Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ Price for a Memory ❯ Deadly Training ( Chapter 22 )

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

22.

Cloud sat inside the small training hall, patiently waiting for Sephiroth. Damn he was late. Something that never fitted in the same sentence, Sephiroth and lateness.

To say Cloud was patient, was a gross understatement. By his methods of patience, he had already tapped his foot many times, bitten his finger nails down to the quick, folded and unfolded his arms countless times, paced back and forth in the same five foot space, almost wearing a hole in the floor and finally, plopping himself down and drumming his fingers noisily off of the wooden floor.

Sighing loudly, Cloud glanced at his watch.

“10.30, he sure is late….”

Like the devoted little Cadet he was, Cloud had already waited over an hour and a half. Why he still waited was beyond him. He desperately wanted to sit and absentmindedly play with his hair, something he always done when he was bored. But, alas, his shining, long, golden blond locks were no more.

“Damn Zack….”

Staring a hole through his hand on the floor, Cloud’s mind cast him back to that night, that night that Sephiroth had seemed to try and take his hand. Tried to take his hand before leaning in and kissing him ever so slightly.

Cloud’s cheeks blushed crimson as he placed long fingers to his lips. How he wanted to kiss the General. How he wanted to do so much more.

Before Cloud could fall deeper into day dreams about Sephiroth, his mind shoved a picture of Zack into his train of thoughts. Those deep blue eyes, that caring smile, genuine friendship….almost, dare he think it….love.

Sighing loudly, Cloud was indeed torn. Fickle.

“Cloud? You are still here?”

So engrossed in his own musings, Cloud had clearly not heard the doors to the training hall slide open then snap shut again. He also had never even noticed a leather coat being dropped haphazardly down beside him, it’s owner standing, towering in front of him.

“Are you even awake Cloud?”

Startled by the clipped tone being used, Cloud jumped up off the ground, stood as tall as he could and saluted the silver haired male in front of him.

Sephiroth seemed to roll his eyes at the blond.

“What have I told you? At ease.”

Cloud felt his body almost melt back onto the floor. No, he couldn’t sit down. He hadn’t even trained yet. Damn he had been so bored, bored to the point of exhaustion and sleep.

“Why did you wait this long Cloud?”

“Umm, I-I couldn’t just up and leave. I couldn’t remember if you had told me you were going to be late today….some member of SOLDIER I will be….”

“Don’t worry about that. I never told you anything of the sort. I was just….held up….a woman came to visit me, said she was looking for a job here. I did not intend on being late, however, circumstances changed. I’m amazed you waited here so long.”

“Like I said. I didn’t just want to leave. On thinking about it….I could have begun on my own….”

Cloud averted his gaze to the floor. Almost as if he was trying to find something extremely interesting in the wood. A quiet sigh and fingers placing themselves under his chin brought his eyes up to the silver haired General.

Both stared at each other for what felt like an eternity. Cloud started to feel a bit awkward. It felt like Sephiroth was undressing him then and there with his piercing aquamarine stare.

Sephiroth smirked before, in the blink of an eye, a silver sword replaced those warm fingers.

Gasping at the merciless cool death at his neck, Cloud stared wide eyed at Sephiroth.

“Never take your eyes from the enemy. No matter how….inviting and calm he looks!”

Sweeping of silver hairline metal shook Cloud from his shock. His mind barely had time to register his head was about to be severed off as he leapt out the way of the over 7foot sword.

Growling at his own ineptitude, Cloud sidestepped another lethal slice from Masamune totally unarmed.

Why, oh why was his sword over by the door? Why, oh why was he no where near it?

Sephiroth grinned almost evilly as he continued to try and mangle the blond beauty in front of him. He took delight in watching his terrified expression as Masamune went for his head time and time again.

What started as fear in the lithe young Cadet, swiftly turned into blind rage. Why the hell was Sephiroth trying to remove his head? Slice his chest open? Why wasn’t he letting Cloud retrieve his weapon. It was supposed to be training, not a slaughter house.

“Sephiroth?! Stop this!” No use, the man in front of him seemed blinded by murder.

