Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ Price for a Memory ❯ Confusion, Sephiroth and Part One ( Chapter 3 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

3.

Glowing green eyes scanned the new recruits with a bored air about them. Nothing impressive this year either. Still, Sephiroth scanned the long line of potentials. Already he was weeding out who wouldn’t even get past the first part of the exam.

“He wont, he wont, he will, he wont, he wont….maybe him….damn I hate this….” The silver haired male moaned mentally to himself.

Reaching the end of the line he almost missed a potential candidate. The boy was so small in size and stature he was shrouded, surrounded and crowded by the other burly hopefuls. Stopping in his tracks he almost glared at the young blond.

“There’s something….strange….”

Clouds legs shook harder as he watched the elusive General scan all the other boys his age. Yes, they were all going to definitely get in. Not him. Sweat beaded then trickled down his face and neck. Was it the heat of the sun or was it seeing the General this close? He couldn’t make up his mind. So lost in his own thoughts about everything, Cloud failed to notice Sephiroth had stopped walking and was staring at something. He didn’t even notice the older male advance on him until he was about two feet away.

Sephiroth knew he wasn’t supposed to actually go up to and personally talk to the potentials before they were accepted, but he couldn’t help the nagging feeling in his mind that this boy infront of him had a strange and foreign aura about him. Slowly he stepped over to the blond, who seemed too lost in his own thoughts.

“Hmmm, not intimidated by me in the least. He may be a possibility.” He thought to himself.

Stopping right infront of the small blond, Sephiroth was shocked by the fact that he didn’t even notice him there. Most would be bowing and saluting like crazy, but not this strange boy. Anger slowly etched across his flawless perfect features, giving him an almost menacing look.

“CADET!”

Cloud yelped when he heard the loud yell. Snapping out of his daze, he froze in horror to see pissed off aquamarine eyes glaring into his. He couldn’t find any words to say to his hero. Stuttering and mumbling nothing that sounded English he tried to stammer an apology but all that came out was jumbled nonsense.

Sephiroth had had enough.

“Shut up Cadet.”

He raised his right hand and took hold of Cloud’s chin. Slowly turning his head to the right, the left then back again.

“Turn around.”

Cloud did so despite his legs almost collapsing under him.

Sephiroth grabbed the boys arms and lifted them out to the sides. Running cool leather gloves over the blond’s bare skin then down his sides stopping at the base of his spine before returning up to the base of his neck.

“Drop your arms. Turn round.”

Cloud immediately did so despite the blush creeping across the bridge of his nose and his cheeks. Bright blue eyes stared into cold green.

“You have used a sword before correct?”

Cloud said nothing. He could hear the quiet snide remarks echoing all around him. Great. Just here and making enemies.

“Well? Your disregard for authority astounds me. I’m still waiting for my answer.”

“S-sorry Sir. I um….yes I have….briefly for the last few months….Sir.”

“As I thought. I will have my eye on you Cadet.”

Almost growling at the quaking boy, Sephiroth turned on his heel and thundered away from the potentials.

Zack stood bewildered watching the scene that played out in front of him. The last person he had seen Sephiroth be so thorough with was, now that he thought about it, himself. He stared over at Cloud totally ignoring the other officers arranging times for the different aspects of the exam. He saw the terrified look in Cloud’s eyes as the General walked away. He was convinced the tiny blond was either about to throw up, faint, or scream and run away. Possibly all three if that was possible.

Cloud stood in utter shock. He paled. To onlookers one would have though he had seen a ghost. Not only did he make a total arse out of himself infront of the great General Sephiroth, he was shit rude to him also. Cloud felt like throwing up. He glanced left then right. He cringed awkwardly at the sight of all the other new recruits glaring and growling at him. Here they were butch, buff, manly guys who didn’t even get a single look from the General, and here Cloud was. Girly, weedy, thin, short, pale, pathetic who got around three minutes of the General’s undivided attention.

