, defiantly glaring back over his shoulder. "I'll definitely be back, though, so don't go anywhere. I want to know everything about how you got here. And what this place is. And anything you can tell me about all those books in the library…" Cloud disappeared into a niche in the far wall, his voice lingering behind him.

Vincent shook his head lightly, almost amused. The boy's seemingly insatiable thirst for knowledge reminded him so much of Lucrecia… and his observation skills were quite impressive, for him to have found the secret passage. Vincent had known of its existence (it was— well, had been his job to notice such things, after all), but after being locked in this chamber he hadn't exactly been at liberty to find the trigger mechanism on this side, if it existed—

A startled cry broke into his thoughts; instinct kicked in, and he followed it without hesitation. Cloud, his pants covered with dust as if he'd fallen, knelt on the floor of the passage, a hand on his head.

"I told you it's dangerous down here," Vincent commented coolly, arms crossed, watching the boy as he climbed to his feet.

Cloud staggered, and this time the former Turk caught him. "What on earth have you done to yourself?"

"I…" The boy's brow creased in pain. "I don' feel too good…"

Vincent's questing fingers found a lump on the side of the boy's head; mild concussion, his mind suggested. The gunman reached for his Restore materia, remembered Hojo had taken that from him as well, and muttered a soft curse.

"Mama says people shouldn't talk like that, 'specially 'round kids," Cloud said woozily.

Vincent made no reply, steadying the boy on his feet as he thought. The stairs had been rickety even during his time; sending Cloud up them alone, like this, would be tantamount to murder, and though he'd killed many an innocent in cold blood before…

He sighed.

Cloud yelped as the former Turk scooped him up into his arms. "What are you doing? Where are we going? Hey— HEY!" The pair continued up the stairs, the boy gasping in surprise as Vincent abruptly leapt across a half-rotted section of the stairs. "Wow, it's just like flying!" he cried, fear forgotten. He glanced up at Vincent, blue eyes bright with glee.

Vincent didn't say anything, but inwardly he was bemused. It had been a long time since he had seen such a pure look of joy on someone's face, and even longer since it had been directed at him. It felt… strange. Even before his time under Hojo's "gentle care," people had feared him because of his skills and office. He said none of this to Cloud, though, saving words until they'd reached the top of the stairs and he'd dumped the boy unceremoniously on the bed. "Can you get home all right by yourself from here?"

Cloud blinked at him, a little owlishly. "Wow… You sure move pretty well in those weird boots. I'd've thought they'd make it really hard to walk…"

Vincent ignored that. "You're not going to do something foolish and get yourself killed between here and… wherever you live in town, are you?" he asked, growing impatient.

Cloud glared at him. "I'm not stupid."

"Then go home," came the other's reply as he turned on his heel and started back down the stairs.

The blond listened to the fading sounds of Vincent's footsteps and sighed. "He sure doesn't act like much of a vampire," he commented, settling himself more comfortably on the bed.

Vincent made his way back down the stairs, faster now that he no longer was burdened by Cloud. He carefully examined the library, then moved into the lab beyond it. Hojo wasn't one to leave notes and important documents lying about if he could help it; his helpers, however, were often not quite as careful. Vincent doubted he'd find anything classified, but he very well might discover traces of what had happened before this lab had been abandoned. And more importantly, when it had been abandoned. Connecting the trail of clues should be child's play for a former Turk.

It took several hours of sifting through piles of papers — he hadn't realized how much more difficult a task it would be with this claw-thing instead of a second hand — before he discovered the memo.

Sephiroth Project officially moved to Midgar. Finish usual procedures and suspend work.

It was dated two years after he had confronted Hojo, two years after he had… died. Further evidence offered no sign of Lucrecia, nor of what exactly Hojo had done. The trail did appear to lead to Midgar, but… what he would do next, he did not know.

Hojo had taken over Gast's project; at the time, Gast had been ShinRa's lead scientist. Vincent didn't doubt that, provided that someone hadn't replaced him in turn, Hojo held that position now. And the head of the Science Department would not be an easy kill; the ShinRa labs had the best security in all of Midgar, second only to that around the President himself. Vincent had neither the resources nor the men he'd need to successfully penetrate the building and kill Hojo. To fail would result in his death… at best. While he wasn't afraid to die, he did not relish the prospect of further time in Hojo's clutches.

Most importantly, Vincent knew he didn't have enough information to make any major decisions. He still didn't know how much time had passed since Hojo had imprisoned him. It was true that the evidence here indicated it wasn't nearly as long as Cloud had said the villagers believed the mansion to have been abandoned, but it still had been a number of years, and so much could have changed in that time…

The short of it was that he needed more information… and he had just sent the one person who knew he was both awake and was willing to talk to him home with a concussion. He'd treated the boy more like a Turk cadet than a child; he should have realized that someone so young wouldn't have the type of logic an older, more experienced warrior. Dealing with people had always been one of Vincent's weaknesses… and now it might have cost him the one chance he had of finding out what he needed to know.

With these thoughts in mind, Vincent all but flew up the stairs and out of the secret passage. He halted abruptly as he saw Cloud laying on the bed, in almost the exact same spot he'd left him. Blue eyes blinked open to stare at him. "Vincent?"

"I thought you would have gone home by now."

Cloud shrugged. "Didn't feel so good. Figured a bit of rest might make me feel better. Mom says it's supposed to."

Well, staying put indicated more sense than Vincent had thought Cloud had. He sat beside the boy and looked into his eyes intently. It was a slim chance… but it was the only one he had. "Have you ever heard of someone named Sephiroth?"

Chapter Text

"Have you ever heard of someone named Sephiroth?"

Cloud brightened immediately. "Sephiroth? Colonel Sephiroth? Everyone's heard of him! He's the youngest person ever to make SOLDIER First Class, an' probably the greatest SOLDIER ever. He has this awesome sword — you should see it, it's huge, even taller than you…"

Vincent let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. So Lucrecia's son still lived — under Hojo's watchful eye, no doubt. "How old is he?" he asked, interrupting the boy's excited chatter.

Cloud thought for a moment. "I think… yeah, he just turned fifteen this winter, a few months ago, on—"

"December second," Vincent said softly.

The boy gaped at him. "Yeah, that's it! How did you know?"

The red-cloaked man said nothing, but his eyes suddenly seemed very old and very tired. Fifteen long years… and he had spent most of that time locked in the basement in nightmares. So much must have happened in that time… How much had changed?

Some things hadn't changed at all, though. He still didn't have the men or supplies to attack Hojo. And from the sounds of things, Sephiroth was a prominent figure in the public spotlight, which would make it difficult to encounter him while avoiding surveillance. If Cloud, who lived in remote Nibelheim, knew about the man… there was no way Sephiroth didn't have eyes on him, reporting all of his moves. Briefly, Vincent wondered if a camera constantly tracked the young Colonel.

First things first. He would have to investigate the mansion in depth and see if he could find any materia or weapons in the abandoned rooms. He would make his way to Midgar eventually, of course, but for now… it would be best to stay in Nibelheim.

Cloud sighed. "I better go. Mom'll be waiting for me."

Vincent examined the boy's eyes. He seemed to be doing better now than he had before. "I trust you will be able to return home safely?"

Cloud stood slowly and took a few tentative steps. "I think so." He looked back up at the red-clad man. "You'll still be here tomorrow, right? I want to see you again."

"I will not be leaving here for some time. Go." Cloud grinned at him, then carefully began making his way out of the mansion. Vincent stayed put long enough for the boy to be out of sight, then slipped into the shadows to follow him home. No reason to take any chances that the boy would slip and fall again on the way. Besides, it wasn't like he had anything else to do at the moment.

 

"I'm going out, Mom!"

"Did you finish your chores?"

"Yes, Mom," Cloud replied, with the universal disgruntled tone of a child.

Elanor Strife smiled as her son went scampering out the door. The boy truly took after his father; some might even argue that Cloud was too much like him, despite the fact that he looked more like her.

Fastred…

Elanor sighed and moved into the kitchen, cleaning up the remains of lunch. Her husband had been very dear to her, and the nine months that had passed since his death hadn't made the loss any easier to bear. Fastred Strife had first come to Nibelheim as part of the new reactor maintenance team. She had been working at the inn at the time and had laughed out loud upon seeing his name. Still, he had been an amazing person. Fastred loved to learn more than anything else, and had usually spent his time off exploring the surrounding mountains rather than in the bar like most of his coworkers. He'd sometimes find various strange and intriguing items to bring back with him. Elanor found herself listening with great interest to him talk about the things he had seen, his home town and the city of Midgar. Eventually Fastred had convinced her to go exploring with him. It hadn't always been safe, but the young technician had an uncanny amount of luck and a healthy dose of common sense, and so they never had any major mishaps. Elanor had even gotten to see the famous materia cave many of the villagers talked about, but none had ever found.

She smiled in memory; Fastred had proposed to her there.

From the day Cloud was born, Fastred had started encouraging his natural curiosity. He didn't take the baby out into the mountains, of course, but he did show Cloud many of the things that he had collected over the years. By the time his son was three, Fastred had taken him all over the village, pointing out the little things he had ever noticed about the people, the buildings, everything. For Cloud's fifth birthday, he'd even taken his son up to see the very materia cave in which Elanor had agreed to marry him. The boy had loved it, coming home with his eyes shining, babbling excitedly about the trip.

Shortly after that, though, there had been an accident in the reactor. Fastred had died a few days later from Mako poisoning. There hadn't been any evidence of foul play, and Elanor knew how dangerous the reactors were. Still… it hurt to know she would never see her inquisitive husband again.

Cloud, though, had taken his father's death very badly. For many days he remained inside, quite a turnaround for such an inquisitive and restless boy. But after the funeral, Cloud had slowly begun to go out explore again. Elanor, glad to see her son out and about again, had allowed it after securing Cloud's promise that he wouldn't go up the mountain alone. There wasn't anything around town that would bother him, at least to her knowledge.

She had noticed a bit of food vanishing from the pantry lately, however. Either Cloud was going through a growth spurt, or he had adopted a pet. In either case, her son was enjoying himself, and that was what really mattered.

 

Cloud didn't think he'd ever been so happy in his life, except when he had gone exploring with his dad. Vincent knew so many things! True, the not-vampire didn't like to talk, but he still told Cloud so much by what he did. Watching how something or someone behaved was half of the trick to understanding how it worked, his dad had always said.

And so he watched Vincent eagerly, gleaning as much as he could from the strange man as they spent many long days scouring the Shinra mansion for things Vincent could use to support himself. The red-clad man had the most marvelous way of moving, for one; he was quick and silent and could disappear into the shadows almost effortlessly, something Cloud tried hard to imitate, but could never really manage. And whenever Cloud would talk, Vincent always managed somehow to fade into the background a little so that the boy found himself saying far more than he normally would to most people… not that he really minded, already having decided that the man was his friend. Vincent's gaze was always intent upon him at these times, as if memorizing him along with the details of the largely one-sided conversation — even more so when Cloud would ramble on about Sephiroth and the latest news from Midgar. Then Vincent's red eyes would be filled with something the boy could only identify as eagerness, carefully repressed but still very strong. Intrigued by this, Cloud would mention Sephiroth whenever possible, hoping his friend would finally come out and talk about his connection with the famous SOLDIER.

Vincent, meanwhile, was a little surprised to find himself enjoying Cloud's company. He had never been particularly good with children; speaking with Cloud, though, was almost like interacting with a miniature adult at times. The boy was smart, sensible, and had already grown out of the foolishness that often plagued those his age… with the exception of his unswerving admiration of (and incessant rambling about) Sephiroth.

And by the Planet, he was observant! Vincent had noticed Cloud's constant watching, his slow adoption of his own particular brand of stealth… and the boy's conversational skills. Despite being the person who gave most of the information in their talks, Cloud's blue eyes were often intent on Vincent, gauging his reactions to certain things… probably filing them away somewhere in his mind. Given the proper training, the boy really would make an excellent Turk.

But the very idea was ridiculous. No Turk would ever scout a backwater like Nibelheim for potential recruits. To even be considered, Cloud would, at the very least, have to cross the sea to Midgar, just as thousands of people trying to make it big did every year. It certainly wasn't like Vincent could sponsor the blond himself, either; after all, he'd been "retired" fifteen years ago. And there was also that part of the gunman that insisted he keep the boy close. When he finally marshaled sufficient resources to take down Hojo, Cloud could well be a valuable ally.

The boy was only five, though… far too young to worry about such things as murder and intrigues like those that plagued the upper echelons of ShinRa. He could train the youth himself, he supposed, but Cloud had shown no interest in weaponry yet, nor in martial arts. And five was a bit young to start learning such things… unless the person in question expressed strong interest in them. It would hardly do for Vincent to begin training him only to have Cloud lose all desire to further his education in a year or two. So Vincent took what was really his only viable course of action for the moment:

Wait.

And so three weeks passed since the day that Cloud released Vincent from his imprisonment below the Shinra Mansion.

 

Cloud had quickly finished off his chores and his homework before starting off on his now customary trek to the Shinra mansion. He wished he didn't have to have schooling; learning from Vincent was a lot more interesting, but… that was the way things were. At least his mom homeschooled him. He was able to finish his work in a much shorter time than the kids who attended lessons at Widow Lockley's house. Nibelheim didn't actually have a school, nor any certified teachers, so children were either homeschooled or went to Widow Lockley, who, too old for physical labor, offered lessons in exchange for the means to support herself. Most kids didn't care about scholastic matters much; they were pretty much fated to follow their parent's footsteps anyway, so why should they learn something they would never use?

Unlike his peers, though, Cloud cared a great deal about learning. His mother only required that he got the work done and understood it, not that he spend long hours drilling on subjects he already knew. As such, if he applied himself, he generally had a lot more free time than his neighbors… time he'd always spent exploring before, but now spent with the ever-fascinating Vincent.

"Hey you! Yo, blondie, where do you think you're going?"

Cloud glanced over his shoulder to see Jack Maynard advancing on him. The twelve-year-old was big for his age, which meant he practically towered over the rather slight Cloud. The pre-teen had started taking lessons with Master Zangan six weeks ago, and it had been, in Cloud's opinion, an unnecessary boost to his already large ego. Cloud avoided him as much as possible, since the bigger boy was always looking for people to "demonstrate" his new skills on.

"Hold up, shorty! Don't you want to learn some martial arts? I'll teach you some, no charge!"

Well, Cloud actually wouldn't mind learning some combat skills… but he was hardly going to learn from a bully. He increased his pace, hoping to get outside of Maynard's usual territory; his mother would never tolerate him going near the Shinra Mansion, and they both knew it.

But that would require him to get away before Maynard reached him, which the boy's long stride made seem a faint hope. It wasn't long before he broke into an all-out run, tackling Cloud in a matter of seconds.

"All right," Maynard crowed, "let the lessons begin! Gather 'round, boys, and make sure to pay attention." He twisted his victim's arms and placed his knee on the boy's back. Cloud tried to break free, but found it impossible with the older boy's weight and strength against him. Maynard yanked hard on the smaller boy's arms, causing him to whimper in pain; the bully smirked. "Make sure your opponent can't fight back. No point in getting roughed up yourself. Then… pummel 'im!" Taking his own advice, he transferred his grip on Cloud's arms to the wrist, holding them with his left hand. With his right, he struck hard, twice in the shoulders and once in the back, causing Cloud to cry out in pain. Maynard flipped him over and coolly gave him a black eye.

"Stop this now!" a deep voice roared as Zangan came striding on to the scene. Maynard let go of his victim without thinking, looking up in surprise; his cronies split as fast as they could, not wanting to make themselves targets of the burly man's wrath.

The martial arts expert glared down his nose at his pupil in disgust. "I have never had one of my students use such tactics. You have obviously learned nothing about the proper use of the techniques I've taught you. You will be taking no more lessons from me, brat."

Maynard opened his mouth to protest, but his teacher cut him off with a glare. "I expect you to apologize to that young—" Zangan looked to where Cloud had been, only to blink in surprise as he realized the boy had vanished. "Where did he go?"

His student, confused himself, could only shake his head wordlessly. Sparing a moment to hope the smaller boy was all right, Zangan said sternly, "Come with me, boy. We need to talk to your parents." He gestured for Maynard to begin his walk home; the bully got to his feet, looking sullen. Zangan followed him, pausing briefly near the small figure hiding just out of sight. Though her father's status would protect her somewhat, there was no need to turn this group's attention to her; they might seek retribution for her actions. "Thank you for getting me, Tifa," he told her softly. "You did a good thing today."

The girl in the shadows flushed. "Master Zangan… do you think I could train with you someday?"

"I think so, Tifa. You will make an excellent pupil." He smiled. "Now, I must take care of this ruffian. Go home." Tifa nodded and quickly dashed off, wondering what had happened to the boy she had saved. She hoped he was all right…

 

In many ways, the smartest thing for Cloud to do would have been to go home. The rest of Maynard's cronies doubtless lay in wait along the way, though, and he didn't want to take any chances. Besides, Vincent was waiting for him; the man would worry if he didn't show up. So it was that Cloud carefully made his way into the mansion, using the now familiar secret passages, trying his best to ignore the ache in his arms and the stinging of his eye. Whatever Maynard had done, it hurt.

The blond glanced up to see Vincent standing before him. A little unnerved by his friend's sudden appearance, though he was slowly getting used to the occurrence, he smiled. "Hi."

Vincent studied the boy in front of him. He was moving slowly, as if in pain, and the skin around his right eye looked red and swollen. While Cloud wasn't the most graceful creature on the Planet, he was a long way from being a klutz… which mean that unless the boy had been doing something exceedingly stupid, someone had hurt him. "What happened?"

Cloud shrugged. Vincent firmly suppressed the urge to frown. Normally the child would answer any question he asked. For the child to remain silent indicated that he was likely embarrassed about the incident. "Nothing much. Just ran into some people on the way out," Cloud reluctantly added, realizing Vincent was not going to let the matter lie.

"Bullies, I presume?" The blond winced. "Where did they hit you, Cloud?"

"My back and my shoulders. And my eye." He lightly touched the swelling flesh. "Yanked on my arms, too."

"Come." Vincent led the way to the bedroom he had more or less claimed as his own. He bent down and retrieved one of the few potions they had been able to find. "Take a sip of this. That should be enough to heal your wounds."

"But you need that!" the blond protested.

"Cloud, we have been looking for these so that we could use in them in the event one of us became injured." The way the dark-haired man looked at him made the natural conclusion of this argument obvious… but Vincent was good at that.

The boy reluctantly accepted the bottle, taking care to only sip the smallest bit of its contents. He shivered as the soothing liquid quickly moved throughout his body, his injuries tingling briefly as the potion's power eased the pain. While the wounds weren't completely gone, they had healed significantly. Cloud carefully stretched; he still felt pain, but it was a minimal discomfort. "Wow."

Vincent noted the boy's reactions carefully. While it was rare, some individuals had negative responses to potions… but Cloud appeared fine. "Now, tell me what happened."

Cloud sighed and leaned against the wall. "Jack Maynard came after me, tackled me, and roughed me up a bit. Master Zangan came by and stopped it before it got too bad."

"And what did you do?" Cloud looked at Vincent in confusion. "Did you try to fight him?"

"No! Why would I do that? He's twice my size!" This wasn't much of an exaggeration. "I just tried to get away."

"You ran?"

"Yeah. What's wrong with that?"

"Most boys would try to fight. To take the honorable path." Was Cloud imagining it, or did this last sound almost cynical?

He bristled visibly. "Well, there's nothing honorable about picking on a kid half your age. There was no way I could do anything about it. Running was the best thing I could do!" A sigh. "I couldn't even do that, though. I wasn't fast enough."

"Knowing your only option was to run, and actually taking that action… such a thing is extremely rare, Cloud. Most people would try to be heroic, even if they realistically couldn't do anything. It shows good sense that you tried to escape." Cloud stared at Vincent in surprise. "You do not have the training nor the skills to do any damage. Retreat was the best option, and you took it."

"…I guess," Cloud mumbled, mollified and even a little pleased by Vincent's unusual loquacity.

They sat in comfortable silence for a time until Vincent, a thoughtful look on his face, finally said, "That does not have to remain the case, however. It is possible for you to gain those skills."

Cloud shook his head. "Zangan won't take anyone for training until they're ten at the earliest, and Mom can't afford to pay him for lessons, anyway."

Vincent smiled, ever so slightly. "I was not speaking of Zangan. I am trained in various forms of combat myself."

"Really?" Cloud's eyes went wide. "You'd train me?" He paused. "Wait… I don't have to become a vampire for this, right?"

Vincent started, then rolled his eyes as he bit back a sigh of exasperation. "I am not a vampire." How many times did he have to tell Cloud that?

"Just kidding." The youth grinned.

Vincent shook his head. When was the last time someone had joked around him? It had been so long… "I won't tolerate complaints, Cloud. Whine once, and I'll stop teaching you."

"Okay!" the boy eagerly agreed.

"In that case, we'll start with some running. I want ten laps around the main hall."

"Yes, sir!" Cloud sprinted off, Vincent following behind at a slower pace. The former Turk watched his new pupil begin his laps with a quiet feeling of satisfaction. He would stay here, for a while at least. Sephiroth seemed to be doing well enough from the information he could find, and he was still low on supplies. It could possibly take years for him to marshal the forces needed for a successful assault on Hojo. For now, though, he would remain and train Cloud. Even if the youth did not come with him when he moved to strike, it would still be an interesting experience, one that should prove worth his time and effort.

Vincent began mentally drawing up a training schedule. Cloud wouldn't know what hit him.

Chapter Text

Four weeks after Vincent began training Cloud, he was forced to reverse his first opinion.

Cloud would make a very, very bad Turk.

He was an observant child, true, Highly curious, too… but he had absolutely no skill at hiding that curiosity. Because he had been the sole object of Cloud's scrutiny, Vincent hadn't noticed it at first, but the boy had absolutely no poker face. The look of intense concentration he wore while studying a subject would be obvious to even the most inexperienced watcher. A habit like that would get him killed if he were shadowing someone, something a Turk did on a daily basis. This in and of itself wasn't too big an issue, though; under Vincent's tutelage Cloud was developing the type of mask necessary to survive in a big city like Midgar.

No, what would damn the boy was his utterly singular focus. Cloud had the worst case of tunnel vision Vincent had ever seen. Even five years of work hadn't helped the boy much with that. So, in an attempt to build up his student's danger sense, Vincent had taken to springing surprise attacks on him. It was slowly but steadily working, though Cloud seemed to be developing a "Vincent radar." The former Turk found it more and more difficult to sneak up on his pupil… which as just as well, since it forced him to work on his own skills.

Settling down in the shadows, Vincent waited.

 

Sometimes Cloud found it difficult to believe that five years had already passed since he had found Vincent in the basement of the Shinra Mansion. The time had been incredibly busy, as Cloud had tried to balance his demanding training with his everyday life and keeping Vincent's existence a secret. It hadn't been easy; Cloud had broken down once, begging Vincent to lighten up on him. The man had vanished immediately, not returning for a week… long enough for the child to think he was gone forever. Three worry-filled days after Vincent's departure, Cloud had resumed his training, putting more effort into it than ever before. Vincent had returned four days later; the blond had no doubt the man had watched him the entire time, judging his dedication. From then on, Cloud never raised a complaint again.

In the beginning his training had mostly consisted of weight training, running and other activities to build him up physically. Then his mentor had added katas, hand-to-hand training, and mental exercises. The latter endlessly fascinated him to a degree that probably wasn't healthy; the eleven-year-old was a great lover of puzzles, and had quite a knack for solving them.

Cloud waved goodbye to his mother and walked quickly towards the mountains in the distance, picking up his staff from where it was hidden in the one of the mansion's outer secret passages. Of all the weapons Vincent had Cloud try – and there had been quite a few; his teacher was skilled in the basics of most weapons – the staff had suited him the best, next to the sword. The sword Vincent had tested him on had been an old, rusted thing hardly worth the steel from which it had been made, though it had fit into Cloud's hand like he was born for it. Unfortunately, Vincent had very little skill with the sword. He could hit things well enough, but he lacked any ability to duel, and didn't own anything that could help him teach his protégé… who had been a bit young at the time to be using bladed weapons, anyway.

So Cloud had been forced to focus on his second favorite weapon. The staff he held now was a simple piece of wood without any decoration or materia slots, but it did what it needed to do: namely, get him in one piece up to the small shack they had built Vincent a few years ago. He wanted to see if his mentor had returned yet.

Vincent had made several trips in the past five years to trading outposts in the area, selling the valuable parts of monsters he killed. This had allowed him to purchase a gun and basic supplies, including the materials necessary to build a small hut further into the mountains. Cloud had noticed Vincent's dislike of the Shinra Mansion previously, and hadn't been particularly surprised that his teacher wanted to have another place to live… though he did not know why. That was one of the few things that had remained constant over the years; Vincent was still very much a walking mystery.

Cloud abruptly froze as his danger sense screamed a warning at him, and shifted his feet so he could better defend himself. This close to the village the more dangerous monsters were not usually a problem; most likely it was a small nuisance, one he could handle on his own.

Hopefully.

The creature burst from the shadows, nearly knocking Cloud over with its first attack. The boy successfully dodged and counterattacked, bringing the staff up. It was blocked by a golden claw. Cloud suppressed a groan as he realized Vincent had ambushed him yet again. This was starting to get old, especially since the eleven-year-old had no idea why his teacher insisted on constantly doing this. In a matter of seconds Vincent had disarmed his pupil and pinned him. That didn't mean Cloud hadn't fought back; his actions had been rather impressive, considering his age, but his mentor was abnormally quick. Fully-trained warriors in their prime would have difficulty defeating him. "Better." Vincent gave his pupil the briefest of smiles. "Come, I have some things to show you."

Cloud grinned at that; Vincent always had the neatest things when he said that. As he walked beside his mentor, the blond broke the comfortable silence. "Something odd happened today." Vincent raised an eyebrow. He knew when Cloud said something like that it was usually important. "Zangan invited me to study under him. He mentioned that he'd be teaching Tifa, too. It was really strange; everyone knows my family doesn't have that kind of money."

Vincent sometimes doubted that the rest of the village even remembered Cloud's existence, he spent so much time inside or out here beyond the outskirts of town. But Zangan's request was indeed unusual, and it only took Vincent a moment to figure out why. Cloud's training was obvious to anyone who knew the fighting arts, showing in every step the boy took. The ex-Turk made a mental note to start teaching his pupil how to hide his abilities, and soon. With luck, Zangan wouldn't see him for quite some time, and would attribute his earlier observations to natural grace… not that Cloud actually had natural grace. Vincent had quite a few stories saved up concerning the youth's mishaps.

In any case, the martial arts master had gained another point of respect in Vincent's eyes. Not only had he spotted Cloud's skill, but he had sweetened his offer with Tifa Lockhart, the mayor's daughter. Rather pretty for her age, Tifa was a girl most of the village children wanted to befriend, and Cloud was no exception. Zangan had baited his trap extremely well. It was a pity that his student couldn't join the class without giving his abilities away, since Zangan undoubtedly was more proficient than himself in hand-to-hand combat.

By now the pair had reached the shack. Vincent gestured for Cloud to enter, following him. "I managed to pick up some materia. They aren't very strong at the moment, but we should be able to work with them in a few years." Cloud's eyes lit up at the prospect. "You won't be able to use them for quite some time, I'm afraid. Most people don't have enough power to cast even the simplest spells until they're well into adolescence." His student's face fell. "I did, however, pick up something you'll start using sooner."

Cloud's eyes went wide at the sight of the object Vincent scooped out of the bag. "Whoa… are you really going to let me use that?"

"Yes, though it will be staying with me when we are not practicing. You are quickly approaching the end of my knowledge concerning the staff, and I believe you have shown enough maturity to begin learning my specialty." Vincent made good on his word, demonstrating how to clean and load what would one day become his student's gun.

Later, after the new weapon had been carefully stowed away, Vincent showed Cloud the materia he had gotten — a Restore, a Lightning, and an Ice — and explained their properties. "I wish I had been able to buy some more powerful materia. These won't mature for quite some time, and until then they'll only be able to cast the weakest of spells."

"Hmm…" Cloud looked thoughtful. "There is a materia cave around here… I remember Dad showing it to me once."

"And you didn't mention this before because…?"

Cloud shrugged. "It's quite a way up the mountain, pretty deep inside dragon territory. Mom made me promise that I wouldn't go up there alone."

"I see." Vincent's red eyes glinted. "I suppose if I accompanied you, that would hold you to your promise…"

"It would," Cloud agreed with a grin.

"Well, then. I believe we will be taking a trip tomorrow, Cloud."

 

Cloud stifled a yawn, bid his mother goodbye, and headed out to meet Vincent. He was excited; it had been years since he had seen the materia cave. It had been quite an experience, though; he hoped growing older hadn't made the place lose any of its wonder.

On his way out of the village, he spied a discarded newspaper and gleefully snatched it up. He already had a copy of this one, but Vincent might like to see it.

When the war in Wutai had started last year, ShinRa had begun distributing newspapers in all of its territories. They had extensive coverage on the war and the soldiers in it, including the SOLDIERs… including the great Sephiroth.

Last year Cloud had gotten to see a picture of his idol for the first time. He was so different, with his long silver hair and sharp green eyes. Tall and obviously quite strong, intimidating even on paper… it was almost enough to make Cloud pity the vicious Wutaiian guerillas. He carefully hoarded all the news and stories he could about the valiant war ShinRa's fighters waged against the savage people of Wutai, his mind filling with dreams of someday becoming a hero like the General… perhaps even fighting by his side. Not even the foulest of villains would be able to stand up against the two of them. Wouldn't it be awesome…?

Maybe… maybe when he was old enough he would go to Midgar to try out for SOLDIER. It couldn't be that hard, right? He smiled to himself. Compared to what he usually did with Vincent, it was probably pretty easy.

 

Vincent sighed to himself as he spied his apprentice. Cloud looked tired, which probably meant he had been up late into the night watching the television at the inn — the only television in town, it might be added — hoping for a glimpse of Sephiroth. The boy's obsession had only grown over the years, and the propaganda pouring out of Midgar was just feeding it further. The ex-Turk didn't doubt for a moment that Cloud had a box of newspaper clippings under his bed somewhere.

"Hi Vincent!" Cloud grinned as he held out a newspaper. "I found an extra copy and though you might want to see it."

Vincent wordlessly took the paper and stored it inside. He did appreciate the access to information on current events, and on Sephiroth; he just really wished he could get a more unbiased source. "Take your staff and your cloak. It's likely to get cold today. And make sure you have two of the potions safely secured. We might run into some trouble, considering the size of the monsters around here." Not to mention the reactor farther up the mountain. This area was saturated with Mako, one of the reasons it had been chosen for the JENOVA Project all those years ago.

"Okay." Vincent checked his own weaponry and supplies, then led the way up the mountain. He didn't trust the look of the old wooden bridge, so they were going to take the long route, traveling down the side of the ravine and then back up. They were about halfway across the bottom of the valley when Cloud spoke. "I was thinking earlier about becoming a SOLDIER."

Vincent forced himself not to grind his teeth. "You're too young."

"Not now. Later." Cloud was preoccupied with his dream and wasn't observing his mentor, and so didn't pick up on Vincent's irritation.

Vincent silently vowed they would discuss propaganda tomorrow. The boy's naïveté was beginning to get on his nerves; Cloud was old enough now he should be able to deal with the truth of how ShinRa operated.

The fact that his pupil reminded him so much of himself before the Turks snapped him up had absolutely nothing to do with it.

"I'm going ahead to check the path. Stay here out of sight."

Vincent disappeared around the bend as Cloud hid among the rocky scree along the path, crouching with his staff at the ready. As the minutes crawled by, his nerves grew more and more tense. Despite (or perhaps a little because of) the fact that he knew his mentor was close by, he felt uneasy.

Aha! There was definitely something… there!

Without hesitating, Cloud struck, up and a little behind, pleased with himself at being able to actually catch his teacher in the act of ambushing him. Grinning, he turned to look at Vincent… only to find himself face-to-face with baleful red eyes and a fetid maw full of sharp fangs.

A dragon.

All sense of triumph immediately forgotten, he rolled away as the creature's right claw stabbed into the very spot where he'd been waiting. Settling into a combat-ready stance, he took a moment to size up his opponent. Though it loomed over him, it was still small enough that it couldn't be much older than a wyrmling—

Only reflexes honed by years of training saved the blond from the vicious swipe of the creature's spiny tail. The dragon hissed, frustrated at such nimble prey, and slithered closer.

"VINCENT!" Cloud cried, knowing he'd never be able to take the beast down on his own, wyrmling or no. Oh please let him come soon…

The dragon drew its head back in surprise, startled by the yell echoing back off the mountains. When the noise failed to produce any immediate results, however, it growled in annoyance, striking with its wicked claws. Miraculously, Cloud managed to parry both hits with his staff, though one talon raked his left cheek, leaving a long, shallow gash that stung painfully. Chest heaving as he struggled to suppress the terror that threatened to overwhelm him, he attacked again, hitting the creature smack dab on its sensitive snout.

The dragon shrieked in pain and fury, lashing out with tail and claws together, sending Cloud stumbling backwards, his staff still held at the ready. His breath caught in his throat, and fear rose up thick and bitter when he saw the yellow-orange incandescence flickering around the edges of the beast's muzzle as it reared back...

Oh sweet Planet help me. He'd forgotten about the breath weapon.

Cloud screamed as half his staff turned to ash in his hands, and his right side exploded with blistering heat. He collapsed to the ground as it ended, choked sobs tearing their way out of him. Somehow he'd managed to escape most of it, but… fighting down nausea, he forced himself to look away from the charred, blackened thing that had been his hand. Perhaps it would've been better to just let it…

As the dragon padded closer, rumbling with satisfaction deep in its chest, Cloud closed his eyes and prayed for it to end quickly.

 

"VINCENT!"

The former Turk's head whipped around, and without hesitation he started sprinting toward the source of the shout, gun already in hand, cursing the uneven landscape for slowing him down. He made it to where he'd left Cloud just in time to see the young dragon that had attacked his pupil unleash a stream of scorching fire against his student.

He brought up his gun and shot, snarling as the bullet only grazed the creature's head frill. Still — he allowed himself an instant's relief — the flames ceased as the dragon swiveled to look for the source of the attack. After a moment of just glaring in his direction, though, the creature turned back to its incapacitated prey, approaching it for the killing blow. Stupid animal.

Whether or not Cloud was still alive — he fervently hoped it was the former — Vincent had no time to lose.

He couldn't afford to hide this secret anymore.

 

Cloud's eyes flew open as an earsplitting roar that was not from the dragon rang out in the cool mountain air. Shifting slightly, he saw a huge, hulking man-thing leap from a rocky outcropping to attack the creature that had wounded him. The dragon shrieked in rage, snarling and snapping at its assailant.

A distraction… ohh, just what he'd needed. Gritting his teeth against the pain, tears flowing freely down his face, Cloud managed to extract a potion from his pack with his good hand. Wrenching the stopper out with his teeth, he greedily drank the contents of the entire bottle, almost sobbing in relief as the excruciating pain of his burns faded to a stinging ache. Unfortunately, his efforts having exhausted him, the boy could only lie there, watching the battle unfolding before him, hoping that the victor would be too tired and pained to bother with him.

The man-thing was an impressive fighter, using his meaty fists like hammers, smashing relentlessly into his opponent. The dragon's claw and bite attacks were vicious, but the man-thing all but ignored them, shrugging off damage serious enough to have slain a human as if it were nothing at all. Cloud found it almost frightening how intent he was on the utter destruction of the dragon, watching in horrified fascination as the man-thing caught it in a chokehold and proceeded to strangle it, eventually snapping its neck with his powerful arms.

He held his breath as the man-thing carelessly dropped his kill and turned towards him, and then… the strangest thing happened.

The man-thing blurred around the edges, becoming fuzzy and indistinct all over, the ghostly pale skin of his body changing to match the bloodstains on his arms, all dark red and black and… gold?

Vincent stood silently in the space formerly occupied by the brutish creature that had saved him, gazing somberly on the dragon's corpse.

Cloud froze, blinking rapidly, more than a little frightened, half hoping he was delirious. What the…?

The man shook his head and let out a heavy sigh… then, as if having come back to himself, turned immediately towards Cloud, at his side in an instant. His eyes in that moment were hardly like Vincent's at all — full of concern, heavily laced with guilt, rather than carefully expressionless. "Are you all right?"

Still unsettled, the boy tried to scoot backwards, away from his savior. "What… what are you?" he managed, his quavering voice fearful.

Despite Vincent's attempt to hide it, it was obvious to Cloud that the words hurt him on several levels, and he regretted them immediately. Before he could say anything, though, his mentor carefully picked him up — not with as much ease as he had when Cloud was younger, but still with less effort than most men would need. "I…" The man paused, then shook his head, sighing. "No. You have the right to know." He looked down at his young protégé. "But first we must get back. The Restore materia is there, and I have some ointment for burns as well."

Vincent would not say anything else on their trip back to the shack… and Cloud was too worn out to ask any questions.

 

Waking up was… strange.

For one thing, Cloud was no longer in pain; instead, his whole right arm was tingly-numb and delightfully cool after that intense heat. For another, something soft and warm lay against his forehead. "…Vincent?"

The other's hand stiffened in surprise, then quickly pulled away. Cloud opened his eyes to see his mentor sitting next to the cot on the shack's single small stool, hands in his lap, looking at him soberly. "How are you feeling?"

"Not bad, all things considered," the boy admitted, flexing his fingers a little as he looked at his bandage-swathed arm. The movement stung a bit, but surprisingly, there was no real pain.

"Remember that our materia aren't very strong," Vincent explained. "I did what I could, but the skin is still raw, and blistered in several places. It would be best if you didn't move it much for the next several days… and continue to apply the ointment I'll give you to take home," he added, indicating a jar on the table.

Cloud nodded, sighing a little in relief. One of his most pressing concerns alleviated; he would, from the way his mentor was talking, regain full use of his arm. But what in the world was he going to tell— "Mom!" he gasped suddenly, eyes widening as he sat up in the bed. "Oh man… What time is it?"

"Only mid-afternoon; no need to worry about being late." His teacher paused. "I'm… sorry we didn't make it up to the materia cave."

Cloud smiled wryly. "No, don't be. I'm sorry for getting into such a mess."

Vincent shook his head adamantly. "I should have gotten there sooner — or not left you at all."

There wasn't much the blond could say to that. He looked down at his hands, twisting the blankets, and after a moment, finally asked that burning question. "What… Back there, how were you able to…" He waved his hand vaguely "…to do what you did?"

Vincent was silent for a long time, staring into the embers of the dying fire. He sighed. "It's probably best if I start from the beginning; it should make things a little easier to understand." Taking a deep breath, he began, "I was born in the town of Kalm, almost forty-five years ago…"

Cloud's blue eyes were wide as he listened to his mentor's story: how he'd become a member of the Turks, how he'd arrived in Nibelheim, how he knew Sephiroth… and how he'd come to be sealed in the basement of the Shinra Mansion. The words came almost reluctantly in some parts, fast and bitter in others; all Cloud could think, though, was that it just wasn't fair for someone as wonderful as Vincent to have had so many bad things happen to him.

When the dark-haired man finished speaking, his mouth twisted into a self-mocking smile, Cloud reached out and, ignoring the sharp protest of his bad arm, hugged Vincent tightly, burying his face in his chest.

The former Turk started, looking down at him in surprise. "What…?"

"It's not right," came the boy's voice, muffled by Vincent's cloak. "You deserve better than that. No one deserves that, for only trying to help someone…"

No, it wasn't right, part of Vincent agreed. People shouldn't be allowed to do such things to each other.

"Shouldn't" seldom mattered in the real world, though, he reminded himself. And after everything he'd done in the name of ShinRa… could he truly argue that he didn't deserve it, at least on some level?

"Vincent?"

The gunman looked down at Cloud's open, honest face, his bright, inquisitive blue eyes. He had changed so much since his young protégé had awoken him… so much for the better. Sometimes it almost seemed as if this boy was the Planet's way of offering him another chance at redemption.

The former Turk said nothing, but smiled a little to himself as he returned Cloud's embrace carefully, almost awkwardly.

This time, he would not fail.

Chapter Text

This was probably the aspect of training Cloud disliked the most. He didn't hate it, but… well, he didn't like it either.

The fourteen-year-old flung his arm backward, successfully located a chair, and heaved it as his mentor. The next object that came to hand was a desk. He yanked a drawer loose, spilling its contents to the floor, and rolled away, barely missing an incoming attack from Vincent's right hand. His teacher looked with amusement at the pile of old pens and papers, then neatly sidestepped the mess. Cloud mentally growled and glanced quickly around the room, looking for something else he could use.

Vincent referred to these sessions as "using the environment to your advantage." His student called them "the times when you throw anything and everything you can at your mentor and hope he doesn't get too close because you know you can't beat him in hand-to-hand combat." The idea was to train Cloud to use his surroundings to aid him in battle. He needed to know where everything was and figure out how to use it offensively or defensively, while managing to stay out of Vincent's grasp.

He wasn't very good at it.

Of course, he might have been better at it if Vincent would let him use a gun or his staff… but that was off limits in these exercises. His mentor only permitted hand-to-hand or whatever was already in the room.

"Ahh!" Cloud jumped as Vincent abruptly shot forward, bringing his left arm up again. The blond successfully countered the claw's attack, the right hand's slash towards his shoulder… but fell to the sweeping kick, seeing spots for a moment as his head connected painfully with the hard floor. "Oww…"

"Better. You were able to last much longer this time," Vincent commented. He watched Cloud climb to his feet, looking for any serious injuries. Satisfied his pupil wasn't badly hurt, the gunman began rearranging the objects in the room so they could run the exercise again. The Shinra Mansion was useful for this, at least; it had plenty of well-equipped rooms, relative privacy, and no one to complain about the mess they made.

"Um, Vincent, I've got to go home soon." Cloud looked out the window of the mansion, glancing at the sun. "Mom wanted me to be home for lunch. She specifically mentioned it this morning."

The ex-Turk hid his disappointment. His student had been making good progress today, and he didn't want to stop. "All right. That's it for now, then. Practice tonight."

"All right." Cloud bid goodbye to his mentor, sighing. He would much rather stay with Vincent — it was a Saturday, after all, and they usually did the most training on the weekends — but his mother had specifically requested he eat lunch at home today.

Cloud wasn't really sure how much his mother knew about what was going on. She wasn't dumb by any means, but… she didn't seem quite connected with reality, either. She tended to accept things at face value, never questioning her son's often flimsy excuses. He sometimes worried there might be something wrong with her mind. Vincent had mentioned some things…

On the other hand, she was very busy with work. Cloud knew his mother worked almost constantly in order to keep them fed and living comfortably without his father around to help anymore… and he felt more than a bit guilty about that. He had tried looking for a job to help out, but no one would give him one. He didn't have any particular skills — well, not ones that would get him a job in this town, anyway — nor did he appear to have the strength for more menial work. And, to put it bluntly, he was too young. Jobs in Nibelheim were scarce, and no one was going to give one to a fourteen-year-old kid.

He supposed it was possible, that his mother had already figured out what was going on, decided it was okay, and just kept quiet. Cloud knew that if he were completely honest with himself about his abilities, he couldn't predict her actions at all. In any case, his mother hadn't questioned his frequent absences, meaning he could do what he needed without too many difficulties. "I'm home!"

"Cloud!" His mother beamed, embracing him. "Come, sit down. I've prepared a lovely lunch."

The boy felt all of his mental alerts go off. His mother was Up To Something. His brow furrowed as he reviewed her habits lately. She had been busier than usual, and quieter. "Mom? What's up?"

"Let's eat first." His appetite whetted by the morning's training, the blond crammed the food down his throat, watching his mother warily. What was going on? "Cloud, I know I haven't really been celebrating your birthdays the way I should have—"

"Mom, that's okay. I mean…" Cloud hadn't even really thought about his birthdays since about a year or two after he had rescued Vincent. He'd been busy with training, and then he had noticed the financial situation at home. They really couldn't afford to celebrate the way some of the other villagers did.

"But I think this will more than make up for it." The older blonde stood, moving to a nearby drawer and pulling out a thick envelope. "I know it's late this year, but I finally got enough money for it, and you're old enough…" Elanor handed the envelope to her son.

Cloud slowly opened it, looking at the papers within. "Tickets…?" Quite a few of them, too. This had to be terribly expensive; what had his mother been thinking? Cloud stared at her in surprise. They couldn't afford to go on trips around the world…

…Wait a minute. Cloud looked again. There was only one copy of each ticket…

His mother smiled. "I know you've wanted so much to join SOLDIER, so I made all of the arrangements, and now… You leave in two days." She hugged her son again. "Oh, I'm so proud of you! I know you'll do well."

Cloud returned the hug dazedly, his mind whirling. This couldn't be happening!

 

Several hours later, Cloud stared at the tickets in his hand, still not quite able to process what his mother had done. It was true that he'd wanted to join SOLDIER. Even after Vincent had told him about what ShinRa was really like, he hadn't been able to abandon his dream. At first he had wanted to join SOLDIER to become like Sephiroth, his personal hero… but after Vincent had told him his story, after Cloud had seen his mentor's seldom spoken yet almost desperate desire to meet the young man he had tried to save, the youth had become determined to reunite the pair. And for that, he would need to become close to Sephiroth. Considering the man was ShinRa's top general, there was only one way to do that: become a SOLDIER First Class and earn his superior's trust. From there, Cloud would have to convince him to return home with him to meet Vincent.

And since Nibelheim was practically off the map as far as Midgar was concerned, he would have to be pretty close to Sephiroth for it to work. He supposed he could have tried to get Vincent to come to Midgar, but… the chances of that happening were next to nil. The man avoided the city in conversation constantly; Cloud had no idea how he would actually get the former ShinRa employee into it.

Vincent… He had best go tell his mentor about what had happened.

This was going to be complicated.

Cloud sighed and safely stowed the tickets away. He grabbed his coat — his cloak stayed with Vincent — and a flashlight. Quietly opening his window, he jumped down to the ground, grateful he didn't need to use a rope anymore. Leaving that type of evidence made sneaking out and in of the house more difficult. In no time at all, he had retrieved his staff and begun the trip out of the town up to see Vincent.

His journey was thankfully uneventful, and Cloud breathed a sigh of relief as he spotted the tiny shack. The last thing he needed at the moment was another complication. He tensed again as he knocked, waiting for a few minutes, listening intently… only to jump as the door suddenly opened. Damn, he still couldn't tell when Vincent was moving.

The dark-haired man raised an eyebrow, looking expectantly at his apprentice. Undoubtedly he wanted an explanation for Cloud's sudden appearance, given the late hour.

The youth swallowed. "Um…"

"Come in, Cloud."

The blond did so, pausing just inside the doorway. Now that he'd made it to his destination, everything he'd planned so carefully to say had completely deserted him.

"Sit," his mentor urged after a moment, startling him out of an intense scrutiny of the already familiar hut; he'd hardly realized he was doing it. Again Cloud did as his mentor asked, perching on the edge of the bed as Vincent took the stool, just as they always did.

They sat in silence for a long time, the crackling of the fire the only noise in the tiny room. Finally, Vincent spoke. "You didn't come for practice this evening."

A sigh. He hadn't wanted to miss it, but his mother hadn't let him out of her sight, insisting he pack under her supervision. "I know." Cloud looked down at his feet, planted firmly on the floor. He could remember when his legs were short enough that, sitting here, he could swing them freely. Vincent had found it rather annoying, but had never been able to make him drop the habit.

"Might I ask why you felt it appropriate to skip?" His mentor's voice had that old warning tone to it, the one that meant you'd better have a damn good excuse or you'll seriously regret this.

Cloud looked up into the stern face of the man who'd been like a father to him these past eight years, swallowed hard, and said, "I'm leaving for Midgar in two days."

 

"I'm leaving for Midgar in two days."

Vincent had known this would happen, had been expecting and dreading this moment for years. His young protégé had too damn much admiration for Sephiroth to ever give up his lifelong dream, despite everything he'd told him about ShinRa and its propaganda and scandals and coverups. Still… some part of him had selfishly wanted Cloud to stay, training with him until such a time as they could take out Hojo together. To be abandoned like this, especially on such short notice… oh, how it hurt.

You couldn't manage to make Lucrecia stay with you, he reminded himself bitterly. Why should this be any different?

His student fidgeted. "Vincent…?"

All his old defensive walls went up automatically. Perhaps emotionally distancing himself now would make it less painful; it had helped, at least a little, in his Turk days… "If you are planning to become a SOLDIER," he began in a cold voice, "you are doubtless no longer in need of my skills. Consider this the end of your training."

Cloud's blue eyes were wide in disbelief. "But—"

"I will keep your gun here with me; it is no weapon for a SOLDIER." He would not, could not look at Cloud, staring instead into the fireplace as he ignored the noises behind him of the blond rising to his feet, taking a few steps toward him.

"I—"

The pain in his student's voice — former student's, Vincent reminded himself sharply — was all too obvious. A tiny part of him, buried deep down, felt vindicated at that (good, yes, let Cloud feel as abandoned as he did). The rest of the dark-haired man ached in sympathy. He didn't like hurting Cloud, not even in training. He bowed his head and closed his eyes, pulling his cloak tighter about him, feeling older than he had in years. "I have only two pieces of advice I can offer you. One: in Midgar, one can never be too careful. Two: above all else, stay away from Professor Hojo."

"Vincent…"

"Go now."

After a moment came the sound of footsteps, pausing near the door, the shuffling sound of someone turning… "Even if this really is the end of… of our training, I'd still like to see you once more before I go." A deep breath. "I know you're not really the type to see anyone off, but… would it be okay if I came by early that morning, to say goodbye?"

Vincent would not answer.

After a long moment, Cloud sighed, said a soft goodnight, and set out on his trip back home, leaving Vincent alone to stare into the flickering flames, burning further shadows into his eyes.

 

Cloud paused again outside the hut's door, waiting for a sound from within, hoping against all odds that Vincent would call him back inside and they could resolve this. The night stayed completely silent, though, broken only by the lone call of a dragon off in the distance.

Cloud's hand tightened about his staff, and he swallowed hard, firmly telling the lump in his throat that it was not tears. Yes, he had planned someday to go to Midgar, become a SOLDIER, and bring Sephiroth back to meet his mentor, but… he honestly hadn't truly realized that would mean leaving Vincent behind. As strange as it sounded, Cloud had never really thought about being separated from the man who was his teacher and only true friend.

Vincent's words had hurt, and hurt deeply. Cloud couldn't help but feel he had been thrown away. The blond had wanted to scream "I'm doing this for you!"… and yet somehow had not been able to open his mouth.

Ironic that Vincent had said Cloud didn't need his training anymore; it was only those long years spent practicing that got the teen home in one piece, undetected. Cloud clambered up a pair of crates left outside of his window for just this purpose, then slipped inside. He placed his staff carefully under the bed, changed into his nightclothes, and lay curled up under the blankets, clutching his pillow tightly. Forcing himself to take a few deep breaths, he tried to calm down.

No matter what Vincent said, this wasn't the end. Cloud wouldn't let it be. He would earn his teacher's respect back. He would accomplish his mission, no matter what got in his way. Sephiroth and Vincent would meet, and maybe then his master would understand why Cloud had been so determined to become a SOLDIER.

And maybe then Vincent would be proud of him.

Chapter Text

Cloud awoke the next morning feeling utterly exhausted. The previous day's emotional up and downs, coupled with more than a few nightmares, had worn him out far more than any training session had. Still, he was determined to go through with his plan. He would become a SOLDIER. Vincent and Sephiroth would meet, even if he had to chain them together for it to happen.

He spent most of the rest of the day with his mom, helping her around the house, and then later training in the Shinra Mansion. Just because Vincent was no longer teaching him was no excuse for Cloud to abandon his usual exercises; quite the opposite, really. If he was going to be a SOLDIER, he needed to be in excellent shape.

When Cloud finally went to bed that night, he could barely move, he had worked so hard. He fell into a deep sleep almost immediately, having exhausted himself to the point that dreams could not disturb his rest.

And then morning came.

 

Cloud awoke to the sound of his mother's voice, calling him for breakfast. He dressed quickly and headed downstairs, eyes widening at the feast set before him. Elanor gave her son a brief hug. "Big day today."

"Yeah," Cloud agreed as he sat down. He only wished his mother had given him a bit more notice about this entire thing. Vincent might have reacted better with more warning…

"You'll have to be ready to leave at two. Mr. Nettler is planning to leave at two thirty, and you don't want to miss your ride. It's a long way down the mountain alone."

Cloud nodded. "I'm already packed. Do you mind if I go say goodbye to a friend?"

"Of course not. Just make sure you're back in time!"

"Yes, Mom." A quick trip upstairs and Cloud was ready to go, staff in hand. Today, it seemed, the trip up the mountain seemed longer than it ever had before, though that could have just been his imagination. Things were terribly quiet, though; Cloud absentmindedly wished the area supported more animals. True, that would mean more of the local monsters would lurk closer to easy prey and likewise the town, but at least there wouldn't be this dreadful silence. And he would have had to keep his thoughts on his surroundings instead of worrying about what lay waiting for him — or what didn't — in the place his mentor dwelled.

Finally Cloud found himself at his destination. Taking a deep breath, he firmly knocked on the door.

No answer came from within, no call to come inside. The blond's hand rested on the doorknob for a moment, tempted to just push it open and make sure Vincent wasn't there. It wasn't as if the door would keep him out if he really tried; it wasn't exactly high-tech material.

But that would be violating his master's trust… and Cloud had no intention of doing that, ever. "Vincent…" he began, swallowing hard, "I will come back. You'll see. I'll be back, and… and things will be right again. I promise." He released his hold on the doorknob and took a step back. Glancing at the staff in his hand, he briefly wondered if he should leave that here as well.

No, Vincent already had his gun. Besides, after the dragon has destroyed his last one, Cloud had made this weapon on his own, without his mentor's help. It was his.

Cloud turned and walked away, never looking back… never noticing the glint of sunlight on lurking gold.

 

By the time Cloud had made it back to town, he didn't have long to wait before leaving. Of course, that had more to do with the fact he had stopped several times along the way to enjoy his surroundings than with the actual distance. If it took me several hours just to walk home, I'd never be able to get anything done, he reflected as he walked inside the house. "Mom, I'm back!"

"With just enough time to spare." Elanor Strife smiled.

"I'll just go outside and wait, okay?"

His mother came over and hugged him tightly. "Take care of yourself, Cloud. Midgar is a big place."

"I will, Mom." Cloud hugged his mother in return. "And I'll become a SOLDIER, one of the best. I promise!"

"I know you will." Elanor kissed her son's forehead. "Now, you'd better go."

Cloud nodded and grabbed his suitcase from beside the door, where he had placed it yesterday. He walked quickly outside, growing more and more excited at the prospect of his trip. True, he wasn't entirely happy with how things had turned out with Vincent, but… he was really going to Midgar! Most people in this town would never see the city that was the home to the company that controlled the world. And not only was he going to see it; he was actually going to live there, for at least a few years. Setting his luggage next to Mr. Nettler's truck, he restlessly shifted his weight from foot to foot like a racing chocobo in the starting gate. He should have taken time to train this morning; he was going to be fidgety all day.

"Yo, kid! Where are your parents? Get lost on the scenic tour?"

Cloud glanced up — oh, how he hated being short — at the menacing figure looming over him. It took him a moment to recall the man's name. Jack Maynard, the bully who had nearly rearranged his face years ago.

A very small part of Cloud was amused that Maynard seemed to have forgotten who he was. He wondered if that was the case with most of Nibelheim's inhabitants. After all, he had spent so much time off in the mountains with Vincent that he probably was unfamiliar to nearly everyone in town.

"I live here," Cloud said simply. Maynard could loom all he wanted; Cloud could easily take him out, if necessary.

"Sure you do. No ten-year-old kid around here looks like you. So where are you really from? And why are you here? This town doesn't take well to foreigners." The twenty-year-old man sneered.

"Leave him alone, Jack." The two turned to see Tifa Lockhart approaching them. "He's just a kid."

Just a kid? Cloud thought indignantly. I'm older than you are!

"Of course, Ms. Lockhart," Maynard said, his voice oozing with exaggerated sweetness. He smiled ingratiatingly. "I wouldn't dream of doing anything." Tifa nodded and turned away. Once her attention was elsewhere, Maynard reached down and grabbed Cloud's shirt, yanking him forward. "We don't want foreigners here," he hissed. "Tell your parents to get out." Cloud shifted slightly, ready to attack this bully and give him a taste of his own medicine.

Smack.

Cloud stumbled back as he watched Tifa attack Maynard again, pushing him back further away from the blond. His "savior" was skilled… very skilled. She's been working hard, he noted approvingly.

Tifa stood back, her hands on her hips, a stern expression on her face. "Get lost, Maynard."

The bully scowled at her sullenly, but even he was smart enough not to risk a confrontation with the mayor's daughter. Shooting a poisonous glare at Cloud, he slunk off.

As luck would have it, Elanor arrived on the scene just in time to see Maynard leaving. "What happened? Cloud, are you okay?"

He nodded. "I'm fine, Mom."

Tifa's eyebrows shot upwards. "This is your son, Mrs. Strife?"

"Yes, of course — you haven't met?" Elanor Strife looked surprised at that. "I thought you had… well, anyway. Tifa, this is Cloud. He's a year older than you are."

Tifa cast a dubious look at the blond, who suppressed the urge to sigh in exasperation. Why did people seem to feel the need to harp on the fact that he was just a little small for his age?

"Elanor, good to see you!" a voice called. A woman Cloud didn't recognize hurried across the square towards them. "I have an order for you. Would you mind embroidering some shawls? Ann needs a few done."

"Of course, Kim. Let me see them." Elanor smiled at her son. "I'll be back in just a moment, Cloud."

After his mother was out of earshot, the blond turned to Tifa. "Thanks, but I could have taken care of him myself."

"He's half again your size," Tifa replied, shaking her head. "You wouldn't have stood a chance."

"Good afternoon, Tifa. You ready to go to Midgar, kid?" Mr. Nettler asked as he loaded the last of his supplies into the truck.

"You're going to Midgar?" The brunette blinked in surprise. People rarely left Nibelheim, after all, and to go to another continent, much less Midgar, was definitely something worthy of town gossip.

"Yep. I'm going to become a SOLDIER."

Tifa examined the delicate-looking youth in front of her, trying not to smile. "Sure you are."

Cloud bristled. "Just you wait! I'll become a SOLDIER, and I'll come back here to prove it, too!"

"Tell you what: SOLDIER or no, you come back here with some training and we'll have a match." Tifa smiled. "I could use a good opponent."

"It's a promise," Cloud replied confidently, just as his mother returned.

"Now," she began, "be sure to remember what I told you, Cloud. As you get older, I know you might end up wanting to be 'friendly' with a nice girl, and I suppose that's all right, but… for Gaea's sake, remember to use protection. As much as I'd love grandchildren someday, I'd prefer it if you settled down and married their mother first. All right?"

Cloud's ears were bright pink with mortification as he stared at his feet, determined to ignore Tifa's muffled giggling. "Yes, Mom," he muttered.

Elanor beamed, hugging him tightly. "I'm afraid there's not much else I can give you, aside from my prayers and best wishes. Be well, Cloud; I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you too, Mom," he said softly, swallowing thickly as he returned her embrace. It wouldn't do to break down here and now, not with his mother sounding like she was on the verge of tears herself.

When Elanor finally let him go, Cloud grabbed his bag and stepped into the truck. He looked long and hard out the back window, fixing the little town of Nibelheim in his memory. Yeah, it was a bit silly — after all, it wasn't like he was going to be gone forever; he'd come back in a couple years for Vincent, of course — but still…

Cloud frowned suddenly, twisting around in his seat to press his nose against the window, squinting.

Mr. Nettler chuckled at the sight as he climbed into the driver's seat. "Hope you're not planning to spend the whole trip sitting like that; it'll get mighty uncomfortable in an hour or so."

His passenger hardly acknowledged his presence, staring intently at a patch of afternoon shadows like a cat who'd finally found its evasive prey. Mark Nettler had heard the elusive Strife boy was an odd one, though, so he simply shrugged and started the truck.

"You get say goodbye to everyone you wanted to?" he asked after a moment.

Cloud smiled a little, feeling some of the pain in his heart ease, still not turning away from the window. "Yeah," he said softly, his eyes bright. "Now I did."

 

Cloud Strife learned some very important things on his trip to Midgar.

The first was that he did not have the constitution for long car rides. Having the windows rolled down so the chilly autumn breeze could keep the air in the truck fresh didn't help much, either. The talkative Mr. Nettler cheerfully informed him that his face was turning some of the most remarkable shades of pale green he'd ever seen; all Cloud could do was nod weakly and try not to lose his brunch.

The second thing Cloud learned was that truck rides on mountain roads are often quite rough, and therefore extremely unpleasant for highly sensitive stomachs. At least the driver of the transport he'd caught in Corel had stopped grousing about the damage to the interior when she'd been offered a bit of his meager spending gil for the cleaning bill, though.

The third thing Cloud learned was that sea travel is even worse. The journey from Costa del Sol was, he concluded not long after they'd set sail in rough seas, the most horrific thing he'd ever experienced. He took some small comfort, though, in seeing that he wasn't the only one who spent almost the entire trip leaning over the ship's rail.

The train ride from Junon was blessedly calm in comparison, and Cloud used this to his advantage, relieved to finally be able to stomach more than water and a little bread. He would have liked to gotten a chance to observe the countryside for once on this trip, but his body insisted on getting much-needed sleep.

And so it was that on the morning of the fifth day after he'd left Nibelheim, Cloud Strife arrived in Midgar.

Chapter Text

One of the few things Vincent had told his protégé about Midgar was that it was big. Cloud thought he had been ready to enter the city without making a fool of himself, but as the train made its way towards the world's largest metropolis, he felt his jaw drop.

"Big" didn't do Midgar justice. "Gigantic" didn't, either. Cloud couldn't think of a word that did. The buildings were huge! And the people! He had never imagined so many people could be crowded into one place like this. As the train traveled through outskirts of the city, he gaped at the terrible conditions. This was how people lived in the most powerful city in the world?

But then they moved upward, over the metal plate that covered the lower levels, and Cloud found himself shocked yet again. This area was the exact opposite of what lay below, a palace floating above a ruin.

Cloud abruptly felt very small, and very much alone.

"When you're in an unfamiliar place or situation, make sure to keep your mind focused. Don't allow your feelings, especially fear, to show. Remain confident and make sure to look as if you know exactly what you are doing and where you are going. And at your age, politeness wouldn't hurt, either."

Cloud took a deep breath and did his best to follow his mentor's instructions. He wasn't completely successful in hiding his awe at the city, but he did manage to mask his fear. As the train slowed to a stop, coming to rest in the last station before it would make its return trip to Junon, Cloud stood and shuffled to the exit with the rest of the passengers, moving as directed through metal detectors and luggage inspection with growing restlessness.

"Next," a customs official said in a tired voice. Cloud stepped forward to the desk. "Papers?"

The teen handed over the documents his mother had authorized, suppressing the urge to fidget. How much longer was this going to take, anyway?

"What is the nature of your business here?" the man asked in the same monotone, scribbling something in on another form.

"I'm an applicant for the SOLDIER program," he replied, unable to keep a note of pride out of his voice.

The official nodded absently, stamped the form he'd been writing on, and handed Cloud back his paperwork. "SOLDIER personnel headquarters are in the building just across the street, second floor. Recruiting office is right at the top of the stairs." Cloud thanked him and, stepping outside, set off, his heart pounding hard in his chest.

He was taking his firsts steps to becoming a SOLDIER!

"So…" Thomas drawled after the young blond had left the recruiting office, having completed his paperwork. "How long do you think he'll last?"

"Hm… with his build, not very. Too pretty for his own good. Delicate, even. And his name won't help, either," Dickinson replied, glancing at the paper the young man had handed him a minute ago. "Who in the world names their son 'Cloud'?"

"'Cloud'? Pffft! Where's he from?" Harris asked, chuckling a little as he leaned over his coworker's shoulder. "Nibelheim? Where's that?"

"Um… little country town way up in the mountains on the west continent," Thomas answered, having pulled up a map on the console in front of him. His coworkers gathered around him. "Wow, population ninety-three at last count. Really tiny place!"

"I take it back, then; kid just might make it after all," Dickinson said, glancing at the stats on the screen in front of Thomas. "He certainly didn't act like a hick. Seemed to know exactly where he was going and what he was doing… meaning either he knows someone, has been here before, or is one hell of an actor."

"Maybe. In any case, his handwriting is atrocious." Thomas grabbed the papers from Dickinson and sat down to enter the new cadet's information into the company database. "Does that look like a one or a nine?"

Dickinson glanced at the numbers scribbled in the spot for cadet's birthdate. "Looks like a four to me."

"A four? What are you, blind?"

"Well, it doesn't look like a one! Maybe a nine."

"An upside-down, drunk five?" Harris suggested, and ducked under his desk as Dickinson threw the universal weapon of ShinRa's office workers at him: an empty styrofoam coffee cup.

"Whatever it was, it's the nineteenth of August now," Thomas declared as he hit the submit button.

"All right, that's enough. Not bad. Here's your squad number." Cloud accepted the sheet of paper from the SOLDIER Second, taking deep breaths in an attempt to calm his pounding heart. The man had run him through a variety of exercises to test his endurance, flexibility, strength, and reflexes, and it had taken more out of him than Cloud had expected. The youth silently vowed to practice more. He obviously wasn't as in shape as he had thought.

Cloud carefully did his cooldown stretches before heading off to the barracks, consulting a map mounted on a nearby wall as he did so. It wasn't long before he found himself in the section for SOLDIER cadets. Double-checking to make sure he was at the right room, he knocked on the door.

"Oi, Coyle! Go get that, will you?" came a voice from within.

"What do you think I am, your personal slave?" another voice retorted as the door swung open. "Oh, hey!" A boy who looked to be about seventeen stood there, looking at him appraisingly. "You must be our new squad member." He grabbed one of Cloud's bags. "Name's Scott Coyle."

"Cloud Strife," the blond replied as he followed him into the room.

"Listen up, fellows! We're now a squad of ten again. Cloud Strife is joining us today," Scott announced. Cloud counted, but only came up with three. Where was the rest of the squad?

"Hmm… Bit shorter than Wheaton, but if he has a better attitude it'll be worth it," another boy, around the same age as Scott, commented. "I'm Paul Moser. Wheaton is the person you're replacing. He got kicked out because he couldn't control his temper. Hope you don't have that problem."

"Not really," Cloud replied, shaking Paul's extended hand.

"You're new to Midgar, aren't you?" Scott asked, dropping Cloud's bag on the one of the empty beds. "That locker is yours, by the way. They'll be getting you uniforms soon enough."

Cloud started placing his stuff in the locker Scott had indicated. "Yeah. I'm from Nibelheim."

"Where?"

"Mountain town, west continent. Middle of nowhere," Cloud truthfully replied with a slight smile.

"Another one, eh? Geez, if this keeps up we locals'll soon be outnumbered by you country boys," Scott said, grinning a little as he punched Paul lightly in the shoulder.

"'Country boys'? Junon isn't exactly 'the middle of nowhere,' y'know," Paul retorted, shoving the other cadet, who laughed as he sprawled carelessly on his bed. "Anyway, Cloud… I don't suppose you hear too much about how the SOLDIER cadet program works over there, huh?"

"Not really," the blond admitted sheepishly.

"I can give you a brief overview," Paul offered, settling himself on Cloud's bed, "if you'd like."

"You mean because you love to hear yourself talk." Scott rolled his eyes.

Paul ignored him. "The exams are offered every year in the spring and in the fall, April and October, respectively."

"So I just missed them…" Cloud realized, disappointed.

"Yeah, but you couldn't have taken them anyway. You have to be in the cadet program for at least a year before you can submit your application. So it'll be next September before you can even get started."

"Not that you'll take them until the spring after that, what with how damn long it takes them to process all the paperwork."

Paul snorted. "Ain't that the truth. Anyway, you usually take the exams in groups with people who enter around the same time. Assuming you pass those, you make it into Third Class."

"Unless you do well enough to get passed right into Second Class," Scott added, sitting up.

"Yeah, but how often does that happen? I think the last time was back during the war with Wutai." Paul shook his head. "Anyway, that's if you make it to the exams. Sometimes you get kicked out of the program because of your attitude or behavior, or for not being able to keep up." His face darkened. "Sometimes they take you out for other reasons."

"A good friend of ours was pulled by the Turks," Scott explained, glancing at his friend's expression. "He was very talented; they snapped him right up." He turned his gaze to Cloud. "Better watch yourself if you don't want to join them. You've got to be pretty skilled yourself, to be sorted in here on your first try."

Cloud felt his eyebrows shoot up at that bit of information. He hadn't counted on that little difficulty. He'd have to revise his strategy in order to avoid that unwanted interest. But what had Scott meant by… "First try?"

The older cadet gestured at the other people in the room. "All of us have attempted the SOLDIER exams at least once and failed. Not a big deal, really; we didn't do too bad, so they let us reapply to train some more. Only a handful of people get in on their first attempt, anyway… and they're usually the ones who've had some sort of prior training."

"Oh."

"On the other hand, the girls tend to do a lot better than us guys," Scott said into the uncomfortable silence that had fallen.

"Girls can't become SOLDIERs, idiot!" Paul reached over and swatted his friend with Cloud's pillow. "Body chemistry issues, remember?"

"I was talking about the specialists," Scott replied loftily before turning to Cloud. "Always be nice to the females you see in uniform. They usually end up equipped with the anti-SOLDIER gear in the cases where a SOLDIER… loses it."

"Doesn't happen often, though," Paul added reassuringly, watching his friend closely.

"Not anymore," Scott agreed, though his expression was still somber. "Used to a lot more…"

A knock on the door interrupted their discussion. "And here would be your uniforms and schedule. Better get some sleep, Cloud. It's going to be a long day tomorrow."

"Yeah," Cloud agreed. He stowed away the clothes while glancing over the sheet of paper in his hand, mind working rapidly. This would be tricky, but not impossible. He just had to do well enough to pass the exams, but poorly enough so the Turks wouldn't want him. Shouldn't be too hard, right?

Cloud glanced around warily. He didn't see anyone, and since the area between the barracks and the training compound lacked any substantial cover, things should be perfectly safe…

It still made Cloud feel terribly exposed, though. Unfortunately, there really was no secure way between the two buildings, as he knew from spending the last month memorizing the layout of ShinRa's military complex. Vincent had lectured Cloud repeatedly about knowing your terrain and your surroundings; the blond saw no reason to ignore that advice.

More than just the surroundings, Cloud had examined the people about him. His teachers and immediate superiors were basically neutral towards him. He was just another SOLDIER cadet, nothing unusual or spectacular. As long as he did as they asked with an average level of success, they dismissed him from their minds. His squadmates were more or less the same. One of the disadvantages — or advantages, depending how one looked at it — of replacing a member of a previously formed squad was that the squad had already broken into groups of friends. Only Scott and Paul made an effort to reach out to him. Considering what he knew, though, Cloud was glad not to have too many friends. Besides, he wasn't very much of a people person anyway.

"Hey there, cutie," came a drawling voice. "What's a pretty little thing like you doing all alone out here?"

Cloud started in surprise as a SOLDIER First Class walked — or rather, wobbled out of the shadows. "Um…"

A strong arm flung itself around his shoulders. "How 'bout you and me head back to my place, mmm?"

Cloud twitched. He knew his features weren't very masculine, but he didn't need the reminder. "I. Am. Not. A. Girl," he ground out. "Sir."

The SOLDIER laughed heartily. "I know, I know… not in that uniform, heh heh! Not that you'd have to— but oh no, not with the cadets! Too bad…" He sighed hugely as Cloud stared at him in utter confusion. What in Gaea's name was he going on about? "Hey, kid… think you could help me back to my room? Not quite sure I can make it myself…"

Cloud stifled a sigh. The man had to have drunk quite a bit to be this wasted, he thought, vaguely recalling something about Mako reducing drugs' effectiveness on a person's body systems. This wasn't at all the view of a SOLDIER First Class that the boy particularly liked, but… well, he really didn't want to risk getting on the warrior's bad side by refusing… "Of course, sir."

It took them longer than Cloud would have liked. The man was tall and quite heavy; "helping" more or less meant supporting the SOLDIER completely.

"Key's in my pocket… no, not there… There." Cloud successfully fished the key card out of the man's pocket and unlocked the door. Luckily, the SOLDIER had a room on the ground floor. Cloud didn't even want to think about trying to lug him up a set of stairs. "Care to stay a little while?"

"I'm sorry, sir. It's almost curfew already," Cloud responded. He got the man inside and then bolted, staying in the shadows as much as possible as he headed back towards his room. It was a good thing he knew how to move about the compound undetected; the last thing he wanted was to be caught in the SOLDIER barracks without permission. He really couldn't afford that type of black mark on his record.

"Calling it a bit close there, weren't you?" Scott asked as Cloud slipped into the room.

"Yeah. Hopefully won't happen again," Cloud replied as he moved over to his bunk, the encounter with the SOLDIER already gone from his mind.

Zachary Sinclair waited a long moment after the youth had left his room before standing from where he had "collapsed" by the door. This had been a far more interesting time than the recently promoted SOLDIER First Class had anticipated when he'd left for his usual night on the town. At least, it had become more interesting after he'd come back and found that cadet leaving the training center, anyway.

There weren't any rules against cadets being out and about at this time of night; most, however, chose to go out into the city proper. Bars in Midgar, especially under the plate, rarely checked IDs, and many young troopers took advantage of that.

So what were the odds of a cadet spending his night training, and on a Friday, no less? Zack's curiosity had flat-out demanded he find out what was going on… and so he had put on his little act. People tended to be a little more careless around drunks, he'd discovered.

Unfortunately for him, his target hadn't really gone for it. What little information he had managed to glean from him, though, just made the kid all the more interesting. He had managed to get Zack back to his tiny apartment with surprisingly little difficulty. He had known his way around the SOLDIER barracks as if he had been there before, which for a cadet wasn't likely. He had been able to handle a good deal of Zack's weight. And, perhaps most intriguing of all, he hadn't loitered in Zack's quarters either, hadn't leapt at the opportunity to get to know a First Class like so many other cadets would have.

The blond certainly was a very, very interesting kid… one who should prove well worth investigating.

Zack looked forward to the challenge.

Chapter Text

Cloud Strife was having a bad morning.

Actually, it really wasn't that bad, in retrospect. The mess hall had served pancakes for breakfast, and they had been damn good pancakes, too — light and golden and fluffy, not burnt or soggy (or worse, both; it had happened once before, though how was still a mystery).

On the other hand, the resulting long line as people had finagled seconds and even thirds from the blank-faced, uncaring servers had forced Cloud to eat his breakfast rather later than usual, and now he only had about three minutes to make his way to the other side of the compound… or he'd be late for monthly inspection.

And so Cloud ran, dodging regulars and SOLDIERs alike, ignoring angry shouts behind him to be careful, to slow down and watch where he was going. He sped up a little as he neared his destination; just around this corner and a little down the—

WHAM.

Cloud staggered back from the collision, ears ringing from the force of it. Shaking his head a little, he started to apologize, looking up at the person he'd run into.

Tall. Imposing. Black leather. Long silver hair. Eyes a piercing green the colour of purest Mako…

His mouth went dry as he stared, wide-eyed, at the man he'd admired since childhood. Oh shit oh shit oh shit…

The great General Sephiroth raised an eyebrow. "Running in the halls is not permitted, Cadet—" eyes flickered to his nameplate "—Strife. See that it doesn't happen again." The General's voice was rich and deep and as cool as his gaze, and the mildly disapproving note in it made Cloud want to crawl into a corner and die of shame.

The blond swallowed hard, started to bow — no no no, SALUTE, you idiot! — hastily corrected himself, and stammered, "Y-yes sir, General. S-sir." Had his voice just squeaked? Oh, by the Planet…

The eyes of ShinRa's top SOLDIER slid away from him, and as the General continued on his way Cloud let himself sag a little in bone-deep relief… until he remembered he was still running late for inspection.

As quickly as possible, he walked down to his squad's room, glad that the timely arrival of their commanding officer allowed him to avoid Scott and Paul's questions of his whereabouts.

General Sephiroth was hardly what most sane, sober individuals would call a compassionate person. On the other hand, he was by no means a sadist either; he generally didn't enjoy causing individual pain. In spite of that, though, he found himself almost amused by the look of utter shock and horror on the face of the cadet who had crashed into him while he had been walking the barracks on spot inspection earlier this morning. The memory was a fine distraction from the paperwork in front of him at the moment.

"Hey, Seph… what are you thinking about?" Zack asked his superior as he carried yet another stack of papers into the room. He glanced at the documents on the General's desk. "Oh, the bills from the last exam. Still can't believe Finance bounced those on us…"

"I had an encounter with a cadet this morning."

"Oh really?" Zack raised an eyebrow. While not immediately obvious to the casual observer, it was apparent that Sephiroth was slightly amused; this in itself was a situation unusual enough to be noteworthy.

"He was running in the hallways."

The younger SOLDIER paused for a moment before breaking out into laughter. "He ran into you? Priceless. Anyone I know, hmm?"

Sephiroth mentally rolled his eyes. Zack had a teasing streak a mile wide; then again, if it would focus his aide's attention on someone else… "A SOLDIER Cadet. Strife." It was a good thing he had an excellent memory for names.

"Strife, Strife… I know I know it from somewhere, but I can't figure out… Wait, kid on the shorter side, bright blue eyes, resembles a chocobo?"

"Relative of yours?" Sephiroth asked dryly, mildly surprised Zack had recognized the name. Despite his highly social nature, his aide was really too busy to be involved much with ShinRa employees other than the SOLDIER Firsts and Seconds, and others who worked with Sephiroth directly.

"I do not look like a chocobo!" Zack shot Sephiroth a glare; the pale-haired man merely raised an eyebrow at the dark, untidy mass of spikes crowning the other's head. "No, I ran into him a couple weeks ago, did a little detective work, pulled his file. He seems like an interesting kid. Been wanting an excuse to talk to him, but haven't really had the time."

Sephiroth recognized the look on his friend's face; it was the same one a predator wore when he had discovered new prey. "Finish your work first, Zachary."

"Why, Seph!" Zack put on an affronted air. "You know I always finish my work first. You'd never let me hear the end of it if I didn't. I'll just drop by the training center later today; he'll probably be there." He paused. "And don't call me Zachary."

After over slightly a month and a half in the SOLDIER candidate program, Cloud had to admit he wasn't very impressed. The program was very physically demanding; he spent many hours each day working at the various exercises the instructors drilled into the cadets. It wasn't, however, nearly as mentally exhausting as his training with Vincent had been. They had very few classes on tactics, none at all on how to supply and organize a military group, and materia? Well, that was only referenced as something they'd learn about once they made it into SOLDIER. Personally, Cloud found these deficits disturbing. His mentor had always insisted that mental development was just as important as — if not more so than — physical development. The youth sincerely hoped he wasn't "getting out of shape" mentally, because he'd never be able to keep up with Vincent if he were.

He just hoped his mentor never found out about what happened this morning. He'd never hear the end of it… not only because Vincent didn't approve of his obsession with Sephiroth at all, but also because of his carelessness. If the ex-Turk found out his student had run into the General because he hadn't been paying attention…

Cloud shuddered.

The fourteen-year-old was walking through the training center's main gym when he spied an empty room off to the side. It was small, too small for many SOLDIERS to comfortably practice in, as their styles generally involved moving over a great deal of ground in a short time or wielding a large weapon, sometimes both. Most of the other cadets disliked using it because it lacked windows and generally invoked strong feelings of claustrophobia. The Turks obviously did not use it; when they weren't out in the field, they practiced in their own facilities elsewhere in the complex. It was better that way, really; the Turks made a lot of people nervous.

Cloud, though, was rather fond of the little room. It reminded him of some of the underground chambers in the Shinra Mansion where he used to practice with Vincent. And since people generally stayed away from it, it was the perfect place for Cloud to practice more of the skills that Vincent had taught him, skills that he didn't "officially" know yet.

The youth began to go through his kata, trying to find his center and focus, but met with limited success. His thoughts kept sliding back to the events of this morning, and his face quickly began to burn. He had been so stupid, getting caught by the General, of all people! Not at all the way he wanted to make an impression on Sephiroth. "With my luck, he'll always remember me as that idiot cadet who ran into him in the hallway. Ifrit's hellfires, it'll become a warning. 'Don't run in the halls, or you'll end up like Cloud Strife…'" He sighed and gave up. He couldn't concentrate enough to do his exercises properly… a shame, really, because this was one of best times for him to practice. He decided to go out and do some laps or something. Maybe if he did something that didn't require such concentration, he could accomplish some sort of training today…

Zack was in no real hurry as he made his way to the training center, stopping to exchange words with a few of his drinking buddies, flirting a little with some of the more attractive specialists. He loved the people he worked with, loved how they came in all shapes and sizes and from all walks of life, loved talking and sparring and laughing and simply being with them.

For some reason, though, he had always been particularly drawn to the reclusive ones; they were always so very intriguing behind their standoffishness. He often selflessly took it upon himself to show people like that the positives of social interaction… and so it was that Sephiroth had been his big project for nearly three years now. Things weren't going as well as Zack could have hoped, but at least they'd made some progress. The General still couldn't have a casual conversation with most people to save his life, but with Zack he'd opened up fully, demonstrating a wonderfully dry and sarcastic sense of humor.

Sephiroth expressed mild irritation at most of his friend's attempts to further socialize him, though whenever Zack let up he'd often become withdrawn again, forcing his aide to approach his task with renewed vigor. It was a pretty strange sort of relationship they had, but even so, Zack wouldn't give up the General for all the gil in the world.

Finally arriving at his destination, the First Class casually meandered around the central gym, continuing to chat up his fellow soldiers. No one could give him much on his target's whereabouts, though, until he described the kid to a startled pair of cadets.

"Oh, you mean Cloud, sir?" one of them asked. "I thought I saw him in here earlier…"

"I'm pretty sure he went out to the track a little while ago," his sparring partner said thoughtfully. "He seemed a bit distracted, though…"

Zack thanked them and turned to leave, catching the cadets' whispers only because of his enhanced hearing.

"What in Gaea's name would he want with Cloud?"

"Beats me, but… well, better him than the Turks or something, right?"

"I dunno… D'you think something could've happened this morning that might get him in trouble?"

"What, though? He passed inspection just fine…"

Closing the outside door behind him cut off what the SOLDIER could hear of their conversation, and it quickly left his mind as he looked out over the track, pursing his lips. Despite the shelter the surrounding buildings provided from the January wind, it was still bitterly cold here, and the promise of snow was strong in the air even under the Mako reek of the city. The blond he'd been searching for was the only one crazy enough to be out here in this weather, jogging along in nothing more than the usual cadet uniform. The poor kid had to be freezing.

Shaking his head, Zack made his way down to the track, casually stretching before setting off himself, as if he were just another trooper out for a run. His pace was easy for a SOLDIER, but just sufficient to catch him up with the slower cadet.

He was quite looking forward to this.

Cloud loved to run. It was one of the few times he allowed himself to relax, one of the few times he lost what Vincent often referred to as his "tunnel vision." Running allowed him to enter a sort of meditative state in which he was unconsciously aware of everything about him.

A shame he couldn't manage to do it voluntarily in everyday situations.

He had noticed the figure approaching from behind him, and had promptly dismissed it. The presence wasn't hostile, though he briefly wondered why someone else would be out in this weather. Though it didn't bother Cloud, having grown up in a place where these conditions were pretty mild for January, it still wasn't really pleasant. He had counted on that, though; he had come out here partially for solitude, after all.

His fellow runner had caught up to him and matched his pace, and so the pair of them continued on for a time in silence. Cloud actually liked it a great deal. It reminded him, just a little, of his time with Vincent. The blond wasn't much of a people person, but at the same time he liked to have company. Maybe he just was a little selective about who he interacted with? He seemed to prefer silent communication to true discussion…

"You're pretty good, kid. Get lots of practice inside?"

Cloud nearly froze at the voice. It was clearer than it had been when he had last heard it, lightly slurred with the influence of alcohol, but still the same faintly teasing tone. His head snapped around to look at the figure running beside him. Yes, it was the same SOLDIER First Class he had seen a few weeks ago. There was no way he could be anyone else, not with that distinctive hair.

The cadet didn't see the irony of this thought.

"Sir?" Cloud asked, unsure of what else to say.

"I'd think you'd have difficulties running inside, though. All sorts of obstacles."

Oh PLEASE no.

"Things, people… superior officers?"

Cloud silently cursed, feeling his face flush bright red. How in the world had the First Class found out about his run-in — literally — with the General? And if he knew about it, what were the chances the whole compound had found out already? He grimaced at the thought. Now he'd really never live it down... Maybe he should just go back to the barracks and spend the rest of the day hiding someplace where he could die of shame in peace.

They jogged on in silence for a while, breath steaming in the icy air. Cloud was grateful that the SOLDIER had decided not to tease him further, but really wished he'd just leave; the man's continued presence was making him more than a little nervous now.

"Aren't you cold?"

The unexpected question startled Cloud, whose steps faltered for an instant. He shook his head as he resumed his stride. "Aren't you, sir?" he countered.

The First Class shrugged. "Mako treatments," he said deprecatingly. "Still feel a little bit of the chill, though… and damned if it doesn't make me miss home. Middle of the summer down there, now… and humid like you wouldn't believe. Dear, damp old Gongaga." He snorted. "Can't say I miss that… or the bugs. If they don't bite, they're loud enough to keep a guy awake all night…" He looked sidelong at Cloud. "Where're you from?"

"Me, sir? I'm just a mountain boy," the blond replied evasively. He slowed to a stop as they completed the lap, beginning his cooldown stretches. His dark-haired companion followed suit, much to his annoyance.

"'Just a mountain boy'?" the SOLDIER echoed. "Which mountains — Corel? Fort Condor? Nibelheim? Icicle Inn?" He squinted thoughtfully. "Certainly can't be Wutai…" he commented, that teasing tone creeping back into his voice.

Cloud bit back a sigh. "Nibelheim, sir." He straightened, saluting. "If you'd excuse me, sir, I have to head back to my room now."

The other man flashed him a bright grin. "No problem. Mind if I accompany you?"

It wasn't an order, but looking at him, physically imposing even with his casual manner, Cloud knew he really couldn't refuse. He didn't want to cause a stir, and a cadet walking around with a First Class would definitely attract attention, but… well, just looking at the friendly, guileless expression on the man's open and honest face made the thought of saying no seem absolutely absurd.

So he accepted the SOLDIER's proposal, walking with him back to the barracks. It wasn't long, however, before the blond began to regret it. The First Class was quite a chatterbox, with a disarming smile and an easy manner that led Cloud to reveal far more about himself than he'd really wanted to. Not only that, but they drew just as much attention from those milling about the compound as the cadet had feared they would.

It seemed like it took forever for them to finally arrive at Cloud's room. The SOLDIER graciously held the door for him, then grinned at Scott and Paul, who had shocked looks on their faces.

"Oh, hey! Thanks for your help earlier, ah…"

"Coyle, sir," Scott replied, jumping to his feet.

"Moser, sir." Paul elbowed his friend sharply in the side, and they both saluted.

The First Class nodded enthusiastically. "Pleased to meet you. Well, then… I'll see you around, okay, Cloud?" He gave a jaunty wave. "Later!"

There was a long pause as the door clicked shut behind the SOLDIER. Cloud blinked, then shook his head. He hadn't even learned the man's name…

"Whoever that was," he declared, stripping off his sweaty shirt, "he's got to be batshit insane."

Silence greeted this pronouncement, and Cloud turned to find Scott and Paul gaping at him as if he'd grown a second head. "What?"

"…You really don't know who he is?" Paul asked disbelievingly.

"He conveniently forgot to mention his name," Cloud commented tartly, kicking off his boots.

"Cloud… that wasn't just any First Class." Scott cleared his throat. "He's Sergeant Zachary Sinclair, and he serves as aide to the General himself."

"Oh." Sergeant Zachary Sinclair, aide to... "Oh, no." The sergeant must've learned about the Incident this morning from the General himself, which meant… General Sephiroth probably would always remember Cloud as that idiot cadet who ran into him in the hallway. Definitely, definitely not the first impression he'd wanted to make.

"Dammit!"

Chapter Text

Over the next four months, Cloud saw Zack on a pretty regular basis. The SOLDIER appeared to be interested in nothing more than talking with him when he could. Cloud, however, didn't believe for a second that the man's intentions were so innocent. Sinclair was Sephiroth's aide, after all, and that meant that not only did he have to be good — the General would never allow incompetence from those under his direct command — he had to have some kind of ulterior motive. Why else would a SOLDIER First Class be interested in a mere cadet?

Cloud was just lucky that Zack was a busy man. He had a full time job and social life, and wasn't going to alter that too much to hound one insignificant cadet. As it was, though, it seemed the sergeant's attentions had attracted someone else's notice. The blond kept getting this strange feeling he was being watched. It drove him to distraction on a regular basis, and was making him more than a little paranoid. He had the feeling his watcher didn't necessarily have his best interests in mind, either.

Not a pleasant thought.

The only solution would be to divert Zack's attention until he left Cloud completely alone, and hope that this mysterious watcher would follow suit. However, the odds of that happening on their own seemed nigh impossible; Zack continued to show up at the oddest times, despite Cloud's hints that he didn't want the SOLDIER's company. So it was that the blond had taken to studying Zack's movements. Now that he thought he finally had a sense of where the sergeant usually was during his usual free hours, Cloud could make himself scarce. Hopefully the SOLDIER would eventually get bored and go onto easier prey.

Studying Zack's movements had invariably led to studying the General's as well — not surprising, considering Sinclair was the man's aide. Now that Cloud could think about Sephiroth without flushing bright red (the embarrassment of that incident in the corridor had plagued him for weeks afterwards), he couldn't help noticing how intriguing the man was. The image that immediately sprang to his mind was that of radiant flame. The man was bright, intriguing… and dangerous. At the same time, though, he was a comfort to have around, his mere presence ensuring the safety of the entire compound.

It might not be a bad idea to keep an eye on Sephiroth, Cloud decided, if he could do it without being caught. He did want to gain the man's trust, after all, and it certainly wouldn't hurt to get to know more about him…

Zack was playing undercover agent.

Or, perhaps more accurately, he was pretending to play undercover agent. He was off duty, technically; his current mission wasn't from ShinRa, either. He had foregone his distinctive blue SOLDIER First Class outfit for his jaunt in the city, as he usually did, but this trip wasn't for pleasure. He was trolling for Turks. Rude, specifically.

He hadn't been so blind as to notice the reticent man's recent interest in Cloud. He was undoubtedly checking out the cadets for new recruits — the company gave the Turks first pick of the most skilled SOLDIER applicants, something that had caused tension between the two groups in the past — and had noted Cloud as a possibility. That, Zack had decided, would only happen over his dead body. True, the youth appeared to have some of the skills that would be useful for a Turk, and his preference for solitude — no small disadvantage for SOLDIERs, who generally worked in groups — would make him a good fit for the close-knit group. Many of the Turks were the same way.

But Cloud was a better person than that. Zack would bet every last gil of his salary on it. Working for the Turks, dealing with all the crap they had to go through on a day-to-day basis… it would chip away at the boy's soul until there was nothing left. Zack had seen it happen before; this time, though, he would not stand aside and watch another innocent kid waste away like that.

His sources told him Rude would be headed out this way today. All he had to do was confront him, persuade him Cloud wasn't worth the trouble, and go on his way. It shouldn't be too hard, really; even among the Turks, few would dare take a SOLDIER First Class lightly… especially one in Zack's position.

The sergeant was startled out of his thoughts when a young woman came running through the crowd, looking very frightened. Zack quickly stepped forward, catching her arm. "Are you okay?" He caught a glimpse of blazing green eyes, strikingly similar to those of his superior officer, and then found himself blocking an incoming attack from the staff held in the woman's hands. "Whoa, there! I'm not going to hurt you!"

The woman — teen, really — lowered the weapon, finally seeming to notice him. "I'm so sorry!"

"Hey, that's okay." Zack smiled reassuringly. Glancing over her shoulder, his enhanced eyes caught sight of a pair of advancing figures in the distance, dressed in familiar suits. Dammit, what was with the Turks trying to pick up the good-looking ones? And this girl didn't look like Turk material to him… meaning there was definitely something fishy going on. "How about I take you for something to drink? You look like you could use some time to unwind." The young woman bit her lip, looking torn. "My treat." Zack gave his most winsome smile.

The girl paused for a long moment, eyes growing unfocused as she considered the proposition. "Okay." She reached into the basket she held. "Would you like a flower? As an apology?"

Zack carefully took the blossom, amazed at its beautiful color. It took a lot of work to get flowers to grow in Midgar, and he'd never seen any as healthy and vibrant as this. "No apology is necessarily, dear lady. If only such beautiful women would run by me on a more regular basis, I truly would be a blessed man." She blushed very prettily. "May I ask your name?"

"Aeris. Pleased to meet you, ah…?"

"Zack. And the pleasure is mine." Zack held out his arm, which Aeris, still blushing, gracefully took, and the pair of them started down the street, seemingly oblivious to the world. The SOLDIER was pleased to notice that the pair of Turks had retreated from the scene, but he still moved a little closer to the girl he'd rescued. He may have just met her, but… there was something undeniably alluring about this lovely young woman. Zack made a note to come down to the slums more often to visit her. It couldn't hurt, really; the Turks might lay low for a while if they thought someone was watching out for her. Satisfied with this plan, he struck up a conversation, flattering Aeris outrageously, smiling at her silvery laughter.

Unfortunately, he'd completely forgotten why he had come down there in the first place.

Cloud Strife was beyond tense. His entire body felt like a coil wound too tight, ready to snap at any moment. He tried to control himself, to act naturally, but every once in a while his eyes would break free, darting around the room to look for his unseen watcher.

The sad thing was that his paranoia was the only thing keeping him awake.

Their training had increased, in energy demand if not in difficulty. The cadets were finally starting to learn a few new things; adding in the steadily rising amount of physical conditioning they engaged in lengthened their training time by several hours. Cloud wasn't letting himself work to his full potential, either; when it felt like his every move was being watched, he really couldn't take the risk. He worked hard to ditch his watcher and practice in secluded parts of the gym, but doing twice the number of workouts was really wearing him down.

Worse, his appetite had dropped, and he could barely sleep at night. Cloud's thoughts just would not settle, trying to figure out exactly what he had done to gain this attention. It couldn't just be from Sergeant Sinclair; the SOLDIER had hardly been around recently, and within the past two weeks or so, Cloud hadn't seen him at all. The blond often found himself losing focus a lot, too: in the corridors, during lessons, in the dining hall. Not in safe places… though there were even fewer of those than there had been before.

He couldn't go on like this. He could hardly remember what he had done yesterday, much less what his instructors were saying and what he was supposed to be learning. Coupled with a recent growth spurt, his nervous exhaustion left him feeling rather clumsy and unsure of his movements. He never knew exactly where his feet were going to land, and it was absolutely madden—

CRASH.

Cloud slowly lifted his head from where he had fallen, sprawled on the floor. To his horror, he realized he'd managed to knock over a rack full of training equipment, scattering the stuff everywhere.

"STRIFE! Clean that up, and KP duty tonight!"

"Yes, sir!" Cloud moved quickly, shame burning his cheeks. Returning the rack to its upright position, he started to gather up the assorted practice weapons, ropes, and various other items the rack had been holding, returning them to their rightful places.