Cloud watched as Sephiroth switched stances from his previous relaxed stature. Both hands now held the deadly blade. He stood tall, towering over the blond again. Sword raised dangerously high beside the right side of his face. Now Cloud truly was in trouble. Previous gleaming mako green had darkened and deepened dramatically. Beautiful eyes had lost their shine. Now they glazed over almost lifelessly.

Cloud glanced over his left shoulder. His sword was about 20feet from him. He could make it if he ran.

“Big mistake!”

Seething pain shot through Clouds arm as Sephiroth’s Masamune cut through the creamy flesh just above his elbow.

Grabbing at the hairs breadth wound, Cloud felt the unmistakable hot drippings of blood seep through his fingers and down his hand.

“Sephiroth? Stop!”

Still he paid no mind.

Lunging forwards again, Sephiroth uttered no sound as he made for the youth. He didn’t even seem to be breathing. His face unreadable, unpredictable, unreliable.

Sliding backwards, Cloud sucked his whole body into itself to narrowly escape getting cut again. Anger flooded through Clouds veins. Previously passive green tinged blue eyes swirled flaming frozen mako. Shining eyes glared through the silver haired General. Cloud’s vision blurred, his eyes narrowed in anger.

With a guttural roar, Cloud flew at Sephiroth, rapidly dropping to his backside and sweeping his feet behind Sephiroth’s ankles. Tripping backwards a few paces, Sephiroth sneered at the still unarmed youngster.

Quicker than lightning, Sephiroth raised his sword before crashing it down towards Cloud’s head.

Silence.

Nothing.

His blade struggled ferociously against an unknown force. Glancing down, Sephiroth, through his mako drunk state could clearly see two hands on either side of his blade. Clamping down on the metal tightly. Blood ran down the blond Cadet’s arms as he fought against the blade. His muscles tightened and constricted as he pushed against Sephiroth’s inhuman strength.

Agony seeped it’s way down Cloud’s arms the second he touched the blade. It roasted his hands. Why it was so hot? He felt like his body would catch on fire given a second. Sweat dripped down his face, running down the length of his nose, dropping off the end as he edged the blade millimetres at a time away from his face. Had Cloud reacted any slower, his body would be sliced in two. He stopped the blade about an inch from cracking through his skull.

Loud groans reverberated through the tiny training room as Cloud continued to fight against the power of Sephiroth. Slowly, Cloud found he could get back onto his feet. Putting all his remaining strength into his bent legs, he forced himself forwards one agonisingly slow step.

Why had Sephiroth not relented?

A pulsing throb echoed through Clouds back, pouring into his shoulder. Pushing sensations shooting up and down his back edged him forwards even more. Masamune cut deeper into his palms.

Sweat trickled down Sephiroth’s face and bare chest as Cloud fought bitterly against his blade.

Why couldn’t he stop himself? Why couldn’t he see he was pushing the boy too far? Why couldn’t he see anything?

Cloud couldn’t hold back the pained scream that shot from his mouth as his shoulder ripped apart. The muscles in his arms felt fit to burst as his wing sprang forth and pushed him violently towards Sephiroth.

Masamune flew through the air as Cloud lurched forwards and fell brutally into Sephiroth’s chest, knocking the wind from the older male.

Hearing his precious sword skittering across the floor before clanking against the far wall, right beside Cloud’s version of the Buster Sword shook Sephiroth from his trance. He had lost.

He had lost to an unarmed Cadet.

Cloud heaved and panted atop the General. He just couldn’t calm his aching muscles or catch a breath that was worth a damn. His hands dug painfully into the floor on either side of Sephiroth’s head. His legs squeezed painfully at the older males sides. Blood dripped from Cloud’s shoulder and chest onto the General’s pale and slick with sweat chest.

Sephiroth finally averted his calmed gaze from his long gone sword to the Cadet above him. His eyes were wide and frantic. His pupils had thinned, identical to Sephiroth‘s own. His eyes pale and steely. Glowing almost white in their appearance.

“Cloud? I….I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to attack you like that….”

