Disclaimer: I have never been in the military but I do spend my time reading and researching the military I would love hearing more personal stories about how the military works so I can better grasp it for my stories.

Legal Disclaimer: All characters, locations, and storyline from Final Fantasy 7 is owned by Square Enix and its affiliates, not me. I am simply using/ borrowing them to produce a fanficiton for free with no profit to myself.

I have also taken a long absence from writing stories, so I will apologize beforehand for any spelling and grammar errors. I am still getting back into the swing of creative writing so dialogue might be stiff but I will eventually improve. I hope you will enjoy my story for the ideas while I brush up and develop my writing style!

Chapter 1 - The First Bond

A young man wearing a Shinra MP uniform extended out his gloved hand, "Please keep these documents for personal records. If we need any more information we will be sure to contact you. President Shinra greatly appreciates your interest in the Cadet Program. Please have your parent or guardian fill out this paperwork and either bring it back or fax it along with your Cadet ID to the number listed on the bottom of the page," he gave the boy a page with the title: Parental Release Form, "once our office receives it, you will be emailed your departure information."

The weightless piece of paper grew heavy in the boy's hands as it was the one obstacle that made it impossible to fulfill his dreams. His mother passionately despised Shinra and everything his company stood for, repeating over and over how he would never be allowed to join the military or ever work for the Company, even as a janitor. She went as far as refusing to have a television in the house to keep Shinra information and politics out of their lives.

He hesitantly spoke, "Um, sir? What if I can't get a signature?" The recruiter shrugged, "I'm sorry kid. Policy states that all interested recruits under the age of seventeen must have parental consent. You have three days to get a signature on that page from your-, "he looked over at the document on his desk, "Mother, Silva Strife, otherwise your slot in the program will be given to another candidate. If we don't get that consent form, you won't be able to join until you are seventeen. You could always just wait a year." He frowned and nodded, thanking the recruiter, "I will be looking out for your form Strife."

In pursuit of his dream, sixteen-year-old Cloud Strife made his way back into Nibelheim from Rocket Town's recruiting office. Rocket Town is the home of the Shinra Space Program which gave the small town a gigantic financial boom that small mountain towns could only dream of getting. The town's popularity grew with the Space Program and eventually every young man from the surrounding towns wanted to join The Shinra Company. General Heidegger, head of the Shinra Military, decided it would be best to open a recruiting office to accommodate the extensive surge of military enrollment.

Nibelheim had a mountain tram that made travel over the mountains accessible that was able to slightly improve the economics of the town, enough to be able to see the other sides of the mountain at least. He inhaled deeply when he got off the tram- he wanted to savor the last days he could breathe the cold, crisp air of the Nibel Mountains. The town was surrounded by enormous, strong mountains which made Cloud feel insignificant from time to time, casting a judgmental shadow on him more opposing than Alexander ever could. Snow still clung to the peaks, defiant of the sun's attempt to melt the white flakes. Winter was slowly turning into Spring, a great time for a change of life.

The townsfolk hustled around grabbing items for their trades. Tiny cottages dotted around the central water tower. Their roofs were a soft, pale red with ivory stones decorated by beautiful, colorful flowers of all kinds. The stonesmith took pride in the upkeep of the town buildings. He could always be seen with his leather apron repairing cracked stones with a gleam of Pride in his eyes.

Pride.

Pride was something the town was built on. One thing Cloud appreciated in the townsfolk was the care and showmanship each person had towards the town. Everyone had a job to do, including his mother. Silva Strife was a seamstress in town, the only seamstress to be exact as the other women in town were too old to pull a thread through the eye of the needle. His heart saddened when he thought of his mother. Day in and day out she sewed and sewed in order to provide for Cloud's future after his father passed and he knew she was lonely but, yet she continued to smile. His father was a mechanic and Cloud lost him at the young age of five, never hearing anything about him, except his profession which was often followed by a curse word from his mother.

Growing up, Cloud was always sheltered from his father's life. His mother always falling silent to the numerous questions he asked regarding him - her only response to all questions: His name is Vanir, he was a mechanic, he died when you were little, and then the ever infamous 'fuck Shinra' quip at the end. Eventually, Cloud stopped asking and created his own version of his father in his head. He grew evasive over the years, refusing to know who his father was - too scared to shatter the peaceful man he created in his mind.