When he finally left the gym, still flushed with embarrassment, he realized something very important.

His watcher was gone.

Rude walked away from the gym feeling somewhat dissatisfied. He had been hoping Cadet Strife would have made a good Turk candidate; recent events, however, had made him begin to doubt his judgment. The overwhelming clumsiness of this latest incident had made it obvious that the boy was simply not fit for the job. A shame, really, since there was no one else in this group who was even remotely suitable.

Oh well, the Turk thought as he walked back to the ShinRa building proper and started up the stairs, heading to a particular office. One couldn't always expect positive results in these situations.

"Ahh, Rude. What brings you here?"

The man stopped, nodding to the older Turk who had moved out of the shadows. "Reporting on the SOLDIER cadets, sir."

"And…?"

The bald man straightened. "Not a very good batch this year. Thought Strife had potential, but observation has proven otherwise. Other than that… several of the others show significant improvement, but…"

"Our agreement with SOLDIER puts all but the first-time cadets out of our reach," Tseng finished, dark eyes thoughtful. "Ah, well. We've had an unusually high passing rate among the trainees this year, so it shouldn't be much of a loss."

It would be more accurate to say 'survival' rather than 'passing.' Turk trainees had a 33 fatality rate before even being officially accepted into the outfit. Of course, a lot of that had to deal with the intensity of the training they received; usually working with their more experienced seniors, they polished their skills in a wide variety of disciplines while out on the same sort of field assignments full-fledged Turks had.

The younger man nodded, and they waited outside the Turk Leader's office in companionable silence for a while.

"…Why are you here, sir?"

"I've found someone whom I'd like to sponsor." At Rude's questioning glance, he elaborated, "A Sector Four slum rat. He's cocky, somewhat irreverent, and heavily involved in activities of dubious legality, but very skilled, and has a knack for survival despite his faults. I think he'd be a useful addition to the outfit."

It was hardly uncommon for more senior Turks to sponsor people with great potential, young men and women who demonstrated loyalty, quick thinking, and intelligence. Many of these sponsored Turks went on to even greater heights than those hand-picked from among the SOLDIER cadets or, before that unit's creation, the general army. Some of the finest Turks in the group's history, like expert marksman Vincent Valentine, had become trainees through sponsorship.

Yes… a new sponsored Turk might make an excellent addition to the team.

If he makes it through the training period. The unspoken thought hung in the air between them until the office door opened, and a voice inside called, "Come in."

Tseng inclined his head. "Go on in and make your report, Rude. Veld-san so hates to be kept waiting; it would be most unwise to upset him."

Rude stood, pushing his glasses up. "…It's a good thing you're a patient man, sir."

His senior gazed steadily at him for a moment, then shook his head. "I'm not Turk Leader, Rude."

"Yet," was all the other man said as he entered the office, closing the door behind him.

Ever since that constant feeling of being watched had left, Cloud felt his life had become infinitely easier. His appetite and sleeping habits had returned to normal, and best of all, he was finally able to get some real training done. If he kept going like this, he should be able to make up for all of the time he had lost, which was very comforting indeed.

By now the weather in Midgar had turned hot, as it was close to June, and most of the other cadets chose to stay holed up in their air-conditioned rooms away from the heat, occasionally going down into the city at night for a round or two of cold drinks. Cloud, however, had spent what little free time he had during the last few months following Sephiroth's movements whenever the man was outside restricted areas. Unfortunately, this wasn't very often, but Cloud enjoyed every chance that he got. Watching the General, a truly remarkable figure in his grace and intensity, was his greatest pleasure.

It was on one of those very rare days that Sephiroth was practicing alone in the gym before curfew that Cloud got the scare of his life.

The youth had been quietly watching from the shadows as always, analyzing the elite SOLDIER's every movement, when a hand abruptly fell on his shoulder. He had stiffened immediately and pulled away, readying a counterattack without even thinking about it. Seeing his 'attacker,' though, he froze. "…Sergeant Sinclair?"

A scolding shake of the head. "Really, Cloud! How many times do I have to tell you? Call me Zack, please." The man grinned cheerily as he examined the cadet before him, but was inwardly quite surprised by the kid's reaction to his touch. Cloud had never been a touchy-feely type, but the SOLDIER's casual act hardly seemed like the sort of thing to call for an attack… which was what had nearly happened, unless Zack was off base today.

Not bloody likely.

"So, watching the General?"

The boy flushed a little. "Yeah…" Blue eyes crept back to the silver-haired figure. "He's incredible."

"He is," Zack agreed, not at all joking. The pair stood there in silence for a long moment, enjoying the sight of a master at his work. "So… want to tell me why you're tracking Seph all over the place?" Zack raised an eyebrow.

Cloud blinked in startlement. "Huh? Er…" The slight blush on his face darkened.

A sly grin appeared on the SOLDIER's face. "Ahh… I got it," he said, winking at the cadet. "Perfectly normal, really; a lot of people get crushes on Seph. It's got to be the hair, I think. Just makes you want to play with it, right?"

By now Cloud was beginning to resemble a tomato as he stared at the older man, wearing an expression of sheer mortification. "…But he's a guy!"

"Yeah, well, that's hardly…" Zack trailed off, quirking a dark eyebrow at the blond. "…Where did you say you were from again?"

"Nibelheim," Cloud replied, still bright red. What in the Planet did his hometown have to do with anything?

"Ah, that's right; middle of nowhere." Zack nodded sagely. "That explains it totally. I remember when I first came to Midgar. It was pretty shocking for— hey, where are you going?" The SOLDIER First Class blinked in surprise as Cloud zipped out of the room… then shook his head, amused. The kid was too naïve for his own good in some ways. Of course, spending so much time off by himself certainly didn't help matters…

"What have you done now, Sinclair?"

Zack spread his hands wide as if to ward off the question, making a curious gesture. "General, I swear I am as innocent as the day I was born!"

"Somehow I doubt that." Sephiroth strode quickly out of the gym, his aide following at his side.

"As it so happens," the dark-haired man said loftily, "I was just talking to a stalker. You've apparently gained another one." Sephiroth did not groan; he wouldn't, not in public. There was no doubt in Zack's mind, however, that the man dearly wanted to do nothing less. "Relatively clean this time, though. He seems to have a normal hero complex, nothing more… not yet, anyway. Was shocked I even hinted in that direction."

"That is something to be thankful for, I suppose." The pair made the rest of the trip back to Sephiroth's office in silence. Once inside and having completed a bugging check, the General raised an eyebrow at Zack, having caught the signal that the man had something to say away from prying eyes… and ears.

"The odd thing about this kid— Strife, you remember him?"

Green eyes closed in thought. "The one who ran into me in the hallway several months ago, no?"

His aide clucked reprovingly at him. "He'll be horrified if he ever finds out that's how you remember him. Anyway, the odd thing is… he reminds me a lot of a Turk trainee." Sephiroth raised both eyebrows at him — the closest the General would come to showing shock. "He's extremely good at shadowing people, better than anyone else I've seen among the cadets. Took me a while to catch him following you. And I'm ninety-nine percent sure he almost attacked me today when I startled him. Very similar to Turk hand-to-hand style, too, from the look of it. Add that up with all the little things, and it gives me this strange feeling…"

"Could he be a plant?"

"I doubt it." He sighed, shaking his head. "Why bother? He's not going to pass the exams anyway. He may be skilled in some areas, but… he just doesn't have what it takes. Completely lacks the interpersonal know-how for group work. It's kind of odd the Turks didn't pick him up… but I'm just as glad they didn't. He really is a good kid, Seph. Working for them would destroy him."

"And yet it seems like they have already had contact with him." Sephiroth frowned thoughtfully. "Try to find out more about him, if you can. I don't like this."

"Will do," Zack replied.

"By the way, Zachary…" Sephiroth began almost casually as his aide turned to leave. "Your promotion was approved."

The younger man tensed up, not even reacting to his full name. "Oh. I thought I'd lost the paperwork for that," he said carefully. Next time, he reminded himself, he shouldn't just shove it in the bottom of the filing cabinet under the order forms for female SOLDIER uniforms. It had seemed like such a good hiding place, too, considering that there were no female SOLDIERs…

"I managed to find it," the General said dryly. "Make sure to get your new insignia from Supply, Sergeant Major."

"Yes, sir." Zack gave a brief salute. "And my duties, sir?"

"To remain the same." Dark indigo eyes widened in surprise as his superior continued, "It appears Heidegger has decided your presence makes mine easier to deal with. I suspect you will remain at your current post even after your rank would normally take you away from the position for a command of your own."

"Good," Zack replied simply. He was quite pleased that this time he wouldn't have to march down to Heidegger's office and change the man's mind by threatening him with a little bodily harm. "I still have work to do, after all."

Sephiroth knew the other SOLDIER wasn't referring to paperwork. "Perhaps you do, Zack. Perhaps you do."

Chapter Text

21 April 467.

Dear Mom,

How are you? I know it's been a while since I've written, but things have been very busy around here. We've been training especially hard for the exams; just finished taking them, actually, and it's been exhausting. They started three weeks ago by testing our Mako tolerance, which thinned out the ranks pretty quickly over the course of the next few days; if you don't pass that, they kick you out immediately. Even those of us who passed were pretty out of it for a while after that, though. They followed up with mental exams, which I think I did pretty well on — there were a lot of questions on procedure, easy stuff. Last but not least, we had physical exams. We've just come back today from the last of them — our first field assignment. They took us east to camp near the Chocobo Ranch for a few days, just some monster hunting and stuff. Actually, it was pretty boring until somebody's group wandered too far off and got lost, and the Midgar Zolom almost got them. It was a good thing we had some SOLDIER Firsts with us to help drive it off; that thing was a nasty piece of work, even worse than some of the dragons that live up in the mountains around home.

"Yo, Cloud."

The blond looked up as Paul stepped out of the bathroom, toweling his hair. "There's a free shower now, if you want it."

"Thanks. I'll just be a minute, then."

"Sure." The older cadet yawned hugely. "I think I'm going to try to get some shuteye — you should, too, once you finish that. The past few weeks have been pretty crazy, so it'll be a nice change to get some sleep without having to worry about exams in the morning, right?"

"Too true." Cloud smiled a little before returning to his writing. "G'night."

"Night."

So now that the exams are over, all we have to do is wait. They tell us it should be a week at most before our results are posted. To tell the truth, I'm almost more nervous about this than I was about the exams themselves! Anyway, I'll write you again once I have my results… and the first time I have leave, I'll come home for a visit. Until then, take care of yourself, Mom. I miss you.

Love, Cloud

1 May 467.

Dear Mom

Cloud stared unseeing at the beginnings of the letter before him, swallowing hard past the lump in his throat. Frustrated, he crumpled the paper into a ball and hurled it violently across the room to join the others in the wastebasket.

He couldn't believe this had happened.

Drawing his knees to his chest and resting his chin on them, he stared miserably at the floor. He still couldn't write that letter, even three days after all of his dreams and careful plans had come crashing down like an avalanche in spring.

He had never even considered the possibility of…

The bitter taste remained in his mouth even after he viciously cut off the thought… but there really was no denying it. He had come back to the postings dozens of times in his aimless wandering of the corridors, but as much as he stared with desperate eyes, his name never appeared on the list of accepted cadets.

He'd failed to make it into SOLDIER.

What was he supposed to tell his mother, who'd scrimped and saved for years in order to send him here to fulfill his dream? What was he supposed to tell Vincent?

Vincent…

Cloud's heart grew heavier as he thought of his friend and teacher all alone in the mountains, not having heard from him in over a year. He suddenly wanted nothing more than to go back to that tiny shack and bury his face in his mentor's cloak, like he had when he was little, and just forget — forget Midgar, forget ShinRa, forget SOLDIER and even his idol, Sephiroth.

But what would Vincent say? Cloud knew his mentor had never really approved of his desire to join SOLDIER, but he would never come right out and say as much. No, he'd be a silent, comforting presence until his student had calmed down… and then the former Turk would chide him for not being prepared for all possible outcomes.

Cloud snorted. As if he hadn't already kicked himself enough for that one.

Blinking back unshed tears, he considered his options. Going home now, at least, was totally out of the question. Even if he weren't worried about the reactions of his loved ones, the Midgar-Nibelheim journey was expensive; his meager savings would just barely cover the cost of the train to Junon. He'd have to find a job here in Midgar and work until he made enough to cover the expense… but who would hire a failed SOLDIER cadet with a smattering of Turk training?

…Actually, he thought ruefully, that was a ridiculously easy question to answer.

ShinRa's regular army was always looking for a few good men — or at least anyone who could follow orders and differentiate between the two ends of a standard-issue rifle. Cloud could recall one of the other members of his squad once mentioning that they often took any failed cadets who had nowhere else to go. And from what he'd heard, the army paid pretty well, too — far better than the pittance SOLDIER cadets received for spending money. After about a year or so, he'd have plenty of money for the trip back home, and enough left over to help support his mother for a while, too.

Taking a deep breath and wiping at his eyes with one sleeve, Cloud rose to his feet and began packing. He might have failed the exams, but now that he knew what he was doing with himself, he didn't feel quite so lost anymore.

As long as he didn't think too much about it, everything would be fine.

"It really is for the best, Aeris."

"But I love him, and you know that!"

"He's a ShinRa employee, dear… and you know they've wanted you for years. What will you do if they order him to come after you?"

"Zack would never turn me in — and if it came down to it, he'd probably—"

Elmyra shook her head. "Aeris, I'm tired of having to worry about you every time you leave the house. It's just gotten worse since you began seeing that boy; as if things weren't bad enough with Tseng, now a SOLDIER? President Shinra himself might as well be breathing down the backs of our necks right now! If you break things off with him and stay low for a while—"

She snorted. "What, you think then things will actually—"

"Aeris Gainsborough!"

The young woman glared at her, green eyes very nearly glowing with anger.

Elmyra Gainsborough swallowed hard. Though the girl she'd taken in as her daughter wasn't physically intimidating in the least, she was still quite a force to be reckoned with when she got this riled up, carrying herself as if the very wrath of Gaea Herself supported her, the air around her alive with tension. "I didn't want to do this to you, but so help me, I will not let them take you from me like they took Peter." Trying to keep her voice firm, she continued, "As long as you live in this house, you are not to see that young man again. Do I make myself clear?"

"I won't let—" She stopped mid-sentence, her eyes going distant, and her mother sighed. Aeris had been doing this for years, ever since Elmyra had found her at the train station in Sector Seven. "Talking to the Planet," she called it. Elmyra had been concerned at first, fearing the girl had some mental illness, but they really couldn't afford a psychiatrist, and since Aeris had been a perfectly normal and happy child otherwise, she'd soon stopped worrying so much about it.

Then she'd learned the truth, and ShinRa had become involved… and she'd had far more important things to worry about.

After several minutes Aeris blinked rapidly, then let out a heavy sigh, clearly upset. For a long time she would not meet her mother's gaze, just stared hard at her white-knuckled fist on the table, struggling to compose herself; when she finally spoke, her voice was low and tight with emotion. "Please… may I see him just one last time? I don't want him to think… I don't want to just disappear."

Elmyra hesitated for a long moment, then nodded slowly. If she couldn't keep her daughter both safe and happy, she could at least give her this much.

"Hey there."

Aeris looked up to see her boyfriend standing there at the foot of the garden, and froze. Zack was dressed in his usual casual wear, hands in his pockets, dark hair as unruly as always. He had that easy grin on his face that never failed to elicit an answering smile from her… but now it just made her want to cry.

His grin faded as he took a few steps forward, and his indigo eyes shone with concern. "Are you okay?"

Aeris shook her head miserably as she threw herself into his arms, blinking her tears away. She would not cry, not with her mother standing there in the doorway of the house, watching.

Zack held her for a long time, stroking her hair as she clung to him. "What's the matter?" he asked softly.

Stepping back a little, Aeris took a deep breath and told him.

Looking at them, Elmyra knew it had been a mistake to let things go on this long.

They had grown too attached to each other. It was obvious in Aeris' earnest face as she looked up at him, in the way she stood so comfortably in his arms, in the way she touched him to ground herself as she explained. It was obvious in Zack's downcast eyes, in the way he held her gently but tightly, firmly in control of a strength that could easily kill her, in the way he rubbed her back for reassurance.

Aeris ended with a question, her eyes desperate; Zack nodded slowly in answer, and they shared a long, tight embrace. He kissed her tenderly, and with a lingering touch they parted.

The young SOLDIER's gaze rose to meet hers as he passed, and Elmyra was chilled by the hurt in his eyes… even as she was warmed by the tiny spark of hope in their depths. Maybe someday…

Aeris stood in the garden alone for a long, long time.

"I'm sorry," Elmyra said softly when her daughter finally came into the house.

The young woman paused on the stairs, one hand on the banister, not quite able to look at her. "…I know."

Sephiroth may not have been much of a people person, but after all the time he'd spent with Zack in the past several years, he had picked up enough of the younger SOLDIER's mannerisms to be able to read him at least a little.

And now the General found it pretty obvious that there was something wrong.

Since shortly after the exams, Zack's cheerful disposition had taken on a decidedly artificial feel. He was unusually quiet and subdued, and the quality of his work had definitely decreased over the past few days. Sephiroth was becoming more than a little concerned about the whole thing… and he didn't like the feeling in the least.

The seventh of May began rather inauspiciously in the office of the General of SOLDIER. He kept a close eye on Zack, frowning at all his uncharacteristic behaviors: much shuffling of papers instead of actual work, a great deal of rather gloomy staring off into space, and none of the usual incessant humming along with the radio that played quietly in the background. (That had been Zack's idea, of course; "never could stand working in silence," he'd explained on the first day he'd brought the thing in. It had been bothersome at first… but, like most of his aide's quirks, Sephiroth had become used to it.)

The commercial break ended, and the deejay introduced a Solese love song that was currently very popular among the young soldiers. Zack was quite fond of it himself, and would often walk down the hall singing snatches of it… which was why the General was so taken aback when his aide suddenly lunged from his seat to turn the radio off.

Sephiroth's frown deepened. "I thought you loved that song," he commented, trying to sound casual.

"Getting damn sick of hearing it all the time," Zack grumbled, leaning forward with his head in his hands.

The General resisted the urge to sigh in frustration. This was getting ridiculous; if Zack didn't pull out of this funk soon, it was going to drive him utterly insane. One way or another, he was going to get to the bottom of this. Clearing his throat, he said coolly, "Sergeant Major, your attitude lately has been less than satisfactory. I expect you have an explanation for this?"

"…I'm really not in the mood for the total professionalism bullshit, Seph, so stuff it."

"Fine, then. Tell me what's wrong, Zachary," he ordered in a voice that was only slightly more appropriate for a civilian inquiring as to the condition of a friend.

"Don't call me Zachary," came the automatic response.

Sephiroth waited.

After several minutes his aide sighed heavily. "You remember that girl I've told you about?"

"Which one?"

"The One. You know, the one girl I've ever been really serious about? The one I've been seeing for about a year now?"

"Ahh, the flower girl from the slums?"

"Yeah." Zack slumped forward even more, folding his arms and resting his head on them, not caring about the papers on his desk. "She told me we had to break it off."

The General's response was mildly curious. "Why?"

"Apparently the company's got it in for her somehow," he explained, his voice bitter. "She wasn't exactly clear on why, though… only that it isn't really safe for us to continue seeing each other."

Sephiroth rose and came around his desk to stand a short distance from the dark-haired man. "I'm sorry," he said quietly, even though the words felt woefully inadequate.

Another sigh. "So am I."

The silver-haired General hestitated a moment before reaching out a little to lay a gloved hand on Zack's shoulder, giving what he hoped was a comforting squeeze.

Strong fingers covered his own, and the younger SOLDIER turned his head a little to look up at him.

The expression on his face, sad and weary but grateful, made Sephiroth's heart feel lighter than it had in nearly a week, and so he did something he'd rarely been comfortable with before:

He smiled, just a little.

Zack's eyes widened in surprise at this uncharacteristic display. "Seph, are you—"

"Take the rest of the day off, Zack. Sort through this if you need to."

"But…" Zack trailed off, realizing he really wasn't getting anything done. "All right, I'll go." Sephiroth nodded as his aide gathered his things, casting one last look over his shoulder as he left the office. Hopefully Zack would be able to lay his own problems to rest, and return in better condition. For now, though, he'd best get started, see if he couldn't put a dent in the work that had built up over the past few days… for both of them.

Zack was more than a little ashamed of himself. He had never been one to allow his emotional disposition to negatively affect his work. If things had gotten so bad that Sephiroth, of all people, noticed…

He sighed.

In some ways he was so conflicted he didn't know what to think. He truly cared for Aeris, deeply enough that he might even have married her if he'd gotten the chance. Part of him was utterly devastated at the breakup; part of him was angry she hadn't even given him the chance to make a decision. The raven-haired man had more than once toyed with the idea of leaving ShinRa, marrying Aeris, and taking her far from Midgar. He had known the Turks were interested in her at one point, though his presence had seemed to keep them at bay.

Strange that Aeris seemed to think being with him would cause even more difficulties… or, perhaps more likely, he thought with a scowl, her mother thought his presence would act as a catalyst for further difficulties.

There was only one problem with leaving ShinRa for Aeris, and it could be summed up in a single word: Sephiroth. Zack couldn't allow his friend to be left alone in this. Such a thing would undoubtedly result in the General backsliding into the cold, isolated individual he had been before his aide had started his 'work.' Far too much lay between them for Zack to simply abandon the man, and Sephiroth was the last employee the company would ever let go.

Zack sighed again as he meandered through the halls. In some ways he needed to be alone, but at the same time, he didn't want solitude. He would have liked to find someone to talk to, but… the only person who even knew he was seeing Aeris was Sephiroth, who had always held a rather fatalistic view of long-term relationships. Not really the best man to go to for advice.

Even as lost in his thoughts as he was, Zack easily spotted bright sunshine hair in the shadows. Curious, the SOLDIER altered his course and made his way over toward the slight figure, who looked just as depressed as he did.

Cloud had been enjoying his time off. Regular troopers had more time on duty than SOLDIER candidates, but they also didn't have to attend nearly as many instructional periods. They were required to clock in so many hours at the gym, but that was hardly a problem for Cloud, especially since was used to doing far beyond the minimum. Even though he was no longer a SOLDIER cadet, he didn't want to get out of shape. If he did, Vincent would wipe the floor with him… not that the ex-Turk couldn't wipe the floor with him already, but it would be a lot easier.

Unfortunately, the blond had just had an encounter which had destroyed his reasonably content mood. Scott and Paul had seen him and stopped to chat. Neither of the new SOLDIERs had apparently undergone any Mako treatments yet, as their eyes lacked that distinctive glow. The pair had tried to encourage him to apply again, reminding him that most people, themselves included, didn't make it in on their first try. They hadn't stayed long, thank goodness, but their words had left him feeling terribly unbalanced. The money he was currently saving would cover the cost to re-enter the SOLDIER program (which was actually rather high; Cloud didn't know how his mother had managed it). The blond knew he could work on further developing his skills while he saved up the necessary money, and no longer being a first-time cadet, he wouldn't have to worry about the Turks, either, meaning he could perform at his absolute best.

On the other hand, he didn't know if he could handle possibly failing again.

Cloud was startled out of his thoughts by a soft voice. "Hey." Looking up, he was greeted by Zachary Sinclair's familiar form. He was surprised by the telltale signs of sadness: slumped shoulders, forced smile, eyes just a touch too bright. None of them looked right on the usually cheerful SOLDIER. "How are you doing?" Cloud looked away. "It's not a shame to not make it, you know."

"Says the man who made it to Second Class on his first try," Cloud snapped, and then colored. "I'm sorry, sir. That was uncalled for."

"Well, you're right that I don't know how you're feeling…" Zack turned so he was leaning on the wall next to Cloud. "I'm surprised you found that out, though. It's no real secret or anything, but the records aren't open for just anyone's eyes."

Cloud shrugged. "Considering your age, sir, it's pretty obvious. If you're already First Class you'd have to be very good, even if you did join during the war."

Zack was rather impressed. Most people wouldn't have made that deduction. "Still, kid… it isn't a shame, really. You have talent. I know, I've seen it. You just need a bit more time to develop it, that's all." Not to mention some social know-how. Zack had seen Cloud's results — he had to file the damn things, after all — and the reports from the blond's commanders had constantly noted how the teen didn't work very well with his comrades. Since Cloud didn't have any extraordinary abilities, and his Mako receptiveness was slightly below average, there was no way he would get into SOLDIER without excellent cooperation skills.

"I guess…"

"Hey, you haven't gone home yet. That must mean something, at least."

Cloud didn't bother to tell him the only reason he was still here was that he didn't have the money to go home. Silence fell between them for a long while. Finally, the blond spoke up. "…What's bothering you, sir?"

Zack flinched a little, upset that his distress was still showing. "Bad breakup, that's all. I'll get over it."

Cloud gave the SOLDIER a long look, wondering if he should offer the advice on his mind. He might as well; it wasn't like Zack would bite his head off for it. "If I may… I find working on a project can help, sir. I mean, keeping yourself busy to help keep your mind off that sort of thing." Not that he'd had a breakup himself, yet, but it had helped him when he was feeling emotionally unstable, anyway.

"Hm…" Zack thought about it. He hadn't managed to get his mind on his work yet, but if he wanted to work through this, he did need to distance himself from his emotions for a bit. Maybe he did need a "personal project," something just for himself, just for fun. But what? Nothing came readily to mind… and if he just worked by himself, he would only become more miserable. He needed an activity that would involve someone else…

The man's eyes brightened as the perfect idea dropped into his head. "Hey, Cloud… How about I give you a little personal training?"

Cloud's jaw dropped, and his eyebrows flew up to his hairline. "You? Teach me? Uh, sir?"

"Why not? 'S not like there're rules against it or anything." Zack grinned. He could whip this kid into shape in no time! And it was just the sort of thing that could help get his mind off Aeris.

Cloud looked him for a long time, then slowly nodded. "All right. I accept your offer, sir."

"Then let the lessons begin! To the gym, soldier. I want to see what you can do!"

Chapter Text

"Watch your footwork, Cloud; you're overextending again. Good. Hold the sword a bit more to the left…" Cloud adjusted his arms yet again in accordance with Zack's instructions. "Perfect. Now, run though it again." The blond did so, focusing as he went through the practice patterns again, trying to keep them as close to perfect as possible. "Stop. You're out of position again. Check your footwork and give it another try."

Overall, Zack was quite satisfied with Cloud's abilities. They weren't anything outstanding, but they would provide a good solid foundation for further training. More than anything else, Zack was pleased with how well Cloud had taken to his instruction. The blond worked hard, didn't snap when Zack corrected his form, and learned quickly. Cloud was a perfect student… at least as far as weapons went.

Socially, on the other hand, he still wasn't opening up to Zack, even after the five months they'd been working together. More than once, the SOLDIER found himself thanking Sephiroth for all the patience he had given him… or rather, all the patience he had gained from constantly working to get his superior to let his guard down at least a little. And to think he'd thought Cloud would be an easy case in comparison to the General…! He shook his head wryly.

"All right, that's enough," Zack decided as he noticed the telltale signs of exhaustion in his student's movements. "Good work, Cloud. You're improving."

"Thank you, sir." Cloud lowered the blade and took a deep breath, trying to calm his pounding heart.

"Hey, want to come out with me tonight? My treat."

"You know I'm only sixteen, Zack! I'm not legal yet!" Cloud objected.

"I know you're only— wait, I thought you were fifteen. When did you have a birthday?" Cloud just smiled mysteriously. Zack made a mental note to pull the kid's file and mark that information down. No way he could let one of his friends get by without a party!

Cloud sighed, fanning himself with one hand. "It's been hotter, lately," he commented. Such unusual weather, for the fall…

"They've finally finished repairs and started up the Sector Eight reactor again," Zack explained. "But you think this is bad? Ha! It's still nowhere near as hot as where I grew up." Still, the SOLDIER was glad for his sleeveless uniform. The regular soldiers' uniforms, like what Cloud was wearing, required quite a bit more cloth… probably because they were much more susceptible to the cold.

"Home never gets this warm." Cloud tugged at the collar of his uniform, wiping the sweat from his brow.

Zack's eyes widened a little as understanding struck. Of course! Cloud was homesick! He too was from the western continent, just like Zack… but unlike the SOLDIER, he hadn't been in Midgar long, and still had very close ties his home. He couldn't afford to take a little trip over there, either; Zack remembered the pitifully small stipend SOLDIER cadets received for spending, not nearly enough to cover the cost of intercontinental travel. Even now that Cloud was earning decent wages in the regular army, it would take some time for him to save up the necessary money.

Luckily, the perfect opportunity to change that had appeared on his desk just two days ago. "Hey Cloud… how do you feel about going back to Nibelheim? On a mission, I mean. We got a request for some assistance, and we always take at least a couple regulars with us…" It was ironic, really; if Cloud had still been a SOLDIER cadet, he never would have gotten a mission such as this. It was almost enough to make Zack believe in fate.

"I don't know…" The blond looked away.

Zack could guess what was going through the kid's mind. He undoubtedly had some friends at home who were expecting him to return a SOLDIER, and was reluctant to disappoint them. Perhaps he could throw in a little something to sweeten the offer, then… "I bet I could even get Seph to come."

Cloud's eyes widened in shock. "General Sephiroth? Come to Nibelheim?"

"Don't see why not." He grinned. "In fact, consider it a late birthday present. Just leave it all to me. I'll handle it."

Little did Zack know that he had quite literally handed his young friend the key to the very reason he had come to Midgar. If Sephiroth came to Nibelheim, Cloud knew for certain he could get the General to meet Vincent. "…Thanks, Zack," he finally managed, unable to get anything more out.

He might have failed to become a SOLDIER, but this… this might just mean he would succeed anyway.

Cloud left his training with Zack in a very good mood. He was making progress, he could feel it — and it was wonderful. More than anything else, the hope Zack had given him put a spring in his step and a smile on his face. It wasn't every day one's ultimate goal dropped into one's lap, after all.

"All right, punk. Bend over."

The snarling tone of the harsh words broke into Cloud's cheerful thoughts abruptly. He glanced over to notice some burly regulars gathered around a smaller boy in his unit. Arthur Dennett was not a strong youth, nor was he especially skilled in the fighting arts. His family was rather poor, and like dozens of other troopers, he had entered the army to try to help them out. The situation saddened Cloud, but unfortunately, he couldn't do much about it.

However, there was no way the blond was going to allow a bunch of bullies to pick on someone from his unit. "Hey! Let him go!"

"Get lost, blondie. This is none of your business."

"Unless you'd rather take his place, that is…" Hoots and snickering accompanied this statement.

Cloud glared fiercely at the bigger men, then squeezed past two of them to grab Dennett. "You just get out of here, okay?" he said softly. "I can take care of these guys."

The other trooper looked at the bullies nervously, then back at Cloud. "Are you sure?"

"Think you're hot stuff, don't you? Heh, well, you'd better watch out, kid!"

"Hey, I know who this is! You're Strife, ain'cha? Sinclair's little pet."

Cloud bristled. "Arthur, get going. I'll meet you back at the barracks." The other teen nodded, casting a worried glance over his shoulder as he fled. Once he was safely out of sight, the blond dropped into a fighting stance.

"Aww, ain't that cute? The little bitch thinks he can take us on!"

"Heh heh heh… why don't you show us what your big strong SOLDIER buddy really taught you?"

Gladly, Cloud thought, though in truth he was about to use more of Vincent's training than Zack's. He snapped into action, taking the offensive immediately. Three fell quickly; these were neither Turks nor SOLDIERs, and relied heavily on their guns for protection. A few tried to fight back, but when it came to hand-to-hand combat, Cloud's speed and training far surpassed theirs. It wasn't long before all of them lay groaning on the floor, favoring new bruises. Feeling rather satisfied, the blond left, heading in the direction Arthur had run.

"You're all right!" the other trooper exclaimed in surprise when Cloud found him. "I'm sorry; I should have stayed and helped…"

"No, that's okay, really," the blond replied, shaking his head. "I mean, I know hand-to-hand isn't really your thing. More importantly, are you all right?"

"Yeah… thanks to you." Arthur smiled at him.

Cloud grinned back. "Good. We'd better hurry, then, or else we'll miss supper."

Zack sidled back into the office after dinner, sitting down to finish up some of his paperwork. It wasn't long before Sephiroth entered, having his own work to finish. He nodded at Zack, pleased to see his aide working so hard.

"Hey, Seph," the dark-haired man said after a few minutes, leaning back in his chair and staring thoughtfully at the ceiling. "Aren't you about due for a mission?"

Sephiroth froze, all of his mental alerts going off. Zack had to be Up To Something, as he knew full well the last time his superior had been on a mission. Even if his aide hadn't accompanied him on the last one, his clearance would have easily allowed him to pull the files. "…It has been a while, yes…" he admitted, not bothering to hide the suspicion in his voice.

"How about this one to Nibelheim, then?" Zack asked, holding up a thick packet.

Sephiroth sighed. "No, Zack."

"Come on. You need to get out of here, Seph! I know how you hate being locked up in the office all day, every day…"

"If you'll recall," the General said tartly, "I don't particularly enjoy being gawked at by the regulars either, Zachary."

"Don't call me Zachary," came the automatic response. "And anyway, the mission only calls for two regulars, Seph. Surely you can handle that many! And there aren't a lot of people in Nibelheim, either; only around a hundred, tops. Really quiet place, and… look, they have some good tough monsters, too." The dark-haired man flipped through the missive, waving it at his superior once he'd found the right page (though he was careful to hold it just out of the elite SOLDIER's reach). "Nice selection, including some dragons. Decent opponents to let off a bit of steam. It'll be fun…"

"No, Zack."

"Pleeeeease?"

"Who do you owe this time?" the General asked, that long-suffering tone in his voice.

"Owe? I don't owe anyone!" Zack looked miffed. Sephiroth gave his friend a Look, knowing full well that the other man wouldn't be so persistent on this subject if he didn't have a secondary motive. "Well, um, actually… there is a specific trooper I want to take with us. Strife. It's his hometown, you know."

Sephiroth suppressed his surprise that the failed SOLDIER cadet with the Turk leanings had come from such a remote place. "All right, all right," he finally said, sighing. "We'll go." There really was no point to arguing with Zack. The man wouldn't let up until he said yes, anyway; Gaea knew it wasn't like Sephiroth hadn't tried before.

Cloud stumbled out of the truck, very, very thankful to be on solid ground on his own two feet. That trip had felt even worse than the one he had taken to Midgar. Of course, he could just be remembering wrong; it had been a long time, after all. He took a deep breath to settle his unsteady stomach, closing his eyes as his lungs filled with the crisp, clean mountain air — perfectly glorious after two years of breathing the thick, hot, Mako-sour smog of the city.

It was good to be home.

He was considerably startled when he realized the General was speaking to him. "…first time back to your hometown in a long time, isn't it? So how does it feel?" The silver-haired man's face was expressionless as he gazed out over the village. "I wouldn't know… I don't have a hometown…"

Still surprised that General Sephiroth would address him, of all people, Cloud didn't answer… though he did find the elite SOLDIER's words rather ironic. Considering what Vincent had told him about the Sephiroth Project, the odds were pretty good that the General had been born right here in Nibelheim. He kept these thoughts to himself, though, standing in silence as Zack spoke softly with their commanding officer for a few moments before they walked across the square to the inn. He waited until the General had briefed and dismissed them before leisurely making his way over towards the small house that had been his home for most of his life. Clearing his throat, he hesitantly opened the door. "Mom?"

Elanor Strife turned at the sound. "Cloud? Is that really you?"

He smiled a little. "Hi, Mom."

Elanor promptly dropped her embroidery work and rushed over to embrace her son. "Ohh, Cloud!" She held him at arms' length. "Look at you! You've gotten so tall. Why didn't you tell me you were coming?"

"By the time I knew we were definitely going to make it, a letter wouldn't have made it here in time," he explained, hugging his mother back.

She ran her hand affectionately through his unruly locks. "Come, sit down for a while. I'll make you some tea and you can tell me all about Midgar."

The pair sat for quite some time, discussing Cloud's experiences. Cloud was more than grateful to his mother for not asking further about the exams than he'd told her through his letters — and for her homemade cookies, which put anything Midgar had to offer to shame. Finally, the blond looked at the clock. It was still quite some time until nightfall, when Zack had said he needed to be back at the inn… and he still had someone else he wanted to visit. "I need to go now. I'll drop back in, if I can."

"Of course, Cloud." She gave him a gentle kiss on the forehead. "Stay well, and remember: SOLDIER or not, I'm still proud of you."

He smiled a little at that, ignoring the lump in the back of his throat. "Thanks, Mom," the blond said softly, hugging his mother one last time before leaving the house via the back door. He almost began his trek up the mountain, but then thought better of it and retrieved his staff first. Now armed, the youth traveled back up the path he hadn't used in years, yet still knew better than any place in Midgar.

Vincent frowned, an odd feeling growing in his mind, that sense of restlessness he'd felt several times over the past two years coming over him again. Checking his weapon, he moved out of the shack, carefully watching the path that led farther into the mountains. His subconscious insisted that a threat was coming this way; the odds of it coming from the town, however, were slim to none.

That didn't mean it was impossible, though.

The man whirled about, gun in hand, as a soft footstep caught his attention. His eyes widened almost imperceptibly at the figure before him, dressed in a ShinRa regular uniform sans helmet. "Cloud…" His wandering student had returned.

"Hello, Vincent," Cloud greeted his old teacher quietly.

For a long time they simply stood there, the former Turk examining his one-time apprentice thoroughly. Cloud was taller now, and his voice had dropped a little; other than that, though, he had hardly changed at all from the boy Vincent had taught all those years. Replacing his gun in its holster, the red-cloaked man shifted into an offensive stance. Catching the motion immediately, Cloud placed his staff aside, automatically assuming a defensive position. Vincent nodded slightly, glad that the young man had not forgotten this at least. It was time to see what else he still knew… and what ShinRa had taught him.

His first and second attacks were solidly blocked, and then Cloud took the offensive, twisting a traditional defensive move into an attack. Vincent easily dodged it, but the next one hit solidly, catching him by surprise. Apparently Cloud had made good use of the equipment ShinRa had to offer. The teen was stronger now, faster as well. It was clear that he had practiced often to increase his skills.

Vincent couldn't help being pleased.

They danced for a bit longer, the dark-haired man gaining the upper hand as he allowed himself to use more of his higher-level skills. Finally, the former Turk called things to a halt. "Enough. You've improved; I'm impressed." Cloud flushed slightly, very pleased at such high praise. "Now, come inside."

The shack was exactly as Cloud remembered it. In so many ways it felt as if the past two years had never happened at all. He took up his usual perch, watching his mentor. "I'm sorry, Vincent, that I couldn't tell you earlier about leaving for Midgar," he said without preamble. "Mom sort of sprung it on me last minute."

A nod. "I understand, Cloud. I had expected you would leave for SOLDIER someday." He gave his student a sharp look. "Though you still have not joined their ranks."

"Not yet," Cloud found himself saying, much to his own surprise. In that split second he knew he would try again for SOLDIER, despite his previous uneasiness. He could do it. Zack believed in him. More than that, sparring with Vincent again had renewed his confidence. The blond had sensed how much he had improved, and knew that under Zack's tutelage that trend had to continue.

"Hn."

The pair sat in comfortable silence for a long time, much as they often had when Cloud had been a child. As loath as he was to do it, though, the young man knew he had to break the silence eventually. "I have to thank you, Vincent," he began. "If it hadn't been for your advice I never would have learned all I have. I might not even be here, either. I know you said I was no longer your student; I would only ask that I might still be your friend." He swallowed hard as his eyes met his former teacher's. "You're one of the few I have."

Vincent was silent for a long time before responding, seeming as if he were struggling with his words. "I am afraid I spoke rashly then, Cloud. I… wasn't fair to you." The blond strove to mask his shock at his friend and mentor's uncharacteristic openness. "If you choose to come back, I will gladly have you." The look that came over Vincent's face might have been a bitter smile. "It has been… lonely without you here."

"I've missed you, too," Cloud admitted softly. He paused for a moment, then plunged ahead. "Unfortunately, I'm here on official business." Vincent stiffened, and the young man winced at that, but continued on anyway. "I'm part of a small unit assigned to investigate reports of unusually high monster activity in the surrounding area. My commanding officer is General Sephiroth." Vincent gave his former student a sharp look, surprise deep in his red eyes. "Come meet him, Vincent. Please… I know you want to…"

"You don't know what you're asking, Cloud," Vincent said brusquely, the harsh edge to his tone reminding the blond of dragons and flame and creatures both awesome and terrible.

"Yes, I do. I'm asking you to meet the son of the woman you loved." Cloud would not budge on this. "You both need this, Vincent."

"I think it's time for you to leave." Vincent stalked his way over to the door and threw it open. Cloud, hiding his frustration only with great difficulty, inclined his head and exited, retrieving his staff as he went.

If Vincent thought that would be the end of the whole thing, he was gravely mistaken. He might have had a near-infinite amount of patience, but he had forgotten he was dealing with a teenager, one of the most stubborn creatures in the universe. His mentor's reluctance be damned; Cloud silently swore to himself that Vincent and Sephiroth would meet—

—even if he had to drug them both and tie them together to make it happen.

Chapter Text

Cloud didn't know if he had ever been so angry in his life. He had worked so hard to get Vincent and Sephiroth to meet, had endured many a trial and tribulation to do it, and now what happened? Vincent wouldn't even see the General, let alone talk to him! The blond scowled as he stomped his way down the mountain, almost shaking in his rage.

An echoing cry suddenly broke into his thoughts, and the teen dropped into a protective crouch, glancing around. That had sounded an awful lot like a dragon, and he really didn't want to meet one of those… especially since he was only armed with his staff.

After a long moment the sound faded. Cloud breathed a sigh of relief as he realized that the noise had come from farther up in the mountains. The unique acoustics around here had caused the echo to sound all the way down here. It was hardly the first time something like this had happened, but every time it did Cloud was only saved from panicking by his training. He didn't like dragons at all; small wonder, really, considering what had happened to him when he was a child. And he knew he still wouldn't be able to handle one on his own if it attacked him, even fully armed.

The blond paused, a plan slowly forming in his mind. It wasn't the most creative, inventive, or particularly smart idea, but… it might just work. Grinning, he ran back down the path towards Nibelheim.

Zack and Sephiroth had made their first circle of the town's perimeter, and Zack, personally, was left wondering if the call that had brought them out here was genuine. There hadn't been any signs of monster activity on the edges of town, which didn't tally with the reports of attacks against the village. They would have to investigate the old reactor tomorrow, then, and see what monsters lurked in the mountains. For now, though, the pair of SOLDIERs settled down at the inn to wait. "I don't like this, Seph."

"Neither do I," Sephiroth admitted.

"Hmm… you don't think the request could've been faked, do you?"

"No. It had been approved by the upper levels." That implied the ShinRa executive board — or at least their flunkies — had investigated it. "They would hardly waste the money to send us out here otherwise."

"True, true."

"Well, we'll head up to the reactor first thing in the morning. The mayor promised us a guide, though I doubt he'll be particularly reliable, considering the prevailing local attitude towards these mountains."

"Old-fashioned superstition, Seph… though you may be right. Chances are most of the people who live here have rarely left town, much less ventured as far up as we're going." Zack flopped back on one of the beds in the room they had been given. "We'll have an extra civilian to cover, then."

"In addition to the two regulars." The General didn't sound particularly pleased by the prospect.

"Come on, Seph, don't be like that. You know it's standard procedure to take at least a few of them with us. Cloud, at least, is pretty skilled after all of the time I've been working with him. And he suggested Dennett himself, who might not be exceptional, but they do work together reasonably well. We'll stick them off to the side with the guide and have them guard 'im. Gives us only one spot to protect."

Sephiroth raised an eyebrow and was about to reply when the door burst open, allowing a breathless Cloud to rush in. "I saw… a really big… thing."

"They're called mountains, kiddo. I'd've thought you'd know that, since you grew up around here and all," Zack teased.

Cloud shook his head, still panting. "Mountains… don't… have claws. Or make really… loud sounds."

"Sounds?" Sephiroth echoed.

"Like a scream, but not human."

The two SOLDIERs exchanged a glance. "Where were you?" Zack asked.

"Up a ways in the mountains." Cloud looked slightly insulted at the look he got. "No, not everyone around here is scared of them. Besides, I've got a friend who lives up there. And it wasn't that far in, really. Just over a mile."

"Sounds like a dragon to me," Zack mused aloud. He glanced at Sephiroth. If there were a dragon that close to town…

"Take us to where you saw it," Sephiroth commanded.

"Yes, sir!"

It took all of Cloud's self-control not to smile or dance with glee as Sephiroth and Zack inspected the area he had indicated. It was actually a bit closer to Vincent's shack than the place he had actually heard the dragon, but that would only work in his favor. Now all he had to do was get them to actually enter the house, and everything should be fine.

"Hm… I don't see anything…" Zack frowned at the ground. "It should have left traces if it were here."

"Not if it landed over there," Sephiroth pointed out, indicating a nearby rock formation.

"Oh, I see." Zack moved over to the pile of dense boulders. He reached for his sword only to stop when Sephiroth shook his head.

"These local glacial deposits have high adamantine content."

Zack made a disappointed sound. "Damn. No, a dragon wouldn't leave signs on that, huh? Well, may as well go back, then. We can't track it."

Sephiroth turned to Cloud. "Private Strife, you said you had a friend who lives around here. Is it possible he might have seen something?"

"Most likely, sir," Cloud answered. "Follow me. I'll show you the way."

Vincent did not pace; he was too well trained for that. Still, he was agitated. Of all the things that could have happened, having Lucrecia's son return to tiny Nibelheim was not one he could have ever predicted… and in his shock, he had lashed out at his student. Again. He sighed. Hopefully he would be able to catch Cloud before he left the mountains to apologize. He didn't want to wait for years like he had last time.

"Vincent?"

Speaking of whom… Vincent turned to see the blond poking his head through the door. "Hello, Cloud." He briefly wondered exactly what the youth was doing; he had a slightly guilty yet determined look on his face.

Cloud opened the door all of the way, allowing Vincent to see who was behind him.

"Excuse me, but Private Strife believes he saw a dragon near here. Do you know anything about it?"

Vincent heard the black-haired man's question, but dismissed it for the time being, his eyes remaining riveted on the final figure of the trio. He paused in his examination to narrow his eyes at his former student, who merely looked defiant. At least he knew what Cloud had been plotting, now… "I'm sure he said as much. However, how much of what he said was true is another story entirely."

"All of it's true, from a certain point of view," Cloud muttered.

Vincent sighed. "Typical. Stay outside and practice, Cloud; I'll deal with you later."

"If there is a dragon in the area, that's not such a good idea," the shorter SOLDIER declared, stepping closer to Cloud.

"No dragon has come this close to town for over ten years," Vincent replied, red eyes flickering to him for a moment before returning to Sephiroth. "Cloud will be fine. Now, please come inside." His tone apparently convinced them, as the pair of SOLDIERs stepped inside, though their hands didn't stray far from their weapons.

The tension in the room gradually increased as the silence dragged on. Finally, the dark-haired man spoke up. "I'm Lieutenant Zack Sinclair. And this is—"

"General Sephiroth," Vincent finished, his eyes never leaving Sephiroth's face. "Cloud came up here earlier to try to convince me to go meet you. When I refused, he apparently decided to manipulate you into coming here." He paused. "I am Vincent. Vincent Valentine."

No recognition showed in Zack's face, but Sephiroth raised an eyebrow. "The Turk? Your record reports you as dead."

The gunman allowed himself an ironic smile. "Surely you realize not all of what ShinRa's records hold is truth."

"Just how do you know Cloud, anyway?" Zack demanded, having tensed up the minute Sephiroth had said 'Turk.'

"Cloud Strife was my student for many years," Vincent replied, intrigued again by the SOLDIER's response. Apparently the man had taken a shine to the blond.

Well, that explains a few things, Zack reflected. No wonder the kid reminded him of a Turk in so many ways. "So… why did Cloud want you to meet us, anyway?"

"Because…" Vincent paused for a long moment before raising his head to meet the General's gaze. "I knew your mother, Sephiroth."

Cloud trudged his way away from the shack, content to not hear what would happen. Vincent was probably mad at him, though at this point he didn't mind if it were so. Hopefully the ex-Turk would tell Sephiroth and Zack the entire story; if he didn't, Cloud would start looking for some way to chain his former teacher and the General together. Maybe he could even get Zack to help him.

In the meantime, though, he might as well do as his mentor suggested and get in some training. Settling his feet, Cloud glanced around the clearing, familiar from the many practices he'd had here with his mentor. Slowly he moved through his regular patterns, interweaving the different styles taught to him by Zack and Vincent; slowly he felt himself begin to relax and reach that meditative state so easily found in training. It was then he heard it: a sound that did not belong in this part of the mountains, even less so than the dragon's roar he had heard earlier.

A helicopter?

Cloud paused for a long moment, considering his options. He could go back and get the others, but that hardly seemed wise if he wanted Vincent to tell Sephiroth everything. Once the Turk was interrupted, Cloud knew, he wouldn't start again. It shouldn't be that hard to just investigate the sound on his own…

The blond went traveling over the hard rocks, following the echoing noise. He quickly determined that it wasn't very close at all; in fact, it was almost on the other side of the mountain ridge. Luckily, he knew a shortcut. The path he turned onto was difficult to climb, but he managed it, being careful to hide his tracks. It took a good while before he finally found himself a perfect place to watch from, high up but well concealed as well. Hopefully it wouldn't take long for whoever it was to show themselves. He needed to get back to Vincent's shack before the others noticed his prolonged absence.

Shortly after Cloud got himself into position, the sound of the helicopter stopped. Doors opened and shut. The teen strained his eyes and managed to make out at least four individuals dressed in distinctive suits. Turks? What are they doing out here? The next figure he saw was dressed a white coat and was wearing glasses. Wait, that's a lab coat! Cloud bit down on his exclamation of shock. Why in Gaea's name would a ShinRa scientist come all the way out here…?

Moving very carefully, Cloud wiggled backwards until he was out of sight. After cleansing his hiding spot of traces of his presence, he moved as quietly as he could back towards the trail. Once he had safely returned to the clearing he took off at a run, slamming right into Vincent's door.

Sephiroth could hardly believe it. He stared at the man who stood silent before him, his far-fetched tale complete. He would've thought the entire thing was some elaborate hoax, if not for so many of the details — things that weren't, couldn't possibly be known to the public — matching up with Sephiroth's own limited knowledge of the facts.

For the first time in a long while, the General found himself at a loss for words.

Zack shook his head, glancing uneasily at his friend. "Seph…"

Whatever he'd been about to say was lost in the sound of the door slamming as Cloud burst into the already crowded shack. Vincent opened his mouth to scold him for the uninvited intrusion, but the expression of shock on his student's face gave him pause. "Cloud, what is it?"

The boy could only shake his head, panting as he clung to the doorframe.

Zack laid a hand on his shoulder. "Breathe, kiddo," he said helpfully.

Cloud nodded absently, his attention focused solely on the General. "Sir," he began once he'd caught his breath, "is anyone else supposed to be on this mission?"

"Other than you, myself, Sinclair, and Dennett? No." Sephiroth frowned. "Why do you ask?"

"When I was outside, I heard something. A helicopter," he added hastily, seeing the look his superiors exchanged. "I followed the sound, and found a bunch of Turks—"

"Always with the Turks, sticking their noses wherever they damn well please," Zack muttered.

"—and a scientist."

"A scientist?" the General echoed, his voice frighteningly cold.

"What did he look like?" the former Turk demanded harshly, red eyes boring into his student's.

Cloud swallowed hard, a little unnerved by their intensity. "About average height, lab coat, longish dark hair. I think he might have had glasses; saw the sun glint off of something on his face. He seemed hunched forward a little when he walked, too—"

"Hojo," Sephiroth said flatly, his fingers tensing on the Masamune's hilt even as Zack's hand drifted up to the buster sword's grip. The blond didn't doubt for a moment that both grim-faced men would have dearly loved to go after him, had company protocol not prevented them from doing so. He cast a nervous glance at his mentor… and his heart sank.

Vincent's eyes had narrowed to crimson slits, and the fingers of his claw-hand were digging grooves in the wood of the table. "Finally," he rasped. "After all these long years, he's returned to the scene of his crimes… to us…" His voice was dreadfully eager, and grew less and less human with every word.

Sephiroth stared at the ex-Turk's almost hazy body. "He's… changing." The statement was matter-of-fact and even, though the General's tense defensive posture belied his affected calm.

Zack looked at Cloud worriedly. "Um… does he do this often?"

The blond shook his head unhappily, keeping his gaze trained on his former teacher's solidifying form. "Only when he gets really emotional, which is almost never. He's only done it once before that I know… and I've never actually seen—"

The grey-skinned man-creature now standing in Vincent's place shook itself as the transformation finished, then turned its fiery gaze upon Cloud. "Take us to him, boy," it commanded, its voice hollow behind the mask it wore. "We shall seize him and lock him up and make him suffer, just as he made us suffer—" this last an angry hiss "—and then we shall take our sweet time as we flay the weak flesh from his bones!"

"…No." The young man's voice was unsteady, but his face was resolute. "I won't—"

"No? No, you say?" A wordless snarl. "The Calamity take you, then — we'll find the demon's spawn ourself!" And the thing raised its chainsaw, lurching forward with remarkable speed—

—Zack shoved Cloud down, out of the way, as he lunged outside after it—

—the Masamune sang in the crisp mountain air as Sephiroth met the creature head-on, green eyes blazing—

"Don't hurt him!"

They all froze, turning to the source of the cry. Staff in hand, Cloud stepped over the remains of the door, his eyes pleading. "If we can just convince him that—"

A dark chuckle. "Your heart's in the right place, boy, and we thank you for the concern… but we don't need to be convinced of anything. We already know all that matters right now is finding that manipulative fiend and tearing him apart!" Snarling, the creature feinted to the left, throwing the General off just enough so it could bring up the chainsaw and—

Pandemonium ensued.

In a purely reflex action, Sephiroth slung a Blizzaga at the thing, which shrieked in pain as Cloud again yelled not to hurt him — "I'm sorry, Strife, but I don't have any status-inflicting materia on me, just attack magic!" — and then the General proceeded to chase it all about the clearing, trying to disable it, both of them pretty much deciding that the structural integrity of the shack in the middle of it all was irrelevant (and oh sweet Gaea the thing was going to need some major repairs after this fiasco, even if those were just glancing blows). Zack, meanwhile, was busy fiddling with his materia, and it took every ounce of Cloud's self-control not to scream at him to hurry up and do something, and damn ShinRa anyway for not equipping their regular troopers with—

"Freeze!"

There was ice and a howl of pain and frustration, and Cloud very nearly smacked the dark-haired SOLDIER First ("didn't I tell you not to hurt him?") — but then stopped himself, gaping at the creature in surprise.

"Well," said Zack faintly, "whaddya know? It worked."

The masked thing stood frozen in place, muscles twitching violently as it fought against the spell. None of them had any doubt that, had its eyes been visible, they would have been glaring hatefully at the young lieutenant.

"Private Strife," Sephiroth said quietly, "since we have no idea how long this is going to last, I suggest you start your convincing."

Cloud gulped, but stepped forward, trying to find the words to break through to his mentor. He stopped about five feet from the ice-rimed monster than had taken his teacher's place. "Vincent, I know you can hear me. We can't do this… not now." Cloud licked his lips and scrabbled for calm. This might be his only chance. If he didn't stop Vincent now, the ex-Turk was as good as dead. "We don't know why Hojo is here or what he's up to. I saw several Turks with him, and you know they have to be good! Even you wouldn't be able to take them on all at once without hurting yourself. And then… Hojo might be able to capture you again…"

An ominous creak was the only response as the ice suddenly developed another crack.

"Dammit, Vincent!" Cloud cried, desperate now. "You're always telling me to have a plan, to use some self-control and discipline and not just follow my emotions. If you go running after Hojo like a maniac, destroying everything that gets in your way, you'll only be acting like the very monster he was trying to create!"

Silence reigned for a few more minutes. Then, almost anticlimactically, the ice shattered into tiny specks, the monster moving stiffly, giving Zack a dark look before turning its gaze on Cloud. The youth held fast, keeping eye contact despite the almost overwhelming urge to curl up and hide. The creature took one step forward, then another, and slowly faded away to reveal a shabby-looking Vincent. "You're right, Cloud," he said slowly, his voice ragged. "You're right." And then, worn out both physically and emotionally, the man slumped forward.

"Vincent!" Cloud rushed forward in time to catch the man, holding him tightly. Alas, he had forgotten the staff he still held; Vincent winced as the wood connected solidly with his head. "Uh, sorry."

The former Turk said nothing, only returned his protégé's embrace briefly. Then he turned to the SOLDIERs standing to the side. "I apologize."

"Considering what you said earlier, your actions were completely justified," Zack replied seriously. "Hades, if the circumstances were different, we—"

Any further conversation was cut off by a shuddering crash. The quartet looked over at the pile of rubble that had once been Vincent's home. "Umm… Now what do we do?"

They ended up debating it for several minutes before coming to an agreement. Vincent's first idea, which was to stay in the mountains overnight, had been firmly vetoed by Cloud ("It's too cold, and you'd be up here alone. I know you can take on a dragon, but you'd be up all night watching"). The next best thing would have been the Shinra Mansion, but that was no longer a possibility ("If the place has previously been used by Hojo, as you said earlier, it's possible he's returning there," Sephiroth pointed out). The most convenient option would be to bring Vincent back to the village inn; the ex-Turk could easily slip by the townsfolk, but that wouldn't work either ("Guys, in case you've forgotten, we have another soldier back there who's supposed to share our room tonight"). Finally, Cloud suggested they take Vincent back to his house. It was probably about time his mother found out what was going on, anyway.

Before they left the mountains, the four of them did a careful survey of the area where Cloud had first seen Hojo. Cloud didn't recognize most of the equipment they were bringing in, though he suspected Sephiroth, Zack, and Vincent did, from the looks they exchanged. As the four made their way back to town, Vincent asked his protégé a question. "Cloud, your father worked in the reactor, didn't he?"

"Yeah, I think so. Mom's mentioned it a few times."

"Then perhaps we should speak to her about it," Vincent replied smoothly.

"Huh?" Cloud blinked, confused. The raven-haired man said no more, but gestured for the SOLDIERs to follow his student home. The youth knocked on the door. "Mom, I'm back!"

"Cloud!" Elanor smiled, then blinked as she noticed the group of figures standing behind her son. "Come inside, please. Would you like some tea?"

The group shuffled inside and, at the blonde's invitation, took seats at the kitchen table. Cloud couldn't help being proud of his mother. She had to know who Sephiroth was, but she wasn't intimidated in the least. "Mom, this is General Sephiroth and Lieutenant Zack Sinclair. They're my commanding officers for this mission. And this is Vincent Valentine, a friend of mine."

"I see." Elanor's voice didn't change, but everyone in the room sensed a shift in her attention. "And just how do you know my son, Mr. Valentine?"

Vincent found himself respecting the woman; it was clear where Cloud had gotten his will and courage from. "Your son rescued me many years ago, Mrs. Strife. I have been teaching him what I can in return."

"Ahh." Elanor glanced at Cloud. "So this is where you've been vanishing to."

Cloud nodded. "He's my mentor, Mom. He's helped me a lot."

"Mrs. Strife," Sephiroth interjected, "did your husband work up at the reactor?"

Elanor glanced at her son in confusion but answered the man's inquiry. "Yes, he did. Why do you ask?"

Zack took up the questioning. "It's been brought to our attention that the reactor may not be as inactive as we thought. We were wondering if your husband mentioned anything strange happening there."

Elanor sat still for a long time, stirring the tea sitting before her. "Fastred couldn't say much. Apparently a lot of it was classified. But he always warned me I should never go up there, no matter what. That things were… odd." She gave her son a sharp look. "I do hope you haven't been loitering around up there, Cloud." The youth shook his head firmly.

"Thank you, Mrs. Strife," Zack said as he rose, standing beside the General. "You've been very helpful, but we won't stay and bother you any longer."

Cloud moved to accompany them, but stopped suddenly. "Oh, Mom?"

"Yes, dear?"

"Could Vincent stay with you tonight? His house… uh, fell apart."

"His house fell apart?" Elanor repeated faintly. "How exactly did that happen?"

"…It wasn't a very well-built house?" her son replied, a sheepish smile on his face.

Vincent suppressed the urge to sigh as the woman gave him an odd look, and nodded a little, almost reluctantly. One of these days, he told himself, he'd have to teach the boy to lie better.

"I suppose," Elanor said slowly. "I'll need a little time to air out the guest room first, though…"

Vincent nodded again. "Of course. Thank you."

Sephiroth spoke then, adding his voice to Zack's. "And we thank you again as well, Mrs. Strife, but we'll be leaving now. We apologize for the intrusion—"

Cloud's mother shook her head. "No, no, don't. It's no trouble at all, really." She smiled. "Would you care to stay for dinner?"

The General politely declined — "I don't want the three of us ("four, with Arthur, sir," Cloud interjected) to be a burden" — but Elanor insisted ("I always make plenty extra, really, it's no trouble at all, and you boys look like you could all use a good meal"), and so they soon found themselves eating a hearty stew and warm, crusty bread with fresh butter.

Elanor was a wonderful hostess, graciously overlooking Zack's rudeness as he made small talk with his mouth full (both he and Cloud had dug in with much gusto), kindly including poor Arthur (who, after being retrieved by Cloud, sat small and uncertain at the end of the table, a little overwhelmed at dining in the company of the General himself) in the conversation, respecting Vincent's unspoken wish not to be asked too many questions, generously offering them dessert when they'd finished ("Oh no, we couldn't possibly, but dinner was wonderful, thank you," Sephiroth demurred, casting a reproving glare at his contented aide, who was now slouching in his chair most unprofessionally).

It was getting late when they finally set out across the frosty village square for the inn, Cloud and Arthur lagging a few steps behind the SOLDIERs, who conversed in low tones.

"Our guide is supposed to meet us an hour after dawn tomorrow," Sephiroth murmured to Zack, quietly enough so that only his aide's Mako-enhanced hearing could pick it up. "Keeping today's events in mind, however, I'd prefer to split up."

The dark-haired man nodded. "Two of us go up to the reactor, two of us stay here in the village to scout things out. Makes sense. We'll draw straws for it tomorrow morning, then."

Sephiroth opened his mouth to protest, then thought better of it, simply shrugging instead. It was too much trouble to get into an argument with his friend over something so insignificant. If Zack wanted to indulge in such absurdities as drawing straws, let him; it wouldn't hurt anyone.

He idly wondered if the lieutenant realized how fortunate he was to have a commanding officer who let him get away with this sort of nonsense.

"I will accompany the reactor team."

Both SOLDIERs started in surprise and made a slight move towards their weapons. How Vincent had managed to sneak around to the shadows of the inn without them noticing, neither knew. Only a brief flash of red betrayed the man's location before he became one with the shadows again.

Creepy, Zack thought with a shudder. He glanced at Cloud as the group entered the inn. The youth raised an eyebrow, smiling knowingly. So Cloud had noticed his mentor's presence as well? Very intriguing, since the former Turk had spoken quietly enough that only those with enhanced hearing could have heard him…

Cloud walked contently by Arthur's side, keeping a sharp lookout. His attention was split between the figure beside him, the pair of SOLDIERs before them, and a distinct feeling in the back of his mind he had long ago learned to identify.

The youth grinned, though no one could see it in the darkness as the SOLDIERs were looking ahead, and Arthur couldn't see very well in the quickly gathering gloom. Not that he could see much better, but he had had practice; night fell early in Nibelheim, making it a place unsafe to travel for the unwary… or the unenhanced.

"Thanks for bringing me here, Cloud."

Cloud smiled at Arthur, even though he knew the other teen wouldn't be able to see it. "Hey, it's no problem! Zack agreed with me, you're a lot better than anyone else in our unit. At least you don't think you can go head-to-head with a SOLDIER and win. Some of those guys are total idiots." Poor Arthur, only average at basic training, little physical talent… and yet such a good heart. Cloud hoped he'd find happiness some day. His bunkmate had shown some excellent mental skills, but unfortunately, his family, though poor enough to need the wages Arthur brought them, had enough money that he couldn't qualify for a need-based scholarship. The least Cloud could do was keep an eye on him and try to keep him out of trouble.

"Still, I'd never thought I'd get to meet the General or Lieutenant Zack in person," Arthur replied. "I'm glad to have met your mom, too. She's really nice. And generous."

Cloud winced at that. His mother had obviously started planning to have his superiors for dinner shortly after he had shown up with them on her doorstep. Undoubtedly that hadn't been easy or cheap. At least she didn't have to feed him on a regular basis anymore, though…

"I'm lucky to have her," Cloud replied. He noted Sephiroth stiffen and Zack start a little, and knew Vincent had made his presence known. A second later the lieutenant glanced backwards. The blond raised an eyebrow and smiled.

Zack didn't say anything, though, until they had returned to the rooms they had been given. "Cloud, can I talk to you for a minute?"

Cloud tilted his head, a silent sign of interest. He wondered why Zack had suddenly decided he needed to talk (and since when had he felt the need to ask first?), but nodded anyway, well aware it couldn't be Vincent he was asking about. Arthur had been told the man was just another ShinRa operative in the region who would be aiding them, and considering the size of the room, it would be difficult to speak of things otherwise without the other trooper picking up some idea there was something afoot. The other trooper wasn't stupid by any means, just shy and underconfident. Even so, Cloud scooted a little closer for privacy's sake as the SOLDIER lieutenant perched on the edge of his bed, speaking to him in low tones.

Sephiroth watched them thoughtfully from the doorway on the other side of the room, just far enough away so that he would've had to actively listen for his sharp ears to pick up what they were saying… but he had manners enough not to eavesdrop on a private conversation.

It intrigued him, how much time and effort his aide invested in the young regular — the cadet he'd admitted outright would never make it into SOLDIER. And yet Zack had begun training Strife only a week or so after the boy had failed the exams — right around the same time the SOLDIER had become so depressed by his break-up, actually. Sephiroth spared a moment to wonder if his aide had taken the job on merely to help both of them focus on something other than their sorrows, but banished the thought almost immediately; if Zack had only wanted a distraction, he would have become bored with his little project after a month or so and gone off to do something else. Even if they were friends, as they seemed to be, the busy lieutenant wouldn't have wasted his time teaching someone who would never be able to make full use of his lessons. He had to have seen some talent in the blond — something beyond the basic Turk training he'd received from that strange man in the mountains…

Frowning a little at the recollection of Vincent, he turned on his heel to leave, narrowly avoiding a collision with Dennett (who very nearly squeaked in surprise, stammering an apology that the General accepted with a short nod). He needed to be alone for a while.

"What are you still doing up?"

Sephiroth turned, looking over his shoulder at Zack, who stood just a few steps behind him, clad only in a pair of loose pants. "Just thinking," he said with a sigh, turning back to stare out the window at the smudge in the darkness where the mountains met the sky.

"About Vincent, and what he told us." It was a statement, not a question, and not for the first time the General wondered how his aide could read him so easily.

"Yes," he admitted.

"Do you believe him?"

The silence felt like it stretched on for a short eternity before Sephiroth finally answered. "Yes," he repeated. "I think I do. It all makes too much sense…"

He knew Zack was nodding, could feel him start to move closer — surprised him by turning towards him first. "Where, pray tell," the silver-haired man inquired, one fine eyebrow raised, "did you manage to get your hands on a Contain materia, anyway?"

The dark-eyed man stopped, blinked… recognised his superior's question as a diversionary tactic, let it slide. Sephiroth had that look in his eyes again; the issue of Vincent he would talk about only when he was ready, and a moment not before. In cases like this, the younger SOLDIER knew, badgering the man for answers would get him nowhere.

So, grinning slyly, he let his outstretched hand drop to his side, cocked an eyebrow, and declared, "You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

"Try me."

"All right, but don't say I didn't warn you. —I was on a mission in Mideel a couple months ago, if you remember, and I met this girl — a real pretty little thing, had an absolutely gorgeous—"

"Zack…" The General's warning tone was obvious.

"Fine, fine." He huffed in mock annoyance. "Her pet chocobo gave it to me."

There was a long pause. "…Her pet chocobo."

"I told you you wouldn't believe me, didn't I?"

"Go to bed, Zachary," Sephiroth commanded, letting out a long-suffering sigh. "If you're tired enough to be spinning tales like this now…" He shook his head. "You'll never be able to function tomorrow without sufficient sleep."

"Neither will you," came the immediate reply, "and that is, quite frankly, not an option." A firm hand came to rest upon his shoulder, steering him back towards the room the two of them were sharing with the regulars. "It's bedtime for you, mister."

"…What, are you trying to make yourself out to be my mother now, too?"

A quiet chuckle. "Not your mother, Seph; just your friend. If I don't make sure you take care of yourself, who will?"

The silver-haired man smiled faintly at that in spite of himself.

Chapter Text

"So, we're going to split up our group today. One pair will go up to investigate the reactor; the other will be interviewing the townsfolk. To be absolutely fair on deciding who goes where, we'll draw straws. Cloud?"

Cloud kept his amusement to himself, both at Zack's cheerful attitude despite the time (the sun had yet to rise) and his little 'drawing straws' antic. He was surprised, however, that General Sephiroth wasn't intervening to stop Zack's little showman act. "I couldn't find any straws, but I did get some slips of paper. Blue-colored ends stay in the town, and white ends will go to the reactor. Arthur?"

The trooper pulled one of the papers from Cloud's closed hand, coming away with a blue-tipped strip. The youth visibly relaxed; clearly he was glad not to be going up the mountain, though that was unsurprising, considering the local monster population. Cloud continued around the room clockwise, stopping in front of Sephiroth next. The General did not roll his eyes, though Cloud got the distinct feeling he wanted to. He pulled a slip free — another blue one. In contrast to Arthur, Sephiroth did not look relieved; instead, he appeared to be trying to hide his irritation. Also not surprising, since the man probably would have liked to hunt down some of the aforementioned monsters. Zack went next, coming away with a raggedy white strip, as did Cloud.

"Well, that's settled, then! Cloud and I will go up the reactor. Get your stuff together; our guide will be here shortly," Zack instructed his partner.

"Yes, sir." Cloud grabbed his helmet and gun, then nudged Arthur. The other teen looked as white as a sheet, undoubtedly because he was paired with the General. Well, Cloud couldn't honestly say that he wouldn't have felt the same if it had been him… especially with the elite SOLDIER frowning like that. "Why don't you go get some breakfast? They make good omelettes here." Arthur nodded weakly and headed downstairs. Cloud followed, leaving the SOLDIERs behind.

The minute the regulars had closed the door behind them, Sephiroth turned to Zack. His friend beat him to speaking. "No, Seph. We aren't switching."

The General didn't bother trying to hide his annoyance anymore. "Zack—"

"I'm perfectly capable of handling anything we may meet on the way up there, and you know that. Cloud is hardly an untried greenie either, and Vincent will be coming as well." Well, considering what had happened yesterday, he supposed that wasn't exactly reassuring, but… at least having Cloud around might help with the man's demons, should there be trouble again. "And before you think about it — if you order me to switch with you, you'll be demonstrating a lack of confidence in my abilities."

Damn him. Sephiroth resisted the urge to grind his teeth. "You're far better at interviewing civilians than I."

"It'll be good practice for you," Zack replied, eyes twinkling. "Low-pressure environment, too; you've got a pretty small audience."

"Zachary—"

"Everything will be fine, Seph. Trust me." Zack grinned, clasping Sephiroth's shoulder. "Now, we better get going before our compatriots get in trouble."

Sadly, Zack didn't know how right he was.

Arthur was safe inside the inn, eating his omelette almost happily, but Cloud was already outside, having grabbed a quick breakfast before Zack had split them up. He had been waiting rather patiently… until he spotted the inn's current man-of-all-work rounding the corner.

Jack Maynard.

Cloud groaned. What were the odds? He briefly considered ducking back inside, but the man spotted him just as the thought crossed his mind. Lugging a rather large bundle of firewood, the man swaggered over to the youth. "Hey… I remember you. You're that punk who came by here before."

Cloud sighed. Apparently two years wasn't enough to make Maynard forget; this was the third time the bully had targeted him. Of course, they always said the third time was the charm…

"So, I guess you were a ShinRa spy last time, eh? Dragged those money-grubbing bastards out here, huh?" Cloud inwardly groaned at the man's stupidity. He could understand Maynard's dislike of ShinRa — the company hadn't done a lot lately to make those out in the farthest reaches of their control very happy — but last time the man had thought Cloud was a kid! How stupid could he be? "…You know, we don't take kindly to spies here." Firewood crashed to the ground with a thud as Maynard advanced menacingly. Cloud shifted into a offensive position, finally glad to have the chance to give the bully a taste of his own medicine—

"Yo, Cloud!"

Maynard stopped, fear flashing in his eyes as he caught sight of Zack coming up behind his would-be victim. The man may have been stupid, but even he knew better than to mess with a SOLDIER. Shooting the blond a dirty look, he retrieved his load and continued around the side of building to the inn's back entrance. Cloud yanked his helmet on, all the while wondering what deity out there decided he or she liked to mess with one teenage boy's life so much.

"Ready to head up?" Zack asked, looking utterly confident, materia and Buster Sword glinting in the dawning sunlight.

Cloud suppressed a quick flash of envy. Someday he'd get to be a SOLDIER, too, on his own merits. "Yes, sir!"

"Good. Now all we need is our guide."

As if on cue, a young woman came out of a house down the street and sprinted over towards them. Many would say that Tifa Lockhart's beauty had only grown greater over the years, that she was well on her way to becoming a lovely young woman. Cloud's eyes, however, weren't focused on her hair, face, or her other physical attributes. He was watching her smooth movements, the subtle signs of her training. Two years had forged her into an even better fighter; the blond could tell that much just from watching her move.

"Good morning! I'm Tifa Lockhart, and I'll be your guide up the mountain."

"Pleased to meet you, Ms. Lockhart. I must admit, I'm surprised the mayor would let his daughter go on this trip." Zack smiled appreciatively. "You must be an extraordinary young woman."

Tifa blushed a little. "Well, I'm the best fighter this town has, so…"

"I see! Beautiful and deadly — quite a combination! Oh, by the way… We will have another company agent joining us; he's already in the mountains, though, so we don't have to wait for him. We're ready to go when you are."

The brunette nodded. "General Sephiroth isn't coming with us?" she asked, glancing around.

"Due to some of the signs we saw yesterday the General is going to do a bit of investigation around town here," Zack lied smoothly. He gestured extravagantly toward the path leading into the mountains. "After you, Ms. Lockhart."

"Don't flirt on the job," Cloud hissed softly as they walked out of town, following Tifa.

Zack glanced over at him, amused. "Don't pretend you're Sephiroth," the man teased. Cloud was suddenly glad for his helmet, which hid his furious blushing. What was he supposed to say in reply to that?

The SOLDIER chuckled a little, stretching and clasping his hands behind his head. "But really, Cloud… if you're interested in her, just let me know and I'll knock it off, all right?"

Cloud was startled into silence for a moment before firmly shaking his head. "I don't like her like that, Zack; I hardly know her. Anyway… she's a year younger than me. You really shouldn't lead her on like that. Odds are pretty high you'll never see her again after this mission."

"True." Zack sighed dramatically, but his smile showed he was only joking. "You have to be annoyingly logical, don't you?" They walked in silence for a long moment, letting Tifa gain a significant lead that allowed her to scout out the trail and gave them privacy to talk. "So, anyway… how long have you been training with Vincent?"

The blond was surprised by the question, but answered it truthfully. "Since I was five— well, closer to six, really. It was late spring, early summer when we started with the basics, and I kept working with him until I left for Midgar."

Zack whistled, impressed. "Eight years? That's a long time."

"I guess." Cloud spread his hands and shrugged, a gesture he had picked up from the SOLDIER. "It's not like there's much else to do around here. And even so…" His eyes turned farther up the path, focusing on something only he could see. "Even so, I still have a lot to learn."

Vincent Valentine silently watched the trio climb the mountain from the shadow of a rocky outcropping. He briefly glanced at the Lockhart girl (she was a good fighter, as he knew from his observations over the years; he had even integrated some of the style she used into his own hand-to-hand), then focused his gaze on the two uniformed figures walking a short distance behind her. Cloud appeared to be rather… happy. It was difficult to tell for sure without being able to see his face, but he moved with ease next to the lieutenant, completely lacking the stiffness he generally adopted when in an uncomfortable situation. He was certainly talking to Sinclair with far more openness than Vincent would have expected. Generally his pupil was only that outspoken with him.

The gunman ruthlessly squished the tiny flare of jealousy that appeared at that thought.

Still, Vincent wondered if the SOLDIER realized just how remarkable the boy was. He had been been shocked himself when Cloud had stood up to Hellmasker. It was one of the most intimidating of the monsters that dwelt within him, but the blond had faced it despite his obvious fear… had even gone so far as to order his lifelong idol, of all people, not to hurt the thing Vincent had become, despite it being armed, dangerous, and obviously mentally unstable.

For a moment, the former Turk was humbled by the young man Cloud had become. He had changed a great deal from the inquisitive youth who had freed him years ago, and yet… and yet he was still very much the same.

At the same time, though, the gunman couldn't help remembering Hellmasker's unexpected reaction to Cloud's presence. That all-consuming rage, that need to get to Hojo at any cost, had become edged with sharp irritation when he had refused to help them, and soured by the knowledge that things would be infinitely more difficult if the boy stood in their way. Hellmasker had easily dismissed the two SOLDIERs as potential casualties in the accomplishment of their goal, but… the issue of possibly hurting Cloud as well had never even entered the equation.

Vincent wasn't sure if he should be relieved or worried that his inner demons seemed to have become, in their own peculiar way, nearly as protective of his student as he was.

Rousing himself from his thoughts, the former Turk straightened as the approaching fighters finally came within earshot.

"…still have a lot to learn," his protégé admitted.

"Indeed. Well, that's what I'm here for!" His SOLDIER companion grinned.

"And Vincent," Cloud interjected. "It never hurts to have multiple teachers, you know—"

"Well said, Cloud," Vincent said smoothly as he stepped into the light.

Zack jumped, stifling a yelp of surprise. "Don't do that!" he commanded, glaring at Vincent, who had a strange twinkle (could it have been amusement?) in his wine-red eyes. A quick look at Cloud showed the trooper to be completely at ease. "How do you always know he's there?"

"I generally have a pretty good idea of when he's around, even if I don't know exactly where he is." The blond smirked a little. "You try having somebody jump you on a regular basis at least a few times every day for several years, and see if you don't develop that kind of 'radar.'"

Zack's eyebrows rose in surprise, and he cast an inquiring glance at Vincent, who, not particularly inclined to explain his methods, simply shrugged before addressing his student.

"Leave the helmet behind; it hampers your vision too much. And… I believe you would be better armed with these." He held out the staff Cloud had left at his mother's house and the gun he had rescued from the wreckage of the shack.

Cloud's fingers lingered on the weapon's smooth metal surface as he carefully secured it to his belt. More than anything else, the return of this weapon was his teacher's way of showing his forgiveness and a renewal of trust. "Thank you, Vincent."

His mentor nodded briefly before turning to the lieutenant. "Sinclair, I believe you have never been in these mountains before?"

"Not since before yesterday, anyway," Zack replied.

"Then I suggest you follow me for now. Ms. Lockhart will certainly wish to use the old bridge; I doubt she fully realizes the extent of the deterioration of its structural integrity."

Zack shot Cloud a confused glance. "The bridge broke a few years ago," the blond explained. "It was pretty big news in town, actually. I wasn't there, but I heard some kids got hurt. They did repair it, but… I'm really not sure how good of a job they did. Not many people use it, anyway."

"Ahh." Zack nodded, moving ahead to flag down Tifa.

Cloud changed his pace to match his mentor's stride step for step. "I'm glad you're coming with us," he said honestly.

"This is hardly an area I would let you travel alone, Cloud." Vincent's lips quirked slightly, recalling a trip that had nearly ended in disaster. "And I believe I owe you a trip to a certain materia cave, no?"

Sephiroth watched from the window as Zack greeted his young guide, and the slightest smirk graced his lips as he observed his aide's behavior. He hoped Strife knew what he had gotten himself into when he had been partnered with Zack. The dark-haired man was a notorious flirt, though he was usually pretty good about not letting it interfere with his missions… too much.

Half of the time Sephiroth thought Zack did it just to annoy him.

Once the group had vanished up the path into the mountains, hidden from his enhanced eyesight by the thickly forested slopes, Sephiroth headed downstairs. He glanced carefully around the common room, completely empty except for the innkeeper and Dennett, who sat at one of the tables eating breakfast. With a sigh, the General ordered a cup of coffee. While he did not necessarily need the caffeine — with his enhanced metabolism, it didn't tend to actually do much unless he drank it in ridiculous quantities — he did enjoy the taste when it was well brewed (something he enjoyed only rarely; unfortunately, most of the coffee back in Midgar, particularly the brew the company used, was either too weak for his liking or had very poor consistency, though every once in a while someone, usually Zack, managed to scrounge up a decent cup for him at one of those pretentious little cafés scattered around above the Plate). Taking a sip of the dark liquid the innkeeper brought him, Sephiroth found himself pleasantly surprised. It was very good, rich and just as strong as he liked it. A shame he couldn't take some back to the city…

The silver-haired man settled in with his blessed cup, feeling Dennett staring nervously at him from the corner of his eye. The General wished he could leave this town already and go back to his office, where he only had to deal with a handful of people on a regular basis. Dennett was bad enough, but the townspeople would be even worse. Unfortunately most of them would not be up for some time, and until they rose he couldn't hurry along this little investigation. So for now he waited, glancing at the inn's clock every few minutes. Finally he noticed movement outside. "Dennett."

The regular started in surprise. "Y-yes, sir?" he asked, practically quivering in his boots.

"We're moving out."

"Yes, sir!" Dennett quickly grabbed his helmet and shoved it on, his regulation rifle in his hands a moment later. Sephiroth chose to ignore the boy's nervous stride as they left the inn for the town's main square. He also ignored how everyone froze at his appearance.

Silence reigned for several minutes as the residents of Nibelheim stared at the living legend who had entered their lives. Finally, one stepped hesitatingly forward, wielding a camera almost defensively. "Excuse me, sir… could I have a picture?"

Sephiroth blinked, rather taken aback. No one had ever really asked for his picture before; his earliest photographs had been taken for scientific documentation, and later pictures were taken by the press at conferences or whenever the media hounds could get the chance. Even with civilians it was usually "Please, General, please look this way!" and several bright flashes followed by hurried scurrying away as if they feared his wrath, cameras cradled close to their chests like treasured children.

Unfortunately, he hesitated a moment too long; the man grinned, apparently taking his lack of refusal as acquiescence, and raised the camera. A quick flash left Sephiroth blinking quickly, trying to disperse the spots floating before his eyes.

A young girl ran up and stood next to Sephiroth, looking at the photographer in entreaty. "I want a picture with the General, too! Will you take my picture?"

"Sure!"

"I'm next!" A teenager cried.

His friend elbowed him. "No, me!"

"Will you hold my son, General? He's a big fan of yours."

Sephiroth forcefully reminded himself that killing civilians without sufficient justification (or at least orders from ShinRa's upper echelons) was against company policy. And no matter how comforting the Fire materia in the Masamune's hilt was, nothing these people had done justified torching the town.

"Can you please sign my photo, sir?"

Really.

Zack could remember the results of Cloud's SOLDIER exam rather well. The boy's physical talents had been marked as average for his age level, but over the months they'd trained together Zack had been forced to wonder if those results were truly accurate. Watching Cloud fight in the little skirmishes they ran into as they traveled up the mountain only confirmed his suspicions. With the secret of his teaching revealed, the kid apparently felt it unnecessary to hide his abilities any longer… and what showed was impressive. The blond's hand-to-hand ability was formidable, and his gun skills were no joke either. Cloud was a damn good shot, even if he was nowhere near Valentine's level. His greatest strength, though, was obviously with the staff; Zack wasn't sure he could have beaten Cloud in a staff duel without drawing on his SOLDIER-enhanced abilities.

The more Zack watched Cloud, the more he was convinced the youth had deliberately hidden his skills, though why was beyond him. If the blond had worked to his full potential, he would have had a much better chance of making it into SOLDIER. His Mako tolerance results hadn't been extraordinary, but he'd passed, and his mental acuity had been above the average. Really, the worst of it had been the kid's social adaptability. Cloud actively avoided interacting with his peers most of the time, and was rather inept when forced to do so, a major disadvantage for someone in an outfit whose members usually worked in groups.

Having met Vincent, Zack could see where Cloud had acquired that little handicap. The former Turk could've given Sephiroth a run for his money in a contest for "most anti-social individual of the year." However, the kid's interaction with Vincent proved he still could develop the skills he needed to excel in SOLDIER. The student and his mentor had a relationship on the highest level; they rarely even needed words to communicate. Zack could easily see the parallels between their relationship and his own with Sephiroth. It was a rare thing indeed, being able to forge such bonds… and in the army, a commander who could connect like that with his subordinate officers was easily worth his weight in mythril.

Zack silently vowed he would get Cloud into SOLDIER, one way or another. Sure, the kid might want to kill him by the time the lieutenant let up on the training he had planned, but it would be well worth it.

By now Tifa had long exhausted what little knowledge she had of where they were going. However, none of her companions mentioned this, content to allow Cloud to subtly direct the girl, sparing her any embarrassment. The blond was having difficulties as well, trying to dig up memories that had long ago been buried in the furthest corners of his mind, but after what seemed an eternity of following the winding mountain paths, the four found themselves inside a very unusual-looking cavern.

"What is this place?" Tifa asked, staring at the smooth, almost glowing walls in wonder.

"A materia cave," Zack replied softly. He had never seen one before, but he recognized it from descriptions he had read.

"Wow."

The quartet stayed quiet for a long time after Tifa's whisper. Finally, Vincent moved forward to address their guide, bringing up the issue Zack and Cloud had been avoiding. "Ms. Lockhart, am I correct in assuming you do not know the way from here?" Tifa reluctantly nodded, face slightly flushed in embarrassment. "Then we had best take our next steps carefully. I will take the left tunnel. Sinclair, go with Ms. Lockheart to the right. Cloud, stay here. We'll come back when we discover the correct path."

"All right," the boy replied.

Noting the odd tone in Cloud's voice, Zack shot him a sharp look. He kept his question quiet so only Vincent could catch it. "Is that a good idea? The kid doesn't look so hot…"

"This place is home to one of Cloud's last memories of his father. I suspect he would like a few minutes alone," the gunner replied, keeping his voice at the same level.

"Oh." Zack immediately felt guilty, though he wasn't quite sure why. Glancing once more at his friend, he sidled up next to Tifa. "I guess it's just you and me then, Ms. Lockhart. We'll see you in a bit, Cloud!"

"Behave, Zack," the blond admonished as Tifa blushed.

"You know me, kid. I'm always good!"

"Ha! I'll believe that when I see it!" he shot back as the pair of them disappeared down the tunnel, flashing a grateful look at his mentor. Vincent said nothing, but gave a nod before vanishing into the shadows himself.

Cloud approached the fountain at the center of the cave, staring at its crystalline slopes. Mako rippled slowly below the surface, its soft glow mesmerizing. Pulling off his glove, he touched the hard, crystalline surface at its edge; it was cool and oddly soothing.

"Hello, Dad." The blond immediately felt more than a little foolish, but pressed on anyway. "I'm sorry… I haven't been doing as much for Mom as I should have. And I don't remember you very well." The youth paused, attempting to swallow his tears around the lump that had abruptly appeared in his throat. Was it because he missed his father, or because he had never really known the man? "I wish you were here," Cloud continued, his tone wistful. "It's been hard sometimes, but I'm doing the best I can. I'll try to take care of Mom, and… and Vincent and the others, too." His voice dropped to a whisper. "I hope you'd be proud of me."

"Cloud! We found it!"

"Coming!" the trooper called back. He turned away from the fountain, but stopped when a small flash of color caught his attention. Bending down, Cloud scooped up the small materia at the edge of the fountain, marveling at its vivid blue hue. He'd never seen one like this before. "Thanks, Dad." Somehow no longer feeling foolish at all, the youth slipped the materia into his pocket before going after his mentor so they could rejoin their companions. Maybe Zack or Vincent could tell him what his father's gift could do.

It wasn't long before Cloud and Vincent met the rest of their group where they waited just outside. "Everything all right?" Zack asked, looking slightly worried as he examined the blond.

"Yeah," Cloud replied. His fingers drifted towards his pocket momentarily only to change course halfway and land on his gun instead. "Are we ready to go?"

"You bet." Zack visibly brightened at Cloud's collected response, grateful his friend was okay. "We have to start being a little more careful, though; the monsters around this area seem stronger, probably due to high Mako exposure. I'll take point. Valentine—"

"I will be rear guard."

"Good. Ms. Lockhart, Cloud, stay together and make sure you're ready to fight. Let's move out."

The trek wasn't as bad as it could have been. Through careful scouting they managed to avoid many of the monsters. Still, Cloud found himself growing rather edgy. The way Tifa's eyes constantly followed him was rather unnerving. Finally, he turned his head and asked, "Something bothering you?"

"You're Elanor Strife's son, aren't you?"

"Yes," Cloud confirmed, a bit surprised by the question.

"I thought so!" she exclaimed triumphantly. "Wasn't quite sure, though — I mean, I never saw you much before you left for Midgar, and I was busy yesterday when you guys came into town, but… I've never seen anyone else who has hair like yours."

Cloud flushed and self-consciously ran a hand through his gravity-defying locks. "I guess it is kind of recognizable." He wasn't particularly fond of his hair, but usually he just ignored it. It wasn't like he was some girl, obsessing over his appearance all the time.

He had to admit, though, that he really liked the illusion of height it created.

"I think it's cute, actually." Tifa tilted her head to the side. "It looks good on you. Certainly better than Lieutenant Sinclair's! I'm surprised he doesn't get his sword all tangled up in that shaggy mess."

Cloud was surprised by the compliment, and not quite sure how to respond. Finally he decided to just continue with the Zack teasing. It wasn't like the man didn't deserve a little payback. "Or cut it off with that little victory routine of his," he countered, recalling the complicated series of spins Zack seemed so fond of indulging in when he had vanquished an enemy. His lips quirked slightly at the memory.

Tifa snickered. "He reminds me of Amanda when he does that. She's knocked over her mother's loom a few times while trying to pull off some tricks." She received a blank stare from her companion. "Amanda Pierce, Robert and Mary Ann's daughter."

Cloud shook his head. "I don't think I've ever met them." He picked up his pace a little, wishing they were at the reactor already. He might not have been as bad as Vincent was, but social interaction was definitely not his forte.

"Well, Amanda is rather obsessed with tossing sticks around. I think she's trying to teach herself to juggle, but I've never really been able to figure it out. Her mother keeps trying to get her to learn how to weave, but she won't sit still long enough."

"Ah." As they passed under the shadow of a rocky overhang, Cloud rolled his eyes. Girls yammered on about the strangest things; why couldn't they talk about something sensible?

"Where were you all of those years anyway?"

Oh, just finding a former Turk lying in a coffin under the haunted mansion, and then getting training in a great deal of things that would probably have given Mom a heart attack if she'd known about it. While his mother had supported his dream to join SOLDIER, Cloud had the distinct feeling she would've greatly disapproved of her son learning some of the things Vincent had taught him as young as he had. "Um… here and there," the blond replied evasively. "I did a lot of exploring in the mansion and the mountains, though I never came up this far. Too dangerous."

"The mansion?" Tifa raised an eyebrow. "Huh. Most of the village boys like to brag they've gone into the Shinra Mansion. It's always pretty obvious who's lying, though, and the few who are telling the truth… well, I've seen most of them do it. Turns out that 'in' is usually just sneaking through the gate and crossing the garden to touch the front door." She cocked her head at him. "And you say you've actually gone inside in? Well, tell me, then… is it as creepy as it looks from the outside?"

"A little," Cloud conceded, though for him the mansion held several very happy memories. He doubted anything could ever happen to make him genuinely hate the place. "It's really just an abandoned house full of dust and old furniture. There are a few monsters, and lots of secret passages, but it's not like it's haunted or anything."

"Hmm."

"We're here!" Zack announced as they climbed one final rise. There stood the reactor, a gigantic metallic beast looming menacingly against the dark Nibelheim mountains. "Ms. Lockhart, I'm afraid you'll need to stay outside; we're likely to be working with classified information in here. I'm confident in your ability to handle whatever sort of monsters might show up." He smiled charmingly at their guide, who blushed a little at the compliment, then nodded to the others. "Valentine, Cloud… let's get this over with."

Chapter Text

"Are you really in a position to be picking on people's hair?" Zack asked in a whisper as the group moved away from Tifa and began the climb up the stairs to the reactor.

Cloud held his head high. "Hmph, well, I don't know. Considering you were eavesdropping, I hardly think you have the right to play the morally superior one…" Not that he hadn't suspected Zack had been listening; with his enhanced hearing it would've been almost impossible for him not to do so. Half the time the blond wondered if it wasn't enhanced hearing at all, but some kind of telepathy, considering how much his SOLDIER friend managed to pick up.

"Well then, we'll see just how you'll feel about teasing your mentors behind their backs when we get back to Midgar."

"Ha! Don't think I've shown you all of my tricks yet. I've still got a few things up my…" Cloud's voice trailed off as they stepped into the abandoned reactor, and he shivered as an abrupt sense of foreboding descended upon him. His companions turned to look at him, questioning.

"I'm fine," he insisted, flushing slightly. "Really. It just feels… strange in here. Almost… wrong."

"Reactors usually do, to a certain extent," his mentor replied, but his tiny frown persisted as he turned to Zack. "Lieutenant?"

The SOLDIER had a distracted expression on his face, and his eyes darted from side to side as if searching for something. At Vincent's question, he started in surprise. "Huh?"

"Is everything all right, Lieutenant?"

"…Yeah, fine." He sighed, running a gloved hand through his hair. "I just… I thought I heard something." His eyes, their usual faint Mako glow violet-tinted and oddly bright, flickered to the side again.

The former Turk looked at him steadily for a long moment, then turned away. "Let us see if we can find it then, shall we?" he asked, gesturing towards a ladder that led deeper into the reactor.

"I hope it ends up being that easy," Zack muttered under his breath as he fell in step behind Cloud, following the red-cloaked gunman. He had a sneaking suspicion, though, that it wouldn't. From the moment they had entered this rusting hunk of Mako-stained metal, a strange breathy murmuring had floated just beyond his comprehension against the background of his thoughts, and faint images flickered at the edges of his vision only to disappear when he tried to look at them straight on.

He shook his head, hoping against hope that this wasn't the beginning of the madness that came hand in hand with Mako fever. Over the years he'd lost too many comrades, seen too many good men robbed of their careers and lives due to the ravages of what some called the true horror of the Wutai front. Thankfully, incidents of Mako fever had decreased dramatically after ShinRa had instituted Mako tolerance testing for SOLDIER cadets in the latter part of the war, and with proper treatment the illness rarely proved fatal anymore. It was still a damn scary thing, though, especially since it struck seemingly at random. Zack had seen it hit people — men who'd been hardworking, perfectly fit SOLDIERs for years — without the slightest bit of warning. A few months ago, a SOLDIER Second Class he'd been friends with since they had met as cadets had snapped quite suddenly while training, very nearly killing his sparring partner and breaking another SOLDIER's arm in three places before the specialists were able to restrain him, screaming the whole time as if he were back on the front lines in Wutai. And he hadn't taken well to the treatments at all; less than eighteen hours later he was dead, eyes bloodshot and staring, mouth fixed in a rictus grin, crooked fingers clutching the hospital blankets like gnarled treeroots seeking purchase in the earth.