All Sephiroth could hear was the boy struggling for a breath above him. It was then that Sephiroth’s mind caught up with him. The boy’s wing. In plain sight for any passer by to see.

“Shit!”

Sephiroth shimmied out from under Cloud, dragged the weakened male to his feet and over to the furthest corner to the side of the glass panelled door. There, now no one could see them.

“Cloud? Snap out of it!”

“W-what? Me?! I’m fine! I didn’t try to kill you!”

Cloud had apparently calmed down, caught some of his lost breath. Now he demanded answers.

“Why Sephiroth?”

“I have no idea….I guess….I really can’t trust myself with my emotions….my anger. I am so sorry Cloud. If I had better hold over my feelings….I would not have let one little incident this morning shatter myself.”

“What incident?”

“Nothing of great importance.”

“It clearly was if it pissed you off so much.”

“It was….that woman….Shera Crescent. She claimed I looked like my mother. My life is confusing enough without a random telling me these things! No wonder I can’t even….!”

Sephiroth dropped his elbows onto his knees, raising his hands and burying his face in them.

No tears escaped Sephiroth’s eyes.

He had forgotten how to cry long ago.

Cloud sat in silence and watched Sephiroth. He didn’t know what to say to make the silver haired male feel better.

Feeling a silky soft feather fall down his arm, he had his answer. Placing a hand over one of Sephiroth’s, Cloud finally spoke.

“Seph? I need your help again.”

Sephiroth looked through his parted fingers at Cloud. Sure enough, the boy needed help again. Smiling slightly, Sephiroth pulled both himself and Cloud to their feet.

Cloud took in Sephiroth’s pained features. His face etched in sadness. His eyes, although emotionless, tinted slightly round the edges with bloodshot red. Eyes could never lie. Sephiroth almost shed a tear at the helplessness he feels in the grand scheme of things.

Ignoring the youths awful nickname for him, Sephiroth smiled again at the boy.

“Close your eyes Cloud. Find the centre of your body. Find your power source. Push it down.”

The shifting of feathers and a painful groan caused Sephiroth to open his own eyes. Once again, the blond’s face was distorted with pain.

“Ugh, it’s less painful this time. Hope the pain ebbs each time huh?”

“It does….given time.”

Cloud slumped back onto the floor. Legs parted wide, knees bent high, hands resting limply on the wooden floor between his legs. Blood still trickled from the wounds to his hands.

“Sorry Cloud. Let me heal that.”

Cloud nodded his head before feeling the soothing cool aura of a Cure 2 wash over the two of them.

“Much better Sephiroth. Much better than my measly Cure 1!”

“Thanks for using my proper name this time Cadet. How in the name of the Ancient’s did you stop me from killing you?”

Cloud glanced over at the long forgotten about Masamune lying peacefully against his own sword. He noted how well the two swords fit together just lying there. As if they were made to be with each other, right there, on that very floor.

Blushing slightly, Cloud found his answer. “I have no idea. I just….snapped….you cut me. I had to stop you. I did the only thing I could think of. Grabbed the blade from your hands.”

“That’s my point. You grabbed the blade, not the hilt, the blade. If that were anyone else, your arms would have been severed off, followed by your body splitting in two! I don’t think even I could have stopped that if the positions were reversed.”

“Yes you could. No body can beat you after all.”

“You did Cloud.”

Both males stared at each other once again. Sephiroth stared at the blond youth’s eyes intently. They had lost their deathly white gleam but not the mako fuelled shine.

“Your eyes….take a look.” Sephiroth said as he motioned to the mirrored wall they sat against.

Cloud twisted his body round so he could look at himself.

Apart from sweat dripping down his slightly red face, Cloud couldn’t really see anything that different. Big wow, his eyes were green. Almost always a must as a member of SOLDIER. Well, apart from Zack….

“What?”

“Look closer.”

Pressing his face nearer to the glass, Cloud almost gasped at his eyes. His pupils has thinned and narrowed to that of Sephiroth’s. When the hell had that happened?

“Uhhhhh….I….”

“Th e same as me. It happened when you overpowered me. Personally, I think they look good.”

