Cloud was counting down the seconds. It was only 10 am, but he felt like he'd been awake for hours and hours already.

Technically, he had; that crack-of-dawn physical training wasn't going to run itself, but even the burning in his lungs had been dulled significantly by his anticipation of that evening, because it was Thursday. Thursdays were the days his mentor took time out of his busy schedule to train with him.

Not that he didn't get to see Zack any other days of the week, of course. They bumped into each other at least every few days, as Cloud enjoyed haunting Zack's usual hangout spots with his precious free time, hoping for a moment to catch up with him, and sent emails to each other frequently on top of that. But it was still difficult, as Cloud was busy with an infantryman's schedule and more importantly, the light of his life by name of Sephiroth. Meanwhile, Zack had his plate full with a newbie SOLDIER's nonetheless packed schedule, as well as with spending time with his own mentor, Angeal. So when they did happen to have some time to spare for each other, it was sporadic and unproductive, as the only thing they usually felt like doing was relaxing.

But almost immediately after Zack had earned his SOLDIER belt, he had declared himself to be Cloud's personal mentor. Maybe it was his way of following in his own mentor's footsteps, though Cloud was sure that it had been entirely Zack's own idea. Maybe he just felt bad for the shy cadet, his heart so set on making SOLDIER despite his only average physical abilities and withdrawn disposition. Zack Fair had always been drawn to kind, quiet types, after all. He enjoyed getting to know them and helping to coax them out of their shells, evidenced by his close relationships with Cloud, Sephiroth, and even Angeal. The way Cloud spoke and behaved around Zack was a world away from the reserved demeanor he took up with his peers, or really anyone else who wasn't Sephiroth.

This "mentorship" was as casual as it could be, as the cadet was still first and foremost a friend—a best friend, if you asked Cloud—and lessons mostly consisted of conversations where Zack gave plenty of pointers on combat, along with explanations of techniques that always devolved into funny anecdotes. He had been doing all of this already, of course, only now he did so with a tone of authority and pride.

However, it didn't take long for Zack to want to move on to real, practical training, like the kind he got from Angeal. Cloud had been formally trained only with a rifle, as swordsmanship was an art that required a great deal of skill and strength in order to be more effective than marksmanship, which was more accessible. It was offered only to especially promising infantrymen that would probably make SOLDIER anyway. Cloud had only attempted to wield a sword a few times in his life, during one or two private lessons from another esteemed SOLDIER that had in reality been little more than an excuse for Sephiroth to toy with him—though Cloud was not complaining. So Zack had essentially been starting at square one with Cloud. Excited and motivated by his new self-appointed responsibility, he had spoken with Angeal, who had helped him clear a pocket of time he could devote only to his mentee. It proved to be worth the effort, as soon after practical lessons started, Cloud had begun progressing noticeably. He was nowhere near SOLDIER ready, but every time he demonstrated a skill Zack had taught him, the 3rd felt proud, and told him so. It had done wonders for Cloud's self esteem.

And today, today Zack had promised a lesson that would be "extra special," but refused to elaborate any more than that. Maybe they would get to use the VR room. Maybe he'd get to try a specialty weapon, something like Sephiroth's Masamune. Maybe Zack would bring snacks. Angeal didn't often bake, but when he did, his cookies were good enough to make a Turk cry.

Cloud was outside the door of the vacant training room by 4:15. Their lesson didn't start until 5.

"Hey!" Zack broke into an easy, loping jog as he turned the corner and saw Cloud already waiting for him. Cloud snapped to attention reflexively, as he'd been staring into space for the past fifteen minutes and was a little startled. "Sorry I'm a few minutes late! You been waiting long?"

"Not really!" Cloud chirped, relieved that it was finally time. But he tilted his head almost imperceptibly when he realized Zack was carrying only his own sword, and not a second one to lend him. "What are we doing to—?"

"You'll see!" Zack interrupted, seeming almost as excited as Cloud was. The doors slid open automatically as he approached, and he ushered the cadet inside.

The training room was spacious and appeared plain, with no furniture to speak of and an offwhite wall. However, the special material that coated the interior had been designed to resist scratches, absorb shocks, and also happened to be fully insulated against the basic elements. The two took their usual place in its center.

Zack didn't even draw his sword. Cloud watched him curiously as he reached into the pocket of his SOLDIER-issue pants, before the taller man glanced up and flashed a grin as their eyes met.