Rounding a corner, a television in a shop window took Cloud's interest as he meandered to the pane. He pressed his hands on the glass, watching intently. The red Shinra news logo zoomed dramatically from the upper left corner of the screen and rotated quickly in the center. It cut to a helicopter flying above the upper plate, showing off the infrastructure and monstrous steel of Midgar covered in the famous black smog. The darkened sky reflected the lights glowing in the city giving the green hue of Mako, the source of energy of Gaia. The ticker running quickly on the bottom of the screen stated a car explosion killed ten people on the upper plate as Military Police quickly rushed to the scene.

A knot grew in Cloud's stomach pushing forward the occasional fear that would fester in his core. He fell in love with heroism and bravery, wishing that he would carry those virtues one day - but at the same time greatly feared that same danger that would make even the bravest man meet Death. His goal was to make it into Soldier and become a Hero and join the ranks of the top fighters, but he knew that fear would be his enemy. The hardest part of all was the fact that he planned to do this all without his mother knowing.

He stood there as the television's screen continued to light up his face as his mind wandered to the past. His mother was incredibly anti-Shinra. Anything remotely related to Shinra was destroyed. Posters, books, towels, anything with the symbol on it was tossed out of the house. He remembered the first time he saw his mother physically show her hatred for Shinra. He was thirteen years old and he had a small recruitment poster with Second Class Genesis on it, about the same size as a notebook. He was trying to collect all five of the limited-edition posters - one with different Second Class Soldiers on it. She found it under his mattress and she tore it to pieces while yelling angrily about the corruption of Shinra. She then proceeded to accuse Cloud of betraying her just as his father did. For the rest of the night, Cloud heard her sobbing in the bedroom. He never showed another Shinra logo again.

With his mother's track record, it was clearly difficult for Cloud to ever tell his mother about his dream of joining the military. A couple of years ago, this very same television showed an award ceremony for the promotion of Second Class Soldier Sephiroth to First Class. He remembered it so well as the entire town was talking about him. His mother was in the General Store and he snuck off to watch it while she was distracted. The tall and stout President Shinra awarded a plaque to the Soldier while shaking his hand. Wealth radiated from the powerful man as he grinned next to Sephiroth.

The Silver-haired Soldier, that's the name the townsfolk gave Sephiroth. All the women swooned over him, complimenting him on his handsome features while the men complimented him on his strength and military prowess. The Soldier's turquoise eyes struck fear in Cloud, and that was from a distance and through the television screen. What would it be like to stare into those eyes on the battlefield? Sephiroth was an idol to Cloud and to many other boys in town - one of the reasons he wanted to join the military. He just wanted to meet him once but there were so many people in the military he was so sure just catching a glimpse of him would be an impossible task - just like getting his mom to sign the Parental Release Form. Bringing himself back to reality, he banged his head on the window pane in frustration, desperately wanting an idea to pop into his head.

A screaming, shrill voice startled him and snapped him out of his daze, "Oi Cloud! Come 'ere would ye?" A small, frail old woman with a thick, traditional Nibel accent waved from the entrance to the general store across the street. Cloud broke his attention from the television and jogged earnestly to the old woman. Her wrinkled, blue eyes scrunched as she spoke, "Give these to ye mother lad. I've been meanin' to run 'em by but I havn't gottn' the energy in doin' so. The ole' hips don't quite werk as they use to." An innocent but smug smile appeared on her face as she handed Cloud a basket full of thread, needles, and various other patterns and cloths.

Miriam Ulrich was known as the grandmother of Nibelheim. Her bubbly, quirky personality smoothed any tension in Nibelheim and was the main reason the General Store was still running strong. Rumor has it when she was thirty-nine years old, she was strongly advocating against President Shinra's policies, so strongly in fact, her gusto earned her five days in jail - cited for disturbing the peace. Apparently, President Shinra grew tired of her following him around everywhere and ordered her incarceration. There were clearly details missing from the story that Mrs. Ulrich would always mischievous grin at when asked such as how she knew the location of the President. The secret would hide forever behind her smile. Evidently, that wasn't her only run in with the law - Cloud also heard down the grapevine she wasn't even allowed in Midgar anymore.

She eyed Cloud up and down, "My boy, you sure are gettin' bigger ain't ye? Did ye grow overnight?" The old woman squeezed Cloud's arm and he winced with a smile. The old ladies always had a thing for him. He always assumed it was because of his mother. He gave a small chuckle, "Thank you Mrs. Ulrich. I'll be sure to give them to her for you."