“Of course you would. You have ‘em!”

Both males glance at each other again before light laughter bubbled from Sephiroth’s throat, followed closely by Cloud.

Sephiroth peered at the clock suspended on the far side of the room. Dammit, that time again. Another ‘healthy’ dose of mako. Joy and rapture.

“Cloud? We have to go.”

Cloud looked at his watch.

“Dammit. I hate this part of the week….”

Cloud grimaced as he got his gear together. He forced his achy body into a fresh t-shirt as his wing had destroyed his previous.

Before the two males headed out the room, a hand shot out and grabbed Cloud’s.

“W-what’s wrong?”

“Nothing. I just wanted to apologise again Cloud. If I had ended your life….I don’t know….”

“It’s ok Sephiroth. I know how you feel. Totally helpless? I’ve been there. Hell, I’m still there!” Cloud beamed at the silver haired male, even though his tone of voice didn’t match his facial expressions.

“Thank you Cloud. Thanks for understanding.”

Both males closed the small gap between them before slowly leaning in.

Sephiroth just happened to look to his left just as Reno rounded a corner and paced towards them. Pulling back instantly, he dropped his hold of Cloud’s warm hand.

“Spike!”

“Hey Reno….”

“Sir!”

“Cadet.̶ 1;

Reno pulled a quick but formal salute before silently excusing himself from the looming presence of the General.

Cloud watched as the fiery red head vanished round another corner. Something in Reno’s eyes called for caution, distrust, wariness even. Finally, he cast his eyes up towards the General.

“You think he saw?”

“No, I don’t think he did. If he did, surely he would have said something….”

Sephiroth listened to the playback in his head. Was he an idiot? No way did he trust this so called Reno. The Turks were scouting out for him. Every time Cloud was about, he was not too far behind. Always watching….spying if you like. However, Sephiroth hoped to hell that he had not seen anything.

Cloud stared into space for what felt like forever. He had no idea what he was staring at or for how long he stared at it. Before he knew it, he was following Sephiroth down the winding corridors towards the temporary labs which had been set up after the event of the break in.

Cloud was not even aware that Sephiroth was talking to him.

“Cloud? Are you even listening?!”

Shaking his head violently, Cloud struggled with his words. “Hmm, huh? What?”

“Your impertinence really does astound me. Why I let you away with it I shall never know….You’re still not listening!”

“What? Sorry Sephiroth….I was preoccupied….What were you saying?”

“Forget it. Were here anyway.”

Cloud’s stomach sank as he stopped dead in front of the cold, steely lab doors. His face fell instantly. Fear set in his now vivid green eyes.

“I bloody hate this.”

“I know, guess it’s our fate to have this done to us each week….I hate it too.”

Both males swallowed their surfaced fear and proceeded into the lab. Thankfully Hojo was no where in sight. Cloud ached too much and walked in too pained a manner to be able to hide it from that maniac.

Sephiroth did however gasp slightly at the lab assistant standing in front of them.

“S-Shera?”

“Thanks you so much for hiring me Sir. I have always wanted to work for ShinRa.”

He just caught that wink and no more. Saying nothing, he nodded his head slightly before leaning against the table he was supposed to sit on.

Cloud perched uneasily on the same table, his eyes kept wandering over to this woman who Sephiroth seemed to know. Was she the person who pissed the silver haired male off that very morning?

“Cloud was it?”

Said woman was now standing in front of the nervous blond.

“Yes it is.”

“I have heard much about you. It would seem that you are….special….I will do all I can to help you.” Her voice had dropped to no more than a whisper.

Cloud sat speechless. He glanced over at Sephiroth who was still propped against the table, eyes shut, arms folded over his chest.

“Trust her Cloud.”

Said blond looked at the female before nodding to her.

“Why are you doing this?”

“I don’t want anyone to go through the suffering Doctor Lucrecia Crescent went through. Such inhumane pain and suffering….all because of that maniac! I cannot see another living person being poisoned by that man. Sephiroth here, is proof enough of what he can do to a humans body and soul.”

