Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ Price for a Memory ❯ Home Truths ( Chapter 14 )

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

14.

Almost three weeks had passed since Sephiroth and Zack had been together. Things had been reasonably quiet throughout the barracks. Training was progressing as normal. Cloud was rapidly moving up the ranks in the Cadet’s leading up to his first exam.

Keeping their ears to the ground was getting them no where. Sephiroth had been more irritable then usual after that night he gave in to lust. Fair enough he did have feelings for the raven haired commander but felt a stronger attraction to Zack’s blond subordinate, although….he didn’t think he could ever act on his feelings.

A quiet knock to his office door shook him from his musings.

“Enter.”

The door slowly drifted open to reveal spiky blond hair.

“Well? Are you just going to stand there Cadet, or are you going to come in?”

Cloud said nothing but shyly entered the room, shut the door behind him and shifted nervously on his feet.

“Sit. Now tell me what happened.”

Sephiroth knew why Cloud was here. He knew he had been late on many occasions for training and when he did show up he couldn’t train due to severe back pains. He watched Cloud ease himself onto one of the seats infront of his desk. Sephiroth leaned back in his chair, rested his chin on one hand, the other hand on his knee, waiting patiently for Cloud to begin.

“Well….I was sent here to be disciplined. I keep sleeping in and I cannot train properly. Sometimes I can barely move because of my back. I….I also wanted to ask you something….if I may?”

“You may.”

“What do you know about what’s wrong with me? I saw the way you looked at my back. You know? The scar on it? I would like to know what you and Zack were researching…if that’s ok Sir?”

Sephiroth grimaced. He didn’t want to say anything to Cloud. After all he didn’t think he knew anything.

“Well, as for discipline. I will not give you any for I do know how you feel. I ummm, how can I say this. I have the same….infirmity as you.”

“What do you mean Sir?”

“That on your back.” Sephiroth gestured to Cloud’s left shoulder before pointing to his own right.

Cloud looked totally confused.

“Ummm Sir? There’s nothing there….except in my dreams. A wing shoots out whenever I see that man.”

“Trust me. Given time there will be. Now I have a question. Who is that man?”

“I am not sure but he looks like the picture of my father in my locket.”

“The man you have never met?”

Cloud said nothing but nodded slightly. Sephiroth was quite confused for he had heard two different stories about the boys father.

“I heard from Zack that he trained you when you were younger, however you told me you had never met him and that your fighting abilities were innate?”

Cloud squirmed uncomfortably in his seat. Sephiroth sensed his unease so he leaned forwards towards his desk and smiled as warmly as he could at the boy. Cloud seemed to calm a bit at this welcoming gesture.

“I lied to Zack. You see I was hated in my village. I was seen as a bastard child. Actually I was. Having a child out of wedlock is forbidden in Nibelheim. Not to mention the fact that my “Father” vanished just after I was born. I didn’t want Zack to see me that way. I wanted a fresh start here.”

“Why did you tell me the truth?”

“I felt I could without being judged.”

Sephiroth nodded slightly before thinking how best to try and tell Cloud about the potential situation he could be in. Decision made, he raised his hand and motioned to the door.

“Come in Zack.”

Zack entered the room looking a bit sheepish. He had been eavesdropping. He really shouldn’t have been but temptation was too strong for him. Cloud’s eyes widened upon seeing Zack.

“Hey Blondie. Don’t worry. I aint pissed that you told a white lie. We just think we know who your old man is.”

Again Cloud sat in silence. Why had things turned out to be so confusing since coming here? Why was he plagued with weird and creepy dreams where Zack died in every one and that black haired man extended his hand in friendship to him?

“Cloud?”

Sephiroth decided he would tell the quaking confused Cadet what he knew. After all it was better for the boy to have some clue to his heritage.

“What Zack and myself have been investigating began the day you passed your exam. When you almost died after the mako injection I knew I saw natural mako green swirling about in there. Then, when I uploaded your data into the ShinRa system I saw it again on your profile picture. On finding out your second name I thought I knew it from somewhere so I typed it into the systems search engine….you follow me?”