"Hey boy." A strong, drawn-out deep voice rolled out of the General Store. Cloud looked in and saw Mr. Ulrich leaning behind the counter with his arms bracing himself, "Cedrik, quit yer slouchin'! Looks bad for the customers!" The old woman reprimanded.

The tall, medium-build man laughed, holding his posture firm, "Even at fifty-six, my mother still yells at me." His mother laughed, "Least you still have one! I haven't croaked yet meaning the gods still expect me to do me job!"

Cedrik Ulrich, the eldest child of Miriam Ulrich, took over the ownership of the General Store after he finished his contract in the military. Cedrik was tight-lipped regarding his service but it was confirmed through whispers that he worked with aircrafts. After bailing his mother out countless amounts of times for fighting Shinra, he decided not to renew his military contract and moved back to Nibelheim to keep her out of jail.

He began working at the General Store and eventually bought it from the owner's daughter when the owner passed away. Now he and his mother run the shop and business was booming more than ever- especially after the addition of the mountain tram. He shared his mother's deep blue eyes and sported medium-length blonde hair which he parted on his right side. He was truly a handsome man including his slight stubble on his chin. His jawline was strong and chiseled, pulsating constantly as he was always chewing on a toothpick, claiming he was kicking his smoking habit.

Mrs. Ulrich smiled as she walked back into the store, "Ye be a good son ye hear? Don't give 'er any trouble like this one gives me." Mr. Ulrich waved goodbye at Cloud as he proceeded to attend to a customer. Mrs. Ulrich turned and entered the store, still poking fun at her son.

Cloud smiled at their antics and looked over at a posting board outside of the General Store. He walked closer to the board to read. What caught Cloud's eye was a flyer looking for 'highly interested young men' to join the Mining Training Program. The length of time initial training was: Two Months - that's perfect. The idea clicked in Cloud's mind. The answer to one of his questions: what would his cover be? Of course, two months was a little shorter than the Cadet Programs training time, but it would give Cloud a head start in training- at least his mother wouldn't be able to travel or contact him if he is in the mines. He snatched the flyer and put it in his pocket - his mind burning to create a plan.

Black ashes were drifting in the sky as sparks lit up the area. The sound of iron and steel permeated the area. The sizzle of hot iron dipped in water reflected the sting of his heart. The black smudges on his face showed his story. He looked over and saw the blacksmith beating the iron with the hammer, hardening the steel. A man beloved by all towns folks but deeply hated by his own son. The seventeen-year-old Harley sighed as he brought his focus back to his work and quenched the blade once again in water. His father, the blacksmith, passed on another sword to him and he racked the last blade, and again, sizzling permeated the area.

The smoke from the quenching got into Harleys eyes as he dropped the blade on the ground. His eye protection failed him as he quickly leaped away from the smoke and pried his goggles off, leaving the searing hot blade to clank on the ground, denting it in the process.

"Harley!" the booming voice of the blacksmith shook Harley.

Harley stood up with repetitive apologies, but they all fell on ears deafened by rage. In an instant he was shoved up against the wall of the shop, his head hitting the wall hard. "You useless son of a bitch!"

His father grabbed and hurled the hunk of now-useless steel at Harley, hitting him in the arm and opening a wound. Harley grabbed the skin as his father yelled at him, "goddamned pussy!" He then looked up at the ceiling muttering under his breath, "I should have never fucked that bitch." He stood to his full height of six feet and walked over to Harley.

Harley tried to scurry away from him, but he wasn't fast enough. The blacksmith picked him up and pinned him against the wall, pressing his coal-smeared face closer to Harley's, the strong smell of alcohol laced on his breath, "I'll be damned if you don't get crushed and die in the mines" he tapped Harley against the wall hitting his head again, "You never were of any use to me," he growled as he released Harley and stepped back. He took another swig of brandy and spit it in Harley's face.

Harley dropped to the ground. This caused his father to swiftly kick him in the stomach, eliciting a yelp from Harley, "Get out you worthless piece of shit, you are about as pointless as your mother. That fat-assed Baker's boy could do a better job." he snarled at the crumpled boy. A searing hatred boiled in Harley's stomach. His mother, also a subject of his father's abuse, did her best to ward of the violent Beast in front of him. After her sudden death, Harley took all the hits and became his personal punching bag. There was nothing Harley could ever do to calm him. His father towered over him. He was exceptionally muscular from all his manual labor in the shop and was intimidating to say the least. His fierce green eyes bore deep into Harley's core - he could have sworn he was burned by the fire in his father's eyes.