Cloud looked at Sephiroth again. On the outside, nothing seemed wrong. However, with greater concentration, Cloud could feel all the turmoil and upset inside him.

Sephiroth knew why she was here, in these labs. She needed more blood samples from Sephiroth and this time Cloud. She intended to add them to the remaining samples of R.1.K.U. that Sephiroth had obtained to see what she could find out.

“Ok boys, arms out, veins up. I fricking hate giving these out.”

Cloud sheepishly looked at the pretty female.

“Ummm, why don’t we just leave it then?”

“We may be being watched. Best act normal.”

Cloud sighed dejectedly before resting his arm palm up on the table top.

“Eyes on me Cloud.”

Sephiroth’s silky baritone broke through the dense silence filling the room. Glancing round, Cloud found himself fixated to Sephiroth’s gaze. His eyes were calm and tranquil. A stark contrast to thirty minutes previous when the same man tried to sever his head from his body.

However, no matter how peaceful Cloud found Sephiroth’s eyes, he couldn’t control that sharp yell when the thick needle plundered his arm.

The thick icy heat swiftly entered his arm and traversed his blood stream once again. He could feel the potent concoction flood his veins and head straight to his brain.

Feeling his world spin, Cloud let himself lull back onto the table, his head rested right beside Sephiroth’s hip. Moving his head slightly, his cheek nuzzled into said silver haired male’s hip bone.

“Ok Sephiroth. It’s your turn.”

Sephiroth stood in silence just watching Cloud become somewhat clouded with mako. He knew the boy was burning with frozen ice inside, but his face told a different story. How his hip bone could be comfortable, he would never know.

Sephiroth too grimaced as a new sterile needle plunged into a raised vein on his arm. Fuck, he hated this. He questioned mentally again. Why, oh why was he graced with such enticing veins?

Drawing blood was easy from Cloud due to the fact he was in an almost comatose state after his mako injection. Sweat trickled down his pretty face but he didn’t make a move to rid himself of it.

Sephiroth too put up little resistance as his precious blood was taken from his body. All the while, Shera smiled somewhat sadly at the two males.

“Alright….you think he will be ok?”

“For now, he will be. However, when he wakes up….it’s a different story. He has….tried things when he has been coming down from a mako high. His body just cannot get used to it.”

“What do you mean? What has he tried?”

“My Second in Command Zack Aegis has caught Cloud each time, trying to tear his skin off. Hence the scars on his arms, legs and torso. He has also attacked Zack a couple of times as he cannot discern friend from foe. I don’t have a solution as to what we can do.”

Shera put a lone finger to her chin. She appeared to be deep in thought. She paced back and forth a couple of times before she clasped her hands together in glee.

“He already has mako inside him correct?”

“Yes……..”

“ Just stop his injections. It’s simple.”

“I thought you were a scientist. If we stop them now, he will lose his mind and go mad.”

“Hmmm, right, I forgot about that. Well, I suggest weaning him off of the injections. Start by moving them a day later each time, eventually his body wont even have a clue that he is late for treatment.”

Sephiroth said nothing but looked almost lovingly at the still unconscious Cloud.

“Thanks Shera.”

“No bother. If I may? I must get going. As far as ShinRa is concerned, I am only a temp.”

Just as Shera went to leave the lab, Zack popped his head round the door.

“Hey Seph. How is he?”

“Not bad. Not good. His body just can’t get used to the mako.”

Sephiroth too was starting to feel the icy burning ebb it’s was through his blood stream. He felt slightly dizzy. His head started that oh so familiar dull ache.

“Seph? You head back to your quarters. I will take care of Cloud. I think he’s starting to wake up.”

Sephiroth wanted to object, however, his body felt like tonne weights had jumped onto each limb.

“Ok Zack. Call me if anything happens to him.”

Zack, immediately understanding what Sephiroth meant as ‘anything’, gave a quick nod before hauling Cloud over his shoulder and heading to the barracks.

Sephiroth gathered his wits, forced himself to stand up straight, grabbed his leather coat and made to leave the lab.

“I see you have taken quite the shine to that boy.”