Zack shuddered at the too-vivid memory.

Gaea, it couldn't be happening to him. Please. If he lost it here, now, out in the middle of nowhere, with no specialists within a hundred-mile radius, with Sephiroth the only man in the area strong enough to take him down… He narrowed his eyes and shook his head again. No, there is no "if." I promised Seph it wouldn't come down to that, and it won't, not now, not ever. That's all there is to it.

Oh, how he wished the rest of his mind would let him believe what he was telling himself.

None of them spoke as they proceeded further into the reactor. Usually Zack would attempt to lighten the atmosphere with a little idle chatter on missions like this, even with companions as reticent as these, but his dark thoughts left him in no mood for it.

Vincent held up his hand, and the SOLDIER, still preoccupied, nearly walked right into Cloud as the trooper obediently stopped. The room they had entered was filled with strange pods, but what caught Zack's attention was the sealed door on the opposite side of the room, and the sign above it.

"Jenova," he breathed, eyes widening. "What in the world…?"

At the sound of that name, something stirred deep within him, and the unintelligible murmuring the dark-haired man had been hearing this whole time suddenly clicked into clarity. :…ahhh… strangers…:

No, no voices. I'm not hearing voices, can't be. Just… just ignore it and it'll go away. It's not really there. It's not, dammit.

"…hardly regulation equipment for a reactor, wouldn't you agree, Lieutenant?" Vincent was saying, and his stare was even more unnerving than usual.

Deciding he would worry about the voices later, Zack nodded slowly as he looked around. "I've never seen pods like this in a reactor before." He frowned. "They do look somehow familiar, though…"

Vincent had already started up the steel steps. "The two of you should attempt to discern their purpose," he informed them as he reached the top. "I'd like to examine this door a little more closely."

Cloud nodded in agreement, turning to the SOLDIER. "So… right or left?"

Still a little surprised by their brisk manner, Zack shrugged. "Left, I guess."

And then all three of them went silent again, and as Zack dutifully peered into the little viewport of what appeared to be an empty stasis pod full of some Mako-like substance, he found himself wishing that someone would say something, if only to distract him from the things that weren't there.

:not here oh but I am little boy I am here and you really shouldn't ignore Me:

His head jerked up in surprise (oh Gaea, why was it actually responding to his thoughts now?), and then there was suddenly something in there with him, a presence faint in the back of his mind (:silly boy I have always been here but you never even bothered to look:), rummaging through his thoughts and memories with the brisk efficiency of a mother mucking out her son's messy bedroom.

And then Cloud was crying out in horror on the other side of the room, pressed back against the steel railing, his face as white as a sheet as he stared wide-eyed at the pod at the end of his row.

The SOLDIER got there first, and as the blond lifted a trembling hand to point at the glass viewport he swallowed hard and looked inside.

He really wished he hadn't.

Zack desperately tried to ignore the fact that the… the thing in the pod looked as if it had been human, at least at some point. Now… now it was just a mutated, misshapen, impossible creature that he fervently hoped was as dead as it appeared to be. Oh sweet Shiva, please, please let it be dead. I've had enough of the freaky shit today…

:o corrupt and imperfect one: came the voice as the monster's eyes snapped open and its mouth moved to match the words in his head. :what have you done:

Zack swallowed the cry of shock and frustration that welled up in the back of his throat, pressing back against the railing himself as he clutched at his head. "No no no no no, please…" This isn't happening, it isn't, it can't be, I don't have the fever—

:what have you done why why why have you defiled Him My precious My only:

"I don't know what you're talking about!" he yelled, hardly noticing that Cloud had slowly begun backing away from him with wide eyes. I'm not seeing things, I'm not hearing things, I'm just dreaming and soon (oh Gaea please let it be soon) I'll wake up in my bed—

:yes you do you know you know Him full well better than any other My Son My most perfect most beautiful Son: it — She, some part of him supplied — hissed at him, accusing and proud at the same time, and Zack's mind froze as he was bombarded with familiar images of moon-silver hair and cool Mako-green eyes and that impossible inhuman grace.

"…Seph— Sephiroth?" he asked incredulously, straightening slightly, hardly noticing Vincent's narrow-eyed gaze.

:yes yes My Son My precious My beloved who shall one day return to Me: and She sighed, and Her voice was terribly eager as it echoed through the vaults of his skull. :He is near I can feel Him hear Him almost touch Him so close so very very close but where where is He My Son My darling child where where where is He:

"I…" It was hard, hard to think about it with his head aching like that. "He's…"

The dark one's voice was hard and cold like the glacier near Icicle Inn, like the crystalline song of distant stars. "Get a hold of yourself, Lieutenant Sinclair. You don't want personal issues to compromise the mission."

:where where where is He My Son My Son My dearest where where you know where He is don't you don't you why don't you tell Me tell Me tell Me:

"Ahh—" His throat wasn't listening and he was choking, choking on it, on the words She wanted to hear, the things he had to (no no no I can't shrieked some part of him), had to tell Her.

The little one's voice was low and pleading like those of the Cetra had been in their final moments, begging for mercy, not for themselves but for their children, their siblings, their friends—

:fools all know nothing there is no peace no rest only the fire the pain the fight destruction oh yes We shall create it and then oh to be truly free again oh where is My Son the time draws nigh:

"Zack, please stop it. You're… you're scaring me. You're scaring both of us."

:o son of Gaea fallen halfling-child half Hers half Mine I can make it better why don't you take Mother take Me show Me where He is and bring Him here and I shall make it all better just give Him give Him give give give give Him to Me:

"ZACK!"

The SOLDIER started, staring at his companions in confusion. "W-what? I…"

"Is something the matter, Lieutenant?" Vincent inquired coolly, and his ember-like eyes never left the younger man's.

There was a peculiar look on Zack's face as he slowly shook his head. "No… no, I…" His voice was strange, not quite his own. "I have to go. I need to find My— find Seph. I have to find Him." And he turned back to the stairs, heading unsteadily but swiftly towards the reactor's entrance.

Glancing worriedly at his mentor, Cloud moved to intercept the First Class. "Zack…" he began, grabbing his friend's arm, "I really don't think that's necessary. I mean, the General's all the way down in the village, which is—"

"The village," the dark-haired man echoed, nodding, picking up his pace. "Yes, we should be able to get that far…"

Cloud continued to cling stubbornly to his arm, practically being dragged along with him down the steps. "Stop it, Zack, and listen to me! Even if something did happen down there, I'm sure the General could handle—"

"You don't understand, human child," the SOLDIER snarled, turning his head to glare at Cloud with eyes that blazed an unnatural violet. "He needs to be with Me, My precious, My beloved one. We must have Our Reunion before He can even begin to realize His true potential, before We can initiate the Crisis. You, brat, are only getting in Our way!"

SOLDIERs were usually very careful about restraining their superhuman strength; they had to be, lest they unnecessarily endanger the mundanes around them. Now, though, Zack seemed not to care; a single good shake of his arm sent Cloud flying several feet back to slam into one of the pods, wheezing as he fought to catch his breath, wincing at the pain that burned in his sides as he inhaled too deeply.

"Here," came Vincent's voice, and though it was soft with concern it also held that harsh raw edge to it that made his student shiver, knowing what was to come. Picking up the bracer that had dropped into his lap, running his thumb over the Restore materia in it, Cloud whispered, "Please don't hurt him."

As his mentor swept wordlessly away after the escaping SOLDIER, the boy could only pray that he had been heard.

CRASH.

"Aeris!"

Some distant part of Aeris heard her mother's call. It was aware of the dishes she had just dropped, knew they had shattered upon the kitchen floor. It recognized the pain in her legs from multiple cuts caused by her falling to the floor herself, hands clasped over her ears. The rest of her was completely overwhelmed a tidal wave of anger and fear, crashing over her and forcing her to her knees. Her people, her blood family, a chorus of voices over a million strong, were screaming as if it were the end of the Planet. If there were anything resembling coherent speech in their cries, she could not hear it; all she could sense was boundless rage, unreasoning terror, and underneath all that a distinct feeling that something they had done had failed, an unbearable sense of helplessness and despair…

The young woman whimpered in pain as the feelings intensified. She couldn't take this, couldn't bear another second—

And then, quite suddenly, it stopped.

"Aeris? Aeris, talk to me. Are you okay?"

"I… I'll be okay, Mom." Aeris swallowed hard, still shaken.

Elmyra held her tightly. "Let's get you cleaned up. Don't worry about the plates; I'll get them in a few minutes. I think you should probably lie down for a while…"

Aeris nodded, unwilling to argue with her mother. Still, as she slowly hobbled over to a chair so her mother could clean and bandage her legs, she couldn't stop thinking about what she had felt. More than that, she was seriously unnerved by the very personal sense of dread falling over her heart. Please, Gaea… save them, whoever they are. Let this come out all right!

Keep going, keep going and try to ignore the kicking, screaming soul there in the back (oh how hard the trick is to maintain on one so strong-willed and unwilling, harder even than slipping in unexpected through the narrow cracks in his defenses), and do not tarry, do not stop, hurry hurry hurry and We can make it to Him before—

Zack grunted in surprise as something hit him hard from behind, causing him to stumble forward. His hand immediately went for the Buster Sword's grip, only to be smacked away by metallic claws; without missing a beat he turned slightly, driving his elbow back into his opponent's stomach — no, curse it, he wasn't there — and then the breath was driven out of him as they slammed into the reactor wall. Gasping a curse, he lashed out with his right fist, only to have it seized and twisted up behind him in a most uncomfortable position as he was shoved harder against the cold steel. A sharp kick to the back of his knee sent stinging pain singing along his nerves, and those claws came up to wrap around his left biceps firmly but carefully… though he didn't doubt that they would not hesitate to tear into him if he struggled.

"We really don't appreciate You so callously abusing our little one, pet," came the voice of the one called Vincent, and yet the dark timbre Zack recognized belonged to one far, far older than the mortal pinning him. With great effort he turned his head the slightest bit to the right, and found himself gazing into eyes like pools of dark fire.

"It's been a long time, hasn't it, love?" the red-clad man said almost pleasantly, and that same saucy grin the SOLDIER had long ago grown to loathe revealed gleaming fangs in a face that was far, far too human.

"Not nearly long enough for My liking, impudent one," Zack spat. "As much as I would love to hear how you, of all beings, came to be trapped in a mortal body, I don't have time for your stupid antics. Let Me go to My Son, now, or I shall make you truly sorry Our paths have crossed again."

"Let You go?" the former Turk echoed, and that deep chuckle that could make even the strongest of Gaea's children hesitate rumbled in his chest. "I hate to break it to You, dearie, but if there's only one thing we're all in complete agreement on, it's that that is quite impossible."

The SOLDIER snarled wordlessly at that, shifting his weight just the slightest bit as he tried to give himself a little room. The soreness of his leg be damned; if he could just get in one well-aimed kick…

"You want to fight some more, eh?" Vincent asked eagerly, licking his lips. "That's quite all right by me… if You think You can handle it."

"Of course I can handle it," the younger man scoffed. "Not even the Triune Dragon and his Knights stood against Me and survived without Her full power to support them. You dare think one as insignificant as you has a breath of a chance?"

"Ahh," the other murmured, and his breath was like scorching flame on the side of the lieutenant's face, those wicked fangs far, far too close for comfort to the quick nervous pulse of life in his neck, "but You were wholly Yourself then, and now we are both bound by these bodies."

"And Mine is the stronger."

The gunman tsked at him. "That's where I start to question Your reason, love. You should know full well that it's not the strength of the host that counts, but the control one has over him."

Zack shifted a little more, stopped when he felt the claws on his arm tense in warning. "Your point being?" he asked almost casually… much more casually than he felt.

"My point being that though this body is strong, You are quite new to it," Vincent said smoothly. "Your control over it is tenuous at best; its native soul is struggling with all his might against You, driven by the love and concern he has for his comrade. Am I not right, Heavens' Terror?"

The only answer he received was a stony glare as the violet light in those eyes suddenly dimmed, then flared up again.

"Hmm, I suspected as much," he said, and the SOLDIER was certain by that smirk that the former Turk could taste his apprehension now, thick and bitter on the air. "You never did give mortal souls enough credit." He shook his head almost pityingly. "And here I would have thought that after all these years You'd realise that even pretending to cooperate with the native soul makes things ever so much easier than simply shoving it aside. I mean, really. I can't say my host and I are on friendly terms, but we've at least reached a sort of understanding… and it makes using his body ever so much easier. To put things in perspective for You, pet—" and the amusement in his voice was at its strongest now "—I have lent barely a quarter of my power to him, and yet we were still able to defeat Your host."

A snort. "And the fact that you fight dirty has nothing to do with it?"

"But of course it does," came the almost cheerful reply. "Really, though, I'm terribly disappointed in You for not being prepared for it. One would assume—"

He paused in mid-sentence, a focused look on his face. Taking advantage of the gunman's distraction, Zack tried pulling a little more away, but those claws reflexively dug into his arm, stinging as they drew blood (oh how I have missed the sweet coppery scent of mortal man), and he froze, muttering a soft curse.

They stayed perfectly still for a long time, silent, straining to listen, and then… from deeper in the reactor, footsteps echoed on the metal floors.

"The human brat is coming," the SOLDIER observed dispassionately, though he wore a wicked smile. "What will you do now, Lord of Mayhem? Will you slaughter this body before his eyes, robbing him of a precious person and corrupting whatever sort of respect your little one had for—"

—oh no, no no no no no, no way in Alexander's holy name will I let you do anything to him, just as I'll never never never let you anywhere near Seph, I won't let you even touch Cloud, don't you dare drag him into this when it has absolutely nothing to do with him, just give my body back—

"…let me go… fucking… bitch…"

Vincent smiled a little as the eerie light in the lieutenant's eyes flickered rapidly. "What will I do, You ask? Hmm, well, from the looks of things, love… doesn't seem like I'll have to do much of anything."

Zack tossed his head. "A single slip, first and last and nothing more." He snorted derisively. "As if a mere mortal could so easily break—"

His lips moved, but no sound came out. The SOLDIER blinked, then tried again.

"—out of my head! You have no—"

He growled. "Stop that, insolent mortal; stay in your—place is HERE, alone in—"

The lieutenant screamed in frustration.

"D-damn you to the farthest reaches of oblivion! You—told you, you will NEVER have—My SON—!"

The former Turk watched with detached curiosity as the flickering in the other man's eyes quickened, and he twitched and shivered as the rest of the exchange trailed off into a choked succession of half-words punctuated by muteness. And then, suddenly, the SOLDIER stopped, panting for breath, sweat beaded on his brow.

"…Can't… quite… no—"

"Having a bit of trouble there, boy?" the red-clad man asked mildly.

"…Too—never!—agh! Close…"

"To Her, you mean? Yes, well, much farther away and we'll be outside… and while it would almost certainly be very entertaining to watch, I have the distinct feeling a number of people would be most put out with us if we let the girl see you like this." A sigh. "Such a pity… It's a wonder you mortals ever have any fun, really."

"Shut up!"

He laughed heartily. "What, the two of you can agree on something? Imagine that!"

Irritation positively oozed from that oddly split voice. "Just stop help me—!"

"Well, if you insist…"

At first Cloud froze when he heard that inhuman shriek echo down the hallway, his eyes wide; then, heart hammering in his chest, he picked up his pace, running as fast as he could towards the source of the sound.

"OW! What in Hades' flaming cauldron was that for?"

Rounding the corner, the blond skidded to a stop, sending a thankful prayer to whomever was listening. There stood Zack, hand pressed against his neck just above the collar of his uniform, his eyes no longer glowing brilliant violet, his expression a mix of astonishment and indignation; several steps away stood Vincent, and…

If Cloud didn't know any better, he would've sworn his mentor looked almost… embarrassed, of all things.

"I sincerely apologize, Lieutenant," Vincent said placatingly. "He's always been quite contrary, and can be rather difficult to—"

"But you— it— he bit me!" The SOLDIER turned to Cloud. "He bit me!" he repeated, looking rather offended and just the smallest bit pitiable.

The sheer relief on the young trooper's face at the normalcy of his reaction was so overwhelming that Zack had to look away, slightly embarrassed and more than a little guilty.

"It worked, didn't it?"

"Huh?" They both looked at the former Turk, and the lieutenant was unnerved to see those red eyes starting to glow again.

"My bite distracted Her enough that you were finally able to drive Her out, did it not?"

"Well, yeah, but it also—"

"Then for Gaea's sake, stop complaining about it." He held out his hand, stern gaze never leaving the younger man's face. "Give us back our Restore, boy, so we can patch up our poor little SOLDIER's scrapes."

Zack's tanned cheeks reddened a little at that, but neither he nor Cloud said anything as the blond obediently handed over his mentor's bracer.

The red glow faded from the gunman's eyes as he quickly healed the First Class, though the deep puncture wounds on his left arm required a second casting. Frowning disapprovingly at the corresponding streaks of blood on Vincent's golden claws, Cloud poured a little water from his standard-issue canteen on them (his mentor had long ago told him that whatever curious material the things were actually made of seemed not to rust or corrode) and dutifully began scrubbing with one of the handkerchiefs his mother had made for him, glaring warningly at the former Turk whenever he awkwardly tried to pull his arm away.

They stood like that in uneasy silence for a little while; then, finally, Vincent sighed. "It's going to take quite some time to quiet him down again," he murmured, half to himself, then turned his gaze to his protégé. "Are you all right, Cloud?"

Looking up as he finished, the young trooper nodded. "I'll be fine. I'm just a little sore, and kind of tired."

"Drawing continually on the power of a materia often leads to mental fatigue," his teacher reminded him. "It's nothing a little sleep won't cure."

"Hey, Cloud," Zack interjected, "I have something that'll help a little, if you'd like…" Reaching into one of the pockets of his uniform pants, he withdrew a small bottle filled with greenish liquid. "Least I can do, after… well." He coughed, suddenly uncomfortable.

"Thank you," the blond said softly, not quite looking at him as he took the proffered ether, drinking it down quickly. Before Zack could say anything else, though, Vincent cleared his throat. "We should go now; it wouldn't do to keep Ms. Lockhart waiting too long."

"Yeah," Cloud agreed, his gaze flickering to the SOLDIER for a moment, sliding away when the other man noticed. He fell into step behind his mentor again; sighing deeply, Zack followed.

Chapter Text

Tifa Lockhart knew how lucky she was. She had been born into one of the wealthiest families in Nibelheim, was the star pupil of one of the best martial artists outside of Wutai, and, if the village boys were to be believed, was rather pretty.

Despite this, she couldn't help feeling unsatisfied. Yes, she had one of the best teachers our there, but she had little opportunity to use those skills. Monster attacks on Nibelheim itself were few and far between, meaning she had hardly any opponents — not that Tifa wanted people to be hurt, of course. In fact, there hadn't been much significant monster activity that close to town since she had been a toddler, so she had barely any experience outside sparring with her master. Yes, she had been born into a privileged family, but that meant her father was already lining up potential suitors. While arranged marriages had fallen out of favor in the village, Tifa's father made no secret of the fact he wanted his daughter married as soon as possible. Most of the village girls her age were already engaged or married; some were even expecting their first child. And her looks only incited more people to seek her favor. Tifa thanked her lucky stars that there were several boys around her age, or else she might have found herself marrying a widower.

The truth was that Tifa was tired of Nibelheim. She wanted to leave, to go on a great adventure like she had read about when she was a child, before her mother had died. The closest thing she had ever experienced to adventure was when the bridge had collapsed under her shortly after her mother's funeral. It had taken hours for them to find her, mostly because she had managed to fall in such a way the cliff blocked her from view.

Tifa had done her best to ignore the pain of her injuries, focusing on pulling herself one inch at a time away from the cliff, all the while praying to every god she could think of that her father would keep looking for her, even after the sunlight began to fade. In the end, however, it had been her master who had successfully found a way into the ravine where she had fallen and rescued her just as the last of her strength seeped away and she fell unconscious. Her father had given up, believing in his overwhelming grief that his daughter had gone to rejoin his recently deceased wife.

The incident still stung his daughter bitterly. Tifa had learned all too well the range of injuries that could develop from carelessness; she had earned multiple broken bones for her stupidity in trusting the bridge. The young woman also hadn't been quiet sure how to handle her father after the incident; their reunion had been joyful, and he had stayed close by her side, nursing her back to health, but Tifa had never been able to trust him completely after that.

He had given up on her once. What was to stop him from doing so again?

More than anything else, though, Tifa had learned that she had to depend on herself. If she had just waited for rescue, she probably would have died. Though her actions had aggravated her injuries, she had saved her own life. Zangan had been proud of her.

It was after that day that Tifa began to develop an urge to leave Nibelheim. If she could almost die within the town's boundaries, why stay here and tempt fate when she could do the same while actually living? She could make her own way in the world with the skills she had learned, maybe even find someplace where she could make a difference.

But when she had first tentatively voiced that opinion to her father years ago, his response had been short and to the point: "No one leaves Nibelheim. The fools who do never come back."

But just yesterday proof had arrived that her father was wrong.

Cloud Strife was an enigma to the townspeople. Most of the younger generation didn't even realized he existed; the elders recalled him only vaguely, having been there for his naming-day and his father's funeral. The first time Tifa had seen Cloud she certainly hadn't known who he was, though she couldn't shake the feeling they had met before. It was a fortunate meeting, really; Jack had always been something of a bully, and Tifa had been quite pleased to give him some of his own medicine. She'd wanted to do it for a long time, but knew better to go around challenging people without good reason (or at least, without a reason her master would have accepted, though personally Tifa thought teaching a bully a lesson was a perfectly good idea). In any case, she'd thought the man's attack on a child had been the perfect excuse.

Tifa had been more than a little surprised to find out the "child" she'd saved was actually a Nibelheim native a year older than her, bound for Midgar. Personally she had thought it was a joke, but Cloud had seemed so earnest…

The clang of boots on metal shook the fighter her thoughts, and Tifa looked up to see Lieutenant Sinclair, Cloud, and the strange man they had called Vincent descend from the reactor. The SOLDIER appeared solemn and withdrawn, and Vincent was as unreadable as ever, but it wouldn't have taken a genius to realize Cloud was upset. Tifa fell into step beside him as they headed back down into the caves, not quite sure how to approach the reticent blond. It hadn't escaped her notice how awkward he had been earlier when she had tried to talk to him…

Finally, as they exited the materia cave, she decided to attack the problem head-on. "What happened in there?"

Cloud jerked in surprise, and for a moment stared as though not quite aware of her presence. His blue eyes looked straight through her, clearly seeing something else, something that greatly disturbed him. Finally, he seemed to come out of it, and shook his head. "I… don't think I can tell you. It's probably all classified."

"Oh," Tifa replied, a bit put out. Noticing Cloud's still pale face, she searched for another topic. Before she could, however, she was interrupted by Lieutenant Sinclair's voice.

"Hey, you two! We're calling a fifteen minute break. Stay in this area, okay?" The SOLDIER looked noticeably paler to the girl's eyes. Before Tifa could say anything, though, he exchanged a significant glance with Vincent, and the pair walked off until they were out of hearing range.

"I wonder what's up with them…"

"Eh, probably nothing much," Cloud hastily answered. "They're probably discussing what to put in the report." Please don't let them be at each other's throats again… metaphorically or otherwise. I don't want to lose either of them…

Tifa could tell that Cloud wasn't going to say anything else. She sighed and reluctantly changed the subject, despite her curiosity. "You forgot the promise, didn't you?"

"What promise?" Cloud asked, looking confused.

"You promised to have a match with me if you came back here," Tifa elaborated.

"Oh, that promise!" Cloud's eyes lit up. "Yeah, I did forget." He grinned and placed his staff and gun carefully aside. "But I'm willing to make good on it right now."

Tifa matched the other teen's grin and settled into an offensive stance. "In that case…" Her first attack, a high kick, was blocked solidly. Her second Cloud managed to catch and twist, pulling her into a vulnerable position. She managed to break free and danced back. They circled for a moment, studying each other's weaknesses. Tifa waited for Cloud's attack, but when it came it still caught her off guard, leaving her with a developing bruise on her right side. Cloud didn't hesitate, following through with a vicious attack combination, only to have each move solidly blocked.

The pair broke apart, grinned, and settled down for a good fight.

Zack had been deeply shaken by what he had experienced in the reactor. The evidence that ShinRa had experimented on humans really wasn't that surprising; it was an unofficial open secret among the upper levels of the company. What had shocked him was their encounter with that very definitely alien creature — one who had borne the same name as the woman Sephiroth believed to be his mother. It was a damn good thing Sephiroth hadn't come with them; Zack doubted the General would have reacted well to her— it.

Ifrit's hellfires, he hadn't reacted well to it himself. The SOLDIER shuddered, remembering how that thing had managed to break into his thoughts like an expert thief, quickly assuming control of his body. What would have happened if Sephiroth had been the one to fall into her clutches?

Zack was very, very glad the older man had stayed down in the village.

The lieutenant had already decided he would not tell Sephiroth exactly what had occurred in the reactor. He knew it could do nothing but harm to his superior's relatively delicate sanity. The name thing alone would be a major issue, but the fact that his friend had been possessed wouldn't sit well with the General at all. Knowing him, Sephiroth would march right up to the reactor to destroy the bloody thing, and then…

No way. They couldn't do it. Zack had known that the moment she'd stolen his body from him, the information branded into his mind like an old burn. Whatever it would take to destroy that… that thing, they didn't have it, couldn't do it, not now.

Not even Sephiroth.

The most important thing Zack had to do at the moment was to convince his companions not to mention the incident to the General as well. He didn't think Cloud — and Gaea, he owed his friend an apology; controlled by some alien psycho or not, he'd come that close to killing the kid — would be a problem. The blond could obviously keep a secret, and he trusted Zack enough that he wouldn't question it.

…At least, Zack hoped Cloud still trusted him that much.

Vincent, however, might be a bit more tricky. On the plus side, if he could get Vincent to agree with him, the SOLDIER was pretty certain the sharpshooter could get Cloud to keep his mouth shut if the trooper didn't want to talk to Zack anymore.

Quiet voices spoke softly behind them. Zack smiled despite himself as he shamelessly eavesdropped. Despite Cloud's claims he wasn't interested in the Lockhart girl, the SOLDIER thought they'd make a cute couple. The girl was obviously interested, or at least concerned. It would be good for Cloud's social skills, too; besides, everyone needed somebody at some point in their life. A part of Zack's mind threw itself wholeheartedly into plotting exactly how to push the pair in that direction, trying to provide a distraction from worrying about what exactly he was going to say to Cloud and his mentor.

When Vincent caught his eye and made a slight motion to stop, Zack hadn't known whether to be relieved or apprehensive. He hadn't been able to hide a slight frown as he notified their younger companions of the break, but said nothing as he followed the ex-Turk a short distance away, stopping once Cloud and Tifa would no longer be able to hear. "Your thoughts?" Zack asked as casually as he could, his heart in his throat.

Vincent's face was a perfect mask. Zack suspected it would take a long time before he learned how to read the gunman, assuming he ever did manage it. "Hojo is a monster… but that is nothing we don't already know. I do not believe it would be wise to inform Sephiroth of what we saw, however."

Brief and to the point. Zack let out a sigh of relief at Vincent's agreement with his own thoughts, thankful that the sharpshooter hadn't mentioned his own problems. Of course, with his own personal demons, the man might be used to losing control of his body. He'd certainly been more prepared for the incident than Zack had been… "I was thinking the same thing. Seph's always been told that 'Jenova' is his mother, and never really had reason to doubt it." Until yesterday, at least…

Vincent raised an eyebrow. "Then exposing him to the direct influence of Jenova would undoubtedly result in some… interesting complications, particularly in light of your own reaction to it."

Figures; thought too soon. Zack shivered slightly, unable to forget the feeling of that thing and how easily it had taken him over. Worse still was the feeling as if something in him had responded, accepting it. "Yeah. And considering we both know what they do to other SOLDIERs is nothing compared to what they did to Seph…."

"I will mention to Cloud that he should not tell Sephiroth."

"Nah, I'll do it… though I doubt the kid will ever want to talk about it again." He may not even want to talk to me again. Zack swallowed and continued in his mock-careless tone, ignoring Vincent's pointed look. The man looked like he knew exactly what Zack was thinking. "He seemed downright spooked— Hey, did you hear that?" Both turned their attention back in the direction they had come. Distantly, they could hear a soft cry of pain and the sound of body hitting body… the sounds of a fight. "Cloud!" Zack shouted. He started back a split second after Vincent did. Please, don't let anything be wrong…

"Ma'am?"

Still only that vapid stare. Sephiroth resisted the urge to drop his head into his hands. He had only been able to escape the earnest photographer when the young man had run out of film, and had since begun interviewing the townsfolk… or at least trying to. Alas, he wasn't having much success. The children were no help at all, teenagers and young men only wanted to boast about the much-exaggerated "adventures" they had undertaken, and their female counterparts went red and speechless when he tried to talk to them. Most of the adults were wary or avoiding him altogether… not an uncommon occurrence, considering the prevailing attitude towards ShinRa in most of the world's smaller villages. It was one of the many reasons he didn't like going on missions in sparsely populated areas any more than in the larger towns.

"Ma'am, have you seen any unusual activity in the area lately?" he repeated.

"Unusual activity?" the woman before him echoed. Sephiroth felt hope blossom in his chest. Finally, he had gotten a response from her! "No, nothing unusual's been happening around here lately…" She fluttered her eyelashes. "Except for your arrival, General."

Sephiroth's stomach twisted. From the looks of her, the woman was easily old enough to be his mother. "Thank you," he replied curtly, and signaled to Dennett that they were moving on. The pair returned to the inn, the regular an uneasy shadow to the SOLDIER. Once inside Sephiroth paused, unsure what to do next. He should really search for another source of information; most of the town's inhabitants had been unhelpful at best.

And Zack had said this was supposed to be good "practice" for interviewing civilians. His lips quirked in annoyance. If this had been a test, he would have failed spectacularly.

"What's troubling you, sonny? You look pretty peeved about somethin'…"

Sephiroth blinked, glancing over at the elderly man sitting at one of the inn's tables with a late lunch in front of him. No one had ever called him 'sonny' before in his life. "I'm attempting to discover whatever I can concerning recent occurrences in this area. However, none of my efforts have been particularly successful."

"You want to know something about little old Nibelheim, eh?" The man chuckled. "Sit down, son. Old Marcus will sort you out. There ain't nothing 'round here I don't know."

The officer sat down, his subordinate cautiously following a moment later. "What can you tell me about unusual events in this area?"

"Unusual, huh? Well, actually, the first unusual thing I saw was a ways back, when…"

It is amazing what the mind can come up with in even a brief period of time.

Zack and Vincent were able to cover the space separating them from the teens in a matter of seconds. Despite that, the SOLDIER First Class found himself envisioning far too many gruesome scenes that could have left the pair lying on the ground, bodies shredded or crushed, with some sort of monster snarling above them. He knew that, despite Cloud's deliberate deception yesterday — had it only been yesterday? It seemed like a life time ago — almost making light of it, dragons were a very real threat in the area, and Zack doubted either teenager could take one down. Or worse still, perhaps the Turks had discovered them and killed them… or taken them to Hojo.

So it was that the lieutenant was more than a little irritated to see the pair apparently caught up in a fistfight. "Hey, you two! Knock it off!" Of all of the stupid things…!

The matchmaker in him grumbled sulkily. To think he had been planning to pair them up; they just had to go get into a fight, didn't they? Couldn't make life easier, could they…?

Cloud halted immediately; Tifa, however, had a little more trouble, caught in the forward momentum of an attack. She stumbled, only to be caught by Cloud. "Thanks."

He smiled. "No problem."

"What is wrong with you two?" Zack asked, glaring at the pair in exasperation. "You were fine when we left you—"

"We were just practicing, Zack," Cloud informed him. "I promised her a match before I left."

"And you decided to make good on that promise now because…?" Zack queried, unaware how much he sounded like a disappointed parent.

Cloud shrugged. "It seemed like a good time. After all, we'll be leaving as soon as we get back down to town."

"Unlikely," Vincent interjected. "Even without adverse conditions, it will be nightfall by the time we return. I highly doubt Sephiroth is so foolish as to consider traveling these mountains by night."

"Yeah, we'll probably stay overnight and leave in the morning." He smirked. "Just let me know in advance if you two are going to have another lover's spat, okay?"

"Zaaaaaaack!"

The familiar exasperated yell brought a genuine smile to Zack's face. "You know I'm just teasing, Cloud!" He grabbed the blond's shoulders and then whispered. "Keep what you saw up there a secret, okay? And don't mention it to Seph." The trooper gave his friend an odd look. It wasn't like he talked to the General on a regular basis, anyway. "Thanks, kiddo. Um, about what happened back there—"

Glancing back at Tifa, who looked rather curious, Cloud shook his head. "Not a good idea. We'll talk about it later, okay?" He wiggled out of the SOLDIER's grasp.

"I can do that." Zack grinned broadly, then swung his arms wide, nearly knocking his friend in the head as he did so. "Well, you all heard Vincent. We'd better move out. Let's mosey!"

Cloud shook his head, and Tifa laughed outright. The trooper wasn't sure, but he thought he might've caught Vincent rolling his eyes. The four continued on, for a long time just enjoying the sunlight and a landscape positively lush in comparison to the area near the reactor. Really, it was amazing the people of Nibelheim had such a high life expectancy as they did, considering how the Mako and its byproducts affected the local monsters, Cloud reflected. The waste had to be doing something to the environment, too…

"Gil for your thoughts?"

He started at the girl's voice, then shook his head. "Reactors," was all he said.

Tifa shook her head and moved closer to the young trooper. "That's the closest I've ever been there, and I'd rather not go again if I can help it. It's just so…depressing."

"Yeah, I guess so."

"So anyway… that last move you used, does it have a name?"

"Not sure. Vi— my mentor was never really big on the names of moves. He cared far more about being able to do them." Cloud glanced at the girl. "You need to work on your defense a little. You tend to leave yourself open on the left side…"

Tifa flushed. "I know. Zangan is always telling me to practice, but he can't always help me."

"Maybe we should exchange some tips, then. Anything you saw that I needed to work on?" Cloud asked.

She paused, chewing her lip thoughtfully. "Hmm… you were slow to take the offensive. That might have just good tactics, but still, you seem to use mostly defensive moves."

Cloud considered it. "Well, I have been focusing on defense a lot… I can hardly ever actually land an offensive move against my mentors." His cheeks reddened. "It's hard enough not being beaten right at the start."

"Maybe our masters should spar!"

Cloud nearly choked at that thought. Zangan against either Vincent or Zack would likely be a disaster, considering all the enhancements each had gone through. "I'm not sure that's such a good idea."

"I don't know, we might learn— hey, what's that? I don't remember seeing it on the way up." Tifa pointed at the ruins of a familiar shack.

"We must have come down another path," Cloud interjected. "There is usually more than one way to get somewhere, after all…"

"I guess, but… that doesn't look like it's been here very long. What if someone was hurt when it collapsed?"

"Who could live up here in the mountains without the townspeople knowing about them?" Cloud asked. "With all the monsters around, it would be pretty dangerous. They wouldn't be able to get supplies from town without anyone knowing about them, either. It was probably an old shack from when the reactor was still running, and it collapsed recently from age. Nobody would be in it anymore."

Tifa stared at Cloud for a long moment, and then nodded slowly. "You're probably right."

"Come on, let's go. It's almost sunset, so we should be close to town." Cloud increased his pace, trying to catch up with Zack and Vincent, who had gone ahead. He silently berated whomever had decided to take this path down the mountain. "Why didn't we just go back down the way we came up?" he asked his mentor in a low voice.

"This way is faster. We needed to take the chance in order to make it back before darkness falls." Vincent raised an eyebrow at his pupil. "I trust you satisfied Miss Lockhart's curiosity?"

"Yeah, but I'm not entirely sure she's buying it," Cloud mumbled.

Zack rolled his eyes. "Then you'd better stop whispering like you're hiding something, or you'll only make her more suspicious."

"Hey, wait up!" Tifa broke into a sprint, managing to catch up with the three men.

Zack and Vincent exchanged a look; with a barely perceptible glint in his eyes, the SOLDIER shoved Cloud back towards the martial artist. "Have fun."

"Zack!"

Apparently the unhappy tone of his voice reached Tifa's ears. "Am I that repulsive, Cloud Strife?" she growled, stalking towards the blond. "A minute ago you had no problem talking to me… so what's wrong now?"

"Um…" Cloud flushed, unsure of what to say. He wasn't sure how much longer he could keep his secrets from Tifa without spilling something, considering the distraction of the day's events. It wasn't that he found the girl annoying or such, but… he was hardly at his best.

"Well?" She planted her hands on her hips. "I'm waiting!"

"It's just…" His ears burned. "I don't know how to deal with girls!" he burst out.

Tifa stared at the red-faced youth for a long moment, and then began to laugh. "I guess not… You were never around people that much, huh? Sorry." She smiled. "You really are different from the boys in town."

Cloud blinked. "How so?"

"All they can think about, most of them, is marriage."

Comprehension blossomed in blue eyes. "That's right… you are fifteen, after all."

Tifa nodded. "And there really aren't many other girls my age in the village who aren't married already. Everyone's urging me to just pick someone and get it over with." She sighed. "It was nice to talk to somebody who wasn't like that for a change… Hey, I don't suppose I could sneak off to Midgar with you, could I?"

"Your father would kill me," Cloud muttered, shaking his head.

"I want to leave Nibelheim someday, get out and see the world… and I won't be able to do it if I'm married and burdened down by kids," Tifa declared.

The blond shook his head again. "Yeah, well, I doubt there is anything I could do or say to make your father change his mind…"

"Hmm, well…" The young woman had the strangest look on her face; Cloud couldn't even begin to understand it. "Hey, looks like we're back."

"Huh? Oh, yeah… I guess so." The trooper glanced at the Shinra Mansion, barely noticeable in the gathering darkness. Zack was still a little way ahead of them, but Vincent had already vanished. "You'd better go see your father."

"Yeah, he's probably worried." Tifa grumbled. "As if I can't take perfectly good care of myself…" She shook her head, then smiled at Cloud. "I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

"We're probably going to be leaving pretty early," Cloud warned.

"No problem! I'll see you off. It's the least I can do. Good night!" And with that she was gone.

"Ah," Zack began, grinning as his friend approached, "I see the mighty warrior has survived his first encounter with the fierce and terrible creature known as 'woman.' How do you feel? Were you victorious?"

Cloud scowled, lightly hitting the SOLDIER on the shoulder. "Knock it off, Zack. It's not my fault."

"No, I suppose not. Anyway… shall we find out what Sephiroth discovered when we were gone? Hopefully he's come up with something interesting, seeing as we didn't figure anything out." The lieutenant gave his friend a significant look, reminding him of his promise. Cloud nodded, and the pair headed off towards the inn.

They had been stuck in Junon, Sephiroth remembered. They had sat at an outdoor café in a small residential area, waiting to receive confirmation that their target was inside the house across the street. Zack, of course, had been watching people milling in the streets. Sephiroth had mostly been ignoring him until the younger man had spoken. "Ahh… one of those in every town."

He had cast an inquiring look at his aide at that comment, and the dark-haired man had nodded towards a middle-aged woman talking animatedly with a pair of tourists. "You'll find them in every town… Everywhere with people, actually. They just love talking to people —someone, anyone, about anything you could possibly want to know. Mind you, though, they're almost impossible to silence once you get 'em going." He had smiled then, shaking his head a little. "It's almost sad. They're generally pretty lonely, you know…but if you ever want to find out anything, they're the ones to turn to. If you can stop 'em from talking your ear off, that is!"

Zack, Sephiroth reflected, had been entirely too right.

"And then Marcy got married to my cousin's brother-in-law's son. It was a wonderful affair! They never had any children, though, and we ended up losing 'em both pretty young… oh, probably thirty-some years ago, now. Practically the entire town came down with some illness — don't remember what it was, but it was pretty nasty. I was in bed for at least two weeks myself! But thankfully, some nice doctors came from some far-off place — it might've been the university in Midgar, now that I think about it — and helped us out some. I was particularly fond of the lady meself. Such a sweet-tempered thing, and mighty pretty to boot!" The old man winked, grinning toothily, and the General fought the urge to sigh. "Still… they were a strange bunch. I saw them go up into the Shinra Mansion over yonder — no one believed me, of course. 'Why would they want to go into a place like that?' they asked me. Well, who knows what they were up to? Very standoffish group, never socialized with us townsfolk… saw glimpses of 'em a couple more times, but then all signs of 'em suddenly stopped… well, 'bout twenty-five years ago, I reckon. But yes, that was pretty much the last unusual thing to happen around here, it was! Well, except for that time we had the dragon stew. Have you ever had dragon stew, sonny? It's quite tasty, really. Some crazy explorers went up into the mountains fifteen years ago, not too long after they'd started up the reactor, actually, and killed one o' the big scaly brutes. Were kind enough to share the bounty with the town." He sighed lustily. "Gaea, I don't think I've eaten so well since—"

"Mr. Franklin—"

"Now, sonny, don't you 'Mr. Franklin' me. It's Marcus, remember? Anyway… where was I?"

A small bell over the door to the inn chimed as two familiar faces appeared. Sephiroth glanced over and stood. "Thank you for your time, Mr. Franklin, but I need to speak with my subordinate." Nodding briefly, he made a beeline for Zack; a moment later the pair had disappeared upstairs.

"Ahh, well, I'm sure there is something you would like to know." Marcus smiled as he turned towards Arthur.

"Actually, Mr. Franklin," Cloud interjected, "the General told me that Arthur and I had to go do patrol when we got back." The blond smiled apologetically, grabbed Arthur's arm, and dragged him out the door.

"Thanks," the other trooper replied breathlessly. "I owe you one."

"Don't mention it," Cloud told him. "Come on. We can stay at my mom's house for a while. After an hour or so, Marcus should leave; we can go back then."

The minute Sephiroth successfully cornered his aide, he let his towering anger show. Bad enough that Zack had all but blackmailed him into this mission, but to leave him alone in a town full of gawking people….dammit, Zack knew he didn't handle public relations very well! That little "practice" had nearly made him lose his cool several times. He wasn't meant to deal with civilians!

Zack was no fool; he noticed Sephiroth's icy disposition almost immediately, and sighed. After everything that had happened, he'd all but forgotten he'd have to deal with this… "Seph, I really don't have the energy at the moment, okay?" Letting his shoulders slump, he leaned back against the wall. While he had no intention of telling Sephiroth exactly what happened in the reactor, he would have to tell him something, at least. And if showing how the Incident had affected him, at least a little bit, spared him from a scolding for a little while… well, at least something positive was coming out of it.

The General paused at that, well aware it took a great deal to wear out his aide this much. "Was it that bad?"

"You know how reactors are, Seph." They had adverse effects on all sorts of people. In the company's past, the abnormally high concentration of Mako in reactors had actually driven some people insane just from close proximity. Since then more insulation had been added to the construction plans, and that had thankfully cut such cases to almost nothing. SOLDIERs, though, tended to be more sensitive around the structures than normal people; the Mako in their bodies apparently shared a strange sort of resonance — one that company scientists had yet to explain — with the stuff processed in the reactors.

It was whispered that in the earliest implementations of the enhancements, many SOLDIERs had actually become violently ill when near reactors, often collapsing into seizures, experiencing the symptoms of the same decompression sickness that Mideelish and Wutaiian pearl divers sometimes suffered from, or even (in very carefully hushed records of a few isolated incidents) being torn to pieces by some unknown force. Since the enhancement process had been refined, though, those who entered (and survived) the SOLDIER program exhibited a Mako tolerance much higher than average, and thus were often sent out to deal with the reactors when major problems arose. Likewise, high tolerance had become the number one requirement for all reactor personnel.

Zack's mind wandered for a moment, recalling something Cloud had said. His dad worked up in the reactor, huh? He had to have had a pretty high Mako tolerance, then. I wonder why Cloud didn't inherit that… The teen's Mako tolerance results had been strictly average, all told. Had Cloud's mother been below average, then? Or was it possible that there was more to it than genetics?

"Sinclair?" His superior was looking at him oddly.

The black-haired man shook his head. "Sorry. There wasn't anything physically wrong with the reactor, though we did find evidence that someone was performing experiments up there in the past." And present, but he wasn't going to mention that.

"Hojo."

"Probably," Zack agreed. "In any case, there was no real reason for us to be there." Except maybe being possessed by Gaea knows what.

"No one here in town has seen anything suspicious, either," Sephiroth added.

Zack shook his head. "Our initial suspicions were right, then. We've been set up."

"So it appears," the General concurred, frowning. "Well, there's not much else we can do here, then. We'll leave in the morning."

"Three days is long enough that, even if there'd been a genuine problem, they couldn't yell at us for not investigating it pretty well." Zack sighed and rolled his shoulders. "In any case, I'm going to bed."

Sephiroth glanced about the room. "Where are Dennett and Strife?"

"I think Cloud pulled Arthur outside to run a patrol, or at least get him away from whoever it was you were talking to." Zack snickered at the face Sephiroth made. "Either way, they'll probably be back in a bit. In the meantime, I'm getting some rest. It's been a long day."

The silver-haired man nodded. "Good night, Zachary."

"G'night, Seph."

There was silence for a long while.

"Oh, and… don't call me Zachary."

The General turned his head so the lieutenant couldn't see his lips twitch.

Tifa checked her appearance in her mirror one more time. It was difficult to see in the pre-dawn light, but she thought she had gotten everything right. She smoothed the dress one more time, trying to press out the remaining wrinkles. She never wore the thing unless she had to, but today everything had to be perfect. Nodding at her reflection, she grabbed the lone lit candle in the room and carefully walked down stairs, doing her best not to cause too much noise. She wanted her father up, but not until after she had left the house.

Making her way through the town only by the light of the candle and the slowly rising sun was difficult, but not impossible. The look on Cloud's face when she appeared out of the gloom made it worth it in any case.

"Tifa! You really did come." A smile slipped across the blond's face as he turned away from his conversation with Arthur.

"I said I would, didn't I?" Tifa smiled.

Even in the dim light Cloud noticed the change in the girl's outfit. "A dress? Never thought I'd see you in one of those."

"Well, for a special occasion…"

"Huh?" The trooper blinked in confusion.

"Is your mom coming too?"

Cloud shook his head. "No, I said goodbye last night. It's way too early for anyone to be up." The blond glanced at Arthur for a moment. The other teenager had vanished for a minute or so when Cloud and his mother had been saying their goodbyes. When he had returned he had looked slightly unsettled, but had refused to answer Cloud's questions about it when they had returned to the inn.

As if sensing Cloud's thought, Arthur spoke up. "I'm going to get in the truck. We're only waiting for Lieutenant Sinclair, now…" The regular quickly left, leaving Tifa and Cloud alone with a silent Sephiroth.

The blond cleared his throat. "So, um…"

"Promise you'll write, okay?" Tifa begged. "I want to hear all about Midgar!"

"All right," Cloud agreed. "I'll do it when I can. Intercontinental mail isn't cheap, you know."

Tifa nodded. "I hear it takes a while, too."

"And we're ready to go!" Zack cheerfully announced as he joined them near the truck. "Ah, Miss Lockhart, you're looking quite lovely this morning! Come to say goodbye?"

"To Cloud, at least," Tifa replied. The SOLDIER noticed her red cheeks and raised an eyebrow. Before he could speak, however, Tifa leaned over and gently kissed Cloud on the cheek. "Goodbye, Cloud." And with that, the young martial artist scampered off.

Zack let out a wolfish whistle, grabbing his stunned friend in something between a hug and a chokehold. "Well, well!" he crowed, grinning as he ruffled the trooper's hair. "Aren't we the little stud!" Cloud, his face a burning scarlet as he tried to squirm away, was too embarrassed to reply.

"Sinclair…" came the General's impassive voice.

"Right, boss. Let's go, Cloud. Time to head on back home." He forcefully dragged the blushing blond off to the truck.

Tifa lingered outside for a while, watching the departing soldiers. It wasn't long before she felt a hand on her shoulder. "Tifa…"

The young woman pretended not to notice the disapproving tone in her father's voice. "Good morning, Daddy!" she said brightly. "You're up early."

"Tifa, what did you just do?"

Tifa resisted the urge to roll her eyes. As if he didn't know! Lieutenant Sinclair hadn't exactly been keeping his voice down. Still, she had to stay in character. "Kissed my fiancé goodbye," she replied, plastering a silly smile across her face.

That stopped him in his tracks. "Fiancé?" he repeated, his voice dangerously flat.

"Well, not officially, yet," Tifa continued as if her father hadn't interrupted. "I mean, he said he won't be back until after he gets into SOLDIER, which could take a while, so it'll be longer than the traditional year and a day… but I promised I would wait for him."

"What? Tifa, what do you mean?"

She smiled foolishly. "Why, I'm going to marry Cloud Strife, Daddy. You did want me to find someone I liked, didn't you? And he's such a sweet boy." She carefully hid her slight smirk as her father retreated, mumbling something about not having enough sleep.

"I am not quite sure where my student went, though she apparently has summoned up a doppelganger in her place," came Zangan's amused voice. "Now, what exactly are you up to? You never wear dresses."

"Master!" Tifa turned, startled. "I wasn't expecting you to be up this early…"

"Well? Explanations, please. Last I heard you had no intention of marrying… and now you're engaged to a young man you barely know?"

"It's not for real," Tifa replied quickly, keeping her voice down so her father wouldn't hear. "A fake engagement will keep Dad off my back, at least."

"I see," her teacher replied, his tone neutral. "And young Strife agreed to this?"

Tifa looked at her feet. "Well… not exactly…"

"Tifa—"

"He'll never know!" Tifa insisted quickly.

"And if he does find out?" Zangan pressed.

"I'll deal with it," Tifa promised. "But really, who'd tell him, anyway?"

Chapter Text

"Zack!" It had taken Cloud a few moments to get his voice back after Tifa's farewell kiss, but now that he had he could still barely get a word in edgewise.

"It's so cute, you and her!" the dark-haired man told him, still grinning broadly as he followed Cloud to the truck, Sephiroth trailing silently behind. "You're like childhood sweethearts!"

The blond shook his head, exasperated. "Zack, I didn't even know— Vincent?" The SOLDIERs looked past Cloud, who had paused halfway into the truck, to see the former Turk sitting in what had been Arthur's seat on the trip out. "What are you doing here?" his protégé asked. "Where's Arthur?"

"He is sitting in the front with the driver," Vincent said calmly. "I arranged it with him last night."

Cloud blinked, recalling Arthur's strange behavior. "…oh. But…why are you here?"

"I am going to Midgar."

Short and to the point… but still utterly baffling. Cloud resisted the urge to sigh; he had forgotten how obscure his mentor could be some times. "But why are you going to Midgar?"

Vincent gave his student a long look. "To kill Hojo," he said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

Silence reigned. "Uhh…"

"If I may," Zack interjected, leaning forward, "I'd like to point out that, while I'm sure the rest of us can wholeheartedly agree with the sentiment, now is really not a good time for that. Hojo is held in high favor with the current administration. Assuming you could even get into his lab — which is likely to be quite difficult, with the sheer amount of passwords and sensors it has, not to mention the guards — you'd be killed as soon as you tried to make a move… if you were lucky," he added, face serious. "And even if you did succeed, they'd probably execute you within a few days."

A dark look entered the gunner's eyes. "I am well aware of the security of the ShinRa Building, Lieutenant, and the risks involved in this venture."

Zack glanced at Sephiroth, looking for some support, but the General said nothing, his face expressionless as he took his seat in preparation for their return trip. The other SOLDIER forced his frustration down with great effort. Of course Sephiroth wouldn't mind Hojo being killed; Zack knew how much he loathed the scientist, had probably wanted to do the deed himself for years. However, if Hojo died now, they wouldn't be able to find out what he (and that alien thing) had been doing in the mountains, why ShinRa had gone to such lengths to create this elaborate setup, and Zack had the feeling it could be very important. There was no way Zack was going to tell all of that to Sephiroth though… not about the dark thing in the reactor that bore the name of his "mother," anyway. It looked like it was up to him and Cloud.

More likely just Cloud, he amended, considering Vincent didn't seem inclined to listen to him at all.

"Things have to have changed some in the past twenty-five years, Vincent," Cloud was pointing out. "ShinRa's technology today is probably completely different from what you're used to working with." He glanced at Zack, who shrugged helplessly; his specialty was people, not computers. The blond closed his eyes in thought, using the breathing exercises Vincent had taught him to try and keep himself calm. Giving in to his very real fear that his mentor would never return if he left now would not help at all. "Vincent," he tried again, "now isn't the time. It wasn't the right time yesterday, and it isn't today. I promised I'd become strong enough to help you; I'm not there yet, and we both know it. Will you wait? Wait until I can help? Wait until the time is right?"

The raven-haired man sat in silence for a long moment, his gaze firmly fixed on Cloud's anxious face. Finally, he nodded ever so slightly. Cloud visibly relaxed, slumping into the seat next to his mentor. "Thank you."

"…But you're still coming to Midgar," Zack said, not quite a question.

"Cloud made an excellent point," Vincent replied. "I will need to refamiliarize myself with ShinRa's computer systems before I can make a move."

"In that case, we're going to need to figure out where to put you…." Zack trailed off, thinking. "We can't let you stay out in the slums; you'll never be allowed back into the ShinRa compound. My room is out; I get a lot of visitors, and if I keep throwing them out people will start to wonder what's going on."

"I obviously can't take him, since I live in the barracks." Cloud sighed, obviously disappointed.

"Leaving him in a deserted area would be a possibility, but it causes difficulty with food and facilities," Sephiroth observed.

"Well, I guess that decides it! You'll have to stay with Seph, then."

"…What?" Cloud exclaimed, his incredulous stare echoed more severely by the General and the former Turk.

"It's our best option," Zack explained. "Seph's got plenty of space, and even a small kitchenette. He doesn't get many visitors — well, besides me, anyway, and most of the others end up at his office instead. Vincent will be fine there." He smiled, pleased with this conclusion. "And don't tell me you don't know how to live with other people, Seph," he added as the General narrowed his eyes. "You've done it before." Sephiroth said nothing, but his glare promised his aide they'd discuss this at great length later.

Silence settled over the group for a while until Zack took to talking about inconsequential things, just to pass the time. Well used to his friend's idle chatter, Cloud tuned it out, growing drowsy even as the truck bounced over the rough roads away from Nibelheim. Motion sickness aside, the last few days had been pretty tiring. He absentmindedly nodded in response to Zack's latest query — and then sat up in surprise as he processed what the dark-haired man had said. "Zack!"

"Shiva's icy heart, I wish I had been there to see it! Some things really should be captured on film." The SOLDIER grinned, glancing at the blond out of the corner of his eye. "You'd think Cloud would've known better than to run in the hallways, but there he went, and bam— right into Seph!"

Vincent frowned. "Cloud…"

The trooper swallowed. "Yes, sir?"

"I've told you several times about keeping your surroundings in mind at all times, Cloud. Don't let it happen again."

"Yes, Vincent." Cloud sighed, burying his head in his hands. Vincent wasn't supposed to have found out about that, but Zack just had to…! Making a face, he began plotting how to get back at his friend.

Noting Vincent's disapproving tone, Zack decided to give the trooper a break. "Hey, he's still pretty good, Valentine. Managed to trail Seph for… oh, it had to be at least a couple months before I caught him at it."

Unfortunately, Zack's intended compliment backfired. Well aware of his student's idolizing of Sephiroth, Vincent only frowned further at good training time wasted on such frivolous activities. Cloud sank down into his seat, trying to hide his embarrassment; Sephiroth appeared to be ignoring the scene entirely. Sensing defeat, Zack quieted and, after a moment, began examining his materia.

Slowly Cloud relaxed again as the stress of the past few days began to catch up with him. His head sank against his chest as his eyes drooped shut. Surely it wouldn't hurt to rest for a little while…

Cloud awoke rather suddenly as the truck jerked to a stop. His sleepy mind unprepared for the sudden movement, the youth fell sideways, only to land on something significantly softer than the truck's hard seats.

"Ohhh, what I wouldn't do for a camera—"

The blond chose to ignore Zack, carefully lifting himself out of Vincent's lap, not looking at his mentor. For his part Vincent kept his face absolutely blank, giving no indication as to what was going on in his mind. Sephiroth had fixed a similar look upon his own face, ignoring the antics of his aide in favor of standing. "We'll be stopping here for the night. Sinclair, make the necessary arrangements."

Still snickering under his breath, Zack exited the vehicle and headed off towards the small town's inn. Sephiroth glanced at Vincent and then left as well, intending to speak to their driver about tomorrow's journey.

"You need to work on that." Vincent's comment was calm and cool, not disapproving but merely factual.

Cloud flushed, knowing exactly what his mentor meant. He had a bad habit of letting his guard down completely when he felt truly safe, and he always felt safest around Vincent. Trying to change the subject, Cloud dug into his pocket and fished out the materia he had found yesterday. "Do you recognize this?"

Vincent's eyebrows raised a mere fraction. He took the smooth blue sphere and carefully examined it. "I believe this is an Elemental materia. Where did you find this?"

"In the materia cave," Cloud answered. "What does it do?"

"Nothing, on its own. This is a type of support materia meant to be paired with elemental magic materia — Ice, for example. When set in a weapon, they add damage of the same element to one's attacks; when set in armor, they protect against damage of that element." He handed the orb back to Cloud. "I take it they have not taught you much about materia?" The youth shook his head. "Typical. But as I was saying, that materia needs to be equipped in a linked slot. You don't have anything for it yet, but…" Vincent passed his student a small green stone. "Hold on to this. Neither of these materia is very developed yet, so I suspect they'll pair well. We'll have to look into getting you an armlet later; this town is too small to have a store with something worth your money."

Cloud turned the gem over in his hands. It seemed familiar, though he couldn't place the feeling. Carefully prodding the materia with just a touch of power, he felt it warm in his hands. "Fire?"

The former Turk nodded. "There are ways to check what materia does without activating it. You'll need to learn them before you start working with it on a regular basis. There are some materia, Summons in particular, with which using that little trick can have a potentially lethal outcome." Cloud paled. "If you wish, I could teach you…"

"Please?"

Satisfied his student hadn't changed his mind even after yesterday's events, Vincent nodded. "In that case, I expect to see you daily after you come off duty."

"Umm…"

"Wait a minute! That's when I have 'im!" Zack interjected, poking his head back through the door. The blond glared at the eavesdropper, who continued undeterred. "And don't think for a minute you're good enough to stop our training, Cloud. You've still got a long way to go, but I'd bet my entire year's salary that you'll be better with the sword than any other weapon!"

Since that tallied with Vincent's own observations, the sniper was hardly going to refute it. However, he was not going to completely give Cloud's education over to the SOLDIER by any means. "You seem to have neglected to give him any substantial training in materia theory or tactics," he pointed out.

Zack waved the objection away. "And how long have I had 'im? We've barely gotten started! And you've neglected his greatest strength. Cloud should have started swordwork the moment he was able."

"Stop it!" Cloud snapped, getting annoyed. "Zack, I'm not abandoning your training. Vincent couldn't teach me sword technique, and I know I have a lot farther to go. But I'm not giving up his training, either! It's helped me a lot in the past. Why can't I do both?"

The two dark-haired men looked silently at him, then each other for a long moment, considering the boy's words. It was the SOLDIER who spoke first. "…That'd be pretty difficult timewise, Cloud. You've got time on duty and required training hours you have to do—"

"You're on duty a lot too, even when I'm not. What about then? And I've been overdoing the gym training requirement anyway," Cloud countered.

"—and you can't just go to Seph's quarters any time you want," Zack continued. "It'd be more than a little odd, an average trooper regularly visiting the apartments of the General of SOLDIER, and that's one of the few places you'd be able to work together uninterrupted and privately. Midgar is a far cry from Nibelheim, you know."

Cloud thought hard. "I could try to avoid the surveillance—" he began.

Zack was already shaking his head. "It won't work that way."

"Lieutenant Sinclair does raise an important point, Cloud," Vincent put in. "Once we arrive at Midgar, it will be far more difficult for us to meet without raising suspicion. It might be best if I focus on theory for now, until a more suitable arrangement can be made. In the meantime, I will give you a list of several books I'd like you to read."

Zack nodded. "And even if you could manage to sneak around undetected in such a high-security area, your absence is likely to be noted sooner or later. If you ever got caught, the cat would be out of the bag entirely. Sure, not everyone in ShinRa is as sharp as I am—" he jabbed his thumb towards his chest, that familiar twinkle returning to his eyes "—but even they would find a common regular avoiding security cameras pretty suspicious," he concluded, effectively killing the last of Cloud's objections.

"It will still be necessary to hide your skills," the former Turk agreed.

The lieutenant threw his arm around Cloud's shoulders. "No worries, though, all right? Once you get into SOLDIER, people will start expecting the unexpected from you. You'll be able to show off more."

"You'll also receive a higher security clearance, which will make arranging meetings much easier," Vincent added.

Cloud nodded, just glad the pair had reached a truce. It really wasn't pleasant, being the object of tug of war between such strong-willed individuals!

Sephiroth and Zack had a long-standing routine when it came to ShinRa facilities. Whenever they entered a room they planned to stay in for a significant amount of time, they immediately conducted a sweep for spy equipment. When they entered the cabin they had been assigned aboard the ship carrying them from Costa de Sol to Junon, they found no less than five recording devices scattered about the room.

"You'd think they'd get the hint after a while," Zack said with a sigh as he tossed the last of the bugs out the window into the ocean below. With their enhanced hearing, even SOLDIER Thirds could find the tiny devices if they tried, provided no other noise interfered. In Sephiroth's case, the constant hum they emitted was enough to induce headaches by the end of the day, even with other sounds to help tune it out.

"Some things will never change, Zack." Sephiroth glanced at his aide. "Observations?"

The raven-haired man shook his head. "You go first. I have a feeling we'll overlap."

"The accessible sections of Vincent Valentine's Turk file indicate he was— is an extremely talented sniper and spy," the General said, gazing out the window. "While I have not seen him in combat, I believe the records to be truthful."

"For once," Zack muttered.

His superior inclined his head at that. "The file reports him missing in action, presumed dead; it discloses no information on his final mission. Considering his former occupation, I would be surprised if he hasn't been gathering data about us from the moment we first met." He turned to look at his aide. "I have full confidence in his abilities as an infiltrator, as well; I checked the security tapes a short while ago, and there hasn't been so much as a hint of his presence since we've boarded."

Zack whistled. "Impressive, even for a Turk." As Sephiroth gestured for him to contribute his own observations, he shifted slightly. "Well, there's definitely more to him than meets the eye… and I don't mean those monsters of his, either."

"Monsters?" Sephiroth echoed, intrigued by the plural.

The younger SOLDIER silently cursed, realizing his slip. "Cloud did say he has transformed before, but he looked different." Though what he really meant was the other one… the demon whose name he still didn't know, the one who had stopped that Jenova-thing in the reactor.

"I see," his superior said neutrally.

Zack leaned back against the wall, folding his arms behind his head. "Let's see… The man is a fantastic shot, no question about it. The way he moves is uncanny, too… almost completely silent. He seems very knowledgeable in his way, and from his bearing I suspect his family before the Turks was pretty well off. Too educated to pretend to be anything less." He shrugged. "Other than that, I can't think of much."

"Well, it's a start," Sephiroth allowed. "Whether he becomes an ally or an enemy, we need to know as much as possible about him."

"I doubt he'll become an enemy of his own free will, as long was we don't threaten Cloud," Zack replied, wearing a strange expression Sephiroth had never seen on his friend before.

If the General had been better at reading faces, he might have recognized the look of someone who had learned a truth though a bitter, trying experience.

The minute he entered the cabin he had been assigned with Arthur, Cloud chucked his bag on his bed and stretched, yawning loudly. "I'm going to go to bed, Arthur. Why don't you grab a shower?"

Arthur opened his mouth in confusion, only to find Cloud's hand clasped over it. The blond gestured towards the adjoining bathroom, and the pair quickly made there way into the small room. Barely able to move, Cloud perched on the toilet to give them some more room and released Arthur, closing the door.

"What—?"

Cloud shook his head firmly, holding a finger to his lips while turning on the shower with other hand. "Now we can talk, but keep it down. The water should cover the sound of our conversation if we're quiet."

"Why did you—?"

"The rooms are probably bugged," Cloud told him, "but odds are they're pretty low-tech, considering our accommodations. We're not really anybody important, anyway. Still… it never hurts to be careful." Especially this time around, with their additional companion.

Arthur gave Cloud a long, calculating look. "You know a lot more than you let on, Cloud. And while we're on the topic… Mr. Valentine isn't really a ShinRa operative at all, is he?"

Hiding his amusement at 'Mr. Valentine,' Cloud considered how much to tell his fellow trooper. The other boy wasn't stupid in the least, and he doubted they could keep up the fiction around him for long. "Not in the usual sense, no," he conceded. Not anymore, anyway. "I… can't really tell you more than that, except that he can't be seen."

The other regular frowned. "But you said the ship is bugged—"

The blond grinned. "Have you seen him?" Arthur shook his head. "Then neither has anyone else. Don't worry. Vincent is good at what he does."

After that Arthur seemed content to let the matter rest, so Cloud left the bathroom, lying down on his bed. Now that he wasn't focused on keeping his comrade from spilling secrets, though, he was all too aware of the swaying motion of the ship. Grimacing, he rolled over. Sleeping on the journey always seemed to help some; at least he wasn't sick until he woke up that way. On the other hand, he had been sleeping in the truck for most of the day's trip to Costa del Sol, trying to do the same thing… and now he was wide awake.

His mouth twisted as his stomach lurched again. He tried some of the focusing exercises Vincent had taught him, said the alphabet backwards, counted prime numbers. No good. He'd best get up on deck, where the night breeze would hopefully calm his upset stomach, before he lost what little dinner he had eaten.

Arthur came out of the bathroom just as Cloud was heading for the door. "Going outside?" The blond nodded hastily. Well acquainted with the other's motion sickness from the trip out, Arthur made no comment on his pale face, instead turning to briskly drying his hair. Cloud exited quietly and went straight to the deck, not even bothering to be stealthy about it. He was in a bit of a hurry, and after all, it'd be a little weird for the taps in their room to say he was going somewhere only for him never to show up.

By this time of night the deck was clear, except for the occasional crewman, for which Vincent was grateful. It was a good place to sit quietly and think without having to be on the lookout for uninvited guests — at least, more so than usual.

The former Turk frowned, thinking of the events of the past several days. Why had he given into Cloud like that? His need to destroy Hojo was what had kept him going for years, and yet… and yet he'd abandoned it, at least for the moment.

:Come now, Vincent. We both know why you did it… or have you forgotten exactly what those bright blue eyes do to you?:

He sighed. There was another problem. Just when did you get so talkative?

Chaos' laugh echoed eerily in his mind. :You were always so boring before. Never did anything really worth my time. Now that She is awake, though… things should become much more interesting.:

Who is 'She'? Vincent asked, determined to get something out of the creature.

The demon had other plans, however. :You'll find out in your own time. There is such a thing as too much information at once, you know.: His tone turned mocking. :And do stop trying to change the subject, Vincent. Are you still trying to deny how you feel about the boy?:

Fine; he'd come to care about Cloud—

The demon laughed mockingly. :Ah, exercising that little human ability again? Your race is so very fond of self-delusion. Isn't that what happened with Lucrecia as well? You honestly thought she'd leave big bad Hojo for you, her mentor's only child? Just like a fairy tale!:

Vincent's lips curled into a silent snarl. Shut up!

:Why should I? What are you going to do, Vincent? You know you can't kill me…: Chaos' voice was far too smug for Vincent's liking. :…though the reverse may not be true.: The former Turk stiffened as his left hand moved to his throat, the claws softly caressing his pale flesh, almost like a lover's touch. :You do know what I'm capable of…:

You can't survive without a body to inhabit, Vincent argued, fighting the panic blossoming in his chest. He couldn't die here, now, leaving Hojo alive, leaving Cloud—

:Now now, the good professor never got a chance to actually try that, did he? I just might make it through this — but you most certainly wouldn't.: The claw squeezed lightly, just barely breaking the skin, tiny droplets of blood oozing crimson around them. :Be truthful with yourself, boy. You'll only cause yourself more problems in the end otherwise.:

The former Turk let out an uneven sigh. All right. I love Cloud. Satisfied?

The spirit chuckled and lowered the limb. :For now. You'd do well to remember that yourself, though. With things going as they are, you may need that very emotion sooner or later. She's always underestimated it, and more than one parent has bested Her for their child's life in the past.:

/I still think we never should have bothered with the brat in the first place. That same sentimental attachment has become more hindrance than anything else./ A snarl, harsher and far less sane than the thin veneer of urbanity on Chaos' voice. /The demonspawn was within our grasp! If he had not interfered…/

Vincent stiffed at Hellmasker's thought, seeing red; Chaos merely sighed. :Fool. This is why you will never best me for control.:

/We could have taken them both! If that boy hadn't gotten through to the human—/

:We'd likely be sitting in a cell, awaiting the scientist's tender ministrations again.: Chaos changed the pitch of his voice, sending it below Vincent's ability to hear. :Do not be a fool. To drive the little one away would go completely against the human's will. Or were you asleep when I told Her about at least appearing to cooperate with one's host?:

/We—/

:Are still subject to that attachment because of its strength. Besides, should anything happen to our human, the little one is our best candidate for an alternate host, if we find we cannot continue awake and aware like this outside of a body. He does not fear us, and we would be all that remained of his beloved mentor… This attachment may well prove useful to us in the end.:

Uneasy at the sudden silence in his mind, Vincent remained absolutely still, listening for the slightest hint that the demons had settled their differences. Just his luck that two of them would awaken so close together…

"Vincent?"

The dark-haired man started, cursing his inattention, fighting down the urge to draw his gun as the voice interrupted his inner stakeout. "Cloud…"

"Are you okay?" Vincent noted his protégé looked distinctly pale, a condition undoubtedly brought on by the ship's gentle rocking. Cloud tilted his head a little as he peered up at the former Turk out of the corner of his eye. "You look upset."

"…I'm fine, Cloud."

:More lies, Vincent?: Chaos needled.

I am well aware I am not fine. However, that does not mean I have to inform Cloud of such, Vincent retorted.

A dark chuckle. :Well played.: Vincent relaxed as the voices finally withdrew, settling in the far corners of his conciousness. For now, at least, he would have peace.

"Are you sure?" Cloud asked, turning just enough to get a better look at his mentor. Vincent thanked Gaea for the boy's unenhanced vision. Between the darkness and his high collar, the traces of blood on his throat and claw shouldn't be noticeable.

"I will be fine."

Cloud said nothing, only moved a little next to his teacher. Vincent examined the boy's position with a critical eye and found himself pleased. Since he had approached Vincent, Cloud's movements had been deliberately casual, hardly indicative of him speaking to someone; to the average watcher, he would merely appear to be leaning on the guard rail, staring out over the waves. Cloud's voice was soft enough that no one would hear it unless they were extremely close, and microphones would merely catch the sound of the waves.

"Did everything go okay with Sephiroth?" Cloud finally asked, eyes still fixed on a point in the distance.

"Well enough," Vincent replied. "There is still much more… but I suspect he is not ready to hear it yet."

"And you aren't ready to tell him," Cloud added softly.

Vincent raised an eyebrow at that. It seemed Cloud's time in Midgar had given the child — no, not 'child' anymore — a bit of boldness where his mentor was concerned. First tricking Sephiroth into meeting Vincent, and now that little observation… Sometimes Vincent wondered if Cloud had any sort of discretion when it came to involving himself in such delicate matters. "Perhaps. In any case, I believe you should go back down below deck. You cannot stay here all night."

"Hmm." Cloud sighed. The look he gave his teacher clearly said he thought Vincent was avoiding him, but he backed away from the rail without complaint. "By the way…" The youth paused.

"Yes, Cloud?" Vincent readied himself for one of Cloud's inquisitive questions. Or, perhaps, given what had happened earlier, a too-insightful comment.

The blond turned and looked Vincent right in the eye. No, not in the eye, but… deeper, as if looking at someone — or something — else. "I just wanted to thank you for what you did in the reactor. You didn't have to spare Zack, but you did, and… It really means a lot to me." Cloud inclined his head and returned belowdecks, leaving a reeling Vincent behind him.

Was he just talking to… to you? the dumbfounded sniper thought at Chaos.

The demon did not reply, but Vincent could feel the weight of his thoughts as the both of them stared after the boy who'd wrought so many changes in their lives.

Cloud and Zack hadn't gotten much time to talk since they had returned to Midgar. The SOLDIER exams had just passed, causing a huge influx of paperwork in the offices of SOLDIER, and so many days Cloud found himself working alone in the gym, trying out the moves Zack showed him when he managed a bit of free time, or sitting in his room with his head buried in one of the books Vincent had recommended.

It was at the end of one such solo practice session about a month after the Nibelheim mission when the blond heard a familiar voice rang through the air. "Cloud!"

The trooper paused in the process of putting away his equipment, glancing over his shoulder to see Zack coming across the gym towards him. He smiled broadly, pleased to see his friend again. "Zack! Finally managed to escape?"

"You bet!" the SOLDIER replied, glad to see Cloud in a good mood. "Look, I'm sorry I've been missing practice, but I should be able to make it from now on. The fall rush has slowed for now, at least."

"Great!" The trooper's enthusiasm was clear. "I could really use your help; I'm pretty sure I'm getting out of position on the—"

Zack slapped his forehead. "Titan's bones, Cloud, is weapons training the only thing you ever think about?" He received a blank stare in reply, and sighed. "Look, how about we go out to dinner tonight?"

Cloud shrugged. "No thanks," he said, his standard response to social invitations.

The dark-haired man growled in exasperation, grabbing his friend and dragging him into what Cloud considered 'his' training room. The blond raised his eyebrows at that, suspecting the SOLDIER wanted to say something in private. "I'm not taking 'no' for an answer this time, Cloud. You need to be more social, dammit," Zack told him vehemently, just a hair's breadth away from shaking him by the shoulders. "It's vital that you learn how to work with people, both in critical situations and everyday life." He shook his head. "Honestly, Vincent really screwed you over there."

Cloud went deathly still, glaring fiercely at the dark-haired man. It wasn't quite on par with Sephiroth's intimidating stare, but it was still pretty impressive. "And what precisely do you mean by that, Zachary Sinclair?"

Despite his enhancements and skill, Zack found himself made uneasy by Cloud's frosty tone and overt hostility, sheer willpower the only thing stopping the SOLDIER's years of training from automatically sending him into defensive mode. He had been teaching Cloud sword technique for almost seven months, but in the comfortable routine of sparring sessions, with the trooper's unit permanently assigned to Midgar, it had never really sunk in that the kid could easily kill a man. And his other training was clear as well; now more than ever the blond really felt like a Turk — perfectly composed, completely professional, and highly dangerous. Swallowing reflexively, Zack raised his hands and tried to calm his friend down. "Hey— hey now, Cloud, just relax, all right? I didn't mean it like that."

The blond didn't move. "Then what exactly did you mean, Zack?"

The SOLDIER let out a long breath. "Look, Cloud. What I'm going to tell you next you can never repeat, all right?"

The teen nodded shortly, blue eyes still steely.

"Part of the SOLDIER candidate evaluation process is based on how well you interact with your peers. SOLDIERs have to be able to work well with one another, and with the regulars too. Vincent, while he's been a big help to you in many ways, has been training you, at least on the social side of things, into a miniature Sephiroth, and that is not going to help you. You aren't anywhere near his level of skill, nor do you have his other… unique qualifications." Zack shook his head. "If you really want to get into SOLDIER, it is imperative that you learn how to interact with people."

"…Oh." It didn't look like Cloud had quite forgiven him yet, but the blond did seem to have finally relaxed a little.

The SOLDIER offered him a small smile. "I'm willing to help you out there, if you'll let me. I do know a thing or two about this sort of— yeah yeah, okay, you can stop that now," he admonished as Cloud rolled his eyes, "but we need to start small. So, dinner?"

The blond hesitated just a moment. "…oh, all right."

Zack grinned, clapping him on the back. "Great! Grab your stuff, then; we're taking a little trip down to the slums. Time to rub elbows with the civilians, trooper! And don't wear your uniform," he said over his shoulder. "And hey, if it helps… just think of this as another kind of training, all right?"

Cloud nodded slowly. "Why do I get the feeling I've gotten myself in trouble?" he asked the air as he followed Zack out of the room.

"Oh come on, it won't be that bad," Zack teased. "Promise." He glanced around, tone turning serious. "Though, um, we never really got a chance to talk about that… other thing…"

It took Cloud a moment to realize the SOLDIER had meant the incident back at the Nibelheim reactor. He shook his head. "Relax, Zack. It's not a big deal."

"Cloud—"

"No, really," the blond insisted. "I thought about it for a while and really, none of that was your fault. I know better than most what… what that person—" he wasn't really comfortable mentioning Hojo by name here "—can do to someone."

"I suppose you would," Zack agreed, understanding what Cloud had meant. The teen had practically grown up around Vincent, after all, and probably knew more of what Hojo had done to the former Turk than even Zack knew about Sephiroth. "Even so—"

"Pay for dinner and we'll call it even," Cloud joked.

"Pffffft. In that case, we'd have to do take-out, which defeats the purpose of this excursion, so no go. If I treat you, word'll get out and I'll have to start paying for everybody I go out with, and my paycheck isn't big enough for that." Zack put on a mournful expression.

"Hey, it's still bigger than mine!"

To say Cloud was uncomfortable would have been the understatement of the year.

It hadn't been bad at first. Despite the shabby surroundings, Zack had found a rather nice little restaurant in the slums, equipped with both a bar and small tables. The food was rather good, and the dinnerware was pretty clean, considering the restaurant's location. No one gave him a second glance, though one or two murmured at Zack's tell-tale eyes. Really, it was almost impossible disguise a SOLDIER, but it seemed general policy around here not to ask too many questions of fellow customers.

Which might have been why Zack had chosen the place, actually, now that Cloud thought about it.

Cloud had started really opening up to Zack, talking to him about some of the things he had learned with Vincent over dessert, when a group of SOLDIERs in civilian clothes entered. They made a beeline for Zack and sat around the lieutenant, greeting him cheerfully. All too soon Cloud found himself fading into the shadows, eventually exiting the restaurant entirely.

By now night had fallen, making things here below the Plate a little more dangerous. Cloud pretended to stretch, making sure his gun was secure as he did so. The trooper wasn't sure if Zack had noticed the weapon or not, but he hadn't objected either way. Cloud wasn't going to go traveling around here unarmed, that was for sure.

"Would you like to buy a flower? They're only a gil..."

Cloud looked over to see a pretty girl in a pink dress, bright green eyes staring at him in entreaty. He dug into his pocket. "Sure." The flowers in her basket looked amazingly healthy, for local produce. "Don't see many flowers around here. Your work?"

The girl smiled as she handed him one. "Yes. I grow them in a church, where they manage very well."

"They're amazing." Cloud's finger's traced its soft petals, and he was abruptly assaulted with memories of home. Before he had come to Midgar he had often been conscripted by his mother to work in their garden. It had never been his favorite chore, but he had always preferred it to inside work. "I haven't seen flowers like this since I was home."

"You aren't from Midgar?"

Cloud shook his head, surprised at how comfortable he felt talking to her. Still, there was something about her that put him at ease. "I'm from Nibelheim. The western continent." He held out his hand. "I'm Cloud Strife."

The girl took it. "Aeris."

"Just Aeris?" Cloud asked, raising his eyebrows.

"For now," Aeris replied with a mischievous smile. "So why are you down here? You don't look like a slum dweller."

Cloud flushed. "That obvious?"

Aeris shook her head. "Not really. You seem pretty good at blending in."

"Well, I'm waiting for a friend. He got stuck inside." Cloud waved behind him.

"Ah. Would you like some company?"

Cloud shook his head. "I don't know. He might be a while, and I'm sure you have stuff to do—"

"Hey, Cloud, where did you—?" Zack halted at the restaurant's entrance, staring at the young woman next to his blond friend with an indecipherable expression on his face. "Aeris."

Clutching her basket close as their eyes met, the flower girl seemed just as — surprised? Upset? Cloud couldn't quite tell — as the SOLDIER was. "Zack…"

An uneasy, almost oppressive silence fell as the two of them simply stood there looking at each other, making Cloud feel as if he had somehow intruded on a very private conversation and sweet Gaea this was awkward, he thought as he shuffled his feet. He really wasn't sure how much more of it he could take…

His blue eyes darted around, looking for an escape, lighting up as they fell on the weapon Aeris had tucked under her arm. "Oh, a staff! Have you been fighting with it long?" Okay, so it wasn't the best icebreaker in the world, but… well, it was first thing he could think of.

…which probably meant Zack was right about the weapons training thing, but Cloud didn't want to think about that.

Good icebreaker or not, it did suffice to snap Aeris out of it. "Oh! I… I have to go. It was nice meeting you, Cloud!" she called back over her shoulder.

Zack started after her, his hand outstretched. "Aeris, wait!"

Too late. The pink-clad girl had already vanished into the crowd without a trace. The dark-haired man stared after her for a long moment, then let his shoulders slump with a defeated sigh, turning away down the path that would lead them back to the train station. Cloud walked beside his friend, trying to find something to say. Unfortunately, he'd never been very good at dealing with people when they were upset.

"So, um… about the learning-to-be-social thing… do you think—"

"Shut up, Cloud."

Chapter Text

It was like living with a ghost.

Sephiroth had never been one to believe in that sort of thing, but it was really the best analogy he could come up with to describe sharing his apartment with the semilegendary Vincent Valentine. Over two months had passed relatively uneventfully (with the exception of Zack once again finding something completely absurd to do for his birthday) since the former Turk had moved in, and Sephiroth knew that if he truly thought back on it, he could count the number of times he'd actually seen the man on one hand.

Gaea, it would have seemed as if he still lived alone, if not for the little signs of his guest's presence: carefully folded blankets laid out on the end of the couch, missing food, dishes Sephiroth hadn't used stacked neatly on the drainboard in the kitchenette. The General had even come back from his office early one night to hear the shower running. Not wanting to bother his guest, though he was forced to admit some curiosity as to how the man managed with his arm, he had discreetly retired to his room for the evening with a copy of the Sun Tzu Hyouhou (far more subtle in the original Wutaiian than the Midgaran translation popular among the ranking officers, really).

By the time he had awoken for work the next morning, the other man was already gone again.

Sephiroth had once considered mentioning the situation to Zack, but rather quickly decided against it. The lieutenant would simply encourage him to initiate some sort of social interaction, yet another deliberate attempt to force him to work on one of his few weak points; Sephiroth, of course, would make some sort of noncommittal reply and proceed to ignore his friend's suggestion. By then, though, the damage would have been done, and Zack would continue to pester him about it until he produced some sort of results, even if it were failure. (And lying about it never seemed to work, either.)

So the General kept it to himself. They were managing just fine as it was, after all, and at least his houseguest didn't intrude upon his cherished alone time.

It was still a little unnerving, though.

Cloud stretched slowly, wary of the bruises Zack had left on his back during training yesterday. He grimaced and glanced in the mirror. Green and yellow spots told the tale of the rough workouts he'd had recently, but at the same time the youth was pleased. He'd been pushing his limits lately with Zack, and the SOLDIER had raised the level accordingly.

"Hey, Strife. Letter for you." An intercontinental mail envelope fell into Cloud's lap. With a nod at the trooper handing out the mail, the blue-eyed teen carefully opened it. A small package fell into his lap; when Cloud opened it and he saw, much to his surprise, that it contained his collection of Sephiroth newspaper clippings. Confused, he read the accompanying letter.

Dearest Cloud,

It's been barely two weeks since you've left, but I couldn't wait to write when I heard the news. Why didn't you tell me? Anyway, I hope everything is going well, and I know that soon you'll be a SOLDIER. It'll be so wonderful to see you again — especially now that you're getting married! Tifa is a very sweet girl, and I think you'll make a good pair. The grandchildren will certainly be beautiful! Let me know if you need advice or anything — I'm always here for my son.

Love,
Mom

P.S. I found these in your room shortly after you left and thought you might like them as a reminder of what you are aiming for.

Cloud stared at the letter for a long moment, face slack with incomprehension. What had his mother meant? Getting married? Tifa?

…then again, Tifa had been acting really weird the day they left Nibelheim, completely different from how she'd been during their trip up the mountain…

"Why that little— She played me!"

His bunkmate stared at him, startled by his usually reticent comrade's outburst. "Strife…?"

"Never mind," Cloud replied, brushing off the other's concern. "I have to go talk to someone." Angry as he was, though, he wasn't stupid enough to leave the envelope with his newspaper clippings lying out in plain sight; there'd be no end to the teasing if they were found. After carefully securing them away from prying eyes, the teenager stormed his way out of the barracks, heading for the track.

He made it to the gym and was stomping across the room when a familiar voice called out, "Hey, Cloud! You're early. Wha— whoa." Zack grabbed Cloud's shoulder, forcing the blond to a stop with his enhanced strength. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," came the short reply.

"…Look, why don't we talk?" The First Class guided his friend outside, keeping a careful eye on him.

Cloud said nothing until they were far enough away that curious observers wouldn't be able to listen, then he exploded. "Tifa. Tifa Lockhart. That is what is wrong. By Gaea, if I ever get my hands on that girl I'll—"

"Whoa, time out!" Zack raised his hands in a calming gesture. "Tifa Lockhart, the pretty girl who came up with us to the reactor? The one you were talking to?"

"Yes." Cloud started to pace, gesticulating angrily. "That two-faced, no good—"

"Yes, yes, we've got all that, but what did she do?"

Cloud paused, fished the letter out of his pocket, and passed it over to Zack. The SOLDIER read through it and raised his eyebrows. "Sounds like you've both been the victims of a pretty poor joke."

"Not likely," Cloud returned. "First of all, Mom isn't the kind to pull this sort of thing as a joke. She's always wanted me to settle down and get a girlfriend. Second, Tifa is the mayor's daughter — she's the most popular girl in town, and the one all the local boys want. There'd be nothing for anyone to gain from this, and a great deal to lose. Her father would make their lives utterly miserable, if nothing else."

"Even so, she said herself that she didn't want to get married. Couldn't this be the action of some rejected suitor?" Zack suggested.

"But her father was pressuring her to find a husband," Cloud reminded his friend. "And then there was her behavior on the last day. Did that seem like the same Tifa that went up the mountains with us?"

"No," Zack was forced to admit. The image of a typical small-town girl in a dress did not suit Tifa the fighter well at all. "If you are right, and Tifa is behind this, there still should be a logical explanation."

"I suppose," Cloud mumbled, resuming his pacing. "I just don't like being manipulated like this."

Zack sighed. "News flash, Cloud… everyone manipulates people at some point in their lives. You have to, or else they'll end up walking all over you." Cloud made a disbelieving sound, and Zack shook his head. "What exactly would you call your little trick to get us to meet Vi— go up the mountain, then?"

The color rushed from the blond's cheeks, and he stared at the SOLDIER with no small amount of consternation. "…I'm just as bad, aren't I?"

"I don't know if I'd say that," Zack told him quietly. "What I do know, though, is that manipulating people around you, whether it's for their good or your own, is a part of life. I do it myself." He scratched the back of his head, an almost rueful look on his face. "I mean, how else d'you think I manage to keep up with Sephiroth as much as I do? You can't always approach a problem head on, 'specially with a guy as stubborn as he is, and, well… underhanded tactics generally include at least a dash of manipulation."

"…I'm sorry," Cloud said slowly, still looking chagrined.

The lieutenant smiled at his friend, clapping him on the shoulder. "Hey, you did what you thought you had to do. You meant well, and that's what matters. Me, I've always been of the opinion that manipulating people for their own good is far better than doing it just for yourself, like a lot of people in ShinRa do."

The blond's face darkened. "Like Tifa did."

"But other than you getting all offended that she did it in the first place," Zack interjected, "it hasn't hurt you or anyone else, has it?" Without waiting for a response, he continued, "Instead of freaking out in a reply to your mom, leaving all sorts of room for messy confrontations and the like, I think you should write Tifa and ask her what's going on." He smirked. "Our dear, hmm, 'shadow stalker' would be most displeased with you if you approached this irrationally, especially since you lack full knowledge of the situation."

Cloud's lips twitched at Zack's teasing impression of Vincent. "I guess you're right." He shot the dark-haired man an amused glance. "…'Shadow stalker'?"

"Isn't he?"

Cloud could hardly disagree with that. "Well, yeah…"

"It can be our secret code name for him! SS for short — how 'bout it?"

"You're impossible." The regular shook his head, fighting down a grin. "How's he doing, anyway?"

The SOLDIER shrugged. "I haven't actually seen him since we got back from Nibelheim. Seph hasn't mentioned anything about him, either. I think you've probably seen him more than either of us have."

"Only once or twice," Cloud replied wistfully. "Not as much as I'd like."

Sensing his friend's dropping spirits, Zack squeezed his shoulder. "Hey, kid… it's not that much longer until you reenter the program."

"I know. Just a couple months… but then there's another whole year, and then I have to pass the exams…" He sighed.

"You will," Zack replied confidently, smiling at him. "Now, get to writing that letter. You don't want to wait too long. You know how long intercontinental mail takes…"

"Do I ever."

"Meet me back in the gym when you're done, okay? We'll go a couple rounds. Nothing like getting beaten up to get over girl problems, hmm?"

"I am not going to get beaten up," Cloud replied loftily as he turned to head back to the barracks. "I'd be disgracing 'SS' if I did that."

The topic of their conversation was actually out in the slums at the time, unaware of his developing nickname. Wandering about the dark places of Midgar had only made him appreciate just how long it had been since he had last seen the city. The world was different, harder, harsher, and bleaker than he remembered. True, it had been over two decades since the former Turk had traveled the streets below the Plate, allowing for plenty of change…

:Humankind is rather good at that, aren't they? At least on the surface. What lies underneath never seems to change…:

Vincent made a face at Chaos' comment as he moved further into the shadows, perching on a stack of discarded boxes. From here he could see a good portion of the market, and the angle made it easy to observe without being seen.

The purpose of this visit, and several others like it, was to familiarize himself with the city again. Soon he would feel comfortable enough to bring Cloud down here, and their real training would begin. The theory he had been having Cloud read, teaching it himself when the circumstances allowed, was useful, but no match for field experience. It would also be far easier for Cloud to venture down into the slums than to meet his teacher anywhere inside the ShinRa-patrolled areas above the Plate. The troopers were almost expected to go out into the slums at least on occasion, to sample the offerings of the seedier side of the city.

"Hey there, Mister! Would ye like a fortune?"

Vincent peered out of the shadows to stare at the… cat that had addressed him. Wearing a cape and a little crown, it perched on top of a gigantic stuffed moogle, smiling foolishly as it awaited his reply.

:Hn. Apparently you aren't the strangest thing under the Plate anymore.:

The dim red glow vanished from the shadows as the man closed his eyes, sighing to himself at Chaos' amusement. "No."

"Ye sure? Ye look like ye could use a spot o' good luck," the cat informed him, straightening its crown. Vincent shook his head, and the cat shrugged. "All righty, then. Your loss. Good day t' ye." And with that the moogle went bouncing off, carrying its strange burden.

Deciding he had endured enough for the day, Vincent left as well, carefully maneuvering his way through the crowds and past the security checkpoints as he made his way back above the Plate. A quick glance at a nearby clock verified that it was just getting towards the end of Cloud's lesson time with Sinclair. Unfortunately the youth had evening duty tonight, so they wouldn't be able to meet, but he would have enough time to watch the tail end of his sparring session.

It was more dangerous here, trying to sneak around SOLDIERs (who were by their very nature more perceptive than the average person), but the effort was well worth it. Vincent couldn't help feeling a touch of pride watching Cloud face off against his First Class friend. The blond's movements were becoming more and more fluid, transforming into a sort of seamless, instinctive dance as opposed to the sharper, jerkier movements of quickly remembered drills. His lips quirked upwards as his student managed to snag Sinclair's shaggy hair with his off hand, distracting the SOLDIER just long enough to land a blow. Apparently all that environmental training had finally paid off.

"Dammit, Cloud!" Sinclair quickly struck back. Cloud managed to block the first blow, but the second slipped through his defenses, hitting his right leg with a resounding smack.

The blond's grin didn't fade a whit. "All's fair in love and war, Zack."

"I'll show you fair," Zack growled, his face twisted into an overly threatening expression that could only mean he was joking. "Defend yourself!"

Cloud laughed and dodged out of the way with the quick reflexes Vincent had drummed into him. The former Turk fought the urge to smile, seeing his work so beautifully displayed. He had to admit Sinclair was right, though; watching him, it was obvious Cloud had a good feel for the blade, and needed as much sword training as he could get. Amazingly enough, the SOLDIER First even seemed to be doing a good job of it.

:Beautiful and deadly,: Chaos commented, his voice surprisingly free of sarcasm.

For once, Vincent actually agreed with the demon. His student truly was a sight to behold.

Cloud came off duty one afternoon about three weeks later to find another intercontinental mail envelope on his pillow. Not recognizing the handwriting, the blond quickly deduced that it had to be from Tifa; the only other person who'd write him was his mother, and he knew her neat script well. Sitting down on his bed with a sigh, Cloud briefly wondered if he should open the letter or not. On one hand, it was only likely to upset him, but… putting it off probably wouldn't be a good idea either. Finally he decided he might as well open it; his curiosity would only drive him to distraction otherwise.

Cloud,

I'm not quite sure how to word this, so I guess I'll just come right out and say it.

I never meant for you to find out.

See, I thought you weren't coming back to Nibelheim for a long, long time. Dad wasn't giving up on the whole getting married thing — I think I told you about that. Well, the only way I was going to get him off my back was to actually get a fiancé. The logical conclusion seemed to be to find or create one who wouldn't be around for a long time, thus giving me a chance to get out of Dad's control.

It was probably a stupid plan, but… it was the best I could think of when we started talking about it. I really should have asked you about it…and Zangan gave me quite a lecture on that, believe me. I was afraid you would say no, though, and I didn't want to take that risk.

I know what I did wasn't right. The only thing I can say is that I felt trapped and jumped at the first opportunity to escape.

I'm sorry.

Tifa.

Cloud frowned, a bitter taste in his mouth. It sounded pretty good, all right, but… well, the blond couldn't tell if Tifa was sorry for what she had done or simply sorry she had gotten caught. He stuffed the letter back inside the envelope, deciding to respond to it later, once he'd had time to mull over its contents. Rummaging through his footlocker, he fished out one of the books Vincent had given him to read, carefully tucking the letter inside its jacket.

As he bent to put it away again, though, his bookmark fell out. Groaning, Cloud grabbed it and flipped the textbook back open, looking for the section on support materia. Glancing at the bookmark, he couldn't help smiling. He had made it by carefully drying a flower between two books and mounting it on a sheet of paper, just like his mother had shown him.