Slowly, Harley pushed his broken body from the floor and stood hunched over, clenching his cut, bleeding arm. He glared at his father with hate behind his emerald eyes, holding his stare. The cruelness of his father slowly pushed him closer and closer to the breaking point. He quivered with pain. He could feel his body giving out on him as his will to fight diminished with every punch and every kick. His father turned his back to him, picked up the ruined blade, and began to fix the damage, muttering expletives and slurs under his breath all while taking swigs of whisky in between. Harley stared one last time at the Beast before he took a deep breath and left the workshop.

The weight of his feet abused the ground with each hurried step as he yanked his leather apron off over his head in mid-stride and balled it up in a fury. His white button-down shirt was stained, along with his face, with black smog from the shop mixed with blood. His eyebrows stitched close together with pain in his eyes as he hurried along to his destination, his surroundings blurring around him. A tightness in his chest from holding back tears restricted his breath. He turned the corner around the city hall and without any thought and smacked into a body and fell to the ground.

"Geeze Harley, can you be less forceful?" A playful tone was only to be expected when Harley saw who he collided with. He spat out a 'sorry' and pulled her to her feet, trying to hide his injury.

"Where are you off to in such a hurry?"

He shook his head, "Don't worry about it Tifa, I'm running an errand for my dad."

The brown-haired girl pursed her lips together, "Your father sure does work hard." The complement stung him as he swerved past her hurriedly with his anger refueled, "Uh, wait Harley! Wait for me!" Tifa clamored as she sprinted to catch up to him. He stopped and turned around nearly running into her again, his face scrunched with annoyance trying to hold back tears, "Can you please just leave me alone?"

Tifa stood still with a hurt expression on her face as she watched Harley fade into the mountains.

With the sun setting, Cloud headed home for dinner. His humble cottage was covered in beautiful, brightly colored flowers planted by his mother. With the shut of the front door his mother yelled from the kitchen, "Cloud is tha' you? Can ye come 'ere please, we 'ave a guest." Cloud walked into the kitchen and saw his mother sitting at the dinner table with company. A soft smile on her face.

"Oh, Hello Mrs. Bellick."

An older woman smiled and cheerfully returned the greeting. Mrs. Bellick was the owner of the local bookstore. She and his mother were part of the town's book club and just came over for a visit. Cloud politely excused himself to his room, eager to plan the story he would tell his mom. He gently shut his door to his small room and locked it - hoping his mother wouldn't hear the soft 'click' of the lock.

He ran over to his bed and laid out the forms and the flyer and stared at them. He retrieved a notebook and wrote down the story he would practice telling his mother.

"Mom," he began in a whispered breath, "I want to be a coal miner. I think that would be the best option for me because it is a guaranteed job for life. I found a flyer advertising training in the Corel Mines and I will be gone for two months-" He shook his head, "Scratch that," he drew a line through his sentence and continued, "I can learn everything needed in only two months' time so I can get a career that will support you so you don't have to work anymore. I know you want the best for me and I want to choose a career that has growth outside of his town."

Cloud nodded and changed his voice to a high pitch mocking his mother, "but Cloud, ye neva' been on ye own befor'. How will ye' ever survive?" Cloud's voice grew normal as he clasped his hand in front of his chest gallantly, "It's alright mom - you have raised me to take care of myself. It's only time that I start taking care of you. What will happen to you when you are too old to sew? Besides, I will be seventeen soon and I-"

"Cloud! Suppa's ready!" Cloud's pantomime was interrupted, and he took a deep breath. He stood still with his adrenaline pumping. The shock of his mother's voice caused him to panic, as if she was going to discover his ruse. After a minute of silence knowing his mother was still in the kitchen, he regained his composure. He was going to go for it tonight - he had to. He didn't have the time to waste as he needed to get all his chocobos lined up in three days when he would receive his departure information. He rustled his blond hair nervously with his hands. It's now or never. Uncertainty sat in his stomach as he hurriedly gathered the documents and shoved them into his loose floorboard under his bed along with other 'forbidden' Shinra paraphernalia.