"Close your eyes and hold out your hands. Take your gloves off, too,"

Okay, now Zack was just having fun. Cloud couldn't suppress a bemused smile as he followed the directions anyway.

"Keep 'em closed!" Something smooth, round, and cool was deposited into Cloud's open palm. "What do you feel?"

"Zack, is this...?" he ran his thumb over the object's surface, then slowly, carefully rolled it in his hands. It seemed to somehow thrum in response.

"Alright, you can go ahead and look now,"

"Woah," was Cloud's only response, as he was met with a crystalline green orb. It was beautiful, and looked like it could have been carefully crafted, yet it somehow seemed to possess more depth than something like a glass bauble, or even a refined gemstone. He'd seen materia in shops before, locked away behind glass cases; learned about it from a distance, even seen demonstrations... but he'd never held one before.

"Pretty cool, huh?" Zack resisted the urge to ruffle Cloud's unruly hair, as the cadet's response tugged on a familiar memory of his own. "Really, though, what does it feel like in your hands?"

"Cool..." Cloud replied. "That is, cool to the touch. But it still has a warmth to it. I'm not sure how to explain it, but it's almost... electrified, somehow. Well, no, not exactly. More like... it feels alive," he peered up to Zack's face, looking for a sign that he'd given a passable answer. It was difficult to put into words.

"That's great!" he encouraged. "I get just what you're saying. It's a good sign you're able to pick up on that. It means you've got good potential to use it,"

"I do?" Cloud blinked. He knew he'd have to learn to use magic eventually, but he was surprised he'd have the opportunity so soon. "What kind of materia is this, anyway?"

"A basic Lightning," he answered. "Not leveled very much. I don't actually use magic all that often, I'm more of a sword guy—but it's important for a SOLDIER to have a rounded-out skillset. We're gonna see if you can make some sparks!"

Cloud was staring rather blankly at the orb in his palm. "How do I do that?"

"Well..." Zack scratched the back of his neck. How had it first been explained to him? "You kinda gotta... you pull it up, draw it out from the crystal," he made the motion of lifting something to illustrate. "Not literally, but from inside yourself! It's kinda hard to explain. Just give it a try,"

It was all Cloud could really do. He narrowed his eyes at the materia, focusing... willing lightning to suddenly burst from it, for sparks to jump into the air, anything.

The room remained completely still.

He snuck a glance at Zack, offering a wordless apology while just as quietly asking for help.

"Don't be discouraged, no one gets it right away," he assured him. "Figuring it out is the hardest part. But once it clicks, you've got it! Like riding a bike. Here," his mentor took a big step back, and to Cloud's surprise was wearing a grin as he quickly drew his sword. "Pretend I'm coming atcha! You're in enemy territory, and it's your only weapon!" He made a motion as if he were going to rush forward.

"Hey!" Cloud exclaimed as Zack raised his sword. He knew he wasn't really going to be hurt, of course, but countless hours of combat training had all of his muscles immediately tensed and reflexively searching for a weapon that wasn't there. Instead he thrust the materia out in front of him as if it were a shield, and—"Oh!"

"What's that? Did you feel anything?" Zack froze like a statue, his blade a few inches from Cloud's shoulder.

"Yeah," the cadet seemed to be even more surprised by this than by his friend's sudden attack. Neither of them had seen any electricity, but, "It got a lot warmer, all of the sudden. And I felt... kind of a pulse,"

"That's great!" Zack clapped him on the shoulder. "That's exactly it. Keep it up, you'll be making lightning come down all over like it's nothing,"

Cloud couldn't help but grin. "Yeah? Can I try again?"

"No need to ask. The surprise attack only works once, though, so just do your best, ok? Concentrate. Remember how it felt to draw up that power; just push it further, this time,"

"Got it," Cloud nodded, resolute. He was so close, he could feel it.

Only the next ten minutes went by uneventfully. No matter how hard he focused on the sphere in his hand, he couldn't catch hold of that feeling again. Zack had told him to pull, but he was only grasping at air...

Finally Zack had to concede that they weren't making any progress. "Here, I've got another idea," he said, taking the materia from Cloud's hand and slipping it back into his pocket, only to withdraw what was apparently a different one, although it looked very similar. He gave it back to the cadet. "What do you notice about this one?"

"It feels different," Cloud said. "It's, uh..." Zack was right, it was hard to find the words to describe how materia felt. He turned it over in his hand. "Smoother. Not its surface, but its energy, I guess you could call it,"

"Exactly! That's a Cure materia," he explained happily. "It's usually more intermediate, but some people end up having a natural knack for this kind of thing. I thought we might as well try,"

"What am I supposed to be curing?" Cloud asked, but halfway through his sentence Zack was already removing his sword from its holster again. Then he realized what he was going to do. "Hey, wait a second, Za—"

The well-cared for blade sliced easily through the skin on Zack's forearm, and its wielder didn't so much as flinch as he quickly wiped the blood off with a piece of cloth from his back pocket. The cut wasn't too deep, but a steady trickle of blood began to drip down to the floor.

He held out his arm almost proudly, eyes alight with amusement at Cloud's shocked face. He opened his mouth to speak again when suddenly they were interrupted by a low, soft laughter from the doorway.

"Seph!" Zack exclaimed, was always one to offer enthusiastic greetings. "What are you doing over here?"

"I came to see how your training was going," he looked to Cloud. "I heard from Angeal, and happened to have a moment free." And he had come to the training room to be met with Zack, almost grinning as he held his freely bleeding arm in Cloud's face, who looked quite pale as he uselessly clutched a materia. It was immediately obvious what Zack had been trying to do, and such a sight that he'd had to laugh.

"Can you fix Zack?" Cloud looked to Sephiroth almost pleadingly, who had to suppress another chuckle.

"No, Cloudy, you're gonna fix me!" Zack laughed, just as Sephiroth shook his head and said, "He's fine."

"But I've never cast Cure before. I couldn't even make any sparks with the Lightning. If I can't Cure you—"

"Then I'll be healed up again within five minutes, anyway. Mako, remember? I promise it doesn't hurt, Cloud, I just wanted to give you a chance to try. So how about it?"

Cloud glanced to the cut on Zack's arm, then briefly to Sephiroth, then to the materia in his hand. "Alright, I'll try..."

"Don't let me make you nervous," Sephiroth said, now approaching them. He put two gloved hands on each of Cloud's shoulders from behind. He spoke gently. "I can help you. Take a deep breath, Cloud..."

The cadet could feel the tension leaving his body with Sephiroth's every word. It was impossible not to feel safe in his presence, like everything was under control. Obediently he sighed, and suddenly found it much easier to focus on the sphere in his hand.

"Take hold of Zack's arm,"

He did so with his free hand, not gripping hard. The blood was already beginning to slow even as a few drops trickled over Cloud's fingers. Zack only stood silently, curious to see what would happen.

"Feel the materia in your hand. How it makes you feel to hold it. Can you sense its flow, traveling through your body?"

Sephiroth was speaking softly now, as one of his hands trailed down Cloud's arm to rest on the back of his hand, now holding the orb along with him but not quite touching it. The cadet felt a faint blush creeping onto his cheeks before forcefully shoving down all the things Sephiroth was making him feel, much less the materia, to focus on the task at hand. He closed his eyes and turned his words over in his mind. Then he gave a single nod. "Yeah... I can,"

"Good," Sephiroth almost broke Cloud's focus entirely with that word, but somehow he managed to hang on, his grip on Zack's arm tightening. The general suppressed a smirk; he hadn't meant to make Cloud's breath hitch, honest. "Focus, Cloud. Follow that flow in your mind. Let yourself sink into it..." he gave him a moment, noticing how slow and even the cadet's breathing had become. "Now, let it simply pour out of you, out past your fingertips,"

Cloud felt what was maybe the oddest sensation he'd ever experienced. For a strange moment he felt as if he were water flowing from a flask as pure Lifestream energy was drawn from him and into Zack's arm, distilled and refined through the materia. Somehow he managed to maintain his concentration.

When he opened his eyes, the only evidence of the cut was a bit of dried blood on tanned skin. Cloud was surprised nonetheless. "Seph, did you...?"

"It was all you, Cloud," Sephiroth shook his head and smiled, giving his shoulders a single proud squeeze as he stepped back again.

"That was awesome, Cloud!" Zack shattered the veil of intimacy that had fallen around the two of them like a spell, making the blonde remember where he was and smile, a little embarrassed.

"Look at that!" he held up his forearm for examination. "You fixed me right up! Took me at least a week to move up to restoratives, you know,"

"You're a good teacher..." he buried his mouth under his scarf out of habit, unsure of what to do with this attention.

"Well, I guess I have to give this one to Seph," he admitted. "You don't make First for nothing,"

"You'll get there soon," Sephiroth assured him. "I know it. Both of you will."

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