Carefully replacing it between the correct pages, Cloud idly wondered what he was going to do with the rest of his evening. Ordinarily he'd have training with Zack in two hours, but the SOLDIER had canceled the appointment just that morning because of a meeting that had cropped up unexpectedly, one he was required to attend. (Zack had once told him that he went more for Sephiroth's sake than anything else, since "it really wouldn't help publicity for their precious SOLDIER poster boy, finally fed up with all their backstabbing office-politics bullshit, to snap and do something regrettable and messy and likely permanent, though damned if I wouldn't happily lend a hand in that case.") Vincent hadn't been around much of late either, so since he'd just gotten off for the night Cloud had plenty of free time.

Deciding to take a page out of Zack's book, the youth changed into a comfortable pair of grey pants and a green shirt, checked he had his ID and some cash on him, and then headed out to the train station. He might as well take the opportunity to explore things down below on his own for once.

Going below the Plate was completely different without Zack. The SOLDIER's presence had undoubtedly been a boon, as he both knew the areas to be careful in and was intimidating enough to keep most unwanted attention away. Cloud quickly grew bored with aimlessly wandering the cluttered streets, though, and so decided to try his luck and find the young woman he had met before. Aeris had mentioned she grew her flowers at a church, so that was the most likely bet.

The lack of Zack's presence proved to be a blessing in its way, though; people in general seemed less wary without those tell-tale Mako eyes on them, more willing to talk. It didn't take Cloud long to find out the church was in Sector Five. There wasn't much in the way of public buildings down here aside from small businesses, and everyone apparently knew where the last religious structure stood, now long since abandoned. Getting there, though, wasn't so easy. Cloud found himself crowded in the narrow streets, bumping into people more than once… or had someone run into him, just like—?

"Hey!" Cloud grasped quick fingers and held them tightly. "What do you think you're doing?"

The pickpocket, for that was who his latest encounter was, paled and tugged his hand away, trying to flee. Cloud scowled and twisted his grip, bending the fingers backwards just a bit… "Ow!"

"Be thankful I'm not breaking them," Cloud growled, though he wouldn't really have hurt the thief, who appeared to be only about twelve. "Don't try it again, understood?" The youngster nodded fervently, and Cloud released his smarting fingers. "The pickpocket melted back into the crowd, but the regular kept an eye on him. The boy was nowhere near as good as Vincent, of course, but that had been how the blond had caught him in the first place. Shaking his head, Cloud moved forward through the crowds again.

It wasn't much longer before he reached Sector Five. Within minutes the crowds about him had begun to disperse, and the trooper found himself alone on the hard-packed dirt that passed for roads down here. He was nearly at the edge of the city when he saw it.

The place had been beautiful once, Cloud decided as he examined the building. He wished he could have seen it when it was first built; it was a real shame it had suffered this badly over the years. A moment later he pushed the door open slightly, cautiously poking his head inside.

It wasn't hard to see that the flower girl was indeed here. Her pink dress stood out even among the lush green of the plants she was tending, the bright colors a marked contrast against the smooth stone, dust-dimmed stained glass, and age-darkened wood of her deteriorating surroundings. Feeling an odd smile cross his face, Cloud carefully opened the old door further. Though he did his best not to make a sound, afraid to disturb the almost sacred aura of the place, Aeris still noticed his presence. She looked up at him and smiled warmly. "Hello, Cloud."

"Hello, Aeris," Cloud replied, crossing the church's creaking floor with quick, sure steps, irrationally pleased that she had remembered his name.

"What brings you down here?" she asked, sitting back on her heels as he drew closer.

"I came to see you," he answered, feeling oddly light as he looked into her bright green eyes. "I don't suppose I could buy another flower? That is, if you can spare one."

Aeris laughed, looking around at the flourishing plants all around her. "Well, I suppose I could spare one…"

Cloud smiled.

Chapter Text

Cloud returned to his room bearing two fresh-cut flowers, feeling much better than he had when he'd left. The blond had spent a good hour with Aeris, just talking with her. Eventually he had gotten around to mentioning Tifa's letter and the situation with the "engagement." Aeris had offered some unique insights into the situation, even helping him with making his thoughts coherent. Carefully placing the flowers in a cup of water, Cloud sat down to write his letter before he forgot everything Aeris had suggested.

Tifa,

Words can't describe how angry I am with you right now. I don't like it at all when people use me or go around my back like that. It's very tempting to write your father and let him know just what you did.

However, I can understand your situation, at least a little. I'm willing to forgive you — on one condition. I want you to tell my mother the truth about what is going on. I don't want her eagerly anticipating something that's never going to happen. When I hear from her about how your meeting went, I'll write again.

Cloud.

Short and blunt, perhaps, but it got what he wanted to say across. With any luck, Tifa would do as he asked and confide in his mother. She was the only person in Nibelheim who was important to Cloud anyway, now that Vincent had come to Midgar. The rest of them could go ahead and think he was marrying Tifa, for all he cared. His chances of returning anytime soon, while everyone was buzzing about it, were next to nil anyway.

"Have you been down in this part of Midgar before?" Vincent asked his pupil as the pair carefully maneuvered around a pile of debris.

"A couple times," Cloud murmured as he tried to stay in the shadows, still lacking the former Turk's inhuman grace. "Usually with Zack." The First Class was locked up with General Sephiroth in meetings all day, so Vincent had appeared when Cloud came off duty, requesting the youth meet him at the train station.

"It would be wise for you to become familiar with this part of the city. Just as any other area, it has its own unique paths, weak points, and predators."

Cloud nodded, well aware of how Vincent felt about knowing one's surroundings. Then again, Zack had said more or less the same thing. "Don't see many of the last when I'm down here with Zack."

"You wouldn't."

:Predators can sense the stronger ones, after all…and very little down here would match even the weakest SOLDIER.:

Vincent nodded absently at Chaos' comment, momentarily forgetting his student could not hear the spirit. "The main thing to watch out for in this area is gang members. It's rare to find any who are particularly skilled fighters, but because they travel in groups they can still present a problem, particularly for the unenhanced."

The blond nodded in understanding, following his mentor through the gate into the next sector… the same one, he suddenly recalled, where he had seen Aeris in the first time. "I've been in this part a few times."

"It's mostly a commercial sector. It's a high-traffic area, meaning one must be on the lookout for thieves, petty and otherwise."

Cloud felt his lips twitch at that and was glad he was behind his teacher, where Vincent couldn't see.

"This area is also a good place to meeting someone unobtrusively, due to the number of distractions."

"Like those two?" Cloud asked, making sure not to point at the pair of scruffy-looking men loitering about the entrance to one of the busy shops.

"Indeed," Vincent agreed.

"We should follow them, find out what they're up to."

Vincent raised an eyebrow at his student. "And the purpose of that would be…?"

"Practice in trailing a target without being seen, and observation of local criminal behaviors," Cloud replied without missing a beat.

:The boy has you there.:

And there really was no point in arguing with the teenager. He'd only throw more of Vincent's own words back in his face… a bad habit he'd picked up since coming to Midgar, it seemed. "Very well. You go first; I shall trail from a distance. If you require assistance, I will step in."

Nodding, his student stepped out of the shadows, glancing around at the shops as if he were looking for something. He stopped a clerk and asked a few innocent questions, all the while keeping an eye on the pair he'd spotted earlier. He didn't have to wait long before five more similarly-dressed individuals joined them. No longer making any pretense at stealth, the gang — for that was surely what they seemed to be — set off, moving away from Cloud.

The blond waited another minute or two, then started in the same general direction, taking his time, meandering through the thinning crowds. It took a while, but soon he found his prey clustered in a back alley. It wasn't exactly difficult; they weren't trying to be quiet.

"All right, bitch," came an ominous voice. "You mighta managed to rough up a few of us last time, but not now. This time, you're gonna pay."

Cloud rolled his eyes at the stock dialogue. Surely they could do better than that?

In any case, the group's victim apparently wasn't going to let them go any further. Two quick smacks echoed between the nearby buildings as the person at the center of the group lashed out, felling one of the men. Cloud squinted, not quite able to see who it was, thoough he thought he saw a flash of pink. It couldn't be…

A moment later another man stumbled to the ground, grasping his knee, leaving a hole in the circle long enough for Cloud to get a proper look at their would-be victim. No mistake, it was indeed Aeris. The trooper watched her with a critical eye, noting her abilities. She was pretty good with that staff, but they were stronger than she and had the advantage of numbers…

No sooner had the thought crossed his mind than one of the men managed to wrench the staff free from Aeris' hands, sending it flying. Now weaponless, Aeris did her best to dodge her attackers, but it was clearly a losing battle. To make matters worse, the first man she had struck had risen to his feet, and from the look of it, the second would soon be up as well. Dammit, she needs help!

Cloud didn't even hesitate. Bolting towards the gang members, he managed to take one down before anyone else even noticed he was there. A swift kick sent number one back to the ground, right on top of number two.

"Who the hell are you? Her keeper?"

Cloud didn't answer, kicking the staff into his hands and moving to stand protectively in front of Aeris. The leader snarled, pulling a wicked-looking knife out from beneath his torn jacket. "He's mine!"

Too bad for him his opponent had been trained by both a Turk and a SOLDIER First Class. Cloud blocked the man's rush with ease, disarmed him with a quick twist of the wrist, then sent him sprawling with what would probably be a concussion. Tossing the staff back to Aeris, he took down another of the bullies in a flurry of kicks and punches. Not one to be a damsel in distress, Aeris quickly managed to fell another with a sharp crack of her staff to the head, leaving only two of the ruffians. The pair glanced at each other and then at Cloud, decided their health was more important than revenge, and took off at a run, leaving their groaning comrades behind.

"You okay?" Cloud asked.

Aeris nodded, hand on her chest as she tried to slow her breathing. "Thanks to you. That was too close."

"Glad I could help," Cloud replied. He glanced around and saw Aeris' flower basket upturned in the dirt. Walking over to retrieve it, he looked at it carefully. The basket was still in one piece, but the flowers it carried looked pretty bad after the fight. "I think they got your flowers…"

"Better those than other things." The young woman sighed. "I should be getting home, but… thank you again, Cloud."

"No problem." He offered her a shy smile. "Would you like me to walk you home?"

Aeris shook her head. "No, I should go by myself. My mother doesn't take too kindly to strangers."

Cloud struggled not to show his disappointment. "Oh. Um, will you be at the church this weekend?" The flower girl nodded. "Then I'll see you there!"

"All right, Cloud." Smiling at him, the brunette secured her basket and her staff and walked away.

"Cloud," Vincent murmured from the shadows once was Aeris out of earshot. "What exactly did you think you were doing?"

The blond winced at the icy tone of Vincent's voice. "Helping a friend."

"You went into a hostile situation without proper planning—"

Give me a break. The blond rolled his eyes. "Vincent, I was pretty sure I could handle them; I hadn't seen any major weaponry when I was following them, and none of them moved in a way to suggest any significant skill. Plus, I knew you were there to give me backup if I needed it." He set his jaw stubbornly. "And I wasn't going to let them hurt Aeris, either."

Vincent was taken aback by Cloud's tone and attitude. What had caused the sudden change?

:If you can't figure that out, you need to go back through training with the babies.: Chaos was definitely amused.

Care to elaborate? Vincent asked, rather sure it was a pointless question.

:No.:

Just as he had expected. Though what in the world could have Cloud so protective of a girl? His protégé had always been nearly as solitary as he. Unless… Impossible.

:He is sixteen. Must I remind you what most human males think about at that stage in their life?: The demon sounded positively wicked. :You certainly did at that age.:

But Cloud has never shown any such interest in anyone before, Vincent rejoined. Aloud he said, "We had best continue. We've lost significant time due to this detour." Cloud sighed, but nodded in agreement, following his mentor back the way they had come.

:He's never had much of a chance, either,: Chaos replied. He found Vincent's reaction to the entire incident terribly amusing. And things would become even more interesting whenever his host finally realized the girl was one of the last Cetra. The former Summon had no intention of telling the human that little piece of information, though. Vincent would have to figure it out on his own; life was much more fun that way, really.

Vincent frowned ever so slightly as he walked a few steps ahead of his companion. If Cloud was developing a romantic attachment to this Aeris, he'd better investigate her. While his student was usually quite levelheaded, the reckless attitude brought on by such emotions might cause him to forget himself and do something rash.

The former Turk smiled bitterly at that.

But truly, a slip on Cloud's part could be disastrous… especially if the girl was a company spy, which was entirely possible. The four of them had been extremely careful after returning from Nibelheim, but someone might have noticed them, decided Cloud was the weakest link, and…

Yes, he could see he still needed to make some trips down here by himself.

Zack blinked as footsteps interrupted his concentration. "Cloud? You're early. I though you were out with… SS."

Fighting down a grin at the nickname, Cloud shook his head. "He said he had to go do something — though he wouldn't tell me what it was — so we didn't go down today." The blond struggled to hide his disappointment. Vincent was rarely able to meet with him while they were in ShinRa headquarters. It had been two weeks ago that the former Turk had first taken Cloud below the Plate, but they hadn't gone again since. The plan had been for Cloud to go down to the slums at least once a week with his mentor, but something had come up for Vincent every time.

"Too bad," Zack replied neutrally. He suspected Cloud was upset about that, even though he was doing a good job of not showing it. "If you'd like, we could go down together this evening. I'm off duty."

"No thanks." Cloud shrugged. It's not that I miss the slums, really. I just miss spending time with Vincent. I could always go visit Aeris, but I really should be training, and… going down with Zack just isn't the same experience. Even when he was out of uniform, it didn't take a genius to figure out Zack was a SOLDIER.

"Still, we should go out again sometime… though you do seem to be getting better about that." The dark-haired man smiled. "Been practicing?"

Not unless talking to Aeris counts. Cloud shook his head. "Not really. What were you doing?"

"Eh?" Zack looked down at the Buster Sword. "Oh… Just practicing a trick I haven't quite mastered yet."

"A sword technique?" Cloud's eyes brightened. "What's it called? Is it hard? Can I learn it?"

"Hey, easy, now!" Zack chided him, a smile tugging at his lips. Inwardly, though, he was hesitant to acquiesce, but… he didn't want to refuse and kill the joyful eagerness in Cloud's eyes. "To answer your questions… It's called the Omnislash; yes, it's insanely complicated, as in I haven't even gotten down half of it, myself—"

"Maybe if we work together—"

"Cloud," the SOLDIER interrupted, his hand firm on the blond's shoulder, "listen. And I mean this seriously. I don't want you even thinking about trying to work on this by yourself. I can't even show it to you if you won't promise me you'll be extremely careful. I've hurt myself pretty badly trying to do this." Cloud's eyes widened in surprise, but he let his serious-faced friend continue. "It's one of those techniques that requires such precise timing and speed that it's all but impossible to pull off if you're not enhanced, but… well, until you get there, I suppose I can at least talk you through the mechanics of it, as long as you promise to never attempt it without my supervision." Zack paused, looking thoughtful. "…Or Seph's. He's got a lot of experience spotting for this kind of thing."

"I promise," Cloud replied, sounding subdued. "…not that I'd be practicing around General Sephiroth anyway." He hadn't seen the elite SOLDIER up close since they had returned from Nibelheim.

"You may eventually, once you get into SOLDIER," Zack countered. "He sometimes teaches for the advanced groups. Mind, you'll have to work pretty hard to get that far, but that's the best of the best."

Cloud went quiet for a long moment. "Do you think I can do it, Zack?"

Zack smiled at his friend, squeezing Cloud's shoulder, glad to reassure him. "I know you can, if you just put your mind to it."

The blond nodded resolutely. "Then I better get back to work."

"Absolutely. But for now, let me tell you a bit about the basics of this technique…"

"I don't see why you're so worked up about this." Zack sighed as he watched Cloud shift uneasily from foot to foot. "It's only the preliminary evaluation, not the exam."

"I know, but… this is important, Zack. If I can't get back in, I can't get into SOLDIER, and they don't always take you back again…" Cloud's voice trailed off.

"There's no reason for— oh, thank you, Harris. Any problems?"

The office worker shook his head. "Everything's clear, sir. Private Strife, you need to report to the gym in two hours for evaluation."

Cloud nodded and walked out of the office with Zack. "See? I told you it would be fine."

"Yeah, but I still have to pass—"

"There's no 'passing,'" Zack replied with a roll of his eyes. "They're just testing you for your abilities, remember? They want to place you properly. That's all."

"Yeah, I know, but—"

"The evaluations will probably be a bit different this time. They'll be testing your swordswork, since they know you've received at least some training." The SOLDIER grinned. "Personally, I think they'll be surprised. Just remember not to hold back. Now's the time to show off. You really could do with a little less humility, you know…" Looking at his watch, Zack sighed. "I've got to head to a meeting. Try to relax some before the test, okay?"

Cloud very much doubted he'd be able to do that, but nodded anyway, watching Zack walk away. He briefly entertained a trip down to see Aeris, but that would take far too much time. Sighing, he decided to grab on of the tactic books Vincent had suggested he read out of the barracks. After setting the timer on his watch to make sure he would get to the gym on time, the blond settled down with the thick text, attempting to decipher the complex material. He had made it through about a chapter when his watch beeped, alerting him he had only twenty minutes more until his appointment.

A minute later Cloud was out the door, having carefully secured his book in his footlocker. Walking quickly — but not running; one never knew who'd be in the halls, as he'd learned the hard way — he made it to the gym with five minutes to spare.

"Cloud!"

Startled, the youth looked up to see a very familiar face. "Paul?"

The SOLDIER Third smiled, his Mako-tinted eyes glinting cheerfully. "I'm glad you're trying out again. Scott wanted to drop by and make sure you were going to, but he got shipped out to Rocket Town earlier this week."

"What?" Cloud asked, confused. "I thought you two were going to keep working together."

"Well, Scott's adapting to the Mako quicker, so…" Paul shrugged. Many factors affected a person's reaction to Mako treatments, the doctors had told him, and the two most important were adaptability, which determined the speed and degree of the Mako's effectiveness, and resistance, which determined the body's mutation threshold. The best SOLDIERs had a delicate balance between the two. Paul had a high resistance, and while they had refused to answer his questions about Scott — patient confidentiality issues and all that — he guessed his friend had to have a higher adaptability, with how he'd reacted to the treatments. These imbalances marked the dividing line between SOLDIER Firsts and the lower classes. Chances were good neither he nor Scott would ever advance higher than Second Class, but… well, better that than the consequences of Mako overexposure.

Cloud cocked his head, watching his former squadmate closely. "Hey," he said softly, "you'll be out there soon enough, I'm sure."

Paul blinked, startled. It wasn't like Cloud to pick up on people's moods like that, as he recalled… though he really hadn't been hiding the slight wistfulness in his voice. "Oh, it's not like I'm completely jealous of him," he replied, shaking his head. "I just miss having him around, that's all. He should be back soon enough. And…" He grinned. "It's true he's getting pretty good with his swords, but I'm still much better with materia, so hey, we might end up working together anyway."

"Moser!"

"Sir!" Paul trotted over to the SOLDIER Second who had called him.

"Who's next on the list?"

The young man checked the clipboard in his hands. "Cloud Strife, but… I'm afraid I can't evaluate him, sir. He's a former squadmate."

The SOLDIER made a thoughtful noise. "Well, then… you're not bad with a blade, Moser; I'd like you to spar with him. I'll fill out his evaluation."

"Yes, sir!" Paul jogged back over to Cloud. "Apparently I'm going to be your opponent. I'll give you a minute to get ready."

The blond nodded. "Different from last time."

"Yeah, well, they figure if you've been through the program you should be able to do at least the basic drill stuff," Paul replied as he watched the younger man stretch. The pair moved towards the center of the training mat.

"No serious injuries. Moser, be careful. I know you haven't had much chance to practice in combat since your treatments. Strife, do your best, but don't overexert yourself. Go!"

At the SOLDIER's command the pair moved forward. Cloud decided to take the offensive, only to have his first attack meet empty air as Paul moved out of the way. Well used to fighting against enhanced speed, Cloud danced away from Paul's incoming strike and managed to land a glancing blow of his own in the process. Surprise flickered in Paul's eyes, but the SOLDIER still pressed his attack, using his greater speed to pull off an attack combination that should have left Cloud flat on his back.

It didn't.

The blond caught and countered every blow, though not without effort. Even though Paul was nowhere near Zack's level, it was still hard, sparring with someone with SOLDIER enhancements. Blinking the sweat out of his eyes, Cloud noticed an opening, dashing forward and managing to land a hit with a resounding smack. Paul backed away, watching him warily. Cloud let him go, following his movements carefully as he took a moment to catch his breath. The SOLDIER was right-handed, and had always tended to have problems with covering his left side…

The blond dropped into a roll, avoiding Paul's next attack, back on his feet in an instant with all the swiftness Vincent had drilled into him. Using his sword to counter his partner's wide swing, he landed a hard kick on the SOLDIER's side, sending him staggering.

"Enough! That's plenty." The SOLDIER Second frowned at them as Paul regained his balance, wincing slightly. "You'd better get in some more practice, Moser; you obviously aren't fully readjusted yet. Strife, you're dismissed. I'll be sending your placement down soon enough." With that the Second Class left the gym, clipboard in hand.

"Sorry abut that," Cloud mumbled ruefully as he watched Paul rub his side. "I didn't mean to get you in trouble…"

"It's my own fault for not keeping up my defenses. And he's right; I do need more practice…" Paul sighed, glancing after his superior, then turned back to the cadet. "In any case, I'm off duty in a bit. Want me to help you move into your new dorm? We can go out afterwards…" Not that he really expected Cloud to accept, but…

"I'd like that," the other answered with a smile. "Swing by when you get off?"

"It'd be my pleasure," Paul replied, surprised yet pleased. Unable to contain his curiosity any longer, he burst out, "When did you learn how to do that? You— well, uh, not to be harsh, but you weren't anywhere near that good during the exams."

Cloud smiled wryly. Between Zack's training and no longer hiding what Vincent had taught him, he supposed he really had come a long way since then. It had almost been… well, boring to fight Paul, though after having sparred regularly with a SOLDIER First, he shouldn't have been surprised at that. "Well… let's just say it's been a long year."

ShinRa Company was a place of many secrets.

This in itself was no secret, of course; everyone knew the company had certain information and practices that it didn't want the general public to know about, yet somehow were known by nearly every one of its employees, down to the lowest office runner boys. Those who were smart picked up on these things quickly, and learned to keep their mouths shut despite any personal qualms. Those who weren't, who found out too much, who reacted poorly to what they learned, often found themselves receiving a visit from the concerned members of the Department of Administrative Research.

Needless to say, the stupid and the overly sensitive didn't survive long in ShinRa.

While ShinRa was very careful about protecting the knowledge of less-than-savory things done in its name, however, its executive officers had long ago realized it was fruitless to try to quash people's tendency towards idle chatter. Thus blackmail and bribery, alliances and mentorships, love affairs and long-standing hatred, all these and more were unofficially "safe" secrets for ShinRa-related gossip, and the company rumor mills were full of them.

Case in point: Lieutenant Zachary Sinclair, SOLDIER First Class, and SOLDIER Cadet Cloud Strife, formerly a private in the 72nd Infantry Division. On paper, the pair hardly had any contact with each other, but nearly all of SOLDIER knew Zack spent much of his spare time working with the younger man. If nothing else, the sheer improvement in Strife's cadet evaluation scores would have indicated something was up.

Those scores were a matter of some difficulty already.

"It's a waste of his potential," Kennent, the SOLDIER First in charge of the cadet program, murmured with a frown as he looked over a batch of candidates sparring in the gym. "He's in the highest-level squad and he's still bored. Look at him; you can tell. Most of the swordwork they're studying at the moment is stuff he already knows back to front."

"What are we supposed to do with him, then?" Marius, the Second Class who had done Strife's evaluation, objected. Like his superior and long-time comrade, he kept his voice low so the cadets he was supervising couldn't hear their discussion. "You said it yourself, he's already in the most advanced squad."

"And bored out of his skull." Kennent sighed. "I'm tempted to send him to Third Class basic training, except they'd probably kick him out. And anyway, they spend half the time adjusting to treatments Strife doesn't have yet."

Marius grunted at that. Though neither would ever say it aloud, especially not within earshot of the cadets, they both knew that at this point the exams were just a formality. ShinRa would never allow someone with Strife's level of skill to get away from them. "I can't think of any other option, though…" the SOLDIER Second said thoughtfully, "unless… We could assign him a mentor. He could still do cooperative drills with his squad, and receive more advanced instruction during general training periods." Mentors were usually assigned to new SOLDIER Thirds, not cadets, but there had been exceptions in the past. "What do you think… sir?"

"That might work," Kennent conceded, nodding slowly. "I'm sure we'll be able to find a willing person for the job as well. In fact…" He pulled out his PHS, just the hint of a smile on his face.

An instant later the device crackled to life. "ShinRa Telecommunications Mainframe, Internal Communications Office. How may I help you, Sergeant Kennent?"

"Patch me through to SOLDIER Lieutenant Sinclair… and tell him I have a proposition he might be interested in."

"One moment, please."

Chapter Text

Tifa clutched Cloud's letter in her fist, more than a little intimidated by the door in front of her. Still… she had to do this. Cloud's letter had sounded rather upset — though it had oddly been a little formal for a teenager — but his demands had been pretty reasonable. It was amazing he understood how she felt at all, really. The young fighter considered herself lucky Cloud hadn't written to her father… though he probably wouldn't have believed it anyway.

With a heavy sigh, the young woman finally knocked.

"Just a minute!" The door opened to reveal Cloud's mom, Elanor Strife. Tifa took a moment simply to study the woman. It was clear Mrs. Strife had been rather beautiful when she was younger; even now her blonde hair had but a few streaks of gray in it, and her face held only smile lines. "Tifa! How good of you to stop by. I haven't gotten a chance to talk to you since I heard the happy news. Please come in."

She couldn't have asked for a better opening. Tifa followed Elanor in, took a seat and looked down at her feet. "Actually, that's what I came to see you about." Elanor nodded and waited. "You see, um… CloudandIaren'treallyengaged."

Elanor blinked as she tried to decipher Tifa's sentence. "You… aren't engaged?"

Tifa nodded, feeling awful at the sight of Elanor's disappointed expression. "No."

A pause; then, the other woman sighed. "I think you need to explain to me what exactly is going on, then."

Tifa knotted her fingers together nervously, unable to look directly at the other woman. "It… It was all my doing. I started the rumor because… well, you know Dad wants me to get married, and I—"

"I see." Elanor frowned. "And my son agreed to this?"

"…No." Tifa shook her head. "I didn't even tell him. I didn't think he would go with it, but… I don't want to get married!" she burst out, frustrated. "I don't want to settle down with anyone, not yet anyway, but Dad will make me and I won't be able to do anything about it until I'm eighteen!" She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down. "And… and somehow Cloud found out. He's… not happy."

"I wrote to him," Elanor explained. "I was rather surprised when I first heard the news from your aunt." She gestured towards Tifa's clenched hands. "May I see his letter?"

The brunette started, having almost forgotten she was holding it; guiltily, she smoothed the wrinkles out of the paper as best she could and handed it over, watching the older woman nervously as her pale blue eyes read it over.

"I see." There was silence as Elanor stared at her young guest for a long moment. "Tifa… I have never really approved of our town's young people marrying as early as they do, and I most certainly disapprove of unwillingly arranged marriages." She folded her hands in her lap. "If Cloud is willing to play along with this little charade, I'm willing to help you both. Now…" Rising to her feet, she gestured for Tifa to follow her. "Why don't you help your future mother-in-law take care of spring cleaning?"

Tifa blinked in surprise as Cloud's mother led her upstairs. "Wait… what?"

"We have to keep up appearances, don't we?" The blonde chuckled. "It's hard to move the heavier furniture by myself, so why let the extra pair of arms go to waste? And you're a strong young woman, as I understand, so you should be able to help out quite nicely."

Cloud blinked in uncertainty as he gazed around the door at his mentor. "Vincent…?"

The former Turk glanced up at his student, right hand pausing in its dashing over the computer keyboard in front of him. "Cloud," he acknowledged, inclining his head slightly. "Are you finished with Sinclair today?"

The blond nodded, stepping inside. "Yeah. He said you wanted to see me?"

Vincent nodded, gesturing for Cloud to take a seat. "Now," he began, his voice taking on that lecturing tone, "what is the most valuable weapon in one's arsenal?"

It was an old question, one Cloud could answer in his sleep. "Information," he replied immediately.

"Indeed. As you know, there are many ways to gather information. I've already taught you about several, but now I feel it's time you learn a method that will serve you well, with computers growing more and more common as time goes on."

Cloud's eyes practically shone with excitement. "You mean… hacking? You're really going to teach me…?"

Vincent nodded. "It's a skill Turks are expected to learn, and I feel it would be wise for you to learn it as well. It can be useful not only in creating defenses, but also in telling when someone else has accessed your information. Now then… pay attention. This can be rather complicated."

The teenager listened intently as Vincent explained the basics, though his attention was drawn several times to a long series of numbers and letters stretching across the top of the screen. "What are those?" he finally asked.

"Nothing important," his mentor told him. "Sometimes you can create new password combinations for a certain level." He erased the coding with a quick series of clicks. "Now, I want you to try."

Cloud took the former Turk's place in front of the keyboard, carefully typing under Vincent's direction. He did not, however, forget what he had seen. As soon as he got a chance he would have to write those numbers down. Vincent was up to something, and his student intended to find out what.

5 June 468.

Dear Mom,

I'm glad Tifa talked to you. I hope everything goes okay. Don't get in over your head, though. I don't want Tifa's dad to find out and take it out on you.

Things are going pretty well here in Midgar. I'm back in the SOLDIER program, only now I'm apprenticed to Lieutenant Sinclair. You met him when we came to Nibelheim. It's been great — Zack is a big help, and I've learned a lot from him.

Actually, I wanted to ask you a favor. I know you have some seeds stored up from the garden last year. Could you send some to me, please? A friend of mine grows the most beautiful flowers I've ever seen here in Midgar, and I thought she might like some.

I've got to go now, but I'll write again soon.

Love,
Cloud.

Cloud looked over the letter one more time and nodded in satisfaction. He carefully addressed the envelope and slid it inside. Hopefully his mom would send him some new seeds for Aeris. He was sure she'd like them; she probably wouldn't even recognize most of them, considering they were from the western continent.

The blond grinned, thinking about the look of surprise and happiness that'd appear on Aeris' face when he gave them to her. Knowing he was responsible for it… that'd be the best feeling in the world.

Most days Reeve was not fond of his job.

He had spent a number of not-unpleasant years outside his native Midgar, working on various construction projects — mostly in Junon, though he had been to other places. When he'd finally returned to Midgar after his promotion, however, the new Head of Urban Development found himself all but strapped to his desk by all the paperwork he had. All too soon Reeve felt like he was going crazy from lack of natural light and social company. Never before had he felt so… isolated.

So he'd begun a little project.

Building Cait Sith was the realization of a childish dream. As a boy, Reeve had always wanted to be a spy in a secret disguise, ferreting out the bad guys and saving the world. While saving the world seemed to be a bit out of his league at the moment, his creation did allow him to spy successfully on more than a few people, including some of his fellow board members.

Mostly, however, zany Cait bounced through the slums of Midgar, observing people's lives there. Even stuck inside the ShinRa Building, Reeve grew more and more disgusted at the conditions forced on those who lived under the Plate. The people there deserved so much better than what ShinRa gave them. If only he could actually do something, instead of spending hours in his office with paperwork that was rarely more than bureaucratic red tape for projects that'd likely remain unfinished…

Cait Sith could not go outside the city yet, so Reeve had no idea how the rest of the world was faring under ShinRa's iron-fisted rule since he had been trapped in his office. The worst thing was he couldn't even do anything for those he could see; most of the proposals he had tried to put forward ended up conveniently "lost" in interoffice mail, or eternally stuck in limbo waiting for the completion of obscure forms nobody could find.

Still, it was maddening to have to sit here with his hands tied. Reeve wasn't surprised that most of the higher-ups of ShinRa were either ruthlessly cold-hearted or ended up committing suicide. It was not a healthy work atmosphere.

Cait Sith was wandering around the slums as usual, while Reeve skimmed and signed more of the endless forms and reports on his desk. He sighed. Sometimes it was difficult to keep track of time, full of paperwork and the same dreary conditions in the slums day after day…

It was the flash of color that attracted Reeve's attention. The solid pink that passed across Cait's view was far different from the tawdry neon lights common under the Plate. Reeve's pen paused above the page before him as he watched a teenaged girl sell a bright flower to a young couple. Intrigued, he ordered Cait Sith to follow her.

She wandered the crowds for quite some time, clearly a regular here from the greetings she received. Reeve quickly learned her name: Aeris. Finally the flower girl left the marketplace and headed off into the gloomier sections of the slums, Cait Sith on her heels in the shadows. It wasn't long before she came to an area long abandoned, even many of the thieves having moved on to better areas.

Reeve took control away from the AI, carefully directing the moogle as it skirted its way around piles of rubble and followed Aeris into an ancient church. It was not an easy task, but the robot's computer would have found it far more difficult.

"Hello there."

Back in his office, Reeve nearly jumped out of his chair as Cait's vision was suddenly filled with Aeris' smiling face. "You've been following me for a while, now. Did you want a flower?"

Reeve smacked the AI button, and Cait Sith came to life. "Would ye like a fortune?" he asked, cocking his head.

Aeris blinked, studying the robot closely. Reeve had the uncomfortable feeling she knew at least some of what it was made to do. "I guess."

"Okay!" The little cat promptly danced on top of his moogle and produced a piece of paper. "Do not live for the things of the past," he read. "Hope instead for the future."

The young woman's green eyes dimmed slightly at that. "…Of course," she said softly. "But, if you'll excuse me—"

Reeve felt guilty immediately. The AI's fortunes were completely random, but it seemed this one had genuinely upset the flower girl. He switched back over to manual. "Do ye grow your own flowers?"

Aeris' eyes flickered back to the cat. "Yes." She reached into her basket, still half-full despite the late hour, and touched the blossoms gently. "Sometimes it feels like very few people appreciate them, though."

I appreciate them. "I've never seen anyone manage to grow flowers in this city before," Reeve replied, studying the garden through Cait Sith's eyes with awe. "Ye must have quite a green thumb."

"Maybe," Aeris allowed with a strange little smile.

"Well, lass," Cait chirped, "I have to go, but mayhap next time I see ye I'll have the gil on me for a flower!"

"I'll look forward to seeing you then," Aeris replied, still smiling. Reeve shivered a little, unable to shake the feeling she meant him and not Cait Sith (though what were the chances of that?). Shaking his head, he had Cait perform a florid bow before the moogle backed out and bounced off, carrying its burden away from the church.

Finally laying down his pen, Reeve took a moment to simply think about the life he had seen down in the church. Even just looking at the flowers had made him feel more relaxed, more hopeful. Perhaps…

The executive pulled out a new file folder and some paper and quickly scribbled down some notes, keeping them encrypted in his own code out of sheer habit (because really, the odds of anyone wanting this information were so slim he probably needn't have bothered). Carefully labeling the file "MMG", he put it away and went back to his work. Maybe, someday, he just might be able to get this project off the ground… especially if he could enlist a little extra help.

The long string of commands and numbers he had seen on Vincent's computer had been sitting in the back of Cloud's mind for nearly two weeks before he finally decided to try to find out what they did. The blond was a little reluctant to actually do it, both because it was clearly something in which Vincent did not want him involved and because he did not want to bring ShinRa's quite extensive security network crashing down on his ears.

Of course, his curiosity won out in the end.

It took him a while to gather up the nerve to do it, and a few panicked minutes to find the little scrap of paper he'd hastily scrawled the codes on as soon as he could after that lesson (it was tucked into the jacket of one of the books Vincent had given him). Once he'd sat down in front of the computer, he found himself pausing after each line with his heart in his chest, desperately hoping he'd remembered everything right when he'd written it down. When he took a deep breath and hit 'Enter' for the final time, though, Cloud was surprised at what he saw (though perhaps, he reflected, he shouldn't have been):

The codes were a route right into Hojo's files.

Cloud had been very, very careful. Many of the recent files (and some of the older ones as well, including a rather large one entitled "projects") had been protected with encryption schemes far beyond Cloud's ability to crack. Those he left alone, instead rooting through the system for older files with weaker encryption. He had managed to crack a file that seemed to be about Vincent, but left it unread. His mentor was a very private person; he would tell his student what he wanted him to know when he wanted him to know it, and Cloud would respect that. Reading that file, even if Vincent would never know, would feel like a violation of trust.

Cloud had found a file in the same directory, though, that more than made up for the pang of curiosity unsatisfied. He hadn't had much of an opportunity to investigate further since then, but still it sat there in the back of his mind, waiting for the right time.

The right time hadn't shown up anytime in the past week or so, though, and those thoughts were the furthest thing from his mind as Cloud made his way through the corridors. His steps were quick and nervous, and he held the keycard in front of his chest like a shield. Zack had relegated certain duties and chores to his apprentice before (and had in fact become notorious for doing so), so Cloud wouldn't be stopped, but still… these were the living quarters of the highest-ranked SOLDIERs in ShinRa. Most cadets wouldn't even dream of setting foot in these imposing halls.

He managed the access code fine, even if he did drop the keycard, and the door opened easily. Stepping inside, Cloud let out an uneven sigh as it clicked shut behind him. Despite having permission to be here, he'd still been nervous about running into someone.

Allowing himself to relax just a little, Cloud stared with wide eyes at the room he'd entered. One would expect General Sephiroth's quarters to be cool and austere, just like the SOLDIER himself was, but there were several small touches that made this place feel… personalized, a little more lived-in. There were pegs he guessed were for the Masamune on the near wall, and a beautifully painted Wutaiian wall scroll opposite; a shelf unit stocked with books in several languages stood near what looked to be the entrance to the apartment's kitchenette, and… was that a tiny rock garden in the far corner?

Cloud shook his head. He wasn't here to gawk; Zack had sent him to fetch a number of half-finished reports he'd left sitting on the coffee table, though he'd had to reassure his friend several times that no, Sephiroth was not going to be there, and maybe if he'd just hurry up and go already he wouldn't have anything to get so worked up over, for Gaea's sake.

While the General may have been out, however, Vincent was in — and sleeping soundly on the couch.

Cloud watched him carefully as he stepped closer. It was rare for him to be able to see his mentor like this, asleep and unguarded. The sternness of his face was gone in rest, making him look even younger than usual… though even "usual" was more like a man just under thirty than his almost fifty years. The thing the blond found most surprising, however, was that the former Turk didn't even stir at his presence.

Maybe Vincent trusted him enough that his subconscious did not wake him…?

One eyelid flickered open. Cloud silently cursed, realizing his thought had come too soon. "Vincent?"

The man didn't reply. Cloud studied the open eye and realized… it didn't look quite right. Something was off — in a way he had seen once before. "No… Lord of Mayhem."

One slender eyebrow rose as Chaos shifted his host's body so he could better view Cloud. "And just where did you learn that name, boy?"

"Hojo's files," Cloud replied boldly, crouching beside the couch. "Vincent really shouldn't keep his codes out where other people can see them."

"No, he shouldn't," Chaos agreed, a touch of humor in his not-Vincent voice (and it was so very strange for Cloud to see that little smile on those lips when his mentor kept his rare amusement confined to his eyes). "Why are you here?"

"Zack sent me to get some files for him." The blond's hands smoothed his fatigue pants. "I'm glad we could talk, though," he admitted truthfully. "When I managed to crack your file, I couldn't help wondering…"

The demon made a noncommittal noise. "Your curiosity may well kill you someday, you know," he informed the boy.

"It might." Cloud shrugged a little. "I think sometimes it's better to know than not to know, though — and I really doubt Vincent would answer my questions about you, considering he generally doesn't like to talk about any of you."

"True enough." Chaos studied the teenager thoughtfully, tilting his host's head to the side. Those few who knew of him rarely acknowledged him as a sentient entity of his own merit. To Hojo he had been merely a specimen (though to Hojo, everything was a specimen, including himself). His host tried to ignore his unwanted guest as much as possible. This young human, though, seemed quite determined to not only recognize him for himself, but to talk with him as well. A most intriguing youngling indeed… "In any case," the demon finally said, "I do hope your curiosity is satisfied. Your mentor is likely to awaken soon, and you have an errand to complete, no?"

Cloud nodded a little, rising. Retrieving the documents Zack had sent him for, he padded softly back across the room, as silent as he could. Chaos watched him go, then withdrew his control, allowing Vincent to awaken normally. The former Turk would not know of their little talk for quite some time, the spirit wagered. And perhaps… there might be others like it in the future.

Surprisingly, Chaos found himself looking forward to the possibility.

If it had been in Sephiroth's nature, he would have sighed in exasperation.

As it were, a frown hovered about his lips as he read the report. Everyone in SOLDIER knew that putting Michael Allen and John Lockley in the same room together — unless it was a very large room with lots of innocents standing between them — invariably resulted in blood on the floor. Their inexplicable, seething hatred of each other did not extend to anyone else, so their skill and excellent Mako scores had admitted both of them into the SOLDIER program.

Allen had recently been sent on a disciplinary mission in the Kalm area after a starting drunken brawl with his fellow SOLDIER. Unfortunately, his direct superior, Marius, had been called away to Costa del Sol by a family emergency — some illness his brother had picked up during the war had flared up again, and things didn't look good this time.

This put Allen in charge of his squad… which just so happened to be working on eliminating a nasty contingent of monsters in the region Lockley's unit was patrolling this month.

It wouldn't take long for their tempers to flare completely out of control. There was only one person who could possibly talk the pair down, or handle them if necessary, who Sephiroth could actually trust. "Zack…?"

"I'm on my way." He filed away the last of his reports and locked his desk. "I'll call you when I have news," he told his superior, and with that gave a jaunty salute and left the office.

Sephiroth shook his head, yet again bemused by his friend's efficiency and ability to read him. He returned to his paperwork, trying to ignore the sudden silence that marked Zack's departure. The General glanced at the clock. Come to think of it, Zack was usually gone during this time. For a moment Sephiroth couldn't recall why… and then it came back to him. Of course. Zack was normally training Strife during this hour.

The silver-haired man frowned at the thought, stood, and walked over to his friend's desk. Sure enough, there was a quickly-scribbled note stuck to the desktop.

Seph—

Tell Cloud where I went. He'll be waiting for me in the gym. Don't work too much!

—Zack

Rolling his eyes at the last line, Sephiroth retrieved the Masamune from its place against the wall and walked quickly down to the gym. Strife was standing in the middle of the room, dutifully going through his exercises as he waited for his instructor. It took him a few minutes to realize Sephiroth was there, but once he did the cadet immediately straightened, turning to face the General. "Sir!"

"Lieutenant Sinclair has been sent out on a mission." Straight and to the point.

"Thank you for telling me, sir," Cloud replied, offering a textbook-perfect salute before returning to his drills.

Interesting. From what Zack had told him, most cadets would have simply stood at attention until his departure, then taken the absence of their instructors to be a sign to slack off and party.

…Then again, Strife was not 'most' cadets.

The General watched the blond with a critical eye. Nearly every SOLDIER spent at least some time teaching the younger ones, and Sephiroth was well used to assessing an individual's performance. Usually he observed only the most skilled members of SOLDIER, but the process was still the same.

For an untried cadet, the boy was good, he thought. Very good. Still, he had a long way to go, and— "Strife, your feet are out of position. Watch your left side, and keep the flourishes to a minimum."

The cadet jerked at his voice, casting a startled glance in his direction as if surprised the General was still there, but complied.

Sephiroth continued watching. Strife appeared to be picking up several of Zack's bad habits — those unnecessary flourishes being one of them — along with his virtues. A problem, and not one Zack was likely to fix. The General continued to observe and occasionally correct until the clock on the wall proclaimed it to be 2100 hours — the usual time Zack stopped the cadet's training. "I'll see you here at the same time tomorrow, Strife."

"…Sir?" Strife's voice was just a touch uncertain. He had good control of his emotions, it seemed… Probably a side effect of Valentine's instruction.

"While Sinclair is away, I will oversee your training," Sephiroth elaborated. "Make sure to run through your exercises once more today."

"Yes, sir!" Strife saluted sharply.

Without another word, Sephiroth turned and walked away, returning to his office. Zack would probably only be gone for a week or two, so he had to be certain to make the most of the time available to him. Ordinarily the General never would have worked with a cadet, even one of Strife's ability, but after seeing the boy's potential, he knew that if those bad habits could be corrected now, and the cadet kept up his training… chances were good he'd someday have another sparring partner worthy of his time.

It was nice to have something to look forward to.

Chapter Text

Zack sauntered off the train and into the military compound station with an artificial bounce in his step. In truth, though, he was dead beat. Trying to keep Lockley and Allen from killing each other for three weeks while Marius had made funerary arrangements for his brother had severely taxed both his reserves and patience, but it wouldn't do to appear anything less than his usual energetic self. The actual reason he had left Midgar wasn't widely known; he ran plenty of little errands like these for Sephiroth. It was part of being the man's aide and having his trust.

The SOLDIER First took a quick detour through the observation deck of the gym, trying to cut a bit of time off the trip to his room. He'd have cut through the gym proper, but then he'd have had to wend his way through sparring groups.

Only thing was, the usual shortcut didn't seem to be working, as the observation deck was packed.

"Oi, Sinclair!" A Second Class called him over. "How'd you talk the General into it?"

"Into what?" Zack asked, making his way through the crowd towards the other SOLDIER. He thought the guy's name might've been Winters, but he wasn't quite sure.

"Taking on your protégé."

Zack had never been more grateful for his control of his facial expressions. Without missing a beat, he grinned. "Well, it wasn't easy, that's for sure."

"You must be doing something good with the kid, though. He's actually managing to stay on his own two feet!" possibly-Winters commented.

Zack moved up next to the other SOLDIER and followed his gaze. Sure enough, there stood Sephiroth, instructing Cloud on an advanced kata, one Zack himself didn't know very well and thus hadn't taught the blond. Amazingly, the little guy was standing there with an intense look on his face, not shirking away from his idol. As Zack continued to watch critically, he was surprised and pleased to note no signs of uneasiness or tension in the postures of either. "So, how long did it take for Sephiroth to get out of his office?" he asked the other SOLDIER.

"They started the day you left, believe it or not." The Second Class shook his head. "I still can't believe he hasn't killed the kid yet!"

Privately Zack agreed, though he was far more surprised Sephiroth had actually reached out to Cloud on his own, and had continued working with him for the entire three weeks the dark-haired man had been away. Zack smiled to himself. He seemed to have made quite some progress; the Sephiroth he had first known would never have done such a thing.

The First Class made his way down the stairs and out onto the practice floor, exhaustion momentarily forgotten in the face of his discovery. "Stealing my apprentice, Seph?" he called out as he approached them, waving. "Who'll I make run my errands if you take him away?"

"Sinclair." Sephiroth lowered his sword, nodding at his aide. "Since you have returned, I will take my leave." With that the General abruptly turned and left the gym.

Well used to his superior's 'public' face, Zack didn't let Sephiroth's distant brusqueness deter him in the slightest, instead turning to his worn-looking apprentice and clapping a hand on his shoulder. "You look ready to drop, Cloud. Let's call it a night." It was a measure of how exhausted his friend was that he didn't even argue, merely nodded. Sephiroth must have been running him ragged… something Zack was secretly grateful for; he wasn't really in any condition to offer further instruction at the moment. "Come on," he said softly, steering the blond towards the door. "I got some stuff for your bruises in my room."

Elanor smiled as she wrapped up the last package of seeds. Her son's letter had not openly said he was interested in the girl he'd mentioned, but she suspected as much. It wasn't likely that Cloud would've asked her to ship something all the way to Midgar for a mere "friend."

Like so many other parents, Mrs. Strife had to admit to a certain longing for grandchildren. She had tried to encourage Cloud to at least start dating, even if he didn't find someone to settle down with just yet, several times in the past, but her son had insisted he wasn't interested. Now, though, there might be two possible candidates for his spouse — Tifa, should they ever come to care for each other, and this unknown girl in Midgar. Of course, if Cloud married a girl from outside the village while still "engaged," there would be all sorts of trouble, but… then again, with how focused he seemed to be on his training, it probably wouldn't happen for some time. And it wouldn't have been completely unexpected for Cloud to marry an outsider; after all, it ran in his blood.

Elanor hesitated before returning once more to the jars housing her seeds, removing a small amount from a tiny one on the end. These were spring gentians, a rare wildflower that grew on the slopes of Mount Nibel. As far as Elanor knew, she was the only one in the area who had coaxed them to bloom in her garden. This was unsurprising, really; they had no great healing power or use in seasoning, and many of the older folk in particular were suspicious of their brilliant color. She had grown them herself for nearly two decades, though.

"They match your eyes," Fastred had once claimed, holding a tiny bunch of the vibrant flowers out to her. He had found them in an isolated alpine meadow on one of this customary treks through the mountains. Amazingly, he had managed to gather up enough not only for her marriage bouquet but also a coronet, which she wore with pride on their wedding day.

Wrapping the seeds in paper, she tucked the tiny parcel into the box with the rest. "May these flowers bring you as much luck as they brought me," she murmured, smiling slightly.

Cloud was being completely unfair, and he knew it.

As much as training under Sephiroth's direction had been intimidating at first, Cloud quickly found himself enjoying it. Providing clear and succint instructions, the General demanded a student give him everything he had. He did not engage in any of the silly antics Zack was so fond of, instead delving right into the heart of the matter at hand.

In so many ways, it had felt like training with Vincent again.

Even better, the other training, the social interaction Zack deemed so necessary, had been quietly overlooked. Cloud had had three weeks of nothing but swordswork and strategy, and he had loved it.

But then Zack came back.

And, of course, Sephiroth had left.

Zack had started training with him again the day after his return, but it felt distinctively… easy. Cloud wasn't really learning much anymore, at least as far as forms were concerned. He knew he needed to work on his drills, and the sparring practice was absolutely necessary, of course, but he felt like he was coming up against a brick wall as far as Zack's teaching went. Sephiroth had pushed him so much harder, but Zack insisted on taking time out to talk, eat, and ("most importantly," he always said) mingle. Cloud could appreciate the reason behind it, but still… it didn't make things any less frustrating.

"Now," Zack began, drawing the Buster Sword with a signature flourish, "it is important for— Seph, is something wrong?"

Cloud followed his friend's gaze over to the door. The General of SOLDIER shook his head minutely to indicate there was no problem, and settled into the shadows of the practice area to watch, as he had taken to doing recently.

"Suit yourself." Zack shrugged a little, turning back to his apprentice. "Now, as I was saying…"

Cloud did his best to pay attention as Zack continued to instruct him, but slowly began to recognize the signs of tension in the black-haired man's posture. Unconsciously, he bit his lip.

This could be bad.

Sephiroth was well aware of how poorly Zack reacted to criticism. Perhaps one of the SOLDIER's greatest faults was his subconscious tendency to ignore the fact that he had faults — hardly uncommon in members of their outfit, but something Zachary's mentor had complained about often enough. It certainly didn't help that, as he had advanced through the ranks, Zack's often… unconventional practices had succeeded more often than not, boosting his ego and self-confidence even further.

It was a trap Sephiroth knew intimately himself. As a man not only became powerful but excelled, people rarely questioned him, especially if he had the deadly finesse of a SOLDIER. Scoggins made it a point to drop by every now and then to take the General down a few notches himself, and was often helped by none other than Zack. His aide, on the other hand, had no such authority figure in his life to provide that service. His mentorship had been a rocky one, a clash of personalities that at the time had been epic, a favourite topic of gossip among the troops. It didn't last, though; strict old Aleong had died in Wutai only a few months after receiving the position, and by that point they had needed as many SOLDIERs as they could take without leaving Midgar undefended. So it was that, like so many of his comrades, Zack's training had been turned over to his direct superiors and the harsh conditions of the war front.

No, Zack was certainly not without his flaws… and Sephiroth was quietly pleased to see that Strife seemed to be picking up on several of those in his mentor's technique. Since the General's own time with him, the cadet had developed a tendency to ever-so-slightly alter the things Zack taught him, removing some of the flourishes and being a little more conservative in his movements. Yes, they were minor corrections at most, but still… it was a step in the right direction.

If only Zachary would see it that way.

"Zack," Sephiroth began as he entered his outer office.

"What?" the dark-haired man returned brusquely, looking up from his work, his shoulders oddly tense. He'd been like this, short-tempered and close-mouthed, for about a week and a half now… and Sephiroth was quite sure he knew why.

"Have you completed the activity summaries for last month? Heidegger is becoming quite insistent."

The other SOLDIER looked a little surprised, as if he had been expecting Sephiroth to say something else. "Oh. Yeah, they're just about done." Pulling up a file on his computer, he made a few cursory changes before sending the document to the printer.

The General paused. "Zack…"

"Yes, Seph?" The response was cool, curt.

The silver-haired man took a moment to collect his words before continuing. "Please stop this… sulking nonsense. You do realize you're being most irrational—"

"Am I?" The other man wouldn't meet his gaze.

"Yes."

"Do you trust me?"

Sephiroth blinked. "…What?"

"I said, do you trust me?" His voice hardened. "Or maybe what I should ask instead is do you lack confidence in my ability?"

"No—"

"Then why in Odin's name have you been shadowing every training session I've had with Cloud these past two weeks like I'm some wet-behind-the-ears rookie who's never taught anyone before?" Zack snapped, rising from his chair.

Not every session, Sephiroth nearly countered; only those during the times he could leave his work for a little while. Instead he replied, a little distantly now, "I am merely interested in his progress. You certainly speak of him often enough."

"Why start now, then? You never stopped by before, not even once." Zack struggled with his temper. "Cloud didn't mean a damn thing to you before you taught him!"

The words stung badly, the truth in them undeniable… but more than that, Sephiroth felt a touch of concern at his friend's rapidly deteriorating cool. This was highly unlike him. "Zachary, you're getting far too emotional about this. This sort of attitude will only hamper Strife's progr—"

"Yes, sir." The SOLDIER First abruptly turned away from the General, stepping smartly over to the printer and very nearly ripping the last page of his reports out of it. Sephiroth, meanwhile, retreated through the open door to his own desk in the inner office, surprised how much Zack's cold shoulder had… hurt him. For the one person he trusted, the one person he could honestly call a friend, to act in such a way felt acutely like a betrayal.

The silver-haired man narrowed his eyes, shaking his head as he closed the door behind him. He had a few extra reports to work on; maybe he'd just stay late at the office tonight.

Zack threw a glare over his shoulder at Sephiroth's closed office door, and went back to work on the papers in front of him. His prolonged absence had left him with more than enough to work on for the moment, and gave him the perfect excuse to nurse his anger. As if Seph had any right to call him irrational, considering how stupidly stubborn he could be about the most ridiculous things—

But what if he's right?

The raven-haired man frowned dismissively. Yeah, right. He wasn't the one hounding all of another SOLDIER's apprentice's practices like some overzealous stable manager all excited about the racing prospects of a promising young chocobo.

Maybe… but then you're the one acting like the nervous trainer, afraid that they'll take your favorite chocobo, who you care for as if he were your own chick, away from you.

He shook his head at the absurdity of the simile, fighting down a smile. It was kind of funny how his 'voice of reason' always managed to sound like Aeris at times like this…

Oh, stop dancing around and admit it already: you are being irrational, because you're afraid he'll steal Cloud away from you.

…so maybe it was right, at least a little. He loved teaching Cloud, loved working with him, but he'd always been aware of the depth of Cloud's hero-worship of Sephiroth. Surely the kid would want to transfer if given the option, especially since he had done so well under the General's tutoring…

Zack sighed. Maybe he should let him go with Sephiroth. They were fast approaching the limits of what he could teach Cloud that didn't require SOLDIER enhancements to pull off…

His gut, however, loudly protested the idea. Cloud would suffer socially without Zack's constant nudges, and besides, he had to admit he'd grown attached to the kid. Even so, though… none of this was any excuse for how he'd lashed out at Sephiroth. He really should apologize.

If I'm lucky, he'll let it slide. If not… I might have just undone years of work.

Zack stifled a groan at the thought. It would not be fun to have to chip through Seph's defensive walls all over again, slow and careful and constantly aware that one wrong move could screw it all up.

He stood and rose, walking over to Sephiroth's closed door — these days a rarity that spoke volumes about the rift he had caused — and knocked lightly. When he received no response, he sighed. "Seph, I… I'm sorry, okay? Sometimes I just… I act without thinking. You know that…"

Zack waited. Still nothing from within the office. Sighing again, he returned to his chair, vowing to speedily finish his paperwork. He needed to get out of here and clear his head.

Maybe if he gave Seph a couple days…

"One might observe, if he had the opportunity, that Sephiroth has recently been returning to his quarters late, and leaving for the office far earlier than usual."

Cloud looked up at Vincent's words, startled. The odd sentence was Vincent's way of probing for information without asking questions. Coming right out and asking "What is going on between Sinclair and Sephiroth?" like some gossipmonger just wasn't something he'd do.

"I'm not quite sure, but… I think he might have had a fight with Zack," Cloud told him, looking rather depressed. Even if his protégé had been schooling his expression to hide his distress, Vincent would have been able to discern his mental state; Cloud's work was suffering in quality, an unusual thing for the steady and studious youth. He must truly be distraught. "Sephiroth started watching our training sessions after Zack got back, and Zack seemed a bit… well, less than comfortable with that. I just wish I could help them, but… I really don't know what I could do…"

"I see." Vincent was suddenly reminded of Lucrecia, of her belief that all things were interconnected. Sinclair and Sephiroth's dilemma was upsetting Cloud, whose worry was influencing him in turn… Why was it only now, after her death, that he truly began to understand her?

The former Turk quickly banished those thoughts from his mind, returning his focus to his student. "That's enough for tonight," he said "You'd best return to your quarters. It's getting late."

Cloud nodded slowly, looking slightly suspicious… as well he should, since it was over an hour earlier than when they normally stopped. Still, he obediently gathered his things, rising.

"And Cloud…"

The blond turned back, one hand on the doorknob, shifting his books under his arm. "Yes?"

Vincent hesitated for a moment, carefully considering what he wanted to say. Words had never been his best weapon. "If you are uncertain how to proceed, perhaps you should seek advice from someone who is more versed in these matters."

A thoughtful look appeared on Cloud's face. "Thanks, Vincent," he said quietly as he turned and walked away.

The former Turk nodded to himself. Hopefully speaking to his apprentice would alleviate his concern… though somehow, it didn't feel like he'd done enough. The only other plausible course of action he could think of was so utterly absurd, though…

But if it could help, he owed it to his student to try, at least.

Vincent silently rose and, proceeding in his usual stealthy manner, returned to Sephiroth's quarters. Once there, he settled smoothly onto the couch, patiently awaiting the arrival of his host.

It was not long before he heard the click of the lock, the General stepping inside as he closed the door behind him. "Valentine," Sephiroth said simply, a single raised eyebrow the only thing conveying his surprise at Vincent's presence. For all that they had shared quarters for nearly a year now, they still rarely saw each other.

Vincent saw no point in wasting words with this man, though part of him still insisted this idea was completely preposterous. "Cloud has been very distracted as of late. He suspects you have had a falling-out with Lieutenant Sinclair."

Sephiroth's eyes went cold. "I see," he said crisply.

I truly am a fool, giving advice on matters of the heart. Vincent met the SOLDIER's gaze squarely. "I had something I treasured once. I waited too long and lost it forever." Don't make my mistake.

A short nod was the only reply he received, but the General's glowing green eyes were thoughtful as he hung the Masamune in its place on the wall before retreating to the bathroom. Vincent leaned back on the couch, closing his eyes with a sigh. I've done what I can, Cloud. The rest is up to you.

Aeris smiled as she dug into the earth, carefully pulling up a weed so the flower beside it could grow freely. No feeling really compared to having her hands in Gaea's soft soil; it calmed her in a way nothing else could. It was a good feeling, one any gardener, working with green and growing things, quickly learned to cherish.

Her smile only grew as she 'heard' the gentle murmur of voices where there were none. It was hard to discern anything from her Voices unless she was really trying, but she did manage to catch a name. Thus the opening of the door behind her didn't surprise her at all. "Hello, Cloud," she greeted her visitor, looking up from her work.

The blond smiled, walking towards her with unusual grace for his age, betraying his extensive training. Zack — her heart twisted — had moved much the same way. "Um, I asked Mom for some seeds from her garden. I thought you might like them, especially since they're from the western continent, stuff you're not likely to find around here…" He held out the package almost shyly.

"Oh Cloud, thank you!" Aeris gratefully took it as she rose, beaming at her dear friend, who grinned back. She hated to think of the inevitable day when they would have to stop meeting, once he became a SOLDIER and ShinRa began to keep him on a tighter leash, but until then the young woman intended to enjoy every minute of it. She'd never admit it, but she liked to imagine this was what having a brother would be like. "I'm always looking for more seeds. These will look wonderful in my garden."

"Here?" Cloud asked, looking around.

Aeris shook her head. "No, at home. I have a very large garden, full of all types of flowers…" She smiled, a little sadly. "Hopefully I can show it to you someday. But…" The Voices spoke again, quietly pointing out the signs of worry and fatigue beneath the youth's current, fleeting joy. She clasped her hands behind her back and leaned forward a little, tilting her head to the side. "You're upset about something, aren't you?"

Cloud nodded, his smile falling from his face as if it had never been there. "Yeah," he said soberly, his gaze lowering.

Gesturing for him to join her, Aeris sat down in the closest pew. "What is it?"

The blond took a deep breath. "Two friends of mine— that is, two people I know, had…" He shrugged helplessly. "I guess it was an argument. I don't know, I wasn't there. But… they haven't been talking to each other since, and every time I see them they're… stressed. Upset. Sometimes almost… almost guilty."

Aeris lightly touched his shoulder. "You may just need to let them settle it between themselves," she told him softly.

"I know, but… It's already been almost a week, and, well—" Cloud looked absolutely forlorn "—I'm afraid I might've something to do with it."

"Why?" the young woman asked, quite surprised. Cloud hardly struck her as the kind to cause an argument.

He sighed. "They were fine until I started… getting to know one of them better. The one had been a good friend of mine for a while, but I had only met the other a few times," the blond replied, obviously choosing his words carefully.

Aeris kept her curiosity to herself, but something told her this was more than simply an argument between friends. Something deeper ran here… Perhaps Cloud had become the lover of the other friend?

The flower girl nearly snorted aloud at that thought. If there ever were a person almost completely ignorant of sex, Cloud had to be it. He'd certainly seemed pretty oblivious to some of the raunchier things going on in Sector 6 when they had visited Wall Market together!

Aeris shook her head. "If you truly feel you have done something to disrupt their relationship," she said, "the only thing you can do is apologize and ask that they make an effort to resolve their differences." She smiled a little. "I really do think you're overreacting, though."

"I'll do it," Cloud replied firmly, nodding. "I have to try, at least."

Cloud stared warily at the door in front of him, not quite believing he was actually here. He had tried to talk to Zack about what had happened between the General and his aide, but the dark-haired man had brushed it off, never letting the conversation linger on the subject. If Zack wasn't going to listen, there was only one other person he could go to if he wanted to follow Aeris' advice.

The blond smiled a little as he remembered the expression on her face when he'd given her the seeds his mother had sent. She had looked so happy! And his visit giving him the knowledge Vincent had suggested he seek out was a perfect bonus. Normally he would have gone to Zack with an issue like this, but since Zack was part of the problem…

The SOLDIER candidate shook his head and knocked on the door before he could lose his nerve. He tensed as he heard a voice from within. "Enter."

Cloud opened the door and slipped inside. The desk in the outer office was unoccupied, as he had expected. Zack had a weekly meeting with some of the higher-ranked SOLDIER Firsts during this time, which was precisely why the blond had come now.

The door to the inner office beckoned; taking a moment to compose himself, he quickly crossed over to it.

He was surprised to see how… stark the office was, recalling his impressions of the General's quarters the one time he had briefly been there. Then Cloud reminded himself how silly he was being. This was the General's public face, and it showed as little about what he treasured as the man himself did. The room, clean, well-ordered, and unadorned, matched his initial expectations of the elite SOLDIER's quarters.

The head of SOLDIER sat at his desk in the middle of the room, looking at Cloud expectantly. The blond quickly gave his best salute. "General Sephiroth."

"Cadet Strife," the silver-haired man replied, just as formal.

Cloud swallowed. "I'm sorry to bother you, sir, but I feel that the recent… difficulty between you and Lieutenant Sinclair might have been partially my fault. I wish to apologize."

Sephiroth didn't move.

Cloud shook his head. "I didn't want this to happen, really. I didn't want to… to come between you."

Still no reaction from the General; Cloud fervently hoped that the man was just waiting for him to finish, like Vincent would have done. He knew this was really not the right setting for this talk, but he could hardly hope for another chance to talk to the General alone like this, so he plunged onward. "I value everything both you and Lieutenant Sinclair have taught me. I wanted—" He took a deep breath. "More than anything I wanted to be a part of this, of SOLDIER, of, of everything, not… not just something to cause problems…" He trailed off lamely, his hands making an aborted gesture of helplessness. I hope that sounded better to him than it did to me…

Sephiroth remained quiet for a long time; when he finally spoke, Cloud started. "I do not believe the fault is yours," he said smoothly, "but I will let Zachary know what you said."

Cloud nodded, relief flooding his being as the weight of anxiety lifted from his shoulders. "Thank you, sir!" Hopefully the General and his aide would work things out now…

"Wha— Cloud? What are you doing here?"

The blond blinked; he hadn't anticipated Zack's return this early — or, more accurately, had expected him to be noisier about it. Deciding retreat was the best course of action, Cloud quickly snapped off another perfect salute, leaving when Sephiroth nodded in dismissal.

The General shook his head as his aide moved to talk to the cadet. "Zack… we need to talk."

Chapter Text

"Why was Cloud here?" Zack asked, seemingly ignoring Sephiroth's last sentence. His actions proved otherwise, though, as he swiftly stepped into his superior's inner office, closing the door behind him.

"He was… apologizing. For creating a rift between us." Sephiroth's tone held just the slightest touch of wondering disbelief.

Zack's eyes widened, and he dropped his head into his hand with a huge sigh. "That kid… I swear. Most of the time he's perfectly calm and clear-headed, but once he gets emotionally involved with something, he falls all to pieces. I trust you assured him it wasn't his fault?"

"Yes, though I'm not entirely sure he believes me."

"Heh." Zack shook his head. "Well, if anyone was at fault here, it was me. You were right, Seph; I was being irrational." The dark-haired man watched the General's shoulders relax minutely, the only sign of his relief. "I'm sorry I snapped like that. Cloud's not the only one who falls over his own feet when he gets upset."

"Indeed," Sephiroth replied, eyes downcast in what Zack knew was an unspoken apology of his own. He couldn't help admiring his superior's ability to say so much with so little, though if he'd asked he would've learned his friend was just as amazed by Zack's ability to read him so well.

"In any case," Zack said after a moment, plopping down on one of the chairs before Sephiroth's desk and resisting the urge to put his feet up, "this entire incident has definitely made something clear to me: The kid needs experience with other styles of fighting." He looked both proud and petulant. "He's got my style figured out upside down and sideways by now. If he doesn't get someone new to spar with, he's going to go crazy."

"He's learned all you can teach him already?" Sephiroth inquired, clearly disbelieving.

"I have been working with him for over a year," Zack reminded his superior. "And while yeah, there's plenty more I could still teach him, most of it's nothing he could handle unenhanced. Shiva, half the time I forget he isn't enhanced when I'm fighting him." Zack wasn't outstandingly skilled with the sword, though the weight of his massive Buster didn't really allow for much finesse anyway (other than a few tricks that looked cool but were a bit too complicated for battle). Most SOLDIERs were the same way, tending to rely on their greater strength, speed, and stamina to make up for it, using their enhancements to pull off moves and combos that ordinary people would die trying.

"Ah." The other man nodded in understanding. "From my observations, he does seem a most promising candidate. I would not mind working with him a little more myself."

Zack firmly quashed any jealousy he might have felt — he hadn't gotten one-on-one training with the General, after all — and considered it. "Well… he has a two-hour slot open Sunday afternoons. I'm usually meeting with squad leaders then, and he isn't busy with… anyone else." Neither his regular instructors nor Valentine. "It's during your normal office hours, but if you shifted those…"

"That will work perfectly, I expect." Sephiroth almost smiled. "Thank you, Zack."

"Right," Zack responded, smiling crookedly. After a moment, he cleared his throat, rising. "Well, I better get back to work. I'll have to see who else is available to work with Cloud during our normal time slot." Zack's eyes took on an unholy gleam. "I can't wait till he's enhanced, though. Then things will get really interesting."

Sephiroth shook his head at his subordinate's almost predatory expression. "You expect he'll make it, then."

Zack grinned. "I'd bet good money on it!"

It was just Cloud's luck that he got stuck on duty for his birthday.

SOLDIER cadets served relatively few shifts of duty because of how much time they spent in training, though those who misbehaved were often punished with nasty assignments no one else wanted, late in the night and in the most remote parts of the compound. However, as fate would have it, Cloud's turn came up on August 11th, must to his disgruntlement.

Luckily, his shift had been an uneventful one, allowing him to escape back to his room early. He'd already had his early-morning session with Zack, worked out in the gym, and waded through the crowded mess hall to grab what passed for "dinner" around here before reporting for duty. Now, finally, he had a bit of time to himself. Walking over to his foot locker, he pulled out the thick envelope that had arrived a few days ago. Bearing multiple stamps and marks of transit, the plain piece of paper had a return address in the Nibelheim.

Cloud grinned. His mother never forgot his birthday, even when he had himself. When he had turned six he'd gleefully announced the day to Vincent, to which the Turk had merely replied that he had best not expect a break in training because of it. After that Cloud had never mentioned it again, taking a cue from his mentor that birthdays weren't all that important, but his mother never, ever forgot to do something special on that day. He had waited to open the letter until now, just to continue that tradition.

Much to his surprise, there was another envelope inside, addressed to him in a different, albeit vaguely familiar, hand. Setting it aside, Cloud read his mother's letter first.

15 July 468.

Dearest Cloud,

Happy birthday! I hope this letter makes it to you on time. You can never tell with the mail any more.

I'm perfectly fine, and Tifa has been a great help around the house. I hope things are still going well in Midgar. I'm glad to hear your friend enjoyed the seeds I sent; I hope you get to see some of the flowers.

You might be interested to know that absolutely nothing has changed around here. The entire village is still in a tizzy over your "engagement" to Tifa. Her father is definitely not happy with the idea, though he hasn't actually come out and said anything to me about it. His sister took care of that problem, I think. I always knew it was a good thing I made friends with Minerva.

I wasn't sure what to get you this year. You'll be growing quickly now, I expect, and I must confess I don't really know what a fighter needs. I've put some gil in the envelope. Please, buy something that will make you happy or go out with your friends. Don't send the money back to me. Honestly, I'm your mother. I'm supposed to take care of you, not the other way around!

Loving you always,
Mom.

Cloud shook his head, smiling. Maybe he did send his mother too much money, but… well, he couldn't help worrying about her when he couldn't be there to help look after her! He counted the money, eyes widening at the large sum, far more than he would need to go out to eat. He really shouldn't accept this… but maybe he could use at least some of it to send his mother a nice present for her own birthday.

Opening the other envelope, Cloud got a bit of a surprise.

Cloud,

Your mom pointed out that it would be a bit weird if we didn't write each other, so she asked me to write a letter for her to send.

Um, I really don't know what to say. Things have been as quiet as always, really. No monster attacks or unexpected arrivals of ShinRa personnel. I've been practicing a lot. I wish you were here, though; it'd be nice to have someone else to learn from. I'm still trying to figure out that kick you used in our fight. I think I'm pretty close!

Oh, my master — Zangan, I think I mentioned him — knows the truth about our "engagement." I don't know if you've ever met him, but I think you'd like him. He won't let it slip. Said I should have asked you before telling my dad that we were engaged, though.

I'm still sorry about that.

If you get a chance, I'd love to hear about Midgar. It's so far away from here! Maybe someday I could come visit. I'd love that.

Hoping to hear from you soon,
Tifa Lockhart.

Cloud blinked as he reread the letter. He sure hadn't expected Tifa, of all people, to write him. Still… he probably should write her a letter one of these days. It would make his mother happy, for one thing, not to mention it might be a good idea to give Tifa a realistic perspective of what life outside Nibelheim was like.

Those two letters were all of his birthday gifts. Nothing from Vincent, though Cloud suspected he had remembered the date. Giving birthday presents wasn't normal for the former Turk, though; he gave useful things as they were needed, not frivolous trinkets on the day one celebrated the anniversary of one's birth. Cloud only wished he could have visited Aeris today; seeing her would have made his day complete. She was so insightful, wise, kind, beautiful…

Glaring at the clock, which now proclaimed it to be 2130, Cloud quickly changed and climbed into bed. Morning would come all too soon, and he had a meeting with Vincent for another trip into the slums.

"Hey, Cloud…"

He kept his eyes closed as he let awareness of his surroundings filter in. He wasn't in his bed, and for a moment couldn't recall why, until—

Training, last night. Zack had pushed him hard, harder and longer than usual, and when they had finally quit for the evening Cloud had been so exhausted that Zack, ignoring his protests, had carted his apprentice back to his room and dumped him on the couch, insisting that he could spend the night there and of course it wasn't a problem, for Gaea's sake, that's what friends are for, you know?

"What time is it, Zack?" he asked.

"I think it's…" The SOLDIER trailed off as he moved away for a moment. "Yeah, it's about 0430."

A sigh. "…We still have half an hour before reveille. Why are you waking me up? And for that matter, why are you up?"

"I've got a surprise for you." Zack's voice had that tone to it suggesting he was insufferably pleased with himself.

In Cloud's experience, this almost inevitably meant trouble.

"It can wait." And with that, he rolled over, careful not to slide off the couch as he did so.

"But there's chocolate…"

"It's too early for chocolate," Cloud said with a note of finality as he pulled his blanket up closer to his chin. Silence followed this pronouncement, and for a moment he dared hope that was the end of that.

"Too early for chocolate?" came the other's voice, rising in righteous anger. "Too early for chocolate?"

No such luck, it seemed.

"Cloud Strife, I find myself utterly appalled at such a grievous oversight in your education," his SOLDIER friend declared, deadly serious. "If there is only one thing you learn today, let it be this: it is never too early for chocolate."

Cloud scowled. So much for trying to squeeze in a little extra sleep… "All right, all right…"

"Does that mean you're finally going to— oh! So that's where the remote— hey!"

The angle was awful, and aiming with just the sound of Zack's voice as his guide was hard, but Cloud guessed from the cry of indignation that his prize, found lurking in the depths of the couch cushions, had at least come close to hitting his assailant.

"Well, if that's how you want to play…" And then his blanket was snatched away from him, and Cloud tumbled off the couch and grabbed the nearest thing at hand as he lunged at his laughing friend, who brandished the blanket like a sorry excuse for a whip—

"Have we come at a bad time?"

Zack straightened, lowering his blanket as he beamed towards the door. "There you are! I was wondering when you'd get here."

Cloud followed his gaze. "Vincent?" he asked, startled.

"Good morning, Cloud," his mentor replied smoothly, ignoring their antics.

Cloud dropped the cake server he'd attacked Zack with, snapping off a salute as he saw who stood behind the former Turk. "General Sephiroth, sir!" He was suddenly acutely aware of the disheveled state of his training garb, and surreptitiously tried to smooth the wrinkles out of it with his other hand.

"At ease, Cadet Strife," said the General, inclining his head.

Cloud relaxed a little, casting a confused glance at Zack, who grinned from ear to ear. "Happy birthday, kid."

The blond blinked. Now that he wasn't completely focused on repaying his dark-haired friend for such a rude awakening, he did indeed notice streamers and a banner on one wall, and there on the coffee table was an enormous chocolate cake. "Um… thanks, Zack, but you really didn't have to do this, because it's… well…" He smiled crookedly, slightly embarrassed. "It's not my birthday."

Sephiroth raised an eyebrow; Vincent's face was even more carefully expressionless than usual.

Zack's grin faded a little. "…It isn't?"

Cloud shook his head. "It was last week, the eleventh."

"But… your file says…" The SOLDIER trailed off, narrowing his eyes at Vincent. "Why didn't you say something, then? You can't tell me you didn't know—"

The gunman looked up from a meticulous examination of his claw-hand. "Come again?" His voice was mild, as perfectly level as always.

Cloud stared at him for a moment; then, suddenly, he smiled broadly.

"What's so funny?" Zack demanded petulantly.

"Oh, nothing." Trust Vincent to pull that kind of thing, deliberately omitting information like that… and the fact that it was Zack, who prided himself on being such a know-it-all when it came to his friends, made it even better.

Seeing the cadet would offer nothing more, Zack made a face and set about trying to persuade Sephiroth to use his position of authority to fix this grievous bookkeeping error as soon as possible.

Still grinning, Cloud turned to his mentor. "You enjoyed that, didn't you?"

Vincent merely quirked an eyebrow at him, but his student had known him long enough that his answer was still perfectly clear.

Cloud almost hugged him then, but that teenage awkwardness and the presence of the SOLDIERs held him back, and so he said instead, "I'm glad you could be here."

Vincent inclined his head. "As am I," he replied sincerely.

Cloud smiled.

"All right, then," Zack said briskly as he turned back towards them, having successfully swayed his superior officer, who stood with his arms crossed, the look in his eyes somewhere between amused and resigned. "Who wants cake?"

As Cloud recalled it later, it was quite a surreal experience, sitting around in his rumpled training sweats eating his birthday cake with his three teachers. Zack did an admirable job of keeping the conversation going, though it inevitably drifted back to Cloud's training more than once. It was a little odd to hear the SOLDIERs debating techniques for teaching their blond protégé, and downright shocking when Vincent asked Sephiroth if they could borrow some of his more mature materia for practice purposes. As the General gave a short nod in acquiescence, Vincent rose, excusing himself.

The pang of disappointment Cloud felt faded into confused curiosity as the former Turk pressed something into his hand. "You'll need this," was all he said before whisking silently out the door.

Zack shook his head. "Unnerves me every time," he muttered, then turned to Cloud. "So, whatcha got there?"

The cadet opened his hand, and a sturdy golden armlet gleamed softly in the light. Holding it up, he examined it closely. There were two pairs of linked materia slots in the bracer, lined and encircled by a fine tracery of the same silvery metal that he'd seen in the hilt of the General's Masamune, on the magazine of Vincent's gun, and in the broad blade of Zack's Buster Sword.

"Good armor for a future SOLDIER," his dark-haired friend said approvingly. "What do you think, Seph?"

"May I?" the General asked Cloud, and the blond dutifully handed his present over to undergo Sephiroth's intense scrutiny.

"The ShinRa Alpha, standard-issue equipment for special ops and SOLDIERs Second Class, is superior, but this piece is certainly a cut above the ShinRa Beta issued to low-ranking mundane officers and SOLDIERs Third Class. In addition to offering a far greater magical defense and an additional linked materia slot, it should bestow a slight increase in evasive capabilities, which neither ShinRa-manufactured armor offers."

Cloud blinked.

"He knows equipment better than just about anyone, 'sides the quartermasters," Zack told his student proudly. "So, General, your verdict?"

Sephiroth returned the armlet to the cadet. "It should serve you well," he told the young man, and rose smoothly to his feet. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a bookkeeping error to correct, among other things."

His aide looked as if he were about to protest, but thought better of it. "All right," he allowed, sighing a little. "Just don't work too hard." He received a shake of the head in response. "See you later?"

The silver-haired man paused for a moment, then shrugged. "Perhaps," he said noncommittally, then nodded briefly at Cloud. "Cadet Strife. Enjoy your leave." And with that, he was gone.

"…I'm on leave?" the blond asked.

"Just for today, and I am too. And no, that doesn't mean we're spending the whole day in the gym, either," the dark-haired man told him firmly.

"Not the whole day," Cloud hastened to reassure him. "I'd still like to get in a little practice, though…"

Zack looked thoughtful for a moment. "Well… I suppose we could train a bit today…"

The cadet brightened immediately. "Great! I'll just grab a quick breakfast from the mess, then, and take a shower, since I never got one last night, and then I'll meet you—"

"Hey, hey, easy there!" Zack shook his head, grinning. "I'll let you go grab a shower, but why don't you come back here after and I'll make us something? Since you don't think chocolate cake is an appropriate breakfast," he teased.

"It isn't," Cloud insisted stubbornly as he left… but he was still smiling.

"Sometimes," Cloud said sourly as they started cleaning up Zack's apartment that night, "I wonder if you shouldn't have been a Turk instead."

"Why, Cloud!" the SOLDIER exclaimed, his eyes sparkling despite the affronted tone of his voice. "What in Gaea's name would ever make you say something like that?"

"You being a sneaky, manipulative bastard, that's what."

The dark-haired man grinned. "You're welcome."

Cloud threw a plastic cup at him.

Upon returning to Zack's quarters after his shower that morning, he'd been pleasantly surprised to find that the SOLDIER had kept his word, preparing delicious scrambled eggs and wonderfully seasoned home fries ("Don't look so surprised; in Wutai pretty much all of us picked up a thing or two about cooking"). They both ate heartily, and after the meal Zack had presented Cloud with a strange little knickknack the younger man had examined in confusion until the SOLDIER explained its purpose ("They used to have these things at the inn back home; what you gotta do is figure out how to get that metal ring there off the rest of it without breaking anything"). Cloud had then happily proceeded to become thoroughly engrossed in it while Zack puttered around his kitchenette — one of the perks of being a First Class.

"There," the SOLDIER had said finally, a note of satisfaction in his voice.

Cloud had looked up from his puzzle then, blinking in surprise at what he saw. "Zack, what's all this food—?"

Just then a knock came at the door.

Zack smiled in a way that should've set off the warning bells in his head. "'Scuse me," he said, and went to answer it.

And that was how Cloud ended up spending most of his day "training" with a bunch of SOLDIERs, at least half of whose names he'd already forgotten. They drifted in and out of Zack's quarters and chatted with each other and even him, cheerfully wishing him a happy birthday — for which he always thanked them politely before adding that it wasn't actually his birthday, directing a sharp, brilliant smile in Zack's direction and leaving him, slightly embarrassed, to explain the situation. Cloud knew it was petty, but it was nice to be able to get back at his teacher even in some small way.

By 2100 the party was pretty much over, the apartment empty except for Zack, his apprentice, and a whole mess of disposable cups, paper plates, and plastic utensils. The SOLDIER had protested when Cloud started to help with the cleanup, but the blond stubbornly insisted that just because the party had been for him didn't mean he could sit back and let Zack clean it all by himself, even if it had been really low of him to play the "training" trick.

They had been at it for about half an hour when there came a brisk knock at the door.

Cloud tensed automatically, waiting for Zack to call out that he'd get it. When he hadn't heard it after a long pause, he stepped out into the living room. "Zack?"

The dark-haired man was sitting on the couch, eyes closed, a crooked stack of dirty plates in one hand. A moment's careful observation led the cadet to conclude that Zack had, in fact, dozed off.

Cloud let out a loud sigh of frustration. Even if Zack had gotten up at who knew what unholy hour of the morning to start putting all this together, it was totally unfair of him to do this.

He pursed his lips, the barest glint of mischief in his eye. How to wake him up again…

The knock came again, and Cloud hurried to answer it. "I'm sorry," he began in a hushed voice as he opened the door, "but— General Sephiroth, sir!"

"At ease," the silver-haired man told him. "May I come in?"

The blond had already stepped back automatically to give him room. "Zack's, um, fallen asleep, sir," he said apologetically, nodding towards the couch as he closed the door, "but I could wake him up, if you need him for something…" Please say yes please say yes please say yes—

"That won't be necessary, thank you," Sephiroth replied. He looked at his sleeping aide for a moment, then shook his head, his gaze sweeping the room.

Damn. Cloud made a face and hurriedly started cleaning again. "I'm sorry about the mess—"

"Don't be," the General interrupted. After a moment, he added, "Most SOLDIERs aren't particularly neat to begin with, and in large groups…" He shrugged a little.

Cloud nodded but didn't stop, continuing his work even as Sephiroth stood there, quietly watching. A few minutes later, he cleared his throat. "Can I get you anything, sir? There's still some food left…"

"I'm fine, thank you." A pause, then: "Please tell me Zachary has not made you clean up after a party held in your honor."

"No, he didn't," the cadet replied, shooting a venomous look at the snoozing SOLDIER on the couch. "If he had his way, I wouldn't even have helped, but I just didn't feel right sitting there and letting him do it all by himself, even if it was a party I didn't want."

"…I see."

Cloud wasn't entirely sure what he'd been expecting the General to do next, but stepping forward after a moment to start helping was certainly not it. "Please, sir, don't trouble yourself," he said quickly. "You didn't make any of this mess, and you didn't even get any of the food, so it really wouldn't be—"

Sephiroth shook his head as he deposited several cups into a large garbage bag. "I've long since gotten used to cleaning up after our mutual acquaintance," he replied dryly. "Unfortunately, he's never been particularly—"

"I'm orderly enough," commented the subject of their discussion, his eyes still closed. "You're just a total neat freak, is all."

"You…" Cloud glared at him. "You were faking it!" he accused hotly. "You were really awake this whole time, weren't you?"

"I was just taking a short break — a power nap," replied Zack, his expression perfectly innocent. "I figured you could handle things by yourself for a little while, but… well, your worrying woke me up." He grinned.

The blond scowled, looking very much torn between tackling the SOLDIER or throwing something in his frustration. Deciding upon the former, he launched himself at the dark-haired man, fists flying.

Zack, being Zack, merely laughed, using his superior strength to easily restrain his apprentice. "No wrestling matches until you get into SOLDIER, all right?" he told his captive, still grinning. "You may be on the small side, but you're not small enough to slip away from me, and when it comes down to brute strength, well…"

Cloud squirmed fruitlessly. "Zack—!"

Sephiroth bit back a sigh. "If you would stop playing around," he said crisply, "we just might be able to finish straightening up this disaster area before tomorrow morning."

"Yessir!" Zack unceremoniously dumped Cloud onto the couch, jumping to his feet. "Shall we, birthday boy?"

"You're impossible," the younger man declared, running a hand through his hair, which was even wilder than usual from their tussle, in an attempt to fix it.

"'S part of the job description," came the cheerful reply.

Sephiroth caught Cloud's eye, shaking his head as his gaze shifted to Zack; in reply, the cadet let out a sigh of exasperation, but he had to work to hold back his smile as they got started.

All in all, he thought, there were worse ways to spend an evening of leave.

Chapter Text

Scott's eyebrows rose as he walked into the training center. "Cloud, you're early." He had intended to get a little bit of independent warm-up in before he started with Cloud, but it seemed that wasn't going to happen today. The SOLDIER candidate was already here… an hour early.

Zack had put in a request for SOLDIER Thirds to work with his apprentice, citing the need for Cloud to work with different styles. Scott had volunteered instantly, since he didn't usually have duty then, and he had to admit he missed his former squadmate. Really, though, he should have remembered Cloud's tendency to practically live in the gym…

Cloud shrugged. "I wanted to get warmed up before you got here."

A smile appeared on the Third Class's face. "So did I, actually. Give me a few minutes?" Scott took out his custom practice swords and performed a quick series of kata, feeling Cloud's inquisitive eyes on him the entire time. Once his muscles were loosened up — only a matter of moments — he turned back to the blond. "All right. Now, I know Lieutenant Sinclair's been working with you, so I expect— Paul?"

The other SOLDIER waved as he entered the gym, taking a seat on the benches along one wall. "Don't mind me. I just want to watch."

"Okay," Scott replied, giving his friend a suspicious glance before turning back to his student. "Anyway, Cloud, your skills have to have improved since I've seen you work last, so I'd just like to spar a little, get a feel for things. Do your best, but don't overexert yourself. Think of it just like the placement test. —Paul, why are you laughing?"

Paul shook his head, his hazel eyes twinkling. "Nothing! It's nothing."

Scott rolled his eyes, firmly steeling his mind to ignore his fellow SOLDIER. "All right, then. Whenever you're ready, Cloud."

The blond settled into a comfortable stance, clearly waiting for his teacher to take the offensive. Slightly amused, Scott did, right blade coming in high, left blade coming in low, only not to hit anything with either. Cloud had darted aside, dancing out of his reach. The SOLDIER struck again, only to have Cloud repeat the move, this time striking out with a kick to Scott's weaker left side. Ow. The blond hadn't really held back on that; he'd probably have a nasty bruise for at least a few hours.

Clearly he needed to take his opponent a little more seriously.

Their deadly dance continued, Scott lashing out and Cloud managing to avoid most of his attacks, sometimes by mere inches, taking the chance to get in a counterstrike when he could. They seemed to be at a stalemate… but in such a contest between SOLDIER and unenhanced, the result was inevitable. It wasn't long before Cloud began to tire, his movements becoming a little less quick, his reactions just a bit behind what they should be.

"Ha!" The practice sword went flying out of Cloud's hands. The young man let it go and dropped into a roll, coming up right in Scott's blind spot, hand darting in to strike at the SOLDIER's neck. Reacting instinctively to the feeling of threat! behind him, Scott abandoned all restraint, spinning almost faster than the human eye could see, his sword at Cloud's throat. "Enough, Cloud. Stop."

Cloud backed off, blue eyes carefully weighing his opponent. Scott considered for a moment what he had seen. Cloud's swordwork was still jerky at points, the movements rougher than they should be. The sword was not yet an extension of him, moving with the same fluidity of his body… not that this was necessarily a bad thing. Cloud was still young, and hadn't been studying the sword long, though he was certainly skilled enough that he could have gone freelance and made a decent living as a mercenary. He was substantially better than many of the others entering the SOLDIER program; that much was clear to even Scott's eyes. If he kept going as he was, the cadet could only improve his swordswork.

His body, on the other hand…

Cloud clearly knew where every part of him was at all times and exactly how much it could handle at any given moment. Scott reflected with a wry smile that he must be one of those lucky few who grew up steadily, and hadn't had the sort of rapid growth spurt that made these things so frustratingly awkward while readjusting. That level of familiarity with one's own body certainly wasn't something Scott had expected from Cloud, though; it took long years to acquire that. The cadet would've had to have been trained extensively during his childhood to develop it, and yet he hadn't shown any of that ability when they'd been squadmates.

His skill at hand to hand went far beyond that of most SOLDIER candidates, and even beyond that of many full SOLDIERs, who often relied on their enhanced speed and strength rather than skill to get them out of a bind when unexpectedly disarmed. In an unarmed fight, with a bit of luck (or some decent spells) on his side, Cloud could probably land a blow enough to put even a SOLDIER out of a fight for a while — and once he was enhanced…

Well, by that point he'd be nigh unstoppable. Scott shook his head. Nothing short of death would let Cloud Strife out of ShinRa's grasp.

"You need to practice more with the sword," he finally said aloud, "but I think you already know that." Cloud nodded. "Mostly, you need to work on making your moves more fluid, which comes with time. I can certainly spar with you more if you'd like, and give you some tips on how to fight dual wielders, too."

"I don't suppose I could learn to do that, could I?" Cloud asked, gesturing at the practice blades in Scott's hands.

"Well, I don't see why not." Scott smiled. "I'm not actually naturally ambidextrous… and neither is Paul, who taught me."

"I learned when I broke my arm when I was a kid," the other SOLDIER added.

"But it's not easy," Scott cautioned. "You'll have to use your left hand whenever possible. Paul made me tie my right arm up when we weren't doing anything critical to training."

"I'd love to try. Being forced to rely only on your dominant hand is a liability," Cloud replied. "And thanks for the offer to spar; I know I need more practice. The only problem is I pretty much know exactly how Zack will react by now."

"Try taking him with your left hand only next time," Scott suggested with a grin. "That should liven things up." To his horror, the cadet looked like he was seriously considering it. "I was joking, Cloud!"

"But it might be a good idea," Cloud countered. He lifted his arms and stretched slowly, still looking thoughtful.

"You're obsessed," Scott muttered, shaking his head.

"As much as I hate to break up this little party," Paul interjected, "you better get going to the mess if you want dinner before duty tonight, Scott."

Scott glanced at the clock on the wall. "Damn, you're right. Want to join us, Cloud? Even miserable food is better with company."

The youth shook his head regretfully. "Zack wants to meet me for some theory work in fifteen minutes. Maybe another time?"

"Sure," Scott replied amicably. "Once I get my schedule finalized I'll get in touch with Zack and we'll work something out, okay?"

"Great! I'll see you soon!" The youth dashed out of the gym, making a beeline for the showers.

Scott watched him go, then turned on his friend. "Now, why exactly were you laughing?"

Paul grinned. "I was the one who tested with Cloud when he reentered the program. Gave me quite a shock."

"Then you knew how good he was and didn't even tell me." Scott glared. "Why, I ought to—"

"I'd only have colored your impression. Besides, it was worth seeing your face when he got you the first time." Paul backed away as Scott advanced. "Hey, hey, just remember who has the Restore materia around here!"

"Fine; you win. Let's go to dinner." Scott sighed. "But I do expect to get a chance to use that later."

"Waste a Cure on something as small as a bruise?" Paul asked teasingly. "Hey now, don't look at me like that. If it's still bothering you that much by the time you get back — and I highly doubt it will be — I'll take care of it myself," he promised, leading the way to the mess hall. "Either way, you'll be good as new by tomorrow."

"Zack? Is something wrong?" Cloud asked, looking at his friend and superior officer with worried eyes, detecting the almost hidden signs of fatigue and… illness?

"Oh, I'm fine," Zack replied, smirking a little. "Girl last night didn't show, that's all."

"Zaaaaack!" Cloud yelped, flushing a deep red and hitting the SOLDIER on the upper arm, an action he rarely indulged in and Zack actually encouraged, the premise being that it helped create a more relaxed atmosphere between the two of them. And it wasn't like it would hurt him — at least, not normally. Today, though, much to Cloud's surprise, Zack winced. "Zack? Are you okay?"

The dark-haired man smiled tightly. "Sorry. I got a booster today, and, well, you managed to get me where they stuck the needle."

"A booster?"

Zack shrugged. "It's not really top secret or anything. You know once you get into SOLDIER you get Mako treatments, but you also have to have boosters every once in a while, depending on how quickly you metabolize the stuff. No more often than every three months, no less than every six. It's not as bad as the class treatments; just puts you off for a few hours or so."

"Oh." Cloud looked slightly upset. "Then I guess we shouldn't practice today…"

Zack snorted. "From what I've heard, Scott and Paul have been giving you at least three hours a day for the past week, not to mention all the extra time you spent today working by yourself. You're due for a break, kid, and I'm not taking 'no' for an answer. Come on, you can help me bring some stuff up to Seph's quarters to make up for it." Zack grinned. "With both of us it should only take one trip."

Cloud smiled back, accepting Zack's implied forgiveness. "Now I know why they haven't given you an apprentice before. You just use them to get your work done!" Despite his words, he followed Zack to the part of the complex where ShinRa's military officers valiantly battled their paperwork. Once they'd arrived at the General's split office, Zack started gathering up papers from his desk and neatly packing them into two boxes. Cloud, studiously avoiding looking at any of the papers in case they were classified, spent the time investigating the knickknacks on Zack's desk. "Hey, isn't this like the thing you got me?" He held up a set of interlocking rings.

"Yeah. You have to get the middle one off without bending it or anything…" Zack replied absentmindedly as he skimmed a document. "Any luck with the one you have?"

"Not just yet. I think I might getting somewhere, though," Cloud replied, putting the brain teaser down.

"Right, then. I think that's the last of it." Zack dropped the final packet into the box and taped them both shut for security purposes — something he did almost automatically by now, no matter the contents of the documents he was carrying. "Let's go."