Cautiously, Cloud joined his mother. Her blonde ponytail draped over her left shoulder and her hands were gently placed on the table, one on top of the other, her intense blue eyes focused on Cloud, "Did ye get whateva ye needed in Rocket Town, was it?" He nodded his head.

"Sure did," he took a gulp of water from the sink and turned to face his mom hesitantly. He kept opening and closing his mouth to begin his speech until finally, his voice worked, "Mom, there is something I want to talk to you about." His mom stood from the table only to sit back down again, "Whuts' the matter Cloud?" Her blue eyes shone with concern. Cloud started, "I'm getting older and I've been putting a lot of thought into what I need to do for a trade," he paused and looked at his mom for reassurance, "and I found - something that I would be interested in." Pushing on slowly he began to gather more courage, until his mother cut him off.

"I swear tuh the God of Nibel if ye be tellin' me anyting 'bout the military-" her voice shook the house. Cloud yelled as sudden burst of nerves took over, "No! Mom, just listen."

She shot out of her seat enraged and spat her words out quickly. "I'll be damned if ye join that son-of-a-bitches military! I've been firm on me views of that bastard and here ye are goin' against me word! Oi Cloud I ought' to-"

"I want to be a coal miner!" Cloud shouted. Silva's mouth closed as she inhaled and sat back down in silence, seemingly ashamed of her sudden outburst. Cloud's hands grew cold with anxiety. He held his breath waiting for something to cut the thickness in the room.

"A coal miner Cloud? Since when? Ye nev'r talked 'bout this before. Why the sudden interest?"

Cloud stared at her without an answer, his nerves climbed into his throat. He didn't get this far in his rehearsal. Something believable better come out of his ass real soon. Something.

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck

Cloud's eyes widened as he started slowly, "Leaning how to use coal for energy and materials is detrimental in this day in age. The Shinra Company is killing the planet by draining its life source and coal is the better environmental solution. I think once I become a coal miner and surround myself with other people with like-mindedness, we can revert back to the older times in which we were kinder to our Planet. I've been thinking about this a lot since I was a kid, Ma. I want to do a job that provides a stronger future for us and our future generations. Shinra is killing the planet."

Silva stared at him and stood from the table, "You're goin' down a dangerous path Cloud. Are ye sure about this? I don't want to stop yer dreams but, the mines are dangerous."

Cloud nodded, "I know Ma. You've always told me in order to be successful, you must stick your head out a little bit. I think this is going to open more options in the future – maybe we can even leave Nibelheim once I'm established."

Silva's expression turned from a look of concern to a look of homesickness. It was clear that Nibelheim was her home but at the same time she constantly voiced her concerns that Shinra was slowly creeping into the town – especially after the Mako Reactor was built. Silva turned to the stove and began to dish supper out for the two of them. She placed the bowls on the table and motioned for Cloud to join, which he hesitantly did.

The two of them discussed Cloud's career as a coal miner over dinner. For the duration of the meal, it proved exceedingly hard for Cloud to silence his guilty conscience as he continued to smile at his mother while lies spilled from his mouth.

It was seven o'clock and the sun began to go down, just enough light to do a quick after-dinner hike. Cloud headed to the pathway past the old Shinra Manor. He looked at it like a doting fanboy - loving anything that has to do with Shinra. He walked along the cliffs as the pathway grew rocky and dim with the green glow of Mako, a sign that he was getting closer to the mountains. He replayed over and over in his head the conversation with his mother. She bought it. Everything. He was weighed down by guilt for lying to his mother. He consoled himself with the fact that her resistance to Shinra culture caused him to lie - he knew this wasn't a reason for his dishonesty, but it calmed his soul just enough to continue with his pursuit of his dream.

The last problem he faced was the Parental Release Form that laughed at him intimidatingly. He began to feel the cool mountain breeze roll through his hair and kiss his face. He paused as he looked down into a crater in the mountain. He kicked a rock into the chasm and watched it bounce down into nothing. His insides twisted thinking about his solution: forging her signature. His face scrunched up and he squatted down rubbing his head with stress.

"Well, that's my only option I guess," he muttered into the chasm, a small echo bounced back. Cloud didn't even want to think about the consequences of getting caught, especially since it would be on an official military document. Torn, he stood and continued his walk up the mountain.

