Butterfly Effect: Chapter 10
Apr. 22nd, 2006 06:14 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
bard_linnAuthors: Bard Linn and Kiraya
Genre: General/Drama
Pairings: None, at the moment.
Rating (Overall): PG-13
Summary: Cloud’s eyes widened in shock. “General Sephiroth? Come to Nibelheim?”
Disclaimer: Final Fantasy VII and all associated characters and symbols are the exclusive property of Square Enix and its associates. We’re just borrowing them for a while.
Chapter 10
“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. Damn his mentor’s reluctance; 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.
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Genre: General/Drama
Pairings: None, at the moment.
Rating (Overall): PG-13
Summary: Cloud’s eyes widened in shock. “General Sephiroth? Come to Nibelheim?”
Disclaimer: Final Fantasy VII and all associated characters and symbols are the exclusive property of Square Enix and its associates. We’re just borrowing them for a while.
Chapter 10
“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. Damn his mentor’s reluctance; 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.
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