Cloud scooped up his box and followed Zack to Sephiroth's room, looking up and down the hallway as they went. More than a few people gave him a second glance, his uniform, stature — most SOLDIERS were on the taller side — and eyes marking him an outsider, but when they looked at Zack they seemed to make the connection. This made Cloud more than a bit curious — why did it seem like everybody knew about him and Zack, anyway? Though mentorships weren't secret, it wasn't like they made a big deal about it… He shook his head, and by the time they had arrived at the General's door he'd set those thoughts aside.

"Damn. The key…" Zack shifted the box under his arm, trying to grab the keycard in his pocket with his left hand while not dropping his burden. Cloud carefully placed his own box down, fished out the card, and opened the door. "Thanks. You're a life saver."

"Or at least a box saver," Cloud quipped as he retrieved his own box and followed Zack inside.

Much to his surprise, both the General and Vincent were present, the former sitting on the couch with a report before him and a cup of coffee in his hand, the latter staring intently at a computer screen. "General." Cloud couldn't exactly salute with a box in his hands, and technically he wasn't on duty, so he compensated as best as he could with a serious nod. "Hello, Vincent."

"Strife."

"Cloud." Vincent blinked. "What are you doing?"

"Helping Zack," the cadet replied, putting his box on top of the one his companion had already dropped next to the couch.

"Well, since the gang is all here…" Zack grinned, rubbing his hands together, looking much like a stereotypical villain plotting evil. "Let's go out to eat!"

"No, Zachary," Sephiroth said, not even bothering to look up from his reading. "We need to finish reviewing these files before the exams show up."

"They're another two weeks away!" his aide protested. "And don't call me Zachary." He didn't notice Cloud's eyes brighten, filing away Zack's reaction to the name for future use. "Besides, I got a booster today. They always tell us we should eat well after that, you know, and you can hardly call anything around here good…"

"Regardless—"

"I know a quiet little place on top of the Plate, even. Serves great food and nobody there'll stare or ask inconvenient questions, no matter who you are." Still seeing Sephiroth's refusal to capitulate, he turned to gather reinforcements. "What do you think, Cloud? Shouldn't we go out?"

It was hard not to glare at Zack for saying that. No fair. No matter what he said, at least one of his instructors would end up upset with him. Both the General and Vincent would be less than pleased if he said yes, but… on the other hand, Zack would sulk for ages if he said no. In fact, the dark-haired SOLDIER might consider it a sign that Cloud was backsliding in his social "training." The thought chilled him; he really didn't want to be dragged out on the town on a regular basis again. "Ummm… sure. Sounds good."

The fact that after his birthday party the General no longer seemed quite so intimidating and unapproachable had nothing to do with his decision, of course. Neither did his desire to learn more about the man in charge of SOLDIER. He thought he actually got how to interact with the General now; all he had to do was approach him pretty much the same way he did Vincent. In some ways it was almost creepy how similar they were…

The blond quickly found himself focused under two deadly sharp gazes, but he managed to ignore them admirably. "I'd like something a bit better than normal to eat," he continued, trying not to sound defensive.

"Great!" Zack grinned at Sephiroth. "Come on! You really ought to get out more, you know…"

"You too, Vincent," Cloud interjected with surprising confidence. "I know you want to keep working on finding a way to get rid of Hojo and all that, but if all you do is sit around and brood about it, aren't you just making yourself as miserable as he'd want you to be?"

Silence. Surprisingly thick silence, especially from two men who spent so much time perfectly comfortable in the absence of noise and idle chatter. Still, Cloud refused to back down, though from what little Vincent had told him he knew his words would probably affect the General as much as the former Turk himself. Hojo's name was almost a magic word with the two of them, provided it was used carefully and infrequently.

Vincent spoke first. "You aren't going to back down on this, are you." It wasn't a question.

"Nope." Cloud suddenly grinned, an expression so frighteningly similar to Zack's that it conjured visions of the pair regularly tag teaming their more stoic companions (something that seemed more and more inevitable as time went on).

"Look, Seph," Zack cut in, suddenly all seriousness again. "It'll be a nice, quiet evening. No reporters, no photographers, no annoying ShinRa personnel. Just good food, maybe a good wine, and some excellent company. I promise. SOLDIER's honor," he added softly.

Sephiroth regarded his friend for a long moment, then in a rare show of sarcasm replied, "You have honor?" He placed his paper and mug down on the coffee table with a sigh. "Since it's perfectly clear you cannot be dissuaded, I suppose we may as well go."

"Yes!" Zack whooped, pumping his fist and looking like nothing less than an overjoyed little kid. "Just give us fifteen minutes — Cloud and I should get out of uniform. Meet you at the gate!" He grabbed his apprentice's arm and dragged the blond off, allowing the door to slide shut behind them.

The modest restaurant fit well into the upper middle-class neighborhoods here above the Plate, and was clearly a well-kept facility. However, Havoc's Haven was a great deal more than that.

Haven promised just that to anyone who entered there. The management absolutely forbade the press to appear anywhere on the premises, and waiters were carefully tested to ensure they wouldn't stare at, bother, or leak information about important guests; those who did were fired immediately. It was just the sort of private, quiet environment Zack wanted for those very rare times he actually managed to get Sephiroth out of the office for a bit of a break.

"Ah, Mr. Sinclair!" The host smiled at him. "It is good to see you again, sir. How many?"

"Four," Zack promptly replied.

The man nodded, gathered the necessary menus, and guided the group back down a long hallway with several curtained doors. He stopped at the last and pulled a cord, parting the curtain. Zack nodded as they entered. This was one of the most private of the dining rooms, generally reserved for the more famous guests. Seating was arranged so that each table was isolated from both sight and hearing, granting privacy even from sometimes nosy neighbors. "Here you are. Your waiter will be with you in a moment."

Cloud glanced around. "Where are all the people?"

Zack grinned. "This place prides itself on quiet, uninterrupted dinners for everyone — celebrities included. You're likely only to see the occasional staff tonight. They purposely designed it that way."

"Wow."

This arrangement clearly did not sit well with Vincent, used to observing all activity around him. After a moment's pause, he took the spot that offered the best combination of secure concealment and a view, however limited it was. Without hesitation, Sephiroth settled himself so he could cover the former Turk's blind spot; Zack plopped into the seat beside him, and Cloud sat next to Vincent.

"So… any suggestions, Zack?" Cloud inquired, flipping open his menu.

"Nothing specific. Everything is good."

"Well, while you're deciding, can I get you something to drink?" their waitress asked, appearing from around the corner. She was a bit older than Cloud expected, probably in her mid-thirties. She wrote down their requests and vanished, reappearing shortly to take their orders.

Zack was somewhat amused to note Cloud attracting most of the waitress's attention. He himself was a pretty well-known face here; Sephiroth was… well, Sephiroth; and Vincent, in spite of his odd clothing and reluctance to be there, had the unmistakable air of a Turk, something anyone familiar with those in uniform could pick up on. Cloud, on the other hand, had an unfulfilled potential about him, a sense of sleeping greatness — at least in Zack's humble opinion, anyway. Undoubtedly the staff were wondering if Cloud would someday be one of their more famous patrons.

Of course, if this SOLDIER First Class had any say in it, his friend would be.

Zack managed the conversation masterfully, even gradually drawing Vincent and Sephiroth into it as he chatted with Cloud about his day. He'd always had a gift for speech — people back home had often wryly told his parents that he'd do well in politics someday — which he used to his advantage even as a SOLDIER, whether he was an impromptu mediator or in a more pleasant, relaxed situation like this, where all he had to do was keep things comfortable for everyone without letting the conversation dry up.

Their food soon arrived, and it proved delicious. Even Vincent and Sephiroth seemed to genuinely enjoy it. Cloud, however, had an odd look on his face as he tried the stew he'd ordered, tasting each bite as if carefully analyzing it.

"Is everything all right?" the manager asked, stopping by their table.

Zack nodded. "Just as always."

"Excuse me," Cloud interjected. "Your cook—"

The manager frowned slightly. "Yes?"

"Where did she — or he, I guess — get this recipe?" the blond asked, pointing at his stew with his spoon.

"I'm not sure. I'd have to ask."

"If you could, that'd be great. The taste is really familiar, but I'm sure it can't be…" He trailed off, looking thoughtful as he took another bite.

The manager left. A short time later, the cook appeared, a graying woman whose age clearly showed in the laugh lines around her mouth and eyes. "You asked about the stew, sir? I got the recipe from a friend of mine in Nibelheim. I'm sorry if it wasn't—"

"Oh, no, it's delicious!" Cloud assured her, smiling now. "I was surprised to find a dish from home here, of all places," he added, allowing just a little of that rougher, slower Nibelheim accent, which he had tried so hard to hide when he first came to Midgar, into his voice.

"Oh!" The cook smiled back. "You must know Elizabeth, then!"

"She's still at the inn, or at least she was last year," Cloud replied, voice lapsing again so only the barest traces of his accent were still apparent.

"Forgive me for saying so, but you don't really sound like you're from Nibelheim…"

Cloud laughed, pointing at Zack. "That's mostly his fault."

"Well, Mr. Sinclair will keep you in good hands. We all know that." Still smiling, the cook inclined her head. "Now, I really must get back to work. Please enjoy your dinner, gentlemen."

"What was that about?" Zack asked once she had left.

"Nothing, really…" It was clear the SOLDIER wouldn't settle for that as an answer, so Cloud explained, "I used to eat this back home sometimes, that's all. I don't know if it's the seasoning or what, but I've never had a stew exactly like this anyplace else." He didn't mention that it was a comfort food for him, one that had bolstered his spirits when life seemed impossibly hard — the time shortly after his father's death especially. Zack gave him an odd look, but let it drop.

"It is somewhat peculiar how easily he does that," Sephiroth observed.

"Vincent?" Cloud asked his superior. The man nodded, his sharp eyes still focused on the entrance to the shadowy alley into which the former Turk had vanished. "I guess so. He'll probably meet up with us again once we get back. Or he might just head straight to your quarters. Sir." Vincent had declined to wait with them, insisting that being out at a restaurant, no matter their privacy policy, had been quite enough of a risk for some time. After all, who knew what sort of trouble might arise if high-ranking SOLDIERs were seen in public with a dead man?

Sephiroth "hmm"ed in response to Cloud's statement, but said nothing further.

The cadet and the SOLDIER were waiting outside for Zack to finish paying their bill; the other SOLDIER had sternly forbidden them paying for dinner, insisting it was his treat. Cloud shifted restlessly from one foot to the other, curiosity warring with his waning reluctance to initiate conversation with the General. He cleared his throat. "Has Vincent talked to you any more about… what they did?"

Sephiroth gave the youth a sharp look. "What did he tell you?" His voice was cool, testing.

Cloud shook his head. "Not much. Just… the basics. A lot of it took me a long time to figure out, though, and I doubt he'll ever tell me everything." He looked up at the General. "It's only right, though. I really don't deserve to know. I'm not involved; it's not meant for me to hear. But you… you should know."

Sephiroth studied Cloud's face intently. The overwhelming, worshipful fear of the cadet who'd collided with him three years ago was gone. Now his eyes were not unlike Zack's, full not of pity but of respect for one who had endured great hardship. There was a glimmer of rare understanding there as well, and though he could only know by proxy, could never understand it to the extent Sephiroth and Vincent did, it was clear Cloud wouldn't press the issue… something for which the elite SOLDIER was, in some small way, thankful. "Perhaps I will ask him someday," he said finally, looking away across the street.

"I think that would be good, for both of you," Cloud replied quietly. Inwardly, though, he was satisfied; talking with the General had been intimidating at first, but — much like dealing with Vincent — it seemed to only grow easier the more he did it.

"Hey! What are you two up to?" Zack called out as he exited the restaurant, noting the pair standing closer together than was normal for either of them.

"Why, Zachary, isn't it obvious? We're plotting your imminent demise, of course," Cloud replied with an absolutely straight face, though he was pleased to note the hint of a smirk lurking at the corner of Sephiroth's mouth.

Zack sniffed. "That's not very— hey!" He scowled at his young friend. "Whatever happened to respecting your superior officers, kid? You can't call me Zachary!"

"Quite right." Cloud turned and snapped off a salute to Sephiroth. "Sir, requesting permission to address Lieutenant Sinclair by his full first name when the situation calls for it."

"Granted," the General replied smoothly. "Provided the situation calls for it."

"Hey! Guys, this isn't funny. Come on, Seph! You can't do this to me; it's bad enough coming from just you…"

Their banter continued all the way back to the ShinRa compound, Zack trying to get a rise out of his student (and his superior), Cloud giving as good as he got, and Sephiroth interjecting the occasional dry comment that seemed to be worth more than everything his companions said together.

It was with the utmost reluctance that Cloud bid goodnight to the pair of SOLDIERs and headed off to the barracks. Curfew would come soon enough, and he had training early in the morning. But first… pausing at his footlocker, the youth rummaged around until he found an old envelope. Inside lay several papers yellow and brittle with age. They crinkled in his hands as he carefully leafed through them.

Then he tore them in half and threw them into the trash.

Eyeing the remains of his collection of Sephiroth newspaper clippings, Cloud couldn't help smiling.

He had no need of them anymore.

Chapter Text

Cloud flopped down on his bed, utterly exhausted… but then, sparring with Sephiroth usually did that to him. It was a nice sort of exhaustion, though, stemming from working to the very best of his ability. Cloud couldn't help feeling pleased by it.

The two of them had developed an odd relationship these past eight months. They weren't exactly friends, per se; they rarely talked about stuff outside training unless Zack was there, except for when they talked about their mutual friend. "Acquaintances" might be the best term for his and Sephiroth's relationship. In any case, the General was giving Cloud thorough and challenging instruction every time they had a session, and he loved it.

Cloud stretched lazily, yawning. Not quite willing to just lie there doing nothing, he fished out some paper and a pen.

17 March 469.

Tifa,

Glad to hear my last letter got there okay. Yes, Midgar really is that bad — actually, it's probably even worse in some places. Words can't really capture the city that well, but despite its faults it's really a pretty cool place.

Well, that was probably the understatement of the season, but he didn't want to be any more specific than that in case the mail censors decided his comments were a bit too negative. Not that it mattered that much, anyway; they pretty much expected country boys to complain about the city at least a little.

Congratulations on getting that attack combination down. Beat Rush, you said it was called? Name's a bit odd, but as long as it works… I've been learning quite a bit here myself, though mostly with swordswork, as I'm much better with that than martial arts. Don't worry, though; I'm still keeping in practice!

Last month was Zack's birthday. Remember him? He's the SOLDIER who accompanied us up into the mountains. He's also my mentor. It was a pretty crazy time. I think just about every SOLDIER stationed in Midgar was in his quarters at some point, and there really isn't that much room!

Nothing less than the truth there. Zack had pulled some strings and seen to it that Cloud had gotten the day off as well. Cloud had looked forward to the chance for some extra practice, but no. Zack had once again insisted (though at least he'd asked this time) that Cloud stay with him for the entire day, socializing with his prospective future peers. Actually, it had been surprisingly painless. Many of the other SOLDIERs had been friendly and welcoming; quite a few were content to spend the time discussing tactics, materia, and weapons, so he had actually felt comfortable contributing to the conversation.

Cloud's lips quirked. He'd been quite proud of the present he'd picked out for Zack, too — a very large birthday cake with icing half an inch deep, cheerfully proclaiming 'Happy Birthday Zachary!' It had been a bit of a personal joke, and not just because of the name thing. Zack had wanted to get a cake just like it for Sephiroth's birthday a few months earlier. "Seph's never had a real birthday party. with friends and cake and streamers and everything, and it's about time he got one!"

The blond rolled his eyes at the memory. Too bad for Zack he had insisted Cloud help — in other words, act as porter and unwilling accomplice — with the preparations. Cloud had quite firmly put his foot down there. He'd bought tasteful, adult cake slices himself, using the money his mother had sent him for his own birthday. With just him and Zack attending the festivities, a "proper" birthday cake would've gone to waste anyway — unless Zack ate enough to make himself sick.

The party itself had been… interesting. Sephiroth had been less than pleased to come off duty and find his quarters bedecked in colorful balloons and streamers, but seemed almost resigned to this state of affairs. Zack had cheerfully handed out the cake, grumbling all the while about Cloud's interference, and then shoved his birthday present at the General. It turned out to be a coffee cup proclaiming "The only reason I haven't killed you is I haven't gotten my coffee yet." Much to Cloud's surprise, Sephiroth had merely sighed, stood, and went to the kitchenette, placing the cup in a cabinet full of what looked like… more coffee mugs.

It must be a yearly thing. Sometimes Cloud wondered if Zack was brave or just foolhardy.

Sephiroth had reacted with confusion when Cloud had hesitantly passed him a box. He hadn't been sure if he should have gotten the General a gift. Technically they weren't really friends, but… who goes to a birthday party without bringing a present?

Finding said present had been even harder. Cloud had wandered all over the city, below the Plate and above it, in his scant free hours, searching for something appropriate. He had considered a rather elaborate pen set, since it was the sort of useful thing the General might appreciate, but it seemed… wrong, somehow. It wasn't as if Sephiroth enjoyed paperwork.

Finally, though, he had stumbled across something that had seemed like it'd fit perfectly in Sephiroth's quarters.

A slight smile crossed the blond's face as he remembered Sephiroth's reaction to the giftwrapped box. At first thinking it was another one from Zack, the General had been surprised to find out it was from Cloud; he had been under the impression that giving presents on birthdays was a 'Zack thing.' Cloud had done his best to explain, paraphrasing his mother: "Birthday presents are a way of thanking people for existing. That is, a way to thank them for the positive influences they've had in your life."

Sephiroth had merely raised an eyebrow at that, but had opened the gift anyway. He'd had an odd look on his face as he withdrew the windchime from its box, but had thanked Cloud nonetheless. Cloud was pretty sure he liked it; the Wutaiian dragon motif in blue and green seemed appropriate, and he'd seen the chime hanging near the little rock garden the next time he'd stopped by the General's quarters…

Shaking his head, Cloud returned his thoughts to his letter.

Other than that, things have been pretty quiet around here lately. I really hope they stay that way for at least a while. The exams are coming up soon, and I need all the practice I can get.

Hope everything is going well in Nibelheim.

Cloud.

The letter wasn't too bad, Cloud decided, just a bit disorganized. He'd have to clean it up some before he sent it, of course, but it was just a draft… a good thing too, since things still came out kind of scraggly when he wrote with his left hand. Smiling a little, he settled down with a weapons textbook, quite content to spend the rest of the afternoon reading.

Turks and SOLDIERs had never been the closest of allies. Since SOLDIER's creation there had been an undercurrent of tension between the two groups, mostly based in the Turk custom of choosing some of its own members from the ranks of SOLDIER cadets, but also because SOLDIER had taken over some of the heavy firepower jobs that had formerly belonged to the Turks. Things had changed several years ago once Tseng had secured his position in the outfit, however. Despite what the General of SOLDIER had done to his homeland of Wutai, the two of them actually got along rather well, so Veld usually sent Tseng as his representative when their groups were required to collaborate on something. That was more or less the limit of Turk-SOLDIER interaction.

At least, until recently.

It hadn't been long ago now that a cocky, redheaded street rat had completed his training as a cadet and risen to full Turk status, and, barhopping under the Plate, had run into a cheerful, dark-haired SOLDIER First.

Reno was the Zack to Tseng's Sephiroth. He constantly pushed his superior, but was careful never to step over the line, dancing upon it like a suit-wearing gymnast upon the balance beam. Reno wasn't stupid enough to push Turk Leader Veld — not yet, anyway — but he did take great delight in making life more… interesting for both his stoic partner Rude and his direct superior.

Predictably enough, Reno and Zack got along smashingly.

So it was that, in the interest of furthering his campaign to socialize his little apprentice so he'd get into SOLDIER and not turn into another Sephiroth, Zack decided to introduce Cloud to his newest accomplice.

"Reno!" Zack called, eyes bright with mischief. "There's someone I'd like you to meet!" Behind him, Cloud sighed. He had only agreed to this because Zack had expressly forbidden him from training anymore until this little meeting was concluded. Zack increased his pace to catch up with Reno, dragging his less-than-willing friend behind him. "Nothing physical unless he says it's okay, and nothing permanent. Other than that, you've got free reign."

"Oh really." An unholy grin flitted across the redhead's face.

"Reno, this is Cloud Strife, my apprentice and a cadet in the SOLDIER program. Cloud, this is the newest Turk, Reno." Zack gestured at each in turn. "Now, Cloud is great with a weapon, but he still falls short when it comes to casual conversation, which is why I thought we should enlist your help. At the rate he's going, he's going to turn into another Sephiroth."

"I'm not that bad!" Cloud protested.

"Well, I'm always glad to meet one of your friends, Zack. Especially someone good with his hands." Reno leered at Cloud, who was still glaring at Zack. "When do you want him back?"

"Oh, I'll be around in about an hour. No running off, Cloud. You can survive. Don't do anything I wouldn't do!" Zack grinned, offering a cheery wave as he walked off.

"Is there anything you wouldn't do?" Cloud called after him, then sighed. "Geez…"

"So, kid," Reno said, leaning against the wall. "How long you been in Midgar?"

"Almost three and a half years now. Tried for SOLDIER once and didn't get in, but Zack seems to think I'll make it this time," Cloud replied absently, studying Reno's hands.

"Well, he should know, since he processes most of the exams' paperwork…" Reno took a step closer. "See something you like?"

"Are you left-handed?"

Reno blinked. "What?"

Cloud gestured at Reno's hands. "You have more calluses on your left hand. They don't look exactly like fighting calluses, at least not totally… I'm guessing a weapon, but sword doesn't seem right either. What's your primary?"

The redhead's eyebrows shot up. "Primary?"

"Primary weapon." Cloud clarified.

"Electro-rod," Reno replied, studying the figure before him with narrowed eyes. Pretty unusual to hear someone outside the Turks talking like that…

Interest sparked in Cloud's eyes. "I've never heard of it. How does it work?"

"Tell you what," the redhead said, smirking. "Come up to my room sometime and I'll show it to you."

"That'd be great!" Cloud responded eagerly. "I'm always trying to learn more about different weapons and styles. The Turks seem to have the most diverse arrangement of any group in the company. In SOLDIER they mostly stick with bladed weapons…"

Reno nodded. "Got 'em in trouble a few times in Wutai, I'm told."

"Really?"

"Yeah. See, the Wutaiians don't really do war the same way we do…"

"You were only twelve?"

Reno shrugged. "You grow up early downbelow. 'Sides, wasn't like I had much of a choice." The kid was something else. Reno certainly hadn't intended to talk about his first kill, but the conversation had moved on to his past fighting experience almost before he even realized Strife was nudging it in that direction. Impressive, for someone who supposedly had next to no social skills.

"I suppose not," Cloud agreed, showing no sign of discomfort with the issue.

Why in Odin's name hadn't the Turks snapped this kid up?

Reno shook his head. "Anyway, my offer from before still stands. If you wanna come up to my place, I mean…"

"If you don't mind. Sounds like you've got quite a collection, and I'd love to see it," Cloud replied with a sunny smile. "Ever worked with the sword?"

The Turk chuckled, smirking. "Well, you know. Depends on what kind of 'sword' we're talking about, here."

Cloud shrugged. "There's not that much of a difference… unless of course you're talking about something like Zack's Buster Sword, but that's way too much for anyone who's not enhanced to handle…"

Reno gave him a dubious stare, then said carefully, "Either you're screwin' with me, or that went right over your head."

The blond looked at him oddly. "What?"

"But…" The Turk studied him for a long moment, then sighed, shaking his head. "I don't believe it. I don't fucking believe it."

"Look," Cloud began, "what—"

"I mean, even if you did come from the middle of nowhere—"

"Nibelheim, actually, and if you'd just tell me—"

"—you've been in Midgar — in the army, for Gaea's sake — for what is it, three years now? How can you not get it?"

"It's probably because he tries to spend every free waking moment in the gym."

"Zack!" Cloud started in surprise, smiling as he turned towards his approaching friend, who offered him an answering grin before his questioning gaze settled on Reno.

"Oh great, one of those." The Turk sighed dramatically. "You were right, then; he needs all the help he can get." Pausing, he raised an eyebrow. "Speaking of which, why haven't you…?" He made a little gesture.

Zack gave him a Look, but didn't answer the question. "Ready to go, Cloud?"

"Yup," the cadet replied, nodding as he made a mental note to ask Zack about it sometime later when he wasn't expecting it. If there was anything he hated more than being forced into casual conversations with strangers, it was being left out of the loop. "There are a few things I want to try that Reno was telling me about…"

The SOLDIER blinked, then said slowly, "Please tell me you didn't spend the entire time talking about weapons styles."

"Well… no. We talked some about Wutaiian tactics during the war and gang fighting beneath the Plate, too."

Zack groaned. "Reno! Why that, of all things? The weather, office politics, chocobo racing, the price of mahogany in Mideel — anything would have been better!" He threw his hands up in exasperation.

"Zaaaaaa-ck—" Cloud clapped his hand over his mouth in shock.

"Hey, wait a minute…" Zack grinned, eyes dancing with mischief. The blond swallowed hard, shooting a dirty look at Reno, who strove to hold back his laughter. "Your voice… you just squeaked, didn't you?"

The Turk snorted, trying to hide his amusement, and Cloud scowled.

"You did, didn't you?" Zack clapped his apprentice on the back, still grinning. "All I can say is it's about time! Here I'd thought you were going to sound like a girl the rest of your life. And hey, who knows? Maybe you'll be lucky enough to gain a couple more inches along with it, so you're not stuck being so short. I mean, topping off at 5'3"? It's not exactly intimidating."

Cloud just glared daggers at him, not trusting his voice not to betray him again.

"Anyway, see you later, Reno. Come on, Cloud; Paul said he wanted to talk to you before we go out."

Reno waved lazily at the retreating figures. I'll have to see what I can find on the kid; for a SOLDIER cadet, he's way too interesting in all sorts of Turkish ways to leave alone. His grin widened. If nothing else, following him should be a lot of fun.

"Zack, do the words target practice mean anything to you?" Cloud growled, praying his voice would hold.

"But Cloud, it's so cute…" Zack dodged the pencil thrown his way. "Our little late bloomer is finally growing up… I'm so proud…"

"Shut up! It's not funny!"

Vincent shook his head, glad to be hidden from both of the younger men's view. Cloud was beginning to look more than slightly homicidal. Sinclair was lucky to have enhanced reflexes — and that Cloud didn't have a gun on him. Knowing his apprentice, he'd aim for where the SOLDIER would end up after dodging…

The former Turk studied his student, forcing himself to look at the youth completely impartially. It was hard to reconcile this well-trained young man with the curious child who had found him in the basement of the ShinRa Mansion over a decade ago.

Suddenly Vincent felt very old.

It's summer. In a little over a month, Cloud will be eighteen. A completely legal adult. Cloud would be able to make his own decisions without having to obtain written permission from his mother, including signing the papers for SOLDIER — and agreeing to the twenty-year required service contract. Not that many of the SOLDIERs lasted that long, due to the risks of their line of work, and even if they were lucky enough to survive they often stuck with the outfit anyway. His research showed that those with Mako eyes were rarely welcomed back into civilian society, and few had survived more than a few months after going freelance.

And that was for those who didn't suffer complications from the treatments…

Vincent hadn't realized how little time his apprentice had left. Too soon, Cloud would follow in his own footsteps and sell himself into the company that had destroyed Vincent's life, and there wasn't a damn thing he could do to stop it. If it meant risking a dream so close to fruition, Cloud would hardly follow his advice…

At least Cloud had strong, well-placed supporters, Vincent reminded himself. Sinclair would clearly take on Hades himself to help his friend, and it was likely Sephiroth would provide some assistance as well, when the circumstances allowed it. Several of Sinclair's friends also seemed interested in helping Cloud learn what he could so he could be a better SOLDIER. There was no doubt in Vincent's mind that Cloud would be one of the best, between his natural talent and his extensive training.

Not for the first time, Vincent was aware of time slipping through his fingers. He had been compiling a case against Hojo, trying to find a way to legally get the professor dismissed, so that when the time came there would be fewer risks associated with the hit — :and since when have you cared about that?: Chaos broke in caustically, but Vincent ignored him and the demon said nothing more, apparently bored by his host's brooding.

He knew it was stupidly optimistic, but a long-buried part of him had also held on to the faint hope that if Hojo were dismissed before Vincent killed him, the company might actually step in to quash the inevitable jockeying for power and appoint a successor who was at least slightly more ethical. It seemed, however, that he had missed a great many things while poring over computer files, sneaking around the city, and attempting to break into some of the lower-security labs.

So much has changed…

Midgar itself had both grown and become more stagnant. ShinRa — the President hadn't even had a wife when Vincent had left for Nibelheim, and now he had a son only a year older than Cloud. The members of the board had changed — Hojo had replaced Gast, old Heidegger had finally gotten the promotion he'd seen as his just reward after Fort Condor, and though Vincent vaguely recalled the head of the Department of Aeronautics or whatever they were calling it these days, he didn't recognize the earnest head of Urban Development or the bold woman chairing Weapons R&D. SOLDIER had rapidly grown in strength and popularity with Sephiroth as its leader…

Undoubtedly the Turks had changed as well, though Vincent had done his best to completely avoid any association with them, staying far away from both their files and their part of the compound. They were the ones who'd most likely recognize him if they saw him, since the outfit was one of the few that'd have access to his file, and he wasn't in any hurry to be detained by them for whatever sort of questioning… or to find how many of his former comrades had finally been caught up to by Death.

Had it happened to his partner as well?

"Vincent?" Cloud stopped next to his hiding place. "Are you all right?"

The sharpshooter inclined his head. "I will be fine, Cloud. Go with Sinclair."

Cloud hovered for a moment, uncertain, and then did as his mentor asked, following the SOLDIER First to the train station for their trip below the Plate. Vincent watched him go thoughtfully. The child truly had grown into an individual he couldn't help taking pride in. If things had been different… if things had been different, he certainly wouldn't have minded having Cloud as his partner out in the field.

Ah, Veld. Just what would you think of me now, if you knew…?

Cloud quickly opened the door, a stack of papers grasped firmly in his other hand, and slipped into the dark room. He put the files on the coffee table and glanced around. Sephiroth's quarters never ceased to interest him, if for no reason other than the hints they showed of the General's true personality and interests, completely unlike the impassive front he presented to the world.

One window was slightly ajar, allowing a light breeze to brush the silvery windchime in the corner, sending a quiet chaotic music into the air. Cloud smiled briefly, pleased. At least it seemed like his gift had been well received…

"He enjoys it more than I think he realized he would."

"Hello, Vincent," Cloud returned, glancing at the man in the shadows. "I'm glad. He's a tough person to buy for." Another thing the pair had in common, though thinking about it Cloud realized he didn't even know when Vincent's birthday was. Should look into that. His first mentor probably wouldn't tell him, but Cloud would consider it a perfectly acceptable use of his hacking skills to find out, even if Vincent would likely disagree. Whether or not he would tell Zack about it would be another thing entirely.

…though it might be entertaining to see what sort of ridiculous extravagance the SOLDIER could come up with to celebrate Vincent's birthday…

"What are you doing here?" Vincent asked, interrupting his thoughts. They had agreed to minimize the times Cloud came to Sephiroth's apartment, particularly unaccompanied by Zack, since it would undoubtedly raise suspicions.

"I came to talk to you," Cloud replied. "Don't worry. Zack 'sent me up with some papers' so I'm officially here on business. He's gotten a reputation for making me do his grunt work, and occasionally it comes in handy."

"I see," was all the former Turk said, and that look in his eyes was the only opening Cloud was going to get, so he took it.

"What was bothering you earlier? And don't tell me nothing was wrong. I could tell that much."

Vincent silently cursed Sinclair to the darkest depths of the Crater. The boy had never been this perceptive before… "That is none of your concern."

"Yeah, right." Cloud shook his head stubbornly. "You've looked after me for years, Vincent, and that comes with certain consequences. If you need someone to talk to, I'm willing to listen… especially since you seem like you won't talk to anyone else."

The pair engaged in a silent glaring match; Cloud won. "I was merely contemplating the passage of time; it's something quite common for one my age. Pay it no mind." The Turk sank further into the darkness of the room… not that that made much difference, since Cloud could sense exactly where he was.

The blond bit down on the question trying to escape him; asking Vincent how old he really was would not get him the answers he wanted. Besides, he could find that out on his own. "Any particular reason why?"

"You are almost an adult, Cloud, and are moving beyond my tutorship." A rustling sound as Vincent pulled his cloak closer. "There will be… certain changes coming. I was merely preparing for them."

"Moving beyond your tutorship?" Cloud scoffed. "Yeah, right! I bet I could spend the rest of my life learning from you. And besides, even if you do stop being my teacher someday, that doesn't mean there won't be a place for you. You're my friend too, Vincent. More than that, you were my first friend." And you're the only father I can really remember. How could I ever let you go?

"That is… encouraging, Cloud," Vincent replied slowly. "Thank you."

Cloud grinned. "As much as I hate to sound like Zack, it might be a good idea for you to try to socialize a little more. I know you can't really go out on the town as it were, but you could at least talk to General Sephiroth some. Considering everything you've told me, you should have at least some things in common."

"Sephiroth is… not exactly an easy person to talk to."

Cloud shot him a look that spoke volumes. And you are? The beep of a digital clock striking the hour reminded him how late he was, and so he said instead, "I better go, before someone thinks I'm vandalizing the General's room or something. Try not to brood too much!"

Vincent shook his head, a slight smile tugging at his lips as he watched his apprentice go. He wasn't sure what he had done in life to deserve such a pupil, but he was glad to have Cloud just the same.

Chapter Text

"Come on, Cloud! You aren't getting out of it this time!"

"Zack, there is absolutely no reason why we have to go drinking!" Cloud rolled his eyes.

"Oh yes there is." Zack slung an arm around Cloud's shoulders. "Last I checked, you haven't been even once since you've been in Midgar — since for some absurd reason you actually obey the stupid drinking age law, unlike ninety percent of young ShinRa employees—"

"Where'd you get that statistic?"

"—and in a few months it'll be the exams, so you won't want to go then, but after that you'll end up getting your enhancements, and then it'll cost like four times as much to get you even a little drunk." Zack nodded sagely at his friend. "I'm not saying you have to get totally plastered, but everyone should experience that buzz at least once. I mean, Seph is bad enough as it is; no matter how much you give 'im, the man doesn't even get the slightest bit tipsy—"

"Really, that's not necessary—" Cloud protested.

Zack visibly wilted. "Please, Cloud? Come on, you wouldn't let me take you out last week for your birthday. It's only fair! And you're off duty tomorrow, so you'll have plenty of time to recover…"

Cloud's birthday had been on a Sunday this year, and even Zack couldn't get Sephiroth to cancel his training sessions. This of course had meant Cloud was just about ready to drop dead afterwards, so (luckily, he thought) he'd only had to endure Zack's crazy birthday plans early in the day. As a consequence, however, Zack had been pestering him about the drinking thing every day since.

"You're not going to give up on this, are you?" Cloud said finally, more statement than question.

Zack grinned. "Nope!"

His apprentice sighed. "All right, all right. I'll go — just this once. Let me just get changed first."

Zack nodded, still grinning. "You do that. And if you aren't at the gate in fifteen minutes, I'll come drag you out myself!"

Cloud shook his head and returned to his room, pulling a set of civvies from his footlocker. It wasn't as easy as it used to be; the locker was stuffed full of birthday presents as well as clothing. Tucked in on the side was a small safety box, containing the gold armlet and Fire materia Vincent had given him last year, the Elemental materia he had found back home, and three more materia he had received from Sephiroth for his eighteenth birthday. They were common ones, nothing more than low-level Ice, Lightning, and Restore, but Cloud treasured them nonetheless. Below that lay the various brain teasers Zack had gotten him over the past two years for every occasion imaginable. The things were surprisingly addicting. His gun was carefully packed away on the other side, safety on and bullets kept in a small case beside it. The rest of the locker was full of spare uniforms and civilian clothing, and the gift his mother and Tifa had bought for him together.

It was a staff, wooden ends capped in metal. It had two unlinked materia slots and actually came apart in the middle; each half screwed into a metal piece about a foot long. It wasn't the strongest staff in the world, but it was easy to hide and pack for traveling purposes.

Cloud could only guess that his mother had noticed him carrying around his staff at home all the time, and had deduced its purpose. He smiled. No one could call his mom dumb!

The blond hesitated for a moment, considering whether or not he should bring the staff with him. He was going down to the slums, but… he was also going with Zack, so he probably wouldn't need it. Nobody in their right mind messed with a SOLDIER, on duty or off — plus Cloud was still wearing the pair of knives Scott and Paul had given him. Knives were Paul's specialty, everything from daggers so long they were nearly swords in their own right to tiny little things that could be hidden anywhere on one's person. The SOLDIER Third had drilled Cloud relentlessly on their use — not that he minded in the least, of course — before he and Scott presented Cloud with a pair of his own (six inches from pommel to tip and balanced for throwing) as a joint birthday present.

I should be just fine. They were supposed to be going drinking, not fighting, and the staff would stand out terribly — a huge faux pas in Vincent's book, one that he'd always taught his student to avoid.

Walking swiftly through the halls, Cloud made it to the gate in plenty of time. Zack nodded in greeting and they set off for the train station, the dark-haired man sharing choice bits of humorous stories about his fellow SOLDIERs. He stopped only when the train pulled into the Sector Three station. "And here we are!"

Cloud followed the SOLDIER onto the platform and into the street, past ragged men who leaned against graffiti-covered walls watching them with hard eyes. "Why are we here below the Plate, anyway?" Cloud asked in a low voice. "The restaurants and stuff up there offer good food and drink…"

"True," Zack acknowledged, "but a lot of it tastes… artificial, y'know? It doesn't often have the homey, down-to-earth feel of the stuff down here. Besides, all the good booze is here… if you want something other than wine, anyway." Zack grinned, gesturing towards a ramshackle building lit up by garish neon signs. "Follow me."

The blond knew better than to criticize Zack's choice, even if the place looked less structurally sound than the poor shack he and Vincent had built all those years ago. He silently followed Zack inside as they threaded their way through the busy tables towards the bar.

"Ah, Zack!" the bartender said, turning towards him with a smile. "Back again, are you?"

Cloud shook his head disbelievingly. Did they know Zack at every restaurant or bar in Midgar? It sure seemed like it some days…

"Yo, Cole. Looks like business is going pretty well." Zack grinned at the man, settling onto one of the barstools. "Come on, Cloud. Grab a seat. " He gestured to the place next to him, then turned to address the bartender again. "Cloud turned eighteen last week, so I figured I better properly introduce him to the finer things in life."

"Oho!" Cole laughed. "I suppose I should get out the usual, then. Not allergic to anything, are ya, Cloud?"

"Not that I'm aware of," the blond replied, feeling a bit bemused.

The bartender placed a small glass of amber liquid in front of the SOLDIER cadet. "Enjoy!"

Cloud eyed the glass with suspicion and cautiously took a swallow, only to start coughing as the alcohol burned down his throat. Zack laughed at the look on his face. "You don't drink that stuff for its taste. You drink it for its effects." The black-haired man took a swig from his own glass, its contents a darker brown than Cloud's.

"If you say so," the blond replied dubiously, trying a smaller sip this time.

"So…" Zack began, turning towards him. "Any family traditions for the big one-eight?"

Cloud shook his head. "Nothing I can think of. I don't know what Dad might have done…" He paused for a moment. "It's sort of a tradition back home for guys to get married on their birthday if they've been engaged. Girls often marry younger, but that's because guys are supposed to be the providers and generally it takes a while to set up a stable home."

"Married?" Zack choked. "You're joking, right?"

"Nope. Don't you remember? Tifa told you we tend to marry young." Cloud shook his head. "Nibelheim's in the middle of nowhere, Zack."

"Gongaga isn't exactly the center of civilization either, you know," the SOLDIER pointed out.

"But it's not as cut off," the blond countered. "Due to heavy snows, we spend at least four months each year essentially trapped in the village and its immediate surroundings. A lot of kids die in the winter, especially; we have no hospital, our clinic is run by the midwife out of her kitchen, and that time of year it's all but impossible to get the really effective medicines they ship out of Midgar. Most families are lucky if two of their kids reach adulthood." He took another sip of his drink. "Things have been better with the monsters lately because of ShinRa, but they used to get a lot of people, too. We've been lucky enough not to have had any really bad avalanches for a while, though…" He paused. "Actually, we're probably about due for another one now, though it's hard to tell just when it'll be. Building the reactor changed that up a lot, so I hear." The SOLDIER First stared at him. "Remember that guy at the inn? He turned seventy-two that year, and by all accounts is the oldest man who's lived in town. Most people are lucky to make sixty."

A low whistle. "Someone's either had too much to drink or not nearly enough."

"That's only his first glass, Reno," Zack commented, glancing over his shoulder.

The Turk nodded sagely. "Not enough, then. Better drink faster, kid. You'll get everyone depressed otherwise." He dropped into the seat next to Cloud, electro-rod looped around his wrist, and signaled the bartender.

"What are you doing down here anyway, Reno? And in uniform, no less. Don't tell me you're drinking on company time," Zack joked.

Reno shrugged. "I have to hang around here for a while. Waiting for somebody to show up."

"Tax evasion?" Cloud interjected, playing with his nearly empty glass. The first few sips must have dulled his taste buds, because it didn't seem so bad anymore.

Reno smiled humorlessly. "Something like that." Cloud gave the redhead a look; he clearly understood there was more to it, but wasn't going to press the issue. The Turk merely nodded in acknowledgement. "So, what are you two doing down here, anyway?"

"Introducing Cloud into the wonderful world of alcohol," Zack replied. "He's eighteen now — never been before, and I wanted to make sure he got the full experience before his enhancements."

The Turk shook his head. "'S the worst thing about you SOLDIERs. Can't get drunk without buying out the whole damn bar." Reno grinned at Cloud. "Any other plans now that you're finally legal?"

"Not really." The blond finished off his drink, studying his glass thoughtfully. "I still don't see why you like this stuff so much."

"That's 'cause you haven't had enough." Zack motioned for the bartender to bring Cloud another. "So, Reno, what's up on your side of the business lately?"

The two of them chatted idly for a while, eventually swapping stories of pranks they'd pulled on their coworkers. Cloud mostly stayed quiet, sipping his drinks in silence, though occasionally he offered his opinion on Zack's stories, particularly when they concerned things he'd had to endure himself. Sometime between his third and fourth of the night, Cloud took to ignoring his drink in favor of trying to keep the world from spinning. It wasn't the first time he had to deal with something like this; Vincent had forced him fight while dizzy several times before he'd come to Midgar, trying to imitate the effects of certain drugs. Probably a good thing, else I might not even be sitting up straight…

Abruptly the blond stiffened, his hand shooting out to catch Reno's wrist. Blue eyes blinked at the Turk, their owner less than pleased with the invasion of his personal space.

"Geez, relax, kid." The redhead managed to remove Cloud's hand from his wrist, though it wasn't easy. "Damn. You got the best reflexes I've ever seen on somebody under the influence. I don't suppose I can convince you to join the Turks, huh? We need people with your type of skills, and we take care of our own. You'd make a great partner."

"Can't. Already passed over. Failed th' exams," Cloud mumbled, body relaxing now that the 'threat' had been dealt with.

Reno shook his head. "That's all right. You could still get sponsored easily enough." He leaned a little closer. "You'd get promoted pretty quickly, I bet…"

"I can think of several people who would be extremely disappointed in you if you took that path, Cloud," Zack interjected, glaring warningly at the Turk.

"Yeah." Cloud half smiled. "Sorry, Reno, but my place is in SOLDIER, if I can get it." The blond slipped off of his stool, focusing his attention on his feet, which seemed disinclined to cooperate with him.

"Just hold on a sec, Cloud," Zack told him, paying the bill and following the blond out. "The nerve of that guy…" He stopped, steadying his friend. "You really are a lightweight, aren't you? You didn't have that much. " He smiled a little. "Though your size might have something to do with it…"

"Shaddup," Cloud grumbled. So what if he was only five-three?

The pair walked slowly back to the station, Zack keeping one eye out for trouble and the other on Cloud, who concentrated on his disobedient feet. Only once they were safely aboard the train heading topside did Cloud speak again. "D'ya really think I'll make it, Zack?"

The dark-haired man paused in his stretching, turning towards him. "Hm?"

"Into SOLIDER." Cloud stared out the windows morosely. "It seems impossible some days…"

Zack stared at youth in shock, surprised at the defeat underlying his words. "Cloud, why are you doubting yourself?" He shook his head. "Not only do I think you can do it, I know you'll excel, especially if you keep working the way you have been. And I'm not the only one. Scott and Paul do too."

"You're my friends. You could be seeing something that's not there." Cloud averted his eyes.

"Damn." Zack sighed. "You had to be a gloomy drunk, didn't you?" He threw his arm around Cloud's shoulders, trying to cheer up the younger man. "It's not just our opinion. Just about every SOLDIER who has ever seen you in action and talked to me about it thinks the same thing." He bit back a laugh. "Even Seph thinks you'll do well."

Cloud's head whipped around, and he stared at his friend disbelievingly. "Sephiroth does?"

"Of course. He wouldn't bother to keep working with you if you weren't worth his time. He has to see something worthwhile in you if he's going to let you hang around him at all. That's just how he is," Zack replied. "So, unless you're going to doubt the General's opinion — not a wise decision if you want to live long, by the way — you better get your mind set on getting in. And once you do get in, I'll get you a present."

"Zack, you don't have to—"

"I know. But I want to." Zack's grin was huge. "It should look pretty good on you, I think. Now, promise you'll take it when the time comes so I don't have to kick your ass."

"Fine." Cloud sighed. "Though somehow I got the feeling I'll end up regretting this…"

Zack looked offended. "No trust. No trust at all."

Cloud snorted. "Ha! I trust you. It's just what I trust you to do is the problem."

"The agony! My soul can't bear it!" Zack cried, pretending to look hurt. "Whatever did I do to you to deserve this?"

"Remember that birthday party?" Cloud couldn't quite raise his eyebrows the way Sephiroth did when Zack said something gigantically stupid, but it was a pretty good impression.

"Oh yeah. That." Zack's expression grew sheepish. "Maybe you do have a point. But I'm still getting you that present!" Cloud shook his head. How did he end up with friends like these?

Cloud tugged once more on his shirt, trying to smooth out the wrinkles caused by the close crowd on train he'd taken below the Plate. It was never this bad when he went with Zack; most people gave SOLDIERs and those with them a wide birth. On the other hand, young unimpressive men in civilian clothes were more often than not shoved into corners, unless those next to them had an interest in them. But there was no way he was going to bring Zack with him to do this.

The blond shook his head. Get a grip, Cloud. He really shouldn't be wasting time thinking about crowded trains and the pros of being a SOLDIER at the moment. Why were these doors he had gone through so many times imposing now?

Shaking his head fiercely, Cloud pulled the door open and slipped inside the church. "Aeris?"

"Cloud!" The young woman stood, smiling, momentarily abandoning her work in the church's garden. "I didn't expect you today."

"Well, I got a couple extra hours off." Cloud smiled back, trying to hide his nervousness.

Aeris brushed the dirt from her dress. "Care to give me a hand?"

"Sure." Cloud walked over to the flower patch and joined Aeris in weeding the flowers. It seemed like she could get just about anything to grow in this little patch of land. He knew from past experience her hands were far more skilled at this than his, but he still helped as best he could. "How are they doing?" It was a stupid question, but he felt like he had to say something or go mad.

"The flowers?" Aeris asked. "Rather well, I think. This will likely be the second to last batch, though. Winter is coming."

Cloud nodded. It was already the last week of August. Time had flown so quickly in so many ways. "True. Harder to grow flowers in the cold."

Aeris nodded. "These kind, at least. There are some that will grow in colder weather, and even snow, but I haven't managed to get them to survive in Midgar yet. It never gets quite that cold here," she replied. "Though if you'd like to help me try, I'd appreciate it."

"I'd like that," Cloud agreed, though in truth the only real reason he cared about the flowers was that they were important to Aeris. "Actually, um… I was wondering if we could possibly go out to dinner sometime. Just the two of us." The blond snapped his mouth shut, face reddening. That wasn't how he'd planned to do that at all. He hoped fervently it didn't sound as stupid to Aeris as it did to him.

The flower girl looked at him for a long moment, understanding dawning in her green eyes. "…Oh, Cloud." His heart plummeted, hearing the sadness in her tone of voice. "I'm sorry." She lightly touched his shoulder, keeping her hand there even when he flinched away. "You're a very dear friend, and in many ways you're like a brother to me, but…" She shook her head.

"…There's someone else." Maybe it was something in her tone, or in her eyes, but Cloud suddenly knew there was someone standing between them.

"No— well, yes— but that's not all of it. The… ShinRa has been after me for a long time, and I have to be careful. There is— was…" Aeris sighed. "I was seeing someone for a while, but he's pretty important to the company, so… we had to break it off," she explained, and it was clear she truly regretted that. "Cloud… you told me you wanted to be a SOLDIER. Someday soon, you'll be important to ShinRa too, and the more powerful you become the less often we'll be able to safely meet. Occasionally is okay, but…" She trailed off.

Cloud wanted to argue, to say that he could protect her, that he would change ShinRa for her sake so she could be safe, but Vincent had trained him to be realistic, and he knew the odds of being able to do so were slim to none. And even then, her heart could never be his. He'd lost this fight before it had begun. "…I understand." He stood, trying to cover his hurt. "I better go, then."

Aeris stood as well, watching the young man walk away towards the church's doors. "Cloud!" she called after him, and he paused. "I still… I hope you can still think of me as your friend. If I can ever help you—"

"I know." Cloud didn't turn towards her, afraid he might lose his composure if he did. This was hard enough as it was. "I'll come back, someday. I promise."

"All right." Aeris's voice was sad. "Be safe, Cloud."

"You, too."

And with that he was gone. Aeris knelt, burying her hands in the earth and screaming in her mind, feeling Cloud's pain like it was her own, knowing how it felt to be rejected. Why? Why didn't you tell me? Why didn't you let me prepare for this? If she had known, if she had paid closer attention and realized Cloud had been developing feelings for her, she could have… could have headed it off, done something, at least…!

Yet the Planet offered no reply, the Voices were silent, and all she could think was she had just lost one of her dearest friends to a misunderstanding.

The last Ancient bent her head and wept.

Chapter Text

Cloud did his best to conceal his disappointment as he returned to the ShinRa military compound, but it was really hard. It surprised him how much Aeris's rejection had affected him, but… what could he do about it, really? None of his teachers — not even Zack — had taught him how to control his heart. The blond smiled sardonically at that thought. The black-haired SOLDIER would be the only one able to give him any advice on the subject, all things considered. From the little Cloud had learned about Vincent's personal life he wouldn't have much advice as far as women were concerned, and Sephiroth…

Well, to put it bluntly, Cloud couldn't imagine Sephiroth ever dating someone. Who could keep up with the General? Besides Zack, anyway, who did seem to do a good job of it…

"Cloud!" The SOLDIER cadet glanced over to see the very man he'd just been thinking of, though a part of him wasn't entirely sure he wanted to see Zack at the moment. "Hey, want to go out for a bit?"

Cloud actually toyed with the idea for a moment before discarding it. He doubted he could find the answers he needed at the bottom of a bottle, despite Reno's claims to the contrary. "Not tonight, Zack."

"Hey, kiddo. What's wrong?" Zack asked, concern writ plainly upon his face. "You look like you just got dumped by your one true love or something."

Cloud flinched; it wasn't much, but it was enough for Zack to notice, and to know in that way he always knew. "Oh, hellfires. You come with me." Zack grabbed Cloud's shoulder and turned him towards the SOLDIER quarters. "We'll talk about this in private."

The pair traveled in silence. Zack managed to quickly open the door and usher Cloud inside, moving to the kitchen as soon as the blond was seated. In a matter of moments the SOLDIER First had his kettle on the small stove, boiling water. "Wait till I make some tea, then we can get started." He pulled out a pair of plain blue mugs. "Mom always swore tea makes everything better. Let's see if she's right."

"My mother always used cocoa," Cloud murmured, staring off into space as he remembered the times his mother had made the hot drink for him on cold nights.

"Well, coffee doesn't work, let me tell you that." Zack gave Cloud a bright grin. "I think its magical power is completely used up in keeping office workers awake." Cloud rolled his eyes. Smiling at his reaction, Zack brought the cups over. The pair fixed the tea to their liking, and finally Zack asked, "So, what happened?"

Cloud took a sip of the hot liquid before answering. "I asked someone out, and… well, she said no."

"First rejection, huh?" His friend sighed. "That's rough. I remember the first time that happened to me…" He shook his head. "So, what went wrong? I mean, you're perfect material. Polite, good-looking, steady job, soon to be a SOLDIER — what's not to like? If I were a girl I'd be half in love with you already," Zack lightly teased.

"The job, apparently." Cloud sighed and fiddled with his cup. "She's… got problems with the company."

Zack raised his eyebrows. Cloud glanced about the room, as if looking for something. Zack blinked for a moment and then got the message. He retreated to his bedroom and returned doing something with an odd-looking little device — Cloud recognized it as the jammer Vincent had constructed to interfere with ShinRa's low-tech surveillance so they could talk about Hojo and other sensitive topics without fear of being observed. "All right, we're clear," Zack said after a moment.

The blond sighed. "Apparently the company is after her for some reason, and as I go up in rank, it's more likely she'd get caught if we were seeing each other."

"Ah." That sounds familiar. Zack could definitely understand the feeling. He gave Cloud a sympathetic look and turned the jammer off.

"Between her issues with ShinRa and the fact she's waiting for someone else…" Cloud stopped to take a large swallow of tea to get rid of the lump in his throat. "She told me she's in love with a guy who's pretty important to the company, but apparently had to break up with him because of his job."

Okay, this is just too much of a coincidence. Zack barely thought to turn the jammer on again before bursting out, "You can't… you're not talking about Aeris Gainsborough, are you?" Hope warred with fear in his chest. What she'd told Cloud… could she still be waiting for him?

"Yeah— wait—" Cloud's mind froze as the pieces abruptly fell into place. A high-ranked man in the company. Zack's moodiness around that time after the exams — hadn't he said he'd just had a bad breakup? And the two of them recognizing each other the night Cloud had first met Aeris… "You… you're the one… the one she was talking about…" The one Aeris loved, the one she was waiting for.

"I had no idea you'd even seen her again! How is she?" Zack beamed as he looked intently at his student, eyes bright with something more than Mako.

Cloud stood abruptly, unable to deal with the SOLDIER's hope in the face of his own sadness. "I… I'm sorry, Zack." He turned and fled, leaving Zack with only a mug half full of tea.

"Dammit," Zack growled, shutting the jammer off again before slumping back in his seat with a defeated sigh. He couldn't help feeling conflicted. He desperately wanted to know how Aeris was doing, was thrilled that she was actually still waiting for him, but at the same time he felt awful about Cloud's rejection. "How in Odin's name am I going to be able to fix this?.

Cloud had been thinking — admit it, Strife, brooding — about Aeris and Zack for almost four days now. He wasn't exactly sure why he was so upset. There was no rule that said Aeris had to like him (though by her actions he'd been so sure she really did), nor was it really Zack's fault he was the one Aeris liked. It wasn't even Zack's fault that he hadn't told Cloud about her. The blond hadn't exactly told his mentor he'd been meeting with Aeris, after all…

This is so stupid. Cloud resisted the urge to bang his head on something. He really shouldn't be worrying about it so much. He needed to just let it go, but his mind insisted on just going in circles like a dog chasing its own tail.

Resolutely, the SOLDIER cadet tried to dismiss those thoughts and focus on his movements. Up, down, left, back to center, strike—

It would have been so much easier if she wasn't so nice. Cloud nearly hit his head with the practice sword, muttering a curse as he realized where his thoughts had strayed yet again.

"Strife." Cloud stopped at Sephiroth's voice, guilt washing over him as he detected the barest undertone of irritation in it. The General stood with his arms crossed, his own blade set aside. "I do not know what is wrong with you; I do not know what is wrong with Sinclair. What I do know is that both of you are wasting precious time with your current behaviors." He leveled a long stare at Cloud, who did his best not to squirm. "I suggest you quickly settle whatever issue is bothering you and get back to training seriously. In case you have forgotten, the exams are less than a month away." With that, the General turned and strode briskly from the gym, long before their normal lesson time was up.

For a moment, Cloud just stood there in stunned silence, feeling as if Sephiroth had kicked him upside the head. The exams! How could he have forgotten? It was almost October! "Damn tunnel vision again," Cloud growled. He put his equipment away and left for the showers, trying to think rationally.

Point one: he was an emotional mess over this whole Aeris thing. This was negatively affecting his ability to concentrate and practice, resulting in his truly pathetic effort today. He wasn't just wasting his own time, but General Sephiroth's as well.

Cloud winced.

Point two: Cloud's unhappiness was affecting Zack, and apparently he was performing badly as well, further irritating the General, which was never a good thing.

Okay. Let's look at this objectively. Cloud tried to picture Zack with Aeris. They looked good together, he had to admit. And as well as he knew them, it was clear their personalities would really mesh well. Actually, Cloud couldn't think of anyone he knew who suited Aeris better.

Then… He sighed. It's okay that Aeris is Zack's girl. He'll treat her well. Cloud could think of a lot of other SOLDIERs he would never trust with Aeris, but he knew Zack would do right by her. Of course, if he ever did hurt her, Cloud was going to take it out of his hide… which he wouldn't be able to really do unless he got into SOLDIER.

And if he never got into SOLDIER, he could kiss his most secret dream goodbye. What Cloud really wanted, more than anything else, was to be able to stand on a level with Zack and even Vincent someday. Matching Sephiroth was utterly impossible, he knew now; even thinking of doing it was absurd, but… Cloud wanted to be able to go up against Vincent in an even match, maybe even beat him at least once. And it would be really nice to be able to trounce Zack every once and a while…

Okay. Plan for the immediate future: Make up with Zack. Put this whole mess of an incident behind us. Think about Aeris as little as possible, and train till I drop. That should do it. As long as he kept his mind on the exams, he should be able to ignore the thing with Aeris. There was nothing like an urgent upcoming event to keep him focused… and it'd be nice being able to use his tunnel vision to his advantage, for once.

The blond finished towel-drying his hair and wandered off to look for Zack. The sooner they got this mess squared away, the better… for both of them.

Cloud found Zack in his room, surprisingly enough. The SOLDIER looked a little shocked to see Cloud at his door, which was only natural considering the cadet had been avoiding him as much as possible… though admittedly, Cloud had seen him more often than he would've liked in the past few of days. It was one of the hazards of having him as a mentor.

"Cloud, I—"

"Can we talk?" he interrupted.

"…Sure. Come in." Zack stepped aside.

"I'm sorry."

The pair stared at each other, surprised at the simultaneous admission. Cloud's lips twitched. "I'm sorry I ran out of here like that. It was pretty stupid of me."

"Yeah, well, she seems to be pretty good at inciting that kind of stupidity in a guy," Zack replied, carefully avoiding use of Aeris's name. "You remember what I was like when we first started training…"

Cloud noded. "Yeah."

Zack sighed, running his hand through his hair. "I'm sorry for pushing you about her. I should have remembered what it's like getting turned down, considering… what happened between us. I would have warned you about her situation—"

"But I didn't tell you I was seeing her, so it's hardly your fault," Cloud finished. "I'm just being overly sensitive."

"I wouldn't say that," Zack disagreed. "I'd say you're just emotionally stunted." He ruffled Cloud's hair, much to the blond's annoyance. "Sometimes I think you're too much like Seph. Vincent too, from the little I know about 'im. Getting rejected the first time is a big deal. Someone once told me first love is a true kind of love, even if it isn't necessarily an enduring one."

Cloud blinked. "Meaning…?"

"Meaning what you're feeling is completely natural," Zack elaborated. "You shouldn't feel stupid. It's something most people go through at some point in their lives."

"That still doesn't give me an excuse to act like an idiot, though," Cloud muttered under his breath.

"Of course it does," Zack countered, his enhanced hearing picking up the comment. "Love makes all of us act like idiots sometimes, though there is a point where it gets to be too much." He clapped Cloud on the back. "I told you, don't worry about it so much. Just focus on moving on for now. Time does help."

"Truth in clichés?" the cadet asked dryly.

Zack smiled. "More than you think. If nothing else, well… things might someday change so that some of her objections are no longer a problem, you know?" The SOLDIER gave his student a significant look. If whoever was interested in Aeris — and he wouldn't be surprised if it were Hojo — either left the company or 'disappeared,' it would be safe for them to see her again.

"You have a point there." Cloud agreed, his mind racing with the possibilities.

"And if she ever gets over that bit," the SOLDIER continued, his eyes taking on that mischievous twinkle, "we can have a contest to see who gets to court her first. You know, like the knights of old."

Cloud rolled his eyes. "She'll kill you if you try to pull something that."

"I don't see why you're complaining. You'd win if that happens," Zack retorted. "Seriously, though. I mean, what lovely lady wouldn't want one of us?" He smiled slyly. "Though she might actually have done you a favor, being as Tifa is your fiancée and all…"

"She is not!" Cloud grabbed a cushion off of the couch and hurled it at Zack, who caught it effortlessly, an evil grin on his face.

"Attempted assault on a commanding officer? Oh, this means war!" And with that he pounced.

It was probably a good thing for both of them that Sephiroth didn't come looking for his aide until after the pillow fight had subsided.

Cloud finished up his stretches carefully, making sure not to pull a muscle. He couldn't screw up now, not with the exams starting a week from today. He did feel much better about them than he had been, though. Zack had been indulgent and allowed Cloud to focus mostly on what he'd be tested on as opposed to his normal social conditioning, even if the SOLDIER First teased his student constantly about 'cramming' for the exams.

Right now, though, Zack was tied up in the office. As the exams had approached, the amount of paperwork and meetings he and the General had to handle had at least doubled, if not tripled. Cloud had grown used to this by now, however, and took it in stride. He just had more solitary practices and lessons with Vincent, though his free time also increased. Even he didn't spend all of his time training, despite Zack's complaints to the contrary. First of all, it wasn't humanly possible. Second of all, he had a little project of his own he was working on…

Cloud made his way back to the barracks and poked his head inside. As he had expected, no one else was there — the cadet schedule had endurance runs planned for this time slot. Having gotten permission to do his own first thing in the morning, Cloud now he had the room to himself… meaning no one would see what he was doing.

The blond slid over to the computer console in the lounge. A similar machine was available in most of the common rooms, since not everyone had their own PHS. Computer messages were the main way to send information within the company. Officially, these public computers were only for sending messages to other departments, including one's superiors. The computer was protected to the point that doing anything else was theoretically impossible.

Vincent had taught him how to get around those blocks in his second week of hacking training.

It only took a few minutes to slip into the main network. It took a bit longer to get into Hojo's files, though Cloud made certain to use a different route from the previous time. The last thing he wanted to do was get caught in here.

Making sure he wasn't leaving any telltale signs of his presence, Cloud carefully poked around the folders he could access, looking for any mention of Aeris. Even if they did succeed in gathering enough concrete evidence to remove Hojo from his position — and Gaea knew Vincent was trying — it wouldn't be enough if there were others in the company who were interested in Aeris.

Of course, this was all assuming Hojo really was involved with why ShinRa wanted her. There was a chance he wasn't, but Cloud rather doubted that. From what he'd been able to discover, through Vincent and his own research, Hojo either was or wanted to be part of everything the company dealt with. He seemed like more than a bit of a control freak.

Not for the first time, Cloud wished they could simply kill him and be done with it… but that just wasn't a possibility at the moment. Besides the obvious problems with getting their hands on Hojo without getting caught, they also had to keep in mind who would replace him. For now they were more or less just stuck gathering information (though 'they' meant Vincent, really) to try to create a case for Hojo's dismissal, while at the same time trying to identify likely successors and how they'd handle the department. Once they had a solid case and Hojo was dismissed, no longer protected by ShinRa, it would be simple for Vincent to kill him. Hopefully they'd then be able to influence the board's decision on his replacement.

Rather, they had to hope Sephiroth would be able to influence the decision, since he would be the one eventually presenting the report. Chances were good that anyone else just might conveniently disappear without any other action being taken, but there was no way ShinRa would eliminate Sephiroth just to keep Hojo. The man had failed in every last one of his attempts to create another super-SOLDIER, and until he succeeded, Sephiroth was protected by his one-of-a-kind status and martial skill.

Until they had a solid case, though, there really wasn't anything they could do.

Cloud kept a close eye on the clock as he browsed. He never stayed in Hojo's files longer than half a hour, simply as a safety measure. It was frustrating, because he got very little done, but he really didn't want to risk getting caught by staying longer.

He had about ten minutes left when he came across an interesting file. It wasn't about Aeris, but the more he skimmed it, the more angry Cloud became. He grabbed a piece of paper and quickly jotted some information down, careful to copy the specifics exactly, before erasing all traces of his presence, logging out, and leaving to find Zack.

They had to do something about this.

Zack had figured out soon enough from Cloud's hints that his student wanted to discuss Hojo, and had easily fabricated a reason for the cadet to accompany him to Sephiroth's quarters. Cloud wasn't exactly sure why Zack carted so much paperwork to and from the place, but he certainly wasn't going to question it when it was working in their favor.

Inside the nearly soundproof and thoroughly debugged apartment, Cloud felt more than a little uneasy with Vincent and Sephiroth's questioning eyes on him, but took a deep breath and began, "Hojo's got a person locked up in the lab."

The three other adults exchanged glances. Contrary to rumor, Hojo was not allowed to just lock anyone up in ShinRa facilities. All human subjects were supposed to sign a waiver for experimental procedures. No one doubted that Hojo broke that rule all the time, of course, but it was generally assumed he'd never do it in the labs in ShinRa Tower, where anyone could call him out on it.

Sephiroth looked intrigued. "This might be just what we needed…"

"I'm more interested in knowing how you found this out, Cloud." Vincent leveled a look at his apprentice. "You shouldn't be able to get into Hojo's files."

"And you shouldn't leave your pass codes for them out where anyone can see them," Cloud countered, feeling bold.

Vincent's eyes widened almost imperceptibly. When had he…? "That doesn't mean—"

::He does have a point,:: Chaos noted, amused.

Shut up. The former Turk stared sternly at his student. "Just what were you doing poking around in there, anyway?"

Cloud wilted visibly under Vincent's harsh tone, well aware he had seriously annoyed his mentor. No wonder, really; he had likely assumed Cloud had been going after Sephiroth's or Vincent's file. The blond threw a pleading glance at Zack, and the SOLDIER, remembering what he and Cloud had discussed almost two weeks ago, suddenly understood. "You were looking for her file, weren't you?"

"Her?" Sephiroth raised an eyebrow.

"A… mutual friend of ours. Apparently Hojo — or at least someone in the company, considering she's had Turks after her — wants her for something." Zack glanced at Cloud. "That's why, isn't it?"

The blond nodded. "Getting rid of Hojo alone won't mean she's safe if there are other people who want her. Especially if they're other scientists."

"But you have no idea what project she is involved in, and thus have to look at almost everything," Vincent finished. "I see."

"I can't get into much, actually. Mostly some of the oldest files, less important folders or just general information files." Cloud shrugged. "If anything on her is highly classified, I probably won't find it."

"A minor problem." Vincent frowned. "If you tell me her name, I will look as well."

Zack and Cloud exchanged glances; Zack nodded. "Aeris Gainsborough," Cloud said.

"Very well; I'll see what I can find." He shifted slightly in his seat. "Now, in the meantime we'd best examine what we know about this person Hojo has locked up. What did you see, Cloud?"

"Mostly intelligence scores, physical records, that sort of thing." Cloud handed his mentor his notes. "Red XIII — that's what Hojo calls him — seems to be really agile, fast and strong for a human. Probably while he's being studied."

Vincent nodded. "Quite likely. Was this all of his records?"

Cloud shook his head. "No. That was just the tail end. After Hojo concluded some preliminary experiments, he apparently allowed the other scientists in the department limited access to him for samples and stuff."

"There should be more, then." Vincent walked over to Sephiroth's computer console and began to type as fast as his one good hand would let him. It was far more advanced than the simple series of commands Cloud had copied, and soon enough he had located the file. With skill Cloud couldn't help envying, he slipped through the protections on it. "Approximately forty-five years of age. A bit old for one of Hojo's subjects; he usually prefers younger ones. Captured out by Cosmo Canyon—" He clicked on the lab photo.

"…It's not human."

Typically, Zack was the one to voice their thoughts. Everyone turned to look at Cloud.

"Well, how was I supposed to know that?" he protested. "Look at the data, though! It's clear he's got a personality. He's intelligent, he can communicate — not being human doesn't mean you're not a person." Cloud shot Vincent a glance.

Vincent bristled slightly. ::So quick to jump to conclusions, aren't we?:: Chaos said mockingly. ::Did it never occur to you that he meant not you, but one of us? Possibly even yours truly?::

He's never met— Vincent stopped, remembering how Hellmasker and Chaos had behaved when Sephiroth, Zack, and Cloud had come to Nibelheim.

::Yes, he has. Perhaps not in the flesh, but close enough.:: Chaos chuckled. ::Seems your child has better manners than you do, human. He remembers I exist without the constant conversational reminders.::

He's not my child.

::You practically raised the boy; doesn't that make you a father to him?:: The demon sniffed. ::I'll never understand why you humans are always so concerned about blood relations.::

"…isn't a person as we think of it," Cloud continued, unaware of Vincent's divided attention, "he's obviously aware enough to understand what Hojo's doing to him. It just doesn't seem fair to keep him there."

"So, let me get this straight," Zack said. "You want us to break into the tower's high-tech, heavily guarded science labs, steal a giant cat right out from under Hojo's nose, and not get caught?"

"Well… more or less," Cloud mumbled, embarrassed. It did seem monumentally stupid when phrased that way, but still…

Zack glanced over at Sephiroth, who merely raised an eyebrow. "Aw, why not? Might as well take a look. If we can manage it, I say go for it." He grinned suddenly, winking. "If nothing else, it would severely piss Hojo off."

The four of them clustered around Sephiroth's monitor. Luck, it seemed, was on their side. Red XIII wasn't in the main lab at this point in time, but on a lower level commonly used for sample storage, one that would be easier to break into. Vincent, Sephiroth, and Zack debated strategies; Cloud mostly stayed quiet, feeling very much out of his depth. Finally, they hammered the last of the details concerning getting Red XIII out of the building, but things snagged on the question of what to do with him afterwards. "We cannot assume he will be in any condition to travel across the continent and return home, even if we could get him out of the city," Sephiroth pointed out.

Cloud thought for a moment, and then grinned despite the pang at his thoughts. She did say I could ask for help… "I know a place Red XIII might be able to stay within the city where they might not find him. I'll have to check first, though."

"Very well. Do that as quickly as possible, then." Sephiroth frowned thoughtfully. "Even once our preparations are complete, however, we'd best wait to put this plan into action until we've secured a place for him and Hojo is suitably occupied elsewhere."

"There's the monthly board meeting, if nothing else," Zack reminded his superior. "Just let us know how things go, Cloud, and we'll take it from there."

Aeris looked up from her work to see a face she had both been missing and dreading to see again. "Cloud!" It was clear he was still a little hurt, but he seemed better than he had been.

"Hi, Aeris." Cloud walked up to her, stopping uncertainly at her side.

"It's been a while," Aeris commented, trying to dispel the tension between them.

"Yeah," Cloud agreed. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry that I asked you that — I didn't know you and Zack—"

"You know Zack?" Aeris' eyes widened in surprise. "I had no idea…"

"You saw him the night we met, remember?" Cloud looked at her in confusion. "Zack had dragged me out to eat."

Aeris flushed slightly but did not reply, unwilling to tell Cloud she had blotted out most of that memory in an attempt to forget the heart-wrenching look in Zack's eyes at the time. "Any reason in particular you're down here?" she asked, trying to change the subject.

"Actually… yes." Cloud glanced around, doing his best to determine if anyone was listening in, and then in the softest voice he could manage, described what they had discovered about Red XIII, emphasizing his intelligence, youth, and personality over his more animal traits.

"That's awful!" Aeris cried.

Cloud nodded. "That's why we're planning to get him out—"

"No, Cloud." Aeris shook her head vehemently, placing her hands on Cloud's shoulders. "You and Zack can't take on Hojo. If you get caught he'll lock you up and… do things to you…" She shuddered. "I couldn't bear that. Please, promise me you won't do it."

"I can't do that," Cloud replied. "And… it's not just us. Sephiroth is helping, too."

Aeris' eyebrows shot up. "General Sephiroth?"

Cloud nodded. "He doesn't approve of what Hojo's doing either, and trust me, he'll kill Hojo if anything happens to Zack." He just needed an excuse, really. Sephiroth hated Hojo as much as Vincent did, and definitely seemed attached to his aide. Why else would he put up with Zack's nonsense so much?

Aeris looked unconvinced. "Still—"

"Trust me, not even Hojo is more important than Sephiroth. Red XIII isn't even in the main lab anymore. He got moved down to one of the lower levels a while back." Cloud took a deep breath. "The real problem is we can't get him out of Midgar. He's not human, or else we might've been able to slip him in a military convoy in disguise. He's probably not going to be in good enough condition to leave the city on his own, either. We need to find a place where he can stay until he recovers, someplace inside the city but outside of ShinRa grounds."

Aeris paused for a long moment. "No way. You can't be serious."

"Why not?"

"Cloud, you don't understand. If Hojo catches me—" Aeris shook her head. "I couldn't bear it. We— I barely escaped once…"

I guess that answers the 'is Hojo after Aeris?' question. Cloud looked helplessly at her, unsure what to do. What would Zack do? he asked himself, something that usually helped him in his dealings with other people… though Aeris having been Zack's girlfriend made things a little awkward. Cautiously placing an arm around her shoulders, he tried to comfort her. "Aeris, we won't let him get you. We won't. We're trying to find a way to get rid of him for good."

"But—"

"And even if Hojo did capture you," Cloud continued, "don't you know we'd do everything in our power to get you out? He won't know Red XIII is even still in the city, I promise. We're going to make it look like he just vanished into thin air. All that's missing is someplace safe for him to stay." He tightened his hold on her and continued, "I know you wouldn't want to leave anyone at Hojo's mercy…"

"More than you could know," Aeris whispered, her hands white-knuckled in her lap, "but… my mom…"

"I'm not asking her; I'm asking you," Cloud said firmly. "Please, Aeris…"

She closed her eyes and forced herself to breathe deeply to calm herself so she could hear what the Voices had to say, if anything. She frowned when she didn't get any definite words, only a strong sense of this is important.

Why? she asked silently, but she received no answer… though by now the decision had all but made itself. I'm my own woman; I can't let Mom spend the rest of her life trying to protect me from whatever may come our way. "All right, Cloud," she finally said, looking at him. "Tell me what you need me to do."

Chapter Text

The plan to break out Red XIII had to go on hold for a few weeks after Cloud had secured Aeris' help, until the next board meeting. Normally these were held in the first week of the month, but in April and October they were collapsed into the next month's meeting because of the SOLDIER exams. It was customary for ShinRa's top General-slash-poster-boy to attend, and he wouldn't if he was buried in work as he kept the exams and the rest of SOLDIER running smoothly.

Thus it was that Cloud had done his best to banish the plan from his mind in favor of more immediate concerns. Tomorrow he'd begin the SOLDIER exams for the second time in his life, and he could only hope he'd do better than last time.

"Hey, Cloud!" Zack skidded to a stop next to the cadet. "Heading down to the gym for a last-minute workout before the preliminary briefing?"

The blond nodded, amused. The SOLDIER First knew perfectly well no one was supposed to run in the halls… not that such knowledge had stopped him, of course. Zack was a law unto himself sometimes.

"I figured I'd sneak out of the office for a minute, find you before you went in. I got two things to tell you: one, take it easy, 'cause there's nothing to worry about; two, good luck. Not that you really need it." The dark-haired man grinned. "You'll knock 'em dead, kid."

"I'll try for a reasonable impression, at least," Cloud replied seriously, hiding a smile. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure actually killing the examiners would provide a good reason for them to fail me."

Zack chuckled. "Too true. Anyway, you ought to get going. I'll see you tonight — we can relax a little before things get crazy tomorrow, okay?" The older man squeezed his shoulder, then took off down the hall again.

Cloud made it to the gym in plenty of time — without running — and completed some basic exercises while waiting for the examiners and the other cadets in his class to arrive. They stood in formation while the examiners presented them with a brief outline of what to expect from the exam, concluding with tomorrow's schedule for in-depth medical tests. Only after candidates had passed these would they go onto Mako screening; the examiners didn't say as much, but Cloud unofficially knew — and Zack had made him swear up and down to never tell anyone he knew this, especially Sephiroth — that ShinRa wanted to screen out those who weren't up to par in order to prevent the waste of valuable materials. Psychological tests would be a large part of this, to root out any who might react poorly to the Mako, as the mentally unstable often did. Following those tests was a content exam, which measured how much a candidate had learned about SOLDIER procedure, weapons, and materia from the mandatory cadet lectures.

Cloud had found Vincent's lessons a lot more useful.

After that first battery of tests, the cadet class had usually shrunk to a little over half of its initial size. From there individual skills tests would be conducted before the cadets were split into squads of five or six men for a field exam. Cloud wasn't too worried about the first group of tests himself; he had to have passed all of them before, to get as far as he had. The field exam was what weighed on his mind the most.

"Cadet Strife."

Cloud turned to see an grizzled older man he'd noticed a little earlier standing just behind him. "Yes? Can I help you, sir?" He had to admit he was intrigued. The man had the look of a good swordsman about him; his skill seemed obvious in every movement he made, his grace belying the age apparent in his grey hair and creased face. That might not have been so strange, but he wasn't wearing any type of uniform; it was rare to see anyone hanging around the military compound in civilian clothes, and casual wear was almost unheard of. The stranger seemed perfectly at ease, though, which made Cloud wonder at his connections.

"Polite, I like that." The stranger gave him a long look. "Fancy indulging an old man with a little sparring?"

Cloud inclined his head. "Forgive me for saying so, sir, but I doubt I'd be indulging you. In fact, I think you might be too much for me to handle."

The stranger smiled slightly. "Go fetch yourself a practice sword, boy. I want to see what you can do."

Though he felt a bit like a chocobo being put through its paces in front of an old jockey, Cloud did as he was asked. He didn't want to risk gathering enemies, whoever they might be. His opponent walked to a training mat off to the side, away from the rest of the cadets; the blond had no choice but to follow.

He barely had stepped on the mat when the man struck, his blade whipping towards Cloud with surprising speed for someone lacking the tell-tale glow of Mako in his eyes, nearly forcing the cadet off of the mat entirely. Cloud blocked, though not without effort, and pressed forward, pushing his opponent backward. They broke apart and circled, the old man with his sword held high in his left hand. This feels familiar, the cadet realized, startled. But… why?

Cloud's opponent struck again, and the blond instinctively countered, some part of him recognizing the style. It's different, but… He whirled aside to avoid a rush and managed to land a glancing kick before dancing back from the other's practice blade. He saw a brief flash of approval in his challenger's eyes.

The pattern continued, the older man attacking and Cloud defending, going on the offensive only when he saw an opening he thought he could use to his advantage. All too soon, though, Cloud felt his muscles starting to tremble with fatigue. He longed to wipe the sweat from his forehead before it fell into his eyes but didn't dare, lest he lose his sword. Either Zack's been going easy on me, or this guy's just toying with me. In either case, he wouldn't be able to last like this much longer.

The man lashed out again, blade held high, and in a sudden flare of insight Cloud realized he knew this move. It was a foundation of Sephiroth's style, one the General himself had taught him, along with its counter—

The SOLDIER cadet's blade flashed forward, and his opponent's sword fell to the floor with a harsh clatter. The stranger made no more to retrieve it, however, merely bowing to Cloud before looking over the blond's shoulder. "You've picked a good one, Sinclair. Take care of him."

Cloud turned to see Zack standing behind him, looking visibly relieved. Much to the cadet's embarrassment, they had gathered quite a crowd during their bout. Cloud's challenger nodded briefly to both him and his mentor and walked away without a word, which would have peeved Cloud somewhat — he could've at least introduced himself after all that — if he hadn't felt so thoroughly exhausted. He shook his head slowly, feeling like he might collapse to the ground right then and there.

"Michaels, put away those blades," Zack ordered, for once sounding like the officer he was. A moment later he was by Cloud's side, looking almost anxious. "Are you all right?"

"Just tired, is all." Cloud slowly followed Zack out of the gym. He would have been quite content to sleep the next week away, if not for the exams.

"You should be." The SOLDIER shook his head. "I can't believe you beat Scoggins, of all people. And it didn't look like he was holding back, either."

"Who?" Cloud didn't tell Zack that he had won through sheer luck. If he hadn't recognized that move Sephiroth had taught him, he would have lost the match.

"David Scoggins, one of the best sword troops the company's ever had. Believe it or not, he was Seph's first teacher. Even if SOLDIER hadn't been so new around the time our General was ready to start learning, I still bet they would've given him the honor," Zack explained. "Not many lefties with that much talent around."

"Oh." Cloud nodded slowly. "That explains why his style reminded me of General Sephiroth's so much, then…"

"Exactly. Except it's really the other way around." Zack raised an eyebrow at him. "You going to be okay back in your room? Between pre-exam jitters and now this, the boys'll probably be yapping enough that it'll be a late night, you know…"

Cloud shrugged. "I'll be—" he yawned hugely "—just fine."

"Right." Amusement sparkled in the SOLDIER's indigo eyes. "I know how it is. The moment you satisfy one man's curiosity, his bunkmate'll take his place with more questions, and you'll never get any rest," he declared. "You can crash at my place, if you want."

Cloud eyed him warily. "I'm not going to be woken up at 0430 for cake again, am I?"

"Nope, not this time," Zack grinned. "Though if you get through all of this, cake will definitely be in order. You can even have the bed tonight."

"And where will you sleep, then?"

"Oh, I'm sure I could find a willing, cute little— hey!" Zack rubbed his arm. "You don't have to do that, you know."

Cloud rolled his eyes. "You're impossible."

"Part of the job description, kiddo." He winked. "Really, though, I'd rather you have the bed; you'll need a good night's rest for tomorrow. As for me…" The SOLDIER shrugged. "There are other places I can sleep."

"If you're sure…" Sleeping in Zack's bed sounded like it could be really nice, actually. SOLDIER Firsts had to get better accommodations than cadets, after all…

"'Course I am." The dark-haired man smiled. "What are friends for?"

One down, four to go. Cloud sighed, stretching absently. Once again, the medical tests had been hardly worth mentioning; the work they did in the cadet program didn't really allow for them to get out of shape, and he'd never had any major health problems. He expected to pass the Mako tests without incident, too. The content exam was a non-issue — he knew a lot more than he had the first time around — and he wasn't too worried about the skills test, either. The field exam had to have been where he failed last time, and that was what bothered him.

"Hey, kid. How you feeling?" Zack asked, plopping down beside the blond.

"Not bad," Cloud replied. "Just waiting." He glanced at the clock. "I doubt they'll be calling our group for a while."

"Ahh, the joys of being an S." Zack grinned. "I remember. Got to wait until the end for just about everything. Why they insist on doing things in alphabetical order, I'll never know."

"You'd think they'd do it backwards once in a while just to give us a break," Cloud joked.

"Yeah, really." The SOLDIER shook his head, smiling.

Cloud hesitated for a moment, but decided now was as good a time as any. "Hey, Zack…"

"Yeah?"

"Why do they do complete retests? I mean, for those of us who passed parts of the exam before."

"Well, there're a couple of reasons." The SOLDIER looked around, then leaned in closer, his voice low. "First, it would be a pain in the neck to constantly try to keep track of which part of which class had passed what test." He grimaced. "There's enough paperwork without adding that into the mess."

Cloud chuckled. "Don't tell me that's the only reason."

"Nope. Cutting out some of the tests for some people would give them an unfair advantage in stamina," Zack continued. "You know how everyone starts looking pretty ragged as the exams go on? It's intentional." Cloud raised his eyebrows at that. He had never thought of that. "Heh. You'd be surprised how much unofficial testing goes on, all during the cadet program. Finally, though, people's test results can change."

"I guess that makes sense," Cloud conceded, "but not for the psych evaluation. Or the Mako tests, either."

Zack shook his head. "Don't be so sure. Some candidates' psych results do change in the time between exams. Some go through pretty rough periods, and that drags 'em down a lot. On the other hand, some grow more comfortable with themselves, and are actually more stable because of that. And while it's rarer, changes in Mako results do happen, though none of the Mako sciences guys at the university, or anyone up there—" Zack jerked his head in the general direction of the ShinRa building, and presumably the labs "—has figured out why yet."

"Huh." Cloud looked thoughtful. "I suppose that makes sense." He sighed. He wasn't looking forward to the Mako testing at all. It was an uncomfortable procedure, though he really had to get used to it. SOLDIERs had to endure a lot more comprehensive tests on a regular basis to check for mutations.

"Worried about it?"

"A little."

"I'll tell you something one of my war buddies once told me." Zack looked off into the distance. "Robin was from Cosmo Canyon. Heard of it?"

Cloud shook his head. "Not much. All I know is it's supposed to be… interesting."

The SOLDIER chuckled. "That's something of an understatement. They're… very close to the Planet there, I guess you could say. Robin never fully explained it, but he always swore up and down that Mako is actually alive in its own way." Cloud raised an eyebrow at that. "Yeah, that was pretty much my reaction, too. Anyway, he told me that because Mako has its own… will, I guess would be the best way to put it, you actually need to consciously and subconsciously accept it into your life. He thought half the reason for mutations was people were fighting it."

Cloud nodded slowly, still skeptical but unwilling to dismiss something that might help. "So, how do you go about doing this?"

"Meditation." Cloud bit back a snicker, an abrupt image of Zack, eyes closed, sitting perfectly still and serene, entering his mind. "Oh, laugh all you want, but it does help, or at least it did for me." Zack fidgeted. "Not that I exactly meditated. More like counted while breathing, but…" He shrugged.

"Eh, I'll try it." Cloud shrugged as well. "Can't hurt, after all."

"Exactly."

SOLDIER cadets with the last names M-S, please report to the infirmary, said a dispassionate voice over the intercom.

"Didn't expect them to call us this soon," Cloud commented, rising.

"Don't have as many in the first half of the alphabet this time, oddly enough." Zack shrugged. "See you later, okay?"

The cadet nodded resolutely. "Yeah."

Cloud walked wearily into the gym, feeling as if a huge load had been lifted from his shoulders. All around him he saw similar looks of relief. "All right, cadets. You've done well to get this far. Exam results should be posted within a week or so. You have off tomorrow, but we'll expect you to go back to your regular schedule after that until you move out of your current quarters. Dismissed."

"Man, I'm glad that's over."

The blond glanced over at the speaker — his squadmate Matthew Roberts, if he remembered correctly. "Me too." He was pleased to see that six out of his group of ten had made it all the way through to the field exam… though they were one of the highest-level squads, so that was to be expected. They had lost most of their members to the Mako test, which Cloud had used Zack's meditation trick to help with. He wasn't sure if it'd worked or not, but it had helped calm his nerves, and what was the harm in that?

"Want to come out tonight?" Roberts asked. "Celebrate it finally being over?"

Cloud shook his head. "All I want is some sleep." If Zack would let him, anyway. He briefly considered how to evade his SOLDIER friend. Probably not possible.

"Heh, I know what you mean." Roberts grinned. "Don't be a stranger, Cloud. See you around!"

Matt was a nice guy, Cloud decided. They worked rather well together, too, despite both being what Zack called 'loners.' Both had few friends, but were rather close to those they had. Well, whatever happens, happens. I do hope he gets in, though. Cloud wandered from the gym, his thoughts scattered. It would be pointless to go back to his room now. Everyone would be in there asking questions, comparing experiences and such, and Cloud had had more than enough of that. Especially since after that whole incident with Scoggins. The blond winced. Everyone had been so weird about that…

"Hey, Strife."

Cloud slowed to a halt. "Reno." He eyed the redhead warily. This was not the carefree man he'd grown used to. Despite his casual pose as he leaned against the wall, there was something in his bearing that practically screamed "dangerous."

"Any more thought on my proposal?"

"Your propo— oh." He remembered now; Reno had offered to help Cloud get into the Turks that one time Zack had taken him drinking. The blond shook his head. "No, thanks. I'm happy where I am."

The Turk shrugged. "Well, if you ever change your mind, let us know. We'd be glad to have your company."

Cloud nodded and resumed his walk away from the gym, careful not to increase his pace. Something about Reno's statement had unsettled him, though he couldn't really derive any meaning from it beyond the obvious. I know they want me in the Turks. But that's not the place for me. Vincent always said I'd be a bad Turk. That may have been when Cloud was seven, but he figured it still held true.

"So, future SOLDIER, how's it feel to finally be done with the exams?"

"Hello, Zack." Cloud couldn't help his smile, glancing at a nearby clock. Less than ten minutes. Zack sure didn't waste time. "What are you doing here? I thought you'd still have paperwork to do, with everything that's been going on."

"Well, our great and glorious General has declared I'm not allowed to do anything pertaining to the exams on the basis I'm biased." Zack sulked a little, but the twinkle in his eyes showed he was kidding. "He sent me away, so I figured I might as well come find you. Want to come hang out at my place for the night? I picked us up a few drinks, and you can just relax for once…"

Cloud hesitated. "I should probably pack—"

Zack waved his hand dismissively. "You have all day tomorrow, plus however long it takes them to make up their minds," he countered. "Tell you what: hang out tonight and tomorrow I'll show you a new trick I picked up from a friend of mine. Pretty cool, though it only really works with smaller blades…"

Cloud's eyes brightened. "You're on."

"Great!"

"Come on, Seph. Just a little peek?"

"No, Lieutenant."

"I won't tell him! Or anyone else!"

"No, Lieutenant. I have been telling you the same for the last five days, and I have no intention of changing my mind. Now, if you will please return to your— Cadet Strife?" Sephiroth raised his eyebrow at the blond spikes peeking over a rather large box. "Did you need something?"

"Heidegger's secretary found me," Cloud said, attempting to look around his burden. "She gave me this for you."

Zack grabbed the box from his apprentice and glanced at the label. "Oh, great… more budget stuff. Why do you have these, anyway? It's not your job to be carting this stuff around."

Cloud shrugged. "It's not that heavy, just awkward. And I think just about everyone considers me your errand boy by now."

"But these are addressed to Sephiroth."

"Whose office is connected to yours," Cloud pointed out, stretching his arms.

"Indeed." Sephiroth took the box from Zack and stowed it under his desk. "Actually, if you wouldn't mind…" He pulled out several papers.

"Not at all," Cloud replied, taking the stack. Each paper-clipped packet had a note attached, indicating where it should go. The blond saluted the General. "I'll get these delivered immediately, sir."

Sephiroth nodded. "Dismissed."

Zack gaped. "Hey, wait a second! Were you listening to what I just said? Seph, you can't just go borrowing my apprentice like that — he's a future SOLDIER, not a delivery boy! Hey!" He turned to the blond, pleading. "Cloud—"

"Sorry, Zack, but orders are orders," Cloud replied, not even bothering to try to hide his grin. "Now, if you'll excuse me…" He walked out of the office.

Zack scowled. "If you're going to go making my apprentice into an errand boy—" Hypocrite much? said Sephiroth's raised eyebrow "—then the least you can do is let me see his file!"

"No, Zack. He'll find out with all the other cadets — and you'll find out after that." Sephiroth kept his face perfectly expressionless as his aide threw up his hands in frustration, then returned to his desk. Only when Zack had once again returned to his work did the General allow himself the tiniest of smiles before doing the same. It would be wise to make the most of the time he had before Strife returned.

Cloud dropped off his second to last packet and nodded to the young secretary. He was actually grateful Sephiroth had given him something to do; everyone who'd taken the exams was more or less at loose ends at the moment, and the tension from not knowing the results was really beginning to get to them. It's been five days, though; we should know soon… He asked to borrow the secretary's stapler for the last set of papers, which was to be posted on the mess hall board; promising to return it, he set off.

He was acutely aware of several pairs of curious eyes on him as he crossed the mess hall, postings in hand. It was kind of awkward, really; though it'd been nearly a month since the Scoggins incident, people were still weird about it from time to time. If this is anything like what General Sephiroth goes through, I'm surprised he hasn't gone mad yet. Cloud hated being stared at, though he ruefully reminded himself that if he was going to be a SOLDIER, he really should get used to it. Civilians stare at SOLDIERs all the time.

His booted feet echoed in the surprising silence (a lot of the normal roar of chatter had died down, and several people shifted in their seats as if to get up) as stopped before the message board and removed several outdated notices to create space for the posting. Coming from the General's office, it had to be important.

Only when he began stapling the first sheet did he actually bother to read the message — and felt his heart nearly stop in shock.

Posted below are the results of the SOLDIER exams. Those cadets not listed are expected to vacate their quarters within 48 hours of this posting.

Accepted cadets will find their new room assignments next to their names. Orientation is 29 October, 0700 hours, at Delta Auditorium. Congratulations.

Heart pounding, Cloud quickly resumed stapling the papers up, perhaps a bit more haphazardly than he should have, but he was anxious to read it in full. Finally he saw it—

Strife, Cloud. Room C 46

A huge grin spread over his face — he had done it! Whooping for joy, he squeezed back through the sudden press of noisy, eager cadets around the bulletin board, almost forgetting to return the stapler before he ran back up to Sephiroth's office. "Zack!" he hollered as he threw the door open. "I made it!"

"What— when did they post the results?" Zack demanded, whirling on Sephiroth.

"I sent them down with your apprentice approximately—" Sephiroth glanced at the clock "—an hour ago."

Zack blinked, unable to believe he had missed that. "You…" He shook his head and turned to his apprentice, grinning broadly. "Congratulations, Cloud!" He ruffled the blond's hair. "Welcome to the team!"

Cloud didn't even bother to gripe at him for the hair ruffling. "Thanks, Zack," he replied with the most genuine smile the dark-haired SOLDIER had ever seen on him, eyes alight with joy. It was enough to make Zack's heart ache. Being a SOLDIER wasn't all fun and games, but Cloud wanted it so much… how could it possibly be wrong? "I couldn't have done it without you."

"Ha! You remember that, now." Zack smirked, looking decidedly mischievous. "I'll collect one of these days. And actually, I seem to recall I promised you a present if you got in…"

Cloud shook his head. "Zack, you really don't need to—"

"Pah. Some things need to be fussed over." Zack glanced at the clock. "I get off in three hours. I'll meet you at the station in three and a half, okay? Wear street clothes."

"I've picked up that much since I met you," Cloud muttered, though he was still grinning even as he rolled his eyes. "I'll be there."

And that was how Cloud found himself in a chair four and a half hours later, dinner and two beers in his stomach, staring at the machine in the clerk's hands. "Zack, I really don't think this is such a good idea…"

"Don't be stupid." Zack crossed his arms. "You'll look good with an earring."

"I don't recall asking to get things stuck in me—"

"Sure you did. You signed up for SOLDIER, after all." Cloud pondered this for a minute and had to acknowledge that yes, signing up for SOLDIER did essentially mean just that, whether it was needles, swords or assorted monster parts. "But if you really don't like it," Zack added, "you can always take it out and let it close."

"I suppose." Cloud sighed and gave in. The clerk smiled reassuringly, placing the apparatus against his ear. Just a brief sting and it was done. "Didn't hurt at all." He carefully listened to the clerk about caring for it, then hopped off the chair.