The tall mountain rocks were weighing heavy on him. Harley gazed off the side of the mountain. His feet more than halfway over the cliff with the same pain in his eyes.

"Why did you leave me? Is it because I couldn't protect you?" Harley softly spoke into the depths on the mountain. The wind whipped his chestnut brown hair on his forehead as if it was replying.

"Sometimes, I want to go and be with you," he whispered as he inched closer over the cliff. The sound of rocks dropping under his weight echoed in the abyss. He stared into the bottomless pit with nothing but pain and despair in his heart. The pain from his father unleashed itself in him. He could no longer hold his composure. His face scrunched with silent, dry tears that no longer would form. He covered his mouth, trying to stifle the dark thoughts in his head.

If I just disappeared, I could escape this pain

Closer his feet moved to the edge.

Do it. Do it.

The image of his bloodied and abused mother rose in his mind. The times he found her sobbing in the corner with bruises and cuts on her body. The times she used herself as a shield to protect him as a child. As he readied himself to fall into the abyss, he spoke one last time:

"I'm sorry mom. I'm sorry I couldn't protect you," he sobbed, "I can't even protect myself. I can't keep dealing with him!" He leaned forward to meet sweet Death. As his feet rocked off the cliff, a large burst of wind pushed him backwards onto the rocky ground.

He let out a frustrated scream, "Just let me die!" Footsteps brought him out of his daze. They weren't heading towards him, they were further away. He looked over and across the chasm was a blonde-haired boy hiking up the mountainside. Cloud?

Talk to him

Something in his chest urged Harley to approach Cloud. But for what? They never talked much. Harley tried to shake the internal command, but it was eating him up inside. Their relationship was mainly in passing but he did hear what the other kids thought of Cloud - no one liked him because he was so quiet. He shrugged and internally said 'No' to his thought and continued back towards town.

Talk to him

The voice again boomed in his mind. "Ugh, Okay! Fine!" He muttered angrily to himself. He looked back over to Cloud and began to plot out his path around the mountains to reach the other side.

A while after walking Harley finally caught up to Cloud. Surprisingly, the blonde was fast at scaling the mountain.

"Oi Cloud, wait up!" he sputtered breathlessly.

Cloud was startled from the voice, enough to lose his footing a slide a bit down the mountain side. He caught himself with his hands and stood up again, turning to the voice. Harley?

"What are you doing out here Cloud? It's dangerous." Cloud pursed his lips and retorted, "Same goes for you."

Harley exhaled and looked around as if trying to find words, "I just- I just needed a cool-off."

Cloud thought of words to speak too, realizing he wasn't sure how to talk to him. He decided to push the subject, "A cool-off?" Harley nodded. "Did you get in a fight?" Cloud noticed Harley looked rough and stressed out. Harley looked right at Cloud, "I don't know why but I have this urge to talk to you. Can I trust you?"

"Why do you ask trust from someone you don't know?" Cloud questioned.

"Hmph. Figures. I guess the other guys were right about you." Cloud's eyes squinted, "The other...guys?"

Harley nodded, "They all say you are too full of yourself to talk to them. They all say you are an outcast."

Cloud intervened as a sudden burst of anger shot out of his chest, "An outcast! They've made me an outcast! I don't talk to them because they've bullied me ever since I was little!" Harley's eyes widened and he held his tongue, he didn't know about Cloud being bullied and grew regretful for trusting the other boys in town. Cloud shook his head with anger, "Those rats always had something against me. It made making friends very difficult - even with outsiders. The only people that talk to me are the adults."

Harley smiled, "Then I can trust you." Harley motioned Cloud over to a large rock and both sat down on, "Cloud, how often have they fought with you?" Cloud inhaled and looked as if he was counting, "Too many. I would walk home with bruises almost weekly. They always picked on me because I was smaller than them, but by the time you moved here, they lost interest in me and I've been avoiding them ever since."

"What if we become friends now? Will that stir up their interest in fighting again?" He smiled.

Cloud rolled his eyes, "No one will pick a fight with you, your dad is influential in town."

Quietly above a whisper, Harley spoke, "Yeah, he keeps me all to himself." A confused look appeared on Clouds face which caused Harley to continue, "Look Cloud, I don't know why I am talking to you but - I just need to talk. Just like you, I have no one. I - can I trust you? Like really trust you."