That voice. Surely he couldn’t have bee in the lab the whole time? Sephiroth had made sure to scan the area for any kind of threat before him and Cloud had even entered.

No, from the direction the male had come from, he was heading into the lab through a side access corridor. That had to be it.

“You misunderstand my intentions Hojo.”

“I think not boy. You have begun personally training him have you not?”

“Not that it’s any of your concern but, yes I have. He has potential. That’s all.”

Hojo started laughing slightly as he roughly pushed past Sephiroth and headed into the lab.

“I think not boy.”

Sephiroth wanted to strangle the creepy old man now walking away from him but found his body just wouldn’t respond to anything but sleep.

Sleep would have to suffice.

------

Sleepy eyes fluttered open, a groggy moan echoed through the silent room.

Zack immediately whipped his head up and rushed over to the blond’s bed side.

“Ugh….”

“You ok?”

Cloud raised a shaky hand to his head and wiped the gathered sweat from his brow.

“Sephiroth?”

Zack sighed before he replied. “No Cloud. It’s Zack. Are you ok?”

Cloud snapped his eyes shut as pain zipped through his skull. Groaning loudly, Cloud rolled over and curled in on himself. He lay in that same foetal position for what felt like a century.

Zack sat patiently and rubbed down his sweat soaked neck, shoulders and the parts of his face he could reach with a cool, damp cloth.

“Ugh, it hurts Zack.”

“I know. You’ll be fine.”

“Where’s Sephiroth?”

“He is in his quarters, sleeping it off. How did training go today?”

Zack thought he had better keep the blond talking so he could try and concentrate on anything bar the immense pain he was feeling.

“….I-it was ok. I beat S-Sephiroth….”

“Really? Wow! How the hell did you do that Spike?”

“I don’t know. I was unarmed too.”

Zack’s eyes widened to the point of bursting from their sockets. Had he head right? Had Cloud beaten Sephiroth unarmed? Wait, the General must have been unarmed too….

“Sephiroth had the Masamune but I still beat him….”

“Ok Cloud, that was creepy. You a mind reader now? That’s just what I was wondering! What can I say? Huge congrats are in order. Even I haven’t beaten Seph yet!”

Cloud finally rolled over and smiled as best he could at Zack.

For the first time since Cloud had regained consciousness, Zack could finally see his eyes properly. They were exactly the same as Sephiroth’s, right down to the cat like pupils. They didn’t suit the blond. He much better suited his bright, sparkling azure eyes, wide with naivety.

Zack’s pager going off, shook both males from their trance like stupor.

“Shit Cloud. Just a tick!”

Cloud watched through extremely heightened and sharpened vision as Zack buried through a heap of clothes on his bed to find the annoying item.

“Ah! There you are!”

Zack read what must have been a longer than regular message.

“Seems Seph is being called away tomorrow….he is to escort the President to Junon at sunrise. Looks like you’ll be training with the regular scrubs tomorrow.”

Cloud nodded slightly to the raven haired male, taking in each of his features as he did so. That silky midnight black hair. Those deep royal blue eyes untouched with mako for years now. That long but beautiful face. Those full lips….

Dammit, Cloud really was fickle!

“Ummm, when do we expect Sephiroth to be back?”

“Hard to say. If the mission is swift and without disturbance, he may be back to save you from training with the idiots. If not, I’m afraid your stuck with both myself and Instructor Kale!”

Cloud grimaced at that name. That guy clearly did not like Cloud. He hated the fact that such a scrawny youngster had bested each of his own select group of trainees.

“Great….can’t wait….”

Zack ambled over and plopped down beside Cloud on the bed, shunting him over with a flick of his backside. He buried a hand playfully in his Cloud’s mass of blond spikes and laughed at the youth.

“Don’t worry your pretty little head! It will be fine!”

Cloud smiled at this comment and turned his dizzy, swimming head up into Zack’s hand.

Zack felt long eyelashes stroke off his calloused hand. He was almost 100% sure he felt those sweet lips of Cloud’s brush off his palm.

“You’re really something huh Cloud?”

Cloud nodded before closing his eyes and falling into a deep but painful slumber.