"Part of the reason for the alcohol," Zack replied, and smiled. "It really does look good on you. Should've made you get it sooner." Cloud simply shook his head as the two of them returned to the station, taking the train back topside. "Now, let's grab your stuff and drop you off at your new room. You've got orientation bright and early tomorrow."

"It's not that early."

"0700 is early for some people, even in the army." Zack led the way to Cloud's former surprisingly empty squad room. Two more lockers had been completely cleaned out in addition to the four already empty, probably from the two members of the squad who hadn't passed the field exam. Only six of us made it to the final round… and of those, only four passed…

It was kind of depressing, in a way. Still, as far as he knew they both had the option to retake the exams, so he still might be seeing them.

"You're all packed, I see." Zack reached over to grab a bag.

"Yeah." Cloud grabbed the other bag and looked around the room. This place had more or less been his home for the last couple years. It felt odd to be leaving it.

"Well, SOLDIER, onward and upward!" Zack led the way to the SOLDIER barracks section C, where the Third Class lived. Pulling out a keycard, he opened the door to Cloud's new room before the younger man got a chance to look at the nameplates next to it. "They'll be giving these out tomorrow, but I swiped yours early." Zack tossed it to him. "Figured there was nothing wrong with you moving in today, since you know your roommates and all."

The blond blinked. "Huh?"

"Cloud!" The speaker looked up from the book he was reading. "You're early."

"Paul?" Cloud stared at him in shock. "What are you doing here?"

"I live here, of course — same as you," Paul replied, closing his book and putting it aside. "We weren't expecting you till tomorrow, though. Scott's down the hall in the shower."

"But…" Cloud stuttered. "What…?"

"You didn't think all those physiological tests were just to tell if you could get into SOLDIER, did you?" Zack said lightly. "They also help figure out matches for roomies. It's important for newly adapting SOLDIERs to live with people they can get along with — the treatments can make people pretty cranky. Your final roommate'll probably be someone from your squad. We tend to keep you guys in working pairs." He smiled. "Come on, let's get you unpacked."

Shaking his head, Cloud took his first good look at his new quarters. The room was easily as big as the one he had just vacated, but had only four beds, two lacking sheets, instead of ten. These were at least a little wider, with much nicer mattresses, as Cloud discovered when he sat on one. Two desks sat at one end of the room, beyond the four beds — those would be nice when it came to write letters and reports. Trying to use a book as a writing surface had never been fun.

"You can bunk the beds, but we haven't bothered lately," Paul commented as he watched Cloud examine the room. "Most people don't want to have to climb to a top bunk when they come back from treatments."

Cloud nodded as he picked one. The room's layout wasn't ideal, but it wasn't totally indefensible.

"Closet over there is for your stuff."

The blond nodded opened the door, more than a little surprised to be getting an actual closet instead of a footlocker. It wasn't a small one either, with shelves as well as what looked like weapon brackets, and a small safe that looked sturdy enough to withstand even SOLDIER strength. Cloud opened the safe first, placing his valuables — his money, his materia, and the armlet Vincent had given him — inside before locking the it and dropping the key into his pocket.

"Damn, Cloud. You running your own armory or something?" Paul asked, fingers itching at the sight of the materia.

"Not really," Cloud replied coolly, giving his friend a warning look. Touch my materia and I'll kick your ass.

"I think I'm jealous." Paul sighed. "We're issued materia on missions, of course, but the only way we get our own is if we buy it."

"That's why I keep telling you to save up and get some then if you want it so badly," came a new voice. "Hello, Cloud."

"Hi, Scott," Cloud greeted the dripping new arrival.

"Sheets should be on one of the shelves in your closet. Towels, too — we still have communal showers. Private bathrooms are for Second Class." Dressed only in pants, the SOLDIER towel-dried his hair. "The showers are still nicer than anything the cadets have, though."

Cloud pulled out his sheets, running his hand over them. They too were of higher quality than what the cadets were issued. "Isn't this kind of…?"

"Extravagant?" Scott supplied.

Zack just laughed. "Cloud, you've seen my quarters. You know ShinRa takes care of its SOLDIERs."

"Yeah, but you're a First," the blond pointed out.

"ShinRa knows better than to keep SOLDIERs in the same conditions as the rest of the army. Yeah, you get more perks with class promotions, but even SOLDIER Thirds have it better than the regulars. Only makes sense, when you consider how all of a SOLDIER's senses are enhanced," Zack explained. He handed Cloud his other bag to unpack. "Now, about orientation tomorrow. They'll speechify at you for a bit, of course, and after that you'll be split into groups where they'll be assigning mentors — it's standard operating procedure for new Thirds to have Firsts or Seconds as mentors. You'll be staying with yours truly, of course." Cloud visibly relaxed at that. "The only thing you really need to worry about tomorrow is your Mako seminar and treatment dates."

"Mako seminar?"

"Lecture on the side effects of Mako, what to watch for, signs of poor adaptation," Zack elaborated. "I have to go, but I'll see you tomorrow."

"All right."

Cloud saw Zack off, then turned back to look around the room again. "Glad you tried again?" Scott asked, reminding the younger man that he'd almost just gone home when he failed before.

"Yeah." Cloud smiled. "Really glad."

Chapter Text

Orientation was something of a trial for Cloud. He stood in perfect formation with his fellow new SOLDIERs for well over two hours, listening to Heidegger blather on about how they were "the pride of ShinRa" and how "the future of SOLDIER lies in your hands." Finally he managed to escape to Zack's side. Much to his surprise and pleasure, his final roommate was none other than his old squadmate Matthew Roberts. The Kalm native settled right in just fine.

Cloud left the next day's Mako seminar feeling slightly queasy. He supposed it was a good thing to make sure the SOLDIERs knew all the nasty side effects of Mako and signs of mutation or poor adaptation, but some of them truly were stomach-turning. The young man couldn't help feeling a little apprehensive about the entire thing now, but no way was he going to give up… though he wouldn't be getting his treatments for a little over three weeks. It really sucked to be an S sometimes.

In the meantime, Zack continued to train and drill him, making sure he could remember everything the seminar had presented about Mako. Cloud chafed under the constant repetition of the same facts over and over again, but understood the need for it. Knowing or not knowing that information might just save his life, or the life of one of his fellows.

"We won't be doing anything most of tomorrow, Cloud," Zack announced as they finished for the day. "Seph wants me at the board meeting. Why don't you take the day off and have some fun?"

Cloud's shoulders tensed as he picked up on the hidden meaning in his friend's words. Tomorrow they would bust out Red XIII. "All right… if you insist."

"I do," Zack replied firmly. "All work and no play makes a dull SOLDIER, you know." He grinned suddenly. "Just ask Seph."

Cloud checked his appearance once more. Scott and Paul had left yesterday on a mission, and Matt was off training with his mentor. All well and good, since now none of them could see Cloud's current appearance. It was rather startling, and the new SOLDIER kept feeling like he was looking at a stranger.

Cloud's new look had been Zack's primary contribution to the plan. The SOLDIER First had dyed Cloud's blond hair to an ordinary, nondescript brown, pinning the long spikes down. The effect was a little odd, but not as bad as it could be, Cloud decided. He looked like a nondescript young man with a bit of a raggedy hair cut. When he'd questioned his mentor, Zack had just laughed and reminded Cloud that SOLDIERs did get sent on recon missions every once in a while, and how would he not get caught if he didn't do something with his hair?

The next part of his disguise was his uniform, or rather what was lacking. Regulars and SOLDIER cadets wore the same uniform with different insignia pins, and new SOLDIERs kept that uniform until after their first Mako treatments. A rapid gain in size and muscle mass was a normal side effect, so it would've been wasteful to have to issue incoming SOLDIERs new uniforms twice in the space of a few weeks. New SOLDIERs had their own insignia pins, but wearing the regular insignia his mentor had filched for him, Cloud looked more like an ordinary private than Zachary Sinclair's well-known protégé. Good thing, too. We're less likely to get caught that way.

Checking that the way was clear, Cloud left his room and walked purposefully through the halls, as if on an errand. It only took a few minutes to reach the place where Vincent hid in wait, and together they disabled the alarm on a rare-used emergency exit opening on a dark, quiet alley, starting into the ShinRa Tower and up seemingly endless flights of stairs. Waiting for Vincent, who was searching for a mechanism in the wall of the uppermost part of the stairwell, Cloud couldn't help remembering their conversation during the planning stages. "I'm surprised the stairs go that high," he had observed. "Seems like a security risk."

"They don't, at least not those accessible to the public. They're put there for safely concerns in case people ever need to leave and the elevators aren't working, but are hidden to prevent infiltration," Vincent had explained. Now Cloud was seeing that in action. The wall slid open and the pair snuck into a dark passage. The stairs were narrower here, though thankfully not dusty; they wouldn't have wanted to leave tell-tale signs of their passage. Of course, knowing ShinRa, it wouldn't be surprising if people sometimes used these to sneak around the place…

Vincent gave his student a look as the pair stopped at a wall near the back of the secondary level of the labs, an area most commonly used for storing of specimens and equipment. Red XIII was supposed to be around here somewhere. As they slipped through another barely-visible door into the storeroom, Cloud looked around for the catlike creature; he tapped Vincent on the shoulder and pointed, and the former Turk nodded. The pair quickly crossed the room, trying to stay out of view of the security cameras — Vincent had set up a video loop earlier, but it was better to be safe than sorry — and stood before the transparent container holding their target.

Red XIII opened his one eye, watching them warily as Vincent started fiddling with the pad. Unwilling to speak, Cloud raised a finger to his lips and carefully mouthed. "We're going to get you out." For some reason, Cloud felt as if he could almost sense the great catlike creature's suspicion, but he kept that to himself for now. A moment later Vincent succeeded in cracking the code, and the pod opened. The pair helped the former prisoner out and pulled him into the shadows.

Just in time, as the door abruptly slid open.

All three slunk back further into the dim corners of the ill-lit room, tensing as a man wearing a lab coat entered. Vincent's hand was on his gun, ready to kill if necessary; Cloud's heart sank. If his mentor fired, there would be no way they could escape without at least one of them being discovered, and the younger man knew without a doubt that Vincent would sacrifice his life for Cloud's. This is all my fault. Gaea, what was I thinking? I shouldn't have asked him to do this. This was insane. Stupidest plan ever conceived. We're in so much trouble—

"Is everything all right in there?" A voice inquired from the adjoining room.

Vincent slowly, quietly cocked his gun, and Cloud held his breath, trying to control his racing heart. He'd never been so terrified in his life. This is it. We're done for. There's no possible way we can get out of this; at least one of us is gonna end up dead or worse, oh Gaea I never should've—

"…Everything's fine," the scientist called back through the open door. "It just took a minute for my eyes to adjust. You know how bad the lighting is in here." He lowered his voice. "I hope you managed to get away safely. You didn't deserve what they did to you." And with that the unnamed man left, closing the door behind him.

Cloud nearly sagged in startled relief, casting a curious glance at Vincent, who was clearly not inclined to waste time examining their luck too closely. They quickly ushered Red XIII back to the stairs, starting down. Cloud was quickly aware they weren't moving as fast as they had when they had come up and glanced back at the former prisoner. He was moving as quickly as he could, but with a definite limp. The new SOLDIER caught Vincent's eye and made a brief gesture. Recognizing the Turk hand signal for 'wounded party member,' Vincent momentarily halted as Cloud pulled a bottle out of his pocket. Their feline companion regarded the potion warily for a moment, but he did accept it, thankfully. The potion should take care of the minor wounds on Red XIII's leg, help some of his older injuries, and give him a bit more energy… hopefully enough to get him out of the building.

The trio resumed their silent, rapid retreat. Sooner than Cloud expected, they arrived at the junction for the public stairs, where Vincent paused, checking for traffic. While few people used these stairs instead of the elevator, there was still a chance that someone would see them. This was one of the most dangerous parts of their mission.

Vincent took off ahead, Cloud and Red XIII cautiously following. Thankfully, they made it down the stairs without incident; the scant few times the sounds of someone else in the stairwell made them all freeze and shrink into dim corners, they were thankfully separated by at least a couple flights. Cloud took over the lead as they left the building, moving down the alley until they reached a ShinRa-owned shipping facility. Bending down, he whispered to their escapee. "We have to get you off the Plate." He nodded at an empty wooden crate, full of narrow chinks between the boards, right next to where they'd entered. "I know it's kind of small, but it'll just be for a little while, until they get you down to a warehouse in Sector 4. We'll get you out from there. We've got a friend down below who will help take care of you." He paused, looking uncertainly at the dancing flame at the end of the former captive's tail. "Is there any way you could, uh… do something about that?"

The catlike creature seemed less than pleased as he looked distrustfully at the box, but eventually let out a resigned sigh and crept inside, carefully tucking his tail between his paws to hide its light. Wonder why it doesn't burn him… Shaking his head, Cloud slid the lid on and nailed it shut as quietly as possible, thankful for the surrounding racket of others doing the same thing. For once, he was actually thankful he'd served as a private; helping out at or guarding places like this was often a duty assigned to low-ranked troopers, so Cloud was familiar with the facilities. It was relatively easy to sneak the box onto the outgoing truck; he fit right in with the privates doing the exact same thing. Smiling to himself as a few of them complained (quietly, so their supervisor couldn't hear) of the drudgery, fending off an apparently lonely, chatty new private with a shrug and a somewhat nervous smile ("Just feeling a little under the weather, is all; it's kinda warm in here"), Cloud felt a twinge of regret. This kind of thing'll be impossible to do once I get enhanced. The way SOLDIERs stuck out so much was a large part of why Sephiroth and Zack had to help from the shadows instead of in person.

Finally managing to slip away, Cloud returned silently to Vincent's side. For now they only had to hope Red XIII got down there safely. In theory, every single box had to be counted and recounted at multiple stages of shipment, but everyone knew that this was rarely done except with important cargo. As most of this was basic supplies and dry goods going to a storage warehouse in Sector 4, that wasn't likely to happen.

"He's gone," the blond reported quietly, letting out a sigh of relief. The first, and most dangerous, part of their mission was over.

Vincent nodded. "Then we'd best head down below ourselves."

Breaking and entering to multiple facilities in one day. Mom would have a fit. Cloud couldn't help smiling as he slipped on a pair of gloves and tinkered with the warehouse locking mechanism, Vincent watching over his shoulder in case there was a problem. And Vincent uses this as a training exercise. Why am I not surprised?

The lock, much less complicated than those in the ShinRa building, abruptly clicked and the door slid open. It took a good ten minutes to locate the correct box, but once they did Red XIII was out in a matter of moments, breathing deeply of the fresher air. Cloud lifted a finger to his lips, reminding their companion that he still needed to be quiet, and glanced uncertainly at the box. They really should get rid of it, since one empty crate among this shipment would certainly be suspicious, but Cloud wasn't sure how…

Vincent shot his apprentice an amused glance, picked up the crate, and carried it outside. Placing it far enough from the building to be safely out of 'ShinRa territory,' the former Turk withdrew into the shadows. Red XIII and Cloud watched as a ragged bunch of people swarmed over the crate, breaking it into pieces and carting it off. Cloud shook his head. Scavengers… of course. Here under the Plate, real wood's almost impossible to find, and those without homes and the convenience of Mako power need something for an energy source.

The trio took off again, Vincent once more in the lead. They were moving far more slowly now, though; Red XIII was definitely running out of energy, and seemed worse for the wear after his stint in the crate. Cloud briefly wished they had thought of some other way to get him below the Plate, but the important thing was he was almost free.

It wasn't long before they saw the church. Vincent waited in the shadows; he would not be accompanying them to Aeris's house. Cloud and Red XIII started over to the church; as if on cue, Aeris emerged. The flower girl didn't even glance at her friend or his strange companion as she took off down the street, heading for home. Cloud and Red XIII followed her carefully, watching for anyone following them, keeping to the shadows as best they could to avoid detection.

Finally they came to Aeris's house, and Cloud couldn't help feeling as if they had stepped into another world, with the glowing sunlight and fragrant garden. Stopping far enough into the garden that they might be afforded a little more concealment from anyone who passed by, Aeris turned to look at her followers. "Well, Cloud. That's a different look for you."

Cloud flushed, self-consciously running a hand over his hair. "Yeah, I guess. Actually, I was hoping I could maybe borrow your bathroom and wash it out…"

"Of course." Aeris smiled. "Mom's not here at the moment, though she knows we'll be having… a guest."

Cloud shook his head, Aeris's words reminding him he hadn't introduced them yet. "Where are my manners? Aeris, this is Red XIII— wait, that can't be your real name. It seems incredibly rude to refer to you by what Hojo—"

"Red XIII is fine for now. Or just Red," the feline creature finally spoke. Aeris and Cloud smiled at his voice, warm and deep.

"Okay then, this is Red, former prisoner of the ShinRa Science Department. Red, this Aeris. She sells flowers down here below the Plate." Cloud grinned. "She doesn't like Hojo anymore than we do, so she said she'd help us out."

"I see," Red murmured, curling his tail around his paws as he studied the young woman.

"Speaking of help…" Cloud gave him a sharp glance. "Do you know who that scientist was?"

"Scientist?" Aeris echoed.

"Someone walked in on us at one point — I was sure we were goners then, but for some reason he didn't report that Red was out," Cloud explained.

"Doctor Matheson is one of the lowest-ranked scientists in the department," the former prisoner explained. "Not because he isn't intelligent; if anything, the opposite is true. Rather, he's considered overly scrupulous by his peers because of his absolute refusal to accept the mistreating of living, intelligent species for the sake of science. If it were not for the fact that he possesses rather specialized knowledge on some of the more obscure properties of Mako, I suspect Hojo would have long since replaced him."

"There are still moral people in ShinRa? Wow, who'd've thought?" The catlike creature gave Cloud a long look, and the young man flushed. "Um, in the Science Department, I meant." He moved to run his hands through his hair and promptly got stuck by a hair pin. "Ack. I think I'll go get this out now, Aeris, if you don't mind…"

The flower girl laughed brightly. "Go ahead, Cloud. Bathroom's second floor, last door on your left. Maybe you should try a wig next time, hmm?"

"No way! This was annoying enough." Cloud retreated into the house. This better come out with one wash like Zack promised…

Aeris covered her mouth to hide her smile as she watched her friend leave, then turned back to her guest. "I don't know where you'd prefer to sleep, Mr. Red. Do you want to stay outdoors, or…?"

"I would much rather stay outside, if possible," Red replied. "And please, no 'mister.' I'm actually still just a cub."

"Oh, I'm sorry." Aeris looked him over curiously. He was long and lean, and didn't look that young — weren't cubs supposed to be small? — but then again, she had little experience in telling the age of feline creatures. Her hands twitched, and she tried to ignore the urge to bury them in Red's soft-looking coat. "The garden might be the best place, then."

"It looks lovely." Red observed, looking around. "Do you grow these yourself?"

"Mostly. My mother helped some." Both of them. Again she restrained herself from reaching out.

Red looked up at her, a sparkle in his eye, and Aeris had the funniest feeling he was grinning. "I don't mind. It's been a long time since anyone has touched me not for science's sake, but simply because they wanted to."

Blushing, Aeris ran her hand along his back. "Your fur is very soft," she noted, then hesitantly scratched his ears; much to her delight, he started to purr. Moving a little further into the garden, they sat down, Red dropping his head into Aeris' lap as she began to pet him again.

"You know," the catlike creature said after a few minutes, "You remind me of my grandfather, for some reason."

Aeris paused. "Really?"

Red nodded. "Yes. He's a very wise man and knows many things about the Planet. He loves Gaea more than anything else, I think."

"I wish I could meet him," Aeris said wistfully. The stayed that way in silence for a bit longer until Aeris saw Cloud's hair over the flowers. "We're over here, Cloud!"

"There you are. I thought you vanished," Cloud replied cheerfully, his hair once again blond and standing all but straight up.

Red lifted his head. "That's a different look."

"Completely natural," Cloud responded, smiling a little, "but yeah, it does make me stand out. A friend did it the way it was so I wouldn't be quite so noticeable." Cloud carefully didn't look at Aeris's face as he spoke; he had a feeling she'd know who the friend in question was. Instead, he fished his SOLDIER insignia out of his pocket and pinned it back on.

"Oh, you made it, Cloud!" Aeris looked very pleased. "I'm happy for you."

"Yup." Cloud lightly touched the insignia, still not quite used to having it. "We're lucky I haven't had to get enhancements yet, or else we would have had a much harder time sneaking around. SOLDIERs aren't exactly easy to hide, you know."

"Aeris!" came a voice across the garden.

The young woman stiffened. "That's my mom. I better go in." Cloud gave Aeris a sympathetic look, knowing this wasn't going to be easy for her. "I'll be back in a bit, Red. Cloud, I hate to say this, but—"

"I need to leave, I know." Cloud gave his friend the best smile he could muster. "I'll see you again. If nothing else, after we get Hojo." Aeris nodded and left. "Red, I have a favor to ask…"

"Yes?"

"You might have guessed, but Aeris isn't exactly…" He pursed his lips in thought. "I don't really know how to put it, but I do know that Hojo is after her. He has been for a long time." He paused. "The Turks have been bothering her some, from what I've heard. If you could—"

"I will watch over her as best I can," Red finished.

"Thanks." Cloud looked relieved. "I know you'll do a good job."

"I think you may be overestimating my capabilities somewhat," the feline muttered.

"I don't think so. I saw your file." Cloud grinned. "That's how we found out about you, actually."

Red gave Cloud a long look, ignoring the attempted change of topic. "You care for her, don't you? A great deal."

"Not just me, but another one of those who helped us out." Cloud sighed. "Just do your best to keep her safe. We really are working on getting Hojo out, but it's taking longer than we'd like." The young man glanced over at the house, frowning. "Anyway, I'd better go. I'll see you soon, Red."

The other nodded. "Good luck."

Aeris stood up straight as her mother's disapproving gaze settled upon her. Elmyra might not like it, but she was grown up now, and it was time she started acting like it.

"I honestly didn't think you were this… well, this foolish, Aeris." Elmyra frowned at her adopted daughter. "I was really hoping you weren't serious when you told me this plan of yours. What if they find out that animal's here? You're putting yourself into even more danger, and without reason—"

"Red's not an animal, Mom; he's a person, and nobody deserves what he was going through," Aeris interrupted, unwilling to bow to her mother's wishes this time. She had been content to let Elmyra make decisions for her before, knowing that the woman really did mean well, but this time she was putting her foot down. Aeris was tired of hiding, tired of letting go of what she wanted because it was "for the best." That was what how she'd lost Zack, and she wasn't going to let anything like that happen ever again.

Elmyra was shaking her head. "Even so—"

"Mom." Aeris' voice stopped her short. "Forcing him out on his own just means he's even more likely to get caught or killed. If necessary, Red and I will find someplace else to live. I know this is your house and you make the rules in it, but I won't throw him out."

"Aeris…"

"He is a person, Mom, even if he doesn't look like one. I won't let Hojo hurt him anymore, or anyone else. I have to do this." Aeris' face was resolute.

"But why?"

"Because I keep wondering what would I do if it was me locked up in the labs again!" the young woman cried. "I can't turn him away. I won't. This may be the only way I can get back at Hojo for what he did to me… and to Mother." Elmyra flinched. "Please, Mom. Please, help me undo what that man has done. Help me heal him, show him that not all humans are bad."

The older woman sighed. "That's a big task, Aeris."

"I know." Aeris embraced her, laying her head on her shoulder. "But I have to try."

Elmyra just held her daughter for a long moment, gently running a hand over her back. "All right, then. Let's do it together." She wasn't happy at all that her daughter insisted on doing something that could get both— no, all three of them killed, but… She sighed. The least she could do was stand by her.

Professor Hojo settled down in front of his computer screen, eyes narrowed in frustration. Most days being the department head didn't bother him — despite the extra administrative duties, it did give him much more free reign in his research — but sometimes the idiocy of his underlings was absolutely infuriating. If only I had competent assistants I didn't have to watch every moment of the day. His search for the Promised Land was progressing terribly, for instance. Even with the President's often useless support, there were simply too many other things clamoring for his attention.

Like this latest nuisance…

It figured this would happen during one of the busiest times of the year for the Science Department, when new SOLDIERs were getting their first injections. Hojo called up his personal file for Red XIII, the specimen that had vanished all but without a trace sometime in the past two days, and stared at it sourly. To be honest, the creature's escape (or theft) was not as upsetting as the breach in security it demonstrated. His own research concerning the feline had been more or less completed some time ago, other studies calling for his attention. The underlings were annoyed, of course, but that was only to be expected.

As for who had caused the incident in the first place… well, he had his suspicions. Matheson was checking on the storage rooms the shift before Red XIII was reported missing, and he has far too much sympathy with his subjects. He had been observed actually talking to the beast multiple times, as if making small talk with it would actually encourage it to respond (something none of them had been able to accomplish, despite the fact that it seemed intelligent enough to understand speech). Still, it was unlikely the scientist had done it himself, at least unaided. Security had discovered a loop program in the camera feed for the room after the theft had finally been uncovered. To the best of their estimates it had been in place for almost seventy-two hours. On top of that, their technicians had been unable to find any traces as to how it got there in the first place. Matheson is a passable scientist and a gullible fool, but he is not a master hacker. Besides, he has his uses. The only hackers Hojo was aware of that had sufficient skill to pull off such a thing were among the Turks, and their current leader gave him reluctant support; if Veld ever found out what the scientist had done to his former partner, though…

All bets were off then.

In any case, beyond the troubling breach of security, the loss was negligible. If he had ever recovered the Cetra it might have been a different matter, since he'd had hopes of examining a cross in their DNA, but progress in that endeavor had been all but nonexistent.

He scowled. Incompetent Turks. One would think they'd be able to retrieve a single female with some efficiency. Undoubtedly some emotional impediment prevents Tseng from doing his job effectively. Hojo knew well enough that there was some bond between the younger Wutaian, who headed the operation despite the scientist's protests, and the Ancient, though he wasn't precisely certain as to what it was. On top of that, his request for a unit of SOLDIERs to kidnap the girl outright had been overturned by the President since it would 'damage the company's reputation' among those living under the Plate, causing 'unnecessary alarm.' The last thing they wanted to worry about, the board had agreed, were terrorists and revolts incited by the very public detaining of a woman who was widely recognized as completely uncriminal. Curse ShinRa, and curse that stupid girl for establishing herself so well in the public eye! Short of a catastrophe down below to distract them, her neighbors wouldn't let their precious 'flower girl' go easily.

It was even more of a shame he hadn't been able to retrieve the mother's body, though he had confirmed that Gast's wife had died. He had precious few Cetra cells in his sample collection, and they refused to reproduce.

What little literature we've recovered on them suggests they had some connection to the Lifestream. Perhaps I should run a new series of tests exposing them to Mako… A SOLDIER or three might have made excellent specimens for such experiments; a pity the press had such a close watch on the program these days. During the Wutai war, it had been much easier to simply acquire a few SOLDIERs and write them off as MIA or mutations.

Hojo closed Red XIII's file and called up Sephiroth's. His beautiful, perfect Sephiroth… truly an angel of destruction, his prize masterpiece. Gast may have supplied the materials, but I have shaped them into something greater than he ever could have created. The scientist frowned slightly as he recalled the outcome of the Nibelheim mission; it still bothered him. He had arranged things so he could expose Sephiroth to the JENOVA core and observe his reactions, but there had been no evidence that his creation had even encountered it. And unfortunately, it was highly unlikely he could simply arrange another meeting; it had been difficult enough to pass off the falsified reports and gain an inquiry into the situation last time. Even if he could repeat that, Sephiroth would likely simply sent a different unit of SOLDIERs.

Pursing his lips in thought, Hojo called up another file, far newer than Sephiroth's. Until a short time ago, the SOLDIER First Class known as Zachary Sinclair had been hardly more than a nuisance. Nonetheless, when he'd had his routine physical after the Nibelheim mission, something extraordinary had been revealed. His JENOVA cells had somehow changed from the dormant, almost dead state in ordinary SOLDIERs to the active, reproducing, adapting ones only observable in the JENOVA core and Sephiroth — and that made him an interesting creature indeed.

How to inject a specimen with unaltered JENOVA cells without inducing complete mutation was a secret Gast had taken to his grave. Until he discovered it, Hojo would never be able to create a SOLDIER anywhere near Sephiroth's level. Even his own experiments, injecting both parents with JENOVA cells before fertilization, had failed. The mothers had died, of course; JENOVA cells rarely lasted well in weaker female constitutions. Hojo had very nearly been ready to give up on it… and yet this mediocre SOLDIER had somehow achieved that state. They had been forced to increase his Mako treatments as he began to metabolize the material at a faster rate, but other than that the change had been entirely self-supporting.

And if ever there has been a sign of this specimen's inferior mind, it has to be his complete lack of awareness concerning the increase of his capabilities. His informants had noted it while watching the specimen's sparring matches with Sephiroth, indicating in their reports that the General seemed to be using more of his true ability than he had previously.

The only possible explanation Hojo could come up with was that somehow, the subject had encountered the JENOVA core. However, if that were so, why hadn't Sephiroth also encountered it? The SOLDIER stuck to his superior officer like a barnacle most days, apparently attempting to exert a more humanizing influence on Sephiroth. So far, however, Hojo's pet project had not succumbed to it, as far as his informants could tell. At the moment, the subject's scientific potential outweighed the possible negative affect of his fixation on Sephiroth. Should that change… well, Hojo would simply have to work to remove him from the picture.

Unfortunately, even that might not completely solve the problem, Hojo reminded himself as he opened his newest file. Barely three weeks old, it concerned one of the newest SOLDIERs: Cloud Strife. Eighteen years old, blond hair, blue eyes. Hometown Nibelheim, of all places. Possessor of the largest Mako scores jump in the history of the SOLDIER exams.

Hojo studied his picture thoughtfully. He distantly remembered testing this one the first time he had tried out for SOLDIER; that distinctive hair make him a face one was unlikely to forget. Both his reactions to the Mako and JENOVA injections had been normal, perhaps slightly below average, but passable. This time, however, his Mako results had skyrocketed, and even his JENOVA results had increased slightly. And Hojo didn't know why.

It was entirely possible those results could have been a fluke, but Hojo would discover for certain by observing the specimen's reactions to the base injections he would be receiving next week. A shame he couldn't just borrow him for some further tests; the Cetra cells might react interestingly…

Unfortunately, the subject's disappearance would likely cause all sorts of trouble. His SOLDIER mentor was quite attached to him (likely for reasons Hojo didn't deign to think about), and even Sephiroth had shown some interest. Hojo had mixed feelings about that. On the one hand, this young specimen might someday become a worthy subordinate to Sephiroth if correctly molded. On the other hand, he may well have been hiding the fact that his goals were… of a more carnal nature.

Hojo clenched his fist, his lip curling in disgust. For anyone to defile Sephiroth in such a way would be completely unforgivable. He had long kept close tabs on the General's aide, concerned that his fixation on Sephiroth might become a more physical one, but to the best of Hojo's (admittedly limited) knowledge, the SOLDIER had not sought his superior out for such purposes. The specimen seemed content to restrict his sexual encounters to females and, on rare occasions, SOLDIERs of a more appropriate rank… though Hojo wasn't going to relax his vigilance for a moment. One never knew when things might change.

Whoever sought to corrupt his precious son would die.

"Excuse me, Professor — the next batch of new SOLDIERs is here."

Hojo looked up to see one of his flunkies standing at the door. At least this one was useful in his limited fashion, quite content to spend his time filling out labels, cleaning lab equipment, or filing. Most of the others were overburdened with either ambition or scruples; though the latter was a far smaller group, both were difficult to deal with. "Gather the usual group. I will be there momentarily."

Perhaps it would be easier if he allowed the other scientists to know the exact combinations of the JENOVA strains, Mako, and other chemicals that went into the SOLDIER treatments, but the threat sharing that information represented far outweighed the slight free time it might have ganted. As long as Hojo was the only one who knew that formula, he was invaluable. Once another gained it he could be replaced by whomever managed to convince the President that the head of the Science Department was 'losing his touch.'

It is SOLDIER that keeps this company running, and it is I who keep SOLDIER functioning. As long as this is so, I am irreplaceable. It was a pleasantly heady feeling, he had to admit. Gathering up the appropriate pre-made bottles, he left the lab, locking down his computer. Now it was time for him to do his duty; after, perhaps, he could return to his true work.

Chapter Text

Cloud shuddered and buried himself further under his covers, trying to ignore the harsh feel of the material against his skin. It was hard to believe that a few weeks ago he had thought these to be some of the nicest sheets he had ever had.

Not that he was thinking very much at the moment — just on the contrary, actually. He was so far out of it he probably wouldn't have been able to put together a coherent sentence if his life depended on it.

The young man tried desperately to ignore his chills, the heavy feeling of something invisible pressing upon his chest and his hot eyelids. He couldn't remember being this sick before, though one time he had been very, very close.

It felt like he was dying.

A cool hand gently touched his brow, the contact feeling almost like ice on a hot stove. The touch both hurt and comforted, and Could didn't know if he should lean into it or flinch away.

"Cloud?"

Someone, saying his name. It had to be… "Vincent?" he murmured.

The hand withdrew. "Go back to sleep, Cloud."

The part of Cloud's brain that wasn't delirious with fever thought this sounded like a good idea. "'Kay."

Zack stepped away from Cloud's bed and looked at the blond with worry. At least the kid had managed to get to bed before his treatments had really kicked in; a minor blessing, considering some had started to succumb on their way back from the labs. The problem was Cloud seemed to be feeling the treatments' adverse effects more than most of the new SOLDIERs, though he wasn't showing any signs of mutation yet, thank Gaea.

The SOLDIER First dearly hoped Cloud wouldn't be one of those who didn't make it. He didn't think he could bear to lose his apprentice.

"Who's Vincent?"

Zack looked over at Scott, who'd asked the question. He was grateful that Cloud had been placed with these two, and for more than just having other friends for the blond. Scott and Paul had their own reasons to diligently watch Cloud's progress; these two would be the first ones to notice if something went wrong. Keeping an eye on new SOLDIERs was one of the biggest reasons ShinRa grouped new Thirds with older ones, but Zack knew Scott and Paul would go beyond mere duty to take care of their friend.

Of course, the awkward questions thing was a bit of a downside.

"A friend of his back home, I think," Zack replied smoothly, his eyes returning to Cloud's shivering form. "Has there been any change?"

Scott looked grim. "We're pretty sure his fever went up again this morning."

Zack closed his eyes and offered a prayer to whatever god was listening. Four days after treatment he should be getting better, not worse. Don't do this to me, Cloud… Sighing, he checked his watch. He was already late for duty, and though Sephiroth would be somewhat forgiving in this case — mentors were expected to check on their SOLDIERs frequently in this time period — he wouldn't be happy if Zack didn't come in soon. "I have to go. I'll see you later."

Scott nodded. "Or if not me, Paul. They've got our duty schedules set up so there's always at least one of us around to keep an eye on the newbies."

Zack nodded, quashing the little pang of guilt he felt at ignoring the fourth member of the squad. Roberts really wasn't someone he was very concerned about, particularly since he seemed to be adjusting right on schedule.

Sephiroth didn't say a word as he came into the office and settled at his desk. Zack had had difficulty focusing since the day Cloud had gotten his treatments, but he stubbornly slogged through his paperwork nonetheless. It was frustrating to be cooped up in the office instead of by his friend's side, but there was very little he could do to help Cloud at this point, and the paperwork was hardly going to do itself.

Zack snorted a little at that. If he could've made that happen, he'd've easily become the richest man in the world off selling the secret, especially considering how much ShinRa ran on the stuff. (The company might just have it in for him after that for taking away employees' busywork and giving them more time to plot office coups and other such subversive things, though.)

Unfortunately, the tedious work didn't help him dismiss the image of Cloud's suffering, but Zack did manage to finish — and even got a head start on the next day's work — by half an hour before it was time for him to leave. Of course, he had worked right though lunch, but he wasn't really very hungry at the moment anyway. Locking up his desk, he stood to leave, startled to hear similar motion from behind him. "Seph?"

"I will accompany you to see Strife."

A chill ran down Zack's spine. It wasn't that Sephiroth didn't have a right to see Cloud — he was teaching him too, after all — but the General hadn't so far. Sephiroth knew the signs of mutation and a bad transition better than anyone else, between his experience in Wutai and his stints in the labs. If something was wrong with Cloud, he would know it, but…

The pair walked swiftly through the halls, Zack's usual smile gone as he matched Sephiroth stride for stride. In a matter of moments they were at Cloud's room, Paul answering Zack's knock. The SOLDIER Third's eyes widened when he saw Zack's companion, but he said nothing, saluting as he stepped out of the way so the two SOLDIER Firsts could enter.

There was a palpable tension in the air the moment they did, but it didn't feel like the usual unease that lurked in the corners when Sephiroth entered a room. Hoping against hope, Zack glanced at Roberts, who appeared fine, before turning his attention to Cloud. Scott stood next to the bed, looking anxious… and there was another figure there, carrying a bag no SOLDIER liked to see. The uniform she wore made Zack's heart sink, his worst fears confirmed.

A specialist.

No, no, no, Cloud, don't you dare go crazy on me! Specialists existed to deal with SOLDIERs who had gone out of control. Why else would one be here, unless—

"Well, he's fine," the woman declared, scooping up her instruments and placing them back in her bag. "Better than fine, actually."

Zack looked at the tormented figure in disbelief, then back at the specialist. "What do you mean, fine?"

"I mean exactly what I said." The specialist met his incredulous stare with calm composure, no little part of her confidence probably coming from the fact she had materials at her disposal that could down a SOLDIER in a matter of seconds. "He's actually adapting at a higher level than most, which is why he's taking so long to recover. I'll be back to check on him, but he should be on the mend in a day or so. I suspect another five before he's ready to start reconditioning training, however."

Zack mulled over her words. Cloud's gonna be a good three days behind the other newbies in that case, but I bet he'll outstrip 'em soon enough. In fact, he'd likely consider it a perfectly good excuse to spend more time training instead of just hanging out.

"What I still want to know is why you're here," Paul said to the young woman, still watching her warily. "We didn't send for you."

"We've been hearing about someone with an unusual reaction to the initial treatments. Didn't take long to track it down," the specialist replied. "Make sure he gets plenty of fluids; other than that, there really isn't much you can do for him. Keep an eye on him, of course and call us if things go bad." She shouldered her bag and left, only giving the briefest of nods and a murmured "sir" to acknowledge Sephiroth.

"Between us, I hope we never see her again," Paul muttered. "Anyway, is there something we can help you with, sir?"

Sephiroth shook his head. "No. I merely came to evaluate Strife's progress; since everything seems to be proceeding acceptably, my input is no longer necessary. If you would excuse me—"

Zack sighed as Sephiroth disappeared though the door. Some things never changed.

Cloud woke up when someone shoved a thermometer in his mouth.

As this was not necessarily the most enjoyable way to awaken, he quickly raised his hand to remove the offending object.

"Hey." A hand caught his. "Keep that in. I need to check your temperature."

The blond blinked and lowered his hand. Much to his surprise, the voice came from a girl around his age, calmly taking his pulse. She had dark reddish hair, cut short for convenience, and greenish-brown eyes — pretty, he supposed, but not as pretty as Aeris.

The girl pulled out the thermometer from Cloud's mouth and checked it. "Just slightly above normal, good. You'll be up and about by tomorrow."

"Who are you?" Cloud finally asked, confused as to exactly why there was a girl in his room. He briefly prayed Zack didn't find out about it; he'd never hear the end of it.

"Sorry. I'm Matheson — Morgan Matheson." She tapped the insignia on her uniform. "Specialist. I've been checking up on you."

"Oh." Cloud blinked. Where do I know that— oh! The scientist Red told me about! The SOLDIER briefly wondered if they were related; unfortunately, he couldn't exactly ask if she knew a scientist he had no reason to have encountered… but it'd be pretty easy to discover that information himself. I need a computer, Cloud thought, and then chuckled to himself. Most people wouldn't go straight to hacking to find out something so insignificant. Vincent must be rubbing off on me. In any case, it was good to be thinking clearly again, at least. I must finally be getting better.

"In any case, you'll need to eat something soon. I expect you're pretty hungry, considering we've barely gotten you to eat anything in the last week." Morgan stood and, with a short nod, left, leaving Cloud to consider her words. Had he really been out of it for a whole week?

"You want something from the mess?"

"Scott?" Cloud asked in surprise, only noticing the other SOLDIER's presence now. A quick glance around confirmed that they were alone.

The older man smiled at his friend. "Feeling better?"

Cloud nodded slowly. "What are you doing here?"

"What, forgot already? I live here," Scott teased. "Besides, we can't leave you newbies alone until you recover."

"Ah." Cloud realized what that meant — Scott and Paul must've had their duty schedules set up so they could keep an eye on him and Matt.

…Where was Matt, anyway?

Before Cloud could ask about his partner's disappearance, his stomach growled. He flushed as Scott laughed. "Well, I am hungry…"

"So I hear. I'll be back in a few minutes with something to eat." He vanished out the door.

Cloud just lay still for a few minutes, feeling strangely tired again already. His cheeks reddened as he realised that he wore nothing under the blankets, though he reminded himself it wasn't such a huge deal if one of his roommates had undressed him; it was nothing they hadn't seen before. It was still embarrassing, though, and it made Cloud wish he wasn't so much of a country bumpkin at heart. Zack had never been so modest.

He sat up slowly, swung his legs over the side of his bed, and stood — or tried to, his muscles not being particularly cooperative. Falling back onto his bed, he stared at his feet in a mixture of surprise and annoyance. I thought we were supposed to get stronger after this, not weaker! Stubbornly, he pushed himself back to his feet.

"Hey, there — hold on!" Zack came sprinting through the doorway and snagged Cloud by the waist, holding him up straight. "Sit down, take it easy. You're in no condition to get up just yet; you've been stuck in bed for almost a week."

The blond grumbled, his face red with embarrassment; sympathetic, Zack pulled a large T-shirt and a pair of loose pants out of his closet. "Here. These were big on you before, so they should probably still fit."

Cloud accepted them somewhat dubiously — the other SOLDIER was being silly; it wasn't like he'd gained a lot of muscle over the last week, after all — but allowed Zack to help him into the clothes. "How in the world are SOLDIERs supposed to be the best fighting force in the world if they're like this?" he complained, flopping back on the bed.

"Just wait," Zack told him, smiling. "A week or two of rehab and you'll be back up to your old level. After that we'll start training you to make the most of your enhancements." He shrugged. "The weakness after is normal, really. Part of the reason we stagger treatment appointments. The first group are already back up and doing enhancement training. Don't worry, you'll be back in the gym soon enough." The dark-haired man plopped down next to Cloud. "So, you want something to eat?"

"Scott already went to get me something, thanks."

Zack nodded. "I know. He called when he left to tell me you were awake. But what I meant was you want something decent to eat?"

Cloud waved him off. "The mess hall food isn't that bad."

Zack chuckled. "Just wait till you try it again. I think you're in for a surprise." He ruffled his friend's hair. "It's good to see you lucid for once."

Cloud knew him well enough to be able to read the relief in his indigo eyes. "Was I really that bad?"

"No signs of imminent mutation, according to the specialist, but you were giving us quite a scare for a while," Zack admitted. He was saved from having to elaborate by the reappearance of his friend's roommate. "Ahh, food's here!"

Scott handed over a tray with some sort of poultry and assorted green vegetables. Suddenly ravenous, Cloud took a bite, knowing from past experience that this was actually one of the more edible meals served in the mess—

And he was utterly disappointed. Frowning, he took another bite. Underneath the spices, the food tasted almost… artificial. What in the world was going on?

"Figured that would happen." Zack looked amused.

"And that's why Paul and I eat out so much," Scott put in. "All your senses are enhanced as a SOLDIER, even taste and smell. You don't get fooled by the stuff they throw on the food anymore." Cloud grimaced at that; he'd probably have to get used to the peculiar, pervasive stink of the city all over again. "Better hope you make it to First. You'll get your own kitchenette, and you'll be able to cook some edible stuff… assuming you can cook, of course." Scott tried not to smile as he looked at Zack.

The SOLDIER First looked affronted. "I can cook, I'll have you know. I cook quite a bit."

"Of course, sir," Scott agreed, not quite smiling. "It's just, well, they say you have… somewhat unusual tastes in some things. And I've heard about this one incident with a frying pan and a—"

Zack growled. "Shut it, SOLDIER."

"Yessir," Scott replied easily, turning back to Cloud. "Anyway, you either have to learn to put up with the stuff in the mess, or put a decent chunk of your paycheck towards eating out."

"In any case," Zack continued, "you should finish that, Cloud. Your system should be able to handle it just fine, despite you not having eaten in a while — SOLDIERs rarely have to worry about queasiness. After that, get some more sleep. I'll stop by tomorrow so we can start on basic rehab. I'm sure you want to be back up on your feet as soon as possible."

This is utter foolishness, Vincent told himself, lurking in the very staircase he and Cloud had used to help Red XIII escape.

The truth was that the former Turk had become somewhat dissatisfied with his role in their attempt to implicate Hojo. While his research formed the backbone of their case, it was more than a little frustrating to be cooped up in Sephiroth's quarters most of the time. Having gotten into the lower levels of the lab once, Vincent couldn't help wondering if he should just attempt to take Hojo out himself… but an annoyingly persistent little voice reminded him he had promised to let Cloud help take the scientist down, and he really shouldn't take unnecessary risks that more than likely would result in his death. His Turk sensibility was rightly taking precedence over that distressing irrationality he'd displayed more than once in his life, he noted dispassionately, but… it still bothered him. He sighed. Cloud's influence, I suppose…

He placed his claw lightly against the hidden door to the lower level of the lab. It would be so easy to open it and storm inside, wrecking and killing everything in his way until he found Hojo, but he would never make it out alive.

:Unusually perceptive. Perhaps there is hope for you after all. : Chaos sounded unbelievably smug.

Meaning…?

:Only that wishing for one's death often results in it. Many have survived through trying circumstances by their sheer will to live. :

Vincent frowned, looking at the door again. Unfortunately, his recent research indicated that Hojo knew several things vital to the running of the company, and was apparently the only one in his department who knew them. As long as that was so, it was unlikely any case they put forward against him would succeed.

Assassination might be the only option.

The former Turk didn't have to close his eyes to picture his student's face if he ever told Cloud that. The blond would be none too pleased with Vincent's current thoughts and would undoubtedly make his displeasure known… a side affect of his association with Sinclair. Of course, Cloud would simply point out that Vincent would have to work harder to obtain the information that supposedly only Hojo knew, such as the SOLDIER enhancement formula, so the board had no viable objections when they presented their case.

The black-haired man waited in long-suffering resignation for Chaos's inevitable commentary on that, expecting some quip about "and he'd be correct as well, you overdramatic human."

:Why should I tell you what you already know?: the demon retorted.

If I didn't know better, I'd expect that you two had joined forces solely to irritate me.

The only response Vincent received to that was amusement, and he shook his head but let it go. Turning away from the wall, he began his trek back down the stairs, freezing as another door abruptly opened. Cursing the lack of cover in the narrow staircase, Vincent did his best to hide in the limited shadows of the wall, studying the man who had stepped out onto the landing below. Someone extremely familiar…

It can't be.

But it was — the way he moved, the weapon at his waist, even the haircut…

Veld? What was his former partner doing here?

Vincent's mind reeled. He was so used to thinking of all that he'd cared about in his old life as long gone — his family, Lucrecia, the Turks he'd served with — that the very idea that his former partner still lived seemed completely ludicrous. And yet here he was, not three levels below him, looking as fit as ever except for a touch of grey. I wonder if he's made Turk Leader… He's certainly been around long enough for it.

Impulsively, he followed Veld at a safe distance. His former partner was exiting the building via the emergency staircase, which meant something was up; even more interesting, he was going alone. It was rare for a Turk to operate solo, particularly on missions outside the company compounds, and it made Vincent suspicious.

Trailing him became a little easier once they were below the Plate, though Vincent still didn't follow too closely. He was a little disappointed, actually, that Veld hadn't noticed him yet. His former partner was completely focused on whatever he was doing, not paying as much attention as he should to his surroundings. Veld had always had a bit of a blind spot that way… though he'd never been as bad as Cloud was.

Vincent followed his partner into a rundown old warehouse, though he crept through a broken upper story window rather than quietly slipping in through a side door as Veld had. Inside an assortment of nasty, visibly armed characters lounged around on several crates, drinking and conversing in low voices; it looked like they were from one of the meaner gangs in the sector. Vincent frowned thoughtfully. What was Veld up to? The Turks didn't usually stoop to buying information from gang members because of their unpredictable and greedy nature, and… no, he was moving too stealthily for this to be a rendezvous of that sort—

Just as his one-time partner did, Vincent tensed when the floorboard creaked, his good hand automatically moving to his gun. Veld was in the middle of a space between two large stacks of crates, and the shadows weren't deep enough to hide in; even if he could make it to cover—

The man who appeared to be the head of the gang suddenly held up his hand. "Did you hear that?"

His companions quieted immediately, and their leader turned towards the crates Veld had darted behind. "Figured ShinRa'd have their dogs after us eventually," he announced, a hint of malicious glee in his voice, "but didn't expect just one of 'em." He stepped slowly towards Veld's hiding place, and the Turk drew his and slipped the safety. "Scientist sent his little bitch down here all alone to get his precious toys back, huh?" The gang leader was sneering now. "Just you against the six of us ain't gonna do shit. If you know what's good for ya, you'll get the fuck outta here. Unless you want to 'play,' of course…" He chuckled.

"You really gonna fight 'im, boss?" one of the others asked almost nervously. "I mean…"

"Nothin' to it when we've got this baby to even the score," the leader assured him, hefting an object Vincent was sadly quite familiar with — a tranquilizer gun. That was when the pieces fell into place — Hojo had probably shipped some important project over to Midgar from another lab, but since its contents were borderline illegal he'd labeled it as medical supplies, something he'd done even during the time Vincent had been guarding him. Medicine was second only to weapons in value under the Plate; the shipment must've been intercepted. Veld had come down to retrieve the materials, but it appeared the gang that had apprehended them was intelligent enough to figure out they had gotten their hands on something special. Vincent muttered a curse. He had a sinking feeling he knew what at least some of it was, considering what he had seen in Hojo's files. If they'd loaded up the tranquilizer gun with the stuff…

Vincent reached for his gun just as his former partner aimed past the edge of the crate and fired, hitting the leader right in the temple before ducking back under cover. The former Turk watched over the firefight from above; luckily, most of the gang members had low-end weapons and weren't very good marksmen. He took a few shots of his own, covering Veld as the Turk reloaded, and his former partner glanced briefly towards his hiding place but said nothing, focusing on his opponents.

"Y'ain't gettin' away with this, ya bastard!" one of the few remaining thugs shouted. He pulled something out of his pocket and tossed it towards Veld's hiding spot.

Veld might be much older now, but he still moved nearly as quickly as Vincent remembered. He flung himself away as far as he could, managing to get just outside the grenade's blast range. Unfortunately, this left him in plain sight of the final two gang members, one of whom had picked up the fallen tranquilizer gun.

And Veld wasn't moving.

Oh no you don't. Vincent's gun sang twice more, and both his targets fell, dead. The ex-Turk paused, wondering if he should retrieve his former partner, but a quick glance around the warehouse made the decision for him: the grenade had started a fire. It would only be a few minutes before the whole place went up in flames. Returning his gun to his holster, he jumped down, landing beside Veld's still form. Vincent lifted his former partner into his arms — once upon a time he'd had to struggle to carry him, but Hojo's meddling had made it painfully easy — and carried him away from the quickly spreading fire.

At least Hojo wouldn't be getting that shipment back, he noted, allowing himself some small satisfaction at that. Hopefully the stuff wouldn't spread by air, but if it was what he suspected, it wouldn't be an issue anyway.

The man in his arms stirred. "Now I know I'm hallucinating." He chuckled. "Hello, Vin. Nice to see you again, even if I am dead. What's with the outfit?"

Vincent looked down at Veld sharply. "You aren't dead. And why would you be hallucinating?"

Veld smiled crookedly and held up his left hand, revealing a puncture wound that already looked unhealthy. Vincent felt his stomach clench. A dart wound… when had he been hit? "You always told me to take care to better protect my hands. Should've listened to you, I guess." He sighed, glancing back at the fire. "Tseng coming out?"

"Tseng?"

"My second. My… partner, sort of." He shrugged a little. "I thought he was following me."

Vincent shook his head. "No. That was me."

Veld stared at him. "You really are alive, aren't you? I thought… but… How? You died at Nibelheim!"

"Hojo," Vincent replied shortly, watching as the color drained further from his friend's face.

Veld let out an explosive breath, eyes dark with anger. "Shit," he muttered, looking away. "And all these years, I've… shit. I should've killed the bastard, not…"

Vincent shook his head, settling down with his former partner in a secluded alley. "You didn't know," he said roughly, trying to exam Veld's hand and cursing the uncertain light under the Plate.

"But I should've," the other man retorted. "Here." He fished around in his pocket with his good hand, passing Vincent a materia. The former Turk took it and activated it, looking at the skin very carefully. It was difficult to tell under its yellowish light, but he thought the flesh was taking on an unnatural green tint rather rapidly.

"That doesn't look good," Veld observed dispassionately, trying unsuccessfully to flex his fingers. "And I'm losing motion." He closed his eyes with a sigh; he knew the signs of imminent mutation as well as any other high-ranking ShinRa employee. "Looks like this is the end of the line for me." He turned towards Vincent. "Look, I want you to take my materia. And my— well, your gun. I held on to it after you… well, saying 'died' seems pretty stupid now." He grinned, but it was a twisted thing full of pain. "It's better than anything else they've tried to give me, anyway."

Vincent took the gun, sliding his fingers over it. It would be more difficult to use now with the claw, but it was of far higher quality than the one he was currently using, despite its age. It had been created by the previous head of Weapons Development, and was widely regarded as the finest handgun design in the world. "Thank you, Vel."

Veld smiled crookedly at the nickname; it had been a long, long time since he'd heard it. "Good luck taking down Hojo, Vin… and I'm sorry. But you better go. Won't be long until someone comes to deal with that fire. Don't worry 'bout me; I'll be all right."

Veld was still a bad liar, Vincent noted, and they both knew it. There was no cure for this particular cocktail Hojo had created; when ShinRa employees came to take care of the fire, they'd find his old partner and take him back to the lab. Hojo would be pleased to have a new specimen; Veld would only suffer long and painfully until there was nothing left of himself.

Their eyes met, and for a long moment they simply looked steadily at one another; finally, Vincent nodded, his decision made.

Cloud towel-dried his hair, grinning at his reflection in the mirror. He probably should've been over it by now, but it still sent a startled thrill through him to see the distinctive glowing eyes of a SOLDIER looking back at him from his reflection. They try to tell you what it's like, but nothing they say even comes close…

It had been three weeks since Cloud had finally been allowed out of bed. He'd been pretty busy since then, finding out just how out of the loop he'd gotten. It was more than a little frustrating to be constantly falling over his own feet. He had actually gained another two inches in height, putting him at 5'5'', which pleased him to no end; on the other hand, since he had slept through it, he had no idea how to deal with the change. He had finally learned how most of the rest of his peers felt when they were going through puberty; his own growth had been gradual enough that it hadn't been much of an issue.

Besides getting his coordination back, Cloud had also had to learn to handle his enhanced senses, strength, and speed. It had been more than a bit of a trial, but he thought he was finally starting to get used to it. He knew now why neither Zack nor anyone else had tried to better explain the changes to him; words couldn't really describe the sudden new intensity of colors, sounds, and smells, the way the whole world seemed to move just a little slower, the way it was so easy to forget your own strength until whatever you were holding had snapped, shattered, burst, or ripped without you even noticing.

The benefits definitely outweighed the occasional frustration, though. A little over two hours ago, Zack had dragged Cloud outside Midgar for a run on his bike — or at least, the company-owned bike that was generally left for his use because he took care of it like it was his own child. He'd long had a particular fondness for the motorcycles assigned for SOLDIER use in Midgar. Cloud hadn't been too keen on the idea, well aware that Zack's driving was erratic at best; his mentor had taken him out for a ride before, and Cloud had never been so violently motion-sick in his life. In the end, however, Zack's stubbornness had prevailed, as usual — much to Cloud's disgruntlement — which had left the blond clinging to his friend's back as they had zoomed across the dusty plains surrounding the city.

I don't know how I could have ever hated it before. Maybe it was just his increased reaction time, but Cloud finally understood now why Zack had always taken so long to swerve away from rocks and the like. It didn't feel so incredibly dangerous anymore; all those close calls that had terrified him before were thrilling now. Zack had even promised to let Cloud drive next time, and he was eagerly looking forward to the experience.

Now, though, he was almost late for his study session with Vincent. Grabbing his clean uniform, Cloud quickly dressed, briefly running a brush through his hair before giving up and allowing it to take on its bizarre natural style. After all the dust that had gotten kicked up by Zack's motorcycle, the shower had been absolutely necessary.

The walk to Sephiroth's quarters was uneventful, except for a few waves from other SOLDIERs. Cloud had to smile at that. By now it was normal for him to be dropping in at Sephiroth's quarters during the day; if he wanted to track Zack down, Sephiroth's quarters were the second place he checked, right after the General's office.

"Hello, Vincent," the blond said as the door shut behind him. "Anyone else around?"

Vincent shook his head. "Sit."

Mildly surprised by Vincent's curt response — it had been a long time since the former Turk had been so abrupt with him — Cloud took a seat next to his mentor. Vincent immediately began quizzing his student on the material they had covered last time, mostly on the art of sniping and locating snipers. Cloud responded promptly, having studied extensively before coming, but only had half of his mind on the information. The rest of him was closely studying Vincent.

The gunman looked… off, somehow. Cloud was having a hard time trying to pin down a reason, though. He could count the number of times he had seen Vincent upset on one hand (and, he had to admit, he'd been the cause of most of them), but Cloud just knew that something was bothering him. Vincent seemed… unsettled, in a way that kind of reminded him of how his mom would get every once in a while.

Maybe "unsettled" was the wrong word for it. Maybe it was more like… grief, perhaps?

Vincent changed the subject; now he was lecturing about gun types, their ranges and weaknesses. Cloud did his best to put the matter from his mind and focus on the information, scribbling down notes in a book he left in Sephiroth's quarters for this very purpose. An hour passed quickly, and Vincent brought his lecture to a close. The blond snapped his book shut, capped his pen, and hesitated. Usually he'd rise now, bid his teacher goodbye, and leave. Today, though…

"What is it?" Vincent asked, raising an eyebrow. The younger man still hesitated, not quite sure how to ask his question without being insensitive; his teacher sighed. "Just ask, Cloud."

He took a deep breath. "Did you know the former Turk Leader?"

Something around Vincent's eyes tightened, wordlessly answering his pupil's question. "Yes. He used to be my partner."

"Oh." Cloud flushed. He really needed to talk to Zack about how to ask questions like this. "Um, how… do you think he died?"

"You hear more than I do." The ex-Turk leaned back in his seat. "What are they saying?"

He had to smile at that. With how rarely Vincent got out, it was no surprise Cloud had heard more. "Some people say he got shot in a mob hit. Some say he burned to death; Some think he didn't burn, but smoke inhalation killed him. Others think he got blown up." He hesitated. "Some think committed suicide; there's a rumor going around that ballistics matched the bullet they found in him to the same type of gun he used, but a lot of people think that's just stupid. A couple of people claiming to be 'in the know' are saying the gunshot wound was wrong for suicide, and the gun was missing. But then again, if he was shot below the Plate, it would've been stolen anyway."

"A grain of truth in all of them, but none quite right," the sniper murmured cryptically.

His student stared. "You do know!" He stopped, thinking. "Wait a minute; that means you—"

"Cloud," Vincent began, staring at his lap, where his slender-fingered human hand and the bulky golden claw rested side by side, "on occasion there are things a man must do that he may not particularly want to do, but the circumstances leave him with little choice. Society may condemn him for his actions, but without knowing the whole truth of the matter…" He shook his head. "It can be… difficult for them to understand, if not outright impossible—"

The SOLDIER blinked. "Vincent, are you… okay?" The former Turk's mouth snapped shut, and his fingers tensed against his leg. Cloud wasn't sure what to do. What could he say that could possibly—?

Oh, no, he thought, suddenly horrified. No way. There was no way he… The blond shook his head with a sigh. No, there definitely was a way… and he really wasn't sure how to make his mentor feel better about it.

"Um," he began after a few awkward moments of silence, "is there going to be a service or something? Maybe you could sneak in."

Vincent shook his head. "Turk deaths are… not recognized," he answered, still not looking at his student. "The body has likely already been properly disposed of."

"Isn't that a bit harsh?" Cloud asked softly. "What if he had family?"

"Turks' familial connections are deeply buried. It's not rare for them to be orphans, or from abusive homes. I'm sure you've noticed how the Turks are addressed only by their first names?" Cloud nodded. "It's part of the basic protection. You know far more about the Turks than most, and have seen — Reno, was it? — more often than many in the military ever do. Even SOLDIERs rarely deal with them," Vincent explained. "Despite the fact that the entire army seems to know of their existence — for a long time they've ostensibly operated as a group to scout out and recruit SOLDIERs, though since the war with Wutai young men have been eager enough to enlist that it's rare for them to do so anymore — they are very much one of ShinRa's most secretive outfits. You'll rarely find a civilian outside Midgar who knows much besides the name, unless they have military ties or moved away from the city."

"But there are always rumors," Cloud added.

"Of course. That's simply human nature." Vincent glanced over at the clock, then back at his student. "Anything else?"

Taking the hint, Cloud stood. "No." He sighed. "I'm just really glad I didn't join the Turks. I don't think Mom would take it well if anything happened to me. There wouldn't really be any closure."

"Not that anything is going to happen to you." Vincent's red eyes bored into him.

"Of course not!" Cloud hastily reassured him, raising his hands in a calming gesture. "Zack would drag me back kicking and screaming if it did! And I don't even want to think about what type of training torture you'd come up with to make sure it didn't happen again."

Vincent nodded. "Just remember that when you leave on your mission tomorrow."

"Mission?" Cloud's eyes glowed brighter than normal. "I'd better go find Zack, then—" His official mentor would know what was going on. "We'll talk later!" Flashing Vincent a quick grin, he zipped out the door.

Vincent breathed a sigh of relief, glad his attempt to distract Cloud had worked; the boy was usually far too good at recognizing it when he tried. He checked the gun he had stashed under his cloak, thankful Cloud hadn't seen the weapon. While Vincent was reasonably sure his protégé had never seen Veld's gun, he did know the blond would have noticed the difference between it and the weapon he'd carried for the past twelve years. His human hand settled on the cold metal. It was… comforting, having a piece of his old friend, his old life with him now.

Shaking his head, the former Turk settled himself in front of the computer and began typing, pulling up the copy he had downloaded of Hojo's private logs. He hadn't been extremely successful at finding anything to implicate the scientist — despite the number of plots he'd found him involved in — that were serious enough to get the man removed, but he had managed to get hold of this when Hojo had briefly accessed the main network. Going through the entries had been quite enlightening in all the wrong ways. Resuming where he'd left off, he frowned as continued reading. This could be a problem…

Tap, tap, tap.

"Zack—"

"Yeah?" The SOLDIER looked at his superior through the open door. "Need something, Seph?"

Tap, taptap, tap—

"Will you please stop tapping your pen?"

The SOLDIER colored. "Er, sorry." He put the pen down, and turned on his computer instead. For a few minutes, there was quiet.

Clang, clang, clang—

"Zack…"

"Oops," Zack muttered, tucking his foot behind his chair to stop himself from kicking the metal desk. He clicked on the radio and tried to focus on the report in front of him.

Thud, thud—

"Zachary."

"Gah!" Zack slammed his hand against the desk, stopping the drumming of his fingers. Sometimes he wished Sephiroth didn't have such delicate hearing. "I'm sorry, Seph. I'm not trying to drive you nuts, promise."

"Stop worrying," the pale-haired man murmured without looking up from his work. "Strife will be fine."

"I know, but…" He tried, and failed, to keep his concern from his voice. Cloud was out on his first mission as a SOLDIER without Zack accompanying him, and he was more than a little nervous that his apprentice would bite off more than he could handle. Not that the SOLDIER Seconds in charge of the mission weren't some of the best when it came to managing new SOLDIERs, and the mission wasn't even particularly dangerous. Zack just had too much of a protective streak when it came to Cloud for him not to fret when he knew the blond was going even into a mildly dangerous situation. "They've been out for over a week without sending word back. That's unusual."

"We should be receiving a report momentarily. Rogers sent in a message an hour ago stating they've been having a bit of a problem with reception. He indicated he'd been sending in his report shortly, as soon as he finished compiling it."

Zack snapped around to face him. "So, when that report comes in—"

"I will let you see it." Sephiroth shook his head, and the younger SOLDIER could tell he was almost amused by his aide's restlessness. "You'd receive a copy as his mentor in any case."

The SOLDIER First gave up any pretense of doing work, grabbing his chair and dragging it into Sephiroth's office. The General didn't so much as twitch; this was hardly the first time Zack had pulled this. Grabbed one of the many brain teasers off his desk, the dark-haired man plopped down in the chair, quite content to stay there until the report came in.

For a long time, the only sound was the quiet click of Sephiroth's keyboard, the scratch of his pen across paper, and the occasional clink of Zack's puzzle-toy. Finally, the telltale chime of an incoming message sang through the air.

Zack was out of his chair in a heartbeat, peering over Sephiroth's shoulder. He relaxed a little as he noted the statistics at the top of the document. Along with the location and the number of monsters killed, there were statistics for those wounded or killed in battle — thankfully, none on this mission. Still, that wasn't what he really wanted to see.

As if he could sense Zack's growing impatience, Sephiroth skipped the mission details and jumped down to the commentary section, most notably the one labeled "Recommendations."

"Granger? Granger? That inefficient tank?" Zack yelled, glaring at the screen. A recommendation was automatically awarded to the SOLDIER with the most kills on a mission… not that Granger would end up doing anything with it. The man was of strictly average intelligence, had little knack for magic, and didn't bother applying himself to much other than monster killing and physical training. Chances were good he'd stay a Third Class for the rest of his career.

Recommendations were an important part of the advancement process. A SOLDIER wouldn't even be considered for class promotion until he had earned minimum of three recommendations; four were needed to actually make the jump, plus specialist-notarized clearance for the SOLDIER to have higher-class treatments, and then Sephiroth needed to sign off on it to finalize the promotion.

Zack was clearly disappointed Cloud hadn't gotten the recommendation — but then Sephiroth scrolled down a little.

Recommendation for: Strife, Cloud; SOLDIER Third Class

SOLDIER Strife showed an advanced level of skill with the sword, far surpassing his classmates. He also demonstrated excellent mastery of basic elemental materia, and observations indicate he will become skilled in handling higher-level spells as well. He also exhibited a good grasp of tactics and ability to utilize the terrain to his advantage. It should be noted that while Strife made fewer kills than many of his fellows, it was not due to lack of capability; he often drew back from finishing off opponents in order to let those who were less skilled gain some experience in defeating a wounded enemy. He also displayed a knack for teaching, coaching some of his less competent partners with their opponents. We both recommend Strife not only for promotion to Second Class, but a shift into the officer track as well.

"That's my boy!" Zack whooped, but then paused. "Hey, wait a second… If they both recommended him, does that count as one or two?" They'd certainly praised Cloud enough for it to count as more than one.

"One, I believe," Sephiroth replied. "Giving it additional weight to it might be easily construed as playing favorites."

"I doubt Cloud'll really be ready for Second Class for a while anyway," Zack mused. "I mean, he could definitely use more work on his fluidity with the sword, and I know for a fact he needs a lot more practice in Wutaiian." After the war, it had seemed prudent to have higher-ranked SOLDIERs gain at least a passing familiarity with the language, in case hostilities flared up again. "Even he can't learn a language in two months."

"He'll be ready in a year or two," Sephiroth agreed. "However, for the time being…"

Catching his superior's meaning, Zack snatched up his chair and his toy. "Right, back to work. Did they say when they'll be home?"

"They should return at 1900 hours tomorrow."

"Great — that gives me plenty of time to come up with a way to celebrate. Thanks, Seph. I owe you one!"

Cloud couldn't help grinning at the sight of the SOLDIER barracks, and those around him did the same. It was really nice to be home after such a long mission. Two weeks away was a long time.

The blond blinked. Had he ever consciously thought of Midgar as home before? He didn't think so. "Home" had been Nibelheim, with his mother and Vincent, for as long as he could remember. When had the city become home? When he had made SOLIDER? When Vincent had come with him to Midgar? Cloud didn't know.

"Hey, Strife! We'll see you around, okay? I'm going to go hit the sack."

"All right, Granger," Cloud called back. "I'll probably do the same myself after I check in with Zack."

The other SOLDIER nodded. "Can't give my mentor the mission details until after he gets off duty. Tell Lieutenant Zack we all say hi!"

Cloud nodded, waving goodbye as he started up towards Sephiroth's office. He doubted he'd have anything new to tell Zack, who (knowing him) had probably already pulled the file coming in from the mission commander, but he might as well obey protocol.

"Hey, Cloud!"

The blond blinked and turned, trying to place the familiar voice. He found himself staring at a young man about his own age, dressed in a specialist uniform. He seemed somehow familiar… and then it clicked. "Arthur! Is it really you?"

Arthur Dennett grinned. "Yup!"

"Wow! I haven't seen you in ages!" Cloud smiled broadly, staring at his bunkmate from his time as a private. "It's been what, almost two years now? And you're a specialist, too — that's great!"

Arthur shrugged. "Well, I wasn't going to just hang around. I knew you'd make SOLDIER, and after you left, I decided I didn't really want to stay with the regulars. I'm not cut out for SOLDIER, so I looked around for some other options and ended up applying here." Arthur touched a black band on his sleeve indicating his status as a specialist-in-training. "I'm not fully certified yet; there's a lot of stuff I still have to learn."

Cloud nodded. Being a specialist was tough work, requiring knowledge of science, combat, and information gathering techniques in order to properly watch SOLDIER. They did get better benefits than regulars, however, and better living quarters too, since they lived in the same complex as the SOLDIERs.

"Anyway," Arthur continued, "I was wondering if you'd like to grab dinner tonight. My treat," he added, his smile growing shy. "Think of it as, um, a belated congratulations for making SOLDIER."

The SOLDIER shook his head. "Thanks, but I'm pretty beat. Just got in from the field, so I have to check in with my mentor, write up a report for him, and then I'm going to crash. Maybe some other time — we should be seeing more of each other now, right?"

"I hope so," Arthur replied, nodding. "And the offer's open anytime."

"Awesome! I have to run, but I'll see you around." Cloud turned and resumed his walk towards Sephiroth's office. The sooner I get this done, the sooner I can get to bed.

Chapter Text

Tseng stared at the picture frame in his hands. Like most Turks, Veld hadn't accumulated much in the way of personal possessions, but that hardly meant he didn't have any. With his death, it had fallen to Tseng to dispose of them, and now all that remained was this photograph, a picture that had sat inside the Turk Leader's desk through every promotion of twenty-nine years. The glass displayed a pair of dark-haired young Turks, and Tseng frowned at the figure on the right.

Vincent Valentine.

One of the best snipers in Turk history. An incredible covert operative. A dedicated and talented bodyguard who had watched over the very beginnings of SOLDIER. Veld's former partner.

The new Turk Leader was, by his teachers' own admission, everything a Turk should be. Calm, collected, focused, and mindful, skilled in a variety of weapons, talented in covert operations and information gathering. Yet none of that had been enough to garner even a little of Veld's respect. Once he had become second-in-command to the Turk Leader, Tseng had found himself fighting an invisible ghost every day he stepped into Veld's office. And like most memories, Veld's recollection of Valentine had only become more skewed as time went on. He had forgotten the man's faults and overemphasized his strengths, and not a thing Tseng could do even came close to measuring up against the legend of "Vin."

The Wutaian's eyes narrowed as he dropped the photo, frame and all, into the trash. Stay dead, Valentine. There are enough ghosts in this company without you.

"Boss?"

Tseng looked up to see Reno standing in the door, the barest touches of distaste on his features. "We've got a call from our favorite mad scientist again. Wants us to go round up something or other from the Junon labs."

Hojo. Tseng sighed. There was another thing that would have to change. Veld had aligned the Turks with the professor out of some bizarre sense of duty, but Tseng knew where his loyalties lay, and it was not with the man who would kidnap and experiment on the Turks as soon as work with them. "Don't answer him just yet."

Reno raised an eyebrow. "Sure that's wise?"

"Necessary," Tseng mumured. "The good professor takes us too much for granted. I'll answer him soon enough." He had never really liked Hojo; one of his first assignments as a Turk had been to track young Aeris Gainsborough down and attempt to return her to ShinRa. While he didn't have many moral qualms — a Turk couldn't — he had never approved of harrassing children, particularly those whose most dangerous skill was coaxing flowers to bloom in a city where hardly anything grew.

"Just be careful, boss. You're playing with fire," Reno warned, glad that they were here, in the Turk's most secure spot in Midgar. Here, at least, they could speak without fear of Hojo finding out what they were up to — outside the Turks no one but the President himself could access this office, ruling out the possibility of normal eavesdroppers, and the room was swept every so often for surveillance equipment just to be safe.

Tseng nodded at the young man he had sponsored. While the redhead often played the drunk, dumb, sex-obsessed lout, he had a quick mind under that mass of flaming hair, and was much sharper than many realized. "I am well aware of that."

"Well, you know board politics an' all that better than me," Reno replied, shrugging. "But anyway, thought at all about who you wanna bring into the fold to bring our numbers back up?"

"None of the current trainees has shown extraordinary potential." He shook his head. "I'm not sure how many will survive their first missions."

"What about… dammit, what was her name, Anna's sister? The little one."

"Elena?" Tseng stopped to consider it. "She's a bit young yet, but with the right training she might prove a welcome addition to our group. Assuming she were interested, of course…"

"I'll check it out, then. She's anything like her sister, she'll be cute as well as smart, and we can never have enough pretty girls 'round here." Reno grinned. "Back soon, boss."

Tseng shook his head as the younger Turk left the room. Some things, it seemed, never changed. For now, however, he'd best go and find out what exactly the head of ShinRa's Science Department wanted, and see exactly how much he'd have to do to extract his people from Hojo's clutches.

"You said you found something?" Zack asked Vincent.

"Yes." The former Turk was definitely frowning. "As hard as it may be to believe, there may be a ShinRa scientist who is actually more insane that Hojo is."

"I don't believe it." The dark-haired SOLDIER stared. "You're sure?"

"Positive." Vincent folded his arms. "Thomas Darrow is a specialist on bio-terrorism. However, it seems he would be quite happy to experiment on the populace at large, dumping drugs into the water supply and such. I know for a fact Hojo suspects Darrow has executed multiple assassination attempts against the other scientists in the department, many of which have succeeded. Unfortunately, the man is still useful to Hojo, and there has never been any clear evidence that he's been responsible for the deaths of his fellow scientists."

Zack shook his head disbelievingly. "Does sound even more cracked than Hojo. At least that bastard likes to perform his experiments under a controlled setting." The SOLDIER First glanced over at Sephiroth, who remained quiet. "Gil for your thoughts?"

"If Hojo is eliminated, will Darrow be a threat?"

Vincent nodded. "Undoubtedly. Hojo's extensive network and the Turks are the only reason the man hasn't wiped out all of his opposition. If anyone else becomes head of the department, they'll need Turk bodyguards constantly. The easiest option would be to eliminate Darrow, of course. However, most of the other scientists aren't much better, and a mass assassination on the entire department would be too suspicious."

"No one left to take the blame," Zack observed.

"And enough of a threat that the President could possibly gather even more power to himself," Sephiroth pointed out. "He's been doing the same with what little terrorist activity manages to evade the Turks."

"Next think you know he'll be making up threats to justify it," Zack muttered. The door chime rang abruptly. "That must be Cloud."

"Sorry I'm late," Cloud apologized once the door had shut securely behind him. "Arthur caught up with me again, and I had a bit of a hard time pushing him off without being obvious I was up to something."

"Again? That has to be the third time this week." Vincent frowned.

"Oh, don't look like that, Vincent. Arthur is hardly going to be spying for Hojo. Or anyone else, for that matter. He's not like that," Cloud said, sounding exasperated. "I think he's just lonely, myself."

"Still, it is somewhat suspicious his path is crossing yours so often," Sephiroth observed.

"…Oh, for the love of…" Zack slapped his forehead as a completely different possibility popped into his mind. "Is he having a hard time meeting your eyes?"

"Yes, but I was under the impression that was a professional hazard, not having people meet your eyes," Cloud replied dryly.

"It is, to an extent," Zack admitted. "Does he seem really nervous around you, though? Stutter at all or anything like that?"

"Maybe…" Cloud shrugged. "I don't really know him well enough to be sure, though. I mean, I did bunk with him for a while, but that was over a year ago. He could have changed in that time," the blond pointed out. "He keeps asking me out for drinks or dinner or just to hang out. I feel bad putting him off all the time, but I have been pretty busy this past month."

"He actually asked you out, huh? Braver than I took him for," Zack mused aloud. "Combined with nervousness and pretty serious stalking—"

"He's not stalking me, Zack," Cloud objected. "Don't you think I'd realize if he was?"

"Civilian stalking is pretty different from military surveillance," Zack pointed out. "In any case, it seems the guy has a pretty serious crush on you."

Cloud stared at his friend suspiciously. "Zack, Arthur is a guy, and trust me, he knows I'm a guy, too. We did share quarters, after all."

Zack threw Vincent a pleading look. Please help me out here, 'cause I really don't want to do this.

"I believe social interaction is your area of expertise, Sinclair," Vincent replied smoothly, rising from the couch to return to his research at Sephiroth's computer. The General meanwhile gave Zack a look that promised bloody retribution if his subordinate even asked and disappeared into the kitchenette to remove himself from his aide's immediate vicinity. Knowing his life was on the line hadn't always stopped Zack before.

The dark-haired SOLDIER First sighed hugely, looking at the young man waiting with some annoyance in front of him. "Um, Cloud… you should probably sit down. There's something I need to explain to you…"

Contrary to popular belief, Cloud Strife wasn't completely dense when it came to matters of sex. He understood the general references to those certain activities one engaged in late at night, quiet enough so one's roommates wouldn't hear too much, and knew about some of the racier stuff down in Wall Market and other places like it below the Plate. He was, thankfully, pretty good at keeping a straight face, thanks to Vincent's teaching, and had managed to suppress his embarrassment and disgust when he found out people had such a casual attitude towards sex in Midgar. He knew he was a little old-fashioned, but some things stuck with you from home, whether you intended them to or not.

And while he had heard the guys in the barracks saying sexual things to each other before, always mocking, well, he'd dismissed them as some sort of stupid cityfolk joke implying some "girliness" on the part of the guy they were talking about. (Considering the women he knew, Cloud had always thought it wasn't much of an insult — Tifa could've held her own against most of the regulars around here, and Aeris was cleverer than probably two-thirds of the army.) He'd never found it funny, and had made sure to avoid it when it started up, not wanting to get involved. He'd had more important things to worry about, anyway.

But apparently it wasn't just some ridiculous joke, and people actually—

He cut that thought off before it went places he wasn't ready to consider, biting back a sigh as he made his way back to his room. His mom had never addressed the issue, despite being pretty progressive for little Nibelheim — out there having sex out of wedlock was a high offense, and while she hadn't exactly condoned the activity, she had at least made sure he knew how to protect himself from disease and his girl from pregnancy.

And to think he'd thought that had been the most embarrassing conversation of his life…

Much to his disgruntlement, all of Cloud's roommates were in the room when he entered. Scott and Paul took one look at his face, exchanged a glance, and then Paul was abruptly dragging Matthew out the door, babbling about picking up Wutaian take-out for the whole group. Grumbling, Cloud stepped out of their way as they hurried out.

"So," Scott said, looking up from his work as the door clicked closed, "I take it Zack has finally told you."

Cloud kicked off his boots, flopping on his bed with a scowl. "Is this another one of those things everyone in ShinRa except me is all 'in the know' about?"

"Hardly. Just about every kid coming in from the middle of nowhere has no idea that guy-girl couples aren't the be-all and end-all of relationships." Scott closed his folder and dropped it on the desk. "Most of 'em end up dealing with the issue earlier, though. Honestly, we were a bit surprised you hadn't yet, considering how bright you are, but then again we have been… well, playing interference, if you will, so I guess we should've expected it."

"…Playing interference?" Cloud echoed.

"Well," Scott said, "it's not like you're unattractive, Cloud. Dunno if you'd believe me, but really, more than a few people have asked after you." He shrugged a little, and continued, honestly, "Paul and I have been working to discourage your younger… uh, suitors, I guess, for a while now, and I'd bet a month's pay Zack's been doing the same for the higher-ups. Otherwise you might've been invited to some general's bed by now with pretty much no way to refuse." The other SOLDIER smiled wryly. "You're lucky you look younger than you are. Most of 'em still believe us when we say you're underage and not up for anything like that right now."

Anger flared hotly in Cloud's mind — what did they think gave them the right to interfere with his life like that? He wasn't some child, incapable of making his own decisions, needing to be protected from what his elders viewed as potential danger. He was a full-grown man, Turk-trained and a SOLDIER to boot, and…

…and yet some small, traitorous part of him was grateful his friends had intervened for him, leaving him room to focus on his goals. There was no way in Ifrit's hellfires he would've known how to deal with anyone who'd approached him about it directly — especially a superior officer — and the distraction might well have thrown him off kilter long enough to risk messing up his chances of passing the exams the second time he'd taken them. He bit back a frustrated sigh. Damn logic. "Yeah, but—"

"But you are of age, and we won't be able to pull that off much longer," Scott finished. "So shut up and listen." Cloud, about to interject, closed his mouth, startled. "Look, I know your parents probably told you some mushy stuff about sex being for people in love and all that, but it's rarely like that. Sex is coin here in Midgar, and not just down below. It's not unusual for those seeking promotion to offer sexual favors to their superiors. It's illegal, trust me, but as long as nobody gets caught, none of the higher-ups are going to do anything about it."

"Not even the General?" Cloud asked dubiously, pretty sure such behavior would be one thing Sephiroth would never tolerate among his men.

Scott made a face. "Well… it's not exactly the same thing in his case. The problem is, if he cracked down on superior-subordinate relationships, he'd end up having to break up a number of consensual, long-term pairings that aren't being exploited." He shrugged. "It's a little more common in the army than the rest of the company, especially in SOLDIER."

The logical part of Cloud's mind understood that; in a group that consisted almost entirely of men, close bonds between comrades sometimes becoming a little more intense wasn't entirely surprising — especially if the girls for hire below the Plate were really as expensive as he'd heard some people complain (though he privately thought the risk of disease was more of a deterrent there). However, that didn't explain the last bit. "Why especially in SOLDIER?"

Scott leaned back in his chair. "You remember how different you felt after your enhancements — especially your strength, and how you'd often break things unintentionally before you learned to be more careful?" Cloud nodded. "Well, imagine losing control of it again when you're with a girl. Women can't get enhanced — more's the pity; I don't know about you, but I know a couple who'd've probably made great SOLDIERs — so you have to be real careful when you sleep with 'em. You can never really let go of your control. But if you're with another SOLDIER, it's really not a problem; even if you do lose control, he can at least handle it, you know?" He leaned forward again. "And apparently there's all sorts of pregnancy issues. Not that many SOLDIERs settle down and have kids, but among those who do there's a higher rate of miscarriages and complications and things like that. And contraceptives do weird stuff, too."

"What'd you do, research this or something?" Cloud asked, flabbergasted. Sure, as a native of Midgar he expected Scott would know a little more about this kind of thing, but this was ridiculous.

"Actually, yeah," Scott answered. "April's coming up soon, Cloud. It won't be too long until the promotions start coming down, and to be blunt, once Paul and I get moved out of here it'll be a lot harder for us to watch your back."

"You made Second?" Cloud asked with a smile. "Congratulations!"

"We don't know officially yet, but we've heard that it's rather likely," Scott admitted. "Which is why you need to be warned — especially if some kid comes up to you, wanting to 'get to know you better.'"

"He could just be acting friendly," Cloud muttered, and sighed. "Why me? I'm nobody special."

The older SOLDIER raised a disbelieving eyebrow. "You're kidding, right? First of all, you're a SOLDIER. That's reason enough in itself, but to top it off you're also friends with Zack, and the General himself has taken an interest in your training. Whether you like it or not, you have influence with both of them, and there are people who'll try to take advantage of that. And just look at you — you're going to rise pretty high in the ranks yourself, that much is clear." At Cloud's skeptical look, he added, "Trust me."

The younger man shrugged. "I'm not gonna get my hopes up."

"Yeah, well, when it comes true I'm going to be the one saying 'told you so,'" Scott replied. "But anyway, don't let any of this stuff bother you too much, okay? It's important for you to know, but there's no reason for you to worry about it constantly."

"Right," Cloud agreed… though knowing him, that was exactly what'd happen. He sighed, flinging an arm over his eyes. For the next few days he'd undoubtedly be overanalyzing the relationships between his fellow SOLDIERs. How many pairs were really sometime… well, lovers in addition to being good friends?

He blinked. Come to think of it, Zack spent an awful lot of time with Sephiroth in the General's quarters…

Cloud shook his head violently. Stop thinking about it!

Scott gave his friend an amused glace. "Who was it?"

"Zack. And the General," Cloud muttered, his face blazing. Gods, they'd likely skin him alive if they caught him thinking that!

The older SOLDIER actually laughed. "You're not the first one to wonder about those two, trust me. Nobody's ever been able to prove anything one way or the other, though. It's one of the great unanswered questions of ShinRa, like 'how does Scarlet manage to stay in her dresses' and 'where do Turks go when they die.' There's somebody in the company who knows, but they ain't telling, and asking'd get you nothin' but a quick end to your career."

Cloud rolled his eyes. Titan's bones, it seemed SOLDIERs could be as bad as old women when it came to gossip! He shook his head again, reaching for his Wutaian instruction book. If anything could help him focus on something other than this nonsense, it'd be grammar practice.

Zack left shortly after Cloud, an odd mixture of embarrassment and amusement on his face. Vincent had hardly noticed, already back in the depths of Hojo's files, still searching for information. Though it chafed some part of him to have to proceed so slowly, for the time being he would concentrate on trying to determine exactly which of Hojo's potential replacements would be least dangerous to the general populace, and work from there.

The former Turk had not forgotten Sephiroth's presence, however, and he looked up when the General came to stand at his side, holding a mug which he offered to Vincent. A sip proved it to be rich brewed coffee, a rarity in the ShinRa complex. Like many of the company's employees, Vincent had developed a near-addiction to the stuff during his time as a Turk; it had been a long, long time since he'd drunk it, and it was nice to have a decent brew as his first real reaquaintance.

"Any progress?"

Vincent's eyes flickered from the screen to Sephiroth's face, momentarily surprised that the man had made the inquiry. He'd only recently reported his newest findings, and much like himself, Sephiroth wasn't one for casual conversation. "Not much."

The General nodded, retrieving his own mug from the kitchen and settling onto the couch with a stack of papers. Silence reigned for a time.

"Your apprentice seemed somewhat… upset."

It appeared the General was indeed trying to make in small talk. Vincent briefly wondered if he had Cloud or Sinclair to thank for this. Sinclair seemed more likely, given the man's constant pressure on Cloud to be more social… but then again, Cloud had been encouraging Vincent to talk to Sephiroth, and who was to say he hadn't done the same on the General's end? Chances are pretty good that both of them are to blame, I suspect. "Cloud is resilient, in his own way. He has heard far more shocking things at younger ages and adjusted perfectly well. I expect he'll get over it soon enough."

Sephiroth glanced at him, understanding Vincent meant his own story. The green-eyed man briefly looked as if he was about to say something else, but chose not to, returning to his paperwork. Vincent, meanwhile, slipped into what he had scrounged up of Hojo's personal logs and skimmed the newest available entries, checking up on the scientist's more recent activities. Often there were more rants about his underlings' incompetence and complications in his experiments than anything conclusive, but thus far it had proven the best way for Vincent to keep track of Hojo's current plans.

His eyebrows rose unexpectedly. Sensing his companion's surprise, Sephiroth put down his paperwork and moved to look over the Turk's shoulder.

"Apparently, between the loss of Red XIII and Veld's apparent murder, Hojo is beginning to believe someone is attempting to sabotage his efforts. This 'Tseng'—"

"The new Turk Leader," Sephiroth supplied.

"—isn't jumping to follow his orders the way Veld did." Vincent stared at the screen. "The professor seems to be deeply disturbed."

"Moreso than usual, you mean?" the General commented dryly.

Vincent inclined his head, conceding the point. "He's becoming more paranoid as well, increasing his precautions against sabotage." Vincent logged out of the system and pulled out a sheet of paper. "Perhaps we should test those safeguards…"

"Perhaps we should make it appear that the President is testing them," Sephiroth suggested.

"I like the way you think." Vincent quickly began outlining the weaknesses he had found in Hojo's defenses as Sephiroth listened. Now here is a man who would have made a good Turk.

Cloud might not have had the precise command of his emotions that Vincent did, but he could mostly control himself, especially when given a little bit time to adjust to a new idea and and he'd had a chance to rationalize the situation. Some might think he was a little cold, actually, but Vincent had always disapproved of overwrought behavior. In general, once Cloud had thought something through he was able to act normally, if he put a little effort into it.

Thus four days after Zack's little talk Cloud had calmed down substantially, even if he was scrutinizing all of the relationships around him with a magnifying glass. He supposed he'd get used to having his life turned upside down, one of these days.

"Strife!"

The SOLDIER turned to see a familiar red-haired Turk in the hallway behind him. "Reno."

"Man, I haven't seen you since you took those exams. Obviously you passed, though." Reno glanced the blond up and down. "My my, and looking good, too! You free tonight? We could go out for a few drinks, maybe stop by my place afterwards." His smirk grew ever wider. "I never did get to show you my rod, like I promised. What d'ya say, Cloud?"

The SOLDIER Third reddened at the innuendo — to his annoyance, it'd seemed lately he was hearing them everywhere, even when they weren't so blatantly obvious as that, and it was harder to dismiss them than it used to be — and Reno, of course, picked up on it immediately. "Well, well. That's certainly different from last time, isn't it…?" He took a step closer, wearing a look that only could be described as predatory.

The blond took two steps back before he realized what he was doing and forced himself to stand his ground. He stared warily as the Turk came closer still. "Look, why don't you just—"

"Why don't I just what?" Reno murmured, suddenly very much in Cloud's personal space, and the SOLDIER froze for the barest instant, distracted by a sudden strange fluttery feeling as he was torn between reacting violently to this intrusion or just shrugging it off since it lacked overt hostility and his traitorous body was intrigued by this new nonviolent close proximity thing, but then the Turk smirked a little, leaning a bit closer and—

Fuck no went Cloud's mind, and threat hissed his instincts, and years of training sprung into action as he jerked away, lashing out with a vicious kick that sent his assailant into a wall with a loud crash. The entire episode took under a minute — if there had been anyone watching, they would have been shocked at how fast the SOLDIER moved.

Cloud breathed deeply and wiped his hand across his mouth, glaring death at the Turk. "You…" he began acidly, but trailed off as he became aware of several curious pairs of eyes peeking around the doors in the hallway. Unwilling to cause any more of a scene, the SOLDIER decided to retreat, resuming his calm (but now quickened) walk towards Zack's quarters, only sparing a venomous glance backwards at Reno as he went.

The redhead shook his head slowly, checking for damage. Luckily he seemed to have escaped relatively unscathed, minus the ringing in his ears and the nasty bruises he'd surely have later. While the other Turks would have undoubtedly made some jokes about Reno being hardheaded, he had built up a tolerance to getting knocked around, always a plus in his line of work.

Leaning back against the wall, he chuckled to himself. The kid was a feisty one when provoked, it seemed, but his reaction had been worth the SOLDIER bootprint he'd have on his side for the next week. Pity he hadn't accepted Reno's offer to join the Turks; it would've been such fun corrupting him…

By the time Cloud met Zack at his door, the blond was practically seething with rage. "What's wrong with you?" the older SOLDIER asked, perplexed.

"Reno," Cloud growled, biting off the word savagely. "That good-for-nothing bastard of a Turk…"

Zack watched with some surprise as the younger SOLDIER continued with some of the most vile epithets he'd heard out of him. "If Vincent could hear you, he'd probably want to wash your mouth out with soap," the dark-haired man observed. "So, do I get to find out what happened?"

Cloud's face reddened again. "Well, first he was saying things…"

"Let me guess, heavy on the innuendo? Reno does that to everybody." Zack waved it away. "Don't let it bother you."

"Don't let it—? Yeah, sure, and I bet he goes around trying to kiss everybody, too!" Cloud snapped.

"He did WHAT?"

"Tried to kiss me," Cloud repeated harshly. "Right out of the blue, without so much as a 'by your leave.'" And if that brief contact it had taken to jar him into acting counted, the bastard had succeeded, too.

Zack looked positively murderous. "That son of a bitch. I told him—"

"Yeah, well, at least he shouldn't be trying it again any time soon," the blond said with icy satisfaction.

Sudden wariness cooled the edge of the SOLDIER First's anger. "…What did you do, Cloud?"

"I kicked him." At the look on Zack's face, Cloud hastened to add, "It was only once. And not that hard, really…" He at least had the grace to look slightly sheepish.

While Zack completely agreed with Cloud's actions on principle, beating on other company employees was generally frowned upon, traitors and runaways being the exceptions. He sighed. "Well, come on. We better go drop by Seph's office; we'll have to report this."

Cloud winced.

When they finally arrived at the General's office, Cloud did his best to explain what had happened in a manner that made it seem somewhat less absurd. It wasn't long before Turk Leader Tseng arrived, but Cloud did his best to ignore the man's entrance.

"Reno physically assaulted you, then," Sephiroth summarized, "and you, in turn, retaliated."

"Yes, sir."

"Physical assault?" the Turk Leader inquired. "An assault a SOLDIER could not handle?"

"My apologies, Turk Leader," Cloud replied politely, inclining his head. "I wasn't expecting it — and, to put it bluntly, was never trained how to handle that exact… sort of assault."

The dark-haired man raised an eyebrow, studying Cloud closely, looking almost… thoughtful. "…I see." Apparently he had heard enough, however, for he continued, "Well, if Turk Reno is to provoke a new SOLDIER, certain results are only to be expected. He has not been seriously harmed by the incident, but I still expect this won't happen again."

"No, sir," replied Cloud.

The Turk Leader turned to Sephiroth. "I don't believe it necessary to note this incident on Strife's record. Turk Reno should have known better than to… approach a new SOLDIER in such fashion." The General inclined his head in acknowledgement. "If you have no further need of me, then, I will take my leave. Gentlemen." Nodding to each of them, he departed.

Once the door was closed and Tseng's footsteps had faded away, Zack let out a sigh of relief. "That went well. I was afraid he'd press you on it, Cloud, but I guess that detour really paid off."

"Detour?" Sephiroth echoed.

Zack grinned. "No one better to ask about how to handle a Turk Leader than somebody who knows the Turks inside and out."

"Rocket Town?"

"Rocket Town," Zack confirmed. He handed Cloud a thick packet. "The details are in there, but what it really comes down to is you'll be accompanying a scientific expedition. The President wants to expand the company's horizons."