He nodded, "You can trust me." Wind blew through Cloud's spiky hair. He was mostly concerned for Harley's disheveled and unkempt appearance.

Harley took a minute to gather himself as Cloud anticipated his first words, "My dad is an alcoholic and he - gets in a drunken stupor and takes his problems out on me - physically," he pulled up his sleeve to show Cloud the cut from the blade, Cloud gasped in response," He's not this perfect man that he makes himself out to be," he paused, "He's been planning to send me to the coal mines in hopes that I die. He told me he never wants me to come back. This is a daily conversation between us, usually after he beats me." He buried his head in his hands.

Cloud's mouth was agape. He could feel the drool pooling around his bottom teeth. Harley sighed and shook his head regretting confiding in Cloud until he finally spoke, "How long has this been going on?"

Harley buried his face in his hands "Ever since I was little. Once my mom died, he shifted all his anger towards me. My mother...god my mother. He- the things he did to her…" he trailed off as Cloud awkwardly placed a hand on Harley's shoulder as he continued, "I just wish there was something I could do. I want him to suffer. I can't very well do that from the coal mines."

"What if you don't go to the coal mines." Harley turned his gaze towards Cloud.

"What?"

He continued excitingly, "You want to take him down right?" Harley nodded, "Why don't you join the military. If you rise in the ranks, you might be able to stop him!"

Harley shifted, "He goes twice a year to Corel Town to find supplies. Plus, he's best friends with the Mine Operator - there's no way he wouldn't tell my father I wasn't there. The whole reason I'm going there is so he can have more control over the mines and get better deals on his raw materials for the shop."

Cloud smiled, "Then we need to find someone who will cover for you. That gives you plenty of time to finish basic."

Anger rose in Harley's voice, "Cloud, why are you thinking so irrationally. You're talking about the impossible," He spat at Cloud. Cloud hung his head. Noticing this, Harley exhaled, paused, and pushed the idea, "If I were to find someone to do that, where would that leave me? My father will just beat me even more when he finds out."

"Once you swear in at basic, you are in contract with Shinra. Your father wouldn't be able to do anything to you without the military getting involved."

Intrigued with this information, Harley couldn't help but question, "And you know this how?"

Cloud swallowed hard and decided to take a gamble, "I guess it's time for me to ask you is you can be trusted."

Harley lazily crossed his heart with his finger which signaled Cloud to continue hesitantly, "I told my mother that I was going to go to the Corel Mines for work in two weeks and that I want to be a coal miner," he paused, "but, I'm really running off and pursuing my dream."

"And what dream is that?" Harley put a sarcastic emphasis on 'dream' which caused Cloud to furrow his brows.

"I'm joining the military." It was Harley's turn to have his mouth agape.

Harley jumped up from his seat, "The whole town knows about your mother's hatred of Shinra! What if she finds out! How is that a plan?"

Cloud's blue eyes lit up as he unveiled his secret, "I would leave for basic training in two weeks, conveniently that is the same time I would leave to go work at the coal mine. The coal mine states that training would take two months to complete and be considered a Mine Technician. Basic training is only four months," Harley interrupted, "and what will you do with those other two months?"

Cloud shook his head, "I would keep call her and tell her I have to stay longer. She won't question it. That way, I'm locked into contract with the Military at that point. It would be illegal for me to not return to the military if I pass basic. If I don't pass, I return home and act like it never happened and tell my mom the mining path isn't for me. My first obstacle is the Parental Release Form so I can join. I have three days to give it back to the recruiting officer. There's no way my mom will sign it."

"Well, are you going to forge it?" Harley questioned. Cloud shrugged as Harley spoke again, "Joining the military. I've never thought of that. Maybe that will give me what I need to take out that son-of-a-bitch." He paused in thought for a minute and looked at Cloud with new found hope, "Cloud, let's meet tomorrow, same spot and plan this out. I think...I think I'll come with you. We can both use the coal mining job as a cover and we will work on transportation - I have an idea of how we get there. All I need to do is sign up. Where do I enlist?"

Cloud filled him in and Harley promised to sign up early the next morning, the best thing Harley had going for him at this point was freedom. His father simply didn't give a shit where he was or what he was doing, as long as he was home to take his nightly beatings. Both boys shook hands and with that, a new friendship was born around their secret pact. Cloud to fulfill his dreams of becoming a Soldier, and Harley to seek revenge on his father and destroy him.