“Great way to make friends Cloud you idiot!” His mind screamed at him.

Each small group were told to disperse to their elected commanding officers. Cloud’s group stood chatting amongst themselves before the initial stages of the entrance exams took place. A couple of times they glanced Cloud’s way, sniggered then turned back away from him. He was too annoyed at himself to care. Silently Cloud scanned the training grounds. He watched everyone. To him, the whole military population here had named him public enemy number one. He turned his head round only to catch Sephiroth about 100yards away talking to Zack. Zack had his back to the young blond but Sephiroth could see him. He seemed to be staring at the boy, not even paying attention to a thing his second in command had to say.

“He hates me. He hates me. He hates me. I wanna go home now.” Cloud mumbled to himself time and time again.

Too caught up in his own little world again he failed to notice again someone advancing on him.

“Hey….you ok there?”

Cloud snapped out of his daze when he felt a warm gloved hand place itself on his right shoulder.

“Z-Zack? Yeh I’m ok….I guess.”

“No your not. I can still feel you shaking. It’s the General huh?”

Cloud nodded ever so slightly.

“Yeh, he has that way with everyone. We’re all shit scared of him. Like I said….on a good day its hell enough but on a bad day….protect your head. Don’t open your mouth. Hell, don’t even walk on the same planet let alone the same compound as him.”

“It wasn’t that. I didn’t feel scared when he came up to me. I felt more….weird than anything.”

“Dude? Your weird!” Zack laughed out loud.

Cloud resisted the urge to punch Zack hard but knew he would be immediately kicked out with no time to even steal a ShinRa pen.

“Ok guys! Gather round!” Zack called out.

“First things first. This exam aint gonna be no cake walk. It tests strength, fitness, endurance, working alone and as part of a group. ONLY after that and providing you pass, do you get the ultimate pleasure of enduring mako injections. The first ones the best….” Zack sarcastically jibed.

The eight Cadet’s simply looked at each other totally terrified. If a man couldn’t make it in SOLDIER he couldn’t make it anywhere as far as they were concerned.

The first segment of the first part of the exam consisted of the run of the mill assault courses all testing physical strength. General fitness and stamina. Cloud managed to scale the 12ft wall. Just. But not before falling on his backside the first seven attempts.

The second part gave the Cadet’s an opportunity to try out their shooting skills. Cloud of course was an old pro at this due to the fact that for the duration of his childhood back home he was usually on rat duty at the farm. He hated killing, but he was told to do it. Even though it was just a pellet gun he used when he was a boy the basic principles remained similar. Many other hopefuls looked on at him green with envy as their aiming and firing skills paled in comparison.

The third part was Cloud’s favourite. He had been practising for this part for months. One on one training combat. Cloud dreamed of one day being able to wield a sword just like the Masamune and face up against the General. He knew he could never wield it but wanted the second best. He found himself put up against a boy who must have been well over 6ft. Cloud craned his neck to look up at him.

“Your dead little boy.”

Cloud choked back a laugh. What damage could be done with a sun damaged wooden sword? They all looked though they were about to fall apart. Before Cloud could even blink, the big brute of a male swung his sword in a clumsy heavy arch attempting to whack the petite blond over the top of the head. Cloud’s small stature and speed proved to be an easy duck and roll manoeuvre. A swift knock to the back of the brutes knees with the training sword sent him crashing to the floor cursing and swearing at the tiny blond. Cloud stood triumphantly rubbing under his nose with pride. Glancing over to his side, he once again saw the General looking over at him. Probably thinking what a cheater he was due to the fact he proved victorious so quickly. Cloud swiftly averted his gaze suddenly feeling his adrenaline rush leave him. Out of no where he was unusually shattered.

After the three stages of the first part of the exam were over all that was left for the potential Cadet’s to do was sit around doing absolutely nothing as their superiors decided who was man enough to go for the deadly MAKO injections.

Cloud sat on his own, shaded under a tree at the back of the training grounds. His legs still shook. He couldn’t get the General’s words, albeit few, out of his head.

“I will have my eye on you Cadet.”

The words echoed round his head swirling and tumbling, giving him a tension headache. Why did the great Sephiroth suddenly take an interest in girly looking Cloud? Why the intense stare in his eyes as he watched him knock the 6ft bruiser tumbling to the ground? Why bother with him at all?

“Hey again! Man it seems every time I come to see you your just staring out into space, lost inside that spiky head of yours!”

Cloud turned round to see the source of the voice.

“Hi Zack.” He said with an almost disheartened tone to his already small voice.

Zack plopped down beside Cloud on the hot, dry, cracked, sun baked ground.

“Sooooooooo….how did you find today? I think you did pretty well! Especially when you knocked that other guy clean off his feet! How’d such a lil’ guy like you get so strong huh?”

“I dunno….my father was a fighter. He taught me basic fighting moves when I was younger. I think he may have been in SOLDIER. I could kinda tell by the way his eyes glowed. Mother never said anything about it though. I don’t think she wanted to accept his past….if that’s what he did before I came along.”

Zack simply sat grinning at the small blond.

“What are you so happy about?”

Zack shook his head.

“Nah, I cant tell ya!”

“Tell me!” Cloud almost whined.

Zack leaned in closer. So close. Cloud could feel the older males breath tickling the side of his face. A small shudder fluttered down his spine pooling in his stomach. He fought the small blush that swept across his cheeks.

“You’re in.” Zack barely whispered into the blushing Cloud’s ear.

He whipped his head round almost clipping Zack’s nose off in the process.

“WHAT?!”

“Shhhhh, keep your voice down! I’m not supposed to tell you till….well….shit NOW! Mose….MOVE Cloud!”

Cloud lept to his feet followed shortly after by Zack. He thundered through the training grounds taking his place at the end of the line of around 70 hopefuls. Last again. Late as per usual.

Name after name was called out. All of these males were taken off to one side. Obviously they all thought they were going to be accepted. Only around 20 remained along with Cloud. They all glanced nervously to each other as they clocked Sephiroth approaching.

Zack bowed to the General before winking over at the blond, once again drowned out by the size of the boys around him.

Sephiroth scanned the small huddle of Cadet’s instantly smirking when he caught Cloud’s gaze.

“Ok men! Line up. Follow me. NOW!”

Cloud remained at the back of the line almost lagging behind the huge strides of the other Cadet’s. Zack once again joined his side.

“This is one of his good days.”

“He seems a bit uptight for a good day.” Cloud added at the end instantly shrinking when he spotted Sephiroth whipping his head round and glaring at him and Zack.

“He likes you Cloud. I can tell.”

A crimson blush crept across Cloud’s cheeks once again as he averted his eyes from the back of Sephiroth’s head. Of course Zack meant as a potential SOLDIER. Nothing else of course. Sephiroth was, after all untouchable.

Cold metal corridors spread on for what felt like miles. Damp and dank feeling. Cloud felt like his skin was crawling. He felt itchy. As if tiny bubbles were bursting all over his bare arms. Colourless and uncharacteristically like a mortuary, Cloud felt increasingly uncomfortable in this alien atmosphere. A strange, awful, uneasy feeling swept across the blonde as the party continued down the winding corridors. The feeling felt the same as the one he had first thing that morning after that too real to be a dream dream. He shuddered involuntarily. Zack caught this and placed a reassuring hand on Cloud’s unusually cold shoulder.

The party came to a halt with just a flick of the General’s wrist. Heavy steel doors were hauled open. Cloud and Zack peered in. Zack unaffected. Cloud terrified at the site of rows and rows of sterilised tables infront of them. Each one with a military doctor standing beside drips filled glowing green undiluted, untouched pure mako, huge thick needles at the end of them.

He knew what was coming next.

“Fuck.” Was all that came from the blond’s mouth.