"Okay…" said Cloud, thoughtfully paging through the packet for a minute before looking up at his mentor. It was clear the President wanted to garner some positive PR with the company's name attached, something that had been a rarity since they had "gloriously triumphed" in the war against Wutai. "Anything special I should be aware of?"

"You'll be escorting a VIP. There will be another five Thirds and at least two Seconds with you, and a whole bunch of regulars. You're getting a squad of your own to command, so make sure you keep an eye on 'em." Cloud's eyebrows shot upwards in surprise at that; he hadn't expected a command position so early in his career as a SOLDIER. "The rest you should get from the briefing."

"Yessir." Cloud saluted, and Zack grinned, shaking his head. "When do we leave?"

"Tomorrow. Make sure you're ready to go. Also, drop by Supply and give them this," he added, handing the blond an additional form already filled out. "You'll need that dress uniform, finally." Zack dismissed his apprentice with a nod, then tidied up his desk and left himself. He had an errand to run.

It took him a little while to track down his target, but not as long as he'd expected. He was still in uniform, the Buster Sword slung over his back; people parted nervously before him like soil before a plow. He finally found his target in a rundown bar in the Sector 8 slums; it was clear he'd known Zack was coming, but he remained calmly in his seat, nursing his drink.

"Reno," he said curtly.

"Heya, Zack. Fancy meeting you here." The redhead gave him the once-over, and smiled. "Or should I call you Lieutenant Sinclair? What brings you down below in uniform, anyway?"

"You." Zack was not in the mood to make small talk. "I wanted to talk to you about what happened two weeks ago."

"Two weeks ago? Well, it has been a while…" Reno took another sip of his whiskey, frowning thoughtfully. "I must've forgotten."

"The hell you did," Zack growled, well aware his target knew exactly what he was talking about. He'd itched to confront the Turk earlier, but Tseng had been keeping Reno on a short leash after what had happened.

The Turk looked thoughtful. "Well, there was a brawl in that bar in Sector 7… that awkward situation over in Wall Market… a fight at that Sector 2 place where they have telecasts of the Gold Saucer chocobo races, and— oh, now I remember!" He snapped his fingers. "That thing with that cute little SOLDIER back topside!" A slow smirk crossed the redhead's face. "Strife's pretty sexy when he's angry… but surely he's cooled down by now, hasn't he?"

Zack's narrowed eyes blazed with more than just Mako. "The day you two met, Reno, I told you: nothing physical unless he wanted it." He gestured angrily. "I'm not about to dictate his choices, but he sure as hell didn't want what you forced on him."

"Geez, you're making it sound like I fucked the kid against his will when I didn't even get a proper kiss out of 'im." Reno shook his head, drumming his fingers on the tabletop, but before Zack, glaring, could reply, he continued, watching him steadly. "The thing I wanna know is, if he's no longer so totally clueless about guys, why haven't you gone for 'im yet? Wouldn't be the first time. Strife's quite the looker, and now he's a SOLDIER I'm sure he could handle whatever a stud like you could dish out." The Turk leered appreciatively. "Or are you holding back 'cause the General has his eye on 'im? Can't say I'd blame him in the least; the man's certainly got good taste." He pursed his lips. "Though I really don't see why you couldn't just share…"

"You low-minded son of a bitch," Zack hissed as he shook his head in disgust, nails digging deep into his palms as he angrily clenched his fists. "Ever stop to think that, unlike a slimy little Turk bastard like you, some of us actually have a sense of honor? First of all, it's wrong to—"

Reno rolled his eyes. "Right, right, how could I ever forget all that 'thou shalt not sex up thy students' bullshit?" He snorted, waving his hand dismissively. "Please, Sinclair. Show me a little respect by using a more solid defense, will you? After all, the kid won't be your charge much longer. It's already March. Come April your mentorship will end, and he'll be free game. You can't protect him forever."

We'll see about that. Zack's eyes narrowed even further. "All I'm saying is you better watch yourself, Reno. You're lucky Cloud has as much self-control as he does, or you'd be dead. And next time he won't hesitate to beat you into a bloody pulp."

"No one's invincible," Reno replied lazily, half-shrugging as he ran a finger over the rim of his glass. "Even your precious star student has his weak points. You can never tell how things will turn out." His eyes met Zack's, smiling that mirthless smile that was every inch a Turk. "For all you know, he could be dead next time you see him."

Zack knew when he had lost an argument, but he was unwilling to let it go at that. "Just don't mess with him anymore, or I'll make you regret the day you were born," he said in a low voice, glowering.

"Wouldn't dream of it… sir," Reno replied with a mocking salute.

The SOLDIER turned on his heel and left, irritation and new worry tightening his throat. Cloud's mission was supposed to be a pretty easy escort job, but Zack was suddenly, irrationally afraid something might happen. For a moment, he was tempted to pull the blond from the mission, keep him home… but he shook his head. Seph would kill me — abuse of power and all that. Besides… given how Midgar is, he's probably safer out there.

He'll be a safe distance away from Reno, at least.

Cloud sighed as he settled into the old-fashioned wooden chair. It had been a long three months since he had left Midgar, and personally he was glad he was here, in Shera Wright's kitchen, rather than outside listening to Skylar Starrider — a pseudonym if ever there was one — delivered the same sad lines about "the greatness of the ShinRa Company" and their bold plan to "venture beyond the realms of the known world and towards the stars of the final frontier: space." It was absolute drivel, and hearing it at every stop on their world tour had only made it worse. Still, the man was a charismatic speaker and had drawn in huge crowds everywhere they went, save the places they'd visited during their two-week tour of Wutai.

The Wutaian people seemed to go against anything ShinRa did on sheer principle, but they had taken to the announcement of this planned space exploration particularly poorly. The old folk had decried it as an act in defiance of the gods; the younger ones had shouted that ShinRa's oppression was not enough for the eastern devils, that they plotted to spy on Wutai from sky as well as land and sea. Starrider had handled that little incident— well, he hadn't handled it at all, really, counting on his honor guard to protect him from the often inhospitable crowds. It was amazing they'd made it off the island in one piece.

Despite the unrest, however, Cloud had liked Wutai quite a bit. The mist-shrouded mountains looming on the horizon had reminded him a lot of his hometown, and he'd even gotten a chance to practice his poor Wutaian with one or two of the less hostile natives until they had to restrain themselves from bursting out laughing.

'In ShinRa good-speak few are,' indeed, the blond thought wryly. When they finally returned to Midgar, he might have to track down the Turk Leader and beg him to offer him lessons; he never wanted to embarrass himself that badly again.

Still, the Wutai leg of the trip had been the highlight of what had ended up being three months of boredom. It had been mid-March when he'd left Midgar as an escort for the team that was supposed to be launching the No. 26 Rocket at Rocket Town, newly reviewed and refurbished by ShinRa engineers. Little had either Zack or Cloud realized that launch wasn't scheduled until late June, and the entire thing was to be preceded by a huge propaganda tour, led by the 'space pilot' Skylar Starrider.

A number of the troopers had entertained themselves for a week or so debating whether Starrider was a product of the Science Department or a bastard son of the President. Cloud privately though the bastard option was more likely; there was a bit of a physical resemblance to the pictures he'd seen of the President, and Starrider was far too… well, ordinary to be one of Hojo's subjects. He hadn't seemed too familiar with his topic, either, generally fielding questions to his more scientifically-minded personal assistant (though he was always quick to take the spotlight back) and using notes for the technical terms in his speeches. Cloud knew better than to say anything about it; on a mission like this, one was always on duty, and had to be careful not to voice an inappropriate opinion. Some of the other SOLDIER Thirds hadn't been so circumspect, though, and they'd received quite a reprimand from the Seconds in charge of the mission. His silence, however, had earned him the honor of helping his superiors personally guard their VIP.

All three of them had taken turns sneaking off and practicing their skills on the local wildlife. Monster hunting really was a wonderful thing for the easing of one's frustrations.

The tour was finally almost over, thank goodness. They had finally arrived in Rocket Town, and Cloud personally was looking forward to the launch tomorrow. Afterwards, they could finally go home.

"Thank you so much," his hostess said for at least the fourth time, smiling at him. "The Captain hates it when other people tinker with his things without permission. Would you like a cup of tea?"

Cloud nodded, smiling in return. When their entourage had finally arrived in Rocket Town, they had met Cid Highwind, the pilot who was supposed to have gone with the newly refurbished rocket on its first attempted launch. The SOLDIER Third had found himself impressed by the loyalty of the townsfolk to this rough-around-the-edges man they called 'Captain.'

As for the woman before him, Cloud had won his way into Shera Wright's good graces by scattering a few of the regulars showing a bit too much interest in the little plane in Highwind's backyard before they could do any permanent damage. "Are you looking forward to the launch?" he asked her.

Ms. Wright was an engineer, and was supposed to join Starrider on the mission — probably to make sure the rocket actually got somewhere, considering how little Starrider seemed to actually know. However, she didn't look particularly happy about the idea of going into space, even though she had worked on the rocket herself. "It shouldn't be me going up there," she said finally. "It should be the Captain."

Cloud tried not to wince at that. Highwind had been rather vocally angry when he'd discovered ShinRa had replaced him, audible several houses over even without SOLDIER hearing. The man's rant, however, had demonstrated exactly why he had been replaced — namely his short temper and blunt attitude. No matter how impressive his flight history was, Cid Highwind was a loose cannon, and ShinRa wanted someone they could control for what was this time more media circus than scientific exploration. "…Sometimes circumstances change, I guess," Cloud replied finally, trying to keep his voice light. He hoped that didn't sound too stupid — he'd never been any good at reassuring people when they were were upset — but really, what else could he say?

"It's my fault he didn't get into space last time." Ms. Wright looked positively heartbroken.

Zack, part of Cloud's mind pointed out, probably would have insisted that such a lovely lady couldn't possibly be the cause of any such thing. Cloud just took a sip of his tea, put on an interested face, and said, "Oh?"

And so the entire story came spilling out: how Ms. Wright had helped work on the rocket before its first launch, how Captain Highwind had aborted the launch because of her, how upset he'd been that he'd never fulfill his dream.

Cloud nodded slowly as she finished, feeling sober himself now. "It's sad, sometimes, how these… things turn out." He finished his cup of tea, rising. "I'm really sorry Mr. Highwind won't end up going on the rocket."

His hostess smiled a little at him again. "…Thank you for listening."

"Of course," Cloud replied. He paused at the door, and after a long moment ventured, "Ms. Wright—"

"Please, call me Shera."

Cloud nodded. "Would you mind ensuring there isn't any citrus at the table during the pre-launch banquet tomorrow morning? Mr. Starrider has an unfortunate allergy to it, and breaks out in a terrible rash if it's used too near him."

Shera pursed her lips. "That is unfortunate. But please, don't worry about it; I'll make sure the table is properly set."

"Thank you." He nodded again. "I really should go back to my patrol now, though. I'll see you tomorrow, Ms— Shera."

Squinting, Cloud watched the rocket speed upwards into the sky, unable to hide a smile at the sight. It was nice to see things turn out right for once.

Something, it seemed, had gone wrong for Mr. Starrider this morning during breakfast. By the end of the meal, the poor man was rather sporting several large blotches on his cheeks, his eyes watering and face puffy. The doctor had declared him unfit for launch that morning, which left them with a problem: the launch window was rapidly closing, and if they waited till tomorrow the storm front coming up the west coast would have kept them grounded for at least a week. Fortunately, they had a capable substitute in Captain Highwind, and so after some photographs and a few brief questions — Highwind had clearly been caught off guard by the sudden change in the situation, but he still managed admirably — he and Shera had blasted off into space.

"It's a conspiracy, I tell you! Someone deliberately set me up!"

Cloud allowed himself the tiniest of smiles. Even if someone listened and there were an inquiry into what had happened, the commanders for the mission would ensure it was cursory at best. Every one of the SOLDIERs had disliked their charge from the minute they'd been introduced to him, and Starrider's barely disguised contempt towards them hadn't earned him any friends. The SOLDIER wasn't sure of the exact details (and certainly wasn't going to ask; what he didn't know wouldn't incriminate him), but Starrider had finally gotten his due, and Captain Highwind had gotten to live his dream. Not too bad for a day's work.

As the rocket disappeared even from a SOLDIER's sight, Cloud felt as if a huge weight had been lifted from his shoulders. Soon, he'd be returning to Midgar… finally. He'd missed a lot in the past three months: Scott and Paul's promotion to Second Class (and the subsequent arrival of new roommates), the SOLDIER exams, Zack's promotion, Tifa's birthday… So much had happened, and he only knew of it from letters. At least he had managed a present for Tifa, though; he thought she'd like the tiger claws, and shipping had been pretty cheap since they'd been in Cosmo Canyon at the time.

Cloud decided then and there he would do twelve hours of paperwork a day if it kept him off assignments like this. Killing monsters and helping civilians was all well and good, and but escort duty like this was torture, no matter how nice it'd been to see a little more of the world on this trip.

As he looked down to earth again, glancing at his commanders, Cloud noticed Kaplan, the SOLDIER Second in command of this mission, listening to his PHS with a silent frown on his face. The blond tilted his head in silent inquiry. Kaplan motioned for him to help Garrett, the other Second, gather everyone up and return to their temporary headquarters. Once they had all gathered and secured the building, Kaplan addressed them. "I've just received new orders. We are to report to Midgar as soon as possible."

A murmur of surprise rippled through the men. "Why?" someone asked. "What's happening?"

Kaplan looked grim. "The President has been assassinated."

Chapter Text

Midgar was a city under siege.

Everywhere Cloud looked, he saw the signs. There was hardly anyone wandering the streets, shops were closed even though it was only early evening, and patrols were common both above and below the Plate. From the communiques they'd received, it appeared the bulk of ShinRa's forces were heading to either Junon or Midgar, depending on where they were normally based, leaving only token forces in the smallest towns. The sole exception was Wutai, where the military had already grimly dug in and readied themselves in case of a revolt.

The blond took a moment to straighten his uniform as he climbed out of the truck. Usually, they would all be debriefed as a group, and then the SOLDIERs would meet with General Sephiroth. Things being as they were, the troopers were barely given a word before being dismissed. The meeting with Sephiroth was equally as brief, to some of the others' disappointment. Cloud could see the near-invisible signs of strain on the General's face, however, so he didn't mind. What he wanted to do was track Zack down and get the entire story out of him. Where his mentor — former mentor, he reminded himself; the mentorship had dissolved in April with the new exams, another thing he'd missed — had gone, he didn't know. The desk in the outer office had been empty.

Reports were handed in, and the rest of the SOLDIERs left. Cloud turned to follow when Sephiroth's voice stopped him. "Strife, a word."

Cloud turned sharply, straightening. "Yes, sir?"

"Sinclair is drilling the SOLDIERs First Class in residence. He will not be back until later tonight."

"Yes, sir. I understand. Thank you for telling me." Sephiroth dismissed him and Cloud found himself at loose ends. Normally he had some sort of set activity for every free minute, but at the moment he had no idea what to do with himself. The gym would probably be pretty busy, since practically everyone was back in Midgar, and Cloud didn't want to get caught in the rush. He wasn't going to go wandering around down below with the current situation either. He needed to be on hand in case something happened. Zack undoubtedly could've come up with something to do, but he wasn't available.

Cloud blinked in sudden realization. Vincent! He could go drop by the dark-haired man and catch up. The former Turk would undoubtedly be able to fill him in on everything going on. Besides, Cloud remembered, feeling a little guilty, he hadn't just spent time with the man since the first time he'd left Nibelheim for Midgar. They had always been busy training — not that Vincent hadn't been training him before, but…

Cloud shook the thought off and walked quickly to Sephiroth's quarters. Ten minutes and a quiet knock later, he was looking into the red eyes of his first mentor. "Hello, Vincent."

"You look well, Cloud."

The blond grinned. "Thanks. I was wondering, can you bring me up to speed on what's going on? They didn't tell us much at our briefing."

"I can do better than that." Vincent walked over to Sephiroth's computer and called up a file. "This was pulled almost immediately off the networks, but ShinRa still has a copy."

Cloud's eyes widened in surprised. "They were videotaping?"

"The banquet celebrating for the successful launch of the rocket," Vincent explained, starting the video.

The SOLDIER ignored most of the President's speech in favor of watching the people around the man who had commanded the strongest company in the world. He spotted the department heads and several Turks, and Sephiroth was also there, in his capacity as General of SOLDIER.

"…a toast to the future of mankind. Today, we walk among the stars!" The heavyset man took a sip from his glass and abruptly started choking. Amid the shouting and chaos that ensued, the camera focused in on President Shinra's stiffening corpse, then abruptly cut off.

"They checked the wine, I suppose?" Cloud asked.

"There was nothing in it. The body showed signs consistent with an incident during the Wutai war during which the natives used a particular type of ivy to poison SOLDIERs. Traces of it were found in the late President's specially prepared food," Vincent added. "It appears quite straightforward."

"I don't think it's that easy." Cloud leaned against the wall. "I've seen the stuff in Wutai. It's a commonly used herb — can be eaten in small doses uncooked with no side affects at all, and if it's cooked you can eat even more of it. The problem with it's unique to SOLDIERs, apparently." He frowned. "But it's a great way to make it appear that Wutai's responsible, right?"

Vincent nodded. "The question is, if Wutai is not responsible, who is?"

"It would have to be someone who had a motive, someone who would either have the knowledge to create a drug mimicking this stuff or could hire somebody else to do it for him," Cloud mused aloud.

The former Turk immediately began reviewing the tape again. "Hojo isn't directly next to the President…" He sounded almost disappointed.

Cloud studied the image closely. "Wait," he said suddenly. "Rewind a bit." Vincent did so, and Cloud reached out to pause the video. "Why is he wearing gloves there when he's bare-handed only a few seconds later?" The dark-haired man said nothing, waiting for him to continue; Cloud bit back a sigh. "If he put something on the gloves and then shook hands… some of those order-whatever things are meant to be eaten by hand, aren't they?"

"Hors d'oeuvres, and yes. However, that doesn't explain why the wine apparently poisoned him," Vincent pointed out.

Cloud resisted the urge to beat his head against the wall. Sometimes Vincent took his job as devil's advocate a little too seriously — this wasn't a theory discussion! "Unless the drug was made so alcohol triggered it," he countered.

"A good point." Vincent closed the video and began the process of accessing the Professor's files. "And if we can find evidence of such here, we will have enough to bring a case before the board. ShinRa may tolerate much corruption, but assassination of the President takes things too far."

"Unless you're the next in line," Cloud muttered.

Vincent nodded. "You had best go and inform Sephiroth. I expect we will know shortly one way or another."

Zack watched quietly as Sephiroth laid the evidence they — well, mostly Vincent — had accumulated before the board. Rufus Shinra, the former President's son and successor recently returned from Junon, appeared to be paying the most attention. Scarlet was somehow projecting both amusement and disdain, while the rest of the board looked rather, well, bored. Two of the department heads were absent: Reeve, from Urban Development, was not in attendance, instead down below the Plate reviewing structural integrity with some of his engineers. Zack didn't know whether he hadn't been able to be reached or if no one had even bothered trying when Sephiroth had called the emergency meeting. It was surprising how many people who lived in Midgar didn't give two cents about the man who kept it functioning.

Professor Hojo's absence, on the other hand, was more than a bit surprising. It was out of character for him to miss out on a chance to observe his favorite subject. On the plus side, however, it meant that they didn't have to deal with Hojo's rebuttals until after they had presented all of their evidence. The conspirators had worried about that; Hojo was a master at bending people's words to suit his own purposes.

"This is all very interesting, General," the President said smoothly as the silver-haired man placed the last report, concerning various SOLDIERS who had been reported MIA in Wutai but had in fact ended up in Hojo's hands, down on the table. "However, most of this evidence is highly circumstantial, though I admit I hadn't quite realized the amount of money Professor Hojo had pilfered for his own use. Do you have anything more substantial?"

"Yes." Sephiroth's uncanny eyes met and held the President's own. "I have here lab records and photographs of a substance chemically engineered to replicate the effects Wutaian snakevine has on SOLDIERs. The drug is absorbed through skin contact and activated by the consumption of alcohol — and was produced here in ShinRa's own laboratories."

Silence reigned. Even in ShinRa the assassination of the President was a crime punishable by death.

"Surely such a drug would leave traces in the body," Palmer interjected, folding his hands.

"The autopsy was performed by the Science Department," Sephiroth reminded them.

And with the body already cremated, it's gonna be much harder to get a second opinion, Zack thought.

Scarlet laughed outright. "I'm wondering if this might not just be a personal vendetta, General. You and the Professor have never seen eye to eye."

"That may be the case, but regardless of how much of this may or may not be immediately verifiable, I want this investigated further," the President declared.

Nothing like personal danger to motivate a Shinra, Zack thought, hiding a smirk as the new President instructed Tseng to bring Hojo to the board room. After all, if he had murdered one president, what was to stop him from killing another?

Tseng entered the elevator, carefully hiding his pleasure at this turn of events… though he was quite curious as to where Sephiroth had gotten his information. SOLDIERs were not trained in the fine art of hacking, and the late President had made a conscious effort to keep the General of SOLDIER too busy to get into mischief. Even running several battalions of men did not require that much paperwork.

The Turk stepped from the elevator to meet Rude and Reno, waiting exactly where he had requested. "Nothin' but silence, boss."

"To be expected. The labs have some of the best soundproofing in the building." Tseng glanced between the pair. "We need to escort Professor Hojo to the board room; he's late for a meeting. Be aware that we may encounter resistance." Unsaid, but not unheard, was the reminder to keep weapons ready but hidden.

Reno patted his jacket, where he kept his electro-rod. "Ready when you are."

Tseng pulled out his override keycard and slid it into the slot. When nothing happened, he frowned; had Hojo somehow sealed the door? Then with, a hideous screech, it finally slid open, far slower than it should have. All three Turks noted the bend in the metal impeding its progress.

"What the hell—"

Reno's comment was cut off when a giant thing threw itself at the partially open doorway. Tseng caught an impression of huge teeth and sharp claws before Rude lashed out, holding it back while Reno lunged to smack the door panel, reversing its direction and sealing the frustrated monster inside. All three Turks stared at the door for a long moment. While their occupation presented many dangers, they generally dealt with humans, not monsters. They could probably take the thing down if they went in, but it wouldn't be easy, and there would be injuries, possibly even deaths.

"You know, boss," Reno said lightly, hiding his nerves with expert ease, "we have a whole bunch of SOLDIERs who excel at this type of thing who should be earning their keep, don't you think?"

Tseng was already pulling out his PHS.

"You see more of these things than I do. Recognize any of them?" Reno asked Zack an hour later as the SOLDIER healed a shallow wound on the redhead's shoulder.

"No." The light of the Cure spell flickered and faded. "I have a bad feeling the Professor has been building hybrids or some other sort of crazy junk. Just be glad we haven't seen any signs of Marlboros or Tonberries."

Usually Zack'd be teased for spreading tales of semilegendary creatures — most people were skeptical when he told them about Touch Mes, too — but this time the Turk merely grimaced. "Ramuh forbid." He tested his arm. "Thanks." He turned to stare at the door. "How many rooms has it been so far?"

"Lost count," Zack replied, shrugging. "Too busy dodging." It figured that Hojo would somehow know he had been discovered. The scientist had activated every emergency door in the lab and unleashed various nasty creatures into each section. He hadn't cared much for his coworkers, either. Their group — Reno, Zack, Rude, Tseng, and Sephiroth — had found more than a few human bodies amongst the damage. Sometimes they hadn't found complete corpses at all, and only had blood marks and discarded human debris on the floor to mark the death of another ShinRa employee.

"This room is clear," Tseng announced. "Are you two done?" Zack and Reno nodded, moving over to where the other three members of their group waited by the thick metal door separating this room from the next. They were close to Hojo's personal lab.

Sephiroth and Zack took their places in the front, quick enough to take out whatever monsters lurked on the side if it sped through the doorway. Tseng tried the override, only to find it wasn't working. "Par for the course," Zack muttered as Sephiroth brought his sword up — not the Masamune, since both it and the Buster Sword would be difficult to maneuver in these conditions — and sliced through the door with a hideous screech. The General nodded as he swung at the metal again, weakening its structural integrity enough that it came crashing down. The SOLDIERs zipped through the opening, Rude and Reno right behind them while Tseng brought his gun up, sighting the brief flicker of motion beside the door—

"Don't shoot!" A scientist appeared from behind a cart, looking much worse for the wear. His suit was completely ruined, his lab coat gone, and he had more than a few splashes of blood smeared across his skin. Zack noted with some surprise that the man had a knife strapped at his waist. "Oh, thank Gaea! Am I glad to see you!"

"Well, well… whaddya know, a live 'un," Reno drawled. "Think he's one of Hojo's?"

"Hardly." The scientist shook his head, gesturing to another corner of the room where a monster corpse lay. His missing lab coat had been dropped over the thing's head; Zack noticed several chemical burns as well as one or two knife wounds. "I've just been incredibly lucky — that thing was pretty slow, and here in chemical storage it's easy to find good makeshift projectiles."

And there were puddles of acid all over the floor and chemical burns on the walls as proof of that. Zack shook his head. It was a minor miracle the man hadn't triggered a reaction and blown anything up, with how bad his aim was.

"The knife?" Tseng interjected, also having spotted the unexpected.

The man flushed. "My daughter'd kill me if I left home without some way to defend myself."

"Your daughter?"

"Specialist," the scientist replied, a hint of pride in his voice, and Zack nodded in understanding. Clearly this particular one had insisted on passing some of her combat training to her family… something that might've helped save his life here.

"I suggest you leave," Tseng said, his voice clear and commanding. "The way to the hall is clear; there should be medical teams standing by to tend to your injuries as well." The still-unnamed scientist nodded and left, limping heavily, and the group dismissed him from their minds. If he was in with Hojo, they could interrogate him later. The man could barely walk; there was no way he'd be escaping.

Sephiroth had already moved carefully across the room, avoiding bubbling pools of liquid to stand before the next door, and the rest of the group quickly caught up. As metal crashed to the floor, a sharp, bloodstained beak emerged before the opening was even complete, only to fall to the ground as Sephiroth reversed his sword. Blood, bone and metal crashed to the floor at once while an ear-piercing cry split the air.

Well, that's different, Zack observed, finally getting a good look at the thing they were fighting. It was a chimera, a bizarre combination of dragon, bandersnatch, and — of all things — an oversized black chocobo. The latter head had already been badly wounded by Sephiroth's first attack and shook with agony as the bandersnatch howled. The dragon studied them with a malicious gleam in its eyes and took a deep breath, unleashing a wave of fire that scattered them to different corners of the room. Rude stayed close, however, gritting his teeth as the flames washed over him, the Elemental materia in his bracer glowing brightly, and darted in to eliminate the wounded head, snapping its neck. The chimera roared at that, and a draconic tail lashed out at him, sending him flying into the wall.

Zack cast a Blizzara at the thing, only to have the dragon counter most of it with another blast of flame — but the distraction served its purpose, and the chimera shrieked in pain as the Thundaga Sephiroth cast sent lightning arcing over its scaly-furred hide. Reno took advantage of the moment to come in and strike with the electro-rod, managing to blind the bandersnatch in one eye, the sound of gunfire echoing through the room as Tseng's quick shot finished it off.

Sephiroth nodded briskly towards Rude, but the Turks needed no prompting to head for their fallen comrade, keeping an eye on the angrily hissing chimera as they sped across the room. There was no need for them to worry, however, as Zack and Sephiroth charged together, blades flashing as they sawed through the dragon's neck, finally slaying the beast. Zack gave the corpse a good kick, and was surprised at how light it was.

"Avian skeleton," Sephiroth observed, studying it for a moment before turning to look over at the Turks. Tseng had produced a Restore materia and was slowly healing Rude's wounds. Zack could tell from the faintness of the glow and the minute signs of strain on Tseng's face that it was going to take some time; the Turk Leader had already poured a lot of himself into spells during previous encounters. Unfortunately, they hadn't thought to bring too many ethers, and had used the last one they had a few rooms back.

Zack started as he abruptly realized Sephiroth's attention was focused elsewhere, on a small door across the room. The sign beside it had been knocked askew, but the lettering was still clear enough.

Professor Toshiro Hojo, Chair
Department of Science and Research

Sephiroth moved suddenly, striding briskly across the room without regard for anything in his way, and Zack hurried to catch up. Reno nudged his boss and gestured at the materia; handing it to him, Tseng followed the two SOLDIERs.

Hojo's office was intact, and surprisingly neat. Only a handful of things were clearly missing: Hojo's personal computer, a lightweight portable model only recently released, and several paper files, pulled from an open filing cabinet. Hojo had apparently been too busy attempting to slow them down to take everything or destroy what he couldn't, though without his computer all his more recent files were lost to them.

What held Sephiroth's attention, however, was a conspicuously blank wall. The General reached out to hit a small switch beside the filing cabinet, and the wall opened to reveal a short passage that, if the sinking feeling in Zack's chest was right, would undoubtedly lead to the emergency stairs down the side of the building. He silently cursed. Vincent had told them about these passages, and they hadn't thought to guard them!

Sephiroth started down the passage, but paused as Zack put his hand on his leather-clad arm. "Stop, Seph," he said with a sigh. "He's gone." He nodded towards Tseng, who was communicating with security on his PHS. They both could hear the negative reports coming in.

Eyes narrowing with barely concealed rage, looking as coldly dangerous as he hadn't since the Wutaians had dubbed him Demon during the war, Sephiroth whirled and left the office, stalking back the way they'd come. Zack paused long enough to check with Tseng. "Anything?"

The Turk Leader shook his head. "There are barely any signs of his passing, but we know he's out of ShinRa's immediate territory. Probably below the Plate, possibly even out of the city by now." The man bit back a sigh. "I'll get the investigators in here as soon as possible. We might yet find something useful."

Zack nodded. "Thanks." With that he took off in the direction the General had gone. He could already hear the destruction as Sephiroth took out his frustration on the remaining monsters and whatever else got in his way. Sighing, Zack picked up his pace. He'd better make sure his friend left the building standing.

"Leaving is all but a confession," Rufus Shinra observed as Tseng finished his report. "The question is, a confession to what?" Sephiroth had brought many things to light that Hojo could easily have been tried, possibly even executed, for. It hardly mattered until they caught the scientist, however; he might as well spend his energy on more useful pursuits. "I suppose the investigation into Wutai is a moot issue now," he continued, carefully watching Tseng for any reaction. The man was difficult to read under the best of circumstances, but Rufus had long suspected his homeland was a delicate subject.

"Our initial probes have shown nothing as of yet," Tseng replied calmly, without so much as a twitch in reaction.

Rufus turned to look out the windows at Midgar, temporarily setting aside the puzzle that was his Turk Leader. He would figure out the man eventually; no code was unbreakable, after all. Watching sleeping Midgar, now his city, he smiled thinly. He had long thought on this day, and yet things were far different than he had expected. "Things will be changing, Tseng. I have no intention of spending the company's money as wastefully as my father did. We can put it towards far more profitable ventures." Yes, there would still be bribes and the like, but far less often… and to far fewer people. There were cheaper ways to keep errant employees in line.

The smile on his lips shifted to a smirk. "I rather like the way the city is now. Quiet, trembling in fear and uncertainty."

"It won't last," the Turk Leader observed. "Fear keeps the common man in check only as long as its source is a readily apparent threat. History tells us that."

And some idiot had already leaked the news all over the city, that the head of the Science Department was on the run, wanted for the murder of the President, and only the most paranoid would fear one man lacking funding or support. "A pity." Rufus sighed. "What is the status of the Science Department?"

"Approximately forty-seven percent of the staff survived, mostly those who were scheduled for the night shift; accordingly, most are aides, secretaries, or lab assistants. Fully a third of the casualties resulted after the fact from massive blood loss and other injury-related issues tended to too late. Only a handful of junior scientists and a few experienced seniors escaped."

"And the levels themselves?"

"Will need to be completely reoutfitted. There was significant structural damage."

"Which I'm sure the efforts of our esteemed General had nothing to do with." Rufus looked at his Turk Leader. "He has appeared to have picked up some… rather interesting skills. I can't recall him ever playing interdepartmental politics on this level before."

"Shall I call him in?"

"Not tonight." Anyone with a head on his shoulders and access to Sephiroth's file knew how this recent turn of events would affect him, and Rufus Shinra did not particularly want to do anything to further arouse his ire so soon after achieving office. "It would be good to have Major Sinclair as well. If Sephiroth is involved, it's rare for him not to be."

"I would recommend we also call in SOLDIER Third Cloud Strife." The young President raised an eyebrow at that, and Tseng elaborated, "Strife follows Sinclair in much the same way Sinclair follows the General."

"Interesting," Rufus murmured thoughtfully, drawing out the word. "I don't believe I know as much as I'd like about this Strife. I want a copy of his file as soon as possible." He turned back to the window. "We'll meet with all three of them here… Thursday afternoon, I think."

Tseng inclined his head. "As you wish."

"I can't believe Hojo wasn't at that meeting," Zack said with a sigh as he collapsed on the couch in Sephiroth's room. It had been three days since Hojo's escape, and this was the first time the four conspirators had been able to meet. It was nice to see everyone face to face rather than having to rely on coded messages.

Cloud shifted uncomfortably. "Er, I have a bit of a confession to make." Three pairs of eyes immediately focused on him, questioning, and he reddened a little. "A SOLDIER might have visited the Flying Dutchman in Sector Three and dared a rather drunk infiltration and sabotage team to steal Hojo's keycard so he couldn't use the elevator."

Zack laughed. "Never thought I'd see the day you'd go voluntarily into a bar! And if you're talking 'bout who I think you are, they probably stole every keycard in the wing!"

"I was trying to slow him down enough that he'd be late, not stop him from coming entirely," Cloud admitted, looking somewhat guilty.

"Not an entirely bad idea," Vincent conceded, "though it certainly seems to have backfired."

"Why do you think he didn't show?" Cloud asked. "That's been bothering me. Did someone tip him off?"

"It would not be impossible for him to have been warned," Sephiroth noted. "Though the question then becomes, by whom? Until we approached the board, we were the only ones who knew of our intentions."

"And I'm fairly certain we can count ourselves out of the possible leaks," Zack interjected firmly.

"He might have discovered our plans through a spy…"

Cloud felt a chill go down his spine at Sephiroth's words. "On the board?"

"Doubt it — every one of 'em has their own agenda. Probably a secretary or somethin'," Zack commented.

"It is also possible he had no intention to go," Vincent pointed out. "It would not be the first time he has shirked his responsibilities to remain engaged in an experiment."

"Then why did he run?" Cloud wanted to know.

"Because he saw the Turks approaching. Hojo has always been paranoid, but he seems to have only become more so under recent circumstances," Vincent answered.

"'Recent circumstances'?" Cloud stared at his Turk mentor suspiciously. "What did you do?" It was less of a question and more of an exasperated demand. Zack had to struggle not to snicker aloud, well aware he had used that exact tone with Sephiroth more than once.

"Sabotaging his equipment, corrupting his files." Vincent shrugged. "Minor acts of inconvenience. We were hoping to fluster him enough to push him into making an obvious mistake."

"We?" One eyebrow raised in surprise, Zack looked at Sephiroth. "You were in on this, too? Damn!" He sighed. "Why don't I ever get in on the fun around— ow!" He shot Cloud a hurt look, rubbing his arm. "Hey, kid, that actually hurts now, you know."

"I'm wondering if the mistake Hojo made was murdering President Shinra," Cloud mused. "If that's the case, we better hope the new President doesn't find out about these tricks, or else he might hold you guys accountable. You're here; Hojo isn't."

Zack winced. "Good point."

"It should not be a problem, but I will be ready in any case," returned Vincent.

"Well, not much else we can do for now." Zack stood, sighing. "I just wish we knew where that creep skittered off to, though."

"Zack, he's hardly going to put up a sign proclaiming 'New Residence of the Creep Known as Hojo,'" Cloud pointed out, rolling his eyes.

"Hey, a guy can dream, can't he?"

Ping!

All eyes turned towards Sephiroth's computer at the sound of the incoming message. "Gee, I wonder who that could be from," Zack muttered.

Sephiroth didn't waste time, quickly coming to the terminal and clicking on the new message. "…The President wishes to see us in conference room 6604 tomorrow at 1600."

Cloud sighed. "So much for a clean getaway."

"I guess it would've been too much to hope it was for a raise or a promotion." Zack stretched. "Well, at least it gets us out of the office early tomorrow, right Seph?"

"SOLDIER Strife's presence is requested as well."

The smile faded from Zack's face. "Damn. I was hoping to keep you out of it."

"Fat chance," Cloud replied. "Anyone with half a brain would notice how often the two of us are together. It's practically a given that I'm involved."

"Not in the way half of SOLDIER seems to think, at least," Zack muttered.

Cloud blinked. "Huh?"

"I will go as well," Vincent announced, cutting through the pair's conversation, three pairs of Mako-glowing eyes settling on him at that. "I am as deeply involved in this as you, and my presence may provide further evidence supporting what we will say."

"What are we going to say, anyway?" Cloud asked.

"What else?" returned Vincent. "The truth."

Sephiroth nodded slowly. "We have no other option."

Reno watched General Sephiroth, Major Sinclair, and SOLDIER Strife carefully as the Turks entered the room. There was something odd going on here, though the redhead couldn't quite put his finger on it. The fact that the three SOLDIERs were here early enough to beat the President was suspicious in and of itself.

The Turk tuned the President out as he went through the required greetings, reviewing what he knew of the three standing before him. The General was still very much an enigma to the Turk. He knew there was something special about the guy beyond his incredible swordfighting skills and all that, but what exactly it was he didn't know. The fact that most of his file was still marked as classified despite Reno's status as a full-fledged Turk — and the fact that he hadn't been able to crack the codes on it despite his skills — was a red flag as far as he was concerned.

Sinclair was a pretty nice guy, especially for those rule-bound SOLDIER types. Zack knew all the great places to drink and didn't mind overlooking the lawlessness and pain that followed Turks around like a dog at its master's heels… provided that you weren't targeting any of his people, anyway. He was too… well, nice to be able to make it as a Turk, but he was a damn good SOLDIER, not to mention a positive calming influence on the General. The only addition the Turks has made to his file was years old, noting that Sinclair had been protecting that girl Hojo'd wanted for so long. Not that it'd been much of an issue, really; Tseng hadn't wanted the girl captured in the first place.

And then there was Cloud Strife, of interest to the Turks from the very year he had first arrived. They had kept a loose eye on him as they did all first-time SOLDIER cadets, but eventually he'd been rejected from consideration for the Turks. Reno had to wonder if his partner hadn't made a mistake there; he'd seen Cloud demonstrate Turk-like qualities many times. Even Tseng had noticed, commenting on it after the whole "assault" thing a while back.

Reno bit back a sigh. Figured that three of the hottest men in ShinRa had to be superenhanced lugs who'd knock him clean through a wall if he tried anything. Shaking his head slightly, he tuned back in to the conversation as Rufus began questioning his audience, one hand resting on Dark Nation's head to calm the creature, which refused to sit, standing tense at its master's side.

"How, precisely, did you discover your information about Professor Hojo?"

"Well, sir, it's a long story," Sinclair replied, "but I think it starts with Cloud."

That gave Reno a bit of a surprise. Strife had demonstrated Turk-like qualities, yes, but shown signs of being a master hacker? No way.

"No, it starts with Hojo," the blond corrected.

"Nuh uh." Sinclair shook his head. "If you hadn't found him, we would've never realized what Hojo was up to."

"Yeah, but if it wasn't for Hojo, he wouldn't have been down there at all," Strife countered.

Reno was beginning to get a bit of a headache. "There a point to all this, or what?" he broke in, annoyed.

"Of course there is: distracting a target so they don't see what you don't want them to see." The redhead felt a tingle of shock run down his spine as Strife's entire manner shifted almost instantly from easygoing SOLDIER to a knife-sharp edginess more familiar in his own department. "I should think you'd know that. It is in the handbook, after all."

"And what would it be that we aren't supposed to notice?" the President inquired, an edge to his voice as he studied his employees.

"Me."

It wasn't easy to startle a Turk; a surprised Turk is usually a dead one. And yet now Reno found himself completely taken off guard, all attention drawn to the corner of the room the voice had come from. Moving out of the shadows was a creature like something out of a horror story — glowing red eyes, deep black hair, a golden claw, a tattered red cape. It appeared to be human, but Reno still didn't relax, one hand in his pocket, ready to pull out his electro-rod at a moment's notice. Who the hell was this guy? Was he here to kill the President? Had the whole deal with Hojo just been a cover so that Sephiroth could strike at Rufus? But… why?

Out of the corner of his eye Reno noticed his boss slowly lowering his gun, a look of shocked recognition dawning on his face as he studied the newcomer closely. "…Impossible."

The eerie man simply stared at the Turk Leader, who cleared his throat and ventured, "Vincent Valentine?"

Reno raised his eyebrows at that, the closest he'd come in mixed company to revealing his shock. Turk records mentioned Vincent Valentine had been damn good at his job, but… well, leaving aside the fact that the man had died nearly thirty-some odd years ago, he'd be a geezer well into his sixties by now. This guy didn't look a day over twenty-five. "So, what's a dead guy doing here?"

Tseng gave him a sharp look. "That's were Hojo comes in," Strife interjected.

"SOLDIER Strife, I want you to tell me exactly what is going on here, as concisely as possible." Rufus demanded, voice remarkably steady under the circumstances. Dark Nation finally sat on its haunches beside its master, but its hackles were still raised, its gaze focused on the supposedly dead Turk.

"Yes, sir." Strife paused; Vincent nodded, and the kid cleared his throat. "During the second year of the Jenova Project, Turk Vincent was assigned to the scientists working on it as a security measure. He confronted Dr. Hojo some time later when he discovered that the man's practices were adversely affecting one of his charges, Dr. Lucrecia Crescent, and Hojo shot him at point blank range, effectively killing him. Despite reporting to the company that Vincent had perished due to an encounter with the wildlife, he preserved his body, performing several experimental procedures on him before sealing him away in the basement of the company mansion in Nibelheim."

Reno felt the beginnings of simmering anger stir in his heart as he listened to Strife's story. He may not have known this Valentine personally, but for Hojo to have killed a Turk, using one of their own as some lab rat, was completely unacceptable. How in Odin's name had the bastard managed to get away with it? He frowned as another thought occurred to him. Sephiroth's report had indicated that some of the SOLDIERs who'd supposedly died in Wutai had actually been victims of Hojo's work. How many of the Turks reported 'missing in action, presumed dead' over the years had faced a similar fate?

He shuddered; he could have been next, for all he knew. Reno wasn't afraid of much, but he wouldn't have trusted himself to Hojo if he was dying and the man was the last doctor on the Planet.

"I discovered Vincent's prison by accident when I was a child, and when General Sephiroth, Major Sinclair, and I were sent to investigate the Nibelheim area, we met him again. Upon later investigation of the reactor, we found distinct signs that Hojo had been conducting experiments there at some point in the past."

The President raised an eyebrow. "And this wasn't in the report because…?"

"Would you have believed it?" Zack asked frankly. "We needed more evidence. Sir."

"In any case, Vincent returned to Midgar with us, and later proved crucial in collecting our data condemning Hojo," Cloud finished.

Well, that explains the hacking thing, anyway, Reno thought. Valentine had always scored well in that area, if he remembered the file correctly. And he'd've had almost unlimited time to work on refamiliarizing himself with the company's systems, too.

"It seems we must work to improve our data security systems," the President remarked as he glanced between the conspirators. "However, it seems thanks are in order. All of the data I have reviewed thus far from your report have been completely accurate. It seems readily apparent Hojo was a threat that needed to be addressed. However, should similar circumstances occur again, I would appreciate it if you brought the matter to my attention rather than deciding to handle it yourselves."

The SOLDIERs nodded, and Rufus turned his attention to their companion. "Mr. Valentine, I encourage you to rejoin the Turks. You are obviously well qualified, and the unit could use a few new members, especially with the death of former Turk Leader Veld. You would be given access to all data concerning our search for Professor Hojo as well." Reno was intrigued by Strife's flinch at the President's offer, though the kid hid it pretty well,.

"I have no intention of rejoining ShinRa until after Hojo is dead — and I have had time to see where the company is going." Valentine's compelling red eyes caught and held Rufus's own, but the President didn't look away. "As for the information, I'm sure I will be able to handle that on my own."

Reno found himself grudgingly impressed. It took either insanity or a hell of a lot of self-confidence to turn down a Shinra.

"…I see," Rufus said after a long moment. "Regardless, I will still grant you access to our data. I'd rather not have you breaking into our systems. And should you ever wish to change your mind, the offer remains open."

Strife relaxed ever so slightly; Valentine's eyes flickered to the younger man, and he nodded briefly. Reno watched the pair, thinking hard. There was more than a casual relationship between the two of 'em, but it wasn't sexual in the least; the signs were all wrong for that. And yet Strife continued to respond to Valentine's slightest cue, following his lead flawlessly. His eyes narrowed as a thought occurred to him. "Hey, wait a second—"

Everyone turned to stare at him. A part of Reno's brain cheerfully informed him that Tseng was giving him the look that said he was gonna kill him for talking when he should keep quiet, but he ignored it. "Did he—" the Turk jerked his head at Vincent "—train you?"

The blond blinked for a second, then nodded.

Reno turned to Rude. "You let Vincent Valentine's apprentice go?" he asked, incredulous. "He's got to be prime Turk material!"

Strife blinked several times. "Wait… you were the one trailing me when I was here that first year? You were driving me insane!"

Rude raised an eyebrow. "You knew?"

"Of course I knew — I could barely get any sleep for worrying!" Strife looked exasperated.

"Then why the hell aren't you a Turk?" Reno demanded. "Man, we could have been partners!"

"No way," Strife snapped, doing an impression of General Sephiroth's glare that, while actually pretty good, would've been hilarious in any other situation. Reno sighed heavily. The kid couldn't still be upset about that incident a few months back, could he?

"That would have been… regrettable," the General interjected. "SOLDIER Strife is a credit to his position." Strife colored very prettily at that, and Sinclair smiled, pleased.

Reno was surprised that Sephiroth would speak up on the kid's behalf; Sinclair was practically a given, but the General? The Turk knew he'd been working with the kid for a while now, but hadn't realized Strife had made such an impression. Huh. Closer than I thought… or at least, as close as you can get to the Icicle General.

Rufus glanced between the four men, but said nothing, merely nodding. "Dismissed." He waited to speak again until they had saluted and filed out, the soundproofed door closing behind them, in theory cutting off private conversations. "That was… interesting."

"I was surprised you let Valentine go," Tseng remarked, his expression neutral.

The President waved a dismissive hand. "He's close by if we need him. Hojo's experiments are not known for being constrainable or even particularly reasonable by ordinary standards. I'd value his service, but I also value my life. If it's necessary, we'll wory about… encouraging him to continue to work for our interests when the time comes."

"I just wouldn't threaten Strife, if I was you," Reno warned.

"I wasn't even considering it," Rufus assured the Turk. "He has far too many well-placed allies. It would be… upsetting if we were to lose the General for such minor reasons." The three Turks nodded. "Keep an eye on them, if you can."

"They'll know," Rude pointed out.

The President shrugged. "Be as discreet as possible."

"They'll be expecting us to watch them," Reno added. "We're not exactly known for being the most unsuspicious bunch."

Rufus merely nodded. "Shameful of us not to live up to expectations, then, isn't it? In the meantime, I want Robert Matheson investigated. I want to know his connections, his weaknesses, his strengths."

The name was familiar to Reno, though he couldn't quite place it. "Wait… isn't he part of the Science Department?"

"One of the few senior scientists that survived," the President confirmed, and it clicked as Reno remembered the medical report after their run through the labs — Matheson was the guy with the knife. "I'm considering him for the new department head."

"I'll get on it," Reno volunteered. He had done a bit of digging on the man already; it wasn't every day one met a scientist who could take down one of Hojo's creations.

Rufus nodded at that, dismissing the Turks with a wave of his hand. As they walked out the door, Reno muttered to his partner, "I still can't believe you let Valentine's apprentice go."

Rude ignored him.

Reeve was rarely interrupted during his day. The offices of the Department of Urban Development were tucked in a rather out-of-the-way section of the ShinRa building. He was not exactly in favor with the members of the ShinRa elite, and quite frankly preferred it that way.

So it was that when he heard sounds from the room next door, he was more than a bit surprised. Placing his pen down, Reeve walked into the usually unoccupied office to see a man unpacking a briefcase. "So," he said with a smile of greeting, "who else have they banished over here?"

The man, well into his late forties if not early fifties, looked up in surprise. Reeve noted visible stress lines and graying hair with interest; he wondered if it was the passage of time alone that had given the man the marks of age, or something else. "Matheson," the man said by way of introduction. He looked slightly embarrassed. "I, um, appear to be the new head of the Science Department."

Reeve nodded. "I heard about the damage. I'm Reeve, head of the Department of Urban Development — don't worry, you wouldn't have heard of me," he assured Matheson, who was looking a bit uncomfortable. "We aren't really well known. Our job is pretty much keeping Midgar running."

"Seems more important than the Space and Aeronautics Program," Matheson muttered.

Reeve found himself smiling. "I suppose, but… well, you know how things are."

"Were, at least." Matheson dragged his hand through his hair. "The new President seems to have some interesting ideas as far as that has been concerned. I know he's canceled several ongoing projects in my department within the last week."

"He does seem to be changing quite a bit around here," Reeve agreed. Hopefully for the better. "So, what are you doing down here, anyway?"

"Looking for a quiet place to work. The labs are a complete disaster — it'll take at least three months to get them even habitable again, and who knows how long to replace all the equipment we lost." He pulled out several thick files. "I need to figure out where the department is going. The President wants a preliminary report tomorrow."

"Any ideas?" Reeve asked, intrigued.

"Actually, I'm looking into alternative energy sources."

"Instead of Mako?" Reeve shook his head. "Good luck with that. It's been the basis of the company for years."

"Well, that's going to have to change," Matheson insisted. "There are too many negative side effects."

Reeve frowned; he hadn't heard of any before. "Like what?"

"The constant draining of the Lifestream beneath us is creating instabilities in the earth, for one thing, in addition to making the land infertile. Also, the reactors create several hazardous byproducts that, not being properly disposed of, are causing a variety of changes in people. Birth rates are down, with incidences of miscarriage and birth defects rising. The average age for girls starting puberty is decreasing, while oddly enough boys are having the opposite problem — especially when they're from areas where the local reactors aren't too close to their homes, because they haven't developed much immunity to reactor byproducts. And sterility is also becoming more prevalent."

"There's no way this could have been hidden for so long," Reeve protested. "What you're talking about… it could be permanently crippling to the human race!"

"It's taken a while to document… a lot of it was done by my mentor." Matheson looked regretful. "Mako looked like such a good, healthy solution compared to coal and oil that people really paid no attention to the smaller, less obvious drawbacks — drawbacks that have only grown more serious as time's gone on. Though how no one guessed is beyond me; there is plenty of documentation concerning the effects, particularly mutanagenic ones, Mako has on wildlife."

Reeve nodded in understanding. "So what can we do about it?"

"We need to ease off reactor use as much as possible, but that will take time, especially if we want to avoid going back to equally hazardous methods of producing energy. I'm looking into solar and wind energy power…" Matheson sighed. "Wish we could get someone from Cosmo Canyon in here. I know they've been working with it for several years now, but they have a policy of avoiding contact with ShinRa, particularly members of our department." He shook his head. "The other thing I want to do is come up with some way to get Mako byproducts back into circulation. Pulling the remains out of the air and water supply will help a lot, I think. There are some plants that do that naturally, but… well, you should know how difficult it is to grow things in Midgar, especially below the Plate."

"I can't do anything about the energy sources, but I might be able to do something about the plants," Reeve offered, recalling something he'd sketched a bare-bones outline for a few years ago. "If we can sell the President on the idea, I might be able to find someone who could help us."

"Really?" Matheson looked skeptical. "I haven't seen a single growing thing in the city — or anywhere for miles around it, for that matter."

Reeve smiled broadly. "Oh, you'd be surprised. If you'd step over to my office for a moment, I can show you a picture of the most beautiful place in Midgar."

Chapter Text

Cloud flopped down on his bed with a sigh. He supposed he meeting with the President had gone pretty well, all things considered. It could have been a lot worse — execution worse. Guess it's true what they say about friends in high places.

"So, looks like our esteemed roommate has finally returned."

Cloud opened one eye to see one of the new SOLDIER Thirds staring down at him, and resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Matt had written him about their new roommates shortly after Scott and Paul's promotion, and he hadn't had much good to say about this one. Luke Patterson had been the best of the spring cadets in his year, but as far as SOLDIER went, his skills were only slightly above average; even so, the kid enjoyed acting as if he were the hottest thing on two legs. Not entirely surprising, really, considering he was a younger son of one of the wealthier Plateside families, but still annoying.

Personally, Cloud couldn't wait until someone took the kid down a few notches.

"So, the General have you on your knees or on your back this time?" the bleached-blond inquired with a nasty smirk.

It took Cloud a few seconds to understand exactly what Patterson was implying, but when he did he felt anger spike hot in his chest. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me," Patterson replied coolly. "Everyone knows—"

"Well, everyone is wrong," Cloud retorted, rolling off his bed and to his feet in a smooth, seamless motion. He was shorter than the other SOLDIER by a good two inches, but he managed to gather himself enough to give a reasonable impression of looking down on the upstart. "I suggest you keep your damn mouth shut. You're lucky the General doesn't allow duels between SOLDIERs, or I'd wipe the floor with you for daring to make that kind of crass insinuation about him."

The blond glared until Patterson finally looked away, silently seething. Cloud remained standing until the other Third stalked out of the room, then flopped back on his bed with a sigh. He desperately wanted a nap — he was on late duty tonight and it hadn't exactly been an easy day — but he couldn't stop running through the conversation in his head. He was thankful none of the others had been around to witness it, but… at the same time, Cloud really wanted to talk to someone about it. He wasn't entirely sure why Patterson's insult had made him so angry… except that Sephiroth had always been fair and, in his own way, kind in his tutoring.

Finally admitting defeat, Cloud picked up his PHS and punched in a familiar number. It rang three times before he got a response.

"Hello?"

"Hey Zack, it's Cloud. I'm sorry, is it a bad time?" Zack's PHS was rarely more than three feet from him, and he almost always answered it before the second ring.

Cloud could hear the rustle of cloth as Zack shifted slightly. SOLDIER hearing really was an amazing thing sometimes. "Not really. What's up?"

"Just wanted to talk about something. In person." Cloud hesitated and then added, "Look, if you're busy… it's not really that important. Don't worry about it."

"Don't be stupid," Zack chastised him. "Tell you what: drop by my place in ten minutes or so. I'll even make some of that gods-awful Wutaian tea you like so much."

Cloud felt a smile split his face. "Thanks, Zack. I owe you one."

"I'll put it on your tab. See you in a few." With that, Zack closed the connection. Cloud pulled on his boots, taking a few minutes to make sure he had everything he needed for duty ready. After a little while he began the short walk from Third Class housing to the Firsts'. The door opened soon after his knock, revealing a smiling Zack with a cup of steaming tea. Taking a sip of the greenish liquid, Cloud felt himself relaxing. As annoying as the dark-haired man could be sometimes, there was just something about his presence that was extremely calming during troubled times.

"So, what's up?" Zack asked, sitting down with a mug of his own, filled with coffee. Cloud quickly relayed the exchange he'd had with Patterson, and the other SOLDIER sighed. "Damn. Was afraid that'd happen at some point. Any time Seph ever pays attention to anyone for longer than two seconds, these rumors start up." He shook his head. "But the two of you are so well suited to each other… He's really enjoyed teaching you." Apparently oblivious to Cloud's incredulous look, Zack took another sip of his coffee. "Want me to talk to him?"

"Who, Patterson?"

"No, Sephiroth."

Cloud blinked in honest surprise. "Why? It's not his problem."

"A dispute between SOLDIERs is always his problem, kiddo. Comes with the job, you know, the whole 'General of SOLDIER' thing and all," Zack pointed out. "And trust me, you wouldn't be the first to have issues with Patterson; I've had more than a few complaints show up on my desk with his name on 'em."

"Even more of a reason not to bother him with it," Cloud insisted. "He's got enough work as it is. I can handle Patterson just fine; he's still wet behind his ears."

The dark-haired man kept silent his amusement that a guy who hadn't even been a SOLDIER for a full year was calling one of his peers a novice, but Cloud did have a point. He'd been through a lot that Patterson probably couldn't even imagine, and had been trained a lot better, too. Zack personally found it somewhat refreshing to see Cloud consciously taking pride in his skill for once — in a one-on-one fight he'd totally waste Patterson, and he doubted there was a SOLDIER who'd disagree. "If you're sure…"

"I am." Cloud smiled at him, the expression on his face transforming him from the usual stern SOLDIER to a — well, an attractive young man. It startled the SOLDIER First a bit; Cloud was rarely so openly, genuinely happy. While Zack had seen him like this more often than most, and it was a far, far more common expression on Cloud's face than it was on Sephiroth's, it never ceased to draw an answering smile from him. "Thanks for listening, Zack."

"Anytime," Zack replied. He privately wished all of his problems were so easily solved. "But anyway, you better scat. Late duty tonight, right? Gotta get to the mess if you want anything before your shift."

"If I survive the food to make it that far," Cloud teased, blue eyes sparkling with mirth. He drained the last of his tea and stood. "See you soon, Zack."

Zack nodded to his friend as the blond showed himself out. Only after the door had slid quietly shut did he speak again. "You know, I still think you could've come out. It's not like he was going to bolt out the door the minute he saw you. I don't think he's ever been that intimidated by you."

"Somehow I have the feeling things would have proceeded quite differently had I done so," Sephiroth replied, leaning against the doorframe of Zack's bedroom. Green eyes locked on the door Cloud had just left through. "He truly is remarkable."

"Got the damnest sense of priorities, though. Sounded like he was more upset about the insult to you than the slur on his own name." Zack's lips twitched as he suppressed a smile.

"You realize what is causing this," Sephiroth murmured quietly, walking over and taking the seat next to his aide.

"Had a feeling Patterson would've said something regardless," Zack said. "Kid's damn good with a spear, but boy is he a pain in the ass. As far as Cloud goes, though… Most of the others figured out a while ago he wasn't going to stay a Third long, even if Cloud hasn't yet." He hesitated. "Problems with the Science Department aside, we won't be able to keep from promoting him for much longer. Not with seven recommendations in his file."

"Eight," Sephiroth corrected. "I received another one from Kaplan for the Rocket Town mission." He frowned; it was extremely difficult to be objective with Cloud. "I was hoping to have him wait at least a year."

"Probably should've moved him right into Second. Sure had enough training for it." Zack sighed. "Well, we can hold out a while longer… as long as we can get away with it."

Sephiroth nodded in agreement. Cloud was attracting enough attention already without moving up the ranks. Still, sooner or later it would come out. They'd just have to be ready for when it did.

Cloud was not the most observant individual in the world when it came to human behavior. He could spot a threat from a mile off and catch a monster in a matter of minutes most days, but when it came to interpreting his own species he was… well, not so skilled. It was all but infamous among the SOLDIERs, who used it occasionally to tease the young Third Class. While his (unfortunate) ability to block out all but the most pressing issues not related to his immediate goals could be a pain, it did have its benefits, so Cloud wasn't going to complain.

Still, even he began to notice when over a dozen SOLDIER First and Seconds started dropping in on him after his return from a brief monster hunting mission, two months after Hojo's defection from ShinRa. The constant inquires about his "current status" were enough to drive the blond mad. "What is going on?" Cloud finally demanded when John Kaplan, the SOLDIER Second who had commanded the Rocket Town mission, asked the same damn question.

Kaplan blinked. "You haven't taken the physical yet?"

"For what?"

"Second Class."

Cloud stared at him. "But… the recommendations…" He trailed off, uncertain.

"I can think of six people off the top of my head who have recommended you, including myself," Kaplan replied. "We were expecting you to get the news when you got back to Midgar." He frowned, looking thoughtful. "Wonder why they haven't notified you yet…"

I bet I know what happened, Cloud thought with a touch of irritation. He didn't expect — or want — any special treatment where Zack and Sephiroth were concerned, but it looked like he'd gotten some anyway. Much to his surprise, he found himself more than slightly hurt at the thought. He didn't like being held back; suddenly the blond realized he truly wanted to be a First Class, just like Zack if he could make it that far. Somehow his dream to be a SOLDIER had shifted from merely joining to becoming one of the best — someone Zack, Sephiroth, and Vincent could be proud of.

But how the hell was he going to do that if they weren't letting him get better?

"I'll look into it," Cloud promised Kaplan. "It probably got lost in the shuffle after the whole mess with the President." Kaplan nodded; the army had been pretty busy the last two months, barely having any time to sleep, much less deal with the normal routine things. The President had a lot of new ideas he wanted implemented, and it kept all of them hopping day and night.

Still, he didn't intend to confront Zack and Sephiroth about this until he was fully armed. It should be pretty easy to schedule an appointment to see a specialist and get the testing done on his own; the online Wutaian basic proficiency test would be even easier. Cloud didn't doubt he could pass it, between his own studying and his work in Wutai. The test was supposed to be ridiculously easy, anyway — yet another instance of ShinRa ostensibly valuing something they cared little about.

Three days later Cloud had his clearance for Second Class treatments and confirmation of his aptitude in Wutaian in hand as he entered the General's office. Papers in hand, he casually came up to Zack's desk.

"Cloud! What are you doing here?" Zack said by way of greeting, grinning up at his friend.

"Report for the General," Cloud replied.

"Don't tell me they're still using you as an errand boy!" Zack complained. "I mean, you aren't even my apprentice anymore! What is with these people?"

Cloud rolled his eyes and didn't answer, walking into the inner office where Sephiroth waited, having heard the conversation between his aide and the younger SOLDIER. The General took the papers from Cloud's hands, skimmed the top page, then looked at him. "I did not request these."

"With all due respect, sir, perhaps you should have," Cloud returned evenly. Catching Sephiroth's tone, Zack rolled his chair closer to the door to listen.

"Strife, I appreciate the… skills you have acquired, but to use them in this fashion—"

Cloud looked hurt. "I found out because over half a dozen SOLDIERs have asked me about it in the last week and a half," the Third Class told him. "They did everything except dye my uniforms. Even I'm not that thick."

He had done his best to keep resentment from seeping into his tone, but Zack seemed to pick up on it anyway. "You're just… difficult to evaluate, Cloud." The black-haired man looked apologetic. "We didn't want to move you up too quickly. I know the others think you're ready, but…"

"Then test me," Cloud replied. "If I fail, I'm not ready."

Zack and Sephiroth exchanged a glance, the General's face thoughtful. "…Very well. Your abilities in the field have been well documented, but we haven't been able to evaluate your sword skills personally in several months. Zack, get your Buster Sword. Strife, bring your own weapon and meet us in training room 253."

"You can't be serious…" Zack looked dumbfounded.

"If you manage to defeat Zachary, I'll put the promotion through," Sephiroth continued, as if his aide hadn't interrupted.

Cloud nodded, looking resolute. He quickly returned to his own quarters and pulled his sword from the weapon's locker. His hand caressed the metal as he carefully checked it over for any imperfections. There were none, despite the number of monsters he'd killed in his three months out of Midgar. Smiling, the youth swung it over his back, securing it. The weapon had cost him a boatload of money, and he wasn't done paying for it yet, but it was worth every gil.

SOLDIER weapons were expensive; unlike regular army members, Turks and SOLDIERs received a small stipend to purchase arms that suited their individual styles, rather than being supplied with standard weapons. Each SOLDIER and Turk had different strengths, and most had custom weapons made to suit them. The money wasn't much, and Cloud, like most SOLDIERs, had ended up dipping pretty heavily into his personal funds to buy his sword. Zack had been a little upset when he heard Cloud had already commissioned a weapon — he'd wanted to buy his former student a copy of his own — but Cloud personally preferred his choice, even if it had been three times the cost. It was simply more versatile, though most didn't realize that when it was in its standard form — a slightly smaller version of the Buster Sword.

The trip to training room 253 was a short one. One of the upper-level training facilities, it was smaller than the large gym or the rooms directly attached. Cloud thought he might have an advantage here; his weapon was lighter and slightly shorter than Zack's. He should be able to move faster.

Sephiroth and Zack were already waiting for him when he stepped through the door. Cloud's sharp eyes caught sight of two green materia on Sephiroth's wrist. Good; even if things did get out of control, which could happen all too easily when SOLDIER strength combined with oversized weapons, the General was ready to take care of it.

"Ready to go down, Cloud?" Zack was grinning, twirling the Buster Sword in his hand. "I know your style inside and out!"

Cloud saluted Sephiroth briefly then pulled free his own sword. "Not today, Zack."

Neither spoke again. Zack rushed forward, closing the distance between them. Cloud raised his sword and easily blocked the blow, turning the blade so Zack lunged past him. The blond didn't wait for Zack's next attack but instead took the offensive, blade flashing in a series of quick, sharp movements that blended together a number of the different styles he had been working with since he had begun to study the sword, all the while driving his opponent towards the wall. Cloud saw respect growing in Zack's eyes as the First countered every attack, though not all of his blocks were completely effortless.

Realizing Cloud's attempt to back him into a corner, Zack gracefully somersaulted over his friend's head, landing with the Buster Sword coming towards Cloud's unprotected back. Cloud swung and met the attack without even looking then slipped to the side, eyes tracking Zack. The black-haired man grinned, feinting before once again attempting to land a blow.

Cloud felt an answering grin spread across his face as he parried the attack. This was fun. Last time he had sparred with Zack, he hadn't as much experience as he did now; he might not be the older man's equal yet, but he was much better than the poor, unskilled sixteen-year-old boy who had begun studying under him.

They broke apart to size up their opponents and take stock of themselves. Cloud's breathing was elevated, though he wasn't really tired yet. Have to do something soon, though — can't keep this up forever. Zack was further enhanced, had more skill and more experience, but being devious might get him what a fair fight might not; Vincent had taught him that a long time ago.

So when Zack attacked again, Cloud transferred his sword to his left hand, shifting the hilt and pulling the blade as he did so, and—

Zack's eyes went wide as he realized that the Buster Sword was firmly blocked by the sword in Cloud's left hand while another, smaller blade hovered close at his throat. "How the hell did you do that?"

Cloud smiled as he pulled the blade back. "Special sword, Zack. It's actually several parts in one. Sure, I haven't been able to afford to finish all the pieces yet—"

"Pieces? It's a weapon, not a puzzle!"

Cloud shrugged. "It's versatile." Lowering his weapons, he fitted the smaller, hollow blade against one of the larger sword's edges, sliding it into place snug against the massive handguard with a soft click. He looked over at Sephiroth; he was no expert on the General's feelings, but he got the impression the man was hiding amusement.

"It appears you'll be needing new uniforms, then, Strife. I'll see to it when we get back to the office." He turned. "Come on, Zack. It isn't polite to drool."

"I am not drooling!" Zack insisted, tearing his eyes from Cloud's sword. "Who needs a puzzle sword—"

"It's not a puzzle sword!" Cloud interjected.

Slinging the Buster Sword into position on his back, Zack folded his arms. "Okay, so what would you call it, then?"

Cloud blinked. "Well, it's… my sword." What else would he call it?

Zack shook his head. "No, it has to have a name. A cool name, something that stands out!"

Sephiroth raised a gloved hand to his temple and sighed.

All the way back across the military compound to the SOLDIER administrative offices, Zack kept offering suggestions for naming Cloud's sword — all of which were quickly shot down by its owner, who finally turned to the dark-haired SOLDIER as they entered Sephiroth's office and snapped, "Does it really matter?"

Zack nodded firmly. "Yes!"

Cloud simply looked at him in a mixture of frustration and disbelief. "Why?"

"Because…" Zack paused for a second, then pressed on. "Well, it's a SOLDIER thing, yanno? You gotta name your favored weapon. I mean, even Seph's sword has a name—"

"I didn't name it," the General pointed out, not looking up from the form he was filling out.

Zack waved his hand dismissively. "Yeah, I know, but that's beside the point." He looked steadily at Cloud. "So, either pick out a name—"

"Zack—"

"—or I'll pick one for you." The southerner frowned thoughtfully. "Let's see… how about—"

"Shiranui," Sephiroth murmured, the scratching of his pen across the paper resuming.

Zack blinked. "Shiranui," he repeated, as if tasting the word. "Huh, sounds kinda familiar…"

"Sounds better than 'Puzzle Sword' and all the variants you kept throwing at me, at any rate," Cloud noted.

Zack ignored him, lost in thought. "Where have I— Aha!" He snapped his fingers. "It's some Wutaian mystical thingummy, right? Mystery fire or something." Without waiting for a reply, he continued, "It's perfect. They're a crazy bunch over there — you'd probably fit right in, Cloud. 'Sides the whole ShinRa bit, of course."

"And the fact that I don't look Wutaian at all."

"Yeah, well—"

Sephiroth, standing beside his desk, cleared his throat, and almost immediately both SOLDIERs turned towards him, straightening.

"Cloud Strife," the General began, moving towards him, "as the representative of SOLDIER I wish to extend to you the congratulations of the command staff on your promotion to Second Class." He shook Cloud's hand firmly. "We hope you will continue to perform as you have in the past, excelling in your duties."

Cloud couldn't help the huge smile on his face. "I'll do my best, sir."

Zack was shaking his head, though he, too, grinned. "You don't have to be so formal, Seph — it's not like the kid's a total stranger. I mean, you're one of his teachers, for Shiva's sake—" He paused as a thought occurred to him. "Speaking of teachers, who'd you learn the two-weapon fighting deal from, anyway? Or did you pick it up from a friend — whatsisname, Scott Coyle uses that style, right? And how exactly—"

Cloud's smile turned mischievous as he took the forms requisitioning his new uniforms from Sephiroth. "If I didn't know better, I'd almost think you were jealous," he teased. "If you want, I can give you the name of the smith I commissioned it from, see if he'd be willing to make you something similar…"

"Jealous? Me? No way," Zack said vehemently, crossing his arms over his chest. "And I don't need a trick sword, anyway. The Buster's good enough for me."

Sephiroth merely shook his head; Cloud, who knew from past experience that Zack hated to lose, especially when it was because a situation got out of his control, just grinned.

Aeris smiled, listening to Red XIII's enthusiasm. The catlike creature's manner was seldom childlike, though he had told her he was only a cub by his people's standards. "Cosmo Canyon sounds like a lovely place."

"Oh, it is," he assured Aeris, watching as the young woman tended her garden. "You should visit someday. The people there all care for the Planet deeply. You'd fit right in."

Aeris sighed. "My mother doesn't like traveling very much, I'm afraid. And it's difficult to get out of Midgar..." Transportation out of the city — or at least the necessary passes for it — was difficult to come by for all but ShinRa workers and Plate dwellers. It really wasn't hard to get into the city; leaving, however, was another matter entirely. Still... "I really would like to go there someday, though." The flower girl stiffened abruptly, eyes flickering towards the entrance of her garden. "Red—" Her guest had gone stiff next to her, stepping between her and their unwelcome visitor.

"Please, Miss Gainsborough. I do not wish you harm."

"Pardon me if I don't believe you, Tseng," Aeris replied, watching him warily.

"I'm here on different business today." The Turk moved far enough into the garden so he was fully visible in the light and then stopped, far enough away that he was not an immediate threat… though judging such a distance was guesswork at best with Turks. "I thought you would wish to know that Professor Hojo is no longer with us."

Aeris froze, shock washing over her. "…What?"

"Professor Hojo has left ShinRa and is now on the run, wanted for misuse of company materials and personnel. The President has declared an end to all of the Science Department's superfluous investigations, particularly since the recent… upheaval in the labs."

"Upheaval…?" Aeris stared at Tseng in confusion. "What's going on?"

"I'm afraid that's classified information." The stiffness in Tseng's posture eased a little. "Miss Gainsborough… I only wanted you to know that the Turks, at least, will no longer disturb you." He paused, adding, "And… I apologize for the discomfort we've caused you these past years."

"Tseng…"

He inclined his head. "Be well, Aeris." And with that he left.

Aeris stared unseeing at the spot her friend and terror had left. She didn't know how to feel about this. Part of her was suspicious; it seemed far too plausible that this was just a trap to get her to let her guard down. On the other hand…

Zack… Green eyes closed as emotion overwhelmed her. She had missed him so very much, but… could she really trust this to be true?

"Aeris?" Red XIII gently nudged her hand.

"I'm okay, Red." She buried her hand in his fur. "I'm okay."

"Bright the day, sleepy head."

Cloud groaned and buried in head in his pillow. "Go 'way."

But the voice continued. "Not often I see you sleep in…"

"Zaaaaack—"

The SOLDIER First Class sat down next to the newly promoted Second, silently comparing the current Cloud to the one who had been a new Third Class. This time, it seemed, the treatments had gone much better. Zack ran his hand through the blond's hair. "How you feeling?"

"Better than I was." Cloud rolled over enough to watch Zack with one blue eye.

"Well, you didn't have to have that promotion..." Cloud whacked Zack with his pillow. "You deserved it, don't worry. I'm just a little surprised you managed to get your enhancements so fast, what with the mess in the Science Department and all…"

"Apparently the SOLDIER enhancement formulas weren't as well-kept a secret as Hojo thought they were," Cloud replied, stretching. "Morgan said her dad's had it for years. Supposedly it was something of a test of worthiness, being able to reproduce the formula and keep it hidden from Hojo. Dr. Matheson's adapted the formula somewhat, though — something about not breaking down the Mako so quickly, so we don't need so many boosters. "

"And how are you on a first-name basis with the daughter of the head of the Science Department?" Zack teased.

"If you don't know by now…" Cloud shook his head. "Specialist, one of the members of Arthur's unit, remember? You have gone out to eat with us more than a few times…" Arthur had been a little quiet the first time they'd all gone out together, but his friendship with Morgan seemed to be a pretty strong one… and it seemed to keep him from being too hung up on Cloud, for which the SOLDIER was grateful.

"I know, I know." Zack grinned. "Anyway, when do you think you'll be up and about? Knowing you, I'm sure you're dying to get back to the gym."

"Hmmmhm," was Cloud's only response, though the corners of his lips twitched slightly.

"So, feel up to a bit of sparring? You've been cleared by medical…"

Cloud shoved himself out his bed and to his feet. "You're on. I need to get back into shape again."

"I should think so, if you wanna be able to wave that Sheela-wossname thing around."

"Shiranui, Zack. It's not that hard to say…"

Cloud didn't get a lot of mail in general. Most of the stuff he received was ShinRa-related, save the occasional letter from his mother or Tifa. Still, those occasional letters were a bright spot in his day. Tifa had become all but his unofficial penpal in the eight months it had been since he'd made Second Class. They had a surprising amount in common, despite their difference in gender and location. It was almost like having a distant cousin or sibling he'd rarely met, but still had a strong connection with. So when Cloud returned from a two-month assignment in Junon to find a letter addressed to him in Tifa's now-familiar handwriting, he was quite happy to see it.

Dear Cloud,

I hope your trip went well and you'll be back in Midgar soon. I know you don't exactly like the city, but it sounds like a much more interesting place than Junon. I can't believe that you still haven't left the base there — don't you think you should go see something else sometimes?

Cloud had to smile at that. Tifa sounded a lot like Zack some days. Maybe that's why he had come to like her so much, despite her deception.

Things have actually been changing around here, believe it or not. Zangan says the monsters around the town have been getting a lot stronger than they used to be, and no one can figure out why. There doesn't seem to be any reason for it. Dad should probably put together a request for assistance, but he gets all stubborn every time I try to talk to him about it. Maybe, if I ever get around to convincing him, you'll be one of the ones they send out. It'd be great to see you in person again. I can't wait to spar with you now that you're enhanced.

The other odd thing is the Shinra Mansion. Some of the boys swore that they saw someone break in there.

Cloud felt his eyebrows rise at that. The Shinra Mansion was more or less off limits. While many of the "boys" around his age, the ones Tifa had played with as a child, had told exaggerated tales about venturing into the forbidden building, most of them had become more or less honest about the entire thing by now. Soon enough it would be their children telling tales about the mansion, and them playing the parts of the parents forbidding them to enter it.

It was funny how things worked out, sometimes.

I did a little investigation of my own, and it really does seem like someone's been there recently. There are some of the signs you told me about — less dust on the doors, things like that. There was a group from ShinRa out here a while ago, and they looked around the mansion, but it's still been several months since then. I'd think there'd be more dust building up than there has been…

I also noticed it looked like the power lines were connected to the reactor feed. I can't remember if they were before. Do you?

I'm going to keep looking around when I can. I'll let you know what I find.

Tifa

Cloud put the letter down, feeling more than slightly unsettled. The mansion was where he had found Vincent. It had a lab that Hojo had used before. It had been one of the first places investigative teams had looked for the scientist, but they had found no sign of him.

Perhaps they had been too hasty. Perhaps… perhaps Hojo had gone to ground someplace else for a while and then moved back to the mansion. It would make sense, considering what was in the reactor. The team sent out there hadn't investigated that area because as far as Sephiroth knew, there was nothing unusual about the reactor — and Zack hadn't done anything to change that, which Cloud certainly understood. None of them wanted any other SOLDIERs taken over by that… thing.

Cloud pocketed the letter and headed up to Sephiroth's office, deep in thought. It'd likely be hard to arrange a mission to Nibelheim based on just one letter, but they might be able to swing it. And he couldn't shake the feeling this was important.

Aeris was beginning to wish she had a gate across her garden so people couldn't just walk in. First Tseng, now these two… Both were dressed in civilian wear, and they didn't feel like military the way Zack and Cloud did, but there was still something about them that suggested that they weren't ordinary civilians. Company workers, perhaps?

She knew it had been too good to be true when Tseng told her ShinRa had given up on her.

"Miss Gainsborough," the one on the left began, "I'm Reeve Tuesti and this is Robert Matheson. We've come to ask for your help."

"I have no interest in working for ShinRa—" Aeris began.

"Please, Miss Gainsborough, you're the only one who can help us," Matheson begged. "We're looking at trying to restore the city to what it used to be."

Aeris gave him a blank look.

"Miss Gainsborough, the reactors are steadily polluting Midgar. We are investigating alternative power sources, but we have to do something about Mako byproducts in the environment." He leaned over, almost pleading. "There are certain types of plants that can break down Mako byproducts in the air and soil. Plants are supposedly impossible to grow in Midgar, but…" He gestured around them.

In spite of her wariness, the young woman found herself intrigued. It would be a great undertaking, she knew, but the possible benefits were staggering. If only she knew if she could trust these people… "I don't want to work for the company."

"I understand. You wouldn't have to work Plateside," Tuesti assured her. "We're looking at adding parks and other areas below the Plate as well, where plants should, in theory, do well. We'd like your input on where they would best be placed, and if possible, occasional visits on your own time to check on the plants. We're willing to pay you under the table, if you'll accept it."

Definitely ShinRa. They didn't hesitate to break their own rules when it suited them. Aeris felt a smile steal across her face despite herself. "I admit, it sounds like a nice plan… but, supposing I were interested, how would you get in contact with me?"

Tuesti opened a bag at his feet. "If you don't mind dealing with this rascal occasionally, it shouldn't be a problem."

"Oh! It's the fortune-telling cat!" Aeris recognized the odd-looking creature immediately as the one she had encountered before, though it was lacking its moogle mount.

"My eyes and ears below the plate," Tuesti explained. "Meet Cait Sith."

"An interesting way to see the world, Mr. Tuesti."

The man shook his head, smiling ruefully. "Please, just call me Reeve. No need to be so formal."

The brunette nodded, pondering her options for a moment. If she weren't going Plateside, and her dealings with company personnel would be through Reeve's cat, the risk was minimal… and she might be able to help the city recover from ShinRa's actions, as her ancestors would have done. "I'm willing to try it," she admitted finally.

"Thank you Miss Gainsborough." Reeve's smile broadened. "I'd like to welcome you, unofficially, to the MMG Project."

"MMG?" Aeris echoed.

"Make Midgar Greener," Reeve elaborated.

"We're very glad you're willing to try this, Miss Gainsborough," Matheson added. "I only wish we were further along on finding energy sources other than Mako…"

Aeris smiled slowly. There was something about these two that made her want to trust them — and her gut feelings like that tended to be right, so… "I think I know someone who could help with that… Red?"

After a moment's pause, the large, catlike creature stepped out from behind a nearby bush, and Matheson's eyes widened. "So this is where you went…! Hojo wasn't too happy."

"Aeris has been kind enough to allow me to stay with her until I am able to return to my own home," Red XIII replied.

"Red, why don't you tell Dr. Matheson what you were telling me earlier?" Aeris suggested. "About the windmills in Cosmo Canyon — I think he'd be interested."

"Certainly." The lab escapee settled to his haunches beside her and began, "At Cosmo Canyon we obtain our energy from the wind, not from Mako. My grandfather told me several years ago that they are part of the reason we don't need a reactor…"

Chapter Text

Mount Nibel.

The mountain had never been very appealing to Cloud, even when he was growing up in its shadow. It had an ominous feeling about it that he'd never been able to fully ignore. The blond had often felt almost as if the huge structure was staring down at him with unseen eyes. Only the fact that Vincent had lived a little further up had coaxed him from the relative safety of town when he was a child. Cloud did not like the mountain.

Of course, getting nearly flambéed by a dragon at a young age might have had something to do with it, but...

Now, for the first time in his life, he was looking down at the mountain instead of the other way around. It amused Cloud somewhat that they were taking the same route Hojo had used to spy on their mission four years ago, flying in by helicopter and stopping in the middle of the mountain range.

The plan was to survey the reactor, the town, and, most especially, the Shinra mansion. It had been surprisingly easy to get the President to allow them to investigate the incidents Tifa had described in her letter, particularly because the report had come from a civilian rather than a ShinRa operative. Rufus Shinra, it seemed, believed in being proactive when possible. It had been even easier for Cloud to be assigned to the mission. Vincent and Sephiroth were givens, of course, and Zack would bring down the Plate before allowing his friend to go after Hojo alone, but Cloud had half expected to have to create some elaborate scheme to get to go along. As it turned out, however, the new president himself had suggested Cloud accompany the mission, pointing out his dedication and familiarity with the region. The SOLDIER Second had privately suspected that he'd been sent along largely to keep an eye on Vincent as well, but that was perfectly fine with him since he'd have done it anyway.

"So how are we going to do this — investigate one at a time or split up?" Cloud asked, glancing between the other occupants of the chopper.

"Split up, I think," Zack suggested. "We'll be closer to the reactor when we land, but if we all up there and then head back it'll be after dark by the time we get to town."

Sephiroth nodded in agreement. "Two pairs should be fine."

"Right! Well, let's draw straws again!" Zack suggested, eyes bright.

"Again?" Cloud groaned, remembering the last time the SOLDIER First had pulled this. "I guess, as long as this time you don't rig—" He stopped rather abruptly, clamping his mouth shut.

Sephiroth had gone very still. "…Please, Strife, do finish your sentence," he said crisply.

Cloud forced himself not to fidget as the General turned one of his iciest glares towards him. "Um…"

"Leave the kid alone, Seph. I made him do it," Zack put in, sighing. "Maybe it sounds stupid, but I didn't want you going up to a reactor Hojo could've messing with, okay?"

If anything, Sephiroth only seemed to become more remote. "If you insist on doing such things out of some pointless need to protect me—"

"Odin's blood, Seph! I did it because I wasworried about you, okay?" Zack shot back. "I'm your friend, dammit — it's my job to watch your back!" Cloud winced slightly at that as the helicopter came to rest, but he couldn't help wondering if the dark-haired SOLDIER hadn't been right to worry, considering how much Zack had been affected by whatever it was…

"We will still need to separate into two teams," Vincent interjected, cutting off the argument before it really went anywhere. "As both Sinclair and I have already been to the reactor, I suggest we head there. Cloud can accompany Sephiroth to the town. He knows the way well enough, I believe, and would notice if anything seemed out of place." The former Turk climbed out of the helicopter and turned to look at Zack, clearly expecting the SOLDIER to do the same.

Sephiroth exited first, moving to stand on the opposite side of the machine, determinedly not looking at Zack. The SOLDIER First sighed, and softly said to Cloud, "He'll get over it. Just do your best — he won't take it out on you unless he gets frustrated by your incompetence, and if there's one thing you aren't it's incompetent."

"Zack…" Cloud hesitated. "Be careful."

Well aware what Cloud was referring to, Zack gave his shoulder a reassuring squeeze. "I'll be all right. I'm warned now, and that's half the battle. Just go knock our General's socks off with your incredible mission skills, okay?" The SOLDIER bounced down from the chopper, heading with Vincent off towards the reactor. Cloud followed suit a moment later, though with a bit less enthusiasm and heading in the opposite direction, following the silver-haired swordsman who had already started down the path towards Nibelheim. Please, he silently begged whomever was listening, keep them both safe. I can't lose them, either of them.

Zack was privately grateful they were so close to the reactor rather than the town. It would take Cloud and Sephiroth some time to get there, which would hopefully allow Sephiroth a chance to cool down. The SOLDIER First wasn't particularily happy that he had essentially dumped the brooding General in Cloud's lap, but he hadn't had much choice. They could hardly be claiming to be 'splitting up' if Sephiroth was the only one who didn't go to the reactor.

And after what had happened last time, Zack would personally hand himself over to Hojo before he let Seph get within twenty feet of the place.

The SOLDIER couldn't help his relief that Cloud had gone to the town as well. During the last reactor trip he hadn't been affected the… thing in the reactor, but he had nearly been seriously hurt by Zack. And now that he was a SOLDIER… well, Zack had some suspicions about why only he had been affected by the thing — Cloud had been unenhanced, and whatever had been done to Vincent, it was pretty obvious it differed from the process SOLDIERs underwent.

"Thanks for keeping Cloud away from the reactor," the SOLDIER said quietly as he followed Vincent up the mountain.

The Turk gave him a blank look. "It was the logical division of labor."

Zack rolled his eyes. "Look, I may not be Turk trained, but do I know a few things about 'em. One of them is once they have a Personage, they'll do anything to protect them. You're worried that thing might get Cloud too."

Vincent nodded shortly. "The thought had occurred to me."

"Glad I'm not just being paranoid, then." The pair made their way through the materia cave, pausing at the entrance of the reactor. "Look," Zack said, "if anything happens, just… do what you have to."

The former Turk nodded, his hand placed upon his gun in silent promise. Zack took a deep breath, and they entered the facility.

The eerie silence despite the reactor's active condition struck immediately, making it almost hard for Zack to breathe. His feet did not want to go forward; being inside the metal structure had made memories he had long tried to bury reawaken with a vengeance. He could be very well be walking to his own doom.

"…It's quiet."

Thank you, Captain Obvious! Zack almost rolled his eyes, but then he realized what Vincent had meant. Not only was it quiet to his ears, but the disjointed whispers that had murmured in the back of his mind on their last visit were missing.

Relief flooded through him, but at the same time he couldn't help a frown. Where had Jenova gone…?

The pair exchanged a glance, and acting almost as one they sprinted through the reactor, quickly reaching its core. The formerly sealed door bearing the name Jenova lay open — and the chamber behind it was empty.

"This doesn't make any sense," Zack mused aloud, frowning. "She was here for the last inspection…" He glared at the empty room as if demanding it tell him where its former occupant had gone.

"And when the reactor team made routine repairs two months ago."

"She had to have been moved recently," Zack concluded. "It's gotta be Hojo, but… where would he take her? It doesn't seem like something you could just toss in a box and haul out of here — at least, not very far…" Whatever it was, it had definitely been alive in some fashion. It probably needed some sort of complicated feeding system, which required a laborator—

Oh no.

Zack felt like someone had punched him in the gut. "Vincent," he said slowly, "didn't you say there was a lab in the basement of the Shinra mansion?"

The red-cloaked man went very still at that. There was indeed a lab in the basement of the Shinra mansion — the very same mansion to which they'd just sent Cloud and a decidedly out-of-sorts Sephiroth.

"Shit," Zack cursed with feeling, reading the man's sudden silence as confirmation.

A low growl was Vincent's only response, and his form blurred around the edges—

Having been witness to one of these changes before, Zack wasn't as shocked this time. He was, however, beginning to wonder exactly how many of these different forms Vincent had.

Without so much as turning to acknowledge him, the horned lupine beast that had been Vincent Valentine took off towards the reactor entrance, moving far more rapidly than Zack had expected. Biting off another curse, he cast Haste on himself and raced after him, not willing to let the creature out of his sight. "It'll be faster if we take the chopper!" he hollered after it, though he wasn't sure if Vincent could even understand him like this. Screw the possibility of warning Hojo — they had to land right in the middle of town.

They'd never get to Sephiroth and Cloud in time otherwise.

Cloud trailed slightly behind Sephiroth, trying to stay close enough that he was not in the General's personal space, but not so far away the man would get the impression the blond was afraid of him. Which he wasn't. Did he respect Sephiroth? Of course. But even with his current dark demeanor, Cloud wasn't afraid of him. A little upset at himself for going along with Zack's plan last time, and for being so stupid as to spill the beans about it, but not afraid. Perhaps wary would be a better word for what he was feeling…

Despite his best efforts, however, Sephiroth continued to look back at him as they traveled down the mountain range towards town. They were making far better time than they had their first trip, Cloud noted, and he had to wonder how much of it was because they had no non-enhanced members in their party. He and Tifa must have slowed them down a lot… though, he reminded himself, knowing exactly where they were going this time was probably helping….

"I am not… upset with you, Strife," Sephiroth finally said. "Whatever part you played in Zack's trick was undoubtedly minor, and I understand that, as he was your superior officer, you could not have refused him."

Cloud nodded, and after a moment's hesitation ventured to add, "Sir… Zack just cares about you, is all. He wants you to be safe. It can annoying when he gets protective like that, but…" He shrugged. "Vincent can be the same way. You just… learn to live with it."

Any reply Sephiroth might have made was cut off by a roar, and both SOLDIERs jumped aside as a tongue of fire seared the spot where they had been. Cloud glared at the dragon, a female guarding her nest, from the looks of it. "I hate dragons," he muttered, drawing his swords as Sephiroth did the same.

"Go from the left," the black-clad man instructed. Cloud nodded and circled wide, attempting to create a two-point attack as Sephiroth went right. He silently wished he was as good as Zack — the dark-haired man would have read Sephiroth's intentions without a word.

A moment later the silver-haired man blurred into action, striking the dragon's flank. Cloud followed a precious second later, his blades clanging against the hard scales without significant damage. The Masamune, at least, had drawn blood, but the cut looked shallow.

I really hate dragons.

Cloud caught sight of the green, glowing light on Sephiroth's blade and dashed out of range. A moment later the Thundaga spell struck, frying the delicate membranes on the dragon's wings. She screamed in fury, flapping her now-useless wings and unleashing another blast of fire.

This time, Cloud didn't dodge, instead gritting his teeth and running into the flame, somersaulting and slashing downward, managing to hit the thing's eye, blinding it. Sephiroth was a step behind, the Masamune thrusting deep into its brain. The dragon's battle shriek was cut off suddenly, its body thrashing violently for a moment before it slowly crumpled to the ground.

Mercilessly efficient, Sephiroth cast a Blizzara on the eggs, rendering the shells brittle, then fired off another Thundaga, killing the growing dragonets within. Cloud, meanwhile, carefully cleaned his blades before sheathing them once more.

"Do you require healing?"

Cloud blinked, momentarily surprised by the question, but then shook his head. He gestured with his hand at the gold bracer on his arm, the same one Vincent had given him for his birthday years ago. "Elemental-Fire combination." He'd made sure to keep his Elemental and Cure equipped as often as he could since he'd gotten them, trying to strengthen them so he could tap into their greater powers. His other materia still had a ways to go, though he could almost reach the second spell in his Lightning materia — it had come in handy defensively when he was in Wutai.

"A wise choice."

"Getting roasted by a dragon once was more than enough for me," Cloud replied.

Sephiroth "hmm"ed in response, his lips quirking slightly as he gestured for Cloud to continue following him. The Second did, eyeing the dragon's carcass carefully as they went; it wouldn't be the first time he'd thought a monster dead only to have it come back when he least expected it.

After a short while Sephiroth spoke again. "…I can understand Zack's urge to protect me." Green eyes flickered back to the figure behind him, and Cloud really hoped his superior wasn't having an urge to protect him. "I suppose… I should have adjusted to it by now."

"Yeah, well, Zack takes a lot of work to get used to," Cloud replied, trying to lighten the mood. "I hate to think what kind of insanity he'd come up with when faced with a dragon."

Sephiroth nodded, and after a moment said, "He had a most… unusual plan of attack when we fought a blue dragon together once."

"Oh?" Cloud's eyes all but lit up. "Where was this?"

"We were on a mission up at the glacier near Icicle Inn some years ago. A squad had gotten lost by the cliffs…"

It took Sephiroth some time to get used to having Cloud at his back rather than Zack. Despite having known each other for as long as they had — had it truly been four years since the last Nibelheim mission? — they had rarely worked together professionally, and Zack had accompanied them most of those times. Unlike other SOLDIERs Sephiroth had worked with, Cloud had a certain feel about him reminiscent of Zack, undoubtedly due to his aide's teaching. The young man's style was all his own, though, blending elements of Vincent's and Sephiroth's with Zack's for something completely unique. It made for a slightly strange experience, but as he slowly began to adjust to it, Sephiroth found he liked it. They had done a good job training this SOLDIER, and he more than deserved his place within the ranks.

After the General finished his story, they passed the rest of the trip down the mountain in silence, both searching for any signs that Hojo had been traveling back and forth between the reactor and Nibelheim. The few unusual traces they found were rather old, which struck Sephiroth as odd. Zack had mentioned he'd seen evidence of scientific experiments in the reactor before they'd left on this mission, though he'd not been specific about it. Sephiroth wondered if Hojo truly was here; surely he would not have left the reactor alone so long if he was? It was likely he had stopped here briefly and left already.

As they drew near the town of Nibelheim, Sephiroth frowned, noting a cluster of figures in the distance. It appeared they had a welcoming committee… something he was not happy to see. They had been trying to keep this quiet.

"General Sephiroth… We weren't aware you were coming," Mayor Lockhart greeted them as they entered town. "Is there something you require?"

"We received a report of suspicious activity in the area."

"We sent no such report." The man frowned. "Are you sure it is genuine?" His gaze slipped momentarily from Sephiroth to Cloud, eyes going cold. It took the General a minute to decipher the look, until he recalled that the mayor believed Cloud was engaged to his daughter, who had intended to marry the young man when he became a SOLDIER. If he remembered correctly, however, it was merely a ruse… though clearly one Mr. Lockhart hadn't seen through.

"The report came from a reliable source," Sephiroth replied smoothly. "We have already completed our survey of the surrounding area. We just need to inspect the town's immediate vicinity and the Shinra mansion, and then we will conclude our visit. If you will excuse us…"

Lockhart moved quickly out of the way, allowing the SOLDIERs to pass. The pair circled the outskirts of town, but they could find nothing out of place. "…I guess that just leaves the mansion," Cloud noted, and Sephiroth nodded in agreement. "Well, then… shall we go, sir?"

It was strange for Cloud to be entering the mansion through the front door rather than one of its secret passages, but the familiarity of the place almost made him smile, except… "Someone's been here since Vincent's left," he commented, one hand on the hilt of his sword. "Things weren't in this shape last time we were here…" Indeed, there was far less dust than there should have been, and some of the more decrepit parts of the staircase looked to have been repaired recently.

