Becoming SOLDIER

There will be a substantial time jump in this chapter! We are going directly from the last chapter into Cloud and Zack joining Shinra! Later on there may be flash backs of them training together and such we’ll see! Please make sure to review, I won’t know if I’m doing any good if I don’t get feedback so please review with comments questions of ideas! Thank you!



Zack now seventeen pulled the covers slowly off his body and pulled himself very quietly from his bed. He was already in full dress as he moved quietly to pick up the bag he packed by the window. It was around midnight and he knew his mother wouldn’t notice the teen slipping out from the home. Zack did this numerous times before. Zack smiled thinking back to how many times Cloud had snuck into his home as well. The boys had a strange relationship Zack mused as he grabbed his boots and slipped them on. They were there to push each other and become stronger; for themselves and SOLDIER. They often comforted each other as well, thus Cloud or Zack sneaking out to seek the other in the dead of night. Zack remembered that on more than one occasion Cloud had been so upset, and he wasn’t exactly sure why; the boy still held some things back, that he lay with Zack and shook and sobbed. And he would try his best to comfort the boy and stroke his hair until he lulled him into a deep sleep. And though he hated to admit it there had been a couple occasions where Cloud had to do the same for him. They were mostly nightmares about his father; and nightmares of Cloud meeting the same fate. He remembered how painfully vivid one dream was. Watching Cloud in his camp next to a small fire in his cadet uniform slumber peacefully until shots were heard over head. He dreamt Cloud would fight tooth and nail just like he had while they were training, but soon there would be too many. And Zack was ripped from sleep with a cold sweat and tears as Cloud’s body was riddled with bullets. Losing Cloud was almost as bad as losing his father, or at least that’s what it felt like when he had those dreams. Some nights the dreams would be so devastating that he thought it might even be a heavier lost. The two spent every day together since Cloud moved into town, Zack thought it odd that he should care so much but would always dismiss it as caring very deeply for a very close friend.



Zack opened his window and welcomed the chill of the night. The soft breeze washed over his face and body as he began to climb out. He was careful to land with a soft thud and not make a sound to loud as to wake his mother up. Zack thought of how upset his mother would be; she was very much against the idea of him joining SOLDIER. He knew if he had told her he would be leaving that she would have undoubtedly sent the entire village to stop him. So he left a short note of reassurance telling her that he would be back after he realized his father’s dream of becoming SOLDIER. There wasn’t much else he had needed to say, he signed love your son, but he didn’t get to sentimental. He wasn’t very good at that, his mother knew it, and even though he knew she’d be upset he hoped that she would soon grow proud of her son; especially when he showed back up in Gongaga with a SOLDIER uniform. Zack grinned and whispered to himself, “When ‘we’ come back in SOLDIER uniforms.”



Zack made his way quickly to his friend’s house. He climbed the tree next to Cloud’s window and stealthy made his way over to the window and opened it to let himself in. Before he could step in he was greeted by Cloud’s glowing blue orbs staring back into his eyes. The boy was ready, fully dressed and a pack strapped to his arm. Zack nearly gasped; even after so much time had gone by he couldn’t help but be taken back by Cloud’s eyes. They made his heart want to stop every time; they were that beautiful. Zack at first thought it was wrong to think of his best friends eyes as beautiful and often scolded himself for thinking such a thing but he eventually gave up and determined that best friend or not the boy just had gorgeous eyes and there was nothing wrong with admiring them.



Cloud chuckled quietly and flicked Zack’s nose, “You going to keep staring or are we going to get going?”



Zack smirked and snapped himself from his gaze using his index to rub the tip of his nose, “Can I do both?”



Cloud just shook his head raising a brow, “Come on.” Cloud climbed out from the window and onto the nearby branch than swung down to the ground with a soft landing. Zack followed suit and they both looked back at their homes for a brief moment. They both silently promised to come back as SOLDIER; they promised that no matter what lay ahead of them they would make their town and families proud. And above all else, they would do it together, like they had promised.



The walk to their train was long; unfortunately for them there were no trains that ran into Gongaga. The only mode of transportation was a car and they both didn’t have enough money to buy or even rent one. So they would take the next day and a half walking to the nearly rail station. The sun started to rise over the horizon, and Zack and Cloud pondered whether they had really already walked for five some odd hours. They left sometime after midnight so if the sun was rising it had to be going on five or six. Zack looked over to Cloud with the corner of his eye. Cloud walked keeping in pace with Zack’s stride his eyes were closed as he walked and he tilted his face to greet the morning sun beginning to rise higher into the sky. He basked in the warm glow the sun was beginning to bring and Zack felt his heart skip at the sight. The warm glow of the sun splashed vibrant orange and yellow hues over the boy’s delicate features. His pale blonde hair seemed to shine to a deep gold and sparkle with the rising sun. The light bounced off his lashes making them nearly glistened a powerful deep gold. Zack watched as the boy slowly opened his eyes to reveal his bright blue orbs with he saw glow just as bright as the sun only in a cool blue shade. It reminded Zack of the falls and the way the water would look when the same morning sun would stretch over the water’s surface. His eyes splashed against the light like the pool of water under the falls and Zack found himself staring again. His staring never did go unnoticed for long as Cloud turned to face him with a puzzled look.