Cloud sat totally bemused. Zack sat looking at him with a hand on his shoulder in an attempt to make him more comfortable. Sephiroth decided to continue his confessions about snooping about the boys personal life.

“Only one previous Strife came up. I believe he is your father. That night in the basement those documents we held were….diary entries from what we believe to be the same man. He mentioned fleeing to your hometown. From the state of the letters we guess they are very old.”

“What do the letters say?”

“Along the lines of him being in experiments. Feeling his mind was not his own. Having to escape and about a woman he knew would take him in.”

“But what does that have to do with me?”

“As I said we believe he is your father. His name was G. Strife. No first name. Just that. Also, I think the dreams you have told Zack about harbour that same man. Tall, slim, black hair, old General’s uniform?”

“Uh huh?” Cloud questioned, bewildered that Sephiroth knew so much.

Obviously both Sephiroth and Zack had been discussing the boy behind his back.

Sephiroth stood up, removed his coat and concentrated hard. Pain etched across his features. Slowly his shin cracked open revealing the bloody but soft feathers concealed below. The wing grew at a snails pace. Each inch bringing the General further into agony. Cloud’s eyes widened into saucers. What was going on?

Sephiroth took a few minutes to calm himself before beginning again.

“The man in your dreams has a wing no?”

“Uh huh.”

“I believe he is your father and he is trying to warn you. To call out to you. This is the reason as to why he was driven to take his own life. This is why I endure horrific experiments. This is why both Zack and myself want to help you.”

“Sir? What do you mean?”

“We do not know yet but we believe if Hojo finds out you are the son of G.Strife, you may suffer the same fate as him before you. I….we do not want that.”

Sephiroth decided to keep quiet about the three findings of R.1.K.U., 5.O.R.A. and W.3.I.S.S in the lab after all neither Sephiroth nor Zack knew what they were. They both however decided to enlighten Cloud to avoid any more suspicion.

“Cloud? I would like you to keep this to yourself. All this information goes no further. We just want to help you. If Hojo sees that you have this wing and puts two and two together, given your name, looks and innate fighting skills we cannot help you. As of yet, Hojo has not met you. I want to keep it that way.”

Cloud’s head was in his hands. Why was all of this happening? He had never questioned not having a father, now he was being told he went mad and took his own life?

“Sir?”

“Yes Cloud?”

“Who was he? Did you know him?”

“I am pretty sure I did meet him. My memories are quite fuzzy from the time but I remember a previous General. I looked up to him. Admired him. I think I had two training sessions with him….then he vanished and was presumed dead. No one thought he would father a child….you….”

Zack smiled at both Cloud and Sephiroth. This had to be hard on the boy. He was only 16 and had only been in ShinRa for a few short months but he had to know what both himself and Sephiroth had been snooping around. The boy was not stupid. He would have worked things out eventually.

“Sir?”

“Yes Zack?”

“I’m gonna get back to my troops. Have left Reno in charge again. Heaven knows what he’s making them do!” Zack jibed to try and lighten the mood.

Sephiroth nodded slightly and watched as Zack left the room. He did feel his mood lighten. Telling Cloud all this jumbled information had taken a weight off his chest.

“Cloud? Are you ok?”

Stupid question he knew but it had to be asked.

“I-I’m fine. I just….why me?”

“I asked myself the same question when I found out I had this….gift. It will be fine. As long as you stay as normal as possible and don’t get yourself hurt, nothing should happen.”

“Thanks. I think. I should get back. Gotta train past the pain huh?”

“Yes of course. Oh and Cloud? Should you feel something below your left shoulder trying to break free? Stop training or what ever your doing. It has a tendency to show its feathered face when emotions and senses are greatly heightened. Trust me….I know.”

“Uh huh. Ok. I will remember that. Thanks for telling me Sir. I felt bad constantly nagging at Zack about what he was getting up to.”

“You like him don’t you?”

“He is a good friend….as are you Sir.”

Cloud bowed to the General before exiting the room. Sephiroth slumped back in his chair sighing deeply. He did have to tell Cloud those pieces of information. He could trust Cloud to keep quiet.

Indeed he did feel a bit lighter. He just prayed nothing jeopardised the young Cadet. He couldn’t let anything like that happen.