"You know the building structure better than I," Sephiroth pointed out, turning to look at him. "Which area do you suggest we search first?"

"East wing, first floor, I guess." Cloud paused for a moment, then suggested, "Or we could split up, you take downstairs and I'll take upstairs—"

But the General was shaking his head. "I would rather not divide our forces again unless absolutely necessary." He surveyed the room with his green eyes. "Some of this damage appears to be non-human in origin."

"Yes, sir."

They searched carefully, but found little evidence of human habitation other than the very little dust. Even the kitchen seemed unoccupied, and the handful of monsters they encountered seemed to indicate that, if Hojo had indeed been staying here, he had left some time ago.

"Well," Cloud said finally, "there's nothing down here." He shifted slightly, and his next words seemed oddly reluctant. "I guess we'll have to look upstairs…"

Sephiroth nodded, though it seemed his attention had been drawn to the grand piano in one corner of the room. Lightly brushing one of the white keys, he startled both himself and Cloud with the soft, surprisingly in-tune note it made.

"Sir?"

The silver-haired SOLDIER stared at the instrument, a faint memory surfacing — someone, a man, sitting here, saying… something. "…more to life than just…"

"Sir?" the blond ventured again, and the General shook his head free of the memory, wondering who the man had been. It couldn't have been Hojo; it hadn't looked much like him at all, and the voice had been too… kind. He raised a hand to his temple, trying to massage away the headache that had been building since they'd come within sight of the town. Despite what they said about Midgar, he found himself missing the city. At least when he suffered headaches there, he knew their cause: the absurdity of his so-called superiors. He hoped he wasn't getting sick — he'd never been sick from anything but Mako treatments before, and if he started succumbing to other illnesses now Zack's protective tendencies would only become worse.

"Are you all right?"

Sephiroth blinked, finally noticing blue eyes studying him in concern. He had forgotten how much Strife could be like Zack, including those protective tendencies… which, unfortunately, probably meant the boy — young man, really — wouldn't accept him simply brushing the concern away. With more than a little reluctance, he admitted, "…For a moment, I had the strange feeling I've been here before."

His subordinate hesitated, then spoke again. "That's… not impossible, sir. Itis likely you were born here, after all, and we don't know when you moved to Midgar."

If I was 'born' at all, Sephiroth thought, suddenly bitter. He had no memories of his mother, and his father… well, the man who claimed that title had never shown an inclination towards paternal care. He didn't particularly care to think about his childhood and issues of family.

:mysonmysonmysonmyson—:

Suddenly restless, the General turned away from the piano. "Let's move on."

The rest of the investigation went quickly. The upper levels of the house had that same unoccupied feeling to them, and were for the most part undisturbed under the layers of dust, except for the stone wall in one of the east wing rooms. Without hesitation, Sephiroth touched the hidden switch nearby, opening the hidden passage to the basement.

"I didn't know you knew about that, sir," Cloud commented, coming to stand beside his superior.

"It was mentioned in some of the old blueprints the President's investigators uncovered," Sephiroth replied, eyes on the unsteady wood of the staircase as he began his descent. Cloud followed a few steps behind, senses alert.

The rough-hewn hall at the bottom was even more unassuming than the primitive stairwell they'd just descended, but Sephiroth barely paid it any mind as his steps quickened, moving towards the end of the hall. This was the last place, and it had to be—

Sephiroth's pace slowed as he entered the library-laboratory, studying the bookshelves all around him. It had changed some in the years since he'd last been here, but he knew this place. Past blended with future as green eyes swept the room, examining every niche. He half expected to see one of the many scientists who'd hovered about him as a child to come around the corner, in one of those white lab coats—

"Hello, Sephiroth. We've been expecting you."

:My Son My Son welcome My Son welcome at last at long last to Our Reunion o My Son:

The silver-haired man jerked in surprise, not so much at the appearance of their quarry as in response to the sudden, clear words in his mind. What the…?

"Hojo!" Cloud barked, glaring. His blade was held at the ready, Sephiroth noted absently. Why hadn't he done the same?

:because there is nothing to fear: whisper-sang the one-and-many voice in his mind, warm and welcoming and exultant, strange and yet somehow as familiar to him as the beating of his own heart. :as long as You and I are together o My sweet beloved Son never shall there be anything to fear:

The scientist they had been searching for was standing directly before him, hands clasped behind his back, watching Sephiroth closely, as if making note of his every reaction. It was like something out of his memory-nightmares, where he had been weak and powerless before the man. But behind him…

:My Son o My Son Mother has been waiting so very long for You I have been waiting:

Sephiroth took a single step forward, hand sliding slowly off the Masamune's hilt. The creature was very definitely nonhuman, almost monstrous in appearance, but She was so… so warm, offering acceptance on a deeper level than anyone else ever had, somehow inside him without ever having touched him…

Cloud also stepped forward, blue eyes flickering to his superior. "Dr. Hojo, you are under arrest for—"

"Oh, you brought a present," the professor said sweetly, as if Cloud hadn't spoken. "Very nice. I've been wanting to have this one for a while."

:no: Her — the creature's — Mother's voice interrupted suddenly, a sharpness to it that made Sephiroth start in surprise even as the comforting murmur behind it intensified, wrapping him tighter in its soothing warmth. :kill it:

Hojo frowned. "But—"

:all is secondary to Him to My Son the child must be destroyed it will only get in the way:

"But a dead specimen is practically useless…" Hojo sighed, looking at Cloud regretfully. "Well, Sephiroth… you heard your mother."

"I don't know what the hell you're trying to pull, but it isn't going to work," Cloud snapped, trying to move around the General and get a clear path to the scientist.

The voice that filled his mind and quieted his thoughts changed again, gently coaxing now. :kill him My Son My sweet My dearest one he is trying to stop You from taking Your rightful place at My side kill him:

Sephiroth turned slowly, hand once again gripping Masamune. He stared into Cloud's face, the blond's eyes showing anger and uncertainty, but also complete trust in him.

…Why should he kill Strife? That didn't make any sense.

The voice grew more insistent. :kill him kill him kill him kill him now:

Sephiroth frowned. He — they — had worked too hard on Strife to just throw him away like that. He hadn't done anything. Besides, Zack would kill him if anything happened to the young man.

:kill it:

He shook his head. …No.

:foolish boy you should listen to your Mother: the voice declared, and suddenly that soft touch in his mind became white-hot pain, dark laughter echoing — let Me show you—

And then everything went dark.

The Galian Beast ran.

He ran over rock and soil, down mountainous slopes and through Mako-formed caves. He raced past monsters and dragons, not stopping to challenge them despite their angry cries.

Their cub was in danger, and he would not waste time for his pride.

He knew he could not run forever, though; he was strong, but he was also the least of those within his host. As he approached the great metal flying beast, he could feel his strength waning. Vincent would soon emerge again.

"Hey!" a human voice yelled from behind. "Wait! We'll fly the chopper down to the village — it'll be faster!"

:He's right — as surprising as it may sound, coming from a Calamity-tainted mortal. Pull back — we'll let the humans handle this for now.:

Obedient to the will of their leader, the beast withdrew into Vincent's mind, triggering the transformation to return the man to his former state. The gunman shook his head as he straightened; these changes always disoriented him a bit.

"Valentine!"

Vincent turned. "Sinclair—"

"Man, it's good to have you back." The SOLDIER looked a bit worse for the wear, showing the strange glow around his eyes that indicated repeated spellcasting — Haste? — along with a few scrapes and the more normal signs of the sort of exhaustion one would associate with running down the side of a mountain at full speed. "Think you can land the chopper in the middle of town?"

"Most likely," Vincent replied. "However, it'll take away our element of surprise—"

"If he's got Jenova down there we're going to have bigger problems than that," Sinclair interrupted. "Let's move."

The pair climbed into the helicopter, Vincent easily taking the driver's seat while the other man fished a few things out of the supplies. "Need anything?"

"No," Vincent replied, checking all of the systems briefly before starting the machine. He watched as Sinclair gulped down a potion, a hyper, and an ether one after another. He raised an eyebrow, well aware the drugs did not necessarily interact well.

"Upset stomach's a small price to pay for staying upright," the SOLDIER elaborated. "Can't take the chance that I'll keel over halfway through this." Sinclair shut the first aid kit, checking his materia. "What's our ETA?"

"Ten minutes."

Cloud had to admit he'd been worried about letting Sephiroth down into the basement here. He knew Vincent had always had a difficult time being down there, even though the Turk had insisted they practice in the confined area ("This environment is different from the rest of the house, Cloud. What can you use as a weapon here?"). He'd had no idea how Sephiroth would react, if at all, to the place where he'd probably been born, but after the General had rejected his suggestion they split up to search the mansion, there wasn't much he could've done about it.

The SOLDIER Second hadn't noticed much of a change in the library except perhaps a bit less dust than he recalled, files and books stacked a little more neatly. He hadn't realized anything was wrong until Hojo had spoken, and even then he wasn't worried — until Sephiroth had turned to look at him with eyes that were first strangely blank, then sharp with a wicked gleam.

Cloud was almost too slow to raise Shiranui to block Sephiroth's strike, staring at his superior officer in shock. "Sir! What in…?"

If it hadn't been for Vincent's training, he might have died from the next attack — but the former Turk had trained his student to fight in any situation, even when his mind wasn't keeping up with the rest of him. He moved without conscious thought to parry the General's attacks, but the man wasn't holding back, and it was hard. Every time their swords clashed, Cloud felt his arms, screaming in protest, nearly give way. He retreated with each blow, giving ground rather than have his arms shattered.

Can't keep retreating forever, his instincts pointed out. I'll run out of room. Time to make this into my kind of fight. It wasn't like he didn't have any advantages in this situation; unlike Sephiroth, he'd fought down here before, and his weapon was shorter, more suitable for close-quarters fighting. The young man dodged left, the Masamune following—

Only to lodge in a bookcase as Cloud rolled away. He frowned as Sephiroth wrenched the blade free with none of his usual grace. That was sloppy… Cloud struggled to counter the next two attacks, then used the momentum of the third to propel himself upward, somersaulting over the nearest bookshelf. He kicked the piece of furniture, sending it crashing into Sephiroth; if he were lucky, it'd slow the General for a minute or two, at least—

Or not, the younger SOLDIER thought glumly as the wood and paper went up in flames, frowning as another thought occurred to him. Unless Sephiroth had changed his materia when Cloud wasn't paying attention, he didn't have a Fire equipped. Nibelheim was not a place one generally used fire magic, considering the dragons, unless it was paired with an Elemental.

Cloud reflexively jumped back, barely avoiding colliding with another shelf as tongues of flame leapt from the blaze, reaching for him. Normal fire spells did not do that. Rather than retreat again as the flames crept closer, Cloud ignored them, eyes trained on the Masamune. With his Elemental materia equipped, they wouldn't do any damage.

And Sephiroth would know that.

The blond felt like someone had doused him with cold water. The odd behavior, the sloppiness of the swordwork, and now using fire, of all things, against him… they were not the work of General Sephiroth. Something else was calling the shots in Sephiroth's body. If Cloud hadn't seen it before, with both Zack and Vincent, he might have thought the General had gone insane, but he knew better.

Gritting his teeth as he countered Sephiroth's blade yet again, the SOLDIER Second turned slowly, leading Sephiroth away from Hojo. As difficult as a fight on the stairs would be, the further he got the General from the scientist — or, more likely, the thing behind him — the more likely it was that Sephiroth would be able to fight it off. From the conversation he had observed between Vincent and Zack in the reactor years ago, and the few times either of them had been willing to talk about the Incident, Cloud knew that proximity and possibly pain were the best ways to shake that thing's hold. While the one called Chaos had been able to snap Zack out of it, though, Cloud very much doubted he'd be able to wound the possessed General — sloppy or not, it was still Sephiroth — so his only option was to try to draw him as far away as he could.

Sephiroth followed him willingly enough, though Cloud's retreat only caused more damage to the library and its contents, swords slashing through books and papers, sparking off the stone walls as they moved slowly down the hall. Glancing at them, the young man knew he had about fifteen feet before he hit the staircase. Getting close—

Suddenly the silver-haired SOLDIER stopped, a slow smile growing on his face as his gaze was drawn behind Cloud, and the Masamune shifted, aiming past him. Knowing it could be a trick and cursing himself even as he moved, Cloud couldn't help turning to glance at what had caught the General's attention, and his eyes went wide when he recognized the figure at the foot of the stairs.

It was Tifa.

Chapter Text

Tifa slipped into the mansion, trying to calm her pounding heart. She couldn't believe Cloud was back in Nibelheim — and to think he hadn't even told her he was coming! Getting yelled at by her father about her choice of fiancé was not how she wanted to find out about these things. She was going to have to give the guy a piece of her mind when she found him — provided she managed to find him, first.

The martial artist sprinted forward, trying her best to avoid any encounters with the monsters lurking about the place. She had never realized the mansion was so dangerous… and Cloud said he had played here as a kid? The claim seemed rather unlikely to her, but then again, how could she really know? Maybe the monsters were a recent thing.

The building was huge, and for a moment she thought she'd have to search all of it, but once she found tracks on the dusty floors she had a goal. She was no master tracker, but every Nibelheim child learned a thing or two about it. She quickly followed them upstairs to a bedroom in the east wing, a strange door open in one corner to a staircase below. Curiosity getting the better of her, the dark-haired young woman walked quietly down the wooden stairs, aware of a commotion below. Sounds like a fight… Tifa sped up her pace, only half paying attention to where her feet where going. No way was she going to let Cloud fight by himself!

As she reached the base of the stairs, however, Tifa felt her eyes go wide in shock. Yes, there was a fight all right — but it was between Cloud and General Sephiroth, the war hero driving his subordinate back steadily, inch by inch, though Cloud seemed — miraculously, especially considering how his arms visibly trembled with each block, made just in the nick of time — to be holding his own.

Abruptly Sephiroth looked beyond his opponent to stare at her, green eyes boring into her. Tifa felt a chill run down her spine; those were not sane eyes.

"Tifa, get down!"

Cloud dove aside himself after he screamed his warning, Sephiroth's fire attack roaring past him. Thank Gaea for Tifa's fighter training — the girl had gotten out of the way just in time. Dammit — I can't fight him head-to-head and protect Tifa, and there's no way she's gonna be able to defend herself from him Time to stop playing nice. Cloud dodged again, barely, then threw one of his blades at Sephiroth. It only slowed the General down for a second, of course, but that gave him enough time to tap into his Lightning materia, pulling every ounce of power he could from it.Please—

Lightning crashed down through the ceiling, flickering along hidden wires, pipes, and metal supports. Cloud rolled forward, grabbed his thrown sword, and sprung to his feet, lashing out at Sephiroth again even as the electricity cascaded around them. A mere instant after the unnatural storm stopped, a bullet flew over Cloud's head. "What the—?"

"Nice job, kid. Didn't know you could manage a Thundara yet," called Zack, jumping the last few stairs, blackened nearly to ash by the flames Sephiroth had thrown. Behind the SOLDIER, Vincent raised his gun again, firing at Hojo, who was barely visible through the fire raging through the basement laboratory. Cloud didn't have much time to appreciate his mentors' arrival, though; the spell hadn't slowed the General much, and the Masamune once again clashed with Shiranui. "What the hell's going on?" Zack shouted over the roar of the flames.

Now's not the best time, Zack! "Hojo—" was all Cloud could manage before the silver-haired man struck again, and he gritted his teeth, nearly stumbling backwards in his haste to lessen the strain on his arms from blocking the blow. Shit — can't keep this up much longer—

Gunfire sounded again, but Vincent's shot went wide, the resultant sound of breaking glass barely audible over the flames. There was an inhuman shriek, and Sephiroth suddenly stumbled, eyes glazed over — so Cloud, trained to take whatever advantage he could get, lashed out, sending the Masamune flying from the General's loosening grip, bringing up his other blade as he finally closed in. Sephiroth didn't counter; instead, his eyes slid shut and he slumped to the ground. Cloud didn't catch him, stepping out of the way but not letting his guard down, his sword still at the ready, hovering at his superior's throat.

"Cloud! Knock it off!" Zack snapped, moving closer, eyes on Sephiroth. "Can't you see he's hurt?"

"He might still be a threat," Cloud replied crisply, watching the General warily.

Zack looked taken back, then hurt, starting to say something—

"Guys," Tifa said suddenly, and there was an edge to her voice that made all three of them follow her gaze through the flames to where Hojo was tinkering with a little device.

Vincent's face tightened, his gaze flickering up towards the ceiling. "The auto-destruct device—"

"Shit!" Zack cursed fervently. "We gotta get outta here!"

Cloud nodded in agreement, but paused to study Vincent closely. The man looked like he was seconds away from one of his changes, but seemed drained, as if he'd already spent too much of himself. There was too much between the former Turk and the scientist to reach him anyway, Cloud noted. They had no choice; they'd have to retreat, but they'd never get up the stairs in time—

Hojo looked up at them as the ceiling began to shake, tiny concealed explosives causing it to become unstable. Without a word, the scientist vanished, fleeing backwards, away from the group. Why—? "Dammit, the secret passages!" Cloud swore. How could he have forgotten?

"Where to?" asked Zack tersely, having pulled Sephiroth away from Cloud and upright, slinging one of the man's arms over his shoulder.

"There's only one place we can reach in time — I just hope it holds up!" Cloud grabbed Tifa's arm and dragged her sideways, through a battered door, broken open sometime during the fight, into a tiny room he'd been in once before. Zack followed, bringing the unconscious Sephiroth while Vincent reluctantly brought up the rear, glancing behind them after Hojo.

"…Cloud, why is there a coffin in here?"

"I'll explain later. Quick, everyone get as far away from the door as you can." Cloud grabbed the coffin — so heavy for a child, but almost light for a SOLDIER — and braced it against the door, then scooted backwards. Outside, the ceiling gave a low rumble of warning, then finally collapsed, burying the lab forever.

Hojo watched as the Shinra Mansion's underground laboratory slowly collapsed, exactly as it had been designed. The upper portion of the house should remain stable for some time; the architects had done an excellent job, and the evidence should be well hidden. He wasn't particularly worried about Sephiroth, either — his creation could survive several days without food and water if necessary, though chances were good he'd escape shortly. It pained him a little to admit it, but objectively he reasoned if Sephiroth died, he clearly wasn't as perfect as he had been crafted to be.

He only hoped that some of those others died in the collapse — particularly Valentine. How had that blasted Turk gotten free, anyway? The scientist silently cursed himself for not checking on him, but honestly, he'd thought the precautions he'd taken to seal the man away would have been quite enough.

::he hurt Me he hurt Me the vile vicious beastly human he hurt Me::

He'll pay, I promise you, Hojo soothed, carrying Jenova carefully in his arms. He hadn't had time to bring the complete specimen, unfortunately — only her head — but there was enough of her to remain… relatively lucid.

::My Son My Son O My Son why why why why have You forsaken Me why why O My Son::

The scientist ignored Jenova's lamentations, eyes flickering around the area. He'd had escape plans readied in case of a situation such as this, but it would take some days to reach his vehicle on foot; he hadn't been able to hide it any closer. Unfortunately, he didn't have that kind of time, well aware that if Sephiroth did not report in soon, ShinRa would take that as a sign of 'enemy action.'

He snorted. As if the fools could possibly understand.

"This is outrageous!" came a sudden voice from not too far off, causing Hojo to start in surprise. "I'm kicking those ShinRa dogs out of here, General or no General. Showing up uninvited, rampaging all over town — and now convincing my own daughter to go running amok! Who do they think they are?"

Curious, the scientist crept quietly around the corner of the mansion, only to see Mayor Lockhart marching towards the building, face red with rage.Well, we can't very well have that, now. He'll notice the damage, and ShinRa will be called in even sooner. The question was, how could he safely deal with this threat?

The rogue professor caught sight of the vehicle parked not far beyond the mayor, and slowly smiled. Perfect. It was somehow delightfully appropriate that he use the skills Vincent Valentine had once insisted he hone in order to escape the same man. He knew the basics to flying most helicopters, and as for marksmanship…

Well, Valentine could testify to his accuracy.

Hojo raised his gun, sighted, and pulled the trigger—

"Is everyone okay?" came Zack's voice.

"I think so. Tifa?" Like all SOLDIERs, Cloud could see in darkness — vague shapes of people and things, at least, nothing so clearly defined as SOLDIER Firsts were supposed to be able to see, and definitely not as well as Vincent or Sephiroth, whose faintly-glowing eyes weren't visible, still closed.

"I'm fine." Tifa sounded confident enough, but her body language said she was definitely scared. Then again, not being able to see at all probably wasn't helping.

A thud echoed in the tiny room as Vincent moved the coffin, pulling the door open. It was almost as dark in the hall as in the room, the only light coming from the tiny, still-open door at the top of the stairs and the flicker of flames not yet smothered. Of the lab, there was nothing left other than the rubble-filled entrance.

"Man, we were lucky."

Vincent shook his head. "It wasn't luck. This was built as a secret lab; the ceiling was intended to collapse in exactly this fashion, so as to protect the lab's contents from intruders." He took a few steps out, looking at the stairs. "The bottom levels are unstable. We will need to move quickly."

"I'll carry Seph," Zack volunteered.

"Tifa?" Cloud turned to the fighter.

"You aren't carrying me," she insisted stubbornly. "I'm perfectly capable of—"

"Tifa, this has nothing to do with pride," Cloud snapped. "We're running out of time, and you can't jump as far as I can." He scooped the girl into his arms. "What about the Masamune?" What had happened aside, he knew that the sword was nigh irreplaceable.

"There's no way we could get it out now, Cloud!" Tifa protested.

"Don't worry about it. The Masamune has a way of taking care of itself," Zack replied. He shifted Sephiroth into his arms in much the same way as Tifa now lay in Cloud's, looking oddly comfortable carrying a man taller than he was. "Let's go."

The trip out of the mansion took almost as much time as it had when Cloud and Sephiroth had come in. Though by now most of the monsters were either dead or had fled, the floor was unstable in many areas, making travel hazardous. Cloud was particularly thankful so many of the monsters were gone, considering they were down to two fighters — possibly three with Tifa, though he didn't know her capabilities — with Zack and Sephiroth out of the game.

They had barely made it out of the gate when they found themselves confronted with an angry mob.

"Murderers!"

What? Cloud looked around, confused. What had caused the townsfolk to gather like this?

"You murdered the mayor!"

"ShinRa scum!"

"You've got no right to come uninvited to our town and mess with us!"

"…Dad?" Tifa stepped from behind Cloud, face pale. "What happened to my Dad?"

"Murdered," one of the men spat, glaring at the group. Cloud noticed Vincent slowly moving to stand in front of Sephiroth and Zack, blocking them from sight; Zack wisely hung back, trying not to draw the mob's attention to the two of them. "Murdered, and the ShinRa's helicopter gone."

"Then why would they be the ones who did it?" a familiar voice broke in as Elanor Strife moved to the forefront of the crowd. "And Tifa was with them. Surely she would've known if they'd murdered her father."

"Why should we listen to you?" a woman sneered. "You bedded a man from ShinRa, your son ran off to join them — of course you're going to take their side."

Elanor's face did not change the slightest, despite the accusation thrown in her face. Cloud, on the other hand, felt a deep rage building inside him. Had his mother been dealing with this every day since he had left, or had it been going on since his father had died? The SOLDIER stepped forward, voice cold. "We came here to investigate a fugitive, wanted for multiple homicide and acts of bioterrorism." Not quite the truth, but close enough. "Ms. Lockhart was kind enough to provide the direction needed for our search."

"But you failed!"

"Yes and no," Cloud countered, brisk and professional. "The fugitive did escape us; however, we halted his terrorist activity in this area and destroyed his equipment." Okay, so Hojo had really destroyed his own equipment, but they didn't need the exact details. "We will leave shortly, once we requisition new transportation. I suggest until then you return home and go about your lives quietly."

There was a surge in the crowd's angry muttering, and for a moment, Cloud was afraid they'd have a riot on their hands. His stomach clenched at the thought. He had grown up here, even if he hadn't seen many of these people that often. He really would have preferred to avoid resorting to the often brutal crowd control methods they were taught, but if it came down to it… Finally, though, the mob started to disperse, disappearing back into their houses.

"Come on. Let's get you something to eat," Elanor murmured, laying her hand on Cloud's arm. "You must be starving."

"Mom—"

"Later, Cloud." She looked at Zack, still carrying Sephiroth, though he'd shifted the General's body so he looked to be merely helping him walk rather than carrying him unconscious. "We can put him upstairs. Tifa, dear, do you want to come with us?"

The young woman shook her head, clearly trying not to cry. "I think I better go see what happened with Dad."

"You're always welcome, you know," Elanor told her kindly. "If it gets to be too much, don't be afraid to come over."

"I'll remember," Tifa promised, then turned away to cross the square, head held high despite the glances from curious eyes peeking out of curtains.

Once inside, Elanor directed Zack to take Sephiroth upstairs to rest. Cloud stopped him first, however, speaking quietly. "Zack — keep the Buster Sword close, okay?"

Zack looked incredulous. "Cloud, you can't possibly think—"

"What I think is Sephiroth was trying to take off my head a few minutes ago," the other SOLDIER countered. "I don't think it was really him — he was fighting way too sloppy, for one — but until we know whatever it was that made him go crazy can't influence him any more, we have to assume that he might still be a threat," he concluded coolly.

"Yes, sir," Zack hissed, eyes flashing in annoyance. "All business and no caring — you're far too much like a Turk some days."

"If that's what it takes to get through this, then…" Cloud shrugged, outwardly unmoved by Zack's comment, though inside he was hurt. The SOLDIER First was his best friend, and he didn't want to see him injured or killed because he let his guard down at a critical moment. Why can't he understand that…? Banishing those thoughts, the blond continued, "I'll go see what Mom can find in terms of food."

"All right," came the short reply as Zack headed upstairs.

But it isn't all right, is it? Cloud thought sadly. It might never be all right again.

Sephiroth awoke slowly, trying to pick apart the muddled memories in his mind. He remembered entering the Shinra Mansion with Cloud, but… after that, things began to get fuzzy. He had heard a voice in his mind, and… then he had been fighting, but who…?

"Welcome back to the land of the living."

Green eyes opened to stare up at Zack, who smiled a little crookedly down at him, lightly running his hand through Sephiroth's pale hair. It had been a long time since Zack had touched him so intimately, and the General found that, despite his mixed feelings about it, he'd missed it. "What happened?" he asked, turning his mind to more pressing concerns.

Zack looked uncomfortable. "…You attacked Cloud."

Sephiroth winced almost imperceptibly, the memories becoming a bit clearer. Yes, he had attacked Cloud, he remembered now — though he couldn't understand why. "Is he—?"

"Cloud's fine. You're the one who's damaged." Zack's lips quirked. "I guess he showed he definitely deserved that promotion."

"I suppose he's quite angry with me." As he should be. He had thrice betrayed the boy — superior to subordinate, teacher to student… and, quite possibly, friend to friend, as strange as it was to grant that designation to someone besides Zack.

"He'll probably be more angry with me," the other SOLDIER replied dryly. "Wanted me to keep you practically under lock and key."

"Which, considering the situation, is the most logical course of action," Sephiroth pointed out. Not for the first time he reflected that Zack reacted far too often with his feelings. Cloud, it seemed, was much better at keeping a clear head in military situations when those he was close to were concerned.

"Fuck, Seph," Zack snapped, "I don't give a shit about logic right now. I'm more worried about your mental health — that thing got you—"

"Zack?" came a tentative voice from the hall.

"In here, Cloud," the dark-haired SOLDIER replied. "He's awake."

The blond entered, hand resting on Shiranui's hilt, watching Sephiroth closely. He shot Zack a Look clearly indicating he thought the older man should be doing the same, but didn't press the issue. Then he blinked, and looked again, eyes flickering between the pair. He had thought at first that Sephiroth had been shifting as he lay on the bed, Zack sitting beside him, but…

Sephiroth again attempted to move his head from Zack's lap, and this time succeeded, having removed his aide's hand from his hair. He opened his mouth to speak—

"It's good to see you feeling better, sir." Cloud's expression was carefully composed, but there was an odd quality to his voice, as if he were somehow troubled. "If you'll excuse me, though—"

"Cloud, what…?" Zack started, but between one blink and the next the younger SOLDIER had slipped out of the room. "Well, that was… weird." The dark-haired man let out a huge sigh. "Wonder what got into him."

Sephiroth's mouth set itself in a thin line. Either Cloud Strife was still upset with him for the way he had lost control of himself, or—

"You are not being as… discreet as normal, Sinclair."

"Valentine?" Zack asked, looking surprised. When had the red-cloaked man entered?

"It is good to see you awake," Vincent said to Sephiroth, studying him closely. "Any lasting affects?"

"None of which I am aware," Sephiroth answered. Except for whatever caused my subordinate to backpedal out of the room like that…

"Oh shit," Zack said suddenly, the pieces falling into place in his mind. "Oh, damn. I was so busy worrying 'bout you, Seph, I didn't even think about it, how he'd react to…" He shook his head, his voice remorseful. "Damn." Sighing, Zack slid off the bed, standing. "I better go talk to him. Give a yell if you need anything, okay?"

"I am hardly bedridden," Sephiroth replied a touch testily, sitting up more just to prove his point.

"Yeah, yeah, I know, but having that bitch mess with your head really does take it out of you. Back in a bit." The SOLDIER disappeared through the door, following Cloud's path out of the house.

Sephiroth's frown deepened as he considered Zack's words, and he turned to Vincent. "I don't suppose you'd care to give me a full report of what happened in the reactor on our previous visit…?"

Cloud left the house quickly, heading away from town, just inside the mountain range. Once he couldn't immediately see the buildings, he found a decent-sized bolder and perched on it, lost in thought. It was absolutely ridiculous that seeing Zack and Sephiroth being so…close like that was bothering him so much. After all, it's not like half of SOLDIER didn't think they were sleeping together already. And they weren't even really doing anything. Still, the fact that they hadn't told him there was more between them — had felt it necessary to hide it from him — hurt more than he expected. Certainly more than Sephiroth's momentary lapse of reason down in the basement of the mansion; that, at least, he had known none of them had any control over.

"Hey, Cloud."

"Hi, Zack." The SOLDIER Second had known he wouldn't be able to hide from the First for long. Zack rarely let difficult issues with his friends go unsolved — or at least unchallenged.

Zack plopped down next to Cloud on the rock, then threw his arm around the other's shoulders. "So. I bet you Seph thinks you hate him now."

Cloud stared at him.

Zack hesitated. "…you don't really hate him, do you?"

"Of course not!" Cloud snapped. "Where did you get that idea? Where would he get that idea?"

"Gee, I don't know," the other man returned dryly. "He snaps and attacks his friend, and then when his friend sees him again he runs out of the room."

Cloud flushed, then turned away. "You know that's not why I left."

"Yeah, I figured." He gave his friend a long look. "I can't believe you're so worked up about it. It's almost enough to make a guy think you're jealous."

Jealous? Cloud sputtered. "There's no way—" Lusting after Sephiroth was like wanting to hold a star in your hand; utterly impossible, impractical, and likely dangerous to boot. He shook his head. "I just can't believe you never told me." His voice turned bitter. "I thought friends trusted each other."

"They do." Zack gave the blond's shoulders a squeeze. "And what you saw with Seph… isn't what you probably think it is."

"Yeah, right." Cloud's look was skeptical. "I know what I saw, Zack. Sephiroth is hardly the type to let just anyone manhandle him."

"No, he isn't. But that doesn't mean…" Zack sighed. "Well, okay, Seph and I have slept together. It's been an on and off thing since Wutai."

"And how did Aeris feel about that?"

The bitter words, spoken before Cloud had really thought about them, clearly hurt Zack. "I never cheated on Aeris. Never. I would have rather died." Somewhat mollified by that, Cloud let him continue. "What I have with Seph," Zack began, "well… it isn't set in stone, that's for sure. It's pretty much a friends-with-benefits thing, but I never know when he'll let it happen. He's not really… he doesn't…" He trailed off with a sigh, shaking his head. "I dunno. It's… kinda hard to explain."

Cloud suddenly felt incredibly foolish. It was pretty obvious something about the situation bothered Zack, but what was it? The General was difficult enough to be friends with, Cloud knew… and things between him and Zack, while they seemed far more cordial than for anyone else Sephiroth worked with, definitely weren't always as easygoing as other close friendships in SOLDIER. Zack clearly cared very deeply for Sephiroth, and Sephiroth… seemed to be somehow reluctant to return that affection.

How must it feel to offer so much of yourself to someone and get so little back?

"…I'm sorry."

Zack waved the apology away. "Don't be. I'd never ditch Seph, not if my life depended on it — he needs me too much. Just gets a little rocky sometimes, that's all." The dark-haired man jumped down from the boulder. "I'll leave you to sit and think, 'cause I know that's what you want to do. Just… talk to Seph sometime before we leave for Midgar, okay? I think you both need it."

"All right," Cloud promised, watching Zack turn back towards town. Despite what the other SOLDIER had said, he still wasn't sure how he felt about the entire thing, and certainly wasn't in any shape to go back inside and talk to his superior at the moment. He'd only say something incredibly stupid if he did.

"Cloud?" came a new voice.

He looked up. "Hey, Tifa."

The dark-haired young woman scrambled up on top of the boulder, sitting next to him. "What are you doing out here? I saw Major Sinclair going back to town, but you didn't follow him…"

Cloud shrugged a little. "Just thinking, is all."

She nodded, and they sat in silence for a moment before she finally ventured, "It must have been hard… fighting General Sephiroth."

"Well… yeah. I mean, he's a very difficult opponent, and probably the strongest person in the world, but still, he wasn't at his best. And I've been practicing with him. Those two things both helped a lot."

Tifa nodded again. "…That's not what's bothering you, then?"

Cloud hesitated — could he tell her? — then shook his head. "No. It's just I found out these two people I know well are… a lot closer than I thought. I'm a bit upset they didn't tell me."

Tifa looked at him. "What, did you just find out one of your friends was dating the girl you liked or something?"

Nope, that was a couple years ago, but turns out now he's— Cloud choked, cutting off the thought as his brain unhelpfully attempted to conjure the patently absurd image of Sephiroth in a dress. He shook his head violently. Get real. Clearly he needed a break, after everything that had happened today. Despite Zack's half-serious jealousy comment earlier, he most certainly did not have feelings for Sephiroth like that; he wasn't that crazy. "No way."

The look Tifa gave him said she didn't quite believe him, but she let the matter drop. "…Feeling up for a bit of sparring? I could use a distraction, myself…"

The SOLDIER couldn't help feeling a twinge of pity at that. Tifa had lost her father today, and even if they weren't close, he could still sympathize with how terrible she must be feeling. Cloud barely remembered his own dad, but he still knew how hard it was to lose someone like that. "Sure." Besides, if he was sparring with Tifa he would have to make sure to hold back so he didn't accidentally hurt her, but still keep the match interesting. It would be a good distraction for him, too. "You wanna take a minute to warm up?"

Cloud stared at the door, feeling more than a little nervous. He never had an easy time speaking to Sephiroth when Zack wasn't around, but this was going to be even harder than normal, considering what had happened earlier. There was no way he was going to back down, though; he'd promised Zack he'd talk to the General eventually, and the longer he put this off, the harder it would be. Taking a deep breath, he knocked on the door.

"Enter."

Cloud did, pausing just a little inside the door. "How are you feeling, sir?"

"Better than I was," Sephiroth replied, studying him. "I— apologize."

"It wouldn't be the first time something like this happened." Cloud crossed the room to take the chair next to the bed. Sephiroth's color was at least a bit better, he was pleased to note.

"As I heard from Valentine." Cloud winced at that. Zack had specifically told him not to inform Sephiroth of the incident in the reactor, but it was hard now to justify that decision. "Zack and I discussed it, Str— Cloud, and we agreed he came to the right decision. Zack believed, correctly, that I would not have allowed such an event to pass without a more in-depth investigation, which, considering today's events, would have proven… unfortunate."

Cloud nodded slowly. "Arthur, Tifa, and I would have been liabilities, at least. Vincent and Zack might have been able to snap you out of it if they worked together, but…" He trailed off, then concluded, "Just as well it didn't happen."

"You were hardly a liability this time," Sephiroth told him. "If it would not be seen as favoritism, I would put a recommendation in your file. Few can hold their own against me when I am fighting at full strength, aiming to kill."

Cloud shook his head firmly. "That wasn't you."

"Cloud, I understand you may share Zack's opinion. However—"

"No, sir, it wasn't you," he insisted. "You're never as sloppy with a sword as what I saw down there." Cloud met his superior's disbelieving look steadily. "If you ask me, you saved my life today, si— Sephiroth. If you hadn't been teaching me in your own style, I know I would've died down there."

A slight smile tugged at the other man's mouth, even as his eyes expressed his surprise at the more informal address Cloud had used. "It still does not change the fact that you were my opponent, however."

"Yeah, well, I guess it just proves I've earned my pay, that's all." Cloud grinned, feeling oddly light, almost happy. "Zack said HQ replied to his message. We should expect a truck in a few days to take us back."

The General raised an eyebrow. "A truck?"

"I think Zack was pushing for a bit more recovery time for you," Cloud answered. Another helicopter would have been a lot faster. "Besides, I don't think he's looking forward to telling the brass what happened. I doubt the President's going to be happy."

"No." Sephiroth frowned, thoughts turning inward.

Cloud could guess what he was thinking. This report would take careful preparation. Sephiroth knew better than to recount the events exactly; to do so would place himself in a situation where he would become a potential liability, and ShinRa had exactly one way to deal with liabilities. "You could say something about Hojo having a chemical that affects SOLDIER ability to function," Cloud suggested. "Increases instability or something, not too specific."

"And the wait to get back to Midgar would allow the Mako to work to destroy the chemical, leaving no traces." Sephiroth nodded in agreement. "It will work. I'll start the report tonight."

"I already have something started, if you want to add to it," Zack interjected, stepping through the still-open door. He beamed at the pair. "Everything all right in here?"

"I think so," Cloud replied.

"Just what I wanted to hear." Zack crossed the room in a few steps and plopped down next to Sephiroth, paper in his hands. "You can work on it after lunch."

"Is there a particular reason why I can't work on it now?" Sephiroth asked, raising an eyebrow.

Zack's grin was bold and careless. "Well," he began, sidling closer to the paler man, "I was thinking—"

"That's unusual," Sephiroth deadpanned, his posture stiffening, his eyes sliding to Cloud before turning to Zack, pointedly, as if to remind him there was someone else present.

"Be nice," Zack chided in a murmur, his lips very close to Sephiroth's ear, and for a wonder, the General didn't pull away irritably like he usually did when Zack's touchy-feeliness became a little too friendly.

Cloud dubiously supposed that was a good sign for Zack, but for him… well. On the one hand, he had just talked to Zack earlier about keeping things from him, but on the other, well, it sure didn't mean he was comfortable enough with it to sit here and watch. "Er," he hedged, "I'll just… go for a walk, then."

"Good idea," Zack agreed, still focused on Sephiroth. "Your mom might need some help with dinner."

"Right."

"You've just embarrassed him again," Sephiroth pointed out, turning a bit to look at his aide once Cloud had left, firmly shutting the door behind him.

The SOLDIER shrugged, not looking the least bit sorry. "Not my fault you look so good half-dressed like that." He nuzzled closer, nipping lightly at the General's neck.

The little shiver in response and the quickening of the pulse beneath Zack's teeth should have heralded the end of that discussion, but Sephiroth pulled away, shaking his head. "We can't do this here, Zack."

"Why the hell not?" Zack demanded. "I'm interested, I can tell you're interested—" Sephiroth's eyes slid away almost guiltily at that "—and I don't know about you but I, for one, need some kind of stress relief after all that Jenova bullshit. Seeing you like that was not good for my peace of mind, let me tell you." He waited, seeing what Sephiroth would do. They both needed this, the uncomplicated release of tension that came from physical coupling, the ability to simply relax for a time afterwards.

Zack took the fact that Sephiroth hadn't immediately shot him down as a good sign. Usually the man was careful in the extreme, avoiding any extended physical contact anywhere outside either of their quarters back in Midgar. And he'd become even more restrictive about it after Vincent had moved into his quarters, until they'd had a heated discussion about it in which Zack had had to hammer home the fact that the former Turk wasn't going to tell anybody if he figured it out — everyone except them and Cloud had thought he was dead, and Hojo hadn't known he was there.

Sephiroth had reluctantly allowed him that, and seemed to be mollified by the fact that Vincent had never once breathed so much as a word about it, not even to them, before today. Sephiroth hadn't exactly been pleased about Cloud finding out, either, but Zack thought he had talked through that one rather smoothly, all things considered. Vincent had taught the kid to keep his mouth shut, after all, and if they couldn't trust Cloud to keep a secret, whocould they trust?

It looked like Zack still had to work on getting his superior officer to let his guard down around people who knew, though. That, however, could wait for now.

After a long silence, Sephiroth finally sighed. "I suppose you'll tell me that, despite this being a little town in the middle of nowhere, where such things are a rare occurrence, you've actually procured the appropriate supplies," he said dryly.

Zack just grinned in response. "Actually…" He reached into his pocket, and Sephiroth shook his head, not quite disbelieving. "So. Should I consider that the last of your objections?"

"…I suppose."

When Cloud had found out a Turk would be bringing the truck to them, he'd been worried it would have been Reno. Not that Reno wasn't absolutely pitiful next to Sephiroth, but the man got under Cloud's skin like nothing else, and he really wasn't supposed to threaten him with bodily harm anymore. Luckily, though, it turned out to be none other than Reno's quiet partner, Rude — a vast improvement, in Cloud's humble opinion.

By the time the reticent Turk arrived, however, the four of them had been in Nibelheim for over two weeks. It had been a nice impromptu vacation, all told. As things had settled down Cloud had even begun to enjoy himself. Being away from Midgar was certainly nice, and he very much enjoyed all the practice he'd gotten with Tifa, Vincent, Zack, and Sephiroth (once he'd put his foot down and refused to let Zack "coddle him like some invalid" anymore). He'd spent some of his time on long hikes with Tifa, trying to get away from still-resentful villagers and allowing himself to think, growing to better accept Zack and Sephiroth's situation. Even so, it would be good to get back to Midgar.

"Strife?"

"Ready," Cloud replied, stepping closer to the truck. Tifa was standing close by, in a strange sort of déjà vu — he just hoped she wasn't going to whip out the whole fiancé thing again. At least this time she wasn't in a dress, but instead wore a practical pair of hiking boots, mid-calf pants, and a short-sleeved shirt… with a knapsack on her back and a suitcase in her hands. He frowned.Something weird's going on here…

"I'm coming with you," she declared, face serious.

"…What?" Cloud gaped. "You can't come with us — this truck's for ShinRa personnel only."

Tifa glared, her mind clearly made up. "That scientist you were after murdered my father. He destroyed my life here. There's no way I can stay in Nibelheim; I want to go to Midgar."

"Look, we can't—"

"Why not let her come?" Zack interjected. "Rude's not going to say anything, and neither will we. You aren't planning to sneak with us into HQ, are you?" Tifa shook her head. "Then there's nothing to worry about, really."

"Besides sneaking non-ShinRa personnel into a military vehicle?"

"Hardly the first time it's happened," Zack reminded Cloud, with a pointed look at Vincent. "Look, if it bothers you that much we'll just give her a lift to Costa de Sol. She can get her own ride over to the city."

"I can pay for it," Tifa added. "There's no one else scheduled to come through Nibelheim for at least two weeks, or else I wouldn't bother you."

"Seph? Valentine? Any opposition?" The other two men merely exchanged a glance, and Sephiroth shrugged. "Then I guess it's settled." Zack grinned at Tifa. "Jump in the back then. Cloud, stay with your fiancée and make sure she gets a proper itinerary, all right?"

"She's not my fiancée!" Cloud hissed, blue eyes flashing.

Zack lowered his voice so Tifa couldn't hear him. "Look, have you ever tried with her? I mean, really tried?"

Cloud paused at the unexpected question. Of course he hadn't given any serious consideration to the lie Tifa had created. At first he'd been so angry, and then they'd been a continent away from each other, making any sort of relationship outside of their letters impossible. Still… he had to admit he had a lot more in common with her than he did with any of the girls in Midgar he'd tried to date since he'd become a SOLDIER, who'd all been rather disappointing. Some had only wanted to date him because of his position, while others had talked his ear off about fashions or new movies or something else he was entirely unfamiliar with and really couldn't care less about. One of the most spectacular failures had passed in almost complete silence, occasionally punctured by polite phrases such as "pass the salt" and occasional aborted, half-hearted attempts to start more personal conversations. He made a face at the memory.

While he still felt drawn to Aeris, and Hojo being out of the picture made it safer to go see her, she'd made it clear she didn't care for him in that way. Add to that the whole Zack thing — though his situation with Sephiroth had certainly complicated things there — it was pretty unlikely Cloud would ever date her.

And as shallow as it seemed, the idea of dating someone with whom things might actually progress somewhere was definitely appealing on the physical level. He was still pretty young, after all, and eternal celibacy was a depressing thought. He'd much rather be with someone he had a connection with rather than look to whores or one-night stands for a quick release.

Cloud studied Tifa closely as she climbed into the truck, as if looking at her for the first time. She was fit, stronger than many women, which made her an ideal partner for a SOLDIER. He could certainly talk with her; she had never found their discussions of martial art techniques or his stories of SOLDIER missions boring. Maybe… maybe he really should consider looking into it.

Zack grinned, knowing from the thoughtful look on Cloud's face that he had talked the younger man into trying it. "Go get 'er, tiger."

Cloud ignored him, taking a seat in the truck beside Tifa. Maybe, for once, things would work out the way he hoped.

Chapter Text

Cloud surveyed the area with some surprise. The train station in Sector 4 had always been on the grungy side, but someone had taken steps to clean it up, it seemed. The biggest surprise, however, was that they'd somehow managed to get plants to grow down here. He shook his head in amazement. He hadn't thought it was possible for anyone other than Aeris to actually coax things to grow below the Plate.

The SOLDIER leaned up against a wall, watching the people moving through the station. He was off duty, so he was in civvies instead of his uniform, but people still gave him a wide berth. Guess it really was impossible to truly take a SOLDIER out of the military after all. It made him a bit uncomfortable — Vincent had hammered home the need to move through a crowd unnoticed so much that the attention felt like a red flag — but he did his best to ignore it it. If he wanted to see Tifa, he'd just have to put up with it.

The young woman had taken quite a bit longer to get to Midgar than Cloud had, refusing outright to allow him and Zack to help pay for her way. Once she'd gotten to Costa de Sol, she'd found herself a low-budget hotel and gone monster hunting, gathering enough gil selling parts to make the crossing and pay for transportation from Junon to Midgar. Between that and acquiring the appropriate travel documentation, three months had passed since Cloud had seen her.

During this time, he had carefully considered what Zack had suggested when they'd left Nibelheim, and come to the conclusion it couldn't hurt to try, at least. Tifa had matured since their first mission to Cloud's hometown, after all…

"Cloud?"

"Aeris!" The SOLDIER brightened as he spotted the young woman coming towards him. "What are you doing here?" He noted a few smudges of dirt on her dress and gardening tools in her hands. Had she just come from the church?

"It's good to see you," said the young woman, smiling. "You haven't come by for a long time."

"I know. I'm sorry. At first things weren't… well. You know." He half-shrugged. "And then with the mess with the President and everything, we were all pretty busy." Cloud gestured for her to join him. "Starting another garden?"

"Something like that," Aeris replied, eyes bright. "But… is it true?"

It took Cloud a moment to guess at what she meant, but he nodded. "Matheson is the head of the Science Department. His predecessor is on the loose, but he's definitely not in Midgar." The board had been less than happy to find out Hojo had slipped through their fingers again, but the destruction at Nibelheim had backed up their story. As it was, they were investigating some way to protect SOLDIERs from outside influences so the next time they managed to track Hojo down, they'd be better prepared. "How did you hear?"

"Do you know a man named Reeve?" Cloud shook his head. "Well, he told me. And he asked me to help plant flowers around Midgar."

"Flowers." The SOLDIER's tone was one of disbelief.

Aeris nodded. "Yeah, I know. Didn't believe it myself at first, but these plants are supposed to be good at taking Mako pollution out of the environment," she explained. "It's part of the MMG Project, they tell me."

Cloud raised his eyebrows at that. He had heard of the MMG Project more than once over the last month; a number of department heads were giving Reeve grief over "wasting valuable company funds" to… how had Palmer put it? Ah yes, "beautify the homes of the proletariat." Through Morgan, though, Cloud knew the real reason behind the project, and all he'd heard indicated it was slowly starting to work. It might take a long time, but between Matheson and Reeve, Midgar, especially the slums, might someday stop looking like such a dump.

"Anyway, they brought in some seedlings and asked me to help place them and care for them," Aeris concluded. "So here I am."

Cloud smiled. "Well, from what I've seen, they look really good."

The young woman returned his smile, clearly as happy to talk about her plants as any parent would be to talk about their children. "I think they'll do quite well. Mom was a little worried about me working with ShinRa, but after a couple weeks without the Turks coming to call we felt a little better." Her lips quirked. "I just wish Reeve would stop trying to pay me."

"He thinks you're working for him and should be compensated," Cloud pointed out. "If you feel you can trust him, it wouldn't be a bad idea. If nothing else, you could use the money to buy more plants for the gardens."

"That's true," Aeris mused. She glanced around. "Is Zack here, too?"

Cloud's stomach knotted with sudden tension. He really didn't want to be the one to have to explain Zack's… situation to her. "No, he's back topside. Things have settled down a lot, but the President is enacting a lot of changes, so they're— he's still busy."

"Ah." Her green eyes darkened, a frown pulling at her mouth. "…I guess I should've expected this."

Cloud winced at the disappointed tone in her voice. "Aeris—"

"It's not your fault, Cloud. Zack is a people person. He can't help loving them, and… well…" She sighed a little. "He was always popular with the ladies. It's been three years; I should've known better than to…"

"Aeris…" Cloud wasn't sure what to say. Tell her that Zack still cared for her — which he did, though the how of it might've changed? Say that Zack had been busy and it wasn't intentional he hadn't been down to see her? Or actually come out with something like 'hey, cheer up — you didn't lose to a girl, you've just taken second place to the General, and everybody knows he's impossible to beat'? She'd probably smack him if he said that, and really, Cloud couldn't blame her.

"Cloud!"

The SOLDIER waved. "Over here, Tifa!" Aeris watched curiously as the other woman came over, carrying her luggage, glancing inquiringly at Cloud. "Aeris, I'd like you to meet Tifa Lockhart, from Nibelheim. Tifa, meet Aeris Gainsborough. She was one of my first friends here below the Plate."

"Pleased to meet you." Aeris held out her hand.

Tifa shook it, smiling. "And you, too." After a moment, she ventured. "Um, you wouldn't happen to know of a decent, affordable place to stay around here, would you?" She took another look around the station. "I know you said Midgar was big, Cloud, but I didn't think it'd be this big!"

Aeris was studying the other girl closely. "If you don't mind me asking… why are you here?"

"I never wanted to stay at home," Tifa declared, shaking her head vehemently. "Nibelheim's a tiny little backwater. I've been thinking about coming to live in the city ever since Cloud left."

"You came here to live?" Aeris blinked, surprised. She'd lived in Midgar for as long as she could remember, and would have loved to get away; she couldn't imagine why anyone would want to come here. "But what are you going to do?"

"I'll find something," the other woman said confidently. "I'm a martial artist."

"And a good one, too, but you aren't a master yet, Tifa. You can't teach," Cloud put in. "You might be able to get a job as a bodyguard, though since you're new in town it'll take some time for that to work out, at least until you get some references…"

Aeris looked thoughtful. "Well, if you're looking for a temporary thing, I could use someone to help watch my back while I'm working. I can't pay you, but I'm sure Mom'd let you stay at our house for a bit until you find something."

"Sounds good," Tifa replied after a moment, nodding. "Lead on."

"I just can't help thinking I'm a burden," Tifa concluded, kneeling beside Aeris in the thick soil of the Sector Two garden. It had been about a month and a half since she'd first come to Midgar, and she'd spent that time following Aeris around the slums, trying to offer what assistance she could and yet feeling frustratingly superfluous.

Aeris shook her head. "You're more than earning your keep, Tifa. You've been helping me carry things, you've helped fight off some rather nasty folk, and you've been helping around the house — you aren't a burden," she insisted as she pulled another weed free.

"But I'm not bringing in any money," Tifa countered. "I need to find a job. Cloud had a great idea with the bodyguard thing, but no one's gonna take me without a reference. I have to look into something else." She dusted the soil off of her gloves.

"Somehow I never thought I would see you working for ShinRa, Miss Gainsborough."

Both women immediately turned towards the source of the voice, finally noticing the figure lurking in the shadows. Tifa rose and moved closer to Aeris, not quite dropping into a fighting stance, but standing ready to defend her friend if necessary.

"Tseng."

The Turk inclined his head slightly. "Knowing you are involved with the MMG Project does explain why it's working."

"Thank you," Aeris replied, watching him warily. She was never quite sure how to deal with this man. On one hand, he had tried to kidnap her several times; on the other, he had never failed to be polite and caring, in his way.

"I couldn't help overhearing your conversation, and I thought you might be interested to know there is a bar nearby looking for a peacekeeper." He briefly looked Tifa over. "You would likely meet the requirements."

"A girl bouncer?" Aeris's eyebrows rose.

Tseng smiled thinly. "How many drunks would expect a woman to be effective in the role?"

"Point," Aeris conceded, well aware that appearance was key here below the Plate. Tifa didn't look that strong or intimidating, but she could certainly handle a few folks who'd been hitting the booze too hard. "So where is this bar, anyway?"

"Not far." Tseng gave them concise directions, bid them a polite farewell (and Tifa good luck), and left. Tifa stared after him, lost in thought as Aeris gathered up her gardening tools and disposed of the weeds they'd pulled.

"Who was that guy?" the fighter finally asked as they headed out. "It's obvious you know him, though you didn't seem real happy to see him…"

"He's one of the Turks," Aeris replied. Tifa gave her a blank look, so she elaborated, "They work for ShinRa, supposedly scouting for SOLDIERs, but… honestly, it's pretty obvious they're involved in a lot more shady stuff than that. For a long time they kept trying to convince me to go with them to ShinRa, and, well…" She stood a little straighter, chin up, hands fisted on her hips, a fierce scowl on her face. "What do you think — am I SOLDIER material?"

Stifling a laugh, Tifa shook her head. "Do they even have girl SOLDIERs?"

"I don't think so," the other woman said thoughtfully. "Never seen any, anyway. But yeah, I always thought it was kinda weird. Sure, it's been a couple months since the Turks have bothered me like that, but… it's still hard to trust them."

Tifa's expression was dubious. "So why are we going to this bar, then?"

"The Turks know a lot — Tseng's information network is massive, I'm sure. He probably knows exactly what you can do and figures you'd fit the job well." Aeris looked pensive. "Though I don't know if he's just trying to separate us…"

"Well, let's see what the hours are," Tifa suggested. "Most of these places are only really open evenings and nights — maybe I can still help you during the day." As Aeris nodded slowly, she caught sight of their destination. "Here we go."

The first thing Aeris noticed when they entered the Flying Dragon was its surprising cleanliness. Despite its location, the floor wasn't grimy like a lot of bars under the Plate, and the tables looked almost clean enough to eat off of. The lighting wasn't that great, but really, in bars it rarely was.

"Sorry, ladies," the grizzled proprietor greeted them as they walked in, looking up from drying glasses behind the bar, "but we're not open for another three hours. Why don't you come back then?"

Tifa walked up to the bar. "Actually, I'm here about the peacekeeper position."

"I've got no trouble with women in the position — last one was a hell of a girl, kept her head better than a number of the boys hereabouts, but…" The man looked at her dubiously. "I dunno. You're an awfully little thing…"

"Do you have a lot of fights?" Aeris asked.

"We have our share," the barkeep admitted.

"Then why don't you let her have a trial period?" the young woman suggested.

"Well… can't hurt, I guess." The bartender glanced between the pair, thoughtful, and nodded. "Okay, I'll keep you on a week. Goes like this: twenty gil a night, plus food and drinks on the house. If you ever get drunk on the job, though, you'll be outta here faster than a hasted SOLDIER with a fire lit under his ass. Same goes for whoring."

Tifa twitched. "That won't be a problem, sir."

"Call me Bill," the man told her, extending his hand. "Bill Roberts."

"Tifa Lockhart," the martial artist replied, shaking his hand firmly. She gestured to the woman beside her. "And my friend's Aeris Gainsborough."

Bill nodded. "Well, Tifa, let's see what you're made of."

It was three days before anything really got out of hand. Most of the regulars knew to take their fights outside the Flying Dragon rather than risk Bill's wrath. The man was a decent hand with a club himself, but he couldn't be everywhere at once, and the time it took him to rush from behind the bar could make the difference between a minor scuffle and a bar-wide fight. Tifa spent her first three nights helping with serving, keeping an eye on the customers. On her second day, though, she did see one bald man wearing a suit not unlike Tseng's. ("You'll see people dressed like that come in from time to time," Bill had told her. "Just don't bother 'em.") Undoubtedly Tseng knew she had taken up his suggestion; now it just was a matter of seeing if he intended to take advantage of it. Should have Cloud work on the staff with Aeris, Tifa reminded herself. She's not bad, but I bet he's better, and a little extra training never hurt anyone.

She'd been keeping an eye on the table all the way in the right corner most of the night. The pair had come in looking more morose than most, and there was an edgy feeling about them. One of the pair stood up and stumbled into the next table, knocking into another customer.

"Hey, watch it, jackass!"

"You want a piece of me?"

Why do they all sound the same? Tifa wondered absentmindedly as she quickly crossed the room. She caught the first punch before it could land. "If you're going to fight, take it outside."

"Mind your own damn business," the drunk snarled, lashing out.

Tifa countered his punch, though not without effort; whoever this guy was, he was strong, and he punched like he'd had training somewhere. "A fight in here is my business," she replied coolly. "Take it outside."

"Stupid bitch!" The drunk drew back to throw another punch, but she caught his arm, twisting it; when he struck out with a kick in retaliation, she cleanly swept his legs out from under him.

"I think you should leave," she informed the drunk's companion, eyes hard.

The man nodded quickly and picked up his friend, hauling him to the exit. Tifa dusted off her hands — she really needed to start wearing her fighting gloves while on the job — and picked up the tray she'd abandoned. "Sorry. That was two whiskeys and a gin and tonic, right?"

When she returned to the bar she found Bill beaming at her. "Right good technique there, Tifa. Who trained you?"

"Zangan," she said proudly.

Bill nodded. "I've heard of him." He poured another drink, passing it to a customer sitting at the bar. "Well, I'd like to take you on permanently, if you're willing." He held out his hand.

Tifa took it, sealing the bargain. "More than willing, Bill."

"Well, you look to be in a good mood. What've you been up to?" Zack asked as Cloud walked into Sephiroth's quarters.

"I've been working with Tifa and Aeris down below," the blond answered, flopping in one of the chairs. "Tifa's a great sparring partner, and Aeris is getting a lot better with her staff. The weight training exercises are really helping."

"…How is she?"

"Who, Aeris?" At Zack's nod, Cloud said, "She's doing pretty well. She's actually working on the MMG Project now, and seems to really be happy doing it…" He shifted awkwardly in his seat. Should I tell him she misses him and keeps asking about him?

"I haven't seen her in so long. I really ought to stop by sometime now that it's safe, say hello…" Zack trailed off, eyes somber, a pensive expression on his face.

Feeling pretty sobered by Zack's reaction, Cloud remained silent — what could he say, really? He certainly couldn't imagine being in Zack's situation, having to make that decision. He shook his head, and, trying to change the subject, asked, "Where's Vincent?"

Zack looked up. "Huh? Oh, he's helping Tseng with a problem."

Cloud raised his eyebrows at that. "I thought he wasn't going to work with them."

"Apparently they're having some issues with some top-secret thing I'm not supposed to know about," Zack replied, shrugging. "Valentine thought he might be able to provide new insight." He looked at Cloud. "I think he wants to know what Tseng's made of, considering he was Veld's partner."

Cloud nodded. "And Sephiroth?"

"Here," came the quiet reply as Sephiroth walked out of the kitchenette, offering one of the cups of tea he held to Cloud, who took it with a smile of thanks. The pale-haired man took a seat on the couch next to Zack, who promptly threw an arm around his shoulders.

Cloud was a bit surprised when Sephiroth didn't protest the contact with anything more than a little sigh. Despite their closeness, he knew the General had gone out of his to avoid any "questionable" physical contact when in the presence of others — and still did, which of course drove Zack, with his love of contact and casual disregard for the personal space of those he cared for, absolutely nuts. As strange as it was, though, Sephiroth apparently didn't mind letting his guard down a little around Cloud, and he had to admit he was oddly flattered by that. Though really, it's probably just because I'm the only person — aside from Vincent, I guess — who knows for sure about them, so why bother hiding it?

Shaking himself out of his thoughts, he asked, "How are things in the office?"

"Finally quieting down. The president believes we can relax our guard," Sephiroth answered. "I look forward to bringing some of the SOLDIERs back to Midgar. We've had more units in the field than I'd like."

"I still can't believe it's taken this long to establish the new president," Cloud mused aloud, shaking his head in amazement as he swallowed some of his tea. "I knew that people would see this as a period of weakness, but eight whole months…?"

"There are a number of groups who disagree with ShinRa policies and have tried to take advantage of what may well have been a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity." Sephiroth sipped his own tea. "It appears we've stopped most of them, however."

"For now." Cloud frowned, knowing things were still unsettled in places below the Plate. He could understand their feelings, but… he didn't know what they could do about it. Fighting didn't seem to be the answer, though, that much was certain. Aeris didn't really like ShinRa herself, but she was still working for them now, trying to better life below the Plate… and was definitely having more success than any of the terrorists.

"For now," Sephiroth agreed. Still, he knew better than anyone else on the executive board that the desperate didn't give up easily.

"In happier news, I hear you and Tifa have a date tomorrow," Zack interjected, eyes sparkling.

Much to his annoyance, Cloud felt himself flushing. "How did you find out about that?"

"Reno." Zack grinned. "The Turks use the Flying Dragon as an information source. He's been keeping an eye on her."

Cloud frowned. "Do you think she's in danger? They were after Aeris…"

"Unlikely," Sephiroth put in. "Ms. Gainsborough is no longer wanted by the Science Department. It is far more likely Reno finds Ms. Lockhart… comely."

The blond grimaced at the thought of that relationship, and Zack laughed at his expression. "Well, have a good time. Enjoy yourselves — you could use the break. You're looking a little worn around the edges."

"Speak for yourself," Cloud countered, looking the other SOLDIER over. Zack had been running double time since their return from Nibelheim, trying to smooth out disputes arising between SOLDIERs and civilians alike.

"Oh, I'm sure I can find something to do tomorrow night," Zack said airily, not quite able to keep his gaze from flickering to Sephiroth, who rolled his eyes.

Cloud chucked a throw pillow at him.

"Don't be silly. I think it's a wonderful idea."

"I don't know…" Tifa looked at Aeris in the mirror as the other woman brushed her hair, leaning into the strokes. She had always been independent, but it was nice to be spoiled once in a while by a little personal attention, and getting her hair brushed by someone else was really quite pleasant.

"Cloud's a perfectly sweet guy. You'll have a good time. Loveless is really good, I hear, and I know the place you're going for dinner is nice. You'll enjoy it." Aeris put the brush aside and reached for some clips, arranging Tifa's hair.

"I feel bad that he's paying for everything, though."

Aeris waved the objection aside, fishing for more bobby pins. "SOLDIERs make a lot more than most civilians do, especially those of us who live here in the slums. Cloud doesn't spend his money on much, anyway."

"Except weapons." Tifa chuckled, knowing the blond's obsession.

"Indeed," Aeris replied with a grin. "And he seems to think they're the only appropriate present, besides."

"Not that the gloves he got me aren't nice…"

"Not at all. He has excellent taste." Aeris paused, studying the figure in front of her. Tifa looked stunning in the blue dress she had picked out, but something was missing… "Ah!" She pulled a blue ribbon nearly the same color as the dress out of a box on her dresser and carefully threaded it through the other woman's hair. "There — now you're ready."

Tifa nodded, smiling in thanks. "What's that?" she asked suddenly, looking into the box, where a pale green stone lay nestled in the ribbons.

"That?" Aeris turned to look. "Oh. It's a materia Mama gave me."

"Really?" The other woman looked interested. "I've never actually held a materia before. Can I?" Aeris nodded, and Tifa picked it up. It was smooth, round, and cool in her palm, but didn't seem to react to her touch at all. "What does it do?"

"Nothing."

"Nothing?" Tifa echoed, disbelieving, and when Aeris nodded she shook her head. "That's impossible. All materia do something," she insisted, frowning at it.

"Well, I haven't been able to get it to do anythi—" The green-eyed woman stopped short as the doorbell rang, suddenly smiling. "Ah, that must be Cloud!" Taking her materia back from Tifa, she called, "I'll get it, Mom!" and ran downstairs. "Right on time," she noted as she opened the door, and smiled. "That uniform looks good on you."

"Thanks," Cloud replied, smiling a little as he self-consciously smoothed down the front of his formals. He hadn't worn them too often, and they still felt strange in comparison with his usual uniform and the sweats he wore while training.

"Tifa should be down any minute. We were just finishing her hair." True to her words, the martial artist came down the stairs at a much more sedate pace than Aeris had, careful with her dress. The green-eyed woman looked smug. "Well, what do you think?"

"I think you look beautiful, Tifa," Cloud said truthfully. "Shall we go?" Tifa nodded and the pair headed out, getting into the car that Cloud had borrowed for the occasion. Zack had offered to get him a motorcycle instead — "There's something great about having your date's arms about you, if you get my drift" — but that had seemed rather impractical, considering their attire.

Dinner went well. The food was excellent and the atmosphere more relaxed than Tifa had expected, and they'd spent the time getting to know each other better, talking about things they hadn't discussed in their letters. They exchanged stories of their childhood, Tifa telling about the people she'd grown up with in Nibelheim, Cloud relaying his adventures with Vincent and some of the lessons he had learned from the former Turk. Tifa found herself reluctant to leave when Cloud noted the play would be starting soon.

Loveless was nice enough. Tifa, however, had trouble concentrating on it. Cloud was being a perfect gentleman, not impeding on her personal space any more than to hold her hand, and she wasn't quite sure what to make of how relieved she was by that, by how the simple brush of his thumb against the back of her hand caused her heart to flutter uneasily. What is wrong with me? Cloud was, as Aeris had pointed out, a nice guy, handsome, a good fighter… Why was she so edgy?

"Did you have a good time?" Cloud asked they exited the theater.

Jolted out of her thoughts, Tifa slapped a smile on her face and replied almost automatically, "Yes. It was a wonderful night."

"Honestly, I liked the end better than I thought I would. It was sad, but kinda hopeful at the same time…"

Tifa made a noise of agreement, trying to make small talk with her date about the play while not giving away the fact she hadn't really been paying much attention. Finally they were back at Aeris's house, much to Tifa's relief. Cloud walked her up to the door, a little smile on his face. "I'd like to do this again, if it's all right with you. Next Saturday?"

"…won't you have duty?" Tifa stalled, mind moving like molasses.

"I don't know," Cloud admitted. "I'll see what I can find out, all right?"

"All right," Tifa echoed, reaching for the doorknob.

"Tifa…" Cloud took a step closer, laying a hand on her waist.

The martial artist froze. "You better go, Cloud. You've got work tomorrow—"

"I don't need that much sleep—"

"—and Aeris and I have early morning practice. I'll see you soon." She turned the knob and slipped inside before Cloud could interrupt her again, then closed the door quickly, leaning against it. That was awkward. He was going to kiss me… why didn't I want him to kiss me?

"Tifa?"

At first she thought it was Aeris, but realized with relief it was the other woman's mother. She didn't feel up to dealing with her matchmaking friend at the moment. "Hello, Mrs. Gainsborough."

"Well, I won't ask if you had a good time, since the truth is clear on your face. What happened?" Elmyra took her by the arm and drew her into the kitchen. "Come sit down. I'll make some tea."

"It was fine, except… well, I dunno. I just… wasn't really comfortable with some of it." Seeing the look on Elmyra's face — she still didn't have a high opinion of the military — she clarified, "He didn't do anything, just held my hand, but it still felt so awkward."

"First dates sometimes are," Elmyra said, sitting down with her guest. "But that doesn't mean you shouldn't try again. Not everyone falls in love at first sight."

Tifa sighed. "I guess so."

Elmyra smiled. "Well, let me tell you a story about how Peter and I first met…"

"Things have been going rather well. With the smog starting to diminish, we've gotten the executive board to agree to looking into solar power to supplement the reactor feed starting next year. We might actually be able to use the Plate for something if we put solar panels on the unoccupied parts of it," Red XIII explained to Aeris excitedly. "It's more efficient than Mako energy too, so once we get it up and running I think we'll be able to slowly push Mako use to the supplementary role."

Aeris shook her head, almost amused by how enthusiastic the young creature was. She had been more than a bit worried when Matheson had convinced Red to assist the Science Department two months ago, but it seemed things were working out well. "Are they listening to you?"

Red nodded. "Actually," he confided, "I think a lot of them are afraid of me."

The woman laughed. "Not necessarily a bad thing, that."

"Next month we're planning to go out to Cosmo Canyon and talk to the engineers there," Red continued. "Rob— I mean, Matheson wants to look at wind power too, and maybe even water power for Junon."

"Will you be coming back?" Aeris asked, well aware how much Red had missed his home. The thought of never seeing him again made her heart sink.

"…I think so," he replied slowly. "I know I'm supposed to be the protector of the Canyon, but they're so short-handed here, and they really are trying to do the right thing." Red padded over to Aeris and put his head into her lap; taking the hint, she scratched his ears. "Oh, and I think Reeve wants to talk to you. They've had significant results with the MMG Project, so they've been expanding it."

"Expanding it?"

"Above the Plate."

Aeris's fingers paused. The last time she'd been above the Plate she'd been in Hojo's care… and though there was hardly a chance of that being repeated, it still made her uneasy to think about. On the other hand, if she went, she might run into Zack. Even though she strongly suspected he'd moved on — he would have come back to her if he hadn't, wouldn't he? — she still wanted to talk to him again, finally get some sort of closure…

"Aeris," Red continued, breaking her out of her thoughts, "I really do think Reeve's a good person. I doubt he'd let anything happen to you." The catlike creature's tail waved slowly back and forth as he spoke, indicating deep thought. "I've seen the gardens up there; they're doing well, but they could do better. Just taking a look wouldn't do any harm, I'm sure. It's not like they're that close to the ShinRa building, really."

Aeris closed her eyes, thinking hard. Red was right in that looking, at least, shouldn't cause too many problems. "…All right, I'll go."

Red nodded. "I'll let Reeve know, then. He'll come by in a few days."

Three days later, Cait Sith dropped by with the time Reeve would come to meet her. She spent the hours waiting more tense than she could remember being. Not even working in the church garden, the approved meeting spot, could calm her.

"Miss Gainsborough, are you all right? You don't look well."

Aeris jumped a bit as Reeve's voice entered the church. She hadn't even noticed he'd arrived. "I'm all right. Just a bit nervous."

Reeve smiled at her. "No need. People above the Plate aren't that different from those below it, I promise. Shall we?"

The pair took the train, riding up above the metal structure that had towered over Aeris for almost all of her life. On the third stop topside they disembarked, Reeve guiding her to the garden not far from it. "This is the one that's furthest along."

Aeris looked at the plants, noting those that were doing well and those that could do with a bit of help. "You're doing rather well, I think."

"Ah, Reeve! Come to see how we're doing?" An elderly man waved at the executive, silver hair glinting in the little brief flickers of sunlight that occasionally broke through Midgar's ever-present cloud cover. "And who might this lovely young lady be?" There was a sparkle of amusement in his brown eyes, sharpening the crows' feet at their corners. "Finally found yourself a little missus?"

Aeris blushed, and Reeve, clearly somewhat embarrassed, shook his head as he corrected his employee. "Oh, no. This is my assistant, Aeris Gainsborough. She's been supervising the gardens down below. Ms. Gainsborough, this is Michael McQuarrie. He's in charge of this garden."

"You've done a really good job," Aeris said, smiling. "There are a few plants that could use a little extra attention, though…"

The old man nodded. "Care to point them out, Miss Gainsborough? I'd love to have your input. I've seen your work below, and it's quite impressive."

The gardeners wandered among the plants, McQuarrie making notes on what Aeris said. Reeve followed, inputting a few ideas of his own on how to best implement Aeris's suggestions. McQuarrie thanked them warmly as they left, and Reeve looked apologetically at his 'assistant.' "Um, about what Michael said earlier—"

Aeris shook her head. "Does he do that often?" she asked, amused.

"Something like that," Reeve replied, somewhat sheepishly. "I may be the nominal head of the department, but there are several people who've been involved with it quite a bit longer than I have, and they all seem to have a bit of a parental streak. 'Are you eating well, you need to stop working yourself so hard, one of these days you really ought to find yourself a nice girl to settle down with,' that sort of thing." He shook his head ruefully. "It's nice that they care, really, but…"

The young woman laughed. "Oh, I know the feeling, trust me. The pestering may be annoying, but if they stopped, you'd be worried something was wrong."

"Too true," Reeve agreed, chuckling. "Not much we can do about it, though, except let them fuss, is there?" He turned to leave. "If you'd care to see them, we have another three gardens started up here, though none are doing quite as well as this one…"

"I'd like that." It was wonderful to meet other people tending the earth and see their work. Somehow it made Aeris feel less alone, despite her… differences.

Their tour of the gardens scattered about the Plate took the rest of the day. Reeve insisted on treating Aeris to dinner, claiming she must be tired (which she had to admit was true). "Is it really helping?" she asked as they ate. "All these plants, I mean."

"The amount of Mako pollution in the atmosphere has decreased by almost two percent," he replied. "It may not sound like much, but considering the length of time it's been since we've started the project, it's wonderful. If Matheson does as well with finding alternate energy sources, we may just be able to pull this off. It seems to be having a positive affect on people's spirits, too."

Aeris nodded. "People need growing things in their lives," she commented, taking a sip of her drink.

"Would you be willing to visit these gardens up here a bit more often?" Reeve asked, dark eyes cautious. "We really could use your continued input…"

"Yes, I think so." If she spent more time topside, she was more likely to run into Zack, after all. At least if she saw him again, they might be able to talk about why things had turned out this way…

Her companion simply looked at her, seeming to see right through her. "You were hoping to see Major Sinclair, weren't you?" It wasn't really a question.

Aeris blinked, surprised. "How did you know?"

"Knowledge is power, Miss Gainsborough, in ShinRa most of all. It's only wise to keep track of the company's important people." Reeve took a bite of his dessert, not looking at her. "He's been extremely busy since the new President came to power."

"I know," Aeris replied. "And I know it's been a while, but I'd just like to talk to him again."

Reeve put down his silverware. "I'm afraid that might be… difficult, at the very least. He's… well, I'm not close enough to him to be able to say for certain, but it does seem he's become much more involved with his… work lately, and…" He paused, as if having difficulty searching for the right words. "Well, he's always been very dedicated to his job."

He's not telling me something. And I'm pretty sure I know exactly what it is. "…I see." What else could she say?

"Miss Gainsborough— Aeris." Reeve's voice was earnest, but she couldn't quite look at him. "Please don't be discouraged." He paused, then ventured, "I'm sure there are many who might care for you, if you let yourself give them a chance. Sometimes you have to start over in order to get anywhere."

Aeris knew he was right. She had pretty much accepted that things were over between her and Zack, but really, she just wanted to hear the reasons for it from Zack himself, especially why he hadn't come to see her even once, despite the danger from Hojo having passed.

Paying the bill, her dinner companion stood, offering her his hand. "It's getting late," he noted quietly. "I'll take you back home."

"…All right."

Chapter Text

"If you're not up to anything tonight, wanna get out of the compound for a while?"

Zack froze, doing a dramatic douhalf ble take. "Do my ears deceive me, or did Cloud Strife just ask if I wanted to go out for a night on the town? I may just pass out in shock."

"Knock it off, Zack." Cloud rolled his eyes at his friend.

"Would our destination be the Flying Dragon, by any chance?" the other SOLDIER asked, a knowing twinkle in his eyes.

"Yeah," Cloud muttered, ears pink.

"Going to visit your girlfriend?" The dark-haired man's grin was teasing. "Maybe I shouldn't come along after all. Give you a bit of alone time…"

"She's going to be working," Cloud reminded him. "And besides… I'm not sure 'girlfriend' is the right word for it."

"Really?" Zack asked. "Even after you've been on, what, three dates now? Sounds like 'girlfriend' to me." He nudged the other SOLDIER's arm, wearing a sly smile. "Well, then… if she's working tonight, when's your next hot date?"

Cloud sighed. Little did Zack know how frustratingly skittish Tifa was being about this whole thing. Three dates and they still hadn't even kissed — unless the quick, awkward peck on the cheek they'd tried last time before Tifa disappeared into Aeris's house counted. He wasn't about to give up, though. "I dunno. The only night I'm free next week is Tuesday—"

"Tuesday?" Zack echoed, frowning. "I thought we were trying to set up a session with Seph for that night, since last week didn't work out."

"Oh man," Cloud groaned, hand hitting his forehead, "how could I have forgotten?" What had begun as impromptu training sessions about once a month, during which each of them pit themselves against each other to keep their skills and speed up, had evolved into intense three-way sparring matches. Though he was always a little sore after these workouts, Cloud loved them, loved being able to fight on an equal footing with Sephiroth and Zack — at least, as "equal" as things could be for a SOLDIER Second Class going up against two of the outfit's finest Firsts — and he wouldn't miss them for anything. "Count me in, of course."

The other man grinned. "Awesome. But what about Tifa, then?"

"Oh, I'll just ask her about the week after," Cloud told him. "Got a more flexible schedule then, anyway." Ignoring that little nagging voice that added, somehow I don't think she'll mind the change in plans too much, he continued, "But anyway, you coming tonight or what?"

Zack shrugged. "Why not? Just let me get changed, all right? I'll meet you at the gate." He paused. "Want a bike of your own?"

It was a tempting thought, but Cloud brushed it aside. "Nah, might as well share. Less paperwork that way."

"And Odin knows we see enough of it already." Zack nodded. "See you at the main entrance in fifteen."

Forty-five minutes later the pair entered the Flying Dragon, both in civilian clothes. Tifa smiled at them from her place behind the bar, passing a drink to a familiar redhead. Her boss had started teaching her a little bartending when things were slow, and she'd confided to Cloud she did enjoy it, though she got a little restless staying behind the bar too long.

"Well well, if it isn't SOLDIER's own dynamic duo." Looking over his shoulder, the Turk at the bar waved them over. "What brings you boys to this neck of the woods?"

Cloud rolled his eyes, but Zack just gave an easy smile, sauntering over to the bar without hesitation. He'd had his share of disagreements with Reno, sure, but the Turk was still a halfway decent guy, and did know how to have a good time. As long as they avoided certain topics of conversation, they got along just fine. "What, you think I'm honestly gonna let you drink up all the good stuff?" he drawled as Cloud reluctantly followed.

"Who, me? I'd worry more about you doing that." The redhead grinned. "But c'mon, have a seat."

Zack did, much to Cloud's disgruntlement. The blond would rather not be any nearer the Turk than necessary, especially off-duty, but with Tifa behind the bar he might as well sit next to Zack.

"So," Tifa broke in, smiling slightly at her newest customers, "what can I get you two?"

Cloud shrugged, looking at Zack. The other SOLDIER, knowing full well his companion had almost no opinion when it came to drinks, placed an order. Handing over their glasses, Tifa moved to take care of another customer. At his gesture she gave him a new glass, collecting the old and carrying it to the sink.

Cloud's sharp SOLDIER eyes noted the small scrap of paper beneath the glass as she slid it off the bar, and he was rather surprised when she placed it under Reno's newest glass when the Turk conveniently finished his drink shortly thereafter. The SOLDIER knew the Turks used the Dragon as an information source, but he hadn't realized Bill had gotten Tifa to help out that way. He gave Reno a sharp look, and received only a sardonic smile in return. "So, Cloud, have you met Tifa yet?"

As if you didn't already know, Cloud thought, still glaring. If Tifa was being integrated into their system of informants, the Turks probably already had a file an inch thick on her.

"Oh, I've known Cloud a long time," Tifa replied. "We came from the same hometown."

"Ah." Reno looked between the pair with a look that could only be classified as a leer. "Didn't realize you were so well acquainted."

Cloud's eyes narrowed. "Reno—"

"I don't suppose," the redhead continued, eyes bright with mischief, "you'd be willing to share your girlfriend here, hmmm?"

Cloud spluttered, and Tifa went beet red. Zack tried to look sympathetic, but it wasn't really working; he was clearly struggling to hide his amusement at their reactions. Cloud silently repeated his promise to Tseng not to rearrange Reno's face, lest he forget himself and put the man through a wall. He opened his mouth to snarl a retort—

"Oh, no," Tifa interjected hurriedly, "Cloud's like a brother to me."

Not again! Cloud bit back a groan. Hopefully Tifa was just trying to put Reno off and wasn't actually serious. This was getting old.

"I see. So, you available, then?" Reno leaned over, giving Tifa the once-over, eyes lingering on her hips and breasts.

Cloud was slowly turning purple with suppressed anger, and Tifa herself was still red in the face as she shook her head firmly. This was hardly the first time she had been propositioned at her job, but no matter how many times it happened it still made her really uncomfortable. "Not interested," she said shortly.

"And if you try to press the issue, you're likely to regret it," Cloud muttered, giving Reno a dark look as he sipped his drink. The Turk, who undoubtedly knew full well Cloud had started showing Tifa some of the same martial arts techniques Vincent had taught him, just raised his glass in silent acknowledgement.

Trying to lighten the atmosphere, Zack started up a conversation with Reno about some of the newest company gossip, acting as a much-appreciated buffer. For his part, Cloud kept one eye on Tifa throughout the dialogue, managing to snag her attention when the other two got into a heated discussion on the newest batch of SOLDIER candidates. "Did you mean it, what you said to Reno?" he asked quietly.

"Cloud…" Tifa sighed and picked up a glass, wiping it dry with the towel in her hand. She studied the transparent material as she replied. "I just… I'm not ready for what you want. I'm sorry. You're my friend, practically like an older brother to me some days… a protective older brother, I might add," she teased as she looked up at him, reminding the SOLDIER of how he'd bristled.

"Well, I guess that's better than being like a younger brother," Cloud muttered, downing the rest of his drink in a single gulp. Dammit, getting shot down was depressing. He was really getting tired of his attempts at relationships going absolutely nowhere.

"Who said that?" Tifa looked sympathetic.

"Aeris."

The brunette winced. "Oh." She hadn't known there'd been anything going on there… though it did explain why Aeris seemed so determined to pair them up.

There was an awkward silence between the two of them for a while. Cloud stifled a sigh as he stared glumly at his glass. Why didn't these things ever work out the way he wanted them to? He liked to think he was a decent person, polite and even-tempered; he had a steady job with good prospects, and he wasn't exactly ugly, either…

If I were a girl I'd be half in love with you already.

He shook his head firmly — Zack had been joking, and that had nothing to do with any of this. But honestly, he did have a lot of positive qualities, dammit, so why…?

"…It's not your fault, really," Tifa eventually said, focusing on drying glasses. "It's just that… well, it's only been about six months since I left home, and I'm not ready to settle into anything long-term yet, you know? I want a chance to see more of what's out there so I can do what I really want to do with my life. I don't know what that is, yet," she added when Cloud opened his mouth to speak, "but…" She trailed off. "Can't we just be friends for now?"

The blond looked pensively at his drink, moving the glass so the alcohol swirled around. "Does 'for now' mean 'I'd be willing to give you a chance in the future once I figure myself out,' or what?"

Tifa smiled unevenly. "Maybe," she allowed.

Cloud frowned, not liking that answer. "'Maybe'?" he pressed.

The brunette sighed. "Cloud," she began, "you're a really great guy and everything, but, well, I'm not really very comfortable with… some stuff."

Not comfortable with some stuff? Oh, was that why she was barely letting him touch her? "What, not even kissing?" His voice was skeptical. She couldn't possibly be serious, right?

"Well… yeah," Tifa said defensively. "That, and sometimes touching, and—" she went pink "—other stuff."

"Sex, you mean."

Her face turned even redder. "Yeah, sex," she confirmed, a defiant edge to her voice. "'Scuse me for not being all 'anything goes, yippee, let's do it already' about it like all these crazy cityfolk."

Cloud felt a stab of guilt at that, remembering how off-putting that sort of thing had been to him when he'd first come to Midgar. And as far as the people of Nibelheim went, his mom had been pretty open-minded on the topic of sex; he could only imagine what Tifa had — or hadn't — been told about it. Not quite willing to just let the issue go, though, he muttered, "You could've said something, you know."

"Well, I'm saying something now, loud and clear." Tifa stood up a little straighter, expression resolute. "I'm not ready for a relationship with you. I like you, but not in the way you seem to want me to. And I don't know when or if that's going to change."

Cloud bit back a sigh of frustration. "Fine," he said shortly, his grip on his drink tightening until Tifa yelped and jumped back, and he discovered himself with a handful of ice and glass shards, dripping alcohol onto the counter.

Reno raised an eyebrow at them. "SOLDIERs' romantic squabbles always this lively?"

Cloud ignored the question, and it seemed like Tifa hadn't even heard it, watching the blond somewhat uneasily even as she pulled out another rag to clean up with.

"Cloud, you okay?" Zack turned in his seat, reaching for his friend's arm. "Let me see that…"

"It's fine," the other SOLDIER said flatly, tugging his hand away as he plucked a couple of pieces of glass out of his palm. "Nothing major."

"Are you su—"

"It's fine." Rising, Cloud fished a 20-gil note out of his pocket, laying it on the counter. "Sorry 'bout the mess." And with that, he turned and briskly strode out of the bar.

He was about halfway to the station when a hand fell on his shoulder, startling him. "Hey, easy," said Zack as the blond turned to face him, cutting off his instinctive strike. "I'm not a mugger, promise."

"Zack?" he asked, surprise at seeing him overshadowing his annoyance at being followed. "What are you—?"

"Going home with a friend," the other man said matter-of-factly. "What else?"

Cloud felt a twinge of guilt. "You didn't have to cut your night out short because of me—"

"Shush," Zack interrupted, shaking his head, giving him one of his warm, easy, almost-contagious smiles. "SOLDIERs stick together, remember?"

As usual — when they weren't arguing, that is — the dark-haired man's presence soothed Cloud's stung feelings, somehow making the hurt seem a little less than it first was. "Yeah," he said softly.

"That's the spirit," Zack declared, clapping him on the back. "Wanna spar for a bit when we get back, get your mind off it?" His smile turned into a grin. "Best of three, loser buys the winner lunch for the next week?"

Cloud almost smiled in spite of himself. "You and your ulterior motives." But even as Zack, completely unapologetic, shrugged, he nodded. "You're on."

"So," Zack began, reaching for his sandwich again, "how about heading down to the Dragon for a drink later?"

"No thanks," replied Cloud shortly. Usually he rather enjoyed lunches with Sephiroth and Zack like this, something they'd taken to doing every so often whenever all three of them were on base, but Zack had turned the conversation in a direction he really would've preferred it hadn't gone. "I'm not really in the mood."

"Oh, come on," Zack said, exasperated. "It's been three weeks and you've hardly left the compound. Don't tell me you're still sulking about that silly little spat."

Sephiroth raised an eyebrow at that, but wisely said nothing. Today they were eating in the General's office instead of the mess hall; that had been Zack's idea, coupled with vehement insistence that even if Cloud stayed a little later than just for lunch he wouldn't be a distraction, as Sephiroth had suggested. Cloud still wasn't quite sure he believed the dark-haired man's assertions (and he was pretty sure Sephiroth didn't either), but he'd gone along with it anyway… though now he found himself wishing he hadn't, since the more private environment gave Zack far more freedom in terms of conversational topics.

"Honestly, Cloud," he was saying, gesturing with his drink, "you're really making way too huge a deal out of it. I know it sucks, but this kinda thing happens sometimes; all you can do is suck it up and get over it."

"I know, I know," the SOLDIER Second grumbled, stabbing a tomato on his plate with a little more force than necessary. "It's just so frustrating." In more ways than one.

From the look Zack was giving him, Cloud might as well have said that addendum out loud. "You know," he ventured after a brief silence, "if you're really that—"

"No," the blond said with a heavy sigh. "I'm not going to pay someone just so I can get laid." How many times was he going to have to say this — and even to Zack, of all people? "Besides, even without worrying about the possibility of disease, it's still dangerous. You never know who might be an assassin or a spy or—"

Zack stared. "You're joking, right?"

"It is a possibility," Sephiroth pointed out reasonably. "It's especially common in political circles—"

"Not you too, Seph," the dark-haired man said with a groan, shaking his head. "I mean, I'd expect Turk-level paranoia like this from Cloud, but come on. Sometimes — more often than not, if you can believe it — a call girl really is just a call girl." He paused, then added, "Or a call boy, as the case may be. But really, Cloud, I'm sure a guy like you could find someone without having to pay for it…"

The younger SOLDIER merely shook his head. Zack did have a point — it wasn't like he hadn't been approached by people, both men and women, from in the SOLDIER program and outside it. Hell, his current roommate had made it clear more than once that he'd be quite willing to fool around a little. But…

He bit back a sigh. There were two types of intimate physical relationships between company personnel: the quick and casual liaisons SOLDIERs often indulged in to take the edge off, which generally happened only a couple times before the people involved went their separate ways, and the far rarer couplings that lasted longer and were much more exclusive, like what Zack and Sephiroth seemed to have. Most of the offers Cloud had gotten had been of the no-strings-attached sort, and… well, to be perfectly honest, he would've preferred something more solid.

But beggars can't really be choosers, can they? Maybe the SOLDIERs who teased him about still being a virgin were right — being picky wouldn't get him anything except more frustrated. "I guess," Cloud eventually said aloud, hoping Zack would change the subject. Thinking about it so much didn't make it any easier, that was for sure.

The other man was giving him that look again, the one that said he totally knew there was more going on than Cloud was letting on, but for a wonder he didn't press the issue. "In any case," he said after a long moment, "I think you should apologize to Tifa."

Cloud blinked. "Huh?" This was… definitely not the change in subject he'd been expecting.

"She tried to let you down lightly, but you're being kind of a dick about it, with the whole just up and walking out and not saying a single thing to her since thing," Zack pointed out, draining the last of his drink. "I know you guys're pretty good friends, and I'd hate to see you blow that friendship on something like this."

The younger SOLDIER almost snorted at that — considering his situation with Aeris, Zack hardly had room to talk there. He was tempted to say something along those lines, in fact, but Sephiroth caught his eye and shook his head a little, so he didn't. Perhaps— okay, no, it was selfish of the General to be so insistent on avoiding all mention of Zack's former girlfriend, but… well, Zack tended to get a bit touchy whenever anyone mentioned her anyway, and Cloud had to admit he generally tried stayed away from the topic because of that. Granted, with the whole Sephiroth issue that situation wasn't anywhere near as cut-and-dry as his was, but… Zack really should at least say something to Aeris at some point. I'm not gonna bring that up when Sephiroth's around, though — that'd just be really awkward.

Zack cleared his throat, looking at him expectantly, and so Cloud shook himself out of his thoughts. "All right, all right," he finally conceded. "I'll go."

The other man smiled, pleased. "Good."

The Flying Dragon was always hopping on the weekends, and Tifa had told her friends that they weren't likely to see much of her then, that they should come other nights. So it was that she was rather surprised to see Cloud show up about halfway through the after-theater rush — alone, no less, which was even more unusual; as far as she knew, he never went out drinking without Zack along (or perhaps, considering his distaste for alcohol, it was the other way around).

She had planned to head over to the little two-person table he took, at least say hello, maybe try to see if three weeks had cooled his temper at all… but Annelie, the pretty little redhead server whose hair she envied like nothing else, beat her to it, stopping beside his table and smiling warmly as she struck up a conversation.

Tifa scowled. Annelie and the other servers were all nice people, but it really bothered her how some of them would stop by a customer's table and waste time there for ten, fifteen minutes at a time (like Marten over there, charming a pair of tipsy businesswomen), sometimes disappearing altogether for far too long — and come to think of it, she hadn't seen Lora at all in the past hour. And the worst of it was that Bill didn't seem to mind at all, when he even noticed. She sighed. It was awfully frustrating sometimes.

"Ooh, is that Cloud?" came a voice just behind her, and she turned to see Lora leaning against the bar. "And here alone on a Friday night, no less… how unusual."

"Where have you been?" Tifa demanded, unable to keep a hint of irritation out of her voice.

"Just had a bit of work to take care of in the back, dear," the other woman said easily, tucking a bit of blond hair behind her ear. She patted Tifa's cheek. "Don't worry your pretty little head about it." Straightening, she glanced at the order Tifa had been getting together, took the tray of drinks, and waded right back among the crowded tables like she'd never been gone.

Tifa shook her head. Lora wasn't more than a couple years older than her, and yet she still had this weirdly affectionate way about her, like a big sister or someone's mother or something.

…"Or something," indeed, she thought with a sigh as the blonde, having delivered her order, stopped at another table, smiling winsomely at the gentlemen there.

It took another fifteen minutes for things to calm down enough that Tifa could get over to see Cloud, at least without neglecting her duties. Not that she was technically a server, anyway — she'd been hired as a bouncer, though on busy nights like this she helped out wherever she could. But with Bill behind the counter and the large group of rowdy university students finally leaving, she had a few minutes to relax.

Tifa felt rather apprehensive as she approached Cloud's table. She had no idea how he'd react after their almost-argument three weeks ago. Yeah, she had missed him in the weeks he'd been gone, but it had been a lot like she'd felt when he'd gone on long missions before they'd started dating — a ready acceptance that he needed to be away for a time, which only confirmed in her mind that what she felt for Cloud wasn't the love he'd wanted from her. Except… she felt almost guilty about the whole thing, as dumb as that was.

Honestly, though, what had bothered Tifa most about it was knowing that he was in Midgar but making himself scarce. Cloud had been trying to arrange at least one morning practice session a week to work with both Aeris and Tifa on the staff and martial arts, respectively, and he hadn't shown since they'd broken up. For her part, Aeris hadn't said anything more than 'boys can be such jerks' and given Tifa a hug when she'd heard what had happened.

In any case, Tifa definitely didn't want to lose her friendship with Cloud; he was one of the few familiar things she had in this crazy city. So it was that she finally found herself next to his table a few minutes after Annelie had left. "Hey," she ventured.

"Hey," Cloud echoed, looking up at her from his glass, eyes bright even in the dim lighting of the bar, almost emphasizing his… differences from much of their clientele. Still, something had changed in them since the last time she had looked in them — they were still warm and kind, but less appraisingly appreciative, much to Tifa's relief. Whether or not he'd let his feelings for her go in the past three weeks, they weren't so uncomfortably obvious and making her second-guess her decision to break it off.

"I came down here to apologize," Cloud finally said, breaking Tifa out of her thoughts. "What happened wasn't… exactly your fault."

Tifa shook her head. "I should've said something about how I felt sooner," she admitted. "I dunno. I just kept waiting for that something to happen, but…"

Cloud stayed quiet for a long moment after she trailed off. "Well," he began, "if you wanted something to happen, I co