“Something wrong,” Cloud asked.



Zack smiled and shook his head, “Oh… No, Nothing at all Cloudy boy. Why you ask?”



“One you zoned out again, and two… you were holding your breath,” Cloud gestured over to Zack’s chest which indeed hadn’t taken in any air until Cloud had spoke.



The boy just shrugged at Zack’s response and continued walking along side of him.



They walked seemingly forever until finally the sun began its slow decent. The boy’s feet were sore and their throats were parched. Their stomachs growled and their eye lids sagged. Zack was the first one to drop his things as he rubbed his sore shoulders. Cloud smirked and teased Zack although in all honesty he had wanted to do the same thing for about an hour now, “Giving up already?”



Zack scrunched his brow and looked at Cloud as if he was insane and whined, “Jesus Cloudy we’ve walked like the whole freaking day without a break. And I’m hungry,” He added with a pout.



Cloud chuckled at the boy and set his things down as well, “You put up the tent and I’ll start a fire?”



Zack beamed, “Sounds good to me Cloudy boy!”



There were plenty of small branches around for Cloud to find scattered throughout the woods, and thankfully it hadn’t rained so starting a fire would be no problem. He did wish however that he had a fire material, he couldn’t help but smirk thinking what it would be like to use said magic. Cloud’s ears perked as he heard a branch snap behind him. He peered behind him remaining silent to see what had made the sound. He knew that it couldn’t have been Zack, that boy would be working on that tent long after Cloud started the fire and started cooking. Cloud smirked as he saw a wild boar scraping its foot against the ground. He didn’t really want to eat the ramen noodles or crappy beans stuffed in his bag back at camp. If anything, wild boar sounded quite tempting as the beast flared it’s nostrils with a huff. The dry dirt under the creature’s nose turned up dust as it snorted again readying itself to take aim. He cautiously took out the dagger from his side pocket making sure to be subtle so as to not startle the beast. He couldn’t help but lick his lips and smile; he couldn’t wait to eat such a hearty meal.



Cloud came back with the boar hung loosely over his shoulder, thankfully the beast wasn’t very heavy, and he was able to carry the boar and his branches with him. Zack whistled looking up from the jumbled mess that was supposed to be there tent.



“Wow Cloudy. I send you off for wood and you bring back that thing!”



Cloud scoffed, “You didn’t send me anywhere, I was the one who directed you to put up the tent and…” Cloud trailed off realizing his arguing would be made fruitless. “Anyway, I’ll have you cut this guy up while I fix what you started.



Zack looked up sheepishly from the mangled mess of cloth and poles, “Aw, I think I almost got the hang of it.”



Cloud shook his head and set the boar down pressing the hilt of the dagger into Zack’s hands as he shooed him away toward the beast. He began to sort through the pile Zack left and tried to reassemble the mess into a tent. He mused, if he hadn’t known it was a tent he wouldn’t have even guessed it. Zack had managed to make it look like someone pulled the curtains of the wall and took the rod along with it; leaving the pile to sit on the floor to blame the house hold dog later on.



‘Well he is a puppy,’ Cloud thought to himself with a small snicker.



Soon the tent was a tent once again and Zack had carved the meat off the boar and managed to start a fire. They roasted the meat over the fire after jabbing it onto the tips of their long sticks, and sat quietly as the flames licked the meat. Zack felt his eyes wander to Cloud again and he smiled thoughtfully, “We’re finally going to do this Cloud.”



Cloud stayed still and hadn’t moved other than the small smile that broke onto his face, “What do you think… it’ll be like…”



His voice was soft it held nervousness and excitement all at once and Zack couldn’t help his voice from portraying the same emotions, “I don’t know Cloudy…”



Zack stared at the fire in deep thought; the meat dangling over the flames seemed to fascinate him at the moment. Cloud on the other hand watched Zack in his peripheral view. Zack didn’t notice when Cloud did this; which was opposite to Cloud who knew the second the boys eyes trailed on him. He watched the light of the flame dance against the boys’ already sun-kissed skin and it made Zack look even more bronzed. Cloud, even in the Gongagan sun hadn’t gained too much of a tan. His skin stayed fairly pale, healthier with sun, but still pale. He wasn’t sure why but he felt comfort wash through him with the sight of the boy in front of him. He always had looked to Zack when he felt uncomfortable; Zack radiated a confidence that spread to anyone who so much as looked to him. And though Cloud couldn’t sort through all the emotions he held when he was with the boy it hadn’t really bothered him. He could care less about understanding why he felt so warm and safe around his elder friend; as long as he was near him. He depended on his friendship with the boy and he didn’t sweat the small things. Didn’t dwell on them either; there was just no need to. Things were fine as they were and Cloud couldn’t bother himself with wondering about the fluttered feeling he got sometimes around the boy. They sat in mostly silence as they ate, both too exhausted from their travels. And soon after finishing their meals they turned in for the night. Both boys slept well with thoughts of Shinra and SOLDIER and the proud faces of their mothers